[ Cat Form Skill Level Up! Level Max Reached, Bonus Unlocked! 1 skill point gained. ]
Sara hadn't wanted to stray too far from the glade, but she hadn't wanted to spend her time idle either, so instead she had been chasing the speedy hedgehogs around. She didn't actually want to kill them, though it was possible she was traumatising them. She just wanted to see if it would level Charge and Pursuit even if she didn't actually fight them, but just used them as targets to aim for.
It had worked. She had gotten one level in Charge, and two in Pursuit by the time Cat Form finally hit max.
[ Cat Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. User shapeshifts into a big cat. Continuous effect. Agility, Strength, and Dexterity +(50+(2*skill level))%. Critical Hit chance +10%. Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom -50%. Magic power -10%. Max MP -10%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Bite, Rake, Ambush, and Stealth. Activation Cost: 5 MP. Cast time: 2 seconds. No further cost while active. Deactivation Cost: 0. Refresh: 10 seconds.
Max level bonus: Attack power +10%. ]
Very straightforward. It was time to switch over to Bear Form then. Which meant she was going to be a bit slower. Though she soon found her next target.
[ Ildhena Racehog (Scout Lvl 23) HP: 79/79 ]
They felt like a reference, but at least they weren't blue. They looked pretty much like normal hedgehogs, except they were the size of a medium house cat, and moved really quick. There was a certain thrill in just chasing them around.
Maybe the canine mindset is getting to me.
It was harder to chase them when she was slower. Charge gave her a speed boost, but they still pulled ahead, at least until their Sprint ran out. She didn't want to use Sprint herself, because the point wasn't to actually catch them, just to level her skills. And the chase did get a little easier as Pursuit gained more levels.
She wasn't really paying enough attention to notice the chase made her barge right into range of a deer until it was too late.
[ Nyolund Noble Deer (Druid Lvl 25) HP: 175/175 ]
Instead of trying to flee, she altered trajectory to barrel right into the deer instead, lashed out with Rend before exiting Bear Form, and jumped back before the deer recovered. Time to change tactics.
She started casting Fireball, and then held the charge to build up more copies. The deer fired a Poison Needle at her, but she was immune now, so all it did was give her enough time to launch her volley. She had been able to get up to three copies right away, which was probably thanks to her high stats. Though if she remembered her numbers correctly, did that mean she needed like a hundred points of Intelligence and/or Wisdom to get one extra copy? Maybe that was a fair exchange for such a powerful effect.
Next they traded a Thorn Bind for a Root Bind, and were both locked in place. She was sure the deer had wanted to use the chance to charge at her considering the ugly stare it was giving her. But she just charged up four Poison Bolts, and let them fly.
Between a Bear Charge, a critical Rend, the following Bleed, the further chip damage from Burn and Thorns, and eight spells launched in quick order, the deer already collapsed.
Yikes... I've gotten quite scary.
[ Nyolund Noble Deer (Druid Lvl 25) Defeated. ]
[ Skill Gained: Solid Kick. Kick skill experience absorbed. Solid Kick Skill Level Up! ]
[ Charge Skill Level Up! ] [ Rend Skill Level Up! ] [ Fire Ball Skill Level Up! ] [ Fire Element Skill Level Up! ] [ Copy Cast Skill Level Up! ] [ Poison Bolt Skill Level Up! ] [ Nature Element Skill Level Up! ] [ Copy Cast Skill Level Up! ]
Oh, so it's possible to gain a higher tier skill even when I already have the lower one. I mean, that saves me a bit of trouble, but it also makes me miss out on skill points, and potentially unlocking more skills. Then again... would I really have maxed out Kick in the first place?
Copy Cast seemed like a good way to speed level magic spells. And presumably the more copies she was able to make, the faster the skill itself levelled too. It did eat quite a chunk out of her MP bar, though, so she couldn't just spam it endlessly. Even with three copies of a basic spell at it had taken about 10% of her MP, so as she kept adding more, it would just plummet. It wasn't suited for extended combat. She should probably not use it in combat against Adventurers. It was a trump card she didn't want to reveal unless she had to. It was better suited against mobs.
If she bombarded one more deer, she should be able to max both Fireball, and Poison Bolt.
"The Sara," came a caw from above.
But it seemed like that would have to wait.
"Yes?" she replied as she looked up.
"Two people are here. In the forest," said the raven. "One of them is the elf. The elf you told us to look for. The other is also elf. Different elf."
Two people? Well, she did ask if I was willing to see someone else. I guess she already had someone in mind.
"Thank you." She tried to do a bow to the raven, but it might not have registered as one.
"We will watch. Make it interesting," the raven said, followed by a laugh.
I'm not sure how to make a conversation interesting, though...
While she didn't have a mini-map feature, she had made up a mental map of this side of the zone while she had explored, and she knew she wasn't too far from the glade. Hopefully Mirielle had remembered the chalkboard, or they would have to slink out to the road again.
* * *
The reason Luneria had never begrudged, or looked down on Mirielle's hobby (or obsession as several of her peers saw it) was because she had used to be much the same. When she had been young she had also been fascinated by legends, and fairy tales. She had even visited the glade herself, long ago, wondering about who could have made that statue, and why they had placed it out there. But her own investigation had borne no fruit.
Legends were often no more true than fairy tales, and she had told the tale of the Mystic Wolf to her own children. Her grandmother had told her about the time she had seen one, which she had listened to with shining eyes as a child, but as an adult had concluded it had just been made up for her enjoyment.
Yet now this young Priestess was claiming to have met the Guardian Beast, and that it was a Mystic Wolf. It was so absurd that she didn't want to believe it. Maybe partly because she had never found anything herself. Why would it reveal itself to Mirielle, when it hadn't to Luneria? But she knew that such petty thoughts should be beyond her.
She had a feeling that the Priestess wasn't telling her everything, like she had tried to hide that the wolf had a name, but Eye of Truth had not reacted to anything she had said as a lie. Meaning that at the very least, Mirielle was absolutely convinced of what she was saying. That was the secret Luneria had learned about the Eye of Truth. It could only detect lies if the person themselves knew they were lying. If someone was truly convinced of what they were saying, regardless of whether it was an objective truth, then they wouldn't think they were lying, and Eye of Truth wouldn't react.
Regardless of her personal feelings, the chance to form an alliance with a boss mob couldn't be passed up. It was something that had never happened before in any records Luneria had seen, unless you counted the legends of the Guardian Beast, but the world was changing. Visitors from another world had arrived, and each nation's deity had told their people to accept them. They arrived in the shape of people from this world, so it wasn't an outrageous leap of logic to think creatures from another world, or realm might come in the shape of one of the mobs of Moorhold.
Mirielle hadn't claimed that to be the case, it was merely something Luneria was speculating on her own.
If it turned out to be a trap, all she would lose would be a bit of time, and experience. And she could punish Mirielle accordingly. The Priestess's healing, and treatment skills were too valuable to let her go, but a fine in the form of suspended pay would be an appropriate... no, perhaps even a mild punishment for endangering a Bishop.
She had considered bringing guards, but if the wolves intended to come out in force, then a few more elves wouldn't be enough to make the difference. They might even be taken as a sign of hostility. So it was honestly better for her to sneak out.
They had been able to find the flower that Mirielle had brought in the Temple's garden, which was a convenient coincidence, so Luneria had turned one of them into a brooch to present to the Beast. She could make different types of accessories out of them as well, but a brooch had seemed suitable for the occasion.
Since she had maxed out Sense Mana, it wasn't too far into Nyolund before she detected a significant signature on the move. At first it seemed to be coming towards them, but then it stopped. And as they got closer, she realised where it had stopped.
So it knew we were coming, and went to the agreed upon meeting point? Is the thing about how the ravens would let it know we were coming true, then? I haven't sensed any wolves in the vicinity since we entered.
Luneria was suppressing the spark of excitement that was growing inside her. She needed to remain calm, and rational. She was a grown woman now, not some starry-eyed youngster.
The path to the glade was even more overgrown than she remembered. She couldn't help but wonder, as she had back then, what this area had looked like back when the statue was first set up.
And in the glade was a large wolf sitting in front of the wolf statue. Brown fur, and blue eyes. That part was certainly as the fairy tale described it, but all that meant was that whoever wrote the fairy tale had seen what one looked like.
"I'm back, Sara!" Mirielle called out. "The person I have brought with me is Bishop Luneria. She agreed to speak with you. But... uh..." She looked around the glade. "Oh yeah, I brought the chalkboard you asked for as well, but... how do you intend to use it? Shall I just place it in front of you?"
Luneria hadn't even noticed that Mirielle had brought it until she took it out of her magic bag. The Priestess hadn't mentioned that part at all. As if in response, the wolf started changing. No, shifting. Into a treant.
A mob that uses shapeshifting? That's rare.
She had heard stories of certain humanoid mobs that could use such abilities, but never the beast type ones. She used Identify to verify what Mirielle had told her on the way. It had All Attributes Up as she had claimed, so that suggested that the information on how to gain it was correct. Not crucial information, but useful. Otherwise there was nothing she hadn't seen before. She just hadn't seen this combination on any mob. And yes, there was the reaction from Eye of Truth that the status wasn't entirely correct, but she wasn't able to see what was hidden either. That meant it had max level Conceal Status, or something equally powerful. The only way to see through that would be to bring it into the Temple, and do a reading there. But it was doubtful the Temple, or the mob would agree to that.
The now-treant flexed its wooden fingers, and presented its open hands to Mirielle. Taking the hint, Mirielle handed over the chalkboard, and a piece of chalk. It didn't seem quite used to having hands. Treants didn't have the same dexterity as a Resident when it came to using their arms, after all. One might say they were rather lumbering.
After testing its movement for a bit, it started writing on the chalkboard. They waited patiently until it presented the first text to the two elves.
"Greetings. I am the new Guardian Beast of Nyolund. You may call me Sara if you wish," it said in clear elven letters. It looked a little unsteady, probably due to the awkward hands it was using, but it was legible.
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It almost seemed like it sent a quick annoyed look at Mirielle, though with a treant's face it was hard to tell. Perhaps it was also aware it was hardly a name that inspired awe. But honestly that just made it all the more intriguing to Luneria. It being such a mundane name just made it more believable.
"Greetings to you as well," Luneria said in response. "I am Bishop Luneria of the Temple of the Moon." Perhaps Mirielle had a point about politeness. When someone, even a mob, introduced themselves with a name, it was rude to keep thinking of them as 'it'. "I was told you wish to form an alliance."
Sara wiped the board with what looked very much like Life Magic, then started writing again. Even more intriguing.
"Yes. The wolves will not attack you, if you do not attack us. Did you bring the symbol?"
"We did. But I want to ask why you want this alliance," Luneria said.
Sara wiped the board again, and then paused for a moment, as if she was thinking, before she started writing again.
"Because you asked. No one has asked before. So I thought it would be interesting. I want to see what it will lead to. The wolves feel no particular animosity towards you, we simply do what we have always done. Perhaps it is time for that to change."
No one has asked before, huh?
A compelling answer, but it was annoying that Eye of Truth didn't work on text. She had to decide for herself whether or not to believe it. And she wanted to, but was still too early to make that call.
"Very well. Here is the symbol you asked for," she said, and brought out the brooch. "I can make it into other types of accessories as well, but I thought this would be the most appropriate."
"Very good," Sara wrote. "I would like to take it with me, to show the others. We are having a meeting later to discuss the next steps."
"Feel free." It wouldn't take much effort on Luneria's part to make another, so she handed it over. Right after Sara accepted it, it simply vanished.
Does she have magic storage as well? And she seemingly has Life Magic, and the Language skill... it is almost like she is a Resident, or perhaps a Wanderer, in a mob's body.
A fascinating theory, but Sara probably wouldn't admit it either way. However, based on what Luneria knew, there was no particular reason why that would be impossible, especially if one of the gods was involved. That also meant there might be more of them out there, waiting to be discovered. Depending on whether they were willing to cooperate like Sara, that could mean very interesting things for Moorhold's future. But she was getting ahead of herself. She had to deal with the here, and now.
"What are you willing to bring to this alliance?" she asked.
Sara took a little time to write her answer. "Aside from the non-attack clause, I have asked the others to help you if you come under attack. But as I told Mirielle, that depends on each wolf's willingness. I will not force them. I got the impression they found the idea interesting. The Night Ravens have expressed a desire to help out, as well. They told me they want things to change, but with how clever they are, I doubt they have told me their full motives. If they grow bored, they might abandon the idea, but for now they wish to cooperate with the alliance." After giving them a minute to read it, she wiped the board to continue writing, since she had run out of space.
"I have also made note of various herbs, and other plants I have seen here in the eastern half of the zone, so if there is anything you are searching for, I would be willing to guide you, assuming I have the time. If you wish to speak with me, have a Druid ask one of the ravens, or wolves to send me a message.
We unfortunately do not have full control of the western half of the zone yet, but I plan to make incursions there once we have stabilised our position more. Having to worry less about attacks from the elves would help speed that up."
It sounded like the ravens were their own faction in all of this. "And what do you want from us?" Luneria asked next.
"Mainly that you honour the alliance, and punish anyone who tries to break it. If anyone wears the symbol, and still attacks us, it will be seen as a breach of trust. We will demand that such persons be harshly punished, or things will go back to how they were. For instance, if anyone with the symbol respawns claiming we attacked them first, our word shall be prioritised. We gain nothing from luring you out here to attack you, since people come regardless, but someone among the Residents might wish to disrupt the alliance, or Wanderers might seek to exploit it. If we cannot trust that those with the symbol are sincere, then there is nothing to hold the alliance together."
Luneria fully understood the rationale, but also knew it might be a hard sell. Demanding that the word of a mob be prioritised above the word of a Resident was bound to cause some waves, especially among those in positions of power. Perhaps it was possible to ask to have it implemented into Hanoleav's, or at least Komeron's reputation system. The gods had made sure that ran automatically somehow, so beneficial actions gained points, and harmful actions lost points, even when no one was around to witness it. If they were able to get that approved, perhaps it would be a sufficient compromise.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"Nothing else for now," Sara wrote. "I hope this alliance will develop as trust grows, so if we think of any further requests, we will bring them up later. We are most curious to see what you will do with this opportunity. I do have one personal, selfish request if you are willing to listen."
"Go on." Luneria was intrigued.
"I would like some snacks."
"... pardon?"
"While I do not need to eat, I sometimes wish to. Unfortunately my selection of food is limited, and all raw. I am curious to taste something cooked. Meat, pastries, desserts, and so on. I want to try a lot of them, if you are willing to indulge me."
Luneria could only stare at the wolf in the shape of a tree. "You want us to cook for you?" And how did she know what all of those things were?
"It is not something required for the alliance, it's just a personal request. Maybe you could think of it as a sign of friendship? And if there is anything I can do in return, I will endeavour to, though I am not sure how much I am able to offer." Sara paused, then wiped the board, and wrote a short sentence: "I do have this."
She put the board down at her side, and moved her hands together. Strings started coming out of her fingers, and she gradually spun them into a large ball that she then handed to Mirielle. The Priestess stared at it, and started to examine it.
"W-wait, is this spider silk?" she asked.
Sara picked the board back up, and started writing.
"It is one of the skills I picked up along the way. There is a limit to how much I am able to make, but perhaps it is useful enough to be worth trading with?"
"Picked up along the way?" Luneria wondered out loud as she had a look at the ball herself. It was nice, soft, and didn't feel sticky at all. It was wrapped up like a ball of yarn, though with much finer, and stronger thread. She wasn't an expert, but the quality seemed decent. Spiders sometimes dropped silk when killed, but there weren't a lot of spider nests around Ildhena. Especially not easily accessible ones. Even an amount like this was quite valuable. More than worth a few food dishes. Sara didn't seem to recognise its true value.
"I assumed Mirielle had told you," Sara wrote. "My god gave me the gift to get new skills by copying from mobs I defeat. It is not always reliable, and doesn't necessarily give me the ones I want. I was very conflicted about this one at first, but I have found a couple of uses for it."
That was potentially the most dangerous piece of information Luneria had learned in this meeting. A mob capable of learning new skills. And presumably also level them up, if her suspicion was correct.
Wait... is she able to get skills from Residents too?
The thought suddenly struck her, but she didn't want to ask out loud. It did seem like an explanation for how she had all these Resident skills. Besides, that lined up with how Mirielle had said she had been killed, and then Sara somehow knew how to understand, and write elven. It didn't explain how she knew how to write in the first place, regardless of language, but it was a scary idea.
Yet also a very useful one.
"Can you make one more of these balls for us to take with us? I think that should help with convincing the others to accept the alliance." Even in limited amounts, having a reliable supply of essentially free silk was another bargaining chip. Though how would they explain where it came from? Calling them gifts from the Guardian Beast had a nice ring to it, but could they actually claim the Beast created them herself? It was the truth, but was it wise to reveal it? If questioned by the others at the Temple they couldn't outright lie, but they might be able to dance around it.
She already had a plan to make a written report to both the Temple, and the Palace, and wanted to send along one silk ball with each report as proof. That seemed like the best opening play. After she had the proposal down on paper, she could wait for them to get back to her with any further questions. And she was sure there would be further questions.
Sara spun another ball of silk for them, about the same size, and handed it over.
"Thank you," Luneria said. "Mirielle and I will head back to the city, and prepare our reports."
"W-wait, I have to write a report too?" Mirielle asked.
Luneria only vaguely suppressed her mischievous grin. "As the one who first encountered Sara, and got these talks started, your account should be included with the reports. Make sure to let me check it when it's done."
Mirielle's shoulders slumped.
"I will update everyone at our meeting later," Sara wrote. "If you want to reach me again, bring a Druid with Commune With Animals, and make sure you all wear the symbol. I will be resting in the evening, at which point the ravens can't reach me. You'll have to ask a wolf in that case, but I would prefer if you only came in the morning, and afternoon. Can I keep the chalkboard?"
"Yes, of course!" Mirielle quickly recovered to answer.
The chalkboard, and a couple of pieces of chalk vanished, presumably to the same place as the accessory symbol had, before Sara reverted to wolf form.
"We will probably just send Mirielle to be our intermediary from now on, but I wouldn't mind speaking with you again at some point," Luneria said with a smile, to which the wolf could only nod.
They parted ways, and the elves headed back to Komeron. Luneria had purposefully avoided bringing up the topic of Sara's god during the talk. She had already poked Mirielle about the subject on their way out there, and didn't think there was anything else useful to learn. Though she did hope the people back home wouldn't ask too much about it. The Temple would probably not be thrilled that someone other than the Moon Goddess supposedly sent a Guardian Beast to help them. They could attempt to frame it as another god respected the Moon Goddess enough to want to assist her, or something like that. Apparently what Sara had told Mirielle was that it was more like a gesture of goodwill, than an official alliance.
She quickly prepared her report, made two copies of it (one to keep for herself), added Mirielle's testimony when it was ready, and had one package including a silk ball sent to the Palace, and other delivered to the Archbishop's aide. Depending on how far this went, the Oracle might get involved, but that would be up to the Archbishop to decide. At least the current Archbishop was someone who tended to prioritise the city, and its people, over personal power, and the prestige of the Temple. She couldn't say the same for all of her fellow Bishops.
What Luneria had absolutely not expected was that barely an hour after sending her report, she would get a summon from the Palace.