Tristan

Tristan almost hadn't believed his eyes when he'd watched Laura's power lift her off the ground, and he was even more impressed by that final attack she'd made. The impact had felt nearly deafening at the time, though through the wonders of magic it hadn't actually done any damage whatsoever to his hearing. Even if it had, given the amazing job the healers had done to keep him standing while he used Jamal's Flat Blade Barrier during the big wave at the end, he would have been fine.

When the titanic water demon had fallen, when all the scalding pools and waves and bubbles had started fading away, Tristan had finally let himself feel relief–-and all that excitement poured out of him in a loud cheer. Finishing the raid felt like it ranked up there among some of the best moments of his life.

And clearly several of his newfound friends agreed, as they joined in and cheered right along with him.

Then came the notifications, and the blessed Ding! that was another reward for all they'd accomplished. And it wasn't just him leveling up. No, it honestly seemed like every single one of his allies had leveled, too.

You have slain [Krushyl-Threks'nalik, level 23] {{Destroyer of Cinderbark}}

[Raid quest updated: A Cleansing Fire]

Raid completed!

You have gained the Fledgling Raider Achievement! You have gained the title: {Fledgling Raider}.

Next stage of Achievement revealed: Experienced Raider! Requirements: Complete three different raids.

Congratulations! You've reached LEVEL 19! The swordsman Class has reached LEVEL 9!

Skills Earned:

[Versatile Blade] A passive ability that grants 5% increased damage dealt for 10 seconds after blocking or parrying an attack with a sword.

What surprised Tristan first was how, despite the rush of energy the level-up had filled him with and the healing he'd already taken from his allies, his whole body still ached.

Next was the moment where he realized just how much this one boss had helped him grow. He'd gained a level in both his swordsmith and swordsman Classes, a new skill, and an achievement!

Checking his Status, he saw that he'd actually crossed a milestone, at least to himself. He'd gained so many stats, that he'd actually pushed his Endurance over 100! He wasn't exactly sure how he'd done that at first, until he expanded his newest achievement.

Apparently the [Fledgling Raider] title increased his highest stat by 3 points.

He chuckled slightly at the thought of more Endurance, which of course meant that his already-high health had gone up even more. He wondered if Opie would make a comment about that.

His new passive ability looked to be a great partner for the [Riposte] skill he'd earned back at swordsman level 2, and it would definitely work well with the Roving Blade. Maybe he could even try to find opportunities to make it work as a damage increase when he really needed it. He started thinking back to times he might have used it during the raid--but that train of thought was interrupted by Drannis.

"Well, my fine allies, we've done it, and to the victors go the spoils! First of all, we must congratulate each other, since we all managed to level up. It was a tough road, but--"

"Yeah, congrats!" Opie said, interrupting the raid leader in the midst of what was definitely ramping up to be one of his longer speeches and earning Opie an annoyed look.

Still, a round of congratulations went around the raid, and those who'd gained great new abilities or big milestones were quick to share them.

As it turned out, Kitara and Sophie were the only two who hadn't leveled after the water demon fell. Since they'd both already gotten a level earlier in the raid, it wasn't that surprising. Sophie said that she was fairly close to 14 now anyway, with probably less than a quarter of the level left. Kitara was only a bit over halfway through 16.

Opie, Chessa, Laura, and Cross were all now level 17, while Xanax and Tristan were 19. Being odd levels, none of them had really gained much from the level-up, except those like Tristan who had also leveled a secondary Class.

On the other hand, Manama was now a level 18 selfless entertainer, and he'd gained yet another ability, which apparently meant a new song.

"This time I think I'll actually write it myself," he explained. "I could just do what everyone else has done; the music is already in here," he said, tapping the side of his head. "But I have the feeling there's something far grander in here." This time he touched the center of his chest. "I know that I can turn our epic encounters into a legendary, lyrical ballad!"

"That's freaking right!" Opie said. "I can't wait to hear it when it's done."

Manama grimaced slightly. "That may take me... a while. But I will do my best to share the finished ballad far and wide. You will certainly hear it someday, from my own lips or another's."

Chessa gave the bard a knowing, somewhat worried grin. "Just try not to make us sound like too big a bunch of screwups."

"On my honor, I wouldn't," Manama replied. "Though, of course, I will have to sprinkle in some suspense, add dashes of drama here and there, and perhaps heap several helpings of heroism at key moments–-"

"Hey now, enough chef-speak. I'm already freaking hungry, and you're just making it worse," Opie complained.

Sophie spoke up. "I'd really love to hear it, too. Maybe you can send us all a message when you do eventually finish it? Heck, maybe we can even meet up to hear you perform it!"

"That sounds like a fine time to me," Xanax said.

"Me too," most of the others said, but notably not Cross or Laura.

On his side, Drannis cleared his throat. "It will indeed be marvelous. For now, my friends and allies, might we please continue onward to the loot?"

"Wait," Tristan said, suddenly realizing something important, "Did you tier up?"

"Oh, wait, yeah," Opie said, spinning on his heel to face the raid leader. "Tristan, you're right! When I [Identify] him, he's level 20."

Drannis heaved a grand sigh. "I am still right here, you know."

"Yeah, we know," Opie said, "and what we're trying to figure out is why you're here, instead of accepting the tier up."

"Could be his selfless decency and respect for our time," Tristan heard Chessa mutter.

Apparently he wasn't alone, as Xanax outright chuckled while Sophie pretended to cough to cover her laugh.

Drannis meanwhile moved toward the boss's remains. "I have a much less benevolent reason, though I appreciate the kindness shown to me in your considerations. I actually cannot Tier Up currently, as I have yet to fully level up one of my secondary Classes. I can and shall do that later, of course. Thankfully I don't have to worry about that now, when there are nine other esteemed members of the raid awaiting their ultimate prizes."

Opie nodded. "Yeah, fair enough. That makes sense."

"Aww," Kitara said, bobbing up and down in slight disappointment. "Here I was wondering what Classes you'd get offered."

Sophie paused her petting of Poof to tap a finger against her chin. "Yeah, honestly I'm kind of curious about that, too. Have you done anything interesting or special to shape the way your Path will likely head? Or do you have any specific classes you're trying for, or anything like that?"

The dwarf inclined his head. "We of the Petrified Wood take great pride in the cultivation and pruning of Paths. However, rather than indulge in such heady discourse, might we not gather one final time to see what treasures this fruitful endeavor has earned us?"

Opie sighed. "A bit of friendly advice, Drannis, for all the raid-leading I'm sure you'll be doing in the future: a simple 'Loot time!' is really all we need to hear. I promise."

"My fine young healer, where would be the fun in that? In my long and prosperous life thus far among the Petrified Woods, I have found that far too common are the times when news and messages must be delivered in a rush. So in all other times, I have been taught that it is wise to consider the manner in which we deliver our news, to make it as delightful as possible for the intended audience."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Opie stood with his mouth open for a second before replying, "What? Man, I'm just saying that keeping things simple is easier--and faster--than all that..." he waved a hand, seemingly having lost the words to finish his thought.

Chessa sighed and rolled her eyes.

Cross actually pointed to Opie and said, "I actually find myself agreeing with him. I'm not one for all the stilted formality."

To this Xanax responded, and he crossed his arms. "Believe it or not, there are many in this realm who find what you call 'stilted' to be the more pleasing method of communication. Indeed, some of our most cherished books in my hometown consist of nothing more than the recording of phrasings and linguistic twists that have been considered exceptionally beautiful throughout the years."

"Huh," Sophie said, "that actually sounds really interesting."

Cross shook his head. "If you say so. I just like to, you know, hear and understand immediately."

Laura, from across the circle, coughed. "So, loot time?"

"Loot time!" Kitara echoed with much more excitement as she zoomed toward her favorite perch on Sophie's shoulder.

Tristan missed whatever Sophie said to the little fairy next, but her tiny smile was so clear that it had to have been nice.

"Alright," the dwarf said, a smile at last on his bearded face as he knelt down and began digging into the damp remains of the water demon. "It is LOOT TIME!"

Only a few seconds later, he appeared to be suddenly and deeply impressed with something, though he controlled his face quickly. He raised the first piece of gear high. Tristan used [Identify], and there was no debate at all about who it would go to:

[Golden Fiddle of the Mountain (epic)]]: [Malleable Instrument], [Perfect Pitch], [Will Boost I]

An instrument made of flawless gold that enhances the performances that utilize it. Once per week, it can be transformed into a different type of instrument.

Manama beamed as he saw the gorgeous instrument, and Drannis didn't hesitate at all before delivering it to the bard's eagerly outstretched hands. For a moment, Manama lifted the bow and set it to the fiddle's strings.

"Actually, I don't know how to play fiddle--yet," he hastily added, "but luckily that doesn't matter."

In the blink of an eye, and a momentary flash of brilliant gold, the fiddle was replaced by a lute.

"Much better!" Manama said, beginning to pluck and strum immediately. The instrument was unsurprisingly well tuned, and it sounded perfect under the bard's practiced fingers.

"Gotta love introductory raids," Sophie said quietly to Tristan. "I hear the higher-tier bards don't want their instruments to change shape, as it takes up an affix slot that would otherwise be empowering it. But here at low tier, while they're still learning other instruments, it's a useful ability."

Tristan wondered just how many instruments the entertainer was already capable of playing, and how many more he might learn. Not everyone would be so dedicated to just one aspect of their craft like Tristan was.

The next item Drannis pulled out of the boss's remains was much more difficult for Tristan to assess.

[Cape of Boiling Waves (epic)]: [Vapor Reflection], [Water Walk], [Intelligence Boost I]

A cape of constantly-changing length that can be worn in place of a necklace.

He had to admit that it was one of the coolest-looking capes he'd ever seen. It seemed to be woven from pure mist that evaporated and reformed, giving it the 'constantly-changing length' of its description. Of course, he knew that wasn't why people would want to wear it. So he expanded the two properties he didn't know, and grew a bit preemptively jealous of whoever would end up with it.

[Vapor Reflection] Once per day, you may create 3 copies of yourself out of water vapor that overlap you. They move and shift with you, mirroring your actions, and giving you +25% dodge chance while at least one copy remains. When an attack hits you, you lose a copy. You may have a maximum of 3 copies active at a time.

[Water Walk] While wearing this cape, you may walk across still or gently flowing water as if it were dry land.

Clearly the first property was a great defensive tool for people who might not get hit very often. No doubt that was why Chessa, Sophie, and Laura had all visibly perked up, though the latter two might also have liked the [Intelligence Boost I].

But Tristan found [Water Walk] just as enchanting. It could be incredibly useful when exploring new areas, or just for fun. He could imagine his mother's eyes bugging out if she saw him walking across the Big Field River back home.

"Give us a moment," Chessa said aloud, as all three of the girls huddled and began talking rapidly.

"Certainly," Drannis said, "there is no rush. You have as long as you require. However, in the meantime, I believe it only fair to share the next item, too."

Reaching down once again, what he produced next was somehow even more impressive than the flowy, disappearing cape, and Tristan suspected it would be just as hotly contested.

[Amulet of Aquaform (epic)]]: [Aquaform], [Endless Breath], [Wisdom Boost I]

An amulet featuring a teardrop-shaped sapphire, which seems to contain liquid upon closer inspection.

But somehow he was mistaken, and only Kitara seemed to be excited about the stunning necklace.

[Aquaform] For up to an hour per day, while not in combat, you may change yourself and everything you're carrying into a liquid form that is able to flow around and through many obstacles.

[Endless Breath] While wearing this amulet, you no longer need to breathe.

Granted, both of the first two abilities mostly provided utility, but that was a lot of what he'd come to expect from jewelry, and each of them was still cool in its own right. [Aquaform] specifically tickled his creative fancy, as he started to wonder based on the wording if whoever ended up with the amulet might be able to carry a person with them when they transformed.

From what he'd understood in reading and talking to Sophie about it, there wasn't much combat power to be gained from amulets and ring slots in the lower tiers. Though the [Wisdom Boost I] would be a happy exception for some Classes. Tristan wouldn't have minded a property like that specifically to help him with his enchanting and mana manipulation.

Just as the little fairy ended up taking the amulet unopposed, it seemed the other women came to a conclusion for the cape.

"Give it to Laura," Chessa announced. "She's more than earned it."

Drannis delicately handed the misty cape to the thunder mage. "Indeed, I would say that you have paid far too great a price for such a small reward."

Everyone seemed to nod or murmur in agreement with that comment, except for Cross who simply stared at where Laura's missing arm should have been.

"Ah, but what is this? We are not quite finished yet," Drannis said with a still-widening grin.

Opie blinked. "There's more than three pieces of loot?"

Rather than reply aloud, the raid leader hefted something aloft that was nearly as large as his torso, and Tristan couldn't help but get extremely excited.

It was a fully worked ingot of literally red-glowing metal... and from the way Drannis held it calmly in his bare hand, the color couldn't have come from heat.

Oh, gods! Tristan gasped. There was only one metal he'd ever heard of that was naturally that color, but to see so much of it in one place, and at tier 2? He couldn't [Identify] the ingot fast enough.

[Demonsteel Ingot (rare)]

Unlike steel or mithril, demonsteel wasn't even available as a tier 1 or 2 material. It started at tier 3. Adding to that, it was a crazy good conductor of magical essence, even better than white mithril. It was also notoriously hard to acquire, as it could be farmed, but the most reliable way was to run certain dungeons and raids repeatedly--something that crafters rarely did. All that was to say that it was prohibitively expensive. So much so that Tristan could only remember his own father working with the stuff a handful of times in his whole life.

Tristan swallowed, eyes still not leaving the glorious ingot of red metal. "Guys, I..."

"It's obviously yours," Opie said.

Tristan looked around the circle of his allies and friends, and they were all clearly in agreement.

"Really?" he asked, even as the Drannis passed the ingot over to his outstretched hands. "Wow, I... Thank you, all of you. You could have sold it--"

Opie cut him off. "Yeah, just say 'thank you' and don't try to talk us out of it."

Xanax perked up though. "How much could we have sold it for?"

Tristan, not willing to play with that fire, opened his [Crafting Materials Bag] and watched as it magically fit the entire, half-of-Drannis-sized ingot within.

"At that size," Drannis shared, "I have relatives and friends that might buy it for several dozen platinum pieces, likely more."

Tristan chuckled nervously and made a show of not stowing his bag yet. "Yeah, it's really rare. I'll understand if you guys change your minds."

"Get out of here with that," Chessa said with a laugh. "We made our decision, and we're sticking to it."

"It will help your Path," Manama said, nodding. "It would be the peak of avarice if we tried to take it for mere coin."

"I hope you make something truly amazing with it," Kitara added.

"Yeah, make something to put even your black and white blade to shame!" Cross added at the end.

Tristan thanked them all one final time before putting his material bag away.

"Shall we leave this place then?" Drannis asked.

"How do we even do that?" Kitara asked, floating this way and that. "I see no obvious exit, and with the volcano in... this state, returning to our original door is going to be challenging."

Drannis laughed. "Actually, my friends, it is far simpler than that now that we have emerged victorious. Allow me."

A moment later, an enormous doorway shimmered into existence a few paces from the Water Demon's remains.

"Could you have done that the whole time?" Chessa asked, and it was clear she was genuinely curious, not accusing at all.

"If the situation proved necessary," he said, "as the raid leader may only use it so many times."

Opie put an arm around Chessa's shoulders. "Then let's get out of this freaking volcano! With Kit's spell worn off, I can easily say that it's way too freaking hot in here."

As they all left, Tristan checked his Status once again, still slightly in disbelief over gaining another level already. It had only been a few weeks since he'd had that Inspiration, and somehow he'd hit level 19 anyway. He was now only one level away from Tier 3.

STATUS:

Tristan Hammerson Human L19 Swordsmith/9 Swordsman/9 Enchanter {{Student of Jamal}}

Stats: STR 94 (+27) AGI 41 (+7) END 100 (+24) INT 19 (+1) WIS 21 (+1) WLL 48 (+5)

Core: [Soul-Forged] Items you craft replace a portion of the required materials with soul, are greatly enhanced, and become Soulbound. You may only use Soulbound items.

Titles: {Ark Aficionado}, {Ark Winner}, {Awakened}, {Fledgling Raider}, {Lonely Dungeoneer}, {Novice Dungeon Delver}, {Soulscarred}, {{Student of Jamal}}

Skills: [Augment], [Blade Echo], [Bless], [Craft Armor], [Craft Shield], [Craft Tool], [Craft Weapon], [Create: Portable Forge], [Disenchant], [Gather Ore], [Identify], [Imbue], [Infuse], [Inscribe], [Permanent Party], [Repair Item], [Rivalry], [Sharpen Blade], [Work Metal]

Attacks: [Blade Flurry], [Cleaving Slash], [Piercing Thrust], [Riposte]

Passives: [Agility Up II], [Blade's Resolve], [Born Blacksmith], [Calendar], [Clock], [Combat Reflexes], [Endurance Up II], [Enhance Craft I], [Heat & Fire Resistance], [In a Hurry], [Inspiring Blade], [Magic Resistance], [Manipulate Magic], [Strength Up III], [Will Up I]

Natural Treasures: 6/20: [Sageberry VI]

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