After eight months of monotonous killing, we finally get a message from Lia saying we should return soon. After killing the Liger we hadn't been able to find anything that could grant such a large amount of experience all at once. Actually, we did, but we couldn't kill it... the Liger's parents. A mere juvenile at level 14 was hard enough but after a couple of days two more Liger's showed up, two Elders, both above level 40. Big brained as I am, I used my newly acquired Size Modification and shrunk my self down to as small as possible to hide in Aurelia's pocket. I wasn't able to see the specifics after that but as far as I know, we spent the entire day running around and by the time I realised it Aurelia had dug a hole in the ground and eventually the Ligers gave up chasing us.
We eventually left the hole... after three days when we were sure the Ligers weren't around anymore and from there we decided to stay far away from that cave of theirs. Deciding not to actively seek out the stronger monsters again, we started the most boring eight-month journey ever. Eight months of systematically killing off small fry and it wasn't easy to find large clusters of them. Setting fire to the tunnels of the Giant Red Ants, setting flame the prairies, destroying several large hives of bees, nothing but mass killings of things that die if I simply sneeze in their direction.
Even after all this work, starting the journey at level 8, I only went up to level 13. I get it, monsters level up significantly slower the people with classes, but this is ridiculous. A mere 5 levels are all I got after all this, meanwhile, Aurelia is level 28 and from what Lia said, she is level 30. If there is any bright side to this though, it's the part where my Soul Furnace bonus is massive, currently granting me a bonus of +11,791 so it not like I didn't get anything out of this trip.
With the dark of night as cover, I remain at full size with Aurelia on my back until the Capital is in sight. From then on we swap places as I shrink down and hang around Aurelia's shoulders until we reach the city where I shift into my humanoid form.
Entering the palace, the first thing we do is head to the office Lia had been using and upon opening the door, I'm knocked down by Lia as she jumps and hugs me.
"I can finally see you again! Aurelia didn't do anything weird to you, right? It's been so long, I've missed you!"
"Calm down, haven't we been in contact through the Soul Connection this whole time, we've talked nearly every day," I say while making no moves to remove myself from Lia grasp.
"Ahem! Save the show for later, we have other things to take care of," Aurelia says, clearly annoyed.
Picking ourselves up off the ground, Lia continues, "right, so let's take a look at your status, Cory."
Name: Cordelia Auspin
Race: Elite Adult Elemental Spirit Dragon
Adventurer Rank: C
Tier: 8
Titles: Provoking Giants, Coward, A Fool, Immortal Slayer, Soul Eater, Seed of Calamity, Brave Explorer, The Sea Dragon's Inheritor, Life's End, Raging Alcoholic
Level: 13
EXP: 7,531/113,387
HP: 11,610 (+11,791)(+1,000)(+1,275) MP: 9,202 (+11,791) SP: 11,342 (+11,791)(+500)(+850)
STR: 4,012 (+11,791)(+250)(+425)
VIT: 4,066 (+11,791)(+400)(+850)
DEX: 3,477 (+11,791)(-250)(-425)
INT: 3,985 (+11,791)(-5)
WIS: 3,959 (+11,791)
MND: 5,189 (+11,791)
Soul Skills: Language Comprehension, Soul Connection (Lia Straellum), SC Humanoid Shapeshift, Contract with the Ursine Lord
Innate Skills: Draconic Insight (5) Acid Beam (6), Tail Swipe (8), Venomous Bite (9), Ice Breath (5), Water Breath (5), Fire Breath (5), Gale Breath (1), Shrapnel Breath (3), Thorn Breath (1), Freezing Flame Breath (2), Beam of Light, Beam of Darkness, Constrict (4), Element Fusion, Element Creation & Manipulation, Gliding, Humanoid Shapeshift
Magic: Ice Shard, Water Wall, Fire Ball, Wind Wall, Flare Missile, Ice Bomb, Fire Bomb, Fire Enchant, Ice Enchant, Water Enchant, Air Enchant, Water Bullet, Air Bullet, Ice Bullet, Fire Bullet, Spear of Light, Curse of Darkness, Light Enchant, Dark Enchant
Resistance: Corrosion Immunity, High Poison Resist, Light Absorption, Dark Absorption, Ice Absorption, Water Absorption, Fire Absorption, Air Absorption, Wood Absorption, Metal Absorption, Medium Earth Resist, Medium Pain Resist
Weakness: Lightning [+450% damage]
Mutations: Toxic Scales, Gargantuan Size, Size Modification, Strong Venom, Extreme Stomach, Improved Humanoid Shapeshift, Soul Furnace, Growth
Bonus Stats: [Provoking Giants (-5 INT)] [Gargantuan Size = +1,000 HP, +500 SP, +250 STR, +400 VIT, -250 DEX] [Growth (+1,275 HP, +850 SP, +425 STR, +850 VIT, -425 DEX, +85 Metres)] [Soul Furnace (+11,791)]
Current Biomatter: 35,678kg
Lifetime Biomatter: 85,978kg
Size: 500 Metres
System Quests: Legacy of the Dragons (1/2)
"Not bad, although I'm a little disappointed at the lack of levels you gained, your stat total is still high," Lia says before turning towards Aurelia, "so how about you, will her Majesty grant as the opportunity to see her status for once?"
"Very well, but you only have a couple of minutes before I make it unviewable again."
Name: Aurelia Lausiel
Race: Human (Eithgar - Spirit Descent)
Titles: Imperatrix of Lausiel, Descendant of the Eithgar Royal Line, Talented Artist
Class: Eithgar Monarch -Psychic Variant (Tier: Special)
Level: 28
HP: 21,750 MP: 21,750 SP: 21,750
STR: 18,125
VIT: 14,500
DEX: 15,950
INT: 18,850
WIS: 19,575
MND: 18,125
Soul Skills: Eithgar Inheritance, Soul Absorption, Eithgar All Seeing Eyes
Passives: Eithgar Empowerment, Soul Restoration, First Strike Nullification, One with the Land…
Skills: Aurelia Beam, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Conjure Lightning, Golden Barrier, Piercing Light, Short Range Teleportation, Song of Empowerment, Song of Desecration, Living Art, Lighting Coat, Wind Burst…
Resistances: Toxic Immunity, Corrosion Immunity, Soul Damage Resistance, High Elemental Resist, Mental Impairment Immunity, Lightning Absorption, Air Absorption
"What's with the three dots at the end of your skills and stuff?" I ask.
"I have too many abilities that I only bothered to reveal a handful of them. And that you've seen my status, why doesn't the one who sat around for eight months while we were fighting in the mountains yet reaped the benefits show us her status."
"Feel free to look and it's not like I didn't do any hard work myself. Would you like to spend eighteen hours a day sitting at a desk doing paperwork?"
"... Uhm, sorry," Aurelia says while turning her head away.
Ignoring the exchange between the two, I take a look at Lia's status.
Name: Lia Straellum
Race: Blue Dragonoid
Titles: Princess of the Blue Dragonoids, Scholar of History, Toxin Master, Dragon Rider
Class: Dragon Rider -Sage Variant (Tier: Special)
Level: 30
Adventurer Rank: A
HP: 9,300 MP: 10,850 SP: 6,200
STR: 7,750 (+300)
VIT: 8,060 (+700)
DEX: 9,765
INT: 10,075
WIS: 10,230
MND: 10,850
Soul Skills: Soul Connection (Cordelia Auspin), Affection of the Dragon (Cordelia Auspin)
Passives: Blood of the Ancients, Draconic Blood, Draconic Body, Low Altitude Flight, High-Speed Flight
Magic: Water Sagecraft, Ice Sagecraft, small heal
Resistances: Toxic Immunity, Corrosion Immunity, High Water Resist, High Ice Resist
"Say, I was wondering about it the last time I peeked at your status, but since you know this time I'll just ask. What is that passive you have, Blood of the Ancients? I can't see through it even with my eyes," Aurelia asks.
"I don't actually know myself. It's been there since I was born and everyone in my family has it, yet none of us knows its effect."
"Since even I can't see through it, then it probably has some relation to the High Gods of Celestia or the Ancient Demons of the Spirit World. Based off of the name alone, I would place my bets with the Ancient Demons, but one can never be sure when it comes to these kinds of things."
"You've talked mentioned stuff like this before, but came you tell me about them? These so-called High Gods and Ancient Demons, where to the Gods of Grauntia fits into all this, and how do the demons I'm aware of relate to these Ancient Demons?" Lia asks.
"I can talk about history with you later, we still have some business to take care of. What's going on that you called us back early?"
"I missed Cory, so can you tell me now?"
"I see, so what really happened?"
"I missed Cory and your Uncle, the Archidux has been publicly denouncing you and gathering all his military forces for some reason. So now can you tell me?"
"I get the feeling that you are putting your self-interest ahead of my Empire."
"Because I am, oh and he has been doing that for the past few months ever since you missed the last gathering of the senate, actually you should have already known that since he had been doing before you left as well, just more discreet about it then. The main reason really is that I missed Cory."
"..."
For once, Aurelia is actually speechless. I for one am happy to be back and away from the boring chore of everything I had been doing in the mountains. I had this unsettling feeling from being away from Lia and now that I'm back I'm much more comfortable.
"*sigh* If I tell you about this will you please take your job more seriously?"
"Sure, oh and I heard the Archidux will be making a public announcement in a few days over at one of the military outpost near the southern border so I had your spies head over there. See I'm taking my job seriously, so hurry up, I want to know more!"
"Fine, but not here. Let's head to the Interdimensional Restaurant and get a private room, we can guarantee privacy there."