System and Ke'an land in the snow beside the massive corpse. System on top of Ke'an who took the brunt of the fall. She yells a few expletives as she shoves her hand into the snow mound beside them. She then lets out a sigh with a slight moan as she lays back down on Ke'an's chest winded and tired.
"We did it!" Ke'an yells with which a laugh follows soon after.
"We stopped two of them." System responds as she closes her eyes. "There are still three more and the boss."
"I don't see them on the minimap." Ke'an says. "Maybe we scared the others off."
"This must be a raid type quest." System says as she shakes the melting snow off of her hand and yawning. "We will probably have a few hours before the next wave. Check your quest menu for any updates."
Ke'an opens his quest menu and looks at the active quest.
(1/1) Christened in Blood and Ice
Administrators must prove their resolve in the face of overwhelming odds and turn misfortune into opportunity to grow.
(Update): You have survived wave (1/2) you have 11h and 59m until the next wave.
Kill four greater snow wraiths (2/4)
Kill unknown boss creature (0/1)
Save Kal'sava village
Reward for completion:
5 transcendent experience points
5 health potions
5 mana potions
This is a main quest failure to complete this quest will result in demotion.
Destruction of Kal'sava 15.95%
As he finishes reading through the quest he hears System snoring on his chest. He looks down and sees her asleep. He lifts the hood of the bear cloak she is still wearing and slowly sits-up holding her gently in his arms. He thought it was fair that she got to fall asleep on him once since he used to sleep on her when she was a dragon all of the time. While she is asleep Ke'an takes the opportunity to find out what level she is. He extends his Administrator Authority to her body.
Apprentice Administrator Reality Editor
You have selected System Lock (Level 7). You meet the requirement to edit this item however, edits to individuals can be resisted if their level exceeds your. How would you like to edit this item? You are an Apprentice Administrator your choices are limited to the following:
Wake up
Alter physical body
Alter soul
Infuse with magic
Ke'an dismisses the window without using the editor on her. He is surprised that killing two greater wraiths was not enough to push her over level ten. The sleep she is in is not a normal rest but instead what happens when someone overuses their magic. While the body recuperates its lost lifeforce it will put the mind to sleep. She won't wake up until her lifeforce recovers on its own.
The remaining farmers slowly come out from their cover; the once twenty-four defenders whittled down to fourteen in the fight. Manny is the first of them to confirm the deaths of both monsters as the other farmers go to find family and friends. The celebration of victory tainted with the deaths of friends that died in the fight.
"Is she alright?" Manny says as he approaches Ke'an.
"She just used too much of her magic. She will be fine in a few hours." Ke'an responds. "Do you have somewhere warm I can put her for now. I need to prepare."
"Yes, of course but prepare for what?" Manny asks.
"System told you there were five, right? The rest are on their way and the creature that summoned them." Ke'an says carefully stands up being sure to support System.
Manny's expression sours as he looks back over the village. Several homes were destroyed and ten of the defenders dead. Luckily they managed to contain the fight to mainly the outskirts but it could have easily gotten out of hand. Ke'an saw Manny's expression darken and the uncertainty in killing three more monsters just as powerful as what they just faced.
"You all can just run." Ke'an states. "Take your families and leave."
"We can't do that. This place is hallowed ground gifted to us by Batri to protect and nurture." Manny says with conviction. "We will not forsake our duty to the Goddess."
Ke'an assured him the best he could that they will survive as long as they help him in his preparation. He also tells them that this time he doesn't want anyone but himself and System to fight. His motives behind that is that one their untrained firing may cause more damage to the town and he wants as much as the creature's aggression focused on him as possible.
"First, I need to take care of a few things. Where can I put her?" Ke'an says gesturing to System.
"My sister's house I will have her set it up for her right away." Manny says.
"Can you take her there for me. I need to inspect the bodies of the Wraiths." Ke'an says.
"Yes of course I will have someone come get you after we have her somewhere warm." Manny says with a nod.
Ke'an places System in Manny and Farly's care as he walks to the body of the massive centipede monster. The body slowly loses the magical energies that formed it and is slowly returning to normal ice and snow. Ke'an opens his inventory and pulls out his travel bag. He opens the bag to take out the materials needed to take the abilities. He stops remembering he no longer needs the ritual and places a hand on the creature's carapace and surges magic around his entire body. Glowing runes appear all along his hand and body. They shift around as if alive, creating new patterns before locking into new configurations. A menu appears that he has never seen before.
Skill Assignment Menu
Assigning a skill will enable you to utilize it without ritual. A skill will be modified by your Skill Tree. You have the following uncategorized skill(s):
Skill: Theft of Life 100.00%
Skill Type: Special ability
Magic cost: High
Effect: Your blood brims with power that should not exist. Steal the abilities, knowledge, and magic of those around you. This magic will kill the target if successfully cast. Magic can be resisted by conscious beings. Can be used on the recently deceased. Gain one random ability from the target.
Assign skill to skill tree? (yes/no)
"Yes," Ke'an says without thinking.
Ke'an skill menu pops up on it and he sees the icons for his current skills Deicide, Regicide and Genocide. Each separated in its own individual section. A second icon appears in the Deicide section and a golden branch connects the two icons. This new icon is a hand reaching outward as if to take something. As he looks at the menu a second pop-up menu appears.
Skill: Theft of Life has reached 100.00% would you like to evolve skill? Failure to evolve will reset skill to 00.00%.
Evolve skill (yes/no)
Ke'an pauses for a second as he reads and rereads the prompt not understanding what it is asking him to do and wishing that System was awake to explain things. He was curious as to why his skills had a percentage beside them but hadn't asked about them. Restarting the skill from zero did seem like it would be a waste especially sense he didn't know what the requirements would be to get them back to 100.00% or how long it would take. Ke'an mentally confirmed yes to the prompt and the window vanished. The icon of the skill changed and now looked like a hand reaching towards what looks like a glowing triangle brimming with power. Ke'an focuses on the new skill and reads the new description.
Skill: Userper 1.00%
Skill type: Special ability cooldown none
Magic cost: High
Effect: Behold the power that stole from God. Take the ability, knowledge, and magic of those around you. This magic will kill the target if successfully cast. Can be used on the recently deceased. This magic can be resisted by conscious beings. Once cast successfully gain one ability from the target.
Transcendent: Consolidate new powers into your skills tree automatically. Reduce magic cost to none.
Just like the other skills he instantly knows how to utilize Usurper. The new spell is more effective and less costly than before. He smiles as he focuses his attention back on the corpse of the greater wraith. The words of how to activate the spell comes to mind as naturally as breathing.
"What was yours is now mine." Ke'an says.
An ethereal hand extends from his own and reaches inside of the corpse passing through the solid ice as if it were not there. The spectral hand returns with a glowing chunk of ice. The hand and ice both meld into Ke'an flesh with a cold shiver that rattles his soul. A small window opens in his vision.
Skill Assignment Menu
Assigning a skill will enable you to utilize it without ritual. A skill will be modified by your skill Tree. Skill has automatically been assigned.
A second icon appears in the Regicide section in the same manner as the previous one. The icon appeared to be a suit of armor made of ice. Before seeing what the skill is he decides he should also take the power of the ape. He repeats the process and feels the magic in him change yet again once the ethereal hand retracts into his body with another glowing chuck of ice. Before he can open his menus Manny and three other farmers approach him.
"Master Ke'an! " One of the farmers says. "What do you need to help protect the village! We can get however many people you need."
"Can you please come with us?" Manny asks. "The elder wants to talk to you. Everyone is scared and we think that hearing from you will help."