Raven barely evaded the fool of Gerald yesterday by heaven intervention, or should she say dwarven intervention? Even so, the trick wasn't cheap at all, she ended up paying for all the drinks and food, and they ate as if they were starving... well she was starving as well, and ate as if there wasn't a tomorrow, in moments like that she felt good to be alive. She end up using 10 silver coins, just to pay the bill, but the dwarves are all grateful to her, it may become a good investment if she keeps playing her cards well.
Also, she discovered that she got banned from The Fat Boar because of the incident that happened the other day, well she wasn't at fault but she drank and ate too much without paying, and they also said she didn't paid for her room, so she isn't welcome there anymore. And since she had some spare money she just ended up paying for a room at a decent inn... but she didn't present herself as a customer.
'I ended up using masquerade' Raven thought as she rested in her bed 'I didn't think it very well, but I just transformed sightly a variation of my race without changing that much'
The wish to disappear, to make it harder to be found forced her to use Masquerade skill several times, she was almost on the verge of getting without magical power, but also her limits grew considerably since her level promotion. She had used that skill in the past in order to trick people or ambush enemies, but now it seemed like her most useful asset. Raven stood up and walked towards a mirror, her own reflection greeted her.
"『Masquarade』"
Her spell activated again, her cat ears grew larger, transforming into bunny, or hare ears, not even her was really sure, and her tail receded to take the shape of a bunny too. It was a theatrical trick, she used it sometimes to surprise fools with a shocking reveal during her street performances to captivate the hearts and wallets of her spectators.
"I may not have many powerful attacks, but I have some interesting resources at my disposal" She admitted to herself, her voice, usually deep and husky, even if not changed much seemed somehow different, maybe more calm now.
Raven stared at her reflection and canceled the effect of the spell, as the magic faded, her cat features returning in place of the bunny ones. The subtle sense of calm lingered, a rare feeling in the chaos that had become her life. Masquerade was a trickster's spell, and while it might not alter her abilities, it gave her the anonymity she craved. With all eyes searching for the culprit behind the attack on the city, it was just better to disappear for the time being.
"Maybe I'm being paranoid" She said thinking about it "I don't really know if they can track me or not"
Now there was the other elephant in the room. The pact with Undine gave her some healer spells, she hadn't tested them yet. Raven at the beginning was hoping to get some amazing country destroyer spells, if she just could use something like the tidal wave...
'Aaaghh... I don't know anything about magic, all that yadda yadda talks about the arcane aren't for me' She rubbed her head 'But water is mainly focused on healing as far as I know... but yeah... now I'm a healer clown, what a stupid joke'
Raven flopped back onto the bed, her head hitting the pillow with a dull thud. A healer clown... she couldn't have ended up with a worse combination of abilities if she had tried. It felt like the universe was playing some twisted joke on her. The thought of trying to fit into the mold of a healer, with all the expectations and demands that came with it, made her stomach churn. She had always been a solo act, an unpredictable wild card that didn't fit neatly into any box. And now, thanks to her reckless pact with a spirit, she was stuck with spells that would put a target on her back. As a healer getting into a party would be pretty easy, but then, she wouldn't be permitted free action, and being behind everybody wasn't her style.
The impulse of stupidity was strong in her, the thought of stabbing her own hand to test the healing spell crossed her mind, but she decided it was too reckless, and if for some reason the poison effect would activate it would be too much.
"Damn, even an Aqua Ball effect would have been amazing..." She imagined herself sprinting towards the battle, shielding herself and raining fire butterflies and water projectiles down her enemies and looked glorious... then again she could use this nefarious combination she had to constantly inflict pain on others nonstop as she healed and stabbed them, but that was too much, even for her, even if she was selfish or and asshole with others she wasn't a psycho.
After pushing away the dumb ideas only one reminded in her mind. She needed to practice, it was no good not knowing the limits of her new skills. But she wasn't a fool, she wasn't going to let people it was her, only for them to come after her if something went wrong. She saved all her stuff, the Eel monster card still not inspected was just a trade coin for her, at least for now, maybe she will check it out when things get calmer. Then left the tavern.
The place wasn't luxurious like the one where she had stayed the other night, but this one was decent, and not that frequented by people. She knew exactly a place where she could test her new skills...
"『Masquarade』"
Going back to her charade, she left the counter and kept walking towards the slums, a place full of diseases, despair, hunger, and of course, freshly stabbed people because the battle over drugs and money.
It wasn't long before she ran into a guy dropped in the ground. Blood stained the side of his clothes, and bruises covered his face, the typical case of someone who snuck his nose where he hadn't been called or resisted an assault. Some people were looking at her with suspicion, but none would do anything, people on this side of the city don't come looking for problems if they aren't strong enough, and since none bothered to save this poor idiot then there was no problem.
Raven pressed her hand against the side of the man near where the wound should be, he moved in pain but he had no strength left "『Aqua Heal』" Her voice sounded like an angel in the ears of the man, a light blue light covered the area and he grunted in pain, but it seemed to work. It wasn't instantaneous, but the wound seemed to close.
"Hey! You bastard, what do you think you are doing on our turf!" Someone said loudly from a dark alley, three tugs came out of the shadows.
"Yo bastard, yo in lottsa problems," Said one savoring his lips with his tongue.
Raven could feel the gaze of the bastards all over her body, but she was used to deal with trash. She straightened up, her expression shifting from faint amusement to icy indifference. These types were the lowest of the low... grime-coated opportunists who thrived on the weak and unsuspecting. The leader, a burly man with a crooked nose and a tattoo snaking up his neck, swaggered forward, brandishing a rusty blade that had seen better days.
"Look at this one" the leader sneered, eyes scanning her up and down "Little bunny ears out here playin' healer in our spot. You think you can just waltz in and..."
"Save it" Raven cut him off, flicking her wrist dismissively "Get out or get beaten"
She was now one step over them since she had been promoted to level 2, and even as a level 1 she was way better than your everyday goon, they were just city rats who have never really faced a real risk of death, the crooks intimidated walked a few steps back, they weren't used to prey talking back and not following their stupid game. Raven sighed, bored already. She had half a mind to just turn and leave, but these guys were clearly itching for trouble. And besides, she needed more practice, a chance to test what she could really do now. She slipped into a fighting stance, her eyes narrowing, calculating.
"Last chance" she said coolly "Walk away before this gets ugly. I'm not in the mood to babysit idiots today"
The leader's face twisted in rage "Get her!" he barked, and the two lackeys lunged forward, knives glinting in the dim light.
As the two idiots roared to gain some valor she just activated her barrier spell, it was a good chance to test it.
"『Aqua Shield』"
A small bubble of water surrounded her, it consumed little magical energy, but it was a steady consumption, she wasn't used to it but she would have to manage. The knives in the hands of the thugs hit the shield and lost all their momentum, they looked at this and panicked, started screaming like idiots, and began to run away as the cowards they were. The boss then threw himself at her, but for some reason, Raven found his action slow... damn too slow... was she like this when she was level 1?
It's not as if it was a slow motion, but still, she could easily predict the trajectory of his attack... maybe it wasn't the level-up, maybe it was her near-death experiences that had given her more insight. Probably a combination of both. Her bunny ear perked a sound behind her, and one of the minions of the guy ran behind her using another alley and threw something... maybe it was his knife. She grabbed the knife while it was flying towards her and discarded it throwing it to the side, the eyes of the goon leader were showing no longer anger, but terror, he had stepped on a mine. Raven moved her head to dodge the impact of his poorly maintained blade and threw him off balance.
"So you like to hit girls?" She smirked "And one as pretty as me? You deserve a good beating"
As he turned around Raven hand had already almost finished her arc, slapping loudly and strongly against his face, then she reverted the move smacking him again with the back of her hand... rinse and repeat. The next slaps weren't as strong as the first, but she just wanted to humiliate him and knock in some common sense. His underlings watching in terror how his boss was getting the beating of his life.
'But I must admit this is fun' She thought as she threw the limp guy to the feet of his minions "Take that ragdoll and carry him out of my sight" The smirk on her face said it all 'Doing some justice now and then is good'.