We are seeing a trip of a few days. Lisa is not happy with the idea, but she knows she has few options.
We have been walking for over a day already, and now we were looking for a spot to rest as it was turning into our second night in the forest. We had the fortune to find a river. We just have to follow it now, it goes north, and we will eventually find something. Towns are always built around them.
The Adventurer, whom I finally managed to learn is called Lucio, explained even more of what has been happening.
"They went crazy like a couple of months ago. The Princess has been demanding allies to accept outrageous trade agreements; there are more soldiers in the streets, houses have been assaulted, and there are rumors they made slavery legal again."
"W-WHAT?!" I scream.
"What? But it was abolished around a year ago." Lisa explained with her hand on her mouth.
Yeah! That is what I managed to get them to do while playing! I even told the developer I managed to abolish slavery in the Kingdom!
"They must be planning something..." I wonder. These movements cannot be random, and by the sounds of it, they started before I arrived.
Moments later, we find a spot to set up a small camp.
I take a moment to check on Bloodless.
[Dull Black Steel Wakazashi "Bloodless"
Is made of Black Steel
Is a short Sword
It is dull
+250 Attack
Ego Lv12
Increases magic damage+
Increases MP 3400
+12 Spellweaving
+10 Magic
+8 Magic Control]
With all that happened after killing the mysterious monster and the whole ordeal with Gunther in Lakemar, I got 3 extra levels.
[Magic Control Lv9
Reduces damage you get from {Overcasting} and MP regeneration]
[Spellweaving Lv13
Increase Damage caused by Magic Elemental Spells and Effects]
Those are important for a mage. If I had some Magic control, it would not have almost killed me in the dungeon from casting [Oghdir's Icefall].
I should be causing even more damage now. My problem is that my HP is still 100. Any hit without a buff will kill me. I need an idea.
"I still cannot believe the curse you have... let me try again," Lisa says.
She chants once more the prayer to remove curses on me. At first, she wanted me to pay her for it, but once she learned that it was not removed when she removed the ones on my pants (yes, she already did). It seems it became a challenge for her.
The curse is still there.
"Nothing..."
"Aaaahhh... What kind of curse is that? I have never heard of one like that!"
She is really starting to sound frustrated that she found a curse she cannot remove.
"Look, you removed the curse on my pants, and I am happy with that right now. Thanks."
"400 Gold coins."
"You call yourself a woman of faith..."
I end up paying her the 400 Gold.
"But you say you can improve your weapon to become stronger?"
"Yes... But now I need a way to gain more HP. Nothing I am wearing seems to be able to do it, and I do not like how it looks."
She squints her eyes at me.
"Hey! I want to look good." I answer.
"Oi! Look what I got!" Aurelia appears.
Aurelia appears between the trees. She is carrying a boar and some hares she went out to hunt. She seems to have a good eye for this.
Scavenging is not an option with everything covered in snow. It is a harsh climate at that point, every fruit is dead already, and plants are hibernating. Nothing grows in this cold. So meat is one of the few options to eat, as we ran without any preparation.
Only Lucio had something, but it won't last.
When she appears, I notice Aurelia's physical form. She has strong muscles and can carry anything in her arms. She is a very powerful dragonkin, no wonder she calls herself the Tyrant...
An idea comes to mind.
"Aurelia!" I stand up. "Buff me and punch me!"
There is a weird silence.
"Weirdo," Karina says.
"Didn't know you were into that kind of stuff." Aurelia comments.
"Too much information." Lucio says.
"I-I am a woman of faith, I cannot listen to this kind of stuff!" Lisa covers her ears.
"W-What?" I am confused for a second. "N-no! I need to gain XP for Bloodless! If I can get some training in HP-related skills, it might give me an enchantment!"
And if it doesn't, I can change the slot with gems. When an Ego weapon levels up, it doesn't get a modifier or enchantment only. It gets a Slot that gets filed with a modifier.
If I can just level up Bloodless with any skill, then I can gain enough slots to change later once I use gems. So it doesn't matter what I get, I can move it around later.
"Oh! Okay, let me give you a taste!" Aurelia drops the dead animals and hits her palm with her fist.
She buffs me, and my HP increases.
"Now, hit with just enough force to..."
All I can remember is a sudden pain in my face. Then in my back.
"Ah! Amber!" I hear Karina scream.
"Was that fine, boss?" There is a pause. "...boss?"
Everything is moving around me. I am on the ground. I am grasping my consciousness, slipping between being conscious and not.
"H-how did the ground walk to my face?" I ask.
"Be careful! You sent her flying to a tree!" Lisa screams.
"What kind of idea was that?!" I hear Lucio.
"H-here! [Light Heal]!" Lisa casts a spell on me.
The pain dissipates, and my consciousness slowly recovers.
"Aurelia!" I scream at her, angry at what just happened. "Be more careful, you dumbass!"
"Hey, you should specify!"
"I was specifying you fool!"
It is a good thing she cannot attack me to kill. The idea was good, but she went overboard.
[XP turned into Ego experience!
+1200 XP from Muscle Building!
DING! Bloodless won a level!
Ego Level increased from Level 13 to 14!
Because of the experience gained, it obtains +1200 HP!]
...
I am not discussing the results.