AbyssRaven Take this with you! Rawr
“You guys managed to harvest his organs?”
After Saori, Tasianna, and Grimnir arrived at the city, all but the latter decided to settle down at the Helvas mansion before we actually talked about what had happened on our individual sides. Grimnir, though, told us he would park the RV in the lower city, somewhere that allowed him to hammer through the night. Although, it was clear that he wasn’t comfortable around the nobles.
According to Tasianna, while they were making their way to Griffonpeak after me, Grimnir had holed himself up in his forge, grumbling about how he had to fix himself up. The fight with Asterios seemed to have pushed him to work on something.
After we all had time to refresh ourselves, we gathering in the mansion’s basement. While Grimnir was repairing Ellaine’s armor in the corner, the rest of us inspected the spoils Tasianna and Grimnir harvested from Asterios’s remains. A bit cruel, if you thought about it, but then again, he was an asshole. I didn’t really care about that thought after I picked up a yellow crystallized organ around the size of a human’s spleen.
“Ouch!” Saori yelped after the organ suddenly stole some of my mana, creating an electrical pulse that zapped her. She immediately snatched it from me and placed it in her storage. Even when he was dead, that wyvern was causing our party trouble.
Concerning my question, Tasianna explained, “After we made sure Miss Saori wasn’t in danger, we left her with her garms as Mister Grimnir and I dismantled what remained of Asterios’s mangled body. The majority of the carcass was charred with his organs having turned black from your toxin, my lady, so we only managed to extract a few usables. One of them was his thunder sac; it’s how he produces electricity.”
“I am planning to use it as an ingredient for my catalyst. The ring we got from the hobgoblin shaman is still usable, but I want something fitting,” Saori stated.
“Good to hear you guys got something out of that fight after I hoarded all the experience for myself.” I smiled awkwardly, knowing I “stole” seven levels by not wearing my party bracelet. Thankfully, they didn’t mind it, only caring about our survival.
While it was great to hear Saori having an equipment upgrade planned, we still couldn’t do much with the volchark heart or Asterios’s gland since Tasianna hadn’t learned how to make catalysts yet. That was when Countess Marianne spoke up. “That shouldn’t be a problem, Lady Hestia. Aside from the people in the alchemist guild, there are also a few alchemists working under Duchess Morgiana and Duke Myrrdin that you can ask to tutor Miss Tasianna.”
Tasianna nodded. “I will accept your advice, Countess Marianna. Since we are staying in Griffonpeak for a bit, please allow me to approach a possible master.”
While I was happy nobody cared about our extended stay, somebody’s loud voice interrupted us.
“All right, let us begin!” It was Count Helvas, announcing the beginning of today’s test. It was time for Ellaine to conquer her demon, literally.
“Klea’Hatma?” Ellaine called out for the demon inside her rings, looking nervously at them. As the eyes appeared, a voice entered our head.
[“Come on, darling, you may call me Klea. Klea’Hatma is such a long name, longer than you should be using when we’re this close, right?”] Every time I heard that voice, I couldn’t help but shiver. Although I explained the situation to the rest of Aurora, they still felt uncomfortable and made it clear they didn’t fully support our decision to accept Aurena’s plan.
“Urgh, this demon will probably cause us nothing but trouble, Hestia. Even if this was Ellaine’s decision, you really should not have accepted this risk,” Saori declared while shaking her head in exasperation. “This is honestly, without a doubt, the most idiotic decision you two could have chosen. I will not lie, I do not like this one bit.”
“Lady Hestia, I really cannot support your choice in this matter. These demons came to Peolynca to destroy us, and now we are harboring one to use its power? This will make us even likelier to attract the attention of the demonkin,” Tasianna stated. While Klea’Hatma did say she wouldn’t expose herself without Ellaine’s approval, and was fully capable of hiding herself from even her demonkin descendants, there was no reason for us to trust her words.
“Bladdarg, a stupid decision, lasses. Let Crustacia be my witness, I would crush that demon right now just so I could stop hearing her voice,” Grimnir grumbled before returning to his work. Both the Count and Countess agreed, but they knew Aurena had given us the green light, so they directed their focus on helping their daughter control this new power.
“Hestia?” Ellaine looked at me. With determined eyes, she nodded, telling me she was ready. “Please, begin.”
I nodded back.
Breathing. Voice check. Music.
My Darkest Thoughts.
“Staring out the window while it rains
No one here to talk, silence is all I have
So I delved into my thoughts and wondered, “What if?”
The laughing kid stomping loudly upstairs
The damn lovebirds flirting on the streets
Those rich asses living in their golden bubbles
I just wish they would all just disappear
Those are my honest thoughts, something I wish to hide from them
My life is stagnating, nothing I do brings me forth
All I can do is sing, drowning my sorrows while it rains
Every step I take just brings me back, to a rundown apartment room
Turn away, close my eyes, lock these wishes far away
Not again, not again…or I’ll cry until the end
All of my darkest thoughts
Will serve me as my muse
So, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing!
As I fade from your thoughts ”
What I feared most about Klea’Hatma’s was the potential risk it could have on Ellaine’s soul and personality. As such, I wanted to make sure any mental or psychological effects wouldn’t affect Ellaine or anybody around her.
Of course, demonkin and Klea’Hatma weren’t our only threat. We also had to worry about people who consumed that weird black potion. I didn’t know how the troll shaman or Davison got their hands on it, but it was clear enough to us that it was something demonic. If we had to face the power of that potion again, I wanted to destroy them as fast as possible. So, turning my [White Fire] into something demonkin couldn’t handle was a good option.
Klea’Hatma couldn’t access the Divine System and, as such, was unable to benefit from it, but on the other hand, she was immune to stuff like [Identify]. Thankfully, spells weren’t an attack that relied on being connected to the Divine System. When I first tested my song on her, I was able to more-or-less pacify her. Instead of throwing innuendos out to annoy us, she sounded drunk.
[My Darkest Thoughts] wasn’t a cheerful song, but to create the effect I needed, I had to be more melancholic with the lyrics. On the other hand, I gave the music a mix of hopefulness and heartbreak, imitating how Korean and Japanese drama shows made their songs for downhearted scenes.
This was my song to combat against the demons and demonkin. And it worked once again.
[“Oooooh, this song … such a lullaby,”] Klea’Hatma expressed, sounding sleepy. [“Dear, you have no idea how I hate going back to sleep. Not a good feeling. So, sleepy, but there is so much to do. Come on Ellaine, let’s begin so Hestia can stop singing me to sleep.”]
“Mhmm, let us.” Ellaine took a deep breath. “Klea’Hatma, how do I use your power?”
[“As agreed with Miss Light, dear. Listen well. First, pour your mana into your rings. Similar to how you always used your spell rings before.”] As Ellaine did so, the green and brown eyes on her rings shone as if she was about to use a spell. [“Good, I feel it. Now, to use my power, you may either grant me control over it or you can use it yourself. When I saved your life, you allowed me control, so I was able to use your mana to create those appendages from your skin. Pull up your sleeve, and leave your left arm exposed. Let us begin with the easiest first—claws.”]
Of course, Aurena told us to never accept Klea’Hatma’s direct help again. Giving her access to her abilities was a no-no, since it allowed her to steal Ellaine’s mana for herself.
After Ellaine pulled her gambeson’s sleeve up, revealing her slightly trained arm and the lightning scar on it, the demon began her description. [“Imagine five long, one-sided blades glimmering like metal. Imagine Hestia’s claws in her dragon form, those long sickles ready to reap the flesh of a person. Imagine these claws attached to your hand, not like a gauntlet or gloves, but as flesh intertwining with each other like a web of vines. Your flesh, skin, muscles, and bones fusing to your imagination. Now, use your mana to form them like an earth spell!”]
Ellaine closed her eyes to picture the image Klea’Hatma described to her, groaning the longer it lasted. “Urgh!” she moaned, grabbing her left arm as her rings continued shining. “Ellaine!” Marianne called out to her but was stopped from moving closer by Saori. As sweat beads began to form on her forehead, the skin on Ellaine’s left arm began to shiver as black spots appeared on her white skin.
[“The pain is normal. Endure. It is a new sensation all members of my race must experience before they can form their additional appendages. Our turbulent blood runs through our veins, escaping our body through the gaps in our skin, forming these new body parts. You are using mana to access my ability, you must allow this mana to escape your body through, uhm, your mana paths? Do you understand?”] Klea’Hatma continued her coaching.
The moment Ellaine nodded, she let out a sudden yelp and shot her eyes wide open. As she clenched her teeth, the black spots quickly grew into long fleshy threads, attaching themselves onto her arm. The tendrils continued to form and move as her pained voice escaped through her gritting teeth.
Once it was over, Ellaine huffed and puffed, looking down at her enlarged hand. Not only had it grown in size but her fingers were completely replaced by five long razor blades. While her upper arm was still normal-looking, her entire forearm was covered in fleshy tendrils, like a clew of writhing worms.
“Urp! Oh sheesh—Turn away, close my eyes, lock these wishes far away
Not again, not again…or I’ll cry until the end
All of my darkest thoughts
Will serve me as my muse
So, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing!
As I fade from your thoughts. ” My singing was interrupted for a moment by my gag reflex.
“Are you fine, Ellaine? Is your mind still clear?” Count Helvas ran over to his daughter, clearly worried but keeping a safe distance from the sight of her new “claw.”
“Y-yes, the pain isn’t that terrible,” Ellaine wiped the sweat from her face before forcing herself to smile through the pain. “A skill. I-I have a new skill!”
What?
[“Good work, dear. Apparently, Aurena has received Elder Plesia’s permission to create a new skill based on my powers. Oh, it even has my race’s name translated into Common! How thoughtful of little Aurena.”] Although she sounded pretty sleepy, her sassiness still showed when she spoke about the Light Goddess. As a result, Ellaine’s parents weren’t so thrilled, glaring at Klea’Hatma instead of complaining, knowing it would simply go in and out the other ear.
To keep the peace, Ellaine sent us her new skill’s description through [Telepathy], silencing all of us as we read the information.
Klea’Hatma couldn’t stop laughing. [“Smart of her! So this is how she will restrict my powers. Oh my, Ellaine, I really am bond to you without a way to escape unless you become strong.”]
An “Okl’Luthier” ability section was added to her Profile, where she was able to see which Abilities she had unlocked. Furthermore, we could only appraise it if we had her permission, preventing leaks.
Seeing this skill caused everybody inside the basement to let out a sigh of relief, understanding Aurena had planned this thoroughly. It also helped that Ellaine was testing her new ability with a wide grin and eyes filled with wonderment. Sure, it looked grotesque to us, and Ellaine agreed that it was, but she seemed happy about her newfound powers. Like a kid getting a new toy.
“There are two abilities—[Claw] and [Whiplash]. What is a whiplash? Also, the skill mentioned regenerative abilities. In what form?” Questions poured out from Ellaine’s inquisitive mouth. Frankly, this was the most excited I had ever seen Ellaine. Her mother even told me she used to act like this when she was younger, during the beginning of her magical education.
[“Oooh, lusting for power, dear? So early?”] Those words shut Ellaine up, feeling slightly unnerved at her own actions and the demon’s words. [“Hehehe, such innocence. In any case, I just checked myself and it seemed Aurena had sealed my abilities. Hahaha! Like a beast trapped inside a cage, doing the biddings of my master, all while her fangs bare themselves dangerously close to my neck. No hope to escape, no hope for a future, eternal torment. Ohoho, how you have grown …”]
“… Like a slave. Goddess?” Ellaine grimaced, looking at the ceiling.
A chill ran down my spine, and from looking at everybody’s reaction, only Saori and Ellaine seemed to have noticed the dreadful aura emanating from those spell rings the demon was inhabiting. It felt as if thousands of small roaches were crawling up your skin, a sickening feeling of nausea and fear.
Yet, at the very next moment, a second aura appeared, this time it came from Ellaine. One that was warmer and more calming, although it still felt like something we didn’t want to know about. It clashed against the aura from the rings and repelled it back, stuffing this power back where it came from as if it was trash destined for the can.
Aurena’s backup plan is this skill. It seems she’s not playing any games with Klea’Hatma.
Sighing deeply as if was feeling lethargic and exhausted, Klea’Hatma continued the explanation with an even more lackadaisical voice, [“Well, whatever, if you can’t change stuff, it would be better to just enjoy the present. Where was I? Ah, right, what skill you can use. Pretty much everything except for those two basic abilities, are sealed. Once the skill believes your body has become accustomed enough, it will unlock the next set of powers. Train hard, dear.”]
Disregarding Ellaine’s timid look, Klea’Hatma continued her explanation, [“My regenerative abilities focus on consumption and regrowth. Instead of mana, you must consume something to allow my abilities to heal you. Unfortunately, it is sealed. The ability to morph claws and a long tendril is all you can do right now. Shame. You would have benefitted from my bone wings. In any case, human, put up a training dummy, your daughter needs something to use whiplash on.”]
“… For someone of your advanced age, have you not learned the basics of simple politeness? You know my name … demon, ” Count Helvas snarled.
[“Yeah, yeah, human. You do not have an eternity to complain, how about you continue moving instead of boring me.”] Considering how the demon was acting, I was really questioning if my song was having an effect, so I increased the volume.
While Count Helvas was picking up a straw dummy, Klea’Hatma suddenly called Saori over, telling her she wanted to test Ellaine’s flesh claws on a weapon. As Ellaine was neither a pugilist nor was she left-handed, Saori used her daggers more as a durability test against Ellaine’s claws.
“I can feel the impact but I am not losing any health,” Ellaine said after Saori slashed at her claws. Since the attack didn’t cause her serious harm, Saori clad her daggers in lightning and used [Shadow Pierce] to attack, severing the tips of one of her claws. “Oh my! I anticipated no damage, yet that frightened me a bit.”
“I apologize,” Saori said before witnessing Ellaine regrow her severed claw with mana. “Y-yeah, this reminds me too much of Davison. He did not have any claws, but his body had a terribly strong regenerative power. He was able to regrow an entire arm back.”
Ellaine was able to keep regrowing her appendages as long as she had mana and she could remove them by turning the extra flesh back into mana, causing it to literally evaporate into blue particles. The demon, happy, cheered her own before going back into coach mode.
[“I have defensive options, no fret. Aside from bone appendages, you may envelop your whole body in the fleshy tendrils to protect yourself, hardening it to create armor. I believe it would be easier to imagine it like Hestia’s [Panzer].”]
“Uhm, can I morph the bone appendages into something like a shield?” Ellaine asked.
[“Certainly. I have a single bone wing which I always used as a shield. Literally and figuratively. For example, you aren’t required to create all five ‘claws,’ you may focus all your strength on a single blade. Like an arm sword. Considering you use a sword and magic to fight, I suggest you use my powers to adapt to different situations. The faster you can manifest the flesh weapons, the better. For example, you can conjure up the claws when a man is too close for you to swing your sword, giving him a taste of his own medicine and his final climax, arhhhhhhaaa!”]
… Why is she making lewd jokes? [My Darkest Thoughts] work, please!
Once Count Helvas was done, Klea’Hatma transitioned into Ellaine’s second new ability. [“All right, you had a taste of the ‘claws,’ now we will test ‘whiplash,’ which I also call ‘whipfist.’ Imagine a long [Dark Tendril] with four claws on the tip of it, shooting out from your arm. Imagine it like an extension of your limb and that you are extending it by using mana to continuously produce the flesh. Be careful. It is a ranged attack allowing you to either kill or catch your target, but the longer you extend the whipfist, the more mana your will use.”]
“That doesn’t sound good. Unlike Hestia and Tasianna, I haven’t trained my mana enough to use it constantly. I need to drink as many dragorades as Saori,” Ellaine said.
Groaning and moaning through the pain, the flesh threads reappeared on her arm, transforming it not into five sword-sized claws, but four knife-sized blades.
[“Try to morph it into a kle’—Uh, wait, I don’t know what it’s called in Common. Hmm, imagine the claws as mandibles. Widen the flesh like an opening mouth. Make it into something you can grab an item from range with.”] As Ellaine listened, the “whiplash” transformed into something similar to an alien predator’s mouth. She then tried out the extension part of the ability, throwing her arm around like a whip.
When she tried to throw it at the dummy at Klea’Hatma’s command, she missed the target by a mile. The whiplash could extend itself but, since it required momentum like a whip, it was extremely difficult to hit something from range. With her being right-handed and unaccustomed to using whips, Ellaine’s subsequent uses of the ability’s long-range grab function were a total whiff.
“I can’t continue, this takes too much mana,” Ellaine stated, retracting the claw as she breathed heavily. Seeing her like this, Tasianna came over to bring her a mana potion. This reminded me of Ellaine’s personal attendant, Josine, who couldn’t come down to the basement since Ellaine’s parents called this experiment top secret.
Seeing the difficulty, Count Helvas approached her. “Ellaine, using it with your left hand might be too much, especially with an unfamiliar weapon type. Try it with your right hand. Pull it back and swing it down.”
Ellaine was allowed to use the demon power on either arm as long as one of the rings was on the respective fingers.
“That would mean I can’t use the sword, father. I’ve been training with you from morning to evening these past three days. The moment I’m able to learn it from you, you are suggesting I give it up again? No. Never. Not this time.” Ellaine gave an obstinate answer.
“Miss Klea’Hatma,” Tasianna addressed the demon politely. “If I remember correctly, weren’t the wings you conjured back then floating on Ellaine’s back? Couldn’t she control your appendages like my ice blades?”
[“Good idea, Miss Fairy,”] the demon praised Tasianna’s idea but rejected it still. [“Sadly, the ability to grow appendages from thin air is restricted to experienced use and proper blood control. She is neither a demonkin of lust or a hemomancer; I cannot teach her as such. Unsatisfying really, so do more brainstorming, Peolyncians.”]
As everybody began to contemplate how Ellaine could best use her new abilities in combat, Marianne suddenly spoke up, “Demon, is your flesh able to wrap itself around weapons? Ellaine isn’t particularly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, so throwing the whipfist with a punching motion would be awkward for her to do. Using the ability with a tool might help her control the swinging motion better.”
[“Yes, that is possible. Ellaine, from checking what I can do in this sorry state, I’ve noticed that I feel the strongest when both rings are close together. Most likely, my power will be split and weakened if you wore a ring on each hand. Try using one ring on your right arm and materialize whiplash on your sword.”]
As Ellaine listened to Klea’Hatma’s instructions, we were able to confirm her guess. The number of flesh threads erupting from Ellaine’s arm was less if she only had one ring on her hand, showing her white skin through gaps. As the tendrils attached themselves onto her sword, turning it into some bio-metal weapon, four claws were formed on the blunt sides of her blade.
As she swung her sword, the whiplash extended itself with the sword’s help. With the proper sword training she received from her father, Ellaine’s sword swings were precise and elegant, but the whip was thrown around more like a fishing rod than what I imagined. Ellaine could make the claws contract and grab things, but the accuracy was still subpar.
“Hmm, the impact caused by these swings isn’t to be underestimated.” Count Helvas inspected the damage the whiplash’s strike did on the dummy. “Yet, they do not flow well and it delays your recovery. This would probably not help you much.”
[“I have enough experience using the whipfish to teach her. Training might solve her problem,”] Klea’Hatma rebuked.
“No, my issue is maneuvering the blade.” Ellaine gave her feedback. “I have to angle my wrist all the time, swinging to create momentum, and there is also the mana problem. I can’t extend and retract it all the time.”
Count Helvas nodded to his daughter’s practice result. “The sword is too rigid and short. Maybe if Ellaine used a whip and whiplash in combination, she wouldn’t have to continuously use her mana to extend and retract. The tendrils can stay the same length all the time, moving with the whip while increasing its threat.”
A whip? Well, that probably won’t be something Ellaine would do. That would mean giving up the sword for a whip … Hold on a minute. Wasn’t there a fantasy weapon like—
“A whipsword!” I clapped my hands together as the music continued without me singing. “On Earth, there was fiction and media of protagonists using the whip as a weapon. This idea evolved to the point where creators imagined something called a ‘whipsword.’ A sword which could separate itself into smaller blades to be swung like a whip, but it could come together again to be used as a sword.”
As I blurted my idea out, Saori touched her chin and remembered something. “That reminds me, Grimnir, were you not mentioning something about an extendable weapon while we were on our way to Griffonpeak? You used my mana threads for it.”
As he was called out, Grimnir grumbled and stopped repairing Ellaine’s armor. “Yeah, something I thought I should try making after that battle with the wyvern. Figured I needed to fix two of our party’s problems.”
“Problems?” I wondered.
Grimnir then pointed at Ellaine and then himself. “Us two. Our position within Aurora’s fighting style hasn’t been fully established yet. You, Saori, and Tasianna have been fighting for a long time together, and it shows, making it hard for the two of us to work within this system.”
In Grimnir’s opinion, he couldn’t act as the frontline as well since Saori and I were better at it in our true forms, while Ellaine didn’t have enough offensive power because of her lackluster stats compared to the rest of us. It was an issue Grimnir noticed when he went dungeon diving with us, and it showed again in the battle against Asterios.
Grimnir’s largest contributions to the fight were his two blasthammer shots while Ellaine couldn’t do as much since she didn’t have a weapon strong enough to pierce Asterios’s scales. Grimnir, being a blacksmith, only knew one way to fix something and that was to hammer on his anvil and create a better replacement or upgrade it. In this case, he was trying to make a prototype for Ellaine.
He ran back upstairs, picking something from the RV, before returning to the basement. “While hunting in the sea, the Caedhulens created tools to help them hunt. The trident, the harpoonbow, and this… the tridenthooker.”
What Grimnir unveiled was exactly what I just explained. With six grooves or slits, it looked like a blade split into seven smaller blades—it was exactly how I envisioned the whipsword.
As I questioned Grimnir about it, he continued his explanation, “The tridenthooker is a weapon merfolks use to catch certain underwater prey and capture them with threads, in addition, it was a great self-defense tool against multiple enemies at once. Originally, the tridenthooker has three tips like a trident, but each one of them could extend like the whip. Since Ellaine knew how to use a sword, I turned the concept into one. With this, I reckoned she would be able to deal damage from afar or in the sky.
As Grimnir handed Ellaine the weapon, Ellaine couldn’t help but look at him in bafflement. “Y-you made this for me, Master Grimnir? B-but you already made me armor! A beautiful armor that helped me fight well enough against the wyvern. Y-you don— Father?”
As Ellaine was worrying about the gesture, Count Helvas placed his hand on her shoulder, looking at Grimnir as he spoke, “I have not thanked you enough for what you made for my daughter, Master Dwarf. It was, honestly, one of the best sets of armor I’ve ever laid eyes on. I understand the armor was Lady Hestia’s gift to my daughter, so please, allow me to pay you back for the full completion of this weapon.”
Grimnir waved his hand, stroking his chin as if he still had a beard. “I do what is needed to help my party, nothing more, Count. Besides, this isn’t usable in a fight. Test it, lass. See if the idea works, then we make a real one … together.”
Urged by her artificer and sword teacher, Ellaine couldn’t disagree. She cladded the sword in tendrils, materializing four blades on the tip of the sword. Under Grimnir’s instructions, she poured mana into the sword, causing the grooves to glow blue. As she swung it, the sword separated into seven blades, held together by a thick blue mana thread.
With Klea’Hatma helping Ellaine’s form, she was able to swing its blades around like a whip. While there were a few close calls where she almost hit one of us, she was able to use whiplash for the longest time ever. With how she could extend the sword using the mana threads Grimnir had built into it, Ellaine only had to expend mana to maintain the whip function, which was far less than what she needed to use before. She was expanding and retracting the sword as she continued practicing, finally stopping when she was able to grab the dummy’s head with the whipfist.
“Stop, this should be enough for now, Ellaine. Arcane corruption is building up inside you.” Marianne pointed at her daughter’s bluish skin color.
As she dispelled the tendrils, Ellaine ran over to Grimnir, handing him the weapon back. A grin was showing on her face, causing Grimnir to cough in embarrassment. Although Grimnir was still sweaty and dirty, Ellaine didn’t mind it one bit, hugging him as a sign of thanks. Marianne questioned me if this was our influence over her daughter. “Maybe,” I told her.
[“Huh, looks like we solved the issue. Mhmm, happy to see my powers being useful, ahahaha!”]
With practical experimentation, Grimnir told us he had some ideas on how to adapt the weapon to Klea’Hatma’s individual powers. For its creation, we finally chose to use the High Ogre’s axehead and Cernust’s horn antler as the main materials. Saori’s mana threads were another important component and Grimnir was considering whether he could add my shed claw pieces and spikes to the smithing process.
As this would take time, we decided to stop today’s training since Ellaine was decently exhausted. After a delicious dinner, Aurora called it a night. As Grimnir was about to move his RV to the lower city, he was stopped by the Count informing him he could stay. While our RV did stand out, it wasn’t an eyesore due to the craftsmanship and paint.
However, Grimnir wasn’t used to the whole prim-and-proper human noble aesthetic of Artorias. Dwarven culture was more carefree where it was perfectly acceptable for a dwarven hold lord to come down to a local tavern and drink himself asleep with a miner or boot polisher. Artorian nobles would mingle with their soldiers during a war campaign, but it would be considered inappropriate if they shared a drink with a commoner in a rundown tavern in the middle district. Grimnir wanted to drink himself merrily into the night.
Nevertheless, the count was stubborn. He was willing to find a spot where Grimnir could be as rowdy as he wanted without disturbing anybody and even offered him work—to repair the armor and weapons of his guards and soldiers. There was also the fact it would be easier to gain Ellaine’s feedback if he stayed with us here.
In the end, Grimnir relented. He stopped the garms from moving the RV, opened up a small ale cask and offered it to the Count.
“If you offer work to a tazong, you drink with him to seal the deal,” Grimnir said.
I did ask him why he hadn’t offered me anything to drink, considering I hired him first, but I was told he did and that only Saori drank with him on the day we accepted his dungeon-delving request. Since he hadn’t known about my true identity back then, he thought I knew some dwarven customs.
To rectify this, I poured a tankard with the ale and toasted with the Count, Grimnir, and, well, Saori who just wanted to drink.
“Arck! Why is it so bitter!” I gagged, unable to drink anymore.
“This is so watered down, it is dreadful,” Saori complained but continued drinking until the tankard was empty.
“… This is what I expect to find inside a commoner’s tavern.” Frowning, the Count sighed before finishing it, too. It seemed he loved his alcohol like my two drinking companions.
“What you would expect from a manling drink. Saori. Tasianna. How about we actually make some proper beer together? We can serve it to the restaurant’s customers, too.” Grimnir was a dwarf, after all. Guess he wasn’t content with the random ale casks we bought from taverns.
Well, I’m just happy everybody is sticking together.
Once the next day came, it was time for Ellaine to return to the academy. As Ellaine and Josine were ready to board a flying carriage, the rest of us gathered and saw them off, wishing them good luck. While Saori wanted to buy groceries and Grimnir was preoccupied inside his smithy, Tasianna and I decided on our destination for today.
The temple of Griffonpeak. It was time to properly meet one of Aurena’s Saintesses.
SpoilerName: Ellaine Fiero Helvas Level: 58 Race: Human
Age: 15 Years Job: Rogue Level: 0/5
Status: Health: 2802/2803 (+1767) Mana: 3741/3741 (+2527)
Strength: 1265 (+864) Intelligence: 1741 (+1055)
Vitality: 1098 (+752) Wisdom: 1309 (+820)
Agility: 1213 (+777) Stamina: 2256/2256 (+1315)
Effects: None
Skill Points: 200 (Had 800 at lv. 30. Lv. 30 -> 58 = 14200. SP spent: 14800)
Skill: Unique Skills:
[Okl’Luthier’s Powers Lv. 1] (New)
Magic skills and related:
[Mana Efficiency Lv. 10] (+2) [Mana Control Lv. 9] (+2)
[Arcane Mind Lv. 7] (+2)
[Earth Magic Lv. 10] (+2) [Earth Amp] [Earth Magic Efficiency]
[Terra Magic Lv. 2] (New) [Wind Magic Lv. 10] (+2) [Wind Amp]
[Wind Magic Efficiency] [Storm Magic Lv. 1] (New)
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 3] (+1) [Silent Casting Lv. 5] (+2)
[Chant Revocation Lv. 10] (+5) [Mental Warfare Lv. 3] (+1)
[Fluid Cast Lv. 1] [Multi-Cast Lv. 1] [Continuous Cast Lv. 1]
[Delayed Cast Lv. 1] (New)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 1] (New) [Sword Technique Lv. 6] (+3)
[Sword Mastery Lv. 3] (+2)
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 3] (+2) [Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New) [Mana Strike Lv. 1] (New)
[Stamina Strike Lv. 1] (New)
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 5] (+3) [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6] (+2)
[Concentration Lv. 6] (+1) [Prediction Lv. 6] (+3)
[Danger Perception Lv. 6] (+2) [Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 7] (+2)
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 4] (+2) [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 8] (+1)
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 4] (+2) [Night Vision Lv. 3] (+1)
[Presence Killer Lv. 3] (+2) [Evasion Lv. 6] (+3) [Acrobatic Lv. 6] (+3)
[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 1]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] (New) [Absolute Pain Tolerance] (New)
[Lava Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Holy Resistance Lv. 3]
[Inferno Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Poison Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Water Resistance Lv. 6]
[Terra Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Wind Resistance Lv. 5]
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] (+3)
Stat growth and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 3] (+2) [Mana Recovery Lv. 5] (+2)
[Stamina Recovery Lv. 3] (+2)
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 4] (+3)
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 4] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 4] (+1)
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 1] (New)
Others:
[Singing Lv. 6] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 5] [Musician Lv. 7] (+1)
[Merchant Lv. 2] (+1) [Handicraft Lv. 3] (+2) [Woodworking Lv. 1] (New)
[Enchanting Lv. 4] [Artificer Lv. 2] (+1) [Identify Lv. 5] (+4)
[Identity Blocker Lv. 9] (+6) [Terror Aura Lv. 1] (New)
[Battle Mind Lv. 3] (New) [Noble Aura Lv. 4] (+1)
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 8] (+1) [Riding Lv. 5] (+2) [Scholar Lv. 2]
[Cooking Lv. 1] (New) [Dismantle Lv. 4] (New)
[Calligraphy Lv. 6] [Mathematician Lv. 7] (+1) [Telepathy]
Ability List: Unarmed:
[Dragoon Jump]
Okl’Luthier
[Claw] [Whiplash]
Sword:
[Power Slash]
Magic List: Custom Spells:
[Create Crack] [Wind Gust]
Earth Magic:
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earthen Spears] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall] [Bedrock Blades]
Wind Magic:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash] [Swift Winds]
[Wind Blast] [Featherfall] [Aerial Blitz] [Tornado Bullet]
Title: [Hestia’s Retainer]
[collapse]AbyssRaven Song for today is from Yuuri, "Dry Flowers" Rawr
Book 2 of Dragon Idol is coming up and it's release date is on the 24th of January! Meaning, I will have to delete the associated chapters for the book, which includes Chapter 37 - 68 and any side chapters inside them.
Amazon: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CPQT5GDZ
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Embers-Audiobook/B0CQ5PK8S3?ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_series_Dr_c5_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=284b47b1-a5db-4711-9667-612f2ac7458e&pf_rd_r=B440YFADJQ1G60SK157S&pageLoadId=xAFYbXEojVzIZQfA&creativeId=b570234c-250a-43ff-be6b-ca1b4c5d7caa
I do hope everybody is awaiting the next installment of the story, rewritten and polished!
AbyssRaven Take this with you! Rawr
“You guys managed to harvest his organs?”
After Saori, Tasianna, and Grimnir arrived at the city, all but the latter decided to settle down at the Helvas mansion before we actually talked about what had happened on our individual sides. Grimnir, though, told us he would park the RV in the lower city, somewhere that allowed him to hammer through the night. Although, it was clear that he wasn’t comfortable around the nobles.
According to Tasianna, while they were making their way to Griffonpeak after me, Grimnir had holed himself up in his forge, grumbling about how he had to fix himself up. The fight with Asterios seemed to have pushed him to work on something.
After we all had time to refresh ourselves, we gathering in the mansion’s basement. While Grimnir was repairing Ellaine’s armor in the corner, the rest of us inspected the spoils Tasianna and Grimnir harvested from Asterios’s remains. A bit cruel, if you thought about it, but then again, he was an asshole. I didn’t really care about that thought after I picked up a yellow crystallized organ around the size of a human’s spleen.
“Ouch!” Saori yelped after the organ suddenly stole some of my mana, creating an electrical pulse that zapped her. She immediately snatched it from me and placed it in her storage. Even when he was dead, that wyvern was causing our party trouble.
Concerning my question, Tasianna explained, “After we made sure Miss Saori wasn’t in danger, we left her with her garms as Mister Grimnir and I dismantled what remained of Asterios’s mangled body. The majority of the carcass was charred with his organs having turned black from your toxin, my lady, so we only managed to extract a few usables. One of them was his thunder sac; it’s how he produces electricity.”
“I am planning to use it as an ingredient for my catalyst. The ring we got from the hobgoblin shaman is still usable, but I want something fitting,” Saori stated.
“Good to hear you guys got something out of that fight after I hoarded all the experience for myself.” I smiled awkwardly, knowing I “stole” seven levels by not wearing my party bracelet. Thankfully, they didn’t mind it, only caring about our survival.
While it was great to hear Saori having an equipment upgrade planned, we still couldn’t do much with the volchark heart or Asterios’s gland since Tasianna hadn’t learned how to make catalysts yet. That was when Countess Marianne spoke up. “That shouldn’t be a problem, Lady Hestia. Aside from the people in the alchemist guild, there are also a few alchemists working under Duchess Morgiana and Duke Myrrdin that you can ask to tutor Miss Tasianna.”
Tasianna nodded. “I will accept your advice, Countess Marianna. Since we are staying in Griffonpeak for a bit, please allow me to approach a possible master.”
While I was happy nobody cared about our extended stay, somebody’s loud voice interrupted us.
“All right, let us begin!” It was Count Helvas, announcing the beginning of today’s test. It was time for Ellaine to conquer her demon, literally.
“Klea’Hatma?” Ellaine called out for the demon inside her rings, looking nervously at them. As the eyes appeared, a voice entered our head.
[“Come on, darling, you may call me Klea. Klea’Hatma is such a long name, longer than you should be using when we’re this close, right?”] Every time I heard that voice, I couldn’t help but shiver. Although I explained the situation to the rest of Aurora, they still felt uncomfortable and made it clear they didn’t fully support our decision to accept Aurena’s plan.
“Urgh, this demon will probably cause us nothing but trouble, Hestia. Even if this was Ellaine’s decision, you really should not have accepted this risk,” Saori declared while shaking her head in exasperation. “This is honestly, without a doubt, the most idiotic decision you two could have chosen. I will not lie, I do not like this one bit.”
“Lady Hestia, I really cannot support your choice in this matter. These demons came to Peolynca to destroy us, and now we are harboring one to use its power? This will make us even likelier to attract the attention of the demonkin,” Tasianna stated. While Klea’Hatma did say she wouldn’t expose herself without Ellaine’s approval, and was fully capable of hiding herself from even her demonkin descendants, there was no reason for us to trust her words.
“Bladdarg, a stupid decision, lasses. Let Crustacia be my witness, I would crush that demon right now just so I could stop hearing her voice,” Grimnir grumbled before returning to his work. Both the Count and Countess agreed, but they knew Aurena had given us the green light, so they directed their focus on helping their daughter control this new power.
“Hestia?” Ellaine looked at me. With determined eyes, she nodded, telling me she was ready. “Please, begin.”
I nodded back.
Breathing. Voice check. Music.
My Darkest Thoughts.
“Staring out the window while it rains
No one here to talk, silence is all I have
So I delved into my thoughts and wondered, “What if?”
The laughing kid stomping loudly upstairs
The damn lovebirds flirting on the streets
Those rich asses living in their golden bubbles
I just wish they would all just disappear
Those are my honest thoughts, something I wish to hide from them
My life is stagnating, nothing I do brings me forth
All I can do is sing, drowning my sorrows while it rains
Every step I take just brings me back, to a rundown apartment room
Turn away, close my eyes, lock these wishes far away
Not again, not again…or I’ll cry until the end
All of my darkest thoughts
Will serve me as my muse
So, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing!
As I fade from your thoughts ”
What I feared most about Klea’Hatma’s was the potential risk it could have on Ellaine’s soul and personality. As such, I wanted to make sure any mental or psychological effects wouldn’t affect Ellaine or anybody around her.
Of course, demonkin and Klea’Hatma weren’t our only threat. We also had to worry about people who consumed that weird black potion. I didn’t know how the troll shaman or Davison got their hands on it, but it was clear enough to us that it was something demonic. If we had to face the power of that potion again, I wanted to destroy them as fast as possible. So, turning my [White Fire] into something demonkin couldn’t handle was a good option.
Klea’Hatma couldn’t access the Divine System and, as such, was unable to benefit from it, but on the other hand, she was immune to stuff like [Identify]. Thankfully, spells weren’t an attack that relied on being connected to the Divine System. When I first tested my song on her, I was able to more-or-less pacify her. Instead of throwing innuendos out to annoy us, she sounded drunk.
[My Darkest Thoughts] wasn’t a cheerful song, but to create the effect I needed, I had to be more melancholic with the lyrics. On the other hand, I gave the music a mix of hopefulness and heartbreak, imitating how Korean and Japanese drama shows made their songs for downhearted scenes.
This was my song to combat against the demons and demonkin. And it worked once again.
[“Oooooh, this song … such a lullaby,”] Klea’Hatma expressed, sounding sleepy. [“Dear, you have no idea how I hate going back to sleep. Not a good feeling. So, sleepy, but there is so much to do. Come on Ellaine, let’s begin so Hestia can stop singing me to sleep.”]
“Mhmm, let us.” Ellaine took a deep breath. “Klea’Hatma, how do I use your power?”
[“As agreed with Miss Light, dear. Listen well. First, pour your mana into your rings. Similar to how you always used your spell rings before.”] As Ellaine did so, the green and brown eyes on her rings shone as if she was about to use a spell. [“Good, I feel it. Now, to use my power, you may either grant me control over it or you can use it yourself. When I saved your life, you allowed me control, so I was able to use your mana to create those appendages from your skin. Pull up your sleeve, and leave your left arm exposed. Let us begin with the easiest first—claws.”]
Of course, Aurena told us to never accept Klea’Hatma’s direct help again. Giving her access to her abilities was a no-no, since it allowed her to steal Ellaine’s mana for herself.
After Ellaine pulled her gambeson’s sleeve up, revealing her slightly trained arm and the lightning scar on it, the demon began her description. [“Imagine five long, one-sided blades glimmering like metal. Imagine Hestia’s claws in her dragon form, those long sickles ready to reap the flesh of a person. Imagine these claws attached to your hand, not like a gauntlet or gloves, but as flesh intertwining with each other like a web of vines. Your flesh, skin, muscles, and bones fusing to your imagination. Now, use your mana to form them like an earth spell!”]
Ellaine closed her eyes to picture the image Klea’Hatma described to her, groaning the longer it lasted. “Urgh!” she moaned, grabbing her left arm as her rings continued shining. “Ellaine!” Marianne called out to her but was stopped from moving closer by Saori. As sweat beads began to form on her forehead, the skin on Ellaine’s left arm began to shiver as black spots appeared on her white skin.
[“The pain is normal. Endure. It is a new sensation all members of my race must experience before they can form their additional appendages. Our turbulent blood runs through our veins, escaping our body through the gaps in our skin, forming these new body parts. You are using mana to access my ability, you must allow this mana to escape your body through, uhm, your mana paths? Do you understand?”] Klea’Hatma continued her coaching.
The moment Ellaine nodded, she let out a sudden yelp and shot her eyes wide open. As she clenched her teeth, the black spots quickly grew into long fleshy threads, attaching themselves onto her arm. The tendrils continued to form and move as her pained voice escaped through her gritting teeth.
Once it was over, Ellaine huffed and puffed, looking down at her enlarged hand. Not only had it grown in size but her fingers were completely replaced by five long razor blades. While her upper arm was still normal-looking, her entire forearm was covered in fleshy tendrils, like a clew of writhing worms.
“Urp! Oh sheesh—Turn away, close my eyes, lock these wishes far away
Not again, not again…or I’ll cry until the end
All of my darkest thoughts
Will serve me as my muse
So, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing, I’ll sing!
As I fade from your thoughts. ” My singing was interrupted for a moment by my gag reflex.
“Are you fine, Ellaine? Is your mind still clear?” Count Helvas ran over to his daughter, clearly worried but keeping a safe distance from the sight of her new “claw.”
“Y-yes, the pain isn’t that terrible,” Ellaine wiped the sweat from her face before forcing herself to smile through the pain. “A skill. I-I have a new skill!”
What?
[“Good work, dear. Apparently, Aurena has received Elder Plesia’s permission to create a new skill based on my powers. Oh, it even has my race’s name translated into Common! How thoughtful of little Aurena.”] Although she sounded pretty sleepy, her sassiness still showed when she spoke about the Light Goddess. As a result, Ellaine’s parents weren’t so thrilled, glaring at Klea’Hatma instead of complaining, knowing it would simply go in and out the other ear.
To keep the peace, Ellaine sent us her new skill’s description through [Telepathy], silencing all of us as we read the information.
Klea’Hatma couldn’t stop laughing. [“Smart of her! So this is how she will restrict my powers. Oh my, Ellaine, I really am bond to you without a way to escape unless you become strong.”]
An “Okl’Luthier” ability section was added to her Profile, where she was able to see which Abilities she had unlocked. Furthermore, we could only appraise it if we had her permission, preventing leaks.
Seeing this skill caused everybody inside the basement to let out a sigh of relief, understanding Aurena had planned this thoroughly. It also helped that Ellaine was testing her new ability with a wide grin and eyes filled with wonderment. Sure, it looked grotesque to us, and Ellaine agreed that it was, but she seemed happy about her newfound powers. Like a kid getting a new toy.
“There are two abilities—[Claw] and [Whiplash]. What is a whiplash? Also, the skill mentioned regenerative abilities. In what form?” Questions poured out from Ellaine’s inquisitive mouth. Frankly, this was the most excited I had ever seen Ellaine. Her mother even told me she used to act like this when she was younger, during the beginning of her magical education.
[“Oooh, lusting for power, dear? So early?”] Those words shut Ellaine up, feeling slightly unnerved at her own actions and the demon’s words. [“Hehehe, such innocence. In any case, I just checked myself and it seemed Aurena had sealed my abilities. Hahaha! Like a beast trapped inside a cage, doing the biddings of my master, all while her fangs bare themselves dangerously close to my neck. No hope to escape, no hope for a future, eternal torment. Ohoho, how you have grown …”]
“… Like a slave. Goddess?” Ellaine grimaced, looking at the ceiling.
A chill ran down my spine, and from looking at everybody’s reaction, only Saori and Ellaine seemed to have noticed the dreadful aura emanating from those spell rings the demon was inhabiting. It felt as if thousands of small roaches were crawling up your skin, a sickening feeling of nausea and fear.
Yet, at the very next moment, a second aura appeared, this time it came from Ellaine. One that was warmer and more calming, although it still felt like something we didn’t want to know about. It clashed against the aura from the rings and repelled it back, stuffing this power back where it came from as if it was trash destined for the can.
Aurena’s backup plan is this skill. It seems she’s not playing any games with Klea’Hatma.
Sighing deeply as if was feeling lethargic and exhausted, Klea’Hatma continued the explanation with an even more lackadaisical voice, [“Well, whatever, if you can’t change stuff, it would be better to just enjoy the present. Where was I? Ah, right, what skill you can use. Pretty much everything except for those two basic abilities, are sealed. Once the skill believes your body has become accustomed enough, it will unlock the next set of powers. Train hard, dear.”]
Disregarding Ellaine’s timid look, Klea’Hatma continued her explanation, [“My regenerative abilities focus on consumption and regrowth. Instead of mana, you must consume something to allow my abilities to heal you. Unfortunately, it is sealed. The ability to morph claws and a long tendril is all you can do right now. Shame. You would have benefitted from my bone wings. In any case, human, put up a training dummy, your daughter needs something to use whiplash on.”]
“… For someone of your advanced age, have you not learned the basics of simple politeness? You know my name … demon, ” Count Helvas snarled.
[“Yeah, yeah, human. You do not have an eternity to complain, how about you continue moving instead of boring me.”] Considering how the demon was acting, I was really questioning if my song was having an effect, so I increased the volume.
While Count Helvas was picking up a straw dummy, Klea’Hatma suddenly called Saori over, telling her she wanted to test Ellaine’s flesh claws on a weapon. As Ellaine was neither a pugilist nor was she left-handed, Saori used her daggers more as a durability test against Ellaine’s claws.
“I can feel the impact but I am not losing any health,” Ellaine said after Saori slashed at her claws. Since the attack didn’t cause her serious harm, Saori clad her daggers in lightning and used [Shadow Pierce] to attack, severing the tips of one of her claws. “Oh my! I anticipated no damage, yet that frightened me a bit.”
“I apologize,” Saori said before witnessing Ellaine regrow her severed claw with mana. “Y-yeah, this reminds me too much of Davison. He did not have any claws, but his body had a terribly strong regenerative power. He was able to regrow an entire arm back.”
Ellaine was able to keep regrowing her appendages as long as she had mana and she could remove them by turning the extra flesh back into mana, causing it to literally evaporate into blue particles. The demon, happy, cheered her own before going back into coach mode.
[“I have defensive options, no fret. Aside from bone appendages, you may envelop your whole body in the fleshy tendrils to protect yourself, hardening it to create armor. I believe it would be easier to imagine it like Hestia’s [Panzer].”]
“Uhm, can I morph the bone appendages into something like a shield?” Ellaine asked.
[“Certainly. I have a single bone wing which I always used as a shield. Literally and figuratively. For example, you aren’t required to create all five ‘claws,’ you may focus all your strength on a single blade. Like an arm sword. Considering you use a sword and magic to fight, I suggest you use my powers to adapt to different situations. The faster you can manifest the flesh weapons, the better. For example, you can conjure up the claws when a man is too close for you to swing your sword, giving him a taste of his own medicine and his final climax, arhhhhhhaaa!”]
… Why is she making lewd jokes? [My Darkest Thoughts] work, please!
Once Count Helvas was done, Klea’Hatma transitioned into Ellaine’s second new ability. [“All right, you had a taste of the ‘claws,’ now we will test ‘whiplash,’ which I also call ‘whipfist.’ Imagine a long [Dark Tendril] with four claws on the tip of it, shooting out from your arm. Imagine it like an extension of your limb and that you are extending it by using mana to continuously produce the flesh. Be careful. It is a ranged attack allowing you to either kill or catch your target, but the longer you extend the whipfist, the more mana your will use.”]
“That doesn’t sound good. Unlike Hestia and Tasianna, I haven’t trained my mana enough to use it constantly. I need to drink as many dragorades as Saori,” Ellaine said.
Groaning and moaning through the pain, the flesh threads reappeared on her arm, transforming it not into five sword-sized claws, but four knife-sized blades.
[“Try to morph it into a kle’—Uh, wait, I don’t know what it’s called in Common. Hmm, imagine the claws as mandibles. Widen the flesh like an opening mouth. Make it into something you can grab an item from range with.”] As Ellaine listened, the “whiplash” transformed into something similar to an alien predator’s mouth. She then tried out the extension part of the ability, throwing her arm around like a whip.
When she tried to throw it at the dummy at Klea’Hatma’s command, she missed the target by a mile. The whiplash could extend itself but, since it required momentum like a whip, it was extremely difficult to hit something from range. With her being right-handed and unaccustomed to using whips, Ellaine’s subsequent uses of the ability’s long-range grab function were a total whiff.
“I can’t continue, this takes too much mana,” Ellaine stated, retracting the claw as she breathed heavily. Seeing her like this, Tasianna came over to bring her a mana potion. This reminded me of Ellaine’s personal attendant, Josine, who couldn’t come down to the basement since Ellaine’s parents called this experiment top secret.
Seeing the difficulty, Count Helvas approached her. “Ellaine, using it with your left hand might be too much, especially with an unfamiliar weapon type. Try it with your right hand. Pull it back and swing it down.”
Ellaine was allowed to use the demon power on either arm as long as one of the rings was on the respective fingers.
“That would mean I can’t use the sword, father. I’ve been training with you from morning to evening these past three days. The moment I’m able to learn it from you, you are suggesting I give it up again? No. Never. Not this time.” Ellaine gave an obstinate answer.
“Miss Klea’Hatma,” Tasianna addressed the demon politely. “If I remember correctly, weren’t the wings you conjured back then floating on Ellaine’s back? Couldn’t she control your appendages like my ice blades?”
[“Good idea, Miss Fairy,”] the demon praised Tasianna’s idea but rejected it still. [“Sadly, the ability to grow appendages from thin air is restricted to experienced use and proper blood control. She is neither a demonkin of lust or a hemomancer; I cannot teach her as such. Unsatisfying really, so do more brainstorming, Peolyncians.”]
As everybody began to contemplate how Ellaine could best use her new abilities in combat, Marianne suddenly spoke up, “Demon, is your flesh able to wrap itself around weapons? Ellaine isn’t particularly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, so throwing the whipfist with a punching motion would be awkward for her to do. Using the ability with a tool might help her control the swinging motion better.”
[“Yes, that is possible. Ellaine, from checking what I can do in this sorry state, I’ve noticed that I feel the strongest when both rings are close together. Most likely, my power will be split and weakened if you wore a ring on each hand. Try using one ring on your right arm and materialize whiplash on your sword.”]
As Ellaine listened to Klea’Hatma’s instructions, we were able to confirm her guess. The number of flesh threads erupting from Ellaine’s arm was less if she only had one ring on her hand, showing her white skin through gaps. As the tendrils attached themselves onto her sword, turning it into some bio-metal weapon, four claws were formed on the blunt sides of her blade.
As she swung her sword, the whiplash extended itself with the sword’s help. With the proper sword training she received from her father, Ellaine’s sword swings were precise and elegant, but the whip was thrown around more like a fishing rod than what I imagined. Ellaine could make the claws contract and grab things, but the accuracy was still subpar.
“Hmm, the impact caused by these swings isn’t to be underestimated.” Count Helvas inspected the damage the whiplash’s strike did on the dummy. “Yet, they do not flow well and it delays your recovery. This would probably not help you much.”
[“I have enough experience using the whipfish to teach her. Training might solve her problem,”] Klea’Hatma rebuked.
“No, my issue is maneuvering the blade.” Ellaine gave her feedback. “I have to angle my wrist all the time, swinging to create momentum, and there is also the mana problem. I can’t extend and retract it all the time.”
Count Helvas nodded to his daughter’s practice result. “The sword is too rigid and short. Maybe if Ellaine used a whip and whiplash in combination, she wouldn’t have to continuously use her mana to extend and retract. The tendrils can stay the same length all the time, moving with the whip while increasing its threat.”
A whip? Well, that probably won’t be something Ellaine would do. That would mean giving up the sword for a whip … Hold on a minute. Wasn’t there a fantasy weapon like—
“A whipsword!” I clapped my hands together as the music continued without me singing. “On Earth, there was fiction and media of protagonists using the whip as a weapon. This idea evolved to the point where creators imagined something called a ‘whipsword.’ A sword which could separate itself into smaller blades to be swung like a whip, but it could come together again to be used as a sword.”
As I blurted my idea out, Saori touched her chin and remembered something. “That reminds me, Grimnir, were you not mentioning something about an extendable weapon while we were on our way to Griffonpeak? You used my mana threads for it.”
As he was called out, Grimnir grumbled and stopped repairing Ellaine’s armor. “Yeah, something I thought I should try making after that battle with the wyvern. Figured I needed to fix two of our party’s problems.”
“Problems?” I wondered.
Grimnir then pointed at Ellaine and then himself. “Us two. Our position within Aurora’s fighting style hasn’t been fully established yet. You, Saori, and Tasianna have been fighting for a long time together, and it shows, making it hard for the two of us to work within this system.”
In Grimnir’s opinion, he couldn’t act as the frontline as well since Saori and I were better at it in our true forms, while Ellaine didn’t have enough offensive power because of her lackluster stats compared to the rest of us. It was an issue Grimnir noticed when he went dungeon diving with us, and it showed again in the battle against Asterios.
Grimnir’s largest contributions to the fight were his two blasthammer shots while Ellaine couldn’t do as much since she didn’t have a weapon strong enough to pierce Asterios’s scales. Grimnir, being a blacksmith, only knew one way to fix something and that was to hammer on his anvil and create a better replacement or upgrade it. In this case, he was trying to make a prototype for Ellaine.
He ran back upstairs, picking something from the RV, before returning to the basement. “While hunting in the sea, the Caedhulens created tools to help them hunt. The trident, the harpoonbow, and this… the tridenthooker.”
What Grimnir unveiled was exactly what I just explained. With six grooves or slits, it looked like a blade split into seven smaller blades—it was exactly how I envisioned the whipsword.
As I questioned Grimnir about it, he continued his explanation, “The tridenthooker is a weapon merfolks use to catch certain underwater prey and capture them with threads, in addition, it was a great self-defense tool against multiple enemies at once. Originally, the tridenthooker has three tips like a trident, but each one of them could extend like the whip. Since Ellaine knew how to use a sword, I turned the concept into one. With this, I reckoned she would be able to deal damage from afar or in the sky.
As Grimnir handed Ellaine the weapon, Ellaine couldn’t help but look at him in bafflement. “Y-you made this for me, Master Grimnir? B-but you already made me armor! A beautiful armor that helped me fight well enough against the wyvern. Y-you don— Father?”
As Ellaine was worrying about the gesture, Count Helvas placed his hand on her shoulder, looking at Grimnir as he spoke, “I have not thanked you enough for what you made for my daughter, Master Dwarf. It was, honestly, one of the best sets of armor I’ve ever laid eyes on. I understand the armor was Lady Hestia’s gift to my daughter, so please, allow me to pay you back for the full completion of this weapon.”
Grimnir waved his hand, stroking his chin as if he still had a beard. “I do what is needed to help my party, nothing more, Count. Besides, this isn’t usable in a fight. Test it, lass. See if the idea works, then we make a real one … together.”
Urged by her artificer and sword teacher, Ellaine couldn’t disagree. She cladded the sword in tendrils, materializing four blades on the tip of the sword. Under Grimnir’s instructions, she poured mana into the sword, causing the grooves to glow blue. As she swung it, the sword separated into seven blades, held together by a thick blue mana thread.
With Klea’Hatma helping Ellaine’s form, she was able to swing its blades around like a whip. While there were a few close calls where she almost hit one of us, she was able to use whiplash for the longest time ever. With how she could extend the sword using the mana threads Grimnir had built into it, Ellaine only had to expend mana to maintain the whip function, which was far less than what she needed to use before. She was expanding and retracting the sword as she continued practicing, finally stopping when she was able to grab the dummy’s head with the whipfist.
“Stop, this should be enough for now, Ellaine. Arcane corruption is building up inside you.” Marianne pointed at her daughter’s bluish skin color.
As she dispelled the tendrils, Ellaine ran over to Grimnir, handing him the weapon back. A grin was showing on her face, causing Grimnir to cough in embarrassment. Although Grimnir was still sweaty and dirty, Ellaine didn’t mind it one bit, hugging him as a sign of thanks. Marianne questioned me if this was our influence over her daughter. “Maybe,” I told her.
[“Huh, looks like we solved the issue. Mhmm, happy to see my powers being useful, ahahaha!”]
With practical experimentation, Grimnir told us he had some ideas on how to adapt the weapon to Klea’Hatma’s individual powers. For its creation, we finally chose to use the High Ogre’s axehead and Cernust’s horn antler as the main materials. Saori’s mana threads were another important component and Grimnir was considering whether he could add my shed claw pieces and spikes to the smithing process.
As this would take time, we decided to stop today’s training since Ellaine was decently exhausted. After a delicious dinner, Aurora called it a night. As Grimnir was about to move his RV to the lower city, he was stopped by the Count informing him he could stay. While our RV did stand out, it wasn’t an eyesore due to the craftsmanship and paint.
However, Grimnir wasn’t used to the whole prim-and-proper human noble aesthetic of Artorias. Dwarven culture was more carefree where it was perfectly acceptable for a dwarven hold lord to come down to a local tavern and drink himself asleep with a miner or boot polisher. Artorian nobles would mingle with their soldiers during a war campaign, but it would be considered inappropriate if they shared a drink with a commoner in a rundown tavern in the middle district. Grimnir wanted to drink himself merrily into the night.
Nevertheless, the count was stubborn. He was willing to find a spot where Grimnir could be as rowdy as he wanted without disturbing anybody and even offered him work—to repair the armor and weapons of his guards and soldiers. There was also the fact it would be easier to gain Ellaine’s feedback if he stayed with us here.
In the end, Grimnir relented. He stopped the garms from moving the RV, opened up a small ale cask and offered it to the Count.
“If you offer work to a tazong, you drink with him to seal the deal,” Grimnir said.
I did ask him why he hadn’t offered me anything to drink, considering I hired him first, but I was told he did and that only Saori drank with him on the day we accepted his dungeon-delving request. Since he hadn’t known about my true identity back then, he thought I knew some dwarven customs.
To rectify this, I poured a tankard with the ale and toasted with the Count, Grimnir, and, well, Saori who just wanted to drink.
“Arck! Why is it so bitter!” I gagged, unable to drink anymore.
“This is so watered down, it is dreadful,” Saori complained but continued drinking until the tankard was empty.
“… This is what I expect to find inside a commoner’s tavern.” Frowning, the Count sighed before finishing it, too. It seemed he loved his alcohol like my two drinking companions.
“What you would expect from a manling drink. Saori. Tasianna. How about we actually make some proper beer together? We can serve it to the restaurant’s customers, too.” Grimnir was a dwarf, after all. Guess he wasn’t content with the random ale casks we bought from taverns.
Well, I’m just happy everybody is sticking together.
Once the next day came, it was time for Ellaine to return to the academy. As Ellaine and Josine were ready to board a flying carriage, the rest of us gathered and saw them off, wishing them good luck. While Saori wanted to buy groceries and Grimnir was preoccupied inside his smithy, Tasianna and I decided on our destination for today.
The temple of Griffonpeak. It was time to properly meet one of Aurena’s Saintesses.
SpoilerName: Ellaine Fiero Helvas Level: 58 Race: Human
Age: 15 Years Job: Rogue Level: 0/5
Status: Health: 2802/2803 (+1767) Mana: 3741/3741 (+2527)
Strength: 1265 (+864) Intelligence: 1741 (+1055)
Vitality: 1098 (+752) Wisdom: 1309 (+820)
Agility: 1213 (+777) Stamina: 2256/2256 (+1315)
Effects: None
Skill Points: 200 (Had 800 at lv. 30. Lv. 30 -> 58 = 14200. SP spent: 14800)
Skill: Unique Skills:
[Okl’Luthier’s Powers Lv. 1] (New)
Magic skills and related:
[Mana Efficiency Lv. 10] (+2) [Mana Control Lv. 9] (+2)
[Arcane Mind Lv. 7] (+2)
[Earth Magic Lv. 10] (+2) [Earth Amp] [Earth Magic Efficiency]
[Terra Magic Lv. 2] (New) [Wind Magic Lv. 10] (+2) [Wind Amp]
[Wind Magic Efficiency] [Storm Magic Lv. 1] (New)
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 3] (+1) [Silent Casting Lv. 5] (+2)
[Chant Revocation Lv. 10] (+5) [Mental Warfare Lv. 3] (+1)
[Fluid Cast Lv. 1] [Multi-Cast Lv. 1] [Continuous Cast Lv. 1]
[Delayed Cast Lv. 1] (New)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 1] (New) [Sword Technique Lv. 6] (+3)
[Sword Mastery Lv. 3] (+2)
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 3] (+2) [Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1] (New) [Mana Strike Lv. 1] (New)
[Stamina Strike Lv. 1] (New)
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 5] (+3) [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6] (+2)
[Concentration Lv. 6] (+1) [Prediction Lv. 6] (+3)
[Danger Perception Lv. 6] (+2) [Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 7] (+2)
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 4] (+2) [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 8] (+1)
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 4] (+2) [Night Vision Lv. 3] (+1)
[Presence Killer Lv. 3] (+2) [Evasion Lv. 6] (+3) [Acrobatic Lv. 6] (+3)
[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 1]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] (New) [Absolute Pain Tolerance] (New)
[Lava Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Holy Resistance Lv. 3]
[Inferno Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Poison Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Water Resistance Lv. 6]
[Terra Resistance Lv. 4] (New) [Wind Resistance Lv. 5]
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] (+3)
Stat growth and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 3] (+2) [Mana Recovery Lv. 5] (+2)
[Stamina Recovery Lv. 3] (+2)
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 4] (+3)
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 4] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 4] (+1)
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 1] (New)
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 1] (New)
Others:
[Singing Lv. 6] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 5] [Musician Lv. 7] (+1)
[Merchant Lv. 2] (+1) [Handicraft Lv. 3] (+2) [Woodworking Lv. 1] (New)
[Enchanting Lv. 4] [Artificer Lv. 2] (+1) [Identify Lv. 5] (+4)
[Identity Blocker Lv. 9] (+6) [Terror Aura Lv. 1] (New)
[Battle Mind Lv. 3] (New) [Noble Aura Lv. 4] (+1)
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 8] (+1) [Riding Lv. 5] (+2) [Scholar Lv. 2]
[Cooking Lv. 1] (New) [Dismantle Lv. 4] (New)
[Calligraphy Lv. 6] [Mathematician Lv. 7] (+1) [Telepathy]
Ability List: Unarmed:
[Dragoon Jump]
Okl’Luthier
[Claw] [Whiplash]
Sword:
[Power Slash]
Magic List: Custom Spells:
[Create Crack] [Wind Gust]
Earth Magic:
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earthen Spears] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall] [Bedrock Blades]
Wind Magic:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash] [Swift Winds]
[Wind Blast] [Featherfall] [Aerial Blitz] [Tornado Bullet]
Title: [Hestia’s Retainer]
[collapse]AbyssRaven Song for today is from Yuuri, "Dry Flowers" Rawr
Book 2 of Dragon Idol is coming up and it's release date is on the 24th of January! Meaning, I will have to delete the associated chapters for the book, which includes Chapter 37 - 68 and any side chapters inside them.
Amazon: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CPQT5GDZ
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Embers-Audiobook/B0CQ5PK8S3?ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&ref=a_series_Dr_c5_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=284b47b1-a5db-4711-9667-612f2ac7458e&pf_rd_r=B440YFADJQ1G60SK157S&pageLoadId=xAFYbXEojVzIZQfA&creativeId=b570234c-250a-43ff-be6b-ca1b4c5d7caa
I do hope everybody is awaiting the next installment of the story, rewritten and polished!
