“Ah, good day to you, Kus…uhm.” As the velociraptor-looking scale-kin greeted us, Colwyn intended to reciprocate it but stumbled on his words for some reason.
“Kushlek’zar is my name,” the scale-kin answered with a polite bow, swinging his brown-green scaled robes around in a dignified way.
Colwyn flinched back, quickly apologizing to him for his failure to remember his name, “Oh! Crap, sorry about that. That was inappropriate as your contractor.”
"I take no offense, you may rest your worries, Chief Colwyn. It is a hard name to pronounce for anybody not used to us saurians,” the saurian crackled in a weird, delayed manner, sounding a bit like a robot. With his moving his head around, he was also swinging his green head plumage around in a mesmerizing manner.
He calls himself a saurian but what is so different from him compared to a lizardfolk? Is the giant guy also a saurian? But he looks more or less like Caszcur, but with a larger frame and more menacing features.
Hmmm, should I use [Identify] on them? I kinda want to know how strong they are for a C rank mercenary party.
As I was contemplating the idea, the giant crocodile saurian suddenly moved its head to face our direction, seemingly returning the stare I was giving him. Flustered, I abandoned any thought of using [Identify] and just turned back to the discussion on hand.
Besides, I thought it might be best to use [Identify] reservedly on people I wasn’t planning to fight. I didn’t know about others but Saori and I considered it to be a breach of privacy and something we shouldn't be using just to satisfy our curiosity.
Just thinking about what could happen made me reluctant. For example, what would happen if their [Identity Blocker] were to level up if I used [Identify] on them? If I were in their shoes, I would immediately become suspicious. It would just ruin any first impression, making things just difficult.
Outside of this circumstance, you technically didn’t get any warnings or notifications if somebody appraised you. Saori and Tasianna had tried it on me during their [Identify] training, so I knew it well. Unless you knew the person had the skill, you couldn’t anticipate it. Although, I kinda instinctively knew the garm matriarch, Asterios, and the leviathan spied on my Profile.
It certainly wasn’t a good feeling to know somebody would appraise you even if you knew them well. Common sense, right? That was why using [Identify] on them was an idiotic choice. We were supposed to work together, so I wanted our relationship to be amicable.
Remind me to level my own [Identity Blocker] later in the day, parallel minds.
After finishing the talks with Colwyn, the leader of this party finally turned our direction, greeting us with another prayer-like bow before politely asking who we were, “Ashlak’leel sa’got toth zacotl, guests to our camp. My name is Kushlek’zar and I am the speaker for my comrades. May we know who you are?”
Understanding that it was our time to introduce ourselves, we walked forwards and Saori began for us, “It is a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Mister Kushlek’zar. I am Saori Segawa. I hope we are not intruding.”
“Oh, a wolfkin, I presume? I am still not perfectly capable of identifying the beastmen from Altrust, so I hope I did not guess wrongly," he said with a wide grin, fitting for a dinosaur-like head. “Miss Saori, it is an honor to meet someone like you.”
“May your wellspring of life be ever filled with joy, Mister Kushlek’zar. May the Depth Goddess’s kindness bless you with good tides,” Tasianna curtsied, greeting him respectfully as a fellow worshipper of Plesia. My name is Tasianna Marina Silverpond, and I greet you on our Lady’s behalf.”
Huh? She’s back to her usual self? I thought as Tasianna took a step back with a warm smile.
“Ocean’s bounty to you too, Miss Tasianna. It is always a pleasure to be acquainted with more of our goddess’s followers. For the land is lonesome so far from the sea,” he responded as he held onto a pendant with an emblem of a woman’s head, framed by tentacle-looking hair. “Am I right to conclude that this is your mistress, Miss Saori and Miss Tasianna?”
He let go of his pendant and placed one hand on his chest and the other behind his back, greeting me with a formal bow, “It is a great honor to meet a dragonewt so far from Loatryx. I must admit, I did not expect to meet another scale-kin so deep into the continent of Altrust.”
Pinching the hem of my robes, I reciprocated his greeting with an elegant curtsy while raising my tail, “The honor is mine, Mister Kushlek’zar, this young scale salutes you with her tail raised. My name is Hestia Atsuko and my party is here at the request of Chief Colwyn to meet our potential allies for his Quest.”
Nailing the formal speech was pretty satisfying when you consider I've only been speaking this language for two months now. Granted, I had a pretty good tutor in Tasianna who could immediately send this sorta information through [Telepathy] into my mind. Although not exactly a translator, it allowed me to understand the meaning behind words far easier.
I’d been having my parallel minds just remember as many words as possible, accelerating my learning process while I practiced sentence structure and grammar by speaking with Tasianna and Saori. As the former had been our primary language tutor, our accent and speaking habits were mostly influenced by hers. Then again, I did pick up some words and ways of speaking from the lizardmen.
Hmm, why exactly are we introducing ourselves with our full names? I guess it's more formal?
“This elder scale is joyous to have met you,” Kushlek’zar grinned happily, revealing his long tongue. “I am also glad to hear that you have acquired more help for us, Chief Colwyn. It is always better to have more allies before one jumps into the water’s depths. Confident as we are, money is wasted on the dead.”
“Ah, yes, of course. We just got word that the mercenaries who previously accepted this quest were defeated. I hope your party is still willing to take on the Quest,” Colwyn informed them, looking a bit anxious that they would decline the request now.
“Your concerns are ill-placed, Chief Colwyn. We fully intended to resolve this matter with or without allies.” It didn’t sound arrogant at all, it felt more like he was trying to sooth the nervous chief’s worries. “We are members of the Tide Watchers, free-roaming Depth Guards. We serve the Goddess of Water by seeing justice be assured, so how can we overlook your suffering?”
Upon hearing that, Colwyn heaved a sigh in relief. "Oh, thank you so very much! If there is anything you need, then please ask me before you leave! I cannot pay you any more than the Quest is offering but I’ll provide whatever rations or tools you need!"
“I thank you on behalf of my brothers-in-arms, however, by bringing more fighters, you have helped us enough.” Kushlek’zar stared at us inquisitively, nodding in content. “Krim-Slak. Grazlahta. What are your opinions on our guests?”
The two tall saurians who were sitting behind Kushlek’zar stopped sharpening their weapons and took a look at the three of us. Considering we were planning to do the same to them, it was only fair if we reciprocated their actions.
Compared to Kushlek’zar who was just a bit taller than Saori, these tall saurians were about two meters tall (6’7”). Equipped with giant reptilian muscles that could make a human strongman look weak, these two had two short, spiked crests above their eyes that looked exactly what you would expect if the ferocious dinosaur carnotaurus were to become a humanoid.
Showing some scars despite being armored to the teeth with their thick, hardened scales and heavy, scaled armor, these two were undoubtedly seasoned warriors. Veterans of the battlefield. What you would expect from the fighter stereotype.
Without needing to use [Identify], my draconic instincts were telling me that these guys were strong. I wasn’t sure how strong they were, but they were clearly C rank or above if they were to be considered monsters.
“… No armor and their clothing aren’t enchanted. Obviously no warriors, Kush, so we’ll stay in the front,” the red saurian on the left, Krim-slak, said concisely. “… I wouldn’t underestimate them, though. The young scale and wolfkin are experienced, I can see it from their eyes. They know how to observe others with keen focus. Haha, wouldn’t hurt having some more mages!”
“Hmm, also no visible catalyst. No belongings.” The green saurian on the right, Grazlahta, squinted his eyes at me. “I agree with Krim. The young scale looks like a cleric, the wolfkin’s blood-red eyes has the ‘chill,’ and the elf isn’t trying to show-off. Good in my book. Also, they aren’t perturbed by Akast, so shouldn’t have any problems.”
"Mhm, no catalysts, no grimoires, and their mana clothing aren’t enchanted, either. How intriguing, right? Ha ha ha ha!” the saurian laughed, making the three of us pretty anxious since he and his companions quickly and accurately pointed those things out. We probably weren’t looking like conventional adventurers. “Hmm, I apologize for our failure. We cannot fully understand your abilities from sight alone. As we will become future companions, could we get a look at your IDs?”
Uh oh…
“Uhh, Kushlek’zar? I didn’t get to that point yet,” Colwyn said as he scratched his head. “These lasses don’t have any IDs. They told me that they lost them in the Belzac Forest.”
“Belzac Forest?” Kushlek’zar’s eyes widened in surprise, turning away from Colwyn and back to us. "… Still, as mercenaries, you must understand we cannot believe those words without proof. Under Xohulotel, the serpent god’s eye, I cannot risk my party’s safety by accepting unknown adventurers. If you cannot produce IDs to display your abilities, then may I appraise you with my [Identify]?”
“Pardon?” Saori exclaimed. “You wish to see our Profiles?”
"Yes, however, if you do not wish to show specific information then I will have no problem if you block it with [Identity Blocker]. I only wish to know your combat prowess,” he answered. “After all, if you are mages, then you must understand the value of knowledge, right? God Istari demands we elucidate ourselves! Always striving for more information! Rest assured, my party will not divulge your information unless needed, I swear as my tail is my witness.”
Realizing what he meant by that, our party quickly held a telepathic conversation, [“Bump it up to level 10?”]
[“Agreed, Hestia.”]
[“By your command, Lady Hestia.”]
Oof, 1750 SP spent…but I guess we will need this to hide our status boards from others. Our luck that this guy is polite enough to warn us before using [Identify]!
From doing skill experiments with Saori and Tasianna, I’d learned that the skill [Identity Blocker] could allow me to only hide certain information if I wanted to. This meant I could allow people with lower leveled [Identify] to see my Profile if I wanted to, or only partial. However, I couldn’t falsify anything, and if I blocked even a single skill, it would have “Information Blocked” under the Profile.
So, after taking out everything related to the gods, my dragon heritage, and being a reincarnator, my status board looked like this now:
SpoilerName: Hestia Atsuko Level: 80 Race: Spark Inferno Dragonewt
Age: 15 Years Job: None
Status: Health: 2932/2932(Dra: 5864) Mana: 9692/9692(Dra: 19284)
Strength: 1427 (Dra: 2853) Intelligence: 2731 (Dra: 5461)
Vitality: 723 (Dra: 1446) Wisdom: 891 (Dra: 1781)
Agility: 2950 (Dra: 5900) Stamina: 1476/1476(Dra: 2951)
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 2] [Lightning Magic Lv. 1] [Holy Magic Lv. 10]
[Holy Amp] [Holy Magic Efficiency] [Sacred Magic Lv. 5]
[Fire Magic Lv. 10] [Fire Amp] [Fire Magic Efficiency]
[Inferno Magic Lv. 5] [Earth Magic Lv. 10] [Earth Amp]
[Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 2]
[Wind Magic Lv. 10] [Wind Amp] [Wind Magic Efficiency]
[Storm Magic Lv. 1] [Space-Time Magic Lv. 4] [Space-Time Magic Efficiency]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 5] [Silent Casting Lv. 7] (+1) [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 6]
[Mental Stability Lv. 6] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 4]
[Mana Eyes Lv. 2] (New)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 5] (+1) [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 4]
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 4] [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 2]
Senses and movement skills:
[Silence Lv. 1] (New) [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6]
[Concentration Lv. 2] [Foresight Lv. 1] (New) [Danger Perception Lv. 3]
[Probability Correction Lv. 5] [Detection Sensor Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 5] [Tracking Lv. 3] [Night Vision Lv. 8]
[Odorless Lv. 1] (New) [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 2] [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 4]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 4] (+2) [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 3] (New) [Mind Protection Lv. 3] (New)
[Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 1] [Abnormal Status Nullification]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Lava Resistance Lv.1]
[Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Inferno Resistance Lv. 2]
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 1] [Dark Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Arcane Conduit Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Sorcerer’s Power Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Speed of Sound Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 6] (+1)
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 7] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 5] (+1) [Musician Lv. 3] (+2)
[Stage Fever Lv. 1] (New) [Handicraft Lv. 2] (+1) [Woodworking Lv. 3] (+1)
[Stonecrafting Lv. 1] (New)
[Poison Creation Lv. 5] [Trap Creation Lv. 5] (+1)
[Identity Blocker Lv. 10] (+6) [Identify Lv. 10]
[Noble Aura Lv. 6] (+1) [Benevolent Aura Lv. 1]
[Alluring Aura Lv. 1] (New) [Terror Aura Lv. 1]
[Admiration Lv. 1] (New) [Battle Mind Lv. 6]
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2] [Leadership Lv. 5] [Cooking Lv. 7]
[Dismantle Lv. 7] [Thought Acceleration Lv. 2]
[High-Speed Calculation Lv. 1] (New)
[Multi-Thought Processing Lv. 1] (New)
[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9] [Body Temperature Control Lv. 2]
[Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] [Telepathy]
Spell List: Custom Magic:
[Imperial Hellfire]
Lightning Magic:
[Lightning Bolt]
Lava Magic:
[Lava Ball] [Lava Stream]
Holy Magic:
[Minor Heal] [Cure] [Modest Heal] [Smite] [Light] [Holy Protection]
[Holy Strength] [Purify] [Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil] [Sacred Field]
[Banishment Beam] [Major Heal]
Fire Magic
[Fire] [Firebolt] [Imbue Fire] [Fire Ball] [Strengthening Flames]
[Flame Spear] [Petal Flame] [Flame Explosion] [Inferno Blast]
[Blazing Twister] [Inferno Beam] [Scorching Sun] [Spiral Hellfire]
Earth Magic
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [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]
Space-Time Magic:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
Information blocked
[collapse]My status board was still pretty long even after taking the most interesting parts out. I also took out [Toxin Secretion] as I found it a bit too … dangerous to show? I mean, what would your first impression be if you saw this skill in my status board, huh?
“Alright, we are done. You may look if you wish,” Saori urged, inviting Kushlek’zar to take a look.
After widening his eyes two or three times, he stayed quiet for a second before expressing his surprise to us, “Well…my expectations flew away like a pegasus, that is for sure. I have no more need to question your abilities. As you have come to assess us, it would only be fair if I gave you a look, too. Do you possess party bracelets, Lady Hestia?”
Huh?! Why is he calling me ‘Lady Hestia’ now?! I-I’m pretty sure I hid everything that could prove me a princess! [Royal Etiquette] has a very ‘princess’-like name but it really is only responsible for etiquette, as both Saori and Tasianna had it!
Regardless of my flustered reaction to him addressing me with “Lady Hestia,” Saori and I both showed our iron party bracelets we looted from those trolls. Tasianna couldn’t show hers as it only fitted her fairy form, which was out of the question as we didn’t want anybody knowing she was a fairy.
“Wha-!?” Finching backward from the sight of our bracelets, Kushlek’zar needed a few seconds to reboot his brain to form a proper response. “I … there are quite a few surprises today. Oh, great Xohulotel, I have many stories to retell you this evening. I apologize but considering how those bracelets do not have these chains, like on mine, I can confidently say they are far too old to be able to read IDs and accept Quests.”
It was a revelation, but not a surprising one. Tasianna already informed us how our bracelets were very outdated models, so old they weren’t even decorated and looked like simple iron rings. Tasianna’s fairy bracelet, on the other hand, was beautifully crafted with plenty of colors and engravings, even possessing the emblem of the Patron Goddess of the Fairies, Zephira.
We kinda knew this would happen. Not only did we not have any IDs but we also lacked proper party bracelets to accept the Quest in the first place.
“Chief Colwyn, we have no problem working with these fine lasses but without a party bracelet, I do not know how we are supposed to share contribution. We can’t establish a party like this,” Kushlek’zar gave us the bad news.
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that fact. I’ll personally go to the guild to give them a report after it's done. Doesn't the guild have a retroactive acceptance system? That should work for the ladies, right?” Colwyn answered.
“Hmm, that is the case. Excellent, if you are willing to do that, then I shall evaluate them fairly for their share of the rewards,” the scale-kin answered with elation. “Lady Hestia, Miss Saori, and Miss Tasianna, you allowed me to use [Identify] on you three, so it is only right of us to allow you the same. We four saurians are ready."
Looking between the two carnotaurus-looking saurians and the massive crocodile-looking one, none of them showed any displeasure, simply nodding at us to do so. It seemed Kushlek’zar wasn’t lying when he told us he was the voice of this party. Everybody respected his decision.
The three of us decided on splitting the work between us. Saori would identify the crocodile one, Tasianna would do the two carnotauruses, while I would inspect the velociraptor Kushlek’zar. We could always share the information amongst ourselves later on, so there was no need for all of us to look at them individually.
Identify.
SpoilerName: Kushlek’zar Level: 91 Race: Raptorsilian
Age: 76 Years Job: Depth Priest
Status: Health: 5612 Mana: 7420
Strength: 2343 Intelligence: 3453
Vitality: 1932 Wisdom: 3031
Agility: 2947 Stamina: 3743
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Control Lv. 10] [Mana Efficiency Lv. 10] [Arcane Mind Lv. 10]
[Water Magic Lv. 10] [Water Amp] [Water Magic Efficiency]
[Torrent Magic Lv. 6] [Chant Revocation Lv. 9]
[Silent Casting Lv. 8] [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 7]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 7] [Mental Stability Lv. 8] [Mental Warfare Lv. 3]
[Multi-Cast Lv. 7] [Delayed Cast Lv. 5] [Continuous Cast Lv. 6]
[Fluid Cast Lv. 7] [Long-Range Spell Enhancement Lv. 3]
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 3] [Unarmed Mastery Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Claws Lv. 6] [Enhanced Fang Lv. 3] [Mana Strike Lv. 6]
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2]
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 1] [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1]
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 9] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 7]
[Concentration Lv. 8] [Foresight Lv. 1] [Danger Perception Lv. 8]
[Probability Correction Lv. 6] [Detection Sensor Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 7] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 6] [Tracking Lv. 8] [Night Vision Lv. 10]
[Presence Killer Lv. 7] [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 1][Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 7]
[Aquatic Maneuvering Lv. 5][Aquatic Fighter Lv. 6]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] [Pain Resistance Lv. 9]
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] [Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 5]
[Abnormal Status Nullification] [Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 3]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 6] [Lightning Resistance Lv. 1]
[Ice Resistance Lv. 1] [Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Fire Resistance Lv. 5]
[Earth Resistance Lv. 9] [Wind Resistance Lv. 8]
[Torrent Resistance Lv. 2] [Dark Resistance Lv. 4]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 6] [Mana Recovery Lv. 8] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Arcane Conduit Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 9]
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 3]
Others:
[Handicraft Lv. 7] [Woodworking Lv. 4] [Stonecrafting Lv. 3]
[Poison Creation Lv. 7] [Trap Creation Lv. 6]
[Identity Blocker Lv. 7] [Identify Lv. 8]
[Benevolent Aura Lv. 6] [Terror Aura Lv. 7] [Battle Mind Lv. 8]
[Leadership Lv. 7] [Cooking Lv. 1]
[Dismantle Lv. 8] [Body Temperature Control Lv. 6]
Job Skills:
[Water Amp] [Water Magic Efficiency] [Torrent Amp]
[Water Resistance Lv. 10]
[Supportive Spell Amp] [Hydration Healing]
[Ocean Pressure Resistance Lv. 8] [Depths Guard’s Unity]
Spell List: Job Magic:
[Depth’s Call] [Plesia’s Grasp] [Tidecaller’s Blessing]
[Depth Priest’s Blessing] [Invocation of Water]
Custom Magic:
[Create Water] [Greater Create Water] [Ocean’s Blast] [Moisture Sucker]
[Marine Lungs] [Slithering Serpent] [Xohulotel’s Wrath]
[Xohulotel’s Scaled Barrier] [Tehenhauin] [Saurian’s Rage]
[Raptor’s Agility]
Water Magic:
[Water Ball] [Water Wall] [Water Bolt] [Cleanse] [Protective Water]
[Droplet Torrent] [Aqua Prison] [Aqua Beam] [Torrential Rain]
[Ocean Healing] [Azure Blade] [Sapphire Membrane]
[Kraken’s Destruction] [Perilous Tidefall]
[collapse]… Oh shit, he’s stronger than me! W-well, as long as I stay a dragonewt. I could take this old man on as a dragon! … I think.
No wonder this guy sounded so confident, he sure had the qualifications to be. Was he actually a C rank adventurer, though? I was a max leveled C rank, but my level was only 80. This guy had eleven levels over me, so no way, right? He had to be B rank, at least. Maybe A rank? Then again, I had no idea what was what in this world. These adventurer rankings meant nothing to me, since I only understood what it meant for monsters.
“Thank you very much … that was educational,” Saori uttered, showing an expression mixed with surprise and interest. “Thank you, we would be happy to help a veteran party like yours.”
“So, does that mean you three will take the Quest?” Colwyn asked with a smile on his face.
The three of us looked at each other and wordlessly nodded our heads.
I then turned towards Colwyn and gave him a small nod. “Yes, Chief Colwyn. The three of us will accept your Quest and we will bring back your villagers. As my tail is my witness, I promise you that.”
After escorting the Chief back to the village, our party was given some rations and a few bags for the trip as we never had the chance to explain to them how I had a feast stored inside my storage magic. We also said goodbye to Lorena and promised her we would bring her parents back and then we departed back to the saurians.
Once we returned, Kushlek’zar welcomed us, “Welcome back, our allies. This might be very sudden, but I believe we have enough people for the Quest, so we wish to depart. Shall we?”
From a numerical standpoint, seven might not be enough but the quality of the party was what made me agree with Kusklek’zar. On the way back, our party shared what we learned from each of the saurians and we understood these guys probably didn’t need help with how strong they were.
Kushlek’zar was the strongest with the two carnotaur saurians both being level 75 and the crocodile hulk being level 83. All four were effectively old men in human standards. Senior citizens, but they seemed far younger than that. Maybe it was a racial thing.
Also, with the carnotaurs and the crocodile guys, we finally had a normal RPG party composition—one warrior, mage, priest, and a rogue! Of course, in total we had three warriors, two mages, one priest, and one rogue. Still awesome~
“Yeah, let’s do it. We are ready to go whenever you want,” I answered.
He nodded to my affirmation, grinning with satisfaction, “Excellent, we must not rest until those bandits are brought to justice, either by our hands or the law. Ha ha ha ha!”
‘By our hands or the law’, huh? What will I do?
My party took on the Quest fully knowing these bandits would not just stand by and let us free the kidnapped. If they really were criminals, then we had to be ready for them to resist and that meant a fight was entirely possible. While subduing a weak opponent was as easy as beating Saori in a dance battle, we couldn’t ignore how something could go wrong.
Murphy’s law, after all. Considering the crazy things I experienced in the Belzac Forest, I had to admit how terrible my encounter luck was. Sure, we had Kushlek’zar and his party, but what if we met somebody around his strength? If that were the case, then we couldn’t hold back.
We would have to kill humans and beastmen. We would be idiots if we hadn’t thought of this possibility.
“I cannot wait to see your abilities in action. As a mage myself, there is so much to learn from observing other practitioners and it would be considered rude if I wasn’t interested, heh,” Kushlek’zar joyfully clapped, snickering as he mulled over the idea. “Oh right, there was something I wanted to ask you and your companions before we went. I don’t believe you to be novices, but at the same time, I can’t get rid of this feeling. Call it my hunch as a veteran.”
“Oh yeah, sure,” I responded carefreely, believing it to be a trivial question.
“Thank you,” Kushklek’zar thanked me with another prayer-like bow. “Have you ever killed a humanoid before, Lady Hestia the Dragoness?”
…WHAT?!
AbyssRaven So, how do you guys think he figured it out? Tip, the clue is in the Profile and what Hestia removed. She shouldn't have removed certain skills.
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
“Ah, good day to you, Kus…uhm.” As the velociraptor-looking scale-kin greeted us, Colwyn intended to reciprocate it but stumbled on his words for some reason.
“Kushlek’zar is my name,” the scale-kin answered with a polite bow, swinging his brown-green scaled robes around in a dignified way.
Colwyn flinched back, quickly apologizing to him for his failure to remember his name, “Oh! Crap, sorry about that. That was inappropriate as your contractor.”
"I take no offense, you may rest your worries, Chief Colwyn. It is a hard name to pronounce for anybody not used to us saurians,” the saurian crackled in a weird, delayed manner, sounding a bit like a robot. With his moving his head around, he was also swinging his green head plumage around in a mesmerizing manner.
He calls himself a saurian but what is so different from him compared to a lizardfolk? Is the giant guy also a saurian? But he looks more or less like Caszcur, but with a larger frame and more menacing features.
Hmmm, should I use [Identify] on them? I kinda want to know how strong they are for a C rank mercenary party.
As I was contemplating the idea, the giant crocodile saurian suddenly moved its head to face our direction, seemingly returning the stare I was giving him. Flustered, I abandoned any thought of using [Identify] and just turned back to the discussion on hand.
Besides, I thought it might be best to use [Identify] reservedly on people I wasn’t planning to fight. I didn’t know about others but Saori and I considered it to be a breach of privacy and something we shouldn't be using just to satisfy our curiosity.
Just thinking about what could happen made me reluctant. For example, what would happen if their [Identity Blocker] were to level up if I used [Identify] on them? If I were in their shoes, I would immediately become suspicious. It would just ruin any first impression, making things just difficult.
Outside of this circumstance, you technically didn’t get any warnings or notifications if somebody appraised you. Saori and Tasianna had tried it on me during their [Identify] training, so I knew it well. Unless you knew the person had the skill, you couldn’t anticipate it. Although, I kinda instinctively knew the garm matriarch, Asterios, and the leviathan spied on my Profile.
It certainly wasn’t a good feeling to know somebody would appraise you even if you knew them well. Common sense, right? That was why using [Identify] on them was an idiotic choice. We were supposed to work together, so I wanted our relationship to be amicable.
Remind me to level my own [Identity Blocker] later in the day, parallel minds.
After finishing the talks with Colwyn, the leader of this party finally turned our direction, greeting us with another prayer-like bow before politely asking who we were, “Ashlak’leel sa’got toth zacotl, guests to our camp. My name is Kushlek’zar and I am the speaker for my comrades. May we know who you are?”
Understanding that it was our time to introduce ourselves, we walked forwards and Saori began for us, “It is a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Mister Kushlek’zar. I am Saori Segawa. I hope we are not intruding.”
“Oh, a wolfkin, I presume? I am still not perfectly capable of identifying the beastmen from Altrust, so I hope I did not guess wrongly," he said with a wide grin, fitting for a dinosaur-like head. “Miss Saori, it is an honor to meet someone like you.”
“May your wellspring of life be ever filled with joy, Mister Kushlek’zar. May the Depth Goddess’s kindness bless you with good tides,” Tasianna curtsied, greeting him respectfully as a fellow worshipper of Plesia. My name is Tasianna Marina Silverpond, and I greet you on our Lady’s behalf.”
Huh? She’s back to her usual self? I thought as Tasianna took a step back with a warm smile.
“Ocean’s bounty to you too, Miss Tasianna. It is always a pleasure to be acquainted with more of our goddess’s followers. For the land is lonesome so far from the sea,” he responded as he held onto a pendant with an emblem of a woman’s head, framed by tentacle-looking hair. “Am I right to conclude that this is your mistress, Miss Saori and Miss Tasianna?”
He let go of his pendant and placed one hand on his chest and the other behind his back, greeting me with a formal bow, “It is a great honor to meet a dragonewt so far from Loatryx. I must admit, I did not expect to meet another scale-kin so deep into the continent of Altrust.”
Pinching the hem of my robes, I reciprocated his greeting with an elegant curtsy while raising my tail, “The honor is mine, Mister Kushlek’zar, this young scale salutes you with her tail raised. My name is Hestia Atsuko and my party is here at the request of Chief Colwyn to meet our potential allies for his Quest.”
Nailing the formal speech was pretty satisfying when you consider I've only been speaking this language for two months now. Granted, I had a pretty good tutor in Tasianna who could immediately send this sorta information through [Telepathy] into my mind. Although not exactly a translator, it allowed me to understand the meaning behind words far easier.
I’d been having my parallel minds just remember as many words as possible, accelerating my learning process while I practiced sentence structure and grammar by speaking with Tasianna and Saori. As the former had been our primary language tutor, our accent and speaking habits were mostly influenced by hers. Then again, I did pick up some words and ways of speaking from the lizardmen.
Hmm, why exactly are we introducing ourselves with our full names? I guess it's more formal?
“This elder scale is joyous to have met you,” Kushlek’zar grinned happily, revealing his long tongue. “I am also glad to hear that you have acquired more help for us, Chief Colwyn. It is always better to have more allies before one jumps into the water’s depths. Confident as we are, money is wasted on the dead.”
“Ah, yes, of course. We just got word that the mercenaries who previously accepted this quest were defeated. I hope your party is still willing to take on the Quest,” Colwyn informed them, looking a bit anxious that they would decline the request now.
“Your concerns are ill-placed, Chief Colwyn. We fully intended to resolve this matter with or without allies.” It didn’t sound arrogant at all, it felt more like he was trying to sooth the nervous chief’s worries. “We are members of the Tide Watchers, free-roaming Depth Guards. We serve the Goddess of Water by seeing justice be assured, so how can we overlook your suffering?”
Upon hearing that, Colwyn heaved a sigh in relief. "Oh, thank you so very much! If there is anything you need, then please ask me before you leave! I cannot pay you any more than the Quest is offering but I’ll provide whatever rations or tools you need!"
“I thank you on behalf of my brothers-in-arms, however, by bringing more fighters, you have helped us enough.” Kushlek’zar stared at us inquisitively, nodding in content. “Krim-Slak. Grazlahta. What are your opinions on our guests?”
The two tall saurians who were sitting behind Kushlek’zar stopped sharpening their weapons and took a look at the three of us. Considering we were planning to do the same to them, it was only fair if we reciprocated their actions.
Compared to Kushlek’zar who was just a bit taller than Saori, these tall saurians were about two meters tall (6’7”). Equipped with giant reptilian muscles that could make a human strongman look weak, these two had two short, spiked crests above their eyes that looked exactly what you would expect if the ferocious dinosaur carnotaurus were to become a humanoid.
Showing some scars despite being armored to the teeth with their thick, hardened scales and heavy, scaled armor, these two were undoubtedly seasoned warriors. Veterans of the battlefield. What you would expect from the fighter stereotype.
Without needing to use [Identify], my draconic instincts were telling me that these guys were strong. I wasn’t sure how strong they were, but they were clearly C rank or above if they were to be considered monsters.
“… No armor and their clothing aren’t enchanted. Obviously no warriors, Kush, so we’ll stay in the front,” the red saurian on the left, Krim-slak, said concisely. “… I wouldn’t underestimate them, though. The young scale and wolfkin are experienced, I can see it from their eyes. They know how to observe others with keen focus. Haha, wouldn’t hurt having some more mages!”
“Hmm, also no visible catalyst. No belongings.” The green saurian on the right, Grazlahta, squinted his eyes at me. “I agree with Krim. The young scale looks like a cleric, the wolfkin’s blood-red eyes has the ‘chill,’ and the elf isn’t trying to show-off. Good in my book. Also, they aren’t perturbed by Akast, so shouldn’t have any problems.”
"Mhm, no catalysts, no grimoires, and their mana clothing aren’t enchanted, either. How intriguing, right? Ha ha ha ha!” the saurian laughed, making the three of us pretty anxious since he and his companions quickly and accurately pointed those things out. We probably weren’t looking like conventional adventurers. “Hmm, I apologize for our failure. We cannot fully understand your abilities from sight alone. As we will become future companions, could we get a look at your IDs?”
Uh oh…
“Uhh, Kushlek’zar? I didn’t get to that point yet,” Colwyn said as he scratched his head. “These lasses don’t have any IDs. They told me that they lost them in the Belzac Forest.”
“Belzac Forest?” Kushlek’zar’s eyes widened in surprise, turning away from Colwyn and back to us. "… Still, as mercenaries, you must understand we cannot believe those words without proof. Under Xohulotel, the serpent god’s eye, I cannot risk my party’s safety by accepting unknown adventurers. If you cannot produce IDs to display your abilities, then may I appraise you with my [Identify]?”
“Pardon?” Saori exclaimed. “You wish to see our Profiles?”
"Yes, however, if you do not wish to show specific information then I will have no problem if you block it with [Identity Blocker]. I only wish to know your combat prowess,” he answered. “After all, if you are mages, then you must understand the value of knowledge, right? God Istari demands we elucidate ourselves! Always striving for more information! Rest assured, my party will not divulge your information unless needed, I swear as my tail is my witness.”
Realizing what he meant by that, our party quickly held a telepathic conversation, [“Bump it up to level 10?”]
[“Agreed, Hestia.”]
[“By your command, Lady Hestia.”]
Oof, 1750 SP spent…but I guess we will need this to hide our status boards from others. Our luck that this guy is polite enough to warn us before using [Identify]!
From doing skill experiments with Saori and Tasianna, I’d learned that the skill [Identity Blocker] could allow me to only hide certain information if I wanted to. This meant I could allow people with lower leveled [Identify] to see my Profile if I wanted to, or only partial. However, I couldn’t falsify anything, and if I blocked even a single skill, it would have “Information Blocked” under the Profile.
So, after taking out everything related to the gods, my dragon heritage, and being a reincarnator, my status board looked like this now:
SpoilerName: Hestia Atsuko Level: 80 Race: Spark Inferno Dragonewt
Age: 15 Years Job: None
Status: Health: 2932/2932(Dra: 5864) Mana: 9692/9692(Dra: 19284)
Strength: 1427 (Dra: 2853) Intelligence: 2731 (Dra: 5461)
Vitality: 723 (Dra: 1446) Wisdom: 891 (Dra: 1781)
Agility: 2950 (Dra: 5900) Stamina: 1476/1476(Dra: 2951)
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 2] [Lightning Magic Lv. 1] [Holy Magic Lv. 10]
[Holy Amp] [Holy Magic Efficiency] [Sacred Magic Lv. 5]
[Fire Magic Lv. 10] [Fire Amp] [Fire Magic Efficiency]
[Inferno Magic Lv. 5] [Earth Magic Lv. 10] [Earth Amp]
[Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 2]
[Wind Magic Lv. 10] [Wind Amp] [Wind Magic Efficiency]
[Storm Magic Lv. 1] [Space-Time Magic Lv. 4] [Space-Time Magic Efficiency]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 5] [Silent Casting Lv. 7] (+1) [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 6]
[Mental Stability Lv. 6] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 4]
[Mana Eyes Lv. 2] (New)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 5] (+1) [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 4]
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 4] [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 2]
Senses and movement skills:
[Silence Lv. 1] (New) [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6]
[Concentration Lv. 2] [Foresight Lv. 1] (New) [Danger Perception Lv. 3]
[Probability Correction Lv. 5] [Detection Sensor Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 5] [Tracking Lv. 3] [Night Vision Lv. 8]
[Odorless Lv. 1] (New) [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 2] [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 4]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 4] (+2) [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 3] (New) [Mind Protection Lv. 3] (New)
[Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 1] [Abnormal Status Nullification]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Lava Resistance Lv.1]
[Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Inferno Resistance Lv. 2]
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 1] [Dark Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Arcane Conduit Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Sorcerer’s Power Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Speed of Sound Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 6] (+1)
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 7] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 5] (+1) [Musician Lv. 3] (+2)
[Stage Fever Lv. 1] (New) [Handicraft Lv. 2] (+1) [Woodworking Lv. 3] (+1)
[Stonecrafting Lv. 1] (New)
[Poison Creation Lv. 5] [Trap Creation Lv. 5] (+1)
[Identity Blocker Lv. 10] (+6) [Identify Lv. 10]
[Noble Aura Lv. 6] (+1) [Benevolent Aura Lv. 1]
[Alluring Aura Lv. 1] (New) [Terror Aura Lv. 1]
[Admiration Lv. 1] (New) [Battle Mind Lv. 6]
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2] [Leadership Lv. 5] [Cooking Lv. 7]
[Dismantle Lv. 7] [Thought Acceleration Lv. 2]
[High-Speed Calculation Lv. 1] (New)
[Multi-Thought Processing Lv. 1] (New)
[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9] [Body Temperature Control Lv. 2]
[Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] [Telepathy]
Spell List: Custom Magic:
[Imperial Hellfire]
Lightning Magic:
[Lightning Bolt]
Lava Magic:
[Lava Ball] [Lava Stream]
Holy Magic:
[Minor Heal] [Cure] [Modest Heal] [Smite] [Light] [Holy Protection]
[Holy Strength] [Purify] [Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil] [Sacred Field]
[Banishment Beam] [Major Heal]
Fire Magic
[Fire] [Firebolt] [Imbue Fire] [Fire Ball] [Strengthening Flames]
[Flame Spear] [Petal Flame] [Flame Explosion] [Inferno Blast]
[Blazing Twister] [Inferno Beam] [Scorching Sun] [Spiral Hellfire]
Earth Magic
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [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]
Space-Time Magic:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
Information blocked
[collapse]My status board was still pretty long even after taking the most interesting parts out. I also took out [Toxin Secretion] as I found it a bit too … dangerous to show? I mean, what would your first impression be if you saw this skill in my status board, huh?
“Alright, we are done. You may look if you wish,” Saori urged, inviting Kushlek’zar to take a look.
After widening his eyes two or three times, he stayed quiet for a second before expressing his surprise to us, “Well…my expectations flew away like a pegasus, that is for sure. I have no more need to question your abilities. As you have come to assess us, it would only be fair if I gave you a look, too. Do you possess party bracelets, Lady Hestia?”
Huh?! Why is he calling me ‘Lady Hestia’ now?! I-I’m pretty sure I hid everything that could prove me a princess! [Royal Etiquette] has a very ‘princess’-like name but it really is only responsible for etiquette, as both Saori and Tasianna had it!
Regardless of my flustered reaction to him addressing me with “Lady Hestia,” Saori and I both showed our iron party bracelets we looted from those trolls. Tasianna couldn’t show hers as it only fitted her fairy form, which was out of the question as we didn’t want anybody knowing she was a fairy.
“Wha-!?” Finching backward from the sight of our bracelets, Kushlek’zar needed a few seconds to reboot his brain to form a proper response. “I … there are quite a few surprises today. Oh, great Xohulotel, I have many stories to retell you this evening. I apologize but considering how those bracelets do not have these chains, like on mine, I can confidently say they are far too old to be able to read IDs and accept Quests.”
It was a revelation, but not a surprising one. Tasianna already informed us how our bracelets were very outdated models, so old they weren’t even decorated and looked like simple iron rings. Tasianna’s fairy bracelet, on the other hand, was beautifully crafted with plenty of colors and engravings, even possessing the emblem of the Patron Goddess of the Fairies, Zephira.
We kinda knew this would happen. Not only did we not have any IDs but we also lacked proper party bracelets to accept the Quest in the first place.
“Chief Colwyn, we have no problem working with these fine lasses but without a party bracelet, I do not know how we are supposed to share contribution. We can’t establish a party like this,” Kushlek’zar gave us the bad news.
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that fact. I’ll personally go to the guild to give them a report after it's done. Doesn't the guild have a retroactive acceptance system? That should work for the ladies, right?” Colwyn answered.
“Hmm, that is the case. Excellent, if you are willing to do that, then I shall evaluate them fairly for their share of the rewards,” the scale-kin answered with elation. “Lady Hestia, Miss Saori, and Miss Tasianna, you allowed me to use [Identify] on you three, so it is only right of us to allow you the same. We four saurians are ready."
Looking between the two carnotaurus-looking saurians and the massive crocodile-looking one, none of them showed any displeasure, simply nodding at us to do so. It seemed Kushlek’zar wasn’t lying when he told us he was the voice of this party. Everybody respected his decision.
The three of us decided on splitting the work between us. Saori would identify the crocodile one, Tasianna would do the two carnotauruses, while I would inspect the velociraptor Kushlek’zar. We could always share the information amongst ourselves later on, so there was no need for all of us to look at them individually.
Identify.
SpoilerName: Kushlek’zar Level: 91 Race: Raptorsilian
Age: 76 Years Job: Depth Priest
Status: Health: 5612 Mana: 7420
Strength: 2343 Intelligence: 3453
Vitality: 1932 Wisdom: 3031
Agility: 2947 Stamina: 3743
Effects: None
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Control Lv. 10] [Mana Efficiency Lv. 10] [Arcane Mind Lv. 10]
[Water Magic Lv. 10] [Water Amp] [Water Magic Efficiency]
[Torrent Magic Lv. 6] [Chant Revocation Lv. 9]
[Silent Casting Lv. 8] [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 7]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 7] [Mental Stability Lv. 8] [Mental Warfare Lv. 3]
[Multi-Cast Lv. 7] [Delayed Cast Lv. 5] [Continuous Cast Lv. 6]
[Fluid Cast Lv. 7] [Long-Range Spell Enhancement Lv. 3]
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 3] [Unarmed Mastery Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Claws Lv. 6] [Enhanced Fang Lv. 3] [Mana Strike Lv. 6]
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2]
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 1] [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1]
Senses and movement skills:
[Stealth Lv. 9] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 7]
[Concentration Lv. 8] [Foresight Lv. 1] [Danger Perception Lv. 8]
[Probability Correction Lv. 6] [Detection Sensor Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 7] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 6] [Tracking Lv. 8] [Night Vision Lv. 10]
[Presence Killer Lv. 7] [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 1][Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 7]
[Aquatic Maneuvering Lv. 5][Aquatic Fighter Lv. 6]
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] [Pain Resistance Lv. 9]
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] [Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 5]
[Abnormal Status Nullification] [Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 3]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 6] [Lightning Resistance Lv. 1]
[Ice Resistance Lv. 1] [Holy Resistance Lv. 4] [Fire Resistance Lv. 5]
[Earth Resistance Lv. 9] [Wind Resistance Lv. 8]
[Torrent Resistance Lv. 2] [Dark Resistance Lv. 4]
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 6] [Mana Recovery Lv. 8] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Arcane Conduit Lv. 1]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 9]
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 7]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 6]
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 3]
Others:
[Handicraft Lv. 7] [Woodworking Lv. 4] [Stonecrafting Lv. 3]
[Poison Creation Lv. 7] [Trap Creation Lv. 6]
[Identity Blocker Lv. 7] [Identify Lv. 8]
[Benevolent Aura Lv. 6] [Terror Aura Lv. 7] [Battle Mind Lv. 8]
[Leadership Lv. 7] [Cooking Lv. 1]
[Dismantle Lv. 8] [Body Temperature Control Lv. 6]
Job Skills:
[Water Amp] [Water Magic Efficiency] [Torrent Amp]
[Water Resistance Lv. 10]
[Supportive Spell Amp] [Hydration Healing]
[Ocean Pressure Resistance Lv. 8] [Depths Guard’s Unity]
Spell List: Job Magic:
[Depth’s Call] [Plesia’s Grasp] [Tidecaller’s Blessing]
[Depth Priest’s Blessing] [Invocation of Water]
Custom Magic:
[Create Water] [Greater Create Water] [Ocean’s Blast] [Moisture Sucker]
[Marine Lungs] [Slithering Serpent] [Xohulotel’s Wrath]
[Xohulotel’s Scaled Barrier] [Tehenhauin] [Saurian’s Rage]
[Raptor’s Agility]
Water Magic:
[Water Ball] [Water Wall] [Water Bolt] [Cleanse] [Protective Water]
[Droplet Torrent] [Aqua Prison] [Aqua Beam] [Torrential Rain]
[Ocean Healing] [Azure Blade] [Sapphire Membrane]
[Kraken’s Destruction] [Perilous Tidefall]
[collapse]… Oh shit, he’s stronger than me! W-well, as long as I stay a dragonewt. I could take this old man on as a dragon! … I think.
No wonder this guy sounded so confident, he sure had the qualifications to be. Was he actually a C rank adventurer, though? I was a max leveled C rank, but my level was only 80. This guy had eleven levels over me, so no way, right? He had to be B rank, at least. Maybe A rank? Then again, I had no idea what was what in this world. These adventurer rankings meant nothing to me, since I only understood what it meant for monsters.
“Thank you very much … that was educational,” Saori uttered, showing an expression mixed with surprise and interest. “Thank you, we would be happy to help a veteran party like yours.”
“So, does that mean you three will take the Quest?” Colwyn asked with a smile on his face.
The three of us looked at each other and wordlessly nodded our heads.
I then turned towards Colwyn and gave him a small nod. “Yes, Chief Colwyn. The three of us will accept your Quest and we will bring back your villagers. As my tail is my witness, I promise you that.”
After escorting the Chief back to the village, our party was given some rations and a few bags for the trip as we never had the chance to explain to them how I had a feast stored inside my storage magic. We also said goodbye to Lorena and promised her we would bring her parents back and then we departed back to the saurians.
Once we returned, Kushlek’zar welcomed us, “Welcome back, our allies. This might be very sudden, but I believe we have enough people for the Quest, so we wish to depart. Shall we?”
From a numerical standpoint, seven might not be enough but the quality of the party was what made me agree with Kusklek’zar. On the way back, our party shared what we learned from each of the saurians and we understood these guys probably didn’t need help with how strong they were.
Kushlek’zar was the strongest with the two carnotaur saurians both being level 75 and the crocodile hulk being level 83. All four were effectively old men in human standards. Senior citizens, but they seemed far younger than that. Maybe it was a racial thing.
Also, with the carnotaurs and the crocodile guys, we finally had a normal RPG party composition—one warrior, mage, priest, and a rogue! Of course, in total we had three warriors, two mages, one priest, and one rogue. Still awesome~
“Yeah, let’s do it. We are ready to go whenever you want,” I answered.
He nodded to my affirmation, grinning with satisfaction, “Excellent, we must not rest until those bandits are brought to justice, either by our hands or the law. Ha ha ha ha!”
‘By our hands or the law’, huh? What will I do?
My party took on the Quest fully knowing these bandits would not just stand by and let us free the kidnapped. If they really were criminals, then we had to be ready for them to resist and that meant a fight was entirely possible. While subduing a weak opponent was as easy as beating Saori in a dance battle, we couldn’t ignore how something could go wrong.
Murphy’s law, after all. Considering the crazy things I experienced in the Belzac Forest, I had to admit how terrible my encounter luck was. Sure, we had Kushlek’zar and his party, but what if we met somebody around his strength? If that were the case, then we couldn’t hold back.
We would have to kill humans and beastmen. We would be idiots if we hadn’t thought of this possibility.
“I cannot wait to see your abilities in action. As a mage myself, there is so much to learn from observing other practitioners and it would be considered rude if I wasn’t interested, heh,” Kushlek’zar joyfully clapped, snickering as he mulled over the idea. “Oh right, there was something I wanted to ask you and your companions before we went. I don’t believe you to be novices, but at the same time, I can’t get rid of this feeling. Call it my hunch as a veteran.”
“Oh yeah, sure,” I responded carefreely, believing it to be a trivial question.
“Thank you,” Kushklek’zar thanked me with another prayer-like bow. “Have you ever killed a humanoid before, Lady Hestia the Dragoness?”
…WHAT?!
AbyssRaven So, how do you guys think he figured it out? Tip, the clue is in the Profile and what Hestia removed. She shouldn't have removed certain skills.
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 20 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr
For two dollars, for the cost of a coffee, you can read up to four chapters for the whole month! You will have my eternal gratitude for any support you can give me! Please.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
