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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Levelling Up The Weakest System The Blacksmith's Beard
After a few hours of travelling, some of which Alexei spent napping, Risa brought the caravan to a halt. The sudden stop jerked Alexei awake with a yelp. “What’s wrong, why we stopped?” Alexei stumbled over his words as he pulled himself from his sleep. “We’ve arrived at the first place that it’d make sense to stop,” Risa said, “A town some ways south of Alandria. I don’t know much about it, but while you were sleeping the Dragonhorse and I have been working hard and we both need rest.” Alexei smiled at Risa sheepishly, “Sorry about that, it’s been a pretty intense couple of weeks.” Risa rolled her eyes, “I’m not having a go at you dummy, I’m just saying that you were probably asleep for a little while longer than you thought.” Alexei poked his head out of the front flap of the caravan and was shocked to see that the day had already given way to night. “That’s not going to do my sleep schedule any favours,” He remarked, “Does this town have a stable or are we going to need to f
Levelling Up The Weakest System A Hearty Steak
“I’m sorry, did you say that there are shades in this area?” Alexei asked, “This close to the capital?” “Well, it’s what people say,” The barkeep replied with a shrug, “People have been going missing in the night without a trace, I suppose it could be something else, but the woods don’t really have any big or dangerous creatures in them around here.” Alexei nodded, he felt a little bit reassured by the barkeep's lack of information. The likelihood of it actually being a shade and not something else was pretty low, though the fact there was something killing off people in the town still made him feel a little bit anxious. “Well, shades or not, we can’t turn back to Alandria,” Alexei said. The barkeep sighed, long and drawn out, “On your head be it. Two rooms will be two pieces, one for each room for each night you stay here.” “We’ll only be here for the one night I should think,” Alexei said before retrieving the two gold pieces from his knapsack. He placed them down on the bar
Levelling Up The Weakest System Investigation
“Okay Neave, since I don’t want to wake you up when I get back later, you’re going to be sharing a room with Risa tonight, okay?” Alexei said as the three walked up the stairs to the overnight rooms of the tavern. She nodded her agreement and grabbed Risa’s hand with a grin, and not for the first time Alexei found himself glad that the girl and the mage got along so well. “You promise me you’re going to be careful, right?” Risa said, “It’d be really annoying to wake up in the morning just to find out that you’d been turned into a shade or ripped apart by a bear.” “I wouldn’t get ripped apart by a bear,” Alexei snorted, “But yeah, I promise I’ll be careful. Recon only, and if anything tries to attack me I’ll run right back here.” She stared him down for a few moments, hoping that he’d change his mind about going out to hunt the thing… whatever the thing was. Then, seeing that he clearly wasn’t going to change his mind, she tugged on Neave’s hand. “Come on then, let’s get you in be
Levelling Up The Weakest System Offal
Alexei had learned a lot from the Mages over his time living at the Mage Temple, even if he hadn’t really been around it very much. Magery was never going to be something he was incredible at, but the bare bones basics? He’d taken to those quite well. With a flick of his foci and a muttered incantation, an orb of glowing light sputtered into life at the tip of his staff, illuminating his direct surroundings. The town, which he had thought looked beautiful and quaint during the day, had taken on a spookier appearance at night. A wind whistled through the streets and the ominous creaking of shop signs in the breeze sent shivers down his spine. “Okay,” Alexei said to himself, “Let’s have a look at what we’ve got here, because something tells me it wasn’t a shade. I’d know if it were a shade…” There was something that he’d learned from the memories of the Demon Lord, and the time that he’d made his own shade by accident. When a shade was created it generated a long-lasting ozone sme
Levelling Up The Weakest System Proto Lord
Alexei stumbled through the back doors of the tavern. As he closed the door he glanced at the outdoors one last time to see if he had been followed by the thing he had been fighting. Fortunately, the outside was empty. He shut the door and leaned on it for a moment to catch his breath. Alexei allowed his enchantments to fade. He’d never fought anything like that before, and he never wanted to fight anything like that again. Unfortunately for him, the universe rarely cared about his wishes and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he came face to face with the horror of the night once more. He considered telling Risa about what he’d seen, but the whole reason he’d told Risa and Neave to share a room in the first place was so that he didn’t wake the young beastkin girl up. It’d wait til the morning. He sighed, walked into his room, got undressed and slipped into bed. The mattress was hard and lumpy, not like what he was used to at either the Trout’s Gills nor the Mage
Levelling Up The Weakest System Risa's Choice
Alexei woke the next morning feeling rested but worried. His overnight chat with the Demon Lord had done much more to worry him than it had to make him feel better about the situation. First and foremost was the fact that he now knew he couldn’t really get into direct conflict with this so-called Proto-Demon Lord. If he were to do that, and then he was to lose, the consequences for the rest of the world were beyond dreadful. Eldreth would immediately break free of the chains that bound him, the Demon Lord’s last ditch attempt to keep the elder god under control would have meant nothing. And it would all be Alexei’s fault.Obviously, that couldn’t be allowed to happen. Instead he was going to have to rely on Risa to deal with the situation. Fortunately, if what the Demon Lord had said was correct, the Proto Lord hadn't yet made its pact with Eldreth, and if that were the case it would be perfectly vulnerable to magery just like any other being was. Fighting it would still be diff
Levelling Up The Weakest System Below Ground
Alexei didn’t like the idea of bringing Neave along on their journey to find out where the Proto Lord was hiding, but he knew that really he had no choice on the matter. If they stuck her in her room there was a pretty large chance that she’d just end up following after them anyway, which was more dangerous than knowing he could at least try to keep her safe. That was why he was keeping Neave close as they were walking through the woods around the town. They had asked around after breakfast, hoping to discover places that the Proto Lord might have been hiding. According to various shopkeepers, there was a cavern to the north of the town that cut down into the dirt and entered an extensive tunnel system that used to be mined for various ores back in the town’s heyday. The veins of ore had long since dried up, so it would be the perfect place for something like the Proto Lord to hide unseen by anyone in the town. However, a place like that was also somewhere that various dangerous
Levelling Up The Weakest System Mining Pit
“So, now we’re down here… I’m not really sure what to do,” Alexei said, “This place looks like a total labyrinth, the Proto Lord could be anywhere.” “The Demon Lord didn’t give you any tips or tricks to find the thing, then,” Risa said, “You know, in all your friendly chats with him.” “They aren’t friendly chats,” Alexei retorted, “He steals me from my dreams, I berate him a bunch, and then he gets annoyed until he spits out what he wanted to say.” “You berate the Demon Lord?” Risa said, “That’s risky, even by your standards.”“He won’t do anything to me, he doesn’t understand how our powers interact, honestly I think he’s probably a little bit scared,” Alexei said.“Well, I guess that’d explain why he keeps trying to help you, then” Risa remarked, “Now, come on, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover down here, and I want to find this thing before sundown.” Alexei nodded, she was right, they needed to find the Proto Lord and take it out fast.Every second they wasted was another mome
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- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Return of The Proto Lord
After his last encounter with the Proto Lord Alexei had never wanted to hear the hoarse croaking laughter of the creature ever again. Now that he had the hairs on the back of his neck and his arms were all standing to attention and every fiber of his being was telling him to flee, run as far away as he could, and never look back. But he couldn’t do any of that. He had a mission to complete, people to save, and a kingdom to protect. “Show yourself, Proto Lord!” Alexei called out, his staff held defensively in preparation to ward off any attacks, “I’m not the man you faced before, I’ll take you out myself this time.” “So you say,” The Proto Lord wheezed from somewhere in the dark, “And yet you still bring so many users of the Power Divine to fight alongside you. So many snacks for me to feast upon.”That was the final straw for Alexei. With a pulse of arcane power, Alexei slammed his staff down onto the ground. A sphere of light erupted out from where he stood, a magery spell desi
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Manifest
Nerves had seeped into the hearts of the men that Alexei and Harold had chosen to take with them into the underground sanctum of the Proto Lord the moment they took their first steps into the tunnel system that the creature had made its home. They all looked to be strong and full of heart, but Alexei could sense it. The fear was electric and it was all he could do not to get caught up in the worry himself. Instead, he drew his staff and allowed it to shift forms into that of a magery wand, perfect to be used in enclosed situations and easier to maneuver with so many bodies around. With a flex of his will, Alexei summoned a ball of light at the tip of the wand and sent it out ahead of the group. It illuminated the dank depths of the tunnel that they were slowly descending into. Once upon a time, Alexei could have imagined the tunnel being used for mining and most likely to serve as a lower down access port to the well that he had originally sensed the malaise of the Proto Lord seep
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
A New Team
As Alexei explained what the Proto Lord was to Harold and the other members of the Royal Defence Corps he could tell that their willingness to fight such a creature was waning further and further. Alexei could understand. After being told to go to the front line and expecting to die in combat defending the kingdom the shades had all disappeared. That had given them all a second chance at living. Being told that they instead had to fight a being that was well on its way to becoming the next Demon Lord? Something that, just like the shades, could kill you and then perhaps use you to fight the rest of your friends? That wasn’t something that a lot of people were keen on. Harold, though, was a brave man and always had been. “Very well,” He said as Alexei came to the end of his explanation, “If that is the case then this so-called Proto Lord must fall before the Proto part of the wretched thing's name becomes Demon instead.“I will not order anyone to join myself or Alexei in this f
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Ancient Evil
Alexei placed his hand onto the Warp Gate and sent a pulse of magery through the system. He’d never actually had to operate one of the things before, but thanks to his more innate relationship with magery it was a bit like opening a book and simply reading from the pages. He placed his palm onto the stone and it fed information directly to him and allowed him to open a temporary link between the gate he was standing next to and the gate that was back in Alandria. It opened with a sputter at first and then, as Alexei made the link between the gates more solid, it blazed into life with a swirling blue glow. “You really are full of surprises now, aren’t you,” Harold said with a shake of his head, he couldn’t believe how different his friend had become compared to the last time he had seen the man. “Just a bit of advanced magery,” Alexei shrugged, “What did you expect me to do when I got kicked out of the Academy, go become a merchant somewhere?”“That probably would have been the sm
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Royal Defence Corps
Alexei worked his way through the woods until he was able to catch up with the soldiers of the Royal Defence Corps. These were all men and women who had gone through the training at the Academy and come out the other end, each of them with a Power Divine powerful enough for the previous Demon Lord to want to absorb it. Perfect for fighting against a Proto Lord who hadn’t fully come into the powers that Eldreth was offering them. At first, Alexei wasn’t sure who he should approach, but then he noticed someone who looked just a little bit familiar. Without any doubts, Alexei was sure the man he saw walking in the centre of the column was none other than his old friend from the Academy, Harold. “Harold!” He exclaimed, “Is that you?” The column of marching soldiers froze instantly, like a rabbit caught in the path of an oncoming dragonhorse, before turning on Alexei with their powers at the ready. It took only a moment for Harold to realise who had called out to him. “A… Alexei?!
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Good News
“Okay, wish me luck you two,” Alexei said, he was standing in front of a Warp Gate, one that Risa had told him led to a town that was very close to the front. Neave wrapped her arms around him as best she could and he returned it by holding her close. “You better come back safely, yeah?” Risa said, she held his gaze with a stern look. “Hey, if the Shades are running wild then you have my promise that I’ll be jumping right back into that Warp Gate,” Alexei said, “This is a recon mission, nothing more nothing less. Promise.”She gave him a critical eye, “You know, every time you’ve ever said that you’re just going to look at something or do a bit of recon you’ve come super close to dying.” “Yeah, but those times I had no idea what I was going into, this time it’s either going to be one of two things, and only one of those two things could actually be dangerous. Pretty good odds if you ask me,” Alexei said with a grin, though he could tell he was only annoying Risa with his banter.
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Grief
Waking up in the morning Alexei realised that, despite everything that was going on, he actually felt pretty good. Not only was the threat of the Demon Lord technically dealt with, he’d also met with the Administrar and had basically engineered a situation where the man would no longer be able to send people after him. All things said and done, that was two of his major problems dealt with already, even if he did still plan to get his revenge on the Administrar in one way or another. The man couldn’t be allowed to continue in his post, not after he had sacrificed so many Initiates to the Shade Front for no good reason. When everything had concluded and everyone was safe, Alexei intended to go to the Royal Household and speak to the Emperor, perhaps he would listen to reason, if Alexei could get an audience with the man of course. Alexei pulled himself out of bed, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked off to the shower room. He shivered as the cold water streamed onto his
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
One Last Stew
“So, let me get this straight,” Lyla said, “You’re going all the way to the front to maybe take on a massive Shade Army that you have no hope of actually fighting against just in case they’ve gone wild now that the Demon Lord is actually properly dead.” It was a pretty succinct way of explaining the situation, but Alexei was glad that Lyla had grasped the broad strokes of what was going on. “Yeah, pretty much,” Alexei shrugged, “Though I have a feeling that it’s not going to be nearly as bad as you’ve just made it sound. In fact, I think it’s going to be a wasted trip, but a necessary one just in case.” “A wasted trip?” Lyla asked. “Well, after first meeting the Demon Lord and being given a sliver of his powers I’ve always been able to sort of… you know, sense them,” Alexei said, “Just as a kind of dark fuzz off to the eastern border. Can’t feel that anymore.” “What, as in they’re just gone?” “That’s what it feels like, yeah,” Alexei said, “It feels like the Demon Lord had one l
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Lyla
While Alexei had made it seem as if he were going to be running off to the front lines as fast as he could, there was one thing that he needed to take care of before he left Alandria again. He was sure that if he left the city without at least swinging by The Trout’s Gills at least once then Lyla would have probably ripped his head off with her inhuman beastkin strength. Once again Alexei was struck by a distinct sense of de ja vu. The day had receded into night, with the final glimmers of the twilight sun just about peaking over the very top of the mountain. It was dark, and the streets of Alandria had drawn to a near-empty silence. The only thing that guided his way was the lamplight from the many torches that hung off of the sides of various buildings. The water lapped at the underside of boats and barges alike, and he knew that somewhere deep down under the water there was the body of the very first assassin that he had dealt with, now likely stripped of flesh to the bone by
