Silence settled over the tent as the leaders absorbed the weight of the moment. After a few seconds, the leaders then leaned in, engaging in hushed discussions among themselves. They weighed the risks and benefits of their options, their voices blending with the ambient murmurs of the tent.
"The ogres may outnumber us, but we possess a unity and determination that can overcome any obstacle," said one leader, his eyes gleaming with conviction.
Another leader nodded in agreement. "Our diversity is our strength. With cultivators skilled in different arts and disciplines, we can adapt and counter the ogres' strategies." The discussions had made everyone's stance clear. The decision had been made, and they would stand united under the banner of Queen Abyss. The stage was set for a battle that would shape the course of their future.
Alice interjected, her voice resolute. "Let us not forget the spirit of our ancestors, the bravery that courses through our veins. We fight not just for our Villages, but for the future of our people. We carry their legacy within us, and it is our duty to protect and honour it."
Alice was a modern-day American from Earth, so this medieval form of speech was a bit embarrassing for her at first. But by staying in this dungeon, she had learned the value of staying in character. She knew that her current physical form was charming and planned to use it to draw empathy from the crowd. Thus she had gotten used to speaking in an old-fashioned manner. Since most of the fighters there were locals generated by the system while only a few were actually users from another world, it was always best to stay in character. This was after all a role-playing type dungeon. Of course, users could reveal their real backgrounds, but few people did that as it made the locals feel detached.
'Glad I read all those high fantasy novels.' Alice ruminated.
The leaders fell silent after Alice had spoken, their eyes locked in a shared understanding. They knew the immense challenges that lay ahead, but they also recognized the tremendous potential they possessed as a united front.
With a final glance towards Queen Abyss, Alice concluded, "Together, we shall march forth into battle, knowing that we fight not just for victory, but for the survival and prosperity of all. Let the power of unity guide us to triumph!"
The tent reverberated with a resounding chorus of agreement, a symphony of determination that echoed through the rugged landscape at the foot of Mt. Olympus.
With the chapter of doubt closed and determination kindled, the leaders dispersed, carrying with them a renewed sense of purpose. The alliance forged that day was simply too pivotal, as they prepared to face the ogres with a newfound resolve, all guided by the enigmatic Queen Abyss and her dazzling companion, Alice.
Thus, within the shadows of Mt. Olympus, a formidable force of over 100 thousand combatants braced itself assembled, driven by the promise of victory and the hope of a brighter future.
...
In a secluded clearing, surrounded by the whispers of nature, Letty and Alice found themselves deep in conversation. The vibrant light of the setting sun cast a warm glow upon their faces as they discussed their impending battle against the ogres.
This clearing was part of the Tsimikas Army's territory within the camp. With the iron-tight grip the Senbonken Guild had over its people, Letty and Alice were not worried about being compromised within their own camp. They were not the largest army, but under the right conditions, they were the most dangerous.
Letty, now more commonly known as Queen Abyss, possessed an air of regality, her demeanour cool and logical. Her true name, Letitia Yiva The Third, was far more famous, but she did not allow anyone to know of her history besides Duke and Alice. She didn't trust others easily and had no intention of having her location known.
Alice, on the other hand, exuded warmth and optimism, her presence akin to a beacon of light. She wore simple leather armour and linen clothing, but it did little to hide her explosive figure.
Alice clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with unwavering belief. "Letty, I have complete faith in Duke. Despite his weird habits, there is a natural talent within him that can't be denied. His military strategies and leadership abilities have proven invaluable to us. I think we can trust the guy."
Letty, her gaze fixed on the distance, frowned slightly. "Alice, you possess a rare optimism that stems from your upbringing, a warmth that I admire. But let us not forget the weight of this battle. Duke may possess useful aptitudes, but can we truly rely on him to bring about our desired outcome? We must be cautious. Master has been gone for far too long, and we have no idea when he is coming back. Things are not looking good."
Regardless of how talented one was, many prodigies died on a daily basis. Will was still alive because he was still registered as her Lord. She was his Head Regent and thus as long as he was alive, that would not change. But he could have ended up in a worse scenario, after all, there were a few fates she knew that were worse than death.
Alice sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Letty, I understand your reservations. You come from a lineage of royalty, raised with an unwavering dedication to logic and strategy. But sometimes, the unquantifiable factors, the unexpected twists of fate, can shape the outcome of a battle. Duke may not fit the conventional mould, but his instincts and intuition are the best among us. I think he can surprise us."
Alice did not mention Will's disappearance. For her that was a sore spot, and she tried to avoid the topic.
Some time ago, Alice was cursed by Hattori Hanzo. He had implanted a worm within her that caused her to have painful illusions. Will always appeared to rescue her after some time within each illusion, and she had gotten used to relying on him because of that. A mental dependence that Will himself had not noticed. These were not romantic feelings, but a deep-rooted respect for one's saviour. Thus his sudden disappearance impacted her greatly.
Alice had the class Qiankun Scholar. It was an information-based class and focused on making one smarter, a scholar was essentially a moving library. Scholar-type classes used mana and intelligence as their primary effectors. This was one of the most common types of classes and was often looked down on because few could utilize the battle capabilities of such a class. Its performance was also dependent on one's state of mind, thus her current condition which was akin to suffering from PTSD was not good for her output. Although her class was not an ordinary scholar type class, she was far from being able to utilize its true capabilities.
Out of everyone in the group, she was the only non-combatant and hadn't even spilt a drop of blood before joining Senbonken. Woodsy was giving her a unique treatment that greatly alleviated her suffering, but she was still in the process.
Letty's expression softened, her eyes meeting Alice's with a flicker of understanding. "You are right, Alice. We have witnessed Duke's ability to adapt, to think on his feet, even in the direst circumstances. Perhaps there is more to his seemingly goofy personality than meets the eye. I shall give him the benefit of the doubt."
During their last week without Will, the Senbonken Guild had spent the entirety of their first expedition hunting monsters and levelling up. In particular, they levelled up Letty, Alice and Duke. They took advantage of the party function that allowed for experience to be directed to specific individuals. Will had granted these three regencies to prevent them from meeting any unnecessary level caps. Due to Will being a State Lord, they could all reach level 99 smoothly and had taken full advantage of their skills to level up.
Duke's ability to hunt monsters and ogres in particular was almost prodigious, while Alice's information organisation had allowed them to gain a supreme understanding of their environment. Letty's necromancy and experience as a guide made her a nightmare for mobs. She could masterfully control an army of undead thanks to Soul Regalia.
Thanks to Alice and Duke, they were always able to find ogres. Duke would create a suitable amount of corpses, allowing Letty to utilize her talents. But one talent stood out far above the rest.
[Skill: Soul Regalia
Class: SS+
Class Restriction: Restriction: Can only be used by Necromancer classes or classes with an affinity to death.
Level Restriction: Each chapter requires ten levels to be able to use.
First Chapter- Soul Explosion
An ability that allows a user to use the soul from a demonic beast as an explosive to deal damage, damage done is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Second Chapter- Soul Implosion
An ability that allows a user to use the soul from a demonic beast as an explosive to deal damage internally, damage done is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Third Chapter- Soul Surgery
Repair or modify a soul using one's own mana as the healing factor. Power is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Fourth Chapter- Soul Transplant
Infuse the soul of a demonic beast into a corpse to bring it back to life. The more powerful the beast is, the stronger the new creation is. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Fifth Chapter- Soul Armour
Fuse multiple souls to create an armour that can block both physical and magic attacks. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Sixth Chapter- Soul Armament
The ability to take in souls and infuse them into your body to strengthen your physical attributes. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Seventh Chapter- Soul Scan
Scan the memories of a soul and make them your own. Implant those memories into other souls. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Eighth Chapter- Soul Infusion
Replenish mana using souls. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.
Ninth Chapter- Soul Vortex
Use souls to create checkpoints, able to teleport from one checkpoint to another. Effectiveness is proportional to level, wisdom, and intelligence.]
Originally, she was not qualified to use these spells, but her rapid levelling and incredible assistance by Woodsy had provided her with a great advantage. Woodsy had gifted Letty with a powerful spell she had picked up from the Gate of Knowledge. The spell allowed Letty, Alice and Duke to link their vessels and share power. It was a spell only usable by Necromancers with a high affinity for Intent. It also had strict requirements for those the Necromancer linked to. This spell allowed Letty to achieve a state similar to Harmony, creating a channel linking their vessels, but it was much weaker than the true thing and it severely weakened Duke and Alice. Thus it could not be used in every circumstance.
The spell could only strengthen one of the trio at a time. It was used to strengthen Duke when the enemy were ogres. It was used to strengthen Alice during reconnaissance and planning, last but not least it was used on Letty on large-scale battlefields filled with weaker enemies. This resulted in their Village, Tsimikas, exploding In terms of size.
Not only that, but Will's blood had levelled up the original inhabitants greatly. They had immediately gained an army of one hundred top-quality locals with incredible growth. They had given rise to many talented mages and warriors. Letty was surprised by how balanced the army that came out was.
'Master was a practitioner of water and metal, but his blood caused quite a few spiritual and wood-type cultivators to evolve. Does that mean he has the spirit gate and wood gate as well?' Letty often wondered about Will's origins. It was Will's show of Intent Mastery and his ability to use yuan that had won him her favour because she was desperate for strength. Witnessing the evolution of the Tsimikas' residence had shown her just how much of Will's abilities were genetic. The talent of the master affected the result of evolution. Hence the 100 warriors of Tsimikas all came out with superb abilities.
Almost all of them were specialists capable of using both warrior and mage skills to a certain degree.
'Especially their minds and souls. The bodily improvements were not that surprising, but their spiritual strengths really made our lives much easier.'