Timewalk
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Chapter 158: Negotiations with the Guild
🕑 Added 2024-09-29 14:00:10 +0000 UTCA/N: If you're reading this story somewhere other than Patreon.com, RoyalRoad.com, or ScribbleHub.com, then it is stolen content.
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Aliandra
“A dungeon? Ach…” Thuli said, scratching the back of his head.
“Yes,” Ali answered. “It’s a fire and lava dungeon, and just being inside it is extremely deadly. I was wondering if you know how to make any gear with fire resistance?” The dungeon had two fire-aligned mana affinities: the general fire one, and the specialized fire-earth hybrid of lava. The interaction between the two produced a synergistic effect that burned everything within its domain. If it weren’t so painful, it would be endlessly fascinating to study. In the back of her mind, Ali connected with her Hobgoblin boss’s senses, studying the fight with yet another of the endless fire elementals – mostly to keep an eye on things.
“Aye, fire resistance is not a problem. Fire-aligned enchants take to my Fireforged steel like fish ta water. The problem is the materials – I need a source of concentrated fire affinity to create it, and those are quite expensive and hard to find in this town.”
“What about this?” Malika said, producing the Lesser Essence of Fire with the flair of a marketplace conjurer aiming to liberate coins from purses. Ali could smell the faint scent of cooking meat as it danced beautifully on her hand, the bright trickle of soul mana the only sign that Malika was actually healing herself to hold the dangerous essence.
“Oh! Now there’s a pretty thing,” Thuli exclaimed, his eyes widening as they took in the orange-red glints of the essence. “Where did you get that?”
“From the fire dungeon this morning,” Malika answered.
“Will it work?” Ali asked. It would certainly be a stroke of good fortune if they had already acquired the crafting component they needed.
“That is perfect,” Thuli answered, reaching out to take the essence of flame. He held it up, examining it carefully, and Ali was surprised to notice that he was not burnt in the slightest. A perk of his ember affinity? It would certainly be convenient – and logical – for a blacksmith to have resistance to incredible heat and flame.
“We’ll need a new plate armor for Mato,” Ali said. “And plate for my Hobgoblin, and some chain mail for the shamans. Oh, and a couple of shields with fire resistance…” She was assuming that shields could take fire resistance enchantments simply because they were the other item that could be made with innate magical resistance – just like her orb. Her Hobgoblin and her shamans both used shields.
“Hold up, lassie, this here essence is good for one piece. And only for a moderate enchantment. If ya want that much work, you will need a lot more than just this.”
“Oh…” She truly didn’t understand how crafting worked. Probably because her dungeon magic typically shortcut all the complex material components and skills that went into creating a novel piece. But, of course, the drawback was she could only duplicate something she had studied and learned – it took skilled crafters like Thuli to create custom orders.
“I have another one,” Malika said, producing another self-sustaining flame and offering it to the Dwarf.
“Ach… then I’ll start with the wee Beastkin,” Thuli grinned, tossing the essence from one hand to the other. “Kavé! Let’s get to work! Off with ya lot. Come back in three days. Kavé!”
“Looks like we will have to farm the Shards of Flame for a few days,” Calen said thoughtfully as they all filed out of the smithy.
“Yup,” Malika agreed. “We need to check on Ali’s Hobgoblin regularly too; the essences don’t stick around for very long if you don’t store them.”
Switching to the eyes of her Hobgoblin, Ali searched the ground. “She killed two more elementals.” As she watched, the shamans unleashed their lightning and Ali received a notification.
Your minions have defeated Shard of Flame – Elemental – level 43 (Fire).
Martial Insight has reached level 30.
“No, three now. Ooh, and I just reached level thirty in Martial Insight,” Ali said.
“Cool,” Mato said. “Wait, we’re not even there…”
“Are you serious?” Calen asked, stopping dead in the middle of the street to stare at her.
“Yes?” Ali said, not immediately grasping the significance.
“That changes everything!” Calen gasped. “You can level up without even being there! That’s incredible. I’ve never heard of anything like that!”
“Don’t get too excited, Calen,” Malika grinned. “She’s a dungeon – that’s what her class does. It’s not particularly surprising she earns experience for it. And besides, she didn’t get a hundred levels overnight.”
“I just got one level in Martial Insight,” Ali said, realizing what had gotten Calen so riled up. “My boss has been fighting elementals almost constantly.” Not to mention, her wolves and bats had been tangling regularly with undead in the Forest Cavern and she still wasn’t swimming in experience.
“Aww,” Calen said. “I can’t leave stray arrows lying around and monsters will step on them and I’ll get experience?”
Malika chuckled, “Monster pit traps, maybe?”
“I don’t think I’m in much danger, save by rampant nearby silliness,” Ali responded, quirking her lips as she puzzled through it. “Mostly my minions are killing very low leveled undead, and this is the first time I was watching the Hobgoblin remotely…”
“With low risk, the gain is probably small,” Malika said.
“Even a small trickle with low risk is amazing,” Calen said, returning to his more normal quiet calm.
“I think I need to observe the fight,” Ali mused. Her Martial Insight, at least, explicitly said so in the description.
Perhaps it was fortunate then that the fire dungeon insisted on respawning the Fire Elementals and spewing them out into the jungle in a continuous dungeon-break. It would be easy to monitor the fights constantly. Fighting the elementals outside the intense domain was manageable, if hard, and hopefully, once they built up enough fire resistance, they would be able to survive the flames of the dungeon itself long enough to look for the Forge and earn some good experience along the way. She needed the levels if she was to ever resolve her mana shortage.
Malika
This must be the place, Malika thought, gazing at the outside of what had to be a converted warehouse in one of the cheaper districts of town – not quite the slums, but far from the places the nobles frequented. The wooden sidings on the building looked like they had needed replacing several years ago, and there was even evidence of scorch marks on some of the walls where a fire had been hastily put out and the damage just barely patched up. However, the sign over the door had been freshly painted.
Densmore Dance Academy.
Malika walked up to the door, pulled it open to the sound of a musical chime, and stepped into a small reception hallway. Immediately, she heard the sounds of a waltz coming from somewhere beyond the entryway.
The woman sitting at the desk immediately glanced up and greeted her, “Welcome in. How can I help?”
“Hi, I’m Malika,” she said, studying the woman. She wore her chestnut hair in a high ponytail, and she was dressed in stylish athletic black. “I have an appointment with Polina?”
“Oh, hi, Malika. I’m Polina Densmore,” she said, getting to her feet. “Come, let me show you around first before we get started.”
“Ok,” Malika said, but her attention was riveted to the energy coursing through the woman’s body. While it was not nearly as powerful as Rezan, she matched him in efficiency and control. Every movement oozed poise and grace and even without the ability to identify her directly, Malika would have known she was a professional dancer.
“You can see?” Polina asked.
“Stamina,” Malika confirmed.
“That will help a lot,” Polina smiled, leading her to an open doorway. “This is the main ballroom. No street shoes, please.”
The ballroom was a wide-open expanse of gorgeous wooden floors – completely at odds with the building’s exterior. Not a single copper had been spared in making this space. At the far end, several chairs were arranged around small circular tables, and three couples whirled around the dance floor with obviously diverse skill levels.
Malika sat and quickly removed the Pathfinder Initiate Boots Calen had brought back from Ciradyl for her, wincing at the loss of speed and dexterity, and placed them in an empty cubbyhole along with her socks, and then joined Polina as they wove their way past the dancers to a smaller room at the back.
“This is the room I use for private lessons,” Polina said. It had an equally beautiful floor and an entire wall had been converted to a mirror. She shut the door behind Malika and the sounds of the music and dancers faded – presumably the result of an expensive sound ward. “Why don’t we talk a little about your goals first?”
“Well,” Malika said, considering how to approach it. “I’m a monk, and I have combat skills that are mainly dexterity-based but have the Dancing general skill. Occasionally my dancing skill levels up from combat, and I wanted to find out if it was possible to improve my fighting ability by working on my dancing. Is that actually a thing?” Her mother had encouraged her to pursue dancing, but back then she hadn’t really considered how it might work.
“Of course,” Polina said. “Dancing is an understanding of one’s body, momentum, balance, and rhythm. I have trained many people like yourself who want to improve one of these aspects for combat.”
“Ok,” Malika said. “So, what do we do? I don’t know waltz or any of the fancy ballroom dances…”
“For your goals, I’d recommend modern or contemporary – at least, for now,” Polina said. “Something solo that we can use to explore your own sense and style before we get into partner dancing.”
“That sounds good.”
“Ok, how about this…” Polina said, making some adjustments to a device on a small table in the corner. After a few moments, the small dance room filled with the sounds of an upbeat, popular rhythm.
And then she moved.
Malika could only stare at the incredible, if brief, performance. Her movement did not merely follow the music, it was the music. Every single muscle worked in harmony, a delicate flow of stamina that pulsed in time with the beat as her body performed feats of understated strength and balance that Malika couldn’t even believe.
“Aah… you want me to do that?”
“Of course,” Polina said, grinning at her. “It will be fun. Here, let’s begin with the first step. First, place your foot forward like this, and then put half your weight on it.”
A little uncertainly, Malika did as she asked.
“Turn your foot out a little more to accept your weight,” Polina suggested, bending down and pushing her foot into a slightly more ‘correct’ position. Then she adjusted Malika’s shoulders and lifted her arms. “Better. A touch more arch in your back… good. Now, you said you can see stamina. Try to copy this.”
Two hours later, Malika left the dance studio feeling entirely wrung out and drained. Not even Rezan’s exacting drills had pushed her this far. Muscles that she didn’t even know she had were trembling with exhaustion, but she smiled broadly as she made her way back to the guild.
It had been nothing like she expected. Studying the movement patterns with Soul Sight and trying to duplicate them in her own body had pushed her mind and body equally hard. Malika extended her arm in the swooping gesture she had been struggling with so much, rotating her wrist like she had been taught and reaching to create maximum stretch. This would be so good for the new recruits. I should get Vivian to make them sign up for lessons – at least the ones who want to try for an agility-based class. Heck, even the strength-based warriors could learn a thing or two about balance and the transfer of power. She chuckled at the image of Mato prancing around the dance floor to the music in his Bear Form. Polina would probably make him wear protective socks on his paws, so he didn’t rip up that fancy wooden floor with his claws.
Dancing has reached level 9 (+3).
Maybe next time I’ll try that waltz… and turn into a dancing tank? Hmm.
As she turned a corner, the back of her neck suddenly prickled. A watcher? She scanned her surroundings surreptitiously but saw nothing out of place. Odd. She knew these streets like the back of her hand. Maybe that little dance move had attracted attention? When the premonition did not recur, Malika shook her head and walked on purposefully, turning her thoughts to more pressing matters.
Aliandra
You have entered the Grand Library Arcana.
All Learning and Knowledge magic is enhanced by 10%
“So, tell me, what did you like about Ciradyl?” Lira asked, arranging the cups on the table, and pouring the tea for each of them. She had been excited to help with Calen and Ryn’s language lessons and had immediately switched to conversing with both exclusively in Elvish.
Ali smiled and sipped on her tea as she corrected Calen’s grammar and pronunciation and helped him find the correct words. They were both progressing rapidly, but she was certain Calen was on the cusp of making a breakthrough. Surprisingly, her Sage of Learning would periodically nibble at her mana while she taught – although, she assumed that was simply due to her making deeper connections for her own language due to the process of organizing clear explanations in her mind.
She loved teaching and watching both of them grow. It was an activity she only rarely experienced growing up, given that she had always been a student in a city full of masters and experts. But now her friends needed her, and she looked forward to their sit-down sessions in the library, practicing language. It didn’t hurt that the library enchantment she had repaired was helping them.
“You need to conjugate it the other way,” she suggested. “And the word you’re looking for might be ‘splendor’, ‘magnificent’, or perhaps ‘astounding’.” Just like Lira, she spoke exclusively in Elvish – both her students having advanced enough that the challenge would be helpful.
Calen tried again. He was describing the Well of Souls, an artifact of some significance she had gathered. Quickly, she corrected the pronunciation again and he spoke the sentence correctly. Suddenly his face registered surprise and Ali’s chime sounded.
“I got it!” he exclaimed in Elvish, an expression of delight replacing the surprise.
Sage of Learning has reached level 21.
Requirements met for skill advancement.
Sage of Learning has reached at least level 20.
Taught someone a new language.
Repaired the Grand Library Arcana’s Learning and Knowledge runic enchantment.
Practice teaching within the Grand Library Arcana.
Intelligence has surpassed 220.
Sage of Learning gains Teaching Sage.
Sage of Learning – level 21
Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.
Mana: Channel mana and uninterrupted focus to enhance Sage of Learning while studying. Cognitive function, memory, and reading are enhanced in speed and clarity.
Mana: Channel mana while teaching to share your Sage of Learning’s passive ability with your student.
Arcane, Knowledge, Channeled, Perception, Intelligence
Accept this advancement?
“Congratulations,” Ali said, enjoying Calen’s excitement. It was no surprise that Calen had been the first to make the breakthrough – even though both of their classes thrived on intelligence, his was at the higher level.
As she glanced over in his direction, she noticed Lira eyeing her with curiosity.
“I got something, too,” she admitted, sharing her advancement.
“That seems to be an excellent skill,” Lira said.
“Yes, I like it,” she answered. Something about it resonated with her – perhaps it was simply the enjoyment she had experienced teaching Ryn and Calen. “But it doesn’t help with my mana problems or make me stronger for defending my domain.” She was still critically low on mana and would probably lose several of her minions if she allowed her Empowered Summoner to drop. And she had the periodic touch of the dungeon-rage, and the regular stream of background notifications to remind her that she was still under continuous attack.
“Not everything should be about growth and power,” Lira said, allowing a frown to pass across her brow. “If only I were not so diminished… if only I could help more, then you would be free to focus on sharing knowledge. That is what I would wish for you – I believe that sharing makes the world and the people around you better, more capable, and stronger. Time invested in teaching others is never wasted.”
How does she do that? As usual, Lira had seen through to the core of who she was, her words resonating powerfully with the kind of person Ali aspired to be. Killing Roderik, or the disruptor mage had been an uncomfortable necessity – and one she was learning to cope with, without hesitation. But it was teaching and learning that truly inspired her – fixing the library enchantment, saving Lira, teaching Calen Elvish, and even seeing Havok, Ryn, and Basil growing with powerful new classes that she had helped them achieve – all of these filled her with joy and a deep sense of satisfaction.
“You have already done so much,” Ali said.
“What have I done? It is you who have saved me. I live only on your providence.”
“You keep the forest above the library safe, driving off any monsters,” Ali said.
“That is but a trifling thing. If I still had my forest…” Lira trailed off with a grimace of fresh pain.
“You will recover your strength in time,” Ali said. “Besides, it is your advice that has helped me the most. I believe I will take this one, then.” She accepted the advancement with a clear conscience, but more than that, she now understood why she would offer her shrine to the people of Myrin’s Keep, regardless of the potential for negative or dangerous attention.
“It is the least I can do, dear,” Lira answered, but the grimace and frown slowly faded from her face.
Rezan
The guild hall was smaller than Rezan had expected, certainly much smaller and less ostentatious than the Adventurers Guild in Vertias. His eyes took in all the little details, carefully evaluating everything. While the guild in Myrin’s Keep seemed small, he noticed the smiles on the faces of the low-level adventurer party sharing a meal at the bar while they chatted about their exploits. One of them, to his surprise, was a Goblin with an unusual holy mana signature, but the Goblin’s familiarity with his companions spoke clearly for his acceptance as an equal in their group. Even the easy price haggling at the store that they had placed within the guild hall, and the care with which the entire room had been arranged was not what he had expected.
I hope this is not a mistake, he thought, stepping across the threshold, followed by Sabri. Basir and Hala entered behind them, taking up positions on either side of Sabri, as if to protect the smaller girl. It had been a hard ride, and they hadn’t even stopped to refresh themselves when they reached Myrin’s Keep, heading straight for the guild, so he was sore and covered with dust and sweat. But his dignity would have to take a back seat, Sabri had a little less than two days left.
He strode up to the desk and the elegantly dressed Elven woman looked up at him as he arrived.
Spy – Sun Elf – level 51 (Mind)
Mind magic? Whatever this guild was, it was certainly breaking every expectation he had had.
“Welcome travelers,” she said. “I’m Mieriel, the guild administrator, how may I help you?” Her mana flickered quickly and in a complex formation, and the others seemed briefly disoriented, but his own energy simply disrupted the low-level magic before it reached him.
“Sorry, bad habit,” she said, having the decency to blush with embarrassment.
“Is the Guildmaster, Vivian Ross available?” Rezan asked flatly, recalling the name Malika had given him. A lifetime’s discipline kept a frown off his face, but the woman must clearly have sensed his reaction.
“She is training the aspirants; she should be done soon. May I say who is looking for her?”
“I am Elder Rezan. We have come from Kezda in northern Toria. Malika said I could speak with the Guildmaster about using a class shrine.”
“Oh, yes, I was told to expect you. Please make yourselves comfortable, I’ll go let the Guildmaster know you’re here,” Mieriel said.
Rezan took a seat on a soft couch to wait, studying the guild hall as he dismissed his mild annoyance at the luxurious seating and rather, took in details about the adventurers and the wares displayed in the small store. His senses ranged further, searching through the building. In a training room below, he found her – an intense brightness of someone perhaps nearing their first evolution. She must be the Guildmaster.
It didn’t take long before they began moving toward the stairwell, and he noted with pride how quickly his disciples reacted to the powerful energy, first Hala and then Basir.
But what emerged from the stairwell was a procession of unclassed people carrying basic training swords and daggers, chatting rowdily amongst themselves, followed by Mieriel.
The woman who emerged, following the Elf, had braided black hair and carried her swords openly on her hip, rather than in a spatial storage enchantment. But what was most striking about her was the powerful energy within and surrounding her body. Rezan immediately recognized someone well-trained in combat. She would be a formidable foe on the battlefield. But her energy seemed twisted and warped. Damaged. Not as bad as Malika had been when he had first met her, but something was definitely amiss – it was only when he saw her level that he understood. Rezan rose to his feet as they approached, meeting her eyes and finding them exactly as sharp and powerful as her aura suggested.
“Welcome, Elder,” she said, making a close approximation of a respectful bow between peers. “I am Vivian Ross, the Guildmaster of this little guild. How may I help you?”
“Guildmaster,” he greeted, returning the bow. “I was hoping to speak with the Fae, Aliandra. I understand she is a member of your guild – it is a matter of some urgency.” The Guildmaster’s eyes flickered to Sabri and then back to his.
“Why don’t we have a seat? I assume this is about class advancement?”
“Yes,” he answered warily. It was perhaps unfortunate that Malika had shared so much with this woman, as it severely limited his ability to negotiate effectively.
“Mieriel said you’ve come all the way from Kezda?”
“That is correct.”
“You come a long way then,” she said. “I assume shrine access in Vertias has become too expensive?”
“Yes, you have understood my position accurately,” Rezan winced, and his grimace actually made it onto his face, earning a surprised look from the perceptive Hala, sitting nearby.
“You are in a tough position,” Vivian continued, pointing out what was clearly obvious, “to be forced to seek help from a kingdom that is technically at war with your own.”
He schooled his face. Even if she was going to try to take advantage of his position, it was not appropriate to lose composure. Although, he had no other options. He just wished he could find Malika, but her energy was shrouded from his sight somehow. It was like looking for a light at the bottom of a vast well of swirling and shifting mana – precisely how it would appear if she were in a dungeon – which brought him right back to his worries.
“I understand why you would want to seek out Aliandra,” Vivian continued.
The door to the guild opened and several people entered, and with them a dark energy he had not felt in many years.
Mage – Human – level 11 (Death)
Necromancer! But before he could speak, the Elf called out from the reception desk.
“Seth! I said, no zombies in the guild hall.”
“But…”
“They stink, and I had to clean up that foul black goop they leaked all over the carpet. They stay outside!”
What kind of a guild is this? He had never imagined a guild that would have a mind mage arguing with a necromancer. Or have a dungeon as a guild member.
“What is your fee for accessing the shrine?” Rezan asked, tuning out the argument behind him. Whatever was going on seemed normal to the members and the necromancer was only level eleven. It was time to see what kind of person Vivian really was, and how she was intending to profit from this exchange.
“Shrine access is free.”
No fee? Despite his composure, her response left Rezan speechless for a moment. Malika had offered Aliandra’s services, claiming they would be free, but he had found that impossible to believe. Free shrine service was unheard of. Even if Aliandra’s shrine was free, it was expected for the guild to levy some kind of charge for something so valuable.
“Why would you offer such a thing with no advantage to yourself?” In his surprise, his question was more direct than he had intended.
The Guildmaster sat back on the couch. “You are aware that Aliandra is a dungeon?”
“Malika told me, yes,” he answered. While he knew, he was again surprised that the Guildmaster knew – it implied a depth of cooperation he had not expected. But then he recalled the trainees emerging from below and it suddenly became clear to him.
“Aliandra values equality and she insisted on equal access to her shrine. It may simply have to do with her being friends with Malika who was a street urchin and wouldn’t have been able to afford any shrine fees on her own. As part of her agreement with us, Aliandra insisted that I do not restrict access to anyone, be they crafters, artisans, combat classes, rich or poor. Or even foreign applicants seeking more affordable options.”
“And that is why you are training the unclassed?” Rezan asked. “You can offer combat classes to grow your guild?” If guild membership was a requirement to use the shrine, that at least was something they could afford. However, he would have to explain to Seyah why he’d left her daughter in a foreign kingdom.
“You want to know what I get out of this deal?” Vivian asked. At his nod, she pointed to the group of adventurers who were sitting at the bar finishing off their breakfast. “That is the first set of people we unlocked with her shrine. As you can no doubt see, they all unlocked a class with a powerful mana affinity. There were a few others; crafters that we placed with good mentors. I just started the new training program for those poor and disenfranchised who want a shot at a combat class – Malika’s suggestion, by the way. I give them enough training to hopefully allow them to survive the trial, and then they can optionally sign up with the guild. They get discounted combat training and mentors. Aliandra even made a low-level training ground in the sewers as part of her dungeon for them to level up quicker.”
Now it makes sense, he thought. Vivian Ross was not interested in money, she simply wanted to grow her guild – and as he well knew, a competent person with a good class was much more valuable than all the money in the world. The care invested in the guild hall suddenly made more sense. Even the internship idea had significant merit; the trial and the first few levels after unlocking a class were always the riskiest. Almost anything could still kill you and you had no idea what your limits were.
“How long do they have to be affiliated with the guild?”
“The only obligation is to pay off the training and the guild storage ring by doing quests for the guild,” she said. “For all that Aliandra’s dungeon does not drop much equipment, it’s still remarkably lucrative for the adventurers, especially those willing to escort the herbalists on guild quests. Those five have already paid off their obligation, and they earned accolades for defending the city effectively against a necromancer attack recently.”
“I see,” Rezan said.
“Even though my program is optional, I’m hoping to make it attractive enough that people will seriously consider it. The economics of the shrine tax in Vertias is good news for me because it will likely drive even more people to seek out Aliandra’s generous offer. Then at least some of them might find my offer enticing enough to stay for a while and grow. You asked what I get out of it – building a reputation as a guild that grows strong adventurers. That is what I seek.”
Rezan sat and considered her words. There seemed to be no deception within her, her energy remained calm, without any apparent anxiety. While it was not a truth-detector divination, he had become adept at reading hidden stress and anxiety with his sight, and Vivian Ross seemed to be genuine about wanting to grow people to enhance her guild’s reputation. While he didn’t care much about building a reputation himself, the desire to grow the youth resonated deeply with him.
“I will leave the choice to take you up on your guild membership up to Sabri,” he said. “I appreciate what you are trying to accomplish with your program, and if it works out for her, I will share it with the other villages near Kezda. The only issue is she has at most two days left.”
“That will not be a problem, I have already scheduled a trip to the shrine for tomorrow,” Vivian smiled, obviously happy with his offer to advertise for her.
Comments
JHD
Thanks for the chapter.
Rip Woodham
Oh I didn't mean the new assassination team targeting Ali. I mean that there's been an assassin killing members of the guild. And Razen isn't going to stick around past getting Sabri a class. Who would leave someone in such a lawless murder hobo town and who would join the guild when there's an assassin specifically targeting members to send a message and there's no reprisal from the guild?
Lijwent
If Razen stays near, the assassins stands no chances
Lijwent
Could she make contact with the fire dungeon? If it turn out to be friendly that could be a huge boon for Ali, like mentoring in dungeonness
Rip Woodham
Fun chapter. :) The random murder and targeted assassination thing is kind of a big deal, though. If Rezan knew about that I'm sure he wouldn't leave Sabri there. No one would. Being targeted by an assassin way out of your league simply for joining, and receiving no protection outside the door, no thanks. Though, since they can get away with assassinating guild members without any repercussions I don't know why they even stopped. Their goal was to destroy the guild, and going further would have done that.
Ulsar
tyfc
CherMi
Thank you for the chapter. With Rezan and his students there, I hope that attacking party won't stand a chance and will be dealt with quickly (I mean without cliffhangers). Why did Malika leave her expensive boots outside instead of placing them in storage ring? She's supposed to be distrustful. And another question, how does Sage of Learning share the effect? Ali spends her mana to share, does her student have to spend their own mana to power the skill too? The description doesn't make it obvious.
Azgaroth
Thank for the chapter. With Seth's "Problem", well when they destroy Necro-Bastard once again, they can destroy "his" Shrine, return to the Keep, study with Mana Sight and other similar Skills the Town's Shrine.... Then Ali can "recreate" a new Shrine for Seth, to store his Skeleton and zombies, also perhaps with attack on Necro-Bastard, Ali could "Transfer" her Skeleton, Zombies and other Undead Imprint to Seth, both freeing some place for her and allowing Seth a "permanent" mean to Summon Undead.... Also with the Fire-Lava Dungeon in the "calculation", i can imagine a Meeting, between the Mayor, Vivian, the Guards' Commander, the Nice Priestess, and Ali, Seth, and whatever the Fire-Lava Dungeon's Master; to adapt a bit of the various Dungeon as a "Training Ground" for the Town in exchange for protection from various "Villain"....
