Syl

Chapter 91: Goals and Armor

"So what made you swap to Sorcerer?" Lisa asked, sipping at her tea.

"I wanted to see what magic skills I might miss out on. I had Tabitha drill into me about the theme of my class and how it would potentially limit me." I responded.

"And? Get anything good?" Lisa asked eagerly. I responded with a mischievous grin and cast [Icicle] floating above my palm.

"[Ice Magic]... Very impressive." With a pleased grin, Lisa said, "And I'm assuming you didn't spend an ascension on that?"

"Nope. I got it as soon as I swapped to Sorcerer. If not for running into the orcs, I would have practiced it a bit more."

"Honestly, I wish I could promote you to Gold already." Lisa said with a sigh, "You're punching far above your weight class. Hell, you're one level from another ascension. I can only imagine you'll pick another element."

"I was actually thinking of picking Lightning if it's available."

"Ha! Trying to butter me up?"

"Only if it gets you to show me [Lightning Magic]."

"I want to swap back to Shadowcaster, which means I won't get the revelation until thirty. Also, it would be a sneak peek to see if I don't have it already."

Lisa nodded and showed me the skill, but I got the same missing affinity prompt when I tried to buy it. But now I didn't have to stay locked to the Sorcerer class and had the flexibility to return to Shadowcaster, which I hoped would lead to more exciting traits like [Subtle Afflictions].

"Nope. Missing affinity." I said, shaking my head.

"That's a shame. Well, hopefully, it'll be amongst your selections at forty. Otherwise, you can try again at fifty. I'm glad you aren't abandoning your hybrid class; I'm eager to see what you unlock once you get an advanced class."

"Speaking of classes, how come I've not seen any humans with the Tamer class?"

"That's a pretty sour spot," Lisa chuckled, "The main reason is that the time investment isn't worth it, especially if your bonded monster dies; you're immediately set back massively. It's also hard to unlock unless you're willing to pay money to buy a raised wolf or something to meet the requirement."

"Why would you buy a wolf? There's plenty in the forest."

Lisa laughed out of nowhere, almost spilling her drink. "Convincing a wild monster to assist you without the bonding skill is not easy. I have no idea how you elves do it."

"Oh, I can actually answer that," I replied, showing the [Nature Commune] trait.

As the guardians of nature and to represent their heritage, all elves can communicate with plants and non-magical animals.

The level of understanding and the willingness to offer aid is based on trait level.>

"Shit. That's not fair." Lisa immediately replied, obviously reading the trait, "I guess this is why you're still dumping so much experience into racial levels rather than focusing on your class."

"Some are more practical than others. While this one can be useful, you didn't have a field of corn thanking you for fighting a Plant Horror."

"Oh Gods, the corn spoke to you?" Lisa replied, laughing hysterically.

"I guess that explains how you can easily unlock Monster Tamer. You just go find a wolf or something and overpower it with your trait to help you." Lisa stated after recovering from her laughter, "Wait. Is that why you're asking Luke to look for flying monsters? And Thern, about the floating island? Are you trying to hitch a ride on a tamed monster?"

"I guess the cat is out of the bag," I said with a shrug.

"If you're successful and you get up there, make sure to bring proof of kills. While I don't think we can give you an official quest, none that would be tracked successfully anyway, it would go a long way to speeding up your promotion."

"And earn a lot of money, I suppose."

"Oh yes. Although after that salamander, you could retire for life."

"Retire? Sounds horribly boring."

"Yeah, it's hard to give up the adventurer life." Lisa nodded along.

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"What do I need to do to qualify for Gold-rank?" I asked between snacks.

After a pregnant pause, Lisa answered, "Well. If you are successful on your island escapade, the only outstanding requirement would be to prove you can work in a team and follow orders. I know you're mostly a solo adventurer, but unfortunately, it's a requirement for Gold and up."

"I don't mind doing some teamwork. Would I just join a group doing quests or what?"

"You could, although you'd need to do quite a few. The quickest way would be to join a group and complete a dungeon—a real one that groups recruit for."

"I figured the one in Stantondale wouldn't count."

"Nope. No beginner dungeons; it has to be the real thing. You even benefit from being recruited as a mage or rogue—assuming you can pick locks and disable traps."

"I have the skill up to two, but I could probably get it to three if I do some shopping."

"Good. Do that. The nearest real dungeon is a week's travel away, but assuming you can hitch a ride with your flying monster plan, you could probably get there in two days. It doesn't have a city, but there is an outpost and a small guild branch. If you're up for it, I'll write you a letter explaining the situation and vouching for you."

"Thanks, Lisa, I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. It is my job, and I must one-up Harris and Roderick somehow. If I can say I got you your Gold rank, then they can't claim all the credit for recruiting you."

When our small talk ended and I was getting ready to leave, Lisa turned to me with a rather serious expression.

"Keep doing good work, Syl. You've helped and saved lives."

I wasn't prepared for that and awkwardly stammered my farewell before leaving. I ran into Luke on my way downstairs; he must have been waiting for me to finish speaking with Lisa.

"Miss Syl, your armor is finished being commissioned. Would you like to go get it?"

"Yes, please. I feel like I need to buy a bunch of backup clothes."

Luke nodded, and we headed toward the crafting section of the guild. Luke was very upfront with his praise of me saving the woman and children from the orcs, and he seemed to be enthralled with the idea of heroic adventurers saving the day.

"Luke, have you ever heard of the Dragon Knight?" I asked.

"Of course!" Luke looked at me with such joy I could swear his eyes startled to sparkle. He must have soon realized his reaction as he seemed to choke on nothing and blushed wildly. "I mean... Yes, I have. I'm surprised you've heard of him, Miss Syl."

"The child I saved mentioned him. His mother said it was his favorite story."

"It's not just a story." Luke interrupted, "The Dragon Knight was a true hero from before the Adventurers Guild was a worldwide organization. The records prove it, and he practically saved an entire kingdom."

"Sounds like you're a fan. Did he really have the power of a dragon?"

"He had draconic ancestry. Dragon blood is powerful and can have long-lasting impacts on an entire lineage." Luke explained, "Although not everyone related awakens to the draconic bloodline, those who do gain scales, sometimes wings, and flame breath."

"Sounds like a guarantee for success and fame."

"Yes and no. Ever since the Dragon Knight, anyone with the bloodline has been viciously hunted by dragons—they refuse to allow a lesser race to steal their power. Or so they claim."

"Steal their power? Really?" I questioned; it sounded absurd.

"Yes. The kingdom used to have two dragon rulers, but the Dragon Knight grew mighty enough to slay them both and free everyone. This caused a scare amongst the other dragons, and they started slaughtering anyone holding their blood." Luke said, looking rather sad, "It's why the children's story tells people to keep it a secret; it's a warning to stem a slaughter. You never know when someone will awaken it, and if they do and the dragons find out, then an entire village could be torched from the sky."

"That's terrifying..."

"Yes. It's why the general consensus is never to get involved with dragons. Even some of the Diamond-ranks still avoid them."

'Well. At least this gives me some more reassurance the kid will keep my secret.' I thought happily.

Surprisingly, we didn't head to the armor crafter but to a small locked room filled with boxes. When we reached our destination, Luke pulled out a large locked box.

"Your completed product is sealed in this box; you just need to place your guild tag on it to complete the purchase and claim it," he said.

I nodded and placed the necklace against the box. Both objects shone briefly, and the chest unlocked with a clicking noise.

"Impressive."

"Another innovation from the Merchants Guild that we're copying," Luke explained.

I opened the chest, and inside was the blackened leather armor crafted from the salamander's hide and scales. I lifted it and couldn't help but be beyond impressed, and despite being lightweight, I could tell it was far sturdier than its appearance suggested. When I used [Mana Conception], I could only gasp as I saw the intricate runes and sigils housed within the armor. It was like a tapestry of epic proportion, far beyond my knowledge, and I couldn't even dream of how Thern had layered this into the armor.

Protection, Magic Resist, Silent, Self-Repairing, Size-Modification.>

"I think Thern went a little overboard," I murmured, beyond impressed.

"I sat in on some of his work. He said he was brimming with energy, so he kept going." Luke commented, then walked towards the door, "I'll give you some privacy to change. I'm sure you're dying to wear it."

I placed the full set of equipment in my storage and started allocating it to a new equipment profile, then swapped to it. Upon equipping it, I could immediately feel its enchantments magically reinforcing me. I moved around in it and noted that the armor didn't make any noise, which explained the Silent enchantment, and even my bodily sounds were minorly subdued. I enlarged one of my arms and noticed the armor effortlessly adapted, always fitting perfectly.

'If I ever run into Simon again, I must thank him for recommending that enchantment. This armor is amazing; the only downside I can see is that it's limiting easy access to slime; I'm now limited to my hands and head.' I thought while admiring it, 'Perhaps I should forgo boots or create fake boots from slime.'

I removed the boots and noted that they didn't affect the enchantment at all. The primary source of the enchantment seemed to be incorporated within the torso portion of the armor. Seeing that the boots weren't required, I decided to devour them on the spot. [Dissection] seemed to be screaming at my decision to destroy such precious resources, and it took far longer than I thought it would—showing the strength of the scales, craftsmanship, and enchantments. Then, I perfectly replicated the boots and smiled in satisfaction.