[Aura of ??? : 120 (+30)]
[Crystals : ~4000 (+20)]
[Ghoul mother cores : 40 (+0)]
[Ghoul golem cores : 26 (+4)]
[Ghoul golem cores (broken) : 6 (+0)]
[Mist crystals (small) : 200 (+200)]
[Mist crystals (medium): 60 (+60)]
[Mist crystals (large): 30 (+30)]
[Floating eyes: 1 (+1)]
Screech!
Hikari throws a dagger right into the floating eye.
It let out a deafening screech as it tumbled to the ground.
As its body disintegrates, it drops a special kind of crystal.
No, it looked more like a rune stone.
It had some cryptic runes inscribed onto it.
Loud snarls in the distance.
Hikari could feel the vibrations in the ground.
No time to think, she picks up the rune stone, pops it into her harvest sack and makes a run for it.
This is not the time to risk a major fight.
She leaps into the air.
Her wyvern scales hummed.
She glides through the mist.
The mist level drops quickly as she moves away from its epicenter at break neck pace.
Thud!
She lands and jumps again.
She could sense the flame marker she left behind.
The salt formation was in sight.
Thud!
She lands.
She looks around.
She pulses the ground.
The coast is clear.
She drops her harvest sack and sits down.
She squeezes her kneecaps.
Suddenly jumping like that does cause strain on her knees.
It was easier with Ella flying with her to give her some added lift.
She catches her breath.
A hard day's work harvesting crystals.
It was like working in the fields.
She circulates her mana and rekindles the flame marker.
It felt like it was close to meal time.
But she left her rations back at the town.
Maybe bringing half a pack was worth the extra weight.
She pulsed.
Movements.
She draws her sword.
The runes glow.
The air around the blade chills.
The horde approaches.
The agile small ghouls running ahead of the larger ones.
She glances at the half full harvest stack.
The ghouls out in the open are not dangerous to her.
Hikari raises her sword.
Deep breath.
A moment of focus.
She tosses her sword in a low flying boomerang angle.
It sweeps through the horde in its path.
Clank! It smashes a rock protrusion and was knocked off course.
"Need more practice."
Her throwing knives finish off the rest.
She crushes several beneath her boot.
The golem ghouls followed closed behind.
She picks up her sword.
Her eyes were peeled.
She could sense an aura about them.
The same energy as emanating from the center of the hive.
She watches.
She could sense that their movements were faster.
They were in range.
Frost daggers.
She slits them between her fingers.
It hits a golem ghoul.
She sees its flesh harden.
They fall behind the pack but still they move.
"They're definitely stronger."
She lightly dashes forward and swings.
The golem ghouls flank her.
She kicks the first one and dances back, dodging their swings.
The ghouls charge her aggressively.
She could see their claws.
"The other ones didn't have them."
Parry. Parry.
The frost on her sword hardens the ghoul's arm as her blade meets their claw.
She lightly stepped back, preventing the horde of golems from surrounding her.
The smaller ghouls rushed up to her.
They jumped up to her thighs, surprising her.
She pulled open the distance away from the golem ghouls.
Her throwing daggers skewer the small ghouls.
She closes her legs.
Crushing the ones that were trying to climb up.
She draws her bow.
Taking advantage of the gap.
Heart of wyvern frost.
It wasn't as easy to apply it on the wooden shaft.
The frost bolts fly out.
It stuns charging golems, causing them to fall over each other.
She switches to her sword.
Parry. Stab.
One down.
Parry. Stab.
Two down.
Her bolts thinning them out prevents them from surrounding her at once.
Parry. Stab.
Three down.
Two golem lunged at her at the same time.
She stuns one with frost knives.
Parry. Stab.
Four down.
Stab.
Five down.
She stabbed it before it could recover.
Stab. Stab. Stab.
She dodged past one golem to stab more golem ghouls still paralyzed from the frozen bolts.
Six. Seven. Eight.
Parry. Parry. Stab.
Throwing knives.
Parry. Kick.
She staggers the golem ghoul and stabs the one on the other side.
The other golem ghoul lunges at her again.
Parry. Stab.
The remaining golem ghouls were frozen stiff.
Their buff seemed to be wearing off.
She stabs the rest.
A horde of small ghouls approached.
She retrieves her throwing daggers.
She loses some of them in the heat of battle.
But there's spares waiting for her in the town.
She jumps over the ghoul horde.
She sees the ghoul mothers.
Stab. Stab.
…
[Aura of ??? : 120 (+30)]
[Crystals : ~5000 (+700)]
[Ghoul mother cores : 50 (+10)]
[Ghoul golem cores : 42 (+18)]
[Ghoul golem cores (broken) : 11 (+5)]
[Mist crystals (small) : 200 (+0)]
[Mist crystals (medium): 60 (+0)]
[Mist crystals (large): 30 (+0)]
[Floating eyes: 1 (+0)]
Hikari approaches the town.
As she walked into the barrier range, she felt a nauseous feeling.
It felt as though the barrier was burning some of her power.
It was brief.
She checks herself.
Breathing normally.
She swings her arms.
Normal.
She places her hand on her chest.
Heartbeat normal.
She circulates her mana, trying to activate each of her mana forms at low capacity.
All normal.
"What was that?"
She shrugs.
The town guard lets her in without incident.
She makes her way towards the crystal processing plant.
She checks her surroundings.
Nothing changed.
The town seemed to be the same as before she left it.
There was a medical tent along the way.
Low ranking priests of Silora helping the troops to tie up bandages.
She slowed down her foot steps as she approached.
"So uh… can I have some of that light stuff you guys do? I read in books that it heals people."
The priest gave him an awkward smile.
"We have to reserve the mana for the barrier."
"Ah… I see."
"You'll be sent back with the next convoy to Carla."
"Lovely."
Hikari walks past it.
More soldiers sitting on the side having a smoke.
She raises her head and looks up.
The shadows of the zeppelins above were still there.
It appears that the bombardment had stopped.
She walks past the command tent.
Her footsteps slowed.
"Casualty reports?"
"Fourty injured. Five seriously injured. Two missing."
She senses the officer taking out a stick.
"What is the current price of a pint in Mordale?"
"Two spire coin. According to the letter from my wife that arrived two days ago."
"Holy Silora's tits."
"I bet it'll be three once we hit town again."
Hikari stops to stretch herself.
She waits to find out what time it was.
But the command tent was quiet.
They were just quietly enjoying their smoke and wine.
"Looks like the battle is over."
She continues.
Doesn't look like she's going to learn the time.
The sack of crystals on her back was starting to get heavy.
She reaches the crystal processing building.
An old man energetically welcomes her.
A prospector.
Goggles, gloves and a thick protective cloak.
"Oho! That looks like a good hall. Quickly, load them onto the sorting belt."
Hikari followed his instructions.
She dumps the mass of glow crystals onto a platform in the area of a steam tank.
"Big ones first!"
He orders the helpers who shoveled the bigger crystals onto the platform.
The prospector excitedly looks at them.
"Ooh, look at that color."
Whenever he gives the thumbs up, the crew will shovel the crystal into the entrance.
Hikari calmly watches him.
She has time to kill anyways.
Another group of soldiers pushed carts of smaller crystals towards the furnace.
Spoils from the battle.
They were pleasantly surprised to see the big haul sitting on the loading platform.
"Good! Good!"
The prospector goes through the crystals.
"Ooooh! You must have obtained this one from close to the center of a hive. I can see that extra glow. This is gonna be worth at least twice a normal golem core."
He exclaimed excitedly.
"Nice."
Hikari thought quietly to herself.
The crew placed a rune stone in front of the prospector.
He stopped and looked at it closely.
Hikari watches him.
It was the one she obtained from the floating eye.
She felt a little disappointed that she had to hand it over.
She was curious as to what it actually was.
After a few moments, he grabbed it and held it up to Hikari.
"You can have this."
Hikari pauses.
A pleasant surprise.
"Really?"
"No sweat. It's only the crystals that need to be split between the houses. Besides, the crystal processor doesn't take it very well."
Hikari bent over and extended her hand.
"Thanks."
The prospector smiled and went back to work.
…
Hikari was back at her warehouse.
Another supply crate arrived for her.
She disassembles her armour and washes up.
She sits down and opens up Ria's letter.
Good job so far.
We can see the wagons of crystals coming up the elevator.
We can sometimes even see the light of the lanterns on your body from the observatory when the mist is not as thick.
The energy concentration on the hive had dropped.
Good job.
I wish I could be strong like you.
Diving into a ghoul hive like that.
On a positive note, I'm now looking through the selection of meats.
There's a few in season which I'm sure you'll like.
Look forward to it.
Though, I'm afraid you'll be down there for at least a few more days.
The blockade to the ruined city is tougher than we planned.
You did a lot of supply runs didn't you.
Unfortunately, even that is not quite enough.
Ella had gone back to the estate for a day to start up the forge again.
You don't have to worry about towing supplies though.
Plundering the ghoul hive had cleared the supply route enough for horses to safely pull supplies.
You just focus on doing your thing.
Oh, if you see the Silora crusaders arrive in town, it means the raid is ending soon.
They are very hard to miss in their pristine white shiny armour and golden embroidery.
A group of them just went down the elevator shaft.
Me and Rey and going to try and spot them from the observatory.
It's a great view from up here.
Too bad you probably can't fit into the observatory door.
But I'll make a painting for you when we get back.
Hope you return safely soon.
Ria.
S. do keep trying the lodestone. It's a bit clunky at this distance. But it might still work.
Hikari puts away the letter.
She pulses the lodestone.
No response.
She takes a bite of her rations.
She pulses the lodestone again.
After a pause, the lodestone glowed weakly green.
She smiles.
She notices something that came with the supply pack.
She reaches for it immediately and pops it into her mouth.
The tiny piece of chocolate melts onto the tip of her tongue where she could feel the sweetness the most.
She slouches against the wall and relaxes.
It's time to rest now.
After a nap she'll head out again.
There's still plenty of crystals to harvest.
She remembers something.
The rune stone.
She pinches it between her fingers.
The rune was cryptic.
Out of curiosity, she channels some mana.
The rune glows.
Then it shook violently in her hand.
"Beans."