Chapter 37: The Guardian’s Burden
Ahead of Reidar was a grim and difficult task to tackle, one that would make or break the destiny of this settlement, the destiny of 500 people.
It was not easy to know that he was basically the last hope of these people, and having this knowledge didn’t make things easier. Instead, it made Reidar feel a pressure he hadn’t felt even when he rescued George and the others.
This meant there was one thing he had to absolutely do.
"I’m going to the Vendor," Reidar said. "Can you tell me where is it?" He asked Kate.
"Second floor," she said. Based on the woman’s words, the vendor was in the large main hall on the second floor. "He doesn’t have a stall or anything. He is just... there. You will understand who he is as soon as you see him."
<That’s interesting.> Reidar decided not to pry for more information as he wanted to have a surprise. <It’s silly, but hey... A little bit of entertainment in this now ruined world is not easy to come by. At least this way I will keep things exciting.>
As for the others, it was Linda who announced the group’s intention, and she was sporting a look of determination that Reidar had never seen on the woman.
"We’ll help George find Marie first and then go to the Vendor after we are done."
Reidar nodded. Linda seemed really invested in all of this, but he shrugged it off as this being part of Linda’s personality. She was a caring woman, and that maybe explained why she had been a nurse to begin with.
Soon, Reidar found himself alone, wandering the corridors. He kept walking.
<I should probably check my status and proficiencies before going to the vendor. A quick recap of what I can do will tell me what I will need to buy.>
He needed to know what his situation was before seeing whatever the Vendor offered. However, the situation made Reidar think, and doubt crept into his mind.
<I took a huge duty upon myself, uh?>
He pushed the thought away. He had to at least try to help these people. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before. George and the others were proof of that.
He could’ve just left them back at the gas station. For convenience’s sake, it would’ve been a lot easier.
He didn’t do it, though. That just wasn’t him. Maybe he was being naïve, maybe it was a good way to get himself killed, but he simply couldn’t.
<This hero’s complex is really not good... But hey, at least I will be able to sleep at night, knowing I did what I could instead of simply turning my head around.>
Besides, Reidar needed their help just as much as they needed his. And that meant he had to be strong; he had to be ready.
—[«STATUS»]—
Name: Reidar Miller
Level: 14
Health: 180
Mana: 600
C.L.A.S.P: 1385 / 5200
Available Attribute points: 0,50
Skills: Summon Rift-Sprite Squad , Fireball, Aqua Pistol, Stone Bullet, Wind Blade
Equipment: Rift-Sprite Conductor, Ember Sprite Bracers, Stone Sprite Gauntlets, Aqua Sprite Circlet, Wind Sprite Boots, Rift-Touched Cloak, Rift-Woven Leggings, Sprite-Touched Armguards, Wind Sprite Sash, Aqua Sprite Pendant, Ember Sprite Ring
Proficiencies: Basic Combat
Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1,8), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 7,3), (F.L.A.I.R. : 1,6), (F.L.I.P.: 2,1)
Minions: #N/A
Survival Points: 22.693
Trait: Skill Sharing
Perks: Arcane Potency (1/6), Arcane Leech (5/5)
Perk Points: 0
Titles: The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer, Creature Slayer IV, Rift-Sprite Hunter IV, The Exterminator
Profession: #N/A
—[«END»]—
He looked over the numbers. 22,693 Survival Points—was that a lot, or a pittance? He couldn’t tell. It all came down to what the Vendor had available and the prices he offered. But he knew he had plenty to trade. His bags were stuffed with Rift-Sprite parts, more than any scavenger could hope for.
He also had some of the stuff he got from the various monsters they killed during their journey to the three lakes, but it wasn’t that much compared to the Rift-Sprites’ materials.
His gaze drifted to his skills.
—[«SKILL PROFICIENCIES»]—
Summon Rift-Sprite Squad 46%
Fireball 27.6%
Aqua Pistol 31%
Stone Bullet 24.2%
Wind Blade 34.5%
—[«END»]—
His skills had leveled up quite a bit.
All of them showed better proficiency now, with the Summon skill hitting a solid 46%. That jump came from using it nonstop. Reidar, in fact, he’d been keeping his summons active almost constantly. They weren’t exactly tough, but they made decent cannon fodder.
The summoned Rift-Sprites had one real advantage: they matched his level. So they grew stronger right along with him. Their defenses were weak, but their magic attacks worked well against the monsters he’d faced so far. And since he could summon all four types of Rift-Sprites, Reidar could play with the enemy’s elemental weaknesses, making his sprites hit even harder.
<All this hinges on Arcane Leech, though. Without it, my mana would go down the drain. Besides, I’m also not using my skills to their best potential. I can pump much more mana into them and increase the damage, but that would quickly burn through my reserves.>
It was enough to one shot the Rift-Sprites, and the summons worked well on stronger monsters. It just took more time.
All in all, Reidar had been extremely lucky, but also extremely smart. Basic combat proficiency also helped him in this regard, since it made him take much smarter choices during a fight.
The problem was that the stronger wild monsters got, the deadlier they became. Their levels were just a result of this. The rift-sprite squad did the same, but it was also true that the rift-sprites were inherently weak compared to other creatures.
<I will need to find other summoning skills, eventually...>
Equipment wasn’t a priority right now. He wouldn’t bother unless something caught his eye. Skills, though? They were the real key to survival. They were priceless.
Reidar thought about how much he’d come to rely on summoning Rift-Sprites. It was his go-to move for handling groups—super efficient, especially in tight spots. And with his skill-sharing ability getting stronger as his proficiencies went up, he could pass that power along to the others. If they all started summoning sprites, they’d have a whole swarm of them. An army of little monsters.
<It would be cool.>
However, Skill sharing was a crutch, a cheat even, and if he started over relying on it, he was going to have problems later.
A step. Then another. Then another. The stairs creaked under his boots. He lastly reached the second floor.