Chapter 221 - Suspicious Atmosphere

I decided that it was time to go, but I also decided to make good use of my new class. I might need that outside… as soon as we leave the labyrinth. Glacien had gotten stronger and once I began to make the potions, she was able to use Beast’s Fury pretty much nonstop, so fighting the lesser chimeras was easy for her.

You received 10 experience points.

You received 10 experience points.

You received 10 experience points.

I didn’t put the liquid in a bottle, but even though I was putting it in a pot, I would receive that notification now and then. It looked like the Chemical Mastery worked whenever one hundred milliliters of the potion was made. I couldn’t use Identification on all the liquid, though.

“Yikes, the leather sure becomes nasty when it is done absorbing so much poison.”

I didn’t know why, but the leather of the kobolds was quite permeable when it comes to poison. When it couldn’t absorb anymore, the liquid that was the extract of the potion could no longer cross it, so it had to be exchanged for another piece. In any case, it looked like the potions were coming at the uncommon rank since they could restore one hundred stamina points for Glacien.

“Tell me if you start to feel something off, drinking this a lot shouldn’t be that good.”

"Chi-chi-chi!"

Name: Glacien

Race: Glacierborn Predator

Health: 350/350 (0/3600)

Regen: 0.1 per hour (0/100)

Mana: 350/350 (0/3600)

Regen: 0.1 per minute (0/100)

Stamina: 350/350 (0/3600)

Regen: 0.1 per minute (0/100)

Strength: 22 (0/2300)

Magic: 35 (0/3600)

Dexterity: 15 (0/1600)

Spirit: 24 (0/2200) 1.1

Endurance: 27 (0/2600) (1.1)

Movement Speed: 11.0 

Ice Affinity: 19 (0/2000)

Traits: Iceborne Prowess, Frost Aura, Minor Vulnerability to Fire, Enhanced Cold Resistance, 

Classes: Beast of the North, Elemental Predator, Frost Guardian, Icebound Stalker, Winter Revenant, Tundra Huntress

Aptitudes:  Arctic Camouflage, Cold-Weather Adaptation, Predator’s Focus, Frost Manipulation, Apex Instincts, Pack Tactics, Frozen Resolve, Icycle Will

Experience: 359

“It looks like all the classes you get are related to your species… or do you actually receive some options? Raise your paw if the answer is yes.”

Glacien didn’t do that and just stared at me. It looked like her version of the system was a lot more simple than mine. Still, that was convenient. I couldn’t say that Glacien was stupid, but giving her a lot of options probably wasn’t a good idea.

“Grrr…”

“Don’t read my mind.”

She was probably just sensing my thoughts and assumed that thanks to my frown. In any case, after a while, I didn’t notice anything weird with Glacien, even after she drank a few liters of the potions. The only thing that I noticed was that she wasn’t complaining about food even after a couple of hours.

‘I guess the potions are quite nutritious or something… even if they are made of poison.’

The process of making those potions was easy, but it was still annoying to make it while walking. Some other potions were more complicated and needed more attention, so perhaps I should make a small laboratory inside a wagon. Glacien’s senses were good, so she would warn me beforehand if danger approaches.

I also could set up traps around us, and that would make things even easier with magical traps and even arcane traps. I hadn’t been using the second option that much, but just like Arcane Arrow, it could explode, freeze, or shock a target.

Arcane Trap Lv 03: Place a magical trap at a location that triggers an arcane explosion when an enemy approaches, dealing elemental damage based on your magic power and dexterity. This explosion can apply status effects such as burning, freezing, or stunning based on the chosen element. Cost: 100 Mana.

‘My mana regeneration increased again, and now I can afford to be a bit less cautious when it comes to using it. With the meditation amulets, I can even use some skills nonstop now and gain all the experience instead of half.’

Things were looking up. The only problem was my arm… even when returning to the second section of the labyrinth, I couldn’t still use half of my strength. Even if I could use one hundred percent of my strength without feeling any pain, I knew that I had to be cautious for a while. Still, I couldn’t afford to do that…

Perhaps I should make a bracelet for Glacien and add the Fury Amplification to it, that should make up for our lack of fighting power while I am injured. Another Bracelet for her to be able to use Agility Surge would do it as well… aside from that, my only option was to use Blood Siphon to use the extra energy to recover faster. Still, there was a chance that it wouldn’t work, since the skill restored my stamina when my health was full.

‘I guess I can also go to a labyrinth where I can make health potions… There is only one very convenient labyrinth in this territory that fits that criteria, though, and it is very down south. Too far away from where I am…’

It was only to be expected that things wouldn’t be so easy for me… in any case, I decided to take my time leaving the labyrinth to recover as much as possible. Thanks to that, the trip back took us two days.

As we approached the exit of the labyrinth, I paused for a moment, taking a deep, steadying breath. Whatever was beyond the exit was unknown, and I needed to be ready for anything. Glacien, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. Her demeanor was calm, almost indifferent to the tension I felt. It was just her nature. An animal like her wasn’t easily rattled by uncertainty.

Still, I wasn’t about to take any chances. I pulled out the camouflage potions, carefully applying one to myself and then to Glacien. The liquid shimmered faintly as it seeped into her fur, blending her form into the surroundings. Once we were both fully prepared, I steeled my resolve and made the final preparations to step outside into whatever awaited us.

I was expecting to see arrows and fireballs raining down on me and Glacien was also ready to dash ahead with Shadow Step, so my surprise was hard to describe when I found not a single person outside… I couldn’t discard the possibility of them using camouflage cloaks or even potions as well, but the air was calm and the atmosphere was pretty soothing, so I couldn’t feel that anyone was waiting for me here.

‘Did they forget about me? Don’t they have a clairvoyant more or less searching for me?’

Something wasn’t right… It was too convenient for me. That being said, it was a golden chance that I couldn’t waste. It was time to finish the business that I had in this land and then move on.

Those two probably could give me some answers, but I didn’t want to make connections with those who very obviously wanted me very far away from their homes. I didn’t have many friends, but I wasn’t desperate to be accepted by every single person I came across.

“Let’s go. It is time to finish our business here. Or my business, since you weren’t with me when this situation started.”

“Squeak! Squeak!”

While walking around, we kept our eyes wide open for any signs of battles, but there was nothing of the sort, so it didn’t seem like the dark elves did something… We found some traces heading northwest, toward the closest town, so it didn’t seem that the dark elves had been found either and an army headed toward their labyrinth.

I realized this a long time ago, but I really needed an information network, but my only options would be to deal with low-lives and those related to them in the underworld. A lot of those guys would want a piece of me as well… was it worthy to get involved with them?

‘Even if most of them are scum, some of them should be somewhat decent… getting involved with them will help me save time and not walk in the dark that much. The less I know about the surrounding things, the higher the chances of me making a mistake at some point that will cost highly. I really need to think about this.’

A couple of hours later, I finally found some answers about what had happened… The closest town was surrounded by several armies of elves. It seemed that something big had happened. Something big enough to make the elders move their troops.

‘An insurrection or something similar?’

I couldn’t see that well from a distance… Even while using Hawk’s vision, I was too far away and the skill level wasn’t that high. I need to make an amulet of this skill as well. While I was thinking about that, I noticed a familiar feeling and then I felt the smell of blood… in the next moment, Ayla appeared behind me… I already had my short swords in hands since they would be better at close range, but soon I noticed that she wasn’t in condition to fight. 

“Are you still here?”

Ayla’s eyes were bloodshot, like she hadn’t slept in a while. She was breathing roughly and her chest expanded with effort. She had a bunch of arrows on her left arm and it was covered in blood as well… those were Elven arrows.

“Sorry to bother you, but can you lend some of those potions? The stamina ones?”

“Stamina potions will only make you bleed faster and you already lost too much blood…”

“I can deal with this. This should be enough to pay for them.”

Ayla threw a magic bag to me, but that much effort had been the final straw for her. She fell forward like a puppet without strings. Glacien acted fast enough to make sure that she wouldn’t fall on the ground.

“Look at you, Glacien. Trying to act like a heroine. That doesn’t suit us. We are more like hunted outlaws, the two of us against the world, you know.”

“Mew, mew, mew!”

“You don’t agree? Probably because that guy didn’t ask you to leave his base, he asked me to leave instead… but you were part of the pack, you know. He would have asked you to leave as well, even if you weren’t with me… probably.”

“Squeak! Squeak!”

“Nah, it is useless to try to be better than the others in this aspect. It is the law of the jungle. If they don’t welcome you, then you don’t welcome them either.”

“Awooo! Awooo!”

“Et tu, Brute?”