Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 183 183 - Trail and error

The throne is still there, sitting towards the back end of the open yard at the heart of the fortified island. Of course it's still there. It's not like it has legs to run off on its own. Prompted by the silly thought I look to make sure just in case though, but no, it's not secretly a golem just waiting to move aside as I want to sit down. Now, wouldn't that be a glorious joke? I'll have to remember to ask Fox if anyone has every played a trick like that on the crowned rulers of this world. If anyone knows for sure it would be Fox.

Right now I have to deal with other things though. First I visit the room with the alchemical laboratory set up inside. I'm no expert, but all that fine glass has to be worth something. The problem with it is, it's very fine glass. I don't even want to think about the lich got it here. Or how much might have gotten broken during the transport. If I had crates with plenty of padding I might consider hauling the stuff back to town. I have neither crates nor padding though, thus the lab equipment stays exactly where it is.

Who knows, maybe there will be a chance to turn it into some spending money some other day. Right now I focus on the ingredients though. I'm pretty sure I already saw what I need here. There are so many pots, bowls, jars and baskets with ingredients though that finding anything specific is a rather frustrating exercise. In the end I manage to do it by resuming my position after lowering myself down from the hatch. There indeed is a whole basket with Black Caps there, already sliced and very well dried. It's downright perfect. I grab them, basket and all.

Before I leave though I get started on the other important task. I disassemble the throne. I go about it slow and methodically, tipping it over first so none of its parts will stand up high. Then I pull out the sides with the armrests first, propping the front and the seat up with my knees until I can get to them too. By the time I'm done I'm sweating again. Not necessarily because the stone slabs are heavy, which they are, but because I'm nervous. I really don't want to find out if any of the slabs would break if I were to drop them.

The pile of stone slabs looks a lot less spectacular like this. Sure it's still slabs made of an exceptionally pretty stone, but still only slabs. And even with just one gone reassembling the whole would be impossible. Or wouldn't it be? Would it still count as a rightful throne if one of the parts has to be replaced?

Well, never mind. I grab the smallest slab after placing the basket with the mushrooms on top of it. Then I'm off again. My next destination is my campsite and by the time I reach it I already hate myself for making the decision to move the throne, piece by piece or any other way for that matter.

My arms are aching fiercely by the time I can set my heavy burden down. And the way back to the tower is considerably longer and harder, although, I should be able to shorten it a little when compared to the way I took to get here. Or maybe not? Cutting across the hill in a straight line might not be the most sensible idea. I'll try to find the way of the least resistance closest to such a straight line though.

I still need to figure out how to better carry these stone slabs though. This one is the lightest of the lot and it's already giving me an unreasonable amount of trouble. Could I possibly use one of my new skills to my advantage? The name of one at least sounded like it might be a mobility skill. I guess I'll have to give it a try. In the not exactly unlikely case this doesn't work out I need to figure out another option though.

My pack. If I don't close the flap I should just barely be able to fit this slab, and most likely the others too, inside. That might work. I just hope the slabs aren't heavy enough to tear the bottom out of the pack. That would really ruin my day. I can't come up with anything else that I can realize on short notice though. At best I might be able to make some makeshift ropes out of willow bark. But I doubt a makeshift carrying frame would be any more sturdy than my pack.

Oh! Maybe I could use a rope like that to take some of the weight off the stitches holding my pack together? A rope like that slung under my pack and then over my shoulders where I can grip them? That might work! I chuckle. It seems like it's time to search for some nice, long willow branches to do some more handicraft! Ha! Well it's not like I have any other plans today. Moving the throne is the only big point on my agenda remaining right now.

I just take a moment to grab the cloth sack from my pack to deposit the dried Black Caps in it. If I'm already overburdened by the stone slab I don't need to carry the weight of the bowl on top of everything else as well. I carefully lower the slab into the pack too and rearrange everything else a little until I'm satisfied with the weight distribution. I don't even try to lift the pack though. I'll make that rope first. No other unnecessary experiments.

Thus I'm off again, in search of willows this time around. I already got some for the drying rack I didn't need in the end. This is where I begin my search. The branches I need this time around though have to be exceptionally long. Three paces at least. Four would be better. And finding branches this long is not quite as easy.

In the end I manage though and I earn some more progress for my [Foraging] skill in the process. I can't help but think of the words I shared with Szymona not too long ago under the watchful eyes of Lady Izolda. It makes me grin, as I think of it as working on my physical defense, even if just indirectly. Skinning the branches and processing the thin but elastic bark into a makeshift rope takes another while, but it earns me some more skill progress. It's for my [Woodworking] skill this time around.

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I almost regret finishing when I do, as that skill is so incredibly close to the next level up right now. But that's idle thoughts that aren't of any use to me right now. I have the rope I need. It's time to move on to the next step! Except, I don't. Instead of taking this first slab to the tower I return to the ruin again, to move the other slabs to my camp first. That and I want to give that new skill I suspect to be a mobility skill a try. Or maybe two. The first few levels are the easy ones after all, so why not.

I stop as I reach the bridge and eye both ends. At the far end there is shadow under the archway leading into the fortification. On this end there is plenty enough shadow in between the individual buildings too. They stand pretty close to each other after all. Time for a first experiment!

I take it slow and step into a deep and dark shadow at this end of the bridge, aiming to step out of the shadow at the other end. The intention is clear and I can feel the skill attempting to draw on my Mana to activate, except, it doesn't. I'm pretty sure now that I interpreted the name of the skill right and figured out the correct way to use it, except, there has to be a limitation I just violated.

The most obvious option? I tried to move too far. Well, there is an easy way to figure out if that's it. I move back a little further in between the buildings and try again, this time aiming for another shadow that is just a few paces ahead of me. This time it feels like it almost worked, but I'm still not quite there.

Could it be that this skill follows a similar logic as the spell creating the magical light? That light stays active for one hour for each skill level and it becomes brighter as my magic power increases. How could this translate to a movement skill? Could it be that I can only cover a distance of one pace for each skill level? It's entirely possible. In that case my magic power might influence how much additional weight I can take along. Yes, that sounds like a reasonable assumption.

I take a deep breath and try again, this time aiming to move just from one spot in the same shadow to another, a pace ahead at most. This time it works! And, of goodness does it feel weird. It's disorienting how the world around me seems to shift ever so slightly, as [Shadow Step] finally draws upon my Mana reserves and I move ahead a pace in the blink of an eye.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shadow Step has leveled up to level 2!]

I actually have to brace myself against a wall for a moment as I process that notification and its implications. It's a class skill, thus my shiny new eminence in shadow class benefits from this skill level up. More importantly though, it's an uncommon skill which in turn means each level up improves my magic attribute and thus my Mana reserves as well.

I grin as I straighten up again. Who knows, if I keep this up, I might build a Mana Reserve like an archmage's sometime soon. Except, I'm not a mage but a witch. Hmm, passing one hundred health earned me an achievement. Will expanding my Mana pool earn me one too? It's another question for Rysia! Right now though I should experiment a little more.

With my mind made up, I move back again, marking the starting and end point of my first step through the shadows with sticks as I do. If my assumptions are right, I should be able to move a little further on my next attempt. As before I move at a carefully measured pace. Everything is the same as before, except that this time I aim for a spot about twice as far ahead of me as before as I activate the skill again.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shadow Step has leveled up to level 3!]

Again some of my Mana is channeled into the skill and again the world seems to shift subtly around me, although it really is me who shifted. It's not nearly as disorienting this time around, which is good. My magic attribute, my magic power and my Mana reserves all improve a little too. The most important thing though is, that with my assumptions proven right so far, the skill, with a range of three paces now, is finally becoming really useful.

Unless there is some secret upgrade I don't know anything about yet it'll never be useful to cover large distances, but three paces might already be enough to grant me an edge, or rather a surprise attack, in combat. Three paces should be enough to get me across an intersection unnoticed or up to a balcony or the likes too. Oh yes, I can definitely already see some uses. It's drain on my Mana reserves still is rather hefty though. In the long run I should use it a little more sparingly. It's either that or I find a way to expand that Mana pool of mine some more.

I get moving normally again now that my curiosity is satisfied. I still need to haul more stone slabs to my campsite after all. One after the other. That comes first. I can wonder about my other new class skills and whatever else decides to rear its head afterwards.

Back at the yard at the island's heart I stop dead in my tracks though just when I'm about to lift the next stone slab. Why am I moving these things about in my delicate current body? I still have enough Mana for some shape changing experiments after all. And I can just meditate some more before returning to town anyway. My brows furrow, as I stand back up straight to think about my options instead of lifting the stone slab.

Another partial change? No, those are fine for a short duration, but in the long run they are uncomfortable. I should change into something larger in general. Longer arms and legs will make moving these things so much easier! I'm not exactly intimately familiar with anyone that would fit the description though. Well, it doesn't have to be a perfect copy. It's not like I'll have to explain myself to anyone out here in the middle of nowhere. A casual acquaintance will do. Maybe even someone I only know in passing. With the current limitations of my skill as I know them it has to be someone humanoid in general and female though.

Finally my mind settles on an image. One of the stagehands at the theater. A rather tall and lean orc lady. Yes, that should do. I loosen my clothes a little more than usual, and focus.

More of my Mana drains away as it fuels the change and as my [Change Shape] improves some more the world seems to shrink a little around me while my clothes grow surprisingly tight. I have to readjust them some more, but otherwise I'm quite pleased. Sure, I'm not actually any stronger, not as far as my attributes are concerned anyway, but with these legs I'll be able to cover a lot more ground with each step. And I can wrap my arms around the stone slab much more comfortably too!

Even better, I have a feeling that changing back once I'm done should be enough to earn me the next level up notification! The skill is so incredibly close to that threshold right now. I don't even mind the skin color and the tusks distorting my grin right now. As far as I'm concerned this is a great success.