Chapter 186: Day 400 (3) – Thinking And Preparations

I was sitting on the top of my building overlooking the plaza. It was a great view. There had been two guards up here, but they were hanging out behind me, out of my way. I noted the treasury also had soldiers of the RMPF on top of the building.

Clarissa certainly wasn’t taking any chances with the city treasury. I had been pulling my hair out while I had been grinding, so I didn’t have another big hair pulling session. The hair was coming back less quickly than I had thought it would.

I had been here 400 days and felt the end of this place was further than ever. Looking at the people move about in the plaza below made me think of my own arrival, so long ago. It was only day 400, but with the way things were, climbing up to new heights was harder and harder.

At least my avenues of exploration hadn’t been cut off. There was the tower, level 3 zones, and the zones beyond them. I considered what I was doing and the best path forward. It wasn’t the most efficient, but it was working. Or was it?

While it was easy enough to think that, the truth was, that I was concerned. Concerned that I was falling behind. Was I being foolish, by avoiding negative energy training and hybrid consumption? The question weighed heavily on my mind.

I just felt the risk was way too high. That was why I had pushed for other people to do the testing in my place. Still, a battle with the Ritualist in the future was concerning. There was no question in my mind that it was going to happen. While we were at peace now, neither side would hesitate if they could kill the other.

The idea of fighting someone who out classed me in stats was troubling. I had always been fighting at my level or beneath me for the most part. The level 4 monsters and the Ritualist’s traps being the biggest exceptions.

I trained and practiced, but skill could only bridge the gap so far in combat. Stats were the key. I had lost the race, or at the very least been overtaken. It was infuriating in a way that I struggled to put into words. It was why I was just sitting up here, looking out over the plaza.

Consumption had thrown me for a loop, and I still felt off kilter. If I used the process right now, I could easily gain enough strength to crush anyone, but the risks were unknown. I liked to hedge my bets, but if I was the Ritualist, I would be prepping for a major attack right now.

Defense was easier, and it would pull him out of Heaven. I had made a mistake not making an attempt to intercept him after the second battle. I was tired, exhausted, and had been a complete idiot. It was easy to look back in hindsight.

Now, if he attacked, he would not escape. I guess I was doomed to wait then. I hated that. Letting the Ritualist decide the time of our next battle. But that was the privilege of strength and putting one’s life on the line.

I heard footsteps behind me and looked behind me. “Naran, sit with me,” I said. He nodded and took a seat next to me looking out over the plaza.

“Brooding?” Naran asked.

“A bit. Thinking about things, mainly future battles,” I replied.

“Don’t underestimate them. I am talking about the skill users in Truth. They didn’t survive this long by being stupid,” Naran said.

“I can believe that. Why do you think I am bringing a much larger army than originally planned?” I asked.

“Good luck and thank you for not making me go back there,” Naran said.

“I understand. But I feel you will have a far more dangerous issue to work out. The meeting with the Ritualist,” I replied.

“I won’t lie and say I am not worried. But I am not that worried. I can easily escape,” Naran said.

“Now I need to be the one to remind you to be careful,” I said. He just nodded at that statement. We sat there in silence for a couple more minutes before Naran spoke again.

“You are thinking of something dangerous, if I know you,” Naran finally said.

“Kind of. Just debating on pushing past the one million point threshold. We aren’t sure that is what triggered death, but there are several things that need to be purchased there. Also, it would speed up grinding,” I said.

“It is a risk like everything else. I get that you feel pressured, but rushing ahead with a plan half cocked is worse that not rushing ahead at all,” Naran replied.

“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “That is part of the problem. I know things are a bad idea, but I am tempted to rush into them anyways.” We sat there is silence for a bit more.

“You know, you are half bad,” Naran finally said. I turned to look at him, but he kept looking out over the plaza. “You always treated me fairly and are willing to admit a bad idea or change your mind. Otherwise I would have been melted back in Truth.”

“Well you just surrendered. I mean, what was I supposed to do with…that?” I asked.

“Hah! Yeah, well I was just done with the place. Completely and utterly done. I can go back there if you need me?” Naran asked.

“Only if you want to. I would make a detour to meet with the Ritualist myself,” I replied. I wasn’t upset he might change his mind at this point. He had more than earned that right.

“No. No. I can handle that meeting. While I might hate him as much as you, I understand that feeling. You deal with my past, and I will deal with the Ritualist,” Naran said.

“Who knows, maybe he blew himself up. One test too many gone wrong,” I replied.

“Maybe. But I am not going to be the optimistic. You know we keep hoping for drawbacks, but there doesn’t seem to be that many popping up for him,” Naran said.

“Well he isn’t about to send us a memo detailing his weaknesses. But he is our canary in the coal mine. Testing the air before us, to see if it is safe,” I replied.

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“Only this canary is a thousand pound bit-pull that hates your guts,” Naran added.

“Well yeah, there is that. Well there is always plan death, if things come to it. Test out two things at once,” I replied.

“That isn’t such a great idea anymore with consumption. He has a good chance of surviving,” Naran replied.

“It basically lifted the soft level cap for him from 2 to 4. Level 2 monsters are more willful, one can hope he kills himself,” I said without much hope. We sat there is silence for a while. This time it was me who broke it first.

“After this, back to grinding?” I asked.

“Of course, same spot?” Naran asked right back.

“It is a good spot, best make use of it,” I replied.

“Going to poke the tower again?” Naran asked.

“Last time, I was stupid and thankfully, only aggroed one golem. Next time, all ten might come after me. Then I would be screwed,” I replied.

“You think level 4 monsters would fight each other?” Naran asked.

“No. That is an easy enough answer. They don’t fight each other right now. Or at least the lower level monsters don’t. I see no reason why that would be in range. Why do you ask?” I replied.

“Was just thinking about it. Run from one level 4 to have it fight another.” I shook my head at that.

“That is just running out of the frying pan into another frying pan. Forget the fire, your ass is already cooked,” I replied.

“Well, time to get something to eat. Might as well get a good meal,” Naran said and began to get up.

“It isn’t going to be our last meal,” I began to get up as well.

“Jump down?” Naran asked. I looked at the three story drop and hesitated. I could handle a two story fall, but this was scary. But I did have a high Body stat and a regeneration wasn’t that far. I checked to make sure the doorway wasn’t below us along with any people.

“Fine,” I said. It was training, training to adapt to heights and leap off high places. I kept my body vertical in the air and legs extended. I landed and bent my legs slightly. It wasn’t that bad. Naran landed next to me.

“That was a good idea. Learned something there,” I said. Naran gave me a questioning look and I kept going. “We aren’t at terminal speed with a three story fall, and can jump at most, what one story. Still, with a high enough Body stat someone can survive a terminal fall,” I explained.

“Well, yeah. Otherwise, why would I suggest we jump?” Naran asked.

“I was think more about the tower and baby tower here in the city,” I replied.

“Baby…oh the Airship Port. Yeah, it is a baby tower. Well, Gray Duck or one of the new places?” Naran asked.

“Gray Duck, it is a classic. Can’t go wrong with a classic,” I replied.

“I would disagree, but their food is quite good,” Naran said as we began to make our way across the plaza.

“That reminds me. When are you going to get a chef? I expect five star meals out in the wilderness,” I said.

“When there is a portable way to cook things cheaply. The ovens in the houses just work. There isn’t some control stone we can take out and use with the cart. Nothing in the store either. So cooking is confined to the city for now. But in time, well there might be an enchantment that does something like that,” Naran explained his difficulties in wilderness cooking to me.

“Okay, you got me. One reason to upgrade the store is to get airships. But the lack of airships showing up is concerning,” I said. It was still bothering me as I looked up at the clear blue sky.

“And they could easily be point dumps, like so many other things. Again, hasty decisions,” Naran added.

“You and Clarissa both. Advocating caution and restraint,” I said.

“If we didn’t then everything would be on fire.” I nodded at that. It was a fair point. Everything most likely would be on fire.

“Ask of me anything but time. The one thing we have too much of, and not enough of,” I muttered. Despite the grinding seemingly stretching on to near infinite, the Ritualist was something that put me in a time crunch. I hated waiting. It just rubbed me the wrong way, but in the end it was the best option.

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