Chapter 238: Day 527 – Tree Of Cats

“Detour?” Naran asked me as we looked from the swamp line to the Northwest. There was a large dead tree in the distance. It reminded me of the tree from the swamp with how it spiraled up into the air.

“Why not, the cats aren’t so tough,” I replied. We had been killing red cats. They were quick and fast and had fire tipped claws. Not that it mattered much with how easily they died. We easily killed our way through the cats to the tree. They were regular sized cats, and with their speed, that was the most difficult thing about them.

There were striped cats to the Northwest of the zone, when I had poked it before and mistlands to the North of that. That had been when I had first poked Truth, right before Naran. We reached the tree and began climbing up it, Naran at the front. I was in the middle and Fethee bringing up the rear.

There were spotted gray cats, with the spots being random colors. They could absorb more damage, and some that took glancing hits, almost reformed. I turned them into crafting crystals regardless. The crafting crystals were a new type which made me happy.

They were clear with gray spots inside of them, which was the reverse of the cats. I wasn’t about to complain, but the coloring scheme made no sense whatsoever for the type chart. I tossed them to Fethee, who put them in his pack with the other crystals to be sorted out later.

There were green cats that probably had poison tipped claws, but those were no challenge and I had already seen that type of crafting crystal.

We reached the top of the tree. Five large cats each on a branch extending from the top. Two large red ones, two spotted ones, and a green one. “I got left, you got right?” I asked Naran.

“Sure, meet in the middle at the green one,” he replied. I raced to the right. The spotted cat leapt at me. Acid Shot x3. It was dust before it could even land. I raced to the next level 3 cat after that and repeated the process.

I got through four just as Naran finished up with his large cat. He let out a sigh as the skill crystal formed on top of the center platform of the tree. “Really?”

“Hey, I don’t hold back you know. Acid Shot all the way,” I replied with a grin.

“Well it get a nice view from up here. Too bad we can’t see that far,” Naran said while we enjoyed the view. Fethee got to work gathering up the crystals.

“Wonder where the edge is?” I asked.

“Those void spaces,” Naran replied.

“I meant where this all ends. Looking out at all of this, just going on. Sorry, I was getting caught up,” I replied.

“Don’t worry about it. It is a nice view.” We just stood there in silence looking out over the deadlands and the swamps at the edge of our vision to the Southeast.

After a minute I turned away and went over to the skill crystal and poked it. The two skills were Imbue Reform and Imbue Poison. The second skill wasn’t interesting at all, since it was clear what it did. Make things poisonous.

The first skill though. Now that was interesting. It would repair whatever it was used on. It was the first kind of healing skill I had seen. I wanted it. My breathing picked up a bit. I wanted it. I had tested Naran’s skill Imbue Cold. It was limited to other skills or weapons.

Here was the trick though. One just had to think something was a weapon to use it. Imbue Reform didn’t even seem to have that limited restriction. Since it repaired things. I was a thing. I could get repaired without needed a restoration.

This was going to be my fourth skill. But I only had three skill slots. I slowly took my hand away. I would not be claiming this skill point right now. I knew it had limits and probably stupid energy costs. But if I lost an arm, I could stick my arm back on in the field, or possibly get a new one.

Naran poked the skill crystal and he froze up while touching it. He probably realized the same thing I had. “Taking it?” Naran asked me.

“I plan to wait until I get a fourth skill slot. Feel free to grab it,” I replied. The skill crystal disappeared. “So, details?” I asked.

“Imbue Reform,” Naran called out and made two hand signs with his left hand. He then touched his massive sword. Small dents and repairs took place, but the effect was very small. “Imbue Reform,” he said again and touched himself.

“It is…not that great,” Naran said. “Better than Minor Tremor which I gave up, but it is still meh. It costs 50 energy and only does a very small bit of restoration, but it doesn't feel right. It would take a lot of energy to fix a critical wound and there may be issues.” Naran shook his head. “Still, it is a healing skill. I mean you don’t use your energy, so you can repair your buster stick long term, while you beat things with it. And a good skill to help patch people up.”

“Fair, but it doesn’t do much. A much better skill for a repair person or a crafter. Or a healer in a larger group,” Naran said. How could he not understand the glory that was this skill. It worked on items and people. Items and people!

I wanted to shake him and scream to pound this fact into his brain. It didn’t matter if it sucked. Its utility was through the roof. Healing and repair! This was the best skill since Acid Shot. I almost wanted to slap Naran and tell him to give me the skill instead. Screw Aqua Sphere, this was the skill to have.

He was speaking blasphemy against an amazing skill. “Naran, I forgive you,” I said calmly.

“What?” Naran gave me a confused look.

“That is the best skill ever. It is a healing and utility skill. It doesn’t matter the cost, just for that alone it is amazing,” I said.

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“Well, it isn’t a bad skill, but for the cost compared to the minor effects it has, meh.” Naran was trying to give me a heart attack and explode with rage all at the same time. I let out a sigh.

“Fine, fine. I can see you are trolling me,” I replied. Naran grinned at me.

“Of course it is an amazing skill. Will be nice to just repair equipment and gear over time. With your regeneration, it would really do a lot. Surprised you didn’t take it,” Naran replied.

“It is my fourth skill no question. But I am not going back to various dungeons again. It is way too much of a hassle and I like my other skills. Aqua Sphere is questionable, but it works well with Acid Shot since I can use both at the same time,” I replied.

“Well, the skill can only target objects, not weapons, so it probably won’t combine with Imbue Cold, what do you think?” Naran asked me.

“An imbue build would be interesting. Stack up enough skills on a single attack. But the energy cost and the prep would be a massive headache. Regardless, Imbue Reform is superior on its own,” I said.

We made our way back down the massive dead tree. Once back at the bottom, we set off to the East and soon hit the swamp line again. We followed it Northeast until the spotted cats disappeared and we ran into a new monster type in the next zone, gray ants that would dust whatever they bit into.

Naran had small chunks taken out of his buster stick. We turned North to check the corner of the zones. There were two level 3 zones to the our Northwest and Northeast, both contained stonelands with the large boulders.

We then turned East, staying in the level 2 zone. We eventually called it a night. Naran tried combining Imbue Reform and Imbue Cold on his weapon. The result was surprising. His sword emitted cold air for 100 minutes before the effect went away.

Imbue Reform was also a temporary enchanting skill. I wanted to scream about how I hadn’t discovered this before. It was completely broken. How was it even a level 2 skill? I guess because the power was weak, but still. The cold air from Naran’s sword did less than using Imbue Cold on his weapon and then striking a monster with it.

This showed that we had not even begun to scratch the surface of skill combinations and other possibilities. It was exhausting to keep track of it all, but I was still hoping for the all powerful combination of skills and items that could crush everything in its path.

The cost was also another factor. But it was by far the single best skill ever discovered. “Should we keep it a secret?” Naran asked me.

“No. It is good, very good. But it is something Purgatory will have to seize and ration. After the city is level 4 of course and I pick up the skill,” I replied.

“Of course. What do you think Fethee?” Naran asked bringing the man into the conversation. I should really include him more if he was going to be part of the team.

“It is good skill. But Naran was right, it does only a small amount. His sword is still damaged. Good future, not so great right away,” Fethee said.

“That makes sense,” I replied. “Well, the real question is how far East we have to go.”

“Don’t worry, there will be a path forward. The stonelands would be too hard and risk to traverse. The mistlands, mental effects, so a guaranteed no,” Naran said.

“I am not so sure about the stonelands. He could easily scout ahead. With ranged attacks, specifically mental attacks, he could easily clear a path, the frostlands would be worse. Since the cold is an unavoidable environmental effect. Level 2 monsters would really struggle or die,” I replied.

“But we aren’t crossing the stonelands,” Naran pointed out and I nodded at that.

“Exactly, he could be to our North. I just don’t have the confidence moving and avoiding attacks on that type of terrain. Maybe with your Body stat, I might be willing to try, but it is high risk. Hopefully we mind some frostlands and can check the zones further North,” I said.

“Then more East?” Naran asked.

“If there is nothing, then East. I doubt he went towards Truth, since we haven’t heard anything with him in that direction. We checked South. So only North and East are left. I am guessing East, but I could be wrong,” I replied.

“Well, we know he is alive, just somewhere. And with his summons, he won’t be discrete either. You think he could have snuck into Purgatory?” Naran asked me.

“No. It isn’t about capability, since he could do that. It is about his pride. The Ritualist is a prideful, vengeful man. To hide inside Purgatory would be admitting defeat. While he did shovel his pride for the peace treaty, he only bent, he didn’t bow,” I said.

Could I hide out like that? Anything to survive, but it would gnaw at my soul. I had grabbed onto power and I was not about to let it go. Other people could bow and kneel, I was Champion Michael. Just getting to this point was legendary in my opinion.

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