Smolder

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Name: Adam Masterson

IWN: Cairn

Gender: Male

Age: 27(Apparent Age: 16)

Title: Fledgling Hero(Growth Rate+100%)

Class: [Jack-of-All]

[Attributes]

Level: 19(128,492/113,540)

HP: 12,224/12,224

MP: 3,460/3,460

Str: 50

Agi: 44

Vit: 120+108

Int: 140

Dex: 50+45

Cha: 100+90

AP: 0

Talents: [Slow Start, Endless Potential(19/100)], [Never Say Die(MAX)], [I Can Do It Too(1/10)], [Animal Magnetism(9/90)], [Shadowflame(14/100)], [Mining(41/100)], [Bedroom Arts(30/100)], [Shield Mastery(29/100)], [Pain Tolerance(31/100)], [Nurtured(24/100)], [Acid Resistance(17/100)], [Cooking(17/100)], [Fire Resistance(15/100)], [Pickaxe Mastery(13/100)], [Sword Mastery(10/100)], [Corruption Resistance(9/100)], [Charm Resistance(6/100)], [Disease Resistance(5/100)], [Grooming(6/100)], [Stun Resistance(4/100)], [Thievery(3/100)]

Skills: [Insight(MAX): 1MP], [Domination(1/10): 200MP], [Shield Bash(MAX): 50], [Sophistry(4/10): 30MP], [Penny-Pinch(2/10): 50MP], [Gamble(2/10): 10MP], [Self Immolation(1/10): 100MP]

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While Cairn stared listlessly at his status, Vira sat beside him, smoking a long, kiseru-style pipe reminiscent of a Japanese courtesan, silken sheets covering her legs and lower body.

After several minutes of silence, Vira blew out a long string of smoke that took the form of an eastern dragon, undulating through the air. Then, in a matter-of-factly tone, she said, "Consider this payback for shaming me in front of my 'grandchildren.' I didn't particularly mind, but I firmly believe in the principle of equivalence."

Seeing Cairn pretend to ignore her, Vira narrowed her eyes and remarked, "Those who can't bear to be on the receiving end have no right to impose their wills on others. It's similar to the principle of not killing unless you're prepared to be killed. Besides..."

Inhaling a long drag from her pipe, Vira exhaled a string of smoke that meandered across Cairn's body like living snakes as she mused, "We both know you enjoyed it."

Rolling his eyes, Cairn rose to a seated position and asserted, "You clearly already know what's going on in the Dungeons. What's the point of having us and others investigate...?"

"For the same reason the Freelance Company exists," answered Vira, her already creepy smile becoming extra 'menacing' as she explained, "Given your situation, you should understand better than most how 'potent' the desire for wealth, status, and power can be for mortals. More than that, it is Restia's will that her children aspire to overcome their limits. If I solved every problem that appeared without receiving some kind of 'payment' in turn, the balance of power and society itself would crumble."

Emptying the ashes of her pipe onto the ground, Vira added, "This issue with the Dungeon is ultimately a problem of mortal making. Thus, it is the 'karmic responsibility' of those in power and the victimized to solve it. If I were to interfere too much, it would give those with standing comparable to my own a justification to act."

"Mmm..."

Though Vira's words sounded cold and unfeeling, Cairn didn't criticize her or those like her for 'toying with the lives of mortals.' The simple truth was that, even in the absence of Gods, there would always be people in power living and prospering at the expense of those beneath them. If he had to choose between a Goddess and a human who believed themselves to be above others simply because they were born into wealth and privilege, he would choose the former ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

"Any other questions?" asked Vira. "If not, there are better ways in which we would be using our time."

Adopting an incredulous look, Cairn asked, "Are you still not satisfied? You just milked me six times in a row..."

Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Vira pointed out, "I never suggested we resume intercourse. I simply see no sense in sitting around, wallowing in wayward thoughts and internal musings when you could be honing your body, sharpening your senses, or expanding your mind. Are you not weary of sacrificing yourself for nothing...?"

"What are you suggesting...?" asked Cairn, doing his best not to let Vira's words grate him too much.

"You just acquired the Self Immolation Skill. You already discovered it was possible to improve your resistances during your attempt to subjugate the Trove Lord. With Self Immolation, you can improve your Shadowflame and Fire Resistance Talents while simultaneously mastering the Skill's use."

"In other words, you want me to burn myself alive..." muttered Cairn, a cold sweat breaking across his body as he remembered the pain of the Trove Lord's liquid gold spittle.

"Incorrect," replied Vira, grinning like a demon as she added, "You should know by now that I don't care what you do, only that you do 'something.' I can't gain much data if you simply sit around. It would be one thing if you were thinking about something consequential, but it's far more likely that you would waste time brooding over your inability to assist in the ongoing battle against the Ground Dragon."

"..."

Since Vira had hit the nail on the head, Cairn couldn't really argue against her. Instead, he turned over his right hand, staring blankly at his palm for several seconds before activating Self Immolation. He intended to set fire to his hand, but since he lacked any semblance of control, his entire body began to warm, his skin darkening as thick beads of sweat formed across it.

*You have sustained 15 damage!*

*You have sustained 19 damage!*

*You have sustained 27 damage!*

"This is the result of possessing the Shadowflame Talent," Vira remarked. "It will be effective for improving your Pain Tolerance, but if you want to bolster your Fire Resistance, you'll need to burn your Mana more quickly."

Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes, Cairn suppressed his apprehension and began channeling his Mana as quickly as possible. He expected to blow up, similar to when the Ground Dragon swallowed him whole, but due to the lack of pressure, the end result was him bursting into flames.

Unable to continue clenching his teeth, Cairn attempted to scream, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was black and orange flames. The same happened to his eyes, his vision going completely black as his eyes melted away, replaced by tendrils of fire as he instinctively thrashed about, further injuring himself against the stone floor.

Instead of attempting to extinguish the flames, now covering the entirety of Cairn's body, Vira didn't so much as blink as she materialized a cup of tea, sampling its contents as her abyssal black eyes reflected his burning figure...

...

..

.

"Haaa...haaaa...haaaaa...."

Staring at the figure of the Ground Dragon, still alive but unable to move due to the injuries to its legs and belly, a smile developed across Zarah's face. She didn't consider herself a fighter, but she felt a certain amount of satisfaction besting a beast hundreds of times her size using strategy and wit.

"Chiiiii—" groaned Tarou, going limp atop Zarah's shoulder before sliding off it. Unlike Kaia, however, Zarah did not attempt to catch him, allowing the plump rodent to plunge to the ground, sustaining 3 points of damage and a squeak of pained protest.

Furrowing her brows, Zarah spitefully remarked, "You're lucky I don't take this opportunity to stomp or smash you with my hammer..."

Though his Health and Mana were less than 10% of their standard values, Tarou jumped up with a start, summoning his remaining strength to run to the opposite end of the chamber where Kaia had collapsed, visible steam rising from her body. The battle against the Ground Dragon had persisted for nearly three hours, so she was overheating after playing the part of a matador to lure it into Zarah's traps.

Having followed Tarou's retreat with her eyes, Zarah made her way over, producing a decanter and taking a drink before emptying its contents on the collapsed Karakut's head. Her actions could be construed as rude, but her voice carried an undertone of concern as she said, "You're trying way too hard..."

Exhaling a soft, singular chuckle, Kaia raised her head, smiling as she said, "But you can't deny that moments like this are what make us feel the most alive...or are you smiling in contempt of my condition?"

Rolling her eyes, Zarah turned away and said, "If you've enough strength to quibble, drag your furry ass over to the Ground Dragon. You need to be closer if you want to absorb its essence."

Catching Zarah a little off guard, Kaia shook her head and said, "You can absorb its essence alone. Since Cairn isn't here to reap the benefits with us, I will abstain..."

Furrowing her brows, Zarah gazed back at Kaia and asked, "What's the deal between you two? From what I've seen, you're not lovers. You're also a Neophyte of Restia, so there must be a reason related to the Church for you to follow him..."

Though she had her suspicions, Cairn's strength or, more accurately, lack thereof, made Zarah doubt he was the 'Champion' alluded to in historical religious texts. The more plausible explanation was that he was the child of a high-ranking Bishop, potentially even a Cardinal. At least, that's what she believed before learning he was the disciple of Maa Viraja...

"It is not my place to reveal Cairn's secrets..." responded Kaia, her voice trailing off as she closed her eyes and hung her head. She was still awake and aware of her surroundings, but her body was beginning to shut down to facilitate her recovery.

"Tsk..."

Clicking her tongue, Zarah was tempted to question Kaia further but understood it was pointless. Despite their negative reputation among the so-called faithful of Restia, the Karakut were well known for their earnest and loyal natures. They sheltered anyone they found wandering or injured in the Frontier, so even if Kaia hadn't been a Neophyte, Zarah doubted she would betray a 'friend.'

Seeing no reason to refuse Kaia's kindness, Zarah made her way over to the Ground Dragon. It sensed her approaching through the vibrations of her footsteps, but the only resistance it could offer was a defiant snort as Zarah pointed her hammerstaff at its head and stated, "Don't resent me for what I'm about to do. I have no intention of prolonging your suffering, but with my current Mana reserves and your excessive durability, this will take a while..."

Following her words, Zarah closed her eyes and focused on gathering Mana from her surroundings, causing a pulsing green pattern similar to circuitry mixed with runic symbols to spread across the Ground Dragon's massive head. The process took nearly half an hour, but once it was done, Zarah gave the proud creature a 'very' wide berth before erecting a stone wall and detonating the runic pattern like a bundle of high explosives.

Hearing a throaty growl in the wake of the explosion's dissipation, Zarah exhaled a sigh, emerging from behind the stone wall to find the Ground Dragon was still alive, now with bleeding cracks across its face and head. Her attack had dealt more than 3,000 damage, but the Ground Dragon still had 18,399 remaining, an amount that was slowly depleting along with its blood.

"You're not making this easy for either of us..." grumbled Zarah, making her way over to the Ground Dragon to weave an even more complex set of runes. It tried to interrupt her channeling with one of its massive, wing-like arms, but since it was impossible for such a colossal creature to move quickly, the motion was highly telegraphed and easy to dodge, even with her eyes closed...

...

..

.

After burning alive several times, Cairn had a lifeless expression as he stared blankly at his outstretched hand, burning like a torch but without broiling or cauterizing his flesh. Vira had replenished his Health and Mana every time he resurrected, so even though it had only been a few hours, his Self Immolation had MAXed out, reducing its costs and increasing its efficiency. More importantly, his Shadowflame, Fire Resistance, and Pain Tolerance had risen from 14, 15, and 31 to 19, 24, and 35, respectively.

"Are you done?" asked Vira, having observed Cairn in silence except when she was treating him.

"In more ways than one..." replied Cairn, closing his hand to extinguish the flames. The places the fire had enveloped were noticeably darker than the rest of his body, but thanks to his increased regeneration, it only took a few seconds for his natural complexion to return.

"Then, shall we make some headway on the stress you've accumulated?" asked Vira, rising to her feet and sauntering her way over to Cairn before sitting atop him. Cairn initially met her gaze with dead eyes, but as Vira's pheromones reached his nose and invaded his mind, it wasn't long before flames appeared in their depths...

...

..

.