Chương 63: Chapter 62- Tiers of Power

Astra's POV Corporal Miller finished his report and turned back to watch over Marcy and Robert as Astrid worked to save their lives. We're blessed to have a light element healer in the patrol, there would have been a lot more casualties by now. Astra turned to speak with Mira who was waiting with Eli over by her mount holding its reins, " Well Mira, do you concur with Mr Miller?" Mira nodded, " Aye, my Lady. A distraught mate seeking vengeance on the group who dispatched them sounds plausible.

If the creature is in the 3rd tier it is likely intelligent enough to realize attacking the main body of the patrol is a death sentence, yet not intelligent enough to realize that attacks on its members will bring retaliation." Tiamat let out a chirping trill from Eli's shoulder and he glanced over at her before shaking his head, but when he looked back at Astra he did have a guilty expression and he translated with a slight grimace, " Tia's worried it's our fault… As am I honestly. What can we do to help?"

Astra gave them a soft smile, always worried about everyone else, wanting to carry the burden. Mira fixed her with a neutral stare, " What are your orders my Lady?" This patrol is a training mission in the end, and while we have had terrible luck so far, part of the experience is learning to make decisions on my own and not leaning on Mira for everything.

An involuntary shudder ran down my spine at the prospect of facing another third tier shadow caster so soon after nearly meeting my end at the hands of the shadow rogue slaver. It is a different tale this time, I have gained a few levels since then. Also, this is a beast not a man, and I will not be entering battle ill equipped, alone, and at the brink of exhaustion.

The affirmations in her mind did not stop her hand from shaking with a small nearly imperceptible tremble, as an image of silver daggers flashing in the dark swirled through Astra's mind. The chant stirred softly in her chest, singing a single note as a warm weight settled on her shoulder. She looked up into the set of confidant eyes that were quickly becoming familiar to her as Eli gave Astra's shoulder a reassuring squeeze." We're here for you if you need us."

The adorable trill of agreement from Tia brought a laugh to her lips as she shook off the shadows of doubt, the tremble in her hand stilled, and the worries settled back into the dark recesses of her mind. I can do this. She turned a firm gaze towards Mira, " I will take 1st and 5th squad myself to dispatch the beast. If it picks up a taste for humanoids this path will not be safe until it is dealt with. Better now while we are able, please watch over the patrol in my absence."

Mira favored her with a smile and a nod, " As my Lady wishes." Eli tossed his pack up onto the top of the nearest battlewagon as Astra summoned the squads and prepared for the expedition. As he returned to join the men with Tia riding his shoulder, Astra arched a brow at him and nodded towards Tia, " Are you sure it is wise for her to join us? This will be a third tier ambush predator and she does not yet have access to the System."

They stared at each for a moment, clearly communicating mentally, before Tia flared her wings and hissed at Eli. He shrugged and looked back at Astra, " She's made up her mind, she's coming. She feels partly responsible for the scouts injuries since she helped kill the panther, and she wants to be part of the solution." Astra heard footsteps approaching from behind as Mira's voice came from behind her, " Actually it would be best if neither attended the hunt.

We only have a few days until we reach Emerald Grove and we have much to get through." Tia gave a chirping snort and sat back down with a nod in Astra's direction, she reached over to give her chin a scratch, " Aye, I would too Lady Tia. Never fear, your company is always welcome, next time." Astra stood back, assumed parade rest, and faced the men, " We have an imminent threat to neutralize, a third tier feline predator attacked 3rd squad while they were out on patrol today.

Level 30, dark affinity, the creature has grievously wounded two soldiers already, and there will not be a third."

"Springdale requires this caravan route to survive, and we are close to joining the main path between Emerald Grove and Theron's Watch. Given its behavior, if this threat is not dispatched today, it will likely attack the next caravan that uses this road, and civilian blood will be spilled." Astra gazed imperiously at the assembled men and women of the hunting party." Not on my watch." Astra made sure to make direct eye contact with every soldier at least once, gauging their resolve.

Satisfied with the firmness in their gazes, she nodded and came to attention." We are the Watchers at the Gates!" The men responded in one voice, " Our duty never ends."" We are born of the Ashes of War!"" We are bound by the Steel in our Hearts." She saluted the men as her gauntlet rang against her chest plate, " Ash and Steel." Her skin prickled with gooseflesh at the sound of steel crashing on steel in response." Born and Bound."

A smile spread across her face at the chant picked up in Astra's chest, the hymns murmuring a soft stanza at the prospect of blood and fire, " Let us be about it."

Elias was finding it hard to concentrate, he was able to follow the flows in mana through his body clearly at this point and it was failing to hold his attention. The low current of worry sweeping through the back of Tia's thoughts reinforced his own, and made it difficult to fully let go of the present and enter a meditative state. He sat back with a sigh, glancing at the soft glow emanating from underneath the awning that had been set up to give Astrid some shelter from the sun as she worked.

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"Copper for your thoughts Mr Mercer?" Eli looked up to find Mira standing on a tree limb just above where the wagon was parked beneath, scanning the forest with a diligent gaze. He gave a slight grimace, " Me and Tia are just a little worried is all." Mira nodded calmly, " Understandable, my Lady pursues a dangerous foe." She glanced down at Eli for a moment to take in his expression before returning to her watch." It is one she can handle, however the task that lies before you requires your focus. So out with it."

Elias thought for a moment trying to encapsulate his feelings into words, " I guess I'm just having a hard time wrapping my mind around the difference the system makes when it comes to all these different threats we keep coming across. The slavers were able to capture so many, but the goblins were handily slaughtered even with greater numbers." He nodded towards the awning where Astrid worked, " But one animal was able to nearly kill those men."

"Ah, I see." Mira waved a hand, " Another consequence of the distance of your origin." She dropped down onto the wagon next to him and a dome dropped around them." A native of this realm would know this, but the tiers of power, as well as the skills and refined essence investiture from the system, escalate greatly in power as one climbs through the ranks. In the first tier the enhancements are fairly mundane unless the being, class, or race is exceptionally powerful, but that is not true as you progress.""

Just as the 11th level requires almost as much essence as nearly the entirety of the 10 before, it also confers a greater share of enhancement, and the effect only grows. What may only take you a few hours of practice or a few hunts right now, may take days or weeks in the second tier, months in the third and so forth.

Hence why many favor the martial path as their route to power given that battle is one of the most efficient methods of acquiring essence, by seizing the accumulated efforts of your vanquished foes.." Mira arched a brow at Eli, " Afterall, why spend months in solitude, meditation, and diligent practice when the hunt of a great beast, an excursion into the depths of the Abyss, or even a war with a neighboring nation, will see the same outcome?" Eli looked back at her incredulously, " Isn't that a huge problem?

Wouldn't that kind of incentive turn a lot of people into murderous psychopaths?" Mira snorted, " Some Aye, but most do not have the constitution for such a path." She waved a hand, " Also just as a path of study and practice with no challenges or trials leads to a hollow power, the same holds true for a path of blood with no practice. You may have noticed the changes in your abilities over the course of our training?" Eli nodded, " Sure, it is night and day.

I can't leap over a building in a single bound, but I'm stronger than I would be with years of training back home. So what exactly are the tiers?" Mira gave him a look, " The numbers or nature?"" Both I guess."" The first tier I imagine you know is 1-10, the second which we call the adult classes that are available upon reaching the age of majority are from 11-25. This is sometimes called the Initiate tier in some martial orders.

The amount of essence increases per tier as well as the number of levels and the power incurred, with the third or titular tier reaching from 26-100."" Typically in this tier is named after the archetype of the holder's class, mage, warrior, knight, scholar, and so on. The following tiers are sharp increases of power, I am sure you have noticed that your status plate shows the option for more than one class?" Eli nodded, " I was wondering what that was about."

Mira leaned forward, " Well starting at the Master or fourth tier you gain access to the second." She waved a hand, " The additional power this grants sets these higher tiers apart, but also greatly slows their progress, as you need to gather enough essence to empower two classes as well as improving your body itself. This tier also requires a full 100 levels of essence in both classes to ascend further, falling into spanning the gap between 101 to 200." Eli sat back with a thoughtful expression, " Huh.

Double the attributes and skills." He bolted up right, " Wait. You mentioned the fisherman in the 200's, so there must be another tier right? Also how many damn fish does it take to get two classes above 200?" Mira laughed, " Millions I would have to imagine. The increase in tiers does come with an increase in lifespan, so the man must have had quite a long time to reach that point.

Also, there are many more tiers if the old stories are true, but Grandmaster is the highest I am aware of personally and I doubt there are any higher in the Empire or in the known lands beyond it. That is a story for another time." Eli thought on the information for the moment, " I guess the tiers make a bigger difference than I imagined, but why the disparity in threats then?""

Most in the empire are second tier, with those who chose the martial path or an especial dedication to their craft in the third, with only the exceptionally skilled or iron willed breaking into the fourth and above." Mira shrugged, "The slavers, while intelligent thinking beings capable of, well in their case, limited forethought and planning were dangerous beyond their tier, but in the end they were still a motley collection of disgruntled caravan guards, street toughs, and the occasional lifelong brute.

Intelligent opponents are hard to handle when they are prepared, but easier targets when not."" The goblins were true to their tier. They have some power, true, but without the cunning to apply it, they are easily overcome through preparation and skill. This cat?" Mira shook her head and gestured to the injured men, " Power and cunning. If a more base bestial form." Mira laughed at an indignant squawk from Tia followed by a chirping thrill, " Nay Lady Tiamat, I do not include yourself.

You are an exception, and should be prepared for the fact that you will find other beasts not as capable and well reasoned." Mira looked back at Eli, " Just as this expedition is a training exercise for my Lady, it is also a training exercise for the men. Most are still in the 2nd tier, if on the higher end, and are working on gathering achievements and experience to improve their choices upon class selection for the third tier.

Outside of myself, Mr Cooper, Mr Mason, and a few others, they are still fairly inexperienced, but there is only one way to season the troops and that is through weathering a few storms." Mira gave an unusually undignified grunt, " This would all be much more evident if you had [Identify]. We must return to your lessons, but clearly there will be no chance of meditation for now. Let us work on [Mana Sense] for now.""

Please focus your ocular skill on Ms Farrier while she heals the unfortunate men, if you can discern the flows your should trigger the skill prerequisite, and then I can show you the sigils of the spellform you will need to hold above your iris for [Identify]. Now, light mana typically appears…"

Astra's POV When the hunting party set out, Astra had instructed the scouts to stay within eyesight of the main party and tasked Corporal Mason with long range reconnaissance. His ability to detect disruptions in air currents was not finely tuned since it had evolved as a close range detection tool for incoming projectiles, but it would most likely pick up large disturbances far enough out to alert the scouts, and it was better than risking the lives of the men.

They traveled at a quick jog following the trail left by the returning scouts through the trees, and they rapidly approached the site. After arriving at the scene of the ambush she had the men fan out to search for signs of the beast, she was no tracker but the scattered blood and brush crushed underfoot told an easy to read tale men caught unawares. Mason crouched by the signs of the ambush nearby as Astra kept watch, waiting for the men to report back if they could find the trail of the animal.

Mason stood as a man from 5th squad approached and addressed Astra, " My Lady we found the trail of the beast." A wide grin crept across her face as Astra felt the stir of the hymns in her chest, " Excellent. Come men! The hunt is on."