Book 5. Chapter 33: Fhesiah’s Path

Book 5. Chapter 33: Fhesiah’s Path

Having activated her Valkyrie Champion ability, Ophelia once again tanked the boss. Jake received his miniature version of the ability, receiving wings of his own. Valora now neared Jakes side, a little unhappy about the situation.

She didnt enjoy that Ophelia became too big to ride her, limiting her ability to contribute to the battle. In her original form, she would be capable of using her own lightning attacks, and perhaps able to increase her own size if it benefitted her.

Jake patted Valora, even as he began moving his mana, preparing for his next spells. Dont worry, Valora. Youre going to be able to help protect Morwen and her priestesses soon. We appreciate your help.

She gave a happy whinny, as Tanda sprinkled some seeds on her, triggering [Rampant Growth]. Vines grew out, allowing the priestesses to later hold on to her.

The armor which protected the boss was hardening by the intense cold being beamed into it, and Fhesiahs Sun and Moon Hex was erased by the immense cold.

The energy kept filling its staff, the kings health gradually decreasing as the energies were pushed inside.

Bedwyr retreated from the boss, as Morwens priestesses, along with Nadessa and her mothers, finally completed their group cast, releasing their spell: Deathly Hunt. Bedwyr landed next to her on his horse, as he raised his war scythe, saying a prayer to Arawn and filling himself with his faith energy.

An apparition of Arawn overlay itself over Bedwyr, the Lord of Annwyn appearing with his deathly hounds holding a massive war scythe. The hounds became a wave of black fog filled with death and congealed around the boss, before the scythe was swung downward.

The boss was struck by the scythe, slashing through and cutting deeply. This staggered the frost giant king, its armor not regrowing rapidly like it had done before. The health had decreased by over five percent in the one attack, and it appeared the frost instead filled the giants new wound.

Their powerful spell released, the priestesses and dryads happily climbed on Valora using the vines. What happened next would require a bit of mobility. While the boss mechanic was something that running on the ground would work, riding on Valora would allow them more freedom to cast spells.

The energy in the Frost Giant Kings staff finally peaked, and he roared as he pierced it into the ground next to him. The parties quickly spread themselves out around him in a circle, prepared for his attack. Creating a club made of frost, the king looked at Jake. He could feel his focus or hatred was toward him.

Ira confirmed this with its warning, so he took flight with the wings from Ophelias Valkyrie Champion ability along with Tanda. Jasmina went the other direction from them, her speed enough to keep her from being hit.

He was just in time. A beam of powerful frost was fired from the staff toward where Jake had been standing, striking the wall behind him. The beam started circling the room in a counter-clockwise pattern from the floor to well beyond the height where anyone could jump, chasing after Jake.

It moved slowly enough that the more physically focused war maidens could run as they shot their bows, or Yimings priestess wife could keep ahead of it. Still, it quickly became dangerous even for them as more golems fell from the ceiling.

Tanda and Bree helped protect them, while everyone else kept ahead of the beam and worked on killing the boss.

Fhesiah drew heavily on her bloodline flames, and breathed out flames of the dragon. Her Dao manifested, a dragons visage appearing and breathing flames, engulfing the boss with the fires of creation. She gathered some additional flames of creation from her spell into an orb, and began her Dance of the Moon.

Ophelia wailed on the boss with her large halberd, piercing deeply into its flesh with her large spike. Retributions power had built from allies taking damage from the bosss icy explosions, so she was able to mix powerful [Vajra Strikes] with her swings.

Bloodberris axe and her tail weaved and sliced into the enemy, cutting deeply into its armor and restoring allies nearby. Holy light and dark emanated from her body, empowering herself and weakening the boss. Her immense bodys momentum made each strike count heavily.

Yiming and Longwei were both covered in their valorous energy, the former racing around the battlefield and cutting down golems. The latter had now reached the peak of his Tigers Fury, his glaive also doing respectable damage against the boss or nearby golems.

Dahlia and Timones resonance reached their peak, and they released their powerful golden attacks. The two beams of golden light pierced into the bosss chest, shattering its armor and cutting into its flesh. While one beam clearly went through the bosss heart, the magical frost seemed to fill in the gap, restoring this vital organ.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Fhesiah had shifted to her dance of the moon, and her flames of the kitsune had reached their peak as the moon raised high in her spiritual temple. Taking the flames of creation from her stored orb, she drifted the flames together, trying to merge them.

But the two flames refused to merge. They were opposites, and they clashed, exploded against, and consumed one another. Infusing them with miniscule amounts of Divine Energy from her stores didnt appear to help, if anything, making the merging of them more chaotic.

Her goal was a flame like Hestiasa flame that encompassed all things. She wanted to bring herself closer to accomplishing this with her cultivator core, a core that embodied her path.

This was a crucially important stage for a cultivator, even more important than foundation establishment. If she created a core that didnt embody her complete path, it would be even more challenging to fix or change it than poor foundations. Trying to steer her path in another direction after creating her core would be like trying to turn a massive ship.

The cultivator core was where she would eventually build her Nascent Soul, so the closer she could get it to her path, the better. When forming the core, it was important that the energies within found and maintained a balance, while still embodying her path.

To achieve this, she needed to somehow merge them now. Merging yin and yang flames lead to chaotic fire, which was something that could not find a delicate balance or harmony on their ownthey could not be controlled. But Fhesiah had added more than just the flames to her pathher dao of dragon claw.

The two flames of her bloodline floated together, forming an orb of red and gold flames of creation, that of the dragon, and black and purple flames of ruin and destruction, that of the kitsune. The two flames refused to merge, fighting and sparking as they swirled around one another as she tried to control them.

Jake conversed with Morwen, Yiming, and Timone. Everything went as they expected, their teamwork and planning were effective against the boss.

They went over splitting up the rest of the loot for the rest of the raid, before Jake and his lovers sat on or around the couches with coffee tables laid out. They switched to their more casual tribal clothing, to have a better rest. Their initial Raid only took a few hours, but they were filled with difficult combat.

That was easy! Well have this raid beat in no time! Berri swayed side to side, clapping in happiness from her place next to the couch.

Ophelia sat next to Jake, with Fhesiah on the other side. The first stage wasnt all that challenging, but thats often how it is. The success rate of the first is high, to lure you into the next for further rewards. The battle angel was confident, despite her words.

To Jake, Tanda looked a little down with her ears flat on her head where she sat on the other side of Fhesiah. Whats the matter, Tanda?

She looked over at Fhesiah worriedly. Its just, Fhesiah got hurt again, and I just wish there was some way I could help

Fhesiah chuckled. But you have helped, dear sister. Your help with finding resonance and harmony has surely helped me with getting better at my own control. Still, this energy must originate from me, or I will not be able to create a working template. I am to flavor my core matching my spirit, my path. If they cannot find balance on their own, it means when I make to form my core, everything will fall apart.

Blood tapped her lips. But how does your Hearth fall into this? This is not something a cultivator usually has, is it? Perhaps it, along with the new heavens, will aid you.

Fhesiah looked thoughtful, but she smiled. Thats right. I havent given up hope. I am not entirely alone in this, the energies that make up my Hearth contain the flames of our family. Even now, as I use my draconic flames and kitsune flames, other energies are seeping in from the hearth.

She continued, Originally I thought the lack of purity to be the problem, but separating the energies only worsened it. I think a bigger issue is that I am much further ahead of my understanding of my draconic flames over my dragon claw or kitsune flames. They were not a focus of my first life, as it were, so I have been playing catch up. I am much more unbalanced than the flames of our family.

Jake frowned. How can you make up for that? Certainly, youve focused a lot on the dragon claws in combat, but a few months is nothing compared to a century of study and merging with the heavens. Then, you gained a lot from Hestia and her flames.

Thats what I hoped to obtain from the Battleground as a prize: Dao Treasures. Exceedingly rare at our Tier, these items should briefly harmonize my spirit with the heavens, allowing me to take on the truths of the universe and make them my own.

Ophelia was concerned. But doesnt that mean you need two of them, one for the claws and one for Bastets flames? What are the odds of that? Then you mentioned special treasures necessary for core formation, which sounded an awful lot like these Dao Treasures, but specialized for creating the foundation for your core.

Jake hugged Fhesiah to himself tightly from the side. Im sure shell have a shot at one or two of the things she requires at the end of the Raid, but Bastet already aligned her for the Battleground itself. Well do whatever it takes to make sure shes as ready before she goes as we can.

Nods and murmurs of agreement came from all the girls, the family ready to aid Fhesiah with her path. She was not alone, both with her need to obtain rare treasures, but also to find the inspiration she required.

Another Battlegroup arrived in the center of the Rest Area, the large group of varied forces appearing in motes of light. Jake was unsurprised that it was Takodasthe Battlegroup a bit heavier focused on tamed auril beasts than other Raid groups.

The large auril beasts would make excellent tanks against the giants, while the rest of the Battlegroup whittled away at them safely.

Jake went over to meet with Takoda. How did it go?

Takoda smiled, as he pet Missys large snout and fed the beast an auril-rich plant with a laugh. Missy and the other tamed beasts did wonderfully. They barely took on wounds facing the giants in the caverns, their auril healing them easily. When we got to the boss, there sure were a lot of them, but the dryads and fauns were able to restrict them for a time as our many warriors took them on.

Jake nodded. Thats great news. How large were the giants?

Takoda frowned. Id say just a bit under five meters? The king was larger, but Missy here was able to withstand his blows well enough with her auril and the clergys buffs, at least until he powered up at the end. She needed a lot of healing thensame with the rest of us. Luckily, we auril heroes could heal ourselves from the waves of cutting ice. He smiled with pride.

Jake could see that the giants being around thirty percent smaller or less massive could make a significant difference in their strength, and thus the difficulty of the encounter. Odds were, their resilience, their ability to cast magic, and their strength, were all decreased, making them easier for the Battlegroup to manage.

Then, their raid groups would have fifty actual members, compared to Jakes thirty. It would be easier for them to assign several people to each giant at the end encounter, to keep them busy as they focused them down with ranged attackers.

More groups began to arrive, their outcomes good. Even Brocks Raid group filled with the youngest and least experienced warriors, and even a few spriggons around level 20, were fully successful with no deaths. Jake learned that their giants could hardly be called that, being only a little over four meters tall.

When a reptile beastkin like Jarrix could grow to match their large size, they didnt feel all that difficult to deal with. With proper equipment, coordination, and a well-rounded party, Jake thought the success rate was high.

Only a few of the pick-up groups filled with a majority of Adventurers from outside Highlands were backing down at this stage, and Jake was happy to see them following the rules laid out. There were very few that were reported to have failed, Valtor having an accounting of those that were joining.

The second Challenge should be more difficult than the first, leading to an increased likelihood of deaths. But Hearthtribe was confident they would defeat this challenge just like the first.