"That is useful. Really useful, actually. I can't count how many times I've almost been blinded in the past month."

Jake nodded.

"The regen would have helped in the fight," Reidar said, looking at Jake. "Put it on. We will be able to save some mana thanks to the effects of the helmet."

Jake didn't argue. He equipped the helmet, and the System adjusted the fit. "I can see... everything," he said, without turning his head. "Behind me, above me, to the sides. It's all just... there. It's disorienting as hell."

"You'll get used to it," Reidar said. "Give it an hour, and it'll feel natural." Or so Reidar was hoping.

"I hope you're right," Jake said. "Because right now it feels like my brain is trying to process five different camera feeds at once."

Reidar looked toward the treeline. The sound of distant screeching echoed through the forest. "We need to move. The scent of blood is already pulling every scavenger in a five-kilometer radius, and I don't want to waste mana fighting trash mobs. We've got bigger problems to deal with."

"Agreed," Lena said. She put her new gear into her inventory. "Where are we going?"

"East," Reidar said. "There's a ridgeline about two kilometers from here. Should be defensible and hidden from aerial view. We can rest there and plan the last part of the assault on Ashwick."

He paused. "Now that Drecht, Isadora, and Lucius are dead, in theory we should not have problems in dealing with the church, but I don't want to risk it. Someone I had not seen might be there, and since you are going to the city without me, it would be better to plan things well enough to make sure we don't get fucked."

They left the clearing, moving through the underbrush toward the ridge. The forest was dense, and the footing was treacherous, but they rested while riding Jake's large War Mastiffs. They found a small depression under a rock overhang that was defensible and concealed from above.

"Rest," Reidar said. "We hit Silas and Ashwick tomorrow. I want everyone at full health and full mana before we move."

"What's the plan?" Lena asked. She sat down and began pulling rations from her inventory. "Whoever will be in command now knows we are here, and he or she isn't going to just let us walk in. They will have defenses set up. Traps, guards, probably some kind of warning system."

"The plan is simple," Reidar said.

Reidar shared his plan with them. Jake and Lena would sneak into the city. The problem was that the walls made that difficult, but difficult didn't mean impossible.

After they agreed on how to deal with Ashwick, the conversation turned to the harder challenge—dealing with Silas, something Reidar would have to handle alone.

"We've come too far to turn back now. Silas is the key to all of this."

"I hope you're right," Lena said. "Because if you're wrong, we're all dead."

"I know," Reidar said. He closed his eyes. "Get some sleep. Both of you. I'll take first watch."

While Jake and Lena settled in to rest, Reidar sat against the stone and called up his interface. He needed to prepare. The fight with the Hydra had been messy, but the fight with Silas would be technical. He needed every advantage he could get.

"Status."

—[<<Status>>]—

Name: Reidar Miller

Level: 379

Health: 13900

Mana: 61680.70

C.L.A.S.P.: 921854 / 1679800

Available Attribute points: 0.00

Skills: Storm-Wyrm's Ire, Summon: Mana-Forged Dreadmaw, Dreadmaw's Corrosive Mist, Tetra-Lion's Cataclysm, Sovereign's Absolute Carapace, Overmind Consciousness, Apocalyptic Catalyst, Summon Vorathid Sky-Hunters, Summon Undying Legion, Summon Apex Menagerie, Summon Shadow Sovereigns, Summon Spectral Quadraginta, Summon Archon Rift-Lords, Touch of the Eternal Sovereign, Genesis Garden, Yggdrasil's Grasp, Emperor's Decree, Event Horizon Javelin, Chaos Storm, Presence of the Sovereign, Gaze of the Pariah, Sovereign's Aegis, Wellspring of Vitality, Aura of Absolute Purity, Summon: Twin Obsidian Siege-Breakers, Summon: Verdant Sovereign, Summon: Avatar of Primal Convergence, Summon: Void-Claw Pack

Equipment: Void-Caller's Baton, Diadem of the Overseer, Vestments of the Hive Mind, Breeches of Reality's Edge, Grips of the Puppeteer, Sabatons of the Rift-Strider, Vambraces of Binding, Mantle of the Unseen Legion, Cincture of the Mana-Well, Torque of the Alpha, Signet of Expansion, Band of Eternal Servitude

Proficiencies: Velia's Regional Map (64%), Velia's Monster Compendium (72%), Intermediate Spellcraft Mastery (100%), Warrior's Dominion (100%)

Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 27.5 + 111.5), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 142 + 200.5), (F.L.A.I.R.: 17 + 82), (F.L.I.P.: 17 + 95)

Minions: #N/A

Survival Points: 27,621,265

Trait: Skill Sharing

Perks: Efficient Scavenger (6/6), Arcane Potency (6/6), Mana Attunement (5/5), Mana Font (6/6), Focused Mind (5/5), Rapid Learning (5/5), Mana Regeneration (10/10), Arcane Resilience (4/4), Empowered Effects (5/5), Arcane Leech (5/5), Spell Control (5/5), Pack Tactics (5/5), Elemental Infusion (5/5), Resilient Constructs (6/6), Grave Calling (20), Boundless Legion (10/10), Legion's Fortitude (5/5), Ethereal Anchor (5/5), Mana Siphon (10/10), Shared Resilience (1/1), Legion Commander (5/5), Unsleeping Sentinels (1/1), Territorial Dominance (4/4), Adaptive Evolution (10/10), Symbiotic Regeneration (8/8), Soulforged Armor (10/10), Legion's Onslaught (8/8), Inspired Creation (8/8), Master Gatherer (8/8), Systemic Salvage (10/10), Deft Hands (9/9), Blueprint Genius (1/9)

Perk Points: 24

Titles: The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer, Creature Slayer IV, Rift-Sprite Hunter IV, The Exterminator, Guardian of the Innocents, Adept Learner, Abyssal Caller, The Apex, Titan Breaker, Mana-Forged Will

Profession: Tailoring (LVL 270), Woodworking (LVL 235), Enchanting (LVL 293)

—[<<END>>]—

Reidar stared at the number at the bottom of the list.

Perk Points: 24.

He had been hoarding them since the first level-ups he did weeks ago. It was something he did out of caution because he needed to have a deeper understanding of Silas' situation before using the perks; plus, now that he was reaching level 400, he actually saw how mass summoning was becoming less and less useful.

Of course, he was talking about skills that let him summon many creatures at once. Those weren't working as well anymore. But skills that summoned single, powerful creatures still worked excellently. Reidar could build armies again—he just needed better skills first.

Regardless, now he knew what perks he had to choose. There were some that he had been eyeing for quite some time, but given the situation, it had been better to focus on something else.

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