Chapter 145: That’s the Spirit

The smartest thing would probably be to go with just the flower. I could even throw a weapon in the other slot, so that it wouldn’t be empty. An empty slot would be a waste. On the other hand it wouldn’t be smart to turn an ability that allowed me to hide more effectively into something I’d be able to use offensively, when there was another option that would allow me to hide even better. I already had offensive skills. But I only had one [Disguise Self].

Did I care more about doing the smartest thing or would it be better to do the most effective thing? It did say the chance of those weird things happening was rare. It probably wouldn’t happen to me, would it? Or rarely. Could I live with that? I could probably live with that. My whole life since accepting this class was about dealing with unexpected situations. Yeah. I’d be fine.

The additional upgrade from the chaos seed made the skill a lot better. Phisto might be upset that I didn’t give it to him, but if I never told him he wouldn’t know or care. Maybe he wouldn’t care if he knew. Now that I was thinking about it, he would probably be proud. He was a [Purrveyor of Chaos] after all, whatever that was. We still had to have a conversation about that.

Phisto would definitely want me to have this. He’d probably try to convince me somehow if he were here. The additional points into Chaos would probably also make him happy. Or maybe he wouldn’t care one way or another. It was always difficult to tell how he felt, unless he was unhappy, then he’d definitely let you know.

I had decided. Both upgrades was the way forward.

Two plops later [Disguise Self] was upgraded.

I didn’t really feel any different, so I asked Vitek, “Did anything change?”

“Woah!” he said, raising his hands in front of him and scooting back a bit.

“What?! What is it?! Something wrong with my face?”

He grinned widely. “Just kidding. Yeah, that’s much better.”

“Man, you scared me for a second there. Please don’t do that again.”

He leaned back and winked. “No promises.”

Bards, or more specifically in this case a [Street Musician]. You couldn’t trust them not to look for a dramatic reaction. I guess I should have expected that.

“So, what exactly changed on your end?” I asked. “Can you see through it?”

Vitek leaned forward again, squinted and appeared to be studying me intently. “The first thing I notice is that I feel calmer when I look at you for some reason. Another thing is that while I know you are using a disguise, it’s like my brain is telling me you’re not. If I was just a regular guy, and I didn’t know you, I’m certain you would have fooled me. It doesn’t even look like a spell. Using two offerings was the right choice, I think.”

“You smell any strawberries?”

“What? Aside from the zwotokapki over there?”

“Never mind.”

I guess it didn’t make sense to try when there were a whole bunch of similar smelling flowers right next to us.

I turned Bogumir to face me. “What about you? Do I look like a bouquet of flowers?”

“You look like an idiot.”

I frowned.

“You still smell good. Not like strawberries, but it’s nice.”

“Thanks. I’ll take it, I guess.”

I was about to double-check with Vitek if he really thought it was necessary to also waste a skill upgrade point to upgrade [Forged Credentials] but then an idea hit me.

“Bogumir, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“I gained a bunch of levels since we teamed up. What about you?”

“I gained two levels.”

“Just two?”

His expression turned tired. “I would shrug and sigh, but since I’m just a disembodied head I’ll just stick to sighing. Watch this.” He let out a long, dramatic, completely unnecessary sigh.

“Geez, Bogumir. Why do you always have to be like that? I’m just trying to show interest. I’m trying to be a supportive friend! Did you gain any skills?”

“I can’t assign any skills. It’s grayed out. I can’t assign anything.”

“Not even stats?”

“Not even stats.”

If he couldn’t assign stats or skills, the stats I got from having him hanging from my belt probably also wouldn’t go up. The big question was if he was blocked from assigning anything because he officially was a [Headhunter] totem and the System didn’t allow totems to have any form of control. Which made sense, because you wouldn’t want your totems to turn on you. Though the System might also assume the totems were dead and wouldn’t be able to do anything anyway. But then what about undead? Those existed. They could do things.

That made me wonder if it mattered if he was equipped. What would happen if I unequipped him? Would that change his designation according to the System? Would he be able to assign stats and use skills again? Maybe I should try that out later, but first I should finish upgrading my skill so no one would be able to blow my cover.

“So,” I started. “[Forged Credentials] is what I use to hide my class. Do you really think its necessary to upgrade it? I don’t have that many skill upgrade points left, and I’d prefer to upgrade some other stuff.”

“It’s up to you.” He shrugged. “But it’s only a matter of time before someone checks your class. You stand out, Hecate. Even when you wear the face of your ‘sister’. It’s better to be safe than dead.”

“I guess so.”

“And it might open new, interesting enhancements to the skill.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have any more chaos seeds. I’d have to use something else. Is the zwotokapka flower also good for this?”

He nodded. “It improves any stealth or deception type skill. It’s not well known, probably because it only grows here, but it’s very effective.”

“I wonder how the hand of a [Rogue] would improve it. Maybe the head even.”

Vitek’s eyebrows shot up. “You have those?”

“No,” I said, shoulders slumping. “Closest I have is the head of a [Seeker], and his head is too useful to offer.”

He pulled a blade of grass out of the ground and inspected it. “Guess you better offer something else then.”

I stared at him for a moment, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Thanks, [Erudite Scholar]” is what I wanted to say, but didn’t. What did I have that could help me? I should probably ask Hubert to catalogue all my stuff, as well as what Vasil has inside of him.

I had a bunch of hands, but they were inside of Vasil, and Ambelios might not accept hands. It would be annoying if he didn’t. I knew he accepted weapons, and apparently chaos seeds. He’d probably accept rings and amulets. I had a bunch of those. I should probably try the hands first, because what else would I use them for? I’d been hoarding them for upgrades, so it would be foolish to lose a ring that I might want to use in the future when I could just offer a hand.

I remembered I still had the powudnitsa hand in a jar back at the cathedral. That probably wouldn’t do this particular skill any good. Lubomir, the [Flame Adept] and Stefan, the [Concussionist] were also back there. Now I’d changed my mind about investing in Strength, Stefan’s hand was looking a lot more attractive. Lubomir would probably always be good.

I resolved to get back to the cathedral as quickly as possible after I finished my business in Viswa. Skelly would probably be worried, and I imagined Kuba missed Kasia. And I wanted more upgrades.

I rose to my feet, grabbed a bunch more of the zwotokapka flowers, and put them in my satchel. “We should probably head back to town. Vasil is carrying most of my stuff, so if I’m going to upgrade [Forged Credentials], I should compare benefits between hands—if Ambelios even takes hands. And if he doesn’t, maybe he’ll take flowers, and I can offer the hand to Mēnē instead.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Vitek said, tossing the blade of grass aside and pushing himself up from the ground. He didn’t even bother dusting off his pants.

I glanced down at Bogumir, who was still hanging from my hip. Obviously. “Hey Bogey, I have an idea. An experiment I’d like to conduct once we get back to Viswa and after I upgrade my skill. I think you’ll like it.”

“I highly doubt that,” he grunted.

“Just look at your skills and think about which ones you might want to get should you be able to select skills again, alright?”

“Sure. Not like there’s much else I can do.”

“That’s the spirit!” I said cheerfully. It was nice to see his mood was becoming more positive. I’d turn him into an optimist eventually. I had no doubt about it. Once he realized what I was planning, he’d be super happy.

The stroll back down the mountain was peaceful. The sun was starting to set. I did feel strange, somehow. The feeling got stranger the darker it got. Could it be the [Disguise Self] upgrade?

Kasia walked silently by my side. She didn’t seem to sense anything strange. Vitek didn’t look alarmed either. Maybe I just had to get used to this. Maybe the 23 points in Chaos were warping my senses somehow… or the world around me.

As we approached Viswa I smiled. “Watch out Viswa, the mayor is back.”

======

STATUS SCREEN

[Hecate, Gunwitch Level 23]

STATS

Strength: 15 (8 + 7)

Dexterity: 61 (33 + 28)

Barrier: 1 (1 + 0)

Attunement: 145 (21 + 124)

Stamina: 15 (15 + 0)

Luck: 1 (1 + 0)

Chaos: 24 (1 + 23)

Headhunter Totems Equipped: 4/4

Believers: 23

SKILLS

[Quickdraw]

Type: Passive

Speed doesn’t kill. You do.

Drawing and firing weapons is faster. Also applies to spells. Effectiveness scales with user level.

[Clean Entry]

Type: Bullet Hex

Ignores barriers, excuses, and last words.

Infuses a bullet or projectile with the power to bypass any barrier or armor. High mana cost.

[Omniglot]

Type: Passive

Words are weapons. Now you’ve got the whole armory.

[Reload]

Type: Active

Never caught empty-handed. Or empty-gunned. You get it.

Uses mana to instantly reload weapons with spectral ammunition. Replaces bullets that were previously loaded (counts both physical and magical reloads). Low mana cost.

[Reload - Upgraded]

Offering: [Stefan Kanski, Concussionist - Hand]

Offering: [Lady Midday - Scythe]

Type: Active

Never caught empty-handed. Or empty-gunned. You get it.

Uses mana to instantly reload weapons with spectral ammunition. Replaces bullets that were previously loaded (counts both physical and magical reloads). Low mana cost.

Each bullet created by [Reload] gains the following bonuses:

+100% Kinetic Force

+25% Damage

+5% Life or Barrier stolen per hit

[Soul Index]

Type: Utility

Like [Inspect], but nosier and with a paper trail.

Displays class information and active status effects. Records data to System archive. Medium mana cost.

[Artifact Index]

Type: Utility

Like [Analyze], but with a better memory than yours.

Reveals item details and properties. Records data to System archive. Medium mana cost.

[Headhunter]

Type: Buff

Some people collect rocks. You collect heads. Your enemies will lose their minds over your collection. Literally.

Claim the heads of your defeated enemies. Shrink them and bind them to your weapons or gear as totems. Each head grants bonuses based on the strength and nature of the fallen. Maximum amount of totems increases by 1 every 5 levels.

[Blink]

Type: Mobility

You were here, now you’re there.

Instantly teleports to a location the user can see. Possible distance scales with Attunement. High mana cost.

[All Is One - Upgraded]

Type: Passive

Perfection through unity.

You become one with your weapons. You grow with them as they grow with you. You will no longer be able to use other weapons. Your bond with your weapons is reflected physically.

Offering: [Lubomir Drevek, Flame Adept - Hand]

Offering: [Flameowl’s Cry - Sword]

You gain the [Flame Breath] ability.

Toggle: +5% chance to apply [Pyroclasm] on hit. This is doubled while on fire.

+46 Attunement. Scales with level.

+23% Mana Regeneration. Scales with level.

+92% Attack Speed while on fire. Scales with level.

+92% Movement Speed while on fire. Scales with level.

+92% Damage while on fire. Scales with level.

+46% Fire Damage. Scales with level.

+23% Fire Resistance. Scales with level.

+23% Fire Absorption. Scales with level.

-23% to enemy Fire Resistance. Scales with level.

[Mana Shield]

Type: Barrier

Who needs armor when you have unreasonable amounts of mana?

Your Mana forms a barrier, absorbing damage at the cost of Mana. Points of Damage absorbed per point of Mana scales with Attunement.

[Mēnē’s Watchful Eye]

Type: Passive

The moon sees all.

You gain enhanced awareness of your surroundings in all directions. Scales with Attunement.

[Generous Gift]

Type: Passive

Their loss, your gain.

Permanently gain +5% enhanced damage after every kill.

Damage Bonus: 170%

[Ballistics Expert]

Type: Crafting

A true crafter understands that the tool and the user are one. Your understanding of projectiles, their flight, and their impact is no longer limited by mortal physics.

You are now able to magically craft projectiles. Yes, Hecate, that includes bullets.

[Disguise Self - Upgraded]

Offering: [Zwotokapka - Flower]

Offering: [Chaos Seed]

Type: Active

Ever felt like your face just wasn’t doing you any favors? Now it doesn’t have to be your face! Just try to remember who you actually are.

Disguise yourself as a person. Low upkeep.

This skill is now extremely effective. Those attempting to see through your disguise are more likely to feel a sense of calm when they look at you, though there is a chance they may experience an intense sense of dread instead. Perception checks against your disguise have a higher chance to fail during sundown.

Your disguise may subtly shift to match the expectations of the observer, meaning two people who have observed you may see different things.

There is a rare chance that people looking at you may occasionally, momentarily, see your face as a cluster of blooming flowers or a void of absolute darkness. This may lead them to question their own sanity.

There is a rare chance that people looking at you will smell the faint scent of the zwotokapka flower.

There is a rare chance that objects you touch are affected by your disguise.

+23 Chaos. Scales with level.

May have other effects not listed in description. Effects are subject to change.

[Forged Credentials]

Type: Toggle

Reality is whatever you say it is. Want to be a [Grand Archmage] while only Level 1? Or a [Professional Baby Deliverer]? Now you can be anything you can imagine.

Warning: [Definitely Not a Witch] is not as clever as you think it is.

Change your displayed Class into something of your choosing. Low mana cost.

[Haste]

Type: Mobility

Why run when you can run faster?

Increases the user’s movement and attack speed. Duration and increase scale with Dexterity. Low mana cost.

EQUIPMENT

Head  

#N/A

Torso  

[Adder - PoisonSpeedHand - Tunic]

1/1 charges of [Venom]. Recharges every twelve hours.

+15 Dexterity

15% Enhanced Attack Speed

Poison Length Reduced By 25%

-12% Enemy Poison Resistance

Hands [Flamegrip - Bracers, ethereal]        

These bracers can not be repaired.

+10 Attunement

+20% Fire Resistance

+5% Mana stolen per hit

+5% chance to summon a [Flame Serpent] on hit.

Belt     

Plain Belt

Totem: Bogumir Landa, Reclaimer

While this totem is equipped, lost limbs may be reattached to regain function.

+7 Strength

+7 Attunement

Totem: Strzyga Matriarch

Toggle: Grants wings capable of flight. Drains moderate amount of mana.

Boosts party members’ Strength based on a percentage your Strength.

Boosts party members’ Dexterity based on a percentage your Dexterity.

Boosts party members’ Attunement based on a percentage your Attunement.

Boosts party members’ Stamina based on a percentage your Stamina.

Legs    

[Delirium - HandStarWave - Pants]

10% chance to cast [Confusion] when struck

+10 Dexterity

+10 Attunement

+20% Status effect duration

Enemies affected by status effects take 10% increased damage

Feet     [Russet Boots of Attunement - Boots]         

+ 20% Fire Resistance

+ 5 Attunement

-10% Stamina drain                 

Amulet             

[Blessing of the Firemind - Amulet] 

Killing an enemy restores 10% of maximum Mana

+20% Fire Damage

+20% Fire Resistance

+10 Attunement

Ring1   [Rumours - Ring]        

Passive: Chain

Your spells have a 50% chance to bounce to the next hostile within 5 meters for 50% damage.

Ring2   [Russet Damage Conversion Ring - Ring]   

12% of Damage is converted into Barrier

+9% Fire Resistance

+6 Attunement

Weapon1         [Hecate's Revolver 1]

Totem: Jerzy Ruta, Kinetist

Mentally influence the path of projectiles fired by you. Scales with level.

+14 Attunement

+20% Mana Regeneration

Weapon2         [Hecate's Revolver 2]

Totem: Lubomir Drevek, Flame Adept

Weapon fires flaming projectiles.

Deal +30% damage to burning targets.

Killing a burning target restores a small amount of Mana.

Sidearm           [Stabigail – Dagger]   

When unsheathed, the dagger momentarily emits a blinding white glow and releases a puff of glittery smoke accompanied by a dramatic choral note.

+3 Dexterity