085: Guide

Argh, please, where is my next fix? ;-) Love this...

demus_wiesbaden

could be a red herring

GrayReader

Or just the fact that he is wasting benefits from his ring. Especially if he is going to be whacking things with a stick, its worth putting in the daily time.

Elayda

I was wondering about that as well but it didn't break my immersion so I didn't mind it. Another thing that is strange is that the interlooper (I'm still holding out hope that it isn't Val) can't have been in there for long or he hasn't killed anything. When Rain checked the Lair it said 98%. To me it seems far more likely that the lair had recovered to 98% since the last time the Watch sent a party through rather than the interlooper killing 2%. Time will tell!

L Pedersen

I don't understand, why this interloper (probably Val?) isn't shown in the Party-List. Shouldn't the see his resource bars? Rain even explained again before they entered the Lair. It doesn't matter, if you get seperated. It allways shows everyone inside.

carebear90

Haha HEY. I'll take the agreement but those chapters that are heavy with math and system theory still get my mental juices flowing. #Mathislove #Mathislife

Ziggy

There was something about the watch commissioning some masonry to get clean water into the lair so I am guessing that is how he got in. As for Val getting caught and that leading to Rain working for Velika I believe you are spot on

Sunless

I cannot be the only one wondering if it would be possible for more people to follow Velika after she broke the barrier. Ie if this method could expand the maximum number of simultaneous delvers arbitrarily. It’s also interesting if they possibly could join up in a 9 ppl party or not.

Chymor

Val is almost certainly the other person in the lair. Rain might work out it's Val and cover for him. However, it seems doubtful in any case he gets the info to work it out, that Velika fails to spot him too. Plus Rain would be very reluctant to start trying to hide things from Velika, due to risk of unknown abilitys. So I think Val is going to get caught and Rain is going to have to talk Velika into not killing him. Which could end up with Rain working for Velika. But, hmm.... Val snuck into the lair past the guards somehow. Maybe he just outsmarted them, but he does have that unusual light based class. So maybe he has some secret abilitys, such as invisibility(as someone else suggested) Rain could point out that makes him a very handy asset(spy). Something Velika could do with given how she having trouble trusting her Guard allies. Plus Vals aims (revenge against the empire) aren't in conflict with Velika's.

payforthat

Refresh and try again. What is the error it is giving you?

SenescentSoul

I cant...read..it...please?

Brandon Bailey

Great chapters! - I'm completely with Ziggy on your improved flow and dialogue, and also really appreciating the slightly reduced math/focusing on things that are plot relevant when he does start to get side tracked/tempted by math questions. I think the math is fun and know many are even here for that take on this kind of story, but I am extremely glad to see chapters moving plot forward again, without losing over half or more of the word count to calculations on a problem he already has a simple answer for. Also: Thanks so much for a double chapter! It was like Christmas come again already, 11 months early!

Kyle

lovely soul

I mean this dynamic shift seems pretty entertaining so far. Rain's interactions last chapter and this chapter have been enjoyable for me. Run the gambit from funny to action packed but without the tenseness of threat to main characters. ...Also, #teamKettel

Ziggy

If you're talking about his 5 skill trees, including the skills within he hasnt taken yet, then chapter 64 seems to have them all.

Required

Dammit, I just figured out your next plot twist of "who is in the dungeon" because of your previous side perspectives. I need to stop reading those. They're nothing but spoilers.

Colby Last

Senescent, is there a reference doc or something you have laying around that you could potentially post for readers to use? It'd be nice to be able to quickly check the info on specific skills that Rain has only unlocked in the menu without actually picking up for himself. Thanks for the chapters though.

xdxx345

It's probably Val in the dungeon. He was looking for a way in during a previous chapter. It would also throw Rain into hot water when Velika remembers that the intruder and Rain know each other. All the reasonable things Rain said to her would suddenly sound like manipulation.

Ross

Okay, so actual thoughts on the chapters. Recently your flow and dialog skills have been on point. The chapters don't feel too heavy in one direction or another. The conversations have been natural, informative AND entertaining. Not sure if you've been actively working on it or it's just worked with what's going on in the scenes or what but it's noticeable and I dig it. The scenes where Rain is acting badass but it cuts to him freaking out is pretty much comedy 101. It's a common trope but you had me enjoying it in spite of it. So apparently there IS some kind of limit to people entering lairs. But if you're strong enough you can just blast through the barrier anyways. V doesn't need the essence monster. I wonder if she'll let the trespasser (assumedly Val) group up with the other 7 to get the kill credit? Or if all he needs is to damage it before it dies, party or not.

Ziggy

Rain should maximize all his synchronization. There could be some hidden benefits

Kemizle

If he can raise his cap enough to get all the magic unlocks he wants I'd see him picking up the staff kata and using that in conjunction with his epic aura control 👌👍 I would LURVE this.

Scott Frederiksen

Before any of that happens Rain will have to learn how to fight. Right now Rain couldn't win a physical fight to save his life.

L Pedersen

I *really* hope we're not about to have Idiot Troupe Round 2, but with different people this time. I could deal with people being arrogant idiots in the first Lair but if we're going to rehash the exact same mentality/character types this is going to be nails on a chalkboard.

Keifru

There is ton of foreshadowing in the novel. Like mc melee and magic potential.

I like velika to be honest, she is honest with what she feels. she thinks less of all weak people peasant or noble. And she may change in the future

This chapter made me all the more hype for prismatic intent. Soon Rain will be able to be a battle mage just by combining velocity and physical ward, and if he were to add well timed shroud novas to his attack if prismatic intent allows for more auras to be used at a higher level of the skill. He will probably max the skill level in like 2 days. If prismatic intent exp gain works off some percentage of mana usage like all the other skills, he could just winter nova and low percentage purify nova all day, and probably clear like a few tens of thousand exp for the skill, and even if he didn't it makes it all the more easy to gain regular level up exp which just go to buying skill tiers. I'm really hoping we some how get a level 26 blue in this dungeon

ricky jackson

I loved these chapters, for the first time in a long time I think the pacing was good. There was actually a flow and sequence of events instead of some math and one conversation. Can't wait to see more and I hope the forshadowing with Val was a red herring and it's some other idiot in there with them. Also I hate Velika, she's a five year old throwing a constant temper tantrum going "Why won't people respect me? wah wah wah"

L Pedersen

Velika must feel pretty entertained right now. Why the hell didn't Lord Rill chose another son for this? Or are they all like that? ^^

carebear90

It'll be stupidity from 1 or 2 of the people that'll cause the danger.

tibbish

This was a great chapter, one of the best, I love how there isnone missing person in Rain's roster and one too many ppl in the dungeon, and we know the missing person is very smart and probably knew the dungeon will protect him from mana Syphon, I can smell a negotiation chapter coming up just don't know if it will be over the core or the blue.

Arnon Parenti

Poor Rain. I think one of them is really going to die before the rest get the picture.

Empty Shelf

The only criticism I have is that this only makes me want more chapters immediately. How dare you.

Ziggy

Unexpectedly this feels like the least dire fight of the series, for now anyway.

Pyrefiend

Thanks for the 2 chapters !

CentaureHeart

Thank you <3

GrayReader

Thank you!

Andrew

TWO chapters! Early upload? G'damn. You fiend!

Ziggy

It was more the fact that I posted this one before 84. 😅

SenescentSoul

Was the ePub chapter wrong or something? The PDF seems the same.

HornsOfTheseus

You saw nothing!

SenescentSoul

I made an oops.

SenescentSoul

What happened to the previous release?

NNeil

Wtf lol

Boutross