I Built This City Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Read chapter 42 of I Built This City by ThePudding on NovelPedia.

Hunter Ellen Continuity of experience was a strange thing. Ellen felt like Hunter Ellen in most ways. She had the memories all the way up to the moments before she’d killed the boar, and it had fatally wounded her. She remembered that feeling, the pulse-pounding excitement. It was why she’d been willing to follow Anroll and the ‘twins’ into the dungeon, where combat was almost certain. That, and she fully intended to see exactly how fast she could rush a Level. ATTRIBUTES Strength: 8 Agility: 8 Endurance: 8 Willpower: 9 Affinity: 8 Perception: 8 SKILL ENHANCERS STAMINA: 81/83 (+8/minute) MANA: 87/87 CLASS: Hunter 7 EXPERIENCE: 8740/16,000 (153,580 banked) PERKS Mana Manipulation (CC) ABILITIES The new ability to adjust banked experience wasn’t listed on her sheet, but it worked fine, so it had carried over from her previous life even if the others didn’t. She’d not used any of the banked experience when doing mundane things unrelated to being a Hunter , and used the full ten times multiplier when carving the boar up, or walking quietly, or any other award related to it. She’d gone from Level 6 to Level 7 just by making the trip to the dungeon. Mana Manipulation was a Cross-Class Perk for now, but Healer had assured her that once she took a more magic-focused Class, that limitation would vanish and her mana usage would be much more efficient. She’d considered practicing with it to see what effect that would have, but the dungeon trip promised an even better test. “Uncle, if you run to Merriweather for us, pick me up a new bow as well. Ask Merchant for the money,” Ellen noted, checking the string. It had lain on the ground, strung taut, for so many hours out in the cold snowy weather, and had already been secondhand. She’d taken good care of it, but was pretty sure it wouldn’t last much longer under these conditions. “That’s probably a good idea,” Anroll agreed. “Are the three of you ready? Don’t stress yourself, I don’t want any of you hurt. How do you usually handle the first chamber?” “We burn them!” Both Healer and Apprentice said that with so much enthusiasm that Anroll nearly jumped in surprise. The two started laughing in sync as well, which added to their odd effect… especially because it was still happening even when they looked wildly different, like now. Apprentice carried a spear, with patchwork hides for a sort of armor. Healer never intended to get into any combat at all, but she had one of their knives at her side, and lighter boots. Ellen wasn’t sure why Healer wasn’t shivering, she didn’t look like she’d dressed warmly enough for this day. Anroll whispered to Ellen, “Are they always so… identical?” “No,” Ellen answered aloud, since she already saw Apprentice was hurrying toward the entrance. Healer grabbed her twin by the cloak and yanked her back, rolling her eyes. The fact that they could be so eerily in sync with some things yet completely different when acting out their roles was the weirdest part… or so Ellen had thought before. Her interactions with Smith Ellen had made her start to realize the kind of relationship these two had. In a way, she felt a little envy that they’d become so comfortable with their split identity. She understood what Smith was becoming, but they didn’t share the same easy camaraderie that the twins had. It was a little strange, too. Had their accelerated learning also accelerated the differentiation between their selves? They were all Ellen, yet the further apart the lineage, the wider the gulf. Concerning. Anroll trudged forward toward the dungeon entrance. “Right, let’s see how this goes. Stay behind me and take a shot if you think you can hit, but don’t take any risks. I may be a Gold, but protecting three of you is still going to be rough. We’re here to figure out if the monsters go after me or not, and to give you a quick tour of the first floor so you can tell me if anything has changed.” “I’d like to get at least one kill in before we turn back,” Ellen