The thing about arcane slash is that it can be paired with an attack. A lot of the time we use it, it's because we want an unblockable attack, or an attack with echo, or, theoretically, an attack with Trans Smasher. The spell's own damage is nice, but something of an afterthought.
Its own damage scales worse than Reaper's will. (Which is to say, leveling reapers will increases Arcane Slash's damage more than leveling Arcane Slash does.) The other weapons are worse, but they do still scale it, and it picks up their abilities too, so they're equal in milestone potential as well.
Of course, that doesn't mean it couldn't have better milestones, or milestones that are multiplicative with the layered attack. That said, it could also not, and the weapons are still useful if we aren't using Arcane Slash as well as if we are.
TL;DR: we use it mostly for reasons that level doesn't matter for, and leveling weapons helps it too.
Well, pretty sure that practice all week is most likely to win, but i'm kinda worried about what will happen when we finish training voyage. Will we just drop Lucy, stay with them only enough for goodbyes, try changing time to stop Lucy from falling, or go back home. Somehow i can't see a happy ending for this...
Edit: Forgot this
[X] [exp] Plan Slow and Steady without Slashing (340 EXP)
-[X] Stardust Striker 15->16 (150 EXP)
-[X] Stygian Tempest 8->9 (80 EXP)
-[X] Argent Star 11->12 (110 EXP)
[x] Plan R&R
-[x] Practice X3
Only removed Arcane slash from xp because if i read right we already have everything from it.
The Naga behind you lets out one last hum of content, no, spite before it falls silent; moments after, the thrum of magic returns to your ears. The buzzing power it anchored within you remains, though.
A week of practice sounds good to you; food is not an issue at the moment, so you can give Lu time to process it all and go back to training.
After a few of your weapon stances and swings to warm up, you find one thing that is a little odd; your scythe and sword both grew a smidgen stronger, and after some checking, you think Argent Star did too. A weird change, seeing how your powers tend to grow by leaps and bounds instead of slowly most of the time.
But you table that thought and what it might mean for later, deciding to go back to practicing Voyage instead.
Granted, most of it is repetition and something akin to number crunching; except that time is not measured in numbers, that would be too easy. Then again, this is your own fault; you are the time traveler here, so you have to figure out how something as primal and alien as time actually works.
No one at home is going to believe you. If you ever tell anyone, that is. Science or magic or whoever would probably love the insights you have and gain into the matter of time, but you really can not find a reason to share them. Time travel should not become a thing any more than it already is.
Much to your chagrin, your body even provides you with the option to practice while distracted, as it bothers you with your period. Joy.
That day, you just throw down your work and try to poke Arcane Slash into corroding stuff instead. You even make some progress, and to hell with Lu for saying your sour mood is conductive for it.
She just laughs when you flip her off, but the unintended pun stays with you for a while.
Lucifer is... well, you heard theories that human mythology being similar to many existences in the LDC is based on members of other races falling onto Earth in the past. They would have died soon without any mana to sustain the parts of their bodies which require them, but they could have passed on knowledge.
You do not know much about the biblical Lucifer, aside from that 'he' is a fallen angel and aligned with hell. You know Gabriel is one of the archangels, too.
It seems those things were based in reality after all.
. . .
IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE . . .
On the sixth day, you are busy once again. It is tedious, but you figured out a rhythm by now.
Calm breathing, attention inward, 'calculate' a moment in time ahead, Voyage with the destination in mind.
Calm breathing, attention outward, aim for the mountains in Sheol, Voyage.
Calm breathing, attention outward, aim for your shelter on Milidia, Voyage.
And so on. You began to practice the interdimensional property as well, just to make sure you have it down pat. It is honestly much easier than the time aspect of Voyage, though by far not as accurate. You can designate a location, but you are not going to land in an exact place unless you spend minutes picturing it in your mind and have a good mental image of the place.
In related news, Sheol is... weird to see at this point in time. Nobody detected you and Sharon's Keep does not exist yet. Metatron's Divide is still a proper mountain range because the Archangel in question did not yet die there.
As you get back from your latest trip however, Lu immediately waves you into the shelter; the distant choir makes it clear even before you see them, following your friend's motion without hesitation.
Their auras are glowing faintly in the distance, visible even during the day. You keep yourself in your hidey hole as they pass by while your friend summons her cross. "They kept circling here a few times, but I think that was standard procedure. Their speed did not change, so we should be clear."
You nod and summon your spear in response. It always pays to be prepared after all.
While you watch the angelic patrol however, you keep thinking more about the past weeks and how your relationship with Lu changed. You do not even question her commands as you would for anyone else, and no amount of respect would lead to that.
Your mind is still there by the time the patrol moved on and Lu's tension faded. She notices the moment you just hum in response to her notion that you are good. Of course she asks immediately: "What are you thinking about?"
The first response she gets is a shrug before you slump down on your bed, now with a coating of leather so it stops poking you with stems... and because the leaves are starting to rot again. It is a weird train of thought, but still less weird than the subject matter.
"Just, uh, about you and me."
Lu just stares blankly for a long moment and you glare at her when her lips curl up. "Don't you dare."
Of course she dares. "Are you propositioning me now?"
You just groan and flip her off again. "Go be a lesbo elsewhere, I'm not interested."
"And you can say that why? Have you ever been with a woman to figure it out?" Lu keeps on grinning as she teases, though as usual with a hint of honest curiousity. You just roll your eyes in turn.
"How often have I seen you naked or with your tits bouncing around freely? You're pretty, but you do nothing for me." She first raised a finger to respond, then lowered it thoughtfully. But you are not done. "A damn Succubus propositioned me and it did nothing for me. I got to see my boss drunk and just in her chemise and she's prettier than any of my human friends too, which did nothing for me. I get to be in a bath with dozens of hot women and that doesn't do anything for me either. So yes, I'm pretty damn sure."
You take a deep breath after your short tirade; Lu is actually snickering at this point while you are definitely not pouting. If you learned anything at all during this journey, it is that you decidedly do not like girls.
"Well, you certainly seem to be getting into enough situations with barely dressed ladies." At this point, your stare is just unamused and Lu finally takes the hint, calming herself down. "But you were saying?"
Ah, right. She completely distracted you from that and now you kind of do not want to tell her anymore. But then again....
"I just never thought I'd find a friend like you out here, is what I meant." You quickly stop her from interjecting and shake your head. "Pao is cute and I love her to bits, but that's not the same. Not with Maya or Elisabeth, either. Maybe it's because of all of this," you tell her while motioning for the surrounding area, "but we went from teacher and student to kind of friends to good friends. I'd actually say you are my best friend out of everyone I know by now."
It is a weird feeling. Anna might know you much longer and probably better, but you never felt like you do with Lu now. There is a trust between the two of you that goes deeper than any words can describe.
Or perhaps you would feel the same with Anna now? Maybe your perception shifted. Maybe it is because Lu taught you so much and stayed with you through everything. Maybe that is what makes you feel like this.
Lu herself is eyeing you thoughtfully before shrugging; you still see the twitching of her mouth from her trying to suppress a smile. "I feel that makes sense. You and I are birds of a feather in some regards, yet oh so different in others. I am glad we met."
"You and I both."
That is all which needs to be said. You leave it at that, though a thought quietly lingers over the remainder of this and the next day: perhaps, despite all the bad things that happened, you getting lost in time was actually worth it for the people you met?
-------------
Food: 22 Completed Practice: 32 / 60
[] Plan for the week
-[] Action 1
-[] Action 2
-[] Action 3
Hunt small critters
(secures food for 3 days, auto-success)
Foraging
(secures food for 3 days, auto-success)
Hunt medium-sized critters
(secures food for 7 days, may turn into a combat encounter)
Hunt large beasts
(secures food for 14 days, combat encounter)
Hunt the biggest and baddest
(secures food for 30 days, boss encounter)
Practice
(adds between 2 and 3 days to the training counter; 7 days if all actions are this)
22+32 = 54 => 6 more days of food needed till 60, though we do not have to do so now.
We can train three more times before we have to get more food and Hunt medium-sized critters will likely suffice.
Aaaaaand we are heading to a tragedy, cause i really want to know a good way out of this that doesn't involve suicide by changing the past (yes, yes, it is a bad idea in many ways, but that still is the best ending i can imagine...)
Aaaaaand we are heading to a tragedy, cause i really want to know a good way out of this that doesn't involve suicide by changing the past (yes, yes, it is a bad idea in many ways, but that still is the best ending i can imagine...)
Lucifer is not someone who would be unknown if they were still around in the future. Maybe if she just up and left, but well... she had that opportunity before, and she fucked it.
[X] Plan Eye On The Sky
-[X] Hunt medium-sized critters
--[X] Keep your eye on the sky. If Bazelgeuse flies by, abandon your current hunt and show the explosive beast not even resurrection can save him.
-[X] Practice x2
The tricky part is that Bazelgeuse likely spends all its time outside of combat cloaked, which means that rather than 'see', we'd only be able to notice it via recognizing its magical presence, unless we can make Defy The Rules ignore its invisibility.
[X] Plan Eye On The Sky
-[X] Hunt medium-sized critters
--[X] Keep your eye on the sky. If Bazelgeuse flies by, abandon your current hunt and show the explosive beast not even resurrection can save him.
-[X] Practice x2
-[X] Hunt medium-sized critters
--[X] Keep your eye on the sky. If Bazelgeuse flies by, abandon your current hunt and show the explosive beast not even resurrection can save him.
-[X] Practice x2
I retain no real opinion about the action, though I note we'll want more exp soon to continue this plan.
Exp is pretty obvious. Considering the exp shortage, note that Stardust striker is by far the most important one, as it's ability has been waiting about 8 levels now and is the highest-leveled in general.
[X] [exp] Plan Slow and Steady (370 EXP)
-[X] Stardust Striker 16->17 (160 EXP)
-[X] Stygian Tempest 9->10 (90 EXP)
-[X] Argent Star 12->13 (120 EXP)
