Shalin, p.23
Shalin, page 23
And short of the rare high level recruits like Alina and Halarin, most had to be leveled from the 10s or low 20s.
The next morning Dare set out to level with Ash, Lily, Koru, Veressa, Pella, Leilanna, Linia, and Sava. And, at long last now that she was high enough level to get experience with them after just turning Level 47, Misini.
Thanks to his catgirl wife's powerful AoE spells, combined with stacking her with all the highest quality mana and mana regen increase gear the Crusade had available, which for practical purposes meant she'd been wearing mostly Master quality gear for the last 30 levels, she'd been able to get experience, well . . .
Honestly he was surprised he hadn't triggered a world system rebalance and got slapped with another rank of Noticed for it.
First off, monsters aggroed based on proximity except in specific circumstances, like the nearest enemy was crowd controlled in some way. That meant that an AoE caster could stand there nuking the hell out of a crowd of monsters and they'd keep going for the person they were aggroed on. It was a serious weakness that he was surprised more people didn't exploit.
Although considering that speed was the main way to exploit the weakness, and not many people were as fast as him, most didn't have the ability to even attempt it.
Secondly, no Spellflinger AoE had a limit on how many targets it could hit, and hitting more targets didn't reduce the damage to each. So accounting for the maximum number of monsters that could be packed into the space the spell covered, it could potentially hit an entire spawn point's worth of monsters with one spell. Or even multiple spawn points if they got cute.
Which they did.
Misini's leveling partner was Arcon, Clover's brother and Lily's and Rose's uncle, who'd joined his sister and her family when they'd fled Brighthill Warren and come to the sanctuary of Independent, bringing his mates and children with him.
And adding several women to his harem in the interim, unsurprising given his cunid looks and virility.
Dare was aware that the idea of his catgirl wife leveling up beside a male cunid had raised some eyebrows, given the reputation of both races. Even his second, Carnon, had subtly commented on it.
But in fact Dare and his family could think of few others they trusted more to accompany Misini hunting monsters full time, and for very good reasons.
First, cunids treated family with absolute loyalty, and showed that same respect for committed relationships. Arcon considered Misini his niece same as Lily or Rose, and viewed it as his solemn duty to ensure her safety.
Secondly, Arcon's bunny girl lifelong mates couldn't stand to be away from him while he was gone leveling, so they all tagged along to cheer him and Misini on from a safe distance. That meant plenty of chaperones to stifle any potential gossip.
And of course it didn't even need to be said that Dare trusted his catgirl wife without question. Her loyalty was as solid and fierce as Pella's.
And so the two had set out to make Collisan history as one of the fastest leveling two-person parties ever.
At Dare's suggestion, and for the specific purpose of leveling with Misini in a powerful combo, Arcon had picked Mage with an earth major attunement and water minor attunement. That allowed him to cast a spell called Dire Bog that slowed monsters to a crawl for just long enough that the catgirl could blast them.
There were definite mana issues as a Spellflinger. It was designed to be the major AoE class with massively powerful and large area of effect spells. Which meant that pragmatically speaking, even her most efficient AoE spell Flamespout required her to hit 9 enemies, or basically a full party, to be cost effective.
Thankfully with Arcon zooming around with cunid speed, gathering the monsters from at least one spawn point and usually two, most of the time the groups were somewhere in the range of 30 to 70 monsters. Which was why it was stupid powerful.
Sure, there were some complexities. They had to go for spawn points that didn't have monsters with ranged attacks or crowd control, or the rare few who were as fast as a cunid. And it took a bit of finagling to get all the monsters crowded into a small enough space to all get hit, and timing to make sure Misini hit them all, then Arcon was able to get enough of a lead to turn and cast his Dire Bog so she could finish them off.
And even beyond that consideration, finding monsters with the optimal levels or hit points to give maximum experience but still die to an even one, two, or three Flamespouts, so she wasn't wasting mana finishing off a bunch of monsters with a sliver of health.
Without Dare's Adventurer's Eye to create a comprehensive monster compendium and spawn point map for the true wilds, it would've been far trickier to plan optimal leveling routes.
But all other considerations in mind, with a raptor mount for her to ride and the optimal leveling area, the pair literally leveled twice as fast as anyone else. To the point that Dare sometimes toyed with the notion of switching to one of those classes and having Lily switch to the other so they could power level their way to super high levels at insane speeds.
The only reason he didn't was that he had a feeling someone up there was pissed at him for all the other ways he'd been cute that had got him Noticed, and the moment he changed class they'd “balance” whichever class he picked to hell.
Either way, though, Arcon would be leveling with one of the Crusader parties while Misini joined Dare and his companions. Honestly Dare felt a bit bad about slowing her insane leveling speed with the broken combo to join them, but the unabashed delight on his cuddly sweetheart's face when he joked she was high enough level to join him basically decided the matter.
She was so excited, in fact, that she hopped into his arms as they waited for Koru to open their portal, face buried in his neck and her contented purring interrupted by the occasional happy sigh.
“I've been looking forward to this for so long,” she said, nuzzling his chin. “Arcon's a good leveling companion and he did a great job with aggro and crowd control. And his wives are such dears . . . it was fun to have them along cheering us on from a safe distance and chatting during breaks.”
She laughed and kissed his shoulder. “But being surrounded by a harem of horny cunids who took every opportunity to sneak off together made me miss my own beloved husband and our harem so much, even if we got to see each other every night.”
“I'm glad you're finally here with us too,” he said, kissing her velvety tiger-striped gray ears, then when she lifted her face to him pressing his lips to hers. Her purrs ratcheted up a notch, and her tail looped around his waist.
Pella bounded over and joined the hug, nuzzling Misini's neck. “I'm glad you're here too!” she said, fluffy golden tail wagging.
Dare couldn't help but grin at his dog girl wife's boundless enthusiasm. While she and Linia had never been more than friendly, she'd taken to Misini immediately and developed as close a relationship with her as with any of the other wives she'd known longer.
It likely came down to loyalty. That was one of the things Pella valued most, and the tiger-striped gray catgirl had proven fiercely loyal enough to earn even a dog girl's approval.
Which she now showed by thoroughly licking Misini's face with her flat pink tongue, making her giggle. “We're going to have so much fun together!” Pella said happily.
“I know, right?” the catgirl said, lapping at her dog girl lover's beautiful heart-shaped face with her own small rough tongue. “I know we need to work nonstop to get experience and find the best way to level with our class composition, but I'm just happy we can do it as a family.”
Off to one side Linia made an unhappy sound, although when Dare glanced her way she had her back turned and seemed focused on a report.
It was true she was the only one in the party who wasn't a member of the harem. Dare regretted if she felt left out, but he wasn't sure what he and the women he loved could do about it aside from include her as much as they could.
“I'm glad we can do it as a family too, along with a good friend,” he said, reaching out to cup Pella's cheek with his free hand.
He'd hoped that would make his catgirl friend happy, but she made another plaintive sound and walked out of earshot while they waited for the portal.
Dare wished he could make her feel better somehow, but he didn't let her glum mood dampen his own happiness at Misini and Veressa joining them. Honestly adventuring alongside the women he loved had been his dream from the first, fading to disappointment when most chose staying home to raise children over leveling with him.
Not that he begrudged them that, of course. Far from it. But before Lily had joined him, then Koru and finally the others, it had gotten a bit lonely. He just regretted it had taken Malin kidnapping Marigold and Marcus and driving the family into hiding to make it happen.
Granted, their current party didn't have a damage mitigation support, and Sava's heals were on the weak side since her class's focus was breaking crowd control. For that matter Linia's Flanker class wasn't the sturdiest of tanks, suited to party rated monsters and dungeons at best unless she was superbly geared, over-leveled the enemy, had the right buffs, or ideally all of the above.
Still, for purposes of leveling this party was perfect, because it was filled with women he loved.
Misini's enthusiasm dimmed just slightly. “I'm sad I had to replace Buttercup, though. I don't want you to be missing her just so you can be with me.”
Leilanna waved that off as she also hugged the catgirl. “Buttercup's high enough level that she doesn't need to be out in the field all the time. And she's got more than enough duties helping Ireni to keep her busy. She was only able to join us about half the time anyway.”
Dare nodded, kissing Misini's velvety gray ears. “Anyway right now we're just testing the potential for a more AoE focused group centered around you, Leilanna, and Veressa. We swap out party members all the time based on who's busy with what, so while this might become our main leveling group we'll still have plenty of chances to see Buttercup and others."
“Portal's up!” Koru bellowed, interrupting the discussion.
Linia and Lily ducked through to confirm the far side was clear of roaming monsters and animal predators, Ash protectively darting after them. Dare started to set Misini down to join them, but his wife looked so disappointed that he let her scramble around to ride on his back as he hefted his bow and stepped through the portal.
With her graceful dancer's body she was no burden, especially with his strength boost from Great Power. Although once it came time to actually hunt monsters she'd need to get down and put her powerful AoE spells to use.
The rest of his wives and consorts followed leading their raptor mounts, with Koru bringing along Misini's as well. They all quickly mounted up, Dare once again giving in to his catgirl wife's pleading look and climbing into her saddle behind her for the short ride to the first spawn point.
Leilanna laughed at them. “Milking your first day with us to the fullest, eh?” she teased Misini.
“Yep!” The tiger-striped gray catgirl giggled and contentedly leaned back into his embrace, resuming her purring.
Dare couldn't complain. Traveling between spawn points was a good opportunity for him to spend time with the women he loved, and he wanted to make the most of Misini's first day with them too.
She'd been away too much in the last year and a half, determinedly spending every waking moment leveling, training, or joining in the raids or other Crusade ventures. She'd often come in late to collapse into bed with the rest of them, then was one of the first up to get out to the spawn points again.
The only real breaks she took were for special family events, when Dare asked to spend time with her or she asked to spend time with him, when they made love, and when it was her turn to sleep in his arms.
Hopefully now she'd relax her frantic pace, and they'd all be able to see her more often.
It took some theorycrafting and would also likely take a bit of trial and error to adjust to Misini's addition to the party to maximize her capabilities, combined with Leilanna's and Veressa's Ring of Fire point blank area of effect spells. The plan involved Dare on one spawn point, Lily on another, and Linia, Pella, and Ash working together to pull a third. After which they'd coordinate bringing them all together at the same time, at a spot in the center of the three spawn points where the rest of the party waited.
As always, it took took a lot of planning, cooperation, and practice to get right, so to start out Dare had them only pull one spawn point, having Linia, Pella, and Ash go first to practice working together. They'd kite the clumped monsters into Misini's Flamespout, then continue them forward to a spot between the two mages, where their Ring of Fires should hit all the monsters without hitting each other.
The group was starting with lower level monsters that Dare was confident would easily fall to the two combined spells. But assuming they didn't, and in later pulls, he was prepared to Pounce in, grab his dusk elf wife, and use Roll and Shoot to get out to safety with her. For his vampire consort's part, she was a more veteran adventurer and had a vampire's quickness; she'd have a raptor mount waiting nearby, ready for her to hop on and escape if there was trouble.
Meanwhile Lily would swoop in to kite the monsters into another of Misini's Flamespouts. And from there, depending on the health of the monsters, into another of Leilanna's and Veressa's paired Rings of Fire.
Another potential was that if the monsters only had a sliver of health left, or there were only a few remaining, Lily would use her Quad Shot to finish them off. Although any of hose contingencies were more ambitious and would wait for future pulls, especially with higher level and experience awarding monsters.
For now one spawn point, one pull, two spells. Since it was a new strategy for the group requiring practice to get right, Dare urged everyone to be extra cautious this first time.
Even so, things went wrong right from the first.
It started with Linia and Misini both mistiming when the monsters would be kited through the catgirl Spellflinger's Flamespout. He could only assume it was because Misini was used to Arcon's speed getting him clear more easily, and Linia didn't realize just how wide an area the spell hit in the heat of the moment.
Either way the catgirl Flanker ended up getting caught at the edge of it, scalded across her face and neck and the intense heat scorching her armor enough to burn her underneath. Not enough to require Thorn's Regenerate Skin, but definitely painful and a heavy blow to her hit points.
She went down with a scream and the monsters converged on her, 30+ Scuttling Horrors at less than half health and ready for blood.
Pella and Ash spun back to kite the monsters away, but they'd seen the danger too late and wouldn't get there in time. Thankfully Dare had stayed close during the pull, and he was there to Pounce to Linia, snatch her up in his arms, Roll and Shoot away, then book it out of there to where Sava could heal the burned catgirl.
His dog girl wife and raptor companion managed to aggro the monsters, leading them to where Leilanna and Veressa waited with Rings of Fire. Where, due to the chaos and the fact that the Mages' AoE had a dropoff in damage the farther away from them the target was, they again mistimed and the two spells didn't kill several of the monsters.
Thankfully Pella had anticipated potential trouble and was there to Intervene to Leilanna, snatching her up and bounding away with the speed boost of Run Down with Ash as her target. His vampire consort made it to her mount with no trouble as well, easily getting out of there.
In the meantime Lily downed the remaining monsters with her Quad Shot, finishing the fight.
Dare clutched Linia close as healing magic washed over her, returning her skin to its peaches and cream flawlessness. “Are you all right?” he asked anxiously, looking her over as best he could. His wives and Sava rushed to gather around to express their own concern.
Whether or not Linia was, the moment she managed to shake free of the daze of pain and shock she hurled herself out of his arms, landing in a scramble, and shot forward to get in Misini's face. “What were you doing, you stupid idiot?” She looked on the verge of leaping on the other catgirl with her claws out.
“Whoa!” Pella shouted, dragging Linia back. “Calm down!”
“Why should I when she just dropped a Flamespout on my head?” the furious orange catgirl snarled.
“It was an accident!" Misini said, looking guilty. "I thought you knew it was coming and you'd be fast enough to get out from under it, like we'd planned."
“Bullshit!” Linia shouted, struggling against Pella's hold. “You've been trying to tear me down ever since Dare put a ring on your finger!”
“I have not!” his catgirl wife protested, fury starting to replace her own shock. “You're the one that's always been jealous ever since Dare proposed to me, just because you ruined your own chances to be with our family by being a faithless malkin who sleeps with half the Crusade just for the thrill. Not to mention draping yourself over Jind in front of my husband at every opportunity with no care for how you hurt him.”
Linia reeled back, giving him an anguished look. “I don't-I didn't mean to . . .” With a plaintive cry she practically bolted away, looking miserable.
Misini watched her go, ears drooping again. “It was an accident, husband.”
“I know. We're all new to leveling together, trying a new strategy with a lot of moving pieces, and we need to practice and coordinate.” Dare cupped her chin, smiling down at her gently. “You don't need to feel jealous of her or resentful that she didn't choose me, my love. You did, and I'm blessed to have the most beautiful, wonderful catgirl wife I could ever dream of.”
She looked up at him, eyes shining. “I love you, husband,” she whispered.
He kissed her softly. “And I love you, wife. For all our long, happy lives together.” He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin between her velvety ears. “You don't have to be friends with Linia, but can you get along?”
“Of course.” His wife giggled. “I can be the bigger catgirl.”
The rest of his wives and Sava had remained back during the fight, looking distressed. Lily and Koru came and hugged Misini, then went to talk to Linia while the rest of them gathered Dare and his tiger-striped catgirl wife.
