Chapter 247 – Elaine vs Divine Root
Added 2025-02-19 07:01:01 +0000 UTCElaine swallowed hard as the Greens approached. Common affinities or not, these people were from the Divine Root. Even with Circulation, taking on three of them wouldn’t be easy. Still, it wasn’t herself she was worried about…
‘Will he be alright?’ she stole a glance at her cousin.
She knew he’d beaten Greens before, but always one at a time and with ample preparations. Plus, she’d never seen it in person. The last time she watched Percy fight; he barely managed to stun a goblin. And, technically, his grade hadn’t even changed since then. Could he really handle this?
Besides the upcoming fight, his current condition also worried her a little. Percy had already downed the potion, an overwhelming surge of mana spilling out of his pores, shrouding his body in a swirling teal fog. Soon, it faded from her eyes like the rest of his constructs, only visible through Mana Sense. His skin was flushed red, blood bubbling from countless expanding cuts as his muscles swelled more than they were ever meant to. Yet, he seemed unfazed by the pain – probably used to putting himself through hell by now.
His glowing eyes stayed locked on their opponents instead, like a predator observing his prey. His fingers tightened around the invisible scythes in his grasp. One of them rested propped against a boulder for now – the one not fully cloaked. He clearly wanted to keep the element of surprise as long as possible, though they both knew it wouldn’t last beyond the first attack, if that. His armour was invisible too, though it wasn’t hard for her to make its shape out – partly because she already knew about it, and partly due to the way it displaced the mist.
‘It doesn’t matter. He’ll be fine as soon as he drinks a few healing potions. We just need to survive until then…’
There was no turning back now. Their opponents would notice their presence in mere moments, if they hadn’t already. And Percy’s potion wouldn’t last long. She had to wrap her own fight up quickly; in case he needed backup.
One of the incoming Greens suddenly snapped his head in their direction, sensing something was off. As if on cue, Percy lunged from his hiding spot, hurling two scythes toward him before following up with a flurry of throwing stars.
Elaine didn’t wait to see the outcome. Her focus shifted to the leftmost trio. She shot forward, channelling mana to her feet and skidding across the grassy terrain. At the same time, she raised her palms and unleashed a barrage of small, azure projectiles at the startled mages.
Both Pressure Blast and Slippery Step were Crude spells, but she could feel they were close to an upgrade. She hadn’t learned them at random either. The same fight that forced her to reveal Circulation to her father had also exposed her biggest weaknesses – limited range and poor mobility. She had no intention of letting those shortcomings hold her back again.
The Greens dodged her attack, quickly regaining their composure. Their eyes flickered between her and Percy, weighing their options, as if considering whether to gang up on her cousin first.
“Like hell I’ll let you!” she snarled, stepping between them and Percy, mana coiling around her fingers as she manifested a set of glowing whips.
Undeterred, they unleashed a barrage of spells at her. A few large fireballs, some water arrows – faster and more condensed than her own shots – and a wave of earth mana rippling towards her feet. She clicked her tongue – this was going to be rather annoying.
Shredding the projectiles into harmless motes, she slid away from the earth mana right as it pierced towards her in the shape of a spear. Despite avoiding all of their attacks, she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the sight, however. She’d seen earth users use similar attacks before, but this was different. It was faster and smoother than she was used to. It didn’t look like regular stone either. It glistened in a dark colour, resembling obsidian.
‘A blessing?’
Not that strange, considering where her opponents had come from…
Outwardly, Elaine didn’t divert her gaze from the trio in front of her for a second. Still, she couldn’t help but scan the area behind her with Mana Sense, worried about Percy. He was fine. Not that he had it easy – his fight was just as tough as hers. But he wasn’t at a clear disadvantage either.
‘Ok. I guess I’ll just have to trust him.’ she nodded.
Without wasting another moment, she went on the offensive, rushing towards the earth mage. Water splashed wherever she stepped, mixed with torn blades of grass. And she kept picking up speed as she dashed in a straight line, determined to cut the enemy ranks short.
The mages responded in kind, raining more spells at her.
But she didn’t pay them any heed, forming more whips in her hands, turning them thinner and longer. Whatever attack neared her, she sliced and diced, not giving her opponents the chance to touch even a single hair on her head.
The only spells she had to be careful of were the ones coming from below. Not that it was impossible to uproot the earth mana before it caused harm, but it would cost a lot of mana. Even with her boosting art active, she knew she had to pace herself for her reserves to last.
Like demonic fangs, the obsidian constructs bit upwards, Elaine weaving and bobbing as they forced her to vary her path. Still, she persisted, closing into the earth mage with every step.
Realizing the danger he was in, he ran backwards, sending more and more spells to block her way with every passing second. His teammates pitched in too, spreading out in opposite directions, trying to pincer her in with their own spells.
Elaine never stopped parrying them, but each impact put a drain on her core. Her mana was running out faster than she could breathe it in. Even worse, the earth mage kept his distance from her, doing an admirable job filling her path with obstacles.
‘Nice try.’ her lip curled upwards.
After fighting for years in the war against House Tantalus, she wasn’t the inexperienced girl she’d once been. Taking a sharp turn, she ignored the earth mage entirely, closing into the fire mage instead.
Taken by surprise and without his buddies to help him, the guy panicked, stumbling backwards as she spun, activating the Kraken’s Gambit. She didn’t even care about the airborne projectiles anymore, all of them shattered into nothing by her spell.
The sickening sound of torn flesh and shredded bones never came, however. Blinking once, Elaine saw the figure in front of her fade away. The fire mage stood a few dozen metres further back, still hurling fireballs at her. She didn’t care about the weak attacks too much, blocking them with her Refined spell as she racked her brain to understand what had just happened.
‘Illusion? Some kind of bloodline?’
This was bad. These people clearly had all sorts of trump cards up their sleeves. Even worse, her core was already halfway empty, thanks to her costly move just now. And that was just the start of her trouble.
The fire mage and the earth mage fired more spells at her, but the water mage had turned towards Percy instead, shooting a flurry of water arrows at him. Her cousin had already put his own opponents on the backfoot, but the sneak attack caught him by surprise.
The pressurised blasts knocked him off his feet, violently slamming him into the ground as teal fragments splintered off his armour. The outer layer was half broken, even the one beneath it taking serious damage as the invisible spell regained its colour.
Gritting her teeth, she allowed her whips to disperse before pelting the man’s location with a barrage of her own blasts, stopping him in his tracks. Still, the damage was done, as Percy rolled on the grass, struggling to dodge his own opponents’ attacks.
‘Damn you, Elaine! You had one job!’
As much as she wanted to berate herself further, she knew this wasn’t the time, however. The trio had launched more spells at her, and she didn’t even have her whips this time to block them. Instead, she dodged them as best as she could, trying to think of a way out.
‘Closing into them isn’t an option…’ she grimaced.
She’d already tried that, but they clearly had way too many tricks to deal with her. At least, she didn’t think she could kill them fast enough, and trying would only give them a chance to go after Percy again. Besides, the Kraken’s Gambit was way too expensive. She had to rely on her Slippery Step for defence and the Pressure Blast for offense. But could she really win this with just a couple of Crude spells?
Either way, it appeared she had no choice but to try…
Comments
A person's grade multiplies their REMAINING lifespan. So, if Percy had slacked for many years and only advanced to Orange at 30, only his remaining 50 years would be tripled to 150. The formula is thus the following: actual_remaining_lifespan = base_remaining_lifespan * grade_factor For people with a single core, grade_factor = 3^(grade-1) Where grade = 1 at Red, 2 at Orange etc. For people with multiple cores, you just add the contribution of each core together. I.e. at double Orange it's 6. More formally, it would be: grade_factor = Sum(3^(grade_i-1)), for all i.
PathOfPen
2025-02-19 10:56:12 +0000 UTCIf Someone Starts at Level 1 at Age 5 Now, let's calculate the maximum level a person can reach using full potion if they start at level 1 at age 5. Rules: Level-up time increases 10× per level. Each level sets the total lifespan to 300% (3×), not added. Starting lifespan: 100 years. The person starts leveling at age 5. They use a full potion for each level-up. Step-by-Step Calculation Level 1 (Starting – Age 5) Maximum lifespan: 100 years Level-up time: 6.4 months 5 + 0.53 years = Age 5.53 → Reaches Level 2 Level 2 (Age 5.53) New maximum lifespan: 100 × 3 = 300 years Level-up time: 5.33 years 5.53 + 5.33 = Age 10.86 → Reaches Level 3 Level 3 (Age 10.86) New maximum lifespan: 300 × 3 = 900 years Level-up time: 53.3 years 10.86 + 53.3 = Age 64.16 → Reaches Level 4 Level 4 (Age 64.16) New maximum lifespan: 900 × 3 = 2700 years Level-up time: 533 years 64.16 + 533 = Age 597.16 → Reaches Level 5 Level 5 (Age 597.16) New maximum lifespan: 2700 × 3 = 8100 years Level-up time: 5330 years 597.16 + 5330 = Age 5927.16 → Reaches Level 6 Level 6 (Age 5927.16) New maximum lifespan: 8100 × 3 = 24,300 years Level-up time: 53,300 years However, the maximum lifespan is 24,300 years, so: 5927.16 + 24,300 = Age 30,227.16 → Dies before reaching Level 7. Final Answer: A person who starts at level 1 at age 5 and uses full potions will reach level 6 and die at age 30,227. Step-by-Step Calculation Starting Condition: Age: 5 (Starting age) Starting Level: Level 3 First promotion time (with full potion): 6.4 months After the first promotion, every subsequent promotion time increases by 10 times. Level 3 (Starting – Age 5) Starting maximum lifespan: 300 years Promotion time (first promotion): 6.4 months By age 5, the person reaches Level 4. Level 4 (At Age 5) New maximum lifespan: 300 × 3 = 900 years Promotion time (increases by 10×): 6.4 months × 10 = 64 months (5.33 years) At age 5 + 5.33 = Age 10.33, the person reaches Level 5. Level 5 (At Age 10.33) New maximum lifespan: 900 × 3 = 2700 years Promotion time (increases by 10×): 5.33 years × 10 = 53.3 years At age 10.33 + 53.3 = Age 63.63, the person reaches Level 6. Level 6 (At Age 63.63) New maximum lifespan: 2700 × 3 = 8100 years Promotion time (increases by 10×): 53.3 years × 10 = 533 years At age 63.63 + 533 = Age 596.63, the person reaches Level 7. Level 7 (At Age 596.63) New maximum lifespan: 8100 × 3 = 24,300 years Promotion time (increases by 10×): 533 years × 10 = 5330 years At age 596.63 + 5330 = Age 5926.63, the person reaches Level 8. Level 8 (At Age 5926.63) New maximum lifespan: 24,300 × 3 = 72,900 years Promotion time (increases by 10×): 5330 years × 10 = 53,300 years However, the maximum lifespan is 72,900 years, so: At age 5926.63 + 72,900 = Age 78,826.63, the person dies. The person does not reach Level 9. Step-by-Step Calculation Starting Conditions: Starting Age: 5 (Starts at Level 1). First Rank Up: At age 16, using a diluted potion (1/30 strength), the person reaches Level 2. Core Acquisition: After reaching Level 2, the person acquires a second core, doubling their lifespan. Full Potion Usage: The person uses full potions until age 20. After Age 20: The person uses a potion that makes them progress 3 times faster for future rank-ups. Step 1: Reaching Level 2 at Age 16 (Diluted Potion) Age: 16 Level: 2 Potion Type: Diluted potion (1/30 strength) Rank-up Time (Diluted Potion): 10 years (approximately, since the potion is 1/30 strength) New Lifespan: 100 × 3 = 300 years By age 16, the person reaches Level 2. Step 2: Acquiring the 2nd Core (Lifespan Doubles) Age: 16 New Lifespan: 300 × 2 = 600 years Step 3: Using Full Potions Until Age 20 Age: 20 Level: 2 Potion Type: Full potions (normal speed) Rank-up Time (Full Potion): 10 years By age 20, the person reaches Level 3. Step 4: Using a 3x Faster Progression Potion After Age 20 Age: 20 (Level 3) Potion Type: Potion that makes rank-ups 3 times faster (progresses in 1/3 of the normal time) Rank-up Time: 10 years ÷ 3 = 3.33 years Age 20 + 3.33 = Age 23.33 to reach Level 4. Step 5: Level 4 Rank-Up Age: 23.33 (Level 4) New Maximum Lifespan: 600 × 3 = 1800 years Rank-up Time: 3.33 years × 10 = 33.33 years Age 23.33 + 33.33 = Age 56.66 to reach Level 5. Step 6: Level 5 Rank-Up Age: 56.66 (Level 5) New Maximum Lifespan: 1800 × 3 = 5400 years Rank-up Time: 33.33 years × 10 = 333.33 years Age 56.66 + 333.33 = Age 389.99 to reach Level 6. Step 7: Level 6 Rank-Up Age: 389.99 (Level 6) New Maximum Lifespan: 5400 × 3 = 16,200 years Rank-up Time: 333.33 years × 10 = 3333.33 years Age 389.99 + 3333.33 = Age 3723.32 to reach Level 7. Step 8: Level 7 Rank-Up Age: 3723.32 (Level 7) New Maximum Lifespan: 16,200 × 3 = 48,600 years Rank-up Time: 3333.33 years × 10 = 33,333.33 years Age 3723.32 + 33,333.33 = Age 37,056.65 to reach Level 8. Conclusion: This person can reach Level 8 and will die at age 37,056, without reaching Level 9.
Ginebra
2025-02-19 10:36:59 +0000 UTCThank you! :) One last question - Does the double core thing just double his baseline years for example Base x 2 x (3 ^ (Core Mult)) or does it double the year multiplier, for example Base x (6 ^ (Core Mult))
Uroš
2025-02-19 10:31:55 +0000 UTCDiluted: 10, Regular: 5, Regular+Cyan paste: 2.5, Aurora Dew: 1.66 Obviously, Percy's exact situation is a bit more complicated because he got access to different products and to his second core at different times. What I do is that I constantly keep track of his remaining lifespan and the remaining time towards his next advancements and adjust everything appropriately whenever there is any minor timeskip (even a couple weeks)
PathOfPen
2025-02-19 09:39:18 +0000 UTCI am trying to math it myself, but I'm working off incomplete data or assumptions. Could you give me the numbers on how different elixirs would affect the advancement? For example Red->Orange Diluted: 10 years Regular: 5 years Aurora dew: 3? years
Uroš
2025-02-19 09:18:44 +0000 UTCLike others have said, each promotion takes 10x longer than the previous one, so starting grade largely determines how far you get. Percy’s lifespan is essentially doubled by having two cores. Even with that + Aurora Dew it’s only enough for Blue (I did the math). Can’t remember what happens with only one of those (If he can still get to Blue or if he’s stuck at Green) but Red-borns can only get to Yellow normally. Kids grow normally (otherwise Acton would have been a child for over a century) but it’s still considered part of their lifespan.
PathOfPen
2025-02-19 08:59:33 +0000 UTCThe way I understand it is that every advancement takes 10x more time than the previous one, regardless of where you started, and triples your remaining lifespan. Everyone awakens at age 5. Regular people only have access to diluted elixir. From what I recall from various examples, they stretch 1 regular dose into 30 doses. Using the diluted one, it took Percy 10 years to advance to orange. If he used regular one, he'd presumably only take 5, so it appears there are some diminishing returns.
Uroš
2025-02-19 08:01:37 +0000 UTCIts been a qhile since they explained this but im pretty sure the time for advancement has nothing to do with the specific rank. It just takes a certain time per advancement. So for example 1st advancement takes a year 2nd 10 3rd 100 (random numbers not the actual times) etc. And its the same whether youre starting at red going to orange or green to blue.
vrec
2025-02-19 07:48:03 +0000 UTCSome questions that have been bothering me while reading now that I’ve caught up: So as far as I understand, the amount of time it takes to advance each grade is both based on grade and starting grade. I’d initially assumed that it was only based on grade, but then it seems like everyone has their first advancement after a decade or less regardless of starting grade, and this just seems even more pronounced now that we’ve seen the kid at blue. I guess that’s not really a question but just confirming it works this way? I’m also wondering about Percy’s lifespan, specifically how his two cores come into play. Is it simply a 2x multiplier? It doesn’t seem that way, as I’d expect he’d be able to reach further than blue with the aurora dew, or at least be fully able to reach blue even without it, though I haven’t done the math out, so I could be very off. Finally, I’m wondering about whether lifespan gets used up even before the age of maturity. I would normally expect that since everyone still takes ~16-18 years to reach maturity that lifespan reduction wouldn’t actually kick in until afterwards, though I don’t think a clause like this has ever been hinted at, so I think it’s unlikely it works this way.
Sloth
2025-02-19 07:37:20 +0000 UTC
