[Aura of ??? : 300 (100 suppressed)]
[Eye of ??? : 100 (0 suppressed)]
[Weight : 6.1 tons (+0.1)]
[Blessing of Silora: 100 (new)]
—- Gauntlet of Silora —-
[Physique : (+250)]
[Defense : (+1000)]
[Mana : (+250)]
[Weight : 1 ton]
Hikari holds a sword in her borrowed gauntlets.
The grip felt a little weird with a smooth plating between her fingers and the handle.
No, it was not good.
The sword will slip out of her hand if she swings with any level of force.
The smooth padding rounded on her palm makes a proper grip impossible.
She switches the sword to her right.
Her wyvern skin gloves were properly designed with a rough inner glove to hold a heavy sword.
Her salamander armour coats her fingers within her gloves for extra strength and mana.
Basic drills.
She shifts her balance and rhythm to the added weight of the gauntlet.
She still remembers the fight with the golem ghouls.
The weight of her sword as she parries.
She mimics the motion.
Her heavy blade creates a gush of wind as it swings.
She moves the heavy gauntlet to adjust her balance.
"Thats not it."
The balance was still off.
She almost fell to one side which would have been at least detrimental if it were to happen in battle.
She holds up the gauntlet and her sword side by side and weighs them.
The gauntlet was heavier.
No wonder the balance felt so off.
It doesn't quite work for the main hand weapon to be lighter than the offhand.
She studies the gauntlet.
The material was hard.
Very hard and very very heavy.
It also had a level of elasticity which makes it very absorbent against shocks.
"How do I attack?"
She swung it around.
But it's so heavy that it causes her center of balance to shift if she tries to extend her arm.
She coils her arm together and throws a punch.
The gauntlet carries her with it.
Thud.
She had to step forward to regain her balance.
It did seem like a powerful attack though.
If she puts the thrust of her legs and the weight of her body behind it, she could well send a steam tank flying or crush the hull entirely.
But the wind up and long attack leaves her open.
The attack would only be worth it for a very heavily armoured foe against which she has no lighter alternative.
She looks at it closer.
"Runes."
She tries to channel her mana through it.
The gauntlet fizzled.
It rejects her.
RazenHeir flame.
Wyvern flame.
It prevents her from casting any of her other forms in her arsenal.
She couldn't freeze it with her wyvern frost nor could she move it around with her telekinesis to increase its impact and reduce the strain on her muscles.
"This is annoying."
It really cuts her firepower in half if she can't hurl frost daggers with both arms.
She's going to have to make adjustments.
She studies the runes.
There's no point.
Nobody ever understands them.
There's only one thing left to try.
She focuses.
She tries to channel the mana form of Silora.
The gauntlet reacted weakly.
It wasn't a form that she had absorbed enough of in just two rituals to be able to channel it efficiently.
She tries again.
The priests had told her that they will pre-activate for her its barrier right before she heads in.
But it's a bit of a dead weight in a fight.
It doesn't cover enough of her body to be used as a shield.
She closes her eyes and focuses.
It wasn't too long ago before the priests had injected her with its mana.
She just couldn't get the form right.
It wasn't like a proper training session with Sheela where there's a master of the form to guild her movements either.
She just has to figure it out herself somehow.
She tries again.
A subtle warm feeling in her chest.
The gauntlet reacts.
It was still too weak to be of any use in combat.
She opens her eyes.
A little progress.
She grumbles as she uncomfortably shuffles the heavy gauntlet around.
"At least I can do weights with this."
It was difficult to find a proper weight for her to do strength training.
The heavy slabs of armour had at least some utility for being so annoying to wear.
She holds the heavy gauntlet forward close to her chest in a blocking stance.
One foot in front of the other.
She centers her weight on the gauntlet, her sword held in a backhand used in an offhand role.
Perhaps a hammer and anvil style?
She would charge with a crushing attack with the weight of the gauntlet, staggering her foe before swinging around with her flaming sword.
She begins her practice.
…
Munch. Munch.
She rests.
Her heavily gauntlet resting on her lap.
Her wyvern sword resting behind her.
The gauntlet was quite uncomfortable to wear.
The priests said it costs a lot of mana to take it on and off.
She just has to wear it until the end of the raid.
It was starting to itch.
She clearly will not be able to wash the inside.
Fortunately, her telekinetic powers meant she could clean the rest of her body even with one hand tied behind her back.
She bites away at her ration pack.
The RazenHeir scouts hand her a map and another letter.
How is it down there, Hikari.
I hope the gauntlet fits well.
I was shocked when I heard that the Order is lending you one of their sacred treasures that only the anointed ones use.
It requires years of inoculation and training to become an anointed one that could wield it.
The Order never quite publicises just how much it would take.
Your physique and mana stat must be off the charts for them to be willing to lend it to you.
It makes me feel so excited too just thinking about it.
Have fun with it.
Let me know how it feels to wield some high grade gear for a change.
I'm ashamed that our house can never afford gear of that level that would fit your size.
Anyways, more ration packs and another fresh change of clothes coming your way just before you head in.
Rey has done some planning for you. I'll leave you with some mental room to read.
Come back safely. Ria.
Hikari flips open the map.
It looked like a district by district map of the old city.
Streets and blocks.
Labels indicating the functions of the buildings were in a language unfamiliar to her.
Locations of walls and heights of elevation.
The scale of the city.
A huge circular building in the middle.
"A normal city."
She takes another look at them.
It was enough for her to memorize the layout.
She opens another map.
A zoomed out version of the city detailing its surroundings.
Long lines indicating cracks in the ground she should avoid.
Markings indicating bridging points across them.
Rocky terrain with areas of varying elevations.
Red markings spread throughout the map.
She flips open the letter from Rey.
Ahem. I hope you're ready for the final push on the ruined city.
Your task is really simple. Satchel charges that your house provided.
Just toss them at a target, trigger the detonation mechanism and watch it go boom.
Nothing fancy.
See those markings on the map?
Black trees.
Don't pluck any fruits from them.
Don't try to harvest any mana crystals.
The records detail things from being eaten or having some high level mist entity spawn on you.
Just drop the satchel at the base, light it up and run.
Easy.
Oh, and really don't touch the floating eyes.
I know you might have done that judging from the number of crystals you brought back.
But at even one level higher than the starting area, the mist entities it summons becomes much stronger and numerous.
Good luck. Rey.
"I thought the raid was supposed to be over?"
That was the original plan.
It changed.
As it turns out, there's more stuff to kill and she just happens to be around.
She keeps the letter.
It was time for some rest.
There's still another training session.
Then she'll be heading out.
…
Huff. Huff.
Hikari breathed heavily.
The priests powered down.
They removed the lanterns and left.
Hikari rests.
The last session was the most intense.
She could still feel the lingerie warmth of the mana.
Or she is just now realizing it.
She closes her eyes.
Just rest.
After a short sitting nap, she stands up.
"Better warm up."
She picked up her sword.
The best thing to do before a battle is drilling.
One foot in front of the other.
The gauntlet in the center.
She closes her eyes and visualizes a trio of golem ghouls charging at her.
With this set up, she couldn't dance around as easily.
She would fight this head on.
A head on punch knocks the middle ghoul away.
Her sword parries the one on the left.
Her gauntlet blocks the one charging from the right, knocking it away.
Meanwhile her sword keeps the other ghoul at bay long enough for her gauntlet to come around and knock it again.
She opens her eyes.
"This won't do."
She can still take on three golem ghouls.
But the gauntlet did nothing but slow her down and expose her to attacks if more foes were present.
The priests told her that the aura from the gauntlet would petrify most lower level mist entities once they get into range.
Maybe she's practicing the wrong thing.
She tries to channel mana into the gauntlet again.
"Better work."
It was a lot easier this time since she just received another dose of mana.
The gauntlet responds to her.
She continues channeling.
The same uncomfortable feeling as when the priests pumped mana through the lanterns into her.
It's working.
She could feel the mana building up in the gauntlet.
She could feel its vibrations.
Suddenly, it released.
A wave of holy energy.
"What was that?"
She takes a break.
It was promising.
It didn't take much mana.
If it also does a lot of damage or at least clear out the chaff crawling on the ground, it can come in pretty handy.
She has another go.
Same rhythm.
The mana in the gauntlet builds up and then releases.
Another go.
Build up. Release.
Build up. Release.
She couldn't quite control the release, but after a few more tries, she can get a rough sense of its timing.
"This will work."
She puts down her sword and goes to sleep.
Rest is more important than more practice.