Saintess Summons Skeletons

Chapter 235: Grand Animism

[Please select a blessing for the hero : Ihuarah]

Blessing of guidance

S rank

You are watched and tutored. Your God will sometimes grace you with guiding visions and quests with rewards. You may ask for a minor divine intervention once.

Blessing of comfort

S rank

You are a master at handling spirits. Gain the ability to speak with the recently deceased and to heal soul damage. Your healing skills are 100% more potent.

Blessing of radiance

S rank

You are the light chasing away darkness. When fighting, inflict 1% more damage to your opponents per member of your main species they have killed (Human and Shade). Any action that knowingly results in a death counts as a kill in this calculation. You gain additional stat boosts when fighting any opponent of a higher level than you.

Oh, great. These are all incredible but I have no idea what to pick.

Alith was able to read the blessings as well, Well, it wont be comfort, at least. Unless Ihuarahs specialty is only healing.

I have, in time, mastered many crafts. Though I would judge my healing adequate, I was, however, fatally unable to prevent my own death.

Sofia picked up on one line of the third blessing in particular, she had her doubts before but it was hard to tell considering Ihuarah was a mass of shadow, So you were Human?

It is so. I believe I still am, if slightly less evidently so. But I was fully Human, at some point in the past. I am inclined to think an uncomfortable amount of time must have passed since then.

Well figure that out as we go I suppose. So healing isnt your main thing. What is it that you do, exactly? I know youre an Animist but I have no knowledge of that word.

The shade brought his hand to his face, it was hard to tell what he was doing exactly, but to Sofia it looked like he might be playing with a short beard or something like that.

I see, such knowledge has been lost. It is only natural, I left my Empire at the brink of collapse, unfortunate times. It would be hard to make my craft clear in a short time, but if you let me, I shall try to at least give you an outline.

Please do, then.

Yeah Id like to understand too.

Alright, please sit down, the shadow said as it sat on the ground. Animism was originally a belief that all things possess a soul. Objects, plants, nature, wind, the world itself.

It was later discovered that this vision was incorrect, however, it inspired my school of magic. What I do is not unlike what has been done with the Skeleton watching over us, though this one is bearer of a true soul. My primary field of expertise is granting temporary souls to any and everything. They are as many natural and man-made vessels to amplify and redirect my power. Some would call me a master of nature, presumptuous title, but it does give a clear idea. Aside from that, I am an enthusiast of all witchery and other hexes.

So far that sounds interesting, some kind of object necromancy? I dont know if I should be happy to have another summoner or if thats starting to be too much.

Would you consider yourself a summoner?

No, really not. I apologize, it seems that my explanation was inadequate. Let me instead give a few examples, if you would give me a moment to gather material.

Well wait, take your time.

Thank you kindly.

The shadowy man collapsed to the ground like a squashed insect, he became a real shadow. Moving from a shadow to another, he sped off of the bone platform and down the mountain.

There he goes. Think hell come back, Sofia?

I dont see why he wouldnt. If he wanted to leave he could have done so earlier, just like you could.

True. I wonder what he expects to find atop a rocky mountain though, even if hes speedy. Unless he goes all the way down to the forest Did you choose the most barren mountain on purpose?

I just picked the highest one nearby to be sure to catch more sun. Isnt the transformed scepter neat?

Its gigantic you mean. Just like everything else about you, so thats a nice fit.

Hey what d-

I have returned.

Ihuarah appeared out of Pareths shadow and spilled his loot on the ground: a few branche, dirt, blades of grass and a random assortment of feathers. Did he just pick out literally anything he could find on the ground? This is what hes going to use to show his powers? Wait, before you start, Ihuarah, do you not have a status screen you could show us? The system normally provides that, it would likely help.

Status Do you mean this?

Sofia was baffled by the system window that appeared.

Name : Ihuarah

Age : ?????

Class : ERROR

Level : 221

Health : A decent amount

Mana : 110 500 / 110 500

This is all kinds of wrong Look at mine.

By the Goddess. That is quite the difference. I fear this system may not be aware of the nature of my magic. Perhaps this will correct itself later?

Sofia confirmed, It has a tendency to do that, yes.

Quite practical. My decent amount of Health is rather comical, but not inaccurate. And also much clearer than this random number under it. So mana is the word that has won the most hearts in the end. I liked lifeforce better. Either way, such a practical tool is very much welcome. Now let me demonstrate some magic. Shall I attack this skeleton for that purpose?

Ask him.

May I? Ihuarah asked as he stood up, collecting all of his random materials.

Pareth said nothing, but his armor of light appeared around his body, and soon after, [Sanctified grounds] activated, he clenched his fists, ready to defend.

Here I come, the shadow calmly declared.

Mana around Ihuarah moved in strange, uncommon patterns, as if led by his simple presence. The mana currents surrounding his arms especially were like clean mechanical gears, interlocking and gyrating in unison. It looked jarringly unnatural.

Ihuarah spread his arms and threw the feathers he had collected to either side. From there, it was hard to follow, but almost instantly, a pair of perfectly black shadow feathery wings appeared behind his back. Soaring up into the air, he threw a handful of green blades of grass at Pareth. Like hard steel blades, the grass produced metallic sounds as it hit and pierced Pareths armor. The grass missing the target and touching the bone platform below left deep cuts that Sofia knew had pierced straight through.

Pareth jumped up to strike back, producing cracks into the ground, and throwing a simple straight punch that was strong enough to pierce through a castles wall.

The shadow sprinkled a handful of dirt in between him and Pareth. He punched the falling dirt, creating a giant dirt fist that crashed against Pareths. The colossal hardened soil fist cracked and exploded but it still perfectly blocked and even slightly destabilized Pareth even though it dealt no damage.

As the last act of his show, Ihuarah threw the random bunch of twigs and branches up into the sky. A rain of logs poured onto Pareth, all falling vertically like giant wooden stakes trying their best to stab him, pulled down by a force much stronger than gravity. Pareth moved as soon as he landed and dodged but he was hit by the first log while still in the air and a few more times later, which he had to punch against, as the logs falling from further up adjusted their trajectory to land on his path.

Ihuarah landed with a curtsy in sync with the last group of falling logs. His wings, the logs, the dirt, everything disappeared, crumbling into mana dust, swept away by the wind. He applauded his opponent. I am not disappointed in Lady Sofias mighty warrior. I hope you might yet accept me into your ranks, despite this lackluster display.

Sofias mind was blank, when had someone ever heard of such chaotic magic? Even her own broken and randomly assembled together class was more coherent. But Alith had questions.

Is all your magic like this? Do you actually need to throw stuff around? What if you run out?

A good part is, indeed. Throwing the materials is sometimes but not always required. I have the habit of doing so, most of the time, unless it hinders me in some way. And no, materials arent absolutely required, but to ask me to not use them is akin to asking a knight to abstain from using their sword. Not to worry, however, as you might have gathered; my weapons are most easy to procure. Storage is the only worrying issue. I will need many a pouch, but this body I feel is unsuitable for regular clothing. I talk too much. Did that help in your choice, Lady Sofia?

I- Yeah, I think. Maybe?

I mean The choice was between guidance and radiance. I kind of hate to pass up on guidance considering we can get information and rewards from Sorrow. But well I think Scripture has killed plenty of humans. Hasnt he? Its like the blessing of radiance is made for me right now. Except I guess its just a blessing against strong scumbags.

It just so happens Im hunting a godly one.

In the end I have no way of knowing how useful guidance might be, and Im not too thrilled about having even more quests to worry about. I have so much to think about already

Radiance it is. Just like my classless skill.

Alright, Ihuarah, you are getting the Blessing of radiance.

It is my honor, thank you for your choice.

Now let me explain why our goal is to kill a God.

Excuse me?