Chapter 151 Fall like dominos (1/2)
There is some debate about the largest monster in the Dungeon. For me, I can't understand the obsession most scholars in this field have with labels and lists. ”Dungeons most deadly monster”, ”Biggest monster in the Dungeon”, ”Top five most horrifying undead in the Dungeon”. Published works such as these seem more interested in grabbing peoples' attention rather than serious academia. A blight on the profession if you were to ask me, which n.o.body ever does.
I myself have only been drawn into this topic since there is no clear answer, making the research at the very least interesting, if not worth public attention. I know you are something of an expert on the Time of Rending Orlus so I wanted to write this letter to consult you on a few points. In the Dungeon explorations it isn't too hard to get reliable figures on monsters in the first two strata, even if some sound exaggerated.
Among the largest of these I've been able to confirm is the ”Mega Death Python Emperor” at 250 metres long with a diameter of six metres. This monster has been confirmed and doc.u.mented over six times in the last century alone. If we were to say length is not equivalent to height in our search for 'largest' we could highlight the tallest monster I've been able to find on record, the ”Twilight Cyclops King” which was recorded in the same expanse in the second strata three times one hundred and fifty years apart. According to those reports the monster stood no less than fifty metres tall.
Both of know that these monsters, as enormous as they may be, are nothing compared to what legend says walked the surface during the Cataclysm. In the far east they say that one monster created a mountain range simply by pus.h.i.+ng its head up through the ground. My frustration is that no records exist of these monsters at all! As far as I can tell there hasn't been a single sighting of such a creature in the thousands of years since. You've read much more on the subject that me Orlus, if you could give me some direction I would be eternally grateful.
”A letter to Orlus on the subject of monster size” sent by Scholar Scipio of the Imperial College.
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Apparently the Queen has achieved the cla.s.s of ”Royalty”. Once the restrictions have been met a person can set their cla.s.s to this one, the restrictions in this case are fairly self-explanatory. First, one must be royalty, second, that's it.
Humans and the other intelligent species on the surface all use a cla.s.s base system as opposed the evolution process the monsters go through. Apparently each cla.s.s gives unique stat bonuses, unlocks specific skills and can even be levelled up in different ways. A [merchant] can level up through trading and making money whilst a [farmer] levels up from growing crops. As long as the pre-requisites are met then a person can change their cla.s.s to whatever they want, but most of the best cla.s.ses are difficult to attain.
For example, to become a swordsman a person must meet the minimum physical stat requirements as well as achieve a certain level of skill with a weapon. This means that hard physical training, lessons in weaponry and experience battling monsters are necessary to make the jump from [villager] to a base fighter cla.s.s like [swordsman]. For an ordinary person to aspire to the even more powerful cla.s.ses like [apprentice mage] or [soldier]? Difficult.
The Queen, given her cla.s.s bonuses, enjoys incredibly high levels of oratory skill and persuasiveness. Apparently she levels up by inspiring her citizens and making the kingdom prosperous. Every year she spends four months touring her kingdom in order to give speeches to the common folk, visiting every town and village within her borders at least one every two years.
I hadn't quite believed her when she said the people would recognize her on sight but on the evidence I have to say she was right. Her punis.h.i.+ng schedule has also allowed her to push her cla.s.s level extremely high. According to her, she is fairly useless in combat but when it comes to governance and speeches her abilities really s.h.i.+ne.
Looking at the stunned faces before me I have to agree. Her powerful words are already beginning to sway the people to our side!
The priest is too stunned by these revelations to properly react. The people in the crowd have listened to his tireless exhortations for days now, in their minds anointing him as their spiritual leader. Now their actual leader, the monarch they have lived under for decades is here before them telling them something different.