"Shorty, you're reading that useless stuff again?" A fellow tribesman snatched the book from Valeri's hands. The burly man skimmed a few pages before casually tossing it aside. "Looks like you won't be needing lunch today, either. You didn't do any training anyway, ha!" With that, he swaggered off with several other large, muscular tribesmen.
Valeri picked up the book and brushed the sand from its cover. He said nothing to the men who had mocked him, nor did he pay much attention to them as they walked away. After all, this was hardly the first book they had thrown to the ground.
The wisdom of the Wise One had brought the tribe closer together. But the Maulers had always revered martial prowess above all else. Most of the tribesmen had little interest in anything that did not involve fighting, and they looked down on books filled with dense lines of text. That was why Valeri, who genuinely loved books and the wisdom they contained, had become an outsider among his own people. Bullying and insults had naturally become part of his daily life. To Valeri, though, they were like stones kicked up from the roadside or sudden gusts of sand—annoying, perhaps, but ultimately harmless. It wasn't that he had been born indifferent to such cruelty. Whenever anger or hurt welled up inside him, he would remind himself of the deeds of the Great Chieftain Skriath and that knowledge could be the greatest weapon of all.
Valeri had always wanted the chance to seek Skriath's advice. Whether it was questions about knowledge or about life, there were things he simply couldn't figure out on his own. But Skriath was always busy, and Valeri could never find the right opportunity. So when Valeri heard that the tribe's annual celebration was about to begin, he jumped out of his chair so excitedly that he nearly fell over. The Feast of the Beasts was one of the tribe's most important celebrations. By tradition, after the ceremony, the Great Chieftain would remain in the main tent for a while to receive the leaders of the various clans. This might be Valeri's only chance to speak with him.
As the firelight illuminated the night sky and music and dancing echoed across the desert, Valeri quietly slipped away from the crowd. After making sure no one was around, he mustered his courage and sneaked into the Great Chieftain's tent. He had barely stepped inside when a pair of piercing eyes fixed on him, leaving him rooted to the spot. But once Skriath saw who it was, his expression softened. "I know you, Valeri. What can I do for you?"
Valeri had never imagined that the Great Chieftain would remember his name. A smile spread across his face before he quickly suppressed it, worried that he was being disrespectful. "I... I wanted to ask you about something in this book."
Skriath lowered his gaze to the book in Valeri's hands. Its title said Basic Principles of Mauler Machinery. It was the sort of book only the Machinists of the Steel Storm Corps would normally read.
"Have a seat, Valeri. What's your question?"
The invitation put Valeri at ease. He quickly moved to Skriath's side, opened the book, and pointed to a passage he had marked. "Why do they use this material to make the bushings? It isn't very wear-resistant, and it deforms easily when heated. It should wear out pretty quickly. Isn't there a better material they could use?"
Skriath carefully read the passage, then smiled approvingly. "You're right. But this material is easy to melt and cast, which makes it easy to replace. It's also the most suitable material available in the Scorched Expanse. The better material you're thinking of certainly exists. It just isn't found here."
"Isn't found here..." Valeri repeated the words quietly. For the first time, he realized that he knew almost nothing about the world beyond the Scorched Expanse. Skriath did not interrupt his thoughts. He simply watched the young man in silence, waiting for whatever question came next.
After a long while, Valeri looked up. There was a new light in his eyes. "Great Chieftain, what is the world beyond the desert like?"
Skriath smiled. He took a slightly yellowed book from the shelf and placed it in Valeri's hands. "Perhaps this will answer some of your questions. But if you truly want to know what the world is like, you'll have to see it for yourself."
Valeri looked down at the book: The Esperia Travelogue. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the title page. "Lightbearer Empire", "Bastion of the Elements", "Hazy Mist Jungle"... One unfamiliar name after another seemed to open the door to an entirely new world. Excitement and curiosity left Valeri almost dizzy. He could no longer contain himself and began firing question after question at Skriath. He even launched into an unabashed explanation of his plans for the future. Fortunately, the Great Chieftain did not chastise him. He simply answered every question with patience.
When Valeri finally came back to his senses, he found himself standing outside the Great Chieftain's tent. In the distance, flames rose toward the night sky. And yet, all Valeri could remember were Skriath's final words: "Do not let fate carry you along with the tide. Use your wisdom well, and you can overcome anything."
Valeri spent the entire night reading the book. At dawn, he solemnly closed the book and gazed toward the rising sun. His tangled thoughts slowly scattered like a breeze, carrying them toward some distant horizon.
From that day on, Valeri's reading was no longer limited to the books of the Maulers. He began quietly buying books from passing merchants, eager to learn from the knowledge of other races. He read almost anything he could get his hands on, but he was particularly fascinated by books about machinery and ancient ruins. The desert was poor in resources, and many of the materials mentioned in those books were impossible for him to obtain. But Valeri never saw that as an obstacle. If anything, the scarcity of resources only made him more determined to prove himself.
Valeri devoted himself completely to building a mech unlike any other. He once spent months studying a single transmission mechanism, and another time stayed awake all night in excitement after a successful collision test. On countless nights when his pursuit of knowledge kept him awake, he would lie atop the Burrower, the vehicle he had built with his own hands, and gaze toward the farthest reaches of the desert.
By the time Valeri was old enough to compete for a position as a Temple Guard, he had already mastered the art of combining dwarven and human technology to build mechs. His ingenious mechanical equipment made him stand out from his fellow tribesmen, and he easily earned a place among the Temple Guards. At the same time, the Steel Storm Corps extended an invitation to him.
Surrounded by his supporters, Valeri looked toward the Great Chieftain. Skriath was looking back at him. He smiled and gave him a slight nod. The gesture filled Valeri with courage. He took a deep breath. When he raised his eyes again, they were filled with determination. "I decline." The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd erupted. Doubt, jeers, and insults rang out from all sides.
Skriath brought the Mauler Torch crashing down onto the ground. The uproar died instantly.
"The Mauler respect every warrior's choice." Skriath's gaze rested on Valeri for a brief moment, the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face. He then turned to the rest of the tribe and announced that they would hold another competition to determine who would claim the final Temple Guard position.
The people around Valeri slowly dispersed, and he could finally breathe again. He took one last look toward Skriath. Then he turned and resolutely set out on the long, solitary road ahead.
"So... you got lost?" Talimar tossed a fish into the bamboo basket.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't get lost! I joined the Archaeological Society not long after leaving the desert and became a full-fledged researcher." Valeri paused. "I only got lost while searching for ruins and... ahem, happened to run into you."
Talimar caught another fish. "I was only joking! You're always so serious. Where's the fun in that?"
"Hey, I'm the one who modified your fishing rod!" Valeri protested, puffing out his cheeks as his tail swished behind him.
"I'll admit, you're pretty good! The fish practically leap straight into my arms. But I helped you find ruins and ore, too. After all that, I'd say we're friends. What's wrong with a little teasing?" Seeing that Valeri was about to argue back, Talimar quickly grabbed a freshly grilled fish and stuffed it into his mouth. "Let's change the subject. What's the Archaeological Society like?"
Valeri took a huge bite of the grilled fish, his cheeks bulging as he chewed. He was clearly delighted to have a chance to talk about the Archaeological Society. "There are all kinds of races in the Archaeological Society, but they all have one thing in common: they're interesting. Some of them are even a little strange. Like that Graveborn colleague of mine..."
Talimar watched Valeri speak with growing excitement. She could tell just how deeply he loved the Archaeological Society—and knowledge itself. His passion burned as brightly as the midday sun over the Scorched Expanse.
"Will you ever go back?" Talimar couldn't help asking.
"Of course," Valeri answered without hesitation. "There are still so many mysterious ruins in the Scorched Expanse waiting to be uncovered!"
MaulersValeri
Checks done! Ready when you are!
Warrior
Strength
Tank, BuffVoice Lines
ID / Code
254/Leopie
Official Wallpapers
Faction Resonance Aura
MaulersTeam stat bonuses unlocked by deploying heroes of matching factions
3 Same Faction
+10% ATK / +10% HP3 + 2 Factions
+15% ATK / +15% HP4 Same Faction
+15% ATK / +20% HP5 Same Faction
+25% ATK / +25% HPSkills & Progression
Hero Skills
Special Upgrades
Emergency Pickup
Slot 1Active: Valeri grants 1 Ride Pass to the allied hero that has dealt the most damage, prioritizing the allied hero with the fewest Ride Passes. Both Valeri and the allied hero also have their Physical Pierce or Magic Pierce permanently increased by points, based on the damage type (max 2 stacks).
Passive: When an allied hero with a Ride Pass takes fatal damage, Valeri puts them in the Passenger state, during which the allied hero is invincible and untargetable. Valeri also gains a shield worth 1100% of his Defense for 5s. When the shield expires or is destroyed, the allied hero exits the kart. Triggering this passive consumes all of Valeri's Energy.
While in the Passenger state, the allied hero recovers health equal to the sum of of their max health plus of Valeri's max health every second. For every that the allied hero's Attack Rating exceeds Valeri's, Valeri's Attack Rating is increased by , up to a maximum of and no less than .
Each allied hero can gain up to 2 Ride Passes. While using this skill, Valeri is invincible and untargetable. Valeri can only have 1 Passenger at a time.
Required Level1
Gear Set
Faction Resonance (T4)
WeaponMythic T4
HelmetMythic T4
ArmorMythic T4
BootsMythic T4