《Mistwood》 Chapter 0001 The area I''ve found myself in doesn''t look like much in the way of civilization but that''s fine by me. That''s partially what I wanted: a place away from others for a little while. Zolbiatz did mention there are others nearby ¨C I''m only around four or five miles away from a farm at the outskirts of a village. Though "village" is putting it mildly, in all fairness. My knowledge of the kingdom''s geography is pretty good and Mistwood has less than a hundred residents. Not households, residents. Including women and children. It might actually be a hamlet. By foot ¨C the normal way of travel as most people can''t afford a horse or a car ¨C it''ll take more than a week to reach the nearest settlement outside of Mistwood as well, and that''s with good weather and other conditions. A storm can render the path through the mountains to the north impassible for days and it''s completely cut off from the rest of the kingdom during winter. This is the sticks of the sticks, and the only real downside for me is that it means the odds of me finding a future husband in the area is slim. I can accept that even if I''m used to being with others, and even had a boyfriend up until now. Not having a significant other will give me time to settle in here. With my luck, I''ll even have time before any of the locals discover me. They''ll no doubt be wary, but only because I''m an outsider. It''s not as if I really look different from most of the residents of the kingdom: I have the same curly brown hair most natives have, mine only a slight curl. My skin is the same fair shade as most from a city so I might stand out a little depending on how tanned the locals are, though I do have vivid green eyes. There''s a chance no one in Mistwood has seen green eyes before. Very few people have them as they aren''t a natural color, so most only have brown or blue. At the most, someone who visits the town on occasion might know it as an eye color usually held by nobles. It''s not exclusive to them, though. This being the sticks works in my favor as it means I can hide some information about myself even once I''m found, as long as I''m smart about things. If they ask about the green eyes, I can just say I inherited them from my parents, who are foreign. It''s a lie, but it''s one I''m willing to tell to help me settle in. They''ll eventually learn the truth here, but I''m sure they''ll understand the reasons for my lies once they do. Finishing my smaller musings, I look around the area I''ve found myself in. Zolbiatz said it was formerly a farm but hasn''t been in use in decades and thus has overgrown. That''s putting it mildly, as it looks more like a forest he''s dumped me in. Trees grow everywhere and the undergrowth completely covers the ground. This seems like it might be a place which hasn''t seen human life in more than a century, based on the growth level and the size of the trees. I know better, though. I can sense the mana around me and this area is thick with it. The more mana is in an area, the faster plants within it can grow, even enabling things to grow outside of seasons. It''s one of the things I learned over the course of my twenty years, as I grew up first in a city then as I traveled around. While that might make an area like this seem like an ideal location for growing crops for the kingdom at large, it''s not suitable for larger operations. The mana density is because we''re close to the Mistwood, a much more dense forest with ever-present Mist, or mana so concentrated it''s become visible even to normal people. Areas like that tend to react negatively when the land is heavily exploited, and that acts as a deterrent until some fool decides they want to develop the entire area. Then there''s a series of natural disasters which destroys everything, time passes and people remember until they forget, and the cycle begins again. Which is why the kingdom sends powerful, experienced mages to oversee such areas. A proper magus can live for centuries and has little interest in politics, but also enough connection with magic and the world to stop any attempt at heavily exploiting it. Not that Mistwood has such a mage as far as I''m aware¡­ it has other protections that I''m not privy to. Rumor holds that the only person who knows the details of the protection is the king, his heir learning it upon taking the throne. As I look around, I spot a sort of structure through the growth. When I approach it, I find that it''s an old, windowless cabin. Ivy has crept up the walls and its wood has rotten or even collapsed in places, but the stones making up the foundation seem stable. The moment I draw close, a vision flashes through my mind. In it, a pair of boys run out of the cabin, one around ten or eleven and the other around seven or so. The cabin itself is different, larger. There''s no forest around it, just neatly-kept yards, gardens, and farm plots. A wolf with black fur and golden eyes rests on the front porch, lifting his head to look at the boys as they run past before tucking his head back in. Both boys are dressed in only shorts, their skin tanned from time in the sun, some sort of armlet on their right biceps, and a small earcuff on their left ears. They run to a nearby stream, vibrant green eyes filled with energy as they jump in and start splashing each other. The vision ends and a message pops up in my vision.
[Time Magic] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic
A vision normally wouldn''t give me enough Skill Experience to boost that up even if it''s for something a decade in the future, except Zolbiatz reset my Status when he sent me here. The price for starting a new life. My Skill Levels are back to zero and the amount of Skill Experience they need is back to what they were at Level 0. I might finally learn how many Levels my first vision gave me¡­ messages expire after a time and I didn''t even know how to read when I had my first vision. Excess Skill Experience beyond what''s needed to reach a Level is discarded, but we always gain at least a little bit more as we sleep. Sometimes less than the total earned throughout the day, sometimes more. The [Foresight] spell is one I was born with, random visions coming to me from time to time even as an infant. With a power like that occurring so early in my life, I never got to find out how much a long-distance vision gave at that point. It''s easy to tell that was pure [Foresight] as well and not some form of retrocognition. The cabin is rather different than what it must have looked like in the past, but I also know the wolf within the vision. His name''s Aluci and he''s not really a wolf, he just likes being in that form. While he was left behind with my transfer, that''s not the sort of thing which will stop him from tracking down his favorite human. That ancient beast can find me anywhere unless the gods themselves intervene. That vision is likely of my future, a sign that even without its appearance, I''d choose to settle down here long term. The question is if those are my biological children or adoptive. The younger one actually bears a resemblance to me, but it''s also possible he''s a nephew or a cousin''s son. One of the reasons Zolbiatz sent me here is because my birth parents originate from the area. Before I can reach that future, I should probably finish taking stock of the now. I call up my Status just to confirm it''s been reset as stated and find that all of my stats are down to what they would be without Skill Levels, plus the bonus from Level 1 [Time Magic].
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 100/100 HP Regen: 0.001/second
MP: 100/200 MP Regen: 0.002/second
Strength: 10 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Magic: 11
Mind: 10
I didn''t need to do that, but I did anyway just to be sure. Having this little mana is going to be strange for me as I''m used to having far more. Fortunately, the additional Skill Experience I gain into [Time Magic] as I sleep will probably earn me a Level for the next night or three. Sleeping helps solidify information and techniques into our minds, which is why we receive gains as we sleep. Now that I''ve confirmed I''m significantly weaker than I was just ten minutes ago, I pull off the pack I''m wearing. Zolbiatz changed my outfit and gave me a pack of supplies when he transferred me so I don''t actually know what I have. My outfit consists of a pair of brown pants and a green tunic, along with dark brown leather boots, a leather belt, and a pair of leather gloves tucked into the belt. Two pouches are fixed onto my right hip and a knife is fixed onto my left. In the pack are some basic supplies. A pot with a lid, a skillet, some cooking utensils, simple tools, a mortar and pestle, a few empty ceramic bottles and jars, a few ceramic jars of cleaning liquids, some rope and twine, a change of clothes, and a few other miscellaneous items. I stare at the axe and saw, then sigh. With my current amount of mana and magical power, cutting trees with spells will be troublesome and not really reasonable. While I have average physical strength for an adult male of twenty years and zero Skill Levels in things which would raise it, my slender build is from not doing physically-taxing activities. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. What I could once do by magic, I now need to do without for now. At least my involuntary visions don''t consume any mana as I do need to conserve most of it in case of an attack. The question at the moment, however, is whether I should set up a small camp for myself since the cabin definitely isn''t usable right now, or if I should go foraging. I did eat breakfast already so I don''t need to look for food, but acquiring reagents for alchemy wouldn''t be a bad idea. If I can find the right reagents, I can make some mana potions to help me a little as I build my reserves back up. The experienced part of me says to clear out a spot for my temporary camp first so I get to work on that. Not being able to clear the undergrowth using magic is a hassle and quite time-consuming. An hour ago, I could clear a sizable section in just seconds¡­ which is no longer feasible. Resigning myself to the physical labor, I walk around the cabin as I look for a good spot, finding a spot with around fifteen to twenty feet between tree trunks. One of the trees is on the thicker side while the other two are slimmer. Most of the trees here are on the slimmer but taller side, with thicker trees being one out of every six or seven. They''re also spaced less than fifteen feet apart in a lot of place, so great is the density here. Despite me viewing some of the trees as "slimmer", those ones are still five feet or so in diameter. The thicker ones reach up to ten feet in diameter.That will be good for later, as I chop them down and use their wood, but it''s a hassle for now. The first thing I do when clearing the zone is move the branches and sticks I can see scattered about. Those are placed in a pile to the side, which I''ll sort later. With my knife, a spade, and my hands, I cut and pull out the smaller plants in my chosen section, then move them off to the side in a separate pile. The ax is then used to clear out some of the bushes, which are deposited in their own pile. Some new branches and even a few stones are found as I work, and those get moved to their piles, whether the existing one for the branches or a new one for the stones. The rocks probably formed through magic as it condensed in the soil here rather than being brought here by some force. I doubt the former owner of the cabin left rocks scattered about. After almost three hours of work, I have a clear spot that''s about twenty feet at its widest and fifteen at its narrowest. It''s not fully clear, however, as some of the roots for the trees poke up around their base, but I can work with that. For now, though, I want to cool off some. The vision showed a stream nearby and that seems like the perfect spot to do so. With it not yet spring and the air on the chilly side, the water is sure to be icy. I might be a little chilly from my sweat but I''m still hot at the same time. I even had to take off my tunic and boots as I worked. Leaving my gear behind, I walk about three hundred feet west of the cabin, to here the stream should be. Instead of flowing water, I find a dry bed with stones making up the bottom. Nothing has grown in it despite the heavier growth outside of it, yet the bed of the stream is completely dry. Even the stones wouldn''t have stopped plants over time, not in an area with as much mana as this one. I descend into the bed and feel it. Nearly bone-dry, just as it looks, both on and under the rocks. There''s no water saturation here which means it''s unlikely this stream has flowed in a long time. At the most, maybe a trickle whenever it rains. The stream itself looks like it should be up to around forty feet or so in width and can be waded across in a few spots when it''s full, but up to ten feet in depth at a few points. A little further south of here are some larger stones which probably once acted as a path across. This is troublesome but not fully. The fact that nothing has grown within the stream bed despite the growth outside of it is pretty telling. There''s plenty of mana in the soil but the spirits of the stream are keeping it clean for the day it flows once more. In other words, something is stopping the flow of water here. The last time I saw this, it was a frog that tasted quite good and earned me a lot of praise from the village I''d restored the main water source of. Also ten chickens, twenty pounds of flour, two kegs of their best ale, and a very good night which led into me having a boyfriend for the past year and a half. I hope he understands why I''ve left everything behind. Since the stream will be the main water source for my new home, it''s probably best if I investigate to see what''s going on. Even if I can''t take care of it now, I can probably formulate a plan to clear it up once my mana capacity and magical might increase enough. I begin walking up the stream, though find myself at a stopping point not even five hundred feet later. To be precise, at what was probably a pond at the base of a waterfall. There''s a cliff here, which I can''t scale. Well, I can¡­ and will probably need to as I can''t just fly up. The lack of mana is really inconvenient. After scaling the cliff, I continue walking along the stream bed. The undergrowth is too dense for me to walk well outside of it. Around a thousand feet upstream, I find the source of the blockage, which relates to the spring which feeds the pond from which the stream originates. While the spring isn''t visible to me, I can tell where it is because of the plant growing on top of it. A bramble-like bush which absorbs and destroys water itself and which prefers to grow on direct sources of water. It usually forms when ambient water-attuned mana interacts with corrupted mana released by decaying monsters. A lot of said monster mana. The bush is growing out of the side of the pond, indicating that the spring is likely the type which pours water out of it through holes in the side of the pond. With how large the bush is, there might be a few openings the water flows out of, including near the top of the pond. The bush is roughly thirty feet across and eight feet in height, which isn''t the largest I''ve dealt with in the past. Though that one formed due to the amount of monster energy a lesser dragon released upon its death, and it''s doubtful something that powerful would be out in a sleepy area like this. This one was probably the result of someone clearing out monsters which inhabited this pond or used its waters regularly. Killing monsters in the wrong way leaves behind a body which decays, and it''s that decay which causes problems. The pond itself goes up to about twenty feet in height and is up to a hundred and fifty in width. Judging by how the ground around the pond gets higher the further north we go rather than the pond itself getting deeper, the water probably only reaches around fifteen to seventeen feet in depth. If this were the me of yesterday, I''d just lob a [Fireball] and call it done. Well, I''d probably use [Flamethrower] instead so that I could control what''s burned to avoid damaging the surrounding area too much, but close enough. I could leave this be for awhile, but having the stream flowing sooner than later is preferred. There might be water sources near to the cabin which I didn''t see in that vision, but this is the biggest one as it''s sure to eventually have fish again once it stabilizes and magic flows throughout once more. It''s also a source of running water I know about and spirits clearly want it back, so that''s a guarantee that it''s on the safer side without any further processing performed. Letting out a sigh, I climb out of the pond and reach forward with my right hand and hold it over the bush. It''s been quite a long time since I needed to use gestures to cast spells but with how weak my magic is right now, it''s better to use a focus point like this than to not. The spell completes quickly as resetting my Skills didn''t reset my natural and developed casting skill, just what degree of it was added by the Skill itself. The bush begins to wobble as I turn my palm to face forward, then it tears away from the spring wall. Water begins to flow out of four separate, small holes in the wall but is drawn to the bush, where it vanishes. Once the bush is far enough away from the water flows, they stop drawing into it and begin filling the pond. I gesture with the hand I''m channeling [Telekinesis] through and move the bush onto the ground about twenty feet from the pond. It''s better to get rid of this now rather than later so that it doesn''t cause further problems, but that will be a little bit of a hassle for me right now. I could come back tomorrow and deal with it, or try to move it to my camp, but neither of those seem too good of options. Bringing it back to camp and using an axe to chop it into smaller pieces for burning isn''t a bad idea, but it''s a lot of trouble since I need to go down a cliff. Even with my gloves on, there''s no guarantee I''ll not accidentally touch the bush with my bare hands. Which is the same reason I shouldn''t leave it here ¨C it can drain and destroy water from within other things as well. The plants and soil it''s in contact with now are already being affected and any animals which might touch it will find themselves dead if they remain in contact for too long. I sigh as I realize I''ll have to use more of my mana to deal with it. Casting [Telekinesis] costs 1 MP per second of casting time and I used it for fourteen seconds. With what I recovered over the last few hours of work, I''m at just a little over 100 MP right now. That''s plenty to do what I want, but I really don''t want to spend too much mana until I have a lot more. This is a new area and I don''t know when an attack might happen here. One option for dealing with it is fire magic, but that''s pretty intensive in terms of mana cast. The other option will cost me less and has the potential to damage the area around, but I''m confident enough in my skills to reduce the range enough to minimize the resulting damage. Extending both hands forward, I cast [Freeze], a spell which costs 25 MP to cast. It has a pretty wide range but I restrict this to a ten-foot circle so that only the bush and area immediately around it are affected.
[Elemental Magic] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic
While the spell itself might seem basic, it''s not something which a beginner can ordinarily cast. A mage has normally reached Level 4 or 5 in [Elemental Magic] before they can actually cast it off of their own abilities. It makes sense that it would bump me straight up to Level 1 with the cast. Which I''m glad worked the way I wanted it to. Despite neutralizing water which comes into contact with it, there''s still water within the bush itself. How that works, I don''t know, but magic often has its own rules which it then ignores. That''s why I can have involuntary visions which cost no mana but need to spend mana to force a vision. Everything within the range of my cast freezes, then I close my hands into fists before opening them again to cast another spell. [Shock] costs 25 MP and sends out a wave of electric magic. The normal use of this spell is to stun targets, but it works well enough as a blasting force. With the range restricted to the size of the frozen section, not much is damaged by the blast but the bramble-like bush shatters from the impact. A few other things do as well, but I''m sure the forest will recover well enough rather soon, based on how much mana is around. I kneel and examine a piece of the bush.
[Frozen Broken Bush Shard]
A frozen shard of a broken bush.
I check several more of the fragments, mainly the larger ones, but find them all giving the same description. That''s good, as it means I broke the bush well enough that it possesses no more traces of the magic which enabled it to draw in water. If I hadn''t managed that, it would be even more of a hassle to finish the job. As I turn around to return to the cabin, I realize something important: I don''t have any food and I''m very hungry after all this work. "You could''ve at least given me some basic food, Zolbiatz," I grumble as I begin the trek back. "After all I''ve done for you, you''re going to make me hunt my own food while I''m so weak." At least I gained another Skill Level form this trek, and I''ll probably gain a second to [Elemental Magic] when I sleep since I didn''t when I cast the shock spell, for some reason. That at least makes up for the use of my more limited MP, but I''ll be pretty restricted for the rest of the day. Further work can wait until tomorrow. Chapter 0002 I don''t have any butter to use for cooking the potatoes I found, so they''re being eaten cooked over the fire without really anything to help with flavors or making them more palatable. I did have some wild greens I found to cook with them¡­ but this is honestly the worst meal I''ve had in years. There''s only so much I can do with as few ingredients I have and just a plain potato with some greens isn''t much. This is partially just a problem of my situation and has nothing to do with my actual cooking skills. I know how to cook with foraged ingredients as it''s something I''ve done for years. This forest is just dense enough that it''s hard to find ingredients in it right now, and I was actually surprised to find the potatoes. That, and I usually had at least butter or some oil to cook with as well, and that opens things up for more meals I could prepare. Without the ingredients I''m used to having on-hand, the things I know how to cook aren''t much. Even just catching something meaty would open up a lot more possibilities for me. While I would prefer to avoid letting the locals know I''m here for at little while, I might reveal myself to one or two and hope they keep the secret for a little bit. That way, I can acquire some butter to cook with, and maybe cheese and milk as well. Sugar might not be a bad idea, either, as there are plenty of fruits and berries that I came across. Even if I don''t have bread to eat right now, I can make jams and just eat them plain. Once my potato and greens are finished, I clean my dishes with water from the stream and set them to dry, then relax. Just finding the few ingredients I foraged took me all afternoon and I''m absolutely exhausted. The berries and apple I had for lunch didn''t fill me at all. At least I''ll have more MP and Magic in the morning. That will make it easier for me to hunt something with meat to eat, even if I should be saving my mana as much as possible in case of an attack. My entire body aches from the physical work I did today and while I should be saving mana due to how slowly it recovers¡­ I don''t really like this feeling. With a gesture toward myself, I cast [Lesser Heal]. All of the aches and soreness within my body fade away as a golden light envelops me.
[Holy Magic] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic
Right, even basic holy magics are enough for me to reach the early Skill Levels quickly. Most mages generally have to build up skill with other magics before even branching into holy magics if they ever do, but I already have all the skill necessary for it since I''ve been using them for years. It also normally takes a few casts of even the most basic of holy magics to gain a Skill Level¡­ but I''m a bit special. It''s not just a matter of how difficult to use the spell is increasing the amount of Skill Experience they gain enabling my quicker growth ¨C I require half the amount of Skill Experience and gain twice as much. That comes from two separate blessings I was granted over the course of my life, the former effect from the gods and the latter from spirits. I hadn''t thought about the blessings earlier as both of the spells used then would have earned me a Level regardless. They award a ton of Skill Experience on their own, far more than [Lesser Heal] does. With my body soothed, I set up an actual place for me to sleep. I probably should have waited until after I did this to soothe my body, but I''ll deal with the lighter soreness I''ll get from it. No canvas was given to me so I have to make do with branches from around the camp zone, but there are plenty of sturdy ones around here, even if I have to cut them off of a few trees. A thicker, longer branch with a forked end is propped against a slimmer tree, then smaller-but-still thick branches are leaned against it on both sides, forming a triangular shelter. The entrance is by the trunk of the tree and will be a little bit of a squeeze, but it''s suitable for me. Sheets of bark are placed to fill in gaps and provide protection against the wind. Some of the branches I used still have leaves on them ¨C it''s still cold out, but the mana in the soil enabled the trees to grow leaves early. Those leaves, combined with the bark, create a pretty good shield against the weather on the tent. The main reason for the shelter is just to have a shelter, not out of a need. It probably won''t deal with rain or snow that well, but it''ll trap most of my heat in as I sleep while blocking out most of whatever wind manages to blow within the forest. Those two factors combined means it''ll keep me warm as I sleep even without a fire or other items. With a shelter set up, I locate a good, straight stick three feet in length and shave off all of its bark. Both ends are cut flat and smooth to finish it off, then I slash it down toward the ground a few times. This seems good. I channel mana into the stick and begin drawing runes on the ground at the center of the camp. Even if I want to conserve mana, this is an essential when I don''t have a proper shelter, only a makeshift one. One set of runes is a vermin ward to keep small animals and bugs away. The second set of runes is a monster ward and keeps monsters away. Just in case there are monsters which can ignore the effects of the ward, a third set of runes creates a perimeter which will sound an alarm if something crosses it. The trio of rune sets glow light blue with no pulse or shift. Good, becoming weaker didn''t affect my warding ability too much. I do know that the wards will be weaker than they were before the reset, but nothing here should be a problem for that. Each one of those costs 10 MP to set down and channeling them through the stick ruined it. I examine the makeshift tool, which has formed cracks all along it. A fourth spell would have broken it partway through, forcing me to start over on that one after preparing a new tool. At least I''ll recover a significant portion of my reserves while I sleep. And speaking of sleep, I crawl into my makeshift shelter and close my eyes, quickly drifting off into my dreams.
I stand in a vast, grassy field with flowers and herbs growing throughout, the occasional bush, tree, or boulder dotting the landscape. A creek flows past where I stand, fish swimming down it with scales glittering lightly. Only the dark grey storm clouds in the sky hint at something less than serene, but I''m not bothered by that. If I''m within my dreamworld after a pleasant dream regarding my ex-boyfriend, then that means- "Hello, Aluci," I turn to face the wolf with pitch-black fur and golden eyes approaching from behind. "Hello, Rowan," the dream beast''s voice enters my mind directly. Rare is the time he speaks when not within dreams and when he does, it''s nearly always "directly into my mind", probably because we are in a dream. It''s a bit odd he''s not in his real form, but I don''t question it. He doesn''t show his real form to just anyone and he may just have felt like being in his shadow wolf form right now. I know he partially identifies with it due to how often he takes it on. "How were things without me?" I ask. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Chaotic," he answers. "But I feel you don''t truly wish to know." "I don''t," I admit. "I left for a new life, away from it all. Something calmer, more peaceful." "And ended up in Mistwood," the dream beast chuckles. "Not a bad place for what you want. How are the villagers?" "Haven''t met them yet," I tell them. "Zolbiatz sent me to an overgrown farm with a rotting cabin that''s about four, five miles away from the nearest inhabited farm. He also reset my Status, so I''m a fair bit weaker. Setting up camp was not that fun." "I can imagine," he says. "You''re about to wake up naturally, so I''ll leave now. See you when you wake." "See you," I say, and the dream ends. Upon waking, I notice both notifications in my vision and that a furry form is stretched out against me. Aluci didn''t need to appear beside me but I guess he decided to for whatever reasons he has. I stroke his fur a little as I check the notification.
As you slept, you have grown a little more¡­
[Time Magic] is now Level 2!
[Elemental Magic] is now Level 2!
[Holy Magic] is now Level 2!
+300 MP +3 Magic
I check my Status to confirm the stat increases even though I know they''ll have occurred. It''s really more to remind myself of my current strength than anything.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 100/100 HP Regen: 0.001/second
MP: 197/700 MP Regen: 0.007/second
Strength: 10 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Magic: 16
Mind: 10
That''s more mana and magical power, but still quite a bit less than I''m comfortable with even if I were at the maximum amount I can currently hold. I''ll try to avoid going below 100 MP today now that I''m above it. "Alright," I tap Aluci. "Up and out." Aluci crawls out of my shelter, then I do the same and restart the fire from yesterday. The sun hasn''t begun to rise yet, which makes things even darker under the cover of the trees. Colder, too. Once the fire is going and I''m warming up a little, I eat an apple and some berries and Aluci disappears off into the forest. He''ll probably return once he''s eaten or explored a little. I could probably ask him to find me something more suitable for a meal than what I have, but the odds of him actually doing it are low. I might be his favorite human, but that doesn''t mean he''ll interfere with things. Mostly, he''s just a companion or a mount. Once the sun rises some more, I clear out more of the area around my small camp. Just a day has passed but there''s enough mana in the soil that the underbrush already encroached a full foot back into where I''d cleared yesterday. I extend the boundary out another five feet in all directions this time even if it''s more work than the initial camp. With my experience from doing it yesterday, however, I''m a little bit faster today. Cut the stems like this rather than that, make sure to dig up the roots when I can, and don''t rush myself. Small changes which speeds things up a little bit more, and I figure out a few new ones. Near the end of this clearing session, I find something both interesting and useful. A small cluster of herbs which might seem to be weeds to someone who either doesn''t know their properties or can''t read. The leaves of the herb have a wedge-shaped base and are ovate for the rest, with slightly-jagged edges similar to spikes. While primarily green, there''s a blue fade near around the edges starting about halfway down, growing more bold the closer to the tip it is. The typical ones I''ve seen have a more faint blue touch than these ones do, but this area is rich enough in mana for them to be stronger.
[Mana Mint]
An herb with a minty taste, which draws in mana through its roots and stores them in its leaves.
The number of times I''ve seen people think they''re just weeds or a rare variant of mint is rather absurd. They can be used like mints, though they don''t spread the same way mint does and so don''t need as much containment. Ignorance comes from lack of experience and lack of ability to read. Commoners generally aren''t taught how to read, so it''s mainly royals, nobles, clergy, merchants, and some adventurers and mercenaries. Knowing how to read isn''t necessary for commoners to live their lives so they aren''t taught it unless they need to learn. That limits who can read what''s presented by System messages and windows, even if it doesn''t affect their ability to gain Skills. Which is why most people don''t realize just how useful plants like this herb can be. Their real value is in alchemy. If one knows what they''re doing, they can draw out the mana within them and use them as a reagent for brewing up mana potion. It''s difficult to grow them on one''s own, however, as they need mana-rich soil. That can be made artificially with magic crystals, but areas naturally rich in mana require less work. Most areas where these grow only have enough ambient mana for the mana mints to have about a fifth to a quarter as much mana as these ones do. I knew I''d find some stronger ones with how close I am to the Mistwood but I didn''t expect to find them so close to camp. That''s a good sign. Other reagents useful for brewing up mana potion might not be too far away. I leave the small patch of mana mint in the soil ¨C there are only three of the plants ¨C and clear everything within five feet of them. Brewing my own potions will increase how much mana I can use if I can find the reagents to do so. With how isolated the Mistwood area is, the price for me to buy them would be pretty high as well. Especially the ones suitable for me after I''ve built back up some of my previous strength. I doubt I''ll really return to what I had before Zolbiatz reset my status, but even a quarter of that is an immense amount of mana, which I used regularly. Once I finish clearing what I''m working on right now, I look at Aluci, who''s lazing about by the dead fire. He''s probably pretending it''s warming him a little even though he doesn''t need to. "I can light it for you again if you want," I tell Aluci, who just looks at me for a moment before resting his head on his paws once again. He can do it himself, but it doesn''t hurt to offer. "Alright, then. I''m going to go hunt me something to eat. I need something a bit more¡­ filling than just some stuff I foraged." While I''d prefer to conserve my mana, I''ve also never been so hungry in my life. Nothing has attacked me yet so I''m sure I''m fine to use a little bit more than necessary. I exit the camp and look for signs of an animal passing through. Something small, preferably, so I don''t have to worry about preserving the meat. It doesn''t take me very long to spot the tracks of a rabbit. Small depressions in the soil. Recent but probably not in this morning. That''s not too old, however. Gesturing over the tracks, I cast [Track]. The spell costs 1 MP per second while it''s active so I can''t have it on for too long, but its range stretches 25 feet per 1 Magic, giving it a current range of 400 feet. What it does is highlights within my vision all tracks of the same type, creating a sort of trail I can follow. It''s also much more complex than [Telekinesis] despite having the same mana cost, and this one use of it is enough to finish giving me the Skill Experience needed for another Level as I follow it.
[Arcane Magic] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic
I dismiss the notification as I focus on my task. Rabbits generally stick close to their homes so I should be able to find it rather quickly. A thought which proves true, as I manage to find the rabbit within a minute by following the trails. Whether it''s the same one which created the tracks I first spotted or another, it doesn''t matter. A gesture with my right hand and a [Magic Missile] soars forward, slamming into the rabbit''s right eye before it even realizes it''s under threat. The shimmering bolt of blue force delivers concussive force upon impact and would normally blow such a weak animal''s head off. Or at least, it should at my strength. It not doing so this time could be a case of the rabbit simply being stronger than a normal one due to the area, but it''s more than likely it''s because I struck the animal through the eye. I have enough control and precision with my casting that I can shrink the size of a [Magic Missile] and strike a precise spot. My spell might normally deliver a noticeable amount of damage to a creature, but this one delivered it all straight into the rabbit''s brain. Today''s lunch will be quite nice. Chapter 0003 "What do you think?" I ask, and Aluci looks over for a moment before returning to napping. "Lazy dream beast. I know you spend a significant part of your time hanging out in people''s dreams, but I also know you can do that while you''re awake, Aluci." The dream beast doesn''t respond, so I roll my eyes at him knowing full well he''s aware of the action. What I was asking him about were my thoughts on what to do now. I''ve been here for just over a week now and my days have been largely the same. Wake up, eat breakfast, clear up more of the area around the camp, hunt something for lunch, then spend the afternoon working some more before hunting something for dinner, then heading to bed. For my afternoons, I either scout around to forage for materials and learn the area, work on preparing wood for my fires and adjusting my shelter, do more work clearing the area, or practice magic a little before resting for the remainder of the afternoon. Well, that last one was only yesterday, and only because I was tired of doing so much physical work. I''ve built up a decent amount of mana capacity now thanks to my initial spell usage and still gain a little bit of Skill Level, such as the point into [Arcane Magic] I gained upon waking this morning, so it should probably be fine for me to use magic more casually. The limiting factor on what I can do is now mainly how strong I am rather than how much mana I have.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 100/100 HP Regen: 0.001/second
MP: 1,637/1,900 MP Regen: 0.019/second
Strength: 10 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Magic: 25
Mind: 13
While 25 Magic is actually a decent amount, I still need to spend a fair bit of Mana to perform acts which I could do with far less before Zolbiatz reset my Skills and sent me here. At least I managed to clear a straight path to the stream, except it''s overgrowing again already just as everything is. Things grow out between one and three feet over the course of a day so I need to stay on top of keeping things cleared up. The bigger a zone I''ve cleared, the more work it is to keep it so. What I asked Aluci about was if I should start cutting down trees. That might help reduce the growth at least a little. An area as rich in mana as this one is also partially influenced by what''s already present. The presence of trees probably encourages other plants to grow a little more. Cutting some down won''t create a massive change to the area but it should at least slow down the growth at the edges of my camp by a small amount. I''d need to cut down all of the ones in my camp and beyond, clear out everything in that range, and do the same for the path to the stream to really make a difference. At least I have enough mana to use spells more often, as that''ll enable me to continue to gain some of my magical Skill Levels back a little quickly. I''ll probably reach Level 5 in them within a month, maybe even less. For most of them. Just like with [Time Magic], I have an innate mind magic ¨C [Empathy]. It''s passive at all times and allows me to feel any mind within its range, which is limited to 3 feet per 1 Mind. Since the magic is always active for me, it''s constantly gaining Skill Experience, which is why it went up even without me having other people around. Considering it was over Level 30 before the reset, and [Casting] also boosted Mind, I had a pretty decent range until just over a week ago.I was pretty young the last time my range was small, and it''s not often I would ever have human minds not within it. Not having the minds of others within my range is a bit¡­ disconcerting, to say the least. I''m not used to it and it''s making me really think about interacting with some of the villagers. I didn''t realize until I was without contact with others for so long how much I like it. Maybe I could pay a visit to the village today instead of doing my work? Before I can ask Aluci about him turning into a horse for faster travel, a vision flashes through my mind. Another involuntary one, this one carrying with it a note of strain and stress. The forest is still calm and quiet, winter only now beginning to end. It could be the current time period or it could be sometime in the future based on the view alone. The sun is high in the sky and the undergrowth and trees less dense than they are around my camp. A boy who looks around eight or nine wanders the woods, carrying a bug in his hands. Returning home, unaware that he''s being stalked by a wolf with a brown fur streaked with grey, a small grey horn protruding from the center of its head.
[Time Magic] is now Level 5!
+100 MP +1 Magic
The moment the vision ends, I pull on my boots and tunic and look at Aluci. "Urgent job," I tell him. "I''ll be back soon." Aluci gives me a curious look, then returns to his rest. I don''t bother him with stuff like this unless speed is really of the essence. Based on what I could tell from the vision, it occurs a little after noon, and it''s barely sunrise. I have plenty of time to track down that wolf and end its life. The reason I know when the vision is stems from the very nature of involuntary [Foresight]. If it occurs close enough to the now, I can tell how far out it was. This didn''t feel like more than a day out to me, so I know it''s an event occurring today. A warning from my power that a boy will lose his life if one who knows about it doesn''t take action. Visions aren''t always accurate, but they''re more so the closer to the now they are when they occur. The lighter amount of underbrush indicates that it''s probably closer to the edge of the forest than where I''m now living. Since the boy is only about eight or nine, he''s probably not too far away from the village, either. While the maps I''ve seen of this region are no doubt out of date, they probably aren''t so much so that I don''t know where my camp actually is. I''m northwest of the village, so I head southeast. I keep alert as I travel and once the forest has lightened up a little, I cast [Divine]. Divination magic works better with a focus to use on it, but I''ve gotten strong enough and I''m skilled enough that I can take some shortcuts. The coloration of the wolf and the presence of its horn indicates that it''s a stoneseeker wolf, capable of sensing vibrations in soil and stone to track its prey while leaving no tracks in the soil itself. A horn that''s two inches in length means that it lacks the ability to conjure stone armor to protect its joints and more fleshy parts. Standing at nearly three and a half feet at its shoulders, it probably has around 20 Strength and Constitution, and close to that in Agility as well. That last bit of detail will be important for taking it down, while the rest is important for shortcutting the divination. It''s actually hard to use [Divine] for an animal of any kind, so I tailor it for where there are tracks in plants but not in soil. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Nothing happens, so I travel further south and cast it again. My range on the spell is the same as with [Track], so I can only detect the signs I''m looking for within 625 feet of me. After about twenty minutes of searching, I locate the traces of the wolf and head towards where the glow in my vision rests. No paw prints in the soil, but there are some disturbances in the grass, where they were flattened as something walked across it. Slight shifts in some of the herbs and flowers. Small bits of damage. The lack of prints suggests the tracks are old, but [Divine] rarely fails me. I cast [Track] this time and find a trail glowing in my vision, marks of the wolf''s path visible only to me. Following it, I eventually locate the wolf¡­ who stalks me before I see him. Unfortunately for him, he''s also pretty close to me, allowing me to sense his mind. He seems intent on watching me from close by while remaining just barely out of sight, using trees and bushes to conceal himself. Unfortunately for him, not only do I have a passive [Empathy] but I''m used to being hunted. I wouldn''t even need my magic to notice him. Once I feel the shift in his mind which suggests he''s going to attack, I decide to act, casting a spell twice before even turning around. The wolf lets out a yelp as there''s an impact to the ground, his mind filling with surprise, then anger as he begins to struggle. I turn around to face the wolf, now held against the ground by an unseen force. [Bind], to be specific. A spell which conjures cords of magical force to hold an enemy in place. My aim was as precise as ever and I grabbed him while he was in the air after jumping at me. Two [Bind]s keep him down but one was probably enough. The reason I wanted two was so that he''d realize he can''t get free more quickly. The moment he does, he lifts his head to let out a howl, confirming to me that there''s more than one of his kind in the area. Not that he''ll be able to alert them, as the moment he begins to lift his head, I perform a horizontal slash with two fingers. A deep cut forms in the wolf''s neck and blood begins to flow out of it. The howl is cut off, my attack having cut all the way down to the spine. The wolf''s head drops to the ground as it gurgles on its own blood. I wasn''t able to cut through the spine and sever its spinal cord, but at least it''s no longer thrashing its head around. I point at the wolf''s now-still head and its left eye bursts, fluid leaking out as the wolf''s brain is battered by concussive force. The only reason my [Magic Missile]s glow and look blue when I hunt the rabbits is so I don''t completely destroy them. Perfect force-type spells are completely invisible to the naked eye and are stronger than imperfect ones. Upon slaying the wolf, a vision flashes through my mind, a sign that I''ve altered fate with what I''d learned. The boy appears in my mind again, this time showing off to his parents the same bug he''d carried in the last vision. With this wolf dead, the boy''s life continues. The last spell I used in the hunt finally pushes me over the threshold for a magic Skill which requires a lot more Skill Experience than the other magic Skills, too. Hunting down such a strong beast was also enough for another Skill to increase, even if the battle was easy for me.
[Casting] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
[Hunting] is now Level 1!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
Most mages only ever receive increases to their Mind stat through the [Casting] Skill, but it''s also not important for most outside of resisting effects from certain creatures. Proper mind mages like me are pretty rare as it''s a more complex school of magic. I can only use it at my age because I was born with it. As for [Hunting]¡­ it usually takes longer to boost that one up in Level. If I were hunting things more suitable to my Skill Level in it, it would probably take me a year. The wolf was a bit stronger than that, though, and by enough that it gave a lot of [Hunting] Skill Experience. When combined with my bonuses¡­ that was probably enough to grant me a Level entirely on its own, before factoring in what the rabbits have given me. Not that it matters, since leftover Skill Experience doesn''t carry over after reaching a Level. I might gain enough while I sleep tonight to bump that up to Level 2, though. For now, I should bring this beast home. There''s no reason to leave it here when that might just cause alarm for the village. The second vision has let me know the danger has passed for now, and I''m sure I''ll receive more if there''s another immediate danger. I don''t know why I receive the visions I do, but when I receive one that''s about a danger of a specific type near me, I tend to keep receiving warnings of it until the chance is gone. Manipulating one of the [Bind]s, I bind the neck of the wolf so that it stops bleeding all over the ground. What''s here will be absorbed soon enough and I doubt the other wolves in the pack will investigate too much or take revenge on the village for it. They''ll more likely notice my scent and try to hunt me down, especially since I''m taking the corpse of their brother with me. One good thing about [Bind] is that there''s no mana cost for sustaining it ¨C it lasts until either it runs out, it breaks, or it''s canceled. I detach the [Bind]s from the ground and adjust them so that they''re wrapped around the wolf, then lift the whole thing up into the air using the binds themselves. This part does cost some mana, but it''s more reasonable than if I were to do this while the spell already had a cost-over-time. I''m able to make it back to my camp without dropping too low in mana, then I begin the process of butchering the beast and starting its pelt on curing. The air here is still cool enough I don''t have to worry too much about leaving the meat out for a few hours, so I get the pelt taken care of, then stare at the meat. It''s currently hanging from a branch at the edge of my camp so that it can drain into a small pit of stone I created the other day just for the purpose of hanging stuff to bleed out. While it might not be guaranteed safe for people to eat without cooking all the way through normally, I can cleanse it of such issues with my magic. The problem is storing it long-term as there''s more meat here than what I can eat in a couple of weeks. Things might warm up a bit before I finish it off, then I''ll have to worry about spoilage. Looks like I should make a cooling box. The question is¡­ out of wood or stone? Crafting one out of wood will take physical labor and a little bit of mana, while making it out of stone will take a decent amount of mana but less physical labor. When I set up camps before, I''d be able to create one in less than five minutes using my magic, either filled with ice or ready for enchanting. "Oh, screw it," I mutter, then grab my axe and start chopping branches off of trees. Each branch I remove is around 1.5" in thickness and at least four feet in length. The ones which are longer are cut down to that length once I have enough of them. Then, I begin binding them together with twine. What Zolbiatz gave me wasn''t enough, but I know how to make twine well enough and have done that a little over the past week during some of my more relaxed time. Most of it is low-quality but I''ll be able to make some sturdier twine over the next week. What I did make before now however, is enough for what I''m crafting. The branches are bound into five squares, on frames of branches 2.5" in thickness. Those frames are then bound together to form a cube with an open side and once I make sure everything is sturdy, I pull out a stick I prepared for enchanting yesterday. This one is sturdier than the one I used my first night and can handle mana being channeled through it better. While it''s no inscribing pen, it can handle more than three small rune sets before breaking. I did cut this stick down so that it resembles a pen in size, though, as that makes it easier to use for smaller details. After thirty minutes of drawing magic runes onto the frame of the box, the thicker branches being on the inside, I examine the glowing markings. Almost done¡­ I push forward with my hands to cast a spell into it and the runes flare up for a moment, then dim. The light from the runes remains consistent even if not as bright as they were before, and the air within the box becomes colder. Perfect. I use my magic to create a stone pad 2" thick with a completely smooth surface, its sides just barely long enough that the box will fit over it. A few adjustments are necessary to ensure it''s a snug fit, mostly so the box won''t pop off on its own. Additional runes are drawn onto the pad, then I cast a spell onto it. This method costs more mana, but lasts longer. The cooling enchantment in the box and the vermin ward on the pad will last for weeks. If I had better materials, I could make ones that the magical society would consider "permanent", which means they can last for decades. Now that I''ve taken care of the wolf and prepared a spot to store its meat, it''s time to forage a little and hunt a rabbit, to prepare something for lunch. I''ll need to make sure I minimize my mana usage, though¡­ I used quite a lot to hunt the wolf, then create longer-lasting enchantments. I am so looking forward to the day I have a lot more mana and don''t need to worry about conserving it as much in case of an attack. Being so low is a pain. Chapter 0004 What would be the best way to fell the trees here? It''s been a long time since I cut them down for a camp while lower in Magic and MP. In the recent years of my travels, I didn''t have to worry about trees falling on anything as I always felled them first. I would just knock them down and move them out of the way, then create the camp. That''s the way I did it when I had enough mana and magical power to cut down a dozen trees at once and then shift them all in seconds using [Telekinesis]. Being restricted is really a pain in the ass. Remove branches from the side I don''t want it falling toward, then set the tree to falling seems like the best plan. The weight of the branches on the other side will usually make it fall in that direction if the other side is much too light. If that doesn''t work, I can just use either [Telekinesis] or conjured winds to push the tree in the direction I want it to fall in. At least, as long as the tree isn''t leaning. Most of the ones here are fairly straight so that''s not a concern but any of the more slanted ones will be a bigger hassle to knock into the intended direction. After my hunt of the wolf beast yesterday, I cleared more undergrowth around the camp, mostly to maintain the perimeter. That''s what I did this morning as well, and I decided while doing so that some of the trees were coming down. This should, in theory, reduce the plant growth within the camp and ease my work. I won''t take down the trees right beside my setup first, though. I''ll take down ones a little bit further away initially, towards the edge of the cleared soil. When they come down, I''ll also need to store the wood as well and I don''t want that right at my shelter and small work area. That would just crowd it, so they''re coming down further away. Once a zone a little further is cleared, I can then take down the ones by my camp and move them to the storage section. Fortunately, I have enough mana that I can do this in stages. I still need to conserve what I have to a degree, just in case of an attack, but I can get some work done without going too low. At the edge of the zone I''ve been clearing of underbrush, I walk around one of the trees and examine it for a few minutes. I want this one to fall away from my camp for sure so I begin severing the branches on the side facing it. This tree is smaller than most of the others around, at less than two feet in diameter. There aren''t many of these, but they''ll be the first to go. Removing the smaller ones first is important as it''ll create more space to fell the larger ones. Full-strength [Arc Slash]es ¨C the spell I used to kill the wolf yesterday ¨C are used to sever branches on the side of the tree facing my camp. Despite the tree being strengthened from the mana in the area, its smaller size makes it easier for me to cut through its wood. A single [Arc Slash] cuts through several branches before stopping and falling apart, making short work of this. Some of the branches catch on those of other trees, with how dense the tree growth is, but that''s nothing some [Telekinesis] can''t help with. I use a mixture of that and my own hands to move all of the fallen branches to the side, then I cut through the trunk of the tree with an [Arc Slash]. The tree crashes down, breaking a few branches as it goes before catching on thicker ones and stopping. A few gestures from me, and the branches it caught on drop to the ground, the tree falling the rest of the way. I repeat this process with a few more of the slimmer trees, somewhat disappointed there aren''t any skinny enough to use for repairing the cabin. Those logs look to be about 10" thick, so all of these are too big. While many of the thicker trees have branches slim enough for that, said branches are also either not long enough or not straight enough. Repairing the walls of the cabin will probably require either adjustments by me or acquiring wood closer to the edge of the forest. The latter will have to wait awhile, so I''ll probably just cut branches down to where they stop being straight so they''ll fit into the gaps of where the wood on the cabin has rotted. It''ll probably take multiple branches per line on the walls, but it''s also only really intended as a temporary fix so how ugly it will look won''t matter in the longer. Once all of the skinniest trees in this part of the camp area are felled, I use a mixture of my axe and [Arc Slash]es to remove the branches from them. To conserve mana, I move the branches and logs entirely by hand, as much as it strains me to do so. Doing this for seven slim trees takes up as much mana as I''m willing to use on this project for today. I''ve gone down to 1,000 MP even with what I''ve recovered and I don''t want to go lower. Just because there hasn''t been an attack yet, that doesn''t mean there won''t be one. Although¡­ I should probably start setting up a better warding scheme for my camp. The temporary one lasts no more than half a day and needs to be reapplied every night. I did a smaller vermin ward for the cooling box, but I can make a much larger one with some effort and the right materials. "Hm¡­" It would be best to forage for reagents today. Not for the warding scheme but for mana potions. There are still more Levels that I know I''ll gain quickly, but it won''t be anywhere near what I''m used to using. Living on my own like this and without a steady supply of mana potions I can buy to make up for it, I''ll need to brew my own. I should still have at least two hours of light before the forest is too dark and I think I know where one of the reagents grows, even if I haven''t been there yet. With two reagents containing the same property, I can use those to more easily divine the location for the third necessary item. One of my projects over the past week has to been to use reeds which sprouted up beside the stream to weave small basket-like pouches. Two of those get fixed onto my belt, and I pluck a few leaves of mana mint and stick them into one of my normal pouches. Those won''t be able to help me find another reagent for mana potions on their own, but I want to make sure I have them for when I find another. Now that I''m ready to go, I set off to the north, traveling as quickly as I can and scaling the cliff, as I haven''t found a way around it that''s faster. The northern part of the region has evergreen barrens that spread all the way onto the mountains up north, and said barrens are the perfect spot for the berry bush I''m hoping for to grow. Upon entering the barrens, I immediately begin my hunt for the right bush. A fair few different berry bushes grow throughout the area but there''s one specific one I''m searching for. The fact that it always grows in groups of at least two or three means I can ignore any bushes that grow alone, saving me time. Any which don''t have blue-colored berries, I can ignore as well. It takes me less than half an hour of hunting through the barrens, whose undergrowth isn''t as dense as the forest south of here, before I find what I''m looking for. A trio of bushes with blue-colored berries grows besides a brook, close enough to it that some of their roots poke out above the water. Upon locating the bushes, I also find a goblin. A creature around 4'' in height with green skin, pointed ears, and a bald head, it''s a bit on the ugly side. Low-level ones like the one have skinny limbs and necks, giving them a fairly disproportionate appearance and furthering his ugly appearance. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. His fingers and lips are covered in the rich blue juices of the berry from roughly plucking them and popping them into his mouth. Those aren''t even that messy of a food and his stupidity makes him eat them messily. Without even a loincloth to cover his more sensitive parts, it''s easy to tell he''s either a recent spawn or very low in rank. I haven''t seen other signs of goblins around here, so it could be either one and he''s without a clan. The goblin''s head bursts from a [Magic Missile] and its entire body then explodes into a black-and-red mist which quickly fades away, leaving not a trace of the creature''s presence apart from its footprints. Unlike the wolf, which was just a magic beast, the goblin was a monster. They''ll leave a village alone if it''s too far away, but won''t hesitate to attack it in a group if its clan grows large enough. When killed properly, their bodies dissolve into mist like that and are rendered safe for the environment as well. A decaying monster corpse releases foul energies which can cause things to spawn if they build up without having a chance to dissipate. Slaying them with something magical ¨C such as a [Magic Missile] ¨C skips the steps for decaying and dissipating and neutralizes it immediately. That also results in them bursting like this one did, and it dropped a piece of loot as the mist faded. I walk over and pick up the loot item, a crystal around half an inch in size and light blue in color. So pale in color it is, the crystal holds a degree of translucence.
[Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized magical essence.
This is why killing them with magic makes things safer. The majority of their magical essence converts into a crystal like this. All which remains after is the more foul parts, and that energy can''t linger long if it''s not attached to other magics. Without said attachments, the natural magics of an area absorbs and converts it almost immediately. The crystal is a guaranteed loot drop from any monster and holds a wide variety of uses in magic crafting. Not in pure alchemy such as brewing mana potions, but I can definitely use it for other things. My warding scheme will be stronger with this and I can make magic weapons as well. The crystal is slipped into the pouch without the herb in it, then I approach the bush, which is up to my chest in height. It resembles a blueberry bush in many ways, except its berries are almost perfect spheres, apart from the small flat part at their very tops where they connect to the branches.
[Mana Berry]
A berry which stores mana which its bush draws in through its roots.
That makes two located mana potion reagents now. I fill one of my reed pouches with the ripest of the berries from the bush. Much like mana mint, they need to be processed before the mana stored within can be drawn out, so I won''t be able to consume them to recover any of my MP. However, the richness of their blue indicates a decent amount of mana stored within. I pluck one last berry and hold it and a mana mint leaf in one hand, then focus on them while casting [Divine]. There''s another location within range and upon reaching it, I find myself looking at some mana mint. Some of its leaves are added to the pouch with the others, then I head south, back towards my camp. When I''m a little bit out of my previous cast''s range, I use [Divine] again and find nothing. The next use locates some mana mints and another mana berry bush, then another bush, then nothing, then mana mint¡­ it takes me awhile to find something new. In a completely unexpected place. I''m nearly home when I find a reagent location that''s under me. A cave I didn''t know about most likely, considering I''m very close to the cliff. I descend the cliff and look along its face, not finding a cave entrance. The [Divine Spell] is clearly showing something within, however, and it seems to be behind a large bush¡­ Which turns out to be blocking the cave entrance. The opening is pretty small ¨C only about three feet high and barely more than that wide. Fallen branches and leaves from the bush began to decompose in said opening, and that''s where the reagent grows. This one takes the form of disc-like mushrooms deep blue in color are the last of the three reagent types needed for the potion.
[Mana Disc Mushroom]
A mushroom which absorbs and stores mana from decaying plant matter, water, and soil.
Not only do I have a third reagent close to me, but it''s of a type I didn''t already acquire. That''s perfect for me as now I have one of each of the three types needed for brewing mana potions. I can put some branches and stuff in here to rot and they''ll grow more for me, too. What''s not so perfect is that the mushroom isn''t all which grows within the cave. While it''s dark further in due to the evening hour and forest canopy, I can hear some soft squishing noises. A gesture with my hand conjures an orb of pale yellow light, the [Lantern] spell. The boundaries of the damp cave are larger further in, and several slime monsters move and bounce around within. Two¡­ three¡­ four¡­ I count four of them based on what I can see and hear. They''re beasts made of blue-tinted translucent goo, roughly a foot in size. The particular shade of blue they are indicates they''re mana slimes, which I expected upon hearing them due to the presence of the mana discs. Useful in some potions, but I''ll leave them be for now, instead harvesting a few mushrooms before returning to my camp. Properly dealing with the slimes will require removing the bush instead of just squeezing behind it, and probably enlarging the opening to the cave as well so I can fit inside more easily. At my camp, I rebuild the fire so I don''t need to rely on the [Lantern] spell, then fix myself dinner with some of the wolf meat I acquired yesterday. My warding scheme is set up as normal as I''ll create a more solid one another day, when I have more materials, and that''s it for the standard evening stuff for me. Then I begin brewing my first potion since beginning this new life. A slab of wood from one of the trees I cut down earlier is used at a cutting board, allowing me to finely chop mana mint and dice the mushrooms into 1/8th-inch pieces. Mana berries are mashed with a mortar and pestle and scraped into a saucepan, which I then add some water into and set onto the fire before adding the diced mushrooms and chopped herb into in equal amounts and in stages. Being able to brew one''s own potions is essential to any adventurer. There''s no telling when we might end up short on them and without an alchemist to buy from or to have brew up more using foraged reagents, if any are present nearby. This is a skill I learned years ago and while it does take time to get right, I''ve brewed mana potions enough times that I can do so with expert ease. Mostly. This isn''t the best setup the potion will be lower in quality than what I can do with the exact same reagents I''m using now. It''ll have to do, though, as setting things up properly will take some time. When I finish the brewing process, I''m left with about eight ounces of deep blue potion.
[Mana Potion]
A potion of liquid mana, which can be easily ingested and which will immediately restore the user''s mana.
Dose: 1 oz
Content: 153 MP
While it says it contains 153 MP, that''s not for the full eight ounces I brewed, that''s for each dose. Depending on where I buy the potion from, they typically run 1.3-2.4 per 1 Mana recovered. Growing reagents required in large enough quantities is a difficult task and there are very few farms which do so. Those have to spend a lot of time and care to grow the reagents in large quantities, and they need to be in mana-rich environments such as this region. Which comes with its own limitations. Foraging for reagents or hiring someone to do so is the main way most alchemists actually acquire them. Fortunately for me, I''m very close to a Mistwood now and know at least the basics of how to grow these, so I can create a small garden for myself. It won''t be a massive boost to how much mana I have, but it''s enough for me. I bottle the mana potion into one of the ceramic bottles Zolbiatz sent me here with, then clean my materials, use [Lesser Heal] on myself, and head to bed. Today was a long day and barring any surprise attacks which may occur during the night, I''m going to sleep quite well. Chapter 0005 Aluci''s ears twitch as he continues to rest beside me. That only happens when something is approaching that isn''t just some random, harmless animal. I can sense when I''m in danger and that isn''t acting up so it''s probably a person rather than a monster or wild beast. While I''ve thought about approaching the villagers many times throughout the roughly three weeks I''ve been here, I decided to hold off on it for a little while longer. It''s given me ample time to replace the wooden shingles of the roof for the cabin and find suitable branches to replace parts of its walls. Waiting has also given me time to do other things as well, such as forage more, map out the area better, and prepare a few items. The use of magic enables me to skip steps people without it have to deal with, such as the drying process for wood or hides. They need to either wait or use salt, while I can simply pull the moisture out with my magic. The amount of times I''ve done it since I was first taught the trick when I was nine has enabled me to draw moisture out of things at an even rate to avoid splits while working it quickly. That''s no small amount of time saved now. I suppose now isn''t too bad of a time to meet one of the locals, though I keep my attention on the pond before me. It''s the one I freed of the bush, and fish swim in it once more. That shouldn''t really be possible without someone introducing them back into it, but magic doesn''t care for such things. Once I suspected the presence of fish, I made myself a rod and came up here to see what I can catch. There''s a fish that''s curious about the bait I''ve attached to my string and I want to be ready to pull when it bites. "I came to investigate the claim the stream was flowing once more," a voice says as a mind enters my range. "And found an unknown person fishing in it with a wolf beside him. You do know that fish don''t just appear like monsters, don''t ya?" The mind feels young, close in age to me. Maybe twenty-one or twenty-two. "Magic cares not for ordinary rules," I keep my voice soft. "And if you speak too loud too close you''ll scare off the one that''s approaching my bait." He finishes approaching and surprise enters his mind upon seeing the green-scaled fish within the clear waters. Surprise and disbelief. "There''s fish," his voice is a lot quieter. "There''s fish," I confirm. "He''s about to bite." The fish was starting to swim toward the side, but quickly dashes to the worm, clamping down on it. I pull back on the rod and the string and after about ten seconds of resistance from the fish, I have him swinging in the air. "Not a bad catch," the local says. "You''re quite good at it, but your accent''s too refined, ain''t it? Your words are much too clear. Since when do city boys fish?" "How many have you met?" I ask as I end the fish''s life and place him into a small wicker basket beside me. "Only a few," he admits. "But I''ve been in the town enough times to know your accent''s even better than theirs. What''s a city boy doing out here? And how can you fish so good?" "Fishing''s not hard," I say. "And I haven''t been a city boy in a long time. It''s where I spent the earlier part of my childhood, but I''ve been an adventurer since I was thirteen. You pick up a lot of small skills, especially ones which help for survival when traveling in the wilderness." I look at the other man properly for the first time and find my estimate of his age to be correct. He''s only a year or two older than me. Like nearly everyone within the kingdom, he has brown hair with a slight curl to it, while his eyes are brown. His outfit consists of an off-white tunic, brown pants, and leather boots, belt, and gloves. A leather cord hangs down from his neck, with a wolf''s fang hanging from that and a small, plain wooden bead to either side of it on the cord. Leather armor is worn over his outfit, some cuts and markings on it showing damage from use. Still sturdy enough to wear for now, especially if all of the goblins which might bother the village are as weak as the ones I''ve taken out over the last week and a half, but it wouldn''t do anything for something stronger, like the wolves. A quiver is strapped to the hunter''s back while an old bow is held in his left hand, a knife fixed to his belt. Judging by the more muscular build he holds, the bow isn''t something he uses rarely. He''s fairly attractive, and I do tend to lean more toward guys with a little bit of muscle. Slender guys are fine as well, but I like a guy whose abs are firm and toned whether they''re slender or bulked up a little. There''s a small trace of surprise and attraction in his mind, but I won''t try to make a move on him even if I haven''t done anything in weeks. We don''t know each other and trying to make a move on him will only make him more suspicious of me. Chances are, he''d have to get to know me pretty well before I have a chance at anything with him. At least he''s attractive, though, as that means I can still subtly check him out while he appraises me. Based on his build, he''s a solid hunter, I''m sure. Also ready to attack if I turn out to be a threat to him or others. People who live out in the sticks are less trustworthy of outsiders than those in cities. A good way of viewing outsiders who aren''t farmers like them, to be fair. You never know if they''ll try to abuse the area, take over, dominate the locals, or some other heinous act. When they have a beast such as a wolf simply napping near them, an outsider is even more suspicious. "Name''s Rowan," I introduce myself. "Been staying nearby for a little while." "Thomas," there''s skepticism in his mind. "What brings you down here?" "Looking to get away from life," I answer. "Want something a bit more slow than needing to travel around and looking for work. Knew this area was calm and peaceful, so came down here. Also have enough experience from other villages out in the sticks to know I might not be welcome, so I set up camp away from it. Down by a cabin further down the stream, just south of the cliffs." "An old farm," he says. "That hasn''t had a resident in decades, though. It''s well overgrown, and I know the cabin''s not in good repair." "I know at least the basics of woodworking," I tell him. "Was taught some before I became an adventurer." More like I was forced to learn, but that''s not something I''ll say right now. Telling him such a background will only raise his suspicions. "Though repairing it''s taking time," I admit. "The roof and walls are fine, but the flooring has to be replaced as well. Now that it''s protected against the elements, mostly, I can work on that." The pelt of the first wolf I hunted is large enough for me to use to cover the door, which is now the primary way to protect the inside from wind and rain. A proper door is out of my current abilities and supplies, but I can make do with what I have. Once I get the flooring replaced, I can move into it. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "I see," Thomas still doesn''t trust me, but I wasn''t expecting him to. "How did the pond fill back up? I ain''t seen that spring before." He''s turned his gaze to the two exits for the spring''s water that are above the surface of the pond. "Wasn''t there a bush there?" "That bush was blocking up the holes," I inform him. "Its magic drew water to it, then destroyed it on contact. Prevented the spring from flowing properly. I destroyed it when I came out here. Not the first time I''ve encountered such a plant and it burns nicely." He doesn''t need to know that I didn''t burn it. "Huh," he looks over to the spring again with mild surprise. "That thing''s been stopped up for almost thirty years now. The stream feeds into a pond further south and made up half of the water in there. That''s how we found out it was flowing again ¨C the stream was feeding the pond once more. Though the chief only found out yesterday evening. Asked me to investigate today." There''s something not fully true in his statement, based on how his mind feels when he says it, but it''s true enough that I''m not going to concern myself with the real way they found out about the stream. "Been almost three weeks now," I say. "So it was the bush," he mumbles, then shakes his head. "No one knew what was causing it. All they know is the spring stopped up. The bush came later." "It sprouted within the holes themselves," I tell him. "That''s how they form. They start destroying the water before it''s actually visible to people. Can I see the tips of your arrows?" "Why?" His suspicion of me immediately heightens. "A thing such as that is the result of killing monsters with inadequate tools," I tell him. "If you do that and don''t purify their remains, they create problems. If you use the right tools and weapons, however, you can skip that step entirely." While he''s still suspicious, Thomas pulls out an arrow. It has a metal tip, which surprises me considering the location, but is otherwise unremarkable. They don''t have a metalsmith here, so he probably paid a pretty coin to have the arrowheads forged for him in the town. Judging by their state, he sharpens them himself and has used them for a long time. "Ordinary arrows," I say. "Magic is how you neutralize a monster''s corruption effect." "Do you know how difficult learning magic is?" He scoffs. "And I''ve never heard of that before." One of the things I brought with me on this fishing trip was a bow and quiver of arrows, crafted just a few days ago with a little bit of magical help. My instincts told me that I should bring them with me today, which is why I wasn''t too surprised someone showed up. I pull one of the arrows out and show him the tip. A slender, pale wooden shaft with bright green fletching, with a tip carved from stone. The edges of the head are crystal, however. Thin and razor-sharp, the edges run perfectly straight. "You don''t need to learn magic to kill with magic," I tell him. "Monsters turn to mist and drop an item or two when they die through magic. One of those items is a magic crystal, which you can use to coat the edges of a weapon with, if you know the right alchemy recipe. They last a little bit less time than arrowheads like yours, but they''re also sharper and contain enough magic to work for neutralizing the monster corruption effect. I''ve taken out about half a dozen goblins from the barrens a little north of here and made this bow and the arrows myself. Have a second set back at my camp, too. If you want this one for hunting monsters with, you can have it." There''s a lot more skepticism in his mind, which is understandable. I''m offering him something without asking for something in return, and it''s something he''s no doubt certain is fairly expensive. "What do you want in exchange?" He asks. Nothing an outsider offers is free, that''s a mindset which is widely held by people regardless of where they''re from. It''s a fair assumption with this as well as I''m not really going to just give it away for free. There are things I want, after all. "That monsters are hunted with something like that," I tell him. "A significant amount of work adventurers do results from people not knowing that decaying monsters corrupts the area. Don''t leave behind the magic crystals, you can either bring them to me or sell them in town for a decent amount. With me, I can make more tips for magic arrows, or do the same for knives, spears, and other weapons. That''ll cost a lot less than making the trip to town. Unless you guys have some form of faster transportation here, it''ll take at least a week to get there rather than an hour or two to reach me." There''s still some degree of skepticism over the "free" bow and arrows. "That can''t be all," he says. "You don''t get anything out of it." "I didn''t say that was all," I tell him. "Just that it''s something I want you to do if you accept it. To be honest¡­ I came out here with very little. No butter or oils for cooking with, which limits what I can make. No salt, either. Since we''re close to the ocean, I''m sure there''s someone who harvests salt. I don''t have any grains, and whether or not an egg is fertilized is up for debate when I find them." "So food," his face relaxes, no longer showing the skepticism he''s been directing at me since he arrived even if it''s still present in his mind. "You want butter, wheat, salt, and eggs." "Doesn''t have to be all at once, of course," I tell him. "Or in large batches. Just what you can afford to give up, if you''re okay with that. That''s what I''m asking for in return. I can forage for things fine and as an adventurer, I''m used to hunting. And fishing, as you can see." "Yes¡­" he examines the arrow again, then looks at me. "Adventurers also know how to craft bows and arrows?" "Some," I say. "You pick up various skills to save on funds. Any adventurer who''s done so for at least five years and knows how to use a bow also knows how to at least make a basic bow and simple arrows. Though in my case¡­ I was an orphan and got adopted by a wealthy family when I was nine. My father was insistent on me knowing how to hunt, but he refused to let me learn to shoot a bow until I knew at least the basics of crafting them and their arrows. Said that if I made my own bows, it would teach me to respect them more. "Since I had some woodcarving experience from the orphanage," I continue. "I was able to pick up on the basics pretty easily. By the time I turned eleven, I''d shot my first rabbit. Had caught some with traps before then. The magic tips for them¡­ that was something I learned after I became an adventurer." None of that is a lie, either, so it should be more believable to him. My adoptive father did teach me how to use a bow, and I do have some basic proficiency in it. While I prefer to use magic for my hunts, both now and before, I was at Level 6 in [Ranged Weapon]s before Zolbiatz reset my Skills. That''s not the only skill my adoptive father insisted I learned, either, and some of them were reinforced when I became an adventurer. I can fight with martial arts, a spear, and a sword with at least a basic proficiency. In that regard, I''m not actually all that special. It is normal for adventurers to pick various crafting and combat styles as they journey, acquiring basic proficiency in at least three or four different areas by the time they''ve been adventuring for five years. "And as for Aluci," I say. "I can tell you''re wary of him. He''s a shadow wolf I met when I was little and he just sort of follows me around. Not a pet, not a familiar, just a wolf who decided he likes me. He doesn''t pose a threat to anyone unless they try to take his food away from him." That doesn''t seem to lessen his worries about Aluci, but I wasn''t expecting it to. I just felt I should at least address the presence of the wolf so he knows the deal with the beast, even if it''s not the full truth. "Okay," Thomas slips the arrow back into the quiver, then picks up the quiver and bow. "I''ll accept your offer. There are a few rotting cabins along the stream, which one is the one you''re staying at?" The skepticism is still there, but it''s not as severe as it was before. He''s accepted my response and probably my trade offer as well. "The first one south of the cliffs directly south of here," I tell him. "Just several hundred feet down. I don''t mind visitors, but I do ask for some discretion about my presence. My current goal is to just get settled in and as I said, I came down here to start over a bit and just want some time away right now." "I can do that," he says, though we both know he''ll be telling people about my presence. As long as he keeps to the unspoken agreement, there shouldn''t be a problem with people coming and visiting me for no reason or just to check out the outsider. He''ll let them know to keep contact with me to a minimum until he can get a feel for what sort of person I am. "I''ll report back to Chief about the pond," he tells me. "Then grab a few things and stop by. It won''t be enough to pay for the bow and arrows, but I''ll bring more in about a week or so. We''ll be doing our first wheat harvest of the season in a few days and usually sell some of it to the town when a goods trip is made. We can give up some of it for the arrows." "Thanks," I say. "I''ll see you later, then." His gaze lingers on me for a few seconds longer than it should, and I can tell he wants to ask something. Whatever it is, he decides not to ask it and instead opt to leave. For a moment, I contemplate reading his mind to learn what it was, but decide not to. There''s no reason to treat him like an enemy to interrogate, after all. He probably wanted to press more about my reasons for coming down here. Once Thomas has left, I look at Aluci. "I''m feeling like doing two fish for lunch instead of just one," I tell him. "So I''ll be out here a little bit longer before heading back. While he probably won''t arrive at my camp in time for me to eat lunch, dinner will definitely be an improvement if he keeps to his word." Chapter 0006 "You''re not staying in the cabin?" Thomas asks as he enters the clearing behind it, a large, circular wicker pack strapped to his back. "The sides look fine to me, and the roof." In addition to the wicker pack, Thomas has the quiver I gave him with the arrows that went with it inside, though he still has his old bow. The one I gave him is a higher quality than that, but I suppose he''s not comfortable with a new bow since he''s not used to it. It''s been a few hours since I met him at the pond, and it''s a few hours earlier than I expected him to return. Fortunately, I''m just in the middle of twisting twine so he''s not seeing me use magic. Without money, a mage family, or special circumstances, almost no one ever learns magic. I probably wouldn''t have had the opportunity to learn any if it weren''t for my innate magics. So it''s better if I keep quiet about my ability to actually cast magics for now, just in case they''re the type who would want to come to me for everything. Some people ¨C especially out in the sticks ¨C tend to think mages are able to do basically any magic. The moment they learn someone is a mage, they start asking them for help with everything, including healing magics. Which are an advanced school of it and not wielded by too many people. Yes, I can use [Lesser Heal] and some other holy spells, but I''m not an actual healer. "The floors aren''t, though," I tie an end to the length of twine I''m working on, then set it to the side and stand. "They''re a bit rotten and not yet replaced. I''ll be moving in then." "I see," Thomas looks around the camp. There''s the section where the fallen trees are stacked by size, the wood piles for the branches and sticks, the zone for tanning hides, and a couple of crafting spaces. My temporary shelter is still in the same spot it was before, though I''ve woven its walls properly now so leaves completely cover it in case of rain. "So you''re the one hunting the wolves," his gaze rests on the wolf hides rolled up and stacked, then shifts to the ones in the middle of stretching. "Though I''m fairly certain tanning takes longer than this. Didn''t you say you''ve only been out here a few weeks?" "Adventurer''s trick I picked up." He doesn''t believe me but chooses not to say. I''m guessing he''s figured out there''s some sort of magic involved and is choosing not to comment on it. That''s at least a good sign regarding what he''ll tell others, I''m sure. "You noticed the wolves were thinning out?" I ask. "I''ve seen a few signs over the last couple of weeks that wolves were taken out," he tells me. "Blood on the ground by their tracks, mostly. And they haven''t harassed any of the farms is the main one. They''re damn hard to track down, though. I can usually only manage one or two in a season unless I''m specifically looking for one of their greater variants. That looks like seven pelts? Or eight?" "Nine," I correct. "There''s the one making up the door to the cabin as well. That''s the adventurer side of me, wanting to make sure the area is safe. Hunting them and similar beasts has been a job I''ve taken on many times. Far too many times, a job I''ve been approached for involved taking out beasts which hunted local children. While these wolves aren''t monsters, they''re still not normal wolves." "Yeah," he says. "A girl was taken last year, and a boy a few years before that. With how small our population is, that hurts. A family took the risk and moved last year because of it, as did the girl''s family." It''s a dying village, to be fair, so the population is only going to continue to shrink. The only way it won''t is if something happens to stabilize or even grow their numbers, which is unlikely. What numbers I have for this place indicates it''s not the sort where a couple has half a dozen children before stopping but only one or two. With how far out they are and the amount of time it takes to reach, most other farmers who marry someone from here will have their new spouse move out to them instead, I think. Part of it is to stay closer to their family and not have so far to travel to trade in the town. Another part of that is the willingness of the locals to move due to the village dying out. A dying village is sort of perfect for me right now as it means it''s quieter. However, it also means that a threat to the population is greater¡­ those two kids have the potential to represent a significant portion of their youth, especially if most of the residents here are on the older side, rather than the population being even between the ages. "I''m glad to have helped, then," I tell him. "What do you do with the meat?" He asks. "It looks like you''re only keeping the pelts? You''re burying it, right?" "Er¡­" I point towards a series of wooden crates. "Those have the meat, actually. They contain enchantments on the inside which produces a cooling effect which allows for longer storage. But yes, I bury the animal parts I don''t keep." I built the crates over the past week. Since I can use [Arc Slash] to cut wood to size and draw water out with magic, it wasn''t too hard. Creating the wooden pegs to act as nails was honestly the most difficult part since I had to carve those with a knife. Even assembling the crates and enchanting their insides was easier than making the pegs. The meat is wrapped up in paper I made, the process somewhat accelerated through magic, allowing me to store them without the pieces sticking together. "You''re keeping the meat?" He frowns. "Why? I see rabbit pelts so I know you''re hunting other things for food. You know there''s a small chance the wolf meat can poison you if you don''t cook it all the way, right?" "There are things you can buy which neutralize that," I tell him. "Cleanse the contaminates which cause it." He accepts that answer without skepticism attached. It really shows me some of the knowledge of the area, since the only way to do what I said is to use magic yet it doesn''t make him suspect anything. "You won''t go through that much meat before it goes bad though, will you?" He asks. "Even with refrigerator boxes?" "I said ''cooling''," I say. "But it''s more like ''freezing''. That keeps it good for months rather than days. Though I''ll admit that I''m not actually sure what I''ll do with that much meat, I''m just used to keeping it and either sharing with others at the camp or selling or trading for goods. Until I came out here, I was part of a large group for awhile." Thomas snorts and looks around a little more. His gaze lingers on me a little while I watch, and I can tell it''s due to that small amount of attraction. But it''s such a short linger that my earlier thought is probably right: I won''t be able to make a move on him safely without spending months building up his trust, so there''s no reason to act like I noticed. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Even if he''s pretty obvious. The fact that I''m bare-chested at the moment is probably the only reason he''s even checking me out. "You sure work fast," he comments. "You learn a few things as an adventurer." While he outwardly doesn''t show any signs of doubting that, I can feel the skepticism in his mind over that statement. He''s definitely certain there''s magic involved. "Here are the promised goods," he pulls off his pack. "Though I do need the basket back, of course." "Of course," I start pulling the goods out of it. There''s a stick of butter wrapped in a cloth, half a dozen eggs cushioned in a smaller basket using straw, a small sack of wheat, a small sack of salt, and a small sack of sugar. "Sugar as well?" I ask. "I''m not opposed to that, just didn''t think I''d find it easily here." "One of the villagers farms sugar beets," he tells me. "Lets us make jams to store for winter and sell to the town during trips in." "How often are trips made?" I ask. "And how? If you don''t mind my asking." "Once a month by truck," he answers. "Except in winter, since it''s too dangerous. You''re insane, walking out here in winter. The pass wasn''t good for the truck to go through until just last week." "You''ve got a truck?" Those are fairly expensive, so I was expecting it to be by a beast of burden pulling a wagon or wagons. In addition to the costs of just buying a truck, there''s also maintaining it so it can run and fueling it with mana crystals. Unless there''s an easy way to mine them in an area, they''d have to buy them from the town on the trips they make and that''s a sizable expense. "The chief does," he tells me. "Passed down from the previous. It''s old but it works. We can get mana crystals in small amounts at the old mines, as long as we''re careful with the monsters in there. Doubt the arrows will work on all of them, though. Some are made of more hard materials." "Those ones won''t for sure," I say. "The stone heads would break, for starters, and the crystal is from a weaker beast so it''s not that strong. It can handle plenty of things around here, but it''ll break against a hard-bodied beast. I only used stone because that''s what I have available. You''d need something different for sure." "Figures," there''s resignation in his mind. "The mines have been getting worse over the years and even change their layout from time to time. Is that from this¡­ the ''corruption of monsters'' you mentioned?" "Probably," I answer. "Though it could also be the proximity to the Mistwood. That can have some odd effects. More than likely, it''s a mixture of the two. I can make weapons which work against hard-skinned beasts, but part of it would depend on the fighter''s Strength stat and his abilities." "Thanks to me fighting monsters and hunting," he says. "I''m one of the stronger ones around, even if I''m not as old as some of the other men here. I have 25 Strength." He seems pretty proud of that, and it is impressive. His more labor-type Skills are probably only a couple of points at best considering his age and the more simple life he''s no doubt lived. The norm for a farmer villager is around 14-18 Strength at twenty-two years of age. Even the blessings I''ve received wouldn''t have changed that too much for someone, since normal farming, ranching, and fishing gives very little Skill Experience. Most of what he''s gained probably comes from [Hunting], [Combat], and [Ranged Weapons]. "It also depends on the monsters in the mines," I add. "Their own strength and resistances. Unless you''ve got estimates on that, I''d need to look at them directly to know. But if they''re within your means to fight anyway, I could do something like make some gloves with the crystal touch, or coat a knife which can do damage to them with the crystal edge. I''d still need stronger magic crystals for that, though." He deflates a little bit. "I''ll see what I can do," he says. "I don''t really know how strong the hard-bodied ones are as I haven''t fought them before." "If you can get magic crystals from the softer ones near them," I say. "I can estimate things that way. Though for arrows, knives, and the like, I really would need it to already be able to at least do some damage to them. Could do something for a hammer or staff, though the latter probably won''t work well unless the tunnels are large." "They aren''t," he says. "And of course," I say. "I don''t do things for free. I need supplies of my own, after all, and you''re still paying off the arrows and bow." "I know," he says. "One of our older residents knows how to make glass. I did some work for her a couple of years ago and she made panes for my family''s windows, so we don''t have to worry about covering them to keep the wind or rain out. Well, we did need some extra work to make it so the windows can open to let air in, but that''s not too much. I can arrange for her to make windows for your cabin." That sounds a little odd. Windows are more difficult to make than something like a bottle or jar despite seeming easier. A hunter-farmer shouldn''t be able to just "arrange" for a glass-maker to make windows for someone. "Arrange how?" "Do some work for her," he clarifies. "She doesn''t need much help these days, but there''s always something which can be done. If I offer to help her with some of the less important stuff in her life, she''ll agree to make some windows." That makes sense, though it does bring up the question of just how many of these "unimportant things" there are if it would be enough for a glass-maker to perform her craft in return. "I appreciate the offer for windows," I tell him. "Except there are two problems. The first is that you''d need to also bring the windows to me after she crafts them, which wouldn''t guarantee their state by the time they reach the cabin. That means it''d be better if she came out here to craft them, and I doubt she''d be able to take all of her tools out here to do that since it requires quite a few things, some of which can be rather large. "Second and more importantly," I say. "The cabin''s only ten feet on each side and if you look¡­ it doesn''t have windows, and it lacks a fireplace as well. The cabin wasn''t actually a cabin, it was a storage structure whose goods and furniture were removed either when or after it was abandoned. The lack of spaces for windows is another problem." "Oh," Thomas looks at the cabin. "I suppose that makes sense. A lot of us do have a sturdier structure for storing extra goods before they''re taken to town for sale and trade. Where''s the actual cabin, then?" "It was probably about seventy feet in front of this one," I answer. "I found scattered stones there that could have been its foundation and fireplace, destroyed by tree growth at some point." "Why did this one remain standing, then?" "The forest spirits probably liked it better for whatever reason they have," I shrug. "Though that does only go so far, and they probably decided to stop protecting it against rot at some point in the last few years. Or they set it up to decay just a little and used it as a playhouse once it felt more naturey to them. I''ve spotted a few others around here in similar states." "I don''t know much about nature spirits," he says. "But I doubt they''d just let someone use their playhouse as a home." "They don''t really care, to be fair," I say. "Spirits tend to be laid-back and as long as you aren''t destroying their actual homes, domains, or sacred spaces, they''re more likely to just adapt to your presence and alterations than take anger out on you. "Back to the previous topic," I say. "While windows aren''t reasonable right now for the reasons I gave, I could use jars and bottles, whether glass or ceramic." I could craft them myself but acquiring some in a trade will save me the time and effort. "That''ll take a bit of time," he says. "But I can get them made while you work on the gloves, once I have the materials for you." "Alright," I say. "Thanks, though don''t forget that I''ll need good magic crystals for that. I might be able to acquire some around here, but there''s no guarantee." Thomas dips his head to me and pulls his basket pack back on, then looks at me. There''s still skepticism in his mind, but I think he''s accepting what I''m saying at face value. He wants to keep an eye on me to see if I''m as trustworthy as I''m coming across or if I''m something more suspicious. "I''ll see you again in about a week, I think," he says. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," I tell him. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," he returns. Thomas leaves and once he''s out of sight, I look at Aluci. "You''re lucky he didn''t notice you making faces at him." Chapter 0007 "Hoi, there!" A voice calls out. "Anyone around?" That''s a much older voice than Thomas''s, though it''s outside of the range of my [Empathy] so I can''t be sure how old he is. Unless Thomas lied or word spread and someone got curious and decided to investigate the newcomer, that''s probably the village''s chief. Thomas did say that he was told about the stream by the chief so I did know the man is no doubt aware of me. It would make sense for Thomas to report back about how the problem got fixed. When a newcomer arrives, it would also make sense for the chief to personally visit to get a feel for the person while introducing himself. As I start to exit the cabin, the man''s mind enters my range. It feels to be around the mid-seventies to me, something I confirm upon seeing the grey-haired, brown-eyed man standing about forty feet away from the cabin''s porch. He''s right at the edge of the zone I cleared in front of the cabin over the four days since Thomas''s visit. Standing beside him is Thomas, who''s wearing his basket pack again. The old man is as well, though he''s unarmed while Thomas has on the same gear as he wore last Thursday, and still has his bow and new quiver. This time, he''s wearing a hat with a high crown and wide brim. They go by different names in different areas, though I''m used to the term "cowboy hat" due to some of the people I''ve interacted with regularly before coming here. They might call them rancher hats here, though, as I know that''s more common out in the sticks regardless of where. As with Thomas, the older man also wears one, and he''s wearing a necklace just like Thomas''s, too. That''s odd but not necessarily unusual. "Hello," I greet them. "Just finished putting in solid flooring in the cabin." Was walking across it to test the sturdiness, in case I''d made mistakes. It seems fine to me now and will do until it''s time for me to tear the building apart and build something new. "I know it''s a couple of days earlier than I said," Thomas tells me. "But Chief wanted to meet you and I have the information about the monsters from the mines." "Alright," I say. "Come on around back." They follow me back and I can sense the old man''s surprise at all of the stuff set up here and prepared. There''s a small shelter to protect the treated pelts from the elements, a table near the fire ring, which has been built up in height a bit, and even a few stools at the table and a few more in other spots. Another table that''s really just a large chunk from a tree is set up near the tanning station for butchering my catches and about half a dozen freezing crates are set up beside that. That''s only some of what I have here, and I know it''s more than what I had when Thomas visited on Thursday. "You''re just a mercenary?" Thomas asks. "You didn''t have the tables and stools last week." "Adventurer," I correct. "They''re not hard to make, and the orphanage I was in when I was little did woodworking and a little bit of ceramics to keep itself funded. I helped build tables and chairs as a kid. Those ones are mostly just me cutting a thickness from the diameter of the tree and fixing shaved branches to them, so they didn''t really take much time." My earlier years aren''t something I like to think or talk about, though, so I shift the topic away from that. "What brings you both out here?" I ask. "Just to introduce me to¡­ you''re the village chief, based on what Thomas called you?" The village chief and very suspicious, though I can tell he trusts Thomas quite a lot. Since Thomas said I seem fine, he''s accepting that for now but will keep an eye on me. "Correct," the old man says. "You''re a bit young to be retiring from being a mercenary. Don''t those normally retire in their forties or so?" "Adventurer," I correct. "And I don''t have much in the way of money. It''s more that I want something calmer and quieter. To stick to one area rather than constantly travel. To settle down and build a home and eventual family for myself. Mistwood is a quiet place without real conflict based on what I know so that sort of makes it ideal. It''s also close to the Mistwood itself so if I ever feel the drive to take on a monster, I can just head over there and do it. And my birth parents are from the area, though I don''t know their names." "They are?" The chief raises an eyebrow, doubt in his mind. "Yeah," I answer. "That''s all I really know, though considering that I was dropped at an orphanage pretty far from here, they probably moved away a long time ago." "I see¡­" he contemplates something for a moment while he and Thomas pull off their packs. "You corrected both of us to ''adventurer'' from ''mercenary'', but are they not the same thing? You do work for money." "That''s a misconception," I tell him. "And most adventurers get offended if they''re called mercenaries. We have some similarities, but there are distinct differences." "What differences?" Thomas asks. "They seem the same to us and we''ve had to hire some before." "Did you always offer money for the pay?" I ask. "Well, yeah," Thomas says a little rudely. "How else would you hire someone?" "That''s probably why you didn''t see a difference," I tell them. "Mercenaries are in the work for money, fame, and sex. If it doesn''t lead to decent money and maybe at least one or both of the other two, the mercenary likely won''t take the job. Mercenaries will only ask for money, and only if they get a profit. They might accept jewels or something, stuff which they can sell for coin, but it leads back to coin in the end. "Adventurers," I say. "Are in it more for doing the work no one else does. Whether it''s helping people out, discovering new areas or ancient ruins, or something else like that. As long as we can keep our gear maintained, our stomachs filled, and our supplies stocked, we''re generally fine. Sure, we''ll ask for money if we need it, but we don''t generally ask for excesses even if we''ll accept them." I can tell the two aren''t too sure of the explanation and how it makes sense, but that''s understandable considering where they''re from and their preconceived notions. Someone who has a well-established mindset won''t change it very easily. "Let''s give a sample scenario," I tell them. "You have a farm that''s being harassed by goblins. You rebuild the fence, the goblins break the fence and steal your crops. You rebuild the fence, the goblins break the fence and steal your crops, again and again. You don''t have much money and this problem is causing you to lose your only way of earning more. "So you go into town," I say. "And ask for help. All you can offer is some meals and a place to sleep while they''re down there. "The first person you ask at the guild," I say. "Wants to know how much you''re willing to pay. You tell them you only have a few coins, and they tell you that the journey isn''t worth it for that little coin. Not for traveling across the mountain, tracking down goblins, and the like. They''ll lose money on it so it''s not worth it for them. "The second person you ask at the guild," I continue. "Asks a few questions about the goblins, things like how often they attack, if you know their numbers, and so on. You answer to the best of your abilities. They then ask if there are others in the area who might need assistance as well or if there are any other monsters harassing the village. You say that yeah, there are a few, but no one can really offer coin. He''s not fazed by that, though, and asks if you''d be willing to take him when you come back home. "He accepts the meals and the place to sleep from you," I say. "Keeps the hides from the monsters he hunts to sell when he returns to town, fixes up an old woman''s fence in exchange for meals while he works and a plate of cookies and some stories after, takes out a boar which destroyed some crops in exchange for some of its meat after it''s been cured, and various other tasks. He never asks for money, or only accepts what''s offered of it, and will negotiate on goods if he thinks it''s too little for the job. He''s only around for a week or two and has asked that he''s given a ride back to town when he''s done, but doesn''t seem rushed to leave to make money from selling the pelts.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "The first is a mercenary," I say. "The second is an adventurer." That seems to satisfy them, judging by the shifts in their minds. "So that''s why you weren''t concerned about coin for the bow and arrows," Thomas says. "As long as you were getting what you felt was a fair exchange." "And a promise to bring me ingredients I can''t acquire on my own counts," I say. "Sure, adventurers might hope for sex and fame from their work as well, but it''s far less important for one than it is for a mercenary." "Basically," the chief says. "It''s a difference in greed and ego." There''s still skepticism from him and Thomas as they likely suspect I want to earn their trust before showing my true colors. Living out here, away from everyone else, will give us the space and time necessary for me to eventually earn their trust and for them to learn this is just who I am. "Essentially, yes," I say. "Also, when you hire from the town, I would recommend adventurers. I might be a bit biased, but you tend to get better quality of work from us. A mercenary gets the job done just to get paid. With an adventurer, you''ll get the job done right, with a little bit extra possibly added in." Thomas lets out a soft gasp as realization enters his mind. "That''s why you told me about the difference between using a magic weapon and a normal weapon on monsters," he says. "A mercenary would kill the goblins, get paid, and leave. But you did it just to clean them up, then told me that killing them with normal weapons would cause problems like at the spring so that I''d know how to avoid causing that from happening again." "And why I was willing to give you the arrows," I say. "Since it''d be cheaper for you to trade me goods for them over time than to buy one in town while immediately giving you a way to take the monsters down without leaving bodies behind." "They work pretty well," Thomas reaches into his pack and pulls out a leather pouch, which clacks in a way that tells me it''s filled with magic crystals. "Just as you said, they turn into magic crystals. That mist that forms when they die, though-" "Is the corrupted energies that cause the problems," I explain. "When their corpses decay, that energy absorbs into the soil. But if you kill them with something magic, that energy isn''t bound to anything and dissipates quickly. It can''t cause problems. Though there are outliers and exceptions to the norm, but that''s not important." There''s caution and skepticism in their minds over my statement. They suspect that I''m lying and that mist might actually be the problem. I don''t blame them for that, I am a stranger making claims without evidence. "You can ask in town in your next visit to it," I say. "And if you observe non-mage adventurers and look at their weapons, you''ll note that they either have edges like that or magic runes on them. Some won''t, but that''s because the nature of the weapon is magic already. Frost steel is inherently magical, for example." "Fair enough," Thomas says. "I''ll be doing that when we head in. The trip''s tomorrow, which is why we came out today." "Oh?" I raise an eyebrow. "You had plenty of wolf pelts when I came out last week," Thomas says. "And rabbit pelts, too. If you want them sold in town, we can take them with us." "Ah," I say. "Almost all adventurers learn within a few years basic leather working. That only takes a few weeks and is immensely helpful in the field. I''m no master, but I can make leather armor and gloves, and fur coats fine. The plan with the pelts was to do that, since I''m a bit closer to monster territory. Nothing''s attacked yet so I''ve put it off a little, but I want to make myself some armor for if I head closer to the Mistwood." I look at the pile of pelts. In addition to clearing out more trees, building the tables and stools, preparing and installing the flooring for the cabin, and building the shelter for the hides, I''ve hunted down more wolves. "I suppose I do have quite a few," I admit. "But it''s a bit chilly here even with the trees from around the cabin removed. I''ll probably be using some over the floor to keep my feet warm and more for a bed. Then with making armor¡­ I''ll probably use them all. If you''re willing to take one to sell, though, there are a few things I could use. Nails, for example, and hinges for doors so I can put in a proper door. Holy and fire magic crystals in even amounts, but keep around 200c from the total." "Alright," the chief says. "Is there any particular pelt you wish for us to take?" "The one on the top," I answer. He grabs it and sticks into his basket pack, though it hangs out plenty and we end up rolling it around a smooth stick so that it''ll stay straight instead of folding over. "We always stay for the night when we head into town," Thomas tells me. "Since it takes so long to get there with the turns of the path through the mountain. I probably won''t be here for the one-week mark, so I brought the next batch now." It''s the same as he brought me on Thursday, but that''s not a problem. It''s lasted me well enough until now and this should last me a little bit as well. With my own foraging and hunting, this is more to increase my options for meals than it is anything else. "Alright," I say. "It''s about lunchtime and I was going to make something once I finished checking the floor. Would you two like to stay? Get something in you before you head back?" They''re both reluctant but agree to it, so I grab the sack of what was wheat when Thomas dropped it off last week. It''s now full of flour, since I decided to grind it all at once rather than as needed. It takes very little mana to do that so I saved myself the physical labor with magic. After grabbing a few other things, I start preparing something I''m sure they don''t eat locally. In fact, they might not have ever eaten it before ¨C I learned the recipe while visiting another kingdom and haven''t really seen anyone who could make it here. Flour is formed into a well on the prep table, and two eggs are cracked into it. It''s mixed together into a dough, which I then "roll" out using a stone with a flat bottom. I turn it into a thin sheet, then fold it over itself twice between cutting it with my dough scraper. Zolbiatz saw fit to give me one for some reason, but I''m glad he did as I use it in cooking all the time. He even gave me two, the other one of which I use for chopping meat as I cook it. The rest of the meal is prepared as I work on the dough, short breaks taken to make sure nothing burns and everything is prepared properly. "I''ve never seen dough done like this before," Thomas says as I drop the noodles into boiling water. "It''s called pasta or noodles," I tell him and the chief. "And I learned it from someone from the Goldelm Kingdom." "You''ve been to the Goldelm Kingdom?" Chief asks. "A couple of times," I confirm. "And a few other nations. Adventurers tend to travel a lot. You can dry the pasta out to use later, though it takes longer to cook. Fresh, it cooks quick since it doesn''t need to rehydrate, which is why I got everything else started already. Even dry, it doesn''t take too long to cook." When it finishes, I separate it onto three plates, then top it with the mixture of meat and veggies I grilled up. The tomato I used formed a sort of sauce, with some onion and herbs to add flavor. For the plates, they''re just wooden ones I carved and polished with a special formula, as are the forks we use to eat them with. While neither Thomas nor the chief say anything while they eat, I can tell they''re surprised by the flavor. I''m no professional chef and this is no professional kitchen, but that doesn''t bother them. They''re used to such cooking on their own, making whatever recipes were passed to them by their parents using local ingredients. This meal is essentially the same, it''s just served a little bit differently due to the pasta. "This ain''t bad," Thomas says once he finishes eating. "And the noodles looked easy to make." "They are," I confirm. "It''s just as simple as it looks. You can use water instead of an egg, or a mixture of the two. A little salt for flavor if you want. Some use milk or the recipe. It mostly depends on your taste preference, in my opinion." "I''ll keep that in mind," he says, then curiosity piques in his mind. "Ain''t we are war with the Goldelm Kingdom? It started about seven years ago, didn''t it?" Travel between the two kingdoms basically came to a halt due to the war. Neither side wants to let potential spies or saboteurs in, after all. It''s likely to end soon, though. Even with one of our strongest mages dying and two more vanishing, our forces are still superior. That, and our forces took out basically all of their most powerful mages and strongest soldiers in the last year. Unless the Goldelm forces and leadership are dumb, they''ll surrender soon. Not that the war matters to me. I''m not a part of it and now that I''m retiring down here, I''m on the opposite end of the kingdom as the fighting so it shouldn''t affect my life. "About the time I became an adventurer," I confirm. "You want to know how I entered if we''re at war with them, didn''t you?" "Yeah." "I didn''t actually learn it in the Goldelm Kingdom," I chuckle a little at the memory. "I was actually over in Blueash when I met the Goldelm chef. He didn''t exactly like me, but he liked the goblins'' net trap he was caught in even less." That earns laughter from both of them. "Thank you for the meal," Chief tells me. "We''ll be back in a few days with your things." "Thank you for taking care of that for me," I say. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," the two of them respond, then leave. With that promise from them, I should have a proper door within a week. Though it seems Thomas didn''t want to give me the magic crystals he''d obtained in the mines, since he took them with him when he left. I suppose he wants to wait on acquiring the gloves for fighting the hard-bodied beasts until he''s verified my claims. "What should I do for the rest of the day?" I ask Aluci, who glances at me before resting his head on his paws again. "I asked about me, not you. Of course you''re going to nap. Well, I suppose I could do some more foraging. I want to see what other reagents I can find around here." Chapter 0008 I should have at least a few days before anyone else shows up here. Thomas and the chief are heading into town today and won''t be back until tomorrow. They also probably won''t make the trip through the forest to reach me for another day or two after their return. It''s doubtful anyone else would want to come visit me even if they know about me. That guarantees I can use some heavier magic without getting noticed by others. Not that I''ve been too worried about it since I''d be able to tell if someone was approaching in time to stop the use, but this is something that would make it more obvious. Better to get it all done when no one else will be out here, then come up with an explanation for how I acquired it, than to get interrupted and have to figure out how to explain the partial progress. One of my projects has been clearing the undergrowth between the cabin and the cliffs to the north. I haven''t done it fully but I''ve managed to clear a twenty-foot-wide trail leading to the small opening for the cave. Things are a lot faster now than they were when I first started this, and only part of it is due to me learning how to do it better and my stats increasing, allowing me to use more force and magic in the process. Part of it definitely came from the forest spirits. They didn''t do anything blatantly obvious but there''s a noticeable increase in the ease in which things pull up or cut than when I started and I can feel the presence of more forest spirits during the process. I haven''t removed the bush concealing the cave yet, as there''s something I want to do before revealing the opening. "O spirits of the world," I murmur. "Guardians of earth and stone, this cave is too small-" An earth spirit forms in the air in front of me, his body only about 3" in height and made of brownish-orange light. It seems almost as if he has a membrane making up his skin with the inside empty, as is the norm for all spirits. He takes a male humanoid form with tiny motes of orange light dancing through him. "-to make proper use of for me, and I ask for your permission to expand it so that I may reap the benefits which it may provide to me." The spirit is already giving me two thumbs-ups before I can finish, but I do so anyway. With how small the cave opening is and it being hidden behind a bush, it could be a sacred spot to the spirits. Before causing changes to something which could be sacred to them, it''s always best to ask permission. "Thank you," I tell the spirit, who gives me several enthusiastic nods before vanishing from sight once more. If one local spirit gives permission, then all have given it. They tend to be a collective on this sort of thing. With the permission of the spirits, I get to work removing the bush and move it to the side. I make sure to dig up the roots as well so it won''t regrow, then use earth magics to fill in the hole with magically-conjured soil. Now it''s time for the heavier magics. I extend my hands forward and begin carving out the opening, shaping it to be almost exactly three feet in width. The height of the opening is increased to a little more than six feet, with a slight arched top to it. This tunnel is extended all the way to the more open space in the back of the cave, about four feet back. Inside of the cave proper, it''s about eight feet in height and roughly six on each side, though it''s not really square. It''s damp within, and six slimes lurk within. That''s two more than I saw the other day, but that''s fine. They quickly fall to [Magic Missile]s, the concussive force of the bolts blasting their membranes and bodies apart. When they die, the slime monsters poof into black and red mist and half-inch magic crystals plop down. One of them drops a three-inch sphere of goo, held together by its own membrane and tinted the same blue as the slimes were. That can be used in alchemy, or I can use it to produce a new slime. Since raising them will let me acquire their goo through other methods, I''ll save it for now. The loot is moved outside of the cave with the slime sphere carefully set down so that it doesn''t pop. There''s plenty of slime goo all over the inside of the damp cave, but a decent amount of it is probably contaminated by the soil and minerals the water brought with it. A [Flamethrower] burns through all of it, filling the cave with an acrid smoke I expel from within via some gusts of wind. That seems to push me over the edge on [Elemental Magic] as a notification pops up.
[Elemental Magic] is now Level 4!
+100 MP +1 Magic
Little by little, I grow more comfortable with the amount of mana I have. It''s still nowhere near what I had before the reset, but I''m sure I''ll be comfortable if I reach even a quarter of that. Enough to take care of my daily activities and be prepared in case of an attack. When I finish purging the cave of the gunk and smoke, I reshape the inside a little bit to make it circular around the edges, expending it to nine feet across and I turn the roof into a sort of domed structure, starting at seven feet in height at the edges and ending at ten feet at the top. Some of that is with reshaping of the soil and stone, some with using a little of what I excavated to pad as needed. With that finished, I bring in some sticks, branches, leaves, and other plant debris. My use of [Flamethrower] is only temporarily removing moisture from here, more will enter over time and soak into this stuff as it decays. The mana disc mushrooms will then grow on those, granting me more of the reagent for mana potions. I can already see moisture forming on the walls and ceiling, so I know I didn''t mess things up. This was a trick I sometimes used when camping in a mana-rich place for an extended period of time. Mana disc mushrooms aren''t as sensitive to light as a few others, and the moisture level here helps a little with that. The trees out front will supply shade to the entrance as well so it''ll stay darker inside. While this might make it seem easy to farm reagents for mana potions, doing this on a large scale isn''t too viable. I''d need to create a lot of these caves and constantly supply all of them with plant matter for decay and growth. There''s also the matter that it needs to be in a mana-rich environment unless one is supplying it with mana artificially which has its own complication. Areas with enough mana lingering around to produce it on a large scale are rare outside of Mistlands, too. So small scale operations are fine, large ones are a lot more difficult. I gather up my loot from the slimes and bring them back to my camp, storing the slime sphere in one of the jars Zolbiatz sent me here with. Returning to the cave, I move the soil and stones leftover from the cave, spreading them around the ground and adding the stones to the pond. The same is done with stones dug up as I create a semi-long hole in the spot I''ve chosen for my garden, close to where I found my first mana mint plant. I keep the excavated soil here as I want it for what''s coming later.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Now it''s time for the more tricky part of today''s plans. I head up to the evergreen barrens and locate a smaller mana berry bush pair, then carefully use earth magic to remove the soil from around the base of it and the roots, eventually extracting the bush from the ground. I leave the soil where I dug it out and carry the bush back home. I carefully set the bush into the hole, using earth magics to move soil and compost around the roots. There''s still space beside it in the hole, but I don''t fill that in yet and instead, return to where I pulled the bush. It''s fairly rare for a mana berry bush to grow alone, and the small one I chose to transplant was no different. While they''re both called "mana berry bushes", they''re actually two different breeds of them. I don''t know why they grow in pairs like this, but I''m not going to take one and not the other just in case it''s actually important. They do seem to grow better when in their breed pairs based on what I''ve heard, but no one''s entirely sure why. When out of their native environment ¨C like barrens ¨C they also grow worse so keeping them in their pairs or more is better. This area does have enough ambient mana for it to not be an issue, but I want to be safe just in case. The moment I finish filling in the soil around the second one, a nature spirit appears. He looks quite close to the earth spirit I saw earlier, except green with golden motes. Older nature spirits have flowers on their heads so this one is on the younger side as it''s missing that. He inspects the bushes even though I know he''s able to tell whatever it is he wants immediately. I watch as the spirit pretends to be inspecting with a critical eye, then he gives me a double thumbs-up before soaring to one of the bushes and plucking a berry which survived the trip. He pops it into his mouth, gives me a cheeky grin, then vanishes. Before I can do anything else, he reappears and pulls off a lot of berries, gobbling them down and doing the same with the ones which fell to the ground during the transfer process. The moment there aren''t any berries left, he vanishes again. That only takes him about twenty seconds and he really picks the bushes clean. I snort and shake my head. Spirits can be goofballs at times. While he was gobbling down the berries, he was also repairing the minor damage to the leaves and branches. Without a need to repair those, the bush will have more energy to put into producing new berries. Based on how quickly other things have grown, I''ll probably have two bushes full of berries again within a week. Especially if he also helped the roots settle in while he was picking the berries up off the ground. I don''t need extra mana right now since I conserved it by carrying the bushes myself and raw shaping of the elements already present costs a lot less mana than standard spells. The bushes not having berries right now won''t be a problem for me, and I can always return to the barrens to harvest more if I need to brew up another batch of mana potion. I still have some of the mana disc mushrooms from the original harvest leftover so I can still do a little brewing before more grow in the cave. With my morning chores for today taken care of, I harvest some potatoes and an onion from where I''d planted them, then take them to my prep table¡­ which has a nature spirit standing on it. As with all spirits, he has a young appearance, though the pink-and-purple flower atop his head indicates he''s quite old. "Hello," I say, and he waves. "Is there something you wanted help with?" Spirits can do quite a lot on their own when it relates to their domains, but there are plenty of things which they can''t do. They''ll either ask spirits who can do it for help or approach people they like. This one flops onto his back and starts rolling back and forth across the prep table, then vanishes. "Alright, then," I chuckle, then continue preparing my lunch. Today''s lunch is a sort of hash with small potato cubes, some onion, some herbs, and some minced rabbit with a little bit of butter used in the earlier part. It''s a rough meal but it works well enough and once I clean everything up, I decide on processing the wood here some more. With as many trees as I''ve cut down, I should probably find more to do with it than just storing it, such as giving it away. Some can be used for furniture, some for construction, some for arrows, and so on. I start the processing by taking thick branches and cutting off their extending branches with my axe, then begin chopping them into wedges a foot and a half in length. The firewood is stacked together and after about an hour, I have a suitable amount of it prepared. I''m also a fair bit hot despite the cooler spring air, so I pull off my tunic and hang it on a wooden stick I stab into ground just for holding it. The tunic''s become soaked in sweat, I warmed up so much. Chopping the wood would have been faster with magic but I don''t want to spend the mana on it after the work I did this morning. In addition to that, cutting the wood manually like this gives Skill Experience for [Gathering], even if it''s not much. Since it''s a basic form of harvesting, it''ll take me longer to Level it this way. All of the tree cutting I''ve done with magic gave Skill Experience for it and I''m still at Level 0 for it even with my blessings. Which I expected, considering its simplicity. I didn''t even have too high a Level in [Gathering] before the reset. A cast of [Lesser Heal] soothes my muscles, as they were aching from the work, then I decide to take a more full break and cool off more. I strip down and head into the stream, the icy water biting at me the moment I enter. Immediately, I take a deep breath and sit on the bottom of the stream. The waters are crystal-clear, the small stones making up the stream bed stirring up a little of the clay-filled soil at my movements but not much. A small cloud of murk forms but it''s low and fades quickly. After holding my breath for as long as I can, I exhale and watch as the bubbles rise up, then inhale. No water enters my mouth as I do this ¨C an extremely cheap elemental magic exercise learned by many beginners of it is how to create a small filter over one''s mouth and nose. It prevents water from entering while generating air, though an advanced version of it which costs less mana but takes more skill actually filters the water which passes by, allowing me to inhale the air dissolved within it. At least, that''s according to the book detailing the exercise I found about four years ago. I don''t quite understand how air can be dissolved within water but the book''s author felt certain there was and the spell does seem to extract air from water. I perform the exercise for a few minutes and just as I''m about to give up, the water in front of me shifts. A spirit takes form, his body appearing as if made out of water with tiny, greenish-blue motes glowing within his skin. Unlike the others, he doesn''t have legs but a fish tail. He gives me a little wave before swimming to the side and giving a high-five to another water spirit, this one opting to manifest with a pair of legs rather than a tail. He then swims over to another water spirit with a pair of legs instead of a tail and gives him a high-five as well. The three water spirits then look at me expectantly, as if asking a question. "I can only maintain this for about seven more minutes before dropping lower in mana than I want from my current," I tell them, this trick technically not working for me to speak, but river spirits are able to understand me just fine when I do. "But sure." All three pump their fists upward in silent cheers. They pick up small stones from the bottom of the stream and use their magics to weather them into identical, round stones with a single flat face. The spirit with the fish tail etches the magic runes which translate to "water spirit" onto the bottom of his and shows it to me, then all three turn their stones so the flat faces point toward the bottom of the stream. Now, they start passing the stones back and forth. The speed at which they do so should be impossible underwater, but they''re river spirits. Currents and water don''t bother them or their actions in the slightest. When they finish they look at me expectantly. I point at the one on the right, who looks at the flat part of his stone and makes an exaggerated shocked expression before showing me the flat face with a beam. He''s got the one with the runes. The game continues until I need to surface so I don''t go too low on mana, and the trio of spirits wave goodbye to me before vanishing, their stones falling to the bottom of the stream. When I surface, I shake my head for a moment, then shiver. As used to the cold of the water as I became while sitting on the bottom, there''s a sharp difference between that and the feeling of being wet and touched by cold air. It only takes me a minute to adjust and once I do, I exit the stream and feel that same extra chill against my entire body. I''m not sure what my plans are for the afternoon, but the more immediate plan is to rebuild the fire and warm back up. Chapter 0009 The magic crystal crunches as I grind it with my mortar and pestle. The sound isn''t pleasant to listen to, but it''s not unpleasant, either. I''m about halfway done turning it into a powder when I notice a pair of men approaching. Thomas and the chief. They ended up coming back two days after their return instead of the day after. As with before, there''s caution and skepticism in their mind. Wariness towards me rather than the forest around. Their outfits are the same as before as well, and the presence of the earth spirits accompanying them is the same. They''re definitely liked by the spirits. "Are you grinding magic crystals?" Thomas asks when they draw close enough for him to see what''s in the stone bowl. "Crystal, singular," I say. "But yes. I can use it to make a magical paint or dye through alchemy, which is how basic enchantments can be set. Don''t even need to know magic for it, just the runes to paint and how to connect them. More complex enchantments need more than just this, or even specialized magic crystals such as fire or holy." They also make longer-lasting enchantments than just drawing through channeled mana will, which is why I''m preparing another batch of the paint. It''s what I''ve been using for the enchantments on the freezing crates, but can be used for other things as well. Since I''ve been expecting their return, I wanted to prepare some of this paint so I can use it for another project. I need fire and holy magic crystals for that, which is why I asked for them to look into buying some. "How was the trip to the town?" I ask. "Uneventful," Chief answers. "We were able to acquire the nails and hinges you requested." "But not magic crystals," Thomas pulls off his pack. "Those are far too expensive for a pelt to pay for." Based on my knowledge of the town''s economics, acquiring the crystals shouldn''t have been a problem. "Too expensive?" I ask as he holds out the pack. "Yeah," he says. "The pelts only sell for around 500c, and that was how much the cheapest fire magic crystal cost. Holy magic crystals were far more than that. Specialized crystals are worth quite a lot compared to plain ones like those I got from hunting monsters around here. Since we only had one pelt, and you wanted us to save 200c, we couldn''t afford that. And the nails and hinges seemed more important." That''s unfortunate for him and quite annoying to me. I wasn''t planning on heading into town anytime soon but it seems I''ll need to set time aside and do so. Those prices aren''t right, so he''s probably been getting ripped off for years and doesn''t have the education to know it. "They were," I start pulling things out of the pack. Another batch of food, plus a small wooden box of nails and six hinges. The remainder of the earnings from the wolf pelt are stored in a small pouch, 273c in total. Some of that is transferred to one of my own pouches, but I leave 200c in there before handing the pack back to Thomas. "You didn''t take all of the coins?" He asks. "Payment for helping me," I say. "And I based it on the actual value of the pelts ¨C they''re worth 4,000c when in good condition, not 500. Whoever you sold to, they scammed you. What I''m giving you is five percent of that. One for each twenty." That last part was added on because he seemed to be a little confused by the percent comment, though I can tell both are more confused by my claim as to the real value. Judging by the small look he gives the chief and the nervousness and touch of guilt in his mind, Thomas kept some of the change already. I kind of expected that, though, since they don''t trust me and he probably felt owed for helping me out. Even if it bothers me, it''s better not to call him out on that. I could come up with an excuse as to how I know, and one that they would buy, I''d rather show that I''m willing to pay them for managing sales for me. That will help build up trust between us. Throwing accusations right now will only make them dislike me. "They''re always sold for around 500," Thomas tells me. "Every time I go with one." "Always to the same shop?" I ask, and he confirms it. "What shop is it?" "It''s near the southern entrance," he answers. "We don''t generally have much to sell that''s not basic when it comes to beast parts and that''s a shop which buys up low-quality goods." "What''s the shop look like?" I ask. "Does it have a sign?" While confused, Thomas answers my questions as I ask several more, to give me a good idea of where to go. "I don''t know why you want to know that," he says. "But on another note, it should be another few days before jars and bottles are ready. I don''t know how long it''ll take you to make the gloves, but I won''t give them to you until they''re ready." "I can have them finished in a couple of days," I tell him. "I take it this means you asked about the magic weapons?" "Yeah," there''s reluctant acceptance in his mind. "The adventurers we asked said the same thing¡­ though some of the mercenaries said it didn''t matter." "But with all adventurers saying it," the chief says. "Or at least, the ones who seemed experienced and not fresh, it''s hard to deny the claim." "That''s good," I say. "The fewer monsters killed without magic, the easier it''ll be to undo some of what''s resulted from their decaying bodies. Though I can''t make any promises about the mines, that really might be partially because of the proximity to the Mistwood." "I''ll wait on returning to those until the gloves are done," Thomas says. "And our business here is now as well, so we''ll be heading out." "Before we go," Chief says. "Have you met anyone else yet?" There''s curiosity in his mind, and it spikes in Thomas''s as he remembers and realizes something. Is there an expectation that I''d have met someone else by now, even though I''m trying to stay alone for the time being? "Anyone else?" I ask. "If you''re talking about people, then no. Only the two of you. I''ve met some of the local spirits, though. They''re pretty grateful to me for taking care of the problem up at the spring." The comment about the spirits only mildly surprises them. Out in the sticks like this, there are enough spirits that even the common people will eventually see one. It seems that''s not who they were expecting me to have met, though, judging by the feeling in their minds. "Alright," Chief says. "Just wanted to see if you''ve met anyone else. We''ll be going now, there''s other stuff for us to check on." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," I say. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," they both return. They leave and once I''m sure they''re well out of sight, I frown. I was hoping for those crystals now rather than later, and I''m not sure where to go to find them around here. That shop really screwed things over for me. I top up my mana with a little bit of potion, then pull on my tunic and boots, fix my knife and pouches onto my belt, then stick a jar filled with mana potion into my pack. "Aluci," I say as I strap a wolf pelt and a few rabbit pelts to my pack. "I''ll be back in a bit. I need to check something out and purchase a couple of items." The wolf gives me a small nod from his napping place by the fire, then rests his head on his paws once more. There''s nothing else I want to take with me, I don''t think, so I pull on my pack and cast [Teleport]. It''s an extremely complex spell and I''m not sure why I haven''t used it before while out here. I''m essentially guaranteed Levels from it early on, with more Skill Experience being awarded the further one travels with it. It''s around ten miles from here to the southern edge of the mountains, and the mountain range, while long, is only about thirty miles from the north to the south. The reason it takes so long for people to travel across it is due to the terrain and the very winding path it has.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The town north of the road exiting the mountains here is only about a mile further up than that. Unlike Mistwood Village and its population of less than one hundred, the town has a population nearing three thousand. Its proximity to the Mistwood has nothing to do with that, though ¨C the mountains effectively create a barrier, preventing much influence from the magical forest from going further north. So naturally, I receive a Skill Level upon arriving halfway to the town from here.
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 1!
+100 MP +1 Magic
It''s cold up here on the peak I''m on, but I ignore that as I pull out the mana potion and recover most of my mana. The spell costs a decent chunk of MP and I can''t make the trip in full just yet. Once I''ve recovered, I teleport into the town, right into an alley and the arrival of another Skill Level notification. I drink more mana potion to recover most of it, then put the jar away. There''s little chance of danger here, but I want to be ready just in case. Thank goodness I brewed more potion this morning or I wouldn''t have been able to make this trip immediately. I exit the alley and locate the loot shop Thomas told me about. It looks fairly cheap, in my opinion. Sure, the exterior walls are painted over and look fresh, and the inside is maintained well and only has a few animal heads, horns, and antlers mounted, but¡­ all of the best shops I''ve been to actually look a lot more cluttered than this. Most loot shops of quality also have glass cases with special strips illuminating their insides. This one just has wooden shelves. I can see why villagers would prefer it, but it''s not my kind of place. "Welcome, welcome!" The man behind the counter greets me, unrestrained glee in his mind upon spotting a new person. "Looks like you''ve got a bit of-" That''s when he notices the color of my eyes. His mind freezes for a moment as the color drains out of him. The last thing any scammer wants to do is mess with someone like me. "Is it true you''re buying stoneseeker wolf pelts for only 500?" I ask the pale merchant upon reaching the counter, my gaze fixed firmly on him. Panic fills his mind at my question. "I''m not sure where you heard that," he says. "But no. We provide a fair price to everyone here. They''re valued at around 4,000c depending on the quality and state of the hide." A lie, which I would know even without Thomas telling me otherwise. My [Empathy] does let me determine the difference, and even the best of liars can''t trick it. I''m simply too good at wielding the passive magic for confidence to fool me. "Odd," I say. "Because I''m fairly certain I''ve heard that you only buy them for 500. It''s a reliable source as well. You''re also displaying all of the signs of someone who has been caught scamming your customers. "I''m not your usual victim," I say. "I wouldn''t normally be found in a shop like this one due to its lower quality. The reason that I am here is because I asked someone to sell a stoneseeker wolf pelt for me as I did other things, and he was paid an eighth of its value. Young man, came here two or three days ago. He''s from the Mistwood region. You know him?" The shopkeeper nods vigorously as the panic in his mind spikes. "Good," I say. "I''d like all of what you shorted him. Not just on my pelt, but everything else he sold here. I''m sure you''ll understand what will happen if you don''t." The shopkeeper pulls out a locked box and opens it, then quickly starts pulling out coins. There''s the roughly 3,500 from my pelt, and close to 8,000 more for the other stuff Thomas sold. It seems this man undercharges heavily on any unknowing customers. There were two more pelts of a different wolf type Thomas had, along with a bundle of magical sticks, the claws and fangs of a cat-like beast, and a few other miscellaneous items he''d acquired over the winter. "Pleasure doing business with you," I tell the shopkeeper, then start to leave. When I reach the door, I pause and look back. "Oh, and if I ever hear about you scamming customers again, I will burn this place to the ground." The fear which fills his mind is more than enough to know that he''ll do his best to avoid angering me. How long that lasts is up in the air, but it should still ensure that Thomas is treated properly in the future¡­ if he returns here. I''ll recommend somewhere different for him to sell things at in the future. I leave the shop and make my way deeper into the city, into a proper market district rather than a market street that''s close to the slums. Upon entering, I''m greeted by the sight of stalls set up with various goods for display along the sides of the streets. Sacks of grain, jars of preserved foods, wheels of cheese, sticks of butter, jewelry, and more. Merchants call out to passerby, any not with a customer immediately calling out to me upon seeing me. A handsome face draws people''s gazes easily enough, but my vivid green eyes catches their attention more once they''re looking. Green eyes are both not natural and typically a sign of someone who has plenty of money to spare. I ignore them for now as I look for the shop I want, which is¡­ there! I approach a building with glass windows at the front, preserved animal forms sitting in them. Not just preserved animal forms, but bundles of sticks, magic crystals, various stones, fangs, claws, scales, and more displayed on their shelves. Inside the shop is just as full as the shelves in the windows. Or at least, the parts behind the glass display counters are as well as the shelves within said displays. The window displays have glass backs to avoid anyone stealing the items within, and said protections are no doubt enchanted to resist damage. The windows in front are strengthened as well. "Hello!" The clerk behind the counter greets me with a friendly enough smile, even with his mind being filled with boredom. "How may I help you today, sir?" "I''m looking to sell some hides," I pull off my pack and unstrap the pelts, then set them on the counter. "Hm¡­" he inspects each hide carefully, his mind shifting to paying fully attention to the task. "It looks like four forest rabbit pelts and a stoneseeker wolf pelt. Minimal damage to them and treated well. The fur''s still soft while the leather is workable. No traces of dirt, grime, or blood on them and they have an even thickness throughout, so you treated them well after curing them. Since they aren''t raw anymore, the value is a little bit higher. I can offer you 50 per rabbit hide, but the wolf pelt is worth a lot more. I''ll say 4,100 for it, for a total of 4,500 for the five. Does that sound fair to you?" I could try to haggle a better price ¨C and he''d probably accept giving me more ¨C but I don''t want to bother. Those are pretty fair prices for the pelts, something he offered at the start thanks to my green eyes. He even raised the pay a little before any haggling could begin, probably in an attempt to curry favor without being scummy. A quality loot shop, indeed. "That sounds fair to me," I say. "Give me one moment, sir," he heads into the back of the shop, then returns with a small wooden try with a soft lining, coins glittering on it. "Here is 4,500." I double-check the coins and verify they''re authentic, then slip them into my coin pouch as he hands the pelts to a boy of around eleven who comes out from the back just to take those. The boy returns to the back as the man moves the tray to the side. "Will that be all for you today?" He asks. "Or would you like to make purchases as well?" "Purchases," I answer. "I''m in need of magic crystals. Fire and holy. Do you have those? The holy ones aren''t as important if you don''t." "I do," he answers. "Any particular type you''re looking for?" "Half-inch or twice that," I say. "Grade 2 or 3." "Mind if I ask what they''re for?" He asks. "They''ll be used to create an enchantment for heating and cleansing water," I answer. "I''m setting up a new home at the moment and would like to have my own bathing spot rather than needing to use the communal one." In the village, the "communal bathing spot" is probably the stream which flows through the center of the settlement. The enchantments for the necessary plumbing for heated bathing are a bit on the expensive side and are a rather recent invention. It wouldn''t be worth it for them to try and afford even a small bathhouse to be set up for them. The cost to maintain it would be fairly high as well, and the village is simply too small. Either they''ll wash in the cold of the stream or they''ll boil water and wipe themselves down with it. That might work for a commoner, but I enjoy the feeling of a proper scrubbing followed by soaking in steaming-hot water. "Will you be in need of mana crystals as well?" The clerk asks. "We have those here as well." "My new home is in an area with enough ambient mana to supply the enchantments without causing problems," I inform him. "So I won''t need crystals to keep them charged." "Very well, then," he says. "I''ll be back in just a minute." He heads into the back and returns with another tray, this one with crystals sitting on it. Each one is half an inch to an inch in size and the feel of the energies within are all either Grade 2 or Grade 3. While the System doesn''t give such values, we give them to the crystals based on how potent their magics are. The crystals on the left are reddish-orange fire magic crystals, the golden-yellow ones with white flecks on the right are holy magic crystals, and the one in the center¡­ is not one I was expecting to find. It''s reddish-orange in color at the base, but has swirls of golden-yellow with white flecks spread throughout it.
[Holy Fire Magic Crystal]
A magic crystal filled with the essence of holy fire.
It''s also far beyond my budget at the moment as a result of both its special trait of holding a combined magical energy and being Grade 3. Even the money I acquired for Thomas wouldn''t give me enough for that, and I''m not planning on using those funds. Those are his. I inspect the other crystals for a few minutes, debating how much I need, then settle on seven: four half-inch fire magic crystals and three half-inch holy magic crystals, all at Grade 3. "I''ll admit I want that one," I indicate the holy fire magic crystal. "But it''s outside of what I have on me at the moment and I don''t plan on returning here for awhile. The trip is on the costly side." "I understand," the clerk says. "That''s 600 per fire magic crystal you''ve selected, and 1,500 per holy magic crystal you''ve selected, for a total of 6,900c in total. Does that sound fair to you?" "It does," I answer. "That''ll be all, thanks." I pay the clerk and slip the crystals into my pouch, then thank him and leave. "A pleasure doing business with you, sir!" He calls after me as I exit the shop. "Please come again!" Time to head back home and work on the bath. Chapter 0010 This looks like a good spot for the bath. I''m about thirty feet back from the cabin and a little to the east, making it just a little outside of the main part of my camp. It''s only about ten feet from the small garden I''ve created, but that won''t be a problem for me and will even add a close view of something nice to look at while I soak. With my mana refilled and more mana potion brewed up, I''m ready to start the work on this project. Creating a bath is something which I know doesn''t take an immense amount of mana from me as it''s something I''ve done every time I set up camp for the last five years. A simple one doesn''t even need enchantments, and I can do the mana infusion enchanting like what I did to create wards at the start of my time here to make one which lasts a few days. However, this one is meant to be a little bit more long-term than that. I begin gesturing with my hands, creating a slab of solid stone four inches thick. At one end of it, I form the tub. That''s created by conjuring four stone walls atop the slab, each about two and a half feet in height and three inches in thickness. The end of the slab is seven feet in length and two of the walls stretch along that. For the sides of the tub, I have them run only five feet. A sizable soaking tub with plenty of space to stretch out without feeling cramped. Just in case Aluci decides he wants to soak with me. I create smaller walls along the sides of the rest of the slab, which continues another five feet past the tub. The part of the station not the tub is given a downward slope toward the tub, but only a slight one. All of the stone is smoothed over with magic, to remove its porosity so water won''t absorb into it but stay atop it. That wasn''t really important to do but takes almost no extra effort from me thanks to my skill with doing so. Next is creating the "pipes", or cylindrical tunnels running through the walls. Paint made with magic crystals is used to draw runes within them, then I cast specific spells on each before sealing them back up. These pipes run from the top of the wall on the bath, down to the bottom, then back up to the top, exiting on the slab side. A hole on each side provides an opening into the pipe, and I created seven of these pipes, or one for every foot of length of the tub. At the top of the slab-side holes, there''s a downward slope facing outward to help guide things better once it''s actually functioning. Additional pipes are added to the slab itself, run under the tub, and up the back walls. Fourteen in total with quarter-inch diameters rather than half-inch. They, too, are given magic crystal paint runes with spells cast onto them after completion. Both sets of upper holes ¨C on the bath''s back wall and on the slab''s wall with the bath ¨C are about four inches below the top of the tub. I could probably have put them an inch higher, but what''s done is done and I don''t feel like changing it now. The final touch to this before I add water is an additional enchantment added inside of the tub itself and another on the slab. Upon doing the latter, the stone warms up lightly. That should keep feet warm but also help keep me warm while I''m washing up. Another thing happens upon the completion of the enchantment in addition to the heating effect.
[Crafting] is now Level 2!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
While it might seem like building the tub was simple, it was anything but due to the magical nature of the plumbing and heating for it. Anyone with enough mana can build the tub, but it takes real experience to set the enchantments so that it works. Most people who can set up the enchanting system are already past Level 7 in [Crafting]. All in all, this took around 170 MP, the same as always. I could either conjure water to fill the tub with or pull from the stream, but I don''t feel like transferring the water so far. That leaves conjuring it, and I pour it onto the slab rather than straight into the tub. As the water reaches the tub wall, it flows into the small holes I create, confirming that I sloped everything correctly. Those pipes will heat and cleanse water of impurities thanks to the enchantments I set into them with a little bit of force and water magic used to move the water along. When it reaches the tops of the pipes, it pours out into the tub in quick flows. The enchantment on the bottom will keep the water at a consistent temperature while ensuring it remains clean. I could have just filled the tub directly, except that it would take longer for the water to heat if I did. This way, more water is heated as I fill. Steam rises from the tub as the water fills it up, which does take a few minutes due to its size. Once the water level reaches the height of the holes on the side facing the slab, it begins to drain into it. The enchantments on those pipes move the water, keep it clean, and maintain its temperature. Once it travels all the way through them, it pours out on the slab side. There, it completes the cycle and returns to the lower pipes to return to the tub. The two sets of pipes have different water flow speeds, with the lower ones moving the water more quickly to account for each individual pip taking in much less than the upper pipes output. That also helps create a small jet effect on the pipes feeding the tub while avoiding having too quick of water flow for the outputs for washing. I stop generating water at now that the cycle is looped in on itself, then return to my camp and pull out a towel. I decided to purchase a few of these while in town since I had money leftover, then washed them and used my magic to dry them. "Hm," I look over at the bath area, then set the towel down on my pack and look through the piles of sticks and branches. These ones should be suitable. Two slim branches with Y shapes on an end and one that''s relatively straight. I shave off the bark from all three, then take them over to the bathing station. The two with forked ends are driven into the ground with the forks facing up. They''re spaced about eight feet apart with the Ys parallel to each other, and the third branch is placed across them. My towel is hung on that, then I move one of my stools over to the washing slab. I grab the jar with body and hair wash Zolbiatz sent me here with, strip off my pants, and head back to the tub. With everything ready, I sit on the stool, open up the jar, and begin washing myself. The outside air is a little bit chilly but the enchantment on the slab keeps the air above it warm. It''s also designed not to heat solid objects touching it, so the stool and jar won''t be affected by it even if the air still warms them a little. I scoop water from the flows out of the tub and use that to wet myself, and the body and hair wash from the jar to scrub myself clean. When that''s finished, I rinse myself off using the water, then cap the jar, set it on the stool, and step into the tub. As I lower down into it, the heat seeps into my body, relaxing me more than just splashing it onto myself had. Closing my eyes, I lean my head against the edge of the tub and just enjoy this. Quiet. Calm. Peaceful. Why the fuck did Aluci just transform into a bird? I can feel the shift in his magics which indicate the change, and soft flapping a moment later indicates that he''s flown onto the branch holding my towel. A few minutes later, another mind enters my range, though I could hear his steps before that. Now I know why the dream beast shifted forms. Thomas feels confused by something, and I can make a guess as to what it is. "Surprised you''ve returned already," I say. "Did something happen?" "Where did this bath come from?" Thomas asks. "It wasn''t here earlier." "Adventurers learn how to set things up quickly when they want."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The confusion in his mind remains the same, but disbelief spikes. He''s probably thinking I''m dumb if I expect him to believe me. "It''s a solid stone tub," he says. "It ain''t as fancy as the ones in the bathhouse in town, but it would still have needed a lot of time to carve, wouldn''t it?" He''s suspecting magic was used. If only he hadn''t shown up so much sooner than I''d expected, I could have explained it away a lot more easily. "By the time I decided to quit being an adventurer," I say. "I could set up camp in under half an hour, complete with a bath. It''s really not that hard if you know the right tricks and can gain the cooperation of the local spirits." Spirit energy shifts in front of me, then there''s a plopping in the water. I peek open an eye to find an earth spirit now swimming around in the bath, as if to try and help me convince Ryan that I had help. It''s not working. He''s definitely suspecting I used magic. For a few moments, he contemplates something, then decides against it. "If you say so," he says. "And¡­ what''s that bird?" There''s a lot of concern in the hunter''s mind, so I open my eyes again and look over at Aluci. He''s taken on the form of a bird of prey with dappled brown and grey feathers with a small white touch to them and is currently looking at Thomas. The hunter looks much like he did earlier, including the basket pack on his back and equipped with his bow and quiver of arrows. The spirit that''s hanging out with him is laying atop his head, resting on its stomach with its head in its hands, probably quite cozy in the hunter''s hair. "A messenger," I answer. "He was sent to check on me and arrived a little after you left. I had him deliver a message to town to inquire about something. If you check my pack, in the pocket on the left side when worn, attached to the larger pocket at the bottom, you''ll find a pouch with coins in it. The guild wasn''t pleased when they heard about you being scammed and arranged for you to have the full pay from your recent sales. They already verified the amount you were shorted and acquired it from the shopkeeper. I was going to give them to you when you returned next, so it seems that time is now." Thomas frowns at me and there''s a lot of confusion in his mind, but he heads over to my pack and locates the pouch I told him about. When he opens it, his eyes widen and he looks over. "You were shorted by a lot for your winter haul," I inform him. "Though it seems you didn''t really acquire too much in the end. Probably an issue of gear. Anyway, in the future, it''s better if you go to the market district proper and look for a shop whose sign contains a flower with a flaming fang in place of a stem. They''ll treat you well." "How did you-" "I''m an adventurer of seven years," I say. "I know what to say in a message to get things done. And the method of delivery probably helped. The messenger isn''t exactly unknown within the guild''s higher ranks. Even in a town in the sticks, they''ll be able to identify this boy. So if he shows up with a message saying someone''s scamming hunters, well, they''ll look into it immediately and potentially advise their adventurers to no longer visit it." I did actually send Aluci in that particular form to let the guild know of the scam, though my message was slightly different. It stated that the repayment for the incident I''m aware of has already occurred, and I never gave any details on who it was for. They also don''t know Aluci in this form so they won''t know who it was who sent it other than a powerful mage. That form belongs to a powerful magic beast which is hard to tame and turn into a familiar. Delivering the message that way helps keep my new location a secret. My retirement is meant to be peaceful and I don''t want my old associates coming to bother me. "I see¡­" Thomas approaches, entering my range of [Empathy] again. He''s confused, grateful, and a few other things. "And I was hunting a little further west of here. Decided to stop by on my way back." To see what I was up to, no doubt. I can still feel the suspicion in his mind. We''ve only interacted a few times, after all. It''s understandable he still doesn''t trust me. "Catch anything good?" "Some fowl," he confirms. "Some for my family, some for the glass-maker. This is what you wanted the fire and holy magic crystals for? The bath, I mean? I take it that means you got them as well?" "I did," I confirm. "It was included in my request for an investigation that my funds be used to purchase some. They''re necessary for creating long-term enchantments which clean and heat water. The enchantments also enable the water to flow as well." This has him more curious than anything, though there''s a little confusion mixed in. "The bathhouse in town wants 5c per visit and they receive quite a few visitors," he says. "Was the missing 3,500 really enough?" That level of math is probably beyond him, but he''s probably guessing correctly that they earn far more than the value I gave him. "They have to heat and purify much larger quantities of water," I say. "And move it as well. There''s also paying for staff and the upkeep of the facility itself, such as cleaning the floors and walls. That''s what the visit fee is for. I only have the cost for the crystals I couldn''t get. It look less than a half-inch crystal of each at Grade 3. The plain ones took more since they had less magic in them, but I collected those myself." "Grade 3?" "How much magical energy is in them," I explain. "You keep giving the bath a longing look. Did you want to join?" I''ve been able to sense his desire for a soak the entire time he''s been in my range since arriving. It''s clear that he enjoys soaking in a bath. The moment I ask that, his mind starts feeling torn. He both wants to go for a soak and not stay here longer than necessary. Something''s also making him nervous, and I don''t think it''s just me. "Would the spirits mind?" That seems to be the cause of his nerves, based on the shifts in his emotions when he asks. "There''s now four of them swimming in there and while I''ve seen spirits a few times¡­ for that matter, spirits manifest themselves for you?" I look at the spirits swimming in the bath. Three earth spirits and one water spirit, the water spirit having given himself a fish tail rather than legs. The four of them are either doing slow laps, backstroking, or just floating on their backs. "It''s less that they manifest themselves for me," I say. "And more of the situation. We''re out in the wilderness, even if there''s a small bit of development. It''s a hot bath with a fairly serene surrounding. That tends to draw spirits to them. I''m not sure if there are any hot springs in the area but if there are, you''ll probably find spirits manifesting themselves there as well." Realization fills his mind. "We do have a couple in part of the mountains," he says. "I''ve only been to them a couple of times, just passing through. Thought it was a sacred space because of the amount of spirits I could see there so never went for a dip. That''s just them liking the water and view?" "Yup." He wrestles with something for a few moments, then comes to a decision. "Alright," he says. "But not for long. The air''s cool enough I don''t have to worry about the catches, but I still want to be back in the village to get the birds to their destinations before dinner." "You can grab a towel for after if you want," I say as he sets down his bow. Thomas grabs a towel before he undresses and hangs it on the rod next to the one already there, then he washes up after checking if he can use the wash on the stool. Once he''s cleaned and rinsed, he lowers himself into the bath on the opposite end as me. While he makes no outward sign of enjoyment, I can feel the pleasure and contentment in his mind. Not a word is said between us as I close my eyes and relax once more, though I can tell Thomas has questions. A lot of questions. Eventually, he decides to ask. "What made you decide to quit being an adventurer?" "As I said before," I say. "I wanted something calmer, quieter. Even if I need to hunt, forage, harvest, build, craft, and so on here, things are more stable. I don''t need to worry or travel as much anymore." "Ain''t many options for a relationship out here, though." There''s genuine surprise in his mind. He wants to know why I''d come somewhere I''m unlikely to find love as the place to settle down. "That''s never been a problem for me," I tell him. "It''s not like I''ll isolate myself forever. I just want time to get settled in and set up my home before traveling around or into town. Eventually, I''ll start looking. Whoever I get with will have to have the understanding that this is where I want to live and they''ll need to move here with me to make our relationship permanent." "I''d prefer to leave," he snorts. "There ain''t much here for us. Almost signed up for the war a couple of years ago to get away before realizing I didn''t really want to fight for the kingdom. We''re barely a part of it here, anyway. And I ain''t fond of the idea of fighting people, just protecting what''s mine against monsters, hunting for food, and such. Only reason I ain''t moved yet is ''cause I want to save up funds and prepare for it. Probably won''t go to a town for it, just a little bit bigger of a village somewhere." "I''m aware the village is dying," I say. "And that younger residents tend to move out once they''re comfortable doing so and are of age. For me, though, the area is perfect." The six spirits hanging out in the tub all nod in agreement when I say that. "Everyone''s got their preferences," I say. "I wish you luck with your goals." "Thanks." We relax in the bath in silence after that, only emerging when it''s time for Thomas to head back to the village. While there''s still some skepticism in his mind, I can tell that he likes me a little bit more now than before. The attraction he holds for me has increased a little as well. It''s a shame he wants out of here, since he is my type, but I''ll respect those wishes of his. There''s still a possibility of stuff without commitment, though, but I''ll wait until he''s lost his skepticism before trying. Attempting anything sooner than that will only make him more suspicious, not less. To get my mind off of his handsome self, I decide to craft myself some armor. It''s about time I do that, with how many wolf hides I have. Chapter 0011 Upon waking, I''m greeted by a notification floating within my vision.
As you slept, you have grown a little more¡­
[Crafting] is now Level 3!
[Elemental Magic] is now Level 5!
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 5!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
+200 MP +2 Magic
Creating the bath really gave me more Skill Experience than I expected, if I was able to go up another Level as I slept. The other two, I did expect as I knew I was close to gaining a Level in [Elemental Magic] after working on the bath and [Spatial Magic] was guaranteed to just because of how much Skill Experience it grants while sleeping for a [Teleport] of that distance. That''s a spell not normally cast before one is Level 15 in [Spatial Magic] and the distance I traveled was quite far for a use of it even for the half-trip stops I made to refuel. At that point, I''d need to cast the spell over the full distance from here to the town many times just to gain a Level, even with my blessings. I call up my Status to check my stats, even though I know what they should be. It''s good to do this every now and then to remind myself of just how much weaker I currently am.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 100/100 HP Regen: 0.001/second
MP: 3,003/3,400 MP Regen: 0.034/second
Strength: 18 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 19 Magic: 38
Mind: 15
Those stats are more than suitable for now, even if I could probably do with boosting them a little bit more. I''m still worried in case of an attack, but I''ve been here long enough to know that things are relatively peaceful¡­ at least, so far. My mana capacity is also high enough that I can spend a fair bit without worrying about using too much. Not with how easy beasts around here have been and will be. The part of me used to my old life is a little unnerved, however. Things have been too easy and I feel as if something is going to go wrong very, very soon. I should go to the Mistwood and challenge some stronger beasts to help settle that part of me. Doing so will also allow me to gain some Levels a little more quickly to strengthen myself and acquire materials. I''ll probably have better luck finding reagents in there, too. My decision made, I get out of bed and slip on some pants, then exit my cabin and restart the fire out back. Potatoes are peeled and diced, part of an onion is diced, some herbs are chopped, and stoneseeker wolf meat is minced. All of that is cooked in a skillet with a little bit of butter added at the start and an egg added in later, the rest added in at various stages. Hash isn''t quick to make but it''s filling and will provide me plenty of energy for what I''m going to do. After cleaning my dishes, I pull on my boots and tunic and fix on my belt, then slip on the armor I crafted yesterday afternoon. The first piece is a somewhat-stiff, leather, vest-like armor which protects my torso on the front, back, and sides. The shoulders are designed to allow for good mobility, to prevent restricting the movements of my arms. After that''s strapped on and secured, I fix on leather vambraces and greaves, made of the same relatively-rigid leather as the torso armor. Stoneseeker wolves are pretty durable on their own and when tanned with the right process, their hides become even more resilient to damage. At the strength of the ones I''ve taken out so far and said treatment, the armor should protect my lower legs, forearms, and torso from beasts up to around 30 Strength or Magic in power and reduce the damage dealt by those up to 40. That''s before the enchantments I set on them, which increases said resistances further. It also helps prevent me from being affected by damage caused from impacts as well so that the more blunt attacks won''t harm me. Wearing full armor might sound like a good idea, but I won''t go deep into the Mistwood and I know from experience in other places similar that this should be enough for the trip. As long as my forearms, lower legs, stomach, chest, and back are protected, I won''t face much of an issue. The boots and gloves Zolbiatz sent with me are basic rather than armor, but they''ll do as well. Nearly ready to go, I pull on my pack, which has been mostly emptied though it does contain a few wooden boxes, woven baskets, and jars. Three bottles of mana potion sits within it as well. Now ready to go, I focus my magic and cast [Teleport], immediately finding myself at the edge of the Mistwood. Every tree within it is at least ten feet in thickness and the undergrowth isn''t just dense but also tall. It obscures my view ahead, and that''s before the Mist itself is factored in, lazily drifting against the plants of the forest, thick enough to be considered a fog in the inch above the ground. Thanks to how dense its canopy is, it''s also a lot darker in there than out here. It''s a stark and obvious difference from Amberwood Forest, making it clear to anyone who encounters it where the border lies. I refill my mana a bit ¨C [Teleport] costs a lot for a fifteen-mile trip ¨C then enter the dense forest before me. While the border between the neighboring forests is quite thick, the undergrowth of the Mistwood isn''t necessarily thick throughout. Some spots are lighter in undergrowth density, allowing for easier walking and a little bit more range of sight. I can feel far more minds around me than while in Amberwood as well. More insects and small critters live here, but even some of the plants have minds. Only about four minutes into my visit into the Mistwood does one of said plants try something with me. I can feel its focus on me for several seconds before a root begins to wrap around my right leg and begin to squeeze and pull. A flick of my wrist sends an [Arc Slash] slicing through the root as a quartet of [Fire Missile]s soar at the tall stump the roots belong to. Realizing the danger, the six-foot-tall "rotting" stump attempts to dodge the attacks, scampering over the ground cover and between trees, but to no avail. A homing aspect to the missiles keeps them on target and they slam into the monster before it manages to travel fifteen feet from its initial spot. The monster lets out a screech as the [Fire Missile]s impact. They deliver only a mild amount of concussive force rather than that being their main way of damaging, unlike [Magic Missile]s. Upon impact, the flames of [Fire Missile]s travel forward, splashing against their target and spreading. Made of wood, tree fiends ignite easily. This makes [Fire Missile] a much more effective spell for dealing with them. That sends the monster into a panic and it starts to flail around, roots slamming through undergrowth around us and into the less-monstrous trees. There''s no damage to the former as that wood is fairly tough on its own, but it would probably shatter some of the trees in Amberwood. I don''t wait for my attacks to burn through its HP, however. As the tree fiend lets out a piercing shriek of pain, I send a swarm of six [Magic Missile]s to hit the spots weakened from my prior attack. They blast right through the charred wood, sending some fragments flying while piercing into the softer wood within.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Ten more [Fire Missile]s follow that attack. Four hit new spots on the tree fiend while the other six blast into the holes created by the missiles of force. Ten more [Magic Missile]s soar forward and slam into the charred wood of the tree fiend, blasting new holes into it, and ten more [Fire Missile]s punch into those holes. That should be enough if my estimations are right. Based on the level of damage my attacks were doing with my current Magic, the tree fiend should have around 1,900 HP. Each [Magic Missile] would have done around 25-30 each, while the [Fire Missile]s do less than that individually and initially but more as their flames spread and the monster burns. About ten seconds after I finish my attacks, the tree fiend bursts into black and red mist, the flames vanishing now that there''s no fuel for them. Magic they may have started as, but which they ceased to be upon striking their targets.
[Combat] is now Level 1!
+100 HP +1 Strength +1 Constitution
Someone as "inexperienced in combat" as I am would not normally have a hope of defeating a tree fiend as weak as that one. That probably gave me enough Skill Experience to reach Level 3 just from that one kill, except Skills are capped at gaining a single Level at a time. Why this gave me [Combat] Skill Experience when hunting the wolves didn''t is because the wolves were more of hunted than fought. I didn''t have to do a whole lot for those and essentially dominated those encounters. The tree fiend needed more strategy than just "tie ''em with [Bind] and then cut through their necks". Monsters are also more likely to give Skill Experience for easier encounters than beasts. I dismiss the notice as I move forward to collect my loot. Only a small amount of fire was set to the forest and what hasn''t already died out is put out with a gesture of my right hand as I approach the site of the tree fiend''s death. Sitting where it once flailed are three objects. One is a plain magic crystal 1.5" in size, while another is about 1" in size and brown with green streaks.
[Plant Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized plant magic essence.
It''s Grade 4, so I could definitely sell it for a lot. I could also use it to mix up fertilizer for my garden and boost the growth of things further. Not that I need to do that right now, so I''ll save it for the time being as I decide on whether to use or sell it. The third and final object is a block of wood 1'' in length and 8" in height and width. It has a medium brown color with a slight pink tint to it and is perfectly smooth on all sides with a slight rounding for the edges and corners.
[Arcane Wood]
Wood filled with arcane energies.
This will take up a decent amount of space in my pack, but it''s more than worth it. Arcane wood is an excellent medium for making enchanted wooden objects with. Totems, charms, handles, and various other items, and this is a decent chunk of it. I pull off my pack and store my loot inside, then pull the pack back on as I assess my options. Each [Magic Missile] costs 5 MP and elemental variants cost twice that. Taking down the tree fiend cost me 320 MP not including what I spent on the [Arc Slash].That''s almost a tenth of my capacity, and I really don''t want to spend that much on fighting monsters, just in case something stronger attacks while I''m here. I''ll need to keep an eye on how much I''m at and drink potions as needed, but also adjust my strategy a little. Casting that many spells isn''t a good idea, so I should cast fewer next time I face off against one of those and wait the longer time for the fires to do their work it''ll take. Continuing through the forest, I pay close attention to my surroundings in case of further attacks while looking for a trail indicating a creature I want to take on. After about six more minutes, I spot a lighter area in the distance. As I approach, the undergrowth lessens in density and the source of the glow becomes visible. Luminescent plants. Flowers, berries, and even mushrooms. The last of those are growing between roots and on a log on the ground, probably a lower branch from one of the trees. I harvest some of each of those, including pulling out a couple of the flowers with their roots intact. Once everything is stored in containers in my backpack, I continue traveling, soon coming across another tree fiend. This time, I use four [Fire Missile]s for the initial attack, then only four [Magic Missile]s for the second rather than six. The next wave of attacks is six, six, and six, reducing the overall mana cost from 320 MP down to 210. It''s not as effective, however, and the tree fiend takes almost a minute to die, trampling through a small section of the forest as it goes. More magic is needed to put out the fires it caused this time and while it''s not much¡­ I''ll do eight for each of the last three attacks. That''ll save me 50 MP over the first fight but kill the tree fiend much faster than for this second one. After adding the loot to my backpack, I continue hunting in the forest. That fight granted me another Level to [Combat] and to [Elemental Magic], so I could leave now and be satisfied with some of the gains. It''s not enough to make me comfortable with today''s trip, however. I need to take down more monsters and gather more items before I can really feel comfortable. Various herbs and other plants are foraged as I walk and the deeper I travel into the forest, the more luminescent plants there are. Mana crystals appear from time to time as well, though I leave them be. I can''t think of a need for any of those right now so they only hold sell value to me and that''s not what I''m here for. Combined with the ever-present Mist and lack of light from above, the glowing plants create an eerie setting for me as I continue walking. The first time I was somewhere like this, I was barely thirteen and a half and eight out of ten of the members of the team were wiped out by a single monster. We were in a forested cave and the beast was the origin of some of the mist present within there, while more of it was just Mist itself. Fourteen tentacle-like legs let the monster traverse the damp cave with ease and its ability to seamlessly camouflage itself made it difficult to see. If it weren''t for the range of my [Empathy] back then, we might have all ended up dead. Wrapped up in its sticky goo, saved for later consumption. Or maybe they were still alive and just preserved, their minds muted to me. I didn''t stick around long enough to find out surviving the encounter. That beast had grabbed me with those tentacle-like legs of its, its suctions holding onto me tightly. I barely had time to prepare an attack before it managed to grab me, too. Only me shouting that it was coming saved my life as the surviving swordsman reacted faster thanks to knowing where it was going. Until it had entered the range of my [Empathy], the only sign we knew the beast was there was when lights dimmed or vanished, as result of it passing in front. As great at camouflaging as it was, it couldn''t imitate light. We''d also initially thought that the temporary dimming and vanishing of lights was just flickering from them. Some natural light sources in dark areas do that on their own. A glow in the distance fades for a moment and in the next, Mist is pushed aside by twenty-one invisible [Magic Missile]s. Before those even strike, seven [Arcane Spears]s cut through the air, and a [Fireball] follows after.
[Casting] is now Level 2!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
No other notification, no sounds of pain, no attacks returning. I approach where the fires are and put them out with my magic as I try to figure out what happened. There''s not a trace of a beast in the charred remnants of the undergrowth or in the damage to the trees. A small use of time magics shows me what happened: a hanging vine swung a little and momentarily blocked a glowing flower on ivy climbing up a tree. There wasn''t a monster at all. "Haaa¡­" I let out a breath, partially out of annoyance and partially from relief. I got myself worked up over the memory of that encounter and reacted on instinct. While I haven''t fought something strong enough to make me feel satisfied that I''m safe, it''s probably not a good idea to stick around. My heart is racing and I know that I''m going to be striking at shadows again if I stay too much longer. That incident seven years ago wasn''t my first brush with death, but it was definitely the first where I actually felt scared. The similarity to back then and now is definitely affecting me a little. I''ll go home and calm down a little, then return once I actually need materials from here. The hope was that I''d find a few specific items during this trip, but they aren''t actually important. I go can without them if it means not dealing with the spooky fest. A plan in mind, I start walking back towards the edge of the Mistwood. As great of a mage as I am, I can''t [Teleport] within it. The high concentration of mana prevents it and I''d need a lot more magical power to push through it. Here''s hoping I don''t attack anymore innocent trees on my way out. Chapter 0012 "Hoi, there!" A voice calls out, and I look over to find Thomas approaching. "Hello," I greet him as I set down the crystal I was examining. As the hunter enters the range of my [Empathy], I find him feeling a little hopeful, a little curious, a little focused, and a little skeptical. The first two are a little odd, though I was expecting the latter two. "You said you''d have the gloves ready today?" Thomas asks. "I do," I answer. "Do you have payment for them?" "In here," he pulls off his pack and sets it down. "Along with the food." "Let me check it over," I tell him, then pull everything out. It''s the same food supply as he''s been giving me, so I''m going to assume that''s what he''s decided will be in each batch to exact amounts. Accompanying the ingredients are a variety of glass bottles and jars. The bottles come in the perfect size for storing potions for quick use, while the jars are the right size for storing additional potions or for making jams and other preserved foods. They''re pretty good in quality, too. "These ones are potion bottles," I note. "I''d just asked for bottles and jars." "Silvia asked me what I knew about you," he says. "I''d mentioned you were an adventurer, and that I''d seen a mortar and pestle with strange blue mushrooms by it. She said you probably brewed your own potions, so I guess that''s why she made those." I glance by the mortar and pestle on my alchemy prep table, which currently has a basket with a few of my remaining mana disc mushrooms in it. A fair assessment by her just from that information. She might know what green eyes mean, though if he told her about them, she either didn''t mention it to him or she did but he''s not inclined to bring it up. Then again, he already suspects I''m a mage so if he found out anything from her, he probably feels it''s not important enough to mention. Yet, at least. "I do," I answer. "Are you able to brew me some?" He asks. "One of the things which limits me in the mines is HP and the more I can do in there, the easier it''ll be to prepare for leaving here." He should theoretically be able to handle leaving the area now if it''s just a finances issue. Now that he can kill monsters properly, he should be able to earn money more easily. The cost really isn''t that high if he''s just going to another farming village even with the trip out of here ¨C he''d just wait until the chief is heading into town for the first part to cut down on that cost. After that, it''s just a matter of walking to a village near the town and picking out a spot to build his new home. "If you''re talking health potions," I say. "I don''t actually have the reagents for those. Been looking but only have one out of three. Once I do, I can brew them up. Some of what I''ve brewed, I''ve only been able to make one of from the stuff I''ve foraged." "Oh," he seems pretty disappointed by that even if his expression doesn''t show it. "I''d offer to help, but I don''t really know what''s useful for alchemy or not." "This area is abundant in reagents," I tell him. "It''s just a matter of time before I find suitable ones and transplant them to my garden. If you''re still around when that happens, then I''ll brew some up for you, for a price. And speaking of prices, let me grab the gloves for you." I head into the cabin and retrieve the gloves from the wooden box I''d placed them in. When I return outside and hand them to Thomas, he frowns a little as he examines them. The gloves look like normal leather gloves, for the most part. Unlike the arrowheads, there aren''t any visible crystals on them. "They were treated with alchemy," I tell him. "Using magic crystals I crushed, then dissolved so they''d be in liquid form. It helped enhance their own durability as well. You''ll get some good use out of them before they tear." "I''ll have to take your word for it," he says with a mind full of skepticism. "I can''t read, so I ain''t able to tell what it says." "Would you like to learn?" "What?" He gives me a confused look. "You know how to read, too? Isn''t that mostly a thing among nobles?" Even adventurers and mercenaries, who take on random jobs, generally don''t need to know how to read. The job requests are managed by the guild and the posters just contain an image and a few easy-to-learn symbols to show what the task and pay are. "I was raised by a wealthy couple from when I was nine to when I was thirteen," I say. "I learned how to read and write then. It''s pretty much required for any family that''s nobility or wanting to be. Same with knowing how to play at least one instrument." "You can do that, too?" He asks. "I''ve got a guitar, but it''s probably not suitable for nobles." "Some like guitar," I tell him. "I learned the violin while living with them, but picked up guitar while adventuring and learned to play more rural tunes on the violin as well." Admittedly, the guitar thing was to try and impress a guy in an area I was staying for awhile when I was fifteen. It did earn me some dates and I never bothered quitting even after I left there. "Might be a bit blunt," he says. "But why come here instead of going to live with your adoptive parents after retiring?" "They only really saw me as a tool for their reputation," I say. "An act of charity, rescuing a talented boy from a cruel orphanage so that he''d have the ability to flourish. The expectation was that I''d marry someone from a branch family and produce heirs for them once I was old enough." "Running makes sense, then." "Would have been fine¡­ maybe," I say. "Except I have zero attraction to the opposite sex, and that led to some arguments after they caught me kissing one of the boys in the market in town. It wasn''t even anything inappropriate, just an awkward first kiss. Then an opportunity came and I took it. We haven''t talked since I was fifteen and while they attempted to keep me in their family record so that my adventures would be in their name¡­ I earned enough to pay an Archpriest to sever that." There''s an increase in his curiosity when I mention being gay and having kissed at least one boy before, though judging by the shifts in his emotions, he quickly squashes that because of his wariness of me. Unless he furthers that topic during this visit, I won''t broach the possibility of something without commitment between us. Just because someone has a small attraction to me, that doesn''t mean they''d be willing to actually do something if I asked. As with before, I''m pretty sure his wariness of me means asking him would make things worse rather than better. "So you''ve got some sort of talent?" He asks. "In crafting? You seem pretty good at it from what I can tell." The curiosity in his mind feels genuine there so while I''m sure he''s realized I''m a mage based on how quickly I made the bath, he doesn''t think that''s where my talents lie.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Some of that comes from the cruel orphanage," I tell him. "It''s not something I like talking about, but the short version is that it forced its kids into labor, and not the standard fare. Woodworking and pottery, and even among the littlest ones. Simple stuff, not anything fancy, but you still learn a bit by the time you''re nine. And there were harsh punishments for not being up to standards." It wasn''t the original orphanage I was at, but that one shut down a few months after I arrived and I was moved to the one I ended up in for the next nine years. Had that other one not shut down, I probably would have had a much easier childhood. "That sort of thing''s allowed?" He asks. "I had to do work when I was little, but it was just stuff like carrying lighter stuff for my parents, or helping put seeds in holes, or whatever. Easy stuff a kid could handle until I could handle more." "Depends on where you are and how bad it is," I answer. "And as I said, I don''t really like talking about that time of my life. It wasn''t too pleasant." I can tell he wants to ask more questions, but he opts not to now that I''ve made it clear the discussion needs to be dropped. He stands in silence for a few moments before a different question comes to him. "If you can read," he says. "Does that mean you understand Skills and how they work, too?" "Yeah," I answer. "What did you want to know?" "How it works," he answers. "Ain''t able to get a good answer when I ask in town, but it ain''t as if I''m able to just ask the more educated folk." That''s actually pretty fair. Most commoners don''t know much about how it works beyond that Skills go up from time to time and they get better at doing things while getting stronger and tougher in small amounts. "Hm¡­" I think for a few moments. Best to ask him what he knows first. "What do you know about Skills?" "They go up by doing stuff related to them," he answers. "I know what each line is even if I can''t read ¨C asked that in town years ago ¨C and I can read numbers, so I can tell the values, but I don''t really understand much beyond the basics. You do stuff related to the Skill and it goes up after awhile, and that provides bonus to your stats and boosts your ability in that field a little." Just like most commoners. "Alright," I say. "That''s the basics, yeah. There''s a thing called ''Skill Experience''. Each Skill requires the same amount at the same Level, but tracks it separately. Doing things for [Farming] doesn''t increase [Ranching] or [Harvesting] or [Foraging], for example. "And yeah," I say. "Doing related actions earns you Skill Experience. Once you reach the threshold, your Skill Level goes up and the amount of Skill Experience required increases. How much Skill Experience you gain depends on the activity itself. Growing normal herbs in a small garden will earn you a small amount of [Farming] Skill Experience, growing magical herbs will earn you a little more. The rarer or more difficult something is to grow, the more it''ll award." "So hunting an ordinary rabbit will earn me less Skill Experience than hunting stoneseeker wolves," Thomas says. "Correct," I say. "The reason it can take a year or three of doing something regularly for the first Skill Level is because they require an immense amount compared to how much you gain from activities. And it takes longer for each Skill Level after that because of the increase in how much it requires ¨C and it doesn''t include any Skill Experience you earned before reaching that Level in the amount required for the next. You start from none at each Skill Level." This is mostly just an expansion of what he already knows rather than any new information, if I''m entirely honest. The reason he hasn''t figured this out on his own is probably the way he was raised. Out here, everyone just knows it as something which sometimes goes up. Knowing more than that isn''t necessary so they don''t bother trying to figure out more. A product of the way he was raised, and it''s not one I''ll fault him for. It really isn''t necessary for people in areas like this to know this information. "As for the bonuses for reaching the thresholds," I say. "That''s the gods'' way of rewarding work and enabling us to grow a little bit more, to make what we''re doing even easier. At least, that''s what Archpriests say." "I''d figured that bit out," he chuckles. "Is there a way to view this ''Skill Experience'' you''re talking about? I''m trying to pull it up¡­ though I guess I probably wouldn''t be able to interpret it. I really only understand more basic numbers and it sounds like it might be a lot." "It is," I say. "And yes, there''s a way you can view it. Only a High Priest or Archpriest of the holy variety can access them, though. It costs a lot of MP as well, and since that''s a pretty limited resource and mana potions aren''t cheap, they do charge a decent amount. Thousands of c." "There are types of priests who ain''t holy?" He asks. "Yeah," I nod. "You have dark priests, who don''t serve a god but rather, study darker magics and lead¡­ well, what amounts to criminal organizations, and are often heretical. Then there are Spirit Priests, or people spirits have taken a liking to and given a specific type of blessing and who they''ll manifest for more often." "A specific type of blessing?" He asks. "Spirits can give a few different blessings," I inform him. "More people have one than they realize, but there''s one specific one which they can grant, which allows the recipient to perceive spirits in a partially-manifested state. Some people develop that ability on their own without the blessing, and are also considered to be Spirit Priests. If they grant you the blessing, it pretty much just means that spirits like you and that''s it." "Ah," he says. "And since that''s all they get, they ain''t able to view the Skill Experience?" "Correct," I answer. "The System is something from the gods, so only the gods can directly interact with it." The blessing I received from the spirits is an exception to that rule and not something which they grant often. It''s also not a sign of someone being a Spirit Priest, and my ability to detect and see spirits which haven''t manifested isn''t from a blessing. "Ah." "And speaking of Skill Experience gains," I say. "Not everyone gains it at the same rate." "Really?" "Yeah," I say. "Everyone has something called a ''bloodline'', and it contains traits inherent to you. Each Skill Level someone gains it in strengthens that aspect of the bloodline. It makes it a tiny bit easier for their children to learn the specific things they did within that Skill''s domain. This also builds up over the generations, if the descendants continue the art. If both parents do it, that also gives a boost." "And the bloodline gives a boost to Skill Experience based on that as well?" He asks. "Right," I answer. "And the specific things they did will cause their children to gain more Skill Experience from those. If all of your ancestors have grown potatoes, onions, and carrots for the last five hundred years, but never grew wheat once, you''d gain more Skill Experience from growing potatoes, onions, or carrots than you do wheat." "So that''s why it felt like I gained [Farming] Levels faster than [Hunting] and [Ranged Weapons]," he says. "Because that''s basically all my ancestors have ever done, with only a little bit of actually hunting." "Right," I say. "Someone who moves from a city to a farm when they''re twenty might reach Level 5 in [Farming] by the time they''re sixty. Since they''d probably have a kid already or have a kid shortly after arriving, that kid wouldn''t have any benefits. They might reach Level 2 in [Farming] by the time they''re twenty, and Level 5 or 6 by the time they''re sixty. "For the sake of this discussion," I say. "Let''s say that they have a child with someone who''s the same as them ¨C whose parents came from the city at twenty, no farming or gardening background before. Their child might still only be Level 2 when they turn twenty. And if that kid has a kid with someone who''s the same, they might reach Level 2 in [Farming] at twenty¡­ but probably Level 6 or 7 by the time they''re seventy. And their kid had at twenty with someone who''s the same type of ancestry might reach Level 3 by the time they turn twenty." "So it''s a slow buildup," he says. "But for families which do nothing but farming for thirty generations¡­" "It becomes more obvious," I say. "Considering how long out here has been settled, you all probably reach Level 3 or 4 in it by the time you''re twenty." The effect of a bloodline does slow down a bit and takes more buildup and Levels to create a boost the stronger it grows so half a dozen generations isn''t too much different from a dozen generations. "Right," he says. "And speaking of settling¡­ have you met anyone else here?" Something in his tone and the way his mental focus shifted suggests that he''s expecting me to have met someone. This is the same as last time. He really thinks I''d have met someone else, for some reason. "Other than you and the chief?" I ask. "No, just you two. I''m not going near the village right now. I really do want to get settled into the area more before introducing myself. Get my home set up better, and all that. Also, I have a request to make of you." "Which is?" He asks. "Show me your loot and harvests from the mines," I tell him. "And from monsters. I''ll give you a fair trade for the ones I can make use of." Since the mines are in a Mistland region, they have the potential to have more valuable materials. I might actually make a trip into them to try and find some if I can''t find some of the more important things soon. "It probably won''t directly help you save up to move," I tell him. "But some of them might make collecting loot easier ¨C such as those gloves or arrows." "Okay." There''s silence between us for a few moments, so I''m guessing that we''ve covered everything he wanted to talk about today. "I think that''s all I have for you," I tell him. "The gloves and the request. Was there anything else you wanted to acquire or know?" Hope fills his mind while his face remains neutral. "Would it be okay if I used your bath?" He asks. "I don''t mind washing the normal way, but baths are pretty relaxing." That must be why he was feeling hopeful about something when he showed up. "Sure," I answer, feeling his hope turn to delight. Chapter 0013 Two minds enter the range of my [Empathy] as I examine the quite-ripe mana berries on the bush. They''re not the minds of Thomas and the chief, so I''m a little surprised to feel them. If it weren''t for what I can feel, however, I''d probably think those two were telling others about me left and right to cause someone to approach. One of the minds feels about my age, maybe a year older. The other feels like a two-year-old, which is why I''m more curious than annoyed. Both minds are male, and the man''s feeling anxious, extremely nervous, a little fearful, cautious, and hopeful. Whatever is he''s hopeful about, he''s also expecting it to be wrong, doubt and expectant disappointment intertwined with it too much for it to be anything else. The boy, on the other hand, is just feeling scared, with a little bit of comfort. Only being carried in his dad''s arms is making him feel any degree of safe. Both are feeling tired and hungry, while the dad seems to be admiring my body just a little as well. He definitely thinks I''m more attractive than Thomas does. Sometimes, being an [Empath] can be a pain in the ass. They stop moving closer, but I don''t react. Aluci isn''t nearby so he didn''t warn me of their approach, but I also wasn''t using magic so that at least hasn''t been revealed. With my back to them, I also logically wouldn''t know about their approach as it was actually pretty quiet. For almost a minute, the man just stands there, his anxiety and fear building as he tries to work up the courage to speak. "H-hoi there," there''s a slight tremble in his voice. "Hello," I turn my head to look at them, the man''s feeling of attraction to me increasing when he sees my face. Both have the standard, slightly-curly brown hair of the majority of the kingdom, their eyes blue rather than brown. They''re both skinny and dressed only in old, ratty brown pants. No tunic or shirt, no boots. Just their pants and a worn-out length of twine. The boy is holding the man fearfully, his head pressed against his father''s chest so tightly that it might as well be a part of it. One difference between them is that the man wears a necklace, just like Thomas and the chief. As with theirs, it''s a leather cord with a wolf''s fang hanging from it and a small wooden bead to either side. He also has a nature spirit sitting on his shoulder, but I doubt he''s aware of it. The spirit hasn''t fully manifested itself so it can''t be detected by most. With no flower atop its head, I know it''s not an older one, and the young nature spirit gives me a wave when I look at it. Another nature spirit is floating beside the boy in the man''s arms, this one also young in age. If one spirit likes someone, all spirits of their type like them. Both father and son are liked by nature spirits. The boy is also quite small for his age. His mind feels two years old, but he looks like he might be one, barely. Despite the bounties of the region, they''re struggling for some reason. "Not exactly equipped to travel through the woods," I say. "And most don''t take their sons hunting, anyway. I take it you came here deliberately?" Now that I think about it, he approached from the direction of the stream, too. That just makes this confusing as it suggests he''s not come across me by chance. It could have been that he''s not a hunter like Thomas but does hunt, but that''s definitely wrong. He''s not a mage, and without a weapon, it''s unlikely he''s a hunter. "Yeah," he answers. "Thomas and Chief told me not to come to you back when they learned you''d moved in, but¡­" He trails off, hesitation in his voice and expression and reluctance in his mind. "They told you not to come to me?" I ask. "Did you mention me to them?" I need answers and now. How he knew about me is important. "No," he shakes his head. "Chief was doing his monthly check on me and noticed the pond was fuller ¨C I live downstream, right where the stream meets the pond. It''s¡­ still part of the forest. It''s complicated. Anyway, he asked Thomas to investigate the stream now that it was flowing again, then they came down here and told me about you moving in. Told me not to come up here. Then the other day, Thomas came back and warned me not to approach you under any circumstances as he was fairly sure you''re a wizard and I''m pushing it already with¡­" He shakes his head at that. There are several things in there which need handling. His emotions are all over the place, though still in the same confusing mix as before. There''s something he wants but he''s hesitant ¨C even fearful ¨C of actually approaching me about it. Judging by a certain shift when he mentioned Thomas suspecting that I''m a mage, it might be related to magic. Wonderful. I should ask Thomas next time just how much he''s told others. "Why aren''t you living in the village?" I ask. "It''s¡­ complicated," yet judging by the way his emotions shift, it''s also the reason he came to me. "And why is living at the pond pushing things?" I ask. "There''s a lake a little more southwest," he explains. "It''s mostly in Amberwood Forest, but partly in the Mistwood. An ancient wizard has a tower there and¡­ I moved there hoping he''d maybe help with something. He never answered when I knocked and ain''t ever come out to me, so I think he ain''t one to care about it." He shakes his head, but that''s an interesting piece of information. There''s a mage out here? There isn''t one in any record of all the stationed mages I''ve seen. He must not be registered. There''s nothing wrong with being unregistered, and it seems I''m not bothering him as he hasn''t said anything to me about my presence or activities, so I''ll leave him alone. He''ll probably do the same unless I bother him. "Thomas ain''t sure if you''re a wizard for sure," he says. "Just that you had a stone bath built too fast to be possible if magic ain''t involved." "So you want help with something magical?" I ask. "I explained to Thomas that it''s just a trick I learned while adventuring. No magic involved." "He didn''t believe you?" He weakly offers. "Though he also admitted it could be, you seem pretty experienced to him. You at least know what you''re doing." "Okay," I say. "And I get the feeling that what you wanted the mage''s help with is related to why you''re not in the village." Guilt fills his mind. Guilt and anger, along with a little bit of fear. The first and third are partly directed at me, the second is directed elsewhere. "Y-yeah," he says. "They ain''t wanting Nolan anywhere near them. I had to move out after he was born. Went to the Wizard''s tower in the hope that he''d help but he wouldn''t answer the door. Set up camp at the pond instead and have lived there since." The nature spirit makes an over-exaggerated expression of exasperation, complete with him pulling down on his cheeks and tilting his head back. "A curse?" I guess. There are many superstitions throughout the lands, some with actual grounding in real events. The only reason I can think of for people to not want an infant anywhere near them is if there''s something foul involving the child. Either something happened which triggered a superstition that he''s cursed or something actually cursed him. Whichever one it is, that explains why he was warned to leave me alone. They don''t want the curse leaking over to me. Before, it was probably just a case of them not wanting me to report to the town or whatever that they''re spreading a curse here. Thomas is probably afraid that if it does spread and I am a mage, I''d simply enact revenge upon the village myself as retaliation.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Yeah," hope fills his mind. "So he''s got one? You can tell?" "That was just a guess," I say. "It wasn''t actually hard to come to that conclusion. It''s almost always a curse in this sort of situation. As for¡­ Nolan, was it?" The boy''s mind finches as his body tenses up. "Y-yeah," his dad says. "Well," I say. "You''ll be happy to know that he''s not cursed." Annoyance and aggravation fills the man''s mind. "How can you know?" He asks. "You ain''t inspected him at all. And you ain''t even confirmed whether or not you are a wizard." "I''m not a wizard," I tell him. "That''s a term used by commoners who don''t know better and we actually find it an insult, and the word ''witch'' is viewed the same way. The appropriate term is ''mage''. As for ''inspecting'' Nolan, I don''t need to. I''m sensitive to magical energies, and curses have a pretty obvious one. Ever smelled a rotten egg you couldn''t locate? Imagine that but worse and as a feeling across the skin over your entire body. Even the residue has that feel to it. "And I don''t sense it at all," I say. "The residue lingers for years. Much longer than how long your son''s been alive. Since I can''t sense it at all, that means he was never cursed in the first place." "But his mother died when he was born!" The man exclaims. "Everyone knows that if a child kills their mother during birth, it''s ''cause they''re cursed!" Well, that''s only sometimes, but it''s understandable why the locals would believe it. Many people in cities believe in that particular one, and superstitions are lighter there. "There are other reasons," I say. "It was probably one of those for your wife. Nolan''s never had a curse on him." He frowns a little but before he can say anything, I change the topic. "How long has the mage at the lake been there?" I ask. "Dunno," he shrugs. "Ain''t no one really sure since he''s been there for centuries now. We only ever see him on occasion, like at certain festivals. When he does show up, and if the Witch is there, er, the other mage, the two of them bicker in some language no one knows. That''s¡­ also something which everyone knows has been going on for centuries. They really ain''t fond of each other, but we ain''t sure what they''re arguing about." There are two mages in the region yet no record of it? That''s really interesting. I still won''t pry, though. "If he''s that old," I say. "Having someone cursed living within twenty miles of him would bother him and he''d have broken it without a second thought. I can sense curses up to about two miles away and I''m only twenty, and a mage''s sensitivity to energies only grows with age." I stand and face him fully, and the man''s eyes travel across my slender torso for a moment before returning to my face. He finds me attractive for sure, but I''m not going to try to make a move with him. I''ll go for slender if the guy is nice enough and there isn''t a more toned guy my age around who''s willing, but skinny isn''t something I''ll ever go for. Only if they approach first, and only if I''m actually that desperate. "My name''s Rowan," I introduce myself. "Dylan," realization enters his mind, probably at that he never introduced himself. "So sorry, I was just so nervous about asking and-wait. You still ain''t proven whether or not you''re a mage. I still don''t trust that you can actually sense curses. Nolan definitely has one, that''s why we had to leave." It can be difficult to get rid of a notion that''s deeply ingrained in someone''s mind. Proving that someone doesn''t have something non-tangible is extremely difficult, too. Fortunately, I know how to manipulate people in the sticks to believe something like my claim about a curse. They lack the magical knowledge to know I''m wrong. "He doesn''t," I state. "Nolan, buddy? Could you look at me for a moment?" Nolan keeps his head pressed against his father''s chest, not turning it even slightly as the fear in his mind increases. Just what has been said to him by others for him to fear people so much? "I want to show you a neat trick," I tell him. "And don''t be alarmed by the wolf that''s approaching, he''s a friendly." At the mention of a wolf, both Dylan and Nolan look around, spotting Aluci as the beast approaches. He gives the two of them a cursory look before plopping himself beside the fire ring, where the remnants of this morning''s fire sit. Pieces of firewood float over and land on the ashes and charred wood, then the entire thing flares up and the dream beast curls up and closes his eyes. "Don''t mind Aluci," I say. "He likes sleeping beside a good fire. As for the trick I''m going to perform, it''s a conjuration ¨C making something appear ¨C and it flees from curses." Aluci snorts. Nolan gives me a curious look, though I can tell that the beast beside the fire is scaring him. I hold out my right hand, palm up, and the boy watches it. A golden light forms on my palm, then pulls upward and forms into a sphere which hovers above my palm. The sphere is still of golden light, but it has a slight white marbling to it. For a few moments, the sphere hovers there, then it begins to unfold, slowly turning into a cube that''s one foot on each side with the same coloration and pattern as the orb held. Dylan is frowning and I can tell that he''s confused but impressed, while Nolan''s curiosity has increased and is touched with a little bit of awe. The cube of light hovers a few inches above my palm, then floats forward, stopping halfway between us. I can''t see what happens next, but a section of the cube of light facing the two of them turns blue in a shape resembling a butterfly. Then it peels itself off and the butterfly of blue light starts to gently flutter around. A second butterfly forms, this one green. Then a third, then a fourth. More and more butterflies begin to form on the sphere and peel themselves off. Most are blue, green, or purple, though a few red, pink, and orange ones form as well. As they continues to pull off of the cube, the cube shrinks. This continues until the cube is gone while thousands of butterflies flutter through the air around us. Some of them float near us while others just gently fly around. The nature spirit on Dylan''s shoulder waves to the butterflies even though it knows they''re just illusions of light, and I make one go to his head. As for Dylan, his mind fills with shock and awe with a slight touch of wonder, his mouth just a little agape as he watches the butterflies. The nature spirit at his son''s back is silently giggling and trying his best to catch the butterflies even though he knows they''re made out of light. Nolan, on the other hand, is completely awestruck by the butterflies. All of the negative emotions he felt before are gone, his mind overtaken by wonder and mouth fully agape, eyes wide. He flinches when some of the butterflies go near him, but after about a minute, he reaches out to try and touch one while keeping his other hand firmly on his dad''s shoulder to keep from falling off. His fingers pass through the butterfly, which then flutters forward and "lands" on his arm. Nolan tilts his head curiously at it, then holds his arm up so he can show his dad the butterfly. With Dylan still looking at the ones fluttering around, Nolan gets a little insistent and bounces in his dad''s arms. Dylan looks down and sees the butterfly on his son''s arm and relief fills his mind. If he knew as much about magic as a noble grew up learning, he''d be terrified to see this around them. I''ve cast a single cubic foot of light illusion but am maintaining it split between thousands of smaller portions. This is a level of skill not normally held by someone twenty years of age. Or even someone two hundred years of age. I really am a gifted mage, and that works in my favor here. The design of the butterflies and the way I colored them makes it easy to interpret them as something good, as a spell which can detect curses. Since they''re not avoiding Nolan, and I said that they flee from curses, that''s told Dylan that his son really isn''t cursed. "I''m ending the spell now," I say, and both father and son look at me, then I snap and all of the butterflies fade away. The snap was more for theatrics than anything as I feel it works for keeping them impressed. It actually startles them less than the butterflies simply vanishing would. "As I said, he''s not cursed and never has been. If he was, then one of the other mages here broke it as soon as they noticed it and did something to erase even the slightest trace of its energies, which isn''t something I''ve heard of as possible." Nolan has an expression on his face matching the emotions in his mind. He wants the butterflies back. I''d rather reassure his father about his son''s cursed status than not, which is the only reason I bothered with the spell. The reason I ended it when I did is because creating illusions of light is pretty taxing in terms of cost. Actually maintaining a single illusion performed in such a complex manner is also taxing on my mind. I honestly might have run out of mental stamina before reaching the threshold I don''t want to drop below in case of an attack ¨C which I''ve already drawn close to. "Consider yourself lucky," I tell Dylan. "Breaking curses is extremely difficult. If you meet someone who can break a curse, they''re probably a least a hundred and fifty years old. Even then, it''d be pretty expensive." A little bit extra relief enters his mind at that news. "Anyway," I say. "Aside from that, would you mind not confirming to Thomas that I''m a mage? The whole reason I didn''t tell him in the first place was because I don''t want people coming to me, asking me for help with things. I want to get settled in before even thinking about that. And I want to establish what type of person I am to everyone first, so they know not to come to me for just anything." "Sorry," guilt fills Dylan''s mind. "I-I''ll do that." "Thanks," I say. I could have played dumb and let him think Thomas was wrong, but even the thought of someone thinking his son is cursed bothers me too much. And I can still sense that hunger that''s been in both of them the entire time they''ve been here. It being in Dylan doesn''t bother me too much, but I don''t like it when extremely young kids are hungry. I might be a little too nice for my own good sometimes. "Since you came all the way here," I say. "Would you like to eat something? I was going to start making it in a little bit but can make it now, and the little one looks like he''s a bit hungry." Nolan puts his head back against his father''s chest without responding, but I can feel the excitement in his mind at the thought of getting to eat. "Though I''ll expect some help with something after," I add. "Nothing too strenuous, just enough to make up for my information and the food." Dylan things about that for a few moments and I can tell he''s about to decline. A look down at his son changes his mind, though. He''ll do anything for the kid, and putting food in his son''s stomach is something which he wants. "Sure," he tells me. "What do you want help with?" Chapter 0014 "See this stone?" I show Nolan the small rock I conjured, and the two-year-old examines it. "Can you pick berries that are the same size as this stone or bigger from the bushes? Only those berries. They''ll come off easily, all you need to do is grab and lightly pull. Then, put them into the basket here." Nolan looks at the basket, then at the stone, then at his father. "I''ll help," Dylan tells him before raising an eyebrow at me. "This is really what you want help with?" "There are a lot of berries to pick," I tell him. "And I need to pick herbs that are just right, and harvest mushrooms from the cave as well. Both of those require more attention to detail than the berries, since you can base it on size alone for those." "Cave?" Dylan asks. "It''s over at the cliff," I tell him. "Did you make it?" His confusion is pretty strong, indicating he''s probably looked at the cliff before. "I take it you''ve been along the cliff, then?" "A few times," he confirms. "Though we don''t really go far from our home. Nolan doesn''t like trips away from it. Makes him nervous. Makes foraging hard, but I do have a small garden and can sometimes catch fish from the pond. Our diet''s mostly potatoes." Even if plant growth is high in the area, that doesn''t mean it''s easy to feed yourself. If you don''t have the foods close by and can''t travel too far to forage, your options are still limited. That explains how skinny the two of them are. "Don''t remember seeing a cave there before," Dylan tells me. "It was hidden by a bush," I explain. "And the opening was small. I cleared out the slime monsters inside and expanded it, as it''s a suitable spot for growing mushrooms for mana potions. I''m going to go collect those. Will be back in a few minutes." "Okay," he crouches down beside the bushes. "Come on, Nolan. Let''s gather the berries." I grab a basket of my own and use [Telekinesis] on a bundle of branches, logs, and plants, then walk over to the cave. Inside, the walls are once again slick with moisture and some algae has formed on the ground. It seems that when I expanded the cave, I also opened it up into a spot where water drips a little more freely as well. A little bit toward the northwestern curve of the wall, a small dip has formed from water dripping. It''s only about a quarter of an inch in size now but could potentially expand to create a small pond rather than a tiny puddle. Plenty of mushrooms have grown, and I harvest the ones of a good size before spreading out the additional plant matter I''ve brought in. All of the sticks and logs in it were starting to decay a little, while the rest will decompose in here just fine. Leaves and such don''t take as long, after all, and the process is a little quicker in here than it would be in most places outside of a region like this one. When I return to the cabin, Dylan has exasperation in his mind. "I know you''re hungry," he says. "But don''t eat the berries, Nolan. I think he wants them for potions, so they''ll probably make you sick. And if you eat them, then he won''t be able to use them." The kid probably got too hungry to wait for food and started eating some of the berries before his dad caught him. "They''re safe for eating," I say, causing Dylan and Nolan to jump. "They''re similar to blueberries in flavor and make quite the delicious pie. I do want them for alchemy, though, as they''re a good reagent for mana potions. The ones around here are high in quality, too." I set the basket of mushrooms on the table I built just for alchemy, then gather some herbs and set them on that table as well. Dylan and his son gathered a fair few berries, and I help them collect the rest. Nolan''s doing his best to compare berries to the pebble I gave him, though he does pick some which are a little bit smaller. That won''t be a problem, though. "After I brew up some potions," I say. "I''ll fix us all some food to eat." "Not before?" Dylan frowns. "Didn''t you say you could make it sooner?" "I did," I say. "But I think Nolan''s a bit curious about what all of this is for. Aren''t you, little guy?" Nolan gives me a bashful look before burying his head against his father''s chest again. I begin working on the potion once Nolan looks over again, and Dylan watches with interest as well. A little bit of confusion enters his mind as I work, and it''s only once I finish and am examining the blue-colored liquid that he finally decides to ask. "That just looked like cooking," he says. "How does it make potion instead? No magic happened. There aren''t even chunks in the juice."
[Mana Potion]
A potion of liquid mana, which can be easily ingested and which will immediately restore the user''s mana.
Dose: 1 oz Content: 189 Mana
A higher quality potion than the first time I made them. The herbs and mushrooms were slightly-better in quality this time; the herbs because I fertilized them a little and the mushrooms because they had better matter to grow on. Magic does quite a lot for growth, but that can be boosted further with the normal farming and gardening methods as well. With how much I was able to harvest today, I was able to brew up nearly a gallon of this, too. "If you took these three reagents," I pour the potion into jars. "And simply cooked them together like a stew, you''d get food. The process for alchemy is very similar to cooking, after all. If you know what you''re doing, however, you can turn it from cooking to brewing. Mistakes can actually turn it into food or drink rather than a potion. Beginners are recommended to work with less-rare reagents at first because of that." "Those are rare?" Dylan looks over at the bush. "Don''t those grow all over?" "All over this region, yes," I answer. "But that''s because of the amount of mana within the Mistwood and how it leaks into the surrounding areas. The reagents for this need a lot of mana to grow properly so if you manage to find them too far away from a mana-rich environment, they''ll be pretty low in quality." "Oh." I finish bottling things, then clean everything before beginning on lunch. "That''s¡­ a lot of meat," Dylan says as I open one of the crates. "Wait. Are all of those crates filled with meat?" "Yeah," I answer. "I could probably dispose of some of it, or sell it, I suppose. But it''s all meat. These crates here contain meat from stoneseeker wolves, while that one contains rabbit meat, that one''s fowl, and that one''s fish." "You eat wolf meat?" He asks. "Isn''t that dangerous?" If it were a normal wolf, there''s a chance of disease. That chance is significantly lower for magical wolves like stoneseekers. "Not if you know how to purify it," I replace the lid to the crate after removing a wrapped chunk. "Which I do, and which I did to all of it." "Oh." I begin working on something for us to eat, Dylan and Nolan watching intently. "Is it okay to ask what brought you out here?" Dylan asks after a few minutes.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I wanted to retire and live a calmer, more slow-paced life," I answer. "And I was informed that this area is where my parents are from." "The Wizard and the Witch?" Not a bad guess, with what limited knowledge someone from the sticks might have. "Not the mages," I tell him. "There are several reasons they can''t be my parents. I was dropped off at an orphanage in the capital at birth, for starters. As far as I''m aware, my parents moved away from here. I just want to learn a little about the area my parents are from. And with how much mana is in the area, it''s kind of perfect for me as a magus." "Oh." He''s quite for about half a minute as I continue working on lunch. I can tell he''s curious about something, though, and he decides to ask¡­ once he can stop staring at my face. "You said there were multiple reasons?" "Yeah," I say. "If the local mages really are centuries in age as you said, then they''d had to have deliberately conceived me. That''s not the sort of child you''d dump at an orphanage." "Oh, right," he says. "With how old they are, the Witch would''ve been long-past the natural point, wouldn''t she have been?" "Not necessarily," I say. "But that''s not the reason." Before getting into the reason, I explain bloodlines to him, how one''s blood code is affected by the Skills they increase throughout their life. "And what they are when you conceive a child affects that child''s abilities a little," I finish. "Though having Level 15 in a single Skill and no one else for the next four generations developing it at all has a greater effect after five generations than if everyone for five generations had Level 3 in it." "Seriously?" "Seriously," I say. "And the thing about bloodlines¡­ they affect your compatibility with others as well. Reproductive compatibility, I mean. You''re more likely to have a child with someone with similar Skill Levels as yours than someone who doesn''t. The more different your Skills and your bloodline are, the more difficult it is to have a child. "For the simple Skills," I continue. "The ones not directly related to magic, the effect is ever so slight. In an area like this, most people are farmers so you wouldn''t really notice unless you married someone who wasn''t one. Even then, it might just seem a little bit more difficult." "Ah," he''s not fully understanding it but can understand the basics. This isn''t exactly within the realm of learning for simple farmers so the concept is mostly new to him. I don¡¯t know enough about livestock breeding, or if he''s dealt with that properly, to be able to explain it in terms which might make more sense to him. "But since they''re both mages, wouldn''t that mean-" "Nope," I say. "Know how mages live longer lives than normal people? That''s because the use of mana affects your body to some degree. This affects your bloodline to a degree as well, increasing the differences. The more you use magic, the less compatible you become with others. Even the spells you cast cause differences, so two mages who use the same school of magic start finding themselves incompatible. "Basically," I say. "Once you reach a total of 5 Levels in magical Skills, the only people you''ll be able to have kids with are mages of similar types. After 10 Levels in them, it becomes almost impossible. At 15 Levels, well¡­ good luck having a kid naturally. "That''s why nobles tend to have one or two kids by the time they''re twenty," I add. "Their kids grow up learning magic and have enough of a bloodline influence that they can reach Level 5 in a single magical Skill, possibly two, by the time they turn twenty. It''s more and more difficult to have a kid after that point and they almost can''t once they''re twenty-five. So they start trying pretty fast once they''re old enough for it, to make sure they get the kids in before it''s too late." "Seriously?" He asks. "Wait ¨C I heard the king had his son when he was nearly sixty." "There''s a 25,000,000c potion which can enable reproduction between two incompatible people," I tell him. "I''ve never made it, but I spoke with a mage who has. She needed some of the reagents and trust me when I say that they are not easy to acquire ¨C and brewing the potion is extremely finnicky as well. It might take several attempts." Dylan thinks about that for a little while, his son still focused on watching me cook. The little guy''s too young to understand what we''re discussing so he gave up and has his eyes on the food instead. "So that''s why your parents ain''t the Wizard and the Witch," he says. "They''re centuries in age, so they''d need the potion to have a kid." "And if you''re going through that trouble to have one," I say. "You''re not going to give him to an orphanage. Also, you''ve been calling them by ''witch'' and ''wizard'' this discussion. I know you''re used to it¡­ but it really is an offensive term." "How come?" He frowns. "That''s what mages were called in ancient times," I explain. "A thousand years ago, spellcasting was¡­ inferior to what it is now. The term ''mage'' was invented around seven hundred or so years ago to differentiate between the new ''modern'' magic and the old ''inferior'' magic. If you call a mage a witch or a wizard, then you''re claiming they''re awful spellcasters who don''t belong using magic." Dylan winces. "A lot of commoners don''t know the difference," I add. "So it''s understandable you might not have known. But it really is offensive, so I ask that you try not to use them around me." My tone must have been a little more harsh than I intended as I can sense the mental flinch he has and it''s a lot worse than the slight grimace he makes in response. "I''ll try." I finish making lunch for us, then serve it. Nolan examines it curiously, a little worried about the food. It''s something he''s never had before so he''s not sure what it is or if it''s safe to eat. "It''s called ''pasta''," I say. "I learned it from a chef from the Goldelm Kingdom." "From there?" Dylan asks. "Ain''t we at war?" Just like with Thomas. "I didn''t meet him there," I say. "And while we were at war then, he was pretty grateful to me for saving him from a goblins'' net trap." "Ah." "As for the topping," I say. "It''s stoneseeker wolf meatballs with a tomato, onion, and herb sauce." Dylan nods and takes a bite, while Nolan continues to stare at it, uncertain. With how hungry he is, Dylan eats pretty fast. The food I made isn''t some complex thing and he probably had similar foods before he was essentially exiled. The ingredients are all local, just put together a little differently. If I made myself a proper stove, I could probably enhance the flavors to a higher-quality than the locals are used to. I''m used to that, but am trying to go with just wood fires for now since that''s what the locals will no doubt be using. Either over an actual fire or in a wood fire stove. Just to actually experience it. Dylan''s finished eating and I''m about halfway done with my plate before Nolan reaches out and picks up the fork in front of his plate. He stabs at one of the meatballs and shoves it into his mouth, getting a lot of sauce on and around his lips. His eyes widen and he starts chewing a bit fast. Since he went for the full piece, it''s probably a good thing I made his meatballs a little bit smaller than ours. "Chew slower," Dylan tells his son. "You might choke." Nolan looks up at his dad and starts chewing a little bit more slowly. He eats all of the meatballs and tries a piece of the pasta, but decides he doesn''t want to eat the rest. His dad finishes the plate off for him, then ruffles the boy''s hair. "Did you like it?" Dylan asks, and Nolan nods. "Can you tell Rowan ''thanks''?" Nolan looks at me and I can tell he''s grateful from his mind. He really enjoyed the food. A small peek into his thoughts reveals that he finds the meal "better than ''tatoes and Papa''s fish". Judging by the rest of the thoughts in that sentence, they don''t eat fish very often. It''s mostly potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes. "He doesn''t talk," Dylan tells me, though I kind of already guessed that by now. That''s part of why I''m comfortable peeking into his mind to know what he wants to say. "But he probably does want to thank you." "You''re welcome, Nolan," I say. "And you''re looking a little sleepy, aren''t you?" He climbs back into his dad''s lap and presses his head against Dylan''s chest, holding onto his dad while closing his eyes. "If your dad wants," I say. "You can use my bath. It''s a hot bath and there''s soap for body and hair, so you can get extra-clean while relaxing." "Oh, no," Dylan shakes his head. "That can''t be cheap to maintain. I can''t afford something like that, I-" "The cost for me was making it," I tell him. "The enchantments I set up for it draw on some of the mana from the air to fuel themselves, so I have no cost to maintain. All I need to do is occasionally add a little bit more water. You seem decent enough and the forest spirits like you, so I don''t mind." "The forest spirits like me?" He asks. "How can you tell? I mean, I know I saw some spirits in your bath earlier, but those weren''t forest spirits, were they?" "I can see spirits that aren''t fully manifested," I say. "And there''s been one sitting on your shoulder the entire time you''ve been here. He wouldn''t do that if he didn''t like you and if one spirit of a type likes you, all probably do." A competitive curiousness fills his mind when I explain that, in addition to surprise. "Do they like Thomas, too?" He''s hoping to one-up Thomas, probably because of the way Thomas views him and his son over the supposed curse. "He and the chief are both liked by the spirits," I say. "Thomas seems to be liked by the earth spirits more, though the nature spirits do like him as well." Disappointment fills his mind, and the curiosity in Nolan''s lets me know all I need to know. "They like you, too," I let the little guy know, and his mind fills with happiness. "There''s one hanging out with you as well." Dylan now accepts the offer for the bath, so the three of us wash up and take one. Nolan feels very, very strange as his father scrubs him clean, not sure if he likes it better than the wipe-downs with hot water and a rag he normally gets. Once he''s in the bath, though, he relaxes pretty fast and watches the earth spirit gently floating on its back in front of him. It takes almost no time at all for Nolan to fall asleep, though Dylan stays in the bath a little bit longer than that, holding his son to keep the boy''s head from going under. "If you want," I say. "You can put him down for a nap in the cabin so you don''t have to deal with carrying a sleeping boy for a mile. I don''t mind you guys sticking around a little longer. If you step out onto the washing area, your feet will dry off without the towel." "Thanks." Dylan carefully lifts his son out of the bath and gets out, then grabs one of the towels I hung up for us and dries the two of them off. Nolan wakes for that and once he has pants back on and in his dad''s arms once more, he snuggles up against his father''s chest and falls back asleep. After putting his son in the cabin, Dylan comes back out and contemplates something instead of entering the bath again. "Will you have sex with me?" He asks. That was blunt. Chapter 0015 Dylan''s inquiry doesn''t surprise me too much, though the bluntness of it did. More timid guys from the sticks usually have to work up the courage over time to ask me, or they never do, or they have to get to know me before they feel comfortable asking, or they more shyly/subtly ask. A more direct request is usually from more confident guys. The reason I''m not surprised he''s wanting sex is because I''ve been able to feel his attraction to me from the moment he first entered my [Empathy] range. Also the fact that he''s been on the horny side that''s only grown while seeing me naked. Having only his hand to deal with things, and even that probably not all too often due to his circumstances, combined with his lack of social interaction for over two years, has probably made him a little more impulsive when it comes to being alone with me. While he does have a pretty big dick, at 7.7" in length and 1.9" in thickness, that''s about the only part of him that holds any appeal to me. He''s just too skinny for me to be attracted to him. Period. And asking me this being the only thing he''s really been fully confident with in the time we''ve been talking today doesn''t help. "You''re not my type," I tell him, and I don''t need to be an empath to know how strong his disappointment is. "I''m only attracted to guys with defined muscles, unless they''re a powerful mage. Both is best." "R-right," his cheeks turn a little red as embarrassment fills his mind. "Thomas is probably more your type." "Yeah," I say. "Except the odds of him actually sleeping with me at any time in the next few months is next to none, so I''m not going to bother trying. He doesn''t trust me and I doubt he''s the kind of guy to sleep with someone he doesn''t trust." "He''s not." "That said," I say. "Going into town just to have sex isn''t reasonable as it''s a hassle," the trip costs too much mana for me to do frequently right now. "And before I came out here, I was having sex at least once a day, maybe twice or even thrice. I wasn''t expecting to feel as strong of a desire to be in another guy''s ass again as I am. If you''re okay with having sex right now knowing the only reason I''m accepting is because I''m that horny and you''re pretty much the only option I''ve got at the moment, then I''ll agree to your request." When there either aren''t other options or they''re too difficult to do, I''ll get with a guy who isn''t ugly as long as he seems decent. I probably wouldn''t be considering this if it weren''t for the fact that it''s been over a month, I don''t have enough mana and mana potions to make teleporting back and forth between here and the town a regular thing, and nature spirits seem to really like him. Dylan thinks about what I said for a few moments, then strips his pants back off and nods. The feeling I''m getting from his mind lets me know that he''s fully accepted my condition. I get out of the bath and he frowns at me. "How did you dry off immediately?" "Magic." "Oh." It''s a habit from when I had far more mana than I do now, and while I''ve been trying not to do that with how low my current mana pool is, the situation made me forget. Dylan seems pretty awkward as I walk past him and to where the grass has regrown in the yard, then beckon for him to walk over. There''s a lot of uncertainty and nervousness in his mind, his inexperience really showing already. We could start this in a couple of different ways, but I want to get right to it. "Lie on your back and lift your legs up," I tell him. Surprise fills his mind and his nervousness increases. "R-right," he says. "Um, I should probably mention, but I''ve never done anything with a guy before and-" "I figured," I say. "That''s why you''re on your back rather than your hands and knees when I prefer the latter. If you want to stop or get uncomfortable, just tell me and I will." There''s some confusion in his mind, but he doesn''t say anything further and instead gets into the position I instructed him to. I kneel and run two fingers along my dick, from the base of it to the very tip. As I do, a slick, gel-like substance trails after my fingers, clear and slightly warm. I''m on the larger side, at 8.3" in length and 2.2" in thickness, so I make sure to apply plenty of lube and coat it thoroughly before I start to push my dick into Dylan''s ass, lifting his ass a little more as I do. Dylan groans a little as a small amount of pain forms in his mind, and I stop when only an inch is in. I stop there and wait a few moments, then pull back just enough that the head slips out, then I push back in. Since he''s not used to something so large, I do this a few times before adding a little more of the magically-created lube and sliding in a little bit further, until an inch and a half is in. Based on the feeling I''m getting from his mind, the pain is pretty minor and not enough to make him want to stop. Separate from that, he''s gotten hornier from having me start to enter him. Combine that awareness of mine with the fact that his ass is so tight around my dick, I want to just slam it in and start thrusting at full speed. Instead, I moan a little tensely as I pull back so only the tip of my dick is in his ass, then I slide it forward so it''s an inch and a half in again. Again and again, until the slight pain in his mind fades from his ass loosening and adjusting. Then I pull out and add a little more lube. With how thick I am and how tight he is, it''s better to keep reapplying as I go deeper and deeper after every stage. This time, I go until I''m two inches in, rest for a moment, then repeat the slow sliding process. I continue slowly pushing deeper and deeper until I reach four inches in his ass. Dylan''s jacking off with his right hand while gripping some of the grass with his left, soft groans escaping him. I can tell from the feel of his mind that he''s getting close to bursting, especially with the stimulation each time I rub against his prostate. Now that he''s got four inches inside of him, it''s probably safer to go a little bit deeper each time. When I pull out after sliding back and forth a few times at this depth, I lube up a little more, then slide back in. This time, I slide five inches in and as I do, Dylan lets out a deep moan as stops jacking off, keeping his foreskin down. His ass tightens around my dick as he blasts shot after shot onto himself. The first shot reaches his chin, the second his upper chest. It leaves a splatter-like trail down to his dick, which has a little more hanging off from the tip. Dylan squeezes and pulls on his dick a few times to get the rest out and as his ass relaxes, I return to my process. With as slowly as I''m taking things to ensure he can adjust, it takes me about twenty minutes to get my full length inside of his ass. Once I''m there, I stay like this for a minute, my breathing heavy while Dylan stares at me, an excess of horny in his mind. Despite how large I am, he wants me to keep going. "You okay?" I ask anyway. "Y-yeah," he nods. "Fuck, you''re so big, Rowan. It''s so big. Unnnnh." That moan was a little tense, but not from pain, just the discomfort of something so large being so deep in him. There''s a deep desire mixed into it in his mind, but it''s still better to ask questions so he knows I actually care about his state. That''s one thing I learned the hard way: not doing so can give the wrong impression on a pretty bad level. "Want me to stop?" "No," he answers. "Just¡­ fuuuck. How haven''t you cum yet?" "Magic." "Uh-huh," he''s too deep into the feelings to really register what I''m saying. "Going to start thrusting a bit more now," I tell him, then pull back a little so I can thrust properly. These thrusts are quicker than the ones from before, and Dylan grunts with each one. I find the soft spot in the feelings in his mind to determine the speed that doesn''t put him in pain or makes him too uncomfortable while still giving him plenty of his own pleasure. Since he''s not really attractive to me, I focus on his own feelings of pleasure to satisfy that need as I thrust. How much he''s enjoying this, the way it feels to have my dick stretching and filling his ass, how it feels to have his ass tight around my dick, the pleasured grunts and moans he''s letting out, it all heightens my experience further.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. When Dylan''s ass tightens around my dick once more, cum once against shooting from his dick, I thrust all the way inside. Small, pleasured huffs escape me as my own climax begins, shot after shot of cum blasting into his ass. When I finish, I lean over him, breathing deeply as he reaches up and holds onto my sides, his own breathing quick and heavy. "You¡­ take forever to cum," Dylan says once he catches his breath. "I told you," I''m still a little breathless. "I know how to¡­ use magic to delay. Give me¡­ just a sec¡­" I focus on finishing catching my breath. "My ex was fascinated by that when he learned, asked me if I could do it for him, too. Took a bit to figure out, but I can do it for others. Oh, but I didn''t for you; only do it for someone if they want me to." But it lets me hold off until someone hits their second climax, like with this time. "That''s¡­ a neat trick." It''s one which interests him, based on the feel of his mind. He''s actually pretty impressed, he''s just still in the post-sex high. If he were a full-fledged mage, he''d be even more impressed by it as it''s a mixture of holy and nature magic ¨C both of which are considered high-level magic schools, and mixing magics of two schools together is difficult on its own. The trick is complex enough that it actually earned me a Level into both of those Skills, but I''m not going to tell Dylan that. "Going to pull out now," I tell him, and he nods. After I pull out of his ass, Dylan and I wash up again, then pull our pants back on. He gingerly sits on one of the stools by the fire, and I glance toward the cabin. "I''ll be back in a few minutes," I tell Dylan. "Where are you going?" Suspicion creeps into his mind, immediately erasing all of the lingering pleasure and even overriding his soreness. "There''s an apple tree about four hundred feet toward the eastern cliffs from here," I grab a basket. "And I get the feeling you haven''t really been able to do more than just eat the apples, or maybe cook them over a fire. Is that right?" "Yeah," he confirms. "Thomas has been bringing me some ingredients as payment for something," I say. "It''s how I had the wheat and eggs to make the noodles. Has Nolan ever had a pie before?" "No," Dylan shakes his head. "I ain''t really gone to festivals since having him, since the others don''t like him much. Figured it''s better to keep him away. Wait. You''re going to make an apple pie?" "A pretty simple one, yeah," I confirm. "Won''t be as flavorful as I don''t have all of the ingredients, but I think the little one''ll like it, anyway." "Speaking of Nolan," Dylan looks over, concern entering his mind as he stands, wincing a little from the movement. "I should check on him. His naps usually last an hour, but they sometime last less." "He''s been awake for a bit," I tell him. "Is currently rolling around on the fur making up my bed. Seems to be enjoying it." Dylan takes a few moments to respond, confusion filling his mind first. "How can you tell that from out here?" Ah, crap. I mentioned that out of habit of responding to comments on whether or not someone is up, while forgetting that I''m trying to hide my full abilities. Everything that''s been shown or assumed so far by the two who''ve interacted with me here is something they would view as simple due to their ignorance in magic. This one''s real explanation is too far above "simple magic" for him to feel comfortable. Should I just wipe his memory of my comment? "You know what spirits look like, right?" I decide on an explanation. "Small, humanoid figures with a little bit of a round-chubby build," he says. "Yes," I say. "But also no. Low-level spirits are more akin to small motes of light ¨C tiny spheres. The ones you''re familiar with are mid-level spirits, which are the second stage of being a spirit. Very few low-level spirits advance to mid-level, in comparison to how many low-level spirits there are. They advance to mid-level by absorbing mana of their own magic type, and it eventually evolves them, granting them a greater mind and some other abilities. "On occasion," I say. "A mid-level spirit will decide to absorb mana and become a high-level spirit. They''ll absorb mostly that of their own magic type, but also some from others. That changes what kind of spirit they are when they evolve into a high-level spirit. They have greater powers, a wide range of them, and sometimes, even a different form. "While we were fucking," I point at the cabin. "A spirit of an even higher tier than that went into the cabin and took a nap beside your son. He''s not a familiar of mine, but we do have a telepathic connection ¨C a way of communicating via thought. His name is Aluci and he''s in the form of a shadow wolf. When you mentioned checking on Nolan, I asked him about Nolan''s state and he let me know the kid''s rolling around on the furs. Seems he woke up, saw an unfamiliar beast, got scared, realized it was peaceful, then decided to play. The fact that several spirits were visibly napping on Aluci''s back probably helped him feel comfortable, after seeing others hanging out in the bath." "Oh," Dylan''s uncertain. "Wait. Spirits. Didn''t you mention one was on my shoulder? Is it back on there? I''m guessing it left while you were fucking me?" "Yes, yes, and yes," let''s go with that. "He''s currently lightly kicking his feet and looking at me as we talk. He''s usually looking in the same direction as you, it seems." The spirit gives me a nod to confirm that. "Anyway," I say. "I''m going to go grab some apples to make the pie." "I''m gonna check on Nolan." I grab some apples from the tree and when I return to the camp, Nolan''s in his dad''s arms again and Aluci''s napping beside the fire. The boy''s staring over at the berry bushes, not responding to his father asking him what''s got his attention. Or rather, Dylan''s attempting to guess at it and Dylan just continues staring. I peek into his mind and find that it''s one of the first things Dylan asked: he wants more berries. "By the way," Dylan looks at me. "How come the only insects I see are at your garden? I normally see ''em everywhere." "When I was replacing the floor," I say. "I put a thick stone down beneath the boards so that it''s concealed from view. That stone is covered in a runic formula which creates a ward against vermin. See that rune-covered rock sitting about five feet from the garden? It creates an exception within the warding scheme, allowing insects to come to the garden. They won''t go anywhere else and will leave when they''re done. "The ward," I frown as I try to think of terms a commoner from the sticks would understand. "Think of it like making a place unnoticeable to vermin and monsters. It''s not that it''s dark to them, it''s that it simply doesn''t exist to them. Therefore, they can''t just blindly enter it. "The exception," I reach the trickier part of the explanation. "Allows them to perceive the garden. They can''t feel the space between the garden and the boundaries of the ward, so some additional stuff is added in to allow them to travel to it. There''s also a regulation to prevent there from being too many attempting to enter, only enough to keep the garden healthy." There. Simple, even if not too neat. I don''t even need to know the proper amount or types of insects to create the ward, the ward simply manages it on its own despite that. "Ah." I begin working on the pie while Nolan turns his attention back to me, accepting the apple skins I offer him after I peel the apples using magic. The perfect spiral fascinates him and he seems to enjoy watching it peel off the fruit. Since I haven''t built anything proper yet, I build a small oven using earth magics, then slide some wood underneath the baking shelf and ignite it with fire. It takes a few minutes to get the temperature right, then I slide the pie inside and set the door stone in front to help trap the heat within. "Want to play a game while we wait?" I ask Nolan, who stares at me. A peek into his mind informs me that he''s curious about the game but isn''t sure. He''s feeling shy more than anything. "It''s a game we sometimes played when I was a little kid, back where I''m from, though changed a little. How it works is you try to approach Aluci. If he looks you, you have to stop moving. If you move while he''s looking at you, you have to go back to the start. If you manage to reach him with stopping when he looks, he gives you a ride around the yard." Nolan thinks about it for a moment, then tries getting out of his dad''s arms. Dylan sets him down and we set the starting point about fifteen feet from Aluci. "Go!" I tell Nolan. The kid takes a few attempts before he gets the hang of the game and when he finally makes it to Aluci, we help him onto the wolf''s back. Aluci then stands up and starts slowly walking around, and I can feel the thrill in Nolan''s mind at the ride. Dylan, on the other hand, is filled with terror and is following behind with a hand hovering a little behind his son''s back, just in case the kid falls. No one falls off of Aluci unless the dream beast wants them to. I doubt Dylan would trust me when I say that, so I don''t bother mentioning it. We''re able to do two more games of this before the pie''s out of the makeshift oven, and I use a little bit of air magic to cool it to a temperature we can eat. Nolan devours an entire slice by himself, while Dylan seems a little impressed with the dessert but not a major fan of it. Enough so that Nolan manages to sneak half of his dad''s slice before getting caught. "We should probably get going," Dylan says after dessert. "Thanks, Rowan. For letting me know about the curse and¡­ everything else. The food was good, and Nolan seems to like you." "No problem," I say. "I wouldn''t mind you two visiting again. Before you go, I want you to take something." "I can''t do that," he shakes his head. "I ain''t got anything to offer in return and-" "It''s meat," I tell him as I walk over to one of the crates. "I''ve got more than plenty of it and like I said earlier, I kind of need to get rid of it. The paper has some light enchantment work on it, to keep the meat good for up to a few days. You won''t have to eat it today as long as you don''t open the package and don''t put it too close to a fire." "Oh," he still has reluctance in his mind. "Thanks. Nol? Can you thank Rowan?" Nolan looks over at me and doesn''t say anything. A peek into his mind shows that he wants to thank me for the hot apples. Based on that phrasing and the rest of the thought batch, he''s referring to the apple pie. "You''re welcome, little guy," I try not to laugh at that. Dylan accepts the meat pack I give him, holding it a little awkwardly due to holding his son as well. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," I tell them. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," Dylan returns, then leaves. A few moments after they''re out of sight, I turn and find Aluci raising an eyebrow at me. "It''s been over a month," I say. "Give me a break." The dream beast snorts. "Shut it," I roll my eyes. "I''m going to do more scouting, see if I can''t find more reagents." Chapter 0016 "Hoi, there!" Thomas calls out as he enters my range of sensing minds. Another four days since the last visit, which suggests he''s decided on a schedule and I can expect him every four days from now on. "Hello," I greet him without looking away from the herb I''m trying to transplant. "Is that¡­ something special?" He asks. "I''ve seen it in a few places and use it in food. Tastes good with some, but it refuses to grow in the garden. Tried growing it near some of the plants basil is good to grow by, since it resembles that a little but it just doesn''t grow." The herb has ovate leaves with a slightly-glossy finish, their veins a distinct yellow rather than the green that the rest of them are. These ones have a pretty rich yellow to their veins, an indication of their quality. With its similarity to basil, I''m not surprised he tried growing it as if it''s basil. The herb is far from it in terms of growing requirements, though.
[Lightning Herb]
An herb with sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavor which draws in lightning mana through its roots and stores them within its leaves.
"Not surprising," I say. "I don''t know what you mean by planting near others it''s good by, but lightning herbs require specific spots. It''ll only grow in a spot with a thicker vein of lightning mana running through it. You can find thin ones everywhere, but you need sizable ones for the herb to grow. There''s a good-sized vein of it flowing right here." I finish transplanting the herb and lightly pat down the soil I filled the hole in with. Based on the way the three nature spirits are watching it, they''ll probably make sure its roots take quickly. The fact that a lightning spirit is propping himself up on the back of one of them to look over his head supports that idea. The lightning spirit looks similar to the other spirits so far, though his body is more yellow in color and has small, blue-white sparks dancing through his skin. Though none of them have fully manifested themselves, so Thomas can''t see them. "Lightning mana veins?" His mind is filled with more confusion than his tone. "Mana comes in many varieties," I brush my hands off as I stand and turn to face him. "Plain mana is the one most people are familiar with, and what mages use to cast their spells. However, there''s mana attuned to each type of magic, including the more nuanced ones within some of the schools, such as the specific elements within elemental magics. "They flow in very thin veins all over the word," I continue. "In the soil, the air, the water ¨C everywhere. Some of these veins are thicker than others, and some plants grow best near thicker ones of certain types, while others might need to be planted on top of said veins, such as the lightning herb. With a Mistland so close to here, there are quite a few larger mana veins of the various types." This section of the area which Zolbiatz sent me to actually has several larger veins for each type. That''s perfect for growing many different varieties of magical plant. "How can you tell where they''re located?" He asks, the type of suspicion in his mind suggesting it''s because he believes me to be a mage. "Lightning spirits," I say. "Asked them if there were any sizable lightning mana veins here and they pointed at one. Well, he actually danced along it, but-" The lightning spirit that was watching me plant the lightning herb manifests himself and starts dancing along the larger vein of lightning mana we''re at. "-close enough," I finish. "Spirits can be goofballs." "I can see that," he watches the lightning spirit for a few moments, then shakes his head and pulls off his basket pack. "Here, the next batch of food. The loot from my trip into the mines is in there. Those gloves really helped¡­" "I''m sure," I go through the food items. An extra pound of wheat and sugar, and an additional four eggs are in the food supply this time. Most of what''s in the loot from the mines are plain magic crystals, but he has a few chunks of ore and some other crystals. The majority of the other crystals are earth magic crystals, but a couple of metallic-looking ones are metal magic crystals. Those are all definitely monster drops based on their shape, but he has a couple of blue crystals which look more like they were broken off of something rather than formed from a loot drop. "Those grow throughout the mines," Thomas tells me. "So I can find them pretty easily. Ain''t sure if they''re worth anything, though. Grabbed some just in case. They ain''t the mana crystals I collect for Chief''s truck, their color''s a bit different from those." "They''re plain magic crystals," I inform him. "They form when pure magical essence crystallizes, and technically, they''re worth a decent bit. You can sell them in town for a little bit of coin. Useful in making in enchantments and some magic items, but not as a fuel like mana crystals." "So they are magic crystals, then?" He asks. "I wasn''t sure and never wanted to try using it in Chief''s truck, just in case." When uncertain about a crystal, it''s better to not use it at all than to use it, just in case you''re wrong. Buying them in town was the better idea. Ordinary magic crystals can grow in the same places as mana crystals, too, so it''s very easy to think you have a mana crystal but don''t. "They''re easy to mistake for mana crystals, yeah," I say. "These ones are all magic crystals, though. And nothing would happen if he''s got a standard truck. It just wouldn''t turn on if these were in the fuel slots." I pick up a yellow-white crystal around an inch in size. It emits a faint glow that''s almost imperceptible in the late morning sun. While the light wouldn''t be too intense in the dark, it''s enough for most people to recognize it. "That dropped from some sort of floating orb of light-mist," Thomas tells me. "I''ve never managed to kill one of those before but they''ve been pretty annoying. They have a tendency to start glowing brighter, making it hard to see, at the most annoying of times." "Spooklights," I say. "Their normal way of acting in places like mines. In the darkness of a swamp or thick forest at night, they''ll trick you into thinking they''re a lantern being carried and lead you into an ambush as you try to meet up with the person carrying said lantern." "Oh," he stares at it for a few moments. "I guess it ain''t as potent as the ones in the lanterns and lamps in town, though. That barely glows. Couldn''t use it to see by in the tunnels." "Speaking of that," I say. "How do you illuminate your way in there?" Different Mist-touched areas can have different ways of being lit up naturally, or they might be dark and need someone to actually bring light in. Just knowing they''re mines doesn''t give me any information on the light situation within. "There are small specks in the walls," he says. "They glow a bit. Tried harvesting them in the past, but they stopped glowing. It''s enough light to see by for most of it, except a few spots I''ve been to. Ain''t been too deep, though. Ain''t comfortable doing that with how tough some of the beasts get." "Better safe than sorry," I say. "And the lamps and lanterns using these you''ve seen in town use weaker ones than this. They emit a glow passively, but channeling mana into it makes it glow brighter. I can fashion it into a lantern for you."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Channel mana?" He asks. "Then I''d need to use mana crystals to keep it lit. What''s in the mines probably won''t be enough for that and Chief''s truck. We don''t use the truck that often, but I don''t see many clusters of the crystals in the parts I''ve been in." "Hm?" I stop examining the crystal. "Oh, right. This area has enough ambient mana that I can make it draw on that instead. The monster and vermin ward on my property runs that way and it consumes far more." "The what?" "The wards," I explain. "Think of them as a sort of invisible barrier which prevents things from entering. Anyway, I can make you a lantern with this which runs off the ambient mana, if you want. Even fashion it so you can wear it, keeping your hands free." "What''s the price?" "I can split it into quarters," I say. "Fashion two of those for you ¨C one as your main, one as a backup. You don''t need that large of a chunk to get decent light. The other half is all I''d want in return." That would let me make magic lanterns for myself. "Alright," he seems suspicious of that payment. "Any of the others you want?" "The magic crystals," I answer. "The plain ones, I mean. And these mushrooms." The mushrooms are stone-grey in color, the tops of their caps a darker grey than the undersides and stems.
[Stonecap Mushroom]
A tough mushroom with an earthy taste, which absorbs and stores earth mana from underground.
"They''re good for eating," I tell him. "Making fertilizer with, or even making some types of potions. With the right other reagents, I can brew up something which temporarily boosts your Constitution, your resistance to damage." That piques his curiosity. "What other reagents?" His expression and tone are more neutral than his mind. "Varies," I answer. "Most simple potions need three base reagents, but they''re flexible. One leaf, one juicy, and one non-juicy. Well, that''s a more simplified way. Something a lot of beginners refer to it as is one leaf, one fruit or berry, and one vegetable or fungus. Roots can also work for that last one. There are so many things they can be, though, just describing them to you won''t help. I don''t know the local flora that well yet so can''t tell you for sure." "Oh," his disappointment is pretty tangible to my [Empathy]. He was really hoping for something that can boost his defenses. "We can consider the payment for the bow and arrows to be completed with these," I point to the crystals and mushrooms I separated from the rest. "That''s enough to make up for it." Relief enters his mind, though there''s something else in there as well. "When are you planning on leaving?" I ask. Surprise fills his mind, along with confusion. "What do you mean?" "The more I think about it," I say. "The more it would make sense for you to want to leave sooner rather than later. You said you need to prepare, but I got the feeling you''ve been preparing for awhile now. Your happiness with the arrows and request for the gloves could be out of it making it easier for you to earn money, but I think my perspective on how much it costs to move is a bit skewed due to my upbringing. You could just head off to another village somewhere only needing the supplies for the journey. Places out in the sticks like this dislike outsiders, but they''re more accepting of those who are from a similar background. If it''s not out in the sticks and is just a farming village near the sticks, it''d be even easier for you to get accepted. Someone would let you stay in their barn or even their home while you get a house built on a new plot of land. Am I right?" Reluctant acceptance. "Yeah," he answers. "Was originally going to leave with this past trip to town, but didn''t want to not pay you back for the arrows. Also been trying to convince-never mind that. Didn''t want to go without paying off the arrows, they really do work well. And the lamps will be useful if I go hunting wherever I go and while I travel. Might not leave then, though. Need to convince-never mind." That''s twice now, and he''s had a high amount of agitation before he cut himself off both times. I can make a guess about what it is, though. "Need to convince a certain father to give his cursed son to a church?" His agitation spikes. "Fuckin'' hell!" He swears. "I told him not to-" "Visit me," I finish. "Yes, I''m aware. He mentioned that, too." "Damn that guy!" Thomas snaps. "And he didn''t mention it when I spoke to him!" "On your way here?" I guess. "Yeah" he starts pacing around, agitation and nervousness mixed in his mind in equal amounts. Dylan wasn''t kidding about Thomas being worried about my retaliation if the curse spread to me. "Really sorry about that, I ain''t sure what he was thinkin'', bringin'' a curse near you. I told him not to! We''ve been tryin'' to convince him to give the kid up to the church so the curse can be contained, but-" "It''s okay," I tell him. "No, it''s not!" He says. "No one should be near a curse! It''s just-" "The local mages are powerful enough to have lived for centuries," I interrupt. "At least, according to Dylan. If they''re that old, then they can sense curses from dozens of miles away. They''d have also broken it so they don''t have to feel such foul energies. And can you blame Dylan? You told him you suspected I''m a mage as part of the warning, and he''s a father concerned for his son. He wanted to see if the newcomer mage who seems friendly enough to you would break the curse." Slight embarrassment enters into his mind. "He told you that, too?" "Yes, he did," I answer. "How many have you told your suspicions to? I don''t want people coming to me for magic help for every little thing. People not as experienced with magic tend to overestimate a mage''s actual abilities." Mostly because the majority of mages are limited to either what little abilities they''ve managed to develop as a first-generation mage or to the magics that their family focuses on. No point going to a fire mage to water crops, for example. "So you are a mage?" "I didn''t say that," I say. "I said that I don''t want people coming to me for magic help." "Oh," he says. "I guess that''d make sense. And I only told Chief. Everyone else, just that you''re an adventurer who wants to settle into the area. Ain''t sure why you''d want to settle so far from everyone else, but whatever. Where''s your wolf?" Thomas looks around, only now realizing Aluci''s gone. "Probably in the pond that feeds the stream," I answer, though I decide not to mention that he''s also probably an aquatic creature right now. "Back to the previous subject, though. It''s pretty obvious to me that you''re doubting me not being a mage. Is it really because of the bath?" "Yes," he looks toward the bath. "It''s a single piece of stone with perfectly-smooth edges. You''d need to be a master stone-worker to do that, and have a giant chunk of stone. I''d have noticed its presence. And how the water flows through its walls¡­ definitely magic." "Enchantments." "Maybe," he says. "But how you''d get the tunnels for it to flow? Had to have been magic." It''s hard to argue with that logic, and I guess it should be fine to admit it. At least, as long as he actually keeps quiet about it. Being honest about this might earn a little more trust from him, too, though I hope he doesn''t try coming to me for magic-related stuff. That really does get annoying. "I am a mage," I tell him. "But I really don''t want people coming to me for help with every little thing. The last time I stuck in an area without a local mage to help things out, I was getting a dozen requests a day. That''s not an exaggeration, either. The most I was asked for help with in one day was twenty-three and it was rare I had less than ten requests. And their population was only about a hundred and fifty." "Ours is only a third that," a third? That''s a lower population than I thought. "But¡­ I guess it makes sense. I''m constantly getting asked to hunt this or that and deal with goblins here or there." A bit of reluctance is in his mind. Something else holding him back from leaving is that he doesn''t want to leave them without a proper hunter here. Someone who does more than hunt for food, but who also makes sure the local monsters are dealt with. "Can I ask you something?" I ask. "What?" "What''s your plan, for when you leave?" I ask. "Return to being just a farmer, or still do hunting? What do you really want to do?" "I''m not sure," he admits. "But I think I''ll still hunt monsters if the area needs it. This life ain''t bad, to be honest. It just ain''t easy to get a partner out here. Most of the population is over forty. There''s me, then Dylan, then you, then Elaina ¨C she just turned nineteen ¨C then the next is twelve, followed by nine, both boys, and then a four-year-old girl, then the cursed kid. That''s eight people under forty, and that''s including you and the cursed kid." "Nolan''s not cursed," I tell him again. "The mages would''ve ended it just to deal with the bothersome energies. Thomas thinks about that for a few moments. I can tell he''s still a little skeptical, but now that I''ve confirmed I''m a mage to him, he''s accepting my statement that Nolan isn''t cursed. "So if you could stay in the area," I say. "Settle down with someone, you would?" "Only want to leave since it''d be easier." "Since no one wants to move into an area so isolated from everywhere else?" I ask. "Yeah," he confirms. "I''d have to be something really special to earn attention like that." If he moved somewhere a little less isolated than here, he''d find a husband or wife fairly fast. He''s attractive, caring, and talented. All he''d have to do is help out a little while settling in and he''d probably have two or three guys and gals interested from the available pool of single young adults. Him moving would also probably mean the other locals would come to the adventurer for help with things they normally ask him for assistance with. Even not knowing I''m a mage and being suspicious of the outsider wouldn''t really affect that. I want to retire, not do adventuring work. I really don''t want to become the village''s errand boy. Even if there''s little chance of us becoming a partner, I know an incentive that might keep him here long us enough for us to find out ¨C or for him to find a partner from town who''s willing to move here. "If you''re willing to stay just a few more months," I tell him. "I can teach you the basics of magic. Learning that can bolster your hunting abilities, even let you take on things in the Mistwood itself. Whether you want your husband or wife to be a farmer from another village or a townsfolk who''s never even gardened before, that kind of ability is very attractive in a partner." Chapter 0017 Skepticism is in Thomas''s mind, but also slight interest. That''s a good sign, it means I can probably convince him to stick around longer to learn magic. Even just a few months of lessons should be enough to make him decide not to move away. "How certain are you of this?" He settles on asking. "I don''t want to move from here as it''s a calm life, but that sounds too good to be true. And I ain''t making a commitment to staying here longer than necessary if I ain''t able to have a future that ain''t alone." "If you don''t notice an increase in people paying attention to you in town or another village ¨C I''m assuming you visit some of them around the town ¨C once you''ve begun using magic," I say. "I will reconnect with my adoptive family." That gives Thomas pause. He remembers what I told him about the bad relations between myself and them and I''m sure my tone when I spoke of them told him all he really needs to know about my desire to reconnect. This sort of promise isn''t something I''ll offer easily. It''s also one I know I won''t have to make good on. "I''ve visited a few of the other villages," he confirms. "Some for trade, though did a little scouting last year to see which ones might be a good place to move to. Could''ve moved then but felt I should wait a little bit longer." Procrastination out of a desire to stay in the area he loves. "And how would others notice a difference?" He asks. "It ain''t like nobles, with your green eyes. I''d have to show my magic, wouldn''t I? And yeah, I know you were lying ''bout having parents from here. Only folks ''round here with green eyes are the Wizard and the Witch." "Three things," I say. "First, ''witch'' and ''wizard'' are considered insults to mages. It would be like if I called you a caveman. No mage born in the last nine hundred years would appreciate being called that, and considering the typical lifespan for an archmage is two hundred and a magus is five, you''re not going to be running into anyone old enough to come from when those were the names for our kind." My tone was more harsh than I intended, judging by the slight grimace on his face and the massive flinch in his mind. "Sorry," I say. "I''m used to warning soldiers and adventurers who came from out in the country and haven''t learned yet, so I tend to be a bit more, ah, threatening than I intend to be when warning someone off of those terms. They''re extremely severe insults which amount to saying our magical ability is so awful we should give up magic entirely." Now he visibly winces. "Sorry," he apologizes. "No worries," I say. "I need to get used to talking with folks who aren''t like how I''m accustomed so it''s partially on me." Simply changing how I''ve been for years isn''t as easy as just flipping a lever, however, so it''s going to take me quite awhile to adjust. "Anyway," I switch off of that. "It actually leads into the second thing: I was born with blue eyes. Green isn''t a natural color, and it''s not a noble-only thing. Yes, most nobles have it, but that''s actually because of what causes it. "Third," I say. "Learning magic changes your body a little. If you get skilled enough and powerful enough, your lifespan will extend a bit. The more noticeable change, however, is that it turns your eyes green. It starts as small spikes around your pupils," I point at my right eye. "And they slowly grow and expand until your eyes are fully green. You can sort of tell how that''s going by your magic-related Skills, actually, as there''s a direct correlation. "The moment your eyes are fully green," I say. "Is about the same time you have 1,000 MP, or 9 Levels into magic-related Skills. That''s also when you''re considered a fully-fledged mage. Your lifespan won''t really be noticeably longer at that point, but it''s something nearly all stronger noble families reach by the time they turn twenty years of age." "Which is why they all have green eyes," he says. "Right," I say. "So. Do you want to learn?" Thomas thinks about it for a few moments, then starts slowly packing up the loot I''m not taking from him. I can tell he''s doing it as just a way to give himself more time to think, so I don''t say anything. "You won''t get into trouble for teaching me?" He asks. "Isn''t magic a restricted thing?" "Certain magics are restricted," I tell him. "But not learning magic in general. Most commoners never learn because it can be hard to afford lessons or find someone willing to take them on as an apprentice without a good background and a lot of trust. I don''t mind teaching people if they seem like good folks and you seem like that. The fact that spirits like you only makes me more willing, not less." "The spirits like me?" He raises an eyebrow. "There''s an earth spirit on your head every time I see you," I say. "He''s currently lying on his stomach, head on his hands, legs up and kicking lightly as we talk." Thomas looks up at the news of there being something on his head, only to find an earth spirit floating above his head in the same position I mentioned. It manifested itself the moment he moved his head, and gives Thomas a small wave before moving his hand back to his chin. The hunter doesn''t seem to know how to react to that and looks at me again, frowning a little as he does. He can now feel the weight of the spirit when he didn''t before and I think he''s not sure why there''s a difference. "As for teaching magic," I say. "I''m from a more modern school of thought regarding it. Personally, I think that everyone should at least know the basics of either arcane or elemental magic. This is something I''m planning on offering Dylan and Nolan the next time I see them. "It''s not just magic," I continue. "I think everyone should know how to read and write. It''s probably not that important to someone who only farms and hunts, but I still feel as if they should still be able to understand the System. And personally, I keep a journal of everything that''s happened during the day, updated each night before I go to bed." Among the items Zolbiatz sent me out here with were three books filled with empty pages, an inkwell, and a quill. That allowed me to continue my journals upon arrival here rather than needing to wait until I made blank books on my own. "Lets me remember things in the future I might not remember otherwise," I say. "And even helps me improve my memory for when I do write things do. That, in turns, helps improve my memory in other areas. I also keep books of my notes on alchemy and magic so that I can look back on them with more accuracy than what memory alone allows. You may mix up information or misremember things, no matter how good your memory is. Even hunters and farmers can make use of that." "Hold on," he says. "You went from magic to writing. Are you offering to teach me how to read and write, too?" "Yeah," I answer. "In exchange for you to continue bringing me the food items I don''t have here. I spent part of yesterday preparing cards for Dylan and Nolan to help with it, and can make some for you as well." "Cards?" He frowns. I hold out my right hand and a small wooden box appears on my palm, startling the hunter. I slide off the top of it to reveal a deck of cards within.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Cards," I state. "Each one has either a character from the alphabet in it or a word related to things they interact with regularly or might interact with regularly. Using things someone interacts with regularly can make it easier to learn. I can make up a deck tailored for a hunter." "Have you ever taught someone to read before?" He asks. "Or to use magic?" "I''ve taught a few," I tell him. "It mostly takes effort on the student''s part. Would you like to learn?" He thinks on it, but comes to a decision quickly. "What''s the price for lessons in magic?" "It''s something I''m offering free," I tell him. "For basic lessons, that is. How to access your mana and use basic magics. When it comes to anything beyond that, loot will do. I''ve got plenty of things to do and could use help acquiring some of the loot and magic crystals I need." "If you''re so busy," he says. "Do you have time to teach me?" "Sure," I close the box and teleport it back to where I''d stored it in the cabin. "I said I''m busy, not that my schedule is completely packed. Hunting for magic materials would be an additional thing, taking away free time. While teaching is the same¡­ I''ll expend considerably less energy doing so." "Oh," he says. "Makes sense. You''re wanting mostly stuff from the mines?" "Not just that," I say. "Foraged items as well, parts from other beasts¡­ some understanding of the local traditions. The first three are things I can get on my own if I actually wanted to, so you''d just be saving me a little bit of effort. The fourth is something I need a local to teach me about." "What kind of understanding?" He asks. "We''re just a farming community, it''s not like we have much," he pauses for a moment. "Also, we''ve mostly just been standing here as we talked-" "I''m sitting," the earth spirit does a silent giggle at my words, lightly kicking Thomas''s head after. "Would it be too much to ask for something to eat?" Thomas answers after a pause. "I brought some extra wheat and eggs, and you seemed to have an excess of¡­ did your crate count increase?" So that''s why there''s extra wheat and eggs, though I only used one egg before and less flour than what the additional wheat will provide. He probably gave extra of both as payment for the meal request. "Stoneseeker wolves might not be monsters," I stand. "But they do spawn a bit without breeding thanks to the Mistwood. Haven''t come across any of the tougher ones yet, but I think I''ve taken out seventeen normal ones now. That''s provided plenty of meat on its own, not including other creatures I''ve hunted. And yeah, I can make something." I gather some ingredients to make pasta with a meat sauce again and as I work, I clarify about my request. "Each area has its own little traditions and customs," I say. "Festivals which they might think are spread throughout but are actually unique to the area. Or which they think are small things for their area but are still significant to the locals. I''ve already been able to see something related to one of your customs that I can''t make a proper guess at as there could be multiple things about it." "What''s that?" He asks as I reignite the fire, this time using magic since he knows for sure I''m a mage. "There isn''t really much." "That necklace you''re wearing," I gesture to it for a moment before resuming work on lunch. "You, the chief, and Dylan all wear one. Neither Nolan nor the nine-year-old have it, though, so I''m assuming it''s part of some coming-of-age ritual." "You''ve seen Cedric?" He gives me a suspicious look. "I haven''t heard about the two of you meeting-" "I saw him from a distance while hunting the first wolf," I say. "It was actually the wolf which made me see him ¨C it was stalking the kid while he was in the forest not long before we met. Didn''t approach, and I doubt he noticed me. He seemed pretty focused on the bug in his hands." A modified version of events. I might be willing to confirm to him that I''m a mage, but I am not going to tell him I''m psychic. That''s not something he needs to know, nor will it likely ever be relevant to his life. "Cedric was-argh!" There''s as much frustration in his mind as when he found out Dylan had visited me, but the aggravation isn''t hostile this time. "Dammit! We keep telling him not to go into the woods! The wolves are the biggest killer of kids! They''re part of the reason our population has been going down!" "Well, I''ve thinned their population pretty well," I tell him. "Until more spawn in, it should be relatively safe unless one of the stronger ones decides to take action. If they do, it''ll most likely be against me for taking out so many of their kin." Thomas lets out a frustrated grunt, then plops himself onto one of my stools. "The necklace is related to the wolves," he fingers the fang. "It''s an old tradition. Boys are all taught how to use a bow starting when they''re ten, smaller, simpler bows that are easier to draw. When we turn thirteen, we go on a hunt that morning to take on a greater stoneseeker wolf. If they succeed, then the village is safe from further wolf attacks until the next hunt. Not that it matters anymore ¨C that usually only lasts for about half a year at the most and we ain''t got enough youth to take on the task." They shouldn''t be able to take on a grand stoneseeker wolf at thirteen, not with just what training and abilities they have. Even Thomas shouldn''t be able to take one on right now. The fact that it''s actually a part of their tradition has me suspecting that the spirits help with the hunt for some reason. "Another part of it," he adds. "Is that if a man moves into the area, either on his own or to marry someone, he has to hunt one on the day of his third month here, to prove he''s interested in being a part of the community. If he succeeds, it also ensures safety until the next hunt and if he fails, he has to leave that day." Three months¡­ that''s the second time I''ve seen that number in relation to living here. "The necklaces come from that," Thomas tells me. "The fang is taken from the slain wolf, though you have to bring their hide and skull back. And it''s entirely optional, no one enforces it anymore. It was more common when Chief was a kid. The others who''ve done it recently ¨C like Dylan ¨C only did because they wanted to see if they wanted to be a hunter, not because of the tradition. So no one will really make you do it if you want to stay. It hasn''t been enforced for outsiders in years." I''m not so sure about that. This is an odd tradition which might make sense somewhere else, but not here. The hunts definitely don''t stop the attacks on their own. Either that''s pure superstition and they have some reason for if an attack occurs, or some other power is at play. They''d need to kill all of the grand stoneseeker wolves to put a stop to the attacks on the village itself until more spawn in. It''s they who encourage the attacks on a village directly. Stoneseeker wolves generally prefer hunting away from settlements. "Is there an equivalent tradition for girls from the area and women who move in?" "Yeah," he nods. "On their thirteenth birthday, or within three months of moving in, they must go to the beach south of the village and search the sand for a beached oyster with a pearl inside. If they find one, then the village will have good harvests until the next search and if they don''t, we won''t. If it''s a woman who moved into the area, she has to leave, just as with men who fail to take down a greater stoneseeker wolf. But like I said, it ain''t upheld anymore. No one will force you to, and those who move into the area who don''t want to do the hunt or search end up leaving on their own before the three-month mark." There are almost never equivalent traditions between the sexes if there''s one that''s sex-specific. Something is definitely up with this. "I see," I say. "Both of those have an aspect for newcomers moving into the area. Are there any others which do?" "No one''ll make you do them," he tells me. "They''re old traditions from when we had more people. They ain''t that important anymore." "Traditions tend to be important to me," I tell him. "But something has my curiosity piqued. Are there any others which relate to newcomers?" "Just that it''s considered back luck for a newcomer," he says. "If they aren''t spotted being interacted with by three different spirits by at least three different people within the first three months, including the chief and either the Witch or the Wiz-errr¡­ one of the mages." He glances over at the bath, where four spirits are currently relaxing, then at me. His eyes widen when he does, probably because several spirits manifested themselves while he was looking away. I can feel two on my right shoulder, one on my left, and two on top of my head. "All we need now is for the chief to see this," I say. "And we''re two-thirds of the way through. I can talk to one of the mages on my own, though I don''t think it''s really a problem. I doubt anyone can call it bad luck if I''m having plenty of them hang out." "You''d given the impression it was only because of the bath," he frowns. "Though you also got one to answer about the lightning mana vein, too." "I did mention you can as well," I say. "And when I saw Chief, he had an earth spirit hanging out with him. That''s three locals who have spirits hanging around them. It''s honestly surprising you haven''t seen them more than at the hot springs." So there are three things relating to people moving out here, two of which are known to the locals and one of which I only know about because of my abilities. If I''m right, then the two known to the locals have a relation to the one that''s not. Magic really likes the number three, as do we mages. I''ll need to speak with the local ones to find out what''s going on. The third one is definitely their creation, so I''m sure they''re behind the other two. "Anyway," I say. "Have a seat, there''s no need for you to stand while I cook." As I continue making lunch, I poke Thomas a little about more of their customs and traditions. I really do want to learn about them, as participating in them will help me to become more of a local than if I didn''t. Thank the gods Thomas enjoys my cooking and a hot bath after, else I''d probably struggle to convince him to stay and talk. Chapter 0018 "H-hoi, there," Dylan nervously calls out, though he''s not in my [Empathy] range yet. I look over to find him carrying his son, the boy''s head pressed against his father''s chest but with an eye open to peek at me. Dylan''s barely outside of my range and is fidgeting just a little while holding a hand protectively over his son. Should I update my wardstone to include the alarm for if just anyone enters it? I didn''t include that in the more permanent one, only a ward alerting me to potential threats. I''ll leave it for now, even if I''m having regular visitors. The two visiting are decent people and I don''t mind their presences. "Morning," I stand and approach, feeling Dylan''s anxiety and Nolan''s shyness. "And welcome back." "S-sorry if this bothers you," he says. "Nolan wanted to see you again. At least, I think he does. He keeps staring in this direction ever since we left the other day." Based on Nolan''s emotions, his father''s probably right. I take a peek into the kid''s mind and find that he''s thinking about the light butterflies from the other day. "No worries," I conjure a trio of light butterflies ¨C one blue, one green, and one purple ¨C and send them over to the kid, who watches them as they flutter around him. "I didn''t mind the two of you hanging out some. Just doing some morning chores." Nolan seems pretty excited over the butterflies now, though it doesn''t show on his face. "Clearing the growth?" Dylan asks. "Trying to get all the way to cliffs cleared," I say. "Both north and east, and up to the stream. Takes a lot of effort since it grows back a foot every day, so I need to do it in sections. Am thinking about taking a [Flamethrower] to it even though I want to save the wood." Dylan''s attention shifts toward the zone where I''m storing all of the felled trees and the lumber I''ve cut. That takes up quite a lot of space even with me having stacked things, just due to how thick the trees are and how densely they grow here. "Though I''ll admit I probably don''t need all of this wood," I say. "But I''m used to saving all of the trees when I clear an area, for firewood, furniture, and the like. The actual cabin itself will probably be from trees further east of here, since those are slimmer. Hard to shift away from that mindset, even if I know I don''t." "Understandable," he responds. "I can help you, if you want. Maybe a little. If you''ll offer some meat in return." I have to refrain from snorting. The trip here was as much for his son''s interest as it is for him. Dylan''s hoping he can get more meat from me to add to their diet, and he''s probably hoping that I''ll offer to feed him lunch if he helps for the next few hours. That''s probably why he showed up right after breakfast. "I actually had a different thing in mind," I tell him. "Had a feeling you''d return within a week unless Thomas went off on you after his last visit." "Something else?" Dylan asks, though I can tell he wants to ask about my Thomas comment. "Yeah," I answer. "What would you say to learning how to read and write? I know it might not seem useful to you, but knowing what plants you''re pulling up might expand what foods are available to you. And if you come across any magical plants while doing your own foraging or clearing of the camp, well, you can always trade them to me for things." "All I''d have to do in exchange is help you clear undergrowth?" Dylan asks. "Yeah," I answer. "Just for an hour or two each time. I''ll give you and Nolan a lesson, then you help with the clearing. Once a section is cleared to the stream or the cliffs, it won''t regrow as fast, so the more that gets cleared, the less work there will be overall." I was working on clearing the undergrowth from my cabin to the creek the last few days, but I have to maintain a stretch ten feet in width while also making sure things don''t grow too much around the rest of the perimeter. That takes a fair bit of time and all I''ve been managing so far is to maintain what I''ve already cleared. The forest spirits have recognized I''m wanting to keep a zone clear, but they aren''t completely stopping the growth. It''s only been slowed down for everywhere not in the smaller yard behind the cabin. They can recognize I want it cleared up but the way the minds of spirits work is a fair bit different from ours. It can be frustrating at times. "As for the meat," I say. "Consider that more of a bonus if you help for more than an hour or so." There''s surprise in Dylan''s mind, while his son is just focused on the green butterfly, which I''m having move around just barely out of his reach. The other two have landed on his arm and he wants to try and get the third to land on his fingers. "Oh," Dylan says. "I guess¡­ that makes sense. The bit about being able to know what things are when we''re clearing or foraging, I mean. I can recognize the common stuff, sure, but I ain''t ever able to tell if something else is safe to eat or not." "I won''t promise you''ll learn quickly," I say. "But I can promise to teach you enough to figure things out. Even willing to do it every two mornings." "That often?" The surprise in his mind is so high, it''s almost tangible. "Thought it''d be once a week." "The more help I have clearing the growth," I say. "The faster I''ll be able to create the perimeter that gets the nature spirits to halt the excess growth completely in the greater yard." "What do you say?" Dylan asks Nolan. "Want to help Rowan get rid of the plants in his way?" Nolan looks over at me, then at his father, then at the light butterflies, all of which are now on his arm. "Let''s help Rowan, okay?" Dylan asks him, then looks at me. "We''ll help you." "Come on," I say. "There''s a spot I made for teaching." I lead them over to a spot I''ve fully cleared out and gave a special little space. The boundary for it is made up of 1"-thick slices of trunks from some of the medium-slim trees that I''ve cut down, halfway into the ground on their sides. This creates a wall of half-circles 2.5'' in height. Hot water was used to make the wood more flexible, allowing me to curve them a little while also layering them three thick in an alternating pattern. The entire zone is 21'' in diameter, with an open space facing toward the cabin. Large runes are painted onto the outside of the outer layer in a silvery-blue color, each half-circle containing a different rune. The interior slices don''t have any visible runes on them, though I''m sure they''ll end up decorated over time. Inside of this zone are five stools arranged in a half-circle on the right side when entering, another on the other side from them. The opening to the learning center faces toward the west, and the entire section between it and the stream has been completely cleared with smaller trunk slices forming a path to that. Those have faintly-glowing runes painted on each side in blue, with a section missing to act as an entrance to the path.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Thick, dark green grass grows from edge to edge of the path and the circle, just as thick and healthy as what''s grown in the small back yard for the cabin despite there not being much grass in the undergrowth. A shelf of drawers sits within the learning zone, on the side with a lone stool. "This is-" "My labor a couple of days ago," I tell him. "I can teach anywhere, but I like a proper learning zone. Since I''m planning on offering lessons to more than just you, I felt I should set one up. They''ve been offered to Thomas as well. Not just reading and writing lessons, either, but magic as well. If anyone''s interested." "Magic?" "I told Thomas the other day," I say. "But I do think everyone should know at least the basics of magic. It''s a rather new school of thought that wouldn''t have reached you guys yet. It''s only begun gaining traction in the last five years or so. I''ve held the view since younger, though, and always taught anyone I was going on a long-term adventure with the basics. Knowing how to move objects with force magic and how to start a fire with a thought can be pretty important. So can learning how to pull water out of wood to dry it out." "If you''re making camp and it''s raining," Dylan says. "Or if it had been raining and is dry now, all of the wood is wet. You won''t be able to start a fire." "Yeah," I gesture for them to sit, and Dylan takes a seat, Nolan sitting on his father''s lap rather than a stool of his own. "It''s a basic elemental magic exercise that''s cheap in terms of mana. Doesn''t give you very much [Elemental Magic] Skill Experience, and it takes a lot of effort to prevent the wood from splitting, but it''s good for drying wood and starting a fire. If you get good enough, you can even quickly dry off muddy ground. "And before you ask about more complicated magics," I sit. "Arcane and elemental are the two most basic ones. Almost no one can wield the others without considerable training, a special blessing, or a bloodline. If you accept my lessons, you''ll be sticking with those two." Though I wouldn''t be surprised if the nature spirits granted him a blessing to make learning nature magic easier. I should investigate the other villagers to see if they''re all as liked as the three I''ve met so far are. "Okay," he says. "But we''re doing reading lessons right now?" "Right." I gesture with my right and one of the drawers opens up. A few objects float out of it and over to us. Three wooden boards 2'' in length, 1.5'' in height, 0.5" in thickness, along with three pens made of transparent blue crystal. On side of each board has a more glossy look, with a yellow rune set decorating each corner. A board and pen floats to me, while the others float to Dylan and his son. Since they know I''m a mage, there''s no reason for me to not use my magic for this. "Even kids can learn," I say as Dylan awkwardly accepts the items. "Though if he wants, Nolan can just draw instead." "Here," Dylan grabs one of the other stools and pulls it up next to him. "Can you sit next to me so we can use our own boards?" Nolan is reluctant but moves onto the other stool, after making sure he can sit as close to his dad as possible. "Alright," I say. "Notice how one side of the board has runes in the corners and the other doesn''t?" "Yeah," Dylan says. "If you take the pen and put the pointy end to that side," I demonstrate, and a blue line follows after it. "It''ll draw or write on the board. If you want to erase it, rub the blunt side of the pen against the marking, like so." I demonstrate, and Nolan immediately starts squiggling on the board, then erasing it. He doesn''t show any emotion on his face, but I can feel the giggle in his mind. "How did you get these?" Dylan asks. "This seems like it''s pretty expensive." "I made them," I tell him. "The runes you see are mostly just decorative. The wood itself is nothing special, just slices of tree trunks I cut into rectangles. The glossy coating you see was made through alchemy and is a mixture of sap, ground light magic crystal, and a couple of other things I could find here. As for the pen, that''s just plain magic crystals, a little bit of light magic crystal, and a couple of other things I found here. Crushed, ground, liquified, then solidified. The crystals came from Thomas''s hunts in the mines, which he''s been paid for in items I crafted." It didn''t take very much from my share of the light magic crystal to make these, and I have one for each seat in the learning zone. I haven''t given Thomas the lamps yet, but only because he hasn''t come back since I made them after he left a few days ago. If he''d stuck around just one more hour, he''d have them already, but he left after finishing in the bath. "These are pretty basic," I say. "I only needed to apply a simple enchantment to the boards which causes them to react to the pens based on if it''s a small end or a thick one. The light magics from the crystal is what causes the drawing effect and you don''t need much." "No ink?" Dylan asks. "That''s too expensive to keep replacing," I say. "Chalk or charcoal on plain wooden boards is usually used as it''s cheaper, but I felt that too much of a hassle to keep replacing. It can be a bit messy, too." Dylan looks at his shoulder due to the nature spirit sitting on it manifesting himself, and another manifests on Nolan''s lap in a position which suggests he''s ready to learn. I doubt the spirits will actually pay attention to the lesson, they''re just goofing around in their own manner. "Alright," I say. "Are you ready for the lesson?" Dylan nods as Nolan quickly tries to erase the lines, though he does a little bit of a sloppy job in his haste, as a two-year-old will do. "Let''s begin," I say. "There are forty-nine letters in the Oakarvian language. What I''ll start with are the ones which make up your names, how they''re written, and how they''re pronounced individually. After we do your first names, we''ll do your last names." About a hundred or so years ago, everyone was given family names even if they weren''t nobles. It was a push to be able to more easily identify people from larger areas, since saying "Cameron son of Alan from Tempest Oak" might refer to six different people, confusing the census. Even those out in the sticks like here were assigned said names. Though most of them don''t even know their family names, so it defaults to the primary parent''s when a child is born, or changes to the primary spouse''s when marriage occurs. So if Dylan and Nolan''s mother were married ¨C which they probably were ¨C it would have defaulted to Dylan''s last name. Which I learn is "Stavazin" during the lesson, courtesy of Dylan sending me his Status so I can see. As I expected, he didn''t know it. "Do you worship Ulvranik out here?" I ask after teaching them the characters for their names. "Or another god?" Ulvranik is the God of the Forest, his domain being plants and animals. He''s most commonly worshiped in more rural areas, where hunting, foraging, farming, and the like are more common. I''ve met his Oracle before and she''s pretty nice. Then again, Oracles are usually good people. The gods tend to be pretty selective of who they choose to appoint to such a role and the gods themselves are kind beings. If an Oracle ever turned evil, they''d probably lose their status as one and all the power which came with it. Then be shunned by all churches. Fortunately, I''ve never heard of a case of that happening, and it''s also neither here nor there so there''s no reason for me to mention it to Dylan. "We do," Dylan answers. "I have a small carving of him in our home," he reaches over and ruffles Nolan''s hair. "Make sure Nolan knows to thank him for all of the food we eat and for each fish I catch." "This is how you write his name," I write it on my board. "You''ll note that it uses some of the same letters I just taught you for your names, but the pronunciation is a little different." I explain to them how to tell when to pronounce a letter one way versus another, then use the ones I''ve taught them to write new words which apply to their lives. Simple, basic words. "Would ''robin'', ''rose'', and ''rowan'' all use the same initial character?" Dylan asks once I finish. "Or not? I know ''Rowan'' and ''Rose'' start with the same sound and ''Robin'' doesn''t, but it''s close." That''s a surprising question, and I felt his curiosity suddenly increase right before he asked, as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Yeah," I write the three words on my board and show it. "This is ''robin'' at the top, ''rose'' in the middle, and ''rowan'' here. I know one of those is my name, so I''m guessing it made you think of other things with similar sounds?" I''ve seen a few rose bushes in the area, and greencloak robins are the ones I''ve been hunting for fletching for arrows. There''s a breed of rowan tree growing throughout the area, too. "No," he shakes his head. "Robin is the name of the mage in the tower, and Rose is the other mage. It''s the names of the three mages in the area. They all start with the same letter? Is that normal for mages?" So those are their names? I was planning on asking during the magic lessons if he accepts them but it seems I don''t need to. "Ah," I shake my head. "It''s more that mages change their names by the time they become full-fledged mages, and it''s to something relating to nature. In mage families, they often have one to start with but might still change it. Some non-mage families name their kids with more mage-type names, and many orphanages name infants who are dropped off as such, in the hopes the child grows up to have talent with magic. I''ve met more than a dozen guys with my name." The reason I didn''t connect in inquiry to names is because all three names start with the same letter, so it really could have just been relating to local flora and fauna. "Why do y''all change your names?" "It''s an ancient tradition," I say. "One which relates to the Mistlands and the origin of the first mages. And speaking of names, we can combine letters from my name and yours to get the word for ''river''. Let me show you." Chapter 0019 "We didn''t talk about it during Nolan''s nap," Dylan says as he returns to the back yard, his son in his arms. "But what''s the price if we accept magic lessons from you? I can''t imagine it''s something like helping clear the undergrowth. Magic seems a bit too expensive for that sort of trade." Of course he didn''t ask about it during Nolan''s nap. We didn''t really do much talking during that. "The basics are free," I tell him. "It''s the things beyond that which has a cost. As I said this morning, I do think everyone should at least know the basics of magic. We can get to the cost for further education later, if it become relevant. Come on, back to the learning zone." I lead them back to the learning zone and Dylan sits in the same spot as before, seating Nolan on his lap. I sit on my teacher''s stool, but don''t pull anything from the shelf of drawers this time. "What do you think magic is?" I start with the basics. "That art of wielding mana and shaping it," Dylan says. "Creating effects." "That''s one way of viewing it," I say. "But at its core, magic is the art of using mana to manifest your will upon the world. Normally, you need three things for fire: air, fuel, and heat. You can bypass all of that with magic. Technically, mana is the fuel, but that''s a little bit different and not exactly correct. With magic, you can simply use mana to fuel a spell that creates the fire regardless of whether or not there''s sufficient air, fuel, and heat. "If you want to stop something from hitting you," I say. "You need to use some sort of object, place it in the path. You need to have the materials, fashion the shield. With magic, you can simply conjure a shield of force instead. One of the most basic magics is [Telekinesis], the art of moving objects with your magic. Technically a force spell, but there''s no field of force, just the object moving. "I could go on for hours about how magic allows you to ignore what should be possible and create the impossible," I say. "But that''s the short version: magic does what is impossible, allowing our wills to manifest upon the world. Does that make sense?" There''s confusion in his mind, but it''s not too extreme. "A little," Dylan answers. "Alright," I say. "Just understand that magic bypasses normal limitations, allowing you to do what you want to do¡­ provided you know the right spell, which you fuel with mana. The most basic skill required for anyone to cast magic is the ability to sense their mana, the fuel for spells." "The writing boards and pens use mana, right?" "No," I answer. "Mana is what we use to create magic, but some things are already magical, such as magic crystals. Therefore, mana isn''t needed for them to work. Some magic objects react to the input of mana, making their effects more pronounced, but that wasn''t necessary for the pens." "Okay." "The normal way to teach a novice without a strong bloodline how to sense their mana," I say. "Is to teach them how to meditate until they feel it. Those with strong bloodlines may have magic effects they enact even before learning, and can use those to learn how to sense their mana." Though the passive forms of [Empathy] and [Foresight] don''t consume mana, so I wasn''t able to use those to learn how. They also likely came through some sort of blessing granted when I was very young, or even while still in the womb, rather than a special bloodline. Any bloodline strong enough to have just one of those as passive would never have a child by accident. Spirits sometimes grant such bloodlines to babies for random reasons and I will never pretend to understand why. "Mana," I say. "Is an energy which flows through our bodies in streams, similar to our veins. It stretches to every part of our body in a slow flow. When we use it, that flow speeds up, stimulates our bodies. It''s minor when you''re weak or not casting very strong spells but as you grow stronger and use more potent magics, the effects become more pronounced. The heightening of your senses during spellcasting and for a little time after is one such effect. The effects from the stimulation aren''t something amateur mages need to worry about, it''s something which takes years of dedicated studying and casting to start to notice. "However," I say. "This same increased flow also causes other effects, such as the slowing of your aging. Again, not something you''ll need to worry about unless you really do a lot of spellcasting, but it''s why many mages are known to live for more than a century: their aging has slowed a little." "So if we use magic enough," Dylan says. "We''ll end up aging a lot more slowly? But not if it''s just basic use for simple things?" "Correct," I say. "There''s more, but it''s not too important right now. I can explain about bloodlines later. The important thing to know is that mana flows in its own veins throughout our bodies." "And we need to learn how to sense those?" Dylan asks. "So I suppose it''s just me learning, then? Nolan''s only two, deep meditation ain''t really a thing he can do." "Nah," I snort. "Remember how I said there''s a more recent school of thought regarding magic? It''s technically one that''s been around for awhile, but a certain archmage is within it and that''s causing more to consider it. Something else he''s involved with is a new way of teaching people how to learn to sense their mana. Rather than months of meditation, it takes five minutes." "That sounds¡­ dangerous," Dylan''s mind is filled with suspicion. "It is if you don''t know what you''re doing," I tell him. "It involves an experienced mage sending a little of their own mana into you and having it trace along your mana veins. A person''s body naturally wants to reject another person''s mana so you become immensely aware of its presence within you. One who knows the right method and has enough control over their mana can avoid triggering the body''s self-defense mechanism against foreign mana while still allowing the feeling. What''s causing the feeling you get is your own mana reacting to the foreign mana, so you''ll be able to sense it without a negative effect. "And yes," I say. "I know how to do it. I have exceptional control over my mana and have taught a few people how to sense their mana this way. You can decline if you want, just know that it''ll take longer to start using magic if you go the meditation route. And this one will let Nolan learn how to use magic sooner, too." Dylan thinks about it and I can tell by the feel of his mind that he''s wrestling with the decision. "Okay," he says. "Me first, though. And stop if I say." "I will," I stand and walk toward him. "I can touch either your chest or you back for it, and generally do the back."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Okay," he says. I kneel behind him and place my right hand on his back, then send a small amount of my mana into him. One of the reasons this is not a good idea for most people is that they would need to be able to sense the mana veins in another person. My sense for my own mana is good enough that I can receive feedback on the specific nature of things it touches so when it touches a mana vein, I can feel it. For five minutes, I allow my mana to create a thin coat over the mana veins in Dylan''s torso and upper arms. There''s discomfort in his mind, as well as a little bit of surprise. When I pull my hand away, Dylan looks at me. "It''s still doing¡­ something." "Your body''s now neutralizing the foreign mana," I explain. "It''s a little difficult to explain simply, but the feeling will go away within a minute." "It''s already fading," he says. "Yeah," I say. "Are you okay with me doing it to Nolan now?" Dylan seems uncertain, but the nature spirits from earlier are still manifested and the one sitting on his son''s shoulder isn''t reacting badly to what I suggested. "Rowan''s going to do something," Dylan tells Nolan. "And it''s going to give you a weird feeling in your chest. Try to pay attention to that feeling, okay?" He waits for a response from his son, but none comes. A peek into Nolan''s mind reveals to me that the kid''s wondering what his papa''s talking about, since all I did was put my hand on his back. "Here," I place a hand on Nolan''s back and channel a little bit of mana into him, coating his mana veins with it. "This is the feeling. I know it''s uncomfortable, but if you can learn to feel the not-uncomfortable part on your own, you can learn to use magic." I keep an eye on his thoughts during this and stop the moment he can sense his mana on his own. It takes him about three minutes to start sensing the mana veins in his hands, which he begins examining, staring down at them while curling and uncurling his fingers. "Now that you can both feel it," I return to my seat. "The next step is simply trying to manipulate it, to move some outside of your body. It can be hard for a beginner to manifest a visible amount outside of their body, for various reasons, but there are tools to help with that." A gesture from me opens a drawer on the shelf, and out float two wooden spheres 3" in diameter. The drawer closes as the balls float over to the two of them, and Dylan grabs both to examine. Nolan looks at them curiously as well. "These are training tools?" Dylan asks. "Mana is like a muscle," I say. "Once you learn to use it, it becomes easier. You need to train yourself to do that, and to control how much you use. Those orbs look like polished wooden spheres, but they change color when mana is moved into them. Your first goal is to be able to move mana into them, then to learn how to control the amount you''re putting it. They''re orange if you put in too little, green if you put in the right amount, and red if you''re putting in too much. The color returns to normal if you stop putting mana into them." "Before I''ll teach you anything else regarding magic," I say. "You''ll have to first be able to make those spheres stay green for thirty seconds straight. It doesn''t take very much mana to do, but it takes a fair bit of effort and practice. There''s another step after that, but this is the first one. Don''t expect to be able to control your mana that well today, it takes practice and time. While you two do that, I''m going to do something else." I exit the learning zone and head over to my food storage. Once I gather the items I want from there, I pluck berries from bushes in my garden. Not my magic reagents garden, though ¨C another of my projects the last two days was moving more berry bushes here. Ordinary blueberry bushes from the barrens rather than magic berries. There''s no reason for me to not have some indulgences like this. Instead of an apple pie, today''s afternoon dessert is a blueberry pie. After cooling it to a temperature safe for eating, I call Dylan and Nolan over. Dylan tells Nolan to leave the sphere on one of the stools, though they roll off. Nolan keeps trying to get them to sit on one of the stools, and it''s honestly kind of cute. "You can leave them," I call over to them. "I''ll take care of them later. Come on, I made another pie." Nolan perks up at the word "pie" and lets his dad pick him back up and carry him over. As I serve them the slices of the pie, Dylan''s attention turns to a wooden jar sitting on the food storage table. The table is under a shelter with a rain ward on it, so I don''t have to worry about anything getting wet or messed up from that. It''s all only outside because I don''t have much space inside of the cabin. "What''s in that?" He asks. "Or should I not ask? I can recognize sacks from the village that the dry goods are in, and you''ve got the crates for the meat, and that''s butter and eggs. But the jar¡­ I ain''t able to figure out what''s in that." "That''s pearlash." I don''t need [Empathy] to tell his confusion, it''s pretty evident on his face. "You know what potash is, right?" I ask. "Yeah." "It''s that, but processed a little further and mixed with a little bit of an acid," I explain. "In this case, I used cranberries from up in the barrens. Juiced them and separated out the acids, then mixed with the processed potash. Pearlash is good for baking ¨C makes breads even lighter and more fluffy and is more consistent than trying to do it with yeast. Learned about it during my travels." "Pasta, minced meat, and now pearlash," he says. "You like learning about new foods, don''t you?" "You''d be surprised at the number of times I went somewhere just because I''d heard about some sort of food they had," I tell him. "Actually annoyed quite a few people, but there wasn''t much they could do. I was sort of my own boss." "Must''ve been nice," he says. "Met quite a few people," I nod. "Learned multiple languages, foods, techniques, and more. The training spheres, for example, are something I learned about not long before coming out here. They''re from the Goldfir Kingdom ¨C it''s pretty far north of us, so you probably wouldn''t have heard of them. You two are probably the first members of the Silveroak Kingdom to ever learn using them." "They gave them to you?" "Nah," I answer. "I wasn''t actually supposed to learn how to make them, either. It''s a trade secret of a specific workshop. I just didn''t tell them that I''m good at reverse-engineering magic tools." "What''s reverse-engineering?" Dylan''s frowning. "The ability to take an item and figure out how it''s made," I answer. "It''s not an easy task for magic tools, but that''s never stopped me before. Anyway, let''s eat before it get too cold." The moment I say that, Nolan grabs his fork and takes a big bite of his slice, getting berry filling all over his lips. His face is as neutral as always, but his mind shows his delight quite well to my sense. "Thanks," Dylan says once we finish. "I think Nolan enjoyed it¡­ a little too much." I snort and conjure some water to wash the boy''s face off with, then Dylan picks up his son. "We''re going to head back home now," Dylan says. "Thanks for teaching us, and for letting us hang out, and everything." There''s some caution in his mind as he says that, but a lot of gratitude. He''s happy there''s someone who isn''t treating his son like a cursed object rather than just a two-year-old but two years of dealing with the former has him worried I''ll suddenly start doing it as well. "No worries," I walk over to the meat storage crates. "Take some meat with you as well. Don''t worry about the cost, you did more than enough help with the undergrowth to earn it even with the reading lessons." Rather than just an hour or so, Dylan and Nolan helped me for almost three. I wasn''t complaining, though, even if Nolan got bored and kept switching to playing with sticks and rocks. He''s two so I wasn''t really expecting help from him in the first place, and he did actually try to help. It was probably right for me to make two decks of the cards with plants painted onto them for them to use to compare. Nolan tried using his own deck to see if the plants matched up with the drawings, but he sometimes needed help from his dad. "Thanks," I can feel the reluctance in his mind. "Nolan? Can you thank Rowan for the food?" Nolan looks at me and doesn''t say anything, but when I peek into his mind, I can tell he''s thankful. He''s also worried "Papa gonna burn meat again". It seems Dylan doesn''t know how to prepare the meat that well, so I should probably teach him that, too. "You''re welcome, Nolan," I say. "And Dylan? I was serious when I said we can do this every two days. Either every two or every four." "Don''t you have a lot of other work?" "Not so much I can''t do this," I say. "And you two are helping me some. I still have the rest of the afternoon to get things done, too." "Alright," he accepts the meat. "Thanks." "You''re welcome," I say. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths." Chapter 0020 "I really don''t feel comfortable with this," Dylan mumbles as we approach the beach. His apprehension is understandable, especially since Nolan is clinging tightly to him and has his head fully pressed into his father''s chest. Today is the first day of the new month, and also a festival which Thomas told me about during his visit a couple of days ago. I think the only reason he mentioned it to me was because he was on his second lesson for reading and writing and is warming up to me. This festival technically occurs twice a year, but with some different aspects to it. On the night of the first day of the fifth month of the year, some peaceful aquatic creatures show up. The village shows up in full to watch their arrival, and there are even a few people from town who visit just to watch. Today also lined up with one of the lessons for Dylan and Nolan, since they''re coming every two days as I suggested. I decided to talk them into visiting the festival with me, despite the way the other villagers view Nolan. Dylan did mention that Thomas has stopped trying to convince him to give Nolan to the church in town, so I think Thomas has accepted my claims about the kid even if he''s still not entirely certain. That''s one person, though, not the entire village. "It''ll be fine," I tell Dylan while shifting the large jar I''m carrying so its weight is more on my left arm now; my right arm was starting to get tired. "I can shut it down pretty easily, if what Thomas said about this festival is right." Namely, that Magus Robin and Magus Rose always attend it. They also apparently bicker in some language no one else knows the entire time, which matches up with what I was told by Dylan. It''s odd that two mages who only ever argue when they''re near each other live so close, and I''ve struggled to get a meeting with Magus Robin so I don''t know what''s going on with that. I''ve visited his tower a few times, but he''s never there when I show up. As we arrive at the beach, where candle-lit lanterns hanging from wooden frames illuminate the docks and part of the beach, I see a small crowd of people milling about. Most of the younger guys ¨C including all of the boys ¨C are bare-chested, but that''s to be expected. It''s warmer weather, for starters, and we''re at a beach. I can easily identify the villagers, for the most part. Thomas told me how many residents there are, excluding the pair of mages, and it''s forty-six. Excluding the bickering mages, there are forty-seven people with a spirit hanging around them. That means it''s not something exclusive to just the three I''ve met so far. All of the locals are liked by the spirits. The mages stand out as well. They''re near the tables with food set up, standing a little between them and the fire pit where a hog is being roasted. Both are dressed in black mage''s robes with golden trim and markings, along with purple crests on the backs of their cloaks which differ from the others. Neither one looks that ancient, maybe in their forties at the oldest and without a trace of grey in their hair. Their vivid green eyes stand out pretty well, especially with how much they contrast against those dark robes of theirs. That makes me miss my own robe. Maybe I''ll have a new one made for me in town? Though it probably won''t be as quality as my old one. That''s also not relevant to the now, either, so I clear my mind of those thoughts as I continue looking around the festival. I can tell who the outsider liked by spirits is, as he''s a muscular guy about our age talking with the woman our age. His fair skin would indicate he''s not a local as well, but I already know that the only residents of the village our age are three guys and a girl ¨C and I''m one of those guys and have met both of the others. As we draw near and he enters my range, I find that he''s completely infatuated with her. She has feelings for him as well, though a fair bit of shyness toward him as well. Chances are, she''s a little shy because she views him as someone of a higher status, if my education about how the locals view those with green eyes is correct. His are a deep leaf-green, and all the way through. He could be a noble, though I''m not fully sure about that. He''s as bare-chested as the other locals so it could be that he''s from a family which performs labor but uses magic in it. The fact that he''s in love with a local also suggests he''s not a noble, as the odds of that are pretty slime. When she spots us, the lady he''s speaking with frowns a little as her gaze settles on Nolan. "Hello," I greet her. "We haven''t met yet, but I''m Rowan, the adventurer who settled into the forest a month and a half ago." "Nice to meet you," her attention turns to me, caution in her mind. "I''m Elaina." "Thomas mentioned everyone brings some food," I shift the jar in my arms. "Do you know a spot I can place this?" Since I can clearly see where it''s located and would''ve seen it for sure before reaching her, asking isn''t actually necessary. I''m really just drawing her attention to the jar. It''s fairly large and on the heavy side. The ceramic object was made through my magic and has a snow-white coloration to it, a cloth resting on top, kept on by a piece of twine tied around the neck of the jar. The more people who are curious about the jar immediately, the higher the chance of someone trying it. I doubt the kid standing by the table will. "Over by the tables there," she points, confusion mixed with something that''s probably her thinking I''m stupid in her mind. "Thanks," I tell her. "Come on, Dylan." "The mages are arguing there." "Yeah," I start walking. "We can say hi while we put it down." "I''m not sure I want to interrupt their argument," he follows after me. "It''s nothing important." "You know what they''re saying?" "I pick up languages really easily," I tell him. "I learned that one out of boredom when I was ten." It takes me less than three months to learn a new language to a native level, something which has helped me with my travels over the past seven years. "You had some weird hobbies as a kid." "You''d be amazed," I tell him. We reach the tables and I put the jar down, then look at the twelve-year-old boy who''s eyeing me suspiciously. "Hello," I greet him. "My name''s Rowan." "Why are you with the cursed kid?" He bluntly asks. That''s not what I was expecting, though I can feel his hostility. He''s a little scared of me, probably since I''m an outsider moving into the area, and his parents have probably filled his head with stories. Though I''m actually a little relieved as well. Even if there aren''t too many people here, it feels good to have other several other minds within the range of my [Empathy] again. It''s honestly been far too long for me. The quiet has been disconcerting and even just Dylan and Nolan at once wasn''t enough. "He''s not cursed." "My ma and da say he is and I trust them over some random stranger." "Magus Robin, Magus Rose," I say in a clear, firm voice, and both of the mages stop their arguing to look over. I ignore the horrified looks shot my way from the nearby locals and instead point at Nolan. "Is he cursed?" The mages have minds that are shielded, so while I can sense them, I can''t detect their emotions. I don''t really need to in order to tell their thoughts: Robin frowns a little while Rose has a surprised expression and puts a hand to her chest. "Goodness, no," Rose says. "We''ve never allowed any curses in the area. I don''t think I ever even noticed one on him. Did you?" "No," Robin answers. "I see him fishing with his dad at least once a week and never noticed a curse. Don''t sense any curse energies, either, so he''s never had a curse on him. Unless you purged them?"The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "No," Rose responds. "So he''s never had a curse. Not that one could have slipped past us. What''s in that jar, dear? It seems like a freezing enchantment, and is quite large." "Ice cream." "What''s that?" "A treat I learned about in the Greenmaple Kingdom about four years ago," I answer. "Uses milk, heavy cream, and sugar as the base, mixed while freezing in a certain way, and you can add flavors as you like. This one is a blueberry ice cream. Convincing Thomas to bring me enough milk and heavy cream to make this much was difficult, but I''m sure he''ll be happy once he tries it. It''s a perfect warm-weather treat." "It''s another thing you learned about in another kingdom?" Dylan asks. "Just wait until you find out what I can do with slime goo," I tell him. "It''s apparently not just for alchemy and enchanting but can be used to make a few different types of food, too." "That sounds disturbing." "And yet is a children''s treat in another kingdom," I open the top of the jar and look at the two mages, who''ve moved closer to inspect it. "You can have some if you want, I brought it for the festival." Robin grabs a bowl and serving spoon from the table, then scoops some of the purple treat out of the jar. He hands the bowl to Rose and serves himself a scoop. "Not bad," Rose says. "You said it was the Greenmaple Kingdom you learned this in?" "Yeah," I answer. "You can flavor it with a number of different things, though I went with blueberry since I felt it the better of the options available to me. I can write up the recipe for the two of you, if you want. It''s pretty simple." "Thank you," she says. "You can just drop it off at Robin''s tower." "I would if he''d be there when I try to visit," I tell her. "But I seem to keep missing him and I don''t want to leave it just sitting there." "I''ll visit you tomorrow to pick it up," Robin tells me. "I''ve been a bit busy lately but can stop by around breakfast." "Will have it ready then, then," I look at the twelve-year-old. "It''s Patrick, right? I believe that''s what Thomas said your name was. Do you want a bowl?" "If the Wizard and the Witch-why are you glaring at me?" "Didn''t mean to glare," I say. "But those terms are pretty offensive to mages everywhere. Haven''t been used in centuries as anything but an insult. You say those words in town you''ll be getting hushed by near everyone around you." "They''ve never said anything." "I wasn''t aware the terms had changed," Magus Rose informs him. "But if it''s considered an insult to modern magicians, then I''ll switch over to that. Young man, what are the new terms?" She wasn''t¡­ but that would mean she''s far older than any mage I''ve ever heard of. The way Magus Robin is stroking his chin without a thoughtful look on his face, he''s just as surprised. As I told Dylan and Thomas each, those terms have been considered insults for more than nine hundred years. Are they even older than that? Probably, considering how young they look and the size of the mana pools I can sense. No wonder there''s no official record in the kingdom of the mages living here if it has two as powerful as they. This is probably considered their domain and has been since before the Blueoak Kingdom became the Copperoak Kingdom nine centuries ago, two centuries before it transitioned to the Silveroak Kingdom. If I''m right about that, then no one who knows of them would want to cross them. They have the power to level the kingdom itself. Which is honestly terrifying. "It''s ''mage'' regardless of sex," I inform them. "Though you two are clearly magi, the singular of which is ''magus''." "You''ve used that term before," Dylan tells me. "What''s a magus? How does it differ from a mage?" "A difference in mindset," I explain. "Mages are practitioners of magic, while magi are mages without an interest in the greater world. They tend to be a bit more on the selfish side, indulging in their own interests and the study of magic more than politics. They like calmer, more easygoing lives without stress. However, don''t mistake that for weakness ¨C magi tend to be far more skilled than normal mages and can often gain Skill Experience a little bit more easily as a result." I''m technically classified as a magus, which is probably why I wanted to start life anew. I was dealing with circumstances I''d never really wanted to be apart of to begin with and that dislike of it only grew over time. Now that I''m away from it, I can indulge in my interests with a greater degree. Right now, that interest is getting settled into the area, setting up the house and property, and just relaxing a bit. A calm, easygoing life is what I''ve always wanted and I can now have it without worry. "In that case," Robin says. "We''ll both go by ''magus'' or ''mage'' from now on. Since you referred to us as ''Magus'' before our name, I assume that''s the proper title?" "For a magus, yes," I say. "It seems we''re a little out of touch with the rest of the world," Rose says. "If it''s really been centuries since those were not considered insults. We do get a little into our studies sometimes." A little? They apparently missed centuries of change. Just how old do they have to be where that''s not much time at all? "You should get a bowl of this," Robin tells Patrick. "It''s quite good." "Hm¡­" Patrick stares at me, then holds out a hand to accept the bowl I dumped a scoop into. He takes a bite of it and I can feel the delight in his mind. Sweet things are a perfect treat for most kids, regardless of their usual diet. "You''re suspicious, but you make a good treat." He walks off with the bowl, and I fix up one for Dylan and Nolan before walking away from the table. We walk over to where Thomas is speaking with a couple he bears a resemblance to, so probably his parents. "Ah," Thomas says when he sees us approaching. "You came." "I did," I say. "And I brought the treat I told you I was going to bring, it''s in the white ceramic jar on the table. Glad to see you were serious about there being an excess of bowls, plates, and utensils for serving food on." "We always make sure there is," he says. "So people only have to worry about the food. These are my parents." "It''s nice to meet you," I incline my head toward them. "I''m Rowan, the adventurer who''s retired out here." "Yes," his father says. "The adventurer," that tone suggests he doesn''t believe me about that and probably suspects or knows I''m a mage based on whatever his son''s told him about me. "And you have no issue being around the cursed boy?" "He''s not cursed," I say. "You can ask Robin and Rose ¨C they seemed pretty surprised when the idea was even brought up, then shot it down. Don''t worry about interrupting their argument, it''s about vermin wards." "Vermin wards?" Thomas asks. "That thing you said you make with magic paint to keep pests away?" "Yeah," I look over to the elder mages. "Seems they can''t decide on the best way to create one. Honestly, the way they''re bickering makes me think-" I stop before finishing that sentence. If the locals don''t know, I won''t spoil it. But¡­ they were bickering like an old married couple, and Thomas told me that they always arrive together if they''re both at a festival. Together and arguing in some language no one else here knows. They''re husband and wife. I introduce myself to the rest of the locals, eventually reaching an elderly woman in a wheeled chair. She''s sitting on the docks, away from everyone else, just watching the sea as the moon rises in the sky. "Hello, Siliva," Dylan greets her. "Hello, Dylan," she says before looking at me. "Thomas told me of you, and what you claimed about the boy. The mages wouldn''t have let a curse be around. I suppose that can be trusted from someone like you." "Someone like him?" Dylan asks. "Yes," she looks at me. "Does he know of the eyes?" "He does," I say. "I''m giving him lessons and warned him about the change. Thomas, too." "I see," she says. "Yes, Dylan, someone like him: a mage. For him to be experienced enough for his eyes to have fully turned, he''d be able to sense the energies of a curse from that close. At least, that''s what I''ve heard." "I can sense it from within a couple of miles," I tell her. "And other things, too. It seems things are about to begin." "They are?" She looks out to the sea once again, and Dylan and Nolan look out across the ocean as well. "I don''t see anything." "If you look at me," I say. "You''ll see plenty." She looks at me, as do Dylan and Nolan. About a dozen spirits manifested themselves as the three of them looked out to sea. All of the spirits are either sitting on my shoulders or atop my head, or they''re hanging on to my arms. All of them are also staring intently out across the ocean. Aluci has appeared as well, sitting beside me in his wolf form with more spirits hanging onto his fur or sitting on his head or around his legs. "If I''m right," I say. "We have maybe two minutes. Three at most." "Attention, everyone," Robin''s voice fills the air, but in a calm and quiet manner while retaining firmness and authority. "Tonight''s events are about to begin. If you''ll make your way over to the docks, you''ll be able to see it here shortly." By the time everyone has filled the docks, more mid-level spirits have made themselves visible. Quite a few are hanging around on the other two mages, evening hanging off of their hats (they must have put them on for the event). Every person with a spirit who hangs around them has found it manifesting itself, and dozens more are sitting at the edge of the dock, legs dangling or swinging as they await the events. Judging by the way everyone''s reacting, the spirits don''t normally manifest themselves like this. From the whispers I''m hearing, the event''s also beginning almost an hour earlier than normal. A shimmer forms in the distance almost exactly two minutes after I said it was beginning soon. That shimmer splits as it draws closer, spots of blue-green light forming in the sea. To others, that probably comes off as some sort of group of sea creatures appearing. Soon, the shimmer and lights reaches the docks and while there''s nothing fully discernible to the naked eye apart from that, I can tell there''s more. This event is the arrival of an ancient and powerful spirit, one likely just as ancient and powerful as Aluci. A soft song fills the air, a melody without words. The shimmer grows brighter and looks of awe and wonder fills the faces of most of those here, especially the children. A second soft song filled the air, another melody without words. The pair of songs harmonize and last almost twenty minutes, then fade away. Once it ends, the shimmer and glows within the water fades. "And that concludes this festival''s Arrival," Rose tells everyone. "A truly special one, at that. May the spirits continue to watch over all of us as time goes on and until the Departure, may our bounties of the sea be plentiful." With those words, it''s like a spell is broken. Everyone begins to move off the docks and the mid-level spirits begin to unmanifest themselves. Dylan leaves with Thomas to get more food for himself as Nolan nods off a little, and that leaves me alone with Aluci. "An old friend of yours?" I ask Aluci, who looks at me before fading away. "I doubt you''d have spoken to them for so long otherwise." A huff enters my mind, and I snort. He''s pretending to be moody but I can tell he enjoyed speaking with the other spirit. It sounded like they were catching up to me, and I think he left to go talk with them some more. As for me, I think I''ll try out some of the foods brought to the festivals by the others, then head home and get some sleep before tomorrow''s chores begin. Chapter 0021 "You have a horse?" Thomas asks as I dismount, his gaze fixed upon the palomino, with its golden pelt and white star on his forehead. "Since when?" He''s dressed in his hunting garb, complete with his basket pack on his back. He''s wearing his hat today, the lamp I made tied around it. There''s mild surprised mixed in with his confusion, and a little bit of disappointment touched into the slight attraction he has for me. Was he¡­ hoping I''d be bare-chested as I normally am back at my house? Huh. Maybe he''s warming up to me a little bit faster than I estimated. That, or he just likes the way I look even if his feelings aren''t really there. There''s a reason for my different outfit, though. Rather than meeting at my place for today''s lessons, we''re meeting outside of the mines. It was something I arranged during last nest festivities and had half-expected him to ask for it to be either on a non-lesson day or on a different lesson day due to the late night. I only had to wait until Robin showed up so to collect the recipe today, then I was able to leave. Rather than teleporting here ¨C getting an estimate for the location wasn''t easy and I haven''t been here before ¨C I decided to ride Aluci. "This is Aluci," I inform Thomas as I pat the horse on his snout. "Aluci?" Thomas frowns. "Ain''t that the name of your wolf?" Aluci shifts to the bird form he showed Thomas previously, then to his wolf form. The first shift has Thomas frozen, the second freezes even the mind of the hunter. He can handle the spirits he''s used to just fine, but Aluci''s actions go beyond his range of experience and thought. "The spirits you see normally," I say. "Are mid-level spirits. I''m sure you''ve noticed that water spirits either have human legs or a fish tail. All mid-level spirits can control what form they take, to a degree. "Aluci is a spirit of a much higher level," I say. "And those of that level are able to take more corporeal-seeming ¨C solid-seeming ¨C forms. Their forms are also much more flexible. None of what you''ve seen are his real form." As I finish that explanation, Thomas comes down from his confusion and he frowns a little. "So he''s not a normal wolf but a spirit," he murmurs. "And you say you''re just a normal person spirits sometimes show up for?" "Spirits can sometimes take a liking to people," I say. "And you know how there were two songs last night?" "There''s normally only one," he says. "Aluci was the second," I tell him. "The second?" He frowns a little again. "That means there''s a spirit doing the normal one, then?" "That shimmer and the glow spots," I say. "They''re the real form of a spirit on the same level. That particular spirit''s real form. They all vary. He talks to you guys when he arrives, that''s what the song is. Though he only did it a little last night, then spoke with Aluci for a bit. Seems they''re old friends. Aluci told me while I slept last night that he wanted to let you know what he was. Seems you''ve made quite the impression on him." The wolf huffs, then curls up on the ground near the entrance to the mines. A ring of rocks appears and some firewood drops into it, then ignites. "Though he''s napping out here instead of going in with us," I add, causing Thomas to snort. "Why did you want to meet at the mines?" Thomas asks. "Wasn''t I going to be bringing you loot?" "Yeah," I answer. "Except I''m not as patient as I thought I was and there are some materials I want which will probably take you years to be strong enough to reach. I mostly just want someone else to carry the loot. I will compensate you once we return to my camp, based on the goods acquired." "I need more arrows," he tells me. "The tips of the ones you gave me are starting to break." "I figured," I say. "That''s one of the things, but I''ll be able to make ones of a higher quality after this trip. They won''t damage as easily, and it''s one of the things I''m planning on offering for using you as a pack mule." "Okay," he says. "So I''m just here to carry loot, not to fight?" "Correct," I answer. "I can handle the monsters myself. Let''s go." We enter the mines, the temperature dropping a few degrees nearly immediately. After about two minutes, we come to a fork in the tunnel with it continuing straight or branching off to the right. At this point, tiny crystals in the wall begin to appear, those glowing to provide light. After listening to my instincts, I keep us walking forward until the next intersection, when we turn left instead of taking a right. A bat flies at us as we enter the tunnel, and a shimmering blue bolt of force soars toward it from my outstretched hand, slamming into the creature. The beast bursts into black-and-red mist, a half-inch magic crystal dropping. The use of a weakened [Magic Missile] was done more for Thomas''s sake than anything. If he were to see me simply it burst into mist, it would probably make him nervous. I reached out with my right hand to cast the spell for the same reason ¨C so he doesn''t feel more intimidated by my spellcasting. "Those things are so annoying," Thomas comments as I toss him the crystal, which he puts into his pack. "Their bites make me lose some of my HP over time. A few points every few seconds, I think." "The bleed status effect," I say. "It shouldn''t be too strong or last for too long, but can be a danger if you get several of them stacked up. Though based on what you''ve told me, you probably have enough HP that a bite or two isn''t a problem as long as you don''t take a lot of other damage." "Yeah," he says. "Nearly killed me a few times when I was younger. My aim with a bow is good enough now that I can take them out fine, though." "That''s good," I say. "Let''s keep moving. By the way, you said the tunnels sometimes change. Is that right?" "Yeah." "What about these?" I rap my knuckles on a large stone which takes up half the width of the path. "New ones appear from time to time," he says, frowning slightly in confusion, probably at why I stopped against almost immediately. "They can be a pain. Sometimes block up the whole path." I place a hand on the stone and release a pulse of magical force, shattering the stone. Most of the pieces fade away, but a fist-sized clump of pure tin plops to the ground. "They''re formed from the magic of the mines," I say. "And are like monsters ¨C they disappear and leave items behind once they take enough damage. Don''t try that with the walls, though, those are actual stone and you''ll probably just kick up dust." Judging by the amount of surprise in his mind, it''s probably something he''d never even considered before. He just thought the magic of the mines was making stones and that was it.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. We continue traveling through the mines, though I don''t break any more of the stones. That was just a demonstration so he knows for the future and I don''t want to fill the pack up too early. We do collect all of the loot from the bats and large ants I kill, however. The crystals are simply too useful to pass up. Eventually, we reach a staircase made of stone bricks. These are sort-of considered natural, however ¨C they were created by the magic of the mines. There''s enough mana around to cause structures to form in addition to monsters and large boulders. Depending on the specific personality of the mine, we may find entire rooms and even buildings the deeper we travel. This same magic is what allows multiple levels to exist without cave-ins. "It''s at the end of this next level where we''ll start to need the lamp," Thomas tells me as we descend them. "You seem to prefer loot from that point on." "It''s a higher quality than up here," I inform him. "The ones of the first level are Grade 2, while the ones I''ve been holding a preference for are all Grade 3. What I want is even deeper, if the mine actually has it." I can find it in lower quality elsewhere, but it''s still tough to find. The fact that I can get some of a good quality here for what''s effectively free makes it a much better deal. On this second level, the monsters are still mostly bats and large ants, though giant rats attack from time to time. Just as with the first two monsters, I eliminate them using [Magic Missile]. It''s a cheap, simple spell and is useful against a wide variety of monsters. Not all of them, however, and after about half an hour of walking through the second level, we come across another. This one is an orb of light three inches in diameter, the center part of it more concentrated than the rest. The magic arrows I gave Thomas are fine for killing something like this as it pierces, but concussive force does nothing to them. So I send a [Shadow Missile] at the spooklight instead. Rather than a missile of shimmering blue force, this one takes the form of darkness. Anything viewed through it looks as if it''s been cast in a deep shadow. The moment it passes through the spooklight, the spooklight turns to black-and-red mist and a light magic crystal and a plain magic crystal drop to the ground. "What spell was that?" Thomas asks as I collect our loot. "Ain''t the same as the others? Just sort of splashed against the wall instead of slamming, and went right through the light. My arrows stop in them." "[Shadow Missile]," I answer. "It''s a non-tangible elemental magic. Non-physical." It can be hard to determine what words and phrases aren''t within the knowledge of someone from the sticks, even with all of my experience interacting with them. "Tangible" is a normal term among mages so I''m used to it, but someone out here might have never even heard the word before. The only reason I realized he didn''t know the word was because of the confusion that appeared in his mind at its use. We continue walking through the second level of the mines, Thomas asking if we can stop to collect some of the mana crystals along the way. They''re in small clusters and hold a decent amount of mana, so they''ll be able to fuel the chief''s truck for awhile. "Even though I come down here pretty often," he adds. "I ain''t good enough to stay too long. You, on the other hand, kill everything with ease. Can stay longer now thanks to the arrows and gloves, but I want to get a good stock of the crystals." "We''re going either as deep as the mines go or to at least the fifth floor if it''s that deep or deeper," I tell him. "The crystals further down will have more mana in them. They''ll also be more abundant." "Oh." I can feel the "duh" in his mind. Another twenty minutes pass before I feel minds within a cluster of rocks resting against one wall. Thomas seems to be wary of it, having probably felt the pain of getting too close without being aware of its real nature before. Not all rock clusters are monsters but some do imitate them. A gesture with my right hand sends a [Magic Missile] into the golem, which explodes into black-and-red mist before it can react to the attack. Three items drop from it: a plain magic crystal, a brownish-orange earth magic crystal, and a stone about the size of my fist.
[Sturdy Stone]
An extra-sturdy stone resistant to blunt damage, it''s heavier than normal and resistant to weathering.
This might seem like an odd thing to drop from a creature as weak to concussive damage as the golem was, but it''s not. The monsters in the second level of the mines have around 20 Constitution at the most while I have 50 Magic. I''m extremely strong compared to them and can simply destroy them with a single hit. The cores of golems are also more resilient to damage than the other parts of them. These stones are even stronger than that. "We''re collecting the stone?" Thomas asks. "I''ve just been leaving them." "You can use them for building foundations," I explain. "And for crafting some magic items. We''ll find stronger ones further down, but it''s not a bad idea to collect them now. Just let me know if the weight of the pack gets too much and we can discard some items. We''ll be doing that anyway if it gets too full." "Okay." When we finally reach the stairs leading down, Thomas reaches up and twists the crystal orb in his lamp. That causes it to sink down into its socket a little bit more and it starts to glow more brightly. We don''t need the light for the full floor, but it''s better to have it on at all times than to need to constantly turn it on and off. Since it draws on the ambient mana, we also won''t have to worry about wasting fuel. The monsters on this floor are the same as on the previous, and the quality of the items is firmly Grade 3 with occasional Grade 4. There are a few dark pockets, but not too many to make things dangerous. The fourth floor is mostly the same, just with more Grade 4 loot drops. I can tell Thomas wants to harvest items from here as well, both ore clumps and crystal clusters, but refrains from doing so since I don''t show any concern toward them. I do break a few of the larger boulders touched with magic in a way which suggests they''re anomalous ones, collecting the iron ore that drops from each. "You make it look so easy," Thomas comments as we go down to the fifth floor. "The few times I''ve tried to do the fourth floor, I''ve struggled against the monsters and had to turn back." "I can''t go much further, to be fair," I tell him. "The monsters on the sixth floor will be about as powerful as I am now, and those on the seventh will be strong enough that I''ll have to actually be careful," concern enters his mind. "But that''s not something I''m planning on doing unless necessary, not when accompanied by someone who can''t handle it. That would just put you in danger. The hope is that we can find what I''m looking for here on the fifth floor and if not, the sixth if there is one. Something other than that, I mean." "Other than-" Thomas''s eyes widen as he spots the massive crystal a few feet to the right of the bottom of the steps. It''s pale blue with silvery streaks around it and three bands of runes made out of blue light slowly circling it. The crystal is taller than we are and floats about a foot off of the floor of the small cavern we''ve stepped into. As with the ribbons of light, the crystal itself glows a little, casting a pale blue light around it. "What in the name of Ulvranik¡­" "Technically not his domain," I say. "It was crafted for those delving deeper into places like this, so mainly under the domain of Kielvezit, the God of Journeys. Its presence means someone''s been this deep before, and its design indicates it was a long time ago. They stopped that rune sequence in the bands about three centuries ago." "What is it?" Thomas asks. "A waystone," I reach past the ribbons and place a hand on the crystal and a pale, silver-and-blue light flows out of it and into my arm, sinking into me.
You have activated the [Mistwood Mines Floor 5 Waystone].
"Useless to us right now, though," I tell him. "I can''t make warpstones without the right materials. Waystones allow you to travel between those you''ve touched before. That''s called ''activating'' it, though it''s already active. They''re usually placed every fifth floor, since it''s the floor after those where the difficulty spikes. Doing it on every floor is a bit too expensive ¨C it might look like a giant floating crystal, but it''s a sophisticated piece of magical engineering and enchanting which requires a lot of certain rare materials to craft." "If it''s useless, then why do you want me to activate it?" Thomas frowns. "Since we''re not going deeper." "If we manage to find what I''m looking for," I tell him. "And in a sufficient quantity, I can craft warpstones. You can tune them to waystones, and that''ll allow you to warp directly to the linked one if you''re within the Labyrinth. Oh, ''Labyrinth'' is the common term for places like these mines. You can also use a warpstone for a waystone within the Labyrinth entrance as well. However, you cannot travel to a waystone you haven''t activated, even with a warpstone that''s linked to it." "So if I want to come this deep with you immediately," he says. "And you have warpstones that come to it, I have to touch it as well?" "Yeah." "Okay," he nods, then touches the waystone, flinching a little when the light flows onto his arm a little. "That didn''t feel like anything yet still felt weird." "You only have to do it once per waystone," I tell him. "So don''t worry about doing it too often. The next one is a fair bit deeper and even if you come in here regularly, it''ll take you quite a long time to reach that deep, if you ever do. If there even is a tenth floor and a waystone on it." The odds of that are rare but not nonexistent. "Okay," he says. "What''s next?" "We see if I can find what I''m looking for." Chapter 0022 A pair of [Magic Missile]s slam into the arms of the golem, raised to defend itself against the attack. The concussive force of the spell shatters the stone where they impact at the shoulders, and a second pair of [Magic Missile]s slam into the golem''s chest, breaking all the way to its core.
[Combat] is now Level 4!
+100 HP +1 Strength +1 Constitution
As much HP as the golems here on the fifth floor have, my Magic is high enough to do plenty of damage with this spell. Breaking off its arms dealt a significant amount both from the impacts and from the arms breaking off. HP isn''t a stat of "what damage you''ve taken" so much as "how much more damage you can take right now before your body succumbs to your wounds". By first inflicting damage to the arms and then removing them, I doubled up on that. In other words, even if the golem had managed to regenerate its missing limbs before the next wave of attacks, it would have still died from the next attacks because it was still missing HP and the loss of the arms had removed a significant chunk of it. Just as wounds can heal without HP healing, so too can HP recover without restoring wounds. Not all injuries can recover from our passive HP regeneration. Cuts and burns can heal pretty easily through it, but broken bones might not and missing limbs won''t. We aren''t golems, we can''t just grab stone from around us and use that as new arms. Just grabbing new stone won''t let them recover their HP, either, as it''s not a real recovery. Both of those are things we need to keep in mind while on this floor. The monsters here can hurt either one of us pretty bad if an attack actually connects. Thomas has probably managed to reach around or above 1,000 HP between his weapon-related Skills and [Combat], but I''m only at 500 HP right now. I can use healing magic, yes, but if we take damage faster than I can heal it, we''re dead. Even if not, the pain might still prevent us from acting as quickly as necessary. "We should probably start swapping things," Thomas tells me. "The last few of the sturdy stones on this floor have been pretty heavy." "Yeah," I say. "Let''s-" I cut off and yank him toward me with [Telekinesis], sending him falling to the ground behind me as loot spills out of the basket pack on his back. Shock and rage fills his mind but I don''t care. In the moment after I throw him, I thrust my hands forward and conjure a series of [Barrier]s. Invisible due to me not bothering to weaken it for Thomas''s sake, the [Barrier]s are only noticeable for a moment, when an attack strikes them. Even then, the full hexagonal planes of magical force aren''t visible, only the area around the strike. At my current power, each one is 12.5" on each side, though I have them pressed against each other to form a nearly seamless wall. As the golem pulls back for another attack, I send a quartet of [Magic Missile]s at it, though the golem vanishes the moment before they connect despite the close range. I spin and throw four [Magic Missile]s forward, past Thomas, who has barely begun to scramble to his feet. The spells soar over his head and slam into the dark grey golem before another wall of [Barrier]s stops its attempt at slamming both of its rock-hands down onto the hunter. All four of my [Magic Missile]s struck one of its arms and while they shattered some of the stone, its limbs are thick enough that it took all four to break it off there. They struck halfway up the arm so it hasn''t lost the full thing, but that''s fine. It vanishes again and I feel the surprise in Thomas''s mind increase. He was confused by it suddenly being behind him but has realized that something else is going on. A thunk sounds out as the golem rams into the [Barrier] wall right beside me. I thrust my hand forward and the golem vanishes, only for four [Magic Missile]s to slam into its damaged arm as it reappears by Thomas. This thing is tough enough I need to go full-power so it can''t see them coming. Those four were cast right before it teleported and as it teleports again, I send the next wave out. They slam into it right when it appears beside me, breaking its right arm off at the shoulder. Its next teleport results in it losing the rest of its left arm. This thing has a predictable attack pattern, and I take advantage of it to eliminate its legs as well. That should be enough damage, so I go for its head next. Thomas has returned to his feet by the time the golem''s head is destroyed, and the beast still teleports again to try and attack us, its body simply moving forward in an attempt at a body slam. It takes three more quartets of [Magic Missile]s to take out the rest of the golem''s HP and when it fades, it leaves behind a little bit different loot than before. There are two large crystals, a fist-sized clump of ore, a sturdy stone the size of my head, and another stone of equal size which is the same color as the golem was.
[Combat] is now Level 5!
+100 HP +1 Strength +1 Constitution
[Casting] is now Level 4!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
It seems I was near a new Level in [Casting] and one of those last spells pushed me to the threshold, while [Combat] went up just because of how much Skill Experience fighting a warp golem grants to it. "That one seemed a lot more tough than the others," Thomas says. "It ain''t from this floor, is it?" "It is," I tell him. "It wasn''t harder or stronger, it just had some extra magical ability and a lot more HP. Think of it as a type of ''boss'' among monsters. It doesn''t actually command the others, but it''s stronger than them. Technically, it was a mini-boss. Its movements were too simple to be a proper boss, which would''ve realized quickly that its attack strategy was bad. Let''s get the loot." Thomas and I gather up the old loot, and I have some of the items moved to the side of the tunnel. Those are the ones we''ll be discarding, though we might grab them in another trip into here. The first of the new loot items moved into the basket pack is the darker stone.
[Spatial Stone]
A durable stone with concentrated spatial magic essence contained within it.
"Why''s this one different?" Thomas asks as he sets it at the bottom of his pack. "Magic," I answer. "It''s not just a stone but one with spatial magics, the same sort of magical energy which let the golem teleport. Instant movement between two places without actually crossing the distance. The stone can be used to create certain types of wards, but also to make a type of waystone. The one here is specially designed to allow warping through the denser mana of the mines, but inferior versions can be made for warping outside of here. This stone will allow for that, but not for within denser mana."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I''m only going to pretend to understand half of that." "That''s fine," I chuckle. "The other stone is just a normal sturdy stone, but I still want it. It''s strong enough to make a good base for when I build a house." "Okay," he says. "And the darker crystal and ore?" One of the two crystals is just a plain magic crystal of a deep blue color. The other is dark grey, almost black, and is touched with a silvery color in aurora-like streaks when the light hits it right.
[Spatial Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized spatial magic essence.
As for the ore clump, it''s a similarly-dark grey metal, raw but pure.
[Spatial Mithril]
Pure spatial mithril, this ore is excellent for harnessing spatial enchantments and channeling spatial magics.
"They''re what I''m actually here for," I inform him. "A chunk of crystallized spatial magic essence and a type of magical metal called ''mithril'', of the spatial magic variety. It normally starts being found after about ten levels in a Labyrinth, but you can get lucky and find them sooner. With how long it''s been since someone was last here, though, I was confident we might find some sooner." "Why''s that?" "Because it continues to generate new stuff over time," I explain. "One of the reasons Labyrinths exist is because of strong amount of ambient mana," I''ve already explained ambient mana to him during his lessons, so I don''t need to clarify it here. "The shifts in the tunnels, the spawning of monsters, the formation of items, all of it is the location''s way of dealing with that. "When mana gathers too high for the area it''s in," I continue. "It needs some sort of outlet. That''s what causes items and monsters to spawn and things to mutate. When that area starts getting too full to spawn in more things, it switches to strengthening or mutating what''s already there. Sometimes, it''ll let more mana gather, then create something with abilities or properties not normally found there." I toss the spatial magic crystal up in the air, then catch it. "Like this," I say. "Nearly all spatial magic items such as ores and crystals are found in such situations. Their ''natural'' location is much deeper due to the energy itself being pretty complex and needing more to create but it''s a good way to burn up some of that extra mana. The amount of the energy within the ore still matches that of the area it''s found in, but the size of the loot is indicative of how much mana went into the beast. A lot was spent on that golem." "Oh," Thomas doesn''t fully understand, but I think that''s the best I can explain right now. "So we''re done now?" "No," I point down the tunnel. "I noticed it before the golem attacked, but you can see a darker boulder up there. One the same color as the spatial stone. Once it breaks, it''ll drop probably one of the three. It''s actually why I turned down this tunnel instead of going straight. We should get more while we''re here and hope we can find another ore or crystal I''m looking for. That one''s pale grey, almost white." "What''s it for?" "Time magics," I answer. "The spatial magic crystal and mithril can be used to make a spatial pocket¡­ see this big boulder?" There''s more than one thing I want these for, but only one of them is really something I can explain to him easily. Some concepts don''t exist out here and he needs to get built up to being able to understand them. Going straight to explaining pocket dimension to someone who''s never even heard of dimensions before would just be far too confusing for him. Fortunately, one of the uses is pretty simple to explain. "Yeah?" Confusion fills his mind at the sudden shift. "See this rock?" I point at one of the sturdy stones we''re leaving here. "Yeah?" "I can fit the boulder into a space the size of the stone with spatial magics." "How?" "I can use spatial magic to expand the space," I answer. "Make an empty area bigger, such as giving a bottle the same amount of volume as an urn on the inside while still being the size of a bottle on the outside. The amount of material for the bottle wouldn''t change, either ¨C I can literally take a bottle and put an enchantment on it which will make the inside, and only the inside, bigger." Judging by the feel of his mind, he mostly understands. "Alright," he says. "And you want to do that with your stuff?" "My cabin, to be specific," I tell him. "It''ll be a little while before I can build a proper cabin for myself, but I can update the current temporary one to have a bigger space inside, thus allowing me to store goods. With the time-based ones, I can create a stasis box, a container where time doesn''t pass within. That will keep foods good permanently." "Sounds really useful," he says. "And difficult to find," I say. "But these mines might have some on this floor. Let''s finish up here and continue searching." As we explore the fifth floor, I destroy several boulders to swap their goods into the pack. We also collect some of the mana crystals that formed down here. They glow faintly, a sign of a high amount of mana contained within them for their size. A single cubic inch of one of these contains more mana than the entire amount that Thomas collects in a trip to the first and second floors, and some of these crystal clusters are as large as our heads. I also make sure we mine some of the plain magic crystals which grow down here, swapping out the lesser ones from the pack. A second warp golem earns me another level to [Combat], though [Casting] is left untouched. The strategy for it was the exact same as well so it wasn''t difficult to defeat, and I noticed it soon enough to avoid needing to throw Thomas. Something he''s grateful for. "There''s a very light boulder that way," Thomas tells me at an intersection and I look down it. "Is that what you were hoping for?" "It might be," I walk toward the boulder. "A much better target for acquiring what I want than a time-based golem." "You ain''t able to beat ''em?" There''s surprise in his mind. "They''re as simple as the warp golems," I say. "But they''re capable of hasting themselves, making themselves quicker through time magics. They can also slow their targets down and even slow down spells soaring toward them. I can beat them, but they''re annoying to take down." We reach the boulder, and with a small prayer to the gods that this has ore rather than crystal, I place a hand on it and shatter it with a pulse of force magic. A fist-sized crystal that''s pale grey, almost white drops to the ground as the boulder fades away, and I let out a small groan.
[Temporal Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized temporal magic essence.
"You didn''t want the crystal?" "It''s useful," I pick it up and hand it to him so he can place it into his pack. "But I really wanted the ore and we''re going to have to turn around soon. I''m nearly out of mana potion. Two more tunnels, then we leave." "Alright." We continue walking and come across another boulder with spatial properties, which yields another clump of raw spatial mithril. It almost feels as if I''m being mocked here. That''s the fifth boulder for spatial magics and we''ve only had one for temporal magics. As we reach the final intersection before turning back, we spot a pale grey boulder near the next one down one of the branches. At it, I make a small prayer and shatter it, and am pleased when a fist-sized clump of pale grey metal drops to the ground.
[Temporal Mithril]
Pure temporal mithril, this ore is excellent for harnessing temporal enchantments and channeling temporal magics.
"That''s it?" Thomas asks. "That''s it," I toss it to him. "Let''s head back now, before I potentially don''t have enough mana to make sure we''re safe." "Alright." He puts the ore in his pack and we make our way out of the mines. As we exit, Aluci puts out his fire and transforms back into a palomino. "Let''s head to my place and sort out the loot," I mount Aluci. "Give me your arm and I''ll pull you up. Don''t worry about the loot spilling or any lack of experience, no one can fall off of Aluci unless he lets them." Thomas is extremely nervous based on the feel of his mind, but he doesn''t show it at all until after Aluci''s moving once we''re both on. Then, the hunter tightens his grip around my waist and his breath catches in his throat. I could teleport us both back with what mana I have left, but I don''t want to let Thomas know I can actually wield spatial magics just yet. He''s probably assumed I flew to town using my magic, not warped through space. The information I''ve revealed to him about spatial magics has probably let him know just how potent they are, and how complex as well. We''re still in the "getting to know me" phase of things. I doubt even Dylan trusts me enough that he''d be comfortable after learning I can bend space to my will. "That¡­ was terrifying," Thomas tells me after we dismount at my cabin. "I''ve never been on a horse before and that was¡­" "The smoothest ride you''ll ever have," I say. "Now that you''ve ridden Aluci, any other ride will feel clumsy. Let''s go through the loot and discuss your compensation for the help." Chapter 0023 "You can really make them now?" Thomas asks, surprise clear in his mind. He doesn''t think he did too much to warrant a larger reward, while I wanted to give him something I felt worthy of carrying the loot he carried. Without his help, I would''ve needed to bear the weight myself and while I have almost as much Strength as he does, it''s better for the stronger guy to carry it. After almost twenty minutes of negotiating as we sorted out my loot, I convinced him to accept new arrowheads. Me mentioning that I could make them now if he''s willing to wait was the first time his slight feeling of attraction wasn''t present during the discussion. I took off my tunic after we arrived and he''s subtly checked me out every time I looked away. It''s still not the type that means I could try and make a move on him, though. One can be attracted without being interested, and he''s definitely not interested. Though today''s trip into the mines did help to alleviate his skepticism for some reason, I can tell he still doesn''t fully trust me. I think he''s also become a little more nervous of me after seeing my ability in combat and how I could handle things deeper than he could manage to reach on his own. There''s curiosity mixed into the slight feeling of attraction toward me as well, but I don''t think the two are related. More like the act of checking me out has made him notice something, and that''s made him curious. Maybe he''ll ask. I''m tempted to peek into his mind to learn what it is but I really shouldn''t do that. Better to focus on what we were actually discussing than invade his mind to sate my own curiosity. He''s not a mute two-year-old or someone I''m interrogating. "Yeah," I answer. "I just need to brew something up, then I''ll be ready to do the arrowheads. The whole process should take about half an hour to make them, then a little bit to attach, so you don''t have time to leave and return. If you want to stay and watch, you can. If you''d like to practice your magic with one of the balls, you can." "I''ll practice with the ball some, then," he tells me, then heads over to the lesson zone. The only reagents necessary for this first part is a mana crystal and a magic crystal, both of which I pull from the loot we acquired on the fifth floor of the mines. With those already at-hand, it''s time to start. I grind a chunk of the magic crystal into a powder, then do the same with part of the mana crystal. Those are combined together, then dissolved in near-boiling water. Once it''s completely dissolved, I remove it from the fire, then use telekinesis to carry a charcoal chunk over to the table. This isn''t burnt wood from the fire ring but wood I deliberately converted to charcoal, a technique even people out here probably know. Though my process was probably a lot faster and used a lot more magic than theirs. With the charcoal present, I''m ready for the next stage of this. I grab a chunk of iron ore from the fifth floor of the mines, then begin weaving magic. The ore floats up into the air. It''s already pure so I don''t need to refine it, which saves me some work. A bubble of wind ¨C invisible to normal sight ¨C forms around the ore as it begins to heat. With wind swirling around the ore but not coming within a few inches of it, the heat from the process cannot escape and poses no risk to anything around us. A small piece of the charcoal breaks off and floats up into the wind bubble and shatters into extremely fine pieces which then incorporate into the iron as the glowing metal pulsates. Soon after that, a small piece of magic crystal and a small piece of mana crystal from the fifth floor of the mines float up. They, too, are shattered by the wind and then incorporated into the ore. I finish converting the iron into something more magical, then the pulsating blob separates and takes the form of twenty-four arrowheads. Still hot, I cancel the wind bubble and move the arrows into the alchemy solution I''d brewed up. It steams and hisses, and a mixture of water, fire, and earth magics allow me to finish the process. When I pull them out, I examine one of the arrowheads.
[Magic Steel Arrowhead]
An arrowhead made of magical steel.
There''s no mention of it slaying monsters properly, but it doesn''t need to say that. The mention that it''s magical is enough for anyone who can read to know that it will. Thomas left his bow and quiver beside the pack, so I''m able to get straight to replacing the heads of the arrows. When I made the shafts, I treated them with alchemy and enchanted them with invisible enchanting ink to strengthen them. They don''t bend or break easily. They won''t outlast these arrowheads, but they''ll still last awhile. I don''t have any wood which is on the same strength level as their new tips. "Done," I call over to Thomas, who puts the ball away before walking over and examining the one of the arrows. "There''s no crystal coating." "These ones don''t need that," I tell him. "That''s a modification made to arrowheads made of something like normal steel or stone. When I turned the iron to steel, I incorporated magic into it as well. They''ll last a lot longer than the old arrowheads ¨C and even their current shafts. Though they''re stronger and sharper than the old ones, do not go further than you can without them. They can take on tougher beasts, but you yourself cannot." "I won''t," he promises as he slides the arrow back into the quiver, then looks at the sky for a moment. "I was going to ask about using the bath, but I think rain is coming." "There''s a ward against water over the bath," I tell him. "I put one over everything I want to avoid getting wet." "There''s no telling how long the storm''ll last," he gathers up his things. "And I want to make it back home before it starts." "Fair enough," I say. "Have a good day, Thomas. May the spirits and gods guide your paths." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," he returns, then leaves. It''s about three in the afternoon now and while I did have lunch in the mines with Thomas, I''m still a little hungry after all the work today. I also want to head into town and do something before the day ends. Before that, however, I brew up another batch of mana potion, then grab a few things and stick them in good-sized reed-woven boxes which I clip onto my belt. The new jar of mana potion is fixed onto my belt, my tunic and boots are pulled back on, and I perform a [Teleport]. I can make the full trip into town with a single [Teleport] now, and it seems I had enough Skill Experience for that to bump me up a little.
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 7!
+100 MP +1 Magic
I do use the spell to get to a few places in the area faster, and to summon items from a different part of my home or camp if I''m not feeling like walking over to grab it. Those are small and cheap and don''t award a lot of Skill Experience, but it adds up. Adding in a [Teleport] of over forty miles and how low the Skill Level is, and I''ll probably still gain a Level upon returning home. Before doing anything else, I refill most of my mana. This area should be safe, but I still want to be ready in case of an attack. About ten minutes after arriving in town, I find myself in the market district. Almost every vendor or caller who sees me tries to get me to visit their stall or shop, just as last time. I ignore all of them on my way through and enter the loot shop I visited last time. "Welcome back!" The man behind the counter greets me. "No hides this time, I take it? That stoneseeker wolf pelt was quite quality and has been turned into several pairs of boots for adventurers." He remembers someone who visited almost a month ago, and even that I had brought some hides and what at least one of them was. The friendliness seems genuine even if I can sense the boredom in his mind ¨C it''s not me boring him ¨C and he seems to be honestly disappointed by the lack of the pelts. "No hides," I confirm as I reach the counter. "I might bring more next time. Today, I''d like to sell some crystals I acquired." "Let me take a look," he grabs a lightly-padded tray from a drawer behind him, then sets it on the counter. "In here, please." I open up one of my basket boxes and pull out some crystals, which I set on the tray. His eyes widen a little and I can feel the surprise in his mind. That suggests he can actually sense magical energies, as I''m sure he''s dealt with crystals as large as these before. No surprise would be present for size alone.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "These are quite good," he pick up one of them, an earth magic crystal and turns it over in his hands. "Grade 4, and upper. No flaws which I can see, but let me get my lens." He reaches under the counter and pulls out an eyepiece, which he fixes over his left eye. After examining the crystal and turning it over several times, he nods. His mind reveals just how impressed he is even if his face only shows it a little, and it''s quite a lot. "Zero flaws," he says. "And it''s solid crystal all the way through. That suggests it came from a monster, and a tough one, too. It would be useful for making a golem core. No one fashions those in this town, but it''s difficult to find magic crystals this large to start with. We can sell it to a workshop in the city. And you have three of these?" He examines each of the others. There are two types of golems: monsters which spawn and constructs someone built. The former drops loot when defeated while the latter doesn''t. The former doesn''t have a true core, while the latter has one made from a magic crystal, which controls its actions based on the enchantment set into it. Some types of mines use golems for hauling items, and several upper nobles incorporate them into their home security. Not all statues are actually statues. Even the military uses golems, mainly to pull wagons and move heavy items in place of beasts and people during longer missions. But it really is difficult to find crystals large enough to form suitable cores. These are all Grade 4 in quality, which means they''re also rare in that aspect, too. The golems built with them will not only be stronger but also be able to have more commands and more complex ones set into them. Theoretically, one could fabricate a crystal large enough to do make the cores, but you need a proper full-fledged mage with the right know-how for that. They aren''t common and are pretty expensive. So most golems are on the weaker side due to either smaller cores or inferior core strength. "All three are the same in quality and approximate size," he says. "The total for this is 5,033,164,897 ciivrios. We can pay by coin or strip, or we can provide a certificate of authentication. If you desire, we can also pay with a combination of those." Coin is the standard pay, and is just coins. Strip is a sort of certificate which I can take to a bank here in town to receive the coins ¨C essentially, it''s a promise from the shop that the amount on it is what we are owed by them and a request for the bank to pay it. That can also be used in another town at an affiliated bank. The certificate can be used to take the crystals to another shop as verification of its value, allowing me to trade the items directly to the other shop for what I want and receive the change after. With the latter, that only really works if the shop actually uses said items. Taking earth magic crystals to a cafe will get me laughed at, for example. Well, they wouldn''t laugh at me. I''m a pretty obvious mage and my age indicates I come from a powerful family, since it''s rare for someone so young to be full-fledged outside of noble lines. But they''d probably be laughing inwardly if I tried to pay for a meal with an earth magic crystal, even a half-inch Grade 1 one. "By coin, please," I tell him. "I''ll accept it rounded down. That should be fifty platinum ciirvrios coins." "I''ll be right back with the payment," he says. He heads into the back and returns with the boy I saw last time and a tray with five coins on it. The coins themselves aren''t actually made out of platinum, though their alloy was designed to resemble it in color. I examine each of the five coins, verifying through the System that they''re authentic 10-plat coins. "Thank you," I accept the coins and slip them into one of my pouches. "A pleasure doing business with you, sir," he says as the boy takes the tray with the crystals. "I hope we see you again." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths," I say. "May the spirits and gods guide your paths." I leave the shop and make my way to a nearby crafting district. Most of the shops don''t interest me, but I manage to locate a forge which suggests it can handle what I want done. While I can smelt iron into steel, I can''t work everything I find in the mines at my current Magic. A bell rings when I enter the front of the forge, a small shop that''s empty of goods. It''s mostly for commissions rather than their normal sales ¨C if they even make standard stock items to sell. If they do, those will be sold to the actual shops which manage selling them to adventurers, guards, travelers, or whoever. The room for the shop is cool in temperature, courtesy of enchantments I can spot when I examine the area with my magical senses. I can''t hear any sounds coming from the back, which means either no one''s working on something noisy or the soundproofing enchantment I can see is blocking out the noise. They want to make sure those commissioning items are comfortable while doing so and the heat and noise from the actual forge doesn''t enter the shop. I''m not sure if that''s a good sign or a bad sign, but the guy with a crush on Elaina comes out to greet me about a minute and a half after I enter. His hair is sticking to his head with sweat, and he''s wearing a thick leather apron over his pants and otherwise bare chest. He nearly stumbles upon seeing me, his mind filled with surprise and shock. "You''re the mage who interrupted the magi in Mistwood during their argument last night, aren''t you?" He asks. Those who visited Mistwood for the festival likely arrived by truck, allowing them to return to town much more quickly upon waking this morning. He''s probably been working most of the day. "I am," I answer. "I am Rowan Zovanzik, and I have a commission I would like to make. Judging by the markings on the sign out front, I believe this forge has the ability to work the metals I want worked. However, I don''t know if you make jewelry or not." It''s fine to say my name without worrying about someone from my past finding me, as there are dozens of mages named Rowan and my last name wasn''t known to anyone but me. The System shifted my name to match my adoptive parents'' when I was adopted, but no one had ever seen my Status before then so no one knew my old one. When I cut ties with my family and had me struck from their record, the System shifted it to this and I''ve never mentioned it before. Actually saying my last name might potentially lead me to my real family, though I do have a little bit of doubt about that for out here. We''re still quite a distance from the capital and my parents probably didn''t know their last names. "We do," he confirms. "I handle most of the jewelry requests ¨C oh, my name is Ash, by the way. What are you interested in having commissioned? We don''t handle rarer metals very often, even if we know how. They''re usually something we need to order in. If that''s the case, we''ll need the cost of the materials up-front, as well as half of the remaining cost. If it needs to be attuned to a magic, the materials cost will be higher." A standard requirement, in my experience. "I brought them myself," I tell him. "It''s mithril, of both spatial and temporal variants." The surprise in his mind increases even more, and his eyes widen just slightly. "You have tuned variants of mithril?" He asks. "We can work that, yes. Am I correct in assuming you want storage items? Stasis storage, I''m assuming?" A guess he made based on the types of mithril. That''s the most common use for them when crafted into jewelry so it wasn''t really a hard guess. "Correct," I answer. "I have more than I need for what I want and would like the remainder back." "What form would you like it as?" He asks. "I''ve never made that particular type of jewelry before before but I can do it as a variety of things. Rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, to name the general categories. And I don''t know how to set the enchantments so it''ll actually contain a space. Probably don''t have near enough mana to do so, even if I did know." Not all enchanting methods require using one''s own mana to set them, but it''s more common among beginner enchanters. "That''s fine," I open up a pouch and pull out a folded piece of paper. "This is the blueprint. I''d like it as a bracelet with those dimensions and that shape. I can do the enchantment myself." A shop like this should be one whose staff can read and judging by the appraising focus of his mind, Ash can read. "I can do this," he nods. "How many do you want?" "Just one," I answer. "With the quality of the magic within the ore I have, so long as my blueprint is followed exactly, then I''ll have a decent space to store goods in." "Is there a time frame in which you want this completed?" "How soon can it be done?" I ask. "A few days if you''re willing to wait," he answers. "Though I can expedite it for a fee. The cost to make the bracelet will be 14 plat, and I can have it ready when the shop opens at seven tomorrow morning if you''re willing to pay an extra 2 plat. If you''d like it done today, that''s an additional 5 plat. We need the full payment immediately and on a rush, we need the additional fee up-front as well. If you pay for it to be completed sooner but don''t pick it up within that time, you won''t receive a refund as we still had to move projects with a lesser priority." The full payment being required immediately is due to the cost of the work and them not knowing my reputation. That means they can''t trust that I won''t pay the normal up-front cost and once it''s done, refuse to pay the rest and then file with the guards for them refusing to give me what I paid for. The fact that I''m supplying the metals will only give weight to my argument. Not that I''d do that to the shop, that''s just wrong. This is a rare metal I want them to work and I''m lucky the town actually has a forge which can handle it. Even if I were the sort to levy my status to cheat a shop, I wouldn''t for that reason alone. But I really don''t like cheating shops. Receiving what I''m due, and giving them what they''re due. That''s what I do. A sudden spike of hope pops up in his mind, a desire of some sort I can''t determine the origin of. "Though I can waive the standard for a Lord Magus," he adds. "Only half of the 14 plat is needed up-front. I do still need the rush requirement immediately, if you wish it faster." Attempting to curry favor, then. I can''t determine the reason without peeking into his mind, but it doesn''t matter. I don''t feel anything hostile or malicious in the intent. "Here''s the mithril," I open up the second woven box on my pouch and pull out the two clumps. "I''ll pay after I receive the remainder back." "Give me about ten minutes," he accepts the ores, awe and fascination in his mind, but also a caution which seems aimed at the metals. "I''ll need to get out the tools and slice them." "I''ll wait." Ash heads into the back and I remain here. When he returns, the two ore clumps don''t look much different ¨C he really did slice them. Based on the slightly-melted appearance, it was via high heat. Not much was removed, just enough to make a bracelet with the dimensions I gave. I have faith in the quality of the bracelet I''ll receive. "Thank you," I return the ores to their case, then hold out my right hand, palm up. Two platinum coins rest on my palm, summed from the coin pouch via [Teleport] while I was turning my hand over. "Please have it finished today, and if you ensure that it''s to the exact specifications that I ask, you can keep the extra plat." A small touch of joy enters his mind while his expression remains professional. "I can have it done in around three hours," he tells me. "Though we close at six, just knock on the door if you return after that but before seven. After seven, I won''t be able to give it to you and you''ll have to wait until tomorrow." "I''ll return in three hours." Chapter 0024 The bracelet in my hands is a medium-grey in color with only a slight metallic look to it. It''s relatively flat in form, though its edges are rounded slightly. Ash smelted the two variants together perfectly, creating a flawless spatial-temporal mithril to reshape into the bracelet. The metal''s high natural durability means he probably had to use quite the magic forge to craft it and work carefully to shape it. Despite that, my visual and magical assessments are telling me that he crafted it to the exact specifications that I asked for. Despite doing the work in only three hours. This sort of talent is what I''d expect in a royal forge, not from someone not-yet nineteen years of age. Either he has an excellent bloodline and a lot of experience, or it was his father who ended up making the bracelet. Either way, the bracelet came out perfect.
[Spatial-Temporal Bracelet]
A fashionable bracelet made of spatial-temporal mithril, it is excellent for channeling spatial and temporal magics and enchantments.
"This exceeds expectations," I admit, feeling Ash''s anticipation shift to pride as I look at him. "I wasn''t expecting it to match the specifications I gave, not from a smith in a town in the sticks, even if there is a mana and magic crystal mine that feeds it." "My father is the fifth son of a long line of blacksmiths from the capital," Ash tells me with pride in his voice. "They''d run the forge for centuries and dealt with many materials. His parents were trying for a girl but it seemed the gods only wanted to give them boys. Five in a row. As good as their forge was, there wasn''t much room for inheritance for the fifth son, so he moved out here. It''s just him, me, and my older brother running this one." So it''s a good bloodline, then. "Even with that," I say. "You''re very skilled at this, able to work a material you don''t get to touch often and shape it to the exact specifications given while making sure the variants harmonize properly." I flick my left hand toward him and he catches the coin. A coin valued at 100,000,000 ciivrios, or 1 platinum. "I''ll make sure to return when I need mithril worked again," I tell him as confusion mixed with hope enters his mind. "Since you were able to make it exactly how I wanted, I can set a stronger enchantment into it. Consider that a bonus for the excellent craftsmanship." The pride in his mind swells at the praise. "If you don''t mind," I say. "I''ll be taking my leave. May the spirits and gods guide your paths." "May the spirits and gods guide your paths." I exit the shop, then find a good place to [Teleport] from and do so, appearing back at my home to find rain falling.
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 8!
+100 MP +1 Magic
I dismiss the notification, use a potion to restore most of my mana, return to wearing just my pants, then get to work gathering a few materials. My crafting station has a rain ward so I''ll remain dry there, though I do get wet moving between it and where some of my supplies are stored. A small piece of spatial magic crystal, of temporal magic crystal, of plain magic crystal, and of mana crystal are broken off of their respective chunks. Those are individually ground into a fine powder, which I then dissolve into boiling water. Mixing everything in the right ratios creates a medium-grey magic ink. As it cools, I gesture with my right hand and a glob of glass forms above it. While I needed to commission glass when I first arrived, I''m now strong enough it''s not an issue for me. Shifting my fingers a little, I reshape the glob into an inkwell with a glass stopper, then allow it to plop into my hand. I fill it with the ink, then work making a new enchanting pen. This one is made with ground magic crystal and mana crystal from the mines and a little bit of water. Once they''ve dissolved together, I add in ground spatial and temporal crystal and let it dissolve, then pour it into a mold and carefully push a specially-crafted rod into it along the length. This rod has a conical end on one end, which is the end that''s pushed down, the opposite end blunt. The rod dissolves as the crystal solution cools, this one turning completely solid in the process. With an effort of magic, I carefully cut part of the back end of the pen off, sending the magical blade into the sides after it nearly reaches the hole from the rod. This allows me to create a thread and a screw cap for the pen. I dip the other end of the pen into a new solution I brew up in a very small amount, holding it in the boiling liquid for a few seconds. After pulling it out, I send a small pulse of a spell into it, then examine it. Good. I know there''s little chance of me messing this up, but I still needed to verify. This will work, so I fill it with some of the ink I prepared. While the pen is the same medium-grey as the ink, its walls are thin enough I can see how full it is from the darker space within. I screw the cap back on, then begin enchanting the bracelet. When I press the tip of the pen against the bracelet and channel some mana into it, ink begins to flow despite there being no actual hole in the tip. A proper inscribing pen works like this, the ink moving through the crystal to release. That last solution I made altered the property of the tip enough to allow this for when mana is channeled into it. The runes and markings I make upon the bracelet glow with a faint, silvery-grey light. Nearly the entire top surface of the bracelet is covered with runes before I''m done, then I quickly set the pen down and levitate the bracelet over the palm of my left hand. With my right hand as a focus, I channel the [Stasis Pocket] spell through it. This spell would normally create a stasis pocket of my own, which would tie up some of my maximum MP based on the size of the pocket created in order to sustain the spell. For this cast, I adapt the spell to be placed onto an enchantment, and also leave the size factor in the formula blank. That bit''s defined by the enchantment formula. That''s not the only spell I cast, adding in a strengthening enchantment as well. Mithril is far too durable for me to damage and it''s doubtful I''ll come across anything which can for awhile, but it never hurts to be safe. One never knows which might happen. The enchantment formula on the bracelet glows brighter, then vanishes from the naked eye.
[Crafting] is now Level 4!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
[Casting] is now Level 5!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 9!
+100 MP +1 Magic
[Time Magic] is now Level 8!
+100 MP +1 Magic
All of those going up in Level doesn''t surprise me in the slightest. Ash probably even gained a Level into [Crafting] from getting to work mithril and managing to fully incorporate both variants into each other. For me, I just performed a high-level crafting technique and cast a spell that''s far more complex than just warping space ¨C I created an entire dimension, and it''s one that''s suspended in time as well. Now that the glow is gone, the bracelet looks just as it did when I received it, but I can tell it holds a stasis pocket now even before reading the description.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
[Stasis Pocket Bracelet]
A fashionable bracelet made of spatial-temporal mithril, it contains a stasis pocket 11'' x 11'' x 11'' in size, allowing for storing a large amount of items. Nothing stored within this will ever go bad and an inventory management system has been added, allowing for easier use.
The inventory system is part of the enchantment I placed, and it allows me to move the items around without removing them from it. One of the features of it also makes it easier to sense what''s actually inside of it, so that I don''t need to develop a special sense just to do that. Not that I don''t know how to use that sense, but the inventory system is easier. I slip it onto my right wrist, then put my supplies and tools away. While it''s raining right now, I still want something hot and fresh for dinner rather than a plain meal. All of my work stations have rain wards as does the fire ring so I can cook without issue. After gathering some ingredients, I prepare myself seasoned fowl meat and a side of pasta with a light salad. I finish eating and clean up my dishes, then try to decide what to do for the rest of the day. This rain kind of ruins my ability to do other things. Then again, it''s already evening and I should probably be preparing for bed. At the same time, however, I want to expand the inside of my cabin now rather than waiting a couple of days for my next day without someone to teach for part of it. I finally have spatial magic materials again and there''s no way I want to leave it as just the bracelet. This rain, though¡­ I look up at the sky, then flick a hand upward. A small bolt of water and lightning shoots straight up and pierces the clouds. Once it''s traveled a decent way up, the bolt bursts, sending a wave out in all directions, the clouds vanishing where it passes through, both above and below the actual wave. Based on my estimates, that should give me around three or four hours before the clouds still to the west reach here. Some careful use of magic dries off the front porch of my cabin, then I move its contents outside using a mixture of my body and [Telekinesis]. With all of it outside, I realize that I skipped a step and return to my alchemy station. A new inscribing pen is made, this one with spatial magic rather than both spatial and temporal magic. I prepare a batch of ink and fill the pen with it, then a jar I create with conjured glass. This project will require a lot of it so an inkwell to keep it in won''t be enough to contain the batch I mixed up. Both of those are taken into the empty cabin, where I begin drawing on the logs at the floor level. The runic formula I drew stretches across the entirety of each lower log, as well as each one at the upper level before the ceiling. More are drawn along the beams and posts supporting the roof and when I finish, the entire cabin glows with a faint, silvery-grey light emitted by the dark grey runes. I used extra mana crystal in the ink this time, and am glad I did as this is a lengthy process and I needed the runes to continue glowing before they set. Standing in the doorway, I gesture with my hands and quickly cast a spell. This one is inferior to the [Stasis Pocket] spell or even the simpler [Spatial Pocket], but it''s still more complicated than a basic spatial magic. The moment it completes, the runes glow brighter, then vanish.
[Crafting] is now Level 5!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 10!
+100 MP +1 Magic
[Spatial Magic] has reached a Mastery Threshold!
+[Spatial Magic Mastery 1] Title
That title is another benefit the gods have granted us through the System. Every 10 Levels in a Skill, we receive a Mastery Title for it and the stat gains we receive from it increase by the original base. Starting at Level 11, [Spatial Magic] will award me 200 MP and 2 Magic instead of 100 and 1. When one doesn''t have blessings like I do or a special bloodline like some others might, this is a threshold normally reached after thirty to fifty years of practice. Each new Level takes longer than the last by a decent amount as well and even with the increased ability, it doesn''t make reaching Level 12 faster than reaching Level 11. Sometimes, I suspect some of the more powerful spirits have given me additional blessings which make it easier for me to learn and wield higher-type magics. They can do that, and the type-specific blessings don''t award Titles despite boosting Skill Experience gains. I dismiss the notifications and examine the inside of the cabin to make sure I enchanted and cast correctly. The space has been expanded from ten feet on each side to about fifty. The ceiling itself appears to have "stretched" to fit the new space, while the walls and floor have gaps in them. For the walls, they were split by the sides. The logs for the front wall now sit in the front-left corner, while those for the left wall are in the back-left. The back wall''s logs extend out from the back-right corner, and the ones for the right-hand wall connect to the front-right corner. All of the logs are whole and not stretched, leaving an empty space where they don''t reach. This creates a small gap between the ends of every-other log, since they no longer join with others in a corner. For the floor, the planks were separated. Along their lengths, they were moved at a join between the boards, so none were actually split. That let the space separate them between the front and back half of the room. Across the lengths, the boards were separated at where their ends met, creating an alternating pattern like they were in before. Each quarter is set into a corner, creating a + of empty space in the center of the room. The spirits are having fun. It''s a technical void beyond the walls and floor, but the boundaries of the expanded space are designed to bounce back anything that goes into them. Some of them are hanging off of boards and logs, pretending to fall into the voids, while others are testing to see how far they can go before reaching the dimensional boundary, then pretending as if they''re falling in slow motion. Others still are pretending to be attempting to save their fellow spirits. "Dorks," I mutter in the language of the spirits, which causes Aluci to snort. He''s sitting beside me, watching the mid-level spirits play around. Fixing this up would normally take a day or more, and I already spent a lot of time placing the enchantment. Fortunately, [Telekinesis] makes things easier. I first add in new support beams for the floor near the door. The dimensional boundaries are a little bit lower than the floor, and I''m able to get a few boards in underneath to help prop up the floor. New planks are installed and nailed down, and new logs are placed to fill in the walls. Most of these logs come from trees at the outer edges of Amberwood Forest, where they''re thinner. Gathering them and bringing them here was another of my projects this past week. All in all, putting in floors to the expanded space and new walls takes me about an hour. As I do this, I also add in some room separations with more logs to make up their walls, rather than beams and boards. That''s mostly an aesthetic choice, as I like the look of the logs over planks and panels. In the back-right corner ¨C or left when facing in from the door ¨C I create a room that''s twenty feet on each side. Connecting to that from the side on the back wall is a room half that on each side, a five-foot-wide opening in the middle of the shared wall providing access between the two. That will be a bedroom with a bathing room attached. In the outside corner formed by that, I add in a room that''s five feet on each side, a door in the wall between it and the bedroom providing access to it. That will be the toilet room for my master bedroom. Beside my bedroom I add in another room, this one fifteen feet on each side rather than twenty. A smaller guest room, since I do have a two-year-old taking naps here. An additional guest room is added beside that, taking up the last of the space on the left-hand wall. Doors are added in for those, as well as for the closets I added in when I built the rooms. The ones for the guest rooms are five feet on each side and are on the shared wall between the two. For my room, it''s on the same wall as the door but at the other corner, and stretches out five feet from the wall and ten feet along it. Where the two guest bedrooms meet, I add in two rooms stretching out from their front walls. One is in front of the room on the right, the other is in front of the room on their left, and they share a wall with each other just as the guest rooms do. Each one is five feet on each side; the one on the left will be a bathroom while the one on the right will be a closet. And thinking of closets, I extend the wall from the side of my bedroom out to the same point my bathing room stretches, then bring it in and connect the two. That creates a sort of L-shaped room around my bathroom, with an entrance that faces toward the right-hand wall of the cabin itself rather than into my bedroom. That creates the "impression" of a room that''s twenty feet on each side in the back-left corner, the front-right when facing in from the entrance to the cabin. With the other walls of the rooms, it creates the impression of a larger room that''s thirty-five feet along the length and thirty in the width. The smaller additional rooms on the wall with the guest rooms creates a sort of "cubbied" appearance to where their entrances are, one which will become enhanced when I add in tables in each of the four corners there. "What do you think?" I ask Aluci, who''s resting beside my things, which I brought back inside once there was enough secure floor space. "It''s not the best job I can do, but that has to wait until I can get better crystals." The dream beast lifts his wolf head and looks at me, then looks outside. The sky is dark and filled with clouds again. When he looks at me, I realize what he''s saying. I spent a lot longer rebuilding the inside after expanding it than I intended and it''s past midnight. Thankfully, my estimates on the rain was off and the clouds moved slower than I anticipated. "Hush, you." All in all, this was definitely a good project. It''s been a little bit since I got to do so much work on an expanded space and I''m pretty satisfied. All that''s left for me right now is to scrub off the sweat from the labor, then get some sleep. Chapter 0025 A nudge against my face stirs me from my sleep, and I push Aluci''s paw away as I open my eyes. I slept pretty well after all that work expanding my cabin and building the interior, enough so that I slept past my normal time. It seems my efforts yesterday yielded quite a lot. Despite that, it shows the standard opening to the message, as always.
As you slept, you have grown a little more¡­
[Building] is now Level 1!
[Crafting] is now Level 6!
[Gathering] is now Level 1!
[Combat] is now Level 7!
[Casting] is now Level 6!
[Arcane Magic] is now Level 10!
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 11!
[Time Magic] is now Level 8!
+100 HP +4 Strength +1 Constitution
+3 Dexterity +500 MP +5 Magic
+1 Mind
[Arcane Magic] has reached a Mastery Threshold!
+[Arcane Magic Mastery 1] Title
Increasing the Levels of eight different Skills is still just "a little" growth, according to the System. I''ve never seen it say anything more than that, and eight is the most I''ve ever had at once before. Yesterday definitely involved more things than I normally do, several of which were fairly low in Level to start with, some of which didn''t even have a Level before now. Even though the cabin''s update was technically mundane construction, it was into a magical space, which boosted the Skill Experience gains by a decent bit. That''s why [Building] went up. [Crafting] simply had enough gains from the various things I crafted yesterday before going to sleep to boost it. [Gathering] went up thanks to how much I gathered from the more potent boulders and crystals in the mines yesterday pushing me pretty far before factoring in the gains from sleeping. All of the force magics I used yesterday, both in the mines and during the construction, was enough to push me to the edge once I slept. I did several bits of complex spell casting yesterday, including for both spatial and time magics. I should probably take things a little bit easier in the future. Yesterday was way too full of work for me to consider it to be a shift from my life before I came here. I call up my Status to check on how things are now.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 700/800 HP Regen: 0.008/second
MP: 4,218/6,100 MP Regen: 0.061/second
Strength: 30 Constitution: 17
Dexterity: 24 Magic: 65
Mind: 21
As I examine it, Aluci nudges my cheek again. "What is it?" I ask, and he looks toward the door of my room. I moved the furs I''m using as a bed to the room I set up for me and am in the corner furthest from the door. I can''t sense anything in the direction of it, but I think Aluci isn''t indicating that. He might be wanting to let me know about something outside of the cabin. My [Empathy] is unhindered by the spatial expansion of the building, but it treats the space within as the distance it is within. That means that if someone is more than 63'' feet away from me, I can''t sense their mind. The distance from here to the front door is further than that due to being in the opposite corner of the cabin from here,so I can''t sense if someone is outside. Judging by my sense for time, it''s just-after eight in the morning. Dylan and Nolan. They just arrived are probably knocking on the door. Aluci woke me to let me know I have guests. "Alright," I get out of bed and slip on some pants, then leave my room. I use a little bit of wind magic to straighten my hair as I make my way to the door and just as I reach it, I hear Dylan speaking softly. "Maybe he''s not here right now," Dylan says. "Let''s head back home and come back later, alright?" "I''m here," I open the door. "Was up until about three this morning. Got caught up in a project." "Oh," he says, then his eyes fix on the space behind me and confusion fill his mind. "Uh¡­ was that your project? The cabin''s the same outside, though?" "I used spatial magic enchantments to expand the space within," I tell him. "So that I could fit in more space than it should be able to contain. Have you two eaten breakfast? Since I just woke up, I could use some." "We had something," Dylan says as Nolan looks at me. "But I think Nolan likes your cooking a little." There''s a little guilt in Dylan''s mind, probably over how he can''t provide as well for his son. At the same time, there is some hope. He likes my cooking, too. "I''ll make hash," I say. "Then we can do the lesson." "Will that be alright?" He asks. "It''s a bit muddy¡­ we kind of got some all over your porch." There''s quite a lot of mud as most of my space isn''t protected from the rains. That won''t be a problem for me, though. "No worries," I say. "I don''t have a cooking station set up inside, and there are rain wards on the various zones I set up outside. They prevent rain from entering more than what''s needed to water the plants within, so the ground in them should be relatively dry. And I think Nolan wants to play in the mud, he seemed to get excited at the mention of it." That''s the first real emotion I''ve seen on his face ¨C it actually lit up. My [Empathy] and using [Telepathy] to peek into his mind wasn''t necessary to know what he wants. "You want to play in the mud?" Dylan asks Nolan, who vigorously nods ¨C the first time he''s ever directly responded to something he''s been asked around me. "Whoa. Here I am, always trying to keep you out of the mud¡­ you like playing in it?" Nolan vigorously nods again. "After breakfast, then." I slip on my boots and lead them around to the fire ring, and Dylan sits on a stool with Nolan on his lap while I grab ingredients to make breakfast hash. I don''t have any eggs since Thomas didn''t bring food to trade for a reading lesson yesterday, but I still have plenty of butter so I''m only out part of the ingredients I don''t raise on my own. Nolan is wary of the new food, but his dad manages to talk him into trying it. Once he does, the kid tucks in like there''s no tomorrow. A peek into his mind reveals that it''s "better than ''tatoes Papa made".The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. After breakfast, I wash the dishes while Dylan supervises Nolan, who runs through the mud and squishes it with his toes and fingers. As I''m finishing up, I notice Nolan having an intense focus in his mind and look over in time to see him jump and belly-flop into the mud. "Wait!" Dylan exclaims just as he realizes what his son was thinking, but it''s too late and mud flies everywhere. "Argh! Nolan!" I laugh with the exasperated father as his son starts rolling around, a look of pure joy on the boy''s face. "At least it''s just something that can be washed off," I chuckle. "Since everything is wet and muddy, we won''t be cleaning up the brush today. That''s too difficult and messy unless we use magic to dry the ground first and I don''t feel like doing that." "Oh," he says. "So what''ll we be doing in exchange for the lessons?" "I was thinking we could take a day off from that," I tell him. "I''m honestly a bit tired since I stayed up so late. It''s been awhile since I got to play with spatial magics like that and I kind of got a bit excited to do so." "I think Nolan''s more interested in playing in the mud," he says. "And I''d need to supervise him for that. If there ain''t lessons, I should probably clean him up and take him home, then." "No need," I say. "He can stay and play here." I make a swirling motion with a finger and a glob of mud floats up into the air, then soars forward and slams into the back of Nolan''s head. That causes the boy to jump and look around, confused about where the mud shot came from. After a few more times of me doing this when he''s not looking, he scoops up some mud as best he can and looks around. Then a shot hits him from behind again and he turns around to find an earth spirit with his hands behind his back, silently whistling. Nolan''s eyes widen and a grin forms on his face, and he goes to throw his mud at the spirit, only to get hit in the back of the head with more mud. When he looks back, a pair of water spirits quickly point at each other. The spirits keep playing with Nolan for a bit as Dylan and I watch and eventually, the boy wears out a little and lies down on his stomach in the mud, looking over in the direction of my lessons space. Some of the spirits join him for the relaxation, some of them even lying on his back or head while others cluster on the ground around him, his usual nature spirit manifesting as well. After a couple of minutes of that, I feel Nolan''s curiosity piques and he looks between the learning zone and the area we''ve been clearing of brush and trees. Something is making him both curious and confused, and I take a peek into his mind to find out what. "I''ll just chalk that up to my experiences," I mutter. "What''s that?" Dylan asks. "Sorry," I say. "Before I came out here, with a team of others, I could clear out an entire area of brush with ease and didn''t usually have to deal with things regrowing, either, due to less mana being present in the soil. "Here, though," I say. "There are several things which makes it more complicated to do. And I think your son thought of something I hadn''t. At least, if I''m right about why he keeps looking between the path and the brush." By saying it''s a guess, that should eliminate the chance that he''ll think I''m using mind magics. He''s accepted my teaching and that we can have sex to handle those urges, but finding out that I use mind magics will more than likely turn him against me. It does have a negative stigma, after all. "Which is?" He asks. "Why I''m not using the same trick for the boundaries of where we''ve cleared to as I am for the path leading to the creek from the lessons zone." It really is for the reason I mentioned: my experience is different, even if the full reason is different. I used to be able to clear it at all in minutes entirely on my own. With the space cleared out and then palisades built, overgrowth was never a concern. I never had to do it in stages like I am now. "Oh," Dylan says, then looks at the path. "Wait. Those slices. That''s magic that''s keeping the forest from spreading back into the path, not just the slices blocking them?" "Yeah," I answer. "The space is too narrow for that to work ¨C things would just sprout up ¨C so I enchanted the tree slices with a magic that creates a defined ''boundary''. It''s a bit more complicated than that, but I can''t be bothered to go into the full explanation. I''ll make some now, while Nolan plays. I think I''m awake enough for that." Dylan looks at his son and at me, and I can tell by his expression he wants to watch me do enchanting but doesn''t want to leave his son unsupervised. Based on the feel of the kid''s mind, that''s not a bad idea. He''s getting ready to start playing again. "Alright," Dylan goes over to watch his son. I begin working on making more of the boundary''s slices. First, I use alchemy to create paint with mana crystal and magic crystal as ingredients. After that, I draw water out of the ground in such a way to turn the mud to just soil ¨C but not dry soil. This creates a dry zone around fifty feet in diameter around where I''m working on this. A dry space means I can place the pieces on the ground once I finish enchanting them, giving me more work space. My normal action for drawing out water like this is to either dump it into barrels for storage (when in certain situations) or send it to the nearest water source. I can do the latter from right here despite the stream being so far away¡­ except Nolan is having a lot of fun with the spirits. So I send the water to him in a thick stream. His back is mostly to the water stream and he doesn''t notice it until it''s about ten feet away. Upon spotting it, the tyke lets out a squeal of delight, then goes tumbling through the air as the water picks him up and flips him over several times. The pure, unfiltered joy in his mind at the tumble is the strongest emotion I''ve felt from him yet. That''s saying something, too, considering how much fun he''s been having since starting to play in the mud and with the spirits. His father, on the other hand, is full of panic as Nolan lands in the mud. Dylan rushes over to his son and goes to pick him up, only for Nolan to roll away, giggling. "I have enough control over my magic," I say, and Dylan looks at me. "To never hurt someone without intending it when using a spell." "Yeah," he sighs. "It''s still frightening, though, to see a mass of water just pick him and carry him away. I''ve seen and heard of beasts that use it to rip flesh from bone." "From the ocean, right?" I ask, and he nods. "Those are likely rather strong beasts. Ones I''ll be avoiding for now. It''s probably best to not tell him that I can cast [Water Jet], the spell he''s referring to. "Okay," the relief in his mind lets me know that was the right move. He''s accepted me as a mage and an outsider who''s moved into the area as well as a teacher, not someone he has deeper feelings for. Not only that, but I''m no doubt his first proper experience with a full-fledged mage since the other magi here don''t seem to have interacted with the locals with their magic too much. The mercenaries who came through here probably either never showed what magic they might have known, or showed off something flashy. Potentially even using a magic item to create the effect. He knows I use it to hunt monsters, but likely thinks I use it in similar manners to a hunter would with weapons ¨C by striking with spells such as [Magic Missile] or [Arc Slash], slicing and piercing them. Maybe binding them up. If he knew the full extent of what I could do, he no doubt would refuse to come near me again. I don''t have deeper feelings for him, either, but I don''t want to scare him. The goal is to become accepted by the locals, not terrify them. So it''s probably better that he doesn''t know I can do the spell he thought I was using against his son. "This is what it feels like, by the way," I tell Dylan as a thick stream of water slams into his back and flows around him. Heavier and more stable on his feet than a four-year-old, Dylan doesn''t tumble, though he does end up taking a few steps forward. I could have picked him up with the spell if I wanted to, but I''m using the same amount of force as I did for Nolan so he knows it''s not dangerous. "Jeez!" He exclaims. "That''s icy!" "Sorry!" I laugh. "But anyway, that''s as strong as what I hit Nolan with, just with a little extra effect to pick him up." The kid seems like he wants me to do it again, by the way he''s bouncing on his feet and looking at me expectantly. I really should do at least some work right now, but¡­ it won''t hurt to play with the tyke for a little bit. Not that he''ll last much longer. The kid might be eating better now that he''s visiting me every couple of days and I''m making sure to send them back with some meat, but it takes longer than a week and a half to build up stamina. "Mind if I use it on him a bit more?" I ask. "He seems to want it." I could just go straight to using it again, but it''s probably best to ask Dylan first. That will probably make him more comfortable. The idea seems to make him uncomfortable, but one look at his son''s hopeful face changes his mind. "Sure," he tells me. "Just¡­ don''t hurt him." "As I said," I smile and walk toward the kid. "I have enough control over my magic to never hurt someone unless I want to. And why would I want to hurt a kid? Come on, Nolan! Want to see how far you can tumble through the air before plopping back into the mud?" Nolan starts nodding vigorously, then lets out another squeal of delight as water grabs him from behind. I''m tempted to carry him up into the air, then drop him down to see how he reacts to the catch ¨C I''m sure he''d love the drop ¨C but that''d probably terrify his dad. So I''ll stick to keeping the kid close to the ground¡­ where the spirits will just try to pelt him with mud as I move him around. Chapter 0026 "Hello, Thomas," I greet my visitors, the two of them jumping from the sound of my voice. "Hello, Chief." "Spirits around!" Thomas puts a hand to his chest. "Startle the crap outta me, why don''t ya? Where did you come from?" Was I really that quiet in my approach? They''re on their way to my home right now, though are still about a thousand feet away ¨C another six hundred or so away from the pass through the cliffs on the eastern edge of my lot. I came up to them through the woods once they passed through the perimeter I set up. I decided to just have it on at all times now instead of just when I''m asleep, and to notify me of everyone instead of just people who could be potential threats. It only notifies me if I''m within its range, but that''s more than enough for me. Today is the last lesson for Thomas before their next visit to town, so I expected both of them to show up rather than just Thomas. It might not be a bad idea to start clearing a path leading to the village, so that the chief can simply drive his truck here. A task for another day¡­ or month, considering how long such a feat will take to perform. "Sorry," I say. "Question for the two of you." "For both of us?" Chief asks. "Did you know I was coming?" "No," I indicate their necklaces. "The tradition where you acquire those fangs, does it have to be on the three-month mark for my arrival? Or can it be sooner? I''ve still got a month and a week until it''s time, of course, but wanted to know if it''s allowable to do it early. Oh, and if it has to be a grand stoneseeker wolf and not, say, a higher variety." "Thinking of going to the Mistwood to hunt?" Chief asks. "I''d recommend caution, even if you''re an adventurer. That place is dangerous." "Oh, no," I say. "I mean, I did enter it to get some materials, but that''s not why I was asking." "It''s acceptable early," he answers. "And if it''s a variant stronger than that, then we''d accept it." "Okay," I say. "Why do you ask?" Thomas gives me a look which matches the suspicion in his mind. "That is," I point to the right, and they both look over just in time to see a beast leaping out of the undergrowth with perfect timing. It looks like a stoneseeker wolf, with the same brown fur streaked with grey as the others I''ve hunted so far. Unlike those, however, it''s 4'' to its shoulders when standing. Rather than a grand stoneseeker wolf, which has a horn that''s about 2.5" in length, this one''s horn is about 5" in length. Jagged plates of stone cover his joints without hindering his mobility, sparks dancing off of them. I flick my right hand and a powerful gust of wind slams into the royal stoneseeker wolf, throwing him into a tree. Even if he has around 75 Strength and Constitution and a little bit under that in Agility, my 66 Magic is enough to move his weight. With a flick of my left wrist, a second royal stoneseeker wolf finds himself breaking through multiple [Barrier]s, layered over each other with the purpose of slowing him down rather than stopping him. I''m not strong enough to completely stop him even if breaking through a single [Barrier] of mine takes out a lot of his power. These two are two layers of evolution higher than the one I''m supposed to hunt, and that stone armor covering their joints is always present. The lightning magic is one they''re actively casting, though they''re still just stoneseeker wolves. Stoneshock wolves would be an entirely different matter. Fortunately, they''re like the warp golem. I know how to handle such beasts even with a disadvantage. As the second royal stoneseeker wolf breaks through my [Barrier]s, I grab the first one with [Bind] and fling him into his friend. The two of them slam into another tree, and I quickly use [Bind] to tie them together. They''ll break free soon, and are already conjuring [Stone Dart]s to shoot the invisible magics binding them and to shoot at me. I don''t have near enough Magic to stop those with a single [Barrier], so I simply use another gust of wind to knock them aside. The darts fly fast enough I''m only able to redirect them, but they soar past me, peppering the trees behind me. Thomas and Chief have barely managed to react by this point due to the speed at which things are moving. I expected that and the spot I came up on them at was chosen specifically because I knew I''d be able to keep them from being hit by the fight, so I ignore their presence. They won''t get in the way. As the pair of wolves attempt to break free of my [Bind]s (I have three active, now) and attempt to pepper me with [Stone Dart]s, I focus on their minds. The two of them being right beside each other makes this easier for me, which is why I waited until now to do it. My 22 Mind isn''t actually higher than theirs ¨C they have around 30 Mind ¨C but those numbers aren''t absolutes. Someone of a lower Strength can hurt someone of a higher Constitution, as long as the difference isn''t too great. Striking in the right spot or the right way can enhance this. The difference of cutting with a sharp sword rather than whacking with a stick, for example. And my sword is very sharp. These wolves have no idea how to defend themselves against mental attacks, so I''m only facing their natural resistance to the minds of others as I delve within their own. First, I find what they fear the most. It''s not easy because of their natural resistance being greater than my strength, but I conjure shadows and light to flicker around us. At certain forms, it causes anxiety to enter their minds, their struggles against my [Bind]s and attacks against me slowing. I use those forms of shadows and light more, allowing their paranoia of their deepest fears to guide me to them. A creature from within the Mistwood, deeper still than where they normally live. A snake, it seems. One with a head on either end of it rather than a head and a tail. With grey scales that resemble clouds and the power to wield lightning, water, and air magics. He sometimes enters their territory and rather than staying still or approaching, they leave until they''re sure he''s gone. It can slither over the ground without touching it thanks to its air magics, preventing them from being able to sense its approach unless it''s touching the ground or affecting plants well enough. Combined with its taste for wolves, that makes it a dangerous predator to these beasts. They can recognize a superior foe when faced with one. The two wolves grow more anxious and terrified as I encourage them to see the beast as I create an illusion out of light magics to resemble it. The illusory snake begins to wrap around us, even Thomas and Chief beginning to feel fear as they stop watching and start noticing the snake around us. Thomas has nocked an arrow in his bow and is drawing it slightly, ready to fire the moment he sees a weakness. "Calm," I use air magics to whisper directly into their ears, the wolves hearing nothing due to the sound not traveling away from my targets. "That is but an illusion of light I have conjured. Note the wolves'' movements." Both wolves have ceased struggling and are now attempting to curl up and hide. With my [Bind]s on them, however, they cannot. Only two of the [Bind]s are left, though, as the wolves managed to break one of them before becoming too full of fear to continue struggling. The illusory snake finishes encircling us, then with both heads, lunges at the wolves. My foes whimper a little as they tightly close their eyes. When no attack comes, however, they both look outward¡­ only for their eyes to explode as properly-cast [Arcane Spear]s pierce into them. Well, they''re more like [Arcane Arrow]s since I made them slimmer so that they could actually go into the eyes. I''m not strong enough to have cut through their bones with that, only break them. This attack needed to finish them off instantly.
[Combat] is now Level 8!
+100 HP +1 Strength +1 Constitution
[Casting] is now Level 7!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
[Arcane Magic] is now Level 11!
+200 MP +2 Magic
[Elemental Magic] is now Level 7!
+100 MP +1 Magic
[Mind Magic] is now Level 7!
+100 MP +1 Mind
Deflecting [Stone Dart]s from such a strong beast by using air magic gave a decent amount of Skill Experience for it, and I think I was already nearing the threshold.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Sorry about that as well," I tell Thomas and Chief as I cancel what spells are left. "I''m not sure when they came out of the Mistwood, but my wards alerted me to them entering their range a little bit ago. These two were just a tad bit too strong for it to chase off. I think their plan was to kill me due to my taking on the local stoneseekers with as much ease as I''ve had, but then they saw the two of you and decided to practice on easier foes first. Not that it mattered in the end, I was strong enough and have encountered their sort enough to know how to deal with them." As Thomas and Chief take in my words and process what happened, I walk over to the royal stoneseeker wolf remains and place a hand on one. It vanishes, and I send the other into my storage after that. "What¡­ just happened?" Thomas asks. "Ain''t ever seen something like that before." The surprise in his mind tells me he''s referring to the disappearing carcasses rather than the illusory snake. "Remember how I told you," I start walking in the direction of my home, and he and Chief walk as well. "That I can enchant an object to make the space within larger?" "Without making the outside bigger, yeah." "This is an advanced form of that enchantment," I explain. "Rather than expanding the space, however, it creates a space. Something called a ''dimension''. It''s¡­ hard to describe in simpler terms, but it''s a space that''s not within our space. There are many dimensions, our world residing within one and the gods residing within another. Even the spirits have their own dimension to live in, a separate ''world'' from ours." Holding up my right wrist, I show them the bracelet around it without stopping as we walk. "I had the temporal and spatial mithril we gathered from the mines," I tell Thomas. "Fashioned into this bracelet. Then, I enchanted it using a special enchanting ink I made using temporal and spatial magic crystals. That enchantment created a pocket dimension, a small space of its own, and linked it to the bracelet so that I can use the bracelet to access it." "You mentioned a stasis box," he says. "Does your bracelet have that as well, where things are kept the same?" "Yeah," I answer. "What''s within this bracelet will be as fresh when it comes out as when it was placed within. Makes hauling goods a lot easier." "Must be pretty expensive, huh?" Chief asks. "Of course," I answer. "I set the enchantment myself, so there was no need to pay that cost, and the actual cost to get it crafted was cheaper since I provided the materials needed. Just having the two mithril varieties used to be forged into the bracelet cost 14 plat." "Fourteen-what?" Thomas asks. "Now do you see why I kept insisting on you taking more than just some new arrowheads?" I ask. "The materials we gathered on the fifth floor are quite expensive. Just one of those arrowheads is valued in the gold range. Two coin tiers lower than the cost of having the bracelet formed, but those hold no special properties other than being magically-potent. A porter is generally entitled to one percent of the value of the loot they carry, and you received far less than that." Thomas becomes contemplative as we walk, but Chief takes only a moment to respond. "So you shorted him?" "He shorted himself," I say. "I tried convincing him to allow me to craft him some other things, but he refused." "Didn''t think the stuff was really worth that much." "To be fair," I say. "Most of the stuff on that floor is valued in gold coins, not diamond or platinum. Materials with spatial and temporal properties are usually found no earlier than the tenth or eleventh level of a Labyrinth. However, that one pack you wear carried enough to be worth quite a lot more than two dozen of those arrowheads. That''s why I tried to convince you to take more. It wasn''t a bribe of any sort." There''s regret in his mind now, but also acceptance. He had the opportunity to acquire better gear but turned it down. Because he''d decided it was probably some sort of bribe by me, there was nothing I could do to convince him to accept more. The rest of the walk to my home is performed in silence, then Thomas pulls off his pack and shows me today''s goods. It''s the same items as before, but in slightly-higher quantities. "Thanks," I say. "I wanted to know the logistics of today''s plan, with Chief being here. This is only enough for one person to receive learning." "Ain''t planning on it," Chief tells me. "I''m much too old to be learning new things, and I won''t find magic useful." "There''s a little bit of use in it for everyone," I say. "Same with reading." "I''m much too old," he says. "Will probably pass in the next few years, anyway." One doesn''t need the power of [Foresight] to guess something like that, considering he''s already in his seventies. That makes him fairly old for a non-mage. Around sixty to sixty-five is when most pass, if they pass from age. "If you really think that," I tell Chief. "Why do you walk several miles just to visit someone, each way?" "I like to visit each of the region''s residents," he answers. "And my body is still willing, so I''ll continue doing it." "Fair enough," I say. "So this is merely a visit, then? Will you be leaving once the lessons begin? I don''t advise that ¨C even if I took on the royal stoneseeker wolves, there are still a few normal ones left as well as some other beasts and the occasional goblin. Once you''re beyond the boundaries of my wards, I won''t know what''s around." "I should be fine as long as I follow the stream," he tells me. "I''ll be back around lunchtime" Chief seems like he''s ready to go now rather than wait around, so I''ll stop with the questions. "Alright," I say. "May the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," he returns, then follows the stream southward. Once he''s out of sight, I look at Thomas and hold my right hand over the table we''re beside. Armor crafted of light brown leather appears on the table, matching the style that I prefer. Then, several lanterns appear, each made with a metal frame and a glass shell, a light crystal set within them. A steel bracelet with a small yellow crystal set into it, a small blue one set to either side of that, appears next.Three stones appear next, each with a series of runes set into them with purplish-blue crystal. Finally, a bow forms, faint, silvery runes running down the pale wood. "What''s all this?" Thomas asks. "Your payment," I answer. "If you''re ready to accept it. The total value of this, when combined with the arrows, is just-over one percent of the total value of the loot. Since I''m sure you''d prefer either money or useful items, I decided to craft a few useful items for you. The armor is a little bit more durable than you are, so it''ll last you a year or two. It should fit you nicely, too." "You ain''t ever measured me before," he says. "Ain''t even got a measuring strip, I''m sure." "Don''t need one," I point to my eyes. "I can measure things pretty accurately by sight the first time if I actually bother. Since I''ve seen you naked multiple times, I''ve had ample opportunity to get your measurements. Took ''em last time you were here so I could make the armor for you." "You can do that?" There''s shock in his mind. "Yeah," I answer and decide to move on from that, since I think we''ll end up in a loop due to his surprise if I don''t. "The lanterns are, well, lanterns. You can use them for your house, or if you''re camping on a hunt. As for the bracelet, the wearer will be able to see in light levels worse than dusk as if it''s dusk. You won''t need the headlamp anymore if you wear that. "These stones," I pick one up. "Are wardstones that you can activate by channeling mana into. They''ll be useful for camping; you''ve mentioned before that you sometimes do that when hunting. When you channel mana into it, this rune here will start to glow. See this line? The glow starts at the bottom of it here when there''s very little mana inside, and extends all the way to the top of the line when it''s full. That''s ten hours of power, and costs 20 MP. "The ward itself," I continue explaining. "Will deter monsters and beasts up to around 35 Strength or Magic from coming near your camp, or even within a hundred feet of it. It will also alert whoever activated it if something does enter that zone, though filtered to make sure something like a butterfly or normal squirrel won''t set it off. This will wake you up if you''re sleeping. It also has the anti-vermin ward on it, so you can be assured you won''t get bothered by insects or have your food stolen by mice while you sleep." "That''s useful," he says. "And all of this adds up to a percent of the value? How much is one percent?" "One per hundred," I answer. "And it''s just-over, when including your arrows. The bracelet and this bow make up most of the cost." I pick up the bow and hold it as if ready to draw the string, then channel a little bit of mana into the grip. When I do, an arrow of magical force forms. The arrow itself is invisible to Thomas''s eyes, though it has a light, blue outline to mine. I draw the string, aim at a target I set up after Dylan and Nolan left yesterday, and release. Twang! The arrow soars through the air and slams into the target, off from the center. I have some skill with a bow, but I''m far from an expert. Piercing something dead-on is easier for me with magic than an arrow. It''s enough for the demonstration, however. The impact startled Thomas, who''s staring at the hole in the target. Now that it''s pierced something and stopped moving, the arrow itself is gone. "It''s a magic item," I tell Thomas. "If you channel in 2 MP quickly enough, it''ll form an [Arcane Arrow]. Unlike with the wardstones I created for you, you won''t be able to do that now. That one just needs it input, this one needs it input quickly enough. You''re still a bit off from that. However, if you say [Arcane Arrow] while gripping it, it''ll form an arrow on its own, but draw 6 MP out of you, or triple the cost than if you''d cast it yourself." "Allowing me to use this even before I can manipulate my mana that fast," he says. "Correct," I say. "I designed it to work off of your own magical power as well, so as you grow in strength in that, the arrows will become stronger as well. Want to practice with it? You''ll recover your mana by the time your magic lesson starts." "Sure," he accepts the bow from me. "I just say [Arcane Arrow]?" "Yeah," I answer. "Make sure to grip it properly, and actually intend to activate ¨C the bow can tell the difference and won''t conjure one just from you saying it." "Got it," he says, then thinks for a moment. "Thanks." Judging by the way he says that and the feeling of his mind, he''s referring to me preparing the rest of the payment for him. "I''m not one for shorting people," I tell him. "Especially if their ignorance of how much things are valued at is the reason behind their refusal. Go ahead and practice with that, you can use the target I set up for practice. We can start your reading lesson after." Chapter 0027 Thomas has left for the day, and there''s some additional work I''d like to get done. However, something which happened earlier has give me some thoughts that I wish to act on sooner rather than later. While I''m taking care of that, I can take care of a couple of other things as well. I take out some paper and sketch out a few designs, then store them in my bracelet before teleporting into town. After topping up on mana, I make my way to the forge Ash works at. He''s speaking with a customer when I enter, a well-dressed lady who looks to be in her mid-thirties, and the feel of her mind suggests that as well. I''m not fooled, though, as I can feel her mana pool. Based on that size, she may be at least fifty years in age ¨C the reason her mind feels as young as her body looks is because that''s a constant. No matter how long we live or how slowly we age, our mind keeps to our bodies. So if someone looks thirty and is actually sixty, then her mind is still thirty. It''s probably a good thing that even for people who gain an immense amount of mana as children, the slowdown for their aging doesn''t begin until around nineteen to twenty-one years of age. Being stuck as a fourteen-year-old for years would have been really aggravating. With how powerful I was before Zolbiatz reset it, I would probably have taken decades to go from thirteen to sixteen in physical and mental age, and that''s just a three year period. Puberty wouldn''t have been over by that point. The next two aging years would have taken me even longer. I send up a thanks to the gods for allowing the slowdown to wait until adulthood as I look at the other customer. She''s dressed in dark grey leather armor over a green tunic and brown pants, her boots, gloves, and belt made of the same leather as her armor. Cave troll leather, from a higher breed of them and treated well. That''s about as good as what I can make using materials from the fifth floor in the mines. I''ll have to see if there''s a beast whose leather I can use there. A fire spirit relaxes on the hilt of the sword on the lady''s hip, and she looks over at me while the lady speaks, her head tilting curiously. I give her a small dip of my head and a smile, and she smiles back and gives me a wave. Based on the lady''s accent, she hails from the Mistgorge Region, another Mistland within the Silveroak Kingdom. It''s further north of here, and also on the western side, forming part of the border before the nation''s territory widens significantly. Their population is higher ¨C they have two small towns and several villages, with a population of around five thousand in total. I''ve been in one of the towns there and in the Mistgorge itself, which encompasses both the gorge and the area directly around it. Her accent is from the other town in the region, based on my experiences there. "Unfortunately, we do not," Ash tells her, apology in both his tone and mind. "The only place to source the materials for that around here would be the mines down in Mistwood, and no one hunts in those. The locals are content with the lives they have, and outsiders don''t go down there too often." He''s noticed my presence, but isn''t commenting on how I''ve been in the mines. I''m sure he''s figured it out due to the metals I asked him to work with, but this shop might value the privacy of customers, to a degree. Unless I volunteer that I can go into the mines, he won''t tell the customer he''s working with that another one can go into them. "I''ve heard about that," the lady tells him. "Did some research before visiting you and found that outsiders usually only visit them for some of their festivals or to perform mercenary work down there, maybe to trade. They never seem to go into the Mistwood itself, nor into the Mistwood Mines. Do you know the cause behind that?" That would be the same barrier which prevents outsiders from staying longer than three months unless they''ve been approved of by the local magi. It also prevents non-residents from entering the Mistwood or their Labyrinth. My best guess as to the reason for it is to reduce the odds of someone attempting to exploit them. Not that it''s really necessary for the Labyrinth. It actually is possible to enter the mines for an outsider, but they need a local to escort them in, if my understanding of the barrier is correct. That''s part of why I wanted Thomas to come with me, since I wasn''t entirely sure if I could enter on my own yet or not. Though having a porter definitely made things easier. "No," Ash shakes his head. "I visit them for many of their festivals, but we don''t talk about stuff like that. You''d probably be better off asking one of them." "What is it you''re looking for?" I ask, and the lady looks over to me. "I happen to have some rare resources, myself." If my estimation of where she lives and her age is correct, then she''s appraised me just as quickly as I appraised her. While my outfit is fairly simple, my eyes are fully green and I know I carry myself a little differently. My accent is also of a higher tier, something she''s no doubt notice. In other words, she can probably tell that I might be able to help her out. Curiosity forms in Ash''s mind when he looks at me, but it feels unrelated to the commission request and my interruption. "Materials with spatial energy," she answers. "I wish to commission a storage bracelet for my granddaughter. Finding a place to commission it has been difficult, though. I came here in the hopes that there might be some. It seems I''ll need to travel further, or visit Mistwood and see if any of the residents can help me." Time to see how she reacts to something. That will determine whether or not I give her assistance¡­ though I probably will. The fact that a spirit is hanging out on her sword already speaks to her character. "They would likely direct you to Thomas," I tell her. "Their primary hunter. That said, I do have spatial mithril, myself. It contains spatial magics Tier 4 in quality." "You do?" Hope fills her mind. "Would you be willing to sell some to me? Just enough to commission a bracelet." There''s only that hope within her response, no desperation, no ill intent of any sort. She''ll accept if I decline, moving on to the next location to search for what she wants. "We can smith the bracelet," Ash tells her. "But we don''t know how to set the spatial storage enchantment. You''ll need to find someone else for that."" "It''s something I''m capable of doing as well," I show her my own bracelet. "Ash here is the one who shaped this, but I''m the one who enchanted it." She examines the bracelet, her eyes widening a little and more hope filling her mind as she sees it. "You''re an enchanter?" She asks. "If you can enchant it for me, then I''ll pay you well. Would you be willing to accept 10 platinum for enough of your spatial mithril to have the bracelet forged, and another 3 platinum to have it enchanted to a space three feet on each side? If so, where should I go to pick it up once it''s completed?" Those are both fair prices for the quality tier I gave, indicating she''s done her research on what each step of the process costs. She was willing to pay for each step separately as well, if necessary. "I''m not from here," I tell her. "I''m merely visiting as this smithy is able to handle mithril and Ash did an excellent job when forging my current bracelet. I''ll only be in town for today. If Ash is willing to expedite the commission and you''re willing to pay the fee for that, then I''ll agree to it." "That is no issue," Ash answers. "The cost for having it forged will be 5 plat, and the expedite fee for having it done today is 2 plat. We''ll need both fees up-front." "I wanted to have another bracelet commissioned as well," I tell him as I pull a paper from my bracelet. "To these specifications. Will that be possible?"Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He examines the papers, then nods. "I can do that," he says. "Would it better for the other designed to this?" While the bracelet I want commissioned won''t be for storage, I can use one of the same design to create a spatial pocket bracelet. If she''s fine with the simple design, then there won''t be a reason to sketch out a new blueprint. Otherwise, I''ll need to sketch out a new design for Ash. "That depends," I look at the lady. "Is there a specific design for the bracelet you want? Since you offered 10 plat for the metal itself, I''m assuming you don''t want a cuff but a bracelet similar to mine?" A full cuff-style bracelet would take quite a bit more metal than what would cost 10 platinum ciirvrios. "Correct," she says. "It doesn''t need to be anything fancy, as long as it''s functional." Practicality over pride, then. "Alright," I say. "Two with that design, please." "I can have them ready in three hours," Ash tells me. "Same rates for you as well." "Understood," I pull the clump of spatial mithril out of my bracelet. "The pay will come after you slice off the pieces you need." "Will do," he says. "Please wait." He disappears into the back, and the other customer looks at me again. "My name is Lily Kenzoltan," she introduces herself. "I just realized I never introduced myself." Kenzoltan is one of the baronies around River Oak, the town in Mistgorge Region that I haven''t visited. Lily Kenzoltan is the baroness who governs it and if I remember correctly, she has two daughters and a son in addition to multiple grandchildren from each. It actually would have been faster for her to go to another location for the bracelet, but I''m going to assume she already tried that and they were unable to help her. Even Mistlands don''t guarantee one will find what they''re searching for within, so heading into her local one herself or hiring someone stronger to do so wouldn''t necessarily reward her with the material she needed. Especially since it generally requires being able to take on monsters with around 100 Strength or Constitution at a minimum to find said materials. That''s not something most people would be willing to do by themselves, and finding a team at that strength level isn''t easy since most people never reach it. "Rowan Zovanzik," I introduce myself. "Thank you for the assistance," she says. "The Mistgorge does have spatial materials, but they''re within the gorge itself, and acquiring them from within is no easy feat. Not if one wishes to exit it alive. It would be easier if we had a Labyrinth there, but it''s on the other side of the Mistland, and trading with them can be difficult." The other side of Mistgorge is a different country, and also requires traveling around the Mistland itself unless one wishes to deal with the dangers within. It isn''t just that, though. There are two different ways to create an enchantment, and she would no doubt prefer the stronger method of it for something like this. The enchantment is more stable and will last longer, but not many enchanters can set one in that manner. Not for a spatial enchantment, at least. "Happy to be of assistance," I tell her. "It''s not every day I meet a magus as young as yourself," she comments, then chuckles. "Then again, meeting a full-grown magus is rare enough to start with." Something I don''t remember if I''ve told Thomas or Dylan is that if someone''s eyes is a vivid green ¨C like mine ¨C that they''re a magus. It''s an easy way to identify us by sight, as a normal mage''s eyes never reach the vibrancy of ours. That''s how she can tell what I am without a word of it from me. "I''ve always had more interest in my own thing than others," I tell her. "What sort of things interest you?" She asks. "Aside from studying magic, that is." "Food," I answer. "New items and mechanisms. I''ve studied in various kingdoms, learning their languages, foods, and devices. It''s something I would recommend to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of the world. You never know what you might encounter." "I''ll keep that in mind," she smiles gently. "Though I prefer keeping to my territory and the Mistgorge. There''s land to manage and I wish to keep things running smoothly. Extended journeys are not something which I can do casually." "I''m sure," I tell her. Most of our discussion after that is about her territory and some of the things she has to deal with while running it, including how the war has affected it. I''m not interested in the topics, but I have enough experience to not show it while directing the conversation to keep it away from myself without being obvious. That''s one of the few useful skills I acquired before leaving my adoptive family when I was thirteen, and one I had plenty of experience practicing over the last seven years. Dealing with nobles was a common occurrence for me during my travels. "Here you go," Ash hands me the spatial mithril after he returns with it, and I give him the payment for my bracelet, and Lily does the same for hers. "I can have both ready in about three hours from now." "Meet me in Grandmarket, by the fountain, in five hours," I tell Lily. "And I''ll have your bracelet ready. However, I''d like the payment for the enchanting up-front." Lily pays me and thanks me for the work, then leaves. I watch as she exits, then look at Ash. "There''s something else I want commissioned as well," I pull out two more papers. "Or rather, two more things. These ones can be made of steel, and here are the blueprints for them." Ash examines the papers, a slight frown on his lips as curiosity fills his mind. "I''ve never seen objects like these before," he tells me. "Though the plans are detailed enough we can make them. What are they?" "One of them is a meat grinder," I reach over and touch a part of one page. "You push meat into here, and it feeds through into here, becoming ground up. It''s a device I learned about in the Bluemaple Kingdom." Mincing or grinding meat isn''t really done around here, it''s usually cut into steaks or cubes, or maybe strips. The meatballs and the hash I''ve been making differ from regular cuisine within the Silveroak Kingdom due to this. "Though this part here is an attachment for the front," I add. "I can swap it out with these for different sizes or other purposes," I touch the other page. "And this one is an oil press. It''s a more effective way to acquire oil from things like beans and seeds, allowing for larger quantities to be processed in a shorter time. Also something I learned about in another kingdom. Both need enchantments to work, which I''ll set when I return home." Using those will save me some time, and I have the funds to have them commissioned. The grinder will also let me make sausages, while the oil press will open up deep frying foods as an option. At least, as long as I can source the stuff needed to fry. I know we have sunflowers and rapeseed in the Mistwood region, and I also saw some nut trees including a peanut one within the forests. If the breeds of the first two are viable for making frying oil with, then I can do that with those. If not, then I''ll deal with getting a peanut tree in my yard. Though in all honesty, I was probably going to do that already. Peanuts are pretty useful for other things as well and I do like peanut butter for dipping a few things in. "Okay," he says. "I''ll be the one doing the bracelets, but someone else can handle these. We can have them ready by the time you come to pick up the bracelets." "That''s fine, thanks," I say. "How much for it? I know it''s a specialty request requiring shaping things in a new way." Which honestly surprises me that they can have it done that soon. I feel only confidence in his mind, and not the arrogant kind. He genuinely believes in the skill level of whoever the task will be assigned to. "Since you only need them made out of steel," he says. "And judging by the alloys requested¡­ we can do 17 silver ciirvrios for the two of them." After how much I spent on my stasis bracelet, 17 silver isn''t really much at all. I hand over the coins. "Got a question for you," curiosity fills Ash''s mind. "Go ahead." "You''ve already been there for three months?" He asks. Where did that come from? "Hm?" "The necklace," he says. "That''s from the requirement, right? On the day of your third month, you have to hunt a grand stoneseeker wolf if you wish to live there longer than that. Though yours says ''royal'' rather than ''grand''." I glance down at my necklace, which almost matches the one the other men of Mistwood wear. It has two fangs hanging from it rather than one, spaced apart with three wooden beads, a blue crystal bead between each. The fangs point toward each other as they hang down, and there''s an additional wooden, crystal, wooden bead pattern to either side of them.
[Mistwood Emblem]
An emblem worn by male residents of the Mistwood Region over the age of 13 years, a proof of acceptance by the land and its spirits. Formed from the leather of a royal stoneseeker wolf and fangs from two, this is a badge of pride for the one who wears it, the hunter of said beasts.
Thomas was surprised I could tan the hide so quickly using magic, and I left out the part where a little bit of time magic was involved. He could see the water magic at work, and that was more than enough for him. What surprised me about the necklace was that it actually had a name and wasn''t a generic item with an informational window which simply described the materials making it up. The necklaces aren''t just part of a rite-of-passage, they''re an actual emblem for the boys and men within Mistwood. One which also confirms that the spirits help with the hunt. That little detail is easily missed in the description, but it stating that it''s proof the spirits accepted them means that the spirits definitely helped out, either by making sure the attacks hit and did decent damage if the hunter was too weak or unskilled, or by allowing the attacks to hit if the hunter was strong enough to do so on his own. I double-checked the description on Thomas''s, and on Chief''s after he arrived to return home with Thomas. They both have the same description, except with a slight difference to account for their hunts being grand stoneseeker wolves and a single fang. "It doesn''t have to be on the three-month mark," I inform Ash. "That''s simply the latest you''re allowed to do it. The beasts attacked Thomas, Chief, and me. While it wasn''t intended as the hunt, it still counted." That makes him contemplative about something, and he doesn''t seem interested in asking further questions. "I should be going now," I tell him. "May the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths." Chapter 0028 Since there aren''t any lessons planned for today, I was going to do more scouting around the forest, forage a bit, and bring back any plants I want to replant into my garden space. With the additional boundary markers in use now, clearing the undergrowth has sped up a little over the last few days. There''s more space for me to work with, even if not by much. However, the mines have a few things I want to grab. The most important of those is more spatial stones. I want a decent amount of those so that I can craft a few things. So I clean up after breakfast, pull on my tunic and pants, fix on my armor, make sure my bracelet is stocked, and [Teleport] to the mines. Without delay, I enter the mines and begin making my way down to the fifth floor, allowing my instincts to guide my path. When it comes to the darker floors of the mines, I''m not bothered by them ¨C I made two of the dusk-sight bracelets that I gave to Thomas, keeping one for myself. It''s on my right wrist, behind my stasis pocket bracelet, and allows me to see just fine once I reach those floors. The only loot I bother collecting is from the monsters I kill on my way down and what boulders I destroy in order to clear a path. I don''t really want anything from higher up in the mines, though I won''t leave behind any I do cause to drop. Not with me having plenty of space available for them. Upon reaching the fifth floor, the first thing I do is take a stone out of my stasis bracelet. This stone is dark grey in color, perfectly spherical, and fits nicely in the palm of my hand. Silvery-blue runes decorate its surface, glowing with a faint light.
[Warpstone (Inactive)]
A warpstone, designed for allowing one to warp to a registered waystone. This one is inactive and has yet to be set to a waystone.
I reach forward with the warpstone and touch it to the waystone. The runes on it begin to glow more brightly as a silvery-blue mist flows out of the waystone and into it, seeping deep within. A new rune sequence forms on the stone in my hand, partially filling in an empty space on it. That''s changed the warpstone, and I check it in the System to make sure the change was the desired one.
[Warpstone (Mistwood Mines 5F)]
A warpstone which allows the user to warp to the waystone on the fifth floor of the Mistwood Mines, if they''ve already activated it.
I link two more of these stones to the waystone here, then send them all back into my storage. All three are for me ¨C I like to have backups of things just in case. Thomas himself won''t be coming down here anytime soon as he''s not strong enough on his own and I no longer need a porter, so there''s no need for him to have one. Now that I have those, returning to this point in the mines will be easier for future trips, I just need to [Teleport] to the entrance, enter the mines, then use one of the warpstones. My first task of this visit completed, I begin clearing out the fifth floor. The monsters here are trivially easy to defeat ¨C their strongest stats are 35 at the most, while I have 77 Magic. Even the warp golems can''t stand against me here anymore. My [Magic Missile]snow carry enough concussive force that impacting the golems'' chests takes out all of their HP from the sheer amount of damage just one spell carries with it. Partially because there''s enough of said force to shatter the entire torso. I collect all of the sturdy stones and spatial stones I can find, as well as the spatial mithril, spatial magic crystals, temporal stones, temporal mithril, and temporal magic crystals I come across. Any stone which seems particularly earthy to me gets shattered, their sturdy stones and clay clumps looted and, when they drop them, their earth magic crystals and earth mithril and earth steel. Element-attuned metals which can be used for weapons which are more effective against certain types of monsters. They''ll sell for quite a lot as well, if I choose to do that with them. Since I''m killing all of the monsters I encounter, I gain quite a bit of that type of loot as well, and I make sure to gather it. Not all of it will be useful to me but I can sell them in town, while some of the loot does hold use to me. Especially the spook lights'' light magic crystals. While the bracelet I''m wearing has a space 11'' on each side, the amount of exploration I''m doing and the ease with which I can take down monsters causes it to fill up fairly fast. If I were down on the eighth floor, the deepest I can safely handle right now, it would probably take me more than a day to fill the bracelet due to needing to take more care when killing things there. Unless there were even more boulders blocking the paths than here. Today''s main goal was acquiring more spatial stones and spatial magic crystals, and to a lesser degree, light magic crystals. I''ll save traveling deeper into the mines for another time. So once my bracelet has barely any space to hold anything else, I pull out a crystal similar to the warpstones. The crystal glows with a faint, silvery-blue light, dark grey runes set into its surface. The runes themselves glow with a silver light that''s just a little bit brighter than the rest of the crystal''s, making it stand out more.
[Escapestone]
A specialized warpstone designed for quickly exiting a Labyrinth. Upon activation, the activator will find himself at the entrance to the Labyrinth within. If activated outside of a Labyrinth, the stone will fail. The stone contains only one use.
I really shouldn''t have made this and simply prepared myself for the trek out of the mines, but I also didn''t want to deal with that. It took quite a lot of mana and magic crystals to craft, in addition to part of a spatial magic crystal. Fortunately, this trip more than made up for its creation as well as the creation of the other three warpstones. Upon activation, the escapestone glows brighter, then I find myself at the entrance to the mines, the crystal in my hand crumbling into a dust which transitions into a mist that fades away. There''s no one within view, so I refill my mana, then [Teleport] back home and drink some more mana potion again. I''m glad I''m able to produce a lot of the potion now, it''s really helping me feel comfortable with my mana levels. "Hello, Aluci," I pat the wolf on the head as I pass by his campfire in the back yard. Aluci''s tail flicks up and down for a moment, but he otherwise has no reaction. That''s normal for him, though, so I continue on to my crafting station, where I begin preparing for a project. The first order of business is preparing a mold using earth magics. I make sure the inside is shaped properly while the outside looks to be just a large, rectangular stone block. Then, I prepare a treatment for the mold via alchemy, which I then infuse into the stone with magic. This strengthens the mold while ensuring nothing will stick to it. I set that aside and begin grinding up a few spatial magic crystals I gathered today, along with some mana and magic crystals. Those are mixed in with slime goo and a powder made from the dark grey shells of a snail-like creature I encountered in the mines. This creates a sizable batch of the resulting gunk. With the use of magic and no heat at all, several of the spatial stones are shifted from a solid state to a liquid one. I then thoroughly mix the liquid stone and spatial gunk, then pour the result into the mold and send a pulse of magic into it, rapidly solidifying the mixture. The mold is broken next, revealing the object within. It''s 7'' in height, with a base that''s 3'' in width. Square in shape, the base has seven layers which progress grow smaller until it''s 2''7" in width, the full bottom 7" in thickness. At the very top of the dark grey, obelisk-like object is a nearly-flat top with a slightly-pyramidal peak. Said top has three layers and starts at 2''3" in width on the lowest layer and 2''1" in width at the highest one, while being 3" in total thickness. As for the section between the top and the bottom, it starts at 2''4" in width at the base and tapers up to 2''1" at the peak. Only a small taper, but that''s all that needed for me to best create what I''m going for. I check over the obelisk and smooth the stone as needed with a little bit of grinding magic. Only a few spots need it and once that''s done, I mix up a specialized magic paint to paint onto each of the four sides of the pillar portion. This paint is silver in color and glows faintly as it''s painted on. I don''t connect the runes on the four sides to each other, leaving each side as its own pattern, even if identical to each of the others. Once that''s finished, I hold my hands out in front of me and cast a modified version of [Teleport] along with some other spells onto the obelisk. The glowing runes brighten, then dim a little, though they remain brighter than they were before I cast the spell.
[Crafting] is now Level 8!
+1 Strength +1 Dexterity
That tells me I succeeded in what I was attempting to create, but it doesn''t guarantee it''s exactly as I wanted. I examine the stone with the System to call up its information.
[Waystone]
An ordinary waystone, allowing one to warp to any other waystone within its range.
The range itself varies based on a variety of factors, including whether or not the other waystones have a similar enchantment frequency as it and how much mana it has stored up. One this strong should allow me to warp to another anywhere within the Mistwood Region apart from the more mana-rich areas such as the Mistwood itself and the mines. I craft three more of these now that I''ve made sure I did one correctly. While the process itself is fairly simple, it takes a decent level of precision and knowledge of the right actions to take, resulting in an immense amount of Skill Experience each time.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. That earns me a Level into [Crafting] for each one, bumping me up to Level 10 in it upon the completion of the third one. Completing the fourth one earns me something else as well, probably because this one is a little bit different from the others. It looks nearly identical to the first three, but has an additional spell set into it, violet runes glowing along the corners of the pillar portion in addition to the silvery ones.
[Crafting] is now Level 11!
+2 Strength +2 Dexterity
[Casting] is now Level 8!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
Casting the modified [Teleport] spell, combined with my earlier casts of it and other spells, pushed me to the threshold for that. All in all, that''s a good day''s work. I move one of the normal waystones toward the edge of my property, near where the path leading into the village will eventually be. It''s close to where Thomas comes from, at least. I place a hand against the waystone and use a specialized spell to activate another part of the waystone''s enchantment. This will make it extremely difficult for someone to move without disabling said spell. With another specialized spell, I access another feature of the waystone.
Waystone renamed from [] to [Rowan Zovanzik''s Home].
Now that it''s been named, I activate the waystone, granting me the ability to use it from the others once they''ve been placed down. With my home''s waystone set, I [Teleport] over to the mines and place one of the waystones outside of its entrance. I won''t be able to use it to warp to the crystal waystone within the mines, but I can use it to save my mana while traveling between here and home. Creating these wasn''t in my plans for today, but the earlier trip here made me decide on doing this. I set this as the waystone''s location, then rename it.
Waystone renamed from [] to [Mistwood Mines].
After activating the waystone so I can use it, I mount Aluci, who appeared in horse form as I worked. He leads me toward the village, though we make a small detour to place down, name, and activate the special waystone.
Anchor Waystone renamed from [] to [Central Mistwood Region].
Soon after that, we reach the nearest farm on the path, where Patrick is helping his parents with some weeding work. This is the first time I''ve been close enough to the farms here to see them, and they''re just as compact as in the other Mistlands I''ve visited, though a lot smaller as well. Plants are able to grow closer together than outside of here, and bear more of their crop, so they can feed more with less space. Since they''re mostly just supplying themselves, they don''t need a large property. The fence looks to be in good repair, even if a little on the older side. One of its beams was recently replaced, judging by its appearance. That''s good. It should provide a little bit of an obstacle if there''s an attack, even if not a good one. "Hello," I greet the boy as he gives me a suspicious look, then look at his parents. "Hello, to both of you as well." "When''d you get the kills?" Patrick asks as he and his parents approach, caution in his parents'' mind and suspicion in his own. "You ain''t been here three months yet." "A few days ago," I answer. "The beasts attacked Thomas and Chief on their way to visit me, and Chief stated it doesn''t have to be on the three-month mark, as long as it''s no later than then." "Did ya use magic to tan the hide so fast?" He asks. "Ain''t able to do that normally. Trust me. I''ve tanned plenty o'' rabbits before." "Alchemy can speed processes up quite a bit." "You ain''t gonna answer, are ya?" "Patrick," his father quickly covers his mouth. "Don''t bother him." There''s concern in his mind, along with a small touch of fear. A difference between how he perceives the local magi and outside mages. He trusts Robin and Rose, but fears retaliation from me. Trying to hide I''m a mage doesn''t seem to be working, so I might as well be honest. Continuing to deny it when everyone is already certain would probably only make their suspicions of me worse. "Tanning is a process which changes the structure of the hide to strengthen it and make it resist rot," I say. "Alchemy is able to perform that process much more quickly. Though yes, a small amount of magic was involved. To tan something more quickly, you can use water magic to cause the tanning solution to penetrate inside more quickly. You can also use it to draw moisture out of the hide more quickly, preparing it for the tanning stage in less time." "So you are a mage," Patrick escapes his father''s grip. "Thomas kept avoiding answering, but I was pretty sure." "I asked him not to tell others," I state. "I''d like to settle into the area a bit and have a lot of work still left to do for that." "Is that how you knew the baby ain''t cursed?" Patrick asks, a little bit of skepticism over that still in his mind. "''Cause you''re a mage?" The local mages confirming it has essentially informed the locals that Nolan isn''t cursed, but one''s view of something can''t just shift overnight. It''ll take some time for them to adjust to the idea of it. "I can feel curse energies that are near me, yes," I answer. "All experienced mages feel them. Anyway, would someone mind letting me know where Thomas lives? I have something I want to ask him." "Follow the path that way," Patrick''s father points. "Pass the next farm, then take a left and travel to the next one over. That''s Thomas''s place." "Thanks," I say. "Have a good day." Aluci begins walking down the path, the directions themselves not actually needed. I just wanted to talk with them a little bit as I passed by as it makes me more welcoming to the village''s members who don''t already know me. It''s a shame I can''t really keep up the claim that I''m not a mage, but I''ll admit defeat on that one. Even as weak as I am compared to how I was before making the deal with Zolbiatz, magic is too much a part of my life to hide it for very long. At least I can keep the higher magics a secret more easily, and the waystones will help with that. "Hello," I say once I arrive at Thomas''s place, his father currently harvesting vegetables to the side of their house, though he stopped once he heard Aluci''s hooves on the path. "Is Thomas around?" "THOMAS!" His father shouts. A minute later, Thomas comes out from behind the house, curiosity in his mind as he enters my range while approaching me. "Hoi, there," he says. "What''s going on?" "Wanted to ask you to come with me to the chief''s place," I answer. "There''s something I''d like to ask him and it''s relevant to you as well." "Okay," he looks at his father. "I''ve finished up, so I''ll head over with him now." "Good luck," his father tells him. I dismount Aluci, and the three of us walk toward the chief''s residence. It''s easy to know which one is his as it''s not just a log cabin with a smaller one behind it for storage and enough farm space to feed the household. Instead, it''s a large log cabin with a good-sized yard, but only a small garden within it. The yard has a stone wall rather than a wooden fence, though the wall was built from stones picked up around the place and then fitted together rather than cut and stuck together with mortar. For an area like this, that''s a high-quality home and wall. He would be more protected if it was built using sturdy stones and mortar, then enchanted. That would provide a stronger barrier against attacks, though I think it''s really meant for distinguishing his lot from others than protection. "Chief," Thomas says as he enters the house without knocking. "Rowan has a question for us." Chief is currently in his kitchen, skinning a rabbit. Surprise fills his mind when he sees me, no doubt because of my presence within the village. I have been here for about two months without entering it, after all. "Yes?" Chief asks. "Has Thomas told you about the waystone within the mines?" I ask. "He did," he answers. "I''ve crafted a few of them," I tell him. "Though not any as fancy as that. It will make moving around the area easier. There''s one at my property, and I''d like to stick one at the mines and one within or close to the village. Then another a little more central to the region, so it''d be more north of the village than here. That one doesn''t need to be by anything specific, its purpose is to act as a central point for all of the others, allowing warping between them even if they aren''t within range of each other. "The reason I want to put one here in the village," I continue. "Is to both make it easier and faster for me to reach here, but also so the two of you don''t need to travel as much to visit me when you do. You''ll need to make the trip out to my place to activate the one there so you can warp to it, but after that, you can simply warp to it from the one here. It doesn''t cost you any mana or require any knowledge of or skill in magic to use. There''s surprise in their minds, but also curiosity. "That ain''t a problem," Chief tells me. "Did you want it in the village, or simply near it?" "Either works," I answer. "Outside is best, though it can also be indoors if you wish. Once it''s in place, however, moving it will be very difficult. You''ll need me to do so if you want its location shifted even an inch." "You can place it outside," Chief tells me. "Outside your home or the village?" I ask for clarification. "My home," he answers. That''s much closer to the village than I expected. I was sure he''d say outside of it due to the waystone being an unknown magic object and not fully trusting me. "On the other side of the path," he adds. "Ain''t anyone livin'' on that lot now, so you can stick it in the yard." "Alright," I say. "Thank you. Thomas? Let me show you to activate it so you can warp, once I finish installing it." I pick a spot about ten feet back from the path on the next property, which does look a little run-down. Thomas mentions that they let livestock graze on it to keep the grass low, but the elderly couple who lived here before now passed away a few years ago. With the dwindling village size, there isn''t anyone to move into it yet. Well, they do have a few young adults, but they all currently still live with their families. Around here ¨C and indeed, like in many small villages in the sticks like this ¨C young adults continue to live with their parents until they either marry or move out of the area.
Waystone renamed from [] to [Mistwood Village].
"There we go," I tell Thomas as I activate it for myself. "Now you''ll be able to visit me more easily, once you activate the one at my home, and the mines as well, once you activate the one there. Though I''m assuming that''ll wait until after you and Chief return from Tempest Oak in a few days." "Yeah," he says. "Ain''t gonna travel that much today, not when we''ve got the trip tomorrow. Wait. You''ve already installed the one at the mines?" "Permission was granted, was it not?" I ask. "I felt sure you and Chief would be fine with it if it meant easier travel, especially if it came from a mage." "We just feel the Wi-that the other mages would say something if they were really dangerous," he says, then sighs. "Though I suppose the fact that you were able to put them down and reach us without being stopped is indicative of that." "My only intention is to make things easier," I tell him. "Shortening travel by this much is the least I can do. Well, it''s mostly for selfish reasons. Using a waystone is pretty easy, even if it requires there being one at the destination and me having activated it before." "I suppose that makes sense," he says. "I''ll be heading back now," I say as Aluci turns around and begins walking away. "See you for the next lessons, Thomas. May the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," he says. I activate the waystone and select the option for my home on it, then appear at the waystone there. Now that today''s work has been done, it''s time for me to fix myself a hot meal and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Chapter 0029 With no lessons to teach today, there are several things I can do. The help Dylan and Nolan provided the last two lesson visits they had has increased my yard space by plenty, really opening it up. A part of me wants to spend the day foraging to look for more reagents to move into that space, to expand my garden further. If I''m lucky, I might even find another reagent for brewing health potions with. However, another part of me wants to gain more Skill Levels in magic. It''s been nearly a week since I dealt with the pair of royal stoneseeker wolves and while I know I''m a little stronger than them now, it doesn''t reassure me. An attack can come at any time and there are creatures even stronger than those wolves in the Mistwood itself. Which means that it''s time for me to go deeper in the mines, to take on tougher foes to build up my Skill Experience faster. That should also reward me with more materials I can use for projects, too. I''ll limit myself to hunting until my storage is filled. I pull on boots and a tunic, then my armor, then make sure my bracelet has necessary supplies within it. My gear isn''t the exact same as it was before, though. The armor has a mild grey tone to it, the same tone as what royal stoneseeker wolf skin is once tanned, as that''s what it''s made from. Every piece of leather I''m wearing is made from it, including my gloves and boots. After the tanning process, alchemy treatments, and enchantments, I turned the roughly 75 Constitution of the hide into something able to resist around 140 Strength or Magic in damage. As with my previous armor, it also neutralizes a decent amount of kinetic force from attacks, to lighten blows. Only if I get struck in a spot without the armor will I have to worry about harm in the mines. There is quite a bit of me that''s not covered in armor, but I''ll make sure to avoid getting struck in them. As for my my right wrist, there are three bracelets on it now. The first of those is my stasis pocket bracelet, of course. I never take it off as I don''t see a point in doing so. The second of those is my dusk-sight bracelet, which I put on as I''m going to the mines, where I know I''ll need it. There''s around fifty years'' worth of active time, and it''s only active when its power is actually in use ¨C that is, when the light level around me is lower than what it would be at dusk outside. I won''t take it off in the mines if the light level increases as that would just be a hassle to do every time there''s a shift. But it''s also not one I''ll just wear casually since there''s no point to it, so I''m currently only planning on wearing it for trips to the mines. The third and final bracelet is the spatial mithril one I commissioned the other day. It''s enchanted and I don''t really need it for this trip, but since putting it on, I feel a lot more safe.
[Warp Bracelet]
A fashionable bracelet made out of spatial mithril, it allows one to warp to the nearest standard waystone on the same warp frequency which they have activated, so long as it is within range.
This will allow me to immediately return home if I''m out hunting and get attacked by something too strong for me, as long as I''m not in the Mistwood or somewhere else similarly filled with dense mana. I haven''t been in a situation where I''d need it since arriving here, but it still makes me feel safer to wear ¨C I won''t need to worry about casting a spell and can just quickly activate the bracelet. Once I''m sure I''m ready to go, I walk over to my waystone and use it to warp to the mines. I then pull out one of my warpstones and use it to warp to the fifth floor, then tuck it away and begin traveling through the floor. This time, I allow my instincts to guide me to the stairs leading down to the sixth floor, minimizing combat as I go. Upon reaching them, I look around. When a Labyrinth has more than five floors, there''s a theme shift after every fifth. So the sixth, eleventh, sixteenth, etc. The main format is generally the same, and this one seems to continue with the theme of mines, including the "support" beams and posts that are really just decoration. Moss covers some of the boulders down here, and the ground and walls are a little damp. More moss grows up some of the posts, while there''s algae on them, the ground, the boulders¡­ not completely covering, but enough to cause this to be a little more hazardous just to walk down than the previous five floors were. Considering the dampness of the floor, there will probably be slime monsters around as well. I''ll make sure to collect any slimeballs that drop, I still have just the one from clearing out the cave back home. No new ones have spawned in there since then and I haven''t located a slime nest anywhere else yet. My dusk-sight bracelet isn''t necessary when I enter the sixth floor, either. Hanging from each beam stretching across the ceiling is a lantern with a glass shell, the glass itself glowing enough to illuminate up to where it meets the next lantern''s light. Those aren''t for collecting, however. They''re a feature of the Labyrinth which will break upon removal and regenerate in their correct spot as the Labyrinth continues to reshape itself and replenish items and monsters. As I walk, I pay attention to all of my senses, not just my physical ones. A terrain design like this indicates there will be creatures which only attack in groups, not when they''re alone. Those are still monsters and will still drop loot even when fought solo. The chances of something which blends into the environment is also greater in a terrain like this and increases after every fifth floor of a Labyrinth. Something which I encounter rather fast. Not even halfway to the first split in the tunnels, I sense a mind within moss- and algae-covered boulders. Judging by the feel of the mind and the appearance of the boulders, it''s likely just another stone golem. One which is swiftly destroyed by [Magic Missile]s. I ignore its loot and continue walking, taking out three more golems before reaching the first branching path. From the fourth one, I collect the earth magic crystal which dropped, as it''s quite useful in a variety of things, both as a sale item and in crafting and farming/gardening. I continue my journey through the tunnels, encountering some snail-like monsters three inches in height. They drop normal magic crystals and occasionally, a shell fragment, full shell, bottle of mucus, or a small glass bottle of acid. When on their own, they ignore people and can be taken out with just a [Magic Missile]. If I were physically strong enough, I could also just stomp on them, but my 39 Strength isn''t much comparable to the 50 Constitution they have and the hardness of their shells. It would take quite a few stomps to break those. In a swarm, the snails are more dangerous. They''ll gang up on someone and start corroding armor and gear that''s weak enough for their acid to work against. Even if one manages to knock them off, the damage they cause is still present ¨C and the acid will continue to eat away until it''s used up. To eliminate any risk of them getting on me, as I only have 18 Constitution right now, I unleash a [Flamethrower] anytime a group of them attempts to swarm me. It quickly and efficiently burns through the HP of the individuals quickly when they''re bunched up and prevents them from having a chance at harming me. That, in turn, saves me MP in the long run as I don''t need to heal up.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The bats down here grow more annoying than they were in the upper floors, their sonic waves more potent, able to travel further. Fortunately, I''m still strong enough to take them down without issue on the sixth floor. As I travel deeper into this floor, I encounter another new monster, an octopus which camouflages itself to blend in with the stone and moss and mushrooms. From my personal experience of hearing others talk about their personal experiences with it, the monster is an extremely dangerous one even for experienced adventurers and soldiers without enough Constitution to simply ignore its attacks. They''ll walk by it thinking it''s just an irrelevant part of the landscape and once they''ve passed it, it uncurls itself and approaches from behind, then constricts their legs while releasing acids and poisons from their suckers. It quickly corrodes through armor and burns flesh, and even if one manages to pry them off and heal the wounds, there''s still the poison to deal with ¨C and one of its effects is blindness. Not only that, but the monster can hang itself from the ceiling of a cave or tunnel and blend in there as well, allowing it to drop down onto unsuspecting adventurers. Even should someone manage to avoid those attacks, they''ll have to deal with its high-pressure water stream spell, or [Water Jet]. The very same spell Dylan thought I was using on Nolan, and which is capable of ripping flesh from bone on direct contact if the beast is strong enough. It can even tear through armor with that spell. Stronger variants of them have acids and poisons in their [Water Jet]s, too. In my personal experience¡­ the monster is rather easy to deal with. All I have to do is start blasting it with [Magic Missile]s, [Arc Slash]es, or something else when I sense it via [Empathy]. It can react fairly fast, but not quickly enough to launch a counterattack of its own before my spells start striking it and knocking it back. That prevents it from managing to fight back, enabling me to pummel it with spells until it dies. Its main advantage is its camouflage, which fails before my [Empathy]. Should someone spot the monster before it attacks, they can take it out just as easily as I do. The trick is spotting the monster before its first attack. By the time I reach the ninth floor of the mines, [Combat] has increased to Level 10, [Mind Magic] has gone up to Level 9, and I suspect that [Arcane Magic] and [Elemental Magic] are both nearing a Level. This is where I''ll start to need to be more careful. The monsters here will have around 70-80 Points in their highest stats, as well as having a decent amount of HP and MP to burn. With me being at only 81 Magic right now and my Constitution being a lot lower than that, that means these monsters are at roughly the right difficulty level for me. My armor will only do so much to protect me, even with its enchantments. I need to be careful about not letting anything hit where the armor doesn''t cover. Though I have an advantage as well. Most mages as strong as me only have Skill Levels in two or three magical Skills, plus [Casting]. Mine are spread between all of them, which means the Skill Levels are much lower, which means that I need a lot less Skill Experience to boost them than someone who could normally come here would. That''s also before factoring in my blessings which speed the Levels up even further. So it shouldn''t take me too long to gain more Skill Levels here, especially since I am sure that two of them are nearing another. I shatter a few of the boulders as I walk, then feel a mind in a mossy one that''s the pale grey of the ones with temporal magic loot. It''s between the entrance of the floor and the first split in the path, which poses a little bit of a problem. Tempo golems can be annoying to deal with at the best of times when near them in power. As I told Thomas, though, I can take them out, they''re just annoying. I know all of the attack patterns for one this strong. The first step to doing so is to act before they do. With their ability to hasten themselves and slow others and the attacks of others, whichever one of us attacks first makes a massive difference. With a small prayer that the golem doesn''t act before I do, I begin casting my opening attack. It''s a quick cast, even if I have to weave 1,000 MP into it. Not just anyone can do that, and my casting speed gives me an edge in attempting to attack before the tempo golem reacts. The moment my spell completes, the tempo golem begins to react, but [Stop] hits it before it can cast [Haste] upon itself. The effects of [Stop] are lessened or even neutralized by having [Haste] cast on oneself. In an instant, the enter golem''s body freezes up and its mind becomes still to me. Describing how the mind of a being under the influence of [Stop] has always been difficult as it''s still there, but there''s a distinctly different feel to it. The feel of said minds are also always a little disturbing to me. Better to try and take this thing out before the spell ends, both for my own safety and to get rid of that feeling faster. At my current magical strength, [Stop] will last a little more than eight seconds ¨C but only half that on a tempo golem. I waste no time and immediately cast [Haste] on myself, which consumes 10 MP per second while it''s active, a maximum duration of 0.2 seconds per 1 Magic, so roughly sixteen seconds. It accelerates my speed by a multiplier equal to +1 per 50 Magic, unaffected by anything that''s not a multiple of that. At where I''m at now, that''s just twice the speed as my norm. Even that is enough, though. I''m not all that''s affected by [Haste] ¨C even the speed of my attacks are. Each spell I cast under its influence also moves at twice the speed. That, in turn, increases the amount of force they carry with them. I send a swarm of [Magic Missile]s at the golem, then a second, then a third, then a fourth. They impact the monster but don''t seem to do any damage to it ¨C most damage dealt to a target under the influence of [Stop] will only happen once the spell wears off. The last spell I cast while the tempo golem is frozen is [Rend Space], another spell which costs 1,000 MP. I cast it right before [Stop] ends, and jagged black scars form in the air, space itself torn apart around and through the golem. This is one of the few spells which can actually damage something under the effect of [Stop] rather than building up until the effect ends. What parts of the monster are severed from the rest shift away from the body for a moment from the force of the separation, then freeze in place again. Only for a moment, though, as [Stop] ends in the next. When that happens, all of the impacts from the [Magic Missile]s sink in and the golem''s body and broken-off pieces are thrown back and shattered. They then burst into black-and-red mist that fades away, loot dropping to the ground. [Rend Space] alone wouldn''t have done enough damage to kill it, but the haste-increased [Magic Missile] swarms striking while the golem was [Stop]ped did the rest.
[Combat] is now Level 11!
+200 HP +2 Strength +2 Constitution
[Casting] is now Level 9!
+100 MP +1 Magic +1 Mind
[Arcane Magic] is now Level 13!
+200 MP +2 Magic
[Spatial Magic] is now Level 14!
+200 MP +2 Magic
[Time Magic] is now Level 11!
+200 MP +2 Magic
Even if it''s only a ninth-floor monster, a tempo golem isn''t something someone can defeat easily without knowing both of those schools of magic. It awards a lot of Skill Experience when taken down, and at my current Skill Levels¡­ I should actually be able to handle the tenth floor just from that one kill. If I face off against a few more monsters like tempo golems and warp golems on this floor, I''ll even be able to take on some of the earlier monsters on the eleventh. "Hm¡­" I mull over the options as I collect my loot. Today''s goal was just to gather some items for crafting and alchemy while gaining some Levels, but I could definitely use the mines to boost my strength up a bit some more. I do still feel really weak and not entirely comfortable. I need to make sure I can handle any potential attack and that does mean gaining a little bit more magical power and mana capacity. "Then it''s settled," I mumble. I''ll focus on gaining more Skill Levels before leaving, though I''ll limit myself to the tenth floor. There will be another feature shift on the eleventh, and new monsters as well. The tenth floor will reward me with plenty of Skill Levels and loot while I hunt there today. Depending on how long I hunt on it, I should gain a decent amount of Skill Levels and a good boost to my overall power. More than enough to make me comfortable for now. Chapter 0030 A small amount of satisfaction enters my mind as I examine my Status as I unload some of my loot now that I''m home, though there''s also a little bit of concern over what I see in the window floating in my vision.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 1,984/3,400 HP Regen: 0.034/second
MP: 13,492/19,400 MP Regen: 0.194/second
Strength: 71 Constitution: 43
Dexterity: 40 Magic: 189
Mind: 59
The gains themselves are actually quite good, even if I''m still nowhere near back to where I once was. Even if I pushed myself in the mines every day and they actually had enough floors to manage it, it would likely take me more than a year or two to reach those stats. Part of that is because of how Skill EXP requirements scale as a Skill goes up in Level, but also because a large part of it right now is how much some of my spells actually generate for me. That doesn''t scale up as I get stronger but remains static, so each Skill Level into the related magic''s Skill means casting the same spell earns me a lower percentage towards the next. However, where I''m at now should be more than enough for the time being. All of the Skills which were used during my trip into the mines are also guaranteed to gain a Level when I sleep tonight, boosting me further. Sleeping will also push [Time Magic] up to Level 20, which several others reached or exceeded during the trip. That Mastery Threshold also adds the base bonus to the Leveling Bonus, which is part of why I jumped up so high in actual power Level. Not the entire reason, but it''s still one of them. This is a decent level of power, and one reached by less than a third of all mages. It should be more than enough to handle things in case of an attack. Only the Magi Robin and Rose are stronger than me in the area when it comes to people, and only monsters deep in the mines or the Mistwood can match me. Unless something really unexpected happens, I should be fine for now. What concerns me, though, is how hard I pushed myself with this. I really could have gone further and only stopped because my bracelet was full of loot. If it weren''t for that, I would have gone for longer. The Skill Levels for the primary magics I was using are at about where they would be if a normal person were taking on the tenth floor, which means that I could have gone for longer before reaching around the equivalent Skill Levels for me in terms of earned Skill EXP. One of the reasons I gave up my old life and was willing to let my Status get reset was because I wanted a calmer life, one without as much stress as before. Yet if I''m going to push myself like this ¨C even while restricting myself specifically to make sure I don''t go too far beyond what I should ¨C that means I''m still stressed. If someone else had been with me in the mines, I probably wouldn''t have pushed myself that hard. The goal was even to just gain maybe 5-10 Skill Levels in total, not more than 30. A small sigh escapes me as I think about this. It''s going to take some getting used to, not needing to push myself and make sure I''m at my best. This is a calmer life than before, not one where I should be worrying about attacks. I''ll need to find a way to remind myself of this so I don''t go beyond again without a good reason. For now, I finish unloading some of the items from my bracelet, ones which I can just leave out and not be worried about something happening to, or which I can store in the storage room in my home and one of the spare bedrooms. Not the spare bedroom next to my own, though, as that''s where Nolan takes his naps. The only items from before the tenth floor which I kept are the ones with spatial and temporal magic properties, as those are rare enough on their own. The rest of my loot comes from the tenth floor, and I really did pack my bracelet pretty tightly with it. At least I don''t have to worry about causing a calamity with my trips into the mines. The Labyrinth is so backed up that it actually needs someone to come in and take a bunch of stuff out of it. Even if it didn''t, I''m not clearing it enough to start causing problems, not on my own. Maybe if I went in there every single day and did this, but I''m not going to so there''s no reason for me to worry. I fix my armor onto the stand for it in my room, then stretch a little and teleport to Tempest Oak. Before settling down for the day, I want to take care of a few things. My first destination is the loot shop I''ve visited a couple of times before, where I''m greeted with a friendly smile by the same clerk as before. There''s a little bit of curiosity in his mind upon seeing me as well, and maybe a touch of hope. Is he thinking there might be more earth magic crystals suitable for golem cores today? "Welcome back," he greets me as I approach. "Here to make a purchase or perform a sale today, Lord Magus?" "Both," I answer. "Let''s start with the sales." I place a few magic crystals on the counter, including water, earth, metal, plant, acid, and poison. Along with those, I set down some of the monster part drops I''m not interested in using, and some iron ore clumps. Plain iron isn''t worth much compared to the others, but I''m not setting down the plain iron that dropped ¨C there''s Tier 5 magical energy in these ones, with a few different affinities. Those will sell for quite a bit as they can be fashioned into weapons, mining tools, and other items. So can regular iron, but having the magics in the metal helps with enchanting them or using them for certain purposes. While plain iron can be turned into magic iron with magic crystals, I''d rather keep the plain stuff for use back home. The clerk appraises each item I set down and makes notes on a sheet of paper. Unlike my previous two trips, I have quite a few items so it can''t all be tracked in his head. At least, I don''t think so. This could also just be him doing the logging of the items now rather than later. With everything being at Tier 5 in quality, the earnings are quite high. He attempts to give me a price a little higher than the full fair value, and I round it down to an even number before accepting the payment in coins. "Will that be all for the sales?" The clerk asks as the boy from before takes away the tray with the loot on it.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Yes," I answer. "For purchases, I would like some holy magic crystals, fire magic crystals, air magic crystals, and ice magic crystals. Tier 5 in quality is preferred, though I''ll accept lower. They''re to prepare a bathing system, cooking appliances, and cooling and freezing items. Also, five gallons of plain slime goo, if you have it." I decided not to add a freezer to my cabin as I''ll just be tearing it down soon, but I want the crystals now if they''re available. That way, I can get to work on those enchantments immediately once I build a proper cabin for myself. The clerk heads into the back and returns after a few minutes with a tray containing the requested crystals while the boy accompanies him, carrying a large bucket of slime goo. I examine everything, then purchase three of each and the full bucket of goo before leaving. There are three things I want done today, and the second one is at the smithy Ash''s family runs. No one is in the shop room when I arrive, though Ash comes out after minute, a small bit of happiness in his mind upon seeing me. Not one which indicates a sudden attraction to me, just the sort where he''s happy to see me. A little hopeful about¡­ something, too. The temptation to peek into his mind to find out what his interest in me is strong, but I resist it. There''s nothing malicious in the emotions I''m feeling in his mind, so it''s entirely possible that he just wants to be friends since I''m living in Mistwood now. I did get the impression he''s friends with Thomas during the festival and I know he''s interested in Elaina. "Hello, Magus Rowan!" He greets me. "How may I help you today?" "I would like to commission a few more items," I inform him, then pull some pages out of my bracelet. "I need one bracelet with spatial and temporal properties, to the specifications given on the first page. The second page shows another bracelet design, this one with just spatial properties. I would like two of those bracelets. The third page is for a cuff, also made of spatial mithril. I would like just one of those. You''ll note that the fourth and fifth pages are for a sword and matching knife. I would like one of each of those, and can provide the mithril necessary for them, as with the others. The sixth page contains designs for mithril arrowheads. I would like thirty-nine of them to those specifications in each type, if possible. The seventh page contains the design for a knife. I would like two of those, please." Ash looks through each page, his mind fully focused on each one, though I can tell by the small shifts in his emotions, his surprise, and his curiosity that the items I''m commissioning are interesting to him. While I might use the weapons to boost my Constitution via their Skill Levels, the real reason for them is because I didn''t want four sheets. That''s an unlucky number to me, so I went with seven instead. The last knife design is actually meant for processing hides, meat, and other materials which might require some extra strength and therefore, dull blades faster. "This is a larger order," he says. "And we won''t be able to finish it in the next day or two. Are there any items which you would like finished on a rush?" "The bracelets and cuff, if possible," I answer. "The spatial-temporal bracelet on a lower priority, that''s simply to replace the one I''m wearing and I won''t need the bigger space for that for at least a few days." With the spatial mithril bracelets, I''ll be able to create enough space to store a lot of that extra wood I''ve been acquiring due to cutting down the trees and not burning the remains. As for the cuff, that''s for a much larger spatial pocket, one which I can use to transport wood from the edge of the forest to my home. That''s really all I need now for constructing the new home, as that''s where I''ll find an abundance of the wood of a suitable diameter. The other option is just cutting the trees around my home down to square logs, but I like the look better when a building is made out of ones that are still round. Something about that just makes it feel more homey to me. If I craft it today, then I can spend the next few afternoons collecting the wood. More than enough wood for not just the new house for me, but for a couple of more buildings. At least, for their exteriors. We negotiate on the price after that, though Ash seems to want to give me a little bit of a lower fee for having some of the items expedited. For some reason, it seems like he''s trying to earn my favor and I''m not sure why. It''s not like I can offer him a higher salary or priority for work in a camp, he''s got a job here in town and I don''t have such an authority here. Since I''ve visited his shop multiple times now, I''m sure he can tell I like the work that''s performed here. Whatever the reason is, I''m sure he''ll eventually reveal it to me. I shouldn''t stress myself over his strange motives. Once we finish the negotiations, he takes the amount of mithril necessary and I pay him the costs for the commissions, then leave. My last task for this visit is to find out if there is any rapeseed, safflower, or peanut stock in a large quantity. It''ll take me time to acquire enough peanuts from the plants I moved into my back yard to produce plenty of frying oil and I want to do some frying soon. A few things just taste good that way. After almost an hour of speaking with different vendors, I find one who has enough raw peanuts for me to make five gallons of frying oil with and enough to make plenty of peanut butter with. I buy more than that, though, just so I can do other things as well. I almost buy some flour, sugar, and other cooking staples, but my instincts stop me. Thomas brings enough to last me a few days, maybe a little bit more, depending on what I make. That''s every four days, and while it has been six since the last one, he''ll be back at my place in less than two days with the next payment. While I do want more than what I know he''ll be bringing me, even if he increases the amount again¡­ my instincts about stuff like this are rarely wrong. So I decided to hold off on buying them. Trading with someone in the village might be doable for me now for some reason despite me not really interacting with anyone except Thomas, Dylan, and Chief. That''s the most likely explanation I can think of. If that''s the case, then I really won''t need to buy staples here in town. For the rest of the time until I can pick up the items that will be ready today, I wander around the market district, examining items more out of boredom than anything. None of the crafted goods at any of the stalls are items I either need or can''t make myself. As for the food items, there are some things here I haven''t seen in Mistwood yet, but I decide not to purchase them. There''s no real reason for me to not, it''s just something I decide to not do today. When it''s nearing the time I can pick up my commissions at the smithy, I return there to find Ash speaking with a man who looks to be in his forties. The man is on the more buff side and doesn''t have very much mana. Potentially a lesser noble, or someone attempting to work his way up to nobility. Also possibly just an experienced adventurer. It sounds like he''s commissioning a sword which channels air magics well, though out of steel ¨C the more standard metal for weapons. Once that finishes and he leaves, I step up to the counter. "Welcome back," Ash smiles, genuine happiness behind it. "I have the bracelets and cuffs done, let me grab those real quick." "Alright," I say, then wait for him to retrieve them from the back. "I was able to finish the spatial-temporal mithril bracelet as well," Ash tells me as he sets the tray with my commissions down. "Though the weapons, arrowheads, and other knives will still take more time. And no, you won''t be required to pay a fee for the bracelet being done now, I was just able to work it in while doing the others." If he knew I was able to feel his emotions, he''d probably not try lying to me about that. He definitely adjusted his schedule a little so he could finish it by the deadline for the others. The hope in his mind makes that much clear. Why in the world is he so set on trying to impress me? I know it''s not out of attraction, but there is definitely something that''s making him want to impress me. It can''t be entirely that I''m a magus, either. "Thank you," I tell him, then examine each bracelet and the cuff. "To my exact specifications, too," I send all of them into my stasis pocket bracelet, then flip him a platinum ciirvrios coin. "For the excellent work, Ash. I''ll be back in four days to pick up the rest." "Alright," he says, a hint of pride in his voice, which I can tell is from the compliment. "Thank you for the patronage, Magus Rowan. May the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," I return, then leave. Time to return home and enchant the bracelets and cuffs. After that, I''ll take the rest of the day off from unnecessary work. I could definitely use the rest and relaxation. Chapter 0031 "Hoi, there," Dylan greets me as he approaches with his son in his arms, a small frown on his face and curiosity in his mind. "Is that a new bracelet?" In addition to my old stasis pocket bracelet, I''m wearing my new one on my right wrist. He saw the warp bracelet with his last visit, which is why he''s only asking about the one. My dusk-sight bracelet, the two new storage bracelets, and the storage cuff are stored in one of my brother bracelets. There''s no issue with storing items with spatial pockets inside of others ¨C it''s not as if a pocket dimension takes up any real space. It''s a concept which I''ve seen even townsfolk and cityfolk get confused by so I''m definitely not going to try and explain it to someone around here if they ask outside of "it''s magic". If there''s one thing I''ve learned about the common folk over the last seven years, it''s that the simplest explanation can sometimes be the best when it comes to magic. "Another stasis pocket bracelet," I confirm as I give both him and his son a quick examination. After nearly a month of eating a relatively decent diet, they''ve both put on a little weight. Neither of them are scrawny anymore, just a little on the skinny side. Even with that, I can tell that Dylan is toning up as well ¨C the work he''s doing helping me around the property has helped his muscles build a little. That''s good. I''m not feeling responsible for him or anything, but I am coming to see him as a friend. Seeing a friend of mine and his son improving makes me feel good knowing that I''m part of the reason for it. It was a bad hand they were dealt and Dylan finally has a little bit of a way out of it. Though I''m not going to let him rely on me for that forever. I''m willing to give him food or even supplies in return for his help with stuff, and I''m willing to watch Nolan a little if he needs it as a friend, but he''s still his own person. It''s better if he''s able to stand on his own. As a friend, I want to give him a little boost on that. It won''t be free, of course, but I''m sure he''ll appreciate the help. "I want to talk with you about something regarding our arrangement," I tell him. "But it''ll have to wait. Thomas is on his way over for some reason." "Thomas is?" Dylan frowns. "Why?" "Don''t know," I answer. "Could be because of the waystone, but I''m not sure. Figured he''d activate this one when he comes for his lesson tomorrow." I did teach him how to use them yesterday ¨C realized after I got home from town that I hadn''t done that. He knew how to activate them so he could use them, but not how to actually use them. That was an important piece of instruction I left out when setting up the one in the village. We wait for Thomas to arrive and when he does, he activates my waystone before approaching us. "Hoi, there," I can feel a question in his mind. He came here with a mission. "Had a request to make, if that''s alright with ya, Rowan." So he didn''t come here to activate the waystone, even if he did activate it. Why skip doing so when it only takes a moment and was on the way, after all. "It''s barely time to start making breakfast," I tell him. "You''re here rather early." Dylan and Nolan are, too, but I told them they could come up for breakfasts, too. It helps if they have enough fuel to make it through the morning work. Eating just potatoes and maybe some berries or a piece of fruit doesn''t provide that. "Yeah," he says. "I could''ve come later, but we figured it''d take some time to get the stuff to the village if you agree. The docks down at the beach need replacing, we noticed it during the festival. They ain''t in the best of conditions. We normally use trees nearer the edge of the forest when replacing ''em, ''cept figured some sturdier ones might do better. And, well, you''ve got quite a lot of ''em you ain''t using. So I figured I''d come ask you." That''s why he wanted to arrive so early ¨C because he''d need to clear a path between here and the village so they could pull a wagon through to bring the trees back. The undergrowth is too dense for that once they get within a few miles of my place. That will take them several hours to do, so it''s better to start earlier in the day than later. Otherwise, they might not have enough time to start working on the docks today. "I don''t mind so long as there''s a trade," I say. "But that does mean increased Strength is needed. The slimmer trees around here need around 30 Strength to cut effectively, and I had to enhance my own with magic when I was first cutting them, before I switched to using magic." The way I did it wasn''t a proper structured spell, so it didn''t grant any Skill EXP. There is a related spell that feeds into [Arcane Magic] and [Casting], but it''s less efficient than doing it with raw mana manipulation. Even with the boosts I''d given myself, it still took a lot of extra effort ¨C I wasn''t chopping them as efficiently as if they were a normal tree and I had 10 Strength. Each chop was about a third as effective as that. "If you''re wanting one of the thicker trees," I say. "They''re a lot more durable, but take a lot more effort. At least 75 Strength if you want to do it quickly. I do also have some that are already cut into boards and such and treated with alchemy to resist rot, so they''re able to last a lot longer. Given the salt and magic in the water, and other factors, they''ll last about thirty years." They probably need to replace the docks every five to seven years, due to those factors. Weaker trees without additional strengthening wouldn''t be able to resist the weathering very long, not when magical properties mix in. "That said," I add. "I''m not giving it away free. It did take effort to cut down those trees, cut them into boards, posts, and planks, and then treat them with alchemy. If you do use those, you''ll need to borrow special tools I have which have sharp enough blades that they can cut through with less force and special nails that can actually pierce them instead of just bending at the resistance of the wood." "We ain''t expecting it for free," Thomas tells me. "We had a village meeting ''bout it yesterday," aggravation fills Dylan''s mind, which informs me that he wasn''t invited. "And everyone put a little together to pay you for it, if you were willin''. We all use the docks, so we want them replaced. Just food stuffs." And now I know why my instincts were telling me to hold off on buying certain things: because I would be receiving some today. I really don''t have a problem trading away some of my wood, even if I have enough of it to just give some away for free. "I take it the plan was to bring the payment when the wagon for the wood arrives?" I ask. "Yeah," he answers. "I''ll need to clear a path back to the village first so we can bring it through, but should be back in the afternoon, ''less it takes longer than I''m estimating. Whether it''s just a tree or two or cut wood, either works for us. I take it you ain''t gonna accept just the food if I ask for the tougher wood and need to borrow some tools?" "Depends on how much food there is and what it is," I hold out my right hand, and one of the spatial pocket bracelets appears on my palm. That startles both Thomas and Dylan, both of whom have confusion in their minds now. "This is a plain storage bracelet, one without the stasis enchantment. You can borrow this to bring me the payment now, and to bring the wood to the docks. That should make things faster." "You''re letting me borrow something like this?" He asks. "Ain''t it expensive?" "Considering it''s a seventy-five cube," I say. "Or seventy-five feet on each side? Yeah, it''s fairly expensive. The materials alone are over 500,000,000 ciirvrios. That''s five platinum coins, by the way. And the enchantment cost is another plat per foot along the side, and that''s before factoring in the cost to have it forged. Total? It''s about 90 plat."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. There''s shock and fear filling his mind. Even Dylan ¨C who isn''t borrowing it ¨C feels fear and hesitation. Why they''re afraid, I have zero clue. This is the first time I''ve offered to let someone from an area like this borrow an item like this, so I don''t exactly have the experience to know. If it was just Thomas, I could guess at the reason, but Dylan? Nope, not a chance of me guessing that. "I trust you have enough sense to keep track of it and make sure it''s returned when you''re done transporting the wood," I tell him. "And I do actually have something I would like your help with, if you''re willing. The plan was to ask you for it when you came for your lessons tomorrow, and hash out what my payment to you would be then." "What?" He asks. It doesn''t seem like he''s accepting the bracelet just yet, so I send it back into storage. "First," I say. "Would there be an issue if I cut down trees at the edge of the forest? I need a lot of slimmer ones to build myself a new house ¨C I want round logs, not square. I know I''m a bit away from the village, but wanted to check just in case." While I did already do that a bit for the original expansion to the existing cabin, I''ll need a lot more for the newer cabin. And I really should have asked first, just in case of a problem. No one''s said anything to me about it, but that could also be out of fear of retaliation. "No," he answers, and it feels like an honest answer to me. "Ain''t a problem if you do that. Forest used to be a lot further from the village and it was easier to keep it back, but our population''s too small now to maintain a border. Ain''t really been a problem for us, except for beasts and monsters coming out more." "Alright," I say. "One of the things I wanted help with was cutting them down, removing their branches, and storing them in spatial pockets. Then, in constructing my new home." I look at Dylan. "That''s what I wanted to talk with you about as well," I tell him. "I''m strong enough I can just knock all of the trees down in large batches, and I''ve obtained at least three or four of each useful plant within the yard range that we''ll find here. That means that using [Flamethrower] on the undergrowth after taking down the trees won''t affect anything. You''re getting more than just reading lessons from the help you give me, and helping me build the house is my requirement for further additional assistance." The additional stuff which Dylan receives is the food he eats here and the meat I send back with him when he leaves, which is still plenty. "Ain''t got a problem with that," Dylan rubs his son''s back a little as nervousness enters his mind. "I wanted to talk with you about that, actually." "You did?" I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah," the nervousness he''s feeling increases. "Wanted to ask if you''d be fine if we moved up here." "Up here?" I ask. "Not in with you," he hastily says, though I can tell there''s some hope for that based on the feel of his mind. "I meant, like, across the stream. My own place. The reason for living down close to the Wi-down near Magus Robin''s place isn''t really important anymore, and it''d make coming here for lessons and work easier if I just need to cross a few hundred feet instead of a mile." He''s not being fully honest, but I can understand why. I''m the first person in a long while who hasn''t treated him like he''s a fool for raising a cursed son. The first person who''s treated him like a proper person. The first person who''s treated his son like a normal kid. Someone he''s beginning to see as a friend as well and is hoping for something more with, even though I''ve made it clear to him there won''t be. Most importantly, I''m actually socializing with him. Being able to talk with others and just hang out is something he craves, and which requires a decent trip with his current home. "And I don''t mind building it myself," Dylan adds. "Just ain''t sure if you''d mind me moving in nearby. Or how close would be too close if so, since it seems you''re taking up quite a bit of space." The amount of space I''m claiming is quite a bit larger than the properties in the village. Most of them have around half an acre to maybe an acre and a half of land. Possibly more if they have animals that need to graze around. Just from my house to the stream is 300 feet, and that much to the eastern cliffs as well. I''ve decided that ¨C at least for now ¨C my property''s southern edge is about 100 feet from the cabin, and it stretches all the way back to the cliffs 500 feet north of it. That full square of space will be useful to me so I want it all as my property. In other words, I''ve claimed about 8 acres of land. And that''s just for what I''ve already been working on clearing out. "I don''t mind if you do," I tell Dylan. "One of my projects was actually building a structure across the stream after the cabin was done. Though thinking about it now, building it before might be better." "A structure?" Thomas asks. "Yeah," I hold out my hand again, a slimeball appearing on it. "I want to build a slime farm. I can turn these into new slimes, which will produce goo, which I can use in a variety of things. Potions, salves, food, construction¡­ it''s pretty versatile." "Ain''t that monster goo?" Dylan asks as Nolan looks at it. "You can eat it?" "Yeah," I answer. "Can use it to make a few different sweets. The idea was to build a barn just for them. Thinking about it now, might be better to get that built first. They don''t take much effort and they''ll just keep producing their slime, so I can get that going before building my own house. Using their goo between windowpanes reduces heat transfer. This means it''ll keep things cooler in summer and warmer in winter." Slime goo doesn''t conduct heat very well and if treated and applied right, it''s as clear as air. That means I can use it to stick the panes together and see through just as well as if it was a single pane I was looking through. "Silvia passed away," Thomas states, and I raise an eyebrow. "The day Chief and I returned. We went to deliver some of her requests and found her in her chair. So she won''t be able to make glass for you, you''ll have to go into town to commission the windows." Judging by the feel of Dylan''s mind, he wasn''t informed of this either. I''m not bothered by the lack of information coming to me as I still haven''t been accepted as a part of the village yet. Dylan, however, is. Hopefully, they can all get over themselves and start treating Nolan like a normal kid soon. Though prejudices do take time to get over, even when there''s evidence proving it wrong, I can still hope. "I can make glass myself," I state, and Thomas blinks a few times as he processes that. "Conjure it via magic, I mean." "Then why ask about having some made?" "You offered," I remind him. "And I figured, if it meant someone in the village got some help, then I''d be willing to do that." "You can really make glass with magic?" Dylan asks. "Once you''re strong enough," I put the slimeball away and conjure a small blob of glass, which quickly reshapes itself into a dragon, its crystal-clear body becoming tinted with greens, its eyes and horns shifting to a golden color. "Takes about 25 Magic to shape glass with magic, but about twice that to conjure it." A lot of glass workers who use magic to do it are skilled mages, but also often lower on the power level and so still need to make it the old way. Since I''m pretty far beyond both of those levels of magical power, conjuring and shaping it isn''t too difficult for me. Though I can also cheat a little when doing the manipulation part. When I made the arrowheads for Thomas, I technically wasn''t strong enough to. That''s the real reason I heated them up while crafting. Once I was at the level of being able to manipulate the metal directly, I could even manipulate it so that it would be as if it had been forged with heat. "What kind of magic is that?" Thomas asks. "Earth magic," I answer. "Glass is just another type of earth, when it comes to magic." "Huh," he says. "Never knew magic could do that." "Magic can do quite a lot," I tell him. "Ever seen a meteor streak across the sky?" "One crashed down when we were kids," he says. "I was four, I think? Maybe five. It''s still there, actually. Landed near the beach." If the villagers don''t have an issue with someone harvesting the meteor, I might look into it at some point. Meteors sometimes carry with them rare minerals not normally found in the world. Or easily found. Some of which can be quite useful in magic. "There''s a spell which can manifest an entire swarm of them," I tell him. "Enough to wipe out an entire city. Fortunately, it''s a pretty expensive spell, and a pretty complex one. You also need to be good at both fire and earth magics and have an extremely high amount of magical power for it to really be effective." "I take it that means the Goldelm Kingdom ain''t got anyone who can?" Thomas asks. "Since they ain''t wiped us out?" "They do," I say. "A couple of their strongest archmages know how to summon a swarm of meteors. The problem is that they aren''t the only ones with archmages ¨C and we can defend against it. We also have archmages of our own who can cast it. Some of them on an even greater level than what they have. Some of our mages are even so far above theirs in power, it''s an uneven match-up and can''t be considered fair. In all honesty, the reason the war isn''t over is because we aren''t trying to invade them, we''re just holding the border while trying to let them exhaust themselves." Most of our strongest archmages are nearing magus status, so they''re not as interested in doing more than holding our border. However, it means that the Goldelm Kingdom is struggling in their war. They will eventually give up. Then we can demand reparations. "Okay," he says. "Well, at least it ain''t affecting us out here. And regarding things out here, I don''t mind helping you with the house," he looks at Dylan. "Nor you, if you do move up here. An extra set of muscles should make it easier, and I''ve done plenty of hunting lately." That comes off as just "I''ve got nothing else to do" by the words alone, but judging by the slight relaxing of Dylan''s mind and slight skepticism, he''s realized what it really is. Thomas wants to help make up for how he''s treated him in the past with his offer. "Then it''s settled," I send the glass dragon back into my storage and summon the stasis bracelet I''d pulled out before. "Why don''t you go get the payment for the lumber and while you do that, Dylan and I can discuss where his new house will be." Chapter 0032 What the villagers put together as payment for stronger wood from me is a lot more than I expected. Then again, even just five households here can harvest quite a bit extra in just a week or two if they tried. This might have been something Thomas was already discussing with them before yesterday. Two 50lb sacks of wheat, a 50lb sack of sugar, a 10lb sack of salt, fifty eggs, nine gallons of milk, seven pounds of butter, a wheel of each of three different types of cheese, a large ball of mozzarella cheese, two pounds of cream cheese, various cuts of beef and pork, what looks like all of the meat from three chickens, a gallon of honey, and a gallon of syrup. The cream cheese is interesting, as I don''t normally find that people in the sticks know how to make it even if it''s an invention from our kingdom. Considering what Thomas has told me about the area so far, it''s unlikely the locals actually know how to make stuff with it. Which means he probably bought it in town. The same goes for the beef and pork since we''re not really in the season for that, not somewhere as low in population as here. "Yeah," he answers when as I ask while transferring it. "That''s from Chief and me. Figured, what with your knowledge of foods, you probably know how to do stuff with cream cheese. And we ain''t got fresh beef and pork yet, too early in the year. Figured you might like the added variety for meats, too." "Don''t mind it at all," I say. "See that section of wood there?" Thomas looks at where I''m pointing. "That''s the tougher wood that''s also been treated to resist rot and such from water. Suitable for replacing the docks with. And here are the tools." I hold out my hand, and a saw appears on it. Thomas takes it and puts it into the spatial pocket bracelet he''s borrowing for the time being, then the hammers, nails, and other tools I summon. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?" I ask. "Had something ''fore leaving to come here." "Want something else?" I ask. "Dylan and Nolan eat with me now on lesson days, since it gives them the fuel they need to do the work for paying it off. It won''t take any extra effort to include you." Thomas thinks about it for a few moments, and a curiosity enters his mind. "If you''re willing," he definitely wants to know what I make for breakfast. "Also, would it be fine for me to join for the lessons? Rather than coming back tomorrow? We were expecting it to take the full morning or more to get the wood down to the docks, if you agreed." "Depends on Dylan and Nolan," I look at the two of them. "Are you fine with it?" Dylan''s clearly uncomfortable, and I don''t think Nolan actually understands the question. "Yeah," Dylan answers. "Alright," I say, then look at Thomas. "Oh, and the magic lesson normally takes place after lunch. We do the reading lesson, then the work, then lunch, the Nolan''s afternoon nap, then the magic lesson. If you want to take the wood down to the docks during the nap portion and come back after an hour, then you can." "Alright," he says. "Why don''t you two pack up some of the wood?" I ask. "I''ll start fixing breakfast. The spatial pocket on the bracelet is seventy-five feet on each side, so it can fit all of the planks and beams over there. You can take as much as you think you''ll need to replace the dock." "Thanks," Thomas says, then looks at Dylan. While neither of them fidget, I can tell they''re both feeling awkward. "Hey, Nolan?" I ask, and the kid looks at me. "Want to help me cook while your father helps Thomas get wood?" Nolan looks at his father, then at Thomas, then at me, then starts shifting in a way which I''ve learned means he wants down. "Alright, alright," Dylan sets Nolan down, and Nolan waddles over to me. Once his son reaches me, Dylan looks at Thomas. "I guess we should get working, then¡­" "Yeah¡­" The two of them head over to the wood, and I look at Nolan, who looks up at me. I lift him up and set him on the food prep table, then set three cards down on it. "This one is for a breakfast hash," I tell him. "It''s a meal with potatoes, peppers, some sausage ¨C these ones made with pig meat ¨C some eggs, some cheese, and a little bit of seasoning, with maybe a few more veggies. This one here is for biscuits and gravy. Biscuits are a type of bread, sort of like the rolls we''ve had, and gravy is a type of sauce. I''ll make it with sausage, too. This one here is for pancakes with sausage links. Rather than just the chunks of sausage, this one will come in a shape sort of like fingers. You haven''t gotten to eat sausage with me yet, but I promise that it''s really good. And pancakes are a type of bread, too. They''re thin circles of it that go really well with honey, and I can include some other stuff in them, like berries." I''ve found all of the seasonings needed to make the sausages in the area and included them in my garden, so they''ll have a proper taste as well rather than just being ground pork. That''s something new to everyone around here except me, since the area doesn''t have minced/ground meat as a thing. Silveroak just¡­ never developed it for some reason. Only about half of the kingdoms I''ve been in have minced/ground meat. We apparently just prefer chunks, slabs, and slices here. "We''ve had the hash before," I tell the kid. "But it didn''t have the sausage in it. This will make it taste even better than before. The other two are new for you. Pick up whichever one sounds most interesting to you, and that''s what I''ll make." Nolan thinks really hard about this, and I take a peek into his mind after a minute to find that he''s not sure if he should pick one up. Ah, right, his communication issues. It seems like he wants the pancakes most because I mentioned berries. "Something tells me," I say, and Nolan looks at me. "That your berry-loving self wants the pancakes with berries, right?" Nolan gives me a shy nod. "Alright," I smile. "Then let''s do the pancakes. I haven''t made the sausages yet as I only just got the pork, but I can show you how it''s done." I did make casings for it yesterday, using slime goo I obtained in the mines. There were plenty of the monsters there and I obtained plenty of their balls. Enough to use up a couple of them and still have plenty left for producing slimes for the slime barn. I put the cards away and grab everything I need for today''s breakfast, then get to work on it. Nolan watches with interest as I put the meat and seasonings in the grinder and fix on the end of the casing. As I do this and make the sausages, I explain the process to him and he listens intently.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Or rather, as intently as a two-year-old boy can listen. His companion spirit has manifested itself and is sitting on his lap, and that seems to actually help him focus. Though the kid does play with the spirits arms a little, waving them around as he watches. In addition to the sausages, I make scrambled eggs to go with the breakfast, including a little bit of milk, shredded cheese, red bell peppers, and spring onions in them. The pancakes themselves are plain, but I make a strawberry syrup to pour on top for those who want to. I also let Nolan try a spoonful of it, making sure there''s a piece of strawberry included for him. "Like it?" I ask, and he gives me a big smile. "That''s great, little man. Can you let your dad and Thomas know that breakfast is ready?" He nods, so I help him down to the ground, then start transferring breakfast onto the table as Nolan fetches the others. When he reaches his dad, he just grabs onto Dylan''s leg and Dylan picks him up, ruffling his hair a little. Nolan then starts bouncing and looking over in this direction, which leads to the other men looking over. I point at the table and they laugh, then walk over. "So you were wanting us to come over for breakfast, huh?" Dylan asks, and Nolan reaches out toward the table. "Hold on, bud." "Am I the reason he didn''t say?" Thomas asks. "No," Dylan shifts a little, discomfort entering his mind. "Nol''s never spoken." "He''s mute?" Thomas asks. "Yeah," Dylan''s avoiding looking at Thomas, his voice quiet as the discomfort within his mind grows even higher. Mutism is also believed to be caused by a curse. "Technically," I say, and they look at me. "It''s caused by a mental block rather than a physical condition. That''s why he struggles to communicate in other ways, too. Just give him time and he may one day speak. He''s already nodded a little, which I''ve understood is a big deal. And again, Nolan''s not cursed." "R-right," Dylan says. "Come on," I say. "Let''s eat, then do the reading lesson." Everyone sits and we dig into our breakfast, then we clean the dishes before heading over to the lessons zone. I give them their writing boards and pens and grab my own, then begin today''s session. Since Thomas only comes half as often as the other two, he''s not learned quite as much as they have, but he should still be able to pick up the lesson they''re given so I don''t alter the plans. I start with a small review of the previous lessons, then teach the letters and words for today''s breakfast. Some of the letters used were already taught, others are new to them. "Hey, Nolan?" I ask after the lesson ends, and Nolan looks at me. "Can you hold up your board? No, I mean facing me," that causes Dylan and Thomas to chuckle a little as the toddler turns the board around. "That''s a nice drawing. Is it supposed to be your friendly spirit?" A nice drawing as far as a two-year-old is concerned. It''s rather blobby and doesn''t look much like an actual spirit, but there''s enough there for me to tell what it''s supposed to be. The kid gives me a shy nod when I ask, and I smile. "Good job," I tell him. "Can you collect the boards and pens and put them away?" Nolan hops off of his stool and collects the boards and pens, then puts them into the drawer when I keep them before returning to his father. "Now for the work?" Thomas asks. "Now for the work," I beckon them to come over to me, and a warpstone appears in my right hand. "Activate this and it''ll warp you to a waystone I set up in the area where I want to harvest the trees for the cabin. Thomas, you take it. Dylan, I''ve got a specialized one that''ll take you and one other person so long as you''re in physical contact with them." Thomas accepts the warpstone and uses it, then Dylan uses the one I hand him. Rather than using one for myself, I walk over to the waystone on my property and use it to warp there. Saving the resources on another warpstone just makes sense. I''d made the one Thomas used specifically in case he offered to help, as I''d had a feeling he might. "How does this work?" Thomas asks. "You just use your magic to cut them down, right?" "Yeah," I answer as the spatial pocket cuff and the other spatial pocket bracelet both appear in my right hand. "I can fell quite a few of them at once with [Arc Slash]. What I need with from the two of you is getting them stored. They''ll fit easier if the branches are removed. Thomas, take the cuff. I''ll fell the trees and remove the branches. Thomas, you put the logs into the cuff, it has a spatial pocket that''s a hundred and twenty-five feet on each side. Dylan, you stick the branches into the bracelet. Break the branches down as best as possible before doing so ¨C not in half or anything, just cut off their own branches on the bigger ones. That''ll help things fit in better. The space in there might be large, but we''re collecting a lot of trees, and they have a lot of branches." Even if he''s had a bad diet for two years, Dylan still has some Skill Levels that''s boosted his Strength. Those are permanent increases, assuming one never has their Skill Levels decreased for some reason like I did. Because of that, he has more than enough Strength to chop off even the thicker off-branches in one or two whacks, so it shouldn''t take him too long. "Nolan," I look at the toddler. "Can you help your father collect the smaller branches to put away?" Nolan gives me a small nod. "Thanks, bud," I ruffle his hair. "There''s an axe in both pockets, so Thomas, you can help Dylan if you want while I''m cutting trees and removing their branches." "Alright," he says. They accept the items and slip them on, then remove the axes as I walk up to the edge of the forest. With a swipe of two fingers through the air, I send an [Arc Slash] forward. This one is a little bit modified so that it''s wider than normal, stretching thirteen feet across rather than up to three like the spell normally can. If I cast it normally, the spell would travel further but strike fewer trees, since trees don''t grow in perfect lines. The wider cast allows it to slice through more as it flies forward, and trees begin to fall as it severs them only a foot above the base. I tailored the casting angle, the shape of the arc, and a few other aspects of the spell specifically to force the trees to fall towards me, and that''s exactly what they do. With [Telekinesis], I pull one of the trees out and lift it up into the air and bring it into the clear space around us, then send another modified [Arc Slash] forward. This one is only seven inches in width, and it spins rapidly as it soars down the trunk of the tree. I maintain control over the spell rather than simply letting it fly forward, allowing me to send it towards different branches to lop them off. They each fall to the ground and once the trunk has been cleaned of all branches, I shift it further to the side and drop it down. I repeat this process until all of the felled trees are taken care of, then send another larger [Arc Slash] forward to the side of where the first one was. Thomas and Dylan immediately get to work on picking up the branches and logs, Nolan doing his best to help but looking a little confused about where everything is going. By the time we finish, the cuff and both spatial pocket bracelets have been filled up, including the one Thomas is borrowing for the docks. He didn''t pack it full of lumber when he was collecting some earlier and there was plenty of space left in it, and we needed plenty of space for all of the branches. In fact, we had to start storing them in the cuff as well, and there''s still plenty left on the ground. I didn''t realize how much space the branches of a tree took up in comparison to the trunks and had just assumed we''d be fine with what I commissioned once they were broken down into branchless logs and sticks. Before I came out here, it was always others handling most of the breakdown after I cleared the trees, and the logs and branches were being put to immediate use. That probably contributed to my bad estimate. That, and me not doing math correctly¡­ but that''s also still due to my experiences with this sort of thing. "We can come back for the rest another time," I say. "Or someone else can collect some if they need it. I''m not entirely sure what all I am going to be doing with the branches. The logs were the main goal. Come on, let''s head back home and I''ll make lunch." We use the waystone to return home (though we have to make sure Nolan uses it correctly, which he does), then walk over to my cooking station. I look down at Nolan, then hold out my hand and three cards appear as I crouch in front of him. "What do you think we should do for lunch?" I ask. "This first one is kebabs, or chunks of meat and veggies on a stick, and buttered rolls. This second one is a lunch hash. This third one is fried chicken with fried onion rings. It''s another thing you haven''t had before, and is done by covering them in batter and then cooking them in hot oil." Nolan stares at the cards, and the feel of his mind tells me he''s already decided on one. A peek into his mind reveals that he wants the hash, mostly because it''s the one he knows for sure he likes as he''s had it but not the other two. That, and because I always do a little fruit mix on the side when I make hash. "Can you grab the card for the one you want to eat?" I ask, and Nolan just keeps staring at them. "Hm¡­ maybe I could just do plain baked potatoes-" Nolan quickly reaches forward and grabs the card for the hash. "A lunch hash?" I ask as his father and Thomas laugh, and Nolan nods. "Alright, then let''s do a lunch hash, little man." Chapter 0033 "Let me help with that," Thomas tells Dylan as the latter starts to wash the lunch dishes. This should be interesting to watch. Thomas seems to be feeling guilty about something, and he''s never helped with the dishes after we eat before. I''m guessing it''s because of his realization that he''s been wrong about Nolan these past two years. Dylan, meanwhile, feels anxious over the offer for some reason. I''m not able to make a guess about the cause behind that, other than it''s probably just that Thomas makes him anxious from the events of the past two years. Why there would be a spike of it at an offer to help, I don''t know. When we were discussing about the construction work, Dylan felt a little anxious over Thomas''s offer for help, too. Should I ask him about it once Nolan goes down for his nap and Thomas leaves to take the lumber for the docks down to the beach? "I''ve got it," Dylan responds. "What about Nolan?" Thomas asks. "He seems to be a little hyper right now, might need some supervision." The last few times Dylan and Nolan were over, Nolan''s become pretty hyper after lunch. He''s not able to last very long right now as he''s building up strength, but we''ve come up with a solution so that he doesn''t start splashing around in the bath while we''re relaxing. Well, I came up with a solution and Dylan reluctantly accepted that it works. "I''m watching him," I tell Thomas as I conjure a trio of orbs of water, each with a small glimmer within them. "Alright, Nolan. Just like before, try to catch one of the orbs. If you can manage to catch one, you can ride Aluci before the bath." I twist my wrist, and the three orbs begin floating around. Manipulating the orbs doesn''t require me to actually gesture, so I drop my hand back down on my lap. The twist is to mark the start of it for Nolan. To Dylan and Nolan, this is just some spell I learned awhile back for playing with kids. They think the orbs are moving on their own, and I just conjure a new one to keep the count at three if Nolan gets hit by one. In reality, it''s just me conjuring and manipulating orbs that are a fusion of water and light magics. It makes it easier to wear Nolan out by keeping them just barely out of his reach until the end. Every minute or so, I let one splash against him, which delights the kid, especially because the glimmer within the water continues even after the orb breaks. He does his best to chase after the orbs and just picks himself back up whenever he trips and falls. Chances are, he''s forgotten that the reward is getting to ride Aluci, but that''s fine. That was just to get him interested in doing it so that he''ll try his hardest and wear himself out. As Dylan and Thomas finish washing the dishes, I let Nolan grab one. The kid examines it as the orb rests in his hands for a few moments¡­ then jumps a little as the orb explodes, splashing him. "Good job, Nolan," I say as the other two orbs splash onto him, Nolan now decently covered in glimmering water. "Ready for your ride on Aluci?" Aluci lowers himself beside Nolan, allowing the boy to climb up onto him. Once Nolan is seated and gripping Aluci''s fur, the dream beast begins walking around. "He really just lets people ride him?" Thomas asks as Dylan follows the two for a few moments. "Mostly children," I say. "Though people who are liked by spirits can if he''s feeling like it, or if I ask. That''s why he let you the other day, because you''re liked by spirits and I asked him." "Ah," he says as Aluci starts running, pure joy entering Nolan''s mind while his father gives up following. We watch as Aluci runs around for a couple of minutes, then he returns to us and Dylan pulls his son off. "Does the glimmer-water wash off?" Thomas eyes it. "I ain''t too knowledgeable ''bout magic, but some magics can last a long time, right?" "It''ll start fading in a minute," I say. "But yes, it washes off just fine." Mostly by getting diluted rather than actually washed off. We head to the bathing station ¨C I still have the outdoor one set up, as I never set up the one in my house ¨C and scrub ourselves clean, then wash what we were wearing. Once that''s taken care of and our clothes are set out to dry, we sit down in the bath to relax. After helping us with the branches, eating a filling meal, and chasing after the orbs, Nolan is nodding off. There was enough food in the meal that both of the other men are sleepy as well, though I feel fine. I still close my eyes to relax a little, listening to the soft sounds of the forest, to the birds chirping in the distance, the spirits lightly playing in the bath, the stream flowing nearby, and the fire crackling a short distance away. If I focus too much on the sleepiness in the minds of the other three, it''ll start lulling me to sleep, so I avoid doing that even if I can''t avoid feeling their minds from this range. Nolan has relaxed completely while Dylan has slight discomfort directed at Thomas, and Thomas seems to be thinking over something as he relaxes. The temptation to peek is strong, but I resist as I relax. "Come on, Nolan," Dylan softly murmurs after a little while. "Let''s get you down for a nap, yeah?" I peek open an eye to see Dylan pulling his son out of the bath, then drying the two of them off and slipping them back into their pants. Thomas watches for a few moments, before returning to relaxing. As has become the norm, Aluci walks with Dylan to the cabin. He keeps an eye on the toddler and lets the little guy use him as a pillow during naptime. Dylan''s gotten used to his presence now and no longer thinks the wolf is going to eat his son.When Dylan returns, he stands outside of the bath, awkwardness and discomfort in his mind. "Weren''t you going to leave to take the stuff down to the docks while Nolan''s napping?" He asks a little tensely. "I realized that ain''t too efficient," Thomas opens his eyes. "There ain''t a warpstone at the docks and even if the village ain''t that far from it, having to go from the village to the beach, unload everything, then back to the village will take more than an hour. If the magic lessons begin in an hour, then I''ll be late for those. Us having our lessons on different days just increases how much of Rowan''s time we''re taking, so it''s better if I ain''t late or missing it." The discomfort Dylan feels seems directed at me more than at Thomas. So he''s fine if Thomas knows, but he''s not sure¡­ ah, he''s not sure how I''d feel about it being said. He doesn''t seem annoyed by Thomas''s respond, just disappointed. Thomas does have a good point with his explanation. "Thomas," I say, and he looks at me. "Dylan and I use the quiet time for sex." There''s surprise and confusion in his mind, and Dylan''s own surprise is just as strong. "You two are having sex?" "Well," I say. "Getting off with someone else is more pleasurable than doing so alone, we''re both consenting adults, and neither of us have other options outside of those two. There''s no relationship between us, though. It''s purely a way of dealing with our sexual urges in a more pleasurable manner. That''s why I''d suggested you take the stuff to the docks¡­ I hadn''t thought about how long the full trip would take." "Oh," he looks between so. "But you ain''t dating, you said? Just sex?" "Yeah," I answer. "Dylan isn''t my type, which I was clear about before we started. I''m more into muscular dudes and fully-fledged mages, especially if someone is both." The slight increase in the attraction to me in Thomas''s mind and the slight spike of arousal causes me to remember that he is on the muscular side. I do like checking him out, and I do hope we can be something in the future, but I''m not going to push for it now. He still doesn''t fully trust me so there''s no chance. "Thinking ''bout it a bit more," Thomas gets up. "I can probably have the wood unloaded into wagons so the others can take them down. You don''t mind if others use the tools, do you?" "As long as I get them back intact," I state. "Then that''s fine." "Alright," he says. "I''ll be back in ''bout an hour."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. We watch as Thomas leaves, and once he''s used the warpstone and vanished, I get out of the bath, drying myself off with magic as I do. Dylan joins me in a grassy section close to the bath, a small amount of anxiety still present in his mind. "You don''t mind him knowing?" He asks. "I mean, I don''t, but didn''t expect that from you." "I''ve always been pretty direct about stuff like that," I tell him. "Probably should''ve asked you first, but it''s already happened." "I don''t mind," he starts pulling down his pants as I feel something slightly bitter in his mind, mixed in with amusement. "Thomas and I dated before, y''know," the bitterness increases here. "Though¡­ well, it ain''t mattering now. Bet he''s jealous, though." He''s got some pretty harsh feelings about whatever happened between them. If the two of them were a couple before Nolan, then did they break up because of Nolan''s conception, or before Dylan got with Nolan''s mother? Not that it matters to me, since it doesn''t seem like the bad blood between them is that bad. And Thomas seems to still care for Dylan at least a little, based on what I can feel in his mind. Which is no doubt why he tried to get Dylan to put distance between himself and a curse. I''ll keep an eye on them as we work on the cabins, just to make sure nothing happens around me. Though it doesn''t seem like there''s bad blood about how their relationship ended ¨C just that Dylan''s upset it did ¨C that doesn''t mean things might not change as they spend more time around each other. It might turn out badly¡­ or things might rekindle between them and I''ll have to look outside of the village for a boyfriend. Right now, though, it''s time to enjoy the moment. Specifically, the one where Dylan''s down on his knees, taking my dick into his mouth. He''s only done this a few times but seems to enjoy starting off with oral now. "Oooh," I moan a little as I put a hand on his head and the other on my hip, Dylan''s tongue moving around the head of my dick, the only part he''s taken in so far. "Mnnnh." After about a minute of this, Dylan switches to quickly bobbing his head on my dick a couple of times, only taking an inch or so of past the head into his mouth, then slowly taking it a little bit further, then the quick bobs, again and again. This pattern feels pretty good, too, and I rub his head a little as he does this. I''d really like him to take the whole thing into his mouth, but don''t suggest it at all. He''s not tried it in the few times he''s blown me, so I don''t think he''s into that. This still feels good even without that and after a minute or so of this, Dylan slowly pulls off, making sure his tongue slides against the underside of my dick as he does. "Mmmn," I moan a little as he licks down the underside of my dick, reaching my balls, the left of which he starts sucking on. "Oooh!" As he sucks, licks, and kisses my balls, Dylan gently strokes my dick with his right hand his left firmly holding onto my right thigh. Every ten seconds or so, Dylan looks up and makes eye contact with me, those blue eyes of his filled with the same desire I can feel in his mind. I want to flip him over and slam into his ass, but I hold back. This feels good, too, and he''s enjoying it. After giving each of my nuts plenty of attention, Dylan licks his way back up to the tip of my dick, then takes it back into his mouth and resumes his alternating bobbing pattern. The urge to pull his head forward so that I''m as deep in his mouth as I can go is a little strong, so I move my right hand to his back and rub it a little. His skin is a little firm but soft, and warm. "Dylan," I moan a little as my hand moves back to his head, Dylan having alternated between my dick and balls a few times now and is currently on the latter. "Getting close." He returns to sucking my dick, bobbing back and forth quickly this time rather than alternating between that and slowly. When I reach my peak, I let out small grunts with each shot, and Dylan swallows it all. While he did that the other two times as well, I haven''t told him I know he''s doing it just for my sake. He likes it when I shoot in his mouth, but he doesn''t like it that much according to the feelings in his mind. If he wants to anyway, I won''t stop him. I rub his head some more as he finishes taking care of me, then he pulls off and turns around, shifting so that he''s on his hands and knees. A little bit of anxiety enters his mind, mostly separate from the anticipation, hope, desire, and arousal. He hasn''t had anxiety any other time we''ve done this, outside of what I could tell was clear anxiety about the initial pain before he adjusted to my dick in his ass. "Everything alright?" I ask. "Yeah," he answers, hesitation now present in his mind. "Want me to blow you first?" He''s turned down my offer every time and I can feel the rejection in his mind before he responds. "Ain''t that," he hesitates for a moment, then looks back at me. "That thing you do. Where you use magic to keep yourself from cumming until the second time." "Don''t want me to do it this time?" I ask. "You said you learned how to do it for others, too?" "I haven''t done it with you," I tell him. "As I said, I only do that for them if they want me to." "Can you?" He asks. "So I don''t the first time, only the second?" That''s a surprising request, I didn''t think he''d be comfortable having magic used on him at all. For something like this, well, I guess he''s really gotten comfortable with me and my magic use. There''s no second time if there''s no first time, just a lot of buildup. Trying to explain how it would actually work would probably just confuse him and it''s not important, either. I know what he wants just from that question, and I can do it. "Sure," I tell him as I generate a gel-like substance to coat my dick with. Dylan looks forward again and once I''ve coated my dick in a good enough layer of the lube, I begin to slide it into his ass. While he''s still as tight around it as he was the first time, he''s loose enough after all of these times that I can slide in all the way without having to pull out or give him time to adjust. Rather than just sliding in, though, I slide in about an inch, then pull back half of that, then slide in another inch, repeating this over and over. I can feel his own pleasure with each push forward, and his ass squeezing my dick feels amazing to me. "You good?" I ask once I''m all the way in. There''s no pain in his mind, only slight discomfort and plenty of pleasure. Checking just in case is important, though. "Yeah," he moans a little. "Start when you want." "Alright," I adjust my grip on his hips, then begin thrusting. I quickly reach the sweet spot where it''s most pleasurable for Dylan without hurting him, keeping this speed up. After a couple of minutes, I slowly pull back, then thrust deep in. Dylan lets out a grunt when I do and reaches back, putting a hand on my leg. I rub his sides and back as I repeat this a couple of times. He''s gained enough meat that it''s not uncomfortable to rub him like this and while he''s not attractive to me¡­ I still find rubbing him like this enjoyable. When I notice Dylan starting to get uncomfortable with the harder thrusts, I straighten back up and slide my hands back to his hips. He quickly moves his hand back so that he''s bracing himself with both arms rather than just one, and I return to the faster thrusts. He lets out a soft grunt with every thrust I do, and I can feel his pleasure building up. Focusing on those feelings of his really helps me enjoy this, too. Not that the physical feelings aren''t bad, this just heightens it since I can''t focus on his looks. Damn, I want to cum right now. "Fuck," he gasps when I finally pull out of his ass, and he flips onto his back. "I really feel like I need to cum." "Want me to stop the magic?" I ask. "You''ll probably shoot immediately if anything even brushes your dick." "No," he says. "It ain''t that bad." "Alright," I add a little more conjured gel to my dick. "Let me know if you want me to stop it early." "Will do." "Nnnnh," I moan a little as I slide back into him. Even if he''s loosened up a little from the last fucking, he''s still pretty tight and it still feels pretty great. Something about this position makes Dylan happier when I''m not as fast, so I make sure to maintain the pace that he prefers, occasionally slowing down a little for a few thrusts. That heightens his feelings of pleasure, which makes it easier for me to enjoy this. Though he really likes looking into my eyes, at my chest, at my stomach. While I don''t feel the same way looking at him, I don''t care if he does. Not even when his hands move to my stomach and rub it. That actually feels really good, so I lean forward a little so that he can do it more easily. After rubbing my stomach for a minute, Dylan switches his right hand to jacking himself off as he continues feeling me, moans and gasps of pleasure escaping him. A small desperation enters his mind, too. He wants to climax now, he really wants to climax. There''s some regret, probably at asking me to keep him from doing so. While he''s not quite at that point yet¡­ I stop the magic anyway. We both moan in pleasure as we climax, his ass tightening around me with each shot that blasts out of him. Damn, that feels so good. I keep leaning over him a little for a minute after, both of us catching our breaths. His face is flushed right now and he''s breathing hard. With how built up he became, the shots were pretty strong and there''s a lot of extra splatter on his face and upper chest. There''s more on his arm and hand, and he''s still lightly holding his dick. His left hand is still on my stomach, and he''s rubbing it lightly with his thumb. Based on what I can feel from his mind, it''s probably not something he''s doing consciously. That''s a new one for him, but it does feel a little good. My ex liked to lightly rub my stomach like that when we were just relaxing in bed or a field or wherever. The reason I''m waiting right now is mostly for Dylan''s sake. He doesn''t like it if I pull out immediately after, I think mostly so he can mentally brace himself for it. Once he lets me know he''s ready, I pull out, then we clean up and pull our pants back on. "That was¡­ a lot more than I expected," he says. "I ain''t sure I could''ve lasted longer before asking you to stop, thank the spirits I was there, I guess." "You weren''t," I tell him. "What?" His face screws up in confusion. "Ready," I say. "I noticed you were getting uncomfortable with the holdback and decided to stop the magic. Probably should''ve asked you first, but figured things were enough there." There''s surprise in his mind, but appreciation as well. I made the right choice. "Thanks," he says. "No worries," I say. "We''ve still got time before Thomas returns, so I''m going to make more of the barrier tree slices. Want to watch?" Dylan''s been interested in watching me enchant things, and I don''t mind others observing as long as they aren''t distracting me. The moment I make the offer, a small bit of excitement enters his mind. "Sure," he looks at the cabin. "Though I should probably check on Nolan, it''s been long enough." While I know a part of him wants to go straight to watching, he always wants to check on his son, too. Dylan''s not that used to not being right there for Nolan''s naps. "He''s still passed out," I say. "Aluci says he thinks it''ll be about ten to fifteen minutes before he wakes." "Alright," Dylan glances at the cabin again, then looks at me. "Then I guess I can watch you now." That''s new. He always checks on Nolan, regardless of what I say. Is he getting used to things being as I say they are? The estimation really was from Aluci, though I can tell that the toddler''s still asleep on my own even with the distance thanks to my [Empathy] and range. "Let''s get to it, then," I say. "Would you mind grabbing one of the logs from over there? One that''s three feet in height, from one of the five-foot trees? I''ll set up while you do that." Chapter 0034 "Why''s his ball different?" Thomas asks as I give out the magic training balls for today''s training session. The wooden training balls I''ve been giving the three of them are made of a paler wood with a golden hue to them. The one I gave to Dylan this time is made of some of the arcane wood I obtained from the tree fiends in the Mistwood, and so is more of a medium-brown with a slight pink tint to it. As with the other training balls, it''s a 3" sphere, but one which also has grooves along the surface. "Because he''s been doing this twice as often as you and has progressed a little further," I answer. "And has reached the stage where he can maintain putting around 0.3 MP into the orb per second for thirty seconds, the standard for making yours and Nolan''s green. Dylan, your new orb will be green if you input 0.1 MP into it per second. Being able to do a smaller flow is essential for being able to cast spells. This orb requires much more precision as well ¨C the other one will be green if you''re within ten percent of its required amount, but this one requires exactly 0.1 MP per second to be green. If you''re off of that by even a tiny bit, it''ll shift to orange if you''re under and red if you''re over." Moving on to requiring a more precise amount is important, not just being able to channel a lower amount consistently. Precise mana shaping leads to more efficient spellcasting. Putting in too much mana can result in the spell exploding or unleashing right in front of you. Too little, and it made fade away or come undone before it actually takes hold. There are other things which can result from putting in too much or too little mana, though those are the main ones experienced by beginner mages. That''s why the colors for over and under are different ¨C to make it easier for them to tell which direction they''re off by. "What about the grooves?" Curiosity has filled Dylan''s mind. "That''s the step after you can make the orb green for thirty seconds," I tell him. "I combined them into the same sphere mostly because I forgot to make a sphere that only has the 0.1 MP per second requirement." The other men snort while Nolan pokes at the grooves on his father''s sphere. "What''re the grooves for?" Dylan asks. "If you channel exactly 1 MP into the grooves and only the grooves," I say. "In under a second and at an even spread, they''ll emit a green glow while the rest of the orb remains the same. If you maintain that flow, they''ll continue to glow until you stop it. Once you can do that, you''re ready to move on to casting spells. [Magic Arrow] costs 2 MP and [Magic Missile] costs 5 MP, and you need to be able to shape the spells in about 5 seconds or so to actually cast them properly. Any longer than that, and you''re likely to lose hold over the spell''s structure." "Alright," he looks down at the orb. "While you three do your training," I say. "I''m going to do some crafting, then clear out the space for the barn. Remember to come ask me if you have questions or need help with something." Dylan and Thomas nod while Nolan immediately starts focusing on his orb, and I move over to my crafting zone and pull out a chunk of spatial mithril from the tenth floor of the mines. It''s Tier 5 in quality and so is the best I have right now, though not the ore clump I let Ash take from. I could return to town and commission more bracelets, but I am strong enough to do it now. This will just take me some extra effort. A thin line of fire forms in the air as the clump floats up above my palm, and the wire of dense, liquid-like flame begins slicing through the metal. It takes me about three minutes to cut the amount off that I want, then I send the rest of it back into my storage as I generate a wind bubble around the floating orb. The flames fade away as the metal begins to heat up, first glowing orange before glowing yellow. While I can''t quite make it white-hot at my current magical strength due to raw mithril''s natural resistance and high melting point, this is enough to start reshaping it. With a mixture of fire, force, and earth magics, I begin splitting the sectioned-off clump into three pieces and forging them into bracelets identical to the new spatial pocket bracelets. This takes me a bit of effort due to my current state and the fact that when mithril is forged properly, its strength and resistance increases immensely, but I manage to finish after about half an hour. And a significant drain of my mana. The trio of bracelets plop onto the table I''m at as I dismiss all of the magics I''m using, and I pull out a glass jar filled with deep blue mana potion. Ever since first transplanting mana potion reagents to my yard, I''ve made sure to keep a decent stock of it up. I''ve also made sure to use earth magic crystals in the soil to boost their growth and bounties. Which, in turn, has helped me brew up quite the amount of mana potions, which are next to nothing compared to what I spend sometimes. After this, I''ll need to hold off on using up a lot of mana in a short amount of time for a week or two. That will ensure I can replace all of the mana potions I used yesterday and today. I should really find a way to boost the plants'' qualities, if it''s possible to do that quickly without causing other problems. This is especially true for the mushrooms and herbs, as I grow more than enough berries. Enough that I can do other stuff with them and still have plenty for the mana potions based on the other two reagents'' quantities. With the bracelets ready for enchanting, I take out the spatial magic enchanting supplies I brewed up for the others, then enchant each of the three bracelets. Upon finishing the third, a notification appears in my vision.
[Crafting] is now Level 14!
+2 Strength +2 Dexterity
"Hey, Rowan?" Thomas calls over as I dismiss the notification. "Yeah?" I look at him. "When you were enchanting those," he says. "You did some sort of gesturing, then the runes glowed more before vanishing. You were casting a spell on them, weren''t you?" I suppose I am visible from the lessons zone, since my crafting zone isn''t too far away from there. That was deliberate, as it makes it easier to keep an eye on them while they''re training their magic. Right now is about the end of their usual lesson time, and all three of them are drained of mana. Dylan and Thomas switched to watching me while Nolan''s focusing on his ball still, intent concentration in his mind for some reason. "Yeah," I answer. "There are two ways to enchant. One method is cheaper, but the items don''t last as long. You use enchanting ink or some other medium to put in the full details of the enchantment, as well as all of the mana necessary for it. Depending on how much mana you put into it, they can last anywhere from minutes to several years.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "The method I use is stronger," I continue. "What I do instead is I turn the item into an anchor ¨C that is, it holds the spell that''s cast, stabilizing it and allowing it to remain. So I create the enchantment on it but not the actual spell or spells, then cast them together onto it, into the anchoring enchantment. Since the enchantment isn''t creating the magic, only holding it and keeping it active, it''s able to last a long longer. Decades, even centuries, depending on the magic, the materials used, and the amount of mana that was used in the enchanting medium." And there''s no mana necessary to sustain many types of enchantments, such as strengthening ones or spatial pockets. Some need it, sure, and others might need to when aspects are activated, but not all do. "So¡­ you can use spatial magic?" Well, crap. There goes hiding the fact that I''m a spatial mage. I really should have thought about my explanation before saying it. One of the downsides to being a magus: I''m more than willing to explain things I shouldn''t. Denying it won''t make him believe me, either. I''ve gotten to know him well enough these past couple of months to know that he''s too smart for that. Education doesn''t always equate to reasoning and critical thinking skills, and he did just see me casting a spell. "I can," I confirm. "But I don''t talk about it much. Very few people are able to use spatial magics, which are one of the two highest types of magic, alongside temporal. The spells are rather costly, too. The version of [Spatial Pocket] I cast onto the bracelet is actually modified for the bracelet, reducing its cost massively. To make one that''s one hundred twenty-five feet on each side ¨C the largest one made of spatial mithril to this size of bracelet can hold ¨C costs 11,250 MP. That''s why I had to drink some mana potion between each." The cuff, on the other hand, cost me almost 19,000 MP to enchant, due to the larger size of the [Spatial Pocket] cast onto it. These costs also don''t factor in the strengthening enchantments I placed on them, though those aren''t nearly as costly. "However," I say. "To create one that large with my power alone would actually cost more than sixty-three million points of mana. For comparison, think of your current capacity as a single silver ciirvrios coin¡­ and the cost of casting the spell that large without an anchor to be a little more than sixty-three diamond ones. Two tiers higher. And you can only improve your capacity by a silver at a time." The cost for the spell when anchoring it is only 75 MP times the length of one side. When casting the spell directly, the cost is per cubic foot. So for the anchored spell, it''s only 150 times 75, while for the raw spell, it''s 150 times 421,875. That''s quite the difference, and why I prefer to have bracelets rather than creating a bunch of smaller pockets that I can access. Sure, the bracelets take up a little bit of real space, but it''s better to have fewer of them than hundreds of [Spatial Pocket]s that take up no real space. "Damn¡­" he says. "So if you can do that, can you warp as well? Why make the stones?" The answer to that is pretty much the same as the one for why I prefer the bracelets. "Being able to do one magic doesn''t mean you can do all magics within a school of it," I say. "Though yes, I can cast the [Teleport] spell. And much like the [Spatial Pocket] spell, it''s costly. It costs 1 MP per fifty feet traveled. Tempest Oak is around forty miles from here ¨C it costs me more than 4,000 MP to [Teleport] there. Think of that as forty of you at full mana." "Jeez," he says. "Yeah," I say. "That''s why I wanted to put waystones up around the village and area. It''ll let me travel around without having to spend that, since the waystones draw on the mana in the air to power themselves and can store a large amount of it. Plus, it does help all of you as well. At least, so far as those going where the waystones are located can find use in them." "Can you use time magic, too?" He asks. "Is that why you can fight the¡­ what did you call them? The tempo golems?" He didn''t see me fight one, so this is just him assuming it based on, I guess the type of monster it is. That, and he''s probably thought about my stasis pocket bracelets. Those are a pretty clear use case of time magics since I did mention it''s in them. "I didn''t use spatial magic to fight the warp golems," I remind him. "The best way to take on a tempo golem is to do more damage to it than it can handle before it''s able to properly mount a counterattack. I know a spell that''s extremely useful for breaking stone, though it''s very expensive, which is why you didn''t see me use it." [Rend Space] does cost 1,000 MP, after all. "Anyway," I shift the topic. "Crafting these bracelets took longer than I expected, so your magic training session is over. I''m going to head back to the harvest zone and collect the rest of the branches and bring them back here. Then, I''ll work on clearing the space for the slime barn. The help you all gave earlier was more than enough for today, but if you want to join me, you can. And Dylan? I don''t mind you and Nolan staying with me until your cabin is built. So if you want to bring your stuff up here, you can." "Alright," Dylan says. "I should probably grab the rest of our stuff, then. We''ll help collect the stuff once we finish." "Alright," I say. "Come on, Nol," Dylan picks his son up. "Let''s go get the rest of our stuff." Nolan feels confused, though I can make a guess why. From what I''ve learned since we met, they don''t really have much. A single change of pants for each, Dylan''s necklace, a fishing rod, some dishes, and just a few other items they''ve collected. The tyke being seen as cursed really made it difficult for them to get anything else. "I''ll head down to the docks and get started," Thomas says. "If I can get a few of the other men to help, we should have it done by tonight." "Alright," I say. "I''ll see you either tomorrow or with the next lesson, then." Thomas nods, then leaves via the warpstone. I use it to head to the wood-harvesting area and begin collecting the branches, storing them in the new bracelets. When Dylan and Nolan arrive, they assist me as well. Dylan grabs actual branches, while Nolan gathers up as many sticks as he can carry and brings them over for us to put away. I don''t really need those, but I don''t want to make him feel useless. Helping out like this makes him happy. If he were one to make noises, he''d probably be humming or singing as he helped, judging by the feel in his mind. A bit too happy, actually. I take a peek and find that he''s playing a game in his head, trying to see how many sticks he can hold at once. His counting is atrocious, but that doesn''t matter to him. All that matters is that this armload is definitely the biggest. That estimation is based on the size of the sticks he''s got, not how many of them. "What?" Dylan asks at my snort. "Nothing," I tell him. We finish up here and return to my home, then I lead them over to the area where I want to put the slime barn. Or at least¡­ I start to. Arriving at the stream reminds me of one very important detail. "I forgot there''s no bridge," I tell Dylan. "And I don''t think the little one wants to try and wade through. Do you, Nolan?" Nolan looks at me with confusion in his mind, then at the stream, then at his dad. "We''ll have to build a bridge," Dylan says. "Yeah¡­" I examine the stream. "Let''s do that now." I already have plenty of pieces of wood cut and treated, more than what could be used for the docks. We start work on constructing that, and I learn that Dylan helped out with rebuilding a small bridge when he was fourteen. It was him, Thomas, and the other guy in our age group from the area, the one who left before I came here. They''re not really sure where he went when he left, as all he''d said was that he was going to seek something more exciting and no one has heard from him since. The type of bridge we''re working on now is a little different from the more flat one the three of them built. We arch it a little in a design I''ve seen used during my travels. The arch design is a lot more stable and while it''s probably not necessary to cross just forty feet, raising it up will also protect when the stream rises from the rains. For that reason, we also build it so that it''s wider than the stream, secured into sturdy stones I place in the ground. Nolan attempts to help us, but gets distracted by some of the spirits that want to play with him. That''s a big relief for us, because there''s not much he can help with for the construction work. "There we go," I say once the bridge is complete. "Got a question, if that''s alright," Dylan says. "Go ahead." "How come you built it aligned with the cabin?" He asks. "Instead of further forward of it? Ain''t it better to do it forward so you ain''t gotta walk around the cabin a bit?" "Maybe," I say. "But I''m building the new cabin with its back wall about fifty feet in front of the old one. There''ll be a back door that can be exited through, and from there, it''s just a slight angle to reach the bridge. And it doesn''t really matter in the end. Anyway, the slime barn is going to be about fifty feet further back, but probably only a hundred from the stream. I''m going to go knock down the trees now. Once I''m done, do you and Nolan want to help me collect the wood?" "We can do that," he looks at Nolan, who''s currently chasing an air spirit in circles while dodging small water shots from water spirits, a massive grin on his face. "Well, I can definitely do that. He might not be able to." Chapter 0035 "It still ain''t lookin'' like a barn to me," Thomas says as we look at the slime barn. Thomas, Dylan, and I spent the last two days building it and with the three of us working together, we managed to finish the structure. That''s longer than when I was setting up camps during my travels, but only because my cabins were usually constructed by a much larger team. Having ten to twenty people working on a cabin, including with magic involved, really makes things faster. I''m not complaining, though. This is faster than I expected to have it done since I originally wasn''t going to ask for assistance with it. I''m quite grateful for their help and will make sure to give them an extra-special dinner as thanks once we''re fully done with today''s work. The structure is forty feet on each side, though the front of the barn has a small foyer that''s seven feet on each side, jutting outward from the right-hand side. That part was added on after we built the rest of the walls, so when entering, there''s an additional wall with a door in front of us before we enter the barn properly. It will act as an extra barrier in case the slimes get loose, preventing them from being able to leave the barn. Stretching from the part which juts out down to the other end of the front is a porch, with the steps leading up to it at the opposite end from the entrance. Windows are spaced out on the barn, ten feet from each corner on each side, though there aren''t any glass panes in them yet, just shutters. I won''t be putting in the glass windows until after I have the goo to create the barrier between them. A two-foot-tall wall of stone rests under the barn, holding it up off the ground with an empty space within. Well, a mostly empty space. I did convert the ground beneath in into a flat slab, and there''s a wardstone sitting there as well. Sturdy stones were used to create the "foundation" wall, as they''re strong enough to handle holding the supports for the barn. Collecting that many sturdy stones is why I had to stop when I did during my last visit to the mines. Almost two-thirds of my stasis pocket was filled with them as the ones on the tenth floor were a decent size. We used quite a few for the foundation walls here, so I''ll definitely need to make another trip into the mines to acquire the ones for my cabin and for Dylan and Nolan''s. Those will both be a little bit bigger than the barn is and so will use plenty. I might have enough, but I''m not one hundred percent sure on that and it''s better to be safe than sorry. The interior of the barn is an open space, nothing fancy set up yet. We do have the flooring installed, and it''s just about time to begin the next step. "Yeah," I say. "It''s not your classic barn. We could do a slime barn the same way you do ones for animals, but it''s not necessary. You three stay out here for a minute, I need to set the enchantments." Thomas frowns a little as Dylan just nods, and I head inside. Nolan wants to follow me in, but Dylan''s holding him so he''s not able to try. Once inside, I cast the spell to finalize the enchantments set on the building. These ones were done differently and mostly rely on specific spots rather than needing to be drawn all over the place. Some of the stones underneath the barn are actually spatial stones rather than sturdy stones, and help with this enchantment. Doing it the way I did basically ensures that even if the barn takes damage, the enchantments won''t break. That''s important when putting on a spell which expands the space within an object. The moment the spell completes, I feel the air within the building shift, though nothing really happens. Not visually. There''s no expansion of space, no warping, nothing. Exactly as intended. "Alright," I tell Thomas and Dylan after rejoining them. "Let''s start building the stalls." "What was the enchantment you set?" Thomas asks after entering, curiosity and confusion in his mind as he looks around. "Just a strengthening one?" Since the effect of this enchantment set isn''t as obvious as the one on the temporary cabin, it''s understandable he''d be a little confused. "There''s that," I say. "And some others. One of them is a specialized spatial expansion one." "Hate to be the bearer of bad news," he says. "But looks like it failed. Space is the same." "It doesn''t expand the space automatically," I explain. "Instead, what it does is allow me to expand it as needed. We''ll only build two stalls today ¨C a normal one and one for air slimes. That''s probably all we have time for today, and it''s all I have slimeballs for. We won''t be able to do the others until I have more goo, anyway." "More goo?" Dylan asks. "Why? You brewed something up before Thomas got here this morning. That''s for this?" "Yeah," I nod. "The stall will get a coating of the goo brew, which will make it impossible for the slimes to escape. They can''t grip it or stick to it, so they''ll just slide off the walls. There will be slats for viewing on the upper half rather than solid walls, but enchantments will ensure the slimes don''t slip through them if they try jumping. I could buy more of the goo in town, but I want to use goo from my own for that. Alright, let''s get them built." We build the stalls on the left-hand side of the barn, with one on the back wall and one on the front. The stalls come out twenty feet from the side wall, and twelve from the front and back walls. They''re also built three feet above the ground with the floors of the stalls made out of a single slab of stone that''s three inches in thickness. The stall floors are designed to be pretty smooth, but not so smooth that slimes can''t grip them. At the front of the stalls ¨C the side facing the walkway formed between them ¨C there are three one-inch holes. Those holes narrow as they move further from the top of the floor, until they''re only half an inch in diameter. Beneath those holes, glass bins are placed, each three feet wide and long and two tall, with a leather cover for their undersides. They''re set onto a roller track to allow them to be pulled out with ease, a simple magic contraption set up to cover the hole when the bin beneath it is moved. The magitech contraption will also close the hole above if the bin is too full. Basically, if goo won''t go into the bin or can overfill it, the hole is closed. "Slimes don''t like their homes being too filled with goo," I explain to the others. "So they normally hold onto it, eventually splitting when they have too much. That''s if they''re able to produce it. They''ll be able to here. A mature slime produces around three gallons of it in a week, and the bins can each hold around a hundred and thirty-four gallons, or roughly forty-four weeks'' worth of extra slime. You want a space roughly four feet on each side per slime you have, so this space can hold twelve slimes, though I''ll probably only have seven so that they''ve got more space. Fully-mature slimes are about a foot in size." There''s confused concentration in the minds of both of the other men. Nolan, meanwhile, is peeking into the underspace for the normal slimes, a few mid-rank spirits doing the same with him. I think there are some playing peek-a-boo from behind the bin based on the small giggles in the boy''s mind. "Roughly six or so weeks'' worth of slime per bin," I say. "So longer than that since there are three. And it doesn''t include if a slime decides to hold their goo to make an egg. They do that sometimes as well." "And now that it''s done, you''ll¡­ hatch the eggs?" Thomas frowns a little. "Not yet," I say. "We still have to put in the water trough. Slimes don''t ''eat'' the way we do, but they still drink water. A lot of it, actually. They drink about three gallons a day. Don''t ask where it all goes, magic''s involved. We''ll put in feeding troughs as well, though they won''t see much use." They can eat stuff, but prefer to only eat things with magical aspects the same type as their own. When they absorb it, they retain the essence and it provides a boost to the quality of the goo they produce until the essence has been used up. "We ain''t that close to the stream here," Dylan says. "And won''t it take a lot of magic to keep the trough full?" "Not in the way you''re thinking," I say. "A gallon is probably less than you think. And anyway, water magic crystals can be used to produce water, if you set them up right. The Tier 5 ones I acquired on the tenth floor of the mines are roughly fourteen cubic inches in size, and will produce up to two hundred and fifty gallons of water per cubic inch. That''s almost six months'' worth of water per crystal, if I did my math right, and I can always go back and acquire more when needed." "Damn," Thomas says. "Yeah," I say. "You two get started on the other stall while I get the first water trough set up." Once I finish setting up the trough and its enchantments, water begins pouring into the trough from seven holes set just-above it on the wall. According to the tome I read, that''s better for slimes than sticking the water exits in the trough itself, as the slimes will play with the flow sometimes. I do make sure there''s a regulation enchantment so the trough doesn''t overflow, though.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. With that finished, I build the feeding trough on the opposite side of the stall from the water one and explain its purpose to the others. Then, I pull a slimeball and a plain magic crystal out of my storage. A section of the crystal slices off, then floats into the slimeball, which I set into the stall. I repeat this until there are six of the slimeballs in the stall, each one dissolving and absorbing the magic crystal. The first of the seven finishes as I set the seventh one down, and it rapidly expands until it''s a blob of slime around half a foot in diameter. Slimes take about a week to reach their full size once they''re born when it''s via slimeball, according to the book. They won''t produce any extra slime until they reach that point, so we have more than a week until I can expect goo from them. Which is fine. Installing windows doesn''t need to be immediate. Now that the slimes are forming, I exit the stall and make sure to secure the door for it, then help Dylan and Thomas with building the air slimes'' stall. The basic layout for it is the same but with some changes to account for the different slimes'' nature. Rather than being just a plain stall, a few posts are set up within it, some with holes in them and some without. They aren''t large posts, but they''re more than enough for air slimes. A few enchantments designed to produce wind are also set up within it. "Slimes like their living spaces to have something resembling their types," I explain as we work. "Plain slimes don''t care much about that, but when it comes to specialized ones, it''s something you have to keep in mind." "And air slimes like stuff with air," Dylan says. "So they want a breeze in their area. And¡­ posts with holes?" "The posts are because of them playing with their magic," I gesture toward one. "The ones without holes, the slimes will just wrap their air around for giggles," I gesture toward one with holes, and a tone sounds out. "And the holes are set up in such a way that when air passes through them, they play notes. Like a flute." "A flute¡­" Dylan thinks for a few moments. "Only ever hear those from travelers here for a festival, if one brings them." Judging by the feeling in his mind, he likes the sound of them quite a lot. "I know how to play an ocarina," I tell him. "It''s a type of flute. If you want, I can teach you." "Thought you said you only knew how to play the violin and guitar?" Thomas asks. "Well¡­" I trail off for a moment as I think about how to respond. "Ocarinas tend to have a pretty specific user base. Almost no one outside of it uses them. So it''s not something I mention often." "A specific user base?" He frowns. "Ain''t that most instruments?" "Yeah," I find myself rubbing the back of my head and stop. "This is a much smaller user base than others. Anyway, let me get the troughs built, then the slimes born, then I''ll make dinner." The slimes that form from the greyish-white air magic crystals have a similar coloration, though still retain a decent level of transparency. When they''re fully-grown, the center part will be distorted the most, while we''ll still be able to see through them around the edges. I close and secure the stall door, then we exit the barn. Upon doing so, we find Nolan running from Aluci while carrying as many spirits as can fit between his arms and his chest. More spirits hang onto his shoulders and head, faces filled with mock horror. He''d come out here while we worked on finishing the air slimes'' stall, with Aluci supervising him. It seems the spirits decided to play around some more to keep him entertained. Panic fills Dylan''s mind at the sight, only seeing a wolf chasing his son rather than a boy playing with friendly spirits. "Nolan!" I call out before Dylan can say anything, and Nolan stops and looks over. Aluci stops chasing and looks over as well. "We''re heading back over to the cabin now, and I''m going to make dinner." Nolan looks down at the spirits in his arms and comes to a decision about something, then walks over to us without releasing them. We all walk back over to my cabin, and Nolan and Aluci resume playing as I begin working. Dylan feels a bit more relaxed now that he''s processed the situation, though he still feels nervous watching a wolf chasing his son. Especially the first time Aluci "catches" Nolan. He knocks the boy to the ground and "attempts" to lick him. The spirits "fight off" Aluci, then they and Nolan return to fleeing him. "He really does handle children well, doesn''t he?" Thomas asks after a few minutes, sticking close as I begin pulling things out to work on dinner. "Aluci?" I ask, and he nods. "Yeah. Like I said before, Aluci''s great with children. It comes with being a dream beast, I think. One of the things which brought him up to his level of power was using mind magics to enter dreams to protect them. All noble spirits are caring beings, just like the gods." The reason all of the gods are caring is because the evil ones were thrown into another plane of existence a long, long time ago. Each realm has a godking or godqueen, and gods cannot enter a realm without its godmonarch''s permission. That means that as long as our godking dislikes evil gods, the ones which were originally native to this realm won''t be able to return and any which might turn evil will find themselves thrown into another plane of existence. If they ever even make it out of that plane of existence. It was chosen as their punishment for a reason. As for spirits¡­ well, it''s just in their nature to be good beings. What we view as "evil" or "malice" from a spirit comes from when they''re angered ¨C such as when their special people or sacred places are messed with. Spirits are, at their core, magical forces of nature. In other words, we can''t hold them to the same moral values as we hold people. "Speaking of spirits and goodness," Thomas says. "You said disasters occur in Mistlands if they get exploited, right? You ain''t gonna cause the spirits to get mad and wipe us all out, are you?" "It''s not the spirits that do that," I tell him. "And no, I won''t. This particular Mistland Region can hold about ten thousand people, give or take, without causing a problem. The reason it doesn''t is because of its relative isolation. Enchantments which enable things like trucks to exist are a relatively new invention, so crossing the mountain pass has always taken days until recent times. You can also only do it while the weather''s good. And then there''s the barrier. Those factors combined has kept it relatively low in population. Me building up my own home and using a bit of the land''s resources for my stuff won''t cause problems." "Barrier?" He frowns as confusion enters his mind. "What barrier?" "The ones Robin and Rose placed over the entire Mistlands," I answer. "It''s actually why you have those ''conditions'' for someone to live here. You really think it''s normal for someone to be able to take on a stoneseeker wolf when they''re thirteen? Or when they have very little hunting experience?" I set down the knife I was using and hold up my hand. An earth spirit manifests on my palm, seated and looking at Thomas. "The spirits make the arrows strike true," I say. "Ensuring the beast dies regardless of your own abilities. And when it comes to the pearls for women and girls, the spirits choose whether or not they find the oysters. And if the person isn''t allowed to live here¡­ they prevent the arrows from striking or oyster with a pearl from being found." Shock fills his mind at the news, and I return to cooking, the spirit remaining floating in the air. He''s nodding at the hunter, so I know Thomas knows I''m being serious. "The spirits¡­ so if a local can''t find the pearl on her thirteenth birthday¡­" "Then she wouldn''t be able to stay here, had she been an outsider," I tell him. "But would probably be allowed to stay since she was born here. She''d have to actually cross a line to get kicked out by the mages. People can change, too, so there''s always the possibility that whatever caused her to be rejected would go away and she''d be accepted by the spirits and the barrier." It seems like there was someone in the past who couldn''t find the pearl, since he specified that one, specifically. "I did always wonder how we managed to kill the wolves," he tells me. "It never made sense to me how we could since they were always so strong. So it was the spirits?" "It was the spirits," I confirm. "Another question," he says. "Or is this too much already?" "I don''t mind," I tell him. "And you''re not distracting me from cooking, so it''s fine." "Alright," he says. "You said it''s not the spirits that cause the disasters? What does?" "Nature," I answer. "Remember mana veins?" "That thing in the ground you supposedly can''t sense?" He asks. I almost roll my eyes at his wording and eyebrow raise. It became obvious after a bit that he''d realized I could sense mana veins directly, even if he initially believed me about not being able to. "Yeah," I say. "The world''s mana veins produce mana at a regular, high rate. The excess leaks out of them and into the air. Unless it gathers up somewhere, it eventually dissipates, turns to nothing. If the mana in the air drops below a certain level ¨C based on the mana veins in the area ¨C then the mana veins will actually put out more mana to bring it back up. "That''s important," I say. "And we''ll get back to that in a moment. When you plant crops, they draw on some of the mana in the soil ¨C which is also provided by the mana veins. Some of them will even tap directly into mana veins. This is all well and good, because the mana veins simply produce more to fill in the drop." "So the world tries to maintain a mana level in an area?" He asks. "Essentially, yeah," I answer. "And that''s where the problem lies. In an area without massive mana veins, it''s fine. The maximum amount of mana flowing through the area is actually pretty small in the grand scheme of things. It doesn''t do anything. "But in an area like here?" I ask. "Where there''s potential to multiple your crops'' yields by fifty times? You can draw quite a lot of mana out of the air, soil, and mana veins. And the world''s mana veins will just do what they always do and keep pumping out more to fill in the space." "And that''s a problem?" "It is," I say. "Because in that high of a quantity¡­ going from a low amount of mana to a high amount too quickly can cause problems. And if you have that happening from multiple large mana veins, or ones of differing types, well, the problems culminate, combine, and amplify. Not necessarily in that order. So you may have the normal mana eroding an area as lightning magic creates sparks and lightning, air mana generating powerful gales and tornadoes¡­ all at once. And that''s before they clash and combine. Imagine lightning which creates tornadoes when it strikes. That''s the sort of thing possible when an immense amount of mana flows through an area all at once." Nerves fill Thomas just from my words, and that''s without me describing it properly. My explanation is a toned-down version of what actually happens. "And if you''re wondering just how much mana would be required for something like that," I tell him. "I think of all the mages I''ve ever encountered, only Robin and Rose potentially have enough MP Regen to create a small-scale effect like it, and it''d just be contained within their bodies. They probably have an immense Constitution just to keep themselves from being killed by their own recovery rates." "Seriously?" Shock fills his mind. "They have enough mana to hurt themselves?" "Contained within them, but yes," I say. "Only small-scale, nothing compared to what would happen if the world needed to replace an immense amount of it from here." At least, based on what I felt when Robin visited me to acquire the recipe for ice cream. He wasn''t masking his mana pool then and it felt comparable to a noble spirit''s energy force. "Anyway," I say. "What I''m doing won''t have anywhere near the potential to use up that much mana from the world. And if you''re still not sure about me¡­ you can always ask Robin and Rose. For now, could you please grab nine tomatoes from the garden? Chapter 0036 "Nolan?" Dylan calls out in a panic the moment he exits the cabin. "Nolan? Where are you?" I felt his panic growing after he woke up, and I think he usually wakes before Nolan in the mornings. He did yesterday, at least, and the confusion he felt upon noticing Nolan''s absence today suggested it. "Around the back with me," I say in a calm voice, a touch of wind magic used to ensure Dylan hears my voice. "He woke about an hour ago, and I figured you wanted to keep sleeping. You did sleep solidly for another hour after." Dylan hurries around the back, relief filling his mind only once he spots his son, who''s sitting on the grass, playing with some small wooden blocks. There are seventy-two of them, and each is an inch and a half on each side. Ten of them have numbers painted onto their sides, thirteen have animals and plants painted onto their sides, while the remaining forty-nine are painted with letters on the sides. "Probably should have asked you about taking him out of the cabin," I say. "But that would''ve defeated the purpose of taking him out here. Anyway, I''m just about done with breakfast." "That''s¡­ thanks," Dylan seems uncertain on how to respond. "I''ve never woken without him still snuggled up against me before¡­ kind of forgot we were staying with someone else. And those are blocks? You bought some for him?" "Bought?" I raise an eyebrow. "Dylan, you know I can carve stuff. I''ve made them over the past few days ¨C they''re all enchanted as well." Magic was involved in cutting the wood as that sped it up, and I used magic to dry the wood as well. Otherwise, it probably would have taken me longer, what with us working on the slime barn the last two days. It was the enchanting which took me the most time, as I couldn''t use magic to place them the way I could for carving and painting. "You made them just for Nolan?" There''s surprise in Dylan''s mind. "Not just him," I say. "They can help you and Thomas as well. Toy blocks like these are common in towns and cities for helping children learn their letters, in homes where children are taught. Since I''m sure you''ll end up playing with them while playing with Nolan, it''ll help you some as well. Anyway, I''m now done with breakfast, so let''s eat. Nolan? Time for food." Nolan drops the blocks he was playing with and gets up, then joins us at the table as I set things out. Today''s breakfast is a spread with eggs, cinnamon rolls with chopped nuts, sausage patties, and a berry mix, along with technically-fresh milk to wash it down with. It was fresh when I put it into stasis, at least, so it''s still fresh when it comes out. Anyone who says otherwise has never spent time in temporal stasis and should. "Why did you tell Thomas no work today?" Dylan asks as we finish eating. "Ain''t we starting on a new cabin?" I told Thomas yesterday not to come today, as it''s not a lesson day and we won''t be working on a cabin. Apparently, I didn''t mention why. "Not today," I shake my head. "A storm''s coming. It should be here in about an hour or so and I don''t want to bother with having to clear it up repeatedly as we work." Clearing them only lasts for a few hours at the most, so I''d need to do it a few times. It doesn''t take much effort for me to do, but I don''t feel like dealing with it today. "You can clear storms away?" He asks, surprise filling his mind. "Temporarily." "Have you ever done it since arriving?" He asks. "Once," I confirm. "The night I did the expanded enchantment on the cabin. It doesn''t last very long, though." "So that one was you?" "That one?" I ask. "You mean it''s happened other times?" "Every now and then," he nods. "We just always assumed it was the Magi doing it." "It''s possible," I say. "It''s something any upper-level elemental mage can do. Anyway, I decided to head back into the mines for today, to collect more sturdy stones. I still have plenty leftover, but I''ll ultimately end up with several structures here needing them and since outside work will be limited, the mines are the next option." "What about your rain wards?" He asks. "They don''t fully shield the property," I tell him. "They manage the amount of rain which passes through in specific spots. That''s it. I don''t want to completely restrict it as that''d mean extra effort necessary to make sure everything continues to grow fine." "Oh." "Yeah," I say. "Anyway, I''m going to get ready, then head out." I pull on a tunic, then my armor, then walk over to the waystone and touch it. Rather than accessing its warp menu, however, I [Teleport] away. The first place I''m going to doesn''t have a waystone. Upon arriving, I examine my destination. It''s Robin''s tower, a structure built beside a lake that''s partially in Amberoak Forest, partially in the Mistwood. The lake is quite large, and hundreds of spirits are hanging out around it, as well as around Robin''s gardens. Plants grow densely in the gardens, only paving stone paths indicating some form of maintenance takes place. Not just mid-level ones, either. A spectral fox made of blue and green light pokes its head out of the low hedges surrounding one of the gardens. It tilts its head curiously at me as I walk down the stone path leading to the tower, then cautiously walks over and sniffs my leg. The whole scene is quite calm and serene, and to a mage as sensitive to mana as I am, it''s even more amazing than it looks to the naked eye. The mana flows here are in perfect harmony with each other despite how strong and potent they are. Standing over a hundred feet in height and more than forty in width, the circular stone tower toward the back part of the lot might feel imposing to most. This is especially true as Amberwood was cleared for about a hundred feet around the tower, to create the garden space and yard. The planters at the windows on various levels makes it feel less dominating, however, especially with ivy and vines hanging from some of them. There''s some moss and ivy growing up the sides of the structure as well, making it seem more of a part of the area than "a stone tower" sounds. Robin probably constructed the tower here for a different reason than the locals think, though. It''s centered directly over a Mana Nexus, or a place where many major mana flows intersect. I can see a major flow for each type of mana there, in fact. Which makes it the perfect spot to do high-level magic research and power high-level enchantments. It wouldn''t surprise me if the wardstone powering the barrier over the entire region is in the tower''s basement. I reach the entrance to the tower and knock on it three times. Robin set it up so that if there''s a knock on the door, a chime sounds out wherever he is within it. I know he''s here, though, as he actually has the chime on ¨C a previous analysis of the enchantment let me know that it''s only active if someone is inside. Well, I know he''s here because my [Empathy] can now stretch far enough to cover pretty much the whole tower and it''s not warded against that particular magic. He was on the first floor already and takes very little time to answer the door. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Hello, Rowan," he greets me, dressed in his mage''s robes. "How may I help you this morning?" "Just wanted to see if you had any news of the spirit kind," I answer. "Since I know they like you and Rose at least as much as they like me. With as ancient and experienced as you are, I feel you might be more perceptive than me as well." While I''m a natural prodigy when it comes to magic and have been able to sense spirits since I was a small child, I still have a long way to go in many regards. I don''t doubt in the slightest that he''s a Spirit Saint, the highest level of beloved by spirits one can be. And one of his age should be more in tune to spirit energies than me. "Hm¡­" he strokes his chin in thought for a few moments. "I''m sure you know the more basic things, so let''s see¡­ ah, yes. I know. The ice spirits are feeling particularly mischievous today. If you go into the upper section of the mines, I would advise watching your step." He''s probably assumed that since it''s a stormy day today, I''m planning on a mines trip to give myself something to do. As for the ice spirits, I did notice they were in a mischievous mood, but wasn''t aware it could affect my trip into the mines. Wait. What did he just say? "The upper section?" I ask. "It''s a dual-sided Labyrinth?" Some Labyrinths are a bit special in that they stretch in two directions rather than one. The power scaling is the same whether one goes up or down, though the terrain and monsters can vary. At least, starting after the first five floors in either direction. Even the terrain features can be different ¨C meaning it''s possible the upper section doesn''t have boulders. "If that''s the modern name for it," he says. "Where there are effectively two Labyrinths that share the same first floor." "Yeah." "Then yes," he says. "The lower section eventually transitions into a fiery zone, while the upper zone eventually transitions into an icy zone." "A fiery zone?" I ask. "I went down to the tenth floor the other day, and it was getting wetter." "Yes," he nods. "Both sets of the second layer are wetter. You''ll need to go deeper still to reach where it warms further." "Alright," I say. "Thanks for the information, and for the advice. And while I know a mage of your caliber likely doesn''t need stuff from others, I did bring you a gift." "A gift?" He asks as I summon it from my bracelet. In my right hand now is a glass bottle with a dark green tint to it, a stopper keeping the darker liquid from leaking out. Also to keep air from entering. The berry wine within is a special blend I made with a touch of magic to speed up the process a little. That didn''t affect its quality and the wine is as if it were made naturally. However, the mana berry blend I used makes it quite the treat for mages. I''ve yet to meet one who didn''t like a glass of it from time to time. "For you and your wife," I tell him as I hold out the bottle. "As thanks for allowing me to stay in the area. It was sourced with local ingredients so the quality isn''t as high as I''ve made before, but I hope you enjoy it." "You''re a good kid," he says. "For many reasons, we would never force you out unless you truly crossed a line. Especially not since it would anger the spirits." The spectral leopard that''s joined us gives a nod, his spots made of flames while the rest of his body is a mixture of clear and yellow. Fire, light, and air, a common combination for high-level spirits with one of those elements. "I do my best to respect the words of the gods," I say. "And the lairs of the spirits." "From what I''ve heard," Robin says. "You also play with the spirits quite often. They do enjoy that." "I think Aluci accompanying me relaxes them more than normal," I say. "But they are fun to play with at times." "Yes," he chuckles. "They can be quite fun to play with, and having one of the Ancient Nobles playing with you definitely makes them feel more comfortable around you. I was surprised to find he was still around, when he came to the region to be with you." Spirits don''t die in the mortal sense of the word. Rather, they eventually convert all of their spirit energy into a special form of mana, which seeps into the world and strengthens, extends, or thickens a mana vein. Or mana veins, if they''re a high-level spirit or above. It''s their way of dying, and their spirit essence returns to the spirit realm, where it eventually finds itself born anew. For a spirit at mid-level or higher, their essence fragments and becomes multiple low-level spirits instead of just one. This allows the cycle to continue and without loss as the realm we live in expands. Otherwise, the spirits would become too spread out. Each rank of spirit has a different amount of time before they generally choose to convert their accumulated spirit energy into that special form of mana. They aren''t set in absolutes and can choose to live longer than that, but most don''t. The longer they live, the higher the chance they''ll absorb and assimilate enough mana of their type to advance to the next rank as well. Not an absolute rule, of course. Absorbing mana is a choice, not a passive action. For low-level ones, the time before they convert their spirit energy is usually six months. Mid-levels often make the decision after around ten years. High-level ones prefer around one hundred years. Nobles usually choose to live for around one or two thousand years. Very, very few of them appear but when they do, their lives are quite long. That actually gives a skewed perspective on just how often a spirit becomes one. Even if only one ascends two centuries in a given greater region, that''s still another five to ten of them born by the time they move on. When they do convert themselves, a Mistland is formed from how many mana veins are created, strengthened, extended, and thickened. The Ancient Nobles are noble-rank spirits which choose to live for around six or seven thousand years. They are the oldest and most powerful of the spirits, excluding the Spirit King, the First Spirit. When one of them passes on, the resulting Mistland can span the size of a kingdom. Aluci is nearly seven thousand years in age and is the second-oldest spirit, or third when including the Spirit King. "He''s mentioned recently that the only reason he''s stuck around this long was me," I inform Robin. "That we stumbled upon each other while he was thinking about where to convert himself. Also that he''ll stick around at least a little bit longer, since he likes me and wants to hang out for awhile. Then, he''ll find a good place to convert himself." If the war is still going on when that time comes, he''ll probably convert himself somewhere on the border just to mess with the war. I''m pretty certain that was his plan back when we met. It definitely seemed like he was scouting out the border. As Silveroak and Goldelm are both High Kingdoms, we''re both much larger than normal kingdoms. It would have shrunk our borders by a bit and inconvenienced a lot of people, but wouldn''t have destroyed our nations. At the same time, it would have ended the war. Spirits don''t try to mess with mortal politics¡­ but the noble-rank ones have their own senses of humor. A Mistland popping up right in the middle of a warzone would be hilarious to one, and I think Aluci wants that to be how he goes out. The fact that other spirits would be entertained by such an act probably only makes it more appealing an option to him. "Speaking of Ancient Nobles," I say. "The one that visits the area is one, isn''t he? Aluci said his name was Luminraik, and that they ascended around the same time." "Yes," Robin nods. "Aluci and Luminraik both ascended around here, actually. Rose and I were not alive back then, though we met them as children. The day they move on will be a sad one, indeed. And Luminraik passing will mark the end of a tradition for the village as well. I think that''s the main reason he hasn''t passed on yet, though I''m sure he will soon, whether the village continues or not." From my understanding, Ancient Nobles don''t like living much longer than seven thousand years as a sort of absolute rule. I''m not entirely sure why, but Robin and Rose might. Rather than asking, though, I''ll save that question for another time. Talking about our friends dying is dampening the mood and it''s not really important, anyway. "Alright," I say. "I''ll stick to going lower down as I know I can grab what I need there. Thank you for the advice, though; it''s much appreciated." "You''re welcome," he says, then holds up the bottle. "And thank you for this. I was curious how your blend would taste." "You saw me brewing it?" I didn''t notice anyone observing. Which I suppose makes sense. Robin and Rose are significantly more powerful than me, and likely far more skilled in magic than I could ever hope to be. It also makes sense that they can observe people ¨C how else would they know if someone is worthy of living in the area or not? Going off of just the spirits'' preferences alone wouldn''t be enough. Spirits have their own way of viewing the world, after all. As for the magi¡­ I''ll need to examine my wards and adjust them. I don''t like the idea of someone watching me without my awareness. "I did," he confirms. "I was hoping to ask for one of the bottles, which is why I was here when you arrived." "You knew I was coming?" "No," he smiles. "But you always show up around the same time when you do visit, according to my wards. I''ve been here every day at this time since you brewed the bottles as I knew you would likely show up soon. You come twice a week." "I don''t feel right living so close and not saying hello every now and then," I tell him. "Well, I know it''s just your research center, I''m not sure where your home is." "It''s in the barrens," he answers. "The northwestern part of it, beside the Mistwood. There''s a nexus we decided to build our home on there. You''re more than welcome to visit at any time, Rowan. I would love to discuss magic with a modern mage. For now, though, I believe you were heading somewhere?" The temptation to not head into the mines today is pretty strong, for the chance to discuss magics with an ancient magus. However, I''m sure he''ll be willing to another day based on what he just said. Getting the sturdy stones is a little more important. "Indeed," I say. "I''ll see you around, Robin. May the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," he responds. Chapter 0037 "Hello," I dismount Aluci ¨C who''s in his horse form right now ¨C as Patrick''s parents look at me. George and Victoria are their names, according to Thomas. One of the things he''s talked about with me when giving me information about the area is who all lives here. We both felt it important that I at least know who all lives in Mistwood village so that I''m not at a loss for names when I speak with them. Something I''m going to make use of now. We spent the last five days building my new cabin and are taking a day off before working on Dylan''s cabin. Since we have the day off, I want to see if I can trade with any of the villagers. First thing after breakfast, because I forgot about chores until I was already halfway here. "Hoi, there," George approaches his suspicion and concern strong in his mind and evident on his face. "What can we help you with?" Victoria moved in front of Patrick, as if to shield him from me. The boy''s looking at me from behind her, with just as much suspicion as his parents, but also curiosity. Is he hoping for more ice cream? "I have a few things I''m growing from what I foraged," I tell him. "Such as potatoes, tomatoes, and some berries. However, I don''t have a large variety, and was wondering if any of the villagers ¨C yourselves included ¨C would be interested in giving me some cuttings, saplings, and so on. I''m willing to trade for them, of course." "Can''t think of something you''d have to offer us that we''d want," George states. "Trading crops to me in a state in which I can replant them, myself," I say. "Would allow me to grow more of my own foods, expanding what it is I am able to eat without needing to trade. I consider that to be quite valuable. I''m something of a craftsman, myself. All adventurers need to be, to some degree, and I had a larger interest in it." I hold my right hand out with the palm up, and an item forms on it, a portable stove. It''s about two inches thick and two feet on the sides, with a ring of runes made of reddish-orange crystal set into the top, four stubby little legs on the bottom. Toward the front of the stove are the controls for it. "This is a stove," I inform George. "A simple item which allows you to cook on it, using a skillet or pot, of course. I also crafted it in portal form so that it doesn''t take up much space. You use the slider here to adjust the heat level provided, and it only heats where it contacts items with a special enchantment on them. It requires no wood or mana crystals to use." "Ain''t ever heard of a magic device what doesn''t use mana." "It does use mana," I tell him. "Except it draws on the ambient mana in the air to function. There''s enough of it in the area here that you can do that with these without a problem. So while it does use mana, you don''t need mana crystals." "How does it work?" Victoria and Patrick have moved closer to look at the stove better, though they''re still a little bit further away from the fence than George is. They''re curious about the stove, and I know George is really challenging me for whether it actually works or not. Fortunately, Dylan told me this might happen and I came prepared. I pull a table from my storage and set it down, then set the stove on top of it. A skillet is pulled out next, along with some sausage links and eggs. By the time I''m done cooking, all three of them are at the fence. "What''re those?" Patrick asks as I turn the stove off. "The little¡­ meat rolls?" "They''re called ''sausages''," I answer. "Made by grinding up meat with some seasonings and putting them in a special casing. It''s very thin and you can bite through it easily. I learned how to make them while visiting another kingdom. If you cook the eggs in their grease, it adds a little bit of extra flavor to those as well. You can try them if you want." I made three plates of it just so they can. George is still cautious, while Victoria realizes what''s happening too late to stop Patrick from jumping the fence. By the time she''s called out to him, he''s already grabbed one of the forks and stabbed a sausage with it. He takes a big bite and his eyes light up. "Mmh!" He quickly chews and swallows, then looks at his parents. "Da! Ma! These are super good! He''s suspicious, but he really knows how to make good food!" All sourced using local ingredients, just prepared a little bit differently than what they''re used to. Nothing too different from their existing tastes. That makes it easier for them to like it. If I were to start introducing foods using ingredients they aren''t used to, or ones prepared in vastly different ways, with completely different flavor profiles, they''d probably hate them. One of the easiest ways to earn their trust isn''t just to give them items, it''s to also give them new knowledge of things they already have. George and Victoria reluctantly join Patrick in trying the sausages and eggs, and I can tell by the feel of their minds that they''re enjoying it as well. Not as much as the tween is, but they still appreciate the flavors. "How did you get the casings?" George asks. "And stuff the meat into them? Magic?" "I made the casing using slime goo," I answer and his eyes widen as horror fills Victoria''s mind. "It''s actually pretty edible ¨C just think of it like a slime monster''s version of meat." "Just as goo?" Patrick asks. "Just as goo," I nod. "I treated it, then shaped it into thin casings. As for how I stuffed them, I used a device I had made in town. I learned how to make it from another kingdom ¨C they mince and grind meat in some others ¨C and the device does it faster and with less work on our part. I just put the meat and seasonings into a sort of funnel/tube portion of it, and it comes out the front. To put it into a casing to make sausages, I fix a special attachment to the front of it, fix the casing onto it, and the meat will fill the casing as it comes out. All of the seasonings I used are ones that can be found in the area, including some Thomas gave me, and the meat comes from a boar that got a little too close to my home a couple of days ago." "That must''ve cost a pretty coin," he says. "For the device to make the sausages, that is." "It was about eight and a half silver for the device," I tell him. "But as long as it''s cleaned properly and cared for, it''ll last for generations." That was before I enchanted it, too. "Well, that''s the cost excluding some of the enchantments," I say. "But it won''t be too much more to have it modified to not need magic to grind. The enchantments that make mine function ensure the meat is ground evenly. I''m the one who put them on, though, so I saved on that cost." I gesture to the portable stove. "Well?" I ask. "Does this seem a fair trade to you? It''ll save you wood and once you''ve adjusted to using it, you''ll be able to cook with a more consistent heat. Since the heat is produced immediately, you also save on time there. You''ll just need to adjust to using it over wood fires and that''s it." "And it cooked without flame?" "It used heat alone," I say. "Here''s a clean set of the dishes that it will work with. Again, it will only produce heat while on and in contact with dishes that have a special enchantment on them, like these." "That seems like it''d be more expensive," George frowns, confusion now the more prominent emotion in his mind. "Than just a magic stove, I mean." "It is," I confirm. "The enchantment is more complex, and you''re getting more than just the portable stove. However, I don''t mind giving you a little extra in exchange for being able to transplant some crops to my own property." He thinks for a few moments about this, the frown still present on his face. However, I can tell there''s interest there. If things work as advertised, then he and his family will save on time and wood. "Throw in some of those sausages, too, and you have a deal." I pull a small box out of my storage and set it on the table. "This box has twenty-seven sausages in it," I tell him as I put the original stove away. "It also has a freezing enchantment on it, to keep whatever''s inside frozen. The sausages won''t be stuck together. If you pull them out and set them on the counter or wherever, they''ll thaw within about ten minutes, then you can cook them fine. Or you can cook them immediately, but they''ll take a little bit longer to cook all the way through." Suspicion grows in his mind. "You came prepared," he says. "If I said I wanted you to take out the monster messing with a pond up north-" "I''d direct you to Thomas," I say. "I''m a retired adventurer. Thomas is the one who handles that sort of stuff now." Small acceptance forms in his mind. "Alright," he glances at Patrick. "Help your ma bring this stuff inside," he looks at me again. "I''ll show you our crops." Patrick and Victoria grab the stuff off the table, and I put the table itself away. Then, I walk around to the front of their property and wait for George to let me in. Aluci waits outside, pretending to be a very well-trained horse. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it For some of the crops, George has seeds he allows me to take, such as wheat seeds. There are a few herbs he allows me to take a little bit of, but one in particular draws my attention. It resembles sage, but with yellow swirls on its deep green leaves.
[Life Herb]
An herb with a slight peppery flavor, which draws in holy mana through its roots and converts it to healing power, which is stored within its leaves.
This is one of the potential reagents I need for making health potions, and the locals are just growing it in their gardens. Definitely "locals" rather than "local" because if one is growing it, what are the chances that none of the others are? Thomas probably didn''t think to look in his own garden to see if he has anything with the phrases I showed him to look out for in item descriptions. Chances are, the locals just think they''re a rarer, more difficult-to-grow variety. That said, I already have this one. It''s the juicy and non-juicy reagents I need. However, they have the life herb growing right next to strawberries with a much more prominent heart shape than normal ones. Which is a juicy reagent for health potions.
[Heartberry]
A berry which stores healing mana which its vines draw in through their roots.
Now all I need is a non-juicy reagent for it, but I can use the heartberries and life herbs to find that. At least, if I don''t find one within George''s farm. By the time I''m ready to leave the farm, I''ve acquired quite a few things to plant in my own gardens. They''re all stored safely in one of my stasis pocket bracelets, to retain their states for the transportation. Dylan will help me plant them once I arrive to make sure that''s done properly as well. "Thank you," I tell George, Victoria, and Patrick when I step back onto the road. "You''re welcome," George says. "Your horse is gone," Patrick says. "He probably got bored and went to take a nap somewhere," I say. "I''ll just use the waystone to get home." "You ain''t worried ''bout your horse wandering off?" George answers. "Aluci''s not a horse," I tell him. "That''s just the form he took earlier." "The form he took?" George asks. "What''s that mean?" "Shapeshifting," I point at my head, and my human ears fade away as a pair of wolf ears grow further up, the same brown color as my hair. Shock and confusion fill their minds. "He possesses the ability to shift his form." "And¡­ you, too?" George asks, his eyes and his wife''s and son''s all fixed on my new ears. "I learned it from him," I say. "But yeah, I can alter my form to a degree. Not on the level he can, but I can do some shifts like this. There''s a type of person called a beastkin, and they have the ears and tails of animals. I didn''t grow myself a tail as my pants don''t have a hole for them, but I can do that, too. In fact, I can actually turn myself into a beastkin, such as a wolfkin." "What about foxkin?" Patrick asks. "Is that a thing?" "It is," I nod. "And bearkin, otterkin, lionkin, leopardkin, and more. Beastkin are different from humans in a few ways, including the tails and ears thing. Ones of predator-type beasts, such as wolves, have fang-like canines. Their eye and hair color are also dependent upon their beast side. They''re all people too, not beasts." I switch back to normal human ears. "They''re from quite a far ways away," I tell him. "I discovered the various other species of people during my travels over the past seven years, but most Silveroakans wouldn''t have ever heard of them. There are even more types of people than they, too." "Anyway," I give them all a small smile. "Thanks for the trade. I should be heading back now to get them planted. You all have a good day, and may the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," they respond. I walk to the waystone and use it to warp back home. Dylan is in the back yard, supervising Nolan as the boy plays with some spirits. Only in an area so dense with spirits and mana, but also where everyone is loved by spirits, is something like this even remotely possible. "Welcome back," Dylan says. "How did it go?" "Well, thanks to you," I tell him. "George was more amenable to the trade thanks to the demonstration, and I threw in a box of sausages as well." "Unprompted?" "He required it," I inform him. "But I''m fine with that, it''s not like I don''t have an excess of the meat, and it''s not like I can''t get quite a lot of the casings from a three-inch blob of slime goo. The actual slimes should start producing excess soon, too. Anyway, I want to get started on planting the crops. Thanks for helping me with the separation yesterday." The entire zone I''ve claimed as my own on this side of the stream is cleared, which gives me plenty of space. At least, outside of what''s being used for storage for various things. That much space means I can really spread out some stuff. So we split up my garden after we finished building my cabin yesterday. The magical plants and the nonmagical ones each now have their own zone. "Quite fortunately, too," I say. "As it turns out, you have all been using magical plants for some of your food. George had both normal strawberries and heartberries in his garden." "Heartberries?" "Yeah," I say. "The ones that always grow shaped like hearts? That''s a magical plant called a ''heartberry''. They''re a type of juicy reagent you can use to make health potions. All I need now is the non-juicy reagent and I can make them." "You already have the leafy one?" Some of the stuff he''s learned while studying under me and staying with me is some of the basics of alchemy. A little bit better than what I''d explained to him and Thomas in the past. That just comes with him watching me make mana potions. "The sage that I planted in the magical garden," I confirm. "It''s called ''life herb'' and can be used as the leafy reagent. Now that I''ve got heartberries, I can use both to find others." "How?" "The [Divine] spell," I explain as we start walking to the garden zones, Nolan following us with some spirits in tow. "It allows for locating materials and other items with your magic. If you already have one of what you''re looking for, you can use the spell with it to locate more of it. If you have two items with a feature in common ¨C such as storing healing power ¨C you can use the spell with them to focus on that single aspect." I can also power through it if I put in enough mana, but I didn''t want to do that. Crafting health potions hasn''t really been a necessity, as both Thomas and I are aware of what we can handle and don''t go past that. Only if it was actually needed would I have done that. "Oh," he says. "Alright. How much are you planning on planting? You did mark out pretty big spaces for the gardens for just one person. Things grow a lot faster here than they do over in the village, so you don''t need as much space." They''re marked out using slices of trees similar to the ones I used for the lessons section. As we''re a significant amount of distance closer to the Mistwood than the villagers are, things really do grow a lot faster. Thomas and Dylan have both informed me of this. I still want a space at least one hundred and fifty feet on each side for each garden, though. "Enough to sustain me and a little extra," I say. "To make treats and stuff, and in case I have visitors. Also to trade, if necessary, especially with the alchemy stuff." We reach the garden for the alchemy reagents, where I''ve planted the mana berries in rows based on the mana veins. The best places for those to grow is along pure mana veins, but ones which overlap or intersect with plant mana veins work even better. It doesn''t have to be right on top of them, so I planted them between where a pure mana vein and a plant mana vein run nearly parallel to each other, overlapping slightly in one spot. The same goes for the mana mint, which I planted in another section, near to the rows of berry bushes. These were things I told Dylan about when I planted them, so I don''t need to cover that for him. "There are several life mana veins going through here," I say. "One of them runs right along there, and another flows through that corner there. Then there''s a plain holy mana vein which runs along there. That''s why I planted the life sage in that spot, since all three of those veins intersect there. The herbs will draw on the mana within them to boost the amount of magic they store." "Didn''t you say there are mana veins of all types everywhere?" He asks. "So every spot has them?" "Right," I nod. "Those are what we call ''minute'' veins. They''re extremely small, but still produce mana. They''re everywhere. Mana veins aren''t actually physical, so they can occupy the same space. Those are so tiny, they don''t matter. Most people who can activate magesight wouldn''t be able to spot them. Probably a good thing, since they are everywhere. Plants generally don''t draw on them, due to how small those veins are." "Next up are ''minor'' mana veins," I continue. "These are everywhere as well, but not as densely as minute ones. They''re up to an inch in width, but can be directly drawn on from up to about half a foot away by plant roots. Ignoring, of course, the mana they put out into the soil and air and such. I''m talking about directly from them rather than their emissions." "So when we grow things," he says. "And have a smaller garden of stuff that doesn''t need as much space, but we find that they grow better in one spot over the other¡­ that''s because they''re drawing on a minor mana vein there?" "Right," I nod. "They''re likely to be drawing on a minor mana vein. Here in the Mistwood Region, there are minor mana veins absolutely everywhere. If you walk ten feet, chances are, you''ve walked over at least one or two, not including the ones that are actually in the air." "There are mana veins in the air?" "Some," I nod. "Not as many as are in the ground, though. Anywhere, there are enough of them here to basically blanket the view if you look too deeply." "Huh." I take a few steps over, and a bunch of low-rank lightning spirits and a few mid-rank ones manifest in a line that curves and swirls. They form a band about sixteen inches thick and are low to the ground, the mid-rank ones actually standing on the ground. "They''re showing you a moderate lightning mana vein," I tell him. "They can be up to about two feet thick, and can drawn on from up to about fifteen or so feet away. What I''m looking for are places where there are moderate veins like this, since it''s basically a given around here for there to be minor ones of the appropriate types overlapping them. This will, ultimately give me the greatest growth and quality rate for the plants." Which, in turn, will provide more yields and increase their quality faster. "Is there a spot where the ones good for health reagents overlap with a spot that''s good for the mana berries?" He asks. "And the mana mint?" "Yeah," I walk over to another spot as the spirits outlining the mana vein return to a partially-manifested state, out of the view of Dylan and his son. "Right here, for about seven feet in all directions, would be a spot I can plant both and still have a good rate. It won''t be the best rate, but it''s still a good one. Why?" "You ain''t really from an area like this," he says. "And I''ve gotten the feeling you ain''t done much gardening beyond just growing some reagents in optimal spots based on the mana veins. Right?" "Yeah, why?" "Companion planting." "I think Thomas has mentioned something like that before." "You noticed how the farms have plants grown close together?" "A high mana density in the soil makes plants grow quickly and more bountifully, even if the conditions aren''t ideal or season isn''t fully right." "Right," he says. "But it ain''t just that. If you plant some things close together, they help each other. Mint and sage help ward off certain insects that are pests and attract others that are pollinators. Plant ''em near blueberries, and the berries''ll survive better. Some flowers and ferns can help, too. Strawberries act as a sort of ground cover for blueberry bushes, helping the soil retain moisture while deterring weeds. So if you plant those together, you''ll strengthen the harvest some more as well." This sounds a bit strange to me¡­ but magic probably sounds strange to him. There''s no guarantee that magical plants will interact the same way as nonmagical ones, but I won''t know without testing it. I''ll still grow things my way, but I''ll also give this a try. If it ends up making the reagents grow even better, then I''ll be pretty happy with the result. "We can devote some space to see if that works for the reagents," I tell him. "For the normal plants, well, you have experience in that field so we''ll just do that. Even if most were normal, there were a few magical plants on George''s farm. I''ll just state their normal variants, then you tell me if any work well together from your knowledge. Alright?" "Alright," he says. "Then let''s get started," I say. Chapter 0038 Over the last two weeks, my gardens have grown quite well. I''ve now traded with most of the villagers for more crops and learned several things. First, companion planting works for magical plants just as well as it does for their mundane variations. Second, the locals had no idea that magical plants tend to not be invasive and don''t need to be potted when their mundane versions do. Third, the villagers really had no idea they were growing magical plants as normal ones, they just thought they were rarer variants that tested better but were harder to grow. On all of the farms I went to, the one with the fewest amount of magical plants had a quarter of their crops being magical. I did use a little bit of plant magics to help roots spread and plants grow, allowing me to fully fill in the gardens. That was mostly so I could fill in the garden plots, though. I may have also expanded them so that they''re two hundred feet on each side instead of one hundred and fifty. Even then, they''re pretty filled with plants. The size increase was because¡­ I don''t know. They just felt too small even if I know most of the villagers have a smaller plot than that if they aren''t raising animals beyond just chickens as well.Making sure both garden plots were filled in all the way was just because I didn''t like how they looked when not full. When not factoring in the magic used to let us fill things in, there really has been pretty pleasant growth. These berries definitely hold more mana than the bush this one came from did two weeks ago. By a lot. "Do you want one?" I look at Nolan, who''s crouching beside me while intently staring at the berries. There''s desire in his mind and it''s easy to know what it''s directed at, considering his stare. He wasn''t here until a few moments ago, so I''m guessing he got bored helping his dad and wanted to help me instead out of the hope for getting to eat berries. The kid nods in response, and I pluck a berry and give it to him. He quickly chomps on it, satisfaction entering his mind. "Come on," I say. "Let''s pick these. Remember not to squeeze them." Nolan nods, then starts carefully picking berries with me. We put them into a couple of baskets, and I carry both of them with us back to my house. Just as we reach the edge of the garden, we''re joined by Dylan, who''s carrying a large basket full of a form of magic sugar beet that has mana storage properties. It will work for mana potions, though that''s not what we''re making today. Dylan''s outfit is a little bit different today than it was when we first started setting up the garden. While he still has the same pants he''s had since we met, and he''s still wearing his rite-of-passage necklace, he''s also wearing a spatial pocket bracelet that he''s borrowing for the chores and a pair of sturdy brown boots. Nolan has a matching pair of them as well, making him probably the only farmer kid in a hundred miles to have proper boots. Kids outgrow footwear pretty fast, and most commoners can''t afford to keep replacing them. I had an entire boar''s hide to do something with and decided to make the kid some boots to match his dad''s. He likes them enough that he has to get reminded to take them off when going inside. Both of them are filling out nicely and look healthy rather than skinny. Nolan is a little on the toned side for a toddler, but not in the muscular form. He just runs around a lot and does his best to help with work, so he''s built a little bit of muscle. Dylan, on the other hand, has some decent definition now. He''s not quite up to "I''m a farmer" level yet, but the muscles are pretty visible now and even his abs are showing a little. It''s a good look for him and once he finishes rebuilding his meat and muscle, he''ll definitely be high in the looks department. The stamina levels for both father and son have increased a lot, too, and Nolan''s become more and more energetic. He''s also waking before his father more often than not now, too. Since we ended up not building their home yet, that results in me taking care of the tyke before breakfast. Not that I''m complaining, Dylan can definitely use the rest and I''m already awake by then. "I still ain''t sure what we''re making if it ain''t potions," Dylan says, and I stop assessing his recovery progress. "And I ain''t ever had beets with berries before, either." "These aren''t normal beets," I tell him. "I was honestly surprised to find them in the area." "No, I get that," he says. "They''re magic ones, right? With mana properties. I''m assuming that, since you wanted me to harvest them while you got berries." "Well, that, too," I say. "They''re a special variety, a sugar beet. They''re high in sugar, and normal sugar beets are white rather than reddish-purple. I''ve usually only seen them in areas where they were cultivated or deliberately brought. It''s possible someone a long time ago had them, or nature spirits randomly decided to make them, or they muted on their own from the mana in the soil¡­ anyway, you can use them to make sugar, just like sugarcane. I''ve got some in the normal garden, too. Ones without magic traits. "Anyway," I say. "After we extract the-yes?" Dylan had a confused look on his face, and his mind was pretty full of it, too. "What''s sugarcane?" "Oh, right," I say. "You don''t have that around here. It''s what they make sugar from ¨C they refine it similar to how sap gets refined to turn into syrup. I''ll be showing you how to do that¡­ with a little magic thrown in to speed the process up." We take everything into the cabin. The new cabin, not the old one, which has been torn down by this point. My full cabin is fifty feet on each side on the outside, but with a nine-by-nine extension on the front-right for the entrance, a front porch, and a back deck. Upon entering via the deck, we''re in the dining room we set up, and I move over into the kitchen beside it. Both of them were designed to have a lot of space for work, with the dining room being twenty feet by fifteen and the kitchen being twenty on each side. The last ten feet of width for the original size of the cabin is taken up by food storage rooms. Though that actually extends further back, as I added in some expansions while we were building the cabin. Each expansion allows me to add in up to as much space as the exterior has, and I only added in one at the full size for now. That''s given us room for my own room with its attached bathing and toilet rooms and closet, as well as several guest rooms, closets, and a non-personal bathing room along with a non-personal toilet room. I also have an alchemy room, a room for crafting other magic items, and a couple of storage rooms. Overall, I''m quite happy with the house, and I think Nolan will be sad to leave once we build their cabin. The last two weeks have been mostly focused on us building the gardens. Dylan''s also been teaching me a lot about how to take care of the plants. I don''t mind the additional help in the gardens, either, as it gives me more time to do other things. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. So I''m not inclined to kick them out into their own home just yet. At least, not until I build some golems to take care of some of the tasks for me. This isn''t taking advantage of them, either, as they get to eat plenty of foods now rather than just potatoes and the occasional fish in return for the help. It''s an exchange between us, and one that''s fair. As he likes to do when we come inside after working, Nolan nearly forgets to remove his boots. Once Dylan takes them off, the toddler charges to the living room and jumps onto the bearskin rug in front of the fireplace, flopping onto his stomach to face the brick feature. I didn''t really need to include a fireplace and chimney for the home, but did anyway because I do like them. Enchantments ensure their smoke doesn''t fill the house, so I don''t have to worry about the smell seeping into everything. Nolan likes to sit in front of it and watch the fire with the spirits, though there''s no fire in there right now, just logs. "Want to help us?" Dylan looks at Nolan. "I think we''ll need to scrub the beets clean. Like we do with the potatoes." Nolan thinks about it for a few moments, then looks at the fireplace, then back at his dad. He then gets up and joins us in the kitchen. He definitely heard that they''re sweet, so he''s probably hoping he''ll get to try a bite of them if he helps us cook. I pull three bins out of the supplies storage and set them on the ground. Each one is wooden and about two feet in diameter and a foot in depth, metal bands around their outsides keeping them held together. Nolan plops himself down at the center one so that one is in front of him, another to his left, and the last to his right. As he does that, I conjure water to fill the three with and Dylan sets the basket down along with another, then hands his son the scrubbing brush. Nolan will scrub the beets in one bin, then in another, then in the third. We''ve determined this is the best way to get him to clean potatoes thoroughly. As he starts on that, I pull out the rest of the items I''ll need to make today''s product. Dylan pulls the other two large baskets of beets out of the bracelet he''s wearing, setting them down beside his son. I let him borrow a storage bracelet when carrying everything we''re harvesting takes more than what we can carry with our hands alone, such as today. It makes things a lot easier if he doesn''t need to make several trips or use a wagon. Once a beet is scrubbed three times, Dylan dries it off and puts it in a basket on the counter. I take them from there and peel them, then cut off their tops. I leave only the blue insides of the beets, which go into a basket, and dump the shavings and tops into another. Those will either be decomposed into fertilizer or given to one of the villagers to feed to their livestock. "Alright," Dylan says after dumping the water outside once all of the beets have been cleaned. "What''s next?" "We take these," I indicate the bin of peeled beets. "And shred them. I did make a device for shredding things, you just put them into a chute at the top and push them down while it''s on, and it''ll shred them. But since there''s so much, I''m going to just use magic." I point at the bin again, and small slashes of air magic rapidly shred the beets. "And now we cook it," I say. "But not by itself ¨C it''ll just burn if we do that." "So we''ll add water," he nods. "Just like when cooking potatoes or carrots in a stew." "Right," I lift the bin up and dump the beets into a large pot; I''m not sure why I didn''t just dump them in there in the first place. "And now for the water¡­" I fill the pot with steaming-hot water and turn on the magic stove. There are a few of them in the kitchen, including a four-burner stove on top of an oven. The one I''m using for this is a large one that''s lower to the ground, intended for use with a larger pot or cauldron, such as what I''m using now. "You usually want to do this in a smaller batch," I tell him. "But since I''m using magic¡­ it''s not necessary. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer. It can take an hour or more depending on how you do it. This extracts the sugar from the beets, turning it into sugary water and some mushy beets." I extend a hand over the pot as Dylan picks up Nolan so the boy can see what''s happening. With my magic, I quickly heat the water and have it penetrate the beets. While this isn''t instant, I manage to complete the extraction process in about ten minutes. In hindsight, I didn''t need to put the pot on the stove since I used my magic for the heating this time. If I were doing this normally, I would''ve just used the stove instead. Next, I remove the liquid from the pot and pour it into another, making sure to only extract the sugar water and none of the impurities. That''s followed up by reducing it down into sugar syrup. I move the sugar syrup into shallow pans I''ve set out and use a mixture of magics to rapidly crystallize it. Since I also made sure to extract only the sugar water when I pulled it from the pot, there are no impurities in this. When I separate the crystals out of the pans, that leaves me with pans of dark molasses and pots of blue sugar chunks. The latter of which I proceed to grind into small crystals, that we then pour into glass jars just for them. These jars have a wire rig for their lids to hold them down when closed, a thin layer of a special goo mixture along the rim to ensure it''s sealed and airtight when closed. We had a total of nearly four hundred pounds of sugar beets from the garden ¨C they really grew in. That turned into roughly eighty pounds of sugar, so I''ll be good on that for awhile. In fact, I''m going to have quite the excess if this is anything like what will be the yield for the normal garden. "What are we doing with it now?" Dylan asks. "Making jam," I answer. "That''s why we got the mana berries: we''re making mana berry jam." Disbelief fills his mind. "Jam?" He asks. "Ain''t reagents for mana potions exceptionally difficult to acquire? And you''re just gonna make it into jam? I get the feeling that ain''t alchemy!" "It''s not," I confirm. "But it''s quite delicious and as the garden has proven these past two weeks¡­ we can afford to use them. I already have a hundred gallons of mana potion." Admittedly, the quality isn''t quite up to snuff, but that''s just because of how much mana I can hold. Restoring 500 MP per ounce isn''t much when I can spend twice that on a spell. But with how much the quality of the plants improved over the last two weeks with the gardening tips that Thomas and Dylan have given me, I''m sure we can bring that up even more. Possibly even reach 2,000 MP per ounce by winter. The less potion I need to drink to refill, the better. One never knows when they''ll need to use and then quickly recover a lot of it. The faster one can recover it in such a situation, the better. Now that we have the mana sugar prepared, I begin cooking up the mana berry jam. The actual cooking part is done without magic and in several batches. When it comes to canning them¡­ I use magic to make things faster. Thirteen-ounce glass jars with a two-piece metal lid are used. The flat part that sits on top has the same seal type as the ones we stored the sugar in. For the second piece, it''s a ring that screws down onto it to hold the lid in place. Dylan and Nolan both sample some of it ¨C Nolan more than his father ¨C as we prepare it, and Dylan understands why I want to make this. "This is pretty amazing," he says as Nolan eats another slice of bread with the jam spread onto it. "And we''re making¡­ uh¡­ well, quite a lot. This''ll last you awhile. And this is after just two weeks of growing ''em, too. Their proper season ain''t even ''till autumn, and that''s when we''ll be getting more." "Yeah," I say. "Part of the heavier batch was from me using magic to boost growth. This also let me know we can probably cut down on the sweet mana beets ¨C that''s their actual name, ''sweet mana beets'' ¨C that are in the garden." "Ah," he says. "I take it you''re planning on selling ''em in town? Thomas and Chief are heading in tomorrow for it so you''re right in time." That''s a little bit earlier than normal for their usual monthly trip, but only because of something happening this weekend. They want to make sure they get the trip in before then so that they can pick up some stuff in town before the weekend. "Actually," I say. "I''m planning on bringing it to the festival. You all sell stuff to tourists there, in addition to the potluck." Even if someone visiting from out of the area can read, they likely won''t try to pull anything after discovering they can purchase mana berry jam here. They''ll see that it''s from a magus, after all, and nobody really wants to cross a magus. If they do decide to brave it, well, they''ll be reminded that Mistlands always have protection. "Not all of it, of course," I say upon noting Dylan''s surprise. "I''m keeping a fair amount for myself, and I''ll gift some to Robin and Rose. But we have more than enough that I can sell them at the festival." The amount I''ll earn is nothing compared to what I can earn selling loot from the mines in town, but that doesn''t matter. It''s a way of participating in the festival with the locals. Participating with my own goods to sell is what matters here. Dylan will get some of the money from it as well, since he did help with the work. I''m not taking advantage of him, after all. "Anyway," I say. "That''s all the farm work for today, thanks for the help with it. I think it tired Nolan out, too." "Yeah," Dylan looks at Nolan, who''s nodding off a little as he finishes off his piece of bread. "I''ll put him down for a nap, then start washing the stuff you''re done with." "Thanks," I say. "Enjoy your nap, Nolan!" Nolan nods as I consider what other types of jams I can make for the festival. Chapter 0039 "Hello, Patrick," I greet the kid as he looks at my table, surprise in his mind. We''re a little bit north of the village itself, where everyone is setting up for the festival. A couple of trucks and wagons with visitors from elsewhere have already arrived, though it seems most of those are people here to sell goods as well. At the very least, they''re setting up their own stations. The traveling merchants are mainly selling manufactured goods, hoping to earn enough from the locals and other visitors to cover the trip here. As for the locals, they''re putting up extra produce and other goods from the spring season. We haven''t reached the final harvests for spring yet, but we''re at the point where everything has grown and can be harvested and sold. Thomas is helping Chief set up the potluck station, where locals have dropped off or are dropping off foods they made. All of it in large enough batches that there''s enough for everyone, even the visitors. Most of Thomas''s work involves pulling the wagon around to the different homes to help transport the food, whether it''s for the potluck or for sale. "You''ve got a stall," Patrick says. "I''ve got a stall." "That''s jam?" "Three different jams," I indicate the mana berry jam. "That''s a special berry jam," I indicate a jar with orange-gold contents. "This is peach preserves," I indicate a deep red jam. "And this is another berry jam." "Hm¡­" he stares at them critically. "Blueberry, peach, and strawberry?" "Of certain varieties of them," I say. "And I''ve got some bread for sampling them." The bread is stored in one of my stasis pocket bracelets, while I have three jars set closer to me than the rest, each with their lids already loosened and a knife resting atop them. "Can I try some?" He asks. "I know it ain''t really started yet¡­ but your ice cream and sausages were really good." "Sure," I chuckle, then pull a loaf of bread out of my storage. With a little bit of air magic, I slice off three smaller pieces, which I spread some of each jam onto. "Here you go, Patrick." Patrick tries each piece, and I can tell that he enjoys them just as much as Nolan did. "This is really good," he says while still chewing the last piece. "Save a jar of each for me? I ain''t got money now, but I should have some for after the festival." "Don''t worry about that, little man," I reach forward and ruffle his hair. "Dylan and I underestimated just how much the mana in the soil over there boosts plant growth over here and we had quite a lot. Every local family is getting a jar of each. And the jars you guys are getting have special enchantments on them to cool the jam, so that it''ll stay good for a few months after they''ve been opened." That''s mostly so that they don''t have to decide on which one to open first. This way, they can just open all three and use them based on what they''re feeling. "Neat!" He grins. "I''m gonna go now! Ma and Da are selling pickles, come by if you run out of stuff. See ya!" Patrick hurries off and I snort at his shift. It seems that the easiest way to get him to like me is just to make food. I''m not even trying for him ¨C it''s the adults I''m attempting to earn the trust of. Something that doesn''t surprise me when Elaina takes her first break from her family''s stall is that she goes straight to where Ash has his own table set up. He brought stuff out here to do work on the spot, for repairing some items and such. There are some premade items set out as well, such as nails and screws. Just as with basically every local guy here, he''s bare-chested, when ignoring his smith''s apron. Elaina kept checking out his muscles whenever she got the chance and I know he kept resisting the urge to look toward her as he worked. Those two should just formalize things already. "This is an interesting jam," the trader who came to my stall says after trying the heart berry jam. "Heart berry jam¡­ it''s not often I find someone who makes it. Not many have enough to spare from health potions." Instinct tells me that he wants to ask about purchasing a larger batch of them for resale elsewhere. That''s not something I''m opposed to, and had even suspected the possibility of it happening. I''ve gone to small villages out in the sticks before just to see if there''s something interesting there. By the feel of his mind, though, I don''t think I will. He doesn''t feel genuine and honest, he feels a little on the more selfish, entitled side. Not enough for the barrier to prevent him from even entering, but enough that I don''t like him. Depending on how this conversation goes, I''ll probably not sell a bigger batch to him. "I have an advantage when it comes to knowing the best spots to plant them," I say. "And combine that with the mana-rich soil here, and other factors, and the lack of people getting hurt too often around here, and well, I''ve got some extra." While it lacks the healing properties a health potion would have, heart berry jam is still valuable due to its flavor. But he''s right in that it''s not easy to grow a large amount of them. Those who manage it use them to make health potions. I''m honestly a little bit lucky to be able to grow them in a large quantity in a Mistland without worry of repercussions from the land or limitations by the guardian magi. "Do you have health potions for sale?" He asks. "Or mana potions?" "No." "Really?" He asks, disbelief deep in his mind yet barely showing on his face. "You have enough to make jars of jam to sell, but didn''t make potions?" "We aren''t in need of potions out here," I state. "So I don''t make them for sale. I''m more interested in food." He seems to wrestle with how to react to that, though I guess he eventually decides there''s no point in arguing with a magus. I''ve stated there aren''t any potions for sale, so there aren''t any potions for sale. Remaining firm on this when dealing with a merchant is the easiest way to deter future problems. Though I think the barrier is also designed to do that. I really want to take a look at its wardstone, but I doubt the other Magi here like me enough for that yet. Their work is really impressive, though. I don''t think I could make a barrier that can straight-up deny people who have ill intentions the way they did, not even once I''ve lived for a thousand years. "I see," the merchant says. "How much are they?" "The mana berry and heartberry jams are 32 copper a jar," I say. "And the peach preserves ¨C being made with ordinary peaches and sugar ¨C are 8 copper a jar. This price is nonnegotiable." "Nonnegotiable?" He asks. "Those prices are a little on the higher side, sir." "Yet I''ve already sold a couple dozen of each," I state. "More for the heartberry jam, even. As I''m sure you''re aware, the growing conditions for a berry affects its flavor, and the plot of land I''m living on has a pretty unique one. Each Mistland is different, after all, as are the soil and other conditions. You won''t find a jar of these jams with the same flavor profile anywhere else. Not unless it came from me first. And this price is already reduced by twenty percent in spirit of the festival and celebration of harvest." I''ve had magic berry jams and preserves before, and I know their typical values from other places. Whether the merchant does or not, he''s not getting a lower price from me. The higher actual value of them is also part of why I''m gifting each household in the area a jar of each of the three for free. According to Thomas and Dylan, gifted or reduced-cost between locals is normal during their harvest festivals. Attempting to charge them the same price I''m giving the outsiders would probably make them dislike me¡­ and it''s really not like I need to earn money off of them. They also won''t be earning anywhere near as much as I am. I do plan on looking at some of the other stalls once Dylan takes over for me. That''s not for a little bit, though, so I''m not going to focus on that for now. "Hm¡­" the merchant before me muses over something for a few moments. "How many do you have?" "Each individual may buy up to two jars of each," I state. "Only two?" Surprise fills his mind again. "That''s not a lot." "It is for a normal household," I say. "Unless they''re using quite a lot of jam each time, it can last for a week or more. Assuming four members, that is. That''s typical pricing, and jam is a luxury for most common households. I might have plenty, but I''d like to make sure everyone has an opportunity to buy some." He grumbles something under his breath. An amateur merchant, then. The ones I''m used to dealing with wouldn''t have let their displeasure show in the slightest, and he''s not just doing that, he grumbling. There''s anger there as well, so I''m glad I decided not to let him buy in bulk for resale elsewhere. In the end, he buys two of each jar, then walks off to try and haggle with someone else. About fifteen minutes after that, I notice a truck coming towards the festival grounds. Over the last few hours, a few more wagons have arrived, bringing in tourists to have a look at the local goods, and this is the first truck outside of the initial ones. Apparently, my perception of how many people arrive for some festivals and events was a little skewed. The Arrival had a few outsiders, but not many. That probably came from various factors, including the late hour and how it doesn''t seem that significant to people who are used to mages. For a festival where the locals are actually selling things¡­ it makes sense people would want to come and buy stuff. This is especially true since some of the locals are selling products which may or may not have magic ingredients. It seems the outsiders have never really informed the locals of this. That, or when the locals are told, they suspect it''s just someone trying to butter them up or give them extra praise for some reason. Stolen story; please report. While it''s not enough to result in a lot of extra earnings for the locals, the potential for magic ingredients does bring in a few more people to look at their produce. I haven''t seen any of the magic foods on the tables, though. All of the locals probably view them as a higher variety, and they are more difficult to grow, so they probably want to keep them for themselves. The truck that I''ve noticed coming this way¡­ I recognize. And I know the owner of it would make sure his providers know exactly what they have. He''s one of the merchants I trust the most due to his honesty and integrity. That means he''s coming here for the first time, and I doubt it''s a coincidence that his first time here is after I move into the area. How in the fuck did he find me? "Dylan," I murmur with a little bit of air magic when I spot the woman in the passenger seat of the truck. "Would you mind coming and taking over now? I know it''s a little bit early, but I need to do something." About a minute later, Dylan shows up with Nolan, the latter of whom seems to be nodding off. "He was playing with some of the kids who came from out of the area," Dylan tells me. "He ain''t ever been to a festival like this before, so the visitors ain''t aware of¡­ well, y''know. I think he''s needing some quieter time now." "That''s fine," I say. "The three crates are as labeled, and remember the practice we did yesterday. And that the prices are nonnegotiable." "They''re already reduced for the festival," he says. "Yeah," I say. "Thanks for taking over. Some old friends of mine just showed up and I want to talk with them before they do anything." Confusion and suspicion enters his mind, but also acceptance. He doesn''t know my past but knows I''m hiding something, so he''s probably figured I''m planning on telling them what not to say. "Have fun," he tells me. "Thanks," I respond, then hurry over to where the truck has parked. As soon as they see me approaching, both of its passengers stop walking towards the festival. The woman is twenty-three and dressed in a green summer dress and dark brown leather boots, her brown hair set into slight curls that cascade over her shoulders and back. The man looks to be in his thirties, but is nearing fifty, and is dressed in an outfit made of finer clothes. Both have the green eyes of mages, and neither one of them looks surprised to see me. Nor is there any surprise in their minds. That''s confirmation that they knew where I was, and I really hope it wasn''t because of a god. The woman is a Saint, and gods talk with their Saints fairly often, much more so than they do Priests, Archpriests, and common folk combined. "Hello, Rowan," Willow greets me with a friendly smile. "Enjoying your retirement?" Basil asks. "I am, thanks," I say. "And hello to both of you. Willow, did Nelvomiel tell you where I am?" "No," she answers. "I heard about your location from someone else who heard about your location¡­ you get the idea." "Uh¡­ no, I don''t," I say. "How was I found? I was pretty sure I-" "Rowan!" She laughs. "As brilliant as you are, you''re pretty dumb in some areas. Sure, there are dozens of Rowans in Silveroak, and sure, you''re using a different last name when you give it out. But there''s only one magus named Rowan in the entire kingdom. Probably in the entire Greater Region, especially if we narrow it down to those who look around twenty." "Then add in that said Magus Rowan sold some sizable, high-quality earth magic crystals in Tempest Oak," Basil adds. "And those could have only been obtained in a Labyrinth, the only known one of which in the area is in the Mistwood Region, and well, we knew where you were. Especially since said Magus Rowan was also commissioning bases for spatial and stasis bracelets. And I heard a rumor about a week and a half ago about a new device that was commissioned at a shop. Two devices. One which allowed for mincing meat ¨C which they didn''t know the purpose of ¨C and one for making it easier to extract oil. "The craftsman only made one and stated he wouldn''t be able to make them again without the blueprints he''d been given," he continues. "But, well, I also happened to know of a Rowan ¨C the name of the young magus who commissioned them ¨C who had a smith make those exact same things before. A smith who stated the same about crafting them again. I''m not normally interested in a festival like this, but if you''re here, well, Willow and I met on the way and I offered her a ride." All fair points¡­ I guess I hadn''t considered those factors. That really would narrow down where I am.They both feel pretty amused as bring those points up, but it has me wondering something. "The crystals were quite awhile ago," I say. "If that''s all it took to know where I am, how come no one came out sooner?" The amusement in Willow''s mind increases, but also curiosity. "His Majesty issued an order after hearing you were here," she tells me. "An order that no one was to disturb you or attempt to pull you out of retirement. And your actual specific location isn''t as widespread as it might sound. Most of the people who know are your friends and people like the General, the other Archmages, a few Sages, the Master Adventurer, and so on. Big shots." "His Majesty did what?" I ask. "Yeah," she says. "And that''s what makes it really interesting, since he issued the order once Jas woke and saw your note, then relayed it to those who mattered and they relayed it to him. He stated that if you were retiring, attempting to pull you out would be stupid." That''s what has her curious. I don''t know why the king would have reissued the order, though, unless it has to do with why there are no records of the magi living here. That''s not the sort of thing that should cause an issue with bothering me, though, so I''m sure there''s something else involved. "Well, yeah," I say. "I''m not planning on returning to other stuff. I want something cozy and fun. I''ve got a farm now, along with a slime barn. Why would I return to traveling around, dealing with stuff, when I can just continue a calmer life?" "Something tells me the slimes came before the farm." "Maybe." Willow laughs and shakes her head. "I wouldn''t be surprised if I come back in five years and you''ve somehow managed to domesticate dragons and are raising those," she says. "You''ve always had a magus''s taste in things¡­ and I know you enjoy dragon meat." "I probably won''t be doing that," I say. "But I do have a decent amount of magic crops. It seems the locals have been growing them without realizing it and just eating them like normal foods. Not that I don''t do the same, and I do have a table set up to sell jams I made with mana berries and heartberries ¨C with sugar made from sweet mana beets and sweet heartbeets." The locals also had sweet heartbeets, which look like heart-shaped red beets. Its sugar comes out pale red, just as the sweet mana beet sugar comes out pale blue. "Speaking of those," Basil says. "I was curious about what you''d be having for sale. I''m sure you have samples set up at your table, but I also know you''re aware of how to make jams. Would you be willing to sell some to me, for resale elsewhere? Jams from a Mistland have their own flavor profiles, so I know they''ll sell." "Sure," I answer. "I''m selling them discounted for the festival. The peach preserves, which are made with normal peaches and sugar, are 8 ciirvrios a jar. The mana berry jam and heartberry jam are 32 ciirvrios a jar. And for special customers, I have a double-berry jam that''s also 32 ciirvrios a jar." "How many of each are you willing to part with?" Basil asks. "This is Rowan we''re talking about," Willow says. "Weren''t you telling me on our way here about how he went ''well, that happened'' one time when he was making ice cream and ended up with a few hundred gallons of it? He''s probably got several hundred of each jar." I did go a bit excessive with the cooking the last two days. Even if I pluck all of the ripe berries one day, the next day will have plenty more. When I was picking things to make the double-berry jam¡­ I just kind of got carried away. "For special sale, I do," I say. "It''s stock leftover from what''s not going up for sale during the festival, and whatever I don''t sell here, I''ll probably sell throughout the year. It''s not as if I can''t just brew up more, and I can make all the tools and jars, myself." Willow laughs as Basil chuckles. "How about two hundred of each?" He asks. I pull out the crates of jam and preserves as Basil pulls out money, and once the exchange is done, he puts the crates into his own stasis storage cuff. It''s one I crafted for him a few years ago, in exchange for some things. "Thank you for the goods," Basil tells me once we finish. "Thank you for the purchase," I respond. "So," he smiles widely again. "How have you been out here? Enjoying it?" "Quite a lot," I look toward the festival. "Though the population''s smaller than I expected. There''s a pair of ancient magi living here ¨C old enough to have gotten too focused on their research to pay attention to developments outside and learn that ''mage'' is the new term and that ''witch'' and ''wizard'' are now considered offensive." "Seriously?" He asks. "There are magi that old?" "Yeah," I dip my head towards the old married couple. "They''re bickering in their original language. I don''t know how old they are other than ''under seven thousand'', and even that''s only because Robin told me he and Rose are younger than Aluci." "How does Aluci like it out here?" Willow asks. "See that young man there?" I indicate my stall. "That''s Dylan, and he has a two-year-old named Nolan. You can''t see Nolan as I think he''s just sitting on the ground. Aluci loves playing with the little guy, and the spirits do, too." "The spirits?" They both ask. "Yeah," I say. "The spirits. All of the locals are beloved by the spirits and have a companion one ¨C though they weren''t aware of it. Dylan and Nolan have plant spirits hanging out with them, while most have earth or water spirits. Oh, and the smith guy doing work and selling things? That''s Ash, and he''s from a forge in town rather than from here. I wouldn''t be surprised if he moves out here soon." "I''m assuming he''s the only bare-chested man who''s not a local?" Willow asks. Specifically man, because many of the visiting boys have shucked their shirts and are playing in the river. Adults are often more reserved than youth when it comes to that sort of thing in a public setting. "Probably," I say. "The local men do seem to prefer to be bare-chested when it''s warm out. He has a fire spiritand an earth spirit who hang out with him, and the lady at that table there is Elaina. The two of them are infatuated with each other, and I''m not sure why they haven''t decided to marry yet, though it''s also not my business. He also meets all of the qualifications to be permitted to live here, as far as I can tell." "Referring to the barrier?" She asks. "Barrier?" Basil asks. "I noticed it when we crossed through," Willow nods. "There''s a powerful barrier in place. I don''t know what it does and will need months to decipher even a part of it, but since Rowan mentioned qualifications for living here, the two are likely connected." "It was crafted by Robin and Rose," I confirm. "And it''s done specifically to only allow people spirits like, and who won''t run the risk of causing problems or exploiting the land, to move into the area. Everyone else can be here for up to three months." "And it seems the magi like you," she says. "Understandable, you''re a likable guy. Jas was actually a little sad to find that things were over, but also kind of relieved. He did feel bad for not being able to fully satisfy you." Jasper is my ex-boyfriend. While we were pretty close in the year and a half or so we knew each other and dated, it was for the better that things ended between us. Spirits liked him and he was interested in magic, and we were happy together. However, we both knew it wouldn''t be sustainable long-term. His interest in magic is a more casual one than mine, and he actually disliked whenever I got too into my interests. Anyone who gets with me long-term has to accept that magi do that sort of thing and be willing to go through that sort of thing. In addition, there was the part she mentioned as well, that he couldn''t fully satisfy me. So it''s really for the best that things between us ended. "How''s he doing?" I ask. "He never seemed to enjoy the life in the camps, nor when I got too much into my focus on stuff. That''s why I felt it best to part ways ¨C he''d be happier with someone else." "He''s doing well," she answers. "Informed them about your letter and retirement, then packed his things and went back to his family''s farm. I know he wants to come visit you to see how you''re doing, but also isn''t sure if you''d be okay with that." "Sure, I''m fine with it," I say. "I''ll let him know next time we meet," she tells me. "And speaking of your retirement, how much do those out here know?" "I''ve told them I''m an orphan who was adopted by a noble I later severed ties to and had myself struck from the family of," I say. "And that I went to become an adventurer when I was thirteen, but that I''m retiring now to pursue my interests. They know I''m a magus, but only Dylan, Thomas, and the Magi know I can do spatial and temporal spells. Otherwise, just that I can use arcane, elemental, and nature magics. Earning their trust and avoiding other complications is easier this way." "We''ll keep that in mind," she says. "I never betray the secrets of my customers and patrons," Basil says. "Alright," I say. "Let me introduce you two to the chief and the Magi, then I should return to my table for a little bit." Chapter 0040 The entirety of my stock for sale has sold now and my table''s been put away. Of the locals, I likely earned the most due to the higher value of my goods. As it turns out, most of what gets sold here either isn''t made with pure magic ingredients or isn''t made with any. That lowers the values a lot, and the quantities they produce aren''t nearly as high in some cases. It''s especially nowhere near as high as how much I''m growing in my garden, that''s for sure. I had a larger stock of items to sell, but also more valuable things. Next time, I should probably lower things a little bit so that it doesn''t make people feel like I''m trying to be better than the locals. That''s not my intention at all. Dylan''s watching as Nolan plays with some of the kids who showed up at the moment, and it''s clear he feels awkward. He keeps shifting around and looking toward some of the other parents, who are talking with each other. In addition to each other, the kids are playing with a Mistwood herder, a local breed of dog that I''ve seen a few times. Most of them are tame, but some of them just roam the fields as free spirits. Their shoulders reach a little past my knees, and their fur is mottled with golden browns and browns over a white undercoat, with white for their bellies and the undersides of their tails. "Hey, Dylan," I say upon reaching him. "Sold everything?" He asks. "Everything that was for sale," I hold out a pouch. "What''s this?" "Your earnings," I say, and he starts to say something, surprise, confusion, and rejection in his mind. "You worked at the stall, Dylan, you get paid. And you did help me make the jams. This is the fair pay based on how much you helped. Most stalls still have goods, so if you want to buy something, I''d recommend going and checking them out now. I''m going to do the same." Something is causing conflict in his mind and when he looks at Nolan, I realize what it is. "That''s not a wild Mistwood herder the kids are playing with," I tell him. "It''s Aluci transformed into one, since most of the parents here wouldn''t quite be happy with their kids playing with a shadow wolf." "That''s Aluci?" Shock fills Dylan''s mind, and the herder looks over and dips his head slightly for a moment before returning to chasing kids. "I knew he shapeshifts, but I didn''t realize he''d do that." "I told you," I say. "He loves playing with kids. If you don''t want to disrupt Nolan''s play, you can know he''s safe knowing Aluci''s watching the kids." He''s still nervous, but he nods in acceptance. The old spirit''s really earned his trust. We head back to the market section and split up. There are a few things I want to buy while this is set up in addition to dropping off my gifts for the locals. The first stop I make is at an outsider stall, where Patrick is currently attempting to haggle with one of the merchants. This merchant is selling sacks of sugar and brown sugar, ceramic jars of black peppercorns, jars of vinegar, and jars of oil. It''s the vinegar that I want to buy, even if I can make my own. "No, I don''t want to buy vinegar," Patrick says. "I want to buy sugar. Stop trying to sell me other stuff." "Your family makes pickles, no?" The merchant responds. "I have only the highest quality vinegar available." "Dude," Patrick says. "We make our own vinegar. We want sugar. We ain''t got a way to get it on our own, which is why I want to buy it. We do use it. Stop with the upselling and just tell me how much the sugar is." "Patrick," I say. "I''ve got about three hundred pounds of sugar I can trade your family from for some jars of pickles ¨C and if your parents are willing, some vinegar." "Oh, well, in that case," he looks at the merchant. "Never mind. The guy who knows how to make awesome foods has what we need from you. Where did you even get the sugar, Rowan? Did you steal it from someone?" "I know how to extract it," I tell him. "You know those really sweet beets Henry and Edith grow? Those are actually sugar beets, and you can extract the sugar from them if you know how. I traded with them and got some, and where I live, combined with a little bit of extra magic¡­ I ended up with quite a lot of the beets." "Ah," he says. "Hey, do you happen to have bigger jars? Like, pickle-sized ones? Da told me to buy some crates of those, too. We like glass ones for pickles instead of ceramic since they can show others what''s in ''em, but they''re a lot more expensive. Your jars are really cool, and look higher-quality. We need more, to start the next batches. And I''ve got the money, we''ve sold a lot." The markets like this one must be how the locals restock on stuff they can''t supply on their own. Silvia probably helped out with the jars a little, but she''s passed now and can''t. What they use the sugar for, I''m not entirely sure. Based on what I''ve observed and heard, they don''t usually sweeten things. Maybe he likes adding it to his oatmeal for breakfast? They do have honey, though, so probably not. It''s also not my business, so I won''t pry. "Not at the moment," I tell him. "But I do know how to make them, and can do it with magic. Mine are higher quality, too. They have a special sealing mechanism which allows them to last for longer until the first time they''re opened, and still for a little bit longer after opening. You''ll have to talk with your parents about buying them from me. Or trading. I don''t quite need that much in way of vinegar or pickles, though, so maybe something can be worked out with someone else." "Sure," he nods. "Lemme go ask them." He hurries off to his parents'' station, and I dip my head to the merchant and move on. That was the only outsider stall I wanted to buy things from, so I approach the table for bee products. It''s run by an elderly couple here, both of them pushing seventy. Right now, the wife, Laney, is the one behind the table while Gerald is off looking at other stalls. "Hello, Laney," I greet the elderly woman behind the table. "Hello, Rowan," she greets me. "What is it you want?" I''ve only interacted with her and her husband slightly so far, once at the Arrival festival and once to trade for some crops. She and her husband are still suspicious of me and view me as an outsider. "I''m gifting all of the locals some of my jam and preserves," I pull a small wooden box which has all four of the ones I produced out of my storage. "Including a special one I didn''t sell at my stall, which is a double-berry mixture. Unlike the ones at my table, these jars have a special enchantment on them which keeps the items within cool. This keeps them safe for longer after they''ve been opened, allowing you to use them for up to three months or so once they''ve been opened, so long as you make sure to keep the lids on when not in use." "Oh," there''s surprise in her mind. "Thank you." "You''re welcome," I say. "I''m going to assume the honey from the payment for the wood for the docks came from you?" "It did," she confirms as she puts the box of jars behind her. "Gerald and I go there to watch the sun rise or set sometimes, and we''d prefer the boards to not break beneath our feet. Those old docks have needed replaced for awhile now and if it''s from sturdier wood, then all''s the better." "It was pretty good honey," I tell her. "Thank you much. I was wondering about purchasing or trading for more. I use it in a few things, like bread, cookies, butter, and as part of a topping for some things." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "How much were you looking for?" Her mind has relaxed around me now, just a little. "Another gallon," I answer. "If you still have that left." There are several jars left out on the table, but they''re all ceramic jars so I can''t see inside of them. I could look at them through the System to learn their contents, since it''ll say what they''re jars of, but asking is better. It''s a way of further showing I''m willing to talk with them, as I''m sure everyone knows by now that I can read and am able to use the System to learn what items are. "I have a few jars left," she says. "Three different types of honey, though none in a gallon quantity total." The jars themselves can only hold around a pint of honey each. Based on the feel of her mind, she was lying about how much is left and how many types there are. Chances are, she has a higher-quality honey she''s willing to trade with locals, but I won''t push for that. "That''s fine," I say. "What types do you have?" "These two are from flowers," she indicates two rows. "And this one comes from berries." To differentiate them, the cloth covering used for the jars are different based on the types. Even without the ability to read and write, there are ways to label items. "Three of the berry honey," I say. "And five of the flower honeys, whichever type. What will that cost?" "The flower ones are 15 ciirvrios a jar," she answers. "And the berry one is 17. We''re willing to take coin or equivalent in goods. How much are those sausages of yours worth?" The prices on these are a little higher than some of the stuff sold by others here, but that''s by nature of what they''re selling. Bee products such as honey and beeswax sell for a high price nearly everywhere, but are lower in quantity. "I''ll pay the full in coin and throw in a box of the sausages for you," I tell her. "I have a bit extra and would prefer they go to locals." "That sounds like a deal," she says. We exchange coins and goods, then I move on, making sure to gift each of the local families a box of the jams. Most of the tourists have already left and¡­ "Hey, Thomas?" I ask upon reaching his family''s table, where they''re selling butter and cheese from his family''s goats and cows. "Did Michael and his wife and Sophie already head home?" Sophie is the other younger member of the village, the young girl. Michael is her father, a gruff man who was pretty hostile to me when I approached him about trading for some crops. That resulted in no trade between us, but I hadn''t gone in expecting everyone to be open to trading with me yet. "No," he answers. "Michael and Regina moved. We might get some business during the harvest festivals, but it''s not much. Enough to replace tools, prepare for winter, and maybe buy some extras. The village is dying, and they want Sophie to grow up somewhere she can have friends her own age. As soon as they finished selling the crops they had, they took the things they''re moving with and joined one of the wagons as it left." "That''s a shame," I say. "But I guess that''s how things are. Anyway, I have a gift for your family; am doing this for all of the local families." I give him the box of jams and preserves, and he examines it for a few moments before nodding. Something tells me he just checked the jars in the System. Based on his progress in learning how to read, he can probably understand enough of the messages to know what they are. "We''re a bit low on the stuff for sale now," he says. "But we do have some left. Did you want to buy anything? I ain''t sure how much you''ve got left, since I ain''t been there in a few days." "A couple of pounds of butter," I tell him. "And a pound and a half of the mozzarella. Also a pound of the goat butter." "Do you have peanut butter?" He asks. "I normally buy that in town if I see it in the market and have some extra, but I know you''ve got peanut plants in your garden." "Yeah," I pull out a 15oz glass jar of peanut butter. "They''re in this size." "Does one of those and a pound of breakfast sausage sound like a fair trade to you?" He asks. "It does to me," I pull out a log of breakfast sausage, and we perform the trade. "By the way," he says. "Patrick was asking me if I''d be willing to take him to lessons with me. I ain''t sure if his parents will allow it, but if they do, are you fine with that?" Once my cabin was built, we shifted the lessons to be fully before lunch, as it made things easier on Thomas. He doesn''t have to either leave and then come back or just wait around in the area somewhere until Nolan''s nap is done. They now start immediately after breakfast and have a small break between so that Nolan can have a little fun before needing to sit still again. Them taking place right after breakfast is important to his question, because it means that unless I make a warpstone that takes someone directly to my lot''s waystone, they''ll need to leave before breakfast for the first lesson for Patrick. "Sure," I answer. "As I told you before, I think everyone should know the basics of magic and reading." "Alright," he says. "I''ll talk with his parents and see what they say, and I''ll see you again in a couple of days." "See you then," I say, then continue my trip through the festival market. There are more stalls for locals which have already closed up and left, or which are closing up now. Fortunately, Cedric''s parents still have their stall set up from selling bolts of cloth made from wool. The nine-year-old is currently helping his mother as they''re packing things up, so I''ve made it in time to catch them now. Needing to track them down later wouldn''t be an issue, this is just more convenient. "Hello," I greet them, and they both look at me, a little wariness entering their minds, as well as some curiosity. "I''ve got a gift for all of the local families, some of my jams and preserves." I explain to them about the jars as I hand them the case, then look at Cedric, who''s wearing a necklace made with various pieces of insect shells used as beads. It''s actually pretty well-crafted, and explains his love of looking for insects in the forest. He must be looking for ones whose shells will shape into beads pretty well. They''re all consistent in shape, size, and thickness, and the edges are rounded off so that they don''t cut into his skin. "That''s a nice necklace," I say, and he beams a little. "You weren''t wearing that when I traded with your parents, were you?" "Nope!" He answers. "I finished it yesterday!" "Using shells from insects you found in the woods, right?" "Well¡­" he fidgets, nervousness in his mind. "I''ve spotted you a few times," I tell him. "When I''m out hunting things. You know there are goblins in the forest, right?" "Ain''t ever been hurt by one!" He grins. "Have you ever been attacked by one?" "They ain''t fast enough to catch me!" He puffs up his chest. "Cedric!" His mother exclaims, horror in her mind. "What?" He asks. "Thomas taught me how to fight, too! But I really am faster than them!" "There are goblins even stronger than the basic ones you''ve probably seen," I tell him. "And ones who can use a bow or even magic, if you go too far or if they wander out a bit more." "Ain''t ever seen ones like that before," he says. "You''ve been lucky," I say. "You said Thomas has taught you how to fight?" "A little," he nods. "With my fists. And he''s let me try his bow a few times, but it''s too big for me." From my understanding, Thomas''s version of "fighting with fists" isn''t from proper training, it''s just "punch". I''ve thought about offering to teach him martial arts. While I''m no expert with them, I do have plenty of training from my time as an adventurer and before. I can make sure he gets down the basics and a little past that, at the very least. "If you''d like," I tell Samantha. "I can teach him proper combat with his fists, to help him out a little. If he trains enough with them, he''ll even gain Levels in the Skill related to it, which will boost his Constitution and HP, allowing him to resist damage more easily and survive more. And it''ll help him survive if he does get attacked by a goblin he can''t outrun. Not saying he should keep doing it, but you know he keeps slipping away. I was planning on offering Thomas some proper training with this already. I''m not sure if you know, but he''s been learning magic from me." "He''s mentioned it, yes," she says, and I can feel the hesitation in her mind. "I''ll need to speak with him and my husband about this." "That''s fine," I say. "Consider the offer open ¨C so if you decline it now but later change your mind, just let me know and I''ll see what my schedule''s like." "Alright," she says. "We''ll let you know," her mood shifts a little. "How were the cloths?" Rather than trading for crops from them, I traded a portable stove and some breakfast sausages to them for some cloth. Those were then used to make a few more pairs of pants for me. "Quite nice," I tell her. "It''s a good weave; comfortable yet sturdy. They made some good pants. Anyway, I''ll let you get back to packing up, I''ve got one more family to drop the jam off at. Have a good rest of your day." "You as well," she says. "Bye!" Cedric waves. I wave back, then head over to the table Patrick''s family set up, though there aren''t any jars of pickles left. "Those are the jams I was telling you ''bout," Patrick says when I had his father the box of them. "They''re suuuuuper good! Hey, you should ask him about the jars." "Not right now," George tells him. "I still haven''t decided yet," he looks at me again. "Thank you for the jam, Rowan." "You''re welcome," I say. "Shame I missed the pickles, could you let me know next time you''ve got some ready?" "Will do," he says. "Have a good rest of your day." "You as well," I say, then look at Patrick. "And you." "Will do!" He says. "Bye, Rowan!" "Bye," I say, then walk off. I enjoyed this festival quite a lot, and getting to talk with Willow and Basil for a little bit was nice. Now, it''s time to see if Dylan and Nolan are ready to head back to the cabin. After that, it''ll be back to taking care of the gardens, hunting, crafting, and exploring. Making the decision to retire from my old life was definitely the right choice. Things are a lot calmer for me now, but that''s just how I want it. Chapter 0041 After spending two weeks farming, crafting, and teaching, then a day selling goods and looking at other peoples'' goods¡­ I want to stretch my powers a bit. The question here is if I should go into the mines again or return to the Mistwood. Both options are viable right now. There are plenty of resources I can gather in the mines, and I know this for sure. It''ll also let me build up my powers a little bit more since I know I''m still able to gain Skill Levels quickly right now. Some of the spells I cast are just that complex, and the monsters are worth that much. When factoring in my Blessings, I can definitely gain quite a few more Skill Levels if I go to the mines today. Doing so won''t bring me up to my old level of power, but it will still make me feel more comfortable. As for entering the Mistwood, that will let me acquire resources and reagents not found in the mines. I''m not completely sure what all is in there, other than that a lot of it will potentially be new to me. "You''re dressed for hunting?" Dylan asks as he enters the living room, a sleepy look on his face. "Going to the mines?" "Maybe," I answer. "Might go into the Mistwood instead, haven''t decided yet. Breakfast is on the table. It''s sweet rolls with icing and some sausages and eggs; you can reheat it on the reheating plate if you want." "Where''s Nolan?" There''s no panic in his mind, just curiosity about his son''s location. He''s fully adjusted to his son not being in the room with him when he wakes up. At the same time, he''s accepted that his son is safe as long as he''s on my property. "He''s having fun," I answer. "Gah!" Dylan jumps, then turns forward to look at his son, who has a water spirit sitting on each shoulder in addition to his usual plant spirit and a mischievous grin on his face, his shoulders bouncing in his silent laughter. "That was frigid!" The water spirits each sent a tiny, ice-cold splash of water at Dylan''s back after his son snuck up behind him. I could have warned him in advance, but I knew Dylan wouldn''t be upset about it. Letting his son have his fun when it''s harmless will only help the boy grow comfortable and eventually, break out of the shell that''s kept him from talking, too. "Anyway," I say. "I''m going to head out now, I''ll see you guys this evening." "Good luck," he says, and Nolan waves to me. I leave the cabin and walk over to the warpstone, then [Teleport] to Robin''s tower. He opens the door just as I reach it, a friendly smile on his face. "Good morning, Rowan," he says. "How does your morning go?" "Quite well at the moment," I pull the box of jams for him and Rose out of my storage and offer it to him. "These are the jams I made, I''m gifting them to each of the villagers." "Thank you," he accepts the case, which then vanishes. "If you''re planning on hunting today, know that the spirits of the mines are disturbed. They always are, due to its buildup, but especially so right now. As for the Mistwood¡­ something strong lurks within, the spirits say. If you go in, be mindful of your surroundings and you may acquire something good." That sounds like it would be a better idea to head to the mines than the forest. The spirits being disturbed there means I should lessen the built-up mana. "Understood," I say "Thank you for the advice, Robin, and I hope you enjoy your day." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," he says. "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," I respond, then leave his property. Once there, I [Teleport] to the mines. If I go down to the fifteenth floor for a little bit, I can become strong enough to go straight to the twentieth. That will allow me to grow stronger, gain more resources, and help the spirits of the mines calm down. The effects of the buildup are stronger the further down one goes. Or rather, it''s lighter the higher up one is due to the higher levels being affected by what travels up from lower down. Spending a day on two different floors will help deal with the buildup a little bit, even if not a massive amount. Unless things are particularly bad, the spirits will be fine for awhile with that. I warp straight down to the tenth floor, then continue further down, slaying any of the monsters which appear before me. My current level of power will let me handle monsters on the sixteenth floor and some on the seventeenth, but I''ll stop on the fifteenth floor just because it''s a stopping point and I should be able to quickly reach a high enough level of power there to take on the twentieth floor. As for the actual floor count¡­ I''m not sure how deep the mines reached. All Robin told me before is that they''re pretty deep, which is why I''m assuming there are at least twenty floors. I descend the stairs upon locating them and take in the entry room for the eleventh floor. If the first zone could be considered normal stone mines and the second set could be considered mossy mines¡­ the third would be "overgrown". It still matches the previous five floors, but with extra features. There are still the support posts and beams with lanterns, and I can even see minecart rails and a few minecarts in this room. That''s the first time I''ve seen those in this Labyrinth, and it''s likely because of past delvers reaching this deep that they became known as mines rather than just tunnels. In addition to the moss, algae, and moist spots, there are also patches of grass on the ground and some of the rubble piles. On the posts and beams, there are also vines and ivy. A couple of the grassy patches have small flowers growing in them, adding a bit of extra color aside from the browns, greens, and greys of everything else. Moss, algae, and grass completely covers the ground where there aren''t piles of rubble, "fallen" beams, boulders, and other features. Even those have the greens, though. It really is an overgrown space. The lights here are dimmer than in the previous section, and they''re spaced a little bit further apart as well. My dusksight bracelet ensures that''s not a problem for me, but I take it off for a moment to see what the room looks like without it. Dim. Not so dark as to obscure my sight, but dim enough that it''ll be easier for monsters to hide in the shadows. Unless the spooklights stop showing up here, that means that I might be facing both light-based and darkness-based monsters. Which isn''t an issue for me, of course. I''m more than strong enough to handle anything on this floor and have seven years of experience in combat against various types of foes. I''ll be thoroughly shocked if anything actually manages to land a blow on me. The attacks would hurt, of course, since I only have 87 Constitution right now and the monsters here have between 200 and 225 in their offensive stats. They wouldn''t kill me, though, unless they hit my head. My armor protects the other important bits and will shield me from most of the damage I take. But really, I''m not expecting to get hit by anything. I exit the entrance room and step into the tunnel. From experiences in similar Labyrinth settings, I can make a guess as to what some of the monsters I''ll encounter here are. There are still the giant rats and ants; the bats, octopuses, slimes, and spooklights; and the goblins, trolls, and golems I''ve faced on previous floors. They all go down easily enough regardless of their types or variations. It doesn''t take me much time before I encounter the first monster with a different base type from the ones I''ve faced higher up, though. Resting on the ground against a tunnel wall is a tortoise with a shell which looks as if made of impure ore, with some moss spread across it in a few spots. Because of the way it''s resting, it looks like just a giant lump of stone and ore, a trick which would fool most Labyrinth delvers. As an eleventh-floor monster, it likely possesses some sort of mithril rather than iron. The bluish-white hue to the ore suggests it''s an ice-type. Fighting it would be bothersome, so I slip into its mind and crush its thoughts, then take over its mind and force it to push its head out of its shell and face me. The moment it does, [Fire Spear]s begin striking into its head. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. When they strike, the spears pierce into its head, then all of their flames travel forward similar to how force magics work for impact spells. Rather than fully traveling into the tortoise, however, the flames splash and spread. This forces the flames into the shell around the monster''s neck, as well as into the holes where its front legs are hidden. The more that seeps into those parts, the further in the next flame wave is able to go due to the previous having burned away the flesh within. It takes me only three [Flame Spear]s to burn through the monster''s HP, partially thanks to being able to burn away its head. I don''t know of many creatures which can live once their head is gone. The tortoise bursts into black and red mist and several items plop to the ground. A fist-sized ice-like crystal, a fist-sized earth magic crystal, a fist-sized crystal with a metallic grey coloration, and a head-sized lump of bluish-white mithril. The grey crystal is a big surprise to me. I don''t think any of those have dropped for me in the mines so far, but it can be sold for a pretty coin in town.
[Metal Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized metal magic essence.
When used while creating an alloy with metals of the same tier as it, it enhances the result up a quality tier. This means that if I take a Tier 6 lump of spatial ore from this floor and have this incorporated into it, it''ll be Tier 7 by the end. Which is why I''m surprised the crystal even dropped from the tortoise. These things are fairly rare, whether as a drop or in a place where magic crystals form on their own. I slip it into the space pocket cuff I''m wearing, along with the earth magic crystal, then examine the other two items which dropped.
[Ice Magic Crystal]
A piece of crystallized ice magic essence.
[Ice Mithril]
Pure ice mithril, this ore is cold to the touch and excellent for harnessing ice enchantments and channeling ice magics.
I can use the ice magic crystal to make cooling or freezing enchantments, and the ones I can make with this are superior to the ones I can make from the ones purchased in town. The shops there pretty much caps out at Quality 5 materials while these are Quality 7. As for the mithril, I can use that for weapons to combat flame-type monsters. Probably not a necessity to do that, but I can use it for other things as well, such as a charm to resist heat. That will be more useful than a weapon, once I travel to the fiery levels of the mines. A little bit further into the eleventh floor, I encounter another creature that''s not on the upper levels. This one resembles a very thick vine and does a good job at imitating the ones hanging from the support beams. I flick my hand forward and a series of [Arc Slash]es soar forward. The vine snake attempts to dodge the attacks, but it can''t see them as I cast them perfectly rather than flawed. It only anticipated an attack because of my gesture and that''s not enough. The five [Arc Slash]es I cast soar forward and cut through the vine snake with ease, the beast swinging back some from the force of the impact. Then, it bursts into black and red mist and loot drops to the ground. Two chunks of meat, a plant magic crystal, its fangs, a regular magic crystal, and bark from its hide. The meat goes into a stasis pocket bracelet while the rest is placed into my spatial pocket cuff. It takes me almost two hours to reach the fifteenth floor, then another two before I''m strong enough to take on the twentieth floor. Since the spirits seem to actually like the Labyrinth, I decide to avoid going straight down there. Instead, I kneel and touch the ground. "O spirits of the land," I murmur in the language of the spirits. "Is my work today enough for this floor, or should I stay for longer and clean up more before traveling further down?" A spirit which wasn''t even in a partially-manifested state appears before me, taking the form of a leopard cub with a brownish-orange body with grey spots on which small flames burn. He gives me a small nod of his head, then vanishes again, completely imperceptible to my senses. With confirmation that it''s fine to continue on, I descend down to the sixteenth floor and examine the room. The overgrowth here is stronger than in the previous zone, and there are now more flowers growing around. Bushes and shrubs have grown in, and there are plenty of mushrooms around. I''m not going to pass up magic mushrooms of types I don''t have and so completely clean out the entrance room of them before entering the halls. As I travel down to the twentieth floor, I don''t encounter anything fully new, just variants of things I faced in the upper zones. The monsters here are also resistant enough to my mind magics to make disabling them with it an actual challenge at times. Just as I start nearing the point where I''m thinking about heading home, an interesting monster enters the range of my [Empathy]. It feels like a troll, but with a lot more focus than the other trolls of the Labyrinth have had. That could make it the first mage variant I''ve faced here. The others have all fought with their brute strength, their bodies resilient to damage in general. Some had resistances to certain types of magics, but weren''t capable of using them beyond coating some or all of their bodies in it. Mage trolls have a high Mind stat in addition to a high Strength, Constitution, and Magic. It might actually be able to fully resist my mental magics, so I would normally need to keep that in mind here. I locate it within one of the mining caverns, where it''s slowly walking through the room. There aren''t any other monsters in there based on what I can see and sense. Either the troll chased them off or killed them, or the Labyrinth simply didn''t spawn any others within the room. Trolls stand about eight feet in height and have a build on the leaner side, but still muscular at the same time. It has the same medium-grey skin as a standard troll, and its eyes aren''t much different. The same goes for its hair¡­ which is normally a darker grey. A few other things set it apart from normal trolls, though. Including the fist-sized medium-grey crystal set into its forehead and the two smaller crystals to either side of it. The one on the left side is brownish-orange with reddish-orange, flame-like patterns running through it. To the right of the center crystal is a green crystal with brown, vine-like patterns running through it. This is definitely a troll mage, and one with lava magic and plant magic. If I''m right about the central crystal, its primary magic types are actually spatial and temporal. I could avoid the mage troll entirely if I want to, but things have been too relaxed for me lately. While I haven''t been too worried about an attack coming this past week, taking down something like this would probably relieve some of the anxiety I know will build up as my focus pulls away from learning about gardening and has more time to wander. But it would''ve been better if I''d taken him on when I first arrived on this floor. That''s when I was about as strong as everything here.
Rowan Zovanzik
HP: 13,871/16,100 HP Regen: 0.161/second
MP: 74,983/106,800 MP Regen: 1.068/second
Strength: 209 Constitution: 160
Dexterity: 65 Magic: 985
Mind: 247
I''m almost as strong as the strongest monsters on the twenty-fifth floor. A gesture from me summons a high-intensity [Inferno] on the troll, incinerating it in seconds. A monster with a high resistance to heat and burning, a high regeneration rate, and the ability to hasten its movements and even [Teleport]. "Ah, crap," I say as I realize what I did. I did it again. Rather than just taking on enough monsters to ease the spirits'' minds about the intensity of it, I just went all-in and pushed myself hard. That was completely unnecessary and the spirits probably became fine with things several hours ago. "Dammit," I groan. I''ve got to get better about this. Since I don''t have a warpstone that can take me back to this floor''s waystone, nor the previous waystone, I need to walk back to the waystone. The mana density here is too high to use a warpstone to head up to a higher floor. Not with the warpstones I currently have, at least. Upon reaching the waystone, I use it to return to the fifth floor, then use a warpstone to the exit the Labyrinth. At the waystone outside, I return home and approach the cabin, mildly confused. My [Empathy] can now stretch from the waystone to my house, and I can feel Dylan''s mind quite clearly. It''s full of embarrassment and desired secrecy, along with haste. Nolan''s mind is full of innocence and confusion, but also an attempt at listening. Whatever Dylan''s doing, he''s telling Nolan something and the kid is doing his best to understand, but is confused about it. Rather than walking in through the front door, I [Teleport] inside, to a spot out of view of where Dylan is. The smell of burnt food is the first thing I notice. "-understand, Nolan?" Dylan says. "Absolutely no telling Rowan that I burned dinner. And getting the smell out is why the back door is open. Keep waving the pan, that''ll help push the air out." I peek around the corner and see Nolan waving a pan toward the back door and Dylan staring at a skillet which has what looks like burnt meatballs. "I''ve got to get rid of this," he mutters. "At least it was wolf meat and not the more expensive stuff." "If you want to get technical," I say, and he jumps and looks at me. "Stoneseeker wolf meat is actually fairly pricey. They''re just a common beast around here, so the value is only lower in this area. Someone buying it from out of area would have to factor in the transportation costs, though, which is why it''s pricier outside of here. That''s especially true if they want it raw instead of as jerky." The embarrassment in his mind has increased a lot, to the point that he probably feels like he could die from it. "You were trying to make sure there was something to eat when I got home?" I ask. "Y-yeah," his face is bright red. "It didn''t go so well. I thought I was doing what you did, but I guess not." "Depends on if you used the right ratio of other ingredients for the meatballs," I say. "The heat setting, how long you left them on, and if you had other moisture in the skillet. Let me get out of this gear and wash up, then I''ll fix us up some spaghetti and meatballs." A gentle breeze blows through the house, pulling the burnt smell out through the back door, which promptly closes. "You can stop now," I tell Nolan, then start to turn back toward the hall. "And Dylan?" "Yeah?" Nerves fill his mind. "Thanks for the effort," I tell him. "Even if it ended in failure, I do appreciate it." Chapter 0042 "That''s a lot of stuff you''ve got out," Dylan mumbles sleepily as he enters the living room. Since there''s no wall between the living room and the kitchen, only counters, what I''m doing in here is visible from those within the living room. It also lets those who are in here see those who are in the living room, a design choice I''ve been using to keep an eye on Nolan. The kid''s currently rolling around the room. He seems to enjoy doing that at times for no discernible reason, but I''m not going to stop him if it keeps him occupied. It''s not as if he''s hurting anyone or breaking anything. Why he wants to do that right now instead of play with the blocks, I don''t know, but he''s having fun and that''s what matters. "Yeah," I respond. "Thomas stopped by earlier to ask if I was okay with him bringing the others for lessons. We discussed the time for them to arrive, and it was decided they''d all eat breakfast here, before the lesson. I was thinking of doing a few things for it." It took about a week before anyone else accepted the offer to come, but it seems all of the younger members of the village decided to receive lessons from me. There''s also the possibility that it wasn''t fully agreed to for the younger ones until Elaina asked about joining in on the lessons, too. Whatever the reason, all that matters is that I have additional guests coming over for breakfast and need to get started. I also need to make sure there''s enough for everyone. "Nolan, buddy?" I ask. "Want to wash potatoes for me?" Nolan stops rolling around, scrambles to his feet, and walks over. The nature spirit hanging out with him manifests itself once he stops rolling, and Nolan gives it a small pat on the head on their way over. "What are we making?" Dylan asks as he joins us in the kitchen. "Monkey bread, breakfast wraps, and biscuits and gravy," I answer. "We''ll also do fruit on the side." "I only understand the last one," Dylan tells me as he picks up Nolan to wash the boy''s hands in the sink. "Biscuits and gravy. There are breakfast gravies?" "If you do it right," I confirm. "And we can use biscuit dough to make the first one. We''ll make balls of biscuit dough, then roll them in melted butter, then a mixture of sugar and brown sugar, then plop them into a pan to bake. They''ll be served with a blueberry sauce and cream cheese icing for dipping. "As for breakfast wraps," I say. "We''ll make tortillas first, they''re just flour, sugar, and a little bit of butter the way I do them. That''s formed into balls which are then pressed into a thin, flat circle using this device here. Just quickly pull it down after plopping the dough onto the center, then lift it back up, and you''ve got it ready. Then it gets cooked quickly and it''s ready for use. "That''s the base for it," I tell him. "Then you put on it whatever you want. I''ll make ground breakfast sausage and eggs, and we''ll have some cheese and a few veggies as well. You can put them on the tortilla, then fold the edges over so that it''s ''wrapped''." Preparing three different dishes might seem a little excessive when there are only seven people expected to be here for breakfast, but the others will likely have already done some chores and walked for five miles, one of whom is nearing his teen years and five of whom are in their late teens or early twenties. A large breakfast is necessary. Just as we''re bringing everything out to the back deck, Thomas arrives with the others. Patrick, Cedric, and Elaina all wanted to join in, and they''re quite grateful for the breakfast we''ve prepared for everyone. Making as much as I did was a good idea as there''s nothing left by the time we''re done eating. Though I am confused by Elaina. She came wearing a dress rather than pants and a tunic. The walk from the village to here is five miles, and it would''ve already been uncomfortable since none of them except Thomas has boots. To wear a dress here on top of that¡­ why? I''m not going to ask, though, as it''s her own choice. At least they''ll be able to use the waystone next time ¨C I''m going to make sure they learn how to use it before they leave. "Alright," I say once we''re in the learning zone. "The morning lessons for today comes in two sessions. The first session is basic reading and writing skills. While I know you don''t really need to read and write, knowing how to can help you if you forage or if you find something interesting. For example, I can take a look at a plant and know if it''s edible or not just by reading its description. Or if it has some magical property useful in potions. "The second lesson," I continue. "Is basic magics. At first, you''ll be focusing on manipulating your mana. Once you''ve gotten the hang of that, you''ll be learning to actually use magic. The free lessons are only for the basics on both. Everyone understand that?" They all confirm that they do. "Finally," I say. "I''m shifting my lessons schedule a little. Today is Monday ¨C Mondays and Wednesdays will have the magic lesson. For Tuesdays and Thursdays, it''ll be weapons and combat. I''m no master, but I did pick up quite a few skills while traveling as an adventurer. For the combat lessons, you''ll need to pay for those. I''m not expecting coin from this ¨C just help with things like my gardens for now, or in constructing things. You can also trade goods for it." This was something I decided on after the discussion with Cedric''s parents at the festival. Rather than offering it to just the boy, I''ll offer it to all of them. "That said," I say. "Part of the magic lessons is just focusing on training your magic by yourself. You don''t need me at all times for it, just for when I''m giving advice. So if you''d like to practice more, you can stay during the weapons training and practice with the orbs some more." "The orbs?" Patrick asks. "And another thing," I add. "Since we have a group now, please raise your hand if you''d like to talk and wait for me to call on you. This way, we''re not all talking over each other. And Patrick? We''ll get to what the orbs are once the magic lesson begins." "Okay." Now that all of that is out of the way, I have Nolan pass out the writing boards and pens, then begin the reading lesson. Since three of them already know a decent bit, I use words they haven''t learned yet but which are still simple enough for the others to learn from. This simplifies the lesson for me and makes it easier to teach both groups. At the end of the lesson, Nolan collects all of the boards and pens and puts them away, then I let everyone stretch for a few minutes. Convincing Nolan to sit back down when it''s time for magic takes a little bit of effort, but his companion nature spirit manages it with a few pats on his cheek. The same basic discussion I gave to Thomas, Dylan, and Nolan for their first magic lesson is given this time, so that the three new students can understand things. "Yes, Patrick?" I ask, and he lowers his hand. "How fast do we regen''rate our mana?" He asks. "I ain''t able to do math like that¡­" "Your recovery rate is one-one hundred thousandth of your capacity," I answer. "So it takes about twenty-seven hours to recover to full no matter how much you can hold." "Ain''t that a bit much?" He asks. "A long time. It''s so slow." "Well, yeah," I say. "You can also use mana potions to recover some instantly, though they''re a bit pricey. The reagents for them only grow well in mana-rich soil, like here, so they can''t be produced everywhere. Often, they need to be imported from a place like here." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "And you can make ''em?" He asks. "I can," I nod. "I have the reagents here and can produce plenty. Unless I create a massive farm for the reagents covering dozens of acres, however, what I can produce and sell wouldn''t be enough to change the price outside. And making a farm like that can cause problems." "How come?" I explain about the mana veins and what happens if they''re drained too much. Then, I assure everyone that it''s not a problem to do it on a smaller scale. If individuals grow it on their own property as just a small part of what they''re growing, they won''t draw up too much mana at a time. Even the large amount of mana-rich crops I have isn''t enough to be a problem. But that''s also because there''s basically no one else doing it here. Even if I switched to fully magic crops, and everyone else here did as well, it still wouldn''t be enough to cause problems. There just aren''t enough people for that around in the area. Even if the local population went up by several thousand, there wouldn''t be enough. Part of that is because the crops would be drawing from different mana veins, rather than all from the same one. If all of the crops were to draw from the same mana vein, then a problem might begin to show itself. In all fairness, this Mistland is also a little bit different from others. The amount of mana here, and the size of the mana veins, means it can handle even more draw than at others I''ve been to. Once I''ve assured them of the safety of our farming, I awaken their ability to sense their mana, then walk them through how to use the training orbs. "As for you," I look at Dylan. "You''ve gotten good enough to move on to actual magic now, rather than just manipulating your mana into the orb and its lines. Same with you, Nolan. I''ll teach you the basics of both arcane and elemental magic, but we''ll start with just one thing at a time for now. Yes, Patrick?" "Are mana potions the only way to recover your mana?" "Yes," I answer. "Now, start practicing." There actually is another way to boost one''s mana recovery rate, but I''m not going to mention it to them. It''s illegal in most countries because the risk of damage to one''s mana veins is extremely high. Damaging one''s mana veins has the potential to result in the mage becoming crippled in a way that cannot be healed with magic. Not that that little detail stops me from using it to boost my recovery rate when I want to recover in a few hours rather than a day. I''m not going to tell any of them that, though. Doing so would make it seem like it''s actually not that unsafe while it''s really just that my control over mana is simply just that good that I can trust I won''t cause problems for myself. The influence of the amount of mana I''ve held in the past also makes things a bit safer for me. As everyone else starts focusing on their orbs, I look at Dylan and Nolan. "Do you want to start with the arcane school or the elemental school?" I ask. "Basic arcane-type magics are things like force magics, such as telekinesis. Basic elemental-type magics include things like generating and manipulating the elements." "I think the elements first," Dylan tells me. "Force magics ain''t really for farmin'' and stuff, while earth and water would be. Plant magic even more so, but that''s an advanced one, yeah?" "It is," I confirm. "And yes, earth and water magics can be useful for farming. Earth magics to help you manipulate the soil, or even create some if you need to, and you can use water magics to generate water to water your garden, if you need to." I pull out a pair of wooden buckets and set them in front of Dylan and Nolan, then fill them with water. "First," I say. "You''ll learn how to manipulate water. Creating it comes later, then shaping it into spells comes after that. It''s only after your first spell that green will form around your pupils." "Okay," he nods. I spend the next twenty minutes teaching Dylan and Nolan the basics of water manipulation and walking them through the process. Dylan picks up the magic first, while Nolan takes a little bit longer, but that''s understandable. He''s two and lacks a magical bloodline, so it''s impressive that he''s able to do as much as he does. "Now pull out a little bit of the water and try to shape it into a ball," I tell him as I gesture with my hand, pulling a little bit of water up and shaping it into a one-inch ball. "Yours won''t be as smooth and clean as mine is, but that comes with practice. Just like with scrubbing potatoes. So just try and get it into a sort-of ball shape, okay?" Nolan nods, then gets to work trying to do that. His mind wanders a lot, and he sometimes forgets to actually use magic, but that''s fine. It''s not like a two-year-old actually needs to use magic. Teaching him is more to set up the foundations for his future, much like teaching a two-year-old how to read. "Alright," I say after an hour has passed. "That''s all for today''s reading and magic lessons. I do normally make lunch for them as well, including a small rest session after, then dessert. Anyone who wants to stay for that can, though there''s still some time left before then. For the kids, you three can play if you want, just stay out of the gardens, please." "Thomas said you can play guitar," Patrick says. "Can we hear? I wanna hear what city boys play." "I learned how in a farming village," I chuckle. "It was an attempt at impressing a handsome man I met there, and it worked. So most songs I know on the guitar are more songs similar to what you all have out here. My city-learned songs are on the violin. That said, I have neither instrument." "Thomas can get his!" Patrick says. "What about your ocarina?" Dylan asks. "I know you haven''t played it for anyone here, but I''m sure you have one. You mentioned you know how to make them." I never should''ve mentioned the ocarina. "What''s an ocarina?" Elaina asks. "It''s a type of flute," I answer. "An instrument you play by blowing into it. Not many people play it, though¡­" I sigh. "And there''s something unavoidable if I do play it." The villagers are starting to like me, and they''re even trusting me enough with their kids without supervision. Sure, they''ll say that Thomas and Elaina are here, but Patrick''s parents and Cedric''s parents all know that there''s nothing those two could do to stop me if I had ill intent. If I wanted to curse the kids or something, I could do it without issue. And Elaina came out here despite barely interacting with me. All of that means the villagers are starting to accept me as one of them. They''ve all no doubt noticed the higher rate of spirit visibility around me, too. I know for a fact that Dylan and Thomas have been wondering the cause behind that. This is something I can reveal to them. "I''m something called a Spirit Saint," I admit, earning surprised looks from Dylan and Thomas and confused ones from the rest. "Gods and spirits alike can grant something called a Blessing, though with different effects. Both have titles with prefixes, or something which comes before them, with ''Holy'' or ''Divine'' if it''s from the god, or ''Spirit'' if it''s from the spirits. "In order of strength, from weakest to highest," I continue explaining. "You have Acolytes, then Priests, then Archpriests. Someone with a holy Blessing can use holy magic without training, though they''ll still need to actually practice to use them faster, more efficiently, and to use higher-level ones. Spirit-granted Blessings don''t provide any special magics, apart from being able to sense partially-manifested spirits. "An Oracle is someone who accepted a role as a speaker," I say. "While a Saint has not, but has the same level of blessing as an Oracle. The gods and spirits view them as equals. There are no Spirit Oracles, as the spirits don''t care for having a speaker." "How''s that differ from a priest?" Patrick asks. "Ain''t they speakers?" "They are," I nod. "A Holy Priest usually lives in one area and teaches the faith of the gods, provides minor blessings, and performs other holy magics. They might travel to another area, if their power is needed there, or if their patron god sends them there. An Oracle, on the other hand, performs those travels on a greater scale, often even bringing the faith to an area without it. They also tend to receive word of issues from their gods directly, to go and deal with them." "Oh." He still seems a little confused, but that''s fine. "As a Spirit Saint," I say. "It just means that I''m very well-liked by the spirits. They also like the sound of an ocarina, so most people who play them are people liked by spirits and have received a Blessing from them. Due to my status, I can''t play an ocarina without spirits making themselves visible to normal people." As I say this last part, Aluci joins us and takes a seat beside me, nuzzling my leg. "Aluci here is an Ancient Noble," I rub his head, then scratch behind his ears. "One of the eldest of all spirits in the Great Realm we live in. His life is nearing its end, but he''s chosen to accompany me. One way to tell that someone is a Spirit Saint ¨C or has the potential to become one ¨C is if they have a noble spirit hanging out with them. They''re naturally drawn to people with our qualifications." Aluci gives a dip of his head to the others as I pull out my ocarina, a simple one carved from a piece of wood which was then polished. It''s not the best in quality, but I''ll make a better one later. I press the instrument to my lips and begin to play. As I do, spirits of the three lower ranks begin to appear around us, from the motes to the small and chubby humanoids, to the spectral bestial forms of the high-rank spirits. Many of them gather around me, sitting on the ground around my stool, on my lap, on my shoulders and head. Others join the people before me, sitting and watching with them. The ground at the edges of the lessons zone becomes filled with spirits as well, and the area around us becomes packed as more show up. Less than half a minute from when my song begins, other sounds fill the air. Melodies in tune with my own song. All of the spirits above the low-ranked ones have joined in, many of them swaying gently with the song. Everyone remains silent even after my song ends, and I simply set the ocarina on my lap, a few of the spirits there deciding to inspect it. "Whoa," Elaina breaths, the first to break the charm of the song. "That was incredible." "So many spirits," Cedric''s eyes are wide with wonder as he looks around. "Ain''t ever seen this many before¡­" "The Mistwood Region has a high amount of them," I smile softly. "And even some of its traditions are rooted in them. The Arrival is simply one very large spirit showing up. If you succeed in the hunt, or a girl finds an oyster with a pearl, it''s by the grace of the spirits. And I''m sure if you ask nicely, they''ll play with you while waiting for lunch." Chapter 0043 "You''re geared up for battle?" Dylan asks as he steps out onto the back deck, covering a yawn with a hand. "Going to the mines today?" Nolan and I are out here, Nolan playing with water magic as best he can. Mostly, that''s consisting of him drawing it out of a bucket, trying to shape it into an orb, then giving up and throwing the failed orb at himself. He''s a bit drenched, but it''s nothing harmful so I''m letting him have his fun. As for me, I''m dressed in brown pants, an off-white tunic without sleeves, and my leather armor. It''s an outfit I changed into after Nolan and I ate, so that I could leave once his father woke up. Yesterday was the last day of lessons for the week, and this was the second week of lessons. I didn''t do anything outside of chores and some minor crafting since I began teaching all of the younger members of the village. Not even last weekend, when I didn''t have any other obligations. Just doing chores, lessons, and crafting has caused a sort of mental itch, and I need to go out and do more now. With today''s chores something I can put off until later or let Dylan handle, I''ve decided to gather more materials today. "Maybe," I answer. "I might also head to the Mistwood. I want to get some more arcane wood, and maybe some other materials. The mines have a lot of resources in them, but they don''t cover everything. I''ll have to see what Robin says about the spirits." "You didn''t already visit him?" It''s become a habit for me to visit Robin before breakfast and see what he says about the spirits while sometimes giving him a gift. I usually take Nolan with me, but since I was planning on doing stuff after, I opted not to. "Not this time," I tell him. "I''ll be heading off now. I left some breakfast for you in the stasis bracelet on the counter in the kitchen, and a little bit extra in case Nolan is hungry again. We had biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs on the side today. There''s also lunch for the two of you ¨C cheesy noodles, sandwiches, a veggie salad, and a fruit mix. Nol helped me make them earlier; I''ll probably be gone past lunch so I fixed some up. There''s also a post-nap dessert in there, I made apple pie and ice cream." Leaving Dylan to cook will result in either stew, the main thing he knows how to cook, or something burned. It seems that almost all that the locals eat for non-breakfast meals is either some form of stew, steak, or grilled fish. That does tend to be norm in farming communities in this kingdom, so I wasn''t too surprised at the reminder of it. Though with my knowledge of foods from the various kingdoms on the continent and around it, that might change. Those coming for lessons are getting used to eating pasta, for example, as we have it twice a week for the post-lesson lunch. They do have pies for dessert, but not usually using added sugar since it can be costly for them to purchase. That makes my pies sweeter, which the boys really like, and ice cream is a new thing to them entirely. "Alright," Dylan says. "Thanks." "He''s almost out of mana," I add. "But don''t let him put his boots back on until after he''s dried, and especially not if he''s going to be playing in water again after. It can cause the skin on his feet to split if they''re soaked in water in the boots, and you''ll have to dry the boots out after, too." While he does know this, Dylan''s mind is still sleepy so he definitely needs the reminder. Nolan loves his boots too much to not put them on when he thinks he can get away with it. With his father still being tired, he knows he''ll manage it if no one reminds Dylan. "Alright," I say. "I''m heading out now, I''ll see you two tonight." "See you," Dylan says as Nolan stops playing with the water for a moment to wave. I [Teleport] to the entrance to Robin''s garden at the tower, then enter and walk up to the tower. Just as I reach the door, the old magus opens it, a warm smile on his face. "Good morning," he greets me in the old tongue. Ever since fully registering that I know the old tongue, Robin uses it to greet me when I visit his tower. Since indulging him in it takes no effort, causes no harm, and helps build friendship, I see no reason to not use it. "Good morning," I respond. "How are you this morning?" "Quite well, quite well," he answers. "And you? How does the morning treat you?" "Good, so far," I answer. "Was planning on delving into the Mistwood today, or the mines if that''s more advisable. Any news of the spirit sort?" "Some, yes," he nods. "The Mistwood is a good place to go, though I would recommend avoiding the marshes along the coast. The spirits there feel extra mischievous today. The air spirits above it are calm, so flying won''t be an issue. I assume you have some form of magic for that?" Flying above Mistlands is rarely advisable due to the aerial monsters and other beasts which take to the skies. Even for a mage as skilled as I am, I personally don''t recommend it unless there''s a guarantee aerial combat isn''t likely. Even if he hasn''t seen me fly yet, he''s probably assumed that I can due to the vast knowledge of magic I''ve displayed. Most mages don''t actually have as wide a variety of spells as I do. They tend to be a lot more restricted. "I do," I confirm. "Is it only [Flight]?" He asks. "That one has a tendency to draw the attention of certain monsters, as does manipulating air to fly." Specifically, wyverns and dragons. They absolutely love going after people who use those magics. As powerful as I am right now, I could definitely manage a win as long as the dragon isn''t too ancient. That would still go against the "avoid aerial combat unless necessary" bit, though. "Not only that," I tell him. "I know a few different ways to fly. Give me a sec and I can show you my preferred one." "Okay," he says as I remove my upper armor and my tunic. Then, I perform a shift with some manipulation of my magic and body. A pair of wings sprout from my back, large and graceful. Deep purple feathers cover them, faint glimmers of gold here and there as the light catches them. Robin''s eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the sight of them. "Those don''t feel like a normal magical construct," he tells me. "And I noticed it before, but your body is more¡­ malleable than normal. The way you shifted your form was much faster than I''ve seen before and it seemed to cost you much less mana than Rose or I would need. You''re not human, are you?" All humanoid variants of people were originally human. How beings like beastkin, elves, dwarfs, and merfolk came to be was magic. Mana influences a person''s body in more ways than just their compatibility with others and their descendants'' affinities. If someone possess or uses enough mana, it can even allow their form to change into a new one. Usually, it''s just an enhanced or slight variation of the human one. That generally occurs by the person''s will, so someone won''t just randomly turn into a wolfkin. Their environment and habits also influence what they might turn into, if they don''t resist the pull of their body. Only humans can undergo this change, as far as I know, and only once. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. After all, they cease to be human after the shift. "Officially," I say. "I''m human. That''s mainly as I''ve never told anyone and it''s not like I bear obvious non-human traits like other types of people. It''s not like being something else matters, anyway. Most people probably wouldn''t believe me since a normal person wouldn''t even be able to tell that I''m not. And since most people in the human territories don''t even know that other types of people exist, convincing them that I''m not human would be difficult." Sure, I showed Patrick and his parents that I can shift into a wolfkin (at least, partially showed them), so they know others might exist. But there would be a loop of "but you look human" if I told them I wasn''t. "I never intended for a shift to happen," I continue. "So I''m not entirely sure when it did, but I noticed it back when I was learning how to shapeshift from Aluci. My actual species is ''fae'', and I''ve never heard of them outside of that." Something anyone blessed by the gods to be an Archpriest or greater can do is view something called "Personal Status". It gives more personal information about a person than the regular Status, including things such as their date of birth and species. No records I''ve ever seen contain the term "fae", and I actually said it in Oakarvian because there isn''t a word for it in Okraviok. "One benefit to it," I say. "Is that though my wings are only nine feet from body to tip each, their size doesn''t actually seem important for flight. When I shift like this, I have inherent flight magics. It doesn''t seem to make monsters want to use me for target practice, so I use it if I''m sure no one else will see." The reason I''m revealing it to Robin now is as a sign of trust and friendship. It shows I trust him and view him as a friend, to reveal something more personal about myself like this. "Inherent flight magics?" He raises an eyebrow. "Not a spell?" "Not a spell," I confirm as I fold my wings up against my back Not that tucking them in hides them or anything ¨C they''re still fairly large, after all. "It takes no mana from me to fly with these wings," I add. He rubs his chin for a moment, deep in thought about what to say next. Even without [Empathy] telling me his emotions, I can tell that much. "We looked into you," he tells me. "Not immediately, just recently. This past week. We''ve learned a few things about you, and if we''re right, you never shifted but were instead born this way." The fact that they looked into me isn''t surprising as I expected them to. The fact that they only did recently surprises me, though. I would''ve immediately looked into the background of a mage who suddenly moved into an area like this, if I were in their place. "You know who my parents are?" "If Rose and I are correct, yes," he answers. "But I wouldn''t worry about them. We''ve never heard of fae before, but if it''s something new, or resulting from the unique circumstances of your birth, it would explain why the spirits have loved you since you were little." The unique circumstances? That means they know more than just "a few things" about me. I won''t press, though. He''s an ancient magus with power and wisdom beyond my own. If he thinks it''s important for me to know, he''ll tell me. I did hope to find out about my parents here, but it''s not a priority for me. It never has been. I''ve spent twenty years without knowing anything about them, I can wait longer. "Another thing we learned," he says. "Is your nickname of ''the Archsage of the Endless Flow''. We haven''t found the origins for that, though, and don''t quite know what an archsage is. That''s not a term from our time and we didn''t look that deeply yet." Of course they found that nickname¡­ and he''s right in that it''s not a term from over nine hundred years ago. He had to use the modern tongue for the word as it''s younger than five centuries old. "An ordinary mage," I say. "Typically learns five to ten spells before their deaths. Even in old mage families, they might only know fifteen, twenty spells at most. Their talent lies in their ability to learn and wield those spells, and how versatile they are with them. "Generally speaking," I continue. "An archmage, or a powerful and talented mage, is able to cast twenty to thirty spells before their deaths. For a magus, it''s usually closer to fifty. This isn''t related to their level of power, not directly, but growing stronger does usually translate into learning more spells. "Sages are different," I say. "A Sage is someone who know at least one hundred spells. It doesn''t matter how strong they are, all that matters is how knowledgeable they are of actually casting spells. The Sages are those who are knowledgeable about magic, so most of them are magi, though not all. Being interested in magic and advancing one''s knowledge of it isn''t necessary. In fact, you don''t even need the ability to cast the spell ¨C all a Sage needs is to know it. If they can perfectly replicate the spell formula in writing, they can be considered a Sage. If they meet the one hundred requirement, of course." The only way to truly know that many spells is to understand them on a fundamental level. "An Archsage," I say. "Is pretty much guaranteed to be a magus. At least, I''ve never heard of one who isn''t. They''re those who know at least one thousand different spells. In other words, they''re essentially walking libraries of magic." Considering the ages of Robin and Rose being¡­ literally older than any mortal being I''ve ever met, they''re guaranteed to be Archsages. "And your title?" He asks. "All Archsages who are known to be one are given some form of title by others," I shrug. "Many magi are, too. My Archsage title comes from my ability to perform a seemingly endless flow of spells, so great is my knowledge of them." "How many spells do you know?" "Do I know or which I can currently cast?" I ask. "Zolbiatz reset my Skills, so there are still some spells I don''t have the MP for yet. As for how many spells I know¡­ it''s upwards of ten thousand." Silence reigns for several moments. "You''re only twenty," he finally speaks. "How did you learn so many spells?" "I don''t have a perfect memory or anything," I tell him. "But when it comes to books, well, I can memorize a page just by glancing at it. I tried testing the limits of this and ended up looking through several great libraries. Here in Silveroak and in other kingdoms. Ended up memorizing thousands of books and I''m pretty sure I''m still able to store more of them up here." I tap the side of my head at that last part. "And I can access the information from said memorized books at any time," I say. "This allows me to pull on the knowledge of multiple kingdoms if I need to." It also only works with books, so I actually have to learn other skills and make an effort to remember some things. However, that knowledge does prove useful. While they didn''t contain much when it comes to things like companion planting, I did find a few books on things like livestock. That''s actually how I knew about what to do for the slime barn. "That''s quite interesting," he says. "And speaking of learning things, how much do you know about making charms?" Most people would consider charms to just be another form of enchanted item, but they''re not when done properly. It''s an older style of magic crafting which involves shaping an item to draw out its natural magical properties or to allow it to host a magic. They usually have a single effect, sometimes more, but no enchantment is actually placed on them. Finding someone to teach me even the basics proved difficult, even with all of my traveling. The art died a long time ago since enchantments are inherently superior. I couldn''t even find a book describing how to make them. "Nothing," I answer. "Have tried looking into it just out of bored and curiosity, but it''s a dead art. "Rose has been making charms longer than it''s been a dead art," he tells me. "I prefer enchanting, myself, but charms do have their merits. If you ask her for some lessons, she''ll be more than willing to teach you." The fact that one of them knows how to do make charms isn''t unexpected. Asking them about it has actually crossed my mind, but I wanted to wait until we had a better relationship first. I don''t quite know them well enough to know how they''d react to me asking to learn from them. Since Robin''s suggesting it, however, that suggests that it''s fine for me to do that. Even if I haven''t interacted with Rose, she''s probably heard a lot about me from Robin and I know they''ve both been observing me. Making my home shielded against their scrying is proving difficult, but I did manage to figure out how to detect it a few days ago. From the feel of the spell, she also probably knows I''d noticed it. "I''ll keep that in mind," I tell him. "For now, I want to gather some stuff from the Mistwood. Since you asked about flight magics, am I correct in assuming there was a purpose to it?" "Yes, right," he conjures a map of light between us, then points to a spot a decent bit west of here as I move back so that he can make the map larger. "If you''re looking for arcane wood, there''s a grove of tree fiends in this section. Not the lesser ones you''ll find closer in but some stronger ones. It''s a bit far to walk in a day, but not too far for flying. "That said," he indicates another spot on the map. "These are some floating islands. There are a few of them scattered here and there over the Mistwood. Most of the beasts up there possess an affinity for light and/or stone. There are some rare flora and fungi up there as well. We haven''t managed to grow them elsewhere, so that''s where we go to acquire them. I''d recommend taking a look, as I''m sure you can find use for them." Floating islands can only occur under one of two circumstances. The first of those is where the ground of the islands has a mineral which floats on its own in a high enough concentration to lift the entire thing up. In an area with a dense enough Mist, floating islands can form above it as well. Naturally, that includes large enough Mistlands, such as the Mistwood. "I''ll check it out," I tell him. "Thanks for the recommendations." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," he tells me. "May the gods and spirits guide your paths." Chapter 0044 Rather than visiting the grove of tree fiends Robin told me about, I fly toward the floating islands he''d indicated. As much as I''d love to acquire some more arcane wood right now, I want to check out the flora and fungi Robin mentioned. Acquiring things I don''t already have is always nice, especially if it''s a rare magical item. Soaring above the Mistwood is also nice. Whatever magic allows me to fly when I have my wings also prevents me from feeling the chill of the winds at high speed, nor does it allow me to feel the resistance of the air. From how high above the forest I am right now, I can see for almost a hundred miles in any given direction. The forest stretches on and on, though I can make out where it changes types here and there. Most of its trees are thick mist oaks and mist elms. To the north, where it borders the barrens, are mist pines for a decent bit. Mountains stretch all along the northern border, at least within my view. To the south, there''s where the Mistwood connects to the rest of the southeastern edge of the continent. Even without the sudden shift in the forest there, it would be obvious for another reason. The southern cost suddenly turns almost ninety degrees to continue southward at the Mistwood''s start. Overall, the Mistwood itself is about thirty miles from north to south there, and only grows larger the further west it travels. Of all the Mistlands on the continent, this particular one is the largest. Many are only between thirty to one hundred miles at their narrowest to longest. This one stretches several hundred miles from east to west and its widest from north to south is around sixty miles, according to what information on it I have. It was likely the result of an Ancient Noble and several noble spirits choosing the area as their death locations. The mountains eventually end, but I don''t fly far enough to see that. The floating islands I was recommended are only about a hundred and sixty miles away from Robin''s tower. Upon nearing them, I stop soaring and hover in place, the magic of my wings allowing me to do this with minimal bobbing as long as I perform steady flaps. There are thirteen of the islands, each of varying sizes and elevations. Some of them float over others, waterfalls cascading down their sides and onto the ones below. More waterfalls cascade down to the Mistwood below, forming a few different lakes. Despite their elevation, the islands still have Mist on them, low to the ground and not too dense. Stone ruins dot a few of the islands, ivy creeping up their bricks and pillars. Where the ruins are close to water, moss and algae cover some of the stones. Golems made from pale tan stones wander in a few areas, and there are even tree fiends with pale wood touched with gold here and there. Floating islands like these should have some aerial creatures aside from normal birds, but I don''t see any. Wait, there. That tree fiend has a white-grey tint to its wood, which indicates air magics. It might possess the ability to fly, though that''s not a guarantee. Plant-type beasts rarely can. "Oh," I realize something about the hares I can see. They have wings tucked against their bodies. Magic beasts, which may or may not be hostile. Winged hares tend to be iffy on whether or not they''re peaceful creatures or hostile ones. Whichever one they are, however, they''re always delicious. These ones seems to come in earth, air, and light varieties, too. Except for the ones on that island. Their fur and feathers are more golden than yellow. Sun-type? They''ll have a mixture of fire and light, and those birds on that island over there¡­ I''ve never seen those before. They''re not big enough to provide an immense amount of meat, but they do have good feathers for arrows. And the fluff on those ones there¡­ could make for a nice pillow, or for the stuffing in a blanket. I doubt Robin will have sent me somewhere outside of my ability to handle, so I soar in closer to one of the upper islands. Specifically, the one with geese with cloud-like down. We''ve still been using furs for our beds and blankets, and there''s more than enough on this island for all three of us to upgrade. With the sheep I saw on another of the islands here, I can get us wool of the same quality to use for the cases. Rather than going straight for landing on the island, I draw close to it and watch the reaction of the goose-like birds. Some of the nearer ones take flight to a different island, some of them just look at me, but most just keep doing their thing. Non-hostiles, then. I walk near a spot where there aren''t any of the geese and kneel down, picking up some of the fluff and feathers. It''s mostly white with some faint grey to it, and is rather soft to the touch. Some of the other down matches the more golden color of the other type of bird on this island.
[Cloudgoose Down]
The down of a cloudgoose, few birds can boast down as soft and fluffy as this, while its durability ensures it will last for years.
[Sungoose Down]
The down of a sungoose, its softness is enviable. It glows faintly in the dark.
Their softness levels are worthy of the claims in their descriptions. I''ve never felt down as soft and fluffy as the cloudgoose down before despite all of my travels. There is a Mistland that''s in the sky, but it''s far enough away that I''ve never gotten the chance to check it out. That might be one of the few places where I can find softer down than this. With a gesture of my hand, I conjure wind to gather up all of the down around. The soft feathers soar toward me on the magic wind, then vanish as they near, stored safely within one of my spatial pocket bracelets. My Magic is high enough that I can cover a wide stretch of land with the conjured wind, and I gather up as much as possible. Some of the geese take off from my magic, but most of them ignore it. Once I finish, I use [Arc Slash] to kill a few of the geese, then quickly loot them into a stasis pocket bracelet. I want to try their meat to see how they taste, and there are more than enough of the creatures for me to take some without affecting things too much. Even if I did, the floating island is part of a Mistland. I could kill all of the geese here and find more if I came back in a week. I cast my gaze across the island for a few minutes, and find some flowers which look interesting. They''re in patches of around five to ten flowers growing close together, their petals somewhat pointed at their tips. There are three layers to the petals, creating a sun-like pattern, with a small orb of golden light at the center, where the flowers connect. An actual orb of golden light. They''re solid to the touch despite seeming intangible and warm as well.
[Solcore Flower]
A flower which absorbs enough of the sun''s light it now contains a fragment of the sun itself.
It probably doesn''t actually contain a fragment of the sun, but I can already think of several uses for the core, and maybe for the flowers as well. I''ll need to do some experiments with the flower to figure out the specific properties it holds, aside from the obvious light and fire magics. Those are all in anything with a sun aspect, but they may have different uses depending on the item itself. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I collect a few solcore flowers from each of several patches, storing them in a stasis bracelet. Then, I spread out my wings and head to one of the islands with sheep. Some of them have yellow wool, some have golden wool, and some have white-and-grey wool. These aren''t new varieties of sheep to me, so I get straight to work. Rather than being timid or scared, the sheep are unbothered by my approach. Predators must not come to this island often, if at all. I slay a few of each type and store them in a stasis pocket bracelet, then use force magic to shear some of the others. The magic of the Mistland ensures they never have too much wool, but also that they''ll grow more if it''s sheared. Their quality is worthy of needing my level of magic to damage, so I know the bedding will last. Fortunately, one doesn''t need 1,000 Strength to clean and spin wool into thread and cloth. I might be able to ask Elias and Samantha, Cedric''s parents, if they''ll do that for me. Processing the wool is easy enough to do with magic, but it can still be time-consuming to spin and weave it. I fly to an island with some of the tree fiends and watch them from above and to the side. There are a few sheep on this island, and they''re a little bit more skittish for sure. They''re nowhere near any of the trees here, which means they know that some of the trees are less than friendly. As I near the island, one of the light-based tree fiends attempts to attack, sending roots toward me. I immediately fly backwards until the magically-extended roots reach their limits. It looks like they can stretch to about a hundred and fifty feet, so I know the range to keep at if I don''t want to use too much magic for this fight. Which I don''t, because light-based arcane wood isn''t a common thing. Most tree fiends within the forest will be ordinary ones. I''m fine with acquiring their loot through drops because of that. Something like these, however, I want to acquire as much as possible from each. The only way to do that is to let their corpses remain behind after they die. I''ll try to acquire the wood from three of each variant here, as that should be sufficient for my goals. Before doing anything, I conjure shadows in front of me, darkness tinting everything on the other side as if they''ve been cast in shade. That''s just in time, as the roots of the tree fiend begin to glow brightly right after. I pull a spear from my storage, its shaft made of sturdy wood, its head made of pale yellow orichalcum. There''s no magical affinity to the spear, which means that killing a monster with it won''t trigger the conversion. After testing the spear for a moment, I pull my arm back with the spear aimed at the tree fiend, then I throw it forward with as much force as I can. As it soars forward, I use a little bit of force magic to boost its speed, though make sure there isn''t any left on it by the time it reaches the monster half a second later. My spear pierces straight through the tree fiend in an instant, the beast jerking back from the impact. That''s not enough to kill it due to the sheer amount of HP the monster has, but I think I hit it in its core zone, which means it should be decently low now. Enough that my second spear kills it.
[Bladed Weapons] is now Level 11!
+200 HP +2 Strength +2 Constitution
[Ranged Weapons] is now Level 11!
+200 HP +2 Strength +2 Dexterity
A spear''s natural category is [Bladed Weapon] for Skills, but using it this way turns it into a [Ranged Weapon] as well. Bows are the only one naturally both, as far as I''m aware, but they only count as ranged in the System with regards to Skills. I wasn''t aiming for boosting those Levels¡­ I''d just forgotten that they''re low enough that a tree fiend as strong as this one would give me more than enough Skill Experience to gain a Level. Using magic to kill a monster isn''t the only way to stop their monstrous energies from causing problems in an area. Before I take those extra measures, however, I summon my spears back to me and use them to take out the other four tree fiends near on that section of the island. Only once that zone is cleared do I fly in and land near the center of the group. I hold my hands out in front of me, palms facing away, then move my arms so my hands are facing to the sides. As I complete the movement, my hands glow with a golden-white light. The light spreads outward in all directions, seeping into everything. As the light of [Purify] seeps into the tree fiends'' remains, black and red mist exits them. The mist fades away after leaving the monsters, and I cast the holy magic a second time to make sure I fully purified the corrupted mana from them. I store the now-purified tree fiend remains in a spatial pocket bracelet, then repeat this process until I have at least three of each type. Once that''s completed, I stop on one of the other islands and examine some of the fungi growing here. Some of them are variants that I''ve seen before, but one of them, I can understand why Robin mentioned it. It grows in direct sunlight, and even needs it to survive. Pale yellow in color for both stalk and cap, it emits a faint glow and is warm to the touch. Dotting the cap are small spots similar to the centers of solcore flowers, as if they''re made of light itself.
[Suncap Mushroom]
A mushroom which absorbs and stores light and fire mana from the sun, the spots on its cap contain small fragments of the sun''s power.
I harvest as many of these as I can find without over-foraging. While they might grow back quickly due to the mana of the Mistland, the fact that they absorb mana from the sun means they''ll grow back more slowly, so leaving the smaller ones so that they can grow larger for the next harvest is important. The only reason I''m harvesting as much as possible right now is because they can''t grow on the ground. It''s too low for them to absorb enough mana from the sun to still be suncaps. Nothing else on the islands catches my attention too much as I explore them and harvest things, though I do use magic to cheat at fishing in the lakes and ponds to catch some of their fish. They''ll potentially be pretty delicious and I want to give them a try later. I also collect some of the clay from the lakes ¨C I can conjure clay on my own, but clay with magical affinities is a different matter. The golems themselves are fairly easy to take out with my magic, as are the remaining tree fiends I encounter as I explore. As I finish exploring the floating islands, I realize that the sun is beginning to set. I stayed out here far longer than intended, but at least it''s better than if I went to the mines. There''s a good chance I would''ve gone quite a bit above what was necessary again. I stretch out my wings once more and begin flying back to Amberoak Forest. Rather than flying straight home, I land in a clearing and shift so that I''m back to my regular form, then pull on my tunic and upper armor once more. Now that I won''t have a thousand questions from Dylan about the wings, I [Teleport] back home. Immediately upon arriving, I can tell that Dylan burned something again. His mind is in the kitchen and he''s doing something with embarrassment, while Nolan is nearby and full of curiosity and mild confusion. There''s also focus in the other man''s mind, and I use my magic to peek inside the cabin. Right now, Dylan''s currently standing in the kitchen with his arms folded across his chest, a small frown crossing his lips as he stares at the food storage room. That''s definitely a "will he notice there''s more missing than I claim I used?" look he''s got. "What did you burn this time?" I ask after [Teleport]ing behind him. Dylan jumps with a startled shout, then presses a hand to his chest. "Scare the crap out of me why don''t you?" He asks. "Did you [Teleport] in? Ain''t that expensive?" "Not as expensive as how much I''ve used for other stuff," I tell him. "Went to the Mistwood and did some harvesting. So? What was it this time?" "Tried makin'' wraps with more of the stoneseeker wolf meat," he says. "Since we''ve got a lot of it still. Since you seemed to be out past dinner, figured you''d be comin'' back ''round nightfall, prob''ly exhausted and stuff. Those seemed easy enough when you made ''em, but¡­" His cheeks tint red a little and the embarrassment in his mind spikes. This is probably not the time to tell him that I would''ve been fine with stew. Nor is it the time to mention that I have some meals prepped and in one of my stasis bracelets. I did that because I know myself well enough to know I might get too absorbed into something to feel like cooking. "Give me fifteen to get cleaned up," I tell him. "Why don''t you grab the stuff for it while I do that? Then I''ll walk you through the process." "Alright," he says. "And Dylan?" "Yeah?" He''s still feeling pretty embarrassed over his mishap getting caught. "Thanks for trying," I tell him. "I appreciate the effort." Chapter 0045 "Hoi, there!" I try out the way the locals greet each other from a distance. Cedric looks over at me from where he''s inspecting some snails on the fence post surrounding his family''s farm. He''s wearing his usual pants and his necklace, as well as his rancher hat. It''s a straw-woven cowboy hat with some small holes around the crown to provide ventilation. One of these days, I might see about having one made for me. They seem pretty useful when out in the sun all day and most of the locals wear them, especially when working their farms and ranches. Something I''m fairly certain he''s supposed to be doing right now. There are a dozen or so sheep grazing an area that''s not fenced in at the moment. I can understand his distraction, though. The kid loves things like snails and plenty of them are visible due to the rain from last night. He probably started looking at them while eating his lunch and then forgot about the sheep. According to Dylan, the locals don''t usually use a fenced-in area for their livestock apart from where they''re kept at night. During the day, they''re usually allowed to roam a bit as the herders will ensure they don''t go too far. Most of the time. They do still need eyes on them, though I''m sure Cedric would manage to wrangle any that escape. Just as soon as he realizes one did. "Hoi," Cedric greets me. "What brings ya out here?" "You know one of your sheep escaped, don''t you?" "What?" He looks towards the herd and starts counting under his breath. "Eleven, twelve¡­ wait. Twelve? Argh! Where''s Stamriik?" "Over there," I point at another hill, where a lone sheep is grazing. "AAAH! STAMRIIK! COME BACK HERE!" Cedric runs after the sheep, and I chuckle as I watch the kid go. One of the three herders helping on the ranch helps him chase down and guide the sheep back over to the others. I suppose the dogs don''t bother too much if it''s just one sheep. That, or they tried but gave up. "And don''t run off again," Cedric tells the sheep once they''ve returned. "It''s safe right now, but ya never know when a scary monster might come and eat ya! Then we won''t get to eat ya!" "I don''t think she wants to get eaten," I tell him. "She ain''t really got a choice in that," he shrugs. "Besides, it ain''t as if she can understand me. Wait, you''re still here? Did ya need me for something?" "Your parents," I dip my head towards a small barn. "Is that where they clean the wool and turn it to thread and cloth?" "Ma''s in there now," he nods. "Da''s helpin'' Thomas with somethin''." "Alright," I say. "By the way, your sheep''s trying to escape again." "Huh?" He looks over. "Stamriik! Stay!" As Cedric hurries over to the runaway sheep, I head over to the barn, where Samantha is currently cleaning some tools. It won''t be shearing season again for a little bit, so she doesn''t have more wool to spin or cloth to weave right now. That doesn''t mean she doesn''t have other things to do, of course, such as working on the other part of the farm with her husband and son, as well as raising and caring for the sheep. The tools she''s cleaning look like they''re probably used on the farm. "Hello," I say from the entrance of the barn, and Samantha looks over at me. "Rowan," she responds, uncertainty in her mind. "I want to ask a favor from you," I tell her. "But before I do, I had some questions. Whether or not I ask the favor depends on the honesty of the answers ¨C I know you don''t fully trust me, even if you''re allowing Cedric to take lessons with me. It''s obvious you''re only comfortable with it because Thomas is there." There''s mild surprise on her mind and in her expression. "So I know you might be inclined to lie as well," I tell her. "And I''m pretty good at telling when people are lying, something I picked up in the seven years of adventuring I did." She feels a little uncomfortable now. Crap. I''m slipping back into old habits, aren''t I? My expression is probably rather terrifying to her, so I do my best to soften it. When I do, I detect a small bit of concern mixed in with a slight amount of relaxing. "Four families moved during the harvest festival," I tell her. "A total of eleven people, bringing the population of the region down to only thirty-eight, and that''s if including myself and the other magi." The families included the couple who had a very young kid, a couple and the parents of the wife, and two other couples. "The only other kid around for Cedric to play with is Patrick," I continue. "Not exactly the peak of social life for a farmer''s kid. In most farming families, there are usually multiple kids per family, meaning there''s usually a bunch of children around, but all of you have essentially given up on having descendants. That''s contributed to the current state of things." I hold up a hand to stop whatever it is she''s about to say. "Not criticizing," I tell her. "Just stating my own observations. It''s understandable someone would be reluctant to have children in an area where there aren''t others. They''ll shrink down their farms to support just them, and if they do have a child, well, they can expand it a little bit to account for that. Villages die, and it''s not always a bad thing. "As a parent," I say. "I''m sure you want more for the son you do have. A life where he can have more friends, and maybe better odds of finding someone when he''s older." "You want to know if we''re considerin'' leaving, too, ain''t ya?" "Yes." She sighs, resignation and mild sadness in her mind now. "Yes," she answers. "Elias and I have discussed it, and we''re thinking of heading out once summer ends. Patrick''s a good kid and all, but Cedric does need others his age. It''ll help him stay out of trouble, and we won''t have to worry ''bout the wolves and other monsters." Just as I expected. Before I say what I wanted to next, a vision flashes through my mind. Of Cedric in his mid teens, dressed in just a pair of pants as he sits on a hill to watch a large herd of normal sheep. The only reason I can tell it''s him and not some random teen is his necklace ¨C it''s the one he''s wearing now, made of beads crafted from the shells of various insects. Its current size is a little bit big on him, but it fits him well in his mostly-grown form. Just enough slack now to not be tight when he''s older. At that point in his life, half of his eyes have turned green, the spikes quite prominent. Even after leaving here, he keeps up his magic training. Sorrow fills his face as he brings a clay ocarina to his lips. The tune he plays is simple and touched with his sadness. A couple of low-rank spirits appear around him by the end of the song and linger for a few moments after, but that''s all. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He lets out a sigh as he lowers his hands and ocarina to his lap, then looks at one of the nearby sheep, which stopped grazing to look at him. Hearing confirmation of his parents'' plans triggered [Foresight]. That was definitely a natural one and not one the gods gave me ¨C I can tell the difference when that happens. If they move away from here, the kid''s going to be depressed by fifteen because he wants to be here. Since they want to move for his sake ¨C I can feel her sincerity on it being for him ¨C I can probably nudge them in a different direction. Cedric might like looking for insects and stuff here, but he also likes the spirits. "Alright," I tell her. "I wanted to ask your help with something. Yesterday, I went into the Mistwood and found some magic sheep. I sheared them-" amusement enters her mind, probably from thinking that I don''t know how to shear. "-and while I could process it myself, even with magic, it takes a fair bit of time. Spinning and weaving can only be sped up so much. "So I was wondering if you''d be willing to handle that for me," I tell her. "Cleaning it, spinning it, and making threads and bolts for me. I want to be able to make full clothes with them, including pants, tunics, and coats, but also things like robes, gloves, caps, and such." "From the Mistwood?" She scoffs. "I ain''t got the tools for processing that, their wool''s too tough for someone of my strength." "Physical might isn''t everything," I tell her. "I''ve acquired orichalcum from the mines, and it can be sharpened to quite an edge that holds. Even if someone doesn''t have a high enough Strength, they can manage certain tasks with the right tools. I''ve made everything you''ll need orichalcum for." Samantha thinks this over, a small bit of curiosity mixed into her suspicion. "From what I understand," she says. "You ain''t one to offer things free, nor ask things for free." "Indeed," I say. "Fair trades are performed. While the job itself is considered a low-cost one by some, since you didn''t have to raise these sheep or shear them yourself, the quality of the wool factors in. I was planning on offering you something more permanent for your home, but since you''re planning on moving in a few months, that would become unimportant and without value then." That''s the actual reasons why I wanted to ask about their plans, if they were planning on moving or not. Nudging things to convince them to stay here is because of the vision, and that''s a more long-term plan than an instant one. "That was one part of it, at least," I tell her. "The other part is some soaps ¨C a higher-quality of them than you likely make on your own. They''re ones which will allow you to clean wool much more effectively and allow you to harvest the lanolin without ruining it. Magic''s involved, of course, but it''s all in the soap. I''ve got some for you to use with my wool, and additional for you to use for your own. There''s additional soap as well, for you to use for cleaning your clothes, dishes, and selves. It''s gentler than the local varieties and even most of what can be found in Tempest Oak, at least on your skin. No bad scent, just a little bit of a floral one." Making the soap is part of why I came after lunch rather than this morning, in addition to making the other items I''ll let her use to process the wool. Magic made the process easy, though I did make both normal soap and soap using slime goo. "In addition to that," I continue. "I''ll let you keep some of the cloth for your own use, in addition to allowing you to borrow orichalcum needles and scissors when you want to make something from them." I let her think about that for a few moments before adding in the rest. "Since the offer for a more permanent thing for you won''t work as you''re leaving," I say. "I''m also willing to offer you some of the lanolin. I do want that kept ¨C I have barrels for you to store the wash water in after each wash and rinse, and I can extract the lanolin using magic. It''ll be purer if I do it. I know it''s used for things like making a leather treatment or giving wool clothes a waterproof coating and for treating dry skin or cuts a kid might have. In cities, it also has use in some beauty products. Lip balm among nobles, a coating given to make their lips more glossy." "The wool you have," she says. "It''s magic, ain''t it? Would the lanolin be, too?" "Yes," I answer. "And that raises its price a decent amount, especially considering how strong the sheep were. The lanolin from one of the less-expensive fleeces I have can be sold for more than what the typical resident of Tempest Oak makes in a decade. That''s from one of the fleeces, and one of the less-expensive ones at that." I look over to where Cedric''s currently chasing one of his family''s herders, playing more than working. None of the sheep have escaped or are attempting to, so he probably won''t get into trouble for that. The kid really likes it out here. "And I''d let you keep some from each variant," I look at Samantha. "Enough that as long as you manage the spending well, you''d have more than enough for you and your husband to retire, and even for Patrick to live off of until he''s old. If you reinvest it into a new sheep ranch wherever you move, your family would be set for generations. Cedric would have no issues making friends." Judging by the feel of her mind, she''s ready to accept my trade offer. Stating that she can ensure her family''s future, as well as make it easier for Cedric to make friends, was all that''s needed. "Also," I add. "Cedric''s asked me a few times about teaching him how to play the ocarina, a type of instrument you blow into. I''m sure you know that with a guitar, you can''t just learn it in a sitting. It takes time, effort, and practice. The same goes for any instrument, really. That''s the main reason I''ve been declining so far. That, and I''d need to make an ocarina just for him ¨C you do put your mouth on it to play, after all." That''s not a lie, he really has been asking me about teaching him to play them. I was planning on waiting until winter to ask his parents about letting him learn. We both have other things to do beside the classes I''m already teaching him and the others. Adding on more to that just takes more time away from other things. But if I invest two or three months into teaching him how to play the ocarina now, then he might convince his parents to not move. That would change the outcome of the vision I had, and all I have to do is agree to teach him sooner than I''d planned. If I''m right, that will result in a happier Cedric once he''s older. It''s entirely possible that staying here would make him depressed as well, but it doesn''t hurt to try and change things. He can always move after learning more about spirits ¨C and figuring out the best place to move to. "If you work the wool for me," I tell her. "I''ll give him an hour of lessons twice a week, after the other lessons. Up until either you move or he decides to stop, and I''ll make him an ocarina of his own as well." She sighs at this last part and looks in the direction where Cedric and the sheep are, even if she can''t see them due to the barn. "He''s been begging us to try and buy him an ocarina," she tells me. "Said we should have enough money leftover from the festival for it, if Thomas can find a cheap one next time he and Chief head into town." "Unlikely," I shake my head. "Ocarinas aren''t a well-used instrument, they''re mainly used by people with a blessing from the spirits. The nearest person I know of who knows how to make them other than myself lives almost two hundred and thirty miles away. The price is pretty high." "Alright," she says. "I''ll accept your offer for my work. I take it you''ve got the stuff stored in your bracelet? Thomas borrowed one from you for the docks." "Yeah," I hold out my right hand as five bracelets appear in it. "They''re actually in five bracelets, as I encountered five distinct types of magic sheep during my trip yesterday. I''ll expect them back once everything is ready, you can just have Cedric bring them to me when he comes for lessons. Each bracelet has all of the fleeces from that one, the soaps for them, the barrels and bins, the tools, and everything else you need. I do ask that everything is kept in their separate parts ¨C especially the water/lanolin. Separating them gets tricky." She hmphs a little as she accepts the bracelets, and I teach her how to use them. It takes a lot of effort to not have a small smile on my face when she pulls one of the fleeces out. She wants to see my job and I know I did a good one. That effort intensifies upon seeing the shock on her face and feeling it in her mind upon seeing the pale grey fleece. It''s not done exactly the same as a professional would, but it''s my adaptation of how I was taught to shear sheep. Using magic rather than shears changes things a little and the job is still good. "My ex-boyfriend is a sheep rancher," I tell her. "He taught me about shearing sheep. Anyway, there were quite a lot of sheep and I acquired a decent amount of wool from each of the five varieties. That one is simple air sheep wool and as you''ll note, it''s lighter than ordinary wool. The brown wool comes from earth sheep, and it holds earth magic properties. It''s a bit firmer than normal wool while still being soft, which makes it great as an outer part for mattresses. Then there''s wool that has a natural variation in the greys of it, giving it a cloud-like look. That''s from a cloud sheep and is even lighter and softer than the air wool you''re holding. "There''s also a more yellow wool," I continue. "And it has a faint glow to it. That''s from light sheep, or sheep with light magics to them. Its grease water will have the glow as well ¨C light sheep lanolin glows. The same goes for the sun sheep, whose wool is golden in color and warm to the touch." Samantha asks me about all of my intended uses for the wool, probably so she knows how to process it and in what quantities for each type. Once that''s done, we both exit the barn and spot Cedric chasing after a runaway sheep while the others watch. If Cedric convinces them to stay once he''s learned the ocarina a little, I might offer to help them with getting a fence installed. Not having a fence for their livestock just seems weird to me, and I''m not entirely sure why they don''t. It''s probably a remnant from a time when families were bigger and everyone had more eyes to keep on the animals. "That looks like fun," I say. "Well, I''ll see you around, Samantha. Have a good rest of your day, and may the gods and spirits guide your paths." Chapter 0046 I frown a little upon feeling a mind appearing at the edge of my gardens. It''s probably a good thing whichever magus it is didn''t appear right next to me or I probably would''ve reacted with an attack to the sudden appearance. Mind suddenly appearing right beside me tend to prompt that response. Not that it would have mattered to them since I know I can''t touch them, but it would still make things awkward after. At least they''re allowing me to feel their minds, since I know they can conceal it. I''d definitely attack if I suddenly became aware of a presence beside me which I didn''t know was approaching. With it being early enough Nolan hasn''t woken yet, I''m actually quite confused about why one of the magi would be here. Standing, I try to look over there but get reminded that my farms are a bit dense in growth and some of the bushes have grown quite tall. There are trees scattered around as well, further obstructing my view. I grab the basket I was putting berries into and send it into storage, then go to see which magus came and why. As I make my way to the edge of the farm, I find Rose standing on the other side, dressed in a deep purple dress that has hints of gold where it curves and folds as the moonlight hits it. A gold-looking necklace with a faint purple tint hangs around her neck, several deep purple jewels set into it. Matching earrings dangle from her ears, large enough to be fashionable but small enough to not distract others. "Good morning, Rose," I greet her as I near the front of the farm. "Good morning, Rowan," she inclines her head in greeting. "How does the farm treat you?" "Not bad," I answer. "Can be a bit more work than I''m used to, and I''m planning on making golems to ease the burden soon. The Grade 7 earth magic crystals I acquired from my most recent trip to the mines will let me add in quite a variety of abilities for them. If I use essence extraction and crystallization magics, I''ll be able to strengthen them for more abilities, or even add in additional." "Indeed, they will," she looks towards the cabin. "Though it seems you have an easier time as well, with Dylan assisting you." "Yeah," I look at the cabin. "He''s been a big help with maintaining the farm so far. I feel a bit bad, though, since most of his time is spent helping. Things grow quite a bit more than I expected, and I probably went overboard with the size of the farms. And, it seems, growing regular plants based on the mana flows causes them to mutate¡­ all of my blueberry bushes are now mana berry bushes." That''s what I was picking when Rose arrived: the berries off of the former blueberry bushes. With the sudden increase in mana berries as well as this discovery, I might as well remove these bushes. If I want to grow regular blueberries, I''ll need to plant new ones while factoring in the mana flows to know where to avoid. "Yes, that does happen!" She laughs. "Robin and I learned that quite fast as well, when we built our home where it is. I expect your ''ordinary'' farm will be fully magical by the end of the year. The former owner of this property tried utilizing that, though he couldn''t sense mana veins and so didn''t know the best locations." "I can imagine how frustrating that''d be for him," I snort. "Am thinking about just using the magic foods for eating. It''s not as if it''ll create effects, and the quality and flavor are good, too. That should ease the burden a bit as well. Though admittedly, even just one farm this size is a bit much." "The plan was for him to stay temporarily, wasn''t it?" She asks. "Just until his own home was built?" "Yeah," I nod. "Having him helping me out on the farm is pretty useful, though, and I''ve been helping watch Nolan. Once I get the golems built, we''ll probably build his home." Her face is as unreadable as her mind, so I don''t know what she''s thinking about as she watches the cabin for a few moments. "Have you experimented with your loot from the islands a couple of days ago?" She settles on. "Not yet," I answer. "I did ask Samantha if she''d be willing to take care of the wool for me yesterday, then spent the rest of the day out here working, as well as doing some brewing and food processing. Wanted to put it off, but figured I''d save the experimenting for a day when I have the whole day." In other words, today. "I see," she smiles gently. "Would you like to learn about charms? With what I''ve observed of and learned about you, I''m sure you''ll have your first charm made before it''s time to work on breakfast." Offering me a lesson in making charms is no doubt the reason she came here now. "If you are willing," I tell her. "Yes, though I''m not sure I have anything I can offer you in return for it." "If there''s anything I need," she smiles. "I am more than capable of acquiring it. There is no need for me to ask for something in return. All we need for the lesson is a knife, a solcore flower core, and some sun-type arcane wood. And a spot for it, of course." That''s an interesting combination. I expected charms to be made entirely out of a single material, not a combination of them. "Alright," I say. "We can do it over here." I lead her over to the lessons zone and we take our seats. As I pull out the required items, she summons her own batch of them. "The art of making charms," she says. "Is the art of using an item''s natural properties to create an effect. Rather than placing a spell on it, you draw out the magical aspects. With the right technique, you can even make them conditional, or something which only activates in the right circumstances. "To start with," she holds up a chunk of wood. "You''ll want to observe the wood you''re using. Examine the way the magic within it flows. If you do, you''ll start to notice patterns rather than an even distribution. Find a piece whose magic is similar to this one''s." Rose allows me to take the chunk of wood, and I examine it deeply. I did notice awhile back that raw materials which were magic didn''t have their magic even throughout but in fluctuations. That never really seemed to make a difference for enchanting so I never paid much attention to it. After memorizing the magic pattern within the wood, I start pulling pieces out of my storage. Another chore I did yesterday was cut some of the magical wood down into smaller pieces, though not all. It takes me a minute, but I manage to find one where the magic is identical to her piece''s in one spot. Exactly identical to it. "You noticed, didn''t you?" She smiles. "All sun tree fiends will have the exact same magic pattern throughout its body, what variations existing doing so due to size differences. This is a magic pattern found in its heartwood, and only in its heartwood. "The magic is still active," she tells me. "Even after the plant''s death, and can retain its properties even for centuries, depending on the strength of the plant in its life. When cutting and carving, you affect how the magic can spread." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "And charms-making is the art of guiding the spread," I guess at the next part. "But I''m assuming you can''t affect it too much? So you have to find a piece which already has something similar to what you want?" "That is correct," she answers. "And what we''ll be carving is a miniature free fiend, one with a pair of arms. Pay close attention to how I carve." Rose begins carving and I watch as she does. She explains how to gently guide the flows as I carve, nudging them as I take off each small piece of wood, each shaving. While this sounds like a slow process, we''re both magi with high stats. Even moving quickly, we can be slow and careful. The tree fiend carving takes shape, and we leave the center of it hollow, with small holes carved into the face of it for the eyes. When we make the dips down, we carve them so that the solcore flower cores will fit snugly into them ¨C and need to be forced into place. That requires making sure to measure things precisely for that section. Careful carving and guiding of the wood''s own magic causes it to enhance and channel the power from the solcore flower core. Rose hasn''t told me what the charm does yet, but I''m patient enough to wait on that until we''re finished. Once the cores are placed in, we fit back onto the tops of the carvings a section of wood we carved out with enough precision that it fits back in snugly as well. This makes it so that only the eyes of the tree fiend releases any light, apart from the very faint glow the wood already has. It looks kind of spooky. That''s not the end of the process, and we use some varnish made with resin from the tree fiends to finish it off.
[Crafting] is now Level 15!
+2 Strength +2 Dexterity
"Examine it," Rose tells me, and I do.
[Solcore Tree Fiend Charm]
A charm carved from the wood of a sun tree fiend and slotted with a solcore flower core. When sealed, the charm provides a small amount of light through its eyes and wards off damaging insects. When the top is removed, the charm provides a modest amount of light and heat.
"We use these in our chicken coop," she informs me. "They provide enough warmth for four or five chickens to huddle around, if they get cold. Though Robin likes putting down enchantments as well, so we do have the coop set up to keep them warm anyway." She lets out another laugh. "Some of the chickens can''t decide if they''re warm enough or not and constantly move close to the charms and then away during winter," she tells me, a smile still on her lips. "And I think the little one might like the carving in his room. As long as he doesn''t know the top can pop off until he''s a little older, he won''t accidentally burn himself." Something in the way she says that tells me she knows this for a fact. Not that it''s an assumption, that she knows with absolute certainty that Nolan won''t realize the top comes off on his own. I frown at that. The only way to know something like that is time magic. Her knowing it isn''t a surprise to me as I doubt someone could live as long as her without learning it, but it''s made me realize something. "My gift for magic doesn''t come from spirit blessings, does it?" I ask. "It comes from you and Robin. I''m one of your descendants, just very far down." "If we''d had descendants," she says. "Don''t you think others would have known? Massive talent for magic would be hard to hide." "I have [Foresight] as an inherent gift," I say. "I''d always assumed that it was from some spirit blessing. Same with [Empathy]. But you and Robin are powerful enough for it to have entered into your bloodlines. Even if it was centuries ago, that would have persisted." "And yet no one in the village has mentioned of someone with such powers to you." "Right," I frown some more. "Which is why it''s confusing. But it''s the only explanation I can think of. Zolbiatz told me that this is where my parents are from, and you two are the logical¡­" Realization dawns on me. An explanation for why none of the locals would know about descendants of the two of them. "You''re my parents," I say, then frown again. "But that doesn''t make sense ¨C why would you deliberately have a child, then give him up knowing he''d have immense magical affinities?" "You caught that quickly," she says. "But you''re only right on two of the four: we''re your parents. The last time we interacted with society on a deeper level, society didn''t know about bloodlines and how your Skills affected it. We didn''t know that the child of a mage would have magical talent, with said talent being even greater the higher their Skills were." ¡­right, they are old enough to have existed in a time where this wasn''t known. And I''ve already learned that there are several more modern discoveries they don''t know. It makes sense they might not have known about that. "But still," I say. "Why did you give me up, after going through the effort to actually have me? As old and powerful as you two are, it''s impossible for you to conceive without you deliberately trying." "That''s the second thing you''re wrong about," she says. "We never intended to have a child. We knew that magicians lost their ability to reproduce without special magics and items as they grew more powerful, and we never intended on having one. Our studies have been more important to us ¨C which is why we gave you to the best orphanage we could find. It''s a shame we didn''t look to see their future, which we didn''t do as we expected it to continue going strong." "You just¡­ miraculously had me?" "We were quite confused when I became pregnant," she admits. "Neither of us understood how it happened. It wasn''t until almost fifteen years later, when you were doing your thing, that we''d realized how you were conceived." "You and Robin had sex, presumably." She gives me an amused look. "That was involved, yes," she says. "But as it turned out¡­ the spirits decided to ''bless'' us with a child. They made it possible and didn''t bother telling us. Since you were fifteen at the time, we assumed you were doing fine for yourself and suddenly appearing before you might confuse you and make you have a lot of questions. So we decided to let you be." "But then I came here." "But then the godking went and decided to send you here," she snorts. "He didn''t tell us about that, either. We noticed you suddenly appear yet be weak as can be, so we knew one of the gods was involved. Based on your personality and the fact that you''re a Spirit Saint, we didn''t think to look at how the ward viewed you. We knew it''d grant you permission to live here." She laughs. "Then we realized that you could access the ward," she says. "At least, to a degree. That confused us until Robin studied the wardstone and saw that it considered you an owner. The way we set it up, it''s recognizes our authority by our bloodlines." "And since I''m your child," I say. "It recognizes me that way." "Indeed," she nods. "Giving you partial authority for it. We aren''t planning on giving you full yet ¨C that requires showing you the wardstone, and that''s not necessary." "I''m not planning on taking over for you two," I shake my head, then lean back a little and look up. "So my parents are possibly the greatest mages in existence, huh?" "We wanted to get to know you," she tells me. "Without you feeling obligated to view us as your parents. We aren''t really sure how to handle you as a son, either." That makes sense. If we try to go straight to treating each other like family, none of us will be comfortable. It''s better if we learn about each other and get used to each other more organically ¨C as we have been so far. "Then let''s do that," I say. "With this new information¡­ I take it there was more to this lesson than just teaching me how to make a charm?" "Yes," she smiles. "Robin said to wait until you came to me, but I know you were curious about making charms and I do want my son to learn some of my arts. So we''ll continue to get to know each other as fellow residents and magi? Does that sound agreeable to you?" "Yes," I nod. "Though if I somehow end up having children¡­" "We''ll try not to spoil them too much," her smile widens. "Alright," I chuckle. "Thanks for the lesson. And I''ll make sure to come out to your workshop some point soon." "Don''t try and rush it," she says. "But do stop by if you want more lessons," she stands. "For now, I''ll be going. The little one''s growing bored playing with the blocks in his room, and his father still sleeps." "Yeah," I stand. "I''ll get him to help me with breakfast. Thanks again, Rose, and may the gods and spirits guide your paths." "May the gods and spirits guide your paths," she returns, then vanishes. Once she leaves, I think about what I realized and what she said. They''re my parents, and it explains my talents in magic and my inherent, passive spells. They want to get to know me as a person and a mage, and are willing to take as much time as is needed. That''s a lot better than rushing in to trying to be a family, as that would just make us all awkward. I''m surprised I''m as calm as I am about this. It''ll probably hit me like a dragon''s tackle later, though. For now, though, it''s time to make breakfast. Chapter 0047 Dylan just walked past the guest room Nolan''s been using since my cabin was built. I can feel him carrying his sleepy son in his arms, and I know Nolan''s got a hopeful/desiring emotion mix going on, but that doesn''t tell me anything else. This is the first time Dylan''s skipped past the bedroom when putting his son to bed. A few moments later, they reach the door to my study and Dylan knocks on it. "Enter," I stop writing in my journal and lay my pen down beside it. Dylan opens up the door and Nolan''s gaze fixes on me. The nature spirits which always accompany them are manifested, something that''s becoming more normal lately. I think the same will be true for Cedric in no time. The kid''s first lesson with an ocarina was yesterday and while he needs plenty of practice, the spirits seemed to like it. His own companion spirit even remained manifested for longer than the others which showed up for his playing. Some of the cloth his mother spun for me was already used to make clothes as well. It was dropped off yesterday, nearly two weeks after I asked her to make it. The length of time it took didn''t surprise me considering the sheer volume of it and how much work their family already has on their own. When trying to figure out how to spend my Friday, I decided to make stuff out of the wool today. Yesterday ended up not having that happen as we focused on the farms for the afternoon after Cedric''s ocarina lesson. Dylan and Nolan are both wearing their new day pants right now. They''re grey, made from the wool of a cloud sheep. Samantha wove a couple of different patterns, including making it so that the natural variation of grey showed for some and blended them together so that the other was a more uniform color. I made their pants from the latter type as that''s better for just normal pants. Dylan told me earlier that he feels weird wearing them because he knows they''re expensive. Wool from magic sheep that are difficult to find and require orichalcum tools to cut is never cheap. There''s little chance he would ever be able to pay for even his son''s pair, and I made each of them four pairs of pants. Two for days and two for nights. Why I chose to use the more expensive wool instead of something he can actually afford¡­ I''m not sure. It''s just what I decided to do this morning when I was trying to figure out what to do with my Friday. Not that I regret doing that even if it''s odd for me. He might never be able to pay me back, but he looks good in pants made from cloud sheep wool pants. Especially with the muscle definition he''s developed. Nolan looks pretty healthy now as well, his body lean but not skinny, his hair a little fuller, and his eyes a little brighter. Even if sleepy. The kid''s so tired he might fall asleep during his evening bath, if his father gives him one tonight. He probably won''t, since there was a light rain all day and Nolan played in it and the rain for most of it. A bath was mandatory once he came inside, even with the mud being washed off with some water magic before then. "Yes?" I ask after a few moments. "I''m not entirely sure," Dylan says. "But I think Nolan wanted to say goodnight to you? He was staring at the door to here pretty hard when we entered the hall." Nolan looks at me, then snuggles his head against his father''s chest. "Come here," I say, and Dylan walks over. "Around the desk." Once Dylan''s beside me, I reach up and ruffle the kid''s hair. Before I can wish him happy dreams, he turns a little and reaches towards me, arms spread out. Dylan inhales sharply in surprise before realizing what his son is doing. He leans in so that Nolan can give me a hug, and I pat the kid on the back before ruffling his hair. "Dream well tonight, Nolan," I say, and he gives me a little bump with his head before snuggling back against his father''s chest. The bump was definitely deliberate, so I think it might have been his attempt at saying something. Dylan leaves with Nolan and based on where he goes, he just puts his on in the kid''s bed. It''s new as well, another thing I made today. All three of us now have beds with their mattresses made from some of my new materials. Earth sheep wool can be stiff enough to form the rectangular shell for a mattress so I stitched some up with that. Cloudgoose down stuffing ensured they''ll remain fluffy and comfortable for years, never compressing no matter how much weight is put on them. Up to a degree. To finish it off, sheets made of cloud sheep wool were prepared and used to cover the mattresses, for a softer and more comfortable sleeping surface. The blankets and pillows were made from cloud sheep wool and stuffed with cloudgoose down. This will be Nolan''s first time sleeping with that as I made them after his nap and I''m sure he''ll sleep well. I finish writing in my journal by the time Dylan finishes up putting his son to bed, then he returns to my office. Which is unusual. The reason for it is guessable, though. He normally goes to the living room to wait until I''m done regardless of how horny he is. More than that, those feelings are actually not as strong at the moment as they normally are. His mind is more dominated with anxiety, hesitation, and attraction. That last one has been a little bit stronger today, especially when he looks at me. There''s also indecision mixed in with that and has been all day. So the reason he came to me now rather than waiting for me to finish is because he wants to talk about something a little serious. Dylan sits on one of the chairs on the other side of my desk; there are two wooden ones I made and placed there in case I have a meeting with someone for some reason. Now that I have the wool woven into bolts of cloth, I''ll make new chairs with cushions at some point. That will give a more comfortable time when sitting, especially for longer periods of time. "Alright," I set my pen down and close my book when I finish today''s entry. "I''m assuming you wanted to talk about something?" "Yeah," Dylan shifts. "Sorry for doing it now, but-" "It''s fine," I tell him. "If you waited until after, I''d just be wanting to fall asleep and you''d be wanting to head back to your room." "I mean this late." "Ah." Dylan rubs the back of his head with a hand for a moment, then drops his hand back to his lap and sighs. "When we first started having sex," he tells me. "You were pretty clear that you ain''t attracted to me. And I can tell you''re a bit attracted to Thomas. Thing is, my feelings for you ain''t gone. And lately¡­ they''ve just been gettin'' stronger, Rowan. ''Specially with the way you act." "The way I act?" I frown a little. "What do you mean?" "Well," he says. "You''re a bit stiff and come off as not having emotions quite often-" "Thank my life until I came out here," I tell him. "I have¡­ a lot of trauma. And over the seven years I was traveling, well, I just became a lot calmer of a person. And less expressive." It''s something Jasper mentioned a few times, that it could sometimes be difficult to get a read on me due to my lack of expressions. I do try to work on that a little but it feels strange to force it rather than let them come when they come. "I ain''t saying it''s bad," he says. "But it''s hard to get a read on you sometimes. But then you do things like play with Nolan, or make toys for him-" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. "Those are educational tools that anyone can use," I tell him. "And I like watching him goof around. Still haven''t figured out what''s up with the rolling, but it''s kind of fun to watch him do that." It''s a little bit goofy. "Uh-huh," he snorts. "They''re just educational tools. And¡­ yeah, I ain''t sure what''s up with the rolling. Nolan''s a lot different than he was a few months ago, before he started gaining strength." Dylan shakes his head. "Ain''t gettin'' off-topic," he says. "It''s little things like that. And how you don''t mind cooking for us. And you make sure Nolan is entertained before I wake up, make sure he''s fed, makes sure there''s food for me if you eat before I wake. "And that''s why I brought up that it''s hard to read you," he says. "I realized it this morning, after seein'' you had breakfast ready for me and Nolan was already fed and entertained. The way you treat me''s definitely beyond just as a friend or one with extra benefits. You act a lot more caring. I honestly keep forgettin'' that we ain''t together. And it''s making some things difficult for me. ''Specially with Nolan, since he likes you a ton. And as I said, my feelings''ve only grown stronger. If we keep staying here, it''ll only make things more confusing for us." As he says that, I come to a realization about myself. What was it Willow had said? As smart as I am, I can be dumb in some areas? Dylan''s right. We''ve been living as if we''re in a domestic relationship for some time now. I''m not entirely sure how long that''s been going on for, either. This is definitely one of those things I''m dumb about. I''ve based my determination for whether or not I''m attracted to someone for more than sex on my first and only relationship and how that went. That relationship was one both of us knew wouldn''t be sustainable in the long-term. With Dylan and Nolan¡­ I know I''ll miss them if they leave even with them planning on moving to the other side of the stream. The only reason they haven''t moved yet is because I haven''t built my golems to take care of the crops yet. But there''s also been no real reason for me to not build the golems. I keep putting it off and never thought about why. Dylan bringing up how our relationship currently is makes it clear to me, though. The thought of him leaving actually bothers me. I want him to stay with me. His claims about us essentially living a domestic relationship isn''t wrong, either. I do try to take care of them, and he tries to take care of me. The question I need to ask myself now is whether or not I want to be in a relationship with him. Yes. The answer is a definite yes. He''s fairly attractive, he''s nice, hard-working, is a loving and caring father, and an all-around good person. The sex is fantastic and he doesn''t have an issue with my high stamina and drive. But more than that, I find myself wanting him around, to live with him and just be with him. I want something long-term with him. For him to keep living with me, to share my bed, and to raise a family with. On my first day here, I had a vision which involved two boys running out of a cabin and into the stream. They were a few years apart in age. While I don''t know who one of those two boys in the vision was, one of them must have been Nolan. It was a vision of him and a friend of his playing. It''s even something I''d already suspected. With how much I interact with Nolan and how much he loves playing with me, it makes sense he''d be over when he''s older. I was thinking of it like an uncle relationship, not with me being a second father to him. But in the four months since the vision, I''ve essentially entered into a relationship with his father without realizing it. A relationship I want to keep and further. It''s also possible that we give it a try, don''t work out, and I just stay as an uncle-like figure to Nolan and end up with someone else. Nolan would likely still remain family anyway. To see if Dylan and I will work out in an actual relationship, there''s a question which Dylan needs to answer. A question he can only answer if I give him some of the information I''ve been keeping secret from the villagers. "Do you remember my lesson on the difference between mages and Archmages?" I ask. "It was last week." "Yeah," Dylan answers. "A mage is anyone who can properly cast spells and uses them regularly. Their irises have turned fully green due to the influence of their mana and magic. An Archmage is an extremely powerful, extremely versatile mage. They''re able to use more advanced magics, the ones in the nature, holy, or mind schools. Well, holy when it''s not gifted to them by the gods." "Right," I say. "There''s also no military obligation to them, just as with magi. Unlike magi, however, they might be asked for assistance in military affairs. Many of them make a living as an adventurer until they retire. "That''s not all," I say. "They aren''t just skilled enough with magic to use the advanced schools. Plenty of experienced regular mages can tap into them to some degree. What sets an Archmage apart is that they''re capable of casting more complex spells within the schools they know. For example, the only mages who can cast [Meteor] are Archmages. "It doesn''t just require an absurd amount of mana," I tell him. "And there are regular mages who have enough. [Meteor] is a complex spell requiring the ability to fuse two elements together in the correct way while manifesting them, creating a giant object, keeping it stable, doing it from a high distance, and more. It''s considered an ultimate finishing spell, and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of Archmages I know of who can cast it. And that''s even with me traveling all across the continent. Thousands of miles of travel and meeting many different mages and Archmages." Dylan is quiet for a few moments as he thinks over that. "How much does it cost?" "A single [Meteor] costs 2,500 MP," I inform him. "So there are actually quite a few mages who have enough ¨C but it would drain them of at least half or more of their mana. That leaves them vulnerable if something survives. And of course, it''s not actually within their casting abilities. It would take them a long time to cast even if it were, which would also leave them exposed. An Archmage can cast it in just a few seconds while still casting other spells to defend against attacks." "Damn." "Yeah," I say. "But that doesn''t do a whole lot of damage, does it?" He asks. "I''ve seen meteor impacts. It''s a¡­ what would you call it? A tactical strike?" The ones he''s seen were probably smaller meteors. A few feet to a few yards in size at the most. The impacts for those would be destructive, but not useful as a finishing move against a large group of enemies. A small group, maybe, but not a large one. "Not with the [Meteor] spell," I smile. "It''s a lot larger than what you''re thinking of. The stronger the mage, the larger and more devastating they can make it." Dylan doesn''t seem to know how to respond to that. "When I was fifteen years old, I took on a job to clear out some goblins. I was doing it by myself as that was the norm for me for a lot of things. It turned out that they had a whole village. Clearing one of those takes a lot of [Fireball]s, maybe some [Vortex]es." "And an Archmage showed up and took care of it before you?" He asks. "No," I answer. "I decided it''d be easier and simpler to just drop a [Meteor] on it so I did. Casualty rate: the entire goblin village, plus an extra two hundred feet of forest in all directions. I was a magus long before then, so stuff like that happened from time to time if I couldn''t be bothered to do it properly." Dylan stares at me, eyes wide with the shock filling his mind. "I''m one of the kingdom''s Archmages," I inform him. "Have been for quite awhile. Thomas probably figured it out after that lesson. I can cast things in the ''elite'' schools of magic, which is even more complex than the advanced ones." "And I know you cast nature magics," he says. "I''ve seen you do it. You ain''t exactly subtle with it when it''s just us." Realization hits his mind just then and he feels a little nervous. "Can you also use mind or holy magic?" He asks. "Or just nature?" "I can use all schools of magic," I admit. "One of the few who can. It''s even rarer for someone younger than a century¡­ but I''m a bit of an exception to that, not the norm." His nervousness grows a little, and I''m sure I can guess at the origin. Most people start to wonder about it when they learn I''m a mind mage. Fear of the power we hold over the minds of others is common. And also the reason why I was hiding it from the villagers. "You know I''ve been hiding a lot about me and my past," I say. "And even that I may have lied about some stuff. One of those things is that I''m a natural empath. There''s mind magics in my bloodline, and enough that I was born with the ability to feel the minds of others. "It''s not something I can turn off," I continue explaining. "I''m always sensing the emotions of those around me. The distance is based on my Mind stat and [Mind Magic] Skill, so those increasing boosts its range. Even if I never cast a single mind spell, [Empathy] generates Skill Experience passively. It''s how I can always tell when someone is approaching me ¨C because I can feel their mind." "That''s how you can tell when Nolan''s awake or not, ain''t it?" "Yeah," I admit. "It''s not Aluci telling me, I can tell on my own. But people get the wrong idea when they hear ''mind magic''. They immediately assume the worst, that I use it to read people''s minds, control them, influence them, whatever. Every action you''ve had is your own, I promise you this. "The only deliberate mind magic I''ve used on anyone in the area is the ability to read minds," I tell him. "I''ve never used any other mind magic on someone, other than the [Empathy] which I cannot control. The only person here I''ve ever used mind-reading on is Nolan. It''s easier to understand a non-communicating toddler if you just check their mind. That''s why I''m never right when he''s trying to pick between a few options and I ''go with'' one. It''s because I peek into his mind to see what he actually wants, then pick the one he''s most against. That prompts him to grab the card for the one he wants." Dylan is contemplative for a minute, his anxiety and nervousness fading somewhat. I think he''s realizing that I''m not that type of person. There''s still some anxiety and doubt, however. That''s natural. He''s wondering if his own feelings for me are from my influence and that''s why he doesn''t think I''m the type of person to use my magic that way. If I''m actually just able to make someone not think bad of me. "The question I have for you now," I say. "Is if you still want to further our relationship, even knowing that I''m a mind mage. If not, then we''ll start building your house tomorrow." Chapter 0048 Sleeping with Dylan snuggled up against me was nice. He stayed in my bed after we cleaned up last night instead of heading to his room and I was far from opposed to it. Even less so now that I''ve woken and have him pressed against me from in front. I missed sleeping like this and it being Dylan snuggled up against me makes it even better. "If you''re going to fidget so much," he mumbles. "Could you at least do it while in my ass?" And I accidentally woke him. The only thing I was aware I was doing was rubbing his stomach. It feels nice and I doubt it was what woke him. "I was fidgeting?" I ask. "Yeah," he mumbles. "What time is it?" "Just about five," I answer. "I need to check the perimeter, make sure everything is fine. Go back to sleep." I give him a light kiss on the side of his neck, and he moves a hand onto my side. "Can it wait a few minutes?" He mumbles. Checking the perimeter is important as it ensures that should my wards fail to keep something out, I notice sooner rather than later. It''s better to be prepared for an attack than caught unaware. But a few more minutes of relaxing in bed before getting up probably won''t be an issue. Dylan quickly falls back asleep, and I carefully get out of bed without waking him once he does. I then slip on some pants and head to the front door, where I pull on my boots before exiting. As I do my round around the perimeter, Aluci joins me with a yawning Nolan on his back. The boy wobbles a little as the wolf crosses the bridge for the stream, but manages to keep a good enough grip to avoid falling. This side of the stream has been cleared up to three hundred feet away from it while maintaining the same length as the side of the stream with my cabin. That''s given us a few more acres of land, though it''s still mostly just in use for the slime barn right now. I cleared it out for visibility more than anything. "Mornin'', sleepy guy," I say, and Nolan gives me a small wave. "Want to see something cool?" Nolan gives me a small nod, then climbs down from Aluci and waddles over. "Look right here," I point at some tracks in the grass. "See these?" The kid examines them, then nods. "Those are rabbit tracks," I tell him. "This is their front pair, and if you look back there, that''s their hind legs. This happens when they land." Nolan looks between the two sets, confusion clear in his mind. "You''ve never seen a bunny that big, have you?" I ask, and he thinks for a few moments, then gives me a small shake of his head. "That''s because it''s not a normal rabbit, it''s a beast called a jackalope. They look like a really big rabbit, but with a pair of antlers on their head. Regular rabbits, you want to hunt in the cooler season. But jackalopes? You can hunt at any time of the year. They''re not monsters, but they''re still aggravating pests. They also don''t get the bugs that regular rabbits do when it''s warmer." I look at the kid, who''s sleepily inspecting the front footprints. The tracks look like they''re from not long after sundown, so I''m not in a hurry to handle the beast. It''s unlikely it would come too near Nolan, anyway, since the kid always has at least one manifested spirit around him now. "They''re a little bit dangerous," I tell him. "But either Dylan or I will take care of it, so you don''t need to worry. If you ever see a jackalope, come get me or your father, alright?" Nolan nods. "Let''s finish the inspection, then get stuff for breakfast." We''re nearly to the end of the perimeter, so it only takes me a few more minutes to finish the inspection. Nolan then helps me in the garden to collect some ingredients for breakfast, stuffing his face with berries as he does. Today''s primary dish is monkey bread with blueberries in it and a triple-berry glaze, with sausage links and eggs on the side. "Let''s get you cleaned up," I chuckle once we finish eating. "You''ve got berry sauce all over your face." Nolan gives me a big grin, and I take a wet cloth to his mouth to clean off the sauce. At least it''s better than yesterday. He had breakfast gravy all over his mouth, torso, and pants. Kid kept trying to get as much of it onto his biscuits as he could and it dripped everywhere. Once Nolan''s cleaned up, we take care of the dishes. Nolan can''t do much to help so he mostly watches, but I let him conjure some of the water I use. "Your father''s still asleep," I tell him after we finish the dishes. "But it''s a nice morning out and I want to work on something. Why don''t we head to the deck?" Nolan follows me out to the deck and opens up the toy chest out here. He begins playing with blocks while I sit at the table and pull a few items out. A sturdy stone from the twentieth floor of the mines, a force magic crystal, a mind magic crystal, an earth magic crystal, a light magic crystal, a water magic crystal, a life magic crystal, and a plant magic crystal. All of them were acquired on the twentieth floor, making all of them Tier 7 in quality. Each one is roughly the size of my fist. Seven total magic essence crystals, which should work excellently for what I want. The number seven does have some magical harmonic powers and I want to take advantage of that. An additional seven crystals of the same size and quality are added to the mix, these ones mana crystals. I hold out my hands and all fourteen crystals float up into the air. A trio of magic circles form above my palm as the crystals shift to above them, then the crystals sink down into them. As they pass through the first one, the crystals turn into a mist-like substance. The volume appears greater than the crystals, but that''s because this is raw magical essence and mana. Its crystallized form is a lot more dense than the raw form. The streams/clouds of magic essence and mana continue to travel downward, into the middle circle. Though seven unique streams of magic enter the middle circle, each of the seven which emerge from its underside is uniform in appearance. They''re orange with a faint golden glimmer. A merger of the different magics is necessary for what I want to do with the crystals and it''s pretty much impossible to find a crystal which has all seven properties in them. Essence extraction, fusion, and condensation is the main way to acquire high-quality crystals, especially in larger sizes. It''s also the main way to acquire ones with multiple aspects. Not many mages have the skill required for this nor the mana necessary. It''s a technique I learned over the last seven years to help with making specialized magic tools. The final, merged streams sink into the lowest and final magic circle. Instead of fourteen fist-sized crystals crystals, however, the streams create multiple smaller ones. I can tailor the size for this and I make some of them to each be around half of an inch in size. Others are made to be three inches in diameter. All come out as perfect spheres. Despite the high volume of initial crystals, the volume of the resulting ones is much lower. I condensed everything further to create ones of a higher quality level. The larger crystals are placed into my storage once I finish, while all but fourteen of the smaller ones are. Those will be worked on another day. For now, I''ll focus on these. They''re each equal to Tier 9 in quality now, which will prove quite useful for what I want them for. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
[Meshed Magic-Mana Crystal]
Crystallized magical energy of many different types and packed with mana, it has no specialization and is not suited for most uses its components would use. Its aspects include force, earth, life, light, mind, plant, and water.
Most magic craftsmen would grimace upon seeing this. They would have no idea what to do with it as it''s not any specific "type". The complex mix of magics within it also make it more difficult to work with any aspect of it. I''m not most, however, and immediately get to work on enchanting it with an enchanting ink made from a mixture of mind, force, spatial, and temporal magic crystals and slime goo. Our plain slimes have been producing enough that we could expand the barn space and add in more types, and those were some of the first ones I had added. The enchanting work on the magic crystal is delicate and requires a decent amount of focus. Fortunately, Dylan realizes that when he comes out here and takes Nolan off to play further away. I would move to my workshop if I needed absolute silence, but I appreciate the effort. Once I finish enchanting the first of the crystals, I set it and the others to the side, then grab the sturdy stone and inspect it. It''s about ten inches in length, which is perfect for what I want. Before messing with it, I pull out two more of a similar shape, a small chunk of orichalcum, a small chunk of spatial orichalcum, and a small chunk of temporal orichalcum, then use a process similar to the essence extraction on them. This one yields a sturdy stone roughly the size of one of the originals, but Tier 9 in quality. Merging stones together like this is just as difficult as magic crystals as it''s an actual physical thing rather than crystallized intangible magics. I need a Tier 9 stone right now and don''t want to bother going back to the mines, so I put in the effort and mana to make it. Earth magic is used to reshape the stone, making it a little bit bigger in some parts and smaller in others. Reshaping the stone takes me around a minute, then I add in some smaller details to it. When I finish, there''s a stone man thirteen inches in height standing on the table. The sculpture''s limbs don''t move and the detail isn''t too fine, but I made sure to make it look as if it has hair, some muscles, and even eyes. No irises or pupils, but it doesn''t need those. I lay the sculpture down and touch its chest, opening it up with my magic. A small section of stone lifts up out of it, and I insert the enchanted magic crystal into the snug slot. The chest is sealed back up and I touch it once more. With a small pulse of mana in a specific pattern, I activate the golem''s core. Orange and pink lines flow along its body for a moment before fading, and the golem sits up before standing.
[Crafting] is now Level 16!
+2 Strength +2 Dexterity
I examine the golem to verify through the System that it''s the type I was hoping to create. It''s my first time designing one with this specific ability set so I''m not sure how well I managed.
[Farm Golem]
A golem forged from a sturdy stone, its golem core is a complex system with a variety of magics. The range of tasks it may perform are well-suited to tending to crops in a garden or farm, and it is capable of thinking, learning, and adapting. It is capable of altering its limbs into the various tools necessary for performing its tasks. With a replenishing core of mana, it can go for longer without rest.
Most golems need mana crystals changed out to fuel them, but I designed him to passively draw on the ambient mana in the air to charge his core. It contains quite a high amount of it to start with so he doesn''t really need to worry about that¡­ but I''d prefer it if he can charge. "Wiggle your fingers," I instruct the golem, who wiggles his fingers. "Flex your hands? Okay, now your arms. Nice muscles. Wiggle your toes. Do jumping jacks." I run him through various exercises and determine there are no issues with his ability to manipulate his body. The magic of his core ensures he can do that despite it being stone with a little orichalcum. "Show me a shovel," I say once I finish testing his limbs, and he turns his right arm into a small shovel. "Now a spade. A rake. Pruners." I run him through a few different tools, and he makes each one perfectly. Once that''s done, I pull a small pot out of my bracelet, some herbs growing out of it. A larger planter pot is pulled out, this one with a small blueberry bush and some strawberry vines in it. These were prepared a long while ago in anticipation of testing farming golems. "Water, prune, and harvest these," I instruct the golem. He manages those tasks fine, as well as handling the potato planter I pull out. "Good job," I tell him. "Store items." The golem touches each item he harvested and pruned in turn. When he does, they vanish. One of his enchantments gives him a stasis pocket for storing items away in. That will allow him to harvest and prune for longer before needing to deposit items elsewhere. "Good work," I tell him, then point. "See that man and boy over there? The man is Dylan, and the boy is Nolan. Please assist them if they need help on the farm and won''t be causing damage." The golem nods. "Alright," I point to the magic farm plot. "That farm is dedicated to magic crops. You''re assigned to it from now on. Understand?" The golem nods. "Good," I say. "There''s a compost bin over there for when you need to get rid of waste. For the crops, there''s a storage room in the house. Go through that door and make a right. There''s a door on the wall you''ll be facing, in the kitchen. Go through that. You''ll be able to find where to go to store harvested crops. There''s a stasis enchantment on the rooms, but it won''t affect you." It doesn''t affect us, either. I designed it specifically to affect that which isn''t currently living or capable of thinking. Us people are both living and thinking, while the golems are capable of thinking. It also won''t affect things like our clothes, so we can move freely while within. "Get to work," I tell him. "You''ll have some buddies joining you in a bit." The golem nods, then hops off of the table and begins making his way over to the magic crops farm. Dylan and Nolan spot it walking and just watch it as it makes its way to the farm. Then, Dylan picks up Nolan and brings him over to me. "Rowan?" Dylan asks. "What was the little stone man?" "One of the farm golems I''d mentioned I would make," I answer. "I figured it''s about time I make them¡­ I was maybe delaying it a bit because I liked your company." Dylan snorts as happiness fills Nolan''s mind. I think the kid might have just realized that they can stay here even with the golems. That''s pretty smart for a two-year-old, considering not enough was said for most to pick up on. "I thought they''d be larger," Dylan tells me. "From what Thomas said, the ones you two encountered during the joint trip were fairly large." "Yeah," I nod. "The ones in the mines are about as big as a person, sometimes larger. They''re bulkier and not fully humanoid. More like a bunch of stones connected together. Some golem makers do that as well, but with a more lithe form than the bulkier natural ones. More humanoid." I look at the small cores on the table, then back to Dylan. "Part of that is because of the size of core needed," I explain. "The amount of magic in a core helps determine how many commands they can be given. How many unique actions they can perform. The type of magic crystal used for it affects that as well." "And a bigger core means more magic," he says. "Right," I say. "Most golems are made with Tier 3 earth magic crystals, and ones between one and three inches in diameter. The surface is then covered in enchantments, usually in one or maybe two layers. Layering the enchantment marks isn''t easy to do, though, which is why larger cores are preferred. It gives more area. "I don''t have that issue," I say. "I can layer enchantments without too much difficulty. So if I have a really high-quality smaller core, I can just layer the enchantments. That allows me to create high-quality cores with less, and that lets me reduce the size of the golems as well." "They ain''t able to do the trees, are they?" He asks. "Or the bigger bushes? They''re¡­ kind of small." "They have flight magics," I tell him. "Moderate, so they can hover a bit. But I also made a few cores for bigger ones as well. Those will handle the taller aspects, once they''re made. I''ve got all of the materials needed to make seven of the smaller ones and two of the smaller ones for each farm. It''ll probably take me most of today and tomorrow to make them all, though." "I''ll set a stew to cooking for dinner," Dylan tells me. "I can do that without screwing it up." "Thanks," I grab another core. "I''ll fix lunch once it''s time. You two have fun with whatever you''re doing, but I''m going to get back to work now." Only after they leave do I realize I forgot to visit Robin this morning to receive the daily update on the spirits. Deciding to make the golems really distracted me. One day won''t hurt anything, but I''ll make sure not to tomorrow. It''s become a part of my routine and I enjoy talking with him. That''s for tomorrow, though. For now, I''ll make as many of these golems as carefully as I can before the day ends. Performing extra work now means much less work in the future. That will ultimately open up a lot of free time for other things, such as more crafting, magic practice, spending time with Dylan, with my parents, or hunting in the mines or Mistwood.