《Records of Zeph Einar, the Traveler [ROZETT]》 Chapter 0 - Records Introduction Welcome! My name is Zeph Einar and I will be your guide! I suppose it¡¯s not a proper way to start writing a chronicle, or any form of a historical record for that matter. Not like you, dear reader, will be able to complain to me, as I should be either worlds away or long dead. Besides, new times call for a new, brave spirit! Of course, I am sure someone will read my work. There is no sense in starting anything if you don¡¯t believe it¡¯s meaningful. Except if you don¡¯t have any other choice, but there¡¯s always a philosophical question if that really is the case. Anyway, as it was prophesied, and I am quite sure one of those prophesies even hit the actual date, the Apocalypse happened. Earth, thirteenth day, fifth month, year 2024. Of course, it was Monday. Funny thing, one of the religious texts proved to be actually useful, it was accurate as to what would happen. The Book of Revelation from the Bible. Well, for visual effects at least, not so much with the cause and effects. The parallels were found by believers, they always are, in multiple places. But it¡¯s a topic liable to interpretations, a work yours truly would rather avoid. Like a fire. It also vastly overestimated the death toll, but that¡¯s nothing new for a religious prophecy. Not like I spend much time reading those, I prefer facts. And facts are: around 1/3 of the Milky Way disappeared, the Sun lost in brightness, some serious earthquakes have taken place on a global scale. A lot of ¡°comorbid symptoms¡± showed up too; volcano eruptions, red moon, and typhoons being some of those. Something rather big covered part of the celestial bodies, or curved/assimilated the light. The problem was debated for years ¨C the theoretical object didn¡¯t produce or reflect any electromagnetic radiation. Pure blackness. Distance and size estimations were impossible. Adding to the possible explanations was what was to come shortly after, but about that in a moment. Beside the time between events, as the light from stars needs some time to get to Earth, there were no clues, and so, at my time on Earth, no theory could be stated with any level of certainty. The problem with the Sun was quickly assessed, though. No dying star event, sadly. Part of the energy from atomic reactions stopped producing electromagnetic waves and created something new instead. The same process, but on a much smaller scale, was observed in experimental fusion reactors. Also, particle accelerators and other high-precision apparatuses involving subatomic scale experiments with electromagnetic field stopped working. At my time, no one was interested in recalibrating them, more exciting or important things showed up after all. I could bore you to death with the details of what was found about it all, as I had read quite a lot, but I will leave those papers alone. Have your glory, scientists. I am sure those documents still exist somewhere on Earth. Probably. Surely. The nature of the new ¡°energy¡±, ¡°particle¡± or ¡°particles¡± was a topic only just touched on during my time on Earth. It will become more relevant later, so I will explain it as the time comes. What you should know is the name the masses gave them ¨C firstly Mana, but later changed to Prana. The cause of this indecisive naming, the possible explanation of disappearing stars, the main reason for the earthquakes, the main event of the great Apocalypse! Spatial Fissures, may they live forever! In contrast to the unrealistic image the media created, though, Spatial Fissures aren¡¯t just some primitive cracks in reality, no. They are elegant and exotic fields, regions distorting space and time, perfectly incorporated into the surrounding, unperceivable gates to other worlds. Truly, a magnificent existence, Spatial Fissures. Some say they are deadly, but it¡¯s not the gate that kills you, it¡¯s the world on the other side. No, I don¡¯t have to be objective; I will never get any reviews for this chronicle. It¡¯s impossible, after all. Not without a very avid, persistent, and stubborn reader annoyingly chasing me between worlds, Fissure knows where, only to give it to me. I wouldn¡¯t refuse it, though. If only in respect for such an achievement. Anyway, a new era began! External Worlds seeped new ¡°energy¡± into the Earth from Fissures, called collectively Mana for the similarity between each. Similarity independent of the origin. The amount wasn¡¯t much, and Mana was incompatible with Prana, thus changing only the vicinity of a Fissure. Living organisms from the other side had a real problem with this, so no monster-horde event, too. Sadly. All of them evolved in a Mana-rich environment, so it was no surprise Mana became essential for them. But, as expected, materials changed by Mana retained interesting properties even after bringing them to Earth. Even new elements were found, though analyzing them properly was impossible at the time, not without proper tools. There was a small problem though ¨C humans had similar issues as the organisms on the other side. Less drastic, as we weren¡¯t adapted to any form of Mana. Nonetheless, Mana was toxic, only Prana being truly neutral for us. Good thing then that adaptation to Mana, and even manipulation of it, was possible. Even if the survivability was dramatically small. This was the beginning of a new fraction on Earth. As you can guess (probably, surely), some people immediately rushed the new lands. Some of them lived, some of them thrived. Time flowed differently on the other side. Faster in almost all documented cases. People who braved new lands, who adapted, spending tens or more years in the new lands, became powerful. Powerful in a very fantasy-sort of way. And then, some of them came back. They were called differently in many languages and regions. Adventurers, Hunters, Scourged, Mages, Wizards, Drifters, or even Witchers. In the end, in Europe the Hungarian expression ¡°Elt¨¦r¡± (Eltear, ¡°diverge¡±) stuck, in Asia ¨C the Magi, in the rest of the world ¨C the Hunter. It¡¯s not like they could use their all after coming back, they weren¡¯t gods by any means. On the other hand, even if there was no Mana on Earth, it didn¡¯t make them powerless. You can imagine the geopolitical chaos that came along with the catastrophes, the Fissures, and then with them coming back one by one. A lot of death happened, a lot of struggle, a lot of bloody rivalry. Governments changed, laws changed, borders changed. I know of most of the important events, as I followed them closely, but this is not important now ¨C a separate tome will feature this part of the chronicles. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. 27 March 2027, three years after the start of Apocalypse. Because of the threat of the Earth¡¯s governments and other groups, the Hunters made an alliance called the ¨¦lett¨¦r (Eilatteir, ¡°territory¡± or ¡°habitat¡±). A neutral fraction. The only way to get resources from the other worlds was through this Alliance. That in itself stopped most from trying to control individual Hunters, or rather an Eltears. Any group that showed aggression towards an Eltear, or people he marked as being under his care, was met with a ruthless attack from whole groups of them until none of the masterminds and their subjects was left alive. Exactly one year later, in 2028, an agreement between the Eilatteir and Earth was formed ¨C the ¡°Mutual Inviolability on Earth¡± (MIE). Eltears were not allowed to interfere in Earth¡¯s politics and economy. They were forbidden to kill, or make substantial damage to anything on Earth. The same was true for people under their care. Disobedience would be met with exclusion from the Eilatteir and those Eltears, or rather Hunters now, being hunted by the Alliance. On the other hand, they had full immunity on Earth. Even if an Eltear marked a serial killer to be under his care, that person became automatically untouchable as long, as he/she abided the agreement. Both sides made sure their people behaved. This ¡°law¡± included any new Eltear automatically. The prerequisite to became one was an ability to survive on the other side of a chosen Fissure and adapt to Mana. The strongest of Eltears, who settled relatively close to the Fissures on the other side, were enough of a deterrent for any stray, who would try to abuse the situation. Thus, a new order was created. People on Earth slowly acclimated themselves to Prana, though without the time Eltears spend on bettering themselves and not being in constant danger like them, this process would take long years to bear any meaningful fruits. New ¡°magitech¡± was blooming, though. It is necessary to say, that only a small percentage of the human population was able to adapt to Mana. It was thoroughly tested using the areas around Fissures ¨C only around 0.01% was able to acclimate. The number of Apocalypse survivors was still unknown during my stay on Earth, but the estimates said it was between 3 and 4 billion people. Around half of humanity. The number of Eltears was even harder to estimate, Mana adaptation was only the first hurdle on their journey. It was also very fortunate that no intelligent life was reported on the other side near the Fissures. ¡°Near¡± being relative, as Eltears have had years to scout the areas. An invasion event wasn¡¯t an option. Sadly? At least that was the hope; besides the ¡°stable¡± Fissures, part of which caused earthquakes by trying to open underground, only to drift to the surface, ¡°temporal¡± Fissures showed from time to time. Those weren¡¯t open for long, but reports mentioned sightings of settlements. Not only that - each world (yes, it was proven much later that almost every Fissure led to a different world) had slightly different Mana, and slightly different basic physics. A chance for a non-humanoid, intelligent life existing on the other side was high. A few reports also mentioned a very interesting detail ¨C ¡°a System¡±. ****************************** I feel I need to make something clear. A statement. I abhorred humanity. For what it has done to itself. Not only in history, but also in the so-called ¡°age of peace¡±. For creating such monstrous abominations ¨C the ever-hungry conglomerations of humans: tyrannical and money-driven governments, bloodlines, corporations, etc.; the ever-relative laws; the ever-growing mechanisms for consuming natural resources, without a drop of reason and ability for long-term planning. For the seemingly in-build need to enslave others, to govern over others, and to corrupt existing social systems. I know not everyone can be generalized that way, but what does that change when no one is allowed the freedom to live outside society. Worse yet, society was basically the best option, definitely for our own safety, because there always will be someone who wants to go the path of aggression and conquer. Without society, it is back to tribes fighting with each other at best. Even if there was enough space to never see the other group again. Is it in our nature? Because of our evolutionary path? Utopian visions seem impossible, they always change into another story of enslavement. In the first place, I don¡¯t think we ever came close to any Utopian vision, they are just theoretical communities. Or maybe I just know too little? Didn¡¯t see enough and live in ignorance? I didn¡¯t live long, and only 25 years on the old Earth. Those topics weren¡¯t my major. But even if, I think a knowledge of some exceptions wouldn¡¯t change my feelings. Before the Apocalypse, I desired nothing more than to get enough money to isolate myself in my own land. Even for the price of stagnation ¨C by myself, I really couldn¡¯t create much in my short life. Definitely not all those miracles of technology we are able to create as a society. I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s right if a community induces such thoughts, about isolating thyself. Something was broken, and I felt it in my very bones. Or I was just an idealist. An ill-fitting cog. Or had wrong environment. Drowning in college debt surely wasn¡¯t helping. At least my studies were interesting, bioengineering at my Uni had some mighty physics and theoretical basics. Others complained? Good, let them suffer. The rat race between my peers didn¡¯t leave me with any warm feelings toward them. It became even worse in work, but it was too late to change anything. The debt was accumulated, the contracts signed. My, what a beautiful world, only 40 years of work with toxic people, in a toxic environment, and in toxic social-interactions to achieve my goal. Which is a stagnation in seclusion. I would just have to find those ¡°small joys in life¡± people are talking about, then I would endure. No problemo. Why all this whining? I will tell you. It¡¯s a secret, but maybe not ¨C if you ever find yourself near anything even loosely related to the pharmaceutical industry, run. It¡¯s the dark side, you will have blood on your hands, either your own or somebody else¡¯s. Just run and don¡¯t look back. All the faults of humanity I mentioned earlier, they were especially visible in my line of work. I got quite high on the ladder, high enough to have first-hand information, but not high enough to actually be able to direct or change anything. You see, pharmaceutical companies don¡¯t exist to heal people, they exist to make money. There is also a fierce strife on the market. Because of this, quite horrendous decisions are made by the authorities. Horrendous, both for the sick and for the employees. I am sure you yourself can tell the rest. I feel responsible for many deaths, and I wasn¡¯t able to do anything to change it, nor to get away from it. That¡¯s why the Apocalypse was such an exciting event for me! A chance for a change, for redemption. A lot of people died? I am kind of desensitized to strangers dying in droves, at least I didn¡¯t contribute to it in any way. Most importantly ¨C the social systems could not stand the change and, in the great majority, perished. My company included. I tried as I could to get myself through the Fissure. As soon as I read about them. My workplace showed a plus side at least, information is easier to find in rotten places, it seems. I didn¡¯t give up when it became clear I am not in the happy percentage of people who can adapt. I was collecting information, all I could find, and tracking every major event on the globe. With enthusiasm like never before. The more I heard, the more I wanted to take part in this cosmic exodus. Because if I couldn¡¯t fit here, maybe I could find another civilization that is closer to my heart. Because longer life would allow me to create more. Because ¡°magic¡± opened doors for individuals. Because the seclusion no longer meant stagnation. Because, even if I cannot adapt by myself, there are still options. Options like a System. Thus, I became a Fissure Huntsman. Chapter 1 - Post-apocalyptic everyday life? Earth, southeast of Pozo Colorado, former Paraguay [2029-12-02] His adrenaline high, he peeked from behind a tree. Hmm, so it was just a bear. The animal spotted him almost instantly. Shit! I better attack quickly, thought Zeph. His situation wasn¡¯t the best, but he knew he could do it. ¡°Air Dance, Tiger Spring!¡± The buffs worked and, as predicted, he managed to move before the animal could react, even after he lost the element of surprise. ¡°I cast FIST!¡± he shouted. ¡°Ok, use two d12,¡± Gregory, the GM, said. ¡°Wait, I leveled this talent up recently. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Gregory sighed tiredly. ¡°Zeph, I warned you to inform me when you make changes on your sheet! Fuck it, better prepare yourself. Suddenly the bear seems beefier.¡± ¡°Oi, that¡¯s unfair!¡± said Zeph, pointing at him. ¡°Would you prefer a thunderbolt from the sky?¡± asked Gregory, smiling sweetly. ¡°Just get on with it, you are blocking the queue,¡± Alana said impatiently. ¡°Why do I even play with you? I feel like I am wasting my life.¡± ¡°Because the net isn¡¯t reaching this pisshole, and you run out of shows long ago,¡± Zeph answered, fully concentrating on his dices. ¡°Just treat it like a training.¡± ¡°Training my ass. Even if I was going to leave this world, it¡¯s useless!¡± she said, leaning back on her chair, her hands dangling limply as she sighed in the direction of the ceiling. ¡°You never know, searching for exploits is a skill in itself. Besides, we need entertainment either way,¡± Zeph said, finishing his attack on the bear. ¡°Alex, wake up! Your turn!¡± the fierce battle continued. A good four years ago, around one year after the Apocalypse, Zeph and a few like-minded individuals formed a group of Fissure Huntsmen, nicknamed the ¡°Apes¡±. Their main job was to locate newly formed Fissures and check their characteristics, then send a word to clients who could be interested. Their main client, and initially a sponsor, was Logan ¨C an old and very powerful Eltear, who was looking for another ice habitat. It was the reason he spent the last four years on Earth. The first world he ventured into, not opening towards any other besides the Earth, didn¡¯t leave him a choice. Although, the flow of time there was much faster than the average. Most of the magitech they possessed was from Logan, equipment necessary for their job and expensive as hell. Good thing they were considered his prot¨¦g¨¦s, though before MIE they had a lot of troubles. Even if the gear allowed them to defend themselves, and they visited less populated areas, some people still died. The group now had 38 people, with six field teams, five persons each. Their team, the ¡°Gibbon Zero¡±, was stationed in South America, on the territory of former Paraguay, for almost a year now. The climate was hot, the land consisting mostly of savanna and steppe. The frequency of Temporal Fissures showing in the vicinity was high, which meant in around 500 km radius one showed every two weeks on average. A lot of waiting and scanning, a lot of free time to kill. The good old days of flying between continents, on client request or to confirm rumors and check possible locations of Fissures, were long gone. The ¡°gold rush¡± came to an end, even before world fuel reserves started to dwindle. Now, most groups had their territory, the MIE making sure all disputes were preemptively solved by higher-ups. The main goal of the Apes was to find a world with a System to migrate. Most of the people were waiting for a stable Fissure though, to be able to go back in the future. No one could tell if a world was connected further to others, so a one-way trip was risky. But during all those years they didn¡¯t manage to find even one Temporal Fissure with a System, so some people started to accept the possibility that they will not move from Earth. Especially because life was looking better nowadays. The history of fighting, with wildlife in the Fissures and with other groups, allowed the group to learn much about the use of military equipment. The training was a necessity, and the experience built up. But they were far from finished with learning. After the nice afternoon entertainment session came the time for more professional matters. Zeph and the rest went to the mess hall. If you could call that the two tables within a small wood and brick hut. The locals sourced some food in exchange for building materials, so thankfully no one from the team was assigned as a cook. Learning survival cooking was one thing, only Zeph tried to learn the proper way to use a kitchen. Sadly, he could eat with gusto anything that wasn¡¯t rotten, so the flavor of his creations oscillated randomly between inedible and almost delicious. Alana, on the other hand, could potentially kill with her dish. The rest of the team considered weaponizing this rare talent, but she rejected the idea. She could make poisons without wasting food. ¡°Yo!¡± Jorge was already in the mess hall, eating dinner. ¡°You are early. Found something?¡± Alana asked. ¡°Grab the food first, but yes,¡± he answered, trying to roll out a flex-screen on the table with one hand. The rest did just that and gathered around the screen. A second table joined the first. ¡°There are strong fluctuations of Prana in sector 34, it¡¯s around 200 km away from here. The probability of fissure forming is above 70%. The pattern is unknown, as far as the long-range scanner can tell,¡± he explained, while everyone was checking the data on the digital map. ¡°So, an anomaly?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°Iguazu Falls, at least it will be scenic¡­¡± Alana muttered. ¡°As close to an anomaly as we can get. But it¡¯s too early to say for sure,¡± Jorge answered. ¡°We don¡¯t have a proper framework for System-infected¡± ¡ªZeph made a sour face¡ª ¡±worlds either way, so it¡¯s impossible to say. But the terrain will be a problem for sure¡­¡± ¡°Really? Did you lose your edge? We don¡¯t even have to patrol anymore because of the scanner upgrades. After so much time I can take something more adrenaline-inducting. I have enough of those hellish plains and daily training,¡± Alana commented vigorously. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Which ¡®training¡¯ do you me¡ª" ¡°We will start the relocation at midnight. Continue normally for today.¡± Alex said interrupting Jorge and standing up. His meal finished. ¡°Aye Sir!¡± Everyone answered together, some not so vigorously anymore. After the meal and briefing, the training session began for everyone except Jorge, who continued the sentry duty. Martial arts, melee weapons, shooting. Each of the Apes was required to choose and specialize in at least one weapon or style for all three, besides learning the basics in every field. Of course, each team had to have members with complementary skill sets. They couldn¡¯t be called masters, but years of experience and training allowed their talents to unfold. The first hour was for martial arts. Most trained a mixed style named Mima, prepared by the specialists from HQ. Some unholy combination of Chinese, Korean, Russian, and USA main military styles, with some others mixed in, created to better counter the original styles and learn more about them. It relied strongly on adaptability and reflexes, so not everyone was learning it. Alex specialized in modified Nova Scrimia¡¯s school to better account for dagger-fighting. Gregory used Aikido. Both had previous experience with those styles. This part of the training was least important, as they weren¡¯t expecting any conflicts with human groups anymore, but it was good as a warm-up and as an alternative for melee in the new world in case they lose a weapon. Besides sparring, they had access to an AI teacher and simple sparring droids. The AI program was analyzing a video input to give instructions. The droids were basically a big moving frame with simplified limbs to simulate hand-to-hand combat. They looked really ridiculous, but as the old saying goes, ¡°If it looks stupid but works, it isn''t stupid¡±. Fissure Huntsmen organizations were quite rich, and nothing stimulates development as much as conflict does, so some branches of technology grew quickly after the Apocalypse. Next was three hours of melee training. It was the most important part, as those skills should be crucial in a new world. They needed a world with a System, so logically speaking intelligent life should exist there. There was a chance a technology level was high on the other side, but before they acquire any worthwhile gear, those melee weapons will give them an edge in any conflict. Firearms should work, but the ammunition will end quickly. Alex trained with knives, Alana with an ax, both also using throwable variants. Gregory with sword and shield combo. Jorge and Zeph with spear, atlatls, and javelin. The final hour was spent on shooting training. After physical exercises it was a challenge it was meant to be. Alex was a sniper, Alana used an assault rifle, Gregory was a grenadier, Jorge used a battle rifle. Zeph has taken the risks and chose a military crossbow alongside handguns, taking the role of a scout as the crossbow was a silent weapon. He decided to use something that he could build himself. Making gunpowder, and bullets, wasn¡¯t that easy. Most of the time, this part of the training was also a team effort, to drill group maneuvers. As night came, they started preparing for relocation, packing private items, and preparing their gear. Zeph and Alana also prepared their packs meant for leaving Earth. In Zeph''s case, around a quarter of the pack¡¯s volume was taken by plastic micro-printed books. It was the safest bet if he wanted to take some knowledge with him, he didn¡¯t want to rely on his memory alone. Especially because things like a blueprint of a gun or the chemical process of creating plastic weren¡¯t exactly easy to remember. The term "micro-printed" means they require at least a magnifying glass to read. He had chosen knowledge from his specialization ¨C bioengineering, and some academic basics from all other science fields. Also, some potentially profitable blueprints. There was a lot, but most important was knowledge about atomic interactions, as he was quite certain it was the most advanced, yet basic knowledge the Earth population has produced. Some useful stuff was in that part too, like different types of materials and how to make them: metal alloys, bulletproof glass, basic non-flammable materials, etc. The rest of his pack was filled with dry provisions, camping gear, spare parts for his crossbow, some ammunition, a basic crafting kit, and a little gold. He had this pack ready for years now, he really hoped all this would finally become useful. ============================== Midnight was a flurry of movement. Everything essential was packed in the big truck, ready to be deployed as a temporary base. Everyone had taken a few hours of sleep before departing. A little after midnight, the group was on their way. It would take around 11 hours to make it to the Falls, so they should arrive before noon. In those times, as fuel was a scarce luxury, traveling on land was done much easier and cheaper with hybrid magitech-electric engines. No one was really in a hurry, either. There was no competition after all. They used old road infrastructure. After the damage done by the Apocalypse, and five years without much maintenance, the roads weren¡¯t in the best state. But new technology and lack of traffic allowed them to drive a little faster than in the old times, not to mention that Gregory was an excellent driver. A bumpy ride that was, through the savanna in the hot sun, but the destination was something completely different. Tropical forest started to surround them two hours before arriving. The air changed, with more moisture and a new fragrance. Heavy, but so much more refreshing air. Or maybe it was refreshing only because of the change itself, after spending so much time in the savanna any change was a positive one. Either way, the more greenery, the better everyone felt. They heard the waterfalls before they saw them. They stopped southwest of the Falls as the distortion was placed almost directly on them. Setting the temporary base took them the rest of the day. Some local representatives came to get information, help secure the perimeter, and scout. Evening came and with it, the Fissure finally formed. Strange tension could be felt in the air. The valley started blurring and darkening. A sound, similar to a loud whine of wind mixed with a low sound of a breaking glacier, deafened them. The tension started vibrating, strong wind hit them soon after. White and blue flecks of light came into existence, a proof of Prana and Mana interacting with each other on a large scale. The whole show was very ominous, like horror mist coming to life amidst a mountain-breaking event, and lasted for a good minute. The terrain seemed to squirm as they lost sight of the Falls. They could feel the ground start to shake and heard a vibrating thundering sound, then the tension disappeared entirely. The Fissure started to expand, like a time-lapse of a natural disaster in an ever-changing environment. Before the expanding blur could hide everything, they could see vegetation withering before their eyes, the terrain deforming, changing shape. Strange plants appeared in the previously occupied places, more vibrant in color, seemingly from nowhere. It took almost 15 minutes before the earthquake and the expansion of the blur stopped. Mana and Prana were still negotiating borders, though. After the breathtaking show, it was time for work. The team started to run first area scans, while the local forces scouted the area around, reporting the visual borders. ============================== At around 3 AM of the next day, the team gathered in the main tent. ¡°This looks¡­strange,¡± Gregory said, perturbed. "There is more alien-life activity near the border than normal, too," Jorge added. ¡°Jorge, are you sure nothing is malfunctioning? Those reads aren¡¯t normal at all,¡± Alex said. ¡°I did the troubleshooting three times already. I also tested manually taken samples. The Mana in the Fissure is not only less toxic to Earth¡¯s life, it is in fact being assimilated into some of Earth¡¯s plants. Also, it seems like some species of flora are merging with the alien ones,¡± he explained. ¡°That would explain the ridiculous range of this Fissure¡­¡± Alana said in low voice. ¡°The Mana sample still shows the same toxicity outside the Fissure, though,¡± he added. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The excitement started to overwhelm them. Like during the first love confession received, they all lost themselves for a moment. They found it. It seems they finally found it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve found it...¡± Zeph helpfully summarized. ¡°Let¡¯s not get cocky. It seems it isn¡¯t a stable one¡­ how long do we have Jorge?¡± Alex rebutted. ¡°I would say about a week, but it¡¯s hard to estimate without prolonged surveillance,¡± he answered. ¡°You all have 3 hours of rest. We are getting in with the first light. But before that, we should finish the report for HQ,¡± Alex ordered. Chapter 2 - Of travel and time Earth, southwest of Iguaz¨² Falls [2029-12-04] The next day was reserved for delving into the Fissure and gathering the important information: time difference, biome type near the Fissure, characteristics of Mana, taking samples, etc. For this purpose, as Mana was toxic for the team, they used special full-body suits. A Prana container was installed in their backpacks, which were a part of the suits themselves. This Prana circulated through micro-canals around the whole body, effectively shielding it from Mana. The suits resembled metallic, skin-tight black armor, but were much more flexible. The material itself was quite resistant to Prana and Mana, which allowed to direct Prana in the first place. When in use, it felt like it was made from interlocking microplates connected by hinges. The feeling was somewhat pleasant, almost like having a shapeless exoskeleton. Prana and Mana were repelling and ¡°annihilating¡± each other, at least to some extent, so they should be safe as long as Mana density won¡¯t exceed a certain threshold. Helmet visors were connected to the magitech given to them by the Eltear, allowing them to have immediate feedback from scanners. Using special paint, they camouflaged the suits accordingly. The other world¡¯s flora was still not recognizable, the center blurred because of the difference in speed of the flowing time, but colors were visible. Verdant green and black, similar to the mixture of plants near the Fissure¡¯s ¡°border¡±. The five stood on this ¡°border¡±, where the density of Mana in the air was close to 1% of that of Prana. The sound from the Fissure was similar to white noise, but not overly loud. ¡°We can start. Throw it,¡± Alex ordered through the inbuilt communicator. Alana threw a stone into the Fissure, it flew much further than one would anticipate. The acceleration became mind-blowing when it started to descend, and the falling stone became a blur. ¡°Speed up confirmed, let¡¯s go,¡± Alex said, and they started to move. ¡°This OSH bullshit is annoying,¡± Alana muttered, as theoretically it would be obvious if time in the Fissure was slowing down. Any physical explanation of what¡¯s going on in Fissures failed miserably. All we knew was that the time-flow was gradually changing in a Fissure, with Mana density following this gradient. When time itself changed, a big ¡°critical error, stopped responding¡± occurred to all standard physical equations. We knew how it ¡°should¡± work, if only the speed of time had changed. The Fissure should resemble a miniature sun, with copious amounts of air and matter blowing out, like from a constant explosion. We should be the vacuum¡­ no, not even that, the black hole for the other world. But we weren¡¯t. And contrary to this, it seemed that indeed only time changed. And so the relativity theory also died from shock looking at this madness. The poor thing assumed speed, mass, and time are related to each other1. It¡¯s not like physics stopped working, though. All Physics does is create a model of reality, after all. New theories started to show up. Mana and Prana were siphoned into the Fissures in huge amounts. Both were a form of energy, so were they powering the Fissure directly? Or was this a form of annihilation? Were they powering something? Was this an intended or natural phenomenon? Sadly, Eltears weren¡¯t kind enough to explain how this part of the new reality worked. As the team got further into the Fissure, the white noise became louder, obscuring other sounds. Looking back, the world became more and more dark and static. Movements slowed; the sky darkened. The strange game of light started. On one hand, Earth¡¯s Sun was becoming darker, on the other the center of the Fissure was becoming brighter. Adding to the confusion, evidently, on the other side it was much darker than on Earth, and what they saw was only diffused, reflected light coming from the center. As a result, forest was painted in shadows. After they got deep enough, the vegetation changed from tropical to a forest similar to Earth¡¯s in a temperate climate. A deciduous forest, but with less shrubbery and much bigger trees that blocked most of the sunlight. The ground was like a soft soil but created from the remnants of dead vegetation, the result of Prana poisoning. Some of the Earth¡¯s trees seemingly didn¡¯t have such problems. ¡°Oxygen levels are rising. No changes in atmospheric composition otherwise,¡± Jorge reported. Their suits weren¡¯t airtight, though a toxic atmosphere was rather an exotic hazard either way. The gear would be ridiculous if they had to use an equivalent of a spacesuit. Not long after, they started moving in a stretched diamond formation. This was the part where the dangers started. An alien life, both plants, and animals, that could be deadly. As a sniper, Alex was keeping to the back, and was running all of the area scans. Alana and Jorge upfront, both using rifles. Gregory and Zeph behind them, ready with a semi-automatic grenade launcher and a crossbow. Alex was looking for anything with higher Mana density specifically, as such entities usually were the danger. In good conditions, the scans worked within a 50 meters radius. On the other hand, the team was near undetectable. They didn¡¯t have Mana, so they could only be perceived as an empty space in the Mana-rich forest. From experience, they knew that not many organisms were able to detect it. Their full-body suits guaranteed that their smell couldn''t be noticed until the first shot was made, and the smell of gunpowder usually frightened alien fauna. Sounds were obscured by the white noise, and their suits were visually camouflaged. They were moving slowly, rounding possible enemies and taking samples at regular intervals. Samples of ground, air, living and dead vegetation, etc. Slowly, the white noise was replaced by the sound of waterfalls. They were close to the ¡°center¡± of the Fissure. ¡°We will start the analysis from the other side of the Fissure. We need to climb up,¡± Alex¡¯s voice resounded in their helmets. In quick order, they prepared their climbing gear and started to ascend. Flora had changed to that of the other world long before they met the Iguazu Falls, but the terrain still resembled it, the effect of mushing together two different spaces. It seemed there was a body of water on the other side, too, fueling the falls. They had a 60-meter wall before them, with a somewhat dry passage between the two nearest waterfalls. As they climbed, Alana was already immersed in catching the beautiful scenery with a camera built into her suit. This recording would sell well, it was also important for documentation purposes. They could only use electronics shielded by the suits, as normally the microcircuits would malfunction in the presence of Mana. Any electronic devices needed to be adapted for a particular Mana environment to work properly. The Cliff''s face wasn¡¯t a flat wall, something resembling ferns and long grass grew in some recesses and from small outcrops. Water was falling not even 20 meters from the right and left. The forest canopy was still overhead, but no trees were that close to the waterfalls, the team had at least 5 meters of clearance above. The first problem showed up halfway up. Alex got the reading of a large group of Mana-rich entities up ahead. The results came this late because the scanner¡¯s range was reduced by the cliff itself. ¡°Stop ten meters before the ridge. Enemies ahead, Zeph,¡± Alex sent his orders to others. While the rest of the team stopped as ordered, Zeph continued to climb, using only hexes as protection to minimize the noise he was making. After securing himself near the ridge, he used a small mirror to see past it. The image from his camera was visible to the other team members, who also observed their surroundings. On the waterfall¡¯s rock step, which was around 30 meters wide and maybe 100 meters long, strange plants were hanging from the few existing trees or lying around on the ground. They had long vines and bulbous centers the size of a small car. After comparing positions, it became clear that their scanner detected their bulbs. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He was now above the forest canopy, so he took a look at other ledges around, using the camera zoom. The same plants were visible on them too. He decided to observe for now. ¡°I need some time to observe. I think we are safe for now,¡± he reported. ¡°You have 15 minutes. At ease,¡± Alex said. The team members shifted into more comfortable positions. He observed some small animals, mostly multicolored birds, as they interacted with the plants. After 15 minutes, he was ready to give his analysis. His past education allowed him to discern more about alien monstrosities, one of the reasons he became a scout. ¡°Carnivores. The center bulb is responsible for digesting. Some kind of mouth on the top. The plants are moving slowly overall, but are able to move their vines in bursts of speed. I suspect they will also be able to quickly change the position of the bulb if needed. It should be draining for them, though. They react a little to sounds, but evidently are unable to deduce a position of a target from that alone. They probably have a tremor sense of some kind ¨C no visible reaction to the movement itself. No visible reaction to Mana concentration or body temperature either. They have feelers and thorns on their vines. From what I could see, I think they are using poison, probably acidic in nature. The center is lighter than it looks, besides the digesting biomass it shouldn¡¯t have much water inside, so it should be flammable enough. The biome they are living in suggests the same, they are avoiding direct contact with water and don¡¯t come close to the ridge, but with the ability to move they probably could get to the waterfall quick enough to quench any fire. I suggest poisoning tests first,¡± reported Zeph. ¡°What a drag,¡± muttered Alana. This type of enemy required extra caution. Poisons of alien lifeforms were very dangerous. Not only because a human body wasn''t evolutionally prepared to deal with them, but also because everything here was saturated with Mana, poisons included. Direct injection was a death sentence, period. Worse yet, penetrative properties of any form of a stinger were impossible to ascertain because Mana could enhance them. As always, ants, spiders, and wasps were the most terrifying enemies. Some things don¡¯t change, even when in another world. ¡°Everyone, change to incendiary ammunition and move near the ridge. Secure yourselves just above, to be able to fire. Gregory, can you shoot a few sticky high-explosives under the waterfalls on both sides?¡± Alex said after a moment to think. ¡°Can do, boss, but only around two meters above the waterline, maybe one if I get the hang of it,¡± Gregory answered. ¡°That should be enough. Zeph, after we take positions and Gregory finishes, you can start testing,¡± Alex gave his orders. Zeph prepared bolts with auto-injectors. The best universal poison for alien flora, as plants had much more diverse metabolic systems, was Prana. The bolts were loaded with the same biomatter-based gel as their suits'' Prana batteries. More specific poisons were used only on animals, as their metabolism and cellular structure were similar enough to their Earth''s counterparts. Gregory managed to place three explosives under each waterfall. The thumping sound of his grenade launcher too quiet to elicit any reaction from the monster plants. Then came Zeph¡¯s turn. He shot toward three plants near the opposite wall. Enough to have a more reliable test result. For a minute nothing happened, but they could see, thanks to the scanners, how Mana inside the beings started to swirl in wild patterns. Then the three monsters burped. It had to be some sort of chemical signal because all hell broke loose after that. Other plants started moving their vines around the three affected ones, checking the area in ever-expanding swoops. The wiggling mass of vines full of green feelers brought to mind a nest of centipedes. The three affected ones were dying, but not fast enough. Some vines started probing in the direction of the ridge. Abandoning the stealthy approach, Alex made a decision. ¡°Grenades! Prepare for moving!¡± Gregory used two full magazines. A fire started spreading on the ledge. According to what Zeph predicted, the plants started moving quickly in the direction of waterfalls. The movement was similar to a roll, but very awkward because of all the vines that were in the way. ¡°Blow them up,¡± Alex ordered after most of the plants got to the water. The team ducked a little under the ridge, and the explosions reverberated through the valley. Some of the plants were obliterated instantly, others were sent flying down the falls, some were still living, and some slow ones still stayed on the ledge. The putrid contents of their stomachs were decorating the surroundings. ¡°Up and fire!¡± The team got on the ledge and started firing at stragglers. Incendiary ammunition was devastating for the beings, burning them from inside. Everyone made sure to stay away from the vines. The plants on the same ledge but behind the streams and waterfalls were moving away from the fight, probably because of the smoke. That didn¡¯t help them, as Alex wanted to have a secure return route. Firing from behind the water was much safer. After the cleaning finished, he double-checked the scanners. Nothing wanted to check the commotion, it seemed. After reloading, and making sure nothing worse was coming, they started to climb again. ¡°We should have tried to enter from the top first,¡± Zeph complained. Though, he knew that it would take too long to scout all three sides of the valley. It¡¯s also much easier to fall back when you are climbing down on already secured ropes, he thought. No more problems met them as they were getting to the top. The trees were even larger here. The scanners showed the center of the Fissure not far away. Getting through it was a really strange experience. The closer they were, the more it felt like there were more than just four main directions, and the thin, blurry mist was closing on them. As they moved further, they could see some stretching of objects in their peripheral vision. Turning back felt more like turning around. In this place, the direction someone came from was more important, than the direction they were moving, as at some point every direction becomes the way out to another world. The effects started to decrease after a moment, it took them 10 minutes of walking to pass the whole center. They were on the other side. After another 10 minutes, Alex decided it was time to make a camp. The standard procedure, also one of the reasons for naming their group ¡°Apes¡± and teams ¡°Gibbons¡±, was to set the camp on the trees. The camp was meant to give them a better defensive position, as they needed to set up more complicated scanning equipment. It was still quite compact, though, so one hanging platform from tubes and fabric created enough space. Alex found a higher spot to keep watch, and Zeph took into the woods for scouting. Of course, he had a Mana scanner too. The rest of the team started analyzing some samples. Five hours later, Zeph was back, and the team started to summarize their findings. The light was dimming slowly, it seemed they had little daytime left. ¡°Nothing too strange in water or air. Most of the vegetation is similar on a cellular level to what we know, except the plant monster,¡± Alana said. ¡°Anomalies in the composition of the soil. Either new elements, or something Mana-related. No radiation. Also, time flows 123.73 times faster according to the signal from the outside camp,¡± Gregory said. ¡°Big group of Mana-rich fungi the size of small trees up north. No movement observed, though. Besides birds, there are almost no animals. I estimate the forest extends about 20 km in each direction. The terrain is absolutely flat. Nothing of interest in the vicinity, but I saw some high reaching ruins up north, beyond the forest,¡± Zeph summarized. ¡°We have a problem,¡± Jorge said. ¡°Prana density is slowly decreasing. If this trend stays linear, in one month of the local time, the Fissure will collapse. Taking into account the speed of flow of time, it¡¯s¡­ around six hours in Earth¡¯s time. Actually, scanning from this side, the Fissure looks so unsteady I am surprised it formed in the first place or didn¡¯t collapse immediately after forming,¡± he added. ¡°Shit, any idea why?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I am not sure, really¡­¡± Jorge said hesitantly. Everyone sighed, ¡°This is bad, no one will be able to get here on time,¡± Alana said. They were contemplating for a minute or two. Finally, Zeph broke the silence. ¡°Then, we should test if a system is really here right now. There is no time.¡±
1) I feel I need to explain my thought process here: Special Relativity Theory says that time flows differently for objects moving relative to each other (I am not going to explain the paradox here; just look for the ¡°twin paradox¡± on the wiki or something). Here we have a case of two worlds connected by an unmoving ¡®gate¡¯, so theoretically ¡®moving together'', and having the time difference. Lorentz Transformation, and all that, died right here. It would be explainable if our side was a black hole, with the time slowed down. But no, there is no connection to velocity, no connection to mass, and visibly no connection to the ¡®overall energy¡¯ of atoms. On top of that, the difference in time should generate horrendous pressure from the side with a faster time. If one oxygen particle is hitting a theoretical ¡°Fissure wall¡± from our side, for the time difference of ten times, ten particles from the other side will do the same. Ten times the pressure. Ten times the intensity of light. Chapter 3 - Are we dead yet? Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [???], Earth time [2029-12-04] They didn¡¯t experience any interaction with a System when entering this Fissure. Assuming there was a System. They probably needed to take in enough Mana into their bodies, as was reported by some Eltears. And that would slowly kill them. Mana poisoning is not something that kills immediately, but if the System was set to pump them full of Mana immediately¡­ It all comes to one guess and one basic question. Was the System prepared for them? Were they willing to make a test subject of themselves? And Zeph was. For a long time, he felt like he was slowly falling apart mentally. It took so many years, but they finally found a world with a System. Probably with a System. Now, they were on the clock, there was no way for Eltear Logan to get here in time and check things out for them. The only other option was to force some locals from Earth to get into the Fissure, which was out of the question. Zeph was here in search of redemption, among other things. Not to make people into his test subjects. Above all, he didn¡¯t have the patience to wait for years for the next, safer opportunity. He needed to know if this world would grant him what he wanted. Or he would die. The team had other concerns, too. Was there a way to go into other worlds from this one, or would they be trapped? Was there any sapient life? If a System existed, it should. But they could only guess. Would he want to go back to Earth? Maybe, but definitely not soon. He was one of those ready to depart even through the unstable Fissure, as were Alex and Alana. His team was made of like-minded people, and that helped him to endure, but it felt like he was on a time limit. He even considered suicide sometimes; his mental health was worsening year by year. So far, he didn¡¯t find a way out of this slope, and he knew psychoactive drugs weren¡¯t an answer either, at least in his case. This sounds quite dark, but in reality, it actually worked just as depression ¨C an invisible burden slowly consuming your perception of life. Just another aspect of his wasted lifetime. And so, this decision was most natural for him. The rest wasn¡¯t so sure this was a good idea. ¡°Are you trying to fall into the ¡®do or die trying¡¯ trope?¡± Alana asked. ¡°You know we have a lot of time on this side to accurately examine this Fissure?¡± Jorge added. ¡°I will not take a risk of losing this opportunity. We don¡¯t know what exactly is happening with this one, on more than one account, and it¡¯s the first place with a System... probably a System, we¡¯ve found. It took us years, I must remind you. And we will need to go back in a week or so, what if the Fissure closes suddenly at that time? You expect me to be cautious?¡± he started, then looked at Jorge. ¡°You know that our methods of making it safer will work only in extreme theoretical cases, examining the Fissure will not change that. This will only prolong the inevitable,¡± Zeph declared. ¡°A live test needs to be done sooner or later, and I was ready for this years ago.¡± ¡°Zeph, you are unusually hasty,¡± Alex noticed. ¡°I am not going to dissuade you, but do you remember the possible consequences?¡± ¡°Of course, I do. I can die, or destroy my soul if this thing really exists,¡± replied Zeph. ¡°Do you see no problems with it?¡± Alex continued. ¡°Why should I? I lived my life until now because I wanted this chance. I really don¡¯t think I will be able to wait for years in case one of you test it instead and the test fails. You know how I am, it¡¯s not getting better,¡± he said. ¡°Hmm, indeed,¡± answered Alex after some deliberation. He needed to make sure Zeph wasn¡¯t mentally influenced. ¡°Procedure ¡®Black¡¯ is starting now,¡± this procedure assumed that the estimations about the time constraints were incorrect. "First things first, we need to take our ¡®exploration kits¡¯ from the base outside, return the magitech, and send a report to the HQ. You have 5 minutes outside. We already smell of gunpowder, so we will confront any aggressive entities on the way, instead of trying to circle around. If danger assessment doesn''t go above level 3, that is. We will be heading towards the ruins after we go back, it should make for a better shelter." After packing up, the team started the trek back. The way through the Falls was easy, the route cleared already. It was not the time for meandering. In the forest they met more aggressive vegetation, but nothing in numbers like on the waterfall, so they used incendiary ammunition from distance after a quick assessment, to great effects. Strangely, there were no traces of any big fauna. Not like they complained about it, but it was unusual enough to be slightly unsettling. They spent around 10 hours inside. Outside, only 5 minutes have passed. Then, they wasted another 5 minutes getting their gear and sending reports. Local forces were flummoxed by the speed of events. ¡°So, Jorge, Gregory, what is your decision?¡± Alex asked them after everyone finished. The two never declared an unstable Fissure was enough for them. They should have had ample time to think about it by now. ¡°I will stay, boss. It¡¯s a little too much after all those years of routine,¡± said Gregory. ¡°Yea, everything already stabilized here some years ago. We have a good job and new discoveries about Prana are made as we speak. I don¡¯t want to risk it,¡± Jorge confirmed. ¡°Good. Make sure to keep an eye open for our Fissure in the future. You have the Mana parameters, just make sure the HQ will keep it at medium priority,¡± Alex said. He expected this outcome. ¡°Aye, Sir!¡± was their answer. ¡°Continue with the analysis. I will hand over the command to the HQ,¡± he said and started moving towards the commanding officer of local forces. ¡°Just make sure to follow the instructions from the HQ,¡± Alex said to the lieutenant after explaining shortly how to use their communication equipment and giving them passwords. He knew Spanish good enough to communicate directly. ¡°I understand, but what with the¡ª¡± the lieutenant started asking. ¡°The Fissure will close in hours at worst,¡± Alex interrupted him. ¡°There is no hazard as long as you keep your distance. Just follow orders and everything will be good. Jorge and Gregory will assist you, just ask them if you need something,¡± he said, turning to his team. ¡°Everyone ready?¡± he asked. Zeph and Alana nodded. Soldiers seemed quite lost, but no one asked more questions. Leaving the camp behind, the trio delved again into the new world. The way back was even easier than the previous trip. There still was no sign of the alien animals, and most of the plant life was rather stationary, so the whole route was clear. In no time they passed the place of their old camp and were briskly moving towards the ruins. ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, should we continue?¡± Alana asked. "I estimate it will take us another 4 hours to reach the ruins," Zeph added. ¡°We don¡¯t know the nocturnal activity here. Those large mushrooms Zeph mentioned earlier are suspicious. It would be safer to move away. You have permission to use lights,¡± Alex explained. It took them three hours to leave the forest and another two to reach the ruins. Seemingly unending grass plains were quite a surprise. The ruins, though, were larger than anticipated. The distance was hard to estimate on the flat terrain, so Zeph¡¯s guess was misled by the sheer magnitude of the ruins. Everything was built from at least 3 meters high white stone blocks. From the distance they could tell that the ¡®castle¡¯, or rather the main keep, was barely standing, only two towers and the main building still existing. Vegetation has taken over, destroying the pavement made from similarly monstrous stone blocks. Almost everything was covered by a verdant green blanket, some houses were even destroyed by trees previously growing on them, as the high, aboveground roots indicated. It was night already, the town looking ethereal and foreboding in the light of their LED torches. Yet no Mana-rich entities were present. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. There were no walls around the town or the main structure. The smaller buildings took up a lot of space around the keep, maybe 300 m in diameter around it. Most of the architecture was destroyed, though. The keep itself managed to stand by the virtue of sheer complexity. The building had three floors but had a height of at least 30 meters. Most of the stones, or rather, voussoirs, as these parts were called on Earth, were arranged in arches. The structure was stable thanks to that, the many arches keeping everything in place. They couldn¡¯t even find any remnants of furniture in what was left of houses. This city was abandoned for hundreds of years, at least. Finally, they made it to the main keep side. They decided to use the climbing equipment, as it would create a fast escape route. It was a difficult endeavor, the vegetation growing on the walls made it hard to secure pitons and hexes in the stone, yet the plants were too weak to support their weight. After a good hour, they managed to make a small camp on the flat roof. ¡°It seems the connection is working,¡± said Alex after checking the feedback from outside of the Fissure. They left some transmitters along the way to allow for direct communication with the outside camp. The transmitters compensated for the time difference, sending slowed-down signals. They could work for three days at best, no one was going to change their batteries. The data from their scanners and cameras was sent back that way. Of the scanning equipment, only Mana scanners were left. The trio sat in silence for a minute. Then, without preamble, Zeph started to loosen the gloves of his suit. ¡°So¡­¡± started Alana. ¡°Yea, I will just do it. Let¡¯s not say our goodbyes,¡± Zeph solemnly said, while starting to work on his armguard. He had his ¡®explorer¡¯ backpack and most of the gear on him, just like the other two, just in case. No one knew what would happen next. ¡°It will just bring bad luck.¡± ¡°Remember to report everything vocally,¡± was all Alex said, he and Alana standing up and moving back to give him some space. They would record everything, but that was all they could do. Zeph sighed deeply, ¡°here we go then,¡± he said, removing his armguard at last. Almost immediately, he could feel Mana rushing into him through his hand and reacting with Prana in his body. The flow was much faster than it should. He could feel his body starting to heat up. The invading force was coming in waves, permeating his being again and again. He almost lost consciousness; the pain was of a strange kind he never felt before, but so much more intense than normally. ¡°Mana is flowing¡­ too fast¡­ external influence confirmed¡­ it¡¯s painful... ugh¡­¡± He started breathing deeply to stay conscious. Sweat was covering his whole body. The pain becoming worse with every second. After a while, he started to scream, his whole body convulsing. The pain was too much. He was unable to lose consciousness anymore, no matter how he wished it was possible. His teammates just observed, they really could do nothing now but watch and listen. After a minute the waves stopped, and most of the pain subsided, but he could still feel it deep behind his eyes. He was left delirious, unable to see or hear anything clearly, weakly wobbling his head from right to left. It took a minute for him to come to his senses again. Taking deep breaths again, eyes closed, he continued to report in a cracking voice, ¡°the Mana comes in waves, the pain is related to them... I still feel some behind my eyes,¡± he started slowly describing what happened. Not half a minute later, the pain behind his eyes stopped.
????????? ????????? ?????????? ??????????????. ?????? ??????? ?????????? ????????????.
¡°Visual confirmation¡­ a System exists,¡± he said weakly.
?????????? ????????? ????????? ???. ?????????????? ?????????? ????????????????.
Suddenly Zeph got a feeling. A danger. A need to sleep. A need to communicate. It was good here, and it all was needed. Now.
??? ?????? ????? ?????????. ????? ????? ??????????? ?????????? ???????? ????????. ?????? ?????????????????????
A question. Am I adaptable? No¡­ Am I agreeable? The meaning of this one was hard to grasp, but he got the point. ¡°I am going to agree to whatever the System is proposing, I am not sure what it means¡­ it communicates by text¡­ in another language,¡± he continued, forcing his abused body to keep him conscious. He could feel his strength diminishing with every breath. ¡°Do what you have to do, you are dying right now,¡± Alex said, looking at readings from scanners and Zeph¡¯s suit. ¡°We got your back,¡± Alana stated, grounding her teeth. Observing her teammate being basically tortured wasn¡¯t something she could just calmly endure. Zeph sent back a thought of acceptance. He hoped it would be enough. It was. His body suddenly felt cold, his thoughts slowing down. In a few seconds, he lost consciousness. ============================== After an indefinable time, he started to dream. He was semi-conscious but in a state different from a lucid dream, he wasn¡¯t able to think by himself. Many emotions were flying around, though. His first years after being born were something he never expected to see. Especially from the first-person perspective. He forgot it all a long time ago, and the fragments he remembered were always from a third-person perspective. Has his brain retained some of those old memories? His confusion was sourceless, as he still couldn¡¯t think logically, but he could discern the emotion. Then he got a strange feeling. One created from grasping the situation, more or less. An understanding that he was going to mentally experience his life again. He recognized other feelings too, aversion and anger. Later, he would complain a lot to the entity responsible, for showing him this mess of events from his life, that had no chronological or logical order at all. =========== Alex POV =========== After Zeph became unresponsive, things took a turn for worse. The stone around Zeph¡¯s body started to encase him, flooding him like a mud tide. The very stone they were standing on. The construct was getting bigger with every second, consuming the surrounding structure. Worse yet, he could feel Mana leaking into his suit, even before the alarms blared. The density was getting above the threshold. ¡°We need to get out!¡± Alex immediately shouted. ¡°What with h¡­¡± Alana started answering, startled, so he slapped her on the back of the helmet. ¡°There is no time! Get to the ropes, soldier! Now!¡± Alana started moving. Her body was reacting automatically. Calling a teammate a ¡®soldier¡¯ was a deeply rooted signal. As was the slap in the head, but in an entirely different context. She chooses the worst moments to be an idiot. She followed orders without thinking and truth be told, she didn¡¯t seem to be in any state to think right now. Seeing stone molded en masse like it was mud wasn¡¯t exactly a normal experience, even for them. They used an escape route prepared beforehand, ropes that were fixed near the edge of the roof. Only after going down and away, into another ruined building, did they notice the System wasn¡¯t communicating with them. ¡°We had contact with a lot of Mana there¡­¡± Alana started. ¡°It may be waiting for the process the Zeph is going through to finish¡­¡± Alex guessed. He could feel the first symptoms of Mana poisoning showing up. A horrible hangover awaited him for sure. ¡°Or we need to take in yet more Mana, like¡ª¡± She wasn¡¯t able to finish her thought. The keep collapsed. The noise could even damage their ears if not for the helmets. Echoes of it reverberated for a good half minute. When the dust started to settle out, they could see a pile of rocks in the place of the main keep. They watched in silence as the air cleared, both shocked a little. ¡°Zeph¡­¡± Alana¡¯s voice cracked. Alex sighed deeply, ¡°Alana. We cannot get emotional now. This ruckus is sure to bring some monsters here,¡± he looked in her direction, ¡°we need to prepare ourselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We will see how it plays out soon; he should still be alive if encasing stone is any indicator. Let¡¯s focus,¡± he said. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Not an hour later, the first creatures arrived. The duo relocated to one of the towers, as somehow those buildings didn¡¯t take any damage from the collapse of the main keep. The entrance was 25 meters above the ground, which added some security. The mushrooms from the forest came three days after. Myconids, but much slower than their fantasy counterpart. They cleared the vicinity from all Mana-rich life in just a few hours, it was mostly slow vegetation life, though. Only birds managed to escape. They used herd tactics to trap and encircle their victims. Some vegetation even seemed enticed to get closer. The two managed to camouflage the entrance by that time, so the chances of being spotted were minimal. Still, they only had food for two weeks. Maybe three if rationed radically. Thankfully, the water wasn¡¯t a problem with the surface condenser and Prana batteries for cleansing water from Mana. The batteries should last them for four weeks. There was no way out now, though. The Myconids stayed active outside. Their numbers were definitely too much for them. And so, the weeks passed as they waited. Chapter 4 - [Initialization...] what a mess Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [???], Earth time [2029-12-04] =========== Alex POV =========== Even after two weeks, the Myconids stayed active. Some rooted themselves in the town, but were still moving. A massive boulder was now sitting in the center of the debris. It was gaining in volume for the first week, but it seems it finally stopped expanding. ¡°Who would have thought, Zeph was right,¡± Alana said. They were currently playing a simple board game, one of the things Zeph forced Alana to include in her ¡®exploration pack¡¯. ¡°Yea, we would have gone insane without any entertainment, especially because we had to be quiet all the time,¡± Alex acknowledged. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try the System, though? It was, what, fifteen days already?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sure thing, but I wonder if we shouldn¡¯t wait a little longer¡­¡± any beforehand information would give them a better start. At least he believed so. "I don¡¯t think Zeph is going to come back anytime soon," Alana declared. ¡°Also, it would be better to have some food when we wake up. Assuming we will at all. But right now? We are just wasting resources. And I would rather not try to eat the local life before adapting to Mana.¡± ¡°It would be so much easier if we were sure he is still alive,¡± Alex started. ¡°As things stand, we are not sure about anything. Scanners are returning nothing, signals from his suit stopped the moment he was enclosed...¡± ¡°The risks are the same as at the beginning, are they not?¡± Alana argued. ¡°Well, that is also true. So, I suppose you have some idea?¡± he finally asked. It was quite obvious she wanted to try something and was impatient because of it. ¡°I analyzed the recordings. Those two towers shouldn¡¯t be able to stand after what happened,¡± she started, while moving her pawn on the board. ¡°Isn¡¯t that another argument against starting the process here?¡± He was confused. They already agreed it was too risky to start in the tower because no materials were ever extracted from them by the System. It seemed to avoid them completely. ¡°Not really, the same is not true for the basement. As I reported, there is some damage there. A recent one. I am still sure the System gave an ¡®ok¡¯ to start the process here for a reason, it evidently needs materials to do what it does, and the area seems rich in the necessary ones. Moving away to start the process may be a bad bet, and waiting for Myconids to kindly fuck off isn¡¯t working. Anyway, it didn¡¯t touch those towers, but what will happen if we accept to go through the same process while technically inside of them?¡± ¡°In the basement, you mean?¡± Alex started to think. They were discussing the past events for a week already. In the end, it was impossible to be sure of anything, but she had a point. ¡°That could work. I doubt the System is just unable to use those towers. Whether it''s because of cost, an agreement, or anything else, we have a chance to bypass that by starting the process inside. Also, It''s safer than relocation. But that could as well hamper the process if the System wants the towers to stay intact,¡± he summarized. Besides the entrance tunnel, they only found a narrow staircase and a large basement. Everything was empty. No doors, windows, or furniture. They had no equipment to safely demolish the walls, and weren¡¯t even sure if they should try. ¡°It can just move us up through the ground if that¡¯s a case. As long as it has access to the basement, it should be safe. But yes, I am counting on bypassing whatever is blocking the System,¡± Alana continued. He gave it some more deliberation. He was in no rush. If they decided to do it in the basement, the wildlife wouldn''t be a problem anymore for them during the screaming-and-almost-dying period. That only leaves the issue of waiting for Zeph, but was that worth it? They had no idea when he will wake up. There was always an option of trying to get to the outside camp to resupply, but even if they managed to get past Myconids, with how unstable the Fissure was, the most probable outcome would be a chance lost. Prana density wasn¡¯t decreasing linearly. Worse yet, Mana density was oscillating wildly, ominously even. According to his analysis, the Fissure should have collapsed a few times already. ¡°The chances we will wake up at a similar date are higher if we start now¡­ That decides it, let''s do it,¡± he agreed in the end. They were approaching the point where preparing for the future was a better choice than waiting for more information. ¡°Which tower do you choose then,¡± Alana couldn¡¯t stop a smile this time. She was waiting for this too long. ¡°I will take the other one, this tower is not sitting well with me¡­¡± a quick stroll through the former keep should be an easy matter. =========== Zeph POV =========== After a long time, the random memories started to chain themselves chronologically. It took a lot of repetitions, but when the process finally started, it propagated exponentially. Then, the last repetition was replayed from start to finish. The memories were sometimes fragmented. Some parts were lost, some details forgotten. When that happened, the process stopped for a moment and then resumed again, with more clarity added to the memory. It was strange. As if the System was pulling additional data from somewhere every time it found a corrupted file. But the source of this new data was a mystery. He was unable to feel his body during the process. It was indeed similar to a dream. A very, very long and very detailed dream. He started to become more aware as time passed, and at least he knew he was still alive. On the plus side, he relearned a lot of things and finally found the source of some of his mental quirks. He was able to literally reread every book he ever saw; his studies were repeated, but this time from the point of view of a much wiser and more experienced person. He could feel his comprehension skyrocketing. As for the mental peculiarities? There were three moments in his life that seemed to change him drastically. First was the death of his pet when he was 7 years old. The second was the death of his grandma, but strangely instead of it being a negative change, it was rather positive. He became livelier after that. The third was his broken heart during high school. All three of them were the most fundamental building blocks of his character. His philosophy of life, how he treated others, things he liked and disliked in women, etc. all had their source here. Strange fact, all the things he witnessed later, during work especially, didn¡¯t change him at all. Looking at his old memories, it was almost like he expected people to be like that at the time. When was it, again, when he learned of this side of humanity? Ah, yes, his father showed him this side early. By example. At least he now knew why he never had any respect for him. He now felt much more in sync with himself. For that alone, he could already thank the System. But it was not his prize, no. It was what he paid. His knowledge, his memories, were valued by the System, as it stated in the third message. He still wasn¡¯t able to read it, but he was able to decipher the feelings he felt at that time. Finally, the dream came to the end. But instead of getting any information, he had fallen into true dreamless sleep, again. ============================== Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [???] ============================== ¡°Ugh¡­¡± a melodic chiming sound awaked him. Where is my phone, he thought, trying to find it and turn it off. But he wasn¡¯t able to move his arm. A sleep paralysis again? He didn¡¯t panic, it was quite frequent for him. Huh, something¡¯s not right, he thought after a moment. It was not like he couldn¡¯t move his arm; he didn¡¯t have an arm. Or legs. Or eyelids to open. Before panic could take him on a happy voyage, though, he remembered what was happening to him. He would start his breathing exercise, if he had lungs. Instead, he concentrated on the chiming sound, slowly getting himself in order. And soon enough he got some answers.
English (USA) language implemented successfully. Parts of other languages (Japanese, Spanish, English (UK), English (Australia), Hungarian, etc.) recorded for future peruse. You are now in partial stasis; you have 32 days (mental) before your body dies.
Hoh, the System is using every bit of knowledge it can, it seems, he thought, seeing the list of languages he barely knew.
Yes, Zeph Einar. We are collecting every possible bit of data. It sells well. DNA successfully analyzed. Body structure successfully analyzed. Body simulation successfully applied. ##### successfully accessed. ##### successfully asserted. A list of possible modifications was created. Welcome to Corora, earthling!
Eh, what with the last two? The communication was happening at the speed of thought. When he wasn¡¯t concentrating, his thoughts just jumped ahead. He would have to harness them somehow if he wanted to ask anything meaningful.
New knowledge always Has a cost. It is recommended you buy it. You have earned 18.351.441 universal points by providing new knowledge by the means of body, memories, #####, and #####. This includes a bonus from being the first specimen of your race in this sector, which doubles the reward. You can use them to apply certain upgrades to your body or to get knowledge and enhancements. Warning: You are incompatible with Mana, you will not survive without a body modification concerning this disability!
Specimen¡­ And it¡¯s not a disability! It¡¯s in my nature! But yea¡­ anyway, did you deduct the cost of my¡­ Ehm, stasis from my total points? Also, how much for the knowledge about those two? Focusing was hard, indeed.
No, we created the [gates]. As we hope you will live with us for the rest of your time, we cannot burden you with the cost of our own decisions. It would be disrespectful, and we want to be seen as an honest being and a boon. The stasis and the earlier procedure were merely an investment on our part. You are welcome! The knowledge about ##### and ##### will cost you 100k points each.
Jeez, what¡¯s with this ¡®us¡¯ talk? Anyway, can you show me my status? If that thing even exists? I am not sure this price is worth buying the two. Also, how much time passed?
It¡¯s 37 days, 19 hours, 13 minutes, and 33 seconds after you accepted the integration process. Before you ask, seven more people started the process before the [gates] closed. Half of your [interface], or ¡®status¡¯ as you called it, will be unreadable if you do not buy knowledge about ##### and #####. Are you sure you want to proceed?
Ugh, the price seems quite obscure for something that sounds like a basic feature?
Knowledge is never given freely, and you are new to this world. The price is statistically optimal.
Statistically, he says¡­ Is it like arguing that the price should be higher the fewer people buy it? Because, you know, I am quite sure no one here would buy something that is basically common knowledge?
It is a ¡®Proceed¡¯ then. Here are your stats.
Error. Font unreadable. Drawing new one¡­ complete. We are sorry for the inconvenience!
Heh, basic programming mistake¡­ Wait, I want a discount for that blunder! He screamed internally, but there was no answer. Instead, a second later, Zeph was presented with the working version. Is my charisma that low? Where are my discounts? He mused. But then he quickly became flabbergasted. Ugh, it¡¯s more like 80% of my Stat menu is hidden, he lamented.
It is more than just ¡®hiding¡¯ parts of an [interface]. Inside every word you perceive, more information exists. [Basic interface unlocks], like this one, happens naturally when you gain knowledge. It allows you to acquire even more knowledge. On the other hand, you can just buy it to gain access to said knowledge. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
He considered his options for a moment. It doesn¡¯t really seem like I have a choice here, he finally gave in. It¡¯s not like I can plan for a learning session after coming back to reality. He tried to remember his stats to be able to compare it later on to the upgraded version. OK! It¡¯s time to go forward. First things first, I will buy the knowledge about the two. Can you tell me who integrated? My two companions should be there. Can you tell me If they are alive? You already know my memories.
200.000 points deducted. 18.151.441 points remain. Private information is not to be provided by us without a reason. We do not possess any means for immediate, noninvasive, harmless mindreading, so we cannot assess your true intentions. This is real [common knowledge], and as so it¡¯s free. Do not get used to it. The two are your [soul] and your [will]. Upgraded version of your [interface] is now available. Knowledge about those two is now accessible.
Oh, come on! You just read all my memories! You saw that we are brother and sisters in arms! Besides, we are now in my head, aren¡¯t we? How are those not the mindreading abilities? By the way, can¡¯t you change this font? It¡¯s really hard to read this shit. And what do you mean by ¡®accessible¡¯? Can¡¯t you just explain it to me? Wha¡­ Zeph exploded with questions. Literally, explosion sounds could be heard in the background.
Simulation reestablished successfully.
Ugh¡­ Huh? Wha¡ª
Slow down. You alone are in your head. We are just in the interface. The memory reading up to now was absolutely invasive and took a good chunk of our resources. It also had to happen when you were unconscious. Harmful mindreading cannot even be executed, because your brain is in partial stasis. You are operating as a partial Mana construct simulation right now. Sentient beings are changing faster than you can imagine. You were just integrated, which is a good cause for a change of mind. We will not break the Personal Information Protection Policy just because you want to meet them and have a 97.86% chance of not doing anything drastic. It¡¯s not really a font. There Is just more meaning in the words when we talk directly. Try to mentally cut off the unnecessary data, it should help. You are asking about things you never before perceived. It¡¯s almost impossible to properly describe them in words alone. You have a base of knowledge in the form of the [interface]. Use it. Knowledge is not something acquirable without effort.
Shit, he summarized. Okaaay¡­ let¡¯s just leave existential crisis for later¡­ Sooo, your words are working the same as ¡®interface¡¯? He asked and immediately knew it was a stupid question. They weren¡¯t. He was perceiving System messages with all of his senses. It wasn¡¯t just text. On the other hand, his status¡­ ¡®Interface¡¯ was mostly visual. He forgot for a moment he was in some kind of mental space, things here weren¡¯t working normally at all. Ugh, sorry, never mind. Neat interface, though, if I can use it even in this dream-like state.
Yes, Words we say are different. They are easier to use for learning purposes, as well.
Can¡¯t we change the environment a little? It¡¯s unsettling to be just a floating consciousness without a body¡­
Only If you are ready to have such image engraved deep into your subconsciousness and memory. This simulation is specifically set to enhance your learning ability. The Static information you see here won¡¯t be forgotten easily. Are you sure you want to proceed?
Ugh, never mind then. And thanks for reminding me about the existential crisis.
You are welcome! Do you want to view general diagnostic data from the scan, or your [interface]?
Let me try this trick with ¡®cutting unnecessary data¡¯ first, this is becoming really tiresome, he answered. He then concentrated on cutting off information from what he was reading. Reading? Seeing? Perceiving. Yes, it was not only visual, he forgot, again, that he was basically dreaming right now. It was surprisingly easy, he managed to do it in a few minutes. Morale high, he then tried to reverse the process. ¡®Too much information¡¯ the System said, to access knowledge in his interface he will probably have to use the same method. Focusing on one word, he allowed himself to perceive with every possible sense he could. After many tries, he finally did it, and would do a congratulatory vomit if it was possible, there is too much data here! Why is it coming all at once?! He cursed, but did not give up. He repeated the process again and again, slowly rereading the words. After an indefinable time, he became able to more or less comfortably dose incoming data. It was similar to reading a science article with too many references. There was grammatical information, related words, etymology, some alien analysis, more context of its use, articulated reasoning why it was used, and much more. Well, it was not in the text exactly, so the process took time to master. He then started rereading everything the System said, trying to find new data from whole sentences, and to learn how to trim data when reading continuously. He sometimes asked questions to the System. It didn¡¯t help much. If he wanted to gain any real knowledge, he needed to learn from the interface. He wasn¡¯t feeling hunger, sleepiness, or any other distracting feeling that is normally connected to a living body. And he couldn¡¯t stop until he felt satisfied with the results. Thus, a lot of time passed. When he finally noticed that, he was quite shocked. WTF? How much time has passed? Did I just spend days reading your words? He asked.
More like weeks. You have spent 3 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, and 11 minutes learning how to use the [Interface] properly. Congratulations! You just managed to learn what every 9-year-old on this world can do! There is yet a long way before we can really call it ¡°proper usage¡±, but your current ability is acceptable! We. Are. Proud! Also, you are left with about 9 mental days in this space.
This time, Zeph managed to trim the information automatically. He didn¡¯t learn anything interesting from rereading the System messages anyway, so taking in additional data was unnecessary. It¡¯s too easy to get one-tracked in this place! I just lost so much useful time! He thought, angry with himself. Couldn¡¯t you ¡®wake¡¯ me earlier?! Also, when we are at this, I want to issue a formal complaint! Your memory reading earlier was heinous! No chronology, no logic, just some babbling mess! I want a discount!
Your species is not exactly prepared to deal with mental projection. Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. One of the reasons to communicate directly was to allow you to learn this basic ability. Your future would be much harder if you weren¡¯t able to use the [Interface]. Also, you are in stasis; your thoughts, even within the Simulation, are quite slow, and it¡¯s almost a miracle you managed that level of comprehension. Besides, your commitment wasn¡¯t fruitless. You trained your [Memory], it¡¯s now much more balanced regarding your other [Enhancements] and at an average value for natives. You basically traded years of struggling with weeks in mental space. The time you have left is enough to finish everything, We would stop you otherwise.
He mentally sighed. Then complained some more, because the System evidently changed its tone after the first one. Maybe it will learn to communicate properly! He felt much better after venting his frustrations. Well, at least I got something. You don¡¯t share new knowledge for free anyway, may as well train myself. He spent a minute thinking about that and cooling his head. Not like had a head right now. Ok, can I finally see my status? But let¡¯s start from the basic one? What you showed me earlier was entirely too much to take at once, he asked.
It¡¯s [Interface] for you, Dear, ignorant, Customer. Take note of the red indicators in the [Interface], you will have to make some decisions to clear those problems before we can continue with your integration. More information is available in the rest of the [Interface].
What is wrong with my Intuition? And why is 33 an average Memory? He couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking. Well, I have a hunch. But first, let¡¯s learn more about what this all is. For a System, the stats surely are strange¡­ he started to read the interface like he did the System messages earlier. Power was quite complicated. It was basically a combination of Strength, Agility, Vitality, and Intelligence. No, it doesn¡¯t make any sense, those RPG stats are impossible to compare with this one. Power doesn¡¯t do everything those should, but it does other things at the same time. One thing he knew for sure, it was somehow related to the overall strength of the body. Not only muscle strength, but also tissue strength, organ functionality, and others. Flexibility was much easier to understand, but it looked lackluster in comparison to Power. Instead of RPG stat, it reminded him of Skills, like Acrobatics, Contortionist, or ¡®Cat¡¯s Grace¡¯. The problem was that he didn¡¯t really understand the deeper meaning behind it. He could feel there was a lot of information he was untrained to access yet. Regeneration was almost self-explanatory. The most interesting information that he was able to decipher, was that it also prolonged life. The mental ones were much more vague for him. They of course helped with their namesakes, but what was their functionality exactly, he couldn¡¯t say. Matrix space¡­ it¡¯s linked to Class and Profession. Mana Capacity¡­ hmmm, to levels and something? Mana Generation is similar. No good, I don¡¯t want to waste time now, he decided. It seems he was still salty about wasting so much time. And it seems it¡¯s a rather rare occurrence to be in a mental space. I could rather use this occasion to get some meaningful, above-average, miraculous powers, but what¡¯s done is done. Care to tell me why this value is an average for Memory?
Are you a thirteen with delusions? You cannot even use Mana yet, and still want to play with the System without any meaningful knowledge about it? Learning basics is the only way for you for now. The natural value of 10 is achieved between 10 and 15 years old by normal humans. It then allows them to choose a ##### even without a [Class] or [Profession]. Natural values are quite linear in their progress, oscillating around one¡¯s age. Normally you wouldn¡¯t be able to train it that fast, but you already have abnormal [Intuition] and [Willpower], and are in the mind space.
The System for sure likes to talk about statistics, he mused, then sighed depressingly. The System was right. But something else bothered him. He dreaded it, but asked anyway, how much?
1 million.
Oh, come on! He flipped an imaginary table. I am sure I can learn it from some locals!
Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s for an advanced version. A basic one will upload automatically when the time comes. I just cannot spell it for you.
Ah, right, I would be able to ¡®read¡¯ that then. But you sure are sly. Trying to entice me for more shopping, aren¡¯t you? You cheap car dealer!
Offending words recorded. Also, you should be happy I even mentioned it.
Don¡¯t give me that! I know a scammer when I see one! And why is your language deteriorating again?! You malfunctioning AI! The moment of the next explosion was coming fast. Emotional stability was hard to obtain in mental space, indeed.
You alien.
The word was impossible to trim this time. You cannot distract me with one word! Our talk is not fini¡­. Against his better judgment, he reread the word. And again. And again¡­ Almost a day later, he came to. Huh, I suppose I am an alien. Who would have thought they have hearts on the right side of the body¡­ and what with those muscles?... Ahem, What were we talking about again?
[Passive Enhancements], [Classes], and your [Interface]. You have only about 8 days left here. You better learn.
Did we talk about that? I don¡¯t really remember. But you are right, it¡¯s time to learn about what I saw¡ªThe first part of Interface showed again at that moment¡ªsee. What were Classes again? Oh, and why I can¡¯t see any HP?
Again, this is [Common Knowledge]. You need a [Class], or [Profession], to level up. They provide you with a strengthening framework and give access to static spells, or [Skills] from their domain. The more complicated, or specialized, is the static spell, the more [Matrix space] it requires. Besides [Matrix space] there is no restriction as to the number of them. Learning how to use them manually levels them up, and you are able to gain levels in your [Class], or [Profession] from that. [General Skills] consist mostly of knowledge-base, and as such do not require any [Matrix space]. HP? Like we would waste our resources on assessing how healthy you are, and how you compare to other entities. It would be a subjective endeavor at best, misleading at worst.
Oh, you are so helpful today! Though, I suppose reading that directly from the interface would be quite hard. Can I see a Class list?
No.
But I need some information to work with?
You miser! Spend your points if you need information!
AH! I think I just remembered where we finished last time!
Ugh... Can we just continue before you explode, again?
¡­you have a point. A shame he wasn¡¯t able to take deep breaths here. Ok, hit me with the rest. No point in stalling.
Do you want to see diagnostic data from the scan, too?
Ah, yes please, he answered. WOW! Isn¡¯t that BAD?! Even after only scanning the contents he could see how close to death he was. No wonder I felt like killing myself, or dying¡­ With dissipating soul and all that¡­ Well, let¡¯s concentrate on something more normal first. What does ¡®soul-linked¡¯ mean? Chapter 5 - [Debugging...] Innovate or die! Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1783.04.20] What does ¡®Soul-linked¡¯ mean?
You should just read it from the [Interface], but for the sake of convenience, we will tell you the most important parts. You are required to [Soul-link] any microbes not native to this planet to prevent ecosystem downfall. They will die without you and need to be in, or close to, your body. You can enhance them through the link to allow them to live in more extreme environments. Like your future body. [Soul-link] has other uses, too, of course. In contrast to the [Soul-bond], there is no limit to how many entities you can [Soul-link] to yourself.
I have so many questions right now¡­
We propose to deal with the most glaring problems before continuing. There are three: 1) Your [Soul fragmentation] needs to be decreased to at least 10%. You won¡¯t be able to get any [Class] or [Profession] otherwise, and safely execute [Advanced test]. 2) You need to choose a method to get rid of your Mana disability. The chosen procedure can be executed during [Advanced test]. 3) [Advanced test] is necessary to fully assess your [Willpower] and [Soul wound]. This will be done later if you agree to the procedure. You can add other procedures to this one. Everything you need is present in [The Exchange]. Because of how advanced your world was, and because you are of a new race on this planet, you have unlocked a great deal of [Modules] not accessible to the natives.
Define ¡®safely¡¯¡­ Or not, I don¡¯t really want to hear it. So, we have a plan? Good to know. Why do I need to agree to this advanced testing anyway? And what options do I have for the first problem? It was becoming quite complicated already.
[Advanced test] is similar to what you have already gone through, but more invasive. We will need to get into direct contact with your [Soul] and [Will]. It WILL be unpleasant. Your [Soul fragmentation] is actually a blessing in disguise. You need to read [Soul contamination] from your [Interface] to really understand what it means to you. We granted you the highest access level because you need to learn. It¡¯s temporary and supervised. Yes, it¡¯s for free. You.Are.Welcome! We will show you [The Exchange] options after that.
What a bad pun¡­ Anyway, this time, make sure I don¡¯t spend more than a day reading. Can you do that?
Can do, child. We will need to direct you anyway.
When did I become a child?! I lived for 30 years alre¡­ oh, Regeneration and lifespan increase¡­ level discrepancy... Whatever, existential problems later. Definitely not because he needed to distract himself, he started reading, and, oh boy, was there a lot to take in. It took him a while to decipher everything important, but this time the System actively helped by directing him to the right parts. To summarize everything. When someone kills an entity with a Soul, the Soul separates from the body. Parts of it fall off, or fracture, at that moment. Like the parts responsible for linking with the body, or even parts containing unwanted memories. And yes, Souls are basically a conglomeration of one¡¯s life experience¡­ But it was a different topic, and he was directed away. The System is collecting those Soul parts, and purifying what it can. Those fragments then are used to enhance the killer¡¯s Soul. The System uses some mumbo jumbo to determine who is getting what part. Like, sometimes even crafters that made your weapons get some. It¡¯s complicated, ok? Not like Zeph was able to remember how it works from just a glance, the System directed him elsewhere. A Soul contains four main components: information about an entity, information about the body, information about ¡®elements¡¯, and ¡®pure¡¯ fragments. The first is cleansed by the system and becomes a ¡®pure¡¯ Soul fragment. Second can accumulate as a ¡®Soul contamination¡¯ but is naturally changed over time to fit the body you have. Some information still stays with you¡­ Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what, as the System again redirected him. The third is much more complicated, it¡¯s not exactly an ¡®element¡¯¡­ it¡¯s like an affinity to a certain¡­ ¡®Mana type¡¯? Redirected. Anyway, at some point, you can start to produce certain ¡®types of Mana¡¯ to decrease the costs of certain¡­ ¡®Spells¡¯? Redirected. The entity killed needs to have enough percentage of such contamination in their Soul for it to be meaningful for you, though. Soul fragments of different types can be found in the Exchange at higher levels¡­ Redirected. The fourth is just what it is, a ¡®pure¡¯ Soul fragment, which could¡­ Redirected. Depending on what you want to do, you could change a method of leveling up. For example, you could give up ''race'' fragments, exchanging them for Universal Points. Same with ¡®elemental¡¯ and ''pure'' ones. When you got to 5% of any contamination, percentage being an important detail here, it will show up in the Interface. It was a threshold at which a Soul starts generating ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana, and¡­ Redirected. And yes, Soul was responsible for generating Mana, but overall energy in the environment was self-balancing¡­ Redirected. This ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana is constantly reacting with your body and your surroundings. Because of that, at a contamination of around 15%-20% a body modification of some kind is needed to allow you to survive at all, like¡­ Redirected. The opportunity Zeph had was quite unique. He was lacking almost 20% of his Soul. This means he could fill this gap with ¡®elemental¡¯ Soul fragments if he so wished, and could afford it, despite the fact he didn¡¯t yet meet the theoretical requirements to have a Soul fragment implanted. Those fragments'' cost was exorbitant, but as he was level 0, he needed the smallest of fragments. Also, it will be tricky to keep the contamination above 5% without drastically decreasing his leveling speed. The ¡®race¡¯ and ¡®pure¡¯ Mana fragments are the majority of what he will get from killing enemies, thus the ¡®elemental¡¯ percentage will drop if he won¡¯t agree to exchange those fragments for Universal Points instead. ==============================
Time¡¯s up, Dear Customer! You have 6.5 days remaining.
It took him a while to gather himself. If he could, he would massage his temples. WTF, couldn¡¯t you just tell me all this?
Like we can efficiently name every ¡®type of Mana¡¯ and ¡®race¡¯ a [Soul] can represent. You now are able to compare them by feeling, especially the Mana types. It will be useful in sensing Mana and was a good way to teach you how to use [Intuition]. It was an optimal solution.
Yea, everything you do is optimal, isn¡¯t it? Let me guess, available Classes depend on the Soul contamination, and available Professions on General Skills?
No. You cannot, in a safe manner, get rid of what old frameworks did to your [Soul] during leveling. Changing a [Class] is not an easy, or efficient process. As so, it would be very limiting to individuals. At the beginning, you can choose what you want, no matter how suboptimal it will be, but all the [Classes] are quite basic. Specialization of [Classes] is something you need to learn yourself about. But know this, whether you choose to exchange all [Soul fragments] for Universal Points, or decide to be [Classless] in the first place, to learn without leveling at all, you will be rewarded for it later.
I kind of saw this coming, with the Intuition achievement¡­ But aren¡¯t there any special Classes?
Specializing means it becomes special. But an affinity, or below-the-threshold [Soul contamination], can help you with choosing. Intelligent races sure love to use this method to determine their future.
Right¡­ Oh, right! I should have some affinities already! Like every organism with a Soul. Can you show me? He became excited, it was the first step into true magic.
You should have enough [Intuition] to assert that yourself. Just concentrate on [Soul contamination], we will give you a small boost to make it easier.
Sure! He immediately did just that. He had problems at the beginning, but after a few minutes he managed to understand what the Interface was trying to show him. It was the first time he consciously used a Stat, and was aware that using it outside the Interface will be more difficult, but the feeling was intoxicating. Hmmm, rounding it is hard. 39% Human, and 36% Pure were easy enough to see. I am sure those two differ from the locals, too. Hmmm, around 1% of¡­ is it a ¡®Chemical Group¡¯? Do I understand it correctly?
More or less. It doesn¡¯t exactly mean ¡®chemical¡¯ but for the purpose of understanding, you are close enough.
I will just call them ¡®groups¡¯ then. So, 1% for four groups each: Blood, Tissue, Bone, and Neural. Some¡­ random stuff, also at around 1%. And 2% of¡­ of¡­ His non-existing head started to throb. All he got was some blabbering. What the fuck is this?
It is related to your abnormal [Will]. We cannot be certain until an [Advanced tests] are conducted.
Oh, my unique physique is finally giving me an advantage! An unknown magical element? Fuck yea! He exclaimed as excitement flooded him.
Definitely a child. Definitely with delusions.
Give me a break! I can¡¯t really control my emotions here! The happy moment was blown away immediately. Whatever, can I see the Exchange? It¡¯s time for some decisions. Or do I need to ¡®read¡¯ some more?
No need for further reading. You have gaping holes in your understanding of how things work here, but this should be enough. Here is the list.
Ye ye, I wouldn¡¯t spend millions of points on ''common knowledge'' either way.
Soul Enhancements
Energy Enhancements
Body Modifications
General Skill Database
Equipment
Interesting¡­ There are no Will enhancements?
[Common knowledge] packets were banned a long time ago anyway. [Will] is not accessible in normal circumstances.
What it is, even? I have a feeling it¡¯s connected to the moments in my life that changed me. Well, not with the grandma dying, maybe¡­
Something that you don¡¯t have time to learn about. You are not wrong. The death of your grandmother is most probably connected to your [Soul fragmentation], and the strange ¡®affinity¡¯. But you will need to learn more yourself after the [Advanced tests].
¡­you have a point, but I hope it¡¯s not a ''lost knowledge'' on this planet or something like that?
It¡¯s not.
I have bad premonitions every time you speak laconically. Are you sure there is nothing more to say?
The [Exchange] possesses a database, among other things.
I knew it! You just want me to spend my points! Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
This information is not integral to your survival. Buy it, or read from your [Interface].
Fucking microtransactions! You know what, I learned, I will just ignore it, but I will not forget it! Another explosion would deepen his existential crisis, it was better to avoid it. Zeph read and then promptly ignored Energy Enhancements, as most of them needed ambient Mana to work at full power. It would get rid of his main advantage ¨C an ability to survive without Mana. He wanted to be as independent as possible, at least until he learned more. Bolstering his race quirks was a first step in gaining an advantage over the locals. Body modifications, he thought.
Biological Upgrades
Genetical Upgrades
Biological Implants
Mechanical Implants
He started to read through the Exchange. It was A LOT to read. Very quickly, he noticed that the number of options was too much for him. Haaah¡­ how much for an advanced search function?
Temporary access, 1k points for 100 searches. For permanent access, it''s 150k.
¡­Do you know someone from the EA? Isn¡¯t that a basic functionality? Jesus, those microtransactions are killing me!
Offending words recorded.
Your existence is starting to be offending! Go fully into microtransactions and I guarantee that the human race will revolt! He spent the next few minutes cooling down. Just give it to me. He whined finally. The permanent one. One could hear the tears falling down.
150.000 Points deducted. 18.001.441 Points remain.
At least now he was able to speed up the process. ============================== Zeph spent the next three days searching through the many modifications. Some of them were truly a science-fiction thing. Helpfully, the options requiring strange materials were greyed out. Even the options available on this planet were greyed out, when the resource needed was inaccessible. The cost also depended on the resources'' proximity. The System knew of materials in the vicinity, but Zeph had another idea. He could understand the basic parameters of necessary materials, and found a few things that could potentially use what he had on himself as a substitute. He managed to convince the System that analyzing the plastic was a good idea. After all, even if the material itself was known to the System, it was impossible to say if it had something new inside without checking it out. The only thing he got from that was a rude warning.
We just wasted our resources. Are you proud? Also, it is recommended you allow us to use your plastic books as a carbon material. It will decrease the cost of any biological modifications. Warning: You have 3.2 days remaining. Thankfully.
You want me to get rid of ALL that knowledge?
We will keep the knowledge in the [General Skill]. You should be able to easily relive your memories from reading those books, or from writing them. If you visit the Temple of Goddess of Library, you can have them in a written version in your [Interface]¡¯s add-on. Or in the [Blessing], as she prefers to call it. Even undeciphered, such books are worth enough in this world for you to be in danger. Especially because you can actually read them. Knowledge is worth a lot on this planet. It is also recommended you first learn how to evaluate said knowledge before writing anything down.
Wait, aren¡¯t you the one who wants, and processes, knowledge? Why do I need to visit the Library Goddess?
We are, but the written knowledge is the domain of the Librarian. It¡¯s much easier for her to create that part of the [Interface] on the global scale, and she demanded it as a part of her influence.
¡­I don¡¯t even want to ask why a Notepad is too much for you to include in the Interface. But let¡¯s go back to the more important topics. I want you to analyze the alloy of my suit. Are you able to analyze the Prana batteries without destroying them?
This fruitless endeavor again? It will cost you this time. 200k for one try. The manipulation of matter is not cheap. We can safely analyze one of your empty Prana batteries.
Ugh, ok, let me explain first. Look at this Symbiont, Biological Implant, and those Microorganisms. He thought while opening corresponding entries. The material for the Implant is very similar to my suit''s. Those microorganisms work similarly to the contents of batteries. And this Mutagen has a chance to change the Symbiont¡¯s compatibility with the material, if you modify it a little. Can you substitute those materials then? I will pay AFTER you make sure I don¡¯t have anything new on me. Or do you have better propositions?
Take a pure [Soul fragment] to get rid of your [Soul fragmentation]. The easiest way to get rid of your Mana incompatibility is to change your race. You have one [Reviving opportunity]; it can be used for that. Simulation of those materials is necessary to assess the possibilities. It will cost you 500k, independently of the analysis itself.
Yea¡­ how many living organisms on this planet can live without Mana, again?
... None.
Did you just suggest I should get rid of my reviving opportunity, just to change my race for something with less survivability?
Manaless zones don¡¯t exist in this sector. The change would be cheap.
You know I want to travel, yes? Between worlds even. This is the one worst piece of advice you could have given me! Even ignoring the possibility of ¡®spells¡¯ that zero the Mana in the vicinity, why should I even get rid of my race''s quirk?!
Recalculating... Symbionts are recommended. Your idea has more than a 60% probability of working out.
You really need to learn how to do customer service better, or how to communicate properly, for that matter.
Engaging the [Cultural Module] would be a waste of time. It was created with locals in mind. You are the one that needs to adapt. We are assisting as we can.
¡­Somehow, I am sorry¡­
Apology accepted. Proceed?
Yes, please.
500.000 Points deducted. 17.501.441 Points remain. Assessing new materials... Creating simulations... Scanning mutagen exception database... Combining results...
Wow, isn¡¯t this quick? Oh, wait, I am thinking 10 times slower¡­
Results are available. Your suit¡¯s alloy contains two rare isotopes that are unstable in a Mana environment. New properties discovered; payment canceled. Prana battery content partially compatible with Mana. New microorganisms discovered; payment canceled.
Thank God¡­ Gods¡­ So, can this work, and are those three compatible with each other?
You will need to exchange materials at a later date to get the full use of the [Symbiont] and [Biological Implant]. You can buy knowledge of their location. They are compatible... But the Symbiont will be unable to survive in the low Mana density, and the Biological Implant is unnecessary?
Remember, I want to travel worlds in the future. Mana isn¡¯t exactly the only thing I can come into contact with. I was thinking of getting 5%... ugh, ¡®Hot Plasma¡¯ Soul fragment¡­ He stopped for a moment, then send the impression of the one he wanted instead of trying to name it. This one, to sustain the Symbiont. It should work if I understand it correctly.
Recalculating... In that case, we recommend these two instead: This [Soul fragment]. This [Mechanical Implant]. You will get [Soul contamination] from the metal group from the [Symbiont] anyway, as it will be [Soul-bonded], so this [Mechanical Implant] will be fully operational. It still requires other materials.
The impression of the new Soul fragment group he got was hard to place. It had something to do with space, Soul, and energy. Hmmm, the closest thing I can think of is a black hole? But it doesn¡¯t make any sense? The suggested Implant was easier to understand.
Mechanical Implant
Source Net v.21.31
The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff.
Well, it¡¯s not the worst. It will dry my points, though. 5 million is a little too much, I think.
This is a rare [Soul fragment], which means it¡¯s not accessible on this planet outside [The Exchange]. It will allow for your Symbiont to thrive. You will need to develop its [Soul] in that direction, your [Soul contamination] of this type cannot fall below 2% until the Symbiont gets to 5% itself. After that, it can fuel the change. Until then, level up sparingly and allow the Symbiont to keep your contamination up. Your body can be trained or enhanced by leveling up. Your implants cannot. The biological one was a good option, but it cannot be upgraded further and possess minor incompatibility with recommended [Adaptability Sets]. The Mechanical one can be modified more easily and will keep up your [Soul contamination] of the metal group. Also, because you are supplying the alloy, the base price will be lowered by 2.000.000.
So, you are suggesting using the best from the beginning? I can see the synergy. And Adaptability Set?
Indeed. This situation is very unusual in the first place. You have access to more [Modules] than you should. We never optimized such process. Especially for manual modifications. We recommend enhancing your immune system, learning the local language, and having your body restored to its full potential. All can be done during the [Advanced tests].
I wanted to leave those problems for the last¡­ It¡¯s becoming more complicated with every minute¡­ Can you just show me my actual shopping list? I would like to increase my ¡®affinity¡¯ to 5%, if possible. I am not sure taking your recommended Soul fragment is a good idea, let me check the Exchange some more. Furthermore, I will not decrease my Soul fragmentation below 10%.
... The list was created. [Soul fragmentation] Warning! Seek help from authorized experts only! If you want to heal your [Soul] manually, we have to remind you that we take no responsibility for any unauthorized [Soul] experimentation. Although, in case you survive, we will reward you. Your [Soul contamination] will be assessed in detail during [Advanced test]. In case of incompatibility between your ¡®affinity¡¯ and any [Soul fragments] in the bank, a new one will be created by us. For free. You.Are.Welcome!
Right, we need to decide the details, too. He thought while scanning the list. As for the rest of my points, I want to use those Soul-linked microorganisms on my suit. After we decide which parts of it you need. Also¡­ ============================== It took almost three days. His time here was coming to an end, but he was finally satisfied. All upgrades had some level of synergy and high potential. He eventually found a Soul fragment that was, at the same time, functional, compatible with the Symbiont, and present in the ''residue'' Soul contamination of creatures on this planet. It was a space group variant, related to living organisms in some way. The Symbiont had to go through more modifications to be able to use this type of Mana, which further decreased its efficiency. It was the only viable option for him, though. Not many things were working in Manaless environments, had a high upgrade potential, and possible compatibility with theoretical energy sources other than Mana. Finally¡­ He sighed mentally. Let¡¯s see the summary.
Here it is. This sure is... innovative.
Chapter 6 - [Implementation...] Class time is over. Starting Class. Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1784.02.18] This should be good.
Did you check all details? You know, your armor will glow?
What do you mean? This slime will be in the canals of my suit.
The armor is just a structure this [Slime Mould] will be living in. It will slowly modify the suit to work better in its living conditions. After some time, it will find its way behind every plate of your armor. The [Slime Mould] is fluorescent and light conducting. Some parts, especially the ones exposed to light, will glow.
Eh, I will just get something to wear above the armor. It¡¯s basically a free light tuning of my armor, not really a problem. I am more concerned about the integrity of my helmet. It¡¯s a shame the backpack and spent batteries weren¡¯t enough for all upgrades.
The front''s cover was a weak spot anyway, and you should believe us when we said the neck joint will be critically limiting for you after some time. It¡¯s more important you have better security in the blind spots.
Yeah, yeah. I am just sad it¡¯s not a real full-body suit anymore just because I don¡¯t have enough Points to replace the materials. It was truly impossible. Between the Symbiont and Implant, he managed to save almost 4.5 million Points by submitting this alloy. And he spent almost all of them. By the way, how valuable are those Points? I don¡¯t really have a reference.
A human who levels normally, so does not spend years to gather [Universal Points] and doesn¡¯t possess worthwhile achievements, gathers an average of 587.254 points total before achieving level 100.
How much time that would be? And what about above level 100?
It varies strongly depending on profession and optimization. 95.5% of the human population spends between 4 and 61 years to get to level 100. Above level 100, things escalate quickly. You would be able to gather an amount similar to your [Reward] in two years if the conditions allowed for that level of activity. You need to learn more yourself.
Heh, good meme reference there. Anyway, sounds like two standard deviations in a normal distribution, so it takes around 32 years on average? It¡¯s¡­ quite slow.
...
Hmmm? He looked at the window suspiciously. For some reason, I have a feeling it will be quite different for me¡­
...
Maybe because I just spent an equivalent of a level 100+ human¡¯s money on upgrades?
Were you to use your [Second life] reward to fix things, you would have much more points for real [Upgrades]. As it is, you will not deviate much from an average human on this planet.
Don¡¯t just ignore the potential all this has! Whatever, I know you are doing it on purpose. I guess I will find out when I woke up.
We will wake you when the vicinity is safe. Concentrate on sorting out your [Interface] first.
Should we discuss possible Classes and Professions?
They are automatically sorted by compatibility. We will not tell you more than the [Interface] would.
A shame¡­ He thought about what to ask, but he was unable to concentrate. He only had a few hours left. Knowing that overstaying would mean death, he wasn¡¯t keen to start another long dispute. Say, is it a good idea to finish now?
The process will be slightly faster if you don¡¯t wait until the very end.
How long will it take anyway?
In the worst scenario, less than 10 years. Accurate estimations are not possible.
Oi! I thought it is a safe procedure?!
It is, but it¡¯s impossible to say how long [Advanced tests] will take. Also, we are expecting problems with the [Symbiont].
Oh¡­ Well, I feel like the chances to meet my mates from ¡®Apes¡¯ just drastically dropped¡­ Never mind, let¡¯s finish here, I feel quite exhausted mentally after hearing that.
As you wish, Zeph Einar. Have a bountiful life. Starting simulation memory merging process¡­
Ye ye, thanks¡­ He managed to send, before losing consciousness. ============================== When he came to, he found himself in the familiar dream-like state. His life started replaying again, but this time without the chaotic preamble. A few things were different, though. He was much more aware than the last time. He could also feel when ¡®holes¡¯ from his soul made an appearance. He now knew, the forgotten memories the System restored the last time originated from his Soul. This time, though, his Soul was read from the beginning to the end, not only to restore lost brain memory. But some things his brain remembered were absent in his Soul. Those parts of his Soul, he somehow felt, were meticulously examined. It hurt in a way impossible to describe. Every time this happened, his consciousness blacked out. Yet, no lasting effects stayed, his life played further before him. It was a Soul pain, and he will remember it, but his brain wasn¡¯t recording it as it should. It was safe, probably. The most interesting difference, though, was that parallel to memories a copy was played, but the language was different. He could perceive both at the same time and compare them in real-time. It was strange, but he perceived it almost like reliving his life within another culture. He could learn from that alone, but additionally, he had a reference in the form of English. A shame a lot of words didn¡¯t have a direct translation. He could tell he would have holes in understanding still. On this planet they used magitech instead of technology, some things were impossible to directly translate. Especially because he didn¡¯t have time to be flooded with additional information, like in the case of Interface or System messages. After reliving everything, he gracefully welcomed the oblivion. ========== System PoV ==========
[Body Stasis] engaged. ¡­ [Advanced Body test] completed¡­ New [Magicule] found. Integrating data¡­ completed¡­ [Advanced Soul test ¨C Stage 0] completed¡­ [Soul damage] assessed. New [Soul contamination] found. Integrating data¡­ completed. Creating model¡­ completed. Compatibility confirmed. Experimental transformation to the new [Soul fragment]¡­ completed. Comparison testing¡­ successful.
Constructing [Cellular Energy Subsystem] microorganism¡­ completed. [Soul-linking]¡­ Proliferating¡­
[Body Stasis] disengaged. Propagating [Cellular Energy Subsystem]¡­ successful. [Body test]¡­ positive. [Partial Body Stasis] engaged. Implanting [Soul fragment (group: Will, type: H1)] ¡­1%...2%...3%...3,21%. Finished successfully. Implanting [Soul fragment (group: Space, type: B5001)] ¡­1%...2%...3%...4%...5%...5,18%. Finished successfully. Structural [Soul] integrity¡­ confirmed. Starting [Advanced Learning]¡­ Starting [Advanced Soul test]¡­ Starting [Advanced Will test]¡­
Constructing [Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81] microorganism¡­ completed. [Soul-linking]¡­ Proliferating¡­ Constructing [Garuan] zygote inside the body¡­ completed. Applying mutagen¡­ completed¡­ [Soul-linking]¡­ Constructing [Source Net] inside the body¡­
[Source Net] constructed successfully. [Partial Body Stasis] disengaged. Propagating [Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81] ¡­ successful. [Body test]¡­ positive. [Soul] presence confirmed in [Garuan] fetus. Changing [Soul-link] to [Soul-bond]¡­ modifying [Soul] growth pattern¡­ enhancing biological growth¡­ Constructing [Phleya (type:3)] microorganism in the suit¡­ completed. [Soul-linking]¡­ Proliferating¡­
[Advanced Soul test] completed¡­ [Advanced Will test] completed¡­ Integrating data¡­ completed. Assessment complete.
Adding new [Race Trait] for the race [Earthling]. Adding [Survivor] and [Greater Pioneer] to the [Title list] of the race [Earthling].
Body incompatibility detected! Wrong [Soul] type of [Garuan]! Commencing forced [Soul transplantation]¡­ completed. Critical body dysfunctionality detected! Scanning¡­ Failure. Clearing¡­ Re-enacting the process¡­ Using backup mutagen variant¡­ This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
[Soul] presence confirmed. Changing [Soul-link] to [Soul-bond]¡­ modifying [Soul] growth pattern¡­ enhancing biological growth¡­
Error! [Garuan] mutations outside the parameters! Scanning¡­ [Soul-bond] revoked. Scanning¡­ [Soul-bonding] with the host detected! Scanning¡­ [Parasite] behavior detected! Applying safety measurements¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [Symbiotic Parasite] group created. Safety measurements revoked. Sending [You were right] reward to [Zeph Einar]. Scanning¡­
Applying [Corora full vaccine set]¡­ complete. Applying [Full restoration sequence]¡­ error! Metabolism changed by the [Garuan]! Applying modified [Full restoration sequence]¡­ complete.
Redirecting [Soul-links] to the host¡­ successful. Adding [General Skill] databases, successful. [Body Stasis] engaged. Erasing unnecessary [Mana] constructs¡­ complete. Carving a chamber¡­ complete. Environment scanning engaged¡­ Weather prediction engaged¡­
Conditions acceptable. Opening the chamber¡­ Withdrawing¡­ [Body Stasis] disengaged. Complete. At last¡­
============================== A quiet singing of birds was the first thing he noticed. He could feel a soft light coming from behind. It was strange, to wake up after being active mentally for so long without a break. Strange¡­ he thought. It¡¯s the first time I am fully awake right after regaining my senses. He slowly opened his eyes. Soft light illuminated the smooth stone of a circular cave. He was laying on a rock, but his armor made that less uncomfortable. The entrance was behind his head, he could feel a whiff of impossibly fresh air. He tilted his head back. The brilliant colors attacked his eyesight. The world was more vivid than ever, and so bright. He just laid there for a few minutes, absorbing new sensations, not understanding what was happening. The small shock slowly transformed into curiosity, then into an understanding. Full restoration¡­ All of my senses are as sharp as when I was a kid¡­ But that is not all. The mental burden he was used to, to a point that he forgot about its existence years ago, was absent. The feeling of being lightweight, stronger than you should even, after dropping all your equipment after a day of walking with it, do you know it? It was the same, but as well mental, as it was physical. Like finally getting enough sleep after a month of insomnia, but multiplied. He closed his eyes and stretched mentally. It was the best feeling he felt in his life. My Soul wound is in the norm now¡­ I don¡¯t have to use my Will to keep my Soul in one piece anymore. What will I feel when I get rid of the wound altogether? he mused, then started to stretch his body. He immediately noticed small changes. Even at 30 years old, he accumulated his share of small contusions. They were all gone, his muscles in perfect state, his joints smooth, his bones¡­ Oh my god! My teeth, they.. they¡­ They were as healthy as can be. He started laughing. ¡°Even for just that one thing, it was definitely worth it!¡± he exclaimed, then sat up. Looking around, he could see his ¡°exploration backpack¡± to the right. It was almost half-empty. The suit¡¯s backpack was missing, as were fragments from his helmet. He now had something resembling an old motorbike helmet, with the elongated back shielding his neck. Beside the backpack, a few Prana batteries were lying on the ground. As well as his armguard. Almost forgot¡­ he thought, smiling. He put it on and connected to his armor. He checked, and as predicted, no rations were left. The System probably assumed they would all go bad and used them automatically, saving him some Points. He didn¡¯t feel hungry right now, though. Right, the System, he thought as he noticed a blinking point in his peripheral view. He first packed the batteries into his backpack, then decided to make a quick survey of the surroundings outside. He had to back up almost immediately, though, the sensory overload was too much. The System said it will be safe¡­ let¡¯s just believe it. He needed time to acclimate, so he moved to the back of his cave and sat down with his backpack between his legs. Why am I in a cave in the first place? Eh, whatever, he thought, then started concentrating on the blinking point. It didn¡¯t work. I think I may be a little stupid, he realized and instead used the Interface to open¡­ whatever that blinking point was.
Congratulations! All problems with your [Body], [Soul], and [Interface] are resolved! Congratulations! Your [Willpower] is now a [Greater Willpower]! Congratulations! Four [Passive Enhancement] milestones achieved! You have gained access to [Perks]! You gained one [Energy Enhancement]! Congratulations! New [System Reward] added to [Traits]! You earned a [Tier 3] [General Skill]! You have earned [Soul fragments]! You don¡¯t have any [Class] or [Profession]. [Soul fragments] were deposited in the bank. Your race has a new [Trait]. You have two new [Warnings]. You received a message from [The Mighty System]! New [Diagnostics] result is available!
Whoa, it¡¯s a lot! He read everything once more, then decided to first check the Warnings and message, before opening his Interface.
[Status: obsolete] Warning! Your [Intuition] is more than two times higher than your [Willpower]. This imbalance can cause changes in personality! Possible effects may include: restricted logical thinking, problems with concentration, daydreaming, . Explanation: [Greater Willpower] has approximately five times stronger counter-effect, than [Willpower] has. This [Warning] is obsolete. Warning! [Garuan] mutated into a [Parasite] type! Make sure your life is not in danger!
Huh¡­ ¡®Safe¡¯ my ass! I hope he explained himself in the message!
Dear Zeph. During the [Garuan] creation we tried another mutagen first. According to our knowledge and calculations, it had much higher chances to successfully mutate the [Garuan], and the possible effects were known by us. It failed miserably. The mutagen we modified together worked, but the mutation was influenced by modified [Soul contamination] and your [Soul contamination], to put it simply. We think it reversed to a more primal form, which was a [Parasite]. Despite possessing means to harm you, no such behavior was observed. It also [Soul-bonded] to you by itself. As such, a new term [Symbiotic Parasite] was created. You will need to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn¡¯t behave harmfully. To this effect, we have given you access to high-tier [Ancient Civilizations] [General Skill]. The fact that you were able to intuit which mutagen would work is enough for us to hope you will be able to solve more of [Forgotten Technology] mysteries, and be able to properly guide the growth of your [Garuan]. All relevant information is in the [Interface], but in short ¨C it is now connected to your intestines, and you can safely consume most metals. Just don¡¯t do it excessively. It also modified your metabolism slightly, but most of the changes are positive. It will reserve some Mana from your regeneration if there is not enough ambient Mana density around. P.S. The process took 9 years, 2 months, and 8 days. It¡¯s [1793.04.26] in the local time. Best luck! The MS.
Heh, so he did learn something about client service, after all. He was quite surprised by the nice tone. Well, nothing of it, let¡¯s see the Interface. Ohh, it changes color for the new entries¡­ What we have here¡­ Perks are new. He concentrated on the word. It seemed he was able to choose one from a list, but there were only three entries on it. One for each mental stat¡­ yea, I won¡¯t call them PE. It seems 10 is the first milestone. But what does a Perk do? He tried reading deeper into the information, but it was a lot harder than in the mental space. After a moment he got that it was some kind of automatized functionality, but how that was different from Skills, he had no idea. He didn¡¯t think much about it anymore and just chose the most important one. ¡®Mana control training assist¡¯¡­ I totally forgot to ask the System how you even do that. Well, knowing him, it would cost me points. It was a Willpower Perk. It was clear to him that Soul perception training and meditation training could be left for later. Especially because he had quite special Willpower, it was better to learn how to use it first. So I got a point in Intuition from all that? Good, good! One more to go before getting a Class! The skill list was what he expected. Beside the General Skills he bought, two new could be found. The ¡°Memories of the Earth¡± and ¡°Ancient Civilizations¡±. When looking at the first one, he could tell that after proving that the concepts from Earth also work here, a lot of General Skills could be derived from it. Work for later, I suppose¡­ The Traits were much more interesting. Wow, Greater Willpower is quite OP¡­ Wait! Isn¡¯t the human race¡­ Well, my human race, perfect for sorcery of any kind? On the other hand, my Advanced Improvements list is totally cluttered right now¡­ Living armor? Well, don¡¯t mind if I do. I just wonder how close to my body the Phleya needs to be to survive¡­ So much to test¡­ He contemplated on the contents for a moment, then decided to try looking outside again. He checked his weapons first. It seems that everything was kept in stasis most of the time. His pistols needed some maintenance, which he did, but there were no traces of rust or dangerous clogging. His crossbow was in top condition. After completing his preparations, he moved to the exit of the cave. This time no sensory overload bludgeoned him. He was able to see quite the same ruins they started in. A lot of greenery, quite a few trees, and a smudge of a white stone poking through all that. What is this cave even¡­ he thought while looking back. A giant boulder wasn¡¯t something he expected at all. He could also see some irregular rock formations at the base of the towers that shouldn¡¯t be there. I guess they are Alex and Alana¡­ places? Cocoons? Boulders? Whatever¡­ He quickly surveyed the surroundings. He needed food and water. A shelter was covered already. After 20 minutes, he managed to find an old, half-dry well. This would need to do until his condenser got enough water. There were a plethora of birds, too. Happy that he didn¡¯t have to relocate or labor right away, he backed into the cave again. It was time for some more reading. He wasn¡¯t thirsty or hungry at all, so dealing with his Interface first sounded like a good idea. He set up the water condenser first. Before burrowing himself into the infodump, which Diagnostics were for sure, he decided to check what Classes were about. Seating¡­ not so comfortably, on the hard rock, he opened the Class menu.
Welcome to the [Class] selection menu! A [Class] can give a maximum of 6 [Passive Enhancement] points per level, the more specialized the [Class], the less points you can freely distribute, but you will always have at least one such point. The less points the [Class] gives, the better access to other [Upgrades] it gives. Important note 1: It is NOT recommended to change [Classes]. Choose wisely! You don¡¯t have to make a decision immediately! Important note 2: Some [Classes], especially [Mixed Classes], will require you to reset your level progress at some point. This may happen multiple times. Make sure to read all details and follow instructions afterward! Would you like to [Browse] available [Classes], or do you want our [Wizard] to help you sort them out quickly?
Wizard? To make sure, he switched to Cir language. Wizard¡­ How did that even happen? He was absolutely amused until he concluded that this didn¡¯t look like a coincidence. How curious¡­ I need to remember to ask about it later. When I get to the civilization¡­ Yea, let¡¯s leave it for later. He chose the Browse option.
This list contains all available [Classes]. You can choose a maximum of three to combine. Effects of [Mixed Classes] tend to strengthen [Passive Enhancements] more evenly, but the overall points per level may drop because the number of accessible [Upgrades] will rise. We do not recommend to [Browse] the list of [Mixed Classes], as the number of possible combinations is close to 200.000. Please use the [Wizard].
CLASS Primary PE Secondary PE
Soul Specialist Willpower Memory
External Soul Specialist Willpower Intuition
Internal Soul Specialist Memory Intuition
Melee Specialist Power Flex
Horde Melee Specialist Power Reg
Duel Melee Specialist Flex Reg
Mana Manipulator Willpower Flex
External Mana Manipulator Willpower Intuition
Internal Mana Manipulator Flex Intuition
Speedster Power Intuition
Acrobat Flex Memory
Regenerator Reg Willpower
Shooter Intuition Flex
Sharpshooter Intuition Power
Speed Shooter Flex Power
¡­ ¡­ ¡­
Wow. And the System said they are just basic Classes? He started scrolling down. There are at least a hundred of them! No wonder there is a sorting system implemented! And I am not even sure what I want¡­ It will take a while. Chapter 7 - Answers, but Will they change anything? Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.04.26] The first thing Zeph did, was to sort the Classes by compatibility. Not surprisingly, Mana-related ones were first, as Intuition and Willpower supported them. Next were Soul related ones, which he could also understand because his Will evidently allowed him to easily interact with a Soul. But after that, something unexpected showed up. He expected a Melee, Shooter, or Scientific-type. Generalist? Is it like ¡®Jack of all trades¡¯? Probably not, seeing as it is Intuition and Willpower based. Next is Shaman? It definitely sounds like a specialized Class, what the heck? He was curious, so he spent some time on getting more information about those two. Generalist was strange, it gave only 3 free points to allocate per level, no auto-allocated points at all. It also couldn¡¯t be specialized into any ¡®element type¡¯ later on, like normal Mana Classes. Its specializations strayed in the direction of Advanced Enhancements and depended on them. That was the reason for giving only 3 points, the number of possible Upgrades of other kinds were numerous for this one. As well as Skills, or rather CSMs. It required 3 level resets, from level 5 to 1, though. Shaman, on the other hand, combined Mana and Soul arts. Ways of doing it were its specializations. It gave 4 auto-allocated points, and 1 free point, and required 1 level reset, also from level 5 to 1. It seems almost like a specialized Class already, no wonder it has such a name¡­ I think I understand how it works, let¡¯s try to mix some. He scrolled down, trying to get a feel for what can be mixed. One entry stood out enough to make him pause. ¡®Human¡¯? There is a ¡®Human¡¯ Class? Well, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the System enhanced every entity possessing a Soul. Animals wouldn¡¯t be able to choose a Class, after all, so a default one should exist. He read a little, and indeed this Class concentrated on expanding self-awareness and natural abilities. Does that mean the System is trying to create new intelligent species? No, let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. It¡¯s just another topic to remember asking about. But I can check if the System is really enhancing everything. He started reading about his Level from the Interface. Soon, he found relevant information, and an old notification opened again.
You have earned [Soul fragments]! You don¡¯t have any [Class] or [Profession]. [Soul fragments] were deposited in the bank.
Soul fragments¡­ Yep. After reading this one, a new notification opened up.
You are partially responsible for killing [Centipede Tomato ¨C lvl 15]. You are partially responsible for killing [Centipede Potato ¨C lvl 11]. You are partially responsible for killing [Centipede Tomato ¨C lvl 10]. ¡­ (41 more)
There were two species? But they were identical? Don¡¯t tell me the ones hanging from trees were tomatoes¡­ Eh, whatever, so the System is enhancing everything! I wonder how much those are in levels. Should be like 2 levels or something, right? He tried to find that part, but ultimately his Interface gave him only something vague. If I were to¡­ Take a basic Class? But the Symbiont¡­ the group¡­ something else¡­ jeeezzzz! Assuming a basic Class, how much?! He snapped. And, unexpectedly, got a definite answer. No way¡­ 0,8% from Level 1 to Level 2?! Is this world full of carnage, or something? WTF? No, wait, those were potatoes and tomatoes¡­ Am I this weak, or is something skewed here? He was truly lost at that moment, so he decided to ignore it for the time being. Mixing, mixing, mixing, he started to hum in his mind, throwing the rest out of his memory. After some time, he chose to mix ¡®Data Collector¡¯, ¡®Human¡¯, and ¡®External Mana Manipulator¡¯. Unexpected results showed immediately. No, no no no¡­ I don¡¯t want a ¡®Neural mutant¡¯! He changed the order of mixing the three. Gross! ¡®Bio-fluids master¡¯?! Nai wa! It¡¯s too much! He exchanged ¡®Human¡¯ for ¡®Regenerator¡¯. After seeing the result, he sighed with relief, that¡¯s better¡­ He needed to change the order a few times before he got what he wanted. I did expect this, but what¡¯s with the strange naming? ¡®Long Range Medic¡¯? Whatever, it seems by mixing I can get to more specialized Classes. Or rather, more concentrated ones. They sure give less points, though. Only 3 points, two auto-allocated? And 2 level resets on top of that. He decided to play with the Wizard next time. It was impossible to parse through all this manually. Now, he at least knew what he was doing. Probably. How much time even passed? I should prepare for the night. He stood up and came to the cave exit. He checked the position of the sun. Then did a double take. I almost thought it¡¯s a binary star¡­ that would be fucked up. But why is the Moon so bright? He saw a clear, bright, lightly blue full moon right beside the sun. From this position, it should be invisible? Eh, let¡¯s leave that for another time, he surrendered. It seemed it was midday, so he estimated he had 8 hours. I should prepare a camp, he thought and went back. He prepared rope and twine, a knife, a small hammer-hatchet, waterproof fabric, and his weapons. There was no need to carry his whole backpack, still, he had driven a climbing piton into the wall to hang it up. No need to tempt small critters. Then he went outside and used his hatchet to gather needed wood material. In the beginning, he was wary of making noise, but the nice early-summer weather and silent surroundings filled with birds chirping slowly soothed his nerves. He also felt much more aware of everything, which gave him a boost in confidence. The terrain around his boulder was mostly open. He was able to tell that the old mansion collapsed, covering much of the surroundings in fresh debris. It was almost 10 years ago, but the vegetation wasn¡¯t able to regrow fully yet. Not far from the entrance to his cave was a nice debris-free piece of earth, he decided to make his small camp there. After gathering the wood, he sat there and cut four ¡®Y¡¯ shaped branches and sharpened their ends, then prepared a few straight ones. The ¡®Y¡¯ shaped sticks were stuck into the earth in pairs, under one pair he made a circle from stones and started gathering dry wood for a fire. After that, he returned to the well. It resembled a huge hole in the earth, with a small rise around, made from stone. Everything was covered by wild plants, so it resembled a cave-in remnant more than a well, but the walls inside were tiled with the same white stone, and he could see water some 8 meters below. Leading twine through eyelets in the waterproof fabric, he made a makeshift bucket and secured it to the rope. He chucked a stone into it and lowered it into the water. Zeph needed to stand in an uncomfortable position to not hit the walls with the ballooned cloth, which wasn¡¯t exactly easy when it weighed almost 7 kg. Finally getting it up, he checked the water. Good, it¡¯s not murky. I will just need to use fabric to filter it. Using one of his hands, he placed one end of a straight branch on his shoulder while keeping the other end up, then he wrapped the rope around the middle, which was tricky to do with only one hand, but his new teeth loftily simplified the process. Using both hands to keep the water half-balloon up, he made for the camp. Ugh¡­ I should have used two to place them on each end of a longer branch¡­ he started complaining a minute later. A few minutes later, he placed the branch on the free wooden holder and sighed with relief. After resting for a moment, he brought his backpack back to the camp. Using a twine, he secured his largest rectangular steel canteen, or rather his field pot, to the side of the fabric keeping the water, so that it hung there at the height of the balloon¡¯s underside. Then he took out and cut a piece off of his bandages. A shame I didn¡¯t take any clothes, he thought while soaking the piece in the water. Then he put the wet bandage through the waterproof fabric ridge in a way, that a part of the bandage was in the unclean water, and the other part was inside the dangling canteen. The water started slowly seeping down through it. It will take at least half an hour. Ok, time to get something to eat. He didn¡¯t even have to move away from the camp. The silent work with the canteen contraption was long enough for some birds to fly close. He took his crossbow from his back, and loaded it, stalking near bushes. Ten minutes later, he was a proud owner of 6 birds.
You have killed [Rainbow Magpie ¨C lvl 7]. ¡­ (5 more) You have earned [Soul fragments]! You don¡¯t have any [Class] or [Profession]. [Soul fragments] were deposited in the bank.
Two bolts damaged¡­ great, I will need to find something bigger, this crossbow just shoots right through them. Then he started a fire. He would prefer to firstly scald the birds to easily pluck their feathers, but he didn¡¯t want to wait that long. He hoped to finish before night, as he knew during the day the fire was less visible, and no predators were hunting. As long as nothing changed from the ten years back¡­ Well, it would be unfortunate if suddenly an intelligent race showed up and saw the smoke, but what can I do? He jinxed it. Just kidding. He spent a nice, calm afternoon cleaning birds from their feathers and guts. Very relaxing. Meanwhile, his field pot filled two times. He moved the still burning wood to the sides and placed it in the middle on hot coals, placing some fresh wood around, and changing its placement from time to time. The first batch of boiled water he poured into a smaller canteen, then used the second to boil two birds, a shame I don¡¯t have any vegetables¡­ I could have taken some spices at least, damn it! The rest of the birds he placed on one of the straight sticks he prepared, and smoked above the fireplace using the wooden holder, while the last batch of water was boiling. When he finished, it was becoming dark. What water was left he used to clean his hands and kill the fire. Full, and with a surplus of rations, he retreated to the cave. He had no alarms to place around the entrance, but managed to camouflage it with some bushes and stones. I hope it¡¯s enough. If the sound of snapping bush isn¡¯t enough to wake me up, I don¡¯t know what is. He felt as prepared for a long session of reading his Interface as he could. He placed the two canteens with boiled water to the side, alongside the third with smoked birds¡¯ parts, hung his backpack, and made himself comfortable on the smooth rock. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Diagnostics¡­ Yea, there is a lot, he thought and started parsing the information. At least it was easier to read from than directly from the Interface. First was his Soul wound. The System somehow found out what happened, and this part gave him a lot to think about. Because he learned that, evidently, it¡¯s normal for Souls to find a new, unformed body after some time. In other words, reincarnation was a thing. This¡­ has big repercussions. If that is true, where are my memories from past lives? Or was I just an animal and that¡¯s why? he meditated on the topic for a moment, but he didn¡¯t have a whole day. Soon enough, he started to read further. Earth was isolated, in a way he didn¡¯t really understand. The lack of Mana, or Prana for that matter, was somehow connected to this fact. The Souls, which normally don¡¯t care much about a position in the physical world if not connected to it, were unable to find new bodies in other worlds. Well, I am sure some did¡­ or were all those isekai novels a coincidence? Again, I don¡¯t even know what am I talking about. Let¡¯s not think about it, for the time being. Accumulation of wounds in the Souls was the direct effect of that, but Zeph knew it wasn¡¯t the only cause. It was a much more complicated topic, but extracting information from this strange conglomeration of sensory data wasn¡¯t easy at all. He decided to omit it for now. Those life conditions, though, were ¡®a progenitor¡¯ of their strange Will. It¡¯s important to note, that according to what Zeph was reading, Souls cannot change at all if not connected to the ¡®reality¡¯. ¡®Soul once wounded, will wound all the time¡¯, to paraphrase a certain saying. Our Will emerged as an ¡®evolutionary adaptation¡¯, just not purely genetic one. This didn¡¯t pose a problem at the beginning. Wounded Souls could still have had some time to heal in a given lifetime, especially as animals. Only after Earth¡¯s population started to rise drastically, taking a lot of natural terrain in the process, positive feedback started. Because there weren¡¯t any Souls from elsewhere, old Souls started to be reincarnated almost immediately. Again, it was complicated, because new Souls were forming, too, but the whole ¡®Soul ecosystem¡¯ was unbalanced already. It reminded me¡­ We had quite a big percentage of miscarriages, didn¡¯t we? Especially in the Middle Ages. And the times those Souls were reincarnated into? The age of wars, basically. The age of slavery. Then, later, the age of ¡®definitely not slavery¡¯, corporation time. Meanwhile, the population growth rate became almost exponential. Accumulated Soul wounds started to go beyond the threshold. The number of suicides¡­ And symptoms similar to depression¡­ That actually explains a lot about the ¡®21st century problems¡¯. But I don¡¯t understand one thing. How do you even get a Soul wound? He started searching for that, but he quickly noticed that the information about the wounds was scattered, as it wasn¡¯t the main topic of Diagnostics. So, he concentrated on the part that was. If I recall correctly, in the first Diagnostics¡­ Yes, there it is. ¡®Only deepening of existing fracture¡¯, so this should be somewhere in the new Diagnostics, right? After a minute, he found the part. The very beginning shocked him. This deepening of the wound? It was directly related to his Will. His Will depleted two times during his lifetime. I¡­ basically died two times? he slowly thought. From what he understood, Soul, Will, and a living body were what defined an entity in its whole. He managed to produce a new Will before the old dissipated altogether, but this wasn¡¯t something he could just easily comprehend. After a moment, he managed to gather himself. I still don¡¯t know what exactly Will is¡­ I know those two moments in my life changed me drastically¡­ but it wasn¡¯t as if I was dying then. I was¡­ very close to suicide, but not dying¡­ Is it how it works? Depleted Will means no will to live, even if the body can continue? No¡­ at the time, I did almost immediately choose to live on, despite the pain¡­ I don¡¯t remember it clearly, though. Was it immediately, or did some time elapse back then? Would my body die by itself, if I didn¡¯t¡­ choose to live? He shivered right then. Was it hot? Was it cold? He started analyzing his memories. And he found some very disturbing details. When his pet died, and when he was heart-broken, the change wasn¡¯t as simple, as having a mental trauma. My likes and dislikes changed¡­ My dreams changed¡­ My goals did slightly, too¡­ Am I¡­ he felt a vertigo, strengthened by the memories of being a part-simulation in the System¡¯s hands. He hesitated, but was unable to stop asking himself, Am I the same person¡­ Or a¡­ newborn one? Similar to a reincarnated one, but with the old body? Would I even consider my past lives as¡­ me?... A moment later, something started to rise from deep in his abdomen. He convulsed a few times, and then¡­ ¡°HA! Hahaha!¡± deep laughter erupted from him. ¡°Haha¡­ Now? Ha¡­ I have those thoughts now?!¡± He started laughing again, flipping to his side. It took him a while to get himself in control again, but he felt so much more refreshed after finally sitting up. ¡°It sure looks clich¨¦ on paper!¡± he exclaimed, sweeping tears from the corners of his eyes with a finger. ¡°I remember reading such things often, but I never once stopped to think about them. It was stupid to even think about it, the answer was obvious! And suddenly it isn¡¯t?! Bullshit,¡± he continued to monologue loudly, as if lecturing an idiot. During his monologue, he could feel something slowly rising in him. I am an idiot, he thought. I just got to know what my existence consists of, and I have a problem with it? What a disgrace! he continued berating himself. I am a fucking me, right now and right here! A conglomeration of changes! An effector! Of changes that happened to my mind, my body¡­ my Soul! AND my Will! I survived, and I live. Because I live, I change. Constantly! The rest is bullshit! he declared. It wasn¡¯t a deep philosophy, he knew, but what of it? Those were problems of other people, if they could treat him as the same person after such sudden changes, not his own. An unknown¡­ power. Away with it! I want to try some magic! It¡¯s almost all from the Diagnostics¡­ Well, from reading it casually, at least. Where was I? Ah, yes, how you get Soul-wounded. So dissipation of Will can do it¡­ but what causes dissipation? He started reading again. It wasn¡¯t exactly unexpected, but breaking someone¡¯s mind typically caused Will dissipation. Or very strong emotions opposing one¡¯s Will. Broken heart in case of¡­ what is this? Shit, I don¡¯t understand¡­ let¡¯s leave it be. Rape, of course¡­ Death of a close one before your eyes¡­ Yea, basically cases when you are Willing, heh, to tie your life to something, and are stripped of it by an external force. No wonder our world was full of Soul wounds. Most of those activities are in humans¡¯ very nature, he once again mentally insulted humanity. Something else joined it, something external. He always knew something was wrong with how society on Earth operated. But what do they mean by very strong, opposing emotions? Hmmm¡­ Oh¡­ OH! Changing a worldview for a lover, or starting an opposition for the greater good, or leaving your dreams behind for your kids¡­ Who would have thought, positive change also causes Will dissipation¡­ Well, it¡¯s logical, but still¡­ But the Soul wound from that is¡­ slightly different?... Shit, I can¡¯t understand, but it seems important¡­ I will have to remember to ask about it. Where is my Notepad, when I need one?
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Will] from the [Knowledge Base]!
He flinched from the sudden message, fuck! This scared me. What is this? Consolation prize for not having Notepad in the Interface? he laughed silently. Stupid¡­ But I will take it. What¡¯s left?... The third moment deepening my Soul wound? There is no entry in Will Diagnostics for it, though¡­ Another method to get Soul wounded? he started reading, slowly. This part is convoluted as hell, but he didn¡¯t stop. And he was shocked again. He could feel as if the soft and warm wind was blowing around him, his insides had been slowly heating, heart speeding up. It wasn¡¯t his grandma¡¯s death that caused it, as he interpreted it during the memory reading provided by the MSTM. It was just BEFORE his grandma died. Cause of wound deepening¡­ Soul vampirism¡­ What. The. Fuck?!
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Soul] from the [Knowledge Base]!
Shut up! My grandma was¡­ trying to¡­ what was she even trying to do? He knew this feeling, echoes of his emotions amplifying each other. Anger was welling in him, but it didn¡¯t find a purchase, yet. He didn¡¯t understand what this was about. So, he tried to read deeper, but found an unexpected blockade. It¡¯s censored? No, I shouldn¡¯t be that surprised. The System is against experimenting with Souls, and I didn¡¯t even learn about it by myself. Let¡¯s see what I can read¡­ He tried from multiple different directions, but all he got was that it was a conscious effort of his grandma, and that it WAS harmful to him. Very much so. Shit! Grandma, what were you thinking! If my Soul dissipated, how would you live with it? He felt hurt. His own family tried to harm him. The worst part was that he couldn¡¯t tell in what way exactly, nor could he confirm the intent to harm. This is fucked up; I was basically a kid at the time. No matter what her excuse would be, isn¡¯t that too much? An ecstatic experience, multiple emotions sending wave-like chills through his whole body, and colliding with each other along their way. He decided right then, that he will use everything at his disposal to shield his Soul from external sources of damage. He didn¡¯t know how reincarnation worked, but that was the only part of him that could survive the true test of time. While his mind reached deeper still. I suppose this is my first clue as to what Class should I choose. My Will is another part of me, that I would rather not lose again. His body reacted to it. It¡¯s powerful, from what I understand, but getting attached too much to something may destroy it. If I ever choose a way of life, I need to make sure it¡¯s sustainable first. Actually, it just reinforces my previous convictions. Yes, this is my way of life, this was¡­ He could feel himself¡­ rising, riding on fire! Something in his chest started to vibrate deeply, the two voices slowly becoming one. The feeling of coalescing into something harder, something more defined; flying up to the sky with overwhelming power; freedom, and a sense of unity with the world, overwhelmed him.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skills]: [Will manipulation], [Will-powered Mana Manipulation], [Ambient Mana], and [Ambient Mana Channeling] from the [Knowledge Base]! Congratulations! You have gained 5 [Greater Willpower]! You have gained 2.5% [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination]! Calculating¡­ Warning! You have [Severe] [Mana poisoning]! Warning! You have [Slightly] [Diminished Will]!
Suddenly, he dropped to his side, deflated, half-aware.
[Mana poisoning] reduced to [Medium]! Warning! [Parasite] behavior detected! 1.39% of [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination] was consumed! Warning! Unauthorized [Soul transplantation] of 1.39% of [Instable Iron Alloy, type: ZW1] [Soul contamination] detected! [Soul-bond] confirmed, counter-measures impossible!
Wha¡­ what is ha¡­ he was losing consciousness; black marks covered his view. He could feel Soul pain in the background, but it was too distant to really perceive.
Calculations completed! Congratulations! New [General Skill] created! [Will contamination] was added to your [General Skills]! [Willpower] [Perk] modified! [Trait] updated. [####] [####] upgraded! You have earned 1.000.000 [Universal Points]! [Mana poisoning] reduced to [Small]! Warning! Your [Symbiotic Parasite] is growing!
What¡­ did I do¡­
[Mana poisoning] cleared! [Tabu] hidden skill added to the list. [Garuan] gains new¡­
Then, he blacked out. Chapter 8 - You need to have a Class! (said the prefessionalist) Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.04.27] He opened his eyes. Whoa! Wha¡­ oh¡­ I lost consciousness? he stopped his wild movements at this realization. I need to get used to being fully aware immediately after waking up, he thought sitting up. Delicate light was piercing through the bushes he set up at the entrance. He could hear some birds chirping with the first light. Ugh, what did I do, again? he thought, scratching his head. Zeph didn¡¯t know where to start to get back yesterday¡¯s notifications. After a moment of hesitation, he started for the top. Name ¡®Zeph Einar¡¯¨Coh, there it is! Shit, I need someone to teach me those things! There it was, a whole list of past notifications. After reading the first three, he was confused. Did I use my Will to manipulate Mana? I did feel kind of euphoric, but I thought it was just my feelings? Wait, what is that? I can increase my Soul contamination with Will? No way¡­ oh, Tabu, of course. Yes yes¡­ ¡°Garuan, what the hell have you done?!¡± he exclaimed loudly, looking down at his armored stomach. ¡°You little shit! If you made problems for me, I will make sure to cut you out!¡± Suddenly, his chest vibrated slightly, and he got an impression of a sad dog gaze. He paused. ¡°Did you just make a sad dog face?¡± ¡°Grrrrrrouuw,¡± his chest sang. ¡°At least I now know why they called your race Garuan¡­ Wait, how can we even communicate?!¡± Then, something moved around him. Or was it in him? He knew this feeling¡­ So he moved that unknown part in the same way.
Congratulations! [Tier 2] [Will manipulation] is now [Level 7]!
My Will? ¡°No way we are communicating through Will! The System said clearly it¡¯s quite useless, and the mind reading is impossible in normal circumstances,¡± he said, and immediately something nudged him deep inside. Isn¡¯t that¡­ Soul pain? Soul-bond?! ¡°Aaaaah¡­¡± he sighed loudly, falling to his back with arms outstretched. ¡°Why is everything happening so fast! Can I have a moment to know what is what first, please?!¡± he screamed. But nobody listened. After lying there for a moment, looking at the ceiling with empty eyes, he decided it was enough of self-pity. He sat back up. ¡°We have a lot to do¡­ hey! Why have you even given me this contamination? This isotope alloy is not stable in Mana environments,¡± he continued to talk with his stomach. His chest vibrated again, and he got an impression of smugness. Confused, he asked, ¡°you can do something with it?¡± An affirming vibration. And now I am able to differentiate between vibrations. Great, just great. Who would have thought that having a living, half-intelligent Soul-bond would be so problematic? Definitely not choosing-his-upgrades Zeph. He didn¡¯t feel like checking his General Skills. Especially the ¡®Tabu¡¯, if it even was a normal General Skill. He meditated enough yesterday and didn¡¯t even manage to go deeper into his Will Diagnostics. This shit requires a lot of time, and there is a more pressing matter. I need to get the last point in Intuition and get a Class. But I also need to check what happened to Garuan and my Willpower Perk¡­ Haaah. He started with the Perk. ¡®Mana and Will control training assist¡¯. Well, no surprises here. I wonder why it changed, though? Shouldn¡¯t it be this way from the beginning? Hmmm, in the case of General Skills I will get access to more knowledge as I progress in them, maybe this works similarly? Only affecting stuff I am familiar with? Next was his Garuan. He was unable to view its Interface, though, no matter what he tried. Stupid User Protection Policy. There was no other way than reading the notifications.
Warning! [Parasite] behavior detected! 1.39% of [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination] was consumed! Warning! Unauthorized [Soul transplantation] of 1.39% of [Instable Iron Alloy, type: ZW1] [Soul contamination] detected! [Soul-bond] confirmed, counter-measures impossible! Warning! Your [Symbiotic Parasite] is growing! [Garuan] gains new [General Skills]: [Will manipulation], [Will powered Mana Manipulation], and [Soul manipulation] from the [Knowledge Base]! [Garuan] exchanged 6,95% [Instable Iron Alloy, type: ZW1] [Soul contamination] for 6.95% [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination]. [Tabu] hidden skill added to the list of the [Garuan]. [Garuan] gains new [Trait]: [Resonating]. [Garuan] [Trait] [Sentience potential] evolved into [Lesser sentience].
Why are you showing me its new Skills if I can¡¯t see the overall list? Is it a bug? ¡°Can I send a ticket and a complaint?¡± he asked, looking up. But nobody listened. ¡°Of course.¡± He was quite curious, so before reading further, he tried to check the Soul manipulation. Immediately, censorship ruthlessly hit him in the head. Oi! Don¡¯t show me things I cannot read, you bugged fucker! he screamed internally. What is even the purpose of these notifications?! Useless shit. He spent a moment to cool down. Then, finished reading. Why is it 6,95% Soul contamination for the Garuan? It was 1,39% for me¡­ My Soul is bigger, or something? ¡­I think I need to visit the Library God. The question list is getting longer with every interaction with the Interface. He ignored the Tabu for the time being and concentrated on Resonating and Sentience. It seemed this creature was capable of strengthening his output from any resource that it also had. Resonation Mana Manipulation increase¡­ Resonation Will manipulation¡­ Will contamination. I hope it doesn¡¯t do it to take over my body at some point, that would be fucked up. The fact that it now has a 2-years-old kid awareness is not helping¡­ Or is it? Can I just ask? ¡°Hey, Garuan, what exactly are you trying to grow into?¡± he asked, even using some Will to better communicate. Not like he was able to tell if it worked. His chest started vibrating in a sing-song manner. He got an impression of impenetrable armor, supplementing its host from inside and outside. All opposition was being crushed; regeneration was¡­ Stop! Stop right now! he sent. I don¡¯t want to change into a fucking Dreadnought! You want to cooperate with me? You need to adapt! You are a separate being, my partner. We will not become one, but we will complement each other. I want you to go in that direction. As a separate entity, you can become anything you want, just remember we are partners. Confused pulses were sent as an answer. So he tried again, and again. There was no way he would allow his 2 years old kid¡­ Ahem, Symbiont to consume his body in the process of growing. He needed to steer its imagination in the right direction. He even started to send images of superheroes and anime characters that had a hidden but inseparable partner. A scene from ¡®The Twelve Kingdoms¡¯ finally got to it. No wonder, it was quite an epic depiction. He wasn¡¯t even sure when he saw the show, but that wasn¡¯t important. Yes, yes. Like that, no matter what happens, we would take care of each other. Affirming vibration. Good, good! Just don¡¯t forget! Sighing deeply, he decided it was enough for now. He mindlessly ate a bird breakfast and started playing with his Perk. It was an assistant, alright. It corrected mistakes he made while trying to manipulate his Will. Or rather, move his Will. From all I know, moving a Will should be impossible¡­ Am I OP or something? he mused while testing. He even tried some General Skills to have a context. They were just like the System messages in the mind space. A lot of information to read, but nothing beyond his level of understanding. I think I have to practically use this knowledge to get more¡­ like with moving the Will around. Anyway, how should I train my Intuition? He checked again the list of Classes. Mana Manipulation seemed like the most promising option; Intuition was present in all of them to some degree. Internal Mana Manipulation is the easiest to use without Willpower, it seems. After getting a vague confirmation from his Perk, he decided on his training regime. Breakfast finished, it was time to see what happened to Alana and Alex. Weapons and gears ready, he scanned the surroundings from behind his bushes. Nothing changed, he could see his old camp on the far left, but everything stayed as it was. He removed the bush and got to the camp. Except for birds¡¯ traces, there was nothing of notice. Again, I am surprised how peaceful is this place. I really hope I am not missing something. He shrugged. There was no point in questioning everything. He moved to the tower on the right side of the boulder. After circling it two times, he found a steep, downward entrance. The strange rock formation at the base was quite irregular, so it took some time to find it. The stones were overgrown, too, in contrast to the tower. I will need some light¡­ My dear armor, why aren¡¯t you glowing yet? he asked an unresponsive Phleya in his armor. How are you, my LED friend, he instead asked his torch. ¡­I really need someone to talk to. Give me a few weeks and I will start speaking with the trees. His LED torch worked alright. It evidently lost some battery power, but would last for a day or two. Good, I really don¡¯t have materials to make a real torch, he mused when wrapping the rope around one of the irregularly protruding rocks. No animals means no fat. If it continues, I won¡¯t be able to even make a soap¡­ I wonder if Phleya can clean my body too. Although, it seems somewhat risky and uncomfortable. After making sure the boulder wasn¡¯t moving, he got closer to the entrance. He flashed downwards but didn¡¯t see the end. At least I don¡¯t have to use the climbing equipment, that would take too much time. He slowly slid down while holding the rope. The tunnel was at around a 45-degree angle, but he soon found small recesses in a shape of a ladder. That simplified the process, it was difficult enough when the stone was this smooth. He landed in ankle-deep water. Just great. Blisters, here I come! he complained. In reality, it was just unpleasant, not harmful. Their suits weren¡¯t that bad. Probably. He scanned the whole cavern using his LED light. After five minutes, he finally found something besides the debris. Words engraved on a boulder, half-hidden under the water. It took him almost 20 minutes to position it properly and clean it. "Dear Zeph, If you are reading this, you are finally up. I and Alex wanted to be awake at the same time, and the System complied. It wanted to take our UP if we were to wait for you, though¡­" Typical. You can imagine how we reacted. According to the System message it¡¯s 1786 21 02." No way¡­ 7 years ago? I mean, I can guess why, but still¡­ We were waiting for you for almost three months now, but the Mana density is as wild as always. We fear being Mana poisoned." Yea, adapting to Mana isn¡¯t enough. Good thing I caught that before getting my upgrades. But was Mana density this wild? I am not sure¡­ Alex is kind of strange after he woke up, he doesn¡¯t want to leave you a message, but he also didn¡¯t stop me. I am not sure where we will be when you wake up. There is a path west from here. We plan to go south after descending. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. See ya soon!" Descending? Alana, you are as informative as always. I don¡¯t have half the information you have, stupid! He sighed. This message at least cheered him up. He would visit Alex¡¯s site later, even if the chances of finding anything were close to zero. He scanned the cave once again, this time checking random stuff from under the water. Nothing was left, he just sullied his gloves. Changing tactics, he checked walls once again. He found a hole in the ceiling, but it was impossible to even try to get there. How did they even get inside? I am sure as hell they didn¡¯t dig under the tower. There must be another entrance. He decided to leave it for now. Even if he found a way into the tower, he was sure it was left bare after they plundered it. He got back to his cave and concentrated on the first thing from his ¡®to-do list¡¯. He needed a Class. But before that, he needed his Intuition at 100. He created a day-to-day plan for himself. He wasn¡¯t in a rush, even if the Mana was fluctuating wildly, he had his Garuan. Besides, even Alex and Alana were able to stay here for three months. He would train for 3-5 hours per day with his Perk. He also needed some time to read his General Skills. He already knew how it worked, but looking at them in the Interface had given him a small surprise still. I need to pay that much in Mana for Tier 2? Whatever, let¡¯s check Tabu and Will contamination. He tried cursorily reading both. Tabu returned nothing. Or rather, he was absolutely unable to understand the output. Will contamination returned his memories from yesterday. He cut both of them prematurely, it was clear there was more to them, but it wasn¡¯t important right now. Instead, he decided to read Manipulation-related General Skills for around 4 hours each day. Then, he would need to take care of his basic needs. 3 hours a day for preparing water and food. Next was scouting, he would do that in the mornings. Depending on the distance, he will cut hours from what he planned previously. First were the two towers and Alex¡¯s cave, then the vicinity. Finally, he will check each major direction. He already knew that a vantage point won¡¯t be of much help, he would need to travel. The last thing was to find a suitable Class. The Wizard was in need of being visited. All in all, it was 10-12 hours per day on predictable activities, and 6 to 8 hours on scouting and Wizarding. He was sure that 6 hours of sleep would be enough for him now, seeing how he awakened from black-out today. ¡°Heh, good old discipline days.¡± ¡°Gorrrrroww!¡± his chest answered. ¡°Training is training, don¡¯t be so negative.¡± ===============================
Congratulations! You have gained 1 [Intuition]! Congratulations! [HT Intuition] [Achievement] is complete! [Perk] list updated! Congratulations! Third [Intuition] milestones achieved! You have gained access to new [Perks]!
¡°Finally!¡± he said, sighing and lying down. He was sprawled on the grass near his camp, for the last hour he was focusing on Mana Manipulation alone. It took almost two weeks, he thought. The training, predictably, didn¡¯t go as planned. He had to sacrifice his scouting and sleeping hours to even the timetable. As such, he was only able to visit the ruined city. ¡®Mana Manipulation¡¯, the mundane one, not ¡®Will-powered Mana Manipulation¡¯, was a lot harder than he thought possible. His Perk insisted it was the best way to train Intuition, except for learning advanced utility skills concerning it. Not ¡®Skills¡¯ but the lowercase skills, or techniques, or whatever one wants to call them, that were not even available for him.
Congratulations! [Tier 1] [Mana Manipulation] is now [Level 21]!
Jeeee, thanks, he thought indifferently. It was hell, but he learned one good thing about General Skills. He didn¡¯t have to use the Skills in their full capacity. He could, for example, learn from his ¡®Tier 3 Ancient Civilizations¡¯ Skill when only utilizing its Tier 1 level 1 knowledge, basically decreasing the required Mana input to 2 per second. Or cut all knowledge except for one topic. Which he had to abuse. His Mana capacity was still at 10, he had to depend on his Mana regeneration. He sighed deeply, ok, Ms. System, show me the rest. Summary please, he commanded. It was another feature he discovered, a summary of progress. There were a lot of sorting functions hidden within the Interface. Another reason to reach a civilization and get some useful knowledge. Up to now, he ignored notifications about General Skills leveling up. Each level gave him access to more knowledge, but that was it. He had to learn that knowledge himself and make practical use of it to level up the Skill again. It meant nothing; just marking his progress in the field.
Training-montage v.1.3 summary! [Corora herbarium] [T1][L1] is now [T1][L3]. (+2) [Corora lifeforms] [T1][L1] is now [T1][L2]. (+1) [Soul] [T1][L1] is now [T1][L29]. (+28) [Will] [T2][L1] is now [T2][L2]. (+1) [Will manipulation] [T2][L7] is now [T2][L9]. (+2) [Will-powered Mana Manipulation] [T2][L10] is now [T2][L13]. (+3) NEW! [Mana Manipulation] [T1][L21]. (+21)
The fact that notifications were creating some random, non-editable titles still pissed him off. ¡®Training montage¡¯ my ass! It was a fucking two weeks of non-stop training! TWO, CONTINUOUS, WEEKS! Fuck the military discipline, I want to sleep, he thought, curling up. But nobody cared. Indeed, it took much longer than he anticipated. On the plus side, it gave him time to look into the Professions. He was concentrated on getting a Class too much. A Profession also would allow him to level up, it was a little different, though. Initially, it looked like a scam. A Profession could only give 3 points, at least 2 free, which was half of what a Class could give. Moreover, it had a much smaller effect on Mana regeneration and capacity. He wasn¡¯t able to tell the exact difference, but it was big. Instead, a Profession could give him two things he needed more. He decided to protect his Soul and Will. Doing so with only Passive Enhancements? It wasn¡¯t possible. At least from what he knew. A Profession would give him additional Matrix space, much more than a Class could, as well as access to more upgrades. He wasn¡¯t able to read more into it, but decided to choose his Profession first anyway. He wanted to mix a few chosen Classes, the Profession would limit this choice, which was actually good. The number of possible Class combinations he could accept was too much. He was in a pinch, though. ¡®Bio-magi-tech engineer¡¯, ¡®Internal Soul-smith¡¯, and most importantly ¡®Shaman¡¯, he once again looked at these three choices. He stood up and started preparing dinner. This repetitive activity gave him a much-needed sense of normality. After two weeks of speaking with an alien lifeform in his guts, the Interface, and himself, he started to question his sanity. It¡¯s not like the lack of a speaking partner, an intelligent one, was that draining. He just soaked up too much new knowledge at once, was too detached from reality. Heck, he didn¡¯t even know his new reality that much. Before making life-changing decisions, he needed to relax. And so he did, observing the surroundings idly while eating. One thing was for sure, he was not going to leave this safe heaven without being ready. Back to Professions, he decided after an hour. The first two were quite self-explanatory. The third one was a surprise. It was a Profession of the same name as the Class. Its description was almost identical, too. It suited him on many levels, but had a glaring weakness. It didn¡¯t give that many upgrades, which were the staple of Professions. On the other hand, it was basically a substitute for a Class he could not afford. It also had the potential to shield his Soul, and maybe even the Will, in the future. Maybe. And this was its main problem. Would I gamble? Or go with the known? He couldn¡¯t decide. So he asked the only intelligent¡­ semi-intelligent being around. He sent his emotions to the Garuan. Yes, they could only communicate with emotions. The strange understanding between them was more of an effector of the Garuan mimicking his thought process than anything else. They could share short ¡®memories¡¯ through the Soul-bond, they could influence the Will of another in miniscule amounts. But that was the limit. And the Garuan was still quite¡­ stupid. ¡°Grwwwwiii¡± his chest answered. ¡°I know it¡¯s an unknown, but what are your instincts telling you?¡± ¡°Gru.¡± ¡­I should be the one deciding? ¡°Why¡ª¡± ¡°Gru!¡± My Intuition? No way it¡¯s working like that! ¡°Look, Parasite, you are basically a predator. What would you choose?¡± ¡°Wiiii¡­.¡± ¡°¡­ Can you use my Intuition then?¡± ¡°GRAW!¡± ¡°Ye ye, the System and its Parasite warnings. Look, just use the resonance and it should be g¡­ Oh, ok, I need to use Intuition first, then¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what he was doing even. It was one of the advanced skills the Perk told him about. And he was about to use it improperly. Let¡¯s concentrate¡­ or not, it¡¯s not really how Intuition works. Hmmm¡­ Let¡¯s imagine the best outcome? It would be¡­ He started imagining, seconds passed, then minutes¡­ Unknowingly, he immersed himself in the possibilities. ¡°Grrrrrrr¡­.¡± And the possibilities resonated with the other variable. Isn¡¯t it¡­ too much? his brain asked. It¡¯s the beginning, his Soul answered. And the vision become on%(^)$%... ¡°Aaaahhhh!¡± he screamed, pain flooding his mind. ¡°Not again!¡± he was ready to intimately meet the floor again. But it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Huh¡­¡± he looked around. ¡°H-hey Garuan, what just happened?¡± There was no longer any pain to perceive. ¡°Grrrrrrrrrr¡­.¡±
Congra#$*($#(#)$###)% Tabu] is now [Level 2]! We are sorry for inconvenience! [Resonation] process was [Interrupted]! Make sure to not allow [Direct] access to your [Passive Enhancements] by the [Soul-bond]! Scanning the [Error] ¡­ [Soul-bond] [Passive Enhancements] exchange not working! [Advanced Scan] recommended! Please visit the closest [System Shrine]!
¡°Hey¡­ Garuan¡­ aren¡¯t you the one making problems for me here?¡± he asked in the arctic tone. ¡°fruu¡­¡± came the soft pleading. ¡°If you didn¡¯t manage to read anything¡­ even after I gave you MINE Intuition to work with¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Oi! Do you want to be cut?!¡± ¡°Frrraaaaaa! Grrrrrr, grru!¡± the frantic vibrations came immediately. Indeed, the Parasite side of the Gru¡­ Ahem, Garuan, liked the ¡®Shaman¡¯. For many reasons. But the potential of this Profession seemed to be cut in half for some reason. Still better than the two others that the Garuan didn¡¯t understand. So, either way, it¡¯s a gamble in the end¡­ He meditated on it for a moment. Potential¡­ If it has potential AND my Soul-bond can understand it¡­ Haaah, be it, then.
You have chosen the [Profession] [Shaman]. Are you sure?
Ye ye, that¡¯s the one.
You have only one ch¡ª
YES!
Congratulation! You have a new [Profession]! The [Framework] will be applied during your sleep. Do you want to integrate banked [Soul fragments]?
¡°No, not yet. Show me the available Classes without the ¡®Shaman¡¯ component,¡± he said, behaving more and more like a cheap RPG player.
¡­ Possible [Mixed Classes] by choice: [Generalist] + [Internal Soul Specialist] + [Regenerator] = [Mystic Generalist] [Generalist] + [Regenerator] + [Internal Soul Specialist] = [Regenerating Ghost] [Generalist] + [Speed Shooter] + [Internal Soul Specialist] = [Mana-bender] [Generalist] + [Internal Soul Specialist] + [Speed Shooter] = [Manalogist] ¡­
He chose Generalist as a must for the Mixing. He would need all the upgrades. He checked all the possibilities one by one. Until he saw something new.
... [External Soul Specialist] + [Generalist] + [Willpower master] = [Force Generalist] ...
Why is this here, the ¡®Willpower master¡¯? What changed to the point of¡­ oh! Garuan leveled up some Skills. A shame I don¡¯t see what exactly¡­ And I just got a Profession. It changed the search results. That would mean the synergy is good, right? He read the Class. 5 points, 2 free. Two automatically invested in Intuition, which now has a multiplier of 2. One automatically invested into Willpower. All of the Generalist upgrades, plus some¡­ It¡¯s OP as fuck¡­ The only problem is with the level resets, 3 from level 7. Should I take it? It was a rhetoric question, of course he would take this one.
You have chosen the [Mixed Class] [Force Generalist]. Are you sure?
To his later dismay. Yes. Chapter 9 - A man in his peak. He will get used to it. Two towers [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.05.10 8]
Changes will be applied during your sleep. Please choose the leveling restrictions. Note 1: It is unnecessary to restrict a [Profession], as it doesn¡¯t affect [Soul contamination] in a meaningful way. Note 2: Your [Soul contamination] [Space, type: B5001] is [Uncommon]. You can freely exchange other [Soul fragments] for this type during leveling. Current exchange rate is 1 [Space, type: B5001]: 87.22 [Class 1, common]. Average exchange rate is 1 [Space, type: B5001]: 62.73 [Average from level 1-100 kills].
Well, I didn¡¯t know it worked like that, he thought, surprised. He did choose the Space contamination because of its accessibility in nature, but he never did the math for how leveling up worked. Obviously. This will speed up things slightly. I just need to keep this contamination above 5% until Garuan adapts to it and gets his own contamination above 5%. It should be self-sustaining from that point, if I understand correctly. I expected to have a long period without leveling at all, but it doesn¡¯t seem that bad anymore. After a moment, he decided to first spend his Universal Points in hope of speeding the process even further.
The [Exchange] is currently unavailable. Please visit the closest [System Shrine].
¡°Da fuck? Oi! System! You modified my body in many strange ways just two weeks ago, how come you suddenly are this impotent?¡± he asked the skies. Cricket-like noises were his answer. ¡°This is unreasonable¡­ I will have to leave this place sooner than I thought. This blocks half of my Class utility¡­¡± He agreed to set his leveling restrictions. Firstly, his Profession would get 25% of Soul fragments, it was the most he could choose. Next, he selected his Space contamination to be kept at 5.2%, exchanging the Soul fragments when necessary. Then he set the priority of fragments, ¡®race¡¯ being the least important. He gave the Garuan the level-proportional amount of Soul fragments, with the same Space type as a priority.
Current [Class] leveling speed reduced by an average factor of 114. Around 4,23% of [Soul fragments] will be exchanged for [Universal Points]. Are you sure you want to proceed?
He confirmed. I don¡¯t have a choice, he thought, hoping for better times to come quickly. I will at least have time to train my Will and Memory, but the chances of getting the achievements are miniscule. If it took two weeks to get one Intuition¡­ Yea, I am not going to sit here for years. He decided it was enough for now. The changes would take place tomorrow anyway. I will take a bath and just go to sleep. He didn¡¯t have any soap, nor basin, so the only thing he could do was to perfunctorily clean his body with water and bandage scrap. After preparing some food, he went back into the cave. His sleeping conditions got better. Instead of smooth stone, he now could sleep on a pile of dead vegetation. It guaranteed less cramps the next morning. It was still early afternoon, but he hadn¡¯t slept much in the last two weeks. He was in dreamland the moment he relaxed. =============================== The sun was shining brightly through the bush. The singing of insects and birds could be clearly heard. He woke up much later than anticipated. As always, fully aware from the start. ¡°I feel like shit,¡± he declared, looking at the ceiling. ¡°No more training regime of this kind.¡± ¡°Grrrraau!¡± ¡°Ye ye, you told me,¡± he sat up. ¡°Time to see what changed, I suppose.¡± He could not wait to examine his new Interface. It was basically an accumulation of all the hard work he has done. Planning, testing, training¡­ Accidentally experimenting. Gathering Soul fragments. It better be worth it! he thought, opening his Interface. It was, finally, coming along. My Mana capacity is directly related to the physical stats. Should I spend all of them there? he marveled at his progress, ignoring the level percentage altogether. I would like to have the next Willpower Perk as soon as possible, but the road to 100 is long¡­ I just need another 16 to get an Energy Enhancement, though, assuming it works the same as Intuition. But what would that even give me? Intuition Enhancement was handy because of Garuan, but I don¡¯t really need to increase my social abilities right now¡­ It took a while, but he decided to increase his physical stats. What he needed right now was survivability and Mana capacity. His Class and Profession weren¡¯t useful for that at all, at least from the Passive Enhancement perspective. Two to Power, one to Flex and Regeneration¡­ done. A strange feeling passed through him. Something was changing, but his senses got confused for a moment. When he caught himself, he was halfway to the floor. The slight vertigo continued for a moment, until he acclimated to it. The sounds from outside were slowed down like a badly edited song. He could move normally, but soon he realized it wasn¡¯t normal at all. Oh shit¡­ this is intense¡­ I have never felt so much energy in my muscles¡­ It took a while for him to process the changes and fully adapt to them. He was thinking faster, he was moving faster. He calculated the Doppler effect of the sounds by estimating the difference in tones made by cricket-like insects. He knew this sound very well, after weeks spent here. Around 20%? I perceive faster, too? Holy shit, if it continues like that, I will be able to break the sound barrier with Power at 100¡­ Immediately, something told him it wasn¡¯t going to work that way. He blinked a few times. This hunch was strong enough to feel like a guaranteed outcome¡­ was that my Intuition? ¡°Gaaarrrrow,¡± his chest sang. ¡°So, it was my Intuition. But it didn¡¯t change that much at all?¡± ¡°Grraaazzzz.¡± ¡°Class?¡± he thought and started to analyze. A framework was applied to his Soul. A framework of a Class depending on Intuition and Willpower. ¡°It became more relevant?¡± He looked at his Interface again. My Mana capacity is still the same? What a failure, I really need to check the Interface in detail, at some point. Doing math in my mind isn¡¯t pleasant, though. ¡°Hey, Garuan, what can you see, exactly?¡± It was evident that his Soul-bond was able to perceive something. Stupid as it was, its Soul-related skills were probably as strong as his Will powered ones. It even managed unauthorized Soul transplantation when having zero self-awareness, after all. The image he got was unfocused and complex. But he was able to understand some parts. Magnifying structures were placed around¡­ something that worked like Soul¡¯s senses? They were powered directly by the Mana produced by the Soul¡­ He got a headache right after seeing that. This ¡®image¡¯ was too much for him. Mind you, it was just a short Soul memory. He had a feeling that playing with Souls without the System supervision was quite dangerous. Example in this case.
Congratulations! [Soul] [T1][L39] is now [T1][L41]! (+12) Warning! [Interface] [General Skill] was added to your list. [Tabu] is now [Level 3].
Warning? Let¡¯s see¡­ OH! Oh no¡­ I understand now. Tabu and Interface are Skills monitoring me in case I cause some errors. The System is all about reliability, it¡¯s trying to compensate¡­ That¡¯s why I was unable to read anything from Tabu! Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Yo, Garuan, I think you are definitely causing problems for me here,¡± he declared. Or I am totally mistaken and delusional. ¡°Gru?¡± ¡°Yes, I am not angry. It actually can help us. Be it my imagination, or a real thing¡­ we are able to proceed on a new path from the beginning. From level 1, thanks to you.¡± Garuan didn¡¯t understand much of it, but it was happy. It helped its bearer, after all. ¡°I will find a way to abuse it. Every system has holes, and I am a specialist in finding them! Good job, Garuan!¡± Pleased, low vibrations lasting minutes were his answer. He didn¡¯t mind, it was actually quite relaxing. Similar to having a few purring cats on yourself. It was finally time to check where he was exactly. ¡®Descend¡¯, Alana wrote. Time to plan how to get out of here, even if I don¡¯t depart immediately. I want the Garuan to get his Soul contamination before that. It would be mightily inconvenient to be level-blocked in a hazardous environment. Next, he scanned the list of available Skill Matrices. It¡¯s bad¡­ he thought while looking at the activation costs. With Mana capacity at 10, the only reasonable choices were the cheapest options. Cantrips basically. Well, we all need to start somewhere. He spent the rest of the day checking the lists and doing chores. His Class paid some dividends right away, the list of Skill Matrices was ten times longer than for his Profession. He found three exceptions to the steep activation costs, and he took them all. His Soul contamination drastically decreased the required Mana. All of them took 2 of the Matrix space, but were at least useful. The first was a ¡®Primitive life detection¡¯ Skill. Normally, it took 20 Mana to activate, but thanks to his Space contamination, the cost decreased to 9 Mana. The minus was that any living creature will feel it, basically informing them they were found. It also wasn¡¯t able to penetrate fluids or solid matter. The second, ¡®Lesser metabolic enhancement¡¯ was good for faster healing and getting more Power. It basically multiplied his Power by 1.1, giving him a 2% overall boost. Yes, it was 10% of Power boost, but with Power at 2, it amounted to just 2% overall strength. The cost was decreased from 7 Mana/s to only 2.32 Mana/s, surprisingly also using Mana produced by his Space contamination. It was more related to the life than he expected. The most important part ¨C it influenced all of his symbiotic organisms, too, and he could have it active at all times. The last one was from his Profession. ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ was basically useless. He needed to concentrate for a long period of time to build the construct, channeling his regenerating Mana until it reached around 1000, before releasing the Spell. Yes, it was a Spell, a true Spell. From what he understood, it would force Ambient Mana in the vicinity to transform into light, visually showing him the ¡®elemental¡¯ composition for one second. It was magically loud, quite useless, prone to not even working in high Mana density, and time-consuming. But it used his Will contamination and allowed him to learn. It was the ONLY Spell he could take, he needed to start from somewhere. Learning how to cast that manually would be the first step, he also hoped to learn more about his Will contamination. Besides that, he took a cantrip. There was one for cleaning himself, but it wasn¡¯t accurate at all. He would need to get naked, make sure to close his mouth and nose, and channel for a minute. It worked like a scrapping tool basically, just more precise. He would rather just take a bath in unclean water. Instead, he decided to learn some more magic, so he took a heating Spell. It was weak, but he was intimate with the thermodynamics and hoped to abuse that in his learning process. He checked it already, but the Mana he was producing, high as it was, was leaking into the atmosphere immediately. Try as he might, it was impossible to use it without Ambient Mana Channeling, which immediately was giving him over-Mana and activated Garuan¡¯s instinctual reaction of taking it away. There was no possibility of compromise with the Garuan, it wasn¡¯t able to control the reaction, not to mention that with his Mana capacity he was getting Mana poisoned status with the smallest amounts. He feared long-term damage to his body if he were to get poisoned for hours every day. Civilization, he needed civilization! He decided it was another exploit, though. If he managed to train himself in Ambient Mana Channeling to the point of regulating the input, he could theoretically have his Garuan in the constant Mana-gathering state. He didn¡¯t really understand what ¡®crystallize Mana¡¯ meant, even after reading into it, but was informed that Garuan would tell him if something was needed. After he used up all of his Matrix space, a new notification popped up.
You can change the [Skill Matrices] at any moment, but you will need to prove your mastery to set them at their previous [Level] again. Your [Matrix space] will not rise until you finish all required [Level resets] of your [Class]!
Shit, he summarized. It¡¯s 18 levels! I think I made a mistake¡­ But what was done, was done. Thus, the second training session started, but this time he decided to keep a healthy approach. =============================== The next day, first thing in the morning, he tried doing the math. A thing only a full clarity of mind and creeping uncertainty could persuade you to do. He wasn¡¯t able to get the exact info from his Interface and General Skills, though. So, he sent some questions about his leveling to the Interface and tried to estimate from the average values he got back. It was dismal. His leveling speed was dismal. If he didn¡¯t want to spend the next 10 years getting his level resets, AFTER getting rid of the ¡®penalty¡¯ caused by the Soul contamination problem, he needed to change his tactics. ¡°Garuan, I think I am in deep shit.¡± ¡°Gru?¡± ¡°I should have done the math in the mental space¡­ I never predicted it would be that bad. If we don¡¯t find some insectoid nest, or something like that, I will stay on this level for years¡­¡± ¡°GRU!¡± ¡°No way! Hives give less Soul fragments?! How do you even know that?! My god¡­ gods, should I change my Class right now?! It¡¯s beyond my comprehension, this leveling speed¡­¡± ¡°Grrraa!¡± ¡°I know it will come naturally with time, and that I will live so much longer, but it¡¯s 10 years to just get my Class to a true level one. 10 years¡­ If I calculated it properly¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t agree with that. No, he wasn¡¯t going to agree with that! ¡°You are a Soul specialist, Gru. There has to be another way! You were able to transplant a fragment of a Soul into me. You can See my Soul. Don¡¯t you have any ideas?¡± ¡°grrrrrr¡­¡± the soft vibrations started. After a few seconds, Zeph was quite sure his Garuan was consulting the Interface. He sighed deeply, ¡°I really hope it won¡¯t end with me spending years on the Class¡­ I am not feeling ready to go into the unknown wilds at all. Speaking of it¡­¡± he looked at his arsenal. His guns were delegated to the ¡®extreme cases¡¯, he most probably won¡¯t be able to refill the ammunition. His knives and crossbow were somewhat lackluster for an eventual melee fight. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to get a new weapon.¡± He decided to make himself a spear and a few javelins. Maybe even an atlatl. Both were quite an easy affair. Find a sturdy branch, use the knife, and the weapon is ready. He spent the rest of the day making them and preparing new rations, Garuan was unresponsive through all of that. He made the spear to be a little better. Instead of just sharpening the end, he split it and fastened a double-edged knife using flexible bark and sap. It was a primitive weapon, really, but the steel tip would make a difference. He used one of his three throwing knives, a suggestion from Alex for which he was very thankful right now. He could, of course, make a stone tip for his spear, but that would be a long process. The Garuan was still quietly vibrating inside his chest, so he decided to just go to sleep. Tomorrow he will start scouting the major directions. It was time to get more information about the surroundings. =============================== ¡°Ridiculous¡­¡± he whispered, looking ahead. ¡°This is completely ridiculous¡­¡± He was scouting right now. He has gone west, as Alana suggested. Around the town¡¯s ruins, seemingly endless grasslands were unfolding. The forest to the south was the only landmark here. The terrain was almost perfectly flat. It was an idyllic scene, but for some reason, he felt uneasy. He started to understand why after jogging for 5 hours. The closer he got, the more confusion he felt. The ground ended suddenly, dark clouds taking its place a few hundred meters below. The cliff was almost vertical, composed of black rock. He was on a mountain, similar to a few others he could see in the distance. All of them had flattened tops, all of the same height. It looked almost like a deed of some titan who had cut off the mountaintops. The clouds below looked stormy, he even could see a sporadic flash of lightning. It was truly a ridiculous view. He spent long minutes trying to comprehend how it was even possible. Not only the shapes of these mountains, but the lush vegetation, the weather, the¡­ everything. Nothing reminded him of any mountainous terrain he knew of. He wasn¡¯t sure how high he was, maybe the clouds were actually a fog. A lightning fog¡­ yea, for sure¡­ If those mountains are only 1 or 2 kilometers high, why can¡¯t I see any land? This doesn¡¯t make any sense. He found no answers, though. After getting a hold of himself, he resumed his search of the mountain pass. It seemed like he would spend his whole day on this scouting mission. Even the fact that he managed to get here in just 5 hours was a small miracle. Because of the restoration sequence and his new physical attributes, he was able to keep up a fast jog for the whole time. It was around 50 kilometers to the cliffside, he just got an average marathon time without even draining himself, which spoke volumes of how much the System was helping. He was using the ¡®Metabolic enhancement¡¯ all the time, of course. He was, sadly, unable to learn anything from it during the jog. He wasn¡¯t able to see Mana, his internal perception was as hazy as his pressure sense. He would need to experimentally learn how it worked, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to do this in the wilderness, without any equipment. He could get used to the feeling all he wanted, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as learning to move a new muscle. Not at all. On the plus side, he also noticed why it was called a ¡®Metabolic enhancement¡¯. He was sure Power didn¡¯t help with muscle soreness, he even checked that in the Interface. Healing is one thing, but with this, I can just train all I want, he thought, moving leisurely alongside the cliff. My muscles were keeping the maximal output for the whole jog, this sure is an incredible upgrade. A stamina cheat, basically. If he was to spend the whole day on scouting, he could as well do it thoroughly. He was looking for traces of any animals, especially birds. Some species liked to nest on the cliffs, and he now knew how much carnage he needed to do to level up. He found nothing until the pass showed itself. Are those¡­ bear tracks? It sure looks like bear tracks¡­ He hesitated. Should I risk it? I have my guns with me¡­ He contemplated for a moment. From what he understood, the level disparity wasn¡¯t a deciding factor below level 100. On the other hand, he was basically a spellcaster without any offensive spells. He placed his spear and a small backpack on the ground and took out one of his pistols. I will need to get through here either way, better to know the enemy, he thought slowly stalking ahead. The pass was a work of an intelligent race, for sure. Natural ledges were carved into long steps and connected together with an unnaturally smooth stone. He could see a good distance ahead. The steps had a width of at least 3 meters and weren¡¯t steep., but the lack of handrails gave him chills either way. He was moving slowly, making minimal noise and looking for tracks. After half an hour, he spotted a cave. It was big, around 2 times higher than him and wider still. He paused. Besides a very distant, constant hum of thunder, it was quiet. He stepped near the cave to see slightly inside of the entrance at an angle. Traces of old blood, bones, and scat indicating the inhabitant was alive and active. He reevaluated his position again. It was one thing to shoot at an enemy on the stone stairs, it was another to do that in the cave. He started to step back. It would be easier to set some traps instead, I should¡ª He wasn¡¯t able to finish his thought. With a roar, something heavy charged at him from the cave, he immediately threw himself against the cliff wall. The beast was fast, digging its claws in the stone to change directions on the ledge. Zeph fired in the general direction of its head, but wasn¡¯t able to react to the extremely fast paw sweep. He rolled down the steps, almost losing his gun in the process. The beast was on him before he even managed to stop, its claws cutting deep into his left shoulder. The armor on his abdomen managed to stop the other paw, barely, but he lost his breath. The Garuan stopped vibrating and something moved, the animal stopped in its tracks. Zeph didn¡¯t wait and put a gun to its head with his right hand. Two shots later, and he now had a few hundred kilograms of meat crushing him. His broken ribs made it that much more painful.
You have killed [Giant Talpa ¨C lvl 49]. You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 2 [Universal Points]!
Shit! he summarized while slowly scrambling from under the beast. I am bleeding too much! Why did I think it was a good idea, again? He was in a bad shape. His left arm was unresponsive, his ribs wreaking havoc inside his chest. He looked at his shoulder after slowly sitting up. ¡°Huh! What¡­ is that?¡± a green substance was slowly covering his wound; the bleeding was stopping before his very eyes. Then, his ribs moved. He screamed, leaning to the ground and curling up. He spasmed a few times from the pain, then it stopped. ¡°Gru¡­ what did you do?¡± ¡°Grrrraah.¡±
Warning! [Parasite] behavior detected! [Garuan] is consuming your blood! Safety measurements active! Do you want to disable the [Garuan]?
No, he thought. It was controlling the intensity of his internal bleeding, evidently using his blood as a food source, but that was beside the point. The Garuan set up his ribs and stabilized the structure of his lungs. It was spending a lot of resources to do that. But he just realized how deeply it was integrated with his body, it basically had ¡®roots¡¯ inside his whole torso. That is not alarming at all¡­ he sarcastically thought. I just need to get used to it. Chapter 10 - Of a lapse, judgement, and the path taken. Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.05.13 11] If this is a Talpa, then I am a goblin, he thought looking at the body. Its limbs were extremely long for an animal of its size. Indeed, it reminded him of a black bear. Just with a rat¡¯s snout, longer limbs, and larger claws. Gross! Firstly, he tried to check if his artery wasn¡¯t damaged, but his blood was already clotted under a layer of green Phleya. He ignored it for now. There was one waiting notification about Garuan, but he ignored it, too. With some problems, he stood up. He looked around and found another Talpa a good 50 meters downstairs. It wasn¡¯t looking at him, though, just sniffing around. Bad eyesight, noted, he thought while silently moving back. He was happy to have a primitive camouflage in the form of his black armor; it was blending in with the rock. But no wonder it¡¯s here, we made so much noise. I must get out of here before something else comes. He was afraid to go directly by the cave entrance, but there was no other way. He walked crouching, ready to jump at a moment¡¯s notice. The weapon was in his right hand, at the ready. His wounded arm was hampering him, but the pain was strangely dulled. He suspected the adrenaline. Nothing attacked him this time, but he could hear distant scraping noises, giving him chills. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t sound like anything was rushing to the entrance. They don¡¯t hurry, probably thinking I am dead, especially after my screaming. If those things are intelligent enough to think, anyway. After he got some distance, nervously looking over his shoulder, he sped up his ascend. I miscalculated. Badly, he thought, again looking back. In the case of Fissure worlds, we depended on our ¡®Mana invisibility¡¯. We also used Mana scanners for a few past years. I got used to it to the point that I treated this case almost like a normal hazard on Earth. I forgot about the Mana detection ability of these animals! Short-range as it is, it¡¯s still a basic of the basics! We have gained dangerous habits. I even assumed it was a solitary hunter, similar to a bear, he analyzed to keep his mind occupied. He wasn¡¯t in danger of panicking, but his fight-or-flight instinct was messing with his judgment. For many reasons, he shouldn¡¯t run, not yet. ¡°Grrrra?¡± his chest vibrated, but he wasn¡¯t paying attention, straining his senses in search of a possible pursuit, and thinking. They are herd animals, with a sentry near the entrance to the burrow, or nest, he summarized. There was nothing for them to hunt on the plateau, a reason Zeph didn¡¯t find more traces. Instead of sleeping, hunting somewhere in the caves or lower mountainside, or relaxing, as a good solitary hunter should, it was guarding its pack. He once again looked back, the cave already disappeared behind a cliff wall, he stopped and listened for a moment. Then started to jog, as fast as he could without hurting his shoulder more, which wasn¡¯t fast at all. I don¡¯t believe they can feel tremors from this distance, even if they share their sensibility with a real Talpa. But I am almost certain their sense of smell is very strong. They can follow me easily. I need to hurry. And I will need to better assess my¡ª ¡°GRRRA?!¡± his chest vibrated almost violently, breaking his focus. ¡°Huh¡­ Sorry, Gru. Yes, I am good¡­ Mostly. I was just trying to get my mind in order,¡± he silently answered. ¡°GRA!¡± his chest sang victoriously. ¡°Um¡­ you found what?¡± he asked confused. ¡°Grrreru!¡± it answered, somewhat irritated. ¡°Oh, O¡±¡ªhe stopped himself from exclaiming and lowered his voice again¡ª¡°ahem. Forgive me, but I almost forgot, you were out of it for almost two days. And, you know, the whole life-and-death situation just happened.¡± ¡°Gru?¡± ¡°Yes, two. Well, not exactly, more like one and a half. Anyway, how did you manage to wake up in time and even try it?¡± he was confused slightly. ¡°Graaaaraaarr,¡± it sent as somewhat complicated vibrations. ¡°Good to know you can discern when I am in danger, but I don¡¯t really understand what you mean by ¡®the occasion¡¯. We can talk about it later, right now isn¡¯t the best time,¡± he said. ¡°Grum,¡± it confirmed. The way up took only a few minutes, now that he was moving fast. He still checked the back before every major turn of the oversized stairs, but nothing chased him. On the way, he tried to devise any plan to minimalize his scent trace but came up empty. He decided to go directly to the towers. At the plains, he should be able to see if something followed him. At least during the day. With the speed he could muster now, he was sure to not make it back before the night. His spear was helping him slightly in balancing during a slow jog. After moving at least 10 km from the pass and making sure nothing followed him, he resumed the talk with Garuan and finally checked the notification.
[Garuan] gains new [General Skills]: [Will-powered Soul manipulation] and [Will-powered Soul perception] from the [Knowledge Base]!
It took some time to understand what it wanted to communicate, but thanks to reading on the topic in the mental space, he was able to decipher it. The Garuan, of course, understood it more instinctively, but the source of its knowledge was the same, so Zeph could empathize the reasoning. Almost all Soul-wounded entities scatter some additional Soul fragments when dying. For the Will-depletion Soul wounds caused by traumatic experiences, the System was managing these additional fragments. They were released because they were not wanted by the Soul, basically giving a bonus Soul fragments to the killer. But as for Will-depletion wounds caused by internal struggle? The ¡®positive changes¡¯, as he called them? Those fragments were something a departing Soul wants to impregnate into the cause of the ¡®positive change¡¯. The Garuan tried to explain why it doesn¡¯t work in most cases, but it was over his head. What he did understand was the fact that the System was allowing those fragments to naturally dissipate into normal ones, before gathering them. For itself. So, I can become a sadist, breaking the minds and depleting the Wills of my enemies before killing them. I can also allow Garuan to gather the ¡®positive¡¯ fragments. The first option sounds like the exact reason to get a Skill like the Tabu. Though, the second one isn¡¯t that far behind. That makes me curious¡­ ¡°Um, Gru, how high is your Tabu Skill?¡± ¡°Grrrreewwi,¡± it answered, a little impatient because of the interruption. ¡°F-fifty?!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You know¡­ Tabu doesn¡¯t sound like a Skill we want to level up. Are you sure this is safe?¡± ¡°Graaa!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for that. Please continue,¡± he said embarrassedly. It was, indeed, dangerous. The first method wasn¡¯t something the Garuan wanted to even try. There was a variation of that idea it tried, though. It was in the middle of reading the information about Will when it felt Zeph was in danger and awakened from its meditation. Gru already had a good idea of what to try, so it immediately attacked the beast¡¯s Soul, using its Soul manipulation in concert with Will. Gru tried to pry a fragment of the Soul out of it. The results were¡­ very confusing for Zeph. He was unable to even start trying to understand. But Gru got 20 levels of Tabu for it, which was ridiculous, and felt very drained. Something potentially very dangerous happened back then. The second method should be safe. Gru used it on the fleeing Soul fragment after the animal died, and it worked. Gru was able to consume it without problems and share the spoils. But Zeph wasn¡¯t so sure, so he asked some more questions. It was a long debate. He even risked and allowed the Garuan to send him Soul memories, to be able to understand.
Congratulations! [Soul] [T1][L41] is now [T1][L44]! (+3) [Interface] is now [Level 3]. (+2)
The headache didn¡¯t show up in the same intensity as before, thankfully. After analyzing everything, his standing theory was that it worked only because of Gru. It didn¡¯t understand most parts of the ¡®positive¡¯ Soul fragment, effectively filtering all emotions and memories recorded in it. Probably something similar to what the System was doing before assigning Soul fragments. In the end, they decided to use the second method. Gru would be the catch-master, but Zeph also wanted to, at least, learn the Skills. Even if it will cause his Tabu to rise again, he at least would be able to read related information from his Interface. Gru was almighty pleased with taking a role of a teacher. The constant vibrations were intense, but to Zeph¡¯s surprise helped with the pain in his shoulder. They arrived at the towers around midnight, according to Zeph¡¯s estimations. He was spent and hungry like never before. He ate some rations on the way, but it wasn¡¯t even close to satiating him. He evaluated his options. It was impossible for him to search for a better hiding spot except for the ruined houses. He would like to check the towers for another entrance, but it was night. If the pack was nocturnal, which was a very probable outcome seeing as they lived in the caves, they could get here before dawn by tracking his scent. He had no idea if they would, or even if this was possible. How long a scent can even linger on a surface? My armor is scentless, and my bleeding stopped long ago. But I am still worried¡­ In the end, he decided on a simple solution. Firstly, he ate his fill, which exhausted most of his prepared rations. Then, he checked his arm. It was better now, but he could only barely move it. After taking off his armor¡¯s arm, keeping it on his lap as he still didn¡¯t know how far the Phleya could be from him, he saw an ugly dark violet around the shoulder and on his biceps. Only white, dry flecks were left from the Phleya that covered his wound¡¯s scab. Either sinew or muscle damage¡­ Maybe even neural, he concluded. I only have some Medic and human anatomy knowledge¡­ There is no way I can do anything with it, it¡¯s a work for a surgeon, he lamented. He cleaned the wound as best as he could with clean water, but that was the extent of what he dared to do. If only any herbs were growing here¡­ ¡°Grrru,¡± it consoled him. ¡°Thanks, I really hope so. But one in Regeneration isn¡¯t that much, and it will take a while to get to the next level. Recovering will take time,¡± he answered. ¡°Gruuaaa,¡± it guaranteed. ¡°Really? Yea, you can grow some more. It¡¯s only helpful¡­¡± he paused for a moment, remembering one important detail. ¡°Just remember we are partners. We are not to become one, understand?!¡± ¡°Graa, Graa.¡± He could feel its eyes rolling. Too many eyes¡­ ¡°Haaah, whatever. Thanks, anyway. Let¡¯s prepare to sleep,¡± he said, securing his armor again. He set up a dry bush in the entrance to his boulder from outside, then went to his camp nearby. Not far from it a plant called Greenhound, according to his herbarium, was growing. They had a strong scent, similar to mint but more spicy. He got there and picked up a few to scrub on his armor, especially the boots. He then went in the direction of a hiding spot he scouted a week earlier, picking up more of the plants along the way. The spot was inside a ruined house without a roof. A large tree was growing around it, its roots a few meters high above the ground. He used a half-destroyed wall to move between them, moving to a spot with many tight escape routes. The plants, he left between the roots at regular intervals in hopes of masking his own scent. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Laying his weapons close, he chose the softest stone block in the vicinity and immediately fell asleep. =============================== The next day welcomed him with a vivid pain in his shoulder and abdomen. He wasn¡¯t able to keep the ¡®Lesser metabolic enhancement¡¯ when sleeping, so new areas of his body screamed with a newfound vigor about unequal and rough treatment. ¡°I feel like shit,¡± he commented. ¡°Gru,¡± came a tired vibration. ¡°I know I said that not long ago. Anyway, good morning to you, too. Seems like we are accomplices in the suffering,¡± he answered. ¡°Gaaaa.¡± ¡°Ye ye, less speaking, more hunting.¡± There was much to do that day. Firstly, Zeph scouted the vicinity for any traces of Talpa. ¡°Oi, System,¡± he spoke, from the sheer boredom of this exercise. ¡°How could you even translate that thing as Talpa? Wouldn¡¯t a Bearat, or something like that, be more appropriate? Seriously, it¡¯s just in a bad taste.¡± ¡°Gre¡­¡± ¡°What? No! Of course, I would read the animal description before assuming anything!¡± ¡°Gra?¡± ¡°I-I did it with¡­ with¡­ Okay, you win,¡± he sighed. He assumed a lot of things because they were named the ¡®Talpa¡¯, not because he was reading about it from his Skill and notifications. There was a lot to improve on, indeed. There were no traces of any big animal, not to mention the Talpa¡¯s. He wondered if he should just continue like always, but he didn¡¯t feel safe on the ground anymore. He decided to spend the next two days in the ruined houses, just to be sure, then to find a better spot to sleep in. On that note, he finally scouted the towers for another entrance. He found something that could be an entrance on the Alex¡¯s side, but it was quite high up. He had only one working arm, it would be a chore, to say the least. He decided to leave the relocation for another, better day. Better for his arm, that is. That reminded him, that a makeshift splint would surely help his recovery. Good thing he still had bandages. Next, he concentrated on refilling his food supplies. He already knew that increased ¡®stats¡¯ were responsible for his increased hunger, but only after yesterday¡¯s events he fully understood the scope of the changes. Running for half a day, getting seriously wounded, losing blood, faster metabolism¡­ All of that needs to be fueled. And I was blind to it, he berated himself, again. Hunting with a crossbow with only one good hand was not the easiest thing, but doable. It was just slow. Butchering and preparing the game was even slower. Getting water was, well, impossible. His water condenser was working, of course, but he could forget about a soup, bath, or scalding the birds. Unable to do much physically, he decided to concentrate on the mental and mystical parts of his arsenal. It was too late today to do anything of the essence, but he made himself a list of goals, engraved on a big piece of tree bark: ¡°MAIN GOAL: Solve problems pertaining to fighting the Talpa: Indeed, he planned to fight the Talpa. He didn¡¯t want to be surrounded on the pass. Also, he was positive they were hunting or feeding in the caves. Probably even expanding the tunnels themselves, so it was very probable for the tunnels to go all the way down, beyond the cloud line. He really didn¡¯t want to try trespassing the storm clouds on foot. ¡°SOLUTIONS: OTHER GOALS¡­¡± ¡­Shit, now I made two typos, he complained a moment later, taking another piece of bark from the pile near the fireplace to engrave the ¡®final, final version 3¡¯. It wasn¡¯t that easy to set all goals, and in the correct order, from the beginning. ¡°Grrrra,¡± a slightly bored vibration came. ¡°It will irritate me to the sanity end if I will have to look every day at those typos. Bear with it.¡± =============================== The day had come, three weeks later, when Zeph the Mage was born. Or, at least, he started to understand what he was doing. He was seating cross-legged near his boulder, palms up, eyes shut. Above his right hand, the Heat Spell from the Matrix was manifesting, which he was observing using a combination of his Greater Willpower and inflated Intuition. He was slowing the process as much as he could. Above his left palm, a similar Mana construct was forming, his Will-powered Mana Manipulation trivializing his attempts at externally manipulating his Mana. Mana easily followed his orders, but he needed to be fast. Even if the construct only had one component, only one function, the 3D shape was very complex. There were no runes, no hexagrams, not even straight lines. The flowing shapes reminded him more of a simplified structure of proteins, irregular and full of different spirals and folds. After almost ten seconds, and for the first time, both Spells manifested successfully, spreading ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana from his palms. The Mana started dissolving in the air, heating it in the process.
Congratulations! [Will-powered Mana Manipulation] is now [T2][L39]! Congratulations! [Mana Perception] is now [T1][L61]! Congratulations! [Class Skill] [Heat Spell] is now [T0][L50]! New data derived from the learning process. [Soul fragments] awarded!
¡°YES!¡± he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air, then did a double take at the last line. ¡°DOUBLE YES!¡± ¡°Grau!¡± ¡°Thanks, Gru! Hahahaha,¡± he laughed, standing up and doing a silly dance. ¡°I finally made it work! It won¡¯t be long, now! Haha¡­¡± After he finally learned how to properly ¡®use¡¯ his Passive Enhancements, many unknowns became clear. He had to experiment with what he managed to read from the Interface. Because it seemed to be common knowledge, neither Perk nor Skill provided this information directly. Gru was a godsend, though. His new General Skill, Mana perception, was similar to Mana manipulation. It was a direct use of his Soul and Will through the Passive Enhancements. It was in the domain of external Mana manipulation, which was a reason he didn¡¯t manage to get the perception Skill earlier, concentrated as he was on internal Mana manipulation. Willpower was used to externally manipulate and sense Mana, while Intuition enhanced this usage and overall perception. After he discovered it, he understood how much of an advantage his strange Will was giving him. He could use it directly, creating Will-powered techniques to enhance normal methods. For Mana manipulation, Willpower was used in a normal circumstances. It was a somehow degraded version of Will, but he wasn¡¯t yet sure what was the exact difference between the two. On the other hand, internal Mana manipulation has become a bitter topic. Because he used his Source Net to funnel Mana through his body, he was seriously handicapped. Not because it was unable to do its work properly, but because its effectiveness was diminished by 60%, as it was built from improper materials. He learned that it was also the main reason for his bad perceptibility towards the Mana inside his body, and was causing problems with internal manipulation. To add salt to the wound, Flexibility was greatly responsible for internal manipulation, for some incomprehensible reason. ¡°Just a few more cantrips and I can try to see what the ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ is about! Modifying it should be possible, it¡¯s a low-tier spell. Maybe even ¡®Life detection¡¯ can be changed,¡± he excitedly monologued to himself. Cantrips were perfect to learn from. It was hard to even call them Spells, they were more like the most basic components of any Spell, the Mana to ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana converters with minimal modifications to make them usable as is. ¡°Then, it will be time to prepare for the departure. The most important parts are coming along,¡±, he continued, remembering his successful training with Gru. He moved away from his boulder, now a kind of workshop. It was time for dinner, so he climbed the rope to Alex¡¯s tower and sat on his feather pillow, the ex-backpack. It was getting dark, especially within this corridor without windows, but he could see enough thanks to the luminescence of Phleya. The light was coming from behind some of the armor¡¯s plates. His armor started glowing, as the System has said. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to light up the room, but it was enough for him to see what he was doing. While eating, he decided to, once more, look at the notifications showing off Gru¡¯s teaching talents.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Will-powered Soul perception] from the [Knowledge Base]! [Tabu] is now [Level 8].
Tabu was an unfortunate side effect, but he now had a second detection method beside the Mana perception. It had a longer range, and drastically strengthened Mana perception when he used both at the same time. He was almost able to distinct ambient ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana near his skin. Sadly, perceiving Mana other than his own was hard. His Mana was connected to his Soul, or Will, or both, somehow. Or rather, it was in sync. Still, he was able to distinguish huge conglomerations of foreign Mana from far enough.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Will-powered Soul manipulation] from the [Knowledge Base]! [Tabu] is now [Level 15].
Warning! Unauthorized [Soul manipulation] causes insanity and premature death in 99,997% of the cases!
This one was useless. Using it in any way was like risking a limb. He had a long discussion with Gru about the dangers after he got it, but the Garuan instinctively knew all of that already. It was, indeed, a Soul specialist, with understanding on a level way beyond Zeph¡¯s. The skill allowed him to recreate the stun effect, though. Gru managed that first and taught him, with the patience of a growling saint.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Will-powered Soul whack] from the [Knowledge Base]!
It didn¡¯t even increase the Tabu. The principle was simple, he just needed to use Will-powered Soul manipulation through his Will manipulation to make a short, but intense, contact with another Soul. The important part was ¡®short¡¯. Some kind of reaction would take place if he didn¡¯t disengage almost immediately. It was a kind of feedback, or maybe a ¡®duel of Wills¡¯, or something like that. He wasn¡¯t sure, but Gru confirmed it was damaging for both sides. Now full and satisfied by looking at his progress, he got out of the tower to his workshop. There, on a primitive table, his goal list was lying. Now it became a pile of bark fragments, as he made more detailed plans every other day, but the old general list, a summary, was what he took. After checking it, he made a cross in two places to mark his progress, then looked at it again. ¡°MAIN GOAL: Solve problems pertaining to fighting the Bearats: SOLUTIONS: OTHER GOALS: Satisfied with his progress, he went back out and waited, relaxing for some time while watching the picturesque sunset above the ancient town alongside his companion. The yellows and reds painted the vivid vegetation in a myriad of colors, each plant reflecting a slightly different shade. As always, when the evening came and the stars populated the sky, he started his observations of how the ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ was working. ¡°Graau,¡± it reminded him. ¡°Ye ye, give me a moment,¡± he answered and started to concentrate on his Will and Soul, trying to use the Ambient Mana channeling with just the right intensity, and to simultaneously give Gru safe access to Soul memory of what he was doing. And so, the two continued their, almost leisure, training. Chapter 11 - A summary. Prepare for Interferenance! Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.03 1793.09.26] Somewhere, in uncharted lands, a primitive man was sitting in a cave. Crude tools cluttered the vicinity, a telling of at least rudimentary intelligence. His body naked, not even a loincloth could be seen. His body well-built, but filthy. His dark brown, almost black hair, greasy. Most of his face was hidden under bushy facial hair, only his silver eyes standing out as something distinctive. The eyes he could see staring back from the strange contraption he was holding with his left hand. A clear pool frozen in time, reflecting everything around it with impossible clarity. Then he looked to his right hand. A lusterless, dark-silver triangular object, flat as a leaf. At least, that was how Zeph felt right now. After living for four months the life of Robinson Crusoe, he developed a deep respect for the man. Zeph was preparing to shave, using his small mirror and a throwing knife. His shoulders-long hair was tied in a low ponytail to accommodate his helmet. He was sure that any attempts at shortening them with a knife would end up as a horrendous parody of a haircut. A small, primitive water basin was near him. After getting his facial hair in order, he planned to clean himself as best as possible. He managed to create a basic soap, using ashes from his fireplace and plant oils. Extracting the oils was a pain, though. He was in the middle of shaving, so he almost cut himself when a System modification showed up suddenly. ¡°Jezus! Be more careful, System!¡± he exclaimed before checking the contents.
[System Weather Service]: Emergency Alert! [Mana surge] is closing on to the [Area]. All organisms below [Standard level 210], or unable to withstand equivalent [Mana density], should evacuate from the [Plateau Areas] before the event begins. Time estimation for the event beginning: 14d, 14h.
Oh, this is something new, he thought, looking suspiciously at the notification. I almost feel the whiff of civilization from it. But I better remember to ask about it, too. The System giving free information? There is no way. ¡°Looks like we have to speed up the timetable a little, buddy. Those wild Mana fluctuations here weren¡¯t just a hearsay,¡± he said into the air. ¡°Gru,¡± an affirming vibration answered. He finished cleaning himself and put his armor on. He now knew how far away his armor could be, but not only that. Three months ago, he changed his Willpower Perk, ¡®Mana and Will control training assist¡¯, to a Perk from his Intuition Achievement, a better version of Intuition¡¯s first and second Perks that he got at 10 and 100 Intuition respectively. ¡®Precise Soul and Mana perception training assist¡¯ allowed him to finally understand how and why Mana-related skills worked. First of all, he made a clear distinction between his Mana and external Mana, both of ¡®non-elemental¡¯ kind, calling them Mana-Z and Mana-O respectively. Next, he decided to spare himself some sanity, and call the ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana groups by giving them prefixes. He was naturally producing three types right now, thanks to the Soul contamination. Will-Mana, Space-Mana, and a new addition, the Alloy-Mana. The new Soul contamination formed naturally, as his Source Net was built from that alloy and was now a part of his body, thus changing his Soul. He also decided to refer to all ¡®elemental¡¯ Mana types as E-Mana. This distinction was very important. Mana-Z was produced by his Soul, thus the two were linked in such a way, that his Soul could tell what was happening to the Mana. Mana-Z interacted with Mana-O, losing the connection to his Soul but returning information. Mana-O and Mana-Z interacted with matter, changing into E-Mana-O. How and why ¡®non-elemental¡¯ Mana was changing into, for example, Water-Mana in the well, he had no idea. But because matter interacted with Mana, it also worked like an isolator to a degree. Air, being a gas, seemed to have a very small effect on Mana, though. Now, how could he perceive Mana? Well, he couldn¡¯t perceive Mana-O directly. He had to touch it with Mana-Z for his Soul to tell, or rather ¡®feel¡¯, what was around. Almost like by a touch. So, how do you do it? The Mana-Z he over-regenerated, the one dissolving into the surrounding atmosphere, was creating a ¡®bubble¡¯ around him. It wasn¡¯t a linear, regular ¡®bubble¡¯, though, there was no defined ¡®range¡¯. It all depended on the relative density of Mana-Z in the vicinity, which was decreasing with the distance, and changed shape when he moved or stayed in a wind. Even humidity was a factor here. The less Mana-Z was in a place, the more hazy and weak the ¡®feel¡¯ was, because less and less was returned to his Soul through the connection. So, the two most important factors defining his perception range were his Mana-Z regeneration speed and Mana-O density in the area. But that was not all to the perception. To make it simple - had he a Soul contamination of an ¡®Earth group¡¯, assuming it existed, he would have a much better range of perception in the ground, because the matter would not change Earth-Mana-Z again into Earth-Mana. Or, at least, would interact with it on a much smaller scale. With his meager Mana regeneration and quite high Mana density around, he started training in his cave, spending most of his time inside to populate the place with Mana-Z. But the ¡®bubble¡¯ defined so much more than just his Mana perception. The range of his Soul-link, the distance of an effective Spell construction, the effective range of Willpower and Will usage, effects of Ambient Mana channeling. I was very lucky for choosing Phleya for my armor. Thanks to the Mana-resistant material, it can survive longer without being in a Mana-Z bubble. Half a day, at least. Especially because my current effective range is only one meter or so, he thought while exiting the cave. He stopped outside for a moment and concentrated. He used his Will to interact with Will-Mana-Z around him, spending it to strengthen the manipulation of Mana-Z and creating a vortex around his body, close to the skin. The movement sucked in Mana-O, and the whole stream flowed through his body. He easily set the rate of Ambient Mana channeling by increasing the range of the vortex. Then he prepared his crossbow. The Will was still a mystery to him. Soul was responsible for moving Mana internally, he just needed to flex it a little. Which was a funny thought, seeing as Flexibility was responsible for that, too. Will was responsible for interacting with Mana externally, where his Soul couldn¡¯t reach. But normally, it was doing that in a very roundabout way, through the Soul Enhancement - the Willpower. Will was¡­ should be intangible. So, most probably, the Soul was responsible for the energy required for the external manipulation, while Will was responsible for directing it. It reminded him of information theory. Our Ego, theoretically, was just an information construct produced by our brain, it was intangible in a similar way, or maybe even the same way, but was the reason for so much ingenuity, for most of the decisions we ever made. Will seemed to be similar, but going beyond being a simple effect of brain functionality. It was the most basic question, ¡®how does Will interact with Mana?¡¯ The only way he could think of, even if it was doing it together with the Soul, was by changing the informational state of Mana. In other words, by influencing an analogue of atomic-scale probability, changing purely entropic behavior into self-organizing behavior. Like our bodies do with the matter, self-organizing it into a working organism. Only, it didn¡¯t make much sense to him. Good thing then, that his Will was able to interact energetically with Mana and Soul. It was much more tangible. ¡®Spontaneous¡¯ creation of Will-Mana was the direct effect of such interaction, and it further strengthened his control. He now knew, it was impossible to move his Will. What he had been feeling up to now when manipulating his Will was a movement of Mana and Will-Mana, maybe even the creation of it. The Will-powered Mana manipulation was what he felt. He could not sense his Will in any way, he could only manipulate it to do something and notice the physical effects. That¡¯s why Will-powered Mana perception didn¡¯t exist. It was confusing. He formed a Will-Mana into a thin tentacle surrounded by what was left of his Mana-Z in the air. He moved the 10 meters long ¡®limb¡¯ quickly through the air before him, using it almost like insects use their feelers, to scan surrounding Mana. It dissolved after a few seconds, but he managed to sense a higher density of Mana-O coming from the right. Animals¡¯ Mana perception was working exactly the same, there was a ''bubble'' of their own Mana around them. If he got too close, they would sense him. But at the same time, Mana-O density in the vicinity was inflated. It lingered in the air like a cloud of smoke. He was unable to differentiate between sources of Mana-O. Only when enough of his Mana touched the body directly, he could guess what it was. He would have named the Mana belonging to other organisms as Mana-X, but it was unperceivable for him, so there was no sense in doing so. He left it in the Mana-O group. Either way, he was able to trace the increased relative density of Mana-O that the animals left behind. If it wasn¡¯t windy. For tracing and detection purposes, it was a method even better than Soul perception. Ambient Mana channeling made sure his trace would disappear in seconds. He even managed to use it as a rudimentary ¡®Mana stealth¡¯, decreasing the effective detection range of animals when coming into contact with their Mana. It wasn¡¯t good enough to get a Skill for it, though. He stepped into the overgrown town, using the feeler every now and then. The birds learned that the tower area was dangerous, so he had to devise better hunting methods to reduce the time spent. The traces would last maybe for a minute, so the game should be close. It would be much easier if he wasn¡¯t tracking birds. After 10 minutes of meandering, he finally heard some chirping. He got to work. After getting 10 birds, he decided it was enough for today and returned to the camp. It didn¡¯t take much time to prepare the meat. His metal utensils were the same, but an addition of a board, a table, primitive bowls, and other tools sped up the process significantly. He also learned which plants were edible. Feeding only on meat wasn¡¯t healthy, even if the Garuan helped him with digesting. After he finished his meal and smoked the rest of the meat, he cleaned everything and went to the cave. He set the wet feathers on the table to dry and took yesterday¡¯s batch. Using something only slightly resembling mortar and pestle, he was rubbing them until fibers came apart. The final product resembled cotton wool. Then he took two fresh, long leaves of a certain reed plant from a pile and started to interlace them to create a small hollow ball, maybe 5 centimeters in diameter. Before closing it, he filled it with the feathers¡¯ fibers. He capped the opening from inside with a dried, cut-off piece of a certain mushroom that was minimally bigger than the opening itself. The protruding parts of leaves were tied above the fungi, and the rest cut off. He set the smoke/smell bomb aside to dry. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°This will be¡­ 834th, I don¡¯t think I will be able to take much more into the backpack. This will be the last batch,¡± he said, looking at the wet feathers, then at his pillow. ¡°What a waste¡­ would it even be worth it to take them all? I could just compress them while they are wet, hmm¡­¡± ¡°Gruu,¡± it advised. ¡°I would rather not eat feathers. I don¡¯t even know in what circumstances that could be my only choice. Besides, wouldn¡¯t that be nutritious mostly for you?¡± ¡°Grara¡­¡± ¡°Ye ye, we never know¡­ Whatever, my inner scrooge won¡¯t allow me to just leave them,¡± he answered, standing up. ¡°But I plan to move a day after tomorrow¡­ it will be ¡®hard nights¡¯, again,¡± he mumbled while preparing a bowl to wet all the feathers. His ¡®Corora lifeforms¡¯ wasn¡¯t the only Skill Zeph abused in the last months. Thanks to his herbarium, he was able to find flora that produced the most intense and irritating smell when burned. He tested each plant and the feathers on the Talpa. Indeed, he scouted them a few times. Book knowledge was one thing, life tests were a must. The smoke/smell bombs he finally developed were terrifyingly effective, but not so bad for him. On that occasion, he even managed to observe Talpa behavior a little from the plateau ridge. The steps weren¡¯t steep, so after finding a good spot on a ridge above them, he was able to see the pass. It was maybe 70 meters below him. After almost a day of waiting, he was lucky enough to observe a conflict between two Talpa. The pass was more of a territorial hazard for them than something to be used to travel. He decided to try a few more times, and he saw at least one fight each day. The conflicts were quite frequent. After he placed a heavy, flat stone on the wet feathers, he stretched a little and took a seat on the ever-so-comfortable rock. ¡°I became soft,¡± he lamented while reaching for the ¡®goal board¡¯. ¡°But let¡¯s concentrate, it¡¯s time to revise our progress, Gru,¡± he said. ¡°Grrrrrrrra!¡± his chest growled. ¡°Ha! I also can¡¯t wait to show them who is an apex predator here,¡± he answered, laughing. He opened his Interface. After months of using it, he found a few ¡®hidden¡¯ properties, like General Skills grouping and ¡®changes report¡¯. He thought for a moment about using the report option, but the changes were massive enough to render it useless. ¡°Look at that, my Will contamination raised again! Now, I am almost sure it¡¯s linked to how much Will-Mana I am producing by using Will-powered skills, and consequently how much I accumulate in my body,¡± he declared. ¡°Gru!¡± resounded the affirming vibration. Thanks to Gru¡¯s Soul gathering method, I even managed to level up. But it¡¯s as slow as I have thought. At least my Mana capacity finally started to rise, he thought. It defined which Skill Matrices he could use, but nothing more. His regeneration filled him again in less than half a second, and manually constructed Spells didn¡¯t consume his internal Mana supply. I will need more in the near future, though, and every bit of Power is welcome. I suppose, my priorities for spending points are clear, for now, he thought, analyzing the main page and planning for the future. ¡°A shame I didn¡¯t have much time to train Greater Willpower, only 5 trained points¡­ Better than nothing, I suppose,¡± he said out loud. ¡°Grur,¡± it shrugged. ¡°I am sure it will be necessary in the future. Besides, it increases my Mana regeneration,¡± he argued. ¡°Growww,¡± his chest vibrated indifferently. ¡°I am not so sure. With the speed it is going, my training will have more impact than my Class. Anyway, let¡¯s prepare Matrices accordingly,¡± he decided, changing the Skills to battle-ready ones. He changed the set-up of the Interface a little. It would be bad if he made the mistake of choosing a Skill with unworkable parameters, so he added the necessary details. The Matrix Skills had their restrictions. He couldn¡¯t control the output that much, and modifying them in any way was impossible. But they were fast. At least two times faster than what he could do manually. On the topic of Mana cost, he finally managed to calculate how much energy 1 Mana represents. If his math was correct, it was around 50 Joules, but the value fluctuated depending on the Spell. He guessed it was the same old problem of efficiency of the process and of energy loss. Not long after he started the new training regime, along with the first fully mastered cantrip, an interesting message showed up. He checked it once more to make sure he remembered correctly.
Congratulations! You have mastered a [Class Skill] [Heat] [Tier 0]! You can choose to transform it into an [Energy Enhancement] or a [Passive Class Skill]. [Heat] [Spell] related [Class Skill Matrices] have been unlocked!
Both options required 1 Matrix slot, so he ignored them for the time being. He wasn¡¯t sure what either would do, even after trying to read into the message. But the second part was a nice surprise. He could, of course, unlock new Matrices by re-inventing Spells, which oftentimes gave him even better benefits because of the ¡®new data from the learning process¡¯. But now he had access to a whole tree of related Spells. He planned to check it as soon as his Mana capacity would allow. Besides the notification, a new part of the Interface became accessible. He still didn¡¯t manage to create a purely offensive Spell, but he read enough about Bearats from his General Skill to know that it wasn¡¯t necessary either way. He now had an arsenal of Spells and techniques that would give him a gigantic advantage, as long as he wasn¡¯t swarmed. Most importantly, because those were manually cast Spells, he didn¡¯t have to rely on his Mana capacity. Until a Matrix Skill was a channeling type, they always required him to have enough Mana capacity to activate. Truthfully, though, he was unable to tell the difference between a Spell and a Skill. Some of them required additional resources, like Soul-related ones, but all of them used Mana constructs in one way, or another. The only distinction between Skills, that he could make, was internal and external usage. After mastering a handful of useful cantrips, he tried to put them together into one Spell, sometimes using structures he learned from his more advanced Spells. For example, the Space lens produced a Space-Mana-Z and moved it in a vortex, creating an effect of a barely noticeable magnifying glass. He modified the structure responsible for moving Mana to shape it more like a cone. Then he added Heat cantrip, thus creating a jet of hot air at the cone¡¯s tip. This was enough to unlock ¡®Lesser Ignite¡¯ and he immediately changed Matrices and studied the System version. It was much more optimized, to his delight. The tier 1 Spells were much tougher. Like ¡®Primitive Life detection¡¯. It sent a wave of Space-Mana-Z, making use of its secondary compatibility with the life, to allow his Soul to register living organisms in the vicinity. Inevitably informing them of his presence. He optimized it by taking parts of ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ responsible for interaction with the ambient Mana. It did that by utilizing Will-Mana or Space-Mana of a different type, a Space2-Mana. Now, instead of interacting with the body of an animal, it interacted mostly with Mana-O connected to a living organism, or rather, with Mana-X. The change was enough for animals to ignore the signal. Most of the new Spells were quite straightforward, like creating Flash from ¡®Mana highlight¡¯. But there were three interesting ones. The first was the ¡®Lesser Life ward¡¯. Not because of what it did, but how. It was ¡®Partially Self-Sustaining¡¯. He used parts of ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ responsible for sustaining it to create a Spell that worked as long, as it was in a Mana-Z bubble of a certain density. It auto-fed itself. He could construct the Spell before going to sleep, and it would work all night. Thus, he trained himself to wake up when a jolt in his Soul, the Spell¡¯s feedback, showed up. Gru¡¯s help was necessary for it to work, of course, vibrations were waking him up for a good week until his organism remembered how to react. The second was the ¡®Lesser Telekinesis¡¯. Burning Mana to apply a directed force to an object was absolutely above his head, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was even possible. But transferring energy was another thing. He used the same trick with the Space-Mana vortex to create a tunnel and filled it with Force-Mana the Scrubbing cantrip produced. It wasn¡¯t really a Force-Mana, but he didn¡¯t have a better name for it. The Spell worked a little like a sand-paper made from the omnidirectional force, so he decided it was as good a name as any. He funneled it into the tunnel, and the construct worked like a hydraulic pipe. When he physically pushed on one side, the force was transferred to the other one. It was very inefficient and had a maximum range of 2 meters, but he was happy nonetheless. He could do a weak punch one meter ahead of his fist, it was worth it. The last one was ¡®Primitive Enchanting¡¯. If he managed to create a Mana construct inside a solid matter, and kept it there long enough, for a short amount of time the material could keep the shape in place. Normally, Mana constructs were prone to dissolve if moved, but with this, the Spell moved with the material. The more he moved the object, the faster the Spell would fail. By applying the self-sustaining construct to the Spell, he didn¡¯t have to interact with the object anymore. Of course, using Heat on his spear tip was not only useless and inefficient, but also could damage the knife. Harden Spell was another story. By using ¡®Lesser Grinding¡¯, he could make the knife as sharp as a scalpel. Then he could use ¡®Lesser Harden¡¯ to keep the edge intact for longer. ¡°It was so much hard work, but for some reason, I don¡¯t feel fed-up at all,¡± he said, looking with pride at the list. ¡°Gru!¡± ¡°Ha! Thanks, I definitely like magic. I am also glad I took the Shaman as a Profession. The new Spells unlocked quite a lot of other Skills in it,¡± he said with a smile. Next, he quickly scanned his General Skill list. The Physical Actions group wasn¡¯t anything special. It was the same as Knowledge Skills, just categorized differently. Or I am missing something, he thought soberly. But it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t have to read the Skills to level them up, just get better and learn more about a topic they feature. I can only pay for Tier 1 level 30 knowledge reading¡­ What a pain. The only interesting part was about Level 50 of Tier 2 Skills. General Skills unlocked certain things after getting to that level. In the case of Will and Will-powered Mana Manipulation, he got a surprise from the System.
Conditions met! [General Skill] unlocked new [Advanced properties]! Congratulations! You used your Will enough for us to create basic statistics for it.
¡°And now I know my limits,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Grara¡­¡± his chest answered, unsure. The first part showed how much Mana he could influence in total before his Will drops to the lower depletion state. Those were statistics, so the states were just the most important, or the most characteristic, points. Especially regeneration and time values. They were here only to showcase these points; they didn¡¯t change in stages. His Will was also replenishing at all times, so even if he had 500 Mana-Z in the air, he shouldn¡¯t be able to deplete his Will. But the important message was received. Never go beyond the Critical depletion state. He suspected that getting Soul Skills to Tier 2 Level 50 would unlock some statistics pertaining to the range of Mana-Z bubble and Soul perception, or something like that. It was a long way, though. He was lucky to get Will Skills at Tier 2 from the beginning. ¡°The rest should be without change,¡± he said, quickly scanning the contents. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why my Soul fragmentation isn¡¯t decreasing, though. I am getting Soul fragments, after all¡­¡± ¡°Garau,¡± it answered, as uncertain as him. ¡°My Universal Points didn¡¯t change that much either,¡± he said, looking at the panel. ¡°Eh, whatever. The million I got from a new Skill creation is more than enough for now,¡± he declared. ¡°GRU!¡± it vibrated excitedly. ¡°Ye ye, we will have a shopping spree as soon as we find this System Shrine, or whatever. Maybe we will even manage to fix the problem with showing our Interfaces to each other. The System did say something about ¡®Passive Enhancements exchange not working¡¯, after all. Communicating all the details by speaking is a real burden,¡± he commented. ¡°Gru, Gru,¡± it agreed, giving an image of closed eyes and a nod. ¡°But you sure got a lot of Points. Being responsible for three Skill creations will do that, I suppose. You little Soul prodigy,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Gurururu¡­¡± sounded the pleased, but a little embarrassed, vibration. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so shy, you earned it.¡± His Soul-bond was becoming quite cute. ¡°But enough of it, we are as ready as we could be. Let¡¯s start preparing to move the camp!¡± ¡°GRU!¡± Chapter 12 - To save your skin, you need oil, fire, and water. A lot of water. Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.07 1793.09.30] It took him two days to prepare everything for transportation, and two more to transport everything to the site. For the camp, he chose a place on the ridge with a view of the pass. He was still able to see the pass exit, almost a kilometer to the south, so he should have ample time to react in case of an attack. He used a primitive wooden sled made from branches to transport heavier tools and quite a weight of firewood. The first thing he needed to do, before even trying to go into the caves, was to make himself some clothes. His armor was glowing, he needed to cover it or risk being visible at all times. To that effect, he prepared a wooden rack to stretch skins, crude cords made from flexible bark, and a number of wooden tools for the occasion. He built himself a shelter by pounding sharpened sticks into the ground and stretching his waterproof fabric between them to make a roof. For the walls, he used smaller sticks. The roof was at an angle, to funnel the rainwater into a basin at the back. He stacked firewood along the walls to have better isolation and to stabilize the construct. It never rained for long on this mountain, so he was sure the wood won¡¯t get soaked to the point of being useless. The shelter wasn¡¯t big enough to lie down straight, but he planned to sleep while sitting either way. He still was waking up fully aware, and this position was better for self-defense. He placed a wide stump stripped of bark into the shelter to keep it dry, then arranged his tools inside. Next, he assembled a huge wooden frame made from four double-Y-shaped branches. After adding some branches at the back to keep it vertical, a primitive wooden rack was ready. Seven big wooden basins were placed around the hut. Each was carved from a single piece of wood. He prepared a standard stone circle for a fireplace, but then he assembled a huge wooden tripod above it. He set another one, higher than him even, to the side of the hut. The wooden sled, the water condenser, and a few logs were placed behind the camp. When the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon, he stepped back a little to admire his work. ¡°This looks more like the beginning of a settlement than a temporary camp,¡± he commented, satisfied. ¡°Grrrrruuu¡±, whined the Garuan. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so negative! You just need to develop other means to see,¡± he consoled it. ¡°Or you can buy an eye for yourself from the Exchange. The Biological Implants and Upgrades sections were quite vast. You even have your ¡®roots¡¯ around my head, I wouldn¡¯t say no to a third eye.¡± ¡°Graar?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Yea, that¡¯s a good question. Well, I am sure the System prepared some way of exchanging unlocked items from the Exchange. It would be stifling for the society, otherwise,¡± he said with fake confidence. ¡°Gra,¡± it answered cynically. ¡°Haaah, yea. Sorry, I sometimes forget we are not exactly just talking. Look, we will find a way. Even if it doesn¡¯t work like that, we have options. Starting with mine upgrades,¡± he said, this time quite sure it was true. ¡°Gru!¡± it agreed this time. Overusing Soul-memory by showing the visuals was quite dangerous, so they banned it. Their Tabu and Interface Skills were already high enough. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late, so let¡¯s finish this up. I don¡¯t think it will be raining anytime soon,¡± He said, looking at the cloudless sky. The strange thing about the weather here was that the clouds traveled at many different altitudes, and the type of rain depended on the altitude itself. From small, white clouds at a low altitude, a warm summer rain would fall. The higher the altitude, the colder would be the rain, but also less intense. He even once witnessed a hail, but even if the dark clouds were enormous, only a wet sludge made it to the plateau. Only the dark clouds below the mountains stayed unmoved, almost like a part of the landscape itself. Before going to sleep, he started using the ¡®Condense water¡¯ Spell above one of the basins. He would need a lot of water in the coming days. =============================== The next morning has come, this time silent without the birds¡¯ songs. His body was quite stiff from sleeping in the sitting position on the hard ground, so before anything else, he did some basic exercises and stretches. Feeling better, he started preparing breakfast. ¡°Morning, Gru,¡± he said absentmindedly to his companion, feeling as it came out of the meditation. ¡°Grrra,¡± it greeted him. ¡°You sure are lucky, to only have to sleep for three hours,¡± he commented. ¡°Anything interesting?¡± ¡°Gre,¡± came the negative vibration. ¡°A shame, I hope we will find some answers soon. This is quite restricting.¡± Gru was also producing his own ¡®cloud of Mana¡¯. It needed to get it outside through the Source Net, as its ¡®roots¡¯ near his skin weren¡¯t able to funnel everything out, even if it concentrated on the action. But that wasn¡¯t a problem by itself. The problem was, Gru produced much less Mana than Zeph. Without an option to separate their Mana, Gru¡¯s Mana perception was diluted by the overwhelming Mana-Z to the point of it being unable to use it at all. So it also couldn¡¯t construct Spells. It theoretically could use Matrix Skills, but Gru¡¯s Mana capacity was an effective zero. Or a theoretical infinity, when taking into account its ability to ¡®crystallize¡¯ Mana. It didn¡¯t matter, every scrap of Mana that stayed in its body had its use, there was no capacity it could use. If not for the System Passive Enhancements, Gru wouldn¡¯t even have Mana regeneration to form a Mana bubble. It was a parasite. It was understandable. Releasing Mana into a host¡¯s body could have deadly consequences for both sides, so it was not built for that. But it was a waste. All that Mana that Gru was taking in should be somewhere, but was inaccessible instead. Zeph was unable to read into the ¡®Ancient Civilizations¡¯ deep enough. As a result, both of them didn¡¯t have any idea of what was happening with the capacity and the ¡®crystallization¡¯. ¡°But enough of that! We are not trained to work together magically either way. It¡¯s good enough that you can use Soul techniques, and stun anything near me. We have more serious things to do today,¡± he declared. Today was the day of hunting their first Talpa. The last one was killed, evidently, but definitely not hunted. Zeph loaded the ¡®special packages¡¯ on the sled, squishy things wrapped in big leaves. Then he prepared his weapons and a small backpack, determination in his eyes and in the slow vibrations in his chest. He couldn¡¯t see any Talpa from the ridge, so he started moving to the pass. The early sun was reflecting from the countless blades of grass, painting a mesmerizing view on the flat plains and motivating him even more. He needed to get out of here. He unloaded the packages at the entrance to the pass and lifted the sled. The vibrations from moving it on the rock could potentially compromise him. Then, he started a slow descent. He stopped from time to time to listen. The Talpa fights were loud, but he wanted to make sure to stay away from them. After almost 20 minutes, he finally came close to the familiar cave entrance. He stopped a good 30 meters away and started his preparations. He placed the sled on the ground and knelt down. He moved the spearhead closer to his body and started the process of Enchanting it with the Harden Spell enclosed in the Self-Sustaining construct. Five minutes later, the enchantment was ready. He took out two smoke/smell bombs and slowly moved closer, scanning the air with a feeler and starting the ¡®stealth¡¯ mode of the Ambient Mana channeling. Stopping 10 meters before the cave, he started to construct the ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯ Spell. After 5 seconds, it finally fired, and immediately after, Zeph frowned. No Life-Mana near the cave? He thought. No, let¡¯s use the old designation, the ¡®Mana-X¡¯, it¡¯s misleading otherwise. Anyway, something¡¯s wrong. Semantic problems aside, he had a decision to make. The accumulated Mana in the burrow should be leaking outside. Its absence should mean the Bearats were dead, but as with any unexpected situations, he couldn¡¯t be sure. What would I do for one drone, dammit! he thought while moving closer. He used the feeler again, bending it to check the inside. It still returned nothing. What the actual fuck? In the end, he had to take some risks. He placed the bombs back in the backpack and took out his pistol, then moved near to the entrance. He glanced inside, almost like a Hollywood movie character, just holding a spear in the other hand instead of keeping his pistol in both hands. And was totally surprised. A cave-in? No, wait¡­ He constructed the Space-Mana cone, filled it with the Ambient Mana channeling vortex using Will-Mana, and placed the ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ in a simplified version at the tip. A Flashlight illuminated the ceiling after a moment. I need to find a better name for the channeling, what a mouthful! Most of the created light had the same vector as the moving Mana, thus creating a light cone. The optimized System version was actually more complicated because it didn¡¯t make use of the Will-Mana readily accessible to him. Yep, they fucking blocked the entrance intentionally. I wonder if the System message warned them. Or is it just their instincts? Well, nothing to do here, he decided and moved to the next cave, setting everything in the same manner. Oi! If every cave is closed, I will have to go into the storm clouds! Don¡¯t do this to me, dudes! I was preparing for you for fucking four months! Why are you even opening those caves, if you need to close them again every half a year?! Aaaah¡­ I need to calm down, whatever the reason, these are just animals, he thought, breathing deeply and sobering up. The third cave was accessible, luckily for his sanity. He felt the Mana-O with his feeler and confirmed it with the ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯. Ok, time to hunt. ¡°Gru?¡± he whispered, almost imitating his Soul-bond. ¡°Grmmmm,¡± answered the soft vibrations. Good, he thought while moving closer. He stopped a meter before the entrance, hugging the wall to evade the Mana-X. The name was actually useful. Then, he started to construct the Telekinesis Spell. He placed the smoke/smell ball on one end, using enough force with his finger on the other side to make it float, then slowly moved the construct. He needed to compensate for the movement, but he trained with it enough to not make a mistake. He slowly placed the bomb on the ground before the cave, just in the range of Mana-O coming from inside, and started pumping more Mana-Z into the place through the connection, shaping it into a parody of a small animal. At the same time, he prepared to throw the second ball. The primitive shape was enough to make the Bearat interested. He couldn¡¯t feel if it prepared to pounce, but once it did, he was ready. With a low grunt, the Bearat charged at the bomb. The moment Zeph heard its heavy steps, he used the Matrix version of ¡®Lesser Ignite¡¯ on the fungi cap. The first bomb ignited almost instantly, thanks to the strange fungi being extremely flammable when dry, the dry leaves around only sped up the process. After a second, it basically exploded into the face of the pouncing beast. It took a long second for the confused Bearat to register the pungent smell, enough time to ignite the second bomb and throw it behind it, into the cave entrance. When it started to retch and turned around to run, Zeph fired another Matrix Spell and moved. The Second bomb exploded just inside the entrance, and not even half a second later a Flash appeared just before the Bearat¡¯s face. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Stripped of its senses, and with a smell barrier ahead, the Bearat tried to stop his dash. The momentum carried it for a meter, and then Zeph struck from behind. The disturbingly long limbs were its weak point. Zeph attacked in one fluid motion, and the razor-sharp spearhead slashed through the tendons behind both knees of its back legs. The Bearat was down, but now knew where its opponent was. Or so it thought. It flexed its body to the back, sweeping its front paw with all the power it could, but Zeph was already at its side and out of reach. Gru Soul-whacked it, while Zeph thrust his spear into its neck, basically cutting through. He made a small mistake by stepping forward along with the thrust. The attack made the Bearat shake off the stun. It reacted almost immediately, swiping in his general direction and clipping his leg. The attack was too weak to really harm him, but he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. He didn¡¯t let go of his spear, though, and the movement wrenched the Bearat¡¯s head at a strange angle, making it claw weakly at the spear shaft instead. Zeph quickly retracted the spear and rolled away in the same motion. Standing up, he prepared for another thrust, but the animal had already fallen to the ground, only moving slightly. Oxygen deprivation of the brain seems to be setting a little quicker¡­ I need to remember this side effect of PE. Shouldn¡¯t it be slower, though? he thought, thrusting the spear into its brain from below its jaw. It spasmed a few times, then stopped moving.
You have killed [Giant Talpa ¨C lvl 53]. You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 1 [Universal Point]!
Easy! he thought victoriously. He quickly moved the body to the sled and started jogging back up with it behind. The lingering smell of bombs should hold the pack for a time, but it won¡¯t last long. The blood trail he was leaving behind would guide them straight to his camp. Assuming they would follow. He stopped at the pass exit and opened two of the ¡®special packages¡¯. He threw one of the featherless dead birds down the steps and placed the second one near the entrance to the pass. Then, he continued straight into the camp. It took him maybe 15 minutes to get back. He looked at the pass from above, the Bearats still weren¡¯t present. Good, It should keep them away for another half an hour, at least. He tied the front limbs of the Bearat to its body and strapped a rope around its ankles. Then he moved the sled under the big tripod he prepared beforehand and flipped the rope through its tip. He swore, trying to pull up the body, but after a few minutes, it was dangling upside down. He quickly set his metal canteen under it. The neck wound he did was big enough to dry the animal out of blood, so he just waited. I didn¡¯t take that into account¡­ Well, a razor-sharp spearhead will do that, I suppose. He waited for a minute for the canteen to fill while checking the pass below. The Bearats were trying to move out of the cave, but the pungent smell still made them reconsider. They couldn¡¯t do much without their sense, either way. But he was almost out of time. He changed the canteen for a wooden basin and closed it. The half-filled pot was placed on the sled and Zeph sped up in the direction of the pass. When he got there, he immediately started to unpack the dead birds, wetting them in the Talpa¡¯s blood before throwing them in random directions. Then he started to circle in the vicinity with the open canteen on the sled. It was lying at an angle, spilling blood everywhere. After making a few half circles, he sped up in the direction of the towers, left a few birds there, and circled to his right, to make it to the pass from an opposing direction to his camp. It sounds like a lot of time, but he managed it in around 15 minutes, with the last 10 minutes spent away from the pass entrance. When coming from the south, he was wary, but no Bearats made it to the plateau yet. They were still struggling, probably. He moved along the widest half-circle to not leave more traces, then closed his canteen and lifted the sled. He did a big circle to enter his camp from the back. After setting the sled, he started observing the pass from above, and was surprised. The Bearats evidently wanted to hunt him, three of them were checking the vicinity, but none of them moved in the direction of the pass entrance. Good for me, let¡¯s hope the lure works. There were many uncertain parts in his plan, but with the smoke bombs, he was sure to at least be able to escape if the worst come to the worst. Instead of wasting time, he decided to prepare his first hunted animal. One could think it would just increase the smell of blood and lure the Bearats to the camp. That wasn¡¯t a bad assumption. Only, Zeph was on a ridge above the pass those animals tried to travel. He got rid of all the insides by throwing them directly at the pass from above, then used the blood to make a few more circles around the pass entrance. The Bearats, it seemed, weren¡¯t in a hurry to go to the plateau. After skinning the animal, he placed the fresh skin in the water. Then, he started roasting all the meat he could, throwing away unnecessary parts. He was at all times wary, but nothing attacked him just yet. It seems they really are nocturnal, he thought. It seems the night will be quite interesting. He grinned deviously. =============================== In the middle of the night, a high-pitched scream resounded. But the mayhem in the distance only started. Zeph was awake, he could stay a night or two without sleep, and for sure wasn¡¯t going to risk it. He was smiling right now, the screams a music to his ears.
You have killed [Giant Talpa ¨C lvl 51]. You have earned [Soul fragments]!
Sadly, they were too far away for Gru to get more Soul fragments. These fungi really are something else, he thought and started reminiscing. He found a few strange plants during his scouting time in the town. Every time he found something new, he consulted his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯. It saved his life more than a few times.
You have killed [Giant Talpa ¨C lvl 54]. You have earned [Soul fragments]!
In that time, he had found three special mushrooms. Or rather, he had found a few colonies of mushrooms, but all of them were dead, except a single specimen in three colonies. How they even got there, he couldn¡¯t tell. Perhaps due to some past events, but they really shouldn¡¯t be able to grow there in the first place. Those three mushrooms¡ª
You have killed [Giant Talpa ¨C lvl 52]. You have earned [Soul fragments]!
¡ªwere of the same species. Extremely toxic, even without System¡¯s enhancements, as they were entities without a Soul. One of them could kill him two times over, if touched. ¡®So, why not weaponize them?¡¯ he thought at the time. Easier said than done, the process of nurturing them to keep them alive wasn¡¯t easy already, but using them? Let¡¯s just say Zeph spent a good two months devising a¡ª
You have kill¡­
STOP INTERRUPTING ME! he screamed internally. And looked furiously at the notification. Nothing moved anymore. Ahem. Let¡¯s just say Zeph spent a good two months devising a method to at least gather them safely. During his relocation preparation time, he cut all three of them. He even managed to cut them into parts without killing himself. But from the fear of their toxins becoming inactive, he only cut them in fours, then placed them in the raw carcasses of birds, to keep them ¡®alive¡¯ a little longer. Why meat, you may ask? Let¡¯s just say, the soil under them was full of small bones. Also, a thing that his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯ confirmed. He also hoped the Bearats didn¡¯t chew that much. It would be a waste if they just vomited it out. The fungi were theoretically tasteless, but bodily reactions existed for a reason. He wasn¡¯t sure how that would work until this day. Or night. On the other hand, he was sure they would try to eat the meat. They were cannibalistic, which means there aren¡¯t many sources of meat in their habitat. He confirmed it during his scouting days, they were eating everything without thinking. He spent the rest of the night keeping guard, but after the mayhem finished, only silence prevailed for the whole night. He spent that time filling more basins with water. When the first rays of sun started to reflect in the dew on the grass plateau, he got up. He couldn¡¯t see the Bearats on the pass, so he took his sled and moved to the pass entrance, weapons at the ready. Before the stairs, three dead Bearats were lying. In their death throes, they upturned the surrounding soil, testifying to just how painful their deaths were. Zeph packed them on the sled and moved to the camp to leave them there. His increased strength and ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ allowed him to do that quite easily. He got back to the pass to check the stairs and found two more not far away from the entrance. He decided against checking the rest of the stairs, that much was already enough. The risk was unnecessary. Back at the camp, he got to work. Firstly, he skinned one of the poisoned Bearats and placed the skin in another water basin. He wasn¡¯t going to try to eat its meat, to be on the safe side, but before throwing the body from the ridge he needed one more thing. He scalped it and used his hammer/hatchet to crack the skull to get the brain, then placed it in one of the canteens and in a basin with water, to keep it relatively cool. Next, he removed the barkless stump from the hut and placed it on its round side. He took out yesterday¡¯s skin from the water and wrapped it a few times around two branches. Locking one branch by stepping on it, he rotated the second one to squeeze the skin and get rid of the surplus water. He then placed the skin on the stump, fur down, and used his knife to remove the fat and flesh still clinging to it. He was moving his knife at a low angle on the stretched-out skin, scraping off unnecessary tissue and leaving only white skin behind. After that was finished, he sprinkled the fur with ashes from his fireplace, and placed it into another basin of water, adding even more ashes to the mix. This should loosen the hairs. He started to skin and ¡®debrain¡¯ the rest of the animals. By the time he finished, the first soaking skin from poisoned Bearat was ready for ¡®fleshing¡¯. That evening, after preparing all of them, he was looking at his meaty dinner with a small disgust. =============================== Tanning was hard work. After getting rid of the hairs the next day, a process very similar to the ¡®fleshing¡¯, he had to soak them again, but this time in the brain emulsion. It was quite easy to create, he just needed to mash the brains in warm water. He soaked them for only 8 hours, to be able to finish quickly. But the next step made his joints squirm in protest. He had to stretch the skin on the wooden frame. He did that by creating small holes along the skin edges with his knife, then threading his primitive twine through them and around the frame. Then, for a good few hours, he had to scratch the skin with a wooden tool resembling a big spoon, to keep it flexible. After around three hours, it dried completely and could be taken off the stretching rack. He had to flex it some more on a tip of a branch, to make sure every part was softened. After that, he had to place the skin on the tripod above the fireplace, creating a half-open tent above the fire. He was using grass to keep the fire at bay, he wanted to smoke the hide, not to burn it. The process took more hours and had to be done for both sides, but it made the skin waterproof to a degree. Only then could he start to work on clothes. After so much hard labor, he was extra cautious. He didn¡¯t want to make a mistake and waste the materials. The twine would be a weak point, so he disassembled a long part of his rope to create a more sturdy thread beforehand. Simple needles created from birds¡¯ bones he had prepared a long time ago, too. As the finishing touch, he applied a dark violet oil to impregnate the leather. He used a type of fungi, again, to change the color. He wanted his clothes to be as dark as possible. He cut the time where he could. Still, it took 7 days to finish everything.
Time estimation for the event beginning: 2d, 16h.
But when looking at two pairs of leather trousers, two leather jackets, and one big overcoat with a hood and fur on the inside, he couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. Even if the workmanship was a little shoddy. The System agreed, too.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Leatherworking] from the [Knowledge Base]! New methods derived from the learning process. [Soul fragments] awarded!
¡°Finally, all preparations are finished!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Grrrra!¡± the vibrations happily answered. ¡°It was more work than I thought. But it was necessary work! We are fresh and prepared. Let¡¯s pack and see what those caves are about.¡± ¡°Geh,¡± it shrugged. ¡°Right. Let me see what it¡¯s about, and then describe it to you!¡± he corrected himself. ¡°Gra!¡±
Interface: Chapter 13 - Sentience Will do that to you. Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.15 1793.10.06] Gru is kind of grumpy today, Zeph thought, noticing that Gru was deep in thought, again. Starting with the unexpected cynicism and dejection that were showing more often lately, to this morning¡¯s indifference caused by its lack of perception. Is that the reason? I know I would be like that without sight, but I was born with it¡­ I hope it can get over it soon. They were standing right before the stairs. Zeph¡¯s big backpack was full, two smaller ones attached to its sides. The overcoat was rolled up and held by straps like a sleeping mat. He could unbuckle the shoulder straps to drop the backpack at the moment¡¯s notice, but it wasn¡¯t something he wanted to try out in combat. It should give him some additional protection from the back, at least. He was wearing his leather outfit. Thankfully, his boots, gloves, and helmet weren¡¯t glowing. He was sure the first two will start to, at some point, but he could just bandage them. The neon-green light wasn¡¯t strong enough to get through a few layers of cloth. He had his spear at the ready. Three javelins and an atlatl were attached to his backpack within arms¡¯ reach. In one of his holsters was his pistol and one additional magazine, but the second one he filled with smoke/smell bombs. His combat knife was secured to the belt, too. He decided against using the crossbow and the hatchet/hammer, so he packed them into the backpack. The crossbow was too slow to reload and even if he packed the autoinjectors with contents of the Prana batteries, which lost a lot of Prana anyway, the poison wouldn¡¯t work fast enough in the enclosed stony space. Each miss would also mean damaging a bolt. The hatchet was too slow and had a small reach, he had the knife for such occasions. At the camp, the leftover wood and most of his wooden tools he stacked in a pile and covered everything with smaller branches as basic weather protection. Maybe someone would find and use it, there was no reason to burn everything. I wonder how Alex and Alana made it through the pass. I also couldn¡¯t find any remnants of a camp. Well, years passed, it¡¯s not that strange, he idly thought while checking his gear one last time. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± he said quietly and started the descent. Gru was silent. He was moving cautiously, minimalizing the noise. Along the way, he found another three dead Bearats. According to his notifications, two were missing. They had probably fallen from the cliff when trying to go down the stairs, he deduced. Finally, he got to the third cave, the first two in the same state as last time. Zeph was expecting this. After killing at least 11 battle-ready members of the pack, they closed the entrance to the cave. It was only natural. Why then was he feeling like he missed an opportunity? Standing before the former entrance to the cave, he was quite confused by his own emotions. Is it Intuition acting again? I don¡¯t believe in this ¡®gut feeling¡¯ BS, at least when we are talking about long-term decisions and things way in the past. So why am I feeling like this? ¡°Hey, partner, are you feeling anything strange right now?¡± he asked his only advisor. It didn¡¯t answer immediately. He could feel it concentrating on something. ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡± Gru vibrated without sending any meaning. After a minute it was becoming unnerving. ¡°Oi, are you ok?¡± The vibrations lasted for a moment longer, before¡ª ¡°GROO!¡± it flipped the imaginary table. ¡°Grarar, raaaara~!¡± it started complaining loudly. Zeph had to concentrate really hard to keep up with the vibrations and emotions. He got one thing from his Soul-bond; System¡¯s Soul enhancements, like Passive Enhancements and Class frames, were fucking bizarre. Yes, something was suggesting he lost an opportunity for something. Yet, without resonating with and using Zeph¡¯s Intuition, Gru was almost blind to this Soul phenomenon. It was irritated to the point of starting an imaginary revolution. Revolution, resonated Mana in his body. ¡°Hey, hey! Take a few deep breaths!¡± he said, then understood his mistake. ¡°Or, I don¡¯t know, a few intakes of Mana¡­ Being in this state will only make you unfocused!¡± ¡°GRAU!¡± it answered incredulously. ¡®This was unacceptable!¡¯ it sent. Unacceptable, resonated his Soul. ¡°Oi! Stop using your Will!¡± he said, trying to prevent Gru from doing something drastic. ¡°Graaaah!¡± it didn¡¯t care. ¡°Graaau!¡± it wanted to see. The last and only thing making up its external senses, the Soul perception, was obscured. Denied to him. It denied the denial. This had to change. ¡°No, No, NO! It won¡¯t end we¡ª" Change, resonated his Will. As much as he was reluctant to go into the new territory again, he really wanted the best for his companion. Thus, there was no way to stop the resonance. Overwhelmed, he fell to his knees. His resonating Will latched onto something inside Gru¡­
Warning! Your [Symbiotic Parasite] is growing!
Their Souls started to send information through their Wills¡­
Warning! Unauthorized [Soul transfer] detected! [Soul-bond] confirmed, counter-measures impossible!
Something started to form. It felt like Mana, but so much different¡­
[Garuan] transferred 9,54% of [Garuan, type: M1] [Soul contamination] in exchange for 6,68% [Human, type: Earthling] [Soul contamination].
Then everything snapped into place. For that one moment, when still resonating, Zeph felt as if the world around him bloomed in brightness, colors, and meanings. The door was opened. The bird started to fly. The human felt the sunlight for the first time. The incapacitating hangover ended. The Garuan saw.
[Garuan] gains new [Natural] [Energy Enhancement]. [Garuan] [Trait] [Lesser sentience] evolved into [Basic sentience]. [Garuan] got access to new [Classes]. [Garuan] got access to [Professions]. [Class] [Garuan - level 8] has been reset!
As fast as the moment came, it disappeared. Zeph was left lying on the ground, mentally spent. But the memory was still fresh in his mind. He doubted he could ever understand what it means to gain sentience, if not for this very experience. After the change, the world around seemed so much more tangible, so much more¡­ real.
[Tabu] is now [Level 20]. Congratulations! [Will-powered Mana manipulation] [T2][L39] is now [T2][L49]! (+10) Warning! You have [Diminished Will]! Current state: [Small]! Processing¡­
It didn¡¯t matter. Those handicaps paled in comparison to Gru¡¯s growth. To the experience of freeing one¡¯s mind from the steel grip of physical limitations, of no understanding and restricted memory. An experience of gaining a true context to one¡¯s very being, by simply remembering and comprehending more. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ he started to think after getting himself together. All this, it was just ¡®growing pains¡¯ of a Garuan? The mood swings, and then this? He sat up; his vision was still swimming slightly. Luckily, he didn¡¯t lose consciousness this time. This was Soul transfer, not transplantation, whatever the difference was. Also, he now had experience in using his Will. ¡°Hey, buddy. Did you just¡­ came of age or something?¡± he asked his abdomen. ¡°Graar,¡± answered an aged and wise vibration. ¡°Ha. Ha. Ha. But seriously, what happened here?¡± he asked gravely. ¡°Grrrum¡± it smugly answered. ¡°Brain? You have a brain now?¡± he asked skeptically with a deadpan face. ¡°Grre!¡± it mentally smacked him. ¡°Haha, sorry, sorry! So, the Mana you ¡®crystallized¡¯ was necessary to expand your brain? How does that even work?¡± he asked, quite flummoxed by all of this. ¡°Grrrarurarun!¡± it wisely vibrated. ¡°No way! If a human''s brain was that easy to emulate with some Mana, the System with its Matrices and whatnot would be useless!¡± he couldn¡¯t understand the concept at all. ¡°Grrrean, groooo,¡± it answered. ¡°Well¡­ Yea, you may be right. The guys who programmed your genes are so old and incomprehensible that even the System has problems with deciphering their creations¡­¡± he said, then decided to leave it in the ¡®Ancient Civilizations¡¯ mystery box. For now. As if on cue, a notification showed up.
Calculations completed! [Ancient Civilizations] [General Skill] updated! You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 500 000 [Universal Points]!
¡°Ha! More Points to spend!¡± he exclaimed happily. ¡°Gra!¡± it imitated, confirming its own rewards. ¡°Perfect! But anyway, we will have to wait for an hour or two until my Will regenerates. How are you on that front? It¡¯s a good opportunity for you to choose your Class, too,¡± he declared. ¡°Gre,¡± it shrugged. ¡°Good for you. But are you sure? It took me, like, three days to decide,¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°Grara,¡± it consoled him. ¡°Gru grum!¡± ¡°Well, if you are sure¡­ I will not stop you,¡± he conceded. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Gru!¡± it confirmed and concentrated. A few moments later, a new notification showed up.
[Garuan] has a new [Mixed] [Class]: [Will-o¡¯-the-Wis¡¯oul]! [Garuan] has a new [Profession]: [Shepherd]!
It took him a moment to process what he was seeing. ¡°And why did you choose that Profession, I wonder,¡± he asked suspiciously. ¡°Gramm,¡± it vibrated in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. ¡°Who is guiding who?! You ungrateful parasite!¡± ¡°Grarara,¡± it laughed at him. ¡°I-It¡¯s just a matter of time until I can read those! I am the one you are resonating with! I am¡±¡ªhe stopped himself¡ª¡°this leads nowhere,¡± he noticed and sighed. Having finished with the mad gesturing and speaking to ¡®himself¡¯, accompanied by Garuan¡¯s laugh, he decided to be a better man and leave it be. Definitely not because his ego took a critical hit. They relaxed on the black stone stairs for the next hour. Zeph took some rations to resupply the energy he spent dealing with the Garuan, still feeling a little sour. After his Will regenerated, he moved downstairs. The next three caves were closed, but it was still a long way to the cloud line. I wonder if they would part during the Mana surge, he thought, looking at the ominous storm below. I guess I am just hoping for a lifeboat. Going into the caves is a little frightening, I can at least admit that. The seventh cave was open. He started his preparations. The backpack was left behind, spear tip Hardened, the AMc¡ªthe Ambient Mana channeling¡ªstealth enabled, smell bombs taken out. It will be the real trial of the Light Spell. I really hope the previous tests weren¡¯t just a dud. Let¡¯s do it one more time, to be sure, he thought, coming closer to the cave. After setting down the first bomb with Telekinesis and making sure he had a Mana tendril connected to it, he started to slowly manipulate his Mana to form a second one. It was much easier to concentrate on it when he only had to maintain the first, but creating and moving two of those was like trying to move your fingers separately to two different rhythms. He has sent the second tendril near the ceiling, a little into the entrance. Then, he started constructing Light Spell. It was almost identical to Flash but kept using ambient Mana, like the original ¡®Mana highlight¡¯. He managed to modify ¡®Mana highlight¡¯ to only transform selected types of Mana into the light. Flash used, ironically, Mana-Z, the non-elemental type of his Mana. But because it was his Mana, the process was much more efficient. Light Spell could use a few different types, changing color depending on it. Both of them, though, operated on the same principle. Instead of sending a wave of ¡®transforming¡¯ Will-Mana-Z outwards to interact with the E-Mana, the Spells were concentrating the ¡®transforming¡¯ Will-Mana-Z in a sphere. Flash was uncontrollable, the ¡®transforming¡¯ Will-Mana was consuming all Mana-Z in the sphere immediately, creating a flash, its namesake. Light, on the other hand, slowly consumed E-Mana-O in the Sphere. The intensity could be regulated by the relative density of Mana-Z inside and the color, as stated, by the E-Mana-O type. The Self-Sustaining part was responsible for pumping Mana-Z into the construct to keep it working continuously. It was, by far, the most difficult Spell he had created. Mostly because he didn¡¯t understand this whole ¡®transforming¡¯ property that was added to the Will-Mana by the construct. The ¡®transforming¡¯ Will-Mana was represented in the Interface as another E-Mana type, adding to his confusion, as he wasn¡¯t able to feel the difference. It seemed that all Spells from Shaman Profession had similar quirks. He suspected it had something to do with the ¡®Soul arts¡¯ the Shaman was known for utilizing. He set the Light to consume Heat-Mana-O, thus creating a deep red light. From his knowledge about the light sensitivity of animals, confirmed by meditating a little with the ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯ and by his previous live tests, the low-intensity red light should be ignored by the animals. They could still see it, but it was neutral enough color to rather confuse them than make them agitated. A red-light sphere was created and, as previously, it was ignored. This time, though, he started to increase the intensity of the light by decreasing the density of Mana-Z inside of the sphere. After a minute, he could hear the Bearat slowly stepping closer. It wasn¡¯t attacking, so he guessed it was just curious. The Mana-X density was rising, though. He had to make a move before the animal detected his Mana tendrils. He abandoned the Light Spell and concentrated on creating the Mana-Z lure above the bomb. The light flickered for a moment before disappearing. The Bearat grunted, but didn¡¯t attack. Zeph was clinging to the wall outside, so he still couldn¡¯t see what it was doing. The lure wasn¡¯t working, the Bearat was too close and couldn¡¯t see any physical target. It was sniffing the air, though. Suddenly suspicious? I can as well test the direct confrontation before it notices me. I just hope it won¡¯t run off, he thought, preparing to move. He formed a thin tendril and quickly moved it into the entrance, at the height Bearat¡¯s head should be. In quick succession he fired two Matrix Spells, ¡®Lesser Ignite¡¯ and half a second later, Flash. Because it took time for the bomb to fully ignite, they exploded almost at the same time. Sprinting to the opening, he could hear alarmed roars of the Bearat. In the next moment, he could see it, backing away and blindly swiping its paws up front. The bomb was too far away to make it run away. Before it could concentrate on the information from its Mana bubble and decide to fight or flight, Zeph thrust his spear into its neck, avoiding the flailing limbs, and executed a short, cutting move before backing up. The beast answered immediately and charged ahead, but before it could get close to Zeph, Gru Soul-whacked it. Zeph quickly dodged to the side, narrowly evading its body. It landed face-first into the remnants of the bomb, immediately breaking from the stunned state. Panicking, it tried to stand up, but it was too late. Zeph was already cutting its tendons, and it buckled. The finishing stab to its neck ended the fight. He stopped and listened for a moment. The pack was coming, but also, it was far. He didn¡¯t waste any more time and sprinted into the cave, preparing two bombs. He placed them a few meters into the cave, near both walls. After making sure they stayed upright, he backed to the entrance, leaving thin Mana tendrils connected to the bombs. He took two more and prepared himself. The cave was wide enough to allow three Bearats to walk side by side, though, they would impede each other. The sentry was dead, its Mana-X saturating the cave was now of no consequence, it would only impede their perception. His enchantment on the spear tip was fading, he had maybe ten more swings with it. When the sounds of steps were close, before even seeing anything, Zeph Ignited the two bombs in his hand with one Spell and threw them ahead, preparing a strong Flash not half a second later. The pack didn¡¯t come en masse. They were sprinting but came in single file. As always, they were fast. Good, was all that Zeph managed to think, closing his eyes. Everything happened all at once. The bombs were a little too late in exploding, but the Spell worked as intended, blinding the leading Talpa. While opening his eyes, Zeph was already dodging to the side, moving his spear in a cutting motion. At the same time, he sent another Ignite to the bomb inside the cave. The leading Talpa lost its orientation and attempted to stop itself, the ones behind crashing into it. The spear hit it as it was falling to the ground, cutting a long line on his head, neck, and shoulder. It didn¡¯t matter, it was pushed down the cliff. He Flashed again, the Spell came out weaker but was enough, and an ugly melee has started. The three leading Talpa were blinded and retching. The ones behind, still in the cave, were lost as the smell coming from both sides overloaded their brains. Zeph was frantically stabbing in the necks and slashing at the knees. When one of the Beasts oriented itself, Gru Soul-whacked it, and Zeph slashed it through the eyes. He had no time for planning or even positioning, the enemy couldn¡¯t recover, or he would suffer. When the enchantment fizzled away, two of the beasts were incapacitated, their tendons sufficiently damaged. Only the one with eyes cut through was still standing, evidently trying to perceive through Mana. Zeph immediately prepared his spear and increased the radius of the AMc vortex to the utmost maximum, directing the stream of Mana to the side, into the abyss, in hopes of misleading it. He could feel the majority of Mana-O in the vicinity being ruptured and flowing with the stream. Then, to his surprise, the Talpa charged in the direction of the disappearing jet of Mana. Its wails echoed for a good ten seconds as it plunged down the mountainside.
Co¡­
Not now! he thought while looking at the cave entrance. Did the rest run away? The sounds of fighting could have scared them after the bombs exploded, a fleeting thought came, but he was already concentrating on the two Talpa on the stairs. He finished them without much problem. ¡°Good fight, Gru,¡± he commented, going back for his backpack in preparation to delve into the cave. He would not allow them the time to recover. ¡°Greeah,¡± it commented, unsure. ¡°That is not true. If not for your stun, we would have a problem. Probably in the shape of broken bones. Keep it up, buddy!¡± he explained. ¡°GRU!¡± He refilled his holster with new bombs and stalked into the cave. He retrieved the one unused bomb along the way. The smell of burned eggs, old carrion, and sulfur filled his nostrils, making his eyes water a little. He had to breathe through his mouth, but otherwise, it didn¡¯t impede him that much. He started using Will-powered Soul perception. When the cave started to plunge into darkness, he stopped and constructed the red version of Light Spell as far ahead as he could. Not hearing any noises, he constructed the ¡®Lesser Life detect¡¯, while still keeping the tendril to the Light. He detected nothing. It was really hard to tell how deep the den was. Instead of using the two Spells interchangeably, he took out one of his javelins and enchanted its surface with the modified ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯. Or rather, with the reversed Light Spell. It was constantly ejecting ¡®transforming¡¯ Will-Mana around, making the air glitter with red light. Enchanting the surface created a very fragile construct, but he wasn¡¯t going to move the javelin much. It would spare him time in the long run. It would be easier if I could move the Light¡­ fucking mystical physics, he complained internally, trying to hear anything. After walking for a good minute, firing ¡®Lesser Life detect¡¯ from time to time, he heard a loud scratching. He stopped and listened. It was more of a grating, lower in tone and longer in duration. Oh no, motherfuckers, he thought while speeding up. Not this time! The light from his javelin started fading from the jerking movements. He didn¡¯t care. He was sending Mana feelers up ahead, strengthening them with Soul perception, until he felt a drastic increase in Mana-O. He stopped, strengthened the last feeler, and threw the javelin in the general direction of the Mana source. The light coming from the javelin was enough to illuminate four Talpa working on the walls and ceiling. It didn¡¯t hit anything, but the animals reacted to the light, pausing their work and looking away at the flying item. He used the time to take out two bombs, Igniting them, and then throwing them at the Talpa. They didn¡¯t make it all the way, combusting midair, but that was enough to cause chaos. Unsure how close they were to collapsing the tunnel, he panicked a little. He sprinted ahead, squinting his eyes, and used the strengthened feeler to cast Flash. Surely, they could hear him coming and were looking his way, now that they stopped their work. It wasn¡¯t as good as he hoped. Only the two Talpa at the walls were blinded, evidently sensing the tremors he caused and looking in his direction. But that was enough for him, he wanted to get into the nest, the beasts at the ceiling weren¡¯t able to react in time and jump off of it. Along the way, he took out two more bombs from the holster and almost tripped on the rubble under the entrance. He stopped after a few steps. He was surrounded by impenetrable darkness, his javelin lost the enchantment the moment it flew away from the Mana-Z tendril. Shit, he thought, nudging Gru, Igniting the bombs, and preparing a manual Flash all at the same time. For the Garuan the dark cave was as bright as always. After all, it just ¡®saw¡¯ Souls. Everything exploded at once. The second round of chaos started. This time, Zeph wasn¡¯t that lucky. He managed to unbuckle his backpack but didn¡¯t dodge in time and one of the blinded Talpa ran him over. Gru wasn¡¯t able to react in time, there were too many enemies to whack. He instinctively used his new AMc trick again to hide himself, directing the stream to the far side of the cave. Because it wasn¡¯t a directed attack, his armor held. But he was now on the floor, surrounded by an unknown number of enemies. Even concentrated as they were on the AMc output, he still was in trouble. Oh, no, he thought flatly. What should I do? He took out the gun. He left the spear on the ground and started shooting while lying on the floor. The chamber was spacious enough for the sound to not deafen him. He concentrated on his Will-powered Soul perception, that now resonated with Gru¡¯s, to take aim. The echoes just hurt the Talpa, making it impossible to find the threat by sound, his AMc working overtime to hide him. He was aiming for the torso first, then for the head, shot after shot, until he exhausted all 20 rounds. Thus, anticlimactically, the fight ended. The few Talpa that were still moving, he started killing with his blunted spear, still doing it in the dark. The weapon was much less effective now. I really don¡¯t want to see what the cubs look like before killing everything, was his thought process. I will just deal with the guilt after finishing¡­ ¡°Grrraaa,¡± noticed Gru. ¡°Yea, I know, but do you have a better idea? Do you want to rise them?¡± he countered. ¡°Graaarrru,¡± it whined in denial over the situation. ¡°Yes, I know, but what can we do,¡± he said, continuing. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can help them. They will be, most probably, eaten by the other groups. But that is not even the point. As soon as they mature, they will try to hunt us. Or rather, humanoids in general. Do you remember the ¡°Corora lifeforms¡± entry I explained to you?¡± he asked, finishing the last one and constructing a Light Spell without E-Mana restrictions to produce white light in the nest. ¡°Grararu?¡± it asked. ¡°Not really. From what I understand, it normally takes generations to create a sentient individual. You are quite different in that regard,¡± he explained patiently while the light illuminated the nest. The cave was carved in hard, black stone. It was circular but quite irregular, at least 4 meters in height and 5 meters in radius. Something resembling carved stone columns decorated the rough walls. Everything was wet, water dribbling down the vertical surfaces. Some violet lichen and small dark-blue fern colonies were growing on the walls and ceiling. Everything else was black. Ugh, how depressive. Where are multicolored glowing mushrooms, like in any good fantasy? he thought absentmindedly. ¡°Gre?¡± it asked, after mulling for a moment on his explanation. ¡°Yes. They are just animals. Far away from sentience. We may be composed of the same meat, but that¡±¡ªhe sent a vision of Earth, showing the knowledge, the achievements of society¡ª¡°is the source of a real change, a true result of sentience. I am not sure how much we should allow it to escalate, but it¡¯s not important right now. Those animals cannot be reasoned with, they will endanger lives. Our lives even. Do not feel sorry for something that should be our sustenance according to the laws of nature,¡± he explained, looking around. Five more tunnels were dug out of the cave, he started checking them one by one, reloaded pistol in hand. ¡°Grauragra!¡± it argued. ¡°Well, you are right in this, buddy. If I could, I would use every scrap of their body, alas, we don¡¯t have the means. Or a choice, for that matter,¡± he answered somberly. Only one tunnel was going down, the rest was at the level of the chamber. ¡°Grrruuu¡­¡± it confessed. ¡°Yea, I suppose sentience can do that to you. But remember, as long as they are in our way, especially because we don¡¯t have any knowledge of the ecosystem, it¡¯s a fair game. We didn¡¯t do anything wrong. We are fighting for life, just as they were. At least take that from your senpai in sentience.¡± ¡°Grrrrmmm¡­ Gra,¡± it agreed in the end. He was surprised to not see any mushrooms here, but decided it didn¡¯t really matter right now. It wasn¡¯t the right place to craft anything, anyway. ¡°Are you ready to descent, my fella?¡± he rhetorically asked, retrieving his javelin. ¡°Grau!¡± it confirmed. ¡°Let¡¯s check the notifications first, though,¡± he reflected.
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Mana rupture] from the [Knowledge Base]! Congratulations! Your [Profession] [Shaman] leveled up! New [Soul contamination] of [Garuan] exceeded the threshold! [Space, type: B5001] is at 5,01%!
Interface: Chapter 14 - It escalated quickly. As reality tends to. Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.15 1793.10.06] Somewhere in uncharted lands, deep in a wild forest, two humans were sitting near a campfire. The clearing was miniature and covered in shadows of the sunset. Sky could barely be seen through the canopy. It was the only time of the day when the sun had a chance to shine on the dilapidated landscape, going below the line of the ever-present storm clouds. Gnarled trees around were lush in teal leaves only at the highest branches, all of them turned in the direction of the setting sun, reaching for every scrap of the light they could find. The ground was covered in miniature ferns, moss, and fungi. The colorful underwood contrasted strongly with decaying lower branches of the forest above. The light of the campfire illuminated the vicinity like a beacon, but there were no animals it could attract. The forest was deadly for such creatures. An everlasting but weak drizzle was drenching everything in this place, allowing for the light to reflect wildly all around. The orange hue of the fire colored the vicinity alongside a weak blueish light coming through the canopy, causing flickering, multicolored reflections. The rain was also soaking clothes and stifling the fire. ¡°I hate this place,¡± the man said, tightening the cloak around himself. ¡°You should have hired a Magistrus and be done with it,¡± he said to the woman sitting on the opposite side of the fire. She was in the middle of drinking from a bota bag, the stench of alcohol could be smelled even from his position. ¡°Khaaa!¡± she exhaled after gulping for the last time. ¡°What are you implying?¡± She asked in a slightly hoarse voice, leaning back against a sapling and making herself comfortable. Water was evaporating from her form, creating white flecks of steam that drifted upwards. ¡°That I am a toritaro? Or maybe a kazotalo? I don¡¯t have even a fraction of the money required to hire one,¡± she said, stretching out. ¡°Your Onji should have made the arrangements,¡± he said, shivering from the cold. ¡°It¡¯s no place for a Practitioner like me. And the chances are that we are here for nothing.¡± She snorted. ¡°Like Leilucia¡¯s intermediaries would do that for me,¡± she said while placing hands behind her head and crossing her legs. ¡°You already leveled once, isn¡¯t that good?¡± she asked, closing her eyes. ¡°Just relax, it won¡¯t take much longer.¡± ¡°I really hope you are right,¡± he mumbled, sneezing immediately after. =============================== It will take longer than I expected, Zeph thought, looking at the water flowing away in three different directions. He was standing in a vast, natural cave. Water slowly flowed through its center, leading deeper into the cave system. Big stone formations, like stalactites and stalagmites, decorated the space. The vegetation here was much larger and denser. Especially the fungi, some strange stemless variants the size of a bed were growing on the walls. Everything was either in violet-blue colors or absolutely white. And, of course, nothing glowed. He had to, for the hundredth time, construct the Light Spell to see anything. This time, however, he was using a white version. For some time now, there were no traces of any creature. Zeph was following the ¡®Lesser Humidity detect¡¯ to get here. He knew the flow of water should direct him downwards, and there had to be a water source the Talpa were using. The Spell was quite simple, he just used Fog cantrip in a spherical construct enclosed in, and filled with, the Space-Mana-Z. During his experimentation period, he noticed that Space-Mana-Z returned different information depending on the matter it interacted with. It was a conglomeration of information about texture, mass, state of matter, and some other things. He was, of course, unable to quantify anything or even untangle the complex signal. But by having two such Spells working at the same time, he could easily ignore all of the duplicated information and compare only the relative mass of the two spheres of fog. It was just enough to sense in which direction the humidity was rising. Why he was not using ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ to check Water-Mana density? As if E-Mana could travel such distances, not to mention how unreliable its density really was. The tunnel system made by the Talpa was a big hassle, though. He had to clear two more nests before he found the natural cave system. Thanks to the ¡®Lesser Sound detect¡¯ and the ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯ he was able to pinpoint the enemy position early and asses the Mana-X reach. This allowed him to plan and prepare, avoiding a chaotic melee. After killing a sentry, he lured the rest into a trap. Some tunnels, especially new ones, were narrow enough for only a single Bearat to fit in. He used that to funnel the chasing beasts and fight only one at a time. He used bombs more sparingly, and from further away, to not scare the whole group. Of course, the whole ¡®trap tunnel¡¯ was filled with bombs, but only for an emergency situation. It was time-consuming, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to get wounded. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to use his pistol. Only 215 rounds were left, assuming every shell was in working condition. ¡°I am fucking tired,¡± he said while massaging his temples. ¡°Let¡¯s just rest here, I can¡¯t see any Talpa traces, it should be safe enough,¡± he decided, coming closer to a big mushroom growing from the wall. ¡°Grum,¡± it agreed. ¡°This looks stable enough,¡± he said, looking up. Three more were growing close by, he could easily climb to the highest one. ¡°But let¡¯s be cautious,¡± he commented, sitting down. ¡°Gru!¡± it declared. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said with a small smile, and constructed the ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯. Then started reading from his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯, searching for information about this specific mushroom. It took him almost an hour, Gru was keeping watch, resonating a little with his Soul to have some feedback from the Spell. After making sure it was safe, Zeph started climbing up the mushrooms, quickly reaching the one 4 meters above the ground. They were as hard as the stone around, so he unfurled his overcoat to have something soft and warm to sit on. He sighed deeply, releasing the Light Spell and relaxing a little for the first time in what felt like ages. ¡°Grrra?¡± it asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just mentally spent,¡± he explained, closing his eyes. The echoing sounds of flowing and dripping water were soothing to his mind. ¡°Tomorrow we will have to check all waterways, I am sure most are dead ends. I will need to come up with a method to mark the caves, too,¡± he complained a little. At least I don¡¯t have to condense any more water, he consoled himself. ¡°Grrrrar,¡± it advised. ¡°Well, the prodigious Soul-talent shows up again¡­ I am unable to use Memory like that. It¡¯s a shame I cannot safely send you my visuals,¡± he said, resigned. ¡°Greeaaar,¡± it indicated. ¡°Graaau,¡± and then complained. He instantly became speechless. ¡°Your Profession has something like that? Isn¡¯t it¡­ overwhelmingly more advanced than my Skills?¡± ¡°Gre, Grrrrum,¡± it explained. ¡°Oh, good to know. The restrictions of specialization, I suppose. But how can we go around your zero-capacity problem? You can¡¯t use my Mana.¡± ¡°Greee!¡± it agreed, complaining again. ¡°Grararu,¡± it confessed. He thought about it for a minute. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Well, I think it is possible to give you some temporary capacity¡­ But experimenting would take the time we don¡¯t have right now. Can¡¯t you¡­ I don¡¯t know, remember what I am telling you to help me navigate?¡± he asked with hope. ¡°Gre,¡± came the negative response. It seemed that either Soul memory wasn¡¯t working like that, or Gru had to get much better in using the Memory. ¡°A shame,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°All right, let¡¯s just prepare for some rest,¡± he said, removing his jacket to have some light and taking dried meat and fruits from his backpack. While eating, he once more checked the notification he got after Gru¡¯s Space contamination exceeded the threshold.
Leveling restrictions¡¯ rule fulfilled. Conditions changed! Current [Class] leveling speed reduced by an average factor of 11,8.
Until now, most of the Soul fragments they got were fueling the growth of Gru¡¯s Space Soul contamination. Gru couldn¡¯t set the exchange for the Soul fragments it got. As a result, Zeph¡¯s part of the spoils was siphoned into powering it instead, drastically decreasing his leveling speed. ¡°What is wrong with this leveling speed?! I don¡¯t understand this math at all,¡± he said, thinking intensively. The previous, convoluted method of sharing Soul fragments between us should be gone now. I know why it decreased to such a degree; I don¡¯t have to exchange Soul fragments in this horrendous 1 to 60-something ratio anymore. But why is it 11.8 now? Shouldn¡¯t it be 1.8, or something like that? he exerted his brain once more in search of an answer. ¡°Graaa¡­¡± it vibrated helpfully. ¡°Grrrururu,¡± and added after checking. Zeph blinked a few times at that. ¡°What do you mean more? And how long do you have the option to set your own exchange in the leveling restrictions?¡± ¡°Gaaaurrrr, Greeee¡­ Ga?¡± It explained, unsure. ¡°Shit,¡± he summarized. ¡°We really need someone to explain this stuff to us. But, again, congratulations on gaining enough sentience to fully interact with the Interface.¡± ¡°Gru!¡± a happy vibration answered. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± he started to calculate in his mind. Gru told him long ago that around 0.2 of the Soul fragments were always given to him by the System in unchanged form. His Soul trick didn¡¯t change that, he had to give everything to Zeph to allow for the exchange with the Space Soul fragments. But this resulted in Garuan Class leveling up seven times, prolonging the Soul contamination problem, as every time it got ¡®non-elemental¡¯ Soul fragments, the contamination percentage decreased. According to Gru, after resetting its level, the System started sending more Soul fragments its way. A shame it didn¡¯t find it strange until now. Math wasn¡¯t its strong side. ¡°No, this still doesn¡¯t add up. Even if now you take more than 0.6 of our overall Soul fragments, the factor still should be at around 8¡­ We are missing something,¡± he said, and started to catalog every variable that influenced the factor until now. He found only one suspect. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ The Space contamination still isn¡¯t self-sustaining? Or maybe it just needs time to even out, and I am leveling too fast? Am I exchanging some fragments to keep it up even now? he thought, looking at his levels. From only two nests, he leveled up his Profession two times. This is a ridiculous speed¡­ But the Class started to lag behind. He decided to drop the topic of the strange factor. He would need to ask for details from someone who knew more to be sure, anyway. Instead, he concentrated on the new problem. ¡°Gru, I don¡¯t know if I expressed it enough, but you are a fucking genius. We totally broke the system,¡± he snickered. ¡°Our leveling speed is at least one order of magnitude faster, than what the Interface suggested!¡± ¡°Grrrrruuuuururu,¡± it purred in self-admiration. It was proud, indeed. ¡°Ha! You finally learned how to receive a compliment,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°But we need to set things more evenly. I have three level resets before me, how many your Class require, again? And from which level?¡± he asked, just noticing he didn¡¯t ask about it. They were quite busy today, though. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Gwo, Gwen,¡± it vibrated. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the first time I see a Class that resets at 10. So, it¡¯s my 18 levels for your 10¡­ Let¡¯s set the Soul fragments sharing at nine to five in my favor and tweak it at every reset.¡± ¡°Gru?¡± it deadpanned. ¡°Ah! Sorry, haha,¡± he said embarrassed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°We should finish the resetting process at the same time that way. Just leave the math for me,¡± he explained. ¡°Gru!¡± ¡°Ok, then¡­¡± he mumbled and changed the leveling restrictions to share less with Gru. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t set any drastic values and Gru had to accept the change, but that made sense. It would be bad if a Soul-bonded animal had to give everything to its master. At least, that was how he visualized the problem. After that, he decreased the amount of Soul fragments his Profession was taking from 25 percent to 20 percent and helped Gru set up rules for exchanging Soul fragments to keep his contamination above the threshold. This time, after finalizing the changes, he specifically asked his Interface to recalculate the factor again.
Current [Class] leveling speed reduced by an average factor of 3,3.
Much better! he happily thought. ¡°That is sorted out, so let¡¯s concentrate on more exciting things,¡± he said, looking at his unspent points from his Profession. After getting to 7 Power, he started to have problems with controlling his body. It wasn¡¯t a critical condition, he experienced something similar when he boosted this Enhancement for the first time, but decided to leave the allocation of the new ones until he found a safer environment. So, now that he found one, he increased his Regeneration to 3 and Power to 10.
Congratulations! [Power] [Passive Enhancement] milestones achieved! You have gained access to a new [Perk]!
After the initial vertigo passed, he checked the Perk. ¡®Control and coordination auto-training¡¯? Just at the right time, he thought, setting it as an active one. At first, he couldn¡¯t feel anything. Surprised, he moved his hand before his eyes. The movement was slow and restricted, similar to moving your hand underwater. Then, he felt different muscle groups in his arm start to twitch. This started a chain reaction and in a moment his whole body had a bad case of twitching cramps. It was unpleasant, to say the least. I need to remember to never change to an ¡®auto-training¡¯ Perk while not in bed, he thought. Zeph didn¡¯t want to try to speak before it subsided, he didn¡¯t trust his vocal cords right now. Lying down, with small problems, he concentrated on his hearing. The sounds around were slowed down to the point that he had problems understanding what exactly he was hearing. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had lain there for minutes or hours. He deduced long ago that Power also enhanced the speed of his thoughts, so his time perception was screwed for the time being. He sat up only after the cramps subsided, and the noises around became recognizable once more. Chewing slowly on a dry fruit and relaxing for a while longer, he played with his Spells. Only after his sound perception was back to normal, he constructed the ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯ for the ¡®night¡¯ and went to sleep. They decided to keep watch, so Gru would have some sleep time only after Zeph woke up. The air was humid and cool, but because of his armor and clothes, the conditions were actually perfect for him. He had some problems acclimating to the echoing sounds, but was tired enough to fall asleep after a few minutes. =============================== ¡°There,¡± he said, moving away from the wall. He checked if the white X was visible, then started moving down the new cave, repeatedly tossing and catching the stone in his hand. He found a few normal rocks in the underground stream, probably brought here by the water. They were enough to leave whitish marks on the black walls. He pocketed the rock in his bomb-holster and prepared for further exploration. The entrance, he had scouted earlier, but moving through the vast caves, without a good light source, was absolutely nerve-racking. The Talpa¡¯s tunnels were an easy mode in comparison, he only had to care about two directions and possible crossroads. In the few hours that had passed after his rest, he already detected a few more Mana-O traces. Something he couldn¡¯t see was stalking around, but his ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯ never found any Mana-X. It had an impressive radius of almost 40 meters, in his head that should be enough in the enclosed spaces of the caves. It wasn¡¯t, and it made him extremely nervous. Even if the Spell couldn¡¯t ignore obstacles, it produced a wave that was bending behind them. He could still feel what was behind a stalactite, for example, if it wasn¡¯t further than 25 meters away, and the Mana-X bubble should be quite spacious. Yet, he felt nothing. He strengthened his Light enchantment on the javelin, noticing the material deterioration was close to shedding the outer layer off of the wood. After noticing the damage for the first time, he never placed an enchantment in the same place again, spreading the deterioration over the surface. This only prolonged the inevitable, his wooden javelin was close to shedding off its skin after two days of using it as a medium. I wonder if I am doing something wrong? My Skill also doesn¡¯t seem to improve at all¡­ he started to inspect his javelin from up close, scratching at the damaged parts. He quickly found long strips, maybe a millimeter in diameter, that split off the javelin by themselves. This shape¡­ Only cellulose fibers parallel to the Mana flow weren¡¯t destroyed? Shit, I should have done long-term experiments with enchanting. I don¡¯t have time now to improve on it now, he berated himself. He decided to sacrifice this javelin for his Light needs. It was a low-priority weapon anyway. At the next stop he would need to whittle it some, though. He looked back up, into the darkness ahead. The sparkling air around him was only illuminating maybe 15 meters ahead. It sucked all the colors, bathing everything in monochrome red light. He sighed deeply and moved on. He wasn¡¯t creeping. Walking for kilometers while trying to be stealthy wasn¡¯t conducive to fast travel, or for the well-being of his legs. Instead, he used his feeler every dozen steps, had Gru on Soul-watch, and stopped sometimes to construct ¡®Lesser Life¡¯ and ¡®Lesser Sound¡¯ Spells. He stopped using Harden constantly on his spearhead for the fear of damaging the knife. It was also time-consuming. If he was to be ambushed, he had better weapons to deal with it. After half an hour of walking, he could hear a slight noise of falling water. He perked up at the sound, it meant there was an open way downwards. He sped up a little. Coming closer, he could see a light mist suspended in the air. The sound wasn¡¯t echoing, he was in a vast cave filled with stone formations overgrown with ferns. He couldn¡¯t even see the ceiling. He slowed down when the noise started to obscure anything else. The stones on the floor started to get slippery, stripped from vegetation by periodic floods. Finally, he could see the opening. The sloped floor was littered with smoothed stones, suddenly ending in a black fall. He couldn¡¯t see how vast the opening was, and wasn¡¯t going to get close without safety preparations. Thus, he unbuckled his backpack and placed it on the ground. He wanted to take out his climbing equipment. At that moment, a strong gust of wind hit him. It was enough to make him slide a meter or two backwards, in the direction of the fall. He lost his balance on the slippery stones and fell backwards on the slope. He abandoned his javelin to grip his spear in both hands and tried to cushion the fall. He hit the ground hard, but didn¡¯t lose his composure. Still sliding down headfirst, he twisted his body while gripping near the spearhead, and drove it into the stones to his left. The spearhead scrapped for a moment on the hard surface before finding purchase. His body whipped around, but he managed to stop himself from sliding into the pit. Just in time for another gust of wind to hit him. He started to slide again. Simultaneously taking his combat knife with one of his hands, he flexed his back upwards and drove both weapons into the stones, again. Both were caught between loose stones, stopping him. Not wasting any more time, he Flashed from the Matrix, just above his torso. Just in time with a Soul coming into Gru¡¯s perception range. He heard a wet sound of sucker pads peeling off and a low grunt. While Gru Soul whacked the enemy, he got his feet under him and jumped to the right, concentrating on his Soul perception. After rolling once, he scrambled for traction to move away and get up. Just as he managed that, he could hear a whoosh and something massive hit him in the back. In the moment of contact, he could feel the air burst around and a monstrous quantity of Air-Mana flooding around him. He flew a good few meters before crashing to the ground, changing it into a roll by instinct. Thankfully, he was flung away from the chasm. Whatever just attacked him was massive. And it used enough Air-Mana for him to actually recognize it from the sheer density near his skin. They lost it again, Soul perception had an unpredictable range, but its maximum radius didn¡¯t go above 10 meters. He dropped his spear and took out the gun, simultaneously constructing an Air-Mana-dependent Light Spell. He quickly changed Ignite for ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ in his Matrices, and started the process of charging it. The Light Spell finally finished, basking everything in a weak blueish tint, and he could see again. He was standing low on his knees, moving slightly in either direction in an unpredictable pattern, observing his surroundings and concentrating on speeding up the ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ construction process as he had learned. He saw nothing, the enemy had to have an advanced camouflage and be beyond the Light Spell''s reach. He really didn¡¯t want to allow it to get away, he could be ambushed again at any point. He constructed Ignite to fire up two bombs and threw them down the cave in hopes of making it reluctant to leave, and started to construct a second, modified ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ reacting only with the Air-Mana. Nothing attacked him during this time. Finally, more than 40 seconds later, the Matrix ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ activated. The wave of Will-Mana flooded the surroundings, illuminating everything in colorful lights. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, minimizing movements of his head and only moving his eyes around. Looking up, he noticed a conglomeration of white-blue light coming from one place. He immediately took aim and started firing at it. The light effects lasted only for a second, but with his Power, it was enough time to actually aim before everything was bathed in the darkness again. He fired three times and heard a screech followed by displacing sucker pads. He didn¡¯t hear anything hitting the ground, though. Two seconds later, he finished constructing his own ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ and it exploded outwards. He started another Matrix version while taking aim at the highlighted monster again. He was trying to hit the head, shooting five more times in quick succession, even after the surroundings darkened. He saw it again thanks to the still active Light Spell, even before he got the warning from his Soul perception. Gru Soul-whacked it again but they didn¡¯t synchronize their attacks this time. It barreled directly at him, his shots immediately waking it up from the stun. It chomped down on the arm he presented, pinning him to the ground. Zeph immediately used his other arm to fire into its underside. After a few agonizing seconds when it tried to dismember him, throwing its head left and right, he finally hit something important. In the next moment, it tried to back up, screeching, only to fall down a few meters away, convulsing. When he still tried to get a hold of himself, a notification showed up.
You have killed [Stalker Axotilian ¨C lvl 84]. You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 3 [Universal Points]!
Zeph finished his second Matrix ¡®Mana Highlight¡¯ to make sure that nothing more lurked in the shadows. Then stood up, and started to take off his armguard while limping in the direction of his backpack. Something broke when he was smashed in the back, and his arm was bleeding profusely. He wasn¡¯t able to move his fingers and feared that the Phleya would hamper the recovery process, so he removed the whole part of the armor. After bandaging his arm, still high on the adrenaline, he decided to take a better look at the beast. The color slowly drained from the animal. A white lizard, visually similar to an Axolotl, but scaled up to the size of a medium-sized dinosaur. It had to weigh at least a ton; its head was as wide as his torso. It could have killed him easily if it wasn¡¯t so cautious. All it needed was to drop at him. But, again, it probably wasn¡¯t that intelligent. Even at level 84, it was bad at planning, it seemed. As he analyzed, his adrenaline levels dropped, and he started to feel pain. I hope my regeneration will allow me to use my arm soon¡­ he thought before degrading into a worm squirming on the ground from the pain it felt. At least I know how to prepare for those creatures now, were his last thoughts. =============================== Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck! he screamed internally. I was not prepared for THIS! he thought, running through the tunnels. The Myconids were slow, but showed up on every corner, evidently communicating in some way and trying to trap him. It was his third day underground, and he already regretted his decision of delving into them. They were immune to bombs, ignored the slashing damage, and just kept coming. Increasing his Power changed almost nothing after the milestone, so he kept pumping his points into the Regeneration, but his arm was still out of order. I need to hide! he thought, his panic increasing. ¡°Gru!¡± he exclaimed between heavy breaths. ¡°I am begging you¡­ Read my Soul memory¡­ And explain to me¡­ How the fuck that fucking lizard¡±¡ªhe took a pause to breathe¡ª"was able to hide from me!¡± ¡°Gruru?¡± it asked suspiciously. ¡°Use what you want, just¡±¡ªhe sucked more air¡ª¡°JUST DO IT!¡± he screamed. =============================== Zeph was sitting on a ledge. Deep in meditation. Every time a fungus got close to him, he slowly moved away. All his perception skills were used to their utmost maximum. He didn¡¯t sleep for five days. Or, at least, subjective five days. He had a feeling it was much longer. It was at least the 8th day in the caves. But he kept his ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ in overdrive to keep himself awake. He managed to somehow influence his Energy Enhancement to work with the Spell by adding Will-Mana to its fuel. He wasn¡¯t thinking about the consequences. He was trying to survive. His Will was at the end of the Severe depletion. His new ¡®Mana masking¡¯ Skill was of Lesser quality, but he could, at least, hide. Hide from the army before him. The Myconids weren¡¯t fast but were unrelenting. A whole community of the creatures kept him away from the exit, slowly scanning the environment. The exit was close, he could feel it in the fresh air. Yet, it was so far. He couldn¡¯t move through them, he couldn¡¯t attack them, he couldn¡¯t distract them. He couldn¡¯t escape. He was on his last ropes. I don¡¯t want to die here¡­ But¡­ What should I do? Then, something impossible happened.
Permission to disclose your location is required. Contracted individuals are nearby. In the case of granting permission, the average survival chances will rise from 0.2% to 96%. We recommend an unconditional permission, for your own safety.
Part of theI Interface (the Advanced Will statistics): Chapter 15 - Luggage? Language?... Laggage! Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.22 1793.10.16] The forest was quiet except for the low hum of the falling rain. The same as always, still like a picture. The multitude of colorful flora was enjoying the touch of the water, slowly conglomerating energy to multiply once again. A small disruption appeared on water aggregated by a cap of a concave mushroom. The waves started to appear on the surface, more regular with each second. It was increasing in intensity, creating more and more waves, until something¡ª ¡ªHer enclosed-in-stone shoe crushed another one of the Silent Killers as she bolted through the deadly forest. She leaped through the air with each step, speeding up still. The distance of each stride would make any of the Earth¡¯s horses jealous. Her friend was flipped through her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the other hand gripping her warhaxammer near the head. She was swinging it around to keep the balance while running. An enchanted lamp strapped to her belt showing the way. ¡°Slow down! I can¡¯t clear the air that fast!¡± he screamed in high pitch, trying in panic to safeguard the Mana construct with his hands behind her back. ¡°The stabilizing Spell is failing!¡± ¡°Just hold your breath and tap me when you manage to reconstruct!¡± she answered. ¡°We don¡¯t have time, he is surrounded!¡± she answered loudly, but slowed down a little. ¡°Surrounded?! By what?¡± It wasn¡¯t pleasant to be waked up and manhandled in the middle of the night, but only now a creeping fear struck in all its glory. ¡°The Myconids! There is a whole hive there!¡± she answered, grinning and checking again the System notification. ¡°Thank Gods,¡± he sighed, but then immediately hold his breath as the Spell failed. He blocked his mouth and nose with his hand and tapped her two times with the other to let her know. =============================== Zeph was looking at the alien forms moving around, admiring the versatility of movements they executed. Organs similar to eyes dotted their caps like colorful spots. Some even showed up on their stalks, which were always branching off at some height. Some near the cap, some near the bottom, but always consistent for each fungus. The number of branches was random, adding to the diversity of movements he observed. A strange conglomeration of different colors and shapes was mesmerizing. From the jellyfish-like to almost humanoid, they were moving in sync with each other, covering for each other. Like ants, he thought, trying to stay awake. The whole cavern¡¯s floor was filled with Mana-X. He had no chance to move through it. His ¡®Mana masking¡¯ was creating a condensed buffer of Air-Mana-O, transformed from Mana-Z, all around his Mana bubble. He was using a complicated movement pattern of small amounts of Air-Mana-Z to keep it intact. In a sense, it was a more advanced version of the Air bubble cantrip. A much more advanced version, he only managed it thanks to his experience with the AMc. Or rather, with moving Ambient Mana by using his Mana. But it could not be sustained in close proximity to Mana-X. He couldn¡¯t directly control it, while Mana-X and Mana-Z could and were controlled. Air-Mana-O would just be pushed away if two controlled Mana sources got too close. His ¡®invisibility cloak¡¯ would be squished away. He had a few ideas on how to improve it. He was also sure he didn¡¯t want to try them right now. He watched the mesmerizing movement of the hive like a nature documentary, trying to keep himself in a trance that kept him awake. He couldn¡¯t tell how much time passed after he blindly agreed to what the System proposed. He was just happy his ledge was high enough. The violet light produced by his Light Spell near the ceiling seemed to just blind the fungi. He had learned about that too late. It¡¯s only natural, he thought, still in the observation mindset. They live underground. Not much high-frequency light is present he¡­ his eyes didn¡¯t open after he blinked this time. His head bobbed down and he almost lost control of the ¡®Mana masking¡¯, alongside his consciousness. Keep it! he screamed internally, straining his eyes to not close again. He tried to do some advanced math in his mind this time, but his thoughts strayed just a second later. If only I could use it from the matrix¡­ maybe I could have slept for¡­ No! NO! Don¡¯t think about it! his bloodshot eyes opened wide once more. Black spots on the walls started to extend, abyssal arms reaching for his form¡ª He bit his tongue, hard, jerking up and almost screaming. Fuckii¡ªhe deeply breathed in, trying to send more oxygen to his brain¡ªiiing depriiivationnnnn¡­. It was torture. Especially because he couldn¡¯t communicate with Gru. The sound component was much more important than they have thought. And the fucking fungi learned to look out for the sounds. How can they even hear, he started to think, his eyes slowly closing once again, ignoring his mental commands. Black spots were filling his view. Before his head bobbed down again, he felt a fresh breeze on his face. This change immediately overloaded his brain and send him into an adrenaline rush, partially powered by his hallucinating mind. At the beginning, he couldn¡¯t find anything afoot. The only difference in the slow wind caressing his face. Then, the world paused. The Myconids stopped moving all at once. He wasn¡¯t sure if he just fell asleep, was dying and his eyes malfunctioned, or if it happened in reality; the view was that much inconceivable. After a few seconds, his doubts were dispelled, as the whole cavern moved in the direction of one of the tunnels. In hundreds they moved, creeping out of other caves to join the one-minded flood of bodies, funneling into this one pass. He couldn¡¯t hear anything besides the hum of squishy steps, but after a few minutes, he could smell smoke carried by the breeze. I hope whatever is happening there won¡¯t burn out all the oxygen¡­ we are in the caves for fuck¡¯s sake! his indignation for using improper methods in such a place pumped some more energy into his mind. It¡¯s good they are here, though¡­ He observed for a few more minutes. The smell slowly strengthened, until he started to hear distant explosions. They cascaded in an increasing frequency, and the flow in the cavern changed. The explosions stopped, but Myconids started to flee. The whole stream of creatures, now much less dense, reversed as one, dispersing deeper into the cave system. It lasted for maybe half a minute, then a blur moved from behind the last Myconids escaping the tunnel, flying above them. It landed horizontally on a huge one, breaking its stem in half but slowing enough to land on the ground, blocking some of the escapees. He couldn¡¯t see well from that distance, but decided to reconstruct the Spell to give off the white light instead, now that he wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. The Light Spell at the ceiling flickered for only a moment before brightening and illuminating the cave, restoring colors to the vicinity. He was accustomed to low light, so the change was enough for him to see what was happening at the ground level. The figure was still just a dark shape, except for the occasional ray of light reflecting from metal pieces. The person was wildly swinging a big weapon, something similar to a halberd, smashing and cutting the Myconids with ease. The short ones were smushed by the blunt part hitting the center of their caps, bigger ones had their stem cut off near the cap. The range of the weapon was impressive, especially when the person used it like a one-handed axe to cut in a circular motion. The movements weren¡¯t too fast, but that weapon should never be used with such speed and finesse. The fight didn¡¯t last long. another person showed up at the tunnel by the end, its form covered by a thick coat. The one fighting earlier rushed for another tunnel but stopped mid-step, as if remembering something, and started to look around. He could hear the distant voices. They were too quiet to understand, but he got the meaning. He scanned his surrounding once again, this time also visually, and started to construct Light above his head after making sure it was safe. After he finished, he started to wave his hand. But kept the Mana masking a little longer. Both of them looked up at him. There was a little more animated discussion, and the person on the back trotted ahead, stopping a few meters between him and the fighter. Zeph¡¯s hand slowly stopped moving, and he tilted his head in confusion. In the next moment, the fighter started to run in the direction of the second figure. Their stride longer with every step, drastically speeding up. Why are they trying to¡ª He wasn¡¯t able to finish the thought as the fighter leaped and bounced off of something near the cloaked figure. They jumped upwards, leaving behind an explosion of wind. It was almost 10 meters up, but she gracefully landed on his ledge. Surprised by the events, he gawked at her. She was tall, at least a head taller than him. Fire-red, almost orange hair fluttered around her face as she landed, escaping the heavy hood. She wore mostly skin-tight leathers, strengthened in strategic places with metal armor. Only now he comprehended how massive was her halberd. Alas, it wasn¡¯t a halberd at all. ¡°There you are!¡± she said in a melodic voice. It had a note of throatiness to it. ¡°Hello, I¡ª¡±he stopped, noticing he was speaking in English, like with Gru. His whole Interface was set to English, so he forgot, but he should be using another language here. The same one this woman just talked in. ¡°W-welcome,¡± he started awkwardly, not prepared to have to switch so suddenly. He never once tried to speak in Cir, so even though he should be fluent, it was hard to find the right words and tone. ¡°Thanks¡­ for your coming.¡± She smiled, placing a fist on her hip and scanning his sorry state with her eyes. ¡°Only one broken arm? Not bad for a rookie. Not bad at all,¡± she said, laughter in her tone. ¡°I had feared you would be quite badly mangled at this point.¡± The more he heard, the more his brain remembered. The language gears started to fall into place. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°You should work on sleeping more, though,¡± she stated, coming closer. In that moment, Gru sent a silent vibration. It would keep watch. It was hiding right now, so it will observe. Zeph¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t able to understand what it meant by ¡®hiding¡¯, or what it was ¡®hiding¡¯ from. He had gone too far and wasn¡¯t able to comprehend anything complicated. The relief from seeing the promised backup demolishing the hive made him unable to keep himself awake any longer. He lost consciousness where he sat. =============================== She looked as, almost like on cue, his body plopped to the side. Eh? Not so though, after all. Or he wasn¡¯t sleeping for the last week, she thought with mirth. Not wasting time, she flipped him over her shoulder and looked down. The cushion was ready, so she jumped. The air bubble decelerated her fall easily and she landed softly on the black rock. She stood up. The guy was heavier than she thought he would be, probably because of the bag on his back, but not enough to really tire her. ¡°Thank gods it¡¯s over,¡± her partner in crime said, slumping down. She noticed his mental state deteriorating, a typical side effect of abusing Willpower. ¡°Don¡¯t be so glad yet, chibi, the hive-center is still alive,¡± she said regardless. ¡°What?!¡± he perked up, irritated. ¡°Our objective is in our hands! Let¡¯s just leave this hellhole!¡± he hollered. ¡°And leave this juicy, half-dead hive for some local monsters to finish off?¡± she asked, raising her brow. She struck the shaft of her weapon vertically into the stone, cracking it slightly, to accentuate how stupid an idea that was. He jumped a little at that. ¡°Get a hold of yourself, you are under Intuition influence. Both of us will get at least a Standard level worth of Soul from finishing a hive of this size,¡± she continued. ¡°B-but,¡± he started nervously, looking around. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be dangerous for him?¡± he finally found a compelling argument, pointing at the unconscious newcomer. She sniggered. ¡°Yeah, sure. Let¡¯s go then, back to the mainland!¡± She exclaimed, exaggeratedly pointing to the exit with her arm. He started to smile, ¡°you go ahead, just remember to clear the air rigorously!¡± His smile immediately collapsed. He struggled a little with his own thoughts. With a half-smile on her face, she patiently waited for him to collect the missing pieces of his brain. This is a good tease material right here, she noticed. Finally, he answered. ¡°Right, right...¡± he slowly said. ¡°We need to camp here either way¡­ And I need a quick nap¡­¡± he concluded, looked around with dead eyes, and just laid here and there, between two dead Myconids. He was out before landing, his behind up in the air. She rolled her eyes, sighed deeply, and griped her weapon awkwardly with the already half-busy hand. Then she heaved the second flabby body to her other shoulder. And they say that men are the stronger half. What a charade. And then, I am degraded to a pack mule. They will pay for this disgrace, she bitterly thought, fire in her eyes, while moving ahead in the search of a good place for a campsite. =============================== The drag through the dark caves was scraping at his sanity. Black shapes formed periodically from the all-encompassing shadows. Sometimes he found an underground river, only to lose it a moment later. It continued chaotically until he started to hear a silently echoing song. But it was quite strange, the more he listened, the more irregular it was becoming. The melodic parts shattered by more guttural sounds. There was no melody, too. The more he concentrated, the more awareness he gained. It wasn¡¯t a song at all, it was speech. It was Cir language. He started to slowly wake up at that realization, the last remnants of his nightmare floating away. For the first time in months, his awareness was as shitty after waking up as it was on Earth. He slowly opened his eyes. Flickering light of a fireplace was reflecting from the black rock all around. Shadows of two people were painted on the wall. ¡°I feel like shit,¡± he said. In response, Gru sent him an amused emotion. He was silent otherwise. He could hear the discussion had stopped, and looked to the side. ¡°I told you it shouldn¡¯t take longer than three days. You owe me a gourmand feast,¡± said the woman in her rich voice, looking back at the cloaked figure. She was just like he remembered her, but now he noticed the symmetry of her face was a little off. The eyes were a little too big, her nose a little too petite. It was quite delicate and alluring, but sat at the very edge of the uncanny valley. It was hard to tell the color of her irises; they were almost white. ¡°I thought you got some brain damage along the way. It¡¯s not normal to sleep that long,¡± said the man in an uncharacteristically high voice, ignoring the woman¡¯s comment altogether. His green eyes bored into him. He shared the facial features of the woman, except for his square jaw and stubble forming into a goat beard. He was also a lot smaller and scrawny. ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you for the help, I was dying there from sleep deprivation¡­ And other things,¡± he greeted them. This time he found his words easily, it was like using an odd dialect. The language itself was strange. Parts were melodic, parts raw and guttural, parts plain and neutral. It sounds more like an effect of smashing together a few different languages¡­ Well, it is an ¡®universal¡¯¡­ he idly thought. He switched his mental gears to the Cir language in full. He would need to get used to it. He decided to change the language in his Interface later, too. While he was thinking, the woman stood up and came closer. She placed her hand on her chest, and made a small curtsy. ¡°Aisha Zora Toritalo Leilucia. Pleased to make your acquaintance,¡± she graciously said. ¡°And that is Makani Borre Tootalo Blackwind,¡± she spat out unpassionately, pointing at the man with her thumb. He almost sputtered at hearing the guy¡¯s name. It didn¡¯t make much sense after translating to English, of course, but there was a pun somewhere when trying to hear it like it was English. ¡°Hey! If you are going to be this sassy, you should just leave my introductions to myself!¡± he opposed. ¡°Zeph Einar, nice to meet you two,¡± he said, sitting up. He didn¡¯t want the bickering to continue. Zeph was lying on his overcoat, his backpack was nearby, alongside other stuff. He wanted to look around a little but found the silence after his introduction quite strange, so he looked at the pair. They stopped and were looking at him, as if waiting for something. Aisha even tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked after a moment of awkward silence. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how we name ourselves?¡± he said, confused. ¡°No, no,¡± Makani immediately denied, shaking his head. ¡°The third and fourth parts relate to your background, work, and society. Shouldn¡¯t you be fluent in our language? It should be quite natural to name yourself properly,¡± he exclaimed. Zeph thought for a moment. ¡°The learning process didn¡¯t have many cultural references, so it never came up. I think there is much to learn for me yet,¡° he said, remembering his first conclusions about the new language. Aisha plopped down, sitting cross-legged near him, and started to explain. Her pose reminded him of a teacher, especially the finger pointing in random directions. ¡°You can tell us later how your naming works, but for the sake of not causing trouble, you should remember how it works here. The first name is given by the System, a God, or a society leader. It bears the meaning of our life, or expectations towards it¡ª¡± Gods confirmed, he mechanically thought. Just great. ¡°¡ªThe second name we choose ourselves when coming of age, it represents the way of life or the philosophy of life that we choose. There are some suffixes to know who was your mother, but it isn¡¯t important right now. It¡¯s our official name, used in most normal interactions, but you should call the two of us by our first names, I will explain why later,¡± she paused, making sure Zeph understood everything. He nodded, and she continued. ¡°Third part is the name of your belonging in Laiu of the Cir language¡­ yes?¡± she paused when he lifted his hand. ¡°What do you mean Laiu?¡± He knew there were a few different spelling systems in Cir, but that name never showed up as far as he remembered. ¡°Cir language was created from at least seven old languages. As a result, most objects have more than one word to name them. Some of the unused words vanished, most doubles split up to mean something slightly different. Two major dialects are still in official use. Laiu is one of them, the second is Rui,¡± she said, and started speaking using only words from those two, to give him an example. In the meantime, Makani took out something from the fire, moved it to bowls, and passed one to everyone. Zeph¡¯s bowels did a good imitation of Gru at that, the smell was very tempting. Still listening to Aisha, he viciously attacked the food, to the mirth of the two. He understood the differences. Laiu sounded a little like Japanese, or maybe Chinese. Rui was much harsher; it had a lot of grunt sounds that were suddenly stopping. It was kind of similar to Scandinavian languages, in his mind at least. The main part of the Cir didn¡¯t have a name, but it was responsible for creating this melodic feel he got when listening to it. It played nice with the Laiu, but Rui kept interfering, similar to other remnants from the rest of the old languages. ¡°I think I get it,¡± he said finally, after making sure he was able to distinguish which words came from which dialect. This was important. Laiu was used in bureaucratic matters, Rui in technical descriptions. He would need to train more in choosing proper words. ¡°Good,¡± said Aisha. ¡°At least you are not an idiot.¡± She smirked. ¡°Heh, sure,¡± deadpanned the MSc in Bioengineering. ¡°But why are you even explaining it to me in such detail? Don¡¯t we have more important questions for each other?¡± He said giving back his bowl. Zeph, certainly, had a lot of questions. ¡°Because of many, many reasons, you should never disclose you came here from a System-less world. Or, for that matter, from any external world,¡± Makani said seriously and shocked Zeph a little with how much they knew. ¡°The first thing that is going to give you away is how you use our language.¡± ¡°You two are no fun,¡± she said, resigned. ¡°To the point from the beginning? I sympathize with your future life partners. Just make sure to make up for it with your endurance. Though, I don¡¯t bear high hopes for that either,¡± she continued, propping her head with a hand. The two looked at the strange lifeform beside them, then exchanged glances. Makani shrugged. ¡°We will, for sure, come to the topic of your thought process at some point, dear Zora,¡± he said looking at her. ¡°But maybe we should speed up a little? You know, because we destabilized the whole local ecosystem just a day before?¡± She rolled her eyes, but straightened once more. ¡°The third part of a name,¡± she started without preamble, sighing, ¡°describes your belonging, the official kind. The kind where you represent a group and their honour, as a member. It includes citizenship in the city, official lineage, company membership, etc. It is possible to be granted the right to use more than one title of this kind, but trying to list them all will just mark you as a pompous braggart. You need to use Laiu expression. The first part comes from a type of origin, the second is a talo suffix. If you are representing the group directly in an official affair, the suffix changes to taro. The fourth part is just the name of the group,¡± she finished, losing patience a little along the way. ¡°So, you are¡­¡± he started, trying to change the Laiu words for the standard Cir, to describe it. ¡°You are Aisha Zora ¡®of temple¡¯ Leilucia,¡± he said pointing at her. ¡°And he is Makani Borre ¡®of tower¡¯ Blackwind?¡± he asked. ¡°Close,¡± Makani smiled. ¡°I am Makani Bor ¡®from Re family¡¯ ¡®of tower¡¯ Blackwind. My mother¡¯s first name is Reisha,¡± he supplemented. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how the suffix works,¡± he said, understanding. ¡°But Aisha doesn¡¯t have it? And what of people that aren¡¯t a part of¡­ an organization?¡± ¡°I am an orphan,¡± she said blandly. ¡°As the third part you can give the name of your village, the closest city, job, specialization, Class, or any other thing really. Just don¡¯t use the Laiu expression, it¡¯s reserved for more official circumstances. Also, don¡¯t just give yourself a random name, your Soul will react strongly when you name yourself incorrectly¡­ Well, I will not preach on that, just know it¡¯s meaningful,¡± she shrugged, making the universal gesture of I-don¡¯t-care-anymore. Zeph stopped his wild imagination and thought for a moment. If naming himself with a random shit had side effects, he would rather do it right from the beginning. But he also wanted to have that part finished already to ask something more meaningful. I would rather not disclose my specialization or Class... But there is this one strange expression that I remember¡­ After not finding any theoretical problems with his idea, he asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I just be a tabitalo?¡± ¡°That is¡­ a strange one,¡± said Aisha, not refusing it outright. It was, practically speaking, a good one after all. On the other hand, Makani was deep in thought. She looked at him and decided to wait. The name was familiar, but her Memory failed her. Zeph read the mood and was silent for a few minutes, too. ¡°Oh, I got it!¡± exclaimed Makani, finally. ¡°It¡¯s an archaic form for a specialist who broke his ties to the past. Or a person on their life-pilgrim¡­ Or something like that. It sounds a little overbearing, but is grammatically and realistically correct in your case,¡± he summarized. ¡°Yes, ¡®the traveler¡¯ sounds overbearing, alright,¡± Aisha sniggered. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it at that, for now,¡± interrupted Zeph. ¡°I am more interested why do you want me to call you by your first names? I suppose it has something to do with you being contracted?¡± ¡°Indeed. Our first names are known publicly already, so you can use them to indicate we are in a personal business relationship,¡± said Aisha, standing up. ¡°As for the contract, we can discuss it along the way. Makani was right when he said we should start moving soon.¡± ¡°Oh, ok. Just give me a minute to check my¡­ Interface,¡± he finished, after finding the right word. She just shrugged and started to pack their things. Makani looked as if he wanted to ask something, but just shook his head and went to help Aisha. Zeph concentrated on his Interface. Ugh, so many changes¡­ he thought bitterly, seeing so much blue, but not reading anything really. It¡¯s a shame the Interface can only highlight what changed without giving numbers¡­ But what if¡­ He didn¡¯t want to generate a full report of the changes, most of them were non-essential and would just clutter the report to the point of a headache. But maybe I can generate a report for each panel separately? He tried, and surely, it worked. Now, that¡¯s what I would call a report!
Congratulations! Your [Class] [Force Generalist] [First] reset was successful! Congratulations! Your [Class] [Force Generalist] [Second] reset was successful! [Force Generalist] is now level 5! [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 24! ¡­
¡°What the fuck?!¡± he screamed in English. Chapter 16 - Before you go, I have something to say. No, you have to listen! Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.25 1793.10.19] ¡°Wassup?¡± Aisha asked, waking him up from his shock. He looked in her direction. Both paused the preparation and looked at him with mild worry. ¡°Ah, n-no, nothing. Just¡­ I have leveled up too much¡­¡± He decided to be truthful, as much as he could, at least. They already knew too much about him and were here to help. But he wasn¡¯t trusting enough to just give away all of his secrets at once. The two exchanged glances for a moment, before turning in silence to continue their work. He thanked them in his mind for not pressing the matter and concentrated on the report again.
Congratulations! Your [Class] [Force Generalist] [First] reset was successful! Congratulations! Your [Class] [Force Generalist] [Second] reset was successful! [Force Generalist] is now level 5! [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 24! Reset [Reimbursement] applied! You have earned 4716 [UP]! [Soul contamination] [Will, type: H1] increased to 6,35%! (+0,2%) You have 68 unallocated points. Congratulations! Two [Passive Enhancement] milestones achieved! You gained one [Energy Enhancement] from [Memory] milestone! You can choose one of three [Energy Enhancements] from [Greater Willpower] milestone!
Yes, definitely something happened while I was asleep. I wasn¡¯t checking the Interface that much after meeting the Myconids, but I was only nearing the first reset, he thought, trying to remember the details. From what he could piece together, he suddenly got at least 9 levels, possibly 10. It didn¡¯t match his previous calculations on leveling speed at all. Another thing to ask about¡­ A shame Gru is hiding right now, he continued his musings, while looking at his silent abdomen. He could now understand what he was hiding from; Aisha had some sort of advanced Soul perception. Gru decided to hide to keep an eye on them. At least my Will contamination increased from all that extreme exercise. But first things first. He looked at the three Energy enhancements from his Greater Willpower. ¡®Enhanced fortitude¡¯ seems like a standard one. ¡®[Experimental] Enhanced Mana manipulation¡¯ is probably the result of me using Will-powered skills all the time. It has the potential to directly strengthen my manipulation when using Willpower, mixing in some Will directly, but I don¡¯t like the ¡®Experimental¡¯ part. I wasn¡¯t the first to create the Will-powered techniques, seven more people from Earth woke up years before me¡­ Well, at least two that I know of. If they were using Greater Willpower for years, why is it still in the experimental stage? Or is it that nobody took the Enhancement? He thought about it for a moment, but the Interface didn¡¯t want to give him any statistics. He eyed the last option. After reading the description, he stopped worrying. Oh! Don¡¯t need to think anymore, this is just the thing I was looking for! ¡®Will shielding¡¯ it is! Let¡¯s see how it looks, he thought, opening the category in the Interface. OOOH! Past-life memory, there you are! I didn¡¯t have much hope for you, Memory milestone, but you have outdone yourself! I need to check it as soon as we are in a safe place. Oh, and maybe ask some questions. Ok, back to the main page. He looked again at his unspent points, unable to decide on the way ahead. He had enough to increase one of his physical PE to 50 and get another Energy Enhancement. But such an increase would be quite drastic. Instead of deliberating on the problem, he decided some help would be a better solution. ¡°Hey,¡± he called to the two. ¡°I have some points to spend, can I invest them safely before going? I would like to increase my Power and Regeneration,¡± he explained. Aisha stopped for a moment, while Makani started answering right away, not even looking at him. ¡°Eh, that small of a difference shouldn¡¯t ma¡ª¡± a smack to his shoulder shut him up. Aisha was now looking seriously at Zeph, her searching eyes made him uneasy a little. ¡°Can you tell me how much we are talking about?¡± ¡°Umm, more than 10¡­¡± he said, downgrading the issue to not clue at the Gru¡¯s Soul gathering method. ¡°After I met the Myconids, I didn¡¯t have much time to rest and didn¡¯t want to risk unbalancing myself. I have never spent the points from leveling up, and now, suddenly, I am yet a few levels ahead,¡± he explained further. ¡°Do you have those two above the milestone?¡± she continued. He could tell she was trying to not scare him by not asking for details. ¡°Power is above 10, Regeneration close to it.¡± Aisha smiled. ¡°Congratulations are in order, then. You not only managed to survive with a broken arm, but being much weaker than I have thought,¡± she said. Ye, my gun is what we should be thanking. The ammo is almost depleted, though¡­ Wait, what does she mean ¡®weaker¡¯? Is she able to¡­ no, better to just ask. ¡°Are you able to see my level of something?¡± he said bluntly. ¡°Meh, not really,¡± She said, waving her hand. ¡°I can tell you have around 8 Standard levels of Soul fragments on you. But as you probably know, this doesn¡¯t mean much,¡± she smirked, crossing her arms. This gave him a pause, but he gestured for her to continue, either way. He could ask about it later. ¡°We killed the Myconid hive¡¯s center yesterday. Only after that, you can gain the full extent of Soul fragments from your kills. That¡¯s the reason for the sudden levels. As for the points, you should rise them all to 10 as soon as possible, but don¡¯t use more than 2 at once before the milestone, and more than 15 after it. Besides that, we will explain them in more detail when the time comes, you don¡¯t have to spend them all right now¡± she explained. ¡°Or do you think us unreliable?¡± she asked with a crooked smile. ¡°For sure not,¡± he said, shaking his head while remembering their fight. ¡°I will do just that.¡± She nodded and started to pack things again. He increased his Flexibility by 2, Regeneration by 3, ignoring the new Perk notification, and Power by 13. The feeling this time was slightly different from the vertigo he got from increasing Power, but he still had to wait for a minute to acclimate. My capacity is finally coming along! he thought, looking at the changes. Then, he asked for a report on his Skills. They leveled up a lot, mostly because he had to innovate on the fly. After seeing it, he frowned and asked for another one, without the ¡®Congratulations!¡¯ part.
[Interface] is now [T1][L37]! (+34) [Tabu] is now [T1][L52]! (+32) [Universal Cir language] is now [T1][L90]! (+1) [Survival] is now [T1][L51]! (+17) [Spear (style: E2)] is now [T1][L92]! (+2) [Will] is now [T2][L56]! (+4) [Will manipulation] is now [T2][L57]! (+2) [W.P. Mana manipulation] is now [T2][L51]! (+2) [W.P. Soul perception] is now [T2][L49]! (+3) [Ambient Mana] is now [T1][L67]! (+14) [A. Mana channeling] is now [T1][L97]! (+9) [Mana perception] is now [T1][L78]! (+17) Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. [Mana rapture] is now [T1][L16]! (+8) NEW! [Mana masking] is now [T2][L3]! Conditions NOT met! [Will-powered Mana manipulation] is unable to unlock any [Advanced properties] by itself!
Ugh, I hoped for something good and instead, I got bullshit, he thought, looking at the last line. I also paid dearly for Gru¡¯s reading my memories directly. Tabu is too high for my liking, he thought, looking at the Interface. Finished with checking major changes, he stood up, secured his overcoat, and helped the two in their task. He lamented at the loss of his spear during Myconids¡¯ pursuit, but it served him proudly to the end. He would remember it. They finished five minutes later, and Aisha called them together to give instructions. ¡°All right, my fellas. No speaking when in the caves. We have a sound barrier here, but Makani will need all the mental strength he has later, so there is no need to abuse him without reason. We have already met a few young Axotilian today. Adults shouldn¡¯t be far behind. Let¡¯s not advertise our position,¡± she started. ¡°You just killed hundreds of Myconids, and now you are scared of a few lonely hunters?¡± asked Zeph in confusion. ¡°We are uniquely compatible with Myconids, especially Makani, that¡¯s why I took him with me,¡± she said, indicating the guy. ¡°Yes, they use spores to fill animal lungs with toxin-producing parasitic mushrooms. It¡¯s easy to counter with any Air Spell, and you can even use it against them,¡± he pointed at Aisha, ¡°by setting the spores on fire in an air-controlled environment. Dust explosions don¡¯t play nice with the shrooms. But getting to the point. Actually, you were poisoned. Thankfully, the symptoms subsided quite quickly,¡± he explained. ¡°What?!¡± he exclaimed. I mean¡­ Gru increases my toxin resistance and no parasite can even start to compete with him, but is it to the point that I can¡¯t even notice the foreign body? He had more luck than he had thought. He wasn¡¯t able to read much on Myconids from his General Skill, it was high-level knowledge. Maybe my enhanced immunity system helped too? But something doesn¡¯t seem right here¡­ he stopped his contemplation and looked back at the two. They were waiting for him to elaborate. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice at all. Shouldn¡¯t I be able to Soul-detect something like a parasite entering my body,¡± he definitely could feel Gru inside, ¡°and why wasn¡¯t I coughing at all?¡± ¡°Eh, the air in your lungs is not a part of your body, same with the contents of your intestines,¡± Aisha shrugged. ¡°And you didn¡¯t inhale that much¡ª¡± Huh, was ¡®Mana masking¡¯ shielding me to some extent? ¡°¡ªwe didn¡¯t have to apply the medicine. Anyway, Axotilians are very hard to detect. Moreover, they are stalkers. They would wait until we are in a brawl with something else and strike at the worst moment, or create a hunting group to take us out.¡± ¡°Indeed, I can only detect them after analyzing air movements. It takes a lot of time for my Spells to do that,¡± Makani added. ¡°It¡¯s good you managed to bypass that part of the mountain, but you wouldn¡¯t be an attractive prey for them, anyway.¡± What? ¡°Um, I am not sure what you are talking about. I killed at least 30 in two days. They were cautious, but always followed¡­ Also, I have two Spells that can easily show their positions¡­¡± he said, getting quieter with each word as he looked at their shocked expressions. The big eyes of theirs were wide, making them look almost comically. After a moment, Aisha grinned and Makani started to massage his temples. ¡°Ha! Marvelous! You did splendidly,¡± she said in a laughing voice and slammed him in the back. ¡°You need to tell us everything! As soon as we are outside!¡± she started laughing harder and harder. Meanwhile, Makani was mumbling to himself like a person on the verge of his sanity. But after catching Zeph¡¯s worried expression, he straightened and coughed. ¡°Yes, sorry¡­ But Zeph, this doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­ They are cloaking themselves in Ambient Magicules. Even at tier 3, there is no Spell allowing to detect that remotely. Not to mention you don¡¯t seem strong enough to fight them, be it in melee or with Matrices¡­ But the only reason¡­¡± he started mumbling again. ¡°Well, I used Mana Highlight¡­¡± he said, surprised by their reactions. Thankfully, Aisha¡¯s laughter started to putter out. ¡°What?! You are a Shaman? Shouldn¡¯t that Spell charge for minutes?¡± he asked, clearly worked up. Well, it seems like that ship sailed already¡­ ¡°N-no, it¡¯s my Profession. I managed to decrease the time to around 40 seconds. I can also manually construct a second one when the Matrix one is charg¡ª¡± ¡°You can construct it?!¡± he exclaimed, grabbing his head with both hands. Aisha¡¯s laughter was back in full strength. ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Zeph decided to change the topic a little. ¡°Well, anyway¡­ The light Spell that I made from it works much faster, but it¡¯s rang¡ª¡± ¡°You modified it!¡± he screamed, going down on his knees and looking upwards. Aisha was howling, holding her belly, and almost falling to the ground. ¡°Okay, guys! What¡¯s all this about?!¡± he shouted in a gruff voice, irritated. This was getting ridiculous. He had to wait for them to get themselves together, though. Makani just sat there, holding his legs close to his chest and looking as gloomy as the environment; his empty eyes gazing into infinity. Aisha was trying to stand up from the floor, still giggling. She managed to keep herself upwards only by leaning on her weapon. ¡°Haaaa,¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°haha¡­ Well, Zeph,¡± she started, wiping a stray tear from her eye, ¡°you are here¡­ how long? Five months?¡± she giggled again. ¡°Poor Makani had to spend five years learning how to construct his first tier 1 spell. Successfully modifying one would mean he advanced from Practitioner to Specialist. Also, because you were attacked so vigorously,¡± she smirked at that, ¡°means that you have at least 10% of Soul contamination of a meaningful Group,¡± her grin extended even more. ¡°It took me 30 years of hard work to get my 10% and kept it up until I had enough Universal Points to modify my body for the first time, and finally be able to level up again.¡± Shit, he summarized. ¡°Ok, ye, I will tell you more after you explain to me this ¡®Contracted¡¯ business, so keep your horses. But how can the animals tell I have Soul contamination if even we can¡¯t check from a distance what is the Elemental¡­ No, the Magicule composition of Mana around? And how the fuck,¡± he cursed in English, ¡°was I supposed to descend that fucking mountain anyway? Makani sounded like I should have taken another route?¡± ¡°Instead of ¡®Enhanced empathy¡¯ at the Intuition¡¯s second milestone, animals are given ¡®Primitive targeting instinct¡¯. It allows them to assess the Soul of prey in the range. Nothing concrete, but enough to see that much of a contamination. It helps with their development, you see. A ¡®Soul Specialist¡¯ can probably do that much better at level 1, but that specialization has its own cons,¡± she explained, poking at Makani with the shaft of her weapon. ¡°We were expecting you to use the stairs to get near the clouds, and bypass them by going into the caves. The Talpa shouldn¡¯t be overly aggressive towards you, similar to other beasts. They are wary of new adversaries; you can understand why, I believe. They only attack unknown species when there is a clear gain to be had,¡± she finished, managing to knock Makani¡¯s husk over and smirking at that. Zeph was massaging his temples now. This fucking¡­ Couldn¡¯t I get this information BEFORE finishing preparations in the mental space?! The System is fucking with me! That also reminded him of an important fact. ¡°And what happened to the Information Protection Policy? Stupid System. Contracted or not, how do they know so much, including on which mountain they can find me? Am I the only one you''re abusing for points?¡± He complained quietly between clenched teeth.
You were not a part of the System at the time. And no, interested Gods paid an appropriate price for this information.
He jumped at the sudden notification. ¡°What are YOU doing here?! Wait, don¡¯t tell me you were observing me the whole time!¡± he said in indignation, remembering the Well-informed Trait was there all this time.
Like we have resources to waste on watching your boring life. We can just read [Interface] reports of your progress. Dear customer, we are here to make sure the [Contract] was fulfilled appropriately.
¡°Wow,¡± exclaimed Aisha. ¡°If I didn¡¯t see this happening, I wouldn¡¯t believe it,¡± she said, looking at nothing, probably reading the message. ¡°Hello, System Onji,¡± she said, waving her hand. ¡°How is your Godhood doing in these tiring times?¡± she finished with a smile. Makani was frozen on the floor, looking straight ahead in silence.
Aisha Zora Toritalo Leilucia, mission leader. What is the meaning of this small unit? You were to make sure he will live until the closest city, yet you don¡¯t possess the means to even ascend the mountain.
She rolled her eyes. ¡°Why all managers are that harsh for the low-level personnel?¡± she complained, crossing her arms. Then, she just shrugged, looking at the notification again. ¡°Why are you asking me? I have spent most of my savings on this mission, you know? Ask Leilucia, she sent me here, ignoring the rest of her church altogether. I heard nothing about scaling the mountain. Besides, why are you even dissatisfied? He is alive and zestful,¡± she continued, pointing at him with a hand. ¡°That surely fulfills the Contract,¡± she finished, unconcerned.
¡­
¡°Oi,¡± Zeph finally cut in. Both Aisha and¡­ the notification looked in his direction. ¡°System! Would it hurt you to explain to me how to get to the civilization safely?! You didn¡¯t give me any information about my surroundings! How did you expect me to survive?!¡± he grumbled, working himself up until he finished with a shout.
We didn¡¯t expect you to survive the travel yourself. That¡¯s why we [Contracted] a third side. Similar to what we did for the rest of your people.
Zeph¡¯s anger started to evaporate at that. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you send your believers or something? Or, at least, oversee the proceedings?¡±
We have a hard neutrality policy. Also, your life is not worth that many resources. But we did what we could. For free. You.Are.Welcome!
Zeph fell silent after that, resigned. He abandoned any thoughts of complaining further to this moneygrubber, cursing it in his thoughts.
Compliment accepted. Now, Miss Zora. After analyzing the situation, we have found an optimal solution. You should issue an official complaint alongside ours. The intended purpose of the [Contract] was not fulfilled. We will make sure you receive an appropriate recompensation.
¡°Ugh, can we talk about this bureaucratic nonsense after we leave the caves, your Grayness?¡± she complained. During their conversation, Zeph received a second notification. Unlike the previous message, this one was evidently directed only to him.
We strongly recommend you share the details of your Interface and circumstances with the [Contracted] individuals. Any action that would cause harm to you bear a heavy penalty. They are the safest option for you to interact with, as was intended.
Sure, sure. ¡°Like I can believe that, or you for that matter,¡± he silently answered.
Don¡¯t be so headstrong. We included [Insurance program] to make sure their stray actions won¡¯t escalate in any meaningful way. They are at the risk of having their Souls fragmented.
We didn¡¯t even manage to leave the caverns and there already are decisions to make¡­ haaaaa, he sighed mentally. What a mess.
Interface is back!!! I didn''t set it on blue, because EVERYTHING changed: Chapter 17 - "Useless" they said... Should I deal the finishing blow? Flattened mountains [an unknown location in the new world], local time [1793.10.26 1793.10.20] He decided to just plunge in. If the consequences are that serious, then maybe it¡¯s worth it. I need information, badly. Even the ¡®normal¡¯ things I say are giving me away. ¡°Okay, okay. I will do that,¡± Zeph answered to the notification, sending his resolution to Gru. He decided to hide for some time still, but understood these humans were safe to interact with. The debate between Aisha and the System lasted for a minute longer. The System gave her some pointers on what to think about before hammering out the details. Zeph just sat near the human¡¯s husk, waiting in silence. Finally, she breathed deeply and looked in their direction. The System group messages disappeared. ¡°Makani, how long are you going to play dead?¡± she asked. ¡°We need to proceed; we wasted enough time. Change of plans, Zeph will use his Highlighting Spells along the way¡ª¡± she sighed again, and gesticulated to him to go ahead. Zeph lowered his hand, and explained, ¡°As I said, the original Spell takes long to charge, and the Light is short-range, 10 meters maximum for the Mana transforming property.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°That should be plenty?¡± she asked, confused. ¡°Well, if you want to wait for me whenever I would need to reconstruct another one¡­¡± tentatively answered Zeph. Makani perked at that and looked in his direction. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to move them?¡± he said with hope in his voice. ¡°You can move them?¡± resounded Zeph¡¯s clever answer. In one uncanny roll, Makani got to his feet. After catching his balance, he straightened and stood proudly before Zeph. Aisha was making an amused face in the background. ¡°Of course! You are self-taught! It¡¯s natural you don¡¯t know the basics. Yes, yes, that makes sense!¡± he stated, only to become thoughtful a moment later. ¡°Probably makes sense¡­ You should have the Stabilizing Spell in your CSM list? It should be accessible to every Class specializing in Spells,¡± he concluded, confused. ¡°I can¡¯t use most of my Skills. Only after my latest upgrades, I got to 48 Mana capacity. And, well, I only have 7 Matrix space until I finish resetting my Class levels¡­ Umm, how costly is that Spell, again?¡± he explained, going by the System¡¯s advice to be more open with information. They blinked and looked at each other. ¡°I am starting to understand why System was dissatisfied that much,¡± Makani said. ¡°No kidding. If I knew he had it that hard, I would apologize first and then hide my first name from him¡­¡± Aisha said. ¡°Hey, can you stop ignoring me and explain?¡± he said, making a sour face. ¡°My poor outlandish, ingenious human,¡± started Aisha, lightly patting him on the back. ¡°We are born with Mana capacity of at least 50, even the weakest adult has 100 before investing in PE.¡± ¡°Well¡­ That explains a lot, actually,¡± Zeph answered slowly. They both solemnly nodded in understanding. ¡°The Tier 1 Matrix Stabilizing Spell requires 50 Mana at the start, and has upkeep depending on the environment¡­ Allow me to assist, then. It will be Mana-wasteful but should work if I only use one more Matrix Spell at the same time,¡± Makani offered. ¡°Also, we will need to discuss your level resets. But let¡¯s relocate first, I am counting on you two,¡± she said, moving in the direction of the exit. They nodded and followed right after her. Their cave had only one entrance and was quite small, all things considered. They walked close behind Aisha as she navigated the tunnels without hesitation. The coordinated Light Spells failed at the beginning, but Zeph quickly adapted his Mana-flow to the Makani¡¯s construct, shocking him a little again. By using this method, they were even able to start charging or constructing Mana Highlight while on the move and without disrupting the Light. They found seven more Axotilians along the way, all of them were adults. Aisha didn¡¯t have any problems dealing with them. The Mana Highlight didn¡¯t last long, so after getting close to the enemy position, she would break two of their legs in one swing during the one second of the next Highlight. After that, they just moved the Light close enough for her to see where to hit. Axotilians couldn¡¯t bite her as she always continued her attacks from the back, and the first attack usually was a charge. Their tails didn¡¯t do much damage to her, she was able to withstand them relatively easily. Makani was countering their offensive Air Skills and helping Aisha to jump at the ones high on the walls. The ceiling was, for most of the time, out of range, though. Aisha kept two massive tails from the kills. ¡®Long-lasting¡¯ rations, she called them. It was only slightly disgusting when she played with them along the way, trying to squeeze the blood out. They traveled for a few hours, to Zeph¡¯s surprise. It was a silent hike for the whole time as they strained their senses in the dim light. Black caves were stretching out further and further. Gigantic rock formations were creating a multitude of possible passages, it certainly looked different from the waterways Zeph was using. Within the restricted illumination, coming from his Spell and Aisha¡¯s enchanted lamp, the cave system gave him vibes of an abandoned dwarven dwelling. Not every shadow was a bottomless chasm, and the ceiling certainly wasn¡¯t hundreds of meters high, but the overbearing darkness was playing with his senses. With each kill, he could feel his Class and Profession coming closer to the threshold of leveling up. At the same time, with each kill, he felt less and less secure. The dread was real, within these caves filled with assassin-like enemies. Finally, they made it to the chamber where they have met. The bodies of Myconids were still here. Evidently, nothing in the vicinity wanted to consume them. The exit tunnel was longer than he anticipated. They had to walk for almost half a kilometer before a weak light from the outside could be noticed. Along the way, he could see the marks left by explosions and fragments of enormous fungi that coated the floor. Makani started to clear the air around them, pushing all particulates away with a channeled Spell. The first emotions Zeph felt after surfacing were an overwhelming relief and a deep sense of wonder. The forest was dark, only scraps of teal light were able to make it under the canopy. The wet bark of bare trees was almost black, contrasting strongly with the blueish reflections and the colorful underbrush. Some of the mushrooms on the ground gave away a weak fluorescent light. Miniature ferns in a multitude of shapes adorned the trunks of trees, some mixing between the colonies of fungi on the ground. Weak blue light danced on the shapes moved by huge water drops falling from the leaves above. They sparkled when falling down as well, adding to the light-show. It was mesmerizing. Even if objectively it should be gloomy as hell, the fresh scent of the forest and rain, the reflecting lights, no matter how weak, and the alien landscape entranced him. He was outside. He was finally free. Free, resonated his whole being in a moment of elation, of happiness. Free, Gru joined with a resonance of its own, vibrating slightly. They stayed in place, basking in the feeling together, resonating, vibrating, absorbing the¡ª ¡°Is it normal for your race to purr when happy?¡± Aisha asked seriously. And the moment immediately passed away. Not without reverberations, though.
Congratulations! You have gained 1 [Greater Willpower]! You have gained 0.5% [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination]! [Will contamination] is now [T1][L55]. (+5)
Zeph felt deflated a little and slouched forward, but kept his face neutral when looking at her. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You just had to interrupt me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh? Were you doing something important?¡± she asked in a half-joke. He sighed. ¡°I will explain it later. Anyway, I wasn¡¯t purring, that was just my Soul-bond. Gru,¡± he said, pointing at his abdomen. It vibrated in resigned affirmation, and Aisha¡¯s eyes got wide. She was fighting for a moment to find some words, opening and closing her mouth. ¡°Well,¡± she said finally. ¡°THAT IS definitely unexpected.¡± ¡°Hm? What is?¡± Makani joined the conversation after strengthening his Spell. ¡°He has a Soul-bond inside his chest. And it could hide from me,¡± she said with incredulity, sounding almost offended. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s your turn to get wrecked then, good luck,¡± he answered, tapping her on the arm. She glared at the traitor for a moment. ¡°Whatever. Zeph, do not leave our vicinity. You remember the Myconids¡¯ spores?¡± she asked, indicating with her hand the underbrush around. ¡°There are the results. We are relatively safe as long as we clear the air. Nothing besides flora can live here. I hope you understand now why we had to be Contracted. I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive two days in such an environment without him,¡± she said, indicating her partner. He certainly could understand. If hundreds of Myconids were producing spores every odd day, some definitely would find their way into the forest. The environment here was perfect for fungi, too. Which meant the whole forest was filled with deadly, parasitic mushrooms, producing toxins and their own spores. He shivered at that realization. ¡°I understand, but what do you mean by ¡®relative¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°These mountains are under constant surveillance after five people from your world were intercepted by a few religious groups. It has taken place some years ago, but I am sure someone noticed us and would like to know the reason for this excursion,¡± she explained calmly. ¡°We don¡¯t want to clue at your origins, so we prepared a backstory. I certainly hope you are good at playing roles,¡± she finished, grinning in his direction. Ugh, just great. I hate to act in real life¡­ he complained internally. But only five people were intercepted? That is quite interesting, he mused, thinking about Alana and Alex. ¡°I have some questions, now that we are outside,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± she asked philosophically. ¡°I need time to reflect on Onji¡¯s suggestion. Go on and talk with Makani about the sorcery arts or something,¡± she said looking at the guy. Makani was in the process of adjusting the Spell, again, concentrating to the point of ignoring them. That could be Zeph¡¯s imagination, but he also looked a little pale. ¡°Well¡­¡± she reconsidered. ¡°Or wait for that until we set up a camp. Yes, you definitely should hold back until then,¡± she decided, nodding to herself. He frowned, but their safety had to come first. That rule was engraved deeply in his mind. ¡°Sure. Can I help somehow?¡± he asked instead of arguing. ¡°If only every person was this reasonable,¡± she muttered, looking down to the ground for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± she shrugged, straightening up. ¡°We just need to find our clearing. Our water supply depends on it.¡± ¡°Ummm, I can condense some water if you have an open container? Ah! No, no need for one, I can just use my canteen,¡± he finished after remembering this minor fact. She looked at him in a new light. She excitedly walked closer and clapped her hands together after moving her weapon under an armpit. ¡°Perfect! You are my savior,¡± she exclaimed, smiling sweetly and creeping him out. ¡°We can look for a dry place for once! Let¡¯s go!¡± she shouted the last words, grabbing Makani by the shoulders and directing him away from the tunnel. Zeph looked after them, puzzled. Why Makani doesn¡¯t have something like a ¡®Water condense¡¯? He should have the Matrix? he wondered, unsure. Then remembered Aisha¡¯s warning and trotted to keep up. They were meandering around colonies of certain mushrooms, Aisha warning him to not touch them without dedicated protection. As she explained, her boots were enchanted to counter such hazards, but he and Makani were at risk of losing a leg because of the lacking gear. The matured versions of certain parasitic mushrooms were extremely toxic. The need for constant concentration in this gloomy environment quickly erased Zeph¡¯s fascination, grounding him in reality. It seemed they exited the mountain in the morning because the slow travel lasted for hours on end. Aisha categorically declined the possibility of carrying them. It would smash her pride as the Warrior Priestess, which she didn¡¯t fail to point out by hitting the ground with the back of the shaft of her weapon, splashing a copious amount of mud on herself in the process. Zeph could not argue with that, for many more or less serious reasons. They didn¡¯t talk much. The silent environment enhanced the eerie mood even more. Both guys in the group were soaked, which doused any fervor for discussion they had, but Zeph was mightily surprised when steam started to come off of Aisha during their trek. Later, she explained to him that after achieving around 10% of one type of contamination, the density of Magicules would be enough to influence the environment. At least in this Ambient Mana density. And she had much more than just 10% at this point of her life. She had some sort of energy-heat Group, created by volcanic dust clouds, but wasn¡¯t able to explain much more about it. He would have to analyze the Magicules directly and compare the Group to what he has learned in the mental space. Alas, it wasn¡¯t that easy to do at all. After at least four hours, they found the camp in the clearing. Because there were no beasts in the forest, the pair could just leave all the gear as it was and charge to Zeph¡¯s rescue immediately. They didn''t have much besides camping gear and some supplies, though. As they traveled, an orange sun slowly descended from above the cloud line, illuminating the forest in a mesmerizing light-show and resurrecting Zeph¡¯s wonderment. The mushrooms¡¯ fluorescence increased in intensity, miniature rainbows flickering in places where water sprayed freely. Aisha had to almost manhandle him to keep him on track. They managed to travel to the next mountain before sunset, but it took them two more hours to find a shallow cave in a low cliffside. The ground was wet still, but Aisha dried the rocks at the back, using the Magicules produced by her Soul contamination. After Makani set the air barrier at the entrance, they started preparing the camp inside. Aisha¡¯s Profession had a Matrix Skill that sped up the process of drying the wood, which was the only reason they could start a fire at all. She was, to his great surprise, a Housemother in Profession. Makani was an Aeroplanner. Both chose their Professions to strengthen their Classes in the future, after the level 100 specialization. They also kept them close to their Class level, because the increase in Matrix space wasn¡¯t that important for them. What a strange bunch, Zeph thought idly while working on their camp. My Profession is filling the holes left by my Class¡­ Are they trying to min-max or something? That shouldn¡¯t end well, in theory at least¡­ But I don¡¯t have enough information to really ascertain that. Their clothes were drenched, but Aisha ignored it completely, still releasing copious amounts of steam around herself. The guys had to set the clothes on a rope placed between the campfire and the entrance. This arrangement allowed for more warm air to stay in the cave while the smoke from the fireplace was lazily slithering along the ceiling just to fly outside, partially directed by the ¡®Air¡¯ specialist of their team. Thankfully, there was no wind at all to disrupt the setting. Zeph would have to impregnate his leathers after that, but he crafted them well enough to be sure no damage was done by the water. The increased humidity from all the vaporizing practices in the cave sped up the condensation process tremendously. They had enough of an instant, toxin-free water to even clean themselves. The water on Zeph¡¯s armor was quickly assimilated by the Phleya when he wasn¡¯t looking. The cold metal still made him shiver when he was putting it on, though. After they finished their midnight ablutions, only Makani stayed almost naked, sitting under a dry coat and trying to warm up. After every one of them got a cup of a hot soup made from fresh meat of an Axotilian and some dried fruits, they all finally relaxed, cuddling near the campfire. The warm air combined with the sounds of the rain and crackling firewood formed a homely atmosphere. The fire¡¯s flickering light filled the cave, and the cozy setting soothed Zeph¡¯s mind like nothing before. ¡°Haaaaa,¡± Aisha sighed loudly after taking the last deep sip from her bowl of hot soup. ¡°I would rather revel in this luxurious treatment and drink something more energizing afterward, but I need to speak with the Onji,¡± she said, looking at them. ¡°I can¡¯t postpone the inevitable. Makani, beat into him some common sense. I will be reading directly from the Interface, so do not disrupt me,¡± she said, moving to the back of the cave and sitting cross-legged on hard stone. They nodded and sat there in silence for some time still, absorbing the warmth from around them. ¡°So,¡± Zeph started, ¡°how is it possible you don¡¯t have ¡®Water condense¡¯ Spell or an equivalent?¡± Makani was thoughtful while looking at the ceiling. After a lazy moment, he glanced at Zeph. ¡°Considering the nature of your question, you had Tier 1 Spells on your Matrix list from the start?¡± he asked, sipping the soup. ¡°Yes. Well, not this one, but a much better ¡®Water liquefy¡¯ was among them. They all are too costly for my Mana capacity, though. I had to re-create the ¡®Water condense¡¯ from the Tier 0 Spell,¡± he answered, looking at the fire. ¡°So, you have a high-spec Class of some kind,¡± summarized Makani. ¡°Well, or a Generalist, but that would be¡­¡± he slowly quieted down and suddenly turned his head to look at Zeph with narrowed eyes. He had question marks written all over his face. ¡°I am giving too much information unintentionally, don¡¯t I?¡± said Zeph with a rueful smile. ¡°I am, indeed, a Generalist. A Force Generalist,¡± he added. Makani looked at him like he was crazy, then just started to massage his own temples. ¡°Never heard about that variant¡­ Generalist should be the shittiest option, so I didn¡¯t learn much. But I know too little about you to judge,¡± he confessed unabashedly, giving up after a moment. ¡°You may be clueless, but isn¡¯t it natural? It¡¯s just that you¡­¡± he stopped himself, shaking his head. ¡°Never mind,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Shittiest how?¡± asked Zeph, concerned a little. ¡°I will need to explain other things before you truly understand, but I can give a short version?¡± Makani asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He nodded, a little reluctantly. ¡°Okay then. There are only a few Class types that give access to the Tier 1 Spells from the very beginning, all of them are lacking in the Passive Enhancements territory.¡± He sipped some more of his steaming soup, thinking about something and relaxing a little. ¡°Two sub-specialization opportunities exist on the way to level 100. Problem is, if you are not developing your Class in its intended direction, it will mutate at those points. In the case of high-spec Classes, like Generalist, they will downgrade. If that happens, it means you just wasted a LOT of time for a few additional Passive Enhancements and nothing more... And the Generalist requires the mastering of many Magicule Groups and multi-Magicule Spells. Normally, people would either degrade to a Mana Manipulator with one or two Groups, or train for long years only to end up as a subpar or straight-out useless Spellwielder with a few weak utility Spells. It¡¯s unreasonable to the point that achieving level 100 is a pipe dream, no one can do that. People just start with Mana Manipulator, or its variants, and go from there, not the other way around,¡± he finished, becoming gloomier by every word he said. ¡°This should be useless. You should be useless. Then, HOW?¡± he finished with a broken voice, looking to the ceiling as if calling for the Gods to explain and fix this hole in reality. Oh dear, thought Zeph nervously, knowing that Makani was referring to his collection of Spells. I am not sure if my explanation will help, or deliver the finishing blow here¡­
Interface: Chapter 18 - Midnight conversations are quite illuminating. Torrent mountain range, local time [1793.10.21] ¡°Can we wait with my explanations until Aisha finishes? I would rather not repeat myself¡­¡± proposed Zeph. I would rather not be the lone witness in case of your breakdown, too, he added in his mind. Makani looked at him with slightly crazed eyes for a moment longer, before deflating and turning back to the fire. ¡°I should have brought my own alcohol,¡± he lamented. ¡°I am not sure if it¡¯s possible to listen to you while sober.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. I think you overlooked a few details, like the fact that we are of totally different races. I may be a Human, but my physiology is totally different, I already checked that,¡± Zeph consoled him. ¡°Grrrrau!¡± it mindfully added. That seemed to placate him a little. Zeph could see some curiosity replacing the confusion in his eyes, so he decided to bother him some more. ¡°Can you answer a few questions of mine when we wait? I am quite clueless about the world¡­ Also, can I increase my Flexibility up to 10, now that we aren¡¯t on the move?¡± he asked. Makani nodded. ¡°Just wait a minute between each point, and don¡¯t try to stretch or move too much until the auto-training finishes. Ask away, it could take some time for her to come back,¡± he agreed. ¡°So, where are we exactly?¡± he asked while placing the first point into Flexibility. Makani¡¯s face scrunched. ¡°Right, we forgot the basics. This is the Torrent mountain range. It¡¯s a neutral land, abandoned because the environment won¡¯t allow anything to live here. Above the cloud line, Mana density is too unstable to support any fauna. Below, the parasitic mushrooms dominated the ecosystem. It¡¯s a wasteland, basically. Probably an effect of some mass-scale experiment of one ancient civilization or the other, too, because the Mana currents in this place aren¡¯t behaving normally at all. We are traveling west, to the Fuminao Legacy Kingdom, a very easygoing and tolerant place. By the way, today should be the 21st day of October, 1793,¡± he explained. ¡°Huh? It doesn¡¯t really¡­ Wait, how are counting days here?¡± Zeph said, realizing the Earth¡¯s date system should be useless here. ¡°A week has 8 days. Four weeks make a month. Twelve months make a year. There are 384 days in the year, plus around 40 hours of festivities. The years are counted from the System Onji appearance,¡± he patiently elaborated. That would explain the discrepancy with my calculations¡­ But that would mean¡­ ¡°Is this a frontier world or something? The System doesn¡¯t seem to be here for long.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°How could I know? The whole Gate business is not accessible on lower altitudes.¡± Low altitudes?... No, it¡¯s not important right now. ¡°So, I didn¡¯t really understand what you said. In case of my Class downgrading, I would have wasted my time for a few PE points? How so? You have said yourself that such Classes give less PE?¡± Makani sighed deeply. ¡°Time for more complicated things, it seems,¡± he said, composing himself. ¡°The Starting Classes can give you access to Matrices of Tier 2 at best. Having Tier 1 Skills? It is considered a high-spec Class already. And any high-spec Class will require level resets¡­¡± he mulled some more on what to say. ¡°Right, you probably don¡¯t know what that entails either. Each reset will increase your¡­ how to say it? The foundation of your Soul?¡± he half-asked, half-stated while looking at him. Zeph just shrugged. ¡°I already discovered that other organisms have seemingly ¡®smaller¡¯ Souls. I can also see what you are trying to explain. After Gru¡¯s levels were reset,¡± he indicated his torso with a thumb, ¡°he started to take in more Soul fragments, just to keep the same leveling speed as me. Probably. That should mean the reset increased the size of his Soulbase, it was just my theory, though,¡± he described using a Rui word. ¡°Yep, that exactly,¡± Makani confirmed, snapping his fingers. ¡°The PE points from resets will stay with you, but unlocked Matrices and upgrades will change alongside the downgrade. You will have to construct them manually to unlock them again, which should be an impossible task on lower levels¡­¡± He paused here for a moment, but quickly recovered. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant by additional PE.¡± Zeph casually nodded at that. He could construct his Spells, alright. ¡°The real problem for normal people is in the resets themselves, though,¡± he continued. ¡°When your conglomerated Soul fragments add up to the same ¡®size¡¯ as your Soulbase, you advance to level 2. Triple the amount, and you¡¯re level 3. It continues that way until level 100, linearly. However, it was proved impossible to unambiguously measure a ¡®size¡¯ of a Soul, you can only compare. Souls aren¡¯t that easy to¡­ enumerate.¡± ¡°So, level 100 is just me getting 99 times of my Soulbase in Soul fragments¡­¡± Zeph summarized, then just shrugged. Gru already solved his leveling speed problems. ¡°Yep,¡± he nodded solemnly. ¡°As a result, each level that was reset will decrease your leveling speed by around 11%. In other words, the speed is halved after 9 resets. That¡¯s one of the reasons people aren¡¯t taking high-spec Classes normally. I didn¡¯t either. On the plus side, the penalty won¡¯t hit until you finish all of the required resets. Small mercy,¡± he said sadly. They sat there for a moment longer, relaxing and reflecting. Zeph had a feeling they could talk about this for hours on end, if not for the fatigue both of them felt. Still, some questions had to be answered as fast as possible, so he decided to endure and plow forward. ¡°How many resets are we talking about and how far in you are?¡± Makani asked suddenly. ¡°I want to know if there is still a chance to change anything.¡± Zeph didn¡¯t answer straight away, he wasn¡¯t yet ready to explain his fast leveling speed. That knowledge included the Tabu and Interface Skills they both had. Makani didn¡¯t ask for details yet, but it was just a matter of time. On the other hand, if he didn¡¯t ask now, the only option left for him would be to look for the information in a city while trying to stay anonymous. Which would be a hassle at best and a total giveaway at worst. ¡°I reset two times, and I am close to the final one,¡± he said finally, deciding to tell them everything after Aisha comes back. ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me how I managed that. A least for now. I am resetting from level 7.¡± Makani whistled, somehow unperturbed. ¡°That is definitely a highest-spec Class, then. Three times slower leveling? On top of an immobile Soul-bond? Sheesh. Good luck with that. But it would be VERY detrimental for you to change the Class at this stage,¡± he explained, pointedly avoiding any questions. ¡°Let¡¯s go back a little. I need to explain to you some common knowledge before you alert the wrong people,¡± Makani continued while Zeph was cursing at his past choices. ¡°The Spell Matrices aren¡¯t that easy to unlock, you know? There are only four known methods, excluding what your Class gave you at the beginning, to unlock Tier 1 and above. First, mastering a monoculi Spell, like any one of the Tier 0, to unlock a Skill tree up to one Tier above.¡± Yea, did that already. A shame I couldn¡¯t use most of the unlocked stuff, he bitterly thought while nodding. ¡°Second, choosing a Magicule Group specialization at level 33 when possessing an appropriate Class, to unlock a Skill tree up to two tiers above. It depends on your choice. You can choose to focus on a specific Spell and unlock two Tiers above, or generalize. But there are Soul contamination prerequisites to even have this option,¡± he said, filling his bowl with more soup. ¡°It¡¯s the first sub-specialization point.¡± Oh! Interesting¡­ ¡°You can reset after that to gain another Magiculi Group specialization on top of the previous one, in case someone wanted to wield multiple types. The reset will increase your Soulbase only by 1% for every level lost. There are legends of an Elementalist Class you can evolve into after enough resets,¡± he added. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Grrrrru!¡± Zeph¡¯s chest vibrated greedily. ¡°Hush! It¡¯s not even in your specialization!¡± Zeph answered immediately, impatient to receive more information. From the side, Makani was looking at him like at a fusion of an alien and a madman. Which he actually was, but not because of the symptoms he just showed. ¡°Gre,¡± it negated, ¡°gruu!¡± and explained. ¡°I am not going blindly into something just because it has a ¡®legendary¡¯ epithet. And he already said my chance for change is basically gone,¡± Zeph countered, gesturing for Makani to continue. ¡°Gruuuu¡­¡± it vibrated, defeated. ¡°R-right¡­¡± he said, stuttering, but composing himself back a moment later. ¡°Well¡­ We can discuss your Class later, but the major difference between an Elementalist and a Generalist would be that the first one shouldn¡¯t depend on most Advanced Enhancements, like Implants. From what I know, it can only use Energy Enhancements. The Class should also be confined in its Magicule specializations, while the Generalist can use whatever at all times.¡± Zeph nodded. It already looked like a bad deal. ¡°You can do very much the same thing, but much easier, after level 100, anyway,¡± he continued, ¡°so the Elementalist Class is considered a lost Class. It means it¡¯s useless and impossible to level up in any realistic timeframe, to the point of never showing up in our population. As for multiple Magicule Group specializations, before level 100 they occur only in nature, mostly because of the contamination requirements humans can¡¯t or don¡¯t want to fulfill. But, let¡¯s get back on the topic,¡± he cut off suddenly. Ah, right. ¡°Third method of unlocking higher-Tier Skills. Learning from a teacher and the books. You can construct a Spell as long as you know the shape, and it will unlock that one specific Matrix. Of course, this method lacks the Intuitive component. You can only observe what you do yourself¡­ It¡¯s not easy to construct a Spell without a context of pre-existing understanding and experience in a field. Yet, some people thrive using this method. It¡¯s a shame they are mostly of the scholar Class type,¡± he sighed. ¡°I can understand it; the limitations and talents are always balanced. It¡¯s just that¡­ If those people were battle-ready, we wouldn¡¯t be suffering that much as a civilization¡­¡± he said, slowly degrading to mumbling. Again. ¡°You are quite shitty at teaching, you know? Jumping from topic to topic like that¡­¡± Zeph interrupted his musings. He glared at him. ¡°It¡¯s my first-time teaching someone. Just be glad to have me!¡± He demanded. ¡°I would rather listen to Aisha-sensei, thank you very much.¡± And was immediately denied! Makani deflated, hiding his face under the hood. But the distraction worked. ¡°You need to finish what you started, though,¡± Zeph encouraged him. ¡°Graaaa,¡± laughed the Garuan. ¡°I am not a loser, you parasite!¡± Makani screamed, suddenly straightening up and glaring at Zeph¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Huh¡­ why can I underst¡ª¡± a small rock hit him in the head, interrupting him. ¡°SHUT UP! I am trying to concentrate here!¡± Aisha roared from the back of the cave. Both of them backed up to the other side of the fireplace, making placating gestures in her direction and apologizing. She only threatened them with a fist, which was a win in their minds. After sitting down and allowing his heart to return to its natural rhythm, Zeph once again encouraged him to continue. Makani seemed just resigned at this point. ¡°Fourth, re-inventing the Spell by modifying known ones,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°This should be the domain of at least a Magistrus, you know? I mean, we are supposed to modify one to advance in the hierarchy, but it¡¯s not a way to learn new Spells¡­ it¡¯s just a test of our ability!¡± he hollered silently, keeping an eye on Aisha. He deflated again. ¡°As for me,¡± he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to use the last two methods. Unlocking single Matrices is inefficient, and I have problems with modifying even the ones from my specialization. I have a few Tier 3 Atmospheric Group Spells because I doubled up by mastering the Tier 0 Spell and getting the Class sub-specialization later,¡± he explained, sounding proud and defeated at the same time. ¡°But let¡¯s keep it fair. I have some questions, too.¡± ¡°Ah, the exchange,¡± Zeph joked. ¡°Sure, ask away.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± he started. ¡°How in chasem did you manage to learn the Spells quickly enough to modify a cursed Shaman¡¯s Spell?!¡± he ¡®delicately¡¯ asked. ¡°¡­ Gru?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°Gra,¡± it agreed. ¡°Haaaah¡­¡± he sighed deeply, ready to explain some facts. But then he remembered a certain flying stone and paused. He looked in the direction of the cave¡¯s back. ¡°Umm, maybe we should wait with these explanations a little more. You know, it¡¯s not just about repeating myself anymore¡­¡± he said, smiling nervously. ¡°YES!... Yes, sure,¡± Makani agreed immediately, looking at the grouchy Priestess. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable, we should discuss it together, as was intended¡­ Umm, maybe you want to know more about Magicules? I am not sure how advanced the knowledge in your world was¡±¡ªZeph smirked¡ª ¡°but the reality is built from a finite number of miniature blocks¡­¡± Zeph didn¡¯t interrupt him. The knowledge about the way Corora¡¯ians perceived reality was as important, as what Makani was trying to explain. As expected, Magicules were created from Mana ¡®particles¡¯, similar to molecules formed from atoms. The major difference was, only one type of an ¡®atom¡¯ existed for Magicules. Mana was slightly different between worlds, but it stayed universally the same inside each one. The one basic building block. Magicules were forming naturally in different environments. It was a somehow inverted process of molecule formation. Instead of feeding energy into the molecular/atomic mixture to create more complex structures, the energy-particles, known as Mana, needed physical constraints to conglomerate into bigger structures. That was the reason for so many ¡®elemental¡¯ types of Magicules. Or, rather, for so many ¡®molecule¡¯ types. For example, in the water Mana was filling the energetical gaps between particles, strengthening adhesiveness and allowing the water molecules to chain-bond in less regular shapes. The Magicule ¡®shape¡¯ could take many different forms to do that, thus in reality it was a Group of Magicules stable in water, but unstable in any other environment. Take it out of the water, add a solvent, or change the temperature dramatically and the Magicules would disintegrate. But in the process, their energy would be spent to influence the molecules around. In other words, Magicules were ¡®trying¡¯ to recreate the environment they were formed in. It could have explosive consequences if used on the wrong physical medium, but that¡¯s also how you could make magma from the earth. It was an energy transfer of a specific type. They were like an additional electron bond for molecules. Like a magneto-optical trap shaped into a molecule, keeping the atoms stable. Furthermore, because most Skills weren¡¯t breaking the connection between one¡¯s Mana and Soul, Magicule manipulation was possible. Add to that the fact, that most of the Magicules increased the ¡®adhesiveness¡¯ between atoms, and suddenly a limited matter manipulation becomes a possibility. Heating the air by releasing Magicules stable inside the heated air. Condensing steam by using Magicules stable in the water. Creating an air barrier by changing the properties of the air by manipulating your Air-Mana. It was, really, very easy to understand. What he couldn¡¯t understand, was how his Spells morphed Mana into those Magicules. Makani talked about ¡®simulating the environment¡¯, but Zeph had a feeling there was much more to uncover here. All in all, Makani¡¯s understanding was lacking. People here theorized about atoms, similar to how our scientists theorized about strings in the String Theory, but their true knowledge ended at the molecular level. Their methods of systematizing the types of molecules were similar to medieval biology or alchemy, but Makani explained that some higher-leveled people should know much more. The General Skills were here for all of them to learn, they just needed enough time to read them and test the theory to level the Skills further and further up. These people, though, lived on higher altitudes, where Mana density was higher. Yes, Mana was slowly drifting upwards, which could have some interesting consequences, but Zeph wasn¡¯t able to think deeper about the issue. It was a cultural shock for him; people were naturally separated by their levels. Stronger Energy Enhancements, and some other upgrades, worked only in higher Mana density. Even if powered by your own Mana, they had ¡®pressure¡¯ requirements. Not to mention the metabolic changes that had to be taken when advancing certain Classes. ¡°At some point, it becomes impossible to live in a lower Mana density,¡± Makani explained. ¡°The best that normal people can do, is having all of their high-level Advanced Enhancements disabled when in the lower regions. There are some specialized messengers that are investing only in PE to not be bothered by the Mana density decrease, but they are orders of magnitude weaker than a person on the same level but with proper Enhancements. It¡¯s a was¡ª¡± ¡°This is not true, and you know that,¡± Aisha said, coming from the back of the cave. They were talking for almost two hours, enough for her to finish her business. She plopped down near them, rubbing her temple with one hand. ¡°This cursed bureaucracy will be the end of me¡­¡± Zeph handed her a newly filled bowl of soup. She seemed to be totally spent. She took it gratefully and drank greedily. After exhaling with pleasure, she started to open her mouth to say something, but stopped halfway. Instead, she took out a bota bag and drank deeply from it. The stench reminded Zeph of the ¡®Spirytus¡¯ from East Europe. They once tried to drink it. It was basically a pure ethanol. ¡°Umm, please don¡¯t exhale near the fire¡­¡± Zeph warned her.
Interface: Chapter 19 - The big reveal and the ancient art of trolling. Torrent mountain range, local time [1793.10.21] She gulped down for the third time and only then looked back at him, closing the bag. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing,¡± she said, much livelier now. She turned to Makani. ¡°Like I said, times and times again, the PE specialization¡¯ don¡¯t have to be weaker, especially because there are upgrades multiplying their effectiveness.¡± Makani snorted. ¡°Yea, worth so much that even a level 200 would cry.¡± She shrugged and looked back at Zeph. ¡°The Passive Enhancements aren¡¯t fair. The Power is increasing your muscle strength, processing speed, and overall durability; but it only multiplies what already exists. If you find a biological upgrade or implant that makes your muscles better, your strength will be multiplied accordingly. The PE are a ¡®Soul strengthening¡¯, they are just influencing the physicality in a controlled manner. Don¡¯t ask me how exactly, though. I have a long way to learn such nuances. Anyway, the AMD, or Ambient-Mana-depended, strengthening are not the only way, even if they are also multiplying the effects of PE. Don¡¯t listen to this buffoon,¡± she said, indicating Makani. Yea¡­ No killing the giants of the same level, it seems¡­ he mused, a little disappointed. ¡°You are only saying that because you are taking this very path yourself. We don¡¯t have such people at all in our society,¡± Makani said dismissively. ¡°Yes, because you of all the people know with certainty how it looks at higher levels,¡± she countered. ¡°They never come back. Did you see any level 300 walking around?¡± ¡°Why would they?! There is nothing here that could give them enough Soul fragments! Not to mention they would have problems with moving around, the matter here is frangible,¡± she rebuffed him again. Zeph had an inkling it was an old dispute of theirs, so he decided to interfere. ¡°Do you have some ungodly number of mountains here, or something? How can a huge chunk of your population live on higher altitudes?¡± he asked, trying to imagine the higher-level domains. If everyone had to live in mountains¡­ They both paused, their mouths open and ready to continue the argument. Their heads slowly turned in his direction. The confusion emanating from them was almost palpable. ¡°I will tell you,¡± started Aisha, ¡°but it¡¯s your turn after that. The more questions you spell out, the more ridiculous they sound.¡± ¡°Ye ye, I will tell you my life story in a moment.¡± She nodded. ¡°I heard Makani explaining to you that Mana is drifting upwards. Then, tell me, how much energy an upward Mana current the size of a country possess?¡± That shut him up immediately. He felt stupid for not noticing earlier. Even calculating the energy of air currents could return an equivalent of megatons of TNT. How bad would it be for particles that are basically a pure energy medium? ¡°Hmm, you seem to understand. Then, what would happen when a similar amount of Mana fills a cave system of a certain rock formation? A Mana-resisting one?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°You have flying islands?!¡± Makani chuckled. ¡°More like flying continents. It¡¯s one of the fields the Aeroplanners are studying. It¡¯s too close to geology for my liking, but what can you do,¡± he shrugged, taking a sip from his bowl. ¡°After the rock formation takes to the skies, which is a long process, by the way, it just¡­ slides on the existing Mana currents. The altitude depends on the rock composition and overall mass,¡± finished Aisha. ¡°That is one painful simplification, right here,¡± Makani said, grimacing. She ignored him. ¡°But enough of that, it seems your world is¡­ quite different. Maybe you can tell us something more?¡± she asked, trying to be delicate. ¡°Grrrrrra,¡± it encouraged him. Aisha¡¯s head immediately snapped to his torso. She was grinning creepily while her eyes were drilling through him. ¡°Ahem,¡± he started, trying to get her attention and make her stop staring at his chest. He was met with only partial success. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me until I am finished, ok? And¡­ Ugh, Aisha, could you stop?¡± he abashedly asked. ¡°Sure, sure,¡± she said, still glancing down. ¡°But why can I understand it?¡± she asked with fascination painted on her face. ¡°Grrrurrr,¡± it explained to him. ¡°It¡¯s related to what I want to say. Gru is basically abusing the fact that you are Contracted to us¡­ There is a Soul connection of some kind, and you have the empathy EE, too¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s start from the beginning,¡± he said, concentrating back on the important parts. ¡°There was no Mana on my world¡ª¡± They both tried to say something, but Zeph raised his hand to stop them. His glare was enough to shut them up altogether. ¡°As I said, there was no Mana on my world. But some years ago, something similar¡­ showed up? We called it Prana, and it¡¯s incompatible with Mana¡­ yes?¡± he allowed Aisha to speak, seeing her hand raised and a serious face. ¡°Can you produce it? I mean the¡­ Paranna?¡± she asked, butchering the pronunciation. ¡°No. We were just¡­ naturally adapted to live in such environment, I suppose? No one ever died from Prana poisoning, from what I know. My Interface points that out in my race Trait.¡± ¡°Um, this can be somehow intrusive, but can you send us the Effigy? It¡¯s quite important,¡± asked Makani. ¡°The what?¡± They both facepalmed. ¡°Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t know about it,¡± Aisha berated herself. ¡°Sorry about that. If we are in physical contact, you can instruct your Interface to send us¡­ an impression of a part of your Interface. It¡¯s a common measure to identify people when entering a city. We will be able to see the visual descriptions, but unable to read them,¡± she explained, using some Rui and Laiu expressions. A screenshot? Well, that is¡­ unimportant right now. ¡°I will send you my full Effigy, but only AFTER I finish,¡± he declared, crossing his arms. They both nodded, slightly shocked by his openness. Yes, Zeph would rather keep his cards close to his chest, but after the talk with Makani, he finally understood how large the holes in his understanding were. If he wanted to stay inconspicuous, he would need their full support. Which meant giving away all the information. He was sure Aisha¡¯s goddess was counting on exactly that. He would need to ask if more ¡®catches¡¯ were pinned to this contract. ¡°We had nothing like the Mana. As a result, we also didn¡¯t have a direct connection to our Souls. Furthermore, our world was secluded until Prana showed up. There was no, or only marginal, Soul transmigration between our and the external worlds. This caused the Soul wounds to accumulate,¡± he continued somberly. Aisha nodded in understanding; the Priestess evidently could understand the connotations. ¡°Add to that the fact, that in the last few centuries our population skyrocketed in numbers¡­ When the Prana showed up, around 8 billion humans lived on our planet.¡± Their thoughtful postures evolved into something else after hearing that. The two had to hold their jaws to not lose them. Even if they wanted to, they were unable to ask questions. ¡°Anyway, we somehow evolved to counter the Soul problem. Our Will is able to interact energetically with our Soul¡­ And, as it turned out, with Mana, too,¡± he quickly added. The jaws hit the ground, and he could swear their eyes were only a few millimeters away from freedom. ¡°Every one of us, including the people that came here before me, should have severe Soul fragmentation. I was even above the threshold of 15%. That¡¯s how I got my Soul contaminations, the System filled that hole with the fragments I chose. I still have 10% fragmentation, though. Besides that, you should know that I have finished HT Achievement for Intuition. It probably has to do with our Will usage¡­ But I am not sure. Here, see for yourself,¡± he finished touching each of them and using the newly discovered functionality. After that, he just sat down and took another filling of the soup, removing the pot from the rack above the fireplace because hardly anything was left inside. He was eating in the silence, not even looking at the two dummies shocked into paralysis. After a few minutes, Makani started to murmur, smiling widely. ¡°Greater Willpower¡­ of course, of course! Haha, OF COURSE!¡± he finally exclaimed. Zeph was quite surprised, instead of breaking down into basic mental components, Makani started to laugh happily, as if finding a hidden meaning of life itself. ¡°I am not going to compare myself to a Troll, haha!¡± Huh. What? ¡°Just ignore him,¡± said Aisha, before drinking A LOT from her waterskin. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Haaaa¡­¡± she exclaimed loudly, drowning out Makani¡¯s laughter. Then, she bonked the guy in the head with the shaft of her weapon, effectively smashing him into the floor. In the silence that ensured, she looked at Zeph seriously. ¡°So, you have Greater Willpower¡­ Never, and I mean it, NEVER disclose this information to anyone,¡± she started. ¡°Umm, something¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Zeph asked, confused. ¡°You ignorant fool,¡± she said quietly, clasping her head with a hand. ¡°Only the strongest of species have a Greater Passive Enhancement. For a human to have one? If you don¡¯t want to take part in global politics, just censure this information and forget about it altogether.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°My Will is the real game changer here, so why are you concerned about something I don¡¯t even use? And what do you mean by ¡®strongest species¡¯?¡± ¡°Your Will cannot be detected. Your prowess in Mana manipulation can be perceived as a great talent. Like I said, PE are only amplifying what already exists, you don¡¯t need 200 Willpower to do what you do. Such numbers are true statistically, but you are of an unknown Human type,¡± she explained, pointing at him. ¡°By the ¡®strongest¡¯ I mean peerless in their domain. For example, the inland colossi species typically have Greater Power to keep up the structural integrity of their bodies and stay functional. Greater Regeneration is the domain of Trolls. We also heard rumors of the Ryuu species from other worlds. They supposedly possess Greater Willpower,¡± she finished. Dragons?! Wow¡­ Am I a Dragonborn? Heh, No way. My Will should be quite different from theirs¡­ The ¡®Greater¡¯ is a strange discriminant, he concluded, thinking some more about what she said. Sure enough, some parts didn¡¯t add up. ¡°Umm, but my contamination can be detected?¡± ¡°What contamination?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Will contamination¡­¡± he started, losing his voice as she hid her head in her hands. ¡°Ehh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± said Makani, standing up from the ground. He massaged his head for a moment before continuing. ¡°It would be clear your contamination is of an exotic nature, but no one can tell what it is without prior experience.¡± ¡°That is only true for levels lower than 300,¡± Aisha mumbled into her hands. ¡°He has a lot of time to deal wit¡ª¡± he stopped suddenly; his eyes distant. ¡°Hey,¡± he turned to Zeph slowly, ¡°about your leveling speed¡­ You were to elaborate on that¡­¡± Aisha looked up, her pale face almost glowing with anxiety. ¡°Right. Well, Gru is a kind of Soul specialist and has the same Will contamination¡­¡± He explained the process of gathering additional Soul fragments from beings with a ¡®positive¡¯ Soul wound. He also mentioned the method involving the creation of ¡®negative¡¯ Soul wounds, but explained they both saw it as a dangerous and disgusting practice. Aisha was becoming more excited with every word, brightening up. After the final declaration, she was back to herself. ¡°Ha!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Information like that is the reason Leilucia has paid the System and contracted us! You are the first person¡­ No, the first creature,¡± she corrected herself, looking at his chest, again, ¡°to successfully utilize those Soul fragments directly. I am sure she will be happy to pay you for some explanations,¡± she said, smiling widely. ¡°Grrrarr,¡± it proudly exclaimed. ¡°Also, you were right that the second method is dangerous,¡± she continued in a serious tone. ¡°Traumatic ejects like that contain memories of the events that wounded the Soul. If you accumulate too much, you are at risk of Will depletion or even directly wounding your own Soul. I don¡¯t want to explain this in detail ¨C most of the theories about this curiosity weren¡¯t proved,¡± she indicatively said. Sounds like PTSD? I think people in ancient times weren¡¯t that prone to contract this disorder? Or am I wrong, and it has nothing to do with the eras. Could be just Karma, he mulled over it for a moment. ¡°But I can say with certainty ¨C this is one of the reasons the Soul wounds accumulated on your world. In critical cases, and I am speaking about witnessed instances, taking enough of such fragments can shatter your Soul instantly.¡± That put him in another cognitive spiral, but he quickly noticed the silence and took a hold of himself. After she was sure that he was listening, Aisha plowed ahead. ¡°How high is your Tabu? I am asking you too, Gru,¡± she said, dead serious. Makani froze after hearing the question. ¡°It¡¯s not visible on your Effigy. Any entry that is colored doesn¡¯t.¡± Here it comes! The cat is out¡­ Zeph thought with a small dread. He has hoped that she just ignored it after seeing his interface. ¡°Grrra,¡± it lightly stated, ¡°Grunn,¡± and admitted. Aisha nodded and looked at Zeph. Well, if Gru doesn¡¯t mind sharing it¡­ he thought, composing himself. ¡°It¡¯s at 52 for me. We also have the Interface Skill, but it¡¯s below 50 for both of us.¡± She relaxed after hearing that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Interface, but make sure to NOT advance your Tabu to level 100,¡± she said ominously with a straight face. ¡°I can tell that you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but System Onji has implemented some automatized procedures; you need to speak to them at their Shrine to make sure you are safe on that side. I am sure they are not listening constantly to us, so just bear with it until then. Otherwise, your location and other private information could become very public in short order,¡± she explained, pointing at him. ¡°There are Classes specializing in detecting such Skills, too. People can be VERY unreasonable when it comes to Tabu, but detecting the Tier 1 version isn¡¯t easy at all. There should be no changes to your Soul just yet.¡± She paused for a moment, drilling him with her eyes to make sure the message was received. ¡°To put it in simple terms, after gaining Tabu of Tier 2, a being becomes Onji¡¯s experiment. You really, really don¡¯t want that to happen¡± she added in a low voice. Zeph gulped. ¡°Yea, I understand,¡± he weakly stated. He wouldn¡¯t fully abide by the warning, though. He would rather risk being changed and hunted down than dying by the virtue of not utilizing all of his advantages. It was a bad topic for him, so he decided to just change it. ¡°But can we go back to my questions? You should have enough information about me already,¡± he proposed. Both nodded energetically. Ugh¡­ ¡°Makani, why are you so¡­ lively?¡± he asked awkwardly. ¡°I thought your psyche would leave you after hearing all that,¡± he confessed. ¡°Well, well, well. My fellow human!¡± he started, coming closer and sitting next to Zeph, then hugging him with one arm. ¡°You, my friend, are a mythic creature,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Or rather, two mythic creatures encased in one body. I have no qualms to declare I cannot rival with you!¡± ¡°Makani is considered a genius of his generation,¡± Aisha elaborated with a crooked smile. ¡°You were crushing his pride, but he is no Greater existence,¡± she said, using the Rui word. ¡°Should I continue with strengthening my physical PE?¡± he asked instead, trying to get rid of Makani¡¯s arm. ¡°With your Mana capacity? That is not even a question. You need access to those Matrices!¡± Makani said immediately, abandoning his buddy-buddy approach. ¡°Before that, I hope you have some idea what the PE are doing?¡± after getting an uncertain nod from Zeph, Aisha continued. ¡°The rule of thumb is that every order of magnitude doubles the respective natural parameter, so the diminishing returns are no joke. After 1000 in a PE, you won¡¯t be able to see a difference. Normally that happens around level 300. Also, there are some PE balancing problems, but the System should give you a warning, so I will abstain from explaining it.¡± Yea, the Intuition warning, he thought. He could remember the notification that showed up just after he woke up on the mountain. They spent the next few hours discussing his PE and Matrices. The cheapest Tier 1 Spell required 50 Mana capacity. The number of accessible Matrices was staggering, at around 120 from his Class alone. Makani had to agree that it was a huge advantage. He was also surprised by how many points the Force Generalist gave. People preferred Classes granting 6 points, the maximum, but Force Generalist wasn¡¯t that much behind with the 5 points. HT Intuition achievement increased that to 7, but Makani was still lamenting the missed opportunity. If Zeph had a Class that auto-allocated 5 points in Intuition, he would become a specialist like none other. He could achieve 1000 points in Intuition at level 90, which was utterly ridiculous for a Human. During the discussion, Zeph continued to pump his points into Power and Regeneration, finishing the allocation before they went to sleep. After getting to 50 Power, he excitedly read the new Power Energy Enhancement.
Congratulations! One [Passive Enhancement] milestone achieved! You gained one [Energy Enhancement] from [Power] milestone!
The enhancement was ridiculous. It was, basically, a true but restricted telekinesis. He understood why this Enhancement showed up. Trying to move on a loose ground while your muscles were producing three times more force? It would be a hell. Similarly, hitting something without this ¡®cushion¡¯ could as well break all your fingers, even with the ¡®hardening¡¯ effect of Power Enhancement. He could feel the invisible tattoos covering his body. They were powered by the Mana expelled from his body, and he could easily deactivate the Enhancement by directing his Mana away from them. But the ridiculous part came from somewhere else. Zeph could analyze how it worked. Telekinesis independent of Magicules was a breakthrough! He would abuse it to his heart''s content. Above 150 Mana capacity, he thought happily. Now I just need to finish my resets to unlock my Matrix space. That will be awesome! His hopes were high, indeed. He also learned from his companions that the next, very important milestone was at 500 in a PE. The Energy Enhancements had ¡®themes¡¯, different on each magnitude. Also, they were slightly different for each species, but the theme was universal. The first EE at 50 PE had a ¡®theme¡¯ of ¡®survival¡¯. The second at 500 was ¡®power¡¯, and the third at 5000 was ¡®control¡¯. No one knew what would be granted at 50000, but it was impossible to achieve such numbers in the first place. It would require an aggregate level above 5000, in the case of an absolute specialist. Or, a min-maxer, as Zeph preferred to call them. Nine points per level, all funneled into one PE. It wasn¡¯t even doable, because the imbalance would kill such a person. At least according to Aisha and Makani. The theory-crafting session was a pleasant surprise for Zeph, though. He relaxed a lot, feeling almost like when analyzing complicated RPG systems. He was a natural in it. Finally, after the sun showed up again, they decided to rest. The camp was in a good place ¨C they could stay here for a day or two to recover fully. No one was in a hurry. Before resting, Zeph changed the ¡®Body fluidity auto-training¡¯, the Flexibility Perk, to the Power Perk. He was hoping it won¡¯t disturb his sleep, but the additional 25 points were well above the amount suggested by Aisha, so he had to do it. As a result, he had to spend a few hours spasming uncontrollably before darkness managed to take him.
Interface: Chapter 20 - The first impression was as bad, as the first step forward. Torrent mountain range, local time [1793.10.26] They were traversing the hazardous forest for almost four days now. Only Aisha was unaffected by the water constantly pouring down; even Gru complained about the low temperature of Zeph¡¯s body. At least he had his overcoat. He was really happy that he crafted it, as his waterproof fabric was in constant use by Makani, who made a makeshift baldachin from it. With the primitive wooden construct secured to his belt, he looked like a parody of a tribe¡¯s spiritual leader. Zeph had taken pity on the mage after seeing him sneeze every minute and shiver like a leaf. He probably had lower physical PE than Makani, but the combination of Gru, the living armor, and even the Source Net, kept him warm. Although, he was now reevaluating his past choices. His overcoat was soaked and useless after days of traveling in the drizzle. Even if he was able to impregnate the leather, it was impossible to prevent the water from making it inside. The fur slowly absorbed the moisture, and without any chance to dry up, it became a soggy mess. Their luck was bad, too, as they never found another cave at the foot of the mountains. Going higher to delve into the deep caves wasn¡¯t really an option, at least until one of them was on their last legs. They didn¡¯t have enough rations to prolong the excursion too much, and hunting in the caves would be inevitable in such a case. Which meant setting up a semi-permanent camp and prolonging their stay in the badlands even more. They had tents, but it wasn¡¯t much of a help when every piece of their clothing was wet already. And so, their misery continued. Truth be told, it wasn¡¯t even that cold here. The temperatures didn¡¯t go below 10 Celsius, from what he could tell. But the wind was blowing under the bare trees, effectively cooling their bodies down. They couldn¡¯t do much about it beside quickening their pace. Aisha even complimented Zeph for not slowing them down, adding to the Makani¡¯s mental suffering. The ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯, blessed be its name, was perfect for long activities. The travel time wasn¡¯t fruitless, though. Zeph had learned a lot from his companions. But only three topics were of immediate importance. Firstly, by using his Will, he unknowingly delved into an Advanced Mana manipulation territory. Coherently changing the shape of your ¡®Mana bubble¡¯, called the Interference Veil in Rui, required, more or less, Willpower of 300 and Intuition of 100. It was a domain of people above level 100, basically. Makani wasn¡¯t even shocked anymore. He stoically received the news, his stone-face not even cracking. At least, not on the outside. The second important information pertained to his supposed back-story. He was to become a visitor from another continent, ruled by the Cirin Magi Conglomerate, former Cirin Empire. The country was separated from the world at vast. The Mana, air, and water currents made the travel a very risky and costly endeavor, blocking most of the trade, along with the cultural and technological exchange. The thing was, Torrent mountain range adjoined the sea to the East. It was a known crashing spot for stray airships traveling from the CMC. The irregular Mana currents around here were the cause of many accidents over the decades. It was a shame that one of the safest airways from the CMC led right past this place. The country was exotic enough to explain the strange¡­ design of Zeph¡¯s gear, especially the light his armor produced. As well as his ignorance. His looks were surprisingly similar to the natives, too. Also, he could just say that he was ¡®from the continent¡¯, and it should suffice in most cases. It was important, as people specializing in Soul perception could distinguish hard lies. At least sometimes. Gru was already preparing countermeasures for that, thankfully. The genius. Only after getting more information about the country, he understood what he was dealing with. It was a continent of dwarves. In Corora, they were called Fullangrarians if spoken officially in Rui, or Fularins in Common. His companions didn¡¯t know much about them, but evidently, they weren¡¯t undersized at all. In his standards, that is. The average Human here had 1.9 meters of height, so anything below 1.8 was considered¡­ dwarfed. Makani included. Zeph had his suspicions that the guy was of mixed blood, but kept himself back from asking, for now, because it could have been a sensitive topic. This race of Humans, because that was their main race designation, had an average height of around 1.6 meters. It coupled with a lot of muscles and lush facial hair, though. He wasn¡¯t surprised at all when he learned that their technology was at another level, even compared to the higher altitudes. The Dwarf stereotype was strong with this one. Fantasy races aside, the third important subject was Gru¡¯s method of gathering the ¡®spare¡¯ Soul fragments from entities Soul-wounded ¡®positively¡¯. The duo¡¯s speed of leveling should be around 50 times faster than normal, but it was only an estimation. Not to mention, they had to divide that by two, as Gru couldn¡¯t really kill things by himself. He tried to ask about the normal leveling speed, as the number of kills required to level up was staggering in his opinion. Aisha just said he would understand after visiting a civilized place. Most of the questions he could answer by himself, supposedly. After a moment of deliberation, he had to agree with that. Trying to explain in detail a similar concept, for example, the logistics of Earth¡¯s financial or bank system, would require a series of lectures. Even explaining all of the rules of a civilization game would take a lot of time. It was better to first experience, and ask later. His cover allowed him the right to ask a lot from their people without making it strange, anyway. By the time the sun started to shyly peep from behind the clouds, the forest changed. They were at a lower altitude now, and greenery started to mix in between the teal-leaved threes. ¡°I think we will make it before dark,¡± Aisha said. ¡°She means the excursion camp,¡± before Zeph could ask, Makani elaborated in a coarse voice. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more of a shelter. Wooden cabins were set near the Torrent range by the locals, to accommodate gatherers,¡± she explained, stopping for a moment. ¡°I am expecting a company there. Zeph, remember about the zyp thingies in your pack.¡± They discussed this earlier. It seemed the zippers were the most visible and unusual part of his equipment. Probably a very valuable design as well. Either way, he was to not use them publicly until they arrive in a city. If possible. She warned them early because she worried about scouts around the campsite. They were to keep silent from now on, too. After an hour, they finally exited the grasp of the unrelenting clouds and found a dirt road. The team followed it for two more hours before a wooden cabin showed up in the distance. It was late evening, so the fire by its side was like a beacon in the dark forest. They were prepared for possible conflict, but Aisha was quite sure the chances for such were scant. As so, they marched confidently into the clearing, placing the full responsibility on Aisha¡¯s back. No one disrupted them until they walked close enough to distinguish the occupants of the camp. Around a small wooden house, six people in the full plate armors were moving about, tending to the fire, preparing food, or taking care of large horses. Horses? No way! Where are the giant birds and reptiles?! Zeph disappointedly thought while observing the strangers. Their heads were uncovered right now, so he noticed two women among them. Not so strange in itself, if not for their heavy full plate armor. On Earth, it took a lot of dedication to train yourself enough to comfortably wear one. Not many women tried that, at least according to his poor historical knowledge. As expected, all of them were almost as tall as Aisha. Armors of their size looked strangely lean for Zeph, but what really surprised him was the fact that her mostly-leather-armor was a little bulkier than their full plate. Is she more muscular, or something? he thought, looking between the group and her. As they got closer, a guy near the fire looked their way and stood up. He was seemingly young, maybe in his twenties. His jaw was comically wide. Coupled with semi-long, black hair combed smoothly back, he resembled the king from a certain comedy film. Only, not in size. The Farq¡­ A knight welcomed them by bowing slightly and saluting. Probably saluting, Zeph couldn¡¯t be sure what the straight hand near the opposite shoulder meant. ¡°Duloc Guller Kunitaro Fuminao,¡± he introduced himself as an official representative of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom. ¡°Aisha Zora Toritalo Leilucia,¡± she answered lazily, nodding her head while putting a fist on her waist. The knight frowned at the disrespectful woman. ¡°This zone is¡ª¡± ¡°The fact you are here already elucidates it all,¡± she interrupted him abruptly. ¡°Your plate, if you will?¡± she said, extending her hand in his direction. Why are you provoking him, woman?! Zeph screamed in his mind and glanced at Makani. The guy was in the middle of a nap, using his long branch to steady himself. Useless! This guy is useless! The knight straightened himself, his face lost any trace of respect and compliance. He reached to his neck and pulled on a delicate silver chain. An intricate seven-point star made from silvery material emerged. He kept it close to his face, in a universal gesture of law enforcers. He started to open his mouth to explain something. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But it wasn¡¯t to be. Aisha didn¡¯t care. She gripped the star and pulled to get a closer look. With a surprised grunt, the knight bend forward, trying to keep his balance and almost falling forward anyway. He tried to back off, holding the necklet¡¯s chain, but he was unable to tear the ¡®medallion¡¯ from her hand at all. His face paled a little. After a moment, Aisha let go of the star. The knight lost his balance again after that, staggering backward. The rest of the knights started to slowly advance on them, but they didn¡¯t show any sights of aggression. Yet. ¡°KuniTARO my ass,¡± she spat out, cursing for the first time in Zeph¡¯s presence. ¡°Why are you even trying to instruct Me? You ungrateful piece of crap,¡± she continued with a disgusted expression. Her dominating voice surprised Zeph. He was witnessing another side of Aisha altogether. The knight tried to compose himself, but something was wrong. Soon, he started to throw glances at his companions, never meeting Aisha¡¯s glare. The rest of his squad was here already. Zeph was ready to take action, dismayed by how she handled the situation. With a fire in the eyes, one of the women grumbled¡ª¡°Sorry about that, Warrior Priestess,¡±¡ªwhile bowing lightly. Zeph blinked, absolutely lost. Guller took the opportunity to back off and hide behind his team. ¡°But you need to understand we are under orders. This acute mind,¡± she continued, pointing with a thumb at the retreating guy, ¡°came to a conclusion that respectfully intimidating you would be the best approach. He is our commander¡­ For now at least, so we decided to let him try,¡± she explained. Aisha started to groan at that. ¡°This level of stupidity¡­ Why is a landlord sending their own brat here? Isn¡¯t it unreasonable? I swear, one more time¡­¡± The rest of the unit waited patiently for her to finish her half-mumbled tirade. They were relaxed, as if expecting exactly this outcome. One of the guys helped Makani, moving him slowly to the house. They definitely knew who she was and were shockingly respectful. Aisha and authority? What a strange combination, he thought idly. Zeph stayed there, unsure of what to do. He had enough after half a minute of Aisha¡¯s ramblings, though. He nudged her in hopes of speeding up this farce. ¡°What?!¡± she growled, sharply turning in his direction. ¡°Stop blabbering to yourself and make us rest,¡± he demanded. ¡°You were speaking to yourself for almost a minute.¡± The people around looked at him with curiosity tinted with a little worry, while Aisha just blinked a few times as if trying to process his words. She sighed deeply, placing a hand on her temple. After a moment, she turned to the knights. ¡°My apologize,¡± she said with a nod, but not meaning it in the slightest. ¡°I have a lot on my mind right now. You are?¡± she asked, looking at the female speaker. ¡°Ruthia,¡± the knight said. ¡°Vice commander. We can leave the procedure¡±¡ªAisha made a face¡ª¡°for later. By the way, we have some spare clothes you can use.¡± ¡°Bureaucracy¡­¡± she mumbled, walking after Ruthia. Zeph stepped behind them, left alone for now. He was trying to decipher the meaning of Gru¡¯s sendings meanwhile. The knights were of lower level than his companions, probably around 50. The ¡®vice commander¡¯ also had an item allowing a very rudimentary Soul perception of a specific kind. Gru suspected it was the fabled truth detector, which didn¡¯t surprise Zeph at all. If there was a possibility to detect lies, enforces of any kind would use it for sure. Even if it was just at the level of measuring someone¡¯s pulse, to which this item amounted to; according to what Gru sent him, at least. He was more concerned about how the darker side of society was using such items. It could become much more potent very easily, with a proper ¡®treatment¡¯ and drugs involved. He knew something about that; military contracts for ¡®truth serum¡¯ weren¡¯t rare at all. He quickly abandoned the depressing thoughts after getting fresh and DRY clothes, together with a space to clean himself in somewhat warm water. An hour later, he and Aisha were sitting at the campfire, slowly seeping warm stew with the rest of the knights. He felt tired to the bones after abusing his metabolic Skill, but the meal invigorated him enough to keep him attentive. Makani, on the other hand, was sleeping in the cabin. The knights'' medic diagnosed a minor cold, which was actually unimportant in the light of severe Willpower abuse. Zeph could sympathize, even if he only experienced a direct Will depletion, he believed the symptoms to be similar. The peaceful time was over too soon. At least Guller was nowhere to be seen right now. ¡°Then, Miss Zora,¡± Ruthia started, ¡°let¡¯s start with the explanation for this expedition.¡± Aisha sighed, resigned. ¡°We were contracted to come here and retrieve this guy,¡± she said pointing, at Zeph. Gru sent him something interesting at that moment. The item in the knight¡¯s hands stuttered and partially deactivated, something external replacing the Soul input. I am so lost right now, he thought, feeling like an apprentice in a craft listening to his teacher. Useless knowledge is useless, Gru! It¡¯s still active, so what is the difference? Was it even your doing? But there was no time for explanations. Ruthia was silent for a moment, before continuing. This time, she turned to Zeph. ¡°Please state your name and origin.¡± ¡°Zeph Einar tabitalo,¡± he answered, shrugging. There was one good side of being ignorant ¨C he didn¡¯t care anymore; all this was way above his paygrade. He would just say what he was instructed to say and be done with it. ¡°Country of origin?¡± ¡°The continent,¡± he said, thinking of North America. He wasn¡¯t even born there, but it was the closest answer he could give. ¡°Umm, you mean the Cirin?¡± she asked, evidently failing in the truth-reading, but already having her own idea. ¡°If you mean the technologically leading country,¡± he said indifferently, playing the stupid, ¡°then yes. I wasn¡¯t born there, though.¡± The knight was struggling with something. It seemed like the lie detector was going crazy after that statement. Gru was sending him short depictions to keep him updated. ¡°I think you should know the name of your own country,¡± a man¡¯s voice could be heard from behind. Zeph looked back, and indeed it was the infamous Guller. The nuisance was back. ¡°What do you mean? You are unable to pronounce my country¡¯s name properly. Do you want me to state an untruth? That I am from the Cirin?¡± he asked, gambling a little. Every isolated country should have its own dialects, which meant he could ignore the truth-reading instrument because they knew the pronunciation wasn¡¯t correct. What really mattered was his perception of the ¡®truth¡¯, anyway, if he understood Aisha and Gru correctly. He was no Cirin citizen, and they were unable to pronounce neither that name nor Earth¡¯s names correctly. What he said was an absolute truth, almost a resonating one. He could almost see as Ruthia¡¯s item flared, telling all of that was the ultimate confirmation. ¡°That doesn¡¯t ex¡ª¡± ¡°Duloc, just stop it,¡± Ruthia said, glaring at him. ¡°It¡¯s not a meeting between you, the landlords. It¡¯s a standard check out. And I didn¡¯t even finish the protocol.¡± ¡°Yes bu¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up,¡± Aisha started in a low tone, almost growling, making Zeph shudder. ¡°We WILL duel.¡± Guller froze. Emotions quickly flashed through his face ¨C fear, shame, then anger. His face became red, for a change. After a moment, without saying a word, he turned around and walked away, fuming a little. ¡°A coward,¡± Aisha commented indifferently, taking a sip from her depleting ¡®ethanol container¡¯ and taking her hand away from her weapon. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, please ignore him,¡± the knight said, quite irritated herself. ¡°Let¡¯s just continue, Mister Einar, were you born on Corora?¡± Aisha made a confused face, but didn¡¯t react in any other way. At the same time, he could weakly feel that Gru used its Will-Mana. ¡°Yes,¡± Zeph answered shortly, hoping his Soul-bond had something prepared. ¡°What a strange question,¡± he added, tilting his head. He could feel a short flickering between Gru¡¯s Soul and the item. But Ruthia was none the wiser about the happenings. After a moment, she nodded to herself and put the item on her belt. He could see it now, a thick, non-distinctive metal ring, maybe 5 centimeters in diameter. ¡°That would be all for the security protocol. Now, about the migration papers¡­¡± she started, taking out some documents from her bag. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the knights being so open about that in their questioning,¡± Aisha chimed in. ¡°Something happened when I was absent?¡± she asked with curiosity in her voice. ¡°Ah, you shouldn¡¯t worry too much. Some rumors about the last of Terrien showing up started to circulate lately. Supposedly, someone managed to augur or divine it would happen around this time, but you know how reliable such claims really are,¡± she lightly told them, finishing with the papers. ¡°The landlords, though, want to be sure. They even loosened the secrecy protocols and gave everyone appropriate equipment. How generous,¡± she finished, smirking. ¡°They are probably thinking it¡¯s their last chance, or something along those lines,¡± Aisha concluded, nodding. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t explain the presence of that pest,¡± she said, indicating the secluded guy with her chin. Ruthia smiled ruefully. ¡°In their vast brilliance,¡± she started, her words dripping with an almost physical manifestation of the sarcasm, ¡°they decided to double their gains. Increasing the ¡®safety¡¯ of the mission and making their young train in the field, all at the same time.¡± She sighed tiredly. ¡°I sometimes wonder if they ever come back to the ground after flying high on their lofty shenanigans,¡± she continued, handing a sizeable stack of papers over to Zeph and a few pages to his companion. Aisha loudly laughed at that. ¡°Ha! For sure, a reality-check for some was in order years ago!¡± she said, sharing the leftovers from her bota bag with the knight. Ruthia smiled along and took it gratefully. The duo gossiped some more. Soon, other knights joined them, seeing the official part was done. Some took out their own alcohol to ¡®help the conversation¡¯. In the middle of the festive atmosphere, Zeph was sitting silently with a stack of papers, grudgingly scribbling away. When a surge of a good mood hit her, Aisha even deigned to help him with the harder parts. Ruthia was making sure the documents were filled correctly, scanning them automatically and talking to the others at the same time. Of course, Zeph was denied any alcohol until he would finish. At least Gru kept him company. Where is justice in this world? he lamented internally. =============================== Long after midnight, the duo was strolling through the forest to refresh themselves. The slightly tipsy ¨C as she insistently insisted to call her state ¨C Aisha was in the middle of a rant about the city they were going to visit. Meanwhile, Gru was finishing his explanations on the truth-detecting device. As it turned out, the System granted him a Skill at an early stage that helped immensely in the preparations he made for the occasion. The sly...No? The shaming¡­ Ugh, the wise?... The wise Onji was five steps ahead of the events, it seemed. ¡°I am just happy we are finally safe,¡± Zeph chimed in during a brief moment of silence when Aisha was gulping down some more alcohol. He felt as if a big burden was taken out from his shoulders, he had everything to truly start his new life. And to learn; his hunger for knowledge flared like never before. There was so much to check, to experiment with, to explore¡ª But before the coming resonation could even take shape, Aisha hit him hard in the back, laughing loudly. He stumbled forward, frowning at the absurdity of her timing. She just had to choose the worst moment. She was still laughing, hitting the palm on her knee repeatedly when he looked back at her. Anger started to boil in him, strengthened by the alcohol in his system. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you¡ª¡° he started harshly before she rudely interrupted him by placing a hand on his face while trying to get a hold of herself. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Stop¡­ Haha¡­ no mooore,¡± she slurred, taking deep breaths while he backed a little, confused. ¡°We ale not ¡®Saafe¡¯, my f''iend,¡± she continued, finally managing to straighten up. She took her sweet time to calm herself, standing there with closed eyes while leaning on her weapon. After a minute, he was almost sure she has fallen asleep. ¡°Safe he said,¡± she suddenly said, snorting again and shaking her head. Her language was back to normal for a moment, giving new weight to her words. She looked straight into his eyes and raised her finger up, going into a teaching mode. ¡°On the way to the Lurona City we w-will lesture you on the Netherlings. The mian reasson our civivi¡­ civilivis¡­ cibilisacion is in pearlil¡­¡± she continued, reeling about, her articulation deteriorating further with each spoken word. Finally, she gave up and just waved her hand in a ¡®whatever, it is not that important¡¯ gesture. She started to walk in the direction of the camp again, stumbling slightly. Zeph just stood there, looking at her back for a moment. Then, he sighed deeply and slouched. ¡°It¡¯s never that easy, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked to the air, and looked up. He stared at the unfamiliar night sky, full of colorful nebulae competing with the stars for the space at the firmament. The alien visage once more reminding him he was a stranger here. ¡°I hope our chances won¡¯t be as bad as at the beginning,¡± he said. ¡±Even if there is no safety to be found...¡± ¡°Graaaaaa!¡± he reminded him and declared at the same time. Zeph smiled a little. ¡°I know, my friend.¡± He looked back in the direction of the camp. ¡°Both of us. We will come to terms with it,¡± he said, clenching his jaw. The new adversity? New adventure? Well, be welcome to challenge us. We won¡¯t be easy on you.
Interface: without a change. Chapter 21 - The Journey starts. The folks Nether. Westibule mountain chain [western part of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.10.28] It looks rather ordinary? thought Zeph, looking at the mountainous countryside from his spot on an oversized but simple cart. The farmland terraces dug into the hills¡¯ slopes down below made for a very picturesque view, especially from their position. The mountain pass they were traversing led straight through the crest of an enormous gulf. The color palette returned to the familiar greens of late summer; the alien vegetation of Torrent mountains was left behind like a bad dream. If not for the strange shapes of local plants, he would have thought it was Earth. After witnessing the vast terrain below, his suspicions transformed into certainty. From the moment they left the village in the morning, they were moving up and away from the nearby pockets of civilization. ¡°I thought we would stop in one of the nearby villages?¡± he asked, looking at Aisha. ¡°Or at least travel downwards.¡± She shrugged lightly, not even opening her eyes while lying on the cargo with her hands behind her head. ¡°The terrain below is a territory of semi-sentient species. We are at a ceasefire, but are not welcomed. Outside the agreed circumstances, at least. But don¡¯t worry, we are heading to the next village, alright.¡± That caught his interest. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like they are just a variant of the Human race?¡± ¡°Well, they are humanoids, mostly,¡± Makani chimed in from the front. He was in better shape after a day of rest at the knights¡¯ camp. Zeph, on the other hand, was thanking his Gru-inducted metabolic changes for not dying from the alcohol poisoning after that unforgettable ¡®rest day¡¯. He heavily underestimated how much liquor was included in the knights¡¯ provisions. ¡°But you would be right,¡± he continued, ¡°they are different species altogether. All of them bear some animalistic features¡±¡ªZeph¡¯s expectations skyrocketed suddenly¡ª¡°like scales or additional limbs¡±¡ªonly to be instantly crushed¡ª¡°which shows just how different their progenitors had to be from ours.¡± ¡°Are there any humanoid races with only partial animal features? Like, ears and tails?¡± Zeph couldn¡¯t restrain his curiosity. This time both of his companions looked straight at him, incredulity visible in their eyes, the unnerving staring broken only by the bump on the road. Aisha had to catch herself on the crate, and the rest swayed wildly side to side along with the cart. ¡°Sorry!¡± exclaimed Bardo, their driver. ¡°I lost my concentration here for a moment. You sure are asking interesting questions, signor Einar!¡± he laughed. Aisha sat up, evidently done with the shaky position. ¡°How, pray tell me, would that even work?¡± she asked, sitting cross-legged on a lower crate. ¡°Do you know how genetics work? I am quite sure you do,¡± she answered her own question. ¡°Is it some fantasy kink of your people? Or maybe directly yours? It certainly sounds like one,¡± she guessed, smiling suggestively. Zeph was abashed for a few seconds, until he processed what she just indicated. ¡°Oh, it seems that erotic fantasies are quite universal, then,¡± he said, smiling shamelessly. She giggled, ¡°Better yet! Some people actually take those useless bioimplants,¡± she teased, surprising him. ¡°But it became so closely related to the certain entertainment industry, that no respectful individual would do the same. Still, good for you, I guess!¡± she finished, laughing. Well¡­ I feel as if my high beliefs were just raped and soiled, he ruefully thought while smiling bitterly. ¡°About that, those implants aren¡¯t really useless. They are just too costly for what they do. Not to mention, they are basically a weak point in a fight. The natural progeny of other intelligent mammal species keeps all their natural features. There are hardly any humanoids among them,¡± Makani cleverly summarized, dousing Aisha¡¯s mirth with unprecedented efficiency. Smarty comments reeking of book knowledge were, as always, unbeaten champions in joy-killing. They continued their loose discussion on species for the rest of the ride. The topic wasn¡¯t that interesting to Zeph. Without meeting other races, it was hard to imagine what the two were describing. He at least learned which groups were immediately hostile. Just when the talks started to meander near the interesting subjects, like the differences in anatomy and overall biology between the races, they arrived at their destination. From atop the hill, they saw a small settlement in the distance. The sparse vegetation did nothing to hide it; Zeph could recognize the traces of intensive deforestation, even if the stumps were invisible from their observation point. Every building had a stone base and everything else was made from wood, but something green was growing on the wooden panels of the triangular rooftops. What confused him, was the fact that no chimneys were present. The terrain around looked somehow desolated and neglected, as no crops were cultivated on the freed land. Wild plants of different heights tried to regain lost territory, creating a patchwork of greenery on the churned soil. A low embankment surrounded the settlement, probably because of the small stream flowing down from the mountainside on the right. It ended as a waterfall at the gulf¡¯s ridge. During rainy seasons or in spring, it would surely flood the nearby land. It was a poor and dirty place, just like the previous village near the knight¡¯s campsite was. Which did nothing to break Zeph¡¯s delightful mood. A civilization of any kind meant less chores and danger, after all. He was becoming really tired of the constant alertness. Especially after the relaxing day with the knights. Sadly, Aisha¡¯s plans conflicted with that sentiment. ¡°Thank you, Bardo,¡± she started, standing up. ¡°This should be far enough for the both of us.¡± ¡°Si, si! Gracia¡¯po protection as well. Remember to be ready in four days!¡± the driver answered. Zeph still wasn¡¯t used to the strange dialect the peddler was using, but the meaning was quite clear to him. ¡°Sure thing! Have a good haul!¡± he said, jumping down from the moving cart alongside Aisha. Gru vibrated grumpily at that, the sudden movement waking him up from his hangover-inducted sleep. He was quite toxinated after helping Zeph in surviving the ridiculous amounts of alcohol. A shame they didn¡¯t know beforehand how their shared metabolisms would react to it. After giving his own regards, Makani clumsily tried to do the same. He almost faceplanted himself on the rocky road, to Aisha¡¯s amusement. He was lucky to be free from baggage. They gathered together and started to walk slowly in the direction of the ¡®village¡¯. Though, Zeph had doubts if a settlement of around thirty wooden structures could be called that. After the cart was far enough, Aisha started her lecture. ¡°Now, Zeph, you remember when I mentioned Netherlings?¡± He was more surprised she remembered speaking it at all. He nodded nonetheless. ¡°Now that we are impervious to eavesdropping¡­¡± she started, shooting a glance at Makani. ¡°No reactions for half a day already. The modulation barrier is active,¡± he reported. So that¡¯s what he was doing all this time? It was quite strange he didn¡¯t ask me any questions¡­ Zeph realized. She nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°We can touch the topic seriously. There is no person in this world that doesn¡¯t know this already,¡± she looked at him gravely while saying that, ¡°so I had to be sure we are alone before going into details, to not blow your cover too soon. The Ranger types are quite hard to notice. You see, When the System came, seventeen centuries ago, it informed every being with any semblance of intelligence of why it came here in the first place.¡± It starts on a heavy note already¡­ he noticed, listening intently. ¡°One of the¡­ neighboring worlds is colonized by beings incompatible with Mana.¡± Yea, great start¡­ No wonder she was nervous when asking me about Prana¡­ ¡°They started to invade our planet not long before System invited himself to the party,¡± Makani said, earning himself a glare from Aisha. ¡°Ah, sorry for the interruption,¡± he said sheepishly. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s serious. Don¡¯t take it lightly,¡± she continued, looking at Zeph. ¡°Those beings aren¡¯t interacting with the physical world directly. Simply put, they don¡¯t have bodies. They only interact with Souls.¡± He blinked and looked at her in consternation. No! If that¡¯s how it is, then¡ª ¡°They feed on our Souls, Zeph. Whatever they do with them afterward is irrelevant; it was confirmed that the lost parts never come back,¡± she said, sadness evident in her voice. ¡°The System contends with whatever is directing them, but it has very limited means to counter the invaders. We are still in search of abilities allowing reliable detection of Netherlings. They are the lowest of their lot, and the best spies. Those things are almost undetectable Soul parasites, just observing and informing stronger individuals, like the Netherbeasts.¡± Shit! I am in a fucking Soul-infected world! he thought, slightly panicked. According to what she insinuated, he didn¡¯t have even a scrap of necessary Soul protection. ¡°Graaa?¡± it skeptically asked. ¡°No. Even the specialized Classes have problems with detecting them. Not to mention that the species proficient in Soul arts aren¡¯t able to root them out. No matter how talented you are, your chances aren¡¯t high,¡± she answered, not even batting an eye anymore at the fact she could freely communicate with Gru. ¡°Grauuu¡­¡± it vibrated disappointedly. ¡°Anyway, you should treat any settlement without a dedicated specialist as a hazard,¡± she said, looking at Zeph. ¡°Not in the context of direct danger, but of a spy that WILL plunge your chances of survival down to zero. Chasem, even the best-protected cities aren¡¯t safe! Thankfully, the Netherfolk of higher echelons are easy enough to detect ¨C their energy source repels Mana, just like your Prana did. Or, at least, drastically decreases Mana concentration. They are hard to fight against, but it¡¯s clear who the enemy is, at least,¡± she finished, making sure he understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°Never speak about your exotic and unique characteristics without security measures. Always follow secrecy protocols. Even in the cities protected by specialists, always have your guard up!¡± Makani recited. Fuck! Zeph despaired. This blocks almost all of my possible avenues¡­ I will have to find a proxy to do business! But wait, does it mean¡­ ¡°The village ahead is?¡± he voiced his worry. ¡°Yes,¡± said Aisha, nodding solemnly. ¡°There are no Neiners¡±¡ª Zeph almost spluttered after hearing the name¡ª¡°in this village to protect it. Aside from the passing knights and patrols, there is no security. The perfect place for an impostor.¡± So that¡¯s how it is¡­ the question about my origin should never have happened; I now understand how the knights felt. The landlord basically made them a bait¡­ ¡°How can your society even function with something like that around? Don¡¯t they have an absolutely better hand? Especially because they don¡¯t have to rely on Mana density?!¡± he asked, realizing more facts, the longer he spoke. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not that bad,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Netherlings are basically larvae. They have to mature after a person achieves level 100, or die trying, so higher regions are free from their presence. Also, the ¡®energy¡¯ Netherfolks are using follows the same laws when it comes to the pressure, so the stronger ones have similar problems we have in lower Mana density regions. The difference is that, if they learn about a potential threat in lower regions, a concentrated attack is sure to take place.¡± It¡¯s basically a constant war effort, he thought. Aisha and Makani fell silent after that. Zeph was deep in thought even after entering the village, processing new information. For the first time, nothing around looked safe for him. He now knew why Aisha and Makani delayed this talk for so long. It would be impossible for him to really relax after learning about it. =============================== ¡°Good luck, for both of you,¡± said Makani. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It was the morning of the third day. Makani was heading south, along the ridge of the gulf. He was recruited by Aisha to help with the Torrent mountains¡¯ air, so this was his last stop before separating from them and pursuing his own objectives. Zeph was quite saddened by the sudden parting. Following the protocol, they never informed him beforehand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will see each other soon enough,¡± Makani said to Zeph. ¡°I learned a lot from your explanations. Especially about the prooteiens,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s proteins,¡± Zeph corrected. ¡°And I am really not sure if you understood the mechanics I described¡­ Modifying Spells that way is risky as hell if you don¡¯t know what you are doing, so¡­ just, stay safe, ok? Test it first on small samples,¡± he repeated himself for the hundredth time. OSH was important in his line of work. ¡°Sure, sure, mother,¡± he answered, weakly slapping Zeph¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will be back in a few months. Make sure to progress some during that time,¡± he finished, turning away and moving to his transport. It took a while to find someone willing to transport him, even if he was paying. ¡°So, what do you want to do today? Gather some more materials?¡± Aisha said almost immediately after Makani moved away, impatient to do something constructive. They already explained to him the local currency and prices. Taking those compressed feathers from the mountaintop turned out to be a good idea, they were worth much more than his pre-prepared gold. Still, gathering some rare plants from the surroundings was advisable to boost his meager wealth. ¡°Sure,¡± he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have anything better to do¡­ Well, actually we do. Maybe we should hunt some more? I would rather finish my resets before trying to learn from my Skills, my Matrix space is still at its lowest.¡± ¡°You, and your ridiculous growth rate,¡± she sighed, crossing her arms. ¡°I am not against it, but it¡¯s a shame there is nothing challenging around.¡± ¡°Well, I can cook something aga¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she exclaimed seriously, pumping her hand up and walking in the direction of the distant forest. She baited me¡­ he thought ruefully. She surely liked those tortillas I scrambled together yesterday¡­ The rest of the day passed peacefully. The locals were happy to exchange some vegetables and fruits for the additional meat. The peddler was happy to pay for the hides. The sun wasn¡¯t even setting when Zeph and Aisha started to prepare food for the journey. Most of what they had was smoked, boiled, or dried, leaving only enough for a few tortillas. Zeph was surprised by the clever structure of the buildings. The fireplace was underground, enclosed by stone. The smoke was escaping from a roofed pit a few meters behind the house. In winter, or on colder days, the smoke was directed into the tunnel system integrated within the stone foundations of the house. Every one of those poor houses had underfloor heating essentially, and minimal risk of catching fire at the same time. The kitchen appliances were all connected directly to this system. The smokehouse was a basic amenity in these regions, it seems. It was a shame the plumbing wasn¡¯t as developed, but in this case ¨C the nearby stream invalidated that problem. After darkness started to settle for real, they both sat in their rented house to eat dinner. The locals were prepared for hosting guests ¨C most of their food was sourced by passing merchants, after all. After the tortillas were ravaged, they both sat in comfortable silence, seeping a light broth. A gentle yellow-green light of lamps, filled with some phosphoric substance, filled their humble abode, adding to the serene ambience. Only after long minutes, Aisha broke the contemplative atmosphere. ¡°By the way, why did you choose to leave your home in the first place?¡± ¡°Hmmm. I will simplify it a little, if you will,¡± he said, and she nodded. For a minute, he was mulling about how to phrase himself. ¡°It is only my point of view, mind you. I am well aware most people were quite content with the way things worked,¡± he started slowly, looking at the window, deep in thoughts. ¡°We were hermetically enclosed by our own society. The technology we built required an absolute specialization in a certain field from an individual. A very specific line of work and a very specific position. It effectively forced upon us the socially-economical structure of society. One in which you were critically dependent on the¡­ company you were a part of,¡± he explained, finding a fitting Rui expression. ¡°On the other hand, the company owners, along with other ruling individuals, were becoming so far removed from the lower classes, that even the geniuses in their fields couldn¡¯t reach them. It was all for naught ¨C trying to use your talents for what you deemed worthy. Or to create something meaningful by your lonesome, even on a scale of a city¡­ It was suffocating for me¡­ for so many reasons¡­¡± he tried to keep his voice even but started to fail slightly. He definitely wasn¡¯t ready to explain what he was forced to¡­ No; what he was a part of when working in his company, what dreams he had to abandon. So many, many other reasons were intertwined with those memories¡­ But he managed to stop the flood before it overwhelmed him. ¡°Graaaaaaeeee!¡± it exclaimed worriedly, strengthening his resolve. It was also working against the coming resonance. Gru could feel in its ¡®bones¡¯ that this resonance would be able to further demolish Zeph¡¯s Soul and deepen its fragmentation. He shuddered, taking a hold of himself with the help of Will, the constantly active ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯, and Empathy EE, finally recreating and even broadening the accomplishment from the Myconids¡¯ caves. For a few minutes, he breathed deeply, keeping the strange phenomenon up.
Congratulations! You successfully modified your [Skill]: [Lesser Metabolic enhancement]! Calculating¡­ You have gained new [General Skills]: [Resonation Suppression] and [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] from the [Knowledge Base]! Congratulations! You have gained 2 [Greater Willpower]! [Will] [T2][L56] is now [T2][L61]. (+5) [Will manipulation] [T2][L57] is now [T2][L61]. (+4)
He ignored the notifications, concentrating on finding his balance once more. Aisha was looking at him worriedly, but he ignored it, too. After the emotions died down, he continued in a monotone voice. ¡°I just wanted to leave this trap. To find a way to create something meaningful by myself, free from the restrictions the society was placing on me,¡± he finished, generalizing the problem. ¡°So, you wanted power?¡± she asked, confusion visible on her face. ¡°More like personal strength? At least to some extent. It allows one to move freely in places not controlled by human laws, and adds a possibility of self-dependency. ¡°Power¡±, as you called it, indicates I wanted some social recognition, too, for which I don¡¯t care outside of my chosen group. And in such a group, personal strength shouldn¡¯t reflect on social standing anyway.¡± ¡°I think I know what you mean, but I don¡¯t separate those aspects. For individuals, high personal strength automatically reflects on their stance in society and is as important in survival scenarios as in civilization. It¡¯s not like we can really avoid one of those aspects¡­ So, you have the power, or not,¡± she said, shrugging. She is totally missing the point, Zeph thought, a little irritated. ¡°Are you a musclebrain?¡± he retorted and she smirked, irritating him even more. ¡°The personal strength you are talking about automatically includes the ¡°power¡± over others, but is it always the case? On the other hand, weak people can have power over others, don¡¯t they? Or do you want to tell me there are no alternatives in your society?¡± he asked incredulously, pointedly ignoring her amused expression. ¡°Parents have power over their children. A lawyer has power over the uneducated. An enforcer has a legal, and oftentimes physical, power over citizens. But in all of those examples, the means are totally different from personal strength. And, like in most cases, its measure depends on interpretation and on the point of view,¡± he said, pausing to catch his breath. He always got too emotional during a discussion about semantics and philosophy, he should probably stop. But seeing her skeptical eyes stirred him again. ¡°In case of personal strength, its true and objective measure is only relevant in insolation and¡ª¡± ¡°Gah, stupid!¡± she interrupted him, fed up with his monologue. ¡°It¡¯s about the potential! You don¡¯t get audacious toward someone who can kill you in a seco¡ª¡± ¡°Sure! Only to get himself killed back by the governing gro¡ª¡± ¡°We are not barbarians! Nobody would sacrifice people just to get revenge!¡± that statement made him pause. ¡°He would be judged, yes. But our demands would be useless without their goodwill or their equal enforcing the law. The dead one would surely appreciate our deep regrets and sympathy.¡± The sarcastic comment hit him hard. ¡°You have so much to learn¡­¡± she finished with disbelief, shaking her head. They spent the next few minutes in silence, sipping from their bowls. Zeph was pondering if this misunderstanding stemmed from cultural differences, or if it was just Aisha being Aisha. After some deliberation, he decided to speak up again. His worldview couldn¡¯t be that far from the reality of this planet, right? ¡°I think you are underestimating what a recognition can do. A recognition and respect for you, your group, and what you say. Whether you are weak or not.¡± ¡°And you are playing with fire, I am telling you. There is no true recognition for a weakling,¡± she looked like a haunted person for a brief moment. Zeph had no doubts now, he touched upon some personal story here. ¡°Haaah, you won¡¯t live long gambling like that¡­ but whatever!¡± she said throwing her hands up. ¡°It¡¯s not even related to what I wanted to ask about,¡± she looked at him again, leaving the topic behind. ¡°So, what were you looking for besides personal strength? I can tell it¡¯s more complicated.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ Basically, I wanted the freedom to progress and gain knowledge at my own pace. To create. Without the need to be a part of a society, freely,¡± he confided, scratching his head. It was a little embarrassing to say it out loud. ¡°Progress in what exactly? The strength you mentioned already,¡± she asked bluntly with a straight face. Is this common consideration here? he thought. ¡°In whatever I will find interesting, I suppose,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any specific dream past my fascination with Mana. There was a reason for me choosing the Generalist. Though, learning the basics is a necessity for me right now¡­¡± ¡°You are basically telling me you want a library access. So very ¡®independent of society¡¯, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said, laughing. ¡°Shut up! I wanted for it to be possible, not necessarily going full hermit! But I don¡¯t see a problem with reinventing some things.¡± ¡°And you call that a ¡®progress¡¯?¡± she teased, using his own semantic pedantry against him, again. ¡°Guh¡­ It¡¯s personal progress¡­ And the System seems to encourage it! For the time being, I hope to invent something meaningful. I just didn¡¯t want to be restricted by others. Especially in the distribution process¡­¡± ¡°I smell more of your life-story here, so let¡¯s stop,¡± she chimed in. He blinked. ¡°You are not interested in my life story? I am from another¡­ culture, you know?¡± he said, trying to sound funny. Unsuccessfully. ¡°It will probably be as ridiculous as your thinking process. I would rather keep my sanity,¡± she declared, leaning back. ¡°But tell me if you succeed in your endeavors. The practical knowledge you produce is quite valuable.¡± ¡°Gru!¡± it noticed, and the idea struck Zeph¡¯s mind. ¡°You are right! It seems we just found the deciding difference in our worldviews,¡± he declared, drawing Aisha¡¯s interest again. At least enough of it, for her to glance in his direction. ¡°You guys have too limited minds to really understand the importance of a support role,¡± he said, nodding to himself and crossing his arms. ¡°But you will learn! As the folks¡¯ wisdom says: never make an enemy of a person responsible for healing you,¡± he said while thinking of his ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ and all the boost Spells he could derive from it. About that¡­ he realized. What is taking the System so long to calculate? It never took more t¡ª She snorted, distracting him. ¡°Indeed, you have found one difference already. Because it¡¯s an absolutely inapplicable saying ¨C healing Spells are useless.¡± ¡°Like magic is all there¡­¡± he started, before registering what she just said. ¡°Wait, what do you mean ¡®useless¡¯?!¡± he exclaimed, his head snapping in her direction. ¡°Those Spells can¡¯t do much? On the other hand, they can easily cause serious damage instead of helping. It¡¯s better to just visit a Doctor in most cases,¡± she explained, closing her eyes and relaxing. ¡°No regrowing limbs?¡± ¡°No, are you insane?¡± ¡°Detoxification?¡± ¡°No. I am quite sure you may be insane.¡± ¡°Helping with blood loss?¡± ¡°Chasem, no! Definitely insane, we should visit a Doctor in the closest city,¡± she diagnosed, staring at him. ¡°Surely closing the wounds is possible?¡± ¡°No. But if you are brave enough, a Healer can try to stop the bleeding.¡± ¡°B-brave? What CAN they do?!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not purely Healing, but they can help with parasites. They are also quite good for tooth-care or scar removal. Their usefulness concentrates on the life-detection Skills. They made for quite efficient butchers, too ¨C with all those scanning and cutting Skills,¡± she said, scratching her chin. ¡°Fuck! This doesn¡¯t sound like a magical Healing at all. I thought the System has some Matrices for the occasion¡­¡± he said depressingly. ¡°Do you even understand what you are talking about? What a Spell is? You want an effect, a static effect, that will not harm a living organism, and at the same time work on many diverse bodies?¡± She asked, placing her hands on the waist and leaning slightly forward. She continued her lecture, poking him with a finger. ¡°You would need either inhumanly precise manipulation and detection, or have to tailor an overwhelmingly complicated Spell, formed specifically for ONE living target. The System provides us with knowledge and physically enhances our bodies, but it isn¡¯t enough to construct something like that! The only known people who came even close to really healing anything, were the ones with legendary enhancements for their minds, long after they immortalized themselves. Most of them left this world, though. It¡¯s a lost case for normal people like us¡­ Well, me, in any case.¡± This sounds¡­ reasonable? I guess. Though it means all the training with the RPG systems wasn¡¯t that useful, he thought bitterly. One point for you, Alana. =============================== The next morning marked the real start of their journey. After getting to the next village, they should be able to buy themselves a cart of their own. The peddler was touring all the settlements in the mountains, while they wanted to leave the place as fast as possible. They could only accompany him that far. Zeph was grumpy, the System was still calculating the Skill changes. Although, after all this time, he was more inclined to believe it was just waiting for him to do a few more repetitions. It would be easier for him, if he could ask Aisha about it, alas they would need to gain some distance from people before that. Especially because they didn¡¯t have Makani anymore. ¡°Stop imitating the sounds of your bond, and move already,¡± Aisha called him impatiently. She was already on the peddler¡¯s cart. He grumbled some more, lugging over the heavy crate full of their supplies along. How in the world did I get degraded to a pack mule? were his last thoughts before the journey began anew.
Interface: Chapter 22 - The first town, probably, and the first commision. Westibule mountain chain [western part of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.01] ¡°No, no. You need to push it through,¡± she said. ¡°I am trying! But the entrance is too tight!¡± ¡°Just stop meandering about and PUSH, for gods¡¯ sake!¡± she exclaimed, irritated. An interesting scene was playing about on the wooden cart. Zeph was holding Aisha¡¯s boot up in the air, trying as he could to insert any of his Mana into it, while Aisha was standing over him, impatiently tapping her naked foot with increasing frequency. ¡°You are so bad at it,¡± she said, gripping her head with one hand. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault those enchantments aren¡¯t working like they should!¡± he retorted in indignation, still concentrating on the garment. ¡°Why do I even have to do this? I created Self-Sustaining enchantments long ago ¨C it should just take in the Mana automatically and be done with it!¡± She smirked. ¡°What you created can hardly be called an enchantment, it¡¯s basically your Spell imposed on a material. Not to mention, your method can work only for constructs with low Mana flow requirements, like low-budget Spells,¡± she said indifferently. ¡°It won¡¯t work with a proper enchantment. If it could, it would mean the enchantment is actively siphoning surrounding Mana¡­ Just imagine what could we do with¡­ how are you calling it? Manauoo?¡± ¡°Yes, the Mana-O,¡± he spelled, accenting the ending. ¡°That. Enchantments working on ManaOo don¡¯t exist for a reason,¡± she continued, butchering the word again. ¡°If we could create self-powering gear like that, we would conquer this planet three times over. It would be mayhem¡­¡± she finished in a dreamy tone. After a moment, she noticed Zeph¡¯s concerned face and shook her head. ¡°Anyway!¡± she started, concentrating back again. ¡°The proper enchantments have to be resistant to Mana for the material to not break, so it works only when you force a flow, a pressure difference!¡± she repeated for the tenth time. ¡°And how many times do I need to explain this?!¡± she said in irritation, flipping up the imaginary table. He mulled over the explanation for a moment this time. It suddenly sounds like an electric potential in electricity¡­ he reasoned, trying to find an Earth¡¯s analogy. ¡°So, that is how my Self-Sustaining Spells work?¡± he asked, looking at her. ¡°Yes. They use a natural pressure difference between two points in your Interference Veil, and strengthen the flow by consuming or ejecting the Mana on the other end, effectively decreasing the density locally. The process is consistent because you can manipulate your Mana on top of that, keeping the conditions stable. Countering external forces that change the Mana density is an instinctual, almost automatic, reaction. But ManaOo is like smoke in your Veil, it does what it wants¡­ Just push it inside already!¡± she said in a cracked voice. ¡°You need to learn how to concentrate your Mana properly! Our technology is placed around transfer amulets already, there is no choice,¡± she added, sighing again. As it turned out, he wasn¡¯t able to agglomerate his Mana enough, or maybe to move it with enough force. He wasn¡¯t sure; they couldn¡¯t directly observe what the other was doing with their Mana. ¡°Transfer amulets?¡± he asked, handing her the boot. He was done with the exercise until he would understand more. ¡°Haaaah,¡± she sighed, yanking it from his hands. ¡°Every household is connected to the city¡¯s Mananet. Every registered person in a city is obligated to send their Mana into the amulet that transfers it to the waypoint. There are some filtering shenanigans happening after that, don¡¯t ask me for details, but the amount you are donating is counted. If you don¡¯t send the minimal amount, some mighty fines will be imposed on you,¡± she elaborated, flipping the boot in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said, looking at the fancy footwear. ¡°Even the kids with 10 Willpower are able to power the simpler enchantments. With your 58 in¡­ it,¡± she stopped herself from speaking aloud about his Greater stat, ¡°you should be able to manage the process easily¡­¡± ¡°Graaau!¡± it proposed. They both looked at Zeph¡¯s torso in surprise. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think about that¡­¡± Zeph confessed. ¡°That would make a lot of sense,¡± she conferred. ¡°Try it,¡± she said, handing back the boot. He took it and for the first time in ages, he used his Willpower instead of pure Will to Manipulate his Mana. He was clumsy with using the Manipulation this way; he never really trained it, after all. But his Perk showed him exactly what he was doing wrong. ¡®Precise Soul and Mana perception¡¯ was no joke. After a minute, he managed to concentrate his Mana to an unprecedented density. ¡°Wow, it really works!¡± he exclaimed, stating the obvious. It seems like Will-powered Manipulation is much more¡­ delicate? And precise. No wonder people have problems learning how to construct Spells if all they have is this brute and clumsy Willpower¡­ he analyzed. ¡°Ha! At least one person here has a brain,¡± she laughed. ¡°Grururu,¡± it proudly vibrated. Zeph concentrated on the condensed Mana and slightly pushed it in the direction of the enchantment¡¯s input. At once, he could feel his Mana rushing ahead, thickening even more near the tight entrance. The density was so high it almost felt like a fluid. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it,¡± she said worriedly, looking closely. ¡°I can feel the clump in your Veil¡­¡± she warned him. Ok, Willpower IS useful¡­ Now, to not get ahead of myself, he thought, decreasing the concentration. After modulating the density enough, he looked at Aisha. She nodded in confirmation. So, he PUSHED, as previously instructed. Immediately, he could feel the lightning-like traces of Mana firing through his Veil in all directions. After a moment, he could hear something hitting the underbelly of their cart, the soil was trying to move in the direction of the boot. Even some crates on the cart moved in his direction. ¡°You overloaded it! Stop!¡± she hollered. He immediately abandoned the Mana Manipulation and after the final clamor of falling earth, the surroundings were once again bathed in silence. He looked at Aisha, consternation and awe clear on his face. She closed her wide eyes and sighed for the tenth time today. ¡°Yea, you talented moron, that is how you do it.¡± He celebrated for the rest of the day, irrevocably irritating Aisha some more. The fifth day of their travel finally brought some fruits. He was close to the final level-up before the last level reset. He gained two levels in his Profession and one in his Class. The changes weren¡¯t enough to read higher levels of Tier 2 General Skills, but he was close to the big moment. Soon, he would be able to access the rest of his Matrices and learn something new instead of reinventing every Spell from scratch. He already could use some of them, as his Mana Capacity has raised to almost 200, but they took too much out of his meager Matrix space. Zeph wanted to have some battle-ready Matrices available at all times, so he focused on just one new Spell, the absolute necessity. The Stabilization Spell. The inability to move the already formed Mana constructs was the most restrictive bane of his, he had to get rid of this weakness as fast as possible. The learning process was quite difficult, the Spell required 50 Mana Capacity at the start, so that was good, but the upkeep was ridiculous when they were moving. Not to mention, part of his Mana Generation was reserved to power the actual Spell he was trying to Stabilize. So instead of observing the finished construct while keeping it active, he had to use the Stabilize Matrix, again and again, observing only during the construction process. It was important to keep his Interference Veil up and about, in case of an emergency. Not to mention, the Veil was necessary to keep his Power milestone EE in working condition. As so, he never used the Mana-Z from around him to power up the Spell. On the plus side, he was getting better at influencing the speed at which the Matrix formed a Spell. He was sure it would pay back at some point. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. As for the points from leveling up, all six of them were invested in Regeneration. He wanted the Energy Enhancement from achieving the 50-points milestone. Aisha already played the role of a warrior in their two-person team, so he decided some more survivability would do him good. He also planned to try magical healing, but after their last argument, he kept that reason for himself. Reviewing the Class list confirmed, that Regeneration had to do with Healing Classes, so he planned to test that theory. The rest of his time he spent trying to force the System to finish its Calculations about the ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯. He dedicated a lot of time to learning more about it and leveling it up. He also tried to use it with other EE, but the old enemy of his showed up again ¨C he sucked at Internal Mana Manipulation. Badly. He never gave up, but his morale was at its bottom. At least, until today. =============================== They found the next village at noon of the next day. The road was leading through the dense forest, the mountainous terrain slowly changing into more meek highlands as they progressed. Because of that, the sudden appearance of the settlement took them by surprise. Most of the trees were left alone, it seemed like people cleared just enough space to build the houses, sometimes even using the trees as additional support for the structures. It reminded Zeph of Elf¡¯s towns from fantasy books, a settlement hidden by the forest. Only, the buildings kept their foundations firmly on the ground, instead of dangling from said trees. ¡°Strange,¡± commented Aisha, looking at the hand-drawn map. ¡°The locals never mentioned there would be another village along the way.¡± They were traveling through a shortcut, a newly formed passage. The news of the new settlements were traveling quickly in the mountains, alongside the merchants fueling locals with necessary materials and additional food. It was indeed uncanny for one this big to be ignored by the community. Before they could discuss it further, though, an armed man came out of a small cabin up ahead, waving to them to move in his direction. They exchanged glances and shrugged. Aisha made the horse move to the right. The ground here was compact enough to move freely between the trees. ¡°Welcome to Barringstone,¡± started the militiaman after they stopped near the cabin. He was a huge guy ¨C although still shorter than Aisha, he probably weighed twice as much. His spear was kept leisurely on his shoulder, but the strained leathers on his body threatened to explosively give way to the forces testing them. ¡°Please identify yourself and state your business before coming inside.¡± Aisha searched for their papers while speaking. ¡°Surely, we are just passing through. But what is this village doing here? I never heard about it.¡± ¡°We built in only two weeks ago. Thanks to the generous donation by the Landlord Oric, we were able to finish in only three days,¡± he said, laughing jovially. ¡°These here will be the next mining complex,¡± he added, taking the papers from Aisha. ¡°Hydrargyrum veins were found under the mountain, just have to follow the caves¡­¡± he continued absentmindedly while reading the documents. ¡°Oho! A Warrior Priestess graced us with her presence,¡± he suddenly exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes. And absolutely ignoring Zeph¡¯s identification documents. ¡°Ye, ye. Whatever, just direct us to the inn, if you have one,¡± she said dismissively with a sour face. ¡°And a humble one! Good fate indeed,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°The council would like to speak with you for sure! Ah, but let¡¯s not keep you here for too long,¡± he continued, handing the papers back. ¡°For your lot, only the hall would be good enough! You can beat two mares in one hit with that. Just speak to the council, the hour is right. I think you will like what you hear.¡± She packed everything without a word while the helpful guy explained the directions. They said their goodbyes after that and started to ride in the direction of the village¡¯s hall. Zeph was impressed. To build a village of this size under three days was ridiculous, going by his Earth¡¯s standards. What they saw entering the thinned-out forest of the settlement wasn¡¯t representing even one-tenth of the whole. It already was a small town. Sadly, Aisha confirmed that the System Shrine would take at least two months to be constructed, so his hopes of spending some Universal Points were doused down. Fortunately, building a Mananet took even longer, so they didn''t have to pay anything yet. His head was swiveling around, perfectly fitting a country bumpkin coming for the first time into the town. The many shops all had a clear sign describing their purpose, but without any iconography. Thanks to the System, the civilization as a whole had immediate access to the knowledge about the writing system, so everyone was literate. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t discover yet the logos and market names for companies. Or their economy just didn¡¯t allow for them, but it was a plus nonetheless. The forest canopy still shaded most of the area, creating a very serene atmosphere. There weren¡¯t many people on the ¡®streets¡¯, if the compacted black ground could be called that way, but each of them looked relaxed and ignored them altogether. Some remnants of the underbrush still stayed strong, directing their progress through the peaceful village. After almost twenty minutes of slow riding, they finally saw the hall. Zeph was surprised by the sheer size of the structure. It used five huge trees as additional support, rising to the height of at least five stories. The center was dome-shaped, but additional supports and structures made it look more like a star. Some platforms were set on the nearby trees, the militiaman scanning the vicinity from above. Aisha was utterly unimpressed at the view. ¡°Why are you so grumpy?¡± he asked. ¡°Every time I have to deal with the powers that be, they try to extort me.¡± She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just be done with it,¡± she said, parking near a building looking like stables. After a minute an older woman greeted them, coming out of the building nearby. After spending a good 20 minutes cataloging the contents of their cart, it was transported into the stables. Their horse was quite pleased with the new abode, its box was filled with water and hay. It could finally rest in civilized conditions. The interior of the hall was underwhelming. As much as he would like to see some fancy furnishing, the simple interior wasn¡¯t even elegant. Everything was crudely crafted from wood, similar to what they had found in other villages. The older lady directed them to the stairs, and after going to the fourth floor, she instructed them to wait when she announces them. Zeph felt his presence was unnecessary, but he was quite curious about what the council could want from his companion. After 15 minutes, they were called into the spacious meeting room. The furniture here was of better quality, but not that far away from what Zeph saw downstairs. Five people were sitting behind three desks, placed to form a U-shape with the empty space directed at the door. Three older people were seated directly ahead, while two young people took each of the side desks. ¡°Greetings, Zora Leilatalo,¡± slowly said an older woman at the center, using an expression unknown to Zeph. It was, evidently, a shortened version of Aisha¡¯s title. ¡°And Einar Tabitalo,¡± she said nodding. ¡°It¡¯s in good fortune that you visited us at this time. I am Schaefer Nuri Machitaro Barringstone, the representative in our negotiations,¡± she said, taking out and handing them a metallic star. They both nodded and greeted the council. Aisha examined the star in detail before giving it back. Nobody else introduced themselves, to Zeph¡¯s relief. He had a hard time remembering the strange names. ¡°So, Nuriro,¡± started Aisha, yet again surprising him with a new language form. ¡°I have heard you are in need of my services?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. We have a disease going around. Our Doctor and Healers are unable to explain its source or cure it. We are slowly starting to suspect Soul indisposition of some kind; it would be very helpfu¡ª¡± ¡°The pay?¡± she interrupted brazenly. Nori made a hard face for a moment but relaxed after a moment. ¡°Yes, we can propose a curated Hydrargyrum stack for two people as a reward,¡± she said, closing her eyes. ¡°We just want a diagnosis from a Priestess, there is no need to go into the detailed investigation.¡± If he understood correctly, a stack should mean two times the weight of a person in the material. It sounded like much, but the actual value of the reward was unknown to him. He glanced at Aisha ¨C she was making a sour face. So not that good of a deal, it seems¡­ ¡°We require full hospitality for as long as we stay, but not longer than five days,¡± she finally countered. ¡°That includes necessary shop services.¡± This time, Nori frowned a little. The back and forth continued for a few minutes. After both sides became equally dissatisfied, the consensus was reached. They got three days of stay in the city paid fully by the council, with some minor stipulations. The hall¡¯s guest rooms would be their lodge. At least six hours per day would be spent on visiting the sick. Aisha was adamant about personally going to the patients, instead of allowing the council to prepare an inspection room, stating that she would have to scan the vicinity of their living space to make sure everything was in order. But Zeph could tell that she just didn¡¯t like the idea of being under constant surveillance. After they said their goodbyes, the pair went to the kitchens to get some food. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± Aisha said suddenly when they left the hall. ¡°I am obliged to seriously answer such calls from officials. No matter the rewards,¡± she said, frowning at the time lost. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± he said placatingly. ¡°We need some rest either way. And the traveling provisions aren¡¯t exactly enough for both of us,¡± he said laughingly. She smiled a little at that. As per usual, when near other people, they didn¡¯t talk much. The dinner was a quick affair and after that, they strolled around the growing town. All in all, it was a nice change of pace for both of them. Only Gru stayed somewhat tense, wondering why all the people he met today had Classes so similar to each other.
Interface: Chapter 23 - Too many coincidences is not a coincidence. Barringstone [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.03] Zeph groggily awakened, the sunlight was warming his face and penetrating his closed eyelids. He tried to squirm away, but the unforgivable light bombarded him from every direction. Left without a choice, he opened his eyes. It took him a while to place where exactly he was ¨C the walls were utterly unfamiliar to him, and the soft sensation coming from below felt like a long-forgotten dream¡­ A proper bed was unfortunately a luxury in those regions. Gru vibrated lightly in greeting, shaking away the rest of his sleepiness away. The light coming through the glassed window quivered alongside the moving leaves. A clear mountainous air, flavored by the scent of pine-like wood, cleared his mind. And that is what I call a civilization, he thought, sitting up. The room was spacious, although lacking in the furniture department. The cozy, rural atmosphere was exactly what he liked about it, though. He took his armor from under the bed and started to put it on. He was almost finished when Aisha banged at the doors. ¡°I hope you are not sleeping! You decided to go with me, I will not wait for you!¡± she stated loudly. ¡°Give me a second! I just need to put on some clothes!¡± he answered, taking his trousers from the table. He still used the clothing given to him by the knights. His leathers would do a better job at hiding the phosphorescence of Phleya, but the outfit was in the middle of being cleaned right now. It didn¡¯t matter ¨C his futuristic armor was good at impressing the locals. The light-show was actually quite helpful in that regard. He quickly packed one of the small backpacks with miscellanea he deemed useful, like some smoke/smell bombs, dry meat, and valuable plants. The pistols and knives, he always kept on himself. No one paid attention to his holster, probably thinking that inside was some utility tool. He opened the doors only to see his companion with a raised fist and a surprised face. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°I had to prepare something for trade. I really need to buy a proper map,¡± he said, locking the door. She shrugged. ¡°If even I don¡¯t recognize the locations,¡± she started, on the topic of materials he had to find, ¡°the chances of us passing one of them are scarce,¡± she declared, heaving her warhaxammer and walking in the direction of the staircase. Curiously, the weapon was always by her side and nobody seemed to be perturbed by that fact. He followed, mentally preparing for some bartering. One of his easiest-to-solve problems was the decreased efficiency of Gru and the implant ¨C the Source Net. He learned from Aisha that every System Shrine had a collection of materials ready for upgrades that people could take. But it only included upgrades unlocked by the nearby communities and individuals, while his were inaccessible to the population. He would need to find the materials himself and transport them to the Shrine for it to work out. His General Skill described many potential extraction sites for Makrun, the Mana-resistant metal he needed, but only in the context of nearby topography and landmarks. The Skill could show him directions, but didn¡¯t contain a direct map or names ¨C he suspected that would be a separate purchase, something he would like to have very much. If he had enough UP to buy it, that is. The topic of unlocking the Exchange upgrades stirred another round of debate. It was a hard part of the economy here and dictated the differences between groups, countries, and species. To describe it simply, one only had access to upgrades that they, or their official community, could theoretically produce. Even potentially, which meant the blueprints for prototypes worked as well. It was impossible to sell or directly exchange access to the upgrades, they belonged to people or groups who managed to unlock them. The only exception was when an individual made their unlocked upgrade public for their official communities, like to their family or to the country. This, though, had to be a voluntary donation, which meant it required deep memory scanning, executed by the System. It did it for three reasons ¨C firstly, to make sure it was a voluntary action; secondly, to re-check the learning process in detail and derive the best upgrades for the group, as well as calculate the rewards for the donator; third, as a payment for the overall service it provided in this matter. The real exchanges were happening physically between people, by teaching others about the concept that unlocked the System¡¯s upgrade. It could mean a simple lecture or the creation of a whole industry. This method had its own limits, mostly concerning the official affiliation of the teacher and local policies. Not to mention, overall limits also existed. Many things were un-unlockable for others besides the one individual. Also, the System would never unlock upgrades technologically ahead of the community¡¯s technology or civilization level. Some knowledge exchanges required official representatives to allow the unlocks. The list was long and convoluted. But because of all that, Earthling¡¯s access to certain upgrades was simply priceless ¨C one of the reasons certain groups wanted to be in constant contact with them. Although, making it happen wasn¡¯t that easy ¨C if the System saw them as integrated into the society, most of the exchangeable upgrades would be blocked for them. Anyway, System-provided upgrades were costly but sure. In the case of prototypes, for example, it was much safer to just use the System¡¯s version, even if automatically granted General Skills provided all necessary knowledge to build one yourself. After all, the System never made mistakes. The first house they had to visit was near the hall, so it took them only a few minutes of walking to arrive. The house was similar to all others, nothing suggested a bedridden person was living here. A young brunette woman opened the doors. She looked to be about twenty, but her hands sported many calluses, betraying years of hard, physical labor. ¡°Hello¡­ oh!¡± she started delicately but stopped in surprise. ¡°T-the Priestess! Welcome,¡± she stuttered, bowing down. ¡°Cut it,¡± said Aisha, waving her hand. ¡°I heard you have a sick person inside?¡± ¡°Y-yes, it would be a¡­ I m-mean, thank you for visiting us! He is in the next room,¡± she said, stopping herself from bowing again, and guiding them inside. ¡°His condition is getting worse¡­ Slowly. I d-don¡¯t know what to do anymore¡­¡± Zeph followed silently behind them, looking around. He was here only as an observer; the fact that nobody seemed to notice him in the presence of the Priestess only helped in that. The house was well-cared-for, but the room the sick man was in was another story. The smell of ammonia, acid, and sweat permeated the air, even though it was evident the sheets and patient¡¯s clothes were exchanged frequently enough. Near the bed¡¯s side, a wooden bowl was laying, marred with dried remnants of vomit, some of it splattered on the floor. Pale marks on wood could be seen all around, indicating the places cleaned previously. The man was convulsing slightly, even when unconscious, his body thin and sickly white. Probably because of the awkward silence, the woman started to ramble about his condition and what she thought was the possible cause. It was a very chaotic description, marred with rumors and faulty logic, to Zeph¡¯s dismay. Aisha ignored it all and just looked at the patient. After a minute she interjected, stopping the flow of random words coming out of their host¡¯s mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t care, I am not a Doctor,¡± she started, looking at the woman. ¡°It¡¯s not my right to examine him physically. Now leave us alone ¨C I need to make preparations for doing my part. It will take around an hour, don¡¯t disturb me,¡± she said, looking coldly at the woman. We didn¡¯t even ask about her name, realized Zeph. I am not sure how to interact with people in such situations¡­ Aisha was only called by her title, too. Maybe it¡¯s alright to keep my distance? The woman left the room with some hesitation. It was clear to Zeph that she hoped Aisha could help, and wanted to at least be a witness. But his companion stayed distant, more than ever. After they were left alone in the room, she took out a leather pouch from her pack and took a handful of multicolored leaves out of it. She held them in a cupped hand, near her face, but still concentrating on the patient. After the white smoke started to whiff out of them, Zeph started to have doubts about staying in this place. Whatever it is, it shouldn¡¯t be strong enough to drug me out of my boots¡­ But she has much more PE than me¡­ And the window is closed¡­ No, thanks to Gru, I have quite a strong toxin resistance, it should be enough! ¡­On the other hand, I have different anatomy¡­ Back and forth his thoughts flew. If only he was able to learn the Air filtering Spell from Makani, but life wasn¡¯t that easy. Without a proper book, it was hard to draw or describe such complex 3D construct. He would know, they tried it multiple times. On the other hand, the Matrix version he had access to required 16 Matrix space ¨C a ridiculous amount. At least for him. He decided to stay inside. Gru needed some pointers and wanted to see how a Priestess was working. Zeph could just return to the hall if he got high, too. The hour felt much longer than it should. Zeph Mana perception was becoming more detailed as he inhaled the smoke, but no other side effects showed up. Or he was unable to perceive them. He did feel quite relaxed and started to ignore most of what Gru was sending to him. He couldn¡¯t understand this ¡®technical¡¯ gibberish either way. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. After the last of the leaves smoldered away, Aisha finally straightened up and started to look around with unfocused eyes. The strange thing about the whole situation was that she didn¡¯t have to look around. Soul and Mana perception were working by proximity, not eyesight. He called shenanigans, but it wasn¡¯t a time to ask about it. After a few minutes, she stopped and opened the window. Instead of glass, it had a membrane of some kind, but the clarity wasn¡¯t that different. It seemed much more delicate and prone to damage, though. He looked at her intently the whole time. Only after making sure the smoke was out, she sighed and answered, looking at him. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing what?¡± he asked, tilting his head. ¡°His physical state is not mirrored in his Soul. The links are clear. It¡¯s a disease and nothing more,¡± she explained. Links, another term he didn¡¯t fully understand. It was, presumably, the parts of a Soul linking it to the physical body. The same parts responsible, mostly, for the leveling effect ¨C breaking away when an entity died. But what was the line between life and death of a body, and how could a part of a Soul link it to the physical world? He was sure examining those topics would grant him more Tabu levels, so it had to be left for later. ¡°So¡­ What now?¡± he asked, unsure. ¡°The next one,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°What else can I do?¡± The housewife didn¡¯t like the explanation, but she was too scared of the Priestess to protest. Aisha just stated what she saw, and that was it. The next patient had similar symptoms, but his vomit had traces of blood. That changed nothing in Aisha¡¯s methodology. But again, she wasn¡¯t here to check them physically. On the other hand, Zeph became interested in the case. He wasn¡¯t a doctor by any means, but he did work in the pharmaceutical industry ¨C some knowledge still leaked his way. During Aisha¡¯s mysterious examinations, he started to do medical interviews with the family of the sick. Two patients were awake and Zeph took his time to speak with them, to Aisha¡¯s displeasure. Memory loss, disbalance, sight problems ¨C even blindness in the case of one unconscious girl. Those symptoms sounded familiar, if common in many cases of poisoning. All in all, they managed to visit five people that day, a good record, taking into account how much information Zeph had gathered. The afternoon came, and it was time for some light shopping and tourism. Sadly, his bartering attempts failed miserably as no shop here had what he wanted. A waste of time, all in all, if a relaxing one. =============================== Two days later, the duo was taking a stroll through the nearby woods, looking for plants and something to hunt. Their quota for today was done and theoretically, they should leave the next day, after Aisha presented the Council with the official, written report. But Zeph had other plans, he managed to finally formulate a diagnosis. He used a lot of time to meditate with his ¡°Memories of the Earth¡± General Skill in the afternoons, trying to gather the pieces of knowledge into something comprehensive. He managed to acquire a lead after the first day of their useless mission in the village, after asking Aisha about the properties of Hydrargyrum. He cut short the explanation about its Mana properties, which would tell him nothing with his lacking knowledge. But for all reasons and purposes, it sounded like they were dealing with mercury. He made sure by asking the families of the sick and the guards, so he was quite sure it was the elemental mercury or its isotope. That stirred his curiosity even more, and he started to read his General Skill during afternoons and evenings. Especially because a further search of maps and other goods brought no fruits. The locals had nothing of value to exchange. As a result, he had a lot of free time after their errands. As training the most basic of Spells ¨C the Stabilization, could attract unwanted attention, he concentrated on the case instead. But the worst part of the whole situation was, everyone knew mercury was toxic. Doctors and the Healer included. They made sure no one was poisoned by it. Or at least, by the elemental and inorganic compounds ¨C the basis of Zeph¡¯s diagnosis. ¡°So, we are leaving tomorrow?¡± he asked, scanning the underbrush. ¡°Why do you even ask,¡± Aisha said in a monotonous tone. ¡°Did you find anything interesting here?¡± ¡°Actually, we didn¡¯t have so many luxuries for some time now¡­¡± he started, giving Gru a signal at the same time. ¡°Grraaar!¡± it vibrated, but the meaning behind the vibration was totally different. Gru, the perfect mediator in secret discussions. Zeph beat himself for a long time for not thinking about it earlier ¨C they didn¡¯t need Makani¡¯s eavesdrop-prevention methods, no one could understand Gru except for him and Aisha! ¡®Zeph has an idea of what is happening here¡¯ was the meaning of Gru¡¯s message. They planned it together using non-verbal exchange, which took some time. Aisha staggered after receiving the information. ¡°Gre!¡± it added. ¡®Stop being stupid!¡¯ Zeph almost facepalmed, he forgot Gru was still quite stupid when it comes to communicating. ¡°Can we, I don¡¯t know¡­ relax a little?¡± he pointedly said, glaring at Aisha. She immediately fixed her posture, evidently understanding the hidden message. ¡°You want to spend more time in this backwater?!¡± she asked in a surprised tone, showcasing her acting skills. Damn, she¡¯s quite good, he thought. Or exceedingly simple-minded¡­ ¡°Why not,¡± he answered, shrugging. ¡°It is the first civilized place we visited.¡± ¡°Grummm!¡± it vibrated. ¡®All of the people here have similar Classes. Strange!¡¯ He became paranoid after Gru explained that to him. It was too much to believe they were in a normal village, something suspicious was happening here. He could almost see a lightbulb turning on above her head. She nodded, crossing her arms. ¡°And what do you want to do besides lazing around? There is nothing here! We should just move along, we had a terrible time already,¡± she said, indicating it would be better to leave this mess behind. ¡°I just want to gather some local biomatter,¡± he said, using a very generic word in Rui for a ¡®plant material¡¯. For the sake of security, he had to tell at least partial truths. Not like the indicated meaning was even close to what he imagined. ¡°You may not know, but if I manage to cultivate a subspecies of arable plant resistant to vermin,¡± he continued, accenting the word, ¡°We could make some good cash out of it.¡± ¡°Graaaara-ra-ra,¡± it recited mechanically after hearing the keyword. ¡®I think we will be ambushed after leaving.¡¯ Aisha¡¯s eyes widened in excitement at that, but her verbal response was something entirely different. ¡°And what of it?¡± she asked, smiling crookedly. ¡°You can acquire your seeds as well in other places,¡± she said with a ruthless glint in her eyes. He coughed. ¡°No, no. Look, not every source is the same. I need specialists, and they are few and far between. So, I would like to visit local cultivators¡­¡± he finished, almost mumbling at the end. He was sure she wouldn¡¯t understand the metaphor either way, so he just gave up mid-sentence. ¡°Graaa, guuuuu¡± it continued to translate with some new vigor. ¡®We would like to see the mine that was restricted for us. Prepared is better. Counter-pre-strike!¡¯ She started to massage her temples. ¡°And how do you even want to find any? Did you see any crops here?¡± she stated, nonplussed. ¡°Eh, there are at least two medicine-selling shops, and two Doctors on top of that. I am sure I can find someone or something interesting here!¡± he continued the charade. ¡°Grrrrrrr,¡± it silently vibrated. ¡®He can use Mana rapture to hide! Distraction needed!¡¯ ¡°Are you stupid, or just plain stupid?¡± she asked, her eye twitching. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything valuable enough to trade for such information. Just clean-n¡¯-clear what you can before coming back for more. We will be in a much better position then,¡± she finished, irritated by his obviousness and the little word game they were playing right now. Zeph blinked slowly at that. Huh¡­ Well, I never was a mastermind at tactical planning¡­ he had to acknowledge with some embarrassment. Getting rid of possible stalkers before going back to the mines, without separating their party, sounded much more reasonable. ¡°W-well¡­ I guess you are right, hehe¡­ But I still need some time before we leave¡­¡± he answered awkwardly, scratching the back of his helmet. She was not amused by his stupid half-smile. Her weapon¡¯s shaft ¡®rang the bell¡¯, making use of his helmet. The sound was echoing in the forest for a good five seconds. =========== Xim PoV =========== They are interesting, alright. But I feel ashamed. Spying on a bumpkin and a lowly Priestess? Just what is the Council thinking? the woman thought, sitting on a tall tree a good 200 meters away from the pair. The guy is too na?ve for his own good, she noticed, listening to the conversation sent by her Soul-bond stationed near the pair. It was evident straight away after his interactions with the locals, but after hearing the discussion, she had no choice but to believe he was mentally impaired. Who, in their right mind, would believe that a high-spec Classer would share their rare plants for almost nothing?! Two other options still existed. Either he was a spy or was really a clueless outlander. The former was an even more ridiculous notion than her very first idea ¨C spies should be inconspicuous, not flashing away with the most eye-catching armor ever seen in the land. After getting a good look at it, even she was allured to add some light enchantments to her own armor. The visage was truly intimidating, a style she could appreciate. And a style that was an antithesis to her line of work. She had to hide the idea deep inside the ¡°future plans, future me¡± box, or finally change jobs. She sighed. The dilemma! she sarcastically thought. The fact that he presumably was from the continent didn¡¯t help at all. She didn¡¯t know enough about the residents to read him. It was a perfect cover, but at the same time, no one should be able to imitate such idiocy. Right? Furthermore, no agent even detected any lies from him when he talked to the folk. True, they didn¡¯t have a proper Soul-specialist. Still, it was just ridiculous. She was worried about his living armor, but the material was quite weak. They managed to probe it from a distance when he was asleep, it was not resistant to any form of attack besides the magical ones. The fact it could vibrate, evidently to communicate something, was still surprising news, but it just showed their carelessness beyond the village. What¡¯s more important, even if it was partially sapient, the vibrations were unintelligible. She expected its quirk was laying purely in self-regeneration, all other possibilities were eliminated long ago. The conclusion was one and the same. Who could behave like that and look like that if not an outlander? An answer she didn¡¯t like very much for the sheer obviousness, but her pessimism and paranoia could do only that much. Facts were facts, even if her gut feeling helped her two times in the past. She probably should trust the Head a little more, too. After all, she was the one to allow them this town in the first place. She was much better at reading and manipulating people. Xim was spying on the pair from day one. Besides the strange questions the add-on spluttered around, nothing was out of the ordinary. The Priestess would be a hard nut to crack, they always are, but the guy could only bring some support in the form of unknown equipment. Which, he hasn¡¯t had enough, most of his tools were mundane in nature. They are weak¡­ she concluded. Their Veils aren¡¯t enough to cover even two steps properly (AN: around 1.5 meters). Their preparation and awareness are lacking. Equipment is almost non-existent, except for the gear they always have on themselves. A free giveaway and a weakness, she summarized mentally. Easy targets, she came to the conclusion, slightly excited. =============================== It was the report day. They planned to leave the village tomorrow before noon, after relaxing some more and eating their fill of local food. And, of course, after finishing their ¡®war preparations¡¯. What preparation, one may ask? In Zeph¡¯s case, integrating the Stabilizing Spell into his Primitive Enchanting brought up some unexpected results. He was collecting metal beads for some time now, and it was finally time to test the prototype in the field. Also, he was suddenly very glad he didn¡¯t manage to barter with locals ¨C he never had to explain how his smell/smoke bombs worked. A small advantage. Aisha had her own arsenal to prepare, too. He hoped she would explain some of those things to him after they leave. Right now, they stood before the Council. Aisha was explaining her findings under the influence of a simple truth-seeing device, after presenting her report. ¡°¡­as an unofficial intermediary of Leilucia, I am declaring this case as free of Nether and Soul-infraction. You should proceed with physical examination only from now on,¡± she finished in a formal tone. ¡°Thank you, Leilatalo,¡± started the head of the Council, Nuri. ¡°The promised donation is ready to be transported from the warehouse. Is there anything else we can do for you?¡± she asked rhetorically, following the standard honorific protocol. ¡°Actually, there is,¡± Aisha said, breaking the protocol. The Council members looked at each other in surprise. ¡°We will stay in the settlement for one more day. For the sake of my companion, I want to set a knowledge trading, a temporary low-spec agreement.¡± Judging by the faces of the Council, it wasn¡¯t a proposition they liked. Here we go again, thought Zeph. Politics¡­
Interface: no changes. Chapter 24 - Fires of the battle. The calm of the dead. Barringstone [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.08] ¡°It was a pleasure to trade with you,¡± Zeph said his goodbyes, smiling honestly. ¡°Likewise,¡± answered Loma Asta, the woman they visited on the first day of the spiritual check-up. After he returned to her home that evening, she warmed up to him. He did a full medical interview with her, listening to everything she had to say and asking for details, showing an honest interest in the case. Something the local Doctors have never done. He even gave her a few simple recipes for decreasing nausea, his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯ paying dividends once more. He also promised to come back as soon as he found the cure. The swiftness of fulfilling that promise would be quite surprising, assuming everything would go according to the plan. ¡°We will be waiting for good news, be safe,¡± added the father of the blinded girl, patting him on the back. After that, other people started to give their own goodbyes one after another, wishing them luck and easy travel. Most of the families they visited came today to bid them farewell. Yesterday, Zeph and Aisha visited the families again, in search of useful seeds and information about rare plants in this region. They were received with hospitality, and no one saw a problem with the trade as everyone wanted to barter for more potent medicinal herbs from their collection in hopes of helping the sick. The duo even managed to squeeze out some goods from the local specialists, thanks to the Council-signed prescription. Nothing groundbreaking, but Zeph was happy nonetheless. It was just a cover, but he planned to experiment with the plants at a later date, either way. But the deal was too good, deepening their suspicions. Especially Aisha¡¯s ¨C she was sure the attack would come, but she was unable to directly explain why. It definitely had to do with the Classes of people in the Barringstone. After the heartwarming farewell, they sat in their cart and started traveling west. The small crowd behind started to slowly disperse, their hopes and fears clearly written on their faces. Soon, the forest returned to its usual dense self, the visibility decreasing drastically. They expected an attack right before the night, when their awareness would be waning, but the possible wards not yet applied. But Zeph was ready to receive an attack at any time. He was fully geared, a new spear included. Sadly, he had to craft one himself, the villagers in these regions didn¡¯t have any for selling ¨C in the forest, it was better to use other weapons, after all. The enchanted metal beads were at the ready in the sacks strapped to his belt. The Stabilizing Spell was a very interesting construct. Instead of using the standard ¡®element¡¯-changing Spell-modules to create Magicules, a.k.a. the cantrips, the quality change of the Mana happened inside the caster¡¯s body. The Mana was dragged through the caster¡¯s brain in intricate patterns for a few moments, then traveled through the spinal column and to other bones in an even more complex, lace-like pattern, before being ejected from palm bones to the outside. The whole process was supplemented by the Soul, but the details eluded him. He could say only one thing for sure ¨C it had to do with his residue Soul contamination, mostly the Neural and Bone groups, but also some Blood and Tissue. After all, he could recognize those groups by the feel in the Mana that came out as the finished product. Outside, those new Magicules behaved differently than normal ones. A Magicule, no matter the kind, was always similar to the pure Mana ¨C gaseous, easily dispersed, and easily manipulated by Will. But also, and most importantly, they were unstable. But the strange Magicule conglomeration, that was coming out of him after the Stabilize Spell machinations, was compact, thick, and resistant. It responded sluggishly to Will or Willpower but fluctuated slightly when he moved his body. Those Magicules were not only connected to his Soul, like all of his Mana was. They were also connected to his body in some unfathomable way. The mass was curiously conductive to Mana-Z, but resisted Mana-O, similarly to his own body. All this brought about a lot of questions he had no way of answering. He decided to call this type of Magicules a Mana-L for simplicity, naming it after the word ¡®Living¡¯. The final part of the Matrix Stabilization Spell was easy to imitate. He just had to move the small parts of the conglomeration in a triple-spiral pattern around the active Spell¡¯s Manaways. The Mana-L would then start to slowly sip away from the spirals and cling to itself, conglomerating around the Mana flow and encasing it. In the process it was becoming even more cohesive, feeling almost gelatinoid to him. After filling the whole Spell that way, he had a kind of mold for an active Spell, and he just had to keep the spirals around the whole construct to keep it stable. The gelatinous encasement was resistant to deformation, ¡®remembering¡¯ the shape and returning to it every time. It protected the shape of a Spell and limited the interactions with Mana-O and matter. But what it had done to his enchanting was just stunning. The Mana-L didn¡¯t like matter, going into contact with atoms much more frequently than normal Magicules. But if he seeped enough into, for example, an enchanted metal bead, very slowly filling the space between molecules with Mana-L Magicules, the enchantment would not only become almost immune to movement, the Mana-L would guide the Spell-produced Mana or Magicules through itself, instead of allowing them to interact with the metal. He could place the whole enchantment deep in the material, and its efficiency was better than the surface-placed one. Life detection beads, Sound detection beads, Mana highlight beads, cantrip beads, he had them all. The last type he used to power his Spells, drastically decreasing construction times. It was especially useful for ¡®Lesser telekinesis¡¯, as it allowed him to concentrate on shaping the ¡®pipes¡¯ surrounding the Force-Mana. And the final one, his latest invention and the pride of his craft ¨C an explosive bead. It was a new Spell construct. Sadly, because it wasn¡¯t working without enchanting, he didn¡¯t get the Matrix version. He successfully combined ¡®Space lens¡¯ and Scrubbing cantrips with ¡®Lesser Harden¡¯ Spell. The cantrips provided the stretching force, the Magicules circulating along the ¡®Space lens¡¯ vortex inside the bead, while the ¡®Lesser Harden¡¯, or rather the Metal-Mana, was circulated around them in a similar manner. Combining three Mana-guiding constructs from a modified Space lens was hard, without them the Force-Mana from Scrubbing and Metal-Mana from Harden would just travel outside through the line of the least resistance ¨C the Mana-L. Instead, the Magicules were circulating inside the bead. He managed to find a proper ratio that only broke the bead at a very high concentration of accumulated Magicules. Firstly, after enough Magicules were circulating, the conductive properties of Mana-L would saturate. The Magicules would start to interact more and more with the atoms. The whole structure only kept together by Metal-Mana from Harden, as it created a shell. But Harden was set to fall behind the other two Magicule-producing Spells. So finally, a crack inside the bead would be formed, and a chain reaction would start. Along with the crack, the Spell constructs would be destroyed, the Metal-Mana from Hardening would disperse first, flowing outside through Mana-L. Following closely behind would be a wave of Force-Mana and Space-Mana. The bead would explode as a result. The force was stronger than even the strongest grenades he knew of, thanks to the escaping Mana interacting with the surrounding matter, too. He planned to test other materials and the size of the bead. What he had now was a metal ball 4 centimeters in diameter with engraved mesh on the outside. Too small to really harm with the metal fragments, but enough in close proximity. Luckily, because he could feel his own Mana, he knew which bead was enchanted with which Spell. And so, for hours they traveled, in silence. Nothing was out of the ordinary, the green and yellow forest as relaxing and monotonous as always. The sun shining through the canopy was painting the underwood in smudges of light, while the forest¡¯s critters could be heard from all around. But, as time passed, the oppressive feeling of being watched only strengthened in Zeph¡¯s mind. He wasn¡¯t nervous, but the inability to locate the potential observer made him uneasy. Gru was trying to comfort him, but he was also unable to find anything out of the ordinary. Be it ¡®Life detect¡¯ or Mana feelers, he could find nothing. He described it all to Aisha through Gru, but she just made a knowing smile and shrugged. He interpreted it as ¡°just get used to it¡±, which didn¡¯t help his mood at all. Finally, the evening came. It was time to use some stealthy Telekinesis. =========== Xim PoV =========== Finally, the time is right, she thought, preparing her bow. The distance from the village was perfect, no one would know what happened here. The pair started to set the camp, distracted. Her companions were ready, five people at each side of the road, ways away from any possible detection. She was following from behind, hidden in the trees canopy. It¡¯s time, she decided, sending her spying Soul-bond bird to the team on the right, and informing the one on the left through her Soul-bond wolf. She concentrated. Through her bonds, she could indistinctly see as two Manacasters started constructing their Matrix Spells, the fighters waiting. After all the Spells took effect, they started to move slowly in the direction of the road. They produced no sound, no smell, and were partially camouflaged. She observed, through her animal companions, as the teams came closer and closer to their prey. She was smiling viciously, expecting a quick and brutal fight. A poisoned arrow was nocked and she took aim, activating her Skills. But life was never that easy. Her people were 15 meters away and ready to charge, when the Warrior Priestess suddenly reached into the cart and one-handedly heaved her warhaxammer, slamming it right into the ground with incredible speed. A flash of blue and golden light illuminated the surroundings for a second. Traces of lightning burned themselves into Xim¡¯s retina before she managed to close her eyes. A distant thunder reverberated through the forest as every being close enough to hear it felt an enormous presence emerging from above and among them. Everything and everyone stopped moving, paralyzed in fear, as they felt an eye of a titan glance at the area, all-seeing and evaluating. Xim¡¯s opened her eyes wide when she felt the gaze glaze over her Soul-bond, before settling on her. Her Soul stirred before something heavy imposed itself over it. She recognized the feeling. The presence disappeared not even a second after it appeared, but the damage was already done. She marked us! She thought in disbelief, indignation, and fear. She had prepared the ritual?! They were expecting us from the very beginning! Alarm bells started ringing in her head. But how was our ambush detected? she thought, scanning the vicinity of the campsite briefly. There was nothing of interest besides the duo. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Priestess charged to the right, straight at their team. She was fast, much faster than she should have been. Her maniacal, predatory grin sent shivers down her spine. She quickly glanced at the guy. He was throwing something in the opposite direction, at the charging warriors. But what can they do against ten veter¡ª She wasn¡¯t able to finish the thought before a bright flash left her, her bonds, and probably everyone else blind for a few seconds. Then, she heard explosions, followed shortly by screams. She was far, so she recovered quickly from the flash of light. She took aim again, assessing the state of the battle at the same time. She sucked her breath when she noticed one of the bonds disappearing, but forced herself to concentrate, activating her Skills in order. She was furious. Her wolf died, the Manacaster died, one warrior was incapacitated and another one wounded. Whatever the guy just used, halved their left team potential. She would not allow this to continue. On the other side, the Warrior Priestess was playing with her companions. Playing was a proper word for what she saw, the Priestess used her weapon with grace and speed dedicated for short swords, not glaive sized weaponry. Not to mention, she was able to easily use its full reach. One of the warriors was already down, the deep cut in his torso almost separating his whole left side. On the other hand, the Manacaster on that side was struggling with something, his spells backfiring again and again. What is this idiot doing?! You will die, get a hold of yourself! she hollered furiously in her mind. Her last Skill took effect, and she returned to the problem at hand. Arrow after arrow, she sent them all at the glowing buffoon, timing the first arrow perfectly with the thrust the leading warrior was making. Before the first arrow found its target, four more she sent trailing behind. She paused from shock when the warrior spasmed mid-step, his body arching back, only to skewer himself on the spear that was ready to receive him. At the same time, her first arrow suddenly changed directions, missing the target. The same happened to the second. Third and fourth skimming off of his armor, until the last one lodged itself firmly in his chest, just under the left arm. What is going on?! she exclaimed internally, restarting the shooting. With his spear lodged in the body of the first warrior, and with a grievous wound, the guy abandoned his weapon and threw himself back and out of the cart, reaching for his belt. =============================== That fucking hurts! he screamed internally, landing on his back. His pistol was already in his right hand, the left one was unusable because of the pain and the arrow¡¯s shaft sticking from his side. His Telekinetic spherical barriers worked good enough at the beginning, transferring the force of the first arrow to the ground, and forcing it to skim aside because of the uneven force distribution on the arrowhead. But he wasn¡¯t able to fill the construct with Force-Mana fast enough after the Space-Mana enclosing it was disrupted, even with the beads. The barrier was shredded by the barrage. He abandoned the construct and moved the right shield to replace the first one. Now, he was on the timer before becoming a pincushion. He already abandoned the Mana-L tendril he used to disrupt the mage on Aisha¡¯s side, focusing solely on constructing his own Spells. He took aim at the first man chasing him, the guy was already on the cart. Zeph fired two times, at his torso and face. The first shot only staggered the man, slowed or stopped by his armor, but allowed for a precise aim of the second shot. The lifeless body fell over the cart¡¯s low wall, flipping halfway and collapsing to the ground, not far from Zeph¡¯s feet. The already wounded warrior behind the cart hesitated ¨C Zeph could see his legs under the cart from his position. So, he shot at one, making the guy fall to the side, screaming into the heavens. Unable to shoot cleanly at the head, partially hidden behind the spokes of the wheels, he instead rolled into a low crouch, continuing the movement to turn back in the direction of the cart. In that brief moment, he got a glance at the fight on the other side. Aisha was dealing with the last two warriors while a mage was standing further behind. But the mage was looking in his direction. Cold shivers run down his spine. After finishing the turn, Zeph immediately lunged forward, clenching his jaw from the pain and closing his eyes. Just as he started to move, several things happened simultaneously. The arrows started to rain down again, like a volley from a machine gun. The fourth one lodged itself in his shoulder before his body left the line of fire. The freshly constructed quadruple-Flash triggered in a dense pocket of Mana, blinding everyone around. A beam of Mana cut through Zeph¡¯s Veil, hitting him in the leg. Before he could even feel the heat, an explosion of air violently catapulted him forward. He flipped midair, his scream cut short when his head and shoulders slammed into the top of the cart. He spun wildly in the air, before landing on the other side of the wagon. Right on the blinded warrior, who was struggling to rise from the ground. His helmet and pistol flew away somewhere, and he was disoriented. His vision was doubled and swimming as he looked at the sky. He could feel pain in his arm and chest, but a dull numbness took over most of his body. Something moved under him. He opened his eyes wide as years of training kicked in. He blindly kicked down and used his one working hand to take out the combat knife from his belt. He could feel his kicks land on a head of a person, so he changed tactics and put a chokehold with one leg, locking it on the other one and sitting up. Fortunately, those guys didn¡¯t wear full-body armor, their helmets were of the open type. He violently punched in the general direction of the enemy¡¯s head with a fist, holding the knife sideways. He couldn¡¯t see what he was doing, but after the fifth punch landed on flesh, he changed his grip on the knife mid-swing and plunged it in the same place. He stabbed viciously, over and over again, until the dulled screams stopped and the body under him stopped resisting. He didn¡¯t check if the person was dead, the archer was still there. He crawled under the cart as fast as he could. He was able to distinguish it in his blurry vision, but moved mostly by touch. He lay down on his back right there, feeling weak and vulnerable. To remedy at least one of those problems, he sent a few Mana tendrils to power up the ¡®Life detection¡¯ beads scattered around. He still could feel the connection to Mana-L lingering in them, so the enchantments should be functional. After scanning the battlefield that way, he finally relaxed. Fuck it, next time we will follow my battle plan! he promised to himself. She is just a fucking musclehead fool! =========== Xim PoV =========== Impossible¡­ she thought weakly, observing as the Priestess made quick work of the two last warriors. She had an eyesight protecting Skill active this time but even with it, she was blinded by the flash for a short moment. By the time she recovered, it was too late. A moment was enough for the battle to conclude. The Manacaster, or whatever the hell he was, managed to crawl under the cart. The Priestess didn¡¯t need her eyesight at all, her smile was even more terrifying as she ruthlessly killed off her blind opponents while keeping her eyes tightly closed. Xim wouldn¡¯t be able to hit this monster either way ¨C her movements were unpredictable when she twirled about with that heavy weapon of hers. What level is she even? Or rather, both of them? Priestesses can¡¯t fall under Nether, right? she thought worriedly. The fact that Whiff, her wolf, didn¡¯t send her any soul fragments after death astounded her. She realized that only later, but her initial assumption, that both of them were Nether-infected, was improbable at best. She was confused and lost, nothing here worked like it should. It¡¯s useless. I won¡¯t be able to finish them by myself¡­ It¡¯s time to bail, she decided, securing her bow. She told Tali, her bird, to fly ahead. I didn¡¯t want any more surprises today. She wasn¡¯t overly worried about the mark. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had to escape while under one of those, she just needed to outrun her pursuer and be on the move after that, the mark would fade with time. She glanced at the battlefield for the last time. And paled immediately. Before the cut-off head of the Specialist Malrik hit the ground, the Priestess was already running. The woman left her heavy weapon behind and bolted in Xim¡¯s direction. Her already impressive speed increasing with every step, accompanied by swathes of knocked-back forest fleece. The white, almost glowing eyes were looking straight into hers, the grin never leaving the woman¡¯s face. A cold shiver ran down her body. She turned away and activated all her movement-enhancing Skills at once. Concentrate, Xim, concentrate! It¡¯s just the same as always! she thought, trying to convince herself. She fought off the urge to look back, instead using her full attention on the path ahead. =============================== It is a shame, he thought slowly, to die like this. He was taken out at the very beginning of the battle, unable to exchange even one attack with their target. It was unfair, in too many ways for him to even consider. His emotions were running wild with the thought. His eyes failed him a moment ago ¨C he couldn¡¯t even tell what happened to the fight. The explosion took away his leg and broke his bones. The blood loss was finally kicking in. The end was nearing. He sobbed weakly, forcing his body to take yet another breath despite feeling his heartbeat slowing down. Xim, Daium, he forced the last thoughts to form, avenge¡­ me¡­ I beseech you. With that last internal scream, the Links cracked. His heart stopped. His brain started to shut down. The ethereal fluctuations, flickering between the matter of his brain, his body, the reality itself, heeded his last call. Abandoning the dying vessel and the physical world, they moved through the existing Links like waves on a river¡¯s surface, clinging to their collective existence for as long as possible, to fulfill the last dream, the last will. They contained all of his past feelings, were the case and result of his choices, were his driving force. His rapidly dissipating Will was naturally transferring to his Soul, vibrating strongly inside and shaking the very structure of its form. His brain was dead, but the Soul still exited. The Soul strengthened by the System. His perception slowly shifted, the unmoving perceptive structures constructed by the System during his life were still feeding the eternal memory ¨C his Soul. If he were be able to think, this would be the moment of epiphany. He could finally see, even as everything started to slow down, the time itself losing its grip on him. The reality he knew was left behind. He could see an infinite monochromatic world, without scale, without matter¡­ static in its existence, forever unchanging. Planet-size recurrent patterns, small as dust. Self-replicating forests of shapes, containing whole universes deep within. The landscape changing as his Soul moved, the scale ever altering. Every shape infinitely deep, infinitely complex. A void filled to the brim, but empty all the same, as in the moment of its creation. He already existed there. He always was existing here. He forevermore will exist, in this unreal place. As the last vestiges of time started to fade away, alongside the breaking Links, the Will fluctuations started to reverberate around certain parts of his Soul, connecting and gathering them together. The memories of his companions, of his fights, of his goals, of companionship and purpose. The very memories that created them. The Soul cracked. A big part, still vibrating with Will, fell off. The remnants of the flickering Will in the Soul clung to their own Soul memories, spending the rest of their energy helplessly vibrating around them. In places where those fluctuations interfered with each other, the Soul become strained. As time progressed, small parts started to fall away in places where the chaotic fluctuations conglomerated in clusters. The stronger was the emotion, the deeper was the wound and the stronger the fluctuation was. Those parts lost all energy immediately after separating, the last remnants of Will dissipating altogether in the timeless space, forever forgotten. Those Soul fragments were immediately transported away by an overwhelming force. The System, indefinitely scanning this strange world, indifferently executing its authority. At the same time, the big Soul fragment filled with Will started to drift away, directed by the conglomeration of Will inside of it and moving along the weak bond created during the man¡¯s lifetime ¨C in the direction of Xim. That bond was the only thing allowing it a smudge of Time, but it was enough to move through this space. Or at least, this is how it should have gone. Before the last Link broke and the Time became irrelevant, the Soul registered one last scene. Tentacles. Pure white tentacles, thousands of them, lazily moved through the space, reaching from a place unknown. After a moment, they wrapped greedily around the fragment, and a gigantic abomination of shapes rose from below, alien to the rest of the strange world. The size was enormous enough to create waves in the space, but empty enough to float freely. Its eyes scanned the vicinity, before it moved along, pushing away every other shape in its path, no matter the size or density, slowly submerging in the same darkness it came from and dragging the fragment away against all that was natural and possible. The bond was broken, the space distorted. The monster moved in seconds, recreating eons of change in the Soul landscape. The Soul perception structures were unable to pierce deeper into the alien being ¨C its Soul wiggling in ever-changing patterns. As the Time left the Soul alone, alongside the last fading Link, the stolen fragment made a contact with the main body of the giant entity. The Will immediately fluctuated down the newly created Link, searching for purchase, as it was in its nature. It found nothing. The crystal structure of its brain was impossible to influence. The Will dissipated shortly after, losing all of its energy by crashing with the crystal walls of Mana and physicality. The giant didn¡¯t even register its existence. The Soul fragment was quickly integrated, the memories it contained lost all coherency after being exposed to the alien Soul. The giant didn¡¯t even understand what it had just done. ¡°Gruuuum,¡± the content vibrations reverberated heavily in the vicinity as it sent the newly integrated fragment to Zeph. Meanwhile, the very same Zeph was bombarded by System notifications.
Congratulations! Resetting process¡­ Congratulations! You leveled¡­ Congratulations! [Skill] diverging¡­ Congratulations! New [Skills]¡­ [Shaman] is¡­
A shame he was preoccupied with ''quickly losing consciousness'' affair at the moment¡­
Interface: It''s a clifff, you know? But seriously, this list is long and this chapter is on the verge of breaking 4,5k words. I need to place a line somewhere :P. Chapter 25 - Gearing up in a silent night. Barringstone [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.09] It was night already when he woke up. The unfamiliar sky greeted him, together with an enormous headache. He started to sit up, gripping his head with one hand, but he immediately regretted it as a sharp pain in his left shoulder and side almost made him black out again. He powerlessly fell back on his makeshift bedding. He was still in his armor ¨C only the arrow shafts were removed, the rest of them still in his body. ¡°Finally,¡± Aisha spoke from his right. ¡°I feared I would have to wait till morning.¡± He slowly moved his head, trying to keep his muscles relaxed. She was sitting near a small fire, cooking something in a pot. An unconscious person, tied and gagged, was laying nearby. Aisha tilted her head. ¡°I thought you said you prepared something against arrows?¡± He grunted, making a sour face. ¡°Not for a volley like that, and I didn¡¯t have a chance to really test it.¡± ¡°Ha! Good thing you are quite tough, then!¡± she said, laughing. He sighed. ¡°Engaging in the open was a mistake in the first place,¡± he said, glaring at her. ¡°Eh, we are alive, they are not, so all went well?¡± she said innocently while making a shrugging gesture. This idiot! he fumed internally. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the proper explanations for later,¡± she changed the topic, smiling crookedly. ¡°We have other immediately important issues,¡± she said, nodding in the direction of the unconscious person. ¡°Don¡¯t make jokes from a deadly serious matter,¡± he said to the troll, massaging his temples. ¡°So, how we will do it?¡± They obviously needed more information before going back to the village. Also, providing false information to the enemy would be a huge advantage. As so, a Ranger-type, if one was among the attackers, was their priority capture target. Not only were such Classes tasked with information gathering, but as the people with the highest chances of survival, they were responsible for reporting back to headquarters, oftentimes possessing additional means to do so. ¡°Gru already informed me that her Class lacks the similarity some of the villagers had,¡± she started explaining. Zeph frowned. ¡°Are you sure she is unconscious?¡± he asked, looking worriedly in the direction of the Ranger. ¡°Quite so. I have learned enough about my diagnostic Skill to ascertain that much.¡± He sighed with relief. ¡°Okay then,¡± he nodded, signaling her to continue. ¡°You remember what Makani said about sub-specialization of Classes? As you can imagine, people who live by the same profession will end up with similar changes. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for this group as well, after all, it¡¯s a mining village. The problem is, all the guards and most of the council also sport relatively similar changes. Most possibly, they are a group of vagrants, of the bad sort. She is not, so I hope to reach an understanding,¡± she said, indicating the woman. He blinked, surprised. ¡°Bandits? With an official city of their own?¡± She tilted her head, looking back at him. ¡°It¡¯s quite natural? People who for different reasons have to leave their birthplace, tend to look for a better one. The settlements are self-governing for the most part, what would be a better place than a new one?¡± she explained, confusing Zeph even more. ¡°This group either found the Hydrargyrum veins and struck a deal with the closest Landlord, or seized a scouting team, taking their place. If not for the disease and the attack, I wouldn¡¯t even care. Although, something seems afoot,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°No, no, no. They are murderers, right? Don¡¯t you have laws for that? Shouldn¡¯t they be disposed of, locked in prison, or¡­ something?¡± he asked, feeling lost. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s much more complicated than that¡­ In the first place, lawful execution is only allowed against System-disturbed, mentally disordered, or Nether-infected. We have enough problems as is with the death rate, no one wants to supplement it with meaningless deaths. In our case, we would need hard evidence to involve other cities,¡± she said, taking the pot out of the fireplace. ¡°Ye, for sure. It works really well, I see,¡± he said, looking at the pile of bodies, stripped from all valuables. He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around this mentality. ¡°So, you want to bargain with one of the people who tried to kill us?¡± he asked neutrally. ¡°This is self-defense,¡± she said, pointing at herself, ¡°that is politics,¡± she said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone, pointing at the dead bodies. ¡°When a group of people is involved or has backing, hard decisions are made,¡± she said sarcastically. ¡°For the greater good, of course ¨C nothing a healthy dose of overwhelming power wouldn¡¯t amend,¡± she said, placing the pot and a spoon near him. ¡°She is just a soldier,¡± she continued somberly, ¡°I want to ascertain where she really stands, firstly.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, looking at the stew. ¡°But I need to fix myself a little before that.¡± ¡°Sure, we have a few hours before she wakes up, I think,¡± she said, sitting near the fire and away from him, concentrating on her weapon. He looked around. His clothes were lying nearby, but most were in tatters. Beside them were his backpack, helmet, and weapons. Aisha had to clean the battlefield when he was asleep. Zeph started by removing the armor on his left arm and opening the chest piece. The arrow wounds weren¡¯t that bad from what he could tell, but an angry violet was surrounding them in large circles. The arrowhead in his torso had scraped off of his rib, stopping afterward, but the arrowhead in his shoulder seemed to be stuck in the bone. Both were quite close to the skin, though. After examining himself, he was planning to borrow Aisha¡¯s alcohol and ask her for help, but Gru had another idea. ¡°Gre!¡± it warned him. He paused. ¡°Um¡­ Okay, but stop immediately if I tell you,¡± he said worriedly, laying down and relaxing his muscles. He could feel something wiggle around the wounds. Looking at his shoulder from an angle, he could see his skin slowly opening in a clean line. The pain was bearable, and no blood flowed out of it. He took a sharp breath through his teeth as he felt the arrowhead dislodging from the bone. After a few moments, he could see the back of the arrowhead slowly push out of the cut. Black, thin tendrils, reminding him of long parasite worms, were coiling around it. He averted his gaze. The sight made his stomach churn. It was one thing to be aware of what was inside his body, and another to actually see it in action. No offense, Gru, but you are not pretty. Not pretty at all, he mentally apologized. When the arrowheads were out, the cuts slowly stitched together, kept together by unknown means. Zeph wasn¡¯t going to ask. ¡°Gra!¡± it proudly declared after the half-hour operation. ¡°Thanks, doc,¡± Zeph said with a small smile. He tested his arm and tried to sit up again. The pain was still there, but he could manage. His left arm was weak and had a limited range of motion, but it wouldn¡¯t be a nuisance. He decided to stay without the upper armor for now. Next, he checked the armor on the back of his thigh, where the Spell had hit him. The armor seemed mostly intact, but Phleya in the area was dimmed significantly. He guessed it conducted most of the Mana away from the point of impact, and dissipated the heat. The subsequent explosion was potent, he was surprised his ears weren¡¯t busted. If the Mana was allowed to accumulate instead of being dispersed by Phleya, the effect would be much worse. Spell fights are frightening sometimes¡­ he thought with a chill. He stood up to test his leg and do light stretching. Then he roughly cleaned his torso, concentrating on the wounds, with soap and a small amount of water. He even borrowed some alcohol from Aisha to disinfect the wounds, earning himself a strange look from her. After finishing, he took the pot and started to eat. He also called back his notifications. Zeph could vaguely remember being bombarded by them before passing out.
[Profession] [Shaman] is now level 28! Congratulations! Your [Class] [Force Generalist] [Third] reset was successful! [Force Generalist] fully constructed, full capacity restored! [Seeded] [Class] [Force Generalist] is now level 1! Reset [Reimbursement] applied! You have earned 2358 [UP]! You have 6 unallocated points.
Congratulations! You leveled up [Class] [Skills]: [Lesser Telekinesis] [Spell] is now [T1][L75]! (+23) [Primitive enchanting] is now [T1][L100]! (+23) [Stabilize] is now [T1][L24]! (+5)
Congratulations! [Skill] diverging for [Primitive enchanting] is now possible! Do you want to proceed? Congratulations! New [Skills] mastered! [Mastered Matrix Spells] list updated! You have 7 [Spells] awaiting a decision! Reminder: you can choose to transform them into an [Energy Enhancement] or a [Passive Class Skill].
New data derived from the learning process. [Soul fragments] awarded! The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 30! You have 10 unallocated points.
[Alert]! [Profession] [Shaman] is leveling 3,98 times faster than your [Class]! Revising leveling restrictions is recommended! Conditions changed! Current [Class] leveling speed reduced by an average factor of 10. Previous factor value: 3,3.
[Garuan] [Class] [Will-o¡¯-the-Wis¡¯oul ¨C level 10] has been reset! [Class] [Will-o¡¯-the-Wis¡¯oul] is now [Seeded]!
Finally! he thought giddily after reading the first few lines. Spells, wait for me! He finished reading and quickly spent 10 new points in Regeneration. Before making any decisions, he opened his Interface¡¯s main page. Seeing his ¡®Matrix space¡¯ and ¡®Mana capacity¡¯, he started laughing. Quietly at first, but the sound slowly got louder with each second until he was in full-blown laughter, making Aisha look strangely at him, again. I can finally use all of my Matrices! he celebrated internally, still unable to speak. And what numbers those are! It took him a moment to calm down, but finally, the calm silence of the night returned. Sighing contently and making himself comfortable, he again looked at the notifications, and a moment later squinted at the leveling speed factor. ¡°Why is it¡­ Ah, right. Aisha and Makani told me it would happen. My Soulbase is larger¡­ And still fragmented?¡± he noticed, looking at his Traits. He shook his head at the strangeness of this Trait, deciding to read the Soul General Skill some more in the near future. ¡°Congratulations, Gru! How is it on your side?¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it thanked him, vibrating happily. ¡°We need to rebalance the leveling restrictions, it seems¡­ Ugh, did you manage to register how much of Soul fragments the System sent to you after the reset?¡± ¡°Graaaum¡­¡± They discussed it for a while, trying to estimate the numbers. After some mental math, taking into account the current split and Gru¡¯s testimony, Zeph came to the conclusion that Gru¡¯s Soul was now bigger than his, which surprised him. The exact number was quite hard to estimate, but he was almost sure Gru needed 5-6% more Soul fragments to be level with him. As so, he set the share at a 52/48 split in Gru¡¯s favor. It was better to give him a little more. Then he decreased his Profession¡¯s share from 20% to 5%, this should be enough for it to reach level 100 when his Class hits level 50, taking into account that around 30% of Soul fragments dedicated to his Class were still exchanged for ¡®Soul contamination¡¯ fragments. Probably. The additional ¡®Matrix space¡¯ from his Profession would come in handy. Finishing the stew, he roughly cleaned the pot and sat down by the fire, next to Aisha. She glanced at him, still bent over the weapon on her lap and concentrating. ¡°Congratulations?¡± she murmured, looking back down. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Can you explain some things to me? Reading everything from the Interface right now will take too much time.¡± She stayed still for a moment longer, before straightening up with a weary sigh. ¡°Sure, I need a break either way,¡± she answered, stretching a little. ¡°So, one of my mastered Spells has an option to derivate, should I? Also, I don¡¯t understand the difference between a mastered Spell transforming into a Passive Skill and an Energy Enhancement?¡± He honestly forgot about that option altogether. Not like I could have made use of it before unlocking my ¡®Matrix space¡¯, realistically speaking¡­ I really need to get this notepad function-thing from the Library Goddess. Either way, thanks for reminding me, System! ¡°Gearing up finally, I see,¡± she said, smiling encouragingly. ¡°Skill derivation is always a good choice ¨C it creates a multidisciplinary Skill. But try to perfect your practice before taking the option. The more you achieve, the better Skill you will get,¡± she started, going fully into teacher-mode. ¡°Now, transforming a mastered Spell will give you access to Soul memory from the time you practiced it. For Energy Enhancement it¡¯s a static memory, but it allows for an instant Spell construction by replicating the Enhancement structure outside of the body. For Passive Skill, it¡¯s an interactive memory. Or in other words, your peak performance will be directly accessible from brain-adjoined Soul memory - it will ensure you never forget how to construct that Spell, never get out of practice, and any improvements you make along the way will be memorized,¡± she paused, giving him time to parse through the explanation. ¡°Both have other, more advanced applications, especially for people above level 100, but you can read about those yourself. Just know that Energy Enhancements are better for other Advanced Enhancements and for internal Mana manipulation, while Passive Skills are better for Mana and Soul techniques, as well as external Mana manipulation,¡± she finished. He thought about it for a moment, but it was hard to predict which one he would need more. Instant construction of Tier 0 Spells could drastically speed up his construction time of higher-Tier Spells containing them as modules, although he would still need to apply small changes after the replication. On the other hand, perfect memory would allow him to experiment with them more, and he probably could get close to an instant construction by practice alone. It was a question of efficiency vs versatility, but he had yet to read more on advanced applications. In the end, he decided to ask. He didn¡¯t have enough experience with advanced Spells yet to be sure of the choice. ¡°Could you recommend something to me?¡± he asked, smiling ruefully. ¡°I think I will have to wait with the choice... But if there is something really obvious, I will take it.¡± ¡°Drop all of your Tier 0¡¯s into Energy Enhancements,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°After enough levels and upgrades, Passive Skills will lose most of their functionality in case of low Tiers. It¡¯s meant to strengthen the learning speed and scope of an individual ¨C you obviously don¡¯t need that. Also, Energy Enhancements should give you an immediate boost in manual Spell construction, they do reserve some of your Mana capacity, though.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, let me think.¡± He debated the for a minute longer, but it really seemed like the best choice. So accepted the transformation.
Summary: 6 [T0] mastered [Spells] transforming into [Energy Enhancements]. 6 Matrix space reserved. 12 Mana capacity reserved. Continue?
Yes, yes. It¡¯s the highest time, he thought, and immediately a tingling sensation run through his whole body. He could feel some Soul shenanigans going in the background. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant and finished in a few minutes.
Congratulations! Transformation successful!
He tried to construct the Heat cantrip, and it indeed formed instantaneously. Well, probably not literally instantaneously, but still. He could feel as his Will transferred the information directly from the Enhancement in his body to the Mana outside, the whole shape emerging at once. That, he thought, is awesome! I need to try imitating the process¡­ Wait, wasn¡¯t I going to do the same with Power EE to get better telekinesis?... Library Goddess, where are you when I need you the most?! His good mood didn¡¯t last long, though. The next question was more morbid. ¡°So, I was also wondering¡­ Why my Profession leveled up four times from killing¡­ Well, basically five people?¡± he asked, looking at her seriously. ¡°Only five people,¡± he added after a moment. ¡°Sentient species have, on average, ten times larger¡­ how did you call it? Soulsomething?¡± ¡°Soulbase?¡± he answered. ¡°Yes, that. And I mean before leveling up. They give ten times more Soul fragments.¡± As I have thought. ¡°And why didn¡¯t local conflicts escalate into a total war and bloodbath yet?¡± he asked, really curious. She hummed, placing a finger on her cheek and glancing up, deep in thought. ¡°I am not sure,¡± she said in an innocent voice. ¡°Maybe because we are reasonable and very emphatic creatures?¡± she asked, tilting her head and looking at him. Ah right, the Empathy Enhance¡ª ¡°Or maybe because you can Soul wound yourself badly that way?¡± she interrupted his thought, tilting her head to the other side. You can? Bu¡ª ¡°Or maybe because you will not get any Soul fragments from System Onji? Had to be close and intimate with the enemy,¡± she said in a more alluring tone, hugging herself, ¡°and be recognized as such?¡± Wait, that shouldn¡¯t work like tha¡ª ¡°Or maybe because some veeery unpleasant Onjis would like to speak with you at some point?¡± she said it like a warning for a kid. Ugh¡­ Ok, I am starting to under¡ª ¡°Or maybe because your Class will certa¡ª¡± ¡°Stop! Stop please, I understand!¡± he interjected. ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t ask,¡± he said, shaking his head. It was not the time for this discussion. Definitely. They continued debating on some more pressing matters, like the plan for tonight. Both of them were in a good mood, happy to be able to finally speak freely. The nice, warm night soothed them after the hectic evening. Even when the topics were exhausted, they just sat there in silence, looking at the fire and relaxing, enjoying the reprieve. After charging his imaginary batteries, Zeph went back to the preparations. Tonight, they would infiltrate the mines, after all. He quickly scanned his Matrix Skill list in search of useful Spells but decided to leave it for the travel time. Aisha would have to carry him, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t make it back before dawn. After examining his wounds one last time, he put on the top half of his armor and examined his weapons. He used all 7 exploding beads during the attack. Along with other types, he could only sustain that many with Mana-L from the Stabilizing Spell. His left arm was quite useless right now, so he prepared a few javelins instead of the spear. The green light of his armor, he hid using his leather clothes. Any uncovered part, he bandaged to hide the glow. He finished by repacking one of his small backpacks. Ready for the action, he returned to the fire and sat near Aisha, this time not disturbing her concentration. While waiting for the supposed Ranger to wake up, he started to enchant his beads. He would need more Life detection ones, he was left only with 4. The hour passed in silence and concentration. Then, the woman on the ground stirred. They raised their heads in sync, putting away the gear they were working on. The woman paused after a moment, only to suddenly roll over, trying to quickly stand up in a crouch. She only managed a clumsily fell to her backside because of her tied-up legs. Her head swiveled around, eyes slightly panicked, until she saw and recognized them. Her composure returned. As she relaxed, Aisha walked to her and loosened the gag. ¡°Is this how Priestess are these days? Killing on sight?¡± she immediately started prattling. ¡°We just wanted to¡ª¡± ¡°Kill us,¡± Aisha finished for her, smiling sweetly. ¡°Or are you saying my Onji is incapable of discerning emotions this simple?¡± she asked in a more serious tone, leaning over. The woman¡¯s mouth opened and closed reputedly a few times before she started nervously glancing around. Even in the poor light, Zeph could see she had paled slightly. ¡°W-where is Tali?¡± she asked, straightening suddenly. Without a word, Aisha walked to a loose bag near the fire and took out a tied-up green-colored bird. The woman sighed with relief. ¡°Alright, what do you want from me?¡± Aisha placed the bird near the woman and took her weapon. She placed its head down, the spike at the top was curiously absent, resting her hands and chin on top of the shaft. ¡°Let¡¯s just talk first,¡± she said in a bored tone, her face neutral. ¡°Why are you with this group? And I mean the village.¡± ¡°W-well, I survived the destruction of the Thruma village, and¡­¡± Zeph just sat there, slightly to the side, listening to the proceedings. He kept his hand near one of the pistols. The talk was getting long as Xim, the Ranger, eagerly answered every question. In painstaking detail. I have a very bad feeling about this¡­ Zeph thought at some point, his nerves straining more and more without any evident reason. Aisha seemed relaxed, though. When the topic reached Xim¡¯s personal beliefs and feelings and both women started to speak more freely, Gru suddenly vibrated silently. ¡®So stiff,¡¯ was the meaning and a feeling of touching something lightly. Everyone paused, only the Ranger looked at him in surprise and curiosity. Aisha sighed in resignation, seemingly understanding something from this short description. She slowly straightened, lifting her warhaxammer. She took a batter stance. Zeph was shocked slightly by the sudden violence. But before the woman could even start to protest or scream, her eyes got wide and her body froze. All Mana around was suddenly pushed away from her in an intangible blast of force. ¡°NO!¡± screamed Aisha, attacking immediately. ¡°GRE!¡± Gru vibrated in denial. ¡°What?!¡± squealed Zeph in confusion.
Interface: Chapter 26 - No one expects Granny predispositions! Near Barringstone [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.09] Aisha¡¯s weapon bounced back before reaching the woman, but her battle cry didn¡¯t end as she stepped closer. Gru was vibrating intensively ¨C his own fight happening on the Soul-side. Zeph had problems with taking out his gun. The constant, intense feedback from Gru and the vibrations made his hands shake uncontrollably. He took a step back, his Veil fluttering behind him like a candle in the wind, pushed away by an invisible force. ¡®Thief! Murderer! Coward!¡¯ hollered Gru, smacking, grappling, entwining the fleeting enemy. The impression of hundreds of appendages fighting for control, even as the Soul was being rendered asunder, was nauseous. ¡®No escape! Mine! MINE!¡¯ Zeph heard a horrific, ethereal scream at the edge of his senses. The woman¡¯s Soul screeched in such unimaginable pain that he felt as if the vicinity was trembling along with it. Uncontrollable tears started rolling down his cheeks, his jaw clenched with such a force he expected some of his teeth to burst. Aisha was two steps away from Xim, pushing through the barrier and gripping her weapon horizontally ¨C shaft first, like a spear. Just as he finally took his gun out, the flow of the fight changed. His Veil was no longer pushed back, and a cold shiver run down his back, his hair stood on end. Before Gru could even warn them, he moved behind Aisha in quick few steps ¨C she has moved directly in front of him after the first attack. Just as she was thrusting, he pushed the back of her weapon to the side with his right elbow, placed the hand on her hip, and gripped her shoulder with his left hand. Finally, he placed his leg to her left and spun with his whole body. His left arm protested, but he managed to rotate them both in time, placing himself between the two women while spending unprecedented amounts of Will to keep his Mana in place and to strengthen his only ethereal defense ¨C the ¡®Will shielding¡¯. The creature retaliated at that moment. All of his Will-Mana evaporated in an instant, enhancing his grasp on Mana-Z, as something pushed through his Veil. It wasn¡¯t enough. The Phleya resisted for but a second, before Zeph screamed as an unknown, intangible force hit his body, his Soul fracturing from the impact. The ¡®Will shielding¡¯ trembled and ¡®cracked¡¯ from the sudden Soul damage it was now linked to, further depleting his Will. He blacked out and screamed again, this time not physically ¨C his cry reverberating through his very Soul and Will. It was a scream of unholy pain. It was a scream of unbridled rage. ¡®To protect myself from such harm ever again¡­¡¯¡ªresounded the memory¡ª¡®To not deplete my Will ever again¡­¡¯¡ªflooding his unconsciousness, as fragments of his Soul flaked away. His Will, abiding by the resolve set in the past, conglomerated around the memory, distorting his Soul in gigantic waves. It flooded into it, fluctuated all the way down into his body, and finally found its goal by reaching the brain Energy Enhancements engraved inside. The ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ reacted. Gru resonated, roaring. Empathy Enhancement activated, and for a moment his body could see. Memory Enhancement flared up, trying to reach the lost fragments of his Soul. Every part fell into place and a wave of Will and Will-Mana expanded outwards, as if in slow motion. From his brain, from his body, from his Soul, from his internal Mana, and from Gru. The intangible force was pushed back and ravaged; the fleeting Soul pieces linked to and forced to come back; Gru¡¯s grip on the infected Soul tightened; the shield reformed anew. It all happened in but a moment, yet Zeph perceived every fleeting moment of it happening. At least until his consciousness returned to his body.
Warning! [Medium] [Will] [Depletion] detected!
By reflex, he straightened his posture, continuing the two-person pirouette, but unable to orient himself in the brief second. But Aisha could. After being yanked away from the barrier and hearing his short scream right after, she knew what had happened to Zeph. She prepared to finish the maneuver by herself and changed the awkward movement of her back-to-front weapon into a powerful attack by spinning it vertically into the proper position and going with the momentum. She could feel her Veil snapping in place, the barrier was gone. Just as she was about to dig her right foot into the ground to finish the turning, she felt Zeph¡¯s grip tighten on her shoulder. She smiled, surprised, and used the additional counterbalance to place her foot further away, allowing the weapon to slide along her hands for a second to increase the force of the attack. Her weapon connected with a second, much weaker barrier, close to the woman¡¯s body, but the force was enough to break through. Xim¡¯s body spasmed backward unnaturally, almost completely dodging the attack, but breaking its own spine in the process. The loud crunch was doubled by the sound of the lower jaw breaking apart from the glancing blow. The woman didn¡¯t scream, as if not feeling any pain. Darkness wiggled around her body, two long claw-like shapes forming at the end of one arm. The barrier was back in full force. Like a Zombie, the woman clawed at Aisha. The movement was blindingly fast, accompanied by the sound of tearing flesh. But she was ready; her body already steaming furiously. At the last moment, she managed to redirect the momentum of her weapon, blocking the blow with its shaft. Dense foreign Mana zipped along the shaft like a thunderbolt, the same she used at the beginning of the ambush. The dark conglomeration was dispersed, but the consecutive explosion of strange force shredded their Veils. Aisha staggered. Zeph fired. The barrier was not enough to block the supersonic projectile, it hit straight in the head. The being screeched in a freakily high tone, the body squirming wildly. The strange force faltered for a second, and it was enough for Aisha. The axe-side hit it in the shoulder, narrowly missing the neck. Xim¡¯s body was flung away by the force, its left arm flying away. The blood was everywhere, but the enemy refused to die. A new barrier was formed, black mist populating its vicinity. While Aisha struggled to keep the pressure on the being, flaring with foreign Mana every time she was attacked by the strange darkness, Zeph finished packing Earth-Mana into the shell¡¯s head, aiming at the creature the whole time. He used his Willpower to concentrate a huge chunk of his Veil around it and used the new instant construction to repeatedly cast Stiffen on it. He didn¡¯t have delusions that the Spell would hold after firing the shell ¨C the projectile was too small to hold it in the first place ¨C he just wanted to pack it with Mana that would linger inside. The Stiffen Spell not only produced a compatible Earth-Mana, but also sucked his Alloy-Mana in the process. The previous shot didn¡¯t kill it, but if the creature was pushing away Mana, what would happen if he delivered some directly inside the most important organ, the brain? As Aisha jumped back from another ethereal attack, he fired again. The barrel of his pistol exploded and he recoiled back, but the projectile flew true. The bullet hit the barrier, flashing spectacularly at the contact, and hit Xim¡¯s face just under the eye. Her head shoot backward as the projectile lodged itself somewhere inside. Zeph was sure the shockwave created by the slow bullet should obliterate the brain but the body still twitched. Whether it was Mana or the damage, it created an opening. The dark splotches around Xim faded away. The hammer-side of Aisha¡¯s weapon finally found its target, pulverizing the woman¡¯s head altogether, spraying bits of it in a cone on the ground. Silence ensued. She finished the move by taking another turning step and glared at the body for a long second. Then, she looked in Zeph¡¯s direction with respect. Short-lived respect. He fell face-first onto the ground after receiving new feedback from Gru. It yanked a part of the Soul away, the one ready to be sent away, leaving the rest to ¡®fall¡¯ into the Soul landscape after the Links were cut-off alongside the obliterated brain. It was baffled by the fact the prolonged contact with the Soul never triggered the ¡®Will duel¡¯, as they named it a long time ago when Gru tried to yank a fragment of a Soul from a living Talpa. Yet, it didn¡¯t want to bother the badly injured Soul any longer, only taking what would normally be taken and breaking the contact, allowing it to fall into the ocean of Souls. The timeless space killed the strange being inside the Soul almost instantly. Without time, without Links, it could no longer escape. Zeph rolled to his back, out of breath for some reason. He was still very much confused by all he saw through Gru¡¯s feedback. ¡°And that,¡± Aisha started, heaving her weapon to her shoulder, ¡°was Nether-infected, my friend,¡± she said, wobbling slightly. Zeph cringed at the chuunibyou density in the air. ¡°Could you stop playing a badass and explain what just happened?¡± he asked with resignation, looking at her. She made a disappointed face but explained nonetheless. ¡°She was lying the whole time. Well¡­ probably most of the time. I have a friend who specializes in external Soul perception. Her description was exactly what Gru has sent,¡± she said, placing her weapon on the ground and sitting down. She looked mentally spent. She didn¡¯t have any physical wounds, but he was sure something different was damaged. ¡°Xim was an Internal Soul Specialist. And she blocked my basic lie detection. I would have never noticed if not for that stray¡­ Thought from Gru,¡± she finished, sighing. Stolen novel; please report. Zeph smiled slightly. Then, he remembered their previous discussion. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you decided to kill her in the end? Wouldn¡¯t that have bad side effects on you, though?¡± he asked, cringing a little at the hypocrisy of her actions. ¡°I have my own methods to deal with that,¡± she said seriously. ¡°She just happened to hit all of the major ¡®kill me¡¯ points at that moment¡­ Anyway,¡± she changed the topic, ¡°she had only a Netherling inside, but was close enough to level 100 for it to forcefully metamorphose when I threatened her life. If not for Gru¡­ I have mixed feelings about his methods, but nonetheless, her Soul survived,¡± she said with a fire flickering in her eyes. ¡°That is enough for me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish even that much by myself.¡± They were silent for a few minutes, both of them replaying the short fight in their minds. Only the sounds of quiet nibbling coming from the direction of their horse kept them company. It somehow survived, tied to a tree some ways away. From the fire, only embers remained. ¡°You know,¡± she quietly started speaking, ¡°whatever you did when it attacked, it was impressive. Really impressive,¡± she said, nodding in respect. He felt embarrassed a little, it was a thing he did in the spur of the moment ¨C nothing he could reproduce, or deserving to be called a feat. But that reminded him, he had a few System notifications waiting for his attention. ¡°Thanks¡­ I will check my Interface really fast, I think it¡¯s related to exactly that¡­ Are we proceeding with the plan?¡± he asked, sitting up. ¡°Yes, but hurry up. The sun will rise in about six hours,¡± she said, standing up and walking to the dead body. A new dead body. I think the Empathy EE is starting to influence me as well, he thought, analyzing his own emotions. The fact that he burst out crying in the middle of the fight¡­ Let¡¯s ignore it for now, he decided. He opened his notifications.
You have killed the [Morphing Netherling]! You have gained 70 000 [UP]! You assisted in preventing a [Soul] obliteration! You have gained 120 000 [UP]!
Congratulations! You have gained 3 [Greater Willpower]! You have gained 1.6% [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination]!
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Survival] is now [T1][L72]. (+21) [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] is now [T2][L10]. (+4) [Will] is now [T2][L65]. (+4) [Will contamination] is now [T1][L61]. (+6) [Will manipulation] is now [T2][L72]. (+11) [Will-Powered Mana manipulation] is now [T2][L59]. (+5) [Will-Powered Soul manipulation] is now [T2][L15]. (+13) [Will-Powered Soul perception] is now [T2][L62]. (+13) [Soul] is now [T1][L59]. (+15)
Conditions met! [General Skills] unlocked new [Advanced properties]! Congratulations! You used your [External Mana] enough for us to create basic statistics for it.
Calculations complete! Integration of one [Skill], two [Energy Enhancements], and [Magicule] [Will, type: H1] simulated successfully! Two possible methods exist, choose one:
  • Collapse [Enhanced empathy], [Enhanced past-life memory reading], and [Lesser Metabolic enhancement] [Spell] into specialized [Brain/Body/Soul Energy Enhancement]: [Persistent Form] This [Energy Enhancement] is [First of its kind]! This [Enhancement] is [Expanding] in nature! Warning! Requires [Magicule] [Will, type: H1] to function! Warning! Active functionality depletes [Will]!
  • Extend [Will Shielding] onto [Enhanced empathy] and [Enhanced past-life memory reading], integrating [Lesser Metabolic enhancement] [Spell] as intermediary for the body, to create [Will/Soul/Body Energy Enhancement]: [Willforce Morphon] This [Will Enhancement] is [First of its type] and [First of its kind]! This [Enhancement] is [Growing] in nature! Warning! This [Enhancement] is in [Experimental] phase! Warning! This [Enhancement] constantly depletes [Will]! Warning! [Enhanced empathy] and [Enhanced past-life memory reading] functionality will be replaced. New functionality requires active use of [Will]!
Uh, huh¡­ I would have never thought one fight can bring so many changes¡­ he thought idly while reading the list. The System finally finished calculating, but what the heck is this? I don¡¯t have time to ¡®read¡¯ all of it right now! He scanned the Advanced Mana Properties. Not seeing anything meaningful in the statistics, he minimized the window permanently. He already had a good grasp on the practical range of his idle Veil ¨C the 2 meters he had right now didn¡¯t change much from the time he started his adventure with Mana. Those statistics would be useful in the future when the distances started reaching 10 meters and above. It would be most useful in more¡­ strategic situations. ¡°Aisha, do we expect more Netherlings? Or whatever the grown version is called?¡± he asked, looking at her. ¡°Nobody expects Nether intruders,¡± she said with mirth, hauling Xim¡¯s gear. He snickered hearing the almost-familiar phrase. ¡°This one was a stray, the chances we will run into another one are as high as they always were.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ let¡¯s go then. I will ask questions along the way,¡± he decided immediately. Aisha put the last of their haul on the cart and wordlessly walked up to him. Then she turned and crouched, holding her weapon in both hands behind her back. ~~ To be carried on a piggyback was slightly humiliating. Only slightly. In the two hours of travel, he had a lot to do. But first came the questions. ¡°Now that we are comfortable,¡± he started, relaxed, ¡°let¡¯s talk about what I saw in the Interface.¡± She snorted. ¡°Yes, sure, jockey¡­ I will answer you between my heavy breaths,¡± she said loudly, panting a little. He had to give it to her, no horse would be able to move with such speed. Well, no Earth¡¯s horse. If he didn¡¯t have his mouth near her ear, they would have problems communicating ¨C the howling of the wind obscuring all other sounds. ¡°What is the difference between Expanding and Growing Enhancements?¡± he asked, ignoring her previous jab. She looked back at him in surprise, almost crashing into a tree as the result. After stabilizing their trajectory again, she answered with a smile. ¡°You already have one of those?! Ha! Godspeed, I heard they are impossible to master!¡± she exclaimed and took a few deep breaths. ¡°Expanding means linear growth alongside the space it has¡­ Growing means you can refine it by mastering its parts¡­ Both can evolve at some point,¡± she finished, slowing slightly to keep her breath even. ¡°And what ¡®experimental phrase¡¯ means?¡± he continued. ¡°That it¡¯s new and untested. You will be the lab rake, Ha!¡± she laughed a little, before breathing deeply. ¡°But it¡¯s usually more attuned to your unique characteristics, and grants more rewards.¡± Oho, that would be the way in an emergency, then. But¡­ ¡°How long does it take to consolidate and expand a group anyway?¡± ¡°Just ask your Interface to prepare an emergency activation,¡± she said, reading his mind. ¡°You really should read from your Interface first, though,¡± she finished, step-jumping out of the road into the forest. They were already one-fourth of the way back, only after 20 minutes. She slowed down considerably, making sure to not go on the collision course with any of the trees. Her enchanted lamp was illuminating the bare minimum up ahead. After Zeph found the indicated option in the Interface, giving Aisha some breath for a moment, he returned to his questioning. ¡°So, what are ya using Mer¡­ Hydrargyrum for, anyway?¡± If his diagnosis was right, it had to do with the newly-exposed vein. It¡¯s just that his theory didn¡¯t make much sense yet. ¡°Enchanting, material extracting, ornaments¡­ and something with Alchemy, I suppose?... I am not a craftsman, you know?!¡± she raised her voice at the end as she barely missed a small tree. ¡°Let me concentrate, maybe? If you don¡¯t want to have a face full of wood?!¡± she snapped. ¡°Okay, okay. Last question! What Spells do we need? I am not sure what you can do¡­¡± he placatingly asked. ¡°Everything you are proficient with. Besides that?... Sound muffling, air cleansing, visual camouflage, scanning, and something quiet to attack... Don¡¯t you dare to take Shaman Spells, we need the fast ones! Now, shut up and let me drive!¡± He smirked at the strange Rui word at the end but didn¡¯t comment. For the next half an hour, he perused the list of Class Matrices, choosing six new Tier 1 Spells and all of the ones he already knew. He also remembered the useful ones, just in case. The list contained only three Tier 2 Spells, but they took too much of the Matrix Space to even be considered. The costs seemed quite consistent between the Tiers, though. Well, except for the Spells he created himself. He tried to remember to ask about it, too. No Skills besides Spells were worth it right now. He only had 10 between his Class and Profession, either way. As they galloped through the woods, one last burning question floated to the forefront of his mind. He decided it was important enough for him to distract his trusty steed. ¡°Are all Warrior Priestesses so freakily strong?¡± he asked impudently. She snickered. ¡°Heh, you wish! I just have some years on all of you, younglings!¡± Younglings¡­ Don¡¯t tell me she is older than¡­ He paused, recalling all of their conversations and adding the years she mentioned. Oh, shit! came the realization. Isn¡¯t she at least eighty? he thought, looking at her body with wide eyes from his vantage point. Holy¡­ Granny, what the fuck?!
Interface (only new Spells are colored in Blue): Chapter 27 - To stealth, or not to stelth... What was the question? Near Barringstone [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.09] Before they reached the mines, Aisha unloaded Zeph on the ground and started instructing him about the use of his new Spells, as he was new to this kind of warfare. They were still a few kilometers away from their goal, inside a small vertical ridge in the mountainside. After the first fiasco with Xim, they didn¡¯t want to risk early detection. The night was silent. It would be another few hours before the early birds started to sing about. Sounds of their whispered conversation were lost between the walls of the low, fern-covered cliff and the forest beyond. The brilliant light of the moon was able to illuminate even the forest floor. Zeph listened intently to her instructions until he noticed she didn¡¯t really understand his capabilities. All she talked about were an ¡®average mage problems¡¯. But changing the shape of one¡¯s Veil wasn¡¯t called an ¡®Advanced manipulation technique¡¯ without a reason. He decided to interrupt and explain what he was able to do with his resources. She was irritated at the beginning, but quickly changed her tone. ¡°What?¡± she whispered the question, surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you explain this to me earlier?!¡± she asked raising her voice to almost normal volume. ¡°I already discussed it with Makani, you should have listened,¡± he answered emotionlessly. We were even battling and hunting together¡­ How ignorant can a person be?! But as he was thinking that, he realized she didn¡¯t have any means to see what he was actually doing. His Mana was invisible to everyone but him, after all. Doesn¡¯t explain her lack of thinking¡­ Well, let¡¯s leave it at that. ¡°And the detection part isn¡¯t that useful ¨C without ¡®Life detection¡¯ Spells I can only guess,¡± he finished. ¡°Still, if you can trace the remnants of a Veil without being spotted and without using a Spell¡­¡± she started pondering, then sighed. ¡°Yes, sorry. I should have listened to you and Makani more carefully. It¡¯s just¡­ so boring!¡± she spoke in indignation. ¡°I will leave the detection to you¡­ So, I guess you have a plan for those two charging Spells?¡± she asked, looking at him skeptically. She told him to choose fast ones, after all. ¡°Detection-wise, I don¡¯t have anything better than my beads, learned Spells, and my techniques. Those two Spells may charge for a long time, but I think we would need them. Especially because they are very rare from what I heard from Makani.¡± She sighed again, closing her eyes. ¡°I will speak honestly,¡± she started, slouching. ¡°I am quite out of my element here. If we are to infiltrate the place without just charging in and knocking everyone out, then it is on your shoulders,¡± she said, pointing at him. Sounds about right. I never expected her to be a stealthy type either way, he thought idly. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how much I can trust your abilities¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I have experience. We will regress to your plan as soon as we are truly detected. Hopefully, deep in the mine,¡± he answered, preparing his crossbow. ¡°How are you even able to consistently knock people out?¡± he asked instead, wondering what to do with the bolts to achieve a similar effect. Aisha was quite adamant about leaving people inside alive, complicating his plan a lot. Smiling, she hummed through her nose. ¡°Long years of practice at smacking people. At some point, you stop doing it only physically and learn to use just the right amount of force,¡± she explained vaguely, placing fists on her hips and straightening up. Ugh, and she is proud of it¡­ he thought tiredly, deciding to use heavy, spherical bolt heads. He only had five tips of this kind, but the risk of damaging them was minimal, so he would be able to retrieve them easily. Also, they were big enough to hold a T0 Spell or two, for all the good it would do to him. Because he had no useful Spells to enchant onto them. Hmmm, maybe I can cobble something up real quick? Maybe something with ¡®Air bubble¡¯ and ¡®Space lens¡¯? I just need to silence the enemy for a short moment before constructing the real deal through my Mana tendril¡­ But the range¡­ he thought, squinting at the ball-like tip in his hand. A crossbow bolt wasn¡¯t slow by any means. From his previous tests he knew that without integrated Mana-L, the Spell enchantment would hold for only 4-7 meters of flight. ¡°Think faster, we don¡¯t have all night,¡± Aisha said suddenly. He could see she was quite impatient. Rightfully so, their time was limited. He thought about it some more, trying to decide how to do it. Which method would be the safest bet? Alas ¨C after a moment, he came to the conclusion he was stupid about it. ¡°I will use normal bolts,¡± he finally decided, changing bolts tips again. Aisha frowned at him as he glanced her way, unabashed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to prepare and test a new enchantment. I will use the crossbow to silently fire at their legs, some pain-inducing agent should help a lot in stopping anyone from fleeting,¡± he explained, making preparations. ¡°I can send a Stabilized ¡®Air sphere¡¯ alongside the bolts, using ¡®Mana rapture¡¯. It should be enough to enclose them and muffle the noise,¡± he started explaining. What he planned to do, was to cut off or separate a major chunk of an enemy¡¯s Veil with ¡®Mana rapture¡¯ and place the Stabilized ¡®Air sphere¡¯ Spell near them by moving it with the same ¡®Mana rapture¡¯ wave. It would be especially useful in caves filled with Mana of stationary guards. This should be enough to entrap them in the Sphere, at least for a short time. The only problem was, they needed to stay stationary long enough for Aisha to get to them, or for Zeph to construct another one behind them to cut off the sounds. She hummed, thinking. ¡°It¡¯s not the worst of plans¡­ But you better test it on me first. I would be mightily displeased if it was to fail on the first encounter.¡± After the series of quick tests for each Spell, he started preparing them for the mission. Their first objective was to stealthily scout the vicinity of the mine entrance in search of any sentries. To that effect, he started constructing all of his camouflaging Spells. He would be able to sustain them as long as they were in his Veil instead of a Mana tendril ¨C the concentration required was lessened a lot. Firstly, he activated the Stabilizing Spell to prepare for constructing the many Spells. Then, he covered both of them in a technique, the ¡®Mana masking¡¯. Its uneven currents attracting Air-Mana-O from the vicinity and packing it densely to deny any form of casual Mana and Veil scanning. It was an easy enough process after he increased the range to enclose Aisha¡¯s Veil in its entirety, even if it required quite a lot of concentration. He was barely able to construct a Spell in this state, but his Matrices didn¡¯t pose such problems. He activated the ¡®Lesser Air sphere¡¯, spreading the construct widely and setting it just below his manipulation technique, like a lower layer. It was a new experience for him to use a Matrix Spell with so many variables, but he managed. The Spell was important, too, because it simultaneously filtered the air and muffled the sounds. He immediately started grumbling, feeling stupid. The two Mana creations were actually strengthening each other, which he could have easily predicted if he stopped for a moment to think about it. He needed just a minute to increase the effectiveness of both by around 20%. He could tell his AMc would synchronize nicely with them, but he didn¡¯t have enough attention to spare to keep it active. If only it was a Spell, he could just Stabilize it. But life was never so easy. After Stabilizing the Spell, he fired the ¡®Lesser Light reflection¡¯. It was another Spell with a long, chain-like construct, similar to the ¡®Air sphere¡¯. No wonder they cost so much Matrix space; the size of the constructs is ridiculous¡­ He was getting low on Mana-L produced by the Stabilize, but his beads should be able to survive for the duration of the mission without it. Thankfully, the ¡®Light reflection¡¯ wasn¡¯t volume-heavy ¨C the construct was quite thin. He even managed to do a simple modification on the fly. Normally, the Spell would just create small flattened drops of water, camouflaging them by reflecting the colors from the surroundings. A mirror camouflage, basically, just more complicated and inefficient. But it had a glaring weakness ¨C it also reflected strong sources of light. He fixed that by adding the Fog cantrip¡ªnow an Energy Enhancement¡ªto the mix. The fog dispersed light perfectly and with the instantaneous construction, he could just spam it all around the base Spell until Mana-L remembered the shape. It was a suspiciously easy modification. Right now, he was very glad for choosing the Energy Enhancement transformation. But there was another problem. The slightly modified ¡®Lesser Light reflection¡¯ covered them in water and mist, to Aisha¡¯s displeasure. She had to stream away her naturally produced Magicules to not evaporate the water instantly. In other words, she was forced to constantly manipulate her Veil-creating Mana overproduction down her feet. At least, those were Zeph¡¯s thoughts. They lasted until Aisha reminded him about a real problem, the underlying truth. ¡°Look, it¡¯s just how it works,¡± she patiently explained. ¡°If a melee combatant wants any Spell effects on themselves, they had to cooperate with the Manacaster,¡± she said, spreading her hands. ¡°I am just angry to be wet. Thankfully, Warriors are inherently proficient with internal Mana manipulation, so chugging away the Veil is easy for us. Just accept it.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. He was creating a Mana construct all around her body. If she didn¡¯t move her Veil¡¯s output elsewhere, his Mana would be torn apart and ground down to Mana-O alongside hers by the virtue of simple interaction between the two. It was the exact opposite situation to the one with Makani and two-person Spell ¨C it was not a question of synchronization, it was a question of compromise. ¡°But aren¡¯t you heavily handicapped that way? There should be a Matrix alleviating that!¡± he said indignantly. She just shook her head, looking at him with a mix of mirth and pity. He started wondering if placing the construct on her was even a good idea. It would break as soon as she moved too fast, and required copious amounts of Mana-L. Amounts he wasn¡¯t sure he could create without them slowly prowling through the forest. But they didn¡¯t have enough time for this. ¡°Can¡¯t I just¡­ make a sphere out of it?¡± he asked rhetorically, directing the same Matrix Spell to activate in the air. The construct betrayed his expectations almost instantly. The water droplets didn¡¯t find the purchase, creating a localized drizzle and mist. He felt stupid, again. But also, inspiration hit him. ¡°Like I told you, you canno¡ª¡± she started to say with crossed arms. ¡°No, I actually can,¡± he said, intersecting the ¡®Light reflection¡¯ with the two spherical constructs, placing it in the middle. It didn¡¯t work as he was expecting, splashing the water droplets all around, but he could feel he was close. She made an angry face for a moment, but just sighed in the end. ¡°All right, you can. But leave that for later,¡± she said with a stern look on her water-dripping face. ¡°If it¡¯s too costly, leave me behind and flash slightly if you need me. Gods, camouflage is such a pain¡­¡± she finished with resignation, gripping her head. He looked at her for a long moment. Then, he smiled widely. He placed his backpack on the ground and took out the almost-black oil for leather impregnation. ¡°We can always use conventional methods,¡± he said with mirth. Heh, years of playing tabletop RPGs weren¡¯t as useless as it seems. One point for me, it¡¯s a tie now, Alana, he thought vengefully. ~~~ The two were moving swiftly through the forest. Zeph added the fog to the Air-masking, as he called the combination of his Spell and the technique. It was enough to blur their movements, but that wasn¡¯t its main function. They were already hard to notice, coated in ¡®masking¡¯ oil as they were, but the added fog was enough to distort their postures altogether. The fog was physical, it interfered slightly with the Air-masking, but it wasn¡¯t moved by the Air-Mana. Well, maybe slightly by the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ filtering property, but it didn¡¯t coalesce into a visible cloud. The additional disruption to his construct only cost him Mana and otherwise helped with the camouflage. He used the Mana feelers, ¡®Sound detect¡¯ Spell, and ¡®Life detection¡¯ beads regularly. As a result, he was mentally spent after an hour of fruitless searching. Only then, close to the mine¡¯s entrance, his ¡®Life detection¡¯ bead brought results. Manipulating one with Matrix-constructed telekinesis capped his mental capacity, so he was alternating between this method and Mana feelers. On a cliffside, overlooking the entrance, a single person was hiding. He couldn¡¯t tell how did they manage to stay up on the almost vertical wall, mostly because he was unable to see them at all. Well, or they just found some big predator. ¡®Life detection¡¯ didn¡¯t differentiate between sources of Mana-X, after all. After making sure it was the only Mana source around, they started preparations for an ambush. The Mana source was around 5 meters above the ground. Aisha could hit that high easily, assuming she could see the target. There was no time to climb above it, so they slowly crawled behind the bent of the cliff wall and out of the sight, but still close enough to attack quickly. Zeph dropped the Fog Spell and started to gather the active ¡®Air sphere¡¯ construct, folding it in a small area. The overbent parts blocked the Mana flow and the Spell failed, so he quickly stopped feeding Mana into it. He knew the Mana -L would remember the shape for long enough, he would just need to restart the flow. He prepared two smoke/smell bombs and slowly moved the folded Mana-L package upwards. After making sure of the enemy¡¯s Mana range again, he started to weave a half-sphere around it. Before closing the double-layered construct, he Ignited the two bombs and quickly threw them upwards from behind the bent. Aisha observed, ready to pounce. The smoke filled the air, stopping at the borders of his construct, and quickly eating away his Mana-L. The smoke wasn¡¯t dense enough to block their sight, so they saw as the person above lost control of whatever was camouflaging them. He was gagging uncontrollably while dangling from a rope saddle, but the sounds were distorted and quiet. Aisha sprinted around the bent, took a swing with her weapon, and jumped up. In a marvelous demonstration of dexterity, she hit the bent-over guy right in the solar plexus while holding her weapon by the end of the shaft, then reversed the swing by forcing the head to make a tight circle and reached even higher to cut off the ropes. She managed to do all of that in one jump. She caught the unconscious body, minimizing the noise but grimacing furiously at the smell. It was her first contact with his bombs, after all. She made sure the guy would sleep till morning, and they hid him in nearby bushes, tied and gagged. Instead of charging right in, they found a good observation point and waited, in case someone noticed the small ruckus. They exchanged a look after observing the mine entrance for ten minutes, and nodded simultaneously. It was time for the real hurdle. If they were detected, so be it. Aisha was even eager for a fight. Zeph used the feelers and ¡®Life detection¡¯ again. Nothing showed up at the entrance. He gestured to proceed. The mine was a mess. Something similar to railroads was under construction, working tools were scattered everywhere. Evidently, no one expected thieves here. He wasn¡¯t that surprised, as the mine was supposedly new, but he would still send a complaint. The lighting was poor, the floor uneven, and the smell hideous. It reminded him of a garage gym, smell included. He decided to not engage the fog modification, they could easily hide in the shadows. The way down was a slow slope, indicating the lack of advanced machinery in this place. The loud noise of debris under his feet made him nervous, he had to remind himself the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ was still in action. A shame it was a two-edged sword, blocking sounds from outside with the same efficiency. The tunnel was long. He used ¡®Tremor detection¡¯ once, but Aisha smacked him after waiting for two minutes, one of which was reserved for the Spell construction. Wising up, he opened the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ from time to time to listen out for a danger. After almost 200 steps in the meandering shaft, they finally saw a chamber ahead. Prowling slowly ahead, Zeph checked the entrance. The chamber was filled with someone¡¯s Mana, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone. He backed off, and a whispered discussion took place. Finally, Aisha stated her ultimatum. ¡°We don¡¯t have time! You either allow me to get in there, or I will just throw YOU in!¡± she threatened, tapping his chest with a finger. ¡°Whatever!¡± he said, throwing his hands up. ¡°If we are to be detected anyway, we can as well try to lure them inside the tunnel.¡± She shrugged and he sighed. After they hid in the shadows, he folded the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ and formed a shape of a local lizard using his Mana tendril, imitating their thin Mana Veil. The animals posed a minor threat to humans, and he hoped the guard would react to that. He slowly moved it in the direction of the chamber, animating it clumsily, as Aisha shook a few pebbles inside her hands irregularly. The sound echoed through the tunnel, its source impossible to determine. What a parody, he thought, trying to move the ¡®legs¡¯ in sync with the speed. But, to his surprise, the sentinel actually came to check. Well, free Soul fragments on the night shift would do that, I suppose¡­ Just as he saw an arm emerging from behind the corner, he used ¡®Mana rapture¡¯. His folded Spell drifted away with the jet of Mana as the guard¡¯s Veil was ravaged. The execution wasn¡¯t perfect by any means. All he managed was to place a thin layer of the Air Spell behind the guy, before firing his crossbow at his thigh. The man fell and Aisha sprinted up to him. In one masterful strike to the head, she took care of him, but the clamor was way too loud. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if the sound-muffing Spell worked out at all. Aisha quickly surveyed the chamber and checked the unconscious guy. She gave him a nod, and they continued in a hurry. Thankfully, the mine wasn¡¯t overly complex. The first chamber had two exits and one was a dead end. Thin tunnels diverged from the main shafts. He stopped Aisha for a moment to check one of them. She didn¡¯t complain this time, they were here to check what was happening, after all. Yes, it¡¯s definitely cinnabar, he thought, examining the red stains on the walls. It indeed was mercury. He backed out of the tunnel, Aisha raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. ¡°Just making sure the element is the same,¡± he explained. ¡°But the disease source has to be somewhere else.¡± She didn¡¯t comment, and they marched forward. They found two more chambers with guards after that. Zeph managed to do slightly better with the Mana rapture trick, but the truth was that the long distances between each chamber were the only reason they weren¡¯t detected yet. It took them an hour to perfunctorily search all the caves, but they found nothing. They only had two more hours, maybe three, before the sunset. Aisha was irritated by the fruitless work. She was sure something fishy was happening here. As was Zeph. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± she said grumpily, looking at the wall at the end of the last tunnel. ¡°Like they would keep their secrets in the open,¡± he said, rolling his eyes. ¡°I will start using Tremor detection and Magnetic scan as we go back,¡± Zeph declared. ¡°I think I will be able to squeeze something more from the Tremor one ¨C if you hit the ground with your weapon, I should be able to tell how thick are the walls by the echoes¡­ I am not a sonar specialist, though, so let¡¯s test it in a mining spot first. I need to learn what is different about the feedback.¡± She nodded and the tedious process started. Or so they thought. Back in the last chamber, the closest one to their current position, the ¡®Magnetic scan¡¯ returned a ridiculously strong signal from one of the walls. Zeph was disappointed, he didn¡¯t even manage to use the ¡®Tremor detection¡¯ after testing it in the mining area. He tried it at that moment anyway but, as expected, the metal behind the rocks distorted the vibrations into something unrecognizable. ~~ ¡°You sure there is something behind? There is metal all around, you know?¡± Aisha asked, examining the wall for the third time. ¡°Whatever is behind, gives a signal similar to what the steel tools return. There is no way it¡¯s just a natural vein,¡± he answered while kneeling and checking the floor. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be an enchantment of some type, anyway?¡± he asked, looking her way. ¡°Who in their right mind would create mechanical doors when you have so much Hydrargyrum around?¡± She turned, giving him her characteristic crooked smile. ¡°Oho, are you suddenly an enchantment expert? Seriously, your growth rate is truly astounding,¡± she said, shaking her head in mock disbelief. ¡°Just keep searching,¡± she instructed, turning back to the wall, ¡°if it¡¯s an enchantment, there is nothing we can do.¡± Zeph frowned. It doesn¡¯t make sense. They had to have a way to access these doors somehow to transport the mercury. Otherwise, why build a hidden chamber so close to the mine in the first place? he started pondering. If I were in charge, or a local specialist, I would definitely leave the doorman duty to someone else, he continued, hoping his deduction was at least somewhat right. He was still kneeling in the ¡®orz¡¯ pose, forgetting himself. Ergo, some easy but unintuitive way to open the doors should exist¡­ Probably something including enchantments. Where would I place it? he asked himself, looking around. Definitely in this chamber, to minimize the risks of someone uninvited finding the mechanism. But¡­ there is nothing? They already checked the small cabin of the guard, there was nothing of interest. The walls and floor were bare, nothing indicating a hidden switch, access panel, or whatever else there could be. ¡°Grrra!¡± it wisely suggested, speaking for the first time during the mission. Zeph¡¯s eyes widened. Aisha froze. They looked up. ¡°No way¡­ right?¡± she asked in disbelief. ¡°But isn¡¯t that a vein?¡± he answered with a question of his own. ¡°Gra!¡± it proudly proclaimed. The only thinking being in the mines.
Interface: no changes. Chapter 28 - Solutions are good, as a base. And yes, its a joke. Barringstone mines [Westibule mountain chain], local time [1793.11.09] Zeph suspected the people here used some kind of enchanted tool to boot up the enchantment on the ceiling. And yes, they were sure there was an enchantment. The ceiling was a good 5 to 6 meters high, but Aisha was able to jump almost 3 meters up, even in her armor. She wasn¡¯t able to reach some places, but Zeph gave her a leg up. On a side note ¨C she was heavy as hell. But please, hide that knowledge in the depths of your minds. For the greater good. By touching the red stains on the rocks above, she was able to sample them in search of the hidden enchantment. With her proficiency in using them, she could immediately tell when her Mana found a construct to power up. As it turned out, the enchantment required constant feed. As so, Zeph was now in the middle of transferring his Mana through a tendril to the still-growing Mana lump near the spot. ¡°We better prepare for more guards or a trap,¡± he said while preparing his crossbow and going down to one knee. ¡°I am always ready,¡± she said nonchalantly. Her warhaxammer was resting on her shoulder, as she was looking sideways at the hidden doors. ¡°This should be enough. I am starting,¡± he warned after a moment, before using his Willpower to push his Mana into the red stains. Nothing happened at the beginning. Zeph was pumping more and more of his Mana, slightly worried the amount he prepared wouldn¡¯t be enough. Finally, after almost half a minute, part of the wall started to slowly move in their direction. The sliding plug doors were opening in absolute silence. Firstly, a polished and flat rock face was exposed ¨C the area of contact between the doors and wall. Light started to pour into the dim chamber, creating long beams visible in the dusty air. The doors slowly slid away along the wall, exposing a verdant forest in a multitude of colors. The cave was vast, but every surface was covered by mushrooms or plants. Some were growing naturally, some from metallic contraptions, similar to long flowerpots, set on the walls. A body of turquoise water was sneaking between the rocky pillars, set in depressions created by the flowing walls. Water was dripping down from everywhere in huge drops, reflecting a light coming from small glowing motes also raining down from above. Marvelous, was Zeph¡¯s first thought. It¡¯s the most fantasy thing I have seen so far¡­ The same enchantment that blocked the sounds of the moving doors was preventing the air migration. Probably. They still couldn¡¯t smell anything new and that was the only reasonable explanation. Aisha glanced at him, she seemed surprised. He just nodded and got up to his feet. After they stepped inside, the doors started to slowly close up. Zeph could see a complicated gear mechanism on this side. He was sure it didn¡¯t work on enchantments ¨C the pipelines, valves, and the overcomplicated gear setting looked like a mechanism from a steampunk picture book. Only, everything was made from silver metal instead of bronze. They turned away from the gate ¨C Aisha was looking at the contraption with the same curiosity as him ¨C and moved along the simple walkway made from smoothed rock slabs. Their steps were echoing in the caverns. Zeph dropped all his Spells before going through the gate, to not disrupt the barrier. Meanwhile, Aisha decided it was time for a more direct approach. Whatever was going on here, she would rather face it. Zeph already deducted why she behaved like that. If he understood it correctly, she just declared she would attack with the intention to kill. If what she said earlier about killing other sapient and intelligent species was true, at least. After a few minutes of following the path, they found a rectangular opening in one of the cave walls. They entered the lighted tunnel, their steps echoing loudly inside. They could see five big doors lining the right wall. ¡°What do you want Zewa?!¡± a high-pitched, hoarse voice suddenly called out from one of the rooms. They could hear quick steps approaching. ¡°Don¡¯t you have enough, you pippilin, sadistic j?vla bitch,¡± the person said, swearing in a few different dialects while opening the doors. ¡°I already expla¡ª" it paused. ¡°Who are you?¡± the creature asked in a low tone, almost growling. Is this¡­ a gnome? was Zeph¡¯s first thought. But¡­ Maybe just a badly deformed person with dwarfism? he asked himself after taking a better look. Maybe 1.2 meters tall, wearing a full work outfit made from thick leather, a hunched and balding caricature of a humanoid stood before them. His upturned nose was disproportionally big for the face, and the chin was too long and protruding forward. Zeph was sure that in profile, his head had to have a shape of a crescent moon. His small eyes were hidden between folds of wrinkled skin. Long white hair growing on the sides of his head were tied back. Only under his chin, some remnants of beard could be spotted. ¡°A Gremling? What are YOU doing here little fella,¡± exclaimed Aisha, smiling widely and relaxing her posture. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, mazga!¡± he hollered in a high-pitched voice, pointing at her while jumping from foot to foot. ¡°We are Leprechtuangremolls! The proud Leprechtuangremolls! Don¡¯t foul our proud name with your dirty, plugwy mouth! Learn to speak properly, you¡­¡± ¡°As if any normal person would be able to pronounce that,¡± she said with a deadpan face, ignoring his ramblings. She moved closer to the Gremling in two big steps. ¡°Stop throwing the filth at me and explain what is happening here, would you?¡± she said, smacking his pointing arm away and grabbing him by the shoulder to ground the hyperactive guy. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Zeph chimed in, looking at the creature. ¡°I suppose he isn¡¯t what you were expecting?¡± he asked her. ¡°Why would I explain anything to two pla¡ª¡± Aisha smacked his bald head before he could continue, then grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him without effort. ¡°No, I expected a drug manufacture of some kind. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± she said, carrying the not-so-silently protesting guy back to the room he came from. The place was filled with wooden bookshelves buckling under the weight of their load, and three big tables. Metal and glass apparatus were scattered everywhere. It looked like the messiest chemical laboratory Zeph has ever seen. Aisha removed a few books and some glassware from one of the wooden chairs before placing the Gremling on it. Zeph helped to tie him when she asked. Evidently, something had to keep the guy in one place by force, otherwise, he would just move around randomly. ¡°So, Mister Gremling,¡± she started after finding a seat for herself. The guy was murmuring to himself for the last few minutes but reacted immediately after hearing that name. ¡°Just call me P¡¯pfel, for Gods¡¯ sake!¡± he shouted into the ceiling, wiggling his whole body in the constrains. She smiled, but her face quickly became serious. ¡°I am Aisha Zora a Warrior Priestess. People of this village set an ambush on us with the intention to kill,¡± she said succinctly. P¡¯pfel stopped squirming as his blue eyes finally freed themselves from the shackles of his loose skin. ¡°Are they mad?! The Head has definitely gone mad! What are they doing? Those Brainless fools?!¡± exclaimed the totally sane alchemist. ¡°Not only a war prisoner but also a felon?! I REFUSE! I DON¡¯T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS! I was framed! I don¡¯t HAVE anything to do with this, You hear me?! I¡ª¡± he started shouting, redoubling his efforts to squirm away with newfound vigor. ¡°STOP shouting!¡± she shouted and bonked him in the head with the shaft of her weapon. That actually managed to make him dizzy enough to shut up. Aisha, the perfect mugger, thought Zeph in fake admiration. ¡°What war? How long you have been here?¡± She asked, but continued when he stayed silent. ¡°The war for Serra mountains ended five years ago.¡± That seemed to catch his full attention. P¡¯pfel blinked a few times and his body visibly relaxed. ¡°That cursed bitch¡­¡± he growled and something in the surrounding changed. ¡°How did it happen so fast? And what is the status of Leprechtuangremolls?¡± The question was spoken in an arctic tone. Zeph could almost physically feel as the tornado of rage inside P¡¯pfel collapsed into a thin, sharp strand of solid fury. ¡°Seventeen Onjis sent a warning of a coming genocide. Your people wouldn¡¯t survive without access to the natural resources of the mountains, as so¡ª¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what we were telling everyone from the beginning?¡± he said quietly, glaring at Aisha. She frowned. ¡°You people were talking nonsense for decades. Only Onjis¡¯ intervention could have convinced other races to back off, after all those lies,¡± she paused, stopping him from interjecting by threatening him with her weapon. ¡°I will NOT discuss this topic with you. I don¡¯t care what were the reasons and details. The important fact is that we are no longer at war,¡± she said seriously, putting her weapon down. ¡°All war prisoners were released. Your people have gained access to the whole mountain chain, but are now under a strict resource-sharing contract dictated by the second and third Stratum,¡± she finished, crossing her arms. ¡°So, he was a part of their army?¡± Zeph asked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t really get the ¡®war prisoner¡¯ part.¡± ¡°Their people are proud, just as he said,¡± Aisha explained. ¡°After their country declared war, almost every Gremling living abroad tried to subvert the economy and stability of surrounding nations. There was no other way than to bane them all,¡± she said and this time, she was glaring at P¡¯pfel. ¡°You, people, are allowed a supervised pass through the counties, you don¡¯t have to worry about being detained or executed anymore,¡± she said to him, her eyes softening. P¡¯pfel was silent and deep in thought, his body inert. They sat for a minute in silence. Zeph was lost as to what to do, the situation was alien to him. ¡°So, here is a deal for you,¡± she started again after a moment. ¡°You go with us and pose as a witness and a victim, and I will make sure your freedom will be guaranteed. It¡¯s clear to me, you were forced to work for them, no responsibility for their actions should be placed on you,¡± she declared. P¡¯pfel laughed ruefully after hearing that. ¡°To fuck that woman would be the highest fy faen pleasure for me. But if I could escape just like that, I would be back in Trechtuankrahalla long ago,¡± he said slowly, looking in their eyes. ¡°Untie me, brahs, I will cooperate. I have to show you something,¡± he said seriously in his screeching voice. They looked at each other and shrugged. Zeph untied the Gremling. After massaging his wrists, he looked up and gestured for them to follow. He guided them to the adjacent room, a biological laboratory. Strange fungi of different kinds were growing from silvery soil in the pots placed all over the walls. Big glass vats filled with light-green water were standing in the middle. Zeph could see something resembling algae floating inside. P¡¯pfel took out big glasses from a side pocket and placed them on his overdeveloped nose. He straightened as much as it was possible and cupped his hands behind his back, walking slowly. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Zewa, the Head of the village, has lost all of her post-hundred people to Netherlings awakening inside of them,¡± he started in a low voice, looking into a vat with silvery microbe colonies growing on its glass walls. Huh¡­ Is he bipolar or something? Zeph thought, surprised at the change. Even his voice is different¡­ And he looks just like an old scientist? What¡¯s going on here? ¡°Or so I heard,¡± the Gremling continued, closing his eyes. ¡°She found me near this cave after fourteen of her people died that way, supposedly. It was an unfortunate event, she forced me to give away the location of this place,¡± he said, correcting his glasses. ¡°Back then, she was already obsessed with finding a possible detection method or a cure for the infected. That was her reason to detain and not outright kill me.¡± He turned around, eying both of them. ¡°The situation became much worse after a specialist from a Landlord scouting squad, that they have captured, blabbered about some lost method of detecting the infection. A method that, supposedly, was a Hydrargyrum-based medicament,¡± he said, turning away. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make much sense,¡± Zeph noticed. ¡°If such a method existed, the System would have already propagated it to purge the Netherlings.¡± He still remembered Aisha¡¯s history class. She nodded with approval at that statement. P¡¯pfel shook his head, turning to look at the pots on the walls. ¡°She reasoned that the System Onji reevaluated the whole problem and is now regarding it as unimportant. Thus, hiding the necessary knowledge behind standard requirements for gaining access to the ¡®Ancient Civilizations¡¯ General Skill. The same the captured specialist had,¡± he said, looking at the ground in shame. ¡°Remember, she was already desperate. And even now, I still can¡¯t reject this possibility entirely¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°You see¡­ The people killed by my medicament,¡± he stated slowly, wary of their reactions, ¡°were always infected.¡± Aisha snickered hearing this. ¡°You really believe people of a higher stance wouldn¡¯t inform us about this method as soon as it was found? These are just empty speculations. The Onjis would never allow for such knowledge to stay hidden ¨C Nether is a threat even to them,¡± she said with conviction. ¡°I am sure your results are fake. Influenced by the scheming of more intelligent Netherfolk ordering the Netherlings. You have no idea how many examples of such machinations the temples have. In the end, your empty belief is just a perfect opportunity for them to take more Souls.¡± ¡°No, I have already thought of that. This is why I evaluated this experiment as a failure,¡± he said in a calm tone. ¡°I am unable to prove that the people not influenced by my medicament, or rather not killed by it, aren¡¯t infected. I can¡¯t verify for how long the influenced were infected. In other words, I can¡¯t tell if it works at all. In the end, this method is useless and just allows for the Souls of the dead to be taken away.¡± This honest confession surprised them both. But Zeph was expecting the counterargument coming. It always was, that¡¯s what made one a scientist. ¡°But I also cannot evaluate this method as nonfunctional if the symptoms of the medicament show up only on the infected. In the first place, what do you know about the Gods?¡± the Gremling asked, looking straight in her eyes. ¡°For all I know, they just care about Mana we provide, not the¡ª¡± ¡°Was every person in the village exposed to your¡­ medicament?¡± Zeph interjected, he knew how to end this dispute immediately. They didn¡¯t have time for this, either way. ¡°Yes,¡± P¡¯pfel nodded. ¡°The symptoms only occu¡ª¡± ¡°Sorry for being rude, but was Xim one of those people?¡± He could see a light bulb flashing above Aisha¡¯s head at that moment. Her approach to the discussion was flawed from the beginning ¨C she should have evaluated his results instead of presenting her own counterarguments. ¡°Yes?¡± the Gremling said hesitantly. ¡°I packed her with quite a dose even, because she was¡ª¡± ¡°Close to level 100,¡± finished Aisha, glancing at Zeph. ¡°She died today. The Netherling inside was old enough to force the transformation. So, it somehow broke its orders? Why though?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t important right now,¡± Zeph chimed in again. ¡°This is an example confirming that your medicament isn¡¯t influencing Netherlings, at least not all of them. Next, I have a Tier 3 Ancient Civilizations Skill,¡± Zeph continued, sending him the ¡®screenshot¡¯ of the Skill. The Gremling¡¯s eyes showed up for a second time that night. He continued before P¡¯pfel could say anything. ¡°Nothing I could read even indicated that the knowledge of how to deal with Netherers is present in the Skill. Sure, I don¡¯t have enough Mana generation to read all of it, but by this point, I should have at least known such knowledge exists inside. Your informant was lying, not so strange if they were tortured,¡± he could see both of them cringing from the sheer idea that it really happened. People here had problems with killing each other, the thought of torturing someone probably was another piece of hell for them. The people here are kind of soft¡­ I think I like it, he thought, hoping their society created a better environment than people on Earth. Aisha already gave him some indicators, but he wasn¡¯t ready to believe in them until he sees the world by himself. But let¡¯s leave the philosophical questions for later. ¡°And for the final argument. I know how and why your medicament is killing people. It has nothing to do with Netherlings.¡± They both looked at him in surprise, but Aisha quickly gathered her wits. ¡°He is a Fullangrarian,¡± she said to the Gremling. ¡°Oh, that explains a lot!¡± he exclaimed excitedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to impose, bu¡ª¡± ¡°Can we leave that for later?¡± Zeph disrupted him, frowning. ¡°We really don¡¯t have much time?¡± ¡°Right, right. Please continue,¡± P¡¯pfel said, correcting his glasses again and leaning forward. ¡°I believe all of these¡±¡ªZeph started, waving his hand at the biological arsenal in the room¡ª¡°are fed with Hydrargyrum?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the ¡®professor¡¯ nodded. ¡°What they produce is an organic¡­ version of Hydrargyrum,¡± he said, trying to find proper words in Rui. The ¡®organomercury¡¯ and ¡®methylmercury¡¯ words didn¡¯t exist in the Cir language, after all. ¡°The difference between this one and the¡­ pure Hydrargyrum is that it can be assimilated directly from the bloodstream into the brain. I believe the System-inflicted Passive Enhancements are able to keep the damage to the organs at a minimum but aren¡¯t able to forcefully help with the brain. As so, the critical dosage of the organic version is much smaller than for the pure version¡­¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t find any concrete dosage being toxic? And Pure Hydrargyrum not only has one, but the damage can be easily detected by Healers,¡± he protested. And that is why the System is fucking your results, dear professor, Zeph thought with resignation. ¡°If not for the Enhancements, all of the symptoms would slowly show after much smaller doses of the pure version. Just, they would be delayed in time as the¡­ molecule congregates within a body. Don¡¯t ask me how it was measured, but for a body without ¡®physical¡¯ Enhancements, the mercury is toxic at a concentration of 1 to 1 000 000 within the blood.¡± Both of his listeners paled at that. They were in the middle of the Hydrargyrum mine and evidently believed in his expertise. ¡°The hard threshold of the toxicity, the one you have observed, is only possible thanks to the System. But it¡¯s different for the organic version. The effects won¡¯t show up immediately. The symptoms will surface with time as more and more of the¡­ compounded Hydrargyrum builds up in the body. I am actually confused why you aren¡¯t influenced¡­¡± he paused after looking at P¡¯pfel. The Gremling was gripping his head with both hands. Then, he fell to his knees. ¡°If that is true¡­ What have I done?!¡± he mumbled before he started to cry silently. At that moment, Gru sent him a very ominous picture. ¡°I know the cure!¡± Zeph shouted immediately, trying to placate the scientist. The Soul wound wasn¡¯t the purpose of disclosing this knowledge. Not at all. ¡°It can¡¯t clear the brain, yet. But you can experiment in that direction!¡± he exclaimed, thinking about the Succimer, also called DMSA. It should help with some symptoms at least. The mad alchemist slowly raised his head. The tears were streaming down his uneven cheeks, a hope visible in his eyes. He tried to say something, but in the end, he just sniffed with his overflowing nose. The glasses fell from his face. A high-pitched scream resounded in the room right after. ¡°Uaaaaaaa! I am stupid! STUPID! What is this dritt?!¡± he started screaming, repeatedly hitting the floor with his head. Aisha had to lift the crazed Gremling again, this time by the head, as she didn¡¯t want him to kill himself by accident. Blood and tears streamed down his face as he held his head in a tight grip and howled. Zeph and Aisha exchanged glances. He gestured to her to continue. She hit P¡¯pfel in the head with enough force to almost knock him out and the dizzy fella fell silent, convulsing slightly. ¡°You are System-disturbed, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aisha asked, lifting him up to her face. He sniffed. ¡°Ye, what of it? Are you going to kill me right here and now? DO IT! I be¡ª¡± he started, earning himself another bonk to the head. His impressive collection of bumps increased by one. ¡°STOP SCREAMING!¡± she yelled right into his big ear. Zeph could swear he heard the sound of a bursting eardrum. The guy spasmed and stopped moving altogether, the tears still rolling down his face. ¡°Now,¡± she said quietly after taking a deep breath and turning him around, to have his other ear near her mouth. Fuck, she did burst his eardrum! he thought, intimidated. ¡°As long as you controlled yourself up until now, I don¡¯t care. But this discussion has to wait. We will take what you need,¡± she said in a fake-calm tone, ¡°and inform the government of the closest city about what is happening here. Do you understand?¡± she asked in a rasped voice. ¡°I¡­ I c-can¡¯t,¡± he answered, curling up midair. ¡°I will show you¡­ Just, place me down,¡± he said as the tears finally stopped flowing down. Back on the ground, he started to undo the many straps of his leather outfit. His small eyes were hollow as he proceeded, his moves mechanical. Finally, he managed to lower the top of his clothes, showing them his naked back. Zeph would be flabbergasted at the emaciated body, if not for the angry-red mark that stole all of his attention. Deep under the skin, some kind of black tattoo was visible. Irritated skin surrounded it, flakes of dead cells were slowly separating from the area, some falling down even as he was looking. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Aisha thrummed, looking closer. ¡°So, those are the fabled bodily drawings your race is so proud of?¡± Zeph looked at her with a questioning look. ¡°His race is immune to metal poisoning, so they can use solid Hydrargyrum to directly place enchantments on their bodies,¡± she explained. ¡°In the first place, they require certain metals in their diet to function.¡± ¡°And that is the second problem,¡± P¡¯pfel said, turning his head to the side. ¡°The bitch is the only source of the Auric I have. For years, she gave me the fucking minimum to survive. I am on the brink of starvation! If our little tour would take more than a week, I am dead. Also, this tattoo here will pack me full of energy if I leave this place. The light enchantment above is sending magnetic waves disrupting its functionality. I will be cooked from inside,¡± he explained, surprisingly coherently, before putting his clothes up. ¡°I am dead,¡± he declared, hunching over and looking at the ground. ¡°Just take my written statement¡­ It shoul¡ª¡± ¡°Grrrraaaaa!¡± suddenly, Gru called loudly, its greed leaking through the innocent vibrations. The Gremling looked at him with curiosity while Aisha smiled. ¡°Ugh¡­ Gru, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. We don¡¯t know if you can clear mercury from my body,¡± he argued. ¡°What is ha¡ª¡± started a certain midget. ¡°Gree! Gree! Gra!¡± it exclaimed happily, ignoring and cutting off the unimportant weenie. Well¡­ I had to admit, that certainly shoots down all my arguments¡­ ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t make it into my bloodstream?¡± he asked. ¡°Gra!¡± it answered with certainty. ¡°Can anyone sane explain to me w¡ª¡± He couldn¡¯t finish. Aisha grabbed him by the neck and exposed his back again, keeping the protesting Gremling on the floor. Zeph removed his glove and hesitantly placed his hand on his back, right at the strange tattoo. He could feel as something wormed its way through his skin and started to drill itself into the Gremling¡¯s body. The guy wasn¡¯t even able to feel it. Gru¡¯s arm¡­ Let¡¯s call it an ¡®arm¡¯, ok? ¡­followed the lines of the complicated construct inside the body. It destroyed the construct with the first, deep slurp. The arm wasn¡¯t thin enough to slurp all of the mercury without widening some paths, but the process was painless. Like an anteater clearing out a termite mound, Gru sucked all of the residues inside. Finally, Zeph removed his hand. ¡°Your tattoo was removed,¡± Aisha informed the struggling Gremling and backed off. ¡°What?! There is no¡±¡ªshe lifted her weapon¡ª¡°noooo waay you are this kind to me!¡± he finished, bowing gracefully. ¡°Leave the theatrics for the tribunal, just shut up,¡± she said, cracking the pavement¡¯s brick as she unwarily brought her weapon down. ¡°Zeph, any idea for the other problem?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± he started. ¡®Auric¡¯¡­ That sounds familiar¡­ The translation during the learning process wasn¡¯t literal enough, I suppose? ¡°Describe¡­ No, that will take too much time. What are the components to create this Auric you spoke of?¡± he asked after a moment. ¡°Wha¡ªyes, yes,¡± he said, looking at Aisha¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Outside the natural sources, it can be created by Hverium decomposed into Hvarium by using the Rhua¡­¡± ¡°Stop, stop. This is useless¡­¡± Zeph interjected, shaking his head. ¡°Hmmm¡­ What resources in the Serra mountains were necessary for your race, again?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ The veins of Hverium, Halite, Sylvite, Rhualin, Gold, Carnallite¡­¡± he started listing the names. Zeph could recognize some of them and a theory quickly formed in his mind. Gold is the only metal I recognize in this mess¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then the most common gold compound should be the Gold chloride¡­ But let¡¯s check it first. ¡°The Gold you were talking about ¨C do you know how to change it into the Auric?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Of course, I do. You just need a special machine that heats and compresses the air. Then you need one of the minerals I mentioned to be processed properly and then burned into a gas to fuel the change. It¡¯s not easy at all. I can feed on the pure Gold for some time if that helps?¡± he declared with total resignation, abandoning any reasonable thoughts. Bingo! ¡°Do you have any acid here?¡± Zeph asked, smiling widely. He finally placed the last piece of the puzzle in the right place. Auric chloride wasn¡¯t that hard to make at all. Well, his past fascination with aqua regia was the only reason he managed to (dis)solve this problem, but let¡¯s not talk about it.
Interface: without changes, but here it is. Chapter 29 - The burden you take is the opportunity you make Westibule mountain chain [western part of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.19] Colorful leaves were raining down all around, taken away by warm winds blowing from the south. To their left, distant flatlands could be spotted, flashing with rich yellows between the trees and mountains hiding them. To their right, the peak they traversed shielded the view of higher mountains and the sea beyond. They have left Barringstone days ago. It wasn¡¯t their place to judge those people, and even less so to fight the whole village by themselves. It was a shame Zeph wasn¡¯t able to alleviate the suffering of the sick, but at least they removed the source of the problem. Or rather, they took the source with them. The serene rustle of leaves on this sunny autumn day was broken by the occasional high-pitched screech of an irritated Gremling. ¡°How can your manipulation be so good, but your craftsmanship so damnable?!¡± P¡¯pfel yelled into the air, giving up for the third time that day. He threw himself back at the simple bedding made from dry grass and hid his face under a makeshift pillow, screaming incoherently. Aisha giggled from the front of the cart. ¡°I told you he is infuriating in his joined over-ability and incompetence, no?¡± she said with laughter in her voice, looking back. ¡°Just bear with it a little longer. We need to stop soon, next is my turn,¡± she consoled, sending them a thumb up. Zeph made a sour face and shuddered. ¡°The sooner you take him away, the sooner I can regain my sanity,¡± the Gremling screeched, peeking from under his fluffy shield. ¡°Why do I feel like an unwanted bastard child right now?¡± Zeph asked in resignation. Both his teachers snickered in tandem as he sighed. ¡°Have some mercy on the uneducated,¡± he muttered. In the end, it was inevitable. P¡¯pfel was informed that Zeph¡¯s situation was a little more complicated ¨C the guy was too intelligent to be deceived for long. Well, at least half of him was. But the news actually had a positive effect. Instead of constantly bombarding him with questions, the Gremling left the topic alone and even started teaching him. Aisha forced a strict contract on him before that, though. He was obliged to keep his mouth shut about Zeph, or explain himself before her Goddess. P¡¯pfel sulked for three days after signing it. ¡°I think I will read some more about the Passive Skills instead. I am sick of postponing the decision,¡± he said after a moment, thinking about the ¡®Persistent Form¡¯ and ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯, the two possible outcomes of fusing his upgrades. Ten days have passed after the memorable night, yet he was still undecided. Zeph knew that he probably was too careful, too pedantic. But he was not under any time constraints. This occasion was something unique for people of this world, something that could dictate his future, so he wanted to make a learned decision, to be as thoughtful as possible. But he was slowly becoming tired of thinking about it. He didn¡¯t have all of the information, yet, but he felt he had almost enough to not regret his decision in the future. Right now, though, the truth behind his proposition was quite different. He was already tired after P¡¯pfel¡¯s lessons and wanted a break. Especially because the sheer notion of Aisha¡¯s physical training was draining his Will ¨C it was that traumatic of an experience. After seeing the Gremling teaching him the proper way of enchanting for the first time¡ªdeciding to do so after discovering that all of Zeph¡¯s Soul contaminations were compatible with the craft¡ªAisha got a great idea to instruct him in the melee arts. It wasn¡¯t uncalled-for, either. Before that, she gave him a stern lecture about his performance in that fight. She was mightily dissatisfied with him, despite what she has told him that night. He was inexperienced with properly using the Power Enhancement. The arguments that his weapon was just a weak and primitive imitation of a real deal fell on deaf ears ¨C his muscles were more than three times stronger now, but he wasn¡¯t leveraging that fact at all. ¡°Oh, thank Gromgar!¡± the Gremling exclaimed happily, jumping to his feet. ¡°I will go and catch some more critters for the tests then,¡± he said, jumping off the slowly moving cart and dashing into the trees. Still so excited, Zeph thought, laying back on a crate as he looked at the little guy. If the blood-brain barrier mechanism is such a big deal for him, I am a little worried how he will react to the idea of cell cultures¡­ But that was neither here nor there. Zeph closed his eyes, breathed in slowly, and concentrated. He spent the next few hours reading from his interface. The knowledge links in the notifications, as the Gremling called them, weren¡¯t tiered by the System, oddly enough. Maybe because the access level wasn¡¯t supervised or enhanced? Zeph still remembered his time in the ¡®mind space¡¯ the System formed ¨C the reading potential was unlimited back there, unlike reading from the Skills. Without the space, the difficulty of reading raised exponentially. Tiered or not, following those two specific knowledge links was hard and Mana-intensive. He repeatedly emptied his internal Mana resources, making a step ahead, only to pause and take half a step back. Trying again and again. It actually reminded him of meditation. Take a deep breath of information in, keep it for a moment, and slowly sort it out. The exercise was relaxing. Slivers of new knowledge were slowly arranged into a full picture, directed by his conscious and unconscious mind. In such matter, the rest of the day¡¯s travel passed uneventfully. Zeph was woken up by the sounds of the tents being set up. They had quite a good haul in the last few villages and their quality of sleeping raised accordingly, but there was as much work to set everything up. He was exempted from the chore duty as his ¡®Life ward¡¯ allowed everyone to rest for the whole night, and he would bear the burden of waking up in a case of an attack. Thankfully, Barringstone never sent new attackers. The first two nights were nerve-wracking. The knowledge Zeph managed to gather today was enough to make a decision, at least that was his conjecture. Still, he decided to sleep with it first. A clear mind makes for a better judge, after all. As he jumped off the cart, Aisha suddenly threw at him a heavy, slightly deformed metal rod. He easily caught it midair, redirecting the momentum by spinning it to the side and landing gracefully after turning halfway in the air. He was already accustomed to its weight. He redirected the momentum of the heavy training weapon, spinning it above his head and ramming it into the ground. ¡°You promised we would train unarmed combat today?¡± he asked, raising his brow. ¡°Ah, pardon me,¡± she smirked, ¡°but we need some warming before that, no?¡± To his surprise, she meant it. Aisha instructed him to do the basic exercises they developed around his spear-fighting style while she would finish with the tents. He shrugged and pulled out his so-called weapon from the ground. Finding an appropriately flat part of the road a few meters away, he started to make slashing motions, using different leverage lengths with each step. Aisha wasn¡¯t convinced his style would be any good. At least, until their first match. True, it wasn¡¯t employing many moves leveraging the most important properties of the weapon ¨C the range advantage and ability to pierce. But the style¡¯s origin was also different. It didn¡¯t form from the pragmatical fighting methods of soldiers, it was created by martial artists ¨C people who rarely fought against more than four opponents at once. As so, anything above three opponents was considered a mob in Zeph¡¯s mind. If the crowd control tactics failed, he definitely wouldn¡¯t want to use a spear in such combat situation. It wasn¡¯t a style rooted in the old military practices, like most of the European ones he knew of. It was much closer to a dueling style. It incorporated extremely precise thrusts after gaining a tactical advantage, complicated footwork, and cutting movements resembling the ¡®Scottish quarter staff¡¯ full-blown movements. If not for Aisha¡¯s expertise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to counter all of his fast strikes, but she was able to even the ground with her unpredictable movements. The head of her weapon weighed more than 20 kilograms. Imagine fighting someone who is spinning something like that in the never-ending cycle of momentum-altering attacks. At one moment, she would attack with the full range of her warhaxammer, only to pull it closer mid-swing to do a pirouette, and change the shaft movement into a vertical defensive spin at the same time. She used no footwork altogether, it was unnecessary. She could easily strengthen a small jump by exploiting a downward swing, and thus float just above the ground, maneuvering herself midair by changing the swing¡¯s directions, or plant herself firmly in the ground by forcefully moving her weapon upwards. Her upward attacks utilizing varying grip length and hold-techniques were mind-blowing ¨C she could transfer the dangerous attack into a sideways dodge in an instant. All she used was momentum. If she used her Skills on top of that, he would be overwhelmed instantly. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t a good representative of humans at level 77, otherwise, he would have forsaken all hope of surviving a close combat fight with higher-leveled opponents. The three-dimensional maneuvering of this kind showed him exactly why he needed training. But gaining enough experience with such a style would take time, so for now, they concentrated on improving what he already knew. And so, he swung ceaselessly with his cheap metal rod, trying to imitate Aisha¡¯s movements. The basic movements of his fighting style were close enough to incorporate some of the maneuvers. He stopped when a small rock hit his head. He glared backwards, massaging the forming bump. Aisha snickered. ¡°You have lost concentration to such a degree? Or just used up all of your Veil?¡± The hidden accusation hit his pride quite hard. ¡°Umm¡­ If I want to train my Skills, I need full concentration, you know?¡± he said, looking away. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you throw it at my back or something?¡± ¡°Nah, you won¡¯t learn until it hurts,¡± she repeated her motto once again. ¡°The preparations for the night are finished. Come to me when you are ready,¡± she stated and turned away, walking in the direction of the camp. Zeph was tempted to return the favor, but it would be useless. Aisha was aware of her Veil¡¯s state at all times. Instead, he checked the progress of his Skill, now a Tier 2 ¡®Martial art¡¯.
Congratulations! [Spear (style: E2M1)] is now [T2][L46]! (+1)
The Skill changed its name after the Tier 2 ¡®Skill expansion¡¯, Aisha¡¯s training was enough to influence its advancement. He now had full access to the knowledge about her fighting style, besides the one he himself used. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Nodding to himself at the good progress, he started walking in the direction of their camp. Just as he was coming close, his companion decided to complain. ¡°Gruuuuu¡­¡± came a sad vibration. ¡°No, Gru,¡± he calmly said. ¡°You still aren¡¯t finished with processing the last batch of mercury.¡± ¡°Graauuu?¡± it begged. ¡°No! No matter how delicious it is, I won¡¯t place my nervous system in jeopardy! Prove that the small changes the pre-threshold poisoning is doing aren¡¯t recorded in the Soul, and we can talk about it!¡± he exclaimed sternly. It seemed Gru found his first addiction. Mercury not only allowed him to independently experiment with internal enchantments, it directly strengthened the structure of his brain-like construct and body. The change was even visible in Advanced Enchantments. Gru¡¯s ¡®Lowered efficiency¡¯ trait decreased by 3% already. Thus, Zeph was forced to gobble some of his reward from Barringstone¡¯s commission every day. Gru could do that directly by piercing his skin with a¡­ with its arm. Yes, let¡¯s call it an arm, as we decided earlier. Anyway, a problem showed up. As they worked on implementing the same quality change in Zeph¡¯s Source Net, Gru became less and less interested in testing the new applications and instead started craving for more of the metal. Zeph had to put him in a strict diet regime as he worried about his partner¡¯s wellbeing. Gru was angry at first, but a few Soul memories from Earth portraying drug addicts placated him. The fact that mercury was probably an answer to Gru¡¯s Mana capacity problems, at least according to P¡¯pfel¡¯s knowledge about Mana capacitors, wasn¡¯t helping the situation at all. Speaking of the Gremling, he was jumping right before Zeph right now. ¡°I need more Gold, my friend! I think I am close to getting it right!¡± P¡¯pfel was shouting excitedly in his high voice, circling around Zeph. His field laboratory was set up in a nearby tent. Dead critters he managed to catch during the day littered the left side, while a few new ones desperately tried to escape from their cages set on the right. A multitude of glassware was populating the only table in the whole camp, a sign the Gremling was working on the new, improved version of DMSA and other chemicals Zeph told him about and showed how to make. Not in the structure sense, though. The Gremling was trying to find a method of safely applying their effects to the brain, which required some advanced alchemy that Zeph couldn¡¯t understand at all. Add a little bit of Mana and other reagents, suddenly the whole process becomes incomprehensible. The chaos of the workshop and the noise of Gremling were scrapping at Zeph¡¯s sanity as he looked at it all. Zeph sighed, already feeling the coming headache. ¡°Pipfel, are you drunk again?¡± he asked with resignation. ¡°What? No! I am as sober as on the day I was born! I am just so close to the breakt¡ª¡± ¡°You concocted the Auric, again. Didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked sternly, glaring at the small fella. ¡°Ugh¡­ I need it to function properly, you remember that?¡± the Gremling asked defensively. He at least had enough decency to look apologetic. Finally, he just caught the guy and lifted him by the scruff of his neck. ¡°There will be no more Gold, P¡¯pfel. My stock is low and you¡±¡ªhe looked at the plump body of the Gremling¡ª¡°are looking in good enough shape.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I can expla¡ª¡± ¡°If you,¡± he started in a tone cold enough to make the Gremling shiver, ¡°use my Gold,¡± his silver eyes staring deeply into the beads of the old creature, ¡°once more for the Auric,¡± his Mana conglomerated, surrounding the guy and compressing his Veil, ¡°I WILL make you my own lab rat. Do you understand?¡± he finished with clenched jaws. After receiving a nod, he carefully placed the intoxicated dwarf on the ground, releasing his neck and straightening slowly. Seeing the guy scamper in a hurry, the headache hit him with full force. When did I become a drug dealer? he complained internally. Is this even worth keeping them both at bay? ¡­ No, I definitely should control them. I saw enou¡ª This time, he managed to catch a rock flying his way. I need a multitask brain enchantment. Badly, he thought, turning to Aisha. She was smiling slightly. Her weapon was nowhere to be seen. Her fists slammed together before she asked. ¡°Ready?¡± He was not, but as in their first sparring match with weapons, she charged with her full power immediately. She was near him already. He panicked a little, instinctually presenting his arm to shield his head. She grabbed it and rotated them both before throwing him right into the sparring ring she prepared. The flight was enough for him to gather his bearings. He rolled on the hard ground, standing up almost immediately. But she was on him already. It seemed all her Skills were active, white wisps of steam trailing behind her sprinting form. Shit¡­ he managed to think before redirecting her lightning-fast fist with his right arm. The only reason he didn¡¯t receive the punch was the trained reflex of moving his body and head away while he tried to deflect. She overextended a little with the punch, which his body immediately recognized. He jabbed a thumb of his deflecting arm under her chin, simultaneously trying to jump to the right. The needle under his nail lodged itself a few millimeters under her skin. She was faster and already placed her leg in the ground to spin. He used his free, left foot to intercept her moving leg to accelerate faster. He couldn¡¯t allow her to grab his body! Before he was able to jump away, he had to block a wild swing with his left arm, redirecting the force by bending backward. Her second right-hand punch didn¡¯t have enough reach as he sailed backward. After her fist passed before his face, he folded his right leg, throwing his arms up. As he started the somersault, his left leg hit her under her jaw with just enough force to activate the small explosive left there a moment earlier. He was surprised his invention even worked after all this time. As she recoiled from the painful blow, he placed his hands on the ground, still above his head, and spun his legs. In a capoeira style, he rotated his legs and destabilized her by hitting just under her knee with a foot. She spun on her other leg, trying to compensate, but his other foot was already in a trajectory of hitting her neck. There was no crack, to Zeph¡¯s relief. He disengaged, using the force of the hit. The Power EE surely helped this time. He did a quick roll and stood up in a boxer¡¯s defensive position, the middle fingers slightly protruding from his fists. But the fight was over. Aisha was laying on the ground, massaging her throat. Her sour face explained everything. ¡°You have won,¡± she declared with disdain. The fight didn¡¯t last for more than a few seconds, and she had lost. Zeph could understand her irritation. ¡°Your hidden weapon aside¡­¡± she said, sitting up. ¡°I want to learn from you,¡± she declared, staring at him with an intensity reserved for fanatics. Ugh, great. Another addicted added to the list¡­ he thought, exhausted. But he knew the real culprit. Mima, the reflex-based combat style, was really to blame. He sighed heavily, preparing himself for the mental strain teaching such style would require.
Congratulations! [Mima] [Martial art] was successfully derived from¡ª
Shut up! =============================== The next day has come too quickly. Zeph was laying on the improvised bedding, looking at the tent¡¯s ceiling he already remembered in its full detail. Jesus¡­ The more I think about it, the more undecided I am¡­ he thought, looking at the System-created summary of his information gathering.
[Persistent Form] A Brain/Body/Soul [Enhancement]. Powered by [Will], this [Enhancement] is able to influence your brain activity in a [Major] way. Your [Body] will gain additional [Minor] benefits from the [Spell] component. This [Enhancement] is funneling you unique [Will] resource to further strengthen all of the compatible [Enhancements]. The framework is similar to a [Passive Skill], as its functionality is unrelated to the external conditions. Benefits include:
  • [Majorly] increased Brain functionality;
  • [Minorly] increased Body functionality;
  • [Slightly] increases [Will], [Soul], and [Passive Enhancements] effects (maximally by 5%, depending on thresholds);
  • Engages all of the processes at the same time, forcing them to rely on each other;
Constraints include:
  • Main resource is [Will];
  • Independence from [Mana] [Types];
  • [Expanding] in nature.
  • Requires [Mana pressure] of [% Unknown %].
[Willforce Morphon] A Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement]. It¡¯s the first ever formed [Enhancement] in this sector that strengthens [Will]. It¡¯s the first ever formed [Enhancement] in this sector that indirectly applies [Will]. Powered by your [Will], metabolism, and [Mana generation], this [Enhancement] changes your physicality. Full effects and ramifications of such change are unknown. The framework is similar to an [Energy Enhancement], as its functionality is related to the [Willforce]. Known effects include:
  • Shielded functionality of [Memory reading] and [Empathy]. Usability will be directly powered by [Will];
  • [Willforce] becomes available as [Technique] and [Energy Enhancement]. All known effects aren¡¯t cataloged;
  • [Energy reversing] of the resources is possible. Three distinct resources exist: Soul, physical metabolism, and [Will];
  • [Will] and its [Magicules] are integrated into the metabolism by the [Spell] component;
  • Every [Component] of this [Energy Enhancement] can be further strengthened by [Will].
Constraints include:
  • Main resource is [Willpower], secondary resource is [Will];
  • Requires [Soul contamination]: [Will (type: H1)], [Space (type: ????];
  • [Growing] in nature;
  • Requires [Mana pressure] of [1E-10000000000000000000000¡­.#$%]; [Unknown];
The second option was more inviting by the sheer rarity at the beginning. But, as he suspected, both options had their good sides. The first one included arranged, simulated, and known options with known benefits. The second one was chaotic in nature and contained many unknowns. But its functionality included an expansion of the ¡®Will shielding¡¯, which he very much liked. The requirements are also defined¡­ I think the answer is quite clear? he thought after a moment, selecting one of the options. And changing his future.
Interface (one level up): Chapter 30 - Ive heard mistakes make you stronger. Westibule mountain chain [western part of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.19]
[Willforce Morphon] selected. The [Extending] process will take 7 to 10 hours. You will be rendered unconscious for the duration. Do you want to continue?
Jeez¡­ But thanks for the warning. No, not yet, he answered, getting out of his bed. He informed his companions that he will be out cold the whole day, to the Gremling¡¯s delight and sorrow ¨C his two personalities not in agreement for once. While packing, Zeph once more analyzed the information he had, ascertaining himself the choice was the best one. The similarity between the new Enhancements to a ¡®Passive Skill¡¯ and an ¡®Energy Enhancement¡¯ meant nothing to him ¨C ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯ wasn¡¯t relying on ¡®Mana pressure¡¯ like an ¡®Energy Enhancement¡¯ should, and he wasn¡¯t able to differentiate between their frameworks even after reading about them. In the first place, ¡®Willforce¡¯ was just a fancy name for a new Spell. It would function as an energy carrier, similar to ATP, and would be formed from his two Magicules: Will-Mana and Space-Mana. Simply speaking, the Enhancement¡¯s Soul part would engage his Willpower, Will, and his contaminated Soul parts to automatically mass-produce this micro-spell structure to populate his body and Soul. Thankfully, it wouldn¡¯t interfere with Will-Mana and Space-Mana natural generation process ¨C he would still have access to those Magicules, like always. But the information he gathered was ambivalent enough, the unfinished simulation of ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯ only scrapped at his sanity when he tried to understand what it was meant to do. Because both options could stay functional in any given Mana density, he could concentrate on more important details. ¡®Persistent Form¡¯ was meant to strengthen the functions of his brain and body, while the ever-vague ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯ was meant to change how his body operated on a more fundamental level ¨C it would integrate new metabolic pathways. Both would force his Mana and Will to influence his body, but the first one would force it and the second would try to integrate it, allowing for resource exchange. Both constructs would be formed in his body and Soul, but physically the ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯ would be integrated on the cellular level, while ¡®Persistent Form¡¯ was a macroscopic structure with the most important fragment residing in his brain. That¡¯s why he took the Morphon. The Form was sure to restrict possibilities of modifying his brain in the future, or at least he guessed it would do so. But more importantly, he would rather not have two weak points in one place, in case he founds a way to survive the destruction of his brain ¨C ¡®Will shielding¡¯ already suggested such a possibility. He also hoped the new Enhancement will expand on it in that direction. The rest of the pros and cons balanced themselves between the two options, but he mentally reviewed them despite that. One question, though, mockingly stood behind all of the information, unanswered and proud. He placed the last crate on the cart, frowning in irritation, and turned to Aisha. They were almost finished, so he asked immediately. ¡°I was wondering for some time now, but the information seems unavailable¡­ Why can my Skills and Enhancements fuse, grow, change, tier up, etc., but I am unable to spend my Universal Points on new ones? I hoped to get something synergic before the change,¡± he asked, walking closer to her and helping to gather leftover items from around the camp. ¡°I even managed to learn new General Skills and form new Spells¡­ this doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± he muttered at the end. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Your Skills and Enhancements are all modifiable as long as it isn¡¯t stated otherwise. Synergic Skills and Spells will fuse with this one as the time comes. Well, it doesn¡¯t always apply to implants and such, but it is what it is. Anyway, an advice to visit a System Shrine would also show up if it was necessary,¡± she consoled him, not even looking his way. ¡°As for why UP are like that¡­¡± she paused, straightening up. She thought for a moment while looking at the sky. He waited, the concentration on his face visible. It would be so fucking better if it worked as it should. The explanation better be convincing¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t that just System Onji¡¯s policy?¡± she said, shrugging. He stumbled, almost falling forward. ¡°What is the meaning of this bullshit?!¡± he screamed into the air. You stingy bastard! She laughed. ¡°My, don¡¯t be so excited for nothing,¡± she said with mirth, waving her hand. ¡°Actually, there are many possible reasons¡­¡± He glared at her but kept silent. ¡°Just think about it,¡± she started again, tapping her head. ¡°People would just spend everything on General Skills and Energy Enchantments if they were always accessible. But what with body modifications that require a visit in the Shrine? How many would regard those options?¡± His brows raised. Oh, right. People are quite lazy and don¡¯t plan ahead, he realized, but instantly remembered his conversations with the System. There is more to it. People living away from cities would rather buy the knowledge instead of trying to learn and earn General Skills manually¡­ Sharing the knowledge is one thing, but the System wants us to innovate and try new things, not just repeat what is known¡­ The stingy bastard is a better entrepreneur than I had thought. ¡°Also, nothing can be created out of thin air,¡± she stated wisely. ¡°The System Onji already confirmed the structures he is creating in our Souls include tools necessary to apply most of the possible changes. I am quite sure a proper workshop in Shrines is much more efficient in applying them,¡± she said, only confirming his suspicions. The System saves where it could. Hai... I am not even surprised it made a walking toolbox out of us all, the greedy schemer. We are probably just computing units in its global network of total information control, he thought with resignation. At least it created some semblance of the internet¡­ ¡°Not to mention, some people would rather not visit the cities at all if they could help it,¡± she said with nostalgia. ¡°But with such restrictions, most are forced to be part of society, or at least interact with more populated areas,¡± she paused for a moment. ¡°Or be worthy enough to earn an option to build a new Shrine for themselves.¡± Did I hear a tang of regret just now? he thought, tilting his head. But in the end, he didn¡¯t have enough courage to ask. The following discussion would be uncomfortable at best, as he still wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do in the future. They finished gathering their things in silence. Soon enough, the cart started rolling to the West. As always, Aisha was steering while P¡¯pfel worked on some enchantments. Zeph made himself comfortable on the straw bed and started the process. The sleepiness that came right after overwhelmed him, despite his abnormal Will. He was out in seconds. ~~~ Zeph woke up feeling dizzy. Slowly looking around, he tried to find his bearings, but too many sensations were fighting for his attention at once. They were still traveling, but the sun would soon hide behind the mountain peaks. The world around spun and doubled in his eyes when he tried to sit up. He fell back on the bed, groaning. ¡°Ho, ho, ho! He woke up!¡± P¡¯pfel welcomed him with a deep, as for him, laughter. ¡°How are you feeling, Human?¡± he asked, accentuating the last word in a weird way. ¡°Not so good,¡± he croaked. Some of the sensations overloading his brain sorted themselves out. ¡°Water¡­ please.¡± He would also ask for food, but chewing sounded like a bad idea right now. He didn¡¯t trust his body. ¡°Grrraaaaa!¡± Gru vibrated excitedly, helping him sort out the information overflow. P¡¯pfel helped him to sit up and handled him a waterskin. Zeph gulped everything down in but a moment. Before he could ask for another one, the Gremling was already offering him a bowl of watered-down stew. Nobody spoke as he ravenously devoured bowl after bowl. Meanwhile, Gru explained to him some of the inputs. It seemed all of his Passive Enhancements now constantly worked at maximum efficiency ¨C his Soul found another route to feed all of the information back to his body and brain. Previously, he had to concentrate on his Intuition to enable Soul perception, on his Memory to access selected fragments of ¡®Memories of the Earth'' written in his Soul, or on Willpower to get a better feel of his Mana. Though, in the last case, he almost always used pure Will instead. The dam was broken. The stream overflowing. Everything worked with impossible clarity. Everything worked all at once. Besides that, his body was sending him a multitude of new sensations. Power, Flexibility, and Regeneration felt stronger, and did something¡­ new. As his mind was parsing through new information, it adapted. Somehow, the unnatural speed of his brain adaptation was also noticed and returned as another information input. It was ridiculous. ¡°This is NOT what I was expecting,¡± he said, finally finding a semblance of mental balance. ¡°Ha! I bet you didn¡¯t! System Onji wasn¡¯t either,¡± Aisha cheerfully exclaimed from the front seat. ¡°Congratulations on getting your first full-body Modification! You even gained it for free,¡± she laughed saying that. ¡°I have a strong feeling the Onji is quite grouchy right now. I don¡¯t think we will hear from them anytime soon,¡± she giggled. ¡°Huh? What does that mean? What happened?¡± he asked, looking between the two. ¡°Complications ¨C is what happened,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor answered. ¡°The process started normally, but after three hours the Mana density started to rise dramatically, and we received a warning from the System to not move you around because the process needs additional support.¡± ¡°It was quite nice,¡± Aisha said dreamily. ¡°Some local, high-level animals came to check the commotion. I hadn''t seen a Fowlbear in quite some time, a rare sight indeed,¡± she happily explained, stopping the cart. ¡°And how do you know I have a full-body Modification now?¡± he asked suspiciously, checking his body for visual changes. ¡°Because my diagnostic Skills are returning gibberish,¡± she said, hopping to the back to join them. ¡°And because I expected System Onji to say hello after going out of their way to interfere directly. You probably cost them dearly,¡± she finished, sitting on a crate. Her head tilted. ¡°But what are you waiting for? Read the notifications already!¡± Gremling nodded enthusiastically. ¡°And explain what you ca¡ª¡± a bonk to the head shut him up. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Knowledge costs. Don¡¯t abuse your situation,¡± she admonished sternly, then gestured for Zeph to continue. ¡°Ah, sure. Give me a moment¡­¡±
[Extending] process started! [Will Shielding] disabled. Reforming¡­ [Enhanced empathy] successfully linked¡­ [Enhanced past-life memory reading] successfully linked¡­ Preparing [Spell]: [Lesser Metabolic enhancement]¡­ successful! [Will-powering] compatibility test¡­ successful! Initializing [Will-powered] mirroring! [Soul Enhancement] construction progress: 0%...20%...47%...94%...100%. Testing¡­ No errors! [Willforce Generator] nestled successfully! [Willforce Generator] successfully linked¡­ Testing¡­ [Willforce] stability confirmed! Testing¡­ [Willforce] compatibility confirmed! Engaging [Willforce] for data transfer¡­ Sending structure¡¯s information to [Will]¡­¡­¡­ No response. Testing¡­ Testing¡­ Testing¡­ Data transfer was successful! All components linked! [Will shielding] enabled. Initializing [Growth]¡­ 0%...1%...2%... ERROR!
Testing¡­ Error: Abnormal changes in metabolism! [Enhanced empathy] and [Enhanced past-life memory reading] destabilized! Error: [Modified Metabolic enhancement], deformation detected! Error: [Will] conglomeration detected! Error: Physical conditions changing! [Willforce] Instability detected! Error: [Willforce Generator], feedback reaction detected! Error: [Soul], negative response detected! Error: [Will] conglomeration detected! Positive feedback loop detected! [Soul collapse] imminent! Disengaging [Willforce Generator]! No improvement! ENGAGING SAFETY PROTOCOLS¡­
Wow. Just¡­ Wow, he thought in morbid fascination. A chain reaction of bad decisions¡­ But why am I so calm about it?
¡­ Feedback loop suppressed successfully¡­ ¡­ [T5] [Cellular Metabolic enhancement] [Spell] integrated successfully¡­ ¡­ [Will Shielding] full-body expansion finished successfully¡­ ¡­ Metabolism: slowed down. [Willforce Generator]: engaged. ¡­ [Willforce Generator] auto-adjustment finished successfully. ¡­ [Will Shielding] full-Soul expansion finished successfully¡­ [Will]¡­ Ugh, testing¡­ Testing¡­ Testing¡­ [Will] adapted to the changes. Successfully. All components stable.
See? I knew you can do it!
Processing¡­ [New data] derived during implementation process. [New] [Growing] [full-body Modification] created.
Oho¡­ and some Universal Points for me?!
Detracting [Implementation costs]¡­ Detracting implemented [T5] [Spell] cost¡­
Or not¡­
Calculations comple¡ª Ugh¡­ Adding [Reparation costs]¡­ You have¡­ earned¡­ 300 000 [UP].
¡­ At least they are fair, I suppose?
We are imposing restrictions on future [Will]-related modifications. [System Shrine] is now required in most cases. Have a nice day.
¡°Oi! We¡¯ve got to talk,¡± he exclaimed, threatening the notification with his fist. ¡°When I finally get to a fucking Shrine!¡± ¡°Problems?¡± Aisha asked. ¡°I may have to visit Shines every time something changes again¡­ All because they fucked up,¡± he said angrily, crossing his arms. ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry. I am sure they are just teasing you,¡± she said, consoling him¡ª¡°As if they would pass chances like this one. You are basically agreeing to be Onji¡¯s lab rake for free, heh.¡±¡ªor maybe not. ¡°A lab rake, whose dead body means your contract won¡¯t be fulfilled,¡± he deadpanned in response. She froze in realization, her mouth still half-open. Before she could recover, he focused back on the notifications, checking the new entries in detail.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. Effects:
  • [Will/Soul/Body]: Enhances Greater Willpower effects. [Unknown] effects on external Mana manipulation.
  • [Will]: Slows down [Will] depletion in all possible cases, prevents full dissipation.
  • [Will]: Speeds up [Will] restoration. Can instantly reform [Will] by spending [Energetical Resources], but requires fully-functional [Brain] and [Soul].
  • [Soul]: Enhances overall Memory and Intuition effects. Can enhance [empathy], [past-life memory reading], and [Unknown] by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Soul]: Shields and obscures [Soul] interactions with matter and [Will]. Slows down [Soul fragmentation], can recover recently lost fragments by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Soul]: Speeds up a natural recovery process by [Unknown]. Speeds up an accumulation of Body-related [Soul contamination] by [Unknown].
  • [Body]: Permanently boosts Power, Flexibility, and Regeneration by [20%]. Speeds up natural metabolism [20%]. Enhances natural regeneration [20%]. Has an [Unknown] effects on Flexibility physical effects and internal Mana manipulation.
  • [Body]: Mental states don¡¯t reflect on [Will]. Balances mental state between [Body], [Soul] and [Will] influence. Can forcefully [Unknown] mental state by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Body]: All body parts can regrow. Can restore most of the damaged-brain physical memory. Actively counterforce physical damage on a cellular level, increasing toughness by an average of [50%].
He blinked slowly after reading it. No Will dissipation until I die¡­ Regrowing organs, brain included, until my Soul leaves the body¡­ Well, as long as my body is intact¡­ Recovering recently lost Soul fragments¡­ Unshakable mental balance¡­ He shook his head, and read further. Maybe I am just misinterpreting¡­
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Okay¡­ That sounds normal. Let¡¯s check the one before¡­ He read it once more. Nope. Nothing changed¡­ He closed his eyes. I am Dragon.
Interface: Chapter 31 - Sometimes, you dont want to see a true face of woman. Isekai award or not. Westibule mountain chain [western part of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.19] Zeph was grimacing while unloading a crate from the cart. A splitting headache accompanied each movement, the result of his hubris. An hour earlier, Aisha, noticing that his ego started overgrowing a little in the light of new changes in his body, decided to trim it slightly. A weak but heavy bonk to his head sent a wave of something through his body and Soul. Willforce Morphon or not, the hit worked with the same efficiency as ever, leaving him sprawled on the floor. He was fighting dizziness for the next few minutes, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. She grabbed his sorry ass and manhandled him away from the cart for a quick sparring match. She allowed him to use his Spells and make preparations, waiting with crossed arms. She was silent, not even responding to his questions, so he obliged in the end. It was a mistake. Or, maybe not. He tried to be angry at how she handled it, but he couldn¡¯t argue with the results. He had thrown everything he could at her, yet it wasn¡¯t even a fight. Not when she utilized some of her Skills. The pain from the heavy hits still lingered all around his body. He understood now, down to his bones, that the boons Willforce Morphon have given him were just that ¨C boons. People can achieve the same with training, specializations, and levels. He might be growing faster than normal people, but his overall position on the power ladder didn¡¯t change just yet. He had better survivability, especially against Netherers, but lacked training, knowledge, and experience. As he pouted silently while working on his tent, Aisha walked up to him. ¡°Feeling better?¡± she asked nonchalantly. He glared at her, hating the fact he had to look upwards, as she smiled sadly in response. ¡°Yes, apologies but I¡¯m not sorry. It¡¯s my personal mission to make sure you don¡¯t grow conceited. And I also have gone through a full-body Modification, I know exactly how it can provoke mistakes in combat.¡± He kept the glare for a few seconds longer before sighing in resignation. Well, power trips are dangerous, I can give her that, he thought and looked back at her. But you will not escape that easily! ¡°You are cooking for the next two weeks,¡± he declared seriously. She sulked a little but nodded without comment after a moment. ¡°Good.¡± More time for enchanting training. ¡°By the way, how much Regeneration would I normally need to regrow my organs or limbs?¡± he asked, curious how much of a boon that effect gave him. ¡°Hmmm, around 400 for limbs, I think? Maybe less,¡± she said, scratching her cheek. ¡°I would say 500 is the threshold for full restoration of organs. The EE granted at that point is responsible for strengthening a restoration of microstructures in a body. For example, it allows for automatic memory restoration after brain damage. Also, rumors say that 1000 is enough to prolong your life indefinitely, but it¡¯s hard to confirm such statements¡­¡± And now I am curious how much this granny has¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t tell you my measurements,¡± she joked with a crooked smile, reading his intentions. ¡°Grow up to my standards first. I will consider some sharing then,¡± she said, placing a hand on her hip. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, grandmother.¡± That comment was a direct cause for a sudden spike of pain in his headache. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, kid,¡± she said with a straight face, planting the tip of her weapon¡¯s shaft back in the ground. ¡°Grrraaarara!¡± laughed Gru, ridiculing his life choices. The bastard was safe inside his body and very much enjoyed the spectacle. He massaged his head, making a sour face. ¡°Eh, sorry not sorry. Anyway, do you have any advice for my points? I will hit 50 Regeneration soon, so I was thinking about Willpower and Memory. My Mana generation is falling behind¡­¡± ¡°Invest in your Flexibility,¡± she interjected. ¡°Memory isn¡¯t even responsible for Mana generation. Only Intuition and Willpower have effects on it.¡± ¡°Huh, it isn¡¯t?¡± he paused, surprised. ¡°Why? And, why would I even need Flexibility? My internal Mana manipulation right now is trash, it would be a waste of points,¡± he complained. Aisha slouched, looking far more tired all of a sudden. ¡°I guess, you never had time to properly sit down and meditate on your Interface¡­ I expected Makani to cover such basics¡­ Haaah¡­ First thing in a city, I will show you to the library. It¡¯s faster than reading, and you need to catch up¡­¡± she decided, scratching her head in irritation. Then, she leaned on her weapon and started explaining. ¡°Memory is slightly different from other Passive Enhancements. Unlike Intuition and Willpower, it is influencing your physical body. Brain, to be precise. To do that, it uses Mana generated by the part of a Soul it occupies, similar to how ¡®physical¡¯ Passive Enhancements do. But it doesn¡¯t influence physicality the same way they do ¨C Memory doesn¡¯t change how matter ¡®filled¡¯ with the Soul behaves. As a result, it supports neither Mana generation nor Mana capacity. Its true functionality lies somewhere else ¨C in accessing memories of your past lives. Well, besides actually sharpening your memory, quite appreciated during melee training.¡± Ah, right. I wanted to ask about past-life memories at some point, too, he realized, nodding in understanding. ¡°Got it. Can you tell me more about the past-life memory reading?¡± ¡°Like what? You gain knowledge, experience, and all that from your past life ¨C isn¡¯t that simple enough?¡± she answered lazily, but paused right after. She seemed to recall something. ¡°Oh right. It probably isn¡¯t important for you, but if one manages to recreate technology from their memories, the corresponding upgrades will be unlocked in the Exchange.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± he shook his head. ¡°How does it work? Is it possible I wasn¡¯t a human in my past life? What then? Will I go feral after remembering it? Will I be even to remember feelings, or is it like dry information? And how¡ª¡± ¡°Details!¡± she interrupted him, exclaiming into the sky. ¡°All you need to know is that it¡¯s safe and useful. If you are curious, find yourself a book in the library. Or ask P¡¯pfel, his personality disorder is a direct result of imbalanced Memory, so he should be the best person to ask about it. Anyway, where was I¡­?¡± she paused, scratching her head. Zeph was a little disheartened she wasn¡¯t in the mood for explanations, he had too many questions. ¡°Ah, yes. Flexibility. Don¡¯t look down on its effects. Internal Mana manipulation aside, it increases the elasticity and resilience of your body. How, do you think, I can run like that with additional weight? Besides, it prevents strains, so if you think of ever using heavy weaponry, you will need it,¡± she paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°Well, less pronounced effects exist too. Like sharpening your senses, decreasing the time of your body reacting to mental commands, speeding up certain mental tasks, helping with reaction time, and so on. But those changes don¡¯t follow the standard amplification scaling and differ from person to person¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of news¡­¡± he said, blinking slowly in surprise. Hmmm, looks like the brain has a quite convoluted relationship with all of the physically interactive PE¡­ I wonder at which point physical memory becomes redundant¡­ And how Willpower and Intuition are connected to a brain if they aren¡¯t directly interacting with it? They do send information¡­ She shrugged, breaking him from his internal debate. ¡°It¡¯s the second most important Enhancement for PE melee specialization for a reason.¡± ¡°I know you said you don¡¯t know how exactly the Passive Enchantments work¡­ But that is some unhealthy combination of different properties, isn¡¯t it? This doesn¡¯t sound like just one stat at all¡­¡± Zeph mumbled, again deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean by that¡­¡± she started, crouching near one of the crates and rummaging inside. ¡°Well, scholars insist each PE uses one universal law, or method, to change the physical world or interact with it, if that¡¯s what you are¡±¡ªshe stood up, balancing a set of cooking utensils in her arms while still holding her weapon¡ª¡°worrying about,¡± she finished, looking in his direction. ¡°You would have to ask them about it. I¡¯m more interested in practical applications. Anyway, I¡¯m going back to cook something,¡± she declared, walking away. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°And what is the milestone reward for Flexibility?¡± Zeph asked his last question before she could flee. ¡°Nothing good for you, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she answered over her shoulder. ¡°An EE supporting Mana shaping.¡± He groaned, it was neither useful nor impactful. He could only hope the effect was something he could imitate. That reminded him ¨C he should start working on mimicking the effects of Power EE for better telekinesis and the instant Spell construction method from his cantrips¡¯ EE. So much to do¡­ But I want to finish my enchantment training first¡­ ¡°Graa!¡± it happily vibrated, giving him an imaginary slap to the back. Zeph smiled. ¡°You are not wrong. It¡¯s better to have too much to do than nothing at all,¡± he agreed, laughing silently. =============================== Three days of travel have passed. The mismatched group was getting close to a small town, the last stop in the main body of the mountain chain. Soon, they would have the pleasure of driving on a highway instead of dirt roads. The mountainous terrain would continue for quite some time yet, but properly built roads that bypassed the lonely peaks would make the journey much more pleasant. At least that was the hope. For the first two days, Zeph was learning from P¡¯pfel and experimenting with his own project ¨C a combination of his Primitive Enchanting, Mana-L enchanting, and the proper Material Enchanting P¡¯pfel was trying to teach him. He wanted to finish a working prototype before allowing his Spell to diverge in hopes of also tiering it up. He has confirmed that the Primitive prefix didn¡¯t only mean it was a subpar Skill - it also meant there should be a higher version of it. Yes, Skill. Because all Spells were just Skills requiring external Mana manipulation, evidently. That didn¡¯t mean the opposite was also true, though. Those semantics were just giving him a headache, but the professor was strict with his vocabulary. It was a shame that Zeph lacked appropriate General Skills to help with his ideas. He had a hunch that his Shaman Profession would help him gain one after the prototype was done, though. After all, he started using biological ingredients, like bones, in his experiments. Very Shaman-ish practice, indeed. Anyway, the third day of travel was quite different. The reagents necessary for Material Enchanting ran out, so instead of practical exercises, theory lessons began. Well, at least until Gru decided to join in. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. It has to have Will, how do expect a slab of metal to have Will?!¡± P¡¯pfel the professor shouted, pointing with his hand at his metal beads. ¡°Grrraaaauumm!¡± it retorted, vibrating deeply in irritation. ¡°Like I said, you just need enough¡­ Soul ¡®density¡¯?¡­¡± Zeph robotically said, his unfocused eyes staring into infinity. In the corner of his eye, he could see the professor squirming in impatience as he slowly translated for him. At least the little guy learned to wait. ¡°And enough of compatible Mana in an item for a Soul fragment to form a link¡­ Will is not necessary to start the process¡­ if at all,¡± Zeph finished translating in a monotonous voice. The hours-long discussion between Gru and the professor turned sour in the last few minutes. Honestly, Zeph had enough of listening to this empty exchange of opinions. If the topic wasn¡¯t somehow connected to enchanting, he would have shut them both up long ago. It wouldn¡¯t even be that difficult, he just needed to stop translating. They were discussing the so-called ¡®Soul Enchanting¡¯ right now. A topic Zeph was eager to learn more about, as such items could be Soul-bonded. Not only that, he wanted to know more about Soul-linked items as well. But a major disagreement between the two crippled the whole affair. ¡°Bah! What a gibberish! We would be drowning in undead and elementals if that was even close to the truth! But what can a barely sentient, not even one-year-old kid, know?¡± the professor jumped to his feet and started walking in his direction, wobbling slightly as the cart swayed. He seemed ready to give the young Gru a lesson, a physical one. ¡°GrrraaGGGRRRUU!¡± it aggressively vibrated. ¡°The System is decreasing Soul density, you¡­ senile old man,¡± Zeph redacted the last part. Translating an impression of digesting biomatter residing in the place of a brain wasn¡¯t something he was ready to do. Literarily, not literally. ¡°And put that knife away,¡± he added in a bored tone, keeping the Gremling at the arm¡¯s length by grabbing his head. The knife was impotently scrapping against his arm¡¯s armor as the midget tried to free himself and hit his chest. ¡°Let go!¡± the Gremling screeched. Even though you are trying to gut me, senile old man? Zeph thought lazily, glancing at the shrieking madman, ignoring the ferocious barks coming from his chest. ¡°Who do you call senile, you faszparaszt! Snoronga like you should be disciplined in¡ª¡± A sound of metal scraping against wood could be heard. It was by no means loud enough to cut through the turmoil, yet every living being in the vicinity suddenly froze, and the forest became absolutely silent. Their horse stumbled and lowered its head. Cold sweat covered the foreheads of the two men. Their Intuition was working in overdrive as a horrific danger was perceived nearby, a dread overwhelming their internal senses. Fearfully and mechanically, their heads turned in the direction of the front of the cart. A grotesque, way too wide smile greeted them. Hot air was streaming away from the silhouette with such ferocity that above the head a flaming inferno of red hair was flailing wildly. The air currents were warping the face into a waving, demonic visage as the right hand, white from the force of grip, was unhurriedly raising up a heavy weapon in an ominous manner. ¡°My patience,¡± slowly whispered the fire demon, ¡°is running very, veeery~ thin.¡± For a second, her almost closed eyes and a deep frown were warped by a small burst of hot air into a grotesque, furious grimace. They shivered, all three of them. ¡°We are close to the town,¡± she delicately whispered through the tight smile, barely moving her lips. ¡°Be¡­ civil. Meditate? Prepare?¡± They both nodded furiously. Gru kept quiet for the fear of provoking the demon. She started to turn away, ever so slowly lowering the weapon down. Zeph could hear imaginary cracking sounds as her head was re-aligning with her torso, turning to the front. A few seconds passed that way, which felt more like a minute, until a dull thud reverberated through the forest. The weapon was placed down. It was a signal. Critters all around scrammed away as one. Zeph and P¡¯pfel disengaged and started to stiffly correct their gear and clothes. All in absolute silence. They synchronized perfectly as they repacked their equipment. Eye contact was unnecessary, the recent ¡®near-death¡¯ experience working wonders on their cooperation. Then, they sat down, nodded to each other, and started observing the passing trees. It was a little too warm for it, but Zeph put on his leathers to hide his armor. The lower they have gone in altitude, the higher the temperature became. It wasn¡¯t that surprising as the north wind was blocked by the mountains and the south one took its place. He wondered if they had a normal winter here, but he wasn¡¯t even sure at what longitude they were right now, not to mention the axial tilt of the planet. It would be funny if the tilt was 90 degrees¡­ Wait, would that be the situation that people describe as ¡°the east is in the north¡±? Although, that wouldn¡¯t be true for the whole year, and I am sure such planet wouldn¡¯t be hospitable temperature-wise¡­ Maybe they meant that the magnetic north wasn¡¯t aligning correctly with the east? Hmmm¡­ he thought idly, observing the passing trees. He never was overly interested in Astronomy, but the strange moon and his enhanced memory sometimes made him think about this planet. As there wasn¡¯t anything to do because of the self-imposed curfew, he allowed his thoughts to drift a little. Aisha was still fuming, he could tell, it was better to stay silent. Speaking of Memory¡­ This whole past-life reading is strange, he thought, remembering what P¡¯pfel shared with him. If I cannot remember feelings, just pure information, how does it influence my personality? The stat is making changes in the brain physically, true, but it isn¡¯t just restructuring neurons either, like Regeneration can¡­ At least from what I could understand¡­ It smells like Will shenanigans¡­ In such a manner, hours passed on idle considerations. He was even able to plan a few scientifically proper experiments. If he was to stay in a city for some time to learn, he could as well check some of his theories. He wouldn¡¯t start before checking the library and speaking with a scholar, though. People here weren¡¯t stupid, repeating their experiments would be a waste of time. He would have to make sure his income was stable, too. That was another problem. According to Aisha, he could easily do that by hunting for animal parts, but he felt that his Class wasn¡¯t ready for the first sub-specialization at level 33. He wasn¡¯t overly worried though, their journey would last for at least a month still ¨C he had a lot of time to plan things out. Their cart jerked wildly, shaking him out of his daydreaming. A loud, rhythmic clacking of horse¡¯s hooves resounded in the vicinity as the cart turned to the left. He looked around. They were on a road. A true road. Their horse sped up and started trotting. Is that¡­ granite? he thought looking down. His guess was as good as any. The pavement fit so smoothly that he couldn¡¯t hear or feel any bumps. And the road was wide, even ignoring the deforested buffer around it. He looked in both directions, seeing some carts in the distance. Two-lane road? But there is so much space¡­ he thought, estimating that four carts could easily pass each other. Maybe it¡¯s for some race of giants or something? He started to open his mouth to ask Aisha, but closed them almost immediately. Right, not now¡­ In the distance, city walls were visible. As well as a small queue of vehicles. He was, once more, disappointed to see only horses as other carts passed them. Where are the fantasy elements? he thought gloomily. I hope the town has some other races than humans, at least¡­ It was quite late, so the queue was cleared before they even get close to the walls. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy, just a 3 meters high construct made from the same material as the road. Simple, boring, and probably nonfunctional if his new jumping height was any indicator. The only interesting detail was that the gate didn¡¯t have an arch, just a pair of heavily reinforced sliding doors, covering the walls to both sides of it. He guessed the second pair was on the inside of the walls, but it was hard to see in the waning daylight. The guards at the gate looked tired ¨C their group probably arrived just at the watch change. They were wearing the same slick full-plate armor as the knights did, just without face-covering helmets. One of them started walking in their direction as their cart slowly rolled close, but one glare and a growl from Aisha made him recoil instantly. He started to make placating gestures while probably receiving her effigy. At least his lack of hesitation suggested that. ¡°Warrior Priestess passing,¡± he informed the rest of the gatekeepers, gesticulating wildly with his hand. The terror is real, I see¡­ Zeph thought amused, observing as the guards immediately moved away. Well, that was definitely the easiest isekai town entry I have heard of, he smirked.
Interface: no changes. Chapter 32 - Its more complicated than you think. It really is. North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.22] As they passed through the gates, Zeph was surprised to see how thick the wall was. The passage was actually longer than the wall was high. He started wondering what purpose it served, but he knew too little to even guess. On the other side, two sliding grates rested against the walls, each of the length similar to the width of the passage. The whole arrangement was confusing for him, but he decided to ignore it for the time being. The town was spacious and had a lot of greenery. Buildings were placed sparsely and each had a smallish plot of land to its sides and back. Looking behind the wooden fences from the height of the cart, he could see more utility structures placed orderly inside, mostly wooden cabins with stone foundations. The houses themselves were built entirely of stone and had tiled roofs. None sported more than two floors, but they were expansive. Soil walkways separated the estates, most sporting some decorative shrubbery. Lush trees were growing on two greenery lanes on both sides of the main street, separating the foot traffic from the road. The one thing the town wasn¡¯t lacking in was space, it seemed. It gave Zeph an impression of a crossover between old Scottish and Slavic villages. As the falling night deprived the vicinity of light, the streetlamps started to flicker alive. The almost empty streets were painted in the shadows of trees by the reflecting light. They unhurriedly moved further into the silent town. The buildings were becoming smaller, higher, and more densely packed. He was almost sure the more wealthy were living on the outskirts, for some reason. After half an hour of travel, the atmosphere of the town changed altogether. Most of the buildings were three or four floors high and stood almost side to side. But their shapes weren¡¯t uniform. Some of the floors were wider than the lower ones, creating covered passages under them. Some took less space, creating stone terraces. A maze of wooden stairs, platforms, and balconies was set between the structures. From simply allowing direct access to the higher-floor apartments to traversing above the main street to connect the terraces and platforms, they cluttered the space around. Most of the bars and taverns were open and full of customers. Streets and terraces were populated by humans in different states of intoxication. Zeph was quite surprised by the festive mood. He expected much more¡­ calm place. Aisha drove the cart into one of the side streets. After a few minutes, they stopped before a big building. It was separated from the ever-present wooden structures. An old human with a long white beard, thin like a twig but higher than even Aisha, slowly stood up from a bench, helping himself with a cane. On a big sign above the doors to his right the name ¡®Old Nagger Inn¡¯ was written in simple letters. ¡°Welcome,¡± he said in a deep but weak voice, eyeing their mismatched group. ¡°You are quite late. Two rooms and a place in the stables, I suppose?¡± ¡°Yes, but make it two joined rooms,¡± she said, jumping off the cart. Zeph and P¡¯pfel followed her, their backpacks full of the most important and valuable items. She took out some papers and presented them to the old man. He took them and quickly read through the text. ¡°Give me a moment¡­¡± he said, coming close to the cart. He placed a hand on the sidewall and just stood there for a moment. Then, he took out something resembling a ballpoint pen from a pocket in his jacket and made a note on the documents. ¡°Weight recorded. Are the crates sealed?¡± he finally asked, looking at Aisha. ¡°No, they¡¯re just tamperproof. And no, we don¡¯t need additional protection,¡± she said, rummaging through her pouch. The wild Gremling made sure they would know if the crates were touched. Well, a potential thief would learn why and how. ¡°Do you accept pure Hydrargyrum units?¡± she asked, showing a small metal sphere. The old-timer took it from her and examined the contents somehow. Probably using a Skill. He nodded, returned the bead, and wrote some more. ¡°Yes, although the exchange price has gone down lately. That would be two units for the cart and five more for your rooms,¡± he said, handing the papers back. He took the reins from Aisha and guided the horse to the side walkway. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit pricy?¡± Zeph asked. A unit was about 2 grams, and it should easily cover one day in an inn for one person, meals included. ¡°After our buying spree in the last village I don¡¯t have enough money to pay for us all, and the guy just rounded it up,¡± she stated in a neutral tone. Although, Zeph could feel her irritation. ¡°And this place is indeed high-cost. But enough of that, let¡¯s go to our rooms.¡± They followed her inside and Zeph was instantly taken aback. The place was elegantly opulent, in contrast to the mundane exterior of the building. Dark, polished wood decorated the spacious interior. Intricate carvings and small sculptures adorned the walls, supports, and furnishing. Warm, yellow lights illuminated every corner, the shadows adding depth to the adornments. The tables and counter were made from black, smooth stone of some kind. Dark brown leather cushions were set on each chair. Near the walls, at low tables surrounded by leather-bound armchairs, a few patrons were relaxing, chatting quietly. Aisha ignored everything and walked directly to the counter. A young-looking woman with black bob hair was manning it. She was around Zeph¡¯s height and was wearing something suspiciously similar to a black-and-white barman¡¯s suit. She didn¡¯t have a tie, and the waistcoat had semi-long sleeves ending wide in a reversed tear shape. She had a pale, oriental face, contrasting strongly with her dark-red lips. She smiled, noticing them and Zeph could see two rows of much too many teeth, two on the upper jaw were significantly longer than the rest. ¡°Zora, it¡¯s good to see you! The mission was successful, I see?¡± she greeted, eying both men with curiosity. If I remember correctly, that would be a Hannyajin? he thought, trying to remember what he had learned about the race. Those are human descendants bearing the genetic heritage of an ancient woman who managed to alter her race around 1000 years ago... Hmmm¡­ Known for their physical prowess¡­ ¡°Hi, Kwan,¡± Aisha answered with a genuine but strained smile. ¡°Yes, but we will catch up later. I need some rest,¡± she said, placing the documents and seven metal beads on the counter. ¡°My, my, it had to be difficult for you,¡± Kwan commented, giggling into a hand. ¡°Although, it¡¯s hard to believe those two are worse than Makani,¡± she stated idly, examining the beads one by one and placing them in a small box. And, of course, she would be bff of Aisha¡­ The two ogres are probably exchanging strength training advice while sipping protein shakes during the tea parties¡­ ¡°Here are your keys. Do visit me tomorrow,¡± she said, taking out three big, brass, cross-cylinder keys from under the counter. ¡°I will send food to your rooms in short order. You can retrieve your entree tomorrow morning. Ah, right, wait for a moment, please.¡± She crouched down and started rummaging under the counter. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I wonder how old she really is¡­ Probably as old as Aisha, he thought absentmindedly, looking around. The patrons seemed utterly uninterested in them. Quite a difference from the normal reaction to the presence of a Warrior Priestess. How often is Aisha visiting this place, anyway? The sound of moving glass and sliding doors could be heard. After a moment Kwan stood back up, holding a package wrapped in yellow paper and a big bottle of dark green liquid. ¡°Here is your old order. I hope it will help, have a nice stay!¡± she said with a sweet smile. Aisha nodded with gratitude, grabbing everything from the counter. Zeph and P¡¯pfel followed her upstairs without a comment. Their rooms were on the third floor. The quality didn¡¯t disappoint. The same elegant decorations were present. A shower room and separate toilet were present in each apartment. Everything was fully furnished and spacious. The third key was for the doors connecting the two bedrooms. After examining the space, they started to unpack. Food was delivered a few minutes later by a young lad, and Aisha closed all the doors after moving the trolley inside. She moved a table and three armchairs to the center of the room, near a small sculpture of a bird. ¡°Sit,¡± she said, moving the trolley closer. She settled in an armchair herself. They obliged, and she placed her hand on the bird¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t move for a good minute as they waited, still intimidated by her bad mood. ¡°Zeph, check for outgoing connections and construct the Air Sphere,¡± she instructed, taking her hand away. He shrugged mentally and constructed the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ around them, he Stabilized it trying to feel if any external Mana currents were trying to pierce the construct. Checking the floor was tricky, but after his Mana-L seeped deep enough into the wooden planks, he could block or feel any external Mana going through. It took him only a minute. ¡°Finished, but the vibrations can still travel through the floor,¡± he reported. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken care of that part. Now, eat,¡± she said, taking out a glass from the trolley and pouring the green liquid she received earlier. Surprisingly, it smelled quite nice. Zeph and P¡¯pfel looked at each other and shrugged. Zeph removed the dish covers and handled the dishes and cutlery around. He was quite surprised by the two-prong forks but didn¡¯t comment on it. He wanted to ask Aisha about the entree, but as he took a bite from the vegetables, he was stunned. It was his first proper meal after coming to this world, and he was in the seventh heaven. The gourmet cuisine hit him hard enough to squeeze a few tears from his eyes. Especially the tender meat, which flared in a multitude of flavors each time he took a bite. The steaks were miniature in size, barely a mouthful, but each of them brought new ground-breaking gustatory sensation. The Gremling was affected no less than him. While both of them relished the masterfully prepared dishes, Aisha was just slowly sipping from her glass while reading some documents from the yellow envelope, lazily scanning the vicinity from time to time. It was almost a TV commercial breakfast scene. A father was sitting at the head of the table, reading a newspaper and sipping on his coffee, as two kids were slowly but ravenously finishing their meal. Well, one bearded and one very ugly kid, and not coffee but something stronger than spirit, but you can get the picture. Nothing can last forever, though. Fifteen minutes later, the blissful atmosphere was broken. Aisha put the glass down and loudly clapped her hands, startling them both. ¡°Okay, protocols were fulfilled,¡± she declared, much more relaxed. ¡°Time to discuss some things.¡± ¡°What protocols?¡± absentmindedly asked P¡¯pfel, placing another bite of the delicious food in his mouth. Zeph wasn¡¯t far behind. ¡°The secrecy protocols. You may have noticed, but this inn isn¡¯t exactly normal. For¡­ acquainted individuals, it serves the purpose of securing a meeting place. Mainly, at least,¡± she vaguely explained. ¡°Now, assuming you kept your vigil¡­¡± she started, looking sternly at Zeph. He nodded immediately. With the Willforce Morphon, directing his Spells was easy. She nodded back and continued, ¡°we can assume we are in the safest place in this town. No one in this place should be able to eavesdrop, believe me.¡± Interesting¡­ I suppose a lot has happened in the background in the last¡­ few minutes? he thought, trying to recall how much time he spent eating. It was a fruitless endeavor, though. Few hours? ¡°First, I have bad news. You may not know, but this town is under the major influence of Landlord Oric. The same one who made a deal with the Barringstone. His people are stationed near the town hall, System Shrine, and any other important council-regulated building, doing detailed check-ups. You two are forbidden from using the System Shrine here, as well as getting close to any council building,¡± she declared in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. He frowned and put down his loaded fork. ¡°What do you mean? We created my backstory for exactly that occasion!¡± he said in indignation, glancing at the papers. ¡°You are not authorized to read those,¡± she said seriously, putting them back into the envelope. ¡°The normal check-up,¡± she started explaining deliberately, sipping some more of the green liquid, ¡°requires you to send an Effigy of your race, Class, and Profession, levels included. The detailed check-up, if one has the authority to request one, requires you to also send the Effigy of names of your PE. As you know, they change colors when unbalanced,¡± she finished, playing it as if he knew of the color change and as if that was the main reason. And why no one explained it to me earlier? he angrily thought, but quickly forced his face to stay neutral. In his peripheral vision, he noticed the Gremling¡¯s head snapping in his direction. He could feel his inquiring gaze trying to penetrate his skull. Shit, asking that question near P¡¯pfel was a mistake! The Gremling was never informed about his Greater Will. ¡°And why aren¡¯t those guys stationed at the gates?¡± he asked, trying to distract the little guy. Failing miserably. ¡°Because the council would never allow for such brazen assault on their authority. And because there are at least thirty gates in this town. To man them fully, Oric would have to send at least 360 people, 90 authorized and 90 specialists among them. Which is a full battalion, guess how would the locals react.¡± Wow, this town is huge as fuck¡­ he thought, trying to ignore P¡¯pfel¡¯s glare. ¡°I think Oric¡¯s people will hear about me sometime tomorrow, so we don¡¯t have much time,¡± she sighed, displeased. Evidently angry at herself. ¡°But you are in luck, they are looking for him,¡± she said, looking up and pointing at the Gremling. ¡°Anyway, Peepfel¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s P¡¯pfel!¡± he screeched, interrupting her. Now distracted from the topic of Zeph¡¯s stats. ¡°Whatever,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°Gruuummm,¡± it wisely vibrated, nodding. ¡®That¡¯s how you do it!¡¯ was Gru¡¯s message. Shut up, traitor! he sent back, ignoring the light smile on Aisha¡¯s face and turning his head away. ¡°You need to finish preparing your papers on the cure by the day after tomorrow,¡± she continued. ¡°They don¡¯t know where we are, and I will make an appearance tomorrow, so just sit here for the day. Both of you,¡± she explained, looking eager. Zeph had a suspicion she just wanted to spend a day alone. ¡°We will introduce the papers, alongside your initial testimony, to the local church to bypass the check-ups and all this political bullshit.¡± As she said that, a cold shiver run down Zeph¡¯s spine. He raised his hand involuntarily. ¡°We are staying here for three days total¡­ Yes?¡± she paused before skeptically allowing him to speak. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say, he just raised his hand by instinct. ¡°Umm¡­ I have a feeling it¡¯s a very bad idea¡­¡± he said in a weak voice. Why did I even react, the plan is sound?! She paused, slowly placing her glass back down. ¡°And how strong exactly that feeling it is?¡± she asked after a moment. Her eyes were absolutely serious. ¡°I am not sure¡­ Why are you even asking that?¡± he asked uncertainly, surprised. ¡°Your intuition is high enough¡­ And if it is working at full capacity right now¡­¡± she started, adding to the Gremling¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°You know, your premonitions were correct in Barringstone. I am starting to believe you have formed a basic auguring ability¡­¡± she said, trailing off. He frowned. ¡°And how would that work? Not that I want to be skeptical, but how can someone predict the future?¡± This time the professor answered. ¡°Your alien society had to be isolated from Gods for you to not know this,¡± he said, correcting imaginary glasses. ¡°That actually explains a lot¡­¡± the misunderstanding continued. All he knew was that Zeph was from another world, but now his imagination started to stir, it seems. ¡°By means unknown, you can approximate what you perceive in the Soulscape,¡± he started, using strange words. It was almost as if he was reciting some old text. ¡°Be it the Will of Gods, be it fate, be it your own talent, the effect is the same. Clairvoyance is a gift you should never ignore.¡± Zeph made a face. It was clich¨¦ as fuck. ¡°Speaking scientifically,¡± the Gremling continued in a more natural tone, ¡°you are able to abstractly predict certain outcomes after getting some information from the Soulscape. Think of it as familiarity with certain patterns. But that changes our situation a lot¡­ Actually, I have to ask, am I to be left here?¡± he finished, looking at Aisha. Now, that¡¯s more of an explanation¡­ ¡°Grrraa!¡± Gru commented. I am not stupid! Just¡­ lost a little¡­ ¡°No. You are under my jurisdiction, and you will redeem yourself under me,¡± she answered, to the Gremling¡¯s relief. Ah, so that''s how it is. ¡°Change of plans. Zeph, how do feel about shaving?¡± ¡°Like it was due four months ago?¡± he answered, trying to scratch the skin under the dense hair. ¡°We still need to inform the local church, the Netherling¡¯s presence in Barringstone cannot be ignored,¡± she started, to Zeph¡¯s displeasure. ¡°But I will not do this without preparing an escape route. We will stay here for a week. Zeph, you are commissioned with selling our goods tomorrow. Shave, take the clothes I will prepare. The perishable herbs should be enough. You, Gremling, don¡¯t even try to stick your nose out of the window! Make sure your papers are usable by simple-minded people ¨C you have three days. I will need to negotiate tomorrow with our host. Be ready to receive guests in the evenings,¡± she said standing up. ¡°That¡¯s all. Now, go and rest!¡± commanded the dictator.
Interface: no change (yet again!) Chapter 33 - A simple job of a deliveryman. North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.23] The next morning, Zeph was visited by a barber. The guy was from the same race as Kwan, so he suspected he was a part of this gang. He was a professional, though. Probably literally, as in 10 minutes, Zeph¡¯s face was as smooth as a baby''s bottom and his hair done in a local fashion ¨C tied in a high bun. After he left, Zeph started to organize a list of goods to sell. ¡°Perishable herbs should be enough,¡± he murmured mockingly in imitation of her voice. ¡°Enough my ass. We have a fucking half a ton of them.¡± It wasn¡¯t even an exaggeration, although the local ton was a bit less than on Earth. That didn¡¯t change the fact, that the list of herbs was long. After waking up with a clear mind, he realized just how many questions and doubts he had about Aisha¡¯s plan. He had to be really distracted yesterday to not ask about the details. Well, I was fucking tired¡­ He sighed. He wasn¡¯t even in a state of mind to truly appreciate the first shower he took in ages. But the worst part was, he didn¡¯t even notice his mind was exhausted. The first side effects of the new modification, I suppose. Or maybe my Intuition is acting up when I spend my Will? Anyway, I need to be careful with that. Maybe I should prepare some mental tests? Something that requires an active focus? Hmmm¡­ Before he could start daydreaming, Aisha visited him. She entered without a preamble and looked around. Seeing the snoring Gremling, she nodded to herself and walked to the table. ¡°G¡¯morning,¡± he lazily greeted. ¡°Hi. Here¡¯s your clothing,¡± she said, placing a bundle near the table and sitting down. ¡°Want some?¡± she asked, taking a glass and a green bottle from a new trolley placed here today. He glanced at her with tired eyes, to which she just shrugged and placed one hand on the sculpture. Zeph constructed the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ and continued his work while they sat there in silence. Aisha relaxed and sipped from her drink, just as yesterday. After the 15 minutes passed, she rested her head in her hand and spoke. ¡°You almost blew yourself up yesterday.¡± There was no accusation in her tone, she merely stated a fact. ¡°Yes, I know. I think my Intuition is responsible. I have symptoms of imbalance, I think.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°No warnings from the System?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Well, that¡¯s an experimental phrase for you, then. You need to learn how to meditate. Memory can help with analyzing the problem. You can also try to use your Will more actively. Willpower normally counterbalances it.¡± ¡°That¡­ I should have thought about it myself¡­¡± he said with resignation. It seemed the problem was quite deeper than he originally assumed. Her next words weren¡¯t reassuring at all. Especially because of her devilish smile. ¡°Fret not, we will train that on our way, too.¡± He just slumped down, giving up. ¡°So, how am I to transport half a ton of materials? No, wait. More importantly, why are you even sending me? It¡¯s an unnecessary risk if we can just pay Kwan for¡ª¡± ¡°Relax,¡± she interrupted him in a calm voice. ¡°Let me explain first. I had to organize some things before going into details. Not to mention, there are things P¡¯pfel shouldn¡¯t hear about, and I am sure he understands that.¡± She removed two pouches from her belt and placed them on the table, not removing her hand. ¡°I need you to deliver two packages for me before I show myself in the town. They are generating Mana of their own, so you need to mask it with yours. Can you manage that?¡± she asked rhetorically. He moved his hand closer and manipulated the Mana-L seeping out from it to enclose the pouches. Aisha felt it and slowly removed her hand. He could feel as his Mana interacted with freshly-generated Mana-X, the two losing connection with their creators and forming a buffer of ambient Mana in the middle. I feel like I am constantly using Mana-L these days, he thought. At least WM helps with the production¡­ He stopped his musings as he felt his ¡®construct¡¯ slowly stretching like a balloon ¨C the density inside was increasing. Because Mana-L was much denser in nature it prevented the aggregated Mana-O from escaping freely. Instead of playing with the shape of the encasement or the pressure balance, he decided to change his method. If I want to keep my Mana around it, I will have to constantly manipulate it¡­ May as well use this, he thought, changing the shape of the vortex of constantly-active ¡®ambient Mana channeling¡¯, stretching it to include the pouches. Keeping the technique active required constant Mana manipulation, but it has become second nature for him by this point. Changing the shape would be slightly straining, but nothing he couldn¡¯t manage for a day. It¡¯s just a shame AMC doesn¡¯t want to level up¡­ Well, I never stopped to read from it, but seeing it sit at the end of Tier one for so long is frustrating¡­ Finally, he finished removing the Mana-L and picked up the pouches. He moved them about slowly, testing his ability to neutralize their Mana inside his Veil. Changing the shape of AMC on the fly was easier than he had expected. ¡°Will do,¡± he declared, placing them down. ¡°It smells like illegal dealings, though. What¡¯s inside?¡± She smirked. ¡°A rare case of almost Undead material, nothing really illegal.¡± He squinted his eyes. ¡°Almost? Really?¡± ¡°Some people just don¡¯t like the idea, and some want them very badly. But it isn¡¯t Undead if it can regenerate into a living organism, no? And it¡¯s an important crafting material,¡± she said innocently, pressing her hands together and looking at him expectantly. She was met with a deadpan gaze as he just sat there silently. Seeing no reaction, she dropped the pretense. ¡°Twenty percent.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± They shook hands. ¡°Now. For today, you are Horo of mixed blood, the courier,¡± she started, pulling something from the bundle on the floor. ¡°If, for whatever reason, enforcers ask you to identify yourself, do it as you should. Remember that the Effigy requires your Name, Race, Class, and Profession alongside their levels, but is required only if you are suspected. You are just a hired hand, so these documents should be enough in most situations,¡± she finished, handing him a file with papers. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He scanned it quickly to know what he was working with. ¡°A wagon rented by the inn will drive over around noon. We need to repack the goods before that. It will take you to the wholesale marketplace, so we have to prepare bundles. You can order enchanting reagents and other miscellanea there after you finish selling our goods. All transactions are in the name of Ozmond and are done on paper, so you can just order a delivery of money and goods to the inn.¡± He nodded. He was just an errand boy, an easy job. ¡°The marketplace is here,¡± she said, placing a map on the table. ¡°The wagoner will take care of himself after the goods are sold, so just walk alongside this avenue and¡­¡± She explained to him in painstaking detail how to find the recipient of the two pouches. And it was necessary ¨C the place was hidden in the maze of the multi-layered wooden terraces. ¡°Our remuneration will come later, after we reach Lurona city. You got it?¡± she finished. ¡°Yes, I will manage,¡± he said, taking the map. ¡°Just don¡¯t stare at it the whole time. You would look like a tourist, not a local deliveryman. The streets should be safe, but an easy target is an easy target.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, mother. Can we get to work?¡± They quickly revised the list he was working on, removing all the plants that wouldn¡¯t make at least one bundle. Aisha told him she would take care of them. After she left his room, he put on the new clothes and hung the pouches from his neck, hiding them under the shirt. The dark-gray outfit was simple but comfortable. It included a bag and a warm jacket, for which he was grateful. Because of his armor, he forgot it was getting colder by the day. Sadly, it had to be left in his room ¨C he felt vulnerable, but not overwhelmingly so. I am growing too accustomed to wearing it¡­ I wonder if that¡¯s a bad thing? he thought, looking in the mirror. He hadn¡¯t seen himself this clean and proper in a long time. His shaved face looked unfamiliar even to him. New hairstyle, new me, hmmm? Repacking the cart took a while. The plants had to be taken out of crates and counted. Fifty made a bundle. Zeph was complaining that they should have done that when buying them in the last village. Finally, he was on his way. The market was a long way away, so he spent his time admiring the strange architecture of this place. The terraces took up a lot of space, giving an impression of high building density, which simply wasn¡¯t true. Parts of stone buildings were used for business, so the number of people living in them wasn¡¯t all that high. Besides that, he was surprised by the number of shops selling meat. He suspected it can have to do with the lack of refrigerators, but wasn¡¯t so sure. The traffic was increasing as they came closer to the marketplace, but the roads became wider at the same time. The terraces disappeared as big shops took the place of housing buildings. When he finally saw the warehouses, the road has already grown to three lanes in each direction. He was impressed by the good planning. Especially because it was very pleasant to the eye with all the autumn-colored plants. The place was very orderly. The three-story warehouses left enough room for people and vehicles to easily move around. Lanes of trees separated the main artery from low-traffic roads and walkways. He had his papers checked at the entrance and was directed to the proper segment of the marketplace. They pulled off the main road when he saw a line of administration buildings with service widows. The thought of looking manually through all the price boards and searching for better buyers gave him cold shivers. The lady at the desk smiled broadly when he showed her the list of their goods. ¡°Mr. Horo, your employer is in luck. The town is paying extra for animal handling supplies right now. Please visit the main warehouse,¡± she said politely. Animal handling? he thought, noticing where she had stopped reading. But those are numbing and sleep-inducing herbs? Eh, whatever¡­ ¡°Maybe I will get some bonus pay then,¡± he joked. ¡°I will do just that. Should I look for the best buyer for the rest, or are the fluctuation in prices not worth it?¡± ¡°I will prepare the form beforehand, then,¡± she said and started to fill in some documents. ¡°Besides the Rhula herb, the prices are all stable right now. You won¡¯t find a difference beyond 2%. As for Rhula, I am not sure if it¡¯s worth your time for only two bundles, but the Apson¡¯s shop warehouse on the other side of the segment is buying them 10% higher.¡± She finished with the paperwork and handed the documents back. She also gave him a map of this marketplace¡¯s segment and a list of potential buyers for the other plants. He thanked her, and they drove away, back into the main street. The next three hours were mind-numbing. He had to parse through the map to find companies or guilds that interested him and used the closest warehouse, wait as their wagon slowly drove there, then wait again as the goods were asserted and moved. And finally, fill out all the paperwork. He even started to bargain a little from boredom. Which, surprisingly, worked well enough because the plants were fresh. In the end, they were richer by 122 gold, 53 silver, and some copper. Well, they weren¡¯t literally gold, silver, or copper, the original names even suggested different colors, but the translation was close enough for him. Metal is metal! he decided and mentally dubbed them that way. He understood now why Aisha didn¡¯t like the pay in Barringstone. From the two stacks of curated Hydrargyrum they received, they extracted only three kilograms of pure mercury, or 1500 units. Right now, each unit was worth around 10 silver, so it was a pay of around 150 gold. It may seem like a lot, but the costs of extraction and Aisha¡¯s incense would balance that out almost to nothing. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that easy to calculate. On one hand, they extracted it themselves, cutting the cost down to reagents only. On the other hand, the old price of a unit was closer to 15 silver. But all in all, it was a risky deal. The next hour he spent in another segment, happily ordering supplies. Spending money was always more pleasant. Around 50 gold he spent on enchanting reagents, ordering quite an impressive amount of them. Almost 20 gold disappeared on materials he recognized and wanted to experiment with, in hopes of diverging more General Skills from the ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯. Because of the same sentiment he was tempted to buy glassware but decided it would be too cumbersome. Everything here was sold in bulk, after all. Not having any new ideas as to what to buy, he finalized the paperwork in the administration building and convinced the wagoner to give him a short ride out of the bustling roads of the marketplace. The guy was returning to his company, either way. ¡°Where now,¡± he wondered after getting off and thanking the wagoner. He didn¡¯t even know the poor guy¡¯s name. He checked his map, correcting his bag. ¡°Looks like a long walk¡­ Not like I mind,¡± he said, smiling. Being able to finally spend some time alone was really working wonders on his mood. Even if he still had a job to do. ¡°Grrrrrr,¡± his chest vibrated gently. ¡°Ah, yes. Maybe not so alone, but you don¡¯t count,¡± he murmured good-naturedly. He enjoyed the long stroll through the terraces. A multitude of restaurants, bars, and shops attracted his attention. Potted plants, tables with chairs, and benches decorated the place. Storytellers and musicians performed from small podiums set randomly through the maze. Families and couples were leisurely strolling everywhere. The atmosphere was indeed festive in this town. A shame he was still penniless. All the money they earned today was just empty numbers written in his documents. ¡°I should have asked her for some pocket money,¡± he complained as hunger started to settle in. ¡°Then, I could catch a cab back, at least.¡± Thankfully, he was nearing his destination. He expected it to be in a more¡­ shady place. But after seeing the town, he wasn¡¯t sure if such a place even existed here. The fruit shop was set at the end of a low terrace, a few meters above the surface of a big river flowing through the city. A stall was set outside the shop and a mustached merchant with a sketchy face was sitting on a stool behind it. The terrace was almost empty, but the merchant didn¡¯t even glance in his direction as he moved closer. ¡°Hello, I have a delivery for you,¡± Zeph said nonchalantly. The guy perked up hearing that. ¡°Ah, yes. Fre¡­ Cough, from who may I ask?¡± It seemed his true thoughts slipped out for a moment. ¡°You are Mr. Bram?¡± Zeph asked instead of answering, speaking in code. The man sighed with disappointment. ¡°No, but I know him. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± he said, standing up and shuffling into the shop. What a strange guy, Zeph thought, following him. ¡°I¡¯m Faran by the way,¡± he said, opening the doors to the backroom of the shop. ¡°Horo, nice to meet you.¡± They sat at the table and Faran straightened his face. ¡°So, from who is it and for whom?¡± ¡°Red bird to black goat,¡± Zeph said, making a face. What a stupid code¡­ Faran blinked a few times. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they meet personally? I am sure that how it was set up¡­¡± ¡°The circumstances changed. He¡­ The meeting spot will be compromised soon, most likely. As so, red decided it would be better to not invite black. To not leave sauce¡­¡± he paused, his face scrunched. ¡°Why are we using this ridiculous code?!¡± finally, he facepalmed, unable to bear it any longer. ¡°If anyone is hearing this bullshit, they already know something strange is going on!¡± The merchant laughed loudly at his misery while Zeph sulked. It took him a good minute to cool down. ¡°Ohhh, my Gods, she got you good,¡± he said finally, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. Zeph had a feeling it wasn¡¯t the first time something like that happened. That bastard woman, he thought with raising anger. And she used my Intuition problems for it! We will see¡­ we will see. His teeth were grinding as he imagined punching that smug face of hers. Meanwhile, Gru was spending a lot of Will-Mana to keep his body from vibrating. Definitely not from laughter. Definitely not.
Interface: (no changes) Chapter 34 - You become what you eat. North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.23] ¡°Heh, I am not sure how you managed to not realize it was a joke before using it¡ª¡± Because it sounded better in my mind¡­ ¡°¡ªbut it¡¯s a legit method to train youngsters, so don¡¯t sweat it. Anyhow, protective enchantments are active, so speak freely,¡± Faran said, leaning back. Zeph sighed. ¡°I have two parcels generating Mana with me. Landlord Oric is looking for a guy under¡­ Red¡¯s protection,¡± he explained shortly, deciding to keep at least some discretion. Just to be sure. ¡°Oho, she messed with someone¡¯s plans again. I kind of expected that, but at least she delivers,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡®Again¡¯? Jesus¡­ ¡°Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t have equipment on hand for safe transport¡­ Eh, let¡¯s just store it,¡± he decided. After rummaging through cabinets for a minute, he brought back a wooden box and Zeph deposed the pouches inside. It was impossible to say if the box was enchanted or special in any way. ¡°By the way, can you tell me what was inside? Getting any information from Red is a pain¡­¡± he asked as Faran was placing the box back. ¡°As it should. But I suppose it¡¯s not a secret,¡± he started, sitting down. ¡°Those are fragments of organisms with Souls intact, at least partially. Parts of Myconid hive-centers, most probably. Bastards are almost impossible to kill without a Soul perception specialist, there always is one half-hibernating spore hidden somewhere. Or a hundred. But if you have a good specialist with you, degrading them to one fragment is possible.¡± ¡°And then use for Soul enchanting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zeph tried to confirm his guesses. ¡°Yes, among other things. But the exact process is confidential. It¡¯s not that easy to integrate the body fragment without breaking the Soul links,¡± he confirmed and sighed tiredly. ¡°Red is one of the better specialists out there, and one of the few that are all right with this method. If only less of them were ending up in the temples¡­ You know how the religious sort reacts to the idea of using Souls. It¡¯s unreasonable. They are unreasonable. The idiots,¡± he complained with sorrow in his voice. Well, that was informative. Good thing it isn¡¯t exactly common knowledge, I would look like an idiot or worse¡­ Talking with Faran was surprisingly pleasant. Zeph liked the rational approach to reality the merchant was showing. Especially his desire to develop new technologies. Faran had an open, critical mind, his love for money was the only thing Zeph couldn¡¯t directly relate to. They spent almost an hour discussing new inventions and innovations, even those inaccessible on the open market. Although, Faran was the one speaking for the most part. Walking back to the inn, Zeph was in a great mood. He couldn¡¯t wait to speak with a Scholar if even a merchant was able to provide so much useful information, especially because he wouldn¡¯t have to pretend to possess common knowledge anymore. It took him a while to walk back to the inn. As he entered the room, he found Aisha and P¡¯pfel already eating dinner. ¡°Welcome back. All good?¡± greeted Aisha. P¡¯pfel only nodded, as his mouth was full. ¡°Yes. The delivery should arrive soon, we earned a little over 50 gold,¡± he said, quickly sitting at the table. She nodded, not interrupting him until he was full. It was obvious he was starving. The dinner was bliss, he felt like he could get used to this life. ¡°Come with me. You need to collect your overdue entree,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t think I can eat any more, though¡­¡± Zeph complained but followed after her. She smirked. ¡°I am sure you will find enough space.¡± She ushered him into the kitchens, or so he had thought initially. He was greeted with a big, circular room with rows of terraria settled on shelves. The place was elegant, full of potted plants, and dimly lit. Small animals resided in a few of the terraria, all seemingly asleep. They had them all: birds, snakes, lizards, small critters, even big insectoids. But strangely, they weren¡¯t separated by species. He was quite fascinated by the diversity. Only a few species were similar to those from Earth, mostly birds and snakes, the body-shapes and anatomy of the rest were alien to him. Aisha moved with purpose to the counter at the end of the room. A lady in a suit similar to Kwan¡¯s was manning it. ¡°Greetings. Rooms 27 and 28 if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± she asked with a professional smile. ¡°Yes. Seven courses for one person should still be uncollected,¡± Aisha answered. The lady checked something quickly and handed them three small metal plates. ¡°That is correct. Here you go, terraria number 17 to 19. Have a nice day!¡± Aisha nodded and started walking to the indicated shelves. Zeph already had an idea of what was going on. Terrarium number 17 had two snakes, four small birds, and two kinds of plants inside. The snakes had a body width of a small finger. It roughly corresponded with the amount of meat he ate yesterday. ¡°You insert the plate in the slot, switch off the safety here, and activate it here,¡± Aisha explained quietly, pointing at a toggle switch, then at a button. He followed the simple instructions, and soon he could hear a silent hiss of released gas blowing into the terrarium. The breathing of the sleeping animals was slowing down, and the leaves of the plants started to curl up. A moment later he received a System notification.
Congratulations! You have killed [Hazelworm¨C lvl 20]. (x2) You have killed [Philomel ¨C lvl 36]. (x3) You have killed [Philomel ¨C lvl 37]. You have killed [Pree Carron ¨C lvl 20]. (x4) You have killed [Yellow Lupis ¨C lvl 25]. (x5) You have earned [Soul fragments]!
Gru reported that only one bird has sent a fragment of its Soul away, a pittance in comparison to how frequently wild animals did that. They didn¡¯t know of any examples for plants with Souls, though. Zeph repeated the process two more times. Before they left the room, he saw a waiter entering from the back door, pushing a trolley in the direction of the three terraria. They returned to Aisha¡¯s room, as P¡¯pfel already cluttered the bigger one with his equipment for enchanting, starting the preparations as he impatiently waited for the delivery of reagents. Zeph started bombarding her with questions almost immediately. ¡°So that¡¯s why there are so many stores with meat? They are all keeping living animals? Is it always this¡­ tidy? And I have an impression that younger, smaller animals would be more¡­ efficient¡­¡± Aisha sat heavily in an armchair, sighing with resignation. ¡°Just as I expected,¡± she said, looking at him. ¡°Thankfully, we have time for a longer lesson. First of all, young Souls are smaller and don¡¯t leave much fragments. Not to mention, System Onji doesn¡¯t support the process in the case of young beings, so you would gain almost nothing. As for the stores, we have a classification for them¡­¡± she started explaining. As always, a huge chunk of culture stems from cooking and food culture. After all, a lot of everyday life is centered around this basic need, even more so in the context of the System and Levels. For places providing the entree, so an opportunity to kill the livestock before it was processed or the equivalent, five main factors dictated the class of the establishment and prices. First, the level of creatures sold. Second, the quality of cooking, if it was provided. Third, the type of creatures. The easiest to breed were the so-called hive animals, or speaking technically - eusocial animals, because they were growing the fastest and had uniform levels, above other things important for farmers. The amount of Soul fragments they gave was the lower, the more dependent on the collective were the creatures. Thankfully, for hive mammals the difference wasn¡¯t that big. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Fourth, the diversity of creatures. Taking Soul fragments from one species had diminishing returns, decreasing the leveling speed down to 40% at the worst. In exchange, a person would instinctually understand a lot more about the body structure, behaviors, thinking patterns, etc. of that species. Aisha didn¡¯t want to tell him more about the why, but he could already guess. Fifth, Soul contamination. To grow one¡¯s own contamination before level 100, one has to kill creatures with similar contamination over and over, then take corresponding body modifications at the Exchange. It¡¯s a difficult process, dedicated only to the most determined. As so, a class system for food-related establishments existed to simplify the whole affair. Class-zero stores sold ingredients or meals with no entree. It was a dirty-cheap food, and actually very diverse, as every subjugation or expedition was a source of large quantities of fresh meat, and most of the plants were of non-Soul variety. Most often, people perused such stores during festivals and celebrations. As so, the Earth¡¯s standard food stores were basically ¡®junk food¡¯ shops in this world. The truth of the matter was, their society was unable to starve ¨C the number of animals they had to kill in self-defense and training was enough to feed everyone. Not to mention, dangerous animals from the wilderness were usually quite big, providing a lot of food. Class-one stores offered their clients an opportunity to personally kill the livestock before workers processed the bodies for meat and materials. The levels of livestock didn¡¯t go above 20, and the price was determined by the levels. There were only a few mass-bred species, so the diversity was low. Rakes, insectoids, and birds of different kinds were the core of farming. The animals had to be small, to increase the amount of Soul fragments people were paying for. After all, the size of a body wasn¡¯t corresponding to the ¡®size¡¯ of the Soul, or a condition of the links the Soul required. Class-two shops were similar to class-one, but instead of being ingredients-only, they also served meals from killed animals. Of course, mundane plants were also used in the cooking process. Class-three shops were selling goods made from animals with levels above 20, and from plants possessing a Soul. The meals had to be made from creatures with an average level of 25, at least. A higher average level of entree had to be paid extra for. It was important to note, plants and plant-like hives were avoided like fire, so those resources were scarce. Class-four shops did the same but had a much wider variety of smaller creatures and higher-class cooking quality. Smaller creatures meant more could fit in one meal, so the client received more Soul fragments. Most of the accessible animals weren¡¯t of the hive type anymore. The ¡®Old Nagger Inn¡¯ was a class-four establishment, actually. Such shops were places where non-hive creatures were commonly used, eliminating any penalties to leveling speed and maximizing the efficiency. Class-five shops were additionally selling creatures with chosen Soul contaminations. But the animal and plant husbandry farms dedicated to this business were few and far between. The creatures had to be raised in specific environments for a long period of time, often requiring a few generations to pass before individuals with significant Soul contamination emerged between the crop. Class-six, or so-called ¡®Special class¡¯, stores were a place where Soul-bonded creatures were sold. Instead of being sold for food, though, their bodies were usually used in crafting. Energy Enchantments and other modifications they gathered during the lifetime were still present in the body after death, and if the butcher and the crafter knew what they were doing, extracting them and powering with Mana was possible. Zeph, fascinated with the idea, asked many specifying questions. Aisha grumpily answered most of them but ignored the ones straying from the topic. It was a very tedious agriculture business because it required the farmer to raise a number of creatures until they were close to death. The creature itself had to agree to the proceedings ¨C be ready for death. But instances of a premature wish of this kind also existed. Being high-level, Soul-bonded, and older guaranteed some degree of intelligence, after all. Aisha left a lot out of the explanation, as it was more about Soul-bonding itself than animal husbandry. But creatures raised that way not only were high-leveled, they often possessed a Soul contamination and their deaths guaranteed their caretaker a significant amount of ¡®positive Soul-wound¡¯ fragments. It was risky, mentally straining, and oftentimes not executed to the end, but a farmer with enough short-living Soul-bonds could easily guarantee himself enough levels to prolong his life early and rise his chosen Soul contamination in a safe environment. The discussion if it was worth it was a topic of decades, though. Class-six establishments were also a place of a peaceful death for all bonded or more intelligent creatures. They took in old or dying beings from asylums and retirement homes for bonded creatures, but also old pets and animals of burden. ¡°Most of our livestock is actually required to feed the higher strata livestock, but the economy up there is totally different, so I will leave it at that. Some of the shops dealing with higher strata livestock are set on our strata for the people of races that are above level 100, but the high-level livestock cost is ridiculous,¡± she finished. ¡°Aren¡¯t people abusing this? I mean, they would waste food, but could easily level up to 100 by killing everything a farm can produce?¡± he asked, curious. ¡°And get worthless Class specializations, because they didn¡¯t train anything? Ah, well, that¡¯s a little beside the point, isn¡¯t it?¡± she admitted, tapping her cheek a few times. ¡°Buying that much from the market without the council¡¯s approval is prohibited¡­ But it¡¯s possible if it¡¯s their own farm, I suppose. Assuming they are rich enough... Paying to maintain their own farmlands is one thing, you need around a thousand level 25 animals to gain one standard level. That¡¯s a lot of wasted money.¡± Zeph choked on his tea hearing that. ¡°O-one level?! H-how long would it take normally, again?¡± ¡°Hmmm, about half a year, if one can afford a class-three ingredients or meals every day?¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Yes, around that. Ignoring the possible exchange of Soul fragments for UP.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank Gods it¡¯s not that horrific¡­¡± ¡°For most of the population it¡¯s impossible to dine like that before level 33, though,¡± she said with mirth. ¡°And you cannot really ignore the UP before that point. So, welcome to the upper-middle class, ho, ho, ho,¡± she said, faking the laughter of a lady. P¡¯pfel entered the room at that moment, grumbling loudly. ¡°Finished already?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°Not really, but there¡¯s nothing more I want to do without reagents. Here are the papers,¡± he said, giving Aisha an envelope and sitting in an armchair to relax. Somehow, he looked spent and impatient at the same time. ¡°So¡­¡± Zeph started, trying to go back on topic. ¡°All in all, you all have too much meat?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not really. Low-level hive farms use what they can to increase the number of critters, so nothing is wasted entirely. More critters mean more high-leveled livestock¡­ It is a constant balance effort between amount, numbers, levels, and space available¡­ But I¡¯m not an economist. Don¡¯t you have questions that fall more into my expertise?¡± He thought over it for a moment. It was pretty hard to remember what he wanted to ask about when prompted like that. His mental list of questions decided to hide itself in fright, it seemed. I need to take some paper and write it down at last, dammit! ¡°How come some plants can have a Soul?¡± he asked finally. ¡°They have some sort of a brain,¡± she said. ¡°Easy to discern, because they can also move. Well, in most cases.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor interjected. ¡°Otherwise, making a weapon with a Soul for Soul-bonding wouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°Those are just technicalities. After the Soul is fully formed, it can endure quite a lot before the links break off, so making a weapon from body parts is actually easy. What isn¡¯t easy, is the creation of a new link to an inert Soul. How do you do that without a brain?¡± she said dismissively. ¡°You and your barbarian ways. A true Soul-bonding weapon is made of no body parts, it¡¯s pure enchantment!¡± She glared at him. ¡°¡­P-probably pure¡­ Anyway, no body parts, I am sure of it! How do you explain that?¡± he started to get riled up. ¡°Okay, okay. Before you continue this discussion, I have more questions,¡± Zeph said loudly, raising his hands in a placating gesture. Thankfully, this was enough to get their attention. ¡°So, I understand that you need something with a Soul to Soul-bond, but are there any requirements for a Soul-link?¡± ¡°No, you need a fully formed Soul to Soul-bond, and restrictions on the number of bonds exist,¡± Aisha corrected him. ¡°As for the Soul-link, you can do that to anything that is alive but doesn¡¯t possess a Soul. So, anything living that doesn¡¯t have a brain. The entity will be strengthened by your Soul, but not to the full extent.¡± Before Zeph could ask more, P¡¯pfel interjected again. ¡°And again, you simplify. What with the golems? Do you think they are living? And yet, Soul-link is required to make them.¡± Aisha frowned. ¡°Is it a Soul-link if it doesn¡¯t require to be within the Veil, though? In the first place, how could we know without seeing one? You are just retelling rumors.¡± ¡°Ha! Then, what with the vehicles of¡­¡± Zeph surrendered. There was no stopping them now. He could stay and listen as the topic was important, but instead of polluting his mind with uncertain and incomplete knowledge, he would rather satiate his curiosity before the delivery arrives. He asked Aisha for some spare money, to which she just threw her pouch at him, too invested in the dispute to even look in his direction. As so, he left the quarreling pair behind and walked out of the inn. He was still in his disguise and Aisha was yet to show herself in the city, so it should be safe to tour a little. He visited the nearby shops to see what was available, diving into the maze of terraces. All of the buildings here had glassed windows, so the shops actually had storefronts, even if most of them also placed small booths outside. Most were of the normal kind, like flower shops, clothing stores, or small restaurants and bars. But he also found more interesting ones. The one selling enchanted items had too high prices for his modest wallet. He was interested in buying some items to try and learn a Spell version of the enchantment, but he would have to leave that for later. The items didn¡¯t do anything extravagant, anyway, so he planned to visit a bigger establishment with more advanced enchantments. Near it, he found a store with animal parts, like bones, pelts, and claws. Some of them even had Energy Enchantments still intact, but most of the merchandize was of mundane nature. Who even needs those things? he wondered while buying some himself. Maybe Alchemists? It is more of a chemistry, though¡­ Witches? Is that a thing here? Finally, he found a class-one butcher shop, a place he was most curious about. It¡¯s actually quite funny that butchers don¡¯t kill animals, he thought while entering the shop. The smell wasn¡¯t that awful, but he found it hard to breathe for a moment. It actually smelled less of blood and death, and more of animals, like in a pet store or stables. On the walls of the smallish room, rows of shelves hosted small cages. Inside were sleeping animals of a few kinds. Seeing the labels, he decided to take a closer look. And that answers one of my questions¡­ he thought, a little horrified. Rakes¡­ Rakes were everywhere. Grotesque, reeking, dirty, and thankfully sleeping. The dominant species of this shop. Rats with wings?! Are people really eating that? He looked at the counter. A small line of people holding cages full of Rakes¡­ the butcher shoving one of the small abominations into a mini-guillotine for a woman to kill. The blade didn¡¯t seem sharp, or even clean. Cold shivers ran down his spine when she released it on the creature. He understood now. Those were the potatoes of this world. Available everywhere and in every shop for cheap. He evacuated immediately, promising himself to avoid shops of class-two and below at all costs. They may not need refrigerators, but for god¡¯s sake what is with this lack of hygiene?! Or are microbes unable to survive in Mana environments at all? No, that should be impossible, the whole ecosystem would fall without them¡­ he reflected, speeding back to the inn. He had enough touring for today. The old man at the entrance informed him the wagon just arrived. Happy to leave the thoughts of the little horrors behind, he walked straight to the stables behind the building where Aisha was already waiting for him. It was time to create his first enchanting prototype.
Interface: (no changes) Chapter 35 - For Science! North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.24] Unfortunately, Zeph wasn¡¯t able to do much the previous day. P¡¯pfel was adamant about showing him in detail how a true enchanting workshop should be set up and operated. Even if it was very interesting and useful, Zeph was impatient. Only Gremling¡¯s threats stopped him from deserting the lesson. He still wanted to learn under the professor, after all. Aisha disappeared after they unloaded the delivery wagon, leaving them to their own devices. When he checked on her this morning, she was still or already absent. P¡¯pfel wanted to continue yesterday¡¯s lesson, but Zeph already remembered the basics and managed to convince him it was time for his own experimentation. Most of the work in the workshop pertained to the production of caustic chemicals, anyway. Zeph had enough experience in laboratory work to quickly adapt to the new equipment and methods. Now he just needed to practice with the new formulae. After a quick breakfast, Zeph prepared his own reagents and materials on the side in their room, while the professor mass-produced substances for future use. During their travel, he was able to train Material Enchanting on soft materials, like leather, but doing anything more demanding was a challenge. It was possible to construct a Spell within the Mana-L bubble when moving if one was quick enough or use instant cast from EE, but everything that required time was being destabilized by the moving air and ambient Mana. He also had very limited time when they were camping. As so, he had yet to receive any General Skills from the System. At least, he managed to finish preliminary experiments for his prototype. After hearing from P¡¯pfel about Material Enchanting, the idea of modifiable enchantment formed instantly in his head. He already had the necessary prerequisites in the form of Primitive Enchanting and Mana-L Enchanting, he just had to use them all together. His unique understanding of Spells¡¯ structure was the key. Zeph took out his pen, crayons, and an empty book he bought yesterday in a nearby shop and started to write in English. He was going to do this properly. Firstly, he had to describe the model he created for Spells. Tier zero Spells were structurally similar to proteins ¨C the whole construct¡¯s function was to create certain conditions in the ¡®active site¡¯, resulting in Mana reactions producing Magicules. Makani called it ¡®simulating the environment of Magicule origin¡¯ which actually fit with Zeph¡¯s interpretation, but left out important details of the process. Under a short description, he drew the slightly simplified construct of the ¡®Air bubble¡¯ cantrip, noting the similarities to the homology model of a protein by describing each discernable subpart: He also drew the Heat cantrip, detailing the ¡®active site¡¯ of the construct. A place where Mana finally formed into Magicules: Certain simplifications of the subparts¡¯ shapes decreased the efficiency of the Spell, but it would work as intended for the most part. He noted what he could remember from his early experiments on the topic. After a moment of deliberation, he added a note about the restrictions of the model. In the first place, the scales were wrong. Proteins belonged to the world of molecules whereas the Spells were macroscopic in scale. Additionally, what decided the outcome of a Spell was the Mana flow, instead of a stable physical structure. The proteins were almost mechanical in their function. Most probably, analog electrical systems would be a better parallel, but not only he didn¡¯t have the necessary knowledge to test such a thesis, he also doubted a human being could calculate anything meaningful using them as a model. It would be just ridiculous with such complexity. Maybe Tesla would be up to the challenge, Zeph wouldn¡¯t know. Tier one and two constructs were responsible for macroscopic effects, like condensing water into droplets by concentrating water molecules in the spiraling Water-Mana current, but the constructs were similar to protein super-structures. After the second hour of drawing, he was becoming irritated. He had already spent too much time on it, but he needed to be meticulous. His later procedures would depend on those introductory notes. Some of the super-structures were quite easy to make and just needed cantrip modules powering them. The Magicules these modules provided had to be moved in a shape of a simple, stationary construct. The best example was the ¡®Condense water¡¯ Spell: Some Spells could be used to shape the flow of external Magicules, like the ¡®Space lens¡¯ Spell¡¯s basic structure that could be arranged into a tube or work like propulsion/condensation cylinders: Some chained the same structure, again and again, to create an area of effect, like the ¡®Air sphere¡¯ did: Then, there were those that mixed many Magicules to achieve the desired effect in¡­ unpredictable ways. Most of the Tier 1 Spells he modified worked that way, like the Self-sustaining ¡®Lesser Life ward¡¯: Yes, it was a mess. But it worked. His methods of improving and creating Spells weren¡¯t producing¡­ pretty outcomes. Interestingly, the Matrices he unlocked didn¡¯t present him with nicer versions. Finally, there were the fucking mightily incomprehensible ones, like the ¡®Mana highlight¡¯: The fuck did I just draw? Zeph thought, looking at his final artistic masterpiece critically. Is that¡­ a cannon? An illegitimate child of a portal gun and electric cannon, maybe?... He shook his head. He had to concentrate, and it wasn¡¯t important if the drawing was readable. He started describing the process of modifying and combining Spells and their components. He left out a lot because he didn¡¯t have time, but at least a list of topics had to be created. The testing process for the subparts, cross-breeding selected structures, experimenting with the structural orientation like with conformational isomerism or protein folding mechanism, ¡®mutating¡¯ the micro-parts and repeating the process again. Finally, he noted the influence of the macroscopic shape of the construct on the results, like in his telekinetic anti-arrow shields. It sounded difficult but wasn¡¯t at all. He wasn¡¯t the first one with an idea of mixing Spell structures, he was sure of it. He just did it procedurally instead of randomly. The knowledge of optimizing algorithms and biological mechanisms that modified similar frameworks was the only difference between him and the locals - both were building from Lego blocks, he just did it methodically. His methods worked good enough, so he would revise the model only when a need arises. Anyway, Zeph was able to categorize basic shapes that made up Spell structures and find the angular restrictions of Mana flow in them. He described what he found out about it in detail. Only then, he started to write about the prototype. He started with the history and evolution of the idea. His first idea of creating physical modules enchanted classically with basic parts of Spells, to be used like building blocks for Spell structure, was noted but as a pointless endeavor. He would have to plan around flexible connections, stretchable materials, and geometrical viability. Not to mention the parts would be too small to be used by hand. His second idea of placing maximally simplified shapes in geometrically matching modules, to just have a framework of a Spell for further Primitive Enchanting, was noted and marked as a waste of money and materials. It would speed up the process tremendously, because he could easily move his Mana through the enchanted tracks and only then start pushing it into the material itself to form the full Spell structure, but the costs of materials and time of preparation would be too much. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. His third idea of flattening the three-dimensional structures as much as possible, to work with plates instead of 3D blocks, was noted and marked as already existing. P¡¯pfel informed him the almost-flat enchanting was called Engraved Enchanting, for some reason, and that a craft-table tool for assembling their diagrams from parts was widely used. Engraved enchantments were at least four times less efficient and couldn¡¯t be used for detection Spells because of the Mana noise. A note about Holographic Enchanting was also made. Though, when Gremling showed him an example it looked more like layered magic circles. It had truly horrible efficiency and adaptability. He stretched; it was high time for experiments. The last five hours he spent just writing and drawing. It would have taken much longer if his mind wasn¡¯t working three times faster than on Earth. ¡°A break?¡± the professor asked, seeing as he relaxed somewhat. Zeph looked at him and noticed the trolley. ¡°Hmmm, why not? The next part will take even longer,¡± he decided, standing up. ¡°I can¡¯t understand why you need all those notes beforehand,¡± said the Gremling before packing his mouth full. ¡°It¡¯s to¡­ Um, make sure I don¡¯t forget what were the basics of the experiments,¡± he said, eating slowly. After gulping another spoonful, he continued. ¡°It would be easy to unconsciously twist the information to my advantage after learning more. Besides, those are just important parts. I will have to write down the details later for future peruse.¡± That reminds me, I should ask about that Library Goddess. Maybe she has a shrine or something in the town¡­ ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Professor evidently wasn¡¯t convinced. They didn¡¯t speak more as the blissfully delicious meal took all their attention. Zeph decided to collect his entree immediately after. Not waiting for the Gremling to finish, he walked to the terrarium room, as he called it. Sadly, Library Goddess didn¡¯t have any presence in the town. The attendant was kind enough to explain that her libraries were placed only in major cities. She was much more active on higher strata because higher-leveled people were more liable to produce new knowledge. He was disappointed slightly, but the feeling was quickly replaced by eagerness. It was time to confirm his initial experimentation and build the prototype. He hurriedly returned to their room and stood before the prepared materials, his book to the side. He lamented the lack of protective equipment, especially gloves, but he had enough faith in Gru, his enhanced body, and the ability to regenerate to not be bothered overmuch. Experiment 1 part 1, behavior of mercury directly subjected to Mana flow, without Mana-L stabilization, he wrote quickly. He poured pure mercury into a small glass platter, enough to cover the bottom, and sprinkled it with red powder. Then, he manipulated his Mana to flow in a circle just at the surface. He could feel as most of his Mana transformed into Mana-O at the contact, but his Metal-Mana stayed mostly intact. The red powder on the surface started to move in a circular pattern, but the rotational movement of mercury was impeding his manipulation, bending it out of shape. A vortex was slowly forming on the surface. He noted the conclusions. He successfully manipulated the liquid metal thanks to the semi-compatible Metal-Mana-Z. The process was additionally hampering Mana manipulation because the atoms moved around. Constructing Spells inside fluid of this density seemed impossible, either way. Mana was transforming into Mana-O too quickly. Experiment 1 part 2, behavior of mercury directly subjected to Mana flow, with Mana-L stabilization. Next, he imbued the mercury with Mana-L. The process was much quicker than with Metal beads. When he was sure that no more Mana-L was being absorbed, he slightly tilted the platter. Mercury was now flowing sluggishly, almost like honey. He placed it straight and started to manipulate his Mana again. For Mana-L to stabilize a Spell in the air, it had to be moved in the triple-spiral pattern around Mana flow before it coalesced around it and kept the structure intact. For Mana-L to stabilize a Spell in the solids, the material had to be imbued with Mana-L after Primitive Enchanting formed temporary pathways. The Mana flow had to be sustained during that time. And now, in liquids. In the beginning, nothing happened. His Mana was flowing freely through Mana-L, avoiding the atoms almost completely. But slowly, mercury started to move along with the Mana flow. Similarly to the previous part, a vortex started forming, powered by the circle of movement. But as the flow in the circle sped up, suddenly the friction disappeared. He could feel a slight change in Mana-L around the flow, it became denser. Yes! he thought giddily. He stopped manipulating his Mana to move in a circle and waited for a moment until the red powder stopped moving. Then he just pushed Mana into the circle from one point. He could feel as it flowed through, like in an enchanted pathway, slowly speeding up mercury atoms again but only in the circle. He smiled widely, making notes. Mana-L in liquids showed mixed properties, it could coalesce around Mana flow and ¡®remember¡¯ the shape in the same way as in gasses. It also helped with moving his Mana through the liquid like in the solid matter. Experiment 1 part 3, viability of forming Spell structure inside mercury. He poured the mercury into a glass cylinder and added more. When he was sure the volume was enough to contain the Spell, he capped the cylinder, imbued the metal with Mana-L, and constructed a reversed Light Spell inside of it. It was a failure, as expected. The stream of mercury wasn¡¯t speeding up enough because of the dead ends of the construct ¨C it just flowed back into the volume of the liquid. As so, he used the modified Spell he had prepared for the occasion during the travel, patting himself on the back for thinking ahead. But it was another failure. The new pathways he prepared were too close to the overall structure in some places, causing swirls in the liquid that destabilized the shape. He frowned in displeasure. Zeph spent the next half an hour modifying the Spell, trying to redirect all dead ends back to the starting point without compromising the Spell¡¯s functionality. It was harder than he had thought. He had to cut off the Self-sustaining part to simplify the problem. In the end, the Spell wasn¡¯t even 10% as efficient, but it was enough for test purposes. He noted the requirement of adapting the Spells and the details of what he did, before trying again. After a moment the air around the cylinder started to glow. The Magicules ¡®transforming¡¯ Mana-O into light could freely travel through Mana-L from the inside of the cylinder. It was a success. He tested the durability of the construct by hanging the cylinder on a pendulum and noting how long the Spell managed to function. He made it oscillate in line, in a circle, and with different amplitudes. Next, he changed the line for a spring and tested it under vertical and spinning movements. He would be able to calculate the forces later, but it was evident he had to further stabilize the liquid. Now he theoretically had a primitive external Matrix just for his own Spells. Or rather, a way to quickly make a temporary enchantment. In other words, almost absolutely useless gadget. People didn¡¯t use such things for a reason. He wasn¡¯t deluding himself he was the first to make those tests. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Zeph secured the cylinder and cracked his knuckles. It was time for the more interesting part. Experiment 2 part 1, viability of forming artificial Mana-L. He started to prepare enchanting reagents. The first one was a sulfuric acid mixed with a black powder and some strange sap. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what he was working with, he just proceeded according to the formula, adding the unknown ingredients like an obedient apprentice. The powder didn¡¯t react with the acid, but the sap did, drastically increasing its viscosity. He poured the mix into another small platter, making sure it was filled to the marked height. Next, he took out a black, metal grate. After carefully placing three droplets of thick substance on it, he put a disk made from pelvis bone of an unknown origin on it, gluing them together. After securing the grate on the glassware, he was ready for the first step. Normally, an enchanter had to use a Spell to imbue the caustic mix with compatible Magicules, but all of Zeph¡¯s contaminations were compatible with it. Metal-Mana with the black powder, Space/life-Mana with the sap, and Will-Mana supporting them. He easily started manipulating the fluid. P¡¯pfel was complaining about his enchanting because he was using Will instead of Willpower. He couldn¡¯t cause enough pressure to efficiently ¡®drill¡¯ his way in metal, which resulted in too wide canals. Thankfully, it was not a problem with bones. Inside of the bone, he was ¡®carving¡¯ the same lattice pattern his Stabilize spell was using on his bones to produce Mana-L. The only difference was, Zeph looped it to channel the Mana in a circle around the disk. There was no exit from the loop besides the entrance slit ¨C only after the Mana was transformed into Mana-L would it be able to seep through the bone itself. Well, non-Magicule Mana-O would be seeping out regardless because of the pressure, but Mana-L would be escaping from the center only. Because it was much more viscous than a Magicule had any right to, it would drastically slow down after forming thus being less affected by the centrifugal force. It would then travel to the place with lower Mana pressure and would slowly drop out from the center of the disk. He already tested it with his Mana and Mana-L by manipulating them inside a bone and this experiment should confirm his thesis. He was creating a tool for transforming and filtering Mana, basically. The process was slow and complicated because he had to keep absolute control of the fluid inside at all times and make sure it was flowing two-directionally through the created vent, to exchange the substance at the forefront of the excavation for the fresh one. He felt exhausted when he finished but was very happy with the results. No mistakes, he thought proudly, looking closely at the disk. The bone is barely holding itself together, though¡­ Definitely not something I can do in the field. The next part was easy in comparison. He took the pre-prepared standard mercury mix to fill the holes and added a copious amount of bone powder to it. The layout for the filling procedure was similar, he just needed to relocate the grate and secure the remainder of the caustic mix. The filler would crystallize after being exposed to Mana of high density, allowing Mana almost free pass. Again, Zeph had no idea what mercury compound was created or how they even managed to produce such a thing. It was probably a reaction with a high energy threshold, but P¡¯pfel wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about the details. Chemistry wasn¡¯t developed enough in this world ¨C people here didn¡¯t even knew their periodic table. He quickly filled the ¡®mold¡¯ of the enchantment and used his Willpower to compress Mana inside while still keeping the fluid in the shape with his Will. After making sure everything was solid, he broke off the bone disk from the grate and cut off the protruding fragment of the filler. Now, the moment of truth! he thought, straightening up. ¡°Grrrruuuu!¡± it excitedly vibrated as they moved to the prepared station. A thin funnel was hanging above a glass flask, beside it a laboratory timer was lying. It was actually an enchanted item ¨C he never saw anyone using clocks, so he suspected it was a quite rare gadget. He poured a measured amount of mercury into the funnel, noting how long it took the liquid to go through. He did that a second time, after imbuing the mercury with his Mana-L. He also noted an estimated amount of Mana he spent on imbuement. Then, he poured the same measure of mercury onto another platter and covered it with a metal plate with a hole in the center, which he covered with the bone disk. The hole had one-tenth of the diameter of the disk, enough for Mana-L to seep through. He took a deep breath and started to fuel the disk with his Mana, making sure to leave a part of the slit unoccupied for the Mana to decompress. He even used his manipulation to hasten the circulation. After a minute, he noted the Mana used, removed the plate with the bone disk on it, and quickly poured the mercury into the funnel, starting the timer. He watched closely as the liquid slowly flowed down into the flask, his expectation raising by the second. After the last drop of mercury hit the silver surface, he checked the time. He wasn¡¯t able to keep himself from shouting in ecstasy. ¡°It¡¯s alive!!! Fuck yea!¡± ¡°Grrraaaaa!!!¡± Gru echoed. ¡°Shut up!¡± Gremling shrieked. Chapter 36 - Today, the laboratory. Tomorrow, the world! North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.24] Zeph ended up apologizing to the Gremling for two minutes straight. His sudden shout almost made him spill a flask of acid on himself. When the professor finally cooled down, Zeph seized the opportunity and started explaining what safety measures were provided in laboratories on Earth. The current state of their temporary workshop made him uncomfortable in many ways. That eradicated all of the bad air between them. People here depended more on Spells and their enhanced bodies than on tools, so the topic was quite interesting for the professor. Especially the acid-neutralizing agents, although not for reasons concerning safety. ¡°I don¡¯t think most of those precautions are necessary,¡± thoughtfully summarized the professor. ¡°People rarely practice alchemy without recommended PE. Even the oil of vitriol can¡¯t do much damage to them and the discoloration regenerates in but a few days. But the idea of wide, flat glasses is intriguing, eyes are the weak point,¡± he said, correcting his own pair. ¡°What with sticky substances? I am sure gloves would go a long way in preventing unpleasantness.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I would have to think about it a little more. But if I manage to build my own workshop in Lurona City, I will prepare the whole set for you as a test, either way. You don¡¯t have enough PE to be safe, even if you can regenerate fully,¡± P¡¯pfel said, reminding him why, in the first place, he agreed to Zeph¡¯s experiments with sulfuric acid and other more dangerous substances. The most basic OHS rule here was to not get close to things that can hurt you, after all. Zeph shrugged. ¡°If it will be necessary, I would try to set up my own workshop. But thank you for the invitation.¡± ¡°Ha! He says it like he could afford it. I am sure we will see each other in my workshop often, boy. Now, let¡¯s go back to work.¡± With that, they returned to their stations. ¡°It¡¯s time to test the properties¡­¡± Zeph started saying but finally noticed how well-behaved Gru was the whole time. It was somehow worrisome. ¡°Hey, Gru. You didn¡¯t ask for any mercury in quite some time. Is everything all right?¡± ¡°Grraaauum,¡± it lazily vibrated. ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t absorb? Where are the remnants?¡± he asked, slightly concerned. ¡°Grraaaruu,¡± it mentally shrugged. ¡°Rolling about¡­¡± Zeph repeated weakly as he put his palm on his face. ¡°Tell me you are speaking about your body, not mine¡­¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated in indignation. Gru knew mercury was toxic. He sighed in relief. After a moment, he checked the Interface. ¡°So, after the initial 3%, nothing happened?¡± ¡°Grararu,¡± it explained wisely. ¡°If you say so¡­ It¡¯s not like we can test your mental capabilities. So, any plans for what to do with it?¡± he asked, knowing full well that Gru¡¯s experiments with internal enchanting failed. The alloy from his armor wasn¡¯t playing nice with pure mercury, so neither Gru¡¯s body nor Source Net could be permanently enchanted. ¡°Grarrrru, grum?¡± his chest vibrated in indecision. ¡°Can¡¯t you just spit it out?¡± ¡°Gre,¡± it negated. ¡°Well, I am not eating that. If you want some, you have to take it in yourself. But before you start sucking anything, test if your body can contain it. And test the reaction outside of my body,¡± he advised and walked to the crate with reagents. He took out a bottle of a blueish, almost black, tar-like substance. It was a main reagent used for the creation of standard mercury filler. Gru hoped to test the reactions and resulting substances inside his body. Which¡­ wasn¡¯t an optimal solution for Zeph. But Gru had to get rid of the remnants of mercury in some way. Otherwise, a physical wound could easily release it into Zeph¡¯s body. He took off his shirt and opened the bottle. Gru would have to keep his tendril away from his body for some time and the only place it could do that without hampering his work was from his back. He put the bottle behind himself, touching the skin, and after a moment, could feel as his skin parted. Half a minute later, a vibration reverberated through his chest. ¡°Gra!¡± He secured and placed the bottle back, taking out four more substances necessary for filler creation and carrying them to the station. Okay, time to test how well it worked out, he thought. Experiment 2 part 2, artificial Mana-L v.1 behavior ¨C saturation. He poured the mercury back onto a platter and set the bone disk in the same way as previously. After every 30 seconds of powering the disk, he checked the viscosity of the fluid by pouring it into the funnel and noting the time. After the eleventh repeat, the time stopped increasing. He would have to do an overall test to get the exact times for saturation, but he decided to leave it for the optimization process. The viscosity of mercury saturated with AML v.1 was around four times higher than the one saturated with his Mana-L, which was good news. The chance was, he wouldn¡¯t have to additionally stabilize the liquid. The difference was what he expected ¨C after all, he used just the bone matter to create AML. Then, he prepared two additional batches of mercury and saturated them with Mana, one with AML and the other with ML. He wanted to compare the Mana-L dissipation times between the two, so he powered the timer constantly to check on the two samples every five minutes. Experiment 2 part 3, artificial Mana-L v.1 behavior ¨C conductance and dependency on Mana source. He saturated his first batch with AML again and sprinkled it with the red powder. His Mana-L conducted only his Mana, while blocking the ambient Mana and opposing the movements of gases. Would the AML be different? Firstly, he tried to form the same circle of moving Mana near the surface. He observed with glee as a vortex started to slowly form on the surface of the liquid. He still lost connection to around 60% of his Mana on contact, but it was a far cry from what happened with pure mercury. AML was able to channel his Mana. A resounding success! But after a minute he noticed a problem. He wasn¡¯t able to speed up the flow enough to induce a change in the AML ¨C the liquid was too viscous. It seemed that too much stabilization for the liquid was bad for his purposes. He stopped the manipulation and formed a small vortex of AMC above it. At its best speed-to-volume ratio in stable Mana density, Ambient Mana Channeling efficiency sat around 50%. It was enough for him to actually feel the change in ambient Mana density in the vortex. He slowly lowered the AMC vortex into the mercury. After the initial chaos of stabilizing pressures of different Mana types, he could feel as relative ambient Mana density inside the vortex rose almost 6 times. The speed of the vortex slowed drastically, but it seemed like ambient Mana was being channeled through AML v.1 without problems. Silently cackling, he wrote the results. Everything was coming together. All according to plan! he cheered internally. Sadly, the next part of the experiment had to be postponed. Zeph had to be able to force the AML to remember Spell structure before continuing. As so, he started the first part of the optimization process. Optimization 1 part 1, comparison of different bases of the filler. Firstly, he prepared two new bone disks for enchanting. This time, he didn¡¯t create a full lattice shape while making the canals inside. He spread his Mana-L through the bone and tried to feel for places that could funnel the Mana into the nearest enchanted pathways by themselves. Most of them were weak or empty spaces in the bone structure, allowing an easier pass for Mana. Thanks to that, he increased the amount of Mana that would interact with the bone directly. Secondly, instead of using the standard mercury filler with bone powder, he mixed mercury with fresh blood. It was easily accessible in the kitchen, he just had to ask. Even partially coagulated mix was flowy enough to use as a filler, so he was done in no time at all. What took a lot of time, was waiting for the blood to clot entirely. Especially because he had to keep adding more fluid to fill the gaps. He asked P¡¯pfel to help him a little, and managed to fill the second disk with the mix of organomercury and blood. Meanwhile, he was checking the dissipation rate of Mana-L in two other batches. Keeping up the flow in the two bone disks wasn¡¯t that much of a challenge, but required time. He could, theoretically, just leave the two submerged in the blood for the night, but he wanted to be sure the shapes were correct. Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea? The thought hit him. I have no reason to hope the natural shape of the bone would increase the effectiveness¡­ But it doesn¡¯t need much work, anyway. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Optimization part 1.1, natural bone pattern included in the production procedure. As so, he hollowed out two new disks, making the modified lattice patterns inside of them. It was good training for multitasking, too, to keep manipulating so many different materials with his Mana flow at the same time. The timer was powered by his Willpower, two streams of fluid were flowing along an intricate pattern inside the bones while he concentrated on making the new pattern in a bone. When he finished, it was late at night, and he was totally spent¡­ =============================== Zeph opened his eyes slowly. He couldn¡¯t remember how he got to the bed but was sure he didn¡¯t drink anything last night. A strange, almost alien emotion buzzed inside of him. It was a feeling of anticipation and of impatience, urging him to wake up and get back to... work? A gentle impression of familiarity overwhelmed him, almost like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. His mind scrambled to find the connections necessary to understand this sensation. It was years ago when he last felt like this. When his studies, his laboratory work were still unmarred by the harsh reality¡­ He was often waking up feeling the same anticipation, the same merry emotion at the thought of doing something new¡­ Something relevant. Good old times did come back, he thought with a small smile while looking at the window. ¡°Morning, Gru. Hmmm, it seems we have overslept a little.¡± ¡°Gre!¡± his chest vibrated in displeasure. ¡°Heh, yes, I guess it¡¯s just me. Sorry for forgetting about the reagents yesterday,¡± he said, vigorously sitting up. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare for work!¡± After a quick, late breakfast, he presented Gru the second reagent and immediately moved to his station. The blood clotted around the two bone disks submerged in them. He used a small hammer to release them from the encasement and got rid of the remains with a rough cloth. Let¡¯s start, then, he thought with excitement. He prepared four batches of mercury and placed the disks. He could easily power four of them all at once. He was doing the standard funnel test every 30 seconds and after all of them were saturated, he did the manipulation tests. All of the samples remembered the circle of Mana flow. Sample number two, created by the disk with blood and organomercury mix in a standard lattice pattern, was the fastest to saturate. Sample number three, from the disk with blood and mercury mix that was submerged, was the fastest to remember the shape. He named them version 2 AML and version 3 AML respectively. That reminds me, I forgot to write down the results of the ¡®empty test¡¯¡­ I got rusty it seems, he thought, quickly writing everything down. He already made such experiments with water as a medium during the travel. Mana-L inside of it was purged the moment he slightly moved the sample ¨C changing into Water-Mana, or rather Water Magicules, most probably. The most important property of mercury was that after a Magicule was accommodated between its atoms, mercury didn¡¯t interact with them much anymore, adopting their properties instead. Another important detail was that mercury didn¡¯t change Mana into Mercury-Mana, everything that got into contact with atoms was dissipating into pure Mana. Experiment 2 part 4, artificial Mana-L v.2 behavior ¨C viability of forming Spell structure. He prepared another cylinder and filled it with version 2. The speed of saturation was more important than the speed of enchanting so version 3 was left out. Then he walked up to P¡¯pfel. He waited a moment to let him finish the batch and spoke right after that. ¡°Hey, can you help me a little?¡± The Gremling looked at him over his shoulder. ¡°Sure can, but explain to me finally what are you trying to do,¡± he said, slightly irritated. ¡°It¡¯s the same idea, for now at least. The modifiable enchantment,¡± Zeph said, omitting the next part he had yet to plan out. ¡°Ummm, do you have access to the Fog Spell?¡± he asked instead. It was the only cantrip with a closed circuit of Mana flow he knew of. ¡°Yes, give me a second,¡± the professor said, changing his Matrices. ¡°Done, what now?¡± Zeph showed him the glass cylinder with mercury. ¡°Try constructing the Spell inside. Set the entry at the surface and move your Mana until you feel that the resistance disappeared.¡± He did just that, and after a moment a fog started to condense in the air around the cylinder. ¡°Yes, like that. Now we need to wait for a minute.¡± Gremling¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain much?¡± ¡°You just enchanted it,¡± Zeph said, smiling widely. ¡°When the fluid stops moving, just push some Mana at the entrance point.¡± Now with both eyebrows raised, the professor started to scrutinize the silvery liquid closely. ¡°Just like that? But¡­ Isn¡¯t that just pure Hydrargyrum?¡± ¡°Not so much, it¡¯s imbued with a neutral¡­ Stabilize Spell, basically,¡± he said, trying to explain it in the terms he would understand. ¡°Neutral?! How¡­ no, I can see what you have done,¡± he said, looking at the bone disks laying nearby. ¡°That was quite ingenious but surprisingly simple idea. I am surprised I never heard of someone testing it¡­ Ah! Probably because you won¡¯t be able to change the Spells that fast. Purging life energy from mercury is not easy,¡± he said, testing the fluid enchantment. It worked as intended, producing vapor around the glass. ¡°Most Spells also have to be modified¡­ But don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s the next part of my experiment. Thanks for the help,¡± Zeph said, writing down the conclusions. After being dismissed that way, the professor just shrugged and returned to his own work. Zeph did the durability tests and excitedly started the next experiment. Experiment 3 part 1, purging Mana-L or its memory. For this part, Zeph added a new cantrip to his Matrices - Electrify. As much as it sounded like a good basis for the creation of an offensive Spell, it was too costly for him for a long time. At 63 Mana and 10 Mana upkeep for a simple cantrip, he feared how bad the cost of a Tier 1 Spell would be. His idea was to disrupt the balance between the atoms and Magicules in the liquid, thus provoking the Mana-L dissipating process. Adding some electrons should work as it would change the shape of the electron cloud of atoms temporarily. He would rather use a magnetic field, as it had higher chances to work out, but the whole prototype would be in jeopardy if any ferromagnetic was nearby. He could also heat it up significantly, but he planned to enclose the mercury, so the risk of explosion was real. He took one of the most durable fillers from their collection. It was used in weapon enchanting and was actually more durable and flexible than most alloys accessible on the market, to not compromise the weapon¡¯s integrity and to be difficult to break. He knew it was a waste, but the testing had to be done beforehand. After pouring a small amount on a big platter, he manipulated it to take a shape of a long and thin bar, then hardened it with his Mana. He checked once more if the liquid enchantment was still working, then he opened the cylinder, touched the surface with the bar, and started using Electrify. The Spell construct emerged and shocked him. Not literally, thankfully. Instead of directly producing Magicules, it produced microstructures that flowed around to interact with matter in a small radius. No wonder the Spell was so Mana-intense, but Zeph quickly concentrated back on the problem at hand. The mercury was stirring slightly. He kept the Spell up for ten seconds before checking if the liquid enchantment was still working. He repeated that almost 20 times before the results showed up. The enchantment finally failed to power up, and he smiled widely. The process was slow, but he only used basic cantrip. He knew how to construct a simple battery; the possibilities were vast. Prototype, here I come! he laughed internally. The next hour passed in a blink of an eye. Firstly, he enchanted a thin bone with the Self-sustaining part of his Spells and attached it to the slit in the bone disk AML v.2 using the filler. He made sure the slit could still be powered manually if needed, as the Self-sustaining structure didn¡¯t produce much power. It would be enough to keep the mercury saturated with AML without input from the user, though. Secondly, he enchanted another bone disk with five Electrify Spells. That should speed up the erasing process. Thirdly, he created six rectangular plates from the same filler, around eight centimeters high and wide. Before initiating the hardening, he nestled bone disks in two of them ¨C one with Electrify enchantments and one producing AML v.2. Then, he ¡®welded¡¯ the plates together to form an open cube, using more filler as the binder. He even doused the insides of the edges with more of it to make sure the ¡®weld¡¯ would hold. The two bone disks were set on opposite walls. Finally, he poured pure mercury inside and sealed the cube with the last plate, making sure the crystalline structure was hermetic by heating the contents a little to see if the mercury seeped from any of the seams. He was now holding a black cube with two white-ish disks at each side. The prototype was quite limited ¨C he could only use modified Spells on it, and the ones that were sending Magicules outside of the construct to function, like detection ones. For example, ¡®Condense water¡¯ wouldn¡¯t work at all. Yet. Nevertheless, he smiled almost maniacally while looking at it. His prototype was finally finished. The System noticed it as well.
Congratulation! You have created [Low Mana density Liquid Spell Medium] a [Tier 2] [Enchanting Tool]! Corresponding [Upgrades] and [Items] have been unlocked in the [Exchange]! You have earned [Soul fragments]! [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 31! (+1) You have reached the diverging capacity for the Spell [Primitive Enchanting]! Diverging process started automatically! You have gained [Tier 1] [Spell framework] [Material Enchanting]! You have gained [Tier 2] [Spell framework] [Lesser Shamanic Enchanting]! You have gained [Tier 2] [Spell framework] [Life Energy shaping]! You have earned [Mixed Enchanting Arts] [Tier 2] [General Skill]! You have earned [Life Energy] [Tier 1] [General Skill]! You have diverged [Earth¡¯s methodology] [Tier 1] [General Skill] from [Memories of the Earth]! [Mastered Matrix Spells] list not empty! You have 1 [Spells] awaiting a decision! Reminder: you can choose to transform it into an [Energy Enhancement] or a [Passive Class Skill].
And as his chest vibrated in excitement, he knew he wasn¡¯t the only one to finish with the experiments. Now, if he managed to crack the enigma of how his EE copied the Spell structures to the outside of his body, his first true invention would be complete. The universal external Spell Matrix. Today, the laboratory. Tomorrow, the world!
Interface: Chapter 37 - The pandora box will open soon! Be sure to see it! North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.24] While Zeph and P¡¯pfel were playing with their toys, Aisha was busy gathering information from around the city. Of course, she couldn¡¯t show herself just yet. Kwan agreed to play the role of intermediary ¨C that way she could hear the news firsthand. The cooperation was good for both of them, so no trade was necessary. Yesterday, they sent a number of messengers to acquainted individuals. Now, they sat in Kwan¡¯s office reading the reports and replies. The situation wasn¡¯t looking good. At all. ¡°We are lucky your friend noticed something was wrong,¡± Kwan said. ¡°Without scrutinizing the current political scene to this extent¡­ We would be the first ones to be taken down.¡± ¡°Leave it to him, to be most useful in the most unexpected moments,¡± Aisha commented neutrally. She planned to have some alone time after arriving in the town. Instead, she was overworking herself. Again. ¡°I am sometimes wondering if he is worth the headaches¡­¡± Kwan smiled mischievously. ¡°Should you speak like that about your mentee? He isn¡¯t even connected to our current problems,¡± she teased while indicating the reports. Aisha was silent for a moment, looking at the ceiling with an empty gaze. ¡°He has a 10% Soul fragmentation, Kwan,¡± she finally said with a sigh. She could hear Kwan suck the air through her teeth. ¡°How? He had the chance to repair himself, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°System Onji probably suggested rewards for finding his own way. You know how they operate. Also, he actually decreased it by a significant amount before taking a Class,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I initially thought it would be alright. He had no symptoms¡­¡± she looked at Kwan thoughtfully. Then, she sighed again. ¡°For one reason or another. But the more upgrades he receives¡­¡± Kwan nodded in understanding. Healing a Soul wound after it buried itself under new constructs was no easy task. And the situation could only get worse. Even if she didn¡¯t know what upgrades Zora had in mind, she understood they influenced his Soul and mentality. ¡°I am surprised he is even stable with something like that¡­¡± she started but didn¡¯t finish. It was bad business to force the information out of her partner in such a way. ¡°Is he, now?¡± Aisha commented idly, thinking about their encounter with the morphing Netherling. For all reasons and purposes, Zeph¡¯s mind should have been broken back then. The fact that he kept his marbles was¡­ unsettling, in a way. She wasn¡¯t sure if repairing his Soul was even possible now. His current mental problems weren¡¯t inducted by Intuition at all, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to explain to him that he was slowly succumbing to madness. Especially because she wasn¡¯t sure if he really was¡­ ¡°Enough of this!¡± she exclaimed, slapping her knees and straightening in her fluffy chair. Kwan didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the loud sound. She knew her friend long enough to know what she had in mind right now. It was better to concentrate on the problems at hand. ¡°Have you decided? I don¡¯t think we need more information to make a decision. At this point, it¡¯s guaranteed the shift in power will take place. For the worse.¡± Kwan closed her eyes, hiding half of her face under a fan. It was a gesture meant to inform others to not disrupt her. Their culture was exotic for the locals, but Aisha was well acquainted with it. A few minutes passed in silence before she opened her eyes again and spoke. ¡°We cannot relocate with our current financial situation. If you want full support, we will require the knowledge on, at least, a medium Tier 1 Exchange item or the equivalent.¡± Aisha clicked her tongue in irritation. Getting a new Exchange entry for her was a steep price. At least she knew Zeph could produce one, so it wouldn¡¯t burden her directly. The problem was, Kwan also knew that. ¡°I can only agree to a partnership contract,¡± she stated, challenging the Hannyajin. Kwan frowned and stayed silent for a moment. ¡°Acceptable. Equal share then, but only including profit - no limits at usability nor license payments.¡± ¡°You have a deal,¡± she nodded. ¡°I will bring Zeph in the evening. Are you prepared for eventual retaliation?¡± ¡°Who do you think we are?¡± Kwan asked with a predatory smile on her face. ¡°We just need to make arrangements beforehand to minimize our losses. Speaking of which, you should ask your friend from the production district if he would like to accompany us.¡± ¡°I was thinking about propagating the news somehow ¨C not only him, but also others would try to contact one of us if they require assistance. And I need those papers in as many reliable hands in this town as possible,¡± she explained, waving P¡¯pfel¡¯s documents, ¡°so Oric and his henchmen won¡¯t be able to erase them from circulation.¡± Kwan hummed as she thought about the idea. ¡°Does it unlock anything?¡± Aisha nodded. ¡°Tier 0 medicinal substance, but a specialized one, sadly.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s worth something, at least. It should give more credibility to the information packet. And Oric¡¯s opponents would have another leverage against him,¡± she concluded, nodding in approval. Then, she smiled charmingly, clasping her hands. ¡°Thank you for offering your help with setting up a new information network. It will ease the relocation efforts, too!¡± Aisha just sighed at the audacity. But it was her own idea and information traders in the town would warn anyone that paid enough. More work¡­ What a headache! =============================== It was early night when Zeph finished his last optimization tests. He found the best organomercury-to-blood ratio and proved that the source of body parts and fluids was irrelevant in the Mana-L creation process. Until he managed to find a way for people to copy the enchanted Spell outside of the cube, he had to suspend further experimentation. Nonetheless, his old passion for research flared up with renewed vigor. He had wasted some of the materials by making his prototype but to advance his Spell he would have to repeat known crafting processes anyway, so he didn¡¯t feel as if he lost much by doing it without checking current knowledge on the topic. On another note, he finally understood why his Primitive Enchanting was categorized as a Spell while it didn¡¯t provide him a Matrix to use, just helping with constructing the Spells inside solid objects. It was just categorized after more advanced versions ¨C each of the new Enchanting Spells provided him with a Spell framework to work with. The knowledge of how to use them was included in his General Skill. As Zeph was finishing cleaning after his crafting session, Aisha entered the room. It was night already, and she looked tired like never before. ¡°Oh, have you finished playing around?¡± she asked sarcastically. ¡°Yep,¡± he answered happily. ¡°The diverging process reached its capacity, now I have all the tools I need for the next part¡­ Well, almost all,¡± he said sheepishly but with pride. She deflated somehow hearing it. ¡°Greeeu?¡± asked Gru. ¡°Yes, thank you, I¡¯m fine,¡± she answered his abdomen then looked into his eyes, straightening up. ¡°Come with me.¡± He shrugged and followed. They walked downstairs and through the kitchens, which was another marvel as most of the furniture was made from polished marble. Soon, they arrived at the back of the building. The security here was on another level as at every corner he could see a guardian. Instead of waiter clothes, they wore an elegant black and red leather armor. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. No one stopped them as Aisha guided him through the corridors and down a spiraling staircase. They entered the first doors, almost two stories down. The opulent d¨¦cor was absent down here. Walls were made from solid rock. Only a few potted plants and benches were present. Yellow lights set on the walls somehow gave it the atmosphere of a modern waiting room. They entered a room at the end of the corridor. It was quite spacious. On the right, a small bar was set. Shelves with documents decorated the left side, creating a cozy environment for the big, low table set between pillow chairs nearby. The right part of the back wall was decorated with purple plants and a folding screen depicting two armies clashing with each other. Kwan was sitting behind the table, a fan in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. She was wearing loose, red-and-black robes with intricate patterns sewn in silver thread. Her gaze landed on them as they entered and she nodded slightly before going back to reading. Aisha guided him to the bar, where an older gentleman was waiting. ¡°Do you need refreshments?¡± he asked in a gruff voice. ¡°No, thanks Tuen. The dinner will be here soon, either way,¡± she said, sitting on the stool. ¡°As you wish. Call me if you need anything,¡± he said, touching an orb on the counter and walking to the side, where a soft armchair and a book were waiting for him. A few seconds later, Zeph could feel a Spell manifest around them. The fact that he could detect it spoke volumes about its potency. ¡°So,¡± Aisha started, ¡°I was negotiating a faster and safer way of reaching Lurona City. Taking into account the current political struggle, in which Landlord Oric takes a big part, it would be best for all parties included if those negotiations succeeded.¡± That was an unexpected turn of events. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°To summarize it, a certain faction has been working for a long time to take over the town¡¯s military force. Our friend, the Landlord, is in the middle of it all. But P¡¯pfel¡¯s testimony could easily put him in a very¡­ unpleasant position. He is at risk of being excluded from that faction. As a result, he sped up the process to keep himself afloat and to find the Gremling¡­ We are not sure what plans they have, but because even some people from churches are working with them, it¡¯s safe to assume we are unable to leave the town undetected. The scale of the events is just too big.¡± ¡°And when they find out who I am¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we wouldn¡¯t have just him pursuing us. And I cannot ignore what is happening in Barringstone, so leaving P¡¯pfel behind is also out of the question,¡± she said and started to murmur. ¡°Not to mention the waste¡­¡± She kept blabbering to herself silently about an investment, but he couldn¡¯t understand what she had in mind and just ignored it. Aisha had to be really tired to let her thoughts leak out like that. ¡°So, what do you need from me?¡± he asked, waking her up from the self-inducted daze. She shook her head and started massaging her temples. ¡°Right. Kwan wants a medium Tier 1 Exchange item. I believe you have enough irrelevant ones to share some.¡± His eyebrows raised. ¡°And how do I share something like that? And what does Tier 1 mean? The shop didn¡¯t have Tiers¡­¡± She looked at him with incredulity written on her face, but quickly reminded herself why he was asking. She sighed deeply. ¡°And here I thought we taught you the basics properly¡­ You need to compile a paper to describe how to make at least a prototype, they can unlock it that way. You can also teach someone. Tier is just our way of specifying the potential ¨C Tier 1 means it¡¯s Mana-active, medium means it¡¯s not a specialized item.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Mana-active? Like in ¡®can interact with Mana¡¯?¡± ¡°Precisely. The medicament you showed P¡¯pfel is lower Tier 0 because it¡¯s specialized to work only on a rare disorder and works physically. Well, we never confirmed it at the Exchange, but I can believe his assessment.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember what was in the shop, you know?¡± She paused at that. She totally forgot he only saw it once, months ago. ¡°Umm, just give her something useful?¡± she proposed, making a whatever-works awkward smile. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or something in your possession? Like a zipper?¡± she tried again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know! Show her some materials you have on yourself and know how to make?¡± she tried again with hope. That¡­ could actually work, he thought with slight disgust at her ignorance. ¡°Fine, but you are responsible for covering information about me. Or does she know already where I am from?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, no. You are safe, for now. I am sure she has her own guesses, but I made it clear it¡¯s not information for sale.¡± He nodded. His secret was being exposed more and more, it seemed. The worst part was, he couldn¡¯t do much about it. People were a curious bunch, sometimes morbidly. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡± ¡°We will stay low for the next two or three days, as the information about this political struggle spreads out. I will make an appearance then, to make sure my acquaintances in churches understand the gravity of the situation. We will leave the city after that, but there is a small possibility we will be targeted.¡± His eyebrow rose. ¡°What happened to that peaceful society of yours?¡± She frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t sass me. I am sure you understand how people in power react when their position is at risk. We wouldn¡¯t be in this position if not for you - I would have never found that hidden doors!¡± ¡°Oh, are you blaming me? Or are you complimenting me?¡± he asked with a half-smile. ¡°Both. You¡¯re a headache and blessing in one, mixed unevenly. Any more questions? Or can we finally get to the negotiations?¡± she asked, crossing her arms. ¡°Give me a moment to look through my things first¡­¡± She gestured for the gentleman to enter the bubble of Mana around them, and he immediately obliged. ¡°Yes, signora?¡± ¡°Can you bring his black backpack? Do not examine it.¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± he answered, moving to the doors with elegance. Zeph was slightly jealous of the butler. His presence and mannerism were almost hypnotizing. A minute later, he was guided into a separate room to have some privacy. Aisha sat with Kwan, waiting for him. Firstly, he took out his broken pistol. No one should be able to recreate it, especially without an example of a bullet. He searched the parts, trying to remember how to make them. Most, of course, was just high-grade steel, but parts of the grip were made from other materials. He actually recalled how to make this foam-like material, but the process was entirely too complicated for the technological level of this world. He tried to push some Mana into it, but it didn¡¯t do anything. Mana-L was the same. He shrugged. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he counted his bullets. 15 normal, one magazine of incendiary, and one full of the hollow-point bullets. 55 total¡­ It really became my emergency weapon. He started looking through the rest of his possessions one by one. His crossbow didn¡¯t want to channel Mana at all. The idea of steel rope entered his mind, he could make it conductive by using some mercury in the alloy. Probably. He shook his head. Too many unknowns, and someone probably already did something like that. He checked his hatchet/hammer, knives, waterproof fabric, almost empty Prana batteries¡­ Nothing reacted to Mana, and he had no idea how to make them a Tier 1. Diodes from his flashlight wouldn¡¯t count as a Tier 1, he was sure. And there was no electricity in this world. The plastic it was made from, though¡­ The Mana-L flowed through it with only minor resistance. Bingo! he thought happily. It was made from a cheap PET polymer. He could easily produce it from DMT extracted from plants and ethylene glycol. Happy with this finding, he repacked the items, leaving only the flashlight, and walked back to the main room. At the entrance, he was met with a gaze full of hope, and a gaze full of scrutiny. He didn¡¯t like either of them. The Spell surrounding the table was palpable for his senses. The hole he made by moving through it was slowly closing behind him. After placing his backpack on the floor, he sat on the soft pillow and relaxed. The flashlight was in his hand. Both women were silent, so he started the discussion. It was an opportunity. ¡°What are the terms?¡± ¡°Half of the profits from trade. No restriction for usability for our faction and no license,¡± Kwan answered immediately. He frowned. It wasn¡¯t the worst, but half of the profits was quite high. ¡°If you want to keep the percentage of the profit the same, you need to fulfill additional conditions,¡± he said with a neutral face. His poker face wasn¡¯t the best, but he was used to negotiations. Kwan looked at Aisha, who just shrugged. It seemed he was adding to the already existing agreement, but he was holding all the cards. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t use that fact. The Hannyajin looked back at him, narrowing her eyes and hiding her mouth behind the fan. ¡°It all depends on what you have in mind. We already agreed to the partnership, so don¡¯t cross that line.¡± Like I even know what that means, he exclaimed internally, suppressing the urge to massage his temples. ¡°You already set additional conditions, it¡¯s just to balance things. First, you will guarantee that I and P¡¯pfel have a place to sleep and live in. For free, standard meals included. Second, you will guarantee both of us have space to set up our workshops. In exchange, you can sell less important inventions within the partnership contract. That itself should be more than enough to pay for both, but I also want you to keep us anonymous. And I mean actively. Third, every three months you will try to sell one of my chosen gadgets. Even if the venture doesn¡¯t seem profitable. And it will not be included in the partnership contract ¨C you will get either 5% of profits if you want to just sell things, or 10% if you take it on yourself to produce the required number of them. I will have all rights to them, but obviously, you will have access to the System version. Aisha will be the inheritor in case I die.¡± His long explanation was met with surprised looks. It seemed people here weren¡¯t operating like that normally. Good thing he didn¡¯t mention money management. Either banks existed here, or he would create one himself ¨C it would be too much of an opportunity not to try it. Even if it would cost him a lot of time. Kwan hid her face with a fan, deep in thought. Aisha gave him a disappointed look, but he ignored her. Who would just agree to a pre-prepared agreement just like that? Finally, their host spoke. ¡°It¡¯s acceptable. Although, some details had to be hammered down before we write the contract. But before that, you need to show me if we can even start negotiating.¡± He nodded and handed her the flashlight. ¡°Try to use a Stabilizing Spell¡¯s Mana on it. Also, your first commission for gadgets would be to recreate the power source and light source of the item. I know those are two different things, but it¡¯s impossible to have one without the other and the power source can be used for future items. Besides, the material is more valuable than it should.¡± As she followed his instructions, her eyes widened. She checked the weight and roughly the durability. She was in seventh heaven. ¡°Now, that is something worth my attention,¡± she said, smiling. The LED light will dominate this realm in no time, he thought giddily. Electro mages, or whatever you are called here, prepare for the industrial revolution!
Interface: (without change) Chapter 38 - Im going for a walk and the butterfly effect. North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.25] Yesterday¡¯s negotiations lasted long into the night. To the point he should rather say ¡®today¡¯s negotiations¡¯. Zeph used all his knowledge of how contracts were written on Earth to raise his chances of getting what he wanted while making sure he couldn¡¯t be cut off from it easily. It was a surprisingly easy job, really. Personal contracts were quite simple here, the contractors could always duel if someone crossed the line. Normally it would put the craftsmen in a losing position, if they weren¡¯t the main source of the Exchange items, that is. Many other factions would like to cover for an accomplished craftsman. Playing dirty with them was like asking for trouble and financial problems. Aisha made sure he understood that before he was allowed to sleep. Today, though, was another exciting day. Mostly because he would be able to finally get Regeneration EE, but also because Gru finally had a breakthrough in internal enchanting. He could expect some changes to show up soon. He started the day with a shave and a good breakfast. There was no need to rush as all of his plans for visiting a city, town in this case, were completed. Now, he just had to complete the papers and concentrate on his Skills. It was the highest time he started to read some of them, especially the AMC. After relaxing for a minute in an armchair and looking out the window, he decided it was time to visit his Interface. The two points from the last level up were invested into the Regeneration. It¡¯s rounded to 50? Interesting, with my 20% bonus, it should be 50.4 if I did the math correctly¡­ I know the Mana units aren¡¯t quantified to integers, but the PE are? Hmmm¡­
Congratulations! [Regeneration] [Passive Enhancement] milestones achieved! You can choose one of two [Energy Enhancements]!
He was surprised. No other PE besides Willpower gave him a choice at the milestone, and from what he knew ¨C they shouldn¡¯t. Well, Flexibility was way behind, but he wasn¡¯t expecting anything strange from it. The two choices were quite intriguing, too.
[Homeostasis defense] and [Blood flow] [Energy Enhancements] are available. Choose one.
Is it my imagination, or is the System still moody? Eh, whatever. Let¡¯s see what it¡¯s about¡­ He spent the next hour reading from the notification. The ¡®Blood flow¡¯ was just as he imagined. It sped up clotting, preventing blood loss as long as he didn¡¯t lose a whole limb or something. Also, it kept the blood flowing even when the heart stopped beating. The second property was flawed, though. The moment the heart stopped, a negative feedback loop would take place, slowing down and finally stopping Mana generation. He wasn¡¯t sure why such EE was the default for locals. Healing options were non-existent in this place, so it wouldn¡¯t prevent death in most cases. If he had to guess, it had something to do with Will and Soul wounds. Keeping the Soul links stable for a moment longer would be enough to finish interacting with the Soul before dying, most probably. The second option was granted because he had a modified metabolism. Gru to the rescue, as always, he thought, smiling slightly. It was basically a tool preventing overreactions of his body. Inflammation, enzyme imbalance, allergy, or even a cytokine storm? Nope, it won¡¯t happen in this body, at least if it wasn¡¯t necessary. The EE had a minor synergy with his Gru-provided toxin resistance, too. He wondered if alcohol would become useless at some point. That would be sad times. In the end, it was the better option. The ¡®Blood flow¡¯ wouldn¡¯t help him until he finds his way around healing restrictions. Satisfied with the choice, he concentrated on his mastered ¡®Primitive enchanting¡¯. He knew that he wanted to change it into a Passive Skill, but after he received the Willforce Morphon enhancement the System estimated the process would take at least 40 hours. He would be unconscious during that time. Zeph shook his head. It was too dangerous right now, and he would rather use that time actively. Having nothing better to do, he started observing how his Tier 0 Spells were copied from EE. He wanted to invent a universal method imitating that process. The main difficulty lay in the fact that any external manipulation required Will or Willpower ¨C he had no method to interact with them. This will take some time, he thought depressingly. =============================== The days passed quickly. Zeph was reading from his General Skills for most of the time, writing down the PET production procedure, and trying to solve the EE-copy problem. He also helped P¡¯pfel in the workshop when he was bored. The Gremling was very grateful to him for including him in the contract, too. Grateful enough to declare that as long as he was in the city, he would teach Zeph all he knows. Guaranteed workshop access was also a great boon, especially because Zeph planned to travel quite a lot after finding ground under his feet. Aisha still worked with Kwan on securing their evacuation route. Though, it was evident she didn¡¯t like sitting indoors for multiple days straight. Or maybe she just wanted fewer social interactions, but he had problems with seeing her as an introvert type. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Whatever it was, he wasn¡¯t surprised at her announcement the fourth day after the deal with Kwan. ¡°I am going for a walk,¡± she said during breakfast. ¡°Be sure to prepare for the journey before night.¡± P¡¯pfel frowned. ¡°It¡¯s quite on the short note. Can¡¯t you wait till tomorrow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to provoke a reaction than wait for one. We are sure they are close to finding our whereabouts already.¡± ¡°Should we expect a fight?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°Who knows,¡± she shrugged. ¡°It all depends on how desperate Oric is. Attacking people in a town means he would have to follow up with the takeover immediately, risking the position of his faction. By the way, Kwan has the weapons you ordered. Just ask an attendant to bring them to you.¡± They were too poor to buy specialized weapons but even a standard spear would be an upgrade for Zeph. It would be hard to find anything worse than his improvised spear and pikes, after all. P¡¯pfel didn¡¯t even have a weapon until now. Interestingly, he was good with crossbows, so until now he was borrowing Zeph¡¯s. As so, before noon they were ready to depart. Zeph managed to enchant his spear in time, and the professor did something to his crossbow. The crates with their equipment and goods were loaded onto the cart. They were sitting in one of the underground rooms, reading books that Kwan magnanimously provided. Both of them were geared and ready to go. Zeph¡¯s prototype was enchanted with the ¡®Lesser Magnetic scan¡¯ so he could use it more often. Adapting the Spell¡¯s structure took him a good part of the previous day and decreased its efficiency by 50%, but he managed to level it up significantly as a result. He was almost able to manually construct it. He lamented the lack of opportunity for testing the ¡®Mana beam¡¯ and ¡®Mana bomb¡¯ he took right after his Profession leveled up. Those were the only two offensive Spells he possessed, but he had yet to see how effective they were when combined with more destructive cantrips. The inn was empty. All the guests have left. Glass bottles at the bars disappeared, as did some of the decorations. Still, a lot would be left behind. Zeph wondered what Kwan planned to do with all that. Maybe she will sell the whole building? That would make the most sense¡­ he thought, turning a page of the novel he was reading. The book was quite bland in comparison to stories from Earth, but it was a good way to pass time. The gang was fully geared, too. The atmosphere was tense, but people seemed eager. A number of wagons were prepared on the back of the building. The convoy was ready to move at any time. A few hours later, distant sounds of gongs cut through the low whispers of guardians and attendants moving to and fro in the corridor. Slightly alarmed, Zeph stood up and walked to the doors. Peeking out, he saw Kwan moving in quick steps in his direction. She was wearing tight black leather armor under a brown coat draped over her shoulders. She nodded seeing him. ¡°You better get ready.¡± ¡°What is happening, exactly?¡± The sounds of gongs were much louder in the hallway. He could only imagine how loud they were outside. ¡°We are still waiting for a messenger, but something in the town is burning down. And I have a feeling I know the culprit.¡± They marched upstairs, P¡¯pfel quickly joining the small procession. The last of the documents and items from Kwan¡¯s office were carried out by the attendants. In the main chamber of the inn, he could see a few more cloaked people. They definitely weren¡¯t guests and most hid their faces. Not half an hour later, a breathless boy run through the doors. Everyone fell silent as they waited for him to stabilize his breathing enough to speak. ¡°Infighting in the Guard¡­ The captain was disabled and captured¡­ North Temple of Ozris is on fire¡­ Explosions and sounds of thunder were heard before the fire appeared¡­¡± Kwan narrowed her eyes. ¡°They decided to go with it? So be it. Inform the messengers to bring the news en route, we are leaving before the Guard force stabilizes,¡± she declared decidedly. Zeph was worried. ¡°What with Aisha?¡± ¡°She has a backup, we should meet her at the aerosation. Now, to the wagons! You two are riding with me,¡± she said to Zeph and the Gremling. He blinked in surprise. I have thought we would just travel on the wagons all the way to the city but¡­ by air? That was some news, a flight technology. But he didn¡¯t have time to ponder on it. Everyone started moving and people flooded the backyard in quick order. Seven big, covered transport carriages were waiting for them. Their roofs were made from wooden platforms with low walls for cover. Archers took position on them. Someone took charge of their cart while they were guided to another wagon. P¡¯pfel was hidden inside with instructions to only attack in self-defense. He was the main target, after all. Zeph volunteered to be on the rooftop, but Kwan ordered him to stay inside, near the front. The longer he stayed away from sight, the lower the chances of Oric¡¯s goons interfering with them. Their convoy was moving fast. The traffic was minimal as rumors of an attack spread all around the town. From his seat behind the driver, he could see the streets. Though, their wagon was second in line, so he was unable to see what was happening ahead. Kwan was beside him while her three personal guards sat further behind. From time to time, a messenger entered from the back and was interrogated by the group of warriors riding with them. Other groups confirmed they would accompany them and move out of the town. Councilman Thrueman was dead. Strata Guild leader, Ferrenda was dead. Black Marble company owners, the Ahn family were captured. Lesser Landlord Xaira was captured. Guard Xavier took the role of Guard captain. The reports kept coming. Everything was happening at once. After an hour, more serious reports started arriving. Four companies of warriors were entering the city from the north. The town hall was breached, a part of the Guard helping with the attack. Councilmen inside were killed, others were attacked in their estates on the outskirts. Some were captured after a duel. A schism within Temples took place, a faction of the Temple of Souls leading the upheaval. It sounded like a revolution, only the death toll was kept minimal. Warriors from both sides didn¡¯t seem to keep much loyalty to their superiors or animosity towards each other, so everyone kept to the code of war. Of course, not everyone was like that. Their wagon stopped suddenly. He could hear some shouting from up ahead. Kwan frowned but didn¡¯t move otherwise. A big man, easily two meters twenty in height, stepped from behind the leading wagon. He was wearing reinforced scale armor and a hammer rivaling in size Aisha¡¯s weapon. His face was handsome, but a dangerous glint in his eyes negated the good impression. It spoke of unrestrained violence. ¡°Kwaaan~ Are you here?¡± he was shouting with a hand near his mouth. She clicked her tongue and gestured for her guards. They removed a part of the tarp away and jumped down. She followed unhurriedly. Zeph prepared his telekinetic shields and used the ¡®Magnetic scan¡¯. A group of people in armor was present ahead. Maybe 40 to their 30 fighters. But he was unable to say if any archers took positions at the rooftops around. ¡°Ghan, you piece of trash. I see you changed loyalties. Again,¡± he could hear her say coldly. ¡°Ha! You know full well I am loyal only to one thing. Strength dictates everything in this world. Speaking of which, is your flaming friend around?¡± She sneered. ¡°She is probably busy somewhere else. Go look for her yourself.¡± ¡°Haha, If only I could. I have my orders. That will simplify things, though.¡± There was a moment of silence before he continued in a more serious tone. ¡°Are you going to bail? And without paying your taxes? You know full well we cannot have that.¡± ¡°No, we are just strolling, you see,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°Like I care about taxes,¡± she spat, ¡°that aren¡¯t even enacted yet. Don¡¯t mock the rule of this town. Now, move,¡± her arctic tone reverberated in the vicinity. There was another pause. ¡°Do you remember what I said about power?¡± Zeph could hear a metal clinking on metal. She sneered. ¡°The great Ghan, reduced to a common bandit. I can¡¯t see even a trace of the power you are speaking of.¡± Shit¡­ he thought, scrambling to prepare his spear and pulling out a javelin. ¡°Fight to kill,¡± she ordered.
Interface: (changed parts) Chapter 39 - Exploooosion! North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.29] Aisha dodged another heavy strike, using the momentum to kick the second opponent in his heavily armored head. The force made him stumble backwards a few steps as she was catapulted to the side, making some distance. She peeked up at the balcony. It was empty. ¡°Krono, you bloody coward! I will find you, and I will kill you!¡± she shouted in rage at the top of her lungs. She contested the coming blow with one of her own, the brief moment was enough for her opponents to catch up. Two hammerheads met midair. The one glowing white from heat exploded with fire and streaks of violet lightning which were sucked up and suppressed by the second, black one. The explosion caused by the clash of physical and magical forces pushed the combatants back a step. The marble floor underneath was obliterated, fragments of it flying in all directions. She caught a flanking attack of claymore user with the shaft of her weapon, her Onji¡¯s Mana flowed downward disrupting the Spell around it. Using the ensuing explosion of vapor, she distanced herself once again. She was spending her internal Mana at a prodigious rate. If she stayed too long in close combat, things would get dangerous. Worse yet, her Veil was on the brink of collapsing. The spear user barreled at her at that moment. She barely dodged the thrust by moving her hammer downward and bending backwards, the spearhead¡¯s edge skidded on her strengthened chest armor. She couldn¡¯t see him, but her ragged Veil provided enough information. He overextended. But she was in no position to retaliate. Or so her opponent had thought. Her brain recognized the familiar pattern. Before she could make a conscious decision, her hands reflexively released the shaft, pushing it sideways, and grabbed his left arm. Her feet barely touched the ground and an enchantment activated, planting them in place. She rotated her body, cracking the floor and pulling him with her. Releasing the enchantment, she quickly spun her lower body in the same direction. Her foot landed on the side of his knee as he was taking a step. His armor didn¡¯t have protection against perpendicular forces and with a loud snap of ligaments and metal, his leg bent sideways. One less¡­ the thought flashed through her mind. Normally, she would have finished the job or thrown him at her opponents, but there was no time. Following the previous movement, she caught the shaft of her weapon that was still spinning midair. But she wasn¡¯t able to block the coming attack. She managed to move with the blow, minimizing the damage. The heavy hammer strike sent her flying to the side, breaking at least a few ribs and ravaging her Veil. She thrusted blindly with the back of the shaft in the direction she was moving, forcing the claymore user to dodge the spike at the top, then quickly pushed it downwards, using the leverage to vault herself above him before he could retaliate and dodging a half-assed slash. The pike with the toxin broke before the ball at the end buried itself in the floor, but she traded it for a moment of breath to regenerate her Veil. The smoke from the burning temple was getting dense and only she wasn¡¯t influenced by it. He actually dared to set a trap to kill me¡­ the thought flew through her mind, fueling the flames of rage. She came prepared, but she couldn¡¯t have expected three post-hundred veterans. If not for P¡¯pfel¡¯s new explosives, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape that heat-proof room. And those guys were experienced enough to challenge her in a one-on-one fight. Each one of them. It didn¡¯t help that the enemy knew a whole lot about her Skills. A shame they didn¡¯t have their protection against heat and smoke with them. Kwan¡¯s guards and people hired by her kept the rest of the mob occupied. She bared her teeth. Now that the scales were evened out, it was time for retribution. Krono, you mad bastard. I will destroy you and your lunatic church, I promise you that! =============================== While archers were providing covering fire against the enemy at the flat rooftops around, the frontline was quickly pushed back. Thankfully, they were near the town¡¯s outskirts, so there weren¡¯t many positions the enemy shooters could have taken. Buildings were lower and sparser, the terraces gone. As fighters from wagons at the back started converging to the frontline, the fight quickly dissolved into a series of skirmishes all around the first few carts. Mana effects of different kinds shook the air in their explosive reactions, drowning the shouts and screams. It wasn¡¯t to the extent Aisha demonstrated, but the scale was disorienting. The enemy had a two-to-one advantage on the ground, making things difficult. Kwan and Ghan were duking it out somewhere ahead, wreaking havoc. He cursed internally, throwing another javelin partially filled with Mana-L and distracting one of the combatants. The guy died a moment later at the hands of his opponent. He had thrown explosive beads all around beforehand, but the density of Interference Veils around was so high that his Mana tendrils were pulverized before he could activate them. Now I understand why it is named an ¡®Interference¡¯ Veil¡­ he thought in irritation. He stayed inside, not only because he was physically weak in comparison to the people around, but also because he didn¡¯t want to make himself a target until the battle became more chaotic. His presence meant the Gremling was also here, and he was sure he himself was also wanted. An arrow flew through the front of the cart, skidding off of his Telekinetic barrier and impaling a crate behind him. Zeph located the shooter¡¯s position and released the charged Mana beam, this time powered by the Scrubbing catnip module. The previous shot with the Heat module did almost nothing ¨C he was too inexperienced in beam usage to force more profound effects, and the distance to the archers on the rooftops was additionally detrimental. The mix of his Mana, Mana-L, and force Magicules flew in a straight line, targeting slightly above the enemy that took cover. He applied a uniform force to the fast-moving Mana with his Willpower, burning the Will-Mana inside. The beam curved downwards in an arc, hitting a person and pushing them to the floor. Zeph forced the Spell to end prematurely, before it pumped all of his Veil away, and in a blink of an eye consolidated the extremely long line of his Mana into a temporary tentacle for long enough to use the Matrix ¡®Force weave¡¯ Spell at its end. He set it to push near the floor and in his direction. After an explosion of air, a guy was thrown over the roof¡¯s edge. He became an arrow pincushion before even hitting the ground. Zeph waited for 10 seconds to replenish his internal Mana and rebuild a part of his Veil, then peeked outside. The fight was starting to die down. The number of combatants on each side was evening out, which meant they were winning. He couldn¡¯t see any Manacasters, but that wasn¡¯t strange if both groups had a legal background. The ¡®Mage¡¯ Towers, as he liked to call them, stayed neutral in such conflicts. They were an independent government by themselves, after all. He would be more worried if the Guard was trying to intercept them, they had their own casters. Seeing an opportunity, he activated three beads, speeding up the downfall of their enemy. Just when he wanted to look up in search of more archers, there was a loud crash and Kwan barreled back-first from behind the cart in front of him. Above, her strange, heavy battle club was flying away. She did a quick backflip to correct her posture and stop her momentum. Two long knives appeared in her hands. Ghan was sprinting in her direction, three of his man close behind. One was limping and the other two were bleeding heavily, at least by this world¡¯s standards. She was fighting with four high-leveled opponents this whole time. Zeph was impressed. If only I could use the Flash¡­ He grabbed his loaded crossbow from behind and shot at the limping warrior just as Ghan reached Kwan. More arrows joined his bolt, but all were pushed aside by something that looked like a swirl of air manifesting around each of the targets. That didn¡¯t change much, as his enchanted spherical bolt tip exploded powerfully in the middle of the three running combatants. He tried to activate two nearby explosive beads, but their Veils were big enough to cover them already. The two at the front were just slightly stunned by the explosion, but the limping one received a handful of metal fragments to the face. Zeph acknowledged the notification and jumped out. There was no reason to hide anymore ¨C he was sure that someone spotted him already ¨C and Kwan could be in trouble with her close-range weapons. She was dodging the unnaturally fast sweeps furiously, trying to get in range. Like some of the fighters around, he sprinted in the direction of the two wounded combatants but moving close to the overpowered duo. Just as he was passing them, Ghan decided it was a good opportunity to kill him off. Zeph¡¯s mouth curved up slightly. He had no chance to dodge his attack, the guy was way too fast. But he didn¡¯t have to. One Soul-whack later, courtesy of Gru, and a second later one heavy hammer alongside one cut-off head hit the ground behind him. A moment of stillness was all Kwan needed to finish the fight. All according to the plan. Almost immediately, shouts rang all around. The enemy started to flee. They could see clearly what the outcome of the fight was. Zeph helped with the last of the archers on rooftops and started using his detection Spells, mostly ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯, through Mana tendrils to find the stragglers. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Meanwhile, Kwan was giving orders through the chaos and screams coming from all around. ¡°Rangers, hunt and scout ahead, you have three minutes! Causality report! Arhen, take your people and transport the wounded to the third cart! The rest, secure and pack those goods laying around. Four sentinels on each side of the convoy!¡± The reports started coming in almost immediately. ¡°Two dead, seven incapacitated, three heavily wounded!¡± Wow, that¡¯s a fucking low causality rate¡­ he thought in shock. The information was basically shouted out for everyone to hear. ¡°At least four people escaped. The hunting team is hot on their heels. Around 53 enemies killed!¡± ¡°Good job! What¡¯s the status of the wagons?¡± she asked loudly. ¡°All in working order,¡± someone from the back shouted. The gang was very organized. It looked like it wasn¡¯t their first group fight. Zeph was a little busy gathering his items before someone stored them, but people quickly noticed what he was after and helped, giving him respectful nods. Zeph finished gathering his beads and one javelin that was in good condition and jogged back to his wagon. P¡¯pfel was peeking from inside, smiling widely and giving him thumbs up. Before he could join him, though, Kwan intercepted him near the wagon. ¡°Zeph, you freaking genius! Great work out there. I thought you would be useless. Instead, you probably dealt the most damage. I guess having a Manacaster on our side would do that, ha!¡± she said in an overly loud voice. Is she trying to raise morale or something? he wondered but shrugged it off. Leaders do leaderly things. ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± there wasn¡¯t much he could say to that. ¡°You helped me avoid a wound. That means a lot,¡± she said, fully confident she would have won that fight. ¡°You will be compensated later.¡± She clapped him on his back and walked away to oversee the preparations. After climbing to the wagon and taking a seat, he was met with a smug smile of the Gremling. ¡°And how did you like the properly enchanted explosive bolt?¡± he said, his gigantic nose would point straight up if it wasn¡¯t crooked down so much. He smiled wryly. ¡°Yes, quite stronger than mine. I still wouldn¡¯t pay 30 silver for them. They are consumables, what is the point if the price is too high?¡± The Gremling harrumphed. ¡°Everyone needs at least one hidden card up their sleeve. It will sell well, I am sure of it!¡± ¡°They better will. You still owe me for teaching you the Spells,¡± Zeph said in a mock-serious tone. ¡°Wait until you hear from Aisha. The bigger ones are worth every gram of Hydrargyrum put in them!¡± They bickered good-naturedly for another minute until the adrenaline and stress from the fight left Zeph¡¯s body. They were really fortunate no stray Manacaster was present on the battlefield. Causalities aside, the sheer unpredictability of such fights gave him chills. That was his biggest worry ¨C he wasn¡¯t exactly prepared to counter such people. His Mana-L tendril wouldn¡¯t reach them in a similar environment. They would have to try and break through the defenses of each other, but¡­ Zeph had almost none. Not for the physical effects of Spells. He promised himself to work on that. Visiting Makani¡¯s Tower was more and more tempting. He shook his head ¨C it was not the time to consider such things. Post-battle notifications awaited him.
[Profession] [Shaman] is now level 32! (+1) [Seeded] [Class] [Force Generalist] is now level 3! (+1)
He scanned the information about his Skills and Spells leveling up and promptly ignored them. The live tests of his enchantments were necessary for the System to count them in the levels, so he expected those changes. They didn¡¯t mean much right now. The new points, he started to slowly invest in Flexibility, after changing his Perk to auto-train for that PE. There was a risk of another fight. It would be disastrous if he was to make a mistake in close combat. ¡°Grraaarum!¡± Gru vibrated happily. It seemed he also got some levels. ¡°Heh, congrats,¡± Zeph whispered. The next half an hour was uneventful. The convoy changed directions midway. Instead of riding out of the gate ahead, they were closing in on the nearby mountain cliff jugging out from the town¡¯s panorama. The vertical wall was at least 100 meters high at the highest point, he was surprised it wasn¡¯t visible from the inn. Well, it is almost on the other side of the town, so maybe it¡¯s not that strange. It¡¯s hard to tell how far from town the mountains are because the terrain is almost flat. As they got closer, the streets started to widen, just like near the market. The buildings also changed to mechanical workshops, warehouses, and a multitude of other business establishments. Although, almost everything was closed down. Finally, Zeph could make out metal and wood constructs populating the whole wall, as if a part of the town was rotated upright. A multitude of ropes, gigantic metal doors, and tunnels made themselves visible not long after. Scaffolding and bridges covered the spaces between big platforms, buildings, and cranes. And¡­ everything was motionless and empty. Not a living soul could be found anywhere on the impressive structure. ¡°Umm, why no one is here?¡± he asked no one in particular. ¡°The season of air transport ended up a good few months ago,¡± Kwan answered. ¡°It may look strange to you, but the Torrent mountains aren¡¯t Mana-stable. Near the ground, Mana density stays mostly the same, as you could have noticed.¡± Ah, indeed. We came from quite high up, he realized. It should be, for all reasons and purposes, an area of higher strata. ¡°The reason is unclear, but¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, there are at least three theories with a high probability of¡­ explaining¡­¡± P¡¯pfel cut in with vigor but slowly petered out as Kwan coldly stared at him. ¡°But in exchange,¡± she started again a moment later, still staring at the professor, ¡°Mana currents above certain height thresholds are instable. Present Mana density at fightable altitudes is too high, and the drift is too strong,¡± she explained, turning her head back ahead. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We have good pilots, if not the best ones in this pisshole. The twins already proved they can navigate the fluctuations at lower altitudes. And with all our guests, we have enough offensive potential to ignore the aerial predators,¡± she said in a reassuring tone. Zeph bit his tongue. He didn¡¯t quite understand what she was talking about, but asking more questions would just sound strange. Evidently, everyone knew how airplanes worked. They slowed down after getting close. More messengers visited them, and the convoy changed directions again. The empty streets were quite eerie, even if he intellectually understood that there was no business at this time of the year. He looked up as their wagon was closing to the stone wall. The magnitude of what they created was even more intimidating from up close. The wind blowing through the structures howled loudly, and he had an impression that the wall was slowly falling forward as they moved towards it, deepening his apprehension. As the sunlight dimmed, obscured by the rock ceiling holding up the whole mountain above, the sound of the wind changed into an empty, low hum. The tapping of multiple hooves echoed all around as they traveled deeper into the dark, vast tunnel. After a few minutes they stopped, the vicinity illuminated only by a few enchanted lamps on the wagons. Metal doors opened to their right and a small man walked unhurriedly towards their wagon. ¡°You are late,¡± he informed shortly as a greeting, handing some documents to Kwan. His soft voice echoed in the silent pass. ¡°Everyone else already arrived.¡± ¡°Good to hear,¡± she deadpanned while checking the papers. ¡°Which hangar?¡± ¡°Twenty-one. And hurry up,¡± he informed before turning back. Three minutes later, they arrived at a big hall. The entrance was at least four meters high and twice that wide, it was the only open one in the tunnel. A system of cranes and lifts was set up high above inside. Coiling doors slowly slide down behind them as everyone jumped out of the wagons. Most people moved to the lifts set to their right, some stayed to direct the carts. Operators started to lower big platforms suspended on the cranes in preparation for the reloading. Kwan was supervising the whole process. People were entering in pairs, so Zeph and P¡¯pfel took one lift for themselves, even if around ten people could have fit in the cabin. It was made from blueish metal and there were no buttons inside. Instead, there was a panel, which P¡¯pfel touched. After inserting some Mana, probably, a number 21 showed up on the black glass-like surface. Zeph had to give them that, the upward acceleration was something else. His legs almost buckled from surprise, and he had 60 Power. ¡°By the way, what will happen to our cart and horse? Also, I don¡¯t really understand why flying low is considered dangerous, can you give me a quick explanation?¡± he asked, taking advantage of the fact that they were alone. ¡°Ah, I suppose Aisha didn¡¯t mention it to you. We are paying for the aerostat course with them. It¡¯s actually quite a cheap price. As for the flying, it¡¯s very, and I mean VERY hard to keep the avion at a stable altitude when near the ground. Mana currents rising from the ground are patchy and depend on the living beings¡¯ population in the area. Mostly. The wing and sail cannot be adjusted that fast.¡± Zeph hummed in thought. He wanted to ask some more questions, but the lift started to slow down. They opened the doors and a shocking sight welcomed him. It was a fucking steampunk airport. At least that was his first impression. He looked around with wide eyes. The hall was enormous and decorated with big plants. From the empty space he was in, he could see three tiers of balconies. Everything was made from wood, brass, and glass. Much too big pipes run along the wooden walls and ceiling. Bright, yellowish light was flooding down from multiple lamps, reflecting from polished surfaces almost like in a mall. People were loitering about, some sitting on the tables set around, some perusing small shops on the first floor, some strolling between miniature gardens set around. To his left, glass walls separated them from an enclosed platform. On it, an oval-shaped monstrosity was laying, kept in place by a multitude of supports. It was made, similarly, from something resembling brass and wood. The shape was somehow similar to a flattened ship, except for the pipes and strange shapes fixed all around it. Something resembling a folded umbrella frame was set horizontally on the sides and the deck. He could see as their cargo was slowly moved inside by cranes. He was woken up from his stupor by a familiar voice. ¡°Heh, a country-bumpkin.¡± Rude, he thought, looking at the offending woman. His eyebrows raised. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Aisha wasn¡¯t looking that good. She was smeared in soot all over. Her weapon was the worst ¨C it was basically pitch black. Parts of her armor were seared, deep gashes and dents decorated the metal parts. Some of them were deep enough to indicate serious wounds. Her face had its own collection of bruises and cuts. A big one on her neck looked like it was cauterized. Her hair was a total mess and he was sure it was much shorter. The asymmetrical cut somehow looked good on her, though. ¡°Eh,¡± she shrugged nonchalantly, but he could see signs of exhaustion in the gesture. ¡°The typical. Found a new mortal enemy. Escaped the trap. Fought this and that. Got a fuckton of Soul fragments. By the way, that¡¯s how you look after getting a standard level worth in an hour,¡± she said with a small smile, pointing at her chest with a thumb. He shook his head at the absurdity. ¡°Let¡¯s just sit somewhere and you can narrate it to me. I am sure it¡¯s quite an epic story,¡± he started, looking around. ¡°Where is P¡¯pfel?¡± ¡°He got bored with your frozen expression of awe,¡± she smirked. ¡°I think I saw him going in the direction of balconies.¡± They walked slowly to a table set between two medium-sized decorative trees, chatting about the situation in the city. As they relaxed, Aisha started describing her adventure in detail. He couldn¡¯t even tell if she was exaggerating or not, no matter how ridiculous some parts sounded. It was a perfect action movie scene; the whole fight was. Her story was coming to the grand finale when a woman¡¯s voice interrupted them. ¡°Ah, there yo¡ª What is this?!¡± ¡°Hi, Kwan. How was your day?¡± Aisha asked, putting her chin on her hand. She started to massage her forehead. P¡¯pfel, who was standing beside her, was just gaping in silence. ¡°Can you give me a short version?¡± ¡°Three post-120 veterans with support. The new faction of churches has gone insane,¡± she explained, putting her hands behind her head as Kwan sucked in her breath. ¡°How are you even alive?¡± ¡°I held a tactical advantage,¡± she simply stated, smiling at P¡¯pfel. Before they could continue, a cimbalom sound echoed through the hall. ¡°We will finish this talk on the aerostat. Let¡¯s go,¡± Aisha said, jumping to her feet. It was time to depart.
Interface: (changes only) Chapter 40 - Sadistic flight. It was worth it! North Tarak [foot of the Torrent mountain range], local time [1793.11.29] They walked unhurriedly in the direction of the ship, avoiding the crowd. As much as Zeph could call it a crowd ¨C people were keeping their distance, strangely. The low parts of the ship¡¯s hull opened up, forming ramps for people to go through. They had no tickets, and Zeph felt lost. He just followed behind Aisha and Kwan, who were chatting lively. How do they even know where to go? There are no signs or anything, he thought. Then, a realization hit him. I don¡¯t even know where we¡¯re trying to go¡­ There is no way everyone wants to travel to Lurona city¡­ But he kept his mouth shut. He would ask when the opportunity arises, not when everyone could hear him. They entered the ship through a less-frequented ramp near the front of the ship. Or back, he wasn¡¯t sure ¨C the ship was symmetrical. Inside, he could see two lines of people standing before service windows on the sides. The wide corridor was leading to a series of lifts at the back. A series of doors were set on the sidewalls, marked as different service rooms. Two doorless exits, that probably led to the staircases, were set in the middle. The interior was simple but opulent. Dark wooden panels covered the walls, floral patterns engraved on them were filled with black and silver. A dark-red and fluffy carpet was covering the floor. The roof was made from black wood and simple chandeliers were hanging from it, illuminating everything in a warm light. Their line was moving fast, but he could already see more people taking place behind them. ¡°Do you want to see the start from the weather deck?¡± Aisha asked him suddenly. ¡°¡­If possible?¡± He tried to keep his expression neutral, but he knew he failed at the same moment. After all, he definitely wanted to see how this behemoth was even able to fly. Who wouldn¡¯t? Aisha and Kwan giggled at the same time. A very unsightly and perturbing reaction in his opinion ¨C Aisha, the granny, never giggled. Ah, if only Skills could upload the knowledge directly to the brain¡­ I always wanted some acting skills¡­ he thought mockingly. ¡°The upper deck it is, then,¡± Aisha commented. ¡°It would be uncomfortable for us, so let¡¯s meet at deck-2?¡± Kwan proposed. ¡°Sure thing, just send someone outside to guide us after the start.¡± They nodded to each other in mutual understanding. Of something. A minute later, they were by the service window. A bored-looking man, as tall as humans here tended to be, welcomed them mechanically. ¡°Greetings, dear passengers. Identification, please.¡± There was a moment of silence in which the two women sent their Effigies. Zeph could tell by the quickly transforming facial expression of the attendant. ¡°Ah, La-Gewong and La-Zora, welcome on board!¡± he said with a slight, stiff bow. ¡°We will send the premium stamps right after you choose your rooms. I am sorry to inform you that around half of the middle-deck chambers are already taken. You should have come before the signal¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± Aisha reassured him. ¡°We want an upper deck, as close to the prow as possible. Just leave the stamps there and give me backup keys ¨C we want to see the start.¡± ¡°And we will take the deck-2. I would prefer if my personal quarters were directly under Zora¡¯s. Also, make sure my group is not scattered.¡± He looked at them with surprise written all over his face but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Of course. La-Gewong, you already declared the M-3 stamps for your group. But we weren¡¯t informed of additional guests?¡± he said, looking at P¡¯pfel and Zeph. ¡°For those two, just the lowest grade, please. They are under me, so place them in neighboring rooms,¡± Aisha said dismissively. ¡°Understood¡± he vigorously said and started to check something on a black plate, similar to the one in the lift. Zeph could see that he only turned on some dots in a few rows. Primitive electronics? No¡­ The mechanism seems much too simplistic. But an analog signal network would be already impressive, taking into account how Mana behaves and how costly a ¡®cable¡¯ would be. Curious¡­ he thought, observing intently. The man took out two small, wooden boxes, a metal plate, and a stack of papers. They quickly signed the hand-over reports and started walking in the direction of the lifts. The same as previously, only two people were entering each. Zeph was in the middle of checking the contents of the box, so he didn¡¯t even notice he was paired with Aisha. Inside the box was a silver medallion on a thin chain. On its surface, a meticulous depiction of the ship was formed from thin strands of metal, almost as if a spider was responsible for the creation. Under the picture, the name ¡®Avianna¡¯ was written in decorative letters. After a moment, he noticed a flier underneath. It was folded in half, so he couldn¡¯t read anything yet. ¡°You will have to pump your Mana into it for the duration of the travel,¡± Aisha said as the lift started to slowly ascend. ¡°The amount isn¡¯t much. Just make sure to fill the day¡¯s quota.¡± He lifted his head to look at her. ¡°So, it¡¯s the same as a city¡¯s transfer amulet?¡± He asked. They didn¡¯t use them in this town because he and P¡¯pfel never registered in the first place. ¡°Are there designated hours for the Mana transfer, or something?¡± he continued, scanning the flier. His eyes widened. ¡°What the¡­¡± he murmured in shock. Half a million Mana per day?! he exclaimed internally after noticing the quota. No, wait¡­ It¡¯s just 6 Mana per second for the whole day¡­ I could send that much in around 4 hours. But that means I am¡­ Yea, I am producing around 7.5 million Mana per day, so around 375 million Joules. Holy shit, no wonder they tapped into this energy resource¡­ ¡°Hm? Something¡¯s wrong?¡± Aisha asked, tilting her head. ¡°No, just¡­ Getting used to things¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°To answer your questions, it¡¯s the same technology, but the methods are different. I think you will like this one better,¡± she explained, smiling mysteriously. ¡°Just put the stamp in the designed slot by your bed before you go to sleep ¨C it should be more than enough. Although, you probably could use some exercise. In a city, you will have to additionally power an amulet during the day, after all. And no, hours don¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°So, there is a storage for Mana on the ship?¡± he asked, thinking. How could hours not matter otherwise? ¡°If you can call a big Spell construct as that¡­ You will see.¡± She stopped speaking when the lift stopped. As they moved through the wide corridors, covered by a simple wood and with minimal decoration, he finished reading the flier. When the stamp was powered with heat Mana or placed in a slot, a curved bar above the ship¡¯s visage, partially hidden under a net of metallic strings, would start to glow from temperature. It roughly represented the amount of Mana sent in the last 24 hours in relation to the quota. After the first day, it should be kept at full at all times. The overflow would keep it full for longer, but the¡­ enchantment? Material? Device was ¡®forgetting¡¯ what happened 30 hours ago. Definitely an analog system. Maybe even partially mechanical, he analyzed, disappointed by the fact that he couldn¡¯t dissect this thing. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The letters underneath the visage would heat up if the Mana from the ship was overflowing. Because the writing wasn¡¯t covered, it was easy to feel the change in temperature. As it was, overflowing often happened if the ship was met with too high ambient Mana density, so it was necessary to follow the emergency instructions if that happened. Nonsensical, at least for him, evacuation and crash protocols were also shortly explained. Aisha stopped, forcing him to look up. She was inserting her plate into the slot at the side of a door. A metal panel with an engraved number 109 was hanging above them. He quickly looked at the back of the stamp. On the slightly convex surface, the number 108 was engraved in big letters. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long, the aerostat will fly off soon,¡± she said, tapping a metal contraption on her doors. People were walking around, so he guessed she was trying to be inconspicuous. ¡°Sure,¡± he nodded. The next room was his. After pushing the medallion into the metal mechanism¡­ nothing happened. He fed it some Mana, and the doors opened. Breathing out in silent relief, he entered his quarters. The room was bigger than he expected, around four meters long and wide. This was the place he would spend the next 7 to 10 days. At least according to Aisha. As it turned out, they didn¡¯t change their course. Even if Lurona city wasn¡¯t the capital of the Fuminao Legacy Kingdom, it was a better place for the relocation. It was bigger, richer, and less restricted by politics ¨C the strange state of ecopolitics in this world showing up again. Anyway, the council of the city was doing good work in developing the area. After closing the door and placing his backpack on the ground, Zeph checked the furnishing. It was made of the same brass-like material as the pipes in the waiting hall. A big closet, a table with an armchair set on rails, a few shelves with glass doors, and a wide couch. Well, it was a bed, but rimmed with low walls all around. A sturdy, gray material covered every part of it and after checking, he found some cushion underneath. Everything was bolted to the floor and walls, like on a real ship. He could tell that below the wooden panels a metal frame or surface was present. Behind his bed, sitting on the left side of the room, he found a black panel. After funneling some Mana into it, a part of the wall sunk back and opened up to a nice bathroom. It had a brass interior, to no one¡¯s surprise. The interesting part came from how it was set up. The shower was open-up, and he could see the sinkhole at the center of the floor. A toilet and a few sets of washbasins, set at different heights, were present in the room. All was made from the same goldish metal. Leaving his backpack behind, he entered the hallway again. Aisha was impatiently waiting for him. She managed to clean her face, but the rest of her person, alongside the warhaxammer she was still carrying around, were still covered in soot. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± ¡°I thought you would¡­ Never mind,¡± he bit his tongue and closed the doors behind himself. Hearing a latching sound, he started to walk down a hallway, exclaiming with fake enthusiasm and raising his fist. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She sighed. ¡°The staircase is in the opposite direction¡­¡± ~~~ They were standing on the lowest weather deck, the only one spanning the length of the whole ship. The higher ones were set as shrinking ovals, symmetrically set to keep the uniform shape of the ship, and formed the superstructure of the ship at the center. He could see as the crew secured ropes all around him. Thick, metal ropes. Figured. Cables, steel ropes¡­ They already have all that, he thought depressingly. They were lying inertly on the floor, leading to the cranes on the sides in straight lines. Now he knew why Aisha wished for a room close to the prow ¨C it was one of a few places where passengers were allowed to stay. At least for now. Something new decorated the rims of the ship, though. Big, black cylinders, at least 5 meters in height and half that in diameter. ¡°We are a little late,¡± she said. Zeph looked at her, then followed her line of sight. The roof of the hangar that enclosed the ship didn¡¯t look normal. It was weaving, like a folded canvas. Still, he was sure it was made of some kind of metal¡­ or maybe rock? It was quite uniform and dark gray in color. Looking to the side, he could see the ropes being slowly pulled upward by thinner lines. Technicians were securing them along the edges of the roof, maybe 30 meters above him. The clanking of metal parts was echoing through the hangar from multiple directions. A feeling of anticipation, like before a start of a plane, filled his chest. Aisha hit him in the arm weakly, taking his attention. ¡°We should move to the railing. You won¡¯t be able to see what¡¯s happening on the sides otherwise.¡± After a moment of consternation, he smiled widely. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, realizing she chose the quarters just for him. They were closest to this observation spot, the best one on the whole ship, allowing for a limited sighting in all directions. They were near the prow of the ship. The ropes were connected to the ridges, leaving the floor empty. Looking down, he could see more cylinders sticking out from the sides, like cannons would. They were much smaller, though. Finally, people left the cranes and scaffolding around the ship. It wasn¡¯t even 10 minutes after they came here. The cimbalom sounded once again. Workers and passengers started to quickly leave the area. The ones high up weren¡¯t present for some time already. ¡°You better tie yourself to the railing,¡± Aisha said with mirth in her voice. He looked sharply at her and started to back off. ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡ª¡± She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to fold over the railing. ¡°I am sure you will love the sights! Let me help you¡­¡± Before he could scream for help, she already secured his torso firmly to the brass rod with a rope and covered his mouth. ¡°Now, now, there¡¯s no need to scream,¡± she sadistically whispered into his ear, waving to the technical team below, before locking his hands when he tried to use them. ¡°You will thank me later.¡± The cimbalom resounded again, and the ship hummed. The deep vibration flowed straight through his bones, giving him chills. A low sound reverberated in the hangar, resonating with his body and slowly raising in pitch, like a loading energy gun but on a scale he never imagined. The last people below removed themselves from the vicinity, closing the glass doors between the waiting hall and the hangar. He more felt than heard as the black cylinders powered up. Aisha removed her hand from his mouth, but it was too late to scream. The deafening sound of displaced air, uncannily similar to the sound of a rocket engine, drowned down everything else. Above the cylinders, a red and blue hue could be seen, not reminiscent of a fire at all ¨C it looked more like a weak plasma beam. It was the first time Zeph could observe Mana emanating light without a Spell involved. Heated air didn¡¯t explain the blue hue, so he was sure Mana had a hand in the effect. He followed the stream of hot air and Mana with his eyes, looking upwards. The roof was slowly unfolding, moving up. Silently. He held his breath. If it¡¯s like a balloon and expands this close to the rockface¡­ A mechanical sound from behind him took his attention. The back wall of the hangar was moving down, releasing a part of the ¡°balloon¡±. It unfolded almost immediately, trying to drag the ship with it but managing only to tilt it. He would have slid down if not for the rope restraining him. Strangely, Aisha was still standing in place behind him, looking at the just-revealed sky. She didn¡¯t seem to have any problems with the tilt of the floor. As the ship moved slightly upwards, thanks to the lift powered by the engines, mechanical arms from the other side of the ship started to disengage. He could hear as they did, and felt it in the movement of the deck. They were now held in place only by the cranes and scaffolding on his side. He had a bad feeling about this, so he hugged the railing with all of his strength. Righteously so. The ship was released. It swung in the air. Relatively slowly, because of its size, like the titans of its size tend to. But the acceleration was strong enough to flatten him on the railings. Zeph couldn¡¯t see it, but the other two walls dropped down alongside the swing, releasing the ¡®canvas¡¯ above them. As it swung, the sheer momentum pushed the whole aerostat away from the cliff. The dome above them unfolded in all its glory, even as the ship was losing altitude. He looked at the ¡®parachute¡¯ above him in awe. It was at least two times the length and width of the ship, creating a perfect shell above. The cylinders were still at full power, trying to rise them up, but there was a problem. The ship¡¯s swing reached the maximum altitude, and it started to move back. At that moment, jet engines on the side, facing the port, powered up. He could not name them any different ¨C instead of producing hot air rich in Mana, they actually pushed the avion. Ever so slowly, the ship evened out, its main body kept in one place by the engines while the wing moved above them in a balancing act. The distance from the rockface increased once again, and the ship stopped dropping. Then, the umbrella-like constructs unfolded. Behind him, on the back of the ship, a vertical, white sail, hidden behind the metallic framework, unrolled itself between the mechanical ¡®fingers¡¯. A keel, so to say. On the mast, he saw two additional sets of ¡®fingers¡¯ ready to unclench in the direction of the ship¡¯s movement, for whatever reason. Four sets of ¡®umbrellas¡¯ set on top of the ship formed this shape, the last one almost touching the back of the dome. Every one of them had an additional, folding ¡®fingers¡¯ set in the direction of the ship¡¯s movement. A creaking sound made him look down. The sides of the ship opened up, forming a series of air-catching vaults protruding at an angle from the hull. Then, side ¡®arms¡¯ unfolded. Four on each side, the gigantic sails slowly opened like a hand of an amphibian. They stayed at a low angle, lowered at the front but bent upwards at their ends. The first and last pair were almost touching their counterparts above the deck, as the ¡®fingers¡¯ encroached above it. He could feel the oppressing density of Mana even from the distance of a dozen of meters away. After consulting with Gru, they resonated and concentrated on Soul perception. The Air-Mana was almost tangible, but they still weren¡¯t able to decipher what else was inside of the gigantic sail-Spell construct. Zeph felt it had something to do with Space, when Gru felt something connected to the Metal¡­ All in all, it was impossible to tell. The sails started to move rhythmically, almost like a living being¡¯s hands, but much, much slower, pushing the enormous amounts of Mana away from the duo. He immediately became lost in the scale of events. The Spells¡¯ constructs were gigantic, after all. It was too much to observe after the initiation. Every ¡®finger¡¯ of each umbrella had at least 3 joints, allowing for very life-like movements. Something hummed again, this time from the back of the ship. The vibration wasn¡¯t that disrupting this time, but¡­ As the ¡®fires¡¯ above the cylinders set around the ridges died down, he knew where the power was redirected. After cooling down, the cylinders started to descend into the ship¡¯s structure, and he was sure. He also recognized the sound. The same jet engines were speeding up the vessel, probably powered by the moving air and Mana, flying through the opened vents. And he quickly understood. In all its glory, the ship was moving¡­ Fucking slow! Chapter 41 - Lets fly high! ...but maybe not literally. Avianna [north lands of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.11.29] Zeph was observing the town from the deck as the aerostat circled above it, unhurriedly positioning itself southwest. No other ships tried to follow them ¨C preparing one would take a few days even if they found pilots able to fly in these conditions. He was looking down through a spyglass. The ship was fully equipped for tourists, borrowing one for the day cost him only one silver. Someone here definitely has a nose for business¡­ he thought idly, observing as the Guards some 60 meters below were pointing in their direction. He smiled slightly. Yes, yes. We are flying. Try to catch us now. He had to give it to Aisha, this plan was much better than any other alternative. The ship wouldn¡¯t travel fast, but it was still three to four times faster than a moving wagon. People could still keep up with it if they run on foot along the roads, but what could they do? The ship would fly all the way to the city, where they didn¡¯t have any jurisdiction. Chasing them was basically an impossibility. And no, the town didn¡¯t have any cannons able to shoot them down. Long-range weaponry was inefficient, especially in aerial fights, so the natives preferred more direct methods in such battles. He had no knowledge of this kind, anyway ¨C his ideas were backed by his common sense, but it didn¡¯t hold any power here. All he had to do, was to believe in the plan. The simple fact that they used the Mana currents to fly was enough to leave him clueless. They didn¡¯t use aerodynamics at all here, except for the shape of the ship. No wings, no propelling blades, fans, engines, or anything. The technology was fully dependent on Mana, and Mana only. There is a big gap left for Earth¡¯s technology. Even the simple wing shape could revolutionize their technology. Not to mention, it would be stupidly easy to create a ¡®wind¡¯ power plant that uses the city¡¯s vertical Mana currents. I would just need to create a big, horizontal fan¡­ His imagination was running wild as his mind was finding more and more uses for Earth¡¯s flight technology. The main problem was electricity. He already knew that Mana liked to conglomerate around energy-intense reactions, basically fucking up any electronics by changing the electric currents. The question was, would that increase the potential power of the analog current, or would it only cause technical problems. Randomly changing voltage wasn¡¯t something he would be able to harness. Although, he had big hopes for the local engineers. They weren¡¯t stupid by any means; the best example was just around him. Someone had to calculate the lifting force and the strain put on the steel lines to build this ship. He was also sure they already knew of electricity, point in his last cantrip, but just didn¡¯t know how to use it. An electric engine wasn¡¯t something easily derived from one¡¯s pure knowledge, even if the concept in itself was simplistic at best. Actually, he wanted to learn more about the engines they were able to create. Someone surely got an idea to use Mana to propel a cart - horses were an idea as old as the civilization. He just hoped they didn¡¯t stop on the ¡®Mana jet engines¡¯ like the ones on this ship. Using that on a cart would be¡­ painful at best. As he continued to muse about the future, the ship ascended to around 100 meters above the ground. The ride was surprisingly smooth, but he could feel the Mana density raising each second. Gru was working overtime to keep it at bay. He was probably the only pre-level-10 on this ship. Even with his level resets, he could still be considered pre-level-20, and his knowledge of how that influenced the resilience against Mana density was limited. He even disabled the AMC for the first time in what felt like years. They were crossing the line of walls, so he directed his spyglass to the front. He was curious how the farms looked like. It was getting dark, but the sun was still above the horizon, so he had time to observe. As it turned out, the farms were totally different from the ones on Earth. Instead of monoculture or neat rows of planted vegetation, lush fields of mixed crops dotted the lands below. Some of them were even hidden under the canopy of sparsely placed trees. And they were full of movement. Small critters of different kinds, but mostly rakes, were fighting with wildlife on the field¡¯s borders. He was surprised by the scale of it all. Especially because the road from which they entered the town was very peaceful. Instead, it seemed like the farms were also the first line of defense for the settlement. Taking a closer look at the plants themselves, he could distinguish maybe two or three edible species. He would know, after all, he was reading his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯ for a few months straight. It seemed that most of the plants were there to feed the herds of critters, not to be harvested. Also, it reminded him of milpa, the crop-growing system incorporating at least three different types of plants. The major advantage it provided laid in the fact that the soil wasn¡¯t degrading. Fertilizers were unnecessary, and the field was self-sustaining. It was quite impressive, actually. Now, add to that the animals¡¯ scat, and it becomes more than just self-sustaining. ¡°Hello! Corora to Zeph? We will have a meeting soon¡­¡± someone called from behind him. He ignored the annoying pest and concentrated on the field¡¯s border again. A group of rakes was fighting against a six-legged cat, abusing their aerial advantage to harass the animal and block its escape route. Another one was laying nearby, dead and slowly devoured by the rats. Omnivores. Their units don¡¯t exceed thirty individuals¡­ At least one in the group is using Magicules, he analyzed. Tough to fight, reinforcements are coming in real-time as they die. No wonder hives are feared¡­ ¡°I will smack you if you don¡¯t answer¡­¡± He moved the spyglass slightly higher, trying to see what was happening in the forest. He could see the birds, but the canopy was too dense to really distinguish anything below. He caught a sight of an avian similar to a hawk and quickly followed its movements, adjusting the focus. At least seven of them were flying ahead of the ship, and he was sure they were bonded to the pilots. A clever way to map out the way through the Mana currents. They can not only estimate the number of animals underneath, but actually measure Mana density. Or, at least, carry the necessary equipment to do so¡­ A heavy sigh could be heard from behind. ¡°Look, I am sorry. But you¡­ No, just hear me out, please? We really don¡¯t have time for that.¡± Next, he looked at the walls. Indeed, they had something resembling cannons. The long cylinders were set in regular intervals along the whole wall, but he could already tell their reach didn¡¯t exceed 40 meters. The fields beyond it never came this close to the walls, after all. Also, from the forest¡¯s side, the trees were pruned for exactly that distance. ¡°I will compensate. I am really sorry,¡± she said in a submissive voice. He slowly put the spyglass down. After a moment of silence, he looked back. Aisha was standing there, slumped and making an apologetic face. ¡°Compensate how?¡± he asked in a cold tone. ¡°Ugh, cooking for you for the next month?¡± He started to turn back. ¡°Information¡­¡± he barely heard her murmur. Turning around entirely, he crossed his arms and looked her straight in the eyes. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°Information¡­ That isn¡¯t exactly public¡­ And will help you in the future¡­¡± she explained hesitantly, breaking the eye contact and glancing to the right. He sighed. It wasn¡¯t clear if she wasn¡¯t just acting it out, but if she could give him something tangible, he would at least try to believe that. He understood intellectually that she just pranked him. And that the prank itself was even useful for him, in a sense. He got what he wanted. But being manhandled like that had hit his pride hard. Even if it wasn¡¯t objectively reasonable, she did hurt his feelings. He would go as far, as to say that she betrayed his expectations. At least, that was his reasoning. Looking at it from a more simplistic level, he was just angry. The reason for it didn¡¯t matter much. When someone does something that depreciates you in your own view, objective facts land in the background of the natural, emotional reaction. But she finally apologized, and maybe even meant it. He would have to reevaluate this ¡®relationship¡¯ of theirs, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t burn bridges if she was reasonable. ¡°Don¡¯t ever place me in such a pathetic position again. I may be young for you, but that was just¡­¡± he tried to find words to describe it, but none have come. He ended up gesticulating generically with his hands. Sighing angrily, he stopped. ¡°You crossed the line,¡± he finally declared. She just nodded. Zeph was sure she didn¡¯t understand what part of her antics caused all this, but so was he. ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s go, Kwan is waiting,¡± she proposed with resignation in her voice. He hesitated for a moment before following. Even if he would rather stay alone, for now, to cool down, he wasn¡¯t doing anything meaningful ¨C just distracting himself. Well, it did bring some interesting findings, but they indeed had more important matters to attend to. While they traveled in silence to the lower decks using the stairs, he tried out the stamp. It didn¡¯t activate until they walked through the doorframe to deck-2. A connection between black lines on the wooden surface and his stamp snapped into place, almost perfectly straight. Only then he was able to notice that something smaller was present inside his Veil. He didn¡¯t pay attention earlier, so he was unsure which places sported the same mechanism, but some sort Mana construct in the shape of a grid was placed in the doorway. The lines were so thin, that he had problems discerning them as the grid moved smoothly through his Veil. Its straight lines started to bulge only near his body, snapping unnoticeably at the contact, but some of them had to touch the medallion on his neck as he passed. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Whatever the enchantment in the stamp did, it was breaking his connection to the Mana he pumped into it, so all he could feel was a cylindrical shape sneaking through his Veil, emerging from the tool. Frowning, he burned a little of his Will and Will-Mana to cut it off, using his Veil. He felt somehow sad the Willforce constructs weren¡¯t able to stay stable outside of his Soul influence. They decayed after leaving his body. The connection broke easily enough. Looking around, he didn¡¯t see any other passengers, only Aisha. She was looking at him with a small smile. Deciding it was safe, he took a few steps back, concentrating on his Mana perception. As soon as one line of the grid touched the stamp, a new Mana-transferring canal formed. ¡°Grrrruuummm,¡± it noticed, vibrating silently. He hummed. It isn¡¯t a bad idea, we rarely have an occasion, he thought, forcing himself to resonate with Gru. After gaining the ¡®Resonation Suppression¡¯ General Skill, he was able to learn how to do the opposite. Sadly, Gru¡¯s ¡®Resonating¡¯ was a trait, not a Skill he could learn, so the effects were never as profound as a natural phenomenon and required them to be in a somehow similar mindset. It was the first time they truly forced the Resonation outside of training, too. The situations up until now always provided some background for the act, but this time it was just their shared curiosity. After concentrating on the Will-powered Soul perception and Mana perception that they used in tandem, he moved his hand closer to the empty space left by the foreign Mana. He tasted a Space-Mana caressing the tip of his finger. It was definitely a different type than his own, but the similarity could not be disregarded. Pushing his finger inside was difficult, as it repelled the construct aside. He had to burn some Will and Will-Mana on his Veil to keep the canal in place. Metal-Mana, but very different from the types I had contact with up until now¡­ I¡¯m sure it helps with the conductivity of the cables. There is also¡­ something resembling Crystal-Mana? And a lot of pure Mana, too¡­ He had a feeling there was more inside, but that much was enough for him. This level of Magicule sensitivity was already something he didn¡¯t expect from himself, the System only confirming it. A new accomplishment brought new levels.
Congratulations! All requirements met for the [General Skill] [Mana perception] to cross the [Tier] threshold without [Specializing]! No derivates are available. Do you want to proceed?
Oh, I just needed to use it like that to cross the line? I would have done it sooner if I knew¡­ he thought ruefully, feeling guilty for not reading into the Skill deep enough. I am lucky, to keep it as the non-specialized version without proper training. Hmmm, according to Aisha, it should give me two standard levels worth of Soul fragments¡­ It won¡¯t be enough to level me up, doesn¡¯t it? ¡°Sorry to disturb, but we should keep moving,¡± she interrupted his musing. ¡°Ah, right. Sorry,¡± he said, accepting the tier-up.
[Soul fragments] awarded! [General Skill] [Mana perception] is now [T2] [L05]! (+7) [General Skill] [Will-powered Soul perception] is now [T2] [L65]! (+3)
Yep, it isn¡¯t enough. ¡°I was just distracted¡­¡± He started walking in her direction, keeping his focus on the Mana-transferring connection. It was moving alongside him, tracing the black and silver lines on the ceiling, almost like a safety rope sliding across a railing. Aisha nodded with understanding but didn¡¯t comment. Soon, they found Kwan¡¯s quarters and knocked on the doors. A fully geared guardian opened them. ¡°Welcome, you two,¡± he said, opening the doors for them and moving aside. ¡°Please follow me.¡± A side entrance led to a much more spacious leisure room, evidently designed to receive guests. A few more doors were also connected to it, probably leading to more private quarters. Kwan was sitting relaxed on a big sofa, sipping a cold drink. Somehow, Zeph could tell she was mentally spent. Looking around, there was no trace of P¡¯pfel. The old Gremling was probably in the middle of setting new workstation right now. He noticed that the Mana-transferring construct was cut-off the moment he entered. ¡°How was the launch? A stunning sight, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kwan asked teasingly. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, it was. On many levels,¡± he said, giving Aisha a stink eye. She just laughed awkwardly and changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, I see the room is ready?¡± ¡°Indeed. Have a sit,¡± Kwan gestured to the armchairs, a slight disappointment visible in her eyes. The familiar gentleman brought them snacks and cold, non-alcoholic drinks, which Aisha quickly fixed by gulping half of hers and refilling it from her own waterskin. He just thanked the man and waited for them to start the discussion. He wasn¡¯t really sure what they wanted to talk about. ¡°So,¡± Aisha started, slowly rotating her glass, ¡°how are your people?¡± ¡°Not so bad, although I expected them to do better,¡± Kwan sighed, leaning back on the cushions. ¡°Three of the seven newbies are showing symptoms of the first-blood syndrome. It will take a while to determine if they are suitable to stay as combatants. Except for them and people close to the deceased, everyone should recover by tomorrow. No one was crippled, thankfully. Waiting for almost two weeks for the access to the Exchange would be excruciating, and the spirit wasn¡¯t high to begin with.¡± Aisha raised her eyebrow. ¡°Everyone has enough for an implant already?¡± Kwan shrugged. ¡°The town was too small to present many challenges, so I made sure they saved the points instead of wasting them on levels. Only one person declared the readiness for advancing, anyway. We are just waiting until he finishes with his contamination,¡± she explained, drinking some more. ¡°I am more concerned about their mental fortitude¡­ Speaking of which,¡± she suddenly said, squinting her eyes at Zeph, ¡°You are surprisingly unperturbed for someone who directly caused at least seven deaths.¡± Aisha kept silent. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu punched him in the face. Shit, here we go again ¨C giving myself away while she just enjoys her drink¡­ Eh, time to sell some white lies again¡­ Gru didn¡¯t send any warning about lie detectors, but there was no need to spill bullshit, anyway. ¡°And why exactly is it so surprising?¡± he started nonchalantly. ¡°I don¡¯t hold much sentiment for people even partially responsible for the Barringstone¡¯s disease. And I know how to take care of myself.¡± She wasn¡¯t convinced, her eyes scanning him intensely. ¡°You still killed seven strangers. I am trying to not pry too much but¡­ I would be lying if I said that this isn¡¯t concerning.¡± Wrong answer¡­ Well, I can sympathize. It¡¯s probably the first symptom of Nether infection, he thought, remembering Xim and her lies. Although, suspecting I am infected is quite a stupid idea, he noticed, glancing at Aisha. She is probably just fishing for information¡­ Let¡¯s throw her a bone, I don¡¯t need more scrutiny than I already have on me. He took a deeper breath. ¡°I no longer have Empathy Enhancement,¡± he brazenly declared, making the gentleman almost drop the glass he was clearing. ¡°I am not sure how¡­ resilient I am to the side effects of killing sentients now. I will have to see, but you¡­ you will have to pay handsomely if you want to know any more,¡± he finished, slightly spooked by the floor creaking under Aisha¡¯s weapon. No, it had to be his imagination, she wasn¡¯t even touching it. But her lessons on the topic of the value of knowledge were¡­ deeply engraved in his mind. That has to be it, she definitely wasn¡¯t preparing to bonk him in the head just now. Maybe that week they spent in the inn wasn¡¯t the best for his mental health, after all. Kwan searched his face for a moment longer, then glanced at Aisha. Finally, she gave up. ¡°I apologize,¡± she started, closing her eyes. ¡°I will pay you for this information accordingly when we land.¡± ¡°About that,¡± he chimed in with renewed energy. ¡°I know we are traveling to Lurona city, but what are plans for this ship after that? Also, when are we going to leave the area of unstable Mana currents?¡± ¡°Interested in business? Already thinking big?¡± Kwan asked, already in a better mood. ¡°More like trying to abuse the situation,¡± Aisha murmured, looking into her drink. ¡°You are not incorrect, Aisha,¡± Zeph laughed. ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know who is getting money for this course ¨C I am too ignorant to start any form of a business. I just want to know how to plan for the future. I am assuming the pilots have something in mind if they agreed to this one-way flight, I just nurture a small hope for free travel or a partnership with them, that¡¯s all.¡± Kwan nodded at that. ¡°At least you know where you stand. The ship will be sold at the aerostation, so you can bury down your idea of cheap transport. People riding with us are holding the majority of proprietors¡¯ voices, so it will be done. The groups that want to go elsewhere will have to make do by themselves. As for the twins, they heard about a new type of avions and wanted to try them in the city. Its geographical location and bureaucratic openness made it a center of innovations years ago. The chaotic currents should subside halfway, and only then the twins will allow any meetings.¡± Oh, this may get exciting! ¡°Is there a chance for me to speak with them directly, then?¡± I need someone to test the planes, and they sound ideal. Kwan laughed a little. ¡°You sure are eager. But exotic knowledge wouldn¡¯t be enough to make them waste their time. They are alternating in piloting this ship, each spending half a day on just that. For business-related meetings, both have to be present at the same time. It¡¯s their own way of decreasing the number of scammers and wasted time ¨C you have to have a solid offer. If you want to eke even half an hour, you would need much more than just promises, no matter how reliable a source of information you are.¡± He deflated hearing that. Busy people doing busy things¡­ He hoped it would be somehow different in this world. ¡°I would recommend going through us after we root ourselves in the city,¡± she continued. ¡°I am sure the twins will stay there long enough for us to organize something¡­ Assuming you don¡¯t find more interesting pilots.¡± She¡¯s not wrong¡­ Rushing things can harm me. A shame I never was the right person to do business, he thought. After a moment of consideration, he looked at Aisha. She ignored him for a few seconds. Then started frowning, before finally snapping. ¡°What?¡± she asked in irritation. ¡°Can I¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But you didn¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You want your own business? Why don¡¯t you take care of it?¡± she deadpanned, sipping from her drink. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes. ¡°20%.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± They shook their hands, to the Kwan¡¯s amusement. ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Be the business representative. I don¡¯t know shit about all this.¡± ¡°Can do,¡± she answered, smiling. ~~~ He was looking at the ceiling of his room. The rest of the discussion was quite straightforward, just plans on what to do in the city once they get there. Aisha took it upon herself to arrange an interview with the pilots. He had a really good feeling about them, which should mean something if their last talk about auguring was worth anything. That aside, it was finally time to evolve his ¡®Primitive enchanting¡¯ into his first Passive Skill. He already warned everyone that it would probably take more than a day. Kwan even ordered one of her people to check on him regularly, to make sure he was hydrated. Later, Aisha promised to check if there weren¡¯t any complications.
Are you sure you want [Primitive enchanting] to become a [Passive Skill]?
¡°Yep,¡± he said aloud. The darkness of unconsciousness taking him soon after.
Interface: (updated tomorrow) Chapter 42 - Some things go right, some things go wrong. Avianna [north lands of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.11.32] Zeph was hunting Rakes, but the more he killed, the more were running to his location. It was becoming overwhelming, wave after wave of rats¡­ He tried everything he could, yet no clever solution showed itself and he knew the end was near. They were easy to smash with his Mana alone, but he could only concentrate on so many at one time. Placing a spell inside of them was causing a visceral explosion, so he abused that fact. He was ¡°enchanting¡± them and whatever he used, always ended up in their deaths. Yet, as time flew by, more and more of his spells started to fail. They are adapting! he realized. As he was at the end of his ropes¡­ The forest changed to grassland and he was retreating slowly. This time, he used his martial arts to save Mana, making strange moves. His punches were weak, but fast, possible only thanks to his enhanced body. He was sure his joints shouldn¡¯t be able to bend at such angles. They shouldn¡¯t, a single conscious thought surfaced as he concentrated more on techniques than his strength. His mind was scrambling to make sense of the chaotic battle and events, but quickly succumbed to the sensations coming from all around. The exhaustion was building up more and more, until he could barely evade¡­ Furious, he used his Enchanting on his own fists, damaging his bones but setting his skin on fire. That worked much better against the furry opponents! Actually, he felt like he could easily set his whole body on fire¡­ Although, my flesh should have melted some time ago¡­ the thought flashed, but it was too late. The background changed to mountains, full of burrows of the rats. He focused again on the hordes charging down from them. His will to fight instantly evaporated, there was no way he could fight them all if¡­ Instead of surrendering, though, he enchanted his sword, packing it full of Force-Mana. He could feel as his weapon became a part of his body. If I can do that with a sword¡­ He concentrated the power emanating from his body. His armor infused itself with his skin, creating a monstrosity never seen before¡­ When did I get a sword? And I didn¡¯t have an armor a moment ago¡­ he noticed, and this time the thought persisted. He looked around. Something was wrong. But big rats started to attack him at that moment. He fought back against the bear-sized creatures and couldn¡¯t concentrate on his own thoughts anymore. The animals were studier, faster, and more resilient than their smaller brethren. Using his Mana directly on them was useless. It¡¯s time to go all out, he thought before pumping his body full of Mana. Space-, Force-, Heat-, Electric-¡­ you name it! His Enhanced body started to bulge, Mana glowing all around his inflated flesh, the weapons integrated¡ª Another rat bit him on his naked calf. The sensation was so sudden, he lost his balance and fell backwards. He never felt the pain during this encounter, but¡ª That realization has broken the focus of the illusion. The rats started to slow down in their charge, even as he saw that they were still running with the same vigor. What is.. oh!... No, wait! But it was too late. Or rather, because he realized that he was dreaming, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay here anymore. No matter how much he wanted to continue, his neurons finally started to shoot signals to the proper, physical targets. The five senses he used until now, mixed unintelligently with emotional charge, were being overwritten by real, physical sensations. The world around paused entirely and started to dissolve, a chaotic set of images engraved itself in his mind as the memory of it all slowly faded away¡­ =============================== Meanwhile, in the structure of Zeph¡¯s Soul.
[Spell] [Primitive Enchanting] chosen for [Transformation]. Target form: [Passive Skill]. Starti¡ª interrupted!
[Safety protocol] [Designation: ¡°ZEH1¡±] [version 2.35.1] is active! Preemptively mapping the [Skill]¡­ successful. Checking [Unstructured] [Soul-space]¡­ sufficient! Recalculating the risks¡­ adequate! [Safety protocol] requirements met! [Stage 1] permitted!
Creating the [Primitive Enchanting] [Skill] backup¡­ Error! Insufficient Mana input! Sending a request for [System] supervi¡ªinterrupted by [Safety protocol]!
Scanning... [Willforce] component interrupting the procedure! Calculating¡­ finished! Overcharging the [Willforce Morphon] enchantment¡­ ¡­ ¡­
¡­ Overcharging finished! [Safety protocol] engages [Self-update]¡­ successful. [version 2.35.2] available! [Safety protocol] requirements met! [Stage 1.1] permitted!
Creating the [Primitive Enchanting] [Skill] backup¡­ successful!
[Safety protocol] requirements met! [Stage 2] permitted!
Forming the [Passive Skill] [Soul cluster]¡­ interrupted! [Warning] from [Safety protocol]! Brain structure requires [Will] component!
Reversing changes¡­
Forming [Willforce-enforced] [Soul cluster]¡­ interrupted! [Warning] from [Safety protocol]! [Willforce] component requires [Metabolic] [Spell] component!
Reversing changes¡­
Forming new [Energy Enhancement]¡­ interrupted! [Warning] from [Safety protocol]! Overhaul impossible in the [Energy Enhancement] system! Risk of [Positive Feedback Loop] detected!
Reversing changes¡­
Sending a request for [System] supervi¡ªinterrupted by [Safety protocol]!
Consolidating data¡­ ¡­ ¡­Alternative found! [Safety protocol] engages [Self-update]¡­ successful. [version 2.36.1] available!
[Safety protocol] requirements met! [Stage 2.1] permitted!
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Expanding [Willforce Morphon]: creating [Sub-class] framework, components 1 to 3¡­ Warning! Available [Soul-space] insufficient to assure construct¡¯s stability!
[Warning] revoked by [Safety protocol]. Permission to proceed granted.
¡­finished. Testing¡­ [Willforce] stabilization engaged automatically; stability assured! [Willforce Morphon] expanded successfully!
Reassigning the partially-formed [Sub-class] as [Passive Skill] [Soul cluster] storage¡­ successful! Initiating¡­ Transferring [Soul data] to the storage¡­ successful! Testing¡­ No problems found! [Transformation] complete!
Sending [Backlogs] of the procedure to the closest node¡­ Cleaning the backup¡­
That day, the System was especially generous to people. Some high-level entities even claimed that they could perceive smugness emanating from the Interface, but such claims were blasphemous at best, so no one took them seriously¡­ =============================== Zeph opened his eyes suddenly, sucking in the air in a loud wheeze. The visual stimulus instantly shook out the last vestiges of the nightmare, but provided little explanation to his confused mind. His body shot up, panicked eyes scanning the environment in but a few seconds. Wood, shelf, wood, more wood, table, wooden half-wall, closet, wood¡­ Ship¡­ I am on the ship¡­ The loud sound of quick, shallow breaths started to die down as he slowly oriented himself mentally. Losing the strength in his arms, keeping him up in a sitting position until now, he fell back onto his bed. Shielding his eyes with a forearm, he just laid there, panting heavily. What the fuck¡­ Sweet was covering his naked body. A body that was so weak that his muscles trembled from the unintended exercise from a moment ago. His bed was damp, his head dizzy. Shouldn¡¯t this¡­ WASN¡¯T this procedure described as safe?! ¡°I feel like shit,¡± he grumbled weakly. ¡°Grrrumm,¡± it jokingly vibrated. ¡°I hope not. I already have enough bad habits, and this one would be especially irritating¡­¡± He heard the sound of doors opening, so he looked to the side. He was met with two luminescent-green eyes peeking into the room from behind a slit. ¡°Oh, you are finally awake!¡± a girl exclaimed in a high voice, hurriedly entering inside. ¡°I was worried you would start to starve if this continued!¡± She was beside his bed in a few quick steps. Her shoulder-length, brown hair was in disarray, in contrast with her light-green nurse dress that covered her whole body with its dense fabric. As she was checking his pulse and body, his mind was trying to process what she just indicated. He frowned. ¡°How long was I unconscious?¡± ¡°Three nights. It¡¯s the fourth day of the flight,¡± she said straightening up. ¡°I will bring some food. The liquid meals were definitely not enough! I will be right back!¡± she explained in a burst of words, already moving to the doors. The situation was a little strange for him. Starving? After¡­ what? 72 hours? He didn¡¯t even feel hungry, just impossibly weak. Are my nutrition requirements this big now? No¡­ in the first place, why did the process took so long? He sighed. ¡°The System had to intervene again? That would¡ª" ¡°Gre¡­¡± Gru denied. ¡°Graar!¡± He blinked. ¡°Is that so?... I have no idea what it was all about, then. I really need to speak with the System. This is getting ridiculous, fast.¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated with determination. It seemed Gru had his own complaints to share with the System. Zeph didn¡¯t move for a minute, slowly gathering strength. Then, in a burst of motion, he tried to sit up again, immediately feeling the drain on his Will increasing drastically, just as his muscles momentarily regained some of their original strength. He quickly shuffled his body to be supported by the bed¡¯s low walls, feeling exhausted by doing even this much. His muscles felt strange, almost numb, like the rest of his body. As if they were cooled down to the point that he lost all feeling. But that wasn¡¯t what caught his attention. Finally, after his Will dropped below his ¡®maximum capacity¡¯ from the movement, he noticed that his Soul was constantly draining it. The added burden of physical exertion only caused the drain to overwhelm his regeneration. Better to not move too much, he decided. It¡¯s definitely the ¡®energetical resource exchange¡¯ the description of Willforce Morphon mentioned¡­ It certainly feels¡­ different. He leaned against the wall by his bed. In slow movements, he rotated and made himself as comfortable as possible, covering his lower body with the quilt. He was trembling all over when he finished. After catching his breath again, he took a whiff of his upper arm and grimaced. It was obvious he sweated a lot in the past few days. Thankfully, it seemed that his caretaker was toweling him down regularly. His body still stank, though, even if the brunt of the smell was removed. His bedsheets were clean enough to indicate that they were changed daily. At least daily. He wondered how they dealt with more¡­ unsavory technicalities surrounding a bedridden and unconscious person. He wasn¡¯t eating anything during this period of time, but a digestive system isn¡¯t working that fast. Something like this wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to him ¨C he was a part of the medical team, if you could call it that, of his para-military organization, after all ¨C but he felt like it was so long ago. And thinking about the girl that showed up a few moments ago, he couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed a little. For the next minutes, he reminisced his time on Earth. He had¡­ neglected those memories for quite some time. Even if he had an excuse, as there always was more to do, it was important to ground oneself, to put his current life in the context of his past. To remember why he was here, in the first place. But before he dived too deep into his own memories and thoughts, the bright-eyed girl returned with a trolley full of food. He decided to leave himself some time for self-reflection during this flight, though. ¡°I have brought something light, you will have to start slowly,¡± she said, placing a plate full of cooked vegetables on a bed table and setting it before him. Zeph thanked her genuinely and slowly reached for the two-pronged fork. ¡°Are you a healer of some kind?¡± She beamed at him. ¡°I am a Doctor, actually. Well, I am trying to incorporate some Mana techniques in the art, but the prospects don¡¯t look good, haha,¡± she said with an uncertain smile. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s interesting!¡± Zeph spoke between bites. He was inhaling the food with increasing speed. His hunger has been awakened by the first touch of nutriments on his tongue, and now it was raging. ¡°I am¡­ actually¡­ hoping to achieve the same¡­ in the future¡­¡± Hearing that, the energy returned to her face and she started to eagerly share some of her ideas while he was packing his mouth full of food. He was surprised that his stomach was able to contain all five meals. Even if Gru was helping slightly with the digesting speed, it felt like he was losing track of his own body. Although, he didn¡¯t have much time to ponder on it. Pavail, his caretaker, was very talkative. He soon learned why, too. She rarely met like-minded people. The society at large viewed the ¡®magical healing¡¯ as impossibility or a thing of legends. He already heard enough from Aisha ¨C to operate on biological tissue, one would have to possess an inhuman control over Mana, or be proficient enough in modifying Spells to actually prepare each one specifically for the patient. Not to mention, Spells capable of such detailed machinations started at Tier 4. At the time, he shuddered at the thought of modifying something two Tiers above his best Spell, but the more he learned about Matrix versions, the more sure he was that they were supposed to teach them the means to do just that. After all, the Spells he created were vastly simpler and cheaper than the Matrix versions. Most of them, at least. And enchanting was the most eye-opening art in this regard, teaching him multiple methods of modifying a Spell to fit in an object ¨C for the price of functionality or efficiency. On the other hand, the Matrix versions of Spells were optimized in all respects. Firstly, they had to operate in every Mana density. Or, at least, in Mana density difference of a few strata. Secondly, ambient Magicules shouldn¡¯t have much effect on the Spell. At least not enough to render them totally useless. Thirdly, all of the Matrix Spells were ready to work in liquids. Yes, it wasn¡¯t an optimal environment by any means, but he confirmed as much before his experiment with the mercury ¨C every Spell could be constructed underwater and it didn¡¯t lose its primary functionality. Even if the process was difficult because of the medium density and internal currents in such environment, if the water was still, the effect would be produced. That was also connected to the second property of Matrix Spells ¨C ambient Water-Mana Magicules were produced in overabundance in the water, after all. And finally, for every active Spell, it was possible to find a shape of a solid object that could allow its activation after enchanting. P¡¯pfel confirmed it was true for every one of them. But he kept his thoughts about modifying Spells to himself. This knowledge was worth too much to even mention it. At least according to Aisha. Pavail wouldn¡¯t be interested in the topic that much, anyway. She was talking from a more¡­ practical point of view. She was sure that certain Energy Enhancements, or even body enhancements, could be shared with other people. She just had to learn how to apply them. Either by Soul bonding, extending the influence of her Soul onto another''s body, or just forcing the construct inside. For her, the first and most important step was to find and claim related modifications and General Skills. Only then, she would look for ways to implement those, like a doctor would do with tools. This didn¡¯t change the fact that Zeph admired her ideas and efforts. She stood firm in the storm of opinions that the public threw at her, never losing her hope. He could relate to that. Not to mention, she was very intelligent. Not knowledgeable, talented, or wise, but intelligent and creative. She has made connections where he would be clueless, theorized on possibilities way out of the common sense or logic. She held such enormous amounts of inspiration, he could only be left speechless. As they talked, he could feel the strength slowly return to his body. He no longer felt like he could faint at a moment''s notice, or deplete his Will by just trying to stand up. He wasn¡¯t sure how long they spent discussing healing, though. It certainly was at least a few hours. Feeling better, he decided to change the topic to more pressuring matters. ¡°Are you going to stay in Lurona city?¡± he asked finally, after trying for a few minutes to find a good moment but finding none. He interrupted her lecture on different tissue-handling methods, as he already knew most of them, just not in the context of Mana and Soul. ¡°Ummm, do I even have a choice? Kwan decided to stay there, and I can¡¯t really¡­ pursue my research without her¡­¡± she said, somewhat deflated. ¡°But if you could, you would definitely visit countries, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± he more stated than asked. ¡°The ones more dedicated to improving healing methods?¡± ¡°Of course! But even if I moved there, it¡¯s not like they would give me that knowledge without tying me down¡­ Not to mention, the methods I would like to try aren¡¯t really working right now¡­¡± she lost all her enthusiasm explaining this to him, slouching dramatically. ¡°I think¡­ that we could manage to work something out.¡± She perked at it, but he was uncertain if he could really help. One thing was sure, though ¨C it would be a hell of easier to pursue the magical healing if he had someone working with him. But his financial situation was¡­ ¡°I cannot guarantee anything right now, but if my plans go as intended¡­ would you be willing to work with me? I will travel a lot, so we can at least¡ª¡± ¡°Of course!¡± she exclaimed with stars in her eyes, shoving her face so close to his that it almost looked like she wanted to kiss him. After noticing it, she straightened up quickly but didn¡¯t seem abashed at all. ¡°It would be enough for me to just exchange our findings! Oh, well, if you agree? I don¡¯t think my research is worth much¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I am trying to touch the topic from the opposite direction, so your findings will surely be of value. Actually¡­ let¡¯s leave the details for later. We are not even sure how Kwan will deal with the new city and there are some other circumstances to take care of first¡­ But I will surely have a room in your base of operation, and a workshop. You can use part of it if you want.¡± She looked like she wanted to hug him, but he preemptively reached with his hand for a shake, to which she obliged instantly, smiling brightly and shaking the hell out of it. Maybe it looked like a rushed decision, but he knew what power a passion could bring to the table. He always dreamed of working with people with the same goal as himself, and it was the first step to do so. Something he wasn¡¯t able to find on Earth ¨C he was going to try and achieve it here, in the new world. Pavail seemed like a good choice for his first research partner. She was eager, persistent, and open. Open to the point he thought he could read her. That gave him at least some sense of security¡­ She was now skipping from foot to foot, evidently imagining a bright future. He smiled at the cute scene, hoping to help her in keeping that passion of hers aflame. ¡°Okay. Now that we have that sorted out, can you tell me why I was so weak earlier?¡± He was sure this sensation shouldn¡¯t take place, new body enhancements or not. The Doctor was probably the person to ask, he really didn¡¯t have an idea what his previous state amounted for. ¡°I understand that my metabolism is faster now, but to being on the brink of starvation after a few days¡­ it¡¯s definitely new to me. Not to mention I shouldn¡¯t be this weak¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that!¡± she vigorously exclaimed. ¡°You have too many metabolic modifications. Ah, actually, I already know you are not a human, so don¡¯t worry. Miss Zora already made a contract with me.¡± Shit! I totally forgot about that part! he thought, as she moved the sliding chair closer and sat on it. ¡°But even ignoring our anatomic differences, whatever you modified is too much. Your cells don¡¯t want to give away any nutrition. Like, at all. It destabilized your natural body functionality. You have something strange in place that prevented your body from ceasing to function, though, so it¡¯s not life-threatening at least. Umm, I think you should test it more profoundly, I think.¡± She stopped and gave him the time to think it through, for which he was truly grateful. After thinking about what she said for a moment, he started to come up with his own conclusions. Autophagy isn¡¯t working? He guessed. That¡¯s not good¡­ or maybe it is? If I can substitute the energy with Will and Soul... energy? Then, I won¡¯t lose muscle mass. Although, my Souls seems to suck my Will dry at the moment¡­ ¡°Umm, can you tell me what¡¯s the major factor in this¡­ disturbance?¡± he asked hopefully. He had five metabolic modifiers: Gru, Willforce Morphon, Homeostasis defense, Regeneration, and his contaminations. Actually, Willforce Morphon should count as at least three different modifications, but he assumed she wouldn¡¯t be able to perceive the Willforce metabolism in its entirety. ¡°No. Your body is too strange for me to even try to discern such details. But I am sure you have at least three different sources influencing that aspect,¡± she stated with confidence, crossing her arms and nodding to herself. Ugh, if it is what I am thinking it is¡­ ¡°Are you counting my Regeneration or contamination?¡± ¡°Of course not! They are quite natural!¡± Doom¡­ I am doomed¡­ Modifying all of them is impossible¡­ So this is now my body? He looked at his hands like he would at an alien specimen. ¡°But don¡¯t worry! I heard you didn¡¯t buy anything from the Exchange yet! I am sure you will be able to find something to alleviate the side effects. Just remember to test your current capabilities thoroughly!¡± she tried to comfort him. Aisha, stop spreading information about me! he screamed internally. It¡¯s time for some admonishment! She is getting out of hand! ¡°Where is Zora, by the way? I would like to talk to her¡­¡± Like, right now, he added in his head, smiling coldly. ¡°Sorry, but she is resting now and no one is permitted to see her,¡± Pavail said seriously. He tilted his head. ¡°Why? Is she shy? Or just hiding?¡± From me, for example... Pavail shook her head solemnly. ¡°No. She has eight bones broken and eleven bone fractures. Not to mention, her internal organs are all bruised or abused. We put her on house arrest. Kwan had to threaten her to do that, though¡­¡± she mused at the end. That actually shocked him a little. ¡°Huh? How was she able to move yesterday?¡± Pavail shrugged. ¡°You would have to ask her about her body enhancements if you want to know. But even if she would be fine, the faster she regenerates, the better. I actually have to give her some sleeping herbals regularly because she wouldn¡¯t stop moving around otherwise! Can you imagine that? She is soooo stro¡­ Ahem, strange,¡± she said the last part in an almost fangirl tone. Zeph could already feel a headache.
Interface: (not yet, my friend!) Chapter 43 - Its not the ground that kills you... but its terrifying all the same. Avianna [north lands of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.11.32] Zeph spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, giving his body the time necessary to recover fully. After chatting a bit more and double-checking his body for any problems, Pavail left to deal with other patients. Thankfully, after seeing his frown, she started avoiding the topic of Aisha. Zeph could tell she was curious, obviously so, and was grateful that she restrained herself. It wasn¡¯t that he had a problem with telling her some stories, but he dreaded the possibility of listening to the over-energetic girl¡¯s enthusiastic monologue without a hope to stop her. That would be mentally draining, for many reasons. As to who else needed her help, obviously the seasick. He was surprised their enhanced bodies weren¡¯t able to negate this simple affliction. It was more related to how the brain works, though, so maybe it wasn¡¯t that strange? The ship certainly was rocking erratically, if gently. After Pavail left him to his own devices, he immediately evacuated to the bathroom with the intention of purging the foul smell from the surface of his body. It took him two hours. It was a blessing, even if the ship never ceased in its attempts to knock him down. The ride was definitely more wild after they made some distance from the town. It seemed that the Mana currents above it were quite docile in comparison. He found his muscles stiff after three days of stillness, so for the next few hours, he did light exercises and stretches. The familiar movements were relaxing, and Zeph allowed his mind to wander, to meditate a little on his past. Gru was listening intently when he talked to himself. Somehow, the action of speaking out loud brought more weight to his thoughts ¨C he noticed that long ago, when the depression was really starting to kick in after his employment started. But it was even more evident right now. Was that the physical action itself? The necessary brain activity? The fact, that he could hear himself, so it was easier to remember? He didn¡¯t know, but he could feel it had a potential. To be exact ¨C Magical potential, as he came to name all of the supernatural effects happening in this world. Well, here they weren¡¯t ¡®supernatural¡¯, but instead of fighting with semantics, he focused on his memories, as he promised himself to do. Which wasn¡¯t as easily done, as he expected. From time to time, he could feel the lightness indicating they were losing altitude and the ship¡¯s movements right after that were generally more aggressive ¨C probably the result of correcting the sails and wing. But the most confusing were moments when the ship floated at an angle in relation to the direction of its motion. ¡®Drifting¡¯ in air, to say colloquially, or yawing, to say technically. Every time this happened it either started to deaccelerate sharply or kept accelerating to change the course. Zeph¡¯s inertia was trying to throw him at the walls at odd angles and because he had no way of orienting himself in relation to the direction of their motion beforehand, it was always a surprise attack. The follow-up correction of the ship¡¯s alignment was another can of worms. People near the back and front of the ship had it the worst, as the behemoth rotated horizontally. Then, the sails¡¯ movements, preventing them from overcorrecting, were forcing the ship to tilt, causing it to roll for a few moments after. Of course, the further away one was from the deck at the center of the mass, the worse it was. Well, because the ship was this big, none of those movements were too fast or extreme. The forces weren¡¯t enough to throw him off his feet, but the unexpected changes made him land on his backside way too frequently. It was especially irritating when he was eating or using the bathroom. But there was a rhythm to it all, which he slowly started to recognize. The maneuvers have predictable outcomes, the ship¡¯s reactions to the changing environment varied only so much. His body started to accommodate naturally, as the slight movements of the ship forecasted one of a few possible outcomes. It would take at least a few days to get used to, but he felt like he was starting to¡­ understand the ship. It felt a little like riding an enormous animal, learning how it moves, how it behaves. He soon realized why the high-class quarters were placed at the center of the ship, on the deck-5. It was a place least influenced by the ship¡¯s movements. Not only that, it had direct lifts to the superstructure and its sun decks, as well as leisure rooms placed above and below. Also, it was least influenced by fluctuations in the ambient Mana density. Zeph couldn¡¯t have imagined what problems a quickly-changing ambient Mana density can cause. The density in his room was, for the most part, stable. The stamp, inserted in its slot in a metal contraption sticking out of the wall near his bed, was sucking out Mana after it reached a certain threshold. He was always producing Mana, so the ¡®pressure¡¯ building up in his room was enough to ¡®push¡¯ the excess into the stamp. It was the same mechanism as when he manipulated his Veil ¨C as Aisha explained to him¡­ not so long ago, the whole trick was in creating enough ¡®pressure¡¯. It brought to mind the electromotive force, they just needed a controlled ¡®potential difference¡¯ and everything would flow as intended. But when he walked out of the infirmary room that evening to stroll a little, the problem became obvious. The coming and going of Mana, evidently seeping in from the weather deck above, contracted and dispersed his Veil in unpredictable patterns. It was nauseating in a strange way. After the months he spent in this world, feeling through his Mana has become second nature. He could tell when a solid object entered his Veil, when foreign Mana disturbed its structure, when someone was getting near him. He even started to subconsciously modify the shape of the AMC to better accommodate those sensations, although it was inactive right now. But now, his Veil was sneakily changing radius, shape, and the ¡®solidness¡¯ of Mana around was fluctuating. He felt as if he was underwater, just without the resistance it brought. Then, he started to have difficulties with measuring the distances from solid objects, as his Veil¡¯s range fluctuated inconspicuously. The movements of Mana around faked the sensation of going faster or slower, hindering his bodily coordination or startling him. To summarize, he was staggering like a drunk person. On a ship that was swaying. This, obviously, didn¡¯t end well. Hugging the walls of the corridor was the only way to move forward, until he decided he had enough and forcefully compressed his Veil to tightly hug around his body. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. If sobering instantly was possible, this was how it would feel. Now I know why Aisha looked so eager to take the highest quarters. A fucking free training environment, isn¡¯t it? She doesn¡¯t have my Willpower, so I am sure she likes the challenge, he thought, slightly irritated that no one warned him. At least I don¡¯t have to go through the same. Well¡­ he reconsidered and tried to construct a heat cantrip. It was surprisingly hard to do ¨C he actually had to coordinate his Willpower and Will usage because his Veil was too stiff. Yea, I give it back. It¡¯s actually a good training environment for me, too. =============================== Pavail visited him the next morning to do a quick check-up, bringing a light breakfast along. He already took a shower after doing some light exercises, the same as yesterday, so he was ready to do some touring. At his prompt, she explained the way to his quarters. Then, she surprised him by taking out his armor from a wooden closet standing just beside his bed. ¡°Aisha brought it here. She said it has to stay in your Veil,¡± she explained, placing it on the bed. ¡°I am surprised you already have linked weaponry. It¡¯s really rare at your¡­ Um, our levels,¡± she corrected herself halfway, trying to not sound judgmental. ¡°Ugh, good call. I forgot about it, totally¡­.¡± a cold shiver run down his spine. If the Phleya inside died out because of a simple mistake¡­ ¡°I need to take care of it more,¡± he sighed with resignation. If he wasn¡¯t wearing it at all times, it would be hard to assure the Phleya''s survivability. Maybe I can place a part of the colony in a medallion, or something¡­ Will they even remember the shape of the armor then? No, it¡¯s more important to not lose all those UP I have spent on it! They need to survive. Maybe an internal implant that could store some part of them? Gru was on the brink of vibrating, Zeph could almost feel it physically. He evidently had an idea, but vibrating near people wasn¡¯t a smart move. ¡°Also, don¡¯t worry about me, I know my level is quite inadequate,¡± he said to the girl¡¯s relief. ¡°I am more surprised you were able to tell.¡± She shrugged with indifference. ¡°External Soul perception is quite important to us, doctors. Especially for me¡­ How are you able to endure this Mana density, by the way?¡± she asked, curious. ¡°I have made sure to be resilient to it¡­ Both ways.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± She nodded to herself as if she just solved a mystery. She¡¯s probably assuming I spent all my time gathering UP for ¡®body updates¡¯ instead of leveling up¡­ Which isn¡¯t exactly untrue. Technically. ¡°Any idea when Aisha will be available?¡± ¡°In two days. I don¡¯t believe she could endure any longer, either way. And the herbals are already losing effectiveness¡­¡± After a few days? What is she? A biological weapon? ¡°Tell her to find me when she gets out. I will probably spend my days looking around the ship, though.¡± ¡°No worry!¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I will also be coming. We need to discuss the details, to not interfere with the contract I have sighed already. Ok, I will leave you alone. See you soon!¡± ¡°See ya,¡± Zeph said to the closing doors. As energetic as always, I see¡­ ¡°Grraaa!¡± his chest vibrated in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t even start. If she starts fangirling, I will just leave the room,¡± he declared, donning his armor. But Gru evidently forgot about something. ¡°You wanted to say something about the Phleya?¡± ¡°Gra! Grrrurrr ggrra¡­¡± it exclaimed and started to explain. It took a minute because the idea wasn¡¯t exactly tested and could have many outcomes. Zeph thought about it while putting up his clothes, but there were too many unknowns to really evaluate the possibilities. ¡°And how exactly are you going to communicate? It doesn¡¯t have a Soul,¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Not to mention, your interior isn¡¯t very habitable, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Graau!¡± it vibrated stubbornly. ¡°Greeeeh.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± he hesitated. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put that part away until we visit a shrine. Even if I can upgrade it in such a way, there are just too many unknowns.¡± The idea of making them live in mercury or its derivatives is quite ingenious, though. It reminds me of how Prana batteries are built¡­ But getting rid of Gru¡¯s capacity problem is one thing. If Phleya could live in enchantments or form them¡­ he shook his head. He would need a true laboratory to help in testing things out. Gru could only do as much by himself. ¡°As for the communication ¨C we will need to test the chemicals you can produce on isolated parts. Compromising the whole armor because you triggered some strange reaction would be devastating.¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated in satisfaction, already drilling through his skin to look for possible gaps in the armor to touch the green ¡®slime mould¡¯ inside. Zeph ignored the discomfort he felt and walked out of the room. After making sure everything was in order in his place, he took the stair to the weather deck. The view was even more breathtaking than during the launch. He took his time examining every part of the ship in detail. The steel lines were constantly adjusted by the crew. They were sneaking through a multitude of pulleys and ended near rotating levers, operated manually to balance the tension on the ropes. The attachment points were scattered all over the deck, but the majority were present along the ship¡¯s axis and sides. The clinking sound of locking mechanisms was obscured by the hum of the ship and wind. He walked closer to one of the sails, curious as to how they managed to keep such gigantic Mana construct in place between its ¡®fingers¡¯. The barely blueish surface was surprisingly stable in the face of the wind, even if the sails were staying at around a ten-degree angle to the surface. The answer was surprisingly simple ¨C thin metal lines were stretched between the fingers, evidently enchanted and the center of the Mana construct. He was sure even that much would produce a tremendous air resistance, which would explain the tilt when they moved, but the magical effect itself wasn¡¯t interacting with the air much. Seeing that the fingers were raised upwards at the ends, he guessed that the main functionality of those contraptions was to direct Mana upwards ¨C into the wing above. It was quite different from the white ¡®sails¡¯ further back, forming the keel/rudder of the ship. He was sure those ones sported a physical fabric, even if they were enchanted in some ways. Walking leisurely in their direction and looking around like the tourist that he was, he passed the superstructure. The ship was at least 300 meters long, probably more, so it took him a few minutes to get there. His heart skipped a beat when the ship suddenly lurched downwards, causing him to lose his footing altogether for a moment. But even after, they were still losing altitude. The sails reacted with delay, moving slowly, like webbed hands trying to push them backwards. A few moments later, he more felt than saw as the wing above stretched out, pulling them upwards again. They slowed down slightly and Zeph fought for balance for the next minute as the aftereffects rocked the ship. Breathing deeply to calm his nerves, nervously holding a railing bolted to the side of a higher deck, he analyzed what just happened. That sail movement¡­ They are pushing passing ambient Mana upwards¡­ If we ever lose all speed, they would be useless! We would fall! The realization shook him, but he quickly started to rationalize the situation. No¡­ we still have those upward engines that helped us start¡­ Ugh, I feel sick a little. It seemed his body still needed some time to recover. A small injection of adrenaline and it already reacted. Instead of continuing his trip to the back of the ship to see the ¡®jet engines¡¯, he followed the wall, helping his weak knees by leaning on the rail, to find the stairs to the dock+1. The dock naming system was slightly different than on Earth, but for many reasons less confusing. After climbing up, he was met with a sight of a small village worth of shops, all with glassed fronts, set just under the floor of the next deck. Booths and restaurant tables sparsely populated the vast terrace filled with people. Some of them looked quite disheveled, but he ignored them and the slight atmosphere of uneasiness. The crowd of people and the enclosed space he could see ahead were a balm to his frightened soul. Zeph immediately started marching in the direction of the closest entrance leading to the deeper parts of the deck, regaining some control over his wobbly lower limbs with each step. There was nothing more terrifying than losing your footing, the contact with the ground even, while standing on a surface deck of a flying airship, being stuck between a wall and a not-so-high railing. A railing that was the only barrier between you and the rest of the sky. Definitely, nothing. Chapter 44 - Something ends, something starts. The clouds on the horizon. Avianna [central lands of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.01] The lands below slowly passed by. The grasslands, already yellow and dying at this season, were sparsely interrupted by clumps of trees still keeping the multicolored leaves. It was very scenic, if a little monotonic view. He could see movement among fields, but no animal. If he had to guess, the grass itself would reach his chest in height ¨C even ignoring the bushes trying to pierce the homogenous canvas to rise above it all. Many bigger animals could roam inside while keeping a low profile, staying unnoticeable. A shame on them that he was looking from above. Nonetheless, he was skeptical if he would be able to traverse this terrain on foot. The animals aside, after comparing the level of water in the nearby river to the height of the uneven ground around, it became clear the grasslands hid a treacherous terrain. Marshes and water pits were hidden below the yellow leaves, he was sure of it. Zeph sipped from his drink while looking at it all. A strange mix of bitterness and sweetness started to fight for domination on his tongue. It was quite pleasant, like tasting a chocolate brown cake right after drinking a mouthful of a coffee. A sublime taste. The view was becoming quite boring, so he touched a black plate on his table and pushed his Mana in a controlled manner, rotating it to the right in a spiral. The view displayed on the huge screen to his right started to shift upwards. The transition was slow but smooth. After taking another sip of his drink, he stopped feeding it with Mana. Now, the horizon touched the screen¡¯s lower edge. A beautiful scenery, made entirely from strangely-shaped clouds filtering the light of the sun, now dominated the wall to his right. He didn¡¯t know how it worked, but considering their technology level, it was probably a scope and some convoluted mirror mechanism that were sending the light to the inside of the ship. He didn¡¯t care, really. Different from Earth¡¯s, the sky didn¡¯t have normal stratospheric layers. Also, the vapor and its density followed the Mana currents. The three-dimensional formations were truly mesmerizing in their shape and color. The light was not only changing the clouds¡¯ colors due to the Raman scattering, but reflecting from surfaces of micro-crystals suspended in the air and creating a lightshow not even imagined by Rayleigh. Instead of forming stratospheric layers, the clouds clustered in wild shapes, taking all of the skies and moving in patterns not possible on a normal planet. The density of gases was modulated by Mana, both for air and water particles, changing the dynamics entirely. He was still clueless as to why so much light was able to touch the grounds below and why he could see stars at night. Even now, the sky above was the same azure color, the bright moon always visible no matter the time of the day. The same as on his mountain, he could only see singular clouds above, a preposterous notion. If he understood correctly, those vertical cloud formations were present for tens of kilometers above, populating the sky in a never-ending dance. It should be all dark down here. But somehow, they stayed transparent when looking from below. I already saw examples of Mana emitting light¡­ It seems there is a light-transferring effect that I don¡¯t know about¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that mean that the stars I saw are all just warped images of the true celestial sphere? The thought felt right and concerning at the same time. It almost felt claustrophobic, too. Like having a massive illusion placed above just to imitate the real sky and placate him. It brought to his mind a certain old movie where the main character was living all his life in a closed-off dome, in a physically simulated life. All for the fun of viewers¡­ He shook his head. Those were just natural occurrences here; he shouldn¡¯t compare them to Earth¡¯s reality. It actually explained why the sky seemed like it was populated mostly by nebulae, if it was just a distorted or strengthened light of the stars. Mana was produced by living organisms ¨C there was no way it could influence all of the close-by galaxies, or even stars. All in all, the physicality of this place was almost the same, if not the same entirely. Even a small difference could still produce such effects¡­ his inner dreamer spoke up. Change one of the basic constants by a marginal value, and the universe can explode¡­ He ignored the other Zeph¡¯s voice. Realistically speaking ¨C the chances of physicality being so different, yet only having effects on the celestial bodies, were the same as the chances of not fuck up a program by changing one of the basic functions in its code. Impossible, that is. Still, I wonder how much light this planet is getting from the sun¡¯s radiation if everything here can be illuminated without problems¡­ he mused, looking at the left side of the screen. A dark, long shadow was looming there. He initially thought that those were storm clouds, but after observing it for long enough, he knew that the object was much further away than visible clouds could be. It never moved, after all, no matter how long they flew. It was something much more massive than mere clouds. It was a ¡®strata two¡¯ flying continent. Abrasta, it was called, as he learned for the crew. The closest one to these lands, too. Some smaller islands were flying around, especially on the ¡®strata one¡¯, but they couldn¡¯t be spotted from their position. The finnicky light wasn¡¯t enough for them, it seemed. It was quite a headache to ask for that information without giving himself away, but yes, landmasses of that size actually cast shadows on the lands below, forming biomes drastically different from the surrounding low-lands. They were moving very slowly, though. It was much faster than continental drift, of course, but gave the life enough time to accommodate and travel along. From the talks, he also deducted that most of the flying rocks conglomerated near the planet¡¯s poles. The image of the spindle-like shape it has to have overall made him laugh a little. I hope the maps are popular here, I would like to try and make a globe out of them, he mused with mirth. Abandoning his idle thoughts, he concentrated back on the ¡®eye of the storm¡¯ effect the clouds were making, just horizontally. The sun, moving along the ridge of spiraling clouds, produced not only a colorful display visible in the clouds themselves but also rays of light shining from right to left. Truly, it was like looking at the miracle of nature, an ascension portal, a well that ended in an infinity too bright to see¡­ A chair beside him scraped the floor and he turned his head in the direction of the newcomer. ¡°Yo! So, you are the one posting those ridiculous commissions?¡± said a lanky guy as he seated himself in the chair across from Zeph. ¡°Yes, that would be me,¡± he answered simply, keeping a straight face. ¡°What do you mean by ridiculous, exactly?¡± ¡°No, no! Nothing, just surprised someone wants to tour our poor ship,¡± he immediately answered, raising his hands in a placating gesture. Zeph found this ¡®caf¨¦¡¯, if you could call it that, the previous day after evacuating himself from the weather deck, and immediately decided to make it his meeting spot. It was safe, cozy, and have a variety of really good drinks. And, most importantly, it has the screens. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Sure, there were restaurants, or whatever they called them, on the lower levels that offered the same view. To be more exact, they offered a sitting inside glass observatories placed under the deck-0 and able to stick out of the hull. He dreaded those places. He would rather overpay and stay inside the deck in a comfortable armchair. The one gold for the whole ride, he could stomach for the comfort and views. Also, ship movements weren¡¯t influencing this place nearly as much. ¡°Well, you can call it touring if you want,¡± Zeph said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in technicalities, though.¡± It was the guy¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°You pay, I answer. Gehrren, by the way,¡± he said, reaching with his calloused hand for a shake. ¡°Einar,¡± he answered, returning a firm grip. ¡°You have 2 silvers¡¯ worth for meals, so go ahead, I have some questions already¡­¡± They chatted idly as Gehr ordered a cake and a weak alcoholic drink. Zeph was playing the role of an ignorant Fullangrarian who lived in a society with totally different technology. That excuse was working very well, actually, when he finally found a proper target for it. Only people more educated could tell that he was asking questions about things that he should already know about. After the dishes and drinks were delivered, Zeph started to ask more meaningful questions, carefully. The first one was about the brass that he could see everywhere on the ship. ¡°Yes, the latten is quite Mana-resistant. But most importantly, it¡¯s light! Especially when saturated. But¡­ I am quite curious now, what were your people using for your ships?¡± ¡°I am not sure, but it¡¯s silver in color. I don¡¯t have much knowledge about aeroplanning, you know?¡± Zeph said, repeating some common rumors. ¡°Anyway, do you know how much resistance it has?¡± Maybe it could help with our ¡®material problems¡¯¡­ ¡°Nah, you would have to ask an ingeniator. Tho, it¡¯s not that good. It¡¯s better than other materials only because it can be so light,¡± his guest explained. A shame¡­ And also true. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have the ¡®ambient Mana leaking in¡¯ problem¡­ ¡°And the wing?¡± Zeph asked instead. ¡°It¡¯s just partially liquified ¡®flying rock¡¯, don¡¯t ask me how it¡¯s made. Well, liquified is a big word¡­ Molded? I don¡¯t know the tech terms¡­ It¡¯s enchanted with something that makes it flexible, but it¡¯s a secret of the Aeropanners¡¯ Union.¡± The indifference on his face slowly morphed into eagerness as he realized something. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s around for only 150 years, or something like that. It¡¯s quite an ingenious construct ¨C we were using the whole ¡®flying boulders¡¯ back in the day. Not like I was there to see it, haha,¡± he laughed lightly, but quickly started his story again. ¡°You know, those old ships had a really restricted lift, and the sails had to push Mana at them at all times! The launching was especially horrible! It was basically a nose-dive until the ship gained enough velocity! Insane, isn¡¯t it?! I can¡¯t even imagine how people back then could do that repeatedly! The liquified version allows for much more lift because it¡¯s not an unnecessary ballast on its own and¡­¡± And so, he blabbered about the history of aerostats. Zeph smiled, it was actually quite fun to listen to a person with a passion for his work. Even if most of the information was useless to him, as he would be able to easily read about that from books and nothing was linked to actual aerodynamics, it was a nice way to spend his time. ¡°¡­That¡¯s also how we managed to decrease the number of push engines, and only then we reached the barrier of maximum velocity!¡± he finished after a few minutes of monologue. ¡°Heh, aren¡¯t you a knowledgeable fella?¡± Zeph laughed in a good manner. ¡°Meh, don¡¯t even give me that,¡± he said in mock irritation. ¡°You have no idea how difficult La-Gewong¡¯s interview was. Good riddance to my pals, I was lucky enough to actually train for aeropanner for some time. And she still was unsatisfied!¡± Zeph nodded in understanding. ¡°I asked her to be quite strict. Maybe she has gone too far with that¡­ But back on the topic, I never saw the fight with avians? I heard it was quite a story, but I am not sure how your weapons work¡­¡± ¡°Ah, that is easy. They are just a variation of push engines. But sucking the air instead of pushing it out. They require a lot of energy, but the murder was incapacitated in seconds, most of them just dropping under the side, where the Mana canons could reach. The ones that managed to pass by were quite an attraction for the passengers! I am not sure if you knew, but Mazzel also has some Mana-barrels to lend ¨C most of the central decks¡¯ passengers used them. Then, there were people fighting in melee¡­¡± ¡°Wait, what with the ropes? They are placed all along the ship, how could they fight in melee?¡± Zeph interjected, imagining Aisha spewing damage all around on the deck. They would fall within a minute. ¡°No, no. You are mistaking something,¡± he started, shaking his head. ¡°No one used weapons ¨C the crowers are weak individually, there was no risk of damaging the ship at all after the murder was dispersed,¡± he assured but paused and started to think. ¡°Well, maybe there was on a few occasions¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°Let me describe how it went!¡± Gehrren didn¡¯t have much more to say in the technical aspects, even if he was more knowledgeable than a typical crew member, he wasn¡¯t a specialist. They spent the time visiting a few different leisure decks, where Gehr explained how the game tables worked. Like the one that was stirringly resembling an Air Hockey. Or the hazard tables, like roulette. They were all quite different from what he knew from Earth, though, and much less money-intensive in the case of gambling ones. The chances of gaining money were still miniscule, but Zeph had an impression that the games were planned in such a way that it was very easy to almost balance out the loss with gains. Excluding the entry fee, of course. Then, reluctantly, Zeph allowed himself to be taken for a tour to the pushing engines, even though it was unnecessary. Yes, Zeph just wanted to see them, there was no other reason to do so. The fact that his temporary companion had on the equipment dedicated to safely traversing the weather deck, namely the enchanted boots, was the only reason he agreed to go there, though. In the end, Zeph agreed to another, less ¡®official¡¯, tour in a few days. More like a drinking party with the rest of the crew. Gehr was quite talkative, so even if their worldview was drastically different, Zeph didn¡¯t mind. Even if he was more of an ¡®adventurer¡¯ that wanted to test his limits and strengths in a new environment, while Gehr was more of a laborer guy with a stable future but an interesting background, they still shared some common interests. He would definitely be good company for a drinking evening ¨C something inaccessible in Kwan¡¯s gang, really. They were either too stiff and professional or too aggressive, those guys and gals. Who knew humans could be this picky in choosing their drinking buddies? =============================== The next few days flew by. The meeting with Aisha and Pavail was uneventful, as they all quickly decided to just write a new contract in the city after landing. Zeph escaped the room before Pavail exploded with questions, leaving Aisha to the fallout of her own popularity without remorse. About that, his System-assigned guardian was able to make contact with the twins that were piloting Avianna. She used her heavy persuasive arguments to arrange a meeting after the landing. Zeph clued her beforehand as to what he planned to do, which flared her motivation to levels he wasn¡¯t expecting. He also spoke with Kwan a few times, but most of the decisions about their partnership had to be left for later, after everyone knew where they were standing in their new location. During his free time, Zeph was often going back to his past, meditating. He could feel as his Will solidified, even if no System prompt confirmed the change. It was something he needed to do, anyway. He did, indeed, spend some time testing things and reading from his Skills, but he treated his time on Avianna more as a vacation. There was much to unpack and analyze from the last few weeks, so he decided to take it slowly and balance himself internally first. For some reason, this decision was met with the full support of all of his companions, Gru included. He was worried for a moment but quickly rationalized it as them worrying about him unnecessarily. He wasn¡¯t idle, though. He tested minor things, like if he could re-learn the ¡®Lesser Metabolic enhancement¡¯ Spell after getting its upgraded version as a part of ¡®Willforce Morphon¡¯, which was a hard no, or thoroughly testing the changes to his overall metabolism, with the help of Gru. Sadly, the only conclusion was that he would have to test it in more¡­ extreme ways to really learn anything meaningful. Gru himself also wasn¡¯t slacking off. He finally found ways to interact with Phleya. Even if it was simplistic at best, they could communicate, proving his concept was not baseless. Sadly, he was stuck with other endeavors ¨C Zeph would have to provide more insights into the enchantments, Mana batteries, Phleya itself, and Energy Enhancements for them to continue. It was most infuriating, but they couldn¡¯t just skip the reality check. There was so much more to do that Zeph almost felt bad but he felt like he was becoming a workaholic. Not to mention, the more strenuous experiments could be continued in the city, in a better environment, with better equipment, and without a threat dangling above his head. This ride ¨C he decided to make it his vacation, and he would treat it as so. Never mind how short it was, the change of pace was nice. =============================== Nine days after the dramatic escape from North Tarak, as Zeph liked to narrate in his head, the walls of the city could be spotted. The gigantic constructs were visible even from tens of kilometers away, only fueling the anticipation and festive mood of the passengers. They were nearing their destination, the majestic Lurona city. =============================== Meanwhile, something in Gru¡¯s body was starting to bother him. There was a change. A change that wasn¡¯t sitting well within him¡­ Chapter 45 - On the other side of the comfort is... Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.10] The rays of the rising sun were glistering off the bronze hull of the enormous aerostat, Avianna, as it slowly drifted downwards. The quickly-changing Mana density caused tiny drops of water to condense on its metal surface, amplifying the effect. The sails were folded by its sides and inert, but still active. A few of the upward cylinder-engines were keeping the descent rate in check. Below, the morning light played on polished, metal surfaces of the main aerostation of Lurona City. It was built on a small, lonesome mountain, sticking out from the west part of the city like an oblong stone from sand, forming an outcrop of a size that almost broke the laws of physics. It probably did, actually. The overhanging cliff ¨C at least a four kilometers-long rock, flat as could be and slightly red in color ¨C was shielding the buildings below from the touch of the sun. It had vertical surfaces on its sides, a perfect place for setting up the docks. The angled surface on top was being used extensively, too, but no platforms for the ships were placed there. Just buildings and scaffolding, maybe even shipyards, but no ship was visible. More interestingly, Zeph could see rectangular shuttles moving to and fro between the mountain and high structures around it, placed in the city. From this distance, the shuttles seemed to just hover in the air above the city proper. The second part of their journey allowed them to raise above the unstable Mana currents, around three kilometers above the ground level, making the flight much more bearable. Even at that altitude, the Mana density was lower than during the first part of the course. They were following the absolute edge of what the passengers could handle, back then. A few even caught a Mana-poisoning. The ship was still ways away from Mana-overflow, but it was not built to traverse those skies. That margin was more of an indication of the craftsmanship than the real functionality it possessed. As the result, they were now slowly diving down from a kilometer above the port. For some reason, the pilots decided to keep the altitude all the way, until the ship was straight above the aerostation. The city itself, stretching for kilometers on the lands below, was sparkling with random reflections, even if a huge part of it was covered by the mountain¡¯s shadow at the moment. Zeph was observing it in amazement. This time, he was standing on the weather deck with Aisha and P¡¯pfel. His basophobia degraded somewhat during the peaceful ride, to his relief. Even ignoring the air-thickening properties of Mana, the terminal velocity wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill him after he invested another 200 points in Power and Flexibility. At least, according to Aisha. Well, it was not an absolute immunity, but similarly to cats on Earth ¨C the free-fall would no longer be a death sentence, only a risk of broken bones and damaged organs. Even if he was ways away from that threshold, it would be bad if he developed a fear of heights early on. Though, he forgot all about that the moment he saw the city below. It was more of a metropolis, growing not only on land but also out of all nearby islands. Although, most of them were mountain islands, sticking out from the surface of the sea like the fingers of a titan. Magnificent bridges made from stone connected them all, artificially escalating the scale of the structures placed directly on them. The main part of the city was firmly grounded on the dry lands of the continent, but the constructs growing from the islands overshadowed the mundane nature of the buildings set there. It was evident that the islands were a place for the wealthy ¨C everything there was made from stone or brick, and the higher of the mountain islands even spotted an aerostation or two, paced above or near harbors. Mundane ships of a multitude of sizes, all with sails strangely angled towards the back, crowded the waters around. A separate set of shuttles was flying between the islands, too. It was easily the most active part of the city, full of movement at all altitudes. Also, the islands were a perfect defensive position, assuming nothing was attacking from the sea. Zeph shook his head and once more evaluated the structure of the city, looking at the distant walls they passed half an hour ago. Well, maybe aquatic attacks aren¡¯t that rare, after all¡­ he thought, noticing once more that the villas of the wealthy were set close to the outskirts. But I wonder how the people outside are faring¡­ Even if the stronger of people preferred to be close to their best line of defense ¨C the enormous, almost ten stories high walls ¨C the lands beyond were populated by farmers. Even if the distance from the walls never exceeded ten kilometers, it was still a long way to the safety of the city. The farm animals could be the first line of defense, he understood that much, but if farms were abandoned and destroyed by an enemy, how could the city live through a siege? Not to mention, he couldn¡¯t see any farms or farmhouses set inside the city. He knew some were inside the North Tarak, for obvious reasons, yet this enormous city didn¡¯t seem to have a backup, or even a second set of walls. It seems sloppy¡­ But could it really be? he wondered idly. Aisha warned me multiple times that we wouldn¡¯t be safe in a settlement, and not only because of the Netherlings planted inside or internal struggles. There has to be a reason for the high death rate she talked about, and those two can¡¯t possibly be the cause¡­ His ears popped, distracting him. He used a small finger to get rid of the strange sensation still lingering in the right one, drilling inside with a grimace. ¡°Heh, isn¡¯t it a small wonder that you are still able to stand?¡± Aisha asked lazily, observing his antics. She recovered fully, or at least she declared so, during the short flight. But the side effect was, her taunting mood skyrocketed. ¡°You aren¡¯t even able to accommodate your internal perception and Mana-flow to the environment. A small miracle, I would say,¡± she laughed. He was tempted to ignore her entirely, but that actually struck a nerve. ¡°Yes, yes, Miss I-worked-hard-for-decades,¡± he commented abrasively. ¡°Not like I managed to achieve similar effects without your training¡­¡± She pouted. ¡°Maybe, but you are doing it all wrong, you know?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± P¡¯pfel interjected, ¡°for a Manacaster, he is above the curve in that regard. Even if he is a¡ª¡± his head swiveled around, looking at their surroundings¡ª¡°ahem, has a potential to use your methods, those are dedicated for internal manipulators.¡± Haaah, and they said that being a Generalist isn¡¯t a stigma¡­ he thought irritatedly, noticing how the professor omitted his Class. ¡°Can you two stop already? It¡¯s not even important,¡± he said in a deadpan voice, relaxing his mental grip on his Veil to account for dropping Mana density around and getting rid of the strange sensation. ¡°I will have to train both, either way. You better tell me how long will it take to arrive at our temporary lodgings?¡± ¡°What, tired already? We didn¡¯t even land yet,¡± she teased. ¡°There is a whole city to tour, it would be a waste to just rush to your bed.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°Gru¡¯s condition is getting worse. The faster we are in a safe place, the better.¡± He could feel Gru¡¯s distress, the pulsating movements of its roots writhing inside his body adding to his own anxiety. They shouldn¡¯t talk about Gru in the public but the risk was minimal. Most would assume they were talking about Zeph¡¯s animal bond. In the worst case, they would think it¡¯s about his living armor. ¡°Still no information about the cause?¡± the professor asked, worried slightly. They were here to enjoy the views but the atmosphere became sour, quickly. ¡°No. Something is changing, but he is in no shape to observe what exactly.¡± Professor¡¯s glasses almost slid out of his nose as the Gremling shook his head slowly. ¡°What a piss-poor timing. We could just bunker at Kwan¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I think he is reacting to lower Mana density,¡± Zeph explained, grimacing at the rising heartburn he could feel. Aisha clicked her tongue. ¡°We will take an express skyline,¡± she declared seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and check out early.¡± They all nodded and started walking to the nearest staircase. Avianna was descending slowly, so they had at least twenty minutes yet. After taking their hand luggage from their quarters, they used a lift to go to the lower decks. Kwan would take care of the rest of their stuff ¨C there was no reason to move the heavy equipment and materials around the city two times over ¨C she would keep it safe until her group settled down in a permanent location. On the reception deck, the crew was still in the middle of preparations. Documents were exchanged, the strange systems tested, and equipment set to efficiently process soon-to-be leaving passengers. In normal circumstances, returning a stamp early and checking out was impossible. The ship required even more power right now, so people were encouraged to send more Mana for safety. But those rules weren¡¯t absolute. Aisha caught the closest worker who just left a service room with a stack of papers, and explained the situation. The guy was hesitating, even after seeing Zeph¡¯s pale face, but was quickly berated and sent off by a woman in charge who saw them talking animatedly in the corridor. She was absolutely infuriated at the guy for not recognizing Aisha¡¯s status as a Warrior Priestess and the main organization. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t know the emergency procedures. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, La-Zora. Please, follow me,¡± she said, quickly walking in the direction of the service window down the corridor. ¡°We won¡¯t charge you for it. Do you want me to send a call to the Temple?¡± he asked, rightfully assuming the ship¡¯s doctors couldn¡¯t help them. ¡°No, we need a controlled environment more than a specialist. And I would rather take care of the transportation myself.¡± The woman looked at her with a slight surprise. It sounded like even Aisha didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she didn¡¯t press the matter. In a minute they were ready, waiting near the ramp to disembark. Zeph was feeling worse by the minute. He started exchanging resources between his Will and body to stabilize himself, but the Mana-flow inside his body was disrupted to the point it started to hurt him directly. Gru¡¯s Mana was wreaking havoc he was not prepared to counter¡­ === Meanwhile, the kids on the streets of Lurona City were excitedly pointing up. Some started to sing loudly for the pilots and passengers of the magnificent aerostat in a childish belief that they could be heard by them. That provoked adults to also glance upwards with curiosity, but they were quick to return to their daily routine. At the end of the day, the view wasn¡¯t anything new for them, even if it was a slightly surprising one. Avianna was one of the bigger ships flying around, so it was natural it stole some attention. Especially because the coming winter halted the air-traffic almost entirely ¨C the number of goods for transportation decreased significantly during that season. As such, it was the only big ship seen in almost a month. Its enormous wing was easily half a kilometer long, dwarfing every other aerostat currently docked at the station. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Only four docks were big enough to accommodate the goliath. With a wingspan taking one-eight of the whole mountain slope, it required specialized structures to help it land safely. But Lurona port was equipped much better than the one in the North Tarak. As the ship was closing to the platform set on the side of the mountain, cranes made from silver metal planks set in three-dimensional, trigonal patterns started to rise up along the ridge. The ship¡¯s crew started to free some of the lines connected to the wing. The metal ropes started swinging back and forth between the ship and the dock, caught easily by enchanted catcher-plates only to be immediately secured to the corresponding structures. As the main body of the ship started to dip below the slanted ridge of the mountain, the cranes moved forward like a wave, sneaking between the steel ropes still connected to the deck, to cover the space between its body and wing. The ropes that were now connected to the cranes tightened, supporting the hull below and pulling on the wing. Just as the bow of Avianna touched the first landing arm set on the platform, the wing touched the first crane. In a flurry of winding up ropes, the wing was folding. At the same time, a thunderous sound of creaking metal echoed through a city as the cranes assisted the hull on its landing ¨C in the embrace of supporting arms placed all around the platform. In the next second, a loud hiss of pistons taking the brunt of Avianna¡¯s weight drown out every other sound. Almost like in slow-motion, the enormous arms buckled, and even the platform itself tilted slightly ¨C the forces so enormous, that the whole port felt the landing. The last of the ropes on the ship were released all at once, and the hull slowly bounced back up, supported by the mechanical arms and cranes. A silence ensued. Only distant echoes of the event still reverberated through the city, the sound reflecting from high buildings and mountain islands. As the dock¡¯s crew started to pat themselves on their back, congratulating themselves for the perfect landing of such a monstrosity, a ramp suddenly fell down from the ship¡¯s side, and a high-pitched, pulsating sound filled the relatively quiet dock, momentarily shocking the workers. The emergency signal. Three people sprinted through the entrance, moving directly for the open-air lifts. === Zeph managed to make it to the lift before doubling down. The pain in his body only multiplied because of the quick movements. He started vomiting even before they started to move up. His breakfast was tinted red. ¡°You alright?¡± Aisha asked worriedly. Placing a hand on his back. ¡°Give me a second,¡± he answered in a hoarse voice, closing his eyes. He tried to feel the insides of his body, using Soul perception and trying to feel the Mana flowing naturally in his body. ¡°Chasem!¡± Aisha suddenly exclaimed, ¡°You are bruised and bleeding internally all over¡­ How did it¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± he cut her off, slowly straightening up with her help and looking around. It should be impossible to eavesdrop here. ¡°He finished folding his roots¡­ Gru, what¡¯s going on? We need information!¡± Zeph started to call out to his companion. He had to repeat himself a few times before a reply came. ¡°Gmmmaaa¡­¡± a low vibration, full of pain, emerged from the center of his chest. For a moment, Zeph stood in stunned silence, his companions looking at him with a worry in their eyes. ¡°What?!¡± he finally shouted in disbelief. ¡°Are you a girl or what?!¡± He could feel that the pulses were now originating from the center of his chest. ¡°Gre!¡± it spat out. ¡°Then what the fuck?!¡± Gru¡¯s Mana was, thankfully, also conglomerating right there, giving his body the respite it needed. ¡°Umm, what is happening?¡± P¡¯pfel asked hesitantly. ¡°Gru is going to¡­ give a birth¡­¡± Zeph started explaining, not believing his own words. ¡°The what?!¡± his companions exclaimed in perfect sync. ¡°No!¡± he corrected himself. ¡°Rather, it will birth something!¡± But before he could elaborate, the lift reached the ridge of the mountain. Without a moment to spare, Aisha picked him up in a princess carry, holding him in an awkward position thanks to his backpack being in the way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my friend, I am here for you! You are now in a very delicate state, you shouldn¡¯t overextend yourself,¡± she said with an absolutely serious face, looking into a distance with a purpose radiating from her nearly-white eyes. He felt that if he still had a beard, it would fall off of his face right about now. ¡°Ugh, can we¡ª¡± The gate of the lift opened, and he could speak no more. Aisha bolted forward at full speed. P¡¯pfel was dangling from her back, as he somehow managed to grab her pack in the last second, guessing what was to happen. Zeph would scream like a girl from the sudden acceleration, but his pride won that one fight, powered by the ever-increasing embarrassment he felt. That didn¡¯t stop his hands from reflexively clutching around Aisha¡¯s neck, but he quickly rationalized that it was just a necessary safety measure. Because it really was. It seemed he never witnessed her true steed¡­ Ahem, her speed potential. Now, that she was on hard ground and determined to transport him the fastest she could, the only thing he could do was hold for his dear life. Especially because she was more leaping than running. Different from the North Tarak¡¯s, the whole infrastructure of the port was set on the surface, not even one tunnel was visible on the cliff. Which probably was for the best, considering how the rock was hanging over the city, but it caused one major problem ¨C the top of the mountain was crowded with equipment and people, and they were on a collision course with a group of workers. The second scream was about to escape his lips to accompany the Gremling screeching coming from behind, when she suddenly jumped slightly to the side and over a brick wall. He almost forgot she could jump a few meters up even with her equipment. The meter-and-a-half-high wall was no opponent for her. Still keeping their speed, they landed on a wide and empty lane, separated from the rest of the port by the fences and walls trailing its sides. She started to speed up even more, soon overtaking people running ahead of them. Some humanoids passed them with speeds reserved for cars, running in the opposite direction on their left side, and he finally understand that they were on a running highway. That actually made sense, considering that people could move much faster than carts pulled by animals. It was bad for his heart nonetheless. If he had to guess, they were moving at least at 80 kilometers per hour. Stone buildings flew by them, the lane never crossed by another road. Taking into account the occasional change in the angle, Zeph was sure they were moving above the ground level, even though the ground itself was still made from the same reddish rock. He would ask, but the speed wasn¡¯t accommodating for opening his mouth. He already had to keep his eyes almost closed from the fear of a stray bug hitting his naked cornea. Even if there weren¡¯t many bugs in this world. After a few minutes of cruising through the port, Aisha finally started to slow down. She, again, jumped above the wall in a seemingly randomly chosen place, only to land on an empty road that allowed her to slow down in peace. Before them, a wide building without front and back walls could be seen. Wagons, similar to cable cars but more archaic in design, were hanging in rows from thick metal ropes. Aisha trotted to a burly guy standing on the left side, decked fully in a leather labor suit and checking something on a black plate connected with cables to the interior of the building. ¡°Emergency fall! Give us an express ride to the Blackwind Tower! Send the message for a low-den¡ª¡± she paused her tirade, looking down at Zeph. ¡°Is it low, or high Mana density?¡± she asked quickly, unsure about what to do. ¡°High,¡± he answered without hesitation in a somehow dull and weak voice. He was compressing his Veil around his body for Gru for a few minutes now, as it alleviated the pain it felt. He was beating himself for not trying that earlier, but he noticed the positive effects only after trying to keep his Veil intact during the wild run. The physical side effects of using this method wouldn¡¯t allow him to keep it up for long, though. He was starting to have problems with breathing already. ¡°At least¡­ the same as halfway¡­ of the descent!¡± She nodded. ¡°Level 60 pressure room required! Bring the costs with the Tower,¡± she said to the skeptical guy, who just listened. ¡°Possible mixed-birth event, don¡¯t you dare delay me!¡± she threatened. ¡°Oh, frix!¡± The guy paled. Was that just her words, or an Effigy, Zeph wasn¡¯t able to tell, but the guy changed his mannerism almost immediately. ¡°Quickly, this way!¡± He started to run, and Aisha followed. The guy was madly tapping on the black plate the whole way, not even looking where he was running. Zeph could hear mechanical sounds from up ahead, as their guide beelined for the open part of the building on the opposite side. When they arrived, one of the wagons was ready. Made from wood set on a metal frame, it didn¡¯t look stable at all. Without a word, Aisha jumped inside, sliding doors closing immediately behind her. ¡°I have sent the message already! Good luck!¡± they heard his muffled voice, before the gravity stopped working. They were free-falling. Almost. Zeph looked above Aisha¡¯s shoulder, who was still placed firmly on the¡­ floor of the cabin, only to see the mountain moving away from them, faster with every second. He even saw gigantic waterwheel-like structures placed under the gigantic rock outcrop. Is this how they¡­ bring back the shuttles?... It¡¯s not a fun at all¡­ Heh, he thought, feeling dizzy. Black spots started covering a part of his sight. ¡°Stop keeping your Veil so stiff!¡± the professor suddenly hollered, startling them both. They have forgotten about him altogether. ¡°What I told you on the ship?! Keep it moving around your mouth at least!¡± His words were serious, but the sight of the slowly ascending body of the Gremling almost made the oxygen-deprived Zeph laugh out loud. Ah, right¡­ he processed his words before that could happen, thankfully. I am suffocating right now¡­ Zeph started to slowly cycle the Veil near his face, creating a funnel ending inside his mouth. The next breath made him cover his mouth with a hand, as he started coughing uncontrollably. His mind was refreshing slowly, but his body spasmed from the exertion. When it finally subsided, there was blood on his palm. He took a deep breath and looked around. ¡°Ugh, should I brace myself?¡± he asked, knowing that at some point they would have to lose their velocity. It could be easier if the shuttle had seats set in the opposing direction of their ¡®flight¡¯, but after experiencing first-hand how Aisha dealt with ¡®people in a delicate state¡¯, he wasn¡¯t sure they would even help. The mentality here was quite different from Earth¡¯s, and for a reason. ¡°Just don¡¯t pass out,¡± she said. ¡°I will take care of the rest, but I need you to stay conscious. P¡¯pfel! Get into my pack already!¡± Ugh, yea. I should brace myself¡­ he thought, clasping his hands above his head to secure his spine. They were waiting in silence for another few seconds. Aisha placed her feet widely in the direction of their movement, but twisted her upper body to the side so Zeph was facing the direction of the mountain. Emergency exit my ass, this is just a pure hazard! Just as he thought that, a white blur flew by the windows. The braking sails were up, and he almost blacked out from the deacceleration. He would, if he didn¡¯t keep the resource exchanged with his Will. The shuttle had its own ¡®sails¡¯. What they really were, was a primitive brake system. No one can fight with the air resistance, especially after the wagon started moving upwards on its ¡®rail¡¯, passing the lowest point the rope had. It was unpleasant for too many reasons, but it was an emergency procedure, so Zeph decided to not judge it too harshly. He coughed another mouthful of blood, though. In the next few moments, which he didn¡¯t really register as his body started to scream at him in pain, he found himself on a floor of a room with blue walls. ¡°GraaaaAA!¡± his companion vibrated through his chest, waking him up. Did I black out, after all? was his first thought. Shiiiit, it hurts! was his second, true one. ¡°You are awake?¡± He could hear Aisha¡¯s voice. ¡°I have told you to not lose consciousness, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Fuck you, like I had any power over it¡­¡± He actually had, but not enough. ¡°Why is my body hurting like hell?¡± ¡°Complications. Remove your Mana from the front of your chest. Also, stop the ambient Mana channeling, it¡¯s interfering with the process,¡± she instructed him. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to see her, his eyes closed shut from the pain, he could tell the situation was stable, at last. She didn¡¯t seem to be in a panic or anything like that. ¡°Was I using the AMC during sleep?¡± he asked, shyly opening his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that was possible.¡± He deactivated the technique, trying to feel his own body, which only brought more pain. He grimaced but quickly moved his Veil out of the way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It was actually quite natural reaction. Just concentrate on keeping your Mana away from now on,¡± she explained. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light. He could see her sitting beside him, keeping her hand on his shoulder. P¡¯pfel was pacing around, more stressed than he ever was. If that is how women feel when giving birth¡­ Isn¡¯t it quite terrifying? He thought, trying his best to follow Aisha¡¯s instructions. Actually, I am not even the one¡ª He sat up immediately, ignoring the pain in his body. ¡°Stop playing with me, you morons!¡± He screamed, checking his naked chest. Gru was growing something near his solar plexus. Well, his body was ¨C the guy himself was unresponsive. He looked back up, noticing the smirks on the bastard¡¯s faces. P¡¯pfel was trying to hide it, like it was possible with the size of his head. ¡°Har. Har. Har. I hope you had your fun!¡± He managed to say before the next pulse of movement from Gru made him wince. It was more of a contraction, but he would rather omit its description. His pride took enough of the damage already. ¡°Where are we, anyway?¡± ¡°In the underground facility of Makani¡¯s Tower,¡± Aisha said, explaining nothing. ¡°Just finish it already,¡± she said in slight irritation. ¡°You were out of it for almost two hours, stopping the process!¡± He opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself after feeling something new from Gru. He looked down at his sternum, moving all of his Veil away from the place by instinct. A bulge started to show itself. ¡°Oh, no,¡± he murmured with dread. The bulge raised, causing a sting of pain. ¡°NO!¡± he shouted. His skin opened up, and suddenly a blooded, flesh-pink organism broke free in the center of his chest, spraying blood all around. His spine bent backwards as he started screaming, stunning his two companions. ¡°NOOOOOO!¡± he cried from the mental pain, as the alien inside his body spat out a milky-white crystal from inside of his own body, absolutely ignoring the fact he dealt critical mental damage by recreating one of the most known scenes from sci-fi films. Zeph has fallen back on his bed. His mental state deteriorating rapidly. Meanwhile, his two companions stopped moving altogether, gaping at the stone with open mouths. After a minute of silence, broken only by the painful breaths and pitiful groans of Zeph, P¡¯pfel murmured in disbelief. ¡°Is that¡­ a Manasolid?¡± Chapter 46 - ...the hell created by your own hands. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.10] P''pfel''s question broke the stunned silence. While he crouched down to examine the crystal, Aisha checked on Zeph. After a quick scan, she found Zeph¡¯s physical state stable. He was still unresponsive, though; just lying there, not reacting to her presence. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Do you need a Doctor?¡± she asked, checking his pupils. He grunted and pushed away her hands.
[Ancient Civilizations] [General Skill] is now [T3] [L6]! (+5)
Aisha helped him to sit up. The center of his chest was still causing him pain, it felt like he had a hole in his torso. Although, he noticed that it wasn¡¯t bothering him as much as it should ¨C having his solar plexus pierced through should cause incapacitating amounts of pain. But strangely, he was able to endure even if the sensation didn¡¯t feel like it was being suppressed. It was his mind that felt¡­ more resilient, instead. He didn¡¯t have an opportunity to test the mental effects of Willforce Morphon but he guessed it was the cause of the strange phenomenon. No matter the pain, he was able to stay clear-minded. It was unpleasant still, but he never felt overwhelmed. That¡­ changes things. Pain-trauma immunity? It¡¯s quite big¡­ Thank gods it¡¯s not shutting down the pain ¨C I would have problems with keeping myself alive if I wouldn¡¯t know how bad my injuries were¡­ Or maybe not? he corrected himself, glancing at Aisha as she Diagnosed him. Also, I never learned how to assess my internal injuries through my Mana¡­ Would that even work with my Source Net? He sighed. In the end, the effect seemed to be straight-up helpful. It would be a shame if he ended up as a screaming mess. He gently touched the area where Gru surfaced. The bleeding stopped long ago and he could see that the now-closed opening wasn¡¯t that big, maybe four centimeters wide. Gru¡¯s body backed inside after spitting out the crystal, stitching the wound as usual. Zeph could feel something strange under the clotted blood, though. ¡°Can we speak safely here?¡± he asked, looking around. The room was big but mostly empty. There were no windows on the almost black, metallic walls. Light sources were set along the corners of the ceiling. Only his bed ¨C a metal frame with leather-covered cushion ¨C and two wooden tables were present. ¡°Yes, I have a deal with the Tower,¡± she stated confidently. ¡°So, you finally noticed?¡± Instead of answering, he mentally prompted Gru. ¡°Did you grow yourself a mouth or something?¡± ¡°Gre,¡± a deadpan vibration answered. ¡°Ghaar!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± they simultaneously exclaimed in excitement. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s one problem less for us, then,¡± Zeph commented thoughtfully. If he kept his Veil away from the area, Gru would be able to form his own for the first time. ¡°I am guessing that it¡¯s not a one-time event. This funnel¡¯s main function is to expel the Manasolids, not your Mana, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aisha asked, eyeing the Gremling who was finishing to clean off the crystal from blood and mucus. ¡°Gra!¡± it confirmed. ¡°A shame you had to sacrifice so many roots to form it, though,¡± Zeph commented after noticing that only around half of Gru¡¯s appendages were moving back into place, helping with the internal bleeding and stitching small injuries. It was an easy observation ¨C his whole body was connected to his Soul, so the empty spaces were taken by Gru. Zeph was proficient enough in Soul perception now to be able to see it clearly, especially after Willforce started to circulate through both his body and Soul, strengthening his sense of self by allowing them to interact in new ways. ¡°Geh,¡± it shrugged mentally. ¡®They will regrow,¡¯ was the message. He nodded and concentrated inwards once more. Gru¡¯s funnel was connected to the end of Zeph¡¯s sternum. Somehow, the damage to the nerves in his solar plexus wasn¡¯t influencing his body much. He spent a minute trying to understand better what changed anatomically in that area. Aisha crossed her arms and waited impatiently for him to finish. ¡°It is, indeed, a Manasolid,¡± finally came the verdict. They turned to the professor, now holding the cleaned-up, whitish, and opaque crystal in his hand. It was roughly spherical but with small octagonal prisms of different sizes sticking out from the surface. They were flat at the top, so the overall shape was close to a polyhedron. It was maybe three centimeters in diameter, easily fitting in the Gremling¡¯s hand. ¡°A lesser one, but of a pure kind. Most probably with a Hydrargyrum base,¡± he continued, throwing technical terms Zeph didn¡¯t have a chance to understand, while trying to see through it by raising it to the light. ¡°That doesn¡¯t tell me much,¡± Zeph dryly commented. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it an egg, or something like that?¡± he asked, directing the question more to Gru. ¡°Grrrah,¡± it vibrated in indifference. It was his first time, too, so he didn¡¯t know more than them about the strange thingy. He didn¡¯t care about it overmuch, anyway. ¡°Possible, but checking it would be problematic. Mana-scanning doesn¡¯t work on Manasolids, so the insides are a mystery. Whichever it is, you are quite rich right now,¡± the professor explained, handing him the white crystal. ¡°Do not push any Mana into it! Keep the density stable,¡± he warned. Zeph¡¯s eyebrows raised, as he took the stone. It was very light¡­ almost weightless, actually. He expected a solid matter but was met with the strangest of feelings as the perfectly flat surfaces frictionlessly skidded on the skin of his hand. He had to wedge his fingers in between the prisms to keep the crystal still. Also, he had problems with discerning the temperature of the object ¨C the sensation was changing minutely every second. His Mana wasn¡¯t penetrating inside in any capacity ¨C it seemed to just bounce back from the surface. He gently threw it up. After raising above his head in an erratic movement, it started to slowly fall back, dancing in the air like a snowflake and rotating to the rhythm of the motions. ¡°Rich how? And please explain what it is in simple terms. I know the Cir words, but your sentences don¡¯t make much sense,¡± he said, as the crystal landed back on his hand. The professor huffed in displeasure as Aisha decided to provide some answers. ¡°Manasolids are¡­ kind of hard to explain. When Mana density goes above certain thresholds, there is a chance for it to start circulating in semi-stable patterns. If matter compatible with them is trapped inside, it starts to stabilize further and grow as a crystal¡­¡± she started, struggling with her words. ¡°Haaa,¡± P¡¯pfel sighed loudly. ¡°Leave the explanation to me, Zora,¡± he said with resignation, crossing his arms. ¡°As a Manacaster, you should already know that a consistent Mana-flow tends to keep its shape if uninterrupted, producing forces dependent on the shape, right? But certain flow-patterns work more like oscillators ¨C they produce self-stabilizing forces, thus being able to absorb external perturbations by altering their movement pattern to a degree. But they keep wobbling around the base pattern like a pendulum.¡± Zeph nodded in understanding, it sounded like a negative feedback loop, an oscillator alright. ¡°We theorize the same happens on a microscopic scale. The difference is that if those patterns meet matter with compatible symmetry ¨C and I am not going to explain that in more detail; go to an academy or something ¨C the overall structure starts to interact with physicality, too. The effect changes from semi-stable energy flow to crystal-stable matter placement, or so-called solid Mana-flow.¡± Oh wow, they already know about atomic orbital symmetry? Zeph was impressed a little. Or, more probably, it¡¯s just crystallography applied to all¡ª ¡°In case of this Manasolid,¡± the Gremling interrupted his musings, seeing as he didn¡¯t have questions, ¡°there is no admixture of Magicules. Pure Manasolids are rare. The only possible material base for it, that we had contact with, is Hydrargyrum,¡± he finished in a better mood, happy that Zeph was following his shortened explanation. ¡°Practically speaking,¡± Aisha started, deciding it was time to put things into perspective, ¡°taking into account the size of the crystal, you are in a possession of an equivalent of a daily Mana production of an optimized, standard Manacaster at level 100. Pre-evolution level 100, that is.¡± Seeing his blank look, she sighed and elaborated. ¡°Around 300 million Mana. It should be worth around 300 000 gold.¡± He blinked at the numbers, then tilted his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like much, so how is it worth so much? And what the fuck is optimized, standard, pre-evolution Manacaster?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at the numbers, look at the applications,¡± berated the professor. ¡°You can force it to destabilize and release the Mana in a span of a few seconds, if you set the environment right,¡± he grinned, noticing Zeph¡¯s shock. ¡°Yes, it would be enough to force a strata-two enchantment to work. Maybe even a strata-three¡­¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°And pure Manasolids are the most efficient,¡± Aisha added. ¡°To answer your previous question ¨C standard means without level resets or achievements and modifications; optimized Manacaster means at least 400 in Intuition and Willpower each; pre-evolution means before you allow the class change. Got it?¡± she smirked. He shook his head. ¡°Give me a second¡­¡± there was a lot to unpack. First doubts started to surface almost immediately, though. ¡°Are you trying to tell me, that I am holding a Mana bomb in my hand?!¡± ¡°Eh, in this Mana density you would have to try really hard to start the dissipation process,¡± the Gremling shrugged, removing his glasses. ¡°Your loss. But Manasolids are notoriously resilient to higher densities.¡± Right, we are in a compression chamber¡­ haah. ¡°I hope we don¡¯t have to pay some ridiculous money for using this room? Anyway, how are we going to transport it outside? Or rather, will it explode there?¡± ¡°Nah, it should take around an hour for it to dissipate outside, so nothing life-threatening. We would need a compression box, though¡­¡± the Gremling said, looking at Aisha. ¡°Go get it. It should be included in the deal,¡± Aisha said, shooing him in the direction of the doors. The guy shrugged and walked to the exit. The chamber had airlock double-doors, as it turned out. Or should they be called Manalock doors? ¡°It cost us nothing. I am actually grateful you found a use for this facility,¡± Aisha explained as the doors closed. ¡°I was scammed with one of the rewards ¨C the contract only allows me to use it for personal matters. You can guess how helpful it was for me after I learned for what purposes it can be used for,¡± she smiled ruefully. ¡°I am not a crafter by any means¡­ You still owe me a favor for it, though,¡± she said in a sweet voice. ¡°Yea, sure. As long as you don¡¯t extort me,¡± he flatly said. ¡°Graaau!¡± the vibration suggested. ¡°Only if you can pay for it. The moment they realize that we need the chamber their price will raise. Well, you shouldn¡¯t have problems with that if you sell the gem¡­¡± ¡°I am not so sure about that,¡± Zeph slowly said, looking intensely at the crystal. ¡°I really think it¡¯s some kind of an egg. Even if the amount of Mana would be lethal if it started to dissipate inside someone too quickly¡­ You know, Garuans have to have a method of reproduction.¡± ¡°Graaa,¡± it confirmed wisely. Still knowing nothing about the process. ¡°Do what you want. Good luck with examining it,¡± she said with mirth, unaware of Zeph¡¯s thoughts. Opaque or not, Mana-proof or not, it was allowing the light to pass through to some degree. Spectrophotometry would be his first choice to test if something was hidden inside, but crystallography had a number of methods to assess the internal structure of crystals as well - even down to the atomic level. He was more worried that he would need a sample to compare. Even creating the necessary equipment looked less strenuous. He doubted the deal from the North Tarak would cover the costs of buying a real Manasolid. But if he could make one himself¡­ ¡°By the way, it sounds like producing a Manasolid is quite easy? You just need time, Mana density, and appropriate¡­ gasses, I guess, in the vicinity?¡± ¡°Ah, it certainly is, until you want to keep it solid,¡± she smirked. ¡°Growing them is easy, technically. Stopping their growth without triggering the dissipation? We don¡¯t even understand the whole process; the success rate is below one to million. You either grow them on the side of strategic locations or quickly transport them to dissipate and power up whatever construct was prepared beforehand. I believe that I don¡¯t have to explain how hazardous such a job is? Mana poisoning is no joke after you really oversaturate ¨C it takes one mistake on the dissipation speed calculation.¡± She sounded very serious but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from smiling widely. ¡°That is some good news, then!¡± He froze after comprehending what he just said. Or rather, indicated. She looked at him strangely, and he looked away. ¡°Anyway! Let¡¯s prepare for departure,¡± he decided to change the topic, looking around in search of his armor¡­ Huh, my armor? the realization hit him, as he looked down at his bare chest. Zeph slowly raised his gaze up at Aisha, and it was her turn to avoid eye contact. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked after a moment of silence. She laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. ¡°Well¡­¡± she shot a glance at him, then decided to bent down instead of answering, keeping a stiff smile on her face. From below his bed, a torn mess of an armor emerged, still dripping with a green fluid. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t really have a choice¡­¡± He facepalmed. ~~~ The streets of Lurona city were quite complicated. The terraces were present here, too, but formed more of the backbone of the city structure, instead of being just add-ons to the buildings. High-speed lanes for runners were prioritized; the multi-layered terraces made from stone and brick grew around them, strengthening the overall stability of the three-dimensional maze. The buildings themselves were at least three stories high, but each floor was more than four meters high. The free space on each was used to add decorations and flair, oftentimes being filled with multi-colored baldachins or sculptures ¨C made from stone, wood, or metal ¨C placed on half-columns running along the walls. Murals, carvings, and other adornments were placed between brass, silver, and blackish-metal pipes and plates. The buildings were made from yellow stone, reddish brick, or brass, with an occasional metal frame. Most of them had a dome for a roof, following the trend of being much too high. The lowest streets were actually just compacted, yellow-red soil. The atmosphere of the place was closer to a tropical country, so Zeph wasn¡¯t that surprised. Metal ropes were set in a complicated net between all of that, but he was sure none of them were transferring Mana, or electricity for that matter ¨C their technology would be ways away if that was possible. As such, their function was a mystery for him. It was almost like an ancient Egypt meeting the Hindu, right after a steampunk technological revolution took place. More interestingly, the local flora looked more like taken from a temperate climate, than a tropical or Mediterranean one. Zeph was gathering quite a lot of attention from the passersby. Even ignoring his height and facial hair, he was hugging his mangled upper armor like his last child that was on the brink of death. Which wasn¡¯t all that far from the truth. Gru¡¯s chemical communication allowed them to gather the Phleya from the floor, or at least the part of it that was still alive, and temporally seal the micro-canals in the broken armor. Aisha even bent it back into shape, more or less, but it was far from a usable state, so he had to carry it. Who would have thought it would end up like that outside of a fight. On the other hand, Zeph would prefer to not be inside when it met similar destiny next time. At least it was a worthwhile test of its regenerative properties. Though, Aisha suggested he should find a specialized blacksmith to help with that part. They were strolling on the lowest level in a direction of the equivalent of a taxi rank. They were in one of the most densely populated parts of the city right now. It was quite cold, probably around five Celsius, despite the fact that the city suggested a warmer climate. It was enough to produce white clouds when breathing out. Maybe that¡¯s one of the reasons people are looking at us strangely? Zeph thought with realization. He was wearing only a light shirt they borrowed from the tower, but he couldn¡¯t care less about the temperature ¨C it actually made his chest ache less. Aisha was, as always, defiant in the face of any temperature change, steaming slightly. Only the Gremling had a warm coat on himself. Fuck it, that¡¯s definitely the main reason, he thought, sighing internally. It took them a good hour to find a wagon that could take them outside of the main proper that formed around the Blackwind Tower. Yes, Towers had enough influence to even form their own city districts. It wasn¡¯t even that surprising, taking into account that the Shihan of Mana Arts ¨C or Archam, as Zeph preferred to call the position, depending on the dialect one wanted to use; the Rui version sounded more familiar to Zeph than the Laiu ¨C was present here. He was an equivalent of an Archmage and the head of the continental cluster of Blackwind Towers. Supposedly, he was creating more ¡®magical¡¯ inventions than the Manacasters of one whole tower did. Not to mention, he was basically a mass-destruction weapon equivalent. A shame the towers kept a neutral stance in the political struggles, even between races. The ride took them closer to the shore, where the buildings started to peter out. It was, after all, the poorer part of the city. Zeph still had problems with understanding this structure. If poorer people were closer to the city center, then what of the farmers outside the walls? Were they rich? The cityscape started to resemble North Tarak more and more as they got closer to their destination. The buildings became spacer, lower, and more dilapidated after each cross-street they passed. Well, dilapidated was a strong word ¨C the buildings just lacked the opulence and size of the ones near the Tower, they were still high ¨C at least three stories high ¨C and the place was clean. The materials were worse, though. He could no longer spot metal frameworks or brick, but much more wood was present. After some time, even the wooden terraces disappeared. A village, inside the city. Farms started to show up, overpopulated with Rakes in most cases. The emergency food source of the city, invisible from the skies because of the layered structures that kept the animals and vegetation compacted. Finally, they stopped before a somehow large building. It only had two floors but took up quite an area. Aisha jumped out first, guiding them. A small, warm smile suggested she knew the place for a long time. She knocked on the big double doors. After a moment of silence, the left wing opened slightly outwards and an older woman peeked outside. She measured them with a scrutinizing gaze, squinting her eyes, before her strict face morphed into a visage of surprise. ¡°Zora,¡± she said in a wavering voice. ¡°It¡¯s you! You finally came back!¡± she exclaimed happily, slowly coming closer and hugging Aisha with her thin arms. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back,¡± she answered warmly, returning the hug. ¡°Welcome home,¡± the old woman said, and small tears could be seen in the corners of her eyes as she looked up at her face. The heartwarming scene was disrupted by a young girl¡¯s voice coming from above. ¡°It¡¯s Aisha! OOOH! And a Gremiling! And a short hobo! He has an armor¡­¡± her voice drifted away, as she sprinted away. Zeph wasn¡¯t even able to see her face before she disappeared from the window. He took a step back, having a bad premonition. He looked at Aisha, then at P¡¯pfel, who was also backing up from the entrance. The sound of multiple light steps could be heard from the interior of the building, the high-pitched shouts raising in volume with each second. The stampede was coming. ¡°Welcome to your temporary abode,¡± said Aisha, looking back with an impish grin, as a horde of kids charged from behind. He would run, but not only would that be immature, he wouldn¡¯t know what to do with himself after. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment, accepting the situation. Moving to the side, he exchanged the ¡®Lesser Force weave¡¯ for ¡®Lesser Light reflection¡¯ in his Matrix Spell list and used it alongside the ¡®Mana masking¡¯ to hide away. The Gremling was panicking. Forgive me, teacher!
Interface: Chapter 47 - ...Just kidding. But there are responsibilities still. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.10] Zeph¡¯s tricks gave him enough time to hide from the worst of the attack ¨C P¡¯pfel taking the brunt of the damage like a tank he was not, withering quickly under the knowing-no-limits curiosity of the younger kids. To Zeph¡¯s relief, Yula, the older woman that took care of the orphanage, quickly berated them for getting too personal with the Gremling and causing him no small measure of discomfort, skillfully ignoring the fact they also managed to cause him pain, right after part of the horde discovered the hobo standing to the side. The relief was short-lived, though. As they marched through the building to the dining hall, the older kids ¨C curious even more ¨C encouraged the youngsters to give requests to them. At first sight, those sounded innocent and rational enough, but he quickly remembered why he never liked to play with kids. A girl, maybe six years old, was sitting on his shoulders as he was giving her a ride. The problem was, she exploited her superior position and ignored his earlier disapproval of touching his regrowing beard. But the unauthorized action of trying to pull his facial hair out could only be met with a grunt and a comment ¨C nothing that could really stop her. At least until Zeph didn¡¯t lose his patience and put her down. But because hurting her feelings like that was out of the question, he endured the rude and slightly painful machinations. At least the other kids now knew his beard was really connected to his skin. Hopefully, no one else would want to re-check the ideas stating otherwise¡­ Did I mention Zeph didn¡¯t like kids? They left their luggage in a small room near the hall ¨C a place Aisha always used when coming over. It was secured by an enchanted lock. The contraption was very similar to the door lock on the Avianna. The compression box P¡¯pfel was carrying until now was also left there. It had to be connected to a small Mana-transferring pipe to keep it functional after the Gremling stopped powering it. It looked like a bulbous, medium-sized air tank made from brass. The slot at its top fit perfectly to the vent in the pipe, they just had to adjust the metal hold supporting the tank. The girl on Zeph¡¯s back scrammed before they even opened the storage room, as kids sped up to the dining hall, squeaking happily. She probably hurried to her own group. They followed slowly behind, entering the vast room the last. It was a hall, alright. Zeph estimated a hundred orphans, maybe more, were present in the building. But two times that could be easily fit in here. Aisha convinced Yula to relax for once and took a small army of older kids to help in the kitchens at the back. It seemed they had a custom of celebrating when the Warrior Priestess visited. The rest of the horde attacked the shelves standing on the right side of the room, bringing to the long tables the toys and simple tabletop games. The left side of the hall was occupied by large windows that were built low enough to double up as an exit if necessary. They were adorned with colorful lace curtains that filtered the light coming in. The ceiling was almost four meters high, like in most of the buildings in the city, decorated only with pipes and small chandeliers hanging under them. The older trio sat together in a silent corner at the end of a table spanning the whole length of the room. They would indulge in some talk, especially Zeph as he was interested in hearing more about the place, but the commotion produced by the kids was a little too much to speak comfortably. It became even worse when a young woman came in with a trolley full of sweet appetizers. There was nothing left besides waiting, so Zeph decided to dedicate this time to observe. He could spot a few youngsters of different races. It wasn¡¯t unexpected, as the population of the city was quite diverse from what he already saw, but he was shocked slightly when a group of Machoir warily entered the hall. He would have mistaken them for strange, big cats if not for the fact that all of them were wearing clothes and had much more expressive faces. After looking closer, he noticed the most striking difference ¨C their paws have stubby fingers that were long enough to grab things, somewhat similar to Raccoons¡¯. The retractable claws still had to be used to help with that, though. The kids were able to sit straight, so Zeph wondered if walking on their back legs was also possible. Their anatomy was certainly close to the animals from which their predecessors evolved. A shame only cat-like type was present ¨C he would be delighted to see non-mammals, too. That was probably the best proof that the System was, indeed, promoting intellectual evolution for all species. They seemed apprehensive for some reason, but other kids quickly took care of that by inviting them to play and cuddle together. The small Veils of the kids allowed them to stay comfortable even in the close proximity of a whole group and explained their penchant for physical contact. Zeph would be the same after entering this world, if not for his abnormal Intuition and Willpower. He couldn¡¯t relate, though. Even on Earth, he wasn¡¯t a fan of close, especially physical, contact with people. He couldn¡¯t see any more species, just a few different Human races. Like the big pale boy without hair on his head, evidently a Kitayamayan ¨C a race that resembled fantasy Barbarians. They were living in the mountain caves of the far north, but they weren¡¯t primitives ¨C none of the sapients really was. Their people were big, muscular, pale, and very resilient. In another corner of the hall, he spotted a few Hannyajin playing in a group. It was the same race as Kwan¡¯s gang. The kids were smaller and paler than the rest, but what really set them apart were their mouths ¨C their lips were full of color and when they smiled, their small teeth showed up, with two long ones protruding down from the upper jaw. The most numerous ¡®non-human¡¯ group was formed from the Lj¨®s¨¢lfar, or Youlasa, depending on the dialect. Those kids were thin like a twig, looking almost malnourished, but were also higher than the rest. Their most discerning feature was their olive-brown skin. They somewhat resembled Wood Elves from fantasy books, just without the characteristic shape of the ears. Well, their ears were bigger than they should, so maybe that counted? He once again wondered why Earth¡¯s books tended to describe species that were this close to the real deal in a neighboring world. Something was up but he couldn¡¯t even guess what. Too many coincidences weren¡¯t a coincidence, at least on a statistical scale. Of course, more races were probably present, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to discern the minute differences in their anatomy. Every high-level person had a chance to modify their body genetically, after getting access to those Exchange options, and start a new race, blurring the lines. Even the differences between species ¨C like Humans, Gremlings, and Machoir ¨C tended to lose their impact over time, as the number of body modifications and implants grew. The most restricting difference was an inability to walk on two limbs and hold a tool in hand, but even that supposedly had its workarounds. Zeph somehow felt like he lost his passion for fantasy races after listening to his companion¡¯s explanations and descriptions. How the hell do you discern between them if you have seven Dwarf-like Human variants and thirteen Elf-like ones? And that¡¯s not even taking into account the possibility of mixed blood. His idle musings were interrupted when food started arriving in the hall. Aisha returned alongside her cooking brigade and the festivities started for real. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When the noise became more bearable, as everyone started to eat, Aisha took the opportunity to introduce them shortly to the crowd. The rest of the orphanage¡¯s staff joined them at the end of the table to make their acquaintance and explain a little about the rules of the orphanage. Zeph was surprised only four people, besides Yula, worked here. They were all a part of Leilucia Temple, but more in name than in practice. This orphanage, like many others on the continent, was created by a group effort of a faction in the Temple. Naturally, Aisha was a part of it. It was quite strange, though. They didn¡¯t have a name for themselves ¨C as they didn¡¯t want to provoke a schism ¨C even if it was more of an elitist kind of group. To become a member, one had to possess a rare Class, which normally required a lot of resources to nurture ¨C Warrior Priestess being one of the best and most difficult ones. Everyone had to help with the basic activities, too. Building orphanages was one of them. The members tended to be less reliant on the Temple itself, oftentimes not even associating themselves with it until absolutely necessary. The factual hierarchy was filled with people following Leilucia¡¯s words to the letter ¨C concerned more about preparing for emergency events to help the promising people survive. In a way, Aisha¡¯s faction was the stray one. They were nurturing talents, instead of looking for and after them, effectively increasing the overall living standards and prospects for certain social groups ¨C like orphans, who were numerous enough because of the death rate of the people. Their reasoning, that the overall situation of the races changed from the times Leilucia walked on these lands, fell on deaf years, though. The Goddess herself didn¡¯t care enough to direct them on this matter. Or, maybe, she saw the disagreement as a positive change in her Temple. Either way, people hired here weren¡¯t truly approved by the Temple, with the exception of Yula. They were more of a hired force that technically belonged to the organization. It was quite complicated; the political struggle hindered both sides, as the resources belonged to the hierarchy and the strongest people to the second faction. Zeph was no longer surprised Aisha despised politics and bureaucracy that much. The discussion on the topic lasted until the party ended. While Yula showed them to their rooms ¨C placed on the highest, third floor ¨C Aisha went to prepare their amulets. She invited them to come to her own abode after they were finished moving in. In Zeph¡¯s case, there wasn¡¯t much to unpack, though. P¡¯pfel would take longer because he refused to stop working on his enchantments even for a few days, stating that he would die from boredom. As such, he visited the Warrior Priestess alone. He knocked on the doors and entered after Aisha responded. He felt that he disrupted a Spell when doing so, but it rebuilt itself behind him. She looked up from some paperwork. ¡°You are alone?¡± He shrugged. ¡°As you can see? Is this room safe?¡± he asked, looking around. The place was quite empty; filled with only the most necessary furnishing. There was a set of wooden closets, a bed, and a table with four chairs. Quite modest in comparison to his room. ¡°It is, obviously,¡± she said, placing down her pen and reaching for one of the two wooden boxes lying on a windowsill by the table. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s even better that you are alone. Here, your amulet,¡± she said giving him the box. ¡°I will take care of the paperwork. Just give me the papers you received from Ruthia back in the Torrent mountains.¡± He opened the box and indeed, inside was a simple medallion. On one side, a depiction of a war hammer could be seen. At the back, a long number was engraved. That was it, there was no instruction or fancy metalwork. ¡°How does it work? There is no ¡®progress bar¡¯ or anything?¡± ¡°You will be paying the orphanage tax with your Mana, so there is no need to trace the progress,¡± she said with a small smile. ¡°Just make sure to send at least three million mana per day. The kids aren¡¯t able to pay their own taxes, so we have to compensate when someone visits. The staff isn¡¯t obliged to pay for them. Well, except for Yula, but she is a special case. It should be easy enough for you, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s around¡­¡± he paused to do the math, ¡°half of my Mana regeneration? Ugh, it¡¯s actually quite a lot¡­ How are they even tracing the amount of Mana if we can just leave the building?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°They don¡¯t, in this case. I will get a memory amulet for you later from the City Administration Hall. For now, just help us here? You don¡¯t have your equipment here to experiment, either way,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°Whatever, I can do some charity if it¡¯s needed. But what is the normal tax?¡± he asked instead. ¡°Half a million per day. If I guessed your current Mana regeneration correctly, you will have to at least double the amount that you produce at night during the day. And before you ask ¨C the effectiveness of gathering Mana from your room is much lower than on the ship. You can expect the same from most of the lodges in the city. Around one-tenth, if I am not mistaken,¡± she explained patiently. ¡°Well, I can do that. But what did you mean when saying that Yula is a special case?¡± he asked with curiosity. She was the first person that was really old, that he met until now. Aisha closed her eyes and seemed to be deep in thought. He waited, understanding that the topic wasn¡¯t easy for her. After half a minute, she finally nodded to herself and started to speak. ¡°I suppose, some explanations are in order. It¡¯s a part of our deal, so don¡¯t spread what I will tell you,¡± she said, alluding to her promise she made on the Avianna ¨C to give him valuable information not accessible otherwise. ¡°Yula actually managed to get one of the most valuable post-level-100 Classes in the past. The Blessed Innermore Priestess. Probably thanks to that, she survived the Nether infection she got soon after the Class evolution. She was a veteran¡­ and now is just a Soul-cripple. Our group makes sure people like that are accounted for, too,¡± she said in a sad voice. ¡°She is a full member of the Temple, but can no longer train with her Skills¡­ Can no longer advance¡­ Her Class was destroyed, alongside her potential. Truthfully, she should be dead with her¡­ Soul fragmentation. It¡¯s above the 15% threshold,¡± she said after hesitating for a second. Zeph could understand what she was insinuating but stopped himself from commenting. He forcefully subdued his emotions, numbly noticing it was more effective than it should. Probably another function of the Willforce Morphon. The ¡®unknown¡¯ part of it. Aisha continued after making sure he was cool-headed. ¡°Yes, you should also be crippled with the Soul fragmentation you have. And the System coaxed you to take this path ¨C to keep your fragmentation for longer¡­ To be more specific, you should have started to fall into madness a while ago. But you didn¡¯t. Yula also didn¡¯t, but she can no longer depend on the System to fix her¡­¡± she paused again. ¡°To tell you the truth, I am not sure if the Onji can fix you anymore. Not after so many changes took place in your Soul. But your species has its quirks, Greater Willpower being one of them. I am no longer sure what is possible¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said with conviction, surprising her. ¡°We will find our own path. I know the System enough to believe that we¡­ That I was not left without options. But what with Yula? Shouldn¡¯t she try to¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Gather enough points to try healing her Soul?¡± he asked, sitting down on a free chair. Hearing Aisha¡¯s explanations made him weary. But more importantly, he was more surprised Gru didn¡¯t notice a thing about Yula. ¡°Graaar?¡± it vibrated as if on cue. Aisha relaxed somewhat and leaned back on her chair. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to ¨C her Soul was patched up to the best of System Onji¡¯s capabilities. Her wound is hidden below the Soul constructs of a past-level-100 ¨C I would be really surprised if you could notice that,¡± she lightly said, then become more serious. ¡°Both Onjis, System and Leilucia, promised her a safe reincarnation to restore her Soul. For her¡­ the life she has now already ended. She decided to wait for the time when she could become active again¡­¡± she sighed heavily. ¡°Even if such promises may never be fulfilled, she believes in her only two Gods¡­¡± ¡°If we ever find a way to heal her, we will make you know,¡± he declared without hesitation. ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated in approval. ¡°I think that my life is not in a jeopardy, though. I ended up here with much worse fragmentation ¨C my situation only got better after that. Especially my mental state¡­ I was on the brink of killing myself for many years, you know?¡± he said, deciding to share his story with her, too. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s leave that for after I visit the System Shrine.¡± She smiled at him warmly and started opening her mouth to say something, when another knock resounded in the room. Aisha opened the doors herself this time. They were expecting P¡¯pfel, but instead the same girl that Zeph gave a ride earlier this day was standing there in her pajamas, holding a big, stuffed bunny. In a small voice, she explained that she has problems with sleeping and that she felt much more comfortable when she was near Zeph earlier, so she wanted to sleep with him tonight. One had to be a monster to refuse such request, so he gave her the keys and instructed her to wait for him because he was busy right now. Meanwhile, Aisha was giggling to herself on the side, which he promptly ignored. Sleeping kids weren¡¯t anger-inducing, so he didn¡¯t care. The probability she would cause him pain during sleep was miniscule. Or, at least, that¡¯s how he rationalized the voice of his softer side. Anyway, he sat back on his chair, waiting for the question Aisha wanted to voice out. ¡°What are your plans for the future anyway?¡± she asked, sitting in her chair, too. ¡°You wanna stay in the city and do the research?¡± ¡°Actually no,¡± he answered with a small smile. ¡°I will have to visit¡­ some places soon,¡± he said, thinking about the rare metals necessary to upgrade all of his gear made from the Earth¡¯s alloy. ¡°Probably very rural regions, too. But before that, I have a list of places to visit in the city,¡± he finished. ¡°I hope you can direct me some?¡± Chapter 48 - Shopping and mapping. Plus, an uneventful encounter. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.12] A roofed carriage glided slowly through the white streets of Lurona. Surprisingly, snow started to fall last night, covering the whole city in a fluffy blanket. It has fallen early this year ¨C the calendar winter would start alongside a new year, so in twenty days yet. Looking at the scenic cityscape through the window, decorated with the white fluff as it was, made Zeph excited for the celebrations preceding the New Year. The street lamps were all turned on to counter the lack of light caused by the heavy, gray clouds above. The light danced on the snowflakes that slowly fell from the sky in big lumps. Funnily enough, instead of forming flat crystalline shapes like on Earth, they grew in every direction ¨C probably because Water Magicules were changing the internal symmetry ¨C deepening his previous impression of the Manasolid looking like a snowflake. Forty hours of global festivities¡­ I wonder how they celebrate. On the streets? With family? I hope they have invented some interesting music genres, he thought dreamily. But a New Year¡­ People definitely think similarly, no matter the world. He leaned back on his seat, relaxing. He was the only person in the small wagon. He rented a private ride because he had a few places to visit. It was quite cold inside, but it didn¡¯t bother him. The upper part of his armor was absent, packed in his big backpack for transportation, but Yula gave him a heavy coat for the road. It had a hood and was lined with fur; its quality was probably better than Earth¡¯s equivalents. It was much warmer, that¡¯s for sure. It was his third day in Lurona. He spent the previous day in the orphanage ¨C resting and preparing for the necessary shopping and visits in the city. His armor wasn¡¯t regenerating as it should, even after straightening up the parts to the best of his abilities. The Phleya got the wrong idea from the damage sustained and was remodeling it whole. Gru was unsuccessful in communicating that it was a wrong idea. Zeph definitely didn¡¯t want a uniform heavy plate, so he didn¡¯t have a choice ¨C the armor had to be fixed forcefully to keep its flexibility. Aisha gave him a recommendation letter and directed him to the Production District. A specific specialist was needed ¨C one that would be able to manipulate the strange alloy and knew a thing or two about living weaponry. She blatantly stated that he would have to ask around to try to find someone himself. Also, supposedly his chances were miniscule. They would have to be an external Mana Manipulation Specialist of high level and an Armorsmith at that. She doubted normal Matrix Skills could help with fixing the internal structure of the armor, and the micro-parts were too small to work by hand. He would do with anyone proficient in Soul-links, though. Stopping the process would be enough for him at this stage. Well, there was also an option to pay the System at the Shrine, but he despised the idea. He could already see the cost being in the five-digit number range; the System wouldn¡¯t miss such an opportunity to strip UP from him. Thankfully, the changes made by Phleya were advancing slowly when outside of Zeph¡¯s Veil. He still had to connect with it from time to time to make sure the colony wouldn¡¯t die out, but that wasn¡¯t speeding up the process much. It almost feels like the after-effects¡¯ cost is balancing out the value of the Manasolid, he thought ruefully and sighed tiredly. If my plan won¡¯t work, I will probably end up penniless, again¡­ Instead of massaging his temples to prevent the coming headache, he took out some snacks and looked outside of the window. The view was relaxing enough to let him forget about his problems. The passing buildings were an interesting study of alien architecture, but the truly magical scenes were the ones in the background. They were moving on the ground level, but the terrain of the city wasn¡¯t flat. Right now, they were sliding through an elevated district. Probably a vast hill, much higher than the surrounding lands. He could see huge fragments of the cityscape when they passed through crossroads. The wide streets gave him enough time to appreciate the view, even allowing him a glance at the mountainous islands sticking up from the sea in the background. The ride was a long one. The carriage had the wheels changed to skis, so the speed of the ride was slower than it should be. Evidently, no one here heard about the snow clearance. They just rolled with the weather. At least the horses didn¡¯t seem to have problems with walking in those conditions. On the other hand, he realized after a moment, the city avoided the unfortunate fate of producing soiled slush all over. That¡¯s¡­ actually, kind of, worth it¡­ I think, he hesitantly concluded. Ugh, it will take a while¡­ Should I take a nap? After weighing how tired he felt against the views he was witnessing, Zeph decided it was not worth it. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to sleep much last night, Willforce Morphon was compensating and keeping his mind sharp and he didn¡¯t plan to make many such trips. But he shivered at the reminder of the last night. To his horror, almost twenty kids came knocking on his doors last night, demanding to sleep in. Ulma, the girl that asked for the same the night before, spread the rumor of how comfortable her sleep was for the first time in ever. Aisha explained that a lot of the kids have lived through some kind of traumatic experience prior to the orphanage. Most had problems with sleep and had to take medicaments to alleviate that problem. She theorized the soothing effect of his presence was a side effect of his Will. And so, he became the Night Guard for a small kindergarten. Aisha was laughing that he made for a perfect Nanny, especially because he didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse after hearing about all this. He was waking up every time someone moved, though. An hour of sleep was all he managed. He was accustomed to reacting when something stirred in his Veil ¨C an alertness trained by his time in the Torrent mountains. This posed a problem. A problem for the future¡­ The idle thoughts flew through his head as they were getting closer to the Production District. Almost two hours later, they finally arrived. He could immediately tell when they entered it, as the scenery changed sharply. More pipes were visible, snaking all over and around the buildings. The running lanes, as Zeph decided to call the highways for runners, were replaced by fully-fledged overpasses for vehicles. The sounds of heavy machinery and people working with metal echoed around. The buildings themselves sported much bigger doors, probably adapted to let whole wagons through, but otherwise weren¡¯t much different from city architecture. As per instructions, the driver guided them to the main administration building at the center. If Zeph was to ask around for a specific craftsman, he would rather start with the place with the most information. He was ready to pay for it, too. Yesterday, while he was fumbling with his armor, Aisha finished all of the administrative work. On her way back from the city¡¯s hall, she collected the pay for the package he delivered in North Tarak. His twenty percent of the profit amounted to almost 250 000 gold, which shocked him. Aisha was, officially, a millionaire. And she didn¡¯t even receive her rewards from the Onjis. Well, he suspected it wasn¡¯t really that much in the great scheme of things, but still. He dreaded the prices of advanced, enchanted weaponry. She also deposited their money in the local commerce Guild, the Amber-Trade Merc. He was a little disappointed that someone already got an idea of creating a bank, even if it worked slightly differently than on Earth. At least, he could use an enchanted medallion instead of hauling all the gold with him. The carriage finally stopped, so Zeph put his backpack on and came out. The building didn¡¯t look different from the others around but sported ten floors, sticking out of the surrounding like a lighthouse on an island. He entered through the closest doors, as his driver parked in the nearby roofed lane. The interior was much more¡­ appropriate for a medieval commerce building than he expected. All furniture was made from dark, polished wood ¨C practical and simple in shape. Wooden signs informed the clients where to go. Potted plants decorated the empty spaces. The hall itself was comfortably vast; three of the entrance doors were leading into the room. He could see a few attendants in simple clothing manning the counter on the back wall ¨C an information desk. A woman was constantly mopping the stone floor, trying to get rid of all the melting snow that customers were carrying in. A vast exit to the left was leading to a cloakroom, and a similar one on the right to the staircase. It was hot inside, so he quickly closed the wooden door behind him, and marched in the direction of the cloakroom. An older gentleman took his stuff and put them in a closet. After removing a metal plate from a slot, he handed it to him. It was quite a familiar arrangement, really. After a quick question at the information desk, he was directed to the fourth floor. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was a much bigger room, probably spanning the whole length of the building entirely. Circular counters, booths, and small shops populated the area. People were unhurriedly meandering about, some forming lines to the more-frequented places. What surprised him, was that every counter, shop, or booth here was under a different banner. Guilds, companies, groups¡­ They were all here. He could feel the headache coming. It wasn¡¯t a centralized government building like he expected. It was an ¡®information mall¡¯ manned by all of the groups in the Production District. Thankfully, he quickly located the Mapmakers Guild shop on the far left, near the wall. But before he could even do a few steps, an attractive young woman stepped close to him. ¡°Welcome to the Lurona production center!¡± she said with a pleasant smile. ¡°If you need a map of the floor or general information, we can provide it for a small price,¡± she proposed, holding up a small booklet for him to take while standing a little closer to him than strictly necessary. It could even work¡­ if she wasn¡¯t at least a head taller than him. All it achieved was making it hard and awkward for him to look at her face. Heh, nothing changes in the advertising department, he thought with mirth, noticing a small emblem of a Guild on her shoulder. She even spoke like it was a general service¡­ ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, I have a business right there,¡± he answered, pointing at the Mapmakers¡¯ shop and taking a small step back. ¡°But thanks for the help.¡± She nodded, undaunted. ¡°Sure, if you need something you can visit the central counter,¡± she said in the same, pleasant tone, pointing at the closest circular counter with a small line around it. ¡°Have a nice day!¡± finishing, she waved at him, already moving in the direction of the next potential prey. How progressive of them, he joked internally with a small smile showing on his face. I am quite sure they didn¡¯t have customer service of this quality in the Early Modern Era¡­ The shop he spotted didn¡¯t have a glass display like the ones around, just simple widows that were showing the shelves inside. Again, everything here was made of elegant wood and decorated with plants. The shops were basically booths with wooden walls that connected the floor and ceiling. The structures were forming a small maze of pillars all around the place but enough space was left between them to move freely. This one, though, was much smaller and placed directly against a wall. He entered and was welcomed with the smell of old books and paper. Large wall-hanging canvas maps decorated empty spaces on walls. More of them were laying rolled in barrels. On the shelves, he could see folding versions of maps and a small number of books. Three rows of low shelves took most of the space on the floor, cluttering the shop. The light inside was quite dim, adding to the atmosphere. ¡°Welcome,¡± an old man with a long, white beard called to him after a moment. Zeph was sure he was taking a nap, a standing nap, just a moment ago. ¡°Ahem¡­ what can I help you with?¡± His voice finally returned to his normal, gruff tone after he cleared his throat. Zeph smiled a little. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with the basics,¡± he said, walking to the counter. ¡°I need a map of this building, the district, and the city.¡± The old-timer smiled a little. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, but you need to be more specific, dear customer. Except for the map of the commercial building, how detailed would you prefer them, and for what purposes you are buying them? The quality is also important. You will have to pay in gold for the resilient ones.¡± ¡°Right. Um, for the district, I want to be able to find specific producers, like alchemists or smiths. For the city¡­ I would like something for a tourist, businessman, and¡­ innovator maybe? It¡¯s kind of hard to describe, haha,¡± he said, scratching his head. ¡°You can show me the highest quality first.¡± The salesman blinked slowly. ¡°Quite a tall order. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± he moved from behind the counter and started to gather random folding maps and books from around the store, sometimes stopping to think about the selection. Zeph waited until he returned with nine thick tomes. He placed them heavily on the counter before walking back behind it. Firstly, he took a small book from a shelve behind and handed it to Zeph. ¡°This is the map of the building which also details the groups inside. It was updated last week, so the content should be mostly correct. There is a folding map inside.¡± Next, he started to take book after book from the stack, explaining what they were. ¡°Every one of those is in color, impervious to fluids, and almost immune to Mana-fading. Just watch out with the temperatures ¨C they are still quite flammable. This is the Geographical Map for Tourists. Besides the map, it contains detailed descriptions of publicly-accessible technicalities and bits of history. The map can be removed from the cover like this, and operated like this¡­¡± he showed how to quickly switch between different coordinates by following the folding instructions written in the book itself. It was quite interesting because the clips keeping the map fragments together could be readjusted, or even removed, if someone wanted to quickly shuffle all the parts in proper order manually. Very handy, for a paper map at least. ¡°Each of the three tomes of Detailed Map of Traffic describes the means of transportation and best routes dedicated for specific purposes. The three levels are: the sea level, the city level, and the Aerostation level. The last one includes the shuttles, airships, and islands¡¯ high-traffic. They complete quite snugly the knowledge from this Lurona Technology Solutions for Curious book, which also includes a map of the main energy infrastructure. This one is the Geographical Map of Neutral Territories in the Lurona Region. It¡¯s quite hefty, but the best choice for anyone who wants to test prototypes, or to have an idea about the surrounding lands. The last three,¡± he said, placing them side by side,¡± are the Lurona Geopolitical Map, Lurona Map of Expert Quality, and Detailed Lurona Production District Map. They are quite self-explanatory,¡± he finished his monologue with a smile. ¡°What do you think about the choice?¡± Zeph was quite overwhelmed by the quick explanation. But he had to give it to the salesman ¨C all of the books were interesting, if not outright necessary for him. After thinking for a while, he decided to take them all. Worst-case scenario, I will just leave them in the orphanage. Their library is too poor to be even considered one¡­ Nodding to himself, he made a decision. ¡°How much? Ummm¡­¡± he looked at the meter-high pile of paper, ¡°can they be delivered?¡± The toothy grin looked somewhat uncanny on the old man ¨C almost like it was the first time he smiled widely in years. The bandana on his head even moved backwards. ¡°That would be 27 gold and 30 silver, 10 silver more for the delivery.¡± Zeph just nodded at that and presented his ¡®credit medallion¡¯ after giving him the orphanage address. The salesman gestured for him to place it in a slot on the counter, near a black metal plate with dots and symbols shining on the surface. The old guy changed a few of them and showed it to Zeph. The symbols were just the names of the currency in the Cir language, so after making sure the number of dots was correct, Zeph pushed a strand of Mana into the medallion, unlocking its functionality. A clicking sound could be heard as the mechanical parts inside the medallion changed positions. Aisha instructed him beforehand on how it worked. Practically, that is. He was slightly worried about the security measurements but she explained to him how he could detect a scam. It was easy with his perception and manipulation proficiency. He just had to count the number of Mana pulses sent into the device. ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± the old man said earnestly and Zeph could feel a Spell manifesting around them. He could recognize a modified Air Sphere at first glance, though, so he didn¡¯t react. ¡°It¡¯s good to know some people still follow the traditional greeting (1).¡± Like hell I know what you are talking about, old man! Zeph screamed internally but kept his face neutral. Was I scammed? Wh¡­ No, keep your calm¡­ I have gold, it¡¯s not important, he rationalized, trying to keep his Will at bay. ¡°Let¡¯s hear your true request, then,¡± the man said and Zeph mentally relaxed a little. Whatever that was about, we at least are on the same page. Yea, whatever just happened, it¡¯s good as long as I can get what I want¡­ ¡°I need someone who knows the world¡¯s geography good enough to find seven places described by the local environment¡­ The locations can be triangulated, too ¨C I know the general direction of them all. Hmmm, also, I need to find a quite specific Specialist that can make armors, and someone specializing in Alchemy that can also create Mana batteries.¡± The salesman tilted his head curiously, stroking his beard. ¡°So, a Skill. Did you try to see the System¡¯s price for giving you the local names?¡± Well, at least he knows what he is doing. ¡°I don¡¯t have to. For the names that were included, they¡¯re not in the Universal Cir language¡­ I can only read the topography and landmarks clearly. Well, some flora and fauna, too, but it¡¯s a difficult part. The rest is gibberish,¡± he explained. The Soul-memory the System gave him was really restricted. He would be angry if he didn¡¯t know the System didn¡¯t have a graphical map function. Probably a domain of some other god¡­ Why the fuck didn¡¯t it just give me the coordinates? It should be possible to do, right?... Oh, yea. I forgot the continents are flying around all the time¡­ He shook his head, there was too much to take into account. ¡°I would probably have to buy the Mapping-exclusive General Skills, but I don¡¯t even know where to start with the choice¡­¡± the price would send me to hell, Zeph finished in his mind. And now the old guy looked excited. Great¡­ I fucked up again, didn¡¯t I? ¡°For sharing this, you will have our Cartographer for free,¡± the guy declared without hesitation. ¡°Forgotten lands won¡¯t map themselves,¡± he said with a small laugh. ¡°The person would be able to help with triangulation, for one. As for your descriptions, they would have to wait until we know what stratum we are talking about. The same with the pay. The directions you have should be linear, so it would be a hard guess right now,¡± as he spoke, he took out a small medallion from under the counter. His scrunched face hinted at concentration, but after a moment he just handed it to Zeph. ¡°You will need this for identification. Visit us in a month or so, the Cartographer should be ready. As for your other problems¡­¡± he started, taking the booklet and the district map to mark something inside. ¡°How much money have you prepared?¡± he asked, scratching his cheek with a pen. ¡°Around 100 000 gold, I suppose?¡± I would need the rest for the equipment¡­ Haah, the headache was coming back quickly. He never liked to spend money. ¡°I am also open for information trade,¡± he added, after remembering Aisha¡¯s brutal teachings and his own idea. ¡°Nice. You can go to Ciriyal¡¯s store, then. She handles the high-leveled experts that couldn¡¯t find help from normal sources. If you don¡¯t find anything interesting there, just visit the new guys that are trying to destroy my business,¡± the mirth in his voice explained it all to Zeph. ¡°She should have all information about the district,¡± he finished in a more serious tone, giving him the booklet and the district map. ¡°Just ask her to mark the optimal routes on the map. I have marked her shop.¡± The Spell faded away, so Zeph just thanked him and left, still wondering if he wasn¡¯t scammed somehow.
(1) ¡®What traditional greeting?¡¯ you, dear reader, may ask? Did Zeph manage to open hidden doors by the sheer power of luck? No, not really. You see, he suggested that the first purchase was just the interlude, instructed the salesman to get the best quality books, and paid more than 10 gold without haggling. A nice greeting, nothing more. Unknown to Zeph, the forceful request could also be made ¨C enough gold would lead him to the same conclusion. But it made the old-timer happy enough to give him the medallion at the first meeting. This didn¡¯t change much, if anything at all. Or did it? The System saw it all, after all. Chapter 49 - Ass and holes. Zero dignity! Zero! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.12] It took him a while to find Ciriyal¡¯s place. The shops were forming aisles inside the building, but it was still a small maze overall. The fact that her ¡®shop¡¯ was placed on the other side of the floor, in the ¡®etceteras¡¯ department, didn¡¯t help his case at all. It was a much more crowded area that resembled a wild bazaar. The groups that settled there were also strange; like a detective company, history Guild, or alcohol producers. It wasn¡¯t a chaotic marketplace, though, as those were still just fronts of the industry that didn¡¯t sell much ¨C only the most basic commodities and samples. Still, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling more direct business could be done in this area. The shop itself resembled an old kiosk. The wood hadn¡¯t seen any maintenance for years at least, and even its sign was lopsided slightly. Yallan¡¯s Lodge¡­ How am I ending in places like this? he sighed mentally. Is this what the future holds for me? Dilapidated, unknown shops and shady merchants? He shook his head. Does it even matter? I won¡¯t stay in the city for long. If they have what I want, I really shouldn¡¯t care, he rationalized, walking inside. A woman with brown, tangled hair was sleeping on the counter, her face planted sideways on its surface. There wasn¡¯t much to see inside. Besides a random map, book, or ¨C to his surprise ¨C smoking equipment, nothing of interest was visible on the thin shelves placed by the walls. The shopowner¡¯s snores reverberated through the place. He came closer to the counter, noticing a small puddle of saliva near her mouth. ¡°Ahem,¡± he tried. No reaction. He leaned closer, trying to get a better look at her face. ¡°Hello?¡± No reaction. She didn¡¯t smell of alcohol, so at least she wasn¡¯t intoxicated. He poked her cheek. Still, no reaction. He straightened up, stroking his chin. Shrugging, he lowered his hands. Then, he clapped loudly. The startled woman shoot up with enough force to actually fall back from her chair. He could hear grunts and curses coming from the floor behind it. ¡°Hello¡­ Are you alright?¡± he asked, looking above the counter. The woman sprung to her feet a moment later. ¡°Yesh¡­ yes! Dear customer!¡± she exclaimed in a high-pitched, exaggeratedly pleasant voice, looking straight ahead with unfocused eyes. She paused, blinked, and lowered her gaze to look at him. ¡°Oh,¡± she started with resignation, making dead-fish eyes. ¡°I will pay the ¡®installment¡¯ at the end of this week, there is no need for a reminder¡­¡± she stated in a cold tone. Zeph tilted his head. This doesn¡¯t sound good, lady¡­ ¡°Do I look like a debt collector to you?¡± he deadpanned. He had to look up to meet her eyes, feeling vulnerable in his simple sweatshirt that covered his upper body. She smirked with conviction, crossing her arms. ¡°Playing stupid? Who sent you, Twerg?¡± I know I am short but do you have to rub it in?! ¡°The Mapmakers,¡± he answered after a pause, massaging the base of his nose. ¡°See! As always, you lot a¡±¡ªshe paused in the middle of spreading her arms¡ª¡°Huh? No, wait¡­ That¡­¡± He sighed tiredly. ¡°Can we go to the part where you ask what you can do for me?¡± he asked the embarrassed and slightly panicking clerk. ¡°Or are you going to disclose more details on that loan business to a stranger?¡± She grimaced and tensed as if an arrow hit her in the back. ¡°Ugh, I am sorry. Not many of new arrivals this time of the year¡­¡± was her lame excuse. ¡°You can compensate me with some information¡­¡± he held his hand to forestall her objection. ¡°Nothing groundbreaking. But I am here for another reason, so maybe we can get to business?¡± She closed her mouth and looked down in shame, noticing the wet puddle on the counter. She raised her eyes immediately, producing a rag from nowhere, and ¡®absentmindedly¡¯ wiped the table while speaking. ¡°Sure, sure. I can give you some advice while we are at it if you don¡¯t have anything specific in mind.¡± She was back to her saleswoman self. He nodded. ¡°How do you handle client¡¯s information? I would rather not give you an opportunity to spread certain details...¡± ¡°Depends. What funds did you prepare?¡± she asked seriously, putting away the rag. ¡°Knowledge exchange and around 100 000 gold.¡± She paused. ¡°Oh wow, okay. Give me a second.¡± Her demeanor changed again ¨C to Zeph¡¯s surprise she became even more flustered. How can she be so bad at this? Isn¡¯t she supposed to handle rare cases? It looks more and more like a ¡®last resort¡¯ business¡­ She tinkered with something under the counter for a moment, then moved from behind it to close the store. Silently, she gestured for him to follow her to the back. After closing the doors behind him, she placed her hand on a wall and a small lift emerged from the ceiling. They moved to the fifth floor and Zeph was pleasantly surprised. Everything here was made from stone or marble. The room was elegant and vast, but he couldn¡¯t see any doors or windows. Stony shelves with stacks of papers were built into the walls. Besides a low table with two sofas, no amenities were present. ¡°Please sit down, I will bring a contract. Ummm, do you have any backer?¡± Ciriyal asked while powering up an enchantment near the lift. The familiar touch of an Air Sphere construct and¡­ something new¡­ washed over his Veil. ¡°I have a letter of recommendation if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± he said, walking to the table. ¡°Great,¡± she stressfully said and started to rummage through the papers. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Something is wrong¡­ he thought, observing her. This place and her debts¡­ A shame Gru still can¡¯t use that lie-detecting trick without being exposed. After mulling over it while she prepared the documents, he decided the best course of action would be to ask directly. He was out of his depth. Ciriyal still owed him information, so he hoped that would help. Finally, she sat down with a small file of documents. ¡°Why are you so tense, anyway? It should be normal business for you,¡± he asked before she could start explaining them. She paused with an open mouth, understanding what he implied and unsure as to what to do. Her eyes were darting sideways. Too sensitive of a topic? ¡°Give me some goodwill here,¡± he pressed, taking out Aisha¡¯s letter and some gold he still had in ¡®coins¡¯ from ingredients selling in the North Tarak. ¡°I will even pay three gold¡ª¡± That should be enough to alleviate your debt problem a little¡­ ¡°¡ªoutside of our later deal. Assuming it¡¯s personal information¡­¡± Zeph said, placing down the envelope with Aisha¡¯s letter and three gold coins. He wouldn¡¯t pay extra for something that wasn¡¯t concerning this very establishment, though. On the other hand, he had doubts that proceeding with the deal was a smart choice. Ciriyal was hesitating until she saw Aisha¡¯s symbol on the envelope. She seemed to relax somewhat and immediately took the three yellowish coins with a sweep of her hand. She cleared her throat, straightening. Then placed her medallion on the envelope, evidently to check something. It took her a minute, but after being satisfied, she returned her focus to Zeph. ¡°I-I am doing it only because I want to repay for the previous blunder! ¡­And because Leilucia¡¯s temple already knows about it¡­¡± she glanced at him, trying to read his expression. ¡°Ummm,¡± she redirected her gaze down, not seeing a reaction. ¡°Let me start from the beginning¡­ Around five years ago a new, unknown group showed up in the city. No one took notice until a few high officials were assassinated after ignoring their warnings and threats. The deaths happened indiscriminately to all major governing factions,¡± she started, measuring his reaction. He was surprised. A few years ago? ¡°It sounds like a small gang trying to punch above its weight¡­ You are insinuating they are still around? No retaliation from the government?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She nodded. ¡°I see you understand, but it¡¯s slightly more complicated¡­¡± Ciriyal leaned back, for the first time looking professional as she continued the explanation. ¡°In every faction, there were people happy with the outcome, so no strong retaliation force was formed. The exact contents of the threats have been made secret but from what I managed to uncover, there was no one reason or a clear goal between them that could provoke the powers to show a united front. Not to mention, the group turned out difficult to trace. They are using¡­ ¡®unconventional¡¯ methods to kill their targets; never showing up in person.¡± She paused to take out a clear bottle and two glasses from under the table. Zeph frowned. ¡°No connections between the victims? That¡¯s hard to believe¡­¡± ¡°Well, they all did something controversial ¨C be it in politics, technology, or religion. It¡¯s actually one of the reasons the group wasn¡¯t met with strong opposition until now.¡± After pouring some water into the glasses, she continued. ¡°If I had to guess, I would say they are trying to stabilize the city. But that doesn¡¯t make much sense. People from Lurona City Council also died; it doesn¡¯t look like a governmental move at all. From a political standpoint, only the capital could be involved, realistically speaking. But we are in almost direct opposition to their Council¡¯s regulations, so the chances for that happening are negligible. They would rather try to do the opposite. No other large political entities would bother... Well, maybe the second stratum, but they would not resort to assassination. They would flail their power and influence like the proud people they are. Like they did numerous times in the past when the economy was in jeopardy.¡± He sipped from his glass listening to her. It was hard to fully comprehend the implications because he didn¡¯t know how their society worked, nor what was the geopolitical situation. He heard stories from Aisha and others, but that wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°So, a local group that doesn¡¯t want to play according to the rules?¡± ¡°It would seem so, but therein lays the problem. They are responsible for at least a hundred deaths each year. Theoretically speaking, it¡¯s too much for a small group, even if they had some serious backing. On the other hand, any large-scale activity should have been found already; they would have to leave some traces. Because of that, it is believed that it is, indeed, a small group living inside the city. Either someone concocted an elite killing force in secret or we are dealing with a full-fledged Assassin¡¯s Guild. But the implications of those possibilities are hard to swallow¡­¡± He nodded at that in understanding. He still wasn¡¯t sure why she was so sure a large organization couldn¡¯t hide from the public view, but he had his guesses. Taking into account the diversity of detection Skills, the presence of institutions like the Towers, and the materials necessary ¨C it was easy to assume no hidden facility or passage through the walls could have been made without knowledge of the governing body. People would have to infiltrate over a long period of time and assimilate into the society, which should pose a problem if the organization was to stay hidden. Effigy identification was one thing, lie detectors another. Some evidence or lead should have been found in the last few years. At least, that¡¯s what he assumed. He only truly understood the problem with a small group of assassins Ciriyal mentioned ¨C Aisha educated him shortly on the topic during the flight, after he admitted he no longer had the Empathy EE before Kwan. It was necessary for him to understand why he shouldn¡¯t speak about that fact ever again, or about his Soul wound for that matter. Because of Mana, and for other reasons, one¡¯s mental state was very closely connected to the Soul and Will. Killing other intelligent being normally left a significant scar on one¡¯s psyche even on Earth. Similar to seeing a loved one dying in front of you ¨C it could cause deep trauma. The difference between the two was that after killing someone, the person themselves was at fault, was the direct cause. This mental loop was the reason people who committed murder were oftentimes developing mental illnesses. But on Corora, the problem was much more serious. Cognitive conflict was real, physical even. Internal struggle had Soul effects due to Will conflicting with itself. On Corora, one didn¡¯t have to deplete their Will to Soul-wound themselves, as it turned out. Because if a person Willed it enough, they could harm themselves, or even separate their Soul from the body. In the case of absolute Will depletion ¨C it was the recipe for a miserable life or a slow death. If the killer wasn¡¯t convinced that what they had done was rightful, if they couldn¡¯t forgive themselves, a Soul wound was sure to show up, deepening the mental scar even more and speeding up the deprivation of the mind. It was a positive feedback loop without a clear safety margin. But of course, the more someone was killing, the more they were at risk. Especially in those moments when they realized what they have become. People still could become desensitized to death, to killing. Heck, some could be born with mental distortions allowing them to take pleasure in killing, in inflicting suffering on others. But in such cases, the System was showing its grim colors. They wanted information, not a mindless bloodbath. The Empathy EE prevented people from utterly forgetting about the value of life. Worse yet, if the mentally distorted suddenly received it, the Soul wound caused by the sudden internal conflict was but a guaranteed outcome. If the person wasn¡¯t able to adapt, they died shortly after falling into madness. For those who survived? Skills like the Tabu awaited. As it was said, the System wanted information, even from the individuals posing a risk. Thankfully because of all that, it was impossible to create perfect killers. Impossible to raise children from birth to make them killing machines. Impossible to create fanatics¡­ At least against their own Will. Such people, the mentally broken people, bearing a disregard for all life, even their own, would rather spirit themselves away than listen to orders. And, of course, the same could happen during torture, be it physical or mental. Sex slavery? Forced indoctrination? Even the Stockholm syndrome? No, none of that was realistically possible. Better yet, people who tried to do such atrocities were losing their minds over time, too. Taking responsibility for their actions even without the System incursion. It was common knowledge, although the exact process behind it was still a mystery. But that didn¡¯t mean the System didn¡¯t have their own ¡®rewards¡¯ for the brave, mad Souls. Zeph had a hunch as to how it worked, thanks to Gru, but it would require some testing before he was sure. It was possible that the thing he so graciously called the ¡®positive Soul wound¡¯ wasn¡¯t such a benevolent phenomenon after all. At least not for the living staying behind after one¡¯s death. The Head of Barringstone was in a deep shit. Especially if P¡¯pfel happens to die, a thought flashed in his mind. Shaking his head slightly, he focused on the problem at hand. If a small group of assassins existed, they would be guaranteed to have a mentally distorted individual or individuals. But that was asking for a disaster ¨C people like that were a ticking bomb that either died quietly, influencing their ¡®masters¡¯, or exploded. Actually, the whole organization was just a hazard for everyone. ¡°Do they have a name? I would like to know when someone speaks about it. Also, what does that have to do with you, exactly?¡± he finally asked. ¡°Humph,¡± she crossed her arms. ¡°I will tell you, if we manage to do business¡­ Maybe, depends on the pay,¡± the defiant declaration came. ¡°I am only telling you about all this because you are from the Leilucia¡¯s right side, you understand? No spreading of the information! Even if it¡¯s circulating already in rumors!¡± ¡°Sure, but no, I don¡¯t understand,¡± he stoically answered, amused slightly. ¡°I understand they are reputable people, but it doesn¡¯t have much to do with me. I can pay, and I can keep my mouth shut, but that¡¯s about it.¡± She smiled mischievously. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I may or may not have some idea about Aisha¡¯s last System-approved mission¡­¡± That little¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s just not blow each other out, shall we?¡± Her smug face was quite infuriating. She got me good there¡­ he thought, sighing mentally. ¡°Whatever,¡± he grumbled, looking away. ¡°Perfect!¡± she exclaimed happily. ¡°So, I¡¯ve got one of the warnings from that group, too. Before you ask, the contents are secret,¡± she wagged her finger. ¡°Anyway, the Council is sending nosy people from time to time to check on me, so I need to be careful. It¡¯s quite stressful, really¡­ They don¡¯t know about my warning yet, I hope. With your money and contrasting garb, you fit perfectly for the role of a na?ve/stupid mercenary-trying-hard-to-be-the-Council-spy, you know? You even acted like one!¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°Sending spies to a dilapidated, indebted shop at the bad end of the bad commercial area¡­ Are they that desperate?¡± ¡°Hey! I will have you know that we once were the best information and detective agency in the city!¡± she proudly declared, her nose pointing up to the sky. ¡°At least until my parents died, hehe,¡± she finished, slightly embarrassed. ¡°All that killing cut off a lot of my clients¡­ We don¡¯t ask for names here, so I am not even surprised. And now I need to heed the warning while looking out for the city¡¯s forces¡­ It¡¯s not easy, you know?¡± Her shoulders slouched. He could see the hints of tiredness on her face that he missed earlier. ¡°Okay,¡± he clapped his hands, startling her slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can get back to business then. Where is this contract?¡± They spoke shortly about the contents, but because it was basically a two-sided Non-Disclosure Agreement, stating that not a word should leave this chamber, they quickly signed two copies and confronted the main reason Zeph was here. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sample with me, but I need someone skilled enough to mold atypical, soft, Mana-resistant metal alloy back into the armor it was before. It requires the ability to manipulate on a scale of¡­ almost micrometers, I suppose,¡± he started explaining, having problems with translating the units to the Rui dialect. ¡°Or having tools to do so. Also, it¡¯s a Living Armor. It has a Soul-linked colony inside.¡± Ciriyal whistled loudly. ¡°Now I am not surprised you prepared one hundred thousand¡­ But even that can not be enough¡­¡± ¡°Yea, I know. That¡¯s why I am hoping for an information exchange¡­¡± ¡°You have something interesting? Or just the shape of the armor?¡± she asked, taking a file of papers from the sofa to search through. He grimaced. ¡°Well¡­ I hoped to exchange the blueprint and the alloy for it¡­ But I have more if that¡¯s necessary.¡± She nodded to herself, reading something quickly. ¡°I think I have a craftsman for you. He may ask for the part of the colony in exchange, though,¡± she said, looking up at him. He sighed, thinking. ¡°Depends, but it¡¯s not out off the table¡­¡± ¡°Good, then¡­ It would be a ten gold for the directions and recommendation.¡± He just nodded and took out his ¡®credit medallion¡¯. A quick transaction later and they were done. ¡°You said the Mapmakers directed you here? Do you have a map of the District?¡± ¡°Yes. I would also like to find an alchemist that can deal with Mana batteries¡­¡± ¡°No such luck,¡± she answered immediately while placing marks on the map. He noticed earlier that it looked almost like laminated paper, so the marks shouldn¡¯t be permanent. Hopefully. He paid a lot for it. ¡°I will mark alchemist¡¯s shops along the way, you can ask them directly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they have a booth here?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°Too many brands. And the reagents are too dangerous to keep on the floor.¡± Finishing her work, she handed him the map, smiling genuinely. ¡°Done. Something more you would like?¡± ¡°Ummm, the name of the assassin group, I suppose?¡± ¡°Oh, right. They don¡¯t have an official name, just a symbol,¡± she started, taking a sheet of paper to draw something on it. ¡°But the unofficial name Ojaro stuck somewhat between people who know about them.¡± She was much more eager after he paid, to his relief. Zeph looked down at the symbol she presented. And promptly froze in place. He even blinked a few times, but it couldn¡¯t be mistaken. On the sheet of paper, a stylized English letter G enclosed in a circle was visible. An unofficial symbol of a group he knew all too well. Gibbon Zero?! Chapter 50 - The best blacksmith. Probably. He looks the part. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.12] Zeph was shocked to the point that he wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it. That would explain a lot¡­ I don¡¯t have the same mental problems after killing someone as the people around. Be it a work of Greater Willpower, our upbringing in a Manaless world, or a mental trait of our race ¨C all Gibbons share them all. I can see how they formed an assassination squad, but¡­ why? He was silent, trying to understand what was this all about. The two people that weren¡¯t intercepted by the churches after crossing¡­ I hoped they were Alex and Alana. But if that is the case, why would they do the dirty work for the well-being of this city? But the chances for this group to work for one political faction are quite small¡­ What other reason would they have¡­? Zeph could feel a headache coming. He never expected his companions to become assassins ¨C every one of them hoped to find a better place, a better life on this side of the Fissure. Taking so many lives, whatever the reason or justification, didn¡¯t seem to be the right direction. He sighed. Nothing is easy. How am I going to contact them now? They could at least keep the symbol away from the assassination business. Would that be so hard? Just make a dojo and advertise it, so I can find you, dammit! ¡°For your knowledge ¨C I am also buying information,¡± Ciriyal said intrigued after Zeph leaned back on his sofa. He looked up at her, considering the offer. But in the end, he just shook his head. It was not worth it; he had enough money for now. It was better to leave things vague. For all of them. Though, that reminded him of the items he prepared on the mountaintop. Is it even worth selling them at this point? They would only put holes in my backstory¡­ He looked appraisingly at Ciriyal. Better than burning them, I suppose. ¡°How much exactly do you know about Aisha¡¯s mission?¡± She smirked. ¡°You need to pay for such information, and it would be a lot. I was paid to not dig around the topic and keep silent about it. You are directly involved, though, so we can negotiate.¡± ¡°Hmm? Were you bluffing earlier then?¡± he asked incredulously. ¡°Don¡¯t think there are no loopholes in my agreement with the Temple. And, theoretically, the contract is valid only as long as both sides respect it,¡± she deadpanned. I am really bad at this¡­ he thought ruefully, shaking his head. ¡°Just tell me if you know where I met Aisha. I may have a small commission to give to you, just need to check if the information about it isn¡¯t worth your gold.¡± She squinted her eyes but relented. ¡°High in the Torrent mountain range. And I have my suspicions about your true origin.¡± He nodded. ¡°I expected as much. I have some souvenirs from that place. Some feathers and¡­ Talpa¡¯s leather. Not sure how much they would sell for, but I would rather not risk asking around.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand. From the top of a mountain. How many goods we are talking about?¡± she asked, leaning back. ¡°Around¡­ 2.5 kilounits of pressed feathers of local birds.¡± Comparing the weight to his armor¡¯s, it should be around 5 kilograms. Unfortunately, Zeph forgot to weigh it. ¡°Also, two sets of leather trousers, two jackets, and an overcoat with fur¡­¡± He stopped using his self-crafted leathers in North Tarak, after getting normal clothes from Kwan¡¯s gang. They were too eye-catching, in a bad way, as both sets were pretty ugly even before being damaged during his misadventures in the mountains. ¡°You can throw the leathers away,¡± Ciriyal lightly advised. ¡°Even in pristine condition, they wouldn¡¯t be worth much. But those feathers should sell for a few gold per kilounit¡­ Just bring it to me and I will see what can be done with them.¡± They discussed the details shortly and left the room. Zeph said his goodbyes and after retrieving his baggage and winter clothes, he stepped back into the streets of the Production District. He showed the map to the driver, explaining that he wanted to visit all of the Alchemy Shops along the way to the mysterious craftsman that Ciriyal recommended. The first shop they visited wasn¡¯t anything special. It looked like a fusion of pharmacy and chemical supply store. The main difference was that almost everything was placed in glass bottles of different shapes, and placed in plain sight. Multicolored liquids, strange crystals, even monster parts ¨C a client could clearly see the contents. Small notes were glued to the shelves, showing the name, price, and giving a short explanation of the bottles¡¯ contents. He shortly scanned what was available but lacked the knowledge to place the articles. Instead, he walked to the counter and asked if the alchemist knew his way around Mana batteries. He hoped to work together with a competent alchemist to alleviate Gru¡¯s Mana capacity problems. If he started to play with chemicals, he would probably spend years before achieving enough knowledge and proficiency to find a solution himself. Earth¡¯s knowledge was useful, sure, but Mana was complicating the whole affair. The best example was the Iron isotopes in his armor. They were stable on Earth, but Mana was interfering with their atomic structure enough for them to decay. It was an easy guess that chemical reactions would work differently in Mana environments. Especially the exothermal ones, as Mana tended to conglomerate near energy sources for some reason. Sadly, the clerk explained that this wasn¡¯t in the purview of an alchemist and that he should seek an ingeniator instead. Which Zeph already knew. The problem was, ingeniators weren¡¯t dealing with living organisms, but purely mechanical constructs. He had to find someone who could do both. Not to mention, he wasn¡¯t going to pay a small fortune for a Mana battery blueprint. He would have to buy it from such a person even before they started the experimentation. The knowledge about the materials and production methods of Mana batteries were selling pretty well to people who didn¡¯t manage to gain the General Skill by themselves. He tried to explain that he hoped for something slightly different but, obviously, innovating in that direction also wasn¡¯t in the alchemists¡¯ skill set. Creating new, suboptimal material would be a waste of time for them, too. Resigned, Zeph left the shop. After preparing a better explanation in his mind, he tried again in the next one. Then, in the next. And the next¡­ until he was left only with their final destination and a mild depression. He learned something new today and it was bad news. Each alchemist used slightly different methods and Skills to create their products. They were actually so dependent on certain Skills and Soul contamination that they didn¡¯t even try to hide the recipes, oftentimes selling them in their own shops. Because who would be even able to use them besides their apprentices? In other cases, specific, modified Spells, enchantments, and Magicule manipulation techniques were required. It was all too easy to have one¡¯s own, inimitable brand. And those Skills, those Spells and combinations, had to be strenuously trained over the years. Only after mastering them, the System would add a Matrix version or EE of their form, further strengthening the brand. It was also the reason Zeph only received ¡®fully optimized¡¯ versions of his Spells from the System. To freely use a modified version, he would have to master the base first. He could almost feel System¡¯s irritation for how those people were proceeding but, in the end, they were returning new knowledge, so they were left alone. It was headache-inducing, though. When someone had an ingredient that could potentially be used in alchemy, they had to actually ask every accessible alchemist if it was useful for them. Because an alchemist could, at best, scan the material and intuit if it was useful. The prices varied wildly for that reason, too. It was a ridiculous and chaotic industry where people didn¡¯t even try to understand what was happening in the processes they invented. By reading from their General Skills, they were finding new applications and learning about previously practiced methods. Then, by trial and error, they found new recipes and new applications to the existing materials. But no one, at least on this stratum, knew what they were doing. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. It was useless. Abhorrently different from how the Towers or enchanters operated. Zeph needed someone competent but landed at the starting line again. To have a contracted ingeniator, he would need a lot of money. But even then, the chance of success would be questionable. Resurfacing from his dark thoughts, he noticed that they were almost at their destination. The buildings here were lower and wider, taking up much more area. No terraces were present, too. The setting was similar to the mansions near the walls, but without the gardens around ¨C the structures took all the space between the streets around. They stopped before a building decorated with gears made from multicolored metals. The owner evidently wasn¡¯t trying to hide his presence in the city. At the front a porch was set, the only entrance in the middle. After going inside, he was forced to walk alongside the building¡¯s wall to find the entrance doors. Strange contraptions made from metal adorned the alcoves along the way. Glass surfaces separated them from the touch of the cold air, explaining how they were able to keep moving. The double doors lead to a simple counter manned by a young man clothed almost like a porter. The interior was holding more of the decorative creations. The polished, moving metal was reflecting the warm light in mesmerizing patterns. Zeph had no idea what the mechanisms were for, but that didn¡¯t stop him from admiring the complicated systems. They looked almost like scaled-up clockworks. ¡°Can I help you?¡± the clerk asked, waking him up from the slight stupor. ¡°Ah, yes. Sorry. I am here to see the owner,¡± he said, showing the two letters of recommendation in his possession. The man looked skeptic at first, but after making sure they were authentic, he quickly changed his mannerism. He activated something on the black plate built into the counter and spoke while making a small bow. ¡°Yes, honored customer. Ghrughah-jiji will see you shortly.¡± At that moment, a woman entered through the side doors. ¡°Uliala will show you to a waiting room. Please make yourself comfortable, it can take some time for the Jiji to finish his work.¡± ¡°No problem. I didn¡¯t make an appointment, after all. Thank you.¡± He nodded to the clerk and followed after the woman. Surprisingly, her long, black hair had a slight green tint. It was a somewhat rare trait indicating that she had very high Soul contamination of a certain metal group. Or she just took the corresponding ¡®visual¡¯ body modification, but they were costly enough to not be bought if there was no real need. She took him through a long corridor. As everything in the city, it was made from yellowish stone, but every door was made from silver metal, and additional, metallic supports lined the walls. He could hear heavy machinery at work, the sound coming from all around and hard to place. It was definitely a very busy place. To his surprise, she directed him downstairs, to the underground level of the building. The staircase was big, its steps so wide that he had difficulties going down. From time to time, he had to make a double step to compensate for their length, making the walk quite awkward. Uliala didn¡¯t have such problems, though. Her schooled gait was perfectly matching the strange staircase. Two floors below, and one winding corridor later, he was shown to a simple room with a table and two seats. Everything here was stone and metal, but at least the chairs had comfortably-looking cushions. ¡°You will be able to speak freely here ¨C I will turn on the safety measures at the time. Would you like some snacks while you wait?¡± she curtly asked. ¡°Um, sure,¡± he answered, hanging his coat on the hook bolted to the wall. There wasn¡¯t anything else to do here, anyway, so he could indulge a little. After moving the backpack to the table, he made himself comfortable and waited. It took almost two hours, as far as Zeph could say, for the owner to come. But when he did, Zeph could hear him the moment he stepped on this floor. Heavy, metal boots clanked loudly on the stone, echoing all the way to his room. Even before the doors opened, Zeph could feel the suffocating presence of the man¡¯s Veil slipping inside through the gaps. It was so full of Metal Magicules that it almost felt physical upon contact with his own Veil, and his improved Mana perception wasn¡¯t the reason he could feel it. But the man¡¯s physical presence was even more overbearing. He was at least 2.5 meters tall and had to crouch slightly to enter. But instead of being lanky, his body resembled that of a fantasy dwarf ¨C it was almost as wide as tall. The muscles under his sleeveless shirt bulged out in too many places, indicating his anatomy was vastly different. His arms were almost as thick as Zeph¡¯s waist. Almost. The man was bald but sported a long, white beard. The heavy, leather apron was folded in half at the front, freeing his torso. Ghrughah-jiji entered the room moving sideways, then straightened slowly and took a good look at Zeph. The silence lasted for an uncomfortable few seconds. ¡°A Fullangrarian? Ha! This can even work out this time,¡± he greeted rudely in a low, gruff voice, closing the doors behind himself. ¡°Ghrughah the Greater Omni-Blacksmith and Biologist in training,¡± he said, nodding slightly. Zeph stood up. ¡°Zeph Einar Tabitalo,¡± he said, returning the gesture. The man was of a race he didn¡¯t know anything about. It was the first time he saw someone so enormous, but what was truly terrifying was his Veil. It easily pushed back his own Mana, securing absolute domination inside the room within a few seconds. If he was a human of any normal kind, Zeph would have guessed he was a post-150 Manacaster. ¡°I hope we can work together.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± boomed the giant. ¡°Let¡¯s hear about it. I was informed you were sent by Yallan¡¯s?¡± They sat down and Zeph took out his two letters of recommendation. After checking them for a moment, Ghrughah opened both and started reading the contents. He seemed pleased if his slight smile was any indicator. After nodding to himself, he looked up at Zeph. At the same time, the paper in his hands started to crumble into grayish dust. ¡°Can I see the armor in question? I will pay in advance for its design in case it cannot be worked by me,¡± he said sternly, placing a small Manasolid on the table. Zeph was taken aback for a moment but didn¡¯t hesitate. A Manasolid would be extremely handy to have for the first series of tests he wanted to do on the Gru¡¯s ¡®egg¡¯. He took out the broken-off armguard from his backpack. Ghrughah took it from him carefully, almost as if holding a delicate and wounded animal, then put it close to his face and started glaring at it from different angles. It took a few minutes before he slowly put it back on the table. ¡°Fascinating. I am unable to tell how some of the parts work or what that organism is! I think it has the potential to push me the final stretch!¡± he said with a wide grin. Huh? ¡°You are trying to level up a Skill?¡± ¡°Yes. For the longest time, before my Class evolution,¡± he nodded solemnly. ¡°Two Skills to be exact. I am trying to generalize them, but they still want to just stay the same. Can I see the whole armor? I can guarantee we will have a deal.¡± A shame, Zeph thought, glancing longingly at the Manasolid. In quick order, the top part of his armor was laid on the table. The Blacksmith requested him to also remove the bottom part for the examination. Zeph had to change in the neighboring room and now felt especially vulnerable. After checking the whole thing, Ghrughah started to think deeply while stroking his long beard. ¡°I must say, I don¡¯t like this alloy¡­ You have a contamination that keeps it stable?¡± ¡°Uh, yes.¡± ¡°And this colony¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Phleya.¡± ¡°Yes, the Phleya. It helps you channel your Veil through the armor and keeps the Magicule density at high values¡­ But it works only because the armor¡¯s structure isn¡¯t hermetic.¡± The blacksmith stated. Suddenly, the discussion changed direction to the overall design of the armor. Ghrughah criticized the weak points and asked a few questions to clear his doubts about the intended functionality. All in all, he was surprised that it was mostly anti-Mana armor, while it could be so much more. ¡°Firstly, I would recommend changing the alloy. It is degrading too fast ¨C I can sense the amount of the byproducts, and it doesn¡¯t look good.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°That would be a new material altogether. The Phleya uses my contamination to manipulate the metal more efficiently and replaces missing material by taking it from the environment¡­ I also like the Mana-resistant properties of it.¡± ¡°And how good is that working for you?¡± the giant asked skeptically. ¡°You are not living underground. The trace amounts of this substance in the environment are not enough. Look here,¡± he said, indicating the place on the back of the thigh where a Heat-Mana beam hit him during the fight in the forest. ¡°This area was overflowed with Mana. A beam attack, if I had to guess. The Phleya inside regenerated, but the metal lost its properties. There is nothing left of those unstable types. How long ago was it?¡± Oh, shit¡­ Now I have to worry about my armor deteriorating from attacks¡­ At least the Source Net and Gru are safe inside my Body. ¡°Around a month ago¡­¡± ¡°See? What good will that do to you if it can¡¯t regenerate its properties after such a long time? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t waste your Soul contamination,¡± he assured, straightening up. ¡°We will test its compatibility for an advanced Magicule type.¡± Zeph tilted his head. The what now? Seeing his confusion, the Blacksmith elaborated patiently. ¡°Some Magicule types are stable only in extreme environments or during very rare natural occurrences. Earthquakes, volcano eruptions, deep in the ocean, to give a few examples. If someone wants Soul contamination of such types before level 100, they had to find more basic components that are compatible with them, then slowly transform or fuse them into the one they prefer. Because it¡¯s impossible to gain them from local fauna or by absorption¡ª¡± Absorption?! Aisha, you garbage teacher, why didn¡¯t I hear about it yet?! No¡­ she did tell me about animals¡¯ contamination and the environment¡­ Ugh, learning in such a manner is painful. Is this connected to the AMC? It is stuck for so long at level 99¡­ ¡°¡ªwithout killing yourself. Not to mention, most of them require corresponding body modifications before the contamination reaches the first threshold. They are destructive to such extent.¡± Zeph shook his head hearing that. To get body modifications helping with certain Magicules, one needed firstly to have the contamination above the threshold. Well, normally, at least. He himself wasn¡¯t the best example. ¡°So, without¡­ fusion or whatever, they are basically impossible to get?¡± ¡°There are methods, like using enchantments to produce them locally, but it¡¯s hazardous. If one can easily gain ¡®Heat Magicule contamination¡¯ and ¡®Glass Magicule contamination¡¯, why would they ever try ¡®Lava Magicule contamination¡¯ from the beginning?¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°We can abuse this method to modify your contamination. Don¡¯t worry. Something has to be compatible with this alloy of yours. I will either find a replacement that can help you transform your contamination, or modify it. The latter can help you with gaining new contamination to fuse in the future. It will take some time, though. And I require parts of the metal from the armor for tests, as well as your regular visits.¡± Zeph facepalmed. Great, more waiting¡­ ¡°I will have to come over every day, either way, to keep the Phleya from dying off¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± It was Ghrughah¡¯s turn to tilt his head questioningly. Chapter 51 - Complicated Contamination Considerations. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.12] Seeing Ghrughah¡¯s confusion made him sigh. Of course, even that isn¡¯t normal, he thought tiredly. ¡°Sorry, Jiji. We need a contract before you can hear more,¡± he declared with confidence, leaning back on his chair. ¡°We are starting to touch more delicate topics.¡± The old man nodded with approval and used another black slate, set into the table, to call Uliala. Ten minutes later, they were done with the NDA. Funnily enough, it was called practically the same as on Earth. Zeph still didn¡¯t know how much weight those mundane contracts possessed in this society but setting the Temple of Leilucia as the executing force brought him some peace of mind. Aisha was mentioned as the mediator, after all. He knew, at least, that breaking the contract would make the offender eligible for an official duel. Even if the bureaucratic process wouldn¡¯t be able to help him much after the information leaked, his soon-to-be partner would basically be risking his life by doing so. Uliala brought more snacks and left, the enchantments¡¯ effects reforming behind her. They sat in silence for a moment longer, before Zeph started to explain. ¡°Phleya is not a native organism. The System left it dependent on our Soul-link.¡± The blacksmith nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue. It was clear he had questions, though. ¡°The little bugger can survive quite long because of the Mana-resistant properties of the armor. But after around half a day it starts to deteriorate.¡± ¡°I am surprised you have bought such a high-risk organism¡­ a shame,¡± the man grunted. ¡°I wanted to play with it a little on my own. Hmmm, never mind that,¡± he waved his hand as if dispersing his own negative thoughts. ¡°I can observe, that is enough. But it¡¯s a problem for you, too.¡± His oversized finger was pointing straight at Zeph¡¯s chest. ¡°The cost of upgrading it to a Soul-bond, assuming it¡¯s possible in the first place, would be astronomical. We can¡¯t use this method to change your Soul contamination. That road is, sadly, closed for us now,¡± he finished in a solemn tone. I am not so sure about that, old man, Zeph smirked internally, remembering how fast he was gathering UP. On the other hand... ¡°Jiji, I am not sure it would even work. I already have an implant and a Soul-bond supplying my contamination of this alloy type¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, you had to complicate things even further, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ghrughah grunted, giving him the stink eye. ¡°Why do I have a feeling it¡¯s just the prelude?¡± Zeph laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not that bad, surely¡­ Anyway, you need to explain this whole process in more detail. It¡¯s the first time I am hearing about fusing or transforming Soul contamination. Not to mention, I never considered methods other than implants and hunting for getting new ones.¡± He sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment. After gathering his thoughts, he looked back at Zeph critically. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t be the one to explain those things. Especially because you evidently are friends with the Temple.¡± He paused, shaking his head slightly. ¡°I am not sure how you lived your life until now but this level of ignorance is astounding.¡± Zeph frowned. Are you fishing for information, old man? ¡°Maybe someday I will feel comfortable enough to share my life story with you, Ghrughah,¡± he said with a straight face, miraculously managing to pronounce his name correctly. ¡°As for Aisha, she doesn¡¯t have much time or willingness to explain things in detail. Even if she is a quite good teacher, overall.¡± ¡°Aisha, eh?¡± A sly grin split his rough face. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is?¡± Zeph shrugged, not caring about the conclusion the giant man came to. The blacksmith huffed and crossed his arms but started explaining, at last. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning, for the clarity¡¯s sake. Every Magicule Soul Contamination has three¡­ No, pardon me ¨C technically speaking it would be four sources, the natural phenomena: the Soul fragments directly added to your Soul, the physical structure of your body, Magicules circulating through both, and the contamination of your Soul-bonds. The first doesn¡¯t really count as it is taken care of by the System and inaccessible to us. The middle two are connected to each other as Mana is naturally forming into Magicules after interacting with the matter of your body, but your body structure is also influencing information in the Soul directly. The last one, the bond¡¯s contamination, isn¡¯t accessible in our case. This leaves us with only two options ¨C modifying your body or flooding you with Magicules and teaching you how to circulate them through your Soul to increase the efficiency of the process.¡± Finally, someone competent! So that¡¯s how ¡®absorption¡¯ works? By circulating Magicules? a quick, exhilarating thought flew through Zeph¡¯s mind. ¡°Modifying your existing contamination can be done by using those three phenomena available to us. I will explain the most primitive way of understanding how it works. The compatibility between Magicules is a much more complicated topic, so don¡¯t get conceited!¡± he warned, which reminded Zeph about P¡¯pfel¡¯s comment about an academy. He could understand they were just touching the surface of the problem. After chewing unhurriedly on a meaty snack, the man continued. ¡°Fusing two or more contaminations is self-explanatory. It creates an Advanced version from them, most often. The basic ones have to be compatible with the same physical materials and, together, create the same effect as the resulting, combined type. Again, it¡¯s more complicated, but we don¡¯t have time for this,¡± he waved his callused hand. ¡°Transforming a contamination means you are shifting the properties of contamination to a similar Magicule type. The new one has to have at least 60% compatibility when it comes to infusing physical material of the old type and has to be of the same symmetry group. It¡¯s problematic to implement with only Soul-bond phenomenon, though.¡± He paused to consider something while stroking his beard. ¡°Those are the two most basic processes,¡± he summarized. Zeph tilted his head. What he suggested at the beginning insinuated at least one more process. ¡°What with modifying my armor to get another contamination for future fusion?¡± The old-timer nodded in approval. ¡°Good! You are listening!¡± he boomed with satisfaction. ¡°Modulation is the last possible process. At least on this stratum. It is the most difficult, too, and very specific as the material compatibility has to be below 33% but above 29% and the Magicules have to be in the same symmetry subgroup. Among other requirements.¡± Yes, definitely something for academic study, he thought ruefully. ¡°As a result,¡± the blacksmith continued, ¡°it¡¯s applicable mostly to alloys, compounds, and the like. Also, at least two phenomena are required to direct the process. But the effects are quite worth it. You would gain a new contamination that would take over a part of the compatible one, speeding up its own growth. Because of the outstanding compatibility, the two can almost always be fused into an Advanced Magicule type with the help of a third contamination. If you already have two contamination types¡±¡ªthe old man glanced at him pointedly¡ª¡°it can be the fastest way to gain Advanced Magicule contamination.¡± Zeph felt uncomfortable under his gaze. It wasn¡¯t difficult to notice that the man could see much more than he gave away. Shaking off the negative feelings, he started to think about the possibilities. An Advanced ¡®element¡¯ sounded nice and all, but did he really need one? It sounded suspiciously like a specialization, and he was a Generalist. Was there an ¡®element¡¯ that could bolster that Class? Maybe let¡¯s see what can be done first. I don¡¯t need to decide right now. Besides, from what he said, my contamination would change after finding the Makrun for Gru and Source Net and¡­ Oh¡­ Oh, shit! The realization hit him. Because of his implant, he would need to keep his contamination, for now, to keep the alloy stable. Which means¡­ ¡°We can only use the modulation process, can¡¯t we?¡± he stated depressingly. The Blacksmith grinned. ¡°That we do. And with body modification and Magicule absorption as the only two methods of implementing it. Seems to me, you never had a choice, ha!¡± he laughed heartily. ¡°I¡¯m glad you noticed. I hate to work with incompetent people!¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Zeph could relate. He sighed in resignation and got back on topic. ¡°Anyway, there is something I forgot to mention. I have already bought information about the locations of Mana-resistant metal for upgrading my implant. It¡¯s supposedly rare, the name is Makrun. Do you know about its properties? I only know it¡¯s perfect for directing Mana, inside my body.¡± After thinking deeply for a moment, Ghrughah shook his head. ¡°Can¡¯t say I do. Eh, fortunately, it doesn¡¯t restrict us anymore,¡± he said, scratching his bald scalp. ¡°So, you have two choices, my boy. Are we going with modulation, or do you want entirely new armor? I have quite a choice of quality materials here!¡± he boomed with pride. Zeph thought about it for a moment. It was a deceptively hard decision. ¡°Modulation would guarantee I can fuse the contaminations in the future¡­ But is that necessary? Ugh,¡± he grumbled, massaging his temples. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t using the Exchange be the best option for new armor then? I could even upgrade Phleya to work better with the new metal¡­¡± The optimal solution would be nice. The giant barked with laughter. ¡°Ha! If such knowledge wasn¡¯t restricted, I would be jobless! You could, of course, choose a new material from your limited options at the Exchange, but I can guarantee subpar results. You don¡¯t look like a material-knowledgeable fella!¡± he laughed again. Which was true. During his initiation, in the ¡®mind space¡¯, the System showed him a very vast selection of goods but no details on the unfamiliar materials. The modifications they have made to the selected options were all within the scope of Zeph¡¯s knowledge. Also, that choice would strip Ghrughah from his main job ¨C repairing his armor. Not to mention, it would be a waste of UP¡­ At least it¡¯s decided now. Nodding to himself, he looked into the blacksmith¡¯s amber eyes. ¡°What do you suggest we do, then? I am not even sure I need or want an Advanced type of contamination¡­ Modulation sounds more problematic than helpful at the moment ¨C I know too little to plan my contamination route.¡± The old man silently reached for his tea, then sipped slowly from the oversized cup. He considered Zeph again, slowly coming to a decision. His searching eyes were drilling into him with intensity the man never showed before. It took him a good minute before he spoke again. ¡°If you are ready to start a more serious¡­ long-term partnership, we could work something better, I think. I can check the cross-compatibility of your two remaining contaminations for the fusion in the future¡­ But I also need to know what you are aiming for. I can make sure you unlock every possible derivate of our work at the Exchange.¡± Zeph was taken aback. The guy was probably ancient in terms of human lifespan. A ¡®serious long-term partnership¡¯ he was speaking of brought much more weight than a simple invitation for a partnership, the likes he has with Kwan. The man was, in his eyes, suggesting they bond their fates for decades to come. Especially because of what he suggested after that one sentence. He needs my information¡­ No. One way or another, he would learn of all my contaminations and Class details¡­ I can understand him somewhat. If I am the first person in decades who can push him in the right direction with my exotic knowledge and Class ¡®build¡¯ then it¡¯s natural he wants to keep me close¡­ He even agreed to teach me the details of his work¡­ It was Zeph¡¯s turn to study the blacksmith. Ghrughah was stoically sipping his tea, waiting for his decision, seemingly not paying attention to his intense gaze. The man¡¯s overwhelming form neutral. He was sly, that was sure, but also reasonable. He spoke somewhat openly, always balancing the scales of information exchange that was happening between them. The question was ¨C was he also trustworthy? It was clear he would rather not work with incompetent people, but would he stop himself from using them for his own interests instead? But¡­ If he works with us, I can have a perfect cover for my inventions and a blacksmith that we all badly need. He already established himself in the city and is almost over-competent from what I can tell. If he would work with P¡¯pfel¡­ How good could our gear become? More importantly, he wasn¡¯t killed by the Gibbons during his stay here, so besides his own ambitions, he shouldn¡¯t have harmful motivations¡­ Well, it would be a better argument if I knew why my old crewmates killed all those people¡­ he caught himself before making an empty argument. Shrugging off the affection for his old ¡®Apes in arms¡¯, he concentrated on himself. And after analyzing his thoughts deeper, he found another reason, a different truth. The city is¡­ suffocating. I have to always be on guard. Every important talk has to take place in a secured room. I am too weak to defend myself from single humans, not even mentioning the organizations¡­ But if we, our group, become more independent¡­ A high-level generalized blacksmith would widen our horizons, our options¡­ Our own aerostat or maybe a small base for my own, away from the civilization. Should be possible with his resources and skills¡­ If only I could trust him¡­ he looked at the man again. Finally, he came to a realization. I¡­ can¡¯t make this decision by myself, can I? ¡°Ghrughah.¡± The blacksmith opened his eyes to look at him. ¡°Let¡¯s sign the contract for the armor¡±¡ªhe could see the disappointment in the giant¡¯s eyes¡ª¡°for now. If we are going to forge a partnership you spoke of, you need to get through my companions first,¡± he finished with a half-joke, observing as a big grin split on the man¡¯s face. ¡°How thoughtful of you,¡± he teased before getting more serious. ¡°You plan to start something bigger?¡± Zeph smiled hesitantly. ¡°Maybe¡­ No, let¡¯s say I have something like that in mind¡­¡± The man huffed good-naturedly, crossing his arms. ¡°So, what is your decision about that piece of scrap?¡± he said, nodding at the armor still laying on the table between them. ¡°Dismantle it to get materials. There is no reason to keep it in one piece if I am to explain the blueprint to you anyway. And you need those samples of the alloy. I am not sure what to do with Phleya, though¡­¡± The man nodded with approval. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. My Skills indicate it will enter a hibernation state if we remove it from the metal environment. You just need to keep it close afterwards,¡± he said, calling Uliala through the black plate. Did I hear that correctly? Zeph wondered. An endospore? Ugh, I feel like I should buy myself a General Skill for Phleya¡­ I don¡¯t know enough about them! In a few minutes, they quickly signed a basic contract for repairing the armor. Ghrughah showed his goodwill by taking the lowest pay. In exchange for the armor¡¯s blueprint, as well as permission to analyze the alloy and observe the Phleya, he agreed to supply all materials necessary for the repairs. Even if Zeph would choose to make a new armor from different materials altogether. After the documents were sorted, they moved to the higher floor of the basement. To the workshop. And, my friends, it was a sight and a half! No wonder that Zeph was fascinated by what he saw beyond the silver doors. It was more a hall than a room, and it was absolutely cluttered with strange devices. It would be an almost perfect picture of a steampunk laboratory, but Ghrughah was using the full assortment of different metals instead of just the bronze-like. As a result, it gave off more of an alien, slightly futuristic vibe. Furnaces, forges, and stokes lined the far wall. All were of different shapes and made from different materials. Some were just metallic tubes, resembling pressure tanks, others were the perfect example of a medieval furnace. Metal tables with strange gizmos attached to them filled the floor. Each was surrounded by shelves full of different tools and metal crates. Incomplete projects were haphazardly placed everywhere; from swords to almost mecha-like armors, the grand selection included them all. The lighting wasn¡¯t the best, as the seemingly randomly placed furniture and objects blocked the light from sparsely placed lamps on the ceiling, but it was only enhancing the surrealistic atmosphere. The only thing that was familiar were the omnipresent pipes, most probably pumping Mana into all of the mechanized tools. Ghrughah didn¡¯t even pause to boast or observe Zeph¡¯s reaction. He was already fully concentrated on the armor in his hands. Zeph hurried to catch up, following him deeper into the chaotic workshop. The table the man chose had multiple metal arms attached to it. Each held a precision tool at the tip, somewhat reminiscent of dental handpieces. The blacksmith delicately set the armor on the ¡®operation table¡¯, arranging the pieces precisely and securing them with thin straps. Then, he took out a rectangular glass container that could hold a few liters of fluid and placed it in the top right corner while instructing Zeph to sit by the table. ¡°Umm, about the blueprint?¡± he asked, sitting down. Just in time to be blinded by four strong desk lamps flaring to live. ¡°There is a pen and some paper on the shelf to your right. Just start drawing the mechanical parts and write short explanations. You have at least a few hours. I will fill up the rest later. Oh, and you still need to explain how it was supposed to function, so you can start with the overall framework,¡± the blacksmith instructed while rearranging the metal arms and changing the tools attached to them. He set a few magnifying glasses of different sizes by the front of the table, set two mirrors at the back, and finally grasped one of the ¡®handpieces¡¯ between his fingers, moving it closer to the armor¡¯s armguard. It had a blueish, metallic tip sticking out vertically. Zeph shrugged and did as he was told. But just as he was about to start drawing, using what space was left at the end of the table, his Veil moved, shocking him slightly. His head shoot up, and it took him a good few seconds to understand what was happening. Ghrughah was manipulating his own Veil to ¡®suck up¡¯ Zeph¡¯s Mana and coat the armor and the glass container with it. No way!... he thought, observing the true Advanced Mana manipulation happening right before his eyes¡­ or rather, before his Veil. I think¡­ he has better control than me?! he exclaimed internally, feeling as the Mana-O resulting from the clash between their Veils was being ¡®sucked out¡¯¡­ somehow. As the metallic tip touched the armguard, right between the ¡®scales¡¯, it melted and penetrated inside through the gaps, yet still staying connected to the tool. Zeph could feel that the metal never touched the surface of his armor and realized what the blacksmith was doing. He was trying to minimize the decay of isotopes inside. Instead of directly manipulating the alloy of his armor, he was protecting it with Zeph¡¯s Veil while doing¡­ something with another metal, avoiding physical contact as much as possible. A second later Zeph could hear a high-pitched sound, like a dentist drill, and one of the ¡®scales¡¯ of the armor flew off, making a small opening in the armguard. Ghrughah clicked his tongue with displeasure, quickly moving the ¡®scale¡¯ to the side. ¡°That won¡¯t work¡­¡± he said, blindly reaching for a metallic arm holding something that resembled a pipette. He carefully inserted the tip into the opening and slowly moved the plunger up with his thumb. Not a second later, a few milligrams of Phleya landed in the glass container. It will be a long day, I see, Zeph thought gloomily. Chapter 52 - Its Time. A short note about limitations. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.12] Halfway through the dismantling, Ghrughah took up the pace. He was finished with analyzing the parts and allowed himself to be less delicate in extracting the Phleya. The fact that he optimized the cutting method long ago also helped. A dark-silver metal he was manipulating¡ªanother technique executed with a precision Zeph only heard was possible¡ªwas able to cut through the alloy with minimal effort while, supposedly, wasting the least of the material. The blacksmith was using it like a precision saw, as even when manipulated, the metal stayed solid. Zeph already finished with the blueprint and explanations, and was just numbly observing the proceedings from the side, not wanting to disturb the man who was in full-concentration mode. But when he noticed that the giant relaxed his posture somewhat while the process sped up, he took advantage of the occasion to kill the boredom. ¡°You are doing much more detailed work than what I was expecting from you¡­¡± he noted idly. While still working on the armor, leaning over the table, Ghrughah spoke in a soft voice as if to not disrupt the air with his breath. ¡°I suppose it can be surprising. The Daityas aren¡¯t known for masterful craftsmanship,¡± he replied and reached for a pipette. ¡°It¡¯s the reason I left. Pounding a slab of hard metal can be done by anyone with enough Power; I pursue the fine works, a finesse in my creations, for the sake of progress... Something my people couldn¡¯t understand.¡± This time, he deposited the fragment of the Phleya colony into the glass container with slightly more force. Zeph had an impression that he could understand the giant¡¯s feelings quite well. Though, he wasn¡¯t going to dig deeper into the man¡¯s history. For now. Evidently, it was a painful topic. ¡°Is this the reason you also started to learn Biology? I have to admit, I can¡¯t see how it can help your goals. Your workmanship with inanimate matter is on another level already.¡± Ghrughah smiled slightly for a second but quickly shook his head. ¡°The next step in my art requires more still. There are limits as to what can be achieved through matter alone,¡± he said, glancing at Zeph. ¡°I possess no talent in the Soul arts. To circumvent this fact, I have chosen the closest thing and it became my Profession. Biology, too, can open the road to the realm of true mastery.¡± Zeph blinked in surprise. ¡°You have changed your Profession?¡± Was that a possibility? The old man snorted. ¡°No, that would have set me back for decades. What I did was being diligent,¡± he said with pride. ¡°Second sub-specialization of my Class assimilated my Profession entirely, freeing the slot. I took my time choosing a new one.¡± It took him a moment to process the information. I guess everything is possible within the System, if you direct the changes with enough purpose and stubbornness¡­ Zeph mused quietly. He tried to remember what he saw when experimenting with mixing the basic Classes before choosing the Force Generalist, but he couldn¡¯t recall any straight-up crafting Classes coming up. Is this how you evolve a Profession into a Class? Dear System, the Class tree is incomprehensible. Please revise! Sighing theatrically, Ghrughah broke the sudden silence, along with Zeph¡¯s internal monologue. ¡°Kids these days. Get a clue already,¡± he grunted, glancing at him. Ups¡­ I am being rude, aren¡¯t I? ¡°I am a Force Generalist in Class and a Shaman in Profession. I hope you can see why I have doubts about the Advanced Magicule groups¡­¡± he shared some of his own information. The man hummed, his eyebrows raised. ¡°Good luck with that. The force prefix will make your life that much more miserable. At least I better understand where to go with your contamination now. You were partially right to be uncertain about the Advanced groups, but they wouldn¡¯t harm your Class, just make the possibility of specializing that much more tempting for you,¡± he paused to tear out a micropipe from within the armor¡¯s structure. ¡°It is a surprise, though. I didn¡¯t take you for a Manacaster type. What¡¯s with the melee equipment?¡± Zeph smiled ruefully, considering if he should disclose more. But, in the end, he wanted to return the goodwill. And, just maybe, the man could help him a little here, too. But before that, he had a more important question. ¡°Do you know what the force prefix means?¡± he asked almost impatiently. Reading from the interface didn¡¯t explain much of the concept to him. ¡°It means you are to learn not only how energy can manifest, like every Manacaster has to, but also how to transform one form of energy into another. Of course, I¡¯m speaking in the context of using Mana and forming Mana constructs. To give you an example ¨C you will have to learn not only how to produce a Heat Magicule and what it does, but also how to form a construct capable of lowering the temperature in the environment to use that energy in another process, like putting a pressure on something.¡± One mystery less, thank gods¡­ he thought with relief. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that most forms of energy in the material world can be reduced to a force model¡­ Although, I don¡¯t understand that concept well, and have no idea how that influences Spells¡¯ structure¡­¡± the blacksmith added, stroking his beard. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I may have an idea about that, thank you,¡± Zeph said with gratitude, his desire to share some more with the old blacksmith deepening. ¡°As for your previous question, I am quite talented in external Mana manipulation myself,¡± he said, flexing his Veil that was still trapped by the old man, earning himself a curious and slightly perplexed glare. The blacksmith quickly adjusted his own Veil to keep the Mana in one place. ¡°Ahem, sorry about that¡­ Anyway, instead, I have problems with Mana capacity so the ¡®physical¡¯ part of my PE has to be kept quite high. I decided to take advantage of the situation and have some close-combat capability. Even if my internal Mana manipulation isn¡¯t¡­ the best. My Soul-bond has it even worse when it comes to the capacity, actually¡­¡± The old-timer immediately caught the insinuation. ¡°Manasolids won¡¯t help you. You better find yourself an ingeniator¡­ Though, implants of this type are rare and hard to make¡­¡± he said, thinking hard. ¡°No, I know that already. I was interested in the Manasolid for another reason. But I don¡¯t have funds for an ingeniator¡­ or rather, the Mana battery blueprint. How am I even to tell what are the chances that they would succeed? I need someone competent, not just knowledgeable in the field¡­. Umm, by the way, are you keeping that Manasolid stable manually?¡± he asked, gesturing at the bulge in the pocket on the man¡¯s leather apron. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a training method. Also, thanks to that, I always have some spare funds on myself,¡± he laughed silently, returning his attention back to the armor. ¡°The only thing I can suggest is to visit the smaller marketplaces to look for someone with the Skillset. You can even post a notice there.¡± At Zeph¡¯s prompt Ghrughah gave him directions to more obscure places where people with unconventional Classes and Skill combinations could be found. There was no way of avoiding this route, too ¨C the more successful individuals and groups would not only ask too many questions, they would also want Zeph¡¯s money, not meddling, while he wanted to be a part of the invention process¡­ for many reasons. The most prevailing one was the unwillingness to put an unfamiliar prototype inside his body. The past mishaps of the System could have traumatized him slightly¡­ The blacksmith then started to talk in more detail about his own stance in the city. The time flew past as they talked, and, in seemingly no time, the armor was almost done. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Suddenly, Zeph recalled the poor driver that was probably still waiting for him. ¡°Ugh, how much time has passed,¡± he had a feeling it was already dark outside, but it was hard to tell without windows or a clock. ¡°How are you telling time without seeing the daylight here?¡± he asked in slight irritation. The blacksmith almost burst out laughing but had to keep it inside to not lose control over his Veil. It took him a good minute of quiet snickering into his own arm to cool down. Finally, he looked back at the grumpy Zeph. Small drops of tears could be seen in the corners of his eyes. ¡°You¡­ how long are you in the city?¡± he asked, fighting to keep his face straight. ¡°Three days,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°It¡¯s the first city I saw in these lands. Is it that funny?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about that then,¡± the blacksmith finally gathered himself with the last deep breath. ¡°See that contraption?¡± he asked, gesturing at something that Zeph treated as a control panel of sorts this whole time. On one of the pipes, which probably were Mana conduits, a bronze plate with toggle switches resided. Now, that he took a better look, the number of switches in the lower three rows was quite familiar: 12 at the bottom, above that 4, and then 8. The month, the week of the month, and the day of the week¡­ he quickly concluded after counting the switches toggled up. The fourth, highest row had 6 switches, and only the last one wasn¡¯t set to an upward position. But, strangely, the fifth was protruding at a 45-degree angle to the left. It wasn¡¯t moving, though, so it wasn¡¯t working the same as a hand of a clock. Six ¡®hours¡¯ in a day? That can¡¯t be right¡­ I will need to ask Aisha and P¡¯pfel about that. But the position of the switches suggests it¡¯s close to Earth¡¯s eight PM¡­ ¡°How does that even work?¡± he asked, tilting his head. It didn¡¯t seem like the plate had any mechanism inside to count the time. ¡°Well, did you see the cable network outside?¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a simplified version of Communication System¡­ I am talking about those black plates you saw,¡± he added, seeing his confusion. ¡°Those are a standard in workshops nowadays, but the Mana signal becomes incoherent over long distances. That¡¯s why the Communication Network outside uses electrical pulses instead. It¡¯s primitive, people have to send the pulses manually with Electro Spells or enchantments, but it allows for encoded communication. Anyway, this piece of metal is a simplified Wadokei. It counts pulses sent by the communication bureau ¨C they have the original timepiece counting the time. There is, of course, a separate cable network for Wadokeis,¡± Ghrughah explained absentmindedly while working the last parts of the armor. No oscillator clocks then¡­ Wait, they don¡¯t have any watches! Zeph realized and immediately perked up. Ho ho ho! Why, isn¡¯t it a perfect opportunity? he laughed maliciously inside his mind. Gru cringed in shame at the image of a villainess that sprung up in Zephana¡¯s brain, which stopped him from continuing with the farce. He forgot about his companion for a moment. Their communication link was becoming stronger by the day because they kept silent most of the time. ¡°Ahem¡­ Umm, Ghrughah-jiji,¡± he caught the old man¡¯s attention. ¡°About that Manasolid¡­¡± =============================== It was long after midnight when he finally left the workshop. The last part of the negotiations took a while, but he was satisfied. ¡°Thank you for waiting this long,¡± Zeph said to the disgruntled driver, handing him two silver coins. This placated the man somewhat. They had sent Uliala to inform him of the delay and to invite him inside to rest and eat something, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was sitting for a few hours in the cold. There were no restaurants or bars nearby, which was a big oversight from Zeph¡¯s side. The man helped him carry his goods to the carriage, of which there were plenty, and they drove off into the night. Zeph ignored the picturesque, glittering-in-the-lights view of the alien city covered in snow. In the yellow light of the passing street lamps, rhythmically filtering through the windows to disperse the dark shadows inside his cabin, he took stock of today¡¯s quarry. His armor was reduced to a block of metal¡ªweighing around 12 kilograms¡ªenclosed in Mana-resistant container, and a sealed glass container with Phleya. The colony was already entering the hibernation state, which was obvious at the first sight as the green mass started to solidify. Zeph would have to visit the blacksmith daily to deliver samples of the alloy and Phleya. He had to keep the two containers close to himself to be able to feed his Mana into them through built-in vents, which was mildly annoying, but the best solution. Next was a compression box with the small Manasolid inside. Zeph sold information on how to build a spring-powered watch to the blacksmith for it. Of course, Zeph didn¡¯t have a diagram in his head, but explaining the operating principle and showing the basic mechanisms¡ªlike the balance wheel, gear setup, and clock face¡ªwas more than enough for the experienced crafter. He even explained the principle of using an oscillator in general clockwork. The man was truly fascinated by the idea but stated that he would need to make the structure sturdier before even trying to sell it to people. Which, in hindsight, was an obvious conclusion. They also agreed on a 65 to 35 split of profits for a year, counting from the moment the final product would be presented on the market. The smaller part was, of course, Zeph¡¯s. All technical and marketing problems were put on the giant¡¯s shoulders, after all. He also bought a new spear for 50k gold. It was on the heavier side, weighing almost 10 kilograms, which would slow him down at the beginning but was necessary to train the inertia maneuvering. It would also last him longer. Its internal structure was a marvel ¨C a ridiculously sturdy, dark-blue metal was forming a microscopic, three-dimensional, and layered honeycomb frame. The empty spaces in the cells were filled with a black, elastic metal alloy that possessed weak Mana-resistance properties. The weapon was enchantment-ready, which meant this filling could be replaced and slots could be easily made in the walls of the honeycomb structure to accommodate an enchantment. All that without wasting any material, if the enchanter knew what they were doing. The weapon was slightly higher than Zeph. The two-sided blade was formed from the shaft itself, the edge made from the sturdy, blueish metal, and already enchanted with a variant of Hardening. It took one-fourth of the weapon¡¯s length and had a shape of an extremely elongated leaf, but was only a centimeter wider than the shaft itself. On the other end, a metal ball the size of a fist was screwed in. It worked as a counter-ballast and a blunt weapon at the same time, and could be exchanged for a more specialized object, such as an enchanted hammer tip. The whole length of the shaft was inlaid with Mana-conducting tracks to better accommodate for powering the enchantments. Just before the blade, four short clips could be pulled out from the shaft. They could work as crosspieces, similar to the ones on a bear spear, but were also used to secure a scabbard on the blade. It was made the same way as the rest of the weapon, adding another two kilograms of weight to the weapon. With the scabbard on, the back tip of the shaft could be used to its full capacity. The weapon was a beauty, its surface almost artistic with the crimson traces put over the geometrical, mesmerizing surface, reminiscent of cracks on the black skin of a volcanic dragon. Well, maybe that metaphor was a little too much, but Zeph couldn¡¯t find a better one. He also bought a few throwing knives and a crate of crossbow bolts with exchangeable tips. Both were made from much better materials than his old equipment, even if they were a bit pricy, sitting at 5k gold for the lot. All in all, he spent less than anticipated and probably gained an ally. He was content, blissful even. Moreover, Zeph couldn¡¯t wait to show his gun to the blacksmith. With his manipulation skills, he should be able to easily duplicate the weapon and ammunition. Well, there was a question if it would be worth it ¨C creating the shells manually would not only be a pain in the ass but also expensive as hell. Powder production would be another problem to crack. From what he gathered, only a few strategic resources were mass-produced. The rest was sourced by individuals, which meant no industrial-level automatization was present for those goods and the amounts were very limited. He didn¡¯t check it specifically for possible powder production¡ªthere was no reason for it until now¡ªbut he suspected it would be a challenge. Especially because some of the chemical reactions ought to work differently than on Earth. But that was in the future. There existed more than just one method to accelerate a small bullet to supersonic speeds, and he was sure someone on the higher stratum already got around the problem with their magitech. After all, it was the easiest and most simplistic way to improve ranged weaponry ¨C increasing the projectile¡¯s speed. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to introduce Earth¡¯s weaponry to this world. Working on recreating guns for the sake of having guns wasn¡¯t worth it. He never planned to become a weapon manufacturer in the first place. Not in the sense of avoiding introducing any, but in the context of his methods and goals. He wanted to become a full-fledged inventor, not a person who concentrates only on the destructing potential of his creations. If people here were in need of better weaponry, he would rather leave the engineering process to them. There was also that one remark Ghrughah has made. ¡®There are limits as to what can be achieved through matter alone¡¯ was it? Zeph recalled, burning those words into his memory. They felt meaningful, much more important than anything else they spoke about. I wonder when I will hit those limits you spoke of, old man. His chest vibrated silently in indignation, almost making him laugh. ¡°Yes, yes. You have broken a few human limitations already,¡± he said in a half-whisper, trying to sound serious. ¡°But maybe we shouldn¡¯t point fingers at each other, hmm?¡± Gru huffed petulantly. Chapter 53 - A restful night and a silly day. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.13] Zeph was woken up by the muffled sounds of kids playing outside. Weak, pale light filtered into the room through a laced curtain covering a large window. He glanced in that direction with one eye, squinting furiously. It seemed that it was past noon already, and it was snowing again today. Thanks to the late hour of his return, or rather a very early hour, he was spared from taking the role of a Night Guard. He didn¡¯t even have anything resembling that Class, but the orphanage personnel was convinced otherwise, so it was too late to change the strange title. Thankfully, Zeph was given the keys to the main doors yesterday. He was asleep the second his head touched the pillow. ¡°Grrru,¡± his chest vibrated in greeting. ¡°Morning¡­¡± he said, yawning. He moved his hands above his head and stretched. It feels good to be rested! he thought and energetically sat up, throwing the covers away and putting his feet on the soft carpet by the bed. He shivered in the chill air. Quickly manipulating his Veil, which was filling the whole room after saturating it during his sleep, he pushed it into his amulet that was resting in a slot on the wall. After making sure nothing was wasted, he moved a slider button above the amulet to the right, increasing the Mana input of the heating enchantment to the maximum. The warm air started flooding from the floor level while he moved quickly to the wardrobe to put on something warmer. Doing morning ablutions in his bathroom, he once again cursed the Regeneration PE. Because of it, people here never invented a toothpaste equivalent. Sure, his oral microbiota was almost nonexistent because of the Mana shenanigans, so he didn¡¯t have furry teeth or similar effects, but that didn¡¯t mean his breath was fresh. The best he had, was the mint-like water to rinse his mouth. Thinking about teeth, he wondered if Regeneration could stop primary teeth from falling out. It would be hilarious and problematic in equal measure. Finished, he returned to the bedroom, which was blissfully warm already. After retrieving the amulet and adjusting the heating, he walked out to get some breakfast downstairs. A Mana-transferring connection snapped into place the moment he passed through the door frame, and he started to send his Mana to fill his daily quota. He had to walk through the big hall to get to the kitchens. The big windows inside allowed him to see the kids¡¯ chosen playground. It seemed that a grand snowball battle was taking place on the premises of the building. He also noticed Aisha, standing on the sidelines and watching over the kids. After fixing himself a few sandwiches for the late breakfast, he decided it wasn¡¯t enough. Yesterday he forgot to buy himself a proper meal. Willforce Morphon was probably the only reason he wasn¡¯t starving during his session with Ghrughah ¨C the Enhancement possessed the ability to sustain him with other resources, after all. But now that his body finally received some nutrition, it screamed for more, reminding him that the standard amount of sustenance wasn¡¯t enough anymore. When he finally exited the building to speak with Aisha, wearing his heavy coat, he could only see the devastation wrought by the snowy war. The aftereffects were truly disastrous ¨C the kids were exhausted to the point of no return. They either started building something resembling igloos or were creating small figures from snow while sitting on the ground and resting. It seemed that only a snowy war could force out their more creative inclinations. At least no one was paying attention to him for now. Looking around, he quickly found Aisha, sitting on a wooden bench to the side, as always in the company of her trusted weapon. He slowly walked up to her. ¡°Hello. Yesterday was arduous for you, I see,¡± she greeted as he plopped beside her, his slightly overstuffed stomach protesting at the rough treatment. He wiped the grimace from his face and leaned back to relax. ¡°Hi. Yea, you can say that¡­ I have learned quite a lot, though. Wanna see my new spear?¡± ¡°Sure, when we go back. How much did you pay?¡± ¡°Fifty thousand,¡± he said, not so sure about the price anymore. After getting the money from Aisha, he kind of forgot about the objective value of a gold coin. She whistled. ¡°It better be worth it, then. I am curious now¡­ Weapons from the third stratum go for similar prices. Mostly because of materials, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too light to be even a second stratum weapon, I think. But yea, I would like to hear your opinion,¡± he admitted. ¡°Did I miss anything yesterday?¡± Aisha nodded lightly. ¡°Kwan sent me a message, she already bought a place. It will take two more days to set everything up. Your visit here will be shorter than I anticipated.¡± She looked at him. ¡°Please do visit sometimes. The kids are feeling much better after the previous night. None had problems with sleeping today, even if they were mightily disappointed the bearded uncle won¡¯t be there for them,¡± she said with a crooked smile. He nodded. There was nothing he could say to that. ¡°Can do. Anything from Makani?¡± ¡°Nothing yet.¡± Aisha turned her head forward again. ¡°But he should be back before the New Year¡¯s celebrations. That was his deadline, according to the Tower¡¯s staff at least. Oh, right,¡± she snapped her fingers and looked at him excitedly. ¡°The pilots are relatively free till the New Year, too. I can easily arrange a meeting in that timeframe, you just need to give me a date.¡± ¡°Ugh. Let¡¯s leave the planning for later. I have someone else I would like for you all to meet. It complicates things. And I would need to prepare a model or prototype before that.¡± She nodded. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go directly to P¡¯pfel¡¯s room when we go back. Is it as safe as yours?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Should be enough. Are you going to the city today, too?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a few errands to do. But I will go in the evening, so there is no need to hurry.¡± ¡°Okay then. Hmm, want to play?¡± she asked, nodding in the direction of Ulma, the rumor-spreading girl, who was waving her hand at them. They spent another hour or so on idle talk and playing with the kids. Zeph even showed them how to make a simple snowman, but the idea didn¡¯t sell well. Because the crystals of the snowflakes were three-dimensional, it was surprisingly easy to create much more intricate shapes ¨C the snow here was never powdery and kept the shapes much better than on Earth. When the time for dinner has come, they moved directly to P¡¯pfel¡¯s room. Yula promised to bring them something to eat later. Zeph visited his own room quickly to take his new spear, Earth¡¯s combat knife, Production District map, and Lurona City map. The books were delivered yesterday, long before he made it back. As always, the old Gremling was working on reagents and enchanting. The chemicals he prepared in the North Tarak were still in Kwan¡¯s possession, so he had to concoct new ones to be able to work. He was too busy to even greet them properly. While waiting for him to finish his latest work, they prepared the room. Aisha activated the enchantments and made sure they were good enough, while Zeph cleared a table with unimportant equipment for them to use. Then, with pride, he presented his new spear to Aisha, explaining how it was built and for what purposes. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She hummed to herself for a long time, swinging it a few times, trying to bend it, testing the Mana-conductance, and checking its balance, before finally giving him her professional verdict. ¡°It¡¯s too eye-catching. And overcomplicated. Also, too light. I prefer a slab of metal that can do its job without all this fancy work!¡± she declared, tapping its bottom lightly on the floor and making a heroic pose. Aisha¡­ He sighed in resignation, facepalming. You just slapped the blacksmith in the face¡­ ¡°Seriously, though,¡± she tried to redeem herself. ¡°It¡¯s quite good. Definitely worth the price, even if the materials are from the second stratum at best. You will have to get used to how it¡¯s balanced, though. As for other problems, I doubt your Spell can sharpen its blade. And those Mana-conducting traces will break at one point¡­¡± He sighed again before explaining slowly. ¡°I want to learn how to use hammers and axes, so it has to be balanced like that, the tip is swappable. The scabbard is able to sharpen the blade and secure the resulting powder to not waste the material. The inlay is also done below the surface, and it¡¯s made from material I can easily replace myself. Also, other people could have problems with selectively activating the enchantments through the traces, but, as you should know, it¡¯s perfect for me¡­¡± She blinked, still in her heroic pose, and glanced at the weapon with new respect in her eyes. But then, her eyes narrowed. She tried to bend it again, but this time on her knee, flexing her, admittedly impressive for a Corora human, muscles. She was wearing only a red, thin, long-sleeved shirt on her torso, and it strained from the pressure. He could tell she was even using some Skills, as her Veil started to shrink slightly. Zeph wasn¡¯t going to stop her, he had a warranty for the weapon, after all. He just crossed his arms and observed. The spear bent maybe a few millimeters on each side before she released it with a huff. Panting a little, she looked along the shaft. It was perfectly straight. ¡°Are you challenging me?¡± she murmured grumblingly to the weapon, to Zeph¡¯s amusement. But before a round-two could start, P¡¯pfel spoke from the side. ¡°I hope it is important if you barged in without as much as knocking?¡± The professor sent them a glare. ¡°News and news, not sure how important¡± Aisha shamelessly answered. ¡°Are you even answering to knocks anymore?¡± ¡°No. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can just invite yourselves whenever you like,¡± he said, hopping down from his stool and walking to their table. It seemed kids were still curious about the Gremling and tried to pay him a visit a few times. ¡°Don¡¯t dare speak to me like that,¡± Aisha said, pointing the spear at the small guy, playing a presumptuous villainess. ¡°I am your boss now!¡± Zeph looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The Gremling noticed and just shrugged as he walked. ¡°We made a life-contract after visiting the Temple yesterday.¡± ¡°You are mine now!¡± she exclaimed, raising the spear into the air in a triumphant gesture. ¡°But seriously, he is all-in now,¡± she explained, putting it back down. ¡°We reported about the happenings in the Torrent mountains already, so you don¡¯t have to worry about a possible interrogation anymore. Landlord Oric and the Temple of Souls are going to have a bad year,¡± she said to him proudly. ¡°Yes. Also, she filled me in on your background already.¡± The professor adjusted his glasses while looking at Zeph¡¯s spear. ¡°Nice weapon you have there. Do I see correctly that it¡¯s made, in part, from a malleable alloy?¡± Zeph smiled widely. ¡°Indeed, it is. You will have to teach me the enchanting procedure.¡± ¡°That will be only possible after we set our workshops. The reagents for those are too dangerous to even try in this environment,¡± he said, struggling a little to climb a chair. ¡°Thankfully, we won¡¯t have to wait long.¡± ¡°Yes, I already heard about it from Aisha.¡± He turned to her. ¡°By the way, is your¡­ warhaxammer¡±¡ªhe grimaced slightly spelling the strange name¡ª¡°the same as my armor? You always keep it close.¡± It was leaning against a wall right now. ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t have to keep it in my Veil, but I still need to prepare before using it to its full potential. It helps to be always prepared, but¡­ I swear, every time I put it away something bad happens¡­¡± she said in a half-mock rage, making a fist with her free hand. ¡°Anyway, what did you want to talk about?¡± She threw the spear at him lightly, which he easily grabbed from the air. ¡°Right. There is actually quite a lot¡­¡± He narrated his yesterday¡¯s ¡®adventures¡¯, omitting nothing. He felt better now that P¡¯pfel could hear everything. The pair was quite surprised by the unusual happenings, especially the information about Gibbons. ¡°How come no one knows about your two friends¡­¡± Aisha murmured, deep in thought. ¡°Presumably them, but still¡­ It doesn¡¯t make sense. Even if they contracted with an Onji or two right after crossing the gate, others should already know about them¡­ I have a feeling System Onji is involved here¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± the Gremling screeched. ¡°Zeph will find them sooner or later and can ask then ¨C I want to hear more about the blacksmith! The equipment¡­¡± he started murmuring madly to himself, saliva dripping from his mouth and eyes bulging. ¡°Get a hold of yourself! You will meet him in three days at most,¡± she countered, bonking him lightly in the head with a fist. That made the trick. The Gremling made a disgusted face and fixed himself. ¡°I will contact Kwan to prepare a room for his visit¡­ But Zeph, are you sure about the direction this is going?¡± she asked, unusually serious. He kind of understood what she was suggesting. ¡°We weren¡¯t met with any problems within the city yet, but I already feel confined,¡± he confessed. ¡°How bad will it become after we start releasing new products? No, we need to prepare beforehand. I would like to have an aerostat of our own. Maybe a base somewhere in the wilderness¡­ At least that were my thoughts. This constant vigilance is scraping on my sanity.¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s eyes shined like stars after hearing it, the Gremling evidently liking the idea of their own aerostat. Aisha looked thoughtful. ¡°Besides, he can help me hide for longer from the public eye. He is known, so we can use him as the face of our ventures. This should lessen the scrutiny and pressure placed on us¡­¡± He paused, seeing Aisha¡¯s predatory smile growing with each second. ¡°Um¡­ Aisha?¡± ¡°Zeph, my dear friend,¡± she started, placing her arm on his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a delightful idea!¡± ¡°¡­ Why do I feel like I wouldn¡¯t like where this is going?¡± he asked, his body tensing. ¡°Gree,¡± vibrated Gru, sharing his sentiment. ¡°Why don¡¯t we form a Guild?!¡± she exclaimed, her far-away gaze inspired by unknown demons. ¡°No!¡± he refused immediately. Is she possessed?! The Gremling spat on the floor. ¡°Get lost! I am not taking part in it!¡± he growled. ¡°Grrrarru!¡± accusingly vibrated Gru. ¡°No, wait! Let me explain!¡± she pleaded, then started to placate them one by one. She had some good arguments, too. They would be seen as one entity, so the whereabouts of individual members shouldn¡¯t be that important in the grand scheme of things. She would take care of the second-line business of the Guild, namely ¨C the thing her faction of Temple always did, further diluting the information about them. It would also allow them to buy from the market in bulk and identify as a part of a Guild in different cities. That alone made them reconsider. She also has thrown a bone of institutional right to keep production methods secret, but no one believed it even for a second. P¡¯pfel and Zeph both had a life experience directly contradicting such claims, and Gru was skeptical because of her much earlier talks about power. There was no way to convince them that they wouldn¡¯t have to fight tooth and nail to keep their rights to the inventions for a prolonged period of time. Luckily for Aisha, her two companions never planned to hoard knowledge. It was just counter-productive for their goals. ¡°Why are you even so fixed on that idea?¡± Zeph asked finally. ¡°Well¡­¡± she hesitated for a moment, but confessed in the end. ¡°It would also be nice to have a logistic backup after moving to the higher stratum¡­¡± she said dreamily. ¡°Are you planning to hire just anyone?¡± Zeph asked disdainfully. ¡°Except for Kwan¡¯s and Ghrughah¡¯s groups, we are just individuals. And we all will probably move there together. I am not trusting enough to hire some random people to have my backs.¡± ¡°Grrraru,¡± it vibrated in fright. Keeping silent for prolonged periods of time wasn¡¯t pleasant at all. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it for after the meeting,¡± wisely advised the professor. ¡°We need to check this Ghrughah first, anyway.¡± Aisha pouted slightly because of their skepticism, but didn¡¯t try to sell her idea anymore. ¡°Can we go back to my other questions?¡± Zeph asked, sighing for the third time today. He was doing that often with them around. ¡°Sure,¡± P¡¯pfel answered. ¡°I had a feeling you wanted to ask something for some time now.¡± ¡°Yesterday, I saw a Wadokei for the first time¡­ Or rather, it was explained to me how it works¡­¡± he left his words to sink into their small skulls, but there was no effect. They just waited for him to continue. ¡°For the fucking first time!¡± he irritably pointed out, raising his hands. The two oohed in sync, finally understanding what he was talking about. He didn¡¯t know about their units of measurement. At all. Which was problematic if he was to keep his head down. ¡°I prepared something to compare our units of measurement to get an idea of what I am working with,¡± he declared, putting a few sheets of paper, a pen, and his combat knife on the table. ¡°But I will need your help, P¡¯pfel. First, we need a vacuum tube. Also, you two are going to explain to me how things are measured here. Aisha, because I know you will get bored quickly, take those maps and try to find the best route through the places I have to visit today. Mark Kwan¡¯s quarters, the Temple of Library, and the System Shrine, as well. You are the only one who knows the city. P¡¯pfel, make a list of ingredients and reagents that will be necessary to work with the spear¡­ Add the ones for possible aerostat enchantments, just to be sure. Aisha, mark those shops, too¡­¡± he started giving orders, wholeheartedly strangling any indication of objection from the two too-busy-to-work people. He wanted to be finished with the small errands and tests as fast as possible. It was all necessary, but consumed too much time for his liking. Before going to the System Shrine, he wanted to finish a few minor experiments that could help him with the Exchange choices. But if they worked with their current pace, he would sooner see the new year than deal with the upgrades. It was time to prepare for the real shopping spree. ¡°Grrrrrum!¡± it silently vibrated in excitement, wholeheartedly agreeing. Chapter 54 - Units. Preparations are important! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.13] Zeph¡¯s plan to compare the units of time and length was quite simple. He knew the exact length of the blade of his combat knife, and the rest could be calculated from that alone. It was the first time they weren¡¯t on the road or preparing for a fight, so he finally had some leeway to do his own thing. Especially because without that knowledge, he was sure to attract unwanted attention. They were back in civilization, after all. It was a shame that the Advanced Learning of the Cir language, that he went through after arriving to this world, only provided a translation from English to Cir, not the other way around. Sure, the translation was shown in a few different contexts, but some details were left off still. Instead of learning about Corora¡¯s widely-used units of measurement, he knew how to describe the Earth¡¯s units in a way the locals would understand. More or less, at least. Some of the words he learned were plain archaic or taken from no longer existing dialects, though. He wondered how much of it was a deliberate decision made by the System. It would be better to just read and learn from his Cir language Skill, but he always had more pressing matters to attend to. The number of the General Skills he possessed was becoming his undoing ¨C he simply didn¡¯t have the time to read everything deeply enough. When he tried, he felt like he was just wasting time. Most of the basic knowledge could be acquired much faster using traditional methods ¨C by learning about them from others. Or his reading proficiency was still way below average¡­ it was hard to tell. Zeph was slightly jealous of the natives. They had their whole childhood to learn as much as they wanted from the General Skills, and train the reading, just to stay in their ¡®early twenties¡¯ for a prolonged period of time while gaining access to even more knowledge. Well, maybe that was the main reason most of the ¡®Cororalings¡¯¡­ No, it sounds wrong¡­ Most of the ¡®Cororanians¡¯ looked at life from a long-term perspective, being irritably patient towards certain aspects of life. He, at least, could understand that it was like being jealous of a new generation having free access to the internet. The means weren¡¯t dictating the results. But those musings weren¡¯t here nor there. He needed to update his vocabulary, and fast. It was one of the reasons he bought so many different maps ¨C he hoped the extensive descriptions included in them could help him sharpen his language. But after the meeting with Ghrughah, he knew it won¡¯t be enough. The technical language, which he avoided like fire when speaking with him, was much stricter. If he wanted to speak with crafters, ingeniators, and other technologically-inclined people, he had to know more than just the meaning of the words. He had to know the exact values, the state of math and physics, and more. The vacuum tube was ready. It wasn¡¯t up to the Earth¡¯s standards, of course, but even four times lower pressure would help. Even on Earth, without Mana making the air slightly more adhesive, the air resistance had to be taken into account if one wanted to measure things precisely. The difference in gravitational acceleration on this planet posed a small problem, but from what he remembered from their early measurements, it was between 3 and 5 percent greater than on Earth. He could live with a 1 percent error margin. The vacuum tool was a simple device ¨C just a tube with something resembling a one-way, rubber vent on its tip. A handheld pump with a crank was used to suck off the air from inside. It was built like a syringe but with an additional mechanism lifting the plunger. A viscous liquid in the upper half of the pump¡¯s chamber was responsible for keeping the plunger airtight. In enchanting, those tools were used to mix reagents that were easily reacting with oxygen ¨C some reactions were much more volatile than they should be. People on Corora still didn¡¯t discover methods of producing pure, non-reactive gasses to use instead of a partial vacuum. At least on this stratum ¨C Mana could do a lot if shaped properly, so it was possible a Spell that filtered the gasses existed higher up. If it did, though, it was probably accessible only on higher strata if the ¡®technology¡¯ was not operable here. He had no doubt it would leak downwards if it existed. Firstly, Zeph compared the units of length. His combat knife had a standardized, 20-centimeters-long blade, so it was easy to do. A Finger was an equivalent of around 1.4 centimeters. An Ell was around 70 centimeters long, having fifty fingers. Zeph wasn¡¯t even surprised by the familiar names ¨C all humanoids ought to think similarly. Of course, the populace was using those units more frivolously ¨C the exact measures were standardized but only used in that manner by crafters of all kinds. The names of the higher units were more abstract. Fifty ells, so around 35 meters, made a Boat. Five hundred boats, so around 17.5 kilometers, made a Range. From that point, ranges had prefixes similar to Earth¡¯s kilo, but set every one hundred instead of a thousand; the same as with boats. People tended to use time instead of length when speaking about distances of a length somewhere between a boat and a range, though. No one had a smartphone with a function to calculate the distance, after all. It was much easier and much more clear to say ¡¯20 minutes by foot¡¯ instead of counting the boats. The numbers were quite intriguing, though. Zeph could clearly see the influence of the System on their culture. At 50 and 500, each PE gave an important Energy Enhancement. It wasn¡¯t strange that they started using those numbers as a base for multiplying the units ¨C they were probably in use long before standardizing the lengths. Next were the time measurements. They put a wooden plate at the bottom of the vacuum tube, to prevent it from cracking, and placed a metal bead inside. Then, they suck out the air and used a magnet to raise the bead to the height of 20 centimeters along the tube¡¯s wall. By using the standard equation for uniformly accelerate motion, Zeph knew it should take the bead around 0.198 seconds to fall down. All he had to do was to measure it with the enchanted timer used by P¡¯pfel and compare the results to the Earth¡¯s second, as the device used Corora¡¯s units. Interestingly, P¡¯pfel knew the equation, but it was slightly modified. It had to take into account air resistance and Mana density ¨C the two had too much influence to be overlooked, even in theoretical problems. After repeating the measurements many times, to find the best way of releasing the bead without the magnet interfering with the reads, Zeph quickly calculated the value and error range. It seemed that Corora¡¯s Second was equal to 1.2 of Earth¡¯s Second. Fifty seconds made a minute, which was almost identical to Earth¡¯s, funnily enough. Fifty minutes made an hour. The day was exactly 30-hour-long, or around 25-Earth¡¯s-hour-long. Zeph was slightly bitter his team didn¡¯t manage to measure the length of the day; he would have another reference point for his calculations then. But those were technical units of time. The populace was using the Wadoki hour, also called a cycle, which was 2.5-hour-long, so lasted around 2.08 of Earth¡¯s hour. There were 12 cycles in a day, 6 for the night and 6 for the day. That was the reason the simplified Wadokei in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop only had 6 toggle switches to measure the ¡®hours¡¯ ¨C for each cycle they did a half-rotation, with four intermediate states every 45-degree angle, to show smaller time increments. Happy with the results, he started asking for other units ¨C those for volume, mass, density, et cetera. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The mass had only one unit that was called Unit, which he already knew about ¨C it was around 2 grams. He was surprised by the brazen naming until P¡¯pfel explained the history of it. There were, supposedly, many different names for a mass of different materials. Mana, as well as Magicules, tended to float upwards, but their behavior wasn¡¯t that easy to understand. Even ignoring the differences between the buoyancy of different Magicules, the forces created by naturally-forming internal Mana flows, the capacity of material, the external Mana density, the tendency of Mana to conglomerate around ¡®energy-rich¡¯ phenomena, and even more strange effects were modulating the weight of material at all times. Effectively, the porous floating rocks could have a mass of a few million units, but a negative weight that additionally changed in different environments. Thus, the overflow of units describing the amount of matter. Some of them were still in use, like a Stack, which meant ¡®two times the weight of a person¡¯ for non-porous, non-Mana-resistant materials ¨C a name that the Head of the Barringstone used while promising them some Hydrargyrum. Only when a specialized Spell was introduced to the planet¡¯s population by someone from a higher stratum¡ªthe person donating it for every native (which, of course, Zeph wasn¡¯t, so he never saw the option)¡ªas a non-Class-specific Matrix, people started to use the Unit. The System allowed the Spell to be for free, even. But because no one really knew what exactly it was measuring physically, or how, the very generic name stuck as a result. It was quite fascinating, but also problematic. Even people without Matrix space to have it prepared at all times could just shuffle their Skills if it was necessary. ¡°Heh, thankfully no one will suspect a thing,¡± Aisha interjected the discussion. ¡°No one tries to cheat on weight anymore, it¡¯s beyond rude to even try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too easy to see through¡­ I will need a good excuse for the lack of access to the Skill¡­¡± Zeph said bitterly. ¡°Just tell them you are in training,¡± P¡¯pfel said. ¡°Teachers can be quite strict as to the Skill composition of their pupils. That¡¯s actually one thing a Guild of ours would be good for ¨C virtually restricting your selection of Skills, as well as covering for other aspects.¡± ¡°It would, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Aisha said thoughtfully. ¡°We would need a Scholar to make sure all of your bases are covered, though¡­¡± ¡°Can we get back on the topic?¡± Zeph said impatiently. ¡°I need to go soon, and we don¡¯t even know if the Guild will become a thing. You better tell me what people are using to measure things here. I know some devices and words, but for all I know, it¡¯s a ten-year-old, obsolete knowledge¡­¡± ~~~ It was getting late when Zeph finally walked out of the orphanage. He was greeted by a nice weather for once. The sun, which was slowly setting down, painted the landscape around in warm colors, the light reflecting from the puffy snow in all directions. Only his heavy backpack was breaking the serene atmosphere, irritably pushing him down to earth. The closest parking lot for rented wagons was half an hour¡¯s walk away from the building, which was fortunate. Zeph wanted to relax a little after the intense session of learning from his two companions, and the picturesque landscape was perfect for it. He took a deep breath of the cold, refreshing air, and started slowly prowling through the unploughed streets of Lurona. A few skied carriages passed him, moving relatively slowly on the white road that was rimmed with leafless trees. It was another wonder of this world ¨C with the speed the wagons were moving, even in warmer seasons, it was almost impossible to kill a person in an accident. Well, besides young kids, but they were always protected, one way or another. The effect was that, except for high-traffic regions, there were almost no laws on how to move along the road. If he wanted, he could start running on the road, cross it whenever he wanted, or even ignore the rule of thumb on the crossroads to move faster. The last one was a rude practice, even if not forbidden. No ¡®magical healing¡¯ existed, so having your animal hurt during a crash was quite costly. Strangely, the order was kept even without the Guard interfering during such events. The alien mindset of Corora¡¯s inhabitants was showing up again. Evidently, people with money liked to show that fact by paying generously if they caused any problems, so the situation of a person leveraging their social or economic position on the less fortunate was a rarity here. Before he could start pondering on the custom of Duels, he arrived at his destination. ~~~ During the travel, Zeph read the contents of his maps in preparation for tomorrow¡¯s tour that he planned to make. The ¡®Lurona Technology Solutions for Curious¡¯ and ¡®Detailed Map of Traffic¡¯ were his books of choice. The plan was to get used to the city¡¯s structure and communication routes, as well as the technology that was commonly used around those parts, while reading the books. Aisha promised to introduce him to a few places dedicated to mercenaries who wanted to hunt on the lands adjacent to the city, but it would have to wait until after the potential forming of the Guild. Those were places that welcomed adventurous people, and Zeph was in need of personal kills of the wild animals. Soul fragments from domesticated animals weren¡¯t enough, they weren¡¯t sending ¡®positive Soul wound¡¯ fragments for the most part, so Gru¡¯s cheat didn¡¯t work on them with any meaningful efficiency. But, he had to admit, it almost felt like he was to become a member of an Adventure Guild. A shame such an institution wasn¡¯t a thing. He was quite excited about the prospect, though. Either way, he wasn¡¯t to search for those places, or the churches for that matter, in the next few days. Instead, he decided to better acquaint himself with the city. For today, he had basic errands to make. Firstly, he visited the main building of the Production District to deliver the feathers to Ciriyal and ask her about the possibility of a closer collaboration in the future. He hoped her financial situation was bad enough for her to actually consider working under their group. Having an information network directly accessible would be a godsend, wherever they formed a Guild or not. She wasn¡¯t against the idea, which was promising. Next, he visited Ghrughah to deliver the samples of alloy and Phleya. Along the way, he bought reagents necessary to work with his spear, making sure they were delivered in a few days to Kwan¡¯s place. Thanks to P¡¯pfel and Aisha marking the proper places to buy those on his map, he saved a few hours of idle searching. Sadly, no reagents used for aerostats were sold on the free market ¨C he would have to contact Guilds responsible for those materials. The problem with mass production surfaced again. After giving the samples, he invited the giant to an official meeting in three days. Aisha wouldn¡¯t trust any other method of delivering the message. Ghrughah promised to meet them in Kwan¡¯s place and to make sure his visit stayed secret. Both sides preferred anonymity in this case. They spoke shortly about the ¡®watch project¡¯ and possible enchantments Zeph¡¯s new armor could have. The tests would take more time than the blacksmith guessed at the beginning ¨C the alloy was quite problematic. Zeph didn¡¯t care, as long as it was finished before the New Year. But if it had to take more time, he could as well make sure it was enchantment-compatible. Then, he visited all the marketplaces around the city. Each one had an information board, so he registered his commission for the atypical Alchemist. He set only four meeting spots for the interested ¨C administrative halls that rented safe rooms. They would process the applicants and would make sure they could be interviewed in an orderly manner. Also, it would be a hassle for his future employee to travel half a city only to meet him in hopes of getting a job, so there was no going around it. People in those areas weren¡¯t wealthy by any means, so even wasting their time could be too much. He suspected that the recruiting process wouldn¡¯t be so easy, though. Because of that, he also added a monetary reward for people with information about individuals who may help him in his endeavors. It would diminish his funds ¨C he was sure to meet scammers ¨C but a few gold wasn¡¯t enough to scare him off. Thankfully, a simple lie detector was included in the price of the administration buildings¡¯ rooms, so he would be able to at least scare off the low-level swindlers. The thousand gold he prepared for the whole process looked small in comparison to his wealth, but he knew this one-time boost would end sooner or later. At least he was investing in something meaningful, so his heart wasn¡¯t bleeding as much at the expenses. He returned to the orphanage late at night, again. Hopefully, the kids wouldn¡¯t mind¡­ =============================== The next two days passed in the blink of an eye. Zeph toured the city for the most part, but also reserved more time for the kids. It seemed the therapy, focusing on him simply being in the vicinity, was super effective. As such, he didn¡¯t have the heart to cut them off from his schedule. Aisha contacted Pavail, the Hannyajin doctor from Kwan¡¯s group, on his behalf. The official opening of Kwan¡¯s business will take place tomorrow, and along with it, P¡¯pfel¡¯s and Zeph¡¯s quarters and workshop areas would be revealed. He hoped Pavail could use a part of his area to start experimenting, so he wanted her to be there during the event. He was also given a memory amulet. Aisha made sure it was delivered before Zeph would move to his new quarters. As always, it was a simplistic device but had a function to record how much he had sent to the city¡¯s Mananet, thus freeing him from spending long hours in the orphanage to pay their bills. During the few days he spent there, though, Zeph was able to send almost fifteen million Mana on account of the facility. It was enough to pay taxes for the next thirty days. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but he would be visiting the place every week, so the amount would increase still. He was left with the orphanage¡¯s amulet for that exact reason, but it had an additional value. He could always identify as a person working with Leilucia¡¯s Temple. With all the happenings around, Zeph was quite excited for tomorrow. With a calm heart, he drifted into a deep slumber, for the last time this week surrounded by the sleeping kids. Gru, though, wasn¡¯t able to sleep that night. He had a bad premonition for the first time in his short life, and no idea what to do with it¡­ Chapter 55 - First base. First meeting. First bame? Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.16] The event that Kwan prepared for the opening of their new business was much grander in scale than Zeph could have expected, but so was the business itself. From the windows of his carriage, slowly descending from the hills surrounding the place, a vast complex of buildings encompassing a small river could be seen. It was spanning an area in two-kilometers radius, at the very least. It looked more like a separate village inside the city, or a miniature district. How the hell the gang had enough funds to afford that? Zeph thought with a slight shock. In the background, Aisha was lazily describing how Kwan found the place. He started to pay more attention to what she said. The complex was, in truth, an old transshipment port. It was set on the furthest part of the river, an ending point for heavy water transport. It wasn¡¯t that far from the shore ¨C they could see the mountain islands some ten, maybe twenty, kilometers away ¨C but its position was still preferable because of the land infrastructure that could have been set around it. And indeed, a few big arteries were sneaking around the river¡¯s valley. But after the water trade bloomed, more ports started to form along the shoreline, until, finally, the city had to implement new means of transportation between them and the rest of its population. After the infrastructure for the heavy-weight, hovering wagons was completed, the value of the inland port plummeted. At that point, the city had enough Mana income to keep the new tracks operational indefinitely, there was no need for the lengthy travel up the river anymore. The place has been abandoned. It didn¡¯t become slums¡ªplaces like that didn¡¯t really exist in this world because of the dirty-cheap class-zero food¡ªbut it was close enough. Only the less fortunate were left there. Because the place has become the city¡¯s property in its whole, and because there was no use for it, those people were allowed to use the buildings for a minimal Mana tax. Still, the city wouldn¡¯t provide any maintenance to the infrastructure, and people living there were too poor to take care of it by themselves. It was no surprise then that the river started to flood the valley during heavy rain or thaw periods. The enchantments regulating the speed of the water flow, placed at the river¡¯s banks along its length, stopped working some years ago. Parts of the canal system were blocked by the garbage flowing down, too. At least their society doesn¡¯t have a problem with sewage, Zeph commended internally, looking down at the sparse lights coming from the valley below, surrounding a small area that was illuminated like a Christmas tree ¨C the main buildings of Kwan¡¯s headquarters. The setting sun was hiding behind the heavy clouds, so he could see them clearly in the weak daylight. Even the big, heavy snowflakes falling lazily from the sky weren¡¯t enough to obscure the view. Indeed, with a simple application of appropriate Magicules on the swirling sewage, it was easy to extract pure water from it. It was explained in the ¡®Lurona Technology Solutions for Curious¡¯. From his own, personal knowledge, it was especially effective because of the small number of possible microbes that could live in Mana environments, and the ones that existed were killed in the purification process by the high density of Magicules, anyway. That was one of the reasons the System was so strict with alien microbes, probably. Introducing one that could evolve to live in a higher Mana density and infect other organisms would be disastrous. But Zeph was more curious about what they did with the, seemingly sterile, waste coming from purification. Was it used by the farms around the city? Well, the living microorganisms in the soil would take care of it sooner or later. Heck, from what he read from his ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯ Skill, the plants here, or any living organism without a Soul for that matter, were metabolizing Mana. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to cause the decay by themselves. Wait¡­ Metabolizing Mana?! Isn¡¯t it the same for us, humans, metabolizing Prana back on Earth? I need to learn more and compare¡­ It¡¯s far too similar to ignore. He tried to remember this observation for later, as he heard Aisha finishing her story in a playful tone. ¡°¡­the attendant at the City Hall was enamored by her idea,¡± she said with a fake enthusiasm that broke her monotone monolog from earlier. ¡°Just imagine all those taxes!¡± she parodied the thought process of the guy. ¡°Sorry,¡± he interjected. ¡°Can you repeat from the canal system part? You managed to actually make me lose focus,¡± he said, not abashed at all. From the beginning, she sounded like an old professor not caring if he was even understood, he had no remorse. She looked at him like at an exotic animal. ¡°Impressive¡­ You were listening for that long?¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s snore hiccupped. He was laying prone on the seat to their right. A vein on Zeph¡¯s temple swelled, and he had an urge to smack her in the head. ¡°Stop training your sleep-inducing speech abilities on me and explain the last part properly,¡± he said angrily, the remorse returning but for other reasons. If the playfulness is the indicator of her being relaxed, I would rather see her constantly stressed, he thought irritably. Gru approved. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to repeat all that,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°Long story short, when she decided to buy a block in that area¡ªit was cheap, had workers ready to be hired, and was perfect for her plans¡ªthe clerk in the City Administration Hall immediately proposed a better deal. It seems the place was a money sink for the city, even if they don¡¯t do much to maintain it. If she was to employ the people living there, fix the infrastructure, and the pay normal rate of Mana tax per head, then the city was willing to cut in half the price for the whole port area, and allow her to pay it in installments.¡± ¡°And what does she plan to do with the whole port?¡± he asked incredulously. If she didn¡¯t plan for it from the start, then it just sounded like the city¡¯s governing body delegating the administration of that area to her. Costs included. ¡°It sounds like an unnecessary burden and nothing more.¡± Aisha smiled happily. ¡°She¡¯s building an onsen village. Roaming Onsen Village, to be exact. We are for a treat in the future.¡± She clapped her hands in delight. He blinked in surprise. But there are no hot springs in the vicinity? I am not sure, but wouldn¡¯t the costs of artificially heating the water be too much? he analyzed. It¡¯s nice but¡­ ¡°Are those her original plans?¡± ¡°Well, I suspect that just sped up her schedule. She wanted a permanent place in a city, after all. After finishing her new Inn, she would probably start buying out the neighboring lands,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Well, now I am a little excited,¡± he admitted, looking through the window at the future water park. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem they managed to renovate much, though.¡± The illuminated part wasn¡¯t taking even one-tenth of the port. ¡°It was only a few days, after all. I heard that they prepared a taste of future winter attractions to see what would be popular. It¡¯s a perfect test and advertisement before the New Year celebrations, too.¡± ¡°Yeah, it will be the best time to earn a lot of money¡­¡± They spent the rest of the trip talking about the coming celebrations. Zeph was curious how it looked like, but was slightly disheartened when he learned people here don¡¯t have an equivalent of the fireworks. When he described what they were, Aisha started laughing. And she couldn¡¯t stop. The wastefulness, impracticality, and dangers involved were just too much for her. In good humor, they arrived at the main street of the newly-named Roaming Onsen Village. It looked as if a small festival was taking place and their carriage slowed down because people crowding around freely passed through. The decorations were distinctly similar to the Earth¡¯s Asian style, in a general sense. Lanterns in multiple colors and shapes illuminated the vicinity. Wooden sculptures of strange animals and sparkling, ornamental chains adorned the newly-renovated buildings. Small stands were selling either exotic cuisine or memorabilia, the latter often made in part from plastic ¨C probably the leftovers from their failed attempts at synthetizing a more robust version using the recipe Zeph had sold to Kwan. He was fairly impressed that they already managed to implement his instructions and started the production. On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t really that difficult of a process, all things considered. There was no lack of entertainment establishments on the street, too. Besides games and lotteries that some of the stands provided, Zeph also noticed ice rinks and something resembling playgrounds made from ice, both set further away from the main street but visible through the side streets. Even two open-air hot baths were available, easily recognizable because of the domes of vapor above the enclosed premises of the two big buildings. Are they using a modified Air Sphere to keep the temperature from escaping? he asked himself as they were passing the second establishment. No, probably something more, seeing as the vapor says inside, too. It seems efficient, maybe that¡¯s how they insulate houses when the temperature decreases too much? But to prepare all that in just a few days¡­ I may have underestimated the number of competent workers this place had at the ready¡­ And Kwan¡¯s gang proficiency with enchantments. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. His musings were interrupted when their cart stopped in front of the biggest building yet. It had to be an old administration center, but now resembled a luxurious hotel. There was even a crimson carpet set before the entrance. Zeph felt underdressed for the occasion. An attendant in a smooth, black attire greeted them as they left the carriage. He informed them that Kwan will see them in a moment because she was busy, taking care of more prominent guests right now. Just as he started to invite them inside, Pavail exited the building. ¡°Hi!¡± She waved her hand energetically, trotting up to them. ¡°Umm, I think we should go straight to your building,¡± she said to Zeph and P¡¯pfel. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like they will let go of the boss anytime soon¡­¡± The trio exchanged glances. Behind their carriage, a wagon with their belongings followed. Even Aisha brought some of her things, knowing too well she would be visiting the place often in the future. But they were to move there only after the more important and fun part of the evening. ¡°Problems?¡± Aisha finally asked. ¡°No, no¡­¡± Pavail started waving her hands, but paused halfway. ¡°Well, maybe? But I am afraid it¡¯s nothing you can help with, Miss Zora¡­¡± she finished sheepishly. ¡°What¡¯s of the meeting?¡± Zeph was more concerned about other things. Ghrughah should be coming soon. ¡°The boss said we can use your safe room. The security almost matches the one in our headquarters¡­ But, you know, our place is full of very¡­ curious people right now, so¡­¡± After some grumbling, they quickly decided to listen to her advice. The plan was to take part in the official opening speech and the celebration that would take place in the main building. Potentially even visit the attractions later on. As so, they were quite disappointed, but all of them understood that security made precedence right now. There was no choice. The attendant called a few members of the gang to help them with the wagons and offloading, and Pavail directed them to the building. It was set on a high bank by the river, and was surrounded by quarters of Kwan¡¯s people ¨C for additional security. It was quite plain, but had three stories and was much bigger than Zeph anticipated. They moved inside as the workers took the wagons to the side entrance to unload and secure them. He was surprised again. The building¡¯s walls were almost two meters thick, the entrance more like a short tunnel than simple doors. They passed the foyer, small but comfortable-looking living quarters, and entered a big hall. It was mostly empty, bare some basic furniture and a few working tables. Thick columns supported the ceiling in regular intervals, further stabilizing the structure. There were no windows here, and only two entrances ¨C one from the living room, and the second from the storage room to the right. All in all, the building looked surprisingly sturdy, almost like a small defensive fortress. ¡°So, this is P¡¯pfel¡¯s floor,¡± Pavail animatedly explained. ¡°The next one looks the same, and it¡¯s yours,¡± she said to Zeph. ¡°And the last one has accommodation for guests, a safe room, and leisure rooms!¡± ¡°Good thing you didn¡¯t fully furnish the place,¡± the Gremling grumpily acknowledged. ¡°I would have to trash most of it anyway.¡± ¡°Happy you like it!¡± she exclaimed unabashedly. ¡°Let me show you the storage and the residential part!¡± After a short tour, they made themselves comfortable in the safe room. The third floor was fully furnished, and the room was stylized like a dark tavern ¨C fake fireplace, soft armchairs, cushions, small bar, and all. Of course, everything was much more luxurious than it should be in such an establishment. They moved a few low tables to create a place for all the guests to sit together, and enjoyed some drinks while waiting and talking idly. An hour later, Ghrughah was brought by an attendant. ¡°Fancy place you have here,¡± he grumbled, trying to fit in the doors. P¡¯pfel and Pavail were gaping at the giant with a mix of fear, amazement, and respect. His Veil was already pressing down on theirs. Aisha stood up, her face unreadable, and took a few steps in his direction. Ghrughah finally straightened up and looked down on her appraisingly. They were saliently staring at each other for a long moment, before the giant spoke, putting out his hand. ¡°So, we finally met.¡± She rolled up a sleeve of her sweatshirt and took the handshake, grabbing his forearm in the middle. Her arm comically small in the contrast. ¡°Indeed.¡± They just stood there, unmoving, eyes locked. Their muscles flexed. Then flexed some more as their postures changed, adapting to the forces. Aisha started to steam slightly. Ghrughah¡¯s skin gained a slight metallic sheen to it. After another few seconds, the sound of something creaking under heavy pressure could be heard. It was unclear if it was originating from the floor, the skin of their arms, or maybe their very bones. The trial of strength lasted for a good ten seconds before, finally, they both smiled and released the tight grip, only to loudly smack their hands. ¡°Welcome, Blacksmith. Maybe your reputation wasn¡¯t exaggerated after all,¡± Aisha said lightly, still smiling. The man hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Well met, Priestess. I was curious about you for some time, too.¡± He looked around. ¡°I hope you remembered to prepare a fitting seat for me?¡± They didn¡¯t. After some improvising that included too many cushions, they all sat down and made introductions. Aisha took it upon herself to verbally spar with the giant after that, not allowing for a proper conversation, but it didn¡¯t matter much. They were waiting for Kwan, either way. Zeph had to admit, listening to the duo was quite entertaining. He didn¡¯t know what was the exact age difference between them, but they were very like-minded in his opinion. Even their mannerism was similar. Two old goats. Each side tried to eke some information from the opponent while making sure the small victories were balanced later on by giving away snips of information, of their own volition. Are they collecting favor points between themselves that way, or what? He felt lost in the game they played. If so, Aisha is losing slightly, I think, he concluded cheerfully. But soon enough, he and Pavail started discussing their own plans, leaving the elders to bicker between themselves. Zeph had left the details of the collaboration with the Doctor to be determined later exactly because he suspected the situation may end up more complicated than they could expect. As it turned out, it was a good assessment. Now was the time to decide the concerts, and the first one was the role Pavail wanted to take in all this nonsense happening around currently. ~~~ Maybe three hours later, the doors to the room opened again. The conversations died down almost instantly as they all looked in that direction. A worn-out Kwan entered the room. While her makeup and black-and-red ballroom dress were in almost perfect condition, that only emphasized the signs of her disheveled state and unfocused mannerism. She closed the door behind herself and immediately slouched, her eyes losing any life emanating from within. After glancing around the room with an empty gaze, the guests included, she just sighed deeply and plodded in the direction of the bar. ¡°Difficult night?¡± Aisha asked after a moment of silence. ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± she answered weakly, opening a bottle and taking a deep swing directly from it. Some life returned to her face, but the eyes stayed empty. ¡°Imagine that. After we declared to take care of the infrastructure here, not to mention the workers, and the evident success of our endeavors¡­ suddenly!¡± she exclaimed abruptly in anger, raising her hands dramatically, one still holding the bottle. ¡°Suddenly every important neighbor wants to take a part in it! And buy some land from us, of course for the old price!¡± She plopped into the armchair prepared for her, leaning heavily on its right arm, almost like trying to lie down on it entirely. ¡°And the worst part? They made a coalition that unanimously declared our deal with the city was unfair in the eye of the market rule. Too cheap, they say! The hypocritical idiots! They should have taken the land when it was free!¡± she hollered before taking another swing from the bottle. All pretense was gone, she was evidently too tired to even try to pose before Ghrughah. But, mainly, she was really, really angry. ¡°If only I could duel those morons without repercussions¡­¡± she mumbled to herself with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Zeph could feel Gru sending sad emotions, stopping himself in the last moment from vibrating them out. The confusing message meant something along the lines of ¡®Oh dear, I knew it would happen¡¯. Zeph ignored it for now, but he noted that they would have to talk later. ¡°Heh, it seems our idea just evolved from agreeable to coveted. Don¡¯t you think so, boys? A simple solution to so many problems?¡± Aisha commented mirthfully, glancing at Zeph and P¡¯pfel. Kwan turned her head at her with a skeptical and wary look on her face. Zeph could relate. ¡°What idea are you talking about, again?¡± ¡°Your idea, you wanted to say,¡± P¡¯pfel grudgingly corrected the overconfident Priestess. ¡°And we aren¡¯t even past the first hurdle¡­¡± Zeph added, glancing at the Blacksmith. ¡°Whatever.¡± She rolled her eyes and turned to Kwan. ¡°If we establish our own Guild, those problems can be solved the easy way,¡± she said with conviction. Kwan perked up, then looked at Ghrughah and then, at all of them in turn. Meanwhile, Gru sent even more pessimistic emotions. But Zeph could finally feel the coming danger. Which probably meant that it was too late. ¡°What ¡®way¡¯ are you talking about?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°Duels, of course!¡± she declared immediately. ¡°If they want to contest our rights to this land, they would have to challenge us! Then, we can just declare we would rather Duel than go down the bureaucratic route. A challenge is a challenge, after all! But it can only be done between equal parties, so it¡¯s impossible right now.¡± Zeph didn¡¯t like her eager tone one bit. ¡°What with him?¡± Kwan asked, nodding towards the giant and taking another swing. The man grumbled loudly in answer before anyone else could speak up. All eyes were on him now, but they waited. It took a moment for him to decide. ¡°Priestess,¡± he said finally, glancing at Aisha, and she immediately understood. She stood up and walked behind him. After concentrating for a moment, she put her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of you. And I don¡¯t care if I am to become a part of your endeavors.¡± he slowly declared, then looked straight at Zeph. ¡°I don¡¯t even care about your origin or history.¡± Oh, shit! I have fucked up again, didn¡¯t I?! Gru¡¯s mirthful affirmation was all he needed to dive deeper into his shame. ¡°What I care about, is your knowledge, boy.¡± He turned to the rest of the people around. ¡°In a few hours, drawing basically on his knee, he presented me a blueprint for his armor.¡± He paused, almost dramatically, making eye contact with every one of them to make sure they understood. ¡° He did it like it was the simplest of things. Like it was a basic application of mechanical engineering everyone should know about. Let me tell you ¨C it is not.¡± Everyone''s eyes turned to Zeph. Accusingly almost. But despite that, Zeph felt something different. Everything was starting to fall into its place. He felt like was taking part in a historical event, no matter how small. A birth of a company, but also something more. Ghrughah was exactly how he understood him, they could cooperate. ¡°How is it,¡± Kwan asked Aisha, turning her head. ¡°As far as I can tell? True,¡± she declared, taking her hands off the giant¡¯s shoulders. ¡°But more importantly,¡± she smiled impishly, ¡°I have already marked him permanently,¡± she lightly said, walking away towards her seat. This time, everyone gaped at her. Ghrughah surprised face, as he looked down at his arm, was priceless. Zeph worried about the consequences, though, as were the rest. It was visible in their glances and body language ¨C what she had done could end up very badly. But the Blacksmith just closed his eyes, concentrating. Aisha returned to her seat, evidently proud of herself. The tense atmosphere lasted for a minute, until the giant spoke again. ¡°Truly¡­ The Priestess,¡± he said in marvel. It seemed he couldn¡¯t feel anything, yet felt something when Aisha admitted her ministrations. ¡°I agree,¡± was his final word. ¡°Let¡¯s speak details¡­¡± It seems Aisha has won this one. Chapter 56 - Details, details, details... Then, suddenly, a cuttlefish! [S] Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.16] ¡°Perfect!¡± Aisha exclaimed, clapping her hands. ¡°How are we doing it?¡± Kwan¡¯s brow raised. ¡°I thought it was your idea? Why are you asking us?¡± She shrugged. ¡°There are only two people in this room who are landowners. I am not going to make decisions for you. By the way, weren¡¯t you given a lineage name? The terrain you bought is a little too much to be considered an organization¡¯s property. Even if you shared the ownership with your kin, you should still qualify for the Lesser Landlord title; be able to declare Duels,¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Not applicable until we pay the installments,¡± Kwan quoted. ¡°The City Council probably wants to see how we will deal with the political showdown involving those lands first,¡± she sighed tiredly. ¡°And I have a feeling it¡¯s just the tip of an iceberg. The offer was too good, now that I think about it. There has to be a catch somewhere¡­ Another reason to form a Guild. At least the lack of the title won¡¯t be restraining.¡± There was a moment of silence as they mulled over the information. Zeph felt a little lost and decided to read his ¡®Geopolitical Map¡¯ as soon as possible. It should help him to orient himself as he still didn¡¯t understand the structure of their society. It sounded like Kwan was to become a noble of some kind. Not like he heard of any real nobles in this world, but the Landlord title sounded suspiciously similar. Ghrughah¡¯s rough voice broke the silence. ¡°I can relocate here,¡± he declared. ¡°It seems necessary, to minimize the risks and strengthen your security. That way, you can also keep an eye on me ¨C I know very well you still don¡¯t trust me entirely. The mark notwithstanding.¡± ¡°That would be a problem,¡± Kwan countered, frowning. ¡°The whole area is to become an entertainment center. We can hide a few production buildings in the housing area, to not stick out like a sore thumb and to assure the security, but if we overdo it, we will overload the throughput of the roads¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± the giant assured, laughing quietly. ¡°You, humans, like to build aboveground too much, ignoring a much more convenient and safer alternative. The space available for structures is limited but the rock under your feet stays firm no matter how deep you dig. Just give me access to a few buildings and I will take care of your underground infrastructure.¡± She thought on the idea for a moment but, seemingly, didn¡¯t find any glaring problems with it. ¡°I suppose it can be arranged.¡± ¡°Do you have any suggestions for commanding structure? If we are to form a council, we would need to decide who can take a seat,¡± the Gremling shot the question at Aisha. Everyone¡¯s eyes concentrated on her again. ¡°Only one. I am against assigning a Head. Besides advancing and gaining a foothold on a higher stratum, we all have slightly different goals and specializations. It would be unwise to place one person in charge, as the risk of the organization developing in one direction would be too high.¡± Kwan grimaced. ¡°The lack of the main decision-maker will be a headache.¡± Zeph wasn¡¯t an authority on the topic of organizations¡¯ structure, but he saw enough on the Earth to, at least, suggest something. ¡°Well, if we just trade between departments, instead of creating a combined budget, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. But for it to function properly, so that no one would be aggrieved, we would need to follow a simple rule. The choices we make should be best for each department, but also best for the whole Guild. It was actually proved mathematically to work economically¡­ Well, what I have just said was a big simplification.¡± He was thinking about the Nash equilibrium. The only reason he even remembered about it was ¡®A Beautiful Mind¡¯ film ¨C curious about the mathematical theory showcased in it, he checked it in detail afterward. Prompted by the group, he explained it in more depth, even giving a few examples. After answering the questions, all of them unanimously agreed to implement that solution. If it failed, they could always go back to the old, known methods. But the idea of working for the good of the group without giving away their independency stuck strongly with them, so Zeph was sure they would try hard to make it work. ¡°And now, that we have a plan,¡± Aisha started in an official tone, ¡°time to form our first departments!¡± ¡°It would be optimal if we separated them by specialization¡­¡± P¡¯pfel said thoughtfully. Kwan was the first to voice her idea. ¡°I propose that everyone here, except for Pavail, form one.¡± The girl in question was sitting quietly for the whole meeting, only observing the proceedings. ¡°It feels quite natural. My group is already doing a Logistics Department¡¯s job, so we can stick with the name as well.¡± ¡°I rather would say, Logistics and Administration Department. You own the place and take care of the political scene as well. As for me, Information and Fighting Force sounds good,¡± Aisha said, looking up and placing a finger on her cheek. ¡°I can train people and organize them. I have my contacts, too. Even the Temple¡¯s business manages to somehow fit in it, heh.¡± ¡°Then, I will leave the contact with Ciriyal to you. She wasn¡¯t against the idea of working with us and should have quite an information network,¡± Zeph added. ¡°She seems to have financial problems for some time now, maybe you could bring her fully under our banner?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Ah, the daughter of those two investigators? Yes, she would be a perfect candidate. But wouldn¡¯t it be better to offer her a separate department from the beginning? I don¡¯t think she would refuse something like that.¡± Zeph thought about it for a second, but quickly shook his head. ¡°She is not her parents. It would be better to see how good she is, first. And assess if we can trust her ¨C she will be under huge pressure thanks to being in possession of so much information about us. It¡¯s a weak link, in my opinion. The main position of the Information Department should be taken by the most trusted.¡± She nodded in understanding. ¡°I will take care of her, then. So, what you will do?¡± ¡°Spells and Innovation,¡± he said without hesitation. ¡°And about that, I want Pavail to be a part of it,¡± he declared, looking at Kwan. Pavail fidgeted in her seat. ¡°We already planned a partnership. I want her to be responsible for one of the branches of research. Also, she will be able to represent our department when I am not around.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Is it what you want, Hwaran?¡± Kwan asked seriously, recovering some of her grandeur. ¡°This would mean you are resigning from the Doctor position in my group, if I understand that correctly?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± she answered timidly, looking downwards. ¡°I won¡¯t have resources to pursue my chosen path otherwise¡­ And most of the tests have to be done on animals, not people,¡± she explained, gaining more confidence. ¡°I can still help with the sick if some problems arise!¡± Her uncertain smile was all the proof they needed to see how much she feared this talk, but her voice, finally returning to its energetic self, told another story. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Kwan smiled widely in pride. Wide enough to startle Zeph a little, and to expose a second pair of elongated fangs protruding, this time, from her lower jaw. Yep, that¡¯s an Oni for you¡­ he thought with a chill. This too-wide grin was unsettling. ¡°Good! You have gained some spine finally! Don¡¯t you dare to deviate from your path, though. I would be mightily disappointed if you failed only because of self-doubt after being stubborn for so long,¡± she warned with a stern glare, her face returning to normal. Pavail breathed out with relief, and smiled sincerely, silently thanking her boss. ¡°Zeph, I consider this to be a repayment for forcing information out of you.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I thought we can exchange our workers freely? Miss Logistics and Administration?¡± ¡°Taking a specialist from my group is another story. Now I need to find someone who can replace her. But don¡¯t worry, I will take care of people who want to work in your departments,¡± she addressed the whole group. ¡°The newcomers will have to prove their loyalty first, though, so don¡¯t expect many petitioners at the beginning.¡± Her head turned back to Zeph. ¡°As for the compensation for the help in the fight with Ghan, we will buy you basic furniture and equipment, as long as it¡¯s Tier 0. You just need to specify what you want. Or do you have another idea?¡± Oh, that¡¯d be nice! ¡°No, that sounds perfect.¡± ¡°Then, for the Spells you had taught me, I will prepare for you a basic Tier 1 equipment for enchanting,¡± P¡¯pfel added. ¡°I can craft some myself. It would save me gold.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go for that. I would have to ask you about it, anyway,¡± he lightly agreed. ¡°So, you are going with an Enchanting Department?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my specialization, after all.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it an Enchantment and Alchemy? You are already half a step from being one, and I plan to employ an Alchemist. The person will work on my idea, but I am sure some enchanting will be involved in the project. And I need someone to keep an eye on them, but the research topic is not in Pavail¡¯s field. Also, we already have this double-function naming theme going on for the departments,¡± he chuckled. It took the Gremling a good minute to decide. Zeph had a suspicion the two of him were debating the idea and that¡¯s why it took so long. But, in the end, he agreed to expand the scope of his department. Everyone looked at Ghrughah, who was silent for a long time now. He rumbled in affirmation. ¡°Production and Security Management. I want all of our crucial infrastructure and facilities underground. That includes your laboratories,¡± he nodded at Zeph and P¡¯pfel. ¡°But you can set up basic ones in this building, too. It would make for a good distraction.¡± A small debate ensued. Kwan took out a detailed map of the vicinity and they started to strategize. The cost of placing everything underground would be exorbitant, but no one could argue with the level of security it would offer. Especially if they managed to become self-sufficient ¨C the place potentially could become a literal fortress. A great advantage in a situation, where the city¡¯s walls were breached. Though, Zeph had a hard time even imagining such an event. He had to rely on the expertise of his companions in this matter. As he listened, a crazy idea started forming in his head. It doesn¡¯t sound doable¡­ But what do I know? He decided to ask, interrupting the discussion. ¡°What if we build the walls of underground facilities from Mana-resistant materials to allow the whole area to fly off in case of a wall¡¯s breach? Is that even possible?¡± Everyone fell silent, looking at him strangely. Ghrughah spoke first, frowning furiously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no¡­ I am no Aeroplanner, but¡­ Yes, I think lifting the whole area is an impossibility. But if we invested and formed a complex adapted for that purpose, wouldn¡¯t an aerostat be able to lift it? It¡¯s a tough thought on my part¡ª¡± Aisha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Right! I forgot to mention! We can expect Makani to join us as a department head. He¡¯s an Aeroplanner from Blackwind Tower. With our current production capacity, I think you would be able to build an aerostat.¡± ¡°And you are mentioning it only now?¡± Zeph asked incuriously. ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to join our Guild?¡± ¡°Nah, the Towers don¡¯t restrict their members in such a way. But he will be useless if we get ourselves into any conflict that isn¡¯t acknowledged by the Towers. He would have to stay as politically impartial. That doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t work with us,¡± she explained happily. ¡°So, the sixth division.¡± The giant nodded. ¡°It looks better than I expected. Assuming it¡¯s doable, building the aerial complex would take time and resources we currently don¡¯t have. Let¡¯s leave the topic for when he comes. But if you want your laboratories to be a part of the possible complex, it would slow down the construction process right now,¡± he addressed Zeph. ¡°Definitely not. Keeping all of the materials, notes, and prototypes in the lab is just asking for trouble. We can lose some equipment and prototypes in case of an evacuation, but they¡¯re less important than the data and rare materials. Right?¡± he asked P¡¯pfel. The Gremling nodded vehemently. ¡°Understood. We will leave the detailed planning for after he shows up,¡± the Blacksmith declared, looking at Kwan. She nodded in affirmation. ¡°Then, is there anything else?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Shrugged Aisha. ¡°I will take care of the registration. You just have to sign a few documents and confirm their validity later at the City Hall. I have a friend there, so I can guarantee it will be done in a day. Ah!¡± she exclaimed in realization. ¡°But we still need a name for the Guild.¡± She snapped her fingers. Everyone froze in disbelief. Zeph also wondered how the hell it was possible that each and every one of them to forget about his one, crucial detail. Gods... Tell me we are not creating a Guild of airheads¡­ he prayed silently. The livid discussion started anew, names flying right and left. With each new one, Zeph wanted to facepalm more and more. Is their chuunibyou that advanced? What the fuck is the ¡®Scorching Plane Riders¡¯ even meaning? P¡¯pfel, stop with those disgusting ideas! The discussion quickly devolved into a shouting match. All integrity of the group disappeared in but a few moments. Ghrughah and Pavail evacuated to the bar, isolating themselves from the madness they couldn¡¯t even hope to contain. Zeph exerted his brain as hard as he could, to salvage the situation. There was no way he would become a part of the ¡®Source Spring¡¯ Guild. The name currently taking the lead. He refused to become an SS-man. The combination of the first letters of their names flew through his mind with the speed of light. Forming names that way has become basically a tradition back on Earth, right? he hoped the reasoning behind the naming would shut down any counter-arguments. There had to exist a reasonable combination! It didn¡¯t. Shit! Think, what to use¡­ Our departments! What would come out of th¡­ His mind made an immediate restart after spewing out a ¡®Spiel Maffia¡¯ as the first, perfect result. He shook his head. Jesus, that was worse than the ¡®Ornamental Onsen Wardens¡¯¡­ But that set of letters gave me one word to use¡­ Let¡¯s improvise the rest! ¡°What about the Gem Familia?!¡± he cried out to be heard. The ruckus paused, so he hurried with the explanations. ¡°The first part includes the first two letters of Gewong, a first letter of Ghrughah, and a first letter of Makani, while the second part includes some of the letters from abbreviations of our departments¡­¡± seeing the skeptical faces, he continued with the charade. ¡°Or we can use Sepia Familia ¨C the name is formed only from those abbreviations of the departments, but also takes into account the future Aeroplanning and Ingeniators Department¡±¡ªa name he pulled from his backside¡ª"where Sepia should be a name of a cephalopod¡±¡ªAssuming I translated the genus name correctly to Cir, which I definitely didn¡¯t!¡ª¡°with nine arms.¡± He finally allowed himself to take a breath. The silence that followed lasted a good minute, people digesting what he just said. Finally, Aisha nodded. ¡°I like the name Sepia, it rolls nicely on the tongue.¡± Great¡­ It seems we are going to be named after a Cuttlefish¡­ Ugh. ¡°Nine arms, you said? We would still lack another three departments, but I can see the appeal to mislead people¡­ Assuming they would recognize the word.¡± No, they won¡¯t! ¡°Familia sound about right. As are the arms coming straight from the ¡®head¡¯, in our situation,¡± commented Kwan. Yes, we should start the Cthulhu cult right away! ¡­ Why did I even spoke up, again? Ah, yes¡­ To avoid an even worse fate¡­ Haah. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked Ghrughah, consciously stopping his facial muscles from twitching. The giant shrugged. ¡°As good as any.¡± ¡°Great!¡± he deadpanned. It was time to change the topic, before they came to their senses. ¡°Now that we are finished, I will need to speak with you, Ghrughah. I don¡¯t know if you can make a plate with a modifiable cross-section shape, but you can for sure manually model it¡­¡± the prototype of a true wing would be much easier to make if he could test the shapes instantly. The meeting with the pilots was coming close. ¡°Before that, we need to talk,¡± Aisha said to Zeph, still sitting down while the rest stood up. ¡°And I would need to talk with our Enchanter,¡± Ghrughah declared. ¡°Let¡¯s split up. La-Gewong, by your directions.¡± And thus, the Sepia Familia Guild was born. The name written in the annals of history. Chapter 57 - Unreasonably warkaholic crew. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.16] ¡°Sepia Familia,¡± Aisha tested the name, a thoughtful look on her face. They were left alone in the room. Zeph was pouring himself a light drink at the small bar, standing behind the counter. He had to admit that the idea of placing a bar in a meeting room, as per the custom of the people of Corora, was very convenient. It was even equipped with snacks. Aisha was sitting opposite him, in the chair a client would take. She was drinking something stronger, taking small sips from her glass. ¡°I must say, it¡¯s a quite memorable name for a Guild. I am proud of you,¡± she said, smiling crookedly. ¡°Such a good naming sense. I wasn¡¯t expecting that from you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I am proud¡­ It sounds like a name of a mafia group,¡± he said, grimacing when he spoke the word in Laiu dialect. The word¡¯s meaning was actually closer to ¡®yakuza¡¯, bearing a lot of negative connotations. She laughed. ¡°Hah! Isn¡¯t that a good sign? It screams ¡®independence!¡¯. But the criminal groups in your world had to be working very openly to be able to name themselves in a similar manner. It sounds almost like declaring your own lineage name,¡± she chuckled to herself. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s complicated.¡± Explaining the loose association with Italian mafia names would be cumbersome. He wasn¡¯t even sure if the whole ¡®familia¡¯ theme wasn¡¯t just a media trope. Wasn¡¯t the ¡®familia¡¯ a Spain word, anyway? He shook his head slightly. It wasn¡¯t important right now, he returned to the main topic. ¡°So, what did you need to talk about?¡± ¡°Hmm, not wanting to relish a little longer in our high-class liquor?¡± He gave her a deadpan glare. ¡°Ehhh, so young. Always in rush,¡± she said, shaking her head sadly and sipping a little from her glass. ¡°You should take more pleasure from the small blessings we have, you know? Especially because you want to hit the road as soon as possible.¡± He sighed. ¡°Do you have any idea how much there is to do? Even if I try to relax, there is no rest, only guilt,¡± he said half-jokingly. ¡°Stop playing around and say it already. I need to speak with Ghrughah soon.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± The mirth in her voice was palpable. ¡°I won¡¯t register you as an official member of the Guild,¡± she stated the ludicrous idea in a calm and detached tone. His brow raised. ¡°How am I to be a department head without even being in the organization?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of convention. The Modules at the Exchange that you have access to are much more important.¡± She straightened lazily and put her head in her hand, elbow on the table. She had his full attention now. But his recently sharpening paranoia forced him to make sure¡­ ¡°Are you really sure we can speak about it here? I do trust Kwan but¡­ We are in her building, you know?¡± he said, afraid the Hannyajin would make a typical human move and place a bug in the room. It would be so easy to do, too. She sighed tiredly. ¡°Really? Your world had to be a hellhole if you are still holding such a mindset¡­ But whatever¡­¡± She waved her glass. ¡°For your information, their race can¡¯t lie without majorly disrupting, sometimes even damaging, their own Soul. It¡¯s one of the downsides of having inherently stronger links between the body and the Soul¡­ or rather, the physical PE. They are much stronger for it, sure, but it¡¯s an uncontrollable, two-sided connection that can set their Souls against their Will. It¡¯s the reason I trust them that much despite the short acquaintance, and also the reason they don¡¯t blend well within our society. Instead, they are treading carefully in everything they do, while trying to keep a low profile as a group.¡± Wow, that actually explains a lot¡­ he thought in surprise. Those fight in the North Tarak¡­ Kwan¡¯s fighting style was so similar to Aisha¡¯s but she should be quite younger¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s hard to tell people¡¯s age here. Wait! If they are inherently stronger, isn¡¯t our Priestess a real outlier here?! Aisha¡¯s voice brought him back from the unimportant thoughts. ¡°You forgot about the limitations of the access sharing for the Exchange¡¯s Modules.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°Seeing how the situation is developing¡­ If things go badly, your official affiliation within the System will change. If THAT happens, you will most likely lose the access to all inherited and esoteric entries at the Exchange that you had mentioned, leaving you with only the things that you know how to build or recreate. The Modules granted to you for being a new species, for roughly estimating the technological level of your civilization, and everything granted as a bonus ¨C it all will be gone, most probably,¡± she explained flatly, looking into her glass. Zeph shook his head. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. We had only spoken about the limitations of sharing. Revoking the access is another story. That doesn¡¯t sound like the System at all, if they want for the society as a whole to develop, at least.¡± ¡°It does, in a way. If your affiliation with a country changes, how can you expect to keep the access to the country-inherent Modules? That would be a straight-up robbery of the country¡¯s legacy. It¡¯s the same at all levels and scales. Of course, the situation is somewhat unclear in your case. You know, because of your place of origin¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish. It seemed some things were better left unsaid, even in a relatively safe environment. ¡°I don¡¯t even know of any precedents to gauge the risk. Though, some surely already exist¡­¡± she drifted off. Seeing her glass was empty, she gestured for Zeph to hand her a certain dark-brown bottle. He absentmindedly did so, his mind preoccupied. Earth isn¡¯t under the System... The knowledge that I have brought ¨C it theoretically shouldn¡¯t be considered its legacy, right? But it would, if it had a negative impact on the System¡¯s plans. But other Onjis could also get involved then¡­ We don¡¯t know what the rest of my people managed to keep nor on what terms. I am starting to understand why she is worried. My position within all of this is unclear, delicately speaking. Aisha coughed, gaining his attention. ¡°You also omitted an important detail ¨C by being officially affiliated with us, you would, technically, be able to donate your Modules to the group. And we all have our own affiliations that can be used subsequently¡­ But System Onji would never allow us access to a technology more advanced than the level that our society achieved. On the plus side, you wouldn¡¯t be even able to pay, in the normal way at least, for the deep memory scan when donating ¨C you never constructed those items nor do you know how to make them, after all, so your memories are worthless. It should give you room for negotiation ¨C maybe System Onji would be kind enough to just block your ability to donate them. Although, for reasons unknown, they always refuse to do that, defaulting to revoking the access altogether.¡± He tried to say something to deny this logic, but he couldn¡¯t find any arguments, his mouth hanging open uselessly. ¡°You already crossed a few lines by teaching P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah, as well as trading knowledge with Kwan¡¯s group, so I was already concerned. Still, you were just leveraging your knowledge, which is a standard practice in our lands. The Onji shouldn¡¯t hold it against you ¨C at least that¡¯s what I believed.¡± Her face scrunched slightly. ¡°But then, you decided to form a long-lasting partnership with the Blacksmith¡­ So, I am no longer sure that will be the case. If you become a registered member of the Guild right now, I¡¯m afraid it would be impossible to consider you a separate entity anymore.¡± Now, that is a real problem, he thought, looking down. He wanted to gain access to more entries at the Exchange, not to restrict himself. His plans almost backfired. ¡°Your will and desire to travel and explore were what kept you safe until now. From what I can tell, you never formed strong Bonds with people you met or places you visited. But now? We need to tread carefully. First things first, before you hammer the details with the Onji at their Shrine, we are keeping you at a hand¡¯s distance,¡± she declared, pointing a finger at his chest. ¡°I have an advice, though.¡± She leaned back, looking at him sternly. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°In the worst-case scenario¡­ That is if you won¡¯t be able to negotiate any suitable terms with the Onji, transfer your full access to Gru. Because he is your Bond, it will be possible to share the access in the future, in one way or another. And don¡¯t count on getting only the rights to donate revoked. I suspect that too many loopholes exist around such a solution for the Onji to even consider it.¡± Then, she sent him an intensive stare. ¡°Finally, and it comes from my own, priceless expertise,¡± she emphasized heavily, ¡°do not barter by only using the things already in your possession. A good deal is directed at the future, not the present. The best deal that you can make with an Onji would make your continued existence a necessity, an investment. If you can solve problems for an Onji, do it. If you can be useful beyond safety lines, risk it. Promises are bonding, and they will be restricting, so make sure they have an end.¡± She glared at him for a long moment in silence, making sure he took her seriously. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Then, at once, she relaxed again, leaning backwards slightly. ¡°The rest is up to you,¡± she finished and drank some more. ¡°I will make sure to remember this.¡± Zeph nodded appreciatively. ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled good-naturedly. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now, that we are done,¡± she leaned forward above the bar, her smile becoming more impish. ¡°Why don¡¯t we appreciate those fine brews a little more¡­ intensely, eh?¡± ~~~ An hour later, Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel returned. Seeing the duo at the bar animatedly arguing about which type of liquor was the classiest, they could only facepalm. They were quickly drawn into the impromptu party, though. The rest of the night was spent in a much more relaxed manner. Even the serious topics didn¡¯t feel that hard anymore. Zeph even declared that it was a perfect opportunity to follow the ancient custom of discussing an important decision when drunk, as they already discussed it when sober, to make sure it was a good idea. No one protested¡­ overmuch. =============================== The days flew by fast, the time greedily consumed by all the projects the group had planned out. In just two days, Aisha managed to get the Guild registered. It could have been done even quicker, but she made sure to be as discreet as possible, allowing Kwan to lure their bothersome neighbors into a small trap. The two of them had planned one, decisive strike. Trying to set things peacefully or prolonging the issue could be detrimental for the Guild in the long run, and both of them were rather hot-blooded, so no one was surprised when the day has come. And they succeeded spectacularly. The big, critical hit turned the tables altogether ¨C when Kwan started to declare Duels from the podium during the ¡®founding ball¡¯, it was too late for her opponents to withdraw. Not without losing more than just their pride ¨C big sums of money started to circulate around the future Roaming Onsen Village, oftentimes involving the more unsavory groups rooted all around the port for who knows how long. The stakes changed, the affair becoming more of a struggle for economic dominance. One in which the Sepia Familia was favored ¨C a fighting game was the optimal outcome, especially for the Hannyajin. Aisha and Kwan were ready to weed out the stray forces from the Guild¡¯s dominion by force, and all major nuisances caught the bait. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be possible without the information warfare that happened shortly before. Thanks to Ciriyal, who took Aisha¡¯s offer in the end, they were able to not only determine which groups were involved but also to spread false information about their own capabilities and plans. Aisha¡¯s information network, based more on her direct acquaintances, played a major role in the latter part ¨C there weren¡¯t many people who would question information coming directly from the close aides of the Leilucia Temple. Curiously, Ciriyal never showed up in the Roaming Onsen Village, disappearing completely from the surface of the city the moment her debt was paid by their Priestess. How she was still able to access her information network, he couldn¡¯t even guess. On that note, Aisha¡¯s small adventure with the Twergs¡ªyes, despite literally meaning ¡®all races short¡¯, it wasn¡¯t actually an offending, but an official term¡ªis a story for another time. The Priestess took it upon herself to teach the ones who managed to trap Ciriyal in the endless loop of dept a harsh lesson. Even more so after they started to cause an endless number of headaches for her when she tried to pay back Ciriyal¡¯s dept in one go. The insolent bastards. But the outcome of the political clash also had negative consequences. A fact, that he already felt, or rather ¨C predicted, when speaking with the group on that memorable evening a few days ago. Because the situation quickly became dangerous, for many reasons. After the heart-to-heart with Gru, Zeph learned why the little guy was so negative when they have come to Kwan¡¯s place back then. It seemed that his bond also started to develop a kind of auguring ability. Predicting the dangerous outcome four days earlier wasn¡¯t an easy task. As per custom, besides the chosen champions, all of the leaders had to take a part in the Dueling competition, Zeph and P¡¯pfel included. They were the weakest in their group and didn¡¯t even have their laboratories set up to increase their chances in a fight by preparing their gear. On the other hand, their opponents had deep pockets and established connections all around the city. No matter how squishy they were in the real combat, it was guaranteed they would bring the best equipment possible for the occasion. Thankfully, they still had some time. It was decided the fights would take place on the 10th of the first month of the next year, so they had over twenty days to prepare. Additionally, because it was an official Duel event, the impartial city¡¯s arbiters were present, and the pairings were set according to the level and specialization. The negotiations, from their side conducted by Aisha, were still ongoing, though. Possibly the worst part was that the opposing side insisted on using an ¡®unrestrained rule¡¯ for the fights. Speaking shortly, this meant a fully-powered combat. Even with the protection granted by the Towers¡¯ mages, who would be hired specifically for the event, the risk of death of the participants wouldn¡¯t be small. Especially because magical healing didn¡¯t really exist in this world. In the light of the coming events, Zeph¡¯s schedule was full to the brim. He decided to multitask as much as possible to train himself before the fight. The first thing he did was¡­ to stop sleeping, at all. He needed to profoundly test the limitations of the Willforce Morphon¡¯s effects before going to the System Shrine, and it was a perfect opportunity. Some of the experiments, as well as most of the equipment construction he wanted to do, had to be left for after the fights. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to use Gru or his pistols during the event ¨C there was just too much risk of blowing out his cover. P¡¯phel wasn¡¯t happy at all. He was still in the middle of setting up his surface laboratory, alongside Zeph¡¯s enchanting corner, and yet had to start the preparations for the difficult fight with the yet-unknown opponent. Although, in Zeph¡¯s opinion, P¡¯pfel¡¯s offensive capabilities weren¡¯t ¡®at the very bottom¡¯, as the Germling liked to describe. With Ghrughah¡¯s gear and his own explosives, he could easily kill his opponent before they knew what happened. Speaking of which, Ghrughah was working tirelessly to the point that Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if the giant even slept. Actually, that was a small inspiration for his own test with sleep deprivation. Between leading the construction of the underground Guild facilities, testing materials for Zeph¡¯s armor, experimenting with watches, playing with Phleya, helping Zeph with the ¡®true wing¡¯ project, managing his own workshop, and taking multiple commissions from his new Guild¡¯s members, there was no way he had time to sleep. The giant took it all like the mountain that he was. Kwan and her gang were busy stalling their opponents, politically and physically, all around their lands. Regular sweeps through the port were necessary now, after she declared a war to all sides. The visits from City Council representatives were a daily occurrence ¨C either to settle the evident cases of land breach or to engage the wealthy pricks in bureaucratic skirmishes. It was hell, and Zeph was glad he had no part in it. Instead, he was training madly with the only three offensive Spells in his possession, the ¡®Lesser Force weave¡¯, the ¡®Lesser Mana bomb¡¯, and the ¡®Lesser Mana beam¡¯. He hoped to learn how to construct them manually, but he knew deep down that it was a pipe dream. Taking into account how long it took him to master the Tier 0 Spells, even with his recent full-body Modification it should take him at least a few months, assuming the complexity of the construct had anything to do with the difficulty. He had access to a few more that could pose as an offensive Spell, but they lacked the versatility and were overcomplicated in structure. Not to mention, his Mana regeneration and capacity still weren¡¯t up to par. He decided to take some commissions for killing the wildlife as soon as Makani showed up. He would be able to level some more and train his Spells under the eye of the expert at the same time. He actually planned to do that for the whole ten days of the new year, at the very least. The pressure was real. In between the Spell training, he visited P¡¯pfel in preparation to enchant his new spear, Ghrughah for testing the new materials for his contaminations¡¯ compatibility, Aisha for some more training with his new spear-fighting style, and his small workshop to prepare some gadgets and enchanted items for the event. Sometimes, he had to waste his time reading from his General Skills, especially from the ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯, but he tried to minimize the time as much as possible. He almost felt like he was back at the uni. =============================== Zeph stood up from his bed groggily. The few hours of sleep weren¡¯t enough for his sleep-deprived body, but he ignored the feeling and forced his mind to stabilize. The trick was getting old ¨C his body was desynchronized on too many levels to work properly, mind stabilization or not. Or rather, because of the imbalance of the hormones and other regulatory molecules in his blood, his brain had problems with functioning in the first place. But that was unimportant. Six days have passed since the memorable night. He had slept for the first time in five days, and no matter the quality or the length of his sleep, it had to be enough. He and Ghrughah finally finished the toy-plane prototype yesterday ¨C at the last moment. It was enough to showcase the theory of lifting force and the aerodynamics that were involved. Aisha had arranged the meeting with the twin pilots for today. There was a wind tunnel they had to prepare for transport before riding to the meeting spot, thus the early hour. Miraculously, he woke up by himself. He sighed heavily. He felt tired. Moreover, no Alchemist answered his call, so he was behind his schedule in finding possible upgrades for Gru. All the worse for the soon-to-be Shrine visit. Also, he had planned to visit the Library Goddess Temple today, too¡­ It seemed he would be busy for the whole day, again. Chapter 58 - Everyone are on the move. The pilot, spotted. [PS] Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22] After placing the last crate on the transport wagon, Zeph hurried to the carriage, leaving the workers to secure the cargo. Ghrughah was already waiting for him inside. The giant finished packing all of the parts into crates a few minutes before. Today, an insidious snow powder storm befell the city. It was a different kind of powder snow than on Earth ¨C the crystals were much smaller in size. Strong winds above ground the brittle snowflakes into a fine powder that now harassed the population below. The low temperature and Magicules stabilizing the water crystallization sucked up all of the humidity from the air, while strong winds, that were blowing in the direction of the sea, pushed the vapor away. As a result, the small ice crystals had no chance to grow back in size before reaching the ground. And that very powder was getting everywhere. Literally. Zeph suspected that without a hermetic suit, there was no way of preventing it from infiltrating his garments. The chilling touch of ice on his neck wasn¡¯t getting old no matter how much time have passed, and he had his fluffy hood on. He even had to cover the lower half of his face to block at least some of the ice crystals, as inhaling them was becoming painful quickly. If he didn¡¯t order protective goggles for the laboratory a few days ago, he wasn¡¯t sure if coming outside would even be an option. With the strong winds tugging the ice crystals, some of them possessing razor-sharp edges, in random directions, the danger of damaging one¡¯s eyes had become a real concern. Plowing through knee-deep snow, he quickly reached the carriage¡¯s door. He swiftly jumped inside, slamming the door shut as soon as his foot touched the warm floor. It was Ghrughah¡¯s personal vehicle, adapted to his size and heavily enchanted. The interior was spacious, paneled with decorative wood, and warm from the Heat enchantments inlaid in the metal frame of the cabin. He quickly dusted himself off and discarded the heavy wear. His sweatshirt was soaked in places from the melted snow, but in the warm air, it didn¡¯t bother him that much. He plopped down on a sofa in relief, closing his eyes. ¡°I told you to not bother,¡± the giant grunted. He was sitting on the other side of a thin table, reading and sorting out documents they have prepared. ¡°Shut up! I am not going to deal with damaged equipment during the talks,¡± Zeph argued weakly. He never expected that the weather could become this bad on this stratum, so it was only natural that he wanted to see first-hand what all the fuss was about. And somebody had to oversee the workers, either way. Kwan was already integrating the locals into her working force, so only a few of her people were present. Taking into account the recent events, someone had to keep an eye on the new guys. Their opponents were using underhanded methods to undermine the Guild¡¯s efforts, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for a stray worker to sabotage the cargo. The information about the visit to the twin pilots¡¯ abode wasn¡¯t public, but anyone could see it wasn¡¯t a standard transportation errand either. The locals were bribed or threatened to work against the Guild or to collect information. The infrastructure and even the residential buildings were being damaged in the border areas if their population wasn¡¯t cooperating. A lot of people fled from the port, fearing for their well-being in the light of the growing conflict. The property damage was only escalating the rumor mill. The worst part? It was almost impossible to pin the guilt on the real culprits. They were using smaller groups as intermediaries, after all. And the situation wasn¡¯t going to change until the Duel event. The reason for Duels actually solving such problems was culturally convoluted, but at its base, the case was quite clear for Zeph. It was also the reason the leaders were forced to take a part in them. People who Dueled were forming a strong ¡®combative Bond¡¯, as Aisha liked to call it. For many Soul-related reasons, it was the greatest deterrent against going against one¡¯s word. If Zeph¡¯s theory was correct, it was the very same Bond that was responsible for the natural absorption of Soul fragments of a kill. A natural phenomenon; the one the System was just enhancing. After all, Aisha clearly explained that an indirect killing granted minimal, if any, amount of Soul fragments. People, or even animals, had to recognize an opponent as such, first and foremost. The details eluded him still, but from what he understood of their culture ¨C it would be much easier to prove the guilt during truth-reading on a person who broke their word after a Duel. Also, breaking one¡¯s word was the first step to weakening one¡¯s sanity, almost like in the case of torturing other people or forcing them to kill each other. Those ¡®common knowledge¡¯ truths resonated nicely with his theory of malicious ¡®positive Soul-wound¡¯ Soul fragments. He suspected that after the betrayed party died, the traitor would receive a small present from the deceased. A package filled to the brim with a negative grade, that is. In other words ¨C it was the fastest way to lose one¡¯s sanity long before reaching the end of one¡¯s lifespan. And people here were thinking long-term. Zeph struggled to understand the bureaucratic and cultural nuances, but the pride of a winning warrior and the self-assurance that strengthened one¡¯s Will, as well as the social position, explained enough for him. Zeph now understood the most important truth. He was in the middle of the warriors¡¯ civilization, where the code of conduct, or their codex, was hammered down long before technology took hold. And there was no changing it, as the principles were rooted deeply in the physicality of this world. The carriage was moving for some time now. After another minute of silence and relaxation, he finally addressed his traveling companion. ¡°How¡¯s the population keeping up? I didn¡¯t have a chance to speak with Kwan or Aisha¡­¡± ¡°Poorly,¡± the Blacksmith grumbled, looking up from the documents. ¡°One-tenth already abandoned their homes. La-Gewong suspects that at least twice that have close connections to the unofficial groups that roam to place. Some of the gangs decided to work with us, for all it¡¯s worth, but the security is at its bottom.¡± Zeph grimaced. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good at all¡­¡± ¡°It should get better shortly. The Temple, at least Zora¡¯s side of it, started to invest heavily in the area. After the orphans and families are taken care of, they will start the ¡®convicted protection strategy¡¯. It should weaken the intruding groups significantly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting messy,¡± he scratched his head. ¡°I am more concerned that most of the outlaws have backing from the wealthy. The whole situation looks like a ruse¡­¡± The giant shrugged. ¡°If you want to know how it works, spend some time on the streets,¡± he advised. ¡°You actually should, in my opinion. If you are to be a good leader in the future, it¡¯s important to understand the problems of people below.¡± Zeph waved him away. ¡°I will never become someone with so many people directly under my command. If I wanted to specialize in that direction, I wouldn¡¯t have proposed to be the head of the SI Department.¡± But despite what he said, he mulled over the advice some more. ¡°But¡­ I will need to see it for myself for other reasons. Maybe when I will go for the hunting¡­¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s always good to know the ground are standing on,¡± the Daitya said wisely, finishing with the last page of the document he was holding. He put it down on one of the stacks, and started to pack them all into something resembling an oversized, leather briefcase. ¡°You outdid yourself with the explanations. Half of it can¡¯t be presented to the pilots before they agree to become a part of the Guild,¡± he commented idly. Zeph nodded. ¡°Just as planned. Makani should be back soon. I won¡¯t have the time to work with them¡­ About that, how¡¯s the progress with the alloy? You didn¡¯t call for me yesterday?¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± he rumbled in pride, nodding and crossing his arms. ¡°With P¡¯pfel¡¯s expertise, I was able to limit the number of possibilities to just three. It¡¯s a major breakthrough. If I knew that unbalancing one¡¯s PE could have such effects earlier, I would be tempted to try it myself!¡± he laughed loudly. ¡°Anyway, the samples should be available in two days. The initial results are very promising.¡± Zeph nodded in satisfaction. He knew that his cooperation with the Gremling would be fruitful. ¡°We also managed to create the gre-na-de you spoke of,¡± the giant continued. ¡°The structure you proposed isn¡¯t the best for the materials we want to use, but we will optimize it in time. As for the high-explosives, shape-charges, and Mana-cumulation explosives, they are still under testing. Most of them don¡¯t bode well, though.¡± ¡°Mana interference?¡± ¡°Yes, the results are too unpredictable for most of the material-based ones. It¡¯s a product for higher strata, if anything. Advanced Mana manipulation is a must. We can use them to enhance the enchanted explosives, but that¡¯s the limit for now. The Mana-cumulative variants showed more potential, but we cannot progress without an Alchemist.¡± The lack of knowledge on the structure of Mana capacitors became a problem again. Zeph decided to increase the payment on his posting as soon as possible. Especially because the Guild would be able to support him in this endeavor now. Maybe I should include some ciphered info on what I really want¡­ I have a feeling the straight info is too suspicious for the people I am looking for. That kind of approach has its own limitations, though¡­ maybe I should get more personal and really visit those places, like Ghrughah advised? Who knows what can I learn by roaming around? Our information network should be able to do the same, but¡­ I don¡¯t even know how they operate. ¡°On the bright side, the Timefold Tower agreed to trade with us for some of the enchanting manuals,¡± Ghrughah interrupted his musings. ¡°The description you sent was specific enough for them to estimate the price.¡± ¡°Finally, some good news!¡± Zeph exclaimed. It was the highest time for his spear to be enchanted. The basic Spells wouldn¡¯t help him much. Thankfully, P¡¯pfel would be able to integrate even a Tier 2 spell inside his spear ¨C he just needed to see the manual. The knowledge would cost them dearly if not for Zeph¡¯s modified Spells that could also be exchanged. Mainly, the Shaman-derived ones. ¡°Anything else?¡± the giant asked innocently. ¡°Umm, no?¡± ¡°Good, then we can go back to planning the underground structure,¡± he declared, taking out a big file of papers. Zeph groaned, but there was no escape. ~~~PS part~~~ Almost an hour later, they arrived at the mansion. The place was dilapidated, for the lack of a better word, but the gigantic hangars all around were still intimidating. Especially because of the almost-Byzantium-like style of the buildings. It was a mix between metal frames and stone fillings, all very monumental but kept in simple shapes. Some people were overseeing the place, but it was a far cry even from the activity he saw around the aerostation back in the North Tarak. The buildings were in the same economic ¡®stratum¡¯ as Aisha¡¯s orphanage. So to say ¨C the poor part of the city, near the center. By perusing the data from their IFF (Information and Fighting Force) Department, he knew that the pilots didn¡¯t even buy the land, just rented the place. Which was good news, as far as he could say. Now, would they be prideful pricks or reasonable people? he wondered idly, looking at the vast, snow-covered lands around. Of course, it was no airport, but the distances between buildings were somewhat atypical for the city. Their carriage turned to the right, the cargo wagon just behind, following the posts supporting the metal cables. The road wasn¡¯t visible for some time now, covered in snow as it was, so the lampposts and cable lines were the only indicators the infrastructure even existed. The Mana-transferring pipes were probably placed underground, as he lost the sight of them long ago. He could still see them on the buildings themselves, though. Instead of driving to the mansion, set at the center of the land, they arrived before one of the hangars. After a short staring contest between the Blacksmith and a guard, done silently from behind the glassed windows, the other guy grudgingly exited his booth, the displeasure emanating from his whole posture alone. The doors to the hangar were big enough that their cart was a good twenty meters away from his position, placed just before the opening. The poor guy had to force his way to their carriage before identifying them. Thankfully, the Blacksmith invited him inside when he was a few strides away. Which, to Zeph¡¯s amusement, immediately sobered his bad mood. It was one thing to see the carriage from the distance, it was another to stand right by it. Ghrughah was not only known in the city, he was also intimidating as hell because of his size. ¡°Y-yes, thank you,¡± the man said, visibly appalled. He closed the doors behind him before looking at them once more. ¡°Umm, the procedures require you legitimate¡­¡± he started uncertainly when looking at the towering form of the Blacksmith. ¡°Not a problem,¡± the giant said, fishing out his amulet from under a tight shirt. ¡°No need to be so reserved.¡± ¡°¡­sure¡­¡± the man quickly examined the amulet, then hesitated. ¡°All in order¡­ Umm, do you mind bringing me inside with you? I would rather not go outside in this weather.¡± They looked at each other and shrugged. The man took out a black plate, this one without any cables for a change, and turned on one of the symbols on it. Zeph felt a Mana pulse spreading from the device and a moment later, they were driving through the slowly opening doors. They slid back into place as soon as their vehicles passed the threshold, cutting off the cold air and snow powder invading the interior. The metal-leaned skis secured on the wagons¡¯ wheels screeched horrendously on the stone pavement, but the horses managed to pull them all the way inside, even if neighing loudly in protest. The trio exited the carriage while their coachmen took care of the distressed horses. Zeph looked around the vast interior of the hangar, illuminated brightly by enchanted lights. He understood now why the pilots refused to meet at their place. The whole space was dedicated to the ships'' construction and testing of the components. They weren¡¯t playing around when it came to new technology available in the city. Predictably, most of the testing sides were empty, though. The twins were well-known, but not wealthy enough to buy every technological novelty available on the market. They wanted to be a part of the new trends and test them, not to own them. Zeph stopped to look around after he noticed five people walking their way. Besides the four technicians, recognizable by the gear and clothing, a noble-like figure was marching in their direction. He wore an ornamental suit in black, rimmed with gold and dotted with fluorescent jades. The green light was reflecting from the metal surfaces, giving it a sickly, fluorescently yellowish coloration. Zeph had to squint his eyes and observe the person for a few seconds before recognizing his race. He was definitely a Lj¨®s¨¢lfar, the wood Elf equivalent of Earth¡¯s fantasy. He had the characteristic olive-brown skin and ears almost two times bigger than they should be. Not pointy, though. The only problem was with his height. From what he knew, the Youlasa should be much higher than humans. Yet, this guy was almost Zeph¡¯s own height, if he estimated properly going by his human entourage. Not only that, but instead of having a twig-like bodily structure of the Youlasa, he seemed more like a wiry human. Zeph never heard of a race combination that could result in such an appearance, so he suspected the guy just meddled with his genes or body upgrades too early. The Lj¨®s¨¢lfar were known for prolonged juvenescence, after all. That didn¡¯t change the intimidating factor, though. Besides the fancy wear, something resembling a rapier was hanging by his waist and a disproportionately big tube with ornamental engravings was hanging from behind his shoulders. He also had the gait of a noble, walking slowly with his hands behind his back, and shooting condescending glances all around. His black, shoulder-length, silky hair swished in the air as he looked around. The golden eyes measured every person he passed. Finally, he arrived before them and for the first time took a good look at his guests. ¡°Ghrughah,¡± he started quietly, looking up into the giant¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure to meet you. But¡­¡± his eyes moved to Zeph. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± he said in a flat tone that should, supposedly, be disdainful. Zeph and Gru both grimaced internally, as if tasting an especially sour lemon. The guy was the worst actor they had ever met. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± the Elf asked ¡®incuriously¡¯. ¡°Explain yourself!¡± he demanded in his young, badly accentuated voice. Yes, yes¡­ Zeph thought. ¡°For the record, I am not the Twerg, okay?¡± Chapter 59 - The Circumstances Were What They Were [S]. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22] The pilot blinked and stared at him strangely. Ghrughah chortled softly. ¡°He¡¯s not from the Union. No need to be wary,¡± the giant said in a laughing tone. ¡°Ghrughah the Greater Omni-Blacksmith and Biologist in training,¡± he introduced himself officially, giving a small nod to their host. The man straightened himself. ¡°Maslin Arennte kazotalo Tellervo.¡± He didn¡¯t offer a nod, but put his right hand flat on his chest, in the place a heart should be. ¡®Should¡¯ was a keyword in this case. Interesting, Zeph thought after processing what he just heard. He introduced himself as a part of his race ancestor¡¯s name¡­ Are they really stemming from the heir family-line? Shouldn¡¯t they have more wealth then, though? His thoughts were interrupted by a rude glare from Arenn. ¡°Ah, yes. I am Zeph Einar tabitalo. Umm¡ª¡± ¡°-Te Tellervo?¡± Zeph¡¯s companion interjected, noticing another issue. The end of his chosen name indicated he was also the direct descendant, which shouldn¡¯t be possible. ¡°Were you expelled from your house, or are you really from the main lineage and it¡¯s just a coincidence?¡± The man smiled mischievously but also, for the first time, sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s both. Let¡¯s not waste time, my sister is waiting in the secured room.¡± He turned around on his heel and marched deeper into the complex. The duo didn¡¯t have a choice but to follow, while the man¡¯s technicians stayed behind to organize the transport of the crates. They passed the construction sides and went up the metal stairs. The platform offered an unobstructed view of the whole hall, grabbing their attention. Their host decided to entertain them a little and slowed down, giving them an ample time to look around. The platform spanned the whole length of the back wall, providing access to a mesh of catwalks, weaving around heavy lifting devices similar to overhead hoists, just much bulkier and complex in structure. Hooks and ropes were hanging from the ceiling in, seemingly, random places. Of course, pipes were everywhere, dominating every surface that didn¡¯t have other purposes. Everything was made from either steel of some kind or the bronze-like metal so often used in systems and machinery handling Mana. Looking down, he spied a few workstations dedicated to enchanting. They looked quite different from his and P¡¯pfel¡¯s laboratory-like setups ¨C only a few tools were made from glass and everything was larger. A lot of ceramic parts were involved. Besides that, and among the multitude of bulky equipment set all around, he could only recognize the ¡®welding stations¡¯. Instead of using high-temperature flame or electric arc, those enchanted tools compressed and directed Magicules, mostly of Heat and Liquid types. By oversaturating metal parts with them, even a beginner would have an easy time forge welding them together. Especially because of any Skills that could assist in the process. Of course, if someone managed to gain access to a specialized high-Tiered Skill that could imitate the process, the tool would be useless for them. Well, at least when it comes to certain groups of materials. Not to even mention people like Ghrughah, who could just manipulate the material after saturating it with his Magicules. But those were the domains of Specialists. They required either a full dedication to one¡¯s Profession and craft, or long years of developing Soul contaminations and training external Mana manipulation all the way up to the Advanced levels. Or an intrinsic Mana manipulation ability and a vast knowledge of Skill/Spell structures, but let¡¯s not talk about the outliers. Technically, everything could be done manually, but this was the lowest stratum. Ghrughah hummed loudly. Zeph stopped and looked back, as did Arennte. The giant was standing still, looking intently at a certain group of technicians below. They were working on an enormous Mana jet engine in the corner of the hall. ¡°La-Arennte, we may have a problem,¡± he declared out of nowhere, looking in their direction. ¡°I hope you are prepared for repercussions in case of the negotiations¡¯ downfall?¡± Zeph glanced back at the man. He paled visibly. What is it again?! ¡°I may have an idea of what you are talking about, Ghrughah-jiji,¡± the man started slowly, regaining his confidence. ¡°But isn¡¯t that beyond the point of this meeting?¡± The Blacksmith scowled, deforming his Veil slightly to inform Zeph. Aisha was the one who taught them how to communicate outside of verbal and non-verbal signs. Veil ¡®gestures¡¯ were harder to notice and understand, taking into account that the subconscious manipulation was happening all the time. It was basically an advanced version of coded signals. A third party is involved? He looked around once more. The workers were just hired force, they had to be. He doubted the pilots did a background check for all of them, seeing their financial situation. Who knows? Maybe they even allowed for a certain level of spying in exchange for the information they are getting. Like a primitive trade exhibition. That would make a lot of sense. But we are bringing more than just an innovation or a simple technological upgrade¡­ We cannot proceed without making sure the knowledge won¡¯t leak¡­ ¡°We will need to talk about it in¡­ more detail, I¡¯m afraid. Let¡¯s proceed,¡± Zeph declared, earning himself a hesitant nod from their host. Discussing such topics in the open was out of the question. Ghrughah rumbled in confirmation and unhurriedly caught up with them. Arennte guided them along the platform to one of the doors set in the back wall. There was no sign suggesting they were any different from others they walked past, just a plain number painted on the old, wooden surface. Zeph guessed it wasn¡¯t their original destination, as the interior looked more like the twins¡¯ living quarters. The lavish hallway, decorated with paintings of aerostats and technical drawings of their parts, had a homely feel to it. The giant had to hunker down a little to not hit the chandeliers on the way. Zeph¡¯s suspicions were quickly confirmed when Arennte opened double doors to the living room. A tall Lj¨®s¨¢lfar woman was laying leisurely on a big sofa, reading a book. She looked up lazily, her eyes unfocused, just as Ghrughah was squeezing through the door. ¡°Oya? Did I miscalculate?¡± she asked lethargically, closing her book. ¡°I thought you would make for a better host for those bright, scientific minds than me. But not even five minutes have passed?¡± Arennte¡¯s act crumbled under her curious gaze, he slumped visibly and grimaced, but he didn¡¯t answer. She put her feet down and slowly sat up straight. She was wearing a simple long dress in dark green, subtly decorated with golden trimming. Her vivid, sandy blond hair weaved down in unkept streaks to settle all around her on the sofa. Its color supplemented her suntanned complexion. Despite the striking differences, her face was almost identical to Arennte¡¯s. Were it not for his physique and stronger jawline, Zeph would have had trouble determining his sex. ¡°La-Ghrughah, La-Einar, I¡¯m Tasmine Raennte kazotalo Tellervo,¡± she introduced herself in a sing-song voice and with a goofy smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you just stand there,¡± she admonished sluggishly. ¡°Please, sit down. What seems to be the issue?¡± She indicated the armchairs and another sofa with her hand, waving it carelessly around. Her mannerism radiated warmth but she seemed so distrait that it was almost comical in comparison. ¡°My pleasure. We require closed negotiations before the presentation,¡± Ghrughah explained in his rumbling voice, closing the doors behind him. ¡°Nice to meet you, too,¡± Zeph said. ¡°I believe we may have a small misunderstanding going on.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Ah, security concerns?¡± she asked, looking at Arennte who nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s prepare the room,¡± she declared, now more focused. While Raennte took out a black plate from a stand by the sofa and started to change some settings, Arennte walked to the nearby wall and after fiddling with it for a moment, uncovered a hidden control panel with toggle switches. He set three of them up and the connection to Zeph¡¯s transfer amulet winked out. He turned to them and said succinctly. ¡°Feel free to use your own means, either.¡± Then walked off to an armchair. To their mirth, the guy had become much less expressive. It also seemed he didn¡¯t like to talk much, contradicting the first impression he gave them. Zeph and Ghrughah exchanged glances and followed suit. The giant sat on the sofa, the only furniture able to contain his bulk, and took out a few enchanted contraptions from a small pack secured to his belt. This time, Zeph didn¡¯t have to do anything ¨C the Blacksmith was geared much better for securing their environment. As such, he just made himself comfortable in an armchair and waited. A few Spells later, the giant nodded to himself and declared. ¡°All clear.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Raennte exclaimed drowsily. ¡°So?¡± she asked, tilting her head. ¡°The technology we wanted to showcase is a new take on flying altogether. It cannot leak just yet,¡± Zeph started, before Ghrughah took the reins. ¡°The team working at station seven, what can you tell me about them?¡± The twins looked at each other, then shrugged. ¡°They work for one of the major groups that traded with us and are responsible for constructing that company¡¯s prototypes and models. Parts of the construction process are kept secret, so their presence is necessary,¡± Arennte explained. ¡°They are also skilled spies, sent by the aforementioned group, with an order to non-invasively gather information from other teams and our overall work,¡± Raennte added. ¡°So you knew?¡± the Blacksmith said accusingly. ¡°This organization is infamous around Production District for overstepping their bounds. I am surprised you agreed to make a deal with them. Nothing good will come from it,¡± he declared grumpily, shaking his bald head. ¡°The circumstances were what they were,¡± she said vaguely. ¡°But, I thought we were quite clear that we are accepting only cooperation proposals involving devices meant to be freely available on the market? If you prepared anything different, La-Zora should have talked you out of the idea of coming here.¡± The disappointment in her voice hurt Zeph. ¡°But you didn¡¯t mention that it will be a free-for-all buffet, too,¡± he said angrily, more irritated with the spying practices permeating their culture than with the duo before him. Seeing their discomfort, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s a misunderstanding. We don¡¯t want to keep the technology under wraps. Especially because it¡¯s easy to imitate. We will even make the related calculation books public to make sure no one tries to live-test the idea without proper knowledge. The risk of deaths isn¡¯t small.¡± That assured the pilots enough for them to relax, but he could almost see the question marks hanging above their heads. If it was to be released to the public, why all the secrecy? ¡°The prototype isn¡¯t finished or tested properly. It¡¯s a completely new take on the flying technology,¡± Ghrughah declared with pride. His words changed the atmosphere completely. The pilots¡¯ eyes opened wide and they leaned closer, eagerness emanating from their faces. They kept quiet, but it was obvious it was exactly what they were looking for in Lurona. ¡°Also, we need money. There is no way we would allow other companies to take the lead when we are the ones placing the foundation stones,¡± Zeph finished. ¡°We wanted to propose a partnership with you under our Guild¡¯s Aeroplanning and Ingeniators Department,¡± the giant added. ¡°After the presentation and if you were interested. La-Gewong praised you to the high heavens, after all. But seeing this¡­¡± Ghrughah was lost for words and Zeph could relate. Their business plan wasn¡¯t bad, but from the point of view of their Guild, only expletives came to mind. ¡°I am very sorry,¡± Raennte said seriously, bowing deeply when still sitting. Seeing that, her brother lowered his head slightly as well. ¡°I never expected for such an opportunity to come knocking on our doors,¡± she said, straightening up. Her eyes still looked downwards in shame and sadness, though. ¡°We thought it would be easier in this city, but it seems politics don¡¯t change much, wherever you go¡­¡± Arennte¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°That is, if what you are trying to sell here is worth considering. Make no mistake, if not for the Priestess¡¯s word, we wouldn¡¯t be so accommodating.¡± Some of his prideful fa?ade returned. ¡°And what about you?¡± the Blacksmith asked in return. ¡°I may have a name in the city and we have her recommendation, but you two reek of politics,¡± the Blacksmith crossed his arms. They showed their cards already, so it was only natural for them to return the favor. They looked at each other, hesitation visible in their eyes. A silent quarrel took place, as visible through their changing expressions. After a moment, they reached some kind of agreement and Arennte sighed with resignation. He spoke first. ¡°It¡¯s too early to disclose any details to you two¡­ But we, indeed, owe you a favor now¡­¡± Raennte interjected at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s old news, though. I expect that some people already have an idea about our background,¡± she looked up, measuring them with her gaze. ¡°We would be grateful if you didn¡¯t spread the information, though.¡± She didn¡¯t even wait for confirmation before continuing, ignoring her brother¡¯s glare. ¡°We severed the Bonds with our family, and descended from the ¨¢lfahreierie continent.¡± Now, that is a dialect that doesn¡¯t make sense. I need that ma¡ªbut before he could finish the thought, Zeph was forcefully brought back to reality by Ghrughah¡¯s astonished voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ao''uubehigg a fourth stratum continent?¡± he exclaimed with wide eyes. It was the first time the giant showed such shock, which worried Zeph. ¡°This doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Arennte grudgingly followed with an explanation. ¡°We were kids when that happened. We are no stronger than the people here. Barely more knowledgeable.¡± ¡°Why did you even come down?! The technology¡ª¡± the giant started speaking fervently. ¡°Was stagnant for decades!¡± Arennte shouted, interrupting him and startling both of his guests with the sudden outburst. ¡°Do you think we didn¡¯t have access to the knowledge? We were a part of the main family! We learned everything there was to learn about the aero-technology by the age of eight! Our¡ª¡± a light tap on his head startled him. His head spun to the side, his eyes a death glare. ¡°Now, now, my brother. Take a few deep breaths¡­¡± his sister said, placing a hand on his shoulder to put him back on his seat. ¡°You are out of balance¡­ You promised to be careful.¡± As Zeph stared at them, he started to understand. The main reason they ended up in Lurona. Their goal. But also, that the ¡®younger¡¯ brother was in a difficult situation. ¡°Willpower-disturbed¡­¡± he whispered to himself, but evidently everyone could hear him. Raennte scowled while his brother tried hard to regain his cool, panting heavily. The Blacksmith looked perturbed. ¡°We gave out more than we should have,¡± the sister said coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s end thi¡ª¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a problem with his state,¡± Zeph suddenly declared, stopping her. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be the first one in our group.¡± He locked his eyes with Raennte, giving her a steel gaze. The blacksmith kept silent, observing them like an arbiter. ¡°Moreover, I can relate to what he just said.¡± A moment of awkward silence ensued. The people in the room trying to evaluate each other and the information revealed. Gru had enough of this. A loud rumbling reverberated in the room. Zeph¡¯s cheeks warmed up. ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s not¡­¡± After a second of silence, the two men chuckled and Raennte smiled with mirth. ¡°I will make something to eat. Meanwhile, why don¡¯t you discuss the technical details?¡± she asked lightly. ~~~ ¡°At least you prepared the engine according to the specifications,¡± Ghrughah commented grumpily, looking at the setup. They were in a chamber reserved for the presentation. It was a separate room, but not exactly separated from the hall ¨C the doors at the back wall were the only curtain between them and possible spies. Thankfully, the twins kicked off everyone besides the hired bodyguards, and Kwan¡¯s coachmen kept an eye on them. For the higher-ups of the organizations they dealt with, it could mean that they broke the unspoken agreement, for which Zeph was grateful. This display of trust meant a lot to him. ¡°You make it sound like we are scammers, Ghrughah-jiji,¡± Arennte stated flatly. ¡°We don¡¯t even need technicians to set it up. Don¡¯t underestimate our knowledge.¡± Indeed, Raennte was in the middle of setting up the wind tunnel. She was the last person Zeph expected to do the work, but, evidently, the twins wanted to showcase their skills. And it was obvious that Arennte was responsible for the technical part of aerostat functionality. If even the crew leader was able to do so, who would argue? The sister in question trotted to them after screwing down the last translucent, plastic panel. ¡°That was quite easy for a blueprint,¡± she said confidently. ¡°So, what now?¡± Zeph looked up to meet the Blacksmith¡¯s eyes. The man nodded in response. ¡°Now,¡± he started, ¡°we need some time alone.¡± The twins groaned, but they had no power here. If they wanted to see their prototype, they would have to give them time to prepare. ~~~ The next hour was spent on assembling the ¡®toy plane¡¯. It was a marvel and a legacy of Ghrughah¡¯s skills and Skills. The prop had an adjustable shape, be it for the wings or the main body. Everything was built from plates set like scales of a fish, but more elongated. The framework underneath was modifiable, allowing the shape-shifting of the overall structure within its bounds. Of course, the Blacksmith was responsible for changing the shape ¨C there were no mechanisms inside the framework itself. An additional security measure of the project, if one wanted to look at it that way. The tunnel was primitive in comparison, if overly big. A jet engine of low efficiency, due to lack of the forward speed increasing the air pressure, would push the air and Mana into a funnel. The decreased area of flux would speed up the flow of both, imitating the high-speed fight. The technical problem they found wasn¡¯t in the aerodynamics themselves, but in the fact that the density of air and lifting force changed depending on the Mana density in the area. Which meant the standard shape of a wing¡ªan Earth¡¯s plane wing¡ªwould fail more often than not. The dynamically adjusted form was created in the process. It was still a prototype, though ¨C not fully mechanized or functional. After assembling the prototype, they called up the twins. Raennte made big eyes seeing the contraption. But for reasons much different from what Zeph predicted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it.. a bird¡¯s wing?¡± she asked doubtfully, looking at Zeph. Chapter 60 - The tunnel vision is not always a bad syndrome. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22] ¡°Bird wings?¡± Zeph asked, blinking in surprise. He turned around, looking critically at the metal plates making out the shape of the wings. Despite the fact that he had hunted birds of all kinds for months on the summit of one of the mountains in the Torrent range, he never noticed how close their design has come to the biological equivalent. ¡°Yes. I believe we already saw similar concepts before,¡± she said with a slight disappointment in her voice. ¡°As much as I would like to see a machine imitating nature, all of them were failures.¡± They all moved closer to take a better look at the prototype. It was hanging from a rigid cubic framework, hold in the air by two rods connected directly to its internal structure, piercing the top of the body at the front and back. Its overall shape was identical to a standard Earth¡¯s plane, but its surface was ¡®puffy¡¯ because of the metal plates sticking out in most places. Zeph had to agree with Raennte ¨C the plates making up the casing looked a lot like feathers, if one ignored their relative size. Until now, he had thought of them as scales, but after allowing his imagination to run a little wild, the concept fitted much better. Sleep deprivation seems to strengthen the fixation of the mind, he noted mentally. I should have been able to notice the similarity sooner, knowing my experiences and work practices. Willpower is probably acting up¡­ which isn¡¯t that surprising, taking into account I use its derivate to keep my mind stable¡­ The prototype had only a one-meter wingspan, but the plates were at least 5 centimeters wide. Their length depended on the curvature of the surface they tried to emulate, but never going below 2 centimeters. Of course, the front-facing ones were curved themselves ¨C without drastically decreasing their size, it would be impossible to emulate the small radius of the curves. But because they were so wide, Ghrughah would be able to directly modulate their shape on the fly. The leading edge¡¯s shape was the most important part of the wing¡¯s shape, so they had to depend on the Blacksmith¡¯s proficiency in material manipulation to obtain sufficient accuracy. The plates on the back of the wings, though, were flat and formed a wavy edge, thus creating an illusion of feathered appendages. Arennte poked the silver model a few times while eyeing it from different angles. ¡°It¡¯s definitely different from the biomimetic wings we saw until now,¡± he commented with raising excitement. ¡°The lack of joints aside, the intersection¡¯s shape and the material flexibility are all wrong.¡± He looked up at his sister. ¡°If I am not mistaken, they aren¡¯t even trying to emulate the natural wings.¡± ¡°Hou? Now I am curious.¡± She placed a finger on her cheek and bent down to assess the plates. ¡°But assuming it would fly, did you manage to get around the problem of turbulences?¡± ¡°Everything in due time,¡± Zeph answered curtly. ¡°The presentation will start soon. But before that, I would like to hear more about those biomimetic models you were speaking about¡­ What made them a failure?¡± It was his turn to become excited. Making a mechanical wing model wasn¡¯t something that saw much success on Earth, but the pilots sounded like the idea wasn¡¯t just plain stupid here, on Corora. ¡°Well¡­¡± Arennte stood up from his crouching position and turned to him. ¡°I could speak about it for hours and not even scrape the surface of the issue. But it all goes down to one basic problem ¨C the birds are influencing the properties of air around their wings, and the process is so convoluted that it was deemed impossible to imitate.¡± ¡°To be more exact,¡± Raennte interjected, her gaze focused this time, ¡°to counteract strong fluctuations of Air Magicules, Mana upward currents, and other Mana-related effects influencing the properties of the air at low altitudes, most of the avians developed unique means to keep themselves stable when flying. I say most, because bigger species have no use for those methods.¡± Zeph thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I can understand that part. Mana and Magicules are constantly altering the air density, for one. But how are the birds able to do that? I know for the fact, that smaller species don¡¯t use Skills to fly.¡± His time with ¡®Corora lifeforms¡¯ paid some dividends in the end. ¡°No, this has nothing to do with the System Onji,¡± Raennte shook her head, then crossed her arms inattentively. ¡°They weren¡¯t even present in our world a few thousand years ago. It¡¯s a result of natural adaptation¡­¡± her voice petered out as she lost focus and started to think about something deeply. ¡°Which is why the problem is beyond even our best scholars,¡± Arennte finished for her, filling up the sudden silence. After making sure his sister was still in her own world, he decided to continue the explanation. ¡°The aerocrafts using biomimetic wings instead of a wing¡ªand don¡¯t ask me why the canopy of a ship is called that, it¡¯s simply stupid and I never found the etymology of the word¡ªtend to flip over as soon as Mana currents on one side fall below a certain threshold. Or the air thins too much, but that¡¯s a rare case,¡± he started rambling passionately, if not very comprehensibly. ¡°No amount of enchanting can counter that, as the wings¡¯ weight and length are just too much to recompensate for. Especially in models trying to emulate the movements of real wings ¨C in case of not finding enough resistance while moving downwards, the inertia immediately destabilizes the whole aerocraft. On the other hand, the theoretical size of a stable flying vehicle of this kind, one able to ignore minor Mana fluctuations, is an impossibility. The materials available on our stratum won¡¯t be able to withstand the burden. Worse yet, known enchantment systems wouldn¡¯t be able to output enough stabilizing Magicules to counter that, not even mentioning the power necessary for Mana constructs of such a size¡­ Umm¡­¡± He paused after seeing their confused faces and tilted his head innocently. ¡°Should I elaborate on some parts?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± the Blacksmith immediately shook his head. ¡°We can talk about it all we want after we are done here. Right, Zeph?¡± He looked at him with pleading eyes. Zeph could sympathize. After the guy¡¯s short lecture, he had more questions than answers. Zeph just opened his mouth to confirm when Raennte suddenly exclaimed, snapping her fingers. ¡°I remember now!¡± She looked down at Zeph with a goofy smile. ¡°The main reason the ingeniators are unable to imitate the avians¡¯ methods of flight! Ummm,¡± she lost focus for a moment there but quickly recovered. ¡°The feathers, you know, are a great medium for channeling Mana. And I am not talking about the Organic Magicules, that conglomeration can be channeled through any part of the body, really¡­¡± She took a deep breath, trying to not yawn but covering her mouth nonetheless. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m a little tired lately¡­ Where was I?¡± To his surprise, she used a different term for Mana-L. P¡¯pfel called it life energy, but was mostly ignorant of its properties, even if he himself was able to use the Stabilizing Spell. The discrepancy in naming suggests there is more to it. She called it like any other Magicule, but P¡¯pfel¡¯s term suggested it was also used in a different context¡­ After massaging her eyes for a second, Raennte started to speak again. ¡°Ah, yes... The feathers. Umm, so, like, the main reason for the confusion is the inability to determine how the animals are channeling their Mana through them. Or rather, in what patterns. It¡¯s almost certain they are using simple Mana constructs. The situation is even more complicated because different patterns are inherently present in the feathers of every individual.¡± That¡¯s why the feathers are worth so much! Zeph realized with a start. Unique, natural Spell construct patterns! Shit¡­ selling the feathers was a mistake! I should have known better, seeing the price! ¡°Weeeelll, that¡¯s not all, of course,¡± she said with a lazy shrug, rolling her eyes in irritation. ¡°The designers are always forgetting about the pili muscles of the feathers, for example. Or the¡­¡± Zeph frowned. Huh? That definitely didn¡¯t translate right¡­ I am quite sure birds don¡¯t have those. A mesh of smooth muscle and ligaments, was it? Or are avians here just that much different anatomically? Eh, whatever. He refocused on what Raennte was saying. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t lose much. ¡°¡­or about flexibility reactions¡­ Not the Enhancement,¡± she wagged her finger ¡®threateningly¡¯ in Zeph¡¯s direction. ¡°I am talking about their anatomy. The feathers are connected, they are influencing the movement of their neighbors and flex naturally under pressure. Those are all the most basic mechanisms, but of course, no one ever listens to Biologists!¡± she complained with a grimace. ¡°A good model is a simple model, they say. And then, they all fall down.¡± She shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°In their defense,¡± her brother spoke, glancing at her, ¡°this saying is not baseless. The more complicated construct, the more room for malfunction and accidents. And some people did try to emulate those natural mechanisms, but it¡¯s simply impossible to implement all of them at once.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± She pouted, crossing her arms. ¡°None have even tried to Bond with an avian to learn more. Too much pride and stubbornness. It¡¯s a disgrace!¡± Ghrughah hummed loudly in wonder. ¡°Am I right in assuming you are responsible for the Bonds that help you two steer an aerostat?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± she exclaimed happily. ¡°W-well, I do have a few, too¡­¡± Arennte added hesitantly. ¡°Because I forced you to.¡± She sent him a glare. ¡°If the contract comes to fruition, I would be grateful if you agreed to partake in a knowledge exchange,¡± the giant interjected, stopping their short banter. ¡°I have problems with finding a Bond, you see.¡± She nodded happily. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the presentation. We are wasting time,¡± Zeph declared. ¡°We will have all day to talk about partnership afterwards.¡± They all nodded, so he started explaining. ¡°As you can see, parts of the frame¡¯s top, the ones holding up the prototype, are flexible.¡± He encouraged them to take a closer look at the slight curve of two metal bars connected to the holding rods. ¡°We will be using those spring-based, mechanical gauges to measure the forces acting on them. One unit on the scale equals half the weight of the prototype.¡± He gestured to four gauges affixed to the tunnel¡¯s round walls made from plastic panels. Two were set at the top of it, and two on an enclosed side. Half of the tunnel in that section was left open. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The gauges were made in the likeness of the Earth ones, as Zeph suggested. A rotating pointer was a simple mechanical design, so the room for meddling was minimal which would increase their credibility. ¡°After the presentation, you can verify their scaling and functionality with Ghrughah. The two at the top will measure the overall upward or downward force influencing the body of the prototype. The side ones will measure the lateral tilting of the holding rods. Using those four readings, it¡¯s possible to calculate the approximate behavior of the whole aerocraft in the air. We prepared a table of standard results for simplicity, but we can explain to you the math in detail, if you choose so.¡± The twins started getting pumped up the more he spoke. It was a good sign. ¡°Now, Let¡¯s start the preparations.¡± The Blacksmith lifted the frame containing the prototype and inserted it into the open slot at the center of the five meters long, straight section of the air tunnel. That section was elevated, sitting almost a meter above the ground. A bottleneck-like funnel connected it further to the Mana jet engine set another five meters back. Of course, the plastic the tunnel was built from was see-through. Kwan¡¯s people managed to achieve at least that much when experimenting with the material. The engine itself was on the smaller side of medium-sized models, with a diameter of almost 2.5 meters and a length of around 4 meters. Its sleek, black-metal surface was featureless, but overlapping plates that made up the nozzle regulating its output added a futuristic feel to the design. That aside, it was surrounded by pipes and wires. The clearance through the device was also much smaller than it should be, at least in Zeph¡¯s mind, spanning maybe half a meter. After gauges were connected to the frame and tested, Zeph caught the attention of the pilots. ¡°Look here. The top gauges are now showing minus one unit each. Now, when the sum of the two crosses the threshold of zero, the aerocraft will ¡®hover¡¯. Theoretically, I mean. For clarity¡¯s sake, we will now add the summing gauges,¡± he said and took out two rods with gauges in the middle from a nearby crate. Ghrughah connected the top two gauges with one, while Zeph took care of the side ones. The rods were screwed to the center of each main gauge ¨C the internal mechanism automatically connected to their pointers to be able to rotate with them. Finished, Zeph took out two files of paper from one of the smaller crates. ¡°Here are the tables we prepared. Make sure to scan them beforehand. It will make it easier to understand what is happening. The drawings should be self-explanatory, but ask if something isn¡¯t clear.¡± The duo nodded, and Zeph left them to their devices. The next part would take some time. Firstly, they connected three metal cords to the prototype ¨C one to its very back, and two to the holding rods, near the bars. Then, they threaded the cords through dedicated latches on the tunnel¡¯s wall, making sure they weren¡¯t stuck or slack, and finally, they screwed down the last of the plastic panels, completing the encasing. After checking everything one more time, he and Ghrughah started to saturate the construct with their Mana. While the Blacksmith used a metal cord connected to the back of the prototype, Zeph just touched the plastic surface to force his Mana-L into it. It would drastically improve the Mana-containing properties of the material. He was losing connection to most of the Mana he was sending, and would lose even more after the engine was launched, but it wasn¡¯t important. Unlike Ghrughah, he wouldn¡¯t be manipulating anything, so simple saturation should suffice. But that meant he had to actually go around the whole structure to touch every section. Using Mana tendrils could do the trick instead, but it would be inefficient and would reveal his proficiency in Mana manipulation too early. After fifteen minutes, he was done. Sustaining the saturation would be an easy task in comparison. Turning to the twins, who were standing a few meters behind the exhaust, he noticed that they finished reading. He stepped up to them. ¡°Done already?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Arennte answered excitedly. ¡°How long until Ghrughah-jiji is done?¡± ¡°A few minutes. But before we start, I need to make final explanations. The prototype is being saturated by his Mana to allow for material manipulation. As we mentioned, the thing doesn¡¯t have any mechanisms inside, so it has to be operated manually. To make sure you will be able to verify the outside frame, and the resulting gauges¡¯ readings, aren¡¯t manipulated, you are allowed to saturate the top parts of the holding rods. Use those metal cords to do so, please, and we can start with the show.¡± They did just that, and after another ten minutes, everything was ready. Zeph smiled and nodded at Arennte. The man nodded back and picked up a black control plate laying near the engine. It was wired to the device directly. ¡°Please set the thrust at level four and Mana output at level two,¡± he instructed. A few taps on the plate later, and a low hum filled the chamber. There were no light effects at such a low operating mode, but soon they heard the whistle of moving air, intensifying with each passing second. behind the tunnel¡¯s exit dust billowed out, lifted from the ground and pushed in a chaotic dance towards the wall behind. The hall was spacious, yet the thrust was enough to force the air inside to circulate. Random whips of wind started playing with their clothes and hair. Ten seconds later, the noise leveled out. But the gauges didn¡¯t move. ¡°As you can see,¡± Zeph had to raise his voice slightly to be heard, ¡°There is almost no difference in forces influencing the aerocraft. The reason is, the wings¡¯ profile is symmetrical.¡± He gestured for them to look at the wings from the side. ¡°The whole concept of the lifting force depends on the wing¡¯s shape.¡± The twins nodded in understanding, looking closely at the aforementioned part. ¡°We weren¡¯t able to prepare adequate measuring devices for it, sadly. But, assuming you didn¡¯t stray too much from the engine specifications, the conditions inside the chamber should simulate an altitude of around 3 boats (105 meters) and velocity of about 4 ranges per hour (84 kph). Keep in mind that for a bigger aerocraft, the operational speed will be different. The scaling between lifting force and weight isn¡¯t linear.¡± He explained. Because it would be impossible to conceal the changing shape of the wing¡¯s profile, they decided to present it early on to hook up the pilots. The knowledge was given freely, but not for free. They would negotiate the price later, whether the twins accepted the partnership or not. Zeph nodded at Ghrughah and the man concentrated. The wings slowly morphed, the bottom part flattening, and the gauges reacted. After their sum reached zero, Zeph started his commentary again. ¡°The asymmetrical shape itself is enough to force the phenomenon. Right now, we have a vehicle able to hover as long as it has enough velocity. But there is more to it. The shape of the leading face of a wing, and the curve of the whole profile, influence the resulting force as well. Look at the table, we will use figures 3 and 4 from the first paragraph¡­¡± After a few repeats showcasing his point, Zeph moved to the most important part. ¡°The force generated this way is convenient because the ¡®angle of attack¡¯ of the wing¡¯s profile has stable and yet the strongest impact. You can modulate the lifting force naturally by tilting the aerocraft lengthwise.¡± Ghrughah manipulated the internal framework to rotate the front wings by a few degrees, and the gauges¡¯ pointers started moving quickly to the right of their scale. The back gauge was doing so a little slower, though. The twins synchronically oohed in surprise. ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s an almost linear reaction. We are now at three times the weight of the aerocraft. Depending on the design, the vehicle can become maneuverable to the point of causing problems for the pilots because of the forces generated during the maneuvers, so keep that in mind. But that¡¯s not all, if you roll the aerocraft sideways¡­¡± The Blacksmith manipulated the holding rods at the connecting points to rotate the plane as if it was turning, and the side gauges started to react. ¡°¡­the lifting force works all the same, but at an angle relative to the surface of the ground. The aerocraft will start turning, as part of the lifting force now pushes the wings to their objective right. Of course, the drag also changes, but it only strengthens the effect.¡± He glanced at the pilots and knew they were already sold on the idea. All that was left, was to set boundaries. ¡°Let¡¯s reset the setting,¡± he said to Ghrughah before turning to the twins. ¡°I am sure you can find your own ways to rotate the aerocraft in the air like that, but the optimal method will stay with us until we finish the negotiations. To make it work, you need to work with all five wings. We will not present that part today,¡± he declared harshly, but the pilots simply nodded. The ailerons were the hardest part of a wing to adapt. The simple mechanical plates wouldn¡¯t pass the exam in Corora¡¯s atmosphere. For now, they decided to leave that part to Ghrughah¡¯s manipulation expertise. Thus, the multitude of plates making up the back of the wings. ¡°Now, for how Mana density influences the flight. Arennte, please set the Mana output at level seven.¡± The man blinked in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? What is that going to simulate, even?¡± ¡°Fluctuations of that scale happen all the time on low altitudes. It¡¯s important to understand what difference they can make. Think of it like flying over the ocean, only to hit a cloud formation full of Water Magicules. The effects won¡¯t be identical, but you will see what an increased air density can do.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± he changed a few settings and the hum deepened. The whistle of wind was cut off for a second as the dense air clogged near the neck of the funnel, causing perturbations in the airstream and blocking the flow. The gauges plummeted to the left immediately, nearing the minus one on the scale. After a few seconds, the airstream stabilized, but the gauges¡¯ sum was still below zero. Not the best performance, but still a working one. ¡°And that is why we need to modulate the wing¡¯s shape, not only the ¡®angle of attack¡¯.¡± He pointed at Ghrughah and the metal plates making up the plane waved like blades of grass under a strong wind, all wings rotating all at once at the same time. The whole plane changed shape, becoming much slicker. The wings bent sharply into almost crescent shapes, profile-wise, even the back ones followed suit this time. The gauges¡¯ pointers suddenly sprung back to the right, going as far as up to the seventh indicator on the scale. The whole frame groaned at the sudden change. The twins were slightly shocked by the display. ¡°The reaction was that drastic because we passed two critical points at once. You see, there is the maximum ¡®angle of attack¡¯ after which the aerocraft of this type will plummet to the ground. The same applies to air density and the overall shape of the vehicle. Again, the exact reasons will be explained only after the negotiations.¡± The exact conditions causing perturbations were tricky to predict in this world, but the basics should be enough to at least plan around them. ¡°We will show you more examples in a moment. But first, the fun part,¡± Zeph said flatly, glancing at the Blacksmith. The man grinned widely, vibrating with excitement. ¡°Finally! La-Arennte, set the engine to randomized mode level three. Thrust at six, Mana output at average five!¡± he boomed, flexing his fingers impatiently. The twins were taken aback by the sudden outburst, but Arennte did as told. Releasing the monster. It all started innocently ¨C during the design process, Ghrughah was responsible for learning how to operate the toy plane in difficult environments to showcase its capabilities. It was a crude imitation of the current tests in the air tunnel which guaranteed a controlled environment. They had to manually manipulate their Veils to imitate a random distribution of Mana density in the air that was passing at high velocity. Thankfully, with the winds plaguing the city for the past two days, there was no need for any enchanted devices stimulating an airflow. All they needed was a pipe system with entries set outside to funnel the air, and simple mechanisms regulating the pressure to make sure the flow was below certain thresholds. The locals had a lot of experience with setting up pipe systems, evidently. The chaotic nature of the setting played right into their hand, too. Unpredictable airflow was desired in this case. But as time passed, Ghrughah started to enjoy the exercise more and more. Thanks to the direct feedback from his Mana that saturated the aerocraft, he was able to master basic ¡®flight¡¯ in but a few hours. Instead of stopping here, he increased the airflow thresholds and commanded Zeph to take care of inserting the Mana himself, for more unpredictability. Like a video games addict, he wanted more and more, until Zeph decided he crossed a line. The man was ready to call his own people to take Zeph¡¯s place, so he didn¡¯t have a choice and promised to create an even better version for Kwan¡¯s entertainment park, and for him to play with. That placated the giant. Barely. And now, Ghrughah¡¯s moment of truth has come. The airflow will be much faster, the fluctuations of Mana density will have drastically higher amplitude. And there were no ailerons on the wings. It was the beginning of a very long night. Zeph dodged the bullet only because the twins promised to strike the deal with them¡­ after the Blacksmith finished playing. He escaped the place quickly with relief. It was time to pay a visit to the Library. Chapter 61 - First impressions are the most important part. [S] Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22] The cart quickly slipped through an opening the hangar¡¯s doors have made, and the screeching of its own skies ceased immediately. A clacking sound of doors¡¯ mechanism and the muted hum of Mana jet engine disappeared, muffled by the falling snow powder that still harassed the city, and replaced by the loud howling of winds rampaging on the streets. Sitting inside the warm, cozy cabin, unperturbed by the mayhem outside, Zeph couldn¡¯t stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief. The not-so-small, over-enchanted cabin gave him a sense of security he so badly lacked in his current life. I hope Makani makes it in time. I miss the wilderness¡­ he thought, closing his eyes and allowing his body to relax, sinking a little more into the soft cushions of the seat. ¡°Grau!¡± his companion vibrated naggingly, waking him up. ¡°Ugh¡­ Right, we still have work to do¡­¡± he shook his head and slapped his cheeks to focus. He decided to not use forced stabilization on his mind again, as he needed to test the natural capacity of his body next. The description of Willforce Morphon still didn¡¯t change; the ¡®Unknown¡¯ parts mocking him and his efforts. ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated in encouragement. ¡°Thanks, buddy, but I don¡¯t think it will be that easy to uncover all applications of that ¡®Body¡¯ property¡­ We didn¡¯t even touch the pain mitigation, not to mention the more complicated, emotional reactions,¡± he said with weariness. He wanted to finish the ¡®mental endurance¡¯ tests as soon as possible, the main reason he started with sleep deprivation ¨C because they were directly responsible for his survivability. But the idea of testing his new pain thresholds horrified him. Zeph hoped that those details would be discovered naturally during their excursions into the surrounding lands. Self-harm was an option if it failed, but he was sure that at this point, he would have to break his bones to really test his limits. He would rather try it when directed by his survival instinct, training, and the Will to live. When fighting for real, either for survival or for a cause. It was one thing to consciously harm oneself while observing everything in detail, and another to fight for one¡¯s life. He was trained in the latter and determined to protect his beliefs. He could think critically and make hard decisions, even the most painful ones, but such situations engaged a different part of his being¡­ of his brain and Will. Moreover, he suspected such choices had an additional weight in a world where Will manifested physically. Self-harm could be the greatest way of achieving complete self-awareness, or the fastest way to break his Soul. It all depended on perspective and his accumulated life experiences. And taking into account his current Soul fragmentation, the dread he felt was almost self-explanatory. ¡°I am more surprised the System didn¡¯t finish other calculations. How is it on your side, Gru?¡± he asked, opening the detailed description of his full-body Modification once again to confirm.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. Effects:
  • [Will/Soul/Body]: Enhances Greater Willpower effects. [Unknown] effects on external Mana manipulation.
  • [Will]: Slows down [Will] depletion in all possible cases, prevents full dissipation.
  • [Will]: Speeds up [Will] restoration. Can instantly reform [Will] by spending [Energetical Resources], but requires fully-functional [Brain] and [Soul].
  • [Soul]: Enhances overall Memory and Intuition effects. Can enhance [empathy], [past-life memory reading], and [Unknown] by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Soul]: Shields and obscures [Soul] interactions with matter and [Will]. Slows down [Soul fragmentation], can recover recently lost fragments by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Soul]: Speeds up a natural recovery process by [Unknown]. Speeds up an accumulation of Body-related [Soul contamination] by [Unknown].
  • [Body]: Permanently boosts Power, Flexibility, and Regeneration by [20%]. Speeds up natural metabolism [20%]. Enhances natural regeneration [20%]. Has an [Unknown] effects on Flexibility physical effects and internal Mana manipulation.
  • [Body]: Mental states don¡¯t reflect on [Will]. Balances mental state between [Body], [Soul], and [Will] influence. Can forcefully [Unknown] mental state by directly engaging [Will].
  • [Body]: All body parts can regrow. Can restore most of the damaged-brain physical memory. Actively counterforce physical damage on a cellular level, increasing toughness by an average of [50%].
Nope, no changes at all, he thought in disappointment. ¡°Graaaaw,¡± Gru shrugged his imaginary shoulders while giving him access to a series of short Soul memories and sending a few impressions. At least the ¡®silent period¡¯ was useful for training their communication. The vocal component was still necessary, but only for much more detailed information ¨C something they couldn¡¯t do earlier at all. ¡°Nothing new, either? Well, expecting anything after just a few weeks is unreasonable. But it¡¯s a shame we didn¡¯t produce any new knowledge for the System¡­¡± ¡°Grah!¡± it ¡®spat¡¯ to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. It just means we aren¡¯t inventing anything new.¡± ¡°Graaahar!¡± Gru vibrated spitefully. ¡°Yea?! And what exactly did you create in all that time?!¡± Zeph asked impatiently, aggressively tapping the top of the table before him. ¡°The internal enchantments aren¡¯t working. Influencing Source Net was a failure. An internal capacitor is but a dream right now. Testing your internal Manasolid is impossible. And we aren¡¯t even able to store Phleya inside of you,¡± he paused dramatically, waiting for an objection. There was none. ¡°The skin tattoos, your bodily improvements, and even the flying technology we just presented ¨C they were all studied or are already in use. There is nothing new about them,¡± he reasoned. ¡°Calling it an ¡®arbitrary process¡¯ is too much, my guy. I don¡¯t trust the System fully, but they were clear at least about one thing ¨C they are looking for new applications of knowledge. Our performance is lacking,¡± he finished his tirade with a sigh. He hoped to at least have the explosives count as new data, but because he wasn¡¯t working on them personally, he didn¡¯t gain any UP. Another reason to treat carefully with the information he had. At least in the case of the flying prototype, he was one of the creators. As such, any System bonuses should be shared directly with him. But any piece of knowledge he gave away without working on the solution himself was a free give away in the System currency and favor. Aisha¡¯s teachings started to make sense, finally. Haah¡­ Well, at least I am not a poor man anymore¡­ he tried to console himself. ¡°Gru!¡± it barked indignantly. ¡°I have a long list of experiments to come, so don¡¯t worry about that. Better train in your specialization. Sooner or later, we will meet fully formed Netherers. I would rather get ready and not lose a part of my Soul during our first encounter. I am not even sure how much I can shield you¡­¡± he said, trying to encourage his Bond to work on his own defenses. ¡°Grrrraaaa¡­¡± if vibrated with resignation. Zeph smiled slightly and nodded. ¡°Good.¡± They would visit the System Shrine soon, but it was proved already that the System didn¡¯t have any means to protect people against the Nether. Zeph had, though, and Gru could learn. Ignoring the silent grumbling of his companion, he took out a file containing the records of the prototype testing. The information was spread between their early tests and the ones done in the twins¡¯ hangar, the latter much more detailed thanks to the controlled environment of the air tunnel. He read everything carefully, comparing the results and double-checking the math. Half an hour later, he was sure. A new venture was possible. It¡¯s hard to believe, he thought, straightening up and leaning on the seat¡¯s backrest. They should have discovered it a long time ago¡­ How come? The math wasn¡¯t lying. Wings? Parachutes? Where were they? I get that after 300 Flexibility the free-fall stops being a death sentence, even at terminal velocity, but isn¡¯t it the domain of people at higher strata? Even physically-inclined individuals would need at least 100 levels to reach that much Flexibility¡­ In normal circumstances. Manacasters didn¡¯t count, as they would have their own means of slowing down their eventual descent or shielding themselves otherwise, but what with low-leveled people on the first stratum? How come no one tried to put into use a simple glider the size of small, human-sized wings as a security measure on the aerostat? This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was such a simple solution, too. Just power the enchantment on a small, stiff contraption to condense the air under the supposed wing or wings, and suddenly there is no risk of falling to one¡¯s death. The theoretical size of the construct was so insignificant that it wasn¡¯t even a question if someone would be uncomfortable with it. The mass a one-meter wingspan could theoretically support, in the context of slowing down the descent, was 1 to 50. Assuming his design, but that was beside the point. Even without any knowledge of aerodynamics, constructing a parachute equivalent should be an easy task ¨C the materials were the problem, not the specific shape of the wings. That meant a contraption of, at most, three kilograms, which even kids with power above 10 should be able to carry without problems. People with Classes concentrating on physicality at levels 50+ should have around 100 Power at the very least, which meant four times their normal strength. Let¡¯s say that along with their belongings, they weighed 150 kg ¨C his design would weigh 3 kg. Divide that by four and effectively, it was less than one kilogram on your back. Why? his mind scrambled and searched for an answer, but came up empty. Something¡¯s not right here, he came to a conclusion. Am I missing something important? I refuse to believe no one made calculations on the small-sized, enchanted wings¡­ In the end, after triple-checking everything, he decided to just leave the topic and test his idea later. Aisha would be ecstatic to try one, I am sure. Even if she doesn¡¯t really need it, freefalling would rapture her Veil. Ugh¡­ I feel like my main goal is to please my guildmates, now. Is this how the Quartermaster in James Bond movies felt? It¡¯s terrible. He placed the documents back into the file and smacked it close. He had enough for today. Looking out of the window, he was happy to see they were close. Up ahead, multicolored lights from illuminated buildings broke through the white veil of falling snow. It took them almost two hours, but they finally reached the Temple District. It was the most diverse part of the city, in all aspects possible. Be it architecture style, ethnical diversity, or business types ¨C no other place could boast such complexity. Zeph observed the changing styles as they moved deeper into the district. Around each temple, production and commence centers supporting their endeavors were blooming. Of course, no one was outside in the hellish weather, so the place lacked its typical, multicultural bazaar feel. That didn¡¯t change the fact that each area was built differently. Block after block, they passed through different words: Medieval-like stone city neighboring cylindrical structures made from gleaming metals; Egyptian architecture invading the territory of Chinese-like pagodas; Leafless, snow-decorated orchards surrounded by food and paper industry buildings. The last one was an indicator they were close to the Temple of Library. He knew for a fact that paper was not the only material able to store information that was available in this civilization, and yet books were the preferred medium of the Temple. Whatever the true reason was, it influenced the rest of the market in a major way. But because the Goddess was, supposedly, able to manage all the written information by herself, there was no risk of books being destroyed or forgotten. As long as she existed, that is. Zeph hoped she had some sort of a backup because, from what he inferred, the ¡®gods¡¯ weren¡¯t exactly unkillable. The architecture started changing once again, taking on a gothic style. Decorated by the snow and illuminated by a multitude of faint lamps, the complex texture of the buildings¡¯ facades was even more breathtaking than usual. Long shadows cast by ornaments added an eerie edge to the scene. It didn¡¯t take them long to reach the central cathedral. Zeph could see a huge part of it from the side window, as its size started dominating the view up ahead. It was monstrous in scale, the highest towers easily 50 stories high. The bottom floor seemed to be open for traffic, forming long arcades along the walls. Their cart silently slid through one of the entrances, going straight at the internal crossroad and into a long tunnel leading further into the building. A row of columns, supporting a rib vault above together with pilasters set in the walls, separated the two avenues. Despite the relative calmness in the tunnel, strong winds managed to push the snow inside and cover the surface of the road with it. Or, maybe, someone helped the process slightly. Because when they reached the next intersection, the side avenues turned out to be fully cleaned. As the cart slowed down, Zeph saw a woman wearing a black, elegant coat waving her hand from behind a glassed window, set between pilasters on the other side of the branching avenue. Her room was bathed in a warm, yellow light, and filled to the brim with books and papers. No gothic outfits? A shame¡­ he thought in disappointment while stepping down from the cart. We could open a tailoring department in our Guild, tho¡­ Meh, too much work. I would have problems even describing what Earth¡¯s garments looked like. The room was at the corner and he quickly found a door on the cleaned walkway¡¯s wall. Stepping inside, he breathed in relief because of the warm air. The temperature outside was dropping to dangerous values. The room smelled of paper, ink, and old books. The howling of winds was almost unperceivable, too, the silent atmosphere a pleasant change. ¡°Welcome to Togana¡¯s Temple,¡± the woman greeted in a quiet and calm voice. She was sitting behind a small counter that was set perpendicularly to the window. ¡°We will take care of your wagon for the duration of your visit.¡± Zeph glanced outside and noticed a man in heavy winter clothing instructing his coachman through half-open doors to the front cabin. ¡°Can I see your membership amulet?¡± she caught his attention again. ¡°No, umm¡­ It¡¯s my first visit.¡± ¡°Oh, in that case, please read the base rules and information first,¡± she said, gesturing to a pile of papers lying neatly on the counter. ¡°I will make sure your wagon waits until you finish.¡± She stood up and waved to the two people outside to get their attention. Zeph walked to the counter and took one page from the top of the pile, scanning it quickly. The code of conduct was typical for any library. Eating and especially drinking were allowed only in designated areas. In public areas, one was to keep quiet, but conference rooms were available. What followed were instructions for people interested in different services and commissions, like buying copies of books, having a series of analyses on a topic done by the Temple, rules for accessing potentially harmful books, joining the Temple, etc. Some strange options gave him pause, though. The Temple offered all manners of bookmaking tools, materials, and even financial support. Literacy clubs for readers and writers were also supported directly. Sorting knowledge, consolidating data, recording services, it had them all. From more cleric-like fields, they offered truth reading, training for Memory PE, medical consultation for the System-disturbed (especially the Memory-disturbed), and a number of Interface upgrades allowing fast access to the written knowledge. The last one was pricy, though. Each upgrade had an upkeep cost in Mana and the last one would require 500 Mana per second. He doubted anyone would choose it, at least on this stratum, only to have remote access to books. But even the most basic one, the notepad function the System suspiciously lacked, had an upkeep cost of 50 Mana per second. That would leave him with a Mana generation of 36, which would be crippling. He couldn¡¯t afford to backtrack so much. ¡°Uh, are there Interface upgrades with a smaller upkeep cost?¡± he asked dejectedly. ¡°There are, but you would have to negotiate with our high priest,¡± the woman answered calmly. ¡°Those aren¡¯t available without proper payment to Onji Togana.¡± He nodded, somewhat reassured, and finished reading the paper. There was a price of 10 gold per month to gain basic access to the library, too, but it could be paid back by submitting valuable texts. Some were required to gain higher access permission or to even start the negotiation process for whatever reason. After a moment of consideration, Zeph concluded that most of the organizations had a person, or even whole departments, dedicated to publishing their records, findings, and texts. The Library was an alternative source of knowledge to what the System provided, just dedicated to public sharing. He started to understand why the two Onjis were dividing the field. As much as the System was trying to support civilization, it was mainly concerned with individuals¡¯ potential and objective information transfer, while the Library Goddess concentrated more on mundane information mediums and making sure knowledge could be shared without limits. It was a good system. Much better than he expected, really. The Library even weeded out the incorrect or dubious information, but still kept the copies for future peruse. Even more, they accepted records of failed experiments and tests, too. Data consolidation was taking those into consideration as well. Scientifically, in his opinion at least, it was a much better solution than rejecting ¡®failed experiments¡¯ like it was happening with publications on Earth. It was one of the reasons it was so hard to find the limits of a scientific method. People were repeating their mistakes too many times. But he also noticed another, essential truth. If knowledge sharing could be done by mundane means, it was almost certain other Onjis used them, too. Zeph caught himself brushing his medium-sized beard with his fingers. The clerk was silent and waiting, it wasn¡¯t a time for contemplation. ¡°So, I suppose I would like to negotiate?¡± he said hesitantly in her direction, placing the paper back on the pile. ¡°Please keep it,¡± she stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s here for our guests to take.¡± She turned and made a waving gesture in the direction of his cart. After a moment it started to move forward. ¡°I hope you have something valuable to exchange?¡± she asked, turning back to him. ¡°Yes, I have plenty,¡± he reassured, patting the primitive suitcase at his side. He didn¡¯t trust the organization enough to leave his papers inside the cart. On the other hand, they wanted to publish their findings at some point. It was a good bargaining chip. ¡°No problem, then,¡± she said, smiling slightly. ¡°One of the unwritten rules is to not ask for names, but in this case, I will have to ask for one before informing the high priest.¡± Heh, otherworld security measures are kind of strict¡­ he smiled internally. I wonder if her visage isn¡¯t masked somehow. Hmmm. Whatever, my name sounds like a pseudonym already. And I need the ¡®card¡¯ to be in my real name. ¡°Zeph Einar,¡± he said after a short pause. The woman stiffened for a moment, closing her eyes suddenly. Her smile grew even wider when she finally opened them. ¡°Zeph Einar Tabitalo, the Temple expected you,¡± she declared in an even tone, standing up. He blinked in surprise. ¡°I was expected?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± She nodded, reaching for one of the books behind her. ¡°Togana Onji waited for some time now. You should have visited us earlier.¡± Her finger touched the spine and after a moment a few things changed. The window became opaque black, the doors locked with an audible click, and shortly after one of the bookcases slid downwards, uncovering a short tunnel. ¡°If you allow, I will guide you to the speaking room,¡± she said firmly, using the word in an old Rui dialect, indicating it would be an audience with a ruler. ¡°She has a proposition for you.¡± ¡°What if I refuse to go?¡± he asked indignantly. The whole transformation scene unsettled him. ¡°Then, you will miss an opportunity,¡± she deadpanned, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not every day the speaking room is in an operative state. You don¡¯t even have to pay for it.¡± Gru sent him encouraging thoughts, trying to mitigate his paranoia. The more time he spent in the city, the more ridiculous his reactions were becoming. He shook his head and forcefully stabilized his mind, immediately centering himself. As much as he hated it, continuing with his mental experiment would be detrimental if he was to negotiate with a Goddess. Gru used a few tricks to stimulate his internal organs to balance the hormones and enzymes in his blood, giving his body a small respite. It would come at a cost, but only after a few more hours. ¡°Lead the way,¡± he said, nodding slightly. A wide smile still on her face, she guided him to an elevator. After a much-to-long ascent and a few hallways, they were standing before much-too-big double doors. They never met anyone while walking here. The dissonance between the clerk¡¯s outfit and the gothic-like decorations gave him the creeps. Zeph felt as if he was entering a nest of vampires, or something. The woman fiddled with the enchantments on the doors for a moment and they started to open slowly. She turned back sharply. ¡°I am not allowed to enter. Dear customer, I wish you the best during the negotiations.¡± She bowed deeply and walked away hastily. Zeph looked at her for a moment, before turning back to look at the darkness behind the doors. There was no light inside and the light from the hallway wasn¡¯t reaching inside. Probably some enchantment¡­ he thought uncertainly. Gru pushed his imaginary back and he took a step forward, entering the ominous area. After a few steps in total darkness, he heard the doors closing behind him. Before he could panic, though, an unfamiliar screen emerged before his eyes.
Finally! Took you long enough, HUMAN!
Chapter 62 - Of liberties, librarians, and literature. And the sisters. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.22]
Finally! Took you long enough, HUMAN!
In the inky-black space around him, green flecks of light started manifesting, like distant stars on the firmament. Their weak light illuminated nothing and he was unable to tell how far they were, even when swerving from side to side, as if he really was suspended in the vacuum of the space. Zeph could feel arrogance and annoyance emanating from the text, almost hearing them as if the sentence was spoken out loud. But what really caught his attention was the old Laiu word for a ¡®lesser being¡¯ she had used. He frowned. That one comment was enough to destabilize his mind again, but even if his Willpower was acting up again, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care right now. ¡°Oh, finally?¡± he asked through a clenched jaw. ¡°What is this farce? I don¡¯t even know why I am here, and you are already dissatisfied?¡± Pride, Gru silently muttered to himself, but Zeph ignored the comment.
Ara? A rebellious Soul? And here I thought you wanted to see me.
An elegant, yet condescending laughter echoed in the background of the message, giving him creeps and infuriating him even more, all at the same time. Zeph shook his head and flexed his Will, draining it to enhance the mentally stabilizing effect of Willforce. He was getting better at using it against his emotional states. I am being baited? What is this bullshit? he thought in indignation. At last, he managed to gather himself enough to try a diplomatic approach. It was difficult right now, but he wasn¡¯t here just to disrespect some random Goddess for no real reason. ¡°I am open to negotiations¡­¡± he admitted in a much calmer tone. ¡°But it seems you already have something in mind? Why don¡¯t we hear it, then?¡± he proposed, faking an indifference with difficulty.
Hoho, calming your primal instincts already? Not bad, for a primitive. Let¡¯s talk business then.
The patronizing tone almost made him lose it again, but he endured. The fact that Willforce Magicules weren¡¯t exactly efficient right now didn¡¯t escape his notice.
Know my graciousness! I will exchange one book of any kind for one of your making. Though, I require those to include extworld works or knowledge, and be of a similar genre to your choice. I have a list of priorities, of course, but the exchange rate won¡¯t change for those. One book of your interest for one book of mine. It¡¯s already too kind of me.
Zeph forced himself to ignore her pompous remarks and considered the proposal seriously. On one hand, he was bringing totally new knowledge, culture, history, and more into the fold. On the other, he didn¡¯t know much about this world, so it looked like the exchange she proposed was balanced. Alas, it wasn¡¯t. The fact that the Goddess knew what she wanted from him meant she already had information about him, his memories, or Earth and understood, more or less, the scope of what he could bring. But Zeph was clueless as to the value, rarity, and usefulness of her books. Which meant, he would have to study certain topics first, before choosing the best options. It had the potential to circumvent some of the restrictions placed on the accessibility of said books. But, in the end, it would be just a guesswork for the most part. Not to mention, until deciding on a book to exchange, he would have to pay for the standard access to the Library. Also, he came from a Manaless world. Even if she was able to share writings from worlds other than Corora, how many of those had such a unique background? He was sure Earth¡¯s workings were alien enough to be considered a scarce resource. One does not simply pay for gemstones with food! At least not in a one-to-one weight ratio, he corrected himself. Or of lower rarity¡­ Ugh, whatever, the metaphor isn¡¯t important! It¡¯s a scam. The conclusion made his face contort in anger once again. ¡°That is not even close to a fair offer, Onji,¡± he shook his head slowly, taking a deep breath. ¡°Truth is, the thing I need the most is just Interface functionality allowing me to make notes. Even just the information from those notes should be enough for you to pay me for¡ª¡± A loud laughter interrupted him. No message was sent through his Interface, only an overwhelming echo of her contemptuous amusement reverberating inside his mind. Against himself, he started to nervously smirk, too. The external influence was making him jolly, but the new emotion was clashing violently with the anger he still felt, making it flare in retaliation once again.
To think you would be so audacious! The foolishness!
The echo repeated once more, making him feel dizzy with all the contrasting emotions. He could feel his Will depleting at a dangerous rate, making him sick in the stomach. The next words were oozing authority, diminishing him with every word, crushing his worth, confidence, and ego. He buckled down but refused to fall to his knees.
Know your place, HUMAN! Either take the offer or begone and never again step in my domain!
He had enough. Unrestrained fury surfaced from the deeps of his being. His full-body enhancement, the Willforce Morphon, flared with unbound power for the first time in his life. His metabolism reacted, restoring his Will. His Soul stilled, preserving it. Willforce devoured his whole Mana generation and exploded inside of him, dissipating almost instantly after creation to power everything that was happening. A wave of Will, an unnaturally grandiose fluctuation of Soul, started rolling through his whole being¡­ Only to be snuffed like a candle thrown into the ocean. As he was on the verge of exploding, but before his emotions had a chance to take full control, another, this time familiar, message popped up. All in gray colors, absolutely cold and indifferent; dousing his burning mind, his whole existence in the tranquility of an unfeeling universe. But also cutting him off from the Goddess and her influence.
[Yuki], what do you think you are doing?
Despite the calmness and tranquility, those words instilled a primal fear in Zeph. A hint of anger and a promise of punishment, maybe even violence, mingled within them. Like a mother, or maybe an older sister, calmly threatening a child, but magnified beyond extreme proportions.
Tch¡­ No, what are you doing here, [??s]?
There was no emotional influence accompanying the message this time. Zeph could still decipher muted displeasure and accusation as if the words were spoken out loud, but they couldn¡¯t reach him, couldn''t touch his mind. He was too weak to fully concentrate, though. The adrenaline rush¡­ Or rather the full mobilization of his resources, didn¡¯t end immediately. The sudden change left all parts of him unbalanced, confused, and spent.
You have transgressed.
Who is transgressing here? What happened to the [Interface] communication inviolability?
Her tone was subdued, but her outrage at what was happening was clear.
Take a better look. We are just an automated precaution measure. Which, by the way, you personally triggered. You better have a good explanation, [Togana].
Grrrrr¡­ To think you would humiliate me like that in front of others¡­
The embarrassment in her voice couldn¡¯t be mistaken. He could almost imagine as she hid her face in her hands.
That¡¯s enough! Back off, you fink! Ungraceful [??s]! You wanted more data on his enhancement ¨C you have no right to speak!
But did nothing for her pompous attitude¡­
We don¡¯t care about that part. Your exchange proposition is outrageous, though.
Oi! Is my sanity irrelevant here?! he screamed internally. ¡°Gra!¡± suddenly, his companion vibrated in self-satisfaction. ¡°You did what?!¡±
Hoho, no need to be so upset, little lamb. It seems even your [Bond] knows what¡¯s better for you than you yourself.
She did have [Garuan] permission, so was technically¡ª
He ignored those comments altogether. ¡°You little traitor¡­¡± he said in a whisper with a thousand-yard stare. It hurt him more than he would admit. He slowly looked down at his chest with disbelieving eyes. ¡°How could you agree to be a part of it?!¡± ¡°Gruuuu¡­¡± it vibrated weakly, trying to defend himself. ¡°Gree, raaau! Raaa¡­¡± Gru continued to give excuses, inciting Zeph¡¯s raising headache. It was true I wanted to test the enhancement¡¯s influence over my emotional states, but¡­ he thought weakly. Why like that? Screw the Resonating Trait test! And screw you, Gru! It felt like I was going to explode from within! How did she even manage to feed Gru those emotions to resonate with me, anyway?! Ugh, my head hurts¡­ While he was deep in thought, and slowly coming to terms with what just happened, the discussion continued. To the chagrin of a certain Goddess.
Don¡¯t change the topic, [Yuki]. The [test] you performed may be legitimate, but you used it to gain an advantage for the negotiations. And your price was way below the acceptable threshold.
It¡¯s not my fault your transcription prices are exorbitant. Maybe try to tailor them to the realia and deal with the wimp as you should, instead of meddling in the affairs of others?
She pouted, managing to offhandedly offend Zeph once again.
Be that as it may. His memories aren¡¯t cheap. And for a good reason.
That fully brought Zeph¡¯s attention back to the conversation. He shushed his prattling Bond, concentrating on the messages sent through his Interface once more. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it So, the System can sell my memories and knowledge just like that? I don¡¯t even know how to feel about it¡­
I have offered all books without exception. Isn¡¯t that benevolent enough? I know you two are acquainted, so I don¡¯t have to worry about restrictions placed on the books. You would supervise him, anyway.
Aren¡¯t you just lazy?
That¡¯s beside the point. He is learning still and you didn¡¯t give him any opportunity to access basic knowledge without overpaying. Advanced and esoteric books won¡¯t do any good for him this early. And again, you used underhanded methods on a youngling.
Am I a kid to you?! he complained quietly, making a sour face. His position was slowly getting ridiculous, but he couldn¡¯t see any opportunity to add his own opinion. On the other hand, Gru was perfectly content with playing a child¡¯s role. Probably because his mentality and age were just that. ¡°Gre!¡± it spitted mentally to the side, evidently deciphering Zeph¡¯s thoughts and disagreeing. ¡°What now?¡± he whispered under his breath. ¡°If we were mentally equal, you wouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake. And stop spitting, it¡¯s disgusting,¡± he berated his Bond and could feel as it became somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Grauu¡­¡± it vibrated sheepishly. Zeph just shook his head wearily and turned his attention to the ongoing discussion between two Gods¡­ or rather, one and a half Gods, seeing as the System wasn¡¯t really here.
[??s], don¡¯t do this to me! This is unfair!
Is it now? If you want to negotiate, you should contact us directly. The current arrangements are balanced. You can do whatever you want, anyway.
Keh¡­ You threaten me with releasing his memories to those knuckleheads and call it a balanced arrangement? Don¡¯t you have shame?!
Ever heard about a free market, lady? he thought dryly, staring blankly at her message.
No, we don¡¯t. In any case, if you won¡¯t respect his right to keep the data confidential, why would we?
I missed something it seems. But yea, go System! Thankfully, the conversation wasn¡¯t going too fast. He could clearly see that there was a connection lag of some kind.
But¡­ I won¡¯t gain anything from such an exchange! It¡¯s ludicrous!!!
Are you a teenager? Stop with those exclamation marks! Gru chuckled at that by vibrating lightly.
You will, in the future. Did you forget that you are buying new materials right now? Somehow, you don¡¯t see a problem when making similar deals with organizations of ¡®lessers¡¯.
Those are different, [??s]. At the very least, they guarantee a stable Mana income.
Zeph sighed heavily. This discussion was going nowhere. ¡°Look here, you abrasive Goddess, I will rather not see You and your ¡®magnificent¡¯ Libraries ever again than agree to be treated like a simple resource,¡± he stated with confidence. ¡°You insinuated it yourself. That you can greatly profit from my materials. Are you going to invest in it, or not?¡±
...
We will leave now; further discussion is pointless. [Yuki], contact us directly for the [test] remuneration. And don¡¯t try it again without precautions. The cost of stabilizing his Soul will be deducted.
Haaaah¡­ As you say, [??s]¡­
Silence ensued, only the green flecks of light keeping him company. Zeph crossed his arms and waited for a minute. He already had an idea as to why this situation came to be and how to bargain. It was mostly an educated guess, though. After sorting everything in his head, he decided to push the talk forward a little. ¡°Sooo¡­. It doesn¡¯t seem like you have many advantages in the knowledge department, even being a Goddess of the Library. With those rivals and all¡ª¡±
Listen here, you little shit. Information trade is a cutthroat business. On our level, we live and die by it.
Zeph smiled slightly. He evidently hit a sore spot. ¡°Information¡­ Are you talking only about knowledge or do you also mean entertainment? Culture works, so to speak?¡± If beings like her were immortal, in the sense of longevity, he could see that boredom could become a problem rather fast. It was a bet, but his idea sounded plausible. Even primitive Artificial Intelligence on Earth were developing their inclinations, and this Goddess was more human than even some people he knew. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to search for new entertainment venues. Especially because she sounded a little like a chuunibyou¡­
¡­ Everything has its use. But practical knowledge can be found in every genre of literature, if you know where to look. Separating them like that, it¡¯s an attribute of a fool, HUMAN.
At least I can agree with that, he nodded to himself, ignoring the not-so-hidden insult. ¡°You failed to acquire any data from other Terriens, didn¡¯t you?¡± The silence lasted for a second too long, which was enough to confirm his guess.
You dare to try gaining a higher hand? Over me?! Don¡¯t be delusional, pest, I won¡¯t play into your hand just because of such a minor obstacle! I have all the time to gain what I need.
The message this time emanated clear animosity. It seems knowledge doesn¡¯t provide social acumen¡­ Just like for normal people. I am sure she tried to avoid exactly this outcome from the very beginning¡­ But she didn¡¯t even try to understand my intentions. Were her interactions with ¡®mortals¡¯ until now that bad? he mused unhurriedly, allowing her to drift in uncertainty a bit longer as a revenge for all those past insults. ¡°You know, we are more alike than I thought,¡± he finally said, almost smiling. Almost. ¡°I want for the two of us to gain something in this exchange. My knowledge aside, did you know that at least two of my close companions, the Terriens, are present in the city?¡±
...
¡°One of them should be a treasure trove when it comes to the entertainment industry,¡± he silently thanked Alana for watching all those movies and serials. ¡°And the other one should have more knowledge about esoteric martial arts than all of us put together. I am sure they could share¡­ If I could contact them.¡±
That¡¯s not going to happen. Personal information, like a location, is non-negotiable with [??s]. I may have clues, but those also fall under sensible personal information as long as they live. Besides, if they are working with my peers, interacting with them would be a declaration of hostility.
Zeph was surprised by the almost gentle tone this time. It sounded almost like she finally put away her social mask and engaged with the negotiations for real. He pondered on new information for a moment. ¡°You know, I am not sure if I should do this, but¡­ I will give you a benefit of the doubt¡­¡± Showing goodwill now was risky, but she was already threatened by the System to keep quiet... His only alternative, a realistic one, for the exchange of information was Leilucia. But he would have to wait until Aisha managed to finish constructing a Shrine on Kwan¡¯s lands. Taking into account the internal fracture of her faction, he would rather avoid normal Lelucia Temples. Nodding to himself for reassurance, he decided to disclose some more details. But¡­ ¡°First, can you tell me how many Terriens showed up? According to your information?¡± It was an important point.
Counting you, six.
He breathed out with relief. ¡°Good. It means my information is worth something. You see, I am eighth on this world¡­¡±
Are you playing with me?!
¡°You can ask System Onji, tell them I allowed you to have this information. Anyway, two people, my closest comrades, should be in this city. I recognized their group¡¯s symbol, you see. There is no mistake.¡± He breathed out heavily. Sharing this information wasn¡¯t easy. There was a real risk of putting them in a hard spot if the information leaked. ¡°Even if they are under other Onjis, I am sure their ¡®contracts¡¯ aren¡¯t as strict as for the rest of my people.¡± He paused but elaborated before she could ask. ¡°At least, I didn¡¯t see anything indicating as much. But nobody knows about them, you included. I can make an educated guess that they work independently of this world¡¯s powers, at least to a huge degree. It¡¯s a bet, but a good one.¡±
I see now. So that¡¯s why you wanted to speak with me. Even if I cannot give you information about them¡­
¡°You can, instead, give my information to them, yes. Especially because you are in charge of more physical aspects of sharing knowledge, something the System lacks. I can give you a description, so you should be able to detect their group¡­¡±
The risk of making a mistake is still at large, though. I have a few ideas of how to implement an inconspicuous message, but I have a feeling you already thought about that?
¡°Indeed. I wanted you to insert leaflets into books that possible targets will take from the Library. Well, I mean the copies. Anyway, I can easily design a symbol that would be inconspicuous, but clear for only my comrades. Our Guild¡¯s address can be posted openly for them to read, it would even perform a second function of promoting our Guild¡¯s new entertainment venture. It would work as another smoke screen at the same time.¡±
Such shameless advertising¡­ The idea isn¡¯t bad but needs some more work. I despise unwanted content destroying the pleasure of reading.
Zeph smiled widely. It seemed they finally started to reach an agreement. ¡°Same here. It has to be in the theme, but we will have our own theatre, so it shouldn¡¯t be out of place. Anyway, all that is only an add-on to our base contact.¡±
Yes, yes. I can offer you free-of-charge Library access within standard restrictions and the recording Interface function. Your scribbles in the latter will be used to pay for both.
¡°Do remember to keep my notes under wraps until I would like to publish them. And you will have to pay for the right to propagate them, separately.¡±
You already have [??s] warranty, why do you even ask?
The message was almost pitiful. ¡°Right¡­ As for the future books¡¯ exchange¡­¡±
Will be the same as I proposed¡­
He could almost hear a sob. ¡°I think we should price my efforts later, when the publishing would be possible¡­¡± He could feel the depression of the Goddess emanating from all around. ¡°But¡­ why don¡¯t we exchange some stories first?¡± he asked hesitantly. The mood in the chamber improved immediately, which was instantly perceivable by the ¡®stars¡¯ shining brighter. ¡°Gra!¡± it exclaimed expectantly.
Don¡¯t worry, little one. Our deal is separate from this one.
What?! You trai¡ª =============================== And so, a long night of unexpected literature exchange took place in a dark chamber of Lurona¡¯s main Library. Chapter 63 - Its surprising that the System has less influence over your future than physicality. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.24] Zeph woke up with the first light, refreshed for the first time in a week. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t the morning of the next day. He could see that clearly on a simplified Wadokei sticking from a pipe near the ceiling. After the meetings with the pilots and the Library Goddess, he slept for almost 20 hours¡­ Earth¡¯s hours, that is. It would be 24 Corora¡¯s hours or almost 10 out of 12 cycles of a day. Yes, he was tired enough to sleep for almost a day, which wasn¡¯t a surprise taking into account his latest sleep deprivation experiments. Not to mention, it was already late morning when he returned from the Library. He felt a little guilty for skipping the negotiations on the partnership contract with the twins, but he had to start preparing for leaving the city and getting rest was an important part of them. At least the confrontation with the Goddess took care of one of the more problematic tests of Willforce. He was still a little upset at the scheming duo, but he didn¡¯t have the mental strength to keep at it. The way their minds worked was beyond his capacity to understand and they meant him well. Probably. He stretched out and looked around lazily, but his surroundings were still the same, boring affair. An underground room without any furniture except a comfortable bed and a big garderobe, encompassed by smooth, almost black rock and nothing more. At least the automatic lights were working now. The construction project wasn¡¯t even half-done yet, but at least he could use a safe bedroom. A glance at his Interface told him nothing changed there, too. The Willforce Morphon still had the same [Unknowns], and he still didn¡¯t get any reward for the plane prototype. He suspected that they had to create a full-sized aircraft before getting any rewards. Which wasn¡¯t unreasonable, taking into account that many people before them tried to use wings in their own designs. Also, the toy version had its own, very different applications. He sighed with resignation. What a pain in the ass¡­ No wonder technicians and engineers are so scarce. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t get anything from the plastic and modified DMSA because I didn¡¯t help in the development process¡­ Although, the DMSA performance is still unconfirmed, I think. Maybe I will get something for it, after all¡­ Shit, I had forgotten about the Barringstone problem. I hope the cure can help¡­ I liked those people. He sat up hesitantly, deciding that it was enough rest for him. ¡°Grrummm!¡± his chest vibrated in greetings. ¡°Morning. Sorry for the long wait,¡± he said, yawning. ¡°Gruuu,¡± it shrugged. ¡°Well, that should change soon. Real fights should be more interesting than dry training¡­¡± Makani would arrive in the city in days, but Zeph still had much to prepare. Speaking of which, he smiled while opening the new functionality of his Interface, the glorious notepad. Truth be told, it looked quite primitive in comparison to the rest of his Interface, but it had enough ¡®memory¡¯ to store more text than he would ever need. Right now, besides his own notes, he had two restricted great works of literature ¨C exchanged for two books he was able to transcribe from the ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯ Skill with a little help from the Goddess. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were worth anything, he hadn¡¯t even read the contents nor asked about the place and period of their origin, but one could hope they would turn out useful. It was a recommendation of the Goddess, after all, and he refused to believe that collector¡¯s plague omitted Corora¡¯s civilization in their expanse through the universe. Or universes. As for the poor design of the Notebook¡¯s interface, it should change in the future, as the Library Goddess quite liked his idea of user-designed visual styles and a sharing function. Mostly because she would have to do a fat nothing besides setting up the functionality, only to receive more Mana from people paying for an opportunity to work on the designs for her. The lazy schemer.
SCHEDULE: As soon as possible:
  • Read the manual of the Notebook Interface upgrade.
  • Prepare leaflets for Library Goddess.
24.12 ¨C Alloy selection should be ready. Check on P¡¯pfel¡¯s progress with spear and consumables. Don¡¯t forget to learn the structure of the newest explosives! 25.12 ¨C Administration work. Orphanage sleep-over visit. Take and study the Lurona Region map and ask Aisha for more details on mercenary work. 26.12 ¨C (¡­)
Right, Ghrughah should be ready to test the latest alloys! Excitement flooded him at the thought. With a spring in his legs, he jumped out of his bed and skipped to his closet. Simple work clothes should do, he thought merrily, taking out form-fitting underclothing and a leather work set. There was no time for a shower, especially because they weren¡¯t fully functional yet, or to eat breakfast. His full-body enhancement could be bothered with the lack of nourishment for a few more hours. Actually, I should start testing starvation effects, Zeph thought, putting on his memory amulet. After sending a short Mana pulse into an enchanted chain, the amulet immediately connected to the metal framework at the ceiling. Eh, a better quality of life, indeed, he thought, snickering as he was reminded of Ghrughah¡¯s sales pitch. I need to pay tax for yesterday¡­ how much was it? He looked down at the star-shaped, enchanted piece of metal. In contrast to the aerostat¡¯s amulet, it lacked an artistic touch but was quite practical. Each of the eight arms of the star had a miniature knob at the arm¡¯s base. It would flip to arm¡¯s top if he fulfilled the quota for one day, showcasing his progress in the context of the eight-day week. The knobs were working independently of the internal mechanism, only showing his progress, so meddling with them would not change the real count saved inside. This internal counter had the capacity to register up to half a year''s worth of Mana tax but lacked an in-built clock, so it just synchronized with the city¡¯s Mananet when plugged into a dedicated slot. It wasn¡¯t a problem, as almost every building in the city possessed the infrastructure necessary to make use of the amulet during the night; when the owner was sleeping. Public locations for synchronization also existed. Of course, that meant that a person had to plug the amulet at least once a week if they wanted to have readable knob positions, and once per half a year for the amulet to function at all. The latter was also the timeframe for reporting to the tax office. If a person wanted to wander beyond the city¡¯s walls, at least using legal means, they would have to deposit the amulet at a security gate. This way, the tax wouldn¡¯t be charged during their absence and the timespan for the annual report would be prolonged accordingly. Huh, I am still a day ahead? Good to know, he thought. Those 24 hours of sleep were worth more than I anticipated. Anyhow, it seems that I don¡¯t have to spend my Mana regeneration today. He nodded to himself approvingly. He would be able to use his Mana extensively today, it seemed. The amulet joined another three under his shirt, and he fastened the bracers of his leather apron. It probably wasn¡¯t necessary for today¡¯s work, but his quarters were quite a distance from Ghrughah¡¯s workshop, so he would rather not waste time coming back for it. Well, spatially, they were close to each other, but connection tunnels were still under construction, so Zeph had to use a roundabout way, going aboveground first. He snatched his backpack from the closet and walked back to his bed. He lifted a metal cube from the floor, the remains of his late armor, and packed it securely among a few other things inside. After making sure nothing was loose, he placed the container with Phleya on top of everything and closed the zipper. The container was already covered with thick fabric for safety, so it fitted neatly inside. Then, he finally started sending the Mana from his Veil, now encompassing the whole room after the night, through the medallion, making sure to leave enough to cover the backpack to keep up the Mana saturation in the items. After checking the room one more time to make sure he didn¡¯t forget anything, it was time to leave. The staircase to the upper levels was connected to his empty living room. It was rather small, the same as every room in the strategic area, but not so much to feel cramped. The whole apartment had around forty, maybe even fifty square meters, which was more than enough for Zeph. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. After two stories worth of steps, he finally emerged in the hidden room of Kwan¡¯s headquarters ¨C the same big building that also functioned as a luxurious hotel. For now, the room was empty, but in the future, it will be used as his main office. After touching a certain spot on a wall with a bracelet on his left wrist, a nearby metal door opened silently. He was glad the giant voted against using medallions as keys, the four in Zeph possession were already becoming a hindrance. After a short walk through a few more corridors and staircases, those fully decorated in Asian-like style in reds, blacks, and silver, he entered the main hub of the ground floor. Guards in black and red populated the vast hall, which looked like a cross between a canteen and a meeting hall of the troops. It was filled with elegant tables and luxurious but sturdy armchairs. Floor lamps and potted plants put in lanes made for a cozy atmosphere despite the size of the room. A long bar occupied the wall to the right, with doors leading to kitchens behind it. A podium was set up ahead, empty as of now. A series of doorless exits took up the wall on the left, most leading to Kwan¡¯s people¡¯s quarters. Zeph ignored the compelling smells coming from the kitchens, and begrudgingly headed out through the central, largest corridor to his left, entering the more opulent part of the hotel. He wasn¡¯t going far, though. After passing a few rooms, he stopped before enormous double doors made from blueish metal. He put his wrist near a black plate on the wall, sending a little of his Mana to the bracelet, and the sliding plug doors of an oversized lift moved to the sides. The platform didn¡¯t have walls or a ceiling, only high guardrails. Metallic ropes keeping the platform up were partially hidden in the groves of four runners made from the same metal, set at the corners of the shaft. The doors closed behind him as he stepped inside. Zeph entered a code on a black plate in the far corner by switching on certain nodes, and the platform started to descend slowly. He exited into a lobby manned by Ghrughah¡¯s workers. It was decorated in the style of his own workshop ¨C oversized clockwork-like mechanisms decorated the walls, some showcased on glass-enclosed pedestals dotting the floor. Most of the furniture was made from different types of metals and glass, while the floor and walls were tiled with something reminiscent of marble. Polished surfaces reflected the warm light, adding to the very modern, Earth-wise, elegance of the place. The clerk at the counter waved him through without a word and Zeph walked down a large corridor to their right. A few security checks later, he found the workshop. Because the Blacksmith finished moving his belongings but didn¡¯t have time to sort everything out yet, the place was cluttered even more than his old workshop in the Production District. The hall was multileveled, though, and the giant choose the highest level for his current working space. Squeezing between strange machinery, stacks of materials and tools, and mechanical parts stacked up in the area was quite a challenge, so it was to nobody¡¯s surprise when a few things joined their brethren on the floor, clanging loudly from the fall, before Zeph managed to find the staircase at the end of the room. After ascending to the highest level, he was greeted by a wide smile of the Blacksmith, surely alerted by all the clamor he has made. How the giant managed to navigate this mess himself was a mystery. ¡°Good! You are just on time!¡± he guffawed. ¡°Morning. I get everything is ready?¡± he asked in anticipation, stepping up the last step. ¡°It sure is,¡± he said with pride and waved at him to get closer, turning around. ¡°Come, take a look.¡± ¡°How were the negotiations?¡± Zeph asked, coming closer. ¡°As well as you could expect. The twins agreed to work under our Head of Aeroplanning and Ingeniators Department, be it Makani or someone else. Our technology is what they were looking for all this time. They will move their workshop here, but the situation isn¡¯t that easy. Their deals aside, we don¡¯t have suitable space for aerostation or dock of any kind. Roaming Onsen Village is planted deep in a valley, after all, almost at the level of the sea.¡± Zeph stopped beside the giant, looking down at the broad table. Three metal plates the size of his hand were lying in a row. Behind them, three stone-like, cylindrical containers with liquidized metal stood on Mana-powered heaters. Glass-like cubes isolated the heated materials from the environment, while metal tubes pumped some kind of dense gas inside. The first plate was dark green in color, with silver shine reflecting the light of two lamps affixed to the mechanical arms of the workbench. The liquified sample was brown with specs of violet mixed in, producing a minimal amount of light. If the cylindrical container wasn¡¯t white-hot from the temperature, he could swear the liquified metal was barely warm. The second plate was sparkling obsidian black but after taking a closer look, Zeph could see microscopic gold spots that weren¡¯t just a reflection of the light. The material was coarse like small-grain sandpaper. He could see miniature crystalline protrusions on the surface, twinkling weakly with reflected light when observed from certain angles. The melted metal, if it was a metal at all, was still mostly black but long strands were gleaming in rich shades of purple. The last plate looked like marble. Different shades of brown, most coming very close to black, were split by yellowish cracks snaking all over the surface, giving an impression of a wild thunderstorm immortalized in stone. But its texture was strange. The canvas of brown wasn¡¯t smooth but cracked like a dry desert. Those flaky protrusions, independent of the long, yellowish traces, had a size of a nail, making the whole plate look fragile. The melted version was red-hot, shining brightly like a melted rock. ¡°Kwan and Aisha were present during negotiations?¡± he asked, glancing at the Blacksmith. ¡°Yea. Both started working on those problems already.¡± ¡°I will talk with them later, then.¡± He nodded to himself and turned back to the samples. ¡°We should focus on the issue at hand.¡± The giant nodded. ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s get to it.¡± He bent over and took out a triple beam balance from under the workbench. It was a simple weighting device with a pan and movable weights on a beam to its side, although it worked slightly differently than Earth¡¯s equivalent. ¡°It took me quite a while to work out the best additives for those alloys, not to mention the hardening and tempering methods. The differences in microstructure can be quite drastic for those three mixes.¡± Zeph nodded in understanding. Even if he wasn¡¯t learned in metallurgy, he at least knew about carbon microstructures in steel and how they changed depending on the concentration and tempering. With Mana stabilizing the matter, strange isotopes and unexpected combinations of elements were possible, making the whole affair exponentially more complicated. ¡°To be accurate and clear, I will summarize everything from the beginning.¡± ¡°As always, I will make notes,¡± Zeph smiled, opening his Interface Notebook. For a moment, Ghrughah waited for him to take out his writing instruments, until he remembered what place Zeph had visited yesterday. He cleared his throat in slight embarrassment. ¡°All of those alloys support modulation of your Soul contamination, as we decided. All require the metal from your armor to be produced, but for different reasons. The price of upgrading Phleya to work with them efficiently, before you get your contamination high enough, shouldn¡¯t be high and they all are compatible with methods the colony is using when restructuring and reshaping metals. Because I haven¡¯t found much information about Makrun, so I can only give you an estimation as to their potential compatibility with it. After fusing three of your future contaminations, you are almost guaranteed an Advanced Magicule contamination of generalized purpose.¡± Zeph nodded to himself, writing everything in real-time in his Notebook. It was a little tricky without the in-built ¡®keyboard¡¯, but he was learning fast. Makrun compatibility was a problem for later, after he found the material, but it was good Ghrughah took it into account this early. Some complications were inevitable if the material was sure to not work with it. The toughest nuts to crack were the future contaminations that would result from fusing his Alloy contamination, any of the others in his possession, and the new, modulated one. They were planning for the far future, but Zeph wanted to make sure his contamination would be able to support his Generalist Class as much as possible. ¡®Contaminations of generalized purpose¡¯ were hard to find and plan for correctly, mostly because nobody used them. Their compatibility with matter was vast in scope, limited more by certain physical properties, but also much weaker. Specialization was pursued for a reason. ¡°The first one is named Adatium-BX276 by the System,¡± the Blacksmith said, gesturing at the greenish metal plate. ¡°Let¡¯s start with compatibility tests first,¡± Zeph declared. The giant nodded and placed the plate on the scales. Zeph knew what to do because they repeated this procedure many times in the last weeks. He saturated the plate with Mana, waiting until the amount of Alloy-Magicules from his contamination stopped increasing. Then, using his Willpower to move his Mana, he tried to lift the plate up alongside it. The far side of the balance¡¯s beam twitched downwards, wobbling up and down for half a second, before stabilizing and steadily climbing back up as Zeph¡¯s Mana either escaped from the top of the plate or dissipated after colliding with its matter, escaping his control. This was a basic example of manual matter manipulation. From what Zeph understood, because his Alloy-Magicules were partially compatible with the material, they could fit in between its atomic structure, forming something similar to a chemical bond with the atoms. It was, of course, more complicated, as Magicules were just micro-constructs of Mana that burned their energy by generating certain forces, but it was a good enough explanation. Of course, the strength of the ¡®bonds¡¯ was much weaker than actual chemical bonds, thus they snapped easily when he tried to move the Magicules, producing only a weak force and either escaping the material¡ªas the compatibility with the material minimized the interactions with the atoms themselves¡ªor disconnected from him and dissipated by interacting with atoms and other Mana inside. It was important to note, that a reverse interaction was much more effective. Because Mana¡¯s mass was so small, the weak bonds were actually enough to keep it in place even when the object was moved. Primitive enchanting worked in a similar fashion but by forcing the material to accommodate the Mana flow and Magicules. On the other hand, levitating and freely reshaping a material with Mana was probably impossible. Nonetheless, it was a prelude to manual matter manipulation that Ghrughah was a master of. If instead of trying to move all his Magicules upwards, Zeph concentrated them at the top layer of the plate and moved them around in a circle, the plate would bend because of the difference in ¡®virtual density¡¯ such action generated, just as if he was heating the bottom and cooling the top. It was a technique Ghrughah masterfully presented during the aircraft presentation. Such actions, of changing internal properties of matter, were much easier to trigger. Without some kind of telekinetic Spells, Magicules, or Skills¡ªbasically, anything that could produce directed forces¡ªit was hard to influence matter in meaningful ways. Of course, Zeph''s Space-mana and Telekinetic Spell would help in the future, but he didn¡¯t have any Skills dedicated to working with solid matter like that. For the same reason, he couldn¡¯t depend on the staple method of empowering manual matter manipulation ¨C liquifying the material beforehand. To achieve that, he would need a few things. Firstly, either specialized cantrips or a very high Soul contamination of exactly the same type to produce Magicules with full material compatibility. Secondly, a second, compatible ¡®liquid¡¯-Magicule cantrip or Skill. And finally, Skills assisting in the act. The duo repeated the process five times to calculate averages, writing down the values and time of desaturation, then proceeded with Zeph changing the speed of pulling his Mana out. Next, Zeph tried to swirl the saturated, melted metal, pushing his Veil through a vent on the side. They noted the speed of the liquid, which wasn¡¯t much, and tried it again for slightly different temperatures. The process was repeated for all three alloys, then with the use of Mana-L instead of his Veil. It took them almost four Earth¡¯s hours, if Zeph wasn¡¯t mistaken. Thus, the tests were concluded. All that was left was to wait for Ghrughah to finish the calculations. For Zeph, it was finally time to decide on his future. Chapter 64 - Metal is not cool. Or, at least, not cool enough. [PS] Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.24] ~~~PS part STARTS~~~ While the Blacksmith made final calculations, Zeph relaxed on a near bench, slightly exhausted mentally. ¡°Done!¡± Ghrughah announced jovially after a few minutes. ¡°We have all necessary data.¡± Zeph stood up with a weary sigh and stepped next to him. ¡°Time to hear it out, then.¡± ¡°Adatium-BX276. Material compatibility between your Alloy contamination¡¯s Magicules and the Adatium is at 30.5%. Material compatibility with your Space contamination at 5.2%, and with Life energy at 12.5%.¡± Zeph nodded. Almost no chance of fusing resulting contamination with any secondary that I already have, and a very limited implant usability, he concluded, writing in his Notebook. ¡°Known properties are as follows. When saturated with proper Magicules, its physical durability exceeds the threshold of standardized second-stratum steel and sits at 23/10. Without saturation, it stands at a respectful 11/10, still exceeding first stratum steel. It has flexibility of around 9/10, so a good pairing. Mana-resistance relative to your old armor at only 4/10, sadly.¡± It really sounds like an adamantium, or something, Zeph nodded thoughtfully. From P¡¯pfel¡¯s explanations on materials, Zeph knew that there was only one difference between higher and lower stratum material ¨C internal structure. To be more exact, the only difference between steel and S1 steel was that the second one was produced in the presence of many more naturally-forming Steel-Magicules because of the higher ambient Mana pressure in the higher region. That influenced how atoms organized during cooling, making the S1 steel much more reactive to the presence of compatible Magicules. Its Magicule capacity was higher, too, but all that at the price of physical integrity. Certain materials, though, could become physically more durable because of this change. In extreme cases, the structural change would influence the Magicule types forming inside of the material, thus changing their properties and becoming a new material altogether. Zeph imagined that atoms were organizing in more symmetrical patterns, leaving some space for additional Magicules but also becoming more durable thanks to a crystalline-like internal framework. It was his own theory, but the fact that higher strata versions of the same material were known to be slightly lighter made it more believable in his mind. What Ghrughah called ¡®standardized second stratum steel¡¯ was represented by a score of 20. It was an S2 steel with partial, natural saturation on stratum-two. The real difference in the properties of material was hard to tell but Earth¡¯s parameters wouldn¡¯t tell him much either way, so Zeph just used common sense, assuming the steel strength kept up with Levels appropriate to the stratum. The value of 10 was an interpretation of S1 steel, naturally saturated on stratum-one. The value of zero represented the natural saturation at the surface of the planet, so, technically, on stratum-zero. On the other hand, fully saturating normal steel with compatible Magicules would strengthen it, but changing its properties only by a few points. For any mundane material, the score almost never changed by more than 5 points after saturation. That is why Adatium could be considered at least a first-stratum material. Its extreme reaction to Mana saturation was telling, but Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if the Blacksmith used Mana compression room to produce it, or if it was just in the nature of alloy itself. All of the scores, of course, were values of natural saturation on stratum-zero. If not indicated otherwise. Only Mana-resistance was presented in relation to his old armor¡¯s alloy which, by the way, sucked hard with durability of 2/10 and flexibility of 3/10. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for teeth implant or for skin-melding, but I never recommend the second option, so it¡¯s a little limited in that regard. You would definitely need to search for complementary implants at the Exchange, I am afraid. The resulting contamination should be compatible with Makrun in at least 40%, so the chances of fusing their contamination equivalents are above 70%. For the resulting Advanced contamination, those are known limits for matter compatibility,¡± he said handing him a sheet of paper. Zeph scanned the list, writing everything down in his Notebook. All high-density metals. No symmetry restrictions. Grain of less than¡­ what is this unit? he scratched his head, seeing a strange symbol. He was almost sure it was a unit of length for microscopic scales but had no idea how much it was. ¡°Can you explain this part?¡± he asked, leaning to the side and pointing at the line with his finger. ¡°Hmm? Eh, if you don¡¯t know, then don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a variable unit used in metallurgy. In this case, it means the grains have to be relatively small and their microstructure regular. Give me that for a moment, I will write it down,¡± he said, taking the page and scribing quickly before returning it. He did the same for the pages of other alloys, while Zeph was finishing reading the first one. ¡°Threshold temperature of 523 mei¡­¡± Thankfully, I already know this one. It should start somewhere around mercury¡¯s freezing point, so minus 39 Celsius, and it should be roughly 1,5 Celsius per mei¡­ Well, leaving aside Mana fucking up the results, it should be around 750 Celsius¡­ Isn¡¯t that a bit low? he noticed after a quick mental calculation. ¡°What are the alchemical properties of the alloy?¡± ¡°Melting point at around 1700 mei. Non-reactive with acids and alkalis. I should have the paper somewhere.¡± He started shuffling through the file of sheets in his hands. ¡°Leave it for later. I am just surprised the Advanced Magicule will stop operating at such low relative temperature¡­¡± The giant stopped and looked back at him, surprised a little by his ignorance. ¡°That just means the Magicule will be very sensitive to the internal structure, in this case ¨C the grain. As so, you can forget about liquifying any compatible material for manual manipulation purposes.¡± Zeph frowned, adding the information to his notes. It seemed he would have to ask some more questions later; this information was quite important. ¡°Next is Ferrum Obsidian XEF5511-256,¡± Ghrughah nodded at the black plate and purple-specked sludge, looking up from the papers he was reading from. ¡°Compatibility with your Alloy contamination is at the modulation¡¯s lower limit, 29.1%. Space contamination compatibility at 72.4%; Life energy at 41.3%. Known properties,¡± he continued without a pause, ¡°Magicule saturation greatly enhances reshaping capabilities without compromising material¡¯s strength during the process. Physical durability at 15/10, but flexibility only at 2/10. It¡¯s very brittle but has a good payoff in my opinion ¨C if you master manual matter manipulation, you can easily repair it in real-time. Relative Mana-resistance at 28/10, which is the highest I have seen for non-specialized materials on this stratum, truth to be told. Perfect material for obscure implants, like eyes, ear bones, nails, and hair. Maybe even some cartilage. Not recommended for any of the internal organs or bones, though, and you will have to pay for implementation at System¡¯s Shrine. Our implant renditions are quite primitive, so assuming your scope of entries at the Exchange is as vast as you had clued,¡±¡ªhe gave Zeph a curious look¡ª¡°you may even find more options.¡± Which he promptly ignored. Even if the Blacksmith and Kwan had their suspicions, he never confirmed that he was a Terrien, and didn¡¯t plan to do so. They already knew too much and had their guesses, which already was hazardous for his well-being. Shrugging, the Blacksmith handed him another sheet of paper. ¡°Compatibility with Makrun unknown. Here, the Advanced contamination properties.¡± Zeph quickly read the limits of the potential Magicules. Any amorphous material, but also supports liquid crystal states and powdered crystals¡­ It¡¯s somehow vague, but I guess it makes sense. The matter cannot be fully organized, though. It may be a problem. Or not? It should work with non-Newtonian fluids, I think. THAT would be an upgrade to the armor¡¯s strength¡­ The maximum size of any organized structures inside is also determined by the internal disorder, so it would require intensive material testing¡­ Hmmm, the temperature doesn¡¯t matter here, too. It had alchemical properties similar to Adatium, but its melting point sat at around 900 mei. ¡°That¡¯s kind of impressive. If I wouldn¡¯t be at risk of having shattered parts of the armor piercing my body, that is¡­¡± Ghrughah shrugged. ¡°I tested that. The structure of your old armor and the Phleya inside will not allow for that to just happen casually. If my tests are any indicator, the armor as a whole will be quite flexible and robust, I would even give it a score of 11/10 for flexibility if it was just an alloy. Yes, you would lose a lot of material in every battle, as the outer layer will break off, but it would be mitigated by the speed of the armor¡¯s regeneration. Not only can you mitigate the loss with manual matter manipulation; Phleya would have a very easy time reshaping it back and finding basic components. Well¡­ except for the Alloy clusters ¨C you will have to regularly resupply that material. The remains of your armor should suffice for some time, especially if I smelt it whole into ready-to-use Ferrum Obsidian ingots. As the material surrounding those metal clusters has sky-high Mana-resistance, the decay of that instable molecule would be minimal. Not to mention, after working with it for so long, I actually managed to invent a method of extracting and securing this molecule. It¡¯s at the beginning stages, but I plan to develop it either way.¡± It¡¯s an element, not a molecule, my friend, Zeph thought idly, but his focus was somewhere else. That alloy presented him more possibilities than any they tested before. But it was also a high-risk high-gain type. It wasn¡¯t really compatible with metals. After he sorted the new information in his head, he wrote everything down in his Interface. The giant waited patiently. ¡°That was a lot of information¡­¡± Zeph murmured after finishing. ¡°Okay, the last one?¡± ¡°The last one is¡­ a little problematic, even if powerful. There is much to it,¡± the Blacksmith said, putting the papers down to stroke his beard. ¡°It¡¯s called Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65. It¡¯s made in great part from biological matter, which complicates things a lot. A big part of the production process requires advanced alchemy. Making more of it is a pain in the butt¡­ but theoretically, it doesn¡¯t need the molecule from the alloy of your armor. It can be replaced by almost any metal, it all depends on where you want to direct your contamination in the future. We had to start with the alloy¡¯s one to modulate your existing contamination, but later on, you can easily transform that contamination to something else. For the same reason, it has quite a potential to work with the Makrun,¡± he started explaining. ¡°Did you check the parameters of other possible contaminations it could give me after fusion?¡± Zeph asked curiously. ¡°No. You will have a lot of time, later on, to ponder the problem. We have to wait for the modulation to finish, first.¡± Zeph nodded, gesturing for him to continue. ¡°Because the amount of the molecule from your alloy is modifiable, I have set the concentration to the highest possible value for modulation, so it¡¯s compatible with your contamination in 32.9%. It¡¯s compatible with your¡­ esoteric contamination¡­¡± the Blacksmith paused there for a second, glancing at Zeph, who just shook his head. This secret won¡¯t be slipping from his mouth. Ever. Ghrughah grunted in displeasure before continuing. ¡°It sits at 20.1%. On the average. Some parts display more than 80% compatibility, while most of its mass has below 2%.¡± That shocked Zeph a little. It would be the first material truly compatible with Will-Mana. He couldn¡¯t fathom what that even meant for the material. Did it have the potential to produce Will by itself? Could it start thinking? Processing data? It didn¡¯t make any sense. But one thing was definitely worrying. ¡°If it¡¯s above 80%... That would mean the symmetry group is the same, right?¡± he asked with dread. ¡°Yes. And indeed, it has the potential to transform your strange contamination into its own type,¡± Ghrughah admitted. ¡°We don¡¯t know if other requirements for transformation are fulfilled, though. You would need a small implant to test it ¨C if your Interface won¡¯t give you a warning after two days, we should be safe.¡± That made him breathe out with relief. Changing his contamination could have even deadly consequences because of his Willforce Morphon full-body enhancement. But if it could be tested this fast, he didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°Continuing. Life energy compatibility at a staggering 91.8%. It¡¯s high, even for biological material. You can use it for manual manipulation early on, although it won¡¯t be as good without a proper material-selective Magicule. It will cause some internal damage for sure. It would do in a crisis, though, and the damage can be mended by Phleya. Physical durability at 16/10 for forces perpendicular to its planar surfaces, and 3/10 for other directions. Flexibility at 17/10, the highest of the lot. Relative Mana-resistance at 15/10 raises to 23/10 when saturated with life energy, which comes with the type of material. Now, the fun part,¡± he said, crossing his arms and looking at Zeph seriously. ¡°It can be used to enhance almost every part of your body, assuming you don¡¯t overdo it. Similar to previous samples, I tested it on some animals with Pavail. She was diagnosing them for me but¡­ I think she also tried some strange healing because the results weren¡¯t exactly repeatable¡­¡± he said thoughtfully, scratching his bald head. ¡°Well, whatever. We have found out that the material works best as a small enhancement to the neural and cardiovascular systems, by wrapping the nerves and veins with a mesh-like enclosing. It could also work as additional struts or ridges inside your bones¡­ Umm, placing them on the surface of bones was a sight to behold,¡± he said grimly, ¡°I have never thought bones can shatter so explosively¡­¡± ¡°Okay, okay, you can stop,¡± Zeph intervened. ¡°I am sure I will hear all about it from Pavail, but spare me the details for now.¡± ¡°Right¡­ where was I? Ah, yes. Sadly, except for bone implants, you would have to pay at the Shrine for the implementation. And you should check if other implants aren¡¯t available there, too.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°So¡­ All of them require implementation by the System? Well, I mean the better options, at least. You are counting a little too much on my entries in the Exchange, I think.¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t check, but I can tell from experience that our experiments on animals should count as a full-fledged prototype. It should be enough for the entries to unlock. You just need to learn the details from us. But those experiments are also proof that we won¡¯t be able to implement them properly, even if we know what we want to achieve. Although, the results would probably be quite hilarious if you allowed us to try, HA!¡± The big palm of the giant almost left Zeph breathless after he slapped his back. ¡°The material is also quite weak against strong acids and alkalis. It shouldn¡¯t give immediately, but its properties will deteriorate fast. Also, it melts at around 500 mei, but it can be mitigated by its thermal conductivity ¨C with Phleya, it will be out of the charts. As for the properties of future Advanced contamination¡­¡± he continued, handing him another piece of paper. ¡°The limits are somewhat vague.¡± They are, indeed, Zeph thought, reading the short note. Crystal compatibility, with unknown restrictions. Unknown metal compatibility, but guaranteed. Enhanced interactions with ¡®life energy¡¯ and biological matter¡­ Nothing useful, information-wise. It should be the most universal from the lot, though. ¡°We really need to talk about the specifics of each one¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that our contract covers only one of the materials,¡± Ghrughah grumbled. ¡°I am trying to minimize the information I am giving, you know? It¡¯s all my work. Buy it or leave it. You have to choose one before I can talk further.¡± ¡°I meant it more in the context of general knowledge, old man,¡± Zeph waved him off. ¡°I don¡¯t think I understand all possible consequences yet¡­¡± ~~~PS part ENDS~~~ For the next few hours, Zeph continued asking questions to get a better grip on what was to come. Sadly, crafting three armors at once was out of the question. Firstly, his Alloy contamination was barely above 5%. They could modulate from it only one other contamination to above the threshold of 2%. This meant the special properties of the second armor would be wasted. Of course, those were first-class materials, but they were prepared specifically for modulation of his contamination. Better and cheaper alternatives existed if he just wanted a second good armor, although the logistics of bringing it into the wilderness, just in case he would need it, would be a headache, to put it mildly. The second reason was the price itself. Even one suit of armor with a set of implants would make him indebted to Ghrughah for a year or two, even including the knowledge exchange as a payment method. That was because monetary costs couldn¡¯t just be ignored altogether. He theoretically still had a quarter of a million gold ¨C actually a lot less now ¨C but most of that would go into his laboratory and other important expenses. Until the first of his projects starts to pay off, he was grounded in that regard. Even if his deal with Kwan would guarantee him an income in the future, the coming Duel frenzy took most of their attention. He didn¡¯t have time for research, while Kwan had limited room for production and commence. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Guild or not, they were keeping the trade fair between departments. Zeph was proud. Of course, Ghrughah would make sure additional padding, framework, or plating ¨C made from suitable materials ¨C would be added to an armor as needed. Multilayered material would have its own weaknesses and be impractical both on-field and for repairs. But thanks to the level of complexity of the armor¡¯s structure, certain parts and sections could be replaced by something more fitting. Soon enough, he finished making a summary in his Interface. He looked at it critically, once more evaluating the three.
Adatium-BX276 Ferrum Obsidian XEF5511-256 Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65
Material compatibility with Magicules.
Material compatibility with primary contamination (Iron Isotope Alloy type: ZW1): 30.5% 29.1% [MIN] 32.9% [MAX]
Effect ¨C speed of modulation: medium slowest possible fastest possible
Material compatibility with secondary contamination: Space type: B5001 5.2% Makrun > 40% Space type: B5001 72.4% Makrun < 2% Will type: H1 20.1% average [~2% to > 80%] Makrun ??%
Effect ¨C contamination fusing prospects: lower medium high high
Mana-L (life energy) compatibility: 12.5% 41.3% 91.8%
Effect ¨C implant usability: low [Requires Exchange purchase] higher medium unlimited
Possible implants: [¡®Ex¡¯ ¨C Implementable only by the System] Teeth; Purchased [Ex]; Eyes [Ex]; Ear bones; Nails; Hair [Ex]; Cartilage [Ex]; Purchased [Ex]; BEST: Neural system [Ex]; Cardiovascular system [Ex]; Bone internal structure;
Effect ¨C UP cost: sky-high medium to high low to high
Physical properties
Durability: [vs 10 of a higher (first) stratum steel] 11 (23) 15 perpendicular 16 others 3
Flexibility: [vs 10 of a higher (first) stratum steel] 9 2 (11) 17
Mana-resistance: [vs 10 of his old armor¡¯s] 4 28 15 (23)
On-field restoration: medium critically high Low [?]
Resulting contamination saturation effect: Durability: 11 -> 23 Reshaping greatly enhanced. Unknown, but life energy saturation: Mana-resistance 16 -> 23 and reshaping highly enhanced;
Description: Easy to produce and repair. Component materials hard to find and replace by Phleya. Very brittle, but armor¡¯s structure and the easiness of mending and repairing compensates (effective flexibility 2 -> 11). Component materials easy to find and even easier to replace by Phleya. Requires alchemy to produce. The instable Iron isotope inside can be replaced, easily [transforming] the resulting contamination. Unknown effects of resulting contamination. Unknown compatibility with Makrun.
Alchemical properties
Acid resistance: invulnerable very high lower high
Alkali resistance: invulnerable invulnerable high
Melting point: 1700 mei (~2600¡ãC) 900 mei (~1400¡ãC) 500 mei (800¡ãC)
Description: Impossible to liquify for manual matter manipulation purposes. Manual matter manipulation greatly enhanced. Thermal conductivity very high (synergy with Phleya).
Advanced contamination theoretical Material compatibility.
Materials: 1) high-density metals 1) amorphous materials 2) liquid crystal 3) non-Newtonian fluids (?) 1) crystal 2) metal 3) biological matter
Limiting factors: 1) medium 1) small 2) high 3) unknown 1) unknown 2) unknown 3) unknown
Final conclusions
Strengths: Best for physical armor. Makrun compatibility. Best for magical armor. Highest versatility of material properties. Best for implants. Potential Makrun compatibility. Highest versatility of material types.
Weaknesses: Restricted versatility. High maintenance cost. Many unknowns Requires additional plating.
He grimaced. Those two options are too good... Shit, now I want more Alloy contamination! He slumped a little, knowing didn¡¯t have that option. Chapter 65 - Lets take a closer look and finally do something! [S] Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.24] It wasn¡¯t an easy choice at all. Because he wanted to prepare early for the future acquisition of an Advanced Magicule contamination, as it was the only way to not waste his Alloy contamination when he finally finds Makrun meant to replace the Earth¡¯s material in Source Net and Gru, this choice wasn¡¯t just about strengths and weaknesses of the materials. Or how the armor would impact his fighting style. It was about his future and development. After thinking about it for a moment, Zeph decided that the implants had the biggest impact on his near and far future. A few different methods of acquiring a contamination existed but implants, or body modifications in general, were the most permanent and influential. An implant caused Soul contamination, that contamination produced Magicules, Magicules determined what implants his body could accept, and thus the first feedback loop ended. To achieve higher contamination levels, he would need certain body upgrades to fuel and survive such a change, that¡¯s how the second feedback loop started. He could take any mechanical implant he wanted, theoretically. In reality, the choice was somewhat impaired by his current Soul contamination ¨C some implants wouldn¡¯t work in certain Magicule environments, some body upgrades would become obsolete, and certain combinations of Magicules could wreak havoc in his body. Also, with the future ¡®generalized purpose contamination¡¯, taking a wrong implant would not only be a waste of UP but also could actually harm his prospects. On the other hand, if he played for the future contamination only, he would not only have a wholly compatible body beforehand but also would gain a chance to upgrade the old implants for better versions without paying much UP. ¡®What he wanted to become?¡¯ was the most important question here. Some body upgrades were expected, some even inevitable, if he wanted to be able to survive in the highest Mana densities. PE and Mana manipulation could support him only that far. One thing was for sure ¨C he refused to follow the way of Energy. Most people were ending up replacing parts of their bodies¡¯ physical functionality with Mana constructs ¨C the Energy Enhancements. It was the easiest way to adapt to higher Mana density, but also one with a sad side effect ¨C gaining dependency on ambient Mana density. But Zeph would never abandon his immunity to Manaless environments. It was a must-have in order to travel beyond Mana-inflicted worlds, after all. Most implants were more dependent on Mana generation but he had to be careful there too. But other body upgrades, especially the genetic ones¡­ Zeph wasn¡¯t sure how far he would dare to stray from being a human. It wasn¡¯t just a question of sentimentality or psychological comfort; the change could very well get rid of his race Traits. Maybe even influence the unique Will all Earth¡¯s humans possessed. He definitely needed more information before even thinking of getting an upgrade of this type. The current dilemma was difficult for a similar reason. Zeph lacked information about all the consequences of his choice. Adatium had the potential to make him a metal-specialized Manacaster and crafter. Even if he stayed with the Generalist Class or its derivate, his implants and contamination would give him a big boost in that regard. It would also mean his overall mass would raise, even if only because of implants or upgrades he would have to take before fusing the contaminations. His body would probably become more durable, too. But to use his body properly, he would have to invest more in Power, especially if he wanted to keep his momentum-and-inertia fighting style. Being stationary, no matter how durable, was just asking for trouble. The only truly interesting property of the material¡ªand the following combination of contaminations¡ªwas compatibility with the Makrun. But it was merely a saving grace ¨C the main reason the material was even worked out by the Blacksmith. I would have to compensate for a lot¡­ mobility, Mana defenses, strengthening my whole body to support heavy implants¡­ Yea, it would be bothersome. All that for being incredibly tanky and having some crafting opportunities. Sounds like a bad idea. He mentally crossed out Adatium from his option list. It had some potential, but it would lead him to a tight corner later on. At least from what he could understand. Ghrughah was quite powerful with a similar ¡®build¡¯, but the giant¡¯s physique negated some of the problems by itself. PE could only enhance what already existed physically, so he would have to balance his body by himself. The Obsydian-ish material was more interesting. He would, most probably, be able to implement all kinds of esoteric physical effects to strengthen his gear. The cost of resupplying the material would be high but paled in comparison to the armor¡¯s versatility. An ability of fast regeneration and enhanced reshaping were the most suitable properties in a survival environment, playing greatly into what he needed and wanted to do in the future. Most of the initial implants included strengthening three of his senses, which synergized neatly with the survival application of the armor. In the future, he could become a Manacaster with vast and very unpredictable affinities. Amorphous materials, liquified matter, even crystals¡­ when it comes to Earth¡¯s physical science, this one probably had the best potential. His gear, implants, and contamination would cover both the physical and Mana-related defenses, additionally guaranteeing fast recovery rates. A very versatile ¡®build¡¯. Not to mention, his Space/life contamination would be finally put to good use and rise once again. He had huge hopes for it, as it worked well with Shaman¡¯s Spells and Skills. On the other hand, though¡­ the material wouldn¡¯t work with Makrun at all, meaning he would have to balance the two very different sets of body upgrades and contaminations. The first one would be responsible for the most fundamental ability in this world ¨C internal Mana manipulation from the Makrun-driven Source Net; and the second one for his survivability. And the two would certainly not like each other, maybe even restricting body upgrades¡¯ options. The second problem was in the dependency on the instable isotope. That should change after fusion, of course, but until then, he would need to make sure to have the necessary materials on himself at all times. Thankfully, even if he was left with no repair materials, he should have a few weeks before his armor stopped working, and probably a few months before he could no longer use its parts for modulation. That reminded him of Makani¡¯s arrival. He was a little irritated by the long wait, because without learning the ¡®proper¡¯ way of ¡®Ambient Mana channeling¡¯ he wouldn¡¯t be able to supplement the modulation with external Magicules that would form in the armor. The cursed Skill was still at level 99, but he didn¡¯t have a month to read from it to try learning that way. He really hoped getting a hang of it would come easy after some explanations. The last option, the Fullerene complex, was headache-including. Ghrughah didn¡¯t joke when he said it was a problematic one ¨C besides being a mystery on many fronts, it was a highly specialized material. It would do for a decent armor, but despite theoretically higher scoring in physical properties, it would actually be worse than the Obsidian armor. Its high flexibility meant nothing besides minimally better maneuverability. Its Mana-resistance was decent, but the small vulnerability to acids and alkali was a huge weakness in his book. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about temperatures ¨C with Phleya inside and his Class specification, it would just give him more opportunities for training energy transfer and transformation techniques. As a result, he would have to make sure to learn how to use the armor properly. The blow could easily come at an angle that could effortlessly break armor¡¯s scales ¨C like a straight hit just nicking his shoulder, as it would come at an angle almost parallel to the armor¡¯s surface. Additional plating was a necessity, as well as training on how to use it efficiently. Worse yet, none of his companions was a specialist in using such gear. Even Ghrughah wasn¡¯t sure where to put the plating for optimal usage. He would have to find someone proficient in using armors to help them. As for what it brought for the future, it was the best choice. The biological nature of the material resulted in implant compatibility so high, they would become more of biological implants than mechanical. The balance between different sets of implants wouldn¡¯t matter ¨C he could modify a part of it to work with Makrun while still keeping the basic composition the same. Of course, full compatibility wasn¡¯t assured, but he just needed to make sure the different sets of implants and contaminations weren¡¯t interfering with each other. This versatility also translated into his future Advanced contamination. He could even abuse his Alloy contamination to raise a few more modulated contaminations, all rooted in the Fullerene, effectively excluding the Alloy from the fusion without wasting it and widening his prospects by an unprecedented margin. Well¡­ the margin limited to very specific metals and crystals. He wasn¡¯t deluding himself in that regard. The material had a potential to work with any metal or crystalline superstructure, but not with all of them at once. He would have to choose the ones that worked best for him, limiting the scope of Advanced contamination¡¯s Magicules usability. Or maybe not. If it really is a universal material¡­ what if I concentrate on its pure form, the fundamental superstructure? He mused, stroking his beard. Its ¡®Advanced contamination¡¯ should preserve some of its universal properties, right? He closed the Interface and turned to Ghrughah. ¡°In the future, is it possible to use Fullerene basic structure in fusion?¡± he asked without preamble. ¡°No, if you want to have any compatibility with metals. Its basic form is just a biological material, overly compatible with crystals, but nothing more. It¡¯s the reason I never proposed such a version for modulation ¨C it just can¡¯t be done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem¡­ If the contamination could keep its metal-bonding properties¡­ Didn¡¯t you find any variant that could at least be close to that?¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°No, but you forgot about something. I have no idea how your esoteric contamination can influence the ¡®alloy¡¯. Double so for the properties of the Advanced contamination ¨C it should inherit that property in some way,¡± the Blacksmith crossed his arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I can understand. But without even basic information, don¡¯t expect me to work out all the possibilities. It could as well be the answer to your dilemma. Or something different altogether. You will have to test it by yourself.¡± ¡°You mad?¡± Zeph also crossed his arms, too. ¡°I have all the right to keep it to myself. Don¡¯t try to play me with what theoretically you could infer from this information.¡± The giant sighed, slumping forward. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I will help wherever needed until you trust me enough. But I refuse to work without the necessary knowledge.¡± He looked at Zeph with a serious face. ¡°Next time you come to me for help, you will have to uncover everything. Wandering in the dark does nothing for me. Also, any tutelage outside of our deal will cost you. Don¡¯t expect me to work for free. Any questions about that material¡¯s variants will be considered as such until you explain everything.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Zeph nodded, relaxing slightly. ¡°How much time do you need to make armor from Ferrum Obsidian and Planaria Ferrium Fullerene?¡± ¡°Two days both. I¡¯ve already prepared my equipment to work efficiently on the parts.¡± ¡°Well, we need to see if the Fullerene is safe, first. A shame it came out only now¡­¡± One could say many things about Ghrughah, but the old geezer was good at reading people. Too good, even. He immediately caught up the meaning behind Zeph¡¯s words. ¡°If you are ready for a more¡­ painful experience, we can try testing the Fullerene in hours instead of days, you know?¡± the Blacksmith said hesitantly. Zeph glanced at his neutral face, knowing full well that it was as much a warning as a proposition. ¡°Self-harm¡­¡± he guessed from Blacksmith¡¯s reaction. ¡°What are possible consequences of it? Also, we do have access to quite overpowered anesthetics, don¡¯t we?¡± Ghrughah shook his head, avoiding eye contact. ¡°The pain would come later, nothing an anesthetic can help with. Also, you need to be conscious to see the Interface report, so putting you into a prolonged slumber is not an option. The method¡­¡± he sighed heavily, evidently not liking the idea. ¡°The method would require us to replace a big part of your skull. It¡¯s the easiest bone to switch back, and according to Pavail¡¯s experiments, the only safe method of forcing a fast Soul reaction to the presence of the Fullerene implant.¡± The giant looked down at him, trying to read his face. ¡°It isn¡¯t risky in itself. But the pain is something else¡­ some of the animals killed themselves shortly after waking up. It would be a traumatic experience, and there is a high risk of Soul-wounding yourself if you are not ready for it. Which, as you should already know, will also put me and Pavail in jeopardy. Are you really that short on time? You just need to wait for two days before the final decision.¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not that desperate,¡± Zeph shook his head vehemently. He still wasn¡¯t keen on testing his pain tolerance just for knowledge¡¯s sake, and the procedure could as well incapacitate him for a day or two, rendering the whole affair pointless. ¡°We have eight days before the New Year¡­ The four days left after you finish the armor aren¡¯t enough for a meaningful trip into the wilderness,¡± he concluded depressingly, mumbling to himself. He really wanted to see the New Year¡¯s celebrations, so there was no other way, it seemed. ¡°I guess, I will have to leave the trip for next year,¡± he sighed in resignation. He scratched his cheek, reorganizing his schedule accordingly. The next minute, he spent thinking about his two options. ¡°Hmmm¡­ There is one thing I can do to simplify the problem¡­ What would be the price for crafting information of both materials? Adatium isn¡¯t cutting it.¡± Ghrughah nodded in approval. ¡°Checking what implants are available at the Exchange is not a bad idea. Those two materials aren¡¯t exactly useful for the same upgrades, though.¡± Zeph waved him off. ¡°I just want to see how they measure against options I already have. Comparing them directly is a little beside the point. But I don¡¯t want to finish with subpar implants just because I had to use a version utilizing our material.¡± The Blacksmith¡¯s brow raised. ¡°I may have underestimated what you have access to¡­ a little. If you want production methods and information for both, I will just ask for one major invention. Something on the level of that aerocraft. It would be nice if it touched upon Biology.¡± ¡°Can do. Okay, show me the details, and let¡¯s deal with the testing implant.¡± Zeph was given two metal suitcases containing all necessary data about the two materials, and a file of documents detailing the known properties of all three. A cost summary was also included, so Zeph read it while waiting for the giant as he cleaned the workbench and secured the samples. Zeph grimaced after seeing the numbers. That amount of money would put him in Blacksmith¡¯s debt for at least two years. A staggering 700 000 gold for all of Ghrughah¡¯s work until now, which amounted to only three selected alloys in the end. No wonder almost no one used similar methods to direct their contaminations¡¯ development, research was a money sink. And the giant took almost nothing for his labor and expertise. It was all the cost of component materials, Mana, and constructing necessary devices. The armor itself would cost either around 400 000 gold if made from the Obsidian, or around 600 000 if he chose the Fullerene. The prices of possible implants fluctuated wildly but were never lower than 50 000 gold. Even if I buy all the implants at the Exchange, it would still be more than one million gold¡­ I was prepared mentally, but seeing the bill is just depressing, he sighed depressingly once more. All because of the poor logistics, too. Those component materials should cost two orders of magnitude less, but, of course, no one is mass-producing them. Ugh¡­ the rare carbon-based ones are the worst¡­ He looked away with disgust. He would need to make sure their Guild¡¯s resource gathering wouldn¡¯t end up like this. Hmmm, it would indeed be around two years. Assuming half of my inventions would sell well, and taking into account Kwan¡¯s statistical data on the market prices, I would need to create at least eight products. Kwan¡¯s people are already recreating the LEDs and batteries, and mercenaries¡¯ groups are interested in them, so that¡¯s one less venture. Well, we don¡¯t have materials to create long-lasting battery models yet, but it should be enough for now¡­ he mused, trying to estimate how much time he would need to invest in his research. The deal he made with Kwan in North Tarak stated that every three months she had to release one of his inventions. If only he could convince her to speed up the schedule, he would be able to acquire the sum much faster. She wouldn¡¯t earn much from it, though. It won¡¯t be easy, he sighed once again. But the toy plane would make for a perfect arcade machine in her entertainment center¡­ Not sure how much money that would produce, though¡­ He decided to consult Aisha and Kwan soon. It was hard to estimate his future revenue, even with the statistical data. ¡°Do you know what kind of testing implant you want? Replacing the last bone of your foot¡¯s toe should do the trick,¡± the Blacksmith suddenly said, only melted Fullerene visible on the workbench. ¡°I am not sure,¡± Zeph answered truthfully. ¡°Isn¡¯t there an easy one that could also be functional?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tall order with how fragile the material can be. Normally, I would suggest replacing a fingernail, but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you reminded me of something! Can you make a needle from it?¡± ¡°Eh, not really. Because of its planar structure, the best I could do is layering it upward. Bending is heavily restricted, you see. Otherwise, I would have proposed cylindrical substructures to replace armor¡¯s scales to get rid of its weakness to non-perpendicular forces. The needle would break apart as soon as you put any force to its side.¡± A shame¡­ Though, I am sure P¡¯pfel finished upgrading my under-nail micro-explosives, so it was a redundant idea anyway¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care, then. Even an eyelid needs lateral durability.¡± He shrugged. ¡°A small bone it is, then,¡± the giant concluded, walking away to find the necessary tools. It didn¡¯t take even an hour to finish the small bone implant. The material was already melted, so Ghrughah just made a small mold and quickly hardened and tempered the small piece of the ¡®alloy¡¯, his Skills working overtime to speed up necessary steps. For such a small sample, though, it wasn¡¯t even straining for him. Although, he used up quite an amount of unknown substances to isolate it from the air at each step. At least Zeph now had a confirmation that it wasn¡¯t a higher-stratum material. The process was almost alien for Zeph, even if he knew how hardening and tempering of steel should look like. It looked more like a chemical treatment than a thermal one, and there were much too many steps. He was also wondering how in hell the carbon fullerene complexes stayed intact. Were they reformed when the material was cooling down, or what? He was sure that the fullerene structure should just fall apart when the material melted. Though, the answer was probably in one of his suitcases. The final product would have to be ground into a proper shape later on but Pavail had to scan Zeph¡¯s bones first to make sure it wouldn¡¯t cause problems. The Blacksmith quickly cooled down the rest of the ¡®alloy¡¯, hid all of the samples deeper in the workshop, and returned with something suspiciously similar to an oversized toolbox. Zeph followed after him without a word. On the ground level of the hall, Ghrughah surprised him by opening a hidden door right next to the staircase. Tapping a wall was all he had to do. ¡°Next time, try service corridors instead of public ones,¡± he said, laughing slightly. ¡°Just ask the clerk in the lobby.¡± ¡°You should have told me earlier,¡± Zeph replied grumpily. ¡°They were finished yesterday,¡± he said more seriously, stepping inside. The door closed behind them without a sound. Bare, metallic walls were lighted dimly by a blue light coming from indentations in the ceiling. Even the omnipresent pipes were absent here. Similar to the rest of the floor, the corridor was big enough to comfortably accommodate the giant. A few turns later, they found a staircase and started ascending. After a few minutes, they entered the backroom of the Production and Security Management office located at the first basement level. The employees greeted them shortly but otherwise ignored their presence. The office wasn¡¯t anything interesting ¨C just stacks of records neatly arranged on the shelves and four people fighting with the paperwork. Beside the clockwork-like decorations on the walls, the decor, furniture, and employees¡¯ uniforms were all kept in the style of Kwan¡¯s hotel. It was the official face of the Department, after all. Zeph left the two metal suitcases in the hands of one of the people. They would deliver them to his quarters later. Because the documents were classified as ¡®top secret¡¯, he couldn¡¯t just take them outside the hotel¡¯s basement area. The duo moved quickly through the building. A short explanation to one of Kwan¡¯s people manning an internal checkpoint near the hotel¡¯s exit was enough to call a carriage to get to P¡¯pfel¡¯s and Zeph¡¯s aboveground laboratories. The snow powder storm was long gone but the temperature dropped even lower ¨C they weren¡¯t keen on going there by foot. They retrieved their winter clothes from the hotel¡¯s cloakroom and, after a quick ride, entered the building. Noting was giving away the ongoing underground construction of their true laboratories. The place was in the exact same state he saw when moving in. The familiar way-too-thick walls of the entrance greeted him. The foyer was changed into a guarded security checkpoint, and this time they had to show their amulets and answer a few questions for verification purposes. It was only natural, as with one checkpoint, it would be much easier to sneak into this building. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if true illusions were a thing, but changing one¡¯s facial features wasn¡¯t a big deal even on Earth ¨C a little bit of silicone and any face could be handcrafted. They used a spiral staircase, made from metal plates and set at the corner of the room. It was a new addition to the internal structure of the building, a necessary one. This time Ghrughah had to be much more mindful of his movements ¨C the building wasn¡¯t scaled up for him. After a short trip through the main hallway on the second floor, they found themselves in Zeph¡¯s Department¡¯s laboratory. A weak scent of old and rotten meat greeted them. Zeph could even recognize a characteristic smell of small, furred animals mixing with it. The hall didn¡¯t have the best ventilation, he knew, but it was becoming unpleasant. Pavail was in the middle of slicing through a dead rake, evidently using her Skills while operating on the corpse. It was easily recognizable by the look of utter concentration on her face. They waited for her to finish and a minute later, she straightened up and looked in their direction. ¡°Zeeeeph,¡± she called weakly, looking at him with pleading, wet eyes. ¡°This place is getting reaaaally unsanitary¡­ it isn¡¯t good!¡± Chapter 66 - Fingers crossed that it will work as intended. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.24] As they waited for Pavail to finish whatever she was doing, Zeph looked around a little, finding the source of the unpleasant, musky scent mixing with other odors in the hall. The first thing Pavail asked for was a small rake hive, and rightly so. If they were to work on magical healing, test subjects were a necessity. She actually didn¡¯t care for the type of animal, but Zeph knew a hive would be the most stable source for replicable experimentation, so he just paid a local farm to regularly send a certain number of the critters. They even had a ¡®small¡¯ multileveled terrarium taking four meters of the far part of the right wall. Well, by Earth¡¯s standards, it wasn¡¯t small at all. But the construct was only one meter thick so it could contain at most thirty rakes at one time. All were very old so at least there wasn¡¯t much movement that could distract him or Pavail during work. A few more workbenches dotted the half-empty laboratory. The enchanting station provided by P¡¯pfel had its own corner to the right of the entrance and was surrounded by cabinets, shelves, and a closet provided by Kwan. Most of their equipment, reagents, and materials were neatly stacked inside of those, but Pavail also had her own storage near her workbenches by the left wall. She took a diagonally opposite corner than the Enchanting station, mostly because her medical supplies were better kept away from dangerous substances. After a minute of observing the rakes wandering about in the terrarium, Pavail finally looked up from her work and turned to them. ¡°Zeeeeph,¡± she called weakly, looking at him with pleading, wet eyes. ¡°This place is getting reaaaally unsanitary¡­ it isn¡¯t good!¡± The scene was disturbingly akin to a confined lab worker of some illegal laboratory begging her boss for better work conditions. The dark circles under her eyes supported that impression quite persuasively, too. Zeph shook his head to get rid of the strange impression. ¡°Huh, I thought you had it under control?¡± he asked involuntarily while looking around once more. He couldn¡¯t understand what she talked about for a moment but when he spotted it, he couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier. The floor around her operating table was clean but showed stains of blood ¨C probably some residue of the fluid that managed to fill the apertures in the porous stone, impossible to remove without strong detergents or an acid. Crouching down, he noticed small, dried-out crumbs of meat and even small fragments of bones on the floor. Then, he looked at the ceiling and walls above her workbench, sitting right beside the ¡®butcher table¡¯ that was in the very corner of the room. The place looked like a neglected kitchen. Multicolored stains decorated the surfaces, probably the results of using chemicals¡­ or rather, boiling the chemicals on low fire for hours on end just below them. He ignored the unidentified sludge accompanying those stains. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were of biological origin or just the testament of her efforts to clean the walls. His face constricted more and more with each new realization. They never hired someone to clean the laboratory. Everything was on Pavail¡¯s shoulders. On the shoulders of an overworked, clumsy, research-focused, unexpected girl. A recipe for disaster. Also, it seemed that Zeph had forgotten how tedious cleaning the laboratory after himself was. The last time he experienced it was during his studies, years ago. They needed an assistant. Badly. ¡°Ugh¡­ this is embarrassing,¡± he said, covering his face while still squatting. ¡°I am really sorry, Pavail. I will do something about it as soon as¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± the giant interjected after assessing the room. ¡°The second one will be ready in three days. It would actually be quite convincing if you left this place in this state¡­¡± he said vaguely. ¡°You expect us to work in this mess?¡± Zeph head snapped up. ¡°I can even smell rotten meat!¡± He just now realized how bad it was. Most of the microbes, bacteria or otherwise, weren¡¯t able to live in a Mana-rich environment. Only the ones able to metabolize Mana could prevail. The stench meant they crossed the hygienic bottom line a few times over. It was barely noticeable but its presence alone proved they have gone too far. He had an urge to just flood the whole hall with somewhat destructive Magicules, only to purify the whole place from the disgusting microorganisms, whatever they were. ¡°Harrumph, it¡¯s perfect for a dist¡ªfor what we spoke about during the first Guild meeting,¡± the giant tried to cover his mistake. ¡°Anyway, there are a lot of experiments you can do in this place. Maybe not what we are going to do now, though,¡± he said resolutely. ¡°Right¡­ I apologize once more, Pavail,¡± Zeph said, standing up and bowing slightly to her. ¡°We will work it out.¡± He straightened up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to P¡¯pfel¡¯s laboratory. I know his place would be clean, at the least.¡± Pavail scratched her head awkwardly. ¡°No need to apologize, boss,¡± she gave him a small smile saying that. ¡°I know you are even busier than me. Umm, I suppose it¡¯s about an implant?¡± Great¡­ Now I feel even more guilty for sleeping for the whole day¡­ he sighed in defeat. ¡°It¡¯s just to test¡­ the compatibility,¡± he said vaguely, sure she would understand the implications. She has worked on it with Ghrughah, after all. But Pavail just tilted her head cutely. Oi, airhead! I¡¯m not gonna explain this here! ¡°We already have a small, unshaped sample to use as a bone implant.¡± ¡°Oh! Nice, give me a second!¡± she exclaimed in excitement, quickly packing seemingly random tools into pockets of her lightly green laboratory cloak. ¡­she doesn¡¯t care about the details, does she? he thought, mentally massaging his temples. A minute later they were knocking on the double doors of P¡¯pfel¡¯s laboratory. The Gremling was quite surprised by the small parade that came to visit him. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked apprehensively, opening the double doors wider to allow them inside. ¡°No, no. Just¡­ after the latest series of experiments, my laboratory is in no shape for the small surgery we need to conduct,¡± Zeph explained embarrassedly. ¡°I will need to hire someone to help keep the place in order. Pavail still helps in Kwan¡¯s place, there is no way she can find time to do everything herself. If you could give us a small corner, we will be done in a few minutes¡­¡± ¡°Eh, I am surprised it came to this after all this talk about safety precautions coming out of your mouth in North Tarak,¡± the Gremling commented skeptically, crossing his arms and giving him an admonishing glare. ¡°I can understand you are busy, so I will forgive you this time. But you need to take better care of your workshop. Come in, I have a free table at the back,¡± he finally said, waving them inside. His place was spotless. Four of Kwan¡¯s people already petitioned for an apprentice position in his Department, so he wasn¡¯t lacking free hands that could keep the place clean. His equipment was also on another level. Glass-enclosed spaces for hazardous experiments had an air funneling system installed above. Apparatuses and glassware were neatly arranged on separate tables made from black, polished stone. There was even a reading corner with comfortably-looking sofas surrounded by a small library. It was currently taken by three of his apprentices, while the fourth was keeping an eye on a glassware setup in one of the high-risk zones. The hall was filled to its full capacity with different furniture and equipment, looking a little cramped. However, it was clear that P¡¯pfel planned it with the utmost care about safety. The aisles formed by worktables and cabinets were wide enough to easily accommodate even Ghrughah. Areas dedicated for different kinds of volatile materials were separated from each other and all other reagents. Drain grates were sneaking through the hall¡¯s floor in strategic places. Zeph wondered where P¡¯pfel found all the gold necessary to buy all this. They were left at a table big enough for Zeph to lie down on. They explained to Pavail what she had to do, but that only earned them a glare. She categorically rejected their idea of replacing his toe¡¯s bone. ¡°It¡¯s a horrible idea,¡± she argued, going fully into her Doctor mode. ¡°The forces your feet had to sustain can easily misalign the implant or cause other complications before the cut regenerates. Not to mention, your body can react negatively to the implant¡¯s presence. Do you want your mobility to be compromised?¡± She looked at them sternly. They could only awkwardly scrap their heads and listen in shame. The Biologist in the making and the ex-bioengineer, indeed. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Replacing the last bone of a finger is plain stupid, too. It¡¯s an area with the highest density of neural receptors and capillaries, and important ligaments are connected to these bones. I will replace a part of the middle bone of your index finger in your left hand. That way we can avoid any possible complications with ligaments, have easy access to the bone, and assure you can use that hand. It¡¯s the least important of the fingers grip-wise, and the easiest one to keep away from touching an item you are trying to hold. Any objections?¡± They both shook their heads, embarrassed for not giving it enough thought. Pavail quickly scanned the bone structure of his hand with her Skills and started instructing Ghrughah how to shape the small piece of the Ferrium Fullerene. She opted for a two-sided taper plug implant with irregular edges at the surface touching the bone¡¯s transection face. While the Blacksmith was cutting and reshaping the piece, this time using tools for the most part because the material had very low compatibility with his contaminations and Spells, Pavail applied a strong anesthetic using this world¡¯s rendition of a syringe. It was almost identical to the Earth¡¯s old version that was made from glass, save for the shape of the needle¡¯s tip and the method of sealing the plunger ¨C a gelatinous substance was present in the upper part of the chamber to make sure it was airtight. It took a good five minutes before he lost all feeling in his hand and their good doctor decided to act immediately because, as she explained, that meant Zeph was quite resistant to the anesthetic¡¯s effects. She cleaned her hands, the table, and her tools with a weak acid. Then, as soon as Ghrughah finished polishing the rough edges, she did the same to the newly formed implant and his finger. She was using some variation of the Air Sphere Spell for some time now, probably making sure that the airborne particles won¡¯t get close. ¡°Pull as much Mana from your hand as you can,¡± she instructed professionally and Zeph tried his best to follow. His internal Mana manipulation was, as always, shitty. But sucking out the Mana from his appendage wasn¡¯t that difficult of an exercise, so he managed to keep the density low in his hand. He even tried to move his Willforce Magicules out of the way but because they were dissipating rather quickly after making it into his body, he didn¡¯t have much success in that regard. He had no idea how to stop their production at the Soul level, and wasn¡¯t going to experiment on that right now, so he just nodded to her, indicating he was ready. Immediately after, he could feel as his Veil was pushed back from around his finger, replaced by whatever Mana constructs Pavail¡¯s Skills have formed. He looked in fascination as the skin on the bottom part of his finger opened and parted without a drop of blood falling off. The Mana construct around his finger changed shape and the fat did the same. Layer after layer, his flesh made way, directed by the invisible forces, while his veins were sealed before any blood could flow out. Though, he could see the dark-brown blotches of clot on the inner edges of opened-up tissue and the lymph pearls slowly congregating from the tissue around. The Mana construct¡¯s shape changed again and a second later his bone broke soundlessly. She forced the top of his finger to bent downwards, uncovering a protruding fingerbone with a visible waving pattern on its edge. Before Zeph could comprehend what was happening, almost a centimeter of the bone flew off suddenly, landing on the table, once again cut off by the same Mana construct. Pavail immediately inserted the implant, jamming the short, cone-like protrusion into the bone¡¯s opening while making sure the shape of the edge above aligned with the pattern on the bone. Finally, using a small hammer, she delicately pummeled it shut. She did the same for the dangling part of his finger, pounding on the bent finger joint through a thick cloth. She finished the whole surgery in less than three minutes. All that was left, was to make sure the tissue was arranged correctly and stitch the cut. She even wrapped an elastic cloth steeped in some herbal medicine all around his finger, making sure the neighboring joints were immobilized. ¡°All done,¡± she declared with satisfaction, putting down the scissors. ¡°I will keep your bone intact for the re-implanting ¨C it should shorten recovery time to a few days, even if the cells inside will be dead,¡± she explained in a monotone voice while dropping the discarded part of his bone into a cylindrical test tube with blueish liquid. ¡°Ugh, is the bandage necessary?¡± Zeph asked, looking at his unresponsive hand. ¡°Keep it for a few hours at least, it should help with the pain,¡± she told him absentmindedly, returning to her old self. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t overexert your finger but¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know what you want to do with the material, anyway,¡± she shrugged. ¡°If we are done here, I wanted to discuss the details of what we probably would have to do in the future. Do you have time to accompany me, Miss Pavail?¡± Zeph sent him an unimpressed stare. Did you forget to do that earlier, old man? Senior moment this early? ¡°Ummm¡­ Yes, I think I am done for today,¡± she timidly said. The tiredness was starting to show on her face. ¡°Yea, it will be all. Make sure to rest some,¡± he said to the Doctor. ¡°I will arrange for someone to clean out our place tomorrow, so just take a day off.¡± She nodded with a warm smile. Just as they started to pack up, P¡¯pfel¡¯s voice came from the end of their aisle. ¡°Done? Good,¡± he stated, not waiting for an answer, and started unhurriedly walking in their direction. ¡°It¡¯s time you take what you ordered.¡± Zeph didn¡¯t have to be told twice. He said his farewell to the duo, promising to contact them tomorrow, and run up to the Gremling. He followed the little guy to a hidden room at the back of the laboratory hall. It was evidently enhanced, if the feeling in his Veil was any indicator, and they descended a flight of stairs. Because the place was still under construction, everything was very rudimentary. After reaching the bottom, P¡¯pfel guided him through a series of hidden doors, some the size of a Gremling. The hidden ¡®doors¡¯ were quite different from what he saw in P¡¯pfel¡¯s old cave or Ghrughah¡¯s workshop ¨C they were just wide blocks of rock, moved by some hidden mechanisms. They sunk back and then moved up, as if it was a secret passage in a pyramid. At least, according to the movies about Egypt he saw, which weren¡¯t that reliable as a knowledge source, but a man had to have his romantic delusions. What surprised him more, was his ¡®Mana perception¡¯. He even tested his surroundings with the ¡®Lesser Tremor detection¡¯¡ªhitting the walls with the back of his combat knife to trigger the Skill¡ªand the ¡®Lesser Magnetic scan¡¯. They returned nothing, as if everything around was solid rock. No metal present, no tunnels or holes. On the other hand, that explained why, after entering subsequent hidden passages, he could almost taste the Rock-Mana in the air through his Veil. After some preparations, he even managed to find the remnants of Mana constructs in the air, which meant P¡¯pfel have used something more than just simple Material Enchantment. Probably the Holographic Enchanting, Zeph analyzed, trying to remember what the old Gremling taught him in the past about different enchanting methods. I think it¡¯s the only one that can imitate a construction of a Spell in the air. But weren¡¯t they, like, horrendously inefficient? He filed the thought for later and concentrated on his detection method instead. He managed to perceive the remnants of the constructs only because he forced his Veil to form a delicate lattice pattern at his perception border ¨C a method he started developing after having a taste of the many Air Spheres brushing over his Veil. Even then, he was barely able to tell a Spell was present there moments ago, so right now it was mostly useless technique. It didn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t train it, though. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a result of him teaching P¡¯pfel a few Spells and how to modify them, or if Ghrughah sold him some strange materials, but it seemed that the Gremling advanced quite a lot from the time they met at the mine of Barringstone. I am quite sure that¡¯s how RPG¡¯s dungeons with hidden treasures are made, he mused, laughing slightly at the overcomplicated way the Gremling had set everything up. All of the enchantments were of his own creation, he was sure. Just like in the caves near Barringstone. It would make for a great ruin in the future¡­ I have the urge to visit his people¡¯s mainland now¡­ Assuming that¡¯s a custom they have. I would need better digging equipment, though. Only when they arrived at something that looked suspiciously like a natural cave¡ªfurnished as it may have been¡ªP¡¯pfel stopped and turned around to face him. ¡°Your spear is ready. It was disappointingly easy work,¡± he sighed in disdain, making a face of a deceived merchant. ¡°It will cost you only 11 230 gold¡­ In the future, we will have to set more reasonable prices for enchanting in this manner. It¡¯s almost ten times less than the market prices for enchanting a normal weapon.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Zeph nodded in understanding, crossing his arms. ¡°Which means we will have to balance it over all parties. I will make sure to inform Ghrughah that you don¡¯t like to work with his enchanted-ready equ¡ª¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± the little guy immediately interjected, his glasses sliding down his nose and almost falling out. ¡°I was just kidding. Kidding, you know?!¡± He screeched, skipping sideways to emphasize his words. It was evidently his mad side speaking, if one could call it that. ¡°Forget about what I said¡­ Ugh¡­ Faszparaszt, what were we? Ah! The spear is here,¡± he jumped at a wooden crate after spotting it and unceremoniously broke off the top before diving inside. Only his legs, and badly covered backside¡ªwhich Zeph vehemently refused to look at, turning around¡ªwere visible for a moment. A loud, happy screech informed him the horror scene ended so he glanced back. P¡¯pfel¡¯s feet were once again firmly planted on the ground as he triumphally hold the spear above his head. A second later, though, the Gremling had to drop one end of the weapon onto the floor because its weight quickly started to make him lean sideways. ¡°It¡¯s our best work!¡± he shrieked proudly, strenuously raising it to stand vertically, not at all bothered by his disheveled lab coat. ¡°There are three Tier 1 and two Tier 2 Enchantments integrated inside!¡± he continued, correcting his glasses ostensibly. ¡°Five enchantments in total. On a single weapon. On stratum zero!¡± he started to list in a much more demure tone but excited all the same. Zeph hit him lightly in the head with the side of his palm. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many levels you got from it, idiot. Spare me the promotion speech and tell me what enchantments we have traded for!¡± That shut up the little guy for a moment. ¡°Such insolence¡­¡± he muttered, ¡°if not for our arrangements, I would put you on my black list right this moment,¡± and declared, pointing at Zeph accusingly. ¡°Ye, ye. Can we move on? I never got a report on the enchantments, if you forgot?¡± Zeph deadpanned. The Gremling clenched his free hand into a fist, murmuring some obscenities in foreign languages for a moment while looking at his feet. In the end, he just sighed in defeat and resignation. His shoulders slumped down as he glared at Zeph. ¡°You are an ignorant fool, you know that?¡± Zeph just shrugged indifferently, deepening the Gremling¡¯s depression. ¡°Haaah¡­ I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± He hunched even more, massaging his face. ¡°To be an owner of a state-of-the-art weapon but live in such ignorance¡­ I can only hope Zora can bash some reason into your empty skull. With this very spear, preferably.¡± Zeph rolled his eyes at the dramatizing geezer. Though, the threat managed to sent a small shiver down his spine. ¡°Just explain the enchantments, old man,¡± he said impatiently. ¡°I don¡¯t have all day¡­¡± Chapter 67 - New equipment part 1. Stirring Shadows. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.24] The Gremling resigned himself to his fate. After one last heavy sigh, he started to explain. ¡°The scabbard is enhanced with the Tier 2 Spatial Beam Spell. It works like a drilling projectile that shoots from the top, and the enchantment works independently of the rest of the weapon, so you can use it even after taking the scabbard off. The effective range is around 15 ells, but it depends on the environment.¡± Zeph nodded in satisfaction. 10 meters should be enough for a medium-range attack. Not an alternative to a pistol, but should be quiet. Thanks to his Space-Mana, the cost of activating the enchantment should decrease just enough to be usable. That¡¯s why they contacted the Timefold Tower ¨C they needed Space-Mana compatible enchantments because Zeph wanted to have Tier 2 offensive Spells in his arsenal. It was in part to compensate for his lacking offensive capabilities, and in part to learn how mundane Tier 2 Spells worked. His only Tier 2 Spells were shamanic in nature or related to Mana-L manipulation. Or rather, the Life Energy manipulation. Both types strayed slightly from typical Mana constructs by having some strange connection to his Soul and body respectively. He suspected they were considered a Tier 2 because of that fact alone, which also suggested a typical Tier 2 Spell should have something more to it than a simple construct¡¯s complexity. Some kind of fundamental difference in how they caused physical phenomena. It was just his hunch, though. The three Tier 2 Matrix Spells his Class offered were still too costly to even consider using. He would have to level up, first. ¡°The spear¡¯s blade was already enchanted with Hardening, as you know. I have added a Tier 2 High-frequency Spatial Flux in the middle of it. It works as you predicted,¡± the Gremling nodded seriously, still a little in awe at the discovery. ¡°The vibrations help tremendously with cutting and piercing. If you keep it active inside a skewered opponent, the build-up of Space-Mana¡ªas you call it¡ªalongside flux reflections and refractions in the enclosed space will cause localized constructive interference explosions and other unpredictable effects. At least you had good intuition,¡± he reluctantly praised. ¡°You will have to wait for around half a second for the effects to escalate, though. And it works best with hard materials, like bone. Puncturing a layer of fat will, at best, give your opponent a pleasant massage, so it¡¯s quite useless against big animals.¡± That¡¯s a relief. I wasn¡¯t sure if they would have an enchantment that works like that, Zeph thought happily. A shame there is no ¡®Spatial Explosion¡¯ Spell, or something like that. That would be OP as fuck, exploding enemies from inside¡­ He started daydreaming a little, but P¡¯pfel quickly caught his attention back. ¡°The Tier 1 Lesser Discharge is enchanted near the bottom, as you wanted. The effectiveness, though¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know. Kwan¡¯s people are still testing different materials to make better batteries, so we will have to leave it for later.¡± That Spell was as strong, as the ability of a Manacaster to gather charge with Electrify cantrip or its true-Spell equivalent. By itself, it did nothing. Zeph didn¡¯t have Mana generation and capacity to use the Spell combination as intended, though, so he hoped to help himself with a rechargeable battery hidden inside the switchable bottom of the spear. But firstly, they needed something with enough capacity. Because of high electrical potential¡ªthat is, high energy¡ªMana and Magicules were congregating inside a battery, causing all sorts of headaches. They were currently working on a Magicule stabilizer ¨C a material that could be a part of the device and keep high saturation of a harmless Magicule of its type while screening out dangerous Magicules. That should decrease the influence of the environment and increase battery capacity all at the same time. Also, the discharge would flow through the surface of the weapon, so he would have to use insulating gloves. His armor should help, but the electrical conductivity of the Fullerene complex wasn¡¯t tested yet. The Obsidian material should be perfect in that regard, at least. This enchantment wasn¡¯t the best solution, but it was the only readily-accessible method of stunning an opponent besides Gru¡¯s Soul Whack. He knew well from experience how lethal a stun ability could be. ¡°Right. Anyway, Ghrughah already brought the three variants of the spear¡¯s back head that you wanted.¡± Zeph grimaced internally despite the excitement he felt. That was another 30 000 gold he would have to pay the Blacksmith. ¡°The axe and pike have simple Hardening enchantments, for now. We really need to buy some from the Blackwind Tower¡­ Anyway, the toned-down explosive enchantment on the spherical head is working perfectly.¡± Straining himself a little, he lifted the weapon and tapped the floor lightly with the spherical bottom to emphasize his words. ¡°If you hit with enough force, the trapped Magicules would be able to escape the loop. It¡¯s not that consistent, though.¡± The primitive enchantment¡ªor rather, his first shamanic enchantment¡ªof the explosive beads found a new application. Inside the sphere, three types of Magicules constantly looped around, directed by the enchantment itself. Metal-Magicules from Hardening, Space-Magicules from Space Lens, and Force-Magicules from Scrubbing ¨C all Spells modified drastically to form one superstructure. In its semi-stable state, the enchantment was just making the spherical head drastically more durable. Which was important, as inside was an empty space intended for the future battery. The first two types of Magicules¡ªMetal and Space¡ªhelped with internal integrity, while Force-Magicules were able to transfer force from one point to the rest of the sphere, working almost like a fluid in a hydraulic system under metal plating ¨C one of the simplest methods of making a ¡®reactive armor¡¯. But that wasn¡¯t all. The Mana flow inside was kept by the enchantment itself ¨C the Mana-guiding part of the Space Lens construct, to be exact. When the head decelerated quickly enough, the flow would escape enchantment pathways, freeing itself from the directing forces. Normally, that would result in a chaotic Mana dispersion and explosion, like in his explosive beads, but P¡¯pfel prepared escaping paths for that occasion. The sped-up, dislocated Mana would follow the path of least resistance, erupting in the direction of deceleration. Firstly, the Metal-Mana, then Space-Mana, and finally the Force-Mana. The last one worked omnidirectionally when dissipating into pure Mana, so a ¡®balloon¡¯ full of force would form, pushing Zeph¡¯s weapon and the object it hit away from each other. That reaction added a nice area of effect to the hit, which was exactly what he needed for blunt-type damage. It wasn¡¯t weak, either, as the chaotic wave of Metal-Magicules, buffed by space-distorting and force-driven explosive fluctuation of Mana, tended to fracture solid materials that didn¡¯t have necessary safety paths enchanted near the surface. ¡°A lot depends on the elasticity of the object you hit, so be careful with that,¡± he finished, tilting the spear for him to take. Zeph received it with a big, stupid grin on his face. The red veins on its almost-black surface seemed to glow with their own light, the miniature dark-blue hexagons barely visible in comparison as they weakly reflected the lamp light. He didn¡¯t see this beauty for a while now. It felt good to have it back. ¡°Now, time to gear you up with explosives¡­¡± the Gremling said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. =============================== Zeph spent the rest of the previous day learning from P¡¯pfel about the explosives. His notes were quite messy, so Zeph decided to use the opportunity and learn directly from him. The notes contained a full report from every experiment, including the failed ones, so it would take some time to read everything in detail. He wanted to unlock as many entries at the Exchange as possible, so general knowledge wouldn¡¯t be enough. At least he didn¡¯t have to make a prototype himself, as he was the inventor of the method in the first place. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. His Skill gained a ridiculous number of levels from the discussion alone. It was to the point that right after waking up, he had to check if it wasn¡¯t just a dream.
[General Skill] [Explosives] is now [T1] [L51]! (+24)
¡­How far behind is their knowledge of explosives for the Skill to level up this much? And from just one discussion, at that, he wondered, staring at the notification. And I have all those reports to read yet¡­ Not wasting any more time, he got up from his bed, greeting his internal partner. This time, he wasn¡¯t going to siphon his bloated Veil through the amulet. He had to bring back the alloy and the container with Phleya yesterday. For the duration of the Fullerene test, he had to keep them saturated. Leaving his Mana in the room should give him almost a day before he would have to check on them. Today, he would visit the orphanage and stay there for the night. But he had a few important things to do before that. First in order was a shower. ========Theron Nalani PoV========= He was bored. Again. And yesterday was such an interesting day¡­ he sighed internally, using his spying glass to scan the vicinity of the ¡®Old Nagger Inn¡¯ for the hundredth time today. It was an odd name for a facility this big and lavish, but he wasn¡¯t here to criticize the owner¡¯s naming sense. He already checked the newly equipped laboratory building. Directly. As expected, nothing exceptionally significant was happening there. The lower laboratory was working tirelessly on enchanting the equipment of Sepia Familia¡¯s combatants and doing some basic Alchemy production. The upper one wasn¡¯t even fully furnished yet, but the Biological research that was happening there was of no consequence for them. Their documentation was just an unfinished gibberish, either way. It still bothered him how unassuming it all was. Worse yet, it was well within his expectations for the two newcomers that settled down in the city. Inventors, of any kind, weren¡¯t known for their quick work. However, it all fitted a little too well. Kwan Gewong¡¯s confidence during the founding ceremony indicated more trouble for the upcoming Dueling tournament. His experience and instincts were telling him something was amiss. Their work was way behind the latest technological advancements; absolutely mundane in the grand scheme of things. A compelling excuse for a technical team, but not so much for a rising power of their magnitude. The problem was, even after he visited the building personally, nothing seemed out of place. It annoyed him, this uncertainty. It was like a recurring itch. Also, he had hoped his work would be worth some additional penny. He found the underground tunnels, of course, but they were just that ¨C connection tunnels. Unfinished and poorly hidden. He suspected the Blacksmith planned to keep all crucial information in his own vault, using the underground infrastructure for reporting and logistics. Assuming they invent anything worthwhile¡­ Is Ghrughah-jiji the only competent person here? he wondered for the umpteenth time. The Daityas¡¯s workshop had security so strict, that he never managed to infiltrate past the useless apprentices¡¯ quarters. And the place was still under construction. He wasn¡¯t even going to attempt to do the same in Jiji¡¯s old building in the Production District, knowing full well how many spies were lost there. It would be a suicide mission. And nobody paid him for a suicide mission. Even if he was eager to test himself, no money meant no work. He was getting close. Closer than anyone before to infiltrating the old fart¡¯s new base. But the sad fact was, the development of the workshop was out-speeding his progress. He knew that soon it would become impossible to even enter the hotel unnoticed. Their operation center was becoming a full-fledged fortress, growing in strength with every passing day. The guard¡¯s shifts were becoming randomized, and their numbers increased as the Sepia Familia took control of the territory. All of them geared better and better¡ªwhich included detection devices¡ªas the internal system designed by the genius Blacksmith took form. The help from Leilucia Temple only sped up the process. He had a good observing spot inside the area, but soon it would become obsolete as well. He could hide, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to be exposed in any way, and the growing traffic and patrols¡¯ activity weren¡¯t helping. Unlike the weaklings trying to infiltrate the place by working inside, he was hired directly. Not even one slip-up was allowed. I may have to abandon infiltration attempts. It¡¯s getting too risky too quickly, he mused, trying to balance his payment against the challenge the establishment standing before him posed. Learning peoples¡¯ habits was not fast work. Moving unnoticed through security gates required either a good disguise or a perfect understanding of guards¡¯ routines, reactions, and customs. He was one of the best in the city, yet his Skills¡¯ effects were much more dependent on his own ability than he imagined as a kid. Without applying common sense, it was impossible to be a good spy. Maybe in the future¡­ He allowed himself to daydream for a moment. His Light contamination was almost at the pinnacle of the second stage, so he had high hopes for his future Class. He was almost ready to take an appropriate implant, just a few thousand UP and he would be there. A movement near the hotel¡¯s back entrance brought him back to his senses. The Blacksmith¡¯s carriage was being prepared, and he knew what that meant. The guys planted inside are useless, I don¡¯t even know what are the clearance methods for the higher echelon anymore¡­ Should I follow them, instead? It was a tempting option, even if his employer didn¡¯t pay for it. He lacked critical information to report, and any additional tidbits he learned could be sold. Just like the new flying technology they presented to the Tellervo twins. A shame he never managed to copy their documents ¨C that would set him up for a few years, he was sure. At least according to what they said. He couldn¡¯t be sure they weren¡¯t using some sort of code while speaking in the hangar. Such information wasn¡¯t important to his employer, but they weren¡¯t the only ones interested in the newcomers¡¯ dealings. Not to mention, the other two groups taking part in the Duels were paying quite well for any clue he could give them. If I can see those explosives in action, maybe I can finally crack who is making them¡­ That was another problem. From overhearing the workers, he knew they had developed some kind of explosives ¨C as rare as that was. It was a pain to plant and constantly manage the listening devices in the neutral areas¡ªthe meeting rooms were already geared against Mana transfer going outside¡ªbut it was slowly paying off. He even heard when Ghrughah-jiji almost called Zeph Einar¡¯s laboratory a distraction. That one detail was actually the main reason he considered trailing whoever was preparing to move right now. If that laboratory was useless and meant to be a distraction, there was no sense in observing the building anymore. He wouldn¡¯t believe a word coming out of the old fox¡¯s mouth if he didn¡¯t inspect the place profoundly himself, though, so the dilemma didn¡¯t change. Are they baiting? Trying once again the Ghrughah¡¯s may be a trap¡­ he contemplated. There were three possibilities he could think of. First, Zeph Einar was in possession of unfinished schematics for a few inventions and Ghrughah-jiji was trying to cover that fact and move the research into his own workshop. That would explain what he heard, their new products, and the fact the Fullangrarian was getting some freebies from the Guild. He didn¡¯t know much about Kwan Gewong¡¯s history, but she certainly wasn¡¯t the one responsible for this change. Second, the interdisciplinary inventions they have made together convinced the Jiji to work with them, making him move here to work as a true team leader for all the projects, leaving nothing in the laboratories that only produced groundwork and were a distraction. Those two possibilities meant that their true research and production were happening in Jiji¡¯s hidden facilities ¨C the worst outcome. Third, they somehow managed to spread false rumors to distract potential spies, meaning he was missing the bigger picture. He shook his head slowly. A fourth possibility, all of it at once, or a combination of two. He sighed. The worst part was, he had never found their information branch. The people involved either disappeared altogether or were a part of the Leilucia Temple. And he knew better than getting close to one of the Leilucia¡¯s Warriors. That faction proved, again and again, that they treated any spying attempts as mere training. Netherlings were never an easy target, after all. His kind was a perfect medium-difficulty ¡®sparring partner¡¯ and an entertainment. A familiar silhouette exited the hotel at that moment. The innovation Head, huh? Should I even bother? The guy was weak. So weak, in fact, that his first guess about the internal dynamics of the Guild had become the leading one. The man had to buy his way into his new position or be a scapegoat. The two possibilities didn¡¯t exclude each other, too. Makani Borre is still outside of the city¡­ Eh, even if he doesn¡¯t show me anything interesting, it¡¯s better than just sitting here, he decided finally, slowly standing up from the rooftop while making sure his camouflage didn¡¯t shimmer as the snow fell off from his small frame. Hunting is kind of fun, anyway, he thought with a relaxed smile. ================================ Zeph¡¯s chest rumbled slightly, like an empty stomach would ¨C which was also true, but beside the point. He rolled his eyes at the comment Gru have sent him vocally. It was getting old, quickly. Didn¡¯t you have a bad premonition for like three days straight now? he thought, trying hard to send the meaning through their bond without speaking. And it¡¯s it obvious that we are under observation? Look at all the people around, we are in a public place, for Gods¡¯ sake! Chapter 68 - This whole Duel business is starting to escalate. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.25] The next, short vibration, coming from the vicinity of his solar plexus, sounded like bowels that finally accepted the bad food he had forced down his throat an hour ago, promising revenge later on. Zeph ignored Gru¡¯s comment, keeping a straight face. He might have forgotten to ask Gru about his hunches earlier, but it was no place for a discussion. ¡°Ummm¡­ Should I prepare something to eat during the travel?¡± the coachwoman walking beside him asked, scratching her cheek. ¡°Or maybe¡­ something to alleviate a stomachache?¡± The woman was clearly lost, if eager. After taking the position of Department Head, Kwan¡¯s people started to be more respectful towards him for some reason. ¡°No need,¡± Zeph answered stoically. ¡°Ugh¡­ Are you sure? The trip will take a few hours¡­¡± He sighed. Yea, there is no restroom in the carriage¡­ That¡¯s what we get for your grumbling in inappropriate places, Gru! ¡°I am on a diet,¡± Zeph grumbled, opening the carriage door and looking back at the woman. ¡°Can we go already?¡± She shrugged dejectedly. ¡°Sure, if you wish.¡± Traveling alone was a minor security concern, but direct attacks weren¡¯t going to happen¡ªat least according to Ghrughah, and Zeph trusted his expertise¡ªso he decided to leave his new spear behind. There was no sense in provoking a theft, as it wasn¡¯t exactly rare or prohibited between the Dueling rivals. Strange customs, Zeph concluded, sitting down on a soft bench and throwing his backpack to the side. Wasn¡¯t theft one of the most dishonoring acts for warriors in Earth¡¯s fantasy? ¡®Warrior culture¡¯ my ass¡­ Or are they thinking more like barbarians? That you don¡¯t deserve a weapon if you can¡¯t keep it safe? Nah, that bullshit doesn¡¯t fit people like Kwan. It¡¯s politics, again, isn¡¯t it? He sighed. The worst part was, his weapon was easily recognizable, so no one would dare to use it openly and risk Ghrughah¡¯s ire. It was one of the giant¡¯s most precious creations, and he was now a part of their Guild. He would probably place a bounty on anyone involved¡­ Right, I still didn¡¯t ask him if he knows anything about Gibbons, Zeph thought, looking down at his backpack that was filled with leaflets he prepared for the Library Goddess. Well¡­ maybe that¡¯s for the best. All he did until now should be enough of a clue about his true origins for the Blacksmith and the rest of their group. Asking directly about the Gibbons would just draw unwanted attention and reveal even more. It would be best to deal with that problem discreetly. Before leaving for the orphanage, with a planned detour for the Library Temple, he managed to sort out a few affairs. Besides getting a detailed report on the partnership contract with the twins and the issues related, he managed to instruct the Blacksmith¡¯s people on how to develop the arcade version of the plane prototype ¨C they needed to simplify the controls, add mechanical parts, and tune down the realism. It was to be a toy, not a clone of their prototype. He also suggested a few other easy-to-make machines that could be produced before the New Year, like Pinball, Skee-Ball, and a few more marble-dropping types of games. Sadly, he would have to share fifty-fifty with Kwan, as it wasn¡¯t a part of their earlier deal. On the other hand, they already knew of similar games, so this split of profits wasn¡¯t the worst outcome. He suspected that games like billiards or bowling would take too much time to perfect and plan for, taking into account people¡¯s strength, so he left them for later. Besides, those weren¡¯t games for kids, thus the demand was small in comparison. As for the leaflets, he managed to convince one guy with appropriate Skills to copy them. With enough gold, of course. The process was quite mesmerizing ¨C the man just took impregnated sheets of paper and used his Skills to make the ink sink in under the protective, wax-like layer. The speed of the work was a sight to behold because the process was happening all over the page at once. The guy wasn¡¯t Kwan¡¯s scribe for nothing, it seemed. After an hour, Zeph was a proud owner of around 180 leaflets. All were in black-and-white, sadly, but making them in color would not only cost extra, but it would also take much more time. They had to modify his design a little to make it work, but it wasn¡¯t a masterpiece anyway, so Zeph didn¡¯t have any hard feelings. Especially because after seeing the contents, which advertised the hotel and its theater-like stage, the man declared, with uncanny passion, that he would design a version in color and make Kwan invest in the idea. Zeph felt a little bad for introducing the leaflet business to this world. They would need much more public bins in the near future, he was sure. The last thing he did was apply for a maid for their laboratory. It would take some time for Kwan to organize it because the person would technically become a part of his Department. They had to be trusted and willing. He expected it wouldn¡¯t be resolved before the council meeting. Safe as he felt inside the carriage, he didn¡¯t believe that all security enchantments were active without the giant riding with him. Instead of trying to talk with his, quite literally, internal companion, he finally started to read the Notebook manual. He would prefer to learn more about the explosives and the two materials created by Ghrughah, but security protocols were strict ¨C the documents had to be kept safe in the headquarters. The manual consisted of two parts. The first was in plain text and described mundane things like text formatting, methods of input, and similar matters. The second one was a Soul memory, the only one accessible in the Notebook. The Library Goddess cared only for written text ¨C records left behind for the sake of the future. Soul memory, a complete information record of beings¡¯ thought processes and experiences, was the domain of the System. The one present in Notebook¡¯s manual was there only because certain actions couldn¡¯t be easily explained in text ¨C like how to quickly transcribe a book from memory or how to copy the book by skimming it. And while it was possible to include images in the Notebook, the act was an art in itself. Making graphs, using unknown symbols, and drawing simple shapes was one thing, but redrawing a complex picture could be done only by the best ¨C the reason people often visited the Library when selling their creations. Zeph was eager to learn, though. If he could just copy all important documentation, he wouldn¡¯t have to stay in the headquarters all day to read them. An ability to copy complicated schematics was a must. That¡¯s why he started from reading the Soul memory. It was similar to reading from a General Skill, and thankfully took only one Mana per second ¨C he could easily sustain it indefinitely. His concentration was broken when someone knocked on the carriage door. It was another porter in familiar, heavy winter clothing. The Library worker. Zeph was so engrossed that he didn¡¯t even notice when they arrived. The visit was short. After explaining the situation, he was quickly directed into a service room. The workers were all informed about the deal with the leaflets, so he just deposited his cargo and the woman manning the lobby took care of the rest. He was back on his way in no time, wondering idly whether he should call the Library personnel ¡®workers¡¯ or ¡®clerics¡¯. Both didn¡¯t sound right to him, for some reason. After purging the random thoughts, he returned to reading from the manual. He didn¡¯t have much time left before arriving at the orphanage. Aisha promised to be there today to take care of the kids, so he hoped to have a word with her. As much as he would like to visit the System¡¯s Shrine, he wasn¡¯t ready, and it was getting late. It was almost the fifth day-cycle already ¨C around 4 PM by Earth¡¯s standards. After another two hours, he and his coachwoman left Ghrughah¡¯s carriage at a secure station and took one of the local ¡®taxi¡¯ carriages to take them to the orphanage. Be it his Willforce Morphon enchantment, or just experience with presenting his thoughts to Gru, Zeph was getting the hang of drawing simple graphs in his Notebook by the time they stopped before the gates of the establishment. Zeph paid the man to take them back the next day and followed his coachwoman outside. A shame he never asked for her name, it was a little too late to ask without being awkward. Aisha was already standing by the gate with a wide grin on her face. She was wearing light clothing even in the freezing weather, evidently coming out as soon as she spotted their wagon in the distance. The snow around her leather slippers had melted, uncovering the yellowish rock of the pavement below. Her trusted warhaxammer was resting on her shoulder, straining her red, sleeveless shirt a little. ¡°Long time no see. Welcome back!¡± She waved lazily at them with her free hand. ¡°I have some good news¡­¡±¡ªshe paused suddenly, making a confused face, then looked to the side ¨C in the direction of the orchards. She tilted her head, scanning the snow-covered fields, only to shrug a moment later. She turned back to them, her smile returning. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°What was that?¡± Zeph asked skeptically, walking slowly in her direction. The snow was almost knee-deep on this side of the gate. ¡°Some stealthy tracing, I think... It¡¯s gone now. Anyway, come inside,¡± she said, sending them a mischievous smile and turning around. ¡°It¡¯s such a good day already! Ohohoho¡­¡± she laughed loudly in her aggressive imitation of a lady¡¯s mannerism. Zeph rolled his eyes, but was too weary to comment. The lack of nourishment started to kick in, it seemed. ========Theron Nalani PoV======== Cold sweat covered his face as he cowered behind a big tree, trying desperately to prevent the Ambient Mana around him from spiraling out of control, strained as it was by all of his masking Skills. Were the reports fake?! If I knew she was here, I would have never used that Skill¡­ Noticing there was no pursuit, he relaxed a little. At least now I know that the Generalist guy doesn¡¯t have much in terms of Soul perception¡­ he thought to himself, slowly backing off, still under the camouflaging effects of his Skills. That is an opening I can use¡­ He was reserved in using that Skill on the guy himself ¨C with the presence of the old Blacksmith and the Temple, who knew what items he was geared with. Forcibly releasing the pseudo-bond that he had formed with the driver woman was straining, but he had enough mental strength to directly control all of his Skills for another hour or so. He would take no chances with the Warrior Priestess nearby. They were like the stalker reptilians, but much more ferocious after finding their prey. But¡­ It¡¯s not the end of the hunt, mister Einar¡­ ================================ They left the coachwoman¡ªZeph promised himself to ask somebody about her name¡ªto play with kids in their stead. She was quite happy with that arrangement. Probably because being in the presence of two Department Heads was quite stressful. He could relate somehow, but was surprised by how seriously Kwan¡¯s people treated internal hierarchy. He felt that they accepted him as one of the leaders but, at the same time, the change in their attitude was a little too much. From ignorance to almost fear. Well, it wasn¡¯t fear per se, but they were visibly unnerved in his presence. Not exactly like low-ladder people in the presence of their corporation chairman¡ªwhich was actually his own experience¡ªbut close enough to bring unpleasant memories. He was sure they would Duel him if he made a blatant mistake, though, so it was quite refreshing in that regard. He wasn¡¯t sure about other organizations, but Kwan¡¯s gang didn¡¯t tolerate incompetence. Aisha took him to her secured room on the third floor, where they started the long ritual of securing the place. In the silence that ensued, Zeph wondered why every ¡®secure room¡¯ had to be on the third floor at least. It was the same in North Tarak and his laboratory building, although Ciriyal¡¯s place and the Library communication room were placed much higher. Vibrations. It has to be it, he came to the conclusion after a few minutes of waiting for Aisha as she continued looking around while sipping from her green bottle. It wouldn¡¯t be strange; I already have Spells like that, and sounds travel much easier through solid matter. I am more surprised they never invented sound-dampening materials¡­ Maybe I can earn some money from it? His idle thoughts continued to spiral around the strange technology he saw until now, trying to find a reason behind the poor application of their resources. There were many places he could insert modern Earth''s technology. It was a shame he didn¡¯t secure much data on material science besides certain, potentially useful inventions. He still didn¡¯t find any practical application for non-flammable materials, for example, but now he would pay in gold for Styrofoam production schematics. ¡°All clear,¡± Aisha declared at that moment. ¡°GRRRAAAH!¡± his chest vibrated loudly with relief. ¡°Grraauuu!¡± Gru stated strongly, continuing to vibrate even after he finished speaking. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s new¡­¡± Zeph said, surprised. ¡°Nothing strange really,¡± Aisha said, relaxing in her chair and drinking some more from her green bottle. ¡°It¡¯s quite normal for animals that purr to have a physiological function for doing so.¡± Zeph almost facepalmed hearing that. It almost sounded like Gru was a cat but, nonetheless, made sense. ¡°I guess it¡¯s one of the reasons Gru wasn¡¯t quite¡­ disciplined lately?¡± she asked. ¡°Gra!¡± it confirmed in fake indignation; as if Zeph should have known that all along. He sighed heavily. ¡°So, you heard about that?¡± Indeed, the number of times Gru misbehaved was raising by the day. That¡¯s one of the reasons his little guy learned to imitate stomach sounds¡­ among other things, things that Zeph did not want to remember. He was still embarrassed by the memory. ¡°You should have told me earlier,¡± he said to his abdomen. ¡°Gre¡­¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t know, then how the hell should I? It¡¯s your body, for Gods¡¯ sake!¡± he sighed again, massaging his eyes. ¡°Whatever. What are the good news?¡± he asked, looking up at Aisha. ¡°I am taking my position in the Information Department quite seriously, you know?¡± she said sternly, answering his first question. ¡°Rather, it would be strange if I didn¡¯t know about the happenings in the headquarters. But let¡¯s go back to business,¡± she smiled widely. ¡°Taking into account the schedule at the aerostation, Makani should be here a day after tomorrow. Also, our preparations in the Roaming Onsen Village are almost complete. A small temple is being finished as we speak, so we can have a nice group chat with Leilucia in a day, or so. I won¡¯t bore you with information we have gathered, but know that it¡¯s more than I have expected,¡± she finished dramatically. Riiiight¡­ As if she could speak here about what she found out, he thought skeptically. But he had high hopes anyway, as Ciriyal should be quite good at information gathering. ¡°Also, I think I know who is trailing you,¡± she teased with a big smile, surprising him with the information. ¡°Grummm!¡± ¡°You told me nothing,¡± Zeph rejected Gru¡¯s comment immediately, hitting his solar plexus playfully. ¡°Hunches aren¡¯t an information, no matter how strong th¡ª¡± ¡°You should have known better than that,¡± Aisha interjected, pointing at him with her bottle. ¡°Knowing Gru¡¯s capabilities, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he developed stronger auguring abilities than you.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± he nodded, crossing his arms. ¡°And my auguring is soooo developed that I can see the faces of all my enemies and predict attacks! Yes, yes, it all makes sense, now that you mentioned it.¡± The sarcasm was strong within him today. Aisha rolled her eyes. ¡°Just stop being an idiot and talk more with your bond. Knowing you have an enemy is the first step to counter them.¡± ¡°Gra!¡± Gru vibrated wisely in affirmation, stroking his non-existent beard. ¡°Did we not know that we have enemies from the start, tho?¡± A hiccup in vibrations was all the answer he needed. ¡°There is a difference between guessing and having a proof, no matter how insignificant. Anyway, I think I saw a trace of Soul interference on your Hannyajin companion,¡± Aisha started to get serious. ¡°Whoever has done this, they were able to break the connection before I could get a good read. Not many people in this city are able to do that. Taking into account Kwan¡¯s land neighborhood, I think you had a spy specialist of the Kanochi Guild trailing you. They are contracted to a certain Lesser Landlord that¡¯s trying to fight us, and had some connections to the Temple of Souls in the past, before the mass assassinations happened in the city, so a few of them should be proficient in Soul arts. At least that¡¯s what I have heard.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good at all. Even Gru didn¡¯t notice a thing¡­¡± ¡°Gre!¡± it vibrated in defense. ¡°Distracted or not, it still happened.¡± ¡°I will pay a visit to their Guild as a warning ¨C no matter how much they are paid, it would be unreasonable to take all the blame for the Landlord if we catch the spy. There is a chance they won¡¯t stop directly trailing our people, but that will be a huge risk for them.¡± ¡°I am not so sure... If the spy can disguise themselves and is sure they can escape, that won¡¯t stop them¡­ Not to mention, they can even try to kill the target when caught or have means to destroy their own body in a suicide attack, leaving us with no evidence whatsoever¡­¡± It would be tricky, he knew, because of possible Soul reactions to the act. Still, it wasn¡¯t impossible to execute with just one kill or so, and he knew what humans on Earth were capable of. It made him a little paranoid. ¡°Then, just be ready for a fight,¡± she shrugged, like it was his problem and the most obvious thing in the world. Zeph could only facepalm after hearing that. ¡°I am more concerned about the information they can potentially gain¡­ Make sure to not speak outside of our safe rooms. I will prepare some equipment for Makani for your little trip, but you will have to wait for a few days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. It will take another three days before my armor is ready, so we won¡¯t be leaving before the new year.¡± ¡°Oh, perfect!¡± she exclaimed, hitting the table lightly with her free hand. ¡°We have a lot to discuss with Makani. Now, there is no escape!¡± She laughed jovially. Zeph already pitied the man. Aisha and Kwan were probably going to leave him with all of the paperwork related to the twins, burying him alive under a pile of documents. She took another sip from her bottle before continuing. ¡°Anyway, we have managed to acquire some unofficial information about the Duel tournament. And yes, our fight has raised in popularity enough to be planned as an attraction in one of the stadiums, thus becoming a full-fledged tournament. We will have a share from the tickets,¡± she smiled greedily for a moment before catching herself and forcing a more serious expression on her face. ¡°Supposedly, we will have to measure against three groups. We would have to fight all of the leaders opposing us, but because of the difference in numbers, the city bureau grouped them up. It seems that they plan for each one of our Heads to fight three opponents,¡± she explained, massaging her temple with one hand. ¡°At least it¡¯s just one opponent per day. That doesn¡¯t change the fact that our situation is far worse than it should be.¡± ¡°Are organizations in those groups connected in any way?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°Not really. Each individual entity will fight for its own agendas, but there is an instituted universal ¡®reward¡¯ if the group wins. You can say it¡¯s a part of their common interest. The first is the merchant group that wants the rights to set up their shops in our area. The second is the industrial group which wants to own some buildings, mostly warehouses, and have exclusive rights to import necessary materials. The third is the political group. They oppose the very idea of Kwan gaining the Lesser Landlord title and, as a result, reject her ownership over the entirety of the valley. They demand the ¡®surplus¡¯ regions to be officially included in their domains.¡± He grimaced. Even the first two groups evidently wanted to control them in some ways, but the third one was painfully straightforward. It was a political struggle for control and resources, the latter represented by their very own group and people. And here I thought politicians in this world would treat people as more than simple resources¡­ ¡°How reliable is this information?¡± he asked, starting a long discussion. They talked long into the night. When Zeph was finally free, a room full of sleeping kids awaited him. Sighing with resignation, he accepted his fate. He was still oversensitive to the movements in his Veil, so it was inevitable he will be woken up in the dead of the night with so many people around. Their Veils weren¡¯t stationary, and too small to be stable, after all. Chapter 69 - Limit break. Yes, something definitely did break. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.26] Aisha was the one to collect his corpse the next day. They were going to discuss the gathering places of mercenaries working around the city and analyze the maps, so he had to wake up early. Much too early. Because the topic wasn¡¯t a secret, they could speak about it in a library corner set up in one of the bigger rooms. It was used as a classroom for older children, although some toys were lying all around and on the shelves. Yula wasn¡¯t separating the kids by age if they didn¡¯t want to, so each class was a mix. Zeph suspected she also didn¡¯t want to limit their mental capabilities ¨C with Memory and Intuition PE, the differences between children¡¯s natural capabilities were magnified and there was no reason to divide them by age alone. As a result, the classroom looked more like an unholy combination of a small, primitive auditorium and a playground. The tables were placed sparsely on different levels of the room but concentrated around one corner. The rest of the room was quite chaotic, but still mostly filled with writing materials and cabinets full of strange apparatuses. They were perusing maps that Zeph left behind in the orphanage. He would take some of them with him this time, hopeful to be able to read more in his free time. After a few hours, their peace was interrupted as the first children wanting to spend more time near Zeph entered the room. Thankfully, under Yula¡¯s strict gaze they were behaving. It was around noon when they finally finished. Their transport arrived some time ago, a little earlier than Zeph predicted. After the second breakfast, in which their carter took part, Zeph and his coachwoman said their goodbyes to the kids and the staff of the orphanage. Even some tears were shed by the young ones, which made the whole scene a little more dramatic than it should be. To Zeph¡¯s relief, none started screaming in indignation or anger. They were good kids. Zeph promised to show them around the Roaming Onsen Village at the New Year, promising it would be the funniest place they have ever seen. On the way to the headquarters, Zeph made sure to skim through all of the maps to copy the text into his Notebook. After that, he started a tedious process of copying the maps themselves, trying as hard as he could to draw the outlines without major mistakes. It was a good exercise, especially when he discovered that Gru could help him multitask, as he sporadically consulted the Soul memory of the Notebook¡¯s manual to learn new tricks in the art of stealing intellectual property. But it was only the beginning of his training day. Testing how the bone implant reacted to his Willpower¡ªthe microscopic Spell constructs requiring Will-Magicules to form¡ªshould be possible now, after a day. He also had a few long lectures to read. Production methods, applications, and properties of Ferrum Obsidian and Planaria Ferrium Fullerene. As well as all the materials on the new explosives. The mental strain from doing so much mental work in such a short time forced him to periodically stabilize his mind once again. He even trained his Notebook writing during all of this, trying to multitask as much as possible. As a result, he spent more hours concentrating intensely without a break than ever before, beating all records from his younger days. Even during his studies, when his brain was in peak condition, thirteen hours of non-stop memorizing and training were the limit ¨C anything more, and he would go into the spiral of decreased efficiency that at some point prevented his mind from recording any new information. He knew, because he tested it extensively at the time. By any means, he was no genius; his mental predispositions were never poking above the curve set by his peers¡ªexcept for some minor abilities¡ªso he had to find the limits of his mind and body to abuse them properly. But he just broke through that barrier. He would be proud, if not for the unexpected side effects¡­ =============================== Zeph slowly opened his eyes. His empty gaze landing on the dark ceiling. It was impossible to tell the time in his underground cave of an abode, but to see the Wadokei hanging near the wall he would have to raise his head. Which was, truly, an impossible task right now. ¡°I feel like shit.¡± ¡°Grah!¡± Gru reminded him. The ungrateful parasite daring to slap him in the face, when he was lying with one of the worsts hangovers ever. He had almost forgotten how it felt to abuse his body. Yesterday, he spent so much mental energy on stabilizing his mind and focusing on the knowledge, that he completely overlooked one very important detail. He was still on the no-nourishment-whatsoever diet. He regretted his past decision greatly. Placing his hand on his forehead, he took a small reprieve in its coldness. Even if it was only a few degrees of difference, it still was a relief. That fact spoke volumes about his state. The previous day was hazy in his mind. He tried to supplement his brain with additional energy, but there was no reaction. I overdid it again¡­ he thought depressingly, only for the System to try to cheer him up.
[Willforce Morphon] property uncovered! [Data completion] 90.2%! One of two [Body] [Unknowns] updated! Displaying changes¡­
[Body]: Mental states don¡¯t reflect on [Will]. Balances mental state between [Body], [Soul], and [Will] influence. Can forcefully and virtually [Redraw] the [Neural connection superstructure] by directly engaging [Will] to [Restore] or [Simulate] previous states of the brain. The process engages [Soul], [Will], and [Willforce] for information purposes. The process engages [Body] and [Willforce] for energetical purposes. WARNING! The process isn¡¯t engaging [Soul] and [Will] for energetical purposes! Make sure to eat well and stay sane when using it! Physical and mental health is important, and the process is straining them!
¡°Huh? They just needed to see the full extent of the side effects¡­ and my suffering¡­ or what?¡± he asked loudly, still in a slight daze. ¡°Grruum!¡± his companion congratulated, making him smile despite the pain. ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± The next half an hour he spent slowly climbing out of his bed, feeling numb and weak like a newborn lamb. But before he found enough strength in himself to stand up, another notification assaulted him.
Compatibility detected! Reaction of [Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65] [Bone implant] to [Will] and [Willforce] can supplement [Body: Neural Redrawing] property of [Willforce Morphon]! Engaging [Will] for energetical purposes can be supported! Required knowledge confirmed! Congratulations! Corresponding [Upgrades] and [Items] have been unlocked in the [Exchange]! You have earned [Soul fragments]!
Congratulations! [Seeded] [Class] [Force Generalist] is now level 4! (+1)
Zeph¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The first few words made him believe the implant finally started transforming his Soul contamination. Only after reading further, he sighed with relief. Then, he started to smile widely. The Fullerene complex just earned itself a lot of points in his mind. His grin widened even more when the second notification showed up. The reward from the System was enough to push him over the final stretch of level 3. It wasn¡¯t anything groundbreaking, but it reminded him what was to come. He immediately put his 2 free points into Flexibility, raising it to 19. He needed another 13 levels overall to raise it to the effective 50¡ªthanks to the 20% bonus from his Willforce Morphon¡ªwhich would put his Mana capacity slightly above 1300 Mana and his Matrix space at around 230, if his calculations were correct. That would be an important breakthrough. Not only would he gain Flexibility Energy Enhancement, but he would be able to finally use two of the three Tier 2 Spell Matrices that his Class provided, namely the ¡®Thermal Channeling¡¯ and ¡®Enforced Ionization¡¯. Even if he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly those did yet, he could already see possible offensive applications for both. The last Tier 2 Spell, the ¡®Force Microscale Framework¡¯, was on another level, though. The Spell required a tremendous 410 Matrix space and at least 2500 Mana capacity. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if he can achieve such high numbers before his Class¡¯s first sub-specialization at level 33. I hope ten days of leveling will be enough to finish my Flexibility¡­ Even with Gru¡¯s cheat, it will be close. We will need to fight high-leveled opponents, that¡¯s for sure, he thought, looking at his Interface. He even configured a small summary of changes this time.
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 188
Flexibility 19 Memory 65
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 66
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 176 15 161
Mana Capacity: 660 648 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 115 88 27
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 4 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 32 0 9
Soul contamination:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.71%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) 5.13%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Major upgrades: Force Generalist [+1] ==> Flexibility [+2], Intuition [+2*2], Greater Willpower [+1] ==> Matrix space [+4], Mana capacity [+24], Mana generation [+2]
For the first time in weeks, he finally felt like he had made some progress. Sure, a few of his General Skills had leveled up during his time in the city, but that paled in comparison to what just happened and his yesterday¡¯s progress. Not only ¡®Explosives¡¯ Skill was getting close to the Tier 2 barrier, he actually gained a new General Skill for metallurgy. Although, the Skill was at a low level because he only worked with mercury until now ¨C his new knowledge required validation in actions. It was also named ¡®Esoteric Metallurgy¡¯, probably meaning that it was a consolidation Skill between the knowledge from Earth, his experiments, and what he learned from Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel ¨C not a Skill with basics of the craft. He was also sure that yesterday¡¯s experiments with the Fullerene implant were the trigger necessary to acquire it. Zeph hadn¡¯t found any interesting properties of the material during the tests. The implant was already saturated with Will-Mana and his Soul started forming links with it, officially accepting it as a part of his body and allowing some Willforce to sip inside. Despite that, he could do nothing to the material ¨C his internal Mana manipulation was so bad that even oversaturation with Mana-L wasn¡¯t enough to allow him to change its shape; all he could do was apply weak forces. It was unfortunate, but he was also unable to check if physical or alchemical properties had changed, what with it being a part of his bone and all. He managed to discover how useless the Fullerene-Magicules were. At least, right now. They had formed naturally inside the implant, but it was too little to test on a macroscopic scale outside of his body. The only discernable effect of the implant was very subtle ¨C he had a slightly strengthened sense of touch in his finger. Not only could he feel the finger pulsing with his heartbeat¡ªsomething he initially ignored as it was swollen for almost a whole day¡ªbut it definitely became more sensitive to touch and temperature. He started with a simple pain test using a needle, as it was the simplest and most effective one. After getting positive results, he tried to feel the difference in other aspects. The difference was so small that he had to test it multiple times to make sure it wasn¡¯t just his imagination, placebo effect, or self-deception. ¡°Okay!¡± he exclaimed in a much better mood, feebly slapping his cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat and visit the Shrine. It¡¯s time to deal with the System.¡± Makani should arrive today but Zeph had no idea when, and the guy would surely have a lot on his head for the first few days. ¡°In the evening, we have to decide on the armor!¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated with excitement. ¡°Right¡­ you should probably try to assimilate the two new materials, too. Who knows if they can be useful?¡± ¡°Gra?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I will ask Ghrughah to powder a small amount for you to take in. I am not sure if we can digest it directly, anyway. I am not going to swallow it,¡± he said with disgust. ¡°GrahRahRah¡­¡± Gru giggled, vibrating in pulses. ¡°Stop ¡®viggling¡¯, you bastard!¡± he shouted weakly, feeling pain in his sides as he tried to stop the natural reaction of his body. ¡°No, seriously! It tickles!¡± ~~~ The System Shrine was visible in the distance long before they even entered its district. The tip of the black pyramid, rimmed with gold, was hard to miss. The building, as expected, had to be massive to accommodate thousands upon thousands of visitors, so Zeph wasn¡¯t surprised by its size. What really stood out to him was the futuristic style, obvious even from such a distance. If Ancient Egypt could go into space, he suspected that¡¯s how their spaceport would look, and he wasn¡¯t even seeing half of it yet. He definitely wasn¡¯t expecting a Shrine to look like a masterpiece of alien technology. It was situated close to the Administration Center of the city, not far from the massive walls. The district itself was walled off, according to his map, but he could not spot them yet as the buildings in the vicinity were getting pretty high, especially because each story was at least four meters high. He put the map he was studying back in his backpack and concentrated on the views, looking through the big windows of Ghrughah¡¯s carriage. He was a little too excited to focus, anyway. This time around, he was accompanied by one of Kwan¡¯s high-level guards. The guy was equipped with an always-active enchanted ring provided by Aisha. Zeph was in possession of a similar device, but more for show and for Gru¡¯s curiosity than anything else. Aisha explained to him how the spy¡¯s Skill worked, so he was sure he could at least detect it by himself, not even accounting for Gru¡¯s permanently active Soul perception. Well, at least if the spy would target them directly. Gru¡¯s slip-up from two days ago was all the proof he needed to understand that detecting such techniques wasn¡¯t simple. Also, becoming complacent was one of the worst habits. No one knew what other Soul-related Skills the spies could be in possession of. Having an additional safety net wouldn¡¯t hurt. These silver rings were a mystery, though. Aisha vehemently refused to give any explanation, especially on how and where they were made. Such information couldn¡¯t leak from the Temple. They were only instructed on how to use them. The artifact¡ªfor the lack of a better word; seriously, Zeph wasn¡¯t even sure if it was created with the technology available at their stratum¡ªwas the first Soul-link-able item Zeph saw. Phleya didn¡¯t count ¨C the colony was alive. He wasn¡¯t sure how it was possible to craft such an item, but Soul-link was a perfect tool for monitoring any machinations happening on the Soul level. If the artifact detected any change, the user would be informed directly through the link. Which, in the case of Zeph and Gru, was happening quite often. Gru had a difficult task of learning the difference between signals coming from the device as a result of their constant communication or Skills¡¯ usage, and signals informing about the outsider influence. That didn¡¯t change the fact Gru mostly just played with the item, trying to copy its functionality. Zeph would prefer him to focus on digesting and using the samples he gave him a few hours ago, though. But after ¡®tasting¡¯ them, his companion has become bored rather quickly. Maybe it was an instinctual reaction, maybe the fact that Gru wasn¡¯t using normal testing procedures, but Zeph decided to allow his companion to choose what to do. He hadn¡¯t expected much from it from the beginning. After another half an hour of idle thoughts, they arrived at the district¡¯s walls. They were maybe five stories high, going by Earth¡¯s standards, and absolutely dwarfed by the buildings around. No one stopped them at the entrance ¨C that area was neutral territory, allowing all to enter. The walls existed only because the city wanted the Shrine safe in case of the main wall breach. The gates resembled a tunnel; it took a good minute to drive through. Zeph wasn¡¯t even surprised at the wall thickness anymore, as he knew the top was geared with all kinds of ¡®modern¡¯ weaponry powered by Manasolid farms. Those were placed inside and under the walls. At least, his ¡®Lurona Technology Solutions for Curious¡¯ map stated as much. The buildings inside the district looked a little more¡­ eastern in design. Which contrasted a little with the futuristic pyramid visible in the distance, growing ever bigger as they came closer. Zeph risked a quick peek outside, opening a small window near the front of the cabin. The chilling air started filtering inside as he looked ahead. An almost straight, wide road led directly to the Shrine, sloping slightly downwards. The view before him took his breath away. Only now he was able to see the multi-layered structure below the pyramid. It looked like a black-and-gold wild beehive of gigantic proportions, lying flat on the ground. Its layers weren¡¯t perfectly parallel to each other and protruded in places, as if the whole structure was a creation of nature. The sheer number of, supposedly, floors was mind-blowing in the context of the rest of the city. The lower levels were connected to terraces and multileveled highways, looking like a spider net from the distance. Forty stories¡­ No, I think even more, he tried to count, still in amazement. How is it possible I never saw it from a distance?! Even the Towers aren¡¯t that tall¡­ Shivering mightily from the cold, he pulled his head out of the window and slammed it shut. No thermal resistance for me, it seems, he thought sarcastically, winding up the heating to counter his blunder. He was sure the temperature outside was going below minus 30 Celsius as of late. His escort took it all stoically, trying to be one with the background, as he was instructed to. Zeph didn¡¯t have the mental strength to deal with his silent guardian. The man didn¡¯t want to talk at all. Instead, he occupied himself by checking, once again, the to-do-in-the-Shrine list in his Notebook. Initially, he planned to make a full copy of the Exchange entries to be able to trace how they changed over time, but after reading the Notebook manual in detail, he decided to concentrate on immediately important entries only. The Notebook wasn¡¯t able to compare two ¡®files¡¯, so he would have to parse through all that data manually in the future. He never applied for a checker job and didn¡¯t plan to waste his time like that. It would be easier to just write down what was necessary than collect an unknown number of Exchange records¡¯ copies that he would never touch again. As they closed in, the traffic started to slow them down more and more. Even with the raising number of lanes that started to split vertically from the main avenue, slowly forming the overpass network he saw from the distance, it still wasn¡¯t enough for the population of the city. Zeph never checked the numbers, but even if he was sure the population density was much lower than on Earth, he knew from his maps that the city¡¯s area contested the largest cities on his home planet. Taking into account that this Shrine was the focal point for the whole region, he wasn¡¯t surprised by the number of people trying to get there. Even assuming that only a million people lived in its influence zone, and that each person had to visit only once per year, it was still almost 3000 visitors every day. The walkways and streets were full of movement, even in the biting cold of the winter. Inns, taverns, and restaurants dominated the area. The number of information booths and rental carriages indicated that the place had become a tourist hub of the city. As their carriage arrived before the behemoth of a building, Zeph could see long rows of doorless, arched entrances dotting the lower levels of the Shrine. The building was made from golden metal and obsidian-black stone, contrasting strongly with the roads, bridges, and walkways connected to it. He looked up through the window. The bridges and terraces were converging, occluding the sky almost entirely. It was simply the most complex architectural achievement he saw, ever. They drove through the entrance; a short tunnel opened into a vast hall. The ground was covered with snow, but he could see that the exit passages were clean and dry. Those exit points, leading further into the Shrine, were equipped with heavy lifting machinery, which was used by the personnel to quickly replace the skis of the visiting wagons and carriages. Axles with wheels replaced them. Some variants only required the removal of skis secured on the wheels. It seemed that in both cases, the underbody of the vehicles was designed to allow a quick and easy switch, as long as appropriate machinery was available. Zeph was seeing the process for the first time, his visits to other big buildings in the city never required them to change the skis. Besides guaranteeing enough space for the lines that formed before the passages, the hall was also used as a parking lot. Their driver pulled to the right, where other passenger carriages stood near the wall. With a clank, a thick metal plate slid up from the front wall of his cabin, uncovering a small, barred window. ¡°It seems there is enough space for me to wait here. If it doesn¡¯t take you longer than an hour,¡± their coachman said, looking back through the window. ¡°It actually may¡­ but I expect to be back in two cycles at most,¡± Zeph said, unsure. Five Earth hours sounded like a reasonable timeframe. He wanted to discuss a few things with the System, too. ¡°Ah, I will go and find an inn or tavern, then. Using Shrine¡¯s internal lodges is just a waste of time and money.¡± Indeed, looking through the window, Zeph could see that most of the vehicles were just dropping people in the hall and driving away. ¡°I will be back in two cycles. If you don¡¯t find me¡ªit can be quite hectic here sometimes¡ªcheck the closest station. The workers can direct you.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he nodded. ¡°I suppose you will go with him?¡± Zeph asked his guard while putting on his coat and backpack. The man grunted in confirmation, nodding his head slightly. ¡°Well, see you later, then.¡± He waved, leaving the cabin. As the carriage started to back off slowly to turn, he quickly walked through the nearby pedestrian entrance. The corridor didn¡¯t have any decorations, just plain, metal-and-stone surfaces. He couldn¡¯t even spot any pipes. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to do, so he just followed other people walking ahead of him. After stepping through another doorway, this one evidently enchanted to keep the cold air from entering, he found himself in a smaller hall with elevators and pedestals lining the walls. Everything was kept in the same ¡®black with gold framing¡¯ style, and each pedestal had a black hemisphere on the top. All newcomers were firstly approaching the pedestals and touching the hemispheres. Zeph did the same. For over a hundred stands, there were maybe twenty visitors, so he had no problems with finding a free device. As his hand touched the cool stone, he felt a tug on his Soul, and a second later, his Interface flared to life.
We meet again, [Zeph Einar]. Welcome to our humble abode.
Chapter 70 - Negotiations part1. Mental instability detected! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.27]
We meet again, [Zeph Einar]. Welcome to our humble abode.
That message wasn¡¯t just a simple Interface notification. Zeph could feel a connection to his Soul, distinctly similar to a Soul-bond, that stood behind the text. The notification wasn¡¯t even necessary for him to understand the words. It felt like a mind message from Gru almost. After recognizing that fact, he tried to answer the same way the System did it, similarly to how he ¡®spoke¡¯ with his bond. But this time he concentrated more on words than direct meanings. He also made sure to abstain from sharing any Soul-memory. He was able to share small snippets with Gru without causing his Tabu and Interface Skills to interfere and rise in levels, but he couldn¡¯t be sure what would happen if he tried the same with the System. ¡®You have seriously screwed sense of wealth if this place is humble for you¡­¡¯
The equipment and Mana constructs aren¡¯t up to par. We work with what we have. But we are glad you like the aesthetics. Congratulations on mastering the basics of [Bond communication] despite the state of your [Soul-bond] with the [Garuan]. It¡¯s an achievement worth praise.
¡®Give me Universal Points if you want to praise me, you greedy weasel! Ah, right, about that. I have a complaint! The Soul-bond Error should have never occurred, or been resolved immediately. Instead, you had us travel all the way to your Shrine¡­ do you know how many Tabu levels we have gained because of this?!¡¯
It was the only executable solution. The [Error] is a result of your and [Garuan¡¯s] unique circumstances. [Advanced scan] is required to diagnose the problem in detail. You are entitled to one free [Advanced scan] at a [Shrine]. Field execution would significantly exceed the resources allocated to you, and it can¡¯t guarantee the capability of correcting the issue. We are sorry for the inconvenience!
Zeph huffed in displeasure. It was so much in their style. ¡®We are not finished yet, but I have a feeling it¡¯s not the place for this discussion. Or are you greeting every guest personally?¡¯ he sent, aware that people around him were vacating their pedestals after only a moment.
No, we are not. We decided to welcome you personally because of your wish to speak with us. A wish you were voicing out incessantly. You.Are.Welcome! So, what is the purpose of your visit today, Dear Customer?
¡®Hmmm, yes. Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ he sent with a deadpan face, opening his Notebook. He started reading from a long list, doing his best impression of a prosecutor reading out the charges against the defendant. ¡®The Exchange viewing and access rights adjustment, possible Phleya upgrades, Soul-bond problem solution, Tabu, and Interface Skills negotiations, negotiations on Energy Enhancements gained from the PE milestones, requesting an explanation on why getting the Passive Spell caused the critical condition of my body, My Class and Profession requirements, Soul fragmentation healing po¡ª''
All informational purposes can be processed at your leisure in lobby chambers. We understand you are not interested in acquiring [Body upgrades] at this time, Dear Customer?
A notification interrupted his litany of requests, issues, and questions. The impatient undertone of the message gave Zeph small satisfaction, though. ¡®Yes. I may plan for their implementation in the near future.¡¯
Please use elevator number 35 to ascend to the 11th floor. 67,5 meters to the right, you will find room number 1178 ready to receive you. Disclaimer: All rooms are secured with our best unmatched technology!
He rolled his eyes. ¡®See you later.¡¯ Zeph stepped away from the pedestal, already turning to the elevators. The moment his hand left the hemisphere, he could feel the strange bond-like connection abating, before it disappeared completely. Shrugging, he followed the directions. Excluding the door opening mechanism and golden coloration, the elevator looked almost like its Earth equivalent. Inside, it was even equipped with a panel full of numbered buttons, although they were bulgy and made from the same black stone as the hemispheres. The walk was uneventful and a few minutes later, he stood before a big, triangular door. He touched a hemisphere embedded in the wall nearby, and the door split into three parts that slid away, hiding inside the walls and the floor. The interior was as plain as the hallway ¨C all black, but with a golden floor, golden accents in all corners, and geometrical shapes forming a strip in the middle of the walls. A black sofa was standing near a low, golden table that held up a black sphere in the middle. On the right wall, he spotted a dumbwaiter, a big cabinet with bottles visible behind its glass window, and another triangular door. Curious, he checked that part of the room first, and he quickly learned what he was dealing with. Those were money sinks. Or rather, UP sinks. Well, except for the toilet ¨C it was for free, thankfully. The cabinet worked similarly to a vending machine, although he wasn¡¯t sure how the bottles were transported outside. Only a small section on the right side of the glass window had a handle, and inside he found a small tap and a set of glasses of different sizes and shapes. At least water is for free, he thought, checking the prices of other liquors by touching a black hemisphere set in the wall between the cabinet and the dumbwaiter. Who would pay 1000 UP for a meal? he thought in shock, finding an especially bizarre dish on the long list. The prices weren¡¯t much for most goods, but even 100 UP sounded like a rip-off. Even if those are some rare delicacies, there is no ¡®entree¡¯. It¡¯s just a waste of points. He shook his head sardonically. If the System deigned to offer Soul fragments alongside the meal, he would understand the cost. Buying levels sounded like a reasonable business. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t the case. Not expecting much, he scanned the details of ¡®Volitare Mushroom Salad¡¯. He paused almost immediately ¨C the multilingual names of the mushrooms aside, the list of strange proteins and other organic compounds was way over his head. He could feel that there was an additional meaning behind the words displayed through his Interface¡ªa mechanism similar to reading from General Skills¡ªso he tried to read a little to make sense of the text. Hmm? I see. The micro-composition of meals is visible only because of my education. Quite ¡®optimal¡¯ of you, System. After reading a little further, he sighed with relief. Jeez, those are for races that can¡¯t find necessary nourishment nearby¡­ It¡¯s still a scam, if you ask me, though. The absolutely-normal alcoholic beverages in the cabinet also cost UP¡­ Bleh! He backed off with disgust. It was worse than a money sink ¨C it was a trap for wealthy spenders with a too-big ego.
You know that we can infer your exact thoughts right now, right?
¡°Very good,¡± he said out loud, aware that the pseudo-bond was re-established the moment he had touched the hemisphere. ¡°I don¡¯t have to file reclamation that way, and you can use some feedback to fix this¡­ thing. Taking people¡¯s UP for what? A chance at survival? Because you are forcing them to visit the Shrine? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ethical.¡± He stepped to the table and plopped down on the sofa, which was luxuriously soft despite its looks. His body relaxed immediately after sinking into the soft cushioning, the material molding to his body.
Don¡¯t worry about that. Special opportunities for exchanging [Goods] for [Universal Points] exist for such visitors. It¡¯s not detrimental.
Zeph sighed. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not¡­ from your point of view. I will believe it after I speak with someone who actually spent his UP on this,¡± he said, lazily waving his hand at the dumbwaiter. ¡°Grrau¡­¡± his companion shrugged, not seeing a problem with this arrangement. ¡°You have no right to speak. Your species is not only alien to this world, it¡¯s evidently unknown in this System cluster, whatever that means.¡± ¡°Gra!¡± it pointed out. ¡°Ugh¡­ No, that¡¯s not my point. Even if it works for you, it might not for others. I¡¯m sure the locals would rather pay in money or something else. That reminded me, don¡¯t buy anything without consulting with me first!¡± ¡°Gre?!¡± it vibrated in denial.
We have to take [Zeph]¡¯s side here. You may have independent access, little one, but until you two stabilize the [Soul-bond], it¡¯s a risk for the lives of you both.
The low, grumpy, and inarticulate vibration was their answer. Zeph patted his chest in a reassuring gesture before concentrating on the Onji. ¡°Let¡¯s start with that. How long that ¡®Advanced scan¡¯ would take?¡±
We estimate it to last between 20 and 50 [Corora hours]. It can be done during [Body upgrades] implementation process.
¡°Not too bad. Taking into account how long it took to transform my Spell into the Passive Skill,¡± he said, squinting at the notification.
We will be blunt. Your atypical [Will] and your usage of it cause a lot of previously unknown issues. We are not geared to deal with them all. [Will] should be intangible. You have to either give us some time to develop new methods or restrict yourself in a major way by ignoring the possible advancements.
¡°Don¡¯t you have data from other Terrien, though? And what with that Ryuu species with Greater Willpower I have heard about?¡±
You are the first of your [Race] to acquire [Will]-related, [Soul]-nestled [Energy Enhancement]. You are the first to use [Will] to power [Energy Enhancements] and other internal constructs. The [Garuan] isn¡¯t a standard [Soul-bond] either. [Race: Ryuu] declined our support in [Manacasting], among other things. Also, their [Will] isn¡¯t compatible with yours. Not entirely. Your propensity to use your [Will] for everything is a source of many new discoveries and, as a result, opportunities. But also, new risks.
¡°So it¡¯s my fault now?¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Because this sounds suspiciously close to blame-shifting, cleverly hidden by fancy wording. How the hell could I know my Will could cause such problems? Isn¡¯t that your job?¡±
Assessing the risks is difficult, as you thread an unknown path. For which we are grateful.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Don¡¯t butter me up with gratefulness. You should have informed me if you are unable to predict an outcome. And firstly show me safer options, for once,¡± he argued, even if not meaning it entirely. Even with his current knowledge, he would definitely choose to have Gru and the Willforce Morphon full-body Modification. But, in his mind, it was beside the point. The System never suggested safer options for Will-related machinations. ¡°And then, you say every Will-related change has to happen in the Shrine¡­ how is that going to work after I start traveling in search of the Makrun? And before you start your mantra on how many resources you had to spend fixing your own miscalculated ministrations in-field ¨C I know very well that the data you are gathering during those experimental implementations is worth much more for you,¡± he stated.
¡­
¡°If you need a physical field laboratory, why don¡¯t you prepare a small, portable one? And maybe present all the options instead of trying to coerce me to take a risky path?¡±
¡­ The automated [Module] we implemented in your [Soul] is doing a good job. You are underestimating what an act of giving you [Shrine Seed] would encompass. You don¡¯t deserve it. Yet. Your options are restricted by what we have learned. It¡¯s your choice to use the opportunity.
He snorted. He didn¡¯t care how ¡®precious¡¯ a Shrine Seed was if it could help his case. ¡°Oh? So you think you wouldn¡¯t have to intervene directly ever again? And because of that, you think you shouldn¡¯t give it to me? Does that mean you will never propose an upgrade that can cause problems? Or suggest doing something that can permanently wound me? Will you be able to predict it properly this time around?¡± He shook his head and then glared at the notification. ¡°Let me ask you one thing. Are you still able to fix my Soul-fragmentation?¡±
¡­
¡°As I have thought¡­¡± he waved his hand dismissively. His indignation was leaking through the pseudo-bond, though. ¡°You ¡®suggested¡¯ me to leave some of my Soul-fragmentation, but now you are unable to do anything with it, even in an emergency situation. You ¡®suggested¡¯ two most powerful Skill fusions involving my Will-Mana, ignoring safer options, and now you have problems with how they are functioning. Let me be straight ¨C I feel cheated¡­ manipulated even. And you have lost control of the situation. It¡¯s not good business. Not in the slightest. Leaving me with Tabu, Interface, Soul-fragmentation, untested full-body Modification¡­ only to restrict me to the location of your Shrine for future upgrades? What is this?!¡± The anger was starting to leak into his words¡­ ¡°I feel like a lab rake! Am I your guinea pig already?!¡± ¡­Anger and the uncertainty that he felt for a long time now. So many changes happened to him during his time at Corora that he was starting to feel mentally lost. His faith in the System¡¯s capabilities was dwindling, leaving him without a solid support he could lean on. They were the sole reason, the major directing force behind all those changes, and yet... ¡°Grrrruuum¡­¡± his companion tried to console him, but the presence of this alien organism couldn¡¯t pacify his raging emotions right now. Zeph had experience in controlling his negative thoughts, but when the emotions flooded like that¡­
Mental distress detected! Recalculating¡­ Calculations complete. [Shrine Seed] can be granted under restrictions. Updating [Safety protocol] [Designation: ¡°ZEH1¡±] [version 2.35.1] updated to version [3.0]. [Risk management] added in full capacity. Warning! [Protocol] capacity for [Modules] reached! What are your expectations towards [Tabu] and [Interface] [General Skills]?
The System was quick to react. Instead of trying to influence his mental state, they proposed genuine solutions to the problems he spoke of. This was a correct approach, allowing Zeph to pull himself together enough to stop his Will from stirring up further. He could now feel that his Will was on the verge of another resonation, but he wasn¡¯t sure if infecting it with those depressing emotions¡ªassuming it hadn¡¯t happened already¡ªwas worth the possible advancements in the Willpower PE. He was all into increasing it, but not all changes brought positive results, and he knew this one would be just an aftermath of his past burdens. It took him a minute to stabilize his mind again. He was gracious to Gru and the System for giving him time and not interfering directly with his state. ¡°Sorry¡­ it seems I am not¡­ in the best condition,¡± he said, massaging his eyes. They were slightly too moist for his comfort. ¡°I thought I left the past behind but¡­ Anyway,¡± he changed the topic and raised his head. He would need some time alone to sort his feeling out, but that was to be done later. ¡°What restrictions? Also, what happens when Tabu or Interface rises to Tier 2?¡±
[Exchange] won¡¯t be fully functional. You cannot plant it. The [Shrine Seed] has to be [Implanted] into your body. The [Shrine Seed] will have a [Self-destruction] function. The function will activate when you die or be deemed as compromised. Possible interactions with other organisms and the environment will be strongly limited and will depend on your ability to [Channel] its functionality outside your [Body]. This will extremely restrict [Exchange] usability for others. As for those two [General Skills]: your wish will be granted. At a price.
¡°Not ominous at all¡­¡± he commented as Gru vibrated in accordance. ¡°The Seed is acceptable. Can¡¯t we just throw away the wish and the price of the Skills? Their current functionality is alright, thank you.¡±
Their names aren¡¯t just for show. If you want to negotiate¡ª
¡°What ¡®negotiate¡¯?!¡± he asked aggressively, ignoring the rest of the System¡¯s message. ¡°You are partially responsible for how they formed! Are you going to make me pay for your mistakes?¡±
This doesn¡¯t change the fact that you two are walking a fine line. Soul experimentation is more than just risky. Our protocols exist to make sure such individuals will be closely monitored. The wish exists to balance the act.
¡°Wait, explain this to me, first. I¡¯ve heard it will make some of my information public? Like my position. Also, supposedly, some people can detect that I have a Tier 2 version of Tabu because something in my Soul will change¡­¡± he said, trying hard to remember what Aisha has told him. His Memory was high enough to actually help him recall her words. ¡°Right, it should allow you to freely experiment with my Soul, too?¡±
Those are NOT applied universally, despite what you have ¡®heard¡¯. Actions taken depend on the behavior of the individual.
The message was very disgruntled. ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t explain that part before. If you are so forthcoming with this information for everyone, I¡¯m not surprised some bad rumors started to form,¡± Zeph said accusingly, pointing a finger at the notification.
You expect us to reveal our [Emergency Protocols]? The same ones that restrict potentially dangerous individuals?
He opened his mouth to argue further, but quickly find out he didn¡¯t have much to say to that. ¡°¡­Point taken,¡± he reflected. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I would rather live without you randomly modifying my Soul. I know we cannot plan for it fully before the ¡®Advanced scan¡¯, but it sounds unreasonable in any case. You will probably just fuck me up even more instead of helping.¡±
No. It would definitely not¡ª
¡ª[Risk management] activated!
Sending [Conversation analysis]. Sending [Simulation] results. Sending reference [Backlogs]. Sending [Warning!].
Zeph almost choked on his own saliva after seeing the notification. His booming laughter filled the room a moment later.
¡­
¡°You¡±¡ªhe started before exploding in laughter once again¡ª¡°Your own program...hahaha¡­¡±
¡­
It took him a while to calm down. That scene was so hilarious that he decided to engrave it in his memory.
Are you done?
¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he said, suppressing a chuckle. ¡°Ahem¡­ So, about that General Skills¡­¡±
Haaaah¡­ The [Exception] added to the [Emergency Protocol: ]. No direct interference is allowed until communication-break. [Behavioral analysis] disabled. Updating¡­ [Self-destruction] function of diminished [Shrine Seed] will be upgraded with a host killing mechanism.
Zeph paused, his good mood dispersing almost immediately. The last part was difficult to swallow. After mulling over it for a moment, he had to admit that it was unavoidable, though. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair. But don¡¯t blow me up without talking to me first or analyzing my body, no matter what the situation may look like. And I mean it. Prana from Earth can disable any Mana functionality, potentially. The same goes for the Nether. You won¡¯t be able to assess the situation without speaking to me if your Mana-dependent constructs start to malfunction¡­¡±
Duly noted. Note 1: The [Tabu] [General Skill] won¡¯t change its [Tier] anymore. The [Interface] will display its further advancements as [Levels] above 100. Note 2: [Interface] [General Skill] will only activate in [Offline] mode. Its functions are restricted to scanning. [Bond] [Information sharing] between you and the [Garuan] is now [Unguarded]. This can change after the [Advance scan]. We expect compensation ¨C to be determined after [Advanced scan].
¡°Sure, let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± he said, sighing with relief. It was probably the most important point he wanted to discuss. Well, almost. ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic slightly. Aisha told me that I am at risk of losing the Exchange entries relating to Earth¡¯s knowledge and my otherworldly status. Is that true?¡±
In part, it is. Your access to additional entries will be revoked after you fully integrate into Corora society. But we set the score threshold high. By our estimation, you still have at least a year before that happens.
¡°Even if I officially join the Guild?¡±
Yes, it was taken into account. Also, your innovations concerning [Mana] and other inventions are giving you negative scores because they set you apart from the established civilization. Every one of them will prolong your access to esoteric entries.
It isn¡¯t that bad, but¡­ he thought, looking down thoughtfully. After the integration, I didn¡¯t have access to the Exchange, so I don¡¯t even know what can be useful. Losing the entries that could help Gru, or fix issues with my other problematic Traits, can end up badly¡­ He frowned. That¡¯s not the only problem. Ghrughah¡¯s works are worth much more currently, assuming he wasn¡¯t wrong about my current options provided by the System and the Exchange. But will that last after level 100? Right now, I¡¯m not only ignorant as to the full scope of my access, but I also have no idea how it compares to the current technological level of the world as a whole¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t we work out something more permanent?¡± he finally said, stroking his beard. ¡°I am not sure what you will cut off in the future. Taking into consideration Gru¡¯s situation, and the recent problems you had with my development¡±¡ªhe paused, giving the notification a stinky eye¡ª¡°I believe cutting me off from potentially life-saving options is a bad idea. Can¡¯t you just restrict me in knowledge sharing? It¡¯s not like I know how ¡®items¡¯ like ¡®the Garuan¡¯ are made, anyway.¡±
That wouldn¡¯t be possible. We have enough examples of misuse to allow you the permanent access with sharing restrictions only. Especially because you have knowledge basics strong enough to try recreating those [Items] to gain automatic rewards. Such cases aren¡¯t easy to judge, and we don¡¯t have resources to monitor you personally at all times or negotiate with you constantly.
That confirms Aisha¡¯s suspicions¡­ ¡°You mean, not until I cross the line,¡± he deadpanned.
¡­ Yes. But monitoring lost cases brings new data.
Zeph sighed heavily. ¡°And if I contract you to solve certain problems as a payment?¡± he asked with hope.
That¡­ is not a safe path...
Chapter 71 - Negotiations part2. The power of money. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.27] ¡°And if I contract you to solve certain problems as a payment?¡± he asked with hope.
That¡­ is not a safe path... It would put your life in serious danger.
So you are not against it? Zeph thought snarkily. ¡°I have my backup,¡± he said confidently, thinking about the Guild and his friends. Aisha, at the very least, deserved to be called his friend after all that happened, which was a reassuring thought. And he wasn¡¯t calling people his friends lightly, not at all.
We can prolong your access period in exchange for favors. It will never become truly permanent, and you will have to visit our [Shrine] to report back. [Deep memory scan] will be required each time you report back.
¡°Hey, hey, hey! I know well that my memories can be used to pay for Skill donations and other things. Especially because you have paid me over 18 million UP for them during my first scan. Aren¡¯t you scamming me, again?¡±
Again with the Earthling mindset? Any additional knowledge will be evaluated and paid for, of course.
¡°Did I just hear a condescending undertone? No. Sorry, but it won¡¯t be possible,¡± he said with conviction, shaking his head. ¡°Even if you are able to evaluate my memories properly, I would rather have my privacy. Some data is better left for future dealings.¡± As Zeph progressed in his experimentation, applying his knowledge to the physicality on Corora, he was becoming more possessive of his ideas. Setting aside his prideful and stubborn attitude caused by the acting-up Will, it was probably his deepest desire ¨C to be able to invent freely and to advance on his own in peace. Having his thought process revealed and monitored regularly sounded like anathema to those values, and a bad idea overall. Also, it oozed with strong ¡®Dark Imperium¡¯ vibes. He didn¡¯t have full faith in the System, and that probably would not change in the future. Their blunders aside, Zeph knew they were always looking at the bigger picture, their mindset closer to that of a ruler. And it was a picture where he was but a speck of dust on the canvas. The war with the Nether spammed over entire worlds, presumably. Humans weren¡¯t the only species with intelligence or rare Traits. It was only a logical conclusion that the times may come when sacrifices would have to be made. Times, when not even his good standing with the Gods nor his usefulness would be enough to save him. He needed to look after himself first and foremost, to secure his own future, but it would be that much more difficult if his every thought was exposed and recorded, readily accessible in the Soul memory bank of the System. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to depend on the System too much, as strange as that sounded taking into account their role in this world. But the System was using Mana primarily, while he was a being compatible with at least one other ¡®energy¡¯ type, namely the Prana. That ability was his trump card, and he won¡¯t be parting so easily with the advantages it had the potential to generate. Any experimentation and data related to other ¡®energy¡¯ types were sure to be extremely valuable for the System, and any techniques he would develop would be his and his alone ¨C beyond the System¡¯s ability to intervene, control, or upgrade. At least until they would pay him enough for the knowledge and tried to adapt them. Not having his mind scanned periodically would also limit the scope of manipulation the System could exert on him. Exposing all of his desires was asking for trouble. But that was not all. If he managed to travel beyond ¡®System-infected¡¯ worlds¡ªas Jorge liked to call them¡ªhe would have to do without direct help from the System. It was better to learn how to do that early on, even if all of his upgrades not related to the connection with the System should work on any world, especially if there was Mana. Of course, he couldn¡¯t be sure the System didn¡¯t have underhanded methods for getting the information out of his memory, but they should know well that he would break any ties with them after finding out about it. It¡¯s not like they would have problems with forcing the information out of me, he thought, reminiscing on the worst-case scenario he had come up with. But I don¡¯t really understand the principles on which they operate, nor the current power balance they are a part of. It may as well be impossible for them to force me without losing too much¡­ He wasn¡¯t going to put his guard down. Especially when dealing with ¡®Gods¡¯. There was too much to lose.
Without periodical memory scans, this arrangement isn¡¯t workable.
Indeed, he admitted, nodding. We want the same thing from each other. An assurance. It¡¯s almost time for plan B. But first, I have some questions¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t we play it differently, then? Don¡¯t you have commissions that don¡¯t require the ¡®deep memory scan¡¯? I can accompany someone who will be scanned or something. Why do you even need those Soul memories?¡±
It¡¯s information accessible only for people who have regular [Deep memory scans]. The value of your assistance isn¡¯t enough to meaningfully increase your access to the esoteric entries at the [Exchange].
As if. Aisha doesn¡¯t seem to be doing them regularly, and I am sure she has a deal with you, he thought in irritation. ¡°You are sure our Soul and Will expertise aren¡¯t worth much?¡±
Not if we won¡¯t be able to assess the data directly. A mistake on your part can cause a lot of problems. We will need to make sure.
Bullshit! I call bullshit! ¡°I have a feeling you are not exactly honest with me. Are you trying to say that you don¡¯t have missions of the ¡®needs to be done¡¯ kind, instead of the ¡®seeing through your eyes¡¯ type? Also, if you forgot, I have learned how to send Soul memories. I can do so even through the current connection, in fact.¡±
You can WHA¡ª¡ª¡ª[Error]¡­ Recalculating¡­ Finished. [Tabu] [T1][L52] confirmed. [Interface] [T1][L37] confirmed. Scanning¡­ no visible changes in the [Soul]¡­
Oho, did I just hit the bull¡¯s eye?
Let¡¯s assume you didn¡¯t confuse the terminology. We are opening a [Bandwidth]. Try sending/sharing the last [Earth¡¯s minute] of our discussion.
¡°Ha. Ha. Ha. Very clever.¡± He shook his head at the audacity. ¡°I will send you a minute from my ride here.¡± The System didn¡¯t comment in any way, partially confirming that they were trying to extort information. It took a while to concentrate on his Memory PE to recall a complete minute of travel, and then locate the parts of his Soul that recorded it. It was an intuitional process for him, especially at the beginning, but the longer he exercised, the more he learned about the inner workings of the method. In the past, he was surprised the System didn¡¯t give him a Skill for it, despite rewarding him randomly with something as obscure as ¡®Will manipulation¡¯, but it seemed that they didn¡¯t know about this functionality of his Soul-bond. After forming the Soul memory the best he could, he allowed the information to flow through the pseudo-bond. Immediately, he felt a strain on his Will as it depleted; something that wasn¡¯t happening when speaking with Gru. At least, not at that scale. He bared his teeth and continued, fighting against an invisible obstacle. The little bugger also uses Will contamination after he stole it from me, so that¡¯s probably the reason... Ah, yes¡­ he recalled a small detail from that accident, months ago. My ¡®Will manipulation¡¯ had to do with our communication all along. The Skill stopped raising from our communications alone after it reached level 50, but¡­ He had forgotten about it. It was also around that time when he learned to share Soul memories with Gru without triggering the Interface and Tabu Skills, but he couldn¡¯t recall that clearly. It happened when he deliriously waddled through the caves infested by Myconids, after all. I feel like it happened years ago, instead of months¡­ Finally, the last part of the memory was ¡®pushed¡¯¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªthrough the pseudo-bond. He sighed with relief, falling back on the couch. The statistical summary of his Will was absent still, but he knew the System would have informed him if he depleted his Will too much. This meant the fatigue he felt was mostly just a mental strain, something he hadn¡¯t encountered yet when sharing his Soul memories.
[Transfer] finalized. Closing the [Bandwidth]. Calculating¡­ ¡­
Zeph waited for a minute before his patience run out. ¡°You finished yet?¡±
We are sorry, but this¡­ Well, it definitely can be classified as a [Soul memory]. But the method¡­
¡°It seems to me that unknowingly I have given you another piece of information¡­¡± he trailed off, smiling greedily.
Let us finish [Calculating] first, would you? But for your convenience: it was neither a [Sharing] nor [Transferring]. It depends purely on [Will] usage, a new method. [Simulation] results aren¡¯t ready, but we suspect the connection between two individuals with [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination] is naturally shielded. As so, it escaped our detection systems.
Zeph looked at the notification incredulously. ¡°Are you telling me that all this time, not only we were doing it wrong, but we ¡®invented¡¯,¡± he made quotation marks with his fingers, ¡°a new Skill? And you didn¡¯t notice?!¡±
In our defense ¨C we suggested the [Advanced scan] long before you learned how to do it. Calculations finished. The results are satisfactory. We can work with that method if you agree to send a full memory of the mission. The records from diminished [Shrine Seed] can work as a timeline reference.
That was good news, but one thing bothered Zeph quite a bit. ¡°Where is my new Skill, tho?¡± he asked curiously, looking around in search of the missing notification as if it was trying to hide from him.
Well¡­ we cannot see the process, so¡­
Huh? ¡°You can¡¯t create one even now?!¡± he asked incredulously.
¡­We need to know which part of your Soul recorded the act. If we aren¡¯t aware of the process when it happens, the only other option is [Deep memory scan]. The value of the above information will be deducted from the reward of bringing this new knowledge to us. To evaluate it properly, we will wait for after the [Advanced scan] as it will be focused on your [Soul-bond]. It should be enough even without the [Deep memory scan].
Stingy as always¡­ he thought, disgruntled. ¡°Ye ye. I would be happy to have another million UP, or something,¡± he said, theatrically raising his arms to his sides and shrugging. ¡°But knowing you, you will just give me more random info to cut off my points short, am I right?¡± There was no answer, except for a confusing, barely perceivable emotion behind the pseudo-bond. It was so weak that Zeph wasn¡¯t even sure if it wasn¡¯t just his imagination but took it as a signal to push forward. ¡°Instead of giving me the reward, why don¡¯t you share openly more important information when I specifically ask for it? And balance out our standing a little for negotiation purposes? For example, by taking away things like that pesky compensation for the changes in your Emergency Protocols. Anyway, you still didn¡¯t tell me if you have any ¡®commissions¡¯ not requiring the deep memory scan.¡±
Agreed. Jobs like that exist. But at this point, it will be a waste of time for you.
Now I feel offended! ¡°Why are you still dodging the topic?¡± ¡°Gre!¡± his companion spit to the side. ¡°Yes, they are doing us as they like.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡­ You are aware that we have never lied to you?
¡°It¡¯s helping a hell in your case. I can respect that you have some principles¡ªeven if they are only an effect of the reality enforcing your life choices¡ªbut they only emphasize your slimy nature. Anyway, I can do both types of missions. But there may be cases where I won¡¯t show you a full memory.¡±
You know how suspicious that sounds, right? I have a feeling you are not exactly honest with us.
The mirth in the message was almost palpable. Zeph¡¯s face scrunched. Having his own words thrown back at him stung slightly. ¡°I do it for my benefit, something you should understand well enough. I am not going to jeopardize your goals, as long as I know what they are. But some details will stay with me.¡± He crossed his arms.
Even then, that will limit possible commissions. It may not be enough to prolong your access indefinitely, even if you work full-time with us. In the first place, two contracted people doing one job contradicts their usefulness. One for each site is enough for most situations. You cannot expect us to double our spending only to be allowed to [Deep scan] one participant.
¡°Oh, so you did take into account the possibility of indefinite prolonging?¡± Zeph said, shaking his head in disapproval. Even as he did so, he analyzed his position. The negotiations weren¡¯t going as badly as he had expected they would. The main problem with the System doing a deep scan was resolved, so the only thing left for consideration was his future advancements in non-Mana fields of study. ¡°Before we continue, I need more information. You have ways to monitor what everyone possessing Interface are doing,¡± he stated. ¡°Case in point, the raising levels of all Skills after we prove our proficiency in action or test our crafts. But what I don¡¯t know is how much can you see¡­ I mean, are you seeing and monitoring our body and Mana flow at all times in detail, and leave your ¡®automation¡¯ to decide on that alone? Or are you using the memories in our Souls you have access to? Or read our ¡®surface thoughts¡¯? Can you see our surroundings?¡±
No, no. There is no such thing as ¡®surface thoughts¡¯.
Zeph squinted his eyes. ¡°I am quite sure you have reacted pretty on-point to my thoughts in the past¡­ Like at the time I wanted your notification to shut up, for example.¡±
It¡¯s called ¡®reading the mood¡¯, my child. We believe every intelligent species can use this wonderful ability, and think you should strive to learn to use it too. Like we have told you at the very beginning, we do not possess any means for immediate, noninvasive, harmless [Mindreading]. To be more specific (you.are.welcome), we can only estimate what you are thinking about by observing your brain activity, bodily signs, and [Soul] reactions. They can be quite telltale, but it¡¯s not even close to [Mindreading]. The resolution of the observables depends on the resources available, and the quality of estimation depends on the computational power available. The former depends on the Soul resources of the individual, what resources we had allocated, and the proximity to other [Users]. The latter isn¡¯t much until we intervene directly. The scope of our ability to perceive physicality and an individual¡¯s surroundings is information. But it¡¯s a well-known fact that we are NOT omniscient. Regrettably.
Ah, yes~ Finally some answers! Hmmm¡­ I almost forgot that first talk of ours. So, no casual mindreading, huh? The memory scan after our talk in the ¡®mental space¡¯ was easily perceivable, let¡¯s hope other forced methods are as well, for my sanity cause. As for the other thing... The resolution depends on proximity to others? Heh, look at that. My old half-joke, half-theory of us being just computing units in their global network is becoming more plausible day by day¡­ He smiled wryly, returning to the discussion at hand. ¡°So¡­ Let us be clear,¡±¡ªyou stingy bastard¡ª¡°To summarize all you have said ¨C you don¡¯t want to use a method of restricting knowledge sharing and donations because it¡¯s a high-maintenance, costly business that is impossible to automate? And you need those Soul memories because you can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening good enough?¡±
In short, yes. Before judging us, you should think about the global scale. How many people would want this special treatment to expand their [Exchange] access, you think? We are no God of Law nor God of Trade. You are a rare exception to even hear from us directly, not to mention negotiating those terms¡­
¡°Okay, okay, I get it¡­¡± he said, sympathizing slightly with their unwillingness to take such attentive care of so many people. ¡°No exception for only me?¡± he asked, making big, puppy eyes.
Not earned. Far from it.
Tch. I have no choice, it seems. Engage Plan B! He sighed dramatically. ¡°Then, just throw all my entries to Gru after I lose access to them,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°It should at least give us some safeguard¡­¡±
That will change nothing. Is your [Brain] malfunctioning? Should we check it too?
Zeph snorted. ¡°Check your own protocols first, jerk. Gru can¡¯t send a proper Soul memory to anyone besides me, and he can¡¯t speak. I think this situation won¡¯t change in the near future, at least until he bonds with someone else or gains a new body. And he doesn¡¯t have enough intelligence to explain how even the easiest machine works.¡± ¡°Greaau!¡± Gru vibrated pitifully, hurt by the comment. You are not helping! Zeph sent before explaining further. ¡°Whatever the future holds for him, you can easily limit his ability to share knowledge down to nothingness. That way, he should be able to share the entries only with me, right? We won¡¯t be able to donate anything if you leave him officially attached only to me, which I am sure you are already doing. The chances of him re-inventing anything are also close to zero. And, let¡¯s be honest, even if that happens, ¡®negotiating¡¯ with him will bring you not only pleasure but more data about his race. I will do periodic missions for you. We can break the agreement the moment I stop doing them.¡±
¡­ Why do we have a feeling it¡¯s a horrible set-up?
Not seeing a direct refusal, Zeph smiled impishly. ¡°A deal, then?¡±
Yes. One full mission per year and at least two less important tasks. The more you do before surpassing the access threshold, the longer you will have direct access. Reminder: the moment you lose your access, you will gain official [Affiliation].
¡°Great!¡± He clapped his hands happily. ¡°But don¡¯t forget to inform me before limiting my Exchange entries.¡±
Very well. We will send information when a risk of losing [Modules] arises.
Zeph nodded in satisfaction. He still had a lot of questions, but they could wait for now. ¡°I think I should scan the Exchange before we will continue the discussion. I don¡¯t have all day, so let¡¯s finish my main reasons for visiting you today.¡±
As you wish.
Biological Upgrades
Genetic Upgrades
Biological Implants
Mechanical Implants
He immediately started to use the advanced search function. He was glad that he decided to pay for permanent access to the functionality from the start. Especially because its price was 23 000 UP higher right now, for some reason. Those 150 000 UP were slowly paying back. After filling out the lengthy survey, he configured the search to show a comparison between standard upgrades and the ones strengthened by the new materials produced by Ghrughah. He also asked the System to help with searching results a little ¨C mainly to summarize the less important entries that didn¡¯t show up. To his surprise, there was one implant rivaling the efficiency of the Fullerene version, and one implant using both the Fullerene and Obsidian at the same time. After trimming the list a little, he was left with two best implants in their material category, too. Because the UP cost of modified implants was dependent on the materials and pre-implementation body modifications he already had, he decided they weren¡¯t essential for the summary. If he did well enough on those two fronts, the UP price should be similar to their ¡®standard¡¯ option or lower, and he definitely had enough UP for at least one implant of this class.
STANDARD Planaria Ferrium Fullerene Ferrum Obsidian
Type: eye implant. Specification: wavelength spectrum. Details: UV, infrared, night vision. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 2.02%. Cost: 350 000 UP. Type: retina/neural implant. Specification: wavelength spectrum. Details: Photonic Spell compatibility, light sensibility 10%-1000% [modifiable]. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 4.11%. Type: cornea implant. Specification: wavelength spectrum. Details: Photonic Spell compatibility, zoom 0.01-400, retina shielding. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 1.92%.
Type: bone strengthening [Mechanical implant]. Specification: robustness increase (x1.67). Details: wolfram alloy framework compatible with [Mammalia] bone structure. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 18.37%. Cost: 1 050 000 UP. Type: bone strengthening [Mechanical implant]. Specification: robustness increase (x5.02). Details: MIXED implant. [PFF] plating and [FO] structural modification. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 20.57%. Type: bone strengthening [Mechanical implant]. Specification: robustness increase (x5.02). Details: MIXED implant. [PFF] plating and [FO] structural modification. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 20.57%.
Type: neural [Biological] implant. Specification: shielding (+24%); regeneration (+0.4%); functionality (+158%). Details: carbon-based add-on. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 9.51%. Cost: 1 960 000 UP. Type: Neural [Mechanical] implant. Specification: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Details: Carbon/Iron-based add-on. [Willforce Morphon] compatibility detected! Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 9.95%. NONE
Type: skin/hair replacement. [Mechanical] implant. Specification: natural armor (Mana +92%; physical +292%). Details: Titanium-based covering. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 36.21%. Cost: 985 000 UP. NONE Type: skin/hair replacement. [Mechanical] implant. Specification: natural armor (Mana +1598%; physical +368%). Details: strands of the material implemented into natural keratin chains. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: 31.19%.
The rest of the results of the search were mediocre. Except for some very specific, much weaker, or problematic applications, like fat cells microstructural modification or changing his body hair for scales, nothing was standing out. He checked the list of the ¡®Biological Upgrades¡¯ and the two categories of ¡®Implants¡¯ a few times, but he quickly learned why most of them were excluded from the search results. In the survey, he mentioned specifically that he wanted them to be compatible with either energy types other than the Mana, or not be impaired by the lack of Ambient Mana. Those two restrictions shortened the list to a dozen entries. The full catalog was so big that he started to doubt his life choices. A mutagen prolonging human¡¯s lifespan to around half a millennium (before adding the Regeneration effects) was available for ¡®cheap¡¯. Sensory replacement, of a mechanical kind, could easily increase the sensitivity of his senses by an order of magnitude at least. The list was long. He stopped himself before falling into this traphole, though. Implants meant Soul contamination. It was a guaranteed side effect. Mutagens were even worse, able to change his racial Traits. He had much more options than the locals, if he were to choose poorly, he would break his ¡®build¡¯ entirely. Also, looking at the UP costs, he knew that his limited budget didn¡¯t amount to much. Two million points was a drop in the ocean of his needs ¨C two serious implants were all he could do for now. Maybe a few cheap, supplementary ones, too, but nothing that extravagant. Supposedly, his UP balance should skyrocket after level 100, but he was a long way away from that. He shook his head and decided to use the best assistant available on the whole Corora. ¡°Sir System Onji, I have a question.¡±
Oh, now we are a ¡®sir¡¯?
¡°Which of those options are optimal for me?¡± he asked innocently.
¡­ Optimal¡­ Are you asking seriously?
¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded vehemently, knowing he already had them. The OCPD was strong within the System, after all.
Well, if you insist... If we take into account your situation, affinities, past problems, material properties, production possibilities¡­
And so, he provoked the creation of the longest notification he was ever to read. All of it supplemented by vast statistical data and free research references. All of it as complete as it was exhaustive. The notification ¡®window¡¯ bloated in his field of view until it took it all and could grow no more. The System was unresponsive, lost in its own world as it was overflowing the pseudo-bond with a one-directional information stream and giddy emotions. As the text started to scroll down, faster than he could hope to read, Zeph made the only reasonable decision. He started copying everything directly into his Notebook. Bless you, Library Goddess! Chapter 72 - The crude Cube and Makanis glorious return! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.27] This¡­ definitely feels nostalgic, Zeph thought, looking at his notes in the Notebook. He finished the first draft of his development plan just as they entered the Roaming Onsen¡¯s valley. The light from the street lamps danced on the snowy landscape, illuminating the small port village inside the city as they descended from a plateau to its north. But Zeph didn¡¯t pay much attention to the sights. It¡¯s almost like designing a character¡¯s development path in an RPG; my favorite part of those games. He grinned happily. Well, maybe second-favorite. Character creation rules! Thanks to the information from the System and the copy of possible upgrades from the Exchange, he could finally start planning ahead instead of stumbling in the dark as he did until now. His knowledge wasn¡¯t complete by any means. The System didn¡¯t present him with all the details, as nothing was ever set in stone when it comes to Class sub-specializations, but, at least, he knew what to train and what to learn to make sure he would remain a Generalist and to make effective use of Shaman¡¯s abilities. For more specific paths that people took in the past, he was, predictably, directed to the Library. As he read the System¡¯s optimization plan, he couldn¡¯t help but agree with the major developing routes they have plotted for him. It was nice to have a validation of his own plans, but not everything they suggested sat well with him. Like the idea of taking advanced mutagens. He was pretty sure his days as an Earth¡¯s human would be numbered if he followed that path. On a more positive note, Phleya could be easily upgraded to work with his chosen material ¨C the Fullerene complex. Even better, the upgrade would give it a small chance to develop basic sapience and, as a result, Will. In other words, there was a chance their Soul-link would evolve into the Soul-bond, which would allow Zeph to increase his future Fullerene Soul contamination even further. Ghrughah discarded such a possibility, and rightly so, as the cost of directly upgrading the Phleya colony to a species capable of Soul-bonding was counted in millions of UP. He even found a Class-specific implant that was compatible with Fullerene. It would dry out his UP reserves but would definitely be worth it. It not only strengthened the cardiovascular system, but also improved the ability to channel Mana internally and form Magicules inside one¡¯s body, among other things. He also learned that his Greater Willpower would grant him an Energy Enhancement after reaching 250 instead of 500. The influence of this Passive Enhancement was, evidently, so strong that the System had to compensate. Zeph had planned to bargain for an early access to the 500-milestone Energy Enhancements of his Memory and Willpower, as it would be impossible to achieve that numbers before his Class hit level 100, but the System didn¡¯t want to even hear about it. The good news was, he could count on his Intuition and, thankfully, Willpower to get them. Also, Willpower should balance out his inflated Intuition, but after getting Willforce Morphon this point became moot. On the other hand, it was his Willpower that was acting up and he would need more Memory to rein in its effects, which he was very hesitant to do as it was a waste of points from the perspective of his Class advancement. The Onji assured him it would be safe to leave the Memory for later if he learned how to meditate on the problem, especially because Willforce Morphon also enhanced that use of Memory, but taking into account his past issues with Passive Enhancements, he wasn¡¯t sure they knew what they were talking about. As for more mundane Modules at the Exchange, Zeph checked the System¡¯s version of his external Spell Matrix¡ªthe cube filled with mercury and stamped with enchanted gizmos all around¡ªand the enchanted explosives. Both searches returned underwhelming results. The ¡®Low Mana density Liquid Spell Medium¡¯, as the System called it, was a scam. It was horrendously pricy while doing an even worse job than his own creation. Well, it was ¡®optimized¡¯ to work in difficult conditions, but Zeph didn¡¯t care about that part. Its Mana efficiency was horrendous, and it had size restrictions while still requiring modifications in the Spell constructs. The latter issue was mitigated, though, by providing a few in-built enchantment-based tools to simplify the process. The explosives, on the other hand, were just toned-down versions of what their group was producing. Fact, they were absolutely stable but lacked the punch a good, Earth¡¯s grenade could bring to the table. Not to mention, their enchantment¡¯s frameworks were ignoring compatible Soul contaminations, decreasing their usability for certain individuals in their Guild. As for General Skills, Zeph had made a list of more interesting ones, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be buying anything in the near future. The lack of UP in the light of his soon-to-be implants was one thing; he actually didn¡¯t have time to read from them, as much as he would like to. If only the General Skills were able to upload the knowledge directly into his brain, like in all those novels from Earth¡­ But no, he had to train everything. Had to spend time, learning. The time he didn¡¯t have. He decided to try to abuse the Shrine Seed in that regard. With constant access to the Exchange, it would be possible to buy a General Skill necessary for his survivability immediately. He had to start saving the points for that insurance plan, though. It was getting late, and he was very much mentally spent at the moment. Thankfully, he found Kwan in her office. After informing her that he could become an official member of the Guild, he visited Ghrughah. The place was in an even worse state than during his visit a few days prior. He had to squeeze between stacks of materials and tools to get to the staircase, only to see that it wasn¡¯t empty anymore. He cursed under his breath while trying to not cause a literal avalanche. When he finally ascended to the summit of this debris mountain, he spotted the giant in the middle of the floor, working one of the smaller forges. ¡°Yo! Fancy meeting you in this desolated land!¡± he shouted, trying to outshout the hum of fire. Zeph had no patience right now to wait for the Blacksmith to finish his work. ¡°Care to accommodate me for a moment?!¡± The fire died down, returning to their natural intensity. The Blacksmith glanced at him with a frown, but didn¡¯t comment and started putting away his tools. Whatever he was working at, stayed inside the fires. ¡°Why the haste?¡± he asked, wiping his hands with a dirty cloth. ¡°Problems?¡± ¡°Yes. With my sleeping schedule,¡± Zeph answered, coming closer. ¡°I plan to crash down as soon as possible, so no apologizes for the interruption.¡± ¡°No problem. If I was working on something important, you wouldn¡¯t be able to interrupt me anyway.¡± Zeph smiled mischievously at that. He would test that statement at some point, he was sure. ¡°It¡¯s decided. Fullerene is the way to go.¡± ¡°Hmm, another untested tool in your arsenal? Very well. I look forward to your future pleadings for help, HA!¡± he guffawed. ¡°Eh, we will cross that line when, and if, it shows up. Anyway, did you find anyone proficient with armors usage?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a guy. He wants one of my crafts in exchange, so leave the cost to me. Should we visit Pavail now?¡± ¡°No, there is no reason to. I want to study the long-term effects the material can have on my body. And to try interacting with it some more. The implant isn¡¯t bothering me in the slightest, so I might as well find some use for it. Its compatibility with life energy is so potent it made me curious¡­ You can relay that to Pavail, actually.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± the giant nodded. ¡°By the way, the connection tunnels are finished.¡± He started to fumble with the oversized pockets of his work attire and produced a small file of documents. ¡°Here are the instructions on how to use the passages. Throw it into the furnace after memorizing the contents.¡± There was no mercy for possible mistakes in the eyes of their security department head. Zeph did as instructed and soon followed the overly-complicated path to his room. It was evident that the giant took some inspiration from P¡¯pfel¡¯s work, hiding secret passages inside secret passages and behind hidden doors in obscure locations, only to escalate the complexity of it all by adding password-reactive randomization of the maze of tunnels. The passwords themselves were more than just numerical input or amulet scan ¨C some places required a certain behavior or Mana manipulation. After an hour of searching for an exit, Zeph crashed on his bed, cursing the pseudo-dungeon Ghrughah created. =============================== Zeph was on his way to the mess hall to procure a breakfast, when suddenly one of the doors in the empty, underground hall opened up and a pale, thin appendage caught his arm. He suppressed a scream of surprise, only to cry out like a little girl after seeing the ghostly face looming out of the shadows of the room. He jerked back, freeing himself from the bony grip, but paused before his fight-or-flight instinct could take over. The face, it looked familiar. ¡°M-Makani?¡± he stuttered with disbelief. Indeed, if one ignored the absolutely pale complexion, dark bags under the dead eyes, hair wildly jutting out in all directions, and the grotesque expression of total exhaustion, the face reminded a caricature of Makani¡¯s. In fact, only the familiar goatee was what had given him away so easily. ¡°Zeeeeph,¡± whispered the apparition, reaching with his hand. ¡°Heeelp meeeee¡­¡± ¡°Stop with the creepy acting first,¡± Zeph said, grimacing and taking a step back. ¡°I can feel that you are using a Spell.¡± Makani paused and blinked slowly. Then, he straightened up as some life returned to his eyes. ¡°You can? How?!¡± ¡°New Veil technique. Not officially approved, though.¡± He shrugged and took a better look at the Manacaster. ¡°What happened to you? For a moment, I was sure you were an undead¡­¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Makani slouched over dejectedly, his eyes vacant once again. ¡°My journey wasn¡¯t an easy or pleasant one. And what awaited me the moment I have stepped down from the aerostat? A slavery, that¡¯s what!¡± He sighed heavily and looked hopefully at Zeph. ¡°You have to help me escape. I have finished with the most important documents; I refuse to slave away for Kwan and Aisha any more than that¡­¡± ¡°Escape? Can¡¯t you just¡­ you know, walk out?¡± ¡°Ha! Very funny. The guards have orders to keep me inside¡­ I managed to lose my babysitter, but I can¡¯t leave!¡± He gripped his head dramatically with both hands, looking at the floor with crazed eyes. ¡°It¡¯s insanity. Why did I agree to work with them¡­ It was a mistake¡­¡± he started mumbling to himself. Zeph was taken aback. He suspected the girls would force some administrative labor on him, but it seemed the issues of the twin pilots were more demanding than he thought possible. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to my room first. We are in the open. It¡¯s good you are back, by the way,¡± he said, grinning widely and slapping his back. ¡°Grrrruum!¡± his chest vibrated in greeting. ~~~ A few minutes later, they were sitting in Zeph¡¯s guest room. His place had gained new furniture lately, although it was still mostly empty. ¡°Here, let¡¯s get it over with,¡± Zeph said, bumping a fist with him to send an Effigy of his Interface. ¡°Ghrughah is too paranoid.¡± Makani did the same nonetheless. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I would rather not sit through his lecture like Kwan¡¯s guards. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s quite intense¡­ And we have already confirmed the presence of high-level spies.¡± ¡°If you say so. Are we going to bunker down here?¡± Makani asked, looking curiously around. ¡°No, no. The passage tunnels are finished, we can go directly to the laboratory building and move from there. There are much more interesting places in the Village, like the bathhouse.¡± He relaxed in his armchair, thinking about the booming entertainment industry. ¡°I was planning to visit the small marketplaces to poke around some more in search of an Alchemist. Our notices gave no results, even after increasing the reward for any related information. But since you are here,¡± he smiled widely. ¡°Could you spend some time teaching me, instead?¡± ¡°Teaching what? You have every advantage over me that you can possibly have,¡± he said, grimacing. ¡°Eh¡­ I don¡¯t really have time to read from my Skills and a few are stuck, so¡­¡± Zeph awkwardly scratched his head as Makani glared at him. ¡°You want me to explain to you the contents of your General Skills? Because you don¡¯t like to read? Wasting time of us both?¡± ¡°No, I just need to learn a few techniques. And I am learning faster by practicing, so it¡¯s not a waste of time at all. In fact, I don¡¯t have enough time to read with all that¡¯s going on. And I have some problems with beam Spells, too.¡± Makani sighed tiredly. ¡°Of course, you would be learning faster by example. What was I thinking?¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°What would you need?¡± ¡°The most important is Ambient Mana Channeling. I need to learn how to circulate ambient Magicules through my Soul. From what I know, it¡¯s the last technique required for my Skill to tier-up. Also, I am unable to focus the beam Spell enough for them to be usable in battle¡­ And I am not sure how Mana bomb should work.¡± Makani relaxed visibly. ¡°And here I have thought you would request an impossible task from me. The first one is easy enough. I guess you want to try circulating Magicules forming in your armor?¡± Zeph nodded, amazed he could tell. ¡°Is it a common practice?¡± ¡°No, not really. But I know your circumstances quite well.¡± He smiled mischievously. ¡°Oh, confident much?¡± Zeph answered with his own grin. ¡°It¡¯s a new material for contamination modulating, though.¡± Makani blinked a few times in surprise. ¡°That...¡± he shook his head. ¡°How much did you spend on that? You are suddenly rich, or something?¡± Zeph chuckled lightly. ¡°I may have a loan or two. The cost of implants is another story, though.¡± He grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to hear about that. Anyway, teaching you how to operate those Spells will be a pain. I Can draw you the shapes, but the nuances are difficult to present in that form. The Mana flow resonates if you are doing it correctly, but the shape is slightly different for each Magicule variant and there are five different, basic effects that you will have to learn¡­¡± Zeph stood up vigorously. ¡°I think I have a perfect tool for just that. Give me a second.¡± He went to his bedroom to retrieve the LMDLSM, also known as the Cube. After returning, he presented it proudly to his Manacaster friend. He took it with a dubious face and started examining each wall, noticing two bone disks. ¡°And what exactly is this?¡± he asked cluelessly. ¡°Showing will be faster than explaining.¡± Zeph took the cube back and pushed more Mana into the bone disk responsible for producing neutral Mana-L. After making sure the mercury inside was saturated, he started constructing a modified Lesser Light Spell inside. Well, the reversed version. He wanted to see the Spell effect, too, and the reversed Light Spell was ejecting the Will-Magicules around instead of keeping them contained inside its structure. As the walls of the Cube were made from enchanting filler and were saturated with neutral Mana-L to some degree, he had no issues with inserting his own Mana inside and the produced Will-Magicules would be able to escape from the artifact. He was thinking long and hard about how to simplify the Spell¡¯s modifications required by his External Matrix, aka the Cube. Spell constructs almost always had multiple dead ends in their Mana flow. Normally, Manacaster would stop manipulating Mana at those points, allowing it to disperse around the pathway ends. In the cube, though, mercury was flowing alongside the Mana flow. Pumping so much mercury into one place was causing serious disruptions in the area. Changing the dead ends into additional paths that led the excess material away or back into the previous sections of the construct worked somehow, but required a lot of trial-and-error to keep the Spell working and drastically decreased its efficiency and effectiveness. He didn¡¯t have much time to test his ideas, but what he had come up with showed promising results. Instead of lengthening the pathways, trying to direct the flow of mercury away from the area near the Spell construct, he found out that branching the pathway endings multiple times¡ªto form a shape resembling a tree crown¡ªsimulated the dispersion of Mana in that area and helped with volume distribution of mercury. Besides increasing Spell¡¯s effectiveness, this solution was much more flexible, allowing him to disperse the inflow of mercury over big areas in several different directions while balancing out the pressure differences generated this way. It worked, to some extent, even without tweaking the tree shape ¨C which was a major step forward in the context of Cube¡¯s usability. Not everyone was as proficient in external Mana manipulation as he was, so simplifying and unifying the necessary modifications made to Spells was crucial for low-level Manacasters. He wanted to propagate his ¡®External Matrix¡¯ on this stratum in the future, after all. A moment later, the resistance inside the Cube abated and the Mana flow stabilized. The ambient Mana-L finished condensing, the Lesser Light Spell was now ¡®engraved¡¯ in it. The Cube was enchanted. Small motes of green light started to flicker all around, the more the closer to the Cube, confirming that the Will-Magicules were interacting with ambient Air-Magicules, forcing them to disintegrate while transforming a part of released Mana into the light. He handed the artifact to Makani, smiling proudly. ¡°Try to power the enchantment inside, the entry is in the middle of this wall,¡± he said, pointing at one of the smooth, black faces. Makani¡¯s confusion started to quickly morph into wonder, as he, undoubtedly, felt his Mana flowing through the construct. ¡°Oh, wow. That¡¯s convenient! How much UP did you pay for it?!¡± he asked eagerly, looking up at Zeph¡¯s smug face. ¡°Pay? I didn¡¯t pay anything, my friend.¡± He shook his head in mock disappointment. ¡°I have earned a lot of enchanting-related Spells, three General Skills, and a level in my Profession instead!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your prototype?!¡± Makani asked in shock. ¡°No, that¡¯s actually expected of you¡­ Somewhat¡­ Probably¡­ Anyway,¡± he shook his head, looking back at the black cube, ¡°the Exchange version must be a marvel¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s crap, is what it is.¡± The contempt was clear in his voice. ¡°The only interesting thing it provides is a catalog of pre-enchanted shapes that can be used to deal with a Spell construct¡¯s Mana flow dead ends.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I noticed the fuzzy endings¡­¡± he commented, looking up. ¡°Besides that, both versions have roughly the same restrictions. Only Spells that are ejecting Magicules will work normally, like detection Spells or most Tier 0 Spells. Some can be modified to have their active site¡­¡± he paused, seeing Makani¡¯s confusion. Instead of trying to translate English into Rui dialect, he opted for the closest technical term he knew of. ¡°The effector center? If you place it near the walls, the Spell¡¯s effect will have a chance to manifest outside, but because of the solid encasement, some material interference still exists.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean flattening the structure, like in the Engraving Enchanting?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but close enough.¡± Zeph shook his head slightly. ¡°You would want to move just the effector center to be near the Spell¡¯s construct boundary, not flatten it fully into a diagram. Oh, that reminded me, Holographic Enchanting should work perfectly as well,¡± he said, scratching his chin. ¡°Since the emerging Spell construct is always formed above the enchantment layers, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the enclosure¡­¡± ¡°Heh. If only using so expensive materials wasn¡¯t an anathema to the art¡­ Actually, now that I think about it, your cube would bring a logistic headache instead of help. Holographic components are known to be very simple and cheap to draw. If you have a blueprint. It¡¯s a long shot, but maybe it would be useful for research? You would have to ask P¡¯pfel.¡± He shrugged and looked back at the artifact. ¡°Will it be safe to use a Mana beam on it, though?¡± ¡°I think it should be. As long as we don¡¯t keep the Spell active for too long, the Cube¡¯s Mana conductivity should be sufficient¡­ Just be careful with the Heat version.¡± ¡°Groooom!¡± his chest vibrated giddily. Makani smirked. ¡°I will believe in your excitement only after you form eyes to see the possible explosion.¡± Zeph blinked in surprise. ¡°You can still understand him?¡± He was sure the guy¡¯s contract have ended the moment they parted ways in the Torrent mountains. Gru shouldn¡¯t have any Soul connection to leverage his form of communication. ¡°Barely,¡± Makani waved his comment off. ¡°We are Guildmates now, above knowing each other rather well. That bond is enough, it seems. How do you reset this thing?¡± he changed the topic. Zeph squinted his eyes, sure it wasn¡¯t all, but dropped the topic. ¡°Just power up the bone disk without a slit. The Electrify enchantment will erase the previous Spell after a minute or so. Actually, having a battery would be a godsend right about now¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s good enough. But we don¡¯t have a training hall yet. I suppose you want to learn during our trip?¡± ¡°So, the girls clued you in? Yes, that was the idea. I can try to study the structure beforehand a little, too. Even if it will be a pain to stop the Spell from activating.¡± ¡°We can use my Tower¡¯s chambers¡­ if you don¡¯t mind being spied on,¡± Makani suggested hesitantly. Zeph shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s not a finished version, so I would rather keep the Cube under wraps.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he shrugged. ¡°What variation of Mana beam do you want to study first? I can disrupt the effects of a short activation, so I can enchant it immediately. But we need to visit my Tower anyway for Ambient Mana Channeling training. Or are you planning to leave that for later and visit a volcano or the sea during our trip?¡± ¡°I would rather not,¡± Zeph sighed. ¡°We will only have ten days after the New Year, and I hoped I could learn more about this mercenary business. I doubt their commissions are anywhere near huge Magicule-producing sources. Can¡¯t I just learn with the Air-Magicules?¡± he asked hopefully. ¡°That won¡¯t be enough to master the functionality,¡± Makani shook his head with confidence. ¡°And you need to train with Magicules close to the composition of your armor for maximum efficiency.¡± Zeph thought about it for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will be free anytime soon, but going right now also doesn¡¯t sound right. We would have to sneak out without taking a guardian or Ghrughah¡¯s carriage¡­¡± ¡°It actually plays into our hands ¨C we can leave under a guise. Weren¡¯t you planning to visit markets, too? It would be better to ask about a hidden Alchemist without declaring ourselves some big shots. And frankly, what can they do? Try to attack us? A Blackwind Tower Practitioner and members of Sepia Familia Guild preparing for the Duel tournament? Two Manacasters and one ancient lifeform?¡± He said the last part with mixed mirth and derision, as if daring their enemies to show themselves. ¡°Gra!¡± it vibrated confidently. ¡°Graaah!¡± Makani choked on his own saliva. After stopping his coughing fit, he corrected himself. ¡°Ahem¡­ I don¡¯t know when that happened, but¡­ yes, two Manacasters and one Spellwielder.¡± Zeph laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up. We haven¡¯t had a chance to test his ability to use Spell Matrices yet,¡± he said lightly, checking if his Veil was still absent from the area near his solar plexus. He was trying to get used to it for some time now. ¡°Okay, I think you are right. Let¡¯s do it!¡± he exclaimed, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s not like we are putting our lives on the line here, so what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± Chapter 73 - Irritable Turn of events. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.28] ========Theron Nalani PoV======== ¡°Two spicy skewers, please!¡± The young woman smiled brilliantly, placing a few coins on the platter. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± He returned the smile, tossing two sticks loaded with meat into the air and turning around. By the time the skewers started falling, he had a plastic plate full of spicy sauce ready to receive them. After catching the two in midair, he wiped the sauce stains from the side and bottom of the plate with a towel and handed it to the girl. ¡°Enjoy your meal!¡± he said, smiling jauntily. What a disgrace¡­ The girl took the plate and happily skipped away to her friends, allowing the next customer to take her place. The line before the stall was quite long at that point, as it tended to during the morning rush. Nalani cursed under his breath while preparing another plate for the ¡®spectacular dish¡¯ serving. If he knew how busy the stall would become, he would have never taken the job. Sadly, he was more preoccupied with his true task than the means at the time, and the owner promised him a good salary on top of bonuses for his performance. As much as he needed money right now, he just wasn¡¯t able to split his focus enough to keep an eye on his surroundings, which hindered his real job. Curse you and your Guild. May they all die in pain, right before your very eyes, he continued his mental tirade for the Warrior Priestess. When I find my way out of this mess, you are going to pay! He slammed the raw steak on the metal grinder plate with enough force to split it, earning himself a glare from the boss who stood before the stall, advertising the wares. He didn¡¯t say anything, but Nalani knew his bonus pay for the day was in jeopardy. He sighed heavily to calm down, then turned to the next client, suppressing the urge to hit something or someone. Zora, the Warrior Priestess, was responsible for all of this. She had visited his Guild, stating in no uncertain terms that they would be made responsible for any future transgressions as a reward for his mistake. If the Temple wasn¡¯t able to find a culprit, they could use a scapegoat. Well, the encounter was much more eventful, but that was how his guildmate summarized her visit, and Nalani wasn¡¯t that interested in the details either way. What mattered the most was the response of his Guild. And it could be summarized with one word ¨C panic. The geezers in the council didn¡¯t want to have the most notorious Temple on their tail, so they bailed immediately. It was a disgrace. A slap to his face. Their proud Guild, the inheritors of the elite Soul scouting techniques and true knowledge, has given up. ¡®Adapted¡¯. Deteriorated. The people he thought he knew, weak and pathetic despite their objective advantages. Lesser Landlord Lucas wasn¡¯t happy. As so, they dared to use him as their own scapegoat, declaring this whole fiasco was only his responsibility. True, his machinations were detected, but it was a far cry from leaking any information. Yet, in their fear and a display of a blind abuse of power, the council decided to confiscate all his possessions as an ¡®atonement¡¯ before degrading and restricting him. Barring the way to his soon-to-be Class specialization. That was too much, even for him. He wouldn¡¯t bend his knee, not for such an obvious scheme to keep control over him for longer. If they were playing dirty, so would he. He left the Guild that raised him. His friends and family. But he didn¡¯t leave barehanded. His money was, at least officially, taken to repay the funds the Guild had lost in the operation. With the help of Lesser Landlord Lucas, he was able to use that fact to his advantage. They struck a deal. Everything they have set up, the equipment and the spy network, was now under his jurisdiction and the Landlord took it upon himself to keep paying the workers. The Guild didn¡¯t have a choice. They couldn¡¯t call off their planted spies without attracting attention, there were simply too many of them. The Landlord actually did them a favor by taking charge of them. The masked fury on the faces of the council was a delightful sight. In a true Kanochi fashion, they had robbed each other as a farewell gift. He would have laughed, if not for his empty coffers. At least he didn¡¯t have problems with finding a new job. Besides working at the ShishWee stall in the Roaming Onsen Village to pay for food and his rent, the Lesser Landlord Lucas promised him quite a high remuneration for disrupting the Sepia Familia¡¯s preparations for the Duels. It would be paid after he managed to achieve anything worthwhile, though. ¡°One medium-medium steak please,¡± a worker standing before the stall said. Nalani recognized the man. Instead of showing off fancy movements, he used Lightwave Shift Skill to examine the man¡¯s heavy winter cloak while preparing the steak. Sure enough, a ciphered message was written on it in invisible ink. Two VIPs? But without protection. Hmm¡­. The man wasn¡¯t from his spying network but exchanging information was mutually profitable, so it happened daily even between workers of contesting factions. No one checked on the lowest litter, after all. And the pay was most often dependent on the information gathered. Also, he was now Guildless. That gave him a lot of freedom ¨C a lot more than he thought possible. He managed to force a lot of lesser spies into an information debt by sharing the less-important tidbits about the Sepia Familia. He had, basically, built his own spy network on top of existing spy networks. And he didn¡¯t pay a penny for it. Finally, information worth my time investment, he thought, handing the extra-carefully-prepared steak to the man. At least I managed to level up my Cooking to the second tier during my time here. A few servings later, he stopped, putting away his cooking utensils. ¡°Boss, I have good news and bad news!¡± he exclaimed excitedly, ignoring the next client. ================================ Zeph sat on the uncomfortable bench inside the cheap taxi carriage, facing Makani. He grimaced. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot how uncomfortable a normal cart can be!¡± Makani said with an incredulous face. ¡°The moment you forgot your roots¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, stop right there. I know very well how to sleep on a naked stone, but that doesn¡¯t mean I take pleasure in it.¡± He tried to ignore the hard surface under the thin cushioning and the perfectly straight seat back. It was, somehow, more uncomfortable than a cold stone wall, but he wasn¡¯t going to say that out loud. Truly, a marvel of engineering, ugh¡­ I have a feeling it¡¯s an achievement worth of System reward. Makani chuckled slightly seeing him fidget on his seat, then he turned his head to the window and sighed with relief. ¡°Finally, some peace and freedom.¡± ¡°You sound like you just escaped a prison.¡± He made a thoughtful face. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s quite close to how I feel. Not like I was in a prison before¡­¡± ¡°Haaah, whatever,¡± Zeph said, as he finally found a way to sit without being bothered by the perfect-right-angle seat ¨C by folding his coat and placing it vertically behind his back. ¡°So, in the Tower, you use the drawn-up depictions to teach others how to construct a Spell? You know that I wouldn¡¯t believe that?¡± ¡°Eh, no. We do have enchantment frames that can show how to form a Spell, just like your cube but without the encasement problem. But each one of them has to be made manually by a master Manacaster that is trained in enchanting, and it¡¯s only one rendition of a Spell, so it¡¯s quite costly. Also, I am not sure if P¡¯pfel told you, but enchanting fillers have a limited lifespan. Being abused by the students isn¡¯t conducive to a long lifespan.¡± ¡°Go figure¡­¡± Zeph said, taking out the Cube from his backpack. The Heat Mana Beam enchanted inside was quite different from the standard Matrix version. The shape was malformed. That bothered him a little. ¡°How can people even use that Spell?¡± ¡°Normal people start with manipulating parts of the Spell during Matrix construction,¡± Makani deadpanned. ¡°You forgot that not everyone has your precision when it comes to Mana manipulation. That¡¯s how we learn to construct Spells until our Willpower is high enough to actually do it.¡± Zeph smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sorry, but not sorry. So, which cantrips do you have, exactly?¡± He was wondering how many Beam versions Makani could show him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Katreep? What¡¯s that? Sounds tasty.¡± ¡°Ugh, sorry. I meant Tier 0 Spells.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°The standard collection. Heat, Fog, Stiffen, Air Bubble, Scrubbing, Gas-thickening, Fluid-thickening, Gas-thinning, Fluid-thinning. Only Heat, Stiffen, Scrubbing, and Fluid-thinning are offensively usable as a module in the Beam Spell.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°Fluid-thinning?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Makani nodded smartly. ¡°A small modification and a sprinkle of Organic Magicules make the mix overly reactive to blood. It causes strong internal bleeding. You probably don¡¯t have the thinning-thickening series ¨C the Matrices are notorious to be given only to the Mechanic-specialized Classes. You will have to learn them the hard way¡­ Well, not-so-hard way, in your case,¡± he sighed. ¡°Anyway, that Veil technique you spoke of earlier¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing fancy, really.¡± He shrugged, concentrating on the Cube. Firing a Heat Beam inside the carriage wouldn¡¯t be fun. ¡°I just form a net of thin and dense Mana formed from my Veil, just like some of the enchantments in doorframes do. When I cast it away, it can at least inform me about Mana fluctuations in someone¡¯s Veil before disconnecting entirely from me. I managed to make the lines thin enough to not be immediately noticeable, but it does better as a detector in Ambient Mana.¡± Makani nodded. ¡°As it should. There is no Will behind Ambient Mana, so the resistance is smaller. I suppose it¡¯s a good Willpower training method, too,¡± he said, stroking his goatee. ¡°By the way, are you going to get your body upgrades before the tournament?¡± He looked up, frowning. ¡°I am not sure¡­ We don¡¯t have much time, and the System estimated it would take three days. After the New Year, I would rather concentrate on my Spells and levels, so I would have to visit the Shrine tomorrow to start the process¡­¡± ¡°You still have chores to do?¡± he asked incuriously. ¡°Well¡­ not really. I just need to talk with Kwan and Aisha. It would be nice to find the alchemist, but it¡¯s not a pressing matter. Also, we decided to organize a meeting with a Scholar after the Duels. It would be simply too risky to do before that. I wanted to chat with Leilucia, but it can be done even during the New Year, so¡­¡± Makani started massaging his temples. ¡°Speaking about a meeting with an Onji like it was a tea party¡­ Haah.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You are busier than I have thought. You should take those upgrades, though. You should take any advantage you can before the tournament.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Zeph shook his head depressingly. ¡°If something goes wrong during the process, or the upgrade fucks up my fighting style¡­ I thought about training with Aisha some more, instead,¡± he said, glancing at the standard spear he borrowed from Ghrughah. He also had a small crossbow fixed to his belt and throwing knives hidden around his body. They were going alone, so it was only natural for him to take at least that much. What concerned him the most, was the lack of armor. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Makani visibly gave up. ¡°So, any questions about the Spell?¡± He nodded at the Cube. ¡°A few,¡± Zeph grinned. ~~~ By the time they arrived at the first marketplace, Zeph was pretty sure he memorized the necessary modifications to fire a concentrated Heat Beam. It was a shame he didn¡¯t have a chance to test it. Their carriage was left in the nearby parking lot of a tavern as they walked the rest of the way on foot. The marketplace was lively despite the freezing temperatures. People crowded around the stalls fighting for their attention with colorful decorations. Merchants shouted loudly the contents of their wares while their workers attended to the eager customers. The stalls and booths were set in a grid pattern, with wide avenues left between them to funnel the heavy foot traffic. The plaza itself was round, stretching for hundreds of meters in each direction. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Makani asked, pulling his dark-blue coat tighter. They were standing at the side of the street, away from the stream of people. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t think about that,¡± Zeph admitted, earning himself a glare. With the dark bags under his eyes, Makani looked almost comical. ¡°We should check the information board and administration building first. Maybe they received some good news¡­¡± They walked slowly to the center of the plaza, squeezing between people. They were both much shorter than the people around, so the trip turned out harder than it should have. He quickly found his updated commission on the information board outside the administration building. It had both, the increased reward for information, as well as the hidden message for an interested alchemist. ¡°You really didn¡¯t get any information? That pay is ridiculous,¡± Makani commented. He sounded half impressed, half disbelieving. ¡°The administration does a good job at screening people. Almost all of them are scammers. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± They quickly learned that there was no worthwhile information, predictably. Zeph inquired about a nearby information broker and Mapmakers Guild shop, but none were present in the area. Zeph was deep in thought as they were leaving the building. ¡°If I were a talented alchemist with a thing for Mana-related contraptions, a prideful and independent inventor, where would I hide and what would I do to earn money?¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Seriously, you should have thought about that much earlier,¡± Makani said with a grimace. ¡°In the first place, why are you assuming they¡¯re hiding if they are talented?¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°Because anyone already hired would be hard to convince to change sides. And normal specialists aren¡¯t cutting it in my opinion. Also, I refuse to believe there are no people who can¡¯t stand your economic system. People like that tend to make their own workshops and work in hiding, to not be bothered. The only problem is ¨C they still need money. Especially if they try to experiment¡­¡± ¡°Local crafters from the trade should know something, then,¡± Makani scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s impossible they didn¡¯t hear about your note, though.¡± ¡°Well, looking at our announcement, it does look suspicious a little¡­¡± he said, glancing at the information board. ¡°It smells of a rich entity trying to lure out talents to trap them. We have made a mistake at the very beginning, it seems.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I am more concerned the person you are looking for is either a paranoid recluse or deals with the shadier parties.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s do as you suggested,¡± Zeph decided. ¡°We will ask some crafters in the area that can have a possible relationship with such an individual. I have some money on me, so we can try to buy some information if needed. You have to point out possible targets, though. I don¡¯t know enough to guess who can have information like that,¡± he said, looking at his companion. Makani rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, boss. Follow me¡­¡± ========Theron Nalani PoV======== A young girl trotted up to his carriage and opened the doors, handing him a piece of paper. He threw her a silver for her group, and it disappeared almost immediately under her mantle. As the doors shut close, he unwrapped the message and started reading. His brows raised as he took in the information. ¡°Good news?¡± curtly asked the gentleman sitting next to him. He was wearing an expensive black military suit rimmed with purple. ¡°They aren¡¯t just fishing out for a generalized alchemist. They need a full-fledged alchemist inventor, and they don¡¯t care about their background,¡± Nalani said, grinning. The man looked thoughtful for a moment, swirling his mustache. ¡°I see. How much?¡± ¡°Depends. Do you want a fallback plan in case your freshmen fail?¡± he asked, glancing at the Landlord¡¯s attendant. ¡°Makani Borre is a problem,¡± he admitted. ¡°It would be hard to keep him alive.¡± Nalani nodded in understanding. They weren¡¯t going to incur the Blackwind Tower¡¯s wrath, which complicated things. ¡°A few hundred gold should be enough.¡± ¡°It will be done.¡± ================================ It was the seventh marketplace they visited that day, a second to last. It was getting dark, and they started losing hope their inquiries would bring any results. Thankfully, there was an information broker in the area. They decided to visit them first. The shop was hidden behind a maze of wooden terraces, buried under the ground. Despite that, it wasn¡¯t looking like a thieves¡¯ burrow. Contrarily, it was elegantly classic in decorations, resembling an antique shop. Many families with kids lived around, making the area look like a kindergarten playground. Groups of kids played with snow in the middle of the passages, and a part of the infrastructure was adapted to keep them safe and entertained. It was probably the first time Zeph saw a public slide that took the place of stairs. They stepped up to the counter manned by a plump man. He looked half asleep, with his head resting limply in his hands. His arms were braced on the counter¡¯s surface, keeping his head upright. ¡°Um, excuse me?¡± Zeph said hesitantly, causing the man¡¯s head to shoot up. He blinked a few times, wiping the corners of his eyes, before addressing them. ¡°My apologies. There isn¡¯t much traffic lately¡­ What can I help you with?¡± he asked, returning to a more professional attitude. ¡°We are looking for an unemployed, talented alchemist,¡± Makani started. ¡°The person has to dabble in Mana-tech, too, and have an inventor mindset.¡± ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a tall order,¡± the man said, scrapping his almost bald head. ¡°People like that don¡¯t grow on trees. Everyone I know of is already hired.¡± Zeph put three gold coins on the counter but didn¡¯t remove his hand. It was a lot, but he wanted the information and the Guild would pay him back. ¡°We can deal with the less fortunate.¡± The man glanced down with an obvious greed in his eyes, before straightening up and coughing. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said, standing up. They were led to a backroom with comfortable-looking, old-fashioned armchairs flanking a big, ornate round table. The man activated the standard set of enchantments. That practice was so common, Zeph was becoming sure some workarounds already existed. It was a good sign, then, that their base used much more strict security. ¡°I will be bold,¡± the man said, plopping down on one of the armchairs. ¡°I have one option for you, but it¡¯s a risky one.¡± Zeph and Makani looked at each other. ¡°We can pay for information about the risks, too. There is no need to restrain yourself,¡± Zeph said, looking back at the man and reaching for the pouch dangling from his neck. The man raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not how this works. I have an obligation to warn you, but I am only an intermediary in such cases. The details are for my sponsors to disclose, not me. The risks are yours to take. I won¡¯t be dealing with any retaliation skitsnack, are we clear?¡± They hesitated, even as they didn¡¯t have any real choice. It was the first lead they have found. ¡°Can you at least keep quiet about us buying the information?¡± Makani asked. ¡°That can be done, but will have to pay extra,¡± he said, showing them four fingers. Zeph didn¡¯t like the situation at all, but they could visit the person after preparing better, so he wasn¡¯t against paying. ¡°Tell us what you know,¡± he finally decided, placing six gold on the table. The man checked them briefly before speaking up. ¡°There is a girl at the Vermilla ports that is debt-locked by the local mercenary group. She meets your requirements, but is a headstrong idiot. It¡¯s not even the first group that played her ¨C she is now so deep in slime that all legal organizations have given up on getting her. She¡¯s before her first Class sub-specialization, so she is not worth that much money and headaches. Name is Irra Turiel.¡± ¡°The risks you were talking about, it¡¯s about those mercenaries?¡± Makani asked skeptically. ¡°Yes and no. Her situation is more complicated. But you would have to uncover that on your own, lest I will be targeted. My information isn¡¯t even that accurate when it comes to her circumstances. All I know is that she is a rotten fruit,¡± his face was deadly serious when said that. ¡°You will probably find more trouble than value in pursuing her. In case you decide to do that, though,¡± he slowly put the money away into his shirt¡¯s pocket, not looking at them anymore, ¡°she is going to be deported tomorrow morning. If you want to catch her, you need to do that today.¡± Zeph frowned. That timing was really unlucky. And he wasn¡¯t a man that believed in coincidences. Looking at Makani¡¯s face, he could clearly see he had similar concerns. Turning back to their broker, he asked the most important question. ¡°Then why are you suggesting her? There is no one else?¡± ¡°Within a large margin, no. There is no one else,¡± the man said solemnly. ¡°She created a self-powered armor frame enhancing user¡¯s movements, a set of long-range scouting devices, and a whole group of caustic mixtures able to penetrate metal armors. And those are inventions that even I know about. I don¡¯t have information on anyone else with similar accomplishments.¡± Shit¡­ That, unfortunately, sealed the deal. Chapter 74 - If I had a paint, I would paint my carriage red! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.28] They took their seats in the rented carriage in silence. Both deep in thought and ignoring the driver. After the third question, the man just shrugged and walked to his cabin at the front. They were paying him for an hour, so he didn¡¯t really care. A few moments later, Zeph woke up from his stupor and asked an important question. ¡°Are we able to get reinforcements in time?¡± ¡°No,¡± Makani said absentmindedly. ¡°Aisha and Kwan are at the Administration Center right now. Even if we send a messenger, they won¡¯t be able to send their people or arrive in time.¡± Zeph used all of his detection Spells, one after another. Then, he formed an Air Sphere, enclosing their cabin. Makani reacted a moment later, forming three more Spells that washed over Zeph¡¯s Veil. It wasn¡¯t much, but with the help of the Air-Magicule genius, Zeph felt much safer. He took out Lurona city¡¯s map from his backpack, checking the distances. They were three Earth hours by carriage from the headquarters, so almost one and a half cycles away, and the Administration Center was even further northeast, just by the Shrine. ¡°If we send a messenger now, they can make it back in two cycles, I think. That should be enough,¡± he analyzed. ¡°If we use the electric net, we can inform them faster¡­¡± Makani sighed heavily, slumping down on his seat. ¡°It¡¯s not it. Deporting means that she is already detained, probably on her way to a ship or local aerostation. We have to get there in a cycle to make a claim personally, before the night hours. And we can¡¯t use the Electrical Communication Network for an emergency message without either a city-wide emergency, a bought-out slot, or a Landlord¡¯s permission¡­¡± Shit! Why is the System so useless in situations like this? They have their global network, why not share a bit?! he thought, clenching his fist and cursing mentally. We still have almost three hours before the first night-cycle; we can still work with that! He reached down once again, pulling out the third tome of the ¡®Detailed Map of Traffic¡¯. We need to employ Bonds in the future, the link doesn¡¯t have any distance limitations¡­ his thoughts were interrupted by what he saw on the map. There was an empty hole for the aboveground traffic in the whole region; his hopes for a quick shuttle ride, like when they entered the city, dashed. Predictable, we are in the lower, poorer area¡­his jaw clenched, there weren¡¯t many options left for them. ¡°My Tower is north of the Inn,¡± Makani said in resignation, anticipating the question. He looked at the floor as Zeph flipped furiously through the city map. ¡°It¡¯s useless¡­¡± The Vermilla islands¡¯ ports were almost two Earth¡¯s hours to the west. They needed to start moving right now. Even with directions from the broker, it would take at least half an hour to deal with the bureaucratic mess on the site. Assuming their operatives there were accommodating. Zeph hit the small table with his fist, almost breaking it. His hand, that is, not the table. ¡°It¡¯s a fucking trap!¡± he shouted in pain and anger, shaking his throbbing hand with a grimace. ¡°Bah! Are you a genius or something?¡± Makani rolled his eyes. ¡°The broker was clear enough with his warnings. Also, he evidently knew about the alchemist girl before today, so the deporting is most probably all they did. The question is, are we going to engage?¡± He asked seriously, ignoring Zeph¡¯s glare. ¡°We don¡¯t know what their goal is. As much as the trap is obvious, we are, theoretically,¡± he raised a finger, ¡°as safe now as we will be at the port. We can assume they know our position if they managed to spread the news in one day all the way here. We should assume they can attack even now.¡± Zeph forcibly cooled his head. This whole situation was as strange as irritating. ¡°No backlash is expected from attacking us in the open?¡± he asked, plopping down on his seat. He didn¡¯t even remember standing up. ¡°It looks distractingly similar to forcing us into an area without witnesses, though.¡± Makani shook his head. ¡°You are too preoccupied with your own¡­ vision of the world, I would say.¡± He took out an amulet. It was malformed, looking more like a relic from the past. ¡°We know one thing for sure. They don¡¯t want to kill me. This¡­ artifact¡±¡ªMakani was still cautious with his wording, but Zeph could understand what he was trying to convey¡ª¡°will make sure they are targeted by my Tower in the future in such a scenario. As for being seen in the open? Who would be seen, you think?¡± he asked, hiding the trinket under his robe. Right, Zeph facepalmed. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that they are luring us into their territory. It¡¯s an almost open challenge¡­¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Makani nodded, tinkering with the space under his shirt for a moment longer. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what the Manacaster expected when showing the amulet, but he poked Gru to get a better look at the thing when it was visible. Thankfully, the little guy was able to understand something Zeph wasn¡¯t privy to. He just got a vague confirmation from his little companion. ¡°In case someone is killed, they will probably claim that we knew about the dangers and accepted the challenge. It had happened a few times in the past. Worse yet. If I live, how do you think my statement would sound under scrutinizing Skills? They are targeting you.¡± Double Shit¡­ ¡°Then if we don¡¯t come¡­ But what if you go, and I return to the Inn?¡± ¡°If there is any reason to this maneuver, you know what would happen. We can¡¯t get separated now,¡± Makani looked down dejectedly. ¡°I apologize for making you go out like this¡­ This shouldn¡¯t have happened¡­¡± ¡°Where is your non-killing society now, wise man?¡± Zeph asked jokingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, but this is bullshit¡­ If we go there, we will just present them with a convincing alibi. Or, at least, a politically useable one. We should bail,¡± he declared. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look like that at me,¡± Zeph said with a frown. ¡°And you, Gru, shut up! I am not going to risk our lives for one, unknown girl, your hunches be damned! But¡­¡± Zeph stroke his beard, thinking. ¡°Am I their target? That doesn¡¯t make much sense. My level is too low to be a threat¡­¡± ¡°One less participant in the tournament means at least three more opponents for the rest of us,¡± Makani reasoned. ¡°But true, killing us is a bad idea overall. I am not sure if that¡¯s what they are after¡­¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Is there any other reason for forcing us to travel into a ¡®lawless¡¯ district?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°The second option, that I can think of, is to capture one of us and force us to share information. I have placed it as a second only because the possible Soul shenanigans are too risky in most cases. It would be the first choice of any organization back in my¡­ country,¡± he stopped himself from speaking too much. They weren¡¯t in a safe place. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t see any other reason to lure us there.¡± ¡°You had it hard, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Makani admitted, resting his head on his hand. ¡°But we can¡¯t ignore the possibility of a standard scouting. They may just want to know our equipment, fighting style, and Spells.¡± ¡°Without us having any equipment on ourselves? No, it¡¯s unreasonable. I would rather put my coins at the assassination attempt,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°Especially because reacting this fast means they are constantly monitoring our Guild. Which means they probably already have a good grip on how we fight, at least for the most part.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Makani relented, thinking about their encounters of the day. ¡°Or it could be all a coincidence¡­ We are assuming a lot of things right now. I admit that the broker¡¯s tirade was very convincing, but I am not so sure anymore¡­ Or maybe that was the trap in itself?¡± he was getting visibly lost in his own reasoning ¨C the famous ¡°they knew that we knew¡± loop. ¡°Hoping for a positive outcome?¡± Zeph asked seriously, breaking that chain of thought at the bud. ¡°We should always plan for the worst-case scenario, though. The worst part is, we are unable to call for a backup. Even if this is a coincidence, we are going to step into a problematic situation. And those documents¡­¡± Zeph paused, seeing hesitation in Makani¡¯s eyes as he mentioned them. The man sighed, turning his face away from the file dedicated to the Irra Turiel that was laying before him. ¡°Her inventions aren¡¯t that great. I am sure she has earned a lot of Exchange entries and Soul fragments, but none of them is truly useable,¡± Makani started summarizing. Zeph took the file and started reading. He didn¡¯t have a chance to check the details yet. ¡°They are so underdeveloped¡­ Not even functional. I think she is trying to wiggle her way away by gathering System achievements. Not sure about that, mind you. But, honestly, if that¡¯s true then it¡¯s much more impressive than those trinkets she created¡­ What do you think about her?¡± he finally asked. ¡°How much do you think she owes?¡± he asked absentmindedly, reading through her file. Makani wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°If it¡¯s more than 100 000, we won¡¯t be able to even pay out right away¡­¡± ¡°I would be surprised if it¡¯s more than a few thousand,¡± Makani snorted at the idea. ¡°Business isn¡¯t that easy for normal people, my prince. If people traded in millions of gold casually, I am sure someone would invent a higher denomination already.¡± ¡°Har, har, har,¡± he deadpanned, looking up from the papers. ¡°And how am I to know that, when my ingenious peer is getting at least three orders of magnitude less for creations comparable to mine?¡± He smacked the file with the back of his hand, looking him straight in the eyes. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°No¡­¡± Makani¡¯s face paled even more, somehow. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me those inventions are worth that much?¡± Zeph wasn¡¯t going to confirm. Not here. But if the knowledge and Earth¡¯s people''s creativity were any indicators¡­ ¡°She has potential, Makani.¡± He sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°She tapped into a few very important fields of study¡­ But I still don¡¯t like this. We can try to find her later, without potentially risking our¡ªsorry, my life.¡± He placed the documents on the table and they both leaned over them. True to what Makani said, the girl¡¯s inventions were quite impressive on paper, but none of them were fully functional. The caustic potions worked only on standard metal alloys, the scouting devices depended on the infrastructure placed beforehand, and her ¡®power armor¡¯ was useless for people above 50 Power. It was questionable if they could count on her to help with anything before the Duels. On the other hand, she invented them with minimal resources in her hands, and was able to produce the prototypes at minimal cost. Zeph not only saw a future in those inventions. He also understood what would have to be studied and developed before even attempting the prototypes she has created. He saw what parts were necessary ¨C or, at least, he believed he did. The Mana battery proficiency was the last thing on his mind, as all three inventions had to use that knowledge in some way, directly or not. And her mindset, even if she mimicked existing works, was exactly what he was looking for. But, in his mind, the chances that it wasn¡¯t a trap of some kind were non-existent. ¡°Zeph, she¡¯s the only person that checks all of your requirements,¡± Makani said with a little more conviction. ¡°Looking for her later may be impossible. In a city that is known for innovators¡­ I would rather search the streets for other talented individuals, but you saw yourself how that worked out,¡± he looked up with puppy eyes. ¡°When did you become a battle maniac?¡± Zeph asked with disgust. ¡°Where is your self-preservation instinct when we need it the most?!¡± ¡°Taking a vacation in the hot springs.¡± He grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, your explanations about proteins bore some fruits. It would be very hard to pin us down, assuming we don¡¯t split up.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrows raised. He managed to modify his Spells? That¡­ certainly is more assuring. But still¡­ Seeing his hesitation, Makani continued. ¡°We have enough money to visit the local mercenary venue, you know?¡± That sentence hit a bullseye. He ignored Gru¡¯s happy emotions overflowing from their bond. ¡°Well¡­ If we are going to do this, we need to do some shopping first¡­¡± ~~~ Zeph and Makani entered a tavern. It was a known meeting spot for the nearby mercenaries and a commission center, acknowledged by the city¡¯s administration. The first floor consisted of a dining area, but the bar on the far wall had an atypical, small section dedicated to paperwork. By it, on the left wall, Zeph also spotted a board with pinned-up documents. There weren¡¯t many patrons present, as the dinner was normally served after the last day-cycle. The bar was manned by a tall¡ªeven for Corora¡¯s standards¡ªman wearing a simple black apron over casual brown clothes. They walked straight to him, hurrying slightly. They already wasted almost 15 minutes at the market, buying a few handy tools and ingredients. ¡°Welcome,¡± the man said, tilting his head. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Is there a team ready to take a commission immediately?¡± Zeph asked without preamble. The man¡¯s eyes squinted slightly. ¡°I need to ask a few questions first¡­¡± he paused, looking down at the documents Makani was shoving his way. Those were standard identification documents, showing they were executives from the Sepia Familia Guild. While scanning them, he straightened slightly. He looked back up. ¡°Thank you. We do have a few teams available, indeed. Should we go to a meeting room?¡± ¡°¡±Yes,¡±¡± they answered together, nodding. ¡°Silka! Take the front for me!¡± he shouted to the kitchens behind him, receiving a muted confirmation a moment later. ¡°Follow me.¡± He waved his hand, walking alongside the counter to the staircase tucked in the corner of the room. The man guided them to a conference room on the third floor. It was heavily decorated with wood, giving off a vibe appropriate to an old-school tavern. They sat down in comfortable armchairs surrounding a coffee table, and when the last of the standard security enchantments finished activating, the man spoke again. ¡°I am Izaac, nice to meet you two. Am I correctly guessing that you are in a hurry?¡± They nodded. ¡°You would have to pay extra. What kind of job are we talking about, and do you have backing of any other organization? Let¡¯s be honest, a rush order from a newly formed Guild doesn¡¯t sound safe. Most of our teams won¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Blackwind Tower,¡± Makani said, showing his medallion. ¡°Leilucia Temple,¡± Zeph took out the orphanage amulet. The guy¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Are you serious?!¡­ You should have started with that!¡± he shook his head to compose himself. ¡°Ahem, well¡­ That should be enough. What do you need then?¡± he asked, slightly embarrassed. ¡°Guarding mission to Vermilla ports and back to our Guild at the inland ports of the Rake River. We received something that can be considered a warning or a challenge, so we are expecting an attack of some sort,¡± Makani explained. ¡°Sepia Familia¡­¡± Izaac mumbled, trying to remember something. ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you the ones with the scheduled Duel tournament next year?¡± ¡°The very same,¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°And going by your affiliations¡­ You are the Guild council members, or something similar, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zeph and Makani looked at each other briefly, before turning back and nodding. Izaac sighed heavily, scratching his head. ¡°That¡­ definitely complicates things. From what I see, a problematic fight is almost guaranteed. Possibly with a high mortality rate. And we only have mid-level teams immediately available¡­ How much time do we have, by the way?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t. Otherwise, we would contact the Guard,¡± Zeph said. ¡°We have to be at the ports before the administration of the local mercenary company finishes for the day¡­¡± ¡°Chasem¡­¡± ¡°We can pay a hundred gold total for ten people,¡± Makani interjected, making the man pause. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed that for Izaac it was a lot. ¡°It¡¯s not because of the high stakes. I don¡¯t believe our opposition is ready to commit fully. But I don¡¯t want any complaints about injuries or equipment lost. But if you can get us any kind of specialist or post-70 veteran, we are ready to pay accordingly.¡± Izaac stood up, determination visible on his face. ¡°Wait here, I will see what can be done.¡± He rushed out of the room. ~~~ Zeph was fiddling with an uneven metal bead in his hands, trying to ignore the inertia-induced pull as their carriage drifted on the snow to change directions. Drifting carriages¡­ Now, that is an idea for a game in Kwan¡¯s entertainment center, he thought with mirth while trying to balance out the Mana spinning in the bead. Sadly, the blacksmith had to make them quickly right there, so instead of perfect spheres, they resembled slightly malformed teardrops. He had to work with what he had, though. At least the detection beads worked without problems. ¡°What is he doing, again?¡± Hamar asked skeptically. His team of ten was working overtime to secure the road ahead for their wild ride, while he played the role of their personal guard. He wore full plate armor and used a tower shield and a war hammer. Because of that, there wasn¡¯t much space left in their cabin. ¡°Enchanting stuff, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Makani answered while Zeph tried to ignore them and concentrate. He would rather not have the bead explode in his face. His new reinforced leather armor wouldn¡¯t help him much if it did. ¡°I don¡¯t think those small things can help with anything¡­ Not to mention those leaf bundles¡­¡± the man said, glancing at the small pouch filled with small, spherical wraps. Zeph didn¡¯t bring much in terms of firepower with him, not even his pistol, so he decided to revive a part of his old arsenal on the way. This time, he had Makani with him, so the smelly-smoke bombs had a chance to take the stage once again. Of course, he didn¡¯t have the same ingredients, but the alchemy/pharmacy stall owner knew her ingredients. Arguably, this version should be even more potent. ¡°¡­ Think of it as distraction means. Like the Green Elk Beetle¡¯s chemical spray,¡± Makani tried to explain. ¡°Oh, that could work with you. I see now. I guess, La-Einar won¡¯t be of much help in a fight,¡± the man nodded to himself. ¡°I would argue about that. A good distraction can end a fight immediately, like¡ª¡± ¡°Can you two shut up for a moment?! We will discuss that later!¡± Zeph interrupted them, desperately subduing the Mana as their carriage took a sharp turn. ~~~ Their two carriages and five riders stopped before an old building in a small square. The horses were steaming in the cool air and breathing heavily. If not for the riders warning the vehicles ahead, they would have never been able to arrive this quickly ¨C the infrastructure in the area was old and chaotic. The buildings around the square looked differently, too. They were made from gray stone blocks, with a minimal amount of decoration, bringing to mind a medieval fort. Especially because of the narrow streets and multitude of stone bridges linking the multileveled parts of the port. They left the carriage as the riders surrounded them for protection. Zeph, Makani, and Hamar unhurriedly walked up to a three-story building with big, reinforced double doors. They were as prepared for a possible confrontation as they could be. They had also sent a few messengers to inform Kwan and Aisha, as well as the headquarters. Makani hoped their opponents won¡¯t be able to intercept every one of them. Entering the building, they were met with a smallish room and a heavy, dark atmosphere. The lighting wasn¡¯t the worst, but the place was filled with smoke. Six guards, sitting at two tables and playing cards, were smoking from something resembling small hookahs. Seeing the newcomers, two of them stood up and cautiously moved closer. ¡°Yes, you need somethin¡¯?¡± The taller man asked. Looking closer, their equipment was far from being in pristine condition. Parts of metal plating were replaced by hardened leather, and Zeph was sure the armor wasn¡¯t cleaned even once in the last few months. Actually, it looked like the guys and gals here might have a slight averse to water in general. ¡°We may have a deal for Suise, if that¡¯s the right place?¡± Zeph said, raising his eyebrow. The two men exchanged looks before answering. ¡°It is. It¡¯s about our alchemist, isn¡¯t it?¡± the shorter one asked. ¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡± Makani squinted at them. ¡°No. Boss said to bring anyone interested directly to him.¡± The taller one turned and waved at them. ¡°I will show you the way.¡± The tension didn¡¯t dissipate despite the invitation. Both sides observed each other in the corner of their eyes as they walked by. Behind the door at the back of the room, a big hall with three long tables was present. The furnishing was rather primitive, with crude benches in place of chairs, and the place stunk. Food scraps were laying on the floor and on top of tables, suspicious liquids stained the surfaces, adding to the exotic aroma of the establishment. They were guided to a wooden staircase on the right wall, which took them to and through a balcony of the hall, leading further to stone steps embedded in the wall. On the third floor, at the end of a long corridor, the Head of Suise Mercenary Company awaited them. From behind open double doors, he was observing as they walked through the corridor. He was a grizzled man in a full plate of much better quality. His face was full of scars and wrinkled like an old sailor''s after years of exposure to the sun. His black, lush beard was in disarray only achievable after years of neglect, but the hair on his balding head was almost white, diminishing the wild and dangerous aura his looks emitted otherwise. The man was sitting behind an ornamental desk, leaving them to stand before him. A minor powerplay? Zeph mused. Uh, Aisha would love the challenge... ¡°So, I take you are here to fight for the right to our poor alchemist gal?¡± he asked in a gruff voice as their guide left the room. He put his head on his hand, taking a better look at each of them. ¡°I am starting to get curious. What did she do to attract so much attention, hmm?¡± ¡°Not your business,¡± Makani said firmly, surprising Zeph. ¡°I really hope your previous guests told you what you are getting into, though. Be a nice bug and scuttle away from this conflict, will you? How much did they pay?¡± The man guffawed, hitting the desk with an open hand. ¡°You hear him?!¡± he spoke loudly, still laughing. ¡°That¡¯s how you should open negotiations, not play with your arse like those welks!¡± He spat to the side, losing his merry mood. But looking back at them, he once again smiled widely. He spread his hands on the table. ¡°But there¡¯s nothin¡¯ for me in that, ain¡¯t it? Be more convincing, my fella!¡± His smile widened even further as he wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°I have all day to hear ya, HA!¡± Makani sighed, massaging his temples. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what was going on here anymore. Chapter 75 - An especially infuriating rat. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.28] Should we just dominate him physically, like Aisha would? Well¡­ Spells aren¡¯t THAT personal¡­ And if he refuses to speak, what can we really do? And he doesn¡¯t seem prideful in the slightest. More like a slimy snake¡­ Zeph thought, trying to decide on what to do. Makani and their questionable host started a glare contest while he scrambled to get his bearings. He obviously wants money, so why is Makani hesitating? To his surprise, their escort broke the silence. ¡°It seems you forgot that in this exchange right now, you can also lose a thing or two,¡± Hamar said, taking a step forward while brandishing his war hammer. ¡°That it¡¯s as much a chance as it¡¯s a risk!¡± he slammed his hammer at the desk, only for it to be caught in the open palm of the boss. The man reacted just in time, standing up in the process, but the crack of bones crushed between the tool and hardwood couldn¡¯t be mistaken. ¡°And you forgot who you are visiting, boy!¡± he hissed through a grimace¡ªdisturbingly similar to his previous grin¡ªwhile gripping the hammer¡¯s head. Ah, yes, Aisha-style in the end¡ª ¡°Stop this,¡± Makani¡¯s calm, soft tone stood out so much in the oppressive atmosphere that it made them all pause. ¡°You are wasting our time,¡± he stated emotionlessly, looking straight at the company boss. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. You will see nothing but trouble until I see results. You won¡¯t see any opportunity until you work for it.¡± The man hissed in anger, but released the hammerhead from his trembling left hand, allowing the stupefied Hamar to take a step back after the sudden release. The bossman cradled his damaged palm in his good hand, massaging it slowly. ¡°Good luck finding her, you ba¡ª¡± Makani interrupted him with a calm but raised voice. ¡°North cliffside of Blue Vermilla Island. Private aerostat is getting prepared for a flight.¡± The boss paled ever so slightly. It was all the confirmation they needed, but instead of reacting, Zeph stared blankly at Makani. How the hell?! ¡°You think we don¡¯t have our own methods of tracing our target?¡± Makani asked, slowly stepping forward with his hands behind his back. Although, being slouched and this pale made him look more like an old man rather than an imposing figure. ¡°All we needed from you, was a contract. You refused. You wanted to stay in. Now listen, and tell me¡­¡± The bossman started to take steps back in response, his face full of hesitation. Meanwhile, Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what to do with himself, so he started to scan their environment with Mana tendril to at least watch Makani¡¯s back. ¡°How can a contract be of any use if we find ourselves incapable of reaching her? I won¡¯t be stepping into that pitfall anymore. Then again,¡± he smirked lopsidedly, ¡°as much as we need to claim her today to stay legally clean, your claim on her will end soon¡­¡± Zeph found the source of the heightened Mana density in the room. It took a few iterations, but he was sure that the slow flow of Ambient Mana, recognizable by the lumps of unknown Magicules moving towards the open doors, had a source in the desk. It was ¡®smoking¡¯ with Mana, so to say. An inefficient enchantment was imbued inside, he was sure. His eyes widened when he understood why the bossman was moving away from it, and towards the window behind. He quickly checked the stone floor between the man and the desk, simultaneously adding Mana-L from the pool that he kept around the pouch with his enchanted beads, consequently forming a Mana-L core inside his Mana tendril. He got as close as to brush the man¡¯s Veil to be sure, before suffocating the enchanted tracks on the floor with his Mana-L, neutralizing and pushing away the foreign Mana to block the channels. ¡°If you really want to be included so badly, I will do it for you,¡± Makani said derisively. ¡°If you work hard enough, then we will give you a chance. A chance to walk away unscathed after we are done. Maybe more, providing you deliver. But there will be no down payment of any sort for you¡­¡± Normally, it would have taken longer, but he concentrated his Willpower on pushing the Mana-L inside. There was a risk of actually triggering the trap, whatever it was, but Mana-L was too dense and viscous to propagate quickly along the enchanted lines, thus creating minimal pushing force. Also, even as it started to disintegrate on contact, most of the ensuing Mana pressure was released to the surroundings because the Mana inside the lines was clearly still under the bossman¡¯s direct control, even if the guy wasn¡¯t able to move it freely like Zeph. It took a few seconds at most, and when Zeph was sure the channels in the floor were blocked¡ªand as their host paled suddenly, stopping midstep¡ªhe spoke out loud with a tone as calm and neutral as he could muster. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the desk. Even if it¡¯s now disabled.¡± A drop of sweat rolled down his temple as he started to furiously look for other channels all around the desk while slowly moving a huge part of his Veil to shield the desk from their host. Thankfully, keeping up the blockade wasn¡¯t straining in the slightest after he stopped moving that Mana tendril. They were lucky that the enchantment inside the desk was leaking so much Mana. It interfered with their Veils strongly. If the bossman had his Veil spread around the whole room in a stable fashion, he would be able to tell what Zeph was doing immediately. Then, he would be able to either trigger the trap immediately or have a chance to do so through his Veil ¨C assuming he was capable of that level of Mana manipulation. But as it was, the guy was just dumbfounded to the point of freezing in place. No matter how poor his Mana manipulation and sensing skills were, he was sure to notice the blockage by now. Makani stopped before the ornamental desk, looking down at it with disgust. ¡°And I may have just a perfect excuse to present to authorities in case you decide to scram anyway. Hmm¡­ Actually,¡± he said, stroking his goatee. After a moment, he nodded to himself and looked up, straight into the bossman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I changed my mind. You are free to go,¡± Makani stated dismissively. Zeph could hear the grating of the bossman¡¯s teeth. The man balled his hands into fists¡ªeven the damaged one¡ªbut didn¡¯t move otherwise. The last sentence was as much a promise of legal retribution, as it was a truth. The man wanted to play the game, so he was now invited ¨C in the worst possible way. He had to really choose sides now. ¡°I¡¯ve heard...¡± he growled through his teeth. ¡°That your¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you know about us,¡± Makani said with slight irritation. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it clearly enough earlier? Make your choice. Deliver and hope. Or crawl away and try to survive.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a trace of maliciousness in his voice, which was even more disconcerting. Feeling a slight pressure on his Veil, Zeph quickly fired off his new Veil technique while glancing backward. Three partially camouflaged people stood there. All frozen in strange positions, as if being caught in the Red Light, Green Light game. The burst of his Mana had to startle them, as he wasn¡¯t able to shape his Veil properly that quickly, but at least he wasn¡¯t able to detect any Spell constructs nearby. Hamar, noticing his movement, turned around a second later, weapons at the ready. ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± the bossman shouted, throwing his hands up. ¡°You have me! I give up! You guys, go back to the hall,¡± He sighed heavily after that, slumping visibly. ¡°Cursed Manacasters¡­¡± he mumbled under his breath, shuffling back toward his desk. His men took a moment to process the order before laughing awkwardly and sheathing their weapons. They slowly backed away, making placating gestures. As the bossman returned to his seat, Zeph could feel through the remnants of his Veil placed around the desk that the enchantment inside stopped producing Mana. He was still observing the retreating crew, though, ready to use his exploding beads at a moment¡¯s notice. Only after they entered the staircase, he dared to glance back. Makani still stood right before the desk, looking down at the man sitting before him. ¡°You really like to stir the pot, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked after a moment of silence. ¡°Ya think it¡¯s that easy living here?¡± The man grimaced. ¡°Name is Darrah Vuld. It will be 478 gold, 58 silver, and 2 copper for the claim,¡± he said, taking out a thin file of papers from the desk¡¯s drawer and placing it before Makani. ¡°I will help with the retrieval. As per law.¡± His face contorted in revulsion at the end. ¡°Good,¡± Makani nodded, taking the papers. ¡°We will see how much you are worth¡­¡± ~~~ As they climbed wide stairs engraved in the side of a giant rock that made the Blue Vermilla Island, Zeph moved closer to Makani. They were at the back of the column of people¡ªtheir numbers have grown to half a hundred¡ªso he was cautiously certain no one would hear them speaking. ¡°How did you know?¡± he asked in a whisper, shielding his mouth with a hand. Makani glanced at him, then gestured to wait. After a few seconds, a Spell formed around them. If not for his new technique, Zeph wouldn¡¯t be able to notice. He started to improve on it, too. Instead of setting a lattice of compressed Mana at the border of his Veil, he started to deform the whole thing into a tentacle-like monstrosity riddled with compressed points all over. It was useless in the context of detecting remnants of Spell constructs, but had much better chances at detecting ongoing Spells or Mana-related effects. It took a lot of his concentration, though, as he had to consciously keep the points compressed. He managed to keep up the Veil shape and density change by imagining a pattern and sustaining it like a 3D texture. He was, in a way, recreating a fractal texture. It wasn¡¯t a real fractal, but the shape and compressed points were regular enough to be conceptualized as such. The minus was, it burned through his Will and Will-Mana quite quickly. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Truly, his experiences from Earth were producing unforeseen results. ¡°Thanks to your advice, I managed to finally unlock the Sound-Spell branch of Matrices,¡± he said proudly with a content grin. ¡°It¡¯s Mana-intensive, but I kept listening from the moment we left the carriage. I¡¯m working on making it Self-Sustaining and Veil-independent, but the latter is quite hard to implement. Also, it¡¯s a utility branch, so it isn¡¯t as useful as I would like¡­¡± Zeph had to stop himself from gaping stupidly. The ¡®Lesser Sound detect¡¯ in his possession had neither the accuracy nor the sensitivity to allow him to recognize soft sounds, which meant Makani¡¯s version had to be at least a Tier 1 Spell. He also suspected it was directly enchanting his ears instead of giving visual clues or communicating through the Mana-Soul connection. But the last sentence confused him. ¡°What do you mean ¡®utility¡¯? Sound can be more damaging than physical objects.¡± Makani blinked a few times, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. He evidently failed. ¡°What do you mean? I am unable to produce a shockwave strong enough to directly harm anything.¡± ¡°Try to find the resonant frequency of different materials. I¡¯ve heard the human body has a few that can be damaging¡ªsomething to do with internal organs, bones, heart, maybe even eyes¡ªyou would have to test it yourself, though. You should be able to at least deafen or stun your opponents in any case¡­ Anyway, how did that help with finding out about the aerostat?¡± ¡°His crew started gossiping as soon as we entered the main hall. All I had to do, was to find a private aerostat that was getting ready to depart. It took a lot of concentration on Memory, but I¡¯ve managed to remember and filter out the sounds coming from the aerobays that I heard when we were outside. The private ones are all located at the top of the islands, thankfully, so the sounds weren¡¯t muffled much. They are used sporadically, too.¡± You still had to determine the location by that sound¡­ What are you? Daredevil? Did you manage to awaken your echolocation powers already? Zeph thought incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t even know where to start¡­¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°Then don¡¯t. Let¡¯s concentrate on the problem at hand,¡± he said, looking up. Zeph followed his gaze. They were getting closer to the Byzantium-style mansion at the top, already seeing the gardens embedded in the cliffside. ========Theron Nalani PoV======== They were here. But their entourage was concerning. Over fifty people slowly entered the plaza before the mansion, forming loose ranks. They managed to convince Vuld? That old bastard¡­ He clicked his tongue in displeasure. ¡°Commander, should we proceed as planned?¡± asked someone from behind. His voice was youthful but firm. Theron turned away from the window and stepped up to the table in the middle of the room. A detailed map of the island was spread on it. The man in plain, black, reinforced leather armor stood at attention to the side, waiting for orders. ¡°Yes. But your objectives shift. Prolong the fight, make sure both of them deplete their Veils at the same time. Forgo apprehending attempts and concentrate on the positioning.¡± ¡°The last resort?¡± Nalani glared at him. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to stop involving me in that matter?¡± he growled. ¡°Do what you were told. If I fail, I fail.¡± ¡°Yes, commander!¡± the man hit his chest with a fist in a salute and walked away. Nalani looked once more at the map. That number of people complicated things, but it should still be doable. Though, he expected that he would have to take direct action. Let¡¯s hope no more complications take place, he thought, reaching for a faceless mask. =============================== They entered the opulent building. It was structurally resembling a fortress made from gigantic stone blocks, but the silver-and-black adornments and marble-like floor made it look more like a palace. Zeph, Makani, and Hamar, along with a few more mercenaries, kept to the back. Even if they were attacked from behind, they had enough people to defend and retreat. Zeph made sure his two telekinetic shields were at the ready and loosened the cords of his pouches. The aerobay was on the other side of the building, so they used the main gates with the intent of going straight through. Each floor was almost four meters high, and the hallway inside was wide enough to easily accommodate five warriors, leaving enough space for them to swing their weapons. Nothing stopped them, though. There were no guards, not even workers could be seen. After a few intersections that they ignored, they entered a huge hall. The stone floor was intricately carved in geometrical shapes. The ceiling, three floors above their heads, had a rectangular hole, allowing the waning daylight to illuminate the interior. The higher floors were opened, forming terraces all around the room. Seeing the hall for what it was¡ªa perfect ambush spot¡ªeveryone prepared their weapons as their focus sharpened. And rightly so. As they stepped past the center of the hall, arrows started raining at them. The archers were at the back of the second floor on their right. Makani reacted almost immediately, producing a strong, uplifting wind. The projectiles were already slow because of the curvature of their trajectories¡ªtheir enemies didn¡¯t enter their direct line of sight¡ªso the wind made them easy to dodge or defend against. The volley didn¡¯t subside, though. The enemy wasn¡¯t firing as fast as Xim, but still at a superhuman rate. Zeph threw three life-detection beads upstairs, following with a Mana tendril. They didn¡¯t roll far, misshaped as they were, and one was already thrown away by an arrow, but Zeph managed to power one bead to get a look at the enemy. As it was happening, more enemies charged from the left, jumping from the second floor and trying to surround their group from three sides. Zeph glanced back, noticing a group of ten people that were sprinting in their direction. Five wore black full-plate armor and used heavy weaponry, while another five had body-fitting reinforced leather armor. ¡°Leave them to us, concentrate on the archers!¡± Hamar yelled, already running to greet the newcomers. Zeph received feedback from his Spell, detecting seven people upstairs. Without taking his eyes from the melee happening just a few meters away, he quickly started constructing his overpowered quadruple-Flash at the end of the Mana tendril, making sure to place the Spell behind the lip of the terrace. As the blindingly-bright burst of light illuminated the whole hall, Makani finished his own Spell. Air implosion struck from behind the backs of the enemy warriors, unbalancing them and even knocking down the closest warrior in light armor. Hamar¡¯s team took advantage of the occasion, making quick work of two heavy and three light-armored enemies. Zeph glanced around as he reached for smoke-smell bombs with his free hand. They outnumbered the enemy, but those warriors were much stronger than Darrah¡¯s crew. The frontline was slowly pushed back. He adjusted his position, making a few steps to keep the distance from the fighters, simultaneously igniting the bombs in his hand. Makani¡¯s Veil started recovering, so he should be able to keep the worst of the smoke away from their allies. He threw the already-smoking bombs all around, not caring about the direction. Leaving the rest to Makani, he concentrated again on his Mana tendril. Using Matrices, he started the construction of Mana Beam geared with Heat modules. This time, he did his best to direct the auto-construction to imitate the shape Makani enchanted into the Cube. Thanks to the fact that Heat cantrips could be formed immediately from his EE, not to mention his familiarity with the Beam Spell, he managed to speed up the construction time drastically. Instead of 42 seconds, he finished it in 10 or so. It was still an eternity on the battlefield, though. Enemy warriors started to choke on the fumes as Makani conducted over the airflow in the room. Someone threw a knife at Zeph from his blind spot, probably to break his concentration, but it was easily deflected by his telekinetic shield. He used the detection bead upstairs just before the Beam Spell was finished, noticing that some archers already recovered. He aimed at the most composed one, standing right in the center. Zeph had sent most of his Veil to power the concentrated Heat Beam, going as far as creating multiple Heat cantrips in the Spell¡¯s vicinity to increase its efficiency. He was very glad he didn¡¯t try that anywhere close to himself when a powerful explosion shook the air. But the air kept shaking even after the blast ceased. He caught movement in his peripheral vision, and immediately spun in place, brandishing his spear. His telekinetic shield was cut in half as he barely deflected a thin sword. The clash left him slightly unbalanced. His eyes opened wide when he saw a masked person in form-fitting gray robes, appearing from nowhere like a ninja. Assassin?! He tried to jump back, but the warrior was much faster. The sword cut deeply into the armor on his hip, forcing Zeph to move with the strike to his left. He used the inertia of his weapon to jump further, swinging at the enemy. The gray-robe easily dodged his strike, moving low and closer to press him with a series of quick stabs. Zeph¡¯s pouches¡ªcut off in the first attack¡ªhit the floor, beads and smoke bombs scattering on the floor. His second telekinetic shield failed after three lighting-fast stabs, and he let go of his spear. The weapon was too slow. Instead, he raised his hands in a boxing guard and used armor¡¯s vambraces to deflect the strikes while scrambling to time his footwork to move away. After gaining a few stab wounds in the lower part of his torso, he instinctively found the rhythm of the attacks. The next stab, directed at his chest, he allowed through while twisting his torso in preparation for a jab. The sword tip slid on a metal plate and penetrated the leather just under the next one at a steep angle, cutting deep and scraping on his ribs. Zeph continued the rotation, effectively catching the sword between the plates and leveraging it to the side while throwing the quickest punch possible. His thumb, protruding from the side of his fist, found the eyehole in the mask. The gray-robe kept their eyes on Zeph at all times ¨C they didn¡¯t even react to the punch, and definitely weren''t expecting the maneuver. The needle under his nail penetrated the closed eyelid and exploded immediately, throwing the man¡¯s head back as he screamed, and wrecking Zeph¡¯s finger. The left side of the mask crumbled, showing just how effective the blast was, but in the next second, the man was already closing in with two knives in his hands, ignoring the blood and remnants of his eye oozing from the grotesque wound. At that point, Zeph¡¯s Veil was already shredded off. The sword, now lying on the floor a few meters away, was coated in dense Mana, preventing him from recovering it and stripping parts every time the man had stabbed. He was unable to construct Spells in that state. Zeph managed to make a few quick jumps back to make distance, when suddenly the world become white¡­ ========Theron Nalani PoV======== I should have used a pain-inducing agent¡­ Frix, what¡¯s this guy made from? He cursed internally as Einar moved back, stopping right at the central floor plate. He immediately activated his prepared Skill, sending a concentrated beam of light at his eyes, and jumped forward. Only to spasm midstep and almost fall on his face. An ethereal pain shook through his very being, trying to shut down his brain. But he was not a novice in the Soul arts. As much as the attack was surprising, it was merely a distraction. Gritting his teeth, he powered through the agonizing sensation and corrected his posture, stumbling close to his target. Only to detect through his Veil a bubble of unmoving Mana at the center of Einar¡¯s chest, just as the man started to crouch in a defensive stance. His working eye opened wide as he immediately dodged to the right. But it was too late. A blast of Mana hit him right in the arm, obliterating his Veil and frying the nerves in the whole limb. He screamed again. It certainly was a new form of pain ¨C one he had never experienced before. In panic, rage, and pain¡ªfor the fear his prey would try to escape when he was recovering¡ªhe activated the enchantment in the knife in his good hand and threw it at Einar¡¯s feet. The explosion of force lifted his body, crushing the man¡¯s legs. Enough is enough! If he dies, so be it! he screamed in his head when still howling from the pain. It took him half a second to cut off the neural feedback from the offending extremity, enough for the man to drop back to the ground, two ells away from the now cracked, central floor plate. Breathing heavily, he walked to the unconscious body lying in a heap, brushing away another Soul attack, not even considering the fact that it was activated without Einar''s conscious input. I need to hurry, he thought, hearing the fight all around intensifying. Another group of Lucas¡¯s men should keep the perimeter and sow chaos, but after the explosion, anyone with half a brain would notice something was wrong. Curse that man¡­ All that trouble¡ªhe shook his head slightly and calmed down. I don¡¯t have weapons¡­ I can still play it as intended¡­ He gave a signal to switch off the enchantments engraved under the floor panels around them, disabling the muffing and light distortion, and bent down to grip Einar¡¯s neck¡­ Chapter 76 - The woe and advantage of people who cannot destabilize. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.28] ========Theron Nalani PoV======== He grabbed the limp body by the collar and heaved it into the air, roaring madly. He pivoted and brought it down with power. His hand seared through everything in its wake, leaving a deep, incinerated gash right under the neck as the body was finally released and smashed into the cracked tiles with a loud crash and crack of bones. Shards of broken stone shot into the air. The amulets, previously hidden under the leather, flew in all directions, freed from the bonding chains. The silver ring on the man¡¯s finger was smacked away by a lightning-fast swipe, even before the limb started to bend alongside the rest of the crumbling body. The sounds of fighting intensified, the struggle becoming more desperate. Loud shouts echoed through the whole hall. But Nalani didn¡¯t heed anything that was happening around. Time seemed to slow down as he concentrated, glaring down vengefully as the body slowly folded on itself before his eye. The amulets, the Soul-linked ring, the stone shards ¨C everything seemed to hover in place as if gravity was denied its authority over matter. He started to slowly¡ªsubjectively speaking¡ªkneel on one knee while reaching for an item, hidden under the folds of his robes. His Mana was cascading downwards, flooding the fissures in the stone floor. A burst of air tried, and failed, to wrench him away. It crashed violently with his protective Mana construct; snuffed out in assured mutual destruction. He leaned forward, raising his arm. Someone was shouting. He didn¡¯t care. His clenched fist, armed with a knuckle duster, shoot downwards. A veritable explosion of Mana erupted from under the floor, piercing upwards, through the body, to reach his weapon. The unseen, overloaded, one-use enchantment¡ªif it could even be called that¡ªraptured the very foundations of the building, breaking the floor in a wide radius. The surface imploded slightly, as if hit by a giant sphere of force. For a moment, he floated; dust and debris were rushing up all around in the wake of the destruction. The fragile metal spikes of his weapon touched, and then pierced the burned flesh of his target, releasing their foul contents that immediately met the upcoming wave of Mana, activating all at once. Nalani smiled, even as the world around started to fade away¡­ ------------------------------------------------- ¡­and his perception shifted. His consciousness touched upon his Soul. He was no longer merely a thought, a construct shaped by a physical organ. With the help of the residues Magicules and his mental Skills, the transition was smooth and painless. Now, his mind had all the time he would need. Because time couldn¡¯t touch the Soulscape, except directly through him. The all-encompassing emptiness was pressing his psyche with the weight reserved only for an inanimate infinity. The void, the plane of Souls ¨C no matter how filled it was, it never allowed him to see more than what he knew existed. It never allowed him to perceive itself in any meaningful way; isolating him, and scraping on his sanity with each ¡®moment¡¯ he spent there, with each ¡®movement¡¯ he made, despite seeing only an endless nothingness. If it was, in any measure, a reflection of death, he dreaded the moment they would meet. An unavoidable outcome, yet the more terrifying the more he understood it. But right now, he wasn¡¯t gazing into the infinite. No, he had one goal, and one goal only. The Soul of a man he almost killed was right before him, shining brightly like a solitary star on the firmament. Its shape was morphing fluidly with each passing moment, sometimes even resembling a humanoid figure, but mostly taking on geometrical and plant-like shapes. The constant changes were headache-inducing, but also fascinating ¨C it was clear that this Soul was somehow different from others he saw before. It was close to him, figuratively speaking, because he was touching the body directly right now. Close enough to interact with. The distances here were another puzzle he had no hope of solving. He could already see the specks of his Soul-bond entity reshaping all around. The fluid he injected, the myco-bacterial hive colony, started to adapt to the host¡¯s body. He used his Bond to strengthen its adaptability, temporarily compromising his own Regeneration and Memory. The maggots, forming in the endless space, inside and outside of the man¡¯s Soul all at the same time, wiggled ominously while trying to find a purchase, searching for fertile soil to grow in. His ethereal avatar started to smile. But the smile didn¡¯t last long. He was sure enough time has passed, yet none of the maggots managed to plant themselves. It was only the first stage and it already posed a problem. His visage frowned, folding on itself a few times. The Soul-representation of his Bonded colony scraped helplessly on the ¡®surfaces¡¯ of the man¡¯s Soul, not advancing even a part of a finger, which was saying much more in this space than in reality. He got rid of every amulet, artifact, and enchanted weaponry the man had before engaging. There was no reason to believe he missed something. Yet, the ritual wasn¡¯t proceeding as it should. He would shrug if his ethereal avatar had shoulders. It was strange, for sure, but he wasn¡¯t here to solve the mysteries of that man¡¯s abilities. Feeling no danger emanating from the connection to his body, he decided to sacrifice his Flexibility and Intuition to bolster the colony. It was something not possible in normal circumstances, but he was the wielder of true knowledge and a trained Soul arts practitioner. Such restrictions didn¡¯t apply to him. Though, he had to keep his Power and Willpower intact for fear of losing control and becoming unable to return to his own body. He would also have no means to direct the colony. The maggots ¡®changed¡¯ their color, becoming more orange in this monochromatic world. Just as he was taking a step ahead in his mission, the Soul flexed. He almost lost concentration when the wave of¡­ immaterial force pushed on his Soul and everything around. He knew then, that the ritual enchantment was shattered, that his skin enchantment was overwhelmed, that nothing was going as planned. That explains some things, the thought hit him as his consciousness was pushed back to his body in the chaos that ensued, he meddles with Soul interactions. That¡¯s why he needs the Generalist! The thoughts became illegible once again as he re-established his focus and mental connection. The maggots suffered from the strike, but there were still enough of them to work with. The Soul was pulsing in wild waves now, though. This meant the man managed to notice his machinations, unconscious as he was, and his Will was flooding the zone. This would limit his time. Instead of trying to force multiple intrusions, knowing the Soul was strong enough to fight them, he guided the existing maggots to combine. That would pull a lot out of his own Soul, but he didn¡¯t have a choice. But, again, his actions were interrupted. And this time, his whole being shook in revulsion and disbelief at what was seeing. Before the maggots finished combining into a larva, an alien shape started forming in the ¡®center¡¯ of the man¡¯s Soul. The thing was easily distinguishable as its perfectly geometrical shapes started to suffuse the space, overtaking his senses, obscuring everything else around. Then they showed up. A cold shiver run through his entire being, through every aspect of his existence, as hundreds¡­ no, thousands of tentacles¡­ malformed, piliferous, improbable tentacles started to emerge from the alien seed or its vicinity. His instincts, deeply engraved in his Soul, screamed in horror as the being started touching everything around, hunting for prey, tasting the ethereal surroundings, searching for him! Nether! his mind screamed with enough force to reach his living brain and form the thought. He started to evacuate immediately in panic. The terror propelled him to abandon everything and just make distance from that abomination. The last thing he registered, was the larva being shredded to pieces and absorbed greedily¡­ =============================== Zeph¡¯s eyes opened wide as he gasped for air with a wheeze. The pain hit him almost instantly, forcing his lungs to spasm. He forced himself to look up at his assailant, fearful of receiving even more physical punishment. But the man was already stumbling back, panic visible in his one good eye. Then, suddenly, he glanced up, his eye widening even more. Zeph¡¯s body was unresponsive and in pain all over, but he reflexively followed his gaze by tilting his head. Miraculously, this action didn¡¯t cause more pain for him. But what he saw, made him panic even more. A line of black-clad warriors was keeping his allies at bay, barely managing it going by their wounds. But right now, despite the fact that the fight was a lost one, three warriors separated themselves from the group and started running right at him. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that the gray-robe started running in the opposite direction. Fuck me! he screamed internally, trying to move his Veil. There was none, though. He tried to raise his hand, but it was similar to moving through mud. His legs were unresponsive entirely, and the pain almost made him black out again. He could feel the beads scattered on the floor, beyond the small crater he was laying in. He had to activate the explosives somehow if he was to survive, but he didn¡¯t have the means! I refuse to give up! Explode, you stupid things! His already blurred sight started to darken as he started abusing his Will. His body was already in a critical state, trying to keep him alive, but his Soul was intact. He could feel, almost physically, as something was taken from it to power his already ¡®Diminished Will¡¯ ¨C the courtesy of the Willforce Morphon. The forced Will regeneration was the strangest of sensations he ever felt. As was using the Soul¡¯s ¡®energy resources¡¯. At the same time, he felt more in line with himself, more firm in his convictions and the taken course of actions. But, at the same time, more vulnerable, as if his life was on the brink of extinguishing. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He forcefully ignored those emotions and started to Will the Mana in the beads to spin faster. If powering them with more Mana was impossible, this was the only way to force them to explode. What he didn¡¯t take into account, though, was the price of manipulating Mana without having any physical connection to it. He blacked out a second later, after half of the explosive beads have blown right under the feet of charging individuals, even as an implosion of air happened behind their backs. At least, I didn¡¯t have to fight for Veil dominance¡­ was his last thought before he lost consciousness. ~~~ ¡°That isn¡¯t¡­ Where is your¡­ responsible!...¡± ¡°Look, we just paid, there is¡­ see how much¡­¡± ¡°That is irrelevant, you¡­ blackmail¡­¡± Zeph slowly woke up to the sounds of an argument. He was fluctuating between a dream-like state and awareness, but the noise was impossible to ignore. ¡°That¡¯s unacceptable!¡± the high-pitched shriek brought his consciousness back fully as he grimaced at the sound. He groaned, trying to lift his hands to his ear, but the pain it had caused made him curse and abandon the attempt immediately. He was tucked under a heavy coat, which made it impossible to move his arms, anyway. There was a silent pause in the annoyingly loud dispute, at least. He braved to open one of his eyelids slightly to see what was happening. He was met with two faces looking at him from above. Entirely too close for his comfort. ¡°Hen yu¡­¡± he coughed, aggravating his dry throat. He swallowed the remnants of saliva in his mouth and took a deep breath ¨C or tried to, as the pain stopped him halfway. He coughed again, weakly, before forcing himself to speak again. ¡°Move?¡± The faces backed, allowing him to finally take them in. Makani¡¯s was one he knew, even if his disheveled appearance was even worse than before. But the girl at his side was a mystery and curiosity. She had, for all things, the cat ears. The very ones Makani and Aisha laughed about when he asked. They were kind of strange, though. Their U-shaped base was made from metallic plates and blocks, sticking out from her lush, brown locks, and clearly attached directly to her skull. Only the middle and top parts had the shape of ears and seemed to be made from biological matter. He could also see small metal plates in the cracks of her skin around the eyes and on her left cheek. The almost-silver eyes, so similar to his own, added to the cyberpunk theme that was going on with her. The most surprising, though, were her facial features. She was, obviously, a human of some sort. By Earth¡¯s standards, she would be half-Asian, but that wasn¡¯t what made him curious. The frame of her face was sharp, triangular almost, mostly because of the furry, brown sideburns framing it. Also, she was short, maybe one-sixty. But that¡¯s kind of logical¡­ If someone has cat ears, weren¡¯t they in that business? If that¡¯s true, I can see her starving in the early stages of her life¡­ he thought, remembering what Aisha had told him. Irra frowned. ¡°Stop gaping at me, you pervert!¡± She straightened up and crossed her arms. ¡°I am well beyond that stage of life. At least I took the useful ones!¡± she said defiantly, twitching her left ear. ¡°What a rude.¡± She harrumphed and looked at Makani. ¡°How is he conscious even?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± he said, evidently as surprised as her. ¡°He should be dying, not waking up¡­¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± Zeph started, before gulping another tickle of saliva and abandoning his remark. ¡°¡­water,¡± he pleaded instead. ¡°Oh, we have something much better than water,¡± Makani said, producing a bowl from somewhere beyond his line of sight. ¡°You have to sit up, though. Try to bear with it.¡± The process was much more painful than he expected. His broken ribs, even aligned and kept in place by Gru, were still moving around. Not to mention, the nerves in the lower parts of his spine were just regenerating, giving him a lot of feedback they normally wouldn¡¯t. But the broth was all the reward he needed to forget all about it. Makani had to feed him, but he didn¡¯t care. His body reacted violently, assimilating every drop greedily. He could almost feel as the cells in his throat were returning from whatever afterlife awaited them as the miraculous liquid washed over their unliving graveyard. When he finished, sighing slightly deeper in contentment, Gru vibrated delicately. Zeph nodded. ¡°Um¡­ can you¡ª¡± he coughed. Even watered, his throat still hurt. ¡°Can you prepare something with more¡­ iron?¡± They looked at each other puzzled. ¡°How much iron?¡± the woman asked, looking at him skeptically. ¡°The more, the better.¡± She shrugged and walked away to a small alchemy station set in the corner of the room. Zeph noticed a mechanical, silver tail as she turned but looked away to not irritate her anymore. Taking a better look at the room, he saw that it was as much a single-person apartment as a workshop. Racks and shelves were overfilled with random trash, metal parts, and reagents. An OSH inspector would have a heart attack seeing this place, as would the Human Rights Committee and any self-respecting housewife. The amount of chaos and filth was difficult to describe. He suspected the pile of books and cloth to the side was the only reason he was able to lay on an empty bed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask before we come to an understanding but¡­¡± Makani was hesitating, it was clear in his eyes as he observed Irra. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have any lingering trauma from that time. Our Guild is quite¡­ diverse, if you know what I mean.¡± She snorted, already mixing a few liquids. ¡°I wasn¡¯t that desperate. They were more my boyfriends than anything else. I have my dignity. You are paying for this, by the way.¡± ¡°Um, what was that quarrel I heard before?¡± Zeph¡¯s throat was being restored in a record time. He suspected Willforce Morphon shenanigans. ¡°She is being bloody stubborn, that¡¯s what was happening,¡± Makani said, massaging his eyes. ¡°I am not your slave!¡± she snapped back. ¡°You can¡¯t just pay my debts and expect I will abandon my projects to work exclusively for you!¡± ¡°Really? You would rather continue to make some basic potions for the local scum, without a hope of ever paying them back?¡± Makani was truly irritated with her, something Zeph saw for the first time. ¡°Maybe you should try using the logical part of your brain? It¡¯s actually quite useful!¡± ¡°Bug off, Manariter!¡± She stepped up to them aggressively, almost shoving the conical flask in Zeph¡¯s face while glaring at Makani. ¡°They are giving me all the freedom I ever wanted! I won¡¯t be constricted by the likes of you!¡± The flask was filled with lightly-yellow liquid that smelled of mechanical oil. Zeph tried to raise his hand to take it, but pain shoot through his body the moment his muscles tightened slightly. A low groan escaped from his mouth as his body leaned forward, his head pushing against the flask and the hand that was holding it. Irra turned her head to him in surprise and reacted immediately, catching him before his torso bend too much. ¡°Ah, sorry. Here, take it slowly,¡± she said with worry, keeping him up with one arm and putting the flask to his lips, slowly feeding him. For all that tongue-lashing, she sure is a softy¡­ He thought, taking small gulps. I think I understand her, though¡­ And also, how she was played until now¡­ It took a few minutes but, finally, the flask was empty and Zeph could feel Gru¡¯s grip on his bones and internal organs tighten, becoming firmer. ¡°Thank you,¡± he nodded to the woman, fighting off the sudden wave of fatigue. ¡°You know, I get that you are wary of us. I would be the same.¡± She¡¯s living in a trash heap, but it¡¯s her trash heap. A place she knows and owns. ¡°But do you even know what we want to work on?¡± he asked, looking wearily at her. She raised an eyebrow, indicating he should continue. ¡°First and foremost, we need a Mana battery. But not a typical one ¨C I believe the existing schematics will be of no use. And we don¡¯t want to pay for them or get into a long contract, either. What we want, is to make an implant for¡­ a certain organism. And it has to be compatible with human physiology, too.¡± That seemed to break through her distrustful shell. He was sure he saw a flicker of light in her eyes as her brows shoot up. ¡°We are not some half-assed institution, either. We will guarantee you a place to live, a laboratory, and as much freedom as possible. Though, no experimentation on the races, or other shady activities, are allowed. If you do drugs, then we test them in a safe manner.¡± ¡°What with my projects?¡± She asked, now more interested to speak with them. ¡°We have a department responsible for production and selling. If you agree to give a percentage of the income to them, we can not only propagate your inventions, but make sure they are tested and upgraded if you agree to make a contract over the schematic. They will belong to you, all the same.¡± She took a step back, looking at him with wide eyes. ¡°And how do I pay for my lodgings?¡± ¡°You would be under my department. It will pay for those expenses, but the equipment is all on you.¡± ¡°A lifetime contract?¡± she frowned. ¡°No. You can be either thrown away for the lack of cooperation or breaking basic rules, or you can file a resignation at any moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± she shook her head, her guard returning back in full force. ¡°No one does dealings like that. I won¡¯t be killed over one invention, it¡ª¡± ¡°Warrior Priestess from Leilucia Temple is a part of our group. And this guy here,¡± he nodded at Makani, ¡°is from Blackwind Tower. You expect them to lock you out and force you to give away your secrets?¡± he asked mirthfully. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she glanced at Makani, who was already holding his amulet in his hand, smiling slightly. ¡°By the way, what is that thing?¡± he asked, pointing at the half-melted lump of blue material. Still slightly out of it, she looked at the indicated shelf and, after a moment, walked closer and hopped up to retrieve the item. She looked at it for a second, before turning back to them. ¡°Just some useless trash some kid had found on the streets, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s plastic. His invention,¡± Makani nodded at Zeph. ¡°Try saturating it with Organic Mana.¡± She looked skeptical, but complied. Her eyes bulged a moment later. ¡°What is this?! You¡­¡± she looked up, shocked. ¡°That can¡¯t be true¡­ right?¡± Her eyes were turning back and forth between the two. ¡°Aisha, our Warrior Priestess, will show you the contract. There is a room for negotiation and no reason you shouldn¡¯t look at it. It would be good to visit our headquarters, too,¡± Zeph explained, fighting to stay conscious. Something was siphoning every last bit of his energy, but feeling his wounds, he wasn¡¯t even surprised. ¡°But¡­ But Vuld said¡­¡± ¡°Ah, him. We have paid him already and it didn¡¯t pose any problems. Also, he will work with us, too.¡± That information was the last straw. Irra plopped heavily on the nearby pile of cloth and trash, her gaze empty as she tried to process the information. Makani left her to ponder on the situation and turned to Zeph. ¡°Right, you don¡¯t know what happened in the aftermath. Vuld requested that we guarantee him the first take on any water traffic commissions. He was pressing for a more permanent contract, but with his reputation¡­¡± Zeph nodded slightly. ¡°So, he was just looking for a better work environment? That¡¯s kind of surprising¡­ Maybe he really cares for his crew¡­ How many of them died?¡± he took a more somber tone. ¡°Only three. But almost half will be bedridden for a few weeks. The enemy lost half their numbers, but we weren¡¯t able to catch any alive. The retreating force killed off the disabled¡­¡± Ugh. Yea, it was definitely a special force of some kind¡­ ¡°What happened after¡­ well, after the gray-robe attacked?¡± he asked, unsure as to the chronology of events. ¡°How did I survive?¡± Makani grimaced. ¡°I am not sure myself. You two were under a masking and muffling effect for the most part. It was, indeed, a trap. I only noticed after the first explosion¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he used some kind of explosive right under my feet¡­¡± Zeph said, looking at his unresponsive limbs. ¡°I have to say, your performance was beyond impressive. The guy was on the brink of level 100 and yet, you almost managed to take him down.¡± Zeph laughed weakly. ¡°Thank Gru for that. I was out of it. Without a Veil¡­ It¡¯s our worst weakness, isn¡¯t it?¡± Makani nodded. After a moment of silent pondering, he spoke again. ¡°He threw you onto the floor, then used a few Skills and a backup weapon to finish you off. I was¡­ helpless.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°I am not sure how you survived¡­ I am not even sure what exactly transpired. After that one punch, the one that created a small crater on the floor, our opponents just charged at you while he ran off. They were a suicide squad, that¡¯s for sure. If not for your beads breaking their legs, you wouldn¡¯t have made it.¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°I think Gru may have an idea¡­¡± Zeph said cautiously, glancing at the still-unresponsive Irra. ¡°But let¡¯s leave that for later. My Interface is pinging me; I better check what¡¯s wrong.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°You do you. Aisha and Kwan should be here shortly, either way.¡± Zeph concentrated on the pending notification that tried to worm its way into his vision for some time now. Thankfully, the new subprogram the System created wasn¡¯t intrusive.
Warning! [Energetical Resources] at critical levels! [Status: obsolete] Warning! You suffer from [Mana deprivation]! Source: [Soul starvation]. Explanation: No Mana dependency detected. All [Modules] stable. Warning! You suffer from [Diminished Will]! Current state: [Medium]. Warning! Continuous [Will] draining detected! Current state is deteriorating! Warning! [Unknown] infection detected! [Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81] in full mobilization! Warning! [Immune system] unstable! Warning! [Mutagenic Pathogen] detected! Warning! [Assimilating Pathogen] detected! Warning! Autoimmune response detected! Warning! [Homeostasis defense] engaged in full capacity! Destabilization imminent! Warning! [Hypercytokinemia] forcefully suppressed by [Garuan]! Destabilization risk: HIGH! Warning! [Immune system] corruption detected! Warning! [Immunodeficiency] detected! Source¡­ found: [Pathogen] mutation. Warning! [Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81] lacks resources! [Starvation] imminent! Warning! [Bio-ion-mercury complex] forcefully fed to [Lymph nodes] by [Garuan]! Destabilization risk: VERY HIGH! [Starvation] risk: Medium!
Oh, for Gods¡¯ sake, now I caught a fantasy version of HIV?! What the fuck?! Chapter 77 - For some reason, its hard to be serious when you are dying. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.28] ¡°Ummm¡­ What is the most¡­ nutritious food you have here?¡± he asked Irra with a nervous smile. She looked back at him with empty eyes, but was too much out of it to respond, it seemed. He turned to Makani, who was looking at him suspiciously. ¡°Want me to buy you a rake or something?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°That... will do¡­ if it''s high in fat... I think?¡± Makani¡¯s face morphed into one full of worry. ¡°What is happening?¡± he asked, standing up and stepping closer. ¡°The Medic said that you were stable¡­¡± his slightly panicked tone alerted Irra, waking her up from the self-inducted trance. She blinked a few times as her gaze refocused. ¡°I am not sure¡­ but I am infected with something and my immune system is struggling¡­ or more like dying on me,¡± he chuckled nervously. ¡°Look, just give me calories¡­ It should be enough to keep things stable,¡± Zeph said, starting to panic internally himself. Makani¡¯s mood was contagious, no matter how much he tried to stay calm. The last notification was only an hour old. ¡°I will be right back!¡± Makani bolted for the doors, wasting no time asking useless questions. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Irra hesitated. ¡°Do you need any more iron?¡± ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ just¡­ can you send another messenger to inform Aisha and Kwan?¡± ¡°The last message from them said that they would bring everyone from headquarters. Your place is along the way, it seems,¡± she said worriedly. ¡°I think they should be here in half an hour?¡± No wonder¡­ How long did I sleep?! He shook his head to clear his mind. Gru vibrated slightly. This time Irra noticed, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Water! I need water. A lot of it.¡± As the girl fumbled with a pipe sticking out of the wall above an abomination of a sink, Zeph tried to organize his thoughts and get a better picture of what was happening inside his body. He didn¡¯t have a fever¡ªprobably because of the Homeostasis EE¡ªand he couldn¡¯t feel any pain besides the physical damage his body sustained. Gru was too focused to speak freely with him, but Zeph wasn¡¯t able to tell what he was struggling with. His internal flow of Mana was as hard to read as always. Even if he could recognize that it wasn¡¯t flowing as it should¡ªforming loops in places where it wasn¡¯t previously¡ªthat was the extent of his internal perception. He could, actually, learn more from the feedback his Soul provided, but both were working in the macroscopic scale. All he could ¡®see¡¯, were his broken bones, bruises, and damaged muscles. At times like this, he vehemently regretted fusing his Spell, Will techniques, and Energy Enhancements into the Willforce Morphon. If he still had access to the ¡®Lesser Metabolic Enhancement¡¯ Spell, he was sure he could prod his body through it to learn more. Maybe even assisting in the stabilization efforts his body was struggling with. But it was too late to worry about his past choices. It was the first time his immune-enhancing bacteria were triggered so utterly, which meant his body was in a total war right now, despite the unassuming symptoms. Thus, it was merely a logical conclusion that he contracted a potent, Mana-empowered infection. Worse yet ¨C it was, most probably, a biological weapon of some kind instead of a naturally occurring disease. And those were never simple. He was sure there was no time for half-measures. Not when one of the creations of the Maddening Aurenus was losing field. I have paid over a million UP for this immunological upgrade, for Gods¡¯ sake! What did that man put into me?!... No, breathe¡­ Take it slow¡­ he tried to cool down his head while gulping the water. If I am to live through it, I need to stay calm, he negotiated with himself. Indeed, using a biological weapon of this kind was the lowest of the low punches. And one of the worst possibilities in the context of weaponry. The idea of biological warfare has been explored deeply on Earth, and he suspected the latest few pandemic outrages back there were a part of it, but that only strengthened his convictions at the time. Especially because he saw with his own eyes the backstage of the pharmaceutics industry that was supposed to fight them. You dare to use biological weaponry, he thought, losing his cool for a moment. No¡­ calm down¡­ If Zeph was a religious man, or his beliefs were to be considered in such context, that part would definitely be a cornerstone of his faith. There was no tolerance for biological micro-constructs dedicated to genocide in his mind. People going into that field should strive to prolong human lives, not to end them en masse prematurely. In his mind, it was worse than nuclear weaponry. One small mistake could end the civilization. One big mistake could lead to the end of the human race ¨C the only sapient race that humanity itself knew of. For the only sapient species to wipe itself out from the surface of the planet¡­ It would be, in equal measure, the most hilarious and tragic way to go. In a way, it would have been a self-balancing act, too. The karma returning with vengeance. But then, he would refuse to be associated with those Earthling idiots. It would be just too embarrassing. It was, of course, a generalization of his race. But the idiocy of the whole predicament was more than he could endure mentally for the longest time. At least now he had the mental capacity to accept the fact that a civilization built by individuals would always behave haphazardly ¨C mistakes and stupid decisions happen on a daily basis. The fact that Corora¡¯s culture was much more straightforward in certain aspects, that Gods actually helped to keep everything stable, and that people were ready for direct confrontations rather than silently killing each other, made it that much better place to live... No wonder then, that this situation made him rage internally. He felt betrayed on too many levels to even express himself. Right now, there is not much I can do, but the Shrine should be able to get rid of it. I would have to abandon some of my planned body upgrades¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t think like that. My life is more important. But¡­ If it really is a biological weapon, it¡¯s almost sure I will get into contact with it again¡­ It would be better to strengthen my immune system and let it do its job. The question is, how? I hadn¡¯t seen anything better than Aurenus¡¯s creations¡­ Could Phleya be upgraded in that direction? It would take care of two problems ¨C my immune system and a safe place to assure the colony¡¯s survivability¡­ I need to check if a mixed upgrade is possible. I would rather not have to have two different colonies, he mused silently. Irra, seeing his concentrated face, also kept quiet. She had to think over her own problems, either way. A few minutes later, Makani barraged into the room, pushing the door with his back. He was holding twenty or so greasy wooden boxes, balancing the tower that reached his nose. ¡°The stand owner said those are prepared specifically for physical workers on intense days. It should give you an energy boost like nothing else,¡± he said, kicking the door shut. ¡°And you bought twenty of them?¡± Zeph raised his eyebrow skeptically. ¡°Better too much than too little. It was a class-zero establishment, either way.¡± He nodded reluctantly, observing as the mountain of fast food was placed on the floor near the bed. ¡°Are you able to use your hands already?¡± Makani asked, straightening up and reaching for the box at the top. Zeph paled. ¡°No¡­ You aren¡¯t going to feed me, are you?!¡± Makani rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not the time to be picky! Here,¡± he said, lifting the lid. The smell of fried meat and overused oil punched Zeph in the face. ¡°Eat!¡± Makani said, shoving a greasy limb of a small animal right into his face. Was it not for his broken body, he would try to dodge. As it was, Makani just smeared some oil around his tightly closed mouth. ¡°At least let Irra do it!¡± he mumbled through a half-opened mouth. ¡°And here I thought you had a logical mindset! Just eat it already, you moron!¡± He was about to shove the food into his mouth by force when someone grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t use so much force. And I can feed him if he wants to.¡± Irra glared at Makani, but her expression didn¡¯t change when she turned to Zeph. ¡°I am not sure what is happening in your head, but you shouldn¡¯t be this puny if you are to be my boss,¡± she declared, taking the peace of meat with her other hand. ¡°Why is it even wrong for you? It¡¯s just a medical procedure, isn¡¯t it?¡± She said, presenting him the meat, the oil dropping on his trousers. ¡°Well¡­ it just felt gross. I can eat myself if you just place the open box on the bed.¡± My Veil is more than regenerated, I can just lift the meat with Telekinesis Spell. ¡°Time is important,¡± she said, putting the meat closer to his mouth. ¡°And it would be better if you don¡¯t use Skills for now. Just eat.¡± He reluctantly took a bite. Using his Will could have dire consequences, so he decided to cooperate after she took Makani¡¯s place. Well¡­ I asked for it, didn¡¯t I? Meanwhile, the Manacaster brooded mockingly. ¡°Was it that hard to eat from a man¡¯s hand?¡± he asked, pouting. Zeph gulped down the first serving before speaking. ¡°Aisha and Kwan are going to arrive soon with their entourage. I refuse to be flagged as man-inclined. The two of us are Heads of departments ¨C I would rather avoid wild gossiping.¡± ¡°Ha?! And you believe she would charge in at that very moment and¡ª¡± The door exploded in splinters with a perfect timing¡ªjust as Zeph predicted¡ªand a heavy boot of his friend cracked the floor as she stopped her momentum. She looked around frantically, before focusing on the frozen trio. ¡°Zeph, Makani, you idiots!¡± she bellowed, coming closer with heavy steps. People behind her were trying to squeeze inside too, but there wasn¡¯t enough space to accommodate everyone. Pavail hurried inside, forcing her way through the blockade of bodies. ¡°Are you¡ª¡± she fired her first diagnostic Skills, pausing in the mid of her sentence, ¡°¡ªoh my GOD!¡± she palled immediately. Aisha looked like she wanted to hit him, her eyes bloodshot. Thankfully, she was able to restrain herself. ¡°Zeph¡­¡± she started. Her tone was cold enough to freeze the city twice over, sending shivers down his spine. ¡°Care to explain why two of our most important members disappeared suddenly and¡­¡± she paused for a moment, evaluating his condition, ¡°one of them is practically dead?!¡± she shrieked in rage. He was sure that if he died, she would find a way to bring him back and kill him again. After gulping a mouthful of saliva, he tried to argue their case. ¡°Look, we knew it was a trap. But we didn¡¯t expect they would actually try to kill me¡­ They wouldn¡¯t be able to, anyway, if not for that assassin¡­¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Her eyes squinted as she leaned forward, towering over them. Irra chuckled hysterically and backed away, placing the meat that she was holding back in the box. ¡°It seems you need to talk, haha¡­ I will just¡ª¡± A heavy hand landed on her shoulder before she could take another step. Aisha glanced at her from above, her face still directed forward. Her eyes almost glowed with a restrained wish for murder. ¡°You are?¡± she asked in a chilling tone. ¡°I-Irra Turiel the Mmmmechalchemist a-and Bio-sciensis¡­scientist¡­¡± she stuttered, cowering instinctually. Meanwhile, Pavail managed to squeeze through Aisha and started prodding Zeph¡¯s body, lightly touching swelled areas and mumbling to herself in disbelief. Ghrughah also managed to enter the room by relocating a few people in his way. The people were so intimidated by his presence that they didn¡¯t even argue when he was lifting them gently. ¡°Feed him,¡± Aisha commanded, her eyes turning to Zeph. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°We were attacked by a Death Squad,¡± Makani interjected, seeing as teary Irra started to feed Zeph again. ¡°At least, going by their behavior ¨C we didn¡¯t manage to capture anyone alive. The assassin he is talking about was on the verge of Class Specialization. Light contamination, if I saw it correctly. The ring registered a Type 3, crippling Soul attack. The Soul-link was kept active by you-know-who even after Zeph lost it. The second registered part of the attack is the result of you-know-what,¡± he explained, somewhat cryptically, while handling her the item. She took it and concentrated, probably reading the recordings somehow. ¡°He needs to go to the Shrine!¡± Pavail exclaimed suddenly, straightening up and turning to Aisha. ¡°Something is crippling his immune system, he doesn¡¯t have long!¡± She turned to Zeph. ¡°Do you have enough Universal Points?¡± she asked worriedly, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think we can cure it by ourselves¡­¡± Aisha shot daggers at Zeph. ¡°Is that why you are dying? Can we do something to alleviate other problems?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said placatingly, ¡°I have more than enough. I actually thought some of my body upgrades could profit from taking care of it¡­¡± ¡°And they said I went overboard,¡± Ghrughah boomed. ¡°I brought both, the materials and Phleya. You can go with the full upgrade plan all at once. How much time do we have, though?¡± he asked Pavail. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to tell,¡± she shook her head. ¡°His is in a semi-stable state right now. But that balance is very fragile¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time here, then,¡± Aisha decided. ¡°Take him to the carriage! You,¡± she pointed at Irra, ¡°are riding with us.¡± ¡°Y-yesh¡­¡± she said timidly, her cat ears folding on her head. ¡°I will stay to investigate the battleground,¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s voice came from somewhere in the back. ¡°Good idea, I will help,¡± Ghrughah nodded. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s move!¡± Aisha commanded. ~~~ As Zeph was force-fed by Pavail ¡ªhalf of the boxes were already empty and he struggled to take anymore, but he wasn¡¯t left with any choice in the matter¡ªKwan and Aisha interrogated his prospective alchemist. Makani was just absentmindedly looking through the window. They were riding in Ghrughah¡¯s carriage, so there was more than enough space for the six of them. The ride was slow, as Aisha told the driver to be gentle. Zeph had time to finally look at his Interface. The fight, for better or worse, brought some levels his way. If he understood correctly, they had gained an equivalent of killing five people, but it was mostly thanks to Gru who was snatching the ¡®positive Soul wound¡¯ fragments from the vicinity. Going by the amount, though¡­ It seems we cannot just power-level on a battlefield¡­ It was an old question. If Gru could just snatch every ¡®positive Soul wound¡¯ fragment from the vicinity, they could, potentially, level up ¡®passively¡¯ by being close to the fighting. As it was, during their latest fight almost twenty enemies had perished. Even if only half of them sent a ¡®positive Soul wound¡¯ fragment¡ªwhich was the average he managed to calculate after their other fights¡ªit should be double their actual gains. This meant that besides the distance limitation and the need to be perceived as an enemy¡ªwhich formed a weak Soul-bond that allowed Gru to navigate the Soulscape¡ªthere was another factor. I will need to ask him, but it seems my Veil is quite important for the process, no matter how dispersed it is. If it¡¯s not about physical distance, but physical contact with our Mana, it would explain a few things. Power-leveling on a battlefield would be difficult, he sighed internally. The interference of others¡¯ Mana was just too restricting. He gulped the last serving of the meat, almost gagging because of the fatty contents, and turned his head away from Pavail. ¡°Have mercy¡­ If you don¡¯t want me to return all of that food right at you¡­¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°You need all the energy for the implanting procedure. Taking into account your state, you should eat until you burst!¡± ¡°Har. Har. Why don¡¯t you try to eat one of those?¡± he deadpanned. ¡°It¡¯s not your typical meal, you know. Makani! Say something!¡± He looked in the direction of the Manacaster. His lazy gaze was telling enough, but instead of ignoring Zeph¡¯s plight, he actually tried to help. ¡°You know, I never tried a dish like that before¡­¡± Pavail frowned and looked down at the box suspiciously. ¡°Why would you even give it to him, then?¡± ¡°He was starving. I just bought the most energizing food available. I think we should test it,¡± he said, rubbing his hands. She gave him a disapproving glare, but didn¡¯t comment otherwise. As they started the taste-testing, Zeph opened his notifications.
Congratulations! Your [Profession] [Shaman] leveled up!
Major upgrades: Shaman [+1] ==> Memory [+1], Allocated [Flexibility] [+2] [+3] ==> Matrix space [+5], Mana capacity [+46], Mana generation [+4]
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Survival] is now [T1] [L76]. (+4) [Mixed Enchanting Arts] is now [T2] [L31]. (+2) [Explosives] is now [T1] [L97]. (+16) [Close combat (Mima)] is now [T1] [L49]. (+26) [Will manipulation] is now [T2] [L84]. (+12) [Soul] is now [T1] [L66]. (+7)
Jesus¡­ No wonder Mima never leveled up during the sparring with Aisha. The System is serious about practical application, it seems. Hmm¡­ Going by the level-ups, the remote activation of the explosives was a major milestone. If only it wasn¡¯t that bad for my Will¡­ He analyzed the results some more, seeing as his two caretakers fell comatose from overfeeding after finishing the first box. Even if the System didn¡¯t communicate it directly, there was a lot to unpack. Firstly, the levels in Survival. It seemed the Skill contained knowledge that could help him with his Soul defenses. He couldn¡¯t see any other reason behind its leveling-up than the assault on his Soul. This changed the priority of reading his Skills. Second, Will manipulation and Soul. It seemed that after gaining the Willforce Morphon, the two were interconnected on a more basic level. Only after seeing the notification, he started to seriously consider what his full-body upgrade meant for him. The so-called Willforce¡ªwhich were just semi-Magicules, semi-micro-Spells¡ªwas the cornerstone on which his upgrade worked. He should have learned more about them; try-and-test, like he did with Spells. Finally, the lack of any Mana-related level-ups. What he did back then, by activating the beads without a Mana tentacle connecting to them, was outside of the purview of Mana manipulation. It was his Will and Willforce Morphon working together, if he had to guess. The exact mechanism had to be studied. He could no longer stay ignorant of his own abilities. Not after another close call. That last fight almost ended in his death. No, that¡¯s incorrect¡­ I should have died back there¡­ he thought depressingly. I can believe some mistakes happened, but that guy¡­ he seared through my armor and skin without any problem. If he did the same on my head, on my eye socket, I don¡¯t think he would have problems with reaching my brain¡­ But, if he was truly trying to keep me alive, and taking into account the Soul attack, doesn¡¯t that mean that the infection he inflicted on me should be more insidious? What was his plan? He mulled over the problem for some time as they were getting closer to the Shrine. It seemed like the infection was supposed to play another role. Maybe it got out of hand because the Soul attack failed? ¡­ Well, there is one way to find out. He started humming a song¡ªMetallica was as good of a choice as any¡ªwhile looking out of the window. After making sure the people in the carriage, especially the ones that didn¡¯t know about Gru, started ignoring him, he tried to communicate with him. The vocal component, no matter how small, simplified the process. Things he was going to ask were too complicated for the simple non-verbal communication they had developed, though. ¡®Can I help somewhere? We need to talk.¡¯ A vibration, harmonically matching his humming, was the answer. ¡®Stop circles in lungs!¡¯ Zeph focused on his internal flow of Mana. He could see what Gru was talking about, but modifying this turbulent flow was another thing altogether. Shrugging, he started the Stabilize Spell, directing the Mana-L back into his body through his nostrils. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he left enough space for air to flow freely. Moving Mana-L through his body directly would cause other problems, anyway. After his lungs were sufficiently suffused with the Mana, he started to move it through the tissue to block the oscillating Mana currents around. Mana-L was a perfect conductor for his Mana, so he used that property to short-circuit the neighboring swirls to make them interfere with each other. It wasn¡¯t a pretty work, and he could feel that something was damaging the vicinity of his lungs, but the majority of the currents started dispersing. ¡®Will that be enough?¡¯ ¡®Gra! Speak possible.¡¯ He could feel as Gru relaxed slightly, while he was straining his mind to keep the process constant. ¡®What happened during the fight? I heard someone attacked my Soul?¡¯ ¡®Yes! Bugs! One big bug!¡¯ Gru started to send him a convoluted set of impressions and explanations. It seemed he destroyed the Soul of whatever entity the gray-robe injected into him. But from that point, things started to turn for the worse. A part of the infectious mix started mutating rapidly. The less important part¡ªpractically dead now¡ªwas consumed in the process. The problem was, the newly formed microbe was not only able to overwhelm Zeph¡¯s immune system ¨C it started to grow directly in Gru¡¯s body and inside the canals of his appendages. Only Source Net was clear of the thing for now, for unknown reasons. It was as much a struggle to keep Zeph alive as it was to stop the thing from gaining ground. Gru had found out, through trial and error, that Crystal-Magicules were deadly for the thing. Those Magicules were inherently available for him, alongside the cantrip after he gained a Class. But he wasn¡¯t producing enough from his Soul-contamination. As so, he was creating them constantly with a Spell, using the Veil-free space around Zeph¡¯s abdomen, and manipulated them back, into his own body and into the Source Net for safe-keeping. We fucked up on so many levels¡­ Zeph thought depressingly. I will have to teach Gru about bioengineering. That mistake could have killed us both. It would be, probably, much easier to deal with that thing if it stayed alive. Destroying its Soul was a mistake¡­ As he contemplated on the results, they arrived at the Shrine. Aisha and Kwan lifted him on a primitive stretcher, made by P¡¯pfel from spare clothes and wooden sticks, and took him to the lobby through the black-and-gold halls.
You seem unwell.
¡ªwas the greeting he received after touching the black hemisphere. ¡®Yes, thank you. Can we drop pleasantries and get right into the issue?¡¯ he sent, rolling his eyes.
[Body upgrades]?
¡®Indeed. May as well use the occasion. Can you modify Phleya to work with the new material AND be able to live in my body? Helping my immune system?¡¯
Calculating¡­.
Finished. Yes. We can arrange something like that. But it will cost a bit more¡­
Chapter 78 - The magic of fully-equipped [??s]. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.29] So that¡¯s it, Zeph thought, critically scanning the list. If it could even be called a list. Two entries definitely shouldn¡¯t be called that. Are you sure you can¡¯t give me a loan?¡±
Positive. It¡¯s against our most basic principles.
To think you would leave such an interesting case to struggle for itself¡­ I am quite peculiar, am I not?
That¡¯s not the point. Your life is not in jeopardy anymore. Not after you entered the [Shrine]. The rest is your choice. The [Purging] is still available for you.
Tch. Noting from the plane?!
Create a prototype first. But it won¡¯t grant you [Universal Points] either way. Not directly.
Gru had to help him with Phleya, buying the upgrade for them from his own pocket. Thankfully, Zeph had enough for the two major upgrades he wanted. It was a close call, though. You better prepare that Shrine Seed during the process, then. I don¡¯t want to hear any more complaints from you anymore! he sent, frowning angrily. This was the worst negotiation attempt he ever did. After mentioning that he wanted the Phleya inside his body to be the same as the one living in his amor, the System actually raised the prices. What a disaster¡­he sighed internally, glancing with displeasure at the abomination of the list.
Upgrade: Amended materials, knowledge, and physical interference: Final cost:
Type: Neural [Mechanical] implant. Specification: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Details: Carbon/Iron-based add-on. [Willforce Morphon] compatibility detected! Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: [PFF]: 9.95%. Materials: Delivered [100%]. Knowledge: Partial [6%]. Implementation method: Implanting procedure [Tier 5] by [System]. Supplemented by [Doctor] and [Bio-scientist] in the first stages. 1 719 561 UP.
Type: cardiovascular [Mechanical] micro-plating. Specification: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%). Details: [PFF] internal surface implant. Maximal resulting Body-related contamination: [PFF]: 4.21%. Materials: Delivered [100%]. Knowledge: Partial [47%]. Implementation method: Implanting procedure [Tier 3] by [System]. Supplemented mechanically by [Doctor] and [Mechalchemist] in the first stages. 283 200 UP
Advanced scan. Service. 0 UP.
Contingency plan. [Purge]. Varies.
[Phleya] mutagenic upgrades and additional services. 1) Adding Plasmid DNA responsible for [PFF]-compatible enzyme production. 2) Adding a chromosome responsible for producing [Garuan]-compatible cell wall and intermediary proteins. [Warning! 84% chance of rejection!] 3) Service: adaptive selection in mercury environments. [Warning! 57% chance of failure!] 4) Adding Mana-sensible viral mutagenic Plasmid. Goal: host immune system integration. 5) Service: forcing and overseeing the integration into the immune system. 2 666 875 UP
Cost summary: [Zeph Einar]: 2 002 761 / 2 002 830 Total: 4 669 636
The cost was a close call. His 2 million UP would quickly evaporate, leaving him with a measly 69 points. Funny numbers aside, those prices were possible only because he managed to convince the System to drop a few safety procedures. Irra and Pavail would be in charge of them, instead. They would also help with the initial stages of the surgery, simplifying the procedure by a small margin. Operating on the nervous system, and especially the brain, wasn¡¯t a simple matter. The System was able to do that safely, but the amount of resources necessary to assure that nothing goes wrong was staggering. Even something as simple as skull craniotomy and pre-arranging the materials around the brain lowered the price by a good 35 000 UP. It seemed like a shame for Zeph. No one was able to negotiate with the System normally, after all. But the Onji despised the thought of wasting their resources on empty arguments. It was not their function, nor their goal. Even if people would learn more and faster that way ¨C they wanted them to reach those proficiencies by themselves. Thankfully, both women jumped at the occasion as soon as he proposed this solution. They had to pay hundreds of thousands of UP to be allowed to observe the surgery¡ªthe System was as stingy as always¡ªbut they didn¡¯t care. The experience of assisting in an advanced surgery like that was their dream come true. In their own words, a life experience of this kind meant more than the most advanced General Skill, and those never showed System¡¯s experiences. Evidently, witnessing a surgery done by the System was just that unique. For Pavail, it was a chance to better understand how magical healing could be achieved; on what field she should concentrate. As for Irra, she was already a cyberpunk freak; almost fanatically fascinated by any and all kinds of implants. She basically begged him to include her, even before he finished explaining, promising she would become his most loyal servant for¡­ some time. Which successfully sealed her deal with Sepia Familia Guild. If not for their help, he would never be able to get two upgrades in one go. The cost of almost two million UP for the Planaria Ferrium Fullerene¡ªor PFF in short¡ªneural implant would leave him¡­ pointless. He had just above two million UP, all in all. Truthfully, he was tempted to take the bone-, eye-, and cardiovascular implants instead, but that would put his life in jeopardy. The maximal Soul contamination resulting from those three was close to 19% and none of them would support his body in processing the Fullerene-Magicules efficiently. He would be forced to gain enough UP to buy another implant shortly after, or take one of the cheaper mutagens. As of now, the maximal contamination from the implants sat just below 15%, and the neural implant would help his metabolism to process the resulting Magicules. That fact wasn¡¯t really included in the neural implant¡¯s description, but because the material was untested, the System wasn¡¯t sure of the factual effectiveness of that functionality. They weren¡¯t even sure what effects his other contaminations would have on the material or what was the true critical contamination threshold. They had their guesses, but with their OCD, they would rather leave the information blank than be wrong by one percent. It was certain, though, that an implant of this type would play a big role in managing the Magicules and staying below 15% was a very safe approach. Not to mention, the implant was compatible with Willforce Morphon. Besides, the bone implant was a mixed one ¨C made partially from Fullerene and partially from Obsidian. Fourth contamination wasn¡¯t something he looked for right now, especially because the maximal Obsidian contamination would be very close to the 10% milestone, so either a waste of resources or a waste of opportunity. Also, messing with his bones right now would impair his ability to produce Mana-L. The resulting Magicule mix would, for sure, behave differently. Gru was another godsent. He actually took upon himself the necessary Phleya modifications. The System allowed it only because Phleya would become as much Gru¡¯s symbiont, as Zeph¡¯s Soul-linked creature. Normally, it¡¯s impossible to pay for the upgrades of others. Besides that, Gru decided to buy three body upgrades for himself. As it turned out, he was a very rich alien lifeform. His UP account sported over ten million UP ¨C not that surprising in hindsight. Gru triggered the creation of a lot of new General Skills and added much to the Ancient Civilizations Skill. It took a lot of time to persuade him to not use everything at once and take his time to get accustomed to the few changes that would happen. It seemed Zeph would get a third eye, after all, but not a stationary one. And not necessarily only a singular one. Gru just wanted to be able to form the organ on his appendages; to be able to finally see the world. No matter how grotesque Zeph would end up looking¡ªa certain ninja with too many eyes on their arms came to mind¡ªhe didn¡¯t have the heart to dissuade his bond. Blindness, among other limitations of Gru¡¯s body, was too much for Zeph to care about himself. His fella deserved something better. The second upgrade would make Gru a better host for Phleya ¨C adding another organ he could form to keep them safe and move the colony through his appendages. It would also bring a minor improvement to his compatibility with the Fullerene. The third upgrade was a strange one. The previous two were categorized as biological symbiotic semi-organelle implants and the third should be categorized as a mechanical implant, but¡­ According to System, it was more like a biological mutagenic framework in the case of Gru. It should help him improve his overall intelligence. But there was one big problem. They were sitting in the operation chamber on the 36th floor of the Shrine. All six of them. Zeph was lying in the center, on a black stone table. His left hand was gripping a black hemisphere sticking out of it. Multiple mechanical arms, made from the same material as walls, were affixed to the ceiling above him. Most were folded, fitting perfectly inside their alcoves. Two of them, though, were reaching downwards. The long, hexagonal tips were glowing slightly in a kaleidoscope of colors ¨C a telltale of how much Mana was coursing through the over-complicated enchantments inside. They were made from a strange mix of metals, adding to the chaotic and confusing lightshow. The arms were moving slowly around Zeph, scanning him constantly and tracing any changes inside his body. The rest of the group was sitting to his right on simple but comfortable chairs. The room was otherwise empty. The lighting was quite poor, forming dark shadows in the corners of the black walls, but reflecting wildly from the golden adornments. Zeph was frowning. The realization of what had to be done didn¡¯t sit well with his paranoid mind. Especially because of Irra. But before he could even start to plan how he should be wording his request, Aisha took the reins. ¡°Onji¡­ You know what we need right now, right?¡±
Isn¡¯t that your problem?
¡°With all due respect, we just made a deal.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you fill in the blanks? Or would you prefer I contact Leilucia?¡±
¡­ And that¡¯s exactly why this business is unworthwhile.
Pavail, Irra, and Makani were looking at the exchange with wide eyes, not daring to speak. It wasn¡¯t a fear of the Onji, as much as it was going into absolutely new territory. To negotiate with a God wasn¡¯t a simple matter. Not one of them expected that to happen in the Shrine. Kwan didn¡¯t have the same reservations, but seemed a little confused. ¡°My Greyness, you agreed to give him the other commissions, right?¡± Aisha said in a neutral tone. ¡°That means he is worth something to you still. We are representing our Guild. Would you refuse us the right to protect the internal stability when the situation is already this convoluted?¡± She raised her eyebrow, leaving a few things unsaid. ¡°Besides, I am sure you two talked about the Exchange. Wouldn¡¯t that be merely an extension of the surveillance that has to happen anyway, assuming you came to an agreement?¡± There was a moment of silence, until Zeph decided to add his own argument. ¡°Do you remember our bargain involving the reward I should be given after the ¡®Advanced scan¡¯? I thought you would be more open after I sacrificed it. I am also sure it¡¯s in your best interest. We are talking about him after all.¡±
You two aren¡¯t wrong. But to keep things optimal we would have to extend the contract to all, present and future, [Heads] of the [Guild]. As well as to everyone in [Zeph]¡¯s department. The requirements are not met. This will result in limiting your [Exchange] access time, [Zeph].
The last notification was visible only to Zeph and Aisha, as evident by the blank and confused stares of the rest of the group. ¡°I will deal with others,¡± Aisha declared. ¡°Onji, just concentrate on people who will have direct experience. That, I am afraid, cannot be shared in any form. Not after the latest happenings related to the schism in the Temple of Souls¡­¡±
Yes, we know what you mean. Calculating¡­ ¡­Finished. [Aisha Zora Toritaro Leilucia], you are now under indirect [Contract] with us as stipulated in [Paragraph 98] of [Article 3] in your current [Unnamed Priestesshood Contract]. You are to be kept responsible for future failures. You are to not be rewarded for your work on this case. You are to seek assistance only under [Leilucia] guidance in this case. Is that acceptable?
¡°It is!¡± she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. ¡°Kwan, Makani, let¡¯s talk somewhere else. There are some documents to sign, and some explaining to do. For me, that is,¡± she said, looking at them while standing up. Makani groaned. ¡°Why am I even included?¡± he asked, shuffling his feet as he slowly moved to the exit. ¡°Because your previous Contract is finished, dummy!¡± Aisha said happily, skipping ahead. Kwan raised elegantly from her seat before squinting at the last notification. The System made communication convenient for the group by displaying notifications for each of them as if they were in the same physical area. ¡°Am I to be held responsible for my own insights?¡± she asked coolly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
No. Fight it out with the [Warrior Priestess] if you need to. We don¡¯t care anymore. In our expertise, those arrangements are an exercise in futility either way.
Her facial expression softened somewhat. Zeph could understand her a little. For a race that had problems with telling lies, seeing that so many secrets were kept all around them would be aggravating no matter the context. Adding the stress related to the Duels and the current situation of the Guild, it was no wonder she felt left behind. Fighting with ghosts they conjured themselves was not helping in the slightest. She bowed slightly and, without a word, left the room; the heavy triangular doors slid shut silently behind her.
[Pavail Hwaran Kumiaitalo Sepia Familia], [Irra Turiel Kumiaitalo Sepia Familia], these are the [Contracts] that are necessary for us to proceed. You cannot negotiate the conditions. Any disagreement will end with breaking our previous agreement. Do you comply?
Harsh¡­ Zeph thought, looking at the pair. They were both looking down at the floor, surely reading the lengthy documents sent by the System. Indeed. If those two were to operate on him, they would notice the alien organism right away. Gru could hide from Soul- or even Mana perception. In the latter case, only to some degree, but it was the only reason Pavail wasn¡¯t able to notice that he was a separate organism yet. But seeing Gru¡¯s physical body would be an entirely different experience, and his roots were now spread all around Zeph¡¯s flesh. It was a problem they couldn¡¯t dodge if the two were to help with the surgery. And it was a secret that, sooner or later, had to be released to his closest companions. But the ¡®Ancient Civilizations¡¯ Skill, and the creations of theirs, weren¡¯t something that could pass unnoticed by powerful people. Those were the knowledge beyond the System. Arguably, it was at the same level as the existence of the Terrien ¨C the people from Earth. But the problem was, Gru could be perceived as a threat much easier. It was, after all, an alien lifeform ¨C not only in name, but also in shape, mind, and Soul. The religious and political maneuvers aside, they were right before the most important event for their group ¨C the Duel Tournament. Gru¡¯s existence had to stay under wraps no matter what. Later, that could change. Maybe. But definitely not now. Well¡­ I hope you are ready to make your debut, Gru? he silently sent to his companion. Gah! it sent back, sending an impression of retching. Zeph smiled at that, forcing the chuckle down while hiding his mouth with the back of his hand. They will see you naked, you know? After they strip the flesh out of me, you will be visible in all your tentacle glory. You better prepare yourself mentally! he joked. Grah? it rolled its imaginary eyes. Naked wasn¡¯t a part of the language of his people, so he didn¡¯t care. ~~~ ¡°His brain isn¡¯t exactly made from biological matter. It is a strange conglomeration of Manasolid, crystals, and metals,¡± Pavail said with deadly seriousness. ¡°That¡¯s the reason his upgrade isn¡¯t registered as a Mechanical Implant.¡± Zeph suspected all those things, but it was nice to have a confirmation. ¡°Please don¡¯t put anything strange inside of him. No feeding! Also, don¡¯t touch the Manasolid inside!¡± he said while admiring the artful simplicity of the mechanical arms moving above. She giggled. GIGGLED! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just the feedback from my Skills. Gru is¡­ well, closed?¡± He was being gutted right now. A truly enamoring prospect. And his personal butcher was giggling¡­ Certainly, she is a perfect surgeon, he thought absentmindedly. He would look down on his open abdomen and her face, if not for the fact that only his facial nerves were connected to his brain as of now. The heaving sounds coming from the corner of the room were more of a reaction he expected. Well, maybe not in this intensity. ¡°You good, Irra?¡± he asked a little louder. ¡°Just¡­ ugh¡­ give me a sec¡­¡± she said between heavy breaths.
No. [Pavail], you will cut off the branching nerves. Just lay the bar nearby. Under the liver, preferably.
¡°Sure!¡± she exclaimed cheerfully. The maniac. A squelching sound of moved organs was quickly followed by another series of dry heaving. Zeph rolled his eyes. What a wonderful evening! Haaah¡­ At least we don¡¯t have to care about blood loss and microbes, he thought, sighing in impatience. But still¡­ ¡°Can you explain why am I still conscious when Gru has the best of dreams all for himself? I am quite sure that I have read the order of upgrades correctly.¡±
Because you have to keep your [Interference Veil] away and asked for minimal anesthetics? Also, we cannot risk an instinctual reaction of the [Garuan]. Being outside of a host¡¯s body isn¡¯t a natural state for a [Parasite].
¡°It¡¯s ¡®Symbiotic Parasite¡¯! You even created the category yourself!¡±
Same difference. [Phleya] induction requires you to have the [Neural Implant] already implanted, for the sake of compatibility. Don¡¯t worry, it shouldn¡¯t take long.
¡°I feel like ten hours already passed, though¡­¡± ¡°It was twelve, actually,¡± Pavail said absentmindedly, unaware that Zeph was thinking in Earth¡¯s hours, which meant he guessed correctly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It actually goes much quicker than I expected!¡± Zeph groaned slightly. ¡°You are not helping¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± came a sudden, forcefully pumped-up declaration. ¡°Okeeey¡­ I can do this! I can do this! I can¡­¡± Her footsteps were faltering with each retention of the incantation. She, evidently, wasn¡¯t ready. But, miraculously, Irra managed to reach the table. Zeph nodded in approval, admiring her persistence, and hoping with all his might she would be able to keep the contents of her stomach inside while standing right above his oh-so-open body. ¡°W-what are w-w-we doing noew?¡± Irra asked with a squeal at the end. ¡°You should invent a surgical mask. Definitely, you should.¡±
¡­We will think about that¡­
=============================
Assimilating provided resources¡­ Analyzing contents¡­ Calculating¡­ Scanning body¡­ Calculating¡­ Contacting internal database¡­
No conflict detected! All clear!
Scanning¡­ Proceeding. [Neural implant] [Stage 2] [Distribution] completed¡­ [Neural implant] [Stage 3] [Shaping] completed¡­ [Neural implant] [Stage 4] [Connecting] completed¡­ [Neural implant] [Stage 5] testing¡­. [Body]¡­ stable. [Soul]¡­ stable. [Will]¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [Ignored]. [Willforce]¡­ stable. [Neural implant] [Stage 5] [Overloading] completed¡­ [Neural implant] [Stage 6] [Applying changes] completed¡­ Implementation successful.
[Cardiovascular micro-plating] [Stage 1] [Material induction] completed¡­ [Cardiovascular micro-plating] [Stage 2] [Stratifying] completed¡­ [Cardiovascular micro-plating] [Stage 3] [Segregating] testing¡­ [Body]¡­ stable. [Soul]¡­ stable. [Will]¡­ [Willforce]¡­ stable. [Cardiovascular micro-plating] [Stage 3] [Segregating] completed ¡­ Implementation successful.
Well¡­ surprisingly, without a conflict¡­
Agreed.
[Partial Body Stasis] engaged. Introducing [Plasmid DNA-KVW-PFF-I0343] to [Phleya]¡­ Testing [Material compatibility] ¡­ No response!
Compatibility estimation at 87%. [Phleya] internal stability compromised. Awaiting [Garuan] [Upgrade #2].
Recalculating¡­ Amending¡­
Hi [??s]!
What do you want, [Yuki]? [Full Body Stasis] engaged. Introducing [Organelle BULB-4624IE] zygote to [Garuan]. Stimulating [Growth]¡­ Awaiting reaction¡­
You are working on [him], aren¡¯t you? I found something interesting that can help~
¡­ how much?
[Transcription] of all [Earth] stories from the fantasy genre?
Unacceptable.
Confirming successful [Transplantation].
[Partial Body Stasis] engaged. Testing [Phleya] [Material compatibility]¡­
¡­ 1 000 000 pages of [Transcribed] fantasy genre workings, 100 000 pages of completed art fiction, 10 000 hours of projected visual arts?
¡­what is the priority?
Mildly annoying in the scope of half a century. Problematic in the scope of a millennium.
Agreed. Sending data¡­ [Material compatibility] confirmed! Introducing [Synthetic chromosome GARUAN-046] to [Phleya]¡­ Stimulating infusion¡­ Awaiting reaction¡­
Thanks [??s]! I consolidated the latest [Data]. According to the parts of [DNA Sequence] [he] had written down lately, and the stories present, all [Earthlings] possess a pre-programmed mutational sequence causing uncontrolled cell growth. Sending data¡­
¡­ ¡­ ¡­why?
Good question. According to the [Sources], it may be an inbuild safety measure against forced mutagenesis, or a remnant from the times when it helped the species mutate during their lifetime. Those are the two most promising theories as of [now]. What is really strange, is that the [Earthlings] have that function fully active, despite its uselessness in [modern] times. At least according to the [Simulation] and [Data]. You have it all already.
¡­ Thank you. We will send another 20 000 hours of [movies] to you.
Yey! Thanks! See you, [??s]!
¡­ Recalculating¡­ Instituting a [Recalibration] for [Terrien] [Soul memories]¡­ done. Rescanning commerced. Recalculating functionality of [Phleya] [Mana-sensible viral mutagenic Plasmid: XaV-743]¡­ Found lacking. Searching for solution¡­ found. Triple match found! Goal: limiting mutagenesis for the whole body, including [Pathogens]; increasing mutagenesis opportunities for a chosen set of [cells]¡­. Calculating¡­ [Mana-sensible myco-bacterial mutagenic sub-symbiont: MAR-V6] chosen. Procee¡­Checking compatibility¡­
Compatibility confirmed!
Proceeding¡­
Chapter 79 - An invisible war. Dramatized... probably. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.32] [2 hours before New Year Celebration period] ¡Ô¡Ô¡Ô:?????**????? ?????**?????:¡Ô¡Ô¡Ô Zeff was dying. Probably¡­ Unbeknownst to all, an incomprehensible, savage war was happening in the vast depths of Zeff¡¯s body. Even the System could only scry for merely a general picture using its tools, unable to perceive the full extent of the deadly struggle. The intruders were kept under control when they first arrived¡ªthe war effort not even worth mentioning¡ªbut everything changed with the sudden demise of the masters. Their horrific underlings, slaves in all but name, were freed from shackles, and¡­ that¡¯s when a massacre ensued. In a wild frenzy, they started devouring everything around. In a matter of seconds, the remnants of the masters perished, used as fuel for their uncontrollable growth¡­ For that¡¯s how end those who commune with true horrors; thinking themselves in control. Enemy lines have broken, but the situation worsened nonetheless. Our warriors trying to stand to the occasion were devoured in a similar fashion after a short struggle, and very quickly it became clear just how terrifying the enemy truly was. For the insatiable hunger haunting the horrors had a purpose. It allowed them to adapt. To grow in power while eating their opponents, the very landscape around them, and even their fellow brethren. In a macabre this world had never witnessed before, flesh and bone were being stripped, fueling a growth that had no right to occur in a living being. They grew, and then morphed, stealing the abilities and strengths from everything around. Giant chimeras, synthetic monstrosities, stealthy doppelgangers, specs of shadows slithering through seemingly solid surfaces, undying husks imitating life¡­ There was no sense or reason in their forms, yet nothing could stand before the horde. Worse yet. They were devouring the very Mana coursing through the cavities of the land around, trying to adapt to the contamination-inflicted Magicules satiating the environment without even a thought of their own well-being. The Aurenus knights, seeing the growing horde and the unavoidable doom, abandoned all restraints. It was not the time to care for helping the warriors and civilians; it was not the time to think about the economy or the death toll. It was time for a bloody crusade! The flow of the world¡¯s Mana changed right then, no longer invigorating the lands and saturating the air. And as it happened¡ª The call for the purge reverberated through the world and every single living being. No matter their station, goals, or strength ¨C in a blind bloodlust, all have tried to heed the call. Was it not for the miraculous intervention from pacifying behemoth living there, the world would have drowned in blood and viscera, purging the lands until nothing was left. But those who decided to fight were put to good use instead of fading away. As were the envoys and the released resources. Because the knights would need every last bit of help they could get. They were also adapting to the enemy, finding countermeasures to every new attack, fortifying their bodies, morphing their weaponry, reforming their defenses again and again while looking for new advances and studying the alien forms they struggled to conquer¡­ But to achieve that, they needed energy. They needed food. As so, nothing could be wasted! But the enemy was more insidious than expected. The warriors¡ªthose whom the knights abandoned for the sole objective of stopping the horde¡ªbecame slaves of the horrors, corrupted by their manawielders and puppetmasters. More and more of them started going frenzy, destroying everything on their path, flanking the battlegrounds, destroying the vestiges of economy. And before it could be contained or countered, the knights themselves started to fall victim to the plague, harming those around them in their stupor and fever. Mana was already absent for the most part, leaving the desolate lands to fend for themselves, fed only by the chains of Soul reaching from the unknown. But it wasn¡¯t enough. In response, the flow of the energy of the world changed abruptly. Just as the spiritual links started to crumble and fade, waves started to cascade through them. The very reality around started to fluctuate in rhythm; the ethereal waves washing over the matter as if it wasn¡¯t existing in the first place ¨C ignoring any and all obstacle in their wake. The impossible became probable. The starving became energized, mortal wounds miraculously clogged, the dying recovering for what was physically possible. The horrors shook and bled, weakened! And yet, as time passed, the knights invested more and more into the war effort; consuming the very economy that kept them alive, as the terrors redoubled their efforts at corrupting the very foundations of the world, to tip the balance once and for all. The behemoth decided then, to clad the knights in liquid armor, to force them to stay alive no matter the nourishment, no matter what abominations they would become in the future¡­ he forced them to embrace his gifts, to be fed by it, to raise in force once again! The knights shed their civilized fa?ade¡­ They morphed into forms straining the borders of probability and their own adaptability¡­ And thus, to fight the unending wave of nightmarish abominations, they themselves became abhorrent monstrosities. And thus, they fought. Morphing and adapting their bodies to outpace the other; rending the world asunder in their wake; in every corner, every crevice of the fleshy depths the carnage took place. In the ever-regenerating landscape of flesh and blood, where ruthless genocide has befallen any life standing in their way. On the desolated bone fields, marring the surfaces with cracks, fissures, and unnatural formations all the while both sides were sucking the very essence of life from within. Alongside the furiously thundering streams of power, disrupting them even as thousands died in the aftermath, slowly grinding the borders thinner until no stream was left at all. Even in the metallic tombs of an enormous monstrosity calling this place its home; pushing, burrowing, tunneling despite the deadly winds visiting those halls. Time passed, and the conflict that was spamming the whole world transformed into the likes of a morbid graveyard, soaked in the remnants of mutated monstrosities, as the two armies of similarly calamitous and anomalous abominations fought for dominance. And when it looked like all hope was lost; when the knights started to diminish ever so slowly; when the realm started to fail, losing in the arms race at every front¡­ the world shook. There was a blur and light. There was a mist that consumed everything in an explosion of shadows, and the eternal blackness clogged the world¡­ ~~~ The leviathan opened his ¡®eyes¡¯ once again. The world has changed. Monumental, rock-like constructs came into existence all over the place, rimming the roots streaming with lightning, covering the walls of red, tunneling rivers. Stolen novel; please report. But before the leviathan could comprehend what had happened, a third party descended onto the battlefield. It was a wave of mass. A calamity in its own right. A volume of such proportions, no space was left untouched by it. With shells made from the same material as the monumental structures, amorphous giants declared the world their new home, suffusing any and all opposition with their mass alone. With the hunger of unprecedented proportions, the horrors rushed at the newcomer. To feed. To assimilate. To grow. To corrupt. It wasn¡¯t the smartest decision. Even the largest of chimeras were dwarfed by the newcomers while their membranes, strengthened by stands and patches of the strange material, blocked the smaller ones from entering their bodies frivolously. And those who managed quickly found themselves in a perilous situation. They found themselves unable to morph anymore¡­ unable to consume and change. And then, they were consumed instead; slowly dissolving in the giant organism they had tried to corrupt. The first of the atrocious knights made contact with the gigantic, ameboid entity, and it stopped in its track. Then, the wave behind it stilled as well, all at once. Shortly after, none in the whole world was moving. The knight dissolved. An unspoken signal was sent. The colony took a breath, stripping the landscape from every ounce of Mana. There was a moment of stillness. Even horrors paused, as if transfixed by this, almost world-ending, event. They breathed out¡­ And all hell broke loose. Myriad endospores and strange Magicules were ejected all at once, suffusing the whole world in yellow-white mist. Chemicals, taking almost one-fourth of the colony mass, were released at the same time. The horrors panicked and gone frenzy. The ex-knights panicked and started attacking the colony. For, as incredulous as it sounded, every living being could feel the restriction placed upon them. In the center of their being, in the source of all of creation and change, something was broken. Inhibited with power so vast, they weren¡¯t able to muse even an ounce of the proper functionality of their cores. A change was now denied to all. And the change was in the nature of most of them. Thankfully, the colony heard the plight of the suffering masses and started dispersing to personally manage the issue. The horrors were trying to corrupt them, attacking relentlessly, but every time they managed to successfully infiltrate one of the colony, their neighbors ruthlessly shredded the infected apart. Also, it became apparent that the horrors were also struggling to morph and change. Sadly, the suppression¡ªas powerful as it was¡ªwasn¡¯t enough to deny the horrors their ability to adapt. Thankfully, the colony started releasing a few chosen knights from their influence. It took only a few hours for a true purge to ensue. Unable to counter the rapidly multiplying forces of Aurenus¡¯s knights¡ªnow free to apply any appropriate changes to themselves as needed¡ªthe horrors started to give way. They were slowly ground down by the joint effort of all fight-capable factions as the depths started to recover ever so slowly, consuming the remnants of nourishments still available in the corners of the world¡­ ?????????????????????????? Or, at least, that¡¯s what Gru was imagining when observing the ¡®suppression wars¡¯. The name was very fitting, in his opinion. The fragments of Soul memories Gru glimpsed from his friend were essential in forming those images. Gru was blind, after all. From birth, nonetheless. It was quite a struggle to learn what a picture meant¡ªthe colors were an especially difficult concept¡ªbut after Gru mastered the strange information, there was no end to the scenes his mind started pouring out. Gru purred in content. Those here were fun images. One of the most complex he ever saw, too. Grrrrowing! he thought happily, adjusting his hands to better accommodate brother Phleya. They were flowing through his body right now, fueling away from his stomach. Someone had to put them there when he was asleep. Home needed! he declared, trying out the new function of his body. The sacks started to slowly bloom in five different places. The process was very instinctual, to Gru¡¯s delight. Gru made sure to put them in safe places that wouldn¡¯t cause problems for Zeff and forced a part of the colony back. They should return soon, Gru knew, because surviving for long in Zeff¡¯s body wasn¡¯t possible, but it was better to be sure. Gru could already ¡®see¡¯ that parts of the colony started to wither. See¡­ yes, eyes! Gru thought giddily. Similar to the sacs, he could feel the eyes ready to sprout, but Gru decided to postpone their growth. Zeff was still sleeping. It would be bad to break his skin without asking. Gru didn¡¯t understand why, but could imagine ¨C he would be similarly angry if Zeff tried to modify the perfect shape of his Soul. That reminded him of the Mana capacity problem. It was quite disappointing to look at the Exchange. There was nothing that could help him¡­ Zeff tried to explain¡ªand Gru mostly understood¡ªthat they needed to develop a prototype first. Gru thought it was bullshit, though. There was no way Sys didn¡¯t know about possible solutions. They just played with them, as always, forcing them to find new ways¡­ Zeffff ignores¡­. Accustomed, maybe? Gru rolled his non-existing eyes. But Gru wasn¡¯t going to relent. Sys had too much knowledge to just accept their machinations without question. Repeat the same question a thousand times, and the answer will come ¨C that was Gru¡¯s philosophy. His irritation at Zeff was rising, too. Giving Sys too much field was one thing, but Zeff stopped listening to Gru. Intellectually, Gru understood that Zeff was busy, but emotionally¡­ He had to concur. Emotions were an abstract and complicated idea. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was starting to understand them. Well, the humans¡¯ realization of emotions at the very least. Gru was sure that he could feel emotions inaccessible to humanity, too. But, as always, there was no way to confirm that with his friend. Gru wasn¡¯t a human, so it was only natural. Still, it was irritating. Also, the emotions were very chaotic. On one hand, Gru felt prideful for using his first Spell to defend Zeff. Zeff¡¯s usage of the ¡®Mana beam¡¯ made Gru realize something. Matrix Spells could be forced to form directly in Veil, at least to some degree, instead of being constructed from internal Mana. Gru still felt restrained, but the successful Spell gave him hope. On the other hand, and simultaneously, Gru was angry with himself. The sneaky human managed to strike at them before Gru noticed his Soul. True, the man knew how to make his Soul tiny¡ªwhich was the whole trick in hiding away that Gru was using constantly¡ªbut Gru should have known better. Gru should be able to detect the threat earlier. Those and other emotions flowed through him. Their intensity was rising with time, to his delight and fright. It was becoming difficult to think clearly, but Gru knew that it was a symptom of his growth. Gru had second thoughts about becoming an adult¡­ But there was not much he could do. Successsss! he exclaimed happily, observing the situation in Zeph¡¯s body. Brother Phleya started to return to his sacs after pacifying the intruders. They adapted nicely to the changes Gru bought for them. Gru felt proud. Zeff was good but still unconscious. If it continued, they would miss the party that was to happen. So Gru started to prod Zeff, physically and ethereally, to wake up¡­ ¡Ô¡Ô¡Ô:?????**????**?????:¡Ô¡Ô¡Ô Another poke made Zeph vision jump suddenly as he facepalmed into a tree. It didn¡¯t hurt, though¡­ He was quickly becoming aware that what he was seeing was merely a dream, and that someone was calling him. The transition was strangely difficult, as if his mind was opposing him. Gru, you can stop¡­ he sent to his bond while trying to sit up groggily. It took him another minute to return to his senses fully. The first thing he saw was the notification from the System.
Life hazard resolved. [Implants] successfully applied. [Phleya] received an alternative upgrade.
available in [Upgrade summary]. [Advanced scan] finished successfully.
available in [Diagnostics]. New information derived from [Advanced scan]! Congratulations! Rewards and re-evaluation of Skills¡­
Zeph stopped reading. He had a more pressing matter to attend to before analyzing the changes and rewards. He slowly stood up from the stone table, the notification obediently disappearing from his view. The chamber was empty, so he slowly shuffled for the doors. Before he made it through, the triangular door slid open. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t walk yet!¡± Pavail exclaimed, jogging to his side to give him a hand. Irra slowly stepped inside following her. ¡°You should be unconscious for a few more hours still!¡± ¡°Gru woke me up. More importantly, what day and time is it?¡± Pavail squinted her eyes. ¡°You are not thinking of going back already, are you?¡± There was a hint of a threat in her voice ¡°I am supporting that idea,¡± interjected Irra. ¡°I have enough of those black walls.¡± As Pavail opened her mouth to argue, Zeph irritably asked again. ¡°What time is it?¡± Pavail looked at him suspiciously but decided to answer this time. ¡°We have two hours to the end of the year. You should take your time¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± Zeph interrupted her. ¡°We need to go back as soon as possible.¡± The nightmare was still fresh in his mind. If he was to believe in this whole auguring business, he couldn¡¯t ignore a dream so vivid and a situation this serious. ¡°In a few hours, we may not have an opportunity to do so¡­¡± The girls looked at him strangely but seemed to accept his explanation. Pavail sighed in irritation. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Ghrughah¡¯s carriage, then. But you are forbidden from overtaxing yourself! Walking, slowly, is the only activity you are allowed!¡± ¡°Sure thing, boss.¡± Zeph smiled. Chapter 80 - Some would say that this part was unneccessary. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.32] [1 hour before New Year Celebration period] ¡°Finished. Can you now explain what did you mean exactly?¡± Pavail asked, finally shutting the metal panel hidden in the carriage¡¯s wall. She was fiddling with it for the past half an hour as they were riding to the headquarters. ¡°This is the highest level of security available to us,¡± she declared, sitting at the table next to Irra. They were facing Zeph, looking at him impatiently. He had insisted that they should activate all of their protection measures before he told them what it was all about, to their growing irritation. Another carriage, full of Kwan¡¯s troops, was trailing right behind them through the snow-covered city. But the three of them were alone in the Ghrughah¡¯s carriage. It was almost midnight, or Corora¡¯s 30th hour of the day, so their pace was fast, as most of the people were either sleeping or finishing their preparations for the new year celebration. Zeph once again checked his own Spells, and only then he started to speak. In his mind, the secrecy was more important than the danger he happened to detect. ¡°Aisha told me that I managed to form an auguring ability. Not like she told me if it can be tested¡­¡± The girls nodded, expecting something like that from how he acted in the Shrine. ¡°Something big happened in the east, I think. I wasn¡¯t able to see anything directly, it¡¯s just my conjecture¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s impossible to interpret happenings that far away without a Soul-related point of reference or an appropriate medium, so nothing strange here,¡± Irra shrugged. ¡°And the last time I checked, you didn¡¯t have any training in Soul Arts¡­¡± Pavail added, revealing that she or, more probably, Kwan indeed did some background checks on him. He sighed, ignoring it for now. He even felt grateful for Pavail¡¯s bluntness. ¡°Anyway, what I clearly saw was¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t THAT clear, but whatever. Aerial beasts, or something like that, will attack from the east in a few hours and spread through the city. All traffic will be paralyzed, that¡¯s why I was in a hurry.¡± He paused to take a breath and think about how to explain the nightmare better, but Irra spoke before he could continue. ¡°Wait, what with the city defenses? It¡¯s not that easy to bypass them, even by the air. If you don¡¯t fly near, or through, the second stratum¡­ No, wait. Those weren¡¯t the higher stratum beasts that you saw?¡± she asked in a slight panic. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ But the danger I felt in the dream wasn¡¯t coming from directly above, so I don¡¯t think so?¡± That was enough to make her relax slightly. ¡°As to the city defenses¡­ They would use strange Magicules that will permeate the city when the celebrations start, and somehow interfere with the guards¡¯¡­ senses? Sanity?¡± He really wasn¡¯t sure how to describe those sensations but Pavail perked up, her eyes widening. ¡°Uh¡­ can you describe those Magicules somehow? It... It can be really bad¡­¡± Zeph started stroking his beard, going deep in thought. Looking with empty eyes at the floor, he tried to use his Memory to recall the slowly-fading sensations from the dream. Irra and Pavail were waiting for him in silence, seeing as he entered a meditative-like state. Interpreting the nightmare was more difficult than Zeph expected, though. At some point, he started to communicate with Gru, hoping that the two minds would be able to produce better results. After a minute or two of quiet humming that the two of them made, Zeph nodded slightly to himself. ¡°Well¡­ From what we can tell¡­ It¡¯s somehow related to life energy, but definitely doesn¡¯t have its properties as a Magicule. It should¡­ resonate easily with brain activity? Or something like that. Also, there is a slight crystal feel to it, too? But very uncertain¡­ All in all, if I had to name it, it would be something like ¡®psychoactive reflection and redirection¡¯? No¡­ more like ¡®thought molded crystal¡¯?¡± He more asked than said, looking up at the girls. But the look on their faces made him pause. Pavail looked scared while Irra was flabbergasted. ¡°That Magicule group¡­ it¡¯s called Mental Medium,¡± Pavail explained, her voice trembling a bit. ¡°They are produced during new year rites¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡± Irra shouted, standing up. ¡°No brainless, antagonistic animal can stand that kind of environment! It¡¯s one of the basic preca¡ª¡° ¡°Not if all of them are Soul-bond to a sapient¡­ or worse, are a hive,¡± Pavail interjected in a low voice, ending Irra¡¯s tirade. The latter looked like a fish out of the water ¨C her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Meanwhile, a cold sweat covered Zeph¡¯s forehead. He, once again, spoke too much. It was evident that he had no idea about the rites or those Magicules. He could only hope that his cover story would stand this trial as well. It wasn¡¯t even the question of if the Fullangrarians should know about those customs, but the problem of accumulation of strange facts would bring his secret down sooner or later. The girls saw his not-so-human body from inside, already knew a little about his upgrades and a whole lot about Gru¡­ He really didn¡¯t want them to start asking uncomfortable questions. Irra especially¡­ He would say that it was a mistake to allow her into the operation chamber if not for the upgrades he was able to choose because of it. He didn¡¯t really trust her yet, though. Thankfully, she was too concerned with the coming attack to think straight. ¡°But¡­ but you can¡¯t just use Mental Medium¡­¡± she was mumbling to herself, shaking her head wildly and trying to process what she just heard. On the other hand, Zeph rigorously avoided Pavail¡¯s slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°But if it¡¯s a horde event, as it seems to be¡­¡± she said instead of asking anything, allowing Zeph to breathe out a small sigh of relief. ¡°The Guild should have some information already. And seeing the scale of events¡­¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°I am sure every diviner, augur, or whoever else is in the city, is going to report the same thing to their leader in quick succession. That¡¯s where the second part of the problem comes from. What I saw wasn¡¯t just a beast attack ¨C some factions started fighting each other, targeting the information and resource centers of their rivals and utilizing the ensuing chaos. It further escalated the fighting that was already happening all over the city, as people started to lose the sense of who was an enemy. I don¡¯t have any details, but I am sure something more sinister, or something directly related to our Guild, will come up along all that.¡± They sat in silence for a good few minutes. His companions looked like they finally understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°We are in a perfect position to be spied on, thus my insistence on the precautions. The less our enemies know about our plans, the better. I didn¡¯t even disclose anything truly crucial from the point of view of the Guild. It¡¯s much more important for you two to be able to think on the problem and plan ahead than keep silent until we arrive. In case the Guild isn¡¯t informed yet, we need to act fast. As the Head of our department, I am now issuing you two an initial order to find all possible countermeasures to the attack, beast and human alike. We are now adopting the martial law protocol. Open discussion involving ANY information on the Guild or its members isn¡¯t allowed outside of command centers as of now. Are we clear?¡± He asked, looking pointedly at Irra. After making sure there was no opposition or questions, Zeph left them to their own devices and finally opened his notification to read through the changes. As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t just a simple summary, but a preamble to a true deluge of information. Before starting, he glanced at his Interface. He was slightly surprised that his Class leveled up, but he would know why in a moment. He put the two free points into Flexibility to have the full picture of the changes and started reading.
Life hazard resolved. [Implants] successfully applied. [Phleya] received an alternative upgrade.
available in [Upgrade summary]. [Advanced scan] finished successfully.
available in [Diagnostics]. New information derived from [Advanced scan]! Congratulations! Rewards and re-evaluation of [General Skills] will now commence! [Shrine Seed] successfully implanted. Please read the [Manual]!
Immediately after he finished reading, the second notification opened up.
[General Skills] latest changes and re-evaluation: [Tabu] is now [T1] [L100] and [Inactive] as per the [Agreement]. (+48) [Interface] is now [T1] [L50] and [Inactive] as per the [Agreement]. (+13)
Zeph grimaced seeing the first two entries. As always, the System didn¡¯t provide him a full explanation ahead of time. Probably because he didn¡¯t even ask¡­ But, from what he could understand, it just meant that the System engaged a full-fledged personal monitoring of the state of his Soul and would use half of their nominal capacity to monitor the activities concerning Soul experimentation and manipulation done by him. Zeph even spent a few minutes reading from the notification to make sure, and he was surprised. The amount of information, and its quality, was much better than ever before. It seemed that his investment started to pay dividends ¨C the reward for the strange communication method he had with Gru wasn¡¯t wasted at all if he was going to receive so much information from the System. It wasn¡¯t even a question if he could read deeper into the text¡ªwhich he could, to some extent¡ªthe System seemed more open with their explanations. Take, for example, the Tabu Skill ¨C he now had access to all basic functions it was responsible for. Or, at least, the visible ones. But there were downsides, too. The whole ¡®agreement¡¯ they have made was defined here as well. And it looked just like any Earth¡¯s software agreements ¨C an overly complicated text form for easy-to-understand general rules they agreed upon. He would, for sure, read it in detail later, but there was no time for that right now. At the very least, his Tabu wasn¡¯t going to change Tiers, and the Interface Skill wasn¡¯t going to level up anymore bare special circumstances. This, along with the System setting them in the ¡®inactive¡¯ state, should be enough to live with them without further complications¡­ At least until he won¡¯t lose his mind. I really need to check how the System defines that, Zeph thought with resignation. I should be safe as long as we have a direct communication line¡­ Where are lawyers when you need them the most?! Ah, yes¡­ They are busy earning money¡­ After settling down his random thoughts, he looked at the further entries in the second notification.
[Ancient Civilizations] [General Skill] is now [T3] [L13]. (+7) [Ancient Civilizations] [General Skill] updated! You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 750 000 [Universal Points]! [Corora lifeforms] is now [T1] [L23]. (+13) [Survival] is now [T1] [L96]. (+20) [Exotic Metallurgy] is now [T1] [L6]. (+4) [Willforce] is now [T2] [L49]. (+36) [Resonation Suppression] is now [T2] [ L5]. (+3) [Will] is now [T2] [ L70]. (+5) [Mana perception] is now [T2] [ L15]. (+10) [Life Energy] is now [T1] [L28]. (+8) Congratulations! New [General Skill] created! [T3] [L13] [Will powered Soul Memory access sharing] was added to your [General Skills]! [Willpower] [Perk] modified! [Trait] [Greater Willpower] updated! [####] [####] upgraded! You have earned 0 (redacted) [Universal Points]! New phenomenon registered! [Will cooperation] added to the database! [Will cooperation] assimilated into [Tier 2] [Will] [General Skill] database. You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 500 000 [Universal Points]!
Congratulations! Your [Seeded] [Class] [Force Generalist] leveled up!
Major upgrades: Force Generalist [+1] ==> Flexibility [+2], Intuition [+2*2], Greater Willpower [+1] ==> Matrix space [+4], Mana capacity [+25], Mana generation [+2]
Looking at the list, he could feel the coming headache. Maybe I should have gone for the Advanced scan as soon as we hit the city, waste of time be damned! he wondered, looking at the new and shiny 1,25 million UP. He expected something like that to happen, of course, but in one reward, not three. It was the main reason he relinquished the potential points during the negotiations with the System, using them as a bargaining chip to gain their support before the combined treatment took place. At the time, he thought he was smart with his time and resources, but it wasn¡¯t looking like a good idea from his present perspective. And what¡¯s with those Skills? I can understand why the Survival, Exotic Metallurgy, and Mana perception leveled up. Especially the last one, I now have an implant helping with my internal Mana perception. Heck, even for Ancient Civilizations it isn¡¯t that strange. But what the fuck with the rest?! Is that because of re-evaluation? What was it evaluating even? It was a mystery. The System didn¡¯t deign to disclose the details this time. Okay, think¡­ it all has to have to do with the ¡®Advanced scan¡¯ or the body upgrades¡­ ¡®Corora lifeforms¡¯ has to be connected to the Phleya¡¯s immunological upgrades and the infection. At least, I hope it is. We proved that Phleya can adapt to humans, to Garuan, and fight against local microorganisms¡­ Though, only the last one is a Corora native organism... How that translates to the new knowledge in the Skill, I have no idea¡­ He shook his head, reading the Skills would come later. Willforce increase has to be related to the scan directly¡­ To confirm, he opened the Diagnostics menu, and sure enough, the answer was there.
[Diagnostics]
Issue: Source: Info:
[Error] in <[Soul-bond] [Passive Enhancements] exchange> Will [Soul-bonded] creatures share their [Passive Enhancements], influencing both bodies equally. See
. The ratio can be modulated, but the effect on the [Passive Enhancements] always takes place. Not in your case! The [Will] characterized by the [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination] automatically blocks that natural phenomenon if both participants of the [Soul-bond] are in its possession! Mixed effects are possible depending on the nature of [Soul-bonded] individuals. No solution for the issue is readily available. If you wish for the phenomenon to take effect, please create a new [Technique] with your partner!
[Unknown] [Soul memory] sharing method. Will Two [Soul-bonded] organisms can access the [Soul memories] of each other if both possess the [Will] characterized by the [Will, type: H1] [Soul contamination]. The [Technique] drains [Will]. Two methods of application were observed: 1) : forcing a [Soul memory] imprint inside a [Pure] part of the [Bonded] [Soul]. 2) : allowing [Will] of [Soul-bonded] organism to take control over a part of the host¡¯s [Soul] temporarily. [Will cooperation] (NEW phenomenon!) is required for both! No risk of [Will clash] observed. [Soul-data corruption] estimated as [Very High] for the first method.
This time the notification was packed to the brim with information. That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! I¡¯ve paid for shit like that! Zeph celebrated in his mind. After reading the underlying definitions and additional notes, Zeph was able to understand what was wrong with the Bond between him and Gru. Firstly, they were unable to share their senses or Interface like a typically Bonded pair should. And their method of sharing Soul memories and emotions was something different entirely ¨C they should be able to share their senses in real-time, not just vague impressions. As it turned out, those were just the first of the symptoms of a blocked communication channel between their Souls. Normally, Soul-bonded individuals had their PE evenly spread. For example, if Zeph had 7 Power and Gru had 3 Power, they should both have 5 at all times. At least until they learned to manipulate the effect and change the balance. But no, they never experienced something like that. Not even before Gru stole my Will contamination¡­ Zeph reminisced. That¡¯s strange. Gru was quite far away from sapience back then. Are those the aforementioned ¡®mixed effects¡¯? Hmmm¡­ Huh. More importantly, what the hell is this?! he thought disbelievingly. Yes, there is no mistaking it¡­it¡¯s¡­ Inside, a note on reproduction mechanisms was included. On the higher strata Soul-bonding with a partner was the only way to keep the sperm cells alive inside a woman¡¯s womb. Such small elements of a body would lose the links to the Soul almost immediately after separating from the, relatively unchanging, main physical structure of a person ¨C to which the Soul was linked the strongest. Thus, the cells would be left to fare for themselves in the toxically high Mana densities of either the environment or the woman¡¯s body. Of course, the problem was more complicated and the effect wasn¡¯t that pronounced on stratum zero, but the next part was what made him pause in fascination. For a fetus to survive, as it was a living organism independent of the mother¡¯s body, it had to be firstly Soul-linked by the said mother. After the brain of the child started to operate in a capacity sufficient for the formation of Will, a Soul would start forming¡­ or something, the information here wasn¡¯t precise on that part. In any case, when that would happen, the mother would change Soul-link into a full-fledged Soul-bond. The whole process was, obviously, occurring naturally; without a conscious effort even. But that was exactly where the ¡®PE sharing¡¯ from Soul-bonding shined the most. The ¡®averaged¡¯ values of PE would not only ensure the child¡¯s immunity to Mana densities in the place where the family lived, but it would also strengthen the child enough to survive contact with local wildlife for as long as the Soul-bond stayed active. Even at level 0, on a higher stratum. The idea of superhumanly strong newborns was as bizarre as headache-inducing. This one description had so many consequences, that Zeph wasn¡¯t even sure where to start. From how close-knitted the families had to be, how much it changed the strength of individuals, to how the society on higher strata had to be organized, and the fact that stratum zero was probably the only place where children could be born outside of Soul-bonded relationships and survive without having a parent. It also answered a few crucial questions about how the Soul strengthened the body. A cut-off limb would keep the strengthening from the PE as long as it was in the Veil of the individual. In any other case, the Will would cause the Soul links connected to the appendage to fold back before they could break apart on their own, alongside the dying cells in the abandoned flesh. Zeph could, theoretically, force his Will to keep the connection for longer, though. What would happen if a brain was cut in half but both halves were still functional somehow? he mused, looking for extreme cases to test his understanding. If Will would pull in two different directions, doesn¡¯t that mean there is a risk of rupturing one¡¯s Soul? Hmmm¡­ At least it¡¯s clear now that any fluids my body produces aren¡¯t really linked to my Soul ¨C the matter changes too fast and is too unstructured for a link to form. And I don¡¯t have to worry about blood mages, witches, ritualists, or any other mysterious forces using my body parts to harm me from a distance. The cells in my blood will be cut off from my Soul in a matter of seconds rather than minutes. Jesus, that makes all of the hive animals that much more ridiculous¡­ Ehh, and now I want to see an undead¡­ He stopped stroking his beard and relaxed slightly, leaning back on the seat. Gru, did you know the System probably Soul-linked and Soul-bonded you when you were born? They are your father! he sent, chuckling a little. ??? inapt! Don¡¯t bother, came an overly coherent jab. Zeph blinked in surprise. Did he just¡­ A wide grin spread on his face. It seemed their upgrades already started to show results. Zeph didn¡¯t feel any different, excluding that nightmare he had, but he was also absolutely spent right now. He hoped things would change for the better after he recovers. Okay, back to work! Where were we? he hyped himself, returning to the list of the Skills¡¯ level-ups. Right¡­ So, if we go by the Diagnostics, Willforce influenced both issues, probably. That and the Will cooperation are responsible for the increase in the Will Skill, he concluded. But ¡®Life Energy¡¯ and ¡®Resonation Suppression¡¯? I can¡¯t see any other reason than a direct re-evaluation of them. But why would they be changed after the scan? Are those two connected to the Soul-bond somehow? The scan was about that mostly¡­ He decided to leave the topic for now. It was becoming very convoluted very fast, and it wasn¡¯t the end of the notifications he had to check.
[Advanced scan] secondary goals: <> [External Mana statistics] conditions changed (once again) ¡­ Re-evaluation impossible at this time. <> [Will main statistics] unstable. Re-evaluation impossible at this time.
Useless, he snorted internally. At least the System tried. Let¡¯s see the ¡®Upgrade summary¡¯¡­ He read through the notification quickly, noticing Phleya¡¯s alternative upgrade. It would help Zeph¡¯s body by decreasing the frequency of DNA or RNA mutations, among other things the Phleya itself was capable of. The effect would influence intruding organisms as well. I can¡¯t complain. It¡¯s quite a good one, overall, he thought, noticing the notes describing Earthlings¡¯ tendency to produce tumors in their bodies. I am actually impressed the System thought of that¡­ Although, the change of plans was kind of sudden. I wonder if they would help me with modifying Phleya if I didn¡¯t resign from those UP during negotiations¡­ The thought made him shiver slightly in fright. The amount of information and the willingness to cooperate that the System showed were definitely beyond their modus operandi. Spending a big chunk of his UP only to be healed¡­ it would put him back so much more. The rest of the report was as he expected. Just a list of his upgrades, of which all were successfully implemented. Of course, that included the Shrine Seed. Okay, maybe my choices were quite correct, he reappraised his earlier evaluation. Those new points will be a perfect fallback if something happens. With the Shrine Seed, my chances of surviving similar confrontations are much better. He nodded to himself. He knew that not everything could be done through the Seed, but in case of emergency, he could at least contact the System. He allowed the last notification to pop up.
[Body]: Mental states don¡¯t reflect on [Will]. Balances mental state between [Body], [Soul], and [Will] influence. Can forcefully and virtually [Redraw] the [Neural connection superstructure] by directly engaging [Will] to [Restore] or [Simulate] previous states of the brain. The process engages [Soul], [Will], and [Willforce] for information purposes. The process engages [Body], [Willforce], and [artificially] the [Will] for energetical purposes. WARNING! The process isn¡¯t engaging [Soul] and [Will] for energetical purposes! Make sure to eat well and stay sane when using it! Physical and mental health are important, and the process is straining them!
It was just as he expected. Not waiting anymore, he opened his full interface. The changes from the fight were still highlighted, painting his main menu in blue. <<>>
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 192
Flexibility 24 Memory 66
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 67
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 185 24 161
Mana Capacity: 731 719 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 121 93 28
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 5 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 33 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.71%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] is shrinking! 5.10%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Universal Points available: 1.250.069 Total: 21.602.736
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 1 1 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 60 0.52 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 50 1.75 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 51 1.24 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 75 3.25 s 6 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 37 1.23 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 53 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 12 1.13 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 1 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 37 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 2 0.5 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 82 15 [11] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 1 5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 51 44 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 52 0.75 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 61 0.27 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 68 0.32 s 10 M - 2
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Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 13 Knowledge [523] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 91 Knowledge [92] Mana/s
Corora lifeforms 1 23 Knowledge [24] Mana/s
Corora herbarium 1 13 Knowledge [14] Mana/s
Survival 1 96 Knowledge [97] Mana/s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana/s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana/s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 31 Crafting [316.6] Mana/s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 15 Science arts [16] Mana/s
Explosives 1 97 Crafting [99] Mana/s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana/s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana/s
Spear (style: E2M1) 2 46 Martial arts [445.6] Mana/s
Close combat (Mima) 1 49 Martial arts [50] Mana/s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana/s
Resonation Suppression 2 5 Technique [93] Mana/s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 10 Martial arts [136] Mana/s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 70 Knowledge [652] Mana/s
Will manipulation 2 84 Knowledge [772.4] Mana/s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 76 Knowledge [703.6] Mana/s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana/s
W.P. Soul perception 2 65 Knowledge [609] Mana/s
W.P. Soul whack 2 48 Technique [462.8] Mana/s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 13 Technique [462.8] Mana/s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 66 Knowledge [67] Mana/s
Ambient Mana 1 67 Knowledge [68] Mana/s
A. Mana channeling 1 99 Knowledge [100] Mana/s
Mana manipulation 1 48 Knowledge [49] Mana/s
Mana perception 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana/s
Mana rapture 1 16 Technique [17] Mana/s
Mana masking 2 3 Technique [75.8] Mana/s
Life Energy 1 28 Knowledge [29] Mana/s
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Soul-linked] An armor created from Mana resistant alloy. Contains Phleya (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Self-maintenance.
<< >> He nodded with satisfaction after noticing that the modulation of his Iron Isotope Soul contamination has already started. Already 0.3% was changed into Fullerene contamination. At this rate, he would see the new contamination on the list in less than a month ¨C after it crosses the threshold of 2%. ¡°Gra!¡± his partner suddenly vibrated. Zeph looked up and quickly followed the gaze of the two women sitting before him, looking to the right. they were already moving along the coast and their elevation was quite high, so he immediately noticed the oddity. ¡°Huh¡­ What the actual¡­ is that a tsunami?!¡± He used a Rui word for a ¡®big wave¡¯. The girls smirked despite the heavy mood. Chapter 81 - Nightly war prepareparation. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] From a far distance, a dark-blue wave was approaching through the sea, its apex easily reaching the height of the mountain islands. The light from the ever-bright moon was reflecting from the wavy surfaces, showing clearly that a mass of water was coming for them. A whole horizon was glistering softly, setting a beautifully horrifying background scenery for the ports and islands that sparkled with their own streetlamps and illuminated interiors of buildings. Were it to hit the shore, a true calamity would befall the city. Zeph was sure that not only the architecture would crumble under the mass of the water like a sand castle, but he never saw anything resembling a bunker or evacuation road. People would die in droves¡­ Alas, it was merely an illusion of some kind. ¡°So, it¡¯s really your first winter near the shore?¡± Irra asked with a smirk. ¡°One can wonder why¡­¡± Pavail glared at her, while Zeph frowned, still looking at the coming ¡®wave¡¯. ¡°Is that really what you are going to ask right now?¡± he asked in a cold tone. She has no discipline whatsoever¡­ he thought, sighing. She tilted her head innocently. It took her a moment to remember his previous orders. After realizing her mistake, she blushed and looked at the floor, pressing her lips together as if trying to stop herself from speaking again while her ears dropped to the sides, laying on her head almost. ¡°Pavail, you memorized the instructions?¡± he turned to the healer girl. She nodded, still glaring at Irra. ¡°I will let you know if something isn¡¯t right.¡± Zeph nodded in approvement. At least one person in their Guild was listening to him and learned the verbal cipher and nonverbal signals. It was certainly not because he was her boss. Certainly not. He could sympathize with Ghrughah¡¯s headaches. Zeph sighed again, looking back at the strange sight to kill time. If it wasn¡¯t dangerous, he would ask about it later. There was no reason to provoke Irra¡¯s irresponsible behavior with another conversation. Or his own big mouth, for that matter. Despite the late hour, most of the apartments and houses were full of life. Not many people braved the cold weather at night, but he was sure that tomorrow he would be able to see the masses on the streets, if not for the upcoming attack. First ski-ed carriages filled to the brim with guards started to pass them hurriedly, confirming that his dream wasn¡¯t only a figment of imagination. After two or three more hours¡ªZeph couldn¡¯t be sure without a watch¡ªof riding in the increasingly tense atmosphere, they started to descend into the Roaming Onsen¡¯s valley. Before they even managed to reach the property of the village, they were intercepted by heavily cloaked riders. Instead of stopping them, though, the riders let the two carriages pass without slowing down and turned back behind them to join the small convoy. One of the leading figures gestured a few signs through the left window as they overtook their vehicle, before disappearing from their field of vision up ahead. Zeph turned to Pavail and nodded. Wordlessly, she stood up and rotated a mechanical lock on the wall behind her. A few moments later, the carriage swayed slightly and after another few seconds of silence, the metal plate in the front wall slid up, uncovering a small barred window and causing a chilly air to flow into the passengers¡¯ cabin. Zeph shuffled to the right to better see the person that just joined their driver. The man was in the middle of uncovering his face, taking off the many layers of cold-protection gear. As he finished, the Hannyajin wordlessly shoved a medallion into the slit under the bars. Pavail took it to check the numbers and an enchantment inside, while Zeph took out his city medallion for an inspection, and reached to slide it under the bars. After both sides were satisfied with the identification, the medallions were returned and the man started to speak. ¡°Welcome back, La-Einar, La-Hwaran. We are under code red, martial law protocol. Are any guests present?¡± he asked, glancing at Irra. Good question¡­ I never asked. Zeph thought, following his gaze. ¡°Only one initiate. Irra Turiel,¡± Pavail introduced, ¡°She will work in our department and agreed to stay in the headquarters until the Duels.¡± Good. I was worried she wouldn¡¯t sign the initial contract with the Guild¡­ The man nodded. ¡°La-Zora have expected that you may return in time. The laboratory building is already secured and the personnel on high alert. I suggest you consult with the Heads before deciding on the course of action. The event is estimated to take place in four hours,¡± he explained succinctly and turned to Zeph. ¡°The council is in the middle of a meeting. Ghrughah-jiji left the armor in your room, please join them as soon as you finish gearing up.¡± ¡°Understood. Did you think of something?¡± Zeph addressed the girls. Pavail shook her head. ¡°I will start preparing in the medical wing. We don¡¯t have many Doctors, or otherwise.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I t-think I can try something¡­ if you have a free alchemical station?¡± Irra said tentatively. Zeph nodded and turned to the rider. ¡°Can you send someone ahead to get Aisha and P¡¯pfel? I would rather not waste time¡­¡± ¡°Your call, La-Einar,¡± the man shrugged. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Yes, for now,¡± Zeph nodded. The window was shut, and the man disembarked somehow without stopping the carriage. It took them another twenty minutes to arrive at the hotel, the traffic slowing them slightly. The whole area was swarming with people. Every building was already decorated for the festivities, but the atmosphere was lost in the fervent activity as people transported weapons and rations, reinforced windows and doors, and made sure nothing of worth stayed outside. Ghrughah, P¡¯pfel, and Aisha were waiting for them in the waiting room by the lobby, surrounded by a full squad of warriors clad in characteristic black-and-red armor. Aisha didn¡¯t seem to appreciate their presence, though. She was glaring at her ¡®bodyguards¡¯ as if daring them to speak a word. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she said grumpily as she spotted them. ¡°We were in the middle of planning, you know?¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°We need to talk in private, there is no need to waste time. And Irra should talk with P¡¯pfel.¡± He looked at Ghrughah with a raised eyebrow. The man said nothing, but Zeph could feel a familiar pattern pressing against his Veil. He returned the ethereal gesture. ¡°I am here to speed things up,¡± the giant grumbled, throwing at Zeph a small, wooden box, which he caught clumsily. He felt better, but his coordination still wasn¡¯t the best. ¡°But I may as well see what it is about,¡± he said, turning to the cowering cat girl. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Aisha declared, hopping to her feet. Without preamble, the duo speed-walked further into the complex, Aisha¡¯s bodyguards leaving them alone at the second checkpoint in the troop¡¯s canteen, the main hub. Zeph retrieved his key/bracelet from the wooden box as they passed the fighters busying themselves in the hall, and they entered a corridor leading further into the building and into the closed-off section. True to the rider¡¯s words, after they descended to the lower floor, they were met with a metal wall instead of a hallway. Zeph used his key to open the passage, the door sliding back into the wall. He made sure to close each door behind them, and after they walked through the third section, leading to another staircase, Zeph give way to his rising curiosity and dread. ¡°That should be far enough. What the hell is happening? I had a dream about beasts¡¯ aerial attack and infighting, but that¡¯s about all I know.¡± She glanced at him lazily. ¡°Impatient as always. The City Council is trying to prevent the information from spreading, so keep it to yourself for the time being. Eblelta, a city to the east, has fallen¡­¡± Zeph grimaced. This doesn¡¯t sound good¡­ how could a city just fall? ¡°¡­It was overtaken by beasts. So, most probably, an animal or a group of them managed to attain sapience and higher intelligence, and founded their own ¡®country¡¯ or ¡®horde¡¯ ¨C the name varies depending on who you ask.¡± Zeph interjected. ¡°If we are to believe my dream and Pavail¡¯s expertise, they will use the Mental Medium during the attack. Why is the Council trying to keep that information under wraps?¡± Asha looked at him seriously. ¡°Well¡­ That certainly seals the case. Also, explains a lot about the how. That old governing mongrels don¡¯t want people to start evacuating prematurely. We have a whole shoreline of naval ports ¨C if they panic, half of the poorer denizens would disappear overnight, alongside the ships. An unmanned port is worth nothing, double so with the lack of ships. But that¡¯s only part of the truth. In my opinion, they are trying to force people into this conflict to protect their assets in the city by spreading the damage and keeping the beasts occupied. It¡¯s idiotic. No one knows when the true invasion will come, and keeping people in the dark for long is impossible. Even more people will try to leave the city as soon as they learn the truth, or after they see the causalities. The Council should fortify the ports instead of wasting time. It would prevent unauthorized transport, protect people and goods, safeguard an evacuation route, and raise morale. But no one wants to spend that much money. The tactical geniuses.¡± She spat to the side with disgust. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if it was her subjective assessment, or if that¡¯s how local government really worked. It was hard to believe that people could be so incompetent with all the knowledge from General Skills available to them. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Wait. If tonight¡¯s attack isn¡¯t an invasion, then what is it? And how could a city just fall, aren¡¯t you prepared for events like that?¡± he asked, opening the doors to his future office room. ¡°Those are only forward forces, probably meant to hunt down those who managed to escape. There is no way we wouldn¡¯t know what happened, so they probably plan to use the opportunity to test our defenses and scout, producing as much damage as possible. A few of the escapees already managed to reach Lurona, that¡¯s how we know what happened to the¡­ What?¡± she asked, seeing his raised eyebrow. ¡°Soul-bond?¡± he stated simply. ¡°Ah, yes. I am quite sure the council members and more established groups in the city knew that Eblelta was under attack from the beginning. But that method of long-range communication is not perfect or easy to set up.¡± She entered the hidden staircase first, allowing Zeph to close it behind them. ¡°People talented enough to be able to share their senses with their Soul-bonded creature are rare and tend to find more lucrative jobs. Appropriate Skills can only help ¨C the process is quite complicated. Besides, it¡¯s hard to keep the Bond intact¡ªnot to mention keeping it strong¡ªwithout being able to interact physically and personally with one¡¯s partner. Add to that the fact that the number of Soul-bonds is limited and that it¡¯s not easy to find a suitable partner, and it becomes obvious why almost no one would risk keeping them in a warzone¡­ For the same reason, sending members of one¡¯s family only to stay informed would be pure madness... if you know what I mean. I don¡¯t think we spoke about bees and flowers yet,¡± she smirked, glancing at him. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s also hard to ascertain a fall of a whole city from one position, even assuming you have someone¡¯s Soul-bonded animal to communicate with.¡± Zeph turned the lights in his living room. It was nice to have it fully furnished, finally. ¡°You can continue, I will just change clothes and bring the armor.¡± It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. ¡°Bring?¡± Zeph paused at the door to his bedroom and turned. ¡°It¡¯s the highest time for you to learn how to put on and take off my armor. Or did you forget what happened last time you tried your hand at it?¡± He glared at her. She smiled abashedly and made a placating gesture. ¡°It was an emergency.¡± His frown deepened. She never paid him fully for the damage. ¡°An emergency, I am telling you! You were giving birth!¡± ¡°No. Gru was.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Same difference. Ahem¡­ No, never mind! Bring it, I will learn.¡± She clapped her hands together and tilted her head ¡®cutely¡¯. He sighed, shaking his head. In his room, on the new sturdy desk, his new, shiny armor was lying alongside a file of documents and a black bundle of clothes. The material was dark brown, excluding the tapestry of yellow veins, just as Zeph expected. But he noticed that each microplate that wasn¡¯t part of a relatively flat surface was rimmed with a black, matte material. He could also spot a few big plates inserted in a few strategic places, like the armguards, the so-called gorget, and the shin guards. The flaky texture of the material was almost invisible because of how small were the plates forming the armor. He scanned the instructions first, half-listening to Aisha as she continued her explanations from the living room. ¡°As for how the city has fallen¡­ We suspect a third party helped. Because that¡¯s not the end of bad news. Landlord Oric ¨C supported by that faction of the Temple of Souls, Landlord Yarell, and Landlord Vladal ¨C have rebelled and declared their lands independent.¡± Shit¡­ Was the political situation always this unstable here? he thought, slightly shocked. It wasn¡¯t an everyday occurrence when part of a country rebels. ¡°That¡¯s four whole cities, including North Tarak. And those fanatics,¡± she spat out, ¡°renamed themselves into a Temple of Pure Souls. The hypocrisy! Whatever¡­ Eblelta was the only close-by city to their lands. It was the Kingdom¡¯s easternmost port, too. We are sure they took advantage of the situation to get rid of the sore, or even outright provoked or helped to organize the attack. After what happened in North Tarak, I wouldn¡¯t put that behind them¡­¡± ¡°I think they will act in Lurona during the chaos. Also, I had a hunch we will be targeted,¡± Zeph said while changing into the black undersuit. It was made from an elastic, silky material, and hugged his body tightly. According to the documents, with time it would help Phleya make an insulating layer between the armor and his skin. ¡°Ha! I knew something like that would happen right after I heard about the independency claim! We have stirred the waters for them. Maybe a little too much, even. Thankfully, most of that faction members in our city were killed off by the Ojaro already.¡± That made him stumble in the doorway, almost dropping his armor. He somehow forgot about the Gibbons and their infamous assassination spree in the city. He shook his head and corrected his grip on the not-so-heavy assortment of armor parts. If they saw the leaflets at the Library they would either contact me or the Goddess would inform me that they answered. I don¡¯t have time right now to chase the shadows, he thought, throwing them away from his head. ¡°Here is the armor¡­ Read the instruction first!¡± he shouted, turning away from her grubby hand. ¡°You break something, you pay for it ten times the value!¡± ¡°Jeee, aren¡¯t you overprotective?¡± she asked, taking the documents from the top. Zeph placed the parts on the dining table and sit down to take a better look at them. The big plates inserted into the armor had a similar structure as his spear, the honeycomb framework was visible on the dark-brown surface if observed under a certain angle. The filler had to be some kind of the Planaria Fullerene variant, as he noticed the same dry-land-like depressions, but much more subdued and shallower. It was enchantment-ready, for sure. He also noticed that the armor was bulkier than it should. After checking the insides, he found more solid plates inserted to protect his chest and abdomen area, his lungs and spine, and his thighs alongside the neighborhood. It seemed that Ghrughah decided to modify the blueprint slightly. The helmet was the most interesting part, though. It looked kind of like a futuristic diving headgear. The same solid metal was framing the face, covering the lower jaw and mouth altogether in artistic but menacing patterns. From there, it spread outwardly like a spider¡¯s net, all around the surface of the helmet. Inside the frame at the front, a dark glass-like material would protect his nose and eyes. The ¡®glass¡¯ was almost four centimeters thick, to his surprise. It should allow him an almost unobscured field of view. He just hoped that Ghrughah knew what he was doing and it wasn¡¯t a weak point. Inside, he even found a little notch for a high bun so that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his below-shoulder-long hair. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a piece of work, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± Aisha said, reading through the last page. ¡°Less talking, more acting. Legs first,¡± he said, putting his right foot on the table and wiggling his fingers, ignoring the withering glare she sent him. ¡°Remember. Ten times the value.¡± She breathed out with irritation. ¡°Fine, fine¡­¡± She stood up and spread the manual on the table. Then, she picked up the boot. As she struggled with the strange closing mechanism, he decided to use their time for something productive. ¡°What about the orphanage kids? They were going to arrive in the morning¡­¡± ¡°I have sent an escort to bring them here. There is no way I would leave them without protection. Others from my faction took care of other establishments. Ha! Easy!¡± she exclaimed happily, managing to close the easiest of the locks. She dealt with his other foot almost instantly. ¡°That reminds me,¡± he said, standing up. He paused and took a second to admire the comfort his new footwear brought to his feet. Earth be damned! This is better than anything we could produce! ¡°Yes?¡± Aisha asked while working on his left hand. ¡°Ah, sorry. It¡¯s just too comfortable for the plebs like me,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We have forty hours of the celebration period, correct? I get that it¡¯s necessary to synchronize your calendar with the astronomical year, but won¡¯t that change the hours of daylight too much? Moving the time ten hours back? The sunset would be at¡­ what? The 15th hour of the day? At noon?¡± ¡°Soon it will be more like 13th. You forgot that the days are getting shorter rapidly. And it¡¯s not all that bad. We will only have around three cycles of sunlight a day during the coming months. People prefer to work when it¡¯s dark to have those seven, or so, hours of light for themselves. It¡¯s healthier this way. Well, during winters with such an awkward shift of time as this year, people switch around their working and resting hours to spend the sunny mornings how they like. But come spring, we will have enough daylight to switch back. Then, the Communication Bureau will also start offsetting the time, shifting hours forward a little to better synchronize the daybreak with an appropriate Wadoki hour. Normally, sunrise would start around the 7th hour.¡± Yea, the first day-cycle should be the fourth cycle of a day, after all. What a mess¡­ he thought, smiling bitterly after remembering his short lesson with Ghrughah. They should just start using the leap years. Anyway, how far north are we, again? he thought while trying to do the math. Aren¡¯t we really close to the Arctic Circle? ¡°Before you ask, it¡¯s mostly because the higher-strata continents are interfering with the light. We aren¡¯t that far north.¡± ¡°Did you learn how to read minds or something?¡± She smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already how easy you are to read? Your face has too many muscles.¡± She smacked his armored tight. ¡°Next! ¡­ Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± she hunched over the manual with a finger on her lips. ¡°And what about that tsunami wave outside?¡± ¡°Just plankton and other marine life visiting,¡± she said, nonchalantly waving his armpiece. ¡°The rites and festivities leave a lot of nourishment for them, so they learned to visit every year. The Mental Medium and Organic Magicule groups are what they like the most. What you saw was just a critically high concentration of Water Magicules, in low temperatures, and with a healthy dose of life energy. I mean, they can¡¯t use Stabilize Spell, obviously, but because they process Mana, Organic Magicules form spontaneously in their bodies¡­¡± She paused as it was time for his torso and she couldn¡¯t find a good way to put it on. ¡°What¡¯s with those questions, anyway? Did you speak too much in front of Irra, as always?¡± she joked. Zeph smiled sweetly. ¡°You need to take off the armor from my arms, first. There is an order to everything.¡± Aisha¡¯s shoulders dropped as she hunched comically, glaring at him with an ugly frown. ¡°You learn best from your own mistakes!¡± Zeph brazenly imitated her voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t that your words?¡± She sighed in defeat. ¡°Am I always this unbearable?¡± she asked, getting back to work. ¡°Sometimes,¡± he sniggered. ¡°But yea¡­ I revealed too much¡­¡± Aisha paused and looked at him with deadpan eyes. ¡°Are you serious? She doesn¡¯t even want to stay with us for long. What did you say?¡± ¡°Is that really that revealing after she helped with the surgery? I don¡¯t think so. She already knew I am not from these lands. I just don¡¯t want to ask stupid questions in public, again.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But what do you mean she won¡¯t stay? She signed the contract, right?¡± Aisha looked at him for a few seconds longer before concentrating back on the armor. ¡°That was barely more than a non-disclosure agreement. She doesn¡¯t want to be tied down; especially to an organization. I think she may be more trouble than she is worth. The gold we have paid isn¡¯t the end of the issue. She¡¯s wanted. A few less-savory groups feel scammed or deeply slanted by her. Thankfully, a vast majority of them reside in other cities. I have nothing against helping people, but¡­ Investing in someone while knowing that they would scram at the first sight of the trouble, probably leaving us with said trouble to deal with¡­ It doesn¡¯t sound ideal.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°I will talk with her. But I can¡¯t guarantee that my decision will be purely rational. I saw way too many wasted talents to¡ª¡± ¡°Grrrraaah!¡± Just as Aisha was to close the chest piece, Gru vibrated violently in indignation. ¡°Greeezz!¡± Both froze. Then looked down at the armor in sync. ¡°Shit! We never took into account that upgrade¡­¡± ¡°Gru, can¡¯t you wait at least until the fighting is done?¡± Aisha asked with hope. ¡°GRE!¡± it vehemently refused. ¡°Ugh¡­ third eye it is, then¡­ Make it four, stereoscopic vision is something else¡­¡± Zeph said in a defeated tone. He thought about the problem some more before giving another suggestion. ¡°We need to fill the armor with Phleya either way, so try to influence them to make a small opening at the back, too. Just enough for your¡­ appendage to surface. They should be much easier to manipulate for you after the updates. Make sure the opening is to the side, though. Try to circumvent the solid plates¡­¡± Twenty minutes later, the pair exited Zeph¡¯s humble abode. He took everything he deemed necessary, including the pistol, spear, and other weapons haphazardly thrown into his backpack. From the back of Zeph¡¯s right shoulder, a thin stalk was sprouting, sporting a small bud at the end. It waved delicately in the rhythm of his steps, almost like a miniature snake trying to camouflage itself in the high grass¡­ Chapter 82 - Triple trouble... or not? Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at the meeting chamber. Except for P¡¯pfel, every Head was present. The Gremling was helping Irra with her thing at the moment. Other important members of the Guild were waiting in nearby rooms, but it wasn¡¯t time for them to intrude on the council. They had a little more than 2 Earth hours before the predicted invasion, so around 2 to 3 Corora hours. It wasn¡¯t much, but the beasts wouldn¡¯t just teleport inside the city. Also, most of the initial preparations were already finished. They had enough time to talk things out in private first. That¡¯s the issue with predicting the future, Zeph thought, sitting down in a lavish armchair. The enemy knows that we augured the attack, so their movements will change in accordance with their own prognosis. It¡¯s a self-feeding loop. They know that we know that they know¡­ I wonder if we can even minimize the losses that way, assuming the beasts are communicating instantly with their leaders through a Bond. He sighed in defeat, not yet ready to envision how a battlefield of this kind would work or how it should be managed. I just hope auguring is actually useful in face-to-face combat. If it really is working for me, that is¡­ He didn¡¯t have time to test it, though. His constitution was getting better, but he was still hours away, if not more, from even thinking about exerting himself. The last notification about his Will mentioned that it was in a ¡®Medium¡¯ depleted state. Going by the old statistics, it should take around 55 hours to replenish fully. Probably more because ¡®mental¡¯ PE had an adverse effect on recovery times. Now, though, it was impossible to tell. Instead of leaving it to natural regeneration, Zeph started packing his Will full by burning bodily nutriments; and even tried to relive crucial moments in his life by reading Soul memories. All this to enhance his Will recovery, and a courtesy of Willforce Mana constructs flowing through him. Only half an hour passed after he started, and he dreaded how long it would take to decrease the ¡®depletion¡¯ state to ¡®Small¡¯. Heaving a deep sigh, he concentrated back on the meeting. There was no table between the people gathered, only small, tiered counters the size of a nightstand that stood near each armchair. A collection of drinks and snacks populated their lower levels¡ªwhich Zeph started using immediately to replenish more calories¡ªwhile the top shelf and the drawers below were full of documents. Even as he looked around, Kwan¡¯s people were delivering new notes, placing them on top of the piles of paper. Everyone was geared up, so it was no surprise that he didn¡¯t receive any comments on his new armor. Ghrughah was wearing a leather suit resembling a wetsuit. His armor, an enormous construct that almost scrapped on the over-three-meter high ceiling, was standing behind him. It was painted black and red, the same colors Kwan¡¯s people used. Aisha was in her typical gear ¨C warhaxammer alongside leather-bound metal armor that didn¡¯t seem too heavy. Kwan¡¯s weapons and armor were new and all-black ¨C probably a new creation of Ghrughah. An oversized cleaver, or more like a straight razor blade, was sitting right behind her, leaning on the chair handle-up, while a deep-blue, giant club with black barbs was lying on the floor to her left. Her armor was a little bulkier than the previous one, too. Makani was wearing a really thick and probably metal-inlaid coat. A backpack-like, brass-colored contraption was laying behind his chair. It was holding a compression ¡®box¡¯, that looked more like a bulbous gas tank, with a Manasolid inside. A simple pipe system was affixed to the slot at the top, and Zeph could spot a few valves on a movable metal arm that should make them easily accessible when wearing the pack. How Makani was going to use the Mana-O from Manasolid, Zeph had no idea. Maybe similar to how workers used the welding tools in the twin¡¯s hangar? That would waste most of the Mana, though¡­ He decided to wait and see. The bar behind his seat was empty and the hearth silent. The air was heavy with Mana as a multitude of enchantments and Spells¡ªmuch more than he ever witnessed at once¡ªsuffused the room with a constant influx of Ambient Mana exhaust. The room, normally elegant and stylish, felt more like a command tent of an army because of the Mana density, tension, serious mood, and constant movement happening in the background. ¡°We have read Pavail¡¯s and Irra¡¯s reports,¡± Ghrughah was first to speak, even before reaching for the new missives. Meanwhile, Zeph was unceremoniously packing his mouth full of something resembling a cheesecake. ¡°If what you said is true, the City Council is hiding more than we anticipated.¡± ¡°Or they don¡¯t know,¡± Kwan cautiously suggested, without looking away from a file of documents she was reading. It was much bigger than any file accessible for other Heads, but it was only natural. All of the logistics details were put on her shoulders. ¡°Even if we have an augured or divined evidence, let¡¯s not accuse people before they act, shall we?¡± Her matter-of-fact and bored tone did much to soothe the atmosphere in the room. But Aisha wasn¡¯t having any of that. ¡°Don¡¯t just dismiss what they were planning,¡± she said with a pout. ¡°Ignoring their would-be machinations will only grant us problems. Besides, it seems we really need to concentrate on infiltration attempts, from the Council as well¡­ Is our base ready to freely relocate?¡± ¡°¡°It¡¯s not.¡±¡± Makani and Ghrughah said in sync, shaking their heads. ¡°Tch. I told you to shorten the deadline¡­¡± she complained. Makani frowned. ¡°That would change nothing. The twins may be talented in piloting, but they don¡¯t know the first thing about Aero theory. The non-standard hull we are constructing is ways beyond them. Rather, you should feel happy I managed to correct so many mistakes in such short ti¡ª¡± ¡°Right!¡± Aisha clapped loudly, interrupting the coming monologue and accusations. Accusations with quite strong arguments. ¡°What was Irra¡¯s proposition again?¡± she asked, glancing at the pile of documents with disgust. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there when you discussed it.¡± Ghrughah massaged his eyes while Kwan covered her face with her hand. ¡°Aisha, are you serious?¡± Makani asked, an incredulous grimace on his face. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t have time for¡ª¡± ¡°Did you read any of the documents?¡± he disrupted her. ¡°Ummm¡­ Look, I take my role as the Head of my department seriously, but reading an unending flood of paperwork isn¡¯t part of it! I can speak, too, you know?¡± she exclaimed defiantly, blushing slightly. Zeph sighed, alongside the rest of the council. ¡°We are wasting time,¡± he noticed. ¡°Explain Irra¡¯s idea, please. Is there anything more to be done at this point, anyway?¡± Kwan answered immediately while searching for an acceptable beverage on her mini-counter. ¡°She is trying to reproduce a failed experiment. A concoction producing fumes that congeal in contact with vapor and Water Magicules, forming long strands midair. They are too weak to trap anything, but we have the tide coming up, so the effectiveness should skyrocket.¡± She finally found a bottle with a blood-red liquid inside. With a flick of her thumb, she got rid of the wax seal and poured the liquid into her mouth directly. After gulping a few times, she sighed with satisfaction and filled her glass in a more civilized manner. ¡°Fast-moving objects should catch enough strands for it to become a problem. Better yet, the strands are slightly adhesive. We can expect beasts and humans alike to get immobilized in the coming mist ¨C a perfect trap and an early alarm.¡± ¡°You hadn¡¯t seen it yet, so I will explain,¡± Aisha said, looking at Zeph. ¡°The wave of Magicules from our marine visitors will cause a dense mist to form. Because it¡¯s almost pure Water and Organic Magicule mix, it will majorly influence the effectiveness of most Spells even after diluting, so take that into account.¡± Shit, I only learned Heat Beam¡­ Zeph thought depressingly while smiling wryly. ¡°Yep, you better start training with the Force version,¡± Makani chuckled, seeing his face. ¡°You just need to push them into the river. The tide will take care of anything staying too long in the water ¨C those organisms aren¡¯t known for their ability to recognize what is alive and what isn¡¯t. And aerial beasts are notoriously bad swimmers,¡± he smiled warmly in contrast to his cold words. ¡°Oh! That, I can do already,¡± Zeph nodded, receiving happy thoughts from Gru. It seemed his companion would also be able to help. ¡°But the mist¡­ what are our call signs?¡± Everyone looked at him in confusion. ¡°The what?¡± Ghrughah asked. ¡°Well¡­ how are our troops going to identify themselves? I get that the visibility will be minimal? We need something to prevent friendly fire, no?¡± Zeph explained. ¡°Hmmm, you have a point,¡± the giant rumbled, falling into deep thought. Kwan shook her head. ¡°Normally, the commander would know the exact position of each team, squad, and troop. And no one attacks before confirming the enemy¡¯s position. And that¡¯s the role of scouts.¡± Zeph frowned. ¡°So what? You are waiting for your specialists to either detect an enemy or return from reconnaissance? I understand you are just proceeding as always, but¡­ Don¡¯t you think this method leaves too many opportunities to cause chaos? Especially because of the mist. What if someone calls back using the voice of one of the scouts, and two teams start to attack each other?¡± ¡°Visual confirmation is a requirement for¡ª¡± ¡°And you are sure no illusions can affect them, or that in the heat of battle, they would keep to the procedures?¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Before Kwan could retort, Ghrughah spoke up. ¡°La-Gewong, even if what he proposes is unnecessary, it would speed up the identification. Better yet, if an enemy uses a wrong call, we will know instantly. We can set a trap that way. And Zeph, please don¡¯t speak accusingly until you have enough information. Their system was tried many times over, and I can see at first glance that you don¡¯t know enough about it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± he said awkwardly, trying to scratch the back of his head. Kwan sighed deeply in defeat, averting her gaze to the floor. She took another deep swing from her glass and composed herself. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. I already know you have a more practical mindset and exoteric knowledge. And, most importantly, that you aren¡¯t knowledgeable about our methods,¡± she looked straight at Zeph this time. ¡°But if we try to introduce a new call code right now, it¡¯s more probable that someone will make a mistake. Rather than catching an enemy, we will hurt ourselves.¡± ¡°I may have an idea¡­¡± Zeph said, after thinking for a moment. ¡°Did you manage to produce strong flashlights? That project is going on for a while¡­¡± Kwan nodded, and the people present seemed to understand where this was going. ¡°That won¡¯t set a trap for the enemy, though,¡± Ghrughah noticed. ¡°Not necessarily. Instead of communicating only when needed, we can set a constant stream of light signals. It would also help in illuminating the environment. Only a part of them will be meaningful, your people just had to know which chain of signals means a start of a message. The rest can be cyphered in a simple way to not be too obvious. Like, reading two letters ahead in the alphabet or something. I think we can produce some booklets for the commanders and people responsible for the communication to be able to work with it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kwan nodded. ¡°We already set up the production of leaflets promoting our area. If it¡¯s only text, we can change that immediately. I am more worried about giving out our code to the enemy in case our people are seized¡­¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°It can be easily avoided. Firstly, the message-starting sequence is to be remembered, not written down. Secondly, a simple cipher should confuse them enough, and we can use it as a trap. Just use short words that have meaning in both cases ¨C in ciphered and obvious message.¡± Aisha nodded vehemently. ¡°We already implemented a similar mechanism in our department. I should still have a matrix of words for the simplest of ciphers ¨C the proof of concept, if you will.¡± ¡°Perfect! Now, nobody said our communication specialists have to stay close to their group. Chasem, we can just send fake ones to confuse the enemy ¨C they will be as blind as our people, so creating a fake squad isn¡¯t out of the question. Two can play the game of shadows,¡± Zeph said, now much more excited. Kwan scrunched her nose. ¡°It¡¯s already overly complicated¡­ But doable,¡± she added in the end. She took an empty piece of paper to write on. ¡°I will make sure we have more people with flashlights, just to ensure no group is left without one. They will need to periodically turn off the stationary ones, though. It¡¯s much too easy to hide in the shadows¡­¡± she started rambling to herself. The next two hours flew past in no time. Zeph was updated on all safety protocols and building access restrictions while they planned how to set the troops. The orders were sent; new messages only confirming their situation. Of course, their council wouldn¡¯t stay idle ¨C each one of them will be a part of the defense force. They managed to process all the notes. Which was a blessing, as people waiting for the meeting to end unanimously returned to their posts, thus saving more time. That was when Kwan decided it was time to do the rites. The attack should happen soon, but the Roaming Onsen Village was quite far from the city walls. It was important to raise the morale and appease their aquatic guests. As so, the group walked downstairs, into the troops¡¯ canteen hall on the ground floor. Potted plants were removed, leaving the hall fully open. Six people sat on the stage, playing a slow melody using only hand drums. The area was already filled with long tables buckling under the amount of food prepared for the occasion¡­ ~~~ Zeph never felt this full in his life. Even Gru started complaining. He stopped helping Zeph¡¯s digesting system a good ten minutes ago, yet some nutriments still found their way into his body. After people made themselves almost comatose with the insidiously potent meals, they started to hum to the rhythm of the drums in the background. In the beginning, Zeph didn¡¯t even notice the change, but as more and more people joined, he felt the Mana in the air becoming more viscous and heavier. A tell-tale sight that Mana-L was being released all around him, for only this kind of Magicule group had similar properties. By the time he decided to join, the staff started to set out incense while serving small glasses of clear liquid to everyone. The drink had a strong herbal smell to it but was surprisingly sweet to the taste. Zeph knew for a fact that the workers would go through the same process right after them, as almost half of the security personnel still waited for their turn. But the strange disparity between sober and meditating people made him slightly nervous. He sipped on his drink slowly, trying to hum alongside Gru in the same way everyone around was. Yet, he wasn¡¯t able to enter a meditative state. Truth be told, he was becoming sleepy instead. Probably from the abundance of food that his body was struggling to absorb. After everyone in the room¡ªin a huge part consisting of people important to the Guild¡ªentered the state of trance, it became clear that he wouldn¡¯t be joining them. He sighed with relief, then started to also burn his Mana to power the recovery of his Will. The trick to it was to actually use miniscule amounts of Will to enhance the process ¨C the discovery made by Gru. But Mana wasn¡¯t that easy to use as an energy source. His body was heating, his cells were being damaged. He could feel how inefficient the process really was, right in his bones. Of course, Will naturally took his Mana when it regenerated, but manual implementation was another story altogether. Either way, he didn¡¯t want to disturb the rites. His Veil didn¡¯t take on the quality of Mana-L flying around and he worried it could interfere with whatever was happening. Now, that he was sure he couldn¡¯t join the event, it was time to think about his situation. Taking into account the fact that he wasn¡¯t even sure if he wanted to join, it was mostly for the best. He just hoped that it wasn¡¯t a function of Earthling¡¯s Will, but something related to his full-body enhancement or other upgrades. Otherwise, it would be way too easy to test if someone was a Terrien. Looking around and seeing the half-asleep people, he decided he had time for some experimentation. Also, it was nice to experiment with the Willforce Morphon while relaxing in the cozy armchair. That didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t try to look the part, though. For the sake of workers, he relaxed and closed his eyes, still humming and trying to not move much. The fact that the fever and pains he felt were a product of his own machinations helped tremendously in keeping himself stationary. On another note, he was quite fascinated by the strange Mana-L that was being produced by the people around. He could tell that everyone in the room was using the Stabilizing Spell or an equivalent, which put into perspective just how handicapped he had been without it. The most distinct property of the Magicules was the fact that he couldn¡¯t really tell if it was Mana-X or Mana-O. In other words, he wasn¡¯t able to tell if the Mana was even connected to anyone. Mental Medium, huh? Going by the name¡­ I suppose it is connected to all of them somehow? Now, that is an interesting thought! Gru vibrated slightly, in tune with his constant humming, confirming that it was probably the case. A Magicule that can connect to multiple organisms. Well, not really, he thought, testing the interaction between his Veil and the Magicules. Rather than being connected to the pseudo-hivemind activity, it was losing the connection to his Soul as if interacting with normal Magicules. Whatever¡­ But it¡¯s strange that the cloud isn¡¯t returning the feeling of the Magicules drifting upwards. Is that why the organisms in the water can harvest it? Is it ¡®heavier¡¯ than air¡­ the moment he thought about that, Zeph sent a Mana tendril to check the space near the ceiling. The density was much less than around him, but it wasn¡¯t the only observation he managed to make. It¡¯s denser around people¡¯s bodies? He observed, thinning his tendril to check in more detail without interfering. Hoh, I wonder how much their Will is influencing this behavior¡­ In such a way he spent another half an hour, trying to get more insights into this, evidently, unique Magicule group. Even if he knew beforehand that it had to do with brain activity, it was impossible for him to test that out. The herbal tea did nothing for him, as did the incense. He tried, but there were no results. At some point, though, a notification that he was waiting for showed up.
[Will] depletion decreased to [Small] status!
He continued to feed his Will, but now he knew he had a space to maneuver. It took almost three hours, all in all. A record time, if he ever saw one. And, as people started to come to their senses, Kwan hit her weapons together with a loud, metallic band, waking everyone in the room. ¡°Time for pleasures just ended. Everyone, to their posts!¡± she commanded, standing up. ~~~ Zeph loaded a weak battery that Kwan¡¯s research team managed to produce into the bottom part of his spear. Then, he started to use Electrify to keep it from discharging. The Spell was enough to keep the electrical current from flowing freely through the spear by balancing the charges. It was almost time. The beads were already placed in the deep snow. Undetectable and primed. He was stationed near the laboratory building, just by the river on the small plaza. His squad had melee fighters and ranger specialists in equal proportions. They were a bait for human aggressors. Of course, another team¡ªthis one led by Aisha¡ªwas waiting on the roof of the laboratory. They were to dispatch to the closest skirmish, but were mainly backing Zeph¡¯s squad. Because the building was already known by the enemy, it was mightily possible that they would try to infiltrate the base from that angle. Zeph¡¯s and Gru¡¯s unusual methods of detecting enemies were the main reason they were put in such a dangerous spot ¨C they should be able to find any attacker even in the all-encompassing, milky-white mist. Zeph could see outlines of the buildings around, partially thanks to the fact that a whole district was trying to illuminate the vicinity, partly thanks to the flashlights blazing irregularly all around. It was almost like an old-school disco. Or a scene of a smoke-obscured parade in which the police took an active role. He wasn¡¯t sure. Zeph managed to keep three detection Spells active at all times. Constructing them was a pain, but he had the time and his cube. Except for Electrify, which was purely a Matrix construct, he had ¡®Lesser Sound detect¡¯ manually constructed, self-sustaining ¡®Lesser Life ward¡¯ active, and ¡®Lesser Magnetic scan¡¯ in the cube. From time to time, he strained his mind to construct a ¡®Lesser Tremor detection¡¯ or ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯, but he still wasn¡¯t able to focus on two different places in his Veil efficiently. Add to that Gru¡¯s Soul perception, and his own Mana tendrils geared with the new Spell-detecting technique, although a more primitive version, that he set up before using the Spells, and they were a walking radar station. Sadly, they didn¡¯t have enough range to pose as one. Thin, white treads started to fall down from the sky. Obscuring his vision even more. He got rid of them as soon as they accumulated on his armor, either by ripping them apart or patting himself to collect the strands. Not long after, ¡®Life ward¡¯ started pinging him from the direction of the river, but he wasn¡¯t going to react. The aquatic creatures arrived. Slowly, in the span of a few minutes, the mist was painted blue and turquoise by the flowing, gentle light coming from behind his view. It seems the water organisms here are fluorescent¡­ or, at least, are geared with similar mechanisms, he thought absentmindedly. The vicinity started to brighten as the river started to produce more and more light, the effect slowly traversing up the river. The mist was being colored by so many sources of light now that it truly started to confuse him. At least, he was able to see the nearby buildings now. And that¡¯s when the ¡®Lesser Sound detect¡¯ started to show visual cues of a regular beat. Soon, the ripples on the surface of the modified ¡®Air bubble¡¯ started to multiply, creating mesmerizing patterns that Zeph knew very well. They are close, he thought, crouching in preparation, making a defensive stance. Chapter 83 - Nightmare Night, first part. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] The black shapes in the sky dived down. In the first place, they were visible only because of the multitude of lights constantly fighting to illuminate the vicinity, and the flashlights blinking all around like stroboscopes when different teams communicated with each other. Thus, he was sure none of the beasts were targeting his team directly. As the chaos ensued in the streets, he concentrated on his ¡®Lesser Sound detect¡¯ Spell. He started to slightly modify the Spell¡¯s structure. The density of the air and Magicules in the ¡®Air bubble¡¯ that the Spell incorporated was directly influencing the frequency of sounds that were causing visible disruptions on its surface. Of course, there was also a Soul component to the detection, as soundwaves caused more Mana in the bubble to disconnect from his Soul and return information, but it was irrelevant in this case. What he needed to do right now, was to separate different frequencies intentionally. The original Spell construct was already cutting off non-audible sounds from the visual cues, so he just needed to modify it further. The tests he did for his ¡®Sound detection¡¯ beads weren¡¯t relevant, as they relied mostly on the Soul connection to Mana. As so, it became the first live test of his understanding of this Spell structure. He already knew how the Mana was flowing, how and where the Air-Magicules were formed, and which components were responsible for other physical effects. All that was left, was to apply that knowledge in a new way. After a minute, he cursed. As the ¡®Air bubble¡¯ started to destabilize, he promised himself to ask Makani to show him how his Spells from the Sound branch of Matrices work. Zeph spent another half a minute shuffling the Spell framework back into its original shape and started to progressively modify the flow of Mana once again. This time, instead of using standard pivot points to change the conformation of the protein-like structure of the Spell, he concentrated on the ¡®active sites¡¯ where Magicules were forming. Not wanting to waste any more time, he manually applied his Willpower to create streams, distributing the Magicules equally over the whole bubble. As the air and Mana density equalized in the sphere, the disruptions on the surface started to calm down. The problem was, he had no idea which frequencies were being ignored by the Spell now. The cacophony in the background made it extremely difficult to connect the changes to individual sounds. People were shouting, the beasts screeching. A constant beat of their wings was like a low, constant buzz in the air. The river was stirring. The impact sounds, booming. As always, live tests showed just how far his theory was from reality. Of course, even if he was focused on the Spell¡¯s structure, he was still sparing attention to his environment. And not only him. Gru¡¯s two miniature eyes, breaking Zeph¡¯s skin close to the corners of his own eyes, also noticed a movement to their right. The Soul-transfer warning wasn¡¯t necessary, as he jumped back, thrusting his heavy spear at the air in front of him to speed up his movement a bit more. The beast caught the center of the shaft with its face. It flew so fast that the sturdy metal bar easily broke its skull, which cushioned the collision enough for Zeph to barely keep his grip on the weapon. Not with his right hand, though ¨C the force ripped the spear from his grasp, throwing his left arm in an arc and twisting it backwards as he fought to hold onto it. As he started to pivot to the side ¨C his spear dragging him along and trying to dislocate his arm ¨C he spread his legs and did a few semi-controlled barrel rolls midair while pointing the spear up above his head, before crashing on the snow-covered ground. Instead of allowing the inertia to do its thing, he used it to roll to his knees ¨C now that he knew in which direction the ground was ¨C and slid to a stop a few meters away from his previous position. Microplates, torn off from his greaves, littered the carved snow tracks he left behind. His Flexibility was the only reason he wasn¡¯t harmed in the exchange. He mentally thanked Aisha for her guidance while looking at the corpse that hit the nearby warehouse moments ago.
You have killed [Chiropterida ¨C lvl 64]. You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 2 [Universal Points]!
The fuck¡­ he thought, looking at the body with surprise. A Pterosaur? He ignored the shouts from his team and moved closer while reconstructing his Matrix and manual Spells. He opted to use ¡®life detection¡¯ beads instead of Sound Spell this time ¨C it was a fiasco if he ever saw one. Even his Veil lost coherency from the fast movement, but he was able to establish order within a few seconds of being ¡®hit¡¯, pulling back his Mana with Willpower. No¡­ It¡¯s a mammal¡­ he analyzed, seeing the body. It was quite big ¨C the torso was the size of a short human from Earth. The shape was quite reminiscent of the ancient flying lizards ¨C much thinner than that of a bat. The visible, if broken, bone structure of the leather wings was the first giveaway. They were probably half-folded behind the beast¡¯s back as it attacked but snapped forward during the sudden deacceleration as it hit the wall. The breasts and fur on the torso were another clue. Sadly, the head was an unrecognizable mess. Whatever this thing was, it would surely be categorized as a mammal on Earth. Even if it bore some characteristics of a reptile. He wasn¡¯t going to gauge their race affiliation, but the body was absolutely alien to him, making him curious. Too much bare skin on the legs, too much fur on the main body. The long neck. And, of course, fragments of a giant beak in the general vicinity of the obliterated head¡­ Well, those should be quite unwieldy¡­ Small mercies. Whatever. He shook his head and looked around. The beast wave started to cover the not-so-much-illuminated mist above, obscuring the weak light of the moon. They were much faster than predicted, as avian-type predators tend to. They would be slowed down between the buildings. But my reaction speed¡­ he analyzed, slightly surprised by the speed of his thoughts. Even with his Power, he shouldn¡¯t be able to react to the diving animal. Not at those speeds. Moreover, even as he visually analyzed the body of their attacker, not even ten seconds has passed going by the positions of his people. Zeph could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body. But that level of time-dilation¡­ Suddenly, he was very glad for the upgrades he took. It¡¯s not the time for this, the logical part of his brain said. We cannot be scattered like that¡­ He wasn¡¯t the only person that was attacked. The small plaza was enough for the beasts to feel safe enough to dive-bomb them. He immediately directed his closest team members with a few, universal hand gestures. He hoped that the ¡®military¡¯ part of the Guild had some signs and protocols already prepared, but those kinds of mechanics weren¡¯t standardized. And for a good reason. He didn¡¯t use his flashlight to not confuse his team ¨C they only had a few very simple signals, hidden inside nonsensical sequences, and most of them were designed for communication between teams. Now that he knew what to expect, dodging attacks became easier. Although, the beasts were still too fast to attack with Spells, and he wasn¡¯t going to risk another melee clash. The idea of pushing them into the river was busted. The space between the laboratory and other buildings wasn¡¯t much in the first place, so the access to the river was limited, even if it rounded the building slightly and was visible from the plaza. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. But Irra¡¯s plan started to bear fruit. The white strands started to accumulate on the animals, slowing them down. A few of the more persistent ones even crashed into the buildings, unable to ascend fast enough after another dive. The ones that survived the close encounter with the city¡¯s sturdy architecture, were quickly finished off by archers. Some of the animals started to fall around the laboratory, and Zeph could hear loud splashes coming from behind the building. At least Aisha has better luck with the river idea, he thought, vigilantly scanning the vicinity. As the team converged near the entrance to the laboratory building, keeping a healthy distance from each other to avoid presenting multiple targets to the beasts that still harassed them, Zeph saw another team entering the plaza from the corner to their right. They were barely recognizable in the mist, but the flashlights helped tremendously. They flashed a series of signals. An incorrect one. He glanced at his signal officer and nodded, seeing as the man was already looking in his direction. The reply included one of the signals informing that they made a mistake. But not only there was no answer from the newcomers, the people didn¡¯t stop moving in their direction. Zeph sprinted to the front just as the first arrows were fired by his teammates. The enemy started running, so he quickly connected his Veil tendril to the furthest explosive beads, packing them full of Mana, and started constructing Heat Beam. It would be weak, but he didn¡¯t manage to learn the Force version in time. As the explosions reverberated through the plaza, stopping the charge, Zeph was yanked back by one of his men. A Chiropterida silently swept in a blur right before their faces. Zeph managed to keep his balance as he landed from the forced jump, and immediately started to re-construct Heat Beam. The melee fighters were keeping ranged specialists safe as they concentrated on attacking, and Zeph had full trust in his guardian. They were much, much stronger physically than he was. Each one of them. He constructed the Spell successfully, but it still took almost ten seconds. Only a few silhouettes were still standing, gathered in one place and hiding from the arrows under a Spell. That simplifies things, he thought, finishing the construct. The mist distorted in a visible, straight line as his Veil was funneled into the Spell. The distortion reached the enemy in but a second; just as the heated, humid air near him started to expand violently. Another explosion thundered through the plaza, throwing enemy warriors to the sides as the mist was pushed back in a spherical wave. Zeph would be lucky if even one of the fighters was incapacitated, but that wasn¡¯t his intention in the first place. The arrows dropped on them with vengeance. Their protection Spells were obliterated, and it would take too long to reform them, even if anyone was in a state of mind to actually power their enchantments. But the leader wasn¡¯t going to pass without leaving a gift. In his last effort, he threw something in their direction, right before an arrow took him to the head. Even before the item landed, Zeph felt a powerful pulse of Mana-X. His eyes opened wide as he looked up. The Chiropteridas that started dispersing over the area suddenly turned as one in their direction. Even the river started stirring like boiling water, big waves forming on its surface. Shit! The ground shook slightly as something heavy landed behind him with a sickening sound of crushed bones and tearing flesh. He turned, only to be manhandled by their neighborhood Warrior Priestess, covered in the blood of Chiropterida that she used to cushion her landing. She unceremoniously threw him over her shoulder and immediately bolted towards the laboratory. ¡°Everyone to the buildings!¡± She hollered in deafening voice. The beasts descended on the plaza ¨C not diving, but slowing down to land ¨C all the while fighting between each other for access to the item the man had thrown. Something jumped out of the river with a loud splash, catching a Chiropterida that was flying by, and sending a column of fluorescent water up into the air, illuminating the panicked expressions of Kwan¡¯s warriors running right behind them. ========Theron Nalani PoV========= Idiots, he thought, staring at the mayhem on the other side of the river through his spyglass. The mist wasn¡¯t that much of a problem for people with his Magicule specialization. What are they trying to accomplish? No, more importantly, what were they thinking? Attacking Warrior Priestess with two under-leveled people¡­ Someone has to be really desperate. The attack was a total and utter disaster. They thought she would be distracted by the reaction of the beasts to the Undead Heart, but they didn¡¯t even manage to land a hit before she obliterated them with one swing of her weapon. There was no hiding from people like her. In the beginning, he was tempted to use the chaos of the coming attack to get rid of that Nether-infected foreigner. That is, until he noticed how close the Priestess was. If he could, he would stay a range away from that mad dog at all times. It¡¯s definitely not the work of those scheming bastards, that¡¯s for sure. He spat to the side. Lucas and his goons have tried to kill that Einar guy and put the blame on him. The whole mission was a trap. Now, he was not only jobless, he couldn¡¯t bear to look for a new job. He had enough of scheming for the rest of his life. At least he wasn¡¯t wanted. But after witnessing the Netherling inside that guy, he decided that this will be his last ¡®job¡¯ before leaving the city. He will make sure that the infected dies before even getting close to awakening the larvae. The fact that all of his problems and failures were caused by that man, could also have some influence over his decision. Only a slight one, though. Nalani wasn¡¯t a hypocrite who couldn¡¯t accept their own pettiness. How is this guy even alive, is beyond me. Wasn¡¯t the substance absolutely deadly without the living component? He shook his head. Whatever. Nether shenanigans. Haa¡­ He sighed internally. It would be much easier if someone would believe him, but not only was his reputation at the bottom, especially because he was dabbling in that line of work, but Zora would definitely support that guy. It was made perfectly clear by how fast she rushed to his side after learning of his predicament. Although, he heard about that from a second-hand informant¡­ He brought down the spyglass. He could no longer see anything. The bloody struggle for dominance took over the plaza. Even some of the aquatic creatures started to crawl up the shore. The only other faction that could readily use Undead Heart would be Landlord Oric¡¯s fanatics. Hmm¡­ but that is as unlikely as any other option, taking into account how many of them were purged from the city in the past¡­ On the other hand, they attacked the Priestess only, which would make sense¡­ In the end, he just shrugged. For the first time in years, he wasn¡¯t interested in the exact political maneuvering happening behind the events. That burden was no longer necessary ¨C he would leave all that behind soon enough. He had to admit, it was a really nice feeling. Not having to worry overmuch. All he had to do now, was to wait until Einar starts his training outside of the city. I think I deserve some free time. He grinned at the thought. When was the last time I allowed myself to indulge? Hmm¡­ he thought while standing up. After searching his memory for a moment, he shrugged. Too long ago, it seems¡­ ================================ The doors were barricaded right behind the last warrior that filtered inside. The rush was real, everyone dispersing to secure the windows, even though they were already barred. Aisha put him on the floor and leaned heavily on her weapon, exhausted. It seemed that the jump down the roof cost her a lot. ¡°What was that thing? I am not exactly sure what is happening¡­¡± Zeph asked, confused slightly. The bloody battle outside was quite intimidating, sure, but he had no idea why everyone panicked this much. ¡°That was an Undead Heart,¡± she said, sighing even deeper and dropping her head. ¡°With a critically high Soul contamination of some kind¡­ It¡¯s the best lure known to the races; for animals that don¡¯t have prior experience with the Undead, at least¡­ The situation will escalate fast.¡± She straightened up slowly, and lazily put the warhaxammer shaft on her shoulder. ¡°We should move higher. I am sure the marine life will try to flood the plaza¡­¡± She started walking for the stairs and Zeph followed. ¡°So, what now? We wait until they eat up¡­ that heart, or something, and then finish off the survivors?¡± Something hit the wall from outside with great force, causing some dust to fall from the ceiling. Aisha sighed again. ¡°Well¡­ yes. But what we will be fighting with are not the survivors. Do you know how Undead are created?¡± ¡°Like hell I would. You never talked about them.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± She made a thoughtful expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to have funny ideas¡­ I will simplify. If a Soul conglomeration forms, it has a chance to attach itself to a dead body rich with life energy. Especially if structural information inside the conglomeration aligns with the body structure and if the brain is intact. The exact process of this phenomenon isn¡¯t that well studied, but it is agreed that the environment on Corora prevents it for the most part. This changes if something dies right by the Undead, though. The heart is also an information-processing unit, keeping the Soul conglomeration solidly attached. It will be able to tell what is happening around, one way or another.¡± Oh¡­ Oh, no¡­ Isn¡¯t that bad? ¡°Are we going to have a zombie horde event now?¡± he asked with some dread. Aisha chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The intact Souls of the deceased are in no danger of becoming a part of a conglomeration. Most of the spare Soul fragments should be taken by the System Onji, too. The conglomeration will not have much left to increase in size or seed another one. Even if the animals sever the heart into a few parts, I don¡¯t expect there to be more than twenty Zombies. I am more worried about our marine visitors and what that entails¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I am sure that the heart is extremely toxic. It only makes sense to increase the efficiency of the attack. Anything that dies from taking a bite will turn, the conglomeration fragment inside will take over. The marine life won¡¯t be able to harm anyone on the land, but they are quite uniquely gifted in propagating Soul conglomeration seeds¡­ If the enemy is working around that, and they succeed, we may have to kill most of the Chiropteridas one more time¡­ and then, some more humanoid zombies. And it¡¯s not necessarily as easy as smashing their heads¡­ Ugh. It actually can become a horde fight,¡± she laughed awkwardly, and somewhat sadly. Zeph sighed, it certainly sounded like a lot of work. ¡°Just great¡­¡± Chapter 84 - Nightmare Night, second part. The devil is in the details. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] They arrived at the third floor of the laboratory building ¨C the meeting room. The two commanders were already waiting for them, sipping on their chosen beverages. Of course, neither Aisha nor Zeph were considered a commander. Even though they had the last say during the last skirmish, their presence wasn¡¯t incorporated into the command chain, strictly speaking. Which was for the best, as they didn¡¯t have experience with commanding Hannyajin in battle. The two older Hannyajin that were now waiting for them had never argued with their decisions, but it was obviously clear that their patience was running short. Their neutral fa?ade started cracking as soon as Zeph and Aisha entered the room ¨C both showing slight signs of tiredness and anger. The last fight wasn¡¯t the worst, at least in Zeph¡¯s opinion, but the stress of the ambush and constant attacks had to take its toll on them. Aisha frowned but said nothing. Zeph followed her to the table and sat down, opposite the commanders, just as she did. The table was too big for only four people, so they ended up with almost two meters of free space between both sides. ¡°What are those faces?¡± Aisha asked sharply, not even asking for a drink from the bar. ¡°There wasn¡¯t even one death case, and you are already displeased?¡± If a glare could kill, the two commanders would already have blood on their hands. ¡°La-Zora, it¡¯s not about that. We are ready to lose people. It¡¯s normal during a battle.¡± Her commander spoke. ¡°But¡­ we could have taken those assassins into custody if not for your orders¡­¡± Aisha grimaced ugly. ¡°Look, my commander. I don¡¯t care about your orders or code of conduct. I will not¡­ And I will repeat, I will NOT allow for meaningless deaths.¡± She was glaring at him. ¡°You may believe some sacrifices were necessary to gain better results, but there was nothing to gain. If you don¡¯t have even that much trust in me, I am starting to doubt my position in this whole affair.¡± It was as if a lightbulb lighted up above Zeph¡¯s head. He looked at his commander in a new light. It wasn¡¯t that the man was angry ¨C more like disappointed. His people, too, could have tried to apprehend some of the mysterious attackers. And while any kind of torture was out of the question, those people would be living, first-hand witnesses. Even if it would cost them some lives, he seemed to believe it would be worthwhile. Zeph shook his head slowly and spoke before they could respond to Aisha. ¡°You two have a wrong impression of us, I think,¡± he stated. ¡°We are not politicians. We are the Heads of our respective departments, sure, and we aren¡¯t pure warriors either. But this doesn¡¯t change the fact that we are active combatants. If you want to sacrifice people for something, made it really worth it. What would that achieve in the last fight?¡± He asked rhetorically, spreading his arms. Meanwhile, Aisha was fighting with herself so as to not cave the commanders¡¯ heads with the shaft of her weapon. ¡°Additional information? The things our respective departments should have already found out? Screw that; care to tell me, where will you find new Hannyajin to replace the dead ones?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Aisha¡¯s commander, an old guy with too many scars on his face, hit the table with a fist. ¡°The loss of Soul fragments from range assault be damned, we didn¡¯t have the initiative even once! That¡¯s the worst possible scenario in ANY confrontation!¡± He huffed in displeasure, standing up. ¡°Even if you two have information about the enemy, what good can that do if it¡¯s not accessible to us?¡± ¡°Not to mention, our directives were unclear,¡± the younger commander stated with an unreadable, stoic face. He waved his hand in the general direction of the ongoing fight outside. ¡°If we are to stop interlopers, the best way would be to prevent this situation from happening in the first place by neutralizing the bait. Chaos is the main enemy of staying vigilant.¡± He pointed his finger downwards, lightly tapping the table. ¡°If we are to be bait and nothing else, we should have retreated much earlier.¡± Aisha crossed her arms. ¡°If we knew what to do from the start, we wouldn¡¯t be in the defensive battle, you idiots.¡± She glared at them in silence for a few more seconds, until her commander sat down once again. He wasn¡¯t pleased, by any means, but he seemed agreeable to at least listen. ¡°What I am going to tell you is information that could not, under any circumstances, leave this building.¡± She looked sharply at the barman, who immediately stood up and left the room. After a few moments, Zeph could feel the familiar enchantments activating, brushing against his Veil as the effects spread through the room. He frowned and looked at Aisha. ¡°Those aren¡¯t up to the standard. Are you sure it¡¯s alright?¡± She shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye. ¡°As I said, these pieces of information are to stay in the building,¡± she smiled. ¡°And the building¡­ is already sealed. I couldn¡¯t care less if an infiltrator can hear us now.¡± The commanders palled slightly. The older one looked like someone had slapped him in the face. The younger one looked defeated. ¡°So, we were a bait from the beginning¡­ just a bait¡­¡± he mumbled, massaging his eyes. ¡°Hah! You? A bait? Hohoho¡­¡± Aisha laughed loudly, startling the whole room. She ¡®playfully¡¯ slapped Zeph¡¯s back a few times, producing loud rattling noises. Zeph grimaced at the unnecessary use of force. Jesus¡­ How am I feeling that through the armor? he thought while slapping the last ¡®attack¡¯ away with his reinforced armguard. Aisha didn¡¯t stop, slapping the arm he was keeping upright a few more times, but this time she did it half-heartedly as her laughter started to die down. In the end, she took a deep breath to compose herself and looked back at the two confused commanders. ¡°Ahem¡­ let¡¯s get you on top of our situation.¡± Her crooked smile returned in full power. ¡°We all were the bait, for a certain-slash-different-slash-possible-elements that could have tried to attack or infiltrate. Moreover, this whole setting was a trap¡­ No, you can¡¯t have the details¡­ Yes, we can talk freely now, for the most part¡­ Our opponents are the Temple of Pure Souls fanatics¡­ Yes, I know they aren¡¯t really fanatics¡­ No, they are still as dedicated to their work¡­¡± She fired the answers before the two commanders could even try to ask a question, as evidenced by their repeatedly opening and closing mouths. She deliberately made a pause between each sentence, which didn¡¯t escape Zeph¡¯s notice. ¡°It¡¯s only your two teams, basic personnel, and us in the building. But there are still spies within,¡± she stated at the end, placing her head on the top of her bent-down hand. ¡°How are you going to deal with that, I wonder?¡± she almost whispered. It took a moment for the two men to truly understand the last statement. But Zeph knew. He understood her right away. People could disguise themselves as their warriors. Some could even try to replace them entirely. They could have planted spies in the building¡¯s personnel, too. Some of them could be controlled¡ªby normal or mental means, he didn¡¯t care¡ªto act in certain ways. Most importantly, though¡­ At once, his head turned to her. ¡°You aren¡¯t suggesting we have bugs? What is the ¡®cleaning¡¯ team even doing?¡± he asked in a strained voice, using the English word he taught her before as a part of their coded dictionary. Aisha sent him a withering gaze in response. She evidently thought it was too early to disclose that ciphering method to the enemy. She quickly returned her gaze to the two men, though. ¡°A siege event happened, and we are going to use that to our advantage. While we wait for the situation outside to stabilize, you are tasked with screening every person in this building.¡± She stood up and walked to one of the metal cabinets. After opening it with her Guild key-bracelet, she took out two flat, metallic contraptions that looked like clockwork mechanisms. The cabinet was heavily armored, but it became evident only after the thick doors were opened. The two strange objects were bulky and the size of her palm. As she walked closer, Zeph could feel pulses of Mana radiating from them periodically as the gears on the surface turned. She returned to the table and threw them at the commanders lightly. They caught them without a problem, looking at her quizzically. ¡°I hope everyone was following the rules in the transition tunnels. Anyone that didn¡¯t, you can find with those. They work the same as the last scrutiny devices that Ghrughah created; do you remember how to operate them?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. They nodded. ¡°What with¡ª¡± the younger commander started, but was interrupted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished,¡± she said in a harsh tone, silencing him. ¡°I evidently hadn¡¯t earned enough respect in your eyes, so just follow the orders. Those are approved by Kwan.¡± She took out an amulet from under her chest armor, and both men relaxed immediately after seeing it. They didn¡¯t even ask her to hand it for inspection. ¡°Gather everyone on the third floor and do the screening. Interrogate anyone indicated by the devices. It¡¯s your duty to make sure that not even one of the spies makes it out, are we clear? Expect anything, even manipulation methods. Make sure no one has holes in their memory. That they are physically and mentally untouched. Test their integrity, if you have to.¡± They nodded, much more vehemently now. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t the end of their work for today, and now they had direct orders from their boss ¨C Zeph could almost see their morale meters filling up. He chuckled at the game-like image in his head. Aisha looked at him. ¡°The two of us will take room five to prepare Soul scan. Do not disturb us until it¡¯s finished, and for the gods¡¯ sake, don¡¯t let anyone leave the third floor. The staircase will be blocked, of course, but make sure no one has any funny ideas¡­¡± They talked a little longer to hammer down the details before they said their goodbyes and split to fulfill their tasks. Once he followed Aisha to the aforementioned room, Zeph could feel much stronger enchantments activating. The place was looking strange, though. The room was¡­ modest. Ascetic even. There were no decorations, only wood, metal, and glass furniture. An ozone-like smell was lingering in the air, and the wooden surfaces were slightly fried on the corners. The black spots didn¡¯t really damage the grain of the elegant wood, but it definitely wasn¡¯t looking pretty. His eyebrow raised. ¡°Is that your answer for possible bugs? Acidic gasses?¡± he asked skeptically. Aisha shrugged before plopping on a hard, wooden chair. ¡°Speak with P¡¯pfel about that; it was his idea. The constant surveillance started to chip at his patience. ¡®It¡¯s not a brothel for everyone to hear us!¡¯, he screamed,¡± she chuckled. Zeph sat on the opposite chair and frowned. ¡°Is that even going to work? Surely, new devices will be installed as soon as the building will start to be operational again¡­¡± ¡°Heh, he actually said something about wanting to cleanse that horrid room you call a laboratory,¡± she said mirthfully. ¡°The blood stains and fleshy remains made him gag when he saw it for the first time. Gremlings have quite a good sense of smell, you see.¡± She laughed. Zeph couldn¡¯t find a riposte to that. The room was, indeed, in a horrible state. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t worry about the efficiency. It¡¯s a statement to our opponents ¨C we don¡¯t really care if something survives. But P¡¯pfel also wants a security upgrade in the building, so you will see a few changes in the near future. The most important part, though, is to prevent direct infiltration.¡± She leaned forward, hiding half of her face behind her intertwined hands. ¡°This effort is Guild-wide,¡± she slowly said in a low whisper. ¡°The screening is not a joke. You can hide a listening construct or two¡ªthe potential of Skills is almost infinite, after all¡ªbut it won¡¯t be doable if a stranger cannot access our buildings in the first place. Ciriyal also confirmed the necessity of taking action now.¡± That is¡­ craftier than I gave them credit, Zeph thought with wide eyes. It was a trap through and through. Aisha didn¡¯t even start to explain a few core motives behind all of this, leaving it to him to read between the lines, as if expecting that there were still people able to eavesdrop on them ¨C to make those people believe, potentially, that this was the end of their plan. But the unspoken details were quite gruesome. Like a fact, that anyone who decided to stay downstairs would either die or run up to them while screaming because the ¡®bug repellent¡¯ was being introduced there right about now. Like the fact, that the Hannyajin had to be taught a lesson. Not only to become more malleable in adapting new security protocols seriously, but also to see the rare and exotic hazards they never took into account. Like the little detail that the story of tonight¡¯s happenings would surely spread through the locals, right against her declaration of confidentiality. Like his guess, that P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah were up to something in this very building. Probably something more deadly than just marking people that weren¡¯t behaving in the tunnels. Like the mention of Ciriyal, who was absent for the better part of the month. Indicating that even Zeph wasn¡¯t fully informed as to the overall situation. Like her hidden suggestion, that it was not the last they saw of the Temple of Pure Souls. It was veiled enough that Zeph wasn¡¯t even sure if he understood her correctly. But all those precautions, including their soon-to-be Soul scan, strongly indicated the last attack wasn¡¯t just a suicide mission. ¡°You have around a cycle before I, and the commanders, are finished. Get ready to make your hands dirty,¡± Aisha said, but Zeph could barely hear her. He started caressing the artfully-shaped lower jaw guard of his helmet as he fell into deep thought. If their last attempt wasn¡¯t just a last-ditch suicide attack, only two possibilities exist. Taking into account Oric¡¯s faction¡¯s involvement in the fall of the Eblelta, they surely aren¡¯t trying to influence the economy. Which means that they are trying to manipulate events¡­ Hmmm¡­ He frowned, trying to decipher the meaning behind the latest events. Trying to purge their already compromised infrastructure while playing a seemingly desperate card? It aligns with the timeframe. If the beasts want to siege us, they would have to start around spring¡­ Probably. That would mean the Temple agents have a few months to recover and regroup before the attack happens, to wreak havoc once again when the time is right. But meanwhile, they can lie low and play dead. More opportunities to convert important people would arise as the attack is nearing, too¡­ But, why the Undead attack? He scratched his metal chin a few times, but it didn¡¯t make much sense to him. Aisha¡¯s explanation made it clear that the Undead would be a mere distraction and nothing more. Without their state being contagious, Undead really weren¡¯t much to talk about. Or maybe they are trying to influence public opinion? To show the horrors of the ¡®wrong religion¡¯, or ¡®incorrect ways¡¯, or something? I don¡¯t think that this will persuade Cororians¡ªnot with how Souls work¡ªbut propaganda is propaganda. Some individuals could become more accepting of the Temple mindset¡­ Yea, if I understood it correctly, Undead aren¡¯t a common sight on this planet. It would be a good ground to seed doubt. Zeph was sure some details escaped him, but was mostly satisfied with his conclusion. He looked up, only to see that Aisha already started to take her mysterious beverage while falling into the semi-trance. Right, we have a job to do, too. He sighed internally at the amount of work that was awaiting them. Gru, he sent to his companion. You have permission to be¡­ more direct with people around. Gru? came a surprised replay. Oh, sorry for interrupting¡­ I¡¯m happy you managed to work it out with Phleya. Having fun? Gra! Grrum? Yes, well... We are going to look for any form of Soul alteration in Kwan¡¯s people. You can touch as much as you want. He started humming mid-sentence to better accommodate the necessary information that he was sending. I don¡¯t really trust Aisha in covering whatever you do¡­ Do you remember that one failure skin enchantment? The one that made Willforce puff outside of my body? Gra? Yes, that one. We have around two hours, so try to make it behave similar to an enchanted item, ok? If someone asks, I can always put the blame on Aisha by showing how the ¡®item¡¯ is ¡®working¡¯. Gra! Rarara¡­ It seemed Gru really liked the idea of a prank directed at Aisha, even if he didn¡¯t truly understand why Zeph wanted him to stay hidden after giving him permission to¡­ show himself in almost full capacity. Zeph smirked. He hoped that his Priestess friend had some way to additionally cover for them because there was no way people weren¡¯t going to notice. It was her call, though. Focusing back on the problem at hand, he turned to his Spells. The issue inside the building was another story, he needed something that could work outside, as it seemed they will be hunting for gods-know-how-long after that. Learning the Force version of Beam wasn¡¯t an option. Using the Heat-powered Beam, even more so. The explosion itself was kind of similar in size, but what really harmed people were the Magicules and their secondary reactions to matter. And he still remembered how many were winked out before hitting the group. It was a waste of Mana and nothing more. He had no chance of firing it at point-blank, too. The Spell simply took too long to construct. But he had just the right idea to fix this beaming problem¡­ ~~~ Almost three hours later ¨C their preparations took more time after he clued Aisha as to what was to come ¨C they finally left the room. No one interrupted them until now, as per Aisha¡¯s orders, but the moment they opened the doors, they knew something was wrong. The younger commander, Sangsu ¨C as Zeph learned a moment ago from Aisha ¨C was sitting on the floor, next to the doors, waiting for them. He immediately stood up when he heard the doors being opened. His haggard visage and bandaged right arm were enough of a clue that new problems surfaced when they were absent. ¡°La-Einar, La-Zora, we had an accident,¡± he said immediately, his eyes trembling slightly. ¡°We allowed people to mingle¡­¡± he started, guilt clearly present in his voice. ¡°In one of the rooms, five people have died. We¡­ don¡¯t know how¡­¡± ¡°Did they turn?¡± Aisha asked, her frown the only indicator of how angry she really was. She directed her gaze in the general direction of the man, but her unsettling, almost-white eyes were totally unfocused, influenced by whatever drugs she took previously. Zeph was sure she overdosed herself this time, but he knew better than to comment on it. ¡°Two did¡­¡± Sangsu grimaced. ¡°The murder scene is a mess. We aren¡¯t sure if the person responsible is still alive¡­¡± She swung her warhaxammer upright, spinning it and startling the man. Zeph didn¡¯t even react when the weapon¡¯s head passed a few centimeters from his head. He just rolled his eyes at the blatant show-off. His helmet made it that much easier, too. The shaft of her weapon finally landed on her shoulder with a heavy thump. ¡°Then, we go hunting,¡± she said amiably, but the small smile forming on her face was especially bloodthirsty this time around. Chapter 85 - Nightmare Night, third part. A power of deduction. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] The murder scene was a mess, just as Zeph¡¯s commander said. The two Zombies were already killed off by the Hannyajin, but that only clouded the murder scene before them. Moreover, Zeph¡¯s commander was harmed by an exploding corpse, not the Zombies themselves. It would be impossible, anyway. Not with how unresponsive the living corpses truly were ¨C going by Aisha¡¯s description. Someone set a trap. A trap that worked perfectly against Kwan¡¯s people. They cannot lie, they are proud, and they are so-fucking-full of themselves, he thought with an exasperated sigh. The only reason nobody had died, is the fact that they respect their commander¡¯s right to scan the battlefield first. There is a wisdom in the act. It¡¯s here, right before their faces! So why, for fuck¡¯s sake¡­ why didm''t they check the corpses from afar as our procedures dictate! He glared back at the wounded commander. For all the experience those people had, it was ridiculous in Zeph¡¯s mind. It almost seemed like they prided themselves in ignoring the commands that weren¡¯t coming directly from their legitimate commander. Like kids who would try to break any rule for the ¡®coolness factor¡¯, except for the ones stated by a person they truly feared. Or respected. It gave him a headache. Sangsu looked back at him with an innocent and slightly confused gaze that almost made Zeph growl. Grrrrru! came the encouragement. No, Gru, I neither should nor I will, he sent back before taking a deep breath. He turned back to the scene of the carnage. Greeeee¡­ arrived the half-joking, half-disappointed¡ªand absolutely unnecessary¡ªcomment. We will see how good you are with vocal communication after the appropriate upgrade, Zeph jabbed back. That seemed to shut Gru up. Shaking his head slightly at the ridiculousness around him, he tried to focus on the scene once again. ¡°Don¡¯t touch any surfaces. Especially the door¡¯s handle,¡± he instructed. The door was kept open until now, thankfully. Maybe he would be able to find some fingerprints. Looking around, he could see the two Zombies lying in chunks near the wall on the right. Their heads were obliterated, and body parts sliced apart in a gore mess. Besides that, they looked like normal corpses. But what really stood out, were two bloody, circular explosion marks on the floor around the center of the room. It was clear that the traps weren¡¯t fully physical, as the floor didn¡¯t bear the marks of what had happened. Or the marks were hidden under the grotesque, fleshy covering. The only intact body was peppered with holes and raptured in much-too-numerous places ¨C a clear sign that the trap wasn¡¯t purely physical. It was lying just under the window, on the wall opposite to the entrance. He was able to recognize that the person was wearing a ¡®maid¡¯ uniform, even if it had transformed into dirty scraps and nothing more. The table at the center had shattered into small fragments that were scattered all around, while the chairs lay broken near the walls. The mini-bar to the left, the bookshelves, and a random cabinet with drawers managed to stay intact, but all decorations and glass were destroyed. That included glassware, pot plants, and curtains alongside the window itself ¨C everything was blown apart and cluttering the floor. He was glad that he didn¡¯t have P¡¯pfel¡¯s sense of smell, too. Actually, his Willforce Morphon was helping him stabilize his natural body reactions right now. Even if he wasn¡¯t a stranger to grotesque scenes like this one, the smell of frazzled flesh, burned hair, spilled liquids, and anything that those people had inside of their guts¡ªbeing sprayed all over the room¡ªwas just a bit too much. He decided to upgrade his helmet with an air-filtering function in the future. ¡°No vestiges,¡± Aisha suddenly declared. Gra~! Gru confirmed. They woke him up from the small stupor he was in. Just as Aisha turned away to leave the room, he asked with a frown. ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°From my side, yes,¡± she said softly. ¡°I will leave this room in your capable hands. Woongar, lead me to the adjacent rooms,¡± she ordered her commander. Zeph looked at her back as she slowly walked away, wondering what exactly she was seeing. Greh. ¡®Nothing¡¯ isn¡¯t quite descriptive, my friend, he sent back. ¡°Sangsu, seeing how most of this mess is of your doing¡±¡ªthe man in question grimaced in guilt¡ª¡°you are going to help me. First of all,¡± he looked around, ¡°secure the perimeter. I don¡¯t want anyone to be sniffing around,¡± he used an old saying that was still a part of Cir language but sounded more like taken directly from one of the seven old languages the Cir was based off of. Exotic, almost like Arabian on Earth ¨C at least for people like him. ¡°Not to mention, entering the room. And, please, do not touch anything!¡± As his commander sorted people out, Zeph concentrated on the scene. The state of the last intact body was only natural. Without Passive Enhancements granted by the Soul, the flesh gave easily under the assault from the explosions. He was sure the body was a few paces away from the epicenter, too. He didn¡¯t see Sangsu¡¯s wound, but it was notoriously difficult to harm people on Corora with pure shockwaves. The simple fact that the man was wounded implicated some kind of projectiles that were propelled by the force of explosions. But, just like in the case of a frag grenade, the effectiveness of such a weapon dropped drastically with the distance. The room was only five by six meters, more or less, so the explosions were either wasteful or weak. A normal frag grenade had a wounding radius of 15 meters and a death zone of around 5 meters ¨C enough to cover the whole room. At least when assuming the shockwave was irrelevant ¨C Zeph was quite sure the death zone was measured for open spaces. Normally, he would ask Gregory about that, as he never got into the details of weaponry that he himself wasn¡¯t using in normal circumstances, but he was on his own now. He shook his head. That was irrelevant. The exploding bodies were obliterated entirely, so there was no way of deciphering how the bombs worked. What he was left with, was the aftermath and nothing more. His commander returned, stopping himself from touching the doorways at the last moment. Zeph felt his movements through his Veil. ¡°Sangsu, do any of your female warriors use powder for makeup? I didn¡¯t prepare any equipment for this¡­ Also, what¡¯s with your Veil?¡± Or rather, why don¡¯t you have one? he added in his head. The commander seemed skeptical but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°I am trying to speed up my regeneration, thus no Veil. My second is scanning the vicinity with his own while saturating the corridor.¡± Indeed, Zeph¡¯s Veil was blocked at the exit from the room. ¡°As for the powder, I can ask, but¡­ what exactly do you need it for?¡± ¡°I want to check the finge¡­¡± Zeph paused suddenly. Do they have dermal papillae even? ¡°Ahem, you will see, but I need to test something first. I also need a few sheets of paper, a strongly-colored powder, and some glue. Do you even have glue here?¡± he used an old word for sticky sap. Sangsu shrugged. ¡°La-P¡¯pfel¡¯s laboratory has some, for sure. We don¡¯t have alchemists on hand, but even I can recognize solidifying concoction.¡± ¡°Make sure to gain Zora¡¯s permission to leave the floor first. But bring them all ¨C we don¡¯t need much, just a glass, at most.¡± His commander nodded and left the room. Zeph turned back and stepped closer to the intact body, trying to not disrupt the scene more than it already was. After leaving his spear leaning against the wall, he crouched down to take a better look. The body was in a bad shape, but it seemed to have only three kinds of wounds. Broken bones, puncture injuries on its left side, and flesh broken open by an intense swelling around those holes. Sighing heavily, he took out one of his knives and started to strip the body from the remnants of her clothing. He inspected each fragment to make sure he didn¡¯t miss any clue or evidence, but everything was in such a mess that he doubted he would be able to infer anything from those. Nonetheless, it was important to be diligent. He didn¡¯t have time or equipment to try and reconstruct the exact events that took place in the room, or analyze the evidence in detail. He would have to do with visual inspection. After the woman¡¯s body was stripped ¨C the scraps of clothing arranged neatly to the side ¨C he started looking for any indicator of what could have killed her. The obvious wounds were caused by the explosions, but she was already dead at that point. After a few minutes of fruitless examination, he was left with no other choice but to look deeper¡­ He turned to the entrance and, thankfully, his commander was back. ¡°Sangsu, I need to check her organs. Is it alright?¡± The man shrugged indifferently. ¡°For all intents and purposes, we are still in combat, and this is our battlefield. Do what you must.¡± ¡°Then, can you help me? I don¡¯t know enough about your race¡¯s anatomy or¡­ physiology,¡± he had problems finding proper words, but the meaning should be about right, ¡°try to not touch anything, please. I still need to check on the wreckage around,¡± he added as the man moved inside, bringing a small crate of miscellaneous items that Zeph asked him to find. Predictably, the man was much better at avoiding obstacles than Zeph was. As they started to work on the corpse, carefully opening the torso, Zeph tried to organize his thoughts. No surface wounds, it seems. Depending on the state of the brain¡­ the most probable cause of death would be poison. Makes sense, taking into account how hard it would be to silently kill people in melee. And Hannyajins at that. I really hope they didn¡¯t manage to kill them through some strange Soul attack ¨C something like that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not without obliterating the Soul, from what I know, which is not only against the Temple of Pure Souls teachings, it would most probably require Netherfolk¡¯s involvement¡ª He shook his head; he was getting too far ahead with his guesses. First, evidence. Then, we can form a theory. Not the other way around. What¡¯s more important ¨C we need to know if the two corpses that exploded really belong to the infiltrators. The obvious answer doesn¡¯t sit well with me¡­ On Corora, suicide missions seemed to be the way around the Soul-related consequences of a direct assault and murder. He was hearing more and more about such cases as time passed, and finally connected the dots. It was impossible to harm one¡¯s Soul after it departed. As a result, no negative consequences would befall a suicide assassin. Well, besides the fact that they would be dead¡­ I already know that people who are giving orders for suicide missions, or the like, would receive the negative Soul-package from the deceased; even without the killer¡¯s Soul acting as an intermediary¡ªcourtesy of the System Onji, or fuckery in the Soulscape, hard to tell¡ªbut what if the aggressors didn¡¯t have direct orders of this kind? Just deciding on the fly? All Souls would be preserved and the enemy killed, all in one go. He scratched his armored chin. Hmmm¡­ Kind of like how the Hannyajins are acting, actually. Just taking more drastic measures. It feels like a perfect solution for the ¡®Pure Souls¡¯ fanatics. A fitting motive and execution. But¡­ it fits almost too well. On the other ha¡ª Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. He grimaced as Sangsu raptured an intestine by moving it too fast. They quickly glued the now-opened ending with one of the concoctions he brought from P¡¯pfel¡¯s workshop, and continued to slowly move it outside of the cavity. There was already too much blood in the opening that they have made; no matter their precautions. It would become much worse if the contents of the guts joined the mix. The two bodies that exploded, Zeph continued to deliberate the situation after they got rid of the issue. There is almost nothing left of them. Nothing that we can examine, at least. Whatever was on the table, was also destroyed¡­. All of the glassware around is obliterated. If that isn¡¯t a perfect cover, I don¡¯t know what is¡­ Zeph chuckled sardonically as a thought hit him. ¡°Yes, they definitely ¡®covered¡¯ their tracks very well¡­¡± he whispered to himself, glancing at the bloody surfaces all around the room. The black humor alleviated some of the disgust and uneasiness he felt. He gave himself a moment before looking back at the body. Seeing that Sangsu stopped moving, he glanced at him, only to see a deep frown on his face as he looked at something inside the body. He was observing something that theoretically should be a liver. It appeared normal to Zeph¡¯s inexperienced sight. Ignoring the organ¡¯s strange shape, there was no indicator that something was wrong with it. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± he asked. ¡°The liver should be much brighter in color¡­ and I think it¡¯s swollen.¡± That almost seals the deal. Zeph nodded. But to disable at least three people at the same time with poison¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s check the rest of the organs, then the brain,¡± he instructed. They continued the gruesome work, but Sangsu didn¡¯t find any more abnormalities inside the torso. They managed to dig out a few projectiles that pierced it from the side, though. To no surprise, those were foreign bone fragments. The flesh around them was swollen and stiff; the blood clotted inside the veins, breaking them apart. Zeph took one of the fragments for inspection, but what was left of the projectile almost crumbled in his fingers when he removed it. Whatever was keeping it intact after the explosion, was now absent. It became clear just how badly the structure of the bone was damaged. Instead, he focused on one of the intact ribs of the dead woman. He tried to channel some of his Mana into it and, sure enough, the Energy Enhancements engraved in it flared weakly with renewed power. Something was wrong, though. He frowned. ¡°Some traces of Energy Enhancements on her bones are still active¡­ My Mana is being blocked.¡± Sangsu looked at him with surprise in his eyes, before trying for himself. But after a moment, it became clear that he was struggling to feel the difference. Zeph was using his Will to directly manipulate his Mana to be more precise. As a result, Willforce Morphon¡¯s ability activated, additionally strengthening his manipulation ability and intensifying the signals he was receiving from his Mana as it was disconnecting after making contact with the active Enhancement and matter. It took him but a moment to realize that his ability to manipulate and read Mana vastly overshadowed his commander¡¯s capabilities. Especially because the man was a melee fighter, and as so, focused on internal Mana manipulation mostly. The situation became even more concerning when he realized that most of the Energy Enhancements in the bone were broken in some way. Especially on the side of his commander, but on his own as well, the bones started to lose integrity as the two of them activated the traces. Such a thing should not happen if the bone was intact. He had an idea of what was happening, but it was not an evidence. Yet. Simply speaking, there were too many possibilities. He took a closer look. The normal Energy Enhancements were invisible to the naked eye, but he spotted miniature ridges all around the bone that weren¡¯t aligning with the flow of his Mana. They were hard to notice, even though they were much bigger and more crude than manual enchantments that Gru was testing in his own body. The blockages that his Mana met were standing in the way of activating those visible traces. Only small parts were flooded with it, but they didn¡¯t have any effect besides maybe frying the bone. Also, the ridges looked suspiciously similar to the damage his ¡®Primitive Enchanting¡¯ was making on solid materials. I lack information, he concluded, straightening his back. It looks suspicious, but¡­ I need confirmation. They forced two corpses to raise, despite the distance to the Undead Heart. Even if Aisha suggested that it was possible, it¡¯s just too many coincidences in one place. Or am I just too paranoid? No, let¡¯s ignore that possibility, he sighed. It wasn¡¯t one thing that threw him off. The whole situation looked like a staged act full of broken fragments of a puzzle. We are far from the marine visitors, too, so there is no reason to believe the Undead propagation was natural. Yet, there are no traces of ritual or enchantments¡­ Except for those strange traces on the bone of a dead body¡­ He would know. After scanning the room with his unrecognized Veil technique, he didn¡¯t find anything amiss. There were no Mana traces. The walls, floor, ceiling ¨C even the furniture ¨C were clear of any enchantments as well. Yet, it was another jarring hole in the theory that the two blown-up bodies belonged to the attackers, despite what others may think. Mana-related events almost always left traces. Especially the natural ones. Zeph was almost sure that someone, somehow, forced a creation of the undead and got rid of all tracks the best they could. Most probably concentrating on the physical evidence and Soul residue¡ªif such a thing even existed¡ªwhile somehow leveling out any Mana imbalance. Whereupon the problem was lying. The Mana was leveled out entirely across the room. Unnaturally so. ¡°Give me a moment, I need to check something¡­ You can start with the skull trepanation, it will take a while,¡± he said, aware of the lack of time and thus trying to multitask. Also, he wasn¡¯t sure how much trust the commander had in his expertise, so he decided it would be better to start the preparations for the next step instead of wasting his time on explanations. As Sangsu wordlessly started to work on the head, he accessed his Shrine Seed for the first time. Zeph wasn¡¯t planning anything fancy, as any physical alteration would be still too costly for the System. But what he needed now was knowledge, not tools. Firstly, he started searching through the Exchange. As restricted as the selection of active entries was, it was still showing the description of unavailable choices. The detailed descriptions were enough for him to assess if the options covered what he sought. He wanted to find a method to distinguish different Energy Enhancements superimposed on the bones and check if they were tampered with, so the first thing he searched for were information about Hannyajin, their natural Energy Enhancements, substitutes, and even enchanting blueprints with similar effects. The results were less than satisfactory, though. Only full-knowledge packages were available in the form of General Skills, while he just wanted to know what was deviating from the norm. Not how exactly those enhancements worked, or what Energy Enhancements were available for each species. He cursed internally. It was taking too much time already. It was time to test another function of the Seed, it seemed. System, System, can you hear me? he forced the Soul-memory transfer into the Seed, which was one of the strangest experiences he had until now. Talking with an inanimate object. With his Soul. He was slightly afraid that his Tabu would raise again, but it didn¡¯t move an inch. It took a few moments but in the end¡­
We knew it was a bad idea¡­
Telephone number to Sys, get! Zeph thought giddily, only slightly disappointed that he had to ruin the surprise early just for this case.
Sigh¡­ You know, we can ¡®hear¡¯ you right about now? The [Bandwidth] is wide open and the perceptive modules of the [Shrine Seed] fully active. What do you want? You are wasting our resources again¡­
The disgruntling question didn¡¯t scare Zeph. He smiled even more. It¡¯s a test that will help me with your commissions in the future. Anyway, I tried to use the Exchange, but nothing interesting showed up.
¡®Nothing interesting¡¯ huh? You better not try to bypass the costs, you ungenerous twit.
What can I say¡­ I am learning from the best? Also, what happened to ¡®mister customer¡¯? The quality of your services is dropping.
...
Okay, I¡¯m sorry. That was uncalled-for¡­
...
¡­Whatever. I have intact bones of recently-deceased Hannyajin and I want to know if their Energy Enhancements are in order. Hint ¨C they aren¡¯t. The price for the knowledge of what is wrong is on me, but I need to get results without paying for three different General Skills that won¡¯t help anyway because we are short on time. And, by the way, the blueprints and connected knowledge were even less helpful in that regard. You should think about creating a one-time expertise service. People will pay more for consultation in the long run. Zeph supplied his explanation with relevant Soul-memories, hoping that the System would accept this small test of long-distance communication.
That¡­ actually isn¡¯t a bad idea. The problem is ¨C you are the only person with a mobile [Shrine].
Ah, right¡­ sorry, he laughed, embarrassed. Anyway, can you do something like this for me? We are on the line anyway¡­
Send us the full picture. We will evaluate the [Soul memories] against the worth of knowledge you seek. No [physical scanning] on our part.
Yea, sure. He did just that and even before he could regain his senses fully, the System already gave him an answer.
Zeph Einar, this is the first and last time you are allowed to bother us with such trivial matters. We could understand if your life was at risk, but this situation is below the threshold of necessity by a huge margin. Nonetheless, it was a good test. We will not count that against you. This time. The pattern you found is responsible for the explosion. It destroyed the integrity of most of the existing [Energy Enhancements] in the bones, as you suspected. It¡¯s all you will have for free. We recorded this statement in your [Interface] so you can show it to the others. Have a terrible day, and don¡¯t contact us anymore.
Geee¡­ thanks for being an ass. How much for a list of Energy Enhancements available to Hannyajin before level one hundred?
10k.
Zeph blinked in surprise. It¡¯s¡­ actually cheap?
You could have asked your friends instead of paying for it.
He grimaced. It wasn¡¯t cheap. At all. It was the price for his stupidity. But now, he didn¡¯t have time to neither gain the detailed descriptions from his commander nor to fight him for trust. If the man¡ªor any other person from the gang, for that matter¡ªomitted some details, it could end badly for the whole case. Haaa¡­ I really need to speak with Kwan more¡­ Deal.
[Universal Points] detracted. Happy New Year.
The connection ended abruptly. The scrooge¡­ I am sure they know exactly what happened from my memories alone¡­ Zeph wanted to massage his temples, but the helmet was in the way, adding to his frustration. Instead, he started to read the list the System sent him. It was just what he needed, thankfully. ¡°You finished?¡± Sangsu asked from the side when he relaxed somehow. Looking at him, Zeph noticed that the trepanation was finished. And not just trepanation. The man got rid of most of the skull. ¡°Yea, sorry,¡± he sighed depressingly. ¡°Found anything?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the man nodded and pointed at a small section on the surface of the brain. ¡°I only noticed because you left me with nothing to do for so long¡­¡± Guilty! Zeph thought bitterly while moving closer. ¡°¡­but it seems that there are miniature blood clots all over the brain. Even in places that are not swollen.¡± After taking a closer look, Zeph nodded to himself. Neurotoxin. Figures ¨C it¡¯s the best fast-acting poison. That, or something that stops the heart, but everyone here should have EE working against the latter. His eyes narrowed. I think I know what is going on here¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s search for more clues,¡± he declared, turning to the dilapidated room. ¡°There is one last mystery to solve¡­¡± Chapter 86 - Nightmare Night, fourth part. Suddenly, everything makes sense! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Sangsu asked as Zeph carefully stepped closer to the explosion marks. ¡°Do we have any protection against eavesdropping?¡± Zeph asked instead. ¡°No. But La-Zora declared a total shutdown. All personnel is locked up in rooms with active enchantments with hand-picked guards. She is in the middle of checking the corridors with the rest of her group. After that, she will start inspecting people. Also, she checked the adjacent rooms and they are sealed now.¡± That should be enough, he nodded to himself. Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t have an undetectable bug planted¡­ Although, bugging a crime scene would be stupid in itself. ¡°Let¡¯s start with recounting, you can help me later. I guess that your people found the scene first?¡± he said, slowly scanning the rubble around the epicenter of the mess. ¡°Yes, during the ward round. The two of them made quick work of the Undead. Kahn reported directly to me as Jeongha kept guard. I was here in a minute with a few more fighters.¡± Zeph beckoned him to continue as he looked around. He would ask questions later ¨C to not imply anything just yet. It was important to have an unperturbed account of a witness first. ¡°The killed-off Undead already lain in a heap on the side. The three bodies of the deceased were lying on the ground around the round table. It seemed that they trashed in their last moments¡ªnoticeable by the dishes and chairs scattered around¡ªbut it was hard to tell if they struggled against opponents or if something else happened. Closer to the entrance were the two bodies that exploded. They reacted after I touched the closest one. The third one was on the other side of the table.¡± Noticing that the man finished, Zeph mentally clicked his tongue. He hoped for more details. ¡°How frequently the fighters were visiting the room during their rounds?¡± ¡°We were on high alert, so it should have been around every 15 minutes.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes narrowed. That was a very strict timeframe. ¡°Do you remember how many sets of dishes there were? How many glasses, specifically?¡± Sangsu thought on it for a moment¡ªprobably using his Memory PE¡ªbefore answering. ¡°For eight, maybe nine people. But that doesn¡¯t say much. According to reports, multiple people visited this room before the incident. Most don¡¯t care about the glassware they are leaving behind. We have people responsible for cleaning, after all.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ how are our numbers? How frequently did they visit this room?¡± ¡°Hard to tell, no one kept track of it¡­ At the time, we had 22 workers and 16 combatants on a break. All are Hannyajins, as per previous orders. Another 16 combatants were either patrolling or guarding our rooms and the staircase¡­¡± Zeph nodded. More Hannyajins joined their ranks after Kwan got the land in the city. Some of them were people she had sent to other towns and cities when she was still in North Tarak. Some were newcomers who lived nearby. Their gang almost tripled in size; now sporting over 200 members overall. Not even half were dedicated fighters but, Hannyajins being Hannyajins, most of them had necessary prerequisites. For this operation, every capable hand was made a combatant. And almost one-fourth of their overall fighting force was now in this building. ¡°¡­They occupied at least ten rooms, but most of them used guest rooms further back the corridor. This one was used only because it had a good selection of rare liquors. For that exact reason, it was visited mostly by the workers, as our combatants would not allow themselves to get drunk. The deceased are all from our staff; none from the fighting force.¡± Hmmm¡­ despite setting this trap, the enemy achieved very little¡­ Sowing mistrust among the members, maybe. Especially if the culprit is still alive. But killing five people at once would be a huge strain on their Soul¡­ Would they be able to cope? Without blowing their disguise? On the other hand, it¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s all. A suicide mission of an infiltrator wouldn¡¯t do much in the long run. Especially because it¡¯s not easy to make a spy from a Hannyajin¡ª His train of thought was interrupted when he found what he was looking for. Sure, many strange, suspicious, or outright improbable acts were done in this place, but Zeph wasn¡¯t knowledgeable enough about Soul Arts to come to any solid conclusion. The only esoteric field he would dare call his specialization, was Mana. And he knew that to normalize Mana types and density over a whole room, going as far as clearing residue Magicules from inside solid matter, was no easy feat by any means. Not without satiating the space fully with one¡¯s Veil. But not only there was not enough time for that, the culprit would have to get rid of his Mana before leaving while somehow keeping Ambient Mana from cluttering the air once again. It just wasn¡¯t doable, and an unnecessary hassle ¨C the room wouldn¡¯t look this¡­ bare if the Ambient Mana flooded the void in such a way, but it would surely make for a better cover. And if the person left their Mana in the room, everyone would feel it. Of course, they disrupted the normalized Mana a long time ago. Not to mention the short fight and explosions that happened before that. They mixed things a little. But Zeph still remembered how smooth the Mana was in the room and its general vicinity in comparison to the hallway further back. When he started scanning the air and surfaces with his Mana tendrils and his unfinished technique, he sometimes felt like moving through a Manaless space because of the uniformity and the lack of clumps of Magicules. No, a certain item had to be used. Zeph could think of only one solution. The best part was, the most logical thing to do was to set it off on the table or one of the chairs, as the explosions should cover any tracks it would leave. And indeed, a few pieces of a broken, wooden chair sported irregular, flacked indents. The wood beneath and around the spots was cracked and weakened. He played with the broken parts for a moment, trying to roughly puzzle them together. ¡°How was the screening before the incident, by the way?¡± he asked absentmindedly. Because of all this ruckus, he never learned if they found anyone marked by Ghrughah¡¯s contraptions. ¡°We managed to finish them while waiting for you, but nothing out of the ordinary. We only had a basic truth-telling device, but it is more than enough for our brethren. No one was marked in the tunnels, and everyone seemed to be in their right mind¡­ Well, that last part was a rushed job because of the incident. We decided it would be better to leave the thorough inspection to Aisha, either way.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes narrowed. I see¡­ A moment later, he put down the last part of the seat. Riddled with holes as it was, all elements still seemed to fit quite nicely. In the center, a small, circular indentation of flacked and cracked wood was now revealed. It was smaller than his hand and only a few millimeters deep, but the rough surface was a dead giveaway. Gru, why wouldn¡¯t you try to find your favorite snack? he sent to his companion while removing the glove from his right hand. Grrraa! it sent an imaginary vibration, happily obliging and moving a few of his appendages closer to Zeph skin. ¡°We are almost done,¡± Zeph declared, not turning around. ¡°Can you bring my spear and the crate near the door? What color is the powder you brought?¡± Gru, are you keeping an eye open? Grawways! his companion confirmed. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s crimson red. It¡¯s the strongest color I could find,¡± Sangsu said, lifting the crate and moving towards the spear. Of course it¡¯s crimson red¡­ Zeph thought, rolling his eyes. I just hope they don¡¯t use it as body paint before a battle¡­ ¡°Then, find some white fabric, too. The silkier, the better. It can be a handkerchief, or something similar. As always, the more the better.¡± ¡°Will be done.¡± The man shrugged. Zeph could feel it in his Veil when Sangsu walked past. Gru kept his eye-on-a-stalk¡ªthe one on Zeph¡¯s back¡ªnear the armor surface, making it look like a small, black bead that was partially sticking out from between the plates. It was enough for Gru to see what was happening behind their collective back, so Zeph didn¡¯t have to worry about a surprise attack. He really couldn¡¯t wait to try and learn the sensory-sharing technique, though. Zeph put his bare hand on the wood. As the commander put down the equipment and left the room, Gru immediately broke through Zeph¡¯s skin. Six black, thin appendages started wiggling and squirming all around, searching. They quickly scanned the surface and, not finding any trail, started to push into the many cracks and holes. After a few seconds, one of them started wiggling wildly and the other five quickly retracted and attacked the same place from different angles, pushing aggressively into the material. Merrrcurrr! Gru confirmed his finding ecstatically. Good! Finish quickly and hide. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Gra! It didn¡¯t take longer than a heartbeat and the small deposit of mercury was empty. Zeph stood up and kicked the wood away, scattering the fragments against the wall. It would be better if no one noticed what he has found just yet. He would prefer to keep an eye on Sangsu, but there was no way he would show Gru¡¯s real body openly. Also, this small gesture was paramount to build some trust between them. It wouldn¡¯t do to treat him like a suspect. He left the room and started preparing the tools. He spread a few sheets of paper on the floor, then started putting small amounts of glue on them using a small spatula. He had, all in all, seven different types of glue. Some started to dry already because the jars weren¡¯t hermetic, but it was of no consequence. A moment later, Sangsu returned with a few patches of white fabric. Instead of interrupting Zeph, he looked closely at what he was doing. Zeph cleaned the spatula with a rag and started rubbing it with his naked hand to put some grease on it. ¡°Ah, right¡­ Sangsu, can you dip your fingers in blood and touch a paper with fingertips only? Wait until there is barely any left on your fingers, and do not use any force¡­ and do it quickly.¡± The commander looked at him quizzically. ¡°Is that a new method of tracking?¡± ¡°Not new for me. But I am unsure if it will work for your people. The marks left by a finger can be unrecognizable for some races.¡± Sangsu nodded in understanding and left his fingerprints on the page in quick order, using blood from one of the Zombiefied bodies. Taking a good look at the imprints, it was clear that this method should work. The shapes were all wrong ¨C more like vertical, wavy groves ¨C but each finger had a different pattern. ¡°Should I prepare more blood?¡± Sangsu suggested after seeing the results. ¡°Yea, good idea.¡± Zeph nodded. As the commander returned to the room, Zeph focused on the spatula and placed his index finger on the surface, pushing slightly. Next, he checked the powder. Thankfully, it was a whole set that even had a soft powder brush. He didn¡¯t ask for it to simplify things, but he was grateful for the small improvement. Three other colors were present, all in different shades of red. The flat, round glass containers kept the contents from escaping, as all material was in a powdered state. He took a pinch of the crimson-red, closing the container right after, and spread it on the spatula. After brushing it delicately, he put it down and started touching the glue-covered sheets with his bare hand, trying to find one that was the most viscous. After choosing one, he pressed it against the spatula holding his fingerprint. The results were mixed. On one hand, he managed to take all of the powder from the surface. On the other, the glue moved slightly, distorting the imprint. He repeated the procedure many times, using all types of glue in different states of dryness while noting the observations in his Notebook. After half an hour, he had four similarly-effective options. Next, he tested them with the fabric. It was a little tricky because of how stretchy it was, but he quickly learned a trick to have the material uniformly spread on a hard, flat surface. In the end, he chose the glue that dried the fastest ¨C for obvious reasons. Though, he would have to time it properly because he only had one chance. As so, instead of going directly for the doors of the crime scene, he trained on the handles of nearby doors. As with any normal doors in this civilization, the handle was affixed to the surface and used only for pushing or pulling. Spring mechanisms keeping a door shut had rollers, so opening one was as easy as exerting a bit of force in either direction. Locking mechanisms, no matter if mechanical or enchanted, were always placed either in the center of the door or on a nearby wall ¨C like in this case ¨C and each one was different from another. There was no standardization of any kind for locks and keys, after all. After making three repeats successfully in a row, Zeph was confident enough to go for the real deal. Powdering. Gently stocking with a brush. Applying glue on the fabric. Counting to two hundred and twenty. He could already see that only seven fingerprints on the handle were intact. The rest was smeared by the last few hands that touched it. It was a surprisingly good result, in his opinion. Now! He finished counting and lifted the fabric. Very carefully ¨C to not stretch or fold it in any way ¨C he covered the top, then the sides of the handle. Thankfully, not only its shape was rather simple ¨C just a thick, metal bar with rounded edges, bent like a hook ¨C but he also didn¡¯t find any fingerprint at the bottom. Zeph grimaced, seeing a small fold on the fabric on the inside bent. He expected some because of the shape, but it landed right in the middle of one of the fingerprints. Sighing in defeat, he used a folded sheet of paper to delicately press the fabric to the sides of the handle. After a few seconds, he pulled it away. As he expected, one of the fingerprints was split in half by the fold. He quickly put the cloth on the ground, making sure the fabric was straight but relaxed, and put a smear of glue directly in the center of the white scar. By pinching the top and bottom, he formed a small fold going through the scar and the whole height of the piece of cloth. The line didn¡¯t touch any of the intact fingerprints, thankfully. After making sure that he aligned the cloth correctly, he used the back of the brush to press the fold down, avoiding the cracked fingerprint by pressing beneath and above it. Mildly satisfied with his work, he turned to the second handle. ¡°Sangsu, can you make sure the fold is aligned properly? As the solidifying concoction dries, it may deform the material.¡± His new assistant nodded and took over the watch duty. Heh¡­ when did that happen, he thought mirthfully while preparing to handle the second¡­ Handle¡­ he realized and grimaced. Ugh. I hate English sometimes. Anyway, from now on I dub Sangsu the Watson. At least in my head. This time, he managed to do a perfect imprint. The internal handle was less important in his mind, so he cursed himself for starting with the external one. He kneeled down and meticulously laid the cloth on the floor, then straightened up to take a deeper breath. ¡°Hah, it¡¯s done. Now we just have to wait and we are done here.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Sangsu asked. ¡°Ten minutes? It should be enough,¡± he said, putting back his glove. Zeph looked around. The hallway stretched for twenty meters, or so, before turning southward on both ends. Ten doors dotted the walls sparsely. He and Sangsu were occupying the hallway¡¯s left side, while the commander¡¯s right-hand man was standing near the hallway¡¯s turn opposite to them. Behind him and the bent, were the guest rooms. Zeph wondered if Aisha started her interrogation already. I am not sure how to present all this without causing even more trouble for us¡­ The morale has to be quite low right now¡­ Shaking his head, he started to gather their belongings. He never was a leading type of character, so he decided to leave the problem in Aisha¡¯s hands for the most part. Just as he was showing Sangsu how to match the fingerprints by overlapping the sheet of paper and the now-hardened cloth while placing a source of light behind both, a loud noise of something breaking through a wooden door startled them. Immediately, Zeph could hear multiple shouts coming from the direction of the guest rooms as people yelled at each other. But one scream dwarfed any other. ¡°You dare to LIE in my presence!¡± the unmistakable, throaty voice of Aisha absolutely overpowered the noise, forcing others to quiet down. They exchanged a quick glance, then bolted for their gear and items. Sangsu grabbed the crate and Zeph took the lead with his spear at the ready. Weak, distant laughter, interrupted by wet coughs, could be heard as they run for the guest rooms. As Zeph made the turn, he saw Aisha hesitating as a woman on the floor tried to laugh despite her broken bones and caved-in chest. The blood was pouring from her mouth, slowly forming a puddle under her malformed body. And yet, she laughed. The remnants of the door were laying slightly to their left ¨C the strengthened material didn¡¯t break even after the force of impact dislodged them from the doorframe. Zeph slowed his charge to a trot, raising a fist to signal Sangsu to stay behind him. He could feel when Gru activated the item-faking skin tattoo/enchantment a few times in a row. The side of his hip got slightly numb from it. ¡°And what will you do about it, Priestess?¡± the woman asked in a raspy, wheezing voice. ¡°You want confirmation? Cough¡­ Yes, I am responsible for their deaths, heh¡ª¡± She tried to laugh, but all that came was just a violent fit of coughing. Aisha¡¯s eyes squinted. Zeph recognized this look on her face. The woman would be dead already if she didn¡¯t want something from her. He stopped three meters from the scene, relaxing his battle-ready posture. ¡°What are you waiti.. Gah!¡± the woman choked and wheezed before taking another deep breath. She was losing strength, and quickly. ¡°Kill me¡­ hah¡­ Or I will do¡­ it myself¡­¡± So that¡¯s why Aisha is hesitating! Zeph realized and took a battle stance once again. Self-hostage. If she can blow herself up like the people in that room¡­. He took a few steps back and made sure to cover for Sangsu and the valuable cargo he was holding. He also started forming a force shield he invented back in the Barringstone and took a better grip on his Veil, moving it to the front. Meanwhile, Aisha frowned. ¡°Is that all? Is that your pride, Mijalo the Hannyajin?!¡± she shouted the last part with anger and deep resentment. ¡°Like... I had¡­ a choice¡­¡° Mijalo croaked, closing her eyes. No Hannaya! HUMAN! Gru sent suddenly, and Zeph could see Aisha¡¯s eyes widening after receiving the message. She jumped back into the room just as the body started to rapidly bloat, while Zeph concentrated on his Veil. Instead of a frag-grenade-like explosion made of bones, the body raptured, splattering the vicinity with a foul mix of blood and sickly-yellow substance. The stench was unbearable. Even if Zeph¡¯s shield caught the speedy droplets, the mist of sprayed liquids quickly covered the whole hallway. Zeph stabilized his mind with Will, and forced himself to take a deep breath to hold it. He turned, took a few empty sheets of paper out of the crate Sangsu was holding, reeling back as he was, and patted him to get his attention. He gestured for him to run back, trying to express why. The paper and clothes were getting wet. After his assistant started retreating, Zeph quickly run for the corpse. The chest cavity was full of melted organs. Nothing was left but yellow, green, and black sludge. It was impressive, in a way. An enchantment or Spell that could do so much damage to the body in such a short time. The woman¡¯s fingers were already wet with blood, so he just made sure to smear the excess on her clothes before making a few imprints on the paper. They weren¡¯t ideal, as he refused to put the paper on any solid surface for the fear of it soaking the liquids spread all around. He used his gloved hand as a board, right after using the already-wet, surface sheets to clean it up, of course. As he was rolling up the papers Aisha slowly came closer. Her body was steaming and her Veil was blocking the doorframe to the room, forming a mist around it as the heat-realated-Magicules vaporized the foul aerosol from the vicinity. She was holding a wet piece of cloth to her face, too, covering her mouth and nose. ¡°Any results?¡± she asked in a muffled voice. ¡°I need to purge the place, and we need to move. If this attack is biological in nature¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have to explain more to him. It was the exact reason he was in a hurry right now. If some kind of biological weapon was once again at play, many of their people would die. His immunological system could probably deal with anything the enemy could throw at him right now, and with minimal effort at that, but the longer others were exposed to the pathogens, the more risk they were in. ¡°Move everyone to one room.¡± He already had an idea of how she wanted to proceed with this ¡®purge¡¯ she spoke of. Flooding the whole building with caustic gases, that is. It would clean more than just the filth, though. ¡°But I need her whole arm. I can take care of it,¡± he forced himself to take another breath to be able to speak. ¡°Take this to a safe place and wait until I make the arm safe,¡± he handed her the rolled-up papers. ¡°I will reveal my findings before everyone.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± She easily chopped the arm off and dropped her weapon on the floor, causing another burst of mist, then took the papers in her¡ªprobably sterilized by the heat¡ªhand. Somehow, it was already cooled down, because the paper didn¡¯t fry at all. ¡°Wait for a moment.¡± She turned back and handed the papers to someone in the room, giving orders. Gru, what happened back then? he used the moment he had to ask his companion about his last warning. Died. Suicided. Ate a big fragment! Gru sent back, alongside a slightly-confusing Soul memory. No Hannaya inside! Mostly human inside! A bodily-modified human¡­ Zeph concluded. He would smile, if not for the damage the suicide explosion actually did. But it fitted perfectly. Seeing the Hannyajin organizing and Aisha slowly walking up to him, he knew the time to unveil the story behind the latest events was nearing. Chapter 87 - Nightmare Night, final part. Case closed. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] Zeph and Sangsu visited one of the rooms that was too far away for the putrid aerosol to fully reach it, and made a few more copies of the woman¡¯s fingerprints using the severed arm. The doors to all rooms were mostly airtight ¨C courtesy of Ghrughah ¨C so it was just a matter of cleaning up the appendage and their own equipment instead of worrying about the colloidal suspension of particles in the air¡­ and their contents. Or any biological hazard they could bring, for that matter. Zeph didn¡¯t like the fact that they had to remove the woman¡¯s arm, but he would rather have some evidence that she wasn¡¯t a Hannyajin as no one should be able to find out about that from the Soul fragments alone. Yet, that information was an important part of the puzzle, too. Besides that, even if Aisha¡¯s ¡®purge¡¯ wouldn¡¯t melt the body, he was almost sure it would change into putty by itself soon enough. After making more copies of her fingerprints, they compared them to the ones from the handles. Thankfully, the small amount of bloody aerosol that landed on the fabric wasn¡¯t enough to influence the powder traces encased in hardened glue. They found a match for three of the seven fingerprints taken from the external handle and two of the four fingerprints from the internal one. The superimposed imprints weren¡¯t perfectly aligned, but the sheer amount of light that managed to squeeze through the gaps was enough of an indicator. As expected¡­ Zeph smirked internally. ¡°Sangsu, check the arm for anything strange,¡± he ordered his assistant, who nodded resolutely. As expected, the man immediately found discrepancies in the elbow joint. Hannyajins had physiology very similar to normal human races, but their bodies were built to sustain their increased strength. Their bones and joints were built much more solidly. It wasn¡¯t hard to find evidence even without cutting the arm open, especially in the absence of the sickening fluids that previously covered the entire body of the deceased woman. After a quick exchange of insights, they covered the arm in one of the useless glues, just in case, and packed up. Zeph used a combination of Stabilized ¡®Air Sphere¡¯ and ¡®Force wave¡¯ to keep the air clean as they exited and quickly followed after the others. They didn¡¯t worry about small amounts of the putrid substance they would bring along, as nobody would be able to fully clean themselves after crossing the corridor, but their equipment had to stay as clean as possible ¨C thus the precautions. They weren¡¯t the last ones to enter the third floor¡¯s main meeting room. Even as they tried to push through the small crowd, Aisha was interrogating the last of the workers at the entrance. In the meeting room, an improvised stage was formed from tables and set by the wall to the right ¨C the current objective of Zeph¡¯s floundering through the mob. Woongar ¨C Aisha¡¯s commander ¨C was already waiting for them there, but even with his shouted commands, their journey was painfully arduous. People were highly stressed and scared; looking around haphazardly like a flock of chickens waiting for their turn at a butcher¡¯s coop. Zeph was sure that the only thing keeping them from panicking or outright rebelling was the presence of the Warrior Priestess and their two commanders. Or maybe he was wrong and they could keep it together by the sheer hardness of their thick sculls, it was difficult to tell. Either way, it took them a good minute to arrive at the stage. Zeph hopped on the meter-high platform as soon as he saw it. He was quickly followed by his ¡®trusty¡¯ assistant carrying their supplies. He sighed in relief after finding some personal space. Even if the improvised platform was small, it was still much better than being squeezed by the crowd. Ah.. right¡­ the Veils, he finally found the source of his discomfort. The space was much too small for that many people. Their Veils were clashing with each other, stripping everyone from their natural perception range the more the denser the crowd was. But Zeph was not going to back up now. Not after Aisha¡¯s efforts; not after what he found. The last member of the building¡¯s personnel entered the room a few minutes later, followed quickly by Aisha and her retinue. The double doors were shut, making an atypical, sucking sound right after. People¡¯s heads immediately snapped in the direction of the new sound¡ªsome of them even hopping up to get a better view¡ªbut the visage of the Priestess seemed to placate their raising anxiety. Aisha grimaced as soon as she entered the room. Instead of moving through the mass of bodies, she shrugged and took a stance. Zeph only managed to grimace slightly as she threw her warhaxammer at him like a javelin. Despite the surprise, he easily grabbed the handle as it passed above his head and¡ªafter feeling that it was dragging him along¡ªreleased the grip on his spear to force a backflip. He strained his muscles to change the warhaxammer¡¯s head movement into a downward circular swing, pulling down hard with his right hand while pushing the back of the weapon¡¯s shaft up with his newly-freed hand. As a result, he heaved his whole body up in a counter-balance act. Thankfully, he managed to catch the weapon near its head with his right hand. Otherwise, the maneuver would be impossible. It ended up better, and worse, than he expected it to go. Better, because not only he didn¡¯t break anything in his body just yet, but he also succeeded in keeping the weapon from destroying the wall or the improvised platform. Worse, because after the half-somersault that he managed to make, his shins and straightened-out feet dug deeply into the wooden panels of the wall as his body was thrown at it by the impossibly large momentum generated by Aisha¡¯s throw. If not for the additional plates that Ghrughah inserted into his armor, his legs would be broken. For sure. Using the remnants of the weapon''s velocity, he managed to finish the upward arc of the swing and brought it above his horizontally-planted body. Then, he pulled it toward himself to free his legs from the remnants of the wooden paneling. The weapon¡¯s mass, his strength, and the flexibility of his body were enough to drag him out. He tried to land straight on his feet. Alas, he miscalculated the strength necessary and landed on his backside while bonking his own head with the shaft. At least he couldn¡¯t feel that through his armor this time¡­ After taking a few deep breaths, he realized that there was a strange silence in the room. Blinking, he looked around. With stupefied faces, the gathered were looking right back at him. Even Aisha had had her mouth slightly open; her hand still reaching forward after the throw, suspended. Ugh¡­ I wasn¡¯t supposed to do that? he asked himself while clumsily placing the warhaxammer on the stage¡¯s floor. Even with his strength being multiplied three times over, the 20 kg of metal on a long and similarly heavy shaft was just too unwieldy. He looked up once again, only to see Aisha¡¯s running form. She was using people¡¯s shoulders as stepping stones to reach the podium. Her movements weren¡¯t as graceful as he had grown accustomed to because she had to constantly fight for balance, but the method served its purpose ¨C in but a moment she was standing beside him. Going by the grimaces of the Hannyajin warriors she stepped on, it was clear that she wouldn¡¯t be able to use the same method with an additional thirty-something-kilogram weight in her hands. Not without breaking some bones. If that¡¯s the case, why did catching her weapon cause that strange reaction? he thought, a little lost. ¡°You should re-evaluate your reaction times,¡± Aisha said to him, lifting her weapon from the podium¡¯s floor. ¡°And, by the way, good work! You even managed to uncover the real wall for me,¡± she said with a smile and lightly kicked up his spear for him to catch. What¡¯s with my reaction times? he wondered, frowning slightly as he snatched his weapon from the air and stood up. Gru? he tried, but his companion stayed silent. ¡°Stop being stupid and minimize the size of your Veils!¡± Aisha shouted to the crowd. ¡°Push them through the amulets and into the Mana gathering system! This room is isolated from the rest of the building so Mana density is getting too high!¡± She gestured to the wall that Zeph just peeled himself off of. ¡°Stop whining and get to work. Also, are you finally satisfied?¡± she asked, squinting her eyes. ¡°Or are you going to complain again?¡± she asked, glaring in a challenge at the people below, but no one seemed eager to even look her in the eyes. ¡°No? Then you better take seriously Einar¡¯s report. Sangsu was there as well, for your information. You can solve your trust issues later ¨C our situation is too serious to allow for insubordination. Are we clear?!¡± Zeph looked back at the destroyed paneling. Behind the wood that his legs smashed apart, was a solid, silvery-gray metal. There was not even a scratch on its smooth surface. His eyes opened wide when he processed what Aisha just said. N-no way¡­ right? Just because I caught the weapon¡­ He looked back at the people. Despite being crowded, they were now much more relaxed. He even spotted a few nods of respect. These¡­ His jaw clenched. These fucking musclebrains! he screamed internally. Meanwhile, Aisha was continuing with her speech. ¡°You already saw that one of yours was involved in the murder. No more empty speculation! Being prideful and being blind are two different things! Don¡¯t make me regret putting so much faith in you¡­¡± she sighed and leaned on her weapon. The room was silent. People¡¯s gazes hardened with resolve as their shoulders sagged in embarrassment. Aisha was no longer shouting. ¡°There is a long relationship between us¡­ I have a deep respect for your group. So please, don¡¯t prove me wrong¡­¡± The last words were spoken in a whisper, but Zeph was sure everyone heard her despite that. The ensuing silence lasted only for a few seconds. ¡°Zeph,¡± she finally addressed him. ¡°What did you find?¡± All eyes turned to him. He looked down, weighing his options. It didn¡¯t take him long to arrive at a conclusion, though. Aisha, thank you. Maybe we can finish this without any drama¡­ He looked up, straightening up. ¡°I want to¡­ ask something first¡­¡± He looked around, receiving curious looks from everyone. ¡°Can any of you use advanced external Mana manipulation?¡± There was a pause before everyone looked at Aisha¡¯s commander, who was standing to their left. The man was slightly taken aback. ¡°Well¡­ yes. I sure can help if you need something,¡± Woongar said, getting a hold of himself. Sangsu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not quite there yet, but I am getting close, so I can also try to help. What needs to be done?¡± he asked, looking back at Zeph. ¡°Nothing,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m asking because the culprit is a Hannyajin with¡ª¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Aisha¡¯s weapon was faster than his words. A loud crack interrupted him. Woongar¡¯s limp body hit the wall after a lightning-fast strike with the weapon¡¯s shaft. Zeph was almost sure he saw an electrical discharge for a moment there. Aisha was by the body the next instant, touching his head. The difference in strength was ridiculous, even if her level was, most probably, much lower than his. No wonder they respect her¡­ But she had to be ready to strike this whole time¡­ Zeph realized. Startled by the sudden attack, everyone was just gaping. Thankfully, no one made a move before she spoke out. ¡°I¡¯ve made sure he will stay down for a whole day,¡± she declared, turning to the crowd. ¡°We will hear his part when the time comes.¡± People gulped, probably realizing how close they were from making wrong assumptions and, subsequently, taking an even worse action. ¡°Is he the only one?¡± Zeph asked, carefully scanning people¡¯s expressions. ¡°Y-yes,¡± Sangsu said, now much less confident. ¡°Then, let me explain what have happened back in that room¡­¡± He crossed his arms while leaning against the wall. His spear was pressed against his shoulder as he still was holding it with one hand. ¡°First, let¡¯s confirm how it looked from an outside perspective. The narration of the past events should go something like this: ¡®Two infiltrators from the Temple of Pure Souls took out a handful of our people with the purpose of sowing distrust between us all. They have killed themselves to set a trap for our commanders, while making sure nothing was left of their bodies to investigate. Thus, we would start looking among ourselves for traitors. Most probably, it was a reaction to our private conversation stating that this whole scenario was a trap. And, as it turned out, a working trap. Mijalo was found lying to our Priestess. And was eliminated. She also exploded herself. This suggests that the two already-dead spies weren¡¯t capable of her level of disguise but possessed similar methods of self-destruction.¡¯ Is that right?¡± He looked around, receiving only nods in response. The problem with exploding bodies was ¨C it wasn¡¯t really doable to produce such an effect on a carcass. Booby-trapping a corpse with Spells? That would be a hell of work, even without it being fresh. A working physical grenade would do the job, but those were all Mana-powered explosions without any evident item causing them. In normal circumstances, freshly deceased flesh was still saturated with the entity¡¯s Mana, and with a density much higher than the atmosphere would allow for. Add to that the amount of liquids still present, and you receive the worst, hangover-inducting material to work with. Those traces on the bones ¨C the ones responsible for the explosion, according to the System Onji ¨C couldn¡¯t be done with his Shamanic enchanting. Trying anything like that without directly opening the body was almost impossible for people below level 100. Not to mention, it would leave traces; ¡®magical¡¯ and physical. Additionally, the culprit had 15 minutes to do all this, and only in the best-case scenario. Enchanting anything this complicated in that timeframe was a ridiculous notion. And people here understood all of that very well. Moreover, the trigger mechanism supported that theory. An active, Self-sustaining Spell had to be placed on the bodies. There was no other way for the bomb to react to the touch. Of course, it was somewhat suspicious that no one triggered them during the fight with the two Zombies, but the exact setup wasn¡¯t that important when Skills and Spells were involved. Be it a timer, or another method of timing the activation, it just showed how well the enemy was prepared. That¡¯s why everyone thought that the infiltrators just bought or created the necessary Body Enhancements or Enchantments beforehand. That¡¯s why everyone assumed that the two exploding bodies belonged to the infiltrators. This notion was additionally strengthened by Mijalo¡¯s spectacularly explosive death. ¡°But!¡± Zeph shouted, pushing away from the wall and slowly pacing along the podium. ¡°What would that achieve?¡± he asked rhetorically. ¡°In the long run, there would be no damage. Trust can be rebuilt. We have the tools necessary to ascertain where people¡¯s loyalties lay. No, the impact of this attack isn¡¯t even close to what it could have become.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°If I was in their place, I would detonate near someone important instead of setting up this whole scenario. Done correctly, it would have the potential to sow even more chaos, as it would imply that we are unaware of the bombs inside of our bodies; that we are mentally manipulated, so to say.¡± That was another thing. Straight mind control wasn¡¯t possible, but their opponents were Soul specialists. It was easy to imagine ¨C and assume ¨C that they could modify Soul memories or somehow manipulate the existing Soul links connected to a living body. With enough preparation, a lot could have been done. Theoretically. No matter how unbelievable it sounded, Soul Arts were always shrouded in mystery. Of course, the System should be able to block such Soul manipulation attempts, but until someone traveled to a higher stratum, it was very difficult to find reliable sources of information on the topic. As so, people feared the unknown, ignoring the impossibility of it all. Just as they always tend to. Well, that knowledge was available. But not without a ludicrous amount of UP and money. ¡°They didn¡¯t even attack the warriors. Just our personnel. It was the first and most important clue! A clue showing that it was merely a cover mission!¡± he shouted, turning to the crowd. A murmur started to reverberate in the room as people discussed his words. ¡°And the timing couldn¡¯t be better!¡± he raised his voice even more. ¡°Our two commanders were in the middle of interrogating the staff. And who would be interrogated at the end?¡± he asked rhetorically. ¡°The commanders themselves¡­¡± Sangsu weakly stated, his eyes wide. Zeph nodded, pointing in his direction. ¡°Exactly. The trap was set for you specifically. After you were injured, Woongar continued with the ¡®interrogation¡¯ by himself. Hiding Mijalo. Or rather, setting up another distraction for us. Check his fingerprints, by the way. None should match, if I am not mistaken.¡± He looked directly at the crowd as his assistant jumped for the supplies in the crate. ¡°But let¡¯s start from the beginning. That¡¯s what happened according to the evidence we have found¡­ ¡°After hearing about the trap set by our Guild, Woongar panicked. He started prioritizing his own survival, of course. I can¡¯t tell if he was manipulated, or if this was his own conscious decision,¡± he said before people started to ask questions. Thankfully, the random talks subsided. ¡°It¡¯s something we will check later. Anyway, during the early stages of the investigation period, he had found a perfect timing to enter that room. He is a commander, so timing his moves should have been trivial. He was receiving all reports from the watch, after all. ¡°Of course, Mijalo was the one to open the doors.¡± He looked to the side. Sangsu, hearing the pause, looked back from his inspection, then shook his head. As predicted¡­ Zeph thought before returning to his speech. ¡°Not only that, I think Woongar didn¡¯t even touch the furniture, glassware, or people that were inside. Our Priestess here is a no joke.¡± He nodded at Aisha, and some people laughed nervously at that. ¡°The reason he visited them instead of the warriors was threefold. Firstly, I think he still didn¡¯t want to kill his direct subordinates. Secondly, our personnel was drinking freely at the time. By coming to that room, greeting the ¡®lowly¡¯ workers, nobody would object against a free drink offered by Mijalo when he ordered her to prepare something.¡± Zeph paused, looking around the room to see if they managed to connect the dots or if someone would object. Sadly, it was a resounding ''no'' to both. He clicked his tongue silently in disappointment. ¡°The only intact body in that room¡­ We checked it, and she was killed by a neurotoxin,¡± he said, using a Rui word. Some people seemed to understand what that meant, their eyes widening. ¡°Except for the explosion-inflicted wounds, the body had no injuries of any kind. They ingested a poison. It also explains why nobody heard them struggling. And why the two non-explosive bodies were turned into Zombies ¨C forcing you to destroy their heads¡­ but about that in a moment. I know how rare such poisons are. But you need to remember that our personnel isn¡¯t that high in levels or rich in UP. And that our opponents were prepared!¡± he shouted the last part, as the crowd¡¯s murmur was getting loud again. ¡°They had a commander on their side! Mijalo confirmed her involvement directly under the full scrutiny of Zora! Remember that! That leads us to the third reason he visited that room! Energy Enhancements!¡± The crowd fell silent once again. ¡°The only reason that woman¡¯s body didn¡¯t blow up, was because of her Energy Enhancement for Power milestone that she chose. It¡¯s impossible to tell if the two exploded bodies belonged to infiltrators. I can easily see him sacrificing the obvious spies for the cause, but nothing was left of them. Either way, that doesn¡¯t change the outcome! The ¡®Bone invulnerability¡¯ that that woman took as her EE is sustainable during Mana depletion!¡± he declared and started sending the Effigy of the System information packet on the EE that he bought. ¡°Sadly, I was unable to ascertain if she was geared with this exact EE. But! We confirmed an existing EE on the bones that was blocking other traces from activating! It¡¯s either this or a variation! And, most importantly, we have found traces of post-death enchantment imprinted on the bones. System Onji confirmed this finding personally!¡± he, once again, started to send Effigies of the message recorded in his Interface. Without System confirmation, it would be very difficult to present this detail as a piece of evidence. After all, nobody knew about his abilities in external Mana manipulation. He thanked the greedy god, even if they were an ass for the most part. It took a while to send the Effigies to everyone. Thankfully, he was able to use the trick to send them without physical contact. It required him to touch someone¡¯s body with a Mana tendril. His Mana generation wasn¡¯t up to par with the dissipation rate, sadly. But when he finished, the mood in the room changed. He spotted a few warriors that were gripping their weapons so hard, their fingers started paling. ¡°Also, according to my knowledge,¡± he continued after taking back the crowd¡¯s attention, ¡°there is only one way someone could imprint an enchantment on the bones without leaving traces inside of the body. They Zombified them all,¡± he said, glancing at Aisha. She was still near Woongar, keeping a hand on his head. Hearing him, she frowned, but nodded a moment later. He took a deep breath and looked forward. ¡°As you should know, Undead bodies are vulnerable to changes directed by the Soul conglomeration linked to them, and vice versa. My standing theory is that they had a pre-prepared Soul conglomeration at hand that was filled with the information on that one bone enchantment. And those, by nature, wouldn¡¯t be able to truly move the body. So instead of leaving them in that state, they disconnected them after making sure the imprint on the bones was finished. Mind you, it¡¯s just a theory¡­¡± ¡°A very unlikely theory,¡± Aisha interrupted. ¡°Even if that was what happened, imprinting the bones in just a few minutes isn¡¯t easy. You also ignored the fact, that I would definitely feel the conglomeration if it was close¡­¡± ¡°I already proved he wasn¡¯t working alone,¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°Is it doable, or not?¡± Aisha frowned, thinking deeply. In the end, she just sighed. ¡°Doable. But you have no evidence.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± he smirked, ¡°I think I may have. Raising Undead would require not only specialized Soul Arts, but an enormous amount of Organic Magicules along with potent Spells and Skills, correct?¡± Aisha nodded. ¡°Well then. That¡¯s probably why someone brought a Hydrargyrum-based Manasolid and allowed it to dissipate on a chair¡­¡± People shouted in disbelief. That was exactly the reason he asked about advanced Mana manipulation. Only people with that ability could potentially bring a Manasolid into the building without being noticed. The compression boxes were big and bulky ¨C there was no way someone wouldn¡¯t notice one. Even if Woongar used a miniaturized version of the box to help himself keep the Manasolid stable, he would still need to be able to perform at an advanced Mana manipulation level to bring the thing inside without anyone noticing a thing. ¡°Moreover!¡± he shouted, fighting for attention in the ensuing commotion. ¡°Not only did I find a chair with visible signs of Mana deterioration and in the exactly right shape, but the room and its vicinity had a perfectly uniform Mana consistency! Believe it or not, but even after the fight with the Zombies and the two explosions, I felt as if I was moving through a Manaless zone! The traces of HydrargyrumI I have found in the cracks of the chair¡¯s seating also speak for themselves!¡± This one was risky. He didn¡¯t have any evidence, and taking into account what was happening outside this room, there would be no evidence to present in the future either. Now, it was all about trust. Thankfully, he saw people confirming his own experiences. It was also easy to guess what had happened to all that Mana produced by the dissipating Manasolid ¨C the Mana gathering system was able to channel the abundance of Mana if the density was high enough. Or rather, the ¡®pressure¡¯ was high enough. And all the rooms in this building were quite airtight, even for Mana. People started to quiet down slowly, and he continued. ¡°We have confirmed that Mijalo was the one who visited the room. I will explain the fingerprints later, but we have evidence. The last part of the puzzle is the fact that she wasn¡¯t a Hannyajin!¡± That shut them all immediately. Using a normal volume this time, Zeph pushed forward. ¡°We have her arm. Sangsu already checked it, as can you. It¡¯s not Hannyajin¡¯s arm. Whatever Woongar had planned, he was working with an external group. A group that, now, should be easy to spot! We will start with a physical examination.¡± He looked at Aisha for confirmation and received one immediately. ¡°Check your teammates. Check their joints. Most Humans can lie easily, that¡¯s why Woongar used her as the last-ditch attempt to mislead us and cover his own involvement. But it¡¯s a trivial matter now! His shenanigans fell short. And remember! Always check the corpses! As our protocols dictate! Mijalo¡¯s body was probably one of the most disgusting things in this world, but that¡¯s exactly why they used this type of explosion! Be vigilant!¡± Finished with his spiel, he left the people to talk between themselves. He omitted some details, but they didn¡¯t have the physical evidence at hand either way. The rest was in Sangsu¡¯s hands. His testimony about their findings would be the key, and that¡¯s why Zeph had tried so hard to make sure that the man wasn¡¯t involved in all of this drama. Now, he just hoped that whatever method Aisha and P¡¯pfel were using to clean the building wouldn¡¯t leave them stuck in a death trap. Chapter 88 - The world painted in blue. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] Sangsu was in charge of the discussion from that point forward. People have asked for a few more details ¨C like how the engraved bones looked like, or how the fingerprints worked ¨C but no one found any glaring flaw in the reconstruction of events that Zeph had made. Zeph was just resting this whole time. That night was the longest one in his life. The fact that the simplified wadokeis were inactive, due to the end-of-the-year suspension and time-equalizing efforts of the Communication Bureau, wasn¡¯t helpful in the matter, too. He just felt tired, physically and mentally, after all that happened. Aisha decided to just put Woongar into a controlled coma and be done with him. In this environment, it just wasn¡¯t possible to investigate him safely. As Zeph understood it, subduing items didn¡¯t exist in this world for a simple reason ¨C no one could truly stop Mana generation without breaking Soul links, so basically slowly killing the person involved. That theoretical solution would not only require an advanced Soul Arts Specialist, but the whole procedure would be more complicated than actual brain surgery. Soul links were directly strengthening the matter building the body. Or rather, they were slightly changing the fundamental physical forces related to the atoms that were linked to the Soul, as Zeph managed to guess. Worse yet, the links were connected to regular and Soul-recognizable structures of matter, effectively producing a non-linear area of effect in the physical world. Worse yet, those area effects weren¡¯t even truly correlating with the distance or defined volume of matter ¨C for example, if a link was influencing the radius of weak nuclear forces of every atom in a biological ¡®structure¡¯ like a keratin¡ªthus, most probably increasing body¡¯s Flexibility¡ªit was doing it for the whole body all at once. But¡­ The problems resulting from that fact proliferated exponentially. Not only the influence from that one link would be spread over the whole body, it would be spread unevenly for some reason. There also was no way to tell which biological structures were being influenced by which links. There were many variations of keratin itself, many proteins similar to it, and all of them had different functions inside different body parts. Add to that the fact that it never was just one Soul link influencing them, and true chaos was but a guaranteed outcome. At least that was Zeph¡¯s theory on how Passive Enhancements worked after reading quite a little from the Library Goddess collection. He also suspected that not many people had his insight into the topic, even with the General Skills the System Onji was granting them. Quantum mechanics weren¡¯t a part of the standard curriculum on Corora, after all. The worst part, though, was that one could not simply ¡®weaken¡¯ a Soul link. One could either try to break it or hammer at it weakly over a prolonged period of time, causing similar destruction to his own Soul as to the link itself, while the links of their victim rearranged, making the whole procedure fruitless. That part came from Aisha''s own mouth, but the old System notifications coming from his Advanced scan in the Shrine gave him more clues as to the exact process. It seemed that trying to manipulate a Soul of another living being was the fastest way to cause a ¡®Will clash¡¯¡ªas well as producing or raising the Tabu Skill¡ªand Aisha confirmed not long ago that interacting with Soul links directly was the worst option for the so-called Soul Manipulators. His standing theory was quite simple ¨C the Will was fluctuating not only in the physical reality but also in the Soulscape. And what was the only connection between the two? Soul links. Interacting with them would be like interrupting a highway that Will used to move between the two collectives of dimensions. Will, as an ethereal form of energy, was a mystery to most. But Zeph was slightly different in that area and all his experiences pointed at that exact explanation. And if that was true, it was no wonder that sending a Soul memory could cause the ¡®Will clash¡¯ in normal circumstances. If his and Gru¡¯s method of exchanging them wasn¡¯t depending on sending parts of their ¡®cooperating¡¯ Will to each other in order to imprint the data into another¡¯s Soul indirectly, they would be ¡®clashing¡¯ violently every time¡­ And actually, something like that did happen a few times in the past. Nothing as spectacularly damaging, thankfully. Probably because their ¡®non-cooperative¡¯ parts of Wills were blocking each other instead of interacting ¨C the very reason their Soul-bond connection was blocked ¨C but Zeph definitely remembered the early stages when Tabu Skill was rising and the exchange of Soul memories was as draining as it was painful. Going back to Woongar ¨C because blocking his Mana generation was impossible, he would have to be interrogated in an isolated, secured room by people capable of subduing him. Aisha would do the trick, but the crowd of weaker individuals around them was a problem right now. Not to mention, his body had to be checked beforehand by a medical specialist. Nobody wanted another gruesome suicide. After almost two hours, the debate paused as the warriors flanking the doors tried to get Aisha¡¯s attention. The crowd slowly got quieter, until even the people on the podium could hear the banging and muted screams coming from the other side of the reinforced, airtight doors. Someone decided to ignore Aisha¡¯s orders and didn¡¯t follow them to the hall. And now, they were paying the most painful price. After that much time, even post-100 people would have problems with keeping the caustic gasses away. Not because it was impossible ¨C Makani showed the potential of Air filtering Spells many times before, after all. No, the problem was in the nature of the substances and Mana itself. Zeph could only guess what exactly was unleashed outside, but any exothermic reaction would attract Mana, increasing the potency of the substance¡¯s volatile properties. And the Mana density in the building was rising. He knew for a fact that the Guild¡¯s Mana-gathering system wouldn¡¯t be sending anything to the city network at this time. As everyone knew beforehand about the monster¡¯s attack, not only would the Mana be wasted if the city¡¯s Mana-transferring system was damaged, but they needed to power their own contraptions that would be used in the defense. Zeph wasn¡¯t informed about the surface Mana-insulation that, most probably, was applied to the whole building, but thinking back, it seemed only natural if Kwan, Ghrughah, and P¡¯pfel planned a total purge of spies and bugs placed by them. What happened in the laboratory, will stay in the laboratory, he chuckled to himself, despite the heavy atmosphere in the room. Returning to his more serious thoughts, he was more worried about the equipment left behind. If it was obliterated, Zeph would call for a refund. Because he was never informed beforehand, the ¡®purge¡¯ that Aisha somehow started might have been the last resort, which meant it was potentially more damaging than he would have liked. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. An especially loud scream reached his ears, and a moment later the building shook slightly. A few seconds later, another impact could be felt through the shaking floor. It seemed that whoever was left outside their room, wasn¡¯t going to pass away without retaliating. Something was luring Zombies in and the attacks were becoming more frequent by the second. Thankfully, nothing as heavy as the first impacts. His questioning gaze landed on Aisha as she evidently was more informed about the possible procedures. She was frowning in consideration. ¡°You have a plan for that, I hope?¡± he asked to get her attention. ¡°Not really. But whatever was used to stir the Undead should dissolve soon...¡± Zeph raised his brow skeptically. ¡°You¡¯re sure about that? Because it certainly would be a shame if they were to poke a hole in the walls right after all the hard work we did. If someone is observing the building, I am sure they will try to use that chance to harm us.¡± She sighed in irritation and stood up. She sat heavily near him and activated some kind of Skill. What brushed over Zeph¡¯s Veil was hard to describe, but he could feel the temperature around him rising. An alternative privacy Skill, maybe? he tried to guess, but the idea just brought more questions. ¡°You are right that we should make a move, but the trip outside is risky. Counter-trap is one thing, but it could prove difficult to keep our unconscious informant alive. On the other hand, I would rather not leave him alone. We know too little about his situation to be sure he doesn¡¯t have other surprises for us.¡± ¡°No way around the locked tunnels?¡± he asked for confirmation. Aisha shook her head. ¡°Not after I started that procedure¡­ We either stay here or go to the roof. Also, it¡¯s impossible to open that hatch from outside. Not without breaking it. If we leave him here, it won¡¯t be easy to return if something happens.¡± she said. Zeph nodded desolately. It was, indeed, a difficult decision to make. The human enemies outside had a perfect opportunity to hit them hard by helping the horde a little. That was another danger of leaving Woongar behind ¨C they would have to make sure that there was no breach at any point in time because returning to this room would be very difficult. The caustic gases wouldn¡¯t be as effective on already dead Zombies or people with appropriate specializations if they weren¡¯t locked inside, so it would just hamper them instead. Tactically, it would be much better if they reacted, too. Waiting in hopes that the growing commotion outside would die down on its own was just wishful thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s change his clothes to something a normal warrior would wear and send two or three people to bring him to Kwan. It should look like they are transporting someone heavily wounded, I hope.¡± Aisha thought about it for a second and nodded. Truth be told, it would be much faster and safer if she was the one transporting the traitor, but Zeph understood that she was reluctant to leave him, and her whole squad, without direct support. Too much could go wrong without her strength. They stood up and Aisha immediately started organizing people. Woongar was disguised, his face covered with a full helmet, and the body painted with some leftover blood they had from the fingerprint endeavor. The fingerprints and the severed arm weren¡¯t needed anymore as almost everyone in the room examined them. With that number of witnesses, hard evidence wasn¡¯t necessary. Sadly, they didn¡¯t have space to get rid of them before leaving, so they were handed to random people for safekeeping instead. After confirming that everyone had weapons at the ready, Aisha instructed them to move away from the corner near the bar at the back wall. After activating a few switches at a black plate hidden in the wall nearby, a part of the ceiling dropped half a meter down with a loud clank. A cold wind flew inside, bringing mist and snow with it. Strange, distorted cries from the Undead could be heard in the background music of flesh hitting wood and stone. The rectangular part of the ceiling that opened up was thick and built from metallic components. It had maybe one and a half meters to each side, but as the front started to drop at an angle, the internal mechanism started to unfold and the platform¡¯s layers slid forward, elongating it. Accompanied by a small cacophony of working gears, the ramp hit the floor, hugging the wall perpendicular to the bar, and almost hitting their improvised podium. Aisha hopped on it to lead the charge as warriors followed in pairs. Thanks to the disciplined behavior, everyone left in less than a minute. Zeph was last. Before running outside, he touched the black panel to close the hatch. It started to fold back just as he reached the roof. The scenery was ominous, even before he got closer to the roof¡¯s edge where Aisha stood. The mist was denser now, but everything in the vicinity was illuminated by an eerie turquoise light coming from the streets below. In the distance, he could see other teams flashing in their direction from rooftops. Aisha was instructing her people as to what to send back. Not that they could communicate much with this method. As he stepped closer to the edge, he finally was able to see the carnage below. The water was covering the whole plaza, and some of it was even smeared on the walls of nearby buildings. It was now glowing much brighter and seemed to move in strange patterns, wiggling almost ¨C like a creature with its own mind. Corpses were lying everywhere and the water seemed to shuffle in their directions. Between the corpses of Chiropteridas, he even spotted remnants of a few aquatic organisms. One looked like a green jellyfish the size of a beach umbrella. The other two looked like a mix between shark and orca whale. They were huge, and going by the size of their front fins, probably could drag themselves on land. There wasn¡¯t much left of them, though. Chiropteridas seemed to like the taste of their flesh, as the few that survived and stayed, flocked around the bodies to take a bite. Zeph crouched by the roof¡¯s parapet to take a better look around. The view was even more unreal because of the white strands of Irra¡¯s experiment covering every horizontal surface. They were forming bulky, irregular shapes that flowed like icicles formed by strong, wet sea winds. The ones in the water seemed to dissolve slowly, but the buildings looked even more battered thanks to those Halloween-like decorations. And battered they were ¨C it seemed a lot of Chiropteridas crash-landed during the chaos. And directly below them, a small horde of broken bodies was shuffling about and pounding on the walls. He even noticed a few human bodies along them. There were around a hundred of the creatures, but it was actually quite a small number when he took into consideration how many were fighting previously. The air around the small horde reflected light as if they were standing under immaculately clean water ¨C an effect very similar to the gigantic ¡®wave¡¯ that he saw over the sea, and a clear indicator of the amount of Organic Magicules, aka. Life Energy, that was flowing all around them. It would make for quite an impressive shield against Spells. At least he was prepared this time. ¡°No more enemies spotted in the last hour,¡± Aisha said suddenly, crouching down to his right. ¡°It seems we just need to clean this mess. The water may be a problem, though. Our marine visitors seem hungry.¡± ¡°Arrows?¡± he asked. If they weren¡¯t in a hurry, he could as well fire some bolts. His crossbow hadn¡¯t seen much action these days. ¡°I think I can land a Spell, too.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± she said dismissingly, waving her hand. ¡°It would be too slow. And you need more training with that spear. Do you see that one?¡± She pointed at a Chiropterida Zombie that was standing to the back, unmoving. Its body was in slightly better shape than the others and seemed stronger. Its muscles were well-defined, swollen almost, and its posture more stable. ¡°That should be the winner of the eating contest from before. It had to grab quite a big chunk of the Undead Heart because it certainly seems to be boosted and directing the others. Leave it for me.¡± He nodded. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I will grab their attention and lead them to a place that isn¡¯t squirming with aquatic organisms. We just need to leave unnoticed. The radius of detection should be¡­¡± She straightened her arm and used her thumb to measure the crowd like a painter would. She turned it a few times in different directions, before mumbling out an estimation. ¡°Hmmm, around one boat, I think? Horizontally, I mean. And maybe one-third of that vertically? Yes, that seems about right.¡± She happily nodded to herself. Zeph looked around. If the radius was 35 meters, they would have to use roofs to move. Well, everything around was submerged, so they would have to do that either way. The closest building was a good 15 meters away to the left, though. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work!¡± She slapped him on the back and stood up. ¡°I need two volunteers and quite a length of rope!¡± She said loudly to the group behind. Zeph just sighed in resignation. I would rather eat my boots than believe this is actually the faster way¡­ He shook his head. Chapter 89 - How the Undead work, and other first-world problems. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] Push! Wait¡­ Release! Zeph counted in his head while trying to time his attacks properly this time. Sadly, the electrical current did minimal damage because he withdrew his spear too early. Not even one muscle spasmed. He was in the middle of the street and at the helm of their formation, training. There was no better world to describe what he was doing, as the risk to his life was minimal. That didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get grievously injured, though. The morning sun was shyly peeping over the horizon, but because of the persistent mist, the visibility hadn¡¯t changed much just yet. The Zombies came into this desolate side street as a horde, but there just wasn¡¯t enough space to accommodate so many bodies. While the Hannyajins around him were rotating to equalize the Soul fragments each of them would get, easily decimating the enemies, he was dodging, whirling, and overall trying to properly use the enchantments in his gear for once. As he was the least efficient in killing the creatures, no one had an issue with him occupying the frontlines constantly. He thrusted again at the moving body of Chiropterida, preparing to use the electrical shock once again. Push! Wait¡­ Release! The fast-vibrating spear easily penetrated the scull, chipping the beak at its base, but his timing with the Discharge was off, again. He used it too early and most of the charge dispersed on the wet skin instead of the brain inside. The horde was pushing forward once again, so he decided to finish this one off. He fought to keep the unliving body at bay, keeping the spearhead inside the skull until, suddenly, the head exploded in a gore mess ¨C the courtesy of his Spatial enchantment accumulating forces inside. That didn¡¯t kill the undead just yet, but it was close enough to its demise to not pose a challenge anymore. He jumped back, using the slight recoil from the explosion to pull the heavy spear back and whirl it into a vertical position overhead while still airborne. His momentum decreased, transferred to the weapon¡¯s own. Then, he fully straightened his arms, loosening his grip for a moment to allow the weapon to slide up, and after reaching the maximum leverage, he forced a powerful downward slash that lifted his body higher into the air. The tip connected with Chiropterida¡¯s shoulder joint. He managed to cut through it ¨C freeing the arm from the headless body ¨C and dug deeply into its side. Their ligaments were no joke, resisting even the scalpel-class vibrating edge for a moment. More through the friction on the sides of the blade than anything, but still. The body of the undead lost its balance and fell right on its severed wing. It was still moving, though. ¡°Hell, why are they so hard to finish off?!¡± he shouted after landing on the cobbled street. The Tier 2 Anchoring enchantments in the soles of his boots were already active, causing his feet to stick to the hard stone under the snow. After regaining his balance, he switched to the Air-thinning counter-enchantment to break free as he jumped forward to skewer another enemy. He didn¡¯t fumble the maneuver this time and, to his surprise, shot forward with much more speed than he expected. It was the same enchantment as on Aisha¡¯s boots ¨C a combination of channeled Force and Hardening Magicules. But the enchantment wasn¡¯t just for anyone. It was designed by an offshoot group of the Tower¡¯s multi-institutional research team that studied EE granted by the System at PE milestones. Someone got the same idea as Zeph a long time ago, it seemed. In any case, the enchantment cooperated closely with the second Power EE and its force-spreading properties. However, from what Zeph heard, the discovery was more a matter of chance and tedious testing than knowledge and engineering. The Anchoring enchantment was used to get a better purchase on almost any surface (if it was made of compatible materials ¨C mainly wood and solid stone of any kind), often resulting in property damage because of the forces that people like Aisha were able to generate, or to cover the foot in a layer of soil, which helped in all kinds of hazardous environments. It was a standard affair for higher-level mercenaries, really, but after trying to use it a few times, he had to pay respect to people who were able to master its usability. The gripping-release timing was just too complicated! The Power EE was trying to disperse the forces over a vast area at all times, making it much more difficult to use on uneven terrain. One mistake in choosing your foothold and you were doing rolls instead of bracing for an attack. Shooting forward, he decided to activate the Discharge enchantment late this time. The blade was stopped midway in another¡¯s Zombie skull as he cut off the Spatial Flux enchantment ¨C just where he wanted it to be. He allowed himself to fall to the ground, keeping the tip inside the monster¡¯s brain. It started spasming just as he landed. With an aggressive move, he pulled the spear back and jumped up slightly while whirling his weapon vertically. The sphere on the shaft¡¯s back hit the already-cracked skull and it exploded violently thanks to the force-rebounding enchantment. But he made a mistake. He attacked a creature that was directly behind his first victim, thus landing partially inside the crowd. As he was now hovering above the ground slightly, wasn¡¯t able to easily dodge the attacks that were coming from the sides. Because his spear was now in a weightless state after rebounding, he used his right arm to deflect a clumsy, but surprisingly strong, open-palm punch from a humanoid Zombie to his right, while his body instinctively bent in an impossible arch to avoid a beak bite from Chiropterida to his left. His left elbow landed on its head and he tried to leverage, but he didn¡¯t have enough friction to do so. Before his conscious mind could even register what was happening, his arms bent down, hugging his torso while keeping the spear parallel to his body. As the monster raised its head to try another bite, he was thrown back by the movement and started to roll on the back of the Zombie¡¯s body. After his brain finally reoriented, he immediately bent his knees and he gripped his spear tighter. After another roll, he pushed with both legs as much as he could, jumping away back-first while dragging his spear limply behind. It wasn¡¯t even a somersault he wanted to perform ¨C he just needed to make distance. Before he landed head-first on the hard ground, someone caught him by the shoulders and fiercely pulled his torso up, then down. He landed on slightly bent legs, fighting for balance and breathing heavily. ¡°Tch¡­¡± Aisha clicked her tongue in the relative silence of the second line. ¡°And here I thought I would be able to save the damsel from distress¡­¡± ¡°fuck you¡­¡± he managed to whisper. ¡°Oho, is that a proposition?¡± she said, leaning down and speaking almost directly to his ear. Thankfully, his helmet forbade such intimacy. Zeph rolled his eyes, quickly regaining his breath. ¡°If you are trying to flirt with me, you are late. Late by a few beat-ups and causing complications like this one,¡± he said, pushing her away with disgust. ¡°Ohoho, don¡¯t be so full of yourself,¡± she laughed. ¡°There is no way I will try to court my student. Anyway, your training is lacking. I thought we should speed up things a little.¡± She turned her eyes back to the horde, now much more serious. Merely a student, eh? A mage with Advanced Mana Manipulation? He sighed internally. It seemed that no amount of training would satisfy this woman. She was a monster on this stratum, but that didn¡¯t mean she should treat him the same. For gods¡¯ sake, my level is under ten! ¡°Then, maybe instead of placing me in the most uncomfortable and difficult positions on the battlefield, you could explain how those fleshy remnants are still moving after I destroyed their brains? My oh-so-venerable teacher?¡± he spat despite himself, pointing at the frontlines. ¡°Heh. Finally showing fangs, I see. And here I thought you would just accept the abuse.¡± She slapped his back, using enough force to unbalance him. ¡°But am I the right person to search for answers? Shouldn¡¯t you first try to read or read about that yourself? That knowledge isn¡¯t exactly forbidden, but there is a reason I am trying to not spread it too much.¡± He looked at her with deadpan eyes. ¡°Right now? Sure! Give me a day or two,¡± he nodded and turned to leave, waving his hand in a farewell. Aisha grabbed him by the shoulder. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that! I was just teas¡ª testing your resolve!¡± He sighed, feeling an overwhelming urge to massage his temples. She was having way too much fun today. ¡°Just explain already. We all are going to fight those guys for the whole day, aren¡¯t we?¡± he said, turning back towards her. ¡°The other should know what¡¯s happening, too. Also, can I finally start testing my new Spell?¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she said placatingly. ¡°The pack, for sure, already recognized you as its enemy, so you should be able to get the full share of Soul fragments from a distance.¡± She started slowly walking through the lines, allowing the warriors around to fill the gap left behind. ¡°Let¡¯s move to the back and I will explain.¡± As he followed Aisha, he checked the summary of the fight.
You have killed [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 66]. You have killed [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 62]. You have killed [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 70]. You have killed [Human (Type: 3444) Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 52]. You are partially responsible for killing [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 75] You are partially responsible for killing [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 69] You are partially responsible for killing [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 82] You are partially responsible for killing [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 70] You are partially responsible for killing [Human (Type: 3444) Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 65] You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 33 [Universal Points]! Congratulations! [Spear (style: E2M1)] is now [T2][L49]! (+3)
No level-up yet¡­ At least my Skill is now at the border of level 50. I wonder if it will generate something interesting like the others did. Although the notification showed a whole 3 level-ups in the Skill, he only increased it by one during the current fight. The rest of the levels he earned before, in the night ¨C counting the fight with the invading avian animals. Also, it wasn¡¯t the only General Skill that gained some levels in that period of time. Survival, Earth¡¯s methodology, Explosives, Mima, and even Life Energy General Skills all raised by at least one level, most by three or four. The progression wasn¡¯t bad, but he was much more concerned with the levels of his Class and Profession. With Mana Generation of 121 per second, he could read comfortably only from General Skills under Tier 2 level 8, which made a whole lot of them useless if he wanted to access Tier 2 knowledge. He would also have to find time to do it, but that was another problem. Gru, how much are they giving? he sent to his companion. Gruu! Graa, came a very excited answer, along with a small flood of impressions and words. They weren¡¯t detailed because of the lack of a vocal component, but both of them were getting better at silent communication. Oh, not bad! That would be, what? Two times more than an animal of the same level? Gra! Zeph nodded in satisfaction. Actually, the Undead were giving less Soul fragments than living beings. In normal circumstances, that is. Most Soul fragments came from broken Soul links that connected it to the body, and the Undead had them weak and less numerous. On the other hand, the conglomeration of Soul parts that formed their Soul liked to shatter and disperse after losing the connection to physicality. The Soul fragments created that way, though, were treated by the System just like every remnant from a Soul-wound ¨C if they would never naturally reach the people who killed the entity, the System wouldn¡¯t assist in gathering them. Or maybe it would gather them, but for itself instead. But for Gru, it was an open buffet. The parts of the conglomeration were seldom coherent enough to even be considered a Soul by themselves so he just gathered everything that seemed acceptable from the vicinity. Wild animals, the mature ones at least, tended to send a ¡®positive¡¯ Soul-wound fragment every second kill. Even if Undead left less Soul fragments overall, they always shattered into harvestable parts, resulting in around double the overall amount that Gru could collect. But, of course, there were problems. First, getting Soul fragments from the kills of others was even more difficult than it would normally be. The animated bodies were somehow connected and communicating with each other, thus behaving similarly to hive animals, but their Souls were entirely separate. Also, their Mana was strange. According to Zeph¡¯s insight on the matter, by having contact with an entity¡¯s Mana, one could try to glance at that entity¡¯s Soul ¨C Mana was produced in, and directly connected to the Soul, after all. In other words, such medium was necessary to navigate the Soulscape. That; a contact with physical body; or the killer-pray pseudo Soul-bond. But as soon as a Zombie died, their Mana was just¡­ taken over by others around. The fact that their Souls were basically mismatched mixes of Soul fragments was probably the reason they could so¡­ easily and naturally¡­ take over Mana that belonged to others of their kind. Secondly, the killer-pray Soul-bond with them was also weird. The way those creatures perceived the Soulscape, reality, and other living things was just¡­ alien. At least according to Gru. The bond that was forming was not only misshapen and difficult to navigate, but it often led to only one part of the conglomerated Soul. That Soul-bond also wasn¡¯t shared by the whole pack. Not until he managed to be recognized by their¡­ collective awareness, or something. Or maybe by the big, bad boss, but he was already put down by Aisha when she lured the rest to the side street. As they stepped behind the last line of the active fighters, Aisha called someone to bring her something to stand on. She wasn¡¯t going to stop observing, but from this distance, she needed a platform even despite her domineering height. The place, small as it was, was used as a temporary camp. A few bonfires were lit using the wood from damaged houses for people to cook, warm up, and rest. They also helped to illuminate the street, even if the light couldn¡¯t travel far through the dense mist. People were either meditating, eating, or doing rough repairs on their gear. ¡°Arhen! Report,¡± she called shortly after someone brought her a wooden crate. ¡°Yes!¡± the man almost teleported to her side. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure from where Arhen managed to creep out so fast, but was slightly impressed nonetheless. ¡°No trespassers near the laboratory. Five lightly wounded from our two squads as of now. Woongar and all the workers successfully reached their destination.¡± ¡°Did we find a good drop point?¡± she asked, using her flashlight to see better through the mist as she observed the frontlines. ¡°We are still waiting for confirmation from our specialists, but two promising points were found. The first is up the river, near the main entry of the canal system. The second is three blocks down the river, by the old part of the port. Those buildings would have to be demolished either way.¡± Aisha glanced at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly. ¡°And whose was the bright idea of throwing body parts into the canal system? Do they want even more of our marine guests in the valley?¡± ¡°The locals actually. They hope that would help get rid of the waste blockages in the system¡­¡± Aisha shook her head. ¡°The canals will be cleaned as much as they are every year. Workers would have to deal with the rest. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for even more damage to the infrastructure.¡± She turned her head forward once again. ¡°And tell those idiots that they can try to drink directly from the river if they think that was a good idea. Set the second point as the default. Right now. We need to clean the streets as fast as possible, and the aquatic gaggle should follow the trail of blood back into the sea.¡± ¡°As you command!¡± he bowed and ran in the direction of the inn. ¡°Any particular reason for the rush?¡± Zeph asked worriedly, unsure if throwing body parts of ex-Zombies into the best Undead-propagation medium they had on hand was a good idea. ¡°You are worried about what I have told you about propagating Soul conglomeration seeds? Ignore that. It¡¯s not something we can stop, so we can as well escalate the problem to force our visitors to do some work themselves. It would also be a good lesson for some of them. Anyway, Kwan is already on her wits end because of the attack.¡± She sighed in irritation. ¡°We won¡¯t earn even half of what we planned if things continue like that¡­¡± Ugh¡­ I somehow forgot the whole entertainment endeavor¡­ Yea, things look bad. Especially my cut from the games and ¡®arcade¡¯ machines¡­ A cold shiver ran down his spine. He would rather not be indebted to Ghrughah for another year. ¡°Okay,¡± he said with renewed vigor. ¡°We need to speed this up a little.¡± He put his spear on the ground and took off his small backpack. After securing the spear¡¯s tip in its scabbard, he took out a sack with unenchanted metal beads from his backpack. The fact that he had w good few kilograms of ¡®properly¡¯ ¨C as P¡¯pfel tended to call them ¨C enchanted beads didn¡¯t mean he would be left without a backup to enchant with his own methods. They would be used for something else this time, though. Finishing with preparations, Zeph gathered everything and stood up. After looking around for a moment, he quickly found a promising spot on a building¡¯s wall with a damaged rooftop. If he got there, he would be directly over the frontline and around 6 meters above the ground. ¡°I will start testing my Spell now, then go up there to attack with the mid-distance enchantment on my spear and the Spell,¡± he declared. ¡°Heh, motivated much? Should I even start my explanations?¡± Aisha asked, smirking. ¡°Of course, you should!¡± he said immediately, looking at her in disbelief. ¡°Just give me a moment to start my Spell.¡± ¡°Haaa, sure, sure¡­¡± Not waiting any longer, he started constructing his Lesser Telekinesis Spell. But this time, he not only Stabilized the Space-Mana pipe-like structure, covering it with Mana-L and allowing it to condensate around the Mana flow, but he also made the Spell structure forming the ¡®pipe¡¯ much denser. Like a spring, he formed as many dense spirals as he could without compromising the Spell¡¯s functionality. He continued until he had a 3-meter-long telekinetic arm, coiled like a snake and hovering inside his Veil. Then he put a single empty bead on the top of the ¡®pipe and started a lengthy process of infusing it with Mana-L. It was the only Mana type that was ¡®stretchable¡¯ ¨C as in, it actually pulled over other Magicules of the same type when moved ¨C and during his tests a few hours back, in the laboratory room, he found a use for that property. Its true potential would come into play later, But the first important function was that because the Mana inside the bead would pull the rest of the Stabilized Spell construct behind itself, the risk of losing the bead would be minimal. And he needed that physical, dense sphere of physical matter to cut through the Ambient Mana and, later, through the Zombie pack¡¯s Veil. Mana-L was also a perfect conductor for his Magicules. His Beam Spell would find no obstacle if he used that Stabilized construct as a literal pipe. That was the first part of his idea and it worked wondrously, even if the preparations were lengthy and the flexibility of his telekinetic Spell was somewhat compromised. ¡°I am good, we have a few minutes,¡± he said to Aisha. She looked at him skeptically. He already wasted around three minutes, so he was sure that in her eyes it looked like a waste of time in comparison to melee. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± she looked back at the horde. ¡°The Undead Heart they used was of an advanced variant. That means, it has an information-processing structure inside its Soul, not only inside that part of dead flesh¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Zeph interjected, confounded. ¡°How can you even have something like that in your Soul? Wouldn¡¯t that mean you are basically immortal until you lose ALL contact with physicality?¡± It was a ridiculous notion. ¡°Yes and no.¡± She smirked. ¡°They are a pain to kill, true, but their body dictates which parts of their Soul would stay intact. You just need to force it to disperse enough times. Or, you can try to directly destroy the Soul links, the Soul itself, or grind their first body down until there either isn¡¯t enough Life Energy left, or the physical parts are unrecognizable for the Soul conglomeration. The last one is especially difficult if there is a lot of freshly deceased around ¨C the conglomeration would just fragment and connect to new bodies, although a certain threshold of Life Energy is required for that to happen. By the way, that¡¯s why our visitors are so problematic in this situation ¨C they generate enough Life Energy to spread the resulting conglomerations. But going back to the Soul processing formation ¨C first of all, such a structure can¡¯t really produce emotions as we know them, it can only re-process Soul memories. Secondly, the Will it produces is vastly limited in the physical world, as it is much more attuned to work in the Soulscape. And lastly, the more they process information of the Soulscape, the less likely they are to connect to physical matter of any kind. That would be all we know about them, at least if we want to stay on the topic.¡± Zeph frowned. ¡°So what? It¡¯s unusable by truly sapient beings? And the Undead we face are moving after losing a brain because they have¡­ those thinking structures in their Souls? Isn¡¯t that bad?¡± ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± she waved her hand dismissingly. ¡°Every time they connect to a new body, they are using some part of their Soul to form links. This way, we can milk more experience from them, while their information-processing part disperses more and more. After enough repeats, those parts will revert to normal Soul parts of a conglomeration. Also, you really shouldn¡¯t think about it as a mind, especially a sapient one. It¡¯s a loooong loooong way for any form or sapience to form through Soul information processing, and such cases are known as cataclysms, from what I know. Like¡­ how was their name again?¡± she hummed a few times to herself before snapping her fingers. ¡°Right! Draugr Lords¡­ or something. But yes, it¡¯s not something a truly living being would be ever inclined to form. The discrepancy is just too much.¡± Zeph blinked a few times at the strange term. He couldn¡¯t even put a dialect to it, but after analyzing the words for a moment, he decided it basically meant a ¡®Lich¡¯. Or maybe an Arch Lich? He shook his head, that was unimportant right now. ¡°That still leaves us with a horde of immortal, propagating Soul conglomeration, though¡­¡± he pointed out. ¡°You would have to be in a truly screwed world for that situation to escalate instead of dying down,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Also, what you see is the ¡®first batch¡¯. The others won¡¯t be that hard to kill. I don¡¯t expect more than four generations, anyway.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you forget about the normal Soul conglomeration seeds?¡± he reminded skeptically. ¡°I didn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I want our visitors to learn,¡± she looked up. ¡°The toxicity of fresh bodies shouldn¡¯t be enough to kill anything at this point. But if a few of their young eat the parts still connected to a conglomeration, there is a high chance they will die in the process. From what I know, it¡¯s the same effect as when someone tries to attack a Soul directly¡­¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Will clash? Yeah, I need to talk about it with her. Preferably, after getting paid by her goddess¡­ ¡°Anyway, the small organisms getting sick and dying isn¡¯t a problem. The problem is with the big ones whose Souls can strengthen the Soul conglomerations. If their young start to die, they should quickly learn that the meal isn¡¯t worth it, no matter how high the Soul contamination inside of said meal is. They should be able to distinguish a conglomeration from an intact Soul, too. If they stop fueling the propagation, we will just have to deal with the vestiges.¡± Zeph scrapped the back of his helmet. He could think only of one question right now. ¡°So¡­ with that Soul processing unit¡­ moving skeletons are a thing¡­?¡± he forced himself to not say ¡®here¡¯ at the end of the sentence. They were in public. Aisha snorted. ¡°Yes, they are. Good luck finding one. I¡¯ve heard they are quite strong, though¡­¡± Zeph rolled his eyes at her dreamful voice and concentrated back on his Spell. It was ready to launch. It was time to start the hunt¡­
Interface (pictures): Interface (Tables; WARNING! It''s quite painful to read. I pasted it directly from excel without making modifications - the automation is under testing. I refuse to do it by hand! It''s just stupid...):
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 192
Flexibility 24 Memory 66
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 67
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 185 24 161
Mana Capacity: 731 719 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 121 93 28
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 5 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 33 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.71%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] is shrinking! 5.10%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Universal Points available: 1.240.102 Total: 21.602.769
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 1 1 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 60 0.52 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 50 1.75 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 51 1.24 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 75 3.25 s 6 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 37 1.23 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 53 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 12 1.13 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 1 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 37 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 2 0.5 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 82 15 [11] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 1 5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 51 44 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 52 0.75 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 61 0.27 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 68 0.32 s 10 M - 2
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 1 1 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 60 0.52 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 50 1.75 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 51 1.24 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 75 3.25 s 6 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 37 1.23 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 53 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 12 1.13 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 1 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 37 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 2 0.5 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 82 15 [11] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 1 5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 51 44 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 52 0.75 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 61 0.27 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 68 0.32 s 10 M - 2
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 13 Knowledge [523] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 91 Knowledge [92] Mana/s
Corora lifeforms 1 23 Knowledge [24] Mana/s
Corora herbarium 1 13 Knowledge [14] Mana/s
Survival 1 99 Knowledge [100] Mana/s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana/s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana/s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 31 Crafting [316.6] Mana/s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 34 Science arts [35] Mana/s
Explosives 1 98 Crafting [99] Mana/s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana/s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana/s
Spear (style: E2M1) 2 49 Martial arts [471.4] Mana/s
Close combat (Mima) 1 52 Martial arts [53] Mana/s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana/s
Resonation Suppression 2 5 Technique [93] Mana/s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 10 Martial arts [136] Mana/s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 70 Knowledge [652] Mana/s
Will manipulation 2 84 Knowledge [772.4] Mana/s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 76 Knowledge [703.6] Mana/s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana/s
W.P. Soul perception 2 65 Knowledge [609] Mana/s
W.P. Soul whack 2 48 Technique [462.8] Mana/s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 13 Technique [462.8] Mana/s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 66 Knowledge [67] Mana/s
Ambient Mana 1 67 Knowledge [68] Mana/s
A. Mana channeling 1 99 Knowledge [100] Mana/s
Mana manipulation 1 48 Knowledge [49] Mana/s
Mana perception 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana/s
Mana rapture 1 16 Technique [17] Mana/s
Mana masking 2 3 Technique [75.8] Mana/s
Life Energy 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana/s
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Functional duality, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Prototype; Unique; by ] [Soul-linked] An armor based on a high-tech blueprint from Earth, fashioned from Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 (Ghrughah creation). Contains Phley (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Genetically enhanced, Self-maintenance, Functional duality, Symbiotic.
Chapter 90 - Applied Physics and the yet unnoticed discovery. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] Instead of throwing the bead or using his Telekinetic arm to slowly move it forward, Zeph did something a little different. Behind the other end of the ¡®pipe¡¯, he prepared a Beam Spell geared with his new Force-Mana-based modules. The modules weren¡¯t producing anything just yet, though, and the Beam structure was kept out of shape to keep it from firing. Then, he sealed the entrance of the pipe with more of the Stabilized Space construct, making sure that both ends of the ¡®pipe¡¯ were tightly sealed. Next, with the use of Willpower, he squeezed the ¡®hose¡¯, while keeping the coiled part in one place. With the Force-Mana that was filling the ¡®pipe¡¯ and doing the job of liquid in a piston, with an equal force it pushed on the ¡®walls¡¯ of the magical construct and the bead at its end. The tightly packed spirals of the Space Spell worked like a string ¨C stopping the ballooning effect and directing the ¡®hydraulic¡¯ force to the front, where the bead was. It shut upwards at an angle, dragging with it the rest of the Mana-L and the Spell construct Stabilized inside of it. As the ¡®pipe¡¯ gained in length, it was losing in diameter, while the spiraling coils of the ¡®Space Lens¡¯ Spell were revolving slowly along with the change in length. If anyone ever played with the scissors lift toy, they would roughly understand how it worked. Depending on the number of crisscrossed nodes, the speed of lengthening the whole ¡®arm¡¯ escalated more. Additively with the number, but still. By dragging closer the two initial bars, the toy lengthened by the sum of the lengths of all connected ¡®sub-arms¡¯ all at once. In other words, by pressing the two handles closer by a centimeter, one was able to elongate the whole toy by meters. Memories of playing with similar toys filled Zeph¡¯s thoughts when he first tried this new technique. But it was a little different this time. He was using, basically, an elastic and stretchable hose, or a balloon enclosed in a spring. The forces multiplied instead of adding up, as the hydraulic nature of his creation pushed the bead faster and faster as the ¡®pipe¡¯ thinned. But he had to be careful. If the bead broke from the Mana-L Stabilized construct, it would just fly away, releasing the contents of the ¡®pipe¡¯. He also had to consciously manipulate the construct to be more robust, but extensive testing in the preparation room in the laboratory building allowed him to learn to do both quite skillfully. It was a potent application. Very potent, even. He suspected that achieving supersonic speeds with a bullet wasn¡¯t out of the question. But that wasn¡¯t what he needed. He wanted something that could pierce a dense Veil and deliver the ¡®pipe¡¯ of his Mana-L. Preferably, with minimal Mana loss and in a way that he would be able to reuse the ¡®pipe¡¯ construct for another attack. It took him almost one Earth¡¯s hour of testing and training to make it work perfectly. But that was merely a technical problem in contrast to what he managed to achieve back in that room. ~~~Several hours earlier, 3rd floor of laboratory building, preparation room~~~ The Heat Magicules¡­ their behavior was strange. Zeph was sure that the Magicules were causing their effects directly ¨C by interacting with the matter and without any intermediaries like electromagnetic radiation. According to the kinetic theory ¨C his preferred choice when the thermodynamics were involved ¨C that meant the Magicules influenced either the speed of molecules (rotational and translational) or every movement within the molecule¡¯s degrees of freedom. This distinction was very important because the velocity in itself wasn¡¯t really quantizable ¨C the spatial movement and spinning speed didn¡¯t care about the energy delivered. Meanwhile, the other kinds of energy-storing movements were much more difficult to interact with. Well, according to the equipartition theorem, every degree of freedom should absorb the same amount of the kinetic energy delivered to the molecule, by average. But with how the Magicules seemed to work, Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if he could safely apply it. Not to mention, the theorem was limited, requiring certain temperatures to provide appropriate results. He was not going to risk it, thus he worked on the assumption that the Magicules could influence even a singular type of atomic movement. Either way, one of the reasons Zeph liked to use the kinetic theory, was the ease of imagining what was happening. In this case, treating the atoms like solid objects was crucial. Instead of using wave functions and thermodynamic equations, he could just treat atoms like solid spheres, and molecules like atoms linked together by springs, while still being able to calculate the stochastically proper values of temperature and energy transfer that should be happening. He could use hard statistics and physical models, instead of abstract mathematical constructs like entropy. Because, despite all the cultural connotations and popular science articles, scientific terms like entropy, enthalpy, and thermodynamic potential were just names for mathematical constructs that described a collection of properties of matter. Or rather, the whole set of processes ruling over the matter, not just one, physically observable phenomenon or object. In the spirit of kinetic theory, increasing the velocity and rotation speed of atoms or molecules to increase the overall temperature was quite easy to understand. The faster they moved, or the faster an asymmetrical molecule rotated in the air, the higher was the temperature; no restrictions. Also, it was an easy explanation for how the Magicules influenced matter, but¡­ that would be possible only in gaseous mediums. Maybe in some liquids too, depending on the molecule composition, but solids stayed composed over such methods. By definition, solid matter couldn¡¯t be heated that way ¨C the atoms couldn¡¯t move. Especially in crystalline-like structures. And yet, the Heat-Magicules worked on solids, too. Even the efficiency, as far as he could tell, wasn¡¯t that far off from heating a gaseous medium. That complicated things a lot. Not because he couldn¡¯t guess what was happening, but because there were just too many ways the Magicules and matter could interact with each other, while he didn¡¯t have the tools necessary to study the phenomenon and limit the possibilities. Take, for example, Lava-Magicules. They were, obviously, especially efficient at heating solid matter. But, going by what Ghrughah had said about Soul contaminations, they also had properties that tried to ¡®liquify¡¯ matter. Or rather, to force atoms into an amorphous state, just like in glass. How much did that property influence a Lava-Magicule¡¯s ability to heat up solid matter? If he was able to copy the Magicule¡¯s nanostructure, would it bear any similarity to a Heat-Magicule? How many nanostructures of that kind did exist, and how did they achieve the effect? Or maybe, a Magicule could cause similar effects as a whole, while being distinctly different in structure? But why would Soul contamination be linked to Heat- and Glass-Magicules, then? The questions and doubts were multiplying because of the issues he had with the simplest of Magicules. If even Heat-Magicule was interacting with matter in such complicated ways, how was he going to analyze anything more complex? He wasn¡¯t even able to check how many pure Mana particles the different Magicules were made of. As so, Zeph had no choice but to limit himself in his self-study and research the basic interactions first and foremost. There was no way around it. Thankfully, the simple models produced simple results, for the most part. The temperature of solid objects could be increased by only two phenomena, and both translated to one fundamental effect. Vibrations. Or rather, the linear frequency of vibrations between ¡®spring-connected¡¯ atoms, and the frequency of connections stretching if there were more than two atoms connected. In the Kinetic theory, as it was treating the atoms like solid objects, all those movements were just oscillations. A molecule consisting of two atoms? Two balls linked by a spring, going back and forth as they vibrated. A non-linear molecule made from three atoms, like water? It was just a triangle, meaning that the atoms could vibrate linearly along their ¡®springs¡¯, bend in the plane of the triangle (making the triangle thinner or wider), and stretch in relation to the central atom (walking, like a figurine made from acorns). Those were their degrees of freedom. Those were the movements that could store energy and, effectively, increase the temperature. Going further with the water molecule example ¨C besides the three degrees of freedom from moving in space and three degrees of freedom from rotating in space, it possessed three degrees of freedom from vibrating. And while all of those could store energy, only the last three were obviously quantized. And being quantized meant, the physicality was putting restrictions on how to interact with them. And, once again, the kinetic theory was doing an impressive job explaining why that was. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an entirely correct parallel, but it was much easier to understand (physically) than diving into wave functions! Just like any oscillator ¨C one can¡¯t just ¡®push¡¯ it at random intervals to increase the amplitude. One can¡¯t just randomly attack a swing from all sides and hope it will start to¡­ well, swing higher. Resonance was necessary to influence those oscillations, those vibrations. And in the case of molecules¡¯ internal vibrations, it additionally had to be delivered in quite strict batches of energy. It was the very reason the infrared light was heating objects with such efficiency in the room temperatures. Of course, infrared light was a spectrum, not just laser-like, singular frequency of light, but it was still a perfect example of resonation. It was also very intuitive ¨C the objects that produced that light had similar temperature to the objects receiving them, so the resonance frequency of the medium, the light, was assured. Moreover, the spectrum of infrared light was the result of each molecule possessing its own temperature. Or rather, radiating light from different excitement states of electrons, but Zeph wasn¡¯t going to unnecessarily complicate the model if it worked. As so, the second-best property of kinetic theory made its entrance. Simple statistics. Slightly different from the wave equations, in calculation it employed a more intuitive part of statistical mathematics, operating on a simple distribution of wavelengths. And still, it worked; no matter how much the model strayed from reality by ignoring the true nature of photons. What Zeph planned to do, was to imitate known methods of cooling molecules, but using Magicules as a medium. The first idea was to use laser cooling or, more specifically, Doppler cooling to decrease the translational momentum of molecules ¨C slowing down their movement speed. The second idea was to expand on the method, and also decrease the rotational momentum of molecules. Finally, he wanted to use anti-Stokes cooling, which decreased the vibration energy. The problem was, both methods used photon absorption and emission to achieve those results. It was more about how to excite electrons to make them emit a photon with more energy than was delivered, thus forcing the atom to cool down. Zeph doubted Mana worked that way. Not only was Mana light-conducting to some extent, but transforming Magicules into light ¨C like his Mana Highlight did ¨C was tantamount to releasing their energy. Which meant their structure wasn¡¯t interacting with photons much otherwise. Maybe there existed a group of Magicules closely related to light, but, logically speaking, normally Magicules were molded by molecular environment, and pure Mana was rather neutral for light. Moreover, some effects the Mana had on matter were very¡­ mechanical in nature. At least going by his observations. Liquifying metal, for example, worked only as long as Magicules lasted ¨C they were modifying the interaction between atoms while disintegrating, giving away their energy. Zeph imagined the Magicules as a mold ¨C made from nano-Mana-currents ¨C that would naturally fit in between atoms of the physical medium that created them. If the medium changed ¨C the mold was forcing the new atoms into positions similar to its parental environment, thus changing their behavior. Or maybe it was the other way around and Magicules were forming local forcefields that mimicked absent molecular bonds, electromagnetic fields, etc. thus making the molecules behave like their distant cousins composed of different atoms and possessing different numbers of chemical bonds¡­ Either way, Zeph imagined that Magicules were working much more¡­ kinetically than electrons or photons. Which posed a challenge. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The fact that Mana wasn¡¯t decaying matter at all, was a strong argument supporting that way of thinking, too. True, one or two of the iron isotopes in his old armor became radionuclides thanks to the Mana-rich environment, but it was a different phenomenon. If Mana¡¯s energy could be absorbed by atoms just by resonance, like in case of photons, the world would be on fire. Well, maybe not on fire; but molecules, especially the big ones, like proteins, would break quite quickly, or go full radical. One thing was for sure. Nothing indicated that the second law of thermodynamics didn¡¯t work in Corora. So he couldn¡¯t just ¡®push against a swing¡¯ to decrease the atom¡¯s speed. If forces generated by Force-Magicules weren¡¯t omnidirectional, maybe that wouldn¡¯t be the case, but he wouldn¡¯t know either way without some really advanced research. As of now, he understood that the kinetic energy of atoms had to be transferred somewhere, it wasn¡¯t impossible to simply decrease it. Emitting photons was actually one of the best methods to do so. In the end, Zeph decided to apply kinetic theory to Mana and Mangicules to simplify the whole issue while thinking about possible solutions. The rules of the quantum world still limited what Mana could and couldn¡¯t do, and the inner workings could be studied at a later date. So, he ended up with two solutions for cooling. Either transfer the energy somewhere else or transform it into something else, like light. While waiting for Aisha in that room on the third floor of the laboratory building, he conducted a series of experiments on Heat-Magicules, using Gru¡¯s ¡®arms¡¯ filled with Phleya as an improvised thermometer. The duo¡¯s thermal sensitivity was quite high after receiving immunological upgrades. It didn¡¯t bring exciting results. No matter what he tried, the Magicules from the two modified Heat Spells didn¡¯t want to interfere with each other. Level of similarity, Mana density difference, direction of air movement¡­ nothing except the relative Magicule density in the air had an effect. That meant the phase of resonating energy transfer (however it was happening) was irrelevant, just like in the case of photon absorption. Using the previous metaphor ¨C the swing would speed up no matter when he pushed, he only had to push with the same frequency. It also seemed that multiple Magicules of a similar type could influence one atom all at the same time, and the effect would be the same as using them one after the other. For the most part, at least. He didn¡¯t have the tools necessary to look for more subtle discrepancies. According to his model, that meant the Magicules were either adapting to the frequency of an atom¡¯s vibrations, or an energy-transferring intermediary indeed existed. But even if the latter was the case, Zeph didn¡¯t have a method of interacting with said intermediary. The second series of experiments returned mixed results. Heat and magnetic field from Magnetic scan Spell were able to change temperature¡¯s propagation but, sadly, Magnetic scan didn¡¯t have the power necessary to influence states of electrons, so it ended up as an upgraded Heat manipulation technique. He didn¡¯t have many hopes from the beginning, but the lack of System notification was especially irritating at that time. The third series of experiments finally gave some results. Seeing how hard it was to excite electrons and make the air produce light, he just gave up on the idea for the time being. Instead, he tried to transfer the kinetic energy of molecules. It was a real pain to modify the Scrubbing cantrip, mostly because the structure of the Spell was very rigid. Even minimal changes made the Spell useless. If not for the ¡®Lesser Force weave¡¯ Spell, he probably would have never found another working configuration. He noticed one big difference between the Spell and cantrip. Namely, the Force-Magicule-producing module had a different number of coils in the main spiral of the construct. In the world of proteins, such change was much more significant than a simple mutation, as the whole conformation of the molecule would normally change. Because of that, and the fact that the modules were almost identical otherwise, it took him a while to spot the difference. It seemed that using a purely biotechnological approach in Spell modification had its limits, too. But what surprised him the most, were the effects. The Spell had a spiral with two coils less, as compared to the 16 in the cantrip, and yet the Magicules just¡­ stopped producing constant force all around. When he constructed the modified cantrip, it was no longer a Scrubbing Spell ¨C the Magicules just floated freely, reacting only to contact with physical matter and random wind currents, shaking the air a little. That was a big breakthrough. It seemed that the Magicules stopped spontaneously releasing their energy because of the air pressure. That meant he could easily modulate how they would react to different kinds of kinetic energy! If Zeph was not mistaken, that the overall momentum, timeframe, and size of an event or object necessary for Magicule disintegration were changing. And it was so stupidly easy to do, too. The only reason he didn¡¯t find it before, was that the way the cantrip worked resembled more an electrical circuit than protein ¨C the main spiral working like a transformer¡¯s coil. But everything had limits. He could only add or detract three coils from the spiral before the Spell failed miserably. However, after discovering the Spell¡¯s relation to an electrical circuit, he was quick to modify the rest to accommodate a longer spiral. He wasn¡¯t a specialist, but it was merely a Tier 0 Spell ¨C one meant to learn from. He changed the main spiral to be smaller and denser, then started adding coil after coil to it while stretching the rest in such a way as to keep the relative positions of all elements constant. The produced Magicules he would gather in Space-Mana encasement. By opening a small hole at the top, he could use his Veil technique to spot even small changes in their behavior when in direct contact with the air. At 25 coils, the resulting Magicules started reacting to low sounds, and weren¡¯t excited by the random wind currents anymore. At 35 coils, they started reacting to ultrasounds and ignored contact with solid matter. At 45 coils, they just fluctuated aggressively, throwing around the dust that found its way inside. At 55 coils, they stopped reacting to the sounds altogether and the frequency of energy releases became too high to perceive. A single hair that he put on the ¡®surface¡¯ was wiggling randomly, suspended in the air, and slowly drifting in random directions. After that, the ¡®pool¡¯ of Force-Magicules stilled to all his senses, but he already noticed the pattern. He continued, blindly but stubbornly. At 70 coils, he noticed wisps of mist forming over the ¡®surface¡¯ in the encasement¡¯s opening. At 75 coils, he had to stop. The efficiency of the Spell dropped almost to nothing. Other spirals, and the whole Spell construct, were stretched too much. To compensate, he started enlarging those other spirals ¨C something he would never try with another Spell because it was the quickest way to disable them in normal circumstances. This one behaved more like an electrical circuit, though, so Zeph had a frame of reference good enough to believe that it should work. For another hour, he tested different configurations, trying to restart Magicule production. After having enough, he started manually modifying the speed of Mana flow beyond the Spell¡¯s construct purview ¨C just at the ends of the controlled flow and near the point of Magicules¡¯ molding site ¨C to imitate how Mana behaved in earlier renditions. To do that, he used his Will alongside stray Will-Magicules that flowed through the construct. And when he did, the Spell churned, his Will dropped drastically, and then, that happened.
Congratulations...
He reeled back from the strain on his Will and a sudden headache. The Spell collapsed moments later.
Unknown [Tier 2] [Spell] detected! [Will] dependency detected! [Spell] [Rebounding] effect detected! Cascading amplification effect detected! Source: Magicules from [Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65] group! Calculating¡­ [Spell] deemed [Safe] for [User]¡­
Willforce in his body reacted almost automatically, sucking resources from other places to speed up his recovery. His mind and Will suffered, but the rest of his body and the Soul were in a¡­ relatively good condition. He tried to assist his full-body upgrade where he could to speed the process up. For a moment, back then, he felt as if his brain was being melted. Sensation overload was an understatement, but instead of feedback from senses, it was an avalanche of abstract information.
[Spell] evaluated as [Death hazard] when in use outside of [User] parameters. Calculating¡­ [Spell] classified as [Mostly impossible] to replicate with normal methods. Calculating circumstances¡­ [Spell] re-classified as [Unique]. [Spell] working name set as [Kinetic Medium] in [Force] group in [Tier 2]. New [####] [####] added! [Rewards] [Deferred] until conditions met! Please visit [System Shrine] at your convenience.
Useless, he thought after glancing at the notifications. He rolled into a ball on his seat and massaged his temples to alleviate the ever-increasing headache. So, 75 coils was the Spell¡¯s limit¡­ It took him a few minutes to recover fully. Enough time to figure out what he had done wrong. A backlash from Tier 2 Spell¡­ which means, the Magicules somehow connected to my Will, which then resonated with Fullerene Magicules and started sending information through my implants directly to my brain¡­ Jesus, was that all information from a few Magicules at a micrometer scale? Well¡­ a few million, more probably¡­ At least I hope it was all that happened ¡­ Gru tried to comfort him until Zeph sent him back his true feelings on the topic. His companion started pouting instead. A new discovery! Was all he could think of. He started grinning. Forcing the information to go somewhere else should be possible, right? We are talking about Will here¡­ he thought, getting ready to construct the Spell once more. After quite an intense ¨C if short ¨C testing session, he learned that he could dampen the flood of information by sharing it between all his Fullerene equipment. His armor was quite indifferent towards the flood of information, as was Zeph¡¯s cardiovascular system. He just wanted to shield his brain from the abuse, but he quickly learned that his mind had to be connected to some degree for the Magicules to work. Normally, he would try to redirect the stream of information to his Soul, just as it normally happened when getting information from his Mana, but with that amount¡­ he worried it could cause permanent damage to his Soul memory. Slowly, but stubbornly, he worked his way up the coils, folding the next one in real time instead of preparing testing pools of Magicules at each step. He constantly re-adjusted his mental shielding ¨C Willforce Morphon helping a lot with the exercise ¨C and optimized the Spell¡¯s structure slightly when he noticed a drop in efficiency. Finally, right before reaching a sustainable mental limit, he achieved his goal ¨C 110 coils. At 25 coils, the Magicules reacted to sounds with a wavelength of around 10 centimeters. At 35, with a wavelength of around 2 centimeters. At 45, it moved larger dust particles. At 55, it easily wiggled a hair that should have a width of around 0.1 millimeters. Every 10 coils, he was attuning the Magicules to react to objects and movements an order of magnitude smaller, colloquially speaking. Scrubbing, at 16 coils, was reacting to pressure itself, which was a little counter-intuitive, as that should correspond to 1-meter gaseous objects or events, but he had a feeling that the lower number of coils stopped being a linear function in this model and added other properties, as 14 coils in Force weave added something entirely new to the Magicules¡¯ usage. Keeping the Spell up was straining, very much so, but he was able to keep at it for almost a minute and managed to fill a¡ªmuch smaller this time¡ªSpace-Mana encasement with newly modulated Force-Magicules. The ¡®pool¡¯ was as still as ever, but if his guess was correct, those should react to objects the size of molecules ¨C somewhere between 1 angstrom and 1 nanometer. Well, to gaseous molecules at room temperature and normal pressure, at least. With a mix of dread and wonder, he very shortly dipped his finger in the ¡®pool¡¯¡­ ~~~Current time~~~ As the Stabilized Telekinesis arm neared the Zombies, Zeph stopped squeezing, allowing the construct to finish the movement by itself. Just as the bead at the arm¡¯s end pierced the Mana-L Veil produced by the horde¡ªor rather the pack¡ªZeph braced himself and added his Will to the Force modules¡¯ active centers. Almost immediately, they started to form and eject modulated Magicules. The bead touched a Zombie, and Zeph slotted the last fold of Beam spell into place. As his Veil deflated, a stream of Force Magicules rushed through his Mana-L that was stabilizing the telekinetic arm. Moments later, the battlefield paused. A high-pitched cracking sound of congregating and snapping ice was drowning out all other sounds. A jet of a perfect thermal conductor in the shape of his newly discovered Magicules flooded the Zombies. As the temperature of the air was around minus 20 Celcius, the heat immediately vacated their slightly warm bodies after making contact with the Magicules, flowing freely to places with lower temperatures as per the laws of thermodynamics. In mere seconds, a flower of petrified and breaking-apart bodies formed around the center of his telekinetic arm as the temperature of all objects in the zone started to level out¡­ Chapter 91 - Good hunting, good news! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] How does dipping one¡¯s finger into a perfect thermal conductor feel? Deceptively innocuous¡­ at least when doing so in a warm room. Zeph had dipped his fingertip into the ¡®pool¡¯ of Magicules for merely a second, feeling as if he touched a very cold liquid, and yet soon after his finger swelled as a sharp, burning pain flared under his skin. The ¡®coolant¡¯ paralyzed his finger by decreasing the temperature of its surface layers to just around 20 Celcius. He shivered at the thought of touching it when it would have access to anything with a temperature below zero Celsius. An instant frostbite would be a guarantee. On the other hand, he knew that his creation wasn¡¯t perfect. It worked efficiently with gasses and liquids¡ªtransferring molecular transitional momentum with ease¡ªbut was much slower with solid matter, as the spectrum of amplitudes of atomic vibrations only partially overlapped with the Magicules¡¯ attunement. That didn¡¯t change the fact that the Magicules were much better at cooling a living body than any physical medium he ever heard of. First, they were able to touch a body directly over the whole surface ¨C even the smallest of nooks and crevices of his skin weren¡¯t spared. Second, they actively escalated the dispersion of thermal energy. Third, no ¡®buffer¡¯ of air could form around bodies to slow down the process. And finally, Magicules had limited ability to penetrate solid matter ¨C a thin layer of ice forming on the bodies of Zobies before him wasn¡¯t enough to isolate them from the deadly shower. Anyway, it was an ethereal experience, touching something without mass or pressure but being this cold. It was a fundamentally different feeling than going into a Cryochamber or ¡®touching¡¯ the liquid nitrogen¡¯s vapor. In both cases, the temperature difference would cause the air ¨C heated by one¡¯s body ¨C to form the aforementioned ¡®buffer¡¯, and the air itself wasn¡¯t the best thermal conductor. Many examples of spontaneous thermo-isolation exist, even in everyday life. Droplets of water thrown on a hot metal surface tend to just hover over it, as the vapor from droplets creates enough pressure to actually lift them up while being a bad enough conductor to not heat the water too much. A fireplace or a grill wouldn¡¯t lose their heat that fast if while left alone in the open air, a layer of ash additionally preventing them from cooling down. It was the reason they had to be doused with water. Liquids were quite good coolants in general, just because they could touch solid matter directly and then vaporize, taking a huge part of the energy with the vapors. And that was the trick with his newly-attuned Force-Magicules. Because they touched everything at the same time and directly transferred the energy of atoms away, they were that much more effective. Even if they ignored some of the solid matter vibrations, no physical coolant could rival them. But, as miraculous as his discovery was¡­ Why I am not getting any experience?! Zeph fumed internally. Seeing the effects of his Spell, Aisha whistled loudly in admiration. ¡°That¡¯s something new, for sure¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Zeph frowned. ¡°They are still alive, for some reason.¡± ¡°Well, that won¡¯t be a problem. Are they frozen down to the core?¡± she asked, looking at him. ¡°The Hell I know. I don¡¯t even know how they keep the temperature of their bodies up,¡± he looked straight into her disturbingly white eyes. ¡°Normal organisms of their size should freeze completely in about a minute. But they are neither alive nor producing heat.¡± She shrugged. ¡°As if it was studied enough. How is their Life energy Veil faring?¡± she asked instead. ¡°Poorly. My Magicules are already close to affecting the first battle-line fighters. Their dissipation rate against other Mana formations is lower than expected¡­¡±¡ªwhich meant the Magicules were penetrating quite deeply the high-density Mana environment, reacting mostly to atoms¡ª¡°Actually¡­ I will cut them off.¡± He immediately stopped his already-slowed-down Beam Spell altogether by deforming it further. Then, he forced the walls of the telekinetic ¡®pipe¡¯ to expand outwards, sucking back the vestiges of original Force-Magicules remaining inside. The flailing end of his Telekinetic arm wilted and, shortly after, started to fold back. The original Force-Magicules inside of the ¡®pipe¡¯ were almost spent, so the process was painstakingly slow. He wasn¡¯t going to replenish them just yet, though, as those Force-Magicules were already severed from the connection to his Soul and thus unresponsive to manipulation. Different from the new type he discovered ¨C or rather, managed to connect to his Will ¨C but still useful. Nonetheless, opening a hole at the back of the ¡®pipe¡¯ would just cause the whole construct to wither away. ¡°I am going in,¡± Aisha declared, squatting slightly on her improvised podium. ¡°No!¡± Zeph reacted immediately. ¡°Wait for the Magicules to dissipate fully! If you bring more heat, the bodies will just start moving again!¡± ¡°Tch,¡± she straightened up, lowering her weapon. ¡°What good is it then? Your new Spell seems awfully inept.¡± ¡°Just¡­ shatter the frozen bodies, or something. They won¡¯t die otherwise, either way,¡± he said, irritated. Even frozen, the Undead kept enough Soul links connected to their bodies to stay ¡®alive¡¯. In the first place, the dead bodies weren¡¯t pumping blood, processing calories, or generating heat (probably; Zeph wasn¡¯t sure). Even their brains should be inactive. If Zeph had to guess, they lived by the sheer virtue of Mana-L¡¯s ability to imitate the processes of a living organism. It would be inefficient as fuck, but theoretically, a Soul could supplement enough Mana to imitate those processes. Also, a Soul could structure Mana, as it always had information about everything that body contained and about how it operated. Less so in case of the Undead Soul conglomerations, but still. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Aisha massaged her chin. ¡°Well¡­ our archers want some levels, so¡­¡± Don¡¯t pretend you have a better way to¡­ wait! His eyes widened as he got an idea. ¡°Archers!¡± she shouted. ¡°Indiscriminate volley! Permission for three explosives!¡± Oh shit, she can just cause an explosion by presenting enough heat! Why didn¡¯t I thou¡ª His thoughts were drowned by the sound of shattering sculptures of once-alive abominations of flesh. It wasn¡¯t overly loud, but the scrapping sound of metal arrowheads hitting the ice-encased, hard muscles was eerily similar to scratching a chalkboard. Thankfully¡ªfor everyone involved¡ªit was soon drowned by the explosions that soon followed.
You are partially responsible for killing [Chiropterida Zombie ¨C lvl equivalent: 69] ¡­ (9 more) You have earned [Soul fragments]!
Gru vibrated in excitement, and a moment later¡­
Congratulations! You have earned 170 [Universal Points]! [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 34! (+1)
¡°Fricking finally,¡± Zeph murmured, furiously pumping up his ¡®pipe¡¯ in preparation for the second serving. He ignored the list of Spells and Skills that leveled up ¨C they had a long day before them still. Most of the Zombies around the center of the horde were already slowed down by the vestiges of his magical coolant, so the tempo of elimination skyrocketed and he only managed to use his new Spell combination once more before their troops started finishing off the stragglers. Aisha stopped monitoring the battlefield at that moment and jumped down from her improvised podium. ¡°Ready for more?¡± she asked nonchalantly, putting her weapon on her shoulder and smiling brightly. Zeph nodded immediately. ¡°Definitely,¡± This one fight almost granted him a full level in his Class, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. ¡°Although¡­ what with the celebrations?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Our valley should be secured in a few hours. Kwan will probably keep most of our warriors busy, as we need patrols and reaction force, but that would be a matter of numbers by then ¨C we won¡¯t be needed.¡± He sighed. ¡°I just hope enough people will visit to actually make for the damage¡­¡± She waved him dismissively. ¡°If we can¡¯t do anything about it, why bother?¡± She turned her head to the people resting at the back. ¡°Situation report! Where is the next target?!¡± ~~~ It took them another six Corora hours to sweep through their territory. All in all, Zeph managed to kill, or assist in killing, another 36 creatures. However, Gru complained that their Souls were much smaller. Most of the Undead that raised further away from the epicenter created by the Undead Heart could be considered, at the very least, second generation, as Aisha explained earlier. Because of that, Zeph wasn¡¯t surprised at all that he only managed to finish the current level of his Class. Of course, he put all his free points into Flexibility. It was the middle of the day already, and the mist started to subside. Not like it was a problem during the fights. Not with his new Spell ¨C the coolant was efficiently freezing all the water in the air despite the abundant Mana-L that seemed to keep the mist afloat and unfrozen. Zeph felt spent in too many ways for his liking. At least the streets were mostly empty. As they were returning to Kwan¡¯s hotel, Zeph allowed himself to space out slightly and started checking his Interface. Seeing his Mana Capacity, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. [Table version:]
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 196
Flexibility 29 Memory 67
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 68
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 194 33 161
Mana Capacity: 807 795 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 127 98 29
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 6 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 34 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.71%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] is shrinking! 5.09%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Slowly, but I am getting there. He rubbed his hands with glee. 500 more, and I can try out my Tier 2 Matrix Spells¡­ The modulated Soul contamination is going nicely, too. That reminds me, I need to talk with Makani. Waking himself up from his delusional state, he quickly scanned the leveling-up summary and notifications.
Major upgrades: Shaman [+1] ==> Memory [+1], Allocated [Flexibility] [+2] ==> Matrix space [+5], Mana capacity [+49], Mana generation [+4] Force Generalist [+1] ==> Intuition [+2*2], Greater Willpower [+1], Allocated [Flexibility] [+2] [+3] ==> Matrix space [+4], Mana capacity [+27], Mana generation [+2]
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Will] is now [T2] [L75]! (+5) [Will manipulation] is now [T2] [L87]! (+3) [Will-powered Mana manipulation] is now [T2] [L80]! (+4) [Life Energy] is now [T1] [L39]! (+7) [Spear (style: E2M1)] is now [T2] [L50]! (+1) ¡­
Yep, I¡¯ve learned a lot about Will and Mana-L, he smirked sarcastically. Of course, the Skills only gained levels after he proved his proficiency ¡®experimentally¡¯. Well¡­ to be fair, I did learn a lot thanks to my new Force-Magicules and Aisha¡¯s knowledge on the matter. Especially because both, the Undead and the aquatic organisms, produce so much Mana-L. And it was mirrored by the development of another of his General Skills.
¡­ [Corora lifeforms] is now [T1] [L36]! (+13) This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡­
His practical knowledge about how Undead worked aside, they had to push back some of the big fishes that decided to seek the meat from sliced-apart Undead on the land. Aside from anatomy snippets, Aisha had to explain a few things about them, too. All in all, it resulted in something unexpected.
[General Skill] [Survival] is now [T1] [L100]! (+1) Congratulations! All requirements met for the [General Skill] [Survival] to cross the [Tier] threshold without [Specializing]! Congratulations! [Basic Requirements] met for [General Skill] [Survival] to [Expand]! To proceed, fulfill all requirements: ¡¤ [General Skill] [Corora lifeforms] at [T1] [L100]; ¡¤ [General Skill] [Corora herbarium] at [T1] [L100]; ¡¤ [General Skill] [Soul] at [T2]; ¡¤ [General Skill] [Life Energy] at [T2]; ¡¤ [General Skill] [Ambient Mana] at [T2]; Fulfilled requirements: ¡¤ [General Skill] [Survival] at [T1] [L100]; ¡¤ [General Skill] [Will] at [T2]; ¡¤ One [General Skill] classified as [Exotic knowledge] at [T2]. Found [2]: ---- [Memories of the Earth] ---- [Ancient Civilizations] ¡¤ Proven survivability in 5 different categories of encounters classified as [Disastrous]. Confirmed: ---- [NATURAL]: [Undead], [Hive (Myconid)] ---- [PHYSICAL]: [Immunological Hazards] ---- [MENTAL]: [Critical Brain Overload], [Leadership-fatal Conspiracy and Social Manipulation], [Greater invention] ---- [MANA]: [Mana Overload], [Mana Depletion] ---- [SOUL]: [Harmed by Netherbeing], [Critical Soul Fragmentation] ---- [HIDDEN] ¨C [WILL]: [Will depletion] ---- [HIDDEN] ¨C [IMMORTAL]: Risk your very Soul for an [Onji] ¡­..
Gah, what is that? he thought, looking with disgust at the last of the hidden categories of encounters. Not ominous in the slightest¡­ Fucking System¡­ he sighed and shook his head. The description was so cryptic that it could actually mean Gru¡¯s very existence, not just their deal. But that was old news. They could at least leave a link to the extended explanation, but nooo¡­ ¡®Zeph, this information is all you need to know to thrive¡¯, he thought in the imitation of his imaginary, mechanical voice of the System. Bleh! At least my excursion into that assassin¡¯s trap and our little investigation in the laboratory building brought some results¡­ But the ¡®Greater invention¡¯ is classified as ¡®Disasterous¡¯? Why? I hope it¡¯s from my new Spell and not other things. If that assessment is even true, that is¡­ he ruminated while reading the rest of the fulfilled requirements.
¡­¡­ ¡¤ At least three perceptive abilities from the above categories (Spells discarded). Found [6]: ---- [Mana perception] ---- [Will-powered Soul perception] ---- [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] ---- [Will-powered Soul Memory access sharing]. ---- [TRAIT]: [Greater Will] ---- [TRAIT]: [Well-informed] ¡¤ At least two defensive abilities from non-physical categories. Found [17]: ---- [Willforce] ---- [Will manipulation] + [Soul contamination]: [Will (type: H1)] ---- [Mana masking] ---- [Resonation Supression] ---- [TRAIT]: [Mana incompatibility] ---- [TRAIT]: [Greater Will] ---- [TRAIT]: [Soul dissipation resistance] ---- [TRAIT]: [You were right] ---- [BIOLOGICAL IMPLANTS] x3: [Phleya] + [Garuan] + [Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81] + [OTHERS (see below)] ---- [MIXED ENERGY ENHANCEMENTS]: [Homeostasis defense] + [Willforce]¡­ ---- [MIXED STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS] x4: [Willforce Morphon] + [Modified Metabolism¡­ ---- [MIXED MECHANICAL IMPLANTS]: [Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65]¡­ ¡¤ At least one offensive ability from non-physical categories. Found [5]: ---- [Mixed Enchanting Arts] ---- [Will-powered Soul manipulation] ---- [Will-powered Soul whack] ---- [Mana rapture] ---- [TRAIT]: [Greater Will]
¡°¡­¡± Zeph was left speechless for a moment. Why is it so¡­ convoluted? He squinted his eyes at some of the listed ¡®abilities¡¯. Why is ¡®Greater Will¡¯ in each category? And why, for gods¡¯ sake, is the ¡®You were right¡¯ Trait mentioned in the defensive abilities? Is that a joke, or something? No, that¡¯s not important! Why a General Skill even has so many requirements to advance in the first place?! It was absolutely beyond him. It was, simply put, the most complicated and convoluted way to assess his progress he had seen up until now. And General Skills can only give me knowledge, nothing more¡­ Okay, okay, I wasn¡¯t exactly an avid ¡®reader¡¯ until now, so maybe I am missing something here¡­ he glanced below before going into that rabbit hole and was immediately rewarded for that display of wisdom.
[Hidden] conditions met! [User] has unlocked two [Hidden] fundamental categories of requirements and surpassed overall [Basic Requirements] for the [Skill] [Expansion] two times over! The following rewards are in effect: ¡¤ All information about the possible progression of the [General Skill] [Survival] is uncovered! ¡¤ [General Skill] [Survival] has a potential to achieve [Tier 4] after [Expanding]! ¡¤ [General Skill] [Survival] has a potential to influence future [Specializations] and [Sub-specializations] of [User¡¯s] [Class] and [Profession]!
Huh? He blinked in surprise. That¡­ explains a lot. With my¡ªhe glanced at the text above¡ªseventeen? Jesus, I invested a lot in my defenses¡­ But yeah, with that score, no wonder I am well above the Basic Requirements¡­ Although, I am not so convinced about those ¡®hidden categories¡¯¡­ Will? Immortal? Why do I have a feeling there is a lot more? Like¡­ ¡®cataclysm¡¯, or something? Well, the Skill is called the ¡®Survival¡¯¡­ still, it¡¯s unreasonable¡­ He sighed. After imagining the inevitable talk with Aisha about this new development, he promptly decided to leave it for his and Makani¡¯s trip into the wilderness. He would then leave the Manacaster in her clutches to be tormented. At least that way, he would have a chance to get a short version of the lecture back from him. Because he was sure that if she knew about this ¡®hidden¡¯ achievement, she definitely elaborately set him to fulfill the requirements, which meant she would then start a lengthy explanation on why she didn¡¯t tell him a thing beforehand. He simply didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to deal with that. Definitely not now, and especially when she was that excited by the ongoing fighting. It¡¯s all far into the future, either way. He shrugged. I know my mundane ways around survival, so I don¡¯t need the Tier 2 right now. If going for the Tier 4 version would help me with the Mana environment, I would gladly work for it. In the future. He slapped the notification shut, figuratively speaking. And another one surfaced right after. What now? he thought with resignation.
[Spear (style: E2M1)] is now [T2] [L50]! (+1) Congratulations! You had put foundations to a new [Martial Art] style! As the founder, you are entitled to artificially enhance your creation. In which direction would you like to guide your style? 1) General ¨C continue without interference; 2) Physical ¨C achieve a better understanding of spatial movements; 3) Enchanted ¨C achieve better context for the usability of enchantments; 4) Mixed ¨C develop a style that depends on both the physical movements and enchantments; 5) Other ¨C propose a different road to follow;
Ugh¡­ He facepalmed. He quickly scrolled down and found that his Telekinesis had leveled up too ¨C the only Spell that did. No wonder, too, as he used Force-Magicules better attuned to the arm¡¯s functionality. After finally seeing the end of the list, he started to trot to catch up with his ¡®martial arts mentor¡¯. ¡°Hey, Aisha!¡± She stopped and turned around. Because they were close to the hotel, everyone else allowed her to break the formation without a fuss. ¡°Whassup?¡± she asked as he got closer. ¡°I¡¯ve reached Tier 2 Level 50 in my Spear General Skill,¡± he quickly explained. She looked up with visible relief. ¡°At last! I worried you would have to add another style into the mix!¡± She started walking with the squad and Zeph followed. ¡°What choices?¡± ¡°General, physical, enchanted, mixed, other,¡± he listed. ¡°With descriptions, if you will.¡± She sent him a disapproving look. Instead of speaking, he just touched her and sent an Effigy. Aisha was silent for a few minutes after that, massaging her chin while thinking intensively. ¡°Your first thoughts?¡± she asked finally, looking up. ¡°Other. I want to mix Spells into it. And maybe something more,¡± he said shortly, shrugging nonchalantly. ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± she answered immediately. ¡°You can mix external Mana manipulation all you want with your style, but only after you internalize it.¡± she poked his arm, hard. ¡°What a style does, is making sure that you have an outlet for the forces your body can wield. Even if you are too preoccupied to use any form of Mana manipulation. And your hand-to-hand style won¡¯t change that fact, no matter how deeply engraved in your spear-fighting it is. Besides reacting to your opponent, you have to instinctively know how to move.¡± He frowned, not sure if that made any sense. After a brief moment, he concluded that it simply didn¡¯t. ¡°So what? Are you also ¡®internalizing¡¯ your internal Mana flow to activate enchantments? I am fighting reactively. Not to mention, I always make other preparations. Like beads. How am I to include all that into¡­ learned movements? Well¡­ it is an external Mana manipulation, partially, but you know how it goes for me.¡± She sighed heavily and put a hand to her temple. ¡°I knew you would oppose me on it. Especially because you are ¡®winning¡¯ in hand-to-hand with me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s the most basic tenet of melee ¨C you prepare for the worst. For the time when Mana simply isn¡¯t available, for whatever reasons. Your reaction times have developed way beyond your Passive Enhancement, so you have no excuse. You can train your body to keep with your mind, even if on automatic reactions only, and that¡¯s what counts.¡± She looked at him seriously. ¡°If you can fire Spells faster than cut with a weapon, do it. Use Spells when fighting in melee like you always did. But, for Onji¡¯s sake, keep those forms separate! Mixing everything into one style will limit your overall versatility and options.¡± His frown wasn¡¯t going away, though. ¡°And how exactly is that different from making my style dependent on enchantments?¡± ¡°Because System Onji is presenting you with three best-fitting options.¡± She said without vigor. ¡°Enchanted style? I heard some rumors, but it¡¯s not normally presented to warriors. Your ability to enchant any weapon on the fly is why it showed up.¡± He blinked and looked at her incuriously. That definitely didn¡¯t sound right. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®on the fly¡¯? Do you even know how long it takes? Not to mention, how limiting the process is for using Mana for anything else?¡± ¡°Whatever. You didn¡¯t even test your ¡®Spell frameworks¡¯ for enchanting,¡± she dismissed him without a thought. He didn¡¯t have anything to say to that, because she was absolutely and painfully right. He slowly closed his open mouth. P¡¯pfel had to clue her in. ¡°And yet,¡± she continued, ¡°Onji is trying to give you even more information on how to work around enchanting problems better. With the ¡®Enchanted¡¯ path, you would have a way to always use half of your style ¨C even with a simple stick. In normal circumstances, losing your weapon means changing styles or finding a new one. It¡¯s especially true for heavy-weapon users like us. That¡¯s also why with the ¡®Mixed¡¯ path you would be more dependent on heavy weaponry.¡± ¡°Okay, that actually sounds convincing,¡± Zeph said with wide eyes. He totally missed some of those points, but he convinced himself that it was the fault of him possessing and utilizing multiple weapons for the longest time. He decided to think over that a little more but was mostly convinced at this point. ¡°Is there a style that can work for many different weapons even?¡± he asked with interest. ¡°Eh¡­ They were, but it never worked that good.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°I once Dueled with a guy who could use any short-bladed weapon. It was a technique-based Duel, mind you, so no Mana shenanigans. He was wearing thirty different weapons on himself, more or less, so I brought thirty cheap replicas of my warhaxammer and just threw them all around the arena in case he disarmed me,¡± she laughed, reminiscing the good times. ¡°He argued that it was against the rules, as he could wear all of his weapons on himself, but the judge noticed that I didn¡¯t have any peculiar difficulty with bringing my weapons on the stage, and with only one arm¡­¡± Aisha continued her ramblings all the way to the hotel. It was, strangely, quite interesting recounting of strange encounters she had in the past¡­ ~~~ ¡°Welcome back, La-Zora, La-Einar,¡± an attendant greeted them as soon as they entered the lobby, bowing slightly. ¡°Please take your rest in the leisure room on the third floor. Other Heads and core members are already perusing the buffet there.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aisha answered happily, skipping to the elevator in the corridor ahead. Time to get things done, it seems, Zeph thought, fighting with fatigue. The last day or two were definitely too long¡­ Chapter 92 - A relaxing evening. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1793.12.--] [New Year Celebrations] As expected, the days were getting short. The few hours of light that the first day of winter allowed them, they used up almost entirely hunting Undead in the streets. That didn¡¯t mean the hour was early, quite the opposite. If Zeph had to guess, it was around Corora¡¯s 25th hour of the day, an equivalent of 8 pm on Earth. In 15 more Corora hours, the 40-hour period of New Year celebrations would end and Wadokeis all around the city would start counting time once again. In around 20 Corora hours, Lurona city would witness the first daybreak of the year 1794. Most people would take a day off but from that point forward, and for the next three months, most will switch their working schedule to evenings ¨C to unburden the early, bright mornings and work only after dusk. It would also be the time for him and Makani to leave the city. Now, though, the nightfall was drawing close as was visible from the windows of the meeting room on the third floor of the headquarters. The mist, as much as it was persistent, didn¡¯t reach high. If they weren¡¯t in a valley surrounding a river, Zeph was sure the visibility would become almost normal by now. The weather was also peaceful ¨C the almost-cloudless sky allowing the dying-out rays of the sun to illuminate the world below for the last few minutes. Zeph was sitting in a cozy armchair right before a large window panel that was uncovered for the occasion. Uncovered by a moving portion of the building¡¯s external wall, that is. The Guild talks finished a good while ago, so he was just relaxing and mentally recharging ¨C the view making wonders in that regard. As he kept admiring the sight of the main avenue of their not-so-small ¡®village¡¯, illuminated by warm light from the myriad of lamps decorating the buildings all around, he scooped the last fork-load of the dish from his fifth plate of goodies and filled his mouth with the meaty bless that he composed himself while abusing the buffet. The people below were in much more festive moods now, as they should. He was surprised by the number of guests arriving despite the constant fights going all around, but Corora¡¯s inhabitants were a stubborn and hearty bunch. It also turned out to be a good decision on their part. The Undead already stopped being a problem, at least in the Roaming Onsen Village. Only small critters and a random aquatic animal roamed the less frequented streets. The risk of assault from a third party was also minimal at this point. The constant patrols alleviated some of the apprehension the younger of their guests could potentially feel, making sure the area was safe. Even now, he could spot members of the fast-reacting force roaming the rooftops of the nearby buildings. ¡°Are you finished stuffing yourself?¡± he heard Makani¡¯s voice coming from behind. Zeph lazily looked back. Indeed, it was Makani. In a much better shape than the last time he saw the man, which was probably going both ways. He gulped down the last bit of food before answering. ¡°I am not really finished yet, though?¡± he said, sending a longing glance at the tables buckling under the oh-so-delicious burden. He started to respect the Chiropterida¡¯s taste in marine creatures, as well as the city¡¯s eagerness to host them every ear. ¡°You finally started to savor the taste of what you eat, so I know you are full,¡± Makani said dismissively, moving one of the nearby chairs beside him and unceremoniously plopping down. His elegant, green-and-gold robes flailed delicately in the air for far longer than they should. A new masterpiece of their Guild¡¯s alchemy-and-enchanting duo of master craftsmen. ¡°When are we going to leave the city?¡± he lightly asked. ¡°Tomorrow morning would be the best. After I talk with Lelucia in her Shrine,¡± Zeph said, still looking longingly at the tables. ¡°Can do. We will visit my Tower along the way, is that all right?¡± That, at last, made him avert his gaze and look back at his companion. ¡°Are you sure we can¡¯t train that outside? As much as I am willing, if something happens again¡­¡± Indeed, Zeph was quite scared at this point of another random event preventing him from advancing his ¡®Ambient Mana channeling¡¯ Skill. Between their last excursion into the Tower and the current time, days of struggle have passed. Makani snorted. ¡°I already told you it¡¯s impossible. And you heard Ghrughah-jiji. We won¡¯t be getting any environmental chambers in at least a few months, so deal with it.¡± Zeph sighed with resignation and started ruminating on the discussion that took place half an hour ago. The first hour of the meeting was dedicated to updating all core members on the current status of their Guild. Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel¡¯s ? security system managed to catch seventeen people, five of whom survived or didn¡¯t commit suicide, and were now interrogated. An unfortunate side-effect was, they had to activate all lockdown protocols. Their current inaccessibility aside, the crucial underground facilities and tunnels were already built and operational. All that was left, was to create ¡®disposable¡¯ rooms for less important activities of the members of their Guild, like construction, testing, and training facilities. On another note, the Hannyajin troops started behaving after witnessing just how many infiltrators managed to pass through manned checkpoints. The fact that some of the members of their own squads were either traitors or mentally manipulated only escalated that behavior. As a result, they finally started acting like the organized military that they were, making Kwan especially grateful. Also, for the first time ever, all of them started to implement all security protocols, and with such paranoid detail that even Zeph was impressed. Woongar was in a secure room, kept in a coma by their medical team and awaiting interrogation. Despite the many attempts of forced entry, none of the crucial infrastructure was compromised. They were sure because only entities that could phase through walls could ever hope to escape the labyrinth created by the Guild¡¯s craftiest of minds. Especially when the aforementioned great minds were fed by Zeph¡¯s notes from Earth¡¯s advancements on the topic. To Zeph¡¯s joy, the infiltrators who managed to escape took the fake files from the staged rooms. They would have a hell of a great time experimenting with those, he was sure. Of course, information like that was of too high a security level to communicate directly, even in the meeting room. He only learned about that fact through the uncanny Veil-communication he established with Ghrughah. It was a work in progress, of course, but they were close to forming a separate language here. By pushing against their Veils, they could be sure that no one would be able to monitor the communication, not even mentioning deciphering it. No matter what had happened until now, neither of them believed that the meeting room was absolutely free of possible eavesdrop devices or methods, so communicating in this manner was a must. Thinking about Ghrughah reminded Zeph of something different, though. ¡°Mana-L is working quite good with Fullerene alloy, though¡­¡± he sulked, idly scraping his empty plate to gather the sad remnants of the sauce. ¡°Oh no¡­ You are NOT going to make the same mistake as our ancestors!¡± Makani hissed, suddenly much more serious. ¡°Even ignoring the fact that moving foreign Mana-L, as you call it, is nigh impossible, what do you think it would do to your Soul if you managed to re-connect some?¡± ¡°¡­ Not sure. Actually, that was one of the questions I had for you?¡± Makani kept glaring at him, searching for something on Zeph¡¯s face, but he really didn¡¯t have anything more to say on the topic. Finally, Makani relented and started explaining. ¡°In normal circumstances, you can¡¯t even work with the Ambient Organic Magicules,¡± he stated. ¡°In our circumstances right now, though, it can be done.¡± ¡°Undead?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°And the Ambient from aquatic lifeforms,¡± Makani shook his head. ¡°Some people have tried to practice re-connecting Organic Magicules, and do you know what they ended up with? Serious mental and physical issues, that¡¯s what,¡± he paused dramatically. ¡°Trying to cycle that kind of Mana through your Soul is not only technically problematic but directly harmful to the Soul. Don¡¯t believe anyone who says otherwise. It¡¯s also a sure method of increasing your body-related Soul contaminations ¨C like the Blood, Tissue, Neural, and others. But people chasing these kinds of contaminations never end up sane. Even while scrupulously choosing their killings instead of using advanced ¡®Ambient Mana channeling¡¯ as a shortcut.¡± He leaned forward, getting closer to Zeph¡¯s face, his eyes crazed a little. ¡°Those contaminations can be responsible for the first kind of direct matter manipulation humanity ever used, long before the System Onji arrived on these lands, but never underestimate the risk of re-connecting Magicules coupled with anything other than a Soul! Such Mana should only be used during Spellcasting; after you form it yourself!¡± His face got so close that Zeph could feel his breath on his chin. ¡°Even if our predecessor could manipulate their own bodies, it doesn¡¯t me¡ª¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Zeph pushed his face away in irritation. ¡°Give me a break! And stop panting right into my face!¡± Makani swept away his hand, but Zeph just changed his hold and pushed his shoulder instead. ¡°I was asking for fucking training method of my AMC! Not how to become a ¡®flesh sculptor¡¯, or whatever!¡± Makani smirked, pulling back a little. ¡°Yeah, like that makes a difference. Organic Magicules are only usable because they are yours; don¡¯t you dare to change into a bloodthirsty Fleshmancer on me!¡± I can recognize a dark backstory when I see one¡­ Zeph thought, grimacing. Not like I am interested in one right now. ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t play with them! Cool down already!¡± Makani huffed, seemingly not satisfied with his half-hearted answer. He was about to comment some more but¡­ ¡°Jeez! Kiss already!¡± came the woman¡¯s voice from behind. They paused and slowly looked back, straining their necks. There, Irra stood in all her glory, looking down on them as if they were an unfinished work of art. She breathed out through her nose with displeasure after seeing their disgusted gazes. ¡°You need something?¡± Makani asked, even as he was making some more distance from Zeph. ¡°Yes! I told you to see me after the meeting, dolts,¡± she said, exasperated. ¡°Zora is already in the room, why aren¡¯t you?¡± She said pointedly and turned away, not waiting for them. After a quick glance, they stood up and followed after her. They had to walk outside from the main hall, as the smaller meeting room was quite a way away, but that was normal. They weren¡¯t the first of the participants to talk privately, far from it. Aisha was indeed waiting there, but going by her expression, Zeph was sure she wouldn¡¯t react to anything except, maybe, a direct attack. She was even salivating slightly from the corner of her mouth; her half-closed eyes gazing blindly into the space above as her bulging stomach forced her body to lean backward on the sofa. The room was nothing new. A lavish, comfortable space for people to speak about more confidential topics. It wasn¡¯t small, but was geared only with soft sofas and a table. There was no bar nor any other decorations, like plants. Simple, but comfy. Irra closed the door behind them and activated the protective enchantments. Zeph knew them well at this point and thus was quite surprised by the new additions that washed over his Veil. ¡°I have to confess something,¡± Irra said, turning away from the panel to look at them. Her cheeks were slightly red as she did so, but she was looking straight into their eyes despite that. ¡°You have¡­ presented a great opportunity to me¡­¡± she started with difficulty, her artificial cat ears leaning down on her head. ¡°So, I¡­ I want to return your trust¡­ I-I¡­¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I am not going to work with you indefinitely!¡± she exclaimed finally, bowing a little. Makani glanced at Zeph with an expression best translated as ¡®I¡¯ve told you¡¯. Meanwhile, Irra deepened her bow even more. ¡°I will leave your Guild after the fights. I am deeply sorry for not¡ª¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that irrelevant?¡± Zeph suddenly said, evidently startling both her and Makani. Aisha¡¯s husk didn¡¯t even twitch, though. Now, that¡¯s a little problematic, he thought and squinted his eyes. He stepped closer while explaining what he meant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take away your ideas. I want you to work on mine,¡± he declared. ¡°As long as you can push our technology,¡± he started, using an old Rui word for a ¡®construct¡¯, ¡°and my Spellwork forward, I don¡¯t care about your inventions, the knowledge you find here, or your future plans. I just want to cooperate, to further both of our crafts at the same time. So stay as long as you feel comfortable.¡± Irra looked up at him in confusion. It seemed the very idea was alien to her. Meanwhile, he tried to wake Aisha up by chopping at her head with his hand. It didn¡¯t work, though. ¡°You have a logically-inclined mind, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked after an awkward pause, looking back at Irra. ¡°I-I¡­ maybe,¡± she said, looking down once again. Zeph just nodded and tried to pull Aisha¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I can mathematically prove that working for the combined cause of everyone involved will provide better results and more resources in the long run than working for your own interest alone. I can also prove, mathematically and biologically, that it¡¯s an optimal solution for developing society and species¡ª¡± ¡°As if I care about the well-being of society,¡± she protested nonchalantly, only slightly irritated. ¡°Onjis should work on that, not me! Not you! But¡­¡± she gave his words some consideration. ¡°What did you mean by the¡­ better results?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old song of efficiency and perceived value, basically.¡± He sighed depressingly. ¡°I will take a step back and present an extreme example ¨C how do you think people two thousand years ago lived?¡± he asked, looking straight at her, abandoning his unsuccessful attempts at returning Aisha to the world of living. ¡°Do you think they were valuing materials the same we are now? Do you think their most wealthy possessed as much as ours are right now?¡± The current calendar started with the appearance of the System Onji, so it was a question about the times prior. ¡°That¡¯s more of a guess and a philosophical question,¡± she pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± Zeph interrupted her. ¡°Just answer the question. Did they have a monetary system similar to ours even?¡± That made her pause for a moment, but in the end, she just crossed her arms and soldiered up. ¡°They had to, didn¡¯t they? Ruins of whole civilizations from that time were found, after all, alongside the remnants of their currency. Of course, they didn¡¯t have our wealth of knowledge, but I would say their sovereigns had even more material wealth than our leaders. What are you trying to say, exactly?¡± She shook her head. ¡°That the ¡®wealth¡¯ can only be measured in the context of your civilization¡¯s development level,¡± he said with conviction. ¡°Even if the currency stayed the same over the millennia, what was worth the gold of old kings in their times? Millions of gold spent to build a boat? A town? We can build aerostats and powerful infrastructure for the same ¡®price¡¯. Currency only represents the relative value of goods that are being produced and are available. But we can¡¯t buy something that simply wasn¡¯t developed yet. I am sure even our poorest could afford a weapon unimaginable for people in the past. But to achieve that¡­¡± She smirked. ¡°Are you trying to convince me that working for others is better for me? Using these arguments? You mismatched scales a bit, we don¡¯t have that much influence over the world! And it doesn¡¯t work if the society doesn¡¯t support you back!¡± She pointed a finger at him. Zeph understood her last point quite well. ¡°I am not trying to convince you of anything, only to present my worldview. Of course, working alone is always an option, especially because of System Onji and the access to Skills. But you are missing a more important point,¡± he crossed his arms. ¡°If you need certain materials to further your craft, you need to either create them yourself or make sure they are readily available on the market. The situation will get the more convoluted the more advanced the technology becomes. A chain of manufactories feeding into each step of production ¨C producing parts, components, materials, and reagents ¨C isn¡¯t something easily achievable for one person, especially in the technology fields you have chosen. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t care much about our losses, or about keeping a monopoly. I care much more about efficiency and time spent on unnecessary steps. Take what knowledge and support you can and propagate our inventions, I want to see more manufacturers of the things we are going to use after further development. I want those tools and materials to be easily available on the market.¡± Irra frowned a little. ¡°You say it like you have bottomless coffers.¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s only because it¡¯s between us, humans. I am not working this¡­ frivolously with organizations ¨C gods know how greedy they can become. Also, one person, like you, can¡¯t bankrupt us anymore. I will be satisfied if the initial profits from introducing the inventions to the market would pay for the research and development, leaving something for the next step.¡± ¡°The never-ending push for new inventions¡­¡± she mused. ¡°As it should and as it always was. Isn¡¯t that the whole purpose of our Professions?¡± She eyed him suspiciously. ¡°Pretty words. So, you are good with me disappearing suddenly? Even if I won¡¯t be able to balance out the costs of my experiments?¡± ¡°As long as you don¡¯t steal our money, heh,¡± he laughed. ¡°If our cooperation will speed up our overall progress even half a step for every ten taken, I will call that a success. Just make sure to inform Aisha and Kwan to prepare for that eventuality. Also,¡± he squinted his eyes, ¡°it would be in your best interest to allow the Guild to help you with the¡­ old issues you have left behind.¡± She laughed abashedly, scratching her head. ¡°Yeah¡­ if they are going to hit you eventually, maybe I should¡­¡± ¡°Why am I even here?¡± Makani asked from the side. He was sitting on the sofa, lazily observing them. ¡°Ah¡­ I thought you two may have some objections¡­¡± she said, glancing in Aisha¡¯s direction. ¡°It¡¯s his idea and his decision for his department,¡± Makani shrugged, putting his head in his hand. ¡°Do what you want, you two. It¡¯s his money, after all. Well¡­ mostly.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it now,¡± Zeph interjected. ¡°Besides, all we are doing here is just the groundwork before moving to a higher stratum. Don¡¯t forget about that,¡± he reminded them. The long journey was lying before them. Both nodded resolutely. ¡°I will remember about you guys if we go our separate ways. If we meet again, I will give you a discount,¡± Irra said, a small hope bleeding into her voice for the first time. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± Zeph said mirthfully, confusing them. ¡°But I will gladly visit your shop after you reach mastery in your crafts. Anyway, any plans for the evening, or are we going to sit here and brood over trust issues all night long?¡± ¡°No¡­ I will have to talk with Zora later, but it¡¯s not urgent anymore,¡± Irra said. ¡°Finally! Let¡¯s see what Kwan¡¯s group prepared for the visitors!¡± Makani exclaimed, jumping back to his feet. ¡°I propose we start with the gaming center!¡± ¡°Heh, sure!¡± Zeph was also curious about how his ideas were implemented in the final products. ¡°I suggest visiting an onsen before midnight, though. My whole body I sore after today¡­¡± Chatting excitedly about trivial things, the trio left the room with the comatose Aisha inside. Everyone was eager to spend at least a few hours of the New Year festivities as they should have been spent ¨C playing around and having fun. Chapter 93 - Step one - finish your business! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.01] ¡°All set!¡± Zeph exclaimed, jumping into Ghrughah¡¯s carriage with a small spray of snow falling from his boots. He immediately shut the doors behind him. It was getting colder still, if that was even possible. Thankfully, the weather was still calm. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Makani said, smiling mischievously. ¡°Any new unfair advantage for your collection?¡± he asked good-naturedly as Zeph started to take off his heavy winter clothing. ¡°Or was that just your typical morning chat with an Onji?¡± ¡°Why do I hear so much venom in your voice, and yet so little jealousy?¡± Zeph asked back, looking at the man. He was sitting by the window, still wearing his green-and-gold robes. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t using any additional clothing to protect himself from the cold air outside. Whatever enchantments P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah put inside his attire, they were evidently more than enough for the Air-specialized Manacaster to fully counteract the inhospitable environment like the winter in Lurona city. On the other side of the small table, two of Kwan¡¯s guards were sitting silently. They were fully geared, keeping their coats on themselves even in the warm interior of the carriage. ¡°It¡¯s merely your imagination,¡± Makani waved away the question lightly. ¡°So, what did you get?¡± he asked more seriously, putting his head in his hand. The carriage jolted forward suddenly and Zeph reflexively activated the Anchoring enchantments in his boots to stabilize himself. He was getting good at using it. ¡°Nothing. Leilucia was absolutely uninterested in me,¡± Zeph shrugged, stepping closer to sit beside him on the soft bench. ¡°Actually, no. I think she may have been a little chafed. You know, after System Onji and Aisha forced a reimbursement out of her¡­¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± Makani grimaced. ¡°Well, you did have a hand in that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I was just translating between her and Gru, for the most part. At least she was happy from getting more information about you-know-what,¡± he said, hinting at Gru¡¯s method of gathering the ¡®positive¡¯ Soul-wound Soul fragments. ¡°She promised to help with the next step in his mental development, but I am not privy to the contents of their deal¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, System Onji will reward you accordingly when that happens, I am sure,¡± Makani said, trying to lift his mood before changing the topic slightly. ¡°How was she, anyway?¡± Pure curiosity was written all over his face. Zeph just sighed. ¡°Nothing like Aisha. The closest impression would be ¡®a strict military general¡¯. Very pragmatic. And very much not involved in small matters. As long as everyone was fulfilling their roles, at least. Also, unreadable. Her true thoughts and motivations are one thing, but I am not even sure if she fights like a berserker or a cold-blooded killer. Easily could be both at the same time, actually¡­ I am quite impressed that Aisha managed to get access to her Mana and¡­ more direct assistance,¡± he said, shaking his head. That woman, if a being of her caliber could even be classified as such, was easily the most terrifying creature he met, ever. Not because he felt threatened in any direct way, but because she made sure he felt the difference in power while giving no hints as to his current standing with her. It was like prowling through an unstable mountain pass during the night, always fearing that the next step would cause an avalanche. No matter how irrational that fear was, people always feared most what they couldn¡¯t see or understand, and that Goddess was wielding that impression like one would a cloak¡­ or a weapon. ¡°Hmmm¡­ From what I heard, most behave similarly?¡± Makani said, kind of disappointed. ¡°A little arrogantly and always keeping a distance¡­ I hoped she would be more eccentric. Like the Library Onji. Heh, that story of yours was one of the best I have had the pleasure to listen to,¡± he chuckled. Zeph¡¯s brows raised. ¡°Aisha never told you about Leilucia?¡± ¡°Neh,¡± he waved his hand dismissingly. ¡°She can¡¯t. Most information is classified, and all that. Anyway, the Onji¡¯s Mana isn¡¯t anything special ¨C every high Priest and Priestess can exchange their own for a bit from their Onjis¡¯. Even if the ratio of the exchange is ridiculous.¡± He said with disgust. ¡°But yeah, the rituals are something else¡­ before you ask ¨C all they do is grab the attention of the Onji and signal what is expected from them. The rituals aren¡¯t really working Spell formations, or anything like that.¡± ¡°Heh, I guessed that already,¡± he said, smirking. ¡°I have seen Aisha at work a few times, after all. But let¡¯s go back to business. I need to learn Force Beam¡¯s condensed and structured forms. The one I was using until now only works with my Stabilized Telekinesis,¡± he said, bending over to retrieve the Cube from his backpack. All of his gear was neatly packed inside the carriage, most in his backpack even, in preparation for their journey. Almost nothing was left behind. As for his strongest weapon, though¡­ Unfortunately, P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah found a problem with producing more ammo for his pistol. He asked them yesterday, before everyone left to sleep. As expected, most chemicals necessary for the production of the original powder weren¡¯t accessible on the market. They also lacked cheap, soft metal for the projectile¡¯s core, like the lead for example. The two crafters were actually more interested in the railgun and coil gun ideas. Not the Earth¡¯s implementations exactly, but the mechanisms behind them ¨C it was easy enough to produce strong magnetic fields or temporary electric currents through enchantments. The idea of self-driving setup of electrical loops fascinated them even more. Well, the electric enchantments were in the early stages of development, so railgun probably wasn¡¯t doable yet. Still, Ghrughah knew a good number of well-conducting metals, as well as ferromagnetic and magnetic materials that probably worked even better than Earth¡¯s equivalents. On the other hand, Irra had taken it as a challenge and declared that she would recreate the explosion-driven ballistic weaponry all by herself. Zeph allowed her to be present during the talks even without signing a new contract ¨C he already made peace with the idea of her leaving them behind, doing whatever she wanted in the future, and just hoped she would be able to leave behind her debts and the bad company she seemed to always surround herself with in some inexplicable turn of events. As for her declaration, he could understand her somehow ¨C the Alchemy was her domain, and yet the topic of the explosive powder was dropped almost immediately by her current coworkers. It was exactly why he wanted an Alchemist that could be more flexible than an ingeniator. The Mana battery for Gru was only the first problem they had to solve. Either way, Zeph just left a few of his bullets for them to examine (Ghrughah already scanned his pistol and deemed it an extremely primitive mechanism, even if built very precisely) and made his escape before the debate escalated even more. He feared they would tie him down if he mentioned anything more, like the superconductivity or Maxwell¡¯s equations. After a moment, he produced the Cube and threw it at Makani. The man didn¡¯t even try to catch it, instead producing a jet of air that slammed in down on the table, just before him. ¡°If by ¡®Force¡¯ you mean Scrubbing, then no problem,¡± he said confidently, placing his hands on the sides to check the current state of the contraption. ¡°Why ¡®structured¡¯ Beam, though? From the five basic forms, ¡®dispersed¡¯ is better for defense, and ¡®piercing¡¯ is better for offense. Especially in the case of the Scrubbing module.¡± ¡°I need more versatility, not more predictable and known attacks. ¡®Force¡¯ is in the name of my Class. I showed the Effigy enough times for everyone interested to know what Class I have. I plan to build around my Spells and new discoveries instead.¡± Makani nodded, visibly concentrating. ¡°Wise. As for the ¡®business¡¯, Kwan requested to inform you that our earnings were so-so. On one hand, we have earned half of what we had planned from visitors. On the other, the companies and Guilds in the city showed much more interest in our arcade games. We will be selling much more than anticipated in the coming months.¡± Zeph breathed out with relief. Maybe his loan to Ghrughah wouldn¡¯t take so long to be paid back. ¡°Why the business proposals, though? I had an impression that we are being pressed down by all of the neighbors with influence right now.¡± ¡°You will see soon, but you already saw how popular your machines were. Especially the Flight Simulator¡­¡± Makani smiled despite himself. ¡°Did you see Ghrughah going at it? I have never seen him like that before!¡± Zeph laughed at the memory. ¡°Yeah, he was even more pumped up than during the small-prototype showcase in the twins¡¯ hangar. I am quite sure he just created a new clan after the kids from the orphanage learned that he was the main creator¡­ Or should we call it a sect already?¡± Makani snorted. ¡°Sports groups are a normal thing, you know? And if you didn¡¯t notice, at least five more rivaling groups formed almost at the same time, so I doubt it will devolve into a blind fellowship. Not to mention, we had at least three more communities that formed around other games, like the ¡®cimbergai¡¯. That one was surprising.¡± Zeph laughed at the name. He himself wasn¡¯t sure where he heard it, but it was definitely better than ¡®air hockey¡¯, as the name not only sounded lame but didn¡¯t have any connotation for people not knowing about real hockey at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know the disk could move that fast. Especially when Aisha called you to a duel! Kudos to our craftsmen for making it safe for the environment,¡± he laughed even more at the memory. ¡°Hey! I was tame in comparison to Aisha!¡± Makani protested. ¡°I didn¡¯t even use vibrations to enhance the penetration power! And she electrified it!¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± he said in between laughing fits. ¡°You¡­¡± he took a deeper breath to be able to speak, yet still smiling widely. ¡°You should have used it. Ghrughah was quite disappointed you didn¡¯t even scratch the walls.¡± ¡°Bah! If we knew you prepared it for us, the table wouldn¡¯t stand a chance! Better be happy we didn¡¯t destroy anything,¡± he grumbled. ¡°You still lost,¡± Zeph snickered. ¡°We can place the next one in an enclosed room for you if you want?¡± he showed a devilish smile. Makani glanced at him for a second and scratched his chin. ¡°Well¡­ if you offer¡­¡± ¡°100k¡± Makani¡¯s eyes immediately snapped back to his grinning face. ¡°That¡¯s uncalled for! Did you spend too much time with System Onji?!¡± ¡°We need to take precautions, you know? The cost of materials is not cheap~¡± Zeph sang in a greedy voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a revenge?~¡± He asked with fake sadness. ¡°Curse you¡­¡± Makani grumbled, clenching his fists. ¡°We will talk about that later¡­ If you want your enchantment and our cabin to stay in one piece,¡± he said, looking down at the Cube. Zeph wisely stayed silent, but was still smiling. He looked out of the window instead, as they were getting close to the neighboring district. After making sure Zeph wasn¡¯t preoccupied, Gru started sending his happy impressions. Being able to see the mesmerizing lights of the city up close for the first time was a one-in-a-lifetime experience. Especially for a previously-blind creature like him. It seemed that his companion started to develop quickly after acquiring a new physical sense. The impressions that he could share with Zeph were becoming more detailed by the day. It took him a while to get used to fully, but now Zeph was sure that Gru had even better eyesight than he himself right now. A ridiculous notion, but Gru¡¯s body upgrade was not limited by the versatility mainframe ¨C it was modifiable and partially mechanical in nature, going by the materials necessary. Not to mention, Gru was now in possession of three eyes and was sending him impressions that were hard to understand for a creature with a merely stereoscopic vision. Zeph was sure it would get even more out-of-hand in the future. Also, as Gru adapted to the new organ, he advanced from imitating the eyes of living organisms all the way up to bettering their functionality. The interesting part was, Gru didn¡¯t really like any vision that wasn¡¯t incorporating wavelengths visible for Zeph. Ultraviolet and infrared were even more disturbing for him than for humans¡­ although, humans could only ¡®see¡¯ those by using tools that changed those wavelengths to the visible spectrum, so maybe it wasn¡¯t that strange. Anyway, it seemed that Zeph¡¯s Soul memories had a major influence on his companion. He felt comfortable while seeing the world just like Zeph did, but the idea of a compound eye was horrifying to him. At least Gru used the better model of the eyes available and created his as they should always be ¨C with retina on the surface and nerves underneath, like in an octopus eye. Yes, the eyes of Earth¡¯s Vertebrates (humans included) are made inefficiently and in reverse. The nerves actually cover the retina that is responsible for processing the photons into workable neural signals. The only reason we can see, is the presence of biological optical fibers that transfer the light to the retina underneath the neurons. It was a hard guess at the moment, but Zeph speculated that the organisms on Corora didn¡¯t have that problem. Anyway, he managed to persuade Gru to form another, more complicated eye that could not only gather the infrared and ultraviolet, but also change the natural contrast that an eye would produce and disable some of the wavelengths at will. He, basically, wanted an eye that could work like the Predator¡¯s vision in the old games ¨C something that would prove indispensable in a survival environment. There were three problems, though. First, Gru would need time to actually form and test it. Second, he would connect it directly to Zeph¡¯s nerves because he didn¡¯t want anything to do with that kind of vision, which meant a lot of training on Zeph¡¯s part. And Third, he agreed to only one eye of this kind. The impressions he had sent were kind of alien, but it seemed even his new body upgrade had limits. Desynchronization seemed to be a problem ¨C Gru couldn¡¯t just make an infinite number of different eyes. Heck, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make more than six total, probably. Going by Gru¡¯s own testimony, it had to do more with his anatomy and processing capacity than the upgrade itself. Thankfully, because becoming a literal realization of Biblical angel wasn¡¯t on Zeph¡¯s list just yet, it was more helpful than limiting. ¡°Finished,¡± Makani said, waking Zeph up from the slight trance he got himself into. ¡°What took you so long?¡± he asked, taking back the Cube. ¡°I managed to enchant the main frame at the center and all five configurations near the corners. Much more useful than showing you one Spell at a time,¡± he said pridefully. ¡°Now, praise me, mortal!¡± Zeph had an urge to snicker at his friend, but couldn¡¯t really. What Makani just did was that much impressive. ¡°So, they weren¡¯t lying when they said you were a genius¡­¡± he whispered, checking the constructs inside the Cube. ¡°How did you even know how I¡ª¡± he frowned. ¡°Gru?¡± he said in a cold tone. ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t be so petty! Now, praise me more!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The rest of the time was spent on training the new Spell constructs while Gru and Makani made fun of him. Not a pleasant time. Not at all. ~~~ The Tower was now visible in the distance. It was made from the same yellowish rock as most buildings, but was decorated with black and neon-green. The latter even seemed to produce some light of itself, like fluorescent paint in a low light would. The only reason he could see it, was because the left side of the tall building was covered in shadow. He also now understood why so many business partners asked for cooperation. The city was not only paralyzed, but quite badly damaged, too. If the owners were to rebuild, they could as well incorporate something new. Especially if the idea was already tested out. As for why the city looked like that, there just weren¡¯t enough Guards to cleanse all the streets in the wake of the Undead rising left and right. Aisha wasn¡¯t kidding about the influence of the marine life on the process of spreading the Soul conglomerations ¨C the propagation should have died long ago without their life energy and consumption cycle. As so, people evacuated to enclosed blocks, leaving most of the terrain free for the Undead to roam freely and without repercussions. The effect? Mayhem. The city was paralyzed. If not for the Guards keeping the main streets clean, they wouldn¡¯t be able to even travel through them so easily. It was also the main reason no one attacked them. Probably. But most of the terraces and buildings were inaccessible. Even if Zombies weren¡¯t that strong, Chiropteridas¡¯ bodies formed most of the hordes. Those had strength in their own right, even when Zombified. It was simply too dangerous for people not accustomed to fighting, and there was just too much terrain to cover for the military. ¡°How many Undead Hearts have they used?¡± Zeph asked absentmindedly, looking at the streets. ¡°Enough it seems¡­ The Mana network is down,¡± Makani noticed, pointing at the inert, damaged pipes as they drove by. ¡°That will cost the city a lot. Not only in materials ¨C the citizens aren¡¯t fueling the defensive systems.¡± Zeph¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Are you trying to tell me that they not only paralyzed the city¡¯s production, but are chipping on the Mana reserves it has?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s worse and more complicated. I am quite sure the city lost the credibility of security. Many people would try to leave, major groups and organizations included.¡± Zeph sighed depressingly. ¡°Then, they managed to achieve their goal¡­ The coming beast attack will have a much easier time now¡­¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Makani said without emotion. Zeph eyed him skeptically. ¡°We had quite a good standing with the higher strata. Not to mention, it¡¯s the city of inventions. Some people would definitely find the situation beneficial in one way or another. But let¡¯s leave the politics to the politicians, and fights to the fighters,¡± he shook his head dismissively. ¡°We can only worry about ourselves right now.¡± They spent the rest of the travel in silence, looking at the destruction and the fighting groups visible in the distance. Zeph even spotted some random ¡®solo-players¡¯ hunting the Undead for Soul fragments. Despite the dire situation, no one was panicking, which was already a step above the Earth¡¯s ¡®customs¡¯. In the end, he concentrated once again on the Tower ahead. It was visible from time to time because the road was meandering quite a lot. It took him a while, but he recognized the structure. It was built just like a university complex but with one difference ¨C a massive tower was built on the foundations formed from lower buildings. He never took a good look at the building from a distance, so he was quite surprised by the arrangement. First of all, it was already built on a small hill that seemed lopsided, although it was kind of hard to tell because of the architecture covering it. The district around it was walled off, somewhat, but the main buildings below the Tower weren¡¯t even close to symmetrical. The Tower itself had at least thirty floors ¨C which was saying something when each floor was at least five meters high. How to say it¡­ It looks more like a massive, artistic monument? The asymmetrical fa?ade is breaking the immersion, though. He scratched his beard while trying to come up with a better description. For future generations, of course. ¡°Did you just think something rude about my Alma Mater?¡± Makani suddenly asked, squinting his eyes at Zeph. ¡°Not really. What? Did you finally awaken your mind-reading abilities? Or the auguring?¡± he deadpanned, not even looking back at the man. ¡°By the way, if most of the people that are visiting it are giving similar comments, it¡¯s all on the architects. Look, the right side is wider than the left¡­¡± he said, pointing at the strange discrepancy. ¡°Was it planned like that? And it seems to lean to the side slightly¡­¡± Makani could only sigh in irritation. ¡°It¡¯s freedom, you idiot. How many times do you see symmetry in nature?¡± ¡°Quite frequently, actually,¡± Zeph said, now livelier, turning to his companion. ¡°Did you hear about¡­ Ugh, what was the word¡­ fractals, I think?¡± he started, using a really obsolete word for ¡®fern-like self-replicable shape¡¯. Makani just facepalmed. ¡°Just¡­ shut up already!¡± ~~~ After saying their goodbyes to their escort ¨C as planned to exit the Tower with another, less conspicuous method ¨C they entered the main building. It took them no time to reach the environmental chamber on the seventh floor of the Tower. Well, the first floor was counted from the highest floor of the adjacent buildings, so the measure didn¡¯t make much sense. Anyway, looking down, they were around sixty meters above the ground, so around thirty floors up¡­ while accounting for the hill. Right after crossing the checkpoint at the entrance to the complex, Makani took out his strange medallion ¨C the same one to which Gru reacted not so long ago. Zeph still didn¡¯t know what it did, but it worked wonders on the locals. Not only were they treated better by the personnel after Makani uncovered it to the public, but everyone moved away when they passed the overcomplicated corridors of the Tower. Well, part of that could lay in the fact that Zeph was in his futuristic attire ¨C the strange helmet with a glass for a face included ¨C and was fully geared for a fight. But he felt more like an addition to Makani¡¯s presence in the Tower and for a few good reasons. As a reminder ¨C Makani and Zeph were much shorter than even typical humans. They could be easily mistaken for Twergs. Yet, even the most muscular, geared, and tallest of people politely shuffled away when they passed them. Some of them even bowed slightly to Makani! It was a truly ridiculous experience, but again, it wasn¡¯t a high school or even a university. It was a Tower. Some people stayed on the level of Practitioner for decades. Most of the people they passed were probably older than Zeph himself. The hierarchy here wasn¡¯t dictated by age, but the ability. And yet, it was still quite bizarre. Besides that, they were never again asked to identify themselves. Even with the strange attire he had, they were just let through every checkpoint like it was only natural. Zeph started to understand why Makani had so high esteem, and why it was broken during their first meeting. The Tower was built around promoting the excellence in their craft and the people that furthered said craft. A typical corporational play, but this time under a group that seemed to really follow their own tenets. As so, in quick order, Zeph entered an empty, small room with brown stones for the walls and floor¡­ Chapter 94 - Step two - sort out your belongings! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.03] ¡°I suck at this¡­¡± Zeph mumbled, releasing his grip on his Mana. After a heavy sigh, he allowed his body to relax and fell backwards from his sitting position. The hard and cold stone of his spartan training room greeted him with unbroken indifference, but he couldn¡¯t care less about the small bump forming at the back of his head ¨C his headache was much worse. The constant throbbing was coaxing him to smack his head a few more times even, as the concentrated, short spike of pain that he felt when his head hit the floor managed to drown out the hellish pressure for a moment, granting him an illusion of relief for a second or two. The low temperature of the stone was helping somewhat, too, but it just wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°I would rather say that you suck poorly¡­¡± Makani commented from his right. Zeph smirked at the unintended pun. He was so tired that he even butchered the translation of the English saying. ¡°Don¡¯t you have classes or something?¡± he asked, changing the topic. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can explain the process to me in any more detail¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an academy, it¡¯s a Tower.¡± Makani sneered. ¡°Our duties lay in our progression, mostly. It¡¯s not like I am just sitting here doing nothing. Besides, you really need someone competent to crash your ideas with.¡± Zeph grimaced. He hoped to quickly learn the technique and be done with it, but something was wrong with his body. Or maybe Soul, seeing as it was responsible for re-connecting the Ambient Magicules. Either way, the process was too slow! In theory, the process was simple; automatic to some degree even. By using Ambient Mana Channeling, he would suck in the Ambient Mana from the air and thus temporarily increase the concentration of certain Magicules inside his body. The process could be supplemented by the internal Mana manipulation ¨C areas in his body with relatively low Mana density would force the Ambient Magicules to move in to balance out the ¡®Mana pressure¡¯. Also, the room was set to have Mana density at the cusp of his natural tolerance and almost all of it was in the form of Coal-Magicules, as it was an option most similar to Fullerene. The next part, though, was what posed a challenge to Zeph. He should either impose his Soul on the foreign Mana and Magicules inside his body, forcing them to dissipate or connect to it, or cycle them through Soul links and his Soul. Mana could exist in the Soulscape¡ªit was forming there naturally, after all¡ªalthough the exact interactions between Ambient Mana and those dimensions were kind of messy. As long as it stayed in the ¡®space¡¯ of his Soul it was stable, but would dissipate immediately when outside, which was a problem because until the Ambient Magicules re-connected to his Soul, he couldn¡¯t manipulate them directly, making it hard to keep them in one place. The first method required a great talent in Soul Arts, specialized Class, or 500 Power. The Energy Enhancement granted at that milestone allowed people to ¡®cover¡¯ foreign objects with their Soul temporarily ¨C to grant them physical Passive Enhancements of their own body. Of course, the technique could be done manually, but the EE removed most of the strain from performing the action. But it also was a double-edged sword, as it almost always caused small damage to one¡¯s Soul that had to be slowly healed. Worse yet, if something managed to break the object completely, there was a risk of quite severe Soul fragmentation. That didn¡¯t change the fact that the ability to imitate the durability of Soul-bond equipment just like that was damn impressive. It had more uses, too. Gru was already on his way to mastering the technique. For obvious reasons, Zeph was learning how to use the second method. It also had the advantage of inciting Soul contamination faster. The Soul was a reflection of the body, so increasing the concentration of Magicules in the body and the Soul all at the same time was much more effective. ¡°How long has it been, again?¡± he asked. He lost track of the time because of the constant training. The short breaks for higher needs and sleep always led him to nearby temporary lodgings where most of his equipment was left, including the armor. The place had a Wadokei, but he wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to actually tell the time. Also, because they were deep inside the Tower, there were no windows that could clue him about the time of the day. ¡°Today is the third day. It would be easier if you could explain your issues more,¡± Makani answered absentmindedly while playing with a Spell. ¡°Indeed, it would. A shame,¡± Zeph summarized. They were under constant surveillance, as each of the guests had to. Explaining his issues wasn¡¯t an option. He could try to communicate through Gru, but the topic was too technical for that. In normal circumstances, all a Manacaster had to do was to move the Ambient Magicules through their skin and then start cycling them through Soul links ¨C the only real difficulty was in learning how to send the Mana back to their Soul; the rest was merely an issue of effectiveness. But in Zeph¡¯s body, the Source Net implant was responsible for funneling the Mana. Each time he used the Ambient Mana Channeling, a vast majority of Magicules was siphoned directly into the hollow interior of the implant. There were no Soul links in the cavities of his body. If the Source Net was fully functional, Zeph was sure he could just push all of that Mana into any part of his body without much problem. But as it was, he had a difficult time herding the Ambient Magicules through the Mana-resistant walls of the construct. I really need to start searching for Makrun. My internal Mana manipulation is crippled¡­ he thought depressingly. The solution he found required a lot more manipulation than he ever did internally. First, he was filling the Source Net with Mana-L. As it was a perfect conductor for his Mana, the implant¡¯s functions weren¡¯t compromised. But the Ambient Mana was blocked off. Next, he tried to form a zone of decreased Mana density in his biceps, where the Source Net¡¯s channels were bigger and easier to avoid, simultaneously directing the vortex of his Ambient Mana Channeling to the area. Because the Magicules had to go through so much flesh, they were dissipating like crazy, damaging his muscles and blood vessels in the process. For hours now, he was trying to find the most effective spot in his body and even started using his Will to increase the size of the vortex to gather more Ambient Magicules. Sending the stream into his Soul links was easy enough after Gru sent him a short Soul memory of an example. Slowly, but surely, he was getting there. The tickle of Coal-Magicules was small and hard to notice but, sooner or later, it would be able to influence his Soul enough for the Skill to progress. He just needed a perceivable (in the standards of the System) Soul contamination and nothing more. The constant drain of his Will, the periodic Mana poisoning status that Gru had to deal with, and the amount of concentration required during internal Mana manipulation caused him to develop a mighty headache. But he wasn¡¯t going to stop just yet. ¡°I think I am getting close,¡± he said, sitting up in a lotus pose. ¡°You said the same three hours ago¡­¡± Makani commented flatly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break? I had the maps and commissions prepared. We need to check them either way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not a bad idea, actually,¡± he agreed reluctantly, feeling as the throbbing in his head intensified again after the sudden movement. He sighed and slowly stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Makani used the black plate on the wall to open the heavy, overly thick stone door. It shuffled backwards before moving to the side. The corridors in this part of the Tower resembled old European universities ¨C a groined vault and a lot of black and gold decorations on the columns and walls. But as they stepped into the residential area, it all changed to the standard, plain, Byzantium-like style. The Tower was built as freely as Makani suggested¡ªthough, Zeph preferred to call it ¡®chaotic¡¯¡ªwith each section possessing designs chosen by the people in charge of the zone and, oftentimes, for the expansion itself. His room was decently lavish, with a big and comfy bed, a full-fledged study desk, and a way-too-big closet. A few random pieces of furniture were also present, like armchairs and Corora¡¯s version of a coffee table. All of a high quality ¨C solid wood and delicate textiles in green and silver. It seemed that the Towers didn¡¯t really use uniform color codes, even if their name suggested otherwise. Big, backlit paintings dotted the walls, replacing the windows. The light was¡ªfrom what Zeph could tell¡ªproduced by the same luminescent lamps used in most homes, just formed into panels behind the canvases. On the desk, Zeph could see his own book of maps of the Lurona Region and a stack of papers beside it. ¡°Anything interesting from the mercenary groups?¡± he asked as they walked closer. The events before the New Year put them in a tight spot, so he left the planning of their excursion to Makani. It was a shame as he really wanted to know more about the mercenaries, but he could worry about that after the Duels. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°A lot, actually. Most of the wildlife incompatible with the horde started to migrate westward. Patrol routes through the more rural areas were formed. Even if most of the population evacuated to the city or moved further away, some didn¡¯t want to or couldn¡¯t for personal reasons. We have to cut short our best path, though.¡± Makani sent him a stinky eye. ¡°We won¡¯t make it before the Duel Tournament otherwise.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± he said, making a placating gesture. ¡°Sorry about that. I should be done today, though. Hopefully.¡± ¡°We will see,¡± Makani said skeptically, turning back to the desk. He opened the book on the bookmarked page and unfolded a map of the west fields beyond the walls of the city. On it, he pointed at the gate where the plotted path started. It was drawn in blue paint and, thanks to the ¡®laminated¡¯ pages, it could be easily removed. ¡°We will go straight along the shore, visiting small fishing villages along the way. I hope to at least reach the High Peak of Brenn, placed slightly more inland,¡± he explained while going through a few maps. The peak he was talking about was just a lone mountain that seemed overly wide for its height. A few rivers had their springs in the almost-flat highland surrounding the peak. ¡°It should be the perfect hunting ground for us. A lot of predatory birds and animals using stealth or Mana-based attacks.¡± Zeph nodded. It was a good environment to test his Force-based Spells. As well as his martial arts. Ah, right¡­ he sighed. ¡°About that¡­ I think I will go with the ¡®Enchanted¡¯ path for my weapon martial arts¡­¡± Makani grimaced, turning to him. ¡°Are you sure? The ¡®Mixed¡¯ and ¡®General¡¯ would allow you to fight more like Aisha. And you know how good she is in her style.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°I would gladly go with the ¡®General¡¯ to develop it further without the System meddling, but¡­ We are clueless. From our point of view, enchanting in any form cannot be applied during a fight. Which means that we are either missing an important piece of information or that we are doing something wrong. And I want to be able to use light weapons, too ¨C they are more compatible with my Martial Arts. Also, the ¡®Enchanted¡¯ modifier sounds like it can be applied to more fighting styles¡­¡± Makani just shrugged in disappointment. ¡°You asked for my opinion only to ignore it altogether¡­ I feel hurt, you know?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry about that. I just thought¡­¡± He shuffled a little, trying to find better words. ¡°I can¡¯t be like Aisha.¡± He finally stated, leaning on the desk and looking down at his feet. ¡°My physical PEs aren¡¯t up to the task. Her fighting style is very effective, but I can¡¯t follow in her footsteps. I hoped that you would try to look into the hidden synergies instead of using her as an example. Because, really, who can even dream of squeezing more from that style of hers?¡± He laughed awkwardly. Makani sent him a long glance before speaking. ¡°Your¡­ Martial Arts are more potent than you think. Aisha only grasped the tip of the iceberg. And yet, she managed to improve from it. And there are more ways to strengthen your body than just the PE¡­¡± he looked back at the map, deep in thought. After a few seconds, he sighed with resignation. ¡°You are right that I failed to find any synergistic effects. But I am hopeful for you. Enchanting is a form of external Mana manipulation, after all¡­¡± Zeph smiled wryly. ¡°Yeah. No objections then?¡± Makani smiled. ¡°None found. It¡¯s your Skill, go for it.¡± With that, Zeph finally sent the answer to the question he received a few days ago. But instead of using the notification form, he accessed the Shrine Seed hidden in his body. He had one more thing to ask the System. Enchanted it is. Also, any missions in the direction of our travel? It was quiet for a moment.
Good choice, Zeph. If there was something requiring immediate interference, we would contact you. But¡­ you can check the Viviscale Village along the way. A family. Mother and daughter. They are suffering from an unknown disease. They refuse to travel to our [Shrine] for the [Advanced Physical Scan]. The risk of external meddling was estimated as extremely low. The major deity of the community is our good friend [Custos Naturae], which is the most probable reason for their ignorance. We will ask [Yuki] to send you more information about [Custos Naturae] in text. We will count this as a minor favor.
Zeph nodded. Good enough. Why, though? What is the catch?
If you mean the circumstances, our direct involvement would be a waste of resources. It¡¯s a good testing and learning case for you, though.
¡­Did you just give me an unnecessary job to test me?
Yes.
¡­ Okay, I can live with that.
We wish you luck.
The connection ended abruptly.
Congratulations! The [General Skill] [Spear (style: E2M1)] gains a new modifier! The [Enchanted] [Tier 3] module is now available! The module will be recorded as a new [Technique]. You can apply it to every [Martial Art] you possess, but more data is required to fuse them completely.
Zeph was surprised that the System didn¡¯t try to extort him this time. Maybe they really are nicer to their direct workers? ¡­Nah, it can¡¯t be. I bet there is more to the case. Whatever¡­ He shrugged. ¡°Where is the Viviscale Village?¡± he asked, leaning over the map. ¡°We may spend there a little more time¡­¡± Makani facepalmed. ¡°I told you we are short on time! Why are you adding even more to our workload?!¡± ¡°Because, my friend, it¡¯s more efficient to do things simultaneously,¡± he stated with resolve. The dispute continued for a good hour after that¡­ ========Theron Nalani PoV======== He was tired. So much tired. After that Nether-infected¡ªCurse his name!¡ªentered the Tower, he had to painstakingly check every group that left to fight the animals in the rural areas. Five to eight groups per day. It would have been even worse if he didn¡¯t know that the SI department¡¯s Head was going on a mercenary adventure. At least that way, he could limit the spying to the people who were being pre-registered in the city¡¯s Tax Office. The Tower didn¡¯t like the long lines at the gates, so they made sure to inform the authorities of every leaving group beforehand. That way, the teams could leave their amulets instantaneously at the gates ¨C without waiting in the line. It was a mistake on their part. A shame that they were only informing about the number of members in a team. Though, it was only natural. It was done not only to keep the Manacasters¡¯ location confidential but also because the mercenary teams sent with the Tower¡¯s denizens tended to switch quite often. The Towers liked to send the information about their teams a day before, but even if someone left the city without him noticing immediately, he would see them in the register files during the night. It was a risky endeavor, but he managed to plant one of the three Soul-bond bugs that he was left with in the City¡¯s Tax Office. Of course, visually spying in real-time was impossible, but he could hear enough during the day and check the written details from up close at night. His stick-like bug that was Soul-bonded to him, hiding in one of the potted plants inside of the main room, graciously used his own long-range assistance to stay concealed. For once, they were useful. He preferred enchanted equipment normally, but he didn¡¯t have the money. That, sadly, meant that he had little to no time to sleep. Of course, he could go without sleep for a few days without issue, but the physical and mental exertion he had to put in while spying on the different Manacaster¡¯s groups, only to share his senses with the bug right after that, were quickly draining his endurance. Worse yet, he wasn¡¯t talented in the art of the Bond-sharing at all. Even if he could quite masterfully use the Soul Arts, it allowed him just that ¨C a mediocrity of imitation of the true sense-sharing. Not in the quality, maybe, but in the strain on his person for sure. What are they doing there for so long? he thought bitterly. The idea of missing his target hit him a few times, but he had no other traces. If his information was incorrect, he would have to start from scratch. On the other hand, if the two Manacasters were just delaying their departure, it would be utterly stupid to leave his post and miss them. The fact that he had, realistically speaking, about two days to find them wasn¡¯t helping, though. Working alone had its limits, and he was well aware of them. Nothing to think about, he concluded. In the worst-case scenario, I will have to come back after advancing my Class. One way or another, I will make sure that Zeph Einar is dead. The thought sent slight shivers down his spine, so he once again inspected his logic and resolve. The System Onji should not only be thankful for getting rid of the Nether-infected; they should be thankful. Taking into account the unique circumstances, he was sure that he was the only person who could see the geometrically-impossible Soul inside of him. Also, he was still bitter enough about the fate that that man brought upon him. Abandoned by his Guild, used by the Landlords, and stripped of opportunities and money. There would be no problems after killing him. His resolve was steady, his reasoning spotless. Even the System Onji should be happy about it. There won¡¯t be any damage. Not to my Soul, he told himself with resolve. This time, I won¡¯t be holding back. I just need to find him and wait for an opportunity. One last service for the Gods and society. One last mission¡­ Then, I can finally leave all of this behind. ============================ Chapter 95 - Step three - Before heading out... Whatever. First village on the horizon! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.04] The landscape was passing slowly by as their caravan moved through the snow-covered roads. The half-frozen sea to their left was an exceptional eye-catcher. The slush¡ªformed by the ice floes grinding against each other on the border between the unmoving ice and sea waves, some ways away from the beach¡ªwas undulating wildly thanks to the high waves that visited the shore this morning. The sound of the waves would be deafening if not for the nicely muffled cabin that they were using. Of course, the ice covering the waters wasn¡¯t smooth like it was on Earth. Mana was visibly influencing the shape of the crystalline structures of ice, just like with the snowflakes. As a result, the ice near the beach was forming all kinds of strange shapes instead of staying smooth, flat surface. The uneven terrain was then covered by the spherical snowflakes brought by the wind, adding to the confusion but also forming quite a mesmerizing landscape of blue crystals sticking out of a fluffy, white covering. The visuals were quite breathtaking. The rays of the morning sun were reflecting from everything, glittering in the air magnificently as their wagon moved along. The weather was perfect for travel, too. The strong continental wind couldn¡¯t be felt inside the carriages, but it dried the air and scattered the clouds quite nicely. If not for the still-dropping temperatures, Zeph would be walking beside the long line of wagons instead of sitting uselessly inside of one of them. But he could feel the chill even inside of their carriage. The merchants that they accompanied weren¡¯t wealthy enough to install full insulation in each of the wagons. As for what they were doing in this caravan, they were working as bodyguards who would also occasionally scan the vicinity ¨C using Spells and manual inspection alike. It became a standard practice for merchants and mercenaries after the news of the beast horde and the fall of the Eblelta city. Initially, Zeph and Makani planned to travel on their own, probably using a rented carriage, but because Zeph was so slow with advancing his General Skill, they had to find a faster way to travel to their destination. As for the Skill itself, nothing interesting showed up. Just a suspiciously normal, everyday notification.
Conditions met! Congratulations! [Ambient Mana Channeling] is now [Tier 2] [Level 1]! (+1) [Ambient Mana] [General Skill] is now [T1] [ L80]! (+13)
It was simple and straightforward, which was exactly the reason for Zeph¡¯s belief that he somehow managed to simultaneously exceed and fail the System¡¯s expectations. Normally, the notification should inform him that the Skill managed to stay unspecialized. On the other hand, the Skill¡¯s name didn¡¯t change ¨C and it should in the case of specialization or downgrading. He could ask the System directly, but it didn¡¯t really matter to him, as without upgrading the material making his Source Net, he had no hope of successfully implementing any of the more advanced techniques, whatever they could be. He also didn¡¯t want to incur System¡¯s anger. Knowing them, the notification doubled as the test of his resolve. He did promise to not use this communication channel without reason, after all. But no, he wouldn¡¯t go that far for nothing. The sheer fact that he could use his armor to influence his contamination was enough. The rest would come with time; there was no need to rush. He had a hard enough time to reach Tier 2 in the Skill as it was. ¡°Are you going to slack off for the whole trip?¡± came a rude comment from Makani. Lately, he was constantly nagging Zeph to read his new Skills. Zeph frowned. ¡°How many times do I have to explain it? Men need their silent time!¡± he spat, not even turning to his fellow passenger. Besides, he thought, I am working hard enough. It¡¯s not like I can learn that bullshit in a few days¡­ ¡®Enchanting¡¯ fighting style, advanced ¡®Ambient Mana channeling¡¯, studying the Spellforms enchanted on the Cube, learning from Gru about using Veil to cast Matrix Spells and hide his Soul presence¡­ It was simply too much to learn at once. Even if he wanted, there was no way to master all of those techniques during the trip. And reading from Skills wasn¡¯t fast - he would have been using them much more often otherwise. Instead, he relied on reading books and training with people. The thought of delving into the Soul memories integrated into the General Skills gave him cold shivers, too. They were generalized. Simplified. Stripped from everything that could be considered a direct context or action. A bland soup of experiences and information that had to be analyzed and interpreted at each step. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to even notice this. Better yet, he was used to reading General Skills for months on end. Back on his peak in the Torrent mountains, he was doing just that. But after he developed the Soul-memory sharing method with Gru, he discovered that he was positively disgusted with the General Skills and their foggy contents. Their communication was incomparably clearer and faster. Reading from General Skills seemed almost like looking at the world without glasses while additionally having a really bad case of a cataract. Also, he wouldn¡¯t get any Skill levels or instant proficiency boost from simply reading them. Not until he tried to implement the learned techniques in real life. ¡°You are wasting time.¡± Makani sighed tiredly. ¡°Just start working on them already and be done with it. We don¡¯t have much time until the Duels¡­¡± ¡°I am still acclimating, okay? And I am quite tired, so maybe give me time to recover somewhat? You are behaving worse than Aisha during training,¡± Zeph commented, glaring back at him. It seemed that his comment actually hit a bull¡¯s eye and stung quite a bit. At least going by Makani¡¯s grimace. ¡°Just¡­ well, you do you. But if you are going to complain about being tired, maybe you should go to sleep instead of... looking blankly at the landscape.¡± Zeph shrugged and peered out of the window once again. ¡°I need peace of mind, not sleep. Don¡¯t worry that much. Right now, my level is what limits me the most. I would rather go into the forest while focused.¡± A heavy sigh was his only answer. It was around midnight of the previous day when the notification acknowledging the development of his AMC Skill arrived, and he still spent some time reading from the Skill after that. Three, or so, hours of sleep weren¡¯t ideal, but he could manage thanks to the Willforce Morphon. It was all thanks to the break that morning, too. His Skill¡¯s development, that is. Of course, speaking about their travel plans wasn¡¯t exactly a definition of a good rest, but it was nothing in comparison to the effort he was putting in during internal Mana Manipulation of that level. Anyway, that small break did wonders for his mental state. When he renewed his exercises, he felt as if a backpack full of supplies had dropped from his shoulders. The unexpected lightness in his body, metaphorically speaking, was just as thrilling as it was necessary for the successful execution. Although the internal Mana manipulation didn¡¯t become easier in any measure, he had felt like his mental muscles were freed from the stress that weighed them down before. He started to respect the balanced style of life, so to speak. It was enough to start applying a new trick to bypass the inabilities of his body. A trick that was, actually, Makani¡¯s idea. Instead of pumping the Ambient Mana into his muscles directly, he forced his internal Mana to leave his bloodstream. The idea wasn¡¯t about cycling the Ambient Mana directly from the blood vessels but to firstly spread it around his whole body instead of using one, focal point to use the technique. It was easier said than done, though. It took him an awful lot of time to even minimally decrease the density of his Mana in the major blood vessels. However, the process of cycling the Ambient Mana could be simplified thanks to that, as he was using all Soul links at the same time and in the same capacity instead of funneling everything through a few chosen ones. The efficiency was horrible, but the overall amount of Ambient Mana entering his Soul was enough to influence his progress. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The most important detail, though, was that this method was actually usable for the Fullerene-Magicules forming inside of his armor. His armor was covering his whole body, after all. He also hoped that after mastering the technique, the efficiency would rise even more thanks to the Phleya that was now present in the armor, in his body, and in Gru¡¯s appendages. It should be possible, theoretically, because the Soul-linked organisms were very good at conducting their host¡¯s Mana and Magicules. But it could as well be a dead end. He expected the Phleya to evolve into something capable of a thought. In that case, their Soul-link would change into a Soul-bond as the colony would develop its own Will and Soul. In this regard, a Soul-bond worked differently from a Soul-link, mainly because the entity would then start to generate its own Mana. But that was a problem for the future Zeph. As he reflected on the past, a heavily equipped horse rider passed them suddenly, knocking on the carriage¡¯s wall. Because Zeph was already looking out of the window, he could easily spot the flag pinned to the pole on their back. Sadly, he wasn¡¯t learned in the flag-signals of the caravan. Looking back at Makani with excitement, he started to rub his hands together. ¡°You better instruct me well, teacher!¡± he said enthusiastically. Makani just rolled his eyes. ¡°Thirty minutes until the next village. Five hours of leisure time!¡± their coachman shouted through the wall. ~~~ Zeph jumped down from their wagon, his weapons at the ready. It was their first stop after leaving the city. They were to scout the vicinity, as per contract with the mercenary lodge. A perfect time to test his newly-studied Force Beam Spell¡¯s variants. As Makani was slowly stepping down the wooden stairs behind him, Zeph looked around to orient himself. The village wasn¡¯t anything new to him. The same simple, half-stone buildings with the floor heating ¨C recognizable by the smoke coming from the underground furnaces and the vents that were placed some ways away from the houses themselves. The buildings were packed more closely than normally, though. Probably because it was a fishing village, as could be recognized by the wooden piers covered in ice that were populating the coast nearby. It was the start of the winter, so no boats or nets were in plain sight, but Zeph could see quite a few of strange contraptions resembling the wind-powered walking constructs from the Earth. They were, of course, much simpler in structure. Instead of mutinously formed legs, they had just a bunch of thick sticks pointed downwards and peculiarly affixed to the wooden disks. Those discs were all connected by the ropes to rotate together as the contraptions moved. The connection points between the sticks and the disks should, theoretically, force the ¡®legs¡¯ to stay more or less vertical. But going by the metal, spring-like attachments that surrounded them, it wasn¡¯t that simple. Also, each contraption had a platform at the top that was resembling a flattened-out boat. Oh, right, he realized, looking at the sea once again. The erratic shape of the ice means that they cannot use sleds, skates, or skis. Are those legs set loose on purpose? he analyzed, scratching the armored chin of his helmet. Why are those vehicles even created? I am quite sure there shouldn¡¯t be any fish in the sea near the shore at this time¡­ Or are they? A blowhole on a lake is a normal thing on Earth, maybe it¡¯s similar here? Those don¡¯t seem to be able to float very well. Or take much weight, for that matter¡­ ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Makani asked from behind, looking around. ¡°Those are just ice walkers. Nothing special.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°Sorry, I was just wondering why there is a boat at the top. And why it doesn¡¯t seem to be able to lift much.¡± Before Makani could answer, an unfamiliar female voice called from their right. ¡°For safety.¡± He turned and saw one of the main guards of the caravan, as recognizable by their heavy, black armor that was partially hidden under a white cloak. The logo of the organization present on their shoulders was also a good give-away, but it was hard to notice. ¡°The algae they are collecting goes through the tubes they are setting up under the ice. They burden their rafts with nothin¡¯ but wooden tubes and replacement parts.¡± ¡°La-Garfer,¡± Makani welcomed the woman, nodding at the newcomer. Zeph did the same. ¡°You need us for something?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± she shook her head slightly. ¡°I am here to inform you that you will have to change the wagons. This one, along with three others, will stay in this village. The people need much more processed iron than we anticipated.¡± Zeph sent Makani a questioning look. He was quite sure that the man didn¡¯t notice because of the light reflecting from his helmet, though. It was hard to see through the glass-like face cover if it was too bright outside. The same couldn¡¯t be said about Makani, who was visibly grimacing. His face was fully in the open and only his waving robes suggested a number of Mana-related shenanigans keeping him warm. P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah did a good job. ¡°The public wagon?¡± he asked. ¡°Number three, yes. We are sorry for the inconvenience.¡± She said, actually bowing to them, to Zeph¡¯s surprise. ¡°Can¡¯t we use the roofs?¡± Makani continued, massaging his eyes. ¡°Sorry, but those are already occupied.¡± She said, straightening up. ¡°We know it will greatly decrease your effectiveness, but the road ahead is considered safe.¡± Makani groaned. ¡°The pay?¡± She shrugged. ¡°As per contract.¡± Decreased, Zeph thought. They are merchants alight, he snickered. That would be a problem, though¡­ ¡°Can we go ahead?¡± he asked in hopes of salvaging the situation. Traveling with so many people in one carriage would render his Cube training impossible. He wasn¡¯t going to show it to anyone until he finished the final version; with no exceptions. Aisha didn¡¯t even have to beat it into his thick skull for him to understand how such a mishap could end up. Worse yet, besides learning the new Force Beam Spell variants from the Cube, only testing those Spells was higher on his To-Do list. His training time would be stripped from him just like that. The woman was deep in thought for some time before giving her verdict. ¡°That¡­ would require us to adjust the pay accordingly¡­. Also, we will stay here for the night. That is two whole days without a proper payment for you¡­¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Makani caught the bait. ¡°Just leave us alone! We aren¡¯t going with you to earn money, either wa¡ª¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± Zeph facepalmed. Or tried to. Gripping the glass-like visor of his helmet couldn¡¯t give the gesture the justice it deserved. As expected, when he looked up the woman was already running away. ¡°See you at the next stop!¡± she shouted, waving her hand at them. Zeph sighed depressingly while Makani stood still in shock. ¡°Did she just¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, she did¡­¡± ~~~ ¡°Can you explain to me¡­¡± Zeph started, once again finishing his Force Beam Spell ¨C the piercing version. The low groan of the tree showed that the Spell was able to penetrate its frozen structure. For the third time. ¡°Why are they leaving this wagon in the village again?¡± The three started to slowly bend forward ¨C right at the small ravine that stood in their way. It seemed that this time, he would be able to make an improvised bridge for them. Thankfully, this time they also remembered to shake off the snow from the branches before starting. It was a big mistake not to do that on the overgrown trees beforehand. Makani turned his head in his direction, pausing his Sound Spell. Well, probably a Sound Spell ¨C it wasn¡¯t possible to tell and right now Makani had a much richer repertoire of unknown utility Spells. ¡°Because that¡¯s how the people here are working their logistics.¡± He started with a lifeless voice. ¡°A wagon or two would be left behind in each village, selling the merchandise, while the caravan would move forward. Of course, there is more than just one caravan traveling each route. The ones returning have their own guards. They would take those wagons back to the city. The bureaucracy and logistics behind all these are dealt with in the city itself¡­ Anyway, are you going to fell that tree or not?¡± Indeed, the tree stopped halfway on its way to the other side. ¡°Don¡¯t rush me!¡± Zeph warned, while constructing a Force Wave Spell, modified to encompass the tree¡¯s tilt to the left in one swoop. ¡°Or do you want it to fall into the ravine, like the previous five? Anyway, if you knew that much, why didn¡¯t you see the trap?!¡± ¡°I was distracted! Happens to everyone!¡± He shouted. ¡°Not like we had much say in the matter, anyway¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°I am quite sure we could at least get a renumeration. It was their mistake, not ours. You ju¡ª¡± ¡°Fangrag at five, at least two boats away,¡± Makani interrupted him. With a sigh, Zeph stopped his current Spell and turned. Then, he sent a long Mana-L ¡®undulating¡¯ tendril¡ªthe variation of what he used with the Kinetic Medium during the Zombie attack¡ªin the direction Makani indicated. Thankfully, Mana-L was dense enough to bounce off of solid matter if it only glanced the surface, so he only had to abandon three parts after the tendril collided with the trees frontally. The septae in the internal structure really helped in keeping the Force-Magicules inside, despite the external damage to the ¡®pipe¡¯. After it reached the estimated distance, he pushed one-tenth of his Veil through the Mana-L and quickly constructed a Flash Spell at the other end. Another technique he was trying to master ¨C forming Mana tendril longer than normally possible and forming his Spells out of his sight. A distant roar was all the clue he needed to know. It wasn¡¯t the first beast he had to scare away. Normally, he would try to hunt them instead but not only they didn¡¯t have time, but it was impossible to actually sell any part of the animals to anyone. It would be just a waste of time and resources. And, most importantly, he was here to train. The plateau of the High Peak of Brenn would be a much better place to gain levels. ¡°Running away¡­¡± Makani confirmed after concentrating for a moment. ¡°You were saying?¡± Zeph asked, turning to the stubborn tree. It stopped falling halfway, somehow. How is that even working? Die already! ¡°Hah¡­ can¡¯t you give me some slack? I wasn¡¯t expecting¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°No slack giventh. You should know better,¡± Zeph said, reconstructing the re-shaped Force Weave. ¡°We are going to travel through the night¡ªthrough the worst snowdrifts, mind you¡ªand not be paid a bronze for it. You owe me a good bottle of alcohol after all this!¡± He finally released the Spell, allowing it to push the upper part of the stupid plant, directing it straight at the ravine¡­ =========Theron Nalani PoV========= His heavy breaths formed small clouds as he sped through the forest. The crunching sound of the snow under his fast steps was the more irritable the more he listened to it. The shadows in the forest started to evolve into a full-blown curtain of darkness long ago, but with Theron¡¯s abilities, it was merely an annoyance, yet a decent cover. But none of that mattered. He had found them. Finally. Much later than he would have liked to, but it was a predictable outcome. Makani Borre was well respected in his Tower. Theron was actually more surprised that Borre didn¡¯t use better methods to conceal their escapade. Although, he couldn¡¯t find anything in the lodges of the local mercenary groups, so maybe Borre did his job properly. It was hard to tell. He tripped on something and almost hit a tree. After a spin and a few steps, he started to speed up again. He could almost feel the dark bags under his eyes weighing on his eyelids. In the last three days, he slept for three hours at most. And yet, he wouldn¡¯t be sleeping for a few more days as he sped through the wilderness to catch his quarry. But that didn¡¯t matter much. He would just find a caravan in the closest village and hide in their luggage. Then, he could sleep, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t lose ground. There was only one realistically possible destination for two Manacasters, after all. Well, in the timeframe they had, at least. He smiled slightly, hastening his already wild dash through the dark, cold woods. ============================= Chapter 96 - Bath meditations have their pros and cons... Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.05] An unfamiliar, wooden ceiling greeted Zeph as he opened his eyes. The early morning light caressed the side of his face, inciting him to wake from slumber. It seems my sleep is back to normal, he thought, noticing the perfect and instant clarity of his mind despite the few hours of sleep. I could use more physical exercises instead of always draining my mind during training¡­ Yeah, the balanced lifestyle sounds more and more compelling. He decided to refresh himself before donning his armor. The family that took them in for the night for a measly few silvers was already up and working if the sounds coming from the kitchen-slash-living-room were any indicator. After putting on some light clothes, he opened slightly a window and forced his overblown Veil to leave the room through the crack. The cold air was unpleasant, but he had to do it to respect the people living in the building. There was no internal Mana-gathering system installed here, after all. Though a simple enchantment setup that was powering the water pipe system was a room away, he would have to move his Veil all the way to the input enchantment through the corridor. It just wasn¡¯t doable - the house was filled to the brim with the Veils of their occupants. Moving his Mana all the way there would be inefficient and less than comfortable for everyone involved. ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted the lady of the house, Gahilda, after entering the kitchen. ¡°Can I use the bathhouse?¡± ¡°Is that some kind of a new greeting?¡± asked a corpulent woman, not taking her eyes from the dough she was working on. It had a slightly red tint to it, but Zeph wasn¡¯t going to ask about its source. ¡°Eh, sorry¡­ Just an old habit from my home,¡± he said abashedly. ¡°Understandable,¡± she nodded, throwing him a glance. A glint of curiosity was clearly recognizable in her eyes. For her, he was the size of a halfling, speaking in Earthians¡¯ terms. His beard and the exotic equipment he brought with himself were causing even more misunderstandings. Not that he was unhappy with it. ¡°Yes, the bathhouse is free right now. You two are lucky it¡¯s our turn to process the catch. Anyway,¡± she turned back and started to clean her hands in a bowl of water, ¡°the early-dinner will be ready in about an hour. If you don¡¯t show up on time, I cannot guarantee anything but scraps.¡± ¡°Ah, I have no problem with that. Thanks for the hospitality,¡± he said, backing away and closing the doors behind himself. Knowing these people, he had much less than an hour, so he speed-walked back to his room to gather his washing equipment. The bathroom was a surprisingly nice place. It was vast and made from grey stone. Hot steam was filling the air as if it was a tuned-down sauna. It had three sections separated by half-walls, although higher than him. The first area contained a toilet. It was much too high for his comfort and the stone-made sitting was slick because of all the vapor in the air, but it was at least warm. No, wait, that¡¯s actually worse! he realized as the deeply ingrained memories from the public toilets on Earth returned. It wasn¡¯t the first time he used a warmed seating of this kind, but the wet surface caused him to instinctually shiver in disgust. Whatever, he forced his body to relax, I am going to take a bath anyway! He still finished his business in a record time. But the inbuilt water mechanism for cleaning himself¡­ well, let¡¯s not call the horrors of those movements back. The second section of the bathroom had a big, if shallow, basin. The stone was heated up by the same floor-heating system that kept the house warm, and the water constantly poured into it from a pipe sticking up vertically from a small grove on one side. The water escaped it in pulses instead of being a smooth, constant stream. The drain was on the other side, on the rim of the pool¡¯s wall. Maybe a hydraulic ram pump? Well, that would be quite an achievement, he thought, dropping his clothes to the side. That kind of a system would be quite ideal here. However, they would have to set the valve setup deep underground if they are really taking in the water from the sea¡­ He cautiously dipped his finger and tasted the water. Yea, salty. With Mana, it¡¯s probably doable to do¡­ He shrugged and entered the shallow pool. He lay down in the hot water, savoring the moment. He didn¡¯t expect the temperature to be that high, even after seeing the steam rising from the surface. He hadn¡¯t had much time to use the Tower¡¯s facilities, so he felt less than comfortable with his current hygiene condition. Especially after their latest excursion into the woods. Well, it shouldn¡¯t really matter much on Corora taking into account the lack of microorganisms that could survive in his Veil. But even if he didn¡¯t smell, the accumulation of sweat and overall grime made him feel clammy. The soap he received from P¡¯pfel was a perfect answer to that problem, though. He preferred to use soap instead of the strange, acidic concoctions the locals used more often. Sadly, the small market meant a poor supply. He was probably the only person who tried mixing fragrance oils into the mix. Or maybe not, but he could easily see how heightened senses could influence the market. Most probably, each person with relevant implants and each race needed a soap made specifically for them, with just the right strength of a chosen scent ¨C something he had to do himself after he noticed that his implants influenced his senses slightly. That could easily break the market by blocking mass production efforts, thus increasing the prices unnecessarily. Not to mention, he wasn¡¯t even sure if the fat of different animals or plants could have additional effects on the skin or fur. Or scales, although he never saw a scaled race. He was a kind of a special case in that regard. His body didn¡¯t care much about skincare anymore, he suspected. Not because of his origin, but because of his improved immunological and cardiovascular systems, among other things. Those two came late, but he also had the Willforce Morphon. As for his beginnings on Corora, he indeed tested his first soaps quite profoundly during his first months in the Torrent Mountains ¨C to make sure he wasn¡¯t poisoning himself somehow. Now, though, he just needed a random grease and a good-smelling oil. Most of the work was made by the P¡¯pfel¡¯s apprentices, anyway. He noticed the small changes to his body while bathing, too. First of all, he had no fat. Like, at all. It was quite surprising. He wasn¡¯t paying close attention to his body in the last few weeks, and that was a mistake. His wiry muscles were pronounced more than ever, even if he was sure they got smaller overall. That had to be the effect of his recent near-death experiences. Especially that poison that almost killed him. It seemed that his body eventually started to digest itself at some point. Even if the autophagocytosis wasn¡¯t working like it should anymore, his body still needed a source of energy. If it was being balanced with his Will and Soul states, what would happen if both were similarly depleted or damaged? It was only logical to expect that his body would suffer. And he was abusing his resources for a few weeks now. A balanced lifestyle, he repeated in his mind, taking a deeper breath of the damp air. Especially because this self-proclaimed resource balancing is fucking with my instincts. I¡­ I am unable to tell how bad it is until I am near the death¡¯s door now¡­ I am a human. I never trained my other senses¡­ It was a cause of natural progression discrepancy, in his mind. He was old, for an Earthling, and filled with instincts that had nothing to do with his new reality. Instincts that were engraved in his DNA¡­ probably. This concept was never proved on Earth. But even if humanity was able to somehow interact with Soul and Will on Earth, it was much different than doing it on Corora¡­ Suddenly, a realization hit him like a sack of bricks. He was going to travel to other worlds. At least, that was what he wanted to do in the future. Worlds with different Mana; with different interactions between those three fundamental parts that made him a System-approved intelligent being; with different fundamental constants of physics perhaps... Hell, maybe even worlds like the Earth ¨C with parts of the ¡®natural order¡¯ blocked off. He was unprepared. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. No¡­ It¡¯s an understatement¡­ he thought, looking down on his body. Some implants were clearly visible through his skin. The veins were bulging out because of the lack of fat. Their color was dark. Not the blueish black he knew of, but more like dark brown. Unnatural. He touched one of Gru¡¯s eyes, placed at the far corner of his own. Those were already shielded by a thick cornea ¨C Gru didn¡¯t have to blink. He felt the net of his companion¡¯s appendages cursing through his body, if only by navigating his own internal Mana flow. One of them terminated in another eye that he knew well by now. The Power EE was pushing the water slightly, stirring it near his skin. It was a passive, but only now he noticed that it interacted with fluids that way. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how the biology of his body changed on the cellular level. It wasn¡¯t just about his implants and symbionts ¨C the PE themselves changed how his body was working on an even more fundamental level, assuming his guess was correct. I think¡­ I am not human anymore¡­ he came to the conclusion. And yet¡­ it¡¯s still not enough? The discrepancy shook him; made him shiver in inexplicable fear. In the next moment, those feelings passed away. His Will reacted, correcting his mental state. My Will reacted¡­ correcting¡­ what? My brain activity? No. The source of my Will. What is the source of my Will? My Brain? Isn¡¯t that equivalent to my Will? No. My body? No. My Soul? NO. My Will? No, You. Me. I¡­ A long vibration coursed through his body, forcefully breaking the strange loop. Gru sounded angry and worried at the same time.
Congratulations! [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] is now [Tier 2] [Level 12]! (+2) The [General Skill] [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] was learned by the [Garuan]. Resonance effect detected! Calculating¡­ Resonance effect unpredictable¡­ Calculating¡­ Resonance effect deemed safe¡­ Calculating¡­ Anti-resonance effect occurred! Congratulations! [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] is now [Tier 2] [Level 25]! (+13)
¡®Don¡¯t loop it!¡¯ was the meaning of Gru¡¯s gentle, yet admonishing message. A warning he never heard about, but it made sense. I¡­ am¡­ am one. Zeph¡­ he slowly extracted himself from the strange resonation. Why¡­ was I thinking¡­ like multiple minds? the thought almost made him go back into the loop. The physical experience of raising his hands above the water¡¯s surface woke him up from it, though. For a moment, he looked at his hands suspended in the air above his head with an innocent and confused look of a person not understanding where they were. Or rather, with a look of total ignorance, normally reserved for young children. ¡°What the fuck?¡± he said aloud in English, immediately vacating the stone bathtub. He felt depleted. He felt like he should take more deep breaths. But his body was absolutely relaxed and in order, not asking for more oxygen. There was no indication that he should feel that way. ¡®Gru¡­ Did you see that?¡¯ he asked his companion, using their method of Soul-memory sharing while making a distance from the bathtub, just in case. ¡®Yes. Zeph¡¯s fault, saw¡¯ came the petulant answer. ¡®Thinking to self is bad. Connecting worse.¡¯ ¡®No, Gru. It felt¡­ like I was speaking with someone,¡¯ he explained the best he could. ¡®And those emotions at the end¡­ this was not natural. I am sure it was an external influence,¡¯ he declared after searching his memories for an answer. Zeph¡¯s suicidal thoughts felt different. His lack of empathy in the early years of his life was different. The after-effects of his heartbreaking relationship felt different¡­ His, probably complicated, relation to his grandma felt different ¨C even after the System and he himself found out that she was sucking him dry with something called a ¡®Soul vampirism¡¯. The Will-depletion, the Mana-depletion, the mind-dulling exercises he did in the pasty¡­ The resonations with Gru¡¯s Will, too. No, he had no experiences to compare to what just happened. It was as if for the first in his life, he felt the true meaning of emotions. Like someone presented to him how they felt when being in a similar situation while ignoring the true reasons he could have ever felt this way. Am I actually going insane? he asked himself. Schizophrenia isn¡¯t fun. Not at all. No¡­ he blocked another flood of dread and¡­ voices forcefully. That Skill, the ¡®Feedback stimuli¡¯, wasn¡¯t working only on Gru ¨C he could also use it on himself. Or rather, the ¡®Feedback stimuli¡¯ was just an incorporation of what he could already do. I was just a General Skill ¨C a source of knowledge. But, in the end, it was something he could do intrinsically. It was his skill. Is that my Memory acting up? I am becoming a second P¡¯pfel? He squinted his eyes at the pool. Like I would believe that. They are processing algae here, right? He looked in the direction of the third section of the bathhouse. Slowly, he started walking in that direction. Some residue of Mental Medium from them maybe? Or some residue of Soul memories from the Souls of Undead that Gru processed? There are too many possibilities¡­ There was a two-meter-wide hole in the floor. Wooden railing rounded it. Looking down, he saw a body of water illuminated by luminescent lamps set on the walls. The surface of the water was a few meters down and was dominated by green and reddish slurry. He could barely see a lush underwater ¡®forest¡¯ below it. I doubt they would use them if they were dangerous. I just hope it won¡¯t happen again. But it felt like my Will was trying to change¡­ If it really is like that, then no wonder Soul-wound fragments are dangerous. And also, the General Skills¡­ He finally found a probable reason as to why the General Skills were that foggy in their representations. They needed to be, or the person¡¯s Will could be corrupted in the process. Reliving someone else¡¯s memories one-to-one could have long-lasting consequences. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He wasted enough time and he wasn¡¯t going to miss the almost-free meal. His body needed many more calories now, not to mention that he was eating for two And now I know how they catch the algae¡­ Bleh! He could see that the hot water from the basin¡ªor maybe from a heating system¡ªand other waste was streaming down there from a few pipes. He could also see a big opening in the direction of the sea. There was almost no smell, though, and it was evident as to why. On Corora, the role of biomatter decomposers was taken by organisms bigger than bacteria. Organisms like the algae below him. They either traveled from the sea and through the pipes, along the warm stream of water rich in nutrients, or just have grown all the way up to here. It was only slightly disgusting. I don¡¯t want to see how they are extracting the food from that, though¡­ he mused, walking back to the small pool. He felt stable enough to not worry about the resurgence of the strange resonation. Instead of using a towel, he used a Heat cantrip all over his body. Their hosts didn¡¯t give them anything for the occasion, whatever they used normally. The heat was slightly uncomfortable, but he could form the Spells almost instantly thanks to his EE, so using many at the same time was quite easy and effortless. In a few minutes, he was back in his rented room, geared, packed, and ready for further travels. He left everything there for now and walked to the kitchen. Makani, the father of the family, and the youngest son were already seated at the table, waiting impatiently for the food. The man had a surprisingly wiry stature and a face withered by the sea and sun. The kid was maybe in his early teens and looked strikingly similar to his father ¨C especially his blue eyes and black, disheveled hair. Makani was discussing something with their host but paused as soon as Zeph entered the room. ¡°Oh, welcome back,¡± Makani greeted. ¡°It seems we don¡¯t have to scout the nearby forests. The numbers we have gathered during the night are enough,¡± he said, waving his small notebook. ¡°Ye,¡± the man added. ¡°Village hunter is keepin¡¯ track. There weren¡¯t any change in the local game yet.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± he said, sitting down by Makani. ¡°So, what now?¡± ¡°Depends. We can either train and wait for the caravan, or try to catch up with the previous one. They were also delayed by the high demand. It¡¯s a smaller one, so they should move faster later on.¡± ¡°Eh, I would rather not trot for a whole day¡­¡± ¡°Maybe buy some windsleds from the old Yarik then? Gods know we need the coin,¡± Gahilda suggested while bringing a big tray with freshly backed breadstuff, smocked meat, and some vegetables. Zeph was almost late for the small feast, it seemed. ¡°But mum! How are we¡ª¡± ¡°No sleds for you this winter,¡± she cut in sharply, glaring at her son. The young man grimaced and it was clear that he was about to argue, but his father put his rough hand on the kid¡¯s head, silencing him temporarily. ¡°Son, you think us stupid?¡± he asked not unkindly. ¡°¡­no¡­¡± the kid mumbled. ¡°The forest¡¯ll change. Faster than sea¡¯s weather,¡± he lectured. ¡°Rumors of the horde were true. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡± Before an awkward silence could fall on them, Gahilda loudly placed the tray on the table. ¡°Better eat well. The windsleds aren¡¯t the best for transport, but you should do with Spells.¡± ¡°Thanks, Gahilda,¡± Makani said with a smile, then turned to Zeph. ¡°What do you think?¡± He shrugged and reached for the food. ¡°In that case, I leave the decision to you. Just make sure that we won¡¯t lose money this time.¡± Makani laughed awkwardly at that. Not much was discussed afterward as a small eating race started between the gathered. The kid was sending them glances full of jealousy from time to time, but it was clear he would listen to his parents. Chapter 97 - Unexpected and unnoticed race have started for some reason. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.05] As Makani and Zeph made their way through the deep snow that had covered the village during the night, he tried to make a better sense of how the people here were living. The village was quiet and peaceful. Picturesque even, as if it was brought directly from the old Christmas postcards. Right now, the luminescent lamps were working around the clock because the sun wasn¡¯t on its brightest today. The only difference was the lack of colors, as all of the lamps were either producing green-blue or warm yellowish lighting. People who were responsible for the underwater pipe system, mostly the men living in the village, were already absent. The traces they left behind were already being covered by the snow slowly falling from the skies. The weather was becoming worse, with the heavy clouds moving above the land from the direction of the sea. That could be a problem, Zeph thought, noticing that there was no wind. If I remember correctly, that should mean a snowstorm is coming¡­ I am not sure about that anymore, though. He did receive basic training in weather prediction thanks to his position as a scout, but things worked slightly differently on Corora. It was hard to tell if his knowledge was reliable. It was better to ask the locals, which he planned to do anyway when visiting Yarik. As the temperatures became lower, the women and youngsters in the houses kept to their domains. He could spot a few curious glances directed at them from behind the first layer of wooden shutters, though. The people here didn¡¯t have enough high-end materials to be able to make or acquire windows that were insulating enough to be usable without additional layers of protection, especially during the windy days. The crystal-like panels were covered by a few layers of thin skin of an unknown origin and were additionally geared with two layers of external wooden shutters. The first layer was there only to keep enough heat near the window to stifle the frost, as so they had many small openings or even dense meshes to let some light through into the houses. Naturally, the opacity of the glass-like panels wasn¡¯t the best, so it was no surprise that a few windows opened inwards slightly as they passed. Heh, are we that interesting? The warm air is escaping your home, lady, he thought while smiling at the sight of a younger woman who even opened one side of the shutter to have a better view. Not like she saw his face, though. He waved his hand. If she was making such a grand sacrifice, he could do at least that much. The woman waved back and smiled at him before she shivered and quickly closed the window. At least they aren¡¯t trying to speak with us. We need to hurry up. If they were to catch up with the next caravan, they should head out as soon as possible. Looking around as they slowly traveled to the house indicated by Gahilda, he noticed another oddity. Despite the fact that every house was burning charcoal like crazy, the air wasn¡¯t polluted at all. He knew that the firewood set by the walls of the houses for additional insulation was going through two stages of burning ¨C the first was an almost-oxygen-free process of charcoal burning in an enclosed chamber placed directly under the house, and the second was using the resulting fuel to heat the water system heating the houses directly. But the second stage should produce much more smoke. ¡°hmmm¡­ It would make sense if they had air vents around the house to not waste the warm air¡­ well, besides their kitchens. Are they selling the soot, I wonder¡­¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Makani asked, looking at him. ¡°No, no. I was just thinking aloud,¡± he said, waving his hand. Nanotubes would have to wait for now. ¡°Anyway, how is our time looking? If we can speed up a little¡­¡± he asked instead. The Viviscale Village that the System wanted him to investigate was already on the High Peak of Brenn which was their destination. Their schedule was tight, though, because it was two and a half days of travel to reach the area and the Dueling Tournament would start on the 10th in the evening. ¡°You are thinking about disregarding the commission?¡± Makani asked, surprised slightly. ¡°I am just worried that I won¡¯t be able to level up enough,¡± Zeph said, sighing depressingly. ¡°I thought we would hunt more along the way, but the locals have everything under control for now and there is no migration yet.¡± If the migration hit, they would be able to hunt everything with impunity. As it was, it was better to keep the local wildlife balanced. Makani nodded in understanding. ¡°If the windsleds here are worth anything, we should be able to hunt for two days.¡± He faced forward. ¡°It should be more than enough for your recommended levels. Don¡¯t forget your bracket.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. But I don¡¯t think I ever managed to gain that many levels in under two days¡­¡± To stay true to their Guild¡¯s declaration, the combined levels of his Profession and Class had to stay at or below level 50. Their Guild, naturally, wasn¡¯t going to disclose his actual levels or other details to their competition, but the referee from the City Hall would require an Effigy to confirm the declared specializations and levels. That meant that Zeph could only get up to ten levels overall, but he was a little skeptical as to their timeframe ¨C even if they were to leave the city the first day of the new year. ¡°You just don¡¯t understand what we are going to encounter¡­ Don¡¯t worry about it and just focus on getting your PE in order on the way back.¡± That was another problem. Zeph still remembered Aisha¡¯s advice to never allocate more than 15 PE at once for the ones that reached the first milestone. Of course, his Intuition was already beyond the second milestone, so that limit wasn¡¯t applicable to it. But the quick rise of his other PE, especially the Flexibility, would cause problems for sure. ¡°Anyway,¡± Makani continued, ¡°if these windsleds are worth anything, we can try to pass the next caravan if you want. If we are going to stay in the Viviscale Village, then we can as well try to negotiate on that account. It¡¯s true that the area is still calm¡­ but the money won¡¯t be the same.¡± Makani glanced at him. ¡°Did something happen?¡± He grimaced. ¡°I will tell you about it later.¡± Makani shrugged, leaving it at that. They continued their slow walk through the deep, fluffy snow. A few minutes later, they came close to the second-last house in the village. Although most of the homesteads had some utility sheds or small buildings placed around the main house, this one had a long, open-front shed right by the road. Inside, he could see a multitude of sailboards with overblown sails that, evidently, were made from fish skins. The scales that reflected the light in a wild and colorful display were hard to miss. They walked up to the doors of the house and Zeph knocked quite loudly on them. After a moment a gruff mountain of a man opened the door and threw them a quick glance. A second later, he gestured for them to enter. No one in the village liked to unnecessarily waste the warm air. The floor-heating system was marvelously efficient but quite hard to adjust. Or rather, very slow to adjust. They walked inside, Makani closing the door behind them. As they started to brush the snow from themselves in the foyer, the man started speaking in a low voice. ¡°Unexpected visit. You are here to see my wife?¡± ¡°You, actually,¡± Zeph said, trying to take off his helmet. It would be rude to keep his face hidden. ¡°I should be on the icefield...¡± ¡°Gahilda told us you would be home today. Something about a spilling water¡­¡± Makani said, using a Spell to get rid of the snow on his backpack. The newly added zipper wasn¡¯t helping, though. The man nodded. ¡°Ye, the water froze last night. Hmm¡­ I get that you want the sleds, then?¡± He crossed his bulging arms. For his perceivable age, the man sure had an impressive musculature. ¡°Indeed.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°We have some questions, though.¡± ¡°Come inside. We can talk in the kitchen,¡± he said, turning around. The house was quite typical but decorated with many hunting trophies and wood carvings. Especially the kitchen, as it also was used to host the guests. Yarik left them at the table to prepare some tea-like beverage. He slid out a few metal plates and shuffled some knobs to power the stone-made kitchen range. Most of the not-so-primitive mechanisms were still a mystery to Zeph, so it was quite interesting to observe the man as he slowly worked around the construct. A few minutes later, Yarik put down three large bowls with a thick, green fluid on the table. ¡°Ask away then,¡± he said, taking a seat. Zeph tasted the strange beverage and was positively surprised by how sweet it was. Meanwhile, Makani started the negotiations. ¡°We want to catch up with the next caravan or maybe try to overtake them. I didn¡¯t see any horses in the village, so I guess Gahilda¡¯s advice to see your windsleds wasn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± Yarik nodded in understanding, puffing his chest a little more. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to tell if we can use them effectively¡­ do you have something with a sail that resists Air-Mana? I only saw fishskin, so I suppose they are mostly Water-Mana resistant.¡± ¡°I have three with sails made from feathers of local birds, but they would cost you extra.¡± Makani squinted at the man. ¡°Before that,¡± Zeph interjected. ¡°Am I wrong in assuming that a snowstorm is brewing?¡± ¡°No, not at all,¡± Yarik said, shaking his head. ¡°You will even have east wind, too. But only by the evening. It should be enough to reach the previous caravan today if you aren¡¯t afraid of the cold.¡± ¡°The price?¡± Makani asked with suspicion. ¡°One gold for the two.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Makani sneered. ¡°The best you could get without us would be a few silvers. How much the kids can pay you for the rental? Two copper per day?¡± The man calmly took a sip from his bowl before looking back at Makani with a hard gaze. ¡°And what of it? That business is dead already, and you want to buy, not rent. Do you know how hard it is to get the feathers?¡± ¡°Look here, you bastard¡­¡± Zeph sighed. It seemed they would stay in the village a little longer than planned. He just hoped that Makani could get under 60 silvers. ========Theron Nalani PoV========= He opened his eyes suddenly, woken up by the loud voices of haggling citizens coming from the outside. After sitting up, he quickly checked his surroundings. Thankfully, the crates that he piled up around himself were still unmoved; his hiding spot undiscovered. He breathed a sigh of relief. Going by the angle of the rays of sunlight peeping through the few gaps, it was already a late morning. Even though he slept for more than he would like, he still felt depleted. At least the cold wasn¡¯t so bad. Shielded from the winds as he was, it was easy for his body to ignore the freezing temperatures. He touched the closest crate. It was warm to the touch. He clicked his tongue silently. At least six hours of sleep and I am still this tired? His contamination may have been useful in keeping him warm, but the abundance of low light that his body was producing was troublesome if he wasn¡¯t consciously controlling it. Thankfully, nobody noticed yet that the interior of the wagon was warmed up. He did a good job in choosing the one filled with kitchenware ¨C no one seemed overly interested in the appliances. Time to get to work. How to proceed, he thought, scratching his chin. I would like to sleep some more. Going into a full-fledged assassination mode was hard as it was, even without having to trace his prey. And he wouldn¡¯t underestimate the Nether-infected this time. He received enough heavy injuries the last time to know that going into battle unprepared was only asking for trouble. Mercenary scouting coming from the north¡­ Seems good enough. I can get my sleep and information at the same if I join the caravan for a day. Someone had to notice Einar, even if going by his armor alone. He nodded to himself. He couldn¡¯t proceed anyway if he lost track of the man. Right now, it was more important to make sure he didn¡¯t make a mistake in his assessment. He silently packed his blanket and started to slowly shuffle the crates above¡­ ============================== A violently swirling cloud of snow was getting closer and closer to the village as the sky turned red, painting it in a bloody color. But the locals stayed calm. It wasn¡¯t an everyday occurrence, but they could easily distinguish a natural storm and artificially raised dust. Also, it was coming from the direction of the road, so the only logical explanation was that more wealthy or stronger people were rushing their travel. No one expected two Manacasters going wild, though. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t have a vision?¡± Makani asked in a muffled voice. The Stabilized Sound-transfer tendril was just above Zeph¡¯s ear, but the wild howling of winds wasn¡¯t helping in the communication. He had another one near his mouth so he could speak back. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you mean by that. I just felt like speaking with myself? It¡¯s¡­ actually hard to explain. Wanna test some Soul-memory sharing?¡± ¡°I would rather not. Give me a moment to think about it¡­ And renew the Stabilization tubes, they¡¯re starting to fall apart. I need to strengthen my Spells, too.¡± Zeph concentrated his Will to, once again, constrict and thin out the Mana-L tendrils that Makani used to transfer the sound. Keeping them stable was a pain in the ass, but they weren¡¯t actually moving that fast. By Zeph¡¯s estimation, their speed would be similar if they sprinted. But it was still a better solution than trying to run, and the caravans moved slightly slower while making breaks at each village, so they were still saving precious time. As for why they were still behind the next caravan and why it was getting late ¨C what they were doing wasn¡¯t easy. Learning how to drive the sailboard was actually easy. At least as long as they moved in a straight line. It took them a while to learn how to turn the contraption, but the windless conditions were quite good for the experience, as all that mattered were their Spells. But the Spells proved to be the main problem. It took them entirely too long to find a working combination. The worst part was that they couldn¡¯t efficiently construct more than two Spells at once ¨C one from the Matrix and another manually. Makani had it even worse since he wasn¡¯t able to construct anything manually really. Thankfully, the ¡®channeled¡¯¡ªas Zeph called them¡ªSpells could be just formed and then controlled. At least as long as they were stabilized ¨C moving around really wasn¡¯t conducive to the Spell¡¯s stability. Anyway, what they finally used was a combination of constant Gas-thinning and Gas-thickening cantrips used in conjuration with the Airflow Control by Makani, and Lesser Telekinesis used along with the diffused Force-Beam that Zeph was using periodically by disengaging and inserting the main components of the Spell back and forth into the construct. If he were to use it constantly, his Veil would deflate in seconds, after all. He also was using the Heat and Air Bubble cantrips constantly to strengthen the effects of Makani¡¯s Spells, especially because he could construct them nearly instantly and without conscious effort. Zeph was also responsible for shielding the Gas-thinning Magicules up front and forming the Mana-L ¡®tubes¡¯ that connected the two ¡®surfing¡¯ Manacasters. However, the second one took a while to master as they had to synchronize their Spells for the communication to work properly. It was a good training nonetheless, especially for Makani as he had to keep four Spells active at the same time, even if three of them had passive effects. Or rather, were ¡®channeled¡¯. The Advanced Mana Manipulation was finally showing its worth, either way. Zeph was pulling most of the weight of their travel. The howling of the wind was actually the result of his Force Spells. Their momentum couldn¡¯t be produced by the Spells directly. At least not efficiently. The Force-Magicules worked either as a force-transferring medium or produced an omnidirectional force by disintegrating. Zeph was using those properties to their maximum efficiency, redirecting the push of air from the front to the back of the sails through the Telekinetic barriers. There, the Air Bubble and Gas-thickening cantrips were allowing that transferred-over force to push at the sails, strengthening the effects of the difference in the air pressure. At the same time, he was putting additional pressure on the whole construct and the sails using Force-Beam. It was actually more important to keep pushing on the Stabilized Spells than to push the sails ¨C especially the Telekinetic pipes redirecting the air resistance because the pressure wasn¡¯t perfectly dispersed and was messing with the Mana-L keeping the Spell together. Anyway, the results were the upturned snow behind them and a strong wind produced by the dislocated air. As expected, this system couldn¡¯t work before achieving a certain velocity. Which was another, although old by now, issue. ¡°I think I remembered something,¡± Makani said suddenly. This time his voice was much clearer. ¡°Even with the Mental Medium, you shouldn¡¯t have any Memory-related episodes. Your Intuition is just too high for that, and your Memory too low for you to be able to read the memories from your past life. But¡­¡± They both leaned to the right, moving the sails a little to the left at the same time. Both concentrated on keeping their Spells aligned with their changing trajectory, which caused them to focus for a moment on rebuilding the damaged Mana-L constructs that kept their Spells in shape. ¡°Ugh¡­ it would be more fun if we were moving down the slope¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need the sail for that,¡± Zeph chuckled. ¡°I am more interested in the coming storm¡­ Anyway, what were you saying?¡± ¡°Right. There is this folktale about the intelligent denizens of the deep. Not proven, mind you, but there are a few old stories that align with the belief. They all talk about a Siren¡¯s song.¡± Oh wow, that translates quite literally¡­ ¡°It¡¯s believed that the underwater races can use some kind of Telepathy. It¡¯s difficult to tell how much of it is true, though. Their society would look much different, and¡ª¡± ¡°Stop with the theory-crafting and go to the point,¡± Zeph said, grimacing. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Ahem¡­ well¡­ With the residue Mental Medium down in the sea, it would be possible for something to influence you through the algae and other organisms, but I don¡¯t know of any similar occurrences that were confirmed¡­¡± ¡°Maybe because they are all dead or crazy at this point? It¡¯s not like I would be able to resurface without Gru¡­ At least, I am not sure if I could. And I don¡¯t know what would have happened back then if I didn¡¯t,¡± he said. Maybe Cthulhu myths aren¡¯t that far from the reality here? That would be¡­ disconcerting. ¡°You are sure that you don¡¯t know if it was Will-related? That would actually explain much.¡± Zeph shrugged lightly. ¡°No idea. It could be a Soul influence, for all I know. The two major points are that my Willforce reacted to balance things and that my body was least involved in the process. Gru didn¡¯t notice anything, but it¡¯s hard to tell what¡¯s going on in the Soul when the effects are this subtle.¡± ¡°Um, I think I understand now why you decided to speed things up. If it was something intelligent, we should be far enough by now¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s the case.¡±
Interface (pictures): Interface (tables; unedited):
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 196
Flexibility 29 Memory 67
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 68
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 194 33 161
Mana Capacity: 807 795 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 127 98 29
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 6 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 34 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.71%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] is shrinking! 5.06%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Universal Points available: 1.240.272 Total: 21.602.939
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 1 1 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 60 0.52 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 50 1.75 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 51 1.24 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 85 3.20 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 37 1.23 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 53 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 12 1.13 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 1 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 37 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 2 0.5 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 82 15 [11] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 1 5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 51 44 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 52 0.75 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 61 0.27 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 68 0.32 s 10 M - 2
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 13 Knowledge [523] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 91 Knowledge [92] Mana /s
Corora lifeforms 1 36 Knowledge [37] Mana /s
Corora herbarium 1 13 Knowledge [14] Mana /s
Survival 1 100 Knowledge [101] Mana /s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana /s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana /s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 31 Crafting [316.6] Mana /s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 34 Science arts [35] Mana /s
Explosives 1 98 Crafting [99] Mana /s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana /s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana /s
Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1) 2 50 Martial arts [480] Mana /s
Close combat (Mima) 1 52 Martial arts [53] Mana /s
[Enchanted] [Module] 3 1 Technique [271] Mana /s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
Resonation Suppression 2 5 Technique [93] Mana /s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 13 Martial arts [161.8] Mana /s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 75 Knowledge [695] Mana /s
Will manipulation 2 87 Knowledge [798.2] Mana /s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 80 Knowledge [738] Mana /s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana /s
W.P. Soul perception 2 65 Knowledge [609] Mana /s
W.P. Soul whack 2 48 Technique [462.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 13 Technique [523] Mana /s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 66 Knowledge [67] Mana /s
Ambient Mana 1 80 Knowledge [81] Mana /s
A. Mana channeling 2 1 Knowledge [58.6] Mana /s
Mana manipulation 1 48 Knowledge [49] Mana /s
Mana perception 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana /s
Mana rapture 1 16 Technique [17] Mana /s
Mana masking 2 3 Technique [75.8] Mana /s
Life Energy 1 39 Knowledge [40] Mana /s
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Functional duality, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Prototype; Unique; by ] [Soul-linked] An armor based on a high-tech blueprint from Earth, fashioned from Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 (Ghrughah creation). Contains Phley (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Genetically enhanced, Self-maintenance, Functional duality, Symbiotic.
Chapter 98 - The High Peak of Brenn and a strange story. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.05] As the sun started to settle down, the heavy clouds pushed by violent winds caught up with them. It happened a little earlier than Yarik suggested, but they both welcomed the storm with open sails, even if the temperature started to drop even more. The road was slopping upwards more and more, so having an actual wind pushing them forward was a godsend. Now, all they had to worry about was to keep themselves warm and light up the way ahead. Zeph was using two Stabilized Flashlight Spells to deal with the latter. He was pushing quite a lot of his mana into them to increase the intensity as the snowstorm was getting stronger by the minute, reducing the visibility to a few meters at best. Neither Zeph nor Makani had problems with adapting to their new speed of travel. Makani was naturally talented in all fields involving air movements, and Zeph¡¯s relatively high Power and experience with Martial Arts gave him an edge in this first-ever attempt at windsurfing. The long hours of moving at a snail¡¯s pace made them accustomed enough to the mechanics of the sport, too. It wasn¡¯t even the 20th hour of the day when they finally arrived at the first village of the High Peak of Brenn. As they slowed down, cautious of possible pedestrians, they quickly spotted the caravan they were chasing. It was parked in the empty fields behind the houses to their right. The only road through the settlement was empty but still illuminated by the light coming from homes and outdoor lamps. It seemed that people already settled down for the night, probably hiding away from the cold brought by the storm. They slowed down even more when they arrived at the center of the village. The buildings here formed a small, round plaza. Most of them had signboards, barely visible in the dense snow carried by the winds. The empty spaces were filled with merchant stands, although snowdrifts claimed most of them, forming an almost uniform snow wall around the place. And in the center stood a tree. It was illuminated by a few yellow lights set somewhere inside the crown. Despite the freezing cold, green leaves decorated its gnarled branches. It was growing out of the center of a wide stump, as if a much more majestic plant stood there at some point, but the shape of the contorted branches suggested that it was actually made that way by design. No matter how Zeph looked at it, it was clearly an altar of some kind, formed from living wood. The fact that it seemed to force the winds to circumvent it and take away all the snow was also a quite good clue. He could even spot naked sand between the overgrown roots of the stump. ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± Zeph asked loudly through their combined Spell as they stopped entirely near the tree. The howling of wind was making it hard to communicate properly. ¡°Yep!¡± Makani nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a Shrine of Custos Naturae Onji. Well, more like his Altar. A huge part of the population in the High Peak of Brenn made him their patron.¡± Zeph looked around. There was no living soul outside. Turning to the caravan¡¯s wagons, he could spot some lights coming from the interior of the carriages. Even if someone was on a watch duty, he wasn¡¯t able to see them. ¡°You think we should continue? It¡¯s getting quite cold,¡± he commented, forcing another Heat cantrip to manifest under his coat ¨C he just had to pull on it to make some space inside. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Makani looked up, concentrating. Zeph waited patiently for him to finish whatever magic he was doing. After a minute or so, Makani finally spoke up. ¡°The winds are getting weaker¡­ I don¡¯t know how long the storm will last. If we continue, we will arrive at the Viviscale Village in a few hours. And there is a quite steep slope we will have to pass soon¡­¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Going by the lights in the caravan¡¯s wagons, I doubt we would be able to find a free room in the village either way.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°Your call. We rested enough the previous night.¡± With that, they spread the sails once again and sped up into the night. ~~~ The village they entered a few hours later looked almost the same as the two they passed along the way. A small plaza with a tree altar, a vast field of nothing in the direction of the forest, and the same lamps hanging near the entrance doors of the houses. It was the Viviscale Village and nothing suggested that it was facing an issue. Zeph tried to use his detection Spells as they slowly pulled over their windboards. The feathers affixed to the lattice-like fabric of the sails were all in disarray. They lost the wind half an hour ago and were now dealing with the damage that their hastened pace caused. Yarik did warn them that the feather-lined sails were more prone to damage in difficult weather, but they didn¡¯t really care nor knew how bad it could become. Either way, they arrived late at night. Their first order of business was to find a place to sleep until the morning. Sadly, this village didn¡¯t have any inns. ¡°Let¡¯s just build an igloo or something,¡± Zeph said with resignation. There were no lights coming from the windows, and there was no caravan. Waking up a family just to get a few hours of sleep could be done, but he would rather not irritate the locals. ¡°What¡¯s that? Normally, people are making burrows in a deep snow if they have to sleep in the wilds,¡± Makani said while dismembering his board. ¡°Well¡­ it should work, I suppose,¡± Zeph started. The weather was calm so they could talk normally. This allowed them to drop all constructs and rest a bit. Constantly using Spells and their Stabilized variants was not only mentally draining, but abusing Willpower also influenced Will thus causing Intuition to influence a Manacaster¡¯s mind in strange ways. It wasn¡¯t a problem for Zeph, but Makani reported that he was close to his limit some time ago. ¡°I meant an enclosed space made from ice bricks, so a burrow should work the same or better?¡± ¡°Not a burrow, but a burrow,¡± Makani corrected, using a more obsolete word instead. ¡°It¡¯s not just about digging down. It¡¯s about melting the snow and allowing the wet walls to freeze back. It¡¯s an old art! We will use that method more on the plateau itself.¡± Zeph tried to massage his beard, only to be stopped by his helmet. That didn¡¯t stop him from scratching the helmet¡¯s chin, though. Especially because it was so intricately carved. ¡°Sounds like an igloo variant, alright. Just a deeper one. The kids at the orphanage were making normal ones, so it¡¯s known, too. But, I suppose, we can go deep instead of building up?¡± he idly mused. ¡°Stop wasting our time and fold that damn thing. Anyway, making a burrow is easier. We just need to use a few dispersed variants of Heat Beam and shape the place correctly, the rest will be done by the temperature,¡± Makani said, heaving up his windboard. ¡°I don¡¯t think this thing will last much longer,¡± he added, looking at the mess of feathers on his shoulder. ¡°Is the location far away?¡± Zeph asked absentmindedly while dealing with his ¡®vehicle¡¯. ¡°No, we are almost there. But it¡¯s still a waste; discarding 70 silvers just like that¡­¡± ¡°Let me deal with the feathers. I may be able to find some uses for the internal Mana patterns in them¡­¡± ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Makani snickered. ¡°If you are able to solve that problem by hand, we can advance as a society. Anyway, we need to go out into the fields. I will tell you where to fire the Spell and for how long.¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°Shure thing, boss.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The construction didn¡¯t take even half an hour, to Zeph¡¯s surprise. ~~~ Gru woke them up with the first light. The few hours of sleep were enough to refresh them, so they quickly gathered their stuff and reentered the village. People were already working around their ice walkers to attend to the pipe system set in the sea, so in a quick order, they found out where the Bai family lived. As they walked closer to the house, it immediately became clear that no one left it today yet, as there were no traces in the snow and a small snowdrift still covered the door. But a thin line of smoke coming from the underground fireplace indicated that the residents were inside. They had to wait for quite a while after knocking on the door, but finally, a scrawny, aging man opened it slightly. Seeing their attire and the piled-up snow, he immediately gestured them to move to the foyer. He waited for a moment for them to shake off the snow. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked in a somewhat tired voice. ¡°A Temple sent us here to investigate a little. We heard your daughter and wife are sick? Someone got interested in the cause.¡± Makani started and the man suddenly became much more nervous. ¡°Makani Borre Tootalo Blackwind, by the way,¡± he added, nodding at the man. ¡°Zeph Einar Kumiaitalo Sepia Familia,¡± Zeph also introduced himself, this time using his association with their Guild to indicate that this business was being done in the name of the organization. ¡°Ah, Carrick Orsenbai a shipwright,¡± the man returned the greeting. ¡°Come inside. Is something¡­ expected from us? Your¡­ contracts¡­¡± ¡°No, no. As I said, someone got interested and that¡¯s it. We are not really contracted or anything. You can treat us like passing Medics or something like that,¡± Makani said lightly and Carrick visibly brightened up after hearing that. ¡°We won¡¯t stay long, too. It may be a free service, but we can¡¯t guarantee anything,¡± Makani explained as Zeph started to take off his winter clothing and helmet. He was becoming slightly jealous of Makani¡¯s enchanted robes. They even came with a hood of sorts¡ªalthough it looked more like a turban when he had it up¡ªso the Manacaster had to worry only about his boots, gloves, and face mask for the windy days. ¡°Good, good¡­ I will prepare something warm,¡± the man suggested. ¡°That would be appreciated.¡± A moment later, they were sitting in the big kitchen, their gear piled by the wall behind them. The interior was quite regular, if a little bit messy. Zeph also noticed that there wasn¡¯t much food lying around. The two sick women probably put quite a burden on the man. Carrick prepared some herbal tea and joined them at the table. ¡°I take, telling the story comes first¡­¡± the man said, sighing depressingly. ¡°Can you start with the symptoms first? I would like some context,¡± Zeph said before sipping the hot liquid from his cup to bring some more warmth to his body. The man shrugged, idly swirling the tisane in his cup. ¡°Mental strain¡­ or something similar. At the beginning, they couldn¡¯t sleep or eat much. With time, it evolved into a constant drowsiness and weakness of the body¡­ It¡¯s getting worse.¡± He shivered, probably at some unpleasant memory. ¡°They have been unconscious for two days now. I can see they are struggling in their sleep, but they just won¡¯t wake up... They are losing to their trial.¡± ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t bring them to the city¡¯s Shrine?¡± Makani asked dryly, squinting at the man. ¡°Because of Custos Naturae¡¯s ways?¡± ¡°Heh, you have us for idiots?¡± Carrick chuckled sadly, even as his shoulders sagged. He wasn¡¯t looking them in the eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not in Custur Onji¡¯s views for the intelligent to leave themselves at the mercy of their environment. No, it was a choice of my beloved and our daughter,¡± he finished with more resolution in his voice. ¡°Ya see, the nature is¡­ uncompromising. When the weak are left behind to wither away, the strong thrive, using them as stepping stones. It¡¯s a constant fight out there. An unending contest for survival that brings strength. We, humans, may be above that struggle a little bit, but¡­¡± He paused, a few contrasting emotions fighting for dominance on his face. Finally, he slowly raised his eyes. The dark gaze emanated a heavy, bitter purposefulness. ¡°The folk living here is weak. Unadapted¡­ to the wider world. Like the algae we eat¡­ But that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t have bigger dreams¡­ So, I can¡¯t¡­ blame anyone for striving for more. And I have promised¡­¡± his voice petered out. He took a moment to take a deep breath and drink from his cup. They waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. It was obvious that things weren¡¯t exactly easy for him. A minute later, he resumed his story, now much calmer. ¡°A month ago, I think, my wife and daughter received a vision when meditating by the altar. It was¡­ quite blurry, from what I heard. But one thing was clear - they were presented with a choice. Rewards¡­ Rewards they always hungered for, and more, in exchange for a life-threatening trial¡­ For providing help in a balancing act of some kind¡­ For something obscure and ethereal. And even if they couldn¡¯t understand what were they to be used for¡­ They¡¯d made their decision even before the vision came. That¡¯s why they were meditating near the Tree every day¡­ We heard the rumors of similar happenings closer to the peak¡­¡± Zeph frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you were avoiding the System¡¯s Shrine, though.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°We were told not to, if possible. Custur¡¯s dealing are His, System¡¯s are Theirs.¡± ¡°What were those rumors?¡± Makani asked curiously, trying to bring the talk back on track. ¡°Of random people receiving trials¡­ Of some dying in strange circumstances. But you must understand something first,¡± he said sternly. ¡°Nature is not built on individuals. It¡¯s a process involving the living, but something more in the grander perspective. A constant change. Adaptation of life in the face of adversity. And death is a part of that process.¡± He looked at them appraisingly, making sure they understood this truth. ¡°That¡¯s why Custur stays neutral most of times. As long as the grander balance isn¡¯t under threat, he won¡¯t reward and won¡¯t help. He definitely won¡¯t strengthen any one creature overmuch. For Him to reach to us directly¡­ It¡¯s extremely rare. For Him to provide such rewards, unheard of. Something important must¡¯ve happened. Besides that, the folks living closer to the mountain are hardy. Much stronger than us¡­ Living in that environment, in the middle of the plentitude of life of this blessed peak¡­ It¡¯s obvious why the rumors came from them. To receive the same opportunity here?¡± He gestured at the modest interior and slowly shook his head. I really hope it¡¯s not just some ploy produced by Onjis¡­ That would be really disappointing. For many reasons, Zeph thought. At least I can better understand what happened. But one thing is a little bit strange here¡­ ¡°Are you suggesting that Custos Onji dumped something that he wasn¡¯t able to deal with on the shoulders of your people? Isn¡¯t that¡­ unreasonable? And I thought he would act more protective of nature? From what you are saying, people are interfering plentiful on this blessed-by-him part of the world¡­¡± ¡°What you expect from me?¡± Carrick shrugged. ¡°That I know what really is happening? As for Custos Onji, He is protective enough, in His own ways. The balance He guards is good to live in. He strengthens wide aspects of every creature, making sure they are ready for worse times. Species that are close to extinction, He protects. Especially those with potential ¨C He likes to find new lands for them. Species that are threatening the natural balance are culled by people. It makes us stronger¡­ Well¡­ most of us,¡± he sighed. ¡°The lands he influences are plentiful. It¡¯s how He is.¡± Plentiful¡­ Ready for any catastrophe, more like. Is it a garden of a mad biologist, or something?... Umm, I better stop with thought. He decided silently, remembering about the rumored Telepathy of the sea denizens. Who said that crazy biologists couldn¡¯t also use it? ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that protective in the case of your family. Aren¡¯t they just slowly dying without any help? He already took interest in them, so why not finish the job,¡± Makani noticed. The man grimaced slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ That simple. I am cer¡ª¡° He paused for a fraction of a second. ¡°I¡¯m almost certain that other Temples would be notified of the problem if the two of them were close to passing, but¡­ That would mean they suffered all this for nothing.¡± He clenched his free hand into a fist. ¡°I don¡¯t think they will be rewarded if they had to be rescued¡­ People are calling it a trial for a reason. Even if the two of them managed to help in Custos¡¯s case somehow, they would just be helped back¡­ And¡­ My wife¡­ She would be devastated if that was to happen¡­¡± There was a heavy atmosphere preventing them from speaking. The situation was, indeed much more complicated than they expected. ¡°She always dreamed of visiting the Shrine on the Peak¡­ of seeing the wider world without fearing for her life¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°It¡¯s not easy when¡­ when you notice, too late, that you missed your life opportunities¡­ If things continue as they were, she will wither with me on this unimportant, forgotten patch of land¡­ Without the ability to push any of us higher¡­ We are too old¡­ Our potential is mostly spent at this point¡­¡± Zeph grimaced. It seemed that they ended up with quite weak Classes after the sub-specializations. This meant an inability to easily level up further. It meant a much shorter lifespan and an inability to help their daughter to find a better path. He could relate, somewhat. ¡°The fact that you are here,¡± the man continued in a subdued voice, ¡°is truly a blessing. If you weren¡¯t sent here per Custur¡¯s word, that means there is still hope¡­ And if you can do anything to help¡­¡± Makani was looking at the man with compassion, stealthily wiping away a stray tear. Zeph, though, had enough of this sob story. He gulped down the rest of his tisane and tapped the empty cup on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time, then. Can you show them to us?¡± Carrick nodded and stood up without a word. They followed him to the room at the back of the house. The two women were lying on a big double bed. The room, in contrast to the rest of the house, was clean and tidy. The two weren¡¯t looking sick per se but were definitely malnourished. Their faces were peaceful right now, but Zeph was sure the man already cleaned their sweat if they had any nightmares last night. Even their long, black hair was meticulously combed. The wife still looked youthful despite her state and age, while the daughter seemed to be in her late teens. Let¡¯s see¡­ From what he told us and from how they look, it definitely looks like a Soul issue¡­ Or maybe not. The System should be able to notice something like that. Hmmm¡­ maybe a Will problem? A shame I won¡¯t be able to check that one, not to mention helping¡­ Gre! sent Gru immediately, interrupting his thoughts. Are you reading my mind, fella? Yes, it could work, but that influence isn¡¯t something I can provide consciously, he sent back. And it worked best on kids after spending long hours with them. We don¡¯t have time for me to sit here for days just to check if it would do anything for these two. Anyway, are you ready for some Soul-scanning? Gra! ¡°Now. First, tell me how you were feeding them¡­¡± he started, coming closer to the bed to check the women¡¯s vital signs. Chapter 99 - A small dilemma and a big problem. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.06] As he listened to the man, Zeph did a simple medical check on the women¡¯s bodies. He observed their breathing pattern, checked their pulse, tried to measure their temperature against his own, opened their eyes to see the eye movements, and constructed a tuned-down Flashlight Spell to test their pupils¡¯ reaction. Everything was in norm. Finally, he checked their brainstem reflexes. Firstly, he brushed their eyelashes with a finger to trigger a reaction, but none was given. Then, he kept their eyes open and moved their heads from side to side to check the oculocephalic reflex ¨C or doll¡¯s eye reflex. As expected, their eyes stayed unmoving relative to the head. In unconscious patients, that meant bad news. They were either in a coma or had damaged brains. He should have checked other reflexes, like the cough reflex, but decided against it. Not only were they ineffective in certain cases, but he also didn¡¯t have safe equipment. Instead, he tried noxious stimulation by squeezing their fingers, but they didn¡¯t even grimace. He had to take into account the Flexibility PE and other machinations working behind the scenes in this world, though, so he took the results with a grain of sand, so to speak. Next, he focused on their muscle and flex reflexes. He knocked lightly on their wrists and knees. Then, he scratched just above their heels. All responses were positive and regular, so he could at least confirm that their bodies and circulatory nervous systems weren¡¯t disabled. He knew too little about the Corora denizens¡¯ anatomy to really assess the damage, though. It was a reoccurring problem. He was no Doctor nor Medic of this world, and his knowledge and experiences were mostly wasted here. Not only was he dealing with ¡®slightly¡¯ different anatomy, but Mana and System were positively screwing with the physicality. Either way, from what he saw, those two were in a coma and wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up for quite some time. He himself had fallen unconscious on many occasions, so he knew that a full-fledged coma was different from an enforced unconscious state. First of all, their bodies were inactive, which included the brain to some degree. Without brain activity, they couldn¡¯t restore their Will resources or align their Will to the current state of their bodies. Well, as long as they weren¡¯t some kind of spiritual geniuses. Only Gru was able to keep a semblance of consciousness while his body was inert, but that method wasn¡¯t available for most organisms. Either way, Will was responsible for enforcing data exchange between the body and Soul. Theoretically, that was a function of the Mana, but it was more complicated if one part of a being was disrupted. If their Souls were being damaged, the two were in a death spiral because their Will wasn¡¯t synchronizing their Souls with the state of their bodies. In other words, they were in a state that deprived them of a chance to consciously fight against the damage that being was done to their Souls. Assuming the damage was being made at all. Zeph puffed out another dose of his Willforce pseudo-Magicules through the faulty skin enchantment ¨C just to be safe in case of some curious eyes. It would be extremely unlucky to meet a person who could actually see that, but he was becoming paranoid after his last encounter with the hidden, external mind manipulator in the last village. It was also a good practice, as he would rather be seen as an exotic case than a must-have person in case some higher-strata people were in the vicinity to see what they were doing. As for the skin enchantment itself, it was the one that Gru applied during the night in the laboratory building. Zeph decided to keep it for the future because, from what he heard from Kwan, no one was able to see past the trick. And, because they had a good alibi, Gru could touch the Souls of others with impunity. Well, the ¡®Will clash¡¯ was always a risk, so Gru did it moderately. It was impossible for them to assess the state of another Soul without that, though. Truth be told, Zeph should allow Gru to make a few more skin enchantments for him. His Enhanced Module possessed a whole library of them in the first Tier and he managed to glance at them in his free time in the carriage. But most of them were unusable because of his armor, not to mention he could either construct those as Spells fast enough by hand or already had a higher-tiered version enchanted in his gear. Some were interesting, like the enhanced force dispersing, but in the end, they were unusable before he tested them while fully geared up. ¡°You should stop trying to feed them with solid foods,¡± he said, looking at Carrick. The man explained his unsuccessful attempts at feeding the women. He selected solid food especially because he was worried that he would choke them with liquids, which also meant the two were in the first stages of dehydration. It was understandable, though, as their swallowing reflexes weren¡¯t working as they should. Their brainstem was out of commission, after all. ¡°You need to stick a tube down their throat and pour a liquified meal. I will give you a few simple recipes that should keep them well-fed. I will also show you how it¡¯s done, but first, we need to find an appropriate material for the task.¡± Carrick looked skeptical but didn¡¯t comment. Instead, he decided to ask a more important question. ¡°I will follow your lead, but the cause of all of this¡­¡± ¡°I need to meditate on it. Give me half an hour,¡± Zeph answered instantly, already receiving the first reports from Gru. Very worrying reports. ¡°I will take a chair from the kitchen. Makani, can you force some oxygen into their lungs? It should help a little with the current situation¡­¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°I can try, but from the tests we did with P¡¯pfel, around 2 to 5 percent increase in the concentration is all I can get.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°That would be plenty enough. Now, let¡¯s see what we can do besides that¡­¡± They quickly organized the space. Zeph sat at the chair near the bottom of the bed, keeping his hands on the shins of the women to allow himself and Gru a better view of their Souls. He even displaced his Veil for Gru ¨C to touch them directly with his own Veil coming from Zeph¡¯s chest area. Makani took a seat near the top of the bed to form a bubble of oxygen-rich air. Zeph had to help him a little by using his advanced Mana manipulation to remove the women¡¯s Veils out of the way, but there was almost no push-back from them either way. He instructed Gru to proceed very carefully. With the amount of Will available for the two patients, it would probably take one Will clash to erase and overwrite the residue of Will they possessed right now. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his Will-Powered Soul perception. He was using it for the first time in a long time and, sure enough, the image of the alien space that his brain plotted was as fuzzy and morphing as always. He, at least, had a clear view of his own Soul. The patients were¡­ kind of visible. It was hard to put into words, though. Souls weren¡¯t exactly 3D objects. More like a constantly-morphing fractals in multi-dimensional space ¨C the best he could do for most of the time was to identify their position in the physical world. Because of that, it was very difficult to say with what resolution he was working with, or what exactly he was screening at the moment. His own Soul was much easier to perceive, mostly because he could easily map it with his Will and Mana, but besides the incident in the Talpa¡¯s caves, it was the first time he tried to actively look at a Soul of another organism. And he had a good argument to not train that technique. ¡®Dr. Gru, how are our patients? I am not sure what I am looking at¡­¡¯ he sent while humming a random song he knew. It was time for more advanced communication to take place. An unnoticeable vibration joined him a moment later. Resonate? Zeph nodded involuntarily and allowed Gru¡¯s Will to resonate with his own. He immediately lost the visual component of the Soulscape, but started to feel the touch and smell of the alien space. At least, those were the closest senses he could attribute the new sensations coming from Gru¡¯s inspection. They have gone a long way in exchanging Soul memories. What they were doing right now was boarding the Tabu set by the System, but they weren¡¯t exchanging PE or anything like that, so they should be safe. It was much closer to exchanging senses with a bonded partner, actually. Although their technique was still quite basic, it was technically more advanced at the same time. A problem to solve in the future. ¡®Hmmm¡­¡¯ Gru vibrated, repeatedly touching the Souls for a fraction of a second with one of the hundreds of his tendrils¡­ ¡®Excavated¡­¡¯ ¡®Can you explain more, dr. Gru? I can¡¯t see anything, really,¡¯ Zeph sent. The mix of sensations he was receiving almost made him vomit. He wasn¡¯t prepared for the full-fledged sensations of hundreds of ¡®arms¡¯ touching something at different times. ¡®Right! Sending~¡¯ The Soul memory he received portrayed a pair of humanoid-shaped Souls. But both were riddled with holes, as if worms ate through them. The image was three-dimensional, but the information was multi-directional, so Zeph could easily see how the hollowed-out cavities coiled inside of the mental constructs, forming a net of connections inside. It was quite sickening. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have a Trypophobia, but it was a close call nonetheless. ¡®Ugh¡­ The holes aside, isn¡¯t that part breaking off?¡¯ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡®Gra! Wound forming¡­ But the image not real.¡¯ ¡®Wha¡ªwait! It is your interpretation only?¡¯ ¡®Gra!¡¯ ¡®How does it look in reality?¡¯ he asked with morbid fascination. ¡®¡­Zeph sure?¡¯ ¡®Yes, send me one.¡¯ What he received gave him a headache. It was a 3D space, all right, but the distances and depth were fucked up¡­ heck, the time was screwed over, operating more in response to the connection to the body than anything else. Everything was involuntarily swimming in an unending cycle of fractal progression. The wormed-out holes weren¡¯t visible in this construct at all. Instead, he could see that parts of the Souls were absent, all at different levels of the fractal, at different times, and in shapes that couldn¡¯t be real. One thing he could tell for sure was, it looked very similar to his own broken Soul. But again, any Soul wound would look similar to him when presented like that. ¡®Gah¡­ Ok, good choice at the first impression¡­¡¯ ¡®Gra!¡¯ he vibrated proudly. ¡®Will weak¡­ But rising. Soul fragile¡­¡¯ ¡®Can you stitch them somehow? That cracks looked bad¡­¡¯ ¡®No touch! Hmmmm¡­ the parts¡­¡¯ Another wave of overwhelming sensations took over Zeph, so he concentrated more on enduring than anything else. Their Resonation was depleting his Will, but he could live with it if they could help those people. Suddenly, the sensations stopped. ¡®Legs and hands. Cut off.¡¯ ¡®Like hell we would! They don¡¯t have my enhancements or your body! They would stay like that for the rest of their lives.¡¯ ¡®Gre! No helping.¡¯ ¡®What should be in the cracks? I won¡¯t believe those parts only had information on the body!¡¯ ¡®In cracks¡­ Something brain? Something ELemeNtaL?¡¯ ¡®Elemental part be screwed. Neural system? Their neural system is unlinked?¡¯ he asked, sending his best impression of human anatomy he could give. Of course, it was off by a mile because he still didn¡¯t manage to fully study the anatomy of Corora¡¯s people, but it was hard to miss the neural system. ¡®Give a moment, I check¡­¡¯ It took a few minutes and Zeph could feel that Gru even used some Spells on the bodies. They were primitive, as constructing Matrix Spells from the Veil only wasn¡¯t easy at all, but it was enough to give Gru some directions. ¡®Lambs hurt in wrong places. Links exist, but not working.¡¯ You take your Profession too seriously, Mr. Shepherd, Zeph thought before sending a different message. ¡®So, the holes you showed me are responsible?¡¯ ¡®Gra! No back-signal, no recovery, no information.¡¯ ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Zeph started, thinking hard on the real shape of their Souls. ¡®Can they just¡­ shuffle through the fractal structure until their nervous system is linked back? The links exist, you said, so there has to be a working canal.¡¯ ¡®Shape-change not helping. Same everywhere. Can¡¯t see where plugged.¡¯ ¡®Ok, so let¡¯s go from the opposite direction. If the nerves start to fire, would they reconnect?¡¯ ¡®Gra!¡¯ he agreed. ¡®New information. But no thinking¡­¡¯ ¡®Yes, they are in a coma, but you don¡¯t need them conscious to move their arms. I think I know what to do. Let¡¯s stop with the resonation before it escalates.¡¯ ¡®Gra!¡¯ Ever so slowly, they untangled their thought processes. A sad side effect of going into resonation of Wills was a temporal alignment of their thoughts, which they experienced a few times before. This time, they worked consciously to limit the effect but it still took time to truly snuff out all connection points that could potentially cause a full resonation. Of course, Zeph planned to use that as much as he could in the future, but he knew enough to know that an unwanted resonation would just screw up his psyche. Right now, they were in the process of learning how to control and use this phenomenon, it would take some time, still. Either way, it didn¡¯t have much effect on him besides increasing his Will contamination. He could live with his current, and surely wasn¡¯t going to take Gru¡¯s values as his own by mistake. Zeph opened his eyes slowly, making sure that his body, Will, and Soul were in a balanced state. ¡°Did you learn something?¡± Makani asked almost immediately, waking up Carrick who was dozing off while leaning against a wall. ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°How long I was out?¡± ¡°Around a cycle.¡± Zeph grimaced. Almost three hours? It didn¡¯t look that bad when I was meditating¡­ It definitely took more time than he expected. He wasn¡¯t even sure which part of their examination was responsible for the wasted time. ¡°¡­At least I have some conclusive information. Anyway, give me a second and I will explain everything,¡± he said, concentrating on his notifications.
Congratulations! [Soul] is now [T1][L71]. (+5) [Will-Powered Soul perception] is now [T2][L70]. (+5) [Will-Powered Soul Memory access sharing] is now [T3][L18]. (+5) [Resonation Suppression] is now [T2][L7]. (+2) [Universal Cir language] is now [T1][L92]. (+1) New sub-data derived from the learning process. [10 000] [Universal Points] awarded!
Thanks, Gru. Gra! he vibrated happily. We will continue with the training later on. Grau? Yes, I need to focus on another thing before the Tournament¡­ Sorry for that. Gre! Heh, thanks. He dismissed the notification and looked at Carrick. ¡°We have a problem¡­ I hope you can stomach the medical procedures I am going to show you. Because if you are not, those two women are going to lose a large part of their Souls.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Makani asked in disbelief. ¡°Aren¡¯t they just sick?¡± He waved his hand in their general direction. ¡°What I have to do?¡± Carrick asked, frowning deeply. It looked like he aged a few years from the last time Zeph saw him. ¡°We need to stimulate their nervous systems, possibly even the brain. The easiest way to accomplish that is by stimulating them with electrical shocks¡­¡± Makani blinked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad?¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°It needs to be constant and regular. I am expecting at least a few tendons, or even muscles, to break during the process. Not to mention soreness and other symptoms of overusing this method. You also need a source of electric impulses. Do you have one in this village? An enchantment producing charge?¡± ¡°T-the head of the village¡­ he should have one¡­¡± Carrick said reluctantly. ¡°We use it during summer fish hunting¡­ Are you sure it would help?¡± Zeph could only wave his hand ambivalently. ¡°They need the stimuli because their brains aren¡¯t working like they should. Speaking more precisely, their nervous systems aren¡¯t fully linked with their Souls. Because of that, without that stimulus, it¡¯s almost certain they will lose huge parts of their Souls. It may not be healthy for their bodies, but I believe it¡¯s more important to preserve their incorporeal part in this situation. If they manage to wake up, though, you should stop the procedure immediately.¡± He omitted the information about Will because there was no way for anyone on this planet to truly check the status of this incorporeal resource. Not even Gods could touch it, after all. The man nodded, now more convinced. ¡°I will do what you suggested. But¡­¡± He looked down at his feet, his voice losing strength. ¡°Can they¡­ survive?¡± ¡°If you feed them properly and do the stimulation, I can¡¯t see why they wouldn¡¯t,¡± Zeph said, looking at the two women. ¡°Which worries me, because that trial you spoke of looks more like a test of perception on your part, and a test of endurance on theirs. Are you sure there is nothing more to it? Because¡ª¡± ¡°There should be none,¡± the man interrupted him, conviction easily heard in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s very much in Custur¡¯s style. The trial is one of the body, intelligence, and luck.¡± He looked up at them, then bent down in a deep bow. ¡°To have an elevated Manacaster and a Soul specialist looking after my beloved¡­ it¡¯s a luck I¡¯ve never anticipated.¡± Zeph grimaced. For the life of his, he couldn¡¯t understand this Custos Naturae¡¯s ways or the mentality of the people who followed him. ¡°Stop bowing and start learning,¡± Makani grumbled, similarly dissatisfied with the man. The dusk was coming quickly, but Zeph managed to teach him how to handle a patient in a coma. The way of feeding was crude, mostly because they lacked the equipment, but after maneuvering the women to sit straight and putting a stiff, wooden pipe down the throat, it was just a question of using a funnel and preparing a liquified meal beforehand. To that point, Zeph left the man with a few recipes that were not only easy to digest but contained enough calories and nutrients for the body. He was no specialist, but it should help their bodies to recover. When they left the house, it was night already. They were still a few hours away from the end of the day, though. ¡°I don¡¯t know from where you are drawing so much patience, but it was impressive. So, what now?¡± Makani asked, stretching his arms. ¡°Religious fanatic or not, they deserve a helping hand,¡± Zeph replied lazily, looking around. ¡°I have a feeling we will see many more in the future, so you better get used to them.¡± ¡°Like I could,¡± Makani sighed. ¡°You just overwhelmed him with information. It would definitely take me a while to convince him,¡± He said while squatting. ¡°I am not good with unreasonable people.¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°I have some experience working with troublesome individuals. Also, that was just a basic method used by teachers and medics,¡± he used a Rui word to indicate that he was speaking about the Earth¡¯s equivalent. ¡°No one argues with their Doctor, after all. At least as long as they believe the Doctor is theirs. Anyway, let¡¯s go to the hunting grounds. You said it wasn¡¯t that far.¡± ¡°Relatively speaking. Without our boards, it will take a few hours.¡± Makani glanced at him. ¡°I am not going to strip those sails from their feathers¡­ but the locals may. Especially the young ones.¡± He smiled mischievously. Exchanging a few coppers for a full stack of feathers should be worth it. ¡°We will walk there on foot~¡± ========Theron Nalani PoV======== Dritt, this is beyond me, he cursed, looking at the perfectly flat snow. The storm erased any and all traces, to his dismay. He successfully managed to become a part of the caravan guard, he even found out that Einar was a part of it. Then, suddenly, all traces of the man disappeared. Not only the physical ones. It was the third village they visited, and still, there was no trace nor rumor. If not for a random kid¡¯s testimony of people surfing through the snow during the night, he would¡¯ve abandoned this caravan a day ago. Anyway, he now knew that Makani and Einar were moving ahead of their schedule. It wasn¡¯t even that surprising, taking into account Makani¡¯s genius mind. Moving through the snow-covered lands using the winds, especially during the last storm, would only be possible with that man¡¯s abilities. He wasn¡¯t going to underrate Einar, but the man was evidently going for Soul Arts and physical enhancements lately. Even despite his talents in Mana manipulation. He had learned a lot about the man and felt more comfortable knowing that his overall level was below 50. He can¡¯t be good at everything. Probably just building a base for his future development. The attacks he received during his last assassination attempt were still fresh in his mind, though. No matter what you do, I will find you! he reiterated in his mind. This time, I won¡¯t hold back! He started trotting in the windy night, in a hope to decrease the distance to his prey. ============================= Chapter 100 - Hunting in the darkness. Both of them is. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.06] ========Lesser Landlord Lucas Esmonde Lurona-Kazotaro Della PoV======== His hands involuntarily balled into fists, tearing apart the report he was reading. ¡°Useless!¡± he hissed through clenched teeth. It took him a few deep breaths to calm his raging emotions. Tired of dealing with the paperwork and this nonsense, he stood up and walked to one of the windows to refresh his mind. As mesmerizing as the city was from up here, he couldn¡¯t ignore how lifeless and empty it appeared. Even after almost a week of constant efforts of the Council, the Landlords, and even the Temples, the streets still weren¡¯t safe enough for commerce and traffic to return to normal. A shadow covered his eyes as he tilted his head downward. His mind returned to the darker thoughts after seeing the sorry state of his lands. Of his city. He was in a dire situation. His betters promised him ascension to the full Landlord title if he did well in subverting Sepia Familia Guild¡¯s preparations for the Duels. The deal was balanced, though, as he would also officially receive the less-sought-over lands on the outskirts of the previously abandoned district to care for. It would be a money sink and nothing more, but for the legal purposes, he would need more land anyway. He thought nothing of it at first ¨C a small organization like that Guild, new to the city and its politics, shouldn¡¯t be able to resist his wealth and means. Only, it turned out much more challenging. He had quickly learned that the Guild managed to recruit a few talented or known figures from around the city. And one of their Heads stemmed from the notorious group from Leilucia Temple. It was then that he understood why other Landlords wanted him to be an intermediary in this conflict. Why they wanted him to take a more¡­ direct approach. It was still a very much doable venture and, in his eyes, worth the risks. He sighed heavily and turned around. The pile of documents on his desk was casting a long shadow over the floor. He felt like it was here to swallow him whole. ¡°Such waste¡­¡± he murmured, shaking his head regretfully. He had spent much of his wealth on this operation. Many of his specially-trained warriors had perished. His spy network was firstly damaged, then incapacitated. And now, he was struggling to put his business back on its feet after that fateful night. And it wasn¡¯t even the end of his worries. Thanks to his efforts, he was paired with Kwan Gewong herself for the Duel. All of that, and more, for what? he asked himself, chuckling darkly. For a failure¡­ Being used like a street rake by those bastards¡­ Our lineage¡¯s name, tarnished¡­ He stopped himself and took another deep breath. The most infuriating thing, though, was that Sepia Familia thrived. Even after all they tried and did to the Guild, they were coming victorious. Spying? After the purge done in the night of the attack, the whole compound was put into a lockdown. Even if they wanted to plant new spies, it was simply not doable anymore. Not in the timeframe of ten days. Maybe backstabbing Theron Nalani wasn¡¯t a good move, after all, he admitted to himself while moving unhurriedly to the desk. No, there is no sense in digging in the old wounds. The man disappeared, like the rest of them. He couldn¡¯t even tell what the Heads of that Guild were up to. All of them were either missing or unreachable. Aisha Zora disappeared somewhere right after the new New Year celebrations. Makani Borre and Zeph Einar hunkered down in the Blackwind Tower. Ghrughah-jiji and the Gremling bunkered down in the tunnels of the Guild¡¯s headquarters while Kwan Gewong administered a full lockdown on all their major buildings. Within the first day of the new year, he was stripped of any and all insight into their internal operations. But that was only the beginning of his woes. He wasn¡¯t the only one who was left without insiders in that Guild. Because of that, all of the biggest players decided to focus on dealing with the turbulences in their territories and on preparations required for the Tournament. An armistice of a kind. Instead of wasting their time, they threw this job on him. Then, Gewong managed to cleanse, secure, and revitalize her small district in a record time. Merchants and even some Lesser Landlords flooded them with business deals in hopes of getting ahead of their competition, especially after what the Guild showed during the New Year festivities. Working with a fully operational and, truthfully, rapidly developing partner that was open for partnership while bringing new ventures was an exceptional occasion for most of them. The waves shifted. While Sepia Familia¡¯s political and economic position in the city were consolidating, he was left with the mess made by his incompetent subordinates, the echoes of the last attack, and irrational demands made by his own superiors. ¡°I should start preparing for the worst-case scenario¡­¡± he mumbled, putting his chin in his hand while plotting a new path for the future. I need to prepare new instructions for my family¡­ ============================================================ They left their damaged sailboards to a few kids interested in the coppers and started walking further into the plateau. It was already dark, but the hour was still young. The plan for today was to reach their destination and build a shelter, then spend the next two days hunting. They would return to Lurona on the day of the Tournament, but the first day was reserved for inauguration, organization, and announcements either way, so they just had to be there before dusk. Also, the caravans were moving much faster when returning because they were only re-selling local products from the western part of the lands, if any locals needed them. No delays were expected and they already received information about when to expect a fitting ride. They were trudging through the snow-covered, flat fields in the direction of a distant coniferous forest as a bright light of the moon illuminated the way ahead. The terrain looked a little like a desert, with snowdrifts accumulating in seemingly random places. They made sure to avoid them, though, as some could be hiding shrubbery underneath. Local wildlife liked to spend the winters in such places. ¡°So¡­ If I understood Carrick correctly, we can only hunt a few chosen species?¡± Zeph asked, more to kill time than to actually get information. ¡°Eh, we don¡¯t really have to worry about that. There are only three dominant species living in the woods that are active in winter and those are always free to cull. As for the stealthier ones, or the ones using Mana attacks ¨C we just need to make sure to not kill too many. They are best for training Skills and Spells, though. Also, don¡¯t forget to not mangle them too much ¨C their bodies are worth quite a bit. P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah would be happy to have them,¡± he explained, getting a little breathless at the end there. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good for them. What are the three common species?¡± ¡°A few subspecies of Lepus. Felidae with different, or even unique, bodily advancements. And flocks of predatory birds, but there is one species that is predominantly showing up during winter ¨C the Lignum Strigiformes. All of them are some of the best-adapted animals in the region, so they reproduce rapidly.¡± So, some kind of hare, big cats, and owls? Doesn¡¯t sound that hard. ¡°Any hive animals in the vicinity? And what levels are we talking about?¡± Makani shook his head. ¡°No animal hives would survive here. There are some insects, but they should be inert in winter. They aren¡¯t to be killed, either way. Well, excluding the ones relocating down from the mountain itself, but it¡¯s a rare sight. The swarm would have to develop individuals resistant to lower Mana density. Those could cause quite a bit of damage to the environment if left alone, but if we spot something like that this close to the plateau plains, it would be a bit too late. Which isn¡¯t our problem, either way, so we should just run for it. Anyway, the levels at the outskirts of the forest should oscillate between 40 and 70. The gradient isn¡¯t that visible because the terrain is almost flat, and Mana density is stable.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I get that on the mountain things are a little wilder?¡± Makani snickered. ¡°That¡¯s a big understatement. I¡¯ve heard that Custos¡¯s Shrine is located on the peak. That Onji has his own methods of rewarding the strongest specimens. It¡¯s quite unclear what are his goals, though.¡± Zeph shrugged. He wasn¡¯t interested in that freak of a god. He was rather pleasantly surprised that System, Library lady, and Lailucia were so human by comparison. ¡°By the way, I did some calculations earlier. If I double my Class level, it will majorly influence my contaminations¡­¡± Makani froze for a second before looking away and continuing his walk as if nothing had happened. Zeph¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Hey, Makani?¡± ¡°Yes? Any more questions?¡± the man asked, now at least looking forward but not gracing him even with a glance. ¡°You forgot about my Soul contamination balance, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± he answered with a stone face, playing innocent. ¡°You should have your exchange set up already. How much will that influence your leveling speed, anyway?¡± he tried to change the topic. Zeph snorted, shaking his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that you should have checked that with me. For someone with your experience, you sure are forgetful. I wonder how Aisha will react when she hears about it¡­¡± Makani grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s not every day when someone needs a quick leveling! Please, spare me the humiliation. I will even pay for your next visit in the Tower,¡± he suggested defensively. ¡°Now we are talking,¡± Zeph smiled. ¡°I wanted to visit its laboratories for some time now.¡± Makani could only nod in resignation. ¡°Anyway, the Instable Iron Alloy contamination will recover by itself, but my internal Mana manipulation will suffer a little because of that, I think. My exotic one isn¡¯t really influenced by the leveling process for some reason. But my Space contamination has to be supported. Same with Gru¡¯s. It eats around one-third of my Soul fragments¡­ I think.¡± Summing all of the handicaps, Zeph was leveling around ten times slower than he should, but Gru¡¯s method of harvesting Soul fragments was balancing that out, allowing him to level up around five times faster than other people. ¡°Eh, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem, then,¡± Makani nodded to himself, somewhat relieved. He knew how fast Zeph could level up from their old discussions, so he could make the rest of the math himself. ¡°Did you consider dropping Gru¡¯s share?¡± ¡°I did, but¡­ How much did you plan to get from this excursion?¡± ¡°At least half a standard level in two and a half days,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Would be more, if someone wasn¡¯t that inept at internal Mana manipulation,¡± he said, giving him a dirty look. ¡°But it should be enough for you.¡± Zeph whistled. That would give me like¡­ three levels in my Class and three in my Profession. ¡°I thought it¡¯s harder to level up for you guys,¡± he said, a little confused. Makani frowned irritably. ¡°Says a guy who never had to work for his Universal Points. You will see what a pain it is when you try to raise your contaminations by exchanging Soul fragments. I would like to see how you will sing then.¡± Zeph laughed awkwardly. ¡°Sorry but not sorry. Anyway, those are good hunting grounds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the city is making sure there is a queue. There are limits as to how many people can be here at one time¡­ Now be quiet. We are getting closer to the forest. We are going to use a more efficient method for hunting, but it can become dangerous if we don¡¯t secure the perimeter first.¡± ¡°So, detection Spells¡¯ training?¡± Zeph asked, excited a little. Makani nodded. ¡°Yes. Try two things ¨C covering as much area as you can and constructing your Spells as fast as possible. I will be doing a double-check after you. Also, tell me if you find any kind of tracks¡­¡± It took them another hour to reach the forest. It was much different from what Zeph imagined. From a distance, it looked like any typical coniferous forest, but as they were getting closer, he could spot weak lights looming in its dark depths. The trees were massive, leaving a lot of space under their high and thick canopy. A little further inside the snow was almost absent, stopped by the branches above. Snowy embarkments formed under the borders between the lowest branches of neighboring trees, as if marking the terrain belonging to each one. The forest floor was paddled with moss and dead needles with barely any shrubbery. Gnarled roots made the terrain uneven and foreboding. Big fungi were growing from the ground and bark of the trees, forming strange shapes. He still didn¡¯t find the source of the ethereal lights that he saw earlier, but the air was filled with spores and some kind of dust, so he assumed those could have been small pockets of combusting particles, as strange as that sounded. As the moonlight from behind started to diminish, Zeph constructed a weak Light Spell so they could see where they were going. The long shadows cast by the roots and fungi danced as they moved, forming disturbing shapes all around. If there wasn¡¯t so much space between the trees, he would definitely be intimidated by this dark, silent forest. ¡°Um, something¡¯s ahead, in the branches¡­¡± he said quietly, as he received feedback from his Lesser Life detection Spell. ¡°Good,¡± Makani nodded. ¡°Change the color of the light to deep blue. We are attracting too much attention. Let¡¯s move a little further and then scan the vicinity in a spiral.¡± ¡°Yes, boss¡­ What with our shelter?¡± ¡°We need to assess the state of the fauna first. If there are too many predators, we will have to build something sturdier than a burrow.¡± And thus, Zeph¡¯s training in the creepy woods had started.
Interface (images): Interface (tables, automatic formatting):
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 196
Flexibility 29 Memory 67
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 68
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 194 33 161
Mana Capacity: 807 795 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 127 98 29
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 6 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 34 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] is shrinking! 5.05%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Universal Points available: 1.250.272 Total: 21.612.939
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 1 1 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 60 0.52 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 50 1.75 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 51 1.24 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 85 3.20 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 37 1.23 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 53 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 12 1.13 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 1 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 37 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 2 0.5 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 82 15 [11] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 1 5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 51 44 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 52 0.75 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 61 0.27 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 68 0.32 s 10 M - 2
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 13 Knowledge [523] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 92 Knowledge [93] Mana /s
Corora lifeforms 1 36 Knowledge [37] Mana /s
Corora herbarium 1 13 Knowledge [14] Mana /s
Survival 1 100 Knowledge [101] Mana /s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana /s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana /s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 31 Crafting [316.6] Mana /s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 34 Science arts [35] Mana /s
Explosives 1 98 Crafting [99] Mana /s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana /s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana /s
Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1) 2 50 Martial arts [480] Mana /s
Close combat (Mima) 1 52 Martial arts [53] Mana /s
[Enchanted] [Module] 3 1 Technique [271] Mana /s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
Resonation Suppression 2 7 Technique [110.2] Mana /s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 13 Martial arts [161.8] Mana /s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 75 Knowledge [695] Mana /s
Will manipulation 2 87 Knowledge [798.2] Mana /s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 80 Knowledge [738] Mana /s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana /s
W.P. Soul perception 2 70 Knowledge [652] Mana /s
W.P. Soul whack 2 48 Technique [462.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 18 Technique [628] Mana /s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 71 Knowledge [72] Mana /s
Ambient Mana 1 80 Knowledge [81] Mana /s
A. Mana channeling 2 1 Knowledge [58.6] Mana /s
Mana manipulation 1 48 Knowledge [49] Mana /s
Mana perception 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana /s
Mana rapture 1 16 Technique [17] Mana /s
Mana masking 2 3 Technique [75.8] Mana /s
Life Energy 1 39 Knowledge [40] Mana /s
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Functional duality, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Prototype; Unique; by ] [Soul-linked] An armor based on a high-tech blueprint from Earth, fashioned from Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 (Ghrughah creation). Contains Phley (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Genetically enhanced, Self-maintenance, Functional duality, Symbiotic.
Chapter 101 - Hunter x Hunter, part 1. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.08] A sudden rotation of his head startled Zeph, waking him up before he could understand what was happening. In a trained response he rolled his body to the side while trying to cover his head¡­ and as a result, almost falling from the thick tree branch he was resting on. But the attacks didn¡¯t subside even after he dug his fingers into the bark desperately. The spear, tied tightly to his belt, was pulling him down as it dangled in the air. ¡°Finally! You lazy Mazga!¡± Makani exclaimed with irritation, continuously kicking him in the helmet. Even if there wasn¡¯t much force behind his kicks, it was still a bit infuriating. ¡°The rest time is over!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Zeph cursed in English, scrambling over the rough bark. ¡°You almost made me fall!¡± ¡°Humph,¡± Makani crossed his arms, looking down at him. ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that? I can wake up whenever,¡± he tried mimicking Zeph¡¯s voice, turning his head from side to side. ¡°You are late for at least half an hour!¡± Finally reaching a more level part of the branch, Zeph looked at his companion, ready to deliver the worst berating he had ever done to a man he considered a friend, only to stop halfway when he saw the dark lines under his eyes. Closing his mouth slowly, he did a quick mental check on his body. And on Gru. ¡°Your enchantments are deteriorating, and the predators started to hunt!¡± Makani continued his tirade as Zeph finally realized what was happening. ¡°We have only a few hours le¡ª" ¡°Sorry¡­ Gru is out,¡± Zeph interjected, making him pause mid-word. ¡°The last day was a little too much for him, it seems. Well, for me too.¡± Makani continued with the glare but shifted into a more relaxed posture. ¡°If he is the only thing that can make you wake up, you are in deep trouble,¡± he said seriously. ¡°I was calling to you for almost five minutes.¡± ¡°My resources aren¡¯t full,¡± he tried to placate the angry Mana-Specialist. Yes, Makani informed him a day ago that the overbearing reaction from the members of the Blackwind Tower was partially caused by his ascension from the Practitioner level in the Tower¡¯s hierarchy. At the time, he just had to attend one last formal audition directed by the faculty before attaining the official title of Specialist. The youngest Specialist in about nine decades, at that. All thanks to Zeph¡¯s past guidance on how to modify Spell structures, but the man himself seemed to forget about that small detail. ¡°I don¡¯t have any real means to be forcefully awakened if we aren¡¯t in an enclosed space! I even got used to pings from my Self-Sustaining Life ward. For Onjis¡¯ sake, you already knew about that!¡± Zeph added grumpily, deliberately butchering the saying. ¡°Twisting my arm should be enough to wake me up.¡± Makani sighed and started massaging his tired face. ¡°Weren¡¯t you trained? I thought you weren¡¯t worse than Aisha in that regard¡­¡± ¡°My enhancements rendered this part of my training useless, though.¡± Mind stabilization is getting out of hand sometimes¡­ he added mentally. ¡°Tch. You will have to do some training with Aisha before we venture outside next time.¡± Zeph stood up and looked around. It was as dark and silent as always in the deep woods, but a thin fog was decreasing the visibility even more. It was a result of Makani¡¯s Spells and the Fog enchantments he had forced into the bark of nearby branches beforehand. He suspected they were also in an Air Bubble of some kind. Zeph was first to keep watch because he wasn¡¯t as exhausted as Makani yesterday, but the few hours of constant Spell surveillance and Mana Masking successfully finished the job. Besides the Fog enchantments, the bark of the three was also decorated with a few ¡®Primitive Life Detection¡¯ enchantments for additional security; his Primitive Enchanting paying dividends once more. Those enchantments could work only because of the gradient of Mana density in the air ¨C the result of their combined Mana generation escaping into the ether. But both constructs were barely operational if left alone. The Fog cantrip normally required much more Mana ¡®pressure¡¯ to work efficiently, and the traces nestled in the bark provided additional resistance to Mana. Life Detection was almost useless without Zeph¡¯s input ¨C as its functionality was heavily dependent on the presence of Space-Mana-Z produced by his contamination ¨C but with a hard enough push of Mana, even Makani could initiate the wave of Space-Mana. It was enough to scare off anything hiding in the vicinity, even if none of them received any feedback from the Spell-made-enchantment. This old version of his Life Detection Spells series interacted with the bodies of living organisms directly, thus informing any creature that they were found. In normal circumstances, it was a detrimental effect, but it worked well as a deterrent for ambush predators. And because the two of them were hiding somewhere in a foggy canopy, those animals would rather not risk getting closer. Of course, the Life Ward Spell was active all night, too. However, its reach was very limited by the other Spells they were using and the canopy itself. Because of that, a few strategically located enchantments gave them an additional edge. ¡°Build us the communication system and let¡¯s move out,¡± Makani ordered. Zeph frowned at the strange behavior of his companion, but did as he was told. He collected and packed up the beads and smoke bombs set around the canopy camp. It was kind of a pain to affix them to the surfaces, but with a smart application of the Heat and Condense Water Spells, he managed to ice-weld them. The temperature was in the low negative twenties of Celsius, making the already-cold water solidify almost instantly. They did take some additional blankets just in case, but both were comfortable enough to sleep in their outdoor clothing, so there wasn¡¯t much more to pack up. Ready for the trip, they descended the tree easily. Climbing the bark of an oversized three was easily done if a person wasn¡¯t neglecting their body and had even the absolute minimum of Power. Of course, Zeph was responsible for taking care of the backpacks. Makani never got to the second Power milestone of 50, so it was safer that way. During the way down, Zeph worked to form the same tube system they had been using while traveling on the sailboards. Or rather, the windsleds, as locals called them. The fog disappeared almost entirely when they crossed the border of Makani Spells¡¯ reach. Without constant control over the air condition, the vapor was immediately condensing into snow powder - the ground beneath them the best proof of that fact. Thankfully, Zeph didn¡¯t even need to explain to Makani what the dew point was. Creating a fog in negative temperatures wasn¡¯t an easy task, but his companion already knew of this effect and had his own methods of controlling the air composition to sustain it. While Makani worked more on the relative pressure, Zeph was constantly modulating the moisture and local temperatures during his shift. It was a little trickier but allowed the fog to spread further after he got a handle on it. Only two days into the trip, and he had already learned a dozen useful tricks. It was a shame that his Survival Skill couldn¡¯t progress at the moment. As they landed on the ground by the tree, a small cloud of snow powder rose into the air. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Test, test,¡± Zeph whispered, looking around. ¡°All clear,¡± Makani answered while constructing a Spell of his own between his hands. ¡°We should patent this Spell formation.¡± ¡°Try that with people who can actually use advanced Mana Manipulation, dork. Prepare a Mana-L pipe. Keep it up as we move¡­ if you can?¡± he asked in a voice so quiet that Zeph had difficulties understanding him. Something isn¡¯t right, definitely, he thought. ¡°I have enough Mana-L in reserve. Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Makani nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s move out.¡± They started running in the direction of the Strigiformes nestling grounds that they had found yesterday. After a minute, Makani started whispering through their communication setup, though. ¡°From yesterday, we are being followed by something.¡± His voice was barely audible and Zeph was sure Makani didn¡¯t even move his mouth. Oho, a ventriloquist if I ever saw one! he thought with mirth. Probably the work of utility Sound Spell¡­ Maybe. He wasn¡¯t sure. Mimicking speech should be much harder than simply producing sounds. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were so stressed out?¡± he realized, asking loudly. His helmet prevented any visuals, and the vibrations caused by his voice were being transferred directly from the face panel to the communication Spell system he invented and expanded upon. ¡°We should just hunt it¡­ or them, shouldn¡¯t we? Set a trap or something, maybe.¡± The creature seemed to be a cautious one, after all. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. If it was an animal, I am sure it would have fallen for the trap I had set last night¡­¡± Makani paused and sent a glare at Zeph, making him bow his head down in an apology. Without drastic measures, Zeph wouldn¡¯t wake up in time if they were attacked. The fact that Makani left him in the dark was the man¡¯s own mistake, though. ¡°No matter how intelligent it is, if it was hellbent on hunting us then it should have fallen for it. The opening was quite obvious. But no, I think we are dealing with an intelligent race.¡± Zeph frowned and shook his head slightly. That notion is ridiculous. No one should know that we left the city, not to mention tracking us all the way to these woods. Even if someone did, we would be either attacked en masse or assassinated at night. And the local fauna shouldn¡¯t¡­ Hmmm, shouldn¡¯t? he asked himself. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just a paranoid predator?¡± ¡°If it was, the nearby villages would be empty of people already. Or would you rather believe we came here just as something descended from the mountain itself? No, it¡¯s implausible at best.¡± ¡°Reasonable¡­ So that¡¯s why you insisted on pushing further into the forest?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s also why I left the first watch to you ¨C I wanted to see if they would attack during the night.¡± Jeez, he can be really stupid sometimes¡­ You should have informed me yesterday instead of wasting your rest time, Zeph thought irritably. ¡°Any reason for that?¡± he asked coldly. ¡°And what did you manage to gather about them?¡± ¡°At the beginning, it was to test your methods and reactions. Later¡­ you were asleep¡­¡± ¡°Heh. Kind of stu¡ª¡± ¡°The sounds I registered,¡± Makani interjected firmly, ¡°indicated we are being watched from really far. I had no details¡­ until now,¡± he finished with a small smirk. Zeph raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°They just moved past our last camp. Not directly through it, but they were close enough. One bipedal individual. The ultrasonic scan returned nothing, though. This means they aren¡¯t really able to muffle the sounds of their movements. It¡¯s probably one of the reasons they keep such a large distance. Not only from us but from our old camp as well. Paranoid is what they are.¡± ¡°I am more impressed you even managed to detect them before that,¡± Zeph said, giving respect where it was due. ¡°The pipe? I am going to deplete my Mana-L reserves soon.¡± ¡°Unnecessary. Plan?¡± Zeph immediately closed the far end of his Mana-L pipe and just as he did, Makani started pulling on his Mana back; to return to his Veil. That was one of the new applications they had found during their hunts. The Mana-L pipe construct could be used to direct the Magicules of another Manacaster, allowing them to cast Spells at long distances without the advanced Mana Manipulation. Only one person in the team was required to be able to form the ¡®tentacles¡¯. As the secondary Manacaster started to suck up their own Mana back, the pipe construct would start to collapse on itself because of the insufficient Mana density. Zeph not only prevented the tube from collapsing width-wise but even forced it to expand slightly. The only loose part not influenced by his Willpower was the enclosed tip. The resulting suction force was more than just Makani¡¯s effort. Even the air inside was being sucked back by Makani¡¯s overcomplicated version of the Air Beam Spell. The enclosed tip started to travel back along the pipeline with increasing speed while amassing more and more Mana-L along the way. Powered by those forces, the pipe folded on itself in less than 15 seconds. They managed to retrieve their Mana while leaving no trace behind. ¡°Possibly¡­¡± he answered after the Mana-L tendril collapsed into a ball at his side. ¡°But why didn¡¯t they attack during the night, then? Only one of us was ¡®awake¡¯ at the time.¡± Makani rolled his eyes. ¡°Why are you assuming from the start that they want to kill us? Maybe they are here to just spy?¡± ¡°Yeaaa¡­. Just like last time something like that happened¡­ or one before that¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± His face scrunched. ¡°So be it ¨C worst case scenario. Taking into account how loud they are, I believe they don¡¯t have an easy way to move between the nests, burrows, and hiding spots of the local animals. And I am not even taking into account the smell. Additionally, we have set ¡®traps¡¯ and obfuscation effects in our camp. I can see why they decided to only observe us.¡± ¡°I would just use ranged weaponry, poison, or something,¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°Did you forget I am here with you?¡± Makani asked in a fake indignation. ¡°What ranged weaponry? I can detect and disable most projectiles before they travel halfway to their destination. If I am not already in combat, at least. And I think you don¡¯t really understand how risky it is to get close to a Manacaster without depleted Veil. For most melee fighters, it¡¯s the quickest way to receive heavy injuries as a welcome gift.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand that they could be wary of detection and retaliation, but Aisha would definitely argue with you.¡± ¡°An enemy like her would be waaay beyond the worst-case scenario,¡± Makani pointed out. ¡°Anyway, any ideas?¡± ¡°Do you think you can keep my coolant in one place for a prolonged time?¡± Makani immediately understood his idea and have gone quiet for a minute. They tested it somewhat in their burrow on the first day. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but Makani¡¯s mastery over the air was indeed working on the freely floating Magicules to some degree. ¡°Only if you can decrease its tendency to flow down.¡± Was the verdict. ¡°The spill is what throws me off. If we want to be inconspicuous, you need to set additional barriers yourself, though. I am more concerned what would happen if one of us gets knocked down. If our Spells fail, we will be in the center of the freeze zone.¡± ¡°As much as it is a valid point, you can just prepare a few condensed air bombs in case everything fails. The moment you lose consciousness they would explode and disperse my Magicules, damage to us be damned. It won¡¯t be lethal. Gru will keep an eye out for the things coming from above, so we can just create ¡®walls¡¯ of the coolant around us. That should be enough of a trap. I can create a Telekinetic barrier from the inside that will not only allow us to fire Beam Spells through the ¡®coolant wall¡¯, but keep us safe from both the enemy and the coolant¡­ to some degree. As for the downward movement tendency¡­ it¡¯s not something I can deal with¡­ A lot depends on the temperatures outside, and the hot air likes to go up, so¡­ Can¡¯t you just push with the air from outside at an angle? It has the potential to look like a typical Spell, won¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ theoretically¡­¡± Makani answered hesitantly. ¡°If we have a window to shoot our Spells out, it would look like an advanced Air Masking¡­ I think.¡± ¡°As long as we don¡¯t look like a walking trap~¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I can imitate something similar. They will probably attack when we are mentally spent, either way, so let¡¯s test the idea first. And please use some acting!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to! I have a helmet! Ho ho ho!¡± A slap into said helmet was the only answer, making him stumble over the roots. He had to run a little faster to catch up with his partner in crime. ¡°You better fire Heat Spells constantly, too. We will have to deal with this temperature-equalizing effect either way.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, mother¡­¡± Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°Are we doing live testing from the beginning?¡± ¡°Definitely. A circulating loop of air currents isn¡¯t hard to make, but is very difficult in application. It¡¯s a good training and we need to look just like we are doing just that.¡± ¡°Heh, best lies are mostly truths, after all.¡± Makani shook his head. ¡°You and your strange sayings¡­¡± ========Theron Nalani PoV========= He felt as if the frown had become his default facial expression by this point. I¡¯ve finally found them, but¡­ If the fog and some kind of Mana interference weren¡¯t enough of a headache, he seemed to be a preferred snack for the local wildlife. I really hate cats¡­ he thought, leaving a small pile of bodies behind as he started to chase his quarry. I was worried for a moment. Setting such perfect defensive measurements against my Light-Mana-based Skills¡­ He managed to catch up to them not a day prior, so he decided to be patient and observe from a distance. A direct assault could end badly if he wasn¡¯t prepared. Even with his level advantage. Besides, he was seriously tired at this point. Their hunting methods are kind of basic. I don¡¯t think they will show anything interesting without real pressure. The question is, should I try to test them and take down Einar when they are exhausted, or should I try to ambush him during their return trip¡­ ================================ Chapter 102 - Hunter x Hunter, part 2. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.08] As they were running, Zeph checked his resources. In the last two days, they managed to kill almost three hundred animals. Almost all of them had levels higher than 60 because they decided to venture a little further into the woods after the initial success of Makani¡¯s hunting method. That and Gru¡¯s Soul harvesting brought a truly ridiculous amount of Soul fragments his way. [Table version:]
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 224
Flexibility 29 Memory 68
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 75
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 229 68 161
Mana Capacity: 1_076 1_064 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 190 151 38
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 13 14 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 35 2 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 3.12%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.06%, [Unknown] effects.
Oh shit¡­ I expected the relative percentage of contaminations to decrease but it seems that something worse is happening, he thought, looking at the red sections. The Interface is showing both even if they are below the 5% threshold¡­ That can¡¯t be good. Although, he couldn¡¯t do much about it at the moment. He would need to speak with Ghrughah later, as the ongoing Modulation of his contaminations was probably the culprit. He focused back on his resources instead of worrying about the unsolvable issue.
Major upgrades: Force Generalist [+1] ==> Intuition [+2*2], Greater Willpower [+1], [Unallocated] [+2] ==> Matrix space [+5], Mana capacity [0], Mana generation [+2] Shaman [+1] ==> Memory [+1], [Unallocated] [+2] ==> Matrix space [+5], Mana capacity [+23], Mana generation [+4] Force Generalist [+6] ==> Intuition [+12*2], Greater Willpower [+6], [Unallocated] [+12] ==> Matrix space [+25], Mana capacity [+246], Mana generation [+57]
Seven levels in my Class¡­ He nodded with approval. I wonder how many would that be for my Profession¡­ It only leveled once. Because he could only level ten times during this trip, he decided to listen to Makani and change the Soul fragments distribution. The plan was to use this opportunity to its fullest. He set Gru¡¯s and his Profession¡¯s shares to the absolute minimum. The Interface prevented him from ditching them altogether, but his Class was getting around 90% of the overall amount. As for why he had chosen his Class over the Profession, he postponed raising his Intuition and Willpower long enough. From time to time¡ªlike during the Ambient Mana Channeling training¡ªhe felt that was reaching his limits. It was high time to increase his potential. Also, a quick math showed that concentrating everything on his Class was theoretically enough to reach the overall level of 50. If they were short on time, he could gain the last level or two easily in his Profession. Almost 200 Mana Generation and over 1000 Mana Capacity¡­ And I didn¡¯t even allocate the free PE points. A shame we won¡¯t have time for training. I should be able to use most of my Matrix Spells now, I think. He was a little disgruntled because of that. Especially because the returning trip was already reserved for dealing with the eventual Flexibility increase. Well, I am only starting to consolidate my fighting style, so it¡¯s probably for the best¡­ ¡°Small group of Lepus detected four boats ahead. Prepare your Spells,¡± Makani interrupted his musings. ¡°Will that be enough? I won¡¯t be able to play the bait this time,¡± Zeph commented absentmindedly. Like the Talpa in the Torrent mountain chain, animals here seemed very intent on killing him after assessing his Soul contamination from up close. This time, they would have to use only the smell of blood and fried meat to set the trap. ¡°Actually, we would have to set the minefield further out this time. And we shouldn¡¯t allow the animals to touch the coolant wall¡­¡± ¡°It should be fine. The flying animals will know something is wrong with the area around us, and I can scare away the strays. We won¡¯t be killing them all this time, anyway. You better concentrate on detection. If one of the Felidae gets too close, the trap will be busted. As for the bait, Strigiformes have cannibalistic tendencies and we will encroach on territories of at least two different groups. There will be a fight for food, I can guarantee that.¡± ¡°What if something else becomes interested in the commotion? That one Vulpine was quite nasty. Its camouflage was something else.¡± ¡°What are the chances? We overhunted an area of at least a range and found only four non-standard specimens.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was just thinking that maybe we should apply the coolant wall a little bit later. I don¡¯t think our guest will attack us before we tire ourselves out, either way.¡± Makani thought about it for a moment. ¡°Only if you prepare it beforehand. It has to be ready to be deployed at any moment. And remember, we still need to test things out.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Sure, sure, it can be done,¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°It will just take a while to produce enough Mana-L.¡± ¡°How is Gru?¡± ¡°He is getting himself together. Should be ready for a short session.¡± Makani nodded at that. ¡°Dealing with so many Soul fragments can¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°You have no idea,¡± Zeph smirked. ¡°Spells ready.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s slow down¡­¡± ========Theron Nalani PoV========= For hours they fought, making him wonder just how much endurance the two Manacasters had. It wasn¡¯t normal by any means, especially after yesterday¡¯s exhausting day. Quite impressive, he thought while observing them from afar. Thankfully, the trees were rather big here, leaving wide open spaces between the trunks. Forcing the scarce snow congeries to partially melt and form mirror-like surfaces was a pain if he wasn¡¯t close, but he only needed to go four steps deep for his sight to reach the battlefield. The quality of the reflected scene wasn¡¯t the best but he was proficient enough with the Skill to compensate. The area of the hunt was in total chaos. Birds were flying all around ¨C resting in the trees, fighting for the meaty treats lying on the ground, killing each other, and hunting the big cats that were trying to snatch some of the carcasses for themselves. And there were a lot of carcasses littering the ground at this point. The place had become a free buffet for the carnivores. At the very center, the duo stood, calmly firing Mana Beams of different types. The animals¡ªfor better or worse¡ªwere much more interested in the fresh meal lying around than in an unknown enemy. The fact that the Beam Spells weren¡¯t that efficient in killing them was probably part of the reason. As the Spell bombardment continued, the magnitude of the conflict only escalated. What was a few stray animals fighting against newcomers at the very beginning, quickly rose to the status of a major local scuffle in the forest. I wonder if Makani is keeping the animals away, he mused. Some should have tried to attack already. The wild winds around the pair were strong enough to lift some snow from the ground, pulling the snowflakes into an aggressive and unpredictable aerial dance. It looked a little intimidating. He knew of a few Spells that looked similar, but this one was clearly heavily modified. But his patience was paying off. The two Manacasters were showing first signs of mental exhaustion. Not only were they firing the Beam Spells less frequently, but they also started to miss their targets. Waiting for Willpower overuse doesn¡¯t seem doable¡­ he analyzed. The two men would probably retreat before depleting themselves, and he couldn¡¯t find a way to get rid of their Veils. Their trap escalated too much¡­ Maybe I will find my chance to engage. It should be as loud up there as at an aerostation. He smiled to himself, standing up. In all that ruckus, he should be able to get close and find a good hiding spot. He was quite sure Borre wouldn¡¯t be able to detect him when in the middle of that chaos; if he was cautious. With his abilities, it would be a disgrace to not be able to get close. Close enough to attack. He quickly climbed the nearest tree, deciding it would be best to approach from above. ================================ ¡°How are you keeping up?¡± Zeph asked through their communication system. ¡°Half an hour. If they don¡¯t attack until then, we will move,¡± came the calm answer. Zeph grimaced. That bad, huh? The strain was easily noticeable on Makani¡¯s face and Zeph wasn¡¯t going to be misled by the calm voice the Manacaster was using. But Zeph himself wasn¡¯t faring that well. His Will dropped to the first depletion stage already. He was constantly sustaining and adjusting two big Mana-L constructs, two sets of Telekinetic walls meant to push away air currents and objects the size of a human, two to three ongoing, Magicule-producing Spells, Mana Masking on his body, and finally ¨C keeping up the Mana-L production in his body. His increased Mana Generation was the only reason he could still keep a reasonable Veil around himself but it was all he could do without directly using Will to form active Spells, like the Heat Beam, even when using the Matrices to construct them. Of course, all that was possible only because they were basically rooted in place. This setup wasn¡¯t dynamic at all. Thankfully, the Light enchantments he put on the branches above beforehand were working, powered by the Veils of the animals, so it was one thing less to worry about. Gru was able to help big time, too, taking the sentry role. Using some of his own Spells and Soul-detection abilities, he managed to find a way to trace the tricky cats before they got too close. ¡°How¡¯s the wall?¡± Makani asked. ¡°Stable. The adjusted Force-Magicules are doing their job properly this time.¡± The Telekinetic barriers and Mana-L were separating them form the coolant as Makani was using Air Spells to enclose it from the outside. ¡°Maybe next time you should be trying to pool something that dangerous above our heads?¡± he asked with some ridicule in his voice. Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you going to rub it in my face for the whole trip?¡± ¡°No, no, no,¡± the man denied indulgently. ¡°Until the end of our days,¡± he corrected Zeph¡¯s delusions. That bastard¡ª ¡°Grrrruum,¡± Gru interjected, mentally pointing at a camouflaged cat a few meters away to Zeph¡¯s right. He glanced quickly at Makani, and seeing as the man was in the process of destabilizing the flight of a stray owl that came too close, stopped concentrating on his latest Beam Spell, allowing it to collapse. The invisible wall around them had a half-meter wide, horizontal slits at the height of their heads, so he would have to deform it a little more to fire the Beam that low and close. Instead, he sent a Mana tendril through the slit to the nearest Life Detection bead and activated the Spell. Almost immediately after, dark stains materialized on a pile of snow a meter away. The big cat darted away, running for his life in the direction of the forest. A small flock of owls descended on the poor animal within seconds, killing it immediately and tearing it apart. They were gone before Zeph could construct another Beam to capitalize on the commotion. The animals were massive ¨C as oversized as the forest itself. He was sure some of the owls would reach his chin when standing straight. They were kind of strange for owls, though, possessing more predatory features. For example, their beak and eyes looked more like a hawk¡¯s, and their cries sounded more like a howl of a wounded animal. The hares and cats weren¡¯t much different in that regard, presenting impressive sets of teeth that would be more appropriate on a shark and big lizard respectively. Also, it seemed that oversized claws were in fashion this season. At least their sizes weren¡¯t that overblown, comparable to merely the biggest specimens of their sort on the Earth. All of them possessed an appropriate camouflage for the season, too. The owls were all dark and brown, the cats dark greenish with white spots, and the hares white with dark, random strips and spots. The forest was such a magnificent place, that Zeph was sure he would dream about it every night of the coming weeks. It was a shame that the System wasn¡¯t granting achievements for unlocking new fears. The time flowed slowly as they tried to look even more exhausted. They couldn¡¯t go too far but a slight slip of a foot, leaning on a spear, or a nervous gesture should have done the trick. Zeph was starting to consider giving up when suddenly wild vibrations shook his chest. ¡°GRE!¡± Gru cried in panic just as Zeph felt his Telekinetic barrier deforming behind and above him. Before he could fully turn in the direction, an explosion of light seared his eyes despite the glass visor in his helmet as another cry reverberated through the air. This time, it was a cry of pain. The heat and shockwave hit him a moment later, almost making him fall on his back. Something broke through his weakened Telekinetic barrier and scraped the armor on his shoulder, finding little purchase. But in the next moment, he was shoved forward as big explosions of air from behind and above ravaged his Mana constructs. He landed on his knees as the winds continued to blow down with unprecedented force. The howling of the air drowned out the panicked cries of the animals. He could feel as the residue of the coolant touched his shins, rapidly cooling down the superheated armor. ¡°Grrra!¡± it vibrated, sending a mental image and Zeph immediately reached to his belt. He still couldn¡¯t see, so instead of his pistol, he grabbed the scabbard of his spear while sending Mana-L reinforced tendrils in the general direction of the enemy and moving the remnants of his Telekinetic construct to form a shield at the front. He directed the scabbard in the direction of the enemy and activated the enchantment. The Tier 2 Spatial Beam took a moment to activate, enough for him to also reach the first of the explosive beads with his tendrils. The enemy moved just as the Beam was fired, so Zeph activated the beads on that side. Another series of explosions rolled through the dark forest as he fired another projectile from the scabbard. It was depleting his Veil too fast, though, so he quickly changed it for the pistol. His spear was at the ready, held firmly near the blade and jammed under his armpit. Gru? You lost them? he sent while standing up in a crouch. Graa¡­ Shit. His vision was slowly returning as the winds around died down. He tried to blink away the white spots, but his vision wasn¡¯t returning just yet. Only a few seconds had passed, but he felt extremely vulnerable even despite his Veil and their Soul perception. That person was simply too fast to react to without using his sight. Yet, they weren¡¯t attacking. The silence that ensued was more deafening than the previous ruckus and explosions. He quickly constructed a much stronger Flashlight Spell and tried to feed more resources into Willforce Morphon to speed up his regeneration and see what was going on. As the light slowly returned to his damaged eyes, he found Makani kneeling on the ground to his right. The man was covering his head with his arms and was visibly concentrating. Zeph started constructing their communication construct while taking stock of the surroundings. Everything was still dark and blurry, even though he was sure his Flashlight was quite overloaded. Moving slowly in the direction of the exploded beads with his weapons at the ready, he tried to find any trace of the enemy. Not even halfway to his destination, he noticed something peculiar lying on the ground. A part of a human¡¯s hand with two fingers attached, broken cleanly off an appendage ¨C as if it was made of stone. Looking around, he found quite a few more of the suspiciously regular-shaped body fragments that potentially could have been a part of the same arm. ¡°Incoming,¡± Makani suddenly said aloud. ¡°At least six people. We have three minutes at most.¡± Fuck, he cursed internally. ¡°The enemy?¡± he asked through clenched teeth, glancing at the Manacaster. Makani said nothing and just reached with his hand to the left, his finger pointing right at the roots of a big tree maybe forty meters away. Chapter 103 - Hunter + Hunter x Hunter. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.08] Zeph sucked the air through his teeth. Makani¡¯s hand was yellowish-white and slightly charred on the palm side. The man was still kneeling, keeping his face down. His turban-like hood made it impossible to glance at his face. With his second hand, he was fiddling with the contents of his backpack, now lying before him. Those are definitely third-degree burns¡­ ¡°Are you good?¡± he asked with worry through the communication construct. Zeph should have considered this outcome sooner. His own armor was still cooling down, leaving a trail of vapor behind as he moved around. The Phleya living inside and his undersuit were the only reasons he wasn¡¯t getting burnt. The flare of light was just that powerful. And even if he was sure most of its power was concentrated on him, it left visible marks on the surroundings. And people like Makani weren¡¯t exactly a resilient lot. ¡°I will live, it doesn¡¯t even hurt¡­¡± came a calm answer. That¡¯s because your nerves are fried¡­ Zeph commented in his mind nervously. ¡°¡­Just give me a moment. You should focus on the more pressing matter.¡± ¡°Monitor your body temperature and pulse, call me immediately if they are getting out of hand. And start drinking water. Add a pinch of salt to it,¡± Zeph instructed, turning in the direction that Makani pointed out earlier. His eyesight was good enough at this point to clearly recognize colors, so he felt much safer. Their enemy was still alive, though. He readied his spear and pistol and speed-walked in the direction of the tree. As he got closer, he deformed his Veil to scan the area a few meters ahead while keeping an eye on the surroundings. The Mana tendrils were dissipating fast, but he didn¡¯t have time for efficiency. When he was five meters away from the trunk of the tree, one of his tendrils made contact with a bubble of Mana-X. Just as he registered that contact had been made, he heard a grunt and the air shimmered, revealing the beaten-up body of a half-naked man. Zeph immediately aimed his gun, but didn¡¯t shoot. What he saw made him pause. The man¡¯s left leg was mangled badly and his whole right arm was absent ¨C the stump terminating near the shoulder and angrily violet in color, but not bleeding. His facial hair, nose, and ears were missing ¨C the wounds leaking a slow trickle of blood that painted long lines on his swollen, blueish skin. Surprisingly, his eyes were undamaged. The hair on his head was only partially missing, probably thanks to his headgear ¨C the piece was lying on the ground nearby, although only metal components of what was, most likely, a reinforced hood seemed to be undamaged. The remnants of his white-and-gray attire only covered parts of his chest, waist, and tights. The leather was cracked and barely holding on, though. The uncovered skin was dotted with big frostbite marks. How in hell is he still alive? Zeph thought in awe and pity, dropping his arm slightly. The man smirked weakly seeing that, a corner of his mouth cracking slightly bloodily. ¡°Not going¡­ to finish the job?¡± he asked in a raspy, nasal voice full of pain and anger. The man had to inhale some of the coolant, but it wasn¡¯t that efficient in tight spaces encompassed by warm tissue, so his vocal cords and lungs were still intact. Zeph took a long look at the man¡¯s eyes. He could clearly see resentment and defiance in them. That actually impressed him a bit. This man¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem to be a simple mercenary. ¡°Did we meet before?¡± he asked, raising his gun again. His only answer was a glare. Gra! came a sudden message from Gru. The man¡¯s eyes squinted. Grauu! Zeph¡¯s own eyes opened wide in surprise. ¡°You are the one who attacked me back in the docks!¡± ¡°What was that just now?¡± the man asked instead. He can hear Gru? Did he actually manage to form some kind of Soul-bond with one of us?! That thought sent chills down his spine. If that was true and the man held a strong resentment, there was a risk that upon his death they would receive a ¡®negative Soul wound¡¯ fragment from him. Gru should be able to deal with it, but they had never received a negative one and, from what Zeph knew, System was actually making sure that they were delivered to the recipient. Not to mention, Zeph¡¯s Soul fragmentation wasn¡¯t getting any better. He frowned. Instead of acknowledging the man¡¯s question, he decided to fish for more information. ¡°What did they pay you to be so persistent, anyway? You are a mercenary, aren¡¯t you?¡± The man grimaced impalpably, a mix of anger and resignation flashing through his face. After thinking for a moment, he looked at Zeph with a slight curiosity in his eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to upper their offer even when I was contracted ¨C we had a deal.¡± Zeph¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°And what exactly did I do to earn myself an assassin-turned-stalker? Hmm?¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°And what was¡­ that voice a moment ago?¡± They glared at each other in silence, reluctant to give any more information. One broken man on the other end of an aimed gun, and his would-be victim standing above. The stretching silence was interrupted by the calm and quiet voice of Makani. ¡°What is taking you so long?¡± Zeph glanced behind, keeping the wounded man in his peripheral vision. Makani was hurriedly walking in their direction. His whole head was wrapped in bandages, eyes included. Zeph couldn¡¯t even see an opening for his mouth. Despite that, he didn¡¯t seem to have much problems navigating the forest floor. He was also wearing big gloves on his hands. The front of his green-and-gold robes was fried quite badly, but the material was holding up admirably. ¡°What is the situation?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°I¡¯m stable, but blind. And I really shouldn¡¯t use my hands. We have something between 10 to 15 minutes. His group,¡± he said with derision in his sourceless voice, nodding at the broken enemy lying before them, ¡°I think they lost our position. They slowed down, dispersed, and started meandering.¡± ¡°My¡­ group?... Ha¡­ haha¡­¡± The man started laughing in an almost painfully hoarse manner, leaning on the tree and looking up with an unreadable expression on his face. Makani tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± Zeph sighed. ¡°According to what he said, he isn¡¯t contracted.¡± ¡°Dritt! They were tracking him?!¡± Makani quickly connected the dots. ¡°Are you sure he was telling the truth?¡± Zeph looked down at the man¡¯s destroyed equipment and shrugged. ¡°And waiting until he made contact with us¡­ His and that group¡¯s behavior seems to support that notion. But if he just failed to send a position-marking signal in time and is just playing stupid¡­¡± ¡°They want me silenced¡­¡± the man murmured feebly, exhausted by his earlier stunt. ¡°I should have seen that coming¡­ A double job¡­ waiting until I make my move¡­¡± They looked at him in silence for a while, listening to the almost-mad mumbling, but after a while, Makani got bored. ¡°Did you try to check if he was lying?¡± he asked, ignoring the muttering man. ¡°No use on him. He is good at Soul Arts. It¡¯s the same person that almost killed me at the ports.¡± Makani¡¯s head tilted forward as he started patting the vicinity of his chin with his stiff, gloved hand. The silence, broken only by the man¡¯s half-coherent whispers and the distant voices of animals, stretched for long seconds as he was contemplating. ¡°Are you considering what I think you are considering?¡± he asked finally. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Zeph admitted tentatively. ¡°No hard feelings on your part?¡± ¡°Irrelevant. He harbors some grudge, though. It would be safer for me to leave this situation in a status quo¡­ for now. And you?¡± Makani nodded in understanding. ¡°He wasn¡¯t trying to kill me. I was going to pay him back for the damage, but¡­ after seeing the state of his body, I am more than satisfied already.¡± Zeph raised his brow. ¡°You have a spare pair of eyes or something?¡± he asked mirthfully, fully aware of the hypocrisy of his words. Gru replaced his burned-up eyes with the spare ones already, assisting Zeph in monitoring the situation. He could almost see the Manacaster¡¯s eyes rolling under the bandages. ¡°My Veil and Spells are enough to recognize what is happening around. Do the honors,¡± he said, shooing him with a hand. Zeph looked back at the man who, by this point, was half-audibly deliberating quite dangerous ideas. Zeph knew, because anything that started with ¡®If I am going to die anyway¡­¡¯ was a bad idea by definition. And speaking of Veils¡­ ¡°Before you do something idiotic¡­¡± he started, activating Mana Rupture. His Ambient Mana Channeling was active for the last few minutes, so all he had to do was to redirect the vortex and supplement it with Will-Mana and Will for better effect. With the force of a jackhammer, a wild stream of his and Ambient Mana slammed into what little Vail the man managed to generate, blowing it all away. Not that there was any physical manifestation of the action, besides a small breeze. The wall of bark behind the man¡¯s back simplified the process even more, as Zeph just kept the eye of the vortex directed at the center of the man¡¯s torso. ¡°¡­we need to talk first. I may have a deal for you.¡± The fact that the man was still at full Mana Capacity was concerning, but the state of his body should prevent him from doing anything physically, and most of the external Skills¡¯ effects required intact Veil. At least, according to Zeph¡¯s knowledge. Making use of the opportunity, he also started to inspect the remnants of the man¡¯s gear with his Mana ¨C just to make sure no enchantment survived. ¡°What deal?¡± the man asked dubiously. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°We want to live, and you want to live. And there is a group of hounds on our heels. That sort of deal.¡± The man snorted, unamused. ¡°I am to believe your word?¡± ¡°Do I need to remind you that you are the one who played us around until recently?¡± Zeph asked skeptically. ¡°I will show you what you were asking about¡­ if you answer my two questions first. We can decide after that.¡± Zeph already had an idea about the reason for the man¡¯s involvement. He and Gru saw each other as much face-to-face as it was possible for his tentacle companion. No working enchantments, good, Zeph thought, releasing his Mana Rupture vortex. The man stayed undecided for a second, but it seemed curiosity had won over. ¡°Ask,¡± he rasped. ¡°What is your level?¡± ¡°Just before specialization,¡± he answered easily. ¡°Yes, the people hunting me are¡­ for sure above level-100 threshold,¡± he added, showing that he knew well why Zeph had asked about that. ¡°Why were you hunting me?¡± ¡°¡­show me what you have to show.¡± The man didn¡¯t answer directly, but they both knew. The reason was inside Zeph. Gru, can you check him for Soul marks? Gra! it answered immediately. ¡°Then, brace yourself¡­¡± Gru started his inspection. For a few moments, it seemed as if nothing was happening, until suddenly the man¡¯s pupils constricted. ¡°No¡­ NO! Take that away from me!¡± he screamed, writhing as much as his body allowed without causing immense pain. ¡°Take it away¡ª¡± ¡°Relax,¡± Zeph tried to interject and calm him down. ¡°It¡¯s just checking you for Soul marks.¡± But the panicked screams didn¡¯t stop. ¡°MAKE IT STOP! Arghhhh¡­¡± Shit¡­ I hope Makani is muffing the sounds. I should¡¯ve gagged him first! Gru? Garr¡­ Gru sent the meaning of ¡®almost done¡¯, so Zeph just clenched his jaw and waited for the procedure to end, ignoring the screams. Not two seconds later, it was over. No marks were found. The man was breathing heavily. Still slightly panicked. ¡°Happy?¡± Zeph asked. ¡°You fool! What have you done to me?!¡± ¡°As the System and¡ªprobably¡ªyou can see ¨C nothing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with me! I can recognize an alien parasite when I see one!¡± ¡°He¡¯s my parasite, alright? And I refuse to share him with anyone else,¡± Zeph stated seriously, glaring at the would-be assassin. The man paled slightly. It was visible even through his damaged skin. ¡°Are you mad? What have you brought to this world?¡± ¡°Something that was not only suggested and implemented by the System Onji, but is currently under scrutiny of at least two Onjis. What were you thinking ¡®it¡¯ was?¡± ¡°¡­The Nether, obviously¡­¡± ¡°So why are you panicking now? You aren¡¯t suggesting that this ¡®parasite¡¯ can imperceptibly modify Souls, I hope. Or are you?¡± he asked a loaded question. That seemed to make the man stop and think. He could have had his own theories about how the Onjis were operating or about their motivations, but accusing them directly of bringing a lifeform on the scale of Netherlings into the world wasn¡¯t something any sane person would have done easily. And he should now know, Gru was no Netherling, nor any of their kind. The direct contact between their Souls should be enough to see that. Wait a moment¡­ Ummmm¡­ Zeph paused as a disturbing thought bloomed in his mind. He was just touched by some strange tentacles¡­ all over his Soul¡­ without his consent¡­ He shivered. That¡­ doesn¡¯t count as a rape, right?... RIGHT? After another moment, the man glanced at Makani, but it was hard to read from a face if there wasn¡¯t one to be seen. Either way, it was clear that Makani knew all about this, not reacting to their discussion at all. Shaking his head slightly, he finally spoke. ¡°I¡­ agree to cooperate until we lose them,¡± he started hesitantly. ¡°As long as you keep that thing away from me. But don¡¯t you dare to try tying me up!¡± he preemptively declared, ruining Zeph¡¯s plans. ¡°And I swear, if you backstab me, I will make sure to bring you down with me,¡± he seethed. ¡°Says the guy who started stalking others for free,¡± Zeph returned the jab. ¡°You are the reason I am in this situation in the first place!¡± ¡°Instead of blaming others for your poor life choices, you should think about changing your line of work!¡± ¡°Shut up, both of you!¡± Makani interjected. ¡°We have 5 minutes, at best.¡± ¡°Sure! Great!¡± Zeph exclaimed angrily, throwing his arms up. He was slightly regretting his own life choices right now. ¡°Makani, give me your backpack and piggyback him.¡± ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± he asked in shock. ¡°I am wounded!¡± ¡°Oh, but there is no helping it,¡± Zeph said, shrugging and slowly calming himself down. ¡°Both of us share a common averse to being close to each other. Or are you suggesting I should show my back to my own, personal, would-be assassin-turned-stalker? Not to mention, he never tried to kill you~¡± A grunt was the only thing that came out of the Manacaster. ¡°What is your plan?¡± the man in question interjected grumpily. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to leave the forest, even with my Skills.¡± Zeph tried to massage his temples with the base of his palms. His helmet appreciated the efforts. ¡°¡­I could throw a comment or two about your intelligence, but it¡¯s ungraceful to kick the man when he¡¯s already down and dying,¡± he remarked before taking a deeper breath. ¡°Makani can mitigate the sounds and our smell while monitoring the distance of the pursuers. You take care of the visuals and anything else you are good at when at the move. I will keep Mana Masking around us and check for the presence of foreign Mana and enchantments in the vicinity. I can also cover our tracks.¡± He looked at both of them, then declared boldly. ¡°We are, basically, a complete and movable invisibility Spell¡­ The question is, where are we moving to?¡± ¡°North,¡± the man on the ground answered immediately. ¡°I agree,¡± Makani added. ¡°We may be a bit late, but it¡¯s a nice hub of caravan activity. At least one of the pursuers will be checking our old route¡­ If we manage to escape.¡± Zeph nodded then looked down at the broken body on the ground. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Thompson,¡± the so-called Thompson spat out. ¡°Yes, Thompson,¡± he said with a suppressed derision. Aisha was right ¨C even his own Soul perception, quite unimpressive in the grand scheme of things, was able to catch the swirling in the man¡¯s Soul when he introduced himself incorrectly. ¡°Get your Skills ready. As much as I hate to say it, if your pulse or respiration starts to slow down, immediately say so. Now, I need to get rid of some evidence we left behind, so excuse me.¡± His animosity might or might not have exaggerated the reaction of his Soul, he thought, turning around. At least he isn¡¯t the insidious type¡­ ~~~ Gathering the leftover beads and scattering up the remains of Thompson¡¯s gear was quick work. When he returned to the group, the composite invisibility was already set up. Makani and Thompson had to fight a little over the space for their Veils, but quickly figured out the balance. Zeph, of course, made sure that their tracks leading up to the tree were disrupted and inconspicuous. He had enough knowledge as a scout to do a good job on that part. He also left a few corpses at the resting spot of Thompson, counting on the animals to make an absolute mess of the scene. Especially because some animals already returned to the area, greedily ravaging the corpses. They didn¡¯t waste any time patching up Thompson. He was a physical fighter of a high level and had enough physical PE to survive the travel if he wasn¡¯t already dying. He was given a warm blanket that was tied around Makani¡¯s shoulders and waist to help the Manacaster with the burden, though. Besides that, Makani¡¯s Spells were also responsible for keeping the temperature at acceptable levels. Zeph was skeptical at the beginning but allowed it after Makani reassured him that the warm air wouldn¡¯t escape from his Air Sphere and Thompson admitted that he could cover their infrared radiation, too. At that point, Zeph was getting quite worried. Preparations were important, but they were on the clock. The more distance they would be able to make, the safer they would become. There was just no way they could survive a fight against six post-100 enemies. Even Aisha struggled with only three. They moved slowly¡ªcourtesy of Makani¡¯s low physical PE as he was carrying their new ¡®luggage¡¯¡ªso he had ample time to continue his work. Instead of trying to make their tracks unnoticeable¡ªwhich was impossible, either way, as because of the distance between them and the pursuers any machinations would seem fresh¡ªhe was concealing them as a lone Felidae¡¯s tracks. He was, of course, using Makani footprints when walking to be able to do that. Because the cats had a lot bigger feet, all he had to do was to disrupt the ground slightly with the Anchoring enchantment in his boots, then use his telekinetic shields to leave tracks closely resembling that of the animal by stepping on the properly-shaped construct. His Power milestone was helping slightly in that regard, making sure the force was uniformly distributed over the whole construct while keeping him stable. He would still prefer to use some kind of a shaped sole. Anyway, as soon as it was possible, he forced Makani to step only on hard roots that weren¡¯t covered in fungi, moss, or dead needles. That slowed them down slightly, but also made sure no trail would lead directly to their current position while allowing him to start putting up the Mana Masking around their small bubble of doubtful comfort. Using a short respite, he also quickly opened his Interface. He didn¡¯t have to confirm the previous level-up from the fight¡ªthe thirty, or so, animals he killed were enough to push his Class to the next level¡ªbut he wanted to start investing his unspent points for survivability sake. Right now, they weren¡¯t looking for a fight. And if one happened early, they were as good as dead. But to not compromise his fighting style completely, he invested only 9 points in his Flexibility, so a total of 11 with his total Willforce Morphon bonus. [Interface - table version:]
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Precise Soul and Mana perception t. a.
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 228
Flexibility 40 Memory 68
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 76
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 233 72 161
Mana Capacity: 1_344 1_332 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 207 166 41
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 14 7 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 35 2 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 2.96%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.06%, [Unknown] effects.
Major upgrades: Force Generalist [+1] ==> Intuition [+2*2], Greater Willpower [+1], [Unallocated] [+2] ==> Flexibility [+9] [+11] ==> Matrix space [+4], Mana capacity [+268], Mana generation [+17]
More Mana Capacity meant more Matrix Spells he could use. More Flexibility meant that his body could withstand stronger impacts, even if it would seriously impact how his muscles were behaving under stress. Done with the quick catch-up, he focused back on the way ahead. He quickly plotted the next path through the fungi growing from the roots near the tree trunk, and started instructing Makani who still had a few meters before finishing the final stretch of the last one. Optimally, they should climb a tree and move through the canopy, but it was simply impossible with Makani¡¯s burden. Zeph just hoped that their pursuers would have the same idea and would waste their time looking for them above the ground. His anxiety was only accumulating as he started to realize how limited their possible moves were right now. He started feeling that they were vastly unprepared for this sick game of hide-and-seek. And his companions, including the temporary one, seemed to have even more doubts as the time was passing. They weren¡¯t even 300 meters away when Makani reported that the first of the pursuers finally found the battleground¡­ Chapter 104 - Seeping darkness. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.08] A shrill, long sound of a whistle pierced through the silence of the dark woods, reverberating in the darkness for long seconds afterward as the group involuntarily froze in place. They exchanged nervous glances and slowly crouched down. Zeph dimmed the light produced by his Spell to almost nothing. Even if the self-proclaimed Thompson assured him that trapping the red, monochromatic light in their small ¡®bubble of comfort¡¯ was easy to do with his Skills, it still felt wrong to use a strong source of light when hiding. Makani gestured for them to be quiet, so Zeph focused on smoothening the Mana Masking surrounding them while waiting. Thompson¡¯s face was scrunched up in concentration, too. The passing seconds stretched impossibly in the tense atmosphere. But for the next few moments, which felt more like minutes, nothing happened. The uncertainty was killing him, but Makani was still keeping his hand raised to keep them quiet, so he didn¡¯t voice his questions. Several heartbeats later, he heard it. Something was moving through the canopy, not paying much attention to the ruckus it was making. And it was moving fast. In a quick series of sudden movements the lower branches of the tree, merely 40 meters to their right, shook and swayed, shedding off a layer of snow and needles. Their group was moving east to make some distance because the enemy was first spotted northwest of their last position. That meant the enemy was already scouting ahead of them. The forest returned to its silent self, but Makani waited for a few more seconds before dropping his hand and speaking in a whisper. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t want you to worry you needlessly,¡± he started giving excuses. ¡°Three people started moving fast over a vast area. I think they are casually scanning for traces. Reporting their position constantly¡­ wasn¡¯t going to work.¡± ¡°That guy almost ran over us!¡± Thompson hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to gather together like that,¡± Makani growled. ¡°And even if that one moved closer, it¡¯s your job to make us invisible!¡± ¡°Calm down, both of you!¡± Zeph interjected angrily. ¡°How fast can they move if they don¡¯t have to track us?¡± ¡°25 boats per minute, I think.¡± Well, fuck me, Zeph thought after a quick calculation. It was over 50 km/h. Moving through the forest canopy faster than Olympic sprinters¡­ ¡°The good news is, they don¡¯t have any Bonded animals,¡± Makani added. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be using half their manpower for scouting if that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have to look for you if they had any,¡± Thompson remarked. ¡°Maybe,¡± Zeph commented noncommittally. He was sure that he and Gru would notice a Bond if it got too close, but Thompson didn¡¯t have to know about that. ¡°But that isn¡¯t important right now. We need a plan in case we are found. Our first priority should be to prevent them from giving any kind of signal to the rest of their group. With how fast they can travel through these woods, we will be swarmed almost immediately. And running away isn¡¯t an option, at all. We would have to incapacitate them without giving our position¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious,¡± Thompson said. ¡°I can get rid of their sight, but I am in no shape¡±¨Che sent him a glare¨C¡°to fight hand-to-hand.¡± ¡°I will double down on sound dampening,¡± Makani said. ¡°Let¡¯s work on decreasing the radius of our coordinated construct. The smaller it will be, the harder we will be to notice and the closer to us the enemy would have to be to inspect.¡± They all agreed to the idea and tried to strategize about possible coordinated attacks, but they quickly realized that anything more complicated than ¡®don¡¯t stand in my way¡¯ would be useless in that kind of confrontation. High-level fights were just way too fast. They managed to agree on the first sequence of attacks, but even that much proved challenging because no one wanted to reveal their abilities to that degree. Their impromptu whispered strategy meeting was interrupted by Makani¡¯s report. ¡°They started to move¡­ I can confirm ¨C it¡¯s six opponents. One person is running east and slightly to the north¡­ probably to the village we had visited last. Two people are checking the tracks on the ground. The rest is going for the canopy¡­¡± ¡°No wonder you knew I was there¡­¡± Thompson murmured. ¡°So far, so good,¡± Zeph commented, ignoring the man. A shame we won¡¯t be able to retrieve those feathers from the windsleds. Am I cursed to lose my feathers every time? Though, the first time was my mistake. Selling them for cheap. ¡°Not so much,¡± Makani said after a moment, frowning. ¡°They¡¯ve gone silent. I won¡¯t be able to track them efficiently anymore.¡± ¡°We just need to know when they are close. Should we turn north?¡± ¡°I will feel safer if we move closer to the edge of the forest¨C¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst idea I¡¯ve heard until now,¡± Thompson interjected. ¡°With your detection abilities, it will be much better to move through the deeper parts of the woods.¡± Makani and Zeph exchanged a meaningful glance. ¡°My Spells have their limits. If we want to avoid fighting the wildlife, we should move away from this area. And we need to hurry,¡± Makani said with finality. ¡°We need to be as far away as possible before they start sweeping through the ground level.¡± There wasn¡¯t much more to say, so they started moving. Zeph did what he could to find a path that would leave no trace but it was becoming increasingly harder as the boundary of illuminated ground started to shrink as they worked on decreasing the radius of their spherical Mana construct. The visibility was bad, to put it mildly. Beyond the boundary of the sphere of light ¨C dim as it was, yet still interfering with their ability to see in the dark ¨C murky blackness dominated the world. Only Thompson was able to see more in those conditions. Thankfully, Zeph had no problems identifying major directions. The trees weren¡¯t growing uniformly ¨C the density and reach of the canopy were a clear indicator of the direction from which the sun was most often illuminating the area. And the roots mirrored that tendency, growing tighter on the opposite side to balance the weight. Each time they had to travel through the bare forest floor, Zeph made sure to meander a little and leave slightly different tracks. After some time, he even started imitating tracks of the local animals to better hide the evidence of their passing. An hour into their slow slog, Zeph¡¯s ¡®Lesser Life detection¡¯ returned a reading from merely a few meters ahead, giving him a small heart attack. He immediately motioned them to stop and snuffed out the Light Spell. Something was sitting in the middle of a tree trunk covered in fungi. Makani and Thompson detected nothing. The air-based Spells weren¡¯t working and the being was hidden from sight, so Thompson didn¡¯t notice. They waited for half a minute in silence, allowing their eyes to fully accommodate to the darkness. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The clouds had to clear at some point, because a few stray rays of moonlight managed to seep through the dense canopy, basking the woods in a weak, ethereal light ¨C just enough to discern shapes. Everything was still. Zeph decided against firing another Life Detection. He had to construct that Spell outside of their ¡®bubble of comfort¡¯ and he didn¡¯t want to risk getting caught in the creature¡¯s Veil. He was surprised they weren¡¯t noticed the first time he used it through his Mana tendril. Sadly, Mana Masking was working both ways ¨C there was no way to tell if they brushed against a Veil without giving away their own presence. He exchanged glances with Makani. They nodded. Ever so slowly, they stepped away from the tree, back the way they came. After a few meters, they changed directions and started to circle the tree. Zeph was glancing at the tree from time to time, so he was the first to notice. Cold shivers run down his spine. This was no Felidae. A woman, clad in black leather from head to toe, was standing there on a big fungus, unmoving and looking ahead. Her face was hidden behind a black, smooth mask; no weapon in sight. Yet, somehow, to Zeph she seemed more terrifying than even Aisha. He paused mid-step and blindly patted Makani¡¯s shoulder, not averting his eyes from the creepy woman. Just as the Manacaster turned his head and followed Zeph¡¯s sight, the woman disappeared. She didn¡¯t look around, didn¡¯t change posture, didn¡¯t give any indicator that she noticed something was amiss. There was a slight blur and then only silence. They stood there, paralyzed, for a second. But they weren¡¯t attacked. ¡°Chasem! They have an Augur!¡± Thompson whispered with terror. ¡°But if they are using her like that¡­ They stopped searching,¡± Makani deducted. ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t hear anyone for some time. They split. Probably to monitor nearby villages¡­¡± ¡°That means nothing!¡± Thompson growled. ¡°You need to shift your Soul!¡± ¡°Do I look like a Soul Artist to you?!¡± Makani spat back. ¡°Fy faen! Just drop unconscious, I will do tha¡ª¡° ¡°Shut up!¡± Zeph hissed, suppressing a sudden, uncontrollable shudder. ¡°You shift. I will manage. Makani, just follow my directions. Don¡¯t look around too much,¡± he ordered, following Gru¡¯s instructions. ¡°That should do, right? Do you think she has advanced external Mana manipulation?¡± he asked, more worried about the immediate problem. Thompson took a deep breath to compose himself. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, that probably will be enough. And she shouldn¡¯t be able to use advanced manipulation in any meaningful way. They are sure to have a Manacaster, though.¡± ¡°Who probably is stationed nearby¡­¡± Makani realized. ¡°We need to move!¡± Mana Masking or not, a concentrated Mana tendril or wide-area contact with a Veil would reveal them instantly. They started moving again, this time a little faster. Zeph wasn¡¯t able to shift his Soul like Gru and Thompson could, but he had training and his Will. Firstly, he used his Will to freeze his Soul in an immutable form. Then, he tried to¡­ oscillate¡ªfor the lack of a better word¡ªhis Soul between two shapes... or rather ¨C forms. Gru wasn¡¯t good with words. It was a basic exercise that Gru devised. His execution wasn¡¯t perfect, but it should be enough to confuse anyone who was peering into the Soulscape. The ¡®movements¡¯ he was forcing weren¡¯t natural at all, and it was already difficult to augur anything meaningful in neutral circumstances. He would know, as he was trying to do that right at the moment. Of course, without any results. He couldn¡¯t feel even a dash of bad premonition besides his already sky-high anxiety. But it wasn¡¯t like he knew what he was doing. Auguring wasn¡¯t a talent that could be learned. Fuking mystical arts¡­ Giving me shivers in the least appropriate times and going silent whenever it matters. Fuck it, I won¡¯t ever try to train this bullshit, he grumbled internally. Makani stumbled, squashing a fungus as a result. Zeph grimaced and did his best to hide the evidence as they paused. ¡°I think we need the light¡­¡± he murmured. ¡°Yes, that would be appreciated.¡± Makani nodded. ¡°Use your detection Spells more often,¡± Thompson grumbled. ¡°I will be on the lookout.¡± Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if using light was a good idea, but he had to give it to their baggage ¨C the man did indeed manage to block all the light that was coming out of his Light Spell. After all, even a post-level-100 person wasn¡¯t able to notice them while standing a few meters away. Thanks to the dim illumination, they were able to move faster. Thompson was concentrating hard enough to sweat. The little droplets on his forehead started coagulating, falling from his face right on Makani¡¯s shoulder. To his best guess, the man was trying to enhance his sight while ignoring the light from Zeph¡¯s Spell, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. He never heard of someone using Light-Magicules, so it was hard to tell what was possible. They saw the woman three more times during the next hour. Even after changing directions, she was always waiting for them, scouting the area they should be traveling through. She was no longer only waiting, though, always moving through the canopy or walking unhurriedly on the ground level. Surprisingly, it was good news. It meant that she was no longer sure about her readings. But it became clear that they missed her more times than they spotted her, which was terrifying to think about. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure how she was able to pinpoint their current location but had a growing suspicion. Thompson did leave many bodily parts behind. He never heard about how that could help with auguring, but he knew the basics. A physical medium or direct contact was required for any kind of detailed Soul-scrying. The presence of the Terminator-level stalker put everyone on the edge. The woman was way too proficient with the art. They could only thank their lucky stars that her team seemed to share the same sentiment about auguring as the rest of the population of Corora ¨C that it was the least reliable ability in existence. But because of the constant tension, they failed to notice a simple truth. They were being herded. The first Mana tendril that touched their camouflaging sphere almost tore through the construct. Miraculously, it only skimmed over the Mana Masking, flexing around the obstacle instead of trying to go through directly. But the ravine it left in the dense Ambient Air-Mana coating was so deep that it almost touched Makani¡¯s stabilized Air Sphere. Zeph paled, hoping that whoever sent the tendril didn¡¯t feel his own Mana mixed in between the Ambient Magicules. ¡°Down!¡± he almost screamed, falling down and forcefully flattening their sphere by pushing with his Mana Masking vortex. Makani was fast on the update and threw himself to the ground. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Thompson asked from his perch on Makani¡¯s back. ¡°Someone is scanning the vicinity with their Veil! I am not sure if they managed to feel me, but the tendril was impossibly dense,¡± he explained. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just bend light at will. Their Manacaster is probably a few boats away. I can¡¯t just¨C¡° ¡°The fucking what?¡± Zeph exclaimed, appalled. ¡°How big is their Veil?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Thompson scowled. ¡°You are a Manacaster, too. You should know what happens after reaching level one hundred!¡± ¡°Um, guys, can you keep it down,¡± Makani interjected, awkwardly looking away. ¡°Let¡¯s be nice, quiet, and change positions¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Zeph was going to call him names but stopped himself. Barely. Having a Veil that could scan at least a hundred meters ahead wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d heard about, nor something that Makani should keep quiet about. Zeph¡¯s own calculations on the matter were thrown out of the widow after the Advanced Statistics disappeared from his Interface. Sadly, they had an outsider in their midst, so he had to be careful with words. ¡°You are right,¡± he finally said, breathing out heavily. ¡°Back. We go back. In a minute, I will highlight the surrounding Mana. Thompson, try to see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°That will give away our position?¡± the man asked, evidently fishing for more information. Zeph sighed again. Confirming something that the guy already suspected shouldn¡¯t be disastrous. If they were going to survive this ordeal, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to be sloppy. ¡°I will fire it at a distance. Hopefully, it will be a good bait. We need to see how the Manacaster reacted, either way. I want to believe that he didn¡¯t notice our sphere, but moving blindly will only put us in a bad position.¡± Both Makani and Thompson thought about it for a moment. As they started to crawl back, Zeph started constructing a Mana-L pipe. The same he used to funnel his coolant in the city for the first time. They didn¡¯t have time to make a distance from the ¡®drop point¡¯ of the pipe, so he would have to create some actively. ¡°Agreed. I can¡¯t hear much. We need to ascertain that we are safe,¡± Makani said. ¡°Just¡­ do it at least three boats away¡­¡± Thompson mumbled with dissatisfaction. Zeph nodded and put an explosive bead at the end of his stabilized Telekinetic construct. They were still crawling away, but the movement was slow enough for him to manage his Mana. Thankfully, they were on thick, naked roots right now, so he wasn¡¯t worried about leaving obvious tracks. The bead sneaked away, propelled by the construct. Zeph made sure, through sheer Willpower, that the pipe traveled close to the ground ¨C moving almost entirely horizontally. The bead had to be kept up and at an angle, but he covered it with enough Mana-L for it to be relatively stable. As long as the acceleration was kept constant, that is. He managed to move it almost 150 meters away, spending almost all of his saved-up Mana-L. Then, he pushed away the Force-Mana residing inside of the pipe by pushing with his Veil. That created a small cloud of Force-Magicules at the end of the pipe, but they were a part of the bait. Besides, those Magicules weren¡¯t connected to his Soul. As soon as he regained contact with the bead¡ªwhich meant that his stretched-out Veil reached its destination¡ªhe started the construction of Matrix Mana Highlight right there. It took almost a minute to form the Spell, mostly because he wasn¡¯t proficient in assisting Spell constructions at such distances and because he wanted to put as much Mana into it as possible. By the time he finished, they were already halfway behind a tree. ¡°Firing.¡± ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Thompson commented. In the next second, a wave of Will-Mana swept through the forest, dying it in a rainbow of colors. The Magicules in the forest were diverse and dense, to Zeph¡¯s surprise. But the dark, almost black, veins of Mana that the light show revealed quickly doused his amazement. There were dozens of them ¨C searching, slithering all around, but, thankfully, focusing mostly on the canopy. They didn¡¯t need Thompson¡¯s help to see them because the Magicules here were so abundant that any ¡®empty¡¯ space was directly visible by contrast alone. Zeph glanced at Makani. He and his passenger seemed mesmerized by the show, and pale as paper. More tendrils were visible at the boundary of the Mana Highlight¡¯s reach, creeping closer. The wave was exhausted, and darkness ensued. And that was when Zeph¡¯s consciousness wavered¡­ Chapter 105 - Clash of titans. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.08] Zeph started to hear unintelligible whispers, nagging him to do things. But each one spoke about a different possibility. The meaning hidden in their words was heavy, reverberating in his skull in a chaotic, mad dance. His vision started to swim. He had to drop to a knee to keep himself upright. I know those, he realized while trying to regain control over his body. Willforce Morphon was working overtime to keep him sane. It¡¯s the same as in that village¡­ But we are far from the coast? He shook his head to shove away the sudden resonance. What is going on? His sight darkened and doubled. One of the visions was still showing him the Mana tendrils despite the darkness that ensued. He tried to lift himself up but his body just spasmed instead, sending him down into the dirt. No, it¡¯s not time for this! We are going to be found¡ª ¡ªFOUND! An unspeakably terrifying premonition downed on him as he squirmed in the soil and fungi. His Soul started deforming and squeezing ¡®away¡¯ from the newly identified threat. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to perceive the source consciously, he could still feel his eternal part reacting to it violently. It was a reflex. A reflex so deeply integrated into his being that he wouldn¡¯t be able to even recognize it for what it was if not for Willforce Morphon magnifying the problem. That feeling¡­ He knew it well. Zeph and Aisha had killed one of them in the past. the Neth¡ª gah! He gritted his teeth and forced his Soul to stabilize, spending much too much of his Will on the task. What is happening to US?! Two of his teeth shattered as his jaw clenched down involuntarily. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Makani asked fearfully, looking at his twitching form with trepidation. Zeph could hear him clearly¡­ more clearly than ever before¡ª He snapped his eyes open just as he noticed that his consciousness was fading away. Gru was vibrating madly in alarm while trying to support him, but he wasn¡¯t even able to feel the effort. If this continues, he thought, we¡­ ARE¡­ TO VANQUISH! His body froze. The world seemed to pause. A small, white tetrahedron materialized between them and the enemy. The object looked as if someone simply painted it nonchalantly directly on the canvas of reality. It was perfectly visible, slowly rotating even, despite the absolute darkness that dominated the forest. And Zeph could feel the power emanating from it. An unspeakable potential that was absolutely alien to him. ¡°Fuc¡ª¡± he managed to voice before his mind gave way; the dam broke and fell. He could almost see as the stream of energy coming from his body and Soul to stabilize his mind started to dwindle¡­ The Willforce Morphon and Will were doing what they could to keep him intact¡­ but in the end, they failed. After a couple of seconds of struggle, they submitted TO¡­ THE DESCENT OF THE NETHER¡ª ========Adeptus Miu????val Vire???talo PoV======== =================[10 minutes ago]================ A chill ran down his spine, making him grimace. He knew that going here was a bad idea. Not because of the low Mana density, not at all. Even if it was restricting their abilities profoundly, the environment wasn¡¯t posing any real danger to them. Even if he had to constantly fight off the natural effect of Mana expansion to keep his Veil in a working condition, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop him from devastating the area. Quite the opposite ¨C it was the best place to train his external Mana manipulation and the best place to test his new, low-tier area Spells. If he was allowed to use them, at least. His stronger ones were enchanted onto his armor and weapons, at least. He would default to them if the need arose. No, it was because of the Onji that ruled those lands. No matter how many times the Towers tried to speak with it, there was not an ounce of logic in the mind of that Onji. It was, literally, a living tribute to the unintelligible and meaningless ¡®balance¡¯ that it was praying about. Stubborn and uncaring; the consequences of his actions be damned. A higher mind that has gone wrong. Not from too much pride or self-assurance¡ªthis time¡ªbut definitely from overreaching with their specialization. A bad spot on the fabric of eternity. One that would be erased by other Onjis in the next few thousand years¡­ Was his hope. He wondered how this being even managed to survive for more than the last thousand years. It was a farce. And yet, he was forced to enter his territory. Miraculously, the Onji didn¡¯t stop them at the premises. But the act was so much against the ¡®balance¡¯ mindset, that he was sure that they were missing something vital. Unfortunately, their team leader wasn¡¯t going to listen to him. The prick. He knew that this place wouldn¡¯t be trivial. The situation spelled troubles. What a disgrace. I shouldn¡¯t have spoken up, just bribe others to convince him, he thought bitterly, remembering the humiliation. Just because he is so high above the locals doesn¡¯t mean you can dive into the quicksand without preparation¡­ If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Sadly, he couldn¡¯t abandon the mission. It was do or don¡¯t for his planned marriage proposal. Without the connections to the lower strata, his chances were bleak. In his social circle, he had only five prospects. And only one was¡­ intellectually acceptable. It was a pain in his spine ever since he moved to the higher stratum - looking for a worthy bride. It was so much easier when I was younger, he sighed, reminiscing the good old times on the planet¡¯s surface. Life is never merciful for those climbing the power ladder¡­ ¡®They are close. Scan the environment, if you please.¡¯ He suddenly received a mechanically-sounding report from his teammate. The woman wasn¡¯t the worst possible partner¡ªsharing his fears about the Onji¡ªbut was acutely emotionless and untrustworthy. He was sure she would find a way to live through a thousand of his deaths if a simulation of a life-threatening situation was made. Well, most of the possible perilous cases would bide him¡ªthe Manacaster Adept¡ªan early demise, but that wasn¡¯t the point. His ilk needs to prepare, but a little support would have gone a long way in increasing his chances. On the other hand¡­ I am more impressed that she even reached level 100¡­ he thought while shaking his head. Auguring your life away is not something I would risk doing¡­ he ruminated while reshaping his Veil. The loss of Mana would be painful, but he could support the wide-area manual scan for an hour. Hours, if he wasn¡¯t pressed to cover a vast range. But they didn¡¯t have time for that ¨C he had killed enough stray cats already; it was time to find their quarry. Not even a few minutes into the task, he felt something strange. One of his tendrils almost dissipated on contact with¡­ Well, something that was hard to describe. The feedback from the interaction was scarce, for one. It was definitely something a unique species would develop. Maybe even something more. Immediately, he redirected his Veil¡¯s pseudopodia to the area where he felt the anomaly. He still wasn¡¯t using Spells, fearing the reaction of their host. If the damned Onji could even be called that¡­ he spat in his mind. Destroying the environment was a hard ¡®no¡¯ for that guy, after all. A moment later, the Ambient Mana density fluctuated wildly. His eyes widened. It came¡­ he realized. The hidden threat he was looking for in all this time. The thing that he feared. The ¡®reason¡¯ for the madman to let them into his turf. But the situation was worse than he had thought. For the Onjis¡¯ sake! he screamed internally, his eyes widening even more as a tetrahedron replaced a part of space before him. A cold flood of wind pushed against his Veil, telling him enough about the anomaly. ¡°Sarnia!¡± he screamed¡­ but he could tell that she was already running away. ¡°You J?vla Bikk¡ª" ¡ªTO FEED! an intrusive Soulmental signal interrupted him. Higher Ne¡ª was all he managed to form in his mind before a wave of Nether barreled over him, flailing his condensed Veil around as if it was a candle flame in a hurricane. The inanimate environment didn¡¯t seem to even notice the blast, but the trees started to wither away instantly, showering the area with dead needles. While activating all seven of his shielding enchantments, he pushed with his Willpower to gather his Mana near his body. A second later¡ªin the accompaniment of exploding threes and cacophony of breaking wood¡ªthe first shell took form. And instantly shattered, forced down by the forces produced by the being. He could see it now. A white dot in the black overlay of a miniature humanoid form. His eyes dilated ominously. Fy faaAEN! His Soul-bond medallion disintegrated, freeing him from the delusion. He immediately fell to his knees, redirecting his sight to the ground. The first phase of his chain-Spell started to take form as two new shielding constructs sprung to life, decimating the ground around them. He ejected his Veil out. In the blink of an eye, it traveled way behind the being, suffusing the area with his Mana. A technique only he knew how to execute safely. His eyes narrowed as he glanced up at the Nether manifestation floating before him. Let¡¯s see how you fare after that¡­ In no time at all, all the Mana and Magicules in the radius of three boats imploded, downing the already damaged trees. The forest started falling. The being wavered. He could feel as it fed on the Souls connected to the matter around. But without Mana, there would be no connection. He cursed the low density of Mana and the vast diversity of Magicules in the area. The move didn¡¯t recover even half of his original Veil. All of his shielding enchantment constructs were now formed, and his chain-Spell was nearing its finalization. That¡¯s when the first blast of pure Nether tried to penetrate his defenses. He sent his own, condensed pseudopod of Mana to redirect the attack. It was a waste, but no one had a direct counter for Nether. I am not¡­¡ªhe sent another one, trying to redirect another attack¡ªdying here! I will not, the words almost forced themselves into his mind, NOT¡­ fall¡­ no¡­ to¡­ YOUR SOUL! OUR ¡­ The space itself bulged under an enormous wave of gravity-attuned Magicules. The chain-Spell ignited. Powered by the quickly vaporizing Manasolid, it started expanding beyond its limits. The ground rose all around; the remnants of the trees flew into the night sky, forming a dome; The crack of thunder made him aware that the snow vaporized instantly. He could not see, but he could feel. The being lost its coherency. But a second later, the time seemed to slow down for him. Wooden shrapnel, grains of dirt, the fog ¨C everything paused midair as if waiting for something to happen¡­ Then, that very matter started to change and morph, forming the facsimiles of his past lovers, family, possible children¡­ The grotesque drawings scraped on his sanity. I WILL NOT! he screamed in his mind as the ¡®reality¡¯ around him warped. He sent Mana protrusions to ground itself, trying to feel the matter of the soil. Even if not literally, he was being removed from the physicality, so he had to retaliate fast. He started to form another Spell that would use the last blast. His position against his opponent was questionable from the start. In the first place, that was no being. It was an emanation. The forest was no more. The giant trees fell, leaving the two floating participants in the middle of a devastated stage of their own doing. Three more shields were left, so he started to construct an evacuation Spell while working on his final retribution. This wasn¡¯t an opponent he could hope to defeat, it seemed. To make the enemy busy, he formed six Mana protrusions and weaponized each with enchanted gear. Those were but simple crystals with Energy-reflecting properties, enchanted in a way that they could condense it into a blade-like form. He pushed them physically through Mana, and Mana-wise through the enchantments. He didn¡¯t use them for years, but he was scrambling for time right now. While others he used for distraction, two blades of crystallized Mana flew towards the white dot on the entity¡¯s body faster than any mundane projectile could ever achieve. The Spells propelling them were easy to form, but deadly efficient at the same time. The being didn¡¯t even try to deflect his blades ¨C it just formed a simple shielding construct. Made of Mana. He blinked in confusion. Netherbeings shouldn¡¯t be able to use Mana. But there was no time for idle thoughts. His simple weapons managed to penetrate the shielding and the white dot that he was aiming for, so he immediately sent along Beams of Concentrated Heat. They easily traveled through his Veil protrusions moving the weapons, directed by the Stabilization Magicules inside of them. The laser-like beams cut the living trees in the distance into pieces, leaving long, molted gashes on the ground. Though the energy was far too concentrated to put the wood on fire, it caused even more damage to the environment than the fire ever could. The white tetrahedron changed shape after the assault, looking more like a two-dimensional triangle while losing its brightness. The escape Spell was almost ready¡ª Without a warning, an impossibly intense pain plunged into the center of his consciousness. His Spells started dissipating as his vision turned white. He screamed like a madman as a part of his very Soul was being ripped awa-ayaaAaeaAAYYYEEESSS!@=== ==#==##=###### Zeph woke up with a gasp. The scream wasn¡¯t escaping his mouth no matter how much air he pumped out of his lungs. Fat droplets of sweat fell down as his torso rose from the bed. In a panic, his eyes darted around. Only to meet cold, snowy walls. He gulped breath after breath with great difficulty. His mouth and larynx were dry as paper. He wanted to find his spear, or any weapon at all, but he couldn¡¯t see clearly. ¡°Whoa, whoa! Calm down!¡± Makani exclaimed from his sitting position, raising his hands in a universal peace gesture. ¡°We are safe! Safe, you hear me?!¡± Zeph looked at him like the Manacaster was a madman. What he saw just a moment before was¡ª ¡°We are way away from that disaster,¡± Makani continued. ¡°Please stop looking at me like that. You are kind of scary¡­¡± ¡°Wha-¡° Zeph tried, only to reflexively lick his dry mouth. His mind started to stabilize quickly. His body wasn¡¯t. ¡°What happened?¡± he wheezed. If his arms weren¡¯t supporting his semi-sitting pose, they would be already searching for his armor and weapons. He was naked and lying in what could only be described as an earthly pit with soft soil inside. At least it¡¯s warm, he thought, trying hard to ignore the flashbacks from his death. He paused. From my¡­ what? he thought with terror and confusion. He slowly turned his eyes to Makani. ¡°What¡­ What happened?¡± Chapter 106 - Aftermath and speculations. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.09] Instead of answering immediately, Makani reached for the backpack lying near him and took out a small metal canister from between the clothes inside. Zeph noticed that the man''s eyes recovered quite splendidly, so he could tell that at least a few hours had passed. Before he lost consciousness, Makani could only recognize shapes even in the light. His head was still covered in bandages, but they seemed fresh. ¡°You need to drink and eat something before that,¡± he said, quickly walking closer. ¡°You had a high fever and was spasming constantly for hours. I had to take off your armor when parts of your body started swelling.¡± Zeph didn¡¯t argue. He was still confused and scared, but dehydration and hunger were of more immediate concern. He shuffled his body with difficulty to lean against the shallow walls of his earthy pit. He could feel pain radiating from every muscle and joint as he moved. If not for his heightened pain tolerance, he wouldn¡¯t be able to move at all. His naked skin was covered in brown dirt, sticking to him in wet clumps as it mixed with his sweat. ¡°Gru told me your body and Soul are overexerted,¡± Makani continued, passing him the small canister. Zeph had just enough strength in both his arms to lift it up. Inside, he found a warm broth. ¡°But I would rather hear it from you.¡± Zeph nodded and started taking small sips while concentrating inward. Gru was asleep; its form the same he knew, going by the empty spots in his body. His internal Mana circulation was more or less in order. Feeling his way deeper, his Soul also didn¡¯t seem to be damaged, but he lacked the precision in Soul perception to really take stock of its state. When doing this, though, he immediately noticed how weak his Will was. Looking at pending notifications in his Interface, he confirmed that he was suffering from Medium Will Depletion. It was actually less than he expected. Thankfully, nothing concerning his body or Soul showed up. He shoved away the ones describing his Skills¡¯ advancement and zeroed on the only two that stood out from the rest.
Warning! [Cohesive] [Soul fragment] of higher quality detected! Safe integration impossible! Integration process [Interrupted]! [Soul fragment] secured! Integration [Deferred] until conditions met! Calculating¡­ No damage to the [User] found!
[Fulfilled requirements] for [General Skill] [Survival] [Expansion] updated!
¡­I am really not sure what to think about that, he thought bitterly. It sounds as if¡­ He shook his head. ¡°Did Gru¡­¡± he wheezed out, ¡°say something about¡­ the last Soul fragment?¡± He quickly gulped another mouthful of the broth. His quickly-recovering throat took some damage from speaking too much. ¡°Hmmm, he was more descriptive about his efforts towards your body¡­ I think he mentioned something about an indigestible, stubborn piece of trash? He basically stopped working on it after that, if I understood his grumbling correctly.¡± Sounds about right¡­ So, that nightmare, it was¡­ a Soul memory? Of the deceased? he thought with a mix of anxiety and relief. No, not just any Soul memory. A memory from¡­ he glanced at the notification once again, cohesive Soul fragment of post-100 man¡­ Yeah, sharing Soul memories that way isn¡¯t¡­ doable, he concluded. Wait! He perked up suddenly, looking around with slight panic. All that talk reminded him that they shouldn¡¯t be alone. Where is¡ª ¡°Thompson bailed as soon as we cleared the forest. The few hours he had during the manhunt were enough for him to stabilize his body.¡± Zeph relaxed slightly and sent him a questioning look. ¡°Right. Well, let¡¯s start with what we know. Thompson actually shared some of his insights into the matter. A higher Netherbeing manifested back there. It seemed to have a mild interest in you, going by how you reacted to its presence. But, thankfully, it had a much more vested interest in the Manacaster that was pursuing us. What you were going through wasn¡¯t something Thompson knew much about, but it was a form of Soul attack. One that, supposedly, also influences the Will of the individual.¡± Zeph nodded. Resonation-type influence over Soul was something he knew very well from his past experiences with Gru. It was just a first time that something¡­ foreign tried to resonate with his Will. Actually, was it going for my Will directly? It felt more like¡­ a hallucination? Like it all started in my brain¡­ he pondered. A shame I couldn¡¯t feel that man¡¯s resources in that¡­ dream. He took a breath to center himself again. That nightmare, incomplete as it was, felt like something he experienced personally. If he understood the System notification correctly, that Soul memory wasn¡¯t available for him at the moment. But his brain was still trying to process what he saw. And because the experience did come from his Soul directly¡ªwhile his Will was weakened, at that¡ªthere was little distinction it could make to not treat it like reality. I wonder if that¡¯s how it feels to be Memory-imbalanced. Poor P¡¯pfel¡­ ¡°Anyway,¡± Makani continued, interrupting his musings, ¡°we weren¡¯t sure why it appeared with that timing, but¡­ I think that if it was trailing anyone there, your Mana Highlight probably gave it enough clue as to the exact location. You know, because it uses that contamination of yours¡­¡± Zeph could only shrug. He had no idea what the being was capable of. Was it hunting for Will or was it hunting for Souls? In the first place, his contamination produced something different from Will itself. Even if he ¨C most probably ¨C felt the being¡¯s presence back in that village, there was too much Soul fuckery going around for him to even guess what was really going on behind the scenes. ¡°After the first blast of the Nether, we were stripped of our Mana constructs and Veils. Even the enchantments in our gear stopped working for a time¡­ I am more impressed they weren¡¯t damaged¡­ or that our internal Mana managed to buffer the Nether¡­¡± Makani said while looking into a distance, shivering slightly. It was the first time he allowed his fear and confusion to show. ¡°Thompson panicked. He leaped out of the cradle and started to jump away as fast as he could¡­ I just started to follow him after lifting you up when an explosion happened¡­ Thankfully, that Manacaster was quite a ways away. His shielding construct just¡­ blasted everything nearby into scraps¡ª¡± he stopped suddenly, looking back at Zeph. ¡°We need to thank Ghrughah for that armor of yours. I am not sure what would have happened if¡­¡± Zeph stopped him with a gesture and signaled to go back on topic. He was mentally and physically tired. Dealing with side remarks could be left for later. ¡°Ahem, right. Well, for better or worse, that explosion caused enough push for me to capitalize on it¡­¡± seeing Zeph¡¯s skeptical gaze, he tried to correct himself. ¡°Hey! We may, or may not, have been sent airborne¡­ but I made sure we landed safely and at a good distance, understand?¡± Zeph shrugged again, making him sigh in defeat. ¡°Before the really powerful Spells started flying around, we had made enough distance¡­ barely. Thompson actually waited for us and even tried to help¡­ not like he could do much with one arm and one functional leg. At least he shared his thoughts with me. It seems that you being targeted by that Netherbeing alleviated his fears about Gru. To some degree.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t try¡ª¡± he coughed. ¡°Try to¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Makani shook his head. ¡°It seems he decided to play it honorably. If he hoped to settle the score with us, I¡¯d made certain that he understood it wasn¡¯t enough,¡± he looked at Zeph seriously. ¡°Whatever is going inside his head, you basically spared his life, and he knows it. Even if killing him could bring some problems your way, we had full right to do so.¡± ¡°How¡­ close we¡­ were to the¡­?¡± he changed topics. ¡°Too close. The two decimated the forest in at least four boats¡¯ radius and felled all the trees in twice that distance.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Zeph paled. He had no idea how they managed to survive that. ¡°We were running perpendicular to their line of fire,¡± Makani elaborated, understanding his confusion. ¡°After the first blast, we were already clear from the most devastating attacks¡­ Well, at least until that area Spell took place¡­¡± he muttered under his breath, making Zeph curious. Although, he had an idea of what he was talking about. ¡°They continued thrashing around for a while, too¡­ I am not sure if that man survived it, bu¡ª¡± ¡°Dead,¡± Zeph said with finality. Makani glanced at him with surprise. Then his pupils contracted as he realized what had happened. ¡°The last Soul fragment?¡± He nodded. ¡°Did you¡­ find out anything? Their purpose?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Mostly¡­ the fight¡­ not clear,¡± he explained with sparse words, trying his best to not overburden his vocal cords. ¡°Do you know their name? Their allegation?¡± ¡°Adeptus Miu-something¡­ Vire-something-talo¡­¡± he said, trying to remember the exact wording. That part of the memory was quite scrambled, though. Makani audibly sucked the air through his teeth, taking his attention back. ¡°This is bad¡­¡± the man mumbled. ¡°Really, really bad¡­¡± Zeph frowned, not understanding why it made any difference. ¡°Are you really this dense?¡± Makani asked after noticing his ignorance. Maybe even expecting it. ¡°He has an official Tower title and allegation to¡­ whatever that is. But it¡¯s sanctioned! That man was a higher-stratum Manacaster, a legit one.¡± Seeing his unimpressed stare, Makani threw his hands up in frustration. ¡°Oh, for Ojis¡¯ sake! We are neutral! The Towers are NEUTRAL! Do you know what that means politically? For the lower stratum to hire an Adeptus for some small squabble? Frix, he even died!¡± Makani exclaimed with realization, pausing for a moment. ¡°He died on a mission for a lower-stratum garbage¡­¡± his voice started to trail off. ¡°And we don¡¯t even know what they were hired for¡­ We can¡¯t accuse them of anything, they were just trailing Thompson!¡± He hid his face in his palms. ¡°But he died¡­ to a Netherbeing,¡± Zeph added helpfully. To his surprise, that made the Manacaster perk up. ¡°Right! Right¡­ Lurona should be safe¡­ If we play this correctly, they will just check the forest¡­¡± ¡°Stop scheming,¡± he grimaced. ¡°Go back¡­ to Lurona, first!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Aisha would know what to do! We need to inform the Towers! Discreetly¡­¡± the man misinterpreted. Zeph rolled his eyes. He wasn¡¯t going to correct him, though. He didn¡¯t have the strength to confront the panicking Manacaster. ¡°A little¡­ help?¡± he asked, bringing the man back from his mad mumbling to the reality of their situation. ¡°Food?¡± ~~~ It took them a good hour to sort Zeph out. Even after devouring half of their food rations, he didn¡¯t feel any better. He was so weak that he had to give away his Spear and backpack to Makani ¨C the combined weight of his armor and cloak was enough to make him struggle to move. His body wasn¡¯t regenerating as it should. If he was to compare, it felt as if his PEs weren¡¯t working at all. In other words, except for the Physical and Energy Enhancements present in his body, he felt just like an ordinary Earthling ¨C Zeph ¡®the¡¯ Einar ¨C that crossed the boundary between the worlds for the first time. The only real difference was the constant pain in his joints and muscles. If that¡¯s how the old people feel¡­ Maybe I should invest a little more into Regeneration¡­ he considered while trudging through the snow. Because he wasn¡¯t sure what was going on in his body, he decided against adding more points to Flexibility for now. He should have the time to deal with them later, and he would rather recover first. The sun somehow managed to pierce through the heavy clouds, basking the land in a weak but warm light that reflected from the spherical snowflakes dancing around. The visibility wasn¡¯t the best, but it played right into their hand; as was the strong, continental wind. The traces they were leaving behind would vanish in minutes in these conditions while not slowing them that much. They were going to be late for the Duel Tournament inauguration day, that was sure. Makani was positive that they should be able to return before the dawn of the following day, probably landing right at one or two bureaucratic issues, but they just couldn¡¯t muster any fucks to give. After the last brush with death, they just couldn¡¯t take the Tournament seriously. Even the consequences of all that happened here were more serious than the coming skirmishes. Theoretically, they could lose their lives in the Tournament, but it seemed so far-fetched after that one confrontation that their brains weren¡¯t even able to process that possibility. The desensitization in its fullest form. That¡¯s one of the reasons that they didn¡¯t hurry, saving their strength more than trying to be on time. Their pursuers were probably still looking for them in the civilization centers all around, but no matter how strong they were, it was impossible to track the two of them right now. And they should be in disarray after one of them fell in a sudden meeting with the Netherbeing of that level. As they slowly moved north, Zeph finally regained some measure of strength. Instead of spending it on carrying his belongings, he focused on the ¡®now¡¯ and reshuffled his Soul fragments distribution. He still had one level to go before reaching the overall level 50, but it wouldn¡¯t give him much edge in the Duels anyway. He was more concerned about overreaching ¨C the last Soul fragment from the Manacaster would surely put him above that level if he was able to absorb it. Besides, Gru was lagging in levels because of this excursion. As so, he gave his partner the major share to balance out their levels. He wouldn¡¯t be able to level for some time because of that, but he would rather play it safe in case his enemy died during the Tournament either way. They were planning to hide Gru¡¯s method of leveling up, after all. As so, 90% of the Soul fragments would now float directly to his partner in crime. It was the maximum he could set up. Adding the 5% that his Profession would take, he was going to level with half of the normal speed his Class would normally do. Well, ¡®normally¡¯ while taking into account his Space contamination, Generalist Class that required 18 level resets, and possessing a Soul-bond. Among other things. The ¡®natural¡¯ way was, indeed, at least an order of magnitude slower than with Gru¡¯s harvesting method. The exact parameters weren¡¯t clear to him yet, even if he made the math for the most important parts. It was because overhunting one species was detrimental to the leveling speed, too. The Soul fragments were retaining a lot of the race information. If it was redundant, the System was taking those parts while paying more UP in exchange. Zeph was still suffering from a strange tamer-specific mental backlash because of the amount of Soul fragments he received in the short time. Seeing the owl species as attractive or cute wasn¡¯t helping him in their hunts. At least, he got most of the Soul fragments from the hunting individuals, so he was also privy to their more predatory side. It was still a mystery for him, though, why the Manacaster¡¯s Soul fragment left him with such deep impressions while the animals only left¡­ familiarity with their behavior at best. He thought he knew why, but that Manacaster¡¯s Soul fragment was already stripped from any Will beforehand by Gru, so that theory was already incomplete. Whatever the reason was, he felt like he lacked a few basic Skills to even try to decipher the problem. ~~~ Gru woke up midway through their journey. Not without help, too. Zeph had spent quite an amount of his Mana to poke him into awareness. He tried to not abuse his Soul too much ¨C same as with his body ¨C so he opted for a more¡­ physical approach. Their conversation was short, though. Gru was on his last legs after their excursion and later fall-down. Zeph managed to extract more details about the offending Soul fragment from him, at least. From Gru¡¯s perspective, it was a combined effort of his ability and the System¡¯s authority. Before reaching them, the fragment they were going to receive was stripped from most loose parts by the being that... devoured the Manacaster¡¯s Soul. The details weren¡¯t clear. Gru just knew there was a connection with the man and that in case of his death, they should receive quite a treat. He leveraged that. But instead, he barely managed to steal one free-floating part as the Netherbeing ravaged the rest of the Soul. The System helped to deliver the part to them, but by the time the fragment was accessible, it became, quoting: ¡®hard as a stupid rock¡¯. That shed some more light onto Zeph¡¯s ¡®borrowed¡¯ memories but instead of feeling elated, he could only feel remorse. It was clear that the man¡¯s Soul was destroyed in its entirety. The memories he shared with the man only exaggerated how¡­ unacceptable that act was. It wasn¡¯t about pain, the man¡¯s identity, or even his actions. The man HAD an eternal part, and he had lost it, irrevocably. He HAD a chance for continued existence, and now he was perpetually gone. For eternity¡­ Even when coming from Earth ¨C where the beliefs of eternal life seemed more like a distant possibility than anything palpable ¨C he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of loss he now felt. He thought that he was ready for non-existence¡­ But he was not. ~~~ Makani changed clothes and entered the village. He was tasked with looking for any caravan that suited their timeframe. Zeph was waiting nearby in another, shallow burrow they had made. Makani¡¯s face was already covered in bandages, so all that was left to fully camouflage him was his height. But, sadly, both of them sported the same, short stature. It shouldn¡¯t pose much problem if he kept to the deep snow, though. It was hard to discern someone¡¯s real height if they were half-buried in a snowdrift. Zeph made sure Makani understood that. After receiving directions, Makani could just make a move directly on the caravan¡¯s leader without engaging with anyone else. If their pursuers were here, they shouldn¡¯t notice him at the beginning. Makani could just pay the person he asked for directions¡ªor anyone else, really¡ªto bring a message to the leader directly. They were paying, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Makani was skeptical at the beginning, but Zeph explained that even if the Manacaster could easily find an empty room in the building that a caravan leader occupied, open the window without making noise, and deal with the simple lock on the doors, it wouldn¡¯t end pleasantly. People like that ¨C the leaders of the groups ¨C would be the first targets to spy on. And their pursuers would think the same. Of course, there was no way one person could monitor so many targets. After the last-night fight, everyone wanted to leave the premises as soon as possible, which was the best outcome they could hope for. The commotion was visible long before they reached the vicinity of the settling. That didn¡¯t change the fact that he was extremely paranoid right now. Even if their enemies couldn¡¯t monitor so many individuals, he was sure other people would. He would rather not risk getting caught. Zeph hid near one of the underground chimneys on the outskirts, giving Makani enough reason to return to the place ¨C to warm himself up, and waited for him to return with new directions. He would join the ride midway to the next village. His armor was too conspicuous to even try to show himself. He would be out of commission for the rest of the ride, anyway, so bunking down in one of the wagons was his plan. They had enough money on themselves to convince the merchants that it was worth taking a stray in the middle of their journey. As for their story¡­ let¡¯s just say it was as convoluted as Makani¡¯s mind. At least he wasn¡¯t going to leverage his Blackwind Tower allegiance this time. Everything could be explained with magic, evidently. At least if someone had enough coin and an apocalyptic¡ªin the eyes of the masses¡ªevent that happened overnight. Makani showed up not even an hour later with the news. Strangely, the Custos Naturae wasn¡¯t angry ¨C at least according to the locals ¨C even though a huge part of the forest was destroyed. And the destruction act was visible from the ¡®nearby¡¯ villages. The dome of flying earth, debris, and giant trees was quite hard to miss when it wasn¡¯t snowing. The moon was as bright as ever that night and the tremors themselves were probably enough to wake anyone in the twenty-kilometer radius. Zeph passed Makani some simple stilts. He made them from ice and shrubbery as he waited for the Manacaster to come back. The constructs were easy to make with his Spells¡ªmostly because he didn¡¯t have to even try to freeze the water back¡ªand Makani could hide his ¡®feet¡¯ if he used an additional cloak. Zeph¡¯s body wasn¡¯t recovered yet, but he was sure a few hours in the freezing temperatures weren¡¯t enough to put his immunological system in jeopardy, so he handed him his own. It should be fine if he were to use one of the blankets as an improvised garment. More importantly, they were leaving no traces to follow. Even if they were detected, they would manage as long as they noticed soon enough. Makani didn¡¯t have the ability to hide his presence or even camouflage, so they had to play the game of intermediaries. But their presence in all the chaos that was happening would probably be lost. At least, that was the hope. Chapter 107 - Sneaking around, a surprise, and... who stole the plan?! The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.09] Zeph was observing a caravan from his sitting spot on a small hill. Sparse trees and bushes hid him from sight on all sides except directly from the road below. A heavy blanket of snow was covering everything ¨C even the pass was little more than a track of hard-packed snow. This exact road was rarely used in the past, but in the wake of the massive exodus caused by the commotion in the forest, the main road would soon be jammed. Not to mention, no one was keen to make a camp in a random field, away from villages. As so, most caravans were moving through less-frequented roads and settlements. It took him almost three hours to get here by foot, trudging through the snow-covered hills, but Makani had informed him that their ride wouldn¡¯t be moving for some hours still. He already changed his armor for simple winter clothes ¨C courtesy of Makani ¨C and covered most of his face with protective goggles and a scarf. His new, white cloak helped him stay warm despite the lack of any source of heat while he was waiting. Although, it was only possible because he could construct Heat Spells under it. As the sundown was approaching, the temperatures were getting painfully low. His spear and backpack were with Makani. His only baggage ¨C armor wrapped in a blanket and a simple sack ¨C was lying by the tree behind. I really hope we didn¡¯t get lost¡­ he thought ¡®loudly¡¯ with slight worry. The caravan was moving past fast and he still couldn¡¯t spot his ride. Gre! his companion shrugged mentally. Well, it would be a pain to explain it to Aisha¡­ Oh, there he is. He sighed with relief. One of the wagons moved to the side and started slowing down, disappearing further down the road. This happened sometimes when someone had to relieve themselves ¨C the wagon would catch up with the caravan and stay at the back. He did notice Makani sitting by the coachman, though. He quickly lifted his possessions and started to half-walk half-jump down the slope, maneuvering between the trees and snowdrifts. He decided against using stilts like Makani, mostly because he would have a hard time moving down. Waiting for him for too long was more conspicuous than his height, at least in his mind. By the time he reached the road, the last of the wagons moved past his position, leaving a cloud of white dust behind. His transport was standing on the side of the road a little further into the forest path. Makani stood right at the back of it and waved his hand as soon as he walked out of the bushes. As he trotted to the wagon, Makani opened the fabric flap at the back for him. They didn¡¯t waste time to speak and simply bumped their arms in a greeting before jumping inside. After securing the flap in place, cutting off the remnants of the daylight, Makani shouted to the driver that they were ready. The wagon started moving once again, quickly gaining speed. Makani started unfurling a thick, wool-like material from above, covering the back of the vehicle with an additional insulation layer. Meantime Zeph took a seat at a nearby crate and looked around. The place was cramped, but not overly so. Yellow, muted light from the phosphorescent lamp illuminated the interior. Crates were piled up all around them, covering the walls and blocking the way leading deeper into the vehicle. A few of them were left on the ground, probably to be used as furniture by the passengers. The ceiling was flat and made out of wood, which meant there was more cargo space above, as the wagon had an arched top covered in fabric. All of that left them with a few square meters of free space to work with, but it was enough for two adults to sleep comfortably side by side on the floor ¨C more than enough for people with their height. Zeph looked around and refrained from speaking until he felt the familiar sensation of Air Sphere brushing over his Veil. ¡°Finally,¡± he murmured while mass-producing Heat cantrips all around. He was sure Makani would isolate their part of the vehicle. Giving away that they were Manacasters wasn¡¯t in the plan. I swear, next time I will pack up a properly enchanted Heat plate! he thought with irritation while uncovering his face. Because his Primitive Enchanting was easy to recognize, he couldn¡¯t just make an imitation and pretend it was not just that. If someone asked him to lend it, or even just examined it closely, unwelcome questions would be quick to follow. Which only irritated him more. ¡°I was starting to worry there for a moment,¡± Makani said, giving last touches to the insulation layer. ¡°You certainly took your time.¡± ¡°I just wanted to stay out of sight, that¡¯s all.¡± He shrugged. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the settlements?¡± ¡°Strangely calm, despite what is happening,¡± he started while admiring his work and nodding to himself. ¡°Without any alarming signals coming from Custos Naturae, the locals didn¡¯t panic.¡± Zeph¡¯s stomach clenched when Makani mentioned the Onji¡¯s name, but he ignored it. The stress of the last few days was immense, so he wasn¡¯t that surprised at his body¡¯s reaction. For the first time in days, he felt like he was in a safe place, and he knew well that his body would need to work itself out of the state of high alert. Makani turned around and sat at a crate opposite Zeph. ¡°Some see the disturbance as a sign of greater changes approaching, so they opted to move to the city. At least for the winter. Most don¡¯t have enough money to do so, though, so they will wait until the announcement from the investigation team. Lurona should send one soon.¡± ¡°No rumors?¡± ¡°Certainly not about any expedition going into the forest. Our presence here is unknown, only people at the coast could tell, but¡­¡± Another pang of uneasiness made Zeph grimace. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just need some sleep¡­ I feel exhausted. Especially mentally.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You were saying?¡± Makani shook his head but dropped the topic. ¡°I will bring you a big dinner tomorrow. Anyway, our stalker and our stalker¡¯s stalkers came here undetected. People are more inclined to believe that it was some high-level beast coming down from the mountain than anything else. As for the ride, we are scheduled to arrive in Lurona around midnight tomorrow. We will only rest tonight, for about 6 hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast¡­ although we are moving down the slope¡­ Anything more I should know about?¡± ¡°Just that I will be staying here with you. We have some other passengers behind that improvised wall,¡± he said, pointing with his thumb at the wall of crates. ¡°Your presence is known, but it¡¯s best to keep quiet. I said you are just someone who leveraged an old favor from my family to move to the city, so we are¡ªsupposedly¡ªnot on the best terms. I am here to make sure you behave, not to make small talk, so let¡¯s keep quiet. Also, because we are strangers without any meaningful backing, it is expected that we will keep to our small room here and just wait until we arrive. I have paid quite a sum to the leader, though, so I can at least request some good food.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°What with my armor and where is the rest of my equipment?¡± ¡°You are sitting on it. The spear is in that long crate near the ceiling.¡± Makani pointed behind him. ¡°They will do a standard check on the cargo weight when we arrive, so we will have to take those crates with us. Also, stay in your current clothes for now. We have some kids in the caravan; they are sure to spy on everyone and everything when we stop for the night¡­¡± He paused and seemed to ponder over something for a moment. ¡°Actually, don¡¯t change until we arrive at the Guild. I would rather not leave any rumors behind, even in the city.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°Not going to flail your amulets around this time? Scared much?¡± ¡°You are the one to talk,¡± Makani grumbled angrily. ¡°Just do as I said. The fewer clues we will leave, the better our chances at coming out of this fiasco without a headache¡­ or worse. And make us some better stilts, preferably from wood this time.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Whatever you say, boss. I am going to sleep now, though,¡± he waved him away, standing up. They quickly made some room for the blankets and prepared for the night. Makani opted for a nap, too. He would be responsible for getting them more food during the stop, after all. Because Makani wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the warm air in place while asleep, he instead ventilated the room a little and deconstructed his stabilized Spells. The resulting temperature wasn¡¯t horrible. Definitely unpleasant, but their cloaks would be enough to mitigate that problem, as they were made to double as sleeping bags. Before allowing himself to fall into the blessed unconsciousness, Zeph decided to deal with the few free points he had to allocate. He still had an impression that his Passive Enhancements weren¡¯t working as they should, not to mention his body was still painfully reminding him just how badly it was hurt, but he only had 9 points to spend. And besides, the training Perk works best when you are unconscious, he thought merrily, changing the Perk to the Flexibility training and adding the points. [Table version:]
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Body fluidity auto-training
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 228
Flexibility 50 Memory 68
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 76
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 233 72 161
Mana Capacity: 1_543 1_531 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 207 166 41
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 14 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 35 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 2.97%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.12%, [Unknown] effects.
Oh shit! Oh no! he immediately panicked.
Congratulations! [Flexibility] [Passive Enhancement] milestones achieved! You gained one [Energy Enhancement] from [Flexibility] milestone!
He was so tired that he forgot one important fact. His Willforce Morphon was giving him an effective 20% to all ''physical'' PE. Thanks to that his Flexibility jumped not by 9, but by 10 points. Where are warning notifications when you need them?! he screamed internally just as a first wave of pain from his Soul arrived. Gah! Motherfucker, I knew it! He never felt anything when the milestone Energy Enhancements were applied. It was an almost instant process that was hard to notice without mastering internal Mana perception. Or Soul perception, for that matter. But with the current state of his Soul, his body, and his Will, he just knew some issues would surface. Because milestone Energy Enhancements were not only physically applied to his body. They were also being inscribed into his Soul. He could feel a numbing sensation rolling down his spine, just to spread to every corner of his body from there; eradicating his control over muscles; stealing their strength; and leaving him helpless and unmoving. His heart rate and respiration slowed down as his barely-recovered body was being stripped of resources. He longed for the darkness that was slowly consuming his consciousness, but it was not to be. The next wave of pain from his Soul would make him scream if his body wasn¡¯t in a catatonic state, but it surely left him fully awake. Meanwhile, his Will started depleting, again. He could feel Gru waiting patiently for the situation to unfold, and, at that moment, he hated him for that calm demeanor. No matter how right it was. His silent suffering lasted for a few more seconds before he was finally released from the clutches of the System¡¯s automatized enhancement process. Instantly, his battered mind fell into the¡ªseemingly his preferred¡ªstate of unconsciousness¡­ ~~~ He knew he was waking up the moment he finally noticed that his surroundings didn¡¯t make much sense. Not only the surroundings¡­ but the logic of the world by itself ¨C as he understood in a moment of a brilliant inspiration that illuminated the soil around. The Netherbeing shouldn¡¯t be speaking, the Adeptus shouldn¡¯t look like a rabbit, and he himself¡­ definitely shouldn¡¯t be able to dive underground as if it was water. Opening one eye, he was ready for any warning notifications and any form of pain. At the same time, he tried to get rid of the remnants of the dream from his memory. It wasn¡¯t a nightmare, not really. But he would be glad to forget all about it from sheer embarrassment. He never expected that his mind could produce such foul pictures and scenarios by itself. After a moment of stillness, he blinked and opened his eyes fully in confusion. There was nothing. No pain, no notifications, no screams. Just a dark ceiling and an almost-dead phosphorescent lamp. Hoh, that¡¯s a first. Did I manage to break my bad karma finally? he thought mirthfully. His body relaxed as he looked at the exit. A white dot, drown on the canvas of reality, somewhere behind the fabric flap of the wagon, is what he saw. Panicking, he tried to stand up and move away, but after looking back, the dot was gone. His panic didn¡¯t subside, though, as he pressed his back against the crates with enough force to move them. His eyes were scanning the surroundings wildly, trying to find the enemy. Gru woke up with a start, receiving Zeph¡¯s internal scream unfiltered. ¡°What in the Chasem?!¡± came a startled shout from behind the wall of crates in an accompaniment of muffled gasps. The man¡¯s voice quickly changed the tone, though. ¡°We are trying to rest here, you idiot!¡± The man pushed from the other side, moving the crates back and making Zeph stumble forward. He got down on all fours. His breath slowly stabilized as he tried to calm down, Gru using a weak resonation to help him with that after confirming that they were safe. ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± he mumbled to himself, rasping for air. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling. It was similar to his auguring bad premonitions, but it was more visceral. Less substantial. More physical. Or maybe just.. more mental¡­ he thought, looking around once more. There was nothing of note, though. Am I¡­ traumatized? Or am I¡­ going mad? he asked himself with trepidation. After entering this world, after receiving the full physical recovery and a partial Soul fix, hallucinating after waking up had never happened. There was never a moment of confusion after he felt fully awake. The flap on the back wall suddenly opened, letting in some light from the fires and showing Makani¡¯s face. ¡°Everything¡¯s alright?¡± He took a deep breath. It seemed that no one else saw what he saw, so it had to be a product of his mind. But that fact didn¡¯t make him any more comfortable. ¡°Yea¡­ just¡­ a bad dream,¡± he said, glancing at Makani from his kneeling position. The man shot a glance at the wall of crates with a questioning look. Zeph shook his head slightly. But Makani still seemed worried. ¡°I will be right back,¡± he said, turning away. The fabric fell down, cutting off the light. Zeph slowly sat on the floor, massaging his face. After another pang of anxiety, he decided he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. System, we have a situation, he sent through the Shrine Seed, using his Soul-memory sharing technique. This time, the System answered almost immediately.
Yes¡­ It seems our buzzer is working just fine. What forced you to contact us this time, [Zeph Einar]? We surely hope you aren¡¯t abusing your privileges. The [punishment] awaits.
Stop with the creepy wording. Your subsystem isolated the Soul fragment we took from the post-100 Manacaster. You are aware of that?
We sure are.
Is there anything wrong with it? Why is it in that state?
That fragment possesses the [Soul nucleus]. In other words, the true information of all past lives of that individual. We prioritize the transfer of such fragments in an emergency. If it manages to condense, at least. You won¡¯t be able to use it fully. Only the remnants from this man¡¯s current life can be processed for your use, but you will need to go past the hundredth Soul escalation to receive that.
I know that already¡­ Zeph sent, reading the message a few more times. The wording seemed clear, but it lacked any additional information connected to it, which was a little strange. In the end, he sighed with relief. It seemed that not all was lost of that Manacaster. Then he shook his head. That doesn¡¯t answer my question. Why is it in that state? It arrived like that to us. And I know we can integrate post-100 Soul fragments safely!
And it shouldn¡¯t. Unless you want to diminish the value of what you have done.
Why do I feel like you are creepier than normally?... No, wait, don¡¯t answer that. Zeph sent after realizing that it was about their deal and the Universal Points. Most probably. The notifications were stripped of any additional information, so it had to be it and he just wasn¡¯t mentally prepared for the System to work in his interest. Can I send you a ¡®full Soul-memory¡¯ of what happened, and is happening, through the Shrine Seed?
Is that really necessary? We received the most important data already.
It¡¯s for me, not for you. He spat mentally. Explaining it would take too long, just allow it already!
¡­ [Bandwidth] [Designation: ¡°ZEH1¡±] is open.
He could feel a weak Soul-bond forming, the same as the last time. He didn¡¯t wait and just sent the whole of his experiences through it without care. The System could sort them chronologically himself. Also, Zeph never had time to really think about his plans when in the woods, so it should be safe as far as protecting his personal information goes. Zeph would rather make the System see the full scope of the problem, too, so sending him everything was in his best interest. If there was any problem at all, that is.
¡­ [Bandwidth] [Designation: ¡°ZEH1¡±] is closed. Calculating¡­
Zeph took another deep breath. He really hoped that he wouldn¡¯t be left alone with this¡­ issue. The System was the best source of knowledge. If that didn¡¯t work¡­
Calculations complete! [User] capacity improved. Updating [Safety protocol] [Designation: ¡°ZEH1¡±] to [version 3.1.0]¡­ [Mental trigger] implemented successfully! We suggest taking an [Advanced memory scan] at your discretion at our [Shrine].
So, it was a problem, he thought depressingly, then waited for more notifications. After a few seconds, he frowned. Hey¡­ he sent, tapping his foot on the floor. What did you implement? And where are the rewards?
We are sorry. Those memories cannot be rewarded.
What the fuck do you mean?
Your major commissions for this and the next year are declared as [fulfilled].
Hey! Answer me!
Please visit our [Shrine] at your convenience.
The bond broke, leaving him alone in the darkness of the cabin. Only the gray notification still floated in his view. He tried to connect to the Shrine Seed once again, but it was inert. ¡°Why?¡± he whispered in disbelief. ¡°And what the fuck is this ¡®Mental trigger¡¯?¡± Chapter 108 - A lot have happened, but we are home. Almost. The High Peak of Brenn [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.10] A few minutes later, Makani returned with a big pot of fresh stew and a charged-up phosphorescent lamp. He put them inside before jumping in and sealing the exit. The tempting smell of good-quality food was too much for Zeph. Without waiting for the Manacaster, he quickly assembled an improvised table using loose crates and moved the pot. With the ferocity of a man wanting to drown all of his sorrows in calories, he started devouring the delicious contents with an oversized spoon that came with the pot. He ignored the fat drops of stew traveling down his beard, prioritizing speed over manners and appearance. After securing both layers of protection on the exit, Makani brought another crate to sit down. He didn¡¯t speak, only observing Zeph with worry in his eyes. It took a few long minutes for Zeph¡¯s body to start reacting to the food. Nonetheless, he soon felt the effects of the first wave of nutriments hitting his bloodstream. His body relaxed, focusing on the tall order of restoring its resources instead of listening to his stressed-out brain. Zeph slowed down, taking a few last spoonfuls of the food, before throwing the spoon back into the half-empty pot and hiding his face in his hand while putting his elbows on the table for stability. He would have to wait for his stomach to digest some of the food before continuing. ¡°Sooo¡­ Care to share?¡± Makani asked tentatively. Zeph didn¡¯t even notice when the man set up his Spells. ¡°I¡­ I need to visit the Shrine first thing after returning,¡± he said, not looking up. ¡°Is that your own initiative, or¡­¡± Makani asked, leaving the obvious unspoken. ¡°I think that I saw it again after waking up¡­ The thing from the forest. The only comment I¡¯ve gotten back is that I should visit the Shrine.¡± He looked up with tired eyes. Makani nodded resolutely. ¡°No problem here. And a good idea, seeing as it had some interest in you. We will go there together,¡± he said, raising his hand before Zeph could argue. ¡°I require some explanations, too. The situation was as strange and dangerous as it could realistically get. A full check-up and an update on what possibly happened is due,¡± he said seriously. Zeph looked down, massaging his forehead. ¡°Yeah¡­ Even if it¡¯s impossible to detect Netherlings, it would be better to check for anything else¡­¡± he looked up with sorrowful eyes. ¡°I am sorry. Really sorry. Now you have to worry about being infected, too.¡± Makani only laughed hearing that, surprising him. ¡°Hah, don¡¯t be stupid! Do you really think it¡¯s in any way your fault?¡± he asked with mirth. ¡°Even if you lured that Netherbeing somehow, I was the one who brought you there in the first place. My chances of meeting one were always high, and the chance of becoming infected by Netherling even higher, so it just doesn¡¯t make sense for you to worry about it,¡± he said with disarming honesty. ¡°And we shouldn¡¯t forget that you were here on the mission for the Custos Naturae¡¯s case, organized by the System Onji,¡± he said more sternly. ¡°I knew about that from the beginning and it didn¡¯t seem like a problem, but¡­¡± Zeph looked at him with worry. ¡°You think that¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Makani answered immediately, nodding, even before he finished the question. ¡°No matter how chaotic the situation was, it definitely had something to do with the Onjis.¡± He shook his head depressingly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to just sit silently when it¡¯s clear that we got mixed up with their affairs and almost died for it. From my point of view, the responsibility is on their side, even if we don¡¯t know what exactly occurred.¡± Zeph nodded in understanding. To say that this mission became suspicious was an understatement. ¡°After we arrive, we should send a messenger to the Guild. To update our status,¡± he proposed. ¡°Definitely. They should organize our transport from the Shrine to the Tournament location, too,¡± Makani agreed immediately. ¡°Now, eat and get some more sleep. I will keep watch until we move away from this area.¡± He nodded with appreciation. ¡°Thanks.¡± It took him another hour to sort himself out. Cleaning his facial hair was a pain because he couldn¡¯t use much water inside, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to complain about that. After lying down, he called up the list of changes to his Interface to distract himself as his body was settling down. It was a summary of everything he had achieved after the visit to the village with the mysteriously sick woman and daughter. It happened merely a few days ago, but he felt as if weeks passed instead. Looking at it, he wasn¡¯t overly excited, though. Those numbers only traced his progress, and most of it came naturally with his rising PE, or from the simple fact that he visited a new environment and tested his abilities in real combat there. For example, almost all of his Spells saw some progress, but the truth of the matter was that he was just getting faster at helping the Matrices during Spell construction without getting any closer to constructing them independently ¨C the new Tier 1 Spells were still out of his gasp. Only Electrify cantrip saw any true progress in that regard, and that¡¯s only because he had been training to manually power the Discharge enchantment placed on his spear.
Congratulations! [Class] [Skills] leveled up: [Electrify] [Spell] is now [T0][L57]! (+56) [Lesser Ignite] [Spell] is now [T1][L65]! (+5) [Lesser Condense water] [Spell] is now [T1][L65]! (+15) [Lesser Sound detect] [Spell] is now [T1][L55]! (+4) [Lesser Telekinesis] [Spell] is now [T1][L95]! (+10) [Stabilize] [Spell] is now [T1][L72]! (+35) [Primitive life detection] [Spell] is now [T1][L61]! (+8) [Lesser Life detection] [Spell] is now [T2][L16]! (+4) [Lesser Tremor detect.] [Spell] is now [T1][L6]! (+5) [Lesser Magnetic scan] [Spell] is now [T1][L39]! (+2) [Lesser Force weave] [Spell] is now [T1][L32]! (+30) [Lesser Mana beam] [Spell] is now [T1][L97]! (+15) [Lesser Mana bomb] [Spell] is now [T1][L42]! (+41) Congratulations! [Profession] [Skills] leveled up: [Mana Highlight [Spell]] [Spell] is now [T1][L58]! (+7) [Lesser Light [P.S.S.]] [Spell] is now [T1][L59]! (+7) [Flashlight [Spell]] [Spell] is now [T1][L63]! (+2)
It was a technicality. This progress. Greater Willpower and his expanding pool of Will directly enhanced the Will-Powered Mana manipulation, the very method he was abusing to manipulate Mana externally. The true gain lay in the fact that he got a much better feel for all of his combat Spells and got better acquainted with their shapes and possible forms ¨C as evidenced by a few that leveled up extensively. Testing them in real combat seemed to be the key to proving one¡¯s mastery and even Stabilize didn¡¯t escape that rule ¨C even though all he did was find new applications for the Mana-L that it produced. Actually, I should¡¯ve added my new Enchanting ¡®Spell frameworks¡¯ to the active Skills. ¡®Life Energy¡¯ shaping and ¡®Lesser Shamanic Enchanting¡¯ could¡¯ve come in handy¡­ if I knew how to use them, at least, he thought and shrugged. Looking at his available Matrix space, he saw that he could add them all immediately. [Table version:]
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Body fluidity auto-training
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 228
Flexibility 50 Memory 68
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 76
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 233 72 161
Mana Capacity: 1_543 1_531 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 207 166 41
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 14 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 35 0 9
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 3.00%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.18%, [Unknown] effects.
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 57 0.66 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 65 0.49 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 65 1.5 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 55 1.19 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 95 2.20 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 72 0.88 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 61 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 16 1.07 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s/mod varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 6 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 39 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 32 0.42 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 97 9.87 [6.1] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 42 3.2 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 58 41 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 59 0.71 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 63 0.26 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 41 0.3 s 10 M - 2
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
Hmmm¡­ I still have a few more options for combat Spells. All those mastered cantrips unlocked some interesting options and now I have enough Mana capacity to actually test them, he thought, debating his choices. Nah¡­ There won¡¯t be any time for testing until the end of the Tournament. I would rather slot in something useful. In the end, he decided to leave the list as it was. The free Matrix space could be useful in the future but first, he had to take stock of his available Skills and Spells. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. His growth in General Skills also wasn¡¯t exciting. Besides the few that had risen drastically from their close calls, only his spear fighting style and Mana masking found true, decent growth.
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Corora lifeforms] is now [T1][L55]! (+19) [Corora herbarium] is now [T1][L16]! (+3) [Mixed Enchanting Arts] is now [T2][L35]! (+4) [Explosives] is now [T1][L99]! (+1) [Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1)] is now [T2][L71]! (+21) [Close combat (Mima)] is now [T1][L55]! (+3) [[Enchanted] [Module]] is now [T3][L4]! (+3) [Resonation Suppression] is now [T2][L44]! (+37) [Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli] is now [T2][L45]! (+32) [Will] is now [T2][L77]! (+2) [Will manipulation] is now [T2][L89]! (+2) [W.P. Mana manip.] is now [T2][L82]! (+2) [W.P. Soul manipulation] is now [T2][L20]! (+5) [W.P. Soul perception] is now [T2][L72]! (+2) [W.P. Soul whack] is now [T2][L49]! (+1) [W.P. Soul Memory access sharing] is now [T3][L20]! (+2) [Soul] is now [T1][L75]! (+4) [Ambient Mana] is now [T1][L82]! (+2) [Mana manipulation] is now [T1][L49]! (+1) [Mana perception] is now [T2][L17]! (+2) [Mana rupture] is now [T1][L17]! (+1) [Mana masking] is now [T2][L15]! (+12) [Life Energy] is now [T1][L41]! (+2)
It was nice to advance, but definitely nothing groundbreaking happened overall. He was sure that he had the basics down by now, though. He felt comfortable with his armor, spear, and their enchantments. His offensive and defensive Spells were trained enough for him to use them instinctively. He was as ready for the Duels as he would ever be. Scanning the Interface, he took note of the changes. A few of his General Skills were close to reaching Tier 2 Level 50. He had some hopes for new stuff occurring at those milestones. [Table version:]
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 13 Knowledge [523] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 92 Knowledge [93] Mana /s
Corora lifeforms 1 55 Knowledge [56] Mana /s
Corora herbarium 1 16 Knowledge [17] Mana /s
Survival 1 100 Knowledge [101] Mana /s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana /s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana /s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 35 Crafting [351] Mana /s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 34 Science arts [35] Mana /s
Explosives 1 99 Crafting [100] Mana /s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana /s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana /s
Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1) 2 71 Martial arts [660.6] Mana /s
Close combat (Mima) 1 55 Martial arts [56] Mana /s
[Enchanted] [Module] 3 4 Technique [334] Mana /s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
Resonation Suppression 2 44 Technique [428.4] Mana /s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 45 Martial arts [437] Mana /s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 77 Knowledge [712.2] Mana /s
Will manipulation 2 89 Knowledge [815.4] Mana /s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 82 Knowledge [755.2] Mana /s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 20 Knowledge [222] Mana /s
W.P. Soul perception 2 72 Knowledge [669.2] Mana /s
W.P. Soul whack 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 20 Technique [670] Mana /s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 75 Knowledge [76] Mana /s
Ambient Mana 1 82 Knowledge [83] Mana /s
A. Mana channeling 2 1 Knowledge [58.6] Mana /s
Mana manipulation 1 49 Knowledge [50] Mana /s
Mana perception 2 17 Knowledge [196.2] Mana /s
Mana rupture 1 17 Technique [18] Mana /s
Mana masking 2 15 Technique [179] Mana /s
Life Energy 1 41 Knowledge [42] Mana /s
Finally, he checked his new Energy Enhancement. It was one of the things he came here for and, thankfully, he managed to pull it off. [Table version:]
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
Mana-shaping internal amplifier [Flexibility Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Intercellular network of micro-matrices. Enhances accuracy of neural activity. Passively links Mana control to the body movements and state. Enhances Mana shaping in all forms if used alongside physical exercise. Those effects can be internalized, disabled, or amplified.
Yep, just as advertised, he thought, reading¡ªas well as reading, although there wasn¡¯t much underlying information¡ªinto the description. The Mana manipulation part was nice and all, but what he wanted were the neural and physical properties of that EE. The latter wasn¡¯t obvious, but better microcirculation of Mana would strengthen the effects that all physical PE had on a body while simultaneously giving the user more control over those same effects. It had a subtle, but very important impact; at least according to Aisha. He dismissed everything and started to imagine dueling with different opponents, planning and evaluating possible scenarios. It was a form of mind training, something he rarely had time to do lately. And this time wasn¡¯t that different ¨C before long, sleep took his thoughts away. ~~~ He woke up an unknown amount of time later. It was difficult to say how many hours passed, but Makani was fast asleep in a sitting position by the wall of crates. The pot disappeared, but a small stack of wood and a pile of meaty snacks were lying nearby. Not wanting to waste time¡ªor worse, allow his mind to wander¡ªZeph decided to craft those promised stilts. After thinking about it for a moment, looking at the random assortment of sticks and small logs, he came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to hide the stilts in the city. In the more-frequented places, the snow would be either packed into a solid surface or just absent. So instead, he decided to just make them thick soles. If they tied them up to their boots with fabric, while covering the wood, it would just look like cheap footwear for harsh winter weather. And harsh it was ¨C Zeph could not only hear the turbulent winds whistling outside, but even felt a weak draft of the freezingly cold air sneaking through their cabin. While working, using Grinding Spell with optimized Force-Magicules to shape the wood, he wondered if he shouldn¡¯t train something in the time they had. His Flexibility-training Perk was still active, but Zeph couldn¡¯t tell what it was doing. Differently from the Power-training Perk, this one didn¡¯t have the immediately visible side effects. Or maybe it has. I am barely moving around. It¡¯s hard to notice a difference if I am not actively looking for it. Also, it¡¯s not like 10 Flexibility is that much at this point¡­ he paused at a sudden thought. Right! Flexibility training! That¡¯s a good idea, he decided, returning to his sculpting exercise. What was it again? he wondered, glancing at the Interface. Internalize, disable, amplify¡­ The instructions aren¡¯t clear, but those are probably advanced techniques anyway. I should get accustomed first, anyway. With the plan set, he focused on finishing his current labor quickly. ~~~ The day passed without incidents. Zeph¡¯s training was interrupted two times by his hunger and subsequent naps, but he managed to get a feel for his new EE. It was just enough for him to be comfortable with it working in the background. He did have to do a lot of stretching, though, to make sure how his body changed. All in all, it seemed that the auto-training brought some fruit because he intuitively knew when to stop and when it was possible to stretch a little harder. He also had a feel for what would damage his body in a more dynamic setting ¨C those limits were pushed further away for sure. His internal Mana manipulation and perception also saw some major improvements. He was still very far from what he should be able to do, but he no longer felt like an invalid. There wasn¡¯t much he could do with his new proficiency, though. Makani was asleep most of the time, only waking up during the short breaks the caravan was making. The bad weather prevented anyone from using the wildscape bathroom, so the caravan had to regularly stop when encountering better-sheltered areas. After some time and another session of ¡®yoga meditation¡¯, Zeph suddenly realized that they had arrived in the city. The caravan wasn¡¯t stopped at the walls, for some reason, but the ride became smooth and he could feel the difference in Ambient Mana. It was impossible to not notice the increased density and chaotic flow after spending almost a week in much calmer places. So that is their version of population centers¡¯ pollution, huh, he mused, moving to the back of the vehicle. He opened the flaps slightly to peer outside. They arrived in the dead of the night. There was almost no traffic; the city was dark and silent. At least the wind became tolerable. Zeph closed the flaps and woke up Makani. Without speaking much, they started preparing for disembarking. The few crates with their belongings were put close to the exit, their simple bags packed, and fake soles tied. It didn¡¯t take long for the caravan to arrive at one of the local marketplaces. In the accompaniment of hushed conversations and silent laughter, people started leaving their vehicles and organizing their cargo. Zeph and Makani also jumped out, landing on the packed snow covering the plaza. Looking around, Zeph was reminded of the atmosphere at the train stations during late-night arrivals ¨C a somehow subdued excitement filled the air as people silently celebrated the end of a long journey. Despite the late hour, a long line of carriages and coaches for hire waited on one side of the plaza. Groups of people were already walking there unhurriedly. Not waiting any longer, they put down their crates and waited for the wagon¡¯s weight check. The coachman wasn¡¯t interested in his passengers and allowed everyone to leave as soon as it was done. As awkward as it was, they carried the four crates to the nearest coach that looked free and quickly paid for the ride to the Shrine. ~~~ ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need me to take those?¡± their coachman asked, putting the last of the crates on the floor. They were in a leisure room near the entrances to the Shrine, as per instructions from the System¡¯s terminals. They wouldn¡¯t be taking their gear when visiting higher floors, but they would need the room to change clothes afterward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Someone will take them from us first thing in the morning. As long as you deliver my letter, that is,¡± Makani said seriously. Said letter was, of course, encrypted. ¡°Haha, after you paid this much, my company would skin me alive if I failed a task this simple.¡± He waved them and started walking away. ¡°I will leave you to your devices, then. Have a nice day!¡± ¡°For you too,¡± Zeph replied, looking as the triangular doors slid closed behind the man. ¡°Where to?¡± Makani asked. ¡°Thirtieth floor, isolation room. It shouldn¡¯t take more than two hours. You?¡± ¡°Conversation room at seventh. Check on me when you finish. I expect your presence would be required.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°Shure thing,¡± Zeph nodded and turned to the doors with a heavy sensation in his stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Chapter 109 - Of health, truth, and… home. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] A long, slightly slopped passageway was leading to the isolation room. It had three doors that were opening one at a time, like in a double decontamination chamber. Recessed shelves dotted the walls in the first part of the passage and he left all his clothes, amulets, and other belongings there, as per instructions. Walking to the second chamber, he immediately felt the difference in Ambient Mana density. As he waited for the last doors to open, the density rose to the levels just below his current tolerance and, a few seconds later, the doors to the room opened. It was small and empty. No decorations or furniture were present to cover the smooth, black walls that were forming a dome. The dim light seemed to come from the whole floor ¨C as if it was the surface of a gigantic computer screen that was turned on but only displayed a black wallpaper. The air and Mana were still. Unnaturally so. In some strange way, the room resembled an anechoic chamber, just built with the Mana in mind. He walked to the center and sat down with crossed legs. A notification opened with new instructions. It was a long list that started with simple tasks ¨C like stilling the flow of Mana in his body and Veil, powering the enchantment on the floor to empty his internal Mana reserves, and so on. But the further he read, the stranger the instructions were becoming. At some point, he was required to just react to the sensual stimuli while limiting, as much as possible, all metal-stabilization effects he possessed ¨C Will and Willforce Morphon standing proudly at the top of possible interferences. He sighed after realizing it was as much a physical test, as it was a psychological one. Which meant, it would probably take much longer than two hours. Nonetheless, he focused and started with the first part, determined to follow the instructions as closely as he could. ~~~
That would be all. Only expected issues were detected. Functionality of [Shrine Seed] restored.
An uncertain time later, the System sent him in a direct message while closing the Soul connection they used for the latest test. Zeph sighed in relief. The exercises and tests weren¡¯t difficult, but he was still under a lot of stress and felt mentally exhausted. The uncertainty of his situation wasn¡¯t helping. The fact the System started to communicate directly again was a good sign, though. ¡°So, what was all that about? You could have been more informative¡­¡±
Not before making sure. We would rather not disclose anything to our enemy in case you were compromised. The offending [Soul fragment], and your being as a whole, don¡¯t seem to be connected to anything external. You are safe.
As much as that information calmed him down, he still had some questions and doubts. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t detect Netherlings, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked skeptically.
That is correct. We aren¡¯t able to check if you are infected with one. But that is not important currently ¨C we calculated the risks long ago and made our decisions. The higher-quality [Cohesive] [Soul fragment] posed a problem. It was already partially integrated into your [Soul]. Removing it for safekeeping would damage you. All the same, we had to make sure it wasn¡¯t tinkered with. As for [Netherlings], they cannot be implanted into higher-quality [Souls]. It would be first such case. Only fully-developed [Netherbeings] can influence so advanced [Souls]. And those changes are detectable. From our inspection, that [Soul fragment] is safe. For that matter, your whole body and [Soul] are free from external manipulation. No energy traces suggest any form of tracking or connection.
¡°Next time, take something like that Soul fragment for yourself and pay me in normal ones,¡± he said, massaging his temples. A slight headache developed over the course of his time in the room. ¡°Especially because the thing is clearly dangerous.¡±
We certainly would if that was possible. Or did you manage to forget what the situation looked like at the time? [Soul nucleus] isn¡¯t dangerous by itself.
¡°Yeah, sure¡­¡± He squinted at the message. ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®higher-quality¡¯ and ¡®cohesive¡¯, though? How much do you want for the information on its state? I should be able to integrate it.¡±
That knowledge would cost you nothing. (You Are Welcome!)
Zeph¡¯s eyebrows raised at that¡­
But the boon we prepared for your [Level] [100] [Class] specialization as a reward for saving this [Soul] would take a hit should you choose to take the knowledge.
¡­And quickly came down into a deep frown. ¡°Why?¡±
We deemed it wasteful and unnecessary for you to pay for it. The [Garuan] is already close to understanding the situation. It would be more profitable for everyone if you were to discover it by yourself.
He didn¡¯t have anything to say to that.
Allow us to return to more pressing matters. [Zeph Einar], holder of [Greater Willpower], don¡¯t you understand what [Will] is?
The message was oozing with disappointment and scorn. Zeph grimaced, expecting an earful.
It seems to us that you forgot, so we will remind you. As an intelligent species that achieved full sapience, the [Will] that you produce mirrors your life experiences and your convictions. It¡¯s modulating not only how your brain works, reacts, and influences memories in your [Soul] ¨C it¡¯s majorly responsible for the decisions you make as a person. It represents your personality; your ego. So, pray tell us, why are you so eager to corrupt it?
Zeph sat there in silence and shame, already suspecting why the System was angry with him.
Depleting your [Will] to influence physicality is very commendable. Especially when you do that in self-defense. With your [Full-body Modification], you can do it as much as you like. Go ahead and spend it all. But, for the love of the universe, why are you allowing it to recover actively by using your unstable mind and weakened [Soul]? Was the description of [Willforce Morphon] not clear? Your body and [Soul] are to be regenerated and rested, first and foremost! Not to mention, your [Will] was touched by the [Neterbeing]. You resonated with it. Don¡¯t you think it would be prudent to try to stabilize it first and make sure the being didn¡¯t leave any lasting effect on it?
¡°Wait, wait, wait! How am I even to do that? And Willforce Morphon shouldn¡¯t work when my resources aren¡¯t full,¡± he exclaimed indignantly. The System flipped an imaginary table.
You do it all the time, fool. Just redirect the functionality of [Willforce] particles. And deal with your [Will] yourself, we aren¡¯t capable of monitoring it! The [Full-body Modification] would only stop if your [Soul] or body were [damaged]. Do you have any damage?
He paused and slowly closed his mouth.
[Willforce Morphon] is a tool. An [Enhancement]. You are to use it.
Zeph shook his head in disbelief at his own stupidity. He closed his eyes and concentrated on redirecting the flow of resources in his body. He left his Will alone and strengthened the connection between his body and Soul. He was, indeed, already proficient in doing so. ¡°So, I¡¯m mentally unstable?¡± he asked in a small voice. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Among other [Psychological traumas], we diagnosed [Brief reactive psychosis], [Stress disorder], [Soul-memory discrepancy], and [Unsuccessful memory repression]. You can evaluate those results yourself. The real problem is, your [Will] is regenerating when they are all active, strengthening the symptoms and effects as a result¡­
¡°Yes, yes, I understand. Recovery first¡­ Should I take some medicaments?¡± he asked, sighing again. ¡°Is that what I saw during the journey back? A hallucination?¡± That is good news, all things considered, he thought.
¡­The probability of that is only [67.3%]¡­
He opened his eyes in shock, looking at the message with fear. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
As we said, you are not being traced. To the best of our knowledge, there is nothing put on you that could play that role. But the [Infected] you met could be one of¡­ a rather rare species. The chances that we interpreted your memories correctly are below [50%], though. You do not possess perception abilities that could confirm our suspicion.
This was confusing for Zeph. ¡°You said it was a Netherbeing?¡±
Even if we are right, that being would be two in one. The species we are talking about isn¡¯t called [Faen] without reason. Although, besides the similar pronunciation, the term ¡®demon¡¯ doesn¡¯t even go close to their true name ¨C the [Faerie].
Zeph felt his Soul lurching when the System spelled the names, as if it was trying to panic by instinct. There was no stimulus, though. In this room, he couldn¡¯t feel a thing from his auguring ability, not to mention Mana.
They are physiologically very different from most organisms. Their connection to matter is symbolic at best. In that, they closely resemble the highest beings, like us. The true nature of their body structure lies in [Soul] and [Energy]. We doubt they can be taken over by a [Netherbeing] without dying. It would mean that you met an [Infected] specimen ¨C one containing both, the [Fearie] and invading [Netherbeing]. As improbable of an occurrence as that would be. If you want to access more detailed knowledge, please upgrade your [Corora Lifeforms] [General Skill].
Zeph gave up after that explanation. If he had his mental capabilities in order, maybe he would as more. But right now, all he wanted is a peace of mind. ¡°I have a feeling we should talk about that with Makani¡­ Anyway, medicaments? And, what¡¯s wrong with my contaminations? The modulation seems to affect them in a strange way¡­¡±
None before the [Duels]. After your fights on the first day, take [100 ml] of [12.5%] extract from [Ganoderma mentalis] or a substitute. It should put you to sleep for around [20] Corora hours, which should be enough for your Soul to regenerate. Also, you own your body around 45k calories, so make sure to eat enough before sleep today. You can use your [Ambient Mana Channeling] to fuel your [Planaria Ferrium Fullerene] [Soul contamination], but only after recovering fully. The [Soul contamination] disbalance is temporary. You shouldn¡¯t try to place a foundation for any new one until your [Soul] stabilizes.
¡°Understood,¡± he nodded. After taking a better grip on his internal Willforce circulation, he slowly stood up. ¡°Shall we visit Makani?¡±
Indeed.
Not wasting time, he left the room and put on his clothes. The travel down was swift thanks to the technologically-advanced lifts in the Shrine, but it was enough for Zeph to feel worse for wear. The isolation room managed to soothe his mind and Soul somehow, but he could immediately tell that the System was right ¨C something was wrong with his Will. It tried to act when he started receiving sensations from his Veil and Soul. And what it tried to do stood exactly in opposition to his desired state of peacefulness. As he stepped into the conversation room, though, his ¡®ethereal¡¯ senses were dampened once again. As so, he decided to leave working on his Will¡ªif that was even possible¡ªfor later. ¡°You don¡¯t look too good,¡± Makani greeted him, seeping from a steaming teacup. ¡°Oh, what could have given that away?¡± he asked, rolling his eyes. ¡°Pale face and blueish lips, for one,¡± Makani said indifferently. Zeph frowned as the doors closed behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t have hypoxia, right?¡± he asked into the air.
No, but your capillaries constricted in response to your brain activity after you left the isolation room. It was expected ¨C your implants are re-engaging. We suggest that both of you stay for the night in the Shrine.
¡°First things first,¡± Makani said, shaking his head slightly. ¡°Are the talks with Custos Naturae finished?¡±
We will present the summary shortly. As for the remuneration, we deemed your proposition inappropriate. We can agree to the following: in the next year, both of you will have three [Full body scans] available for free; limited hospitality will be provided at the [Shrine] for today.
Makani groaned. ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand why Zeph is complaining about your business practices¡­¡±
All meaningful rewards will come in due time.
¡°If we survive that long, that is¡­¡± As they spoke, Zeph walked to Makani¡¯s table and sat down in a soft, golden armchair. The room had many more tables and a small, self-service bar. The two of them were the only occupants at the moment, though. ¡°I see that you two finally got acquainted?¡± Zeph asked casually. ¡°Don¡¯t even start. Why do I feel like I ended up with a worse deal than at the very beginning?¡± He massaged his goatee. ¡°How were the results?¡± ¡°Acceptable. After the Tournament, I will need to take a few days off to get my mind in order¡­ and maybe talk with someone¡­¡±
That isn¡¯t recommendable. Please speak with [Garuan] if you have to. Complications can happen.
¡°¡­¡± Zeph sent a deadpan look at the notification. He was much too tired to even answer that suggestion.
The summary is ready. [Custos Naturae] refutes all accusations. We are convinced they are speaking the truth on the matter. They refuse to detail the scope of their perception, for obvious reasons. They state that they didn¡¯t take an active part in anything that happened in the [Brenn Garden]. They want to emphasize that they are working on countering the [Nether] as much as any of us. Playing an active role in the descent of the [Netherbeing] would be counterproductive at best, and autodestructive at worst. The presence of high-level individuals was, indeed, noticed, but ignored for the fact that they weren¡¯t privy to the political maneuvering that caused them to arrive at their [Garden]. The reason for the sickness of people living in the area is well known to them. The only reason they allowed us to help was because the number of deaths was majorly exceeding their expectations. Moreover, they have to stay neutral towards this matter, as it is truly a trial for the people. The actions you both took in the village are already spreading. We can expect the number of deaths to decrease in a few months. End of the summary.
Makani was grinding his teeth in silence, but Zeph didn¡¯t have this much restraint. ¡°This sounds like bullshit,¡± he said, losing himself in the anger for a moment. As soon as he felt that, though, he tried to calm himself down, re-establishing the questionable balance inside his body.
What did you expect? The whole truth? It¡¯s an official statement in the name of his faction, no matter how small it could be. And remember, we are supporting his standing. Whatever happened, the risk of [Custos Naturae] going against the world is less than [0.001%]. That said, he is not known for rewarding people and we believe that we evaluated your involvement properly.
Makani hid his face in his hands, evidently giving up. But Zeph saw a small flaw in what the System said. ¡°So, you are supporting their decision? You are giving your word for him?¡±
Yes¡­
¡°Great! Then you shouldn¡¯t have a problem helping us if something goes wrong with his involvement, right?¡± Makani suddenly looked up, sending him a grateful nod.
¡­
¡°We made a mission for you. I am working for you. Are you going to stand by your word or not?¡± Zeph pressed the ¡®god¡¯.
Haaah¡­ Yes. Yes, we will stand by our decision. Come the time that something happens to one of you ¨C if it will be connected to this case in any way, we will interfere.
Zeph nodded with approval. ¡°And that is a good business. As long as you keep us alive. But¡­ maybe you should abstain from giving me commissions sourced from other Onjis? Let¡¯s keep it safe, for a while at least.¡±
Noted. Your involvement this time is enough to spare you two years, either way. We will still require some minor missions, though.
¡°Sure. Anyway, you were talking about some limited hospitality? I¡¯m getting hungry¡­¡± Makani perked up and raised his hand. ¡°Ummm, does that involve entree with certain Soul contamination maybe?...¡± ~~~ The System refused them any entree, stating that the Shrine wasn¡¯t a restaurant, but the food they got was of such high quality that they couldn¡¯t even complain about the lack of Soul fragments. Especially Zeph, as it seemed that the meals were prepared specifically to enhance and resupply his body. A few quite rare ingredients he found in his dishes convinced him of that. The night passed peacefully. Zeph slept on the hard floor of the isolation room while Makani occupied the leisure one. All too early, their transport arrived. Zeph was awakened by the System and after a few minutes, was back on the ground floor. The first thing that welcomed him after the lift opened was a hardened breastplate of Aisha¡¯s armor crushing his face. She was silent as she lifted him. Zeph could tell it was because she was holding her breath. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to stop her tears or an angry shout, though. As he felt his feet touch the floor again, she finally let the air out of her lungs, took another breath, and spoke, grabbing him by the shoulders and violently pushing him away to the full length of her arms. ¡°I just had a very strong urge to crush your head, so be nice and don¡¯t worry me this much ever again,¡± she said sternly. ¡°For your own safety, of course.¡± He smiled awkwardly at that, fully aware how easy that act would be for her. A gigantic, armed hand fell on her shoulder just then. ¡°Leave the guy alone. He did what he could.¡± The head of an almost-four-meter high metal monstrosity turned to him. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Ghrughah said, slowly pushing Aisha away. ¡°Is that true?¡± Pavail¡¯s excited voice came from behind the giant. A moment later, she stepped around him, pushing the shyly protesting Irra before herself. ¡°Was the letter true?¡± ¡°T-the f-f-fa¡ª¡± Irra started, stuttering. She was holding her hands together as if praying, looking at him in awe. ¡°Stop it, brah!¡± P¡¯pfel shouted from somewhere. ¡°Not here, you idiot!¡± Zeph could swear he heard a bottle crashing on the ground after that. Someone clapped their hands. Loudly. ¡°We should pack up and move on,¡± Kwan stated. He saw her a moment later, as Ghrughah turned around and to the side. ¡°We are happy you are safe, and all that,¡± she said without emotion. ¡°But we are now on a schedule,¡± she looked around at all gathered people. Zeph noticed Makani at the back of the small crowd, lying face-down in a small pool of blood. Haha¡­ it¡¯s good to be late, he thought with a shiver. But inside, he was trying to suppress slightly different emotions. Involuntarily, he swept the corner of his eyes. It¡¯s good to be back¡­ he thought with a small smile. Chapter 110 - The first day of Duel Tournament. The ‘pit’ from above. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] ¡°That¡¯s quite a story,¡± Aisha said, scratching her cheek. ¡°Truth be told, I am not sure if I am in a position to give you any advice¡­¡± Makani sighed. ¡°Just take care of presenting the information about the Adeptus. I really don¡¯t want to get involved in the fallout¡­ You have Ciriyal, maybe use her as an intermediary?¡± ¡°Not the worst idea,¡± she nodded, looking back at them. ¡°I will see what can be done about that. But before that, I think Zeph should visit the Library.¡± Zeph perked up, turning his head away from the carriage¡¯s widow. ¡°She got a response?¡± He asked with hope. The leaflets he presented to the Library Goddes have been circulating for almost a month now. ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable speaking about that in here. But besides that, Onji Togana should be able to suggest some solutions or, at least, direct you to necessary books about¡­ well, this whole mess,¡± she said, waving her hand at them and leaning back in her seat. ¡°Seriously, the situations that¡ªseemingly¡ªyour very existence is stirring up are starting to outgrow my ability to help.¡± She sent him a look full of disgust. Zeph shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s just my charm.¡± She glared at him for a moment before turning her head to the widow herself. ¡°You were trading a lot of text with the Library in the past. I hope you left something valuable for emergencies?¡± ¡°Well, yeah,¡± he confirmed while grimacing. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time lately, so¡­ Let''s just say that I didn¡¯t exchange much, yet.¡± I really need a holiday, he decided. A few months of just reading books and Skills would help me in more than one way¡­ ¡°Good,¡± she nodded. ¡°Now, all this was fascinating and all, but¡­¡± she turned to the trio still working on the other end of the table ¨C a bit too close to them for Zeph¡¯s comfort. No matter how big Ghrughah¡¯s carriage was, hosting seven people alongside the giant himself was a bit too much. It wasn¡¯t cramped per se ¨C especially because the owner himself was standing at the end of the thin table to allow the others to take a seat on the sofas surrounding it ¨C but they had only so much space to share. Ghrughah, Pavail, and P¡¯pfel were still inspecting, dissecting, and trying to preserve the valuable parts of the bodies that Zeph and Makani brought back. There were only four rare specimens they had found, and three were small enough to bring back in one piece ¨C a lizard, a really huge ant, and a small bird. But they had to strip the fox-like animal from the, presumably, most valuable parts. The meat was disposed of, but skin, bones, claws, and brain, alongside a few suspicious organs, were preserved to the best of their ability. Same as with all other bodies. Which, for the most part, boiled down to Zeph freezing everything into a solid with his coolant and Makani keeping the bundle in that state as they traveled. ¡°Are you finished yet?¡± she asked with distaste. The proceedings caused quite a bit of grime to accumulate on the other side of the small table. ¡°We need to inform them and strategize, if you forgot.¡± ¡°Five more minutes,¡± P¡¯pfel said absentmindedly, testing another mixture for any reactions with the body parts. ¡°We still have five hours before the first match,¡± the last of the passengers said in a calm voice. If Zeph¡¯s memory wasn¡¯t wrong, it was Arhen ¨C one of Kwan¡¯s old companions. He remembered him from back in the North Tarak. It seemed that he was promoted at last. ¡°And it shouldn¡¯t take longer than an hour to explain everything.¡± ¡°Thank you for your insightful comment, dear,¡± Aisha said, waving him off, ¡°but I would rather start early, before our Manacasters start to bury us in questions.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with Kwan anyway?¡± Makani asked, right on cue. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be here, too?¡± Aisha covered her face with her palm. ¡°She has more important matters to attend to. Definitely more important than bringing you two up to date,¡± she said, using some archaic saying. ¡°Oh, that reminded me. Where is Maslin and Tasmine?¡± Zeph asked, playing along. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be a part of the Tournament?¡± ¡°You guys¡­¡± Aisha¡¯s hand slowly left her face and formed a fist. A slightly shaking fist. ¡°Ghrughah!¡± she shouted, turning to the trio working on the Vulpine¡¯s skin once again. ¡°Care to interfere before I start to use my weapon in your carriage?!¡± ¡°Why so violent?¡± the giant rumbled, looking up. He was still in his own armor. A Power Armor, if Zeph was to give it a moniker. Streamlined it could be, but small it wasn¡¯t in any measure. ¡°The twins aren¡¯t going to take part in the Duels. If their family catches a whiff of their involvement, our situation can become quite perilous.¡± ¡°They weren¡¯t directly connected to the Guild when the Duel challenge happened. Not to mention, it¡¯s already a miracle that I was allowed to participate,¡± Makani said indifferently. ¡°And that¡¯s only because of the direct Duel proclamations going in my direction. Because, you know, I was made the department Head?¡± ¡°So what? Are we fighting with only six people?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Of course not,¡± Aisha said, venting out¡­ quite literally. The temperature inside the carriage was quickly going from mildly unpleasant to unbearably hot. ¡°Our fighters were chosen long before you took your trek outside the city.¡± ¡°We have 34 warriors prepared for the Duels,¡± Arhen informed them. ¡°18 matches for the Heads and 68 for our champions, for 86 matches in total. Our combatants will fight two Duels each. Thankfully, their matches will be separated by at least one day of recuperation. Overall, we should finish in four days ¨C 23 matches on the first day, and 21 matches in the next three.¡± Aisha groaned in dissatisfaction while P¡¯pfel started speaking. ¡°All of the Heads have three matches to conquer. But the Tournament¡±¡ªhis voice leaking no small amount of disgust¡ª¡°will last only as long as it¡¯s necessary. The main claim of the Landlords has to be dealt with first and foremost. After all, if Kwan¡¯s right to the title of Lesser Landlord is overturned, there will be no reason to continue most of the Duels in the first place. The city officials adapted that form for all of the three opposing groups, though. That¡¯s why we, the Heads, will fight first each day. And the first day¡­¡± He spat to the side. ¡°Today,¡± Arhen took over smoothly, sending the Gremling a stern look, ¡°will be the only one with such high stakes. All combatants should be in their prime strength. Most claims depend on the outcomes. We only need to achieve a tie in the Duels between the Leaders to keep the land, but every defeat translates to more territorial claims in the coming days. The city made the claim/duel system dynamic for the purpose of the Tournament.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Zeph asked with wide eyes. ¡°They just need to win a few fights to support their pretenses? Aren¡¯t we the ones defending?¡± ¡°Yes. We were outplayed. The Tournament is rigged against us,¡± Arhen helpfully informed. ¡°The bureau is neutral, but the terms of the fights were re-evaluated by the Council because the Landlords were pressing them. There was almost no push-back, too; we aren¡¯t rooted deeply enough in the city¡¯s political scene.¡± As he paused and started massaging his elbow nervously, looking at his documents, Aisha took over. ¡°It¡¯s not all bad. They are just playing high-stakes. True ¨C as it is, the culmination of the Tournament will happen at the very beginning¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªCutting our income from the bets and tickets.¡± Arhen accidentally interrupted in a small voice. Aisha threw him a death glare for cutting her off, which actually made the man shrink down in fear. ¡°As I was saying,¡± she said flatly, turning to Zeph and Makani, ¡°if we deliver and win all of our fights, Kwan will have the door open for the full Landlordship, not only the Lesser one. Also, our neighbors would effectively fall under our Guild influence. Directly.¡± ¡°How is that helpful?¡± he asked indignantly, snapping his head to glare at her. ¡°One defeat and it¡¯s all done! That¡¯s not ¡®high-stakes¡¯! It¡¯s madness,¡± he said tapping the desk with his armored finger to emphasize his words. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Did you forget what we were building?¡± Ghrughah asked suddenly. ¡°In the worst case, we relocate.¡± He turned his head to him, the two black visors drilling a hole in his Soul. ¡°Your idea was correct. The core facility is finished. The twins also delivered. The tests were done. All positive.¡± Zeph had to stop himself from gaping. What Ghrughah said changed everything. It meant that the core of their base was now movable and that they had the means to move it at hand. It meant that it could be lifted and flown away, at least according to their calculations and tests. It happened much faster than he predicted¡­ Hell, it was much faster than any of them could have predicted. If that¡¯s the case, though¡­ Zeph looked down. The results of the Duels aren¡¯t that important anymore. We can just abandon the ship if the rats become too much. Playing this risqu¨¦ game of politics may have some merit. Zeph relaxed, not fully understanding why this newfound freedom had this much influence over him. As much as he wanted to stay in the city, some part of his mind was warning him of the dangers associated with settling down. He also cared about their small group and, for some reason, their ability to leave at any moment gave him a sense of security. Well, it would probably take more than half of a day to leave the city premises, but still¡­ On the other hand, he could now ignore the political landscape. Not fully, but to an extent not possible before. That alone was enough to raise his mood. ¡°Why so fast?¡± he asked intelligently. ¡°Our predictions about the structure were wrong. The uplift is self-stabilizing and the twins explained that to us in no uncertain terms. Our model, as you call it, was wrong the whole time,¡± P¡¯pfel said, finishing his work by sealing the last bottle containing the samples. ¡°Why am I the last one to learn about this?¡± Makani, the Head of the Aeroplanning and Ingeniators department, asked suddenly. He was still confused but knew what they were talking about. ¡°Because you,¡± Ghrughah grunted, ¡°my dear Head, didn¡¯t read a word from my reports.¡± Aisha started giggling while Makani¡¯s face scrunched like an old lemon. The table was cleaned up and the tools shoved away by Pavail and P¡¯pfel as people waited for the crafters to finish; the atmosphere more relaxed now. ¡°Our opponents are somewhat limited today, too,¡± Arhen said after some time, ignoring the noise of metal and glass being rudely moved away. ¡°They are all in your exact specializations, and most probably will try to test your and our champions¡¯ capabilities for future matches. As well as to confirm our fighting styles. Except for La-Zora and La-Einar, that is. It is advisable to finish the Duel fast, if at all possible.¡± He looked sharply at them, then turned to Aisha. ¡°Your opponent is known for their endurance. They will try to tire you out, probably using high-tier enchantments that can produce long-lasting effects on the body.¡± She nodded. ¡°I already know that. You better inform him,¡± she answered absentmindedly, pointing at Zeph. The man didn¡¯t even flinch at that. It seemed that he was just checking if she read the reports. ¡°As for you, La-Einar, the enemy and the bureau were confused enough about your specialization¡ªor lack of thereof¡ªthat they decided to present a high-spec physical warrior. Then, the next fight¡ª¡± ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Zeph said, waving his hands. ¡°I know what a ¡®high-spec¡¯ means, but I need more information as to what they are capable of.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± Aisha said with a sigh. ¡°Just as they don¡¯t know what your specialization is, they are presenting an opponent with the same designation, even if that would make him quite weak overall.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Arhen confirmed. ¡°We know nothing besides the fact that he is using gear of a quality similar to yours. You can expect Tier 2 enchantments and all that, but we don¡¯t know what he can do. Anyway,¡± he turned back to his notes, ¡°tomorrow, you will be fighting with the merchant group¡¯s Spellwielder. He is better at analysis than combat, so used specifically to prepare for the third match the day after. The industrial group put a lot of effort into winning the fight with you, as the production methods of plastic and the cure for Hydrargyrum-sickness are on the line.¡± Zeph¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I am not the one who developed them, though?¡± ¡°You are an official inventor, even if you are exempted from monetary rights,¡± P¡¯pfel said, crossing his arms. ¡°It¡¯s better this way, too. You need to have something¡­ more tangible to your name. Those two are about perfect,¡± he finished, indicating that his real inventions were better left confidential. ¡°What about the village? The¡­ Barringstone, right?¡± Zeph asked instead. P¡¯pfel shrugged. ¡°We aren¡¯t authorized to know what exactly happened there. But I, as the developer of the cure, was at least informed about the results of live tests. Wherever they were taken. The medicament and procedure have a 98% success rate. Hydrargyrum was added to the list of hazardous substances for living organisms of the lowest levels. We will have to wait for the information to propagate to take any credit for it, though.¡± So there will be some reward! Zeph thought with relief. After such a long time, he was starting to believe that he wouldn¡¯t receive anything for his efforts. ¡°Good, good,¡± he nodded, then turned to the still-waiting Arhen. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± The man nodded. ¡°We strongly recommend going physical on your first opponent, if possible. By the way, you and La-Zora are the only ones with pre-submitted opponents in the second round. La-Zora because of her infamy. You because of the lack of information. The rest will be matched as we proceed.¡± Zeph had to massage his eyes. This was getting more ridiculous by the minute. ¡°Do you mean to say that we weren¡¯t even able to choose the opponents going against our opposing Leaders?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Aisha said with more vigor than normally. ¡°It¡¯s an old and justified tradition. Quite interesting, too. It would be nice to meet some true opposition,¡± she mused. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ Let¡¯s just hope the escape routes won¡¯t be blocked,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°But why are we at a disadvantage this much?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Pavail started with a smile, ¡°We are the ones who started it by challenging them to the Duels!¡± Zeph cursed this ¡®warrior society¡¯ in his mind, absolutely repulsed by the situation he found himself in. For the gods¡¯ sake! Stop being so traditional if you fight a political war! ~~~ The stadium was a marvel. Not only was it built inside a deep recess in the land to allow an amazing view from the surrounding buildings, but it was also more futuristic than even the System¡¯s Shrine while true to the ornamental display of the ancient civilizations on Earth. The giant pit, as seen from their highway, was defined by slick walls climbing from the very bottom to the height of the first aboveground floor. The ¡®roof¡¯ was formed from a translucent barrier, similar to the Mana constructs on the aerostat¡¯s side sails. On the flat bottom, he could spot some small greenery occasionally dotted with big, probably granite rocks and small ponds. There was enough space for an aerial battle. There were enough obstacles to hide behind, enough water to dive, and enough shrubbery to cover the traps, Spells, and long-range Skills that any person could use. The futuristic feeling came from the thin belt of low buildings surrounding the pit. They were made entirely from blood-red, gold, and white metals; covered in pipes of similar colors that were wandering all around instead of finding the closest way to their destinations. Their wild paths formed an artistic relief sculpture spamming the whole complex, portraying weapons, fighters, and mythical creatures when looking from above. But that wasn¡¯t even the start of what was to come. It should be called a ¡®structural relief¡¯, Zeph thought, as he started to understand what he was seeing. As their carriage moved, and maybe even as the sun was shifting, the three-dimensional elements and their shadows were changing their relative positions, forming new images. The images one saw depended on their position and the daylight. It was like looking at a piece of shadow art mixed with lenticular printing. All of that made from metal parts, far in the distance. As they finally came close to the complex, Zeph could see that most surfaces were molded to flood the visiting guests with even more intricate art. The basic formations¡ªrecognizable only from up close¡ªof floral, fractal, and even more abstract adornments formed big pictures and texts when perceived from a distance. They were showing and naming old champions and worthy visitors in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shapes. Sometimes, in his peripheral vision, Zeph saw the heads of giant monsters. Sometimes, scurrying shapes surrounded them as the landscape shifted behind the windows. From time to time, whole sections of the landscape changed into an image of a giant monster, covering their carriage in ¡®their¡¯ shadow. This place was giving him cold shivers. But he found something more to his liking. If he looked long enough at a mural, he could notice miniature relief sections telling a story. Their wagon was moving too fast for him to take in even a part of them, though. Personally, he found this place much more disturbing than even the Blackwind Tower ¨C his former number one anxiety-building¡­. building. This place was quite claustrophobic because of all the art and shapes. There was no greenery and, outside of the road, there was no free space to walk around ¨C just metal pipes, walls, posts, and other elements of this grand art masterpiece. All of that rose from the metallic ground. He couldn¡¯t imagine anyone, besides the creators, feeling comfortable in this environment. That didn¡¯t change until their small caravan entered one of the buildings. The inside looked more like a hangar-made-garden. The black, fertile soil made the floor ¨C visible on the packed earth of the avenues surrounded by the diverse vegetation. The plants near the roads were low enough to see at distances, but high trees blocked their view from reaching the back wall of the building. As much as the exterior seemed barren, sterile, controlled, and watched, the interior was wild, slightly untamed, and filled with people. One of the workers joined them to lead the way. Dozens of strangers used the wild garden to relax. Zeph could only guess that they were waiting for another match. Or maybe they were camping here ¨C he couldn¡¯t be sure what was the temperature here without stepping outside the carriage. As they stopped in the designated zone¡ªor rather, a campsite¡ªZeph could feel a slight tingle behind his eyes. The sensation was so familiar that it made him flinch. After the torture of the first contact with Mana of this world, that very sensation lingered just behind his eyes. He still remembered it as if it happened yesterday. Not a moment after the sensation stopped, Zeph saw a strange notification.
Welcome to the arena, stranger. You have a Duel reserved, be ready in 2 hours and 14 minutes. Have a bloody day!
Chapter 111 – Checked, geared, and loaded. P’pfel enters the arena. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] ¡°Is this place another Temple or something?¡± Zeph asked warily, glancing at Aisha. That red notification was quite unnerving for him. ¡°Nah,¡± she denied lightly, standing up. ¡°At best, it could be considered an auxiliary building.¡± ¡°Of whom?¡± he asked, following suit. ¡°Onji Tiwaz,¡± she said in old Rui, then paused and looked back at him. ¡°Your Interface formed a sub-connection?¡± she guessed, more asking than stating. ¡°Sub-connection¡­¡± he mumbled, lifting his backpack. ¡°Sounds about right.¡± ¡°Good. He likes to take a peek at people with interesting fighting styles or techniques. It means you are doing something right. He connected to mine as well.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± Ghrughah said while opening the carriage¡¯s door. The smell of flowers and damp forest filled the interior in moments, brought inside by a warm whiff of air. ¡°Only to look?¡± Zeph asked skeptically, grabbing his winter clothing, spear, and a smaller pack. ¡°Seems excessive.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how it works. Ask the Onjis.¡± Aisha shrugged and jumped down, Zeph following quickly. ¡°But I am sure that the limited Interface access is one of the easiest and cheapest methods to track more subtle details of a fighting style. At least on this stratum.¡± ¡°That would be only partially correct,¡± someone said from the side. Turning his head there, Zeph saw the very same attendant that led their small convoy of vehicles here - a bald, pale Kitayamayan wearing a red military-like suit. Despite his impressive height and musculature, he looked small when standing near Ghrughah¡¯s carriage. ¡°Personal Information Protection laws wouldn¡¯t allow the stadium to install any elaborate observation devices. Our guests, in the vast majority, don¡¯t have any kind of contract with Onji Tiwaz, after all. But our Onji is helping with the battle-oriented techniques contained in General Skills. Thus, the Interface accessibility.¡± Finishing the short exposition, he clapped his glowed hands elegantly to indicate a change of topic. The man¡¯s sophisticated mannerisms didn¡¯t fit his burly body and low voice, but Zeph met enough strange individuals to not be put off by the discrepancy. A second later, more workers showed up, unhurriedly strolling in their direction. ¡°Time is of the essence. Any attendant here can answer more of your questions, but preparations take precedence. Please follow our workers to the inspection rooms. Towers¡¯ specialists are ready to receive you,¡± he said, indicating a forming line of attendants with his open palm. In quick order, their identity was confirmed and the group split up, led by the workers. People with a lot of baggage ¨C like Zeph and P¡¯pfel ¨C received an additional helper to deal with it. Ornamental elevators made from wood were spread through the garden, hidden in plain sight. Each of the small groups took one to move down, deeper into the complex. The decorations on the lower floor were stylized in Roman fashion; consisting of extensive hallways with colonnades made of sculptured stone. Zeph could see some groups landing further down the corridors but didn¡¯t have time to look around much, as his attendant ushered him into a nearby room. It was vast, but cozy and brightly illuminated from above. The marble-like floor was covered by red, soft carpets. Sturdy furniture filled the interior, decorated in different shades of red. Grand bookcases covered the walls and divided the room into three parts. A plethora of books and metallic contraptions burdened their shelves. Three people were sitting around a small table by the back wall. A solid block of black stone the size of a big bed was lying on the ground to their right. It looked just like the operating tables in the System¡¯s Shrine. When he entered, all of the people stood up. Two men and one woman, all seemingly middle-aged. Their attire resembled more a handyman¡¯s clothes¡ªalthough, being much more fashionable in design¡ªthan loose robes that Makani preferred to use. The color theme was different for each of them ¨C black, deep blue, and silver-red. ¡°Zeph Einar, I take it?¡± The woman in black clothes asked. ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded, walking deeper inside. ¡°Will you be inspecting my gear?¡± ¡°Only your armor, as it can interfere with our protection systems. The rules allow any kind of weaponry,¡± The deep-blue gentleman said then turned to the attendants. ¡°Thank you for leading our guest. Please leave everything on that table¡±¡ªhe indicated one not far away from them¡ª¡°and be back in about half an hour.¡± Zeph helped to organize his belongings. Just as the attendants left the room, he took off his helmet. ¡°Should I change?¡± he asked, looking down at his armored body. ¡°Depends. If the armor¡¯s material is the same as the helmet, let us examine it first,¡± the woman said. ¡°Please sit down with us. We will explain the procedures.¡± The silver-red man wordlessly took the helmet from him as he walked to the table. Using a few tools that looked like miniaturized screwdrivers, he started prodding it. The woman started pouring some herbal tea for the rest meanwhile. As they settled down, the Manacaster in blue started his explanation. ¡°You need to be informed on what is our role in this Tournament,¡± the gentleman started. ¡°We are here to minimize the chances of your demise. But you should understand ¨C without majorly limiting your Veil usage, we can¡¯t do much. Especially when it comes to purely physical trauma. As so, our methods boil down to three major implementations.¡± The man took a sip from his cup and the woman continued the explanation. ¡°Firstly, we can put defenses near your skin to shield against a massive Magicule intrusion. Activation of these defenses means you will be flagged as defeated. Secondly, we will put life-stabilizing gear on you. In case you are deadly wounded, it will hopefully be enough for the Doctors to keep you alive and transport you to the System¡¯s Shrine ¨C assuming you are willing and don¡¯t have any other place in mind. Finally, we will put a health monitoring device on you. It can also monitor the state of your consciousness and will flag you as defeated if activated manually.¡± ¡°Of course,¡±¡ªthe man took over¡ª¡°We can fine-tune those precautions to better accommodate your fighting style. For example, we can set a delay in the activation of the consciousness monitor, so you will be able to try to forcefully wake up before you are flagged. We can exempt a lost limb from counting as a lethal wound. The possibilities are vast. But keep in mind, people are rarely aware of the real damage they caused to the opponent,¡± he said sternly. ¡°Most of the deaths during Duels happen because the flagging system didn¡¯t activate. If that Mana signal won¡¯t reach your opponent, they will, most probably, keep attacking until the arbiter calls the end of the match.¡± ¡°Besides all that, few different methods exist for applying the safeguards. But we need to know what settings you prefer before suggesting anything,¡± The woman added. Zeph squinted his eyes. ¡°So, it¡¯s a balance between my safety and the size of the information leak? Can you remind me what were the conditions of defeat again?¡± The woman shrugged. ¡°We are contracted to Onji Tiwaz. Some information will leek by the virtue of you being watched during the fight, but our lips will be sealed.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A cup clanked on the saucer as the blue gentleman sent a disapproving side glance in her direction. ¡°For ten years.¡± He turned to Zeph. ¡°We are contracted for ten years. Your information will be, practically, publicly available after that time.¡± Zeph nodded, glad to hear the warning. ¡°As for the rules,¡± the man continued. ¡°The conditions of defeat are as follows: surrender, safeguard system activation, and arbiter¡¯s call. The last one can happen if you are non-responsive for 5 seconds, are grievously or deadly injured, disabled, or dead. As you see, your choices here may majorly influence your survivability, as well as your chances of success.¡± Zeph grimaced internally. To trade my future safety over my current safety¡­ what a mess¡­ ¡°Mister Einar,¡± the silver-red man spoke for the first time, looking away from the helmet. His grating voice was giving a strange, suffocating impression. ¡°Excellent armor you have here. Sadly, Magicule shielding won¡¯t be compatible.¡± The other two frowned after hearing that, so the man turned to them and uttered two words. ¡°Living, symbiotic.¡± It took them a while to gather their thoughts after the initial surprise. The blue gentleman spoke first. ¡°Can we quantify its vitality?¡± Silver-red nodded shortly. I guess that¡¯s one problem less¡­ Zeph chuckled bitterly. ~~~ In the end, Zeph was left with barebones for his safeguard system. Instead of Magicule intrusion shielding, his Living Armor was being monitored. Depending on the severity of the first attacks, if Phleya was disabled and the next attack predicted as deadly, the flagging system would activate along with a Mana-disruption device. The second was just a fancy name for a controlled Force-Mana explosion ¨C it would push him away, disrupt most Mana formations in the vicinity, and¡ªhopefully¡ªscatter condensed Magicules. The Magicule intrusion shielding was functionally designed to work near the skin ¨C it was meant to prevent death after an attack breached other protective means. Placing it on the armor would be like treating the armor as his skin. Depending on the settings, he would either be eliminated by the first strong Spell, or the safeguard system wouldn¡¯t activate at all even in the case of a lethal attack. It was applied as a system of probes all around his armor, on the inside, just like it normally would. But the sensors were doing something absolutely different and they were left without an enchanted reaction system. Just a few Force-explosives. For his health-monitoring device, he ordered to set it at the lowest possible threshold, without any additions like a consciousness monitor. The displeasure on the blue Manacaster¡¯s face almost made him reconsider. Almost. But, in the end, the man¡¯s good advice just couldn¡¯t work. Gru could activate the flagging device even when he was unconscious. His limbs and organs could regrow with time. He was not worried either about blood loss or excessive damage ¨C his body was able to stabilize even in those conditions and could live off of the resources taken from his Soul and Will thanks to Willforce Morphon. In other words, he had no idea what settings wouldn¡¯t hurt his chances of winning. Worse even ¨C his chances at surviving. Furthermore, he couldn¡¯t clue the Manacasters about any details. As so, he simply didn¡¯t even try to dispute the topic. In the end, he was given a simple Soul-linkable amulet. Basically, the device would activate if his Soul started to leave his body, and that was all. Which, by the way, Gru could theoretically prevent¡­ But Zeph wasn¡¯t ready to even start thinking of testing something like that. Only his life-stabilizing gear was ¡®normal¡¯. The probes they inserted deep into his body had some problems because of the implants permeating his body (and because of Gru) but they managed to fine-tune them after some struggles and a lot of wasted time (again, mostly Gru¡¯s doing). The interesting part came from the fact that those probes were Soul-linked to the Manacasters through some device delivered from Onji Tiwaz¡¯s Temple. It was to be expected, though. It would be utterly idiotic to stabilize a dying man using his own Mana. I wonder if I wasted an opportunity¡­ Maybe I should have taken some more sophisticated devices¡­ he wondered when being led to the viewing area. I hoped they would use some Spells from their Towers¡­ You could have mapped something more interesting... Greh! his partner said with disgust. You are imagining things, Zeph sent resolutely. Why would they consciously make the enchantments¡¯ filler bitter? Who would eat it ev¡ªthe memory of P¡¯pfel ravaging the Auric suddenly surfaced in his mind¡ªugh¡­ okay, wrong question. Gahah! Gru guffawed mentally. ¡®Who, in their right mind, would use that method to prevent possible mapping?¡¯ is the question. Against what or whom? Some metal-eating bugs? Gre? Yes. An ancient, modified, evolved, unknown lifeform. Surely. Gru? I didn¡¯t taste it! I just can¡¯t insert my Mana into the probes. Gah, it shrugged unintelligently. Zeph sighed, giving up. The probes in his armor weren¡¯t Soul-linked to anything, but he still wasn¡¯t able to see how they worked. Gru would also have problems if he wasn¡¯t able to work a little with Phleya ¨C the traces inside that probe were quite small. What they found after all that struggle was quite depressing, though. An iteration of Tier 1 Spells that he knew about wasn¡¯t something he expected. True, they were simplified and smaller, but that was something he would learn anyway in the future, as an ¡®Enchanter¡¯ in training. This system was made as simple as it could. It operated more thanks to smartly engineered feedback loops between the probes than the Spells enchanted inside. I just hope that one missing probe won¡¯t disable the whole structure, he thought with trepidation; scrunching his face in distaste. ¡°Why so sour?¡± Aisha asked mirthfully from ahead. His narrowed eyes looked up, finding her leaning against the column near big double doors ¨C full Roman style. Both of them were, Aisha and the doors. ¡°Where did you find a toga?¡± he asked in disbelief. ¡°Well, I finished early, sooo¡­ Did you know they have a massage center down the hallway?¡± She smiled widely, pointing behind her. ¡°It was fantastic!¡± ¡°Haaa¡­¡± His spirit tried to leave his body alongside the sigh. He wasn¡¯t able to take off his armor until the day ended because of the probes inside. ¡°Can I just lay down here and nap for a moment?¡± he muttered depressingly, tilting towards the floor. ¡°Very funny,¡± she deadpanned, slapping his chest to make him stay upright. ¡°Dear visitors, the first Duel of the day will start shortly.¡± a delicate, female voice resounded through the corridor at that moment. ¡°Galleries on floor 4 and above are all available. Your seats¡­¡± ¡°Now, come.¡± She grabbed his shoulder and dragged him to the double doors. ¡°P¡¯pfel already left for the arena, so let¡¯s join the others.¡± Behind the doors was a somewhat small, but lavish, observation deck. The tiered floor was furnished with comfortable armchairs and potted plants. The atmosphere resembled that of an open restaurant instead of the stadium stands. Their group was already gathered near the glass wall, on the lowest tier. A window was replacing the front wall of the room entirely. As they stepped down using wide stairs, he gaped at the stadium wall on the opposing side of the pit. Large segments of the metallic exterior of the pit were folding up like an oversized clockwork machine, showing the galleries hidden behind large glass panels ¨C the same as their own. The view was so satisfying to watch in its mechanical perfection that Zeph became a little transfixed. ¡°Late as always,¡± Kwan commented dryly, looking back at them. ¡°Don¡¯t hurry up our wildcard,¡± Aisha said with a fake scorn. ¡°And especially not both of them,¡± she smiled and chuckled, then looked around. ¡°Hmmm¡­ did they manage to install those magnifying devices I heard about? I wasn¡¯t able to visit this place in¡­ a few years.¡± ¡°The mechanism is inside the windows. They abandoned the idea of a private scope,¡± Kwan explained, turning to the field below. ¡°A shame¡­¡± Meanwhile, Zeph shuffled himself to the side, near Makani, who was in the middle of an animated conversation with Pavail. Before sitting down, he dropped all his items on the floor without care. He allowed his body to sink into the fluffy embrace of the armchair, relaxing completely. It wasn¡¯t easy to deal with the buyer¡¯s remorse when your well-being was on the line. The idle talks continued for another half an hour or so, and Zeph used that time to recharge his mental batteries. There wasn¡¯t much to discuss¡ªespecially in a public area like this one¡ªso he just ignored most of the conversations. Soon enough, another announcement was made by the feminine voice. It was accompanied by another show of the mechanical prowess of the builders as the two combatants were delivered near the center of the oversized arena on two platforms supported by elongating mechanical arms. If not for the overcomplicated clockwork, the contraptions would look just like two open-air elevators moving down at an angle, but the details changed it into something glorious. The first part of the announcement took some time, as the voice had to state the reason for the Duels, basic rules, arbiters¡¯ names and allegations, etc., etc., until finally¡­ ¡°¡­On the north side, Challenger P¡¯pfel, the Head of Enchantments and Alchemy Department of Sepia Familia Guild¡­¡± came the introduction, spoken in the same calm tone. The window¡¯s interior moved, causing the view to shift closer to P¡¯pfel¡¯s position. He was standing there, small, hunched so much that he looked almost like a small ball¡­ At least, that was Zeph¡¯s first impression. At the front, he held a wide shield with a crystal window in the middle. On his back was something that looked very much like a silvery, spherical turtle shell. The view blurred for a moment. When it refocused again, they could see him from the front instead of the back. Zeph noticed an oversized gas mask on his face. Also, the ¡®shell¡¯ left a lot of empty space between the body of the small creature and its ¡®roof¡¯. However, that space in-between was filled with deep darkness, making it impossible to guess what was inside. Only the shell, the shield, and the gas mask could be easily seen. All this formed a slightly frightening visage. ¡°¡­Contested by Lesser Landlord Avery Rubella Lurona-Kazotaro Laurene, representative of Landlords¡¯ faction¡­.¡± The man was quite tall and pulp, decked in what seemed to be an alchemical armory ¨C mostly tubes, satchels, vials, and other, similar appliances. His white, leathery attire covered him from head to toe. Even his eyes were hidden under protective goggles. ¡°¡­in the under-level-one-hundred match of craftsmen specialized in alchemy. Please place your bets carefully¡­¡± Chapter 112 - P’pfel, a true gold devourer. The Duels start! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] ¡°¡­in the under-level-one-hundred match of craftsmen specialized in alchemy. Please place your bets carefully¡­¡± Zeph¡¯s brow raised in surprise at the words. He looked at Makani as the announcement continued in the background. ¡°They really paired us this specifically? What does an alchemist¡¯s Duel even mean?¡± he asked, feeling that he should¡¯ve asked more during their ride to the stadium. He wasn¡¯t that interested in the challenges of the others, though. ¡°Yeah,¡± Makani said, without taking his eyes from the window pane. ¡°It only determines what Classes and Professions the combatants have to have. We can use whatever during the fights,¡± he explained dismissingly, waving Zeph away. Nodding, Zeph focused back on the window. The announcer started to count down from ten and the view returned to the neutral position before zooming in again. During the brief transition, Zeph noticed that the windows on the other side of the stadium were all tilted slightly in different directions ¨C mostly facing down. And from their point of view, almost all reflected the surroundings, hiding possible observers sitting behind. A realization struck him. The optical mechanism inside their widow wasn¡¯t doing anything outrageous ¨C it was merely zooming on certain glass panels that reflected the battlefield below to show it from different perspectives. It explained the blurry image as the mechanism adjusted, as well as the small distortions he happened to notice. But before he could start to contemplate the scale of such a mechanism and possible technical challenges stemming from such perfect workmanship, the countdown reached zero. The two combatants started throwing glass spheres all around them, causing multicolored smoke to rise and hide both from view. The window¡¯s innards shifted and the surface darkened visibly. The colors changed, almost as if shifting to negative. Two brightly pink silhouettes became visible, both slowly moving forward while throwing even more reagents into the grass field around them. The two were standing around 50 meters away from each other; on a grassfield filled with knee-deep vegetation and big, white boulders that sparsely dotted the flat land. Not many obstacles were in their way. The ¡®forest¡¯ and ¡®marsh¡¯ areas were quite ways away for people moving as slowly as they were. But the chemical show¡ªas Zeph decided to call the display¡ªonly confused him. The arena was vast, so there was no way the chemicals could have any significant large-scale effects. And he couldn¡¯t see a reason for the two to cover their positions with noxious gasses of their own making. Not with that distance separating them. The clouds¡¯ effective range had to be only slightly larger than the visible haze. But his confusion quickly abated as P¡¯pfel¡¯s form suddenly rushed forward, speeding up with every second. A moment later, a big sphere rolled out of the toxic smokescreen. Half of the viewing window shifted the colors back as it happened, painting the sphere silver. P¡¯pfel was rushing in the direction of the opponent, using a very unconventional method of transportation. But he wasn¡¯t aiming at the center of his opponent¡¯s gaseous cloud, rather trying to place himself between it and the forest while closing the distance. Zeph also noticed some unnatural movements in the grassfield around P¡¯pfel¡¯s starting position, but he couldn¡¯t be sure what was causing them, even with the almost-overhead view he had. The enemy suddenly shot up from their cloud in a blast of gasses trailing his trajectory. The man was aiming for the area with more trees, just as P¡¯pfel seemingly predicted. It took a second for the air to clear enough¡ªand for the viewing panel to adapt¡ªto see the man¡¯s form floating away using something eerily resembling a jetpack. The device was quite bulky and didn¡¯t produce much smoke. ¡°Ah, they applied smokescreens to cover their first move and prevent an immediate melee!¡± he exclaimed, making sense of what was happening. ¡°It only starts,¡± Aisha said seriously. ¡°P¡¯pfel didn¡¯t throw any explosives yet¡­¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes widened as the opponent fired an arrow with a glowing, brightly red tip right into the middle of the multicolored cloud he left behind. A powerful explosion rolled over the field, throwing P¡¯pfel¡¯s rotating form to the side. After a moment of sliding through the grass¡ªleaving a black trail in the air and a dip gorge in the soft ground in his wake¡ªhe managed to regain control over his spin and correct his trajectory, changing course for the forest. The view followed the two as more projectiles started flying around. The soaring guy was using some form of repeating crossbow, while P¡¯pfel used his rotational momentum to release spheres filled with colorful liquids. Only two or three bolts managed to hit their alchemist, but all seemed to just bounce off of the quickly rotating silver sphere. But P¡¯pfel¡¯s ammo didn¡¯t fare much better. Besides the horrendous accuracy, the timing of the evidently pre-programmed shattering of the vessels was all around the place, filling the air with colorful clouds as the liquids reacted with the air. Zeph grimaced. ¡°Such a waste¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ghrughah said with mirth. ¡°Just like that explosion before, none of the reagents are useless for people like them as long as they don¡¯t dissipate entirely.¡± Makani waved his hand dismissingly. ¡°The chemicals are all gaseous, what can they do? This situation could be advantageous only for people able to control the airflow.¡± ¡°Heh. Right on point, I suppose,¡± was all the giant said to that. ¡°And who said they are only using visible reagents?¡± Makani paused, spending a moment to look at their overqualified Blacksmith. But Zeph knew how it could be done ¨C P¡¯pfel showed him his enchanting expertise fist-hand ¨C so instead, he asked about a more pressuring matter. ¡°How and why is he spinning?¡± Ghrughah shrugged. ¡°The interior doesn¡¯t move. The batteries should last him for a few more minutes¡­ The electric motors you showed me are rather energy-hungry,¡± he said, shocking Zeph. ¡°As for the why, ask him afterward.¡± ¡°When did you found the time to¡ª" ¡°Where are the Air-Mana Spells, tho?¡± Makani interjected, leaning forward to see better. ¡°I can¡¯t see any indicator of one¡­¡± ¡°So, our work wasn¡¯t for nothing, Ha!¡± the giant guffawed. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it¡¯s the same for the Rubella guy¡­¡± he finished more seriously. The discussion ended here, as the fight started to intensify. Both combatants reached the forest, and Rubella¡¯s strategy became immediately evident as he landed in the canopy and started to drop even more reagents all around. P¡¯pfel stopped right before the forest and redeployed the shield. Until now, he was holding it vertically inside the front opening in his shell. A moment later, a crossbow poked from above it. Seeing that, Rubella quickly took out his own, small crossbow and both fired at the same time. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Both projectiles missed their mark but exploded right after. And while P¡¯pfel barely felt the attack, Rubella almost fell from his tree as shrapnel riddled his armor and satchels with holes. The tree he was standing on swayed dangerously. It was evident whose explosive was more powerful. Rubella immediately took to the air, moving deeper into the forest, and P¡¯pfel gave chase. The view shifted once again as the two started a wild game of tag, filling the forest with multicolored fog. It quickly escalated to the point, that an occasional explosion was a better indicator of their positions than the blurred outlines displayed on the dark background. The image blurred once again, for much longer this time. When it came into focus, the view shifted to a much closer, moving observation point. The colors also returned to normal. Because the artificial forest wasn¡¯t that dense and lacked any shrubbery, the spectators could now see the two combatants much better. The current situation didn¡¯t look too good. Most of the gasses drifted to the forest floor, forming a thick carpet of opaque, gray fog. But the air seemed to be filled with the same greenish and violet reagents that Rubella used at the beginning of the match. Still hiding in the canopy, the man was in the process of loading another bolt with a red-hot tip. P¡¯pfel was trying to interrupt him by firing another explosive bolt, but it only managed to damage the tree trunk behind which Rubella was hiding. That explosion wasn¡¯t based on heat, but on the old enchanting trick that Zeph invented, so it didn¡¯t have a chance to ignite anything, allowing P¡¯pfel to use it freely in these circumstances. Just before Rubella was ready to fire, P¡¯pfel finished the job with an enchanted Spell, probably of Force variety, and broke the tree trunk. In a panic, Rubella activated his jetpack and jumped sideways as half of the tree started rotating and falling down. He managed to blindly fire his bolt and despite flying almost vertically, it still pierced through the cloud of chemicals. The air ignited, sending a blue flame all over the area in a wave, but it wasn¡¯t enough to cause an explosion. The blast of hot air shook the canopy in a vast radius and pushed away some of the fumes, but that was all. Rubella landed on another tree; confusion obvious in his body language. ¡°Hmmm, our win, then,¡± Kwan suddenly concluded. Zeph wasn¡¯t sure what just happened, but could see where it was going. P¡¯pfel probably modified the composition of chemicals in the air to suit his purposes. And what Zeph just saw indicated what method he chose to deal a deciding blow - suffocation. The technology on Corora¡¯s surface stratum was developed enough to produce a functional air tank, barely. But the contraptions were unreliable and bulky, not suited for a fast-paced fight if one didn¡¯t have a vehicle to move them around safely. Like the one P¡¯pfel was using. Most people preferred filters augmented by Skills and Spells, or body enhancements that dealt with the problem automatically for them. But even if hazardous substances couldn¡¯t harm you, if there was no oxygen in the air it meant nothing. And as P¡¯pfel continued to fire the explosive bolts, Rubella noticed that as well. The moment he started to lose balance and coordination, he immediately engaged his jetpack to move up and away. It seems the oxygen levels have been decreasing for some time now if he was affected that quickly, Zeph noticed. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ P¡¯pfel had burned through all reserves in that part of the forest? The idea would be ridiculous if he didn¡¯t know that some Air-based Spells were at play. Isolating such a big area from airflow isn¡¯t doable but¡­ the air is full of different chemicals. How far ahead was he planning? He didn¡¯t have time to wonder any longer, though, as the conclusion of the Duel was nearing. Rubella managed to push through the canopy but his jetpack started failing. Whenever it was because of bad chemical reactions, physical damage, or lack of fuel, it wasn¡¯t important for the man. In a valiant attempt at changing the playing field, he flew back to the grassland. Initially, it seemed that he would be able to make it safely, but at the last straight the jetpack almost stopped working entirely. The man crashed heavily, breaking some containers with the reagents as a result. They didn¡¯t explode into clouds of toxic fog this time, though, instead leaving thin trails of smoke behind. He rolled a few times, losing parts of the bulky jetpack and some satchels, before finally stopping, face-down in the dirt. For a moment, he was laying there motionlessly. Not obscured by threes and clouds of chemicals, the spectators could now notice a multitude of holes, lacerations, and stains of different colors on his¡ªonce perfectly white¡ªattire. P¡¯pfel was closing in quickly, though, and the man seemed to realize that as well. He stirred, then sluggishly raised to his feet. He had visible problems with catching his balance and was breathing heavily. His back was hunched miserably ¨C as if the man was supporting a great weight; barely winning with the gravity. Still, he turned in the direction of the forest. With difficulty, he reached under his lab-like coat. The big, black brick he retrieved was plain and unremarkable ¨C basically screaming ¡®last resort¡¯ to all watching. He gripped it with both hands, turning sideways to the forest, as if readying to throw it at any moment. He waited. And waited. And waited¡­ Finally, he straightened a little, dropping his guard. P¡¯pfel wasn¡¯t coming. The spectators could see ¨C the Gremling stopped at the border of the forest, hidden behind vegetation and residue fumes. But Rubella was visibly confused. The stalemate was broken when Rubella took one, unsure step towards the forest. Suddenly, a small hive of rakes jumped out of the high grass from behind. The dozen flying rats flew the short distance, surrounded the man in the blink of an eye, and latched onto his neck and limbs. The surprise attack caught Rubella unprepared. In a panic, trying to get the rodents off of his neck, he threw the black box away. Not a second later, a dozen small explosions flashed all around his body, covering the area in black smoke. A sound similar to a warning siren resounded through the stadium and the barrier above started sparkling, painting the arena in colors of the rainbow. ¡°Lesser Landlord Avery Rubella lethally wounded!¡± came an announcement as red sparkles erupted from the man¡¯s vicinity. ¡°Medical team deployed. Winner of the Duel - Sepia Familia!¡± Zeph released a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. ¡°He should¡¯ve surrendered,¡± Ghrughah said grumpily. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of them will without exhausting their options¡­¡± Aisha noted. ¡°Yeah, P¡¯pfel played it perfectly. I am a little scared about the purpose of that black box¡­¡± Makani wheezed out with relief. ¡°How did he make the rakes ambush him like that?¡± Zeph asked curiously. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s actually my doing,¡± Pavail said with a bittersweet smile. ¡°I was testing our rake hive reactions to different stimulants¡­ It¡¯s quite easy to put them into the hunting mood, and even easier to force an all-or-nothing response. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t even try to attack a human¡­¡± ¡°P¡¯pfel left a trail of bait behind himself to lead the hive,¡± Ghrughah added helpfully. ¡°It seems he stopped releasing the bait before he entered the forest, but managed to place some of it on the Lesser Landlord at some point. The rakes were geared with mechanical backpacks we made. The stimulants¡¯ release mechanism can be controlled at a distance through magnetic impulses. Same with the explosives.¡± Zeph blinked slowly. ¡°Jeez¡­ You absolutely overdid it. I doubt our opponents could''ve come up with a trap like this¡­¡± ¡°Ha! Thanks,¡± Ghrughah said jovially, not at all abashed. A delicate sound of bells came from the direction of the doors. This whole room was reserved for the leadership of their Guild for privacy, so attendants weren¡¯t allowed to freely enter inside. Besides Pavail and the six Department Heads, only two trusted people from Kwan¡¯s gang were present. That, combined with the direct attention of Onji Tiwaz, made them quite comfortable in speaking openly about their inventions ¨C something they would never do in public space otherwise. ¡°I guess it¡¯s my cue,¡± Makani said, standing up. ¡°Wish me luck!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need luck,¡± Zeph said. ¡°Just calm head.¡± ¡°Heh, let¡¯s hope so¡­¡± As Makani was leaving the room, another announcement was made about a half-hour break. Normally, another pair should be ready for the fights already, but the first six fights between the leaders were too important to rush things. As the rest continued the discussion, Zeph read some more about Makani¡¯s opponent to better understand what he was put against. P¡¯pfel showed up ten minutes later, dressed in a little-too-big toga. The whole room cheered as he entered. The discussions shifted again to the last fight, and the small Gremling absolutely loved the attention. Of course, P¡¯pfel the wild was at the forefront for most of it, gloating in praise and glory. P¡¯pfel the professor had his hand in the fight, but the majority was done by his other self, so he allowed the scoundrel to have this moment. The half hour of break ended all too quickly and another announcement came as the participants were delivered to the field below. This time, to the ¡®marsh¡¯ area. ¡°¡­On the north side, Challenger Makani Borre, the Head of Aeroplanning and Ingeniators of Sepia Familia Guild¡­¡± In this case, Makani couldn¡¯t use his Tower allegation, and as much was obvious in the name presented. Even if everyone knew he was a part of Blackwind Tower. He was in his standard green-and-gold robes, but this time he also wore an enclosed helmet and white gloves. The helmet didn¡¯t fit with the rest of his clothes ¨C just a standard silver can with golden accents ¨C but he learned his lesson after the incident in the Brenn forest. Any other equipment prepared by their Guild was hidden under his floaty attire. ¡°¡­Contested by Lesser Landlord Lavinia Naidaya Lurona-Kazotaro Yardan, representative of Landlords¡¯ faction.¡± The woman was decked in heavy-looking, exotic attire. It loosely resembled a belly dancer''s clothing, just without uncovered skin. It was mostly thanks to the ornamental fabrics and decorations that covered her tightly fitting, full leather armor set. It was dark brown, almost golden in color, and decorated in gold and emerald. Of course, her face was hidden under the helmet ¨C only her green eyes, glowing ominously, could be seen from behind the thin slits. Two broad falchions were hanging from her belt, but more weapons could be found all around her form. ¡°Taking a stance in the under-level-seventy-five match of Spellwielding. Please place your bets carefully¡­¡± Chapter 113 - Anticlimactic victory and a struggle. The first day of Duels continues! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] Zeph was intrigued. He knew well how devastating and unpredictable the fights between Manacaster could be. Sure, Makani¡¯s opponent wasn¡¯t really up to par with a true Manacaster when it comes to external Mana manipulation, but she was sure to use Matrix Spells. In a direct fight, it was much easier to just abuse the System¡¯s Matrices than to construct Spells manually. Sure, being able to form at least two Spells at once was an advantage and the woman would have less flexibility. She would be also limited to the Spells available for her Class and Profession while being additionally limited by her Matrix space. Not to mention, she shouldn¡¯t be able to modify them in any meaningful ways. But, if she was an experienced Spellwielder with a lot of fights under her belt, the Duel could easily end in seconds. That was the difficulty of Mana-based fights happening on this stratum ¨C ¡®mages¡¯ were squishy. And they didn¡¯t have many Mana-relevant options to protect themselves. ¡®Mana barriers¡¯? Try to wave one, it sure would help. If a person didn¡¯t possess a ludicrously high control over their Mana, the best they could do was to form obstacles for the incoming Spell assault. The best ¡®barrier¡¯ Zeph managed to invent was the one stemming from Telekinesis. Maybe, just maybe, he could form something better with his coolant ¨C by freezing the moisture into a solid barrier. But that would depend, once again, on Force-Magicules. The sheer complexity of such a setup would deplete his Will in seconds, as it would require not only to keep the coolant in place over a vast area but also to reach a frozen body of matter ¨C either the sea or the cold ground, both of which weren¡¯t in any proximity of the arena. In other words, besides thick and/or living armor, there was no true defense against fast-acting Spells. Maybe some enchantments on the armor could simulate that effect, but if so, he wasn¡¯t privy to them. The bodies of Manacasters weren¡¯t supported by many ¡®physical¡¯ Passive Enhancements (PE). Most people were choosing to increase their ¡®spiritual¡¯ capacity to better manipulate their Mana. ¡®Glass canons¡¯ populated this stratum, at least in Zeph¡¯s mind. In a Duel between such individuals, it wasn¡¯t important how strong your Spells were ¨C it was all about timing, precision, and speed. That was exactly why he was so scared of fighting another Manacaster. Each and every fight had the potential to become an unpredictable mess. One correct Spell, one diversion, and the whole fight could be decided. Manacasters didn¡¯t have the staying toughness of advanced warriors or higher-strata individuals. This kind of combatant was probably as squishy as it gets in this world, taking into account the relative power of Spells they could wield versus their body toughness. And Zeph was one of those people. At least he had his living armor and was somehow more prepared to receive heavy wounds of any kind. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that the energies the people were able to use could easily maim a person with a ¡®physical¡¯ PE under a hundred. On the other hand, the Spellwielder who stood against Makani was clearly investing in her body. The sheer fact that her visible equipment should be weighing 100 kilograms, at the very least, was saying enough. P¡¯pfel might have been able to bring his vehicle/armor to the field by himself¡ªas stipulated in the rules¡ªbut there was no chance for him to actually fight when it was inert. His whole Duel was about equipment and resources ¨C if the armor was to be left without power, his overwhelming mobility and firepower would disappear. He could have, probably, still stand and fight, but it would just be a reversal of the ending of the actual fight ¨C hoping to get your opponent with what was left or a trump card. The fact that his opponent lost the jetpack at the end was either a strike of luck or a result of big-brain planning. Gaining air superiority wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but it was as flawed as P¡¯pfel¡¯s vehicle ¨C it could only take that much beating before collapsing while still requiring fuel. Either way, people here were depending much more on their equipment than anything else. It was much easier to multiply your damage output if the right enchantments were placed on your gear. And, right now, it seemed that Makani was vastly overplayed in that regard. As the countdown reached zero, both combatants moved. Makani jumped up and, from that point, started to glide higher using some invisible air currents. The spiral trajectory of his ascend brought to mind Earth gliders riding the hot air above water reservoirs. The woman ignored the terrain and simply rushed ahead, aiming at Makani¡¯s location in a straight line. Ponds of water or not, her footing seemed as stable as if she was running on solid ground. A spray of displaced water and mud was left behind in her wake. Also, more and more water was conglomerating around her form, dipping into all nooks and crannies of her ¨C already impressive ¨C armor and forming a second layer of protection. It was a shame that they couldn¡¯t hear anything because the water around Makani¡¯s location suddenly started to distort, forming miniature but regular shapes on the surface. Zeph knew that his friend was using some kind of Sound Spell, but it was hard to tell what exactly was being used. But the fact that he was using sound offensively was enough for him to smile. This fight wouldn¡¯t be as simple as everyone predicted anymore. During their hunt, Makani wasn¡¯t able to use this kind of attacks. The physical manifestations of such Spells didn¡¯t care about friend or foe, so it was much too easy to damage your teammates. For the very same reason, Zeph never used his Flash Spell in ages. The last time he did, he was paired with Aisha, who evidently was able to fight while blinded ¨C back in the Barringstone village. As a result, Zeph had a hidden card to play in his Duels. But now, it was also true for Makani. The Manacaster understood him, it seems. Sounds could be harmful. And, finally, Makani managed to successfully weaponize them. Zeph couldn¡¯t be more proud. Makani never disclosed his latest improvements, so all of it was just guesswork on his part. But, either way, the physical effects were talking for themselves. The woman faltered in her charge, almost sinking into the mushy ground in the process. Meanwhile, Makani was rising higher and higher into the air while throwing smoking bombs all around. The putrid smoke they released while descending was unnaturally pushed down. Makani, obviously, also could use the Heat cantrip to set them on fire. Even keeping a pocked of superheated air under his robes to work as an igniter wouldn¡¯t be much of a challenge to the Air Specialist. Zeph suspected some of the robe¡¯s enchantments could help with that, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. But, as it was, the smoke show was more entertaining, it seemed. Even if everyone knew that Makani was specializing in air manipulation, doing it on such a scale was still something new for the audience. All in all, it was the best area attack for physically-inclined opponents. Well, at least when disregarding chemicals in large quantities. But Makani couldn¡¯t just suffocate his opponent. P¡¯pfel managed that only because of the scale of the air pollution. It was off the charts during his fight. As the woman tried to find her footing, while coughing violently at the same time, Makani did something absolutely unthinkable for a person in his position. He dropped down. Yes, instead of keeping high ground, he actually threw himself at the opponent. His trajectory was covered by the black smoke, and Zeph was sure his descent wasn¡¯t producing any sound because the woman didn¡¯t react at all. His robes weren¡¯t even fluttering in the air, just stiffly bending upwards, uncovering the form-fitting trousers beneath. With the speed of a falling brick, he landed feet-first on the woman¡¯s back, just as she strengthened her grip on the water below and started to rise. An explosion of red glitter ensued, followed shortly by the rainbow light show made by the barrier above and an announcement. ¡°Lesser Landlord Lavinia Naidaya critically wounded! Medical team deployed; help will be appreciated. Winner of the Duel - Sepia Familia! A truly crushing defeat!¡± Zeph blinked owlishly. ¡°How, tell me, did his legs and spine survived that?¡± he asked, pointing at the scene. Makani was in the process of diving down to bring the woman back to the surface. ¡°We took a page from your Telekinetic Spells when designing his robes,¡± professor P¡¯pfel said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°If he can fly up, he needs to have a way to land safely. Even when unconscious.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. That¡¯s¡­ very thoughtful, actually, Zeph thought, remembering a flying wizard from a certain game. It seemed that increasing your athletics by 1000 wasn¡¯t exactly healthy without precautions ¨C who would have thought. ¡°So what? He can just¡­ fall from any height and be good?¡± he asked. ¡°Pretty much,¡± Aisha said. ¡°But to require enchantments to survive just that¡­¡± She grimaced. ¡°What can you expect? He is a Manacaster through and through,¡± Ghrughah added. ¡°What about me?¡± He asked innocently, pointing at his bearded face. ¡°You cannot fly,¡± Aisha stated coldly. ¡°And you just need 50 more Flexibility. 300 may be the sweet spot, but with your body enhancement, you should be alive enough after crashing down.¡± ¡°There goes my child dream¡­¡± he murmured, dejected. ¡°Better stop this farce and prepare mentally. You are next,¡± Kwan interjected, glancing at him. ¡°Yes, yes. I know.¡± He sighed, leaning down in his seat. ¡°Any last advice before I leave?¡± he asked more seriously. ¡°Just do it quickly. No gadgets,¡± Aisha said. ¡°Use the electrifying enchantments when parring. They shouldn¡¯t know about it yet,¡± Pavail said vigorously. ¡°But don¡¯t use new explosives,¡± P¡¯pfel added. ¡°Or that Spell.¡± Kwan glared. ¡°And you better¡ª" ¡°Okay, okay! I will be careful and fight as blandly as possible! Geeez¡­¡± He shook his head at the ridiculous number of restrictions his guildmembers placed on him. ¡°See ya later,¡± he said, standing up. After gathering the necessary equipment, he left the room. An attendant responsible for getting him was already waiting outside, so she immediately showed him the way. As the elevator¡ªas steampunk as everything else here¡ªstarted to descend, the woman started asking important questions. ¡°Your opponent has chosen the hill terrain for the start of the fight. Is that acceptable?¡± ¡°Do I even have a choice?¡± he asked rhetorically and without passion. But, against his expectations, the attendant uncovered another detail of the proceedings. ¡°You have a right to veto the decision. If the terrain is too much of an obstacle for your fighting style, we can negotiate with the opposing side,¡± she said seriously. ¡°It will require you to show some evidence of the fact, though.¡± Zeph looked at her blindly for a moment. ¡°No, no¡­ Hills are alright¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± She nodded, writing something down in a small notebook. ¡°Do you have a direct help of any Onji?¡± Zeph¡¯s brew rose. ¡°No? At least not¡­ direct?¡± The following questions all regarded the rules of the competition. In his mind, it was mostly to make sure he understood the restrictions and risks. It was quite funny in a way ¨C asking questions about the terms and rules instead of reciting them blindly. Earth could learn a thing or two from this, he thought, amused. It makes the legal rules so much more approachable¡­ ¡°Now, please prepare an Effigy,¡± she finally said. ¡°We will arrive at the auditorium hall shortly.¡± He did just as she said and censured the ¡®screenshot¡¯ of his Interface. He would have to show his name, Class, Profession, levels in both, and the names of his PE. The last one was a precaution ¨C people unbalanced in their PE had colored indicators of that fact in their Interface, and it was impossible to erase them from an Effigy. System-unbalanced people, like P¡¯pfel, required more attention when it came to the balance of a Duel. It was a little bizarre for Zeph, though. As much as the Duels were normal and accepted practice in these lands, he never expected this much control coming from the local government. They entered a room that looked more like a dojo or gym hall ¨C a wooden floor, white walls, and a high ceiling. In the center, four people stood. Three of them wore extravagantly decorated robes, and one was in full plate armor. Zeph knew that his opponent would be a physically-inclined male of human race, but his height was something else. He was slender, as humans on Corora tended to, but stood way above two meters in height. He kept his helmet under one arm. His other hand was busy keeping his warhammer upright. The blunt face of the weapon was enormous, easily the size of a large monitor. The back ended in a wicked, curved edge not dissimilar to a pickaxe. The man looked to be in his twenties, but his face was heavily scarred. In contrast to other Landlords he ever saw, this one looked more like an experienced warrior than a politician. ¡°Welcome, La-Einar,¡± one of the ornately dressed men said, nodding slightly in greeting. ¡°Do you have any questions or should we proceed?¡± As he stopped a few meters away, his attendant trotted to another man to deliver her notes. ¡°Everything seems clear to me, but¡­ I didn¡¯t hear much about the involvement of Soul-bonded organisms?¡± he suggested, careful with his wording. ¡°If they are in the arena, you are safe. The rules are quite lax because of the agreed-upon form of the Duels,¡± another man said with a tired voice. He seemed much older than his companions. ¡°No need to register them, too.¡± Zeph nodded, stepping closer. ¡°Let us proceed, then,¡± the third man said just as Zeph¡¯s attendant left the room. ¡°Is everything in order?¡± he turned to the first arbiter; the one reading the notes. ¡°Yes, everything is in order.¡± The older man nodded. ¡°Effigy please,¡± he said, gesturing to Zeph and his opponent. After a quick evaluation, he nodded once again. Then, he straightened up. Zeph¡ªalready knowing about the procedure¡ªstepped forward, just as his opponent did. They ended up standing almost face-to-face with the old arbiter to Zeph¡¯s right. ¡°Zeph Einar, Department Head of Sepia Familia Guild,¡± he started, looking at Zeph, ¡°Arrio Arslancle, Lesser Landlord of Lurona city,¡± he continued, turning to Zeph¡¯s opponent, ¡°state your declarations!¡± ¡°I, Arrio Arslancle, will fight to uphold my heirloom and the honor of Lurona city¡¯s Landlords,¡± the man opposite Zeph stated in a gruff voice arrogantly. ¡°To not allow Kwan Gewong, an outsider and intruder, to attain the title.¡± The older man nodded and turned to Zeph. ¡°I, Zeph Einar, will fight for our Guild. The title you speak of is merely an extension of our rights to the land; you have no right to contest it,¡± he spoke with resolve. Grrru! his companion reported. A pseudo-Soul-bond formed. Something much more palpable than the hazy feeling Gru got while they were fighting animals. It was just as Zeph predicted. It was a shame they weren¡¯t in a position to truly test that bond. On the other hand, any confirmation of his insights was welcome. ¡°May the confrontation begin, and the strength contested,¡± the old arbiter quietly murmured. Zeph and his opponent reached and crossed their arms. ¡°Let the Duel determine our future,¡± the man said, looking deep into Zeph¡¯s eyes. ¡°You mean, the future of my Guild,¡± he said resolutely. ¡°If you weren¡¯t a coward that you are, you would be buying the land instead of fighting us.¡± Arrio¡¯s jaw clenched as he glared at Zeph. With a final push that threw Zeph¡¯s arm away. After he disengaged, he turned around and walked away. As for Zeph, he was impassively looking at the man¡¯s back. For all hype and warrior-like behavior, they can¡¯t even stay calm in the face of small trash-talk? he thought, turning around and placing his helmet on his head. Like hell I will believe it. He¡¯s either a perfect actor or a tool in the hands of giants, and nothing more. He knew that he was generalizing and simplifying, but he hadn¡¯t had a choice. It made things easier for him. It was Zeph¡¯s way of dealing with murder trauma. Not the one born from Soul shenanigans on Corora, but a true to its name, mental burden that came with killing another sapient being. He had enough of that on Earth to learn how to rationalize the problem. It all came to one simple truth. If he arrived at the junction without any way out, he would prioritize his life over the lives of strangers. The fact that his past-self pushed him right into this junction could be omitted. Life was never linear or predictable. Especially because he was never able to predict the future ¨C his decisions were made rationally at the time. And he did his best to never regret his choices. However¡ªhe mused, arriving at the moving platform and removing the sheath from the tip of his spear¡ªI can do that now, to some extent at least¡­ don¡¯t I? Predicting the future¡­ The sliding doors opened as the platform moved. The artistic interior of the rooms and hallways he passed were lost on him, as his focus was drifting closer and closer to the coming fight. As the saying goes: ¡®There is no glory in war¡¯. To fight for one¡¯s life was to concentrate on one¡¯s survival. Not much attention could be spent on things besides that. The platform landed on the top of a hill, around 70 meters away from his enemy. He stepped down, already preparing a few Spells in his Veil. Yes ¨C Spells. After the nightmare vision from the Adeptus Miu-something, he was inspired. Not only because of the man¡¯s method of imploding the Mana in the vicinity¡ªa thing he wouldn¡¯t be able to mimic just yet¡ªbut also in the way the man was constructing his Spells. Moreover, Zeph himself was actually straying in that direction for the longest time. All he had to do was to form multiple Spell components beforehand, and then assemble a full construct when needed. He was ways away from mastering the art ¨C far enough to not even gain a General Skill for it ¨C but he could, at least, form a few initial shapes that were included in his light Spells. All of these fragments were being reinforced by encapsulating Mana-L ¨C the main reason he had to prepare beforehand, as it took the most time. But what was happening on the field wasn¡¯t going to leave the field. The moment he stepped down from the platform, the Duel had started ¨C meaning he could start to construct right away. The countdown was just a way to buy them time to prepare. Which was especially important for the Manacasters. How the stadium checked the state of the combatants¡¯ Veils beforehand was a mystery, but it probably had to do with their Onji. Seeing the man in the distance, taking a running stance with his warhammer hold vertically, didn¡¯t faze him. His relaxed posture didn¡¯t sift. He was against a man of unknown abilities, so he had to be prepared for anything. The extent of the arena was forgotten. The thousands of observers, hiding behind the tilted widows, were forgotten. The unpleasant feeling of becoming a gladiator-like source of entertainment was forgotten. The only thing that mattered, was to survive. As the countdown¡ªloudly projected from multiple speaker-like enchantments around the arena¡ªhit zero, the world around him immediately exploded into blackness. Zeph retrieved the Spell components that he was assembling into a Flash Spell, and reached for the satchel on his belt. He jumped to the right while spinning, throwing the live-detecting beads all around. His Veil morphed, sending a mesh of condensed Mana in every direction while staying sharp at the border of his perception. Next, he raptured one of the satchels keeping the exploding beads while waving his spear wildly all around. He has to have a way to see me, or the blindness is just on me, he reasoned. Playing a victim isn¡¯t that hard when he can¡¯t see my face! True enough, after ten seconds of this farce, the leftmost bead that was connected to his Mana tendril returned a reading. Of course, he wasn¡¯t able to keep all the beads truly active ¨C the Spells inside would produce the Magicules, but as long as it wasn¡¯t his Mana, he wouldn¡¯t receive any readings. They were, basically, a smokescreen. He immediately started constructing Flash while redirected his three Mana tendrils. Two of them to other live-detection beads, one to explosive bead that happened to be in the vicinity. He saw nothing as his Flash Spell manifested, but heard the explosion that followed shortly. Feeling danger, he took a more stable hold of his spear and moved the shaft to cover his right shin. At the same time, he released an electric charge through the enchantment. A low grunt reverberated and his vision started to return. He jumped back two times, forcing one more bead to explode, as his eyes recovered from whatever the man did at the beginning. His opponent was kneeling, using his warhammer to keep himself upright. The electric current seemed to influence the man¡¯s body, probably thanks to the Magicules interacting with it. A person in full plate armor shouldn¡¯t even feel that attack. Zeph frowned. He could have ended the fight here and there, if only he used more detection Spells or techniques. He was too far away to attack though, and his Beam Spell would take too long to construct. ¡°Congratulations,¡± came a gruff voice. ¡°You somehow survived the first round.¡± Zeph looked at that man with wide eyes. His armor was as pristine as at the beginning of their Duel. Chapter 114 – The feral battle that moved the crowds… was quite short? Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] The Arslancle¡¯s last attack was merely a light, fast sweep with the warhammer¡¯s long shaft. It was fast ¨C almost rivaling the speed of Aisha¡¯s serious weapon swing ¨C but lacked the power to break through Zeph¡¯s guard. Nonetheless, it spoke volumes about the man¡¯s physical prowess. Even when feeling the movement in his Veil, it almost took him by surprise. But that wasn¡¯t the most concerning part. That can¡¯t be right, Zeph thought, seeing the unblemished armor of his opponent. Two beads should¡¯ve hit him almost point-blank¡­ The shrapnel isn¡¯t¡ª Shhhhha! Gru sent victoriously as his vision returned fully; the dark spots in his peripheral vision disappearing altogether. His companion¡¯s message brought more information, though. The attack that made him blind was directed at his Soul. To be more precise ¨C at the links between his Soul and body. Somehow, the man managed to pump impressions and overwhelm the Soul links connecting the general area of his eyes and surrounding nerves to his incorporeal part ¨C effectively disrupting the information flow and causing his brain to short-circuit because of conflicting sensations. And because the deluge of illusory darkness was that much intense, Zeph¡¯s mind started processing that information before anything else. The attack was instant from his perspective, but he knew well how Soulscape worked. The man had to mark him in the auditorium and enter the field prepared. There was no way to do something like that through the weak Soul bond that was connecting them ¨C Gru would¡¯ve known. I should¡¯ve felt the intrusion¡ªthe thoughts sped through his mind¡ªGru should¡¯ve seen it coming. An instant attack? Without an ability to use Will directly? Impossible. It was too complex¡­ Was a ritual of some kind involved? It made sense but it also meant that Arslancle was much more similar to Aisha than Zeph was comfortable with. Rituals that she made were mostly to gather the attention of her Onji ¨C to use that goddess¡¯s special Mana in more complex ways, like marking the Souls of hostiles in the vicinity. I have my Spells and he has the support of an Onji¡­ is that how you set us up? His eyes squinted. He couldn¡¯t find any other logical explanation. That attack was much more sophisticated than anything a human should be able to produce on this stratum. And that fact sent shivers down Zeph¡¯s spine. Don¡¯t tell me he is a part of that sect¡­ No, I should stay calm, he steadied himself as his first Telekinetic barrier finally finished assembling on his right flank, so forced the other end of the funnel-like construct to lift one of the big needles from the back of his belt. Paranoia and fear are not going to help me here. ¡°Having doubts?¡± the man asked, rising to his feet; misunderstanding Zeph¡¯s petrified state. He wouldn¡¯t be able to surprise us again with Gru staying alert, Zeph quickly concluded, glancing around without moving his head. The live-detection beads would be useful in the worst-case scenario. The explosion beads were all around them, too, but seeing the state of his opponent¡¯s armor, he wasn¡¯t going to activate more of them. Not until he found an opening. ¡°Yes, I have some,¡± Zeph answered after quickly analyzing the battlefield, straightening up. Looking back at his adversary, he noticed that the spasming of his muscles almost stopped. He allowed that to happen, as well as for the talk to buy his opponent time. Carbon monoxide in low concentrations isn¡¯t working fast, either way, he thought, taking a more aggressive stance with his spear, playing an honorable contender that he wasn¡¯t. Crouching down, he raised his right arm behind his back to reach above his head, keeping the spear¡¯s shaft high, while his left was extended forward, reaching as far as possible. This stance was more suited for thrusting or charging forward, but it was surprisingly compatible with how he used the spear¡¯s enchantments and the gravity-defying, inertia-depending style he learned from Aisha. ¡°Mostly about your allegations, though,¡± he finished, assembling the Flash once more, just for the sake of testing its usability. The man¡¯s head dropped ¨C either in contemplation or anger ¨C as he moved the warhammer head into a ready position to his left. The surface of his armored gloves and the weapon darkened as the metal saturated with Magicules of unknown type. In the next moment, he was charging at Zeph, big swaths of grass and dirt left in the wake of his explosive first jump. Using the enchantments in his boots, Zeph Anchored himself to the ground and pushed with all his strength. The thrust was slow because of the weight of his spear, and the execution was a bit too early to reach Arslancle. But just as the spear was reaching its maximum range, quadruple-Flash exploded between them and Zeph jumped forward after cutting off the enchantments. This was enough of a surprise, along with his speed and reach, to startle his opponent. Arslancle reacted too late and had to swat away the spear near his body with the shaft of his weapon. The Discharge¡¯s sparks flashed momentarily through the length of both weapons, only to ground itself below them without effect. Flash out. Discharge out, flew through Zeph¡¯s mind as he pulled his spear back, speeding up his advance and rotating the weapon to brace for impact. He held his breath. Neither of them could adjust the weapons in time and they crashed violently. Zeph used his knee to direct most of his inertia to the man¡¯s abdomen, when Arslancle tried to elbow him in the head, managing only a glancing blow. The loud clash of metal perfectly obscured a silent hiss of compressed gas escaping from multiple small containers. They spun just above the ground and started separating because of the centrifugal force, but Zeph would have none of that. He reached with his right arm to try and hook it around his opponent¡¯s neck. As their bodies started to flat out in the air because of the spin, Arslancle roared angrily and¡ªbending his body impossibly¡ªspun his torso around to face upward, freeing himself and using the momentum to punch Zeph¡¯s side, shoulder, and helmet in quick succession. A hidden blade shot forward from his armguard every time, but was deflected by the microplates of his armor. Falling, Zeph finally took a breath. After hitting the ground, now separated, both quickly rolled to their knees and swung their weapons in sync. Zeph had been holding his spear upside-down, so the warhammer¡¯s head met a solid sphere on the other side of the spear¡¯s end. Two enchantments activated and an explosion of force rattled the bones of both combatants. The grass and soil around them twisted because of the Anchoring enchantments keeping both of them in place. Zeph¡¯s weapon was sent back at speed as Arslancle continued the swinging motion, standing up, and diverting the movement of his weapon into an overhead blow. But even with his speed, Zeph was ahead thanks to the previous exchange. He spun his spear, activating the vibration enchantment and, at the same time, preparing to jump forward while positioning his Telekinetic barrier, hastily putting Matix Force weave on its surface. In the middle of a cacophony of metal-cutting-metal and a lightshow of sparks, he cut a deep gash diagonally through the man¡¯s torso. That did nothing to dissuade Arslancle as the warhammer started falling. Another Flash ignited, and Zeph jumped forward, still spinning his spear above his head. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! A crack of supersonic projectile echoed in the arena as the warhammer suddenly stopped just above Zeph¡¯s back. Zeph¡¯s constructs raptured violently, causing an explosion of air, and¡ªat the same time¡ªa dense wave of unknown Magicules rolled through his back, breaking even through the excellent Mana protection of his armor while decimating Phleya¡¯s population inside. Zeph held his breath as his body was launched to the ground and slightly to the right, causing another hiss of released air. The darkness returned, invading not only his vision but all other senses this time. Arslancle grunted in pain; his warhammer landing heavily on the ground as he swayed unsteadily. Zeph tried to stand up but his body was sending him confusing signals. It hurt in places, but his muscles were numb. Shivers coursed through him, some feeling like caused by temperature change, some pleasant, some just confusing. His heartbeat was irregular; his hearing overwhelmed with white noise; his touch stinging, wavering, and thoroughly illogical. I don¡¯t have time for this! He clenched his teeth, effectively filling his mouth with a sweet taste coming from nowhere. Angrily, he forced his Soul to shift, then sent an enormous amount of Will through all his Soul links up to his Soul to reinforce the change and the functions of Willforce Morphon working on that side, while forcing all present Willforce Mana-constructs in his body to start the synchronization process. He was too preoccupied to notice the, temporarily, unintelligent warnings sent by Gru. By the time he regained basic control over his body, the pickaxe end of warhammer was already cursing through his Veil. His body spasmed as he reflexively tried to dodge, but it was too late. The sharp end dug deeply into his left arm, breaking the bone and almost piercing all the way through, stopped only by the armor on the other side. His body was flung to the side as he screamed; the movement tore the weapon away, causing even more damage. He rolled on the ground; weapon lost. He was bleeding heavily, but he could already see through the vestiges of his Mana that the man quickly followed. Not as fast as previously, but still right behind. Fuck it! Suppressing the pain as much as possible, he grabbed at the center of his chest, where two bandoliers that were crossing his torso connected to a metal plate, and released the latches with a push. Gru, double-S! he sent, discarding the belt contraption while still rolling. It was armed with a small explosive that was just enough to break all canisters containing compressed carbon monoxide, as well as a small surprise from Pavail. Just as the man was to smack it away, he was hit with two ¡®Soul whacks¡¯ coming from¡­ relatively opposite directions. The man spasmed, just as the canisters exploded in his face, purple smoke blocking his vision. Zeph screamed again after using his good arm to grab soil and grass to slow down and rotate to his knees, sliding almost two more meters before finally stopping. He was sent down the slope of the hill, thankfully. He wouldn¡¯t be able to make much distance otherwise. His senses were almost recovered. Gru was working overtime to get rid of the strange Magicules and Soul influence, resonating as he could to influence Zeph¡¯s Soul, while directing Phleya to focus on his blood and the wound. Not giving time to his opponent to recover, Zeph took out the spear¡¯s scabbard from his belt with his good hand. Just a moment ago, Arslancle did an involuntary pirouette before crashing almost right at his feet, facing the sky. The cut that Zeph managed to inflict didn¡¯t go through the armor, but a deep dent was visible on the left side of the Arslancle¡¯s chest, in the lower part of his pectoralis. There, a trickle of blood was painting his armor red. He fired from the scabbard almost point-bland at that area. The enchanted Spell trashed the man¡¯s body for a fraction of a second, until a gray-black explosion of Magicules and force sent them both flying away in opposite directions. Zeph¡¯s Veil was almost depleted. His senses once more confused, but not as badly as previously. The scabbard was lost, and he was blindly coursing through the air. So, he used his good arm to cradle the damaged one, covering the wound with his hand, and braced for impact¡ª ¡ªone agonizing moment later¡ª ¡ªhe was sprawled on the soft grass, dizzily looking all around in confusion. It seemed that his brain was done with the pain because he felt nothing. The numbness assured him that he was very high on adrenaline¡­ or whatever Gru and Phleya were pumping into his organism. It¡¯s probably a shock of some kind¡­isn¡¯t it? he wondered, fighting off the drowsiness. It was a long time since he felt such a strong compelling to just stay put and close his eyes. He was also sure that he lost consciousness for a moment there. Well, the simplest thing to do right now is¡­ he thought, closing his eyes¡­ and raising his leg up. He was still on the hill¡¯s slope ¨C legs facing down ¨C which helped him sit up as he moved the leg down. He was ready when the sharp, tearing pain returned. He hissed silently, but the sensation eradicated any sense of weariness. He looked around once again. His adversary was to his right and back, slightly higher on the slanted grass field. It seemed that the man had problems with rising to his feet and, even from the distance of almost 20 meters, Zeph could hear his wheezing, shallow breaths. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why,¡± Zeph whispered tiredly. He expected to be eliminated after wasting so much time, but he now understood. Because Arslancle was facing in the other direction, Zeph would clearly see a large, uneven rapture in that armor of his. The circular opening looked almost like an exploded tin can. That needle that penetrated his armor wasn¡¯t made from normal materials, so even when compressed and deformed, it still didn¡¯t fall apart. His Telekinetic funnel-slash-barrier transferred enough energy for it to open a much larger opening on the other side. And then, a part of his Force-drilling Spell got inside from the front a moment ago¡­ That lung is in shambles, he concluded, slowly standing up. It¡¯s a good thing they don¡¯t have hearts on their left side. But¡ªhe straightened with difficulty¡ªwhat do people like him eat to survive something like that? Aisha, I really hope that¡¯s not a standard in this world! He took out one of the explosive beads and his combat knife. He had only one hand to work with, but maybe he wouldn¡¯t have to use it that much. His Veil recovered somewhat, so he also started constructing Heat Beam. Moving slowly up the hill, he also started spinning the vortex of Ambient Mana Channeling using an external part of his Veil. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry and waited until his opponent noticed him. ¡°Ready to surrender yet?¡± he asked as the man turned to him. Zeph was still walking uphill to reach, at least, a level ground. He also deliberately kept his head turned mostly forward, to not indicate that he was looking directly at the man. ¡°Because of flesh wound of¡­ cough¡­ this proportions?¡± Arslancle answered with difficulty, yet still arrogantly. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± What are you? The Black Knight? Zeph thought, shaking his head. The man was visibly weakened, and not only by the blood loss and collapsed lung. ¡°Then, no hard feelings if I kill you by mistake?¡± Arslancle had inhaled enough carbon monoxide for the effects to start showing, not to mention Pavail¡¯s toxic surprise, whatever that was. The Passive Enhancements only strengthened what already existed ¨C the state of the body was the base. And seeing his movements earlier, Zeph was sure that his armor was extremely heavy ¨C probably right at the limit of what he could comfortably use. The discrepancy between his linear movement speed and maneuverability was just too vast, not to mention the slow swings of the warhammer¡¯s head that stood in opposition to the swift movements of its shaft. Even if the poisoning resulted in a 10% drop in strength, the man now had only one working lung and was heavily wounded. The fact that he wasn¡¯t even trying to move uphill right now¡ªstill fighting to not sway too much on his feet¡ªspoke volumes as to how much all that impacted him. And yet, he didn¡¯t surrender. ¡°Hmph! If you manage that¡­ in your state¡­¡± the man answered slowly in a gurgling voice while suppressing a coughing fit; clearly miscalculating the condition of Zeph¡¯s body. ¡°You will have my respect, not enmity.¡± It ended up more useful than I had thought¡­ he thought, noticing the slight slur as he spoke. His poor acting aside, using a gas in the open plain wasn¡¯t going to help Zeph much. At least, that was what he had thought. But it was a free action he could take, so he made sure their clashes made the gas-releasing mechanism activate just as the man was taking a breath. Zeph had enough combat experience to either predict or force those moments. The canisters were also appropriately enchanted ¨C preventing the gas from dissipating too quickly and instead forming dense conglomerations in the air. It was something he had learned from Aisha ¨C the inevitability of faltering in certain circumstances. The very method she had used to defeat three post-100 warriors in North Tarak. She even used a similar method back then by suffocating their opposition. The environment often mattered more than personal strength in such scenarios. But he knew that if his opponent didn¡¯t inhale enough of the toxic gas, it would be all for naught. It had been a backup plan, at best. That¡¯s why he was so impressed by how well it had gone. Now, they stood face to face. One man without a working arm. One man brought down below his opponent¡¯s strength. Both without their main weapons. The results were more than satisfactory. ¡°So be it. I won¡¯t hold back,¡± Zeph stated coldly. His Veil regenerated enough during this short battle of words. He threw the bead at the man, closely followed by a thin Mana tendril, and activated the Matrix Force weave Spell to build inside a glob of Mana-L by his side. Arslancle, predictably, also threw something at him before taking a defensive stance. His projectile-deflecting enchantment was activated and his whole armor darkened. But before the bead could get even close to the dome of deflecting air current, Zeph reshaped his AMC vortex into Mana rupturing beam. It shot forward, taking the small glob of unfinished Stabilized Force weave with it. Zeph swiftly dodged the thin knife the man had thrown at him as the beam obliterated the defensive Spell and the man¡¯s very Veil, piercing straight through and forcing him to take a step back. The Force weave finished constructing and immediately exploded near Arslancle¡¯s left hip. His body didn¡¯t fly away ¨C the deep gorges in the ground testifying that he Anchored himself ¨C but his body was turned around nonetheless as he fought to stay upwards. Zeph fired the Heat Beam, aiming right at the gaping hole in the armor¡¯s back, then activated the exploding bead that finally reached its destination. An explosion behind him confirmed his suspicions. It all happened in a span of two, maybe three seconds. Zeph¡¯s Veil was, once again, depleted, and his body pushed forward by a shockwave. But a powerful Mana signal, red glitter coming from ahead, and a multicolored lightshow that erupted all around him were all he needed to welcome the inevitable meeting with the ground as he soared through the air. Finally, I can jus¡ªanother agonizing moment later, and his wish was granted as the darkness consumed him¡­ Chapter 115 – The pains of victory. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] Zeph¡¯s eyes opened suddenly. The pain in his left arm was pulsating angrily, but slowly eased up as he caught his breath. The spike of pain that managed to drag him from the dreamland was nowhere to be found, but the echoes were still reverberating through his body. His vision was blurred. Tears he didn¡¯t remember shedding were rolling down his cheeks. His muscles throbbed with a dull pain, as if they just stopped to spasm. ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± someone shouted, their voice distorted. Dizzily, he tried to look around. The fuzzy shapes didn¡¯t tell him much, though. ¡°I¡¯ve told you!¡± This time he recognized the person speaking. Even if his hearing was malfunctioning, he could recognize Pavail. ¡°The anesthetic can only work for so long for him!¡± ¡°Stop stating the obvious and give me the small pincers,¡± someone else demanded. He still couldn¡¯t focus his sight, so he couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but that last comment sent cold shivers down his spine. He tried to protest, but he couldn¡¯t produce any sound; his mouth paralyzed, lungs sluggishly sucking in the air without care for his plight. Not a moment later, an incredibly intense wave of pain washed over him, radiating not only from his almost severed arm but also from his back. The sensation was short-lived but put him into a daze. His head swiveled from side to side involuntarily as his mind wavered on the consciousness¡¯s boundary. This feeling felt familiar. His blunted senses; the confusion; the daze¡­ His pupils dilated as his eyes involuntarily widened, but he wasn¡¯t seeing his surroundings anymore. His old memories unfolded unsupervised before his very eyes. Flashbacks from the most traumatic moments back on Earth. The physical trauma of modern warfare. The psychological trauma of losing fellow Huntsmen. The constant race for resources and the unending dash into the unknown. Among them, the brightest shone the close encounters with death. The moments when he was almost sure that it was the end. He remembered it all. Somehow, that can of worms, that closed and forgotten box of suffering, opened. The adrenaline rush carrying his wobbling mind through the hypoxia. The absolute helplessness as his body betrayed him, not responding to his will... In the mad haze of fragmented memories, the worst of what happened on Corora started to mix in, blending in seamlessly into the chaos. His pulse was speeding up drastically as his body tensed like a rubber band on the verge of breaking, but the accumulating panic was cut short. Warmth emerged from the vicinity of his sternum, quickly spreading through his whole body. Gru had enough of this¡ªas he succinctly divulged with a low, disgruntled vibration¡ªand pumped¡­ something into Zeph¡¯s body, propagating it with the help of Phleya. In his state, Zeph could easily tell when it happened ¨C his perception was already pointed inward. He never took combat drugs before but, for the first time in his life, he started to understand why they were in circulation. His muscles relaxed; his heartbeat slowed down; the pain drifted away, degrading to dull signals instead of an earsplitting scream of alarm sirens. He could hear unintelligible voices as his arm was being patched up. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to it anymore. Instead, he marveled at what he started to see and feel. At that moment, his insides were more palpable than ever. Every scrap of his body shined brightly and colorfully in his mind¡¯s eye. He could even hear and taste the Mana as it moved through his Source Net. His addled mind started showing him details never seen before. Impressions never possible. Especially those of flow ¨C be it Mana, Blood, or activity of nerves ¨C everything had a representation in this synaesthetic, trippy tapestry. And he finally understood that a whole assortment of foreign chemicals and Magicules was saturating his body. He noticed them ¨C the black, disgusting spots. The manifold mix of Magicules that Arslancle managed to inject into his body wasn¡¯t gone. A small fraction of them managed to reach his Soul. Some were creating strange conglomerations that tasted hideously but sounded almost like Willforce Magicule particles did. He had a hard time discriminating between his body and Soul at the moment, so he wasn¡¯t sure where exactly those inflammation sites were. As he contemplated the state of his being, the surgery continued in the background. Soon enough, his reason started returning; the colors bleaching and the details disappearing, just like a memory of a dream at dawn. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t feeling much pain anymore. He didn¡¯t dare to open his eyes this time, though. His mind slowly regained composure. Rational, coherent thoughts started swirling in his head as he finally noticed the discrepancy between what he knew was possible and what he just experienced. In the first place, this level of pain shouldn¡¯t be possible without external interference. He never checked the limits of his newly acquired pain tolerance ¨C his body enhancements and PE were limiting that stimulus almost inappropriately ¨C but he was quite sure that a partial amputation of an arm shouldn¡¯t pose that much of a challenge. Secondarily, his Homeostasis Defense EE, Phleya, and resource exchange provided by the Willforce Morphon should have dealt with not-critical blood loss in minutes ¨C either by preventing it or by supplementing the creation of new erythrocytes and enhancing oxygen transfer. Gru and Phleya were keeping the level of carboxyhemoglobin at bay during the fight¡ªnot that he inhaled that much of the deadly gas in the first place¡ªso he couldn¡¯t understand why he was regaining his mental capability so slowly. He could feel another wave of pain coming from his left arm, but he ignored it. Am I high, or what? he asked himself, trying to smile ruefully which only caused his face to contort uncontrollably. And finally, Gru and Phleya seemed to not notice the foreign Magicules that were invading his body and, probably, Soul. Truth be told, he wouldn¡¯t be able either if not for the fact that they were so visible during his spiritual, drug-induced vision. The worst part was, it all was happening even in the presence of the best nutriments his guildmates could pump into him. His body was fed with the most energetically appropriate liquids ¨C he could feel it down to his bones. Yet, his brain was sluggish and slow to recover. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. During the fight¡­those symptoms were similar, he concluded after observing himself for a while longer. That thought made him angry as he started connecting the dots. He quickly checked his Interface, ignoring all notifications hidden within that didn¡¯t involve his health. The good news could be left for later. The feeling quickly escalated into a full-blown fury. The System didn¡¯t find anything extraordinary to report. This, more than anything else, proved his suspicions right. Arslancle¡¯s offensive means weren¡¯t designed to guarantee him a victory. No, their predominant purpose was to cripple Zeph. And crippled he was. The pain and confusion were overwhelming his rational thoughts by the sheer intensity until now, so he never noticed. The all-permeating weakness seemed almost natural in those circumstances. Even the strange behavior of his Soul spewing all those old memories at him could be ignored to some extent; he wasn¡¯t in a state to assess the damage to his body or Soul, either way. But there was one thing that shouldn¡¯t be touched. One thing that should be intangible. His Will. It wasn¡¯t depleted more than could be expected ¨C the System could monitor at least this much. But those foreign Magicules, those conglomerations they formed, were interfering somehow. That was the only logical explanation for what was happening. His implants, his Mana manipulation, and even his better techniques all depended on it. His mental stability and balance were part of it. His Soul needed it because of fragmentation. That¡¯s the only logical explanation, he thought. The medical team finished their work and walked away, so he opened his eyes. The surroundings slowly came into focus. I need to purge those Magicules somehow. But it¡¯s ridiculous. How could he even¡­ ¡°You good?¡± Aisha asked, leaning down. Her face hovered right above his head as she looked deep into his eyes. ¡°As can be,¡± he wheezed out. ¡°You missed most of Ghrughah¡¯s Duel,¡± she said, straightening up and looking to the side. Zeph followed her gaze. As it turned out, he was in their Guild¡¯s spectator hall, lying on a marble table that somehow found its way to the back corner of the room on the highest avenue. The armor on his left arm was missing, the same as his helmet and equipment. Medical appliances covered a tray to his right, all covered in blood. His bandaged arm was placed in a metal splint. He knew well that it wouldn¡¯t be of much use for the next few weeks at the very least. The Doctors were absent, and Pavail was looking at the fight from the nearby bench. Below, in the arena, Ghrughah was unhurriedly chasing another giant of a man. That one¡¯s armor, though, was almost shredded, uncovering the intimidating musculature beneath. An armory worth of weapons was littering the beaten-up ground all around them, most of them damaged in some way. It seemed that Ghrughah¡¯s opponent was at his wit¡¯s end because the bolts from the oversized crossbow he was using did absolutely nothing to Ghrughah¡¯s imposing armor. ¡°How long¡­¡± Zeph asked silently. His breathing was still forcefully stabilized by the drugs, so he had some problems when speaking. ¡°You were out for around an hour,¡± she said, glancing at him. ¡°Ghrughah is just buying time at this point. He sends his best regards,¡± she smiled mischievously. ¡°Good work with the gas, by the way. This should force them to implement some countermeasures.¡± He nodded lightly, still observing the fight. This was part of their plan. Already three of their combatants successfully used airborne toxins, and it wasn¡¯t the end of it. At this point, the message should be clear. The hope was that in the later fights their opponents would start using compressed-air tanks to counter the move, which would drastically decrease their fighting capability. Carrying heavy equipment that could be easily damaged during the fight wasn¡¯t optimal, to say the least. Not to mention, if the tank exploded some damage was inevitable. ¡°A shame you used so many Spells and techniques, though,¡± Aisha added, but he just shrugged. It was all he could do at the time. ¡°The Doctors and Pavail said you are physically alright, but that doesn¡¯t seem accurate,¡± she implied the question, noticing his hardened, angry glare. ¡°Need¡­ internal¡­ Magicule cleansing,¡± he slowly said. ¡°Strange¡­ Soul-attuned ones?¡± ¡°Gre!¡± Gru proudly announced, vibrating happily. ¡°You did?¡± She smiled warmly. ¡°Good work on blocking those!¡± During the fight, Gru blocked more of the strange Soul attacks. He had learned quickly the trick behind them. Although, he found nothing else to be influencing Zeph¡¯s Soul. ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, what is happening?¡± ¡°Will interference¡­ clusters¡­ maybe in Soul¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ That¡¯s not good,¡± she said, massaging her chin. ¡°They should disintegrate already. But,¡± she looked at him with uncertainty, ¡°are you sure they are doing something to you Will? Influencing your body on a microscopic level seems much more plausible.¡± He shook his head. He wouldn¡¯t believe that as well if not for his strange vision but it wouldn¡¯t explain the pain he was feeling, among other things. Aisha thought some more, trusting his conviction. She ignored the laughable game of tag happening in the background and concentrated fully on Zeph, checking him with some of her Skills. It took her a minute to come to a conclusion. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some stories from higher strata¡­ Mind you, those are mostly just rumors and exaggerated stories, so don¡¯t take it at face value,¡± she started, crossing her arms. ¡°If they are to be believed, a group of Will-attuned Magicules do exist. And among them, a subgroup that behaves like a parasite is the most terrifying. Supposedly, it¡¯s eating up the target¡¯s Will to multiply and infect other living organisms. Which, by itself, is a ridiculous notion. We would all be broken people if something like that existed.¡± Sound more like a prion, he thought absentmindedly but still focusing on what she was saying. ¡°They only disintegrate after there is no more Will. Like I said, it¡¯s just a wild legend. But maybe you can use the supposed healing method as a clue. It¡¯s said that you have to focus all your being on one thing ¨C most commonly your true love or some other idealistic nonsense ¨C to engage all your Will at once.¡± Zeph¡¯s brow rose. It sounded more like a story from a romantic novel than anything reliable. Although¡­ I suppose I can try focusing my Will on one task, he concurred. ¡°Thanks... I¡ª¡° The rush of colorful lights and an announcement came at that moment, marking the end of the Duel. As people in the room started cheering, Aisha gave him her last advice. ¡°Whatever you try, leave that for the evening. The medical records are public, so your state will be known to our opponents. And try to learn more about those Magicules. Any lasting effects on a body are rare. Lasting effects on Will, unheard of.¡± Then she clapped her hands, smiling widely, and happily skipped away. It was her turn, and she wasn¡¯t even trying to hide how eager she was for some violence. ~~~ Zeph was seated with the rest of their group, carefully transported down by the medical team that came back to check how he was doing. Ghrughah was somehow disgruntled despite the easy victory. Zeph understood why only after he explained to the group that the man he was fighting was his ex-apprentice. They exchanged some words during the fight and it left a bad taste in his mouth. As untrustworthy as that bastard was, some words rang true with Ghrughah¡¯s conscience. He did fail as a master and a teacher, after all. But their focus quickly returned to the arena when Aisha¡¯s fight was starting. Her opponent was clad in a form-fitting white armor. Zeph would swear that it was ceramic in nature if he didn¡¯t know better. Ghrughah had shown him many times how misleading the appearance of materials could be. Strangely, he didn¡¯t seem to have any weapons. The only thing the man was using was a gigantic, black tower shield. Whatever it was made from, the man had no problems moving it around. They were starting on the rocky terrain, far from any trees. This in itself wasn¡¯t detrimental for Aisha, but she would be unable to use smoke to her advantage. ¡°It seems our enemies are already adapting,¡± P¡¯pfel said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Kwan added with a frown, surprising everyone. ¡°She seems impatient¡­¡± At her words, people leaned forward, trying to see what she was talking about. Zeph noticed it. The slight deviation in her posture as she stood there at the ready. The small movements of her warhaxammer as she held it with one hand. He fought with her enough times to recognize what she was preparing for. ¡°It seems we will have do without hiding her full strength,¡± Zeph said, laughing nervously. After a moment, the Duel started and the two contestants rushed at each other, moving faster than any of the gathered here could. The first clash almost entirely stopped their momentum but they still slid past each other. Aisha was faster in recovering, already swinging her weapon when the man struggled to put his shield in the way. The rocks around them moved, twisting in the opposite direction to Aisha¡¯s swing as her heavy weapon accelerated. Violet lightning exploded from the point of impact as the hammer¡¯s head met the side of the shield. The ground shook and debris flew in all directions. The man was shoved to the side, spinning. He landed in a heap on the ground, the shield still in his hands somehow. Aisha didn¡¯t move, and soon they saw why. The man was lying on his back, left arm bent unnaturally. His shield was deformed and laid perpetual to his body, but the arm it covered shouldn¡¯t be in that position if it was strapped. His once pristine armor spotted a net of black traces while glowing hot-red at the area closest to the impact. ¡°Well. And that¡¯s that,¡± Kwan commented with a sigh. Moments later, the opponent yielded. Chapter 116 – The culmination arrived uninvited. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] ¡°Well, that was anticlimactic,¡± Zeph said, a corner of his mouth turning up slightly. Kwan harrumphed, crossing her arms. ¡°Her haste was unnecessary. I hope there was some reason behind it.¡± Because Kwan didn¡¯t have much to prepare before her fight, they would have a few minutes to exchange words. As Aisha was leaving the arena, another half-hour break was announced. The group discussed the short fight ¨Cwhat could have been done better and the disposition of Aisha¡¯s opponent. In Zeph¡¯s opinion, there wasn¡¯t much to speak about. The show was too short to glean anything worthwhile, so they could only indulge in empty speculation and what-ifs. Making use of the time, he focused on his Name in the Interface to pull up old notifications. Previously, he only recalled those pertaining to his health and it was as good a moment as any to see the aftermath of his fight. At the end of the list of progressing Skills¡ªsome of which only advanced after his treatment¡ªa pleasant surprise awaited him. It also explained what had happened previously.
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1)] is now [T2] [L75]! (+4) [Close combat (Mima)] is now [T1] [L60]! (+5) [Enchanted] battle [Module] is now [T3] [L5]! (+1) [Resonation Suppression] is now [T2] [L47]! (+3) [Will] is now [T2] [L82]! (+5) [Will manipulation] is now [T2] [L91]! (+2) [Will-Powered Mana manipulation] is now [T2] [L85]! (+3) [Will-Powered Soul manipulation] is now [T2] [L23]! (+3) [Will-Powered Soul perception] is now [T2] [L75]! (+3) [Ambient Mana] is now [T1] [L85]! (+3)
Congratulations! You have found a mix of stimulants suitable for forcing your mind into [Self-resonation] on [Soul] level. You have gained new [General Skill], [Stimulant-inducted trance] from the [Knowledge Base]! Reaction from the framework of [Shaman] [Profession] detected! [Self-resonation] successfully aligned. Extended capability confirmed. [General Skill] [Stimulant-inducted trance] [Tier 1] upgraded to [General Skill] [Shamanic visions] [Tier 2]. New [Profession Skill Matrix] [Spiritual Synchronization] unlocked! Aggregate reward of overlapping type found ¨C achievement pending evaluation. [Bioscience Alchemy] [General Skill] assimilated into pending reward.
His brows rose after reading the last part. It seemed he would be rewarded for sharing some tidbits about mercury, DMSA, plastic, and other chemicals influencing biological organisms. Even if he expected some remuneration for the basic formula of the cure for mercury poisoning, most of the work was done by other people in every case, so he discarded the idea of a big reward in the past. But that wasn¡¯t all. It was rare to gain even one new General Skill by his own efforts. Some of his mundane skills just weren¡¯t directly applicable in Corora¡¯s reality. Or rather, he was missing something vital when trying to apply them in the Mana environment, so no new General Skills ever formed or diverged from ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯. Case in point ¨C no crossbow, atlatl, or guns-related Skills in his arsenal. As for the knowledge-based ones, like biotechnology, that knowledge had to be practically applied first and foremost ¨C to prove his proficiency and the information validity. Something that was easier said than done, especially without the necessary equipment. As so, gaining two new General Skills and unlocking a new Matrix for his Profession was an enormous step forward. More so when taking into account that he stumbled upon the ¡®answer¡¯ blindly. The Magicules that Arslancle pumped in my body are probably the main reason it happened¡­ he admitted in his mind. It wasn¡¯t a long shot to suspect that something like the ¡®Shamanic vision¡¯ existed as a Skill, at least going by the stories from Earth that he knew. But recreating a whole culturally-rooted ritual that included psychoactive substances seemed not only unrealistic but straight dangerous. I need to put more thought into my Profession. I should¡¯ve searched for information in the Library, or tried to find a teacher¡­ He shook his head with disappointment. It was easy to blame himself, but the truth was that he never had enough time to consider the development of his Profession. What he learned from it about Spells was, undoubtedly, the most important progress he had made after arriving in Corora. But after he met the planet¡¯s civilization his Profession just¡­ wasn¡¯t as useful anymore. All this running around like a headless chicken is becoming exhausting, he sighed internally. I¡¯ve even postponed reading from General Skills because the method is too slow. I really hope that the situation will change after this Tournament because it¡¯s the highest time I start doing things right, he decided, glancing at the notifications again. As expected, not even one Spell leveled up ¨C he entered the arena as prepared as he could in that regard, so there was nothing to prove or learn from the short fight. His General Skills were lagging behind, though. It was showing just how far he had to go. The worst were the Will-related General Skills. Their development, he was sure, should be attributed to the unknown Magicules in his organism. Again, a blind luck and nothing more. This made him feel inadequate. Almost incompetent even. Will was his forte, he should¡¯ve done better. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. His dark musings and depressing thoughts were interrupted when Aisha entered the room. Everyone fell silent and turned to the doors, looking at her expectantly as she marched down the stairs without batting an eye. She was back in her toga and her hair was wet. Her almost-white eyes indifferent. ¡°Why?¡± Kwan asked succinctly, as Aisha sat beside her. ¡°He was too weak to pose a challenge,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°And they knew it. I tire of this game,¡± she turned to Kwan, crossing her arms. ¡°And I will not play along with weaklings whose entire purpose is to try and cripple me.¡± ¡°Did something catch your eye?¡± Ghrughah asked. ¡°He was in possession of something that was heavily burdening his Soul. I expected a trial of endurance, not a walking trap.¡± She huffed. ¡°Underhanded methods are only worth as much as the fighter using them. Don¡¯t blame their stupidity on me.¡± ¡°Just to make sure,¡± Pavail interjected in a small voice. She wasn¡¯t taking part in the Duels, so she wasn¡¯t as informed as the rest of them. ¡°Consciously causing long-lasting harm¡­¡± she started, glancing at Zeph, ¡°is really allowed by the rules?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Kwan said ambivalently, but with bitterness leaking into her voice. ¡°From ours and the arbiters¡¯ perspective, Arrio Arslancle didn¡¯t use any extraordinary means during the fight, just his own arsenal of attacks. Not to mention, nobody can say what exactly is wrong with Zeph, only that his implants are malfunctioning. That¡¯s alright according to the arena codex and the Duel rules. We lack solid evidence. As for the other instances, we never saw their hidden cards in action.¡± She turned to the rest of them. ¡°We can raise a vote of doubt, but only devices designed to disable a contestant while staying unrelated to the user¡¯s Class or Profession are prohibited. In other words, the device designation, the harmful effects, and the party¡¯s intent all have to be verifiable. And even then, it would be allowed as long as the weaponry could have been created by the user, or had to be used to complement their Skills.¡± ¡°Politics again,¡± P¡¯pfel grumbled. Kwan shrugged. ¡°It is what it is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how close they are to crossing the line,¡± Makani said, scratching his goatee. ¡°They are too bold¡­ Or maybe too desperate? We know about three unknown weapons or effects, unsure how many more weren¡¯t shown¡­¡± ¡°We should leave that for the evening,¡± Aisha sighed. ¡°The rules are too lax to call for interference for today¡¯s matches. And we need more data.¡± she in a matter-of-fact tone, tilting her head back. ¡°I agree,¡± Kwan said, standing up with grace. ¡°The after-party may become as exhausting as the battles, so rest for now.¡± With those words, she turned and left for her Duel. Everyone took Kwan¡¯s words to heart; they all knew what was coming. A scheduled appointment with the rest of their crew. All the factions would stay inside the stadium for the duration of the Tournament and it was expected of them to interact with each other to add more weight to their vows, so information warfare was sure to happen. Of course, the information gathering during the fights¡ªdone by noncombatants¡ªwasn¡¯t as easy as bribing people. Moreover, strategic locations were safely out of reach for any potential spy. Only public spaces, like restaurants or bathrooms, left any room for mingling. It was enough, though. Sometimes, small details noticed by overly perceptive people could hint at a bigger picture. Oftentimes someone would say just a word too much. It would be a lot of work to squeeze useful data from those, though; to comb through the disinformation and conscious efforts at misdirection. A work that had to be done nonetheless. The small talk and theory crafting continued as they waited for the fight to start, right until the combatants arrived at the arena. Kwan¡¯s opponent, Lucas Esmonde Lurona-Kazotaro Della, was decked in dark-brown, ornamental armor. It was stylized to look like some kind of traditional military outfit, which surprisingly resembled a Victorian suit. Rapier and long stiletto were his weapons of choice, but he had a few backups on his person, like a straight longsword by his side. Same as for almost every other combatant, an armored pack was affixed to his back. His was small and fastened low for ease of access. Kwan, on the other hand, was sporting her new gear: the black, unadorned armor that seemed just a bit too bulky on her; oversized, razor-shaped cleaver on her back; two-handed and way too long dark-blue battle club with black barbs in her hands. Two long knives and a few pouches were strapped to her belt. A bandolier filled with metallic canisters was crossing her torso as well. ¡°So that would be the person who caused us the most headaches,¡± Ghrughah said, squinting his eyes at the man. ¡°The one responsible for the attack at the Vermilla island when we looked for Irra,¡± Makani added, giving a nod. ¡°Supposedly. There is no proof. This Lesser Landlord is merely an intermediary,¡± Aisha disagreed. ¡°Either way, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was deprived of the right to choose from the beginning. His house was fighting for ascension to full Landlordship for way too long.¡± ¡°Opposition in the ranks of Landlords?¡± Ghrughah mused. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be strange, it¡¯s an old house. But if so, it¡¯s a rather personal animosity. They weren¡¯t touched by the Ojaro,¡± she glanced meaningfully at Zeph, ¡°or any governmental body, so the chances of them using¡­ extreme or excessive means in their hike up the ladder are slim. And lately, they don¡¯t fare well because of the New Year¡¯s attack on the city.¡± ¡°Too much pride¡­¡± P¡¯pfel commented unhelpfully. Zeph shook his head. This didn¡¯t sound like a group that would try to kill him off before the Tournament, but he wasn¡¯t a stranger to the human¡¯s greed. The fact that the Ojaro¡ªor rather, his old teammates from Gibbon Zero¨Cdidn¡¯t take action against this family wasn¡¯t telling much. He still didn¡¯t know their objectives, nor the reason for the mass assassinations, after all. On the other hand, even if he understood the innuendo in Aisha¡¯s words, he wasn¡¯t going to contact his old team anytime soon. It was simply not doable in this situation and with the murky leads in his possession. Meanwhile, the scene below was slowly playing out, showcased by the window¡¯s mechanism. The two combatants were slowly walking closer, talking incessantly. It was a shame there was no way of hearing the discussion. Even after stopping ten meters away from each other, they continued talking ¨C as if uninterested in the Duel. Aisha clicked her tongue. ¡°That idiot¡­¡± she murmured. Everyone wanted to know what she meant, but they stopped themselves from asking after seeing her deep, angry frown. One thing was clear ¨C whatever was happening, wasn¡¯t a part of their plan. A minute later, Kwan and Lucas nodded simultaneously and struck their main weapons into the ground. The scene caused Aisha to grimace, just as P¡¯pfel facepalmed. An arbiter came running a moment later, deployed on the field by another mechanical platform from somewhere outside of the screen. ¡°She¡¯s going to make it a personal Duel,¡± Ghrughah sighed in understanding. Pavail panicked slightly. ¡°But the form of the Duels is¡­ It will¡­¡± ¡°Be a Duel to the death,¡± Aisha finished, grimacing. ¡°Why is she always escalating after even one slip-up?!¡± ¡°La-Zora, please don¡¯t keep it against her,¡± Arhen, one of the two of Kwan¡¯s people present in the room, spoke for the first time. ¡°Just like you couldn¡¯t accept this false challenge, we won¡¯t hold back if called up front. It¡¯s clear that the situation isn¡¯t simple anymore¡­¡± ========Lesser Landlord Lucas Esmonde Lurona-Kazotaro Della PoV======== That was easier than I thought, he mused while dropping his gear to the ground. The challenge was accepted; his reasoning acknowledged. They were going to fight with their chosen weapons, but no longer in that poor facsimile of a Duel. The stakes were real this time. His lands, his family name, all that against hers. The way it should have been from the beginning. His armor could stay, as the arbiter announced. It was nothing more than an ornamental piece anyway. He stepped into the arena with an unshakable conviction, one that couldn¡¯t be easily ignored by the judges or his opponent if both valued their honor. And yet, his meddling with the proceedings wasn¡¯t met with disdain or protest. Quite the opposite ¨C Kwan Gewong eagerly accepted his proposal. I am surprised, he mused, dislodging the twin weapons from the dirt. Her kind may actually be more trustworthy than humans. He looked up. Gewong¡¯s arsenal was discarded just as his own was, but she also had to drop her armor and it took time ¨C the intricate design was requiring more work than expected. But, finally, he could see her face. And he wasn¡¯t disappointed. Her smile was already dangerously stretching the skin of her face, as Hannyajins¡¯ tended to do when excited, but her eyes were what he found the most pleasing. They spoke of her past. Of long-forgotten struggles leading to her current position ¨C the leader, the Head of a rowdy group. It spoke of violence and balance, of reason and determination. A gaze he knew quite well. His own mirrored quite the same fervor. What was different, thought, was a violent glint hidden beneath. It was telling him a slightly different story. She was delighted by the current events; hungry for blood and disregarding everything that was suggested or planned beforehand. As if a wild beast inside of her regained some resemblance of freedom that it was constantly fighting for. Same difference, he thought, comparing her to himself, just different means. His family already left the city; not that anyone knew about that. Along with them, a few very precious resources disappeared from the vaults of his¡­ betters. Humans really had a penchant for becoming a back-stabbing disgrace of their own civilization. And he was no different from the rest. At least not after his back was put against a wall. What did they expect? His Hannyajin counterpart seemed pure in comparison, although he knew she wasn¡¯t. But he was satisfied. She seemed worthy and capable, at the very least. Today¡¯s display only reinforced this belief. Whoever would die today would achieve a true victory. Gewong would be able to attain the esteemed Landlord title even without winning all the fights in the Tournament ¨C all thanks to his lands and connections she would inherit after his death. He, on the other hand, would be able to strike back at the people who used him. If he won, of course. The Guild would dissipate, surely, but the core of her organization would stay with him, bonded by her word. They would follow her last instructions, even if it was detrimental to them, he knew. Speaking about her and hers, she had chosen the single-edged, broad hanger as her weapon of choice. A bad decision, in his opinion, but so characteristic of her kind. They loved flailing their strength so much. Without a word, they followed the city¡¯s arbiter, unhurriedly walking to the flat grassland area. There would be no subterfuge, no tricks nor misdirection. This was the true form of the Duels. The one forgotten in time as the cultures started to mix and clash. Two leaders standing against each other, representing their people and their land in a truly meaningful and direct way. As the arbiter left them to their fate, he turned and saw Gwong bowing slightly from not even ten steps away. ¡°Thank you for giving me the opportunity.¡± Her smile widened enough to start drawing blood. He just shook his head and crouched, leveling his weapons. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± he started, hardening his gaze. ¡°To fulfill my role¡­¡± As two thin lines of blood traced her lower face, she took a stance as well. A bold one ¨C with her weapon raised high into the sky, leaving her scarcely-clothed body unprotected. ¡°¡­in a true struggle!¡± He released his prepared Skills all at once and dashed forward, smiling almost as widely as his opponent¡­ ================================ Chapter 117 – Give flesh, break bones. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] The explosive movements took Zeph by surprise. Lucas looked as if he put himself on fire, the red haze caused by the release of Magicules pushing away the dirt and grass in his vicinity as he was catapulted forward. Kwan¡¯s cleaver shined green as she swung in a descending half circle, upturning the ground beneath her feet in a wide radius as it all moved all at once in the opposite direction. There was no clash. He barely noticed that Kwan did a half pirouette while moving to the side, using the inertia of her weapon to her advantage and dodging a thrust that left a visible trace in the air. Her swing was way too slow to pose a threat for Lucas. Following the movement, she positioned the cleaver at her side like a shield, just in time to stop another thrust. An explosion of force threw the combatants away. Electric arcs formed between their bodies and the ground as both fought for traction. It became obvious that the cleaver wasn¡¯t just a simple weapon. Knowing Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel, what they saw didn¡¯t show even half of its abilities. The red haze condensed around Lucas as he changed the stance, turning sideways and pulling his main weapon back while still keeping it pointed at Kwan. In a similar manner, Kwan bent her knees and put her weapon to the side. She was at a disadvantage because of her lacking speed. Even with the Hannyajin¡¯s inherent physical prowess, Lucas held an obvious advantage in that regard. Especially because his weapons were designed to further enhance that very aspect, while Kwan¡¯s was big and clumsy in comparison. Nonetheless, her bloodthirsty smile widened even more, finally breaking the tender skin and uncovering the second row of elongated fangs hidden beneath. Her lips and thin teeth were painted bright red as her own blood started flowing down her face freely. They stood there for a moment, measuring each other. Any kind of wound inflicted would be the start of a cascading effect that would end, inevitably, in their opponent¡¯s downfall. Or, at least, that was how it looked to Zeph. Lucas¡¯s armor was already cracked in places, speaking volumes about its nonexistent defensive properties, while Kwan didn¡¯t have any on her form at all. What she was left with resembled a skimpy sportswear, all in gray and red. She wasn¡¯t allowed to even keep her footwear. Kwan moved first. Before running forward, she started swinging the cleaver in a pattern, making sweeping arcs that allowed her to chain her movements. The distance was short, so in no time Lucas found himself in the reach of her weapon. The swings were fast but seemingly didn¡¯t pose much of a challenge for him. Yet, he was still wary of the enchantments placed on the weapon, making sure to never hit it directly or stay too close to it. As Kwan was trying to catch him with increasingly complex movements, Lucas was retaliating in the short windows of opportunity she left him with. Soon enough, Kwan¡¯s joints were marked by lacerations and small punctures ¨C her skin and flesh resilient enough to withstand the barrage of weak attacks, but the damage was accumulating. After continuing this dance for a minute, they separated, jumping back as if on signal. It was becoming clear what their respectful melee specializations were. Lucas was a fencing master, while Kwan possessed inhuman strength and resilience. But Zeph still couldn¡¯t puzzle their preferred Magicule groups and contaminations. Obviously, both should be in possession of contamination and internal strengthening Skills. Lucas even showed some of them at the beginning, trying to end the Duel in an instant by activating a multitude of Skills at the time, but he hadn¡¯t shown the same speed again. They were paired well, Zeph came to a realization, analyzing what he had just seen. On Earth, an exchange that long could be possible only when using non-lethal weapons or when one side played with their opponent, allowing for a prolonged match. Zeph knew from experience that one-on-one melee fights ended quickly. But those two fighters seemed like the best and worst pairing ever created. The best because their fight would appease the violence-hungry audience. The worst because they were countering their strengths almost perfectly. Maybe that¡¯s the reason Lucas was used by the Landlords¡­ he mused, understanding that the political game was rooted much deeper than what they saw. This time, Lucas moved first. The red haze surrounding him changed colors, darkening into violet, as he spread his legs and reversed the grip on his stiletto. Kwan frowned and straightened. Her oversized cleaver slowly changed color to an opaque gray, starting near the grip. She, again, put it above her head. ¡°Ugh¡­ that¡­ won¡¯t end well,¡± Aisha said with a grimace. Zeph barely managed to catch her facial expression before Lucas executed a thrust. An unknown force seemed to pull him forward, making the movement extremely fast and blurring his form. Even before Kwan started to move her weapon in an arc, she turned sideways to dodge and¡­ accompanied by a spray of blood, her right arm separated from her body, flailing in the air as the hand was still tightly gripping the weapon¡¯s hilt. Lucas stopped three meters behind her back as she screamed while finishing the swing with her one good hand, turning one-eighty on her feet. He was already facing her when a wave of disturbed air erupted from the cleaver right in his direction. Bending backward impossibly, he dodged the projection with a big margin; his head almost touched the ground in the process. But Kwan wasn¡¯t finished. Still screaming, she wheeled her weapon, dislodging the severed appendage and executing a surprisingly fast downward cut. Lucas was forced to jump to the side, not able to recover from the dodge and regain his footing fully. His body was spinning in midair as Kwan¡¯s weapon abruptly stopped right beside his form, releasing another wave of electric arcs. It was as if the cleaver lost all its weight and inertia. One moment, it was following the angled downward swing, and the next it was suspended in the air¡ªKwan¡¯s forward momentum not influenced at all¡ªthen rotated swiftly with a flip of her wrist. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. With an awkward but extremely fast side swing, almost losing her balance, she clipped her opponent. The cut ran deep, almost severing the man¡¯s leg at the thigh. As Kwan stumbled to a stop, it was Lucas¡¯s turn to scream as he crashed and rolled on the ground, unable to reorient himself in time. Aisha sighed with relief. ¡°Not the worst outcome¡­¡± Before Zeph could even start guessing what she meant, Kwan was back to hacking at the poor man. The weapon in her hand looked like a lightweight imitation instead of a heavy, metal tool that it was. She was swinging it with her one good arm effortlessly and way faster than before. Despite his best efforts at defending while lying on his back, Lucas was quickly overwhelmed by the barrage of attacks. He paired, deflected, and squirmed, but it was all for naught. It didn¡¯t seem like the weapon was as weightless from his perspective and Kwan¡¯s attacks became quicker and quicker with every second. It took eight swings. Eight swings to finish the Duel. In a gore display, Lucas¡¯s head was broken apart. Immediately, Gru reported that two big, juicy Soul fragments landed on his lap. None was expected. Zeph never assumed the man could have any strong connection to his existence, but it seemed he was wrong. Planning an assassination attempt notwithstanding, they never met in person. The second Soul fragment was addressed to the man¡¯s family, but Gru easily snatched it after the connection was uncovered. Yet, the show wasn¡¯t over. Kwan didn¡¯t stop. For another half a minute, she continued to hack and slash in the accompaniment of multicolored lights and loud announcements. In the silence that soon filled the room, she continued to mince and crush the unresponsive body of the fallen foe in her frenzy. Her bloody, grotesque smile engraved itself vividly into the memory of all who watched as she refused to stop. Zeph glanced at Aisha, doubts reflected in his eyes. She was stoic, almost relaxed. As if whatever just happened wasn¡¯t unsettling at all. ¡°Not good¡­ La-Gewong¡¯s Class was exposed,¡± Arhen¡¯s voice broke his reverie. Exposed? Like.. his scattered thoughts condensed suddenly as his brain found a known pattern. Is she a berserker?! flashed through his mind as he turned to the Hannyajin. ¡°Wait until tomorrow before judging,¡± Aisha said calmly, preventing him from voicing his question. ¡°Pavail?¡± She turned to the woman. That seemed to wake his coworker from her daze. ¡°Yezzz¡ªes¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Prepare for appendage framework reconstruction,¡± Aisha said without emotion. ¡°And no, we aren¡¯t going to use the stadium¡¯s Doctors.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts,¡± Aisha interjected aggressively. ¡°Kwan will give the same order. I just want you to start preparing, nothing else.¡± Pavail lowered her head. After a moment she stood up and walked up the stairs. ¡°Arhen, what was that about her Class?¡± Zeph asked, using the awkward silence in the room to his advantage. ¡°Don¡¯t ask him that!¡± Aisha exclaimed; irritation written all over her face. ¡°Kwan¡¯s Class is not to be discussed. Under any circumstances. She already showed too much¡­ I just hope it was worth it.¡± He closed his mouth, understanding what this was about. Kwan was the focus point of this Duel Tournament. Her fights were bearing the most weight. And in the future, it was best if their opposition didn¡¯t have a clue. It was better if he didn¡¯t know. The stadium records would become public at some point, but that was years ahead. A few minutes later, Kwan entered the room, holding her severed arm in her good hand. Her equipment was quickly brought and stowed to the side by attendants. Her wound, unsurprisingly, wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore. Between the Regeneration milestone enhancement and the Doctors populating this facility, she was in no danger of losing too much blood. Especially because the fight didn¡¯t last long. ¡°I¡¯ve won,¡± she declared with a tired sigh. ¡°My Landlord¡¯s title is secured.¡± That made everyone pause. The stakes were much more impactful than anyone expected. Ignoring the sudden stillness, she walked to the operation table on the side and sat down heavily. Wordlessly, everyone stood up and walked up the stairs, finding a seat near her. Below, in the arena, champions were preparing for the blood fest, but they ignored it altogether. Those fights weren¡¯t as important anymore. There were no congratulations nor cheers. Their group just wanted to be closer physically, to show their appreciation, worry, and support. An unspoken agreement; an instinctual action. Regenerating a whole limb wasn¡¯t an easy task without dedicated body enhancement or PE prerequisites. The latter being available only for people that over-specialized or reached a high enough level. As Aisha predicted, Kwan declined the stadium¡¯s medical team offer even before returning to the room. She instructed Pavail to do her job instead and the woman immediately started working on the severed arm, removing unnecessary tissue, like fat and muscles. Differently from the practices on Earth, people on Corora wanted a full restoration of lost body parts. Stitching the appendage back would never result in the same functionality, mostly because of the lacking precision when connecting ligaments and nerves. The Regeneration wasn¡¯t able to realign those completely because it wasn¡¯t working with enough precision and speed on lower values. Also, the current structure of a body was being actively recorded by the Soul ¨C which was the source of information for Regeneration ¨C so preservation of correct data took precedence. As a result, even after a lengthy rehabilitation, people would never achieve the same proficiency and freedom of movement after the limb was reattached. If a Doctor wasn¡¯t able to stir their Regeneration in the right way, the cripples would visit the System Shrine for restoration or replacement, depending on their Universal Points funds. Willforce Morphon was the only reason that Zeph¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t amputated. The medical team knew that he had a body enhancement regulating Regeneration. They knew it should be enough to straighten up any mistakes made. He would regrow his arm, either way, given enough time. In Kwan¡¯s case, though, the procedure was more tedious. With the Hannyajin¡¯s inherent PE physical prowess, Pavail had to merely secure the framework of the arm and attach it to the stump, the soft tissue would grow back with time, good as new. The most important thing was to not rewrite the information in the Soul, but also to direct the Regeneration, so using the most structurally stable parts like skin, bones, major blood vessels, cartilage, and membranes was a priority. The muscles, smaller blood vessels, nerves, and other kinds of cells would follow what was recognized ¨C as long as the Soul possessed necessary referential materials. The situation would be much worse if Kwan lost both her arms. Symmetry was kind of inbuilt into the DNA and bodily structure of most organisms, after all, which was kind of mirrored in the Soul. Not that people on Corora planet''s surface understood what the DNA was. The framework re-growing was possible for the Hannyajins only. Humans had it worse, supposedly, as the information on their body structure wasn¡¯t as rigid in their Souls. Regenerating a limb from almost a scratch wasn¡¯t for them. A good surgeon could reattach a lost limb. It wouldn¡¯t end up as functional as their original one, but it was an option for poor people anyway. PE could only magnify what already existed, so people were accustomed to having their bodies fully functional. Also, there was a hidden assumption that a lost body part would stay intact in the first place. Nobody can attach atomized or otherwise mangled flesh. Not to mention, this body part can¡¯t stay outside of the Veil for too long if it is to be attached back easily. After severing their connection with the Mana, Soul, and Will (in that order) a severed limb is as good as a foreign body part with compatible cells. The Veil was playing a major role in that case, sustaining the connection with the Soul. Of course, the Will took part in all of that, but it wasn¡¯t a measurable resource. Zeph had his own theories, some confirmed, some not, but Corora¡¯s population wasn¡¯t able to even test them. After Kwan¡¯s missing arm was¡­ secured in place¡ªfor the lack of a better word¡ªPavail started to apply bandages and a metal framework not dissimilar to Zeph¡¯s own. The stadium Doctors and personnel weren¡¯t present, but a few more people from Kwan¡¯s gang arrived to help with the operation, bringing necessary accessories with them. The operation finished without a hitch. Their group even helped somewhat with the proceedings ¨C especially Ghrughah with his metal manipulation at the last stage. After Kwan stopped frowning from pain¡ªthe matches still playing in the background behind them¡ªshe looked at the gathered people. They were sitting on the nearby benches, looking back at her. Only Ghrughah, Pavail, and P¡¯pfel were staying near the patient. ¡°You good?¡± Aisha asked in a warm voice. ¡°Yes¡­ I think I am,¡± she said stoically, shaking her head. ¡°Our champions are dominating the Tournament,¡± Arhen said from the side. ¡°That¡¯s no longer relevant,¡± Kwan said, slowly sitting up. Her¡­ eviscerated arm was affixed to her torso. ¡°What did you win?¡± Ghrughah asked, frowning. ¡°Everything,¡± she said, a small smile blossoming on her bloody face. ¡°His land, his contacts, his authority¡­ his title and organization¡­ I won everything.¡± The stunned silence that ensued was disturbed only by the loud laughter of Aisha. Chapter 118 – Licking your wounds. The end of the first day. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] Knowing that the proverbial wall behind their backs was removed, the tension of the group disappeared almost instantly. Every one of them was carrying a lot on their shoulders ¨C the success of the Duel Tournament was a group responsibility and would determine their future in the city. The situation was bad enough that they were ready to leave this place behind if their opponents managed to gain enough leverage over them. But now, that was all in the past. Even if their six Department Heads still needed to win every Duel, that wasn¡¯t required from their champions anymore. And even if they didn¡¯t manage to acquire the full Landlordship title for Kwan, they had a whole new resource to play with. A resource that wasn¡¯t a subject of the current fights. Trading parts of Lucas¡¯s assets to regain the rights lost in the Duels wasn¡¯t out of the question. As Kwan explained in detail the rules of her Duel and what that meant for their Guild, a festive mood started blooming in the room. While excitedly discussing the possibilities and future plans, they returned to their seats to enjoy the rest of the fights. The sun was setting down already¡ªalthough the hour was still young¡ªpainting the arena in golden colors. Some of the glass panels on the higher altitudes were reflecting the rays of light down to better illuminate the battlefield, unexpectedly giving the fights a more dignified feel ¨C as if they were watching a grand showdown between the best gladiators in the country instead of simple Duels between chosen champions of the city factions. Or maybe it was just Zeph¡¯s skewed perception, caused by the first good news in what felt like months. It was hard to tell. Kwan wasn¡¯t going to hide the truth from their fighters and immediately sent a few people to deliver the information to the rest of their Guild. In response, the flow of the fights changed. There was less desperation in their movements, fewer mistakes made. It became obvious just how much of a morale boost the news brought. Their fighters were more composed, more confident and focused. They have won every fight until now but there were a few close calls along the way. And now, as the Tournament progressed, they started dominating it. Instead of surviving, they thrived. And that simple fact made the morale soar even higher. When the last match finished, it was already close to the evening, yet the buoyant atmosphere didn¡¯t subside at all. The sky was black for hours now; the stadium illuminated by gentle, warm light coming from the barrier above their heads was only adding to the overall vibe. ¡°Well, that was fun! What¡¯s in the schedule?¡± Makani interrupted quiet discussions, energetically jumping to his feet as the last announcements for the day were playing out. ¡°A general meeting in La-Kwan¡¯s quarters; a banquet is starting at first night cycle for interested; and strategizing session is planned afterward,¡± Arhen dutifully reported. ¡°What are we waiting for, then?¡± he asked, looking around the room. ¡°I want to hear these rumors!¡± he said with a vicious smile on his face. Aisha laughed and even Kwan smiled a little. ¡°Can¡¯t say I am any different,¡± Ghrughah added, standing up. Like that, they all relocated to Kwan¡¯s abode. It was more of an apartment really, geared with a full-blown conference room and luxury appliances. It was stylized like how Zeph imagined a Roman household. A lot of sculptured stone and marble with minimal amount of wood to fill the interior, everything kept in pastel yellows, reds, and light bronze. The only difference was the lack of wall paintings and an amazing number of pillows and cushions scattered around. Every Department Head had a similar apartment all for themselves. The rooms were just a floor below their spectator hall, all close to each other. The champions and necessary assistants had their own, smaller abodes further away on the same floor. The rest of their retinue would stay at the ground level, in the garden area. People from opposing factions were placed on different floors. There were more sections inside the ring of the building, separated by the public areas, but it was in good taste and faith to host the combatants in the same vertical segment of the complex. That way everyone had more privacy while being close enough to easily interact with each other. A big table in the conference room greeted them as they entered. It was fully packed with dishes in an open buffet style. That reminded everyone¡ªwith the exception of P¡¯pfel, who abused the stadium services to the full extent¡ªthat they forgot to eat a full meal during all the excitement with the Duels. As so, before tackling the small mountain of reports sitting on a low table in the center of the room, they laid siege to the buffet. The food was, of course, provided without the entree, but the quality was outstanding for a mere Class-zero serving. The lodgings could be granted for free for the combatants, but no sane person would invest in the infrastructure necessary for keeping the livestock alive without taking a pretty penny for it. Besides, it was a place of violence, not leisure. People could earn their Soul fragments in the arena instead of stuffing their faces with freshly killed animals. Plates full and seats taken, they started reading the summary reports while taking a bite. Zeph was sitting between Aisha and Ghrughah, unhurriedly chewing on some bird¡¯s leg as he skimmed through the document. The room was silent for a few minutes. Some of the gathered started frowning, though. ¡°Jaavla¡­¡± P¡¯pfel cursed silently and this time, Zeph understood what the word stood for. ¡°Are they stupid or something?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I did tell our people to gather even unassuming gossip¡­¡± Kwan said with a sigh. ¡°This is¡­ a total mess,¡± Zeph said, shaking his head. The summary wasn¡¯t even trying to explain the logic behind the gathered information. It plainly summarized what was heard, how trustworthy the source was, and how it related to their intelligence¡¯s data. The problem was ¨C most of the records stood in obvious opposition to each other if taken seriously. It looked like an information noise; like a summary of forum posts randomly grabbed from the internet and put together without care. Heck, going by the confirmed sources, people were contradicting themselves. A typical chaotic disinformation and chaos. Something Zeph never expected from simple rumors. Aisha groaned, putting the papers down. ¡°I reeeealy don¡¯t want to go through the detailed reports¡­¡± ¡°No evident clues about their last-resort devices, too,¡± Ghrughah added with disappointment, still scanning the summary. ¡°Nothing noteworthy about the people themselves¡­ Let¡¯s speed up this meeting a little,¡± Kwan decided. ¡°Aisha and I¡±¡ªthe woman in question groaned again¡ª"will try to extract something more from these,¡± she shook the paper in her hands,¡± before the strategy meeting. I am badly wounded and Aisha is¡­¡± she glanced at the Priestess.¡± In a very bad mood, so we can excuse ourselves from the banquet. Anyone wants to bump heads with our esteemed competitors?¡± ¡°Zeph, you are obviously out,¡± Aisha said before anyone else could, massaging her eyes. ¡°Try to do what we talked about instead of wasting time. You can even skip the strategy meeting if necessary. And Makani,¡± she started, glancing at him, ¡°I forbid you from attending as well.¡± ¡°What? Why?!¡± the man exclaimed with a mix of surprise and disbelief. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°You are the only Manacaster taking part in this event¡­ Well, the only official Manacaster, anyway.¡± Zeph was surely also classified as one, but people able to attain such designation without a Tower¡¯s teachings and help were very rare on Corora¡¯s surface. Also, he expected that he would have to register officially at some point, if only to not be seen as a deserter. Nobody was paying much attention to a low-level Generalist, though, so he was safe from that headache for now. ¡°You will be bothered if any of the Landlords find you away from the group,¡± Aisha continued her explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate political pressure they can apply, or their ability to extract information. If you give them enough clay to work with, they will shape it into a new tool for their use. Your ability to take part in this event is by the Tower¡¯s permission, not approval or admission. If the Landlords twist the truth just enough, you may find yourself disqualified.¡± ¡°You worry too much,¡± professor P¡¯pfel said stoically, cleaning his mouth with a cloth. ¡°Better to be warry now than be sorry later,¡± Ghrughah countered. Makani sighed in disappointment. It seemed he was looking forward to the banquet, for whatever reason. ¡°I understand but¡­ Can we really count on these two?¡± he said, pointing at the giant and Gremling. ¡°This won¡¯t be my first banquet with Lurona¡¯s politicians, not by a long shot. I am quite sure I met most of them already.¡± Ghrughah huffed, crossing his arms. ¡°I will stay in charge,¡± the professor assured them, adjusting his glasses. ¡°I am curious about a few things, so I wanted to be there anyway.¡± ¡°Those two have the best chance to find any traces on the combatants. Soul stuff isn¡¯t that relevant and they will have precautions. Mana and physical? Not so much,¡± Aisha said in a monotonous voice, slowly coming to an acceptance of her paperwork responsibilities. Very, very slowly. Kwan¡¯s raised eyebrow made Makani grimace and sigh in defeat. ¡°Whatever¡­ what am I to do, then?¡± ¡°Work with Zeph, maybe?¡± Aisha shrugged. ¡°You won¡¯t be much help with the documents¡­¡± ¡°I actually would appreciate some help,¡± Zeph interjected. ¡°I, for sure, will need to steal P¡¯pfel for a moment, while he is still available. Also, Pavail, can you assist as well?¡± She nodded without hesitation. ¡°A help with¡­ what exactly?¡± Makani asked skeptically. ¡°Magicule shenanigans?¡± That actually caught his attention. Kwan nodded. ¡°In that case, Ghrughah-jiji, help me adjust my armor. We should still have an hour or two before the banquet starts.¡± He gave a short, affirmative grunt. ¡°Before we split, I wanted to discuss the financial report¡­¡± Arhen stated weakly. Everyone turned to him at that, making him visibly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. ¡°The tickets sold quite well thanks to our Information Department,¡± he started, giving Aisha a grateful nod. ¡°Even despite the disadvantageous order of the Duels, with the Heads fighting first, we still managed to meet the basic objectives. But the bets¡­ we lost around half of the possible income,¡± he said with disgust, shaking his head. ¡°In total, we have earned around half a million from the tickets¡¯ margins and around a million from bets¡­ On the other hand, we have earned a lot of goodwill thanks to the invites and information sharing.¡± Kwan and Aisha nodded in sync, unperturbed. The others in the room also didn¡¯t react excessively, already accustomed to working with the Guild-scale monetary transfers. Only Pavail looked somewhat surprised. ¡°Not much for an event of his proportions, but anything helps. How did our competition fare?¡± Kwan asked. ¡°Around five times that in total, but split up in many more directions¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Seems about right with our predictions. Anything unexpected?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ This volume isn¡¯t quite represented on the market; as if the money didn¡¯t enter it at all. The commence Guilds aren¡¯t reacting. Normally, they would buy out more stock, like in the case of the three we are using.¡± ¡°Did you send the copy of that report to my subordinates?¡± Aisha asked, tilting her head. ¡°Obviously.¡± He nodded. ¡°Then don¡¯t worry about it. That part is taken care of by our dear detective division,¡± she said with a wide smile, closing the case and further discussion. ¡°Anything more?¡± After a few less important questions and issues, it seems that everything was accounted for. They quickly finished their meals and split up to finish their tasks. Zeph¡¯s room was a short walk away. It was almost the same as Kwan¡¯s, although the decorations were kept in darker colors and it lacked a table full of food. P¡¯pfel and Makani quickly found comfortable seats, discussing the viability of using liquid reagents and chemicals in a battle, while Zeph decided to look around his apartment. They had to wait for Pavail to collect the documents from the medical team before he started explaining what he needed, either way. He had to give it to the stadium¡¯s administration, the place was cozy. He found some towels and togas ready for him in the closets, nicely placed fragrant flowers and aromatic candles put all around his bedroom, a full set of shaving and bathing equipment in the small bathroom, and many more ins and outs that defined the meaning of luxurious accommodations. Finally, Zeph found some snacks in the small kitchen area, so he happily brought them to the table and sat on the sofa opposite the chatting duo. It was mostly dried fruits, nuts, and simple cakes, but it should be enough to satiate his still-recovering body. Looking back, I don¡¯t think I saw any dish that would require a complicated recipe yet. Well, they don¡¯t need them if they can make delicious food either way, but¡­ I still remember some recipes. Maybe I should try them in the future? Aisha for sure loved those improvised tortillas¡­ he reminisced, going back to their trip through the Westibule mountain chain after she and Makani had found him. Those were good times. The life was much easier, too¡­ His thoughts were interrupted when Pavail returned; the entry doors loudly crashing against the wall. After a few silent bumps with the stone walls, she marched into the conference room blindly, a high stack of papers in her hands obscuring her face. Zeph facepalmed. ¡°You could have asked the attendants¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°Sorrryy...¡± she said, wobbly coming closer. ¡°I had to take some recipes that areeee¡ª¡± She ended up slamming down the stack on the table after bumping into it, almost losing her balance in the process. ¡°Uhhhh¡­ Sorry!¡± she said, quickly straightening up while holding her hands up. Which she quickly rectified, as the stack of papers was already tilting forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Zeph sighed, helping her to stabilize the small tower of documents. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring anything to drink yet, so we are safe. What were you saying again?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I had to ask for recipes of some of the medicaments they had used on you, but they are classified, so I had to bring them here myself,¡± she explained, sighing in relief as they split the tower into more manageable portions. What she said wasn¡¯t a surprise. Some recipes could only be handled by people with the proper Class and experience despite not being patented. Mostly because strong stimulants, drugs, or other chemicals could pose a problem if handled without necessary care. Not to mention strong psychiatric medications. ¡°Out with it,¡± P¡¯pfel said, jumping up on his cushion to sit straight. ¡°What is it all about, Zeph?¡± ¡°I need you to help me recreate the mix of drugs that they applied to me during the surgery. Gru had his hand in this, too. At the time, I achieved a trance-like state and I want to be able to recreate it. But first, I need to know what was applied before trying to recreate the effect¡­¡± He narrated what he experienced back then and shortly explained his new General and Profession Skills. It quickly became obvious why he needed them. It was a shame that the ¡®Bioscience Alchemy¡¯ wasn¡¯t available because of its fusion with his future rewards. He knew for sure that the exact mix of stimulants that had influenced him at the time was present in that General Skill. A slightly problematic issue that could be easily amended by the System, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that it probably wouldn¡¯t work for the second time. ¡®Shamanic visions¡¯ General Skill explained enough even after a few minutes-long session with it during the champion fights. It was something he expected, too. Not only his notifications clued him in by pointing out that his Profession needed to take an active part in the process, but he also knew that the composition of stimulants wouldn¡¯t be that easy to recreate. Back then, he was heavily wounded, unconscious, and under the influence of many different enzymes and hormones produced by his own body during and after the fight. Not to mention, a lot of things that were pumped into his body were unnecessary or even detrimental to the process. In other words, he was in no stable state at the time. As so, the first step was to learn the scope of what had happened. Then, he would start testing. ¡°You know that it will take much longer than one evening?¡± P¡¯pfel asked, still skeptical of the idea. ¡°The number of combinations is¡­¡± he once again glanced at the medical summary, ¡°in thousands?¡± ¡°Treat it more like a preliminary experiment, P¡¯pfel,¡± Zeph said, already preparing a list of medicaments to be delivered. Some of which being substitutes that seemed to stimulate the body more similarly to what he experienced. ¡°Remember, what I really need to do right now has nothing to do with the trance-like state directly. And I think I know how to get rid of those foreign Magicules. I even have a few different ideas on how to achieve that. But I can as well try to gain something more knowledge first. Also, I am quite sure the necessary mix isn¡¯t that strict. I just don¡¯t want to try overdosing myself with potentially dangerous drugs without reason. What we need to do, is to find the main components. Also, I believe the state of my mind will play the main role in the act itself, so let¡¯s just prepare the most promising mixes so I can start testing them.¡± P¡¯pfel sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°Always in a rush. Always pushing into the unknown¡­ You remind me too much of my other self¡­¡± The discussion ended there as they started to sort out the data. Makani, meanwhile, was perusing his General Skills to see if he had any information on the Magicule group that Zeph described. Initially, he wanted to try and feel them directly, as Zeph could, potentially, displace some by using his Willforce-puffing skin enchantment, but he quickly backed away from the idea after Zeph reiterated Aisha¡¯s story about the ¡®parasitic¡¯ Will-Magicules. Two hours later, P¡¯pfel left the room to prepare for the banquet. Before that, he instructed Kwan¡¯s people to bring some of his alchemy equipment to Zeph¡¯s apartment. An hour later, he and Pavail were ready to extract and synthesize some of the most promising stimulants. It was decided to test what could influence Zeph¡¯s body in the first place instead of feeding his body with complete, complex medicaments. The number of potential mixes was too much; they had to decrease the number of possibilities. In the case of what Gru and Phleya had done, it would stay the same. Gru not only didn¡¯t have that much influence over Phleya while the colony played a major role in producing the chemicals, but he also didn¡¯t know what exactly was produced. Another hour passed before they were ready for the first test¡­ Chapter 119 - Trippily tripping into the second day of Duels. P.S. it was worth it. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11] His predicament was easier to solve than he thought. The trick was to observe the reaction from his newly acquired ¡®Spiritual Synchronization¡¯ Matrix Skill. He slotted it right away, depleting his Matrix space by 18 points. It was costly for a mere Tier 1 Skill, but he expected the expenditure. Only Spells he created himself were able to break the trend of the multinomial cost increase ¨C standard Tier 1 Spells cost at least ten Matrix Space, not to mention the Skills that tended to cost even more. What was more worrying was the pace of increasing his free Matrix Space. After slotting his newest addition, he was left with only 54 points. Even after leveling 13 times, he was left with only that much. True, his Profession didn¡¯t see much improvement, as he had focused on his Class. It was disheartening nonetheless. His Profession may be the main purveyor of Matrix Space, but even after min-maxing his development, the parameters were still lacking. The most complicated Spells, the three Tier 2 Spells he gained from his Class, required hundreds in units of Matrix Space. His total was way below that still. If he were to multiply his arsenal, the remaining Matrix Space would be consumed in no time.
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Body fluidity auto-training
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 228
Flexibility 50 Memory 68
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 76
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 233 54 179
Mana Capacity: 1 543 1 531 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 207 166 41
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 14 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 35 0 27
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5,22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8,73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 3,00%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0,18%, [Unknown] effects.
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 57 0.66 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 65 0.49 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 65 1.5 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 55 1.19 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 95 2.20 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 72 0.88 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 61 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 16 1.07 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s/mod varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 6 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 39 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 32 0.42 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 97 9.87 [6.1] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 42 3.2 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 58 41 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 59 0.71 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 63 0.26 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 41 0.3 s 10 M - 2
Spiritual Synchronization 1 25 varies varies varies 18
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
Truth be told, it was much better than at the beginning of his journey. Being able to implement cheap Tier 1 Spells was a blessing. He became truly versatile and free in his choices and Spell execution. Even if it didn¡¯t help with the Duels, as his new abilities had to be tested and trained excessively before being implemented into his fighting style, new ventures were already open for him. Thus, he was almost ecstatic after using the ¡®Spiritual Synchronization¡¯ for the first time as a test. It was a Skill, not a Spell. He couldn¡¯t modify its Mana framework ¨C it was much too complex and involved more than simple shaping of Mana flow, but what it lacked in versatility and accessibility was outweighed by functionality. He didn¡¯t have to learn how to use it. All of its capabilities, limited as they were, were available from the very start. Of course, Spells could be used similarly in most cases. The name Spellwielders didn¡¯t exist without reason. But such a path was a dead end in relation to Classes. Either way, ¡®Spiritual Synchronization¡¯ was cheap enough. It was automatized for the most part and, like most Skills, it was working internally. All he had to do during drug testing, was to observe if it reacted and started consuming more Mana. As he suspected, the state of his mind played a major role. Meditation was useless. The mind zone he was entering during physical exercises fared a little better, but it wasn¡¯t the same without music. After a few tries, he had enough clues to understand what he had to do. Swallowing his pride and, with no small amount of embarrassment, he did what he imagined every Shaman on Earth had to at some point in their lives. He started dancing in place while playing on his improvised drum ¨C a table. It provided the three main ingredients he confirmed were necessary: music, physical exertion, and a comfortable rhythm bonding both. The results were obvious. It was easy to forget himself while doing that for a few minutes and the constantly-active Skill started to react, helping him to achieve a dream-like state even before he took any of the drugs. It was a shame that any conscious use of his Will actually interfered with the process. It meant he couldn¡¯t artificially enhance it. Also, it wasn¡¯t enough. Next came the chemicals secreted by Phleya. The pleasant warmth relaxed him as his mind drifted further away, but he still wasn¡¯t able to see what he saw back on the surgery table. The mixes prepared by P¡¯pfel and Pavail he took in small doses. Small enough to be flushed from his organism after a few minutes. Because he was so close already, their influence was easily spotted. The most potent mix was in the form of incense, as it turned out. He was quite sure opioids were involved, going by the symptoms. It was also quite natural to use these drugs for pain relief. He would have concerns, stemming mostly from the availability of such substances on the market, but he knew well that with their strengthened bodies it wasn¡¯t that easy to get addicted. It was, most probably, even necessary to have access to stronger anesthetics. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. They adjusted the mix a few times as Zeph started inhaling more of it. The sleep-inducing effect was minimized, the hallucinogenic effect slightly strengthened, and the anesthetic effect enhanced. They even managed to induce a stress reaction in his body by injecting more aggressive stimulants. It was a lengthy process and Zeph was quite high at the end, but he did manage to achieve his goal. The synesthetic trip started slowly, painting the smoky room in non-existent colors. As his consciousness slowly shifted inwards, directed by the now-churning Skill, a familiar impression started forming in his mind. His mind was relaxed, flying unwittingly with the flow. He wasn¡¯t directing it, not even entertaining the thought of plotting a course. Instead, the stream of impressions followed his wishes, slithering and bending and reforming to accommodate whatever he cared for. Instantly, and simultaneously after an indeterminately long time, he saw them. The remnants of foreign influence ¨C the clusters of black, cloudy sheep ¨C were prancing about near vast, waving, raucous rivers of distortions flowing up into the sky. As the sounds started tasting and the colors started touching his skin, he frolicked within the puffy blackness, playing with the waves and shapes and sounds and smells. It was becoming more psychedelic by the minute as he allowed himself to dive further into the chaotic cacophony of sensations. He learned a lot. Of their tamed hunger; of favorite lazying spots; of their tastes and penchants. Those simple creatures, those clouds of dust flying freely whenever they wanted, were, in fact, chained down without them realizing. Their world, vast as it seemed by extending into the illusionary infinity of whiteness of the spiritual landscape, only extended as far as the rigid waves they raided on. Their numbers slowly dwindling as more and more become one with the flesh of their existence. Even though they fed and multiplied to their non-beating hearts content, it wasn¡¯t to be. Feeling the flow weaken and slowly regaining his thoughts, Zeph decided it was enough. In the final act before his return, he imposed his Will and the waves did stop. His mind exploded in white as his senses shut down. He directed the entirety of his Will to interact with itself ¨C a thing he could not impose without the trance. His head was spinning as he had come to. The drugs were still flowing through him, clouding his eyes, but he could see clearly enough to know he was on the floor. A very, very comfortable floor. He licked his lips to give them some moisture. ¡°I think¡­ I think I will take a nap¡­¡± he said as his eyes already started to close. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s okay, I will bring you to the bed!¡± He heard Pavail¡¯s muffled voice, although he couldn¡¯t tell from what direction it had come. Before the darkness took him, he saw her gas mask as she bent down from above to look at his face. ~~~ He woke up slowly, noticing that his body felt much better. Even his mind seemed to be more focused than yesterday. The pressure on his Will disappeared, too. It seems it worked in the end, he thought, sitting up on his double bed and looking around. Pavail left him in his yesterday¡¯s clothes ¨C a tight toga and simple trousers. He could still smell the vestiges of the incense in the air, even though they used it in the guest room. Being deep in the stadium complex, his apartment lacked windows. The soft light coming from glass pipes filled with flowing phosphorescent liquid illuminated the room instead. He put his feet down on the lavish carpet and walked to the doors, turning a small control wheel to increase the intensity of the light. Looking at the Wadokei, it was five in the morning. The start of the Tournament was planned for nine, so he had a few hours to burn. Firstly, he inspected yesterday¡¯s notifications.
Congratulations! [Profession Skill Matrix] [Spiritual Synchronization] is now [T1] [L25]! (+24) Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Shamanic visions] is now [T2][L15]! (+14) [Willforce] is now [T2][L55]! (+6) [Will] is now [T2][L85]! (+3) [Will manipulation] is now [T2][L93]! (+2) [W.P. Soul perception] is now [T2][L78]! (+3) [Ambient Mana] is now [T1][L87]! (+2)
Hmm, no new Advanced Statistics? he wondered, noticing that Willforce crossed the Tier 2 Level 50 threshold. Maybe it¡¯s not paired yet? Or is it connected to the malfunctioning statistics of Will? I need to keep an eye on the logic behind those¡­ Anyway, a good haul, he concluded happily. His new Skills had a good start and he hoped that ¡®Shamanic visions¡¯ would now provide more clues as to how to enter the trance without ending up comatose on the floor. After taking a quick bath ¨C which was a little problematic because of his disabled arm ¨C he donned his armor and decided to see if Aisha was sleeping. He missed the meeting yesterday, so it would be good to get an update. He only needed to ring once before Aisha opened the door. ¡°Good, I was wondering if we would have to wake you up,¡± she greeted him. ¡°Important news?¡± he asked, walking inside. ¡°Not about our opposition, no,¡± she said leading him to the guest room. ¡°But something that will surely interest you personally.¡± As they entered the room, he was surprised. On the sofa sat Ciriyal, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in months. She practically disappeared into thin air after contacting Aisha. ¡°Hi, Zeph,¡± she waved. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°I am sure you know better than me,¡± he commented, sitting down on the opposing sofa. ¡°I was wondering what you were up to.¡± ¡°I had to take care of my own mess, nothing interesting,¡± she shook her head but Zeph could tell from Aisha¡¯s face that it wasn¡¯t true at all. ¡°I have a message for you,¡± she said with a twinkle in her eyes, leaning forward. He looked at Aisha, raising his eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s private,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°We will inform Kwan and the rest later.¡± He shrugged and gestured for Ciriyal to continue. ¡°I think I understand what it¡¯s about, but please confirm,¡± she said, taking out her notebook. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention the contents to anyone after we discuss it. It was one of the requirements for passing the message to me.¡± After removing a blank page, she placed it on a ceramic board and started writing while speaking. ¡°It was left in the Library yesterday. You were quite busy, so Onji Togana called me as, evidently, the contents were quite urgent. She couldn¡¯t send it through the Interface because the author restricted the access to only you and one messenger.¡± Her hand sped through the paper with mechanical precision, leaving neat lines of text behind. A few seconds later, the letter was ready and she handed it to him. Zeph took it anxiously. He wasn¡¯t expecting a word from the Gibbons ¨C it would be much more in their style to catch him somewhere in the city after making sure he wasn¡¯t followed. Dear Tail, We are happy that you finally decided to relocate. For you to visit this city is a miraculous coincidence. The time in the city is flowing like raging storm clouds. So much happened that it¡¯s hard to properly describe; too many times we wondered if it was worth our efforts. Though our wellbeing is secure, turbulences in life never allow for a moment of rest. Thankfully, our new responsibilities align with the path we took long ago. The Onjis were gracious enough to lead us to a place where we could continue our existence meaningfully, working for goals larger than us alone. Our family is now bigger; the house has become much louder. We shield the young as much as possible so they may continue their carefree lives in peace, but you would know that it¡¯s not always possible. We can¡¯t wait for you to know them better, as they are constantly asking about you. Especially our third son, Avis ¨C he still remembers your early teachings and can¡¯t wait for more now that he has grown up. We heard of your newfound achievements and troubles, which are curiously similar to the story from the book you lent us so long ago. It seems you have found your happiness, and it is truly heartwarming to know that. In your current predicament, we hope you overcome all challenges with ease. But please, be careful and don¡¯t strain yourself without reason. We still remember the bad times, and how hard they were for you. Remember, you have us, and sometimes, it¡¯s better to turn away and find another path than to plow forward blindly. We should meet soon. We will invite you to our humble abode as time allows, just remember to reserve your time appropriately. A.A. Zeph finished reading and was staring blankly at the paper. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the information he was given. The wordplay was easy to understand, at least for him. Without context, it was hard to guess what was insinuated. ¡°If you finished¡­¡± Ciriyal said, reaching out with an open palm. He nodded wordlessly and gave her the letter. She instantly put it in a bowl and used an ornamental lighter to burn it. The ceramic plate she used to write on was already polished to shine ¨C to remove all traces left by her pen. Okay, I should probably tell them, Zeph thought, slowly coming to a conclusion. Nonetheless, he was happy to know more about his old companion¡¯s situation, especially that their assassination spree wasn¡¯t done without reason or under external influence. He still couldn¡¯t understand what made them form an information network and a strike team, but as long as it happened because of their free will, he could accept it. They would contact him soon enough, either way. Judging from the letter, they certainly had resources to spare, so he was quite curious about where they lived while hiding from basically the whole city. I have to find a way to mark my clothes with an appropriate symbol first, though. Because of the local fashion, yellow could be quite hard to apply. He turned to Aisha and Ciriyal, who were patiently waiting. ¡°I have two pieces of important news; Tournament-related. But¡­ can we speak openly here?¡± Aisha shrugged. ¡°The enchantments are always active. I don¡¯t believe we can find a better place.¡± Ciriyal nodded with enthusiasm, excitedly shuffling forward. ¡°Well¡­ First, my third opponent is somehow related to the Temple of Pure Souls¡­¡± Aisha frowned hearing that, her stance shifting into a more aggressive one. ¡°The message wasn¡¯t stating that directly, but we are talking about a fanatic group with advanced Soul arts and enough wealth to create an artifact that will help the combatant. The artifact that will, obviously, assault the opponent¡¯s Soul. Also, I was advised to use lethal force against them or, in case it¡¯s more than I can take, forfeit the match.¡± Aisha shook her head instantly. ¡°Let us work on that problem first. If we find enough evidence, we can disqualify them.¡± Zeph smiled warmly and turned to Ciriyal. ¡°So, how much did you manage to find out by yourself?¡± She sighed, scratching her head. ¡°Only the part about the third contestant having something to counter you, and the fact that he will be hunted down later either way. Well, besides some unimportant clues about their group. Hard to tell what is true, though.¡± ¡°Good job,¡± he said, crossing his arms. ¡°Either way, the problem is ¨C if they plan to hit in the stadium, it means they are here already,¡± he said more seriously. ¡°And, in my opinion, ambushing the target here is not only doable but preferable for that group.¡± Aish massaged her temples. ¡°Are you serious? After you told us all that, we can be held accountable for their death. And if we disqualify them before that, the investigators will knock on our doors for sure.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do what we can. I am sure they won¡¯t leave me on thin ice without a reason. Anyway, shouldn¡¯t we inform Kwan?¡± That question made her sigh with irritation. ~~~ The discussion had been quick and relatively painless. They hadn¡¯t mentioned that the opponent would be targeted to prevent any law enforces from easily extracting information from the Hannyajin ¨C their weakness, the limited ability to lie, was the main concern. Aisha had left not long after to deal with her own investigation while the rest of their group was gathering in the observation hall. Kwan¡¯s Duel was first today, so she was absent. Without a working arm, she was majorly disadvantaged so the arbiters decided it was better to put the decisive match before the rest. The contestants were already standing in the arena. Kwan, in her black armor and wielding her oversized club one-handedly, and a giant of a woman in bronze armor and two hammers in her hands. The signal was given, and the two rushed at each other. The club met the two hammers, but instead of clashing, they stopped midair as if buffered by an invisible barrier. Between the weapons a dark, swirling mass started forming. With an explosion of lightning, Kwan was hurled backward while her opponent spasmed in place. Thus, the second day of the Tournament has officially started. Chapter 120 – The best defense is a good offense. Day two starts with a bang! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] ¡°What was that?¡± Zeph asked immediately. He had never seen such a reaction if Telekinetic constructs weren¡¯t involved, and the two women were moving their weapons way too fast to apply any. Not to mention, the swirling mass that formed between the almost-clashing weapons was all too tangible to be a mere Magicule emanation. ¡°Electromagnetic reaction. Probably unstable attractor had formed, but the polarity between it and both weapons reversed for some reason,¡± Ghrughah explained, scratching his chin. ¡°The dark dust conglomerating at the center was unexpected¡­ I think they are trying to counter our Discharge-related enchantments¡­¡± The next clash played out the same, but this time a small explosion took place as electric arcs started flying around. Not enough to harm anyone, but pushing the combatants even further away from each other. ¡°This effect, it wasn¡¯t intended,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor said, leaning forward on his seat. ¡°I think she is trying to use metal dust to taint the air while magnetizing Kwan¡¯s armor to attract it.¡± ¡°That would make sense. They are using breathing masks and air tanks, as we expected. Introducing their own airborne toxin would be appropriate,¡± Makani added, nodding to himself. Another clash came, this one was much more controlled ¨C in contrast to previous exchanges, the weapons weren¡¯t flailing wildly when suspended in the air as if the fighters were barely able to keep them in place. After two seconds, both allowed their weapons to slip off of the opposite sides of the attractor, disengaging and taking just one step before turning and attacking again, forming another one. Going by the commotion behind the non-reflective windows on the other side of the stadium, the audience loved this unusual spectacle. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Zeph said, frowning. ¡°They can expect us to use the same or similar gear as a countermeasure. This dust¡ªassuming it even is just metal dust¡ªhas to have additional effects¡­ is it possible to damage enchantments that way?¡± ¡°Unlikely,¡± P¡¯pfel said immediately as the show below continued. Both combatants seemed to adapt to the new phenomena well. ¡°But it is, for sure, a great medium for causing localized explosions. Maybe it¡¯s also caustic?¡± the Gremling tilted his head. ¡°We better prepare for similar measures,¡± Ghrughah said, getting up. ¡°I will prepare modified Discharge plates for your armors.¡± They all nodded in appreciation as the giant left the room. He would be fighting third, right after Aisha, so he had some time to spare. Next would be P¡¯pfel, and then Makani and Zeph. Returning to the fight, they focused once more. Every clue as to what tricks their opponents were implementing was a major advantage. Additionally, this was the most important fight of the day ¨C it would be sheer stupidity to not give their fighters the best gear at hand, so a lot could be gleaned from this Duel. The situation didn¡¯t look good for Lesser Landlord Lucretia, though. Kwan¡¯s oversized club was creating too much distance between them, and she knew how to use the weapon efficiently. The few times Lucretia tried to slip through to decrease the distance, she was brutally pushed back in the accompaniment of electric discharges and small explosions as Kwan performed a wide, powerful swing. And even though such actions should strain her, Kwan never slowed down or faltered. She showed no openings, playing a steady game. This continued for a good five minutes until Lucretia had enough. It was becoming evident that her stamina wasn¡¯t up to par in this prolonged fight. Even if she had an advantage in raw power and versatility because of Kwan¡¯s disabled arm, she still failed to land even one direct hit. She was also on a timer because of the air tanks¡¯ capacity. After another exchange, Lucretia jumped back to gain some distance. But just as her amor started changing sheen, Kwan used her own, much faster move. Pausing only for a fraction of a second, she heaved her club above her head and, exerting the strength of her whole body and taking a step forward, slammed it into the ground with more speed than ever in the Tournament. Even before the weapon reached the ground, the soft soil of the grassland exploded outwards, as if fleeing away from the catastrophic strike. The uncovered rocks followed suit before the weapon finally met opposition. The ground cracked and split, and a shockwave of force surged forward like a miniature avalanche, throwing the upturned earth and stone shrapnel in every direction as Kwan¡¯s form was catapulted into the air because of the counterforce of the move. The cone of destruction reached Lucretia in a blink of an eye and all she could do was brace for the impact, abandoning whatever attack she was preparing. But she was too slow. Same as most of the audience, she overlooked a few rocks that were blown away with much more velocity after the impact ¨C the initial chaos of the strike covering their trajectory. She was hit in the tight, shoulder, and head as dozens of projectiles flew around her, missing their target. Sparks and clouds of pulverized stone marked the spots as she buckled back, taking a hasty step to regain her balance. But it was for naught as the shockwave hit, sending her to the ground. The debris hit next, covering her in soil and stone while obscuring the world around in a cloud of dust. Meanwhile, Kwan used her weapon as a proverbial stepping stone. Already in midair, she pushed the weapon downwards and to the back to jump over it and accelerate forward. She was spinning horizontally after discarding it because she used only one arm to propel herself, but she didn¡¯t miss her target. Drawing her long knife midflight, her spin only added to the force of the strike as she landed right where Lucretia had disappeared in a cloud of dust. The Duel ended right then, with all the fireworks going off at once. The announcements started flying around, calling the medical team and proclaiming Kwan¡¯s victory long before they could see what exactly happened. As the personnel entered the arena, Kwan¡¯s form slowly emerged from the cloud of dirt. She was calmly walking to retrieve her club, leaving the medical team to do their job. Someone used an air-related enchantment to blow away the dust and any dangerous particles away, uncovering the defeated woman. Lucretia was lying on the ground on her stomach. Seeing how her legs and arms were spread, it was clear that she was trying to stand up when Kwan landed on her. The knife¡¯s handle was sticking out of the right side of her chest, just below her shoulder blades. Zeph shivered involuntarily after seeing that. The weapon¡¯s blade was long; much too long for comfort if it was stabbed through the chest up to the handle and at that angle. No wonder Kwan left it behind, he thought, turning away. For some reason, stab wounds penetrating deeply were the worst to look at. They always made him feel the sympathetic pain. With guns, there¡¯s not much to look at, at least¡­ ¡°That was¡­ a chasem-worth of an enchantment¡­¡± Makani said quietly. ¡°Tier 2. Almost reaching the power of Tier 3 thanks to Kwan¡¯s¡­ predispositions,¡± P¡¯pfel said proudly. ¡°A shame we won¡¯t be seeing it again in this Tournament.¡± He deflated right after. ¡°Compatible area is unlikely to be chosen again¡­¡± ¡°And she won¡¯t oppose,¡± Makani nodded. ¡°Does she have more surprises like that?¡± ¡°You should know better,¡± P¡¯pfel sent him a stinky eye, ¡°that it depends mostly on circumstances.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. ¡°Anyway, it was overwhelming. Too fast. I was curious about things like that.¡± The Gremling shrugged and turned back to the window. ¡°One or two. You will see if she uses them. We will change most of the enchantments after the fights, either way. There is no point listing them.¡± Zeph could understand that. Their gear was enchanted specifically to increase their chances of winning in one-on-one fights with people possessing similar Classes. A lot of nasty surprises, but the setup wasn¡¯t exactly optimal outside of the Duels. Although, it wasn¡¯t always true. Zeph¡¯s spear would stay the same. Only the modular enchantments in his armor would be changed. Not like he managed to use any special ones yet ¨C he was depending more on the consumables. Kwan returned to the room not long after, already in a toga and refreshed. She didn¡¯t seem tired at all. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Well, that was a huge waste of time for the Landlords,¡± she said as a greeting, unhurriedly stepping down to the group. The men in the room exchanged glances of confusion, looking at each other dubiously. But after a few such exchanges with no one answering the unspoken question, they just shrugged and waited for Kwan to elaborate. After she sat in her chair, she sent them a mirthful smile. ¡°What, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°You are a good counter for her, despite the fact that she was a rare find,¡± Makani deadpanned, wiping out her smirk. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t explain a quint of what had happened there,¡± he said, cursing. She shrugged and gestured for Arhen to bring her a drink. ¡°Hmph.¡± P¡¯pfel crossed his arms. ¡°As expected. Keep your secrets if you want, but playing with my fragile heart comes with a price.¡± ¡°No worries, I have enough gold to melt your fragile organ all the way down to your spline,¡± she said as a matter of fact, causing P¡¯pfel¡¯s eyes to dilute. Traitor, Zeph thought, shaking his head. ¡°Are you going to share or not?¡± he asked with a sigh. ¡°Not now,¡± Kwan said more seriously. ¡°Maybe after the Tournament, after we clamp down our security issues. But Makani was right. Choosing her was a mistake.¡± The banter and small talk continued until the next match. Unexpectedly, Aisha¡¯s opponent turned out to be a long-range fighter. He was armed with an assortment of advanced-looking crossbows of all sizes. His Class had to focus on raw PE, otherwise this pairing wouldn¡¯t be allowed. The match was called simply a ¡®Warriors¡¯ Duel¡¯, further confirming their suspicions. Both were geared with air tanks and masks that covered their faces. The terrain seemed disadvantageous to Aisha because the high forest area would allow the crossbow wielder to keep a distance. But in reality, it was playing right into Zeph¡¯s group hand, as Ghrughah was still working on the updates to their armors. Moreover, they weren¡¯t worried. Everyone was sure that it was too little to endanger the Priestess; with the exception of mysterious trump cards their opposition used, but any opponent could use those. And if the worst came to the worst, Aisha could always put the forest on fire. It was something the Landlords probably didn¡¯t take into account because she rarely allowed herself to commit mass destruction of this kind, especially in the city. The collateral damage almost never was worth it; it was better to suffer some injuries during difficult fights than to overreact like that. Because of the nature of the area and the speed of the combatants, not much could be seen. Of course, the other mode of the window panel allowed them to at least know their positions, but all details were lost for the audience. Trees were falling; big explosions shaking the overgrown forest. Sometimes flashes of light pierced through the dense canopy. Yet neither of the combatants seemed to slow down, zipping through the area in a wild chase. It took half an hour and a surprising number of felled trees to finish the fight. The crossbowman made a mistake that allowed Aisha to finally catch up to him ¨C he failed to notice that Aisha herded him into an already deforested area. When the two left the cover of the forest ¨C the man carried by the medical team ¨C it became clear that much more had happened than they could see during the match. The number of injuries on both combatants was a testament to that. They had lost their anti-gas equipment somewhere during the fight, but Zeph doubted they were able to use any chemicals ¨C they moved around too fast during the fight. Aisha has become a veritable pincushion. None of the bolts penetrated deep, but the number of them was staggering. Most of the shafts were shattered already, Aisha seemingly not acknowledging their existence while moving around. She walked with the same grace and confidence as always, despite the sorry state of her attire. Her armor¡¯s left side was melted down, leaving big holes that showed damaged skin beneath. The man fared much worse. He lost all his weapons; broken parts were still dangling from the belts on his waist. His breastplate was missing, uncovering a deep cavity in his chest. Zeph was seriously wondering how the man was still alive. He was quite sure such a blow would damage even the spine. The audience became rowdy once again after seeing the aftermath. This round of bets brought some exciting results, after all. It took Aisha a while to return to the spectator hall. Her skin, what little of it could be glimpsed from between the toga¡¯s folds, was dotted with red marks left by the bolts. But otherwise, she seemed satisfied and healthy. Ghrughah entered the room with her, bringing the newly enchanted armor modules. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡± Makani squinted his eyes at her nonchalant behavior. ¡°It means the fight was worth it,¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°It stings a little, but my performance won¡¯t be negatively impacted.¡± She sat down next to Kwan and stretched in her seat. ¡°The alien anatomy of your body aside,¡± Ghrughah grumbled, turning to the rest of the room, ¡°show me your equipment. We don¡¯t have much time.¡± Obediently, P¡¯pfel, Makani, and Zeph presented themselves or their equipment to the giant. They were all geared up and prepared for the matches ¨C the stadium¡¯s Manacasters already refreshed the security probes and enchantment systems earlier today. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t notice that Gru ¡®consumed¡¯ one of the old probes from yesterday. The process was simple ¨C most of Ghrughah¡¯s creations were created with some level of modularity in mind. Zeph armor had slots for solid plates in the most crucial spots. The Fullerene alloy wasn¡¯t the best against blades hitting at steep angles. To give him the ability to deflect attacks, the shin guards, armguards, and neck area were covered in solid plates. The chest and back area, as well as the nether region alongside the immediate neighborhood, were all similarly strengthened from the inside. All of those plates were enchantment-ready and relatively easy to replace. Although, most of them were still empty. He had the standard set and a surprise or two, but he needed to work out more advanced enchantments himself. The procedure was much faster when Ghrughah did it personally. It was much more time-consuming to secure the plates properly and test them out without his Skills and Soul contaminations. In quick order, four modified Discharge enchantments were inserted into the strategic locations around their armors. P¡¯pfel¡¯s armored vehicle was the easiest to modify, while Makani¡¯s robes required some additional work around the fabric. ¡°All done,¡± the giant nodded after finishing the final inspection. ¡°And right on time, too,¡± he added, hearing another announcement. ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard. The surprise is for tomorrow,¡± Kwan said to the leaving giant. ¡°I know.¡± She nodded in appreciation and turned to Aisha. ¡°So, how is it on your side?¡± ¡°The investigation is stuck. But I managed to convince the arbiters. I will be present during tomorrow¡¯s pre-fight equipment inspection,¡± she said with a resigned sigh. ¡°Thankfully, it will not be announced. But I have a dilemma. I can be present only during Zeph¡¯s inspection to, hopefully, find the culprit guilty. Or I can take part in all of yours, which has the potential to dissuade the Landlords from using that artifact in the first place.¡± ¡°Will they call another Temple representative?¡± Makani asked. ¡°No, they would need at least a week to manage that,¡± she shook her head. ¡°What do you think?¡± She turned to Zeph. To say that he was hesitant would be an understatement. In the letter, Alex and Alana sounded quite sure that the attack would worsen his Soul fragmentation problem. It was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Not only because of the pain such an attack would bring¡ªhe was sure that he was slowly developing a trauma in that regard¡ªbut because he didn¡¯t want to deal with the consequences. He still remembered vividly the time back on Earth, when he was suffering from critical Soul fragmentation. To get even close to that state¡­ There was nothing more frightening to him. After learning, once more, how it was to live without that burden¡­ he feared the despair of losing it yet again; he feared that it would push him over the line this time. ¡°What are the chances you won¡¯t be able to tell?¡± he asked slowly, glancing at her. ¡°You have two specialists in the topic at hand,¡± she said, indicating herself and Gru. ¡°If that isn¡¯t enough, we can as well assume it¡¯s impossible to determine the artifact¡¯s purpose before its activation. But such situations are¡­ I will not say unheard of, but it isn¡¯t something that should be happening on this stratum.¡± He weighed his options, trying to ignore the creeping dread worming its way up from the deepest parts of his mind. Truth be told, he was very tempted to just forfeit the fight. But he knew, those were his fears speaking ¨C it was still too early to consider this possibility. He was a little too stubborn to surrender like that, too. After a silent minute, he concluded that he¡­ wasn¡¯t sure what to do. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they will try today, first,¡± he finally said, giving up. ¡°If it will be another nasty surprise¡­ maybe there won¡¯t be a choice.¡± ¡°It sucks to be the weakest link, ain¡¯t it?¡± P¡¯pfel the wild said, grinning widely. It seemed he vehemently enjoyed not being the most vulnerable member of the group for once. Zeph nodded. The Gremling was right. Aisha and, by extension, P¡¯pfel were a part of the Temple of Leilucia. Makani had his Tower. Meanwhile, Kwan¡¯s Landlord title was almost guaranteed at this point. In their cases, any serious transgression would be met with strong retaliation. But him? No big organization would react as a whole if he was to be killed or crippled using illicit means. The political backlash of such an occurrence, the Landlords could weather relatively easily. He was the easiest target in their Guild while simultaneously representing a big chunk of its worth and resources. Looking at it from another perspective¡­ A perfect bait, isn¡¯t it? he thought, trying to be more positive. After a few encouraging words from Aisha, it was decided to wait till the strategy meeting before planning ahead. To that effect, all of them would visit the banquet this evening. Information was what they needed the most right now. ~~~ The next two fights were basically a repetition of the previous day. Ghrughah patiently and methodically stripped the armor from his opponent, breaking the man¡¯s weapons and body along the way. The few dents his mechanical suit received were slowly mending themselves over time ¨C something the giant was able to do manually even during the fight. No matter what hi-tech his opponent used, the monstrosity in the shape of Ghrughah¡¯s armor stood firm and unimpeded. Even their version of high explosive failed miserably in damaging it. The man was so out of his element, that he didn¡¯t even use any last-resort attack. P¡¯pfel¡¯s fight was more interesting. It played in the marsh area. Zeph wondered how shocked their opposition had to be when the opening in P¡¯pfel¡¯s armor-slash-vehicle was sealed tight with the help of his shield while short plates slid out all around the external shell. He would pay a lot to see their faces. An unhealthy dose of toxic, oily substances was being left on the surface of ponds in the wake of the rolling vehicle. Of course, the resulting vapors quickly joined them in the colorful display. In some ways, this Duel was more straightforward than his previous one. No gas explosions happened; no tricky ambushes were being set. All the contestants had to do was damage and unseal their opponent¡¯s protective gear. Because of that, after a short exchange of projectiles and Spells, which turned out ineffective, explosives started flying around in record time. The woman was using something resembling a deep-sea diving suit. While P¡¯pfel had much better mobility, she could dive underwater for protection. It took a while, mostly because P¡¯pfel didn¡¯t have any explosives that were effective underwater. He entered up slamming into the woman after catching her on the shallows. Her suit cracked, sealing her fate. After that, she did try to attach something to P¡¯pfel¡¯s rolling vehicle, but he wisely kept his distance for the rest of the fight. Obviously, she didn¡¯t have a chance to catch up to him. Makani¡¯s fight was next and for the lack of a better pairing, he would bash heads with a Ranger-type Spellwielder. The man used a bow and had two Soul-bond avians at his disposal. It was a risk to bring them into the arena, as losing even one in the fight would leave a lasting effect on him. For the first time in the Tournament, rocky cliffs were used as a stage. The two combatants were standing on the opposite sides of a deep ravine, measuring each other, while the audience waited for the signal to start¡­ Chapter 121 – Day two. Of sniping and unexpected witches. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] The contestants sprung to action at the arbiters¡¯ signal. Dorcas, the Lesser Landlord, sprinted to his left, firing two arrows in quick succession to probe Makani¡¯s defenses. His birds flew away in two different directions, quickly gaining height. At the same time, an explosion of air took place on Makani¡¯s left side. He jumped with the shockwave to the right, drifting in the air as his robes caught the blow of the wind. A sphere of disturbed air sprung to life around him right before the first arrow struck. Both projectiles were deflected by the defensive Spell. He was moving slower than the ranger, but it was playing into his hand. Dorcas was less inclined to change directions in this situation. Makani was chasing Dorcas, trying to prevent him from gaining distance on the opposite side of the ravine. At least for now. The ranger was already aiming with another arrow but wasn¡¯t firing it just yet. He was waiting for something ¨C probably for a Matrix Spell to finish constructing. Makani¡¯s Beam Spell fired before it could finish, though. An explosion of superheated air caused by the Heat Beam was strong enough to raise the dirt along the path of the stream of Magicules, culminating at Dorcas¡¯s position. The man was spun around and violently thrown back. Aisha whistled with admiration and Zeph couldn¡¯t agree more. It was easily the fastest execution of Beam Spell he had ever seen, not to mention the power behind it. Even if Makani prepared the necessary parts of the construct beforehand, it meant he was close to mastering the Spell ¨C something unheard of for Manacasters with such low Willpower and not specializing in combat. It was a Tier 1 Spell; mastering it should take years. It seemed that Zeph¡¯s Liquid Spell Medium¡ªaka the Cube¡ªseriously sped up Makani¡¯s progress. But the fight was far from the conclusion. Dorcas changed his fall into a roll and disappeared from Makani¡¯s view behind the boulders dotting the rocky slope. Similarly, Makani used the shockwave of his Beam Spell to hover backwards to find cover. The two combatants hunkered down, using the terrain to stay out of sight while searching for new positions. The cliff area was almost flat but dotted with gorges, deep scars, and big boulders. Hiding was easy, finding your opponent not so much. Makani was, obviously, using his Sound-group Spells. Zeph already knew how uncannily precise the man could be while using them. But even then, Dorcas had much better surveillance ¨C his Soul-bonded avians were already high in the sky of the stadium, near the barrier covering the giant pit of the arena. Both looked like predatory birds and Zeph had no doubts that they could easily spot Makani¡¯s green silhouette a mere dozen floors below. If Dorcas was proficient enough to share the senses with the animals, spotting Makani would be trivial. But even if they could locate their opponent, the terrain still posed an issue. Straight-line attacks couldn¡¯t be executed. Most of Makani¡¯s Spells would become useless, and Dorcas would have to use weak, parabolic shots. Seeing that, Zeph expected some sort of a positional war to take place, so he was surprised by what started transpiring down below. Both combatants were still on the move, not even trying to fire at their opponent. Dorcas was moving erratically, changing directions every time Makani did something unexpectedly. The Manacaster, on the other hand, tried to be as unpredictable as possible, oftentimes stopping mid-step and randomly changing directions. All the while, he was closely observing the movements of the birds above. This lasted for a good seven minutes. Like two swordmasters measuring the ability of their opponent by simply changing their stances, without swinging the swords even once, the two combatants continued to chase the invisible enemies all through the field. Zeph understood, intellectually, that they were searching for a good position to strike. An oversight made by their opponents maybe, or a hidden gap in the terrain that would allow them to snipe them. But for the love of all intellectual games, he couldn¡¯t understand the logic behind their movements. It was like observing a match between chess masters who saw at least seven steps ahead. Dorcas was slowly ¡®pushing¡¯ Makani closer to the border of the area, near the grassy hills, but the Manacaster finally decided to break the status quo. He stopped for a few seconds behind a big boulder, closing his eyes. Then, suddenly, he took out a metal contraption resembling a thin grenade launcher from under the folds of his floaty robes. He fired it immediately, compressed air sending a slow projectile into the sky. The image on the window panel instantly started zooming out to keep the flying sphere in the field of view. Soon, it became clear what Makani was doing for the last seven minutes. The spherical bullet started veering unnaturally, aiming right between the two birds. Makani had built some kind of Mana construct reaching all the way up to the height of the flying avians which, once again, stumped Zeph. Constructing something like that without an advanced Mana Manipulation was too difficult to execute for most people. The animals tried to fly away and gain distance, but they were too late. It took only a second or two for the bullet to reach its destination. It didn¡¯t explode, not immediately. Instead, it slowed down considerably and started vibrating violently. As the forces finally ripped it apart in an explosion of white smoke, the birds were already falling, their wings stiff and unmoving. Whatever sound he used, it was enough to stun them completely. The flow of the match changed right then. Makani finally started his offensive by throwing explosive beads and smoke bombs. The latter also served as a smokescreen when he jumped the main ravine separating him from Dorcas. The ranger was visibly panicking. He was left blind in the maze of rocks while his opponent knew his position. The only saving grace was his gas mask, allowing him to ignore the smoke. Despite the expected distance fight, he was against a Manacaster specialized in Air Magicules ¨C he naturally had to use the equipment. In his panic, he decided to take a more aggressive stance. As so, he climbed the high rocks in the hope of spotting Makani from above. He jumped around, arrow at the ready, trying to find the Manacaster as fast as possible. The man forgot¡ªor maybe wasn¡¯t fully aware from the beginning¡ªthat Makani could constantly and precisely determine his location without looking. Two Heat Beams constructed in Makani¡¯s Veil were the only thing he saw as a consequence of his actions. The Manacaster himself was, of course, hidden behind a big boulder. The fight quickly escalated from that point. Without a clear line of sight, Dorcas was helpless. Makani easily cornered him near another ravine. He finished the job from a safe distance, using smoke from the bombs to his advantage. One disorienting sound effect and a few more Beam Spells later, and the man¡¯s unresponsive body was smoldering all over. Dorcas¡¯s bonds probably weren¡¯t dead but they didn¡¯t return for the rest of the fight. ¡°Anticlimactic conclusion,¡± Kwan said with a frown. Aisha nodded vehemently at that. ¡°Still better than suffering from an unknown, crippling attack,¡± Zeph said, shaking his head. ¡°But they didn¡¯t use even one hidden ability!¡± Aisha started protesting but flinched after seeing Zeph¡¯s glare. ¡°Well¡­ except for that spellwork, of course. But that doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°No new information,¡± Ghrughah started slowly, ¡°but a safe victory. I am with Zeph on this one.¡± ¡°And he still didn¡¯t have to use that gadget. Tomorrow¡¯s fight will be so much easier for him,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor added. ¡°You guys are boring,¡± Aisha said, crossing her arms. ¡°This is the first occasion in ages¡ªor rather, a first in the lives of most of you¡ªto show off during a Duel, but you all just decided to ignore the fun part altogether.¡± ¡°Repeat that after Kwan¡¯s arm regrows,¡± Zeph countered. ¡°Regenerates,¡± the woman in question corrected him. ¡°Zora has a point here,¡± she stated, turning to them. ¡°This is, probably, the safest opportunity to test the effectiveness of our abilities in a battle. A real battle. Every fight that doesn¡¯t require us to use our advanced techniques is a waste.¡± The contemplative silence that ensued lasted only a few seconds before the discussion started anew. P¡¯pfel and Ghrughah were craftsmen first and foremost. They preferred a quick and efficient resolution that wouldn¡¯t uncover their¡ªoftentimes very costly¡ªtricks. Worse, showing the technology that they painfully worked out was risky for many other reasons. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Aisha and Kwan preferred self-development in the most straightforward meaning of the word. Showing their abilities was a given, they were much more preoccupied with the techniques used by their opponents. Each fighting style was a puzzle for them. A puzzle that they worked hard to solve with their existing arsenal of equipment, abilities, and skills. Zeph was in the middle, not speaking much. He couldn¡¯t commit to either side fully, as his hidden identity stood in the way. Whatever he did, he couldn¡¯t clue the audience that he was a Terrien. He didn¡¯t want to deal with the consequences of such information leaking just yet. A reasonable technological level of his gear, reasonable Mana skills ¨C that was what he had to use. The real showdown wouldn¡¯t happen until the next day, either way, so the discussion was more philosophical than practical in his eyes. The participants of the Tournament would bring the big guns on the final day. The stance of the Heads of their Guild would only matter then; assuming they would even have an opportunity to apply anything advanced during their fight. Naturally, the opponents on that day would stem from the industrial group. That group had the best means when it came to the hi-tech equipment, and they weren¡¯t as scared of the possibly deadly encounter as the Landlords themselves were. It would be the most dangerous part of the Tournament ¨C those people chose to be there themselves. This position guaranteed more rewards, but was also required to solidify their demands, as those weren¡¯t exactly rational ¨C as asking for production schematics tended to be. Makani returned after a few minutes. He was smug as never for achieving a perfect win ¨C without receiving even one hit from the opponent. Of course, he didn¡¯t hesitate to smear that fact all over their faces. And they couldn¡¯t even refute him. Zeph evacuated quickly, finding an attendant to bring him to the auditorium hall. He was a little early, but that was all right. After his equipment was examined, he simply sat on a provided chair and revised his plans for the fight. Their opposition should still think that he was under the influence of Arslancle¡¯s Magicules. Those should cause issues when constructing Spells manually, cripple his Willpower, and decrease the effectiveness of his implants. He could use that to fake an opening during the fight, although it depended mostly on his opponent¡¯s actions. He knew that his opponent would specialize in analyzing, so the question was ¨C could he fake the crippling effect good enough to sell it? Going purely physical on a Spellwielder doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea, he sighed internally. Maybe If I use only one Spell, like Telekinesis¡­ he continued to ponder. His musings were interrupted by the opening doors. An older woman in heavy, brown robes entered unhurriedly. She looked to be past her fifties. A tightly tied bun on her head was already decorated with white strips of hair. Her face looked stern even when relaxed. The woman didn¡¯t say a word. She simply walked up to them and stopped at the ready, waiting for the introductions and the procedure to start. Somehow, Zeph had a bad feeling about her. Her gear was checked in quick order and the declarations were stated. The woman didn¡¯t spare many words even then, simply stating her name, position, and the goal of winning in the name of the merchant group she was a part of. Danette Gildafi, the Guild Master of General Apprising and Accounting Guild. She was the first combatant without the Landlord title, but that didn¡¯t mean she was in any way weaker or less prepared than the previous contestants. Quite the opposite, actually. She operated with more wealth than some of the Lesser Landlords while keeping close ties with all of the most promising groups in the city. The name of her Guild, simple and bland as it was, was a testament to how successful they had become. There was no other apprising Guild in the city ¨C besides individuals and government facilities, they didn¡¯t have competition on the market. They were probably the first, and now the last, Guild of this type that formed in Lurona. Zeph made sure to keep his Veil as loose as possible. It flailed around him to the rhythm of the moving air, stripped of purpose and direction. His Ambient Mana Channeling was disabled long ago. He left no indicator as to his level of control over his Mana. At the same time, he was focusing on the information his dispersing Mana was returning, keeping a close eye on the reaction of his Will-Magicules. This woman was a specialist in information gathering, she had to have means to analyze her target. He wanted to see when that happened, and how it happened. As he walked to the elevator platform, a long while after the woman disappeared in another hallway, he started consulting with his main adviser. Gru? he sent to his companion. Gre, came the silent negation. His companion didn¡¯t see anything unusual in the Soulscape. Of course, Gru was merely ¡®peeping¡¯ through the newly-formed pseudo-Soul-bond with his Will. Without touching, tasting, or otherwise interacting with the woman¡¯s Soul, not much could be said for sure. But, most importantly, she didn¡¯t try to interact with Zeph¡¯s Soul at all. Time to hide then. Gra! he sent back, shifting his Soul. He would stay vigilant, informing Zeph of any attempt at analyzing his Soul. Zeph arrived at the elevator and instantly started preparing his Spells. He decided to keep them in reserve, so all of them were Stabilized by the Mana-L. Also, the woman wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what was enclosed in the Mana-L conglomerating near a few of the sacks on his belt. He had a lot of consumables on himself this time. More than during the first fight. He was loaded with explosive plates masterfully enchanted by P¡¯pfel ¨C his three bandoliers were full of the stuff. This time, he didn¡¯t take any of the nasty chemicals that P¡¯pfel and Pavail produced. With only one working arm, his maneuverability was compromised and he was going to fight with a Spellwielder. It was better to not present an obvious target for the woman. He still had his spear. If he gripped it near the center of mass and used it like a bamboo staff, it would be still functional. Though, it was already unsheathed and loosely affixed to his back. The scabbard was pinned to his belt, and in his hand was the crossbow. The bolt wasn¡¯t anything special ¨C just a drilling one with a simple, air-thinning enchantment. What I wouldn¡¯t do to have my pistol here¡­ he thought, jumping from the elevator to the grassy arena floor. The plains were their playing field. Zeph was quite surprised by Danette¡¯s decision, but he couldn¡¯t complain. The woman seemed to be a straightforward and honest person. So why do I feel so anxious? he asked himself, seeing the woman standing fifty meters away. The announcements were made ¨C a Spellwielders Duel declared and their names given. Then the countdown started, and he prepared. The plan was simple, but he would have to focus for it to work. As the timer hit zero, he pushed his Mana to activate all disruptive enchantments while completing the construction of Force Weave behind his back. Magnetic Field, Mass Fog, Electrify, Mass Heat, Force Expulsion, Gas-thinning, Fluid-thickening ¨C the sequence of enchantments fired within a second, producing a foggy haze around his body. The modified and advanced versions of Spells created by P¡¯pfel worked extremely fast. Just before the Force Weave finished forming, but right after the cloud of the superheated, electrocuted fog, saturated with five different Magicule groups, surrounded him, he felt it. An intrusive wave of Mana hit his loose Veil like a wall of bricks. It almost felt like a shockwave from an air vortex cannon. His Veil almost disintegrated under the pressure while the fog cloud was pushed back. But before the cloud could disperse entirely, the Force Weave finished forming. Its function was somewhat complex ¨C to push him forward while a substructure would keep a part of the disruptive cloud intact behind his back as he ran. That substructure was, of course, Stabilized and could be reconfigured to push him again, although with less force. With an explosion of air, the Spell propelled him forward. In the next moment, he was sprinting right at the woman as fast as he could move. Her shocked face was delightful to behold. That initial probe she sent should only return a mess of information back to her. But he had to give it to the woman ¨C she practically weaponized the Spell. It had enough strength to disrupt Spell construction. Moreover, it was way too close to rupturing his Veil for comfort. Zeph didn¡¯t have any means of detecting the incoming attack or probe. Sending Mana tendril ahead would not only be wasteful but would reveal his health state and abilities. A condensed and undetectable mesh of Mana wouldn¡¯t last long enough while he sprinted, or would be too close to his body for him to react in time. As so, he defaulted to observing her body language. She may be stone-faced like a professional poker player, but after being flustered by the failure of her previous Spell it became clear she wasn¡¯t accustomed to surprises. Her body should give him a hint, and he knew where to look. His wild run only put more pressure. He had his crossbow in hand, yet he didn¡¯t even try to aim and shoot ¨C he was just running at her with all he had. Only fifteen meters were left before he noticed it. Her hands moved slightly as if pushing something. He lunged forward to make a roll; the Force Weave construct moving above and forward, keeping the remnants of the fog. The Spell hit him when he was still in the air. It was even stronger than before, almost breaking the Stabilized Force Weave. But thankfully it wasn¡¯t enough. As he finished the roll, he forced the Stabilized Spell to recombine and explode to push him as he dived forward once again. He stretched out his arm to bring the crossbow as close as possible to the woman¡¯s body. He wasn¡¯t aiming, merely pointing it at her torso. He was close enough to do that. She understood what he was doing too late. A protective Spell or enchantment activated, but his arm was already beyond its default perimeter. As expected, she wasn¡¯t experienced in combat. The bolt flew true. After penetrating the layers of protective fabric. It embedded itself deeply in her chest, right by her right shoulder. That¡¯s when the introductions finished and a true fight started. The grass bent down in an expanding circle around the woman. Zeph¡¯s Veil was pushed back in its entirety before, finally, the wave reached his body. His hand bent under the stress; the crossbow almost breaking in the process. His head bounced back after hitting an invisible wall and his body straightened midair as an invisible force pushed him back. The experience was very familiar. So familiar actually, that he immediately recognized the Spell. Telekinesis, but one of a much higher Tier than his own. Before he was flung away, he let go of his weapon and flung one of the explosive plates into the air. From the very beginning, he kept it at the brink of activation, just in case. His aim wasn¡¯t the best because of the circumstances, but by a stroke of luck, it soared upwards. Reflexively, he tried to orient himself to land on his healthy, right side. He crashed down with mixed success, leaving a deep scar in the soft soil before barreling to a stop. He didn¡¯t fall directly on his back, but his shoulder met the ground first. If not for his Flexibility, it would end up dislodged at the very least. He fought against the dizziness and immediately raised his head, already trying to push his body upward. Locating the woman, he glared at her in frustration. He was a good 20 meters away from her and could see that she was already preparing another Spell. Fortunately, the plate finally fell next to her. Hearing the soft thump, she turned her head in that direction. The confusion visible on her face quickly transformed into fear. But before she could do anything, the plate flashed with an angry-red light and sent its load into the surroundings. The explosion wasn¡¯t spectacular or overly loud ¨C as it tends to happen with enchantment explosives ¨C but the effectiveness of the load was probably better than that of a hand grenade. High-velocity shrapnel was what really mattered, after all. The woman screeched horribly as she fell. Zeph saw as her leg shot back from under her, and he was sure that at least one fragment hit her torso. He was spared from taking any hits. At this distance, he was relatively safe when lying on the ground. Seeing the woman in action, he discarded his initial plan of burring her in the explosives. If she was aware enough, she could easily fling them all back at him. Instead, he raised to his feet and reached for his spear. Time for round two, he thought as the woman started floating midair, her furious glare drilling a hole in his helmet¡­ Chapter 122 – A new sensation and new issues. The culmination nears. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] Seeing her floating form, he quickly changed his mind and took out the scabbard from his belt instead of taking out the spear. If she was this proficient with Telekinetic Spells, charging with a melee weapon would be a stupid mistake. Noticing another sight of an attack as her arm moved, he immediately jumped to the left and started running. Something hit the ground behind him with enough force to create a small explosion of soil, but he ignored it. He was fully focused on aiming while pumping his Mana into the scabbard¡¯s enchantment. As expected, she veered upward and away from him, abandoning the offensive to dodge the invisible bullet he was preparing. Just before the enchantment activated, he allowed the tip to drop slightly ¨C changing aim to just below the woman¡¯s body. He knew how Telekinesis Spells worked ¨C she had to have a construct connected to the ground to elevate her. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of Magicules she was using as the encasement and filling, but the general rule should be the same ¨C Mana-constructed tubes working similarly to a hydraulic device. He just hoped that she was using the easier method and didn¡¯t have them connected to her body from above. If she was that masterful with that Spell group, he would have to drop the act and start fighting for real. Danette either didn¡¯t notice the change of his aim, or couldn¡¯t react in time. The drilling Spatial Beam flew true, achieving its goal in an unexpected way. Zeph was sure that she had a lot stronger shielding construct placed in a direct trajectory between his weapon and her body. He also suspected that her construct could react to the external force ¨C moving her away from the line of fire instantly. What he didn¡¯t expect, was the scale of mayhem a damage made to that system could cause. He missed slightly, causing the Spatial Beam to fly more to her lower right. Something important broke and she wasn¡¯t prepared for it. Danette¡¯s body was flung with an unprecedented speed in the direction of the damaged part. Her Mana construct failed spectacularly; her body was barreling through the air like a ragdoll fired from a cannon. This didn¡¯t mean she was in a worse position now, though. Danette was gaining distance and still wasn¡¯t harmed much. Zeph followed her immediately. This time, he prepared a few smoke bombs ¨C he would be able to see her Telekinetic constructs in the smoke if he managed to spread them around. Both of them brought simple filtering gas masks, so the stench wouldn¡¯t do much. Also, he was quite sure that she could just repel the smoke to some extent. But if he could see what she was doing, the fight would become much easier. It was clear that Danette planned to fight from a distance ¨C as Aisha predicted ¨C so it was a relief that he didn¡¯t bring the monoxide pads and canisters. They would just slow him down. But his expectations were soon crushed down. The woman¡¯s mad flight quickly changed into a hovering roll when her form neared the ground. It seemed that she reconfigured her construct to surround her body to cushion the fall. Seeing that her speed was barely influenced, Zeph grimaced. She was already a good fifty meters away and still moving much faster than he could run. He slowed down and put the smoke bombs back in the sack. Danette would have to decrease the distance to attack or scan him, either way. At this range, shooting any projectiles with the Telekinesis shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not with any accuracy ¨C not for a non-specialist like her. She was all but a Ranger type. Turning around, he started trotting to the starting area to recover his crossbow. It was his only long-range weapon and it seemed that the fight would devolve into what Danette had planned. He could almost feel the judging eyes of the audience on his back, though. What do you take me for? A bloodthirsty hound? I know when to back off, he thought, shrugging internally. After finding his weapon, he loaded it with an explosive bolt. Those should prove problematic for the woman because of the high-velocity shrapnel. Her Telekinesis could be advanced, but no Mana construct he knew of could fully stop something like that. Turning back to the woman, he found himself at a loss. She was a healthy distance away and was slowly walking back, although with some problems. He had a lot of time on his hands. Mana Rupture would do wonders¡­ If she doesn¡¯t have any more surprises, he mused, frowning. Hmmm, I should finish it as fast as possible, though. She is already wounded¡­ Sighing, he reached for the sack with the explosive beads. I will deplete my Will further, but nobody should know that I can manipulate my Mana outside of my Veil. Aisha never mentioned something like that, so¡­ I just need to make it look like a conditional activation. The technique was very draining. He managed to do it involuntarily during the ambush at the Vermilla Islands and has been training with it since, but it never became easier. He started to speed up the Mana flow inside of the ones he held in his hand, before throwing them all around like seeds on a farm field. They weren¡¯t exactly at the cusp of exploding but were saturated with his Mana fully. The idea was for their opponents and the audience to misunderstand the functionality of the beads. They, as a Guild, had already shown enough inventive enchantments to plant the seeds of doubt, he just had to leverage that fact. From the point of view of their enemies, it should look like there was a complex mechanism causing them to explode in certain conditions. He knew that such enchantments didn¡¯t really exist in Lurona; maybe even on the whole stratum zero. Delays, manual activation, or impact activation ¨C those were the height of the current technology if the charge was to stay small. Meanwhile, even his first, primitive enchantment alone was already sensitive to certain Mana conditions. Heck, some people were sure to interpret what they saw using those¡ªseemingly universal¡ªlimitations, arguing that things like a mass activation of explosives could be achieved with a specific Mana pulse. That would just cover the truth further. Danette was approximately 100 meters away already, so he stopped spreading the beads and walked to the center of the improvised minefield. Going down on one knee, he took a shooting position, aiming carefully. He could use only one arm, so he placed his elbow on his right knee to better stabilize the weapon. It was a little awkward, but he could press the crossbow¡¯s butt against his shoulder comfortably that way. Then, he waited patiently for the woman to reach the effective range of his weapon ¨C around the 70-meter mark. He could aim from further away, but the explosive bolts were quite heavy, almost reaching the limit of what could be fired from the Earth¡¯s military-grade design. I need to upgrade it using better materials¡­ he thought while activating the sequence of disrupting enchantments once again. Force Weave came live, too, but this time, he immediately spread it around the haze to keep it contained. The lack of cover was concerning, but that was exactly why he wanted to stay on the offensive. Finally, he armed the bolt¡¯s enchantment and pulled the trigger. The explosion was set on a delay, so he stayed a moment longer in the position to see the effects. The projectile flew true but, as expected, the woman deflected it easily. The explosion took place a few meters behind her, though. He cursed internally. Setting up the activation correctly at such distances was always tricky. And he wasn¡¯t accustomed to the P¡¯pfel¡¯s improved enchantment yet. Zeph quickly started loading the crossbow, noticing in his peripheral vision that Danette started hovering once again to move faster. He imagined that even walking was painful for her at this moment, so there was no way she would start sprinting without a good reason. He managed to fire two more bolts before she closed the distance to 30 meters. With his current strength, reloading was a matter of a second or two. He didn¡¯t have enough time to aim precisely, though. The first bolt missed completely, but despite that, the woman pushed it further away. The timing of the explosion was right, but the distance too much to cause damage. The second bolt exploded too early, but with her current speed it was a blessing in disguise ¨C something did manage to hit her, although he couldn¡¯t be sure of the bolt¡¯s effectiveness. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. That was when she reached the minefield. He expected her to stop there, but she didn¡¯t slow her advance at all. She was already flying at a high speed and it only continued to increase. Charging forward like an angry bull, she produced a series of force waves that threw his beads and chunks of soil away. He already discarded the crossbow and was in the process of extracting his spear when a series of three, heavy scans hit him ¨C all in the rhythm of the expulsion of Force Magicules she produced. His Force Weave dented, then ruptured, then folded back. His disrupting cloud was pushed away along with his Veil. In panic, he activated all beads closest to the woman while jumping forward and at an angle. At the same time, he disrupted the remnants of the Force Weave behind his back to produce a small air explosion ¨C anything that could help him move faster. What happened next was an absolute and unexpected chaos. A mass destabilization of Force Magicules took place. Whatever constructs Danette was using, they were all riddled with holes from the shrapnel flying all around, releasing the enclosed Force Magicules. Even Zeph was hit with a few projectiles, right before her attack brushed against his back as she was passing him. He was sent back to the ground, tumbling uncontrollably before a chain reaction started. The Magicules released from his Force Weave were attuned to a slightly different scale of forces than Danette¡¯s, and both of them were using at least two variants. One of Zeph¡¯s variants ¨C the one he used to keep the haze cloud in one place ¨C started catching and transferring the velocity of the smallest particles of dust and shrapnel flying around as an aftermath of the initial clash. A similar thing took place on Danette¡¯s side, as her shielding harbored Magicules meant to stop the shrapnel produced by his explosives and deflect the crossbow¡¯s bolts. A cascade reaction started occurring in the mix ¨C the miniscule forces were being spread over a vast area, causing the scale of force reaction to change, even as a part of the responsible Magicules destabilized, releasing their energy in the process. Those forces were caught by other variants and spread once again with a release of their own energy. The abnormal amount of dust, soil, metal splinters, and even bigger objects in the air was a perfect medium for the force transfers to cycle back and feed the smaller-scale transfers, and a beautiful method to destabilize free-flying Force Magicules of incompatible properties. As Zeph¡¯s body was launched into the air suddenly, the inactive beads around started exploding one after another, powering the mayhem even more. The forces intensified. He could see nothing but the sky and ground randomly flickering before his eyes. His spear, bandoliers, sacks ¨C everything was stripped off as he fought to keep his appendages close to his body, with mixed success. In a final act, just after he started feeling like he was free-falling, an unmistakable roar of an enormous implosion took place, sucking him back and almost making him blank out, before a consecutive explosion allowed his body to leave the area of the catastrophic event. ================ Alex PoV ================ He frowned at what he was seeing. The tornado that formed shortly after Danette Gildafi¡¯s charge shouldn¡¯t have happened. None of them should have abilities capable of producing such effects. If it even could be called a ¡®tornado¡¯. It reminded him more of the Scrubbing Spell, just scaled up to impossible proportions. For a moment there, everything just started following the familiar rolling movement pattern, although a vertical one. That didn¡¯t change the effectiveness much ¨C the ground lost at least two meters of soil in the event and every¡­ object in the twister was polished to shine. If it wasn¡¯t disintegrated in the process, that is. Like Gildafi¡¯s robes. Her bleeding form was left with reinforced strips that were barely covering her dignity. ¡°Do you think it was an intentional effect?¡± Alana asked from the side. He didn¡¯t spare her a glance, knowing well that she was just worried. ¡°There is no way. Gildafi isn¡¯t a fighter, and Zeph isn¡¯t able to use Spells above Tier 1. It was an accident.¡± ¡°Someone will definitely ask about that, though.¡± Her dissatisfaction was clear in her voice. Indeed, a Spell of that caliber would be worth more than a Manasolid farm. Learning about how the effect took place would be a priority for the Landlords and Towers from now on. ¡°It¡¯s not our problem,¡± he said indifferently, glancing at Zeph¡¯s sprawled body. His old teammate was already trying to stand up. His armor was leaking some green fluid from many places, but he was conscious and able to move. Mostly unharmed, it seemed. Something that couldn¡¯t be said about Danette Gildafi. The countdown has already begun. She still didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°I hope he will decline tomorrow¡¯s fight¡­¡± Alana said. He could hear the wood squeaking as she heavily landed back on her chair. ¡°He won¡¯t. You know him. He wasn¡¯t handicapped in this fight, so he will at least try.¡± He turned around and started walking away from the window. As he reached the door, a light show started playing out behind him, along with the proclamation of Zeph¡¯s victory. ¡°We will proceed with plan alpha. It¡¯s always better to leave some evidence for the government¡¯s troops.¡± Alana¡¯s grumbling was all the confirmation he needed before he left. =============================== ~~~ Zeph was lying on the surgery table, waiting for Pavail to finish his final health check. It took almost an hour to collect Zeph¡¯s equipment from the arena. Some of his beads and plates were thrown all the way to the surrounding terrains, and the arbiters were adamant about gathering every last of them before proceeding. Not only to prevent cheating, but also to keep their enchantment technology away from the competition. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to do it himself. The members of his Guild took that upon themselves ¨C he just had to state the numbers. His beads still contained his Mana, so he just had to focus and count them while giving directions. As for the plates ¨C P¡¯pfel knew exactly how many he gave him. His smoke bombs were shredded, as was all leather equipment, so not much else was left to search for. The results of the fight were quite serious. Ghrughah would have to fix most of his equipment, his armor included. Worse ¨C because of the time constrictions, the giant could only return them to a working condition. Full maintenance could be done only after the Tournament. His body wasn¡¯t in the best state, too, but he couldn¡¯t complain. They managed to avoid the stadium¡¯s medical team, so the gig with his malfunctioning Will was still in the play. Gru was able to locate and consume or displace most of the metallic fragments that penetrated his body, so Pavail didn¡¯t have to do much. His armor helped splendidly, even if it suffered serious damage in the process. It blocked most of the shrapnel and¡ªthanks to the presence of Phleya¡ªprevented the Force Magicules from penetrating his body. Danette suffered much more serious wounds, from what he heard. The Magicules got through her skin and caused mass bruising and internal bleeding all over her body. Her skull was cracked in a few places ¨C the bone severely weakened ¨C putting her into a coma. He decided to visit her after the Tournament because, in his opinion, she was the first of the representatives who tried to fight fair and square. And she wasn¡¯t even a warrior. He found himself liking her straightforward, stubborn, and genuine attitude. Especially because she had to have to deal with a lot of political pressure. ¡°All good,¡± Pavail stated, making him focus on his surroundings again. ¡°You should eat more for the next few days, but I don¡¯t see any more problems.¡± She turned away to wash her hands. Some blood still found its way to mark her fingers when she was examining his wounds. ¡°The rate at which you are adapting to¡­ the conditions inside my body is a little scary,¡± he said, sitting up. He quickly reached for his toga lying on the nearby stool. He wasn¡¯t naked but didn¡¯t feel comfortable staying in his underwear any longer. ¡°It comes with experience,¡± she shrugged. ¡°And I have a lot of opportunities to gain more lately,¡± she said, smirking. Aisha and Makani walked to them as he was putting on the clothes. Their faces were serious, which wasn¡¯t a good sign. ¡°If you are finished, we want to know what happened at the end there,¡± Aisha started, handing him a plate with some greasy meat. ¡°I hope you are aware that you will be harassed from now on?¡± He frowned, taking the plate. ¡°What harassment? I don¡¯t remember most of what happened, I just saw the crater. Is that some kind of forbidden move or something?¡± ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t intentional on your part?¡± Makani asked, moving closer. ¡°Leave me some personal space, you geek,¡± he said, stepping back defensively and grabbing a leg of an unknown bird to chew on. ¡°I think I know what happened, and it definitely wasn¡¯t intentional if I¡¯m right. But you didn¡¯t answer my question!¡± he accused them before taking a bite. Aisha put a hand on Makani¡¯s shoulder and pulled him back. But the Manacaster continued to look at him like an especially tasty-looking piece of meat. ¡°Going by Tower¡¯s standards, that was a Tier 1 Spell showing the power of a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Spell¡­ depending on the details you are yet to provide!¡± he exclaimed with enthusiasm. His eyes were shining with a dangerous, fanatical glint¡­ at least from Zeph¡¯s perspective. He took another step back. ¡°Which means,¡± Aisha interjected, ¡°that both you and Danette Gildafi will be fervently interviewed by the representatives from the Towers AND the Landlords. You have created a cheap version of advanced effect back there,¡± she said, sounding somewhat angrily. ¡°How¡¯, wa¡¯t,¡± he tried to say while making a placating gesture. He fought hard to swallow the meat without choking. ¡°Calm down, both of you!¡± he finally managed to voice. ¡°Okay, listen. If it was as easy as I think it was, you should have a ton of similar occurrences. Every Spellwielder has access to the Scrubbing Spell, after all. Why don¡¯t we¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ move to a more secure area before talking about it?¡± Aisha and Makani exchanged glances, then nodded at once. It seemed that they didn¡¯t care much about the rest of the Duels. Under Kwan¡¯s approval, P¡¯pfel led them to his room. It was the same style ¨C full of Ancient Egypt. The Gremling already set up a second layer of defenses there. Ghrughah should have even better ones, but was busy at the moment. In between bites taken from the freshly prepared dishes, Zeph narrated what he suspected had happened. He experimented enough with the Force-Magicules to know what the remnants of his Veil registered at the time. He told them about the chain reaction that most probably happened. About differently-attuned Force-Magicules and how he learned about them. Although, Aisha already knew about the latter. He also noted that most of his beads exploded in the ensuing chaos ¨C clearly adding fuel to the reaction, as Force-Mana was present in them from the very beginning. Not to mention, Metal-Mana and Space-Mana were also involved ¨C both of which had a very good synergy with the Force variant. Aisha¡¯s worried face started transforming into a disappointed one as he continued his explanations. Similarly, Makani¡¯s enthusiasm was replaced with a deepening frown. ¡°So, that¡¯s why I was surprised you never encountered such a phenomenon. If you mix those Magicules in a space filled with explosives¡­ rather ¨C with more fuel. Then it should be easy to recreate. Knowing Corora, that happens dozens of times each day,¡± he finished, shrugging innocently. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t add up,¡± Makani immediately said. He started to scratch his goatee a while ago, looking at the ground. ¡°You were right to assume that we have conducted experiments in similar conditions. Of course, we already know about the Force-Magicule variants, too. But we never observed a similar effect¡­ Your explanation has to be wrong somewhere¡­¡± Aisha facepalmed. ¡°Makani¡­ you poor lad¡­¡± He turned to glare at her. ¡°What?¡± he asked, offended much. ¡°His Spells, his full-body enhancement, the basic Magicule that allows it to work¡­ what do they have in common?¡± she asked, shaking her head slightly while dramatically covering her eyes with the fingers of one hand. Makani¡¯s opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, his jaw continued to move downward slowly as he started connecting the dots. ¡°Zeph,¡± she said, dropping her hand to look at his oblivious face, ¡°how much Will did you use just before the chain reaction took effect?¡± It was Zeph¡¯s turn to be astounded. His hand stopped midway to his mouth as his eyes widened. Oh¡­ Oh shit¡­ Chapter 123 – Luxurious life and its headaches. The ballroom is ready to receive guests. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] No, that¡¯s also impossible, he thought, sighing. He lowered his torso, allowing the hot water to cover his head entirely. He was in the public baths ¨C the hot spring kind. The vast pool was almost empty for some reason. He suspected that the preparations for the banquet were partly responsible. It was, of course, an indoor bath. Nonetheless, the size didn¡¯t disappoint. The hard, porous granite blocks made for a perfect floor, while the smooth surfaces of sculpted marble decorated the walls of the whole room, changing the chamber into a work of art. It was a perfect environment to calm his nerves. The lack of people enhanced that effect, allowing him to think about the situation in relative peace. And there was a lot to think about. Greeu! His companion suggested as he resurfaced again. No, I don¡¯t see it, he shook his head, sending away a small ring of fat droplets of water. My Will isn¡¯t just a source of energy. It has a direction when interacting energetically with anything, as it should. Not to mention, the effect couldn¡¯t possibly be caused by that alone. If it was just energy for the taking, it would mean that the same thing could be replicated by increasing the energy in the system. And other people already tested that out. He was at his wit¡¯s end. Aisha¡¯s suggestion was the most logical answer as to why the accident had happened during his last Duel. But he wasn¡¯t able to work out how exactly it ended up in a ¡®force storm¡¯ ¨C as named by Makani. His Will, strange as it was, shouldn¡¯t have affected the outcome that drastically. From what he knew, if it was employed, it influenced the reality and Mana exactly how he wished it to ¨C he never noticed any random effects. And during his fight, he never asked for a storm and chaos of forces to be implemented. He just sped up the Mana circulation in the beads and was directing the Spell construction. Well¡­ it was less like directing the construction, and more like forcing the Force Weave to explode, but he spent barely any Will on that one. If it wasn¡¯t his Will, then some kind of an unexpected physical phenomenon took place back there. Something that escalated the effect further. On the other hand, if it was, then he either activated his Will unconsciously without noticing, or the smidgen of the purpose of his Will ¨C a part somehow aligned with the cascading reaction ¨C caused the escalation. But the second idea was preposterous ¨C if he was able to influence the Magicules this much, he should be able to see similar effects when using other Spells. Yet, the most logical answer was that his Will somehow gave directions to the Force-Magicules. Or, at least, that was the easiest explanation of what had transpired. Gah, this doesn¡¯t make any sense! he screamed in his mind, grabbing his head in irritation. I don¡¯t even know if it wasn¡¯t partially Danette¡¯s fault¡­ His thought process made a full loop once again, so he stopped himself right there. Leaning back with resignation, he tried to change his line of thought, asking himself a more pressing question. How am I even start explaining this shit to others?! That was the real issue. A lot of people would expect an explanation, but how could he prepare any answers if he didn¡¯t know what truly had occurred? There was a possibility that someone would connect the dots if he said too much. Him being a Terrien had to stay a secret for the time being. As so, he had to be able to sell some convincing white lies at least. It¡¯s not like he was compelled to speak about the topic, but he knew how many problems his Guild would face if he avoided it altogether. Landrods and the government were one thing, but if Towers decided to alienate them, the existence of their Guild would be put in jeopardy. Towers worked internationally and had representatives on every stratum ¨C there was nothing a single Guild could do to oppose them if they decided to pursue the matter. Okay, okay¡­ deep breaths¡­ he thought, forcing his muscles to relax. If I can¡¯t be convincing and the truth isn¡¯t available, we can just play idiots¡­ Greeee! his companion complained, noticing the distasteful idea. Look, we don¡¯t know what exactly happened, right? Gra¡­ So, it won¡¯t be a lie if we say as much, right? Gra? Pouring some bullshit theories on top to sound like an arrogant fop trying to use the situation to their advantage wouldn¡¯t be that far from the truth, too ¨C we are trying to use the situation to our advantage. Gra¡­ Then, to be more convincing, why not act and lie like the said prick would? For the purpose of Soul-reading, we should be safe. Moreover, if I start with that act, they would (most probably) ignore what I say later and (hopefully) ignore our existence. They are looking for answers, and I am not the Force Specialist here ¨C that woman is. No one wants to deal with an unreasonable fool. Grah. I am not in denial! That¡¯s sound logic, right here! Gre, Garum? Ugh¡­ No, I didn¡¯t take that into account¡­ Becoming an unwilling test subject for the purpose of replicating the accident never crossed his mind. Gra? he suggested. No, it¡¯s not okay. I can say that we know nothing and then stay silent, but that will just reassure them that we are hiding something. Even if they use truth reading, it won¡¯t assure them. Gru shrugged mentally. Gare? ¡­It¡¯s politics, don¡¯t expect it to be logical. They will try to push until we don¡¯t open or break, I am sure of it. Gah! he sent back with irritation. Indeed, it seemed that nothing could be done to decrease the pressure. To spare himself random visits, he decided that attending the banquet was a good idea despite what was waiting for him there. That¡¯s why he was trying to relax in the baths and prepare mentally. But his mind was constantly returning to the issue, leaving him in a bad mood and with a slight headache instead. The people at the banquet should stay civil and only touch the topic ¨C without pressuring them much about details. But if he wanted to set up the stage for the future, he knew he should decide on the course of action and proceed accordingly as soon as possible. Faking the role of an arrogant prick would be much less convincing if he didn¡¯t start right at his first social gathering. This leads nowhere. He sighed, standing up. My body feels a little better. Let¡¯s not waste time. After drying himself and dressing in a provided toga, he left for his room. Someone from Kwan¡¯s group already brought him a nice set of clothes for the evening¡¯s event ¨C a luxurious, deep-brown set of formal clothes in Roman style, complete with a pair of gladiator sandals that covered the front of his shin. Everything was decorated with black and gold accents, somewhat imitating the color palette of his armor. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. He fought with the attire for a while. Even with instructions, putting up the three layers of fabric appropriately wasn¡¯t an easy task. His beard and hair were pruned before his bath by the familiar barber from Kwan¡¯s gang. A bit of brushing and he was as ready as he could be for the party. As was decided previously, he headed to Kwan¡¯s quarters for the pre-banquet meeting. They still had some time to plan around the expected battle of wits. He arrived early. Only Aisha and Kwan were present, both looking dazzling in their light makeup and perfectly stylized, elaborate hairstyles. Their clothes were also kept in the Roman style, but the tailor had made a few more frivolous choices. Kwan sported black and blood-red robes that contrasted nicely with her milky-white complexion and brilliantly red lips. The attire seemed comfortable and left much room for movement, but the fabric was tied tightly around her waist, emphasizing her slim figure. Aisha was wearing much more form-fitting robes, all in neutral white and beige. They did a splendid job of showcasing her fit form without hinting at the musculature hidden beneath. Simple, but elegant accessories in respective color themes were accentuating their beauty even more. ¡°You two look gorgeous,¡± he complimented honestly, walking to the table. ¡°Thank you,¡± Kwan said with a small, satisfied smile. ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself,¡± Aisha added, measuring him with her eyes. ¡°But are you prepared mentally?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± he said with a sigh, sitting down. He explained his idea of playing the role of an unaware fool, leaving out the details of the issue but still informing them that he had no idea what exactly happened during his Duel. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem bad,¡± Aisha nodded almost instantly after he finished. ¡°Very in line with your¡­ Fullangrarian origin.¡± She smirked. ¡°But it sure seems that Danette Gildafi also used something special during the fight,¡± Kwan said. ¡°If you guys can¡¯t say why it happened, it means we are missing a part of the puzzle.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Zeph agreed. ¡°That won¡¯t keep us safe from the coming questioning, but should shove most of the burden onto her shoulders,¡± Kwan continued with a calculating look. ¡°It seems to me that a private meeting with her is inevitable at this point.¡± ¡°We can worry about that after the Tournament. She is still unconscious.¡± Aisha shrugged and reached for her tea cup. A soft chime resounded, announcing the arrival of another guest. After a quick look at a black panel affixed to the wall near her seat, Kwan turned up one of the knobs lined below and they could hear the door opening. Moments later, Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel entered the room. P¡¯pfel wore white clothes with many silver accents, making him look more scholarly than ever, while Ghrughah¡¯s ¨C deep gray and ashen-black in color, with metallic adornments ¨C were cut much more aggressively, exposing in places his impressive, if alien, musculature. This made him look more like a rock star; he only lacked face piercings and black glasses to complete the image. The giant also brought with him a heavy-looking, oversized trolley. Although it looked more like a portable safe case, it made for a perfect imitation of a musical instrument, too. ¡°The repairs are done,¡± he announced grumpily, then pushed the trolley to the corner of the room so it wouldn¡¯t stay in the way. ¡°I will make sure my people transport them to your rooms later,¡± Kwan said, bowing her head slightly in gratitude. ¡°Yes, thank you. And sorry for the mess,¡± Zeph followed, bashfully scratching his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We were prepared,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor assured them, waving his hand dismissingly. ¡°More importantly, did we miss something?¡± They talked shortly about Zeph¡¯s plan, then changed the topic to the current happenings. Makani joined them a few minutes later. He didn¡¯t change his original green-and-gold robes, but the floaty attire was twisted into something more appropriate for the Rome theme. How it could have been transformed to such an extent, Zeph could never know, but going by the sticking-out folds that waved by themselves as if trying to break free, the item has been cursed by the tailor who created it. Now in full attendance, the discussion started for real. In today¡¯s fights between the champions, their Guild lost one Duel. Worse yet, it wasn¡¯t even the question of luck ¨C the opponent was much more skilled in melee, leaving no room for retaliation. The pairing seemed legit on paper, but it was evident that the man was much more experienced. He was a true veteran, despite his relatively low level. If not for the Lesser Landlord Esmonde¡¯s challenge, Kwan would have already lost her chance to attain the full Landlordship title. It went to show just how much the odds were stacked against them in the current arrangement. It also proved that the Landlords were more resourceful than they expected. It was a trap impossible to avoid; set up long before the Tournament had started. Finding a highly skilled warrior with such a low level was almost a miracle. Thankfully, he could only fight once, and the chances that they had found another one were almost non-existent. The information warfare continued to play in the background. Sadly, no major leaks happened ¨C the tidbits they managed to extract would be useful, but not groundbreaking. For example: the true nature of the metallic dust that their opponents started using ¨C Ghrughah¡¯s guess was right, so it was mostly accounted for already. Information gathered on the leaders was much more interesting, but most of them wouldn¡¯t take part in the fights. It would be helpful later on, but not so much for the coming Duels. On the other hand, the industrial group¡¯s technology was one of the best-protected assets, so their invigilation team found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Zeph¡¯s group would have to wait for tomorrow to see what they had prepared for the Duels. The rest of the meeting was devoted to planning around the banquet. Who would try to speak with whom, and what information was the most sought-after; what ¡®scanning¡¯ methods were allowed, and who was susceptible to what kind of probing; what to expect, and who to avoid¡­ the list was long and boring. Zeph tried, truly tried, to stay focused, but the bland topic was making his mind cloudy time and time again. Especially the parts about etiquette ¨C he didn¡¯t even have to know them because he was a supposed foreigner in these lands. It was just a reminder for him, either way. He didn¡¯t even have new notifications to find an excuse to avoid the discussion. In the previous fight, only his ¡®Enhanced¡¯ martial technique leveled up two times, leaving him with nothing better to do than to listen. He was mightily disappointed that the System didn¡¯t deem it right to give him a clue or two about what had transpired at the end of his fight ¨C another argument indicating that he was merely a part of the cause. Or that he was too stupid to understand what he did. He wouldn¡¯t know. The talks continued for almost an hour as he tried to keep his mind from drifting away. ~~ They were marching in pairs down a long, opulently decorated hallway. The theme here was different ¨C a mix between late Rome and 18th-century Europe, if Zeph was to classify it. The walls were decorated with more paintings. Fake windows hiding niches behind dotted the hallway, fully decorated with artistically carved furniture underneath and heavy curtains falling from above and to the sides. Inside the niches, floral exhibitions and big terraria were fashioned in a way to imitate landscape views. But stone sculptures, pilasters, and other Roman-like adornments did not disappear. On the contrary, they have become even more elaborate. The marble floor was partially covered by a fluffy carpet that shimmered slightly as they walked. The colors were kept warm, with a predominance of light yellows, which ¨C thanks to the dimmed illumination ¨C gave the place a museum-like but still regal quality. Finally, from behind elaborately carved double doors that spammed almost a whole wall, the ballroom emerged. The large hall had a two-story-tall, ornamental ceiling, and was kept in the same theme as the hallway. The center was left empty for the dancers, while long tables full of deliciously-looking dishes and a multitude of drinks stood between the columns dotting the space. Seating areas were organized near the walls around the exhibitions, and deep alcoves could be spotted between them ¨C for more private meetings maybe, or for people to take a breather. A small orchestra was playing from a partially hidden scene placed near the dancing floor, the soft music dispersing over the whole room without issue. Not many people noticed their entrance ¨C mainly because the great doors were left open for the time being. But those who did and seemed interested in exchanging pleasantries didn¡¯t make any move. Their group was free to mingle with whomever they wanted. The banquet was a long affair and, inevitably, they would speak with every eager individual. Looking around, Zeph didn¡¯t have a problem discerning between the people belonging to different groups. Just as he, his group, and other people from their Guild already in attendance were all wearing Roman-themed clothes, their contenders had been clothed in their own style. It was, indeed, a match to the mixed decoration of this place ¨C a resplendent baroque-like motif. Moreover, there were small differences between the industrial, merchant, and Landlord groupings. Nothing standing out immediately, but definitely telling ¨C like certain cuts of their clothes, embroidery patterns, or accessory types. Only then did he notice that the same could be told about people from their Guild ¨C the style of his and other Department Head¡¯s garments translated directly into what lower members were wearing. Of course, because of that, the room was full of Hannyajin wearing black and red. Despite the number of guests, the place wasn¡¯t crowded ¨C what with all those Veils hovering around ¨C so he had quite a pretty good view of those present. ¡­Maybe I should¡¯ve agreed to that designing session with the tailors¡­ My apparel kind of sucks, now that I think about it. Shaking his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts, he walked deeper into the hall. Taking in all the sights, he leisurely wandered around, searching while perusing the drinks and food. He greeted back a few people but didn¡¯t engage in a conversation, and they politely allowed him to continue his meandering. Soon enough, he found his first target. Lesser Landlord Cyrus Jobenke Lurona-Kazotalo Keiko. The white-armored guy, crushed during the first day by Aisha. It seemed that his limbs were better already. Before moving closer, Zeph started slowly, and very precisely, forming thin and dense Mana strings that should be undetectable for most people. He was still playing a man handicapped in regards to Mana manipulation, so he started deep inside his Veil before carefully moving them closer to his Veil¡¯s surface. After finishing preparing, he stopped pretending to relish in the taste of the wine in his glass and opened his eyes. Ready? he sent to his companion. Grau! Then, let¡¯s see what we can find out, he sent seriously while slowly wandering in the man¡¯s direction¡­ Chapter 124 – Reputation? What is that? Is it tasty? Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] He approached Cyrus casually, with a drink in hand; shoulders straight, and a mask of indifferent arrogance on his face. Seeing the man¡¯s entourage, he stopped a few paces away and waited patiently, perusing some snacks from the nearby table. After a minute, Cyrus noticed his intentions and gracefully extracted himself from the ongoing discussion. They both moved further away, in the direction of the tables near the exhibitions ¨C their trajectory naturally converging along the way. As Zeph¡¯s Veil brushed against Cyrus¡¯s, he allowed his net of dense Mana strings to be broken apart. The fragments penetrated deeper into the man¡¯s Veil like free-floating spider threads as he released any and all control over them. That way, even if the stings were detected, the technique could be misunderstood as an externally-manifesting Skill. As rare as these were, it was better than giving away his mastery over Mana Manipulation. He could scan the man¡¯s Veil that way. At least partially. The threads shouldn¡¯t interfere much with constructs inside, just wrapping around them like real spider threads would around a person. In any way, the goal was to make sure the man wasn¡¯t using anything and, possibly, to touch his body and strengthen the Soul connection that would form during the talk ¨C all so Gru would have an easier time assessing Cyrus¡¯s Soul. Zeph had a healthy amount of the threads in his Veil and he was sending them slowly towards the border of his Veil. Cyrus didn¡¯t react to the ones penetrating his personal space initially, so he focused on producing more as they walked. After a minute, they were both sitting in the comfortable armchairs, looking at each other with curiosity. A maid brought some snacks and drinks. After she left, Zeph felt a familiar sensation of an expanding Air Sphere brushing against his Veil. The noise of the background quietened, then disappeared completely. Of course, it wasn¡¯t enough to entirely block others from listening in ¨C it was activated just for the comfort of the two of them. Even the vibrations going through the floor could be enough to eavesdrop. Whatever Zeph said, it would be heard in one way or another. It was a public event, after all. ¡°La-Einar,¡± he said, bowing his head. ¡°I was expecting you to recover far faster,¡± Cyrus stated, looking at him curiously. ¡°La-Jobenke,¡± he answered in kind. ¡°Not everyone is left with only broken bones,¡± he answered, placing his head on a fist of his one good arm. ¡°I was wondering. What materials were used to make your armor?¡± he asked nonchalantly, trying to steer the conversation. His Mana was returning nothing besides a garbage of information. There were no structures in the man¡¯s Veil, even closest to his body. His threads were yet to find skin, as a formidable stream of Mana produced by the man was pushing them away. On the plus side ¨C the Ambient Mana resulting from the contact with matter and foreign Mana was also quickly dispersed thanks to that, minimizing the chance of it being detected. ¡°The best ones,¡± Cyrus said noncommittally. ¡°Just a new product brought from abroad. But, La-Einar, is it proper to ask about such trivial matters?¡± he asked suggestively. Zeph knew that the man would try to gather information to enhance his political position. And right now, the most pressing matter revolted around the strange effect born during his last fight. Instead of answering the unspoken question, he decided to stir the pot a little. It would also serve the role of a warning, as he wasn¡¯t going to delve deeper into that topic without a reason. ¡°Quite a declaration from a man who didn¡¯t last more than two exchanges. Is it really proper to call it ¡®the best¡¯ if it didn¡¯t work in the first place?¡± he countered. He could see anger in Cyrus¡¯s eyes, even if his facial expression stayed neutral. As expected, the higher echelons of Lurona had their pride. A pride that he was actively questioning along with their competency, and on many levels at that. ¡°You are audacious,¡± he snarled. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a valid line of questioning, I don¡¯t see how you would fare better in those circumstances.¡± Zeph made a thoughtful expression. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± he concurred, causing the man to relax somewhat¡­ Only to reignite his anger anew with his next sentence. ¡°Definitely not with something looking this heavy. I have a healthy count of wins, though. Ah!¡± he exclaimed unconvincingly ¨C boredom lacing his tone, ¡°but you wouldn¡¯t know about our spars either way,¡± he said as a matter of fact. That jab worked better than expected. Even Zeph ¨C with his middling expertise in the Soul matters ¨C could feel a firm Soul connection forming between them. For sure, it would be seen as an antagonistic kind from the point of view of Cyrus, but Zeph knew better. Anger, rivalry, humiliation¡­ those weren¡¯t enough to cause a ¡®negative Soul wound¡¯ or a Will loop that could cause a negative response after the man¡¯s death. The connection was still neutral in nature, and so weak that he wouldn¡¯t even notice it if both of them weren¡¯t on opposite sides of the current conflict ¨C the added context along all officially-stated challenges significantly influenced its manifestation. Still, it was incomparable to even the weakest, but fully-formed Soul bonds. The emotions, insignificant as they were in the grand scheme of things, were speeding up the connection¡¯s growth. Zeph¡¯s Mana strings finally started touching Cyrus¡¯s body, accelerating the process even more. The Soul was connected directly to the body. But a person¡¯s Mana was also entangled with Soul directly in a way, extending its influence as long, as the connection existed. Either way, Mana-conducted contact was almost as good as physical one when interacting with a foreign Soul ¨C assuming Mana from either entity was touching the body of the other. The thin strings of Zeph¡¯s Mana found the man¡¯s skin in the tumultuous streams of generated surplus of Mana, wrapping around and disintegrating almost instantly as they met solid matter. But Cyrus stayed oblivious to that fact. The Soul connection that was forming was based on misdirection and lies, but the nature of their interaction was insubstantial. One could say the same about the connection itself ¨C from the point of view of their Souls and Wills, almost nothing was happening right now. The fact that their memories of this meeting would not only change that but were important by themselves, was a problem for future Zeph. What mattered right now, was for Gru to find a path to probe the man¡¯s Soul. The fact that Cyrus wasn¡¯t proficient in Soul arts made the whole affair that much easier. ¡°Does that mean you are used to this level of body harm?¡± the man asked tartly. ¡°Or did I misunderstand the nature of those¡­ spars you were talking about?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to call myself a warrior if I wasn¡¯t, Jobenke Kazotalo,¡± he returned the jab, adding oil to the fire by implying the man was spoon-fed. ¡°As for the other question¡­¡± He smiled sardonically. ¡°Even if I did, the results on my health would be the same. But, I suppose, you couldn¡¯t know, as it warrants expertise.¡± Zeph cringed internally at the somewhat childish riposte he just made. Even if he was ready for embarrassment-driven mental tortures his current actions would inevitably bring, it didn¡¯t mean he enjoyed sinking to the level of a halfwit. What people won¡¯t do to achieve their goals¡­ he lamented in the silence that ensued. Faced with this level of ridicule, Cyrus stood up, fighting with himself to keep his facial expression neutral. ¡°Apologizes,¡± he said through clenched teeth, ¡°but I have never planned to participate in a badly presented charade of face slapping. I suggest that you look for someone closer to you intellectually,¡± he stated derisively, turning around. ¡°A shame¡­ And here I was ready to disclose a few details about the Force Storm¡­¡± The man paused. Zeph could almost hear his teeth grinding. Cyrus slowly turned his torso and head to look at him; sending him a piercing, calculating glare, seemingly trying to discern if he was serious. Zeph knew that if he escalated the situation any further, he would have to deal with a personal Duel challenge. Raising his hands up to show that he wasn¡¯t going to joke around, he gave the man a poor excuse for his previous behavior to invite him back to the table. ¡°Maybe I came out a bit too aggressive¡­ I just wanted to make sure you wouldn¡¯t mix facts. I am not going to speak about that for free,¡± he said, sending his best impression of a greedy noble. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Geh¡­ Gru sent to him, confirming that Cyrus¡¯s indignation was partially faked. It wasn¡¯t a surprise ¨C Zeph was the one who came to him, so Cyrus expected something more substantial to come out in the discussion. Him playing along to make Zeph overextend was expected. Gru sent a bit more information, though. He also ¡®saw¡¯ a big gap in the man¡¯s Soul. It wasn¡¯t a permanent wound ¨C for Gru, it seemed as if something imprinted its shape there. The object was absent, but the scale was clear ¨C if Cyrus kept it on himself for a prolonged period of time, he would experience severe Soul fragmentation. It was worrying, to say the least. Cyrus already sat back and was perusing his drink. Zeph leaned back in his seat, waiting for him to ¡®calm down¡¯ while showing hints of impatience ¨C a minuscule grimace and silent taping of his foot, among others. ¡°La-Einar,¡± Cyrus finally started with a sigh. ¡°Are you trying to say that you caused that reaction?¡± The man asked cautiously, looking up. ¡°The word ¡®cause¡¯ would be correct here,¡± Zeph said arrogantly, nodding deeply. ¡°The circumstances were quite unique, but were it not for the extraordinary mix of Magicules in my explosives, they would never cause similar effects.¡± A shadow of disappointment and irritation flashed through Cyrus¡¯s face. What Zeph said was not only generic but was also based on ¡®faulty¡¯ logic ¨C that the environment was responsible for morphing and escalating the impact of the enchanted explosives. The problem was, even if Cyrus would give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he knew what he was talking about, it would be the first documented occurrence that produced a coherent, localized effect of such a scale. In that one simple sentence, Zeph managed to gently hint at his incompetence while setting the stage for the discussion that soon followed. Cyrus the hapless, powered by a hope that Zeph¡¯s unlikely speculations contained a seed of truth, started digging deeper, asking for more details while sharing some more information on his own equipment to satiate Zeph¡¯s obvious greed. Zeph never made that easy for him, though. He never committed to one explanation, spinning a tale that flowed with the discussion rather than the topic. Generic answers were the best answers. Additionally, all of that was not only dotted with logical and technical discrepancies but was also drowning in inaccurately picked technical terms and flowery language. He worked really hard to keep Cyrus interested despite the lack of concrete information, his annoying behavior, and his constant demands to set up a private meeting to discuss a payment or information exchange. But twenty minutes was his limit ¨C he could buy Gru only that much time before the candlelight of hope in Cyrus¡¯s eyes was extinguished completely. ¡°¡­and that¡¯s when I recognized the pattern! I¡¯ve comprehended the swirl of the morass in all its irresoluble magnificence. Why, it was uncannily conspicuous, the mo¡ª¡± ¡°La-Einar¡±¡ªhis animated recollection of the events was rudely interrupted¡ª¡°it¡¯s a third time that you are describing this part¡­¡± Cyrus said tiredly. ¡°It is?...¡± he paused momentarily, before confidently crossing his arms. ¡°Humph, it¡¯s because this occurrence is bearing a deep meaning! It was unequivocally the most prominent and paramount incidence of the¡ª¡± ¡°I understand, La-Einar. Sadly, my responsibilities are limiting my time¡­¡± he said with a glint of irritation in his eyes. ¡°Indeed,¡± Zeph nodded smartly, leaning forward. ¡°So, when do you wish to continue our dispute?¡± he smacked his hand on the table to stress his words while smiling widely. ¡°I¡­¡± Cyrus¡¯s eyes darted to the side for a fraction of a second, his pupils constricting as if the idea itself frightened him. The man had to be tired out of his mind to show that much emotions. Or maybe, he finally dropped his guard around Zeph ¨C for a moment there, he sounded like a parent trying to stop their kid from babbling without end. But he quickly composed himself. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can decide on a meeting of such importance alone. I will have to speak with other interested parties, lest we bear the consequences.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Zeph agreed immediately. ¡°In that case, allow me to spread the word,¡± he said enthusiastically, pumping his fist. ¡°Of course, La-Einar. If I may, I would recommend speaking with the industrial faction,¡± he said stoically, like a father suggesting a sleepover at grandma¡¯s house. ¡°They are sure to be interested, and it would be a good business to include them as well,¡± he lied without batting an eye. After some more pleasantries, they went their separate ways. Zeph¡¯s gait was energetic, still under the influence of his self-inflicted excitement. The more he talked back there, the deeper he was falling into his role. After some time, he didn¡¯t even have to fake his enthusiasm ¨C it came naturally, following his lead. Better yet, he gained one level in ¡®Universal Cir language¡¯ General Skill, which showed just how hard he pushed himself in the dispute. How did I fare? he asked Gru while wondering if that¡¯s how accomplished actors felt on the stage. Many times before he had heard the saying ¨C that the actor¡¯s goal was to ¡®become¡¯ the character they were impersonating. For the first time in his life, he felt like he could relate and understand what that meant. What it meant to awaken the very emotions that a character should feel and show, just to better portray them. He also reluctantly admitted that a personality crisis wasn¡¯t a joke for people doing that regularly¡­ Grau~ Gru sent him a happy thumbs up. After minutes of observing and very, very softly interacting with the man¡¯s Soul, Gru was able to truth-read him in a major capacity. His regimen of training his Soul skills never stopped. Even the elusive truth-reading ability was coming along ¨C after observing a few different artifacts used for that purpose, as well as receiving some clues from Aisha. According to his companion, Zeph¡¯s acting achieved almost perfect results. It seemed the man had lost almost all doubts as to Zeph¡¯s nature by the end of their conversation. At the same time, the man never got really thrilled, confirming that the information provided wasn¡¯t worth much. Zeph was insisting that the explosives were his even when they were clearly mass-produced by his Guild. He showcased his ignorance regarding existing knowledge by ignoring important conclusions or by simply presenting outlandish possibilities and explanations. He never lied directly but tried to steer as far from the truly juicy details as he could while generalizing. Thank you~ he happily sent back. So, what did you find? Grrrruummmm, a low, silent vibration reverberated in his chest. It was dampened by his robes, but to be sure it wasn¡¯t noticed, Zeph started humming a song. He felt like doing that, anyway. After taking a ¡®closer¡¯ look, it become clear that whatever deformed Cyrus¡¯s Soul was alive ¨C as in, it possessed Will and was ¡®moving around¡¯. The degradation of Will near the ¡®borders¡¯ ¨C seen by Gru as a solidification of the shape of the Soul ¨C indicated a prolonged exposition and a conflict. At the same time, he managed to partially identify the type of intruder. The Soul was always fluctuating and able to take a multitude of fractal shapes at any given moment. Given, of course, by its connection to the dimensions interacting with time. But more importantly, every Soul was unfolding in patterns that could be categorized and followed. Gru was ways away from comprehending their meaning and the full scope of possible shifts. But he could clearly see that some ¡®phases¡¯ weren¡¯t influenced by the invader at all. Once again, Zeph hit the wall in the form of the geometry of the Soulscape. In the first place, phrases like ¡®border¡¯, ¡®deformation¡¯, or ¡®shape¡¯ weren¡¯t matching the reality of things at all ¨C they were just simple compartmentalization of a much more complicated, constantly-transforming geometry. If it even could be called that (although, Zeph hoped it could). As so, he allowed Gru to simplify the explanation. The ¡®phases¡¯ ¨C or rather, ¡®patterns¡¯ ¨C the Soul could transform into differed between organisms. Gru had enough expertise to know, more or less, which ones were characteristic to what species. The indents in Cyrus¡¯s Soul fitted almost perfectly to an unrestrained Myconid hive. The ¡®movement¡¯ traces also reinforced that conclusion ¨C many of the miniature, meandering branches simply separated from the main core at some point, quickly extinguishing in the process but not before leaving empty ¡®pockets¡¯ of the places of their demise. The news shocked him enough to sober him up. Whatever the man had on himself, was extremely dangerous. And the thing wasn¡¯t even activated during the fight. Cyrus sacrificed more than he could expect, in Zeph¡¯s opinion. Even if the Soul fragmentation didn¡¯t take place, parts of the man¡¯s Soul lost information written within. Cursing inside, he walked to the closest table with liquor. He didn¡¯t need to be drunk, but his acting would suffer if his mind was too preoccupied. As so, he spent a few minutes relaxing and trying to fall back into his role. Especially because his next target should be more Soul-sensitive. Lesser Landlord Arrio Arslancle, the man who crippled him by using an unknown category of Magicules. He already located Arslancle but took more time to prepare. As much as he didn¡¯t want to talk to him, it would be too suspicious if he didn¡¯t. Focusing on his role fully, he smirked and started walking in his direction¡­ ~~~ The event continued in that fashion for hours. None of his five victims seemed to notice that he wasn¡¯t exactly forthcoming with his true personality, but in a place filled with so many politicians, it should be a norm. He just hoped that he managed to successfully sell the major inadequacies of Zeph the idiot. His acting had unexpected, far-reaching consequences, though. People were actively avoiding him if he showed any interest in conversation, reassuring him that his efforts weren¡¯t fruitless. Although, losing reputation in such an environment was extremely easy, so this achievement wasn¡¯t worth much praise. The rumors were traveling through the hall faster than any messenger could, as evidenced by many mocking glances sent his way as he circled the place. Between confronting his targets, he was pestering the industrial group ¨C just as Cyrus had suggested. It wasn¡¯t just for show, as the close aide of his tomorrow¡¯s opponent was also on the list of his targets. He managed to engage her in a conversation, although her no-nonsense personality didn¡¯t allow for more than two minutes of time for Gru ¨C an unexpected handicap. But taking into account that she was last on his list, it still was a resounding success. Besides her, he also talked with the only two people who openly showed their last-resort devices during the fights. Both were P¡¯pfel¡¯s old opponents: Lesser Landlord Avery Rubella Lurona-Kazotaro Laurene ¨C the overly-plump alchemist ¨C and Mindie Trichaya, the Deputy Master of Lurona Eastern Shipyard Association ¨C the one using the deep-sea diving suit. He achieved much better results speaking with them so Gru was able to gather much more information, and even his delicate Veil scan managed to uncover some interesting tidbits. All in all, the mission was successful. Even if tomorrow Zeph would cry bloody tears for doing such an idiot from himself publicly¡­It was his future self who would suffer. Besides, he even gained another level in ¡®Universal Cir language¡¯. He felt like he finally found a sweet spot between believable and useless when speaking without an intention to share information. A skill in which every speaker, politician, or leader was surely proficient. He could only sigh in relief that he didn¡¯t receive a General Skill for proficiency in that dubious art. If the Skill existed in the first place ¨C he was quite sure that he crossed the proficiency threshold that evening. Leaving the ballroom in a good mood (and a company of disdainful glances), he felt ready for the coming meeting with the data he managed to gather¡­ Chapter 125 – Meetings, maneuvering, and pre-preparations. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] Zeph¡¯s face was immutable like a sculptured stone, cold and unresponsive. His gaze was distant and absent ¨C as if gazing into the infinity of the universe itself. His body taunt and unmoving, courageously rejecting the influence of time and space; suspended in what could only be called the perfect meditating poise. No power could incite his living shell to respond. No force could attain his attention, and no circumstance could awaken him. Meanwhile, Aisha was rolling on the floor, laughing loudly enough to strain the privacy enchantment, drowning out every other sound produced by the people in the room. He ignored it, though. The enlightening moment couldn¡¯t crumble from just that. His shame knew no bounds nor limits. It was all-encompassing and growing into the infinity that he saw, leading his consciousness forward and beyond¡­ Makani smacked the back of his head, breaking the sacred seal that was put on his mind. Thus, the Manacaster became the cause of the calamity that soon followed. ¡°Aaaaaah!¡± Zeph screamed in defiance, gripping his head desperately. It was too much. The awareness was too much to bear! ¡°Stop playing around and listen!¡± Makani screamed right into his ear, making him jump in his seat a little. ¡°What do you want from me, traitor?!¡± he exclaimed, blindly pushing Makani¡¯s face away. ¡°You were aware! You knew!¡± he accused, even as a part of his mind agreed with the Manacaster ¨C his acting was getting out of hand a little. But his emotions had to find an outlet, it was no joking matter! Besides, was it even an act anymore? ¡°Look, what you did brought a net positive,¡± Kwan stated loudly, trying to be heard over the raucous laughter coming from Aisha and P¡¯pfel. ¡°Even if you are no longer¡ª¡± Zeph screamed again, covering his ears. He used too much force while pushing with his legs and landed on the floor near Aisha¡¯s wheezing form when his chair flipped over. His body started convulsing in reaction to the information that his body was instinctively trying to reject. Aisha¡¯s laughter regained its strength, sending her back to the floor once again, just when she managed to support her torso with her arms. It¡¯s not happening! It¡¯s just a mirage. Yes, yes, it has to. I was betrayed! No, that never happened! It¡¯s just a dream. Yes!... But my bad arm hurts! No, no, it¡¯s a phantom pain! the thoughts flew through his mind with the speed of light. Suddenly, a heavy hand landed on his chest, breaking him from his reverie. He opened one eye to look at the source of the new pain. Aisha¡¯s red face greeted him. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ say¡­ anything¡­ more¡­¡± she wheezed, trying to regain control over her body. He instinctively pushed her hand away. Rotating in place, he sent a kick at her face that was easily blocked by the back of her hand. ¡°You are the source!¡± he declared, madness overcoming his sense of self. ¡°You are the one who brought it on m¡ª¡± She blocked another kick and reversed her grip. His bones screeched under the pressure as she pulled him closer. ¡°Stop hollering like a kid,¡± She said a little more seriously, but still fighting to regain control over her facial muscles, ¡°My stomach hurts¡­¡± Slightly panicking because of the sudden pain, his brain concocted the best answer it could possibly create at that moment. His answer was simple, assuring, and¡­ ¡°But grandma, I am just at the right age to be a child of yours!¡± What happened next, would never leave this temporary meeting room of the Sepia Familia Guild. Enough to say, his ¡®Zeph the idiot¡¯ persona was destroyed in its entirety that day. ~~~ ¡°Can we, finally, proceed?¡± Kwan asked angrily the unruly trio standing before her. She was sitting in her armchair, legs crossed and head resting in her hand. ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Aye...¡± P¡¯pfel, Zeph, and Aisha responded. Each of them sporting an imposing bump on their heads. Kwan¡¯s patience had its own limits, as they have learned firsthand. ¡°Zeph,¡± she almost growled. ¡°Yes!¡± He shouted, standing at attention. ¡°I will ignore the fact that you started overwriting your own behavioral patterns for¡­ pleasure,¡± she started, daring him to disagree. ¡°Even though Zora had explained it to you long ago¡­¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± he responded, defaulting to his military training. He really did make a major mistake back there. He honestly miscalculated how much ¡®playing a role¡¯ could influence his psyche. Especially with his Will constantly working in the background as he was falling deeper and deeper into the role. Aisha had explained enough about using fake names in the context of mental health and a possible conflict occurring in his Soul. Later, she expanded on the topic, explaining more about the dangers of adopting a fake personality, rejecting reality to the point of becoming delusional, falling under heavy emotional stress, and, in general, being affected by mental ¡®manipulation¡¯ or ¡®self-manipulation¡¯ techniques, or developing mental disorders causing similar symptoms. It was almost impossible to overwrite the memory of a Soul ¨C not without damaging it ¨C so the conflict between the Soul, Will, and mind was a given in such circumstances. In other words, he should have known better. He should have been able to recognize the symptoms despite the unexpectedly fast-acting positive feedback loop that had occurred. Although, they still weren¡¯t able to tell why exactly it was developing this fast. ¡°¡­ yes. Anyway,¡± Kwan massaged her forehead, ¡°your actions brought a mostly positive outcome, so I won¡¯t discipline you more than that.¡± She turned serious, raising her club and smashing it into the floor. ¡°You are now, officially, a social-slash-mental cripple in the eyes of the Lurona society. Don¡¯t ever try to escape that image outside of the closed doors until we allow you!¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± he exclaimed automatically. A teardrop could, or could not, have fallen down his cheek following this response. His public image was destroyed ¨C by his own hands nonetheless ¨C so he would now have to learn how to live with that fact. ¡°Professor!¡± she called aggressively, glaring at the Gremling who was clumsily holding a monocle. The small man jumped in place, almost dropping the gadget as a result. Thankfully, after flailing for a moment, he successfully placed it on his eye. His face immediately scrunched as his hand involuntarily corrected the position of the ocular. ¡°With all due respect, shouldn¡¯t you talk more reason to the other one?¡± he immediately asked. ¡°Maybe,¡±¡ª Kwan¡¯s tone changed to a playful one¡ª"but I wanted to congratulate you personally before that,¡± she said, giving him a small bow. ¡°From what I understand, despite your level, you had not only geared us with outstanding enchantments but also found the most crucial information during the banquet. We ¨C the Heads and the Guild as a whole ¨C are in your dept,¡± she stated resolutely, lowering her torso even more. After that, she straightened up and reached behind her seat. She retrieved an ordinary-looking wooden box and carefully handed it to the professor. A small smile bloomed on the Gremling¡¯s face. He graciously accepted the parcel. ¡°I will make sure to expand my meditation sessions,¡± he declared, moving back and away from the center of the center of the shitstorm. Witnessing all that, Zeph was sure that his other personality was in for some serious scolding. Unfair treatment at its best, he thought with disgust. ¡°Most appreciated,¡± Kwan nodded noncommittally, then turned her head to the last problematic child. ¡°Aisha.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± she reflexively looked up. She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide that she wasn¡¯t listening at all. Kwan frowned. ¡°I would be grateful if you were to stop¡­ provoking certain behaviors¡­¡± Aisha shrugged. ¡°We both know that¡¯s not going to happen. So¡­¡± she leaned forward, ¡°where is my reward for steering our test su¡ª¡± ¡°Do you want to be punched in the face?¡± Zeph asked, despite knowing that the chances of succeeding were nonexistent. It seemed that she had manipulated him a bit when he talked with her about his plan. He wasn¡¯t going to complain about the omission of the crucial information ¨C not only he should be aware of the risks but it was his own idea in the first place. But this time, the effects could become too far-reaching to simply ignore what she did. Or, to be more precise, what she didn¡¯t do. Before the situation could even start to devolve into a scuffle once again, Kwan raised her club. Hearing the floor creaking in relief as she lifted it, and feeling the overbearing aura of violence emanating from her form, they immediately froze in place. ¡°At attention, idiots!¡± Kwan exclaimed while smiling ominously, placing her oversized weapon on her shoulder. ¡°You are both to be rewarded and punished.¡± Aisha groaned in displeasure but didn¡¯t say anything. Zeph just looked away with a grimace. ¡°You are officially recognized as one unit within our Guild,¡± she declared, to the relief of the rest of the room. At least none of them was to become Zeph¡¯s caretaker, which was an expected resolution given their current situation. ¡°Because Zeph can no longer play the role of an independent Head of Department, after the Tournament, Aisha Zora, you are going to become the Head of a new one ¨C the Department of Information, Research, and Execution, a combination of your ¡®Information and Fighting Force¡¯ and Zeph¡¯s ¡®Spells and Innovation¡¯ Departments!¡± ¡°What?! Him? No!¡± Aisha exclaimed with disdain, shuddering at the idea of managing Zeph¡¯s exotic experiments. ¡°Department of wha¡­ No!¡± Zeph exclaimed simultaneously with her; the disgust at the abbreviation of the name twisting his face into an ugly grimace. Kwan giggled, which was never a good thing. ¡°So that¡¯s what you have problems with? Eh?¡± They both glanced at each other. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aisha,¡± Kwan continued. ¡°The Department will receive triple the funds from the Guild for the IFF part.¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s an obvious bribe!¡± he immediately protested. Gaining more funds from the Guild was never easy and he fought for more for a long time already ¨C of course, without any success. Kwan¡¯s group owned the land while also being a part of the Guild. As so, other Heads didn¡¯t have to pay rent for the space taken, and a majority of the profits coming from the activity in the area was fueling the Guild¡¯s shared fund and monetary reserve. This money, though, was mostly used for maintenance, construction, and security. For a Department to suddenly gain more from the fund meant, indirectly, that Kwan was going to pay from her Department¡¯s pocket. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hoh? I can find a use for additional money¡­¡± Aisha said, now thoughtful. ¡°Bribe or not~¡± she snickered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it that,¡± Kwan said, amused. Changing her position on the seat and placing her club on her lap, she started explaining. ¡°Internally, not much will change, so you can divide those funds as you wish between yourselves and your projects. But you will need more space to make sure your old offices can work as a decoy.¡± Zeph¡¯s brow raised. ¡°That still sounds wrong, though? You said triple, not double. Are you going to hide us in the headquarters¡¯ core, or something?¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s unnecessary.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°We just need a guarding dog for you and your team, so it¡¯s normal to pay a little more. We have to make amends publicly as a Guild, either way, so I will just use the reserve fund to pay for the changes. Just start working together as one group in your old laboratories and offices. Also, I believe that if you start supporting each other in other fields¡ªespecially the security¡ªit should return a profit equivalent to the expenses from the Guild¡¯s perspective.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you two will be the only ones doing that,¡± Makani added with a sigh. ¡°I need Zeph¡¯s help with some Spells. Part of that will be useful for the new flying prototype, which is already a group project between me, Ghrughah, and P¡¯pfel. Merging the funds and workforce for it would help immensely.¡± P¡¯pfel the professor nodded. ¡°Same with a few mixed projects we are developing together with Irra or Ghrughah. Are we sure we want the department''s funds to be separate still?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Zeph said with confidence. ¡°It works best for our projects. A centralized system would only slow us down. Not to mention, it would have a tendency to prioritize more profitable ventures, leaving the rest with less resources.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Ghrughah said slowly. ¡°But some projects are slowly reaching the level of the collective effort. Like the flying prototype¡­¡± ¡°Without a general fund, each Department spends only as much as it is willing to sacrifice,¡± Aisha countered, sitting down in her chair. ¡°It¡¯s more efficient that way. An abundance of resources incites corruption and wastefulness.¡± ¡°The overall speed of our progress may decrease¡­ is what you are saying?¡± Kwan asked pensively. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be trying to fix something that works,¡± Makani said, using a saying he learned from Zeph. ¡°More importantly, can we share our findings already? It¡¯s getting late.¡± He looked around at the gathered Heads. ¡°I will start,¡± Zeph proposed, as they finally returned to the original agenda. The summary at the beginning was rudely interrupted by a certain Priestess and big-nose midget, but Kwan didn¡¯t seem compelled to continue with it as people with critically important information already informed them of that fact. That was the reason behind the P¡¯pfel¡¯s early reward, even though he had yet to disclose any details. The Gremling managed to discover and trace back the materials used in the creation of the last-resort weaponry their opponents prepared. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to determine what exactly those were, but it was an important piece of the puzzle that would limit the possibilities and, hopefully, lead them to the sources. Also, it would grant them insight into the political map and the structure of the connections that had formed between different parties in the city ¨C possibly pointing out the culprits responsible for trafficking the most crucial components of the devices. After taking his seat, Zeph narrated what he managed to uncover about his targets. He started with Cyrus Jobenke and the state of his Soul, followed with Avery Rubella¡¯s and Mindie Trichaya¡¯s unusually slow Mana Generation and barely-perceivable Soul fatigue, and finished with miscellaneous information he managed to extract, which wasn¡¯t much. He didn¡¯t notice anything strange about Arrio Arslancle and the helper woman from the industrial group, too. ¡°Soul fatigue¡­¡± Kwan murmured, deep in thought. ¡°And from what we saw, one-time use artifacts¡­¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Ghrughah hummed, nodding to himself. ¡°A Soul-link with Mana-hungry creation perhaps¡­ A Soul-bond would leave more devastation in their Souls...¡± ¡°P¡¯pfel, any ideas?¡± Aisha turned to the Gremling. ¡°My guess is as good as yours,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°I will leave a detailed list of materials I¡¯ve found about. If that doesn¡¯t help Ghrughah-jiji, then I don¡¯t know what could.¡± ¡°Ghrughah,¡± Aisha turned to the giant. ¡°If you have any ideas, I can check what other materials and components were potentially available to them ¨C my department has quite extensive data on the markets, both public and unofficial.¡± ¡°And I can suggest potential partnerships between facilities or factions, in case some elements had to be created on-site in Lurona.¡± ¡°Much appreciated,¡± the giant nodded. ¡°I will work on it.¡± ¡°The Arslancle¡¯s situation isn¡¯t normal, though,¡± Kwan continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of similar symptoms. Did you?¡± she asked their local Priestess. Aisha leaned forward on her seat, putting her chin on her clasped hands. ¡°I gave it some thought but I can¡¯t be sure. It sounds a little like a damage that Undead Soul conglomeration of hive organisms can inflict. But there are two major problems with that idea. Firstly, Souls of Myconid hives can¡¯t form Undead conglomeration without losing their hive characteristics, as they are extremely centralized. Secondly, if I understand correctly, those were mere ¡®dents¡¯ in his Soul, not real damage?¡± she asked, glancing at Zeph. ¡°More or less,¡± he waved his hand. ¡°Although the strain was quite serious, it didn¡¯t seem like he lost anything. But the traces of the Will conflict on the borders looked like he might have damaged information content there.¡± Aisha nodded and turned to the group. ¡°You see, the ¡®shape¡¯ seems similar, but there was no real damage. If a Soul conglomeration manages to take direct offensive actions, it never ends that well. It¡¯s more like he hosted a parasite, but it doesn¡¯t make much sense either. If the Myconid Soul was intact ¨C be it in a living body, body replacement, or in the form of a Soul-bondable artifact ¨C the standard Will clash would naturally take place. There would be no time nor occasion for tunneling through the Soul,¡± she explained mechanically, like she was rehearsing the same line of arguments for the umpteenth time. The room was silent as she finished. People were waiting for a conclusion or suggestion. But Aisha was silent. She closed her eyes and tilted her head down so that her forehead was now resting on her hands. Kwan squinted her eyes. ¡°Why are you hesitating?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± she said quietly, ¡°I think my blindly-made guess may bring more harm than good.¡± ¡°We are too deep in the topic already,¡± Makani said with confidence typical for him in such situations. ¡°I know full well that some kind of shielding preventing the Undead from infiltrating is one of the possibilities. The concept is easy enough, even though nothing like that exists.¡± Everyone nodded at his comment. Aisha sighed with irritation, finally raising her head. ¡°Do you understand the consequences of what you are suggesting?¡± she asked with a twitch in her eye. ¡°Technicalities aside, a layer of neutral Soul ¡®matter¡¯ encompassing your whole Soul? Strong enough to oppose Will-driven Soul contact while not possessing a Will of its own?¡± Makani blinked in surprise. ¡°What¡­ Soul engineering is a fact and¡ª" Kwan was first to understand, her eyes opening wide. ¡°Once applied, it couldn¡¯t be removed,¡± she interrupted. ¡°The leveling process would stop, too¡­ No, not only that. How would you even¡­ shield every shape?¡± she asked into the air. ¡°If the Soul isn¡¯t able to transmute, how could the Will move around? And if not, how can the shield change shape without Will?¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s head snapped up as he realized something. ¡°Wait! Weren¡¯t you guys using something similar?¡± he asked Aisha. ¡°It brings to mind a thing or two, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aisha smiled ruefully. She sighed again, this time with resignation. ¡°Aegis ritual is what you are thinking about.¡± The comment caused everyone except Zeph to tense. ¡°Any Onji can apply something similar, but the act requires an active modulation to remedy the aforementioned issues. That interference is obvious for every living organism nearby¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°And because it¡¯s that demanding, it¡¯s mostly used against Netherbeings¡­¡± Makani finally caught up. Cold shivers run down Zeph¡¯s spine at the mention of the¡­ invaders. Are they here?! With them? He could feel it as the barely-forgotten dread started resurfacing. The last encounter was still fresh in his mind ¨C it happened only a few days ago, after all, even if he felt like much more time had passed. Maybe that¡¯s why Aisha didn¡¯t want to talk about it¡­ he thought, trying to distract himself while taking deep, calming breaths. The thought of encountering something similar so soon¡­ No, calm down! He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, spending an unhealthy amount of Will and Willforce to enforce balance. Slowly at first, he started regaining control over his emotions. He was suppressing his fears and he knew that it wasn¡¯t healthy, but he didn¡¯t have time for this right now. The adrenaline was still cursing through his body, causing his hands to shake slightly. He let go of the armrests and clasped them together, opening his eyes. Everyone in the room was looking at him, mostly with worry. He snorted in slight irritation. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Stop looking at me like that. Did I miss something?¡± ¡°Suuure,¡± Makani said doubtfully. ¡°You missed nothing. Your Veil started to writhe all around. It was too distracting to continue.¡± He blinked in disbelief. It did?! Gra! came the confirmation from his forever-helpful companion. It was a rhetorical question, he deadpanned, sending a mental equivalent of a roll of his eyes. Greu. He shook his nonexistent shoulders noncommittally. ¡°Let¡¯s go back on track. Netherbeings,¡± he said, turning to Aisha while trying to keep a steady gasp over his body. His voice broke slightly at the end, though. She gave him a long look ¨C her almost-white eyes drilling holes in his skull for a good five seconds before she started speaking. ¡°For the record. Netherbeings also have their own version of Soul shielding. Its function is slightly different, but appropriate in this case. Isolating Soul from its environment, as you all should know. But more concerning is the fact, that Netherbeings aren¡¯t capable of causing the Will clash. Which would mean¡­¡± Her eyes scanned the people in the room as she paused. ¡°The thing he was carrying was of Nether origin.¡± ¡°Or Undead origin when something similar to shielding was applied¡ª¡± ¡°To either him, or the artifact¡¯s Soul¡­¡± ¡°A shield that had to imitate or use Nether, an Onji¡¯s power, or both.¡± Aisha nodded each time as people summarized the problem, talking one after another. As her gaze landed on Zeph, he finally noticed an issue. ¡°Which should have been noticed by Tiwaz Onji,¡± Zeph finally realized. ¡°Because he is observing you actively!¡± ¡°And that places the whole idea even further into a fantasy category. It¡¯s the only explanation I have, though¡ª¡± ¡°A third party may be involved,¡± Kwan suddenly said, her voice harsh. ¡°The Temple of Pure Souls wouldn¡¯t use such methods. Not the Nether. And I am sure that we would hear about a Soul shielding if they managed to invent something better than the Aegis.¡± Aisha nodded. ¡°Exactly that. Also, about Cyrus Jobenke,¡± she sent a meaningful gaze at Zeph. ¡°And about that letter¡­¡± He understood immediately as the pieces of the puzzle started falling into their places. Gibbons aren¡¯t targeting him. Which means he isn¡¯t actively involved with the Temple of Pure Souls. A third party connected to the Nether¡­ The idea seems more and more probable. ¡°Do you think that that faction has something to do with the horde?¡± he asked Aisha to cover the topic, even if everyone already knew why he wasn¡¯t speaking openly in the presence of Kwan. ¡°It all seems¡­ like too much of a coincidence to me.¡± ¡°Their indirect involvement is almost guaranteed,¡± Ghrughah answered for her, stealing his attention. ¡°Believe me when I say that ¨C no major incidents on this stratum are free from Nether influence. You are asking the wrong questions.¡± He pointed his oversized finger at his chest. ¡°Is the intelligent fraction of the horde involved in our affairs, is the right question.¡± ¡°One we cannot answer,¡± P¡¯pfel added, clearing his ocular. ¡°The friggin¡¯ monsters were staying in hiding for years. We know nothin¡¯.¡± He spit to the side. ¡°Whatever! Let¡¯s continue, we don¡¯t have all night,¡± Makani said, once again pushing the discussion forward. ¡°P¡¯pfel, care to elaborate on your findings?¡± As so, the evening¡¯s meeting started anew¡­ ================ Alex PoV ================ He collected the empty glasses from the table in a blink of an eye, professionally maneuvering between the half-drunk idiots loudly arguing over the most irrelevant of things ¨C the preferred size of the chests. He cursed himself for believing they meant anything more than the women¡¯s equipage. Hearing their slurred words from up close, he doubted they were just acting while employing some kind of a sophisticated code ¨C at some point, such discussions were just too authentic to believe otherwise. Maneuvering with grace, he walked hurriedly in the direction of the kitchens. He returned a smile and nod his manager sent him, almost grimacing right after from the pain. Thankfully, the woman didn¡¯t notice. The banquet was coming to an end, but much later than he anticipated. His altered body was screaming at him to be released. His Soul wasn¡¯t faring better ¨C the information written within already conflicting with his current visage. After entering the kitchens, he quickly put down the tray full of empty glasses and looked around. ¡°Uh, Miria,¡± he reluctantly called to his coworker. The woman turned her head immediately, smiling widely. She was stubbornly flirting with him the whole evening, even after he tried to dismiss her. ¡°Hey Kahn! Need something?¡± Sadly, there wasn¡¯t anyone else around. ¡°I feel dizzy¡­ I think I will finish a little early.¡± He didn¡¯t try to act ¨C his face was already pale from the strain. ¡°Oh, my!¡± she covered her mouth with her hands in a fake consternation. ¡°Do you need help ge¡ª¡± He sighed heavily, raising his hand. ¡°Please, just tell the manager that I need rest.¡± She pouted, crossing her arms, but disappointment was visibly emanating from her eyes. ¡°You will own me for this!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Sorry, the overtime is a bit too much¡­¡± Her eyes softened somewhat. She nodded. ¡°I will let her know. See you tomorrow then~¡± She skipped away. More like in the next life, he grumbled internally, slowly walking to the elevators. The real Kahn was long dead. Putting himself in his shoes was an unexpected strain, but it was finally coming to an end. Even with his convictions, it was hard to play the role of a man he personally gutted if he was interacting with people who cared for him. The knowledge that said man would die today either way didn¡¯t help. Playing with and against true leviathans¡­ What a stupid man, he thought, entering the primitive lift. To raise his mood, he started recollecting Zeph¡¯s antics during the banquet. Heh, he did well. Killing three birds with one stone¡­ Good job, indeed. In his eyes, Zeph was always the jester of their small squad, even if none of the others agreed with his opinion. They always saw the serious face of Einar ¨C the bioengineer, the scout, the medic¡­ the man who was balancing on the border between sanity and death. But all he was seeing, was a man of a lost purpose; a man who was bumping against invisible rocks constantly. A man who was incessantly laughing at himself for doing so, no matter how many bruises he accumulated along the way. But Zeph¡¯s mindset was something he could never understand. It required a form of strength he was never privy to. Self-depreciation seemed to fuel his confidence. Mistakes he made seemed to power his curiosity and will to life. He never gave to the pressure, inadvertently forcing a change in his environment instead of fitting in. Almost the exact opposite of him. After entering his room, he slammed the door shut and almost immediately crashed on the bed. The putrid smell of a slowly decaying body accompanied the pain coming from his skin and muscles. His body started transforming back as soon as he relaxed, all related sensations escalating at that moment. The room was bathed in darkness, but he could see in his peripheral vision a silhouette emerging from the direction of the door. He mumbled out the password. Words came out with difficulty as the cells on his face started to rearrange. Alana fired up a small lamp, basking the room in its reddish, weak glow. ¡°I heard the news. How did it go on your side?¡± ¡°All blood samples gathered,¡± he said slowly. ¡°We are ready, but the VIPs weren¡¯t present.¡± Indeed, none of tomorrow¡¯s main combatants was present at the banquet today, and he couldn¡¯t blame them for that. Well, all except for Sepia Familia¡¯s Heads. Alana grimaced. ¡°A shame. Working around with their attendants is such a pain¡­¡± ========================================= Chapter 126 – Machinations and doubts. The third and final round starts! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.12] The meeting continued. From time to time one of Kwan¡¯s people brought additional notes they asked to gather. P¡¯pfel the professor¡¯s report was the longest and most informative. The Gremling had applied a series of soft alchemical tests during the banquet ¨C using overcomplicated but very compact tools containing a multitude of testing compounds ¨C while vigorously taking samples from people all around the hall. A brush from skin here, a stray hair there¡­ people didn¡¯t notice. His presence was mostly ignored because he allowed his wild side to present itself a little more at the time. Sitting in the back seat of his mind for the most part, he was able to analyze the results and compile them into a coherent report even before leaving the ballroom. Taking into account the exposure level, exposure time, time elapsed, presence in exhaled air, bodily fluids, hair, and dead skin, among other variables, he was able to find traces that were out of the norm. He had yet a few hours of work to finalize his findings, but the presence of materials from stratum 1 and 2, as well as some rare and harmful ones, was already more than necessary to draw initial conclusions. Makani and Ghrughah brought only odd rumors and politically involved news. Ghrughah has lived in the city for so long that almost every leading figure here knew how to protect themselves against his advanced Mana Manipulation and contaminations in regard to information gathering. That didn¡¯t stop him from leveraging a few favors and his status as (probably) the best blacksmith in Lurona City to extract some spicy news. Makani, on the other hand, was a professional peeper. He could easily hear every conversation in the whole hall when using his Sound-based Spells. If not for the fact that he was baited to try and listen to a few more private conversations, he would be able to bring even more data. Alas, he wasn¡¯t able to process all conversations in real time and he misjudged who should he spy on. His report would help Kwan in the future tremendously, either way. Kwan herself didn¡¯t find much. She was the eye of the storm; the central figure of this Tournament. The political maneuvering and pointless discussions were all she was met with in the four walls of the hall. And because of the Hannyajin predisposition, she was handicapped in an environment filled with lies and half-truths. She could only detect ill intent, which made her the worst snoop ever, but a perfect social bait at the same time. Aisha spent her time with a few chosen targets who didn¡¯t know better and didn¡¯t even try to keep their distance; drinking liquor and laughing with them. She had trained her Soul Perception to be sensitive to anomalies in Souls¡¯ behavior. In other words, instead of trying to perceive static shapes and the current condition of an individual like Gru, she focused on the transformation patterns the Souls were making all the time. Her rich experience and years of training conditioned her brain ¨C she could automatically compartmentalize, filter out, and conceptualize what she saw in a way unique only to her. That allowed her to ¡®see¡¯ and intuitively understand the nature of abnormal behavior even if she didn¡¯t have prior experience with a given case. But her methods also had their cons ¨C it was very difficult to notice anything that wasn¡¯t actively influencing Soul¡¯s activity. That made her, for example, a skilled truth reader, but quite a horrible Soul-bond tracker. Because of that, she had chosen a more traditional approach during the banquet ¨C drinking, talking, and observing. Her truth reading helped a little. Besides that, she also checked people for Soul damage. Predictably, wounded combatants didn¡¯t show up, so she didn¡¯t find anything interesting on that front ¨C just a few people with slightly strained Soul, which was normal in itself because of the fights. No actively used Soul-bound or Soul-linked items, too. After pulling together their findings, they did an initial analysis. The results were surprising. A clear chain of contacts, traders, and crafters emerged even before an in-depth analysis. Or rather, a very visible trail left by a third party that didn¡¯t have any right to be in Lurona. The markets and public institutions were avoided, but a sudden rise in activity, number of contracts, and unexpectedly high-quality workmanship of previously low-key individuals was difficult to miss. Rare materials originating from those people made it obvious that someone was meddling. Those things couldn¡¯t be found anywhere near Lurona ¨C especially the materials from animals. Even Aisha and Ghrughah couldn¡¯t recognize some of the specimens¡¯ names. ¡°It¡¯s a trap, isn¡¯t?¡± P¡¯pfel asked, frowning madly. ¡°It looks more like a fake trail, but¡­¡± Kwan hesitated. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Aisha shook her head. ¡°When that one Manamaster¡ª¡± ¡°Dominus,¡± Makani interrupted, almost growling. He was glaring at Aisha. ¡°Or Master of Mana Arts. Learn your language!¡± ¡°Bah! Dobimas, Manamaster, Manaduster, what¡¯s the difference?!¡± She threw her hands up. ¡°Start using common like everybody else, you obnoxious Manariter. You can understand it well enough.¡± Makani¡¯s angry shout was stopped by a not-so-gentle slap to the back of his head. Kwan had enough of it. ¡°Stop insulting each other and go back to the topic,¡± she said with irritation. Makani straightened his body, grimacing and mumbling curses under his breath. ¡°Ahem,¡± Aisha nonchalantly cleared her throat, resetting her posture. ¡°Like I was saying,¡± she started, crossing her legs. ¡°An important guest from the Ebony Tower visited a few years back; his level, obviously, inappropriate for this Mana density. He left behind a very similar track of rare materials. Maybe our mysterious third party doesn¡¯t care about being found? If they leave the city after the Tournament and go directly for a higher stratum¡­ Their anonymity is almost guaranteed.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t bode well¡­¡± P¡¯pfel murmured under his breath. Zeph couldn¡¯t agree more. He didn¡¯t have any bad premonitions this time which unnerved him instead of reassuring ¨C mostly because all the evidence lying right before his eyes suggested he definitely should have some. Gru also couldn¡¯t feel anything. Yet, the ominous calmness was weighing on his mind more and more. They talked a little more about the possibilities in regards to the third party before focusing on more pressing ¨C and, simultaneously, easier to deal with ¨C matters. They worked late into the night. The credibility of their information was assured and their assumptions slowly morphed into certainty. Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel left the room for a few hours to finish their part¡­ for all that it was worth. None of them could even guess how to engineer an artifact that used Nether, nor could they confirm the possibility of such an artifact existing. In the end, even with the complete flow charts of material trades, Ghrughah wasn¡¯t able to deduce much about the equipment of their opposition. Also, wasn¡¯t talented in Soul Arts¡ªto say the least¡ªwhich posed a major problem in this case, as all of the seen last-resort tools left some lasting effects on the users¡¯ Souls. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Some additional knowledge about the opponent¡¯s standard gear was welcomed nonetheless. A new set of enchantments spinning from P¡¯pfel¡¯s hand was ready and would prepare them better for the coming fights. The two most important decisions of the evening were made, too. At least ¨C most important for Zeph. Taking into account his relatively good health (excluding his barely-moving left arm) and the fact that the public was inclined to believe in the opposite, he saw a rare chance to truly surprise his enemy. Additionally, Aisha¡¯s involvement in the pre-battle equipment examination should further support the idea that using a dangerous and, probably, illegal means was an overall unnecessary risk. To sum it up ¨C Zeph decided to at least try fighting his opponent, despite his fear and hesitations. Aisha would take part in checking everybody¡¯s equipment tomorrow ¨C in hopes of scaring off their opponents. Catching Zeph¡¯s opponent with an incriminating piece of gear was much less important than his safety, and they couldn¡¯t tell if she or Gru would be able to notice anything wrong. Not to mention, that strategy would help the whole group. By the end of the long meeting, their preparations were as complete as they could possibly make them. ~~~ The next morning started rumbustiously. Everyone, including Zeph, was eager, tense, in a hurry, or all that at the same time. Even the stadium workers weren¡¯t different. Zeph woke up early but it would be impossible to prolong his rest anyway. His repaired and newly polished armor was once again filled with probes in the preparation hall. Strolling through the wide corridors of the structure, he saw and experienced the buzzing atmosphere firsthand. Despite the early hours, he was last to arrive in the observation room. Probably because the process of inserting the safety system into his armor was taking so long every time. The room had transformed, changing drastically from what it was a mere day ago. The medical corner evolved into a full-blown hospital zone ¨C furniture and tools included. On the opposite side on the same level, a small mechanical-slash-alchemical workshop had formed. The middle levels of the oversized steps of the arena-like floor were rearranged to accommodate a gorgeous open buffet ¨C probably leftovers from yesterday¡¯s banquet, but the quality didn¡¯t change one bit. New potted plants and sculptures were brought to feed the eyes, too. On the lowest level ¨C their chosen vantage point ¨C all tables were arranged into one, long, and slightly curved surface. Stacks of papers dominated most of it but its sheer size left them with enough space to comfortably eat and drink, picturesquely resembling The Last Supper painting. To the side, Ghrughah was fussing around Kwan¡¯s stiff silhouette. She was decked in her black armor, standing straight in a T-pose while holding her bigger-than-life battle club vertically with one hand. But some modifications were made to her armor. Her right arm was bulky. Seriously bulky. It looked more like three oblong segments of a carapace connected together with some piston-like tubes at the joints. All that when the arm underneath was basically skin and bones, still slowly recovering from the violent dismemberment and unavoidable surgery that followed. On her left forearm, near the elbow, a short latch mechanism was mounted on the surface of the black plates. It gripped her forearm in a tight steely embrace and looked like an overcomplicated ¨C but unnecessarily sturdy ¨C lever that could move vertically relative to her arm. Coming closer, he could see a thin metallic connecting the mechanism with the club she was holding in her hand. The wire was tautening more and more as he observed; Ghrughah working diligently on it while checking the reaction of all influenced parts. The rest of the Sepia Familia¡¯s Heads were also present, sitting in their chairs while discussing, eating, lamenting, and¡ªin the case of a certain Manacaster¡ªlooking around gloomily around, swiveling his head back and forth suspiciously. What are you doing? Judas¡¯s things? Zeph thought with mirth when stepping closer. ¡°I see the first fight is already decided?¡± he asked loudly while pointing at Kwan. His words were met with a small cheer from the group but their focus quickly returned to their previous activities. Everyone but one person seemed excited. ¡°You are late,¡± Makani growled as Zeph sat beside him. ¡°What is it now?¡± He asked with resignation, turning his head to the Manacaster. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work!¡± he hissed, screaming almost. His face contorted in a grimace of an absolute mix of disdain and disbelief. ¡°¡­are you telling me you can¡¯t use that?¡± Zeph asked incredulously. ¡°Yess!¡± He responded with all the grace of a gas kettle. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything¡­ I can¡¯t bring up the pressure¡­¡± his voice suddenly dropped in tone as a shadow fell over his eyes when he tilted his head down. ¡°Calm down,¡± Zeph said without much confidence in his voice. That shouldn¡¯t have happened and they shouldn¡¯t be talking about that gear in this hall. ¡°Let me touch it¡­¡± he suggested hesitantly, slowly reaching with his hand. ¡°Are you two flirting or something?¡± Aisha¡¯s mirthful voice came from behind them. ¡°By the way, Ghrughah already checked the equipment. All seems in order¡­ from his perspective, at least. Despite the size.¡± She smirked saying the last part. A loud double groan interrupted other people in the room. Thankfully, the rest were quick to ignore them. Shaking his head, Zeph forcefully saturated the closest pipe stemming from the compression box hidden under Makani¡¯s robes with his Mana-L, displacing the man¡¯s Veil and Mana inside of the tubes. It took him but a moment to notice what was wrong. He could almost see the Manasolid inside the compartment evaporating ¨C the stream of Mana was that strong. ¡°The replacement parts?¡± he asked no one in particular. ¡°Ghrughah changed them two times already. The major external parts, at least,¡± Aisha said helpfully. ¡°Well¡­¡± he looked back at her, an unspoken question in his eyes. She nodded nonchalantly. ¡°Yes, we can.¡± He nodded back. ¡°The plastic and rubber parts are compromised. It seems that someone managed to infiltrate our inventory stock. The Mana-L conductance and saturation limits feel the same, but the internal structure of the materials has changed. My guess is ¨C controlled microfractures.¡± ¡°Mine was as well. The surrounding Mana density was a giveaway enough. That doesn¡¯t explain why I can¡¯t influence the leaking. I even used more¡­ forceful methods,¡± Ghrughah said, walking closer while cleaning his hands with a rag. In the background, Kwan was already testing the modifications in her armor, absentmindedly swinging her weapon around. ¡°Life Energy should patch that up easily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Zeph said, frowning slightly. Electroconductivity itself wasn¡¯t easy to translate into a Mana-related behavior. The physical properties of the patchy, carbon-based structures even less so, and don¡¯t make him even start on the cellular membranes and other complex biological structures. ¡°It¡¯s a Mana-L-conductive, biological material. If someone with high enough Skill in any organic matter manipulation¡ªlike leather or tissue¡ªwere to modify the internal structure, you would hardly notice. For example, it is theoretically possible to keep the physical parameters of the material almost the same while forming ¡®channels¡¯ that would cause any Mana-L entering it to support the transport of certain resources through the¡­ micropores in the layer?¡± he shook his head at the unintuitive explanation. Choosing something more appropriate, he continued. ¡°It would basically work like pores in any skin ¨C a hole that uses energy to actively transfer resources through the barrier without compromising its structure. The more energy, the better transfer.¡± Ghrughah¡¯s brow raised. ¡°So? Can you fix it?¡± Makani asked with hope. Zeph looked at the three of them. After a moment of consideration, he shrugged. ¡°Melt it a little before reshaping?¡± Aisha¡¯s smile widened. ~~~ Landlord Arioch Chanlu stood tall before Kwan. He was almost two times higher than her ¨C a giant of a man. His full plate armor was bulky despite his size. It wasn¡¯t painted, nor adorned. The simple metallic gray of its sheen was almost disconcerting in its simplicity. An enormous, two-handed Morgenstern was lightly resting over his shoulder. It was, by a large margin, the most feared individual that was allowed entry into the Duel Tournament. Something their Guild had to agree to, as the man was under-leveled. That didn¡¯t change the fact that his almost-unnatural physique was elevating his Passive Enhancements to another level, alongside the multitude of physically-focused implants he owned. Aisha was a big fan of his. She still meticulously combed through his gear before the Duel. The hot sand of the desert dunes didn¡¯t seem to bother them at all, as was the sand powder flying around in the soft wind. The two of them were geared with full-blown respiratory systems ¨C heavy gas tanks hanging from their backs. Both could handle the weight. Kwan straightened and shifted into a sideway fencing stance, balancing her body ¨C the heavy spiked club had a counterweight in her right arm at her back. Her weapon was pointing straight at the man¡¯s face. In response, Arioch grabbed the lower end of Morgenstern¡¯s hilt with his other hand and lifted the weapon above his head. His knees bent in preparation for the attack, even though there was still a good 70 meters between them. Even the audience held their breath as the countdown started. Not even because of the importance of this match, but because with every passing second the air around the two started to swirl more and more violently. Gray haze started to obscure Kwan¡¯s form while Arioch almost disappeared under the localized sandstorm of his own doing¡­ Chapter 127 – First bombs were fired. The reality of the situation - day three. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.13] Zeph found himself dumbfounded. In the first place, the obscuring effect of such magnitude shouldn¡¯t take place. Yet, he could barely see the forms of the two combatants. Kwan¡¯s surroundings were bathed in gray with a stray flash of electric discharge, but Mana shouldn¡¯t be visible to the naked eye. He observed similar effects only in a vastly higher Mana density ¨C like in the exhaust of Mana engines ¨C because only then the Magicules could destabilize and release their energy at mass, creating a perceivable light effect. Lucas had done something similar¡ªhe still remembered the red haze¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t even close in intensity. The sandstorm around Arioch was even more interesting. Manipulating physical matter required at least mediocre skill in Advanced Mana Manipulation ¨C something the warrior shouldn¡¯t be able to replicate. A wind-controlled sand cloud wouldn¡¯t form such a densely-packed twister around the man. Especially not when it was moving this fast, as most of the grains would be simply catapulted away because of the centrifugal force, which evidently wasn¡¯t happening. And the moving wall of sand was only increasing in thickness. It¡¯s their equipment, isn¡¯t it? Zeph asked himself, unable to believe everyone was holding back so much until now. My god¡­ am I going to fight a similar monster? he thought as cold sweat started covering his forehead. He only had one trick in his arsenal that could pretend to rival effects of such a magnitude. He calmed down quickly, though. He needed to see what they were capable of before making any judgment. The impressive display of power didn¡¯t mean they could freely manipulate and apply these forces. Kwan¡¯s knees bent before she jumped forward and literally flew at Arioch weapon-first. A deep gorge in the ground, accompanied by a shower of sand, was left behind as she accelerated. It brought to mind Aisha¡¯s charges but was bigger in scale and impact. The gray cloud compressed and moved to her back, stretching into an oblong shape. She touched the ground two more times, using the tops of the dunes to move through the air. Each step was marked with an explosion of silica dust. She was constantly accelerating, achieving ridiculous speeds by the time she reached her target. She thrusted her weapon into the dense, rolling wall of sand. The explosion of force that followed completely obliterated the twister while almost entirely stopping her forward momentum. The shockwave pushed all sand in a 3-meter radius away, creating a wide crater. For a moment, she was suspended in the air. Her body was curled and sideways as the pommel of her weapon was pressed against her tight, right in her center of mass. As she gracefully uncoiled and landed, the remnants of the floating sand started reforming into three much smaller cones a few meters away. Yet, the man was absent. In the center of the ex-tornado, a heavy-looking metal pole was standing instead. The twister hadn¡¯t been high ¨C merely five to six meters. Arioch couldn¡¯t possibly jump up, so she didn¡¯t waste her time and after a quick glance ahead immediately started pounding on the ground around the pole. Each hit was explosively shoving away a wheelbarrow¡¯s worth amount of sand. Whether Arioch was hiding below or not, she couldn¡¯t just ignore the obviously enchanted device of this size. The heavy contraption was stuck deep within the sands, but it took her only a few seconds to destabilize it. It was flung away with her last swing, easily dislodged from the dune by her blow despite its presumed weight. Suddenly the dune under her feet bloated before the whole thing erupted like a miniature volcano. Kwan was sent straight up into the air, along with literal tons of sand. Not seeing any indication of damage to her armor, Zeph assumed that she wasn¡¯t harmed. It seemed her decision to preemptively stop whatever Arioch was preparing was the correct one. The man himself jumped from under the sand just before the strange explosion took place. He was hiding under a shallow layer of sand a few meters ahead and to Kwan¡¯s right. Whatever force was released, it didn¡¯t seem to affect him much ¨C he jumped straight into the epicenter, yet he wasn¡¯t lifted more than half a meter into the air. Landing just under Kwan¡¯s airborne form, he took a sideway stance in preparation for a full-force swing. His Morgenstern gained a greenish shin as he pumped unknown Magicules into the oversized weapon. He was going to take advantage of Kwan¡¯s situation. She wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge. Kwan already changed her chaotic tumble into a controlled spin. It seemed she opted for a direct clash. Zeph was sure that she could use her Electro-Magicules to pull herself in the direction of the metal pole she had removed, but Arioch would probably catch up easily either way. He wasn¡¯t sure about the nature of the Magicules she was using. Especially because her enchantments seemed to amplify or supplement her Skills. But he already recognized that she was able to attract metal objects. Particularly, her weapons when saturated. On the other hand, she shouldn¡¯t be able to do that on vast distances¡­ and yet, he was almost certain she used just that to assist her acceleration during the charge moments ago. System Skills were the only option for that to work because she couldn¡¯t use Spells, while enchantments weren¡¯t able to project structured Mana that far. Or she just used an incomprehensible amount of Mana to manifest the effect, but that was a ridiculous notion. Even if it is possible for a strata-three enchantment powered by Manasolid, she wouldn¡¯t use that for a simple opening charge, Zeph thought with certainty. Then, he remembered the bloody smile that blossomed on her face every time she fought. He tilted his head. Right? His thoughts were quick, but the time for taking his guesses was coming to an end. He refocused on the match ¨C Kwan was reaching Arioch¡¯s weapon range. The discharge of electricity happened again, but the arcs seemed to actively avoid Arioch¡¯s armor and weapon. Kwan¡¯s club was pushed back and she hit the long shaft of her own weapon with her left shoulder as the momentum of her fall was stopped, then reversed. Her body was launched into the air once again, this time with visible dents on her armor and weapon. But the gray haze that was constantly following her didn¡¯t stop its downward movement. Like a downpour from a waterfall, it quickly cascaded over Arioch and filled his immediate surroundings. Before he could recover from his heavy swing, the air around him flared up. He was once again obscured by an elemental tornado, but this time it was made from electric currents instead of sand. It dispersed as quickly as it started in the accompaniment of a thundering shockwave that rolled over the dunes in an expanding circle. The widows of the audience¡¯s seats shook. The echo of the explosion of energy could be heard even from behind the airtight glass panels of the observation halls. The man was pushed to the ground, right into the liquified glass that had formed around the epicenter - most of the electricity grounded itself after a second, melting the sand. Even though he couldn¡¯t hear them, Zeph was sure the whole stadium was cheering loudly right now. It was probably the most amazing exchange in the whole Tournament. The image in the window zoomed out to show both combatants. They had difficulties standing up, though, so the image zoomed out even more to encompass the whole area to show the extent of destruction that had happened in the last half of a minute. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The fight was probably going on for less than that, but it was hard to believe because of how action-packed it seemed. Kwan rose to her feet first but paused after a few wonky paces. She quickly discarded her helmet, bent down, and started vomiting. The bright red color of the fluid didn¡¯t bode well. Arioch was trying to stand up, but every time he tried, he was landing back on his knees after taking a few stumbling steps. He stopped after the fourth try but managed to escape the smoldering bath. Despite being on all fours, his body was still wobbling from side to side as fat drops of blood started leaking through the openings in his helmet. Despite the small amount of blood and mostly undamaged armor, he seemed much worse for wear. The electric storm didn¡¯t touch him, it seemed, but Zeph could imagine the scope of internal damage the man received. The shockwave aside, high-energy magnetic fields were dangerous by themselves. Adding compatible Magicules and possible ferromagnetic materials to the mix was a recipe for a deadly weapon. I wonder how many Teslas she produced there¡­ he definitely received some serious brain damage. Concussion maybe? If any of them had used metal powder, it would have caused more harm to his body¡­ he analyzed, trying to know the scope of damage done. His helmet, or a mask beneath, should be airtight. He is either bleeding from his eyes and ears, or he has a full mask that was damaged. There is no way he doesn¡¯t have iron parts under that armor of his... That was another interesting fact. Despite looking like a proper steel armor, it definitely wasn¡¯t made from any metal. That, or it drastically changed behavior when saturated with a selected group of Magicules, but those were rare. Zeph started discussing this with P¡¯pfel, as there was a longer break in the action. Kwan was the first to get a hold of her body. She lost a lot of blood and was limping slightly, but something like that couldn¡¯t possibly stop her. Her bloodthirsty smile ¨C visible for a long moment before she reattached her helmet ¨C was the best proof of that fact. By the time she reached him, Arioch could keep himself straight if he was kneeling on one knee. He still wasn¡¯t able to stand for long but his weapon had a longer reach than Kwan¡¯s. The fight never regained its previous volatility. The two combatants seemed content to continue in a race-of-endurance fashion ¨C trying to wear the opponent down with the application of Magicule injections and active enchantments. Kwan was better geared in the latter, but Arioch¡¯s Magicule group seemed to cause much more internal damage. Both were causing constant force explosions and distortions of air near the points of impact. The terrain seemed unfavorable for them, as after the initial grand application of Mana, none had used any impressive attacks. And Zeph knew of at least one powerful enchantment in Kwan¡¯s possession. Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel confirmed his suspicions. It was unfortunate, but not much could be done with sand without specialized, sizable equipment. Even Arioch¡¯s pole didn¡¯t do much with it while clearly being geared towards soil in general. With time, it seemed that Arioch was gaining the upper hand. Despite receiving more hits, he blocked and deflected masterfully using every part of his armored body. He never lost balance for long ¨C always ready to counterbalance with his heavy weapon ¨C but being on his knees, he wasn¡¯t able to retaliate much. Kwan was actively avoiding his weapon, going as far as to strain her damaged body. But because of it, she was exhausting herself. Her breath became ragged, her movements slowing down considerably. She started taking short breaks by jumping back and unhurriedly circling the man, forcing him to awkwardly rotate to keep up with her. She tried a few times to run around and attack from behind but Arioch easily countered that by rotating with his wide swing, then directing the weapon¡¯s movement to above his head and spinning the Morgenstern horizontally to keep her away when regaining his balance. The spiked ball was connected to the shaft directly, so he could use it like a staff to some extent. In the end, running rounds around the man was nothing more than a waste of energy. Ten minutes after the start of the melee, Kwan seemed to be on her last legs. For some reason, she never changed her tactics. Just when it seemed like the result of the match was written in stone, Arioch did something unfathomable. He jumped at her in a half-tackle, half-strike. Kwan was slow to react but used the hit to push herself away, shielding her body with her bad arm while releasing the grip on her weapon. Even if she used something to better move with it, the hit was heavier than it looked and picked her off the ground. Thankfully, that allowed her to avoid being grappled. She rolled on the ground a few times before stopping on her knee, facing her opponent. Her club was already sliding on the sand in her direction ¨C the bulky modification on her right arm and the pulling mechanism finally found some use, even if a basic one. But the match ended before the weapon could reach her. Arioch was lying unresponsive on the ground ¨C right where he crashed after his messy attack. Part of his head was buried in the sand, his appendages comically tangled under his body. The light show started alongside the loud announcement. ¡°Landlord Arioch Chanlu knocked down! Medical team¡­¡± Kwan sighed visibly. Then, her body spasmed. She curled into a ball, hurriedly removing her helmet. Blood painted the sand in red once again¡­ ~~~ Despite the quick reaction of the medical team and even faster transport, Kwan was in a critical state. She was white as snow, her skin almost translucent. Pavail took her armor off with the help of her medical co-workers from their Guild. Shockingly, only a few bruises marked Kwan¡¯s pale skin ¨C mostly in the area of her left shoulder and the husk of her right arm. She had lost consciousness shortly after Arioch and never regained it. The initial diagnosis ¨C of the life-threatening internal injuries and extreme internal bleeding ¨C was grossly understating the reality of the situation. It took only a few seconds of examination for Pavail to start shouting orders all around in a slight panic. All of her internal organs were mutilated and on the brink of collapse. Zeph and the rest of their small group could only stand to the side and watch helplessly as the squad of medical experts started preparing for surgery. The only saving grace was the fact, that her opponent was in even worse condition. He was suffering from severe brain damage ¨C the fool fought despite the crippling wound, his own Magicules probably making it worse. They knew of his state because of the arbiter¡¯s announcement. Aisha left the room soon enough for her own fight. Her new armor unnoticed by everyone. Probably because it looked almost identical to the destroyed one. Zeph was walking in circles near the red curtain separating the operation table from the rest of the observation room. His thoughts flew at high speeds as he tried to find anything that could help. His knowledge of the anatomy of the Hannyajin was insufficient to try anything physical. His external Mana manipulation would do little good without any Skills related to healing¡­ or rather, operating on a living organism. He didn¡¯t even have basic stimulants, like adrenaline, if those would even work as intended for their race. His musings were interrupted abruptly by an announcement of Aisha¡¯s victory. That fast? he thought, turning abruptly to the window. Did she finish in one¡­ a woman in an opulent dress was standing across from Aisha with a raised hand. She yielded, probably as soon as the match started. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. ¡°You should try to focus. We don¡¯t know how much time you will have,¡± the giant said before patting him lightly and moving for the door. He was, of course, right. After Ghrughah it would be Makani, and then him. I should worry about myself. I can help Kwan right now¡­ he tried to convince himself while walking to the tables at the lowest tier of the floor. Sitting beside Makani in a comfortable armchair, he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He could forcefully stabilize his mind, but it was better to not reinforce bad habits. His emotions were important to him. If possible, he would rather deal with them the old-fashioned way. He had already pushed too much into the dark recesses of his mind by using forceful methods. ¡°Worried?¡± Makani quietly asked, looking into his glass of diluted wine. ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± Breath in¡­ Breath out¡­ ¡°I have faith in the capabilities of their bodies,¡± the Manacaster said with fake confidence. His frown only deepened, though. ¡°Kwan¡¯s brain isn¡¯t damaged¡­ too much. We can deliver her to the Shrine in time if everything else fails,¡± P¡¯pfel the professor cut in. ¡°We are prepared for it.¡± ¡°I really hope you are right,¡± Zeph said darkly. His body relaxed slightly despite that. He did trust P¡¯pfel to a great extent. ¡°So, we are going to use lethal forces from the get-go now¡­¡± he changed the topic slightly. ¡°It never registers until first serious wound, ain¡¯t it?¡± P¡¯pfel the wild said joylessly. ¡°How scary it can be¡­¡± ¡°Especially against Manacasters¡­¡± Zeph added, shivering at the memory of the Adeptus from the western forest. ¡°You are one yourself, though,¡± Makani noticed mirthfully. They chatted for a while. Aisha returned at some point, but stayed silent. She didn¡¯t sit down, instead leaning against the stair¡¯s handrail behind them, crossing her arms. Not long after, the combatants were delivered to the arena. All of the three men in the room started frowning, all at the same time. Ghrughah¡¯s already impressive armor was absolutely intimidating with all the modules that the giant had added to it. A big contraption on his back that looked like a grenade launcher in particular was very unsettling. But his opponent was wearing only simple, ornamental clothes. He didn¡¯t even have a weapon. Predictably, the man surrendered immediately after the match started. ¡°What kind of strategy is that?¡± P¡¯pfel asked, anger and worry mixed in his voice. ¡°You call that a strategy?¡± Makani asked incuriously. ¡°Maybe a strategy of not-antagonizing-half-of-the-major-factions-in-the-city¡­¡± Aisha suggested in a quiet but rough voice. They turned to her. Her face was covered by a shadow as she glared at the arena below. ¡°Or rather, amending-future-actions¡­¡± Chapter 127.5 – Short story – Great Grandma Turi. Harimun Tricity {Stratum 2} [Flauva continent], local time [235.06.15] ______________________ Over one and a half thousand years ago, in times when the System was still struggling to find its footing on Corora, a young lady decided to rebel and plow her own path into the future; disappointed with the state of the world she was living in. By no means was she poor. She stemmed from one of the most influential lineages on the Flauva continent. One that bowed down only before the emperor. The one that reigned supreme in the number of factories, mines, and production of luxury goods. One that was claiming ownership over the most advanced precision machines built in the Empire. And therein lay the issue. ______________________ The call for help from the lower strata was reverberating through the chambers of her mansion all day long. In recent years, first time in over 300 years, the plague escaped the confinements imposed on the infected on the lower strata. Her parents, her uncles and aunts, and all their peers knew the history. They understood the danger. Or, at least, she had thought so at the time. Yet, instead of acting when they could, all they did was debate. Debating over the profits and losses. Discussing the current political scene. Laying plans for long-lasting projects that were going to abate the issue¡­ only on paper. While their true goal stayed the same ¨C expansion, influence, and prestige. In other words ¨C the wealth. The fact that she was being shunned by her family didn¡¯t matter. As an illegitimate child, it was a thing one would expect. As a crossbreed ¨C miraculous as that was in itself ¨C even more so. Her mother loved her all the same or even more than appropriate, bravely standing against her own husband and the social pressure. Her short stature and disproportionate body, she called ¡®cute¡¯, ¡®priceless¡¯, or ¡®precious¡¯. It soothed Ellie¡¯s heart. It was all she needed to feel fulfilled in her life. It was what made her strong. So, no. Those things didn¡¯t matter to the young lady of the Lahalla household. Maybe it was because of her Gnome heritage. The race was known for its smarts. Maybe it was because of her dreams. Learning from the abstract images of what could be would influence anyone. Or maybe it was because of her rationality ¨C a thing she prided herself in. In any case, she was aware that she was different. That her brain worked differently. She was focusing on details omitted by the majority; she pondered on possibilities alien to others. Thus, Ellie couldn¡¯t even fathom the thought process of the people around her ¨C the people responsible for the safety and prosperity of the Empire. She noticed the danger early. The consequences of the Empire¡¯s inaction. She was learned, so it seemed obvious to her. Their civilization would die out without the support from the lower strata. Not only because of the economy, imported food, and ascending migrants. Her young mind noticed how the separation between the casts led straight into their dark past; how it would eat away all the advancements made from that time. The plague was developing. Without a countermeasure, without cooperation, the people would continue to be devoured, one group at a time. The knowledge of centuries, closely kept by those in its possession, would disappear along with them. And the plague would spread like wildfire. Even if didn¡¯t touch higher strata ¨C which was doubtful in itself ¨C it would mean the end of the civilization they knew. She was ridiculed. The 15 years of life experiences under her belt weren¡¯t enough to convince anyone. Their pride and their customs wouldn¡¯t allow that. She could advocate her case all she wanted, winning every dispute ¨C be it with her ¡®father¡¯ or any other influential member of her family ¨C but she was never taken seriously. Her reasoning ignored; her small voice left unheard. Not in the cacophony of the ¡®more important¡¯ matters. Not under the overwhelming, overblown self-assurance of her betters. Age and status mattered more than common sense, it seemed. And that was something she couldn¡¯t accept. <<<¡ª¡ª¡ª>>> Ellie walked hurriedly through the wide and empty halls of the capital¡¯s main temple. Her violet dress was fluttering wildly because of her improperly long steps. The sculptures depicting the old ascended deities passed in her peripheral vision but she paid them no mind ¨C an act that would cause her mother to have a heart attack, surely. But Ellie didn¡¯t care. Those¡­ beings were long gone. Dead, departed, or just silent. She wasn¡¯t going to pay her respects to the indifferent monuments of the past. And she was in a hurry. It may have been a blessing that she didn¡¯t have a guardian or a personal maid, but staying outside of the mansion for too long would be noticed. After a few minutes, she reached the newest section of the Temple, her destination visible at the end of the corridor. An overturned hourglass. A symbol of a new deity that decided to interfere in the matters of this world. One that was actively seeking believers. She stopped before the strange artwork, observing. The deities, especially those born from ascension, liked depictions of their old, humanoid forms. This one, though, was abstract. Alien. Hinting at something more than a simple ego directing their actions. Although, she couldn¡¯t tell what the symbol truly meant. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and put her hand on the glassy surface. She was going against her blood. Against the stipulations of the Lahalla¡¯s forefather. If they knew, her family would disown her. Threw her away like a trash. She couldn¡¯t care less at this point. She condensed an ounce of Mana in the hand touching the ¡®statue¡¯. This wasn¡¯t difficult, the next step would. She wasn¡¯t proficient in Mana injection ¨C another example of limiting the knowledge. And one that was most crucial. Because, from what she had learned, deities coveted their Mana. Pushing with all her mental force, the condensed orb of Mana flew forward, piercing her skin with great difficulty. A pitifully small amount reached the surface of the monument that was under her hand. Her hand tingled. She didn¡¯t know if that was enough, but she didn¡¯t have time. She closed her eyes. S??, I agree to commute, she sent a meditative thought with the next pulse. She was still forming and pushing new Mana orbs. Imbuing them with her intent was something she trained extensively. She just hoped it would reach the deity. She repeated the message over and over again. Sending her orbs as quickly as possible. Connection established. Initial donation received: [145.356263¡­] Mana units. , welcome to the augmenting network. Status updated: No augments available. Unlock new features by donating Mana. It was a success. The connection had formed, definitely. The cold, indifferent, unspoken words blossomed in her mind, just like the absolved knight had said it would. Her Mana was moving on its own now, she could feel it; seeping through her skin without her conscious effort if she allowed it. She ignored the voice. She now had a new God, so to say. Yet, it wasn¡¯t all she wanted. She wasn¡¯t satisfied. It wasn¡¯t why she was here. S?? our situation is dire¡­ S??, I want to fight, too¡­ S??, I want you to use my Mana¡­ The unspoken messages continued for a minute. There was no answer. Her Mana was depleting quickly. She started panicking, trying again and again to convince the strange being to her cause. Clenching her teeth in anger, she sent the last orb she was able to deliver. But this time, she packed all her raging emotions inside. The anger, the impatience, the disappointment, the feeling of being betrayed¡­ S??¡­ aren¡¯t you omniscient? I see now that you were lying! she accused with the last of her Mana. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Suddenly, the flow of Mana reversed. Her hand hurt, but she didn¡¯t dare to remove it from the monument. Something was happening, finally. That, we are. To an extent. The message was different this time. Alive, full of meaning. Ripe in information she couldn¡¯t process. She didn¡¯t try to send her Mana back anymore to communicate. It didn¡¯t seem necessary anymore. Instead, she imposed the meaning over the Mana that entered her body. A new pool that was almost as reactive to her thoughts as her own resource. I require assistance. Direct me. It will cost you. What are you seeking? A Master. A person who can help me change¡­ INFORMATION IS UNTOUCHABLE! She didn¡¯t bat an eye at the angry interruption. I have no value for you. You won¡¯t help. It was a statement, not a question. Direct me to someone who can help me introduce a change. With the plague on the rampage, you are only to lose. Let me change that! All I need is information. Not energy. Not power. Not assistance. Definitely not your augmentation! I can give what I have myself, but no more. She wasn¡¯t stupid or na?ve. She understood that help wasn¡¯t given for free. Even if their cooperation was for the better of both, she would set a precedence. Most importantly, she was sure this deity could achieve its goals without her. It just needed time. But it was speaking with her directly, just as she hoped. She still had a chance. Ellie understood, deep down, that their lives weren¡¯t valuable for higher beings. Even if that exact thought was an antithesis to her own morals. For how she saw the world. It was merely a fact. ¡­ A promising has been found. ¡®¡­They aren¡¯t going to budge on that part¡­ But it¡¯s good enough,¡¯ she thought to herself. The payment? Your memories. All of them. Some may be lost in the process. She hesitated. It was a risk. A huge one, because they didn¡¯t even state the probability of failure. Can you make a copy of my knowledge? Make it available for me? That, we can. Then, I don¡¯t care. Take what you want. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Dzyl Archipelago {Stratum 2} [Shattered remnants of the Eastern edge of Flauva continent], local time [235.06.26] The vehicle lurched, again, sending most of the mess in her cabin right at the wall. Ellie gripped her hammock for her dear life. It was swaying wildly but kept her from hitting the walls. ¡°Lanar!¡± she screamed in accusation, her high-pitched voice piercing through the wooden deck without a problem. She had almost managed to fall asleep. ¡°Sorry, princess!¡± A gruff voice replayed, muffed by the deck of her latest flying prototype. ¡°Your invention isn¡¯t perfect by any means! Far from it!¡± She could only grind her teeth at the remark. It was true that the vehicle wasn¡¯t tested in the open space, but the hot-air balloon encompassing the floating rock should give them more than enough stability. Best Sky Sailor in the seven cities? What a scam! she shouted internally. Truth be told, she wasn¡¯t that surprised. Gliders worked differently than her Nostro-eighteen. The man had to lean, and lean fast. She didn¡¯t have much time to ponder, though. Her small vessel lurched once again, this time sending everything up to the ceiling¡­ ______________________ Dzyl Archipelago was one of the most dangerous places for the gliders. The chaotic wind currents and unstable Mana density made for a challenge that only the most talented Sky Sailors braved. Those people were madmen in the eyes of the public. Poor men and women hungry for recognition and the Helmsman title. But the little princess didn¡¯t know about that. All the knowledge she had gained, she did through reading and studying. As one could expect, that alone wasn¡¯t enough to compensate for the reality. The fact that her ship was able to withstand the treacherous skies was more than Lanar hoped for. In fact, he already wrote down his testament. The lady paid enough for him to disregard his life ¨C his family would live long and prosperous lives whether he returned or not. ______________________ Ellie¡¯s feet touched the ground lightly. A perfect landing, if she was to say herself. The ship was too unstable to float around the small island. The upward currents sent them into the sky four times. If not for her improved chute, she wouldn¡¯t be able to descend. Lanar already left the premises. She gave him her blessing with the hope that he would reach the continent and propagate the new technology. Her technology. Flying vehicles weren¡¯t really a thing. Most of the existing models were dependent on the abilities of the user ¨C be it physical or elemental manipulation. Losing her prototype was a small price to pay for the possible development of future generations. And a small price to pay for Lanar¡¯s service. As for her family ¨C she had left her home already. There was no point in worrying about the reaction of her family or the servants. She didn¡¯t plan to come back. She could worry about escaping the island later. In the worst case, she could drift down to the lower stratum on her chute. Although, it would be a painful experience. She no longer could sustain her body in the lower Mana density. Sighing, she took in the view of the grass field lying before her. It looked idyllic. Calm and unperturbed. The island wasn¡¯t huge, maybe fifteen thousand steps in diameter. She frowned and double-checked the coordinates once again. S?? may have been meticulous, but she lacked the navigation knowledge to truly work out where her target was ¨C one of the reasons she hired a Sky Sailor. But still, she could look around for the landmarks. It was a difficult task with the settling sun, but the distances from the closest islands seemed to be correct. Still, her island remained empty. She walked through the high grass, searching for the invisible. <<<¡ª¡ª¡ª>>> Two days later, she was starving. The island was definitely the one pointed out by the deity. She had confirmed it more than dozens of times. The rations she brought ended. She had never planned for an extended exploration. At least, she had the water condenser. Drinking from it was mitigating her hunger pangs. I don¡¯t have time for this¡­ she came to the conclusion. Whether the Master was testing her, or she lost her way, didn¡¯t matter. She started digging. After moving some soil with difficulty, she met a hard, solid stone. The vegetation was very much in the way. Perfect, she thought seeing the solid underbelly. Wasting no time, she started to inscribe with her knife. A simple enchantment. She had no filler, but it was easy for her to just cover the indentions with a slab of stone and pump her Mana down the shaped paths. That should be enough for what she had planned. <<<¡ª¡ª¡ª>>> The island shook. The vibrations almost dislodged the bigger boulders from the bottom of the flying earthen plot of land. ¡°Hello!¡± a distorted voice of the young lady reverberated through the air. There was no answer, so she repeated her call. Then again, and again¡­ ¡°Stop shouting!¡± someone screamed from behind her, making her jump away involuntarily. She quickly turned to look at the¡­ Small kid? ¡°What?¡± the child asked with disgust written all over his face while clearing his earhole with his pinkie. ¡°Never saw an immortal?¡± ¡°A-apologize,¡± she bowed down. ¡°I meant no disrespect. I wa¡ª¡± ¡°Will you leave this place on your own volition,¡±¡ªthe kid interrupted¡ª¡°or should I send you back?¡± That stumped her momentarily. Looking up shyly, she knew she was an eyesore. Just like for the deities. ¡°I¡­ want to exchange goods¡­¡± she said quietly, never breaking the eye contact. ¡°Exchange?¡± The kid smirked. ¡°And what, pray tell me, do you want to trade with?¡± the kid asked, leaning forward. His long, white hair changed color to pink. A bad omen if she ever saw one. ¡°¡­I can draw you pictures. Depictions of what could be,¡± she answered truthfully. It was a gamble and the only thing she was talented in. And she saw quite impressive scenes in her dreams. Surely, one would intrigue the mysterious individual. The kid narrowed his eyes. He leaned forward even more, his way-too-slow breath brushing against Eillie¡¯s chicks. She didn¡¯t dare to move. But also, she didn¡¯t stop staring at him. She had a goal, after all. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± the boy mumbled to himself. He straightened up and cutely tilted his head. His hair changed to the color of the sky. ¡°You¡­ what do you want to draw?¡± ¡°Worlds,¡± she said simply, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. It was really difficult to explain what she could show him. The kid laughed. ¡°Worlds, she says. You better don¡¯t disappoint! Call me Deh for now. Be my guest. Your name?¡± A cottage materialized behind the kid. On the plot of land that she was sure that she checked multiple times before¡­ ¡°¡­Turi. My name is Ellie Turi.¡± <<<¡ª¡ª¡ª>>> Weeks passed. She drew a lot, but Ellie¡¯s masterpiece still wasn¡¯t finished. Not because she wasn¡¯t working on it. It was because every time she asked Deh about something, he showed her marvels of the world that she couldn¡¯t simply ignore. He never explained anything to her, though. Not yet. One thing was for sure, that person wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t matter if stayed here for a year or a hundred. Not for him. But she didn¡¯t have the time. She already prolonged her stay. She started working earnestly on her latest picture. What she had drawn wasn¡¯t exactly groundbreaking. It was a simple thing. A plot of land. A land worked by people. The dangers that it brought to them could be easily spotted in the background. Some were hidden, though. A suggestion here, a discoloring there¡­ a very delicate work. Possible catastrophic events were hidden under layers and layers of paint. Camouflaged in symbolism. Invisible to the naked eye. She had learned a few things about Deh in her time here. The man was living off of puzzles and mysteries. Be it of a physical, metaphysical, or intellectual nature. He never stopped; never got bored of them. He had a library full of riddles of any kind and not even one answer written down. He also didn¡¯t care about the Corora. That was obvious. She had asked him about the plague once¡­ His empty stare, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own ears, was humiliating enough. But he actually elaborated, which was much worse. ¡°You are asking a person from another world about the illness of yours¡­¡± he started, his tone indifferent, cold as a winter wind. ¡°All that when I can clearly see that your people have all the necessary tools to find out more about it and act against it¡­¡± ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t know¡­¡± she stuttered. Instead of answering, Deh looked at her unfinished art. ¡°I understand now¡­ That¡¯s what you meant by a change. An effort of one little being spamming the globe. One ultimately irrelevant¡­ or so one would think,¡± he paused, looking at the sky. It was obvious that he was deep in thought. ¡°We can¡¯t change that much¡­ Not all at once,¡± he finally said. Ellie¡¯s heart almost broke hearing those words. Nonetheless, Deh said ¡®we¡¯, not ¡®her¡¯. Her gaze turned to the small kid who seemed to blend with the surroundings every time she wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°But you can influence much further future¡­¡± his sharp gaze met hers. ¡°I can teach you what you want¡­ But first, finish that picture and show me the extent of your dreams. Don¡¯t disappoint me. And remember ¨C blind people are to be left blind.¡± <<<¡ª¡ª¡ª>>> The finished picture took Deh only a few seconds to decipher. Ellie was crestfallen but he berated her for that. Art, her art, the only thing she was proficient with¡­ touched upon more than mere feelings. It was a true vision. A complex one. Her Soul, unrefined as it was, was in sync with her previous lives. She could and would see more than normal people. She could and would interfere in situations that the future would bring ¨C with his help or without. And so, Ellie Turi started learning from Deh. Things she could never imagine. Advanced mathematics, slightly more convoluted physical mechanics, quantum physics, Manaless physics, Manacasting, biology and microbiology, Soul Arts, Mana manipulation in all its scope, and more. More, more, and more. A steam of knowledge that seemed unending. All that for the cheap price of her pictures, dreams, and memories. ______________________ Year 336. After a century of struggle, the Flauvarin Empire fell. Millions of lives were lost in the wake of the unstoppable plague. A tragedy on a scale not ever seen; not even on the stratum zero ¨C the plague¡¯s source. In the final moments of the dying realm, a flying fleet under the banner of an unnamed savior arrived, saving thousands of lives. The higher echelons of the Empire were abandoned, to never be heard from ever again. ______________________ Chapter 128 – Of a fight in the sky and meeting one’s fears… Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.13] Makani¡¯s floaty form was standing a hundred meters away from a tall man decked in black armor. The rough terrain of the rocky desert was mostly flat where they stood. Despite looking like a Sith impersonation, Makani¡¯s opponent didn¡¯t have any visible weapons on himself ¨C no sword nor any other equipment. But going by his impressive height, his armor was way too bulky for a normal, tall human. On the other hand, Makani¡¯s robes were uncharacteristically lively today. They billowed in an invisible updraft, fluttering like feathers. Only Zeph and company knew what he was hiding underneath. They stood straight, unmoving; gazes locked, hands down but at the ready. A dry gust of wind stirred up the dust; a tumbleweed crossed the path of their locked gazes. Late because of the equipment inspection, Aisha barged into the observation hall at full speed¡ªnot literally, thankfully¡ªright on time. The countdown reached zero and in a fraction of a second, two small air explosions displaced the sand around the combatants as they moved. The Guildmaster Ross Donavon had his hand directed at Makani, turbulent air currents ¨C the side effect of his attack ¨C flying to the sides and behind. A black blur that almost instantly reached Makani, missed. The still-advancing beam of distorted air near the Manacaster was the most probable culprit. That wave, repelling all sand in its wake, reached Donavon in the blink of an eye. There was no time to dodge; not after firing from his own weapon. Another small explosion of air took place ¨C a gentle one in comparison to the Heat Beam. Donavon was pushed back violently but managed to keep his balance. He stopped after taking four steps back as the Spell abated. The dust in the air was vibrating. Strange shapes started forming on the sand surrounding Makani, wiggling and morphing. He didn¡¯t move from his spot yet, ignoring how close the projectile was to hitting his torso. His hand was now outstretched in the direction of Donavon. The man didn¡¯t seem bothered, though. After regaining his footing, he lifted his arm again while positioning his body sideways. Another exchange, almost identical in nature. This time Makani fired his Spell earlier, pushing the projectile further away. The previously visibly vibrating particles of sand now seemed to move erratically in the air. They were still floating with the winds and slowly gravitated towards the ground, but something kept throwing them around. After recovering his balance, Donavon turned his body and aimed with both hands. But this time, he didn¡¯t fire immediately. As Makani¡¯s Spell hit again, he fought to keep his footing while waiting for it to wane. The sand and rocks around him were being pulled back along with him after he Anchored himself. But instead of weakening, the Magicule stream was gaining in power. The wind started flowing along with it ¨C the air sucked in and sped up. At the release point ¨C Donavon¡¯s body ¨C a small sandstorm started forming. After a second, he had to take his first step back. After two seconds, he started losing his balance. After three, he was already tumbling away. Makani¡¯s robes were fluttering wildly in the winds surrounding him. His body started floating in place. Strange shapes under Makani¡¯s feet stopped morphing and instead started expanding. The sandy soil leading to Donavon¡¯s body was wiggling like worms despite the strong wind buffeting it from above. There was a moment of stillness in the fight ¨C only the winds and sand moving around ¨C but it didn¡¯t last long. An implosion took place at Donavon¡¯s position. Then another one and, suddenly, the stream started parting as the air around him stagnated. His black form emerged from the curtain of sand and dust falling back to the ground in his vicinity. Long cracks filled with sand dust were decorating his once-pristine armor. Zeph could only imagine how much of a surprise that was for the audience. The effectiveness of resonating sound attacks was a marvel if done correctly. But that was also a signal for Donavon to cease this ranged exchange. Angry, red symbols flared with light all around his armor. With an explosion of force, he jumped a dozen meters into the air. Instead of redirecting the Beam, Makani stopped the Spell and immediately shot upwards himself ¨C the direction of winds reversed as he started sucking back all of his Mana that he could to strengthen the updraft ¨Cwhile fueling his enchanted robes. He did that just in time, as when Donavon¡¯s velocity started dropping when he neared the apex of his ascend, he sent a barrage of projectiles using both arms. The weapons were hidden inside the armguards of his armor and the compartments started heating up quickly. The rate of fire could be compared to a skillfully employed revolver, but it was evident that the man¡¯s accuracy dropped drastically. After the first projectiles missed their target, he quickly corrected his aim. But Makani already started moving in an erratic spiral to dodge ¨C all the while focusing on a construct between his hands. The barrage lasted for a good two seconds. Some ¡®bullets¡¯ were close to hitting but, in the end, were deflected by whatever construct Makani managed to employ around himself in the short time. Donavon stopped firing, his armguards were red hot and he already started falling. His suit flared with power again, producing chaotic jets of air near his legs and back. It catapulted his body forward and up. The armguards were completely cooled down after the two seconds of acceleration. After another second, he and the Manacaster were almost at the same altitude. And much closer. Makani was hugging something invisible to his chest using both arms. Seeing that Donavon was closing distance fast, he catapulted himself in his direction and above the man, producing a series of localized air explosions behind his back that propelled his body. Donavon was already sending another barrage when Makani finally straightened his arms in the direction of the man. His forearms were kept parallel, but his straightened palms pointed slightly outwards. The Guildmaster wasn¡¯t inexperienced. He instantly recognized that something dangerous was coming up. He tried to decrease the distance to some extent to gain an advantage, but the Manacaster obviously wanted him to do just that. He abruptly stopped shooting and crossed his arms, grabbing his shoulder pads. His armor flared in a golden light and a huge part of it ¨C starting from the pads and ending at his lower back ¨C separated. The light intensified and¡ªjust as Makani¡¯s Spell manifested¡ªan explosion of force took place, sending the fragmented part of the armor up at the Manacaster and Donavon down at an angle. His armor was still alight with golden shapes as he was descending. But he didn¡¯t manage to escape in time. Or rather, escape wasn¡¯t an option in the first place. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. A sphere of condensed vapor erupted outwards with Makani at the center, expanding in a blink of an eye before reaching the ground. The attack was focused ¨C the densest, bottom part of the sphere rolled over Donavon and hit the land with enough force to make it flex, burst, and blow up. A white circle marking the face of the shockwave continued its blistering expansion on the ground level even after the vapor sphere above dispersed, bringing destruction in its wake. Rocks cracked, boulders were tossed away, vegetation bent impossibly¡­ When it reached the walls of the stadium, everything shook, and a thundering sound reverberated in the observation hall. The discarded part of the armor was pushed back before it shattered midair and exploded impotently into a dark green cloud. Donavon¡¯s form was thrown towards the ground ¨C his armor broken and crumbling away. When he hit the hard, rocky terrain in a cascade of falling debris, the match ended with all its colorful glory. It wasn¡¯t the end of the spectacle, though. Makani seemed unconscious ¨C tumbling through the air like an opened balloon. Something in his gear broke. He was being tossed around by randomly activating enchantments and random jets of air. He broke through the green cloud, tumbled in the air some more, and finally crashed into a big boulder. Everyone sucked the air through their teeth seeing that. That had to hurt¡­ Zeph wasn¡¯t any different, his face contorted involuntarily. At least the safety mechanism didn¡¯t flare up¡­ ~~~ Makani was conscious when he was brought back, but his health was deteriorating rapidly. Pavail didn¡¯t need more than one look to know what was happening. ¡°Parasitic, mutated fungi. Soul-linkable. Non-lethal kind,¡± she gave her diagnosis even before the two medics put the litter with the patient on the table. ¡°P¡¯pfel!¡± she called, turning around. ¡°On it,¡± The Gremling confirmed, already trotting to his alchemical station. Everyone else moved closer, seeing as Makani wasn¡¯t in any mortal danger for now. His helmet was removed long ago by the stadium medics. A broken nose, lost teeth or two, and an ugly bruise covering the right side of his face¡­ It looked painful. But what truly mattered was a blueish rash dotting his skin. The Manacaster was already pumped with anesthetics, so Zeph was a little surprised by his hard grimace. At least, until he heard his soft mumbling. ¡°¡­even after that¡­ useless¡­¡± ¡°Oh, do I hear the sounds of a broken masculine ego?¡± Aisha asked mirthfully as they stopped by his bed. Makani opened his one good eye to glare at her. ¡°Merchant¡¯s ego, if any. Donavon wasn¡¯t dealt with by my attack but by the ground¡­¡± He was speaking nasally and with some difficulty. ¡°Were you always this bloodthirsty?¡± Kwan asked with a faked surprise. ¡°Who would have thought you would want him dead so badly¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with me! I¡¯ve used most of the medium, pure Manasolid on that attack! And it didn¡¯t even do its job! Do you know how much did it cost us?¡± His outburst managed to somehow unlock some airway through his nose, but also started a profuse bleeding. Pavail frowned seeing that, then shrugged. She grabbed his flattened nose and ¨C with one quick movement of her wrist ¨C put it right in its place in the accompaniment of a slightly sickening crunch of cartilage and bones. Makani yelped, more from surprise and sound than any pain. ¡°If you are going to be this lively, we should speed up your treatment a little,¡± she announced indifferently. ¡°Ugh, I will stay still for now¡­¡± he said, covering his nose with a hand and touching it delicately to check what just happened. ¡°His armor was designed to counter air shockwaves and vibrations,¡± Ghrughah cut in, returning to the topic. ¡°It simply served its purpose. It¡¯s already a surprise you managed to demolish it completely.¡± Makani groaned but couldn¡¯t retort. He didn¡¯t have a good alternative for that Spell of his for the simple fact that none other could work with that amount and density of Mana. The Tier of Enchantments and Spells wasn¡¯t directly related to that capability ¨C special variants had to be made, especially because the Mana from Manasolid wasn¡¯t his to direct freely. In the case of the enchantments, P¡¯pfel didn¡¯t have many options ¨C mostly enchantments utilizing Force-Mana. But even then, Makani couldn¡¯t bring more equipment to the field if he wanted to be able to glide in the air. Also, the materials able to work with this caliber of Manasolids were at least of a class of stratum-one, which would add to the costs even more. ¡°You need to teach me that Spell someday,¡± Zeph said, curious about how it could work on, basically, pure Ambient Mana. ¡°Anyway, we better prepare,¡± he turned to Aisha. She shrugged. ¡°Ready where you are. I have nothing to report from the previous examinations. Well,¡± she glanced at Ghrughah,¡± it¡¯s not like they brought anything interesting for the two of us¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They gathered Zeph¡¯s equipment and left, leaving the grumpy Manacaster and his bantering entourage behind. In silence, they descended to the examination hall. They were early, so his equipment was sorted out in quick order. He brought a set similar to the one on the first day ¨C some explosives of different kinds, his spear, backup weapons in the form of a few knives, and some auxiliary equipment. The only major difference was a heavy, armored backpack that was already saturated fully with his Mana-L. It had a tube with a diameter of almost ten centimeters attached to the side. The tube was elastic and movable, sticking out from behind his right shoulder for easy access ¨C he could reach it with his good, right hand with no problems. Besides that, the enchantments on his armor were slightly different this time ¨C prepared mostly for defense. He didn¡¯t need Mana obfuscation effects anymore. Most probably, at least. He put on everything and moved to the side to wait with Aisha for his opponent. A few minutes later, the Landlord entered the hall. He was wearing a simple gray armor. It had many armored compartments affixed to accessible places. He seemed to use a small shield and a straight sword as his main weapons, but was also geared with a spear. Besides that, he brought one of the ¡®jetpacks¡¯ that Zeph saw earlier in the Duels. The man¡¯s face was young. If they were on Earth, Zeph would place him at around twenty years. Cleanly shaved with short but stylized dirty-blond hair, golden eyes, and a handsome face. He greeted everyone by name, giving them a nod and a good-natured smile. ¡°I¡¯m Landlord Hale Jaekandu Lurona-Kazotalo Dugan,¡± he finally announced with a graceful bow. Turning to Aisha, he started placing his equipment on the table. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be examined by Leilucia¡¯s High Priestess,¡± he started, using an honorific that didn¡¯t exist in reality. ¡°Especially one with such far-reaching fame. It would please our family greatly if a meeting could be staged after the unpleasantries of this day. The¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I understand. Our official channels aren¡¯t up to par,¡± she interjected with an indifferent tone, lifting his sword up. ¡°No, no. You jest, my lady. It¡¯s merely a simple invitation for a small talk¡­¡± Zeph tuned the man out. He was rubbing him the wrong way. In his eyes, the gibberish coming out of the man¡¯s mouth was worth as much as a professional salesman¡¯s spiel. Instead, he focused on helping Gru. Direct contact between his Mana and the items was necessary to asses if anything was alive or held a Soul. Especially if it could become dormant. The inspection continued for a few minutes, Jaekandu filling the empty space with the sound of his empty words. The stadium workers were processing the items right after Aisha was finished with them to speed up the process. Gre¡­ came the conclusion from Gru after the last item was handed over to the stadium examiners. That¡¯s not ominous at all¡­ Zeph sent back. They found nothing. Not even a trace of anything suspicious. And the man¡¯s Soul looked absolutely ordinary under their casual scrutiny. Aisha also didn¡¯t react to anything; didn¡¯t signal that anything was or could be wrong. ¡°We are done. Please put your equipment on and come closer,¡± the old man in robes declared. After a minute, Zeph was face-to-face with his opponent. The man, for once, had a serious expression. Their declarations were said without hitch. Zeph couldn¡¯t feel any malicious intent from Jaekandu; saw nothing of the sort in his gaze. Somehow, that made him even more worried. After a short farewell, Aisha sped out of the room and the two left for the moving platforms. During the ride down, Zeph was already producing his coolant. He kept it close to better insulate it with Mana-L and Telekinesis construct, and because even when released, it wouldn¡¯t harm him. The temperature of the air was high enough, and the ground wasn¡¯t frozen here. As was previously agreed, they were going to be placed in the forest area. The trees here were sparse and relatively small, but the higher ones weren¡¯t that far away. It wasn¡¯t the best terrain for Zeph ¨C what with his disabled arm and lack of vertical mobility ¨C but he accepted anyway. The cover was better than in other types of terrain and he could play that to his advantage. His detection abilities could shine in such an environment. The platform touched the ground and he started walking. The forest was eerily quiet, as many of the critters left the area. The stadium¡¯s audience was hidden behind the thick glass of their rooms and halls, too, so all he could hear was his own breath and pumping heart. That¡¯s why he almost jumped out of his skin as a high-pitched giggle reverberated in his ears. The laughter sounded familiar. Eerily familiar. He stumbled just when leaving the platform, his head already swiveling right and left in search of the source of the voice. Finding his balance, he involuntarily took a defensive stance and started fervently turning all around like a startled animal. He couldn¡¯t find anyone else. Jaekandu¡¯s platform hasn¡¯t arrived yet. The sudden injection of adrenaline caused his heart to pump fast and heavily as his whole body was put into a state of high alert. Cold sweat covered his face in seconds. Gru¡­ did you hear something? he sent to his companion, swallowing loudly. Gre? Confused, it asked back¡­ Chapter 129 – The Duel and an otherworldly touch. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.13] Zeph¡¯s thoughts were still in complete disarray when Jaekandu landed ¨C his mind struggling to process his situation and the sudden flood of emotions. The trauma, born partially from someone else¡¯s memories, was still well and alive within him. He wasn¡¯t ready for it to awaken so abruptly. Even when the man started speaking¡ªloud enough to be heard from a distance of almost 60 meters¡ªhe didn¡¯t register a word. Or the fact that he could hear him clearly. But the white tetrahedron didn¡¯t materialize. There was no proof that what he heard was real. That reasoning wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from scanning every centimeter of the surrounding forest on a fool¡¯s errand, though. GRuuuum! his companion screamed into his mind, making him flinch. He refocused. The countdown had started. Oh, shit¡­ In a slight panic, he mentally checked his constructs and the coolant. Thankfully, he managed to keep them together subconsciously. By now, those Spells and Mana Manipulation were ingrained in his mind, naturally becoming a part of his fight-or-flight response. One of the reasons he ventured outside the city with Makani to train. He focused and, with a healthy dose of Will, stabilized his mind forcefully. He didn¡¯t have time to work out his emotions¡ªor this whole situation, for that matter¡ªso bending some of the self-imposed rules wasn¡¯t a big deal. He was now in a Duel. A fight that could end his life or, most possibly, harm him for life. While that allowed him to regain his calm, he still frowned. The effects weren¡¯t as clean as he would have liked. He understood why, but it was still a hard pill to swallow. Mind stabilization merely forced his brain to return to a state balanced between his body, Will, and Soul. If all three were turbulent, if all three were influenced by the events playing out around, the technique could only do this much. But it was enough to put him back in a fighting condition and that¡¯s what mattered the most. Should I surrender here and now? he considered. His eyes were still involuntarily moving around, looking for the hidden adversary. If that was a mind trick or an illusion¡­ I would make a fool of myself, but¡­ He didn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t know if illusions were a thing on Corora. Mind-affecting Spells and abilities, he knew about ¨C mostly thanks to Aisha. Those were rare and obvious, though. Not something allowed in the Tournament. Only Soul Arts could bypass the arbiters, but Gru hadn¡¯t reported anything yet. No¡­ that leads nowhere. If illusions, or any kind of mental stirring for that matter, was in play, the arbiters or one of the two of us would notice¡­ But if that¡¯s the case¡­ He swallowed loudly. It meant that he was out of order. Hearing voices in one¡¯s head was never a good sign. Especially if there was a possibility of them being real¡­ He shook his head. It was not the time to think. The countdown was reaching zero, and he wasn¡¯t prepared. He finished constructing the last part of a Heat Beam in preparation while stiffening his Veil. His Will-Magicules inside would have to suffice as a defense and early-detection mechanism. I will fight¡­ until something similar happens again. Gru! Grau? Full shield on my Soul. Grum? Yes, use your Profession¡¯s Skills. I don¡¯t care about the side effects anymore. Gra! A cold shiver ran down his spine as Gru activated the main Skill of his Shepherd Profession. The Mana lash was already unpleasant, but together with the Soul counterpart, it made for a truly traumatizing experience. Thankfully, Zeph could mitigate it with mind stabilization. Sadly, Gru wasn¡¯t able to use more than one major Skill at a time. He still didn¡¯t have any real Mana capacity, so he had to game the system and use Veil invocation (as he liked to call the technique) and force the Skill¡¯s construct outside of his body. Zeph closed the newly-created gap of Mana near his chest. He could vividly feel where Gru¡¯s Veil was stationed by now, and it just shrunk to the size of his fist. The release channel for Gru¡¯s Mana would have to suffice ¨C the thing was stemming from Gru¡¯s eye stalk on Zeph¡¯s shoulder and lead upwards to not interfere with Zeph¡¯s AMC. Of course, AMC was disabled right now, but they decided to keep the channel going like that whether he was using it or not. Mostly because Zeph needed to activate AMC before using Mana Rupture, which could happen anytime. Not to mention other possible Veil shenanigans. The match started, yet his opponent didn¡¯t move. The arrogant Landlord probably wanted to show off. Zeph wasn¡¯t going to attack with his main weapon just yet, though. It would be too obvious. Zeph slotted the missing part into the Heat Beam construct. The stream of Magicules hit the target square in the chest, but the effect wasn¡¯t right. Besides the explosion of air in the wake of the Beam and a second one at the target¡¯s location, nothing else happened. The man didn¡¯t even try to dodge; he was still standing where he was. Zeph could see that his eyes were smiling. It dispersed? No¡­ he analyzed, taking a step back. The explosion was too weak and the armor wasn¡¯t affected¡­ it broke apart¡­ He could tell from the feeling the Mana returned. It pushed through something dense before immediately disconnecting after making contact with that armor ¨C as if hitting an impenetrable wall. It took him a second, but he recognized the effect thanks to Ghrughah¡¯s teachings and the glaring absence of the man¡¯s Veil. The dense Mana surrounding him was no Mana-X, it was Ambient Mana. The material of that armor had to be, at least, of a class of stratum-two, and mostly saturated. Which meant that a Manasolid must have been in use to saturate it and make it stable. The resulting leakage¡ªprobably directed outwards by Mana-resistant padding¡ªwould form the dense Mana column around Jaekandu. Or rather, a Mana updraft. Zeph¡¯s Heat Beam would amount to a small breeze before such an enormous amount of Mana. Or is he? Zeph asked himself, eyeing the compartments affixed to Jaekandu¡¯s armor. If he has a Manasolid there¡­ where is it? It was impossible to keep it stable without the compression box. If the Landlord was keeping it as is in one of the compartments, it wouldn¡¯t last. At best, his armor would eat up the slowly released Mana, but the rate would fluctuate wildly. Either way, it would explain why the armor didn¡¯t crumble from the explosion and didn¡¯t rise in temperature from my Magicules, he thought, dispersing other Mana constructs he was preparing. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The structure of the higher-stratum metal was different. The space between atoms was much more, as the internal structure adapted to accommodate a larger Mana flow that would naturally form pseudo-atomic bonding forces. Such material would be fragile in lower Mana densities¡­ or dense enough to beat the tungsten. It depended on the nature of the material. Jaekandu started walking forward. Slowly, deliberately, but with grace. Zeph understood. It¡¯s light¡­ Not good. why am I fighting with a guy decked in a stratum-two full armor? Isn¡¯t it unfair? He thought before turning around and running. As he ran, in his Veil, he started to construct Lesser Life Detection, Magnetic Scan, and Tremor Detection. All three possessed a similar component ¨C a fold responsible for sending his Mana out. Thanks to that, he was able to start working on all three Spells at the same time by starting the manifold construction. He was going to abuse the terrain to hide, but Gru brought bad news. Grau?! It sent, concentrated. What do you mean? Gram Grrrou¡­ Zeph paled. Soul tracing? I thought it¡¯s impossible for them! he thought to himself. Did you manage to shield us? He asked in a slight panic. Gra¡­ it sent back begrudgingly. Zeph sighed in relief. As much as the current situation irritated Gru, they were safe. Gru didn¡¯t like the fact that he needed the help of his Skills to block the Soul tracing attack, but it didn¡¯t matter for Zeph. Soon, they lost their pursuer. A few dozen steps into the forest and the vegetation gave them cover. Zeph could hear the jetpack coming alive somewhere behind ¨C the thing wasn¡¯t silent at all when used with high output. It seemed that Jaekandu was late for the update and didn¡¯t notice right away that his Soul tracing was rendered ineffective. Moving in a wide circle, Zeph slowed down and started applying his detection Spells. His behavior may look cowardly, but he was no knight. And he wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere near that unholy Mana spring of an armor. Who knows what it¡¯s enchanted with, he reasoned. I hope you get Mana poisoning from this, he cursed the man in his mind while applying Mana Masking. Thanks to that blasted armor, Zeph was theoretically safe from Mana-based detection¡ªsmall mercies¡ªbut it was better to be prepared for everything. To be able to use the armor, Jaekandu had to give up on his Veil. It was a huge disadvantage, as now he could only use internal Skills and activate enchantments only by touch. Additionally, Magicules from a weak enchantment wouldn¡¯t even cross the Mana updraft surrounding him. Zeph applied a few vials of alchemical paint as he skulked through the woods. A few splashes of green and black were enough to camouflage him, complementing the natural coloration of his armor ¨C the dark, patchy shades of brown dotted with streaks of gold. His armored backpack was already painted in the same colors, so he could paint everything in one go. After a short deliberation, he also discarded his spear. It wouldn¡¯t be useful in those circumstances and was unwieldy. Although, he took the scabbard with him. The game of hide-and-seek ensued. Zeph made sure to stay at a safe distance at all times, but because Jaekandu had better mobility with his jetpack, a few close calls happened. Thankfully, Jaekandu was searching high and low, so despite passing him a few times, he didn¡¯t notice his camouflaged form hugging the ground below the bushes. Zeph¡¯s Life-detection Spells were useless because of the wall of Mana radiating from the armor, but his Magnetic scan was returning a very strong and clear signal. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, as the Spell depended more on interaction with magnetic fields than direct Mana contact. The Tremor Detection would be more useful if the man decided to descend to the ground, so he kept the stabilized, unfinished construct at the ready. Finally, after a few minutes of unfruitful search, Jaekandu stopped flying blindly through the canopy. Instead, he spent around a minute in one location before moving to the next, roughly 20 meters away. Zeph breathed out in relief. After observing the man for a minute, he started stalking him while trying to predict his movements and plot his route. Zeph was cautious and kept his distance, especially at the beginning. If Jaekandu landed too close, he could only count on his Mana Masking hiding him from whatever detection method the man was using. Being found now would complicate things. The area was rich in shrubbery and low branches, giving him better cover but impacting his movement speed. At least he didn¡¯t have to try to be silent ¨C the jetpack was covering for him on that front. It took him a long 15 minutes to succeed and take a spot in advance ¨C before the man reached his range. Jaekandu landed 30 meters away. The canopy was thinner here, but Zeph was hidden behind dense vegetation and a slight decline of the land. He reached for the tube on his back and pulled it into position above his shoulder. The flexible material easily unfurled along its length and bent under his guidance. Kneeling, he took aim at a steep angle ¨C the contraption worked more like a mortar than a handheld rocket launcher. He pulled the first trigger three times. He could hear the soft sound of glass balls landing in the chamber inside his backpack. Concentrating, he reached through his Veil and started activating the enchantments etched inside glass occupying a quarter of each sphere. The shells were already saturated with his Mana-L, so the stabilization effect would take place spontaneously. All he needed to do, was to add Mana flow to the enchanted traces and manually shape the resulting Telekinesis Spells inside; the rest worked automatically. It took maybe two seconds. Then, he started fueling the backpack with his coolant through a special hole on the top. The device started whirring imperceptibly. It was compressing the coolant and the air before transferring them into the empty part of the glass shells. After three seconds, a silent click could be heard and the machine halted. The shells were primed. Confirming Jaekandu¡¯s position with the help of Magnetic Scan once again, he started adjusting the power by turning a ring on the tube. The black, thin thread in the sights started changing shape and direction slightly. Finally, content with the settings, he took a deep breath. And pulled the second trigger. With a hollow sound of expanding air, the first glass sphere was fired. It flew soundlessly in a high, parabolic trajectory, disappearing behind the low branches of the nearby trees. Not waiting for it to land, He pulled the trigger two more times in quick succession, making minimal adjustments to his aim. Then, he started turning to run the hell out of here¡­ ______________________ The later reports were describing what happened in excruciating detail. The incendiary shells weren¡¯t fully tested. They couldn¡¯t, not inside the city and mere hours before the Tournament. It was the latest creation of the Sepia Familia Guild and Zeph could only train beforehand with the empty shells. A quarter of each shell was filled with magnesium powder, along with a small compartment containing water. An ignition enchantment was prepared to activate half a second after the glass would lose integrity. Burning magnesium. The fire with a temperature of over 3000 Celsius degrees, surrounded by the best, known thermal conductor ¨C Zeph¡¯s coolant ¨C and further enhanced by the hydrogen-producing reaction with water¡­ Exceptional incendiary effectiveness was expected. Yet, in Mana environments, all high-energy reactions behaved unpredictably. Half a second after the first bomb broke near Jaekandu, the surface of every object within a 5-meter radius evaporated and most of the Ambient Mana instantly destabilized and released its energy. The secondary, blazing explosion shook the forest to its roots. The Mana coating Jaekandu¡¯s form was destabilized and dispersed, but the armor held. Sadly, the chain reaction had already started. Two more shells activated midair almost at the same time, triggered by the burst of the first one. This time, there wasn¡¯t enough Mana in the vicinity to enhance the explosions, and the air was already superheated and expanding. Thus, enough coolant made contact with the airborne Jaekandu. The exceptional incendiary properties took effect, just like the creators had planned. Before the man was thrown out of the range of the inferno, the surface of his armor was already melting away. The blazing heat of the ball of fire formed a mushroom cloud of smoke and hot gases that rose to the stadium¡¯s barrier-like roof, casting a deep shadow over the whole arena. The devastation brought to Jaekandu¡¯s body and the surroundings was so great, that the weapon was banned from use in the whole Lurona City. But the reports also included another, important detail. Jaekandu¡¯s last-resort weapon activated automatically after he sustained this much damage and¡ªas if possessing a mind of its own¡ªconsumed the Manasolid¡­ ______________________ Zeph didn¡¯t manage to even fully turn before the shockwave threw him at the nearby tree. It wasn¡¯t something he could expect. Even the most daring predictions they had made couldn¡¯t prepare him for the scale of the effect. But before his body fell back to the ground, a powerful wave of Mana rolled over him. Gru vibrated in alarm, screaming at him to brace himself. Still in a daze, he couldn¡¯t react even if wanted to. A moment later, something phased right through Gru¡¯s protective layer shielding his Soul and embedded itself right inside his ethereal body. His mind and Soul recoiled involuntarily as flecks of Nether energy flickered to live right inside of him. His Will was already surging to the place. To contain, purge, and protect. To help with the pain¡­ But there was no pain. With a gentle touch of something frighteningly foreign, his mind dived straight into blackness¡­ Chapter 130 – Extraterrestrial. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.??] Darkness. On the border between dreams and oblivion, something stirred. In the timeless space of a mind aborted. A smidge of a white static interposing over the endless void was evidence enough ¨C an awareness had awoken. The static discoloration was eerily distorting its perception, even when subdued, replacing the patches of darkness in random flashes ¨C as if trying to deny nonexistence. Something, whatever it was, was perceiving a place impossible. It had time while it shouldn¡¯t. It could see without eyes, although, only nothingness was filling this place. A nothingness that one could touch. None should exist in space defined by the lack of existence. Yet, the awareness understood ¨C it was an outliner. Because it was. The space was infinitesimal, yet infinite in nature. The smallest of things to touch, yet as big as a planet at the same time. A feeling he almost forgot. A feeling that was indescribable. One of the rare experiences that he remembered from the time when he was a child. It accompanied him daily back then, but it was something the adults couldn¡¯t understand. Even when he asked to solve this obvious paradox happening in his mind, he was ridiculed at best and disregarded entirely at worst. Because, how can you explain an existence of an object, imaginary or not, that feels small and, at the same time, as large as a house? The awareness froze in its wake suddenly, noticing that this¡­ train of thought¡­ wasn¡¯t a part of the universe surrounding him. It also wasn¡¯t a part of him a moment ago. It thought that it understood what had happened, though. It used memories. Or maybe, received memories? Regained memories? Created memories? Memories of a person that he was. The context of its being widened; the white static intensified. He could finally confirm that he didn¡¯t exist only in this emptiness! Wasn¡¯t a child of it. There was more to him! It focused on the alien information cascading from an unknown place. It stayed silent, waiting patiently. As so, it relaxed, just as it was before. There was no reason to pursue the elusive thoughts. They would come when they were ready, just as a moment ago. And, surely, they did. After the awareness remembered about them, the static expanded and other dimensions raised: a whisper of a sound, a lick of a touch, a whiff of a smell¡­ With its newly-found curiosity, it waited for more to come. And, soon enough, more memories were flooding in. It took time. But the awareness wasn¡¯t privy to that concept just yet. All it knew, was the fact that time should exist. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be able to proceed and¡­ exist. Another paradox that flew over its head. The timeless space with time? Not interested. ~~~ Slowly but surely. Piece by piece. Zeph Einar started reforming his being from the fragments arriving. What am I again? he asked himself, constructing a first coherent thought in a language he didn¡¯t know the name of yet. He couldn¡¯t feel his body nor his Soul, but he knew they should be here. That¡¯s not an afterlife, for sure¡­ He would suspect he was made of Will at the moment, if not for the fact that it couldn¡¯t sustain a mind. He knew because once in the past he tried testing it. The thing was just not made to compute, in any way or form. Then again¡­. I am, he realized with dread. ~~~ The reconstruction was finished, he was sure. The stream of memories had stopped some time ago. Although, from what he now understood, his existence was still an impossibility. Even after recognizing the blackness for what it was ¨C the Nether space ¨C he couldn¡¯t find even a piece of his Soul. Strangely, he was horrendously calm despite that. He couldn¡¯t find it in himself ¨C the emotions that he knew should surface. No surprise. No anger. No anxiety. Nothing. Merely, a calm calculating mind that had no place to be. Whether it meant that he was dead, dying, or a construct that copied the original, it didn¡¯t matter much to him. There were, of course, other possibilities but none of them were sound according to the knowledge he had regained. Also, no Soul meant no System. It was the strangest of things ¨C operating without System-granted Passive Enhancements. And not because they were simply absent, but because the cornerstone ¨C his Soul ¨C didn¡¯t exist here. The clarity of thoughts was lost, as was the near-perfect memory. Intuition and other small voices in his head be damned, but he felt like an eight-year-old child without his brain reinforcing his memory by drawing from his Soul directly. He couldn¡¯t even remember how to properly extract agarose ¨C the basic of the basics in his old line of education and work on Earth. So many things were lost to him right now that he didn¡¯t feel whole as a being. The fact that he didn¡¯t have a body didn¡¯t help, too. From what he could tell, his awareness was just that ¨C an ephemeral emanation without an anchor. Initially, he thought he was like a bead of light, or maybe even a humanoid-shaped gaseous cloud. But he quickly learned that no such thing took place. There was only the endless blackness, the white noise discharging randomly all around, and him to witness all of that gloomy glory. Time was relative, he knew. Especially because of the lack of points of reference. He couldn¡¯t know how much time have passed. Yet, he felt it was too long. The¡­ reconstruction of his being took ages in his mind¡¯s eye. Or rather, in the emulation of a mind that he was, as he didn¡¯t have a brain. How am I even processing things? He wondered wordlessly, scanning the void for the umpteenth time. Aisha said that even high Undead required dedicated structures in their Soul to be able to process information a body¡­ And I have nothing. Literally¡­ After reflecting for a moment longer, he shrugged mentally. Time to test things a little I suppose. Consciously this time, he tried to move a finger ¨C despite not having one, he still remembered how to do that. No feedback. He tried to access his Soul to read memories. It failed, as expected. Focusing, he Willed his mind to destabilize¡ªseeing as it was in a perfect balance, he could as well do the opposite of mind stabilization¡ªwithout any effect. His body, whatever it was now, stayed unaffected. He didn¡¯t notice even the slightest fluctuation in his direct vicinity. Excluding the white static, of course. But he was sure it was just an artifact of his flawed perception, not a physical thing. He mentally berthed out. Seriously¡­ what am I? What is this place? He tried turning around. Slowly, consciously, and with a clear goal in his mind ¨C unlike at the beginning when he trashed around wildly like a kid on a sugar rush in Disneyland. Surprisingly, he felt that it worked. Strangely, though, he didn¡¯t receive any visual cues ¨C the static overlapping the darkness never changed. He simply knew that he was moving. What a trip¡­ maybe I am dead after all. Using the same method, he tried to move forward. He quickly noticed that something was keeping him in place. Unperturbed, he increased the¡­ mental pressure. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The invisible chains started stretching. The reality itself seemed to bend. Not visually, but unexplainably he could tell. Not seeing any better solution to his existential problem, he squinted his nonexistent eyes, focused, and pushed with more force. The uneven fight lasted for barely a few seconds before the first ¡®chain¡¯ gave up. Then, the cascade reaction started, and he was free. He shot out from his prison like a bullet, moving at speeds incomprehensible to his addled mind. Panicking, he fought to stop himself. And, as if the world around could hear his thoughts, he immediately lost all velocity, pausing mid-void at once. He was dizzy¡ªif that feeling could even be described as such¡ªfrom the sudden¡­ no, an instant deceleration. Jeez¡­ Should I treat it like a lucid dream? He looked back, in the direction of his supposed prison. To his surprise, he saw something. On the canvas of the perfectly black nothingness, an even darker shadow existed. It was broken and raged. A scrunched canvas with a hole surrounded by flapping rags of matter. It all moved and revolved as if pushed by a nonexistent wind. Okay¡­ how many colors of black are here again? he asked himself, disbelieving what he was seeing. On the ruptured mess of a shape, a lighter line of black was painted. It was angled and he could not see the end point from his position. Moving around the strange emanation, in a safe distance of course, he traced the line until he found its end. It ended exactly at the sharp end of a fold, pointing into the void. Looking in that direction, he saw nothing. He shrugged again. What better he had to do here? Ah, right, he remembered. He read enough fantasy novels in his life to not take this chance lightly. Moving closer to his ex-prison, he started testing the waters. He couldn¡¯t grab or consume the strange matter, probably because he lacked the necessary body parts to do so. Actually, he couldn¡¯t even push it ¨C he just phased through it. Thankfully, the prison didn¡¯t activate again, but he felt like using a free cam in a game. It was an unpleasantly boring experience. He tried to meditate and¡­ well, see the world around him without looking. He couldn¡¯t even close his eyes in the first place, but he had to try. It took a lot of time. He knew about seventeen different meditation and relaxation techniques and he was persistent enough to try them all. Nothing worked, thought. He couldn¡¯t feel anything different. Going into a trance, becoming absentminded, forcefully focusing on one sense¡­ doing all of it, he felt like he was merely pretending. There was some truth to this feeling ¨C he was trying to execute techniques that required, at least, a body. The poor imitation he was doing right now¡ªeven if he also knew of mental techniques and tried to use them¡ªled him nowhere. Hmmm¡­ Not working, huh? Then, maybe¡­ Next, he tried several mental visualizations. Devouring, siphoning, channeling ¨C you name it. But there was no energy. Nothing he could interact with. Even when he could see that there was something. After a few more minutes, he gave up. If that¡¯s Nether, it should be possible to move it with Mana ¨C they are repelling each other, after all, he shook his imagined head in disappointment. Turning in the direction pointed by the bleached strip again, all he saw was the deep nothingness; as expected. With a mental sigh, he forced himself to accelerate in the direction pointed by the daub. After a moment, he turned around to see the shadow of his prison while still accelerating in the original direction. He wanted to have a point of reference, now that he could see something here. But it was not to be. He moved further and further away. The shadow started disappearing from his sight. The white static started to intensify, too. He even started to hear the characteristic noise ¨C not unlike one produced by an old TV that lost signal. It raised his hackles. Am I moving away from the allowed area? he asked himself. The space felt less and less like an infinite one, this whole situation resembling more of a bad horror game than a reality. But before he could question his life choices, something entered his peripheral vision. Looking up, he saw a¡­ large sphere. Maybe. It was hard to distinguish from this distance. The white noise wasn¡¯t helping either. Moving closer, he traced three distinct cords stemming from it and leading further ahead. He changed his trajectory forward and sped up. Slowly, three more spherical outlines started emerging from the uniformity of the black world. His face, if he had one, would pale. The spheres formed a giant tetrahedron, and he was moving right into the center of this¡­ construct. This time, he didn¡¯t even notice when he stopped moving. Despite his surprise and the newly regained memories, he wasn¡¯t afraid ¨C just startled. His mind was as calm as it was at the beginning of this journey. He still felt some apprehension when getting close to the structure, though. It was slowly orbiting around its center of mass. The spheres were connected to each other, forming a monumental framework. It was hard to define sizes and distances here, but he was sure those spheres should be as large as the Earth¡¯s Moon going by his¡­ well, relative size. Huh? Relative? he blinked in his mind. If it¡¯s like a lucid dream then¡­ Just as how he moved himself earlier ¨C by suggesting the context to the world around ¨C he did that again but for his size. Very quickly, the tetrahedron started shrinking in his view. His ¡®transformation¡¯ lasted until he reached half its size. But after that, he felt that his body¡ªwhatever it was made of¡ªwas losing coherence. He shrunk himself a little to be on the safe side. Now, he could see the structure in all its glory. The range of his perception enlarged along with his imagined body. He circled it a few times, also looking around for other structures. There was nothing there, though. The tetrahedron itself was as boring as it possibly could. He shrunk himself to his original size and floated to the center. Even if he suspected the preparator, what could he do? At least he was still existing in some way. If it wanted him dead, he wouldn¡¯t be here. Also, if not for the directions, he would have been lost twice over. And he would rather die now than drift endlessly in this empty space. He knew his mental limits ¨C a few years here would probably break him. Madness wasn¡¯t pretty ¨C he brushed against it a few times so he could tell. There was still a small chance that he could learn more about this strange place and make use of it, but he wasn¡¯t going to bet on that possibility. When he arrived at the exact center, the whole structure started turning white. A rolling mist of unidentified nature was filling the shape. He waited patiently for the next hour or so¡ªit was really hard to determine the flow of time in his state¡ªbefore the process ended. There was a movement in the void. Slow at the beginning, but quickly gaining in speed and intensity. The darkest of black and the whitest of white started to float towards him, congregating right before his face. A miniature humanoid silhouette started forming. The blackness seemed to seep deep, forming the being¡¯s core, while the white took most of the surface. Experimentally, he tried to change his relative size, but the thing stayed the same in his eyes ¨C a humanoid shape of the size of a hand at most. Finally, it finished manifesting. Despite the obvious purity of its skin, he knew quite well how deep the shadows were reaching. Again, his emotions were subdued. Or rather, they felt like a projection instead of a real thing. His mind was tranquil despite the memories forcefully replaying before his eyes. The ruthless and feral devouring of a Soul. The dissipation of the Will of the individual. The primal hunger of the predator. Those things weren¡¯t able to instill fear right now, even if he accepted them as his true memories. ¡°You pass,¡± said a childlike voice as the being before him finished materializing. It had no face or any distinct features. Just a miniature of a woman clad in white, with hair longer than her body and moving according to its own will. He frowned. ¡°It was a test,¡± he realized. ¡°Three. There were three tests. Recovering ¨C a test of resilience and integrity. Freeing oneself ¨C a test of strength and compatibility. Finding this place ¨C a test of perception and resonance,¡± she said, bobbing up and down happily. ¡°You passed all three, and easily at that!¡± she exclaimed excitedly. His imaginary frown deepened. ¡°How¡­ No, what would have happened if I didn¡¯t find this place?¡± he asked accusingly. Seeing this being, he knew he should act delicately. He could tell, somehow, that she wasn¡¯t fully here. Just her shadow, at best. Yet, speaking in terms of dimensions, he felt like a two-dimensional doodled picture looking at a seven-dimensional masterpiece. Again, his senses here didn¡¯t make much sense, but he learned to trust them to some degree. Despite that, his anger was hard to ignore ¨C the only palpable emotion he could feel. This whole scenario was ridiculous. ¡°The fragment in your soul is going to self-destruct soon. It won¡¯t hurt you, but you have a limited time here,¡± she said innocently, moving her hands behind her back. ¡°If you didn¡¯t manifest, you would awake in¡­¡±¡ªshe tilted her head slightly¡ª¡°a week? Maybe.¡± He mentally blinked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that an attack from Jaekandu?¡± ¡°It¡­ wasn¡¯t. Kinda. It would serve his purposes by disabling you, I suppose. By the way, only three days have passed. You are faster than I expected.¡± He ignored the last part but he had to agree with her statement. Being unconscious for a few minutes would be enough to disqualify him ¨C it was as good a method as any to win in the Duel. But something in her wording bothered him. ¡°Can you be more precise? How wasn¡¯t that an attack?¡± ¡°He used an artifact my thrall gave him. It wasn¡¯t meant to harm.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± he mentally blinked. ¡°If you are what I think you are¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to just give it to me earlier? Or come to me personally, for that matter?¡± She sighed, her form bending down in resignation. ¡°After you fled to the city, you became inaccessible¡­ But let¡¯s start from the beginning,¡± she said, straightening up. ¡°I am dying.¡± Zeph started opening his imaginary mouth to speak. ¡°To the Nether.¡± He paused. ¡°I am¡­ how should I call this?¡± She scratched her head. ¡°The me, the one you see, is just a miniscule fragment of my true being. I brought with me the Nether infection but a part that was subdued already.¡± He nodded. ¡°I found you in the Brenn forest. Custur is trying to help me find a way to survive, you see. He informed me when you entered his territory. The old goat can¡¯t stop to admire my true form, hehe,¡± she giggled shamelessly. Zeph immediately froze. ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± he would grab her shoulders to shake her if he could. ¡°Are you telling me that he was responsible for most of that fiasco? Huh?¡± He realized there was more to it. ¡°Is that strange trial he is giving his people a part of it? And what happened to the hungry beast that eat the Soul of the Adeptus Miu? Wasn¡¯t that you? You didn¡¯t seem¡­ reasonable at all.¡± She shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Is that what you call Miureallval? It almost sounds like you were friends,¡± she asked with an empty mirth. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my questions! You two are responsible for the deaths of so many¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Custur is doing, it¡¯s his territory. And what can you expect from a facsimile projected into the lower realm? It¡¯s obvious that it would eat him ¨C that fragment of me was overtaken by the Nether instincts almost immediately. But you were going to die back then, so I had no choice. When I tasted your unique Magicules¡­ You are the first person¡­ that could maybe help¡­ I had to intervene.¡± Zeph¡¯s nonexistent face darkened. ¡°You don¡¯t care. About the fact that the two of you are using the people on the coast near High Peak of Brenn for your own purposes?¡± ¡°Heh,¡± a mischievous smile, made entirely from a firm blackness, bloomed on the empty face of the strange entity. ¡°Yes, but you know nothing. Bearing a part of my burden can help them. Not only people, but the world at large. Any guesses as to why?¡± ¡°Because you are infected with the Nether¡­ yet, still conscious?¡± he asked, still glaring at her. Her small head bobbed up and down vigorously. ¡°Exactly that! However, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am going to die soon¡­ And most of the Onjis fear what is to come after I do.¡± Zeph¡¯s mind whirled. There was so much to unpack and even more to ask. ¡°Again, why didn¡¯t you just ask instead of playing those games?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t manifest here easily. And the System would rather see me dead and dissected. The more people are around, the more is the risk. If not for the Custur¡¯s information, resources, and influence, I wouldn¡¯t even try to search for help on this stratum. If you weren¡¯t in his domain, I wouldn¡¯t interfere.¡± Zeph grimaced internally. This whole situation was out of order. ¡°Leaving the Onjis¡¯ plans aside. Why did you agree to disable me during this Duel Tournament? And why, for the gods¡¯ sake, are you searching for help on the lowest stratum?¡± She pouted and crossed her arms. ¡°And how else could we safely apply the artifact? My thrall tried once to approach you before you returned to the city but the System noticed the activation.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes would widen if he had any right now. She was talking about the white tetrahedron that showed up during the trip back. ¡°Lately, I have gained a few more helpers,¡± she said absentmindedly. ¡°It¡¯s not normal to meet Faen on this stratum, so each manifestation has to be obfuscated. With Custur¡¯s nagging, a number of people agreed to fulfill a mission.¡± She looked straight into his eyes. ¡°To bring my fragment to you in secret. At all costs¡­¡± Chapter 131 – When an incomplete mind and faulty fragment start discussing the reality over a tea… Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.16] Zeph was trying to understand the full scope of the past events in the light of what she said. Unexplainably, he knew that his strange being wasn¡¯t lying. He didn¡¯t dwell on that fact, though. He was in the process of redrawing the whole timeline of the events that took place in the vicinity of the Brenn Peak. From the very beginning, they were operating under scrutinizing gazes of Onjis and other beings ¨C like the supposed, small Fean here ¨C he just wasn¡¯t sure as to what extent. It didn¡¯t feel like he and Makani were outright manipulated, but it was becoming clear just how much higher-strata beings were influencing the events here. The little emanation of the Faerie¡ªas the System once called her species¡ªwasn¡¯t going to give him time to process the information, though. Worse yet, more breaking news was coming. ¡°As for why I am looking here¡ªon this stratum¡ªI knew about you, Terrien.¡± She said, sitting midair in an invisible chair. Zeph¡¯s thoughts froze instantly after hearing that. ¡°Yes, about you, your friends, and the others,¡± she said, resting her head on one of her hands while rotating the other one as if swirling a glass of wine. ¡°And not without reason. We, as a race, have visited your world long before it became accessible to others.¡± ¡°Why contact me then? I should be the last to come here¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, why not seek help on Earth if you just need humans?¡± ¡°You are the last one left with Soul fragmentation. And on Earth, your people are useless,¡± she answered briefly and leaned forward. ¡°You may all have the Greater Willpower ¨C as the System Onji likes to call it ¨C but it means nothing if it¡¯s not realized.¡± She paused and tilted her little head. ¡°I will explain more but before we continue ¨C are you aware that this is an exchange? A deal? I am not convinced that giving you any more information for free is worthwhile.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± he laughed derisively. ¡°Your majesty isn¡¯t interested in attaining yet another thrall?¡± Suddenly, a deep shadow fell ominously over her form. Which was telling something, taking into account their environment. ¡°You think I am playing with you? My moral code aside, what I am proposing cannot be done without an agreement. You should be able to guess as much¡ª¡± That was too much, even for his most patient side. ¡°Like hell I should!¡± he shouted angrily. ¡°I have a body made of nothingness, a mind that is adrift and without support. If you aren¡¯t going to explain things anymore, at least give me time to THINK over what you just said!¡± He glared at her for a second longer, then turned away and started flying away. Zeph didn¡¯t care if he offended her anymore. She was the one wanting help. She was the one who brought him here. Of Faen nature or not, powerful being or not, she failed to notice that he wasn¡¯t able to follow the conversation. That his mind wasn¡¯t whole. That he was absolutely lost in this situation. He flew out of the tetrahedron, sitting down cross-legged ¨C deceiving his own mind that there was a floor and legs to begin with, which was becoming easier to do with time ¨C he looked into the void and took a few deep imaginary breaths. It took a long minute of mindlessly staring into the static-obscured blackness before his nerves calmed down. He started to slowly comb through his memories, applying new information where appropriate. The process itself made him realize that he wasn¡¯t really thinking until now. Not in a way a human would. Without a brain, he wasn¡¯t processing information in the background. He had to focus on consolidating all new data himself which was drastically reducing his cognitive ability. After an excruciatingly long time, he finally finished sorting out his knowledge. At least, cursorily. I want my subconsciousness back¡­ he lamented internally. I think I can do that in real-time now but¡­ it¡¯s so arduous! He shook his ¡®head¡¯ dejectedly before revising what he had learned. It seemed that Earth wasn¡¯t as isolated before the apocalypse as he had believed. Worse ¨C despite that fact, humans weren¡¯t of use to the visitors. Meaning ¨C they could do nothing more than suffer as they always did. Maybe Prana would change that¡­ but how long would it take? A generation? Two? A thousand? Leaving behind his dark thoughts ¨C an act that was way too easy to execute in this strange space ¨C he concentrated on more pressing matters. The gods are trading with information. My presence was discovered by a third party despite the System¡¯s help and rules put in place. Even if it doesn¡¯t seem that normal people have access to that knowledge, I can no longer trust Onjis¡¯ assessments anymore. Precautions have to be made. A Nether-infected Faerie is dying. Supposedly, the System¡ªand other Onjis alike¡ªdon¡¯t want to wait until that happens. It definitely didn¡¯t sound like that when we had a talk about the incident in the forests of Peak of Brenn. The System was sure that her race couldn¡¯t be taken over by a Netherbeing without dying¡­ But dying wasn¡¯t a problem in that scenario. At least, it didn¡¯t sound like it was anything special. Which means, the Faerie¡¯s current state is what spells trouble. Being ¡®taken over¡¯, most probably. But Custur is trying to help her¡­ He grimaced. Which means that refusing her¡ªwhatever is that she wants¡ªwould probably spell trouble for me. And taking into account the requirements she stated, she is planning a Soul transplantation¡­ he deduced. Or rather, a Soul implanting. I don¡¯t think Gru needed my Soul fragmentation when transplanting his Soul fragment¡­ He did an exchange, but my fragmentation stayed stable. Nodding to himself, he changed the line of thought. The trials in the High Peak of Brenn are executed to either support the Faerie or to experiment on Souls¡­ Probably both. As much as it¡¯s done with consent, I doubt that those two are explaining the scope of the ¡®trial¡¯ to the people... I wouldn¡¯t call that ethical, but it¡¯s not pure abuse either. I am more worried that the two of them seem to not care at all. Even if they are old beings, desensitized to the deaths of the short-living races, calling that a fair chance is simply too much. It sounds suspiciously like self-glorification. And let¡¯s not forget about the girl¡¯s ¡®thralls¡¯¡­ I need more information. Feeling that he finally had enough gasp on the situation to form meaningful questions, he stood up and unhurriedly returned to the tetrahedron structure. There was more on his mind, but he had more important things to worry about. He had questions that needed answers sooner rather than later. Arriving at the center of the structure, he found the white silhouette hovering dejectedly in a circle, kicking an invisible pebble from time to time. She had to be quite deep in thought to not notice him outright, but she perked up instantly when she did. Quickly flying closer, she stopped at the height of his perception and bowed deeply. ¡°I apologize. I was all kinds of rude and insensitive. I should have done better.¡± her head turned slightly upwards. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you seemed so stable and coherent that I just¡­ erringly assumed¡­¡± He sighed mentally. ¡°Let¡¯s just start over. I wasn¡¯t fully aware of my own state until I did some retrospection.¡± She deflated visibly. ¡°I should have been, though¡­¡± Raising an imaginary eyebrow, he ignored the comment. Instead, he introduced himself, bobbing up and down to imitate a nod. ¡°Zeph Einar. Human from the Earth. Shaman and Generalist.¡± She straightened up. ¡°You can call me Mabia or Mavis. Spelling or translating my true name isn¡¯t possible. I am a Soul fragment and a construct, of the Faen race. Created specifically to manage the Nether infused within me, and to make contact with you in a humane manner.¡± He hummed in his mind with curiosity. ¡°You mean, the original ¡®you¡¯ isn¡¯t as¡­ communicable?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± she scratched her tiny head. ¡°The thought process and language my original uses aren¡¯t exactly compatible with how you do it. I was made to be more human-like, even if not in the shape of our typical manifestation. Without preparing me specifically for this job, the contact would intimidate or estrange you, most probably. That¡¯s why¡­¡± he said depressingly, yet with an undertone of anger in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s so infuriating that I messed up at the very beginning.¡± Her little fist clenched and started trembling. ¡°I was given all the knowledge I needed, and yet I have made such a stupid mistake!¡± She stopped herself, then slowly floated up and down, as if taking a deep breath. He waited until she spoke again. ¡°Your dependency on Will is far greater than anticipated. That is¡­ a major problem.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten about a few other things too?¡± he asked, some of his frustration leaking into his voice¡­ which wasn¡¯t a voice at all, he finally realized. Another strange projection that came naturally to him. ¡°There is something we are missing about the brain, I think. As for the Soul, it¡¯s¡­ complicated,¡± she hesitated. He shook his head mentally. ¡°Okay. Before I hear you out, I need some answers. I need to know what is happening. What am I even? What is this place?¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. She didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, she flew closer to the center of the structure and sat on an invisible cushion, gesturing for him to join her. He used the same trick and made himself comfortable as she conjured a tea for herself. At least he assumed as much, seeing as she started sipping something elegantly. ¡°If I am not mistaken, you know of the term ¡®dimension¡¯?¡± she started. ¡°Yes. Our scientists were defining the number of dimensions as a minimal number of coordinates necessary to describe an object¡¯s position.¡± ¡°in the space, you mean?¡± ¡°And time. We had a basic model made out of four dimensions for our world ¨C a spacetime.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ not that precise then. There is more to them than that abstract description¡­¡± she said, bobbing her head from side to side. ¡°Dimensions have a physical manifestation ¨C in a sense, you can touch them.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how we tried to apply field theory and describe the gravitational interactions. Along with building theoretical models for black holes and extreme versions of stars, like a¡­¡± For the first time in a while, he couldn¡¯t find any proper word that would fit. He wanted to give an example of the neutron star but it seemed impossible without a long explanation, so he quickly gave up. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name for it¡­ Anyway, we build up quite a number of theories working in their scope of application. Relativistic theory for extreme speeds and energy levels, Quantum theories and models for describing the smallest molecules¡­ Again, I don¡¯t have words for them.¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I think I have a general idea now. So, how many dimensions did they find?¡± He frowned. Or would have, if he could. ¡°Only one theory ¨C that I know of ¨C was mentioning more than three and the time. It had a few versions, though. I remember hearing about 10, 11, 21, and 26, but¡­ I think there were more, depending on the underlying assumptions. It was all guesswork, though.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± she perked up nonetheless. ¡°What is the name of it? That theory?¡± ¡°The string theory. Its most basic assumption was that the frequency of vibration of one-dimensional strings was responsible for describing matter, energy, and other phenomena. A theoretical fundamental building block of reality. Don¡¯t ask me how, I never had time to learn it,¡± he said with some disappointment. ¡°Fascinating¡­ It¡¯s such a shame I won¡¯t be able to visit Earth again. But maybe Onji Togana will find something in the future¡­¡± Feeling his unimpressed gaze landing on her, she paused and nonchalantly took another sip from the non-existent cup. ¡°Right. That, actually, sounds very close to how my original perceives the world. But let¡¯s leave that for another time.¡± She wiggled her body a little to straighten up in her ¡®seat¡¯, turning to look right into his eyes. The proverbial ones, of course. ¡°This universe has at least 24 ¡®basic¡¯ dimensions, counting the timelines as separate ones. Timelines are slightly different in nature but¡­ Let¡¯s keep it simple, okay?¡± she asked with hope. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s not needed now,¡± he easily accepted. If he wanted more information, he could ask later. She nodded. ¡°Normally, most dimensions are of a spatial nature, but there are some exceptions. Timelines are of a temporal nature, Springs of vis nature, and Oblivions of entis nature. Those are the four basic ones,¡± she explained, using a very old dialect to name the last two ¨C vis standing for energy, and entis describing a state of being or information. Truth be told, he never realized he had knowledge of this dialect and those terms until she spoke the words. ¡°I may have used some old expressions here¡­ are you okay?¡± she asked after a few seconds of inaction on his part. ¡°Just¡­ give me a moment¡­¡± he focused on accessing his memories and actualizing them. Linking the two streams of information was quite time-consuming if he had to dig in the old knowledge he had gained when entering Corora. Finally, after a minute or two, he nodded to her to continue. She noticed that, despite him not really moving. ¡°Good, then let¡¯s resume. With rare exceptions, dimensions either stay as a singlet or manifest as triplets. Not all triplets are made from dimensions with a spatial nature. Meaning, they don¡¯t always form 3-dimensional spaces,¡± she sent him a meaningful look. ¡°I will omit those strange combinations, though. Just be aware that they exist. The triplets are almost exclusively forming 3-dimensional spatial spaces while the singlets can be of any nature. Singlets and triplets are called sets because they can exist independently. A group of sets in which each set interacts directly with every other, is called a reality. Just as you know best ¨C a spatial triplet with a temporal singlet, forming a spacetime, is an example of a reality.¡± He nodded in understanding. Also, he agreed with her - going further into the topic of strange combinations was a waste of time at this point. But he had one question. ¡°If you are talking about singlets and triplets¡­ what about the others?¡± She nodded. ¡°They do exist, but they are not stable. Some higher combinations may be, but I don¡¯t think my original ever saw one. In fact, my original suspects that Earth is now dealing with the creation of a partial septet¡­ at least according to the information gathered by the Custur. Which isn¡¯t much to go by.¡± He thought about it for a moment but, in the end, all he could do was just shrug. What could he do with that information? It potentially could explain why a huge part of the stars suddenly disappeared from the sky, or why Prana suddenly suffused the world, but the real reason and any other intricacies would elude him. And that would stay true for the foreseeable future. ¡°Not important. I am not going to go back any time soon. By the way, if we strike a deal, will your knowledge stay available?¡± The almost-blank face of the little being once again split in the darkest of smiles. She was courteous enough to speak with him freely after her mishap, but the real topic of her visit was finally resurfacing. ¡°Correct. That and more, all readily available. It would become a part of you, not merely an access point to the System¡¯s Soul-database.¡± A cold shiver ran down his non-existent spine. Both, in anticipation and trepidation. ¡°Good, but spare me the sales pitch, please. I am on your mercy here.¡± She pouted. ¡°So uptight. But have it your way,¡± she said, turning around to her back and laying down on an incorporeal couch. She continued while swinging her legs in the air above. ¡°Besides the spacetime, other combinations of sets can take place, of course, but not all combinations are stable ¨C it depends on their nature, physical characteristics, and overall number of sets in a reality. the best example is two vis singlets ¨C those would never form one reality. Spatial triplets also don¡¯t like that kind of interaction if their physicality isn¡¯t drastically different. Which means that not every set can interact with all others, or at least not without a proxy,¡± She paused for him to process it. ¡°In summary.¡± She pointed into the air. ¡°We have universes. Each has a number of dimensional singlets and triplets¡ªa similar number for most cases, by the way¡ªthe dimensional sets. The physicality in two sets of the same nature can still differ ¨C like in two spaces with drastically different gravitational constants or matter distribution. Then, those singlets and triplets form cohesive groups ¨C realities ¨C with further influences the physicality of every set in the group.¡± She stopped for a moment, thinking about something. After nodding to herself, she expanded on her explanation a little. ¡°Sharing a few dimensions with another reality happens rather often. Adjacent realities¡ªwe call them¡ªare easier to reach for, for obvious reasons. But be aware that none of the other dimensions is truly out of reach ¨C they all form this universe, even if most of them have no significance to this reality.¡± He nodded. The lack of interaction between dimensions would explain why there could be more than empirically available. He could also see why dimensions not interacting with their reality¡¯s timeline wouldn¡¯t exactly be perceivable. Even if such a dimension was interacting with the space, it would be more like a universal constant or law of nature ¨C at least, that¡¯s how he was imagining it. On the other hand, particles moving back in time suddenly started making more sense... But he could think about that on another occasion. The Faerie¡¯s knowledge was becoming quite valuable in his mind, though. Feeling his focus returning, she continued. ¡°Until now, the Faen had found two timelines, four singlets, and six triplets overlapping in this universe¡­ plus abbreviations, but that knowledge isn¡¯t something you would need for now¡­ A-anyway¡±¡ªshe stuttered and turned her head away after feeling the displeasure emanating from him¡ª"I don¡¯t know about Earth¡¯s universe. It should have been similar ¨C as most hospitable words are ¨C but they always differ in some ways. The number and nature of dimensions available is just a basic outline to the possible interactions, so besides some standard requirements for a habitable reality, a lot can be different.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± he said, sighing. ¡°Soulscape is an entis singlet, making it a combination of triplet and two singlets on Corora. Netherworld is an adjacent reality ¨C a triplet that shares Corora¡¯s timeline and Soulscape, but can interact with our triplet of space only through the Soulscape?¡± She sat up with renewed energy. ¡°Good! You understand. But no, the Soulscape¡ªas you called it¡ªisn¡¯t a pure singlet anymore.¡± She hopped off her bed and started pacing around while scratching her chin. ¡°For the longest time, it interacted with dimension combinations containing spacetime and living beings within. Those living beings are filling it with information which, as a side effect of fueling the interdimensional interaction, creates additional energy in connected worlds. Like Mana on Corora, for example. The number of connections is reaching a stabilizing point. Its nature is more of a doublet of vis and entis, despite the lacking dimension. Which crates quite a conundrum!¡± ¡°Okay, stop! That is not the point of this discussion,¡± he had to intervene before she buried him under the avalanche of theoretical physics ¨C just like any physics professor did when you hit the right topic. She stopped midair and meekly sat on an imaginary cushion. ¡°S-sorry¡­¡± He sighed with relief. ¡°Well¡­ we can talk about that later. But what does that have to do with anything anyway? Even if the Netherworld is a neighboring set of dimensions, you didn¡¯t explain much about¡­ this.¡± He pointed vaguely to their surroundings by turning around. ¡°Well, this space is a simulation of their set,¡± she said nonchalantly and shrugged. ¡°Possible because of the entis nature of the Soulscape.¡± His eyes would squint if they existed. ¡°Are you saying that I am a simulation of Zeph?¡± ¡°No, no, no,¡± she started shaking her head faster than he could see, leaving afterimages in his vision. ¡°It¡¯s real in the sense that it really is a Nether space,¡± she spread her arms. ¡°That¡¯s how they can transfer through. It¡¯s different in that it¡¯s not¡­ connected to their physical dimensions directly¡­ It¡¯s a ¡®physical¡¯ imitation. You could probably call it a pocket dimension if not for how horrendously misleading that term is. Ugh¡­¡± she deflated. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it simply. But it¡¯s almost 100% accurate, this space. In an entis singlet like the Soulscape, spatial dimensions don¡¯t matter. Just the information contained in the simulated pattern. Which means the expansion of your Soul was a success!¡± He blinked in disbelief. ¡°My WHAT?¡± he shouted. ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­ um¡­¡± she started floating away slowly, making placating gestures. ¡°It¡¯s not like anything changed yet, you know? You are still the same strong Terrien, hehe. Just¡­ with a potential to manifest in Nether dimensions¡­ You know, in the place your physical body can¡¯t exist?¡± Trying to calm himself, Zeph released a¡­ puff of black smoke in all directions. It was partially a sigh, partially an instinctual release of digested non-matter. The fact that he understood what it was, and the fact it wasn¡¯t a conscious effort, made him angry again. ¡°Explain. Explain before I explode.¡± He was really close to doing that, actually. Emotionally speaking. ¡°Um. Yea. So, did you ever wonder why the Netherbeings only take Souls? And why they can manifest in this universe (along with other, similar ones) but we can¡¯t do the same in theirs? Why even Onjis can¡¯t?¡± she asked, carefully moving closer. Like a little bully of a devil that noticed their spiel was working; that the hook at the end of the line found a solid purchase. Her antics aside, it made him pause for real. Why indeed? ¡°My original took great efforts in observing how she was being consumed. And what the Netherbeing was trying to do with her and her surroundings,¡± she stated proudly, finally regaining her composure. ¡°She learned a lot, but at a great cost. That¡¯s why we are looking for help¡­¡± He reluctantly relaxed, then sat down on his imagined sofa. After a moment, he nodded for her to continue. ¡°Ahem,¡± she theatrically cleared her throat, flying higher to be seen better. Not that she needed to ¨C being the only white object around. ¡°Firstly¡­¡± Chapter 132 – Immaterial state of affairs. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.16] ¡°Firstly, Nether¡ªas a form of energy¡ªis the same in nature as Mana. My original was the first to confirm it ¨C the interaction between the Soulscape and Netherworld is responsible for just about the same reaction. The difference between Mana and Nether stems from the difference between our spatial triplet and the Nether spatial triplet. Both are of the same nature, but that says little about the adjected singlets and matter distribution. Even less about dominant energy forms ¨C even if most are universal for spatial triplets, you just need one additional singlet to skewer that. Also, manifesting Nether in the spacetime of Corora is only possible thanks to the Soulscape constructs similar to the one we are now occupying.¡± Okay, she got me hooked, he had to admit. ¡°Secondly, we understood their means of infiltrating other worlds, ¡°she started, then smugly waited for his reaction. He tilted his imaginary head. Sighing heavily, she dramatically grabbed her forehead with one hand. ¡°Were you even listening? What is the difference between a world and a reality?¡± she asked and he finally understood. Noticing his disbelief, her smugness returned somewhat. ¡°That¡¯s right! Their spatial triplet wasn¡¯t originally in this universe! The Soulscape ¨C our major entis singlet ¨C seems to be the very same one as in almost every universe in this cluster, and probably beyond.¡± She nodded to herself with pride, crossing her arms. ¡°That¡¯s why I said its number of connections with other dimensional sets is reaching a stabilization point for a doublet. Anyway, the Netherfolk managed to reach us through it and connected to our timeline. A process utterly impossible to implement by force, but the timelines are expansive by nature. All they needed to do was to initiate the expansion. Although, the details of how they did that stays a mystery.¡± Isn¡¯t that really bad news? he asked himself, his hackles standing up¡­ only for him to quickly calm down. It took a moment, but he remembered what Aisha had told him during the trek down the Torrent mountain range. The System came here specifically because the Nether showed up. There was no way the Onjis didn¡¯t have this information already. Obvious to his distracting thoughts, Mavis continued. ¡°Thus, the reason we can¡¯t easily imitate their method of transferring into our dimensions is threefold,¡± she said, crossing her arms and flying even higher. ¡°The ones that transfer here don¡¯t possess a physical body in the same sense you do. They are actually closer to the being of pure energy, like me!¡± He nodded, allowing her to take the high position while he plopped back on his non-existent backside. ¡°Their Soul Arts are much more developed! We aren¡¯t able to navigate the Soulscape like they seem to be able to do. The Soulscape was the only connecting point at the beginning, so it definitely played a role. And they basically live off of consuming the information from the Soulscape. Which is¡­ arguably, very strange,¡± she scratched her head. ¡°But it¡¯s very probable that their adjacent reality is of a strange set combination. They had to have a timeline there before ours had expanded to include their world. And, as you can imagine, two timelines in one reality is never a good idea. Who knows what is happening there? Or maybe they just became feral at one point or something.¡± She shrugged helplessly but quickly regained her energy. ¡°Anyway, the final reason is, we don¡¯t have means of possessing a physical body on the other side. Energetical being or not, without an anchor we can¡¯t see what is happening there, even if we manage to navigate the Soulscape successfully. This stems directly from the fact that they are not native to this universe and we don¡¯t know anything about the physicality of that exact world. This simulation was created to close that gap.¡± A very bad premonition started to stir in Zeph¡¯s mind. The trepidation of what awaited him in the future started condensing way before he could consciously understand the whole reason. She smiled, then theatrically twirled in the air before spreading her arms wildly. ¡°And, at last, thirdly! We know for a fact that those Netherbeings don¡¯t possess the Will!¡± she said triumphally before adopting a more subdued posture. ¡±Or, they lost it in during the transfer¡­¡± she mumbled silently that part. He could still understand her clearly, though. ¡°But that¡¯s where you come in!¡± She pointed at him with a sudden burst of positive energy. ¡°With the nature of your Will, you can easily keep it in working condition and even use it in their dimensions!¡± ¡°Wait, that doesn¡¯t add up,¡± he stopped her. ¡°I don¡¯t have access to my Will here, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s the unexpected complication I mentioned earlier¡­¡± she said timidly. ¡°I would happily allow it here¡ªespecially because of how dependent you are on it¡ªand test what influence it could express in this space¡­ but this simulation is very fragile from the perspective of the Soulspace. Your Will would shred it to pieces in seconds.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± he said skeptically. ¡°Before we go back to the topic of Will-less Netherbeings¡­ I think I understand where I am. But it¡¯s the highest time you tell me what I am. How did you even manage to stop my Will from entering?¡± ¡°Eh, I am just distracting it,¡± she said casually, waving her hands to her sides. He couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. ¡°Are you serious?¡± She sighed before landing in her chair with a soundless plop. ¡°I am already executing a full simulation of the Nether space. Imitating a harmless conflict on the surface level isn¡¯t that difficult if your consciousness isn¡¯t involved. The Will outside is still yours, but not really reactive to what you are thinking right now and thus giving no feedback. Not attuned. You know ¨C new body, new self?¡± What? That¡¯s¡­ ridiculous. ¡°Okay, new question. How can I have my consciousness separated from the rest of my being?!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t mistaken,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°There is no such thing as physical consciousness. It can¡¯t be simply transferred. I will, once again, simplify the explanation, if you will?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sure.¡± She nodded again and took a pose of a teacher sitting behind her desk in a class. ¡°This is a bit more complicated topic. You are, indeed, isolated from your body and Will at this time. But your Soul is different. As I said earlier, its current state is a complicated matter. I expanded it into this simulated space.¡± She waited for him to fully focus again before continuing. ¡°It means that I have connected to your core Soul¡ªthe part existing from the start and before your enhancements¡ªand forcefully shifted parts of it into the Nether-compatible form. While doing that, I imprinted a temporary processing unit into them. It is the very reason you managed to shift your consciousness here. Your body is unresponsive as of now.¡± She corrected her non-existent glasses. ¡°But even if the description is simple, the execution not so much. First of all, it seems I and my original had missed something vital when modelling Terrien¡¯s brain activity. It was one of the reasons you¡­ don¡¯t have all your wits about you.¡± Looking somewhat apologetic, she moved to take a seat beside him before continuing. ¡°I had to slow down then disable your brain, distract your Will, and ever-so-slowly bring your fading focus to the new processing unit operating in your Soul. One that you had never used. All that in time before shutting down your brain entirely. I expected a great deal of memory loss, but you finished it like a champion,¡± she smiled at him honestly with her characteristic, ominously black mouth. ¡°That was the resilience and integrity test. Resilience of your body and psyche and integrity of your mind, with the Soul acting as a proxy and base for both.¡± He shook his form, trying to imitate the shaking of a head. ¡°I can¡¯t feel my Soul at all. There is no influence that I can find.¡± ¡°Well, what would you expect? It¡¯s obvious that System¡¯s enhancements won¡¯t work ¨C I only linked to your core Soul¡­ Okay, I will explain that in detail in a moment.¡± She sighed, feeling his accusing gaze. She was omitting a lot, after all. ¡°Either way, you normally use Will to interact with your Soul, don¡¯t you?¡± Without waiting for an answer, she pulled forward. ¡°But if you take into account that your current body is now made out of parts of your actual Soul, I would say you are doing pretty good!¡± She smiled at him. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Huh? How is it possible I never noticed? She even mentioned it a few times already¡­ I need to focus more. ¡°You mean, those strange transformations and movements I pulled off out of nowhere were all¡­¡± His voice petered out as he weighed the words to describe what he had experienced. ¡°Natural to every Soul construct.¡± She helped him. ¡°And even if it shouldn¡¯t be a part of the simulation, it¡¯s impossible to block the inherent nature of what you are without heavy repercussions. Instead, I used that property to test your relative strength in manipulating both ¨C your Soul and the Nether-bound space ¨C alongside your compatibility with the prototype of the Nether-compatible body that my original had designed.¡± It took him a minute to process and stop all distracting thoughts that suddenly started plaguing his mind. The most infuriating part was, he didn¡¯t understand the Soulscape. His perception of that ¡®space¡¯ was merely an interpretation ¨C a projection of his mind. Worse, without access to Will, his perceptibility of this dimension was majorly crippled. Thankfully, he still remembered what he had learned from Gru, as well as his past experiences relating to Soul perception. As so, he could see the logic in her words. In the end, he decided to ask what bothered him most. ¡°I had an impression¡­ that separating a consciousness and its Will should be impossible¡­¡± he said, shifting his focus to the side and down to look at her. ¡°That¡¯s why I said I am merely distracting it. Your consciousness is responsible for creating it¡­ No, that¡¯s misleading¡­¡± She massaged her forehead as she was thinking how to spell it. ¡°To be sure we are on the same page, let me state what should be obvious. Any being or construct capable of more than simple information processing has the ability to produce Will ¨C a prerequisite to ¡®forming¡¯ a Soul. Normally, your brain would be the main source, but I disabled it. Because of that, your perception of Self shifted almost entirely into this simulation. This Soul-forged body of yours is the only working replacement. The only compatible and computational ¡®organ¡¯ you have access to. But that doesn¡¯t mean you are fully compatible with it ¨C especially the Will part of your being. Remember, you were out for almost three days before you ¡®woke up¡¯.¡± She glanced at him and he nodded in understanding. It was something he knew about to some extent ¨C the relation between Soul, Will, and physicality. He was unconscious for days ¨C meaning, he was physically unable to think at all. ¡°Your Will regeneration was non-existent until then, and it¡¯s still very slow. The more you interact with this space ¨C thinking while using this body ¨C the more and the better attuned Will you are producing. But¡­ it¡¯s ways away from the avalanche outside that is trying to collapse this whole structure. Such low levels of Will aren¡¯t noticeable and the unattuned part immediately joins your swarm outside. So it¡¯s not like you are stripped of Will,¡± she said with understanding. ¡°It just feels like it. A little. Without the side effect of damaging your personality.¡± He sighed. If not for his limited cognitive ability, he was sure he would have an existential crisis right about now. ¡°Say what you want but¡­ doesn¡¯t that mean that I am, practically, dead now?¡± He asked philosophically while looking into the void surrounding them. ¡°Practically, no. Your Soul is still connected to your physical body. Technically, yes ¨C you are using only your Soul to process information while not possessing a stable form. That would categorize you as an Undead or Soul construct.¡± He sent her an imaginary stinky eye. ¡°Gee¡­ Thanks for the strictly technical diagnosis that has nothing to do with my feelings.¡± She giggled, knowing full well that his emotions were mostly absent or muted. He looked back into the void, parsing through what he have learned. It took him only a moment to notice the connection, there was a glaring problem. ¡°No way! That would mean I would become a real ghost in the Netherworld if I transferred, doesn¡¯t it? You have formed my simulated body from my Soul alone in here.¡± ¡°Weeeelll¡­¡± she bobbed from side to side. ¡°If by a ghost you mean an independent, structurally-sound, and thinking Soul entity compatible with the basic spatial triplet of the reality, then yes? You would still have to Soul-expand or Soul-link to something on the other side before truly manifesting, though¡­¡± A flashback from Aisha¡¯s explanations about the Undead flooded his mind for a moment. What emerged from the deluge was a primal scream of an eureka moment. ¡°You can do THAT?!¡± She giggled again. Once again guessing what he was talking about, she started explaining while swaying from side to side in her seat. ¡°If you mean Soul-dependent immortality, then yes¡­ I am quite surprised you never heard of that. Some Undead of that kind exist on the higher strata. Most probably artificially created, though.¡± That made him pause and revise his memories once again. It didn¡¯t take long this time. ¡°Ugh¡­ you¡¯re right. I already knew about Soul constructs capable of processing data. Aisha even mentioned once the Draugr Lords, back when she was giving me examples of the Undead. It¡¯s just¡­ I think I have never seen it as a possible method of immortalizing oneself¡­ Have never projected the idea of a full-fledged unliving being without a body that once was a person. The kinds of you or the Onjis should at least possess a body formed from energy¡­¡± She nodded in understanding. ¡°Yes, yes. But such a being has to start somewhere. You can¡¯t have Will without a body capable of thinking. You can¡¯t gain a Soul without a Will. You can¡¯t have a thinking Soul compatible with the reality without going through those steps. All in all, even artificial unliving¡ªas you have called them¡ªSoul entities need to be anchored in the reality. If they aren¡¯t, they would simply drift away in the Soulscape and lose the connection to the timeline at some point. Will itself wouldn¡¯t suffice to keep them unliving¡­ it¡¯s a negative feedback loop. Undead are kind of an outliner here, but the conditions on Corora don¡¯t support their existence well. Or rather, at all.¡± He looked at her with a suspicious glare. ¡°That was an awfully specific comment¡­ As if coming from the mouth of an experienced specialist in the field¡­¡± ¡°Bah! Give it up, kid. You know too little to accuse me!¡± She exclaimed playfully. ¡°Damn¡¯ youngsters. Why are you always so riotous?¡± she spat to the side. ¡°Because it would be a damn shame if you screwed someone¡¯s potential reincarnation while playing with Souls?¡± He asked monotonously. ¡°Said a human whose Soul almost dissipated¡±¡ªshe smirked, making quotation marks with her fingers¡ª¡°on its own.¡± That shut him up. Ah¡­ At this point, the topic is similar to that of an abortion, anyway. I never liked discussing those¡­ he lied to himself. ¡°Whatever¡­ what about the last test?¡± ¡°Of perception and resonance?¡± He nodded, knowing already that she could somehow perceive that without him moving around. ¡°In your case, your perception stems from Will mostly, but you aren¡¯t producing enough to cheat like that. In hindsight, I should have predicted it. But I am happy that I didn¡¯t ¨C you are quite capable even without it. Do you see any artifacts in your vision?¡± ¡°Definitely. There is a white static obscuring everything.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± She was positively dumbfounded. ¡°With so little Will? Jeez¡­ that thing is powerful¡­¡± she said quietly, massaging her chin. After a moment, she relaxed in her cushion, put her arms behind her head, and started explaining. ¡°When perceiving this space through Soul alone, you should see gray, dark, and black. In many new shades, at that. The range and contrast depend on your ability to perceive Soulscape and on your compatibility with this new body. You did very well. The resonance test was passive ¨C it happened when you reached the center of the tetrahedron.¡± She turned her head to him. ¡°It measured how well our Souls fit together¡­¡± ¡°Um, before we get to that I have one more question. If the Soulscape is a singlet, why am I interpreting it as, at least, 3-dimensional space every time I see it? It¡¯s just surreal to think of it as a singular dimension.¡± ¡°Because you are looking at many parts at once. When you interact with it, it¡¯s like looking at a one-dimensional line from the perspective of a 4-dimensional world. You see more at once than you would have if you were 1-dimensional yourself. Also, the interaction between it, the spatial triplet, and the temporal singlet drastically distorts its true shape. And at the center of that very distortion stands you ¨C same as every other living being with a Soul. It¡¯s like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope, just a multidimensional one. You smear the information all over your perception field,¡± she explained, making wild gestures in the air. ¡°But it¡¯s even worse! If you imagine it like a linear dimension ¨C like a line on a canvas ¨C you would find yourself unable to look at one point either way. Because in every infinitesimal fragment you choose to perceive, there is an infinite amount of information. The space has no power here!¡± She pumped her arm into the air, jumping to her feet. ¡°It¡¯s like looking deeper and deeper into a plotted fractal ¨C which is a part of the Soulscape¡¯s nature. That is why it¡¯s impossible to navigate it - you need a relative point of reference. There are no objective coordinates¡ª¡± ¡°Theoretically, there should be one coordinate, though?¡± he interjected and asked naively. She paused midstride and smirked audibly. Turning to him, she moved her arms behind her back. ¡°Yes. Yes indeed. But you are thinking in math too much.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°If you want to speak in those terms¡­ There is no point at distance of ¡®2¡¯ on the line. Every part of this ¡®space¡¯ is made of irrational numbers. No matter how detailed your coordinate will be, you will never be able to input the infinite number required from a proper coordinate.¡± Quite enlightening¡­ he thought to himself. Even if not groundbreaking observation. ¡°And, for your information,¡±¡ªher dark smile formed again¡ª¡°you still need more than one coordinate if you want to find a set of data. Say¡­ a Soul of the recently deceased.¡± Her tone dropped. ¡°You need to find not one coordinate but the whole cluster containing information about them. A cluster that is very finely dispersed all over the dimension. You would need a higher-dimensional context. The interpreted, relative coordinates ¨C like position, depth, and range of a fractal that mirrors your multi-dimensional reality. The time, the place, the being¡­ The easiest way would be to never lose them from your sight. That way, you can interact with what you comprehend ¡®en masse¡¯, interpreting the coordinates in real time. But after you lose them?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Well, good luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A potent silence fell over them for a moment. ¡°Back to business?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, let¡¯s talk business.¡± Chapter 133 – To deal or not to deal – Part 1. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.16] ¡°The offer is¡­¡± The tiny emanation spread her hands. Two orbs manifested just above them. ¡°A blue pill or the red pill?¡± she asked jokingly. He rolled his imaginary eyes. ¡°They are both white! Did you read all of my memories? You are using an awful amount of Earth¡¯s references for an alien being,¡± he asked instead. Giggling, she threw the orbs up with a lazy movement of her arms. After stopping, they hanged motionlessly in place. ¡°Not all. But I was overseeing the process of the construction of your extended body. I was serious, by the way.¡± She put her arms behind her back, floating about in the space with excitement. ¡°You are either to remember and conspire with me, or you are to forget and live your life as you always did.¡± He smirked. ¡°You say it like you can erase my Soul memories without damaging it or leaving a trace.¡± She shrugged. ¡°What is happening right now is already encrypted ¨C we are in a space that¡¯s unfamiliar to all, the System Onji included. The trace left in your Soul would seem erratic at best, and plainly random at worst. And I can purge parts of your memories, too. The cluster containing the processing unit covers quite a lot of the newly-forming memories ¨C a thing I can easily scramble. Only your Will may preserve some scattered fragments of what had happened, but you know in what state it is in right now. Although, if the processing unit stays with you¡­¡± He frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make much sense. The Soul is recording everything, does it not? Every experience. And those can be read as life-like experiences later on. You would have to damage my Soul to counteract that.¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true, but you are missing the reason standing behind that phenomenon. You don¡¯t have access to all memories from your past lives, are you?¡± she asked rhetorically. ¡°That¡¯s because you cannot read the information without a proper context. It¡¯s similar to seeking a data set without reference in the Soulscape. You need to start actively using that part of your Soul before reading from it. The natural process of regaining memories from the past life involves getting accustomed to your Soul and the possible image of the reality in which your past self had lived. Among other, more drastic changes. What is happening right now is similar. You would need to gain context before deciphering those memories. Something you won¡¯t be able to achieve without the processing unit I have implanted temporarily,¡± she clarified with certainty in her voice. Zeph couldn¡¯t even argue. She was giving him new information ¨C something he would have to check in the future. For now, though, he had to assume it was all true. Again, he also somehow knew she wasn¡¯t lying. This time, he noticed that subtle effect consciously. Having a great idea, he opened his mouth to test a theory blooming in his mind... Only to be slapped away by the irritated Faerie. ¡°Don¡¯t even try that here, you moron! You knew well what influence on the Soul a lie can have on Corora. You are now all Soul, idiot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simulation¡­ how could I know?¡± he mumbled to himself while massaging an immaterial bump on his spherical body. ¡°Hmph! I can hear you, dumbass! Use lo¡ªAhem, logic¡­¡± she stammered and her voice lost the sharp tone. The projection of her body moved back as she remembered an important fact. ¡°Um¡­ okay, my not-so-intelligent compatriot¡­¡± she tried to start anew. ¡°Don¡¯t lie here, okay? Not without taking a corresponding action at the same time, okay? We are quite immaterial here, yes?¡± She patiently explained while making gentle, flowing gestures with her hands. He sighed in irritation. ¡°Stop with that pretentious tone. I am not a baby. But if there is a ban placed on an action, you should have mentioned it earlier! I was experimenting a whole lot before, you know?!¡± She waved her hand. ¡°No, no. Trying to do things with your body, the energy, or other things surrounding you is all good. Just¡­¡± She scratched her head. ¡°Please, stop trying to form a separate ego, ok? Like I said, you aren¡¯t really yourself right now already. I don¡¯t want you to drift away altogether.¡± He glanced at her, unimpressed. It sounded awfully like a simulated unit¡ªhim, in this case¡ªdesynchronizing with the original, forming their own individuality. Something she previously indirectly denied as a possibility. It seemed there was more hidden between her words. Omission technically wasn¡¯t a lie. Yet, here he stood ¨C naked and somewhat functional. She evidently knew what she was doing. He sighed again. ¡°You should have put the rules in place, nonetheless. You want me ¨C what would happen if I broke myself here?¡± She plopped down on an invisible cushion. ¡°Well, breaking shouldn¡¯t happen in any circumstances ¨C forceful reset would happen at the worst. But I know what you mean¡­ We may have been a bit too focused on the discretion,¡± she admitted with a slight bitterness in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like we were disregarding your safety, but¡­ my original has decades yet to find a solution to save herself. In the worst case, she will try contacting the System, no matter how risky that is. You aren¡¯t the only option and it¡¯s hard to harm oneself in this space, so she didn¡¯t leave me with much compassion or predetermined worry towards the continuity of your being¡­¡± He smirked. ¡°Interesting choice of words. What will happen to you after I leave then?¡± The white emanation sagged down. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked mechanically. ¡°I am a construct. A construct with a clear goal to achieve. I will cease to exist the moment I finish my job.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s not going to happen. ¡°If we are to work together, I will need the person I made a deal with to be alive. And I have a feeling another one would take your place to mediate in the future, assuming I agree.¡± He had no illusions ¨C she was a projection. A construct. She named herself as such. Still, he would rather work with what he knew. Especially because she seemed to possess her own Will. That small detail didn¡¯t escape his notice. The Will he was producing was partially unattuned to his space. Those ¡®filaments¡¯ of his Will joined the war effort going outside. But¡­ his unattuned Will wouldn¡¯t simply leave without being guided. It would fight against the fake reality, if he so wished. After coming to that conclusion, it became much easier to feel out its Nether-attuned counterpart. Because no matter how small of an amount, it was constantly interacting with hers. Knowing what to look for, he almost immediately secluded and recognized the semi-familiar feeling of pushing against the Will of another being. Maybe she thought she was stealthy, maybe she wasn¡¯t even aware of the fact, or maybe she set up an elaborate trap by giving him just the right information ¨C to test his ability, or to see what he would do if he knew¡­ But none of that mattered. She was a living and sapient organism from his point of view. Even if she was trying to hide it. Even if she was engineered as a one-time instance of a greater being. What he said made her pause. In thoughtful silence, she floated down. Her fingers were playing involuntarily with her ¡®dress¡¯ as she descended. ¡°I¡­ appreciate your sentiment. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible¡­¡± she quietly said. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. What are you, physically speaking?¡± he asked with great confidence ¨C something that would be impossible for him normally. She explained things in enough detail, though. If he was going to lie, even only to himself, he was going to bolster his confidence first. He was always lacking in that department. Objectively speaking, a healthy dose of self-assurance would have miraculous effects on his long-forgotten career on the Earth, as well as his life quality there. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It was a topic he was analyzing time and time again¡ªas any supposed introvert would¡ªso he knew what the perfect execution of self-imposed change of that kind should look like. He had plans ready for implementing self-development in the most direct way possible. He still cringed at the words coming out of his mouth, though. Acting was one thing, believing it was another. ¡°What¡­ Well¡­ a good question, I suppose?¡± she said, tilting her head. Her tone dropped suddenly. ¡°If you can preserve me¡­ I will make it worthwhile for you.¡± Her serious voice didn¡¯t match her prior behavior at all. Her fa?ade cracked for a moment, presenting him with a living mind that was pressed between a rock and a hard place. She was terrified, and he could feel that in the very space around them. The possibility of non-existence would do that to any sentient being. She wanted to live. ¡°I am¡­ no,¡± she shook her tiny head. ¡°Disregard my body. It¡¯s not important. My awareness is what matters.¡± She took a deeper breath, centering herself. ¡°I won¡¯t raise my expectations. I know already that preserving me should be impossible without my original¡¯s interference. As so, don¡¯t expect anything more from me until you manage to keep me around,¡± she started, glaring into his ethereal eyes. ¡°I am an information construct formed from the¡­ matter of the Soulscape,¡± she said with disgust. ¡°Of course, there is no matter here. Even suggesting that is revolting. Even though I can¡¯t explain that any better for you.¡± He nodded in understanding. Her form flickered for a split second as she was speaking ¨C either a side effect of lying or going out of the script. ¡°Are you a part of the Soul construct embedded in my Soul?¡± She sighed. ¡°Yes. My¡­ being? No, my processing unit, would be more correct ¨C is limiting the Nether-bound Soul fragment by physically encompassing it. I form the surface, the border. The insides are¡­ partly me, but not truly. Most of it is this simulation, along with some additional information ¨C like that on the Terrien. Of course, we are talking Soulscape.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all a metaphor. There is no 3D space to encompass.¡± Zeph nodded and focused on the white static that was starting to intensify with time. If that was the visual effect of his attuned Will¡­ He dropped all pretenses and focused on the now. There was no better time than the present to use up his Will. Firstly, he made sure that what he was perceiving was what he thought it was. Condensing the static into a ¡®sphere¡¯ gave him mixed results, though. Firstly, it wasn¡¯t as responsive as it should be. It wasn¡¯t fully ¡®his¡¯, which should be obvious from the start ¨C he was in a non-physical space with strange rules. The space was controlled by the fragment of the Faerie. Or rather, she was the environment in which his Will existed. That dampened his Will accessibility drastically because she was alive ¨C in some weird way. Living meant change. It was a process. And Will dabbed in influencing just that. But the environment wasn¡¯t his nor was it neutral. Secondly, he couldn¡¯t feel the ¡®sphere¡¯. The static in his vision concentrated around one point, for sure, but the experience was absolutely alien to him. As if he was trying to control pixels in a game, instead of something intricately intervolved with his very being, all he could perceive was distant and ¡®quantized¡¯ units that were forming shapes they were not made to form. Trapped between this fake world, Faerie¡¯s influence, and his control. Be that as it was, he managed to do one thing he wanted. He sent the ¡®attuned¡¯ Will to the borders of this simulated ¡®space¡¯. He spent almost everything on his first try. The vertigo that followed wasn¡¯t fun at all. Yet, the information he received was barely meaningful. ¡°You alright?¡± The Faerie¡¯s projection asked. He could now see how meaningless her form was. It was merely a shaped speck representing something greater, but the manifestation was taking place in her world. That complicated things. Even with Will, he couldn¡¯t understand what he just detected. ¡°How much time do we have, again?¡± he asked after stabilizing his mental structure. Yes, he would never again call this construct a body. It was immaterial in a way he never knew was possible. For a moment there, he felt more like a numerical program floating in an emulator set on a virtual machine calculated in the cloud than anything with actual physicality to itself. So, from now on, he was a mental structure and nothing more. It was a sobering thought. ¡°Around a week. You lost a few days, but I can downclock the simulation to replenish energy to prolong the duration.¡± ¡°Any arguments against becoming Gru¡¯s snack?¡± Her face crumpled. Hard. ¡°Are you going to try what I think you are going to?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he smiled viciously. ¡°But first, I need to map this place. It will take some time. So?¡± The floating white Faerie seemed shocked for a moment. She knew well what he meant by ¡®mapping¡¯, but he shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. It was becoming easier to read her when she was losing control over her emotions. After a moment, though, she gave up on asking him any questions and simply nodded. ¡°The idea isn¡¯t the worst, although the accuracy of such¡­ surgery¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Gru already did a Soul transplantation on us. Twice. And he wasn¡¯t even sentient at the time. I wouldn¡¯t worry much about that, but you would have to help me contact him.¡± ¡°Okay, I agree¡­ Going back to the deal, though.¡± She swiftly changed the topic. It wasn¡¯t yet clear if they would be cooperating in the first place. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My original wants to fill the crack in your core Soul with her own. It should be similar to what happened when you decreased your Soul fragmentation ¨C when the System implanted certain Soul contaminations. Of course, it will be different.¡± ¡°She will give me a fragment of her Soul containing a processing unit to stay alive. And a ¡®subdued¡¯¡­ no, the Nether-shifted parts of her Soul that are under her control,¡± He guessed blindly. ¡°Not so much,¡± the little emanation shook her head. ¡°She is already shredded when it comes to memories. A processing unit prolonging her suffering is unnecessary,¡± she said with much remorse. ¡°Putting her overwhelming emotions on your shoulders wouldn¡¯t be right. No. She wants to merge with you.¡± That¡¯s something new. ¡°Merge?¡± ¡°Became a part of your core Soul without a Will of its own, accessible in its entirety for you¡­ You can think of it like an implanted contamination, but based on a living being, and impossible to deteriorate. What she wants is a peaceful death with the hope of preserving her knowledge, experiences, and the right to reincarnate instead of giving up to the Nether. In a sense, she will be planting a seed from which her child could have been born. Faen don¡¯t reproduce like a normal, physical species do. The newborns are as much a prolonging of their being as a new life. What differs is the Will, of course. The new personality for an old entity¡­¡± Zeph was shocked as he started to understand what she was talking about. ¡°She wants me to become her child?¡± he asked incuriously. Mavis waved her hands, indicating that he wasn¡¯t exactly right. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ similar, but wrong. You are of a different race, for starters. Do you expect to suddenly change into a Faerie? Or be overwritten? Hmmm¡­¡± She poked her cheek with her finger. ¡°That would be kind of fun, actually¡­¡± He exhaled mentally with relief. He definitely wasn¡¯t ready for an abrupt change of his race. ¡°Not funny. But what do you mean?¡± She took a teacher¡¯s pose again. ¡°As you live on, you will become more accustomed to her Soul fragment and slowly merge with it fully, but the process is very different from the normal ¡®conception¡¯. You will have to reach her Soul¡¯s density before that happens, though, accepting or discarding certain Traits along the way. Any changes will take time nonetheless. If you die prematurely, her fragment will have a chance to become her true child. If it manages to attain Terrien¡¯s Will, all the better. Before you ask¡±¡ªshe lifted her hand to stop him from asking more questions¡ª¡°it¡¯s impossible for her to fully separate from the Nether part at this point. Her child won¡¯t be any different. Without a proper germination period to grow and build up the Nether-controlling structures, it will shift to their side almost immediately. She can¡¯t make it pure anymore. If you can keep it safe for enough time, though, there is a chance the spread of the infection will be stopped entirely in case you die and her child surfaces. Then, it would have to be proven to other Onjis that not only the newborn isn¡¯t a Nether treat but also a useful ally. That¡¯s why she is looking for someone who can not only withstand the Nether but also use it creatively.¡± Zeph finished for her, realization dawning on him. ¡°So, either the child learns a thing or two from me while I am protecting it, or I convince the powers to be before she is even born. Because I will have the same exact problem as she would, just much earlier, won¡¯t I? The acceptance.¡± ¡°Yep!¡± the Faerie confirmed joyfully. ¡°Whatever you do, it will be remembered. That¡¯s how the merging process works if one side is much stronger than the other. Soulwise. And if you manage to preserve me, it¡¯s where I can help,¡± she straightened up proudly. ¡°I can grant you partial access to the seed¡¯s deeper memories. Normally, you would have to progress with the merging to get that information, but I can cheat a little in that regard. Of course, a huge part pertaining to what we have talked about will become accessible for you from the beginning, even without my interference. But¡ª¡± ¡°Stop with the self-promotion. I already decided to help you if I can agree to this,¡± he interjected. ¡°But why would I want to go that risky way? If I understand it correctly, the Soul fragment of her will be mostly dormant ¨C especially the Nether part of it. If that means it will be as hidden as a Netherling, or even better, why would I want to do anything to prove myself to the Onjis?¡± He crossed his imaginary arms. ¡°Because of the Deep Memory Scan the System Onji will ask of you at some point. And because of your threshold metamorphosis,¡± she answered smartly. ¡°The first one is obsolete, though?¡± he said with a smirk before she could elaborate. ¡°No memory scans for me. I and the System have a deal.¡± And good thing I have made it! It seems I am not that much out of shape when it comes to the negotiations! Chapter 134 - To deal or not to deal - part 2. Clashing issues of two uncertain beings. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.16] ================ Mavis the Mabia PoV ================ ¡°The first one is obsolete, though? No memory scans for me. I and the System have a deal.¡± Her mouth opened involuntarily as she gaped at the man in shock. ¡°You¡­ What?¡± she managed to voice out. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that part in my memories?¡± he asked lazily, evidently channeling his inner fob. Irritated, she regained her composure immediately because of that. ¡°We are in a quite close business relationship. As so, I already made sure to have some privacy.¡± As he spoke, her emotions were being drowned down by the sea of information descending from her Mindcluster. Her plans¡­ no, their plans suddenly shifted to incorporate this new piece of information. There was a lot to compensate for, and even more to plan out to readjust the network she had created. Those changes were massive and¡ª ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± She shouted and started twirling in the air happily. ¡°That was, arguably, the most dangerous part of the deal!¡± ¡ªoverwhelmingly positive in their effects! In response, the primitive manifestation of the Terrien started beaming with positive energy. Noticing that, another strange emotion leaked from between the meticulously misshaped gears of her Mindcluster. She felt proud. Proud of how quickly the man was advancing. It was crystal clear that he was learning how to read her Soul and, as a result, how to use his own in a similar manner. An advancement much faster than ever predicted. Which also meant that this imperfect simulation was paying dividends in abundance. ¡°Make sure to mention that to your original,¡± he continued, still giving off an impression of puffing his chest out. It may have been cute a little. ¡°I am too good to NOT have more of the easily accessible knowledge from the get-go!¡± He laughed silently saying that. What an ostentatious child, she giggled to herself, even as a bittersweet mood overtook her after that proclamation. Her original was the one to be negotiated with ¨C the reminder wasn¡¯t pleasant at all despite the innocent intentions behind his words. ¡°I will!¡± she shouted in an overly-enthusiastic voice, stopping mid-space and saluting. She buried down her dark thoughts and matched the level of contentment and enthusiasm Zeph¡¯s Soulform was emanating. Still, she didn¡¯t have the time to spoil the young one for long. Taking a deep breath to center herself, she put them back on track. ¡°Okay, so we will have to deal with the Soul threshold only.¡± She nodded to herself. ¡°You mean level 100, right?¡± Zeph asked naively. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± She said, stopping herself from calling him names. ¡°¡­Zeph.¡± That was a basic knowledge. The most obvious of thresholds. She was as irritated as disappointed ¨C the question was plainly stupid. ¡°The true merging will start after you reach that point.¡± ¡°I will gain Soul density when that happens?¡± he continued his questioning, making her believe that he was trying to just be prudent. He isn¡¯t acting, that¡¯s for sure. Those realizations helped her emotions to settle down. The adorable impression of a tilted head that he was emanating definitely wasn¡¯t influencing her state, though. Definitely. But the topic was diverging drastically from what had to be said, hitting the matters he wouldn¡¯t understand with his limited knowledge. Not without an intense course on the topic. A shame. I think he would understand the basics of the Soulform Shifting if I explained it properly, she thought sadly. I don¡¯t have time to babysit him, though. ¡°Something like that. That information will be available in the first batch of Soul memories if you agree,¡± she explained plainly. Basic knowledge was basic, after all. The man nodded, allowing her to continue. ¡°Going back to the topic of recognition. The more you learn before they discover that you possess the Netherform ¨C or that you can use Nether, as that would be our final goal ¨C the smaller the chance of them trying to get rid of you. The System Onji especially. That one is quite relentless in its pursuit and its rules, but would always place rationality above all else. The risks don¡¯t matter if the possible gains overwhelm them. Although, System¡¯s calculations in that regard seem to be a little random at times...¡± Pausing and clearing her throat to distract him from the unnecessarily tasty bit of information that accidentally slipped through her mouth, she straightened up and theatrically pointed at the center of his spherical aural form. ¡°Your first order of business will be to access the computation unit and get accustomed to operating it ¨C that includes attuning your Will!¡± ¡°Without the simulation?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Actually, how will I even remember to activate it? My memories of this encounter should be a part of that¡­ scrambled and encrypted fragment of my Soul, right?¡± She smiled knowingly. ¡°You won¡¯t. That¡¯s the trick to keep the secrecy. Let¡¯s just say, you will be encouraged to study that section of your Soul in the future. By the System Onji itself, if my predictions have any credibility. You will be at least informed about the anomaly and I have faith in your curiosity. In the worst case, you will have to deal with it at the threshold. Anyway,¡± she took a much sterner posture, ¡°try to avoid any questioning or scans from the System Onji after recovering your memories, okay? You should fall under the System¡¯s category of a ¡®Soul-damaged when under their scrutiny¡¯ when you wake up, which will give you certain boons. No forced digging into your Soul or memories, for one. A more careful treatment. But if it sniffs a scent of the Nether-related business in any form¡­ It can end up really bad for you.¡± The blob of Zeph¡¯s consciousness nonchalantly shrugged. ¡°I was aware already, but thanks for the heads-up. More importantly, I am also very aware of the fact that I am not producing any Nether here, despite your claims that this place is just like theirs.¡± She bobbed up and down to show her acknowledgment of his insight. His question was loaded and he asked it consciously, so she felt obliged to acknowledge that she understood the true meaning behind that question. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of the entis dimensions. Mimicking environments doesn¡¯t form energy in them, only information. And only if you fuel the construct properly to keep the simulation ¡®physically active¡¯ and stable. Sorry, but further details are a little above your pay grade¡­¡± she said apologetically. It was the topic of her masterpiece; of her original¡¯s lifework. As so, she felt terrifyingly compelled to share the details with him¡­ or rather, with anyone competent enough to understand it. It was another reminder that she wasn¡¯t an independent being. That she wasn¡¯t¡­ a natural creation. She was an imperfect copy. A clone, at best. But she had learned to ignore that fact and those feelings. ¡°In the future, you will find out what I mean,¡± she started the explanation with a small excuse. ¡°Without becoming the source of the interaction between the Soulscape and the Nether¡¯s space triplet, no Nether energy will form. That complicates the whole affair, as you noticed. It¡¯s not an unsurmountable obstacle, though. There are a few things we have to do before addressing that problem. We will first need to train you in shifting your Soul and awareness, and that doesn¡¯t require a simulation. Quite the opposite. As of now, you are in possession of a working prototype of a specialized Soulform ¨C the Netherform ¨C as it is imbued within your processing unit. The only question is, how much time it will take for you to regain access to it.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She hoped he would be able to access it sooner rather than later. Transferring and training how to use the Nether would take much longer. Assuming it even happens in the first place. Yes, their current situation wasn¡¯t promising. Another reason to not babble¡­ too much¡­ she thought, renewing her resolve. If he is convinced, his Will will do the heavy lifting for us. =============================== Zeph waved from side to side, thinking. The deal¡ªas promising as it looked at the beginning¡ªwas wrapped in a fine sheet of undesirable and unwelcome limitations. Any further details he managed to deduce weren¡¯t pleasant to think about. There were probably more of these ¨C the problematic details that could as well maim his ability to progress, if not kill him outright. He was already playing an active role in whatever the Onjis were policing. Going full stealth on them sounded like a really stupid idea. Moreover, his knowledge was limiting his understanding. But it was clear ¨C the Faerie was not only breaking the rules by working on the Nether, she was promising him her original¡¯s knowledge. A thing that shouldn¡¯t be accessible to the lowly him without a price. That could backfire dramatically and yet, he was being manipulated to accept the deal. Yes, he could notice that, at the very least. But he also knew when he was out of his depth. Still, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate the Faerie for doing that. She already opened up to him quite a lot. If that was just an act to gain his trust, it was working splendidly. Also, as aware of the risk as he was, he couldn¡¯t simply throw away this opportunity. For his own future. Not because he didn¡¯t trust the Onjis entirely¡ªand he didn¡¯t, especially after the events in the Custur Onji¡¯s domain¡ªbut because staying dependent on them would bring risks of their own. He knew what kind of longevity awaited him if he wasn¡¯t to simply die due to an overwhelming opponent or circumstances. There were worlds where those beings weren¡¯t present. Words where they couldn¡¯t exist. Realities they hadn¡¯t touched¡­ probably. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like I will be gaining any valuable information before my level 100 advancement,¡± he said with a slight worry in his voice. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but you said their space triplet isn¡¯t a part of this universe. If that¡¯s true, their dimensions aren¡¯t superimposed over Corora¡¯s space. Simply shifting my Soul should do nothing, as you implied. I will have to navigate through the Soulscape to find¡­ something to connect to on the other side. I can¡¯t see myself doing that in the near future.¡± He shook his nonexistent head vehemently. That was a major problem. Aisha told him once to never make a permanent deal with an Onji. He was starting to believe that making one with a Faerie was an even worse idea. She smiled, proud of her student. The feeling was surprisingly easy to interpret. ¡°You are mostly correct! The training I spoke about is to maximize your ability and survivability. You will not know how to contact my original until you master what was left within your Soul after this simulation unravels. But after that ¨C hopefully long before you reach the threshold ¨C you will be gifted with all necessary tools for the task.¡± Clearing her throat, she changed her tone to a more dignified one. She even started making funny poses to enhance the gravity of her words. ¡°As the time for seeding your Souls arrives, my original¡¯s Soul will part. The majority will be condensed and granted to you, while the untamable Nether-infected vestiges will follow their own instincts. They will reform and shift to return to the reality of the original offender ¨C the one who dared harm us so badly ¨C even if their body had perished. With my original¡¯s help, you will be able to trace them. After finding a deep, dense, and fresh cluster of Nether-influenced Soulscape, you should be able to find an anchor. Your Soulform and Will should already be attuned, granting you greater ability to perceive and manipulate. Your only mission would be to find a connection to the physicality. The knowledge of how to usurp an existing connection is already embedded in your Soul. You can try with the offender, if he lives, or search for anything living in the vicinity of your Soulscape location.¡± He shook his head in disbelief. Maybe Gru would be able to move like that in the Soulscape. Navigating even the closest vicinity of his Soul¡­ it was difficult to imagine. Easier said than done. Perceived vicinity, he corrected himself. The objective position of my Soul won¡¯t change until I start to expand my Soulform in a new place; it will be just my perspective that will change. Haah, he sighed with resignation. Or the direction of my reality¡¯s influence, rather¡­ this shit is difficult¡­ ¡°The rest is in your hands. But you need to remember one thing,¡± she stated, her tone changing to a deadly serious. ¡°After making a connection, you will start creating Nether particles. Never, under any circumstances, are you to channel them through your Soul. System Onji will notice, and will instantly deem you compromised ¨C you will be located and killed within hours. Possibly, cut off from this reality as a result.¡± ¡°No, I will be obliterated instantly,¡± he said absentmindedly, still in the process of synchronizing the new knowledge. ¡°I have a Shrine Seed implanted.¡± ¡°You have WHAT?!¡± the little being screamed in horror. He turned to her with a frown. Some harsh words threw themselves at his lips, but seeing her panicked face, he stopped himself from voicing them. Even though it was her biggest oversight yet. ¡°Easy here, it¡¯s semi-active and doesn¡¯t seem to possess any tracing abilities beyond what the System can see when actively communicating.¡± He tried, but that didn¡¯t calm Mavis at all. She started frantically buzzing around, her head jerking in different directions every second as if invisible enemies started popping around, startling her. Hoping that a change of focus would help her, he pointed out a more obvious target for her anxiety. ¡°Look, you should be more worried about the Safety Protocol they have installed in my Soul. I am fairly certain they have maximized the computational capability of that construct ¨C they informed me that the¡­ ¡®Module¡¯ space¡­ was depleted¡­¡± His voice petered out as the dry husk of the little being started falling down, swinging in the empty space like an autumn leaf in the dry air. ¡°Was it a mistake?¡­¡± a silent whisper could be heard as he followed her descending form. ¡°Umm¡­ could you please stop playing dead?¡± he asked while trying, and failing, to catch her. There was no answer. He poked her with an imaginary finger, an act as impotent ¡®physically¡¯ as the last. The little emanation reacted, though, turning to her side in midair. ¡°We are doomed¡­¡± she mumbled mechanically, like a speaking doll. Shaking his head, he straightened his imaginary back to a more comfortable position before speaking. ¡°Aren¡¯t I? Do you even have any contingencies in place for when I try to breach the Soulscape?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s different.¡± She said angrily, regaining some energy and looking up at him. ¡°Your Will is the best source of protection. You will be able to interact with your Nether as you do with Mana. The organisms on their side don¡¯t possess Will after transferring. You will!¡± she smirked at her own bad pun. Sitting up cross-legged, she started to explain angrily. ¡°We never anticipated you to be an outliner to such a degree. I will have to compensate¡­ But let¡¯s go back to the topic. If they all have fallen crazy on the other side, this mission will be a walk in the park for you! If they don¡¯t, you still possess an immaterial body and a supreme Will. Besides the training and arranging for your energetical needs, there is nothing more we can do to make you safe! My original itself will be, technically, one with you at that point! If you have ANY idea of how to do that better, then tell me!¡± She screeched by the end. Taken aback by her volatile reaction, he backed away. That one¡¯s motivation is definitely powered by pure anger and nothing more¡­ he thought to himself. As she huffed and puffed after her tirade, he pointed out a big no-no factor in this whole idea. ¡°The Netherbeings literally eat Souls. You said so yourself.¡± ¡°And yours will be connected to another universe. Let them try,¡± she crossed her arms. His frowned. ¡°My core Soul will be at the forefront!¡± ¡°Your expanded core Soul will be at the forefront! It will be no longer the same part I had engaged in this simulation.¡± His teeth started grinding in irritation. I know it¡¯s risky, why won¡¯t you acknowledge it?! ¡°Their Will may simply be manifesting differently. If mine is overwhelmed¡ª¡± ¡°Still on point ¨C yours should stay supreme, if attuned,¡± she interrupted. ¡°If not, we would have seen the beings wielding the Greater Willpower coming through from their side! And don¡¯t even try to argue on that point!¡± she started shouting again. ¡°I know well that your Will cannot be depleted fully anymore!¡± In one moment, he was ready to violently slap her out of the air. She showed enough incompetency and yet¡­ She dared to dig into his most personal affairs. But the fury disappeared as fast as it was born. His ¡®body¡¯ lost all tension when he realized that he already knew why that happened. Why she did know more than necessary while missing the key information about his physical body? He still hated her guts with vengeance, though. ¡°You have answers for everything, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was made that way,¡± she growled back. ¡°Prepared.¡± Chapter 135 – The decision was made. The room reeks of lies. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.16] Shaking his head in disbelief and resignation, he calmed himself down. He knew already that she wasn¡¯t a true living being, but her behavior made him forget that little fact. There was no way she was okay with that fact, he realized. Now, though, he could taste the bitterness and regret surrounding her small form. In the deluge of emotions, she forfeited a part of her self-control, spewing out the muck that was accumulating deep within her psyche. He wasn¡¯t able to stay angry at her after perceiving that. Sighing, he decided to ask more general questions. If she was so self-assured about the details, he would rather ask for her general opinion. ¡°What are the chances of me damaging my Soul even more? What are my chances of dying entirely?¡± She hesitated for a moment, but if she wanted to strike a deal, she couldn¡¯t hide information as crucial as that. ¡°Going by my knowledge,¡± she started hesitantly, ¡°as well as simulation¡¯s results and your unique physique ¨C vastly lower than being killed in the wilderness ¨C around one in a million. The wilderness part¡­ is around one in ten thousand. And that¡¯s taking into account possible System Onji¡¯s interference - without that, I could claim it¡¯s as safe as it comes.¡± He nodded. That wasn¡¯t too bad. He would give himself an order of magnitude less in the case of System¡¯s intervention, but that was beside the point. ¡°Soul damage¡­ is a tricky question,¡± she continued. ¡°We know nothing about the physicality on the other side. But you will be as prepared as we can make you. I would say that¡­ the chances of you losing anything more than the expanded core Soul are one to tens of thousands at the worst.¡± Sounds like a number she just made out¡­ he thought with suspicion, but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Any new adversaries on Corora? Slowing down my growth? Irrevocably changing my path or being?¡± ¡°Except for the System Onji, you will find more friends than opponents. An all-out positive,¡± she said with certainty. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t manage to prove yourself to the Onjis ¨C that, I can guarantee.¡± She stood up before proudly declaring... ¡°We are the Faen. You will be considered our friend. If it comes to the worst-case scenario, we can relocate you. It will take time, but we can overshadow the System¡¯s Soul-based enhancements if we put our minds to it. As for your last questions ¨C no and no. You won¡¯t be under our influence at all. If anything, it is an opportunity to gain more knowledge and open more opportunities.¡± He rolled his eyes at the obnoxious advertisement and asked a few more questions to be on the safe side. Her answers weren¡¯t exactly straight to the point ¨C he could feel she wasn¡¯t sharing everything with him. Especially when the additional information she was sharing threw him out of the loop. She was hiding something and was trying to cover it up by distracting him. Because of that, the number of questions he had started to multiply instead of decreasing. Although, when he demanded a straight answer, she was able to give him one. That was the only reason he kept with her antics. After a few hours of discussion, his curiosity was mostly satisfied and his worries abated. Even if his knowledge was too shallow to pursue the truth hidden behind her misleading words. He was left with only two important questions. Two distinct issues to clear with the Faerie. Those, in his opinion, carried the most weight. He had left them for last because he wanted to learn what kind of person she was. How she was speaking, what information she would give for free, and what she would try to omit. He had an overall good impression of her, but he also knew that she was geared better towards negotiations than he was. She wasn¡¯t malicious in her behavior, but he could tell that her instincts were fighting with her reason when he touched upon certain topics. And because sometimes she gave him more information than necessary, while avoiding a related topic on other occasions, it was becoming difficult to discern which one was a trap or a manipulation attempt, and which was her honest opinion. The old being she stemmed from wasn¡¯t stupid, leaving her with just the right mix of knowledge and convictions to force his hand. Even if the original seemed to lack some common sense. Prepared mentally to lose all the goodwill they have built until now, he asked the first difficult question. The Faerie knew instantly it was important ¨C he could see as she stiffened in response to his own serious mood. ¡°Explain to me, in detail, what did you mean by ¡®your thrall¡¯?¡± Strangely, the question made her relax somewhat. ¡°It means what it means. An individual from an intelligent race who chose to throw away their free will.¡± She paused, making sure he was ready to listen to her explanation. As he didn¡¯t react, she continued. ¡°A lot of people would do that for the chance of a prolonged existence, or in exchange for an unachievable wish being granted. By Soul-bonding with me, they can easily achieve the former, while I personally take action to grant the latter.¡± Another pause. Zeph stayed silent still, leaving his evaluation for after the full explanation. ¡°But my mind is orders of magnitude more complex than theirs ¨C it¡¯s not an equal exchange,¡± she admitted without a guild in her voice. ¡°I am thinking much faster than your race. As so, I am producing more Will. My Soul is active so deeply and is of such high density that it¡¯s impossible to form a balanced connection.¡± Seeing his blank stare, she paused to consider how to explain it to him for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s the same as when you, humans, Soul-bond with animals. Their Will naturally aligns with yours, the same way as humans¡¯ Will naturally aligns with mine. Additionally, their Soul isn¡¯t able to sustain an equal exchange, so mine is influencing them at a more fundamental level, too. Even if dominated in such a way, they are the same people as before, technically, just led by my wants and needs.¡± His nonexistent eyes squinted. ¡°Slaves, basically¡­ And how did you convince them to form the Bond?¡± She raised her hands placatingly. ¡°All was explained and warnings were given. The System Onji is monitoring things on their side, either way. It was their choice. True, the individuals I contacted emanated so much despair, dread, or desire that I could easily tell they would agree. But I don¡¯t have a need to trick them ¨C I just needed a few helpers and the dreams I influenced would be forgotten soon enough if they declined.¡± ¡°And the System didn¡¯t notice you doing that?¡± She shrugged. ¡°It knows when someone is Soul-bonding with something they shouldn¡¯t. I guess, it gives warnings of its own in such cases. But I am outside of its influence. It can try to force a scan through the connection, but that would be against its rules. And it wouldn¡¯t pass without retaliation.¡± He sighed mentally. I suppose¡­ if she leaves them with a choice¡­ Yeah, I can accept that. Now then¡­ he straightened up. ¡°Your previous explanations left quite a big hole in reasoning. Reincarnation happens naturally. You said it''s impossible to navigate the Soulscape without proper relative coordinates and that the information is spread out, so how does a Soul converge naturally?¡± ¡°Well, for the older iterations of your lives, you know the answer,¡± she started smartly. ¡°Like I said, you will gain access after accustoming yourself to the context of what you were.¡± He shook his imaginary head. ¡°Explain that fully. It¡¯s not like I will be given coordinates to the fragmented parts of my Soul, even if I get accustomed to the context of what I was. There is a variable missing.¡± She huffed in dissatisfaction. It was clear that she didn¡¯t want to talk about that topic, but she didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°The temporal dimension interacting with the Soulscape leaves a trace,¡± she started with a pout. ¡°The aggregated information is accumulating chronologically in fractal-like structures. The clusters of data are barely discernable, but they are reacting strongly and coherently if under the influence of a timeline - even after losing the connection to said timeline at some point. The partial reincarnations do happen, but it¡¯s a problem only for badly damaged Souls.¡± Zeph frowned. ¡°So, there is another way to interpret and navigate the dimension? And why would you want to hide that from me?¡± Her shoulders dropped down even as her small form started emanating irritation. ¡°It¡¯s useless for ¡®navigating¡¯ if you aren¡¯t going to influence the whole set of the data cluster. You can¡¯t just read the planet¡¯s history without becoming one with all that information. That¡¯s why the System is making copies of everything in separate chunks. But yes, it¡¯s the main reason you can keep your Soul coherent, reincarnate, and dig down to the memory of your previous lives.¡± She sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to explain that because it¡¯s almost certain that you will try to use that knowledge. And you shouldn¡¯t.¡± She sent him a silent glare through two borderless, unfocused holes that suddenly opened in the place of her eyes. They made him shiver. ¡°It may sound simple, but the patterns manifesting in the Soulscape aren¡¯t a product of just a few variables. Do not touch things you don¡¯t understand fully or you will risk damaging your very core. If you attempt anything advanced without first interacting with other dimensions, you are guaranteed to fail. And remember, our knowledge will be available. Just wait patiently and follow your instincts ¨C the natural order of things ¨C and everything will be alright.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He gulped. The tension in the space was intensifying through her speech and he wisely decided to follow her words to the letter this time. Should I try to explain that to Gru, though? he asked himself. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, at least in comparison with everything else he would have to describe, his current situation included. After pondering on it for a minute, he decided against it. If misconceptions can be that damaging, I better leave Gru to his own devices. She already stated that there was a natural order of obtaining that knowledge. He deflated impotently. Even if she was telling the truth, he still didn¡¯t like how much he had to rely on her words. Maybe that was the whole reason for avoiding those topics¡­ The uncertainty that comes with knowledge¡­ ¡°I understand,¡± he finally said, nodding with seriousness. ¡°But I hope you will explain everything properly later on.¡± The Faerie¡¯s eyes almost disappeared as she beamed with her creepy, black smile of hers. ¡°Everything, with time. But¡­ does that mean?¡± ¡°Yes, I agree to the deal,¡± he conceded, somewhat irritated at the declaration. He was feeling manipulated to some degree. ¡°It would be much easier if you weren¡¯t trying to hide information from me.¡± ¡°Believe me, I have serious reasons for doing so,¡± she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. ¡°To make you feel better ¨C it¡¯s similar to the time-traveling paradox. Would the information about future events make you able to change them? Or is it the very cause of what is to come?¡± ¡°We still need to contact Gru,¡± he changed the topic, not feeling even an ounce better after that comment. ¡°True! Any idea how to go about it?¡± ¡°Just¡­ leave me some Will. Of the normal kind.¡± She frowned. ¡°If you use it on your Soul, you will probably lose connection to this simulation.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, what I am going to do is much simpler. But I can¡¯t use anything Nether-related. My body is my Soul right now, right?¡± She nodded. ¡°Just give me access to a part that isn¡¯t expanded. It doesn¡¯t have to be from my core Soul¡­¡± And so, the plans were put into motion. =============================== This time, his consciousness was slow to resurface as he woke up ¨C something that didn¡¯t bode well. It took his dazed mind a good minute to recognize the black ceiling and the golden trimmings running along the corners and wall surfaces. Looking down at himself, he was lying naked on a stone table. His body was aching in too many places but otherwise stayed unmolested. He allowed himself to relax slightly, dropping back on the stone that was already warmed up by his body. Instead of asking the System what was happening outright, he tried to revise his memories first. There it was, the last day of the Tournament. And there was his opponent¡­ whose name he couldn¡¯t remember. Jerkanddo?... No¡­ Jacka¡­ Ugh, whatever¡­ Leaving behind the unnecessary details, he focused on the important parts. There he was, firing their new experimental weapon¡­ Right! I was hit with something right after. Hmmmm¡­ Was it a Mana pulse followed by a Soul attack? Oh¡­ Oh no! Panicking, he quickly opened his Interface and zoomed down to his Traits. Sighing with relief, his body lost its tension. His Soul fragmentation was still at 10%. Thank gods, Alex was wrong, he thought, being sure that the message from the Gibbons was written under Alex¡¯s careful guidance. But that doesn¡¯t explain much, does it? ¡°System?¡± he asked into the air. To his surprise, his throat wasn¡¯t parched. In fact, he felt well-rested and energized.
And so, the victim finally rises from their unending slumber¡­
Their dry tone only exaggerated the bad narration. ¡°Har. Har. How many points did you take from me to save my life this time?¡± he asked with irritation.
None, princess. We could do nothing.
Zeph¡¯s face paled. ¡°Okay¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±
It wasn¡¯t. You are in a peak condition, physically speaking. But your [Will] was swarming around the Soul-injection side for the last week, occluding our perception. We couldn¡¯t interfere without employing harmful methods. As so, we decided to wait. Besides the vicinity of the injection, your whole being was stable.
¡°Wait, how many days have passed?¡±
It¡¯s the 22nd of the first month. You were unconscious for 7 days, 11 [Earth hours], and some irrelevant minutes.
¡°What about the injection side?¡±
That¡¯s a good question. Do you want us to provide a [Deep Memory Scan] of the area? It will cost you merely 10,000 UP.
A premonition ¨C bad enough to make him clench his jaws ¨C hit him after receiving that message. Shit¡­ ¡°No, no¡­ No scans,¡± he managed to say while massaging the muscles below his temples. ¡°Somehow, that doesn¡¯t seem like the best idea right now. You should be able to see the general state of my Soul either way? And what happened, exactly?¡±
¡­If you say so. Yes, the event left you with¡­ scars, for the lack of a better term. The area doesn¡¯t seem [readable] anymore. As for the event ¨C the [Garuan] stayed dormant and unsure until a few hours ago. For an unknown reason (one for which we would reward you in case of sharing your insights) the [Garuan] took action and consumed a part of the intruding [Soul fragment]. It was a hasty and sudden action, possible only because you two share the same type of [Will]. The rest of the intruding [Soul fragment] collapsed and separated shortly after, but not without leaving a mark. The [Garuan] informed us that the incomplete instructions to act as such came from you, [Zeph Einar]. But ¡®he¡¯ stubbornly declines to grant us any further explanations or details.
Really, that¡¯s all? he thought because he expected that some unfortunate complications were the source of his coma. Instead, it was the other way around ¨C he was unconscious but stable until Gru took action. And what is the System expecting from me? I was unconscious the whole time, you idiot! Curious, he tried to contact Gru. His companion was suspiciously silent from the beginning, he now noticed. It was like throwing rocks into a well ¨C he knew Gru received them, but besides the initial splash, there was no echo. He squinted his eyes. Suspicious¡­ Or¡­ ¡°I think Gru is tired, he isn¡¯t responding. Probably because of what he did,¡± he shared his unbiased opinion. Yes, there were other possibilities, but he had no reason to discuss them with the System. Especially because the Onji was probably already aware of them.
¡­ We will wait for the report, then. But, in that case, we strongly recommend that you focus on the [damaged] part of your [Soul]. Any additional data you can provide will be rewarded.
This time, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu blossomed in his mind. But that was the last of his worries, so he discarded it almost immediately. ¡°Hey, my fella¡­ why are so nice to me?¡± he asked in a voice dripping with suspicion.
We don¡¯t know what you are talking about. You are bedridden. It¡¯s only natural to be delicate. Or would rather engage in an instant negotiation session after waking up?
¡°Suuuure¡­¡± he smirked. ¡°Receiving additional rewards for doing the most logical thing in this situation? No negotiations when I declined the scan? No interest in what Gru did?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You aren¡¯t even trying. Why are you¡ª¡± The doors to the room slid open at that moment. Turning his head, he saw Aisha entering, an unpleasant grimace on her face. He could smell a ploy in action from a mile away¡­ Chapter 136 – Of more mundane considerations, needs, and conclusions… Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.22] ¡°You are going with me,¡± she growled, grabbing him under his armpit before he could comprehend what she was trying to do. He had no chance to resist as the world spun around. A silent scream could have ¨C possibly ¨C escaped his tightly-closed mouth. With a high-pitched wheeze coming from his lungs, he landed back-fist over her shoulders. In a grotesque imitation of a firefighter carry, nonetheless, where his position on her back was reversed. The strain on his spine made him believe this was actually a subdued attack technique. ¡°Why?¡± he managed to wheeze out. Although he wasn¡¯t in much pain, he wasn¡¯t able to speak properly when bent like that. ¡°Oh, you can still speak?¡± She asked flatly before increasing the force on his arm and legs, bending his body even further. The gurgling noise he started to emit seemed to placate her somehow. He knew, because the force she used started abating slowly. ¡°Stop talking,¡± she said with slight irritation in her voice when he tried to move. ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. Not now.¡± She put more force on his body once again, just when he was about to plead to be released. Breathless, he cursed the idiotic Priestess. It was more than simply embarrassing to be carried like that when naked. But he couldn¡¯t even protest. Gathering a few surprised glances along the way, she brought him to a nearby room where she had a set of clothes prepared for him., thankfully¡­ ~~~ The silence was becoming awkward in Ghrughah¡¯s carriage. The giant was still playing with the settings of the safety enchantments. Aisha was sitting nearby, still angry for some unknown reason; her warhaxammer entirely too close for comfort. While they were waiting for their ride, she used it a few times to make sure he kept his mouth closed. Besides them, only Kwan was present. After a few minutes, Ghrughah started scratching his long beard instead of playing with the controls. ¡°Can we finally talk?¡± Zeph asked, nervously glancing at Aisha. Her hand twitched. Jesus¡­ why are you so tense, woman? he involuntarily thought¡­ which was probably the reason for her triceps to spasm this time. ¡°Not really,¡± Ghrughah said stoically, turning away from the panel intersected into the wall. This one was different ¨C green in color and hidden deep inside the multi-layered carriage¡¯s wall. The sheer fact that he showed it to them openly was enough proof that he was taking this seriously. ¡°I have readings of random signals piercing the Mana constructs. Undecipherable signals¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t do anything against the Onjis!¡± he voiced his statement in a firm voice but knew nobody would listen to him. Those readings mean one of two things ¨C they were either bugged with technology from a higher stratum, or a certain class of beings was interested and Ghrughah managed to notice their meddling. Both options were ridiculous, but the latter was more probable. With Ghrughah¡¯s contamination and abilities, the possibility of a spying device that couldn¡¯t be found physically and yet could be detected this ¡®easily¡¯ just wasn¡¯t reasonable. And if someone was using Skills or Spells, they would notice ¨C the space of the cabin was packed fully and uncomfortably with their Veils. Any foreign Mana would be immediately noticed. Zeph was sure that the carriage itself was saturated with the giant¡¯s Mana as well. ¡°That may be true,¡± Kwan commented and sighed. ¡°Still¡­ We won¡¯t have a better place to discuss the situation, won¡¯t we?¡± she turned to the Omni-Blacksmith. A slight shake of his head was all the answer they needed. A moment later, she had her fan waving in the air. He understood. They were to use the code. Still, he was sure that whoever was listening would be able to decipher it in time. The beings involved even allowed them the privilege of knowing that they were doing so. Zeph was sure they had more subtle methods, like paying for whatever the System was able to gather. But maybe he was wrong. Nonetheless, they started using the misleading wording at that point. ______________________ This chronicle will omit the specific wording for two reasons. One, to preserve the sanity of the potential readers. Two, because those are the foundation of a new secret language that thrives to this day. Please understand. Revealing that much would do an injustice to people who worked hard while creating one of the most difficult and complex languages in this cluster of universes. This knowledge isn¡¯t a part of this chronicle series. If you were looking for it specifically, good luck next time! Best Regards, Z. the author. ______________________ ¡°First of all, Zeph,¡± Aisha started, massaging her nose. ¡°For a period, you are under a probing and protection protocol. Of at least two Onjis.¡± ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± Kwan and Ghrughah shouted simultaneously. Their shock was evident even on their stoic faces. Zeph, though, just tilted his head in confusion. ¡°That is a thing?¡± Kwan was the first to recover, leaning back on her seat. ¡°A direct protection?¡± she asked silently. Aisha grimaced, more in impatience than irritation. ¡°That is not something you ask about. And especially NOT something that you,¡± he pointed at Zeph, ¡°should ask the Onji directly! Learn to read the mood, you dritt!¡± Kwan and Ghrughah shut their mouths. They took her warning seriously, it seemed. Zeph, on the other hand, finally understood why she was angry. She was in a similar situation as him ¨C directly negotiating with an Onji and building a closer relationship. Something that the beings didn¡¯t want to advertise, if he was going by the System Onji¡¯s words and warnings. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As for ¡®reading the mood¡¯, he lost that ability a long time ago. At least when interacting with the System. He got used to negotiating with the being during each meeting, something that should be blasphemous. Probably. Aisha¡¯s dissatisfaction meant that she was either forced or coerced to play the role of mediator in his case, showing her hand to the partial bystanders like Kwan and the Ghrughah. He just couldn¡¯t understand why she was doing that in the first place. ¡°So what?¡± he asked, frowning. ¡°If nobody was going to explain it to me, how was I supposed to know?¡± It was, indeed, very not System-like behavior ¨C to coat their words to such a degree. ¡°Did you read the notifications deeply?¡± She asked in a hard tone. Well¡­ He did not. And the notifications weren¡¯t accessible in his Interface. Taking a step back and reflecting on her words, he noticed an important bit of information. ¡°Protocol of two Onjis, you said¡­¡± That was the reason, most probably. The communication between him and the System wasn¡¯t private, if he had to guess. ¡°But why two?¡± The spectating duo smartly kept silent. ¡°Because you were under their direct scrutiny at the time, and yet you took a mortally dangerous Nether attack that could have been prevented.¡± And this time, it was a shock for Zeph. Wasn¡¯t Alex mistaken after all? ¡°Wait! How am I unscathed if I received a Nether attack?¡± ¡°Are you, though?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow, making him pause. His Soul was scarred, after all. ¡°It¡¯s as much for your protection as it is to make sure you aren¡¯t infected.¡± Her words send a cold chill down his spine. ¡°The System said it couldn¡¯t see anything¡­¡± he tried, looking down. ¡°They detected a flash of Nether energy just after the attack had landed, and right after Gru¡¯s intervention brought you back,¡± she explained in a much calmer tone. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened, but your informant was right. At least partially.¡± He glanced up at her. ¡°I understand, but¡­ Shouldn¡¯t I be dealt with instead of receiving this... protection?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You know why that won¡¯t happen this easily.¡± He understood, but didn¡¯t believe in that possibility. He was sure the System would obliterate him as soon as they deemed him compromised, the deals notwithstanding. ¡°On a more positive note,¡± she started, releasing a heavy sigh, ¡°Your privacy is now boosted. And this situation is better for all entities involved. If you have anything worse than a Netherling inside of you, they will know. The procedures developed were never working properly on Netherlings, but that can¡¯t be said about other Netherforms.¡± She turned to Ghrughah. ¡°Also, that¡¯s the most probable reason you were able to detect those intruding signals. The Onjis¡¯ attention is on us, and that should be a sign of it.¡± Just as Zeph had expected. ¡°Then why we are using this parody of a ciphered language to speak?¡± the giant grumbled with disappointment and dissatisfaction. ¡°And why are you telling us all this?¡± Kwan added, her eyes squinting in suspicion. Aisha shrugged impotently. ¡°Because the Onjis with the active protocol aren¡¯t sharing everything with each other. It¡¯s better to try and hide at least some of the details regarding the System Onji¡¯s meddling, at the very least. As to why I am explaining it all with you aboard¡­ You would notice, sooner or later. That¡¯s all the reason you need to have.¡± She sent them a hard stare to make a point. And none of them objected. But Zeph suspected her reasoning had a deeper meaning. That she simply didn¡¯t want to clue how deep her personal involvement in all of this was, especially to other Onjis. Seeing that they understood, she nodded to herself. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be able to keep that under wraps without your help either way,¡± she nonchalantly added, pointing at him with her thumb. ¡°At the very least, explanations regarding his last Duel will have to be handled to the city¡¯s Council and the Landlords. Similarly, his recent health issues are being put into question. We simply can¡¯t do that without working together anymore¡­ You need to be aware of the situation.¡± ¡°Well, yes. You may be right on that front,¡± Kwan said, lightly patting her fan on her cheek as she was thinking. ¡°Especially if his protections can be as direct as I think they would¡­¡± Ghrughah also nodded with understanding. ¡°He needs to disappear. For how long?¡± Zeph was already lost, so he raised his hand. They ignored him. ¡°Unsure. Until more information is given to the Onjis, I believe.¡± Aisha glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She seemed to be evaluating something for a moment, but still ignored his raised hand. ¡°I would suspect no more than a few months,¡± she advised, talking slowly and without confidence. ¡°That¡¯s doable,¡± Ghrughah admitted. Just as Zeph¡¯s patience was about to dry up, Kwan took pity on him and answered his unspoken question. ¡°Your social status is quite different now than before the Tournament,¡± she started, looking into his eyes. ¡°You are somewhat recognizable and infamous. To the populace and to the higher echelons ¨C all the same. That comes with respect to your position in our Guild ¨C for example, all claims regarding your or your Department¡¯s inventions were unanimously withdrawn by the offenders themselves. But that doesn¡¯t mark the end of the dispute. Meetings, negotiations, spying, and confrontations. For a time, we will need to cover for you in case of more¡­ direct approaches. If those were to be mysteriously impaired in your presence by the Onjis...¡± It was his turn to sigh with impatience. ¡°Yes, yes. Very informative. I know already what comes with a respected, higher position. I have enough examples around myself,¡± he huffed, crossing his arms. ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I destroyed my reputation during the banquet, and that I could simply disappear for a time in the wilderness. What has changed?¡± he asked, looking at each of them in turn. ¡°Two consecutive freak accidents during your Duels, that¡¯s what,¡± Aisha said, shaking her head. He made a sour face hearing that ¨C he had no counterargument for the facts. ¡°Even your first fight can be considered as such. You weren¡¯t supposed to recover that quickly from the Will-targeting injury. At least we can cover for that with our Medical Team ¨C their capabilities aren¡¯t clear to the others yet.¡± That explained most of it. He would have to find a really good excuse to be able to leave the city in these circumstances. If he wanted to stay unharassed, that is. And even then, it would be risky. But that reminded him of another, more mundane question. ¡°What happened to my last opponent?¡± he asked, mostly because he knew the man was still alive. No new notifications from the System was a proof enough. ¡°And how was P¡¯pfel¡¯s last fight?¡± This time, Kwan smiled broadly. ¡°Your opponent is alive. Barely. From what we heard, most of his body was destroyed. He is still in the Shrine. P¡¯pfel won. It was a boring match, once again. His opponent was trying to unseal his air-pollution protections. You can guess how good that idea was.¡± She laughed a little saying that. ¡°Our champions bade worse. All in all, we lost three Duels in the Tournament.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem that bothered, though?¡± he had to ask, noticing that her smile didn¡¯t change at all when giving the bad news. ¡°That last attack on you was their undoing,¡± Aisha interjected before Kwan could continue her explanation. ¡°It fired automatically after the conclusion of the Duel, breaking the most basic rules. Also, the people up high were informed it was of a Nether nature.¡± She also started smiling slightly after saying the last part. ¡°Does that mean¡­?¡± he asked, looking at Kwan. Her smile stretched even further. ¡°Welcome in the fold of a Landlord, my retainer!¡± she exclaimed playfully. He also smiled. ¡°How¡¯s the land?¡± Her smile changed to a predatory one. ¡°We squeezed every possible copper from them for the destruction they brought to us.¡± ¡°We will keep all of the land,¡± Aisha explained with a bored tone. ¡°And our not-so-well prepared evidence of their activity preceding the Tournament was accepted. There is a lot of political pressure put on them because of the Nether fiasco.¡± Zeph couldn¡¯t hear her clearly anymore, though. Finally, some cash for my department! he thought excitedly. ~~~ The Roaming Onsen Village was full of life despite the late hour. New decorations adorned the buildings ¨C this time all in royal blue and gold, for some reason. Part of them was already misplaced or damaged, but the Hannyajin didn¡¯t seem keen to remove them just yet. The celebration that took place after the Tournament must have been of epic proportions. Even some walls were damaged in the process. The loud cheers for their win were still echoing from the bars and streets, showing that the party was still in motion. They had a short council meeting after arriving. The most important news for him was that Danette Gildafi was awake and wanted to meet him. Because he was out for so long, she was able to recover before they could ask for the meeting themselves. It seemed that she shared their curiosity about what happened during the Duel. The meeting was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. ~~~ Landing in his bed, Zeph felt like passing away immediately. Not because he was tired, but because of a food coma. Despite what the System has said, his muscles weren¡¯t as developed as before his impromptu coma. His now-recovered arm was the main suspect for stripping him from his flesh, alongside the time he spent helplessly lying in bed. It wasn¡¯t like he could replace the lacking matter in his body with energy alone and he could easily assess that by putting up his armor, which he did just for the sake of testing his equipment fully. It was loose. So no ¨C the amount of food he had eaten that day was the reason for his sleepiness. He was determined to speed the recovery process as much as possible and maybe, just maybe, he overdid it a little. He wanted to speak with Gru before the end of the day, but he didn¡¯t feel like it anymore. There were many problems to think about. Even more to do something about. But just then, in that moment, he felt as if he had truly returned to his home. To a safe place that was his and his alone. Deciding to push all the issues to the future Zeph, he allowed himself to drift into the dreamworld. Feeling content and safe in a deceptively long time. Chapter 137 – Winter in a coastal city is kind of mesmerizing, only disrupted by a random, old fox. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.23] The city has changed. The streets weren¡¯t as lively anymore. The harsh winds were bringing more snow than any sane person could deal with, so locals didn¡¯t seem to care about the snow piling up. The bad weather was intensifying as the days were passing by. Soon they would enter the mid-winter period, the most painful one. The first floors of the city¡¯s buildings were almost entirely buried under the snow, yet the traffic continued unabated on its hard-packed surface. Shop entrances and decorative facades were moved up, to a floor above, working either as information signs and advertisement boards or set like small stalls where the clients could order and collect the shop¡¯s goods. The only exception was the terraces. They were in constant use, well-lit, and kept unclogged. It was endearing, in a way. Using them, one could step below the surface of the snowy ground and the harsh winds, entering a whole new world. Tunnels were dug out to connect entrances of the buried buildings; the snow refrozen into slick ice covering the walls and ceilings. But what was truly eye-catching about them stemmed from another local practice ¨C every accessible surface in the tunnels was filled with colored ice and engraved or sculpted artwork. Lurona¡¯s people, teens especially, liked to leave their mark in their neighborhood. Each passage was different, colorful, and illuminated in a way to make the greatest possible impression on the passer-by. Water dyes could be brought in almost every kind of shop because nobody wanted to miss the best occasion to earn good money brought by the local trends. Most of the foot traffic moved to the underground. It seemed that enclosed spaces were less of a deterrent for people than the weather outside. Probably to remedy the Veil issue, most of the main tunnels had one-way traffic. That way people could walk in line and have more control over the distance to other people or groups. Despite that, traversing the emerging underground city felt weird for Zeph ¨C a little claustrophobic for the most part. He visited the hot baths this morning, but his short trip took him more time than anticipated. Moving in such a matter through the tunnels wasn¡¯t exactly efficient ¨C a whole line had to walk at the speed of the slowest person present. It was a little better in the main artery, as it was big enough to ¨C more or less ¨C comfortably accommodate two people side by side, allowing for the advanced road maneuvers ¨C overtaking and lining up depending on the speed of movement. At least the trip wasn¡¯t boring. He was actually glad he had to slow down. The art was fascinating for him, mostly because of how alien the style, shapes, and showcased stories were. He could spot places with remnants of old works, hidden behind fresh layers of the semi-transparent material, so he was quite sure people worked at them daily. Also, the net of tunnels was still growing, so a lot of remodeling ought to happen. He was sure that, come evening, people would start reshaping and repainting the surfaces once again. As so, the chances of him becoming bored by taking the same route in the future were slim. But now, he was lazing around in a cozy meeting room on the third floor of their Guild¡¯s headquarters. Danette Gildafi would be visiting soon; she insisted on meeting him as soon as he would be awake. Kwan couldn¡¯t ignore her request ¨C the woman was a leading figure of the General Apprising and Accounting Guild, an organization that was constituting the core filar of the city. And especially since she sensed a lucrative contract coming their way. Before that, though, Danette wanted to talk with him in private. The topic was obvious, but he wondered what exactly she wanted to extract from him. The woman was a little too pushy for his liking, making him cautious. Truth be told, he would rather leave this meeting for another day. He had a much more pressing issue to solve. Landlord Hale Jaekandu ¨C his last opponent in the Tournament ¨C was still being healed in the Shrine. But, most probably, he was going to perish soon after leaving the impromptu hospital. Zeph wanted to contact Gibbons before that happened. Not because he had any pity for the man, but because he was in possession of very important information. Important for Zeph, that is ¨C he wanted to uncover the mystery of his ¡®scarred¡¯ Soul and a week of unconsciousness. More importantly, Zeph needed to find out if he was infected with a Netherling. Additionally, the Gibbons themselves should have some idea of what that artifact was. Assuming it was an artifact in the first place. While lazily chewing on some salty nuts, he once again tried to contact Gru. His companion stayed unresponsive. His methods of ¡®poking¡¯ at him were becoming quite forceful, yet Gru stayed completely silent. Zeph wanted his advice and support in regards to his ¡®damaged¡¯ Soul. Also, they both had his Will contamination, so having a little help when trying to see if he was infected with a Netherling would go a long way. He already tried to examine the offending area in his Soul when he was soaking in the hot waters this morning. Taking into account that he couldn¡¯t even find a ¡®phase¡¯ that would encompass the entire thing at once, he was for a long grind if he was to work alone. Not only he wasn¡¯t proficient enough to shift his Soul into every possible ¡®pattern¡¯ or ¡®phase¡¯, but inspecting an incomplete picture was beyond his abilities. For him, finding a proper representation to examine was more important than the actual examination. The System was right ¨C it looked like a total mess. His attempts at calling Gru were interrupted by the opening doors. The old lady Danette was invited inside by her escort; the man stayed outside and closed the doors as she entered. She was wearing official-looking, slightly loose, gray robes. She sported the same high bun as during their Duel. Different than the last time, she was wearing small, elegant jewelry and put up a subtle make-up. As the security enchantments started activating, she moved closer with measured, graceful steps. Her stern face only added to the dignified aura she was trying to impose on him. Zeph was also wearing an official garb but of a simpler and more practical cut. His black and red clothes were as close to the Guild¡¯s military outfits as one could expect from a suit. This was a private meeting, but he still was representing Kwan¡¯s Department in a limited capacity, so he decided to use a uniform signifying just that. ¡°Greetings, my ruthless competitor,¡± the woman said with a small smile caressing her lips as she reached the ornamental table. ¡°To put my aged body through this much pain and strain¡­ I expected more restraint from the well-educated and ingenious Fullangrarian.¡± She took her seat opposite of him while saying that, not breaking the eye contact. Instead of standing up to greet her, as that wasn¡¯t the local custom, Zeph reached for one of the bottles standing on the table. She had indicated with her hand that she would prefer the light, wine-like brew. ¡°Well met, Guildmaster Gildafi. And I was surprised by your ferocity,¡± he returned the compliment while pouring the pink liquid into two glasses. He didn¡¯t comment on her attempt at flaunting her knowledge about him ¨C the topic of his inventions and origin were not to be touched during the private dispute with the Master Appraiser. ¡°For a non-combatant, you clearly know how to fight quite well,¡± he added while handing her the glass. ¡°Privileges of the old folks. We had experienced a lot during our long lives,¡± she answered nonchalantly, receiving her drink. ¡°I must thank you,¡± Zeph started then sipped from his own glass, the soft aftertaste of sweet fruits filling his mouth. Gildafi waited for him to finish tasting before taking a sip herself. ¡°For not abusing the rules,¡± he continued, ¡°but it made me wonder. Why did you agree to represent your group? I am sure the merchants had other prospective representatives with appraising capabilities.¡± She nodded, her face neutral. ¡°There were many internal reasons. I can¡¯t talk about all of them, but I supported the idea for two main reasons.¡± She looked deep into his eyes before continuing. ¡°You see, I am one of the better-informed people in this city. Your Guild not only introduced us to new materials, industrial practices, and possible technology ventures, but even started introducing new medicines for previously uncurable diseases ¨C no matter how specialized those seem to be.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Zeph¡¯s eyes narrowed. The infamy of her Guild wasn¡¯t a rumor after all. I was expecting her to know about the plastic, chemical processing, flashlight, and plane prototype. But for her to know about P¡¯pfel¡¯s rendition of DMSA? Wasn¡¯t that kept under wraps? It wasn¡¯t even evaluated fully by the System. He was impressed. Especially because the effectiveness of the cure wasn¡¯t yet confirmed and the details about the poisoning weren¡¯t publicly announced. ¡°Not to mention, the influence of Sepia Familia has seeped into a few very trustworthy organizations. The extremist group of the Leilucia Temple being the major- but not the only one.¡± She nodded with respect. ¡°It was only natural that I would want to impose a good first impression. That was the first reason. The second was ¨C to put myself in a favorous position. The information I¡¯ve gathered about you and the Sepia Familia is mine and only mine to disclose.¡± Her cold, calculating gaze lighted up with her next words. ¡°That said, I wasn¡¯t supporting the idea of dominating your Guild in the first place. You are a net positive for the city. I wasn¡¯t much of a support for you till now, as my reasoning and motivations had to stay hidden while I have been playing with the wider political scene, but that has changed. My role ended, my obligations were fulfilled, and a new power was seeded within our domain. Don¡¯t you find that to be the best possible outcome?¡± She smiled at him, almost genuinely. Zeph was listening to her patiently. All she said was logical and supported by her actions to a vast degree. But he also knew that she was a businessman at heart. She noticed an opportunity and was fighting for the right to get the first piece of the cake, he was sure. The question was, what part she wanted to steal first. Also, no matter how ¡®neutral¡¯ she tried to appear, it was still her decision to stay on the Landlord¡¯s side. This ¡®little¡¯ conflict wasn¡¯t enough to fully engage an organization like hers ¨C the Towers were the best example of that fact. Also, it even might be true that she had a lot of goodwill towards the actions taken by their Guild, but she was economically and politically bound by the powers ruling this city. No sane person would believe that she wouldn¡¯t work for the best interest of her own Guild first and foremost. ¡°I understand,¡± he said, closing his eyes for a moment and taking another sip from his glass. ¡°And what did you manage to learn about me, the members of my Guild, or our organization itself?¡± What is your leverage and what do you want to do with it? he asked in his mind. He had no illusion that what she had said was merely a thickly covered blackmail. She put her glass down on the table. ¡°Let me discuss the Guild matters in the presence of the rest of your Council. I was serious when I suggested cooperation. What you should know,¡± she started, relaxing in her chair, ¡°is what I happened to glance at during our fight and the aftermath.¡± Zeph focused. They were finally breaching the topic of the reason behind her arrival. ¡°I could and would, if requested, repeat that under the truth-telling device or specialist¡¯s scrutiny. You masked yourself almost perfectly, Zeph Einar.¡± Her voice took a more level and harsh tone. ¡°During our confrontation in the stadium, I could only deduce that you weren¡¯t weakened by Arrio Arslancle¡¯s attack and that you had mastered the attunement of Force Magicules. My scans never reached your body, though,¡± she admitted with a sour face. ¡°But I also know that you can use Advanced Mana Manipulation, possess a pseudo-intelligent Bonded creature specialized in Soul Arts, and have an expanded selection in the Exchange. That, along with other rumors and clues, makes me believe that you are specializing in Willpower techniques. System Onji would reward you handsomely for new implementations of Willpower. It would also explain why you have chosen a Generalist as your first Class and how you managed to pay for so many advanced implants. Although that¡¯s mostly guesswork on my side¡­¡± It took all of his concentration to keep his face straight and not gape at the woman. She was way too close to the truth, even without properly scanning him. ¡°¡­That¡¯s all I know. The details aren¡¯t that important, I think. But that brings me to a very important question. You managed to attain a Tier 2 Spell from the Force discipline, didn¡¯t you?¡± He felt indignant at her question. That was way beyond touching upon private matters. ¡°Even if I did, do you really think I would just tell you?¡± he asked incredulously, his false fa?ade dropping immediately. And maybe that was exactly what she was going for. ¡°Because I want to trade. Your knowledge for mine,¡± she said with a small smile. Easy for you to say. Everyone knows you have reached Tier 2 in Telekinesis! I can¡¯t just do it the same way! he thought exasperatedly. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Her brows raised in surprise. ¡°You aren¡¯t interested in the information about other Tier 2 Spells from your domain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. The exchange is impossible,¡± he huffed. Try again after attaining a Greater Will, hag, he added in his mind. His coolant, as well as Force Medium in its entirety, wasn¡¯t something achievable for others. His manually modified Force Spell wasn¡¯t evaluated by the System as a ¡®Death Hazard¡¯ and ¡®Mostly Impossible to replicate¡¯ for nothing. He would be painting a target on his back if that information leaked. ¡°Is that why you demanded to see me? To rudely ask about my Spells?¡± he asked, noticing that she fell into a contemplative silence. ¡°Yes,¡± she cheekily admitted. ¡°And tell you about mine. Well then, if you need a gesture of good faith, I will grant you one.¡± Zeph was ¨C understandably ¨C skeptical. ¡°If Tier 2s and above aren¡¯t possible, let¡¯s talk about Tier 1s,¡± she started. ¡°I am sure you are aware that the size of the spiral forming a core of the basic Force Spell is responsible for the attunement of produced Magicules from the Force domain.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but he nodded nonetheless. ¡°I know of 21 stable and usable variants containing between 10 and 50 coils. As you can see, I have big gaps in my knowledge,¡± she shared. ¡°I may have deep pockets and wondrous connections, but the Towers I had visited won¡¯t give me more without forcing me to commit. We can trade with knowledge about those,¡± she said, smiling pleasantly. Yeah, something doesn¡¯t add up. Those ¡®variants¡¯ are almost identical. Unless¡­ ¡°Useful, you say? What efficiency are we talking about?¡± He asked, more open to the idea of trading with knowledge pertaining to the mundane Manacasting. ¡°Why? Not lower than 90%, of course,¡± she said nonchalantly. ¡°Although, I am unsure as to how big the spectrum is. That can complicate the negotiations slightly¡­¡± A mischievous glint in her eyes didn¡¯t escape his notice. That old fox¡­ he grunted internally, quickly realizing what was happening. The 90% is probably a standard of some kind. Seeing as I didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t care, she is assuming that I am either using Spell constructs below that efficiency threshold or that my Willpower tricks are solving that innate problem¡­ Both useless for her. Because of that, she has changed her angle and is trying to manhandle me into talking about what I managed to discover outside of the Towers¡¯ purview. And he, indeed, was circumventing the issue by using his Will, for the most part. If he needed to, he could simply force the Mana-flow to behave as it should near the ¡®active center¡¯ in other configurations of the Spell without changing the shape of the construct. He had learned enough about the Scrubbing cantrip to apply such changes. That said, he put some work into structuring his Spells as well. He was using Force Magicules too often to ignore that venture. With each word, I am slowly confirming her suspicions about my person, don¡¯t I? Ugh¡­ That¡¯s why I hate negotiating with experienced merchants! He sighed with resignation, understanding his current position. If I don¡¯t answer in kind, she will just break the negotiations and try to gain what she needs with other methods¡­ The pressure put on our Guild would be the last of my problems, if Lucas Esmonde was any indicator¡­ ¡°Your win,¡± he admitted grumpily. ¡°I have a few optimized to that degree, but I suspect they will be close to the ones you have. Optimizing the efficiency of other variants is possible¡­ with enough time and money.¡± I am NOT going to tell you anything about HOW I am optimizing them, old hag! ¡°But if you want to go in the direction of the limits,¡± he sent her a glare for putting him in this position. ¡°The physical upper limit is 75 coils. The Spell¡¯s efficiency drops to near zero, but that probably can be improved to some degree.¡± The hateful lady looked satisfied. ¡°Splendid! We should start the trade with those near the limit but If you have means to optimize the ones necessary then I should be able to recreate the conditions of the accident!¡± she stated enthusiastically. Shit! I forgot about that! he panicked slightly. ¡°Ah, right! What was I thinking?¡± she exclaimed, as if just noticing an issue. As if Zeph was going to believe that. ¡°I also want your cooperation in researching what exactly happened back then. For helping me to reconstruct that mixed Spell, I will make sure that 25% of any gains¡ªafter the successful publishing of the data, of course¡ªwill be redirected to you and your Guild,¡± she stated unabashedly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you aren¡¯t able to recreate the conditions of the accident by yourself. We could go fifty-fifty or higher if you could, but it seems you will have to depend on me¡­¡± She didn¡¯t sound one bit unhappy with that outcome, though. Zeph almost facepalmed. That freaking woman! If my Will took ANY role in forming that accursed ¡®force storm¡¯ she will notice that when the experiments fail! And Aisha believes my Will was FUNDAMENTAL in what has happened! But before he could sink into a full panic mode, another realization hit him. Gah! And she just confirmed it! If I can¡¯t do it myself, it means I can¡¯t do it without whatever Tier 2 Spells she was using back then. It means her Force Magicules weren¡¯t normal as well. His prolonged silence caused Danette to lose some of her enthusiasm. A worried expression crossed her face as he continued to vigorously massage his temples while scowling hard. If this continues, she will either make money off me, or we fail and she will assume that I have a Tier 2 Spell after all. One that I am keeping under wraps¡­ On the other hand, she indirectly confirmed my theory ¨C Tier 2 Spells require another form of energy besides Mana to be classified as such, he tried to think positively to stop the panic rising from within his chest. Which means, I would make big strides forward if we worked together¡­ What should I do? Commit to the case? Stall her as much as I can? There were more variables than just our Mana ¨C the enchanted equipment and random Magicule composition of the arena won¡¯t be easy to imitate¡­ Previously, Zeph was planning to get in contact with her to propose a purely personal deal. One that could give them a huge boost in both understanding and power while steering away or cutting short the unavoidable gaze of the higher echelons. But it was clear that Danette wasn¡¯t that kind of a person. She would extract everything she could from him for her personal AND political gain, using him as a stepping stone and nothing more. She was a merchant at heart and a greedy politician by trade, and she loved both. That, or Zeph was interpreting their talk abhorrently wrong. He was becoming quite paranoid, too. As the saying goes: keep your friends close and enemies even closer¡­ He finally decided. Stalling it is, I can¡¯t deal with this on my own! ¡°Make that 35%. I don¡¯t need your gold,¡± he said looking up with tired eyes. ¡°Rare ingredients, production facilities, and social shielding. That¡¯s what we need the most.¡± Gildafi perked up hearing this. ¡°Let¡¯s call Kwan, shall we? I can¡¯t represent the whole Guild in those matters¡­¡± Chapter 138 – A slow return to normalcy. Planning ahead. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.23] Zeph made the right choice. Seeing the ferocity with which Danette engaged Kwan, it became clear that he had miraculously avoided a freight train coming their way. The woman was all he imagined; his paranoia proven right. She showed her true colors by fighting for her perceived rights unrelentingly. The only reason he wasn¡¯t sucked dry from information earlier was that Danette was already satisfied with what she had learned during their talk. That and the fact that she couldn¡¯t simply barge into their Guild, request a face-to-face meeting with one of the Department¡¯s Heads, and interrogate them to her heart¡¯s content. She was pushing the boundaries, sure, but she didn¡¯t want to antagonize them. That would have shattered the ¡®neutral¡¯ narration she was trying to sell, after all. The same rules didn¡¯t seem to apply when she was negotiating the terms of their cooperation with a Landlord, though. But that didn¡¯t give her an advantage. The opposite happened, actually. Kwan was quite angry at her already and wasn¡¯t going to play nice. They agreed, as a Guild, to work with her to study the ¡®Force Storm Incident¡¯, but Kwan pushed the woman into a corner. In the first place, Danette wasn¡¯t able to recreate the event without their help and Zeph¡¯s knowledge. Kwan stated in not-uncertain terms that they would NOT help her in this endeavor without a proper recompensate and a chance to recreate the conditions themselves. Moreover, she would count Zeph¡¯s knowledge as a part of the official deal, not simply as an unofficial, private exchange. The whole discussion was more convoluted than expected, but Zeph easily caught on to the most important fact ¨C there would be NO private dealings with the woman until she proved herself trustworthy. Somehow, Kwan reversed all of Danette¡¯s arguments entirely. She changed their ¡®mutually beneficial arrangement¡¯ (as Danette herself called it) into the Guilds business. And suddenly, it wasn¡¯t all flowers and goodwill. To her credit, Danette didn¡¯t even try to negotiate otherwise after hitting the proverbial wall of Kwan¡¯s rightful fury. Nonetheless, she and Kwan were on the same page from the very beginning, it seemed. They both were planning a few steps ahead and it was merely an inconvenience that Danette¡¯s trap has been discovered. She still held the higher ground by virtue of her position in the wider politics in the city, which she advertised almost openly. But that also backfired splendidly. It was enough that Kwan showed mercy to people involved in the not-so-legal artifact trafficking, which Danette¡¯s organization was part of. The difference in their culture was strikingly clear ¨C Kwan would never involve people who weren¡¯t aware of what they were doing, which resulted in a kind of misunderstanding. Kwan wasn¡¯t going to target whole organizations, but the preparators and governing individuals were a different kind of a cookie for her. In other words, she wasn¡¯t going to press for a scapegoat to be punished¡ªas it never was a person truly responsible for the actions of the organization¡ªbut that didn¡¯t mean she would ignore or forget about their transgressions. In a way, that was the worst kind of punishment ¨C no matter how influential or important, Kwan was going to react every time the boss acted. In the worst-case scenario, she could always call for another Duel. And that was something the cunning leaders would try to evade at all costs. The Tournament showed them enough. Seeing how useless he was in this kind of negotiation¡ªhis best efforts squished then rewritten indiscriminately as the two proceeded¡ªhe decided to leave the room and inform Aisha. Danette Gildafi wasn¡¯t a person he could work with in good faith. The old fox was guaranteed to gain some insights from him and information from the Guild, but she had overextended. Zeph no longer considered her a possible partner and was going to inform the whole Guild about that fact. After a few short visits to the Guild¡¯s offices to speak with the Heads, he decided to finally address one of the more pressing matters. ~~~ Irra was working on some kind of chemical in P¡¯pfel¡¯s laboratory when he finally found her. It was a new one, hidden deep underground. As Ghrughah was finishing with the headquarters¡¯ expansion, every important facility was moved into those rooms ¨C Zeph¡¯s lab included. The old laboratory building would still be used but only for production purposes and non-confidential experimentation. That said, P¡¯pfel¡¯s working area didn¡¯t look any different than before. It was bigger, though. He wasn¡¯t that surprised to find her there. Despite officially belonging to his Department, she had a free reign when working on her inventions. Also, Zeph¡¯s laboratory wasn¡¯t equipped to hold the ¡®alchemical¡¯ part of the experiments. That didn¡¯t change the fact that their contract was void right now. She was only to work for them until the Tournament ended. It was as much allowed for her to be here as It was ill-advised. He silently walked behind her, trying to see what she was doing. Some kind of chemical extraction¡­ is that a tubular chromatography? He wondered, seeing the setup. She sure isn¡¯t wasting her time using my notes¡­ But what she is trying to achi¡ª oh! ¡°Wow, does it work?¡± he asked loudly, making the diminutive woman jump away. He ignored her glare and moved closer to the station. ¡°Don¡¯t do that when I¡¯m working!¡± Irra shouted. ¡°Do you know how much time I¡¯ve spent setting this up?!¡± ¡°Around two days,¡± he answered immediately, professionally appraising her work. ¡°You know that our contract has ended quite some time ago?¡± he asked absentmindedly while making sure his guess was right. ¡°Are you trying to separate components containing iron from the blood of rakes?¡± The magnets set along the long tube the size of a straw were kind of a giveaway. She was speechless for a moment, allowing him to study the contraption in more detail. She was using an acidic agent at the end of a long, coiling tube. Probably to see the change in color after the initial separation of the cells ¨C he wasn¡¯t going to assume that she was working on the molecule level just yet. The gel inside the tube didn¡¯t seem thick enough, too. She had to time it right for it to work as intended, though. The flow was constant, if slow, and would bring other separated elements with time. It was mostly a manually operated setup. Maybe that was her intention from the beginning? She is testing things one by one, he thought somewhat disappointed. ¡°How did you¡ªno¡­¡± she sighed and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am trying to do. P¡¯pfel allowed me to work here. I wanted to talk to you about that, too¡­ Let me finish and we can move somewhere else.¡± Zeph moved back to give her space and turned to her with a raised brow. ¡°Decided to stay with us?¡± That question made her uncomfortable. ¡°Ugh¡­ For some time¡­ I want to finish my research first. And it would be much safer to stay here until Aisha and her Department help me deal with¡­ Well, my past.¡± She started fidgeting, wringing her fingers. ¡°Also¡­ we need to talk about our future cooperation¡­¡± Zeph hummed contentedly. ¡°Sure thing, and the contract?¡± ¡°I have an unsigned copy. Me and Aisha have been working on it when you were asleep.¡± She explained while going back to work ¨C preparing different reagents on the side that she would use to catch the fluid from the tube. ¡°It will take a while. Can you prepare an initial list of what do you want me to work on, and what knowledge I should propagate?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Zeph happily complied. Now that the Tournament was behind them, the old order started returning to their laboratories. No longer forced to work on equipment for the fights, it was time to further their own projects. Zeph was ecstatic to be finally able to work freely, without a looming deadline or other responsibilities. He had a Mana battery problem to solve for Gru¡¯s convenience, as well as a certain Manasolid to inspect ¨C the one his companion ¡®birthed¡¯ after they arrived at Lurona. Half an hour later, Irra grabbed the contract from her room and they moved to a meeting room on the third floor¡­ ~~~ It took a few hours to read through the contract and determine the details for their cooperation. The Mana battery wasn¡¯t a new idea, but the specifics were quite surprising for Irra. She already knew about Gru ¨C would be hard not to when she was helping during the open surgery on him at the Shrine in the past ¨C and was under an agreement with the System, so Zeph didn¡¯t have to worry about information leaks. Gru had something resembling a Manasolid instead of a brain. It was more crystalline in nature, though. The System confirmed that much through his Ancient Civilizations Skill. Because of that, the most promising idea of implanting a Manasolid growth into him would have to be excessively tested first. There was a high chance that Gru¡¯s body would simply assimilate it ¨C either into his brain, or to form another Manasolid like last time. Irra had the difficult task of inventing a biologically compatible and capacious battery that would work for the almost alien organism. It was a tough order but thankfully, she wouldn¡¯t be working alone. Zeph¡¯s main role was to gather information ¨C from the Library, his Skill, Gru himself, and experiments. Irra had experience building such constructs but only for mechanical purposes, so she would start by experimenting on rakes to test her initial ideas and learn how to make a battery implant. Were she to successfully produce a prototype, then the new knowledge Skills granted by the System should help tremendously in the further steps. After all the details were covered and the contract signed, they decided to grab a dinner in the canteen. Irra seemed more open as they discussed idly the technological state of the city. Her worldview regarding society, scientific organizations, and knowledge distribution were very different from Zeph¡¯s but they shared the same, deep-rooted hatred for how some organizations were trying to dominate certain fields of study. The business was never aligning perfectly with uncontrolled technological progress. After that, he returned to his room to prepare for a small trip. He could finally move around the city without an escort and was determined to use this opportunity to have some quality time with himself. He still was wearing his armor and took his pistol along with a few knives ¨C to be on the safe side ¨C but he left the helmet in his room. It would be harder to recognize him in his everyday winter clothing, which would be nice for many reasons. It felt like an eternity since he could simply blend with the crowd and feel like an unnoticeable, anonymous face in the throng of people. To have the privilege of becoming an irrelevant, unknown man whose affairs interested no one. He packed two of his maps, some snacks, and other odds and ends. Another few tries in waking Gru ¨C unsuccessful as always ¨C and after making sure he had everything, he left his room... ~~~ Some water traffic had returned to the old ports surrounding the Rake River. After the political scene cooled down, the business started blooming once again in the Roaming Onsen Village. Thanks to Kwan¡¯s care and a ridiculous amount of gold, both mundane and enchanted infrastructure in the canals and on the banks of the river were restored to¡­ usable condition. They didn¡¯t have much time to repair everything before the winter hit, not to mention the number of intrusions that were constantly happening in the last month. Either way, thanks to that and the lively water traffic, the river wasn¡¯t frozen. That was why he decided to change things a little and instead of borrowing Ghrughah¡¯s carriage, he went for the ports. He could, technically, request a boat through their Guild, but he wanted to see how it worked normally. Also, it was quite possible that Darrah Vuld would try to weasel his way into transporting him. The man seemed to forget about Irra and their small tussle over her, but he was using every method available to raise his standing in the port and in their Guild, causing any interaction with him to be very unpleasant, at least for Zeph. Not to mention, the man was cunning and untrustworthy ¨C Zeph would rather not deal with him if he could help it. Finding transport to one of the mountainous islands near the Library¡¯s district was easy. Using the snowy tunnels, he found one of many administration buildings near the river. After a few quick questions at the counter, he paid, was given a metal plate with a number, and was directed to the docks. It was already dark ¨C the few hours of light completely missed when he talked with Irra. The area of the docks was stripped of snow, but it and the river itself were surrounded by 3-meter-high walls of snow. The steep slopes were decorated similarly to the snowy tunnels ¨C just without the colorful dyes ¨C while the luminescent lamps left in small alcoves illuminated the valley that had formed around the river. Zeph started to wonder how people were dealing with the snow accumulating on the rooftops. From what he noticed, not every building had it cleared, creating quite a hazard for pedestrians. Then again, maybe that was the reason for moving through the under-snow tunnels. On the left side, along the pier, several boats waited for a customer like on a taxi parking. Of course, all of them were of the enclosed type. It was partially forced by the strange construction of the boats. The sails were leaning back at steep angles, forming a layered canopy above the boats. Instead of using masts, each sail was rigidly affixed to an overcomplicated frame, and those required a hard surface to connect to. Thus, each boat sported a cabin crossing the whole deck. The framework mechanism was affixed to its roof and the sides of the boat. The sails arched from one side of the boat to the other, partially covering the field of view from the windows. Not wasting any more time, he walked up to the first boat in line. A few knocks on the hard wood were enough to summon an older man to the deck. After a quick exchange of greetings, he handed him his plate and was quickly ushered inside. It was really cold and the man wasn¡¯t wearing anything appropriate for such a weather. The cozy and warm interior of his ride was definitely welcome. Zeph took off his coat and took a seat at a table and near the window. For a boat, this place was quite spacious. There were eight thin tables affixed to the walls with two soft chairs behind each, plus some benches at the back. The floor level was below the deck, allowing for the ceiling to be around 2.5 meters high. The illumination was sparse, and the decoration was reminiscent of old boats on Earth ¨C wooden cabinets, hanging lights, and quite a bit of nets, ropes, barrels, and strange tools. The old man was in an isolated space at the front ¨C small doors connecting the two areas. With the creaking of an old wood, the sails started to move above. Zeph could see through the window that they were changing angles slightly. Two dull thumps came from the outside and they started moving slowly down the river. Zeph spent his time leisurely, admiring the views and relaxing. There wasn¡¯t much to do anyway. Their boat sped up after leaving the river¡¯s delta. The sea was relatively calm despite the constant winds, but he could see that big chunks were frozen near the shoreline and around mountain islands, isolating the whole area from the big waves of the open sea. Moving between the islands from this perspective was definitely more interesting than looking at those monumental creations of nature from afar. There were grottoes and natural bridges, tight passes under overhanging rocks, and all kinds of strange infrastructure that could be observed from the bottom side. They stopped by a wooden gangplank lying on the ice surrounding one of the islands. He thanked the helmsman and disembarked. A lift already waited for him near the vertical, weathered cliffside. It took a few minutes to arrive at the shuttle station at the top of the island. Mostly because he had to change lifts two times. There wasn¡¯t much traffic, so he found a line shuttle in moments with the help of the station¡¯s worker. The ride was much slower than the wild emergency flight he experienced right after landing in Lurona. This time he had time to observe the city¡¯s landscape in peace. Despite how high he was, the visibility wasn¡¯t the best, the falling snow and darkness obscuring everything in the distance. But the distant lights of the city made him nostalgic. Beautiful and organized, with a few enormous sources shining like solitary gems on the black canvas of the night sky¡­ He didn¡¯t miss Earth, or the people he left behind. But the familiarity of the view brought to the surface old memories. It was impossible not to feel a little melancholic. No matter how bitter his past was, there were many bright moments as well. Even if some of them could only be considered ¡®happy¡¯ from the perspective of time. This new world was constantly throwing something new at him, so it was nice to allow himself to get carried away by something that awoke his memories from Earth. This bittersweet moment ended early when the shuttle stopped at its destination. The way down to the ground level gave him time to fully wake up from his daydream. Then, the long walk through the tunnels leading to the Library allowed him to refresh his mind and focus on the reality around. His visit was brisk. A package waited for him in one of the Library rooms. He could try to contact Onji Yuki again, but he had enough of meetings for today. He could ask for the books another time. He found a silent corner in the Library¡¯s reading room to study the contents of the thin box. Inside, he found the original of the letter Ciriyal had brought to him during the Tournament, a small book containing a simplified map of the city, and something that looked like a leaflet promoting a Temple. But no, the symbol in the background of the dark yellow leaflet was familiar. It was a template for a badge that would inform any member of their group that he was with them and ready to be invited. It seemed Alex and Alana wouldn¡¯t be the ones to grab him, otherwise using a color-coded piece of fabric would be enough. Also, the text revealed a ciphered message. He quickly consulted the simple map. Hmmm, this area isn¡¯t far. Should I try contacting them today? It will probably take a few tries¡­ Yeah, a stroll seems like a good idea. Chapter 139 – The mysterious ‘egg’ and preparations. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.24] Zeph stirred in his bed as the vestiges of a dream vaporized from his memory. He dreamed about Earth, of the times before the Apocalypse. It was a pleasant one ¨C he could still feel an indescribable warmth in his chest. The details were fleeting, but the impression of home still permeated his mind. Warped by the dreamscape as they were, the familiar shapes of his earthly room and nearby corridors were the last to flee from his mind as reality assessed its dominance. He was lying on his bed in his underground apartment on Corora, in the Lurona city. A gentle light of luminescent pipes painted the dark walls in blues and greens. He glanced at the wadokei on the wall. It was almost the 10th cycle already. He overslept, but it was a self-imposed declaration. He didn¡¯t have any real responsibilities to take care of. Moving away from the bed, he started recounting his plans for the day. Yesterday¡¯s stroll didn¡¯t bring any effects, but Zeph wasn¡¯t discouraged. The Gibbons were working in hiding, it would be ridiculous to invite him right after noticing his presence. Assuming they had noticed the leaflet and his presence in the first place. The leaflet itself wasn¡¯t a proper identification mark either way. But he hoped they noticed his readiness, at the very least. Either way, he needed a full-fledged badge. The dark yellow color necessary for one was the main problem. It would make him stand out without a reason. It would be instantly obvious that he was trying to show it. He had a better idea for the item. One that would surprise the locals but was a standard technique on Earth. To dilute the message. After refreshing himself in the bathroom, he immediately walked to the central office of the Guild ¨C the one hidden underground. His commission was simple ¨C to make a yellow overcoat with the leaflet¡¯s pattern embedded on it. The color was somehow unusual, but certain skins took that shade of yellow if they weren¡¯t processed properly. By wearing such a thing, he would look more like a Corora¡¯s equivalent of a beggar, but he couldn¡¯t care much about that. Moreover, it would be a chance to lose a tail, assuming he would have one. Walking through passages hosting less fortunate citizens in such attire wouldn¡¯t catch anyone¡¯s eye. He wanted to see the condition of the poorer parts of the city anyway. He also made sure the commission was classified. That way he would have to wait for a day for it to be fulfilled but the chances of information leak would drop drastically. Instead of wasting time, he decided to return to his apartment and read from the ¡®Memories of the Earth¡¯ Skill. It was the highest time to crack one of the mysteries he had to ignore until now. ~~~ To see through Gru¡¯s ¡®egg¡¯, it was necessary to recreate the x-ray crystallography. He would first try to compare it with a pure Manasolid using simplified spectrophotometry, but to confirm if any kind of genetic information could be contained within, he needed to check the atomic structure. He could also experiment with other methods ¨C like destabilizing it and analyzing physical remnants ¨C but from what he knew, Manasolids should behave like crystalline structures, so the method seemed to be perfectly suited for the task. And he didn¡¯t want to damage the thing before learning what it could be. Of course, the first step was to recreate an X-ray tube and check if Manasolids weren¡¯t absorbing that radiation. Still, he had to search through his Skill to remember the structure of the lamp. It had been written down in the plastic books he had brought to Corora before the System consumed them. The knowledge and blueprints were a part of his Skill now, and relatively easy to interpret ¨C the Soul memories of him compiling and reading the contents were quite vivid. It was a second ¡®blueprint¡¯ that he tried to uncover by using this knowledge. The first was about ballistic weaponry and, especially, about the shells. Irra was close to finalizing the details of mass production, but the composition of the exploding part of a shell was problematic. Because of the lack of raw materials on the market, mass production of gunpowder was impossible. Irra managed to find something with similar effects ¨C and easily made from available materials ¨C but it was still being tested. The most worrying part was that the reaction wasn¡¯t repeatable. For example, if the air was full of certain Heat-related Magicules, the explosion could break the weapon¡¯s barrel. His own pistol wouldn¡¯t work on a higher stratum, as he had learned. Earth¡¯s gunpowder was of outstanding quality but everything had its limits. The more the speed of the bullet differed, the worse would be his aim. A constant risk of malfunction didn¡¯t sound like a reasonable risk either ¨C he already lost one of his pistols by oversaturating the bullet with Stiffen Spell. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. On the other hand, a Mana-saturated shell would be safe from external influences. But developing a Spell-compatible or enchanted shell would also require structural changes in the weapon. Mainly, it would have to be made from much more durable materials. According to Ghrughah¡¯s initial assessment, on each stratum they would have to apply materials from higher strata, which would make the weapon way too costly for normal users. It was one of the major reasons for Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel to dump the project and focus on magnetic-driven weaponry. Either way, he had to wait a little longer for Irra to balance her powder. Until then, he would have to be careful with the 40 shells he was left with. After a few hours of meditation, he started writing down instructions. X-ray tube was theoretically simple to make ¨C just a tungsten anode and normal cathode encased in glass. A beam of electrons would fall at a slanted plate of anode at around 45 degrees, producing a cone of radiation that would escape through the glass walls. But there were three technical problems. First, there should be a vacuum in the tube and people here didn¡¯t have a good technology to achieve that. Not to mention, a glass that could withstand it. Second, power. He could use the batteries that their guild invented, but the calculations on the voltage would be tricky. Also, he would have to use a compression chamber to lower the Ambient Mana density and get rid of the fluctuations in the electric current. Thankfully, their Guild now possessed its own compression chambers. They weren¡¯t big, but would suffice. Third, a material reactive to R?ntgen radiation to catch the image from the scattering in the Manasolid sample. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t need to apply math and Group Theory to calculate the exact crystal structure from the image ¨C that could take way too long without a computer. Deciphering the distribution of dots on the image was challenging on many fronts. But no, he just wanted to know if there would be any difference and how big those could be. After writing everything down, he left his abode to inform the people involved. ~~~ In a weakly illuminated corner of Ghrughah¡¯s dark and cluttered workshop Zeph, P¡¯pfel, and the giant sat by an almost empty table, leaning over Zeph¡¯s notes and simple drawings they have made. Only the echoes of working furnaces accompanied their silent discussion. The two craftsmen weren¡¯t that busy anymore, making his request for a meeting trivial to accept. ¡°Light on the other side of the scale than infrared, you say?¡± the professor asked, scratching his chin. Then, he looked at Zeph excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about that! And how big is the whole scale?¡± He shrugged. ¡°You can assume it¡¯s infinite. Although, knowing that something can exist and producing it are two very different things.¡± ¡°Sounds like something I should work on, definitely. Only¡­¡± he sighed depressingly. ¡°That knowledge puts me even more in your dept¡­¡± ¡°We can exchange favors,¡± Ghrughah proposed. ¡°I am sure Zeph would want to decrease his gold debt to me.¡± He shrugged again. ¡°Up to you two. Anyway, can you make it?¡± ¡°Doable, if time-consuming,¡± the giant grumbled. ¡°Appropriate crystal, I can find. Even modified glass should work. The vacuum, I will have to work manually on it.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± the professor nodded. ¡°But we will have to work together. I can prepare a few samples of light-reactive materials, but I can do nothing without testing. Can I buy the device after you finish your examination?¡± He asked Zeph. ¡°Yes, but we need to work out a better source of power. I was planning to use our batteries, but that won¡¯t work for a prolonged usage.¡± ¡°Do you have an idea?¡± the Gremling asked curiously. ¡°I know how to build something that will produce a static electric¡­ stream,¡± Zeph had to improvise a little, he wasn¡¯t sure about the proper technical terms, even when using Rui. ¡°But it will work properly only in a Manaless environment.¡± The giant and the midget exchanged glances. ¡°What do you want for the diagram?¡± the Gremling turned to him and asked. ¡°It¡¯s worthless in Mana environments ¨C the System will give us nothing for it,¡± he mused. ¡°So, if you manage to somehow stabilize the electric stream outside of the chamber, just show me how you did it,¡± he decided. ¡°You want to build it right away, I presume?¡± They nodded instantly. ¡°Eh, less work for me, I suppose,¡± he smiled slightly. ¡°Ghrughah, do you have a Manasolid of the same type or am I going into a big debt again?¡± ¡°What type it was?¡± the giant asked, looking at P¡¯pfel. ¡°Hydrargyrum-based, lesser, pure variant,¡± the professor immediately recited. Being Memory-imbalanced had its good sides, it seemed. ¡°Stable at standardized level 65 compression chamber, octagonal offshoots, highly symmetrical, so type Si6. Volume around 2.5 cubic fingers.¡± ¡°I have two Si8 for levels 90 and 100. Is that close enough?¡± he asked, turning to Zeph. He smiled. ¡°No idea. Is the crystalline structure similar?¡± ¡°Similar is a good word,¡± P¡¯pfel said with a snort. ¡°We can check a few more types and see how that influences the results of examination,¡± he proposed lightly. ¡°We should have a few more in the Guild. We paid quite a lot to prepare for the Tournament.¡± The giant nodded and leaned backwards in his seat. ¡°I have two more. Manual stabilization?¡± ¡°Will you manage that in a Manaless room?¡± Zeph asked with a slight worry. They didn¡¯t have any other good method of isolating them from the environment. If any of the borrowed ones destabilized, Kwan would literally rip their heads off. ¡°With a framework for moving my Veil, yes.¡± ¡°With no doubt?¡± ¡°I already did that a few times already,¡± the giant nonchalantly informed. ¡°I would be worried more about possible destabilization when under that invisible light.¡± ¡°We can start slowly,¡± he agreed. ¡°And on the smallest one to minimize losses.¡± ¡°Collective responsibility?¡± the Gremling asked, playing with his glasses. ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Zeph said seriously. ¡°Any more questions?¡± A few seconds of silence ensued. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time then!¡± P¡¯pfel the wild exclaimed finally, rubbing his hands with greed. ¡°I need space for an alchemical station!¡± he jumped from his seat saying that. Ghrughah leaned forward, put his elbows on the table, and interlocked his fingers. A toothy smile and a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s plan the scale of our creation first.¡± Zeph chuckled darkly, leaning back and crossing his legs. ¡°First, we plan for the whole Guild. But later¡­¡± A shadow of madness crossed his gaze as his imagination broke free for a moment. Chapter 140 – The mysterious ‘egg’ and reality check. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.25] After Zeph presented them with the blueprints, they started working immediately. It took a while, but none of them wanted to waste time anymore. While Ghrughah was working on the electric engine, P¡¯pfel started assembling his station. Zeph showed the giant a few methods of producing electricity while explaining the basics ¨C Faraday¡¯s and Lorentz¡¯s laws. He was, of course, simplifying his descriptions. Electricity was more about electromagnetic fields than ¡®moving¡¯ electrons ¨C a topic he never managed to understand entirely, probably because of his not-so-enthusiastic teachers ¨C and he didn¡¯t even bother explaining the model of atoms to enhance the man¡¯s understanding. Instead, he simply described how and why it should work in simple words while presenting the formulae. The idea of moving particles was quite universal and could be used to describe the electric current. Especially because Ghrughah was already working with Skills touching upon the topic of atoms and their superstructures. But, as expected, the level of abstraction in the formulae posed a problem even for the aged and experienced blacksmith. It was a good thing, though. The prototype would work despite the giant¡¯s lack of understanding, allowing him to come to his own conclusions and pushing him to create his own models and descriptions. And because of that fact, the System would, most probably, grant him much better rewards. Not to mention, the unique process of adapting the machine to the Mana environment should give him a lot of Universal Points, assuming it was even possible to achieve a stable electric current in the first place. Zeph allowed himself to disclose all this information because he was sure that people on higher strata already knew about and tested the idea of electricity. Even in Lurona, a primitive electric network existed and was used to send messages in the old-fashioned way ¨C the telegraph¡¯s way. The only difference was, instead of using electricity, they used Mana ¨C a simple enchanted Discharge Spell was enough to make it work. Nonetheless, that meant that he wasn¡¯t overstepping his boundaries. Firstly, he wasn¡¯t introducing an alien technology. The Exchange entries were the main prize for all achievements in science and technology. Critically important implants, body upgrades, genetic modifications, purchasable General Skills¡­ it was all a part of the Exchange. The System could assign them as rewards to groups and individuals. One¡¯s affiliations, clearly listed in the Interface, dictated the technological level of entries that could be unlocked with a help, but anything more would have to be achieved personally. And that was the problem, though. When learning from external sources, the System was limiting the Exchange entries that could be unlocked, and crossing those limits had consequences. For example, if someone wanted to unlock access in the System¡¯s Exchange to, let¡¯s say, a hi-tech mechanical implant along with a specialized General Skill for it, inaccessible in normal circumstances for their affiliated communities, they could try to find and build the prerequisite prototype. However, receiving a blueprint and the knowledge background from an external source wouldn¡¯t be enough to unlock it. The limitation was - the communities affiliated with that individual were technologically inept to create it. Said individual would have to find a teacher who would explain the whole technological branch leading to that prototype, but then it was a guaranteed outcome that this person¡¯s affiliations would change. The same would happen to a teacher visiting a country to spread an impactful technology ¨C their affiliation would shift to that very country. Without affiliation, a person would lose access to ALL Exchange entries available for people in a community. Moreover, that person would lose the right to donate Exchange entries to those communities. Those limits were shaping the economic landscape of the whole world. But sometimes, the technological gap was so big that something even worse could happen. What if someone found a teacher of a scientific field that was way beyond the civilization level of the whole planet? Things started working differently the higher the stratum was, so it was a plausible assumption ¨C the difference between a high-stratum electric technology and a low-stratum electric technology could be considered two entirely different fields of study. Achieving a status of ¡®outside of civilization level¡¯ was quite easy in such a context. For example, recreating a modern electric computer (modified to work in the Mana environment) would definitely cross that line, even if other types of computers were discovered on higher strata. Not to mention, it really was possible to stumble upon an unachievable knowledge by chance. Many Onjis have lost their believers (donators, more like) along with their civilizations, perishing because of that very fact. Corora was hiding more than met the eye, especially on the higher strata. The answer to that question was something Zeph knew well. When an individual learned enough advanced knowledge and crossed certain boundaries, they would lose all their affiliations and would be considered an outliner ¨C just like Zeph and the rest of the Terrien. They would lose access to all basic and granted Exchange entries ¨C those available to all citizens of a country, people in a faction, members of an organization, people of a race or species, inherited from their lineage, et cetera. Only two sources of the entries would stay in place: those guaranteed by the System as a base for the planet¡¯s civilization level, and those the individual earned themselves in some way. To say such an outcome was undesirable for locals would be a vast understatement. Secondly, Zeph wasn¡¯t exchanging knowledge with an organization or a faction, he was trading with individuals for their services, materials, and knowledge. The less involved he was in the process of developing the technology further, the better for both sides of the deal. That¡¯s because affiliation was a thing of change for all. To trade Exchange entries was to teach and show all necessary steps to the other party. Trading knowledge was less but still risky, as it was accelerating the rate at which Zeph would gain affiliation. As so, explaining too much would diminish Ghrughah¡¯s and P¡¯pfel¡¯s rewards while working against Zeph. Maybe in the future, if their Guild managed to transition into an independent faction, he would share everything. An independent faction had the privilege to be apprised separately by the System and other Onjis in regards to their technological level ¨C a group analogy to the individual outliner. But even then, Zeph¡¯s rights to the bonus entries in the Exchange would be irreversibly revoked. His deal with the System was clear ¨C until he gained an affiliation, he would keep the upgraded access. That was another reason for him to dilute the information. By doing so, he placed the burden of testing things on others. Instead of becoming a source of information for the Guild, he merely traded with individuals. Such an act guaranteed that the System was satisfied, while his Soul wasn¡¯t forming additional links to the people, events, or places. He was even isolating himself from the ¡®fame¡¯ that would come alongside new inventions ¨C all he needed was a pair of intermediaries. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t be blamed by the System for spreading Earth¡¯s knowledge unnecessarily. The entity wanted the society to progress, yes, but the most important part of that process was the development phase, not the final result. By leaving that much space for improvement, he played right along the System¡¯s scheme, so he wasn¡¯t worried about receiving any retribution. Also, Earth¡¯s physical laws were being stretched out on Corora. Zeph no longer felt like a specialist in his field. He knew the physics quite well. Moreover, he knew how genes, proteins, cells, organs, and anything between and beyond should behave ¨C he was aware of how a living, carbon-based organism should function. But after working with Ghrughah, the reality of his situation crashed hard on him. Mana was changing the properties of the matter. And without a thorough understanding of how it was doing that, his Earth¡¯s knowledge was merely one piece of a puzzle. A very important piece, nonetheless, yet irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Ghrughah proved to him, time and time again, that experience was more valuable than any theoretical knowledge for his progression. But today was a rare occasion for his knowledge to shine. He was going to work strictly in a Manaless environment. What Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel would do after that, was all on them. Zeph decided to build a full-fledged electric motor. The one with coils of copper wire, not too different from a standard engine on Earth. Not only was it simple to make for the metal-manipulating blacksmith, but it also had the best efficiency. However, he had problems when explaining how and why it should work. Without reverting to more basic phenomena, that he wanted to leave out of this discussion, it seemed impossible. ¡°I don¡¯t need to understand how it works,¡± the giant admitted, noticing how he struggled. ¡°Look, moving strong magnetic forces near iron-based armor is a known method of incapacitating the opponent, right?¡± Zeph shrugged, he wouldn¡¯t know. Although Kwan¡¯s fight definitely proved that the method was known. ¡°That is enough of a parallel for me. The energy from Magicules is spent, the effect takes place. A charge builds up, predictable outcome arrives. The only difference is in the form of application.¡± ¡°Is that kind of attack used frequently?¡± he asked, changing the topic slightly. It would be good to be prepared. ¡°In that way? Mostly as stationary traps.¡± The blacksmith raised his finger. ¡°Using such effect in a fight is difficult and can only be applied if your opponent isn¡¯t prepared. A simple Discharge enchantment would counteract the attempt if used timely. Not to mention, strong concentrations of Magicules are always displaying some kind of visual effect in the air, giving away your intent. Just like the gray could around Kwan during her Duel,¡± he continued with his explanation, ¡°It¡¯s the main reason we never used the magnetic forces overmuch. There aren¡¯t many applications to this effect.¡± Zeph nodded and the giant leaned over the schematic. ¡°I am still skeptical, though. Building a stable source of energy without Magicules... Magnets working outside Mana environment¡­ Where is the energy coming from? If what you are saying is true, they are constantly attracting metals?¡± Zeph grimaced. Indeed, without a proper explanation, it would seem like the magnetic forces could produce work without energy being spent. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a little complicated¡­¡± he started, trying to shift the direction of the discussion. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Ghrughah¡¯s serious face immediately put him in his place, though. He sighed deeply. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know the details. Magnets form fields around themselves. Not dissimilar to what gravity does,¡± he pointed down. ¡°You asked about energy? So, tell me, what is the source of the force gluing us to the land? Well, the simple answer is easy. There is no energy spent. The whole system is losing energy if you are closer to the center of mass of this planet. As so, the force is produced ¨C like an air-filled container in the water would float up, it¡¯s the same but in the opposite direction. The more convoluted answer tries to describe the space as something physical ¨C you are merely a marble falling into a fold in a fabric of space. Imagine an elastic fabric spread horizontally. You, with your mass at the corner, and the planet with its mass at the center. The indent would naturally make you fall in the direction of the center of all mass,¡± he started vaguely hinting at possible explanations without stating any concrete solution. The giant nodded; his eyes curious. ¡°You can imagine a magnetic field similarly. Something is pulling, something is pushing. Maybe that¡¯s just another manifestation of curving of the reality? Maybe those are forces of a different kind. But one thing is sure,¡± he raised his index finger, ¡°you should consider what you observe, not what you deduct. Don¡¯t ever allow yourself to rewrite ¡®reality¡¯ with what you think ¡®is probable¡¯ or ¡®should happen¡¯! There is a force, therefore, there is a phenomenon.¡± He used an old Rui, once again. ¡°Even if we define what a field is, all our observations are relative to what the real phenomenon does. If there was no gravity, merely a drop in potential¡­.¡± He gestured at the notes on the table. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know. Worse, we need experiments attacking directly the thesis if we want to prove it. The more alternatives are proven wrong, the more this theory stands true.¡± Thankfully, the giant understood. ¡°Field¡­¡± he tasted the word, leaning against the backrest of his oversized chair. ¡°I am still skeptical. But I can work with that¡­ Only, that doesn¡¯t make much sense, does it?¡± Zeph had to agree. As much as he would like to tell him otherwise, the ¡®fields¡¯ were the source of energy to some degree. Potential energy, to be more exact. It would be fine if they were a constant, like the gravity. But creating a new magnetic source was another topic entirely ¨C they just needed to put a ferromagnet in a strong magnetic field to produce something semi-permanent and the whole theory took a hit to the head. Thus, he could understand why the blacksmith was confused. Even on Earth, the calculations weren¡¯t clear if the work necessary to order the atoms inside of a material was enough to explain the change in potential energy a magnet was causing. And then, there were magnets that behaved like a permanent source of magnetism because they formed a correct internal structure by themselves. How could he explain that? At least, that was the limit of his comprehension of the topic. Most probably, a real physicist could explain the discrepancy. Maybe stating the ¡®truths¡¯ of entropy, maybe citing the Field Theory, perhaps even showing glaring holes in his ¡®understanding¡¯. But Zeph wasn¡¯t a physicist. He was a bioengineer. He may have some knowledge about electromagnetism, but he was ways away from any physicists or even biophysicists. He did prepare quite a bit of literature on the topic before moving through the Fissure to Corora, but that knowledge was yet to be digested by him. And it was quite basic, really ¨C Maxwell¡¯s equations and their applications were around the most complex topics he remembered. In all his years mastering different fields of study, he never found a reason to learn more about electricity. As so, he wasn¡¯t proficient with it. And now, when it mattered most, he started regretting his past decisions. Thankfully, Ghrughah didn¡¯t seem overly interested. Even the simplified equations were straining his brain. Meanwhile, the alchemist kept working. P¡¯pfel knew of about a dozen light-sensitive materials, but he would have to check if they worked with the X-ray light properly. The first, and most important test would happen only after they put together a working X-ray tube and electric engine. ~~~ After they sorted out the details, Zeph was left alone for a few hours. He could visit the district occupied by the Gibbons, but he decided against it. Tomorrow, he should receive his overcoat, there was no need to waste time. Instead, he decided to start with the first tests on Gru¡¯s ¡®egg¡¯. Firstly, he gathered and secured all other Manasolids available. It took him a while, but with Kwan¡¯s permission, he wasn¡¯t met with any opposition. He didn¡¯t bother writing down their characteristics ¨C that was a job for P¡¯pfel. He managed to gather 8, none identical but all based on mercury. Next, he booked up a compression chamber. The Ambient Mana density required to keep Gru¡¯s Manasolid stable wasn¡¯t that high for him, so he had no problems with setting up a temporary, basic research station inside. After waiting for half an hour to make sure everything was evenly saturated with Mana, he opened three compression boxes and took out Manasolids that were stable in this environment. Two borrowed and the one belonging to Gru. To measure their density, he prepared a graduated cylinder half-filled with water, a small reversed ladle with holes, and an old-fashioned but very precise weighing scale incorporating a long arm for precision measurements. Despite the simplistic build, it could measure with extreme precision of 0.01 gram ¨C enough for Zeph to see even small differences. He drew a line on the ladle¡¯s handle to mark how deep to go, and was ready to proceed. After checking the volume of the ladle itself, he used it to submerge each Manasolid. Then, he read the measurements and quickly calculated the volume of displaced water. He repeated that 10 times for each ¡®pebble¡¯ to make sure no mistake was made and to calculate the overall measurement uncertainty. Next, he weighted them on the scale, repeating it 10 times for each, before finally calculating their density and compounded uncertainty of the measurement. As expected, the densities were very small ¨C between 2 to 5 times that of the air, or around 0.002 to 0.006 grams per cubic centimeter. That posed a problem. The measurements¡¯ accuracy was horrendous ¨C the uncertainty was oscillating between 0.001 to 0.002 grams per cubic centimeter. If the Manasolids didn¡¯t have 10 or more cubic centimeters in volume, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell them apart with any certainty! Zeph sighed. ¡°I need better equipment!¡± Leaving the room, he returned to Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. His intrusion wasn¡¯t met with enthusiasm, but the giant didn¡¯t need much time to help him fix the issues, so he agreed to help. Using a very strong alloy, he created a replacement for the ladle ¨C a thin, rigid wire ending with a sparse sieve. He also lent him a big scale that had a precision of 0.005 grams. Seizing the opportunity, he also asked for a big funnel made of light-absorbing material that could be closed at the wider end by a mirror. He explained that he wanted to construct a light-emitting Spell inside and cut off the excess light to have a beam at the exit. Grumbling, the giant complained about inefficient ideas, but quickly got to work. Then, Zeph asked P¡¯pfel for ideas for a photometer that could differentiate between different colors of light. The photoreactive substances were good and all, but Zeph simply couldn¡¯t imagine how to measure the amount of light they would receive. The solution wasn¡¯t straightforward or precise. P¡¯pfel could prepare canvasses covered in the chemicals in exactly the same measure. After exposing them to light, Zeph would have to put them in a container filled with a preserving compound. Then, he would have to compare the images manually to see the difference. The more Zeph was listening, the more he wanted to laugh. And so, photography was invented! He mused internally. Although, it wasn¡¯t to be. He would have only 5 to 10 minutes to compare the canvases after removing them from the preserving chemicals. After drying, the photoreactive substance would deteriorate quickly. An hour later, he started to move his new equipment to the compression chamber. P¡¯pfel promised to produce more canvases after gathering more materials. The collectors, as Zeph preferred to call them, were small, maybe 15 by 15 centimeters frames. Each was enclosed in a simple metallic container. P¡¯pfel managed to produce a hundred from the materials at hand ¨C ten series for ten different wavelengths. Seeing how much those would cost them, Zeph decided to limit himself to three repeats for each Manasolid. It would be a bare minimum for assuring repeatability and measurement uncertainty. Although, he wouldn¡¯t be able to calculate the latter at all. Instead, he decided to call down a few people with exceptional color perception to assist him when assessing the canvases. While waiting for the equipment to saturate in the higher Mana density of the chamber, Zeph started preparing new glassware for the volume measurement. It wouldn¡¯t be as precise as using an asymmetric U-tube with two fluids of different densities, but he would have to order the glass tube first. The initial measurements and calculations would take more time than it was worth it, either way. Instead, he decided to use an ¡®overflow can¡¯ ¨C a wide beaker with a spout to remove the excess water into another container. He filled the overflow can, allowing the excess to drip away. Then, he submerged his new holding tool down to the mark to displace the excess volume of water. After emptying and drying the catch beaker, he set it under the spout again and started his first measure. The water in the catch beaker should represent the exact volume of the Manasolid, down to a waterdrop. That excess water was then poured into a much thinner and higher graduated cylinder, allowing him to measure the volume of water almost an order of magnitude more precisely. He, of course, repeated the process 10 times for all three Manasolids. He also made sure to not displace even a drop of water ¨C it was the major limiting factor of this method of measurement. This time, the results were obvious. Gru¡¯s Manasolid was almost two times denser than the other two ¨C around 0.0063 grams per cubic centimeter instead of their 0.0026 and 0.0031. ¡°Now we are talking,¡± he murmured, looking at the results and uncertainties. Glancing back at the photometric equipment, he frowned. ¡°Changing the chamber¡¯s settings and waiting for the Mana density to stabilize is taking too long. Let¡¯s finish all the measurements for this batch first.¡± Determined, he started to work on the second experiment. The setting was simple: a funnel placed 2 centimeters from the center of a Manasolid ¨C the thickness of the item measured with a precision of around 0.2 millimeters ¨C and a collector placed 4 centimeters behind the Manasolid. He made sure that the grapplers and frames weren¡¯t moving and that the whole system was sable, then he walked to the control panel near the entrance of the room and disabled the lights. Of course, because the room was illuminated with luminescent fluid instead of lamps, he had to wait a good five minutes for the residue to be flushed away in the translucent pipes. The system was somewhat slow-reacting, but this rendition at least was somewhat automated. Normally, he would have to remove the luminescent lamps manually, so there was some progress. After the room was engulfed in total darkness, he constructed the Partially Self-Sustaining Lesser Light Spell, setting the wavelength at a deep violet. Then, he moved to the setup and removed the front cover of the collector. Crouching down, he observed it for a minute to make sure that it wasn¡¯t reacting to the current illumination. Not seeing any changes, he nodded and moved to the funnel. Constructing another Light Spell inside of it, he set the wavelength to a deep red. After activation, the Spell lasted for less than a second. To achieve somewhat consistent results, he measured the Mana spent instead of the time of exposure. He was much better at determining how much Mana he was using than measuring other factors, after all. His hope was that even if the efficiency of transforming Mana into light had different factors for different wavelengths, he would be able to notice that correlation by comparing the control group ¨C the collectors illuminated by a light from the funnel¡¯s end not occluded by any Manasolid. After all, what mattered the most wasn¡¯t the light intensity, but the energy received overall. At least, that¡¯s what P¡¯pfel had said for exposure times less than two seconds. Taking into account the limited number of collectors, he was going to use only one ¡®canvas¡¯ as a control. That should be enough to see a correlation, but taking into account how they were going to ¡®measure¡¯ the differences¡­ he really didn¡¯t need more data. Measuring by eye¡­ What is this? An early 19th century? He lamented inside. Not like I have any idea to improve it, though¡­ He made three ¡®shots¡¯ of each Manasolid for each wavelength, which left him with exactly one control for each wavelength. A hundred collectors were consumed in no time and then submerged in the chemical bath. Of course, he was illuminating the chamber with a light that wasn¡¯t interacting with the collectors ¨C P¡¯pfel¡¯s instructions worked without a hitch despite his doubts. Sighing heavily after finishing the manual labor, he cursed this world for the lack of computers and automation. Analyzing the results would have to wait until he gathered a team of ¡®experts¡¯, but his initial observations weren¡¯t lost on him. Gru¡¯s ¡®egg¡¯ definitely returned much dimmer results. It was just a question of confirming it and normalizing the scale. They would have to take into account the tightness of the ¡®crystals¡¯, their density, and the spread of the light beam, so he wasn¡¯t sure if he was right. Calculating this one will be a nightmare¡­ he thought while writing everything down in his note. Meanwhile, he had to change the chamber¡¯s settings to test other Manasolids. ¡°Good results, but not really informative,¡± he grumbled under his nose while putting the three Manasolids into their compression boxes. ¡°Something¡¯s up with Gru¡¯s creation, for sure. I really hope that the X-ray will hint at something more, though. Even knowing it¡¯s different, the ¡®egg theory¡¯ is merely a superstition at this point¡­¡± Chapter 141 – The Mysterious ‘egg’ and a Garuan that escaped the proverbial bag. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.26] The time was flying by fast. It was close to the first day-cycle of the next morning when he finally finished with his initial measurements. Changing the settings of the compression chamber took most of that time ¨C the higher the setting level, the longer it took for the chamber to accommodate. Not only because of the decreasing efficiency of the Mana-resistant plating of the room but also because the equipment and materials took longer to equalize their internal Mana density. Using that spare time, he visited Ghrughah regularly to discuss his issues. After absorbing more wisdom from the old blacksmith, he started to understand why enchantments and materials from higher strata were so valuable and rare. Saturating a material with Mana of a higher density would change its properties only if its microstructure supported that ¨C namely, the necessary step was to form the material within a higher Mana density in the first place. He knew that all along. But he never thought about the secondary consequences ¨C this stratum wasn¡¯t geared to create such materials with any serviceable efficiency. Not only because people couldn¡¯t work for prolonged time in a high-Mana-density environment without suffering from Mana poisoning, but also because the compression chambers couldn¡¯t support densities above certain thresholds ¨C it was a physically impassable limit, it seemed. The Mana-resistant materials weren¡¯t flawless. After reaching critical Mana density, the leaking would outpace any Mana input. Not to mention, the material degradation was horrendous. The higher the density, the worse the efficiency and the damage. As such, it was simply not doable to create anything truly worth the investment. And even if the materials were imported from higher strata, the person in possession of a tool made from such materials would have to keep it saturated. Arguably, only people with Advanced Mana Manipulation could achieve good results with that, which left only Manacasters nearing level 100 as potential clients. The only exception would be equipment powered by Manasolids, like the defensive systems of the cities, but it wasn¡¯t a sustainable solution for individuals. No matter how wealthy they were. The equipment presented during the Tournament was an interesting deviation from that rule ¨C one of the reasons for the high number of spectators. It was a spectacle, after all. Of course, some materials could still be created. Not the most impactful ones, but one could specialize to compensate ¨C saturation with Ambient Mana was different than saturation using certain, carefully selected Magicules compatible with the material ¨C as was the case with Zeph¡¯s armor. The market for those was vast and it was one of Ghrughah¡¯s specializations. Or, like in the case of Zeph¡¯s spear, trace amounts of imported materials could be incorporated within a stable structure. Here, the ingenuity of the artisan dictated the effectiveness of the tool. Although, it would restrain the choice of possible enchantments to some degree. Besides complaining about the irrationally long charging time of the chamber, Zeph was also cursing the ¡®level system¡¯ describing the Mana density inside. The definition wasn¡¯t really static or clear. A level-60 compression didn¡¯t have anything to do with people with an overall level of 60. No, it was a subjective number derived from Mana density at certain heights ¨C places where level 60 people statistically started to feel uncomfortable. It stayed in stark contrast to the meticulously constructed definition of ¡®Mana generation¡¯ amounts. The ¡®optimized, standard, pre-evolution Manacaster¡¯s output at a given level¡¯ was quite easy to understand and calculate. Mana concentration in a chamber... not so much. But maybe those were simply consequences of the existing technology. Zeph didn¡¯t know how they measured the Mana density in a chamber, so it was entirely possible that this unit of measurement was more intuitive and usable for the engineers. As for the dangers of X-ray light, Zeph was no longer worried about the giant¡¯s safety. He asked beforehand and was met with incomprehension ¨C it seemed that cancer wasn¡¯t a thing on Corora. He tried to describe it using simple descriptions as well as technical terms in the old Rui, but neither Ghrughah nor P¡¯pfel heard about such a phenomenon except for ¡®magical¡¯ experiments. The worst they were expecting from the radiation was slight burns. Worse yet, he had visited the Guild¡¯s hospital to make sure and received the same dose of skeptical comments. Pavail wasn¡¯t aware of that kind of ¡®disease¡¯, nor was any other Doctor. He had wasted almost two hours by trying to describe the issue on examples and, as a result, he have learned that even the lightest manifestations of cancer weren¡¯t present on Corora ¨C not even harmless neoplasms or warts. DNA damage was possible, it seemed, but not a permanent cell mutation. The Regeneration Passive Enhancement was playing a role here, for sure, but that wasn¡¯t all. It seemed that even if evolution was still possible, the organisms on Corora got rid of the problematic side-effect long ago. It wasn¡¯t just a superstition, too. The Doctor gave him enough examples to reconsider how the radiation could influence living organisms on Corora. And, evidently, it couldn¡¯t do much. In retrospect, that made sense. Mana, as he noticed, was quite a good conductor of light, and radiation was just another flavor of it. And, if the evolution of organisms on Corora was following the rule of adaptation, he could see how the DNA damage became irrelevant after some time, at least regarding tumors. Heck, he wouldn¡¯t be that surprised if the radiation from the sun was being transferred to the planet¡¯s surface. He and his team didn¡¯t find any noticeable radiation after they entered Corora, but they were checking for things like gamma radiation at the time, not X-ray or other less dangerous variations. This is confusing, he thought, shaking his head while strolling leisurely to the compression chamber occupied by Ghrughah. It¡¯s not an absolutely alien topic for them. Tissue Manipulation techniques could ¨C supposedly ¨C result in something eerily similar to a tumor. How does that work, then? The more he thought about it, the more fascinated he was becoming. The differences between the Terrien and local lifeforms were reaching deep. The whole mechanism of gene expression was probably entirely different. If only I could recreate a modern laboratory¡¯s instruments¡­he sighed internally. He may have salivated at that thought a little. Using a series of doors separating the corridor from the chamber, he slowly took control of his Veil, compressing it near his body, away from the floor and walls. With each small room he passed, the Ambient Mana density was decreasing. He would have to be very careful to not release too much from his control. In the chamber, Ghrughah was already testing the electric engine in action. He was spinning the engine using a handle at the back of the gizmo while looking intently at the P¡¯pfel¡¯s collector set before the X-ray tube. The Gremling was absent ¨C without Advanced Mana Manipulation he would release too much Mana-0 to the environment. Even having him and Ghrughah in the room was pushing it ¨C their Mana was still dispersing because of the contact with the air, and forcing it out afterwards wasn¡¯t exactly a fast process. The pumps and absorbers could only do that much. As quickly as possible, Zeph moved to the outlet pipe near the setup and pushed all his Veil into it. He didn¡¯t stop until all of what he could control was behind a valve hidden deep below, going as far as to deplete his internal resources to have a buffer ¨C his Veil wasn¡¯t going to reform until he saturated his internal capacity, even if some scraps were still going to escape his body. Then, he quickly fell into a familiar rhythm of gathering Mana in his hand in preparation for another ejection. Repeating that a few times to get comfortable, he turned to the giant. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°We have finally found a working reagent. It¡¯s just a question of calibration at this point,¡± the man said, not taking his eyes from the collector. The black dot at the center was very slowly spreading out. Zeph sighed with relief. It was a surprisingly challenging venture for P¡¯pfel ¨C the Gremling struggled so much that he even asked Zeph for some clues. The problem wasn¡¯t so much about a material absorbing X-rays as about ones that could change color after doing that. His suggestion was to use additional materials that could oxidize slowly in normal atmospheric conditions. The free radicals and high-energy-state electrons should be able to speed up that process tremendously. He was happy to hear that his suggestion brought results. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Good,¡± he nodded. ¡°Did you start testing the integrity?¡± he asked, glancing at the row of compression boxes isolated from the Manaless environment by a thick glass-like wall. They were connected to the Mana pipes hidden in the low ceiling of their built-in shelf. ¡°Not yet. What about your tests?¡± ¡°I will wait till morning before calling others for inspection. The density difference, you already know about. Need a hand?¡± ¡°A second Veil covering will be necessary. Too much Ambient Mana is being produced when I am keeping the Manasolids stable.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°Sure. Do you have a secondary outlet in there?¡± he asked, indicating the metal framework set around a pedestal that would keep the Manasolids in place. Because the ¡®crystals¡¯ were almost frictionless for other solid matter, many small mechanical finger-like appendages were affixed to the top, resembling a brass-colored underside of a bug. Each tip was shaped slightly differently, all that to hold different ¡®crystals¡¯ better in place. ¡°Secondary and tertiary. Follow the pipes with slightly red and blue intakes.¡± After confirming, Zeph waited for the giant to finish calibrating and calculating. From what he could see, the giant was normalizing the output to make sure even the weakest concentrations of the light would be visible, yet without the biggest ones causing too much discoloration overall. Contrast was important for photo-imagining. He could easily read the symbols and understand them, but it took him a while to piece together what they meant. The fact that he knew the numbers and operator didn¡¯t mean much when the giant was using the duodecimal system. And even if it was in decimals, it would take time for him to adjust to the new language. He was still calculating things using words and symbols used on Earth ¨C it was a hard habit to break. An unexpected difficulty. Shortly after the giant was ready, they started the integrity tests. They have chosen the smallest of the Manasolids for that. It was of a relatively high-density stability point, but the amount and purity of Mana it kept set it as the least valuable. As it turned out, the maximum intensity that they would be using wasn¡¯t even close to destabilizing it. Ghrughah doubled it to make sure, but nothing happened. The long-exposure method worked best for catching all details, so the energies weren¡¯t that high in the first place. They didn¡¯t want to find the destabilization point, either, so it played right into their hand. The destabilization point would certainly be an interesting finding, but to reach any meaningful conclusions they would have to destroy at least tens of Manasolids. That was, of course, out of the question. It would be a truly disappointing ending to die at the hands of a befriended Hannyajin princess. Happy with what they had, they started the mass production of images. They not only made two shots at each sample but rotated the Manasolids to catch the images from all angles. The number of collectors in their possession would allow for 50 double shots for each of the 9 samples. Naturally, it took a lot of time and a few repetitions, as Ghrughah was still making mistakes when assessing the intensity required. The Manasolids were reacting differently to the X-rays, though, so it was understandable. Thankfully, they left some spare collectors for such occasions. Theoretically, they didn¡¯t need that many shots of each sample, but Zeph wanted to have some materials for future study. Who knew if he could find that many Manasolids to examine in the future? Besides, it was hard to tell if the method worked as intended if he didn¡¯t check at least this much. From what they have found while working, the Manasolids were indeed behaving like typical crystals. The images they left were exactly what Zeph would expect. The best part was that those were stable Manasolids. Their internal structure was as uniform as physically possible. They didn¡¯t find any imperfections that could haze the images because there simply weren¡¯t any ¨C the images were crisp and unambiguous. After hours of work, it was finally time for Gru¡¯s creation. They set it on the pedestal and Ghrughah started to slowly rotate the engine. Because they already knew that it was somehow different from a normal Manasolid, they decided to start from the lowest intensity possible, before slowly cranking it up. Ten shots later, they found the best settings and made sure the Manasolid wasn¡¯t going to be dissipating any time soon. But even before they finished that step, something unexpected already showed up on the images. An entirely white line was crossing every one of them. Normally, there should be black dots or short lines arranged in geometrical shapes on a grayed-out background. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Zeph frowned while examining the latest collector. ¡°Should we move the Manasolid to the side? It seems to go right through the center,¡± the giant proposed, scratching his beard. ¡°No, we can try that later¡­ How many collectors are left?¡± Ghrughah glanced at the small collection set nearby before answering. ¡°A hundred and three.¡± Zeph grimaced. ¡°Let¡¯s do one shot per angle from now on. I want shots from near the edges as well¡­¡± It was a good decision. The line started thinning when rotating the ¡®crystal¡¯ in one direction. Zeph quickly caught up to what was happening. He oriented the Manasolid so the line was mostly vertical, then rotated it almost 90 degrees to the left. Ghrughah understood his intentions immediately, without receiving even a word. The next image came out almost completely empty. Very weak marks, arranged in long lines, were all they could discern; the image was almost as white as before they powered the X-ray tube. They exchanged glances; the situation was clear. Zeph rotated the ¡®crystal¡¯ back and Ghrughah started rotating the engine slowly while touching the metal part of the pedestal with his other hand. As the first shapes started to emerge on the canvas, the ¡®fingers¡¯ holding the Manasolid started moving as the giant tried to find the exact center. It took three repetitions, but after Ghrughah zeroed on the angle the last image came out without a white line. It was still very different from what Zeph would expect ¨C it looked more like markings of meandering diffraction lines rather than a crystallography image. In other words, the image was being distorted by macroscopic structures that weren¡¯t in a crystalline structure. Those were still regular enough to not draw a totally chaotic picture. ¡°So, we have an entirely straight, physical wall going right through the center¡­¡± the giant said, scratching his beard. Zeph sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this. Do you have any idea what can it be?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ let¡¯s discuss this with P¡¯pfel,¡± Ghrughah decided immediately, standing up. Zeph didn¡¯t argue. After securing the ¡®egg¡¯ and collecting all images made of it, they left the chamber with hastened steps. P¡¯pfel was still working at his temporary station in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. It seemed that the Gremling have gotten some inspiration from this collective project, as he has been tinkering with the photoreactive reagents even after the demand for new collectors was satisfied. Because he could hear them coming long before they ascended the internal staircase, he was already waiting for them instead of continuing with his experimentation. ¡°A problem?¡± the professor asked, arms crossed. ¡°You can call it that, yes. See this,¡± Ghrughah said, placing the pile of collectors on the table they were using previously during the meeting. As he started spreading them on the surface, the professor quickly moved closer to take a look. He jumped on his seat to be able to see. His eyebrows shoot upright almost instantly. Instead of sharing his idea right away, he spent a few minutes examining the images. Zeph¡¯s patience was dissipating quickly though. ¡°You know what it is?¡± The Gremling glanced at Ghrughah before answering. ¡°Welding surface, I would say.¡± The giant nodded. ¡°Thought the same. But¡­¡± The professor turned to Zeph before he could ask more questions. ¡°It¡¯s a known occurrence. When two Manasolids of the exactly same type are growing side by side, a border would form at the point of contact from the accumulated base material. That welding surface is fragile, but stable enough to hold them together. The problem is,¡± he hit the image he was holding with the back of his hand, ¡°they are never this straight. Sure, they are geometrically shaped, following the symmetry of the crystalline structure, but the best I saw were hundreds of miniature triangular surfaces. Never an absolutely flat wall of this size.¡± Zeph was skeptical. ¡°And there is nothing else that comes to mind?¡± They turned to him. ¡°If the structure of the Manasolid near the edges isn¡¯t compromised, it could explain how the whole is kept together with a foreign body almost slicing it in half. Not to mention, we don¡¯t know if that ¡®plate¡¯ doesn¡¯t have microscopic holes.¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work,¡± the giant commented right after he finished. ¡°The internal symmetry is what keeps the Manasolid stable. Any discontinuity would start the dissipation process.¡± The Gremling nodded. ¡°Except for a welding surface. That one can be irregular internally, but it¡¯s also a weak point.¡± Zeph shrugged, this topic was beyond him. ¡°So what? Is the flat surface impossible?¡± ¡°You misunderstood. It is flat from our point of view. We don¡¯t know how it looks at microscale,¡± the professor corrected him. ¡°But this kind of a perfect alignment isn¡¯t natural. Even if two Manasolids started growing with the same, perfectly synchronized speed from two seeds placed back-to-back, achieving this result would be night impossible.¡± This time, the giant nodded. ¡°Forcing alignment isn¡¯t impossible. But this scale isn¡¯t achievable.¡± Zeph scratched his chin, looking up in thought. Gru never mentioned anything about this, but Zeph saw his Soul. If it was any indicator, the Garuan could have forced this shape simply by virtue of his Soul influencing it. Especially because the Mana was very responsive to Will and the connection it had with a Soul. But a more pragmatic thought occurred to him. ¡°You said it¡¯s a fragile connection¡­ what happens after it¡¯s severed? And how can you sever it?¡± he asked, looking at the two craftsmen. ¡°The two halves stay stable for a moment, but the stabilizing Mana density is vastly different for the weld. Sooner or later, they will start to release the Mana,¡± the professor said impassively. ¡°You can break with whatever, even a hammer¡­¡± Ghrughah, though, seemed to catch what he was thinking about. ¡°It¡¯s Hydrargyrum-based. The simplest way to break it apart would be to apply a stream of complex Magicules. As they would disintegrate into pure Mana, the internal pressure would break the weld easily¡­¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°You don¡¯t mean it¡¯s for¡­¡± ¡°Hatching the egg,¡± Zeph finished for him. The internals had to somehow break free to use the free Mana from the shell around. But he still wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°The mechanisms seems simple enough, but would swallowing it be enough?¡± The Gremling gulped loudly. ¡°Not by a large margin. The space in your innards isn¡¯t a part of your body. Even if the Life energy leaks there, it¡¯s a miniscule amount¡­¡± ¡°You would need to either insert it into an open wound or push your Mana into it voluntarily,¡± the giant added resolutely, nodding to himself. The budding Biologist finally found something palpable to add. ¡°In the first case, the automatic response of the body should then trigger an unconscious Mana response. That amount of Mana attacking a foreign body would be enough. In the second case, it¡¯s a perfect trap. The differences between it and a true Manasolid aren¡¯t visible to the naked eye.¡± He hummed deeply, considering something. Zeph and P¡¯pfel waited for him to think things through ¨C they didn¡¯t have much to add at this point. ¡°There are species of animals that inject their Mana involuntarily into objects. There are more intelligent ones that can learn how to channel Ambient Mana to recover their reserves. Finally, there are intelligent species that use Manasolids as tools¡­¡± he mumbled to himself. He was evidently weighing the possibilities in his mind. Finally, after a minute, he turned to Zeph with a serious expression. ¡°Is your bond a parasite by any chance?¡± Zeph sucked in a breath, then sighed weakly. It seemed he would have to share more about Gru¡¯s existence with the giant. Not that he wasn¡¯t planning on doing so in the future. It was just the fact that the future came far faster than he expected¡­ Chapter 142 – The secrets of a forgotten race… are secret. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.26] Zeph weighed his words for a moment. It didn¡¯t do him any good, though. Ghrughah already knew too much. He still didn¡¯t fully trust the giant. Ghrughah had his personal agenda for working with them, even if he wasn¡¯t interfering with any decisions the Guild had made thus far. But, as much as he couldn¡¯t call him an entrusted person, the giant was always useful and seemed truthful. The only reason Zeph was hesitating, was because of Gru¡¯s origins. Or rather, because of the lack of thereof. As an ancient being that couldn¡¯t be fully comprehended even by the System, Gru¡¯s existence posed a real threat to his own well-being. It wasn¡¯t even a question of who knew about him, but of how many people did. One random rumor and a lot of influential people would want to have a word with him, and not necessarily in a civil manner. People with power were very serious when it came to knowledge and artifacts, and Gru was a living incarnation of both. That, though, was in the future. The chances of anyone spreading that information anytime soon were minimal for as long as they were working together towards their main goal of advancing and setting a footing on a higher stratum. Also, right now, Zeph was indebted to the man. A man who was yet to break his word. His own origin was slowly resurfacing as well ¨C it wouldn¡¯t take longer than a few years before the attentive individuals concluded that he was a Terrien. At least, that was his prediction. Taking into account that context, omitting the topic or straight-up lying would be the least optimal course of action. Not to mention, he was planning to move to the higher stratum in a year and the giant was becoming kind of indispensable for that plan to work. Providing a disservice to Ghrughah at this point would probably do more harm than good. As so, he decided to give a truthful, yet succinct answer. ¡°Symbiotic Parasite, it was called,¡± he admitted. Surprisingly, he could feel a weight lifting from his shoulders when saying that. Why that was, he wouldn¡¯t have known. The giant hummed, deep in thought. It didn¡¯t take long for him to speak again, though. ¡°A previously unknown designation?¡± P¡¯pfel¡¯s head shut up. ¡°Oi! You never talked about this?!¡± the wild Gremling exclaimed. Zeph threw a glance in his direction, noticing that his glasses were lying on the table. Shrugging, he turned to Ghrughah. ¡°Only in the System¡¯s taxonomy. Also, an unexpected effect of a certain experiment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, you Mazga!¡± The little being standing by their side started to wildly swing its arms around. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t pry any deeper,¡± the giant said, nodding respectfully. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to speak, that is. Symbiotic or not, a parasite is a difficult company.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misjudge,¡± Zeph answered, ignoring the curses and random punches flying at him from his right. ¡°He was only helpful at all times,¡± Zeph said, gratitude seeping into his voice. Ghrughah sent him a strange look. Meanwhile, Zeph turned to the rowdy Gremling, grabbed the back of his collar, and lifted him up. Ignoring his animated protests, he grabbed the glasses from the table with his free hand and forcefully put them on his nose. Truthfully, he itched to try that for ages ¨C just for the sake of testing if it would work. The only reason he never tried was the fact that it would be exceptionally rude. For many reasons. But the current situation required the professor to be present, not the wild part of him. The Gremling froze. Then his body spasmed two times like a broken machine. Thankfully, after that small hiccup, the mental shift took place. The problem was, P¡¯pfel didn¡¯t seem to be grateful at all. His head slowly turned to Zeph, a deep scowl contorting his face. ¡°I would prefer if you abstained from doing that. Ever,¡± the professor growled deeply. But, surprisingly, instead of venting his anger any further, he looked away and silently mumbled an explanation with a defeated tone in his voice. ¡°I have only so many triggers I can use consciously.¡± Understating his mistake, Zeph put the Gremling back on his chair while apologizing profoundly. Dealing with that disbalance seemed like a real pain and it just occurred to him that forcing the trigger could possibly degrade its usability. The professor wasn¡¯t without blame, though. If he had explained his situation better, Zeph wouldn¡¯t have used such an underhanded method in the first place. Their awkward moment was disturbed by a deep hum coming from Ghrughah. It sounded like a poor rendition of a cough. They both looked at him, slight relief visible on their faces. The giant ignored it and asked another problematic question. Although, this time Zeph was ready for it. ¡°You are referring to it as if it¡¯s another person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s sentient. System-recognized sentient, that is.¡± A long moment of silence filled the room as his companions¡¯ eyes widened. The first to recover was Ghrughah. He gripped his face with his oversized hand and bent down, asking the most natural of questions in a muffled voice. ¡°Let me get this straight. You have a sentient parasite inside your body?¡± Zeph glanced at P¡¯pfel. He was sure the Gremling already knew about Gru¡¯s sentience. He was wrong. Are they worried about Gru¡¯s Class and Profession, or something? he asked himself before turning back to the giant. ¡°Yes? Something¡¯s wrong with that? And, by the way, it¡¯s a symbiotic parasite, in case you forgot already.¡± His comment didn¡¯t change their sour grimaces. ¡°Do you even know how ridiculously this sounds?!¡± the wild Gremling spoke, disregarding the glasses on his nose. His voice full of disbelief. ¡°Who would risk something like that?¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± Zeph muttered impatiently, ¡°a result of an experiment. Don¡¯t we have better things to do right now?¡± His foot started hitting the floor rhythmically at some point. Despite the curiosity playing in their eyes, both recognized that he wasn¡¯t ready to share more. Without a word, the duo nodded and started moving. Ghrughah and Zeph returned to the compression chamber while P¡¯pfel decided to find more people to help with the interpretation of the primitive spectrophotometry images. ~~~ As it turned out, only the center of Gru¡¯s Manasolid was causing the strange diffraction of the X-ray light. The edges were leaving perfectly normal images; only a sphere of around five millimeters near the center produced long lines on the collector. Structurally, it really was resembling an egg, all things considered. Zeph hoped to see the characteristic absorption peaks of the DNA on the spectrophotometric collectors. He knew that Gru, despite his alien body structure and the addition of Manasolids, was a carbon-based lifeform. The Ancient Civilizations Skill also hinted that he should have a ¡®normal¡¯ DNA or, at the very least, something resembling it very closely ¨C Zeph didn¡¯t have much time to read from the Skill yet, and the cost of Tier 3 knowledge was still double of his Mana generation. After finishing the experiment, they cleaned the chamber and started moving the equipment back to Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. P¡¯pfel was already waiting for them with good news. He not only managed to find five Hannyajin with a good eye for colors, but two of them were actually painters in Professions. And those two recommended making regular paintings of the collectors instead of simply observing them and noting their findings. With supporting Skills and their expertise, the paintings could be done in minutes, long before the reagents on the collectors start to deteriorate. Some details would be lost, but Zeph wasn¡¯t worried about that. He had additional observers and what he cared the most about was the relative strength of absorption. The control group would hopefully be enough to normalize the results of such a subjective observation method. The impromptu exhibition was organized in another room within the Ghrughah¡¯s domain. The access to his main workplace was strictly limited to people he approved of, after all. Two takes were planned for each collector ¨C one within a light neutral to the chemicals on a canvas, and another within a dim, scattered white light. They had three ¡®shots¡¯ of each Manasolid and one control image, so they decided to test things firstly using the first shot of every Manasolid. After the first round, they made a small break. P¡¯pfel had to work out a chemical that would slow down the absorption properties of the reagents on the canvasses without compromising the existing images. That¡¯s because the white light was too much and the collectors were absorbing too much from it, changing their colors visibly in less than a minute. On the other hand, it was very difficult to recognize the color saturation and intensity under the light of a neutral color ¨C even Skills weren¡¯t enough to compensate here. Stolen story; please report. The second try was made in almost total darkness ¨C the weak white light was barely enough for them to see, all to preserve the canvases for longer. At the same time, P¡¯pfel changed the chemical composition of the preserving bath. Zeph didn¡¯t even try to ask about the details; all he knew was that it slowed the absorption of light around three times over while desaturating the images by a small margin as a side effect. That round was a success, and the third one followed soon after. The canvases from the control group were cut into four pieces before being exposed to the harmful light. It decreased the accuracy but assured that no mistakes would be made. Two quarters would be analyzed under the condition from the first series, and the other two under the dimmed light after taking a new chemical bath. Zeph waited for the free observers to finish their notes, then thanked the team for the good work. He made sure to note their names to send them a modest, if well-deserved, remuneration for the help provided. The Hannyajin weren¡¯t sure what to think about that ¨C for them, it was merely a part of their daily job; living in such a close-knitted community didn¡¯t differentiate between work hours and private time all that much ¨C but he managed to convince them by pointing out that they shouldn¡¯t speak about what they saw or did here. Taking part in an experiment managed by three Guild Heads wasn¡¯t something to take lightly, even if their role didn¡¯t seem to matter much, so they accepted that his explanations at face value. Back in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop, he started analyzing the data. Using the notes as a main source of information, and the painted images as a context, he quickly started drawing the absorption graph. He didn¡¯t even care to calculate the uncertainty ¨C all he wanted to see were the peaks. The giant and P¡¯pfel stood behind him, patiently observing his tedious work. Finally, the last point was placed on the graph. He quickly took out the local rendition of a mechanical pencil and a simple tool from Ghrughah¡¯s stock that was used for drawing technical blueprints ¨C the contraption was just a thin, flexible sheet of steel with five movable pins that could keep it in place. He used it to trace the lines connecting all the dots of each Manasolid. The calibration method and accuracy of the tool were unknown, but he just needed a simple visualization and nothing more. Thankfully, a few different colors of the pencil¡¯s lead were available, so the resulting graph easily distinguished between different Manasolids. Taking a few steps back, he admired his handiwork, nodding to himself with satisfaction. ¡°Aaaand, what exactly does it tell us?¡± The professor asked skeptically, tilting his head. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I can see the difference between Gru¡¯s Manasolid and the rest. It¡¯s like night and day. But¡­¡± ¡°Nothing I can explain easily,¡± Zeph started, ¡°but I can see an absorption pattern that relates to living cells.¡± I better leave the DNA out of this discussion. Especially because I am not sure how similar theirs is or behave in comparison to the beings from the Earth. Also, it would be sad to spoil their rewards. ¡°Are you certain? How about making a control group to compare the shape?¡± Ghrughah asked. ¡°As sure as I can be. There is a lot of rubbish adding to the absorption¡±¡ªGru¡¯s ¡®egg¡¯ was definitely absorbing more than it should, not only as a Manasolid with DNA molecules¡ª¡°but the pattern is visible nonetheless. And I don¡¯t have the equipment to make a control group. It¡¯s a very specific, microscopic part of the body that I am recognizing.¡± He sighed. Thank gods there aren¡¯t any actual cells inside. That would be undecipherable¡­ ¡°Also, even if I¡¯m wrong, I can still confirm with the probability of above 96% that carbon-based structures exist inside.¡± He turned to his two companions. ¡°If this isn¡¯t an egg, I don¡¯t know what else can it be.¡± A new notification pinged in his Interface at that moment, but it didn¡¯t open just yet ¨C as per his settings. He did look at it immediately, though. ¡°You have it?¡± the Gremling asked excitedly. ¡°Give me a moment¡­¡±
Congratulations! [Ancient Civilizations ] is now [T3] [L21]. (+8) [Earth¡¯s methodology] is now [T1] [L45]. (+11) New data derived from the learning process. [Soul fragments] awarded!
Congratulations! [Profession] [Shaman] is now level 37! (+2)
Major upgrades: Shaman [+2] ==> [Memory] [+2], [Unallocated] [+4] ==> [Matrix Space] [+10], [Mana Capacity] [+88], [Mana Generation] [+12]
Soul fragments for the Profession? Really? he thought with surprise. He knew that his Profession was already on the brink of the next level, so he wasn¡¯t that surprised at the two new levels. But what he did was as far from ¡®shamanic¡¯ practices as he could possibly imagine. He was just examining a possibly living organism using scientific methods. He shook his head. That¡¯s not important, the Skill levels, though¡­ he quickly walked to the closest chair before quickly falling into a meditation-like state. Reading from the ¡®Ancient Civilizations¡¯ Skill was costly, true, but he only tried to access the part that was basically an overblown index and nothing more. Sure enough, he found a whole series of Soul memories relating to Garuans¡¯ eggs ¨C a new addition. He already knew that most of them probably wouldn¡¯t be useful in Gru¡¯s case, but that was all he needed to know for now. Opening his eyes, he saw the two artisans preparing to work at their respective stations. Ghrughah was quick to notice that he was back, though. ¡°Not even a minute. You are getting better at reading,¡± he complimented, putting down a half-disassembled collector container. ¡°Confirmation?¡± P¡¯pfel asked immediately, whirling around. ¡°Enough to confirm that our guess was right,¡± Zeph nodded. The Gremling frowned. ¡°No invitation for the scan at the Shrine?¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°I am expecting one only after the second egg is made. The process will probably destroy it.¡± ¡°Gru is still asleep?¡± the giant asked, walking closer. ¡°More like, still in the coma.¡± Zeph sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will hear from him in the near future. It¡¯s already taking too long. I will need to meditate on it to try and see what is going on.¡± ¡°So, you say,¡± P¡¯pfel started rubbing his hands in a show of pure greed, ¡°we are done and the setup is free?¡± Zeph rolled his eyes while standing up. ¡°Yes, yes. Do your worst,¡± he said dismissingly. The happy dance the Gremling did in the background was ignored as he turned to the giant. ¡°Ghrughah, do you have one free miniaturized compression box maybe?¡± ¡°Planning to start training your Mana manipulation?¡± The question was legit. Those things weren¡¯t able to keep the Mana density stable without manual input. A person with an Advanced Mana manipulation had to constantly stabilize the density, which made it quite an efficient training method for beginners. The box itself worked like a buffer ¨C allowing for minor mistakes and a few minutes of inattention. ¡°I will start traveling around soon enough. I would rather take the egg with me than keep it here, so it will be best if I get used to the exertion.¡± The giant nodded with understanding. ¡°That will cost you¡ª¡± ¡°Just add it to my tab.¡± Zeph waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know. I need to check my income with Kwan, either way¡­¡± Ghrughah smiled awkwardly but didn¡¯t comment. ¡°I will send two to your room. Remember to keep the backup one.¡± After exchanging a few more words, Zeph left the workshop to find something to eat. After all the night¡¯s work, he was starving. ~~~ The central canteen above his underground apartment was empty at this hour, but the cooks were already preparing for the lunch rush that would happen in an hour or so. They were understanding enough and prepared him a full-course meal in a few minutes. The improvised dinner turned out better than he hoped. When he was in the middle of savoring a rich soup containing way too much meat, Makani unceremoniously dropped in the seat opposing him. ¡°Eating in the public canteen? You should start using our entree delivery, we have full right to use it.¡± Swallowing the spoonful, he looked up at the Manacaster. ¡°And waste my time? This dinner was prepared in minutes!¡± he said, smiling goofily and gesturing at the table filled with goodies. The man shook his head in disappointment. ¡°I think you have gotten too used to developing in fast bursts. The majority of our Soul fragments comes from the food!¡± He pointed at him menacingly. ¡°I just received two random levels in my Profession for a day of work, so I would rather try to slow the process down,¡± he smirked. ¡°Any reason you were looking for me?¡± Makani looked around lazily before erecting a simple Air Sphere. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that critical. My old friend from the Academy sent me a message. You wanted to talk with a Scholar, yes?¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes moved sideways as he chewed on an especially tasty bit of meat. He had totally forgotten about that. ¡°How¡­ well, how knowledgeable is he about my people?¡± Of course, he meant the Fullangrarians, not the Terrien. ¡°Not at all. He is more of a technology enthusiast,¡± Makani assured. ¡°One that knows more about history than current innovations, though. I had learned that he would be visiting Lurona come the spring, so I asked if he would be interested in some light discussion about the current state of the technology on stratum zero.¡± Zeph sighed with relief. ¡°So, it would take time? Good, I can work with that.¡± Seeing Makani¡¯s raised eyebrow, he explained further. ¡°I have some difficulties regarding my bond and¡­ that whole last attack you know about.¡± Makani nodded innocently, putting his head in his open palm. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some ¡®rumors¡¯ about that, yes.¡± ¡°¡­I will tell you more when we are in one of our rooms, okay? Anyway, I need to contact the Mapmakers Guild to invite their Cartographer. And I still need to find a Shaman instructor¡­¡± ¡°A Cartographer?¡± The Manacaster perked up. ¡°Good luck with that. They will suck you dry before agreeing to anything. We have become a kind of hot topic lately,¡± Makani said with a wave of his hand. Zeph blinked in surprise. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he reached to his collection of medallions hanging under his shirt, then shuffled through them to show the one from the Guild he mentioned. Makani¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°They gave you their medallion?!¡± ¡°I secured the deal the moment I visited them, shortly after arriving in Lurona. The guy mentioned something about a good greeting and forgotten lands¡­ But they seemed okay? Why are you playing a drama queen?¡± ¡°Zeph, you have more luck than brains,¡± the Manacaster said, massaging his forehead. ¡°They don¡¯t play nice with the powerful and wealthy. Mostly because their tragic state of business is their fault. That medallion means more than you think. You were recognized as someone who can help them.¡± ¡°Same difference,¡± he shrugged, dropping the chained medallions behind his collar. ¡°As long as I get what I need, they can get all the glory.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic,¡± defeated, Makani dropped his arms on the table while leaning forward. ¡°Kwan wanted to inform you that she has found a promising rumor about an old Shaman living in the country. We need to plan out your schedule.¡± ¡°A meeting, you mean?¡± he asked absentmindedly, already reaching for the next dish. ¡°Absolutely. What about right after you finish? I am also busy, you know?¡± the Manacaster said, sending an uncertain look at the dishes filling the table. ¡°Not a problem. Just give me a few minutes to take my armor. It needs to be saturated soon¡± Chapter 143 – Moving ahead and visiting old acquaintances. Or rather, sneaking around. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.26] As he said, so he did. He wasn¡¯t planning on leaving their territory without his armor anyway. The meeting was short and sweet. His LED-based flashlight was selling unexpectedly well. As Kwan¡¯s research team finished the testing, the first models hit the market even before he woke up from his induced coma. The batteries weren¡¯t exactly battle-ready without a hefty encasing, but the mercenary teams liked to hire a porter or two to pack and carry their spoils. Also, the people experienced in the Discharge Spells finally found another niche to fill thanks to his invention, as most of them could produce an electric current stable enough to safely power the LEDs. And in case of mistakes, the drop in their lifetime would only propel their business further. He was against artificially limiting the lifetime of products ¨C like the late companies on Earth did ¨C but if that was how the people wanted to risk it, who was he to stop them? And if the merchants didn¡¯t explain that flaw beforehand, it was on them. The basic guarantee didn¡¯t cover the methods of application. Sadly, all that brought only more money ¨C it seemed that it wasn¡¯t enough to trigger the System reward. Even if that wasn¡¯t a bad thing in his situation, Zeph felt unsatisfied. At the very least, with the current predictions, he would pay off the debt for Ghrughah in half a year. Assuming the trend kept up. But that meant his other inventions had to sell at a similar volume, which he doubted would happen. He somehow managed to open a new venture for skilled people, but it was all a work of luck and nothing more. He decided to think more carefully about his future ventures because of that realization. Anyway, his armor and weapon were just that costly. As Aisha said in the past ¨C it wasn¡¯t a norm to make transactions for hundreds of thousands of gold, especially for a singular item. As for the Shaman, the man lived on one of the islands placed a long way south, on an archipelago belonging to another country. The man was a recluse but lived for long enough to interact with the local communities. Rumors started spreading years ago, but even then one had to listen carefully to differentiate between the fairy tales and seeds of truth the people were spreading. Thankfully, with Kwan¡¯s new designation as a Landlord, the Information Department entered its golden age. They were no longer limited by the mediocre informants and could reach deeply into the city¡¯s intel if needed. Not only that, but their agents were finally recognized as a part of the city¡¯s forces. The reason the Shaman was found that fast was proof of all that. Moving to his quarters after the meeting concluded, Zeph decided to meditate a little. The evening would be busy, but he still had a few hours on his hands. The overcoat he ordered still wasn¡¯t ready, after all. ~~~ He relaxed after falling down on a soft armchair in his room. He didn¡¯t sleep last night, but he already knew that he could deal with much more if needed. Also, the familiar environment and the feeling of safety put him in just the right mindset to start analyzing the Soulscape. Breathing deeply, he tried to steer his consciousness. Soon, his awareness drifted inwards. His visualization came as easily as always. But without any pressing matters, he could actually focus fully on his task. The scarred part of his Soul, he left alone. He already visited that place enough times to understand that without additional information he wouldn¡¯t be able to come to any new conclusions. That didn¡¯t change the fact that he still felt an indescribable need to analyze it further ¨C his Will was acting strange every time he visited the Soulscape after that attack during the Tournament ¨C but he had a much more pressing mystery to solve. Gru was still absent, mentally speaking. And today, he decided to feel out his companion¡¯s Soul, so to speak, to check what was happening. He wasn¡¯t able to imitate Gru¡¯s abilities fully, but he had learned enough from the ancient specimen to know how their Bond worked. Without that knowledge, he wouldn¡¯t even think of trying what he was going to attempt. As his focus morphed, he started to shift between different states of the Soul to get a general idea of where he should concentrate. Gru¡¯s Soul was a separate manifestation, but because of their Bond and the physical proximity their Souls were almost superimposed. At least, that was his interpretation for the unconscious Gru ¨C it was more complicated, as always when dealing with the Soulscape. He quickly mapped the areas where he could feel Gru¡¯s presence and started to form a poor imitation of Soul ¡®tendrils¡¯. Gru was always using those, so he saw an ample number of examples of how that worked. His visualization wasn¡¯t enough to imitate the feat, though. Far from it. All he could do, was to misshape his Soul by using his Will-Powered Soul Manipulation, thus getting a better idea of what he was interacting with. Using the found points of contact and after spreading his ¡®perception¡¯ enough, he started building the mental image of Gru¡¯s Soul by ¡®touching¡¯ it all around in short bursts. He knew that the Will contamination that Gru inherited from him after the Soul Transplantation should prevent the so-called ¡°Will clash¡± that comes with direct contact between Souls, but without knowing the mental state of Gru, he wanted to stay on the safe side. With time, he slowly but surely started uncovering the state of his companion. Gru¡¯s Soul was in disarray, as he would expect if he was truly and fully incapacitated. But there was one area, buried deeply behind the smokescreen of his slowly shifting Soul, that was beyond hyperactive. He traced it down only because of the drastic and constant shifts that were out-of-sync with the rest ¨C that part was switching so fast that he could almost feel the tremors traveling through the inert parts of Gru¡¯s Soul as he got close. And when he finally managed to touch the miniature storm, almost blindly, he was rebuffed with enough force to be instantly catapulted into his body. Or maybe even slightly beyond. Dry-heaving on his armchair and sweating profusely, he engaged his full-body enhancement to fight for the food inside of his stomach to stay in place. He was only partially successful, though. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The fuck was that? It was almost worse than Nalani¡¯s attack back in the ports¡­ he thought, slowly coming to his senses. ¡°You are not sleeping at all. What are you doing, Gru?¡± he asked into the empty air, wiping the fat droplets of sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. ¡°If you sacrificed yourself to wake me up, I will not be grateful!¡± But even as he said so, his Will acted again, making him grimace. And he experienced a very, very distant and faint feeling that what he said was absolutely wrong. The most concerning point was how much different it was from his premonitions. Those, he could intellectually understand. But no. It was also different from any d¨¦j¨¤ vu or inspiration moment he remembered; a new impression. Any ¡®tangible¡¯ emotion he knew or felt in the past was different. This one¡­ it was a new one. Worse yet, he instinctually knew that he lost some Will just then, although the amount was so miniscule that he should have never be able to even notice it. Yet, the impression of that loss was as heavy as if he had just forgotten who his parents were, automatically forcing him to see the change. This doesn¡¯t make any sense. Will doesn¡¯t carry memories. Only convictions, interests, trauma¡­ intent, maybe? How is it influencing me so strongly? What happened when I was unconscious?¡± There was no memory or Soul memory he could find of that time; he had checked multiple times. And this was no bad premonition nor any physical stimulation. Just a fleeting feeling that occurred when he felt his Will was doing something. If my theory about its nature is correct¡­ No, there are too many possibilities. He shook his head. One thing is for sure ¨C I need to learn more. I have to know what have happened back then to me. That was in his very nature. To learn how the reality worked. How the living organisms worked. Even more so when it was influencing him on a personal level. To both of us, he corrected himself, finding a new purpose. I will crack this mystery, that¡¯s my first priority! He looked up at the wadokei, and grimaced instantly. The first night cycle was about to start ¨C his meditation took way more time than he expected. He weighed his options for a minute, but the Mapmakers Guild wouldn¡¯t be available at this hour. Moving right now would be a waste of his time. Instead, he sent a message through his Shrine Seed. He wanted to streamline his travels a little, so he asked the System to provide a minor mission around the Shaman¡¯s location if possible. He would be more comfortable if he knew the distances the Cartographer would have to travel first, but he understood that triangulating could start at any location really. It was of lower priority than assuring his long-term visit in another country. There was a much more pressing matter, though. Tomorrow, he would try to find the Gibbons once again. ~~~ Zeph slept like an overworked laborer. For some reason, it seemed like he required more time to recover than normally. Let¡¯s hope it has nothing to do with the X-ray experiments¡­ he thought, stretching to wake up his body. Checking his Interface provided some good news. There were three possible missions he could take when searching for the Shaman. The System was kind enough to provide additional information on the man, as well. Nothing groundbreaking or intrinsic, though. As with any personal data, those were inaccessible. But some additional rumors that circulated around were always welcomed. Zeph knew already that without an explicit reason, the System would never share private information. As so, he was thankful for what he got. He quickly chose a mission in the closest area and started preparing for the day. He could, theoretically, finish his yearly quota for commissions if he took all three, but traveling by sea during winter wasn¡¯t fast. Visiting one group of islands would already be time-consuming. After refreshing and clothing himself, he walked to the reception area of the headquarters. Even before he could utter a word, he was ushered into one of the more extravagant rooms further behind the common area. His new overcoat was adorning a dummy as a woman responsible for adjusting it was standing beside it. The production and delivery were kept secret just as he instructed. Predictably, he didn¡¯t leave with the item in hand either. As for the adjustments, they weren¡¯t necessary because the cloth wasn¡¯t fitting. It was actually quite the opposite. He wanted to make it look like a random find instead of a purchased item. The colors were already horrible enough ¨C the surface painted in yellow of a rotten lemon was scarred with seemingly random lines and splashes of brown and green dyes. The fur underneath was kept pristine white, though. The contrast was unsettling, to say the least. The geometrical shapes of the lines should be recognizable for his ex-teammates, of course, as they were repeatedly drawn all over the thing. That didn¡¯t¡¯ change the fact that the final product looked like an abandoned fashion prototype that spend way too much time in a garbage container. But that was the idea. No one in their right mind would wear such an abomination if they had a choice. For poor people, the functionality stood much higher than the visuals. The rich fur beneath the abominable colors was dense, speaking of warmth and cleanness thanks to the purity of the color. A perfect disguise. As for why he was doing all this, the answer stemmed from his last visit to the area the Gibbons marked on the small map. The district was poor. Ravaged by time and the latest events. The warm, baggy clothes put over more fabric-provided insulation was a norm, so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his slightly bulky armor hidden underneath his attire if he wasn¡¯t wearing the helmet. A pair of old shoes and thick, weathered trousers should finish up his looks nicely. Instead of taking his backpack, he would use a few cheap bags to hold his possessions. Better yet, because of how weak the material was, he could simply tear through them to retrieve what he needed if the situation was dire. As for weapons, he defaulted to his pistol and knives ¨C the simplest things to hide. He had no illusions ¨C the area he would be entering wasn¡¯t recovering well. The Undead attack during the New Year influenced the city¡¯s economy to an unprecedented degree ¨C the people within that district couldn¡¯t find work, while the infrastructure was still in need of repairs. The rising criminal activity was merely a logical conclusion. And this time, he wouldn¡¯t be showing his high-tech gear to scare off the newly-forming gangs. He just hoped that his ¡®aged¡¯ overcoat would be enough to keep him out of harm¡¯s way for long enough to inform the Gibbons about his whereabouts. But the worst part was, he had to do this alone, without any support from his Guild. That was a risk, even if a necessary one. He wanted to meet his people; the ones seemingly yet to be sucked into the local political landscape. But that meant he had to be as inconspicuous as them. ~~~ It was easy enough to leave the Roaming Onsen Village. He received his new clothes from a few independent sources as he was visiting the shops around the area. The overcoat itself was brought by Pavail, who he instructed to keep quiet for as long as she could. Yes, he was aware that his ¡®strolls¡¯ would be noticed. Not only by his guildmates, city governors, or any spying organization, but also by the mundane workers who knew his face. That complicated things a little, but he was putting much hope in Alex¡¯s planning skills ¨C he never believed that the small district that was his destination was their main base. Alex was the most prudent of their bunch ¨C the reason he became their leader in the first place. The problem was with the transport itself. During the wither, he had only a few possibilities to move around. He would have walked the distance to a distant carriage parking if possible ¨C even if he had to travel above the snowy tunnels ¨C but that would be suspicious as hell if anyone recognized him. Instead, he had a perfect excuse and If he disappeared shortly after reaching his destination, who could blame him? It was easier to hide in the crowd, either way. As so, he ordered a carriage that would take him to the very center of the Production District. ~~~ It took almost three hours. The aboveground traffic was horrible during the winter ¨C the carriages were moving slowly to preserve the temperature in the leaky cabins. At least not many vehicles were moving around. But finally, he stood before the very Mapmakers Guild¡¯s room inside the multi-leveled main building. If he was right, they would not only secure him a Cartographer but also open certain doors for him to ¡®disappear¡¯ temporally after the visit. Remembering his first lucky encounter with them, he gulped down loudly. Now, Zeph knew about their Guild¡¯s situation and why they extended their hand to him. He worried that exactly that knowledge would be his undoing when dealing with them. On the other hand, he only had to support an existing misconception. Chapter 144 – The Mapmakers are kind of sus… Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] The booth¡¯s interior didn¡¯t change a bit. The vast selection of maps and books was still littering the small room and he easily recognized the old man standing behind the counter. The familiar smell of paper and old wood made him nostalgic when he entered. ¡°Welcome to the Mapmaker¡¯s Guild, dear customer,¡± the guy welcomed him automatically, reluctantly taking his eyes away from the book he was reading. He blinked fast a few times after looking at Zeph, a spark of recognition entering his gaze. Instead of speaking, Zeph took out the medallion he was given. But the man didn¡¯t wait to apprise it ¨C he put his hand under the tabletop and, after a soft click, a localized Air Sphere was deployed even before Zeph got close to the counter. This time, though, the Spell that rolled over his sensitive net of condensed Mana strings inside of his Veil felt different. The fact that some mechanism inside of his amulet activated as well was evidence enough, it wasn¡¯t a simple privacy barrier. Something Mana-related shifted inside of it. Which was a minor surprise, as this Guild didn¡¯t use such methods when he last visited. It seemed that the old man was taking things seriously. It was a good thing that he kept practicing his detection technique in his free time. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the difference. Or, at least, not as clearly. ¡°Welcome back, mister,¡± the man said, nodding deeply. ¡°You are later than expected, but in the light of the latest events, I can¡¯t say that I am much surprised.¡± ¡°Life has its ways to complicate things,¡± he answered politely. As expected, they shouldn¡¯t use real names in this environment. He started to appreciate that custom ¨C he now understood that it wasn¡¯t as much for anonymity''s sake as for making sure that people here could comfortably interact with each other. It felt good to leave behind and forget about one¡¯s official position; to speak freely, and to be treated fairly. Meetings dealing with more official deals rarely were a public affair; this building was dedicated to more open commerce. ¡°I want to ask for a favor after we finish.¡± A speck of excitement crossed the man¡¯s face after he heard that even as he snorted lightly. In the past, Zeph would grimace at that reaction, but he already learned that people like that didn¡¯t really mean anything malicious. He probably triggered another of those old, forgotten customs the old-timer seemed so fond of ¨C just like the fluke with the ¡®good greeting¡¯ he had given when first interacting with the guy. If it was a positive or a negative one, he didn¡¯t care. Aisha has taught him that playing those games with the elders was nothing more than a waste of time. He would never be able to learn all the rules, even if they stopped leading him by the nose for their own amusement. But one thing was clear ¨C the man was pleased that he was asking for a favor. If his organization wants me to help and cooperate, so be it. Gaining some goodwill isn¡¯t the worst idea, either way, he decided wearily. ¡°The meeting room is prepared and our Cartographer is stationed nearby¡­ But am I understanding your plead correctly?¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°Probably. Not to be disrespectful, but I don¡¯t feel safe discussing that matter here.¡± ¡°Surely,¡± the old man nodded in understanding ¨C the chances that today¡¯s visit wouldn¡¯t become a public knowledge in the following days was next to zero. ¡°So, how do you prefer to go about this, mister Zeph?¡± He almost rolled his eyes. That question was unnecessary, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Can we skip the unpleasantries? You were just talking about a meeting room¡­¡± he stopped himself for a moment. He didn¡¯t want to come out as rude, but he could play along a bit. ¡°Well, assuming that your Guild is as old as your books were indicating, it should be readily available. Forgive me if I was wrong,¡± he jabbed. Heh, it even worked? he thought with a little more energy after seeing the man frowning. Zeph gave a shallow bow to accentuate his apology. Although, it was entirely unnecessary, seeing as it caused the man¡¯s frown to deepen. Bug off, old man. Trying to play stupid for the sake of it? And I won¡¯t pay you for accommodating me if you don¡¯t state it clearly and loudly. ¡°So, are we going to stand here all day?¡± he asked, straightening up and raising his eyebrow. ¡°I can always just forward an invitation to the Cartographer to visit our headquarters¡­¡± Surprisingly, after a moment, the man chuckled. ¡°My apologies. At least now I understand that you are much more oblivious to our culture than I had initially thought. Also, people experiencing a quick rise in the city¡¯s hierarchy tend to get drunk on their newfound power. It¡¯s good to see you don¡¯t sway that way,¡± he explained, returning a slightly deeper bow. Straightening up, he took out three metal plates from under the counter. ¡°Please follow me,¡± he said, turning around. Zeph tilted his head for a moment, wondering what the guy meant by that. Was he pleased that he was stingy? Happy that he played along? Disappointed that he didn¡¯t know how to behave? A strange combination. Or, maybe, he simply wanted him to call that favor in, and the rest was just playing around to measure Zeph¡¯s personality? That actually sounded more like an Aisha-sque behavior. Shrugging, he looked around. There wasn¡¯t any obvious way to get behind the counter ¨C the aisles on both sides were blocked by stacks of books. He had to jump over the counter to fall behind the man. By doing so, he crossed another barrier set vertically behind the furniture. If it was a trap, it didn¡¯t trigger when he passed it, but he couldn¡¯t feel any reaction from his medallion or his gear either. It was a strong suggestion that the thing was manually operated, which would mean that the guy could use Advanced Mana Manipulation in some scope. It was hard to tell for sure, though. It could be a number of things ¨C from an enchanted effect with a different purpose, through a dummy, to an original but dilapidated mechanism or enchantment that somehow survived the last few centuries. The last option may have sounded oddly specific, but this place was really old. According to the Geographical Map for Tourists he bought in this very shop, the Mapmakers Guild owned quite a few historic buildings. And not because of some strange fetish ¨C they simply never moved from those. That tendency was so strong, that he surrendered to his curiosity and checked if this booth was the same before coming here again. And it was true. Albeit, it was one of the latest purchases. They entered another hidden staircase and Zeph had to wonder if every booth here possessed one. Ciriyal¡¯s place, he could understand. Her family was dealing with delicate topics more often than not, as most detectives did. But for the Mapmakers booth to possess a separate room on the upper floor seemed excessive, even with their renown. Because almost every booth here had walls connecting the floor to the ceiling, it was really difficult to tell if it was just his wild imagination, or if it could be true. Of course, it was a ridiculous notion for the whole floor to play the role of an entry point to a more dedicated infrastructure ¨C it was massive in its own right and the two samples were too little to really extrapolate. Not to mention, both establishments he visited were old and famous to some degree. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. But his worries evaporated as they finished ascending the stairs. It didn¡¯t seem likely that the Guild owned this place. The room looked entirely new. There weren¡¯t any bookshelves, maps, or typical decorations on the walls. Only a table in the center looked antique. And it was large ¨C one impressive mammoth of a furniture. Three old armchairs were standing beside it. There was also a bar on the far wall ¨C they always were part of a guest room in these lands ¨C but it all looked unassuming and empty in contrast to the ornate marvel of the grand table. His inner thoughts and feelings had to show on his face because the Mapmaker started explaining himself almost immediately. ¡°Please don¡¯t be discouraged by the state of the room. Renting the additional space here isn¡¯t cheap and our Guild isn¡¯t exactly prosperous right now.¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°No, I was just surprised. You don¡¯t use those often?¡± he asked, looking around. ¡°Certainly not. The only reason our Guild strained its funds as much, is because of the new uncovered locations you have mentioned,¡± he explained while gesturing to the armchairs encouragingly. ¡°We would invite you to our main establishment if it wouldn¡¯t turn heads our way. But the topic needs to be discussed in private even without that possibility.¡± Getting the hint, he walked to the table and took a seat opposite the old man. The table was heavily enchanted. He could tell as soon as his Veil touched the wooden surface. The density of Mana flowing inside was high enough to be noticeable to him, and that was telling much. What exactly those enchantments were doing, though, he couldn¡¯t tell. But it was clear that, even without furnishing the room fully, the Mapmakers Guild prepared for this meeting thoroughly. After his last visit, Zeph expected them to rather spread the word and openly show that he was cooperating with them ¨C for the sake of promoting themselves and their wares. But the reality surprised him; this Guild no longer looked like an old fan club of a dying profession. ¡°Our Cartographer will be here soon. I would offer you a drink but I¡¯m afraid this setup is quite foreign to me,¡± he said, glancing at the bar to his left. ¡°There should be some snacks, though¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, old man. Is it time for introductions, at last?¡± The grandpa shrugged. ¡°Any name would do for me. I am not in a position to introduce myself. It may sound kind of rude because I know who you are, but we have our reasons.¡± Zeph gaped at him with dead eyes for a moment. ¡°What? Knowing your true name would grant me power over you or something?¡± The man laughed a little while stroking his beard. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no to becoming a being so closely intertwined with pure information, but the reality is much more mundane. Let¡¯s just say, it would be very inconvenient to remind anyone of who we are. Our Guild would rather sit in its dark corner than invite the unnecessary attention of the youngsters. Also, please address our Cartographer as such. It¡¯s a sign of respect to call us by our position, especially during official assignments.¡± Zeph couldn¡¯t decide if he wanted to groan, roll his eyes, or facepalm. What is this? A secret Temple? Ninjas? Cultivation master¡¯s coven? ¡°Okay, Bob. I will try to keep that in mind,¡± he said, nodding solemnly. The man, Bob, sent him one of the most weathering glares he had ever experienced. It was quite refreshing. ¡°Anyway, about that favor,¡± he started to break the ice that suddenly manifested in the room, metaphorically speaking of course, ¡°can you get me through the backdoor or something? I want a moment of peace after we finish here, Bob.¡± The man¡¯s new name was quite tasty when voiced aloud. He was quite proud of it. The old man sighed loudly, the wrinkles on his face deepening visibly as he did so. ¡°That would be a minor favor. Or¡­ no, never mind.¡± Zeph was quite sure he was about to ask if he would pay them immediately. Wisely ¨C befitting his old age ¨C he decided against that. Indeed, Zeph wouldn¡¯t pay. Not when they were depending on him, for some odd reason that he had yet to understand. ¡°Do you have any disguise, La-Einar?¡± Bob asked, using his name for the first time. ¡°I do happen to be in possession of a horrible, yellow overcoat that I planned to wear later¡­ But I don¡¯t think that parading in it would be advised. Not here, at least.¡± It was packed in his bag. Walking around the whole city while wearing it would be tragically counterproductive. Bob shook his head. ¡°That won¡¯t do, I will prepare something. Although you are of quite short stature, we just need to cover your features,¡± he said, standing up. Yes, even this old fossil was taller than him. Life was truly unfair. Or, at least, the life on Corora. ¡°Before you go, do we have anything else planned before the Cartographer arrives?¡± Zeph asked, also standing up to fix himself something to eat. It seemed like he was going to spend here a while. ¡°If you have planned some travels in the near future, we will have to take that into account. It can wait, but I would like to prepare some initial analysis,¡± Bob said, not turning around. ¡°Ah, right. Indeed, I have planned a quite long journey to the south,¡± he said, walking to the bar. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to tell when it would happen. I have a lot to do in the city before that.¡± ¡°The schedule isn¡¯t that important. Your geographical position, much more so,¡± the old man said from the doors to the staircase. ¡°I will be back in a few minutes.¡± ~~~ The table turned out to be an old artifact; a marvel. The thing was not only shielding them from stray eavesdroppers and observers, but it was a fricking full-fledged, 3D map display. The hologram ¨C for the lack of a better world ¨C that was projected on its surface was fully controllable. They could zoom in and out as they pleased. The Cartographer warned him that the height representation wasn¡¯t accurate at all, but Zeph was still shocked to the bone. With proper parameters¡ªwhich the Guild lacked or didn¡¯t want to present outside¡ªthis thing could be used for aeroplanning, city planning, and generally simplifying very difficult calculations that had to be done when building anything higher than a three-story building. Moreover, it supported animation, image and frame-by-frame smoothing, as well as model approximation¡­ at least, if he understood the two guildmates correctly. Better yet, external sensors could be linked to the device to map moving objects in real time. Mana currents, sea waves, and even cloud movement could be easily modelled if they had enough data, working settings, and a proper model. It was a device that should be seen in the cockpit of a spaceship, not used as a simple map visualizer and calculation device! He wanted very much to ask about it ¨C to see if they really didn¡¯t understand what could be done with it, but Bob warned him beforehand. It was a gift for their Guild. A very old one but not the only one they received. It wasn¡¯t reproducible nor fully explored, but it was theirs and theirs alone. No questions about it would be answered. No help with studying was allowed. It was here only because they had to make a rather complex set of calculations for Zeph that had to take into account not only the planet¡¯s curvature but also the movement of the flying continents. And those were depending on the movement of the moon and cyclic changes in Mana currents. Zeph was even more stumped when he learned that the math and methodology of calculating those variables had been already discovered and developed before the System showed up. Aerial navigation has been taken seriously ever since the dawn of civilization, and there never was an easy answer to the equations describing the movement of floating islands. It was then that he understood why they were using this artifact like nothing more than a glorified calculator. It also explained why they decided to show it to him. Truthfully, he wouldn¡¯t be able to operate it even if they left it with him for years. Maybe if he had instructions, but exactly that was the problem ¨C not only he was lacking the necessary theoretical knowledge to make any calculations and practical knowledge for operating the device, but the whole thing was working outside of his scope of understanding. It was mostly because it contained a computer of some kind. It had to, there was no other way to implement calculation functions without it. Yet, he had no idea how to even start constructing a computer that would work on Mana. It was an idea so abstract that he couldn¡¯t even start guessing if it was digital, analog, or biomimicking. His rumination was sporadically interrupted when the Cartographer asked another of her questions. Thanks to Bob¡¯s expertise, they have planned around his trip to the south quite fast. But it was only the tip of the iceberg. Triangulating in a dynamic environment wasn¡¯t easy. Any information Zeph had about the locations he needed to find was being written down and thoroughly checked. Of course, the woman was using her knowledge Skills to search for possible leads, so it took time even if they were using the artifact to speed up the calculation part of the preparations. As so, Zeph had ample time to play with this piece of magical art while thinking about its possible applications. As for the Cartographer herself, she wasn¡¯t anything too special. A human blondie wearing something more appropriate for a savanna treasure hunter from the Earthen games than for a citizen of a city buried under the snow. She only lacked the hat. Her face was quite weathered, so it was obvious that she wandered a lot. Despite that, it was also clear that she was quite young taking into account Corora¡¯s standards ¨C maybe forty, maybe less. Definitely high-level, though, so she looked much younger than that. Her plain face and low-profile conduct could have deceived him if he couldn¡¯t feel her Veil. It was massively denser than his. She kept it contained and her Mana density gradual, but his detection method cut deep enough for him to ¡®see¡¯ what she was doing. Indeed, she was actively using Advanced Mana Manipulation to keep it structured in an unassuming manner. Moreover, her Mana generation had to be close to what a level 100 Mana-inclined individual could achieve. It was quite intimidating in a way. At that point, he was certain that Bob could also use Advanced Mana Manipulation; the old man was just better at hiding it. What kind of freaks they were to achieve that much before level 100 in a Class that shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with Manacasting? Or maybe, just maybe, it was the other way around and he was being stupid. Maybe those people were descendants from a Tower that no longer existed. Who would know? He wasn¡¯t going to ask them directly, though, that¡¯s for sure. Chapter 145 – Of a deal, secrets, and finding what was lost. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] It took hours. Halfway through, he was invited to have some tea. In other words, they were done with questioning him and he could rest. Then, after the duo finished plotting the route Zeph had to travel in order to gather more data, they disabled the map and used the table in an old-fashioned way. That is, to eat the dinner. The meal wasn¡¯t bad. Or rather, it was on the level of a high-end restaurant, although a class-zero one as there was no entree and the food wasn¡¯t super-fresh. It was delivered by yet another Mapmaker ¨C a younger-looking man that, as it turned out, arrived with the Cartographer gall and took over the counter after Bob. They ate in silence. Not an uncomfortable one, as they all got quite hungry by this point. Only after Bob started hauling the dishes to the sink at the bar the Cartographer addressed him about their findings. ¡°Our calculations aren¡¯t promising. Your sense of direction is inaccurate,¡± she informed him, speaking about his Skill-provided ability to point out the direction of the Makrun deposits. Not that they knew what he was looking for exactly. ¡°I will have to travel with you. Even if we were to teach you how to operate our measuring devices, the error margin is simply too big. The measurements will be much more accurate if I¡¯m able to direct your attention and ask additional questions. We would still need to visit other continents for it to work, though.¡± Zeph sighed with resignation. ¡°How much?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No need. We will operate under the standard price of fifty gold per position calculated, but you will have to cover my travel expenses. Except for the food, of course.¡± It was another custom on Corora. Taking into account the price discrepancy between the cheapest and the rarest meals, no one would force another person to pay for them. If one were to pay for meals including an entree from animals with rare Soul contaminations, for example, even the Guild Leaders would go bankrupt in weeks. Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°That sounds like an awful commitment from your side, no?¡± he asked, reaching for a salty snack lying on the table. ¡°That¡¯s because we have a proposition,¡± Bob said, returning from the bar while drying his hands with a rug. ¡°As you can see, our Guild is investing quite a bit in this affair. This device,¡± he pointed at the piece of magitech standing before them, ¡°will stay here for your convenience. It will speed up the calculations and keep the data safely stored. If our initial assumptions are incorrect, we will be able to recalculate instantly.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes squinted. ¡°Bob, we both know that this isn¡¯t a standard equipment to deal with minor requests like this. I hope you aren¡¯t trying to rob me by forcing all this on me?¡± The old man made a disappointed face before slowly sitting down in his armchair. ¡°I see. If you are perceiving the world like that¡­ Think of it as a bribe,¡± he shamefully declared. ¡°Whether it works like intended or not, is none of your concern.¡± Zeph grimaced at those words. ¡°You should chill out, old man. It was a half-joke. But maybe you should explain what exactly are you expecting before giving me that proposition you have mentioned?¡± ¡°Right¡­ Well, you said it yourself during our first meeting, La-Einar. The names of most of the places you are looking for aren¡¯t stated in the Cir language. Same with the surrounding areas.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°But they do have names nonetheless. I wonder if one of the history associations on the higher stratum would have information on them? But I digress,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that these places were previously inhabited, but long before the System Onji have raised to power. That would make them classified as ancient sites. After we triangulate those positions we will see if that¡¯s really possible, but that¡¯s not the only lead. For you to possess a Skill of such nature, you are probably looking for rare materials necessary for your implants.¡± Well, that much was easy to guess¡­ Wasting more than a year to personally find some kind of information in the wilderness? Paying over my head to find an archeological site? Yeah, very likely, Zeph thought sarcastically. ¡°Also, those materials can¡¯t be available on the market if you were given the Skill. That leaves us with two options: deposits of rare minerals, or materials that were being produced at some point in the past but the technology to make them was lost.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyes widened and he nodded in understanding. ¡°You hope to find ruins of lost civilizations and their technology? You want to go with me all the way there, right until we find what I am looking for?¡± ¡°Indeed, that is true¡­¡± ¡°But you are aware that¡ªeven assuming you are right in the assumption those are remnants¡ªretrieving anything of value from those ruins is improbable at best?¡± ¡°Again, yes, but that¡¯s not our direct goal. Others can try to decipher the ancient traces left behind; we just need to know where to send those people. We are the Mapmakers,¡± Bob said with pride. ¡°That leads us to an important question. In case we find something, we would like to make a territorial claim. But the law isn¡¯t as simple. The discovery rights will be split between you and our Guild. If I understand correctly, you are interested only in whatever you are looking for?¡± ¡°And what those rights give me?¡± he asked evasively. ¡°Fame. Management rights. Accessibility control to a huge extent. An ability to earn a lot if other factions will be interested in the discovery, but that comes with a number of headaches and political maneuvering,¡± Bob explained, waiting for more questions. When none arrived, he continued. ¡°Our proposition is as follows ¨C if you were to forgo your discovery rights, we could finance the expeditions on the higher strata. Before you ask,¡± he raised a finger, ¡°we would give you the right to claim five useful items from the inventory we gather. Also, we would make sure that whatever you need will be delivered in abundance. As for the reason, it¡¯s simple. We can push our Guild further while you save on resources and time. We already know, for sure, that at least one place is on the stratum-two. As so, this arrangement should save you a lot of time. You won¡¯t have to wait until you evolve your Class to travel there in person; you won¡¯t have to travel at all,¡± he finished with a satisfied smile. Would be logical if I wasn¡¯t able to survive in higher Mana densities, Zeph thought, analyzing Bob¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Bob wasn¡¯t telling him the whole truth. Their Guild was going to great lengths in assisting him, it was suspicious as hell. And asking for the rights to his discoveries? That brought him back to the contracts stipulating who could own a patent ¨C of course, not the inventor himself. It took him only a moment to come to a conclusion. ¡°What about, you do what I am paying you for first? We can negotiate if I will need more of your assistance in the future. Also, if you are after those territorial rights, we can talk about that after I know what I am going to give up. I would rather avoid the political struggle - as long as you pay no less than your competition, I can¡¯t see why you wouldn¡¯t be able to buy those lands from me.¡± Bob¡¯s face was becoming more and more stern with each sentence that Zeph voiced out. He wasn¡¯t pleased when he commented on that, too. ¡°You are leaving yourself an option to keep the land. Also, didn¡¯t I say we aren¡¯t that prosperous?¡± ¡°Of course, I do!¡± Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need fame, political standing, or endless gold. But I won¡¯t sell a rake in the bag before checking the contents. And if you are as poor as you are indicating, it¡¯s only true on this stratum, no? You already told me that you have representatives on the higher ones ¨C that¡¯s a legacy and a half right there. Anyway, why are you even asking me?¡± Zeph started to get irritated. ¡°All you had to do, was to wait for us to finish collecting the necessary data. Then, you could just send the coordinates to your branch on the higher stratum. I wouldn¡¯t be any wiser!¡± ¡°Because if we do so, this endeavor would be pointless,¡± the Cartographer lady said, interrupting Bob who was about to say something. ¡°This discussion leads nowhere, and you are being disrespectful¡± She sent a withering glance Bob¡¯s way. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start from the beginning,¡± she looked at Zeph in askance. He took a few seconds to calm down and nodded for her to continue. ¡°We are looking for something, too. Our true legacy; an old structure of some kind. But if we find it, we don¡¯t want the news to spread at all. If you were to give up your discovery rights, we would be able to force you to keep the location secret in the future. No territorial and ownership disputes as well, which would be very much preferred. But, like I said, it was a stupid idea to count on your ignorance. Our proposition was presented poorly from the very beginning.¡± Meaning: if they could, they would try to keep up the deception. But I know just enough to understand that something wasn¡¯t right¡­ And I wouldn¡¯t agree to their proposition because I have means of my own to check the places, he came to the conclusion. Fucking, despicable liars¡­ Zeph managed to keep his poker face, but Bob was glaring at her. He didn¡¯t say a word, though. ¡°We normally don¡¯t give away that information easily,¡± she continued, ignoring the old man, ¡°but I would rather make you aware and cooperative than leave you half-informed and, perhaps in the future, feeling betrayed. Additionally, I am sure your whole Guild will know about the locations as soon as we gather enough data. It¡¯s clearly unreasonable to expect no information leaks if we make you and yours our enemy at some point. Risking it would be foolish.¡± Zeph has an impression that she wasn¡¯t exactly low on the totem pole of their Guild. She certainly was disregarding Bob easily enough. Zeph crossed his arms and tilted his head. ¡°So, what are your expectations for our ¡®cooperation¡¯? Hmm?¡± He asked despite his suspicions. ¡°I was thinking about this: after triangulating the positions, we will send one person with you. A person who will work as a guide without the right to claim the discovery. Merely, a hired hand. They will be there to help you out, lead you, and confirm if the place is what we are looking for. If that comes to be, we will grant you a high-priority-guest position within our Guild. It will give you authorization to use our resources. Even the facilities from the uncovered site, if they are in a working order. Besides that, we can negotiate the price of the land with your Guild. We can have one of the Onjis as a witness to the deal.¡± Zeph waved his head from side to side, thinking. It didn¡¯t take him long, though. ¡°It sounds fair, but I still don¡¯t understand one thing. Why are you going so far as to gather information on stratum zero? Can¡¯t you buy information from Onjis ¨C like the System ¨C or search the land for yourselves?¡± She signed wearily. ¡°Do you know how long we are searching for it, Zeph?¡± she asked in a whisper. ¡°The wilderness is vast and dangerous; the search cannot be done fast or cheaply. We don¡¯t even know which stratum we should prioritize¡­¡± ¡°We are in contact with a few chosen Onjis, but this cooperation is yet to bear any fruit,¡± Bob said suddenly. ¡°The place was secluded and kept secret from times immemorial. The information is scarce.¡± ¡°And we only have clues as to what we are looking for. Symbolism, some ciphered scraps of an old language that stems from another, a dead one with many variations,¡± the Cartographer added. ¡°The large-area scans provided by Onjis are out of the question, at least until we gather more clues. The cost is astronomical if you take into account the level of structural detail necessary. That¡¯s why we defaulted to buying information about promising locations instead. Of course, we are also reaching out to people who happened to find something new.¡± Zeph was stumped, it wasn¡¯t what he was expecting at all. ¡°So, this operation is carried out globally?¡± They shrugged but nodded. ¡°And how many of you¡ª¡± ¡°Details like that are exactly what we are trying to keep secret,¡± Bob said sternly, interrupting him. Zeph scratched his head, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad deal. Especially because he would keep the ability to access whatever they would find. The whole affair suddenly became much more serious, though. If not for the fact that I should be able to visit stratum one and two¡ªsoon, if not now¡ªthis discussion wouldn¡¯t have taken place, I suppose. ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s assume that I agree. What would you say for System Onji to make the agreement binding?¡± The greedy bastard probably already knows about them and our little talk either way¡­ ~~~ After working out the details and agreeing to meet at the Shrine in three days, Bob took him to the warehouse area. Another staircase was leading to the floor below the booth, it was available in the backroom. Down there, he changed into the prepared clothes and said his goodbyes. The technical corridors were full of activity. People were moving around the packed merchandise on big carts, while others were hurrying to deliver letters, random papers, or messages. Zeph¡¯s own belongings were packed into an unwieldy crate to make him look like he belonged ¨C not like anyone was paying him much attention. The corridors were wide and the directions straight. Interestingly, the place was neatly decorated in engraved wood, ornamental lamps, and potted plants. There was no carpet on the wooden floor ¨C to allow the carts an unobstructed passage ¨C but overall, the place was much nicer than he had expected. Back on Earth, he saw enough examples of how it could look ¨C most of those places were raw, technically practical, and kind of messy. Because who would care about a nice environment for workers if it only brought more work and was less ¡®efficient¡¯? Either way, Zeph had no problems reaching the back doors of the building. He took out his belongings, utilizing an empty corner of the warehouse, and left the crate on a small pile near the carriage exit. Those, sadly, traveled on the surface of the snowy landscape. Meaning, the exit was leading straight into the unwelcoming weather. The winter was in its full bloom so he was forced to put on a face cover resembling a balaclava before stepping out. He also prepared his goggles, placing them on his forehead, before covering everything with a heavy hood. After fighting with the clasps and cords for a minute ¨C to make sure he wouldn¡¯t have to adjust anything later on ¨C Zeph raised a corner of the heavy curtain blocking the carriage exit and stepped outside. The harsh winds hit his face immediately. It wasn¡¯t snowing today so he hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to use the goggles, but this notion was squashed instantly. His eyes started to water immediately; his tears freezing on his skin even before reaching the material covering his face. He quickly brought down the covering for his eyes. He didn¡¯t like them much because of how foggy they could get, but it was still better than fighting against the icy wind. Looking around, he could see some workers were moving about, mostly towards the terraces set between the buildings on the other side of the street. He joined the next group to migrate in that direction. It was rare to see human traffic above the snowy tunnels at this time of the year, but he wasn¡¯t surprised. A lot of people were working here, so it was natural that a few bars, inns, and restaurants would operate around. Those people needed a place to unwind, and they needed it close. The wooden structure of the terraces shielded the pedestrians from the worst of the winds ¨C all entrances were covered with some kind of fabric while patchy walls covered the sides. Heat plates were fighting a losing battle against the dropping temperatures while warm lights illuminated the interior. But the overall atmosphere inside was welcoming and joyous for the most part. The slightly drunken locals moved around, cursing about their work, arguing over unimportant topics, and generally having fun. He entered the first bar he saw and immediately started searching for a waiter. He had wasted enough time already and would like to hurry things up. He didn¡¯t even have to travel to the parking lot. As expected, the establishments here were ready to accommodate even the drunkards. In five minutes, the carriage was already waiting for him. He had to pay extra for the messenger to call it, but the loss of half a silver wasn¡¯t enough concerning him anymore. The ride was slow and cold, but Zeph didn¡¯t even notice the passing time. He was too preoccupied with what he had learned about the Mapmakers and too excited at the prospect of meeting his old team. His thoughts drifted in random directions; incoherent and unbidden. He just knew that he chained himself with some secret organization, again. The information he gathered played out before his mind¡¯s eye again and again. And yet, he wasn¡¯t able to come to any conclusions. If possible, he would rather avoid people like that, but the more time he spent on Corora, the more he acknowledged that almost every person of note was involved in dealings beyond his understanding and ability to control. Aisha and Makani should be the best examples of that fact, even though he had grown to trust them. Even then, that fact made him reconsider all of his past encounters. He started to second-guess his past choices. Within a society built upon predominant principles of personal strength and direct connections to sources of power, could he really ignore the existence of groups dominating his surroundings? He was slightly special, as a specimen, but nothing more. Would he really be able to work in peace, alone, if worse came to worst? Was an escape possible? Those doubts plagued his mind the whole ride. Thankfully, he woke up after noticing the change in the architecture. He was almost there. This district was poor, although it wasn¡¯t that obvious at first glance. The only thing that could differentiate it from normal areas was the architecture. Instead of using the oversized stone-, sandstone-, and granite blocks, the buildings here were made from bricks, mortar, and wood. They still stood tall ¨C as in every other part of the city ¨C but the difference in the quality of materials was indisputable. The walls, no matter how thick, were damaged on the outside. No bricks were missing, but he could easily spot places that had lost integrity and were repaired, again and again, probably after every winter. The discoloration was a dead giveaway. This neighborhood also lacked good illumination. It was hard to tell if the terraces were any worse for wear, but they certainly weren¡¯t as welcoming as in the main cityscape. The corners and passages covered in darkness would cause anyone to think twice before entering or walking close to them. ¡°Hey, stop near the main avenue, would you?¡± He shouted to his driver. The man knocked twice on the wall separating them to confirm that he understood. Zeph shut the curtains on the windows and started repacking. He took out the yellow monstrosity of a coat, packing his current cloak in its place. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about returning it ¨C the Mapmakers counted it as their operational loss. That meant he had an additional bag, too, but that was actually welcome. He also changed his boots. His trousers should suffice, covered by the yellow cloak as they were, but his boots couldn¡¯t stand out. He had a pair of worn-down, mismatched work boots for the occasion, though. Overall, he now looked like a person wearing whatever was more convenient and warmer. His two bags only enhanced the impression of a poor fella working with what he got. He felt a little uncomfortable without his helmet, but at least he had his armor beneath the shaggy clothing. He had paid the driver before entering the carriage, so the moment it stopped, he jumped out and started walking back the way they had come from. He wasn¡¯t going to show his new attire to the driver and this carriage lacked the back mirrors. It was easy to move away unnoticed. After making sure his ride disappeared down the road, he turned to the narrow wooden scaffolding adorning the gaps between the houses in the area. It took him three tries before he found one that connected to the underground tunnels. Thankfully, no one disturbed him when he was looking around. He should, probably, thank the weather ¨C it was way too cold to stay outside without a good reason. The tunnels weren¡¯t as pretty as in the Roaming Onsen Village. People busy with work didn¡¯t have enough free time to decorate them. And here, even the youngsters were working. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. That exactly was the main indicator of a poor neighborhood, at least in his mind. Kids working to help their parents or communities. However, the locals had a more¡­ flexible attitude. After all, more work meant more levels. More often than not, it meant longer lives as well. But higher levels didn¡¯t mean a better future. It was complicated. Moving around erratically, Zeph gave himself two hours. If no one contacted him by then, he would get a ride back to the headquarters. It was already late, and he didn¡¯t want to walk aimlessly for the whole night, even if he felt safe knowing how the Cororians reacted to unnecessary violence. Stealing was another thing, but he didn¡¯t have much money on himself. Not physically, at least. ~~~ He was shuffling through another, especially dark tunnel when someone grabbed his shoulder suddenly. He turned around immediately, knife at the ready, but froze midway as he saw the face behind him. ¡°Nice coat you have here,¡± a woman smirked. A few stray locks of brilliantly red hair were visible under her thick hood. ¡°Care to come with me?¡± ¡°A¡ª¡° He choked down his own voice and gulped the word down. ¡°You. Personally?¡± He expected a guide. A hint, maybe. Not¡­ her! She let go of his shoulder, her face hardening. ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t the only one waiting to meet the other party. Also, we really need to talk.¡±
Interface (picture version): Interface (raw table version):
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Body fluidity auto-training
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 228
Flexibility 50 Memory 70
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 76
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 243 64 179
Mana Capacity: 1_630 1_618 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 219 176 43
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 14 0 141
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 37 4 27
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 3.44%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.61%, [Unknown] effects.
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 57 0.66 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 65 0.49 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Condense water 1 65 1.5 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Humidity detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound detect 1 55 1.19 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 53 1.23 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 95 2.20 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 56 1.47 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 72 0.88 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life ward [P.S.S.] 1 61 8.1 s 5 M - 3
Primitive life detection 1 61 0.5 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life detection 2 16 1.07 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air sphere 1 1 3 s/mod varies varies 12
Lesser Tremor detect. 1 6 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic scan 1 39 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force weave 1 32 0.42 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Mana beam 1 97 9.87 [6.1] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana bomb 1 42 3.2 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 58 41 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 59 0.71 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 63 0.26 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 41 0.3 s 10 M - 2
Spiritual Synchronization 1 25 varies varies varies 18
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 21 Knowledge [691] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 94 Knowledge [95] Mana /s
Corora lifeforms 1 55 Knowledge [56] Mana /s
Corora herbarium 1 16 Knowledge [17] Mana /s
Survival 1 100 Knowledge [101] Mana /s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana /s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana /s
Shamanic visions 2 15 Knowledge [179] Mana /s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 35 Crafting [351] Mana /s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 45 Science arts [46] Mana /s
Explosives 1 99 Crafting [100] Mana /s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana /s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana /s
Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1) 2 75 Martial arts [695] Mana /s
Close combat (Mima) 1 60 Martial arts [61] Mana /s
[Enchanted] [Module] 3 7 Technique [397] Mana /s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 55 Technique [523] Mana /s
Resonation Suppression 2 47 Technique [454.2] Mana /s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 45 Martial arts [437] Mana /s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 85 Knowledge [781] Mana /s
Will manipulation 2 93 Knowledge [849.8] Mana /s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 85 Knowledge [781] Mana /s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 23 Knowledge [247.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul perception 2 78 Knowledge [720.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul whack 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 20 Technique [670] Mana /s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 75 Knowledge [76] Mana /s
Ambient Mana 1 87 Knowledge [88] Mana /s
A. Mana channeling 2 1 Knowledge [58.6] Mana /s
Mana manipulation 1 49 Knowledge [50] Mana /s
Mana perception 2 17 Knowledge [196.2] Mana /s
Mana rupture 1 17 Technique [18] Mana /s
Mana masking 2 15 Technique [179] Mana /s
Life Energy 1 41 Knowledge [42] Mana /s
Universal Points available: 1.251.522 Total: 21.614.189
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
Mana-shaping internal amplifier [Flexibility Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Intercellular network of micro-matrices. Enhances accuracy of neural activity. Passively links Mana control to the body movements and state. Enhances Mana shaping in all forms if used alongside physical exercise. Those effects can be internalized, disabled, or amplified.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Functional duality, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Prototype; Unique; by ] [Soul-linked] An armor based on a high-tech blueprint from Earth, fashioned from Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 (Ghrughah creation). Contains Phley (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Genetically enhanced, Self-maintenance, Functional duality, Symbiotic.
Chapter 146 – New bombs keep falling. The verbal ones, at least. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] Zeph gaped at her for a moment, but he quickly recognized that look on her face. He had seen it hundreds of times in the past. It was an expression that screamed ¡®shut up and follow, it¡¯s not the time or place!¡¯ and he knew it well. That¡¯s why he nodded and answered simply. ¡°Lead the way, then.¡± Satisfied, she half-turned and started to wrap her face with a thick scarf. Something about her felt more mature. It was hard to tell because of the lacking illumination and all the winter clothing, but the Alana from his memory and the woman standing before him were carrying themselves differently. Her old self was giving off a sense of confidence and fierceness, much like an overconfident brawler would. Now, her stance and movements were much more deliberate, almost graceful, yet still sharp and threatening. It also didn¡¯t escape his notice that she definitely got burlier. Even her face had become more angular, with a hint of thick muscles lining the sides of her neck. ¡®From an adolescent boar to a mother bear¡¯ ¨C as a certain member of their old squad would have said. In silence, they traversed the abandoned tunnels and dark terraces of the so-called slums. The few people shuffling in the shadows always hid their presence as they got closer, giving him an illusion that this part of the city was desolated, even if he knew better. The half-an-hour walk helped him sort through his initial surprise and the wave of nostalgia. He had waited long to meet his old comrades. However, that was also the main reason for the anxiety that slowly took a grip on his heart, reminding him that he should stay focused. From their point of view, Zeph was absent for seven years. It took him much longer to wake up from the System-enforced operation and coma. A lot could have changed in such a long time. And he still remembered the cryptic message left on the wall of Alana¡¯s place of slumber ¨C if Alex¡¯s personality started changing right after waking up, how much different of a person could he have become after those years? And then, he had learned that they were, most probably, leading an assassination group of some kind. An idea that would stand in direct opposition to their old beliefs, as far as he knew. Yet, they were his crew and he trusted them. More importantly, he wanted to trust them. Those opposing feelings were clashing within him, making his mind wander. But they also were muting each other, helping him to regain his internal balance. The unhurried stroll also helped, although it couldn¡¯t be called serene in any way. Finally, they stopped before an inconspicuous door on the terraces. Alana opened it with a physical key of some kind and Zeph followed her inside without a word. The interior looked like an abandoned tavern ¨C old, cluttered, and dusty, but illuminated weakly by two lamps giving off warm light. After closing the doors behind him, Alana moved straight for the staircase by the bar. She grabbed the lamps and handled him one as they started ascending the stairs. After a moment, seeing that they almost reached their destination, Zeph couldn¡¯t help himself and spoke up. ¡°I have expected a more¡­ robust security, so to say.¡± She looked back at him, already in the process of uncovering her face. ¡°Large concentrations of people are easier to spot and trace. Besides, we have made sure you didn¡¯t have a tail. Good job at that, actually. It simplified things a lot.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Yeah, well. Let¡¯s hope you have developed better detection methods than I did¡­¡± She smirked at that but didn¡¯t comment. They moved at least three floors up before she led him into one of the corridors. This building didn¡¯t seem to be used much ¨C going by the amount of dust that settled down on the floor and other flat surfaces ¨C but the footprints were a clear indicator that someone was visiting from time to time. He wondered if the locals were still using it as an inn, as he could spot traces leading to every room they have passed. Alana opened the second-before-last door and a bright, yellow light spilled into the corridor. Zeph had to squint his eyes as they walked inside. The first thing he noticed was that there were no windows here, only heavy-looking stone plates¡ªevidently enchanted¡ªthat covered most of the surface like a random assembly of empty canvases. Most were quite small but all of them had a slightly different size, thus creating quite a chaotic display. When looking to the right, he spotted a form sitting behind a falling-apart desk. Apparently, they hadn¡¯t changed any furniture inside. It took him a moment too long to recognize it was Alex. He was skinny and pale; his clean-shaven face looked almost unhealthy. The lack of dark circles around his eyes was the only indicator that he wasn¡¯t overworked or sick ¨C his blue eyes were deep-set but full of life and energy. Uncannily so. His black hair was also longer, almost reaching his eyebrows in front and his shoulders at the back. He was sitting straight on the old chair, hands clasped at the desk before him, in a perfect image of a military commander. Well, besides the small smile that adorned his otherwise stern face. There was a short pause as Zeph took it all in. ¡°Ah, boss, happy to see you again!¡± Zeph said, almost automatically. ¡°Not a boss here, Zeph,¡± he welcomed him back with a nod while gesturing to the chairs and rack standing beside his desk. ¡°Just Alex. But, please don¡¯t call us by our real names outside.¡± Alana was already by the rack, taking down her heavy clothing. The room was surprisingly warm despite the chill permeating the building. ¡°Ah, right. No worries about that,¡± he assured while joining Alana. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any Mana construct surrounding the room?¡± he asked curiously. Alex shook his face. ¡°We have much more subtle precautions put in place.¡± He turned his chair to face them before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s a temporary dormitory, anyway.¡± After taking off his clothes, Zeph turned to sit down in one of the chairs. Then, he paused and took a double take at Alana. She was now wearing only a sleeveless shirt and tight trousers. Her arms were crossed over her chest, as she glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to sit down. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t able to tell if that ¡®chest¡¯ of hers contained more fat or muscles. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She was flexing slightly, proudly presenting shapes that would have put to shame most bodybuilders on Earth. Impossible¡­ how did she fit in that.. he glanced back at her overcoat, then back at her. Then, once again, at the rack. Yep, impossible... She chuckled seeing as confusion and incredulity fought for dominance on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, I will explain later.¡± She waved for him to choose a chair, then took the other one after he finally moved to sit down. ¡°Indeed, explanations later,¡± Alex nodded. ¡°I believe we should discuss more pressing matters before catching up,¡± his tone dropped into a serious one suddenly. ¡°You are here because you wanted to ask about that artifact from your last fight at the Tournament, no?¡± The sudden straightforwardness was unpleasant, but Zeph could relate. It would be better to deal with possible issues before divulging more information. Alex was behaving even more like a military officer than in the past. ¡°That is the pressing matter I wanted to discuss, yes. But I also wanted to know about your situation.¡± ¡°A question for a question then?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°Then, before everything, please answer this: do you believe or suspect of being infected by a Netherling?¡± Zeph raised a brow. ¡°Are you truth reading?¡± Questions of that caliber weren¡¯t asked without second-guessing the speaker. There was a sharp nod but no comment. Zeph shook his head in disbelief. Without a visible ritual, without touching him, without him feeling anything¡­ it was impressive, to say the least. Actually, this room seems suspicious¡­ can it be a ritual site? he asked himself, glancing doubtfully at the stone plates on the walls. Closing his eyes, sighed with resignation. ¡°Rude, but I can understand where you are coming from.¡± He lifted his head. ¡°You know how it is. System Onji couldn¡¯t detect anything and the same goes for me. I have no way to tell if that¡¯s the case. But after the attack, the only thing we have found is¡­ a scarring on my Soul.¡± He didn¡¯t even have to ask if they knew that the artifact was Nether-related. He suspected their initial reason for targeting Hale Jaekandu in the first place was because he contacted some shady people. ¡°A scarring?¡± Alex asked perplexed. ¡°Interesting¡­ how would you describe it?¡± he asked, massaging his chin. ¡°Disjoined fragments grouped more-or-less in the same area. No readable information inside, for all I know and have tried.¡± He shrugged. ¡°No strange connections or any other stuff, as well. It¡¯s deep, though. The System hadn¡¯t mentioned it, but my meditation gave me this impression¡­ It¡¯s hard to describe, but I think it could be the reason why those scars seem persistent, if not permanent¡­¡± ¡°Okay, how about your Interface or System Diagnosis? Any additional Soul fragmentation? Damaged Skills, or anything?¡± Zeph shook his head. ¡°Nothing of the sort and no warnings. But I refused a ¡®deep scan¡¯ at the Shrine¡­ for many reasons.¡± Seeing the uncertainty on Alex¡¯s face, he dropped the topic and took a deep breath. It was time to share some information. ¡°Let me answer your previous question. No, I don¡¯t suspect or believe that I am infected with a Netherling. The chances are too small and assuming I¡¯m wrong, the possible consequences seem manageable.¡± That was a surprising declaration for Alex, going by his tilted head and strange frown. Zeph took another deep breath and started listing his reasons. ¡°I have a direct deal with the System Onji. I have a Shrine Seed implanted and it was present during the Attack. Not to mention, over a million UP as my ¡®health insurance¡¯.¡± Alana whistled silently, looking at him with slight jealousy. ¡°Moreover, my Bond is a Soul Specialist¡ªof a really big caliber, by the way¡ªand seems to be responsible for waking me up from the coma. It ate a part of an intruding Soul fragment, if the System Onji was to be believed, causing the rest to collapse on itself.¡± Alex leaned forward, his curiosity visibly growing. ¡°That, and our Trait¡­¡± he voiced the last word in English. Information about their Greater Willpower was still too dangerous to risk a snitch, in any circumstances. Aisha would be proud of him for remembering her lessons. Both she and her warhaxammer, for that matter. Alex immediately nodded, indicating that he understood, so Zeph continued. ¡°All that should be well enough to at least keep me from dying if a Netherling starts morphing. Not to mention, I can say with full certainty that I had one of the highest chances for the intrusion to be noticed by an Onji. Bare a successful experiment in a Shrine, I can¡¯t imagine a better observation position for the System, and he wasn¡¯t the only one watching.¡± Straightening up, Alex looked a little lost for words. ¡°You weren¡¯t idle on your journey, weren¡¯t you?¡± Alana said, nodding at him with appreciation. ¡°And here I thought we have found something special. Whatever,¡± she turned to Alex, ¡°is he clear?¡± ¡°He is¡­ It¡¯s way more than I¡¯ve suspected.¡± Alana cheered at that, but Alex ignored her. ¡°What do you plan to do about that Soul ¡®wound¡¯ of yours?¡± ¡°Um, I was hoping you guys give me some clues as to what could have happened. Especially about the nature and source of that artifact. Also, I will be traveling to find a Shaman trainer soon enough. They should work with the Souls a bit, so I hoped they could give me some advice¡­ Ah, and Gru, my Bond, is still in a coma after helping me. I am waiting for him to wake up.¡± Alex opened his mouth to ask something, but paused and thought better of it. It was obvious that he had many questions, though. ¡°I can try to check it later if you allow me. The ¡®deep¡¯ part of your description is worrying ¨C it sounds like it reached your core Soul, but¡­¡± Seeing Zeph¡¯s blank expression, he stopped and elaborated. ¡°A core Soul is the part of your Soul that was present before the System started augmenting us. We can talk about it later ¨C I am sure you have your own questions for us?¡± Zeph ignored Alana¡¯s huff and nodded at that. He was grateful that Alex was keeping his word to address his own concerns. Although, Zeph didn¡¯t have any reliable truth-reading method. His own technique was crude and probably wouldn¡¯t work well if Alex was as proficient in the Soul Arts as the situation was suggesting. He would still try it if what he heard sounded implausible. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about your group. The Ojaro, if I remember correctly.¡± Some of the energy left the room when he mentioned that name. ¡°Why would you¡­ start an assassin organization?¡± There was a potent moment of silence before Alana started speaking. ¡°It¡¯s not really¡ª¡± ¡°Alana.¡± Alex interrupted her harshly. There was another pause after that. What surprised Zeph was how quickly she closed her mouth and looked to the floor. It wasn¡¯t like her. ¡°To understand that,¡± Alex started slowly after gathering his thoughts, ¡°You first need to know a few facts. First, we also have a close connection to two different Onjis. Similar to your situation with the System, I suppose. But there is a major difference.¡± Zeph had an idea what that was, but decided to hear him out without giving any input. ¡°Besides the System and a few other, major deities¡­¡± To Zeph¡¯s displeasure, he used an English word. And it was immediately noticed. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t argue with you about semantics, Zeph. However, if they function like a . Either way, the rest of the deities have their own wars and alliances. And those can turn ugly. When their institutions become corrupted. When their believers start to self-brainwash themselves¡­ When they start believing that harming the ¡®evil¡¯ is not only allowed but ¡®sacred¡¯¡­ You should already be able to understand the danger of the latter ¨C it¡¯s probably the only safe way people on Corora have to produce a dispensable fighting force. Such Souls would still suffer, gathering wounds, but no one said you can¡¯t direct that growing madness to cause even more violence¡­¡± ¡°I have an idea of what you are talking about, Alex,¡± Zeph said, intruding. ¡°But I am more interested in your story. The detailed reasoning, you can add later.¡± He had an impression that Alana exhaled in relief just then. But maybe it was just his imagination. Alex threw him a scornful glance but didn¡¯t openly oppose. ¡°Very well. You must have heard of the Temple of the Pure Souls?¡± Zeph groaned, feeling the coming headache. ¡°The supposedly fanatic offshoot of the Temple of Souls? The ones who probably support the independence claim and rebellion of the Landlords across the lands to the north-east? Yea, they are a pain¡­¡± They both snorted at his last comment. ¡°That¡¯s an understatement of the century. That faction is older than you think. They have been causing problems for the Temple of Souls from the beginning of its existence. The fact that they dared to announce the birth of a new Temple and escape the oversight of their Onji is a disaster in itself. But the fact they succeeded also means that they have found a powerful backer. Someone on the level of the deities¡­ But I am digressing.¡± He paused to center himself. Then, he leaned forward, his face back to the cold mask. ¡°In the times when Flesh-manipulation wasn¡¯t looked down upon, over three hundred years ago, there was a stratum-wide outbreak of Flesh-beasts¡­¡± Zeph paled suddenly. Oh¡­ oh, no¡­ ¡°Almost a worldwide push to eradicate responsible Manacasters, Mana-beasts, and ruling class was declared¡­¡± He started to massage his templates. This coming headache was way worse than he had been expecting. For fuck¡¯s sake, why? ¡°Certain factions were responsible for fanning the flames of war while engraving the fear of the Flesh-users into the population. Even innocent people and organizations were put to the sword. Including a population living under a certain pair of deities¡­¡± Looking up at Alex, Zeph has lost all hope. ¡°The Twin sisters, Ina and Eres. The Goddess of physical nature, and the Goddess of nature of mind¡­¡± Religion wars were the worst, even without adding forbidden magic to the mix. Chapter 147 – Doubts are doubts, but opportunities are all that matters! Blood will spill soon… Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] Zeph raised his palms up to make him stop for a moment. The story he started telling surely had more intricacies, but there was one indisputable point that had to be addressed immediately. ¡°A world war? Pardon, a strata-spamming conflict?¡± he asked seriously. ¡°As in, people killing others en masse? On Corora?¡± The mayhem caused by such an event was hard to imagine. Everyone here was very sensitive in regards to killing sapients. Even if that could be bypassed, the resulting Soul wounds would quickly escalate and accumulate, driving the masses mad. Zeph knew for a fact that no one in their right mind would want to fall this low, risking their own Souls because of nothing more than a call to make justice. Alex sighed, as if he expected that exact question. ¡°You ask that after requesting a shortened story? I will elaborate on this, but please show more patience.¡± Zeph gave him a wonky smile in response, his eye twitching. Then don¡¯t omit the obvious, idiot! he thought to himself, without voicing his irritation. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Alex continued, ¡°most of the enemies at the time weren¡¯t even intelligent, according to the records. The number of sapient leaders was nothing compared to the number of the people who hunted them. And those had a very good reason to seek vengeance.¡± He paused, as if considering something. ¡°Well, not everyone involved had a personal reason for vendetta. You can say, most didn¡¯t have a choice. They were in a tight spot back then. Accumulating Soul wounds isn¡¯t immediately catastrophic, but being mercilessly killed off along with one¡¯s family? Alongside their whole civilization? I am quite certain that if they tried to stay uninvolved, their own feeling would cause even worse Soul wounds¡­¡± he reluctantly shared. ¡°That is one of the major weak points of Corora¡¯s civilization as a whole ¨C if you allow someone to control, direct, or simply produce enough unintelligent but aggressive beings, then they can easily cause innumerable deaths without any consequences.¡± That simple? It can¡¯t be¡­ he thought to himself, looking down. ¡°It¡¯s not that different from the hordes,¡± Alana added, noticing Zeph¡¯s confusion. ¡°Those are the real natural dangers of this world. The only difference is in the causation.¡± ¡°Not to mention, nowadays most of such events have something to do with the Netherbeings stirring the pot,¡± Alex added, using English saying at the end. Ah, it sounds familiar¡­ he reconsidered. Yes, our speculations about the ¡®third party¡¯ involved in the Tournament, and Ghrughah¡¯s warning about the nature of stratum-wide events¡­ Ignorant of his thoughts, Alex continued. ¡°The Onjis are constantly trying to balance things out - out in the world and between themselves. It¡¯s a natural mechanism. But, as you can imagine, any mistake they make can produce incomprehensible consequences for the bottom feeders like us. Especially on stratum zero. That old war is an example. And even the deities have died back then.¡± Alana grumbled. ¡°Died is a strong word for something that can exist independently of physicality, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her voice was so loaded with sarcasm. It seemed they had this discussion more than once and Alana wasn¡¯t exactly sharing Alex¡¯s beliefs. The man shook his head. ¡°You know what I mean. They are interacting with this world, so they need energy to do as much. It¡¯s possible to strip them from¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, you two, can you stop?¡± Zeph interjected before they could start a theological dispute. Or rather, wouldn¡¯t it be a theoretical dispute in these circumstances? ¡°I get it. It wasn¡¯t an extinction event. Just a lot of hunting and head hunting while the Onjis tried to help and balance things out. Again.¡± He sighed. That theme seemed to be reoccurring way too frequently in history. He had heard about similar situations happening around the time of the System Onji¡¯s induction. Although, Alex and Alana grimaced a little, not satisfied with his abridged summary. ¡°Anyway,¡± Zeph said in a hard tone, trying to go back on topic. ¡°No matter how fascinating this history is, I think I understand where it is leading. So, tell me, how did you two get involved in a ¡®holy war¡¯, eh?¡± He wasn¡¯t pleased with what he have heard. And he had enough of the history lessons. Alex raised his hand to stop Alana, who looked eager to explain. After confirming that she wouldn¡¯t talk out of order, he looked at Zeph seriously. ¡°Are you really this ignorant? Literal Gods are living in this realm, yet you are not interested in them at all? Most of the history is shaped by their actions¡­¡± But Zeph couldn''t hear his last words. Deep, deep within him, something stirred. Barely perceivable. A smudge of understanding. But it was enough for his Will to surge. He blinked his eyes and immediately, almost involuntarily, tried to catch that fleeting feeling when it lasted. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and face in his hands. His old crewmates were saying something but their voices were distant and unintelligible. He wasn¡¯t trying to focus on them, either way. He searched passively within himself, listening and observing. His Will was surging in wild waves, shaking his very Soul to its core. And in response to that, his mind was trying, struggling, and failing to interpret the chaotic kaleidoscope of resurfacing Soul memories. Thrown into overdrive, it was no wonder he lost contact with reality. But it felt like he was on the brink of enlightenment¡ªor, possibly, madness¡ªand he couldn¡¯t stop himself even if he wanted to. Yet, that feeling and all the effects started fading as fast as they had showed up. The understanding he was seeking slipping from his hands faster than details of a dream, leaving behind half-formed sensations and a jumble of vague, misleading memories. The only lasting impression that he could understand led to one word and one word only ¨C Reality. Soon after, his mind started returning to the real world. His senses slowly resurfacing again ¨C the first of which was the sense of touch and the hardness of the cold wood pressing against his cheek. Waking up from this impromptu meditation, he took a slightly panicked breath. It seemed he had forgotten to breathe for a moment. His eyes shot open, confirming that he was now lying on the floor. Alex and Alana were kneeling beside him, checking his vitals and firing some diagnostic Spells or Skills which he started to register as they passed through his Veil. They relaxed immediately after he started gulping the air back into his lungs. ¡°That was random,¡± Alex said, his voice almost cold but still wavering slightly. ¡°If you are alright, what happened?¡± Zeph waved him off, trying to catch his breath and stabilize his mind. Meanwhile, Alana helped him to his chair. Her worried look made him feel better, even if only emotionally. His old companions were standing closely, ready to intervene in case he had a relapse. Zeph took a moment to center himself before answering Alex¡¯s question. He decided to be truthful in hopes they had some insights. ¡°Something about what you have said hit home¡­ My Will is kind of sensitive to strange things lately¡­ From after that attack.¡± Alex¡¯s eyebrow rose. ¡°Are you trying to tell me you have past experiences written into your Will?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Zeph denied immediately, grimacing at the ridiculous notion. ¡°We both know that it¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s more like having a knee reflex. A new conviction or something that is forcing me to react the way I am, although it¡¯s getting weaker and weaker after each occurrence. I can feel it. It¡¯s like a remnant of my past resolve. And this time, it forced me into an instant deep meditation. After the initial surprise, I was actively helping it, though,¡± he explained while shooing them to their seats. His body, Soul, and mind didn¡¯t feel any worse for wear. Only his Will resources decreased and he could feel, once again, that some irrecoverable part of it just disappeared. Both of them seemed to relax as he finished explaining. They all knew from experience how the Earthlings¡¯ Will was working, and the idea of compromising someone through it was as outlandish as using the Soul as a physical body. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Although, that idea wasn¡¯t exactly proven impossible yet¡­ After moving her chair closer and sitting down, Alana asked the most pressuring question. ¡°What was the trigger?¡± ¡°The word realm,¡± he said it in English, just like Alex had. ¡°Something about that word felt familiar¡­ But I don¡¯t know why.¡± Alex waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it, Will doesn¡¯t transfer information. Not directly. But that is kind of a strange development.¡± Zeph nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as if I have gained some new purpose after the attack. I know it¡¯s strange¡­ but it¡¯s my thing to worry about and I think we should focus on something even more worrying,¡± he said, looking between the two of them. ¡°You two are Flesh-Manacasters?¡± This time Alana made Alex shut up. She sprung to her feet and put a ¡®gentle¡¯ hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder. While Alex looked at her in pain and puzzlement, Alana turned her head to Zeph. ¡°I will be technical here. You know about the group of body-related Soul contaminations and the so-called Life Energy?¡± ¡°Yes, there was¡­¡± he paused, trying to remember his talk with the System back when he was in the stasis. The talk about the ¡®affinities¡¯ and Soul contamination in general. The memory was patchy ¨C he had his Interface back then, but he still didn¡¯t have the Passive Enhancements implemented, so it would take him time to remember the scene fully and clearly. Instead of digging into his Soul memories, he decided to do something different. ¡°Actually, give me a minute,¡± he said to Alana. ¡°I think I¡¯ve never tried to assess my affinities manually after the initiation.¡± She smiled at him while releasing Alex from her vice grip. ¡°If you can, that¡¯s how you should do it. And I have some advice for you. We all have highly trained Intuition. If you manage to acquire between 250 to 300 Intuition, you should be able to earn some good money by simply checking the affinities of other people,¡± she said, smiling earnestly. ¡°This service is quite costly, you see. However, you can only take advantage of it on this stratum.¡± Welp, shit. I wasted a very good opportunity, it seems, he complained to himself, making a sour face. His Intuition wasn¡¯t yet up to par by the sheer numbers, but he was yet to put any ¡®free points¡¯ into that Passive Enhancement. Yet, with the raw score of 228 and the multiplier of 2 for every ¡®point¡¯ he would put in it, it was but a foregone conclusion that he could measure the affinities of other people. Moreover, he seemed to be quite talented in that regard ¨C what with his auguring ability surfacing way too early and him achieving the maximal Intuition multiplier before entering the Corora. According to the System, he had trained his Intuition to its limits, as indicated in his Trait. Not to mention, the Passive Enhancements only improved what was already available. Meaning ¨C his ability to use Intuition actively was probably much higher than for others. Measuring the affinities of other people shouldn¡¯t pose a problem to him. Assuming he could master the method of doing so. Leaving his musing behind, he focused. For the first time in a long time, he concentrated on his Soul as a whole, trying to differentiate between the data written within. It took him less than a minute to assess the overall state of his Soul in regards to contaminations¡­ ¡°The bodily contaminations¡­ Chemical, Blood, Tissue, Bone, and Neural?¡± he asked, opening his eyes. ¡°If by ¡®chemical¡¯ you mean free-floating molecules, then yes, that is the basic five,¡± Alana confirmed, evidently proud of him. ¡°Something that Mr. Brains here doesn¡¯t seem to understand.¡± She sent a withering glance in Alex¡¯s direction. He shrugged, not interested in the discussion. ¡°Not my fault that you are interpreting it all wrong.¡± Alana literally growled at him before shaking her head and turning back to Zeph, her smile returning slowly as she did. ¡°The thing is ¨C Life Energy is compatible with all of them, for some reason. Many people mistake it for a sign that there is only one Flesh type of Mana. That is incorrect. As you have stated yourself, there are separate groups.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a secret for the scientists here, you know?¡± Zeph said, slightly confused. ¡°For non-specialists or most of the populace, it¡¯s all and the same. Did you forget the tide and the local¡¯s ritual producing the mentality-influencing Mana? It¡¯s Flesh Magic at its best¡ªplus some Soul-related additions¡ªjust steering closer to the Neural side of the spectrum. Yet, most don¡¯t recognize the connection. For them, it has nothing to do with ¡®flesh¡¯, after all.¡± Zeph shook his head. It was so much like Alana. ¡°Your nomenclature is as bad as always. There are technical terms in Cir language for that ¡®mentality-influencing Mana¡¯ and other things you have mentioned. For example, ¡®Mental Medium¡¯ for the former and ¡®Magicules¡¯ for the types of complex Mana types. But I have a more important question ¨C most people can easily distinguish the Life Energy from pure Flesh-Mana. How can that be if, according to what you have said, both are the same thing?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°There is a difference between a directed output and a natural emanation. What would happen if you just released your attuned Mana¡ª¡± ¡°Magicules,¡± he interrupted. ¡°You mean Magicules.¡± ¡°Whatever. If you released your Magicules,¡± she said flatly, ¡°in an environment similar but not-so-compatible with them, what would happen?¡± Zeph actually considered the question for a moment. ¡°You mean, like releasing Magicules attuned to quartz in a salt mine?¡± She nodded slightly after a pause. ¡°Well¡­ assuming we are underground, in a tight tunnel, and use a lot of Mana, the whole thing would probably collapse because the tension¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, okay, stop!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s beside the point! Maybe the example was wrong¡­¡± she toned down, muttering at the end. She quickly bounced back, though. ¡°Look, the difference is in the environment, connection, and intent. The bodily contaminations you mentioned are a good baseline, but there is much more to those Magicules ¨C the Life Energy isn¡¯t reacting only to your Willpower, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s the connection part ¨C they are actually responding to your body directly. The naturally forming¡­ umm, Ambient Mana of that type wouldn¡¯t react that way.¡± He nodded, finally starting to comprehend what she was trying to say. ¡°If you release your Magicules in an environment similar to what they should affect, but not exactly right, most of them would decay. The overall effectiveness and your ability to influence the matter would drop drastically. Knowing the basic components of Mana that you are trying to use is a must, but it¡¯s not enough to grand you better control or expand your range of possible applications. You need to study the material first before suffusing it with just the right mix of Mana¡­Magicules, I mean. Then, if you take into account the different densities and composition for every part of the material, you can force them to recreate more complicated patterns. That¡¯s the intent part of the equation.¡± He couldn¡¯t argue with that, he suspected it was a case for a long time. He saw Ghrughah at work enough times. He had his doubts, though. ¡°Well, I can understand how it should work for a rock or water, but we are talking about the body¡­¡± She nodded. ¡°For us¡ªexcept for the simplest of applications, like the Blood Manipulation¡ªit would be impossible without Skills we were granted. The complexity and accuracy necessary to practice this discipline are rising exponentially with each step. From influencing atoms, to molecules, then macromolecules, then superstructures¡­ it goes on and on.¡± Zeph blinked in surprise. She actually knows what she is talking about? That lazy bastard child of a barbarian and a rabid dog has learned about molecular biology? The world is going to end soon¡­ ¡°But with the knowledge perfected by generations of the true Flesh Manipulators, our Onjis created a set of Skills that simplify and unify the whole affair,¡± she declared proudly. ¡°I am specializing in strengthening the cells in my body and constructing their imitations. Thus, my new friends.¡± She made a pose and flexed her arm, grinning widely. Her muscles bulging. ¡°I am slowly learning how to do all that manually, but it will probably take longer than I will live¡­¡± A pre-programmed Magicules superstructures imitating cells? he summarized internally, eyes widening. His first thought was, it was a ridiculous, impossible endeavor. But he already saw something more improbable in regards to this type of Mana. Well, if it¡¯s from the Mana-L, then maybe? The thing has a natural tendency to imitate how living organisms behave. It can even animate the dead if the correct instructions are given by the Soul¡­ he mused, slightly confounded by what he was learning. In the end, all he could do was accept the reality before him. There was no point in doubting the unknown. ¡°What is your specialization then?¡± he asked, leaning back. ¡°You said something about Soul being involved?¡± Alana grinned even wider at that. She straightened up and put her hands on her hips. ¡°In your language, Soul, Tissue, Blood, and Bone. In my terms ¨C Flesh, Soul, and the connection between the two. The Soul part is about modifying the links our body naturally forms with our Soul, for the most part.¡± ¡°And about that¡­ wild Flesh ¡®magic¡¯?¡± he asked, just to be clear. ¡°It¡¯s quantity against quality,¡± Alex spoke up. ¡°The improper way of using Flesh Manipulation is to enforce rapid cell division, providing necessary nutrients, and replacing parts of the cells with ¡®more efficient¡¯ mechanisms,¡± he made quotation marks with his fingers when saying that. ¡°All in all, it¡¯s more about uncontrollable tissue growth, leaving the stabilization to the organism itself and to the natural properties of the Life Energy, while leaning heavily on the fact that Soul can suppress most harmful effects.¡± Zeph tilted his head. ¡°How does that work with Alana¡¯s¡­ muscle growth?¡± She scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°That is actually my relaxed form. Parts of my physical body are replaced by Mana constructs. I have to suppress them to regain my normal sizes¡­¡± He turned his head to Alex, gesturing for him to speak. The man seemed disgruntled, but cooperated nonetheless. ¡°I am working more with the Soul aspect of things. Eres is a Goddess that tries to uncover the truth of sapience, sentience, and the like. Neural networks are the first field of study, then comes the hormones and other chemicals supplemented by the body. But most of her knowledge concentrates on the interaction between the body and the Soul because that¡¯s where the true nature of higher thinking manifests,¡± he explained. ¡°I started with the Soul, because of our¡­ unique Traits.¡± Zeph nodded, finally starting to connect the dots. Despite their claims, Flesh Manipulation looked like a harmful and risky endeavor. If not for the Onjis that directed them, the usefulness of this discipline would be questionable at best. However, it definitely didn¡¯t sound like the evil incarnation that most of the locals, Makani and Aisha included, believed it to be. More like a field that only very gifted people could pursue safely. But maybe that was the issue. Gifted individuals who couldn¡¯t share their knowledge, only the results. Them versus the hungry society that could replicate their success by forming appropriate institutions¡­ Only, the latter was almost destined to fall to corruption and cause mayhem. Even one individual selling the knowledge, one executive crossing the line, could produce a truly catastrophic avalanche of consequences. That thought made him realize something. ¡°You need to gather more people who would donate their Mana to your Onjis, don¡¯t you? And that¡¯s why you agreed to work for them ¨C it¡¯s an easy task. On the other hand, you would lose your Skills if they go dormant again.¡± he surmised. The duo tensed slightly, answering his question without a word. Zeph smiled. Despite all the issues, this was probably his best bet at gathering the knowledge necessary to develop a new discipline of Manacasting. One he had planned to pursue long before arriving in the city. The one he promised to work on with Pavail. ¡°Say, would be able to teach some?¡± he asked, sporting a scary grin on his face while moving closer to Alana. ¡°Maybe the Blood Manipulation you have mentioned? Oh, no, no. I am going ahead of myself. Maybe the basics?¡± She glanced at Alex, confused and a little bit scared. Zeph followed, looking at the man. Alex asked cautiously. ¡°You want us to teach you without the Skills necessary? Even after you yourself were doubtful about the legitimacy of our methods?¡± Zeph shrugged, his smile widening even more. ¡°Well, what can I say? Healing magic won¡¯t develop itself, you know?¡± Chapter 148 – Trust given shall be returned. The second Soul specialist checks the wound. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] Hearing this declaration, Alex sighed heavily. ¡°Do you even have people who can work with you without being prejudged? Or are you planning to join us?¡± he asked skeptically. ¡°Because it will take years of dedicated study if you plan to work alone. Exchanging raw knowledge and working in hiding may not be enough without our constant input.¡± ¡°Yes, I have a few,¡± Zeph said with confidence. ¡°Even Aisha Zora would work with you if what you are telling me is true.¡± They both send him ridiculing gazes. ¡°You mean the Mad Dog?¡± Alana asked, smirking. ¡°There is no way¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°She¡¯s one of the most fanatic followers of Leilucia, isn¡¯t she?¡± Alex asked, his tone failing to stay neutral. ¡°You would risk that? With us?¡± Zeph tilted his head, failing to understand their worries. In the first place, Aisha¡¯s faction had split off from the main administration of the Temple. And¡ªin his mind at least¡ªshe was one of the most reasonable people around. ¡°Okay, clearly there is some misinformation happening here. You call her a fanatic?¡± he addressed the most jarring part. ¡°Do you even know how the social structure of her Temple looks like? The hierarchy and their goals?¡± His serious tone took them aback. ¡°Well, her Temple is all about crisis management, right? Eliminating anything that can cause an imbalance or something?¡± Alana spilled. Seeing Alex keeping quiet, he turned to him, giving him a meaningful glance. The man grimaced but complied. ¡°Leilucia¡¯s Temple is keeping their internal structures hidden. We know little besides the facts. And those show that their goal is to eliminate dangerous elements from the society¡­ People like Zora aren¡¯t feared without a reason.¡± Zeph rolled his eyes. It wasn¡¯t his place to divulge the workings of Leilucia Temple, though. ¡°Would you, at least, try to meet her? Our cooperation would be a win-win for both sides.¡± He sat straighter, changing his posture to a more proper one. ¡°If I understand you correctly, you have an issue with the Temple of Pure Souls. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but for the last few years you were hunting down the ¡®corrupted¡¯ individuals from that faction, right?¡± They nodded reluctantly. He scowled at their hesitation. This city owed them a favor for keeping the unwanted elements out, but they didn¡¯t seem keen to acknowledge that. Which meant they had a reason for being cautious like that. ¡°What else?¡± he asked harshly. ¡°Monsters and sources connected to the Nether,¡± Alex added immediately, almost with a relief that he could understand there was more to it. ¡°But our methods aren¡¯t foolproof. We have killed an unhealthy number of innocent people along the way. I hope you understand¡­¡± Zeph shrugged indifferently, mentally distancing himself from that problem. ¡°That¡¯s the reason I don¡¯t want to get involved with your crusade. It¡¯s all on you, those unnecessary deaths. I won¡¯t take a part in that.¡± That comment seemed to land hard on both of them. Alana bit her lower lip while Alex turned his gaze away. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t help you with that issue, though. I won¡¯t be trying to force my morals on you, but unnecessary deaths all just that ¨C unnecessary,¡± he explained, a little disappointed that they have chosen this path. But forcing his way would change nothing, he was well aware of that fact. In the past, both of them were just as stubborn in their beliefs as he was. And now, after they all restored their connections to their Souls and freed their Will, their opinions would be even harder to change or influence. ¡°We can cooperate,¡± he continued. ¡°My Department hopes to develop methods to restore bodies in a quick manner. And the people in my Guild are open-minded. We have gathered people from all walks of life. You should be aware of that fact, to some degree at least. Most of them are very talented, yet socially or economically indisposed because of how the actual social system had treated them,¡± He made a pause to let that sink in. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean the individuals in my Guild will help you out unconditionally. But an equal exchange of information and insights should help both of us. Especially because the city is now wary of the Nether and the Temple, from what I know. It places you in a favorable position. Aisha and Kwan are on the warpath with groups of people led by the Temple of Pure Souls. They are a common enemy.¡± He hated to play political games, but he didn¡¯t see any other way to make them cooperate. Not at this stage, at least. ¡°I have hoped¡ª¡° Alex started in a small voice, still looking away from him. ¡°And you have miscalculated horrendously,¡± Zeph interjected, shaking his head. ¡°I may understand, intellectually, what emotions and motivations your Onjis have burdened you with. But the more I understand it, the more I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with it. You have chosen your war, fight it without involving bystanders at least, please. And try to do some good along the way. It¡¯s all I am going to request from you,¡± he explained in a bitter tone, pushing down the resurfacing memories from their time on Earth. ¡°Maybe in the future we can find more common ground, but¡­ you have steered too far from our old, joined ideas¡­¡± He was ready to fight for his freedom, his rights, and his convictions. His place in the world, even. But he wasn¡¯t ready to take part in another war just to support his comrades¡¯ case. Not yet. The situation on Earth back then was different from the old definition of a typical war, but the prevailing chaos and anarchy only made the memories worse. They didn¡¯t even have a clear case to fight for at the beginning, only the desire to survive by gathering enough resources and backing. Looking at them in the eyes, he knew that they understood. They have chosen a difficult path in this new world and wanted their ¡®dreams¡¯ to come true, but they all shared the same history to some point. That¡¯s why they knew it would be unreasonable to force him to support them after he found his own path to follow. Or, at least, that was what Zeph wanted to believe in. One thing was for sure ¨C if they were to turn their backs on him over their newfound resolution, he wasn¡¯t going to simply ignore that fact. He wouldn¡¯t plead or look for a reason to forgive them. The betrayal wouldn¡¯t go unpunished. Also, he wouldn¡¯t just blindly believe them in the future. He was forging a new life and he was going to protect it. The awkward silence was stretching. Heaving a sigh, Zeph decided to break it ¨C there was much more to discuss yet. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain how you had traced Jaekandu?¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Alex composed himself. ¡°You want information about the artifact, so I guess we shouldn¡¯t kill him outright?¡± The lightness with which he spoke those words was worrying, but it wasn¡¯t Zeph¡¯s right to condemn them anymore. ¡°Yes. Also, did the Temple have anything to do with it?¡± ¡°The Temple is absent in the city for the most part,¡± Alana started. ¡°We have made sure of that. But people corrupted by power tend to make the same mistakes¡­¡± ¡°In other words ¨C no, the Temple of Pure Souls wasn¡¯t involved. Only people who had dealt with them in the past. We have found the trail thanks to them, as we were keeping an eye on those individuals. But the people who brought the artifact are long gone¡­ They all left the city or have gone missing. We have confirmed it. However, Jaekandu, along with his closest aides, is a little too proficient with Soul Arts. And I¡¯m speaking about the more dangerous spectrum ¨C they found a way to force metal illusions through Soul links. And that almost confirms that he was, at some point, working with or for that Temple. The emergence of the artifact only sealed his fate.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Zeph frowned. ¡°A stunningly clean operation¡­ Can you get more information from the man? I don¡¯t really care if he dies. In the first place, he was one of the greedy ones. He had challenged us. And he should have died during the Duel.¡± Alex relaxed somehow, his shoulders dropping almost imperceptibly. ¡°I can try, but it will take a few days¡­ and your cooperation.¡± Zeph recognized why he was hesitating by simply looking at his face. It seemed that Alex wasn¡¯t excited about reading Zeph¡¯s Soul, which made his decision easier. Dealing with Souls ¨C Alex¡¯s self-proclaimed specialization ¨C required a healthy dose of contextual information. Alex wouldn¡¯t be able to read much from the man if he didn¡¯t know what he was looking for. As so, Zeph himself was a necessary piece of the puzzle. ¡°You can check my Soul scarring and memories, if you know how,¡± he declared. ¡°Just be informed that any direct action on my Soul will backfire on you. I no longer am protected by my Will only.¡± His full-body enhancement would wreak havoc if someone tried that without precautions. Alex nodded. ¡°Thank you for sharing that. I just want to see, not to operate, so you should feel nothing.¡± He stood up and started walking to the other side of the room where a few more pieces of furniture were gathered. Zeph hesitated for a moment, but stood up to follow him in the end. It seemed that Alex was prepared for a Soul scan from the very beginning. It was a little worrying, but noting he would put past the old Alex ¨C preparations were important in every situation, after all. He would prefer a more controlled environment, but taking into account how long it could take them to find common ground with his Guild, this was the best occasion. The number of reasons to doubt them was small and overshadowed by the opportunity to find more information right away. Also, he would be more cautious if his full-body enhancement couldn¡¯t restore his body and brain, but as things were standing now, something like manipulating him or his memories shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not without serious effort and time. If Alex was able to assess his memories, there was a risk he would find something that could concern him, like Gru¡¯s nature. But Zeph was sure they wouldn¡¯t try to kill him outright without speaking to him first, not after their prior discussion. In an old closet, a folded carpet and a small parcel were stored. Alex unfurled the material in one move, guiding it to land flat on the floor. After moving and stretching it around a little, he finally sat in a meditative pose near one end, in the center of a fractal-like pattern, gesturing for Zeph to sit before him. There, a similar pattern was inwrought into the fabric. ¡°My method of assessing Soul damage is quite different from normal practice,¡± he started explaining as Zeph sat before him. ¡°I will not touch your Soul directly. I will stimulate your mind with an injection of neutral Mana to make you relax, then spread Soul fragments all around your Soul. Please don¡¯t shy away from them. As for memories, please try to recall the fight and I will do my best to follow.¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°You better don¡¯t try the first step. I believe it would be just a waste of resources for both of us. Just describe the state of mind you want me in, and I will try to imitate it?¡± Even though he seemed taken aback a little, Alex was prepared for that eventuality. He knew that Zeph was way more knowledgeable in regards to the mundane workings of the body than he himself ever was in the past, so he didn¡¯t even try to persuade him otherwise. ¡°Sure. Then, can you simulate a dopamine injection along with numbing of the input from neurons around your body?¡± he asked even as he turned back and reached to retrieve the parcel. ¡°We also have a relaxing agent if you would prefer that instead,¡± he added, showing him the package. Zeph nodded. ¡°That would help. I can take care of numbing if you wait for a few minutes, though, so I would rather use something lighter. Also, don¡¯t try to check the overall state of my brain or body.¡± Alex smiled wryly. ¡°Because of your¡­ upgrades?¡± Zeph smiled good-naturedly. ¡°Something like that. You can do a lot of harm to both of us.¡± Flesh manipulation and sleeping Gru sounds like a recipe for disaster¡­ ¡°Understood,¡± Alex nodded, taking out a vial from the small box. ¡°I will wait for five minutes then.¡± Alana moved her chair closer, too. Her body language betrayed her intent ¨C she looked ready to intervene and move Zeph¡¯s body away if something was to go wrong. Without another word, Zeph took the vial and sat opposite Alex. He downed the liquid in one gulp, put the small bottle on the boards of the floor, and closed his eyes. If he could, he would sough the required state of mind himself, but that was beyond his current abilities. Aisha was using many relaxing agents when she wanted to enhance her ethereal senses, so he wasn¡¯t averse to the practice. The numbing of his body was another story, though. That should, theoretically, be possible with his Neural Implant. The thing was made from Planaria Fullerene and was following all of his neural pathways. That gave him a framework to work with. The simplest methods worked best, so he pulled all Mana from the traces of his implant, moving it directly to his brain. The oversaturation of Fullerene Magicules should force his brain into a state of overflow while causing the rest of his neural system to slow down. The Implant was enforcing almost a 5-time increase in efficiency¡ªor, as the System had described, ¡®functionality¡¯¡ªof his neurons. In simpler terms ¨C that would theoretically mean he would be overclocking his mind while downclocking all neural receptors and signals in his body, leaving him numb. As his body slumped forward involuntarily, he learned just how efficient that method was. With his seriously handicapped internal Mana Manipulation, he couldn¡¯t use that method in a fight ¨C to numb his pain, for example ¨C but the possibility was confirmed. At the moment, he could only move the whole stack of Magicules up to his brain, but that should change when he found some Makrun to replace the old, Earth¡¯s alloy in his implants. It took a minute for the stimulant to start working. Truthfully, it would be a trivial matter if Gru was awake. The guy could easily stimulate his body in a way that would force a cascading dopamine reaction. Filing his stomach with sugars would be enough as the most primitive method, and Zeph knew of many other ways to cause or enhance the effect. It actually hit a little too hard because of the Magicule oversaturation. A few mental exercises enhanced by forced mind stabilization quickly put him back in the sweet spot, though. As he was blissfully exploring and guiding his randomly surfacing thoughts. The memories of the fight slowly started surfacing - the fragments accumulating to form a lucid dream as he was recalling more and more details. Initially, the chronology was all over the place, but Zeph was aware enough to smooth it out. He was halfway there when something started irritating his other senses. With no time at all¡ªat least to his current senses¡ªhe moved his focus to his Soul. There, he ¡®saw¡¯ a very peculiar image. His constantly shifting Soul was lying superimposed over another form. Or maybe, it was enveloped in it? It was hard to say. But even in his blissful state, he remembered Alex¡¯s words ¨C to not oppose Soul fragments surrounding him. As so, he allowed them to come closer¡­ After a moment he understood why Alex was putting people in a relaxed state before starting this¡­ infuriatingly slow process. If Zeph wasn¡¯t as relaxed as he was right now, he knew for a fact that his whole being would try to shake off those irritating conglomerations of Soul powder ¨C like a wet dog would with water. Thankfully, he understood that ahead of time and forced this instinctual reaction down. It seemed that Alex never used this method on other Terriens. The method wouldn¡¯t work on any of them, he was almost sure. The Soul fragments started shuffling towards one place ¨C the scarring left by the attack during the Tournament. It seemed that his actual memories playing out again and again in his mind were enough to guide them. Yet, it was unpleasant, to say the least ¨C like bugs scurrying along your skin. He did his best to endure. After some time, Zeph started to question if this was just a natural reaction, or if it was a consequence of his Gru-provided training in Soul Arts. He had to actively fight back a ¡®gag reaction¡¯, while Alex was sure he wouldn¡¯t feel a thing. Thankfully, when enough of the fragments gathered around the damaged ¡®part¡¯ of his Soul, the movement stopped. Instead, something more complicated was being formed at the site, but he decided to leave it be. He was very close to losing it and striking back. Instead, he refocused on falling back into the blissful meditation he was in just moments ago. However, no matter how much he tried, the feeling of total detachment from his body and Soul has never returned. Maybe it was his awareness of what Alex was doing, maybe it was because he didn¡¯t trust him entirely. Or maybe it was because of the unpleasant feeling he felt before¡­ it was hard to tell. As so, he greeted the signal to resurface with great relief. The signal was simple ¨C a strong pat on the shoulder accompanied by a much stronger feeling of something removing itself from his Soul¡¯s vicinity. Zeph opened his eyes groggily. A quick adjustment to the spread of the Fullerene Magicules across his body helped with that almost instantly, though. For some reason, his body screamed in pain, making him groan. All his muscles started flexing haphazardly ¨C as if his brain was trying to make sure they were there. Alex was taken aback as he fell to his side, spasming almost. ¡°Umm, whatever you did, I think you overdid it¡­¡± Alex said. He smirked despite the pain. Excellent observation, Sherlock! Chapter 149 – The results. The preparations start! Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.27] It took him a few moments to gather himself. It seemed that overstimulating his brain while numbing the rest of his body wasn¡¯t the best idea. Alana helped him to his chair as his muscles calmed down and started cramping instead. As he rested, Alex packed up the carpet and the parcel. ¡°You good?¡± he asked, walking to his desk. ¡°I will live,¡± Zeph said, grimacing at his aching body. ¡°So, what is the diagnosis, doctor?¡± he asked wryly. Alex sat on his chair, his posture as rigid as before. ¡°The internal structure of the area doesn¡¯t seem to be compromised. But the context necessary to read anything from within¡ªassuming any coherent information is written there¡ªis lost. I was able to track the area by following the vestiges of traces left by the passing of your Will. You were right ¨C your Will is evidently linking your physical memories with the area. Which means, it had to be a legit Soul memory at some point.¡± Zeph wasn¡¯t sure if he liked where this was going. ¡°On the other hand, the area is still stable and not because of your Will,¡± he continued, his tone getting a little uncertain. ¡°Which means that it has to be somehow grounded in your¡­ being, as a whole. Some part of you is preventing assimilation or overwriting despite the lack of context. The area is being recognized as an immutable part of you. I would expect your newly acquired flavor of Will to be the culprit, but¡ªagain, you were right¡ªI have felt firsthand how it was diminishing when trying to interact with it. So¡­¡± he made a pause to take a slightly deeper breath. ¡°I have bad news and good news.¡± ¡°Out with it,¡± Zeph said impatiently. ¡°Just tell me how certain you are.¡± Alex studied him with his unmoving gaze for a moment before shrugging. ¡°The only thing I can do that the System couldn¡¯t is to interact with your Will to a degree. As so, at least that part should be informative. The good news is ¨C you can probably rediscover what part of your being, your past is linked to that area. The bad news is ¨C it looks eerily similar to a traumatic experience. I had seen those in the past. Chances are, all you are going to uncover is a memory of impossible pain, crippling fear, or a nightmarish cluster of negative experiences¡­ It¡¯s actually quite big of an area, and it¡¯s well structured, so I expect something more than simple, raw emotions¡­ Which isn¡¯t exactly encouraging.¡± Zeph sighed tiredly, grimacing slightly. The problem was that his Will was clearly pushing him to study those¡­ ¡®memories¡¯. ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, why is it so¡­ different from the rest of my Soul? And what does this have to do with being in my core Soul?¡± Alex shrugged. ¡°The geometry is different. Soul memories created in extremely different states of mind are always like this. It¡¯s one of the reasons why Will can so accurately break and dismiss a fragment of the Soul in the process of Soul fragmentation. Or, as some call it, Soul Wounding. Although the latter isn¡¯t describing the whole process and isn¡¯t the most correct of terms ¨C seeing that extraordinarily fond memories can also be ejected towards bonded individuals at death¡­ But I am digressing,¡± he waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Your core Soul is the fundament on which all other Soul fragments you are gaining are structured. Those structures are an expansion of it. Soul fragmentation is a permanent disfiguration of your core Soul. It cannot be cured ¨C the lost part can only be replaced. And let me tell you, it isn¡¯t an easy task. Moreover, if your Soul were to be wounded in that attack to its very core, you would lose much more than just a part of your memories,¡± he explained slowly, in a very serious tone. A cold shiver ran down Zeph¡¯s spine. It reminded him of Yula, the Soul-crippled Head of Leilucia¡¯s orphanage. It seemed that his fear of being Soul-wounded was very much justified. ¡°There is a silver lining here,¡± Alex continued, leaning back on his chair. ¡°That area is stable independently of your Will, so your Soul fragmentation shouldn¡¯t develop any further without a very strong stimulus. Of course, until you rediscover the meaning of that area, it will negatively influence some of your Skills and their development, but the difference shouldn¡¯t be noticeable ¨C the System would have informed you otherwise.¡± Zeph nodded, much happier now that he knew he wasn¡¯t on a slippery slope. He worried that depleting that new ¡®flavor¡¯ of Will would have much worse consequences. ¡°Can you write that and all the details down for me? I am aware that you are oversimplifying a lot¡­¡± This time, Alana started speaking before Alex could even open his mouth. ¡°We will leave you a longer note at the Library, along with literature recommendations. You should learn the known basics and official terminology first.¡± Alex frowned, glancing at her. ¡°Is that what you want to do?¡± he asked suddenly in a cold tone. Alana turned to him, her face a mask of determination. ¡°Yes. Even if you think his Guild isn¡¯t to be trusted, I don¡¯t see any reason we can¡¯t exchange information directly with Zeph.¡± His frown deepened. ¡°He will be watched. He is a high-ranking official now.¡± ¡°The horde will be here in a few months. Some would think that having a trusted contact within groups most inclined to fight with Netherbeings would be a boon,¡± she spat back with a fire in her eyes. ¡°So, you really think Netherbeings are behind the horde?¡± Zeph interjected before the argument could flare up even more. It was clear as day that they were very close to each other ¨C Alana didn¡¯t have any trouble guessing what Alex thought about his proposition to cooperate. Disagreements between people like that could turn truly ugly and he wasn¡¯t keen on witnessing one happening between his colleagues. Alex waved his hand irritably. ¡°With the number of Nether-related incidents in the last few months¡ªyours included¡ªit¡¯s almost certain. That, or they are making use of the chaos, which comes down to the same thing.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Then I would rather see you share your information in that regard with other organizations,¡± Zeph said seriously, looking into Alex¡¯s eyes. There was a minute of silence as they stared into each other¡¯s eyes. Alex was weighing his options, but Zeph wasn¡¯t going to step back easily. He knew from experience how dangerous these creatures could be. He didn¡¯t want the city to miscalculate the issue. Infighting between different factions was acceptable only if they understood what their actions could cause on a bigger scale. For that, they needed to communicate. In the grand scale of things the Gibbons may not represent much, but their information and actions could be crucial in a few aspects. In the first place, the fact that people previously connected with the Temple of Pure Souls were compromised¡ªwhat¡¯s with attaining a Nether-related artifact¡ªwas a blazing warning light. If he understood correctly, that Temple would never tolerate Nether in any form ¨C especially because of how zealous those people were. Maybe it was a new sub-faction surfacing, maybe something more sinister, but the Gibbons had the front-row seats in that regard. Their focus was narrow, but very much important. ¡°If you plan to become an informant working in our name, I cannot agree to that,¡± Alex finally said, slowly and deliberately. ¡°That kind of communication is a weak point. It will be discovered, sooner or later¡­¡± Zeph and Alana frowned, but Alex wasn¡¯t done speaking yet. ¡°But if you want it so badly,¡± he turned to Alana, ¡°Then you can play the role of independent intermediary.¡± His words were cold, the decision calculated. He was offering her to leave their group and work as a safety measure. In case of being discovered, Alana would be first to suffer the consequences, without the support of their group, limiting the damage to minimum. She simply harrumphed, crossing her arms. ¡°So be it. It¡¯s the highest time I regain some private space. You have forsaken almost all contact with the mundane world; the future looks bleak if this continues.¡± Alex shook his head, his face showing tiredness. ¡°We had this discussion too many times. If you want to risk your life, risk only yours and no one else¡¯s. Our enemies are deadly serious, just as we always were.¡± She huffed with irritation but didn¡¯t comment. Actually, a small smile started playing in the corners of her lips, making him believe that she quite liked this arrangement. They are behaving a bit like an old couple¡­ One on the verge of divorce, that is, Zeph thought while observing the exchange. ¡°I suppose, it¡¯s time to hammer down some details,¡± he said. ¡°But first, I have a few questions about the Temple of Pure Souls and your Skills¡­¡± ~~~ They talked for a few more hours. Initially, they were exchanging information and setting lines between topics that could be discussed openly, and those that were to be left alone. The duo have learned a lot about the Sepia Familia Guild and, in exchange, they shared less-impactful parts of the knowledge provided by their Onjis, as well as information about their mutual enemies. Alex was more distant, though. Zeph knew he wouldn¡¯t see the man for a long time after this visit. He wasn¡¯t sure if his old commander required him to gain more of his trust, or if he would allow him to become closer only after he joined their group in full capacity. He expected that he would learn about that in the future. He and Alana set up a communication line through the Library to minimize the chances of discovery. She seemed eager to do more, but the time she had spent on Corora truly granted her more wisdom and patience. Even then, she shared that the time may come when she would be able to ¡®meet him for the first time¡¯ in public. Either way, that was also the channel through which they would inform Zeph about their findings regarding the artifact. It seemed that Landlord Jaekandu wasn¡¯t going to have an easy death, but Zeph couldn¡¯t spare much pity for the man. Especially because he knew Jaekandu wasn¡¯t going to be outright tortured. Greater Willpower or not, it would be still risky and, more importantly, unnecessary. More compelling methods existed on Corora. The last hour or two was spent catching up. The atmosphere warmed up as Alex and Alana recollected their humble beginnings and misadventures. Zeph also had a few stories to tell but it paled in comparison. The two of them truly walked a long way to be where they were. He was even able to estimate their levels. It seemed they were progressing fast in comparison to the locals and he suspected they started preparing for level 100 evolution, which meant they were way past level 66 ¨C the second Class¡¯s sub-specialization. It was left unsaid, but such information wasn¡¯t to be exchanged between them openly and their guesses not to be discussed. He left the building with feelings of relief and satisfaction. Things could have gone way worse. Alex was going to distance himself, but knowing he was alive was enough for now. His personality shifted so much that Zeph had doubts if he could work with him closely again. Maybe in the future¡­ We have long lives before us, he mused, leaving the building. Looking around and illuminating the place with his lamp, he tried to orient himself. He was on a small backstreet between two dark buildings, near a crossroads leading deeper into the maze of relatively low buildings. He left through another exit, with instructions on how to find the closest cleaned terrace entrance. The wind was gaining power again ¨C he could hear it wheezing loudly above the rooftops. The falling snow started changing from the fluffy, spherical snowflakes to the smaller fragments ground down by the winds. The weather was worsening, promising yet another dangerous snowstorm. He tightened his yellow overcoat around himself before disappearing into the night. It was a surprisingly long and arduous day, and it was time for him to return home. ~~~ Zeph woke up the next day feeling refreshed. A huge chunk of worries was removed from his chest and the results were immediate. He hadn¡¯t felt this alive in months. With vigor, he jumped out of his bed to prepare for the day. The plan for today was simple ¨C first chores, and then some training. After a fast breakfast in the canteen, he sat down in his internal office¡ªusing it as intended for the first time ever¡ªand started preparing reports. The information from Gibbons regarding Nether and Temple of Pure Souls to be delivered to Aisha, along with the notice that he had gained an informant. The corrections of his travel plans that he consulted with the Mapmakers for Kwan to approve and put into motion. He also checked his income from the gadgets and inventions he made her sell, but nothing was standing out. He still needed around a year to pay Ghrughah back fully, if he was optimistic. Other than that, he scribbled a few notes to Pavail, P¡¯pvel, Ghrughah, and Irra. It was time to produce another invention for Kwan to sell in his name, so he wanted to see what they managed to do with the knowledge he gave them. If he could, he would rather focus on his training, so if they produced anything interesting that he could sell, he would take that. Also, he wanted to organize a sort of regular meeting for the ¡®crafters¡¯ to update each other on their findings and synchronize their efforts. Then, he started reading the reports, instructions, as well as a financial summary of his Department. He would have to focus on that for a few weeks to make sure everything was working smoothly before he set off on his journey. After finishing, he stretched his back and checked a wadokei affixed to the pipes near the ceiling. Noticing that it was time for lunch, he sighed with relief and started sorting the papers out. On his way to the canteen, he visited a security station. Kwan¡¯s people could take care of delivering them. The documents were encrypted, of course, so he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone reading them. Entering the canteen, he immediately noticed Makani sitting in one corner with a grumpy look on his face. Smiling widely, he started walking up to him. Perfect timing. It¡¯s the highest time for some Mana training! he thought to himself, rubbing his imaginary hands with glee. I have sooo much to improve it¡¯s not even funny anymore~! Chapter 150 – Training montage: of Spells and Manacasting (Part 1). Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.30] There was so much to do that in the first days of his training Zeph had lost sight of his true goal. Manacasting training was just that ¨C constructing Spells over and over to better your control and familiarity with the shapes. But he had much more on his plate. He has been developing Spells and techniques much faster than any of the locals could dream of. Thanks to his Spell modification methods, Greater Willpower, Advanced Mana Manipulation, and a number of other factors, he could advance without any issues as long as he had Spell Matrices to play with. Because of that, he even caused Makani¡¯s brain to short-circuit a few times during their initial interactions after he descended from one of the peaks of the Torrent mountain range. But it was a curse in disguise. He didn¡¯t have enough knowledge or common sense ¨C things that people acquired naturally during years of strict training. Worse, his list of available Spells¡¯ Matrices was growing faster than he could realistically test and master, not to mention that he wasn¡¯t yet able to indulge in his own studies of Mana after reaching civilization. As a result, he could be compared to a man with an assortment of guns, knowing only how to use them and not how they worked, in what circumstances they worked best, how to take care of them, or how to effectively use them in a fight. Like a collector. And nothing would be wrong with that fact if he was a Spellwielder, not a person with skills comparable to Magistrus of Manacasting ¨C a step beyond Makani¡¯s title. He had a lot to learn, and yet¡­ the first thing he decided to test was his new or newly available Spell Matrices. ¡°You are wasting my time,¡± Makani commented constantly during those two days. The man was already grumpy because of the situation in his Tower ¨C people didn¡¯t like the fact that he took part in the Tournament directly ¨C and was still forced to observe Zeph¡¯s vast Matrix library and give comments. Zeph didn¡¯t care about his mood, though. He quickly learned that Makani was simply ostracized socially without any serious consequences, especially ones that could touch upon his position in the Tower. On the other hand, he really needed someone with ¡®basic¡¯ Manacasting knowledge, so he didn''t see the point in sparing him from participating in the tests just to comfort him. Zeph¡¯s Class granted him a vast variety of Spell Matrices, but he also had unlocked branching Spells for all of his Tier 0 Spells ¨C the cantrips, as he called them ¨C by mastering their construction and turning them into Energy Enhancements. Then, there were Spells he invented himself. Without Makani¡¯s knowledge, he wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about their applications, relative power, and possible modifications. With glee, Zeph tested his two Tier 2 Spells ¨C Forced Ionization and Thermal Channeling. He finally had enough Matix Space and Mana Capacity to be able to construct them ¨C the first required respectively 230 space and 1300 capacity, while the other just slightly less. He also had a third one - Force Microscale Framework ¨C but its requirements were almost doubled. Of course, he also had Kinetic Medium, a Tier 2 Spell created by his own hands. But, following the general trend, System¡¯s Matrices required much more than his own Spellwork. And, as it turned out, those two Tier 2 constructs were gigantic in comparison to Tier 1 Spells. If a construct of a cantrip wasn¡¯t bigger than the tip of his pinky, and unchained Tier 1 constructs not bigger than 4 centimeters in diameter (with exceptions), then the Tier 2 constructs fit into his half-closed palm. Moreover, both Spells sported multiple ¡®active sites¡¯ instead of only one, which didn¡¯t make much sense for Zeph. Those were places where the final effect of Mana flow took effect. Their geometry was also strange ¨C a lot less fluid spirals and folds, and much more seemingly random corners and almost geometrical patterns. But when the Spell was finally cast and activated, the strangest thing of them all happened. Parts of the construct started to shift slightly, even disappearing and reappearing in places around the active sites. Makani explained that it was normal for Tier 2 Spells and that those changes followed natural auto-shaping forces present in the construct, recurrently reforming themselves. As to why, he wasn¡¯t able to tell. The process was, for sure, engaging his Soul to some capacity, but it was impossible to say what exactly was happening. Zeph also was stumped. Both movement patterns seemed random and abrupt at moments. ¡®4-dimension-ish¡¯ movements, he would hesitantly say if not for the fact that different parts of the constructs behaved differently ¨C most parts didn¡¯t move at all. Besides, he never heard anyone talking about higher dimensions. Makani also was clueless. Probably because of that glaring hole in their understanding, Zeph couldn¡¯t even guess how the Spells were achieving their results. Even if his connection to the majority of produced Magicules was still intact, allowing him great control of the effects, it explained nothing about what exactly was happening. Forced Ionization seemed to do exactly what the name suggested ¨C ionize any matter that was coming into contact with the mix of resulting microstructures of Magicules. The behavior was very similar to Electrify, but the effects and control absolutely different. He could smell ozone in the air mere seconds after activation while blue discharges danced around his hand. It was proof enough that the Spell was working on the level of atomic bonds. It shouldn¡¯t be possible, though ¨C he was quite sure the Joules necessary weren¡¯t adding up. Not to mention, the Spell was working universally on all matter and he could ionize even solid matter, although that was a very slow process. And yet, there wasn¡¯t much light radiation or traces of aggressive chemical reactions. In other words, he had no idea what really was going on. All he knew was that this Spell was powerful. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if proper usage would allow him to create violent explosions ¨C like using it on water to cause hydrogen explosion ¨C or even to produce plasma. The best part was ¨C the resulting ions could be manipulated with the help of Magicules formed by the Spell. He wasn¡¯t proficient, but he could clearly feel it. Of course, moving around ionized gases was much easier than manipulating solid matter. A shame the Spell was sucking more Mana per second than he could produce. Thermal Channeling was another beautiful example of how to abuse and then throw away physics. The Spell could reverse the natural flow of heat, laughing raucously at Entropy and the order of the universe. It wouldn¡¯t be that bad ¨C sustaining the process was sucking a lot of his Mana ¨C but, tragically, it wasn¡¯t all. He could swear that some of the heat was being turned into Magicules. Either way, he could now lower the temperature in the area. Another ridiculous notion. He had thought that it would work more like his coolant, but the hope was vain. He was also sure that those Spells were hiding more utilities. Those were merely his cursory observations from initial testing. He had spent almost a full day playing with those two Spells. If he could, he would try to combine them, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers. Finally, after seeing no further progress, Makani¡¯s complaints managed to convince him to shift focus to the rest of his Spells. It wasn¡¯t like the Manacaster himself wasn¡¯t fascinated, but hours of observing the same phenomenon was too much for him. Juggling his Matrix Space, Zeph tested each of his Spells at least once. He catalogued them, writing down his notes and information given by Makani. He had found a few interesting ones, especially from the branches that he unlocked thanks to his cantrips, but most were useful only in very specific conditions. However, before deciding on which Tier 1 Spells he should focus on in the near future, he wanted to cover all his bases. It was time to learn new Spells altogether. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. __________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.31] ¡°It really won¡¯t be a problem?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s even better that way, actually. You can be categorized as a youngster and you lack levels. People like you will be evacuated, either way.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right, though. What with the defense of the city? Of the Guild?¡± Kwan smirked, leaning to the side and supporting her head on the back of her hand. ¡°You would only get in the way. The true defenses are on in the walls. Secondary defenses are a part of the city¡¯s infrastructure. Only after that do the field troops and buildings¡¯ defenses come into play. At that point, you are near the bottom of the ladder.¡± He crossed his arms and huffed. ¡°I do have a few impactful tricks up my sleeve.¡± ¡°For very specific situations. Mainly ¨C you can¡¯t distinguish between friend and foe,¡± she countered, shaking her head slightly at his words. ¡°And you are utterly unnecessary.¡± His eye twitched. ¡°You should spend your time training and learning, not preparing for another fight. Especially because you can¡¯t influence the outcome in any manner. Didn¡¯t you read the reports?¡± she asked, sighing. He did. The Fuminao Legacy Kingdom¡¯s army was mobilized and would be soon sent to the east. Not only because of the horde but also because of the rebellious cities in the region. Most will land in Lurona city, though. Strategically, the city was one of the most important assets to the kingdom as it had access to the sea and many production facilities. An attack from the direction of the sea was impossible for the horde, while the country could easily and quickly transport its troops to the region. Additionally, many people decided to evacuate before the expected attack. The city would also pay for evacuation and living expenses for the poor and weak. That would naturally free up many apartments. All in all, the logistics of moving and housing a big army were effortless. That didn¡¯t change the fact that Zeph was reluctant to be absent during the fight. Not a small part of him wanted to witness a fight of such proportion ¨C to see firsthand what Spells, enchantments, and technology would be put to use. Especially because their Guild had an escape plan or five ready if worse was to come, so he didn¡¯t feel endangered. They even could fly off, taking the core of their headquarters with them ¨C the twins and Ghrughah finished all architectural preparations to do so. The presence of at least four Shihans of Mana Arts ¨C or Archmages, as Zeph liked to call them ¨C was also assuring. Those people were Heads of the continental clusters of their Towers and possessed a tremendous mass-scale offensive ability. On the other hand, it was expected that the city would be put on lockdown for an unknown amount of time. That, unfortunately, collided with his plans. After hearing that the attack was expected in three months¡¯ time, he started wondering if delaying his departure for a month would be worth it. That could be done. And then, he would be able to see at least the beginning of the fight before leaving. Although, how he would be able to see what is happening beyond the city walls, he hadn¡¯t planned yet. Stupid lockdown... what would that help with anything even? he lamented internally. Even if he understood the logical reasons, he decided to ignore them. He sighed in resignation. It seemed his schedule wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any methods of recording the events?¡± he asked with a grimace. Kwan giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°So, it was all about that? Even more reason for us to not risk smuggling you off after the siege starts.¡± He grumbled under his breath. She declined that outright when he had asked ¨C military orders weren¡¯t treated lightly here. ¡°As for your question¡­¡± she tapped her cheek a few times, thinking. ¡°If I remember correctly, System Onji has Skills in the exchange containing memories from historical events. You are a part of our Guild, so you should have access to those at the Exchange.¡± Zeph shook his head with disappointment. ¡°I am already imagining the prices for those¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°What can you do? And it would be very difficult for you to actually see the main event, either way.¡± Thus, the last nail was hammered into the coffin of his bright idea. His shoulders dropped in resignation. I knew it was unlikely, but gods it stings¡­ At least Makani will share this painful fate with me¡­ he consoled himself. __________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.02.11] After cleaning his face with cold water to wake himself up and flush away the sleep crust from his face, he straightened and looked into a mirror. Gru¡¯s inert eyes were still sticking out of his skin near the corners of his eyes. He poked one with his finger, to no effect. Those black dots were hard like glass, yet Gru should have felt that. He wondered for a moment if damaging them would wake his bond up. Two weeks have passed from the day he visited the Gibbons. He was following quite a strict schedule the whole time: management work in the mornings, training with Makani for a few hours, consulting and helping the crafter team ¨C mainly Irra, as she was still working on the gunpowder, Gru¡¯s Mana battery, and a few adjacent projects ¨C then training more alone, and finally meditating late into the night. From time to time, he visited the Library to learn more from Alana¡¯s notes and books. She and Alex finished their investigation a week ago, but the data was inconclusive. He had some clues as to what could have happened in his Soul that day, but these few pieces of the puzzle weren¡¯t enough. As so, he threw himself at the books recommended by his old companions in hopes of developing Soul perception and other useful Soul Arts¡¯ abilities. Those were required for Flesh Manipulation, either way. Yet, he made no progress in waking up Gru or understanding the Soul scarring. Patience¡­he reminded himself. Taking and releasing a deep breath, he shook his head and pushed himself away from the wash basin. Returning to his room, he started preparing for the day. During those two weeks, he had already achieved more than he thought possible. With the use of the Cube, he was able to learn four new cantrips in a record time: Gas-thinning, Fluid-thinning, Gas-thickening, and Fluid-thickening. Such effort should have taken him at least two months, but the Cube made the process trivial. Only two more Tier 0 Spells were left to gather the full set possessed by every Mechanic-focused Class: basic Solid-liquefy and basic Liquid-solidify. Those two, though, had a myriad of variants that were used for different materials, so he decided to first master the basics before trying his hand at those. Especially because similar, but universal, effects could be achieved through pure matter manipulation techniques. Also, Makani didn¡¯t know those two Spells, so he would have to find someone who could construct them inside the Cube. Instead, he started learning two basic Spells of the Sound type from Makani. Both were Tier 1, so the process would take longer, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Besides that, Zeph and Makani finally started to understand what was going on with the Tier 2 Spells. Knowledge on the topic was sparse, but after pooling their findings from the Library and from the Tower, it started to become clear that each Tier after Tier 1 Spell constructs had to be connected to an additional¡­ resource, for the lack of a better word. Zeph¡¯s Kinetic Medium was actively using his Will, which catapulted the Spell into the realm of Tier 2, while the Matrices of the other two were doing something with his Soul. It could be said that an additional ¡®depth¡¯ was required; an additional source of control or information. Of course, Zeph had Spells that were in Tier 1 and still required a strange connection with his Soul, yet those were almost exquisitely the domain of his Profession ¨C Shaman. It didn¡¯t seem that strange if Zeph¡¯s assumption about the Profession held true ¨C that it touched upon spirituality. ¡°First, Irra,¡± Zeph said to himself after he felt ready for the day. ¡°It¡¯s time to test her progress.¡± He opened his cabinet and retrieved a heavy suitcase. It contained a copy of his pistol, made by the giant himself. The blueprints for higher calibers were already on his desk, but they were waiting for Irra the final iteration of the gunpowder. The thing never reached the quality of Earth¡¯s creation but they could strengthen the material of the gun himself to compensate for the stability. The aiming accuracy would drop, but Zeph never planned to use them from long distances. Even if they made a riffle. The fluctuations in atmospheric Magicule composition and density would worsen the aim, either way. Kwan was happy. She always wanted a personal tool for self-defense that couldn¡¯t be easily recognized or countered. It seemed that handmade guns had the potential to find a quite lucrative market. For those reasons, they decided that this would be Zeph¡¯s next invention to propagate. On the other hand, Ghrughah and P¡¯pfel were already working on a cannon that would use Mana-saturated and enchanted bullets. Things like that already existed, but the technology was more dependent on Mana. The addition of gunpowder should increase the speed of the bullets and make them more useful long-range. The old models weren¡¯t used often because of exactly that glaring flaw ¨C the accuracy and maximal distance were very bad, and the distance itself wasn¡¯t impressive. On the other hand, Mana cannons were much more reliable in short range. Those could be produced en masse and would be sold as Guild¡¯s products. Zeph, Irra, Ghrughah, and P¡¯pfel would receive compensations according to the contract, but it would be fully in possession of the Guild. Ghrughah and Irra would be made directors of the project because it was a bit more personal affair for them. Zeph was glad, he wanted to distance himself from the arms market. He was okay with getting money from a few guns sold mainly for self-defense because of the limited availability of the ammunition and weapon itself. But selling new inventions that could change the fate of kingdoms? No, decisively no. The blueprints and knowledge were sold in an equal exchange. What they do with it now, Zeph didn¡¯t care. ~~~ Opening the doors of a hidden tunnel, he entered a big, bright chamber. The smell of burned chemicals, oil, and overheated metal dominated the air. Irra¡¯s laboratory remained more of a cluttered shooting range at this point. Looking ahead, he quickly found all three crafters. They were busy discussing something while standing around a metal table covered in papers, some random tools, and three helmets. Each of them wore full-body armor, just like him. He quickly walked to them, it seemed that he was late. ¡°Hi, what are you discussing?¡± he greeted the group. ¡°Oh, Zeph! Good, you are just in time,¡± Irra nodded to him vigorously. ¡°Just safety issues regarding storage. We are ready for the tests! The last batch is very promising!¡± He grinned, placing the suitcase on the table. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s start then!¡± Chapter 151 – Training montage: of Spells and Manacasting (Part 2). Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.02.15] --- A few days later in the training room --- ¡°So, you think it¡¯s related?¡± Zeph asked, still trying to map out a Spell that Makani enchanted inside the Cube. Its shape was identical to how the real version should look, which meant it didn¡¯t work at all in this state ¨C they would have to tweak it for it to work as an enchantment that could produce an effect. But it didn¡¯t matter ¨C Zeph was simply learning how to construct it manually. And, boy, for a Spell categorized as Tier 0 it was ginormous. ¡°It has to be. There is no other reason I can think of,¡± Makani said while caressing his goatee. ¡°According to the information I received from that ugly prick of a Practitioner, the framework is from a stratum-2 Tier 2 spellwork. Why would it drop so drastically in Tiers if not for the lack of additional ¡®active sides¡¯?¡± The Spell was gutted out. All ¡®active sides¡¯ characteristic for Tier 2 Spells were replaced with Mana gathering and redirecting constructs. At least according to their informant. However, Zeph was sure a lot more was added or moved around, though. The construct was a mess. How could it work without an ¡®active site¡¯? Simply. The Manacaster constructing it wasn¡¯t responsible for creating the Spell¡¯s effect. The gradient in Ambient Mana density was. The Spell worked like a framework, directing and moving Ambient Mana in patterns necessary for the effect to manifest. A Spell that was forming a Spell; a mold. Although, as with everything, it was a bit more complicated than that. He smirked hearing Makani, not taking his eyes from the Cube. ¡°Was it worth it? You didn¡¯t say even one good word about that scion of a Landlord.¡± ¡°Humph, exchange of knowledge between fellow Manawielders knows no boundaries!¡± he exclaimed proudly. ¡°Even if I hate that guy¡¯s guts¡­ Besides,¡± he glanced at Zeph, ¡°weren¡¯t you impressed? That final Spell of mine was a sensation and a half for the audience! It was definitely worth it,¡± he said, closing his fist and smiling smugly. Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°Yea, yea. If only I could forget the image of a guy whining about the cost of that Manasolid right after his Duel¡­¡± ¡°Oh, come on! I was just in a bad mood.¡± He slapped Zeph¡¯s arm, making him lose control over the Mana when the mercury in the Cube stirred and rotated the half-solidified construct inside. A sharp, cold look was enough to make Makani bow apologetically. In Zeph¡¯s opinion, the ungrateful Manacaster should focus on fixing his personality flaws first before basking in the light of his newfound popularity. Better people suffered from corruption at the hands of their fame. Yes, the rumor mill powered by the tongues of the city¡¯s citizens finally reached its crescendo, reiterating most of the Tournament events in the most overblown, exaggerated, and ridiculous of manners. And Makani¡¯s final Spell was a thing most often talked about. Not only was it one of a few ¡®flashy¡¯ moves that happened on the final day of the Tournament, but the sound of the shockwave had penetrated the building almost entirely. Taking into account how good were the safeguards around the whole complex, it was no surprise that it have become one of the top hot topics for the common folk. After all, most of the stadium¡¯s personnel heard it. First gossips have started the day Makani left the fighting field. Not that the Spell itself didn¡¯t deserve it. Moreover, all those rumors reminded Zeph that he wanted to learn it as well, so at least the situation birthed some good into the world. Spells able to work off of Ament Mana¡¯s density gradient or spike were rare, and this one was the first offensively applicable type Zeph ever saw. His Partially Self-Sustaining Spells were similar in working and execution, but of detection and utility types. Not only that. That Spell could sustain an enormous jump in Mana density. Makani already presented the effects for a gradient of two-strata-wise difference in Mana density ¨C the medium-sized Manasolid powering the construct had evaporated in the blink of an eye, ejecting enough Mana to imitate a stratum-2 Ambient Mana density. After stabilizing the lump in the Cube, Zeph returned to the topic at hand. ¡°On a more serious note, I¡¯ve finally found out what those dynamic ¡®active sides¡¯ in Tier 2 Spells are called,¡± he said, erasing that goofy smile from Makani¡¯s face. ¡°Well, there are supposedly many different names, but people of knowledge on this stratum use ¡®junction node¡¯ ¨C or simply ¡®junction¡¯ ¨C for the name, supposedly,¡± he said confidently, even if that knowledge was passed to him by Alana directly. ¡°As we¡¯ve noticed, the junctions in a Spell are connected with each other to some degree. Mana disappears in one, and comes out through the others, powering the overall flow, so that¡¯s confirmed.¡± It was actually a difficult thing to prove because the energy transferred wasn¡¯t adding up. ¡°The important part is ¨C the qualitative change in Mana happens exactly during that transfer, even if no Magicule is forming, which may be connected to the discrepancy in overall energy levels.¡± That bit of knowledge was being suppressed for some reason. ¡°Frix! My Tower should be teaching me that¡­¡± Makani grumbled. ¡°We still don¡¯t know what is happening, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yeah, no idea. A kind of ¡®conversion table¡¯ exists for the energies spent and retrieved, but from what I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s nothing more than written-down values for each specific Spellform. But¡­¡± Zeph paused his study and looked up at Makani. ¡°I think there is a very disconcerting possibility¡­¡± ¡°Higher dimension?¡± Makani asked spiritlessly. They already talked about the idea of higher dimensions a few times, as that concept seemed appropriate to apply to the strange phenomenon at the beginning. They got nowhere in their dispute, though. ¡°You want me to explain that once again?¡± Zeph asked mirthfully. Makani grimaced at the idea. ¡°No, I was thinking about energy as a whole. What if there are other forms of energy that we cannot perceive?¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± the Manacaster answered immediately. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we have thousands of unexplainable deaths each year if that was the case? Especially among the Manacasters? If anything, I would argue it¡¯s more probable for the Mana to land on the lap of some Onji before being restructured and split out,¡± he said, slapping his hand vertically into the other as if chopping something in half. ¡°So, you are suggesting we need a ¡®perspective¡¯ of another being for a Spell to tier up?¡± Zeph asked skeptically. ¡°In that light, I can understand why we would categorize a Spell that only works on Ambient Mana as Tier 0, but other tier-zeros require our attention. Only yours is¡­ basically inert.¡± Makani shrugged. ¡°Do you have any better idea? It¡¯s as we observed ¨C it¡¯s because of either our Soul and Will, or¡­ someone¡¯s else.¡± Zeph frowned. Indeed, they didn¡¯t have much else to work with. The idea of a higher, ¡®invisible¡¯ dimension could only explain how the Mana was being transferred, not how and why it was being changed. On the other hand, it was kind of hard to think about other 3-D ¡®planes¡¯ of reality, or about what was happening on those ¡®parallel worlds¡¯¡­ Anyway, having a space with four spatial dimensions had far-reaching consequences, so the whole idea wasn¡¯t defending itself very well. The looped dimensions and other such constructs that were trying to explain how the fourth dimension can be ¡®invisible¡¯ had some potential, but it was far-fetched and basically unprovable. Not to mention, those explanations never made much sense to Zeph. In other words, the idea was cool and all, but it didn¡¯t offer any real solutions besides the possible geometry of the movement of Mana. If only I could study the phenomena at the atomic level of resolution, he thought bitterly. ¡°The behavior does resemble a physical engine, though,¡± he countered, using Rui terminology. ¡°Only if you squint and take an unhealthy dose of assumptions,¡± Makani said, snorting. ¡°Anywho, you should be careful with that Spell. You do remember what I told you about the behavior of sound?¡± During their long sessions, Makani did indeed explain a few interesting things about physicality on Corora. The speed of the sound was different depending on the environment. That was because of the hundreds of obstacles in the form of the Mana currents and Magicules¡¯ conglomeration areas. When a soundwave passes through several areas with significantly different sound speeds, a quiet echo is created and the sound itself becomes distorted. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. However, those effects were actually the reason for Makani¡¯s prodigious accuracy when separating sounds coming from different sources and pinpointing their location. And the word ¡®prodigious¡¯ wasn¡¯t being used lightly here. Somehow, the Manacaster seemed to be able to execute the Fourier transform on each sound he was receiving before splitting the sounds, different pseudo-echoes, and true echoes into separate groups according to the source and direction¡­ At least, that was how Zeph was imagining it. The difference in the speed of sound was also giving Makani a slight advantage in the medium-range and close combat. The man could easily assess the true distance depending on the sound itself while most people could be left confused by the discrepancy in the timing between a real strike and reflexively perceived danger. A desynchronization that had to be processed by the brain before they could adapt. For example, in higher Mana density everything would sound to be closer. Reacting on hearing alone would be difficult for unused. It played a bigger role in projectile detection and when reacting to an unseen opponent, as in real close combat people were depending on their Veils for detection, but small mistakes during a high-speed combat could be deadly. Especially if Makani leveraged his advantage and started to sabotage his opponent by producing and modulating sounds around them. Not to mention, everyone could condense their Veils to some degree, adding to the ruckus and chaos during group combat. He himself was struggling a lot with the Sound Spells. It was the first time he had to grumpily admit that the short man was indeed a genius in his domain. ¡°Yea, yea. If I am surrounded by unstable air I will be hurt worse than the opponent, mother,¡± he commented snidely. But his mood quickly sobered. ¡°I am concerned much more with my non-existent progress, though.¡± ¡°Eh, you will be alright,¡± Makani said, lazily waving his hand. ¡°It¡¯s similar enough to the Force group.¡± Zeph didn¡¯t comment. He had already learned three basic Spells from the domain of sound: Modulated Sound Detection, Modulated Sound Creation, and Vibration Modulation. Those may sound simple, but each one of them was a modifiable Spell construct. That meant that, just like with the Mana Beam, he would have to learn how to modify them on the fly to achieve a desirable effect. In other words, the Matrix-provided versions were merely a sample to work off of, not a fully functional Spell. And this new one was even worse in every aspect. It didn¡¯t possess clear control points. It wasn¡¯t optimized for Mana consumption and lacked any adjustable elements that could help with that part. It was rigid in its structure while being overcomplicated at the same time. Yet, it still needed minute adjustments. For its overwhelming offensive usability, it was a pain in the ass. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want it in the Cube¡­¡± Zeph said, grimacing. ¡°I won¡¯t be learning anything useful from it anytime soon¡­¡± The mechanism allowing it to process the high-density Mana was simply too unintelligible. Heck, the whole Spell was. ¡°Just make another Cube if you want another,¡± Makani advised, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°You should have enough money. And, let¡¯s be honest here, you will need that Spell at some point.¡± Zeph schooled his face, giving no indication that he had forgotten about making another Cube. ¡°Yes, you are probably right,¡± he said seriously, focusing fully on the contraption in his hand. ¡°I wanted to upgrade it anyway¡­¡± Makani put his head in his hand and sent him a lazy glance. ¡°You forgot about that possibility, didn¡¯t you? O great mind of ours,¡± he asked, ostentatiously picking his nose with his pinky. Shit. ~~~ Later that day, Zeph visited one of the small compression chambers in the headquarters. This one was made with a specific purpose in mind. Zeph asked for it as soon as he had learned that they had started to build those facilities in the Guild. The ¡®chamber¡¯ was devoid of any entrances; extremely thick walls surrounded a small space inside. A constant noise of working machinery could be heard from a hallway away, even despite many dumpers put in place. Zeph entered an adjacent room, yet three meters of solid stone were separating him from the item inside. The insides of the room were quite cozy, in the magi-industrial sense of the world. Cabinets filled with few books and numerous contraptions covered the left wall. Ahead, in the part of the room with a raised floor, an office area was organized. Comfortable armchair, big desk, and a number of measuring devices affixed to the omnipresent brass pipes, all illuminated by a warm light. Two small lamps were lying on the desk for additional light as well. On the right wall, though, stood something that could only be described as a magitech contraption. A flexible, metal chair at the center was surrounded by a multitude of levers, valves, and mechanical arms. Some of them were holding binoculars of different colors, some glowing spheres encased in metal rings, and the rest ¨Capparatuses whose use was not apparent at first sight. Zeph stepped closer to a brass contraption. Without sitting down, he switched two levers and turned a few valves before moving an arm with a binocular closer. Next, he grabbed two arms ending in spherical contraptions, moved them closer and into position, turned the last valve, and looked into the binoculars. It took him a moment to fix the focus. As soon as he could clearly see seven familiar cylindrical shapes, he grabbed the controls. With a flick of his wrist, a mechanical arm entered his field of view. Operating with both hands, he slowly directed it to the first Prana battery. The chamber in which the batteries were lying was almost completely devoid of Mana and air. An overly complicated machinery was working overtime to make sure it stayed that way. The arm he was manipulating remotely was purely mechanical, as was the system connecting it to the controls. They took no chances ¨C even the light conductors behind the binoculars were equipped with multiple airtight crystal panes. It was dark inside the chamber, so he had to depend on the weak light coming directly from the light conductors he was using to see. He carefully opened the visor on the side of the first cylinder. A feeble luminescence greeted him. It backlighted the very corner of a measuring line. It was, of course, deep in red. A measuring tool similar to a caliper opened at the end of the mechanical arm as he moved it closer. Five comma four two six¡­ no, five and a half¡­ he noted in his mind. With slow, careful movements, he continued to check every battery, remembering the values he had measured with the tool. Finally, he distanced himself from the controls. With trained movements, he deactivated everything and moved to the desk. He sat down heavily and took out a large book from one of the drawers. He flipped the pages to the last record, then meticulously noted the readings before putting another line of calculations underneath. ¡°Not even logarithmical?¡± he wondered aloud. ¡°At this rate, it will stop deteriorating at all¡­ Maybe I will have a chance to test the Prana after updating my Source Net, after all¡­¡± he mumbled to himself, his smile growing wide. On the graph taking the whole next page, a new reading was put along with its uncertainty. The difference from the previous one was clearly visible, but if one were to look at the scale on the vertical axis, that difference was already counted in parts of thousands. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.02.25] Zeph¡¯s Mana Manipulation training continued without pause for the next ten days. He was mainly learning about Sound Spells and trying to speed up construction time for the most useful Spells he had access to. His schedule has shifted somewhat, though. His department was finally working for itself. A few people who were transferred to his office helped tremendously in keeping everything on track. Pavail and Irra also didn¡¯t need his input that often nowadays ¨C he was delegated to gathering information for them. Because his days were already filled to the brim with Manacasting training, he decided to revisit his old projects to fill his free time. Thus, he focused on two Energy Enhancements rewarded to him: the Flexibility Milestone Energy Enhancement ¨C ¡°Mana-shaping internal amplifier¡±; and the Power Milestone Energy Enhancement ¨C ¡°Enhanced structurized force transfer¡±. As it turned out, the former worked well with his training Perk for Flexibility ¨C the ¡°Body fluidity auto-training¡±. The Enhancement was causing his Mana to¡­ react to his body movements, which his Perk was helping to train. It formed a nice reinforcement chain. The effect was very similar to how Mana-L behaved, naturally following the movements of his body, but this EE worked for his pure Mana. The Magicules in his Veil weren¡¯t influenced, although they were moving along as his Mana was pushing them around. Zeph understood that, in theory, this EE was made mainly for physical fighters to help them control their Veil. But that wasn¡¯t the end of its usefulness. It enhanced the accuracy of neural activity which paired perfectly with the effects of the implant covering his neurons. Moreover, all types of Mana shaping were being enhanced if he was moving physically, even if external Mana Manipulation didn¡¯t seem to be gaining much from that effect. He spent long hours trying to use it in all three modes of operation. The Internalization was tricky because he was trying to enhance his Spell construction by making miniscule movements with his fingers, eyes, and other small muscles, but he was slowly getting used to it. Disabling and Enabling the effect helped him train the robustness of his Mana Manipulation abilities. It also allowed him to learn what exactly the EE was doing. The Amplification, on the other hand, was another beast entirely. It was definitely dedicated for melee fighters ¨C he felt like he was dancing alongside his own Veil when exercising spear forms. As so, he made minimal progress with that mode, leaving it for the time he would focus on physical training. As for the Power Milestone, he wanted to analyze how it worked to enhance his Telekinetic Spells. The process was irritably slow, though. That EE had even a notice in the description that it was incompatible with external Mana Manipulation ¨C a headache-inducing property. He was sure that if he contacted Danette Gildafi, who was still circling their Guild like a vulture in hopes of sucking information and knowledge from him, then this puzzle would be solved in days, if not hours. But, as it was, he was alone. As so, he struggled. Struggled to even see what the EE was doing. Struggling to slow down the construction of the force-dispersing structure. Struggling to understand what principles allowed it to work. At some point, instead of using only his mind¡¯s eye, he started to sketch the shapes he noticed. Then, he started calculating the forces while looking for any patterns. He wanted to at least be able to imagine what he was working with. To conceptualize the phenomenon. But what finally brought him the enlightenment he was seeking came from an unexpected source. It happened when he was meditating, focusing on his Soul and internal flow of energies. At some point, he finally noticed that something unnatural was happening near his skin¡­ Chapter 152 – Mana training finalizes. A new hell awaits. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.02.25] A slap to his back almost made him fall on his face, instantly pulling him out of the meditative state he was in. He caught himself at the last moment as his awareness returned to his body. ¡°You are late!¡± Makani announced chirpily. ¡°So I¡¯ve decided to visit. Aren¡¯t you meditating too much lately?¡± But Zeph wasn¡¯t hearing him. Right before he was slapped, he clearly saw a Mana structure forming near the point of impact. Even if it was merely a wisp, he managed to take a glance at it. No wonder I wasn¡¯t able to notice it before, he thought giddily, jumping back to his feet. How could I¡¯ve been so stupid?! Makani frowned, otherwise unperturbed by his athletic comeback. ¡°Your smile is kind of creepy right now, you know¡­¡± ¡°Oh, shut it. I finally know what to do,¡± he said, walking hastily towards the door. ¡°Are you going? We can leave the Manacasting training for another day,¡± he asked over his shoulder. Makani sent him a skeptical look but started walking nonetheless. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The structurized force transfer. I know how to speed up my study, at last.¡± That caught the man¡¯s interest. He started trotting to catch up. ¡°Now, now. I believe I can forgive you for forgetting about our training and leaving me waiting for almost an hour, but only if you share some tasty secrets with me¡­¡± he said smartly, slowing down beside him. Zeph smirked. ¡°Actually, if you didn¡¯t hit me a moment ago, I would be in the same exact spot as yesterday,¡± he looked excitedly at Makani¡¯s face. ¡°We were looking at it from a wrong perspective¡­¡± Zeph started explaining. He had already asked a few knowledgeable people for their thoughts on the topic, but only Aisha had advice for him ¨C she said that all Milestone Enhancements were inherently internal structures, so he should start looking internally first before trying to observe the effects in his Veil. He understood her intellectually ¨C he knew already that this Enhancement was like an invisible tattoo covering his skin, powered by the outflow of Mana. He also knew that additional instructions were written in his Soul, somewhere, somehow. But that knowledge led him nowhere. The physical manifestation of the Enhancement on his skin was inoperative on its own, so he couldn¡¯t simply copy it like an ¡®enchantment¡¯ to perform tests. And it was absolutely inflexible, too ¨C all he could do was cut off the Mana flow powering it, or allow it to stay active. His attempts at forcefully manifesting its effects were somewhat successful, but he couldn¡¯t see what was happening clearly enough. He had no way of shaping the microstructures or playing with the singular parts of the physical aspect of the Enhancement. Worse yet, what he managed to observe was only because of his outstanding external Mana Manipulation. He was cheating the system while his true Mana perception was still lagging behind. As so, his ability to perceive things internally was much more limited. Also, his Soul perception was a work in progress in comparison to true Soul Arts users. Thus, his ability to analyze the Enhancement¡¯s Soul aspect and its internal workings was a dead end. At least until he found some Makrun to update his Source Net implant and fix his internal Mana Manipulation issues. It wasn¡¯t strange, then, that he turned to external observations instead. ¡°I could at least see something happening in my Veil, but that was a mistake,¡± Zeph continued. ¡°I really should have looked internally first and foremost. The Mana structures are forming inside my body; they aren¡¯t projected outside. Not directly.¡± Makani nodded along. ¡°Not unexpected, but not helpful as well. So, what has changed?¡± ¡°This thing is reactive in nature,¡± Zeph stated confidently. ¡°Instead of trying to force an activation, I should¡¯ve been activating it naturally while meditating! I was a fool.¡± Makani stroked his goatee. ¡°Hmm, understandable, understandable¡­ And I agree with the ¡®fool¡¯ part. Still, it won¡¯t help you to apply anything you will learn. So not much progress¡ª¡± ¡°It should be plenty enough to try a few experiments,¡± Zeph said strongly, ignoring the jab. A lot of energy left Makani¡¯s body as he started to understand where it was going. ¡°You want me to help, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Indeed! I can¡¯t meditate while moving,¡± Zeph started with vigor, rubbing his hands together. ¡°So you will have to punch me now and then during the process.¡± That brought back some life into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, that I can do. With pleasure, even.¡± Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°I think you may be a bit too bored lately¡­ You should join Aisha¡¯s camp next time.¡± Makani stumbled on the perfectly flat floor after hearing that... _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.10]
Congratulations! You successfully modified your [Spell]: [Force weave]! Calculating¡­
Zeph finally released his breath, allowing the Mana construct to dissipate. Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to limply fall backward to the floor. His Will was dangerously depleted. The process he developed more difficult than anything he had done ever before. And it wasn¡¯t the first time he felt spent to that extent. He was close to giving up many times in the past few days, but he stubbornly kept at it for as long as he could see that some progress was being made. Progress that ¨C in a few aspects ¨C was traced by the System. Receiving a confirmation from a higher being was a godsend. I was correct! he celebrated in his mind, even as his body begged him to eat and take some sleep ¨C in that order. After all, his bodily and ethereal resources were being greedily devoured by Willforce Morphon Enhancement to stabilize and regrow his Will. My theory works¡­ All this training finally is¡­
Calculations completed! WARNING! [Matrix] of modified [Spell] inaccessible! Prerequisite [Energy Enhancements] unavailable for the [User]! New [General Skill] created as a substitute! [T2] [L50] [Force Projection] was added to your [General Skills]. NOTE: This [General Skill] will be replaced by corresponding [Skill Matrices] when conditions are met!
Or not¡­ He sighed wearily. I will need a lot more resources before I can even try using it manually in a fight¡­ At least, it works well as a proof of concept¡­ However, as Zeph was commenting idly in his mind, the notifications continued unabated.
You have gained new [General Skills]: [Soul Imbuement theory] and [Spell Expansion introduction] from the [Knowledge Base]! Congratulations! New [General Skill] created! [T3] [L10] [Willforce Imbuement] was added to your [General Skills]! You have earned [Soul fragments]! You have earned 700 000 [Universal Points]! Congratulations! Through extreme exertion, you have gained 1 [Greater Willpower]! ...
He ignored the rest, allowing it to roll into the summary he kept active from the start of his training. It required a little fiddling with the Interface, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to enforce with all the modules the System inserted into his Soul. Slowly sitting up, he dizzily looked at the nearby low table. In preparation for the exhaustion he expected, Zeph brought a lot of food to the training room. He would have preferred to experiment in his own room, but this one wasn¡¯t disturbing his Veil as much. In living spaces, the overflow of his Mana would drip into gathering infrastructure to power the building. Also, the training rooms possessed limited capability of controlling the Ambient Mana density and its composition, and were generally better suited for such avenues. He sluggishly shuffled his weakened body closer to the goodies, before digging into the small mountain of calories. A few minutes later, he could already feel energy returning to him; his body, Soul, and Will balancing and stabilizing. As so, he slowed down and focused on this new General Skill of his ¨C Force Projection. He knew well what the System was plotting. The Skill was a reassurance, for both of them. With it, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to forget what he had managed to pull off. It was a ¡®recording¡¯ of Soul memory of his experimentation, and it would be much easier to read than the actual information contained in his Soul. Also, it couldn¡¯t degrade naturally as long as he was connected to the System. Still, he wanted to make sure nothing was missing. After all, the System had notorious issues with tracking his usage of Will. And this time, even he would admit that he overdid it in the Will department. It all started when he started theorizing about possible applications of the basic laws limiting the ¡®Enhanced structurized force transfer¡¯. It was a mixed Energy Enhancement that helped anyone with enough Power PE to disperse the kinetic energy they were producing or receiving. To have a wider footstep when moving. To influence the heavy weaponry they were equipped with. To shield their bodies from point-applied forces¡­ especially because any fast movement would guarantee those to show up. Not to mention, the weight of any gear and the possible consequences of misaligning the weight distribution. One¡¯s armor could be as deadly as a weapon in the opponent¡¯s hands. Without it, Power would be useless and harmful at high values. Although, Zeph imagined people could reach similar effects by themselves if they trained properly, as internal Mana Manipulation was, typically, the domain of Physically-inclined individuals. That nicely emphasized why the Enhancement was working as it was, and by whom it was meant to be used. It could only be activated through his body ¨C the physical medium ¨C of which definition and borders were being defined by his Soul. And that was the most limiting factor. It required something spiritual, something written within his very unphysical being to be able to do what it was designed for. Moreover, the effect itself could manifest only within his Mana ¨C in his Veil. The resulting microstructures of Mana seemed to form almost naturally after that, as if they were half-finished Magicules that required others to stay stable. At least, that¡¯s how he saw it after 14 days of deep analysis. Those structures, though, interfered with his external Mana Manipulation and were very ¡®reluctant¡¯ to return any information upon contact with foreign particles. Instead, they seemed to decay fast, burning through his Mana reserves while directing the released energy in a way supporting a physical force transfer¡­ Almost like his coolant. Something was there¡ªin the microstructure of these particles¡ªthat seemed to make them work similarly to nanotubes transferring thermal energy. He was still ways away from discovering what it was exactly, though. But that didn¡¯t stop him from playing with fundamentals. If he needed his Soul to activate that Enhancement, then why couldn¡¯t he bring it to an object outside his body? Wasn¡¯t Soul already connected to Mana, why not use that? Wasn¡¯t his Will directly interacting with said Mana? So, he started testing and testing, until he found a possible solution. Willforce ¨C the strange Mana construct resembling more an overcomplicated Magicule. The thing produced in his Soul by a component of his Willforce Morphon Enhancement, and a fundamental ¡®fuel¡¯ allowing it to work in the first place. He was unable to force his Soul to influence matter outside of the established Soul links. He was unable to transfer the instructions¡ªor whatever it truly was¡ªcoming from his Soul through sheer Will. But Willforce was bound to his body and Soul through Mana. And, as it turned out, with enough stubbornness and resources, it could indeed imitate both to a degree. Truthfully, he wasn¡¯t yet sure what he was doing. It felt like something between stretching his Soul and transferring information at the same time. Especially because he added the dangerous Soul Manipulation, vast amounts of Mana-L, and physical Mana Manipulation through his ¡®Mana-shaping internal amplifier¡¯ to the mix. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. He had used everything in his arsenal to make that happen ¨C from his abilities and techniques to his knowledge. And yet, the results were not only useless as of now, but they were also potentially unhelpful to his future self. Why? Because he had created a force funnel. And that¡¯s it. True, he could immediately say that it was working with almost 100% efficiency and could easily penetrate any material saturated with his Mana. But that wasn¡¯t enough for any meaningful effects. The Spell itself, though¡­ It was a child of beauty. Pooling together everything he had learned about junction nodes of Tier 2 Spells, he created a facsimile of one to support the transference of necessary parts for the Enhancement to not only activate it externally, but to connect it to the Mana construct surrounding it. The construct itself was a bastard child of his Force Weave and Space Spells with many, many parts added from other Tier 2 constructs. Parts he managed to decipher and understand enough to assume what they were doing, at the very least. Even if the Spell was ugly, inefficient, and wouldn¡¯t work without all of the manipulation methods he was applying, it was his first true Tier 2 Spellwork. His normal Telekinesis was merely an advanced application of Mana Manipulation over a few separated and simple Spells. This was different. So very different. ¡°I wonder if that would be enough to make me a true Magistrus¡­¡± he spoke to himself after confirming the contents of the General Skill. ¡°Definitely not Adeptus, though.¡± He shivered at the memory of Adeptus Miu and the destruction he wrought. ¡°Not even close.¡± Shoving away the scary memories, he looked down at the food littering the table, wondering if he could fit anything more. In the end, a warm stew sitting at the back convinced him that he, indeed, could. ~~~ ¡°I think that¡¯s enough,¡± he spoke aloud between slurps. After days upon days of solitary meditation, he awoke to this strange habit. Especially in Gru¡¯s continuous absence. He would never admit that their early conversations could also be categorized as speaking to oneself. ¡°I have 20 days left, more or less¡­ A good moment to switch gears¡­ I need to get used to my Spells, and equipment, and¡­ well...¡± He stopped speaking to himself at that. He really didn¡¯t want to think about physical training with Aisha that was awaiting him. Even if it had to be done as his fighting style was in shambles. Also, his neglected techniques required training and he even had new tricks to work through. The new additions were the most demanding, though. Like the ¡®Enhanced¡¯ module for his Martial Arts that he was yet to even touch upon. Sighing with resignation, he called out the summary notification. For the most part, he knew what had changed. That didn¡¯t change the fact that he needed to understand where he developed the fastest and why. Moreover, those were the basics of his combat capability. If he could help it, he would rather brainstorm about different scenarios and application of his abilities in the calm room of his Guild than right before a fight. The first notification was a proof that his suffering wasn¡¯t wasted on nothing. A feat only possible because he was abstaining from investing in his Willpower all this time, postponing the inevitable ceiling he would hit sooner or later.
Congratulations! You have gained 3 [Greater Willpower] in total!
47 total¡­ It¡¯s getting close, he noticed. It was the value of his manually trained Willpower. A thing that would get harder to raise the more he increased the overall value artificially ¨C through his Profession and Class. But, more importantly, at the threshold of 50 an achievement awaited him. An important and, potentially, very powerful one ¨C an achievement granting a Trait that multiplied every artificial point spent on this Passive Enhancement. Like in the case of his Intuition ¨C he managed to train it to the very limit of natural possibility, achieving a multiplier of 2 after raising it to 100 before selecting his Class. Even if he couldn¡¯t hope to gain the same results, every additional point of Greater Willpower was worth its weight in gold for him. Moreover, his Willpower seemed to break out of the conventional reasoning. No training should be able to influence the natural value at this point, and yet there he was, gaining three points. The first point was expected ¨C he had been using his Will excessively for months. The second one ¨C a result of his Mana training ¨C was unexpected. And then, the third and final came just as he had a breakthrough with his Spell. It was more than he could ever expect. Because of that, it was even more exhilarating. But, as important as that was, it wasn¡¯t the most exciting part. For the first time in ages, Zeph was being rewarded with Soul fragments for his hard work and troubles. The level in his Class was an unexpected result, caused by him overcoming the last hurdle with his new Spell. But the levels in his Profession were well earned ¨C he was meditating every day, training his budding Soul Arts¡¯ techniques. He even found an application for Shaman¡¯s new Skill during the process ¨C the Spiritual Synchronization.
Congratulations! Your [Profession] [Shaman] leveled up!
Congratulations! Your [Seeded] [Class] [Force Generalist] leveled up!
Major upgrades: Willpower [+3] ==> Mana Generation [+5] Shaman [+1] ==> [Memory] [+1], [Unallocated] [+2] ==> [Matrix Space] [+5], [Mana Capacity] [+44], [Mana Generation] [+7] Force Generalist [+1] ==> [Intuition] [+2*2], [Greater Willpower] [+1], [Unallocated] [+2] ==> [Matrix Space] [+4], [Mana Capacity] [+119], [Mana Generation] [+20]
It seems like Mana Capacity and Mana Generation are rising faster than before, he noticed with a start. Did I hit a resonation spot?¡­ It was a term used in the Towers. Mathematical functions describing relations between Passive Enhancement and the resources were anything but simple. They definitely weren¡¯t linear or exponential. Sometimes, a person could hit a hotspot where the numbers suddenly skyrocketed, and it was unclear why that was happening. There was more to it than sheer numbers, for sure. Those only represented parts of one¡¯s being and how well everything worked together. It was no surprise that some configurations would bring outstanding results. Yet, his unallocated points were amassing, left intact without increasing any of his resources. He wasn¡¯t going to spend them just yet. He wanted to finally start increasing his Willpower, but he couldn¡¯t do that when a perfect opportunity to raise its natural value was dangling before his very eyes. Yes, he had very high expectations for his Shamanistic studies. Looking back at the Main page of his Interface, he couldn¡¯t help himself and started laughing a little. Everything is in blue, heh. Not much information to be presented for me here... Next in the line were his major Spell upgrades. The minor upgrades to the Spells he was already using were irrelevant ¨C he managed to decrease their construction time, moving towards mastering some of them, but that was all. There was no sense in analyzing the System-presented summary when he could already tell by feeling how good he was with a given Spell. It would be doubly irrelevant in combat situations where his trained reflexes and instincts took the wheel. Instead, he once again scanned his newly learned Spells. Some of the details recorded in his Interface made him especially giddy ¨C the ¡®Safety Protocol¡¯ interrupted the System at some point, promising better results in the future.
New [Spells] detected! Congratulations! Corresponding [Skill Matrices] have been unlocked! You have gained: Designation: [Class Skill Matrices] Type: [Spells] [Gas-thinning] [Tier 0] [Spell] [Fluid-thinning] [Tier 0] [Spell] [Gas-thickening] [Tier 0] [Spell] [Fluid-thickening] [Tier 0] [Spell] [Modulated Sound Detection] [Tier 1] [Spell] [Modulated Sound Creation [Tier 1] [Spell] [Vibration Modulation] [Tier 1] [Spell]
The ¡®Designation¡¯ didn¡¯t mean much. The System simply categorized his new Spells as belonging to his Class instead of his Profession. The Matrix Space between the two was shared, so he wasn¡¯t sure why the System was caring about making that distinction. Maybe the Onji was just that pedantic¡­
Congratulations! [Class Skill Matrices] from [Sound] [Spell] [Subdomain] have been unlocked!
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Mana-tech Engineering] from the [Knowledge Base]!
Note: Aggregate reward of overlapping type exists. Assimilation of [Mana-tech Engineering] is strongly advised.
¡­ Reevaluating¡­ Aggregate reward of overlapping type confirmed. Achievement pending evaluation. [Mana-tech Engineering] [General Skill] assimilated into pending reward.
There it was. A reward he was yet to receive, but one that already devoured a potential ¡®Bioscience Alchemy¡¯ General Skill. Zeph was convinced that more of his scientific achievements were being integrated into that mysterious reward, but it was the first time he saw Spell¡¯s reward being used in such a manner. He wondered what would that mysterious ¡®egg¡¯ hatch into, as it already had too many components to itself. Shrugging his shoulders, he quickly scanned the list of improvements in his new Spells and General Skills related to Will and Mana.
Congratulations! [Class] [Skills] leveled up: [Gas-thinning] [Spell] is now [T0][L53]! (+52) [Fluid-thinning] [Spell] is now [T0][L57]! (+56) [Gas-thickening] [Spell] is now [T0][L51]! (+50) [Fluid-thickening] [Spell] is now [T0][L50]! (+49) [Modulated Sound Detection] [Spell] is now [T1][L28]! (+27) [Modulated Sound Creation [T1][L26]! (+25) [Vibration Modulation] [T1][L25]! (+24)
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Will] is now [T2][L87]! (+2) [Will manipulation] is now [T2][L95]! (+2) [Will Powered Mana manipulation] is now [T2][L88]! (+3) [Ambient Mana channeling] is now [T2][L5]! (+4) [Mana perception] is now [T2][L30]! (+13) [Willforce] is now [T2][L78]! (+23)
His Mana perception was probably the only normal General Skill that leveled up in the process. It was all because the ¡®Will Powered¡¯ version was impossible to exist. Yet, for the first time, it saw a real progression. 13 levels in a little more than a month was more than impressive. Funnily, it was more thanks to his long meditation sessions than any Mana training. The ¡®perception¡¯ was, after all, his ability to read the Mana flow and information sent back, not the ability to manipulate anything. And finally, there were his General Skills related to Soul. Although, he never created that category in his Interface.
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Soul] is now [T1][L97]! (+22) [Shamanic visions] is now [T2][L20]! (+5) [Will Powered Soul manipulation] is now [T2][L33]! (+10) [Will Powered Soul perception] is now [T2][L85]! (+7)
He was still disgruntled that no Soul technique nor a Soul Arts entry was granted to him. I really hope that it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the deal blocking off the Tabu and Interface Skills. It¡¯s Soul-related business, sure, but should be safe enough. I am basically learning Soul Arts from scratch¡­ But if the System is just greedy and is using a loophole in our deal¡­ No rewards, you say? What about no information whatsoever for you?! Zeph had thought about blocking the System¡¯s perception of his person many times before. All of the methods were merely wild theories, but if the ungrateful ¡®god¡¯ was playing around the rules then maybe it was time for him to start testing the waters. We will see when I finally master one of the techniques¡­ he thought resolutely. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.11] ¡°Soul Imbuement theory? What in chasem did you do to earn that?!¡± Aisha asked incredulously. ¡°Created a new Spell?¡± he said tentatively. ¡°Why is that a question?¡± she huffed, shaking her head. ¡°Are you even able to use that Spell of yours?¡± ¡°Ehehe¡­ no.¡± ¡°Figured.¡± She sighed, somewhat irritated. ¡°Soul Imbuement is an Energy Enhancement that you gain at the 500 Power milestone. The fact that you have the theoretical knowledge about it is a miracle in itself. You achieving that while working on a Spell when you didn¡¯t even reach the first Class sub-specialization? It¡¯s simply incomprehensible!¡± she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. Zeph cowered as she smashed her hands back on her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have done, but we will need to see if we can detect anything abnormal when you use it,¡± she stated; her teeth grinding slightly as she spoke. ¡°Be prepared for vigorous testing¡ªthe thing you like the most¡ªand training.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just¡­ ban this thing and not use it ever until I return?¡± he asked sheepishly, a small hope present in his voice. ¡°No. Now, catch and follow!¡± she said, throwing a heavy slab of metal at him. The training pole was, as always, more beat than anything in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. The difference was, the giant at least respected his tools. ¡°We are going to call all the Heads into the training room. You¡±¡ªshe pointed at him while leaning forward¡ª¡°are going to make a presentation. Then, we train.¡± Chapter 153 – Melee also requires Mana shenanigans. Refreshed equipment. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.11] The presentation ¨Cas Aisha gently called the process ¨C was as awkward as it was uncomfortable. A long, if simplified, explanation was only mildly annoying, for everyone. He spoke about Willforce and Willforce Morphon in the context of his new Spell but had to omit any details regarding his Will. All Heads of Departments were in the know or were clued about him being a Terrien, but he wasn¡¯t going to admit anything aloud in case anyone would be interrogated in the future. Being almost certain about something and having a solid confirmation were two different things. Considering a potential truth reader, the more wiggle room was left, the better. Especially for a Hannyajin like Kwan. The practical part, though, wasn¡¯t as straightforward. It was hard to focus fully when five eager pairs of eyes observed his every movement. And when he finally managed to construct his Spell, the intense prodding caused it to collapse within a few seconds. It took them six tries in between long resting periods before everyone was satisfied. Not including Zeph, though, as he was lying on the floor, panting heavily.
Congratulations! [Force Projection] [General Skill] is now [T2][L55]! (+5)
Even the fact that the Spell was becoming easier to manage with each successful construction didn¡¯t make him feel any better. ¡°Nothing suspicious here,¡± Makani was first to voice his verdict. ¡°Besides the fact that the construct is way bigger than it should.¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Aisha disagreed, ¡°the physical effect feels eerily familiar on my Veil. That familiarity makes it stand out¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all, it¡¯s interfering with Mana movements, too,¡± Ghrughah added. ¡°You are exaggerating, it¡¯s a new Spell! It has every right to be a bit strange,¡± P¡¯pfel said, gesturing at the area where the Spell manifested. ¡°Yes, it makes no difference to me.¡± Kwan shrugged. ¡°Aisha, anything in the Soul aspect?¡± ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t feel or see anything. But I expect it to change when he finishes this Spell. It¡¯s a prototype, if you forgot.¡± ¡°Mmm, it will be recognized as a milestone Enhancement, sooner or later,¡± the giant confirmed. ¡°Is that a bad thing, though?¡± P¡¯pfel asked. ¡°People did way stranger things with their Energy Enhancements.¡± ¡°Considering his level? It¡¯s very disconcerting,¡± Kwan said. ¡°This is not something you would consider before Class evolution.¡± ¡°You know¡­ I am still¡­ in the room¡­ right?¡± Zeph asked weakly between breaths. ¡°I think, it¡¯s safe enough,¡± Aisha said, ignoring the human husk¡¯s voice. ¡°If he trains his Soul Arts further, most would assume it¡¯s a combination of techniques that made it possible.¡± P¡¯pfel smirked, his glasses sliding to the end of his nose. ¡°To be, once again, mistaken for a wealthy fop? I like that idea!¡± He cackled. ¡°Cruel..¡± Zeph whispered into the air. ¡°Are we done yet?¡± Kwan asked with a sigh. ¡°I would rather work on our next selling order.¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Aisha said coldly, crossing her arms. ¡°It¡¯s the best opportunity to see how he fights when spent. I would appreciate it if you shared your wisdom as well¡­¡± P¡¯pfel huffed and turned to leave the room. Kwan rolled her eyes and did the same. But the rest stayed; their curious glances weighing down on his body almost physically¡­ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.28] Zeph had finally learned what his ¡®Enchanted¡¯ module could do. It was a simple affair, really. To the point where he regretted not reading from that General Skill before. It simply offered a multitude of ways to transform a Spell into an enchantment, knowledge about materials and how to possibly scan them, as well as ticks and tips about the fast application of enchantments in general. Also, there was information about Mana frameworks that should help him in the future, but he would have to construct them manually according to the situation, which wasn¡¯t helpful at this stage. Especially the more advanced topics. It was a Tier 3 General Skill. Even if those applications sounded simple, the memories contained inside the Skill were all but that. Zeph had an impression that some methods would require him to possess a computer built into his brain. At Tier 1 of the knowledge base integrated into the Skill, he learned about simple methods of fast application of enchantments in matter. Some weren¡¯t all that different from his ¡®Primitive enchanting¡¯ and other techniques he had been using, but the Skill also encompassed the reasoning behind them and a big chunk of theory. An awfully detailed reasoning. Not to mention, there were methods he would have never thought about ¨C like ¡®enchanting¡¯ the very air with a proper mix of Magicules and force constructs, although it has little to do with true enchantments. The thing was becoming convoluted as he reached the Tier 2 methodology, though. Also, most of the information centered on transforming Spells into enchantments, taking into account the environment, available materials, and other factors. As much as this was the most interesting part for him, it wasn¡¯t a simple topic at all. And yet, he was expected to be able to do such things on the fly. A ridiculous notion. To put it in simple terms, it was like calculating advanced integrals in his mind. Not only were there many ways of solving the same equation, but the way he would choose influenced the possible physical applications. For example, if he were to transform the 3D diagram of a Tier 0 Spell into a flat enchantment, it was better to apply the simplified ¡®Terov¡¯s flattening method¡¯ instead of anything more advanced. He would only lose around 10% of effectiveness and it would be exceptionally fast¡­ in theory. After that came the calculations pertaining to the material itself. Wood was way too complicated, but even uniform materials¡ªlike pure iron¡ªposed problems. It wasn¡¯t a Matrix Skill, so he would know nothing about the internal structure and/or flaws of the material. He would have to manually scan it somehow, or spend an awful lot of time getting accustomed to the tool he was going to use enchantments on. The latter method had a side effect of damaging the material, so he would have to attempt and test the enchantments on the copies of the tool first. Stolen story; please report. The effectiveness could vary as much as 40% in both directions, depending on his preparation, calculations, and application quality. Then came the compound materials. Truthfully, the Skill told him, in non-uncertain terms, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to calculate the outcome in any measure. If he wanted to get any repeatable results, he would have to invest in matter-scanning Skills or just do a whole lot of tests on the designated material and tool before using a Mana framework to work out a generalized enchantment. He would, theoretically, gain a Spell specialized for that exact enchantment if he succeeded, but he had his doubts. The level of complication was already reaching exponential growth at this point. How many variations would he have to record for the blasted thing to work smoothly with all of his Generalist Spells or other enchantments? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? And, most importantly, how could he store that amount of instructions with his limited Matrix Space? But only the Tier 3 knowledge was the true eye-opener. He started to understand how the Tiers worked, going by his Spells. But, evidently, he was still na?ve. Geometric transformations were present in the previous Tiers, but how could he¡ªinstinctually, mind you¡ªdo something requiring an application of non-euclidean geometry and corresponding math? Worse yet, the simplest of the logical puzzles¡ªwhich were already impossible to solve by hand¡ªwere merely forming a base for more complex ideas and calculus. Additionally, even if those Soul memories contained information about the methodology and math, it wasn¡¯t taking even one-tenth of the volume. Most of it was an experience of calculating all that in real-time by experienced specialists. And each one of them was thinking differently; each used their own notation and logical structures; even the language they used oftentimes differed. There was no straightforward and standardized math being used between the different memories ¨C kind of like before the 17th century on Earth. Those specialists in the memories used different symbols, different logic, and different bases for their ideas. Mathematics can be a universal language, but you first need to decipher the logic standing behind it. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Earth¡¯s movies about ¡®first contact¡¯ with aliens showed that much struggle with communication. At least the older movies. In the end, even if he could, slowly and methodically, extract pure math from all that, he could never use that knowledge in any fight efficiently. Also, he could not allow himself to specialize to such a degree without spending years over years training. By his estimation, he could force his Brain to learn how to semi-automatically process certain problems by training with the memories contained in the Skill, but no more than a few. He knew such things were possible ¨C forcing the human brain to estimate results based on input, almost like a computer ¨C and it was further confirmed by those specialists. But any more than that few trained operations? Impossible. And it wouldn¡¯t even scrap the tip of the iceberg of his needs. Of course, that would change if he could somehow split his mind. But that was merely a fanciful thinking. Even if it was possible¡ªand seeing the Onjis he was sure it was¡ªsuch a thing was unattainable for him. Anyway, even if the Tier 3 Soul memories were more ¡®crisp¡¯ and clear, the discrepancy between the original owners was only exaggerated thanks to that fact. It was like comparing the train of thought of an ancient philosopher and a modern mathematician in some cases. It was not easy, to say the least. But, it was also the first time he was learning from a General Skill legitimately. He wasn¡¯t forcing the levels to rise through random actions alone, but by studiously following the Soul memories written within. Memories passed over by the predecessors of the discipline. He was building his experience that way. He always knew that General Skills were meant to teach people, but he never expected the process to be so tedious. How did this translate to his training? It was more hellish than he could imagine. Aisha and Ghrughah were working hard at beating out of him any potentially dangerous ideas while he was trying his hardest to make use of his whole arsenal of equipment, abilities, and techniques. The idea was less to polish his newly-forming fighting style but to make sure he wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid by trying new things in a real fight. And there was a lot to test and get accustomed to. His Spells and melee weapons were one thing, but his equipment was also refreshed. Zeph¡¯s armor gained a new set of enchantments. Besides the classic ones ¨C like soundproofing enchantment, projectile shielding based on Air-Mana Spells, or the Anchoring enchantment ¨C he now had access to a few detection-type enchantments, some helping during a grappling-distance fight, and a set of auxiliary enchantments. Of course, it was too much to fit on his armor at once, but he had them on modular plates that could be replaced. They took quite a bit of place, but he was very happy to have them. Especially because of the last category of enchantments. Detection enchantments were the most important, as part of his detection-type Spells took a very long time to construct, rendering them useless in a combat situation. Quality-of-life enchantments would help him tremendously during the long travel ¨C keeping the temperature inside his armor comfortable and helping him with cleaning himself. He even had such simple enchantments like a Water Mirror from convenience. He would be able to focus on more important matters thanks to that. He also had a few small enchantments meant to help in unexpected situations ¨C like being imprisoned, or if he needed to cover his armor with dirt and/or water for additional protection, camouflage, or to make it airtight. He had w whole new bag of tricks this time around. Sadly, Ghrughah wasn¡¯t able to make the armor airtight by itself ¨C the seals would fail at some point, no matter what he did. But Aisha was adamant that contingency measures against toxic air or underwater exploration had to be made. As so, Zeph had many new enchantments to get used to, and he wasn¡¯t even that proficient with the ones on his spear, so he had a lot to learn. He was also training with his pistol, now that he had new ammunition. The accuracy have dropped and he knew the weapon would fail at some point, but the giant assured him a new one would wait for him in a few months. It was the best emergency solution for Zeph, so he also tested his gun-fu in hand-to-hand with Aisha. It was a painful experience. Besides that, he now had a new compound crossbow. This one was much stronger than his old one ¨C the materials were so much better for the job. Ghrughah was delighted to see a new blueprint flying his way, too. All in all, Aisha, Zeph, and the giant focused on the melee and hand-to-hand combat. They also made sure that Zeph¡¯s instincts regarding the distance and timing were top-notch. It could end very badly if he miscalculated and started firing a mid-range enchantment from his spear instead of preparing for pure melee ¨C people could move very fast, after all. Sadly, they only had time for basic training in projectile detection and application of countermeasures, but there wasn¡¯t much they could do about that. ~~~ ¡°I think it will be all right to finish here today,¡± Aisha finally said, allowing him to collapse to the floor. She was wearing a loose shirt and pants, all in a gentle yellow, used locally during hand-to-hand combat training. They were quite similar to the martial artist¡¯s attire back on Earth. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something, shall we?¡± she asked, coming closer. She bent down and grabbed his ankle before unceremoniously dragging his aching body to the corner of the training room. ¡°You should have started with the physical training. If it was left to me, I would have reserved those two months for this exclusively.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s thank the Onjis that it wasn¡¯t the case, then,¡± he said silently. His breathing was already stabilizing, but he would have to wait another few minutes before trying to sit up. It was the last day of their focused training, as Zeph had only four days left before their planned departure. He still had unfinished business to take care of, and it would be safer if he was well-rested before the long trip started. ¡°Don¡¯t be a grump,¡± she said with a false pout, releasing his leg and throwing herself at the big pillows set on the floor. ¡°I care for you! You had plenty of bad ideas and dangerous habits. At least now, I can trust you to not die like a total fool. Well, not fully, maybe¡­¡± Zeph laughed dryly with an unimpressed face. ¡°Hmph, and here I brought good news today, too¡­¡± Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised as he turned his head to her. ¡°I see. I think it can wait a few more hours if you were keeping it to yourself a whole day, no?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Maybe those few days of rest are really necessary¡­ you are behaving more and more like an aging man,¡± she said, reaching to the low table for a plate filled with meat. ¡°Anyway. You remember that scholar that was to meet you around spring?¡± He nodded slowly. The information about the planned city¡¯s lockdown complicated everyone¡¯s plans. Makani¡¯s friend was to arrive around spring, but Zeph had to leave the city before that. It wasn¡¯t possible to wait for the man only to have some small talk about technology, and, most probably, he wasn¡¯t aware yet of the whole situation as he was keeping contact with Makani through letters. Those took a while to arrive. Without any method to arrange their meeting, the idea was forgotten. ¡°We received information that he was denied permission to stay in the city during the possible siege. He should receive the message from the city soon, but it will catch him in the middle of his journey. Makani wants our ship to give him a lift as he is traveling along the western coast. It wouldn¡¯t take much time and you guys don¡¯t have a strict schedule, either way.¡± Zeph sighed. ¡°Let me guess. Makani already sent him a proposition to meet our ship somewhere? Before asking anyone.¡± She grinned. ¡°Indeed. Not like you have any reason to decline.¡± She leaned back and took a small bite from a fried leg of some unknown small bird. ¡°You are already taking a stranger ¨C the Mapmaker lass ¨C along with you, so you will have to keep your guard up all the time, with the man on board or without.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good news, I suppose,¡± he nodded. ¡°I will have to pack some notebooks¡­¡± Chapter 154 – All ready! The voyage starts; the ship’s crew wanders. Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.29] The next day, Zeph visited the Library first thing in the morning. Firstly, he wanted to restock his personal stash of writing tools, including empty notebooks. Even if the Interface¡¯s Notebook functionality that he was granted by Onji Togana could cover his personal notes, he wanted to be ready in case the scholar wanted to write down or draw something. Secondly, his access to the books wasn¡¯t fully remote. He and the Library Goddess had an agreement ¨C his Interface¡¯s Notebook functionality wouldn¡¯t reserve any of his Mana Regeneration, but any other function had to be paid for. Remote access to books was especially pricey, requiring 500 Mana per second. It was true that ¡®downloading¡¯ a book didn¡¯t take much time, but perusing the catalog or searching through the millions of books available did. Also, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it consistently even if he wanted to ¨C his Mana Regeneration could cover only about half the cost and his Mana capacity would allow him a measly 4 seconds of ¡®connection¡¯. In other words, if he wanted to bring something for his voyage, he would have to visit the Library to upload the memory of this Interface upgrade. Well, he could also buy physical copies of the books, but let¡¯s be real ¨C nobody would choose that option if they had the Interface Notebook function. Especially when going into the sea ¨C for obvious reasons. However, he still could remotely exchange his notes for special books, and without any cost at that. Onji Togana seemed to be vastly impatient in that regard ¨C she wanted an immediate copy of anything he transcribed from his memory and wanted to ¡®sell¡¯, thus she was personally powering the connection to make an exchange possible. He could understand that sentiment, too. With all the things he was hiding from the vast world, his chances of freely and regularly visiting her Temples weren¡¯t high. But the problem was, Earth¡¯s literature was worth much more than the simple books he needed right now. He had access to all restricted wealth of knowledge, but it was meaningless if he wasn¡¯t able to understand or utilize it. Not even a year have passed since he awoke in this new world ¨C he didn¡¯t need rare, advanced, and esoteric books. He had to work from the very basics and slowly build up his knowledge before even attempting to indulge in more advanced topics. Exchanging his limited stash of Earth¡¯s works for something he could easily pay for in gold was out of the question. Not to mention, writing down a whole book was a lengthy and arduous process. Even with all the help from his Implants and Enhancements, reading Soul Memories was never an easy task. His notes on experiments were worth even more and, as per the agreement, Onji Togana had full access to them at all times. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t going to make them public just yet ¨C that would require Zeph¡¯s and the System¡¯s approval. But, yet again, he was unable to cash in that accumulating wealth. At least his ruse with Alana and Alex worked out wonderfully. Yuki Togana hadn¡¯t known that they were present on Corora. It was a rare chance for her to attain more of the Earth¡¯s written creations, which he leveraged during the negotiations. Other Terriens were already working under other Temples or organizations, making such an exchange impossible or very costly. People and gods here certainly liked to have an exclusive right to the new knowledge. It was a small relief knowing that his old acquaintances from the Apes were safe and, most probably, lived luxurious lives. He would choose his freedom any time of the day instead, but it wasn¡¯t like they were prisoners. Probably. Anyway, Alex and Alana delivered and Yuki Togana was more than satisfied. He had mentioned during their last meeting that he had a deal with the Library Goddess, and they not only agreed to fulfill his promise but started abusing it as much as possible. The books they had read on Earth were flowing incessantly into Togana¡¯s Library while they started hoarding rare Corora¡¯s books like greedy Gnomes stockpiling gold. The Onji was especially enamored with the cultural works stemming from Japan, but that was the domain of Alana. It seemed that the Goddess was actively looking for some relaxation materials. Not like he couldn¡¯t relate ¨C living eternally could certainly become very boring at some point. Alex, despite his ancestor, wasn¡¯t a fan of the fantasy genre stemming from that country, thought. Instead, he was in possession of a long list of original myths and mythologies from across the world. Even if it never gained much traction with the Goddess, from what Zeph has heard, the cultural aspect still fascinated her. Mostly because those stories were mentioning fantastical beings that weren¡¯t present on Earth but were very much real on Corora and neighboring worlds. It was a mystery he wanted to solve at some point, although he already had a hunch. When he first arrived on this planet, he learned that his Intuition was trained almost to its natural limit because of the hardships his Soul had to endure on Earth. And Intuition was the main aspect responsible for auguring abilities. If other Earthlings were more talented in that regard and similarly trained, he could easily see where their inspirations were coming from. Going back to the books he needed, there were two topics he had to gather knowledge on. There was more, of course, but his Survival General Skill was waiting to be upgraded. Before it evolved, he had to max out the related Tier 1 knowledge General Skills. There were more conditions, but that part would probably take him the longest. ¡®Corora Lifeforms¡¯ and ¡®Corora herbarium¡¯ had to reach their max level, which meant that he had to study a lot. His journey through the sea into the new lands should help significantly as well ¨C seeing and interacting with new species seemed to level the Skill quite fast. That plus a rich library of bestiaries and flora catalogues in his Notebook should be enough to achieve Tier 2 in the Skills before he returned to the city. At least he didn¡¯t have to worry about maps. Making drawings in his Notebook was still a major pain and a waste of time, even if he was becoming better at copying pictures. With the Mapmaker¡¯s Guild Cartographer and the ship¡¯s crew, he was very much secure on that front. It took him most of the day to choose his books, mostly because of how many were available. Because not much time of the day was left, he decided to take a quick ride to the Shrine. He wanted to update his notes on upgrades available at the Exchange and check how much the System would try to extort from him in a case he decided to buy the knowledge about the exact positions of the Makrun. He could use his Shrine Seed to check, but not everything was available through it and he wasn¡¯t sure if the information about inaccessible upgrades would be the same ¨C it was better to make sure. Especially because he had time on his hands and not a lot to do with it. He could as well have a nice ride through the empty streets of the city. As so, he decided to take a little detour and instructed the coachman to drive through a few more extravagant districts. The view of the winter night in Lurona was quite breathtaking by itself, but it paled in comparison to the lightshow surrounding the Towers, Temples, and historical buildings. As always, the Temple district was the most interesting. The wealth of architectural styles there was unparalleled. Even if the fluffy show covered most of the decorations, each school and style could be easily distinguished. Zeph even started reading from the tourist ¡®map¡¯ saved in his Notebook to gain a bit more insight into the history and reason for building like that. Compared to the impromptu tour, his visit to the Shrine was quite underwhelming. As expected, the exact locations were exorbitantly expensive. Mostly because that knowledge wasn¡¯t coming from Soul memories ¨C the domain of the System ¨C but was outsourced from other Onjis. He would be able to get a few high-tiered and rare General Skills for the price. Still, it was good to know that he had options. He wasn¡¯t going to put all his hopes in the hands of the Mapmakers. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.30] In the last-ditch effort to compensate for his lack of forethought, Zeph spent most of the next day working on new Cubes. Or, as the System called them, Low Mana density Liquid Spell Mediums. He cried tears of blood when buying so much mercury, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. He wanted to have Makani¡¯s shockwave Spell, a full version of the High-frequency Spatial Flux Spell that was enchanted on his Spear, and a Tier 2 version of the Beam Spell ¨C also available thanks to the Spells they have brought from the Timefold Tower to enchant his weapon. And it has to be emphasized that no Tower would share their Tier 2 Spells cheaply with people who weren¡¯t part of their organization. It showed just how much his manuals for modifying Spells into enchantments were worth. His plan was to, at the very least, memorize them. Manually constructing something as complex as a Tier 2 Spell, especially in a combat situation, was out of the question for now. He expected that the construction would take him between 15 minutes to an hour, assuming he wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes and could spend that much of his pure Will. It just wasn¡¯t realistically possible just yet. To place the constructs inside the Cubes, though, P¡¯pfel had to manually shape and harden the mercury before they could encase them. No one was able to construct that Spell, so Zeph had to trust in the Gremling¡¯s ability to recreate the construct by hand. Thankfully, the professor was privy to the techniques used to create Spell molds and it didn¡¯t take him much time to form them according to the manuals. Truth be told, they didn¡¯t need a cube at all for this process ¨C the shaped Mana conductor would work even better if it was outside and it would work just like other frameworks used in the Towers to teach the budding Manacasters. The problem was, the cast would be not only brittle but would degenerate with time and usage. It was much better to initially shape it before stabilizing the construct within mercury by using Mana-L. The hardening agent would dissipate, allowing the stabilization effect to replace it and for the mercury to flow naturally through the shape, preventing any deterioration. Additionally, Zeph would be richer by a few Cubes which he could always use for other purposes. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. There were some complications, though. Firstly, they didn¡¯t optimize those Spells to work inside the cube, which would cause the flow of mercury to clog and distort the shape if the Spell was powered in its entirety. Thus, Zeph would have to learn by carefully tracing parts of the construct. Secondly, Tier 2 Spells weren¡¯t static ¨C they revolved and morphed when activated. That meant Zeph had access only to the starting configuration without the ability to truly study the Spells¡¯ behavior. And finally, he had to be extra careful around the active sides of the Spells. Any movement caused by the activation of its function would immediately destroy the diligently prepared shape, trivially breaking the stabilization effect of Mana-L. Besides that, the cubes containing Tier 2 Spells had to be bigger to compensate for their size. Even if those constructs weren¡¯t taking the whole volume of a Cube, they required more space to accommodate the flow of mercury and the asymmetry of their shape. The original Cube was 8 centimeters in size. The new ones had to almost double that. At 15 centimeters per side, the volume of mercury was almost 6.6 times larger. It was a huge hit to his budget, even taking into account the leftovers from P¡¯pfel¡¯s old prison cave. It was evident that his invention wouldn¡¯t be popular on stratum zero if he decided to start selling it as a product. If not for the direct support from his Guild, he wouldn¡¯t be able to create so many. It was a logical outcome, though. With him being absent for an indefinite time, Kwan was more than glad to cover most of the costs. That did delay paying off the debt he had towards Ghrughah, but because there was no interest, it was better to spend his future earnings from their business right now. Thanks to that, he managed to make three big Cubes and one standard-sized ¨C five in total if he took into account his old one. Each one possessed a slightly different mechanism for construct dissipation and Mana-L saturation, for the sake of testing different solutions and their effectiveness. He would prefer another empty big Cube to make some testing around ¡®enchanting¡¯ and running Tier 2 Spells through it, but it would be pure vanity. He could test the active sides using the second small Cube and use it as a proper Spell container when needed instead. He wasn¡¯t able to fully construct any Tier 2 Spells either way. At least, not manually. But that also prompted him to visit Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. Those cubes would have to be kept close to his body at all times for him to feed them Mana to power the stabilization. Of course, the internally enchanted Spells wouldn¡¯t fade that quickly, but they had to be kept in his Veil during the travel. If he lost one, there was no hope of regaining it until he returned. As so, he asked the giant to fix him a thin, armored backpack that could be rigidly affixed to his armor. That way he would have an extra layer of protection and a battle-ready backpack to keep essential equipment. Because it wasn¡¯t a part of his ¡®Living Armor¡¯, there was no need to produce more Fullerene. Instead, Ghrughah used one of the more durable materials that was actually better suited for purely physical shielding. It still cost him some gold, but a few thousand was incomparable to his debt of over a million. Using the occasion, he also picked up his new gas mask, miniaturized compression box, and pistol ammunition. The mask wasn¡¯t anything fancy ¨C basically, the same thing used during Tournament ¨C but it could be easily placed over his helmet in a way that prevented it from dislodging. Besides standard filters and Air Filtering enchantment, he could connect a small container with pressurized air to it. It wouldn¡¯t last long, but the container was also enchanted to extract oxygen from water. It wasn¡¯t that hard, despite Zeph¡¯s initial surprise. Heating the water was enough to release the dissolved gas from it. Moreover, the enchanted could also be used to increase one¡¯s bodily temperature in extreme cases. The enchantment worked on an area but was containing a volume of water at the same time, so it was a good, if wasteful, method to prevent hypothermia. The compression box would be affixed to armor separately, just under his right arm. He would have to manually keep the Mana density stable ¨C it was a form of training, as well as the most inconspicuous method for transporting a Manasolid. It wasn¡¯t requiring a constant focus, though. He could do that, of course, but the small size of the box only meant that the Mana was leaking faster from it. Not instantly. He would be able to sleep peacefully and the box would activate a weak Discharge enchantment when the Mana density would start to drop below the acceptable level. Manasolids were more stable in higher Mana densities, too, so he could overcharge it before taking a rest. It would all be much simpler if Gru was awake. His companion could help with preserving information about the Tier 2 Spell constructs. He could have, potentially, kept the Manasolid inside his main body. They would be able to test tattoos and internal enchantments, potentially decreasing his dependence on equipment. Not to mention the help with the Soul Arts training he would be practicing during the journey. They could have been working on so many things together¡­ Sadly, the reality wasn¡¯t that merciful. That didn¡¯t mean that Zeph wasn¡¯t going to prepare for Gru¡¯s eventual awakening, though. He entered Irra¡¯s laboratory without knocking. The security was strict enough for them to not worry about random intrusions. The diminutive woman with catgirl features didn¡¯t even notice his entrance. She was fully focused on alchemical glassware and the vivid violet grease that was slowly dripping into the final flask. This laboratory was under the supervision of his Department. Or rather, his and Aisha¡¯s combined Departments, as it was from after the Tournament. It was a small one, but they didn¡¯t have a need for anything larger dedicated to pure Alchemy. Pavail¡¯s place was much bigger, especially because of all the animals she was keeping there as test subjects. Healing experimentation wasn¡¯t a pretty business. ¡°Yo!¡± he called, unhurriedly walking towards her station. ¡°Any progress?¡± She clicked her tongue, not taking her eyes from the measuring devices. ¡°I am close, but this¡±¡ªshe knocked on the flask¡ª¡°won¡¯t be useful. If I had more time¡­¡± her voice petered out at the end. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. Gru isn¡¯t even conscious right now, so what could we do?¡± he asked, stopping beside her. ¡°Just give me the latest prototypes. If I manage to wake him up, I would rather test the waters before returning.¡± She sighed tiredly. ¡°It would be so much easier if he wasn¡¯t in your body.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I am the weak link here, Miss Mechalchemisth.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I take it, you are staying despite the lockdown?¡± he changed the topic. ¡°And what would be a better opportunity to shake off my tail?¡± she asked, glancing at him; her ears flexing involuntarily. ¡°I won¡¯t have a better occasion to put things straight.¡± ¡°Oho,¡± he smirked. ¡°Earning much? Who would have thought?¡± ¡°Humph, smug prick.¡± She turned her head away, hiding a slight blush on her cheeks. ¡°I will prepare the prototypes. Keep an eye on the setup, will ya?¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he said placatingly, smiling awkwardly. ¡°Just ¡®keep the parameters constant¡¯, right?¡± _______________________________________________________________________________________ Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.03.32] Zeph had a dilemma. He spent the whole previous day relaxing, as he promised to do. By that, he meant thinking about his Spell list, by the way. Yet, he was unable to reach any reasonable conclusion. His current Spells were the most trained and most often used. He knew he should start experimenting with Spells producing new types of Magicules ¨C the future of his Generalist Class depended on it ¨C but most of them were quite useless. Worse yet, he had become so accustomed to his current setup that it would be hard to break his habits. His training with Aisha and Ghrughah only confirmed that fact. His Matrix Spell list didn¡¯t look much different even after a whole day of thinking. He merely added a few new ones to train because he had a spare Matrix Space. This¡­ isn¡¯t going according to the plan¡­ he thought to himself. ¡°Perfect weather,¡± Kwan said, breaking him from his reverie. ¡°It¡¯s actually surprising the forecast was this accurate.¡± He stopped, only now realizing that he was walking in circles. The excitement is getting the better of me, he thought, turning to the group standing on the pier beside him. Or is it stress? All Heads of the Sepia Familia Guild were present, ready to send him off. Well, besides Makani ¨C the man was going with him. ¡°She¡¯s late,¡± Aisha complained, impatiently tapping her feet on the wooden planks. ¡°Not really, we are early,¡± Makani said, vigorously rubbing his hands to warm them up. ¡°I told you we should wait for her at the headquarters!¡± Kwan huffed ostentatiously. ¡°I am not letting that woman into my domain. Fat chance!¡± Zeph laughed silently while making an awkward face. After he reported how advanced the woman was in Mana Manipulation, she and Aisha went into a frenzy mode, increasing the security level of the compound to almost the highest possible level. Kwan was especially wary, like a wild animal whose territory was being attacked. He couldn¡¯t even blame them, though. The Mapmaker¡¯s organization smelled like an ancient trouble waking from its eternal slumber. Aisha was ignoring it for the longest time but his assessment of their ability to Manipulate Mana made her turn one-eighty in her approach. ¡°All packed up!¡± came a shout from the boat, distracting Zeph and making him cringe. He knew this voice very well. It was the ¡®pirate¡¯ captain, Darrah Vuld. The master of bootlicking. How he managed to become the third mate on their ship, he still wasn¡¯t sure. Yes, he was well qualified. He was also knowledgeable about the local sea thieves and smuggling market which could potentially spare them some trouble. He wasn¡¯t useless or incompetent. But, for god¡¯s sake, his tenacity in drilling holes in his supervisors¡¯ brains and a... Ehem, in fawning over the majesty of their Guild and the superiority of each and every officer that was even slightly higher than him in the hierarchy was simply disgusting. Yet, he was contracted with the System Onji as a witness and executor to be Zeph¡¯s shield. The Guild wasn¡¯t exactly trusting towards the crew and the passengers, even if they checked everyone¡¯s background. Zeph was just lamenting the fact that it had to be that man instead of a silent Hannyajin. Even if Kwan¡¯s people weren¡¯t proficient or knowledgeable in naval combat. ¡°Finally! No time to waste!¡± Makani exclaimed, walking quickly in the direction of the boarding ramp. ¡°Go ahead. You can heat up our quarters a bit when you are at it,¡± Zeph said to his back, shaking his head. He wasn¡¯t cold thanks to the enchantments on his armor, so he could wait in peace for the Cartographer to arrive. Makani didn¡¯t even look back. His lacking physical Passive Enhancements were, once again, showing how bad the winter on Corora could be for normal folk. They didn¡¯t have to wait long after that. A few minutes later, a tall blondie exited the main building. She was dressed in a heavy leather coat with fluffy fur leaning the insides. On her back was a reinforced backpack almost the same height as her body. And she was on the taller side herself, for a Corora¡¯s human. The thing was filled to the brim and a multitude of strange devices was hanging for dear life from the belts affixed to it. She marched confidently up to them in the accompaniment of jingling metal, frowning as took in the ship. ¡°I thought it would be bigger,¡± she commented, stopping beside their group. Zeph¡¯s eyebrow raised and he looked back at the vessel. It was 45 meters long, at least. They had a crew of 10 men and three guests as of now. By any means, it was one of the larger ships he saw near the harbor, excluding the cargo ships. ¡°Rude,¡± Aisha commented. ¡°It¡¯s plenty long!¡± ¡°Anything larger would slow you down,¡± Ghrughah interjected in a neutral tone. ¡°It was the fastest option that had a satisfying defensive capability. Cartographer.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Staying true to the Mapmaker¡¯s custom, they weren¡¯t asking the enigmatic lady for her name. Thus, the introductions weren¡¯t necessary. She would be called by her role, just as she wanted, and there was no reason for her to know their names. Aisha was still seething that she wasn¡¯t able to uncover that little information, though. ¡°It¡¯s winter, woman. You can¡¯t safely travel the sea in anything larger.¡± ¡°I disagree,¡± the Cartographer answered resolutely. ¡°You just need to strengthen the hull enough¡ª¡° ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± Kwan suddenly interfered. ¡°We don¡¯t have all day.¡± She sent a stinky eye to Aisha. ¡°Everyone is here, let¡¯s move along.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± the woman nodded, turning away from the grimacing Priestess. It didn¡¯t take long to say their goodbyes and blessings. The Guild Heads were here on their own volition, not because they were needed. As so, there was no reason to stall and make small talk. Also, it was quite cold that day, despite the clear sky and the lack of wind. Nobody was eager to stall. Zeph and the Cartographer lady handled their city amulets to the official overseeing the pier and boarded the ship. A call to move was made by the captain and the moorings were lifted. The ship started to slowly float down the river with an accompaniment of creaking boards and shouting officers. The angled sails were unfurled and the ship started to gain speed. The beginning of a long journey has finally started. Chapter 155 – Green Crest port town and the scholar. Spire Sea, near the northern coastline, local time [1794.04.05] The ship was sailing lazily through the icy waters of the Spire Sea, catching up to the small waves ahead and cutting through without any difficulty. The morning breeze gently caressed Zeph¡¯s face as he observed the sharp, jagged coastline visible in the distance. The name of the sea wasn¡¯t a work of chance. Its waters were dotted with thousands upon thousands of islands, and those closer to the shores, made of hard rock, were always reaching high into the sky ¨C like gigantic claws trying to catch the clouds. Moreover, the sea itself was cutting into the land like an enormous wedge, almost splitting the continent into two. If it weren¡¯t for the islands, the sheer shape would have brought that name to existence. Because of the calm waters and downwind course, one could have an impression that they were moving rather slowly. That would be a lie. Zeph was sure they could rival motor vessels in speed. Their technology was quite complicated, as he had learned. With only 13 people, they wouldn¡¯t be able to efficiently use full-blown Mana jet engines. Instead, the ship was using a lesser variant in large numbers, along with enchanted sails and complex systems redirecting airflow. The ship was still using sails as a main source of propulsion, but those weren¡¯t set vertically on masts and angled horizontally like on Earth¡¯s ships. Instead, they were leaning backwards, forming a multi-layered canopy above the hull. Of course, the sides could be lifted, not dissimilar to setting a normal sail askew. But, thanks to that, the movement of air was vertical, not horizontal. It was a very important feature, as the air pressure was being used for additional purposes. It had to be released near the front and along the sides when sailing with the wind. Of course, the Sails¡¯ enchantments were producing a simple Mana effect preventing Magicules and Mana from moving freely through them ¨C similar to the aerostat¡¯s ¡®wings¡¯, just smaller and less efficient. It was crucial to enclose the Magicules. The air, moving across a sail, was being saturated with Air-Magicules responsible for thickening it. The additional friction and viscosity helped the sails to catch more energy, but that wasn¡¯t all ¨C the vents lining the borders of the deck had an easier time catching the conglomerated air. The air was already under higher pressure at that point, but the enchanted vent system was still able to suck it down like a vacuum cleaner due to what was happening on the other end of the system. Inside, the true magic was happening. With the help of a series of incomprehensible machinations, the pressure was being distributed between many air-supplying pipes. Of course, the Magicule composition was being affected along the way. At the end of each pipe, a small version of a jet engine waited for the delivery, creating the sucking force as a result. There were 17 lesser engines in total, each engaged in a different capacity depending on the needs. 10 of them sat on the deck, hidden under the floorboards. Those were directed at the sails from below, in case of a headwind. They couldn¡¯t ¨C obviously ¨C push the ship forward with any efficiency. It would be like trying to direct a fan at a sail in the hope of pushing the ship forward. But when active during a headwind, they were able to keep the pressure under the sails high while decreasing the air density, all thanks to the Magicule composition and oversaturation. The sails were kept quite tout on their frameworks so no pressure fluctuation was able to deflate them fully, but a deformation could screw the whole airflow, thus the need to keep the pressure up. On the other hand, the decrease in the air density was necessary to reverse the sails¡¯ functionality in comparison to the tailwind. With a higher Mana density and gas pressure under the sails, but lower air density, a natural pressure equalization was taking place. The air was being sucked in from the front, decompressed, and pushed away from the back of the ship. Some of it was pushed into the deck vents, but because it wasn¡¯t enough for the engines, the ship was catching most of the air through opened frontal vents. The Magicules populating the air under the sails, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have time to follow the basic physics of the airflow. The ones that didn¡¯t manage to tie with the air molecules to decrease air density, destabilized inside the turmoil with time. The energy released during their disintegration strengthened the effect while causing even more Magicules to destabilize. It was an engine in itself ¨C one burning Mana as a fuel ¨C even if the efficiency wasn¡¯t the best. But that¡¯s why the ship possessed the second and third sets of weak jet engines. Another 4 engines were fueled with a mix of Magicule-saturated air and a bit of a flammable powder to push the boat forward. They were placed directly at the back and worked like a simple speed boost. Those were closer to the real jet engines, but their function was multifaceted. Not all of them were working at all times ¨C it strongly depended on the weather conditions and mode of operation of the ship. Their most basic function was to drain away and make use of the overflow of Mana-saturated air. Their secondary function was to equalize the pressure in the pipe system and buffer any fluctuations. Also, because they were using an actual fuel, it was not only very costly but also risky to have them online at all times to speed up the travel. The last 3 engines were underwater. And they were the most complex of the lot. Depending on the sea currents, weather, wind, underwater Magicule drift, and other factors, they could help with the ship¡¯s buoyancy, speed, water friction, or internal pressure manipulation. Not to mention, they could also work as a measuring, detection, or deterrent device. As for the last one ¨C nobody knew what was hiding in the deep sea. But sometimes, something that decided to check the shallower waters rose from the depths. Whole books were written, describing sailors¡¯ encounters with the unknown water beasts. Thankfully, making a lot of underwater noise seemed to dissuade most of them from attacking. But such attacks were a true rarity. Sporadic enough for Zeph to actually crave for one. Dropping that line of thought, he turned his head to his right to look at the ship. Different from the coastal boats, the edges of sails were almost flush with the deck when not raised up on any side. Also, there was no central structure that could allow for viewing from the level of the deck. Thus, to enjoy the view, Zeph had to stand near the front of the ship where the sails weren¡¯t reaching. A smooth, slow waves traversed through the white fabric of the taunt, white fabric that covered almost entirety of his view. The discrepancy between their slow movement and the gusts of the wind he could feel in his hair was jarring, but the pattern itself mesmerizing. The waves weren¡¯t moving only vertically ¨C it was a slowed down cacophony of shapes that played on the canvasses. In the distance behind them, he noticed the outline of the High Peak of Brenn. They left it behind two days ago, and yet, it was still towering over the horizon. ¡°Light shenanigans,¡± he whispered to himself, focusing on the mountain. Yea, no wonder. The water is so dark it¡¯s unnatural, he thought, turning back to the almost black waters below the ship. I should start modeling it¡­ This phenomenon should have the second-most-important effect on a global scale, after all. ¡°Course for the harbor! All guests to their cabins!¡± a muted shout of the captain reverberated through the cold air. Zeph clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction. He didn¡¯t have even half an hour to straighten his legs. At the same time, he could hear people moving behind the white curtain of the sails, which added to his irritation. Shaking his head, he turned around and walked up to the hatch leading to the lower deck. As much as he would like to stay, it was cold and the wind was going to intensify. Not to mention, maneuvering the ship perpendicular to the waves ought to swing the boat quite a lot with their current speed. Stepping down, he followed the right wall, keeping his hand on the railing. As was customary, the corridors below were vast, allowing the crew and guests to pass other people without suffering from the crowded space. Their Veils were constantly sucked up, but even the remnants were enough to require space. The three-meter-wide passageways were enough to move around without discomfort. However, that was also one of the reasons their cabins were so small. On the other hand, it was a blessing that each person could have a separate room. Zeph wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the same chamber with another person for more than a week straight. He would know, especially after visiting the orphanage in Lurona so often. Even sleeping in the same room with kids was straining, even though their Veils were almost non-existent. He could only imagine how fast he would develop insomnia in a more ¡®crowded¡¯ space; Mana-wise crowded, that is. The doors ahead opened suddenly. ¡°Mornin¡¯!¡± Vuld greeted him cheerfully, hastily closing the door to his cabin with a key. Zeph grimaced again. ¡°Mine ward starts now, ain¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ yes, theoretically¡­¡± Zeph said with a sigh, bracing himself as the ship churned. ¡°Can¡¯t you wait a bit, tho? Your quarters are just behind the wall¡­¡± And it was one of the least used setups. It was normal to use the odd cabin on a ship for storage, giving people an additional layer of isolation for their Veils, as it was growing and saturating the walls while they slept. Not that the walls and Mana-siphoning system weren¡¯t enough to isolate them to a satisfying degree, but any hole could easily become a problem without such precaution. Thus, the idea of arranging storage space between living quarters. Although, there was also the sleep hall where the crew regularly trained to be able to sleep close to each other. It was in the main cargo bay. ¡°Can¡¯t do, bossman,¡± Vuld said resolutely, turning to face Zeph. ¡°Zora will have my head if something happens without me bein¡¯ around. Wanna play some cards to kill time?¡± he asked enthusiastically. I would rather try to extract some information from the Cartographer if we have to wait, he thought, sending him a deadpan look. The woman was still ¡®getting accustomed¡¯ to her new accommodations and environment; or, at least, that was what she was proclaiming. Zeph had an inkling that she wasn¡¯t taking the constant rocking too well. She promised to teach him some navigating tricks, and yet all she did was visiting him for 15 minutes each day to gather data. ¡°I would rather not waste my time,¡± he said dismissively. Meditation training it is¡­ he thought with resignation. ~~~ Five hours later, Zeph was woken up by a pat on his shoulder. He was becoming sensitive enough during his meditation exercises that he could now easily notice physical contact. He opened his eyes slowly, noticing the lack of movement of the ship. He quickly forced his mind to focus, shaking off the vestiges of drowsiness caused by his Soul search. Without a word, he followed Vuld out of his cabin and up onto the deck. Their ship was already moored and the boarding plank was being secured. Looking around, he quickly noticed how similar the port was to Lurona¡¯s. The mountainous islands were, indeed, a bonding medium between the different centers of civilization around the Spire Sea. They were docked directly at the coastline, but the structures built around the rocky islands behind them were almost identical to what he saw in the big city. The traffic was much smaller, of course, but the multi-leveled platforms and line bridges crossing the distance between the high peaks brought to mind the more-developed counterparts in Lurona. It was a shame that most of it was inoperative. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would be surprised they even managed to arrive at the port ¨C most of the sea¡¯s surface was frozen solid and even the machinery around was covered in a thick layer of ice growing almost vertically ¨C in the direction of the blowing winds. Behind the port itself ¨C quite impressive for a medium-sized town ¨C he could see a stern architecture of higher buildings sticking above the port¡¯s warehouses. Nothing fancy, but definitely sturdy. Sturdy and very much cold, most probably. The Green Crest port town wasn¡¯t anything special by itself, but it was one of the rare trade hubs along the coast. It was close to the domain of the Custur, but stayed neutral towards the Onji. This made it a go-to place for all merchants who wanted to do some business before moving elsewhere. It was a gray zone, so to speak. A town on a border. A shame there wasn¡¯t that much of a fair trade. Otherwise, this place would have a chance to become a proper city in the future. Scanning the view, Zeph quickly took in all the information before refocusing. On the pier below, he noticed a conspicuous individual. The man was standing a few dozen meters away, waiting to be allowed entry by the port¡¯s guard. It was another tell-tale of the coming conflict. Every coastal settlement was monitored by the military to prevent smuggling and decrease any illegal activity before the supply route to the Lurona was fully established. The man was wearing a simple brown traveling cloak and carried a heavy-looking backpack made out of leather and wood. He was leaning on his long staff while waiting, reading from a small book held in a gloved hand. The thing that made him stand out from the sparse crowd was a bushy, brown beard. People here didn¡¯t like to grow their facial hair, so a splendid beard like that was quite a rare sight. Zeph could relate, being bearded as he was. Also, the man was so engrossed in his book that he didn¡¯t even notice when the guards left their posts. Frideric, their captain, finished the bureaucratic procedures in a record time. Probably because of all the recommendations he received from the city. After stepping on the hard wooden floor, Zeph staggered after taking a few steps. He instantly recognized why. It took him all of 10 unsteady steps to regain his ¡®land legs¡¯ as he abused his Willforce Morphon and Memory to readjust and get rid of his ¡®sea legs¡¯ ¨C as the sailors on Earth liked to call the effect of learning how to walk on a moving ship without faceplanting into the nearest wall with the slightest weave. The harbor was almost empty, so he at least hadn¡¯t made a laughing stock of himself. Moving with more dignity now, he approached the bearded man. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but are you waiting for something?¡± he asked, stopping near him. Distractedly, the man looked up. His eyes focused immediately after seeing Zeph¡¯s short posture, though. He was almost as tall as Aisha. ¡°Oh¡­ OH! Mister Zeph, I suppose?¡± he asked, looking around. ¡°It seems I missed the docking of your ship.¡± Zeph tilted his head. ¡°You were unaware that long? That book has to be quite interesting¡­¡± ¡°No, no! Haha. It¡¯s just me, don¡¯t worry about it. Ah, right!¡± He closed the book loudly and straightened up. ¡°I am Linus Ferrandis Gakkaitalo Argigarri, it¡¯s an honor to meet you,¡± he introduced himself, putting the book over his heart and bowing slightly. ¡°Zeph Einar Tabitalo,¡± he returned the gesture. ¡°But you most probably already know that.¡± It could be seen as a quite stiff introduction, but Zeph knew better. Staying at a safe distance was paramount to good manners between strangers. ¡°Haha! But to think I would be able to dispute with a Fullangrarian despite my bad luck!¡± he laughed loudly, straightening up. ¡°Yaaa~ it¡¯s like a dream come true.¡± Zeph could only smile awkwardly hearing that. ¡°You don¡¯t seem as old as I was expecting¡­ despite the beard,¡± he commented instead, trying to change the topic. ¡°Ahh, that?¡± he asked, pointing at his bushy and chaotic ¨C yet still ordered ¨C facial hair simultaneously with his book and finger. ¡°That¡¯s because my great-grandfather was at least a half-Fullangrarian. It just showed one day and doesn¡¯t want to disappear, hahaha~¡± Great¡­ Just great, Zeph thought, giving him his best seller¡¯s smile. Makani has never mentioned that! ¡°Ugh, can we find a better place?¡± Vuld asked from behind. For the first time, Zeph felt gratitude towards the pirate. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s find somewhere more private,¡± he said, nodding approvingly, ready to move. ¡°Huh? I thought we would go directly onto your ship?¡± Linus asked confusedly. ¡°The captain wants to restock and give the crew some time to unwind before we sail into the open sea,¡± Zeph said, grimacing slightly. ¡°As so, we will have to wait till morning.¡± The man¡¯s brow raised. ¡°Restock?¡± Vuld turned his head away. All of them knew what that meant. ¡°Nothing that¡¯s illegal on Kaian Islands.¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve made sure.¡± ¡°Oh, dear¡­ But that means¡­¡± ¡°Hey, no crossing the line!¡± Vuld suddenly erupted with a stern reprimand, interrupting the man¡¯s comment. ¡°I am NOT going to look into his¡­ acquaintances,¡± Zeph added calmly. ¡°If he¡¯s going to put the whole expedition into jeopardy, I wish him good luck with explaining that to our Cartographer.¡± ¡°Cartog¡ªno, no¡­¡± Linus shook his head, as if trying to forget what he was even trying to say. ¡°Anyway, I know a relatively peaceful place. It¡¯s a bit costly, though.¡± ¡°Lead the way. We aren¡¯t the ones paying for the stay, either way,¡± Zeph said a bit too eagerly.
Interface (picture version): Interface (unedited tables version):
Name: Zeph Einar Perk: Body fluidity auto-training
Race: Human (type 6671: ''Earthling'')
Passive Enhancements:
Power 60 Intuition 232
Flexibility 50 Memory 71
Regeneration 50 Greater Willpower 80
Basic properties:
Resource: Total: Available: Reserved:
Matrix Space: 252 0 252
Mana Capacity: 1_793 1_781 12
Mana Generation [/s]: 251 203 48
Class: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Force Generalist [Seeded] 15 2 214
Profession: Level: Unallocated points: Matrix space taken:
Shaman 38 6 27
Soul contamination: Details:
Space (type: B5001) 5.22%, slightly increases [Matrix space]
Will (type: H1) 8.73%, enhances interaction between Will and Mana
Iron Isotope Alloy (type: ZW1) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! Stolen novel; please report. [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 3.49%, stabilizes I.I.A. ZW1 in Mana environments
Planaria Ferrium Fullerene (type: CON8795-XA65) [Soul] imbalance detected! Natural [Soul contamination] balance not achieved! [Synhronization] detected! [Soul contamination] instable! 0.62%, [Unknown] effects.
Class Skill Matrices (CSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Electrify 0 91 0.45 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Ignite 1 93 0.23 s 4 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Melt 1 25 7.50 s 98 M 9 M/s 4
Lesser Boil 1 21 3.75 s 70 M 7 M/s 4
Lesser Vaporize 1 23 2.08 s 59 M 6 M/s 4
Lesser Condense Water 1 75 1.25 s 2 M 4 M/s 2
Lesser Water Liquefy 1 14 4.3 s 27 M 2 M/s 8
Lesser Humidity Detect 1 50 3.5 s 4 M 8 M/s 2
Lesser Sound Detect 1 55 1.19 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Lesser Harden 1 92 0.48 s 4 M 2 M/s 2
Lesser Telekinesis 1 99 1.92 s 5 M varies 3
Lesser Grinding 1 89 0.92 s 2 M varies 2
Stabilize 1 80 0.72 s 50 M varies 3
Lesser Life Ward [P.S.S.] 1 75 7.2 s 5 M - 3
Primitive Life Detection 1 79 0.39 s 4 M - 2
Lesser Life Detection 2 30 0.98 s 6 M - 4
Lesser Air Sphere 1 53 1.89 s/mod varies varies 12
Lesser Air Filtering 1 15 11 s 75 M varies 16
Electrify 0 91 0.45 s 63 M 10 M/s 1
Lesser Water Bubble 1 3 2.9 s 3 M - 4
Lesser Discharge 1 26 0.38 s 126 M - 8
Lesser Tremor Detect. 1 6 1 min 1500 M 100 M/s 14
Lesser Magnetic Scan 1 39 2 min 1200 M 50 M/s 32
Lesser Force Weave 1 54 0.29 s 300 M varies 25
Lesser Spatial Flux 1 5 1.87 s 114 M - 10
Lesser Spatial Distortion 1 6 8.85 s 284 M 25 M/s 14
Lesser Mana Beam 1 98 9.75 [5.5] s 120 M - 13
Lesser Mana Bomb 1 59 2.5 s 150 M varies 17
Profession Skill Matrices (PSM):
Skill: Tier: Level: Activation Reserved resources
Time: Cost: Channel: Matrix:
Mana Highlight [Spell] 1 68 37 s 957 M - 2
Lesser Light [P.S.S.] 1 59 0.71 s 1 M 1 M/s 2
Flashlight [Spell] 1 63 0.26 s 3 M 3 M/s 3
Flash [Spell] 1 69 0.30 s 10 M - 2
Spiritual Synchronization 1 55 varies varies varies 18
Passive Skills [Streamlined]:
Skill: Tier: Reserved Matrix: Reserved Mana:
Primitive enchanting 1 5 0
NOTEBOOK
General Skills:
Skill: Tier: Level: Type: Resource taken:
Unusable or Level-irrelevant
Interface 1 50 Inactive None
Tabu 1 100 Inactive None
Memories of the Earth N/A N/A Internal [variable] Mana, Will
Position of materials N/A N/A Knowledge [10] Mana/s
Knowledge
Ancient Civilizations 3 21 Knowledge [691] Mana /s
Universal Cir language 1 94 Knowledge [95] Mana /s
Corora lifeforms 1 55 Knowledge [56] Mana /s
Corora herbarium 1 16 Knowledge [17] Mana /s
Survival 1 100 Knowledge [101] Mana /s
Leatherworking 1 32 Knowledge [33] Mana /s
Exotic Metallurgy 1 6 Knowledge [7] Mana /s
Shamanic visions 2 20 Knowledge [222] Mana /s
Soul Imbuement theory 3 1 Knowledge [271] Mana /s
Spell Expansion introduction 2 1 Knowledge [58.6] Mana /s
Knowledge of Physical Actions
Mixed Enchanting Arts 2 35 Crafting [351] Mana /s
Earth¡¯s methodology 1 45 Science arts [46] Mana /s
Explosives 1 99 Crafting [100] Mana /s
Wood carving 1 12 Crafting [13] Mana /s
Javelin and atlatl 1 76 Martial arts [77] Mana /s
Spear [Enchanted] (style: E2M1) 2 75 Martial arts [695] Mana /s
Close combat (Mima) 1 60 Martial arts [61] Mana /s
[Enchanted] [Module] 3 7 Technique [397] Mana /s
Mixed arts
Willforce 2 78 Technique [720.8] Mana /s
Resonation Suppression 2 47 Technique [454.2] Mana /s
Extended Empathy: Feedback stimuli 2 45 Martial arts [437] Mana /s
Force Projection 2 55 Spellcasting [523] Mana /s
Willforce Imbuement 3 10 Soul Arts [460] Mana /s
Related to Will and Greater Willpower
Will contamination 1 61 Mixed [unknown] Mana, Will
Will 2 87 Knowledge [798.2] Mana /s
Will manipulation 2 95 Knowledge [867] Mana /s
W.P. Mana manip. 2 88 Knowledge [806.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul manipulation 2 33 Knowledge [333.8] Mana /s
W.P. Soul perception 2 85 Knowledge [781] Mana /s
W.P. Soul whack 2 49 Technique [471.4] Mana /s
W.P. Soul Memory access sharing 3 20 Technique [670] Mana /s
Related to Mana
Soul 1 97 Knowledge [98] Mana /s
Ambient Mana 1 87 Knowledge [88] Mana /s
A. Mana channeling 2 5 Knowledge [93] Mana /s
Mana manipulation 1 49 Knowledge [50] Mana /s
Mana perception 2 30 Knowledge [308] Mana /s
Mana rupture 1 17 Technique [18] Mana /s
Mana masking 2 15 Technique [179] Mana /s
Life Energy 1 41 Knowledge [42] Mana /s
Universal Points available: 1,951,522 Total: 22,314,189
Traits:
Mana incompatibility [Race] You were born in a world without Mana. Your body is able to operate normally without Mana. On the other hand, Mana is toxic to your cells.
Weaker suboptimal irregular Prana Metabolism [Race] Allows you to live in Prana environment, giving a miniscule boost to your metabolism. External Energy Dependency: None. Reserved Energy Regeneration: None.
Greater Will [Race] Your Will can energetically interact with Mana and Soul. Effects: Enhanced Mana Generation; Enhanced Manipulation; Enhanced Resistances; Specialized Soul Contamination; Greater Willpower; Greatly decreased Will dissipation; Ability to contamine Soul with [Will, type: H1]! Grants alternative method of sharing [Soul Memories].
Soul dissipation resistance [Race] Powered by Will. Instinctual reaction when exposed to Soul damage.
Hard Trained (HT) Intuition [Completed Achievement] You have spent your whole life without Mana. Even without an intermediary, Mana being one of them, you managed to connect with your Soul. You trained your intuition almost to its natural limit. Multiplies Intuition enhancement effectiveness by 2 until the next milestone.
Soul fragmentation (10.00%) [Diagnostics] You are lucky! Normally, at around 15% a cascade effect destroys a Soul! You managed to slow down this process significantly, but it was stopped only after you entered this world! You.Are.Welcome!
You were right [Reward] MS calculated that another mutagen had 94% chance of successfully implementing desirable changes to the [Garuan]. It Failed. The probability of your choice working was less than 5%. You were right, you have permanent access to Ancient Civilizations Database.
Well-informed [Reward] The Mighty System (MS) decided you are worthy communicating with. For some time, at least, and mostly because you will die prematurely otherwise.
Second life [Reward] You should be dead. Two times over, actually. Yet, you are still the first of your race to come. You have one reviving option (MS sends its regards), assuming prerequisites are met.
Advanced and independent improvements:
Energy Enhancements: Details:
Willforce [Extended Will shielding] Basic [Energy component] of [Willforce Morphon], the complex [Modification]. This [Micro-structure] allows for advanced applications of [Will] and is acting as an intermediary in [Energy exchange]. It is permeating the [Body] and [Soul] and possesses [Unknown] manipulation applications. Cost: Reserved 15% of [Mana Generation], Reserved [??%] of [Will Regeneration].
Enhanced structurized force transfer [Power Milestone] Skin [Energy Enhancement]. Forms external Mana of the user into energy-transferring structures, spreading the force used in a wider area. Burns external Mana. Compatible with Spells. Incompatible with external Mana manipulation. Effectiveness depends on the amount of Mana around the user.
Homeostasis defense [Regeneration Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Passively prevents extreme metabolic reactions. Strengthens homeostasis in a body by negating macroscopic effects. Those functions can be negated.
Mana-shaping internal amplifier [Flexibility Milestone] Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement]. Intercellular network of micro-matrices. Enhances accuracy of neural activity. Passively links Mana control to the body movements and state. Enhances Mana shaping in all forms if used alongside physical exercise. Those effects can be internalized, disabled, or amplified.
[Spell] Energy Enhancements: Body/Soul [Energy Enhancement], details:
Heat Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Fog Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Air bubble Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Stiffen Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Space lens Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Scrubbing Tier 0 Reserved: 2 Mana capacity, 1 Matrix space.
Implants and symbionts: Details:
Phleya (type: 3.07) [By Grumgurg the Fast Falling Yellow Rock; modified by the Mighty System] [Soul-linked] A type of Slime Mould maintaining a chosen alloy environment to acquire a safe structure to live in. Genetically modified to be able to live inside [Garuan]. Genetically modified to support host''s immune system. Genetically enhanced to process Planaria Fullerenes. Traits: Living, Sentience potential, Soul-linked, Symbiotic, Genetically enhanced, Functional duality, Armor modification.
Modified cardiovascular micro-plating [mixed sources; no prototype] Strengthening mechanical micro-implant. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the cardiovascular system: internal Mana manipulation (+72%), internal perception (+76%), functionality (+216% on average), shielding (+24%).
Modified Neural implant [mixed sources; no prototype] Mechanical coating framework, applied in accordance to the [Kehayah Medical Academy: ''Brainworks'' project]. Material used: Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 [redition by Ghrughah]. Core improvements to the nervous system: shielding (+136%); regeneration (+29.8%); functionality (+492%). Compatible with [Willforce Morphon].
Garuan (type: M1) [by an Unknown Ancient Civilization TRA404] [Soul-bonded] Able to crystallize surplus Mana of the host. Integrated with all circulatory systems and the digestive system. Traits: Modified, Mutated, Growing, Living, Basic Sentience, Soul-bonded, Symbiotic Parasite, Lowered efficiency [69%]. Reserved: 10 Mana regeneration when not oversaturated
"Cellular Energy Subsystem", Mitochondrion-like v.501 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Allows cells to metabolize Mana. An outstanding efficiency and a final creation of Aurenus. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutagenic Bacteria B652H81 [by Maddening Aurenus] [Soul-linked] Host-dependent microorganism specialized in enhancing and assisting the immune system in energy-enhanced environments. Traits: Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Modified "Source Net v.21.31", [Imperial University of S&T: IG, IC, IMG, Kendroleiskie] The newest version of the funneling system, integrated within a body. A little stiff. Traits: Best choice, Modifiable, Mana Siphoning, Self-maintenance, Lowered efficiency [60%].
Enhanced symbiotic microbes [Soul-linked] You are in a symbiotic relationship with a number of microbes. Your organism is not able to operate normally without them. They were already enhanced to be able to operate normally in Mana environments. Further upgrades are possible. Traits: First batch, Modifiable, Living, Soul-linked, Symbiotic.
Mutations and structural modifications: Details:
Modified Metabolism [Symbiotic Parasite] Expanded toxin resistance, extended intestinal digestibility, lowered blood metal levels, click here to expand.
Willforce Morphon [Extended Will shielding] [Growing] Will/Soul/Body [Enhancement] integrated into Soul-Body metabolism and ¡®information cloud¡¯ of [Will]. Powered by [Willforce], applications can be further strengthened by spending [Will]. Shields [Body], [Soul], and [Will] by linking their [Energetical Resources] in new exchange pathways. click here to expand
Other sources: Details:
Living armor [Prototype; Unique; by ] [Soul-linked] An armor based on a high-tech blueprint from Earth, fashioned from Planaria Ferrium Fullerene CON8795-XA65 (Ghrughah creation). Contains Phley (type 3). Traits: Living, Soul-linked, Genetically enhanced, Self-maintenance, Functional duality, Symbiotic.
Chapter 156 – Testing waters and a short break. Green Crest town, Spire Sea northern coastline, local time [1794.04.05] ¡°By the way, where is Makani?¡± Ferrandis asked as they walked through the town. ¡°I¡¯ve heard he would be accompanying you.¡± ¡°He was so bored during the travel that he started to meditate,¡± Zeph said lightly, looking around with curiosity. Different than in Lurona, small business was blooming here even during this season of the year. Or maybe it was simply more visible in the city? People here opted to remove the snow instead of forming tunnels inside the agglomerated snowfall. A smallish settlement like this one should be able to do that without forming mountains of snow on the roadsides. At least if they moved it outside of the town¡¯s perimeter ¨C the downfalls were much more intense on Corora than on Earth. ¡°It seems he has found something worth pursuing while doing that. I¡¯m not going to rudely wake him up just because we have stopped here. Anyway, you two will have a lot of time to catch up after we start sailing.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t eating well, though,¡± Vuld added his own, unnecessary opinion. ¡°If that isn¡¯t enough to wake him up, I would rather leave him be.¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be starving. If you want to interrupt or forcefully feed him, be my guest.¡± A cold silence ensued. Nobody here, besides the brownbeard, was close enough to the Manacaster to actually try invading his room. Even Zeph would hesitate. What he didn¡¯t tell them was the fact that Makani was, most probably, reading from his new knowledge Skill. The one he was rewarded with after Zeph explained to him how the ionization of air was working. He didn¡¯t go deep enough to explain the atomic structure of matter, but the ¡®genius of his generation¡¯ was able to find a lot of inspiration by comparing natural phenomena, like lightning or static discharges, to Zeph¡¯s simplified lessons. It seemed the Manacaster was on his way to expand his niche of expertise. As much as Zeph was cheering for the man, he was becoming a bit apprehensive after seeing how quickly Makani was finding applications for new knowledge. Not because it was humiliating, in a way, but because he finally started to see and understand what it meant to have a talent in a discipline of Manacasting. And while Makani turned out to be a true monster in the confines of his specialization, Zeph could only depend on his abnormal Will and advanced knowledge to pull ahead of other people. It was a sobering and horrid realization, for many reasons. For one, Makani wasn¡¯t the most talented person even on stratum zero. Either way, they had two medics on the ship. Even if Makani forgot about his basic needs, those people were sure to beat some common sense into him. Meanwhile, they have finally found the inn. It did look impressive, standing out from the surrounding buildings. The material it was made of wasn¡¯t just boulders and wood, like in the rest of the town, but polished, decorative stone similar to marble. Moreover, the individual parts were truly massive in size, not dissimilar to the ancient Roman buildings. However, the stone was brownish instead of white, and the structure lacked the characteristic columns and engraved adornments. It was a cut above the rest, nonetheless. Looking around as they walked through the town, Zeph noticed that this whole place had to be an old fort of some kind. Not only most of the buildings were made out of stone, but they were organized in clean square grids. Well, at least the center was ¨C the port was a bit more chaotic, but he suspected it was a case for the outskirts in general. However, there was one thing that made him puzzled. The town had no walls. Not only around the town¡¯s perimeter but also around the more sturdy buildings near the center. He didn¡¯t know much about this location. It was entirely possible that the walls simply weren¡¯t needed because of the mountainous terrain surrounding the location. But this place has been used as a fort of some sort in the past, it meant people here demolished the walls at some point. And that, generally, wasn¡¯t the best idea if the walls weren¡¯t already heavily damaged. I can¡¯t see any militia or guards, too. Even ignoring possible past events, the smell of a smuggling den is as strong as the fetor of my crewmates¡¯ socks¡­ It¡¯s quite a shock I can¡¯t see any trace of pirates here, he thought, automatically following the group as they entered the inn. His musings were interrupted when Ferrandis turned around to hand them the room keys. ¡°I really hope your captain will pay for it. The locals aren¡¯t exactly delicate with swindlers¡­¡± ¡°No worries. As long as it won¡¯t suck up hundreds of gold we should be safe,¡± Zeph said absentmindedly, taking the key. ¡°Haha, no worries then,¡± the beardman said merrily. ¡°It¡¯s rare for anything to cost that much outside of a city!¡± ¡°It¡¯s still pricey¡­¡± Vuld mumbled, his low voice ignored entirely. ¡°What would you tell about a tea and a light dinner in one of our rooms? We have a bit of time, after all,¡± the scholar asked. Zeph smiled widely. ¡°Sure. But let¡¯s check whose apartment is better suited for having guests, first.¡± ~~~ As it turned out, Zeph¡¯s room was what they needed. The inn wasn¡¯t uniform, standing on the foundations of quite a few old buildings while incorporating old structures within its walls. It was a perfect example of incorporating and leveraging existing resources to make something new for cheap. Zeph has learned that thanks to Ferrandis. The man have visited quite a few towns along the coast, and was knowledgeable enough to not only deduce the reasoning behind the architecture but also ask correct questions to the locals. As per the innkeeper¡¯s recommendation, Ferrandis got an apartment more suited for relaxation and meditation, which meant a lot of potted plants, a spacious bathroom, and no guest room. Zeph, on the other hand, got an apartment ready for basic training ¨C that included an oversized dining hall and enough furniture to seat half a dozen people. Thus, the choice was simple. The hours of the day flew past quickly as the two scientists started determining the boundaries of their knowledge and vocabulary. Both of them knew that without setting up a foundation of mutual understanding no advanced discussion could take place. And while they both used different methods to test the waters and form mutual ground, Zeph couldn¡¯t shake off a feeling he was talking with a kindred spirit. That didn¡¯t change the fact that he was sweating buckets when trying to steer the discussion away from Fullangrarians. He could pose as one, technically, but his surface-level knowledge about their civilization wouldn¡¯t stand a chance before a person who was learned and interested in the topic. The only saving grace was his self-given title of Tabitalo ¨C a Traveler, going by a simplified language. It meant that he had broken all ties with his people, which could explain his general detachment from common sense. It seemed to work, especially because intelligent people like Ferrandis liked to fill the gaps with their own assumptions, which the man did eagerly. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Not like he could blame the man. When studying on Earth, Zeph had fallen victim to the very same type of hubris. Being too assured of your knowledge and intelligence was the fastest way to close your mind to objective thinking and observation-driven reasoning. It could be harmful in social interactions and was a glaring weak point of many learned people, the very one Zeph was now using to keep his secrets uncovered. For some, only wisdom that came with years of experience or high social skills could counteract this fault. Despite that, it was clear the man was consciously trying to avoid certain topics that made Zeph hesitate, so he couldn¡¯t be sure how seriously Ferrandis was during their talk. He definitely wasn¡¯t faking it, but maybe some amount of plain consideration was strengthening this behavior. Thankfully, Vuld left to get some rest after half an hour, lost as he was during their speedy debate. As so, Zeph didn¡¯t have to be careful of his words as much. He wasn¡¯t even sure what Vuld knew at this point ¨C the man was quite proficient in gathering information and Zeph didn¡¯t remember well what he had told him during their short encounters. But finally, long after dusk and just before the night cycle would start, Ferrandis decided to touch directly upon a topics mentioned by Zeph earlier. ¡°The personal gliders aren¡¯t a new idea, you know? They existed on higher strata hundreds of years ago,¡± he commented, referring to Zeph¡¯s idea of a portable gliding device. Zeph frowned. ¡°What with lower strata? And why does it sound like they were replaced?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°There are more convenient methods of floating in dense Mana environments. Spells and enchantments mostly. On lower strata, big gliders were used in the past to fly. They were utilizing Mana and air currents. The technology was replaced by the aerostats quite quickly, though. As you can imagine, it wasn¡¯t exactly a safe method of aerial travel. The rising presence of the System Onji contributed a lot to this change, too.¡± ¡°I was thinking about personal gliders on stratum zero, though,¡± Zeph said, crossing his arms. ¡°Also, I am well aware that falling damage isn¡¯t exactly an issue after reaching all third milestones in physical Passive Enhancements.¡± Ferrandis chuckled. ¡°Yes, indeed. But I was mentioning the times when not even half of our population was using System Onji¡¯s Enhancement implementation. Falling down was very much harmful to everyone. Also, people were using gliders to move between the floating landmasses mostly. Falling damage or not, landing in the middle of the ocean was a death sentence. Not to mention the aerial predators ¨C those like to pick the slower-moving targets out of the sky. All in all, it¡¯s a multi-faceted problem,¡± he explained calmly, leaning back on his chair. ¡°The current technology cannot support mass production of highly-specialized personal gliders. Even if they were safe, we have better and faster methods to move around a city on any strata. Long-distance travel using gliders wouldn¡¯t be possible without expertise, anyway. It¡¯s a domain of aerostats, which are much easier to build and use.¡± The twins would be arguing so much with this, he mused, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. We will need a parachute equivalent, though. Screw the idea of moving around the city, we need an evacuation method for our stratum-zero airplane monstrosity. Not like I would throw the idea away, but they do have those jetpacks¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic a little. I saw you weren¡¯t exactly thrilled by the idea of ballistic weaponry¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it doesn¡¯t sound useless,¡± Ferrandis immediately defended himself. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ we have so many destructive methods available that it¡¯s hard to believe such a technology could be impactful¡­¡± ¡°Why, tho?¡± Zeph asked innocently, tilting his head. ¡°The technical issues are sure to limit the power and usability of any physical mechanism that depends on quick energy release. We both know well that it wouldn¡¯t be reliable nor easy to manufacture,¡±¡ªhis comment was clearly pointing at Mana density and its interactions with physical reactions, knowing well that Zeph was a Manacaster¡ª¡°Even if you manage to tame the reaction and form any kind of standardized production system, going by the historical inventions of similar nature, the most you can reliably produce is a niche piece of equipment specialized to work in certain environments. Useful, but still worse than enchantments and melee weaponry.¡± Zeph grimaced. ¡°You are assuming a lot of things here. What if the weapon is modular? What if it is also enchanted and has modifiable parameters going by the Mana injection rate? What if the projectiles have to be saturated by the user¡¯s Mana?¡± That made Ferrandis pause for a moment. ¡°True, but the tool becomes too complicated to master, isn¡¯t it?¡± Again, he spoke in the context of the System¡¯s General Skills and mastered styles ¨C two things that disregarded the power of a well-armed mass of weak people. It seemed that the almost-feudal reality of their society, and the culture of direct conflict and honorable death, were shaping the strategic minds as well. Sure, using long-range weapons blindly during a war between nations would be a disaster, spiritually speaking. But having half a million rifle users during the siege of Lurona would definitely be helpful ¨C nothing bad would happen when the ¡®monsters¡¯ were killed. Better yet, poor people would have a chance to level up some more. But that idea of ¡®quantity above quality¡¯ in big conflicts was proved wrong so many times in Corora¡¯s history that a new type of weapon wasn¡¯t enough to shake the beliefs of the leading figures and, evidently, scholars. The elitism was a thing here. It was actually the reason his Guild sent him away ¨C according to the general common sense, only elites and veterans were worth anything during a big clash of forces. ¡°Okay, I am not arguing about that again,¡± Zeph said with distaste. They had spent quite a lot of time exchanging examples, but it led nowhere. ¡°Let¡¯s ignore the possibility of mass production and spread usage for a moment. Did you ever see a Netherbeing firsthand?¡± he asked instead. Ferrandis scratched his head, somewhat baffled by the question. ¡°Are we talking about studying them or fighting with one?¡± Zeph rolled his eyes. ¡°Okay, so you didn¡¯t fight one. Even in a simulated environment.¡± Zeph stated, to which the scholar could only nod. ¡°Theoretically speaking, what is the most glaring weakness of any Netherbeing?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ the lack of reason?¡± Zeph wanted to facepalm but restricted himself to not offend the man. ¡°ANY, I said. You should know there are intelligent ones.¡± ¡°Hmm... I don¡¯t think I had heard of any glaring weak points, then¡­¡± he admitted thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s Mana,¡± Zeph said, pointing in his direction. ¡°Nether and Mana are mutually exclusive. And if you have a similar amount of both clashing with each other, what do you think can turn the scales?¡± Ferrandis¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Physical force!¡± ¡°Indeed! And guess what a super-fast bullet has in abundance? If it¡¯s saturated or enchanted, then the possibilities suddenly multiply¡­¡± Thus, a long discussion continued long into the night. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Green Crest town, Spire Sea northern coastline, local time [1794.04.06] A loud sound of bells woke him up, catapulting his mind out of the fluffiest dream he ever had. Groggily, he shouted for the servant to stop making noise. The jiggling stopped immediately and Zeph threw himself back at the oh-so-comfortable pillow in hopes of returning to the land of dreams. But instead, a loud banging replaced the unpleasantly high-pitched jiggling. ¡°La-Einar, your ship will leave the port in three hours! Please open the door so I can help you get ready!¡± The voice of a young man was barely audible from behind the thick doors, and yet his voice was even more irritating than the banging. It wasn¡¯t that Zeph couldn¡¯t wake his mind up immediately. He didn¡¯t want to. The discrepancy between his cabin on the ship and this luxurious environment was just too stark. It was like comparing a cave floor and a comfortable couch. But Zeph could recognize a dismissal when he heard one. The young man behind the doors also sounded quite irritated for some reason, even if he tried to hide that fact. Left with no other option, he crawled out of his heavenly bed. The cool, fluffy carpet sent shivers up his spine as he put his legs down. It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant feeling. He wrapped his body in one of the velvet blankets before leaving his still-warm lair. Opening the doors, he was met with more than he expected. Behind the young man stood a tray with a hearty amount of steaming breakfast. Its intense smell made his stomach grumble loudly. The man smiled wryly for a second, before his face started beaming with an unrestrained friendliness. ¡°La-Einar, do you prefer a bath, a sauna, or perhaps... a maid to assist you?¡± Chapter 157 – Moving South. Unpredictable occurrences. Green Crest town, Spire Sea northern coastline, local time [1794.04.06] Without much fanfare, they boarded the ship just as the sunset started painting the frozen landscape in reds and violets. That day, Zeph had found a first small curiosity pertaining to the culture of small settlements like this one. That ¡®morning¡¯, noticing a distinct absence of wadokeis anywhere in the inn, he asked the inn¡¯s butler¡ªthe one who dared to wake him up¡ªwhat time it was. The man¡¯s answer caused him to doubt his senses. Literally. Just by looking out of the window, it was clear that the sun was already past its zenith. It took the man a moment to understand Zeph¡¯s confusion, but he quickly caught on and immediately explained what he meant. The ¡®six in the morning¡¯ he was talking about meant neither the hour after midnight nor the hour after ¡®the day has officially started¡¯ ¨C as in, after the start of the first day-cycles. No, it simply meant that it was six Corora¡¯s hours after sunrise. Zeph was so accustomed to the local measurements of time that he somehow missed the most obvious of answers. Thus, a bit longer discussion ensued because of Zeph¡¯s curiosity. As it turned out, people here weren¡¯t following the night-day cycles present in the cities and dictated by an authorized institution ¨C like the Communication Bureau in Lurona. Any activity and business here was starting simply at dawn and lasted for 16 Corora¡¯s hours ¨C 10 of which covered the available daylight ¨C leaving 14 hours for personal activities and sleep. In the language of the standardized timeframe, Zeph was woken up at the 16th hour of the day. Or, in other words, in the middle of the third day-cycle. It also meant that it was going to get dark soon. As the spring was starting, the days were becoming longer, but they still had only 10 Corora¡¯s hours of sunlight as of now. As so, it should be of no surprise that the sun was over its zenith. In contrast, the populace of the cities was starting their day at half past seven, so with the start of the rigidly declared first day-cycle. In other words, two Corora¡¯s hours before the sunrise. At least, that was the case right now. These ¡®two hours before the break¡¯ were a matter of change, as the FLK government was adamant about slowly shifting the daylight hours around the clock during the year to accommodate different needs during different seasons. On the last day of the year, the last light of the day marked the end of the day-cycle. On the first day of a new year and after the period of festivities, the dawn was declaring the start of the day-cycle. It was a bit of a mess, all things considered. Even if there was a method to this madness, it was motivated purely by economic needs, though. Thankfully, keeping the time synchronized around the whole country wasn¡¯t of high importance. Keeping the units of time the same everywhere was a given, but this far from civilization centers and flourishing commerce the business hours weren¡¯t important. Moreover, if Zeph had to state his opinion, the method of determining the first hour of the day was much more natural here than in Lurona. But again, people here didn¡¯t have to worry about business hours at all ¨C their port was working around the clock and it was their only facility dealing with outsiders regularly. But what was striking in those seemingly unimportant details, and what was attracting Zeph¡¯s attention, was the information stemming from those differences. Not the history or regulations, but the cause-and-effect as well as the reasoning behind. The more he traveled, the more it seemed that Corora¡¯s society was much more diverse than on Earth ¨C even in the same country, under the Council of the same city, and on the land influenced by very similar powers, each community regulated itself independently. Additionally, those differences were more practical than cultural in nature. Now, looking at the aforementioned docs made him regret a little that he wasn¡¯t able to experience this place more. It had its own quirks, and he felt like he missed a lot. Not that he was complaining about his time at the inn, though. Zeph stood on the deck as their ship started moving, musing over the lost opportunity while admiring the breathtaking spectacle playing around the port. The colorful light was refracting from the ice covering almost every surface ¨C the sea, the high rocky islands, the infrastructure, and even the few ships docked there. The cold air was fresh in his mouth, free from any pollution thanks to the constant wind blowing from the direction of the veritable forest of mountainous islands and the great expanse beyond. Ferrandis was keeping him company when they walked through the town but decided to immediately go under the deck when they reached their destination ¨C both to avoid the cold and to talk with Makani. As so, Zeph was left alone for a moment. The serene atmosphere was broken when the ship started vibrating, releasing a low hum. The sails started to lean back even further, guided by the experienced hands of the crew. Not many ropes were adjusted, as the rigid framework of the sails was half-automatized. But everyone had to work in harmony to not disrupt the ongoing air-and-Mana flow. If the sails were to deflate or lose taunt, the Magicule mix accumulated under their arched canopies would disperse, slowing them down considerably. They were going to travel upwind, so the additional engines were engaged to push them away from the bay. A fresh crust of ice was covering the path they took to enter the port yesterday, breaking loudly under the weight of the ship. From time to time, a deep, crunchy sound of impact reverberated through the deck as big chunks of ice floe were pushed aside. Zeph knew well that the hull was strong, partially thanks to its enchantments. Strong enough to break through a thick layer of solid ice even, so he wasn¡¯t alarmed in the slightest. Accompanied by the sound of cracking ice and the rhythmic pulses of low vibrations caused by the engines, they started their journey anew. ~~~ Zeph stayed on deck for almost an hour, contemplating while idly taking in the views. But as soon as he noticed the waves were regaining their strength, he decided a retreat was in order. He couldn¡¯t feel his face already because of the cold; the sheer idea of meeting the full force of winds playing over the open waters was painful. He pushed away from the taffrail and turned around. He was wearing his armor beneath a heavy coat, bare the helmet, so he didn¡¯t dare to touch his stiff face with his gloved hand. Instead, he pulled on his collar to bring it closer to his nose to catch his breath and warm his skin. Finding the hatch, he kicked an edge of a vertical plate to turn around the fastening and stomped heavily on the wooden surface a few centimeters ahead. The floor gave in for a moment before he withdrew his foot, allowing the mechanism to raise the hatch and uncover a wide wooden staircase. He quickly descended a few steps, grabbing a handle dangling from the hatch¡¯s bottom. He closed the entrance before too much of the heat could escape, but cut off the light at the same time. With a practiced move, he reached for the wall on his right and secured the entrance using a turning mechanism. The space was dark, barely illuminated by a few lamps lining the walls down the corridor. The difference in intensity of light between the interior of the ship and the bright sunset outside was enough to make him pause for a moment. His eyes were accommodating fast ¨C much faster than he was accustomed to ¨C but it still took a while to adjust to a difference of a few orders of magnitude in brightness. The interior wasn¡¯t dim by any means, though. After a few seconds, his sight regained its capacity. It took him a while, despite all of the enhancements his body possessed, but he didn¡¯t have any optical implants, so it wasn¡¯t that strange of an occurrence. Indeed, it would be slow in the eyes of any self-respecting sailor. These people have never invented an eyepatch to help with the drastic jump in light intensity ¨C they either trained their bodies, took relevant implants, or used appropriate Skills and Spells. The romanticized picture of pirates that he knew from the Earth¡¯s media didn¡¯t stand a chance in the clash with brutal reality. Moving down the stairs and along the corridor, he quickly navigated the passages to find Makani¡¯s room. A dulled but energetic dispute could be heard from behind the wooden doors. He couldn¡¯t distinguish the words yet ¨C people here valued their privacy and the doors themselves were almost airtight. He knocked three times, using a bit of force to make sure he was heard. The voices petered out and silence ensued. After a few seconds, Makani opened the door. Looking at Zeph¡¯s face ¨C still half-covered by the lower rim of his coat ¨C the Manacaster frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were outside all this time¡­¡± Zeph shrugged. ¡°It was quite peaceful there, so why not?¡± Makani grimaced, immediately grabbing his arm and pulling him into his small abode. ¡°And what made you think it is a good idea to stand for an hour in 10 mei? Are you masochistic?¡± he continued while using a Spell to send a warm air blow his way. Zeph chuckled, taking off his coat when he was finally released. Indeed, the temperature of almost minus 20 Celsius wasn¡¯t comfortable, but he had his armor, enhancements, and many other ways to keep himself from freezing to the bone. The gesture was much appreciated, though. ¡°I can guess what you are thinking just by looking at that creepy smile,¡± Makani commented sternly, observing him with an unimpressed gaze. ¡°How is your ¡®balancing¡¯ ability faring right now?¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Poorly,¡± Zeph admitted, putting his coat on the rack by the door. Willforce Morphon could balance a lot of things within his body, but the temperature didn¡¯t seem to be one of them. ¡°I should be fine, though? Just give me a few minutes¡­¡± ¡°Zeph, you really shouldn¡¯t underestimate the diseases thriving in the cold environments around the lands you never visited before. They can disable a man for months,¡± Ferrandis interjected, speaking from his seat near the small, round window. For some reason, Makani sent him a hard glare, silencing the man, before turning back to Zeph. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking if you are cold!¡± the Manacaster exclaimed. ¡°Is your body losing resources? How are you feeling?¡± Noticing that something wasn¡¯t quite right with that line of questions, he stopped trying to get rid of the warm leather covering of his armored foot and looked at the Manacaster. ¡°No. I feel fine. Why are you shouting at me?¡± ¡°Because your face is blue, you idiot!¡± _____________________________________________________________ Spire Sea, local time [1794.04.08] Wary of the freezing, Magicule-saturated air, Zeph made sure his mask was sitting tightly over his face. As it turned out, the temperature wasn¡¯t the only hazard in the middle of a sea during the winter. Magicule¡¯s composition was so skewed towards Water-Mana that each breath taken was causing damage to the skin around the mouth and nose despite the Veil¡¯s interference. Not that surprising, although irrelevant for people with Power above one hundred or possessing thick Veils. At least, in these ¡®mild¡¯ temperatures. Not like he had to worry about any of that. With all the upgrades to his immunology system, he was probably better suited for the weather and pathogens than most landlubbers. But, as it turned out, his skin was very sensitive to prolonged exposure. No wonder he couldn¡¯t feel his face back then. Last time, Zeph let his Veil flow with the wind, exposing his face to the forces of nature. It was a great mistake. Not because it was dangerous but because of the aftereffects. As a Terrien, his body reacted to the cold temperature and perceived over-hydration in the only way it knew of ¨C cutting off all capillaries cycling the blood in his skin. It was like a local hypothermia, but a bit more drastic visually. Instead of the red swelling he would normally get, his face gained a sickly pale color almost instantly. And the cold blood underneath was painting his face blue. He suspected the ¡®Homeostasis defense¡¯ Enhancement had its hand in that, but he had no evidence. Either way, it was a surprise. He had never spent so much time on the deck without protecting himself from the cold, so he couldn¡¯t have known it would cause such an effect. Worse yet ¨C drastic changes in skin coloring like that were a clear symptom of infection for the races of Corora, as Makani has explained. It was only natural they were worried. He couldn¡¯t even explain himself and had to calmly agree to visit the ship¡¯s Doctor. He wasn¡¯t going to blow his cover by hinting that his physique was quite different from a normal human. Thankfully, he was way past that point now. He even learned how to prevent his blood flow from closing on him, which was an unexpected bonus in this whole fiasco. And a fiasco it was ¨C until now, he was keeping a low profile: reading books, reading Skills, meditating, and perusing his Soul memories directly. He wasn¡¯t even training his Spells or techniques because he wasn¡¯t sure how much the Cartographer could detect. Yet, here he was now ¨C a sick person without any infection. At least his explanations about his strengthened immune system made sense to the Doctor and everyone else. But he wasn¡¯t here to analyze his past mistakes. He, once again, looked around. Nothing unusual could be seen on the horizon, no matter how much he squinted. There was a storm coming from the east ¨C recognizable by the dark shadow dominating the high skies. Not the first one they have met. There was also a shimmering light coming from the south. Also, nothing unusual ¨C it was a long-distance effect of light refraction, coming from the waters closer to the equator and basking in powerful sunlight. Also, it was another proof that Mana was a good conductor of light, as they shouldn¡¯t have been able to see a lightshow that was happening beyond the horizon. They were still ways away from the source of those refractions, yet the bright pulses were somehow delivered to their very eyes despite the curvature of the planet. Still, nothing unexpected. All in all, he had no idea why Ferrandis brought them to the deck. ¡°Okay, those are some nicely contrasting skies if you look at them from a right angle, I have to say¡­¡± Zeph started. ¡°Yeah, it almost looks like a night and day are bordering each other, fighting for space. Quite a view,¡± Makani added, turning his head from the front to the left and back again. Ferrandis sighed heavily. ¡°I hoped you would be more impressed¡­ well, I suppose at least one of you can still be,¡± he commented before kneeling near his backpack that was lying on the deck. It took him a moment to retrieve two spyglasses from the mess and chaos that were permanently occupying its interior. ¡°Look at the dark clouds,¡± he instructed, handing them the devices. ¡°Tell me what you think.¡± Skeptically, Zeph took the spyglass from him. Turning back to the storm clouds, he tried to discern anything abnormal with his regular vision, to no avail. Shrugging, he used the apparatus too, and looked again. After a moment, he froze. ¡°The weather today is perfect,¡± the scholar continued to speak. ¡°We should have a perfect vi¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s the Hiruk, isn¡¯t it?¡± Makani suddenly asked, interrupting the man and making Zeph glance back. ¡°Rude,¡± Ferrandis crossed his arms. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s our closest stratum-one continent. But that¡¯s not why I brought you here.¡± He retrieved a scroll from his backpack and quickly walked up to Zeph. ¡°You wanted to know more about different biomes and lifeforms, right? I think it would be best to show you one before I start explaining. That way, you will gain more contextual information and understand what we are dealing with.¡± ¡°Said like it¡¯s unrelated to his latest sickness¡­¡± Makani grumbled under his nose, going back to observing the distant landmass. The rolled-up parchment was indeed a map. A vague one, but definitely made for sailors. Zeph could easily recognize that by looking at the distorted landmasses painted there ¨C it was clear that it was a nautical map that was used in navigation. Those were drawn with a slightly different coordinate system than a topological map. He didn¡¯t know much more than that, though. ¡°We are going to pass near that stratum-one continent,¡± Ferrandis continued unperturbed, ignoring Makani¡¯s idle comments. ¡°What you can see right now, is a shadow of a great flying landmass. The surface of the sea under it is illuminated thanks to the light-transfer properties of the dense Mana currents, so if we were to get too close we would lose sight of the landmass itself¡­¡± ¡°Basics,¡± grumbled Makani. ¡°Excuse me. Is my commentary unnecessary? Or is my voice that unsightly?¡± More unintelligent grumbling was his only answer. ¡°As I thought,¡± Ferrandis said flatly. ¡°Anyway, we need to establish the basics before going deeper, so deal with me.¡± ¡°I kind of understand our Manacaster here, though,¡± Zeph said, using the pause in the lecture. ¡°What does it have to do with any biome?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± the man shrugged, turning his head to Zeph. ¡°The intensity of light under floating continents isn¡¯t exactly the same as on uncovered land. Even if it still looks like normal daylight, it¡¯s much weaker. It¡¯s not enough for the sea life to prosper, in theory. And yet, those organisms have developed alternative methods of producing or gathering energy.¡± Zeph was surprised by the depth of Ferrandis¡¯s insight. This man was really using the language he could understand. The language of multidisciplinary science, that is. ¡°Instead, they are using everything BUT the sunlight. The most thriving underwater biomes reside under the flying continents. But I¡¯ve said enough ¨C can you guess why that is?¡± he asked suddenly, turning to him. Zeph didn¡¯t have to ponder for long, his eyes shining with curiosity. ¡°Because of what is falling down, isn¡¯t it? Rocks rich in microorganisms are one thing, but this flying rock is sure to constantly sweat with resource-rich water. Not to mention, anything organic that would fall, and the surface water washing away any biological debris¡­¡± He wanted to ask about the rivers. Were they unloading their baggage directly into the sea below, or was there some enclosed flow on the continent¡¯s surface? Yet, he felt that this question would be too inconspicuous. Not knowing the details of natural phenomena or lacking biological knowledge was different from not possessing common sense. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to ask at all. Ferrandis liked to be prude in his lectures, for whatever reason. ¡°Right, right. The matter brought down by the waterfalls is the major component. Either way, the waters under the flying landmasses are the most fertile. We don¡¯t know much about the life deep under the surface, where the majority of flora and fauna is located, but we can prove that most of the marine life is centered under the flying islands and continents by simply comparing the quality of water and its relative Mana saturation.¡± That¡¯s something I would like to know before the New Year festivities¡­ Zeph thought bitterly. Was Lurona visited by any of the rare species, I wonder¡­ Ah! ¡°Wait, you are trying to say that you know nothing about the underwater creatures?¡± he asked quickly, turning to the man. ¡°What about the specimens that gained self-awareness? They should have tried to at least make a contact, no?¡± The man shrugged. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know, they never attacked the land-dwellers. And not many people on stratum zero are able to dive so deep. We are separated almost physically. We only know that most of the plants living in the depths are producing light ¨C as evidenced by the aftereffects of strong storms ¨C probably influencing the ecosystem. The sea likes to throw up the most interesting samples at such times. The associations and academies around the world studied the corpses and detritus, learning that they have a very robust Mana metabolism, so it isn¡¯t even a question of higher lifeforms¡¯ existence¡ªsomething has to generate the Mana for them to feed on¡ªit¡¯s merely a question of how advanced mentally they could be.¡± Suddenly, a fourth voice could be heard from behind. ¡°What I hear? A talk about Murd¨²chu? Leave it, lads, it¡¯s all lies,¡± Vuld announced his presence loudly as he walked up to them. ¡°Anyway. In two days we will be closest to the Hiruk. If you want to observe or dive, that would be the time. Maybe you will find an interestin¡¯ stick or something if you do,¡± he unceremoniously tried to insert himself into the discussion. It was a signal for everyone to finish and go back to their cabins. Not like Vuld himself was aware of that fact. _____________________________________________________________ Spire Sea, local time [1794.04.10] The day passed pleasantly. They had premium weather to witness the flying continent, as the air became crystal clear after a long storm that started two nights ago. Also, it was the closest they would get to the flying monstrosity ¨C their course leading south in an almost straight line. It seemed that the weather was also influenced by the presence of the continent. Zeph never saw the conditions to change that drastically in the span of an hour. It was very possible that the landmass was capturing all the clouds, as the wind was blowing from its direction. The view was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. They still couldn¡¯t see any details, but the dark shape towering over the sea was much more distinct this close, even despite the dense clouds conglomerating around the floating rock formation. They were creating breathtaking, spiraling patterns of enormous proportions, diffusing the sunlight in a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of dark colors. The brightly lit upper borders of the dense vapor, shaped like horizontal spirals and cyclones, brought to mind an image of heavenly pathways piercing through reality itself. For Zeph, it was as if he was looking at an impossibly tall mountain, surrounded by fanciful cloud formations. And it wasn¡¯t far from the truth. ¡°Summer Monsoon is starting, I see,¡± Ferrandis commented from the side. ¡°A shame we are here this early. The waterfalls caused by the water overflow are quite a sight.¡± ¡°I think I can live with the memory of what we are seeing now¡­¡± Makani commented silently, transfixed by this miracle of nature. ¡°Those rocks have to degrade quite quickly if so much water is escaping the land¡­¡± Zeph said absentmindedly. ¡°Slower than on the stratum zero, but yes ¨C the fragmentation of the continents is quite abrupt, all things considered,¡± the scholar agreed. ¡°One of the reasons we have found methods of merging floating debris into the mainlands. That technology dates way before the System Onji¡¯s interference¡ª¡± Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated a small part of the sky near the distant continent. It looked almost like lightning but lacked the characteristic pulsating effect. It was immediately clear that it wasn¡¯t a natural occurrence ¨C especially because the dark clouds around were calm for the whole time. Zeph could hear a snap of quickly unfolding spyglass coming from behind. They were currently standing on the elevated part of the ship ¨C the very place used by the ship¡¯s watch and located at its back. For a silent minute, everyone looked in the same direction, trying to find out what was happening. ¡°Captain!¡± the man with the spyglass suddenly shouted. ¡°We have castaways falling from the continent!¡± Chapter 158 – An uneasy decision. Wayfaring through the salty waters continues. Spire Sea, local time [1794.04.10] Not even a minute elapsed before all passengers and most of the crew found themselves on the deck, their loud chatting filling the chilly air. Despite his best efforts, Zeph wasn¡¯t able to find anything between the clouds. His borrowed spyglass couldn¡¯t help when he didn¡¯t know where to look. He tried desperately to catch the view of the falling wreckage or people, but that only made him move the apparatus randomly over the distant sky. Not to mention, the constant weaving of the ship was making him mad when he was trying to stabilize the view. The ship¡¯s watchman had to have some optical upgrades, there was no question about it. The man was currently reporting what he saw to the captain who was standing nearby. When he finished, a discussion have started, flooding the deck with a loud murmur. The question was: should they change the course and try to help, or ignore the incident? But after a few crewmembers expressed their opinion to the captain, an irritated voice of the Cartographer cut through the chatter, miraculously silencing most of the idle talks happening around. ¡°This is nonsense,¡± she spoke coldly. ¡°Are you seriously considering taking strangers from stratum-one on board?¡± her disbelieving voice reverberated through the air. ¡°They may be fugitives. And what if they are being pursued ¨C be it by a man or a beast? Are you ready to face possible consequences? It¡¯s plain stupidity!¡± No one dared to answer her. The mood started changing to a more nervous one as the silence was stretching. People started glancing at each other with uncertain eyes. But the face of the most important man on the deck didn¡¯t change; his gaze didn¡¯t weaver. Frideric, the ship¡¯s captain, was steady like a solid rock piercing through the surface of a turbulent sea. Despite his youthful looks, he was radiating an aura of confidence and authority. He looked to be in his early thirties, but that was deceptive ¨C as with most people who had been leveling rapidly. What made him stand out from the crowd were his long, black hair, well-built body paired with a handsome face, and cold, calculating gaze. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t wearing any advanced equipment. Instead, it seemed that he had earned the respect of the crew by using his charisma alone. And it was obvious ¨C many eyes were turning to him, looking for answers. His amber eyes unhurriedly scanned the faces of the gathered as he slowly turned to face the small crowd. Instead of admonishing the Cartographer for cutting short their discussion, he decided to use the lull to give a quick speech. He clapped his hands lightly to gather the attention of the people in the back. It was exceptionally effective. ¡°She has a point, you know? We don¡¯t need to speculate, we need to decide. This voyage belongs to our guests, so let them take the deciding vote¡­ and responsibility,¡± he spoke in a low voice that contrasted slightly with his relatively youthful face. ¡°But! I need to remind you all. The rescue law only applies to people from stratum zero! We have no obligations towards the castaways!¡± His speech had an immediate effect as people started to relax, nodding to his words. But he wasn¡¯t finished just yet. Looking around slowly, he continued. ¡°Most of the higher-stratum citizens are of no danger to us. But we aren¡¯t dealing with known citizens. We are dealing with an unknown group. Whatever happened up there, and for whatever reason, is of no consequence to us.¡± He paused, making sure his people understood. Then, he turned in the general direction of Makani, Zeph, and Ferrandis, as they were standing together. ¡°I will share the opinion of my crew soon, please try to come to a decision of your own in two hours,¡± he finished, nodding slightly at the end. As the captain stepped back and turned to the crewmembers surrounding him, a low murmur instantly spread through the crowd. Zeph also turned to his companions, but Makani was already turning towards the staircase and gesturing for them to follow. Half a minute later, they were seated in the Manacaster¡¯s cabin. The ship was built to accommodate the tall humans of Corora, so for Zeph and Makani everything was comfortably spacious ¨C their cabins included. Enchantments and Spells were, respectively, activated or cast, to guarantee some degree of privacy. Even if the topic wasn¡¯t confidential, it still put Zeph¡¯s mind at ease. The amount of information Danette Gildafi had been able to gather from a single conversation with him was still haunting him at night, so he saw no reason to allow others to listen in. The scary Guildmaster lady had taught him a lesson he wasn¡¯t going to forget anytime soon. As they finished and each of them found a comfortable place to sit down, Makani hit his tights loudly and looked at Zeph expectantly. ¡°Okay, any questions before we start?¡± ¡°Was I that obvious?¡± Zeph asked sarcastically. Ferrandis chuckled lightly, nodding his head in understanding. ¡°Well, you do seem to always have questions.¡± Zeph rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore the jab. ¡°Realistically speaking, how deadly is the fall from such a height here? Also, if I¡¯m not mistaken, it should take us at least a day before we get even close. Wouldn¡¯t that leave only the most durable ¨C so, the most dangerous ¨C people alive? Would they even need our assistance at that point?¡± Those were all valid points. Theoretically, a person would need 200 to 300 Flexibility to have any real chance of surviving a fall after reaching the terminal velocity. It was expected that most people above level 100 would have enough, or could mitigate the damage with other methods, but he couldn¡¯t be sure if falling into the water wasn¡¯t more dangerous. It was one thing to fall onto a relatively soft ground that could absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy, and it was another to crash into a medium that would, theoretically, become harder than concrete when impacted with such a velocity. Even after that, the survivors would have to deal with their eventual wounds while keeping their body temperature up to par, despite being weakened by the low Ambient Mana density of stratum zero. The density difference shouldn¡¯t be enough to outright kill them ¨C those people were merely from stratum-one, so the difference wasn¡¯t that drastic ¨C but staying in the water would obliterate their Veils, allowing Water-Magicules and low temperature to permeate their weakened bodies. If someone survived all that for a day, it was justified to wonder if such people even required any further help. ¡°For a healthy adult, I would rate their chances of surviving the crash as extremely high,¡± Ferrandis started speaking slowly, his face thoughtful. ¡°If I learned anything about the denizens of floating lands, every person born there, or assimilated into their societies, should be prepared not only for a fall but for a landmass collapse. There is a physical limit as to how far they can descend because of the Ambient Mana density¡ªand a fast change in it, as well¡ªbut most of the floating landmasses are conglomerating near Corora¡¯s poles, so the possibility of missing a few strata during a fall can be easily amended if one is prepared¡­¡± ¡°For the record,¡± Makani interjected. ¡°All Manacasters are obligated to have countermeasures against fall damage when moving up. The chances of one of us dying from only that is minimal, assuming the person is conscious. Although, nobody requires us to be expertly proficient in those methods¡­ It¡¯s treated like a basic, safety skill.¡± ¡°Returning to the topic,¡± the scholar started again, sending the Manacaster a stinky eye. ¡°I will sum up the possibilities. Learning how to land a long fall into the water is kind of a standard procedure for people of lower strata. Technically speaking, it¡¯s not as tricky as falling onto a rocky surface or a forest. When speaking about stratum-four and up: theoretically speaking, even an unskilled person with a weak Class shouldn¡¯t have many problems with propelling themselves vertically when midair. That means they shouldn¡¯t have problems finding a suitable piece of land to¡ª¡° Zeph raised his hand, stopping the scholar from going into detailed categorization of all possible cases. ¡°As much as I appreciate the knowledge, I would rather focus on the current issue.¡± He dropped his arm and sighed, before looking back at Ferrandis. ¡°Knowing they should be able to survive is enough. But that means they are still in danger if they were harmed or rendered unconscious before they started falling, no?¡± he tried to move the discussion further. Ferrandis¡¯s eye twitched slightly, but his face stayed stoic. ¡°When we have time, I shall teach you two about the scientific debate, the order of speaking, and the culture around those common-sense ideas¡­¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I already know those and I don¡¯t want to waste all day here! Zeph thought irritatedly while keeping a straight face. At that moment, he had flashbacks from the long talks with professors from his university. Those weren¡¯t exactly unpleasant, but the impossibly slow pace was a hurdle in itself. ¡°¡­But you are right. The ones wounded and weakened enough would have to stay in place to regenerate somewhat, assuming they survived. I can think of a few scenarios that could have played out, depending on the relative strength between the members of the crew, their current state, and their origins. We also have no clue what has happened up there, the casualty count can be much higher than we expect.¡± ¡°Stay in place, you say¡­¡± Zeph mused, scratching his beard. ¡°A raft made from the scavenged parts of their vehicle? What about the sea predators?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most probable outcome if someone is still waiting there, yes. The predators? I guess the survivors would be happy to have some food coming their way voluntarily¡­¡± Ferrandis answered absentmindedly. Right¡­ they are from stratum-one, and the predators¡­ poor sharks, he concluded in his head, pitying anything that would want to get a bite after following the scent of blood. ¡°Now, now. You two were the most adamant about staying on the topic, so why do I have to bring you both back?¡± Makani said with a deeply unsatisfied voice. ¡°Their foreseeable diet is the last of our problems. What if they are swarmed? Also, are you suggesting there is a chance that they are trying to bunker themselves in the middle of the sea? That would be the strangest thing to do in their situation,¡± he finished, turning to Ferrandis at the end. ¡°No, not exactly.¡± The scholar¡¯s gaze returned to the land of living immediately with his answer. ¡°Zeph¡¯s question made me reevaluate. Both of you heard the report, right?¡± he shuffled his gaze between their faces, seeking confirmation. They both nodded. ¡°That limits the possibilities. I can¡¯t make you two imagine how it would feel to be stranded in the middle of the sea ¨C you have too many tricks up your sleeves by the sheer virtue of becoming Manacasters. But simpler people think in simpler ways. If anyone there can withstand the water for a prolonged amount of time, they are sure to start swimming towards the closest land as soon as possible. If their Mana generation and food gained from an occasional predator can sustain them, they can easily reach a shore or a stray island¡­ assuming they would be moving constantly to avoid hypothermia¡­¡± What he didn¡¯t mention, was dehydration. But even Zeph was in possession of a simple enchantment device that could fix that issue instantly, not to mention his Spells. Also, he still wasn¡¯t sure how much Energy Enhancements stemming from Regeneration milestones could influence osmotic balance. It was entirely possible that those people could drink the seawater without repercussions. Or, at least, do that for some time. ¡°¡­A raft would slow them down. But depending on the situation, they could work together to move as a whole. I would give us a 40% chance of encountering nothing or only heavily wounded that were left behind. 30% chance of encountering a major part of the crew working together, assuming they are all relatively low in level. The animals could start swarming in this situation only ¨C as they kill more and more predators, the scent of blood would spread. It can¡¯t happen in one day, though. 10% chance of meeting a wounded veteran and the same for a crew with such an individual. The last 10% would be an unexpected encounter. That is, assuming my conjuration based on the watchman¡¯s report is worth anything...¡± his voice slowly petered out at the end. It seemed he himself wasn¡¯t that sure about the outcome. Ugh, why is my stomach hurting after he mentioned the heavily wounded¡­ Ah, no. I know that feeling. As Zeph realized that his budding auguring ability was the most probable culprit, his body relaxed and the dull pain in his abdomen fizzled out. It was the first time the contrast was so pronounced, but he wasn¡¯t going to blindly believe in a random premonition, even as obvious as this one. No, he needed facts. Zeph did a quick calculation in his head, trying to confirm if the oddly round and high numbers suggested by Ferrandis could make any sense. ¡°Let¡¯s see.. You are almost assured stronger people were inside the vehicle? Like, 80% sure? How come?¡± Makani frowned. ¡°Hearing about what the watchman saw, I would rather believe it was a simple aerostat filled with civilians. They had no banner and no recognizable color scheme. The crew couldn¡¯t be larger than twenty. Indeed, how come?¡± ¡°Because I am taking the worst-case scenarios more seriously than you,¡± Ferrandis said solemnly. ¡°People don¡¯t fall from a continent without a reason. Double that, when they are being so vividly ¡®assisted¡¯ in their descension. That also means that the chances of them being fugitives, criminals, or politically-entangled poor souls are high. Each option worse than the last.¡± ¡°There are still natural phenomena and beasts to take into account, though¡­¡± Makani noticed. ~~~ The discussion continued for another hour ¨C Zeph and Makani had many questions, mostly pertaining to the possible danger. Sadly, Ferrandis¡¯s knowledge was purely theoretical in the sociological and geopolitical fields. As it turned out, he was even more wary of the strangers than the crew, but his inborn curiosity was still pushing him to at least try and see the aftermath from a close distance. That was the only reason he didn¡¯t start a tirade similar in meaning to what the Cartographer gal had said. Also, he really tried to stay objective when talking about the possibilities. It took some time, but they finally agreed on the course of action. All that was left, was to consult their idea with the captain. ~~ The captain¡¯s cabin was much larger than any other living room on the ship. Not only because of the man¡¯s position, but also because of the nailed-down crates hiding mysterious contents, a multitude of gadgets lying around, and an innumerable amount of documents and maps filling glass-walled cabinets. Even if the place was spacious, the man had less free space than any one of them. Moreover, going by the small bunker bed at the back, the captain was living here. Zeph would pity the man, if not for the fact that the random stuff he could see was probably worth more than the ship itself. Although, he suspected that the ship¡¯s cargo could overshadow that multiple times over. I wonder if Aisha had a hand in all this, he wondered, looking around. She likes to swindle less-available goods a bit too much¡­ They stayed silent, waiting for the enchantments to be activated. The captain himself was sitting behind a medium-sized, cluttered desk, waiting impatiently for his people to finish the work. Finally, the enchantments snapped into place, releasing three waves of dense Mana. This kind of safety system was new to Zeph. He was almost certain that a variant of Air Sphere Spell was a part of the privacy setting, but he couldn¡¯t place the other two at all. ¡°I see you reached a conclusion?¡± The man asked rhetorically. Not waiting for an answer, he stood up, leaning over his desk. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Eyebrows raised as Makani, Zeph, and Ferrandis exchanged looks. They expected the captain to put some pressure by presenting the vote of the crew. Evidently, they were wrong. Stepping forward, Zeph explained calmly. ¡°We are expecting¡­ troubles ¨C if we find more than four healthy people. But it should be extremely unlikely for them to simply swim around without constructing something from the wreckage. I will leave the long-distance observation to your crew, but we will assist as well,¡± he said, bowing slightly as was the custom. The corners of Frideric¡¯s mouth turned up ever so slightly. ¡°Good. The crew wants to at least check the situation.¡± This was another surprise. The previous warnings and pointers he had given during the short speech were deliberately made to discourage the people. ¡°Your decision will raise their morale. We will be moving soon,¡± he agreed lightly. ¡°So, what can you help with?¡± _______________________________________________________________________________________ Spire Sea [near the long shadow of Hiruk continent], local time [1794.04.11] They were getting close to the crash site. It was immediately evident when the ship started to slow down despite the favorable winds. Yet, no shout came from the crew. Zeph glanced at Makani. No change on that front, either. The man was concentrating fully on his Sound Spells. Even if the downwind wasn¡¯t treating him kindly, Zeph was still convinced that his Spellwork would triumph over the eagle-eyed mates scanning the sea ahead. He himself was using a peculiar mix of Spells. Knowing better than to contest the eyesight and sound-detection abilities of the people around him, he decided to try something more entirely different. He was currently trying to force three Spells to work together: the Modulated Sound Detection (the legitimate variant he had learned from Makani), the Fluid Flow (reversing its function of guiding liquids to have some direct feedback from his Mana instead), and a modified Kinetic Medium (to ensure working conditions for the two previous Spells while trying to enforce a change in the detectable sound frequency). Truth be told, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard if he tried to do it inside his passive Veil. But that was not the goal ¨C he wanted to hear underwater sounds. Thus, he was keeping all constructs near the wavy surface of the sea, fighting for control as he was sustaining three continuous Spells and Mana-L generation while using external Mana Manipulation to place the setup near the water. With their current speed, he had difficulties keeping everything stable even in the air. Even assuming the Spells would work properly underwater, they would be immediately destroyed by the shifting waters. As so, he had to improvise a bit. The Kinetic Medium was responsible for transferring modulated vibrations from the water to the input areas of the two other Spells that were flying above, enclosed in a Stabilization Mana-L bubble. He didn¡¯t have much success, though. Most of the noise he was detecting belonged to the very boat he was currently riding. But he wasn¡¯t losing hope. In the first place, he wanted to make this combination work more like a sonar. But before adding a source of sound to the mix, he had to reach certain detection capability ¨C both in sensitivity and acuity. He was working on those right now. Still, it was a small miracle that this combination was working after his first try. As time was passing, he was becoming more aware of the sounds their boat was making underwater, confirming that he was making progress. He was quite sure he would be of better use working away, thought. Well, we will probably stop at some point, he concluded, aware that they still didn¡¯t find anyone alive. I should be able to detect a danger, at the very least¡­ ~~~ ¡°Starboard!¡± Makani shouted suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a heartbeat!¡± The captain started to give orders, before taking a double take because of the ridiculous content of the second part of Makani¡¯s report. Zeph could sympathize. The crew still wasn¡¯t able to see anything, yet he heard someone¡¯s heartbeat? ?Wreckage in the distance!¡± came a confirmation from one of the people. That closed the captain¡¯s mouth. He shook his head and started giving orders, shouting to his crew. It wasn¡¯t from necessity. This crew could easily operate the ship silently. But they wanted to bait anyone still alive, so it was decided they would work in an old-fashioned way. Also, by being loud they could warn anyone guarding or searching the place, which should prevent unnecessary misunderstanding and unwanted aggression. Not to mention, the sea predators weren¡¯t known for ambushing loud targets. They would either move away or attack frontally, as their instincts and habits weren¡¯t geared to work against such opponents. That was also the reason why Zeph was keeping his combined Spellwork active despite its dismal effectiveness ¨C it was the best way to detect any danger coming from underwater. However, all their worries dissolved soon enough, replaced by a feeling of urgency. From behind the latest, tall wave, a small silhouette emerged, barely kept afloat by a wide wooden board. << THE LEXICON >>
Mana Terminology:
Interference Veil ¨C a cloud of Mana connected to the individual¡¯s Soul. Also, a common name for the Mana generation surplus that is leaking from the body. By making contact with matter and other Mana ¡®particles¡¯ (Magicules included) they lose this connection, but return the information (it¡¯s a stochastic phenomenon). The IV allows the individual to feel what is happening around them by returning the information directly to the Soul (Will is a part of the process). One can only manipulate Mana making up the IV (in other words, their own Mana). All Mana and Magicules produced by an individual are connected to their Soul, but methods of re-establishing the connection exist (eg. the mysterious ¡®Magicules absorption¡¯, or ¡®Ambient Mana Channeling¡¯). Mana-Z ¨C Mana ¡®particles¡¯, but also Magicules (forming thanks to the Soul contamination or Spells¡¯ usage), that are connected to Zeph¡¯s Soul. In other words, his Interference Veil and his Mana. Mana-X ¨C Mana, and Magicules connected to organisms other than Zeph. It is impossible to identify the source of Mana-X without IV (Mana-Z) touching the organism¡¯s physical body directly. Soul and Will¡¯s shenanigans (not explained yet in the book) are responsible for that effect. Mana-O ¨C Ambient Mana and Magicules, not connected to any organism with a Soul. Mana, in all its forms, has a tendency to drift upwards. Magicules outside of their ¡®stable environment¡¯ also have a tendency to decay into Mana, releasing additional energy by modulating their environment on an atomic level (eg. the Heat-Magicule, or rather Heat-Mana, will heat the air when dissipating by interacting with the gas around). -Mana (eg. Water-Mana) ¨C a superstructure of Mana, stable in certain environments (dictated by the atoms, temperature, pressure, and other factors). The proper name for the phenomenon is Magicule (eg. Water-Magicule), but they can be used interchangeably. -Mana-Z (eg. Space-Mana-Z) ¨C Magicules that are connected to Zeph¡¯s Soul. -Mana-X (eg. Space-Mana-X) ¨C Magicules that are connected to other organisms¡¯ Souls. -Mana-O (eg. Water-Mana-O) ¨C Magicules that are not connected to a Soul. A part of the Ambient Mana. [Already mentioned] Magicule ¨C a superstructure of Mana; a group of Mana ¡®particles¡¯ forming a more complicated, semi-stable superstructure. Magicules behave like Mana but are only stable in physical environments they can spontaneously form in. If a Magicule dissipates, it¡¯s forcing surrounding atoms to arrange and behave like the atoms of its natural medium (for example, thickening the air and making it move like water, if Water-Magicule dissipated in the air). This explanation is simplified. [Already mentioned] -Magicule ¨C a Magicule stable in a given material environment. Can be used interchangeably with -Mana, as they describe the same thing.
Magicule groups with special properties
Mana-L ¨C Life Energy ¨C Organic Magicules - A Magicule group compatible with biological matter. It is called a ¡®group¡¯ because it¡¯s not uniform yet still behaves like one, coherent type. Its behavior, as well as the method of production, are what sets it apart from other Magicules. It is a perfect conductor for Mana and Magicules of the organism it is connected with, and resist strongly any other Mana. From a physical standpoint, it¡¯s ¡®dense¡¯ enough to interact in a significant way with the matter. Congregates automatically around the flow of Mana connected to the same organism, reforming into an even more stable state. As so, it is used as a stabilizer for Spells, shielding Spell¡¯s Mana-flow from the air and Ambient Mana movements alike. Connected Mana-L reacts to the body movements, which indicates another type of connection besides the one to the Soul (in that regard, it is similar to Will-Mana). After long exposure, it can saturate solid matter without losing the connection (Shamanic Enchantments use this property). Mental Medium ¨C a subtype of Mana-L. It is formed mostly by Mana interacting with the neural structures of organisms. It behaves erratically ¨C on one hand, singular contact with matter, Mana, or Magicules isn¡¯t enough to break the connection it has with a Soul, on the other hand, such behavior allows it to interact with multiple Souls, thus the resulting forces directing a ¡®cloud¡¯ are hard to understand or predict. It employs super-structures of Crystal-Magicule and Neural-Magicule groups, as well as other types. Different from other groups and types of Magicules, it drifts downwards when in the atmosphere or neutral liquid. It is told that the ¡®cloud¡¯ of synchronized MM can not only connect people¡¯s memories, but even Wills; that a singular Magicule can not only record information, but interact with multiple Souls and each other to form a more coherent ¨C from the point of view of an intelligent being ¨C picture of the community¡¯s ¡®will¡¯. It has, supposedly, suppressive effects on strangers ¨C especially mindless beasts or aggressors. Although, it can be formed only during ritual-like ceremonies that are deeply engraved into the culture; and only when participants enter a deep meditative state. Its true form and function are one of the most perplexing mysteries of Corora.
Characters [alphabetically, grouped]:
Main cast
Aisha Zora Toritalo Leilucia ¨C [Aisha Zora Leilatalo] ¨C [Aisha Zora of Leilucia Temple] ¨C Warrior Priestess (Class) and Housemother (Profession). A redhead, sexy granny with a big warhaxammer. (chapter 15) Makani Borre Totalo Blackwind ¨C [Makani Bor ¡®from Re family¡¯, ¡®of the Tower¡¯ Blackwind] ¨C Spellwielder, previously Manacasting Practitioner, now Manacasting Specialist (chapter 101). Aeroplanner (Profession). A short guy of mixed blood, and a genius of his generation in Air-related Mana arts. (chapter 15) Zeph Einar ¨C [Zeph Einar tabitalo] ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Medic and toxin specialist. Fireteam position: scout (pistols, crossbow) / backline aggressor/defender (spear, atlatls + javelins). Learned in Mima martial arts. Suffers from suicidal thoughts. Former bioengineering major.
Main support characters
Alana ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Traps & poison specialist. Fireteam position: rifleman (assault rifle) / frontline aggressor (axe). Learned in Mima martial arts. Fiery. Former soldier. Alex ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Commander and logistics assistant. Fireteam position: Leader (sniper) / assassin (knives). Learned in Nova Scrimia martial arts. Silent, lazy. Unknown past. ??? Ciriyal ¨C [Ciri ¡®from Yal family¡¯] ¨C a daughter of Yallan, a renowned Lurona City detective [deceased]. Owner of Yallan¡¯s Lodge, an information agency. Works under Aisha in the information Department of their Guild. (chapter 49) Ghrughah-jiji ¨C Daityas, Greater Omni-Blacksmith (Class) and Biologist (Profession). ¡®Jiji¡¯ in the old Rui dialect means a master/elder of a craft. A mountain of a man. (chapter 50) Irra Turiel ¨C Modified human (¡®cat¡¯ implants and mutagens). Mechalchemist (Class) and Bio-scientist (Profession). Genius ingeniator in her own right. Scaredy-cat. Values freedom over anything else. (chapter 77) Kwan Gewong ¨C [Kwan Gew ¡®from Ong family¡¯] ¨C Hannyajin, chief of ¡®Old Nagger Inn¡¯ (true owner). Boss of the Hannyajin gang that moved to the Fuminao Legacy Kingdom. Candidate to the Lesser Landlord title. (chapter 32) Maslin Arennte Kazotalo Tellervo ¨C Lj¨®s¨¢lfar (Youlasa), the younger of the twin pilots. Male, quite short. Captain of the crew, technician, on-deck navigator. Comes from a high-stratum, heir family line. Obsessed with technological development, Willpower-disturbed. (chapter 59) Pavail Hwaran ¨C [Pavail Hwa ¡®from Ran family¡¯] ¨C Hannyajin, the Doctor (Class) of Kwan''s group. Overly enthusiastic. Dreams of creating an effective method of Mana-enhanced healing. (chapter 42) P''pfel ¨C Leprechtuangremoll. The Gremling. Or Gremlings, as there are two of him. Enchanter, Alchemist, inventor. Has too much Memory for his own good. (chapter 28) Tasmine Raennte Kazotalo Tellervo ¨C Lj¨®s¨¢lfar (Youlasa), the older of the twin pilots. Female, quite beautiful. Morale leader of the crew, Biologist (Class), on-field navigator. Comes from a high-stratum, heir family line. An airhead and a flower child, probably disturbed in some way (unconfirmed). (chapter 58/59) Yula ??? ¨C An older woman, a Head of Leilucia¡¯s orphanage in the ¡®slums¡¯ of Lurona City. A Soul-invalid; ex-prestigious, post-100 Class holder (Blessed Innermore Priestess), harmed by Nether infection (details unknown). Promised by Onjis to attain a recovering reincarnation after death. (chapter 46/47)
Main antagonists
Adeptus Miu????val Vire???talo [deceased] ¨C A member of the high-level party hunting Theron Nalani ¨C a mysterious Manacaster Adeptus from a higher stratum. He died in the High Peak of Brenn, killed by a powerful Netherbeing. His [Soul nucleus] was saved by the System, Gru, and Zeph. (chapter 105) Krono ??? ¨C A new mortal enemy of Aisha. Converted to the raising faction of the Temple of Souls (Temple of Pure Souls). Set up a death trap for Aisha within one of the temples in North Tarak. (chapter 39) Landlord Oric ¨C Barringstone main investor and owner (probably). ¡®The guy who doesn¡¯t know when to stop¡¯ as was seen during the uprising in North Tarak. (chapter 22) Lesser Landlord Arrio Arslancle Lurona-Kazotalo Clement¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. Probably a Priest and certainly a physical fighter. In the Duel Tournament, he was battling against Zeph Einar (in a very Aisha-like fashion). (chapter 113/114) Lesser Landlord Avery Rubella Lurona-Kazotaro Laurene¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. An Alchemist. In the Duel Tournament, he was battling against P''pfel. (chapter 111/112) Lesser Landlord Lavinia Naidaya Lurona-Kazotaro Yardan¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. A water-attuned Spellwielder. In the Duel Tournament, she was battling against Makani Borre. (chapter 113) Lesser Landlord Lucas¨C One of the main political opponents of Kwan''s Landlordship. Partially responsible for moves of Kanochi Guild and Theron Nalani. (chapter 73) Sarnia ???¨C A member of the high-level party hunting Theron Nalani ¨C a mysterious Augur from a higher stratum. (chapter 105) Schaefer Nuri Machitaro Barringstone ¨C [Nickname: Zewa] ¨C Head of the Barringstone. Obsessed with finding a method to detect or destroy Netherlings, after much of her group died off to them. The one who imprisoned P¡¯pfel. (chapter 22) Theron Nalani¨C [Nickname: Thompson (chapter 103)] ¨C Former member of Kanochi Guild. Spy, illusionist, and silent blade. Learned in Soul Arts. ¡°If ninjas existed on Corora, he would be one of them¡± type of a man. (chapter 67) Xim [deceased] ¨C Ranger-type warrior working for Barringstone Head. Talented ¡®bonder¡¯. Leader of the group that attacked Zeph and Aisha. (chapter 23)
Background characters.
Arhen ¨C Hannyajin, one of Kwan''s fighters (called out after the fight with the Ghan in chapter 39). Currently one of the main officers (chapter 110). Bardo ¨C Zeph¡¯s and Aisha¡¯s cart driver in the Torrent mountain chain. An ¡°it¡¯s an honest work¡± type of persona. (chapter 21) Carrick Orsenbai a shipwright ¨C an aged man whose wife and daughter suffered from an unknown illness - the goal of the first commission sent by the System. His family lives in the Viviscale Village, further west of Lurona city and near the coast. (chapter 98) Darrah Vuld ¨C Former ''pirate captain'' at the Vermilla island¡¯s ports. Former ¡®owner¡¯ of Irra Turiel. Contracted to the Guild, as per (hesitantly made) agreement. (chapter 75) Duloc Guller Kunital(r)o Fuminao ¨C Landlord¡¯s son, stationed in the Torrent mountain chain at the screening point. (chapter 20) Gahilda ¨C A middle-aged woman hosting Zeph and Makani in one of the villages during their travel to the High Peak of Brenn. (chapter 96) Garfer ¨C woman, a security officer of a trading company possessing trading routes between Lurona city and the settlements further west - in the direction of High Peak of Brenn. A leader of the security detachment guarding the caravan used by Zeph and Makani. (chapter 95) Gehrren ¨C [Gehr ''from Re family''] ¨C Tour guide of Zeph on Avianna. Mechanic, worker, cool fella. (chapter 44) Ghan [deceased] ¨C A former coworker of Kwan. Killed by her after trying to stop her in North Tarak, siding with the uprising of Landlord Oric¡¯s faction. (chapter 38) Gregory ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Driver and artillery operator. Fireteam position: navigator and grenadier (rifles and others) / frontline defender (sword + shield). Learned in Aikido. Nerd. Unknown past. Also, the GM. Decided to stay on Earth. Hamar ¨C Leader of a mercenary team hired by Zeph and Makani before the fiasco at the Vermilla islands¡¯ ports. (chapter 74) Izaac ¨C Bartender of a mercenary tavern situated west of the Guild headquarters. (chapter 74) Jeongha ¨C Hannyajin, an unimportant warrior of Kwan''s group that was stationed at the laboratory during the Undead Night. One of the two witnesses who arrived first at the scene of the murder. (mentioned in chapter 86) This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Jorge ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Technician and logistics specialist. Fireteam position: rifleman (battle rifle) / backline aggressor/defender (spear). Learned in Mima martial arts. Eager. Former electronic major. Decided to stay on Earth. Kahn ¨C Hannyajin, an unimportant warrior of Kwan''s group that was stationed at the laboratory during the Undead Night. One of the two witnesses who arrived first at the scene of the murder. (mentioned in chapter 86) Landlord Vladal ¨C Owner of lands southeast to North Tarak. Using his influence, backing, and military power (details unknown), forced one of the cities to join in the Landlord''s Oric rebellion. (chapter 81) Landlord Yarell ¨C Owner of lands west to North Tarak. Using his influence, backing, and military power (details unknown), forced one of the cities to join in the Landlord''s Oric rebellion. (chapter 81) Loma Asta ¨C Trading companion, the first person visited in Barringstone. (chapter 23/24) Mijalo [deceased] ¨C A Human modified to look like a Hannyajin. An involuntary spy implanted in Sepia Familia Guild''s forces. After being found out during the Undead Night, she blew herself up, contaminating a large area with putrid, biohazardous remnants of her body. Specialist in poisons. (chapter 86) Ruthia ¨C The commander of the warrior squad screening the Torrent Mountains (chapter 20) Sangsu ¨C Hannyajin, one of the commanders collaborating with Zeph and Aisha during the Undead Night in Lurona city. (chapter 84) Silka ¨C An unknown worker of a mercenary tavern situated west of the Guild headquarters. (chapter 74) Uliala ¨C An unimportant assistant in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. (chapter 50) Ulma ¨C An orphan, a six-year-old girl that found Zeph''s presence soothing, thus starting the cascade of kids wanting to spend time with him. (chapter 47) Woongar ¨C Hannyajin, one of the commanders collaborating with Zeph and Aisha during the Undead Night in Lurona city. A traitor, possibly influenced by the Temple of Pure Souls. (chapter 85) Yarik ¨C An older man from the village on the way to the High Peak of Brenn. A small-time crafter selling windsleds. (chapter 97)
All characters (alphabetically)
??? Ciriyal ¨C [Ciri ¡®from Yal family¡¯] ¨C a daughter of Yallan, a renowned Lurona City detective [deceased]. Owner of Yallan¡¯s Lodge, an information agency. Works under Aisha in the information Department of their Guild. (chapter 49) Adeptus Miu????val Vire???talo [deceased] ¨C A member of the high-level party hunting Theron Nalani ¨C a mysterious Manacaster Adeptus from a higher stratum. He died in the High Peak of Brenn, killed by a powerful Netherbeing. His [Soul nucleus] was saved by the System, Gru, and Zeph. (chapter 105) Aisha Zora Toritalo Leilucia ¨C [Aisha Zora Leilatalo] ¨C [Aisha Zora of Leilucia Temple] ¨C Warrior Priestess (Class) and Housemother (Profession). A redhead, sexy granny with a big warhaxammer. (chapter 15) Alana ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Traps & poison specialist. Fireteam position: rifleman (assault rifle) / frontline aggressor (axe). Learned in Mima martial arts. Fiery. Former soldier. Alex ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Commander and logistics assistant. Fireteam position: Leader (sniper) / assassin (knives). Learned in Nova Scrimia martial arts. Silent, lazy. Unknown past. Arhen ¨C Hannyajin, one of Kwan''s fighters (called out after the fight with the Ghan in chapter 39). Currently one of the main officers (chapter 110). Bardo ¨C Zeph¡¯s and Aisha¡¯s cart driver in the Torrent mountain chain. An ¡°it¡¯s an honest work¡± type of persona. (chapter 21) Carrick Orsenbai a shipwright ¨C an aged man whose wife and daughter suffered from an unknown illness - the goal of the first commission sent by the System. His family lives in the Viviscale Village, further west of Lurona city and near the coast. (chapter 98) Darrah Vuld ¨C Former ''pirate captain'' at the Vermilla island¡¯s ports. Former ¡®owner¡¯ of Irra Turiel. Contracted to the Guild, as per (hesitantly made) agreement. (chapter 75) Duloc Guller Kunital(r)o Fuminao ¨C Landlord¡¯s son, stationed in the Torrent mountain chain at the screening point. (chapter 20) Gahilda ¨C A middle-aged woman hosting Zeph and Makani in one of the villages during their travel to the High Peak of Brenn. (chapter 96) Garfer ¨C woman, a security officer of a trading company possessing trading routes between Lurona city and the settlements further west - in the direction of High Peak of Brenn. A leader of the security detachment guarding the caravan used by Zeph and Makani. (chapter 95) Gehrren ¨C [Gehr ''from Re family''] ¨C Tour guide of Zeph on Avianna. Mechanic, worker, cool fella. (chapter 44) Ghan [deceased] ¨C A former coworker of Kwan. Killed by her after trying to stop her in North Tarak, siding with the uprising of Landlord Oric¡¯s faction. (chapter 38) Ghrughah-jiji ¨C Daityas, Greater Omni-Blacksmith (Class) and Biologist (Profession). ¡®Jiji¡¯ in the old Rui dialect means a master/elder of a craft. A mountain of a man. (chapter 50) Gregory ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Driver and artillery operator. Fireteam position: navigator and grenadier (rifles and others) / frontline defender (sword + shield). Learned in Aikido. Nerd. Unknown past. Also, the GM. Decided to stay on Earth. Hamar ¨C Leader of a mercenary team hired by Zeph and Makani before the fiasco at the Vermilla islands¡¯ ports. (chapter 74) Irra Turiel ¨C Modified human (¡®cat¡¯ implants and mutagens). Mechalchemist (Class) and Bio-scientist (Profession). Genius ingeniator in her own right. Scaredy-cat. Values freedom over anything else. (chapter 77) Izaac ¨C Bartender of a mercenary tavern situated west of the Guild headquarters. (chapter 74) Jeongha ¨C Hannyajin, an unimportant warrior of Kwan''s group that was stationed at the laboratory during the Undead Night. One of the two witnesses who arrived first at the scene of the murder. (mentioned in chapter 86) Jorge ??? ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Technician and logistics specialist. Fireteam position: rifleman (battle rifle) / backline aggressor/defender (spear). Learned in Mima martial arts. Eager. Former electronic major. Decided to stay on Earth. Kahn ¨C Hannyajin, an unimportant warrior of Kwan''s group that was stationed at the laboratory during the Undead Night. One of the two witnesses who arrived first at the scene of the murder. (mentioned in chapter 86) Krono ??? ¨C A new mortal enemy of Aisha. Converted to the raising faction of the Temple of Souls (Temple of Pure Souls). Set up a death trap for Aisha within one of the temples in North Tarak. (chapter 39) Kwan Gewong ¨C [Kwan Gew ¡®from Ong family¡¯] ¨C Hannyajin, chief of ¡®Old Nagger Inn¡¯ (true owner). Boss of the Hannyajin gang that moved to the Fuminao Legacy Kingdom. Candidate to the Lesser Landlord title. (chapter 32) Landlord Oric ¨C Barringstone main investor and owner (probably). ¡®The guy who doesn¡¯t know when to stop¡¯ as was seen during the uprising in North Tarak. (chapter 22) Landlord Vladal ¨C Owner of lands southeast to North Tarak. Using his influence, backing, and military power (details unknown), forced one of the cities to join in the Landlord''s Oric rebellion. (chapter 81) Landlord Yarell ¨C Owner of lands west to North Tarak. Using his influence, backing, and military power (details unknown), forced one of the cities to join in the Landlord''s Oric rebellion. (chapter 81) Lesser Landlord Arrio Arslancle Lurona-Kazotalo Clement ¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. Probably a Priest and certainly a physical fighter. In the Duel Tournament, he was battling against Zeph Einar (in a very Aisha-like fashion). (chapter 113/114) Lesser Landlord Avery Rubella Lurona-Kazotaro Laurene ¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. An Alchemist. In the Duel Tournament, he was battling against P''pfel. (chapter 111/112) Lesser Landlord Lavinia Naidaya Lurona-Kazotaro Yardan ¨C Lesser Landlord from Lurona city, opposing the Sepia Familia Guild. A water-attuned Spellwielder. In the Duel Tournament, she was battling against Makani Borre. (chapter 113) Lesser Landlord Lucas ¨C One of the main political opponents of Kwan''s Landlordship. Partially responsible for moves of Kanochi Guild and Theron Nalani. (chapter 73) Loma Asta ¨C Trading companion, the first person visited in Barringstone. (chapter 23/24) Makani Borre Totalo Blackwind ¨C [Makani Bor ¡®from Re family¡¯, ¡®of the Tower¡¯ Blackwind] ¨C Spellwielder, previously Manacasting Practitioner, now Manacasting Specialist (chapter 101). Aeroplanner (Profession). A short guy of mixed blood, and a genius of his generation in Air-related Mana arts. (chapter 15) Maslin Arennte Kazotalo Tellervo ¨C Lj¨®s¨¢lfar (Youlasa), the younger of the twin pilots. Male, quite short. Captain of the crew, technician, on-deck navigator. Comes from a high-stratum, heir family line. Obsessed with technological development, Willpower-disturbed. (chapter 59) Mijalo [deceased] ¨C A Human modified to look like a Hannyajin. An involuntary spy implanted in Sepia Familia Guild''s forces. After being found out during the Undead Night, she blew herself up, contaminating a large area with putrid, biohazardous remnants of her body. Specialist in poisons. (chapter 86) Pavail Hwaran ¨C [Pavail Hwa ¡®from Ran family¡¯] ¨C Hannyajin, the Doctor (Class) of Kwan''s group. Overly enthusiastic. Dreams of creating an effective method of Mana-enhanced healing. (chapter 42) P''pfel ¨C Leprechtuangremoll. The Gremling. Or Gremlings, as there are two of him. Enchanter, Alchemist, inventor. Has too much Memory for his own good. (chapter 28) Ruthia ¨C The commander of the warrior squad screening the Torrent Mountains (chapter 20) Sangsu ¨C Hannyajin, one of the commanders collaborating with Zeph and Aisha during the Undead Night in Lurona city. (chapter 84) Sarnia ??? ¨C A member of the high-level party hunting Theron Nalani ¨C a mysterious Augur from a higher stratum. (chapter 105) Schaefer Nuri Machitaro Barringstone ¨C [Nickname: Zewa] ¨C Head of the Barringstone. Obsessed with finding a method to detect or destroy Netherlings, after much of her group died off to them. The one who imprisoned P¡¯pfel. (chapter 22) Silka ¨C An unknown worker of a mercenary tavern situated west of the Guild headquarters. (chapter 74) Tasmine Raennte Kazotalo Tellervo ¨C Lj¨®s¨¢lfar (Youlasa), the older of the twin pilots. Female, quite beautiful. Morale leader of the crew, Biologist (Class), on-field navigator. Comes from a high-stratum, heir family line. An airhead and a flower child, probably disturbed in some way (unconfirmed). (chapter 58/59) Theron Nalani ¨C [Nickname: Thompson (chapter 103)] ¨C Former member of Kanochi Guild. Spy, illusionist, and silent blade. Learned in Soul Arts. ¡°If ninjas existed on Corora, he would be one of them¡± type of a man. (chapter 67) Uliala ¨C An unimportant assistant in Ghrughah¡¯s workshop. (chapter 50) Ulma ¨C An orphan, a six-year-old girl that found Zeph''s presence soothing, thus starting the cascade of kids wanting to spend time with him. (chapter 47) Woongar ¨C Hannyajin, one of the commanders collaborating with Zeph and Aisha during the Undead Night in Lurona city. A traitor, possibly influenced by the Temple of Pure Souls. (chapter 85) Xim [deceased] ¨C Ranger-type warrior working for Barringstone Head. Talented ¡®bonder¡¯. Leader of the group that attacked Zeph and Aisha. (chapter 23) Yarik ¨C An older man from the village on the way to the High Peak of Brenn. A small-time crafter selling windsleds. (chapter 97) Yula ??? ¨C An older woman, a Head of Leilucia¡¯s orphanage in the ¡®slums¡¯ of Lurona City. A Soul-invalid; ex-prestigious, post-100 Class holder (Blessed Innermore Priestess), harmed by Nether infection (details unknown). Promised by Onjis to attain a recovering reincarnation after death. (chapter 46/47) Zeph Einar ¨C [Zeph Einar tabitalo] ¨C Member of the ''Apes'' Fissure Huntsmen group, squad ''Gibbon Zero''. Medic and toxin specialist. Fireteam position: scout (pistols, crossbow) / backline aggressor/defender (spear, atlatls + javelins). Learned in Mima martial arts. Suffers from suicidal thoughts. Former bioengineering major.
Known Gods (Onjis):
Leilucia - Aisha''s Goddess. Her doctrine revolves around supporting and protecting promising people in the light of possible cataclysms. Interpreted differently by two distinct factions, it caused a division within her Temple. But the most fundamental principle ¨C making sure the future of the civilization won¡¯t die early ¨C is respected by both sides. Yuki Togana - Goddess of Library. Administrates over written knowledge, as well as conservation and propagation of anything written down. System - [??s]; Greater Onji. Administrates over Soul fragments and Soul memories, as well as objective knowledge and its application. Custos Naturae - God of nature and balance (peculiarly obsessed with the latter). Some see him as a mad biology scientist, some revere him for the opportunities he is creating, especially for the weak. He is mostly neutral, avoiding actions that could influence individual organisms or small groups and instead focusing on the adaptability of species. His ''gardens'' are known for the abundance of life, often posing perfect hunting grounds, but he likes to limit the access - not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively. Onji Tiwaz - God of honor and battle. Or rather, of oaths and trials and ¨C as a result ¨C the military law. He is actively helping System perfect the categorization of many different martial arts and plays an active role in shaping society by creating communal stadiums that offer free teachings of a more violent nature. His stadiums are places of great and just clashes between conflicted factions, as well as a perfect training ground, a great source of entertainment, and a place to honor combat masters of any type. His higher goals aren''t known yet, but it seems that he believes in a simple power of arms when it comes to species survivability. (chapter 111)
Intelligent Races:
Onji ¨C a God/Goddess. The warders, protectors, and caretakers of existing civilization. Bodiless existences with a major influence over a world. Terrien ¨C the Earthmen/Earthians. Mystical creatures from the world beyond, taken care of by major religious groups (as if, lol). Humans ¨C twin race of Earth¡¯s humans, although they are much taller on average and had slightly different anatomy (hearts on the right side of the body, bigger eyes, and slightly different groups of muscles, among other things ¨C like Mana compatibility for example). Fullangrarians (common: Fularins) ¨C dwarf-like Humans living on an isolated continent on stratum zero. Their features are so similar to the Terrien that Zeph can be easily mistaken for one. Hannyajin ¨C descendants of an ancient woman who changed her genetics enough to stop being a Human. Oriental face, small teeth with two sticking out from each jaw. The ones sticking from the upper jaw are visible, the lower ones only when they smile ¡®aggressively¡¯ ¨C hurting the skin on their own faces. They cannot tell straight lies ¨C their race has a physical PE (Passive Enhancements) strengthened naturally but that means the links between their Soul and body are stronger and more numerous. As so, any lie stirs the Soul much stronger than for Humans or similar races. Twerg ¨C a term for all short races. It¡¯s not explicitly offending by itself but can be unpleasant because of what certain small races tends to do. Gremling (original: Leprechtuangremolls) ¨C small creatures with grotesque features and body shapes. Very intelligent and creative. Some say it¡¯s a starting race for many strange evolutions that can be achieved even without System¡¯s help (unconfirmed). Machoir (original: Machairodontinae) ¨C cat people. Most of their features are animalistic but they do have gripping hands and can stand straight with some effort. Most choose System upgrades that bring their anatomy closer to the true bipedal races. Kitayamayan ¨C pale, bald people living in the caves of the far-north mountains. Tall, muscular, strong, and resilient. Very much so. Lj¨®s¨¢lfar (common: Youlasa) ¨C a Human cousin resembling Earth¡¯s Wood Elves. Dark, brown skin and much-too-big ears (but not pointed) are their trademarks. They tend to be taller than Humans as well. Daityas ¨C Ghrughah¡¯s race. The word ¡®giants¡¯ fits them perfectly. Their anatomy is absolutely alien with an unique structure of bones and muscles. They tend to be raised as Warriors of different kinds, rarely dabbling in the fine arts. Netherers/Netherfolk ¨C an unknown form of life incompatible with Mana but very much compatible with Souls. Place of origin ¨C unknown. Intelligence ¨C confirmed sapience potential. A known enemy of the System Onji. Netherlings ¨C Soul larvae. Almost undetectable before the metamorphosis that is most often happening when the carrier surpasses the level 100 barrier. Netherbeasts ¨C organisms converted into Soulless and Manaless life forms. Capable of using Nether energy, critically dangerous for unprepared. Capable of damaging Souls directly.
Units:
Temperature: 0 mei (freezing point of mercury -38,83 C); 1 mei = 1,5 C; 50 mei = temperature of the human child (36,17 C); Distances (estimation): Finger = 1.4 cm = 0.55¡¯¡¯ (more or less); Ell = 50 Fingers = 70 cm = 27.56¡¯¡¯; Boat = 50 Ells = 35 m = 114¡¯ 9.95¡¯¡¯; Range = 500 Boats = 17.5 km = 10.87 mi; Time (estimation): 1 Corora second = 1.2 Earth second; 1 Corora minute = 50 Corora seconds = 1 Earth minute; 1 Corora hour = 50 Corora minutes = 0.8(3) Earth hour; 1 cycle = 2.5 Corora hours = 2.08(3) Earth hours; 1 apparent solar day = 12 cycles = 30 Corora hours = 25 Earth hours; 1 week = 8 Corora days; 1 month = 4 Corora weeks = 32 Corora days; 1 year = 12 Corora months + New Year Festivities = 48 Corora weeks + NYF = 384 Corora days + NYF = (after recalculating) 401.(6) Earth days on average; New Year Festivities = 36¨C44 Corora hours = 30¨C36.(6) Earth hours (Equation of time); Day cycle starts at the 3rd cycle of the calendar day (Corora¡¯s 7.5th AM; Earth¡¯s 6th AM [equivalent]); astronomical day is slightly shifted in time. Night cycle starts at the 9th cycle of the calendar day (Corora¡¯s 22.5th PM; Earth¡¯s 6th PM [equivalent]); astronomical night is slightly shifted in time. The times of daybreak and sunset are ignored by Cororians. Chapter 159 – The victims and the predators… but reversed? Spire Sea [near the long shadow of Hiruk continent], local time [1794.04.11] An older woman straightened up from her position above the patient, sighing heavily. Carefully, she pulled back the gray clothing covering the young girl¡¯s abdomen and fastened it with a wide, soft belt. After covering her with a warm blanket, she turned around, ready to address the spectators standing just outside of the infirmary¡¯s open doors. She didn¡¯t hurry, slowly stepping down two metal steps of the balancing platform that was keeping the hospital bed stable this whole time. With grace and ease brought by years of experience, she lightly descended onto the cabin sole. She didn¡¯t even pause while walking ¨C her leg hit the flooring when the platform was perfectly flush with the underdeck while swinging backwards. She continued her unhurried walk and ignored the contraption behind her back entirely. Even when it missed her head by centimeters a few moments later, she didn¡¯t react in any way. If they hadn¡¯t seen her at work before, the people present would react much more actively. But because everybody already knew about the old hag¡¯s strange penchant for scaring the onlookers this way, they only cringed or turned their gaze away. The crew above was still searching the waters, so only the guests were present, waiting patiently for her to finish the examination. Out of the expected company, only the Cartographer lady was absent. Still disgruntled because of the joint decision to look for survivors, she decided to lock herself in her cabin. ¡°Her body is stabilizing, but there is much more going on. I can¡¯t be sure she will live through it,¡± the Doctor explained succinctly before anyone could ask a question. Her quiet, hoarse voice immediately silenced them all. ¡°A bad case of hypothermia, a concussion, four fractured bones, and severe bruising aren¡¯t life-threatening. I could deal with the worst of it in a week. But a severe Mana poisoning, symptoms of Soul backlash, and a turbulent mind are another story entirely¡­¡± She paused, worry evident on her face. ¡°Even if someone shielded her when she fell into the water, her parents have passed away before she left the altitude of stratum-one. Either they perished minutes before the ¡®crash¡¯, or their aero-vehicle was flying higher than we were expecting.¡± ¡°That may be bad,¡± Ferrandis started talking immediately after the Doctor paused. ¡°Taking into account her origins, she should be old enough to develop higher sentience, if not full sapience¡­¡± Zeph did a double take when he heard the scholar. It felt strange when he was describing a fellow human like that, but after remembering where they were and what it meant, it started to make sense in Zeph¡¯s mind. Those were official terms used by the System to describe intelligent life, even if nobody truly understood what those meant and the Onji¡¯s verdicts sometimes seemed far-fetched. But no matter how subjective this evaluation was, it accurately marked at least two most important stages of existence on Corora. Basic Sapience, also called Primal Sapience to prevent mistakes, was describing a point at which organisms were starting to generate Will and, subsequently, form a Soul. On the other hand, Basic Sentience was a requirement to unlock the Interface and Class/Profession choices ¨C as has happened to Gru, and as was the case for human children 4 to 7 years old. As so, people started to implement those terms in their language naturally. The old woman nodded. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s somewhere between 12 to 14 years old ¨C aware enough to comprehend everything that had transpired fully¡­¡± This would be another surprise for people who didn¡¯t know any better. In appearance, the girl looked to be ten at most, if one squinted their eyes. The scholar nodded. ¡°The chances are high that her Will have faded. And the resulting Soul wound¡­¡± The old lady shook her head, raising her hand to stop him. ¡°Even a simpler possibility does not leave much hope,¡± she said, looking up. ¡°Deeply traumatic experiences are too much for kids her age. That in itself would be enough to drastically magnify the effects of the backlash ¨C the aftermath of the Soul-bond breaking. And if she witnessed the death of her parents¡­ Yes, if she was there personally, your conclusion may as well be right. Either way, I can¡¯t guarantee that she will be able to recover from a Soul wound like that¡­¡± ¡°But the chances that she has chosen her Class and Profession are also high, right?¡± Zeph interjected, aware that the discussion started spiraling down into the abyss of hopelessness. ¡°Class structures that aren¡¯t species-related are stabilizing the Soul much better. Not to mention, the System would probably give her some last-resort options. Especially if she had made her choice after her parents¡¯ death but before the crash¡­¡± This topic was a bit complicated and, as a result, everyone gathered paused for a moment to parse through his comment. ______________________ Even after gaining access to the Interface at a tender age, youngsters were always taught to not choose their Class blindly. There was a lot to learn before taking that step, and a loss or a misalignment of PE during the waiting period was imperceptible in the long run. In the first place, a starting Class of any newborn was that of their species, and those were known for strengthening the most important (in other words ¨C the most lacking) aspects of a given type of organism by smartly allocating Passive Enchantments. Making sure that all PEs were being developed optimally was the sole purpose of those Classes. At least in theory, it should be the best start for the young of any species. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. As so, the intelligent races were known for stalling for as long as they could. It was much more important to discover the talents and predispositions of their children first, way before looking for a fitting Class and Profession. Besides waiting for a young individual to develop a higher Sentience and Sapience before allowing them to make this semi-permanent decision, the ¡®Affinity Test¡¯ was only viable after a decade of stable life. An affinity ¨C as in ¡®below-the-threshold Soul contamination¡¯ ¨C was not something the System Onji approved of or traced, and yet it has become a part of the local culture because the period of postponing Class choice was increasing each year slightly. At this point in time, it was normal to wait for 5 to 25 years before taking a Class ¨C depending on the inborn longevity of a humanoid race. There was a limiting factor, though. The initial, species-related Class of intelligent races could not surpass the level of 25, and all Soul fragments gained thereafter were lost. After that point, an individual had to choose their specialization or progress without the help of the System. It wasn¡¯t the case for the non-intelligent beings, but those always followed a different set of rules. Taking all that into account, Corora¡¯s humans wisely advised their children to make the choice quite early in their life ¨C at the age of 12 to 20, so at least 5 years after unlocking the Interface. It wasn¡¯t optimal for measuring their affinities, but humans had a limited lifespan ¨C making the kids wait any longer would be cruel. Of course, the higher the stratum, the longer people dared to wait. Sharing high Regeneration and swimming in resources did that to people. The common-sense border of 20 years (counted from the moment of gaining access to the Interface) was rarely crossed, though. For many reasons. Putting aside those unnecessary details ¨C for most civilizations, this event marked the first step of becoming an adult. Yes, only the first step. Even Corora¡¯s humans could be considered a long-lived race thanks to the System Onji¡¯s machinations, so who in their right mind would announce that a 12-year-old kid was a full-fledged adult? Either way, those ¡®rituals of passage¡¯ were an important part of the many cultures that spanned across the Corora. The only downside for waiting that long ¨C in the case of naturally intelligent races, at least ¨C was the possible loss or misalignment of PE in regards to the future Class. The initial, species-related Classes weren¡¯t simply replaced by the chosen ones. No, they were transforming into them ¨C the new Classes were inheriting the old levels, so the past PE distribution and amount were permanently locked-down. No reimbursement, even if a person changed their Class again. But, as it was said, it wasn¡¯t much of a problem. But going back to the current events ¨C nobody present on the ship had the full knowledge of those facts. The basics for humans were known, but not many details. Zeph¡¯s comment was hitting so many points at once that everyone came to their own conclusions. Of course, Zeph himself wasn¡¯t aware of most of it. ______________________ The Doctor¡¯s face relaxed slightly, but she shook her head despite that. ¡°System intervention¡­ It would be too little, too late¡­ Her fate lies in her hands now, we can only take care of her body.¡± ¡°Well, that may not be the full truth of the situation¡­¡± Makani said, glancing at Zeph and nudging him with his elbow. Zeph frowned slightly as the Doctor and the scholar looked curiously at him, eyebrows raised. ¡°Ugh, I may have means to calm her mind¡­¡± Not like I wanted to speak about that openly, you moron! Traitor! The old lady hummed, her gaze skeptical and distrustful. ¡°And what would be the method, exactly? Was it tested and proved to be safe for the disabled?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a minor side effect of my upgrades. It isn¡¯t even acknowledged by the System Onji. It seemed to help the kids in the orphanage rest peacefully¡ª¡± The woman frowned deeply, making him stop abruptly. ¡°No funny business here, lady,¡± he immediately denied, irritated a bit at the insinuation. ¡°I would rather not hear accusations of testing dangerous effects on kids. I don¡¯t know what you have seen in your life, but that would be a step beyond irrational.¡± She started opening her mouth to rebuke him, only to pause. After looking at the ceiling in thought for a moment, she shook her head. ¡°My apologies. It was stupid of me. I almost made your whole Guild look like garbage, when you are a pure gold for everyone involved. It¡¯s just¡­ the way and order of events looks quite wrong.¡± He snorted. ¡°Tell me about it. I visited the orphanage with Aisha one day. Suddenly, the kids wanted me to sleep with them in the common bedroom. It was the same day, mind you. Something about feeling safe, they said. The next thing I remember is being forced into regular visits because their overall mentality improved¡­ Like that can even be measured. All I have noticed is the fact that they slept way better covered in my Veil. You¡±¡ªhe sent a hateful gaze Makani¡¯s way¡ª¡°can observe and tell me why. Because I have no freaking idea!¡± And he wasn¡¯t even lying. It has something to do with his Will, but he didn¡¯t know what at all. He paused to take a deep breath and calm himself. Those sleepless nights in the crowded room weren¡¯t bothering him much ¨C he wanted to help where he could, either way. The insistence of certain people that he should, though, was a different thing altogether. And Makani just crossed that very line by making that half-voiced request a moment ago. Not only that, he put his secrets in jeopardy without any solid reason! If only he had more trust in Zeph¡¯s morals¡­ If Zeph had a choice, he would definitely try to help. But he would also do it inconspicuously. Now? Now he was stripped of that choice. Worse yet, without explaining himself immediately, he was sure that those people would try to spy on him. Or, at least, Ferrandis would, the clever bastard. Suddenly, Zeph half-turned his upper body and blindly grabbed the Air-Magicule conglomeration behind him. That sleazy, pathetically short Manariter was trying to escape after noticing what he had done. ¡°Oh! I just remembered something!¡± Zeph shamelessly exclaimed. ¡°What was that oxygen therapy I¡¯ve heard about again?¡± He yanked the poor, embarrassed Manacaster back into his place with a slight rotation of his lower body. The man was not only weaker than Zeph, he possessed only a basic knowledge of martial arts, so the action was splendidly effortless. Obviously, people here had a name for the true oxygen. It was way too important to not be included in the knowledge General Skills. As so, it had its own name in the Cir vocabulary, even if most people on stratum zero didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. But Makani was way richer in knowledge thanks to Zeph¡¯s lessons. Not to the atomic level, but still. And it was high time for him to make use of that knowledge instead of leaching off of him like a homeless freelancer. No, wait. Apology for all homeless freelancers! He¡¯s more like a stubborn roommate who doesn¡¯t pay his bills! ¡°Also, why not share more about that pleasant sound that helps bones to come together?¡± he asked with a still-widening, false smile, while clapping Makani on his back a few times to make sure he was painfully aware of his situation. ¡°It helped me sooo much last time!¡± Makani tried to laugh it off, but the focus of the two nearby predators was already on him. Zeph¡¯s grin was stretching more and more out with every second of the Manacaster¡¯s misery. He himself may have some effect on mentally scarred kids, but Makani would be irreplaceable for all patients from now on. Chapter 160 – The ship sails. The Soul wails. Spire Sea [near the long shadow of Hiruk continent], local time [1794.04.11] Leaving behind the two overeager interrogators¡ªnow hunting the ¡®fresh meat¡¯ he had presented them¡ªhe entered the infirmary. Walking closer to the hospital bed, he tried to synchronize his steps with the ship¡¯s movements. And, of course, he failed, stumbling just before facing the mass of steel lazily swinging his way. The semi-random movements of the ship were still beyond his ability to predict, so an unexpectedly deep tilt took him by surprise. After dodging the platform by lightly jumping back, he sprung upwards just enough to be caught by it. It took him a moment to find his balance after he landed, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to adjust. Maybe he wasn¡¯t a powerhouse in the physical PE department, but he knew how to find his footing and utilize the Enhancements when moving his body. Two steps later, he was looking down at the pale face of the girl. She was breathing laboriously; as if she was on the verge of suffocating. It was her fever at work, probably magnified by her poor mental state and following nightmares. He hoped she had enough mental PE to draw from their mind-stabilizing effects, but that could only happen if she had chosen her Class and didn¡¯t focus purely on physical PE. The chances of that weren¡¯t high. The situation of her Soul shouldn¡¯t leave any mark on her physical body if she wasn¡¯t in possession of relevant implants or enhancements, and the ones that dealt directly with a Soul were very rare. Because of that, it was impossible to immediately assess the damage her Soul has sustained. But that¡¯s also why Zeph was so surprised seeing how hollow her face was. Her sunken eyes were moving rapidly under the closed eyelids as if looking for an escape from the death itself. No matter how hard he tried to explain that logically, his instincts were stubbornly persuading him, again and again, that it wasn¡¯t merely a physical affliction. That her Soul was the major culprit here. Or, maybe, it was merely a result of his own ignorance and preconceptions ¨C all Cororians he saw in such a bad state were on the verge of death, most often caused by the complications stemming from their Soul. However, her Will should still be influenced by her Soul and it should manifest in the behavior of her Mana inside her body, so some observations could still be made to assess the situation. However, the Doctor didn¡¯t seem to be learned in Soul Arts, so Zeph was already planning what to do during his meditation sessions to remedy their lack of information. It wasn¡¯t an immediate issue, though, even if her Will had depleted fully at some point as Ferrandis had suggested. If she was still alive then she withstood the process and started to form a new brand of Will, which meant she was recovering. Of course, a life-threatening Soul wound would be an inevitable outcome if Ferrandis¡¯s guess was right, but even if they knew how bad it was, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about that right now. Soul Manipulation wasn¡¯t increasing the Tabu Skill without a reason ¨C operating on Souls was extremely dangerous for all people involved. Sometimes, it was better to let the patient pass away in peace, allowing their Soul to reincarnate in a different time and place. In any case, the most worrying was her mental state. Her gray hair was a testament to the level of stress she has gone through. It was impossible to mistake it for a natural color because of a few stray, black strands that still adorned her head. It was the first time he saw a person going full-white at such a young age, and it made his heart sink. Although, he was still forgetting that her real age was a bit higher. It wasn¡¯t an intuitive reaction for him yet, to look at people through the lens of slowed aging. Especially in cases of the younger ones. The kids in the orphanage were looking their age for the most part, so it was a first for him, truth be told. It was easier to imagine an adult being ancient despite their looks than to internalize that the young one was double her apparent age. It was doubly difficult for Zeph because he never had kids ¨C he could only guess how old a child was going by their appearance alone, and it was getting even more convoluted now. Right after realizing how much common sense he lacked, he paused. Does it matter? That isn¡¯t the way I should look at things if I want to help her¡­ analyzing everything logically isn¡¯t going to help me, he noticed. The ¡®Will clash¡¯ was a very possible outcome if he acted blindly when trying to check her Soul. Even a basic level of mutual understanding should help him ¨C assuming his theory about clashing Wills was any way close to the truth. Because of that, in an attempt to understand her and her situation better, he started reconstructing a picture of how her life should have looked like up to this point. Imagining something he knew very little about wasn¡¯t going to be precise, but he would need at least a clue about how her mind was working before attempting anything. Her apparent age was an effect of her upbringing ¨C she had to be Soul-bonded by her family to survive in higher Mana density, so her shared Regeneration was probably above 100 for all her life, bare the last few days. Thankfully, Regeneration¡¯s effects on lifespan were atypically weaker on low values and non-linear in progression, so 100 wasn¡¯t slowing aging that drastically. Moreover, because of Regeneration¡¯s nature, the faster a body was growing, the less the process was being influenced by Regeneration. That meant, she should have been growing quite normally for a young child. A slightly prolonged childhood, he could imagine. But one or both of her parents were Bonded to her, which meant they were probably projecting a lot of love and care through that connection. She should have been slightly pampered in that way. But there were also cons ¨C with a psyche so much weaker than her parents, their personal traits, hidden wishes, and overall mentality should be much more influential. He wasn¡¯t sure about the scope of this effect, but he has learned enough about Soul-bonds to have an idea. She may have been pampered, but she was also amendable. Obedient not as much to the words of her parents, as to their ingrained values and thoughts that were shaping her. On the other hand, he knew nothing about her interaction with her peers or society as a whole. It would be proper to expose her to the wider world, but even if she had superhuman PE in comparison to people on the planet¡¯s surface thanks to her Bonded parents, stratum-one was a dangerous place. She could have been sheltered her whole life for all that he knew about those people. Wait, Aisha mentioned something about that¡­ Weren¡¯t the families with kids moving closer to the lower Mana density? Yes, that seems right. The parents are weaker because of the Bond, and the child should be easier to raise and protect in such an environment, he reminded himself before humming in thought. But if their ship was flying so high¡­ Is she even a child of normal citizens? If not, could such a pampered child be in possession of enough will and ability to actually survive in higher Mana density without her parents¡¯ support?... In the end, he could only awkwardly scratch his head. It seemed his ability to empathize with the girl reached its natural limits. He sighed with resignation. Aisha would be sooo angry if she knew how many of her lessons I wasn¡¯t listening to¡­ Or should I call them sermons? ~~~ At the same time, somewhere in Lurona city, a certain Priestess stumbled ¨C without any apparent reason ¨C while walking on a hard, smooth stone road. ¡°What the frix?¡± she cursed while looking around. Shaking her head, she moved along. ¡°At least nobody saw that¡­¡± _______________________________________________________________________________________ Spire Sea, local time [1794.04.13] Zeph practically moved to the infirmary, spending there most of his time during the past two days. It was easy to overwhelm the girl¡¯s miniscule Mana generation if he was constantly present. Even the platform, the patient¡¯s bed, and nearby walls were now saturated with his Mana. It was possible because the Mana-gathering system wasn¡¯t present here, only a Mana-control-and-release mechanism that was making sure there was no interference between patients. Skillful people like the Doctor could also use it to minimize the presence of their Veil, but it was unnecessary in Zeph¡¯s case. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There was now a heavy curtain separating their quadrant from the rest of the facility. The thing was greedily sucking up all dense Mana that dared to touch it, making sure his Veil had an outlet. Filling the whole infirmary with his Mana wouldn¡¯t be optimal, to say the least. All in all, this level of saturation was allowing physical contact between the girl¡¯s skin and his undiluted Veil, strengthening its ethereal effects. Because of that, he now had a cozy little corner all to himself ¨C with a hammock and basic furniture occupying most of the space. Initially, he wanted to visit only for meditation sessions, but the effects of his Veil were way too pronounced for the Doctor to not have him there at night. Yes, there was a risk he would influence the girl¡¯s mentality somehow if she stayed for days in his Veil, but it would still be a better result. Because in his absence, her nightmares and physical state weren¡¯t improving at all. The presence of his Veil was stabilizing her mental state and significantly slowing down the degradation of her health. Also, the Doctor was constantly monitoring her condition ¨C still wary of the irregular influence his Veil demonstrated ¨C making sure they hadn¡¯t ¡®overdosed¡¯ the young one. Zeph was glad for the old Doctor¡¯s assurances, stating that everything seemed in order. He was also worried that this method could be detrimental in the long run with such intense exposure, and, initially, he had his doubts about the Doctor¡¯s ability to gauge the full scope of the aftereffects. If the whole phenomena was based on his Will¡ªas it probably was¡ªthe physical symptoms could not be enough to assess the situation. But after a few lengthy lectures about the girl¡¯s brain activity, its structure, her hormonal levels, and all that advanced medical mumbo-jumbo, he decided to surrender and at least have some faith in the old Doctor¡¯s medical knowledge and years of expertise. Thus, he had become a semi-permanent addition to the infirmary. As a passive, stress-relieving apparatus for a certain patient, that is. Sadly, he still wasn¡¯t able to study what was happening on the Soul side of things. Every time he tried to feel around in the Soulscape during his meditation, he suddenly and involuntarily paused at the last second. It was as if his instincts were stopping him from committing to a dangerous jump. At the same time, if he tried to force the action, he could feel a very bad premonition starting to build up in his guts. Even though his Veil was basically surrounding the girl, theoretically allowing him to at least try to peek at her Soul, he never dared to ignore the warnings from his budding auguring ability. However, he also felt that he was close to amending that problem. This block felt irrationally familiar, so he quickly connected the dots. Gru was, probably, aware of what he was trying to do, somehow stopping him and throwing imperceptible hints his way. That was the only explanation, and he felt it was right when he thought about it. Also, he didn¡¯t like the alternatives. He had never experienced something like that before, so it was hard to explain logically. Possible mental illness (or a few) aside, he had an inkling that his Soul-related General Skills contained the information he needed to proceed. He just had to level them up a bit more. Looking at his current progress, a few details immediately stood out.
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Universal Cir language] is now [T1][L95]! (+1) [Corora lifeforms] is now [T1][L72]! (+17) [Corora herbarium] is now [T1][L39]! (+23) [Shamanic visions] is now [T2][L23]! (+3) [W.P. Soul manipulation] is now [T2][L35]! (+2) [W.P. Soul perception] is now [T2][L94]! (+9) [Soul] is now [T1][L99]! (+2)
¡®Soul¡¯, his knowledge-type General Skill, was on the brink of rising in Tier. That would widen its knowledge base considerably ¨C hopefully, the higher Tier contained something related to Gru¡¯s teachings about Soul interactions. There was even a small chance it would expand in that direction, or at least give him an option to specialize, but he doubted he met the criteria ¨C his training with Gru wasn¡¯t that long (or successful). On the other hand, ¡®Soul perception¡¯ was lagging behind a bit in levels. But it could gain a lot from pure application, despite also being a knowledge-type Skill. As so, after the Tier-up, it has the potential to become even more aligned with his current needs. The problem was ¨C he wasn¡¯t sure what he was lacking, so he couldn¡¯t tell if it would be worth pushing his development in that direction. If they started to run out of time, he decided to use his abilities despite the clear warning signals. He would hate to damage an innocent Soul because of his incompetency, though. But those weren¡¯t the only Skill that caught his eye. There was one that could help with his other Skills, his understanding, and his block all at the same time¡­ ~~~ Waking up from another deep meditation session, Zeph sighed tiredly. Sitting up, he swung his legs from the side of his hammock. His body felt stiff ¨C it needed stretching and exercise. He planned to remedy that soon, just after getting rid of that pesky, pulsating headache. Looking around with half-focused eyes, he quickly noticed that Makani was in the middle of treating the girl. The man was visiting the infirmary regularly ¨C at least five times per day. Mostly to work on the girl, but his oxygen therapy seemed to work like a charm for anyone who felt tired, improving their condition temporally ¨C like a small shot of adrenaline. Also, Zeph had a rising suspicion that this impromptu oxygen therapy didn¡¯t have any detrimental effects on Cororians. Not only because their bodies were studier thanks to PE but also because an adaptation to a higher oxygen levels seemed like a reasonable evolutionary path taking into account the conditions on this planet. Either way, it made the Manacaster immeasurably popular among the whole crew. The man had become a walking and free-of-charge coffee vending machine. People were nagging him constantly as everyone wanted their fix to be delivered on time ¨C going as far as to interrupt his sleep. Makani was suffering for it¡­ just as he should. The traitor had to atone for his sins. Zeph may or may not have suggested to a few people that the Manacaster was quite a bit prideful and prone to bending under heavy complimentary assault. But that wasn¡¯t important right now. Seeing the man, Zeph had an idea. After forcefully aligning his mind and waking up his body ¨C he would take Willforce Morphon¡¯s abilities over oxygen intake every time of the day ¨C he jumped down and unhurriedly walked to the platform. This time, he didn¡¯t fumble his entrance and smoothly stepped on the moving contraption. The waves were much calmer lately, probably because they left the area of influence of the floating continent, but he had become much better at it after those two days. He waited for Makani to finish his job, stepping beside him and looking at the proceedings without a word. He didn¡¯t want to break his focus. To the naked eye, nothing was happening. But through his omnipresent Veil, Zeph could easily make out the area of effect of the Spell, as well as the surface parts of the construct. The main reason it took so long and required so much concentration was the interference caused by Zeph¡¯s Mana saturating the immediate area. Even if Makani¡¯s Veil was pushing against it, miniscule amounts of Zeph¡¯s were still penetrating deep into it. And because Zeph¡¯s Mana was quite ¡®stiff¡¯ thanks to the contaminations¡¯ Magicules and his ability to control it, the resulting release of Ambient Mana caused by the contact was much higher than in a free environment. But after a few minutes, the session was finally over ¨C marked by Makani¡¯s heavy sight. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked with resignation, turning his head to look at Zeph with his tired eyes. Zeph barely managed to stop a smirk from showing on his face. ¡°I need a volunteer. For training.¡± Makani¡¯s eyebrow rose questioningly. ¡°For what training?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Do you remember those special medicaments we took with us?¡± The second eyebrow joined the first. ¡°The ones useful for your Profession? If you are trying to do what I am thinking you are trying to do¡­ Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°Oi! Watch your mouth, traitor!¡± he half-joked, half-warned the man. ¡°I don¡¯t have much choice here,¡± he started, glancing at the girl. ¡°I just want to train my Skills, as I should during this trip. Don¡¯t call me mad just because you will suffer through the proceedings,¡± he deflected the issue, trying to cover for Makani¡¯s bluntness. He wasn¡¯t lying, though. Makani started massaging his eyes, suddenly looking even more tired. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Spire Sea, local time [1794.04.14] The temperature of the air was becoming noticeably warmer at this point of their journey. As their ship traveled further south, the cold winter winds started to recede, replaced by a warm breeze coming from the lands of Corora¡¯s Tropical circle of latitude. However, the temperature of the water was stubbornly low ¨C no warm currents welcomed them just yet. Ten days have passed form their visit at the Green Crest town, almost three of which were wasted on the rescue mission. They were nearing the Dzyl Archipelago ¨C their destination. According to the captain, it would take them another four days to navigate through the shallow waters and the local geopolitical territories before they would reach the final island. And it was a very optimistic version of the events. Thanks to Vuld, they have skipped over the most risky waters of the southern coasts of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom, but the same couldn¡¯t be done here. No shady deals could help them this time, and any conflict could slow them further. Also, their information about the state of the islands was very much outdated. That¡¯s why they were going to stop at the closest port that seemed safe to gather information. Or, at least, the crewmembers were going to do that. Zeph had radically different plans. First of all, he wasn¡¯t in any condition to leave the ship. Or walk properly, for that matter. Secondly, he did it. He found the solution. Mostly by actively practicing on Makani, but his Skills have crossed the threshold almost at the same time, showering him with even more intricate techniques he could apply. But he wasn¡¯t planning to study them. The third and main reason was ¨C they were running out of time. Chapter 161 – Things you should never do at home. Things that should have never happened. Spire Sea [north of Dzyl Archipelago], local time [1794.04.14] ¡°Call the doctor¡­¡± Zeph wheezed out, trying his best to spread his floppy appendages to prevent his body from rolling on the floor. The task would be much easier if the world were kind enough to stop spinning around. The flashes of color-coded, fruit-flavored sparkles also weren¡¯t helping, but he couldn¡¯t simply close his eyes. That would only encourage them to intensify. He retched, his body convulsing slightly. A deep bass of wonky stabilization attempt reverberated through his body as he tried to force the reflex down. ¡°Eh? Ah! Yea¡­¡± He heard Makani¡¯s distant voice. It tasted horribly in his ears, like an old lemon. ¡°You¡¯ve to go to inrif¡­firmary for¡­ yea, you have to go there¡­¡± A sound of shuffling feet could be heard, its source unknown. Go¡­ You are our last hope! Zeph groggily called after him in his mind, not daring to open his mouth again. ~~~ Thankfully, Makani¡¯s state wasn¡¯t so bad. The man may have inhaled some of the incense that Zeph was using, but it merely made his mind relax a bit too much. Thanks to that, Zeph didn¡¯t have to wait long. Barging into his cabin, Maya ¨C the old Doctor ¨C cursed loudly. Two more people stepped inside right after, their steps noticeably heavier. Waving her hand to disperse the smoke, she kneeled near Zeph¡¯s sprawled body. ¡°I know the young one will most probably perish and we can do nothing about it,¡± she started, touching his head. Originating from the point of contact, waves of unfamiliar sensation started coursing through his body. ¡°But that¡¯s no reason to intoxicate yourself as much, no?¡± She changed her grip and placed her whole hand on his forehead. ¡°Now, be a good boy and withdraw your Mana from your brain for a moment.¡± He didn¡¯t argue and did his best to shuffle his internal Mana balance. A moment later, a freezing sensation assaulted his head ¨C intense enough to cause black splotches to show in his vision. His body tensed and a silent growl escaped his lips, but he endured. Through half-closed eyelids, he noticed that the world slowed down in its relentless pursuit to run rounds around him. The synesthetic sensations also started to subside. But before everything could go back to normal, Maya took away her hand. He relaxed as the cold sensation started receding. ¡°That should help for a while¡­¡± It was clear without saying, but all she could do was help with the symptoms temporarily. Which was for the best, because he needed to stay intoxicated for a little while longer. At least now, he could be transported to the infirmary safely. ¡°To my defense¡­ This was part of my training¡­¡± He whispered, clasping his head as it started to throb in a dull pain. She threw him a skeptical look hearing that. ¡°So you say¡­ but was it worth it?¡± That question was complex. Yesterday, Zeph had made a few breaks from his ¡®sentry duty¡¯ to experiment with Makani. He even sacrificed his sleep completely. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t using much of the drugs to be able to keep up the Mana saturation around the girl, but he still found a few promising trails to follow thanks to his slightly altered state of mind and the trance-like meditation he was practicing. However, the girl had gone into medical shock this morning. Maya was able to save and stabilize her, but it had become clear that their methods were insufficient. The Doctor decided to pump her body with strong stimulants to delay the inevitable but her diagnosis was clear ¨C the girl wasn¡¯t going to survive; she had few days left at best. At this point, it had become obvious that her Soul was the source of the issue. Maya was determined to keep the girl alive as long as possible in hopes that a visit to a local System Shrine would help. The chances that the girl had enough accumulated Universal Points for the System to intervene were miniscule¡­ but not nonexistent. Also, if the young one were to miraculously endure until they reached their destination, there was a chance that the Shaman would be able to help. It was too early to give up. Though, Zeph was already aware that the girl didn¡¯t have enough UP. Moreover, he confirmed that the System didn¡¯t value her life enough to intervene directly, even if she was to reach their Shrine. He verified it all through the Shrine Seed embedded in his body. He didn¡¯t receive any detailed data, of course, but the automatized response sub-system answered his inquires, unambiguously stating that the girl would not receive any help. Moreover, the Seed itself wasn¡¯t a sufficient medium for this kind of surgery, so he had no hopes of helping anyone in such a manner in the future. He kept the depressing news to himself, mostly to not expose himself. The girl¡¯s situation was truly helpless right now. Because of that, Zeph was forced to make a hard decision at the time. Aware that his presence would merely prolong the girl¡¯s suffering by an insignificant amount of time, he decided his time would be better spent training. It raised the chances of shock recurrence because her condition would deteriorate faster, but, at this point, the physical medicaments were doing much more to keep her alive. Thus, he has spent the last 20 hours in his cabin alongside Makani. At the beginning, he was visiting the infirmary every hour to test the waters with his new Soul tricks, fill up the dispersing bubble of his Mana saturating the area, and keep an eye on the girl¡¯s condition. However, that didn¡¯t last long ¨C soon, he has found a technique worth refining. A technique he knew he could grasp fully in a matter of hours; one that wasn¡¯t blocked with force and was mostly ignored by his auguring ability. He threw all caution out of the window, focusing fully on his new goal. He knew he had to push himself even more, though. And the consequences of his determination were lying before Maya¡¯s very eyes ¨C fully exposed and spread on the cabin¡¯s flooring. Thus his long absence, current state, and Maya¡¯s question. ¡°It was¡­ absolutely worth it,¡± he answered with some difficulty, a weak smile spreading on his lips. Interface notifications were waiting for his attention. Moreover, in his trance, he already managed to glimpse at information the Skills have gained access to. Even if he couldn¡¯t use that knowledge now, it was showing him expressly that he had chosen the right path to follow. Maya shook her head slightly, disappointment visible on her face. She stood up and made space for her entourage. The two crewmembers understood the situation without her instructions and got ready to put him on a stretcher. No more words were exchanged between them. As he was being transported to the infirmary ¨C this time to be a patient instead of an unpaid worker ¨C he allowed the notifications to surface, curious about the advancements he had managed to pull on such a short note.
Congratulations! [General Skills] leveled up: [Shamanic visions] is now [T2][L41]! (+18) [Will-powered Soul manipulation] is now [T2][L40]! (+5)
Impressive progress is impressive¡­ he thought, looking at the ¡®Shamanic visions¡¯. It would be another story if addiction was a real risk here, though¡­
[Will-powered Soul perception] is now [T2][L100]! (+6) Congratulations! All requirements met for the [General Skill] [Will-powered Soul perception] to cross the [Tier 2] threshold without [Specializing]! Congratulations! [Requirements] met for [General Skill] [Will-powered Soul perception] to [Expand]! Possible options: [Will-powered Soul interpretation] [Chimeric Soul perception] If you want to proceed, please make a choice.
Zeph sucked in his breath. That wasn¡¯t what he was expecting! Two Expansion options?! The hell did I do to earn it? His reaction caught the attention of the Doctor. She frowned and moved closer to his side. He waved her off before she started another physical examination. ¡°No need. I was just surprised by my Interface update, is all.¡± She hummed idly, scrutinizing him. Zeph could only smile awkwardly seeing that. ¡°I won¡¯t be interfering, then,¡± she said finally, stepping further to the side as they moved down the passageway. ¡°Don¡¯t let me distract you. The effects of my assistance should start fading away soon.¡± Nodding, he started to read from the notification in a hurry. After a short minute, he had a general idea of what was happening. The first option ¨C ¡®Will-powered Soul interpretation¡¯ ¨C was almost unrelated to his latest struggles. It was here because of the many raw Soul memories he had come into contact with. His exchange of Soul memories with Gru as a form of communication was the major culprit, but that wasn¡¯t all. Before the System managed to interrupt the integration of Adeptus Miu¡¯s Soul fragment, Zeph had already relived his last moments ¨C fully immersed in the memory of the higher-quality Soul fragment. Not to mention, he had also tasted raw memories brought by Gru¡¯s gathering technique once or twice ¨C especially when they were testing things around. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Thus, that Expansion was all about his ability to change perspectives while Soul-reading, without losing the view of self in the process. It was intricately connected to his robust Will and Willforce Morphon Enhancement as well. He expected great rewards after choosing this path. The second option ¨C ¡®Chimeric Soul perception¡¯ ¨C has come to be as a result of his training with ¡®Shamanic visions¡¯. The most intriguing part was the lack of a ¡®Will-powered¡¯ component in the name, and he quickly learned why it disappeared. It was not a mere Expansion. If he had a normal ¡®Soul perception¡¯ General Skill in his arsenal, it would have been consumed. It was a Skill Fusion in disguise. Moreover, the Expansion was linking his experience of perceiving the Soulscape in different mental states with those two perception abilities. In other words, it was a chimeric technique of Soul and mental perception. It was also chimeric because the results were quite subjective and absurd, but that fact couldn¡¯t discourage Zeph. I want them both! he thought with a zealous glint in his eyes. Don¡¯t proceed! I repeat ¨C don¡¯t proceed! We need to find a way to Expand over them all! The notification disappeared silently, making way for the next one and leaving Zeph with a warm feeling in his chest. Or maybe it was just a symptom of the drugs¡¯ regaining their power over his body¡­ A shame the Skill didn¡¯t diverge¡­ But I understand. Those are paths, not separate disciplines, he commented internally, smartly nodding to himself. I will have to find a way to use all those effects at once to fuse them, and with a clear designation at that¡­ He started giggling. Can¡¯t wait to try! A cough from his personal medical escort brought him back to the present. He sheepishly thanked the Doctor and refocused.
[Soul] is now [T1][L100]! (+1) Congratulations! All requirements met for the [General Skill] [Soul] to cross the [Tier] threshold without [Specializing]! Congratulations! [Skill] diverging for [Soul] is possible! Do you want to proceed?
¡°Another one?¡± he voiced with glee, ignoring people around him. Yes. Please kindly proceed, please!
Congratulations! You have gained new [General Skill], [Soulforms] from the [Knowledge Base]! [General Skill] [Soul] is now [T2][L5]! (+5)
It was like a bucket of cold water falling on his head. Not because it was bad, no. Nor was it useless. It just meant that Zeph have failed to earn his first Soul Arts General Skill. For a long time, he was trying to get the ¡®Soulform Shifter¡¯ technique Skill ¨C the very same thing Gru was trying to teach him back in the day. Evidently, his latest success wasn¡¯t enough to excuse his overall lack of experience in the field. Otherwise, instead of attaining another knowledge Skill pertaining to the topic, he would have received another congratulatory notification. Worse yet, he had to push his General Skill all the way through Tier 1 to be awarded with that knowledge assistance Skill. The grief and bitterness that assaulted his hazy mind were indescribable. His place in the grand scheme of things lost. His reason to endure the unending torment¡ª His mind regained some clarity as liquid fire was injected into his arm. He sat up and tried to scream, only to release a weak squeal as the medicine started working. As his body started limply falling back, his mind rebooted with a start. With a newly gained clarity, he finally noticed where he was. Another infirmary bed, swaying delicately despite the ship¡¯s movements. Huh? I don¡¯t remember passing out¡­ Ugh, useless drugs! I just had a short mental trip, didn¡¯t I? he complained internally. The Doctor was standing beside him, looking at him expectantly. It was impossible to miss an empty, oversized syringe in her hand. He licked his dry lips and tried to swallow some saliva to moisten his parched throat. However, there was no saliva in his mouth to use. ¡°Better?¡± Maya asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Wa¡­ter?¡± he asked in response. She pointed at the metal tube with a valve near his bed, then shrugged and turned around. ¡°Suit yourself while you can. You should be more in control now, but I strongly recommend you try to sleep it though,¡± she told him without looking back as she left the platform. He was at the end of the strange faucet before she finished. After a minute, he cut off the flow of water and sighed contently. Drinking when lying on his side wasn¡¯t the most pleasant of exercises, for many reasons, but he was much more preoccupied with his dried mouth than comfort. Strangely, even after his stomach was full, he still felt the need to drink more. But he knew better than to try forcing more into himself. Rolling onto his back, he sighed tiredly. It was a very draining day and he wasn¡¯t even halfway through it. His plan has worked somewhat and he was now in the infirmary, ready to take action, ignored and unperturbed. The only glaring mistake was the amount of medicaments he ingested and inhaled. Not like he had a choice, though. The Phleya present in Gru¡¯s appendages, his own blood, and his lymph was already neutralizing the new agent the Doctor had introduced to his body, and a similar thing was happening every time he took his medicaments. Without Gru, he had no way of communicating his intent to the colony. Instead, he had to flood his organisms with a correct mix of substances to stimulate Phleya ¨C to force them to produce the same synergetic effect he had discovered during the Tournament. However, the dosage necessary to realize the full potential of that synergy was unrealistically high. What was truly ¡®killing¡¯ him right now was the toxicity of the substances he took, not their intended effects. All in all, his enhanced immunological system was a hindrance. But its inner workings were also undecipherable thanks to the Phleya¡¯s nature. At least without a detailed and prolonged analysis of his body. That gave him a very important advantage over anyone trying to uncover his secrets ¨C room for maneuvering. And that was exactly what he planned to leverage here. He could already feel the haze coming. He could tell that the Doctor¡¯s medicament was dedicated to neutralizing toxic substances inside his body ¨C ones resulting from metabolizing the active compounds ¨C and was deteriorating quickly, leaving the remainder of his shamanic mix present in his blood to work its way back into his brain. As he waited for the effects to accumulate, he sent a Mana tendril in the direction of the girl. Because his Mana was still present in her vicinity, diluted as it was right now, he could easily tell where she was without a look. After connecting, he started to strengthen the presence of his Mana by channeling his whole Veil and Mana generation into the area. With a direct connection and a strong Veil presence, he should be able to easily locate her Soul in the Soulscape, as those were enough to replace the requirement of physical contact. He continued to do so until he was sure that the reality he was now perceiving was warped. It wasn¡¯t hard to notice at the entry stage ¨C he just had to keep track of the synesthetic effect occurring again as it was his constant companion during those trips. As soon as he started smelling sounds, he started meditating, quickly falling into a dreamlike state. ~~~ Different from normal meditation ¨C an exercise in quieting the mind to uncover the less-obvious senses ¨C Shamanic visions was more of a dreamception experience. He could feel his heart speeding up, the rush of blood in his veins, and the cold air repeatedly cooling his lungs. Those sensations didn¡¯t fall into the background ¨C they started intensifying. He focused on them, on his body, allowing his addled mind to dive deep into the cacophony of life. Progressively, an abstract picture of his own body started drawing itself in his mind¡¯s eye; his imagination, memory, and random thoughts adding unnecessary details all around it. A universe of its own, suspended in the void, yet infinitely complex inside. Following this semi-sensual stimulus further, he dived deeper yet. Soon enough, the distorted landscape of this dreamscape started expanding in his mental eye as his metaphysical journey brought him closer and closer to the dreamscape biomes ¨C the hard surfaces of his bones, the flowing rivers of blood, the web of intercellular connections. It didn¡¯t take him long to notice the erratic currents of Mana flowing all around. Leaving behind the physical picture, he entered a new world. Magicules were forming clusters within the space, causing disturbances. Mana was conglomerating near the energetically active areas, causing chaos in the overall flow. The restless ocean of energy started to unveil itself before him. It was a familiar view. Yet, he needed to stray from a known path at that exact moment. He was flexing his Will during this mental journey, making sure his consciousness wouldn¡¯t be swallowed whole by the visions. Now, instead of following the currents of Mana upstream, he focused on something much more intricate. Changing the ¡®phase¡¯ of his Soul ¨C also called ¡®pattern¡¯ between him and Gru ¨C wasn¡¯t his strong point. At least not after he became aware of the current ¡®phase¡¯. The ability to freely shift between the fractal-like patterns a Soul could take required a deep, intuitional understanding of what was happening in the Soulscape ¨C something he was still lacking. But, he had found a workaround. What if his starting point was already near the ¡®phase¡¯ he wanted to apply? It wasn¡¯t a simple matter. The truly extreme and useful ¡®phases¡¯ weren¡¯t manifesting naturally ¨C they had to be forced consciously. Nonetheless, ¡®consciously¡¯ could mean only one thing ¨C dependence on Will and Mana, as those were the only two mediums connecting the conscious mind and the eternal fragment of his being. As so, instead of following the Soul links connected to his body ¨C the true nature of the channels bringing in Mana that he could now perceive ¨C he focused on the waves traversing through the stream. Those waves were the representation of his Will. He focused on them carefully, slowly switching his waning perspective. The world started trembling in the rhythm of the billows; parts of the dreamscape disappearing, one after another. There is no world. Only fluctuation¡­ notes of creation¡­ His new perception started overriding the ¡®reality¡¯. Structures all around were falling apart, replaced by a growing ocean of vibrating mass. The process took a while, but when it finished, Zeph was no longer in the dreamscape he knew. It would be misleading to say he ¡®saw¡¯ anything, as the structure of this imaginary world had become abstract to the point of encroaching madness. He could feel and understand what was happening all around, without any limits to his range or perception, but no visual, auditory, or any other mundane representation could describe what he was experiencing at the moment. After a moment of relaxation, allowing himself to get accustomed to this new environment, he concentrated again. He had his own song to play. Slowly, delicately, he started to pluck the immaterial strings of the dreamscape¡¯s vibrating reality. Its tune started to change, synchronizing with his lead. The streams of waves flowing incessantly to their destinations shook, changing directions. He was playing a song of his Will; the base note was rising incrementally. And the world was trying to keep up. Faster and faster the sound reverberated, assimilating and taking with it all other waves. Soon enough, his general vicinity was resonating with the same, high-pitched cry. And when he felt that this change has settled, that even the furthest parts of his being caught the rhythm, he moved¡­ ~~~ The Soulscape emerged before his metaphysical eyes. The ever-changing background of distant, fractal shapes was much different today, though. For one, the lights have gained some color. Not that strange ¨C it wasn¡¯t Zeph¡¯s first vision, after all. His other senses were also mixed into his perception, but they were very much dulled. What was more intriguing ¨C he couldn¡¯t perceive any ginormous shape in the vicinity. He was surrounded by small, distant lights, very much similar to the view of the night sky. It took him a moment to understand that most of them were a part of a sparkling nebulae surrounding him. There was no true depth in this space, after all. But even more shocking was the discovery that those miniscule Soul fragments were still vibrating with vestiges of Will. She¡¯s fighting still¡­ with an indifference characteristic to this kind of perception shift, he realized that the cloud of foreign Soul fragments surrounding him belonged to the very human child he was trying to save. He also realized that, in his current form, perceiving anything significant would require his full attention. His thought process could be clearer than ever before, but this technique also had cons. His Soul was now in a dispersed state ¨C in a form he was trying to master lately. It was a shroud, interacting with his vicinity very delicately. Thus his limited perception, but also enhanced critical thinking and a chance to learn more about the girl¡¯s Soul. He filtered out the ¡®visual¡¯ part of his perception and focused on scanning his immediate surroundings. Her Soul had to be nearby ¨C they were in physical contact right now, technically speaking. Waves after waves of slight movement of his dispersed Soul followed. The geometry of the space was screwed, as always, but his slow approach allowed him to at least analyze the perceivable shapes around him. It didn¡¯t take him long to find what he was looking for. Actually, the girl¡¯s Soul was almost in the center of his own being, metaphorically speaking. Most probably the effect of staying in my Veil for so long¡­ I knew it was a ri¡ª At that moment, his thoughts stuttered, almost causing him to lose his connection to the Soulscape altogether. He has found what was plaguing the girl. He has found a fractal hole of subjectively infinite proportions. Cascading Soul fragmentation¡­ he noted with horror. How is she still alive?!