《The Wanderer's Rebirth: Other Paths》 Chapter 001 - Revelations Chapter 001 He woke up and looked around blearily, wondering why- and more importantly, how- he¡¯d managed to fall asleep on the floor. The floor was in no way comfortable, being tile glued directly to concrete. Sure, it made cleaning easier, not having to worry about hardwood or carpet and all that came with its maintenance. But as a surface on which to sit, or lay upon, it downright sucked. He rolled over with a groan, idly noting how sore he wasn¡¯t, but then his attention was drawn away as he looked over and noted just how shiny his floor was. Now, he wasn¡¯t a slouch when it came to cleaning and mopping, but his floor looked like it had just been laid, then waxed to a mirror polish. He even reached down and rubbed the floor, feeling a tile so smooth that he wondered what was going on. He looked around a bit more, noting the distinct lack of any dust, anywhere. Again, he wasn¡¯t shy about cleaning, but given how inefficient the centralized air ducts were in the apartment, dust would easily accumulate to the point where it could be seen just one day after dusting. He got up and stepped over to the attached kitchen, as his living room and kitchen were an open concept affair. Likely due to the limited space available in the unit. Or any unit in the building, really. Once there, he inspected the small pot, bowl, and cutlery he¡¯d left in the sink from lunchtime. Spotless. What really threw him for a loop was his old blue bowl. It was on the larger side of things, as he preferred to eat from bowls these days due to his habit of eating at his desk. Sure, a plate would have worked, but it took up much more room than the bowl did. They also held about the same amount of food, so that also played into his preference. Anyway, what caught his attention was the perfect rim of the bowl. A couple of years ago, he¡¯d accidentally knocked over an empty pickle jar into the sink. It had crashed into the ceramic bowl and knocked a chip off the rim, yet the damn jar had escaped uninjured. Well, not that that was a bad thing, as cleaning up glass at the bottom of a sink full of sudsy dishwater was a pain in the¡­ glutes. He shook his head, wondering if he was dreaming. He¡¯d always had vivid dreams, either bordering on lucid or passing that threshold into fully lucid dreaming. Given how real everything felt, he was certain that he¡¯d passed that threshold already. But that also gave him pause. For, every time he realized that he was in a dream, he¡¯d soon wake, or the dream would shift scenes, as it were. Yet, here he was, staring at the clock on the new stove the building had installed a few weeks ago. He could read the time. Getting a weird feeling that bordered on bad, he stepped over to his laptop, lifted the screen, and turned it on. About twenty seconds later, it was booted up and waiting for his password. He looked down at the keyboard, noting that all the keys looked as they should, the letters, numbers, and symbols clear as days. He slid into his chair, reached over, and typed in his password. Again, things proceeded as normal, even showing the expanded start menu that was there every time he put his laptop into hibernate mode. He glanced over the various icons on his desktop just to be sure things were where they should be, given his assumption that he was in a dream and all that. But his eyes stopped on a new folder slightly off to the right, labelled ¡°Altaea¡¯s Visit¡±. He found that his mouth was suddenly dry, an unusual occurrence given that that didn¡¯t usually happen in dreams. Usually, he was limited to three of his six senses while dreaming: sight, hearing, and touch. Scent, taste, and proprioception/extrasensory perception didn¡¯t usually enter his dreams. Sure, sometimes he could taste something he was eating in a dream. That was normal. Heck, even having four of the six senses going in a dream happened sometimes. But he could smell the faint scent of the oregano plant in the front window. He could also taste that annoying ¡°morning¡± taste in his mouth. He looked at the new folder again as his thumb rolled the mouse¡¯s ball to direct the cursor on the monitor he¡¯d plugged into his laptop for a larger viewing experience over to the new folder. He hesitated for a few moments before double clicking the folder, causing a new window to open that showed him a video file and a more than a few additional folders. The video file¡¯s icon showed a devastatingly beautiful woman who looked to be about twenty years old, if he was being generous. She looked closer to eighteen, with rich sapphire blue hair that faded to a deep amethyst purple that then faded to a ruby red at the end. All-in-all, each solid colour took up about 1/5th of the length of her hair, while the transitions areas each took up 1/5th of the length between the solid colours. Well, the three main colours, anyway. He knew that his mind was just doing anything it could to avoid what was happening, what was in front of him. He looked around again, spied a fork standing up in the cutlery pocket of his dish rack. A few seconds later saw him back in his chair, fork in hand. He looked back at the smiling face of an impossibility and raised the fork. Down it went, right into the top his left thigh. It was then that a few thoughts crossed his mind with great clarity. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! One: death by fork would be one of the worst ways to go, as his new wound quite vigorously attested as tears came to his eyes. Two: he wasn¡¯t dreaming. He¡¯d had countless dreams where he¡¯d suffered injuries, even injuries that would prove fatal it they¡¯d occurred in the waking world. Three: he needed a Band-Aid. Or some crazy glue. Either would work. Four: he regretted not having chosen a spot that was covered in clothing. He¡¯d really liked his jeans. Shaking his head, instead choosing to just press his left hand onto his thigh to stop the bleeding, he double clicked on the video. ¡°Hello,¡± Altaea paused a fraction of a second before continuing with a smile, ¡°Joram. I hope that you didn¡¯t do something rash while under the assumption that you¡¯re dreaming,¡± she said, a knowing glint in her eyes told him that she already knew the answer to that. ¡°So, they¡¯re more than a few things to go over. ¡°First, you¡¯re no longer on Earth,¡± she said, pausing to let him process that statement. ¡°The stories that you wrote about me are uncannily accurate. I was indeed banished by Asmodeus and¡­ fragmented in the process. ¡°One of my other selves came to Earth, your Earth. The prison crashed through your apartment and landed on you.¡± She paused again, seeming to know that his mind would immediately scatter to the four winds, as it were, as thoughts and tangents whirled like a cyclone. If that thing landed on me, how am I even alive? Not just that, but how did she get out? It¡¯s impossible to get out of there by herself¡­ His thoughts were interrupted as she continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that you didn¡¯t pause the video, but just in case, sorry for the pause,¡± she said with a smile that could raise the dead back to life just so they could witness its brilliance. ¡°From what I could gather, you, with your failing strength, had somehow managed to release the seal on my prison. Once out, I found you, a foot already in the grave. ¡°I stabilized you until I could read your memories,¡± she said once again pausing briefly before continuing. ¡°Sorry about that. Needs must and all that. ¡°Anyway, to make a long story short, we¡¯ve met before. I know, that sounds crazy. But every story you wrote about me was true. Well, true in the sense that you seem to have a connection with me that allowed you to know and write about me. ¡°Here¡¯s where it gets a bit more complicated. Somehow, my arrival also caused you to¡­ fragment, scattering who knows how many versions of you across the multiverse. ¡°As of this recording, you¡¯re the first fragment that I¡¯ve found. That said, I wasn¡¯t specifically searching for you, but for my other selves. I assure you that I am as surprised as you are by this discovery. ¡°So, going back to having met you before. Your¡­ prime version, I¡¯ll call it, is who I met. We spent a few years together after you requested to become like me, and to also be trained by me. After that, I needed to leave somewhat abruptly, and I apologize for that. I¡¯m not sure when, or even if you¡¯ll find a way to reunite with your other selves and merge like I seem to have done when other versions of myself after they managed to reconnect. ¡°Anyways, that leads to the next point. I could have easily reconstructed your body, leaving you as the human you started out as. But knowing you, and having read your memories here, I decided to once again convert you into a High Elan. ¡°I know, that¡¯s a lot to take in, but please keep watching. ¡°I also left a small Crystal Mind for you to assimilate,¡± he was about to ask where it was, but then the recording of Altaea gave him a Look. ¡°It¡¯s under the sheet of paper to your right. Now, listen. ¡°To access it is as simple as you remember. But I would counsel you to assimilate it. Now, that¡¯s a bit different than you¡¯re probably thinking. Just clearly, and firmly, think [Activate Assimilation Protocol].¡± She paused here, likely because she knew that he¡¯d want to immediately try that out. He lifted the sheet of paper to his right, and sure enough, a Crystal Mind was hiding there. He marvelled for a few moments, taking in the beauty of it. It looked like nothing more than a diamond, albeit a diamond the size of golf ball. Its facets caught the light, refracting it in amazing ways and colours. He shook his head, dislodging the thoughts of just keeping the amazing gem. He then concentrated on one thought as he stared at the diamond. Activate Assimilation Protocol. Immediately, he felt a shift in himself. Knowledge of knowledge flooded his mind, almost like opening a file folder and seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of file folders waiting for him to explore. It kept going, filling his head until he felt dizzy, then kept on going until he needed to brace to keep himself from falling over. After what felt like a very long time, his vision cleared along with the extreme vertigo. He looked back at the image of Altaea waiting patiently as the seconds ticked by on the bottom of the window. ¡°I¡¯m sure that that wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant, but I¡¯m glad it went well,¡± she said, confounding him as to how she could possibly know that. ¡°It will take a little while for you to completely absorb the information I left for you, but I know that you¡¯re up to the task. That said, the Crystal Mind directly implanted for, and trained your brain as, a Metacreationist; a Shaper. It also directly implanted the related ¡®feats¡¯ that you¡¯d learned, as well as several modifications that you have worked on. And the Power lists for each Discipline, and a few Powers of my own creation. ¡°That said, there are also many other repositories that will unlock as you grow and learn. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll be useful to you in the future. For now, what¡¯s available to you should help you get used to your new body and abilities. I¡¯ve also provided a V.I. to help you along with any questions that you might have. ¡°Now,¡± she said, shaking her head a bit and looking¡­ thoughtful. ¡°Now, I need to talk a bit about the world you find yourself in. ¡°Upon arrival, a foreign¡­ what you would refer to as a ¡°System¡± tried to integrate me. Because I had no intention of remaining here, I managed to stop its efforts to integrate me. You, on the other hand, will need to integrate, as the temporary protection that I gave you will wear off eventually. One of your old phones has a timer running, and it should tell you how much time you have left before integration. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the purpose of that ¡®System¡¯ is, but it feels very¡­ neutral, for lack of a better word. Not kind, not malicious, just there. Again, I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s all about, but I don¡¯t think that it will be detrimental to you. That said, I am sure that you¡¯ll need all the help that you can get since I won¡¯t be there to help train you.¡± Altaea paused there, once again looking thoughtful before she finally continued. ¡°I wish you luck and great fortune. I know that you¡¯ll do well if you remember to take things one step at a time. So, please, keep safe. And tell the Prime version of yourself that I¡¯m sorry, but I hope to see you all again one day. ¡°Walk in the Light,¡± she said, ending the video. Chapter 002 - Infodump Joram sat there for a while, processing everything that she¡¯d said. It was a lot to take in, so he watched the video again, then once more as he watched her expression with greater focus. Sure enough, he hadn¡¯t imagined the subtle changes in her expressions as she spoke about him that conveyed familiarity with him. Not just that, but he was reasonably sure that she truly cared for him. Well, for the Prime version of him anyway. Which, really, was still him. So, there was that. At length, he stood up and stepped over to where one of his old phones was plugged in and charging. Which threw him for a loop. He decided to deal with that later as he picked up the phone and noted the timer slowly counting down. 2:27:13 That gave him pause. Just how accurate was Altaea¡¯s estimate? Was she being generous or pessimistic when she set that timer? On that note, how would she even know? ¡°Let¡¯s be even more pessimistic, and call it two hours,¡± he murmured to himself, then just about dropped the phone when he heard a voice. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s good to be cautious.¡¯ Joram quickly spun about, looking for Altaea. The voice was exactly the same, causing his heart to skip a beat, then plummet when he failed to see anyone in the apartment with him. ¡®That would be me,¡¯ the voice said just before an image of Altaea appeared before him. ¡®Hello. I am the Altaea Virtual Intelligence that Altaea left to help guide you.¡¯ Joram nearly swallowed his tongue in shock, then nearly fainted at the sight of her. It was one thing to see a recording of Altaea made using the 720p webcam on his laptop. Now, the laptop wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at, as it were. It was just that the webcam had been about the only feature on the computer that he hadn¡¯t cared about. But seeing Altaea, or the Altaea Virtual Intelligence, standing before his eyes in all of her glory¡­ well. That certainly did things to him that he hadn¡¯t had to deal with in well over a decade. It was like every mental exercise and sheer mental conditioning that he¡¯d put himself through, the physical self control he¡¯d honed over decades, had all just flow out the window. To say that Altaea was the most beautiful person he¡¯d ever seen would have been like saying the Mona Lisa was an all-right painting. Or that the pyramids of Giza were a nice landmark. He could have gone on at great length, especially when his brain seemed to be much more capable of tangents than before, but then the Altaea Virtual Intelligence spoke again. ¡®Now, I realize that my designation might be a mouthful to use each time, so please just call me ¡®Avi¡¯,¡¯ she said, smiling slightly. ¡®As Altaea had mentioned, I am here to help you settle into your new body, help guide your growth, be a mentor, as well as a companion on your journey through this new world you¡¯ve been brought to,¡¯ she finished, giving him another polite smile. Joram reached out and poked at Avi, not quite sure of what to make of¡­ everything. His finger passed right through her shoulder, causing him to start a bit, apologizing for being rude. Avi just shrugged it off, the action apparently not bothering her in the least. ¡°So, ah¡­ are you a hologram? Illusion? I feel as though you¡¯re speaking in my head when your lips move, but it also feels like I can hear you with my ears¡­¡± he said, now quite knowing how to articulate his thoughts given just how weird everything was for him right then. ¡®You could more say that I¡¯m simply a projection onto your visual cortex and that you¡¯re brain is being directly affected so that you ¡®hear¡¯ me,¡¯ Avi replied, giving him a slight nod. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not disturbing,¡± he murmured sarcastically. ¡°So, can I just think what I want to say to you, and that would work?¡± He asked, genuinely curious. ¡®Yes, that would work,¡¯ Avi replied pleasantly. ¡®In fact, that is the basics of using [Telepathy]. Should you need to use that Power in the future, you¡¯ll instinctively understand.¡¯ Joram paused, reminded of the fact that he now had every Psionic Power stuffed into his head that he¡¯d ever read about, designed himself, as well as many others that he¡¯d never come across before. ¡°On that note,¡± he said, clearing his throat to stall for a moment as he formulated how he wanted to continue. ¡°I can manifest any of the Powers in my head, right?¡± ¡®That is correct,¡¯ Avi replied, getting his hopes up before she continued. ¡®That said, your current psionic Power Pool is low compared to a standard ¡°level 20 character¡±. Right now, you would be considered to be a first level character in terms of¡­ just about everything except your Powers Known,¡¯ she finished, then just stood there looking at him. ¡°Ah, OK¡­¡± he said, not quite knowing what to say to that. The best comparison he could think of was playing a video game where someone cheated their character up. In other words, used some sort of unlock that gave the character every spell in the game, but failed to provide the level dependant spell slots. Or, you could say, he just lacked the juice to support what he had. ¡°So¡­ how would I go about knowing how large my Power Pool is?¡± ¡®If you¡¯d like, I can provide a visual display for you, quantifying your base metrics.¡¯ ¡°Like a video game HUD?¡± He asked, hardly believing that he wasn¡¯t just laying in a hospital bed having a coma dream or something. Even the pain of stabbing himself with a fork could be explained away by that¡­. ¡®I assure you, Joram, that you¡¯re not having some sort of dream due to being in a coma, having a deadly fever, or have somehow been affected by a hallucinogen,¡¯ Avi said, very obviously reading his mind. ¡®Altaea shared that your Prime version had suffered from such delusions and doubts for quite some time when he first met her. I assure you, continuing forward with such thoughts in mind will likely end in your untimely death, as Altaea won¡¯t be here to save you from yourself,¡¯ she finished with that same pleasant expression on her face, causing more than a little bit of dissonance in his mind. ¡°OK then¡­¡± he said, taking more than a moment to try very hard to process¡­ everything. The last thing he remembered before waking up on the floor was sitting down to eat his chicken cashew stir fry, something he liked ordering when he was feeling especially¡­ drained. Then nothing. Just waking up on the tile-covered concrete floor. No clue as to how he¡¯d gotten there, or what had happened. Joram looked over to the window and noted that his plants seemed to be doing just fine. The roll down blind was still lowered to just above his spider plants and feather fern. The only difference that he could see was that it was dark outside. He stepped over to the window and leaned down to have a look outside. His heart sank. The only light outside seemed to be moonlight, though he couldn¡¯t actually see the moon from where he was. Given the angle of the shadows outside, he supposed that the moon was on the other side of the apartment¡­. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram.¡¯ ¡°Why am I here¡­ or, rather: why is my apartment here with me?¡± ¡®As near as Altaea could determine, the¡­ the magical effect was large enough to pull a radius of fourteen metres around the impact site.¡¯ ¡°¡­ did you just dumb that down for me?¡± He asked, not quite sure that he wanted to hear the answer to that question. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Joram facepalmed, but had to admit that he was in way over his head when it came to anything remotely magical, nevermind advanced physics, dimensional theory, or anything of the sort. Sure, he was a bit of an enthusiast when it came to learning random things, even going so far as to have collected digital versions of many textbooks and published papers on a staggering array of subjects. Sure, he¡¯d never have likely been able to go through all of them, let alone get a PhD in any of those subjects, but he still found it¡­ rewarding and fun to brush up on stuff. Even if he¡¯d never use it in any practical setting. ¡°So, I¡¯m stuck here, on whatever world this is. There¡¯s a mysterious ¡®System¡¯ that is waiting to ¡®initialize¡¯ me into it, and I¡¯m basically all alone here,¡± he more said than asked Avi. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Joram sighed. ¡°So, where should I get started?¡± He asked even though he had some thoughts on that. Though, given that he effectively knew nothing about anything, he was more than willing to listen to advice. ¡®I would suggest starting with the basic meditation practices of the Elans, then move onto those developed by Altaea herself. After that, I suggest going over the basics of what Altaea left you. Specifically what you call Skills and Feats. From there, perhaps acquiring a weapon with which to defend yourself after System Integration,¡¯ Avi said, managing to capture the tone of his favourite unshackled AI. ¡°We¡¯ll, let¡¯s go with that, then,¡± he said, then looked around again before it struck him. ¡°I have Darkvision,¡± he said in wonder, just now realizing that none of the lights in the apartment were on. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Why didn¡¯t that register when I looked outside a few minutes ago?¡± ¡®You¡¯ve got a lot on your mind.¡¯ Joram just stared at Avi, wondering what the hell he was going to do if he couldn¡¯t even realize that his bloody vision had gotten polished! ¡®And by that, I mean a lot,¡¯ Avi expounded for him, bringing him back to the moment. ¡®It is understandable that you¡¯ve missed a few details since waking up, considering that you¡¯ve basically had an entire civilization¡¯s worth of information dumped into your head, had you physical body remade, had a psionic matrix and nature added to your being, learned that the woman you thought of as just fantasy actually existed, then dumped all this on you, while also learning that you¡¯re effectively alone on an alien planet in an alien universe.¡¯ Joram rubbed his temples for a minute before looking back up at Avi again. ¡°Taking all that into consideration,¡± he started, hoping that his words would come out the way he needed them to, as well as being taken in the way he intended them to be. ¡°Could you please tell me when I should know about something. You know, volunteer information that¡¯ll be helpful and all that?¡± Avi nodded. Joram waited. ¡®Yes, I can do that,¡¯ Avi finally said after another minute of silence, seemingly picking up on the fact that she was expected to speak her affirmation and consent. ¡°Thank you,¡± Joram said, rubbing his face with both hands, then paused. He stepped into the hallway and made his way to the bathroom just to the left at the end of the hall. He opened the bathroom door, stepped in, and looked at himself in the mirror, shock marring his image. After having felt his face, he¡¯d had inkling that something had changed, but seeing was believing, as it were. The face looking back at him was a blast from the past. If he had to guess, he looked to be about eighteen or so years old again. Though, it was hard to guess, as he¡¯d always had a ¡°baby face¡±. He remembered being carded at the movies with his friends for an ¡°R-Rated¡± movie¡­ when he was twenty-four years old. The worst part of that was that he wasn¡¯t the youngest in the group. Then his attention was drawn to his nose, and he frowned. ¡°Is my nose¡­ smaller?¡± He asked, knowing that Avi was there and listening to him. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Joram waited and was rewarded for his patience after just under a minute later. ¡®Altaea, having remembered conversations with you, as well as performing the ritual for your Prime version, decided to make your form exactly the same as your Prime. Something about being teased about your nose being a bit too large.¡¯ ¡°It wasn¡¯t that big,¡± he grumbled, feeling at his nose. That said, having it straightened out definitely helped. He then looked up and frowned at the sight of his bald scalp. Then he noticed the lack of eyebrows, though oddly he still had eyelashes¡­. ¡®Once you¡¯ve mastered the meditation techniques, you¡¯ll be able to fully control every aspect of your physical form. Meaning, you¡¯ll be able to control the rate of growth for your hair, nails, and such.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, remembering that little detail about High Elans, but having absolutely no idea how that worked. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s start on that,¡± he said, then made his way to his bedroom, which was just to the left after leaving the bathroom. He paused just before going in, regarding the door that stood at a right angle to his bedroom. After a moment, he shook his head, made his way into his room and sat on his bed. He exchanged a look with Avi, who nodded and began to explain the starting meditation technique. He closed his eyes, taking it all in as, oddly, he remembered everything that she was telling him as she told him about it. The odd duality of the experience almost threw him off, but he managed to concentrate enough to rid himself of the feeling after a few minutes. At first, he just concentrated on breathing, feeling just how good it was to be without the aches and pains that he¡¯d lived with for years. Then, as Avi¡¯s guidance brought him¡­ deeper into himself, he became aware of so much more. It was faint at first, but he could feel his heart beating. Not like when you¡¯ve pushed yourself too hard in a workout and your heart was hammering against your ribs. But the gentle beating of your heart when you were at rest. Not just that, but he began to feel as his arteries and blood vessels expanded and constricted slightly with each beat of his heart. He felt as the blood continued on its way until it did its thing, then turned and entered his veins, eventually leading back up to his respiratory system which then led back to the heart and started the process over again. Then he started to feel something else as Avi continued talking, guiding his efforts. About the only thing he could think of was¡­ energy. It was a type of energy that¡­ vivified him. Made him feel more alive. Like he could do anything, or nothing at all. Well, nothing in the sense that he felt that he could meditate for days on end without suffering any negative repercussions. Like starvation or dehydration. If truly felt as though the energy would completely sustain him. Which made sense, if he really thought about it. He¡¯d written for years about Altaea and just about everything about her. One aspect of that wonderful woman was that she was a High Elan. And one of the benefits of that particular race, or species, was that their psionic nature, and the psionic power that they generated, could and would sustain their bodies indefinitely. No food, no water; just psionic energy to keep them ¡°fed¡±, as it were. Joram fell into the rhythm of Avi¡¯s guidance, following her instructions as though in a trance. Which, really, was sort of the point. As when a person is truly deep in meditation, that¡¯s all there was for that person. No other thoughts, no physical distractions; just the meditation. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he¡¯d been at it when Avi finally ¡°woke¡± him, bringing him back to his white-walled bedroom. ¡®You have done well,¡¯ Avi said with a smile that definitely distracted him more than he cared to admit. ¡®You¡¯ve managed to get through the basic and the advanced meditation techniques. Now, you¡¯ll be able to restore your psionic reserves at an increased rate when you need to.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s pretty good,¡± he said, a bit shocked that he¡¯d managed to get through more than he thought he would. ¡®You¡¯ve done well,¡¯ Avi reiterated. ¡®However, we only have forty-seven minutes and seventeen seconds before Altaea¡¯s timer ends. So, we should next focus on either learning to gain your psionic focus, or learning how to activate a Power; preferably a combat oriented one just in case the local wildlife decides to investigate.¡¯ Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Joram nodded at that, reminded once again that he was on an alien world, which increased both his anxiety and heartrate. ¡°So, about that. I¡¯m going to the closet and grabbing something,¡± he said, standing up and stepping out of his room and to the storage closet that sat beside the apartment door that led to the hallway. Or, what was probably left of it, anyway. Opening the closet doors, he quickly shifted a few things aside, drabbed a royal blue cloth-wrapped bundle, then turned to grab his hunting knife off the upper shelf and tucked it into his back pocket. A moment later, and he was back in his room with Avi. ¡°Wait. Did you ¡®stay¡¯ in the room when I left?¡± He asked, realizing that her image hadn¡¯t moved from where she¡¯d been standing at the end of his bed. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Umm,¡± he started, not quite sure where to start, nor how he should actually treat a VI. ¡°You can follow me around if you want,¡± he finished lamely, silently cursing his introverted nature. It wasn¡¯t like he lacked in social skills; it was just that they weren¡¯t geared towards¡­ virtual intelligences. Or, really, how to deal with having the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever laid eyes on standing in his bedroom. Sure, intellectually he knew that she wasn¡¯t more than an image superimposed on his visual cortex. But. For all intents and purposes, the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen, ever!, was standing in his room!!! ¡®Understood,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®I believe I already know the answer to this question, but do you now how to use those weapons?¡¯ Joram nodded as he shrugged a bit. He wasn¡¯t considered truly proficient with either, but he was reasonably sure that he could beat an amateur. He quickly undid the tie on the bundle, then slid the sword out of its cloth sleeve, admiring the deep blue saya, then the black clothbound hilt, or tsuka. He¡¯d bought the katana almost twenty years ago, but had kept it oiled and in good condition¡­ even if it spent the majority of its time in storage since its purchase. Now, he admired the blade as he drew it from the saya, or scabbard. The scent of pine that came from the scabbard still made him smile. The katana wasn¡¯t a true replica, as it had a blood channel and was about twenty-four centimetres longer than a standard katana, and its blade a bit heavier than normal. Even the hilt was a good ten centimetres longer than normal. He jokingly called it a ¡°daikatana¡±. ¡°Well, I¡¯m no great warrior, but I¡¯m sure that I won¡¯t entirely embarrass myself,¡± he said, sliding the blade back into its scabbard. ¡®And the knife?¡¯ Joram pulled it from his back pocket, then flipped the leather flap back, popping the button in the process so that he could draw the knife. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy, just an old Buck knife that he¡¯d gotten when he was about ten years old. His mother hadn¡¯t been impressed, but his father was an old farmer turned bushman and he had always tried to teach Joram what he could of ¡°the old ways¡±. Or ¡°survival¡±, as anyone else would call it. ¡°I¡¯m good enough with it,¡± he said, sliding the fifteen-centimetre blade back into tis sheath. ¡®Well, it is good to be prepared,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®But we really should get to working on getting you used to your psionic abilities,¡¯ she said, nodding towards the bed. Joram sat as Avi began explaining his options. Or, rather, what Altaea had imprinted into both his brain and psionic matrix. ¡®Your new form comes with what you would call a ¡°Feat¡±. Really, these are basically just inherent or learned abilities. Psionic Talent just describes your psionic nature, as well as your inherent ability to have a Psionic Power Pool, or a Psionic Reserve. ¡®The next two would normally be learned when you began to train as a Psion. Due to both your memories and inclinations, and what the Prime version of you chose, Altaea decided to give you both Psionic Body and Deep Focus. ¡®Now, what you know of those abilities and what they do slightly vary. Psionic Body does indeed make your physical form more sturdy and resilient to damage, but it also primes you to learn other abilities, and goes quite well with your new form. ¡®Deep Focus is mostly the same, but isn¡¯t actually limited to just having one extra Psionic Focus active. Though you can have two Psionic Focuses active at once, it also allows for me to have a Psionic Focus active as well, potentially allowing me to assist you in minor ways. But once you¡¯re able to use [Schism], that extra Mind will also be able to have its own Psionic Focus. Which will, once again, add versatility and utility. ¡®That said, having an active Psionic Focus will allow you to manifest a few Psionic Powers without expending any of your Psionic Reserve, thus enabling you to fight longer should the need arise,¡¯ she finished, going silent so that he could process everything. She was right, there were some significant differences to those abilities. Differences that would have game designers chomping at the bit to nerf them if they ever learned of their existence. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get started,¡± he said, once again sitting on his bed because he didn¡¯t think this would be fast. ¡®Then we shall,¡¯ Avi said, then proceeded to explain how to gain his psionic focus. That part really wasn¡¯t that hard, almost coming naturally actually. Eventually, he got the idea to mentally create the mental image of a faceted diamond that glowed with its own internal light; associating what he felt with his first psionic focus with that one. And it clicked. ¡®Good,¡¯ Avi said with an encouraging smile that nevertheless distracted him more than he thought possible. ¡®Now, let¡¯s practice using your psionic focus to activate the Talents you¡¯ve been left with.¡¯ Due to dwindling time, and the unknown that was the pending System Integration, Avi focussed on helping him get used to using [Crystal Shard], [Ectoplasmic Creation], and [Entangling Ectoplasm]. The first one, [Crystal Shard], did a surprising amount of damage to the hallway floor, just outside of his apartment door when the crystal smashed into it. He wasn¡¯t quite an expert, but he was reasonably sure that the damage it dealt was reasonably close to that of small caliber pistol. He was also reasonably sure that the crystal would deal increasingly higher damage as he got used to his abilities. Or as he ¡°leveled¡±; if he was thinking in gaming terms. [Entangling Ectoplasm] was relatively easy, but [Ectoplasmic Creation] was giving him a bit of a headache. The trick, he learned, was to have as detailed an image as possible in his mind before manifesting the Power. He still wasn¡¯t very good with it by the time a beeping started sounding from the living room. ¡°Time¡¯s up, I guess,¡± he said as he picked up his katana and knife before heading to turn off the alarm. Once done, he quickly threaded the knife¡¯s sheath onto his belt, positioning it for quick access. He then tucked the katana under his belt, then frowned. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not gonna work,¡± he said as Avi nodded, then a *Ding* sounded in his head, and things got weird.
New entity detected¡­ Analyzing¡­ Calculating¡­ Error¡­ Recalculating¡­ Unique lifeform registered. - Psionic race registered¡­ - Error¡­ - Input necessary to complete registration. Psionic affinity detected. Psionic ability detected. Knowledge detected. Skills detected. Congratulations for surviving to this point without having been integrated into the System. Your efforts have been recognized. Congratulations for attaining a level of enlightenment unheard of outside of the System. Your efforts have been recognized. Congratulations for attaining a level of physical awareness and control over your physical vessel that few have attained over the aeons. Your efforts have been recognized. Basic System Integration successful. Intermediate System Integration successful. Advanced System Integration successful. Advanced System Interface granted. - Increased functionality to System Interface added. - [Analyze] Skill added. - [Privacy Mode] Skill added.
Please vocalize the name you wish your race to be known by in the System. Waiting¡­
Joram couldn¡¯t quite believe what he was seeing. It was right out of a video game, not to mention the countless isekai-themed media he¡¯d consumed over the decades. ¡®You should probably answer before letting your thoughts wander,¡¯ Avi piped in, drawing him back to the moment. Joram cleared his throat before speaking, suddenly very nervous about everything. ¡°The name of my race is: High Elan,¡± he said, not quite sure where he was supposed to look and feeling several many levels of awkward while speaking.
Input acknowledged; psionic race ¡°High Elan¡± registered. - Racial traits recorded. - Racial traits enhanced for the progenitor of a new race. - Race-specific Paths added. Please select a Path. A list of Paths can be found under the ¡°Help¡± section of your Status Screen. Simply concentrate on ¡°Status¡± to open your Status Screen. Waiting¡­
Joram glanced over at Avi, but only got a shrug in response. Lamenting the lack of moral support, he concentrated on ¡°Status¡±, resulting in a new blue box, this one populated by what he took to be his ¡°stats¡±. At the top of the ¡°window¡±, he found several tabs but focussed on the last one which was conveniently labelled ¡°Help¡±. Coming to the logical conclusion that the Status Screen was able to be controlled by thought, he focussed on that tab and was pleased when the window changed to display the Help section. He mentally scrolled through the list, more than a little dismayed at just how much information he would need to go through before he found the search bar at the top right of the screen. A moment later found him in the Path section of the Help window, once again dismayed at the listed number of Paths. ¡°Is there any way to filter out what I won¡¯t likely choose?¡± He asked himself as his eyes became a bit glassy. It was then that he noticed a search bar on the upper right corner of the screen. It even had the little magnifying glass and everything. ¡°Was that always there?¡± He asked, turning slightly so that he could glance at Avi. ¡®No,¡¯ she replied, shaking her head slightly. ¡®That could be a function of an ¡°Advanced System Interface¡±.¡¯ Joram nodded slightly, turning back to the window he concentrated on ¡°Psionic Paths¡± and was pleased when those words appeared in the search bar. The screen updated, now only populated by Psionic Paths. Which were still numerous enough for him to step over to his armchair and have a seat. Something that he noticed, though, was that the paths, the ones he¡¯d previously seen and the psionic ones, were all color coded. He went back quickly and opened a few ones that were ¡°white¡±, then found that they were labelled as ¡°Common¡± paths. He then opened a few green ones and found that they were ¡°Uncommon¡± paths. He started to see a pattern, but to confirm his suspicions he then opened a blue path, then a purple path. Sure enough, they were respectively labeled as ¡°Rare¡± and ¡°Epic¡± paths. ¡°Why are the rarities of the paths labeled like items in most video games?¡± Joram asked Avi as he turned to regard her once more. ¡®Perhaps it is another function of the Advanced Interface? It could be that your personal interface gets customized for you, from what makes the most sense to you,¡¯ Avi posited with another shrug. Again, Joram nodded, still weirded out by the colored classifications. Going back to what the System had been saying, he was positive that it could read his mind. But he also thought it odd that it had required him to speak out loud the name of his race. Overall, everything was just weird. Setting that aside, Joram continued perusing his Status. Having mentally pushed all those thoughts to the side, Joram¡¯s eyes once again focussed on his interface. He quickly went back to the first tab that contained his own Status and had a look.
Name Joram Paths: None Race: High Elan HP: 28/28 ST: 22/22 PP: 38/38 MP: 0/0
STR: 8 Mod: +3 HP Regen: 1/min ST Regen: 1/min PP Regen: 6/min MP Regen: N/A
SPD: 7 Mod: +2 Unarmed DMG: 4-5 Knife: DMG: 4-7 Katana: 5-14
CON: 8 Mod: +3 Defense: 4
INT: 9 Mod: +4 DR: 3/PP Spent
SPR: 10 Mod: +5 Resistances: Cold: 5
CHA: 7 Mod: 2 Weaknesses:
???: ?? Mod: ?? Carrying Capacity: Light: 40 kg Medium: 80 kg Heavy: 120 kg Push/Drag: 600 kg
He truly didn¡¯t know if those numbers were considered good, or below average. Given his many years¡¯ experience with tabletop RPGs, having almost all of his stats below ten made him cringe before he noticed the positive modifiers listed underneath the stats. Given how ¡°helpful¡± his interface had been up to now, Joram concentrated on STR and was pleasantly surprised to have a sub-window appear with a short description of the stat.
STR, or Strength, represents a one¡¯s physical strength. The Strength score affects many things, such as how much that Character can carry, how hard they can strike in combat, or how well they perform while using certain Skills.
Joram nodded, expecting something like that. He then clicked on SPD, getting a similar description for that. He learned that the acronym did indeed refer to Speed, and that it represented his physical alacrity, dexterity, balance, and coordination. A lot to pack into one stat, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about that as he¡¯d never quite liked games with twelve different stats that you had to keep up. In the end, those games forced a character to specialize or risk becoming mediocre in everything. And since he very much preferred to play solo, that always hurt. Next was CON, representing Constitution. It also bundled a few things together; wrapping his health, endurance, stamina, and physical resilience into one. Again, he didn¡¯t complain. All of those were incredibly important, so not having to spend any theoretical points on individual aspects of CON was an immense relief. INT was, of course, Intellect. That it was so high surprised him, especially when he hadn¡¯t considered himself very smart. Sure, he considered himself above average, but definitely not a genius. That said, INT seemed to cover things like how well one learned something, their recall, as well as any cast spell or manifested power. It affected anything from the power/spell¡¯s damage, duration, range, and activation time. It also determined his MP and PP regeneration rates. Or rather, it played heavily into the calculation. It didn¡¯t actually make you ¡°smarter¡± if you raise the stat. Though, he would argue that increased recall and increased learning ability was exactly that. Maybe it referred to one¡¯s processing power? Like, going from a 1.2GHz processor to a 2.5GHz processor? Instead, INT seemed to increase one¡¯s RAM and storage capacity. Joram shrugged, not really caring about that, especially since he wasn¡¯t an expert in the field of intelligence, nor was he a philosopher. SPR represented Spirit. He¡¯d have called it ¡°Wisdom¡± when playing a tabletop RPG, but the stat also affected a person¡¯s Mana and Power Pool size, as well as their ¡°Willpower¡±. Grit, determination, and the ability to resist mental influences were included in what SPR affected. Then CHA, or Charisma. That was pretty basic. It covered how alluring you were to others, while also acting as a measure for one¡¯s force of personality and how well you influenced others. Positively or negatively. There was also a note that certain paths or species used it when using innate spells. What he would have called ¡°spell-like abilities¡± or maybe ¡°supernatural abilities¡±. He shrugged, knowing full-well that having a seven in that stat was likely due to Altaea¡¯s influence, as he¡¯d never considered himself particularly social, nor influential. Heck, he was more of a recluse than anything¡­. He shook his head, then wondered what the question marks represented, then shrugged. It wouldn¡¯t do him any good to worry about something that he couldn¡¯t affect, so he went on to peruse his various resource pools and regen rates. He was certainly surprised that a ¡°caster¡± would have so many hit points to start off with. Upon further investigation, he found that every person started with a base of ten hit points. After that, there was a calculation based on his CON score that determined any bonus HP, then his ¡°levels¡± in various paths would take over from there. So, unless his CON score continued to go up, he¡¯d plateau at his current twenty-eight hit points until he decided upon a path. His ST represented- to no one¡¯s surprise- his Stamina pool. It was lower than his hit points, but that didn¡¯t entirely surprise him either. He¡¯d never been a ¡°runner¡±. He could literally walk all day, but only run about a block before he was done. Though, this calculation was based entirely off his CON score, without an added base like HP had. He shrugged again, turning his attention to his Power Points, or PP. That pool was much larger than the others but found that it made sense given that his ¡°mental stats¡± were much higher than his physical stats. His regeneration rate was also ridiculously high compared to the others, and upon investigation he found that it was again because of his high mental stats. That, and he somehow got a bonus due to his race. Again, he wasn¡¯t going to complain, especially since it would directly affect his chances of surviving in this new, alien world. That said, his psionic reserves were much higher than a typical ¡°level 1¡± character. ¡°Avi? Any idea why my psionic reserves are so high for not having taken a path yet?¡± Avi seemed to think about it for a minute before finally replying. ¡®Before System Integration, I would estimate that your reserves would have been around ten, if I used the same method of quantifying such a thing. Given how that resource pool is calculated, it seems that the System adds a bit of something that wouldn¡¯t naturally be there.¡¯ ¡°So¡­ it, what? Buffed me?¡± He asked, wanting to understand why it would be so different. ¡®Effectively; yes.¡¯ ¡°Hmm,¡± Joram hmm¡¯d as he turned back to his screen. Was this System in place to help make sure that those affected by it would survive? Or was it just a way to create order in a world of chaos? Maybe one of those leading theories about how an alien species had created Systems for their entertainment? He stopped there, firmly putting aside those thoughts. Once again, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, so he wouldn¡¯t bother worrying about it. What will be, will be. Maybe, one day somewhere down the line, he¡¯d be in a position to do something about it, but today wasn¡¯t that day. He was pleased, however, to see that his resistance to cold back on Earth actually translated to having a quantifiable resistance in this world. Though, his carrying capacities were more than he would have suspected they¡¯d be. Sure, he was always pretty strong, but again, he¡¯d never been a gym rat. Joram wondered if his stats were so high due to him looking about eighteen years old again. He saw Avi nodding at that thought and shrugged. Of course being young would affect those stats. Getting back on course, he navigated back to the help tab and was pleased that his previous search results were still there. So, he started scrolling through the options one by one. He noticed that every psionic path was at least blue, or rare, making him think that psionics weren¡¯t at all common on this world. Either way, it was what he was going to go for, so he started looking for a way to further refine his search. Sure enough, the options appeared, so he quickly sorted the paths by rarity, from Mythic down to Rare. The Mythic paths were something to behold. They ranged anywhere from focussing on dominating a mind to being experts in the physical form and its manipulation to masters of natural forces and how to use them to destroy stuff. The Legendary paths were much the same, but not quite as powerful. Which held the same for the Epic paths, then the Rare ones. Sure, the flavours changed, as well as the focus of the path, but that was generally the trend he saw. The temptation to take a kineticist-type path was strong due to the high damage potential of the class, but its versatility outside of mass destruction was quite limited. Which gave him another thought. He then searched for a description of how paths worked, which proved insightful. Each path was basically a super category with various specializations, or what he¡¯d call ¡°classes¡±, under its umbrella. Further reading confirmed his suspicions that the rarer paths were actually later steps in the paths. One was expected to take something- or maybe that was supposed to be the only option for them?- before taking a higher rarity path. That would allow for them to have acquired some utility abilities or Skills before specializing in one area. His thoughts then turned to what Altaea had done to, or for, him. He wondered if the System detected all of those modifications and additions and had come to the conclusion that he somehow already qualified for those higher rarity paths. As far as he knew, Altaea had dumped her entire psionic¡­ database into his head by way of that Crystal Mind that he¡¯d assimilated a few hours ago. Chapter 003 - Options ¡°So, I can take pretty much any psionic Path in existence¡­¡± he mused out loud, trying to organize his thoughts. Avi merely nodded, likely knowing that he was just talking in an effort to organize his thoughts. ¡°The Domination Paths are out,¡± he said, shaking his head at the thought of mentally subjugating beings just so that he could use them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the Kineticist Paths yet. Sure, they¡¯re great for blowing up stuff, and probably even with manipulating the world around me¡­ but I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s me,¡± he said before looking at the next category. ¡°The Psychometabolism Paths are neat and all, but I¡¯d rather not mess with my body more than it¡¯s already been¡­ altered. ¡°The Clairsentience Paths are neat, but I don¡¯ wanna wind up being some sort of cosmic voyeur or something¡­¡± he mumbles, getting an odd look from Avi. ¡°Now, Psychoportation sounds good, but not quite as good as the Kineticist stuff. The problem is that I¡¯ve already got access to everything here,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°But the true problem is deciding what specialization I want to follow.¡± ¡®Why don¡¯t you take a lower rarity Path to start? That¡¯ll give you some added abilities from them before choosing significantly more specialized paths.¡¯ ¡°I thought of that,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be locked into that general Path after taking something from it, thus being denied the other Paths in the process,¡± he said, not quite sure of his conjecture, but not willing to commit to one Path just yet. ¡®I¡¯m sure that you can just look it up,¡¯ Avi interjects, quite reasonably at that. Joram just about facepalmed, then started searching to see what limitations there were on Paths. Sure enough, there were many limitations listed, but mostly for anything of opposing ¡°schools¡± when it came to magic, psionics, or even certain classes. Like, being a ¡°barbarian¡± type class generally disqualified someone from taking a ¡°monk¡± type class that focussed on self restraint, meditation, and such. Their granted skills either didn¡¯t mesh, or just plain negated one another. Which, really, was nice of the System to place limitations on taking those classes/paths together, as they¡¯d basically cripple the person taking them. Now, the various psionic Paths didn¡¯t have any such restrictions. He was guessing that was the case because they all focussed on using the mind to accomplish things; specifically using psionic power to do stuff. He perused his options again, taking note of something similar to the soulknife class he¡¯d played in a past campaign. It was tempting, but he really didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d enjoy being a frontline fighter. Well, the sheer physicality of it was sort of tempting, as he¡¯d always loved pushing himself when competing with others. That said, he was nowhere near being a masochist, so that ultimately ruled that Path out for him. Which led him back to the Creationist Path, what his gaming books called ¡°metacreationist¡±. Sure, it focussing on making things. Crafting, shaping, and all that. Which also called to him. But he was also drawn to how he¡¯d be able to create things from nothing. Or, rather, create things from raw ectoplasm that he¡¯d pull in from the Astral Plane to create those things. Not to mention Astral Constructs. Constructs, or maybe calling them ¡°golems¡± might work? Anyways, Astral Constructs would be his answer to not having to be close enough to an enemy to smell its breath¡­ or being injured by said enemy. Having a tank to block and fight whatever was trying to kill him was certainly a plus in his books. Not to mention not having to worry about said tank dying on him. He¡¯d feel pretty damn bad if a party member kicked the bucket on him trying to save him/the party or something. But if he could use a disposable construct to do the same, take the same role as a tank would, then he¡¯d feel much better about things. Then there were the other parts that called to him. He¡¯d always been an artist. From drawing to carving, he¡¯d loved it. He hadn¡¯t had much practice in the past decade or so, but now that he quite literally had all the time in the world¡­ well. ¡®The Creationist Path truly would suit you well,¡¯ Avi piped in her two cents, getting a grin from him. ¡°Now, which class should I take?¡± He asked, not quite rhetorically. ¡®That¡¯s a bit harder to answer,¡¯ Avi replied, shaking her head. ¡®Even in that category, there are many specializations available that might close doors to you should you choose to take them.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, but then started digging through the options and associated restrictions for each of them. Focussing specifically on creating constructs, for instance, would limit his ability to create organic life. Though, looking a bit closer at the restriction, it seemed as though it was more referring to how long things would take, rather than a System-imposed restriction. ¡°System? Is it possible to adjust the parameters of recommendations, restrictions, and warnings associated with the Paths taking into account my specific race?¡± He asked out loud, not sure if that would work. After a minute of standing there, sans pop-ups, he started to feel pretty silly when Avi pointed to his Status screen. In the top right of the window he found a¡­ ¡°loading¡± wheel spinning away. ¡°Seriously?¡± He asked, not quite sure what to make of that particular inclusion. Soon enough the loading wheel stopped, then vanished. He quickly reloaded the class he¡¯d been looking at and noticed the distinct lack of warning on it. No caution regarding time constraints, nothing. He quickly flipped to another class and found the ¡°restrictions¡± gone. After several more minutes of searching, he only found one class with a restriction, and that was due to another class being completely diametrically opposed to it. With the capstone ability basically turning the person into a positive energy elemental, taking the class that would turn the same person into a negative energy elemental didn¡¯t¡¯ make too much sense to begin with. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°Just how broken is a High Elan?¡± He asked slowly, contemplating the various advantages he now had. ¡®It isn¡¯t ¡°broken¡± at all,¡¯ Avi replied, sounding slightly confused. ¡®The High Elan race is very much stable.¡¯ Joram did facepalm then, but let it go. He was what he was now, no turning back. So, he really started getting into it, as it were. He went through every ¡°Shaper¡±-like class that he could find, as that¡¯s what seemed to call to him the most. He¡¯d always loved making things, from his time in shops class in junior high and high school to carving things like stone, wood, and even wax. He¡¯d even casually dabbled in metal casting as he hadn¡¯t been able, or had the resources, to get into actual forging, though that had also called to him over the years. He didn¡¯t look at the actual ¡°crafting¡± classes, as those were a bit¡­ constrained for his liking. He was reasonably sure that he could pick up the various skills needed to do any crafting that he¡¯d want to do as he went along. Heck, given his¡­ abundant collection of textbooks, manuals, and the like, he was pretty sure that he could just take a few years to practice on whatever it was that he wanted to focus on next and get reasonably good at it that way. Which also brought up the question of people. Would he eventually run into other people here? Would they be humans, or something else? None of the Paths or Classes referred to a race when listing requirements, so that didn¡¯t help. Was he the only human¡­ er, well, humanoid on the planet? Were the residents of this planet plant-people? Dino-people? Or were they all ¡°humans¡±? If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Joram shook his head, ridding himself of those useless thoughts. Given how his last relationship ended, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get into another one. Especially given his new lifespan. That said, he¡¯d been a borderline recluse, so that really predisposed him to not being in a hurry to find civilization. Heck, he really had everything he¡¯d ever need right there in his apartment. Well, not everything. He¡¯d still need crafting materials and such. He¡¯d- ¡®You¡¯re getting distracted,¡¯ Avi piped in from his side, pulling him out of his thoughts. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured, refocussing on the task at hand. Looking at the lower-rarity ¡°classes¡± in the ¡°Shaper¡± Path, he found that they mostly ¡°trained¡± the person for higher grade classes, giving out Skills and Powers that would lead up to those high-grade classes. Now, given that Altaea had dumped her psionic repository into his head, the System considered him ¡°qualified¡± to take the higher rarity classes. That said, did he really want to jump into the deep end, as it were? He was reasonably sure that at least a part of the reason why those classes were locked behind various requirements was to ¡°train¡± up a person so that they wouldn¡¯t ¡°get in over their heads¡±. But¡­. The temptation to power game it was very much there. Sure, he¡¯d likely need to do a hell of a lot of studying to get himself comfortable with a Mythic or even a Transcendent Class, but again, he¡¯d have the time to do so. Then something occurred to him. ¡°System? Do I have a time limit on taking my Path and Class?¡± He asked, a bit of concern in his voice. No new screen popped up, but a small window in his Status Screen did appear.
There is no time limit imposed for Path or Class selection.
Joram sighed in relief, glad that he wouldn¡¯t be forced to choose before he was ready to. Then another thought occurred to him. ¡°Are my current Path and Class option limited to what Skills I currently have?¡±
Yes.
That both didn¡¯t surprise him and annoyed him at the same time. It would be too much of a cheat if every Path and Class option had been made available to him right from the start. That said, it was still pretty ridiculous that he¡¯d been offered what he¡¯d been offered right off the bat. He turned to Avi and found that she was already regarding him. He was once again taken by just how stunningly beautiful she was and had to take a moment to clear his thoughts, then to clear his suddenly dry throat before speaking. ¡°I think that maybe some training is in order before I get to selecting a Path and Class,¡± he said, having trouble keeping eye contact with Avi due to his¡­ downright terrible social skills. And his PTSD, if he was being completely honest with himself. ¡®That is certainly advisable,¡¯ she replied with a nod. ¡®That said, are you sure that you¡¯ll have the time to do so? I am certain that there are hostile lifeforms nearby, and having the added power of Levels will certainly increase your chances of survival.¡¯ Joram nodded at that. The reminder that he was on an alien planet, surrounded by things that very likely would view him as lower on the food than they were, was once again jarring. Everything was just so new and, well, new! It wasn¡¯t like a video game where you¡¯d have your tutorial area to go through before being dropped into the thick of it. No, he was already in the deep end, as it were. ¡°True,¡± he said out loud to help his thoughts solidify. ¡°But if there is a chance that I can get something even better than what¡¯s offered, then maybe some training is in order. Besides, if I really need to, I can easily pick up a Path/Class if the situation calls for it,¡± he finished, nodding to himself. ¡®That option is certain viable,¡¯ Avi said, also nodding. ¡®Ultimately, it¡¯s up to you.¡¯ Joram nodded again, very much agreeing with that. If he was going to have to live in this new world, he was certainly going to live the way he wanted to live. No society to tell him what it expected of him, no government demanding that he constantly pay them for the privilege of living under them, not even having to live according to what the people around him expected him to do or be. He now had the freedom to live completely free and unfettered. No expectations to live up to besides his own. No naysayers to constantly crap on him. No rules saying that he couldn¡¯t do something that he wanted to do. No social obligations. No financial obligations. Nothing. But, no internet either. No bookstores. Joram suddenly slumped to the ground, the weight of true isolation finally registering in his mind. Sure, society came with so many restrictions and obligations, but it also came with those things that he also took for granted. Free access to information pretty much whenever he wanted. Sure, there were restrictions on what he could grab or view, but those restrictions were kind of important. Like, the exact specifications to weapons of mass destruction, security protocols and algorithms, and all that. That was when he was sorely tempted to take a Clairsentience Path. Something that would allow him to tap into a sort of universal intelligence that could grant him access to knowledge as he needed it. But he quickly calmed. Sure, he was currently limited to what he could access. But he also had several hundred terabytes of data and media that he¡¯d acquired over the years and decades. So much in fact, that he hadn¡¯t even read through or viewed a fraction of a percent of it. He would have time to find if there was civilization out there before he ran out of information and media to consume. He hoped. ¡°Hmm¡­. Pause Path Selection?¡± He said, not quite sure if that would work or not.
Request granted; Path selection paused. To resume Path selection, please use the ¡°Level Up¡± function found on your Status Screen. Ending communication.
After a few seconds the screen vanished, and he was left wondering just how¡­ sapient this System was. Was it actually sapient? Or just a good V.I.? ¡®Do you think that that was wise?¡¯ Avi asked from the side, looking, of all things, curious. ¡°I have no idea,¡± he said with a shrug, not wanting to delve down that rabbit hole. ¡°But if I can unlock better options by trying to, and getting, Skills, then why not?¡± Avi nodded at that, then made a show of looking around. ¡®What Skills will you try to acquire first?¡¯ ¡°I also have no idea about that,¡± he replied ruefully. ¡°Maybe I can find some ideas in the help menus¡­¡± he finished, then proceeded to do just that. Joram then spent the next two hours going through the menus. Not that it took him that long to find the section on Skills, but that he¡¯d gone full research mode. It was fascinating. Skills were broken down into three super categories: Combat, Defense, and General. Each one had varying numbers of subcategories, and even more subcategories under those categories. Then, there was a bit of overlap between Skills that he really thought should just be combined into one Skill. Like [Cleanse]. Sure, he supposed that one needed varying degrees of cleanliness when dealing with different situations. For example, making sure your cutting board was clean enough to not give you food poisoning after having used it for a meal was important. Not quite as important as making sure something was sterile for a surgery, though. Or even as immaculate as a microprocessor factory needed to be. Varying levels, you see. But honestly, why not combine them all? Sure, it might take a bit of tweaking on the System¡¯s end of things, but he was sure that it would be more efficient to combine the four different [Cleanse]s he had found than to keep them separate. Anyways, he¡¯d found a trove of knowledge that he wasn¡¯t sure existed anywhere else. That said, he was also unsure if the world he found himself on had any sort of appreciable civilization or not. For all he knew, the Skills he¡¯d found notwithstanding, the level of civilization was at the hunter/gatherer stage. Sure, having spotted Skills like [Librarian¡¯s Knowledge: Where¡¯s that book?] led him to believe that at least one civilization had popped up and advanced to the point where they¡¯d had librarians had come about. But was that civilization still around? Was he in a post-apocalyptic world? Would he be exploring the ruins of ancient cities? Would they have turned into dungeons that he would have to delve into, searching for clues as to who had once lived there? Were dungeons even a thing here? They were a very popular trope back home, after all. He shrugged, not quite sure how he would find out without having to go exploring. And Avi¡¯s warning that there was hostile life out there hadn¡¯t fallen on deaf ears. His sword and hunting knife was proof enough of that. Joram shook his head, then refocussed on his task. He needed to find Skills that were one: easy to get. Two: might allow him to get a better Path that what he¡¯d been offered. And as a side ¡°three¡±, give him a better idea of how things worked in this world. Heck, four: just how did Skills even work?! Were they the kind, like in the tabletop games he¡¯d played, that could be used at any time, no cooldown? Or were they more like video game skills where they would all have individual cooldowns; all for the sake of ¡°game balance¡±? Did skills use their own resources, or did they draw from his Power Pool? Or did they ¡°just work¡±? From what he saw while perusing the lists, he got the impression that Skills were a mix of technical skills and basically magic. Some descriptions were very much in line with what he¡¯d call a Skill back on Earth. The know-how and ability to perform a certain action. While he¡¯d also found Skills that were basically cheats. Like [Dash]. Basically, the laws of physics were, at the very least, bent. Instant acceleration, no regard for traction and how your movement and sudden velocity would affect what you were standing on, nevermind air resistance. You¡¯d just suddenly accelerate, your body perfectly fine with that, get to where you¡¯d intended, then stop without so much as a whisper of whiplash. Everything was fine. So, magic skills. Or maybe just physics-altering skills¡­. Anyways. At least there was a basic note on how to get Skills. It boiled down to ¡°desire and practice¡±, with a smidgeon of ¡°success¡± in there. Well, more than a smidgeon, but still just ¡°succeed X-number of times¡± and you got the Skill. Mostly. It was honestly more than a little frustrating given just how varied the criteria were for getting various Skills. He shook his head again, then turned to Avi. ¡°Any suggestions?¡± Avi smiled. Chapter 004 - Goblins *3 hours later ¡°I¡¯m done¡­¡± Joram said, panting in the hallway outside of his apartment. Altaea, it seems, had added solid walls where his apartment building¡­ hadn¡¯t come along for the ride. He¡¯d discovered that a sphere roughly thirteen metres in diameter had come along with him for the ride, as it were. Since he¡¯d been in his living room at the time of the¡­ incident, that distance had barely covered his bathroom and bedroom. On the other hand, it included a significant chunk of the apartment next door, as well as most of the one above him. Fortunately for him, and the people who¡¯d lived next to, and above him, they hadn¡¯t been home at the time. He didn¡¯t want to even consider what would have happened to them if they¡¯d been pulled along for the ride. That said, it seemed as though enough ¡°spare¡± materials had arrived with their transit that Altaea had been able to ¡°recycle¡± the other chunks of the building to properly enclose the various openings that would have otherwise been there. He shook his head again as he could only imagine what the apartment had looked like just after arriving. That said, the ¡°hallway¡± was now effectively an extra storage room for his apartment. Which, really, was a bonus, as Altaea had taken the extra appliances from the other apartments and had stored them there. As well as the extra construction materials, and the random belongings she¡¯d found in the other spaces. That said, the ¡°hallway¡± was really more of an extra room now, and a large one at that. Which was why he and Avi were in there. For the space. Space needed to try dodging the telekinetic projectiles that she had been lobbing at him. ¡®I¡¯m sure that you can get the [Dodge] Skill if we go a bit longer,¡¯ Avi said, completely blank faced. He was sure that she was somehow enjoying the whole process. But given her status as a virtual intelligence, he really wasn¡¯t too sure about that. But given just how¡­ enthusiastic she was in that carefully neutral way of hers, he was sure that something was there. Had she lied about being a virtual intelligence? Had Altaea actually made a full artificial intelligence? Well, he was sure that she was more than capable of doing something like that, as intelligent items weren¡¯t exactly unheard of on her home planet. Then there was the fact that she¡¯d already gotten the memories from at least a few of her other selves, and everything pointed at the very real possibility that Avi was indeed a fully self-aware construct with her own personality and quirks. One of which seemed to be a budding tendency towards sadism¡­ ¡°I literally cannot move from here right now,¡± he said, feebly trying to roll off one of the stones she¡¯d been using to fling at him. ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Avi hmm¡¯d as she regarded him. ¡®Then you should meditate to help restore yourself, and get some practice while you¡¯re at it,¡¯ she finished by telekinetically pulling the rock out from under his back for him, garnering some goodwill from him in the process. He just nodded at that as he closed his eyes and started going through the advanced meditation technique that Altaea had left for him. It wasn¡¯t easy. Every muscle he¡¯d strained in his body constantly complained at him, making themselves known as he tried to concentrate. It had been much easier when he¡¯d just woken up, not having any distractions besides a timer to ¡°integration¡±. Overexerted muscles and developing bruises proved to be more of a distraction than he¡¯d originally thought they¡¯d be. But, eventually, he got there. And by ¡°there¡± he meant his headspace. Well, what he thought of as his headspace anyways. It was an office-like room, complete with a large desk, an amazingly comfortable chair for him to sit in, bookshelves loaded with many of his favourite books- though they were almost all blank at the moment, as he hadn¡¯t taken the time to populate them. Which, really, would probably take a long time to do. But he was confident that he¡¯d eventually get there. Not that he really needed to with his physical and digital collections, but he still wanted to. Who knew if he¡¯d ever lose them in the future? He quickly knocked on wood, well, virtual wood, to ward off any potential jinx that he¡¯d unwittingly called down upon himself and his precious books. Anyways. In his office, sitting in his comfy chair, he looked at his laptop and smiled. It wasn¡¯t that he was a crazy programmer and thought of everything like that, but he was a geek, and having the various functions of his body represented as executable icons or file folders just seemed right to him. That said, he was also setting up various diagnostic/performance ¡°applications¡± so that he could try to get a better understanding of his body and how it functioned with the System. And how the System affected him. Given that the data he had was almost non-existent, he wasn¡¯t sure how far he¡¯d get with the System affecting him part, but at least he could gather data on how he performed pre-Skills, post-Skills, pre-Path, and post-Path. And class(es). To make it click a bit better for him, he thought of Paths like the basic Classes in his favourite tabletop RPG, Pathfinder. Then, the various ¡°classes¡± under a Path were basically the various ¡°Archetypes¡± available to those Classes. But with a wider range and variety of abilities and specializations, but also broader umbrella in which they fell. Basically, what he¡¯d call any arcane caster, were all under the umbrella of ¡°Arcane Path¡±. Then the divine casters were under the umbrella of ¡°Divine Path¡±. His psionics were classified under ¡°Psionic Path¡±. Then, each Class that he was used to seeing, like Sorcerer or Wizard, were their own categories, with many subcategories underneath those categories. The initial classes were basically all ¡°common¡± classes. Then, as you went further along the Path, depending on what you¡¯ve done or accomplished, you¡¯d be offered increasingly more rare classes that offered either crazy specialization, or absurd generalization that were all nevertheless quite powerful in their own rights. Joram shook the mental image of his head, ridding himself of those thoughts as he tried to focus. His objective was to consolidate what he¡¯d learned while trying to dodge Avi¡¯s projectiles. So, he focussed first on how his muscles felt, which ones that had been used the most. From there, he stated visualizing how to better move, how to reduce wasted movement, and thus energy. After that, he focussed on what he¡¯d seen. The small wooden balls hadn¡¯t been exceptionally fast to the point where he couldn¡¯t follow their movements. But. They had definitely been fast enough to leave bruises. Focussing again, he concentrated on what he could remember. Given that Altaea had given him [Autohypnosis], it was easier than it could have been. So, from there, he started working on remembering the trajectories of the wooden balls. Where they started and where they impacted him. Or, in the rare instance, where they¡¯d just missed him. Over and over again, he went over that information, tying it together with the movements of his body, how he reacted; working on building good muscle memory as opposed to just ¡°jump somewhere not there!¡± when something was flying at him. Even though he was, he thought, especially good at visualization, it was hard. He¡¯d like to say that he had been able to create some sort of program to help internalize and set everything that he went through, but that would be a lie. It was all done manually. Every hit or miss was gone over dozens of times, in as much detail as he could muster. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡®Time to get up,¡¯ Avi said, appearing in his office, much to his astonishment. ¡°How¡¯re you here?¡± He asked dumbly, staring at the vision of beauty standing before him. ¡®I¡¯m a part of you, remember?¡¯ She asked, slightly tilting her head to the side. ¡°In my headspace too?¡± He asked, not quite wanting to get it. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Joram processed that for a bit before he exploded. He was, more than generally, a private person. People asking too many questions, even the mundane ones people asked in everyday polite society, bugged him. So, as a rule, he never asked the questions of other people that he didn¡¯t want to either know, or have people ask him. That then extended to person space. Sure, his family were huggers, and he was inclined to give them out to people close to him and such. But. He also had a bubble that pretty much extended to anyone he didn¡¯t know, or who he wasn¡¯t close with. Going further, that also extended to his living space. And the living space of others. ¡°Don¡¯t poke around in what isn¡¯t yours¡± was the basic rule. When visiting a friend¡¯s house, the only places he¡¯d willingly go were the living room, dining room, den, and bathroom. Unless invited, he didn¡¯t go into the kitchen, even if the place was an open-concept layout. Now, given all that, he had very strong beliefs regarding privacy. He was of the opinion that almost no one had a right to know anything about you that you didn¡¯t first willingly and knowingly share with them. That included governments, corporations, and just plain everyone else on the planet. That Avi was able to enter his own headspace was a violation of just about everything he viewed of as ¡°privacy¡±. The sanctity of one¡¯s mind was paramount to him, and anyone, or anything, messing with that was the highest crime he could think of. That Altaea had left him a VI in his head wasn¡¯t something that he was at all comfortable with. That she could enter his own mental projection of a ¡°safe place¡± was even worse. The only reason that he hadn¡¯t blown up at Avi already was that Altaea had had the best intentions for him by leaving Avi with him. But. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°We need to discuss boundaries,¡± he said, absolutely hating the conversation and possibly confrontation that was about to occur. ¡®Can we do so after you confront the beings who¡¯ve broken into your apartment?¡¯ Avi asked, calm as a cucumber. That jarred him enough to derail his thoughts more than a little. ¡°What? How many? What are they?¡± Avi looked at him, then sighed. ¡®From what I have gathered, there are three of them. Very likely goblins, though more the goblins from the Slayer of Goblins comic-¡® ¡°Manga,¡± Joram interjected. ¡®- that you used to read rather than the ones from that Innworld series you kept up with,¡¯ she finished, shaking her head. ¡°Are they armed?¡± He asked, suspecting that they would indeed be armed, and dangerous. ¡®Indeed they are,¡¯ she said, then added. ¡®They also seem to have found your knife block in the kitchen, so they¡¯re currently upgrading.¡¯ Joram just about cursed, then quickly calmed down. He¡¯d practiced a few Powers with Avi already, so that may very well help keep him alive seeing as how he had zero combat experience. Sure, he¡¯d practiced with a shinai and bokken in the past¡­ but that was just¡­ play. Fun. Not to-the-death stuff. Like what this was turning out to be like. ¡°Avi? Are you able to us a Power at the same time as me?¡± He asked, thinking that he just may survive if she could. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Great, then here¡¯s the plan¡­¡± he said, then proceeded to share what he¡¯d come up with. - - - ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ Avi asked, looking at him with what he thought of as worry. Joram just nodded, not wanting to risk the goblin outside, or rather, inside, his apartment hearing him. He was still in the hallway/storage room, and he could hear the faint shuffling of feet between the occasional grunt or weird guttural language. After a brief discussion, they¡¯d decided that it would be best for the goblins to open the door themselves due to the door opening inwards, into the apartment. If the door had opened outwards into the once-hallway, then it would have been trivial to make the door a chokepoint with some of the construction materials sitting around. Just pile up some of the concrete, some random stone blocks that Altaea had gotten from somewhere, and they¡¯d have a decent blockade to keep more than one of them coming through at once. As-is, the door opened inwards, limiting what he felt that he could do. So, he and Avi waited for the door to open. And waited. It was another few minutes before the door handle wiggles a bit, distracting him from how unrealistically full his bladder felt. Quickly, he concentrated on [Entangling Ectoplasm]. It felt much harder to get the Power fueled and ready than it had while practicing earlier with Avi. He was also sure that he took longer than he should have, but he was more than comfortable attributing that to nerves. Like, ¡°I¡¯m gonna die if I mess this up¡± kind of nerves. His left hand was free to grab the goblin if he needed to, while his right hand held his hunting knife. Now, again, it wasn¡¯t anything to write home about, and Mik would have laughed at it while showing him what a real knife looked like¡­ but it was all that he had right now. He¡¯d gone and left his katana on his bed, not bothering to keep it with him during his training. Now? Now he felt like an idiot. Never leave your weapon where you couldn¡¯t reach it in an emergency. He¡¯d have tried to make an improvised one with [Ectoplasmic Creation], but hadn¡¯t quite managed to get that Power working how he wanted it to. Especially when his life would depend on it. He looked at his Power Pool, noting that holding the Powers like he and Avi were doing also seemed to keep his PP from regenerating. Still, having 36/38 PP available wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at, especially when he was the equivalent of a level 0 character. Well, maybe a level 1 NPC or something, given that he hadn¡¯t chosen a Path yet- The door opened, revealing a green figure casually holding his meat cleaver. The goblin was only about four feet tall, gangly, and as ugly as those from Slayer of Goblins. The yellowish eyes looked like a goat¡¯s eyes, while the long and lumpy nose was very much as ugly as those drawings made it out to be. The surprise on it¡¯s face was evident as he release [Entangling Ectoplasm] at the same time as Avi. He targeted the goblin in front of him while Avi targeted the goblin at the back, leaving the one in the middle more or less sandwiched between the two. White the goblin was distracted, Joram did the hardest thing he¡¯d had to do: he stabbed forward with his hunting knife, aiming for the middle of the goblin¡¯s chest. Sure, he could have aimed at the thing¡¯s face, but he really didn¡¯t want to risk missing the eye socket and having his knife skid off the skull or something. That said, ribs were a thing. The tip of his knife entered the bare skin of the goblin¡¯s chest easily enough, but then glanced off a rib before sliding between it and its neighbour, finally entering the chest cavity. He briefly registered that the knife was between the fourth and fifth ribs before the goblin¡¯s pained shriek jarred him out of his weird funk. Then the cleaver slicing across his ribs jolted him into action. He jumped back, leaving the hunting knife in the goblin as it slumped over, dropping the meat cleaver as both hands grasped at the hunting knife. I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you, he thought as the prepared his next Power, looking to the goblin in the middle as he used his right hand to clutch at his bleeding side. Just as [Crystal Shard] was about to complete, the first goblin pulled the knife out of its chest, sending a spray of blood across his face, blinding his right eye. He tried desperately to hold onto the Power, but it slipped through his mental grasp and fizzled. And also gave him the mother of all headaches at the same time. Avi, bless her, managed to get her [Crystal Shard] off and into the head of the second goblin, spraying grey matter, blood, and bone shards across the closed door behind it. That focussed his mind enough to stand straight again, sudden rage flooding his system and filling him with more strength that he expected. Not that he was thinking clearly at that point, no. The surprise only registered peripherally as he leaned over again and retrieved his hunting knife from the goblin¡¯s loose hands. He knew that he had about thirty seconds or so once [Entangling Ectoplasm] was manifested. The problem was, he¡¯d lost count. Not that that stopped him as he stepped over the first body, then over the second one so that he could lean over and finish off the third goblin. Well, that was easier said than done. People thought that being tangled in a net rendered a person helpless, probably from how they were portrayed in movies and tv and all that. Contrary to that popular portrayal, people could still try to, say, stab you if you got too close. Just like the goblin did as it thrust his carving knife at him. Fun fact: knife thrusts were generally a lot slower than a thrown object. With that in mind, Joram was also a lot slower than he¡¯d been when he first started his training with Avi a few hours ago. The carving knife rammed home, catching him in the pelvis and digging into his iliac crest. The burst of pain that flooded his mind nearly blacked him out, his vision narrowing sufficiently that he could only see the ecstatic-looking goblin in front of him. That expression froze, then turned into one of shock as Joram¡¯s own knife found its throat. Then they both fell to the ground together. Chapter 005 - Stayn Alive ¡°Daaaaad, we¡¯ve gotta go!¡± she said, shaking him with her tiny hands. He looked over at his daughter, then at his second daughter who was also trying to wake him up. Both looked concerned for some reason, which confused him. Why were they so panicked? ¡°I¡¯ll be up in a bit,¡± he said, taking one of each of their hands in one of his own. ¡°I just need to rest a bit more,¡± he said, letting his eyes close again. ¡°But daddy, it¡¯s super important!¡± his youngest said, her blue/green hazel eyes so worried that he could feel it even with his own eyes closed. ¡°Yeah, dad. Get up so you don¡¯t get in trouble,¡± his eldest said seriously, which once again got his attention. ¡°And what, pray tell, would get me into trouble?¡± he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. ¡°You¡¯ll die,¡± she said, but this time her voice wasn¡¯t hers, shocking him enough to make him pull away as his bedroom started to darken, his daughters fading. Even though the sudden change in her voice had scared him, it scared him even more to watch his daughters fade away. Desperately, he reached out to try to take hold of them in an attempt to keep them with him, but just as they were fading away, his memories came rushing back, punching him in the heart so hard that he fell over. Joram¡­ He ignored the strange voice as tears leaked down the sides of his head. He hadn¡¯t dreamt of them like that for a long time. ¡®Joram¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± he tried to speak, but found that his throat was both very dry and very constricted. ¡®You need to concentrate on [Natural Healing],¡¯ Avi said gently, though with more urgency than he thought a VI should have in their voice. He mentally nodded, too weak to even move his head. He was cold, too cold. Which didn¡¯t make any sense to him until he remembered being stabbed in the pelvis. Then the coldness made sense, as well as his weakness and light-headedness. Was he really bleeding-out? ¡®Yes, please hurry,¡¯ Avi said from his side. He idly noted that she was kneeling next to him, her hands on her lap as she leaned over slightly to regard him. He noticed that her wavy hair had somehow managed to fall just-so to frame her face perfectly. The sapphire blue at the roots somehow gleamed in the darkness. Well, the blue, but also the amethyst that it faded to mid-length, as well as the ruby red the amethyst faded into at the ends. Each solid colour accounted for about one-fifth of her hair colour, while the other two-fifths were transitions between those colours. It was really quite stunning. ¡®Concentrate,¡¯ Avi chided him, though not as sternly as he thought she might have. Joram closed his eyes and¡­ felt around for [Natural Healing], not quite sure how to find it. Which, really, didn¡¯t make too much sense to him, as he¡¯d easily found [Entangling Ectoplasm], [Ectoplasmic Creation], and [Crystal Shard] while practicing with Avi earlier¡­. He grunted as he forced his thumb and index finger to pinch his side, bringing clarity with the pain. There, he thought, finding the archive left to him. Soon enough, he¡¯d pulled up the Power and was going over it when Avi spoke again. ¡®Hurry,¡¯ was all she said, but the urgency in her voice sobered him. He didn¡¯t have time to mess around trying to understand the Power as well as he wanted to before using it on himself. Sure, there were many allegories of people using things that they didn¡¯t understand, usually resulting in horrible consequences all around. That said, the consequence of him not using the Power was his death. That kind of put things into perspective for him. So, he began to concentrate like how Avi had taught him, but also how Altaea had taught him by ingraining the knowledge into his head with the Crystal Mind he¡¯d assimilated. But it was hard, harder than trying to dodge all of those wooden balls that Avi had thrown at him during his ¡°training¡±. His concentration kept slipping, his mind wandering. ¡®Concentrate, Joram,¡¯ he heard Avi say, but was thrown off by how eerily similar she¡¯d sounded to Alec Guinness there. Maybe that was the point? Try to encourage him in a way that she knew would distract him? But also, at the same time, ignite his geek side? Well, it worked. Something¡­ clicked in his head, and [Natural Healing] was suddenly there at the front of his mind, more solid than even [Crystal Shard] had been in his mind when he¡¯d manifested it during practice. Instinctively, he knew how to augment the Power, pushing in as many Power Points as possible before he felt himself grow weaker in a different sense. One that he also just knew meant that he was tapped out, PP-wise. It didn¡¯t matter though, so he released the Power and felt it rush through his body. But that wasn¡¯t quite right. No, it felt as though every part of him was affected by the Power at the same time. Every cell felt the effects, though the injured parts of his body seemed to get the lion¡¯s share of the healing. It was a very odd feeling, one probably heightened by his ability to manipulate his body at the cellular level. He could sense the Power stimulating the cells around the wounds, while at the same time it worked to stop his blood from leaking out of those same wounds. All that damage, and that nicked artery in his pelvis, the external iliac artery, closed up within a couple of seconds, not even showing so much as a blemish where the damage had been done. When he opened his eyes, slid his blood-soaked pants down a bit to have a look, he found that his senses hadn¡¯t lied to him. Under all that blood, not a sign could be seen, or felt, that he¡¯d been wounded. He checked his HP, and found it to be good.
HP: 28/28
Then he looked at his PP, and frowned.
PP: 4/38
It wasn¡¯t until he looked at the box under it that he realized that things were indeed different than the tabletop RPGs he¡¯d played in the past. Instead of needing to rest each night to replenish his PP, he¡¯d get¡­ wait. He¡¯d already gone over that. Joram shook his head, still feeling out of sorts. His mind still felt foggy, stuffed full of wool, as it were. His thoughts weren¡¯t as focussed as he was used to having them be. ¡®That¡¯s a combination of low Power Point pool as well as blood loss,¡¯ Avi piped in, startling him more than a bit. ¡°Ah, yeah, blood loss,¡± Joram said, looking down again at the disturbingly large pool of blood on the floor. One that he was currently sitting in. Seemingly reading his mind, Avi spoke again. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡®You can use [Cleanse] when you¡¯ve regenerated enough power to manifest it,¡¯ she said, also looking at the gore spattered on the door and wall beside her. Joram nodded at that, then a thought occurred to him. ¡°Wait, can¡¯t you help with that? You know, manifesting [Cleanse] for me?¡± ¡®No.¡¯ ¡°Why not?¡± he asked, a little irked. ¡®I can only help in emergency situations,¡¯ she replied. ¡®Besides, I still use your same power pool to manifest whatever Power I use.¡¯ ¡°But didn¡¯t you use [Telekinesis] while helping me train?¡± ¡®I did,¡¯ she said, nodding. ¡®Training to help you survive is considered an emergency situation.¡¯ Joram just stared at her for a bit more before sighing. He had no idea what she was really about, nor what her game was. For as much as he knew about Altaea, he knew nothing about Avi. Sure, he¡¯d ¡°known¡± that Altaea had made holocrons before in that galaxy far, far away. But a stand-alone VI, that he strongly suspected of being an AI, no matter her assertions, well, that was new. He watched as his PP ticked up over a few minutes, and when it was comfortably over two-thirds full, he searched his mind for [Cleanse]. It didn¡¯t feel like it took as long as it had for [Natural Healing], but then again, his mind had cleared up considerably as his PPs returned. So, he took a couple more minutes to get a feel for the Power. It was simply one of the most complicated things he¡¯d yet seen. But, at the same time, one of the simplest things. He shook his head, then continued to go over it, piece by piece, until he was comfortable with it. Without any fanfare, he manifested [Cleanse]. He then watched as the spattered blood, bone, and grey matter seemed to break apart into motes of light, each of those breaking down further until he couldn¡¯t see them anymore. After a couple of seconds, the hallway and wall were clear of not only the aforementioned gore, as well as what had been on him, but also the goblin bodies¡­ which threw him for a loop. ¡°That was unexpected,¡± he said, nodding to where the bodies had lain. ¡®Indeed,¡¯ Avi said, a slight frown on her face as she also seemed to be considering the matter at hand. Or, in this case, the missing matter. Joram shrugged, chalking it up to the weirdness of being on another planet, likely in another universe entirely, all governed by some sort of all-powerful, almost all-knowing System. System interference? System assistance? System chicanery? System shenanigans? System fu- ¡®They seem to have been mana-constructs of some sort,¡¯ Avi said, snapping him out of his tangent. ¡®Almost like an [Astral Construct], but once living beings.¡¯ That definitely caught his attention. He¡¯d read more than a few manga/manhwa/manhua/stories over the years that depicted ¡°monsters¡± as just amalgamations of mana that would break apart after their ¡°deaths¡±. So, either [Cleanse] was much more potent than he thought it was, or the System had helped him clean things up. Which, to him, didn¡¯t make any sense. He wasn¡¯t special, so the System helping him with stuff didn¡¯t jive with him. Joram looked back at the once gore covered door and sighed. He looked back to where Avi was standing beside that same door, then sighed again. He¡¯d been quite¡­ angry at the intrusion into his little mind-office earlier. He now realized that it had been to save his life, but just knowing that she could intrude there whenever she wanted¡­ irked him. Well, if he was being honest with himself, it downright angered him. So, instead of just sitting on that, letting it stew and fester away, he spoke. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°I know that you entered my¡­ mind office to warn me. But, could you only enter there when warning me of danger, or if I invite you to?¡± He asked, the usual butterflies swarming about his stomach as he ¡°confronted¡± someone. He idly wondered if he¡¯d ever get over that. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Avi said simply. Joram blinked at that, not quite sure he¡¯d expected that. Though, for sure, his nerves had been preparing for anything but that. ¡°OK. Thank you,¡± he finished lamely, then looked down at himself again in an effort to end the conversation by breaking eye contact. It seemed to work, as Avi didn¡¯t say anything else about the subject, leaving him to his thoughts. And to the realization that he¡¯d need new clothing. Then another thought occurred to him, so he searched for what he needed in his head, finding [Repair] shortly after. He grinned. Sure, it was the dumbed-down version of [Reconstruction], but he didn¡¯t need anything extreme, or fancy. Just to close some holes in his clothing. Once again, he took a few minutes to familiarize himself with the Power before manifesting it, concentrating on the damage to his clothing as he did. He was then treated to the sight of his clothes pulling themselves back together again. Then, as he watched, the threads re-knit themselves, all in the space of about two seconds or so. It was amazingly fast, and he suspected that he¡¯d never get tired of watching the process. Well, not for a very long time, anyway. ¡°Avi? Altaea mentioned that she¡¯d spent some time with¡­ the Prime version of myself,¡± he said, note quite sure he liked thinking that there was another version of himself out there, let alone one designated at Prime. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Does that mean that, like I would want to do, that he, or I, made new Powers that aren¡¯t in the books, as it were?¡± He asked, not quite able to formulate his thoughts the way he¡¯d have liked them, let alone express them. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Joram nearly sighed, but knew that given everything in what he¡¯d asked, it was ultimately a yes or no question. He left it at that, because he could just search the database himself. So, he did just that. Moments later, he found what he had been looking for: [Delve]. He smiled, knowing that that one Power would help him with so many other things, like the Creation Powers, as well as the Fabricate-type powers. If he was able to understand the molecular structure of an item, it would catapult his ability to Create things, as well as to just make things with available resources. Heck, if he eventually got good enough with [Delve], then he might eventually be able to get the resolution of [Delve] down to the atomic level. And when that happened, he might even be able to make the fictional alloy he¡¯d ¡°invented¡± back in grade 10. It was a silly thing, bordering on downright stupid, but he really couldn¡¯t help himself. He then wondered if the alloy would be anything like what he¡¯d intended, or it would truly be a dud. He shrugged, then proceeded to familiarize himself with [Delve]. Ten minutes later, he had a headache. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, his head pounding. ¡®I suspect that, even though you effectively have a master-level manifester¡¯s ability, you haven¡¯t gone through the mental training needed to process the information that [Delve] provides,¡¯ Avi posited from where she ¡°sat¡± at the table. Joram just nodded fractionally. Even that movement was uncomfortable, so he just held as still as possible as he looked at the broken patio door. Well, it was a full door, but still one of those doors that was fifty-percent glass. The whole centre of it had been one huge pane of glass, one that was now laying in shards on the floor. Then he mentally kicked himself for having gotten so distracted. Leaving the door as it was, wasn¡¯t an option. So, he got up, grit his teeth, and made his way to the storage hallway. Once there, he found a few spare doors, all of the solid, interior variety, then just about kicked himself again. He then went to his storage room, the one included in the apartment itself, opened a bit, retrieved his tape measure, then went back to the broken door. A few measurements later, he was back in the storage hallway, frowning. The only one that came close to fitting was about four centimetres too tall. Well, that would just take a few moments to fix, so he grabbed the door and headed back inside his apartment just as Avi spoke. ¡®You have another visitor,¡¯ she said, getting his attention. He briefly wondered if more goblins had made their way in, but stopped as he saw the new ¡°visitor¡±. It was easy, seeing as how they held a torch, which lit up the living room/kitchen area pretty well. And not a torch/flashlight, but an honest-to-goodness stick with a flaming top on it. As for his new visitor, he frowned. Then questioned his sanity. For, standing just eight or so metres away, was a person straight out of an anime convention. The young man looked like your stereotypical adventurer. Well-used leather armour, overlarge backpack, a belt full of pouches, along with straps and clips criss-crossing his body. Not only that, but he had a quiver of arrows on his right hip, a short-ish sword on his left hip, while his short bow was strapped to his backpack. Presumably in a way that allowed for easy retrieval, but he couldn¡¯t really see from where he was standing. But that wasn¡¯t why he was questioning reality. Though, to be fair to the fellow, Joram really shouldn¡¯t have questioned reality given that he was in an entirely different reality from the one that he¡¯d grown up in. No, it was the fact that the fiery red-headed youth had two distinct features that threw him off. The first, and most obvious given his angle, were the youth¡¯s ears. Large, furred, ears that came out from the side of the boy¡¯s head, pointing straight up. Large fox ears. The second feature only came into view every few seconds, as his tail was swishing back and forth slowly. A rather poofy tail at that. Both anatomical oddities were the same fiery red as his short yet shaggy hair, but both were tipped in pure white fur. Joram was stunned as he watched the young man slowly examine, with his eyes, his stuff laying on the table. Sure, Joram didn¡¯t think that there was anything particularly interesting there, but then he was once again reminded that he was in another world! Things like a printer, tablet, monitor, power bar, and a laptop, not to mention the stack of A4 paper beside the printer, would probably be seen as exotic, at the very least, to a resident of the world he now found himself in. Joram quickly contemplated a few things, not the least of which was if the young man would prove to be hostile or not, before shrugging and just going with it. ¡°Uh, hi,¡± Joram said, waving his free hand at the, youth who looked like he¡¯d just filled his pants when he heard Joram¡¯s voice. ¡°Can I get you something to drink?¡± Chapter 006 - Ambrosia Reldan just about shat himself when he heard a voice off to his right speaking to him. He swung his torch towards the voice, and was just able to make out a young human with, of all things, a door held in one hand¡­ arm. Whatever. He was also lazily waving at him. Reldan wasn¡¯t at all sure about the guy, especially given his weird clothing. He¡¯d been tracking a few goblins through the woods when he¡¯d come across this weird¡­ building. He hadn¡¯t seen anything like it before, with its odd exterior and huge, perfect, windows. The glass was clearer, and just plain perfect, than anything he¡¯d ever seen before. The glass back home was bubbly and somewhat cloudy. Well, the stuff used in peoples¡¯ homes anyway. Potion bottles tended to be much nicer, but still not as clear or smooth as the stuff in this place. But the tracks had led him to a broken door, so he¡¯d- cautiously!- followed them in. He¡¯d expected a fight, so he¡¯d gone in with both sword and torch at the ready. Given how small the building was, he¡¯d expected a fight right away, but only silence had greeted him. That, and the sound of crunching glass under his boots. After a few minutes of silence, he¡¯d concluded that the goblins weren¡¯t about, so he¡¯d sheathed his sword and started looking at the oddities around him. He¡¯d never before come across a place like this, filled with oddities he¡¯d never seen before. The large black table was very smooth. He suspected that a varnish of some sort had turned the wood that color given that he didn¡¯t know of any trees that produced a wood that dark. The wall on the left was painted a pumpkin orange, much to his surprise given that the rest of the place¡¯s walls were white. He shrugged, as that was the least of the oddities surrounding him. On the table were strange objects that he¡¯d never seen before, with various glowing lights. There was this rectangular-ish thing, an off white that was a bit grey, a bit cream, that had a small green light glowing on the far side. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it seemed to have some sort of opening that held what looked like very expensive parchment, possibly even paper, in it. Just as he was about to take a closer look, that voice had nearly caused him to crap himself. Now, he was looking at the rather large young human who stood a hand taller than him, trying to figure out if the guy would try to bash in his head with that very sturdy looking door. Sure, he had a pleasant-looking expression on his face and all that, but. He¡¯d met more than a few people who hid their intentions behind a smile, so he chose to not let his guard down. The other issue was that Reldan had absolutely no idea what language the guy was speaking. ¡°Uh, hi?¡± Reldan replied, not at all confident that the fellow would know what he was saying. And just as he suspected, the guy lifted an eyebrow, obviously confused. A moment later, he raised a hand, palm facing Reldan, then slowly leaned the door he was carrying against the wall in the hallway that he stood in. Given the practically universal gesture, he hadn¡¯t bothered drawing his sword, but he¡¯d still been ready to, just in case. The young human, as he looked about the same age as Reldan, though he was no expert in determining the age of humans, then pointed at the chairs tucked up against the table. Reldan thought he understood, so he used his free hand to quickly pull out the two black chairs, sliding one several feet over for the guy to sit in. The guy seemed to be happy with that as he placed a hand on the back of the chair and pulled it just a bit closer to him before sitting in it. Taking that as a non-hostile gesture, Reldan slowly sat in his chair, taking care to not let his backpack catch, nor to stub his tail. It was nice that the backs of the chairs were laddered, giving plenty of room for a tail. Though, he was pretty sure that the guy in front of him didn¡¯t have a tail. Maybe it was just a design that he liked? He had so many questions he wanted to ask. But given the language barrier, he had no idea how he was going to get the guy to answer them. And, given how the guy looked, he supposed that he¡¯d come to the same conclusion. Though, after a minute or so of very awkward silence, the guy looked like he had an idea. He got up slowly, obviously trying hard to avoid spooking Reldan, then made his way over to what appeared to be some sort of kitchen. Well, he said ¡°made his way over¡±, but really, he just stepped over a few feet behind where he¡¯d been sitting. The guy then opened a very expensive-looking cupboard and began retrieving a few, clinking, things. A moment later, Reldan was presented with dinnerware. The guy laid them all out on the table, each sitting beside the other, before pointing at one and saying something Reldan didn¡¯t understand. But he caught on when the guy pointed at the next item, a small bowl, and said something else. Nodding, Reldan played along. ¡°Plate,¡± he said, pointing at the ridiculously smooth and expensive-looking white plate. Not just ¡°white¡±, but snow-white. The guy then tried to repeat the word, making it sound rather odd in the process. So, to throw the guy a bone, he repeated the word again, taking his time enunciated the word as best he could. The guy then tried again and surprised Reldan with just how well he¡¯d copied him. A few seconds later, the guy sounded perfectly normal. The guy then pointed at the bowl, and the process continued until all of the dinnerware was identified, his words sounding normal. Now, as entertaining as all this was, Reldan was actually there to do a job. Roving goblins were a hazard for his village, and given that he was a [Scout] it was his job to either find dangers to the village and eliminate them, or to bring back information on said dangers so that someone else could deal with them. So, he held up his free hand to stop the guy from heading back to the kitchen with the dinnerware and spoke. ¡°I,¡± he said, pointing at himself, ¡°need ¨C to ¨C look ¨C for ¨C goblins,¡± he said, trying to pantomime his intent as he spoke. The guy just stared at him blankly for a moment before seeming to think of something else. He reached over and retrieved a few pieces of that expensive-looking paper that was cut to very exact measurements, then grabbed a weird-looking hexagonal¡­ crystal¡­ stick? The thing was about as long as Reldan¡¯s hand and crystal-clear. It had some sort of black core to hit, with a black cap on one end and a black tip on the other. Reldan¡¯s eyes widened when it turned out to be some sort of weird writing instrument. The guy started drawing, astonishing Reldan in the process. Not just because of how well he was doing, but at what the pictures depicted. It was also fascinating! He¡¯d never before seen such a way to tell a story! It was so effective, that the guy didn¡¯t need to use words, or writing he supposed, to get across the story. From what he saw, the goblins had kicked in his door/window and entered. A short fight had ensued, leaving the guy victorious and the goblins dead. The last picture showed the guy cleaning up, then getting the door to fix the broken front door when Reldan had entered. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, then shook his head, taking another look at the young man. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Again, he was a good hand taller than Reldan himself, but also much broader in the shoulders than he was, making him think that the guy must be at least five-stone heavier than him. That he¡¯d taken out three goblins with a small skinning knife was more than impressive, even with healing potions. He was about to say something when his stomach interrupted him, causing him to blush in embarrassment. He hadn¡¯t eaten since suppertime, and it was now well past midnight. Given his trek through the forest, it was no wonder that he was hungry again. Though, everyone did say that young men his age were constantly eating. Which, to be fair, he¡¯d found to be quite true. The guy looked at him, then nodded in understanding before getting up and retrieving a pot from under the big, dark grey metal-looking thing. A moment later, he was retrieving water from what looked like a miniature¡­ well pump? Reldan had no idea how that worked, given that the guy just moved the lever-thingy once and water started pouring out of the small tap. A moment later found the pot full of water and sitting on the grey/black¡­ oven? What really interested Reldan was that, after turning a knob, the top of the¡­ device, turned red. Well, the spot under the pot did, anyway. It didn¡¯t take long for the water to start boiling before the guy retrieved two small, blue and yellow¡­ boxes? Anyways, the tore the tops off the boxes, pulled out two white packets of something, then dumped the rest of the contents into the boiling water. He then opened a drawer, retrieved a wooden spoon, then began to stir with one hand while the other turned the knob again, then started touching the back part of the stove(?), making it make weird chirping noises. Reldan had no idea what was going on. Well, more how he was cooking. For the guy was obviously cooking something. But, how?! What was this magic that he¡¯d never seen before? How useful would it be to have that weird, magical, stove for the village? How fast would it be to cook things? Well, he assumed it would be fast if magic were involved. But that also raised another question. How much magic would it take to cook like that? Would a [Mage] need to attend the device to keep it going? Did it have its own magical reserve? His mind whirled with questions until he heard another weird chirping sound that broke him out of his thoughts. The guy took his stirring spoon, retrieved one of the small¡­ things, and popped it into his mouth before quickly chewing it, then nodding. He grabbed the pot, a metal and glass lid- where had he gotten all of that perfect glass from?!- and then drained the hot water into the sink, making him wonder where the water would go. Then he went over to the huge, white, free-standing cabinet-thingy and opened the large door. Given that his torch was starting to burn low at that point, Reldan¡¯s eyes were shocked when bright white light poured out of the white cabinet-thing. It wasn¡¯t so bright that he was blinded, especially because the door blocked most of the escaping light, but it still astonished him. Before he knew it, the guy had mixed a few things into the pot from that white thing, then closed it again. He then went to a small cupboard, retrieved a few small containers of some sort, then proceeded to sprinkle a few things into the pot from there. Herbs? After another good stir where Reldan finally noticed that the white packets of something had been opened at some point and were laying empty on the countertop, and the guy had poured some of the yellowish-orange stuff into two bowls, adding two metal- metal!- spoons to the bowls. He then came back to where they were sitting and placed the bowl on the table beside him before doing the same for his, beside where he was sitting that is. He then looked at Reldan¡¯s torch, frowned, then shook his head before reaching over to a weird¡­ thing on the table and touched its base. A soft light sprang into being, nearly causing Reldan to jump in surprise. What sort of magical place did this guy come from?! He asked himself, still shocked at the casual display of magical wealth. He could count on one hand the number of people in his village that owned a magic item. And they were nothing like what this guy had! He came out of his thoughts when he noticed the guy waving a hand in front of his face, then blushed again. How shameful was it that he¡¯d lost focus again while out on a scouting mission. The guys back home wouldn¡¯t let him hear the end of it if they found out. Anyways, the guy was pointing at his torch, and making some sort of motion, the pointing at the sink. Then he got it. Reldan shook his head, then spoke. ¡°[Snuff],¡± using the Skill to put out small fires, most commonly used to extinguish torches or small campfires quickly, and safely. No need to risk a forest fire after all. The guy looked incredibly interested in how he¡¯d extinguished the torch, but the smell from the bowl distracted Reldan from the guy¡¯s inquisitive stare. The smell also reminded his stomach that it had been ignored for far too long. The presence of small¡­ disks? Small pieces of what appeared to be incredibly fine sausage caught his attention. When had the guy added those? Then he remembered how distracted he¡¯d been by the magical devices and nearly blushed again. Hearing a clink, Reldan turned to see that the guy had retrieved his own bowl and had picked up his spoon, fully laden with the orangish stuff and meat. The guy looked amused that Reldan hadn¡¯t started yet, then opened his mouth and inserted the spoon, and food, into it. He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding to himself and taking another bite. Reldan¡¯s stomach chose that moment to loudly remind him that he hadn¡¯t as yet taken responsibility for ignoring it. So, he reached over and picked up the bowl, feeling how warm it still was. The smell, a bit familiar, a bit foreign, still managed to get his stomach to growl again and his mouth to water. Reldan took a small portion onto his spoon before bringing it up to his face to sniff again, but found that it still smelled oddly good. With a mental shrug, he popped the spoon into his mouth. After a moment of chewing the food, he decided that it was the most amazing thing that he¡¯d ever eaten! Moments later, the bowl was empty, his hungry gaze was fixed on the pot sitting on the counter. His¡­ host, he supposed the guy should be called, looked amused, but got up and retrieved the pot containing the Most Amazing Food and served him the rest of it. Reldan then felt guilty about that, his manners finally kicking in, but the guy just waved it off before sitting down again, resuming eating. This time, Reldan savoured the ambrosia, the Most Amazing Food. He thought he detected a cheesy flavour, but also detected a¡­ nutty flavour as well. Then there were the herbs his host had added that reminded him of dill and something else, an interesting addition. But the meat, so flavourful and tender, was what really got him. Combined, they made for the most amazing thing he¡¯d ever eaten before. But the small, tubular, things were also good. Amazing even. So¡­ new. He¡¯d never had anything like it before. Deliciousness on a level he¡¯d never dreamed of. His host seemed to think it was pretty good too, as he also made sure to eat everything in his bowl. He then noticed Reldan, specifically his mouth, and nodded. What? His host got up, went to the white thing again, then retrieved two green metal cylinders and came back. He then used a finger to lift some sort of metal tab on the top of the thing, causing it to crack-hiss, making him jump a bit in his chair. His host smiled again, then offered him the first one. Reldan took it, immediately noticing how cold the metal was, then realized that the white thing much be an ice-box of some sort. Obviously a magical version of one. Another crack-hiss brought his attention back to his host, who had lifted his metal canister up in an odd gesture. His host then encouraged him to do the same, then he tapped his metal cylinder to his before taking a drink and sighing in apparent pleasure. Reldan sniffed at his, then sneezed. He gave his amused host another look before bracing himself and taking a small sip. His mouth exploded. Not literally, but¡­ literally. The liquid was bubbly like ale, but¡­ sharper. It was also incredibly sweet! But it also burned like the hard spirits the adults would drink at the tavern. At the same time, its burning was different than strong spirits. And as he sat there, contemplating how weird it was, he noticed that his mouth seemed to somehow also fill with air. Not wanting to swallow that much air, he opened his mouth slightly in an attempt to let it out, causing a dribble of the stuff to leak out. Embarrassed, the quickly closed his mouth again and quickly swallowed. The burning occurred again, this time on the way down. It also¡­ tingled. He held the cough back long enough to not spray his host, but then continued coughing for a few seconds. He sat up again, realizing that he¡¯d been leaning over, and looked at his very amused host. Who was nodding at him encouragingly before taking another drink out of his own canister-thingy. Not wanting to be rude, especially after not only intruding his host¡¯s home, but also having been provided with that ambrosia, Reldan took another drink. He was prepared this time for what it felt like, so he didn¡¯t react how he had the first time. He quickly swallowed, fighting back the tears that came with it, but oddly found that both the taste and the sensation of drinking the stuff was growing on him. When he saw the expectant look on his host¡¯s face, he realized that he was waiting for feedback. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± he wheezed like a kid after taking his first shot of hard spirits. Chapter 007 - More Company ¡®He appears to like it, at least,¡¯ Avi piped in from the side. Joram nodded at that, still trying not to laugh at the foxkin¡¯s expression as he finished his second sip of ginger ale. The kid had really seemed to enjoy the mac¡¯n¡¯cheese with hot dogs, so that was a relief. He idly wondered if he could replicate the food in his cupboard and fridge. They were now a very limited commodity, after all. Not that he needed to eat anymore, given his new physiology. But given that he might get some guests from time-to-time, he supposed that it would be good to have more food on hand. Or, rather, having a steady supply of food. He quickly took mental stock of his food reserves and determined that he had a decent amount of food available, enough for him to eat for two months¡­. If he still needed to eat that is. And given that Altaea had somehow managed to keep his water running, and his electricity going, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that sort of thing in the future. Heck, he even had some food from the apartments around him. Which reminded him that he¡¯d have to somehow find a way to preserve the perishables until they were needed. Joram looked back at his ¡°guest¡± and nearly sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take to get a handle on the local language, but hoped that it wouldn¡¯t take too long. But wouldn¡¯t hold his breath. It didn¡¯t sound like anything he had heard before, so that would make it a challenge. ¡®Altaea did leave you with the Linguistics ¡°skill¡±, which should make things easier for you,¡¯ Avi said as she observed the foxkin as he took another sip of the ginger ale. Joram just about said something about her reading his mind, but chose not to. Given that ¡°she¡± was a part of him, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a bad thing to have her reading his mind. Though, that thought was uncomfortably close to schizophrenia, or perhaps dissociative identity disorder, or some such. Was this all some sort of dream? He¡¯d had very vivid dreams in the past where they played out like movies. Even injuries he¡¯d had in those dreams had been so real that he¡¯d still felt the pain of them upon waking. Had he somehow had a mental break and was now living in his own dream world? Was he in a hospital, attached to machines to keep him alive while he lay there in a coma? Joram shook his head to rid himself of those unpleasant and disturbing thoughts, then proceeded to placate his guest when it seemed that he¡¯d misunderstood Joram¡¯s head shake. ¡®This is going to be a pain,¡¯ he sent to Avi, thinking of just how much he¡¯d need to learn to even start communicating effectively with this guy, let alone anyone else. ¡®Again, you have the Linguistics skill left by Altaea which should help things along,¡¯ she sent, trying to reassure him. He got back to his guest, who was now pantomiming his need to go. Joram hoped that the guy wasn¡¯t involved with anyone dangerous, or that someone else would come by and make trouble. Even though the kid looked young, he very much looked like he knew how to use his weapons. How much trouble would he be in if someone older, and more experienced came by to make trouble? After yet another pantomiming session, the young man took off after bowing quickly to Joram. For his part, he just waved as the kid left, then frowned. ¡°I had been hoping that I¡¯d, I don¡¯t know, get a language pack after getting integrated with this System,¡± he said, then shook his head again. ¡®That would have been inordinately convenient,¡¯ Avi agreed while also pointing out how unlikely that was. Joram just nodded, then grabbed the broom. Several minutes later, he had the glass swept up and piled into an old deliver box that he hadn¡¯t quite gotten around to recycling yet. He put that into a corner before heading off to his storage room and retrieving the small bin that contained his various tools. Once back in the living room/kitchen area, he stepped over to the door and inspected the hinges. Given his limited collection of tools, he was glad that the pins were easy enough to remove. Another couple of minutes found the old door leaning against the opposite wall. He then brought the ¡°new¡± door over and lined it up, once again noting how it was a bit taller than the old one. Fortunately, the hinges seemed to line up well enough. Yay for mass-production! Well, the door was both a bit long on the top, as well as the bottom. So, he just took some quick measurements, a pencil, and marked it where it needed to be adjusted, drawing a line from one end to the other. ¡°So, do you think that [Modify Matter] will work for this?¡± he asked Avi. ¡®Yes, but maybe you should practice for a bit first?¡¯ Joram nodded to that, acknowledging the point. No need to break something by accident or something. As he sat down at the table to start experimenting with the box of glass, it occurred to him that the foxkin kid might not be from a friendly place. Sure, the kid had been friendly enough, but what if those in charge were less than friendly? What if they tended towards ¡°kill first, ask questions later¡±? Would he be able to do anything if they came with the intent of violence? Probably, but also probably not anywhere near enough to survive, or even escape. If what he¡¯d learned about Paths and Classes, then anyone above level five would likely be able to take him out. And after having identified the kid, ¡°Reldan¡±, he was sure that anyone who came would be well above level ten given that Reldan had been level seven. Joram sighed, then turned back to the box of glass in front of him. Much like anything else that had been broken, it took up more room than he¡¯d initially thought it would. It was a large box, one that had contained his microwave when he¡¯d bought it last year for his new place. Why had he kept it? Warranty, of course. Much easier to deal with if you had the original packaging, especially if they wanted the item shipped somewhere. Anyways. Given how long he¡¯d been with Reldan, his PPs were up to full, so he mentally pulled up [Modify Matter] and reviewed the Power. It was¡­ complicated. But also simple, in a way. So long as he had a grasp of a substance, like wood, or glass, then manipulating its structure wound up being relatively simple. For a definition of ¡°relative¡±, anyway. Without going into the nitty-gritty of it, it basically boiled down to manipulating molecular structures. If you knew what belonged where, and to what, then it got a bit easier to deal with. At the same time, he was thoroughly impressed by the knowledge that Altaea had given him. Or, rather, at the knowledge that had come from her world, her own kingdom. Queendom? Shrug. The didn¡¯t have all the names for things, but the knowledge of molecules was certainly there, as well as the knowledge of atoms. Sure, it was fuzzy at best, but so was Earth¡¯s knowledge of such things merely one hundred years ago. Then, given the fact that Altaea had also included [Delve], a Power created by his Prime Self. Well, he was sure that if Altaea hadn¡¯t gotten the memories from her other selves yet, that that Power alone would have shot her understanding of the fundamental principles of the universe through the proverbial roof. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. So, after having spent a good while going over [Modify Matter], Joram turned back to [Delve] and began trying to understand that one¡­ again. ¡­ Which turned out to be a literal headache. The Power was still rather¡­ much. He felt that he¡¯d gotten a bit further with it than the first time, but had still come out with a splitting migraine. ¡®Are you, perhaps, a bit masochistic?¡¯ Avi inquired; a perfect eyebrow raised in obvious curiosity. ¡°No,¡± he said, rubbing his temples until he remembered [Natural Healing] and, eventually, managed to manifest that Power to help ease the pain. It helped¡­ marginally. ¡®Maybe practice more with the mediation techniques first? That should help to give you a better foundation with which to work.¡¯ Joram grunted his response, not quite sure if it was agreement or not. Either way, he¡¯d still be working on the meditation techniques given how little he really knew about his new body.
Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - [Concentration]
Joram blinked at that, then smiled. He supposed that he¡¯d indeed been rather focussed over the past¡­ several hours? He looked over at the stove and found that it was already ¡°05:21¡±. Which meant that he¡¯d been¡­ at it for over six hours now. Well, his initial training with Avi, the attack, then Reldan¡¯s visit, and now his latest attempts. Though, curiously, he really didn¡¯t feel all that tired. Sure, his brain was complaining about the stress he was putting it under, and stress given the level five Power he was trying to ¡°learn¡± at such a ¡°low level¡±. He sighed. Sure, he was a cheat¡­ character? Character. He was a cheat character, given untold amounts of information just because ¡°he¡± knew someone. Or they knew him. Then that got him thinking about the many stories of Altaea that he¡¯d written over the years. Of how she¡¯d been banished from her home by Asmodeus, and had ¡°shattered¡± in the process. He was pretty sure that there had been a good fifteen versions of herself scattered across the multiverse. Each one eventually growing in power sufficiently that their memories started to bleed through to each other, and even their individual Realms started connecting until they started finding each other and¡­ merging. Becoming one again. Had the same thing truly happened to him? If so, he really hoped that Altaea found the over versions of him before they all died. He was under no illusions that he was anything but an average forty-year-old man. Sure, he was slightly larger of stature than most¡­ but that was it. He¡¯d never done sports, instead preferring the occasional casual game that came up. He¡¯d been no great intellect, though, numerically, he was well above average in intelligence. But he¡¯d also¡­ lacked ambition. He was just too laid back. Especially after¡­. Joram shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. He was, literally, a different man now. Even though he¡¯s suspected that he had more than a few psychological conditions, like ADD and OCD, he didn¡¯t quite feel the same as before. Before Altaea¡¯s arrival, that is. Sure, his brain was moving a mile a minute, as it were. But. It wasn¡¯t too hard to focus. OK, that was a lie. Given his new circumstances, though, he felt that he got a pass for not being able to concentrate on any one thing for very long. Heck, he was more than impressed with himself for keeping on task as long as he already had! He shook his head again, then decided to give [Delve] another shot. But this time, a bit slower. No trying to cram a whole book in at once. Introduction first. Then maybe the first chapter if that hadn¡¯t already done him in. *2 hours later* OK, maybe taking things slowly had its merits. Sure, he already knew all that, but having that fact shining in his face really helped to bring the point home. And no, he hadn¡¯t gotten through even a quarter of [Delve] yet, but he was more than happy with how much he¡¯d gotten through in his short time trying to ¡°learn¡± the Power. Possibly because it had been him that had created it, but he felt that it just¡­ flowed. Made sense? Clicked just right? He shrugged and looked to the box of glass in front of him, on the floor. [Modify Matter] was definitely the easier Power to learn. Sure, he wasn¡¯t a pro yet, but he felt, given his time with [Delve], that it made much more sense to him now. So, he pulled the box a bit closer with a foot, then pulled up [Modify Matter]. Instead of recreating a large pane of glass, he instead chose to create bricks. Just plain, simple, bricks. Not only would they be harder to accidentally break, but they¡¯d also be easier to stack and store away. Manifesting the Power, Joram¡¯s mind was pulled to the glass shards. Everything seemed to narrow to jus the glass as he began to feel the glass in a way that was hard to describe. But one that also allowed him to¡­ manipulate it. So, he just went with the flow, as it were. In this case, a bit literally. He watched with both his eyes and his¡­ perception, as the glass in the box began to flow together into one solid blob. Not wanting to have to deal with such a large brick, Joram nudged the blob and again watched as it subdivided into smaller blobs that resolved into bricks of glass. Then the Power ended, and his vision returned to ¡°normal¡±. He smiled then. At least that had gone right. Well, the few other Powers he¡¯d tried had also gone right, but his day certainly hadn¡¯t. He knew that he was a bit¡­ special when it came to unexpected things and situations. Instead of freaking out, he¡¯d almost always just looked at the situation and tried to figure it out. What was the best way to deal with it? How would he go about that? What other factors would tie into what just happened? How would he deal with those? So on, and so forth. His mind would come up with a myriad of scenarios and possibilities, then the ¡°fixes¡± for each one. Now? Now, he sat in his chair, looking down at the box of glass bricks and had absolutely no idea what he was going to do. This was so far out of his purview that decision paralysis hit hard. Little things, like fixing the door? Easy. Not only did he not want more uninvited guests, but he suspected that keeping out things like mosquitos- were there mosquitos here?!- would be important. But beyond that? No idea. Sure, his gamer¡¯s instincts were screaming hard at him to try to get every conceivable Skill he could before selecting a Path¡­ but. What would he do then? Would he just be a hermit in the woods? Someone that the local foxkin would stop by to visit from time to time? Or someone to avoid? That crazy person in the woods, as it were? Would more goblins show up? Break more windows? Or maybe something even worse? How would he deal with all that? Would he just wind up being a murder-hobo? Well, not ¡°hobo¡±. But that guy in the woods. The hermit who always seemed to be ¡°just fine¡±, even though everything else in the woods would happily murder you. But if he didn¡¯t wind up being the recluse in the woods, what would he do? Would he even fit into the foxkin village? Would he be a welcome member of the community? Or a barely-tolerated ¡°guest¡±? Even if they accepted him into their fold, as it were, what would he do? What skills, or Skills, did he have that could be remotely useful to them? If magic existed here, what use was anything he had in his little apartment¡­ cabin? Now that it was its own structure, maybe he should think of it was a¡­ small house? Anyways! Maybe he could help teach people? Math? What good would that do them? Massage therapy? Was their anatomy even similar enough for that to translate well? Cooking? Sure, Reldan seemed to enjoy the mac¡¯n¡¯cheese with hotdogs, but unless he got [Delve] under his belt, as it were, then he didn¡¯t think that he stood a chance of feeding another few people given his limited stock of food in the¡­ house. Which got him thinking of how he would manage to preserve his perishable food¡­. Possibly [Quintessence], but that was a fourth level Power, and might just be as complicated as [Delve] would be to learn. Collapsing a bit of time into a physical form didn¡¯t strike him as something easy to pull off¡­. ¡®The door?¡¯ Avi piped in from the side, pulling him out of his thoughts and back to where he needed to be. ¡°Right, yeah, on it,¡± he mumbled as he got up, stepped over to the replacement door, and frowned. He didn¡¯t know how easy it would be, but at least he was up to the challenge, as it were. Joram manifested [Modify Matter] and his mind was once again pulled to his focus, which happened to be the spare door this time around. From there, he got a ¡°feel¡± for the structure of the door, the metal plated wood, then got to work. Instead of just lopping off a bit of the door at the top and bottom, he separated the wood portion of those areas, leaving the metal behind. The wood fell, leaving the space he needed to fit the door into its new frame¡­ once he pulled the metal over that is. It overlapped on itself, leaving an OK seam¡­. So, he then took that metal and¡­ joined it together, creating a flawlessly smooth top and bottom for the door. Which, if he thought about it, would be good to keep out any moisture that might start to rot the door out from the inside, out. Once done with that, he nudged away the chunks of wood and picked up the door. After a slightly frustrating time of first lining up the hinges, then getting the pins in one-handed, the door was ready to go. As he observed his handiwork, he noticed that dawn had come, and then early morning as well. It appeared to be a nice day outside, full of insect noises and the sounds of nature in general. It also came with a few yellow eyes staring at him balefully. ¡°Well, crap on a cracker,¡± he said before slamming the door closed. Chapter 008 - A Core ¡°Why are there so many goblins around?¡± Joram asked, mostly rhetorically as he looked around for his katana, before remembering that he¡¯d left it in his bedroom. ¡®Maybe we arrived close to one of their¡­ settlements?¡¯ Avi posited for him with a shrug. Joram mostly ignored her as he flipped the deadbolt then ran to his bedroom. Once there, he quickly grabbed the katana, turned around, then ran back to the living room just as the pounding started. Then he heard glass shattering in his bedroom, and again in¡­ the second bedroom and cursed. He ignored the second bedroom as he ran by again, mostly because there was a bunkbed in front of the window and it would slow down whoever tried to climb through there. His bedroom, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have such a thing. In fact, his bed was also right under the window, which would actually make it easier on the invading goblins. Just as he rounded the corner, the first goblin made its way through the broken window, presumably cursing at the glass that had cut it on its way through the new opening. Joram didn¡¯t wait for it to get its bearings, or ready itself, he just dashed the two or so metres to the thing and slashed down at it, going from upper right down to his left. As the sword contacted the goblin, he briefly regretted not just thrusting before he bisected the goblin from left shoulder to right hip, causing blood to spray everywhere, and over everything. Thank all that is good and Holy for [Cleanse], he thought as the goblin behind the first one saw what happened and took off. So, he turned his head to listen for a second before dashing out of the room and lifting his sword just in time to thrust it into the goblin¡¯s chest that had just opened the door to the second bedroom. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a clean kill, and the goblin squealed like a stuck pig as it went down, dragging the katana from his hands due to it twisting as it dropped. Joram didn¡¯t bother trying to retrieve the, admittedly, overlarge sword, but instead drew his hunting knife as he began to concentrate on [Crystal Shard]. This time, he pushed as much Power into the Power as he felt was safe before releasing it at the other goblin that had managed to enter behind its squealing comrade. Unfortunately, the shard of crystal took the second goblin in the chest, making an even bigger mess than when Avi¡¯s had hit the one from last night. He grimaced, but once again reminded himself of [Cleanse] before turning in time to take a rusty knife to the gut. He wasn¡¯t sure if the hip wound or the gut wound hurt more, but he was very sure that the stabber this time wasn¡¯t able to register its surprise before Joram¡¯s knife found its way into the side of its head. This time, he managed to hold onto his hunting knife, jerking it out of the goblin¡¯s head as he stumbled back towards the hallway door of his apartment, giving him a decent view of his room on the left, the 2nd bedroom right in front of him, and the hallway leading to the living room to the right. ¡®You really need to stop getting stabbed like that,¡¯ Avis unhelpfully opined from behind the spasming goblin. Joram just grit his teeth as he concentrated on [Entangling Ectoplasm], holding the Power until the next goblin came into view. As much as a rusty knife to the gut hurt, he didn¡¯t want to take it out just yet, knowing that the real bleeding would start the moment he did. Comfort vs Practicality. A terrible choice. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to wait long before the next goblin came into view, this time from his room. He released the Power, smiling grimly as the goblin fell over, completely tangled in what looked like a silvery spiderwebs. He stumbled a bit over to the storage closet to his right, opened the door, and grabbed another one of the swords he¡¯d collected over the years. This time, it was a 19th century saber, the kind that American cavalry used to carry. He¡¯d long since¡­ altered it to have a much larger guard than it had come with, though. The original had been rather small. Refocussing back on the issue at hand, Joram quickly unsheathed the blade as another goblin came through the window of the second bedroom, babbling its guttural language at him. Joram just couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about the thing, though. Would it have mattered if he knew what the goblins were saying? Nope. In his opinion, any form of armed home invasion deserved an immediate death sentence for the invader. Those goblins had forfeited their lives as soon as they¡¯d entered his home in a hostile manner, and so he waited for the goblin to rush him. Perhaps it thought he was on his last legs, given the knife sticking out of his gut. But it was mistaken, and its surprise showed as Joram took half a step back before bringing the saber¡¯s tip up to catch the goblin in its gut. He didn¡¯t ponder on its expression of incredulity, then rage, before bringing up his foot to kick the goblin off his sword. It tried to bring its own knife up to do something, but apparently the pain of having been impaled, then having the sword jerked out of its gut, clouded its mind somewhat. It only managed to score a glancing slash on Joram¡¯s calf, barely even cutting his pantleg before going down, wailing all the while. He tried to listen for any other goblins, but the wailing of the two mortally wounded goblins made it hard to hear anything else. So, he stepped a bit to the side before manifesting [Crystal Shard] again, releasing it at the entangled goblin. He didn¡¯t want to have to deal with it after it either extracted itself from the ectoplasmic webs, or the Power¡¯s duration expired. Yet another mess that he¡¯d have to clean up. He was growing dizzy from the pain, so he really hoped that there weren¡¯t too many more goblins to deal with. He was seriously debating removing the knife and using [Natural Healing] when he heard a louder crash that came from the living room. That decided him. Joram took a deep breath, re-sheathed his own knife, mentally told Avi to heal him, then pulled the knife out of his gut. Now, in movies, doing that would cause a fountain of blood to follow. Not so in real life. Sure, some blood followed the knife out and splashed onto the wall at his side, but the blood just¡­ glugged out of him. The pain, though, was certainly accurate. He nearly screamed, but managed to keep his jaws clamped shut and only let out a grunt. Keeping his breathing steady, however, was much harder to do. But it was necessary to keep his breathing slow and steady. Otherwise, the heavy panting that he instinctually wanted to do would just push more blood out of him, much faster than it was already leaving him. Avi obliged, though, and the feeling of his gut mending itself nearly caused him to vomit as the nausea that came with the pain made itself known¡­ right as the first goblin came from the living room. Joram tried to bring the saber around to get a slash in, but the goblin was too quick. It dodged under the strike, got in close, then stabbed. He managed to twist just in time to get an elbow down onto the goblin¡¯s thrusting arm, knocking it down enough to take the knife in the thigh as opposed to the chest. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It was still unbelievably painful. Instead of jumping back, the goblin showed more intelligence that Joram was comfortable with by doing a shoulder tackle into his stomach. Pain once again lanced through him as his gut wound was aggravated, then again as he was pushed into the hallway door, causing even more damage as the weight of the goblin was multiplied by the sudden stop. That¡¯s when he lost his grip on both his sword and the goblin knife, but also when he snapped. Joram couldn¡¯t see the expression on the goblin¡¯s face when his arms wrapped around its torso, but it sure sounded surprised as its legs were lifted into the air. Panicking, the goblin let go of his waist and tried to grab for the knife, but Joram didn¡¯t give it the time of day. Fun fact: Joram had watched the old WWF growing up, with legendary people like Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and Macho-Man Randy Savage. Pile-drivers were a thing, even back then. Which the goblin quickly found out as its head connected with the tile-covered concrete floor at an awkward angle, resulting in probably the most disgusting crack-snapping sound that he¡¯d ever heard as the next goblin came around the corner. Its jaw dropped. Its eyes opened wide in both hatred and terror. How did he know that was terrified? The leaking piss from its loincloth was a good indication. However, that terrified goblin proved that it had at least a modicum of bravery. It raised its own knife-like weapon and charged. Having only the corpse of the goblin at hand, he quickly lifted it up and used it as a shield. The outrage and utter hate in the goblin¡¯s eyes as he used the corpse of its one-time compatriot was such that Joram knew that he would never have peace with these goblins. Especially if any of them escaped alive. This goblin, however, was smart enough to try and sidestep the improvised shield as it tugged at its buried knife. Unfortunately for it, Joram just dropped the body, dragging the knife from the goblins grasp. So, he took the opening as the Godsend that it was, and punched the goblin in the face as hard as he could. The goblin¡¯s head snapped back so hard that it nearly fell over. Joram stepped forward with the intent of following through, but his stabbed leg gave out. He knelt down hard on his left leg as the goblin¡¯s head came back down, jaw open wide to try and bite him. Nope!! Joram thought as he brought his left hand up to clamp around the goblin¡¯s throat as hard as he could. His right hand came up in a balled fist, taking the goblin in the groin, causing its eyes to cross. There¡¯s no such thing as a ¡°fair¡± fight when you¡¯re fighting for your life, Joram thought as he kept tightening his grip on the goblin¡¯s throat until he both felt and heard cartilage crack. Then its eye nearly popped out of their sockets as both its hands came up to claw at his hand. Given the state the goblin was in, Joram just let it go before it could do more than get a scratch in on his arm. He quickly scooted back as best he could with a hole in his leg and quickly grabbed his hunting knife from its sheath again. Avi must have surmised that he once again needed healing, because he once again felt he effects of [Natural Healing] coursing through him. For as glad as he was that he was no longer bleeding out, it would likely take him a very long time to get used to how it felt for his body to reknit itself. The two goblins that he¡¯d mortally wounded earlier¡­ less than a minute ago? Anyways, those goblin¡¯s cries had already grown weak enough to now be barely audible, for which he gave a silent prayer of thanks. Not just for the sake of his ears, but also because he could hear what was going on much better than before. That said, aside from the dying goblins, it was quiet. He looked around wearily, tallying the body count this time. ¡°Eight?¡± He asked Avi as she stood beside him. She just nodded, looking around at the carnage he¡¯d wrought. ¡®You know?¡¯ Avi started, then shook her head. ¡®From what Altaea left with me, the Prime version of you had gone on a gestalt path of Shaper and Monk. I can see why,¡¯ she said, shaking her head again. ¡°What? Why?¡± He asked, a bit dizzy now from both the loss of blood and adrenaline shakes. ¡®You¡¯re talented,¡¯ she said, then simply motioned to the corpses that surrounded him. Joram coughed out a laugh, then shook his head. ¡°What? Lean kung-fu?¡± He asked, visions of probably the most quoted Neo line running through his head. ¡®Something like that,¡¯ Avi replied with a smirk that was definitely not very VI-like. ¡®Maybe you should consider training like your Prime version did.¡¯ Joram just looked at Avi. He wondered just how much she knew, how much she was withholding, and just how sapient she was. Then he shrugged again, realizing that that line of questioning wouldn¡¯t get him anywhere. Instead, he chose to humour her. ¡°How long did it take to get him all trained up?¡± He asked, genuinely curious. ¡®He trained with Altaea for about three years,¡¯ she replied, nearly knocking him over in the process. ¡°Th-ree years¡­?¡± He asked, nearly choking on the words. ¡®Yes, it was very thorough training after all.¡¯ After the shock wore off, he managed to nod. Sure, he could see that. Training in the monastic traditions of Altaea¡¯s homeworld normally took decades. That Altaea had trained his Prime version meant that things had gone much faster than normal. She was, after all, a goddess. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ll have that kind of time before more things show up to kill me,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I suspect that more and more of these goblins will show up until they finally overwhelm me with numbers.¡± ¡®That¡¯s certainly a possibility,¡¯ Avi said, acknowledging the point. ¡®However, if you can become proficient with [Astral Construct], then I¡¯m sure that things will become much easier for you. And certainly less¡­ stab-y.¡¯ Joram shot her a look, trying to figure out if that was meant to be a joke, or what. After a few moments of Avi giving him her standard bland look, he gave up. ¡°Well, that¡¯ll be one way to deal with them,¡± he said, knowing full well that having some astral constructs around would indeed help with security¡­ and not getting stabbed so easily. After another couple of minutes of laying there, and another dose of [Natural Healing], Joram finally got up again. He looked around once more and couldn¡¯t help but frown at the charnel house that had once been his apartment. It wasn¡¯t just the corpses, though that certainly added to it, nor the actual gore spattered about. No, it was the thick stench of blood that got to him. He¡¯d always had keen senses, be it sight, taste, smell, hearing, touch, and proprioception. Anyways, he was what was called a ¡°super taster¡±, someone who hated things like cilantro because they tasted like soap. But part of that was his increased sense of smell, and the smell of blood had always nauseated him. It wasn¡¯t that the image of blood or gore particularly bothered him. He could walk through a slaughterhouse and not bat an eyelash at what he saw. The smell, however, would nearly do him in. So, he augmented [Cleanse] as much as he could, then released the Power, specifically targeting ¡°dead¡± organic matter. Mainly because he didn¡¯t want any of the broken furniture or windows to vanish on him before he could get to repairing things. No sense in losing materials, after all. He watched as the blood, gore, viscera, and bodies quickly disintegrated into increasingly diminutive motes of light until everything was once again ¡°clean¡±. The damages, however, were another story. He frowned as he looked at the bunkbed in the second bedroom, the blinds, the broken screen, as well as the broken window. It would take a while to fix everything in there. But, it was his first priority, even higher than fixing the patio door¡­. The front door now? Shrug. Then he looked down when a glint of light caught his eye. Near his foot, right where the second-to-last goblin had lain, was a small crystal of some sort. It was trigonal in shape, capped by three-sided pyramids on each end. He picked it up to get a closer look at it, and frowned a bit. The crystal was more or less clear, but was slightly cloudy, reminding him a bit of smoky quartz¡­ if a smoky quartz only had three sides, that is. It was also about two centimetres long, but only about half a centimetre wide. Quite frankly, it was tiny. But it also¡­ tingled to the touch. He looked over to Avi and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged, seemingly oblivious to its nature. If he was right, and what he¡¯d read many times in various fantasy-based media, it was likely a monster core or something like that. Just another thing to worry about now. He shrugged, slid it into his pocket, then turned back to the tasks at hand. The first thing that he fixed was the broken bunkbed. He found a certain¡­ pleasure in watching the planks come back together again, the various splinters all flowing back into place before mending as though nothing had happened. The tears in the bedding and mattresses came next, though about a minute later. He wanted to pace himself in case more goblins showed up, once again trying to murder him in his home. After staring at the windows for a few minutes, Avi spoke. ¡®Why don¡¯t you try to familiarize yourself with [Matter Manipulation]? It will likely both save you time and effort when dealing with the aftermath of future attacks,¡¯ she said, gesturing to the things he¡¯d just fixed. Chapter 009 - Thoughts on survival ¡°[Matter Manipulation], huh?¡± Joram mused, seriously considering it. Given the historical fact that windows, in pretty much any form, were a major security issue, he¡¯d definitely need to find a way to shore up that weakness in his home if he wanted to continue living there. The problem was that he didn¡¯t¡¯ want to just cover the windows up with bricks or something. Sure, he was practically a recluse and stayed home instead of going out most of the time. But. He still liked, and needed, sunlight. So, he searched the psionic database in his head and quickly found [Matter Manipulation] and sighed. Even though [Delve] was a 6th level Power, it was just as complex as the 8th level [Matter Manipulation]. Now, the 6th level Power was complicated because it helped him to ¡°see¡± the molecular, and even atomic, structures of an item, or ¡°just¡± to get the layout of a larger structure like a building, or a cave system or such. The 8th level Power was designed to basically¡­ strengthen an item. Looking at the Power, he was pretty sure it did that by reinforcing the atomic bonds of an item. Which he put on par, complication-wise, with the complexity of [Delve]. It was going to be a headache. One that he suspected would last for days, if not weeks. He maybe had hours do deal with the issue at hand. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but for later, I think,¡± Joram eventually said, shaking his head. ¡°Though, I think I have a solution for the time being,¡± he said, recalling, of all things, his elementary school¡¯s solution to idiots. He made his way to the hallway storage room and began looking around. It didn¡¯t take him long to find several ingots of metal stacked up neatly on the bottom shelf that Altaea had built into the concrete wall. He looked at three separate stacks and smiled. She¡¯d even added stamped-in labels to each ingot, telling him what each one was. ¡°¡¯Soft iron found inside the concrete¡¯, huh?¡± he read out loud, amused. That would be rebar, now turned into brick-like ingots. He turned to the next one, simply stamped with ¡°Steel, medium quality¡±. The third one was, to his eyes, obviously copper, confirmed by its stamp. Of the three metals, the rebar ingots accounted for the majority of the metal. Next was the steel, followed by the much smaller ingots of copper. Aside from that, there were vials with much smaller quantities of various atomic chemicals. He was pleasantly surprised that Altaea had gone through the effort to separate all of those samples, package, then label them. Though, given her level of¡­ meticulousness when doing things, he supposed that he shouldn¡¯t have expected anything else. A few minutes later, Joram was outside, katana tied to his belt, and saber strapped to his back. Also, the whole supply of steel could be seen laying on the ground, though in several piles. The first pile, one of two equally sized stacks, was outside of his bedroom window. Avi watched from the side while also keeping an eye out for any movement in the moderately dense forest they found themselves in. It was quite a sight, though. The trees were wide and tall, the narrowest one still over a metre wide. The underbrush was relatively sparse given the limited sunlight that made its way through the canopy a good forty metres above their heads. The trees, which looked somewhat like sequoias, but with a trunk that almost looked black, were intermittently placed, much as you¡¯d expect in a wild forest. Most trees were a good ten metres from each other, while some were at least double that. Given the placement of his once-upon-a-time apartment, he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d lucked out, or if the System had done something. The now bungalow stood in one of the only ¡°clearings¡± that he could see. And he used that term rather loosely, as any clearing he¡¯d managed to spot was basically just a slightly wider spacing between trees that allowed some larger fern-like plants to grow. Getting back to the task at hand, Joram looked at the window, then at the exterior of the ¡°house¡±. The frame, and window, were inset by about eight or so centimetres, giving him another idea. Which was this: a metal grate. They¡¯d had them on the basement and first-floor windows in his elementary school. People were jerks, and installing those grates/metal meshes had ultimately saved the school system a lot of money over the years. Now, they¡¯d just bolted them to the outside of the building, it being made of actual quarried stone. Now, given that Earth was about as mundane as you could imagine it, with no magic or anything like that, simply bolting the window protections to the building had been more than enough. But, going by how quickly and easily those goblins had kicked his door in, well, he figured that that wouldn¡¯t quite work as well in this world. So, he was contemplating adding the metal grated into the brickwork from inside the window frame/well/whatever-it-was-called. Sure, it might not save the actual window if the goblins wailed on the grate hard enough to bend it inwards, but it would 1) stop them from just being able to pull it off the outside of the building, and 2) at least slow them down long enough for Joram to do something about them. The other problem that Joram thought might be an issue was the grade of steel that he had. He was by no means a metallurgist of any kind. Nor did he know too much about the various grades of steel. He also didn¡¯t know what ¡°medium quality¡± meant in terms of tensile strength, how ductile it was, and all of that. Would this steel flex slightly, or just shatter when pounded on hard enough? So, he¡¯d also brought a few ingots of the reshaped rebar. He knew for a fact that rebar was also steel, but it was also nowhere near as ¡°hard¡± as the ¡°medium grade¡± steel. But there was a reason why rebar was used in construction; it was tough stuff. ¡®You should probably start soon,¡¯ Avi said, startling him out of his musings. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand as he once again looked down at the ingots of metal laying on the grass and moss-covered ground. ¡®What¡¯s the issue?¡¯ she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure if this is the right steel for the job, is all,¡± he said, admitting his lack of knowledge. ¡®Then just review the archive that Altaea left you,¡¯ she said, giving him a blank look. Joram stared at her, mouth open, for a good minute before his jaw snapped closed. ¡°You mean, it wasn¡¯t just all things psionic that she left me?¡± he asked slowly, in contrast to his suddenly pounding heart. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Once again, Joram waited for her to expound on that statement, but she did not. ¡°I need to go sit,¡± he said, shaking his head as it began to throb. He started to head back to the now front door and stopped, looking down at the ingot laying on the forest floor. ¡°Man, I wish I had that storage space already,¡± he said, referring to the way Altaea had been able to store items away in her ¡°stuff space¡±, a small¡­ dimension that she could mentally access whenever she wanted. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Then he just about crapped himself when a blue screen popped up in front of his face. Joram took a minute to bring his heartrate back down, and to surreptitiously check his pants, before taking a proper look at the blue screen. It was an inventory screen, complete with a bog-standard grid that he supposed would populate with anything he ¡°stored¡± in there. Then he noticed the top of the screen and groaned. There, right in plain sight, were tabs. The first one, on the far left, was marked ¡°Character¡±, the next ¡°Feats¡±, then ¡°Skills¡±, then ¡°Titles¡±, and finally ¡°Inventory¡±. That he hadn¡¯t gotten past his Skills before wasn¡¯t terribly surprising, given that he¡¯d mostly just focussed on his Path/Class options. That he hadn¡¯t even noticed the Inventory tab embarrassed and frustrated him to no end. It took another few minutes for him to calm down enough to really have a good look at the Inventory screen. Again, it had the standard box/grid that you¡¯d see in a lot of video games. There was also a currency counter at the bottom of the page, which led him to believe that there might be some sort of universal currency on this world. Which, really, was a bonus. Who wanted to deal with currency converters/banks? They always gouged you. Upon further inspection, he found that he had thirty ¡°slots¡± that he could load up. He wasn¡¯t sure if that would be a static number like a lot of games had, or if it would increase as he levelled, or increase by gaining an achievement or something. Heck, given just how game-like the System was, he wondered- not without much trepidation- if it was a ¡°pay to win¡± type System¡­. He really-really- hoped that that wasn¡¯t the case. Given just how imbalanced those P2W-type games were, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there was a very, very, strict hierarchy that formed because of it. A ruling class that kept a very tight reign on their subjects. Because if you could get more powerful by simply throwing money at the System, then keeping your subjects objectively poor was a no-brainer for any would-be ruler that came along. Joram shuddered at the thought, then got back to inspecting the page/screen. There was another section for ¡°Cores¡±, which reminded him of the trigonal crystal in his pocket. He quickly retrieved it, then wondered just how he stored things into his inventory. When it vanished from his hand, he blinked. ¡°That easy, huh?¡± he chuckled, realizing that the inventory was likely thought-activated. Which, really, was kind of awesome. To make sure that he wasn¡¯t just making a stupid assumption, he tapped one of the ingots with his toe while thinking about storing it into his inventory. Sure enough, it vanished. He looked back to the inventory screen as saw the equivalent of a pixel art representation of the steel ingot in the first box in his inventory. He then looked at the ¡°Cores¡± section and smiled to see it there, listed as a ¡°Rank E¡± Core. Huh. Joram shook his head, clearing out the tangential thoughts that started to multiply, and quickly stored away all of the other ingots before heading back inside. Avi watched all this, her head tilted slightly to the side and he could practically feel the questions that she wanted to ask him, but for some reason hadn¡¯t. He then realized, as he plopped down into his comfy armchair, that he did actually feel¡­ something, when he looked at Avi. When he concentrated on that feeling, he was surprised to get something¡­ clearer, from her. Intense curiosity, if he was reading that right. Which, truthfully, he had not idea if he was. But if felt like that to him, so he went with that. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. ¡®I know that Altaea hadn¡¯t activated the demiplane function for you yet, but you still managed to store those ingots, and that crystal, away. How did you do that?¡¯ she asked, curiosity and concern warring in her tone. ¡°It seems that this System provides an inventory for anyone who¡¯s¡­ integrated with it,¡± he said, not quite sure about his wording. It was all still so new to him, after all. ¡®Ah, that is indeed convenient¡­ and a bit worrying,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. Again, Joram waited for her to say more about that concerning last bit she¡¯d thrown out there, but it was in vain. ¡°Why would that be worrying?¡± ¡®Well, one would assume that this System is there to make sure that people have the strength to survive,¡¯ she began, getting a nod from Joram at that. ¡®Given how it empowers people, one would think that that would be enough. But needing to carry what you need with you, and even more than what you might need, in, say, an emergency situation, one wonders if facilitating that need with an extradimensional storage space was done in an effort to increase the survivability of the general population of this planet.¡¯ Joram leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off another headache. It made sense to make sure that your¡­ characters, would be able to survive. To take with them what they needed, without it slowing them down. Was the System a benevolent one, or just a practical one? Or was he really just living in a video game? Joram shook his head, not wanting to consider living in an actual virtual world, one governed by arbitrary video game logic and ¡°balance¡± and all that crap. But given that a System existed, he was sure that there were many features that he didn¡¯t know about, could probably never guess at, and had indeed been ¡°balanced¡± already. For instance, the goblins. Had he not had the ability to heal himself, he would have already died during that first attack. Bleeding out was a very real possibility here, no matter how many ¡°Hit Points¡± one had, it seemed. He didn¡¯t know what purpose that damn number served, but watching your ¡°health¡± steadily tick down after having been stabbed wasn¡¯t fun. Did it just give you a sort of timer? Or did it maybe give you a bit longer to live after having taken a mortal wound? Getting an artery severed usually resulted in a person dying within a few minutes, tops, if nothing was done to stem the flow of blood. He had no idea how long he¡¯d been ¡°out¡± after getting stabbed in the hip, so he really couldn¡¯t say¡­. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°How long was I unconscious that first time? You know, when I got stabbed in the hip and you had to wake me up.¡± ¡®You were out for four minutes, twenty-six seconds,¡¯ she replied simply. Joram shook his head at that, reasonably sure that he should have been dead at that point. Which meant that his hypothesis might have something to stand on. Before he could go further down that rabbit hole, Avi spoke again. ¡®Metallurgy?¡¯ she prompted, bringing him, once again, back to reality. He nodded, tucked away the thoughts about health and such for later, and pulled up the information on metallurgy to review. There¡­ was a lot. Not only were there listings for every known metal, but also listings for every alloy that Altaea had ever come across and learned about. With how detailed some of the stuff was, he was certain that not only had she started sharing the memories with her other selves, but she had also used [Delve] on most of the things listed. This¡­ was going to take a very, very, long time to just go through. Not to learn, but to just skim through to find a steel alloy that would be up to the task of keeping out the local wildlife. ¡°Avi? Are you able to, I don¡¯t know, help me sort through all of this?¡± he asked, overwhelmed by everything. ¡®Forsooth, that is quite possible,¡¯ she replied, a sardonic grin on her face. Joram just stared at her, blank faced, wondering if she¡¯d spontaneously start to sprout white fur. It took a while, but he eventually found a good candidate. Well, he¡¯d found dozens, but didn¡¯t have the resources to use any of the others. As it was, he was reasonably sure that the alloy they¡¯d found would do well enough¡­ for a few attacks. Hopefully, and that was riding on a lot of faith that he¡¯d survive, he¡¯d be able to later upgrade the steel to something a bit more durable. Something that would last. After that, installing the grates/coverings/steel mesh-screen-thingies went reasonably well. Instead of wasting power points, and then needing to wait to regenerate said PP, he just used a hand drill to drill out the spots where the grate would need to be anchored into the brickwork. Knowing that his bit wasn¡¯t as long as he¡¯d like, and thus wouldn¡¯t provide as much strength as anchoring points as he¡¯d like, he drilled about three times as many holes as he thought he¡¯d need. And given the fact that he would be mentally shaping the metal, he didn¡¯t have to worry about exact measurements, or needing to spotweld additional anchoring points to the covering. He was getting more and more on board with being a [Shaper], or [Metacreationist] as it was technically called. The ability to shape the world around you just¡­ called to him. Sure, he had access to every other Power and ability known to Psionics. But being a [Shaper] just felt right. Yes, the discipline of [Psychoportation] was also pretty awesome since it not only worked with spatial abilities, but also abilities related to time. Well, there were a few abilities that [Shaper]s had that dealt with space and dimensions, so there was that. Also, there were a few general Powers that also dealt with time stuff. Aaaaand he had access to it all anyway, so there was that. It would just be a literal pain to lean ¡°cross-discipline¡± stuff, if Avi was right about that. Either way, he would have plenty of time to learn everything, barring unfortunate incidents, that is. Joram reached out and knocked on the tree that was growing just a metre away from his bedroom window. No need to jynx things. Once the drilling was done, the shaping began. Again, it was much harder than he thought it would be. And he was, once again, reminded that this was real life, not a game. Things took incredible amount of effort to accomplish. Like, not dying. Once he was done, Joram smiled as the fruits of his labours. For about five seconds. Then his smile started to fade. Then turn into a bit of a frown. It was kind of ugly. Chapter 010 - Inventory Questions Have you ever tried to make something out of play dough? Have you ever watched a child try to make something out of play dough, trying their hardest to copy something? That¡¯s how Joram felt, looking at the ¡°grates¡± over his windows. Instead of seeing a mesh-like window covering with diamond-shaped openings¡­ he saw what looked like spaghetti noodles tangled up in- if he squinted just right- a grid-like¡­ way. He refused to look over at Avi, though. Mostly because he could practically feel the amusement rolling off the ¡°VI¡±. Instead, he reached out a hand, gripped the monstrosity of a grate, and gave it a few experimental tugs. At least it hadn¡¯t fallen on his head. In fact, the ¡°grate¡± seemed to be surprisingly sturdy. He smiled, then looked at the other windows and sighed. He still had those to do, but with the hit to his ego that this grate had managed inflict, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was up to finishing today. In fact, he was now very seriously contemplating using the extra masonry that Altaea had left for him to just seal up the other windows. No fuss. No embarrassing messes that he knew that he would have to clean up later. He looked back at the grate again and sighed. He was going to have to do a lot of practice to get anywhere near proficient at this. Joram just shook his head again before heading back inside and closing the door behind him as he went. Once in the back hallway/storage room, he went over to the stack of cinderblocks that Altaea had probably salvaged from the surrounding apartments. Looking down at them, he wondered how many he could store in his inventory. The two types of ingots that he¡¯d stored each took up their own slot. But after storing away the rest of each type, he had been glad to see that the stack size was at least higher than ten. He quickly counted the cinderblocks- 96- and wondered if it would be like Minecraft where the largest stack was sixty-four. Joram shrugged, then began storing them away, one-by-one. After twenty-three, he got bored. I wonder if I can do more than one at a time? He mused, then gave it a shot. So, he concentrated on the entire stack before placing his hand on the topmost block and willed them into his storage. One disappeared. He sighed. Maybe he just wasn¡¯t proficient enough? Perhaps there was indeed a limit? Maybe if they¡¯d all been strapped together on a pallet or something, that would have worked? Whatever the reason, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he could only store things individually, no matter if they were all the same type of object. Then another thought occurred to him, and he began trying to store the blocks away as fast as he could. Which worked. Sure, it took a bit more ¡°out of him¡± than doing it at a leisurely pace, but it was also kind¡¯a fun¡­. When the entire pile was gone, he checked his inventory and smiled. At the very least, he was happy that the weird 64 item limit per ¡°stack¡± didn¡¯t apply here. All 96 blocks were in the same slot. Now, he really hoped that the item limit wasn¡¯t something stupid like 99. He hated games that did that, as trying to make sure you had enough of things for crafting always meant that you¡¯d have to make a final, smaller, stack to get that nice, round number. Looking around, he didn¡¯t manage to find anything else that he could test the limit with, so he filed that away for later. Instead, another thought occurred to him. ¡°Would a box of mixed items count for one slot? Or, would it even be able to be stored away¡­?¡± he mused out loud, much to Avi¡¯s amusement given the slight smirk on her face. ¡®Why don¡¯t you try?¡¯ She said, egging him on. Joram just gave her a flat look, now more than ever convinced that she wasn¡¯t just some VI. There was just too much¡­ sass involved. He shrugged, then went into his other storage closet and retrieved a box. A minute later, he¡¯d filled it with random junk and was staring down at it in his hands. ¡°Here goes nothing,¡± he said, then willed the box into his inventory. Nothing happened. He sighed. ¡®Maybe try closing-up the top? Maybe do that folding technique to keep the flaps closed? Or maybe tape it shut?¡¯ Avi added helpfully. Joram nodded, then first tried the flap folding technique. He then willed in to go into his inventory, and smiled when, for some reason, it worked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know,¡± he said, smiling through his misgivings with the System. Why closing the bloody box made a difference was completely beyond him. ¡®Yes, I think that it will help when dealing with storage issues. Like during a dungeon delve, or some such,¡¯ she added after a moment of thought. The idea of actual dungeons threw him for a loop though. Would it be something like a standard D&D dungeon, which usually only consisted of ruins, caves, or some such that you had to navigate through, avoiding traps, and (usually) exterminating its residents/occupants? Or would it be more video game¡¯ish? Like, one where only so many people could enter? Or, ones where it allowed more than one group, but only as separate instances? Would there be some sort of recharge time on it? A limited number of times you could go through before it ¡°emptied¡±? Or would they be a ¡°one-and-done¡± type? Like, to clear the dungeon, you must find the dungeon core and destroy it! Or would it be one where you just defeated a final boss and that was it? ¡°Do you think there¡¯ll be actual dungeons on this planet?¡± he asked, not sure if he loved or hated that idea. ¡®Well, be they the video game style dungeons that you¡¯re used to seeing, ones like in some popular media, or just plain ruins infested with ¡°monsters¡±, I¡¯m sure there will be,¡¯ she said, nodding to herself at the end. Joram shook his head, not quite sure about Avi. She¡¯d entirely hedged her bets with that statement. Given that goblins were already attacking him, it was a no-brainer that they¡¯d probably occupy any ruins that they found. Now, the other two options were much different, and also hadn¡¯t existed in Altaea¡¯s homeworld, so he was pretty sure that Avi didn¡¯t think those other two options were likely¡­ or possible. But, hey. System. So, anything could be possible. Shaking his head, Joram got back to the storage issue. He was reasonably sure that he could pack everything in his apartment away into bins, thus ensuring that stuff wouldn¡¯t either be stolen or broken should another goblin invasion occur. It was just that the larger items like appliances, beds, and bookshelves were a bit harder to plan for. ¡°Hey,¡± Joram said, a thought occurring to him that made him smile. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be able to make a portable hole or a bag of holding? You know, to store away the larger stuff?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Avi gave him a blank look that told him everything before she spoke. ¡®Of course, you can. Well, ¡°can¡±, as in: you will have the ability to do so in the future,¡¯ she said, shaking her head slightly. ¡®For now, no. You need to study much more if you wish to make dimensional or spatial storage items.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, then another thought occurred to him. ¡°Wait. Didn¡¯t Altaea say that she made me ¡®like her¡¯?¡± he asked, suddenly very focussed. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Instead of doing the waiting game, giving her a Look, or sassing her, he just continued. ¡°Does that mean that I have a storage¡­ place like she does?¡± ¡®No.¡¯ ¡°Please explain in detail,¡± he asked, putting forth his best customer service persona that he could. ¡®I would say that you¡¯re more of a¡­ an embryonic version of Altaea,¡¯ she said, looking thoughtful. ¡®Before you can become ¡°like her¡±, you¡¯ll first have to train up your psionic abilities. Once you¡¯ve reached a certain threshold, I¡¯ll instruct you further in what you¡¯ll need to know before you can progress, or develop, further.¡¯ Joram just about ground his teeth in frustration. But fun fact: when his jaw was completely closed, his teeth locked together so well that there was no room to grind his teeth. Which didn¡¯t make him feel better. But then he started thinking about Altaea and her journey to becoming¡­ her. That was a very broad way of describing her, and not at all descriptive, unless you knew her and her background. That said, he was sure that he was at least part of the way along her journey, as he was already and Elan. Heck, he was already a High Elan, the next step that Altaea had taken to perfecting herself and the people she¡¯d come from¡­. Had been changed by? It was a long story. All that taken into consideration, and he was reasonably sure that he was doing pretty damn good. That he could already ¡°assimilate¡± magical or psionic items and integrate them into¡­ his being, was already a huge step. That he would be able to, say, assimilate a¡­. Wait! If he assimilated a bag of holding or a portable hole, would that increase his Inventory capacity? So, he asked Avi. ¡®I have absolutely no idea,¡¯ she replied, both to his great disappointment and unsurprise. Expectation? Shrug. He didn¡¯t let that bother him, though. It had been an almost impossibly slim chance that she would have known. He still shook his head, though, before heading off to the front of the apartment again and went outside after having a good, long, look through the window for any other visitors. Once he was standing outside his second bedroom window, he quickly retrieved twenty cinderblocks¡­ and frowned. They were much too large, well, wide, to properly fit into the window well. He¡¯d have to use [Modify Matter] on them as well. With a sigh, he got to work. It didn¡¯t take him very long to first split, then smooth out the interior side of each of the cinderblocks, now just¡­ cinderbricks? He shrugged, then got to stacking them up so they¡¯d fit as best he could get them to. Which wasn¡¯t all that well, if he was being honest. There was a rather large gap between the bricks and the side of the window. Then, at the top, another gap that was about nine centimetres. He sighed again, this time dreading modifying the bricks further. They¡¯d turned out all right, but he had definitely placed the bricks so that his modifications faced inwards, so that people wouldn¡¯t be able to see the uneven side of the bricks. He shrugged again when he realized, once again, that he was alone. No one would care. Probably. Well, he would care. But! He could just practice a lot more and fix everything later! Nodding to himself after his little¡­ pep-talk? Anyway, he got back to work and quickly shored up the gaps. It wasn¡¯t the best work he¡¯d ever seen, but at least it was done. Well, mostly done. His next task was to fuse them all together, and to the brickwork of the facade, with another application of [Modify Matter]. After another minute of being picky, he decided that it was good enough. It really just needed to be smooth enough that someone couldn¡¯t get something into a crack and start going ham on it. Be it chiselling or using a lever, he didn¡¯t want there to be a weakness that someone could exploit. With that done, he looked to the living room window and nodded. Sure, it was almost three times the size of the bedroom windows, but now that he¡¯d practiced a lot more, he was confident that it would go well. Well, reasonably well, anyways¡­. Once done, he was proud of the fact that it did look better than his first attempt. It had also gone a lot faster, the brick laying taking up the majority of the time it took finish. Joram then looked back to his bedroom window and sighed. His OCD very much wanted him to go back and just replaced the spaghetti grate with brickwork, but the side of him that knew that he needed actual sunlight warred with it greatly. Then he nearly wet himself when Avi spoke up. ¡®If you¡¯re concerned about the amount of sunlight that you need, why don¡¯t you just create a space on the roof? You can either just [Dimension Hop] up there, or create a stairwell to access the roof,¡¯ she said, smiling at his reaction. After taking a moment to allow his heartrate to calm, and to surreptitiously check his pants, he was once again both happy with the suggestion and annoyed that she seemed to be reading his mind. Fortunately, or wisely, Avi didn¡¯t say anything else. So, he looked back to his bedroom window and sighed. Ten minutes later, and with several lumps of steel added back into his inventory, he was done. He took another look around, noticing that it was getting to be around noon or so. It really was a lovely forest, if you didn¡¯t mind goblins showing up every now and then to murder you. The light that filtered down through the high canopy was pleasant, the air fragrant with the scents of a forest. He¡¯d really missed being able to just wander in the woods. The smell of the various flora had always calmed him, along with being alone. Sure, even back on Earth there¡¯d been the risk of running into something that didn¡¯t like you, or wanted to eat you, but that¡¯s what having a riffle on you was for¡­. Man, he wished that he¡¯d had his own gun locker. That way, he¡¯d have had access to a few guns. He shrugged, then brightened when he realized that he¡¯d packed away a few boxes of ammo. Sure, that wasn¡¯t entirely legal, well at all legal, in Canada-land. But honestly, he didn¡¯t care. The paranoia surrounding guns had been on the ridiculous end of things before¡­ all this. Anyways! He had ammo! Which meant that he could- eventually- [Delve] the stuff and get its pattern. Specifically, gunpowder and the exact measurements of the bullets which would give him what he needed to eventually make the barrels for the guns he planned on making. He smiled again, thinking of just how useful that would be here¡­. Then he sighed again. It was going to take a long time to get to that point. Joram looked around again, then decided to get to know his surroundings a bit better. He checked on his katana, making sure that it was positioned on his belt just so to facilitate ease of use. Drawing? Shrug. Then he double-checked his hunting knife and nodded. Soon enough, he¡¯d made his way around his little house-like structure, impressed. Altaea hadn¡¯t just shorn up the outside of the building. No, she¡¯d actually put in a bit more effort than that. The sides of the house were done in, what looked like, the local stone. He wasn¡¯t sure how thick it was, but after tapping it with a rock that he¡¯d picked up, it sounded solid enough. Then he¡¯d smiled when he saw the small exhaust port that led to the range inside. He¡¯d always marvelled at the ridiculousness of someone installing an exhaust hood over a stove/range, but having it just vent back into the kitchen. Sure, having cupboards above the stove was useful and avoiding having various vaporized substances accumulating on the underside of said cupboards was a good thing¡­. But. Why not just have a little vent leading outside? That way you didn¡¯t accumulate extra humidity that could prematurely age your ceilings, never mind the vaporized oils that¡¯d slowly condense up there¡­. Aside from that nice addition, he also spotted a vent for the bathroom and nodded. That was good, for all the same reasons as the kitchen vent. He was also pleased to see that there was a fine wire screen in there to prevent unwanted guests. The flaps were also well made, designed to only open when the fans were turned on. He then looked up and saw that the house was a good five metres tall. It looked like a flat roof, though, which worried him a bit. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d landed in a permanently temperate region, or if it snowed there in winter. So, a quick shimmy up the side of the house, using one of the nearby trees, and he was on the roof! On the roof and catching his breath. That had been tougher than he would have liked. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a calisthenics routine,¡± he muttered to himself, not looking forward to that. ¡®Your Prime version also had one,¡¯ Avi said, nearly scaring him off the roof. Why he was so startled every time she spoke up was beyond him, but also beyond annoying. ¡®If you¡¯d like, I can provide you with the designs for the obstacle courses he used,¡¯ she finished, giving him a curious look. ¡°That¡­ might be useful. Thank you,¡± he said, trying very hard not to take it out on her. She was just¡­ there. He would have to get used to that. Hopefully sooner, rather than later. Avi just nodded, probably having felt his agitation. Getting back to why he¡¯d climbed up to the roof in the first place, Joram noticed that it indeed was a flat-topped roof. On the one hand, it would make having a rooftop patio much easier to make. On the other hand, potential snow accumulation might be an issue. Drainage, though? That was covered with the spouts on either side of the roof. The question, now, was whether or not to make the roof accessible from inside, or to just make some stairs he could use on the outside of the house. Chapter 011 - [Astral Construct] ¡®You know,¡¯ Avi said after having waved to get his attention this time, probably to avoid scaring him again. ¡®Those aren¡¯t actually ¡°cinder blocks¡±. They¡¯re just standard concrete blocks,¡¯ she said, surprising Joram more than a little bit. ¡°Sorry, just an old habit,¡± he said, a rueful grin turning up one side of his mouth. Avi nodded, understanding his reasoning. If she¡¯d been given any information about him at all, he¡¯d be astonished if it didn¡¯t include his various foibles. Like going between metric and imperial measurements and calling things by their old names because he¡¯d grown up around farmers and old construction workers. ¡®That said, I do have a wide variety of recipes for construction materials that might be useful.¡¯ Joram paused at that, then shook his head after a moment of thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that after I manage to use [Delve] without getting a migraine,¡± he said, very much looking forward to that day. Avi just nodded again before turning once again to stare out at the forest. Which got Joram thinking. Would he be able to find where the goblins were coming from? Did he even want to find where they were coming from? Going by the direction that Reldan had wandered off in, Joram supposed that the village was¡­ that way. Joram sighed. If he took where the direction of the sun had been this morning, then he would arbitrarily call that direction East. Which meant that his front door was facing north¡¯ish¡­ Well, mostly north, and a bit east. Anyways, he was reasonably sure that Reldan¡¯s village was to the west¡­ ¡®ish. But who knew if the boy had directly gone home or had done a bit of a perimeter search before heading off. Given that his tracks had been mixed with the goblin tracks, and that he was in no way a tracker, he truly had very little to go on. He¡¯d just have to wait for the boy to come back for another visit. Which would probably mean making more mac¡¯n¡¯cheese for the kid. If he could get [Delve] down, and then get much better with [Modify Matter], then he¡¯d run out of the stuff much sooner than he¡¯d like¡­. Well, he did have a case of the stuff in his storage room, along with some other dried/canned goods. But it wouldn¡¯t last forever, so having a way to make more of the stuff would be incredibly helpful. Well, short of just using [True Creation], anyway. That one was well beyond what he¡¯d be able to manage for quite some time, given that it was a 9th Level Power and all. Joram shook his head, clearing the extraneous thoughts before refocussing on his task. The roof looked solid enough, even when considering snow. He was reasonably sure that the roof could hold several tonnes, at the very least. Especially since Altaea had remodelled the place. Yes, a rooftop patio would work. Add a higher wall around the perimeter, a slightly raised floor to account for drainage, and maybe even another roof to help keep the weather off¡­. Yeah, it would work. Maybe he could find some stone to add to what he had to use, given that the supply he had of concrete blocks wouldn¡¯t likely be sufficient for the project¡¯s needs. ¡®I think that the goblins are coming from the ¡°south¡±,¡¯ Avi suddenly spoke, once again startling him out of his thoughts. Glad that he hadn¡¯t been scared witless, he turned to look where Avi was staring off to. Given how widely spaced the very large trees were, he could see surprisingly far. That said, he still wasn¡¯t sure why Avi had said that. So, he asked. ¡®There are more goblins coming from that way,¡¯ she said, pointing off in the distance. Joram looked for a bit, then squinted. Sure enough, a green head would occasionally pop out from behind a tree, look around, then the rest of the goblins would follow. They¡¯d then quickly run to the next tree and dive for cover. Rinse and repeat for a good dozen of the little murder machines. ¡°How am I going to deal with so many of them?¡± he asked, now getting very nervous. He¡¯d barely survived his previous encounters with the monsters, and that was only because he had choke points that prevented them from swarming him all at once. ¡®You could try using [Astral Construct],¡¯ Avi suggested with a shrug. ¡®Otherwise, you could perhaps just bunker down in your little house and wait for them to go away.¡¯ Joram seriously considered doing just that. For as nonchalant as he pretended to be about the previous two attacks, he was developing a deep and abiding fear of the little monsters. Being stabbed multiple times wasn¡¯t something that he wanted to have happen to him ever again. But, the thought of getting an astral construct or ten between him and the oncoming goblins definitely appealed to him. In his opinion, they were superior to a [Summon] spell. For one, summoned creatures were pulled to you through the spell, crossing dimensional boundaries. You could also ward for such things, or use spells to expel outsiders¡­. Wait. Am I considered an Outsider here? He mused; a bit more than a little bit concerned by that. Then he considered what might happen if he were [Banish]ed. Would he be sent back to Earth? Or would he be randomly thrown into another dimension/universe? ¡®The goblins?¡¯ Avi prompted from his side, bringing him back to the moment. Joram nodded, refocussing on the incoming problem. He hadn¡¯t played around with the [Astral Construct] Power yet, so he wasn¡¯t very confident that he could make a construct that would be remotely useful¡­. Then he sighed and nearly facepalmed as he realized that he was, once again, looking past the mark, as it were. He didn¡¯t need anything fancy, just something functional. There was a reason why the gaming literature stated that astral constructs created by the [Astral Construct] Power were humanoid in shape, and that if you wanted anything fancier, then you needed to use a [Craft] check to make them so. So. Time to practice a bit before the goblins arrived. ¡°Let me know when they¡¯re close,¡± he said, stepping back from the edge of the roof, walking to its centre, then plopped himself down. Avi just nodded as he pulled up the Power and started going over it. It wasn¡¯t nearly as complicated as the others, for which he was immensely grateful. He wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d mess around with any of the augments listed at the end, though. It would be hard enough to just get the Power working how he wanted it to in the short time he had before they arrived to murder him. And probably eat him¡­ if pop culture was in any way accurate. Joram quickly rid himself of extraneous thoughts and doubled down on familiarizing himself with [Astral Construct]. He first concentrated on the method used to pull raw ectoplasm from the Astral Plane. Not as easy as one would think. At the same time, it was simpler than he¡¯d imagined it would be. It only took him a few minutes of practice before he managed to pull over whisps of ectoplasm that managed to stay more than a second or two. Referencing other Powers that also pulled raw ectoplasm from the Astral Plane, like [Ectoplasmic Creation], he finally understood the mechanic, as it were, that allowed him to ¡°bind¡± the ectoplasm together in a more-or-less stable fashion. Which, really, meant that the construct would stay around longer than a few seconds. Given how¡­ raw everything looked, he was a bit apprehensive. Would what he made be able to do anything useful? Would his constructs wind up just being blobs that were easily avoided by the goblins? Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡®The goblins are thirty metres away,¡¯ Avi said, causing him to start in surprise. Joram looked up, and sure enough, he could see them in the distance over the lip of the house. Then he paused when he noticed something different about this group of goblins. For one, they didn¡¯t look like the ones from before. In fact, he wasn¡¯t sure he felt comfortable calling them goblins at all. Well, maybe he¡¯d have to give them a sub-category or something, because these goblins looked more like the ones from the Pathfinder RPG he¡¯d played back home. Still pint-sized though. Though, these ones had black hair, and less pointy noses. Still had those crazy shark-like teeth, though. They also wore more clothing than he expected, ranging from tank-top and loincloth to full shirt and pants combos. Some even had crude armour worn here and there. But, like the other more feral-like goblins, these ones also carried various dagger-like weapons. All of them nasty-looking. ¡®Ah, I forgot to lock the door,¡¯ Joram sent to Avi, still awkward with the mental communication. ¡®You can repair anything that breaks,¡¯ Avi said with a shrug. ¡®Yeah, but what if some of them make off with my stuff?¡¯ he asked, his brows drawing low at the thought of them taking something that held sentimental value to him. ¡®Either way, you¡¯ll have to first survive the encounter,¡¯ Avi added helpfully. Well, given her tone, he thought it was meant to be helpful, anyways. With that thought in mind, Joram checked his PP reserve and sighed.
PP: 14/38
He was suddenly very glad that this world, or more likely the System, gave him a regeneration rate for his PP reserve measured in minute blocks as opposed to 24-hour blocks. If it had been the latter, then he wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in so much practice before the goblins had shown up. As it was, a dozen goblins of unknown level were still an extreme encounter for a level zero character like him. He just really hoped that the astral constructs would pull above their weight class. With that thought also in mind, he review the Power, then began fully manifesting [Astral Construct].
Astral Construct Manifesting Time: 5 seconds Range: Close (10m + 2m/2 levels) Effect: One created astral construct Duration: 1 minute/level (D) Saving Throw: None Power Resistance: No Power Points: 1 This power creates one 1st-level astral construct of solidified ectoplasm that attacks your enemies. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. As a free action, you can mentally direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. The astral construct acts normally on the last round of the power¡¯s duration and dissipates at the end of its turn. - Augment For every 2 additional power points you spend, the level of the astral construct increases by one.
He was glad that the name of the Power seemed to be a link of some sort that had given him a bit more information to go on. Otherwise, he might have made a truly cringeworthy construct. As it was, he did his best. Given that he was going for a 1st level construct, he only had the Menu A options to choose from. Given that he¡¯d guess that the goblins were ¡°size: small¡±, he¡¯d go for the deflection bonus to the construct¡¯s armour. Goblins were, traditionally, very quick and agile, so giving the construct something like [Power Attack] wouldn¡¯t likely work very well in his favour; even if he intuitively wanted the astral construct to hit harder and thus end the fight faster. He also didn¡¯t bother with trying to give the astral construct a custom appearance; he just didn¡¯t have the time nor the practice to feel at all comfortable experimenting during a life-or-death situation like this. So, when the astral construct finally made its appearance, it came out looking like¡­ a humanoid-shaped blob. Sure, it was a pretty silvery colour and all, but it looked like a kid had made a doll out of mud. Wet and runny mud before it eventually dried enough to hold its shape. Deciding not to dwell on just how bad the astral construct looked, he immediately began manifesting another construct after instructing the first one to defend the rooftop. Just as he was finishing his second construct, he heard a few exclamations from the goblins that sounded surprised, and maybe a bit panic-y. The second construct finished assembling on the other side of the roof as he looked over the other side of the roof to where the goblins were. The goblins, mentally referred to as PF Goblins, were eyeing the first construct as they slowly made their way in a wide arc around his little house. Given his non-existent knowledge of goblin body language, he wasn¡¯t sure if they were going to be hostile, of if they would truly be avoiding his place like it looked like they were now trying to do. Had this been a route that they¡¯d often used before his¡­ arrival? Given their appearance, were they closer to being Pathfinder goblins than the Slayer of Goblins, goblins? Or, he could hope, closer to those Innworld goblins? Well, either way, he¡¯d be much happier if they did their own thing while leaving him alone. He was reasonably sure that he was nowhere near as patient as the Innkeeper, nor as forgiving of murderous intent. Well, to be fair, he wasn¡¯t too sure on that last point, as he¡¯d really never had to deal with that sort of thing before arriving on his new planet. That said, he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t have mercy on anyone or anything that came into his house intent on killing him. If these goblins were wise enough to leave him alone, then he¡¯d be more than willing to live and let live. ¡®I think they¡¯re going to avoid us,¡¯ Avi said, impassively watching the passing goblins. ¡®That would be for the best,¡¯ he replied mentally. ¡®Did you see if any of them are carrying any ranged weapons?¡¯ ¡®Yes, several are carrying crude bows.¡¯ That caught his attention. So, he went prone, then army-crawled up to the edge of the roof to both lower his profile and to get a better look at the passing goblins. Sure enough, he spotted a few that were carrying bows, arrows nocked and ready to draw. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to want to disturb the weird, silvery, blobs of unknown origin. And given how well made the arrows looked to be, he didn¡¯t want to give them a reason to test his constructs. Then, one seemed to notice him and called out to its friends¡­ companions? Whoever they were to one another, the other archers amongst their ranks all turned to stare at him as they continued to walk, their red eyes sharp. Joram just about gulped. The intelligence in their gazes wasn¡¯t like what he¡¯d seen in the other goblins¡¯ eyes. Theirs had felt more¡­ primal, primitive compared to what he was now seeing. These ones felt, well, sharp. Calculating. Thoughtful. And he still wanted nothing to do with them. And, judging by the fact that they just kept going while giving his house a wide berth, they didn¡¯t want to bother with him either. Which, really, was all for the best. Well, at least for his best, anyway. He wasn¡¯t sure which direction Reldan¡¯s settlement/village/town/whatever-it-was was from where he was, but he hoped that the goblins¡¯ movements didn¡¯t have anything to do with them. He¡¯d hate to have been in a position that would have allowed him to prevent an unfortunate incident and not have done so. Joram shook his head. Things would have likely occurred the way they would have if he¡¯d not been present in the first place. Which, really, didn¡¯t appease his conscience very much at all¡­. ¡®If such things bother you,¡¯ Avi said, once more bringing him out of his ruminations, ¡®then why don¡¯t you get to practicing? The better you are with your abilities, the better position you¡¯ll be in to help others.¡¯ Joram nodded, took another look at his PP reserve and sighed. He¡¯d need to meditate to quickly restore his Power Pool if he wanted to practice for more than a minute. So, he began meditating, following the technique that Altaea had left him. It was much easier this time, mostly due to not having any injuries to worry about and distract him. Having [Concentration] probably helped a lot too. Either way, he was glad that he was able to enter meditation so easily. It was so comfortable that he even lost himself in it until an annoying *bing!* snapped him out of it.
Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - [Meditation]
¡°Huh,¡± he huh¡¯d, then dismissed the notification with a thought. Slightly annoyed, he checked his PP and found that it was once again full. ¡°Well, at least it waited until I was ¡®done¡¯,¡± he grumbled and looked around again. To no one¡¯s surprise, or at least his, his astral constructs had dissipated while he had been meditating. Avi was ¡°sitting¡± on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling below. He was once again struck by how beautiful she was. Then wondered what it would have been like to live with Altaea herself. He was suddenly a bit jealous of his ¡°prime¡± version, but paused. If what Altaea had said in the video she¡¯d left for him was true, then she¡¯d left him behind at some point, and not in a¡­ an organic way. He looked back to Avi, then steeled himself. ¡°Avi? Did Altaea really just leave him behind?¡± he asked, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Why?¡± ¡®From what Altaea left for me, I believe that there was some sort of emergency that called to her,¡¯ she replied with a shrug. ¡°Urgent enough that she couldn¡¯t leave a note or something for him?¡± he pressed, not knowing why it suddenly felt so important to him. ¡®I suppose that it would take a cataclysmic-level emergency for her to leave like she did.¡¯ Chapter 012 - Being helpful pays off Well, what could he say to that? He wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d been pulled away at the drop of a hat, or if she¡¯d had an inkling about the ¡°cataclysmic-level¡± threat/incident/whatever-it-was. But, and it was a huge but, if she¡¯d regretted it so much, why hadn¡¯t she returned to his prime self? Were there other factors in play that prevented her from returning to him? Joram shook his head to rid himself of those lines of thought. It hadn¡¯t happened to him-him, so there was no use in worrying over it. His Altaea had already left, which didn¡¯t really surprise him all that much. If the Altaeas had gotten to the point where their memories were being shared, let alone other aspects of herself that had likely been restored, then it was no wonder that she¡¯d been able to leave right away. Well, after making sure that he¡¯d have a reasonable chance of surviving his new world, anyways. Joram shook his head and got back to the task at hand. Which was to practice, practice, practice. By the time the sun was dipping below the horizon, he was beyond worn out. Sure, meditating to restore his psionic reserves had kept him going, but the mental strain of repeatedly manifesting the same Power over and over again was taking its toll. Sure, the final astral construct that now stood before him was bordering on human-like. Nothing to write home about, for sure. But at least it was close enough for him to be able to squint and say that it looked like a human. A pure silver human but still, it was progress. At least that wasn¡¯t all that had improved for him. He¡¯d shoved the notifications off to the side while he¡¯d been working, but now that he took the time to review them, he was pretty happy. Then, looking at the many notifications, each on their own screen, he wondered if he could somehow get them to just add lines to the first one or something. Like, given just how powerful something had to be to govern the entirely of known reality with one unifying System, or whatever¡­. Wouldn¡¯t this many pop-ups multiplied by however many beings there were at any given time receiving such notifications, be an unnecessary draw on its resources? ¡°Hey, Avi? Do you think there¡¯s a section for suggestions or maybe a ¡®Help¡¯ functi-,¡± he cut off as another window popped up in front of him.
Help Function engaged¡­ Analyzing¡­ Processing¡­ Retrieving data¡­ ¡­ Processing¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Executing¡­ Congratulations! For assisting the Universal Assistance and Survival System in becoming more efficient, you¡¯ve received the following Title. - System¡¯s Benefactor May you continue to thrive.
Joram just about fell over as he read the notification before noticing the other windows/screens winking out of existence until only one of them remained. Upon inspection, he found that it was a condensed version of this many notifications.
Congratulations! For your hard work, effort, and intent, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Sculpting For your hard work, effort, and intent, you¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - Concentration 1 -> 3 - Meditation 1 -> 3 - Sculpting 1 -> 2 For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +2 Spirit
When he finally read the notification, he was both pleasantly surprised and hit with a headrush. He really didn¡¯t know how to describe the feeling, but it was both heady and clarifying at the same time. It was like nothing he¡¯d ever experienced before. Well, maybe that was wrong. It was a bit like a moment of epiphany that didn¡¯t immediately fade. ¡°Huh,¡± he grunted, more than pleased with his efforts and what they¡¯d brought him. Though, given that he¡¯d gained two whole points in Spirit, he suddenly wondered if this System had one of those inflated stat-points mechanics. Where, when just starting off, having a handful of points in each attribute was great. But then, four levels later, you¡¯ve have more than double those points already. Then, when you reached the level cap, you¡¯ve have thousands of points in each stat, practically rendering those numbers meaningless. Given that he¡¯d already gained two attribute points, he wasn¡¯t terribly hopeful for the future¡­. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t the paths/classes give attribute points as you gain levels?¡± he asked Avi, but it was mostly rhetorical. As Avi was nodding, he pulled up his status screen again and quickly navigated to the Path section. Once there, he looked up a ¡°common¡± Path and skimmed down to the ¡°attribute gains¡± part. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯m wrong¡­¡± he mused out loud as his brain registered the number. One. That particular path/class granted one additional attribute point per four levels. He then found an ¡°uncommon¡± Path and found that it granted one per three levels. The ¡°rare¡± path/class granted one per two levels, while the ¡°epic¡± ones granted one per level. Then it went up from there, having the ¡°legendary¡± ones grant two per level, ¡°mythic¡± granting three per level, and finally the ¡°transcendent¡± ones granting a whopping five attribute points per level. From a strictly power-leveling perspective, he¡¯d be stupid to not take one of the transcendent classes that were open to him. From an objective perspective, he¡¯d also be stupid to not take a transcendent class. But from a realistic perspective, he wondered just how many people were actually wandering around with a transcendent class. Were those the rulers? Some legendary figure that had saved the world at some point? Beings powerful enough to rule a country¡­ or a continent? His mind raced as he considered the various possibilities and consequences of taking such a class. Would he become a celebrity; someone with no personal space or privacy anymore? Or would he become a national asset, coveted by those in power. Guarded jealously if he fell into their hands, or perhaps the target of assassination by those who felt threatened by his existence. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. That right there, more than anything, gave him pause. He had absolutely no knowledge of this world, its politics, nor its power structures. Point in fact: just how many people had those classes that were listed as higher rarities? Were they listed as such because of the number of people who¡¯d ever managed to attain them? Or were they listed as such because of how difficult they were to qualify for? So many questions, so few answers. Given how few attribute points were given out for having a class, he wondered just where he sat in terms of personal power. In every RPG he¡¯d ever played that dealt with attribute points, each character started off at a certain base. The popular one was ten. That was common for a crapload of games. But if the base here was ten, then was he considered extremely weak in comparison to others? His lowest attributes were Speed and Charisma, both sitting at seven. In Pathfinder, he¡¯d be a clumsy, leather-tongued guy. Pretty much the comic relief. But here? Did everyone start at one, then move up from there? Or was it something else? ¡®It¡¯s getting late,¡¯ Avi said from his side. ¡®We should head in and lock up.¡¯ ¡°Ah, right,¡± he said, coming out of his musings to see that the sun had slipped below the horizon at some point, leaving fantastic colours to be seen where the canopy didn¡¯t completely block out the sky. Joram took his time looking around again, making sure that no goblins had wandered over, or anything else for that matter. After a few minutes of careful observation, he made his way to the edge of the roof and looked down. It was a good four metres to the forest floor, making him wonder if sliding down the tree would be a better idea for getting himself down. Then he shrugged. With his ability to heal himself in the case of an accident, the real-life consequences of doing something stupid was greatly reduced. But the possibility of extreme pain wasn¡¯t. So, he got down on his butt, swung his legs over the edge, then slowly lowered himself until he was hanging from his fingertips. Extended like that, he was less than two metres from the ground now. But, just dropping would be boring. So, he got his feet up onto the wall under him, took a few breaths, then pushed off the wall with his legs while letting go of the lip of the roof. With his mighty (?) push, he tried to twist in the air so that he could hit the ground in a roll. He got the sudden feeling that he¡¯d done something similar before as his body reacted and moved almost on its own. When he landed, then rolled, he grunted in pain. He hadn¡¯t quite ¡°landed¡± the landing. Staring up at the canopy from the forest floor, he started laughing. Laughing at the absurdity of what he¡¯d done, laughing more as the pain fueled his mild hysterics until he was out of breath and gasping. He had managed to bruise his left shoulder and twist his right ankle a bit. Sure, he¡¯d have taken a few days off work had that happened back on Earth. But here? Joram could see Avi shaking her head at him from the rooftop, which sparked another laughing fit as he tried to access [Natural Healing]. It took him another minute to calm down enough to manifest the Power, but when he did, relief flooded through him. ¡®That wasn¡¯t a wise thing to do,¡¯ Avi said from beside once he¡¯d gotten back to his feet. ¡°Yeah, well, it was fun,¡± he said as he made his way back into his house before locking the door behind him. ¡®And what would have happened if you¡¯d somehow managed to break your neck?¡¯ she asked, looking a bit cross. ¡°I¡¯d imagine lots of pain,¡± he said with a shrug, not wanting to play the ¡°what if¡± game. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll encounter much more hazardous stuff in the future.¡± Avi, it seemed, couldn¡¯t argue with that. And before she could say anything else, he continued. ¡°I imagine that I¡¯ll need lots more training, and getting a couple of bruises will be the least of my worries when that time comes. In the meantime, I¡¯ll just have to train myself up to be able to handle whatever I¡¯ll come across in the future,¡± he finished with a shake of his head. If what he knew of Altaea was accurate, then he was certain that she¡¯d put his other self through hell while training him. And since he was effectively alone here, he¡¯d have to rely on himself to get any training done that he could. No ¡°safety net¡±, as it were. It was all on him. ¡®Good,¡¯ Avi said, now looking pleased. ¡®Given the unknown environment that you find yourself in, training will certainly be your highest priority if you wish to survive.¡¯ Joram gave Avi the side-eye. Had she just played him? ¡°You¡¯re not just a VI, are you?¡± he asked, finally giving voice to the doubts that had popped up in his head over the last day or so. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m just a simple VI,¡¯ Avi replied, giving him the blankest look he¡¯d ever seen on someone. ¡°Sure,¡± Joram murmured with a shake of his head. He then turned back to the door and considered the deadbolt and the door frame. That door wouldn¡¯t hold up to a good boot stomping. Well, the door frame, anyways. The door itself was reasonably solid. It was just that the cheap¡¯ish materials that had been used for the frame weren¡¯t the best. Joram looked that the whole thing and pondered ways of reinforcing it. When he¡¯d been in France, he¡¯d noticed that many doors had three points where it ¡°locked¡±. When you turned the key to the lock, it not only released the standard deadbolt, but also moved two other rods that secured the door. One up top where it went into the top of the door frame, while the other went down into the floor. If he could rig something like that, then he wouldn¡¯t worry as much about someone kicking in his door. He was in the process of planning it all out when Avi spoke up. ¡®Why don¡¯t you just put a bar across the door?¡¯ Ah, there was that, he thought ruefully. Considering how good he wasn¡¯t when it came to using [Modify Matter], going for something simple would be the wisest course of action. Twenty minutes later, Joram was starting at the basic ¡°bar¡± that he¡¯d installed. The pivot point was on the wall between the door frame and the connecting, adjacent wall. It could be raised or lowered into position, which involved two cradles he¡¯d installed into the door to catch the ¡°bar¡± on its way down, and one cradle on the wall that the frame was set into. The ¡°bar¡±, as he kept calling it, was closer to a post. It was a good ten by fifteen centimetres wide and tall, and a good metre-twenty long. Er, one point two metres long, that is. At any rate, it was a solid barrier that should hold up for a while under duress. With that done, and Avi looking smug for a VI, he wandered to the bathroom and stripped down to take a shower. Sure, he didn¡¯t sweat or anything, and he¡¯d used [Cleanse] more than a few times throughout the day to take care of the gore that he¡¯d been covered in more than once. But, there was just something about taking a shower that refreshed a person. Once done, he wandered back to his bedroom and found a change of clothing. This time, he chose a pair of cargo shorts and a simple t-shirt¡­ with a Star Wars logo on the front. Simple enough. He wasn¡¯t sure how much sleep he now needed¡­ or he supposed it was meditation now. But he also didn¡¯t want to be caught naked if more goblins or something showed up in the night. That said, he was ready for some good¡­ meditation. ¡°Can High Elans even sleep?¡± he asked Avi as she took a seat beside him on his bed. ¡®Not in the way that you¡¯re used to,¡¯ she said, then explained when she saw his raised eyebrow. ¡®It¡¯s more of a deep meditative state. You don¡¯t dream or anything like that. But your body does regenerate itself and replenishes your psionic power all at once.¡¯ ¡°No dreams, huh,¡± he mused, not quite sure how much he liked that thought. Or reality, in this case. Sure, he¡¯d suffered his fair share of nightmares and unpleasant dreams over the course of his life with everything that had happened to both him and his family. But, there was something that he would miss about dreaming. Almost every night of his life, he could remember dreaming. Sure, most vanished like smoke in a breeze upon waking, but remembering that he¡¯d dreamt, remember what he¡¯d felt in those dreams, had been¡­ nice. Heck, he¡¯d even gotten to the point where lucid dreaming was more common than regular dreaming for him. He could even fall asleep whenever, wherever, he wanted. And even then, he could enter a state that he¡¯d called ¡°half-sleep¡± where he was still aware of what was going on around him, like in class, but also have a dream superimposed over what his eyes could see. Now, he supposed that meditation would replace all that. But, at the same time, would he be able to enter a dream-like state while meditating? It was something to consider. For now? Meditation. He listened to Avi as she guided him through ¡°sleeping¡± meditation. It was a bit different than the technique used to restore himself, but similar enough that he grasped it within a few minutes. From there, he concentrated, as directed, on rejuvenating his body, section by section, organ by organ- the which he found that he was missing a few!!- system by system, and even down to the cellular level when it came to anything that hadn¡¯t quite been healed by [Natural Healing]. Like his shoulder. Well, not just his shoulder. Due to everything being connected, landing on his shoulder hadn¡¯t just bruised it, but had also subtly shifted his shoulder, ribcage, and just about everything else out of proper alignment. Sure, it wasn¡¯t much, but given time and repeated injuries and he was sure that they¡¯d add up to problems down the line like those he¡¯d suffered from before¡­ coming to his new world. So, little by little, bit by bit, he directed the psionic energy through his body to correct the miniscule problems that he found. Once done, he opened his eyes again and glanced over at his clock and found that almost four hours had passed. And he felt great. Like he¡¯d spent the night in the best bed after having a full-body massage. He stretched a bit, even yawning while doing so, then paused. Not a single snap, crackle, or pop had interrupted his stretch. How many years had it been since that had happened, he wondered, a bemused smile tugging at his lips. He turned and saw Avi sitting at the foot of his bed and wondered if she¡¯d just sat there the entire time. He shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like he could do anything about that, so he didn¡¯t let it bother him too much. ¡°Back to training?¡± he asked, a slight smile still on his face. ¡®Back to training,¡¯ Avi confirmed as she stood up and stepped out of the room. Joram nodded, then stood up and stretched again. It just felt so good! But then, five minutes later, that wonderful feeling had been replaced by the poignant sting of over a dozen bruised scattered across his body because he¡¯d failed to dodge Avi¡¯s balls in time. Given the smirk on her face, he was one hundred percent sure that she was an AI, not a VI. Chapter 013 - Learning Well, seeing as how he¡¯d gotten another updated version of the notifications he was used to getting, it wasn¡¯t so bad. Well, not as bad as it could have been.
Congratulations! For your hard work, effort, and intent, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Dodge For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve leveled the following Skill: - Dodge 1 -> 2 For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve gained the following attribute point: - +1 Speed
Once again, he was unsure of just how meaningful each attribute point was in the long run, but he¡¯d take what he could get. And now that he¡¯d gotten the [Dodge] Skill, he was reasonably certain that he was moving just a bit better than he¡¯d been. His movements a bit¡­ smoother, easier to execute. More natural than they¡¯d been? He shrugged. However it could be described as, he was glad for it. Sure, Avi still managed to pelt him more than he would have liked, but at least she was missing more often than she had been before he¡¯d gotten the Skill. ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± he said, remembering to express his- grudging- gratitude. ¡®You¡¯re welcome,¡¯ Avi replied simply before dropping the wooden ball that she¡¯d kept at the ready. Joram sighed an internal sigh of relief, glad that they¡¯d not be continuing. Sure, it had only been about twenty minutes of practice, but those twenty minutes had been grueling. ¡°Once I¡¯ve rested up, I think that I¡¯ll try to work on [Astral Construct] a bit more,¡± he said to both Avi and the ceiling as he laid on the floor, noting that the ceiling wasn¡¯t stippled like the ceiling in the apartment proper. ¡®More practice would indeed do you wonders.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to take that. On the one side, affirming that practice would help him was a given. On the other side, he wondered just how poorly he¡¯d performed to warrant such a comment. Either way, he knew that he was woefully inadequate when it came to all things psionic, so he resolved himself to very long days of practicing for as long as his mind could hold out. Then, he resolved that in his mental downtime, he¡¯d work on something a bit¡­ mindless. Like weight/resistance training. To that end, Joram opened his Inventory and quickly looked through it to remind himself exactly how much of everything he had stored away. ¡°Hmm,¡± he hmm¡¯d as he looked at the numbers. He was reasonably sure that he had nowhere near enough metal ingots to do what he needed to, so he began mentally going over what he¡¯d seen outside last time. For the most part, the forest was pretty level, but he had spotted a few places that weren¡¯t. Places that likely hid some stone. Stone that he could use to make the weights needed for a set of weights with which to work out. Nodding to himself again, which was a bit awkward when laying down, he got up and was nearly at the living room when a knock sounded from the door. It wasn¡¯t a forceful knock, like you¡¯d hear from someone who was aggressive, or what you¡¯d see in a TV drama when the police banged on someone¡¯s door. Nor was it particularly timid. You¡¯d be surprised by just how much you could learn about someone by how they knocked on a door, and their likely intentions. This knock, or series of knocks, told him that the person was more or less casual, at ease. Or, they wanted him to think that at least. Joram shrugged, not really caring. He briefly contemplated getting his sword, but dismissed the idea due to lack of space with which to use it, instead choosing to make sure his old hunting knife was ready to go. With that done, he stepped up to the door and peeked out the peep-hole, not worrying about the person on the other side noticing the change in light that would show from the other side; mostly because he hadn¡¯t turned on any lights inside. He was pleasantly surprised to see Reldan on the other side in all his fish-eyed glory. Well, a fish-eyed view of the teenager, anyways. Him, and another man, one who seemed to be in his early twenties¡­ or so. He¡¯d never been good at estimating the age of other people, and given that the guy was an entirely different race¡­ species?, he wasn¡¯t at all confident in his guestimate. Not that it mattered nearly as much as the fact that the fellow had a shield strapped to his arm and a sword hanging comfortably at his hip. The guy just looked¡­ competent. To a degree that Joram got the distinct impression that he¡¯d get trounced by the guy in a ¡°fair¡± fight. All that said, they didn¡¯t look like they were ready for a fight, so Joram shrugged, unlocked the door, and opened it with a polite smile on his face. Reldan blinked at him, then gave an awkward smile and a wave as he said something that was probably a greeting of some sort. The other guy just nodded, either the strong and silent type or having just been told that Joram didn¡¯t speak the language. Probably a combination of both. Joram raised an eyebrow at Reldan, who then blushed slightly in embarrassment before miming that they all go inside. He shrugged, then opened the door further so that they could come in before he turned, made his way to the light switch and turned on the lights. Reldan¡¯s friend blinked at the sudden light, his hand briefly going to the sword at his hip before, evidently, deciding that he wasn¡¯t being attacked before staring at the light fixtures in awe. Heck, even Reldan stared for a few seconds again before making his way to the dining room table¡­ which, really was just the table in the living room that doubled as his dining room as it was midway between the kitchen and living room space. Tangent aside, Reldan then slipped off his backpack before taking a seat. For his part, the new guy only stared at the lights for a few more seconds before copying Reldan, though his backpack was considerably smaller. Joram then made his way back to the door that they¡¯d left open and closed it again and turned the deadbolt. He didn¡¯t bother with the bar, not wanting the new guy to think that he was up to something suspicious or some such ridiculousness. That done, he made his way to his usual spot at the table, sat down, and gave Reldan an expectant look. The young man took the hint, cleared his throat, then motioned to his companion. ¡°Theril,¡± he said, enunciating the- presumably- guy¡¯s name with great care. Joram worked at moving his tongue in his mouth a couple of times before trying to sub-vocalize the name a few times before trying to speak it clearly a couple of times. Apparently he¡¯d done well, as both Reldan and Theril looked impressed that he hadn¡¯t mangled the name or something. Seemingly encouraged, Reldan then leaned over and began digging in his backpack, causing Theril to look on in amusement. Soon enough, he came back up with what looked like a primitive book of sorts in his hands. Reldan then happily presented it to Joram with both hands. Joram gave him a quizzical look before taking it with both of his, remembering that some cultures back home who presented something with both hands considered it rude to accept the presented item with just one hand. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. He¡¯d, evidently, done the right thing, as both Reldan and Theril nodded in approval. Putting the two of them out of mind for a moment, Joram then looked down to examine the small book. The lettering on the cover reminded him of ye olde runic, a combination of Norse and Tolkien runic to be exact. He then opened the book and was impressed to see that it was reasonably well illustrated, each picture accompanied by a short word that he assumed named the thing/animal/place. He flipped through the book some more, noting that the papyrus-like paper was actually pretty smooth, all things considered. Sure, it wasn¡¯t anywhere near as close to what he was used to, but pretty close to the kind of paper you could find in some sketch books back home that were made for chalks, pastels, or even charcoal sketching. Then, at the back of the book, he noticed a kind of key; probably a list of their alphabet, or whatever they called the set of characters or symbols that they used to write. There were definitely more than twenty-six characters, though. Taking a closer look, some of the characters towards the end of the list seemed to be a combination of earlier characters, so he wondered if they represented a particular sound that two or more characters would make. Joram once again shrugged before turning back to Reldan and raising an eyebrow. That was when the reading lesson began. Or, rather, the pronunciation lesson he supposed. Which, surprisingly, was given by Theril and not Reldan, much to the latter¡¯s obvious¡­ annoyance? Displeasure? Jealousy? He really didn¡¯t know how to describe Reldan¡¯s expression, especially given the differences in physiology and culture. Either way, Joram didn¡¯t let it bother him too much, especially since he was more interested in learning the new language. Well, in starting to learn the new language anyways. He was under no illusions that he¡¯d pick up the language over night-
Congratulations! For your hard work, effort, and intent, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Linguistics For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve leveled the following Skill: - Linguistics 1 -> 3
Joram blinked, then blinked again. ¡®Avi?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡®Do you think that the¡­ information that Altaea left in my brain is helping me gain Skills here?¡¯ ¡®That isn¡¯t unlikely,¡¯ she replied blandly. Joram just about turned to her to give her the stink-eye, but refrained from doing so due to his guests. As in, not wanting to make them think that he was crazy by shooting off random glares at thin air. Getting back to his guests, Joram found that he was able to catch a bit more of what they said. That things¡­ made more sense, or clicked, as it were. It was about an hour later that he also started noticing that Reldan was occasionally glancing surreptitiously towards the kitchen. Joram suppressed a smile for a bit before finally throwing the kid a proverbial bone. ¡°Food?¡± he asked, pointed at the kitchen, then asking, ¡°Eat?¡±. Reldan immediately perked up at that before Theril started making gestures that Joram interpreted as ¡°placating¡±, or perhaps polite refusal. Joram, in turn, also made such gestures, smiling as he got up and retrieved a slightly larger pot than he¡¯d used for their first meal together, and got cooking. For his part, Theril seemed incredibly interested in that ¡°I¡¯m playing it cool¡± sort of way. From his astonished expression upon seeing the flowing water from the tap to how he set the pot to boiling on the stovetop all the way to the packaged food, freezer, and even his kitchen knives, Theril seemed impressed. Then, when the meal was almost ready to serve and Reldan practically salivating as his nose twitched in appreciation of the mac¡¯n¡¯cheese with wieners, there came a heavy thump at the door, soon followed by even heavier thumping. Joram quickly set the pot to the side before hurrying to the door and dropping the bar down before the door could be kicked open. Both Reldan and Theril were on their feet, weapons in hand, by the time Joram turned around again with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°Monsters,¡± Joram said, using the word that he¡¯d learned not half an hour ago. They both nodded, seeming to have already come to that conclusion. Reldan shifted to the side, looking to get a better angle in which he could deliver his arrows to the enemy. Theril approached, motioning for Joram to step aside as the banging continued. Joram just shook his head, then made the same placating gestures that he¡¯d used before preparing the meal. Theril gave him a weird look, then looked him up and down before frowning, very obviously thinking that he was underequipped to handle monsters. Joram just shrugged before looking out the peephole in the door. Sure enough, more of those ugly goblins were trying to break down his door. In fact, he had to be careful not to let the door bump into his face as he looked through the peephole as they tried to break down his door. From what he could see, though, there were a dozen of the things out there, with three who looked to be stronger than the rest of the ragged bunch. After a good two second brainstorm, he decided that dropping several astral constructs behind the group was his best option, given that he had absolutely no intention of opening his door. That decided, he began manifesting [Astral Construct]. This time, though, he focussed on putting much more psionic power into the manifestation, allowing for several constructs to be made at the same time. It was much harder than it had been when he had only created one construct, but not impossibly so. Likely due to his choosing to keep all of the created constructs the same size. For options, he just chose to go with the deflection bonus to their armour. Then, after having gone through all of the modifiers he needed to, the constructs took form behind the intensely focussed goblins. Since he¡¯d pumped in a good nineteen power points into the manifestation, he got a total of ten astral constructs, all of which only took about a second to appear after the Power was released. Once created, he immediately instructed them to attack the goblins until they were all dead. That done, he repeated the process, this time breaking the batch of constructs he created into two groups, five on either side of the now panicking goblins. He was peripherally aware of both Reldan and Theril giving him a combination of weird and concerned looks, but he ignored them in favour of effectively directing his astral constructs in battle. Sure, an astral construct was reasonably good at what it was instructed to do while in combat, but they didn¡¯t have a lick of tactical awareness, being constructs and all. Hence his focus. He was very glad that each of the astral constructs was psionically connected to him, allowing him to give mental commands instead of having to verbally direct them; as would be the case if he had been a traditional [Summoner] or some such. This way, so long as he could see what was going on, he could fight his battle while remaining hidden and safe behind the heavy door. Just how he liked it. For their part, the goblins certainly didn¡¯t like what was going on, and after only a minute of fighting, the first goblin broke away and made a run for it. Joram immediately sent two constructs after it, not wanting any of those vermin to escape and warn others of what to expect when attacking him. Given that the battle had been surprisingly one-sided regarding the normal-looking goblins, he was confident in sending off two constructs to follow the deserter. That said, the three tough-looking goblins were holding their own surprisingly well. They¡¯d each taken out two of the astral constructs before the other constructs killed their own targets. But, in the end, the weaker goblins fell after an astonishingly ferocious fight, leaving Joram with only nine astral constructs to take down the three dangerous goblins. After another minute of fighting, he got another notification that a goblin had been defeated, reminding him of the one that had unsuccessfully run away. Grinning, he instructed the two astral constructs to return and attack the remaining goblins. Had they been another creature, or perhaps monster, Joram might have felt bad for the slaughter that he¡¯d unleashed on them. But if they were anything like what pop-culture described them to be, his personal experiences with them notwithstanding, he felt absolutely no remorse killing them off. Because, if left alone, they¡¯d murder, pillage, and rape their way through any settlement or village that they came across. Any travellers were also fair game in their books. In short, they were a blight on the world. One that needed exterminating. But then he remembered the other goblins and had to wonder what was going on with that group. ¡°Done?¡± Theril asked from his side, causing Joram to nearly jump in fright. Joram turned to see that both Theril and Reldan¡¯s ears were actually pointed forward as they intently listened to what was going on outside. Or had been going on outside given that the goblins were now all very dead. Astral constructs fought with their very solid fists. Fists that were effectively sledgehammers. Very messy. ¡°Done. Eat,¡± Joram said with a smile, motioning for them to get back to the table. The two foxkin exchanged looks before Reldan shrugged and put his arrow back into his quiver. Theril relaxed a bit more before finally sheathing his blade and sliding his shield off his arm. Joram nodded, then motioned to the table again as he went back to the kitchen. The pot hadn¡¯t cooled too much in the couple of minutes that it had taken to deal with the goblins, which was a relief. Mac¡¯n¡¯cheese was best served fresh and warm. After quickly stirring in a few herbs, Joram scooped a couple of large bowls for them before serving himself a smaller bowl. Reldan gave him a dubious look, probably worried that Joram¡¯s small bowl wouldn¡¯t be enough for him, but he just waved it off. Theril, though, was more focussed on what he¡¯d been served. It was understandable to question something that orange, but Joram just nodded at him and took a bite of his own serving. Reldan, however, had no such reservations and quickly dove into his own bowl. Taking hold of his spoon, after having marvelled at it for more than a few seconds, Theril finally got the courage to take a mouthful. Then, after chewing for a few seconds, his eyes widened in¡­ shock? Whatever it was, it must have been positive for him, as a moment later, he began wolfing down the food. Ah, it¡¯s always nice to see one¡¯s cooking being appreciated, Joram mused as he slowly ate. Chapter 014 - I need guns The evening proved to be pleasantly cool, just right for the walk home. The sun was already just three finger breadths away from the horizon, so getting home before it set would be a bit of a challenge. One that he wasn¡¯t quite up for, if he was being honest with himself. The meeting with the strange human named Joram hadn¡¯t gone nearly as he¡¯d expected it to. When Reldan had returned after his scouting assignment the other day, he¡¯d shared unbelievable stories with the other scouts, and his friends. Weird claims of advanced magic items, fantastical cooking, and a random human residing in a strange house in the middle of the forest. A house that, until Reldan had come across it that day, hadn¡¯t been there. For one, where had it come from? How had it been built? What had it been built from? Given what he¡¯d seen earlier, Theril wasn¡¯t sure that it was anything he¡¯d ever laid eyes on before. From the walls to the weird tiled floor to the odd magical devices in Joram¡¯s house, they were all new to him. Everyone had taken Reldan¡¯s claims with more than a little bit of skepticism, given just how outlandish his claims had seemed. But after having witnessed everything for himself, Theril could only surmise that Reldan had actually downplayed his experience, however ridiculous that sounded. Then the ambrosia-like food had come out. Never before had he seen food that colour, nor smelled something so delicious. Sure, he¡¯d had many tasty meals back home. But! The flavours had almost overwhelmed his senses with their diverse and rich assortment! He was practically drooling as he thought about going back for another visit, ostensibly to escort Reldan on their agreed-upon teaching times. Then came the weird human. He¡¯d never met one like him, nor a human that didn¡¯t speak the common tongue. Even his accent was a bit weird, though he seemed to pick up the common tongue with ridiculous ease, even if they¡¯d been using a child¡¯s learning book to teach him. ¡°I told you so,¡± Reldan suddenly spoke, startling Theril out of his thoughts. ¡°What¡±? he asked, annoyed with Reldan¡¯s tone. ¡°That what I said wasn¡¯t just a made-up story,¡± Reldan said with a grin. He really couldn¡¯t argue that point, so he handed over the bronze coins he¡¯d lost in his bet. ¡°But really,¡± Reldan mused as he tucked the coins away into his belt pouch. ¡°Where do you suppose he¡¯s from to not know the common tongue? Not to mention¡­ everything else,¡± he finished, evidently not knowing quite how to express everything. Theril nodded as he thought about that, then about the weird encounter with the banging at the door. He¡¯d been prepared to go deal with the monsters that he assumed were trying to break into the house, as had Reldan, mostly because that was their job. Kill monsters, keep the area safe for travellers and farmers, and such. Given how Reldan had reported that he suspected that Joram was more-or-less a non-combatant, they¡¯d assumed he¡¯d need help. But nope. Not two minutes after Joram began peaking out that weird little hole in the door, the sounds of the attackers had completely disappeared. But what was even weirder than that, was the fact that there wasn¡¯t a single sign of a body anywhere to be found. There¡¯d been plenty of tracks to follow and read, but no bodies. No blood. Nothing. He¡¯d begun suspecting that Joram was actually a summoner of one flavour or another who¡¯d, for one reason or another, moved to their section of forest in the last week or so. But, why? Why would someone who didn¡¯t know the language move into their forest? Where had he come from? The magical items in his house were so advanced that he suspected that Joram might be a foreign noble of some standing¡­ or had been. Maybe he¡¯d been exiled? But again, from where? Why? Where had such advanced magical items come from? Artifacts like his lighting were in such demand, raising the cost to exorbitant heights, that only the very wealthy or nobles could afford such things. Then there was everything else! Where had he gotten such exotic food? Where could he find the same kind of food?! ¡°So, it looks like you¡¯re as astounded as I was,¡± Reldan said with not a little bit of smugness in his tone. Theril cuffed him on the back of the head for being cheeky. ¡°That Joram character is certainly a mystery,¡± Theril agreed as Reldan rubbed the back of his head. ¡°The problem is that we don¡¯t really know anything about him,¡± he said, overriding Reldan¡¯s objections to that statement by continuing to speak. ¡°We don¡¯t know if he¡¯d just pretending. We don¡¯t know where he¡¯s from. Was he exiled here? Is he on the run? Will someone come looking for him that won¡¯t be friendly to foxkin like us? Did you notice how he kept looking at our ears and tails?¡± he asked, a bit scandalized that someone would be so bold as to stare as much as Joram had. ¡°Well, yeah, but I kinda assumed that he¡¯d never met a beastkin before,¡± Reldan said, shrugging it off. Theril gave the young scout a sharp look, not happy that a scout wouldn¡¯t pick up on the oddity, or that he¡¯d just right it off. Sure, it was likely that Joram had come from a country or kingdom that was exclusively human and hadn¡¯t ever come across beastkin before. But those kinds usually felt¡­ different. They usually came off as being¡­ superior to everyone else that wasn¡¯t human. On the contrary, Joram just appeared¡­ curious. Overly so, in fact. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll learn more about him as you continue teaching Joram from here on out,¡± Theril said, putting off all of his questions until later. Worrying about it wouldn¡¯t do him any good right now, so instead he began assembling his thoughts and organizing them in such a way that they would make a coherent report, one that he didn¡¯t look forward to writing later that night. For his part, Reldan got a gleam in his eye at the mention of continuing teaching Joram¡­ and a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t suppose he¡¯d continue cooking for us, do you¡­?¡± Reldan asked as casually as he could as he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Theril refrained from rolling his eyes as he answered. ¡°From how grateful Joram appeared to be to have you teach him, I figure that that¡¯s a distinct possibility,¡± Theril replied, causing Reldan¡¯s eyes to practically glow in excitement. - - - The following morning found Reldan stifling yawns in front of the village chief as she reviewed Theril¡¯s report. For his part, Theril looked as though he¡¯d had a full nights¡¯ sleep, likely from one of his [Skill]s. Being a [Guardian] really had its perks. ¡°So,¡± Celys Manelle started, finally looking up from the five-page report. ¡°Would you say that this Joram could be an asset to the village, or a detriment?¡± she asked bluntly, fixing them with her blue-eyed gaze that had reportedly soured milk at one point in time. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°For as little contact as I¡¯ve had with Joram, I would venture to say that he¡¯ll, at the very least, be a neutral party,¡± Theril replied, causing Reldan to frown slightly. A frown that the chief noticed. ¡°What?¡± Shifting his feat nervously, Reldan suddenly wondered if he should really speak up. The chief was famously¡­ territorial, and having a complete stranger with access to such weird and wondrous magical items living within walking distance of the village wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d normally be OK with. ¡°He seems¡­ nice? I mean, he didn¡¯t have to offer me, or us, food, you know?¡± he said, starting to ramble under the chief¡¯s heavy gaze. ¡°Like, would someone freely give such amazing food to someone they¡¯d just met if they weren¡¯t a good person?¡± He felt sweat rolling down his back now, and had to fight off the shiver that came with the sensation while the chief frowned at his words. ¡°You checked with the [Head Priest] for poison already, I presume?¡± she asked Theril, who nodded, much to Reldan¡¯s shock. ¡°Yes, poison,¡± the chief said in a bland tone. ¡°You never know what someone will do, especially humans,¡± she said with an annoyed twist of her lips. ¡°Given that we know next to nothing about this one, but also that he seems to be, at the very least, neutral, then I¡¯ll approve of the continued language lessons.¡± Before Reldan could get excited about that, the chief continued, dashing his hopes upon her solid pragmatism. ¡°Theril, you¡¯ll continue to go, but I¡¯ll also be sending Kalduin and Myra along with you, as they¡¯re in a position to help suss out any deception that this Joram might be up to. Not only that, but they¡¯re used to teaching others, so that should lead to fewer visits.¡± Reldan noted that Theril¡¯s tail betrayed his stoic face, obviously happy to be able to return for more visits. He couldn¡¯t blame him though, for who wouldn¡¯t want to once again taste the heavenly ¡°mac¡¯n¡¯cheese with wieners¡±? ¡°Theril, you¡¯ll inform Kalduin and Myra of their new duties. Be ready with everything that you¡¯ll need for your visit tomorrow. Dismissed.¡± * * * * * After the duo had left late last evening, Joram had crashed for a bit. Sure, it was nice to talk to someone, but the drain on his social batteries had been extensive. While they were pleasant enough, and Reldan going so far as seeming to be almost a fanboy, the interactions had been long. Much longer than he¡¯d normally be comfortable with, but had put up with because learning the local language on an alien planet was on the more important side of things, in his books anyways. Well, after a quick ¡°nap¡±, he had been ready to go again. The first thing that he¡¯d done had been to retrieve the leavings of the dead and tidied goblins. Sure, most of it consisted of dirty rags and rusty knives of one kind or another, but there had also been a few crystals left behind¡­. Which was concerning. If he was right about them, then only the stronger goblins had a chance of leaving the cores behind. Or maybe they would always drop them? Either way, that he now had four more of the ¡°monster cores¡± meant that whoever or whatever was behind the attacks was escalating things. Would the next attack have even stronger goblins? Would there be stronger monsters included in the attack? Or, heaven forbid, smarter monsters? Like hobs? Or, rather, hobgoblins. In every piece of media that he¡¯d devoured over the decades that had included hobgoblins in them, each and every one had portrayed them as both stronger and smarter than their regular goblin counterparts. Sure, you could get stupid hobs as well, but whatever caused them to grow/evolve also tended to increase their intelligence along with their stature. With a sigh, Joram had turned to inspect the door and had found that it was a bit more damaged than he was comfortable with. It then took him another half an hour or so to [Repair] the door, which relieved him more than he¡¯d thought it would have. But, hey, home security for the win! On that note, he climbed back onto the roof and started practicing [Astral Construct] once again. This time, though, he concentrated on the physical shape of the constructs, working on subtly changing its form. Which brought him to the present, sun in his eyes and all. Well, not much sun, as the sequoia-like forest that he was in was thick enough to block out most of the direct sunlight. Which also meant that it was already mid-morning if the sun¡¯s rays could reach him. He got up, stretching for all he was worth as he felt his muscles loosen much more than he ever remembered them doing before¡­ all this. ¡®Why the sigh?¡¯ Avi suddenly asked from the side, bringing his attention back to the moment. ¡°Ah, well, just reminiscing is all,¡± he said, then shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll likely have to look for the source of those goblins, huh?¡± he asked, not quite rhetorically. ¡®If you wish to live in peace, then yes,¡¯ she replied, nodding slightly. ¡°Gotta plan for that, though. Prepare,¡± he said, then grinned as he remembered his second favourite alliteration. ¡°Proper prior planning prevents piss-poor performance,¡± he said, not able to keep a smile from breaking out on his face, causing his hazel eyes to twinkle. ¡®Good advice,¡¯ Avi said, once again nodding. ¡®But, ¡°what¡¯cha¡¯gonna¡¯do?¡±¡¯ she asked in a surprisingly accurate warcrack orc impersonation. ¡°I¡¯ve got two things in mind to work on right away,¡± he said, then raised his hand with two fingers raised. ¡°The first is to get much better at creating astral constructs. The better, more familiar, I am with them, the more effective I¡¯ll be in a fight,¡± he said, dropping a finder. ¡®The second?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll need to practice more with [Crystal Shard]. Better aim, better manifesting time, and better damage. I¡¯ll need to get much better with it if I¡¯ve got any hope in holding my own in a fight,¡± he finished, dropping his last finger, making a fist. ¡°The constructs will be my tanks, while I¡¯ll be the ranged support.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a good idea,¡¯ Avi said, once again nodding along. ¡®And I think now will be the perfect time to practice,¡¯ she finished, pointing off behind him. Joram looked over and immediately spotted a group of goblins in the distance. Once again, they were the ugly kind of goblins, not the¡­ less scary-looking ones he¡¯d spotted the other day. Yesterday? Shrug. They were still a good couple hundred metres away, but they numbered in the dozens. They also had much larger goblins with them, which both pleased him that his prediction had been correct, and annoyed him that he¡¯d been correct. Possibly jinxing the whole thing. ¡®Will you head inside and turtle it up, or fight out here?¡¯ Avi asked, once again refocussing his attention. Joram thought about it for a few seconds, weighting the pros and cons of the situation. The obvious answer would be to turtle. He could watch out the peep hole, create, and then direct his constructs from the safety of his home. But he¡¯d also be trapped in there if they managed to break down his door. Staying on the roof might also work, but with the numbers coming his way, he was reasonably sure that they¡¯d be able to swarm him if he didn¡¯t have enough astral constructs made and defending the perimeter. Or just wait him out. Well, besiege the house, anyways. If they surrounded the house, he wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to run. And it looked as though they had bows. ¡°At least we know what direction they¡¯re coming from now,¡± he said, hoping that the distraction would help his creative process. ¡®There¡¯s that,¡¯ Avi agreed, but then shook her head. ¡®But that will only matter if you survive the encounter.¡¯ Joram frowned a bit at that, not wanting to go there. With how big the hobs looked, he wasn¡¯t at all confident that his door would hold out very long, even with the added bar as a brace. Though, he could fuse a couple of blocks to the floor to help keep it in place¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll head inside,¡± he said, then proceeded to roll of the roof to land on the forest floor, glad that it wasn¡¯t the concrete that would have been there back on Earth. He then quickly made his way into the apartment, closed, then locked the door behind him as he started retrieving concrete blocks from his inventory. A moment later, he had ten blocks and was stacking them the best he could before he mentally reviewed [Modify Matter], then began manifesting it. It was¡­ harder this time, probably due to the stress, but he managed to pull through, fusing all the blocks together, and then to the floor as best he could. It would at least provide a significant hurdle for anyone trying to kick in the door, let alone trying to get by it after breaking said door. The plan was coming along nicely until the first thundering boom rattled the door on its hinges. Eyes wide, Joram quickly went and retrieved both his sword and hunting knife, then got into position just to the side of the door. Never before had he so fervently wished that he¡¯d had a gun with which to defend himself. ¡°Damn, if I get through this-¡±, he paused as another impacted rattled the door. ¡°If I get through this, I¡¯m definitely working on making guns,¡± he said, drawing his katana as he kept an eye out for any openings in the door that he could exploit. ¡®That would probably be a good idea,¡¯ Avi replied, also starting at the door. ¡®But in the meantime, you should focus on getting [Crystal Shard] ready to go.¡¯ Joram suppressed a frown, knowing that her advice was coming from concern over their well-being. But, damn, he hated being told what to do; especially when he already knew what to do. In this case: fire off as many [Crystal Shard]s as he could while benefiting from what cover the door could provide him. With that thought in mind, he queued-up [Crystal Shard] and got ready to fire it off at the first bit of green he could see. Chapter 015 - [Energy Ball] The first opportunity presented itself a mere three impacts later when the door was partially pierced by what looked like a rounded log. As soon as the chunk of lumber was tugged out, a green face came close enough to the hole that Joram could see its yellow, bloodshot eyes. Eyes that were just calling out for a bit of glam. OK, bad joke, he mused as he released [Crystal Shard], aiming for said eyes. If seemed as though fortune was on his side, because either the goblin hadn¡¯t seen him just yet, or hadn¡¯t had time to react. The high velocity chunk of crystal took the goblin in its right eye, causing an eruption of gore as the eye was pierced, then an explosion of more gore as the chunk of crystal exited the other side of its head, felling the goblin instantly. One down, too many more to go, Joram thought as sudden silence overcame the scene for a few seconds. Then, the battle cries, and likely cries of outrage, resumed with a fervor that sent a slight chill down his spine. But instead of bolting like he wanted to, he stood his ground and prepared another [Crystal Shard] and waited as his heart continued to pound in his chest. The improvised battering ram then continued its work of demolishing his door, both making it a bit easier for him to see the goblins, while also making it easier for them to see him. Which was a problem when the first arrow came whizzing through the hole in the door when the battering ram had been retracted. Fortunately, the would-be assassin hadn¡¯t had a good line on him, as the arrow just barely missed him on its way by. Unfortunately, it hit his bookshelf, burying itself into one of his books, causing him to see red. ¡°Oh, you bastards wanna make it personal, do ¡®ya?!¡± Joram yelled as he tried to think of a power that would be more efficient in killing these damn pests. Then, after the next impact of the battering ram, an arm reached through the door, groping about. He was so stunned that he didn¡¯t immediately react as he watched the ¡°brave¡± goblin as it first found the crossbar, then tried to lift it up and out of the way. That snapped him out of his daze right quick. He then brought his katana up, then down in a vicious arc that resulted in a wailing goblin and a severed arm slowly leaking blood onto his floor. Once again, the goblins paused as the one wailed, but this time for only a second or two before the battering ram was put back to work. The hole was getting alarmingly large at this point, so he just threw caution to the wind. ¡®Are you sure that you want to try that already?¡¯ Avi suddenly asked, concern evident in her tone. ¡°Yeah, no,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°But, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll get ¡®em all before they start getting in,¡± he said, reviewing [Energy Ball], a 4th Level Power. Yes, he¡¯d had difficulty with similarly-leveled powers before, and even now. But if he didn¡¯t try something drastic, he really didn¡¯t feel that he¡¯d be making it out of there alive. ¡®Any preference in element?¡¯ she asked, choosing to go with it. Joram thought about it briefly, considering the extra damage from using fire to how hard the damage would be to avoid if he used electricity to the benefits of sonic damage. But, in the end, he chose cold. Yes, it also provided bonus damage, but the part that appealed to him in his case was that it wasn¡¯t something you could just jump out of the way of. He really didn¡¯t know if it would work like it did in the game manuals, but if he used cold, then instead of a reflex save, they¡¯d have to rely on a fortitude save. And considering that goblins were all about being small and maneuverable, he didn¡¯t like the chances of them avoiding a good deal of the damage if they managed to ¡°make their saving throw¡±, as it were. Sure, the hobs stood a better chance of succeeding, but at least he¡¯d get rid of most of the warband. Another impact of the battering ram managed to knock a larger chunk of the door aside, exposing him to an archer¡¯s line of fire. Which it very happily took advantage of, sending an arrow straight into his chest, just below his clavicle. As he fell back, his mind began comparing just how painful it was. All told, between being stabbed in the gut, thigh, and pelvis, he¡¯d rank it 3rd on the list of his most recent injuries. About 9th, overall, though. By the time he landed on his back, he could hear the cheers of victory coming from the goblins outside. In fact, they were so jubilant, that one stuck its head through the gaping hole in the door to have a look around. Such a perfect opportunity was, alas, wasted due to the inconvenience of having a bloody arrow in his chest! Gritting his teeth, he rolled onto his left side and used his left arm to push himself up, causing the goblin to begin jabbering before it quickly retreated. ¡°Damn, and I was hoping it¡¯d stay for tea,¡± he murmured around clenched teeth, now on his knees. It wasn¡¯t so bad if he didn¡¯t try to move his torso much, but as soon as he tried to stand again, pain lanced through his shoulder, nearly dropping him to the floor again. ¡°Damn,¡± he said, his brain feeling a bit swoosh-y. ¡°Now I really wish I had a psicrystal.¡± Avi regarded him for a few seconds, seemingly ignoring the resumed battering of the door behind her. At length, she finally spoke. ¡®Maybe you really should choose a Path. The added survivability that it would provide you would surely help see you through this crisis.¡¯ Joram blinked at her for a moment, now surer than ever that she wasn¡¯t just a V.I., for how could a V.I. look so damn concerned right then? But then his stubborn pride kicked in, refusing to give in. Give in to what? Inevitability? Reality? A bunch of murdering goblins? Having to rely on a ¡°System¡± to get through? Did it really matter? He¡¯d always been stubborn, to the point that it had caused him no few issues over the course of his life. From arrogant management to refusing to stay at home while sick to not asking for help when he truly needed it, his¡­ pride, had gotten in the way. Yes, that¡¯s what it was. It wasn¡¯t just sheer stubbornness, it was pride. The ¡°universal sin¡±, as it were. Would he allow that pride to kill him today? No, but. He wasn¡¯t out of the fight just yet. Taking shallow breaths, he slowly made his way to his feet at the battering ram provided a background beat to work to. An ever-increasing beat that filled him with urgency, pushing him along, jaw clenched tightly to avoid doing something stupid like accidentally biting his tongue off. After several more beats of the battering ram, Joram was once again on his feet, but leaning heavily against the wall, less than half a metre from the door. I can do this. Just need to focus more, he thought as he watched the battering ram once again smash a larger hole into his door. Cold, cold, gold¡­ wait. Cold! The absence of molecular motion¡­. Does it work that way in a fantasy world? Bah, who cares? Just focus on the coldest you¡¯ve ever felt. Focus on what things looked like after being covered in liquid nitrogen. The mist, the frost quickly growing on the super-frozen item¡­ As he thought this, Joram pulled up [Energy Ball], focussing on cold, frost, ice. Absolute zero. Heat death. Then, when the battering ram pulled way once more, he leaned forward slightly and focussed on a spot just six metres away from the door, right about centre of the raiding party, then spoke. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°[Energy BallA],¡± then fell back as a goblin archer let loose its arrow. The arrow came through the door at the same time as a deathly silence fell upon the area. Joram was glad that the second arrow had missed, not wanting to go through the experience of being skewered again. But then the silence continued until a faint tinkling sound caught his attention, along with a notification box that he mentally shoved aside. Once more gritting his teeth, Joram pushed off the wall to get a better look outside, then promptly goggled. In cartoons and stuff, frozen things took on an icy look, as though they¡¯d been carved out of ice the whole time. In reality, though, everything kept their colour. The lumpy green skin of the goblins was still green, their eyes that same putrid yellow. Even the blood-soaked bandage on the goblin was still bright red. But all of it was slowly being covered with hoarfrost, obscuring everything underneath it. But it wasn¡¯t just the goblins that had been affected, but also the forest. The many ferns that covered the forest floor in front of his house had also frozen solid, their fronds feathery with frost. Everything. Eyes wide, he shuffled a bit so that he could see better, then he finally stuck his head out the large hole, being very careful to not jostle the arrow still sticking out of his chest. ¡®I would say that that was a successful use of [Energy Ball],¡¯ Avi said, standing just outside the door as she, too, observed the eerily quiet scene. ¡°Good,¡± he said, then pulled back from the door and made his way to the comfy chair a couple of metres away. As carefully as he could, he plonked down into the chair¡¯s embrace and heaved a sigh of relief that then turned into a great grunt of pain. Grumbling some more, he reached over with his left hand, then paused. ¡°Teeth,¡± he murmured, looking around for something close that would do the job¡­ then sighed when he could only find one of those mega building blocks. Well, to be precise, the large bin of building blocks. So, he reached over with his left hand and dug around for a bit before finding one of those long ones that were only half as tall as the others. Before he could awkwardly place it into his mouth, Avi floated a dish towel over to him, amusement plain on her face. ¡®That¡¯ll likely work better.¡¯ Grunting his thanks, he rolled up the towel as fast as his one hand could manage before chomping down on it, very glad that it had been included whenever he¡¯d cleaned up in the place. After more hesitation than he cared to admit, Joram finally clamped down onto the arrow¡¯s shaft with his left hand and gave a mighty pull. Instantly, the experience reached his top 5 as he swooned in place, dazed for almost a minute as blood leaked from his chest. ¡®Joram!¡¯ Avi yelled at him, finally managing to snap him out of his dazed state. ¡°Yeah,¡± he croaked, the dish towel falling from his mouth. Still in shock, the used the dish towel to staunch the flow of blood as he tried to concentrate on [Natural Healing]. It took him a few tries, and a bit of a headache, but he eventually managed to manifest the power, which then closed-up the wound nicely. ¡°Fuck goblins,¡± he finally got out, still slumped in the comfy chair. ¡°What¡¯s their problem anyways? Gotta kill everything around them?¡± ¡®Depends on the tribe, I guess,¡¯ Avi commented, earning herself a glare for her efforts. ¡°Well, these ones have gotta go,¡± he grated out. ¡°I¡¯m gonna find them, then end them,¡± he said, conviction strong in his voice. ¡®And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?¡¯ Avi asked blandly. ¡®You¡¯ve already barely survived three encounters with them, all with a home advantage. If you go to their lair, settlement, or whatever, do you really think that you¡¯ve stand a chance, all alone? You just may need to take your first Path just to get strong enough to handle them.¡¯ Joram¡¯s jaw clenched again, but this time it was due to him holding back. For as much as Altaea, and by extension Avi as well, had claimed to know him, perhaps they hadn¡¯t known him that well. Had his other self gone through something similar? Or had it just been one long training session with Altaea? How much had they truly conversed during their time together? How much, and of what, had they gone over? Had he shared his deep-rooted beliefs in the sanctity of the home? Of how, in his opinion, anyone breaking into his home had willfully signed away their life by doing so? Not just that. But wasn¡¯t Reldan¡¯s village nearby? If the goblins were strong enough to sent out so many raiding parties, then were they strong enough to threaten his village? Threaten other people? Their families? What if his- Joram took a deep breath then, clearing away the emotional turmoil that had surged forth at that thought, then the shock of not having thought about them this whole time? What was going on? Had Altaea changed him so much that he¡¯d almost forgotten his daughters? Joram quickly turned to Avi, ready to blast her when the expression on her face stopped him dead. ¡®No, Joram,¡¯ she said, shaking her head. ¡®Altaea may have somewhat eased the pain for you, but she certainly did not do anything that would make you forget them. Remember, you¡¯ve been in a rather intense situation for the past couple of days. Reminiscing, however sweet it may be, isn¡¯t something that you could have indulged in without risking your life,¡¯ she finished, shaking her head. That stopped him short¡­ and made him think. He¡¯d always been¡­ disdainful of people who always blamed others or situations for things that either happened to them, or that they¡¯d done. Shit happens. Sometimes you made a mistake. But if you didn¡¯t own up to the parts that you were responsible for, then you were just delusional. And him not thinking about his daughters, well, that was on him. He was reasonably sure that Avi hadn¡¯t been using any Telepath powers on him. No, he¡¯d just been too caught up in the current situation to, as she called it, indulge in reminiscence. So, to give him all the time in the world to do that later, he had to ¡°PUT IN THE WORK!¡±, as Bob would have put it. He smiled, wondering what Bob would think of the astral constructs that he was using. Not that it really mattered, as Summoning was inherently different that creating things from raw ectoplasm. No cute dinos with personality for him. ¡°Sorry,¡± Joram said, getting back to the here-and-now. ¡°Stress sucks. But. I will kill every last one of those damn goblins,¡± he finished with a scowl. ¡®In due time,¡¯ Avi agreed/disagreed. ¡®First, you need to train more. We¡¯ll improve your defenses so that it will be easier to handle any other invaders in the future. In the meantime, I suggest fixing the door as soon as possible.¡¯ Joram grunted at that, then pushed himself out of the comfy chair. He¡¯d have more time to enjoy the chair after first attending to the issues of home security and safety. - - - It was just past noon, if his clocks were at all accurate on this planet, when he finished up the repairs. And improvements. It had taken a bit of doing, but he¡¯d managed to get enough of the door¡¯s pieces together to use [Repair] on it. After that, he¡¯d cleaned out the area in front of his house with an augmented [Cleanse], ridding himself of the thawing goblins, as well as all of the foliage that had been affected by the [Energy Ball]. He had felt a bit bad for the dead plants but, ultimately, he prioritized his own life above that of underbrush. After having collected a whopping seven cores, he¡¯d then gone and collected the various weapons left behind. After another moment¡¯s thought, he¡¯d also collected the various ¡°clothing¡± that the goblins had worn. Who new when having a pile of random rags might come in handy? At any rate, he¡¯d used most of the metal weapons in reinforcing the door, turning the blades into horizontal bands. As he worked, though, he found that manipulating metals had slowly gotten easier than it had been. That wasn¡¯t to say that his work was now a work of art, far from it, but it at least didn¡¯t have that wet noodle look, or melted wax look that his other works had. Considering the morning he¡¯d had, Joram supposed that this wasn¡¯t too bad. Sure, nearly dying again really sucked, but the notification that he¡¯d gotten had certainly raised his mood when he¡¯d eventually gotten around to reading it. Well, after dismissing his ¡°kill¡± notifications in it.
Congratulations! For your hard work, effort, and intent, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Metalshaping - Pain Resistance For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve leveled the following Skill: - Metalshaping 1 -> 2 - Pain Resistance 1 -> 2 Congratulations! For your hard work and effort, you¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - Constitution +1 - Intellect +1 - Spirit +1 - ??? +1 Congratulations! You have now gained a new Title: - Vivacious Survivor
For the Skills, he couldn¡¯t be happier. He wasn¡¯t sure just how effective [Pain Resistance] would be, but at this point, anything would be welcome. [Metalshaping] seemed pretty good, facilitating the ease in which he shaped metals. Which, really, probably explained his sudden progress with the door. Then the attribute gains had been fantastic. Again, he really didn¡¯t know if stats would be like MMOs where inflation made them pretty much meaningless, or like most tabletops where every stat point was a coveted thing. He still didn¡¯t know what ¡°???¡± represented, though. Which bugged him more than a little bit. As for [Vivacious Survivor]¡­ he was a bit conflicted. Not due to the benefits¡­
Vivacious Survivor - You have gone through three deadly attacks by yourself before gaining a Path. Not only that, but not a single one of your assailants lived to tell the tale. But you have. - Benefit: - Any Path that you choose will now provide an additional 2 HP and 2 ST per level. In addition to this, your regeneration rates for goth HP and ST are permanently increased by 1 each.
No, those were beyond fantastic for someone living in the woods all by themselves. It was the ¡°Vivacious¡± part that irked him somewhat, as that particular adjective was pretty much only used to describe women. Chapter 016 - New tutors **The Village** ¡°What do you mean I need to go teach someone how to speak common?¡± the young miss demanded, glaring at him for all she was worth. For his part, Theril had put this off as much as he could. For one, the young miss, Myra, was stubborn beyond belief. Suggesting that she take a cloak with her in the afternoon because it was going to rain- out of the goodness of his heart!- and she would be more likely to not take a cloak with her because someone had suggested it to her. Even if she¡¯d been likely to take one with her before you¡¯d said anything. The second thing was that she was likely to physically kick you if you pushed things too far with her. Given that she¡¯d managed to gain a Rare Path, compared to his Uncommon Path, and her growth wasn¡¯t anything to sneeze at. And it also seemed that she had added her extra attribute points into strength or speed, because he could swear that her kicks had started hurting more recently. Or maybe she¡¯d gotten a [Kick] Skill or something¡­. Either way, he¡¯d unwisely put off the encounter until the evening before they were due to once again visit the odd human in the woods. ¡°The Chief thinks that it would be a good idea to teach a friendly, if ignorant, human who¡¯s living close to the village,¡± he explained as calmly as he could, wary of her already twitching foot. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy getting out and about, not to mention that he¡¯ll more than likely feed us¡­¡± he slyly added, knowing full-well that food was one of the only things that could bribe or motivate the young shrine maiden. ¡°Oh?¡± she asked, her left ear twitching slightly as her foot calmed a bit. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where he¡¯s from, but I¡¯ve never had food like that before,¡± he said, nodding calmly as he tried to casually sell the situation for all that he was worth. ¡°I would even go so far as to describe it as ¡®heavenly¡¯,¡± he finished, noting the sparkle that was slowly developing in her eyes. ¡°Well, I guess it would be rude not to help a newcomer,¡± she said as she reached down to pick up one of the fox kits that she was helping to care for. Theril watched as she began grooming the little kit, no more than a month old. He was very impressed that its parents allowed such a thing, but considering that Myra was a [Miko], he shouldn¡¯t have been. For its part, the kit just sprawled out in her hands, thoroughly enjoying the grooming. It was one of the rare black foxes, so the extra brushing made its coat shine. ¡°Indeed,¡± he said, getting back to things. ¡°I think you both are about the same age, so that might make things a bit easier,¡± he said, thinking that things might go more smoothly between peers as opposed to having a significant generation gap. Though, he hadn¡¯t gotten that impression from Joram during his first visit. If anything, the young man seemed¡­ relaxed, yet¡­ vigilant? Attentive? Slightly anxious? He wasn¡¯t sure, but Theril thought that maybe Joram was a bit of a homebody, not one to entertain company often. ¡°What¡¯s age got to do with it?¡± Myra asked sharply, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him once more. Ah, horse shit, he thought, realizing that he¡¯d stepped in a gopher hole. That Myra was already twenty-one years old this year, and unmarried, was more than a sore spot for her parents. For Myra? Not so much. She pushed back against anyone that tried to guide her life in almost every way imaginable. From what to study, study tips, instructions, or helpful advice, it was all taken as people trying to control her life. That she was the daughter of the Chief only made it worse. Being the child of the Chief, even if she had a twin brother to help take away the attention on her, still wasn¡¯t something that she enjoyed. If anything, she was even worse with her well-intentioned brother. The ¡°perfect¡± child of the Chief. The exemplary student, son, and villager. Not only was he quite filial, but he was also higher level than his sister, of whom some murmured was slacking off. Theril had to admit that still being below Level 10 at her age was a bit¡­ uncommon. That said, he was pretty sure that her brother, Kalduin, hadn¡¯t reached Level 10 either, but he was sure that the young man was close. Anyways, he¡¯d said the wrong thing and had once again put up Myra¡¯s guard. ¡°Not much,¡± he said, making placating gestures as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s just that, well, I always had an easier time learning from my peers rather than one of the [Teacher]s or [Instructor]s. I figured that maybe this Joram fellow might also have an easier time with that, given how well he and Reldan seemed to get along,¡± he said, doing his best to deflect her ire.
Congratulations! For your hard work, effort, and perseverance, you¡¯ve leveled the following Skill: - Diplomacy 5 -> 6
Theril just about fell out of his chair when the announcement from the Great Protector came, but smiled when he read it. The Great Protector has recognized my efforts!! He jubilantly thought, beyond pleased at the recognition. ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± she said, giving him the side-eye as her hands continued their work. ¡°But why bring Kal along, then? Does mother suspect that he¡¯s not on the up and up?¡± ¡°I think that she suspects that of any new person coming to the village,¡± he said, deflecting slightly. ¡°That he¡¯d living out there, by himself, is certainly unusual. So, having a [Priest] there to rule out any potential deception would go a long way to vetting the young man.¡± Myra thought about that for a minute as her hands kept busy. She¡¯d already brushed the black kit as much as was wise, so she was now giving it a combination of scratches and a massage, resulting in a very puddle-like fox. After another moment, she picked up the now sleeping kit, placed it back in its bed, and picked up its sibling to start the process all over again. ¡°Do you think that he¡¯s dangerous?¡± she eventually asked, still focussing on her work. ¡°To us? No. I get the feeling that he¡¯s not a terribly aggressive person,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°That said, while we were there yesterday, there was some sort of attack that occurred-¡±, he paused when Myra¡¯s head whipped around so that she could pin him with her intense gaze. ¡°We¡¯re fine, no harm at all to us. In fact, the whole thing only lasted a couple of minutes before it subsided. Or ended? Anyways, Joram only looked through the little peek-hole thingy in his door while we just kind of stood around. ¡°That said, when we left, we found many fresh goblin tracks outside his house. I¡¯m not sure if they took off again, or what, but there were no bodies, or blood, anywhere. So, there¡¯s that,¡± he finished, very much not liking that he¡¯d had to share this with her. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Given how much Myra loved sussing-out mysteries, he very much suspected that Joram wouldn¡¯t have an easy time of it with her. He was just glad that Kalduin was also assigned to teaching duty, as that should- hopefully- help keep Myra in check. ¡°What do you suppose he did?¡± Myra asked, now more fully engaged in the conversation than she¡¯d yet been. Theril sighed before sharing his suppositions. Who knows? Maybe things would go as smoothly as they¡¯d gone when it had been just him and Reldan? He could only hope. * * * * * Joram was just as happy as a clam buried in sand. Or maybe a lactose-tolerant cat that had gotten into the creamery? Anyways. He¡¯d spend the rest of his day practicing his Powers, or at least the ones he¡¯d been using so far, as well as the Skills he¡¯d gotten from the System. Which had resulted in more than a few gains. [Concentration], [Metalshaping], [Meditation], and [Sculpting] had all gone up at least once. What¡¯s more, when he¡¯d once again reviewed his character sheet, he¡¯d found that he¡¯d missed a few things. Or, perhaps, they¡¯d shown up after he¡¯d looked earlier. Either way, he now remembered/knew that he had two interesting- and highly coveted- Skills that any isekai¡¯d person would drool over. [Analyze] and [Privacy Mode]. Now that he thought back a bit more, maybe they¡¯d already been mentioned? Well, that really didn¡¯t matter because he¡¯d only just started investigating them last night. [Analyze] seemed to be the same as the [Identify] Skill that you¡¯d see in your typical isekai setting. Once he¡¯d started using it, he came to realize that there were a few particularities about it. One: it could name everything. No joke. Everything. Even things that he genuinely knew nothing about. From the plants outside to exactly what kind of steel the kitchen sink was made of, it gave it all. Two: if he was at least partially knowledgeable about something, like glass, concrete, or metal, it would give him a much more detailed explanation regarding that item. It was crazy. It even broke down the percentage of what element was found in the item, give a list of uses, and even a durability counter. The last of which had worried him¡­ a lot. Every game he¡¯d played that had durability for items had varied things slightly. From them just plain breaking when the item lost all durability to just becoming useless and ¡°unequipable¡±. Then there was the repair mechanic, if you were lucky enough to have a developer who was kind enough to include such a thing. That said, he¡¯d have to pay a lot of attention to his items as he used them. For one, he didn¡¯t want something to break mid-combat, and thus put him in even more danger. For another, he wanted to see what happened to something that fell to zero durability through normal use of said item. Would it break? Would its effectiveness or efficiency drop? Or would it just plain vanish on him like some games did to you? Then there was [Privacy Mode]. It allowed you to choose whether or not to display something if someone [Identify]¡¯d you. He¡¯d massed around with it for a while after having [Analyze]¡¯d himself in the mirror, and had eventually settled on his current¡­ loadout?
Name: Joram Path: None Level: 0
He wasn¡¯t sure how much attention he would get for that, but he couldn¡¯t actually fudge stuff. Yet? He hoped so, because if he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d likely garner a lot of attention if people were able to [Identify] or [Analyze] him. Feeling good about his progress during the night, and his brief stint of meditation to renew himself, Joram got up and headed to the bathroom. He stopped in front of the mirror and looked appreciatively at his mostly regrown hair. Sure, the hair on top of his head was still only a couple of centimetres long, maybe an inch, but it was at least something. No, what he appreciated more was that his eyebrows had fully regrown. Given how fast his other hair had grown, it was entirely possible that his eyebrows had regrown long before now. Much like his beard. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°Could you tell me how to control my hair growth?¡± Avi gave him a weird look before she spoke. ¡®Just think about it.¡¯ ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know where to start, you know?¡± he said, getting a little exasperated with her. ¡®No. Literally think about it. That¡¯s it,¡¯ she said, tapping the centre of her forehead a few times with her index finger. ¡°Oh,¡± he replied sheepishly. He should have remembered that, given how much he¡¯d written about Altaea over the years, and thus High Elans. Hair and nail growth, and even colour, could be controlled by a High Elan. And that was the simple stuff. From the nearly perfect innate control High Elans had over their body, they could control almost every aspect of their body, physiology, and to a certain extent, morphology. He could choose to look how old or how young as he¡¯d like. Within certain limitations, that is. He still needed to consider things like preservation of mass and all that, so he couldn¡¯t just choose to look like a toddler version of himself. Well, there were Powers for that sort of thing anyway, so that didn¡¯t really matter too much to him. Which got him thinking. Did the amount of physical self awareness and control that he had mean that most [Psychometabolism] Powers would come easier to him? Was that why it was comparatively easier to use [Natural Healing] than it had been to use [Astral Construct]? Probably. Knowledge was, after all, power for Psions. Or, perhaps, Power? Was that why the old game developers had called psionic spells ¡°Powers¡± in the old days? Was it just a pun? Shaking his head, Joram returned his attention to the mirror, taking in his face. It was still the same face that he¡¯d seen the first day¡­ 4 days ago? Anyways, same face, but with hair. His beard was certainly thicker than it had been at any time of his previous life. Not only that, the hair itself was straight! No more curly beard!! He just about did a little happy dance before reigning himself in. He had things to do, after all. He then took a couple of minutes to examine his hairlines, from jaw to neck to scalp and found that they were pretty much the same as they¡¯d been before he¡¯d become a High Elan. The beard covered up to his mid cheeks, angling slightly up as it approached his sideburns. On the bottom, he was surprised to see that it was remarkably level. Not likely to need trimming to make it look good. Or, just attention? ¡°Can I just turn off hair growth entirely?¡± he asked, thinking about how annoying trying to get a haircut would be when he didn¡¯t even know where the closest bastion of civilization was located. ¡®Yes.¡¯ So, he concentrated on that for a moment before stopping, unsure if it had worked or not. Then shrugged. He¡¯d certainly find out tomorrow morning. With that done, he ran a bath, stripped, and had a good soak. Still, nothing beat a good bath for relaxation. Well, when alone, anyways. He was reasonably sure that the likelihood of getting a massage was effectively zero, after all. Then, as the water was getting to the point of being lukewarm, he heard a knock at the door. ¡°Right, they said they¡¯d come back today,¡± he mumbled as he got out of the bath, towelled off, and pulled on his pants. As he walked to the door, he slung the towel over his shoulders, not really caring if the guys saw him without his shirt. Especially after having interrupted bath time. * * * * * Given that his two companions weren¡¯t used to trekking through the forest, Theril wasn¡¯t surprised that it had taken them almost half an hour longer than it would have had it just been him and Reldan. But eventually, they¡¯d made it. Now just approaching the unusual fortress-like house, he heaved a silent sigh of relief. ¡°You weren¡¯t exaggerating, were you?¡± Kalduin asked as he looked at the one-story building that more or less looked like a giant box of some sort of stone. ¡°No windows? Really?¡± Myra asked, looking both dubious and somewhat appalled at the thought of living in a place without natural sunlight. ¡°From what Reldan told me, there were windows the first time he visited. But, for some reason, they were walled-up by the time we returned,¡± Theril explained, silently applauding Joram¡¯s ability to do so, and the judgement that led to it. ¡°Goblins?¡± Kalduin asked, looking around a bit warily. ¡°More than likely,¡± he said, nodding as he continued to keep an eye out for the murderous little bastards. ¡°Given that he¡¯s alone out here, would you blame him?¡± The twins shook their heads at the same time as they continued to inspect the house as they approached. It struck him as funny how they could be so unconsciously in sync when Myra would actively try to do things differently if she was paying attention. When they arrived at the door, Myra took the lead by stepping up and rapped on the door with her knuckles, avoiding the new metal bands in favour of the more forgiving wood. Was he attacked again? He wondered, inspecting the metal bands as he waited. They weren¡¯t anything to write home about, maybe something an apprentice smith might produce¡­ if you considered that he hadn¡¯t seen a forge on his last visit, nor had he smelled anything of the sort. Curious, and curiouser, he thought, the sound of the door being unlocked and unbarricaded came a few moments later. Then there he was¡­. ¡°Hel-¡± Joram began, then noticed Myra in front of him at the same time they all noticed that he was only wearing pants and a towel around his neck, revealing surprisingly defined muscles for the three of them to see. Before they could react, Joram slammed the door shut, shocking them all to varying degrees. For his part, Kalduin just seemed offended at the rudeness of it all. Theril, though, could understand both sides, his and Joram¡¯s. They hadn¡¯t exactly mentioned that Reldan wouldn¡¯t be returning, nor that he¡¯d be bringing two new people along for the visit. But Myra, though, worried him more than a little bit. Her complexion was growing redder by the second, outrage and indignation warring with one another on her face. By the time the door opened a minute later, both of Myra¡¯s tails had appeared, and both showed just how angry she was. Well, goblin guts, he thought, wishing that it could have just been him and Reldan today. Chapter 017 - Muleheaded Who does that!? Myra silently fumed as she stared at the door. What sort of rude, uneducated, uncouth, unrefined, rude-head does that?! Who does he think he is?! We came out here, just for him! I damn-well hope that Theril doesn¡¯t expect me to be polite to that damn human after this! And so on and so forth went her thoughts as she stared at the door, not noticing that her Skill to hide her tails had lapsed due to her increasingly bad mood. When the door once again opened, there stood ¡°Joram¡±, sans towel, and now with a shirt on. What did that matter? She thought as she noticed his eyes once again widen in apparent shock, or surprise as they fixed on her waist area. What¡¯s up with this human?! First he slams the door in her face, then he starts staring at her hips! She¡¯d even made sure to dress in her traditional attire, that of a [Miko]. White, long-sleeved shirt, with flowing and loose pants, all held together with a sash around her waist. Nothing to gawk at. Had he never seen a woman before? She quickly looked down at herself, making sure that the fold in her shirt hadn¡¯t shifted too much during the hike and found that it was more than acceptably positioned, as were her pants and sash. Then she spotted her tails, and her frown deepened. ¡°Stop staring at my tails, you pervert!¡± she yelled as her foot came up to kick him between the legs with all of her 6 Strength. For his part, the pervert blinked at her as his left leg shifted slightly so that it took the full brunt of her kick, causing him to lose his balance slightly before once again regaining it a moment later. ¡°What?¡± the pervert asked, looking more than a little bit annoyed with her. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯?! Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to stare at a person¡¯s tail?!¡± she practically yelled at him, wagging a finger under his nose as she leaned forward while trying not to show how sore her foot was from connecting with his leg. ¡°Myra, stop,¡± Kalduin said from her side as the same time that Theril piped in. ¡°Enough!¡± The tone of command in Theril¡¯s voice stopped her mid-wag, causing her to stare at him incredulously. ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Theril said, physically picking her up by her shoulders and setting her aside so that he could step up and address the jerk. ¡°Sorry,¡± Theril said slowly to the blockhead. ¡°We come to teach.¡± Her would-be student just glared for a minute before finally nodding, opening the door further so that they could enter his ¡°home¡±. Now that she wasn¡¯t as distracted by his rudeness, Myra finally noticed that the brute wasn¡¯t quite as brutish as she¡¯d initially thought. Not only was he now properly attired for company, but he also cut a decent profile for a human. He was taller than her by at least half a head, but also very broad at the shoulders. He seemed to have a square jaw under that short beard of his, which was remarkably full for someone so young-looking. Then there was his house. The inside was almost as bright as it was outside due to some sort of exotic lights on the walls. The floor looked to be tiled by something very hard that looked a bit like flecked marble, but didn¡¯t have the same look that marble did. The room that they¡¯d entered seemed to be connected with what looked like a kitchen, its cabinets much fancier than she¡¯d ever seen, never mind the strange things she saw in there. There was also a large table with chairs to the left, though the whole left side of said table was pushed against the wall, likely due to the lack of space in the room. Then there was everything else. She couldn¡¯t identify most of what she saw, not truly. Sure, that was certainly a bookshelf, but she couldn¡¯t read any of the words on what looked like incredibly expensive books. Are they spell books or something? Then there were the various items in the room. Nothing resembled anything that she¡¯d ever seen in her entire life. From a black, glass topped¡­ thing the size of a standard writing board to a greyish coloured device that was somewhat blocky, but rounded at the edges that also had a sort of opening at the bottom for¡­ paper? ¡°What is that¡­?¡± she unconsciously murmured to herself as she stared at the impossibly smooth and white stuff. *Ahem* ¡°It is good to see you, Joram,¡± Theril spoke slowly, enunciating his words as best he could as he held out his hand for the weird guy to shake. ¡°It is good,¡± the weird guy agreed, taking Theril¡¯s hand in his surprisingly large one. Even Theril was shorter than the weird guy, only standing slightly taller than Kalduin, who was only slightly taller than her; even though she was considered tall for a woman. Taking another look, she realized that the weird guy was larger than Theril, a [Guardian]. Someone who was supposed to be the defender of a group. She was brought back to the moment when Kalduin stepped forward to introduce himself. ¡°Hello, I am Kalduin,¡± he said, also speaking annoyingly slowly as he too reached out a hand to shake. ¡°Good,¡± the linguistically challenged guy said as he took Kalduin¡¯s hand in his massive one. After that, both her brother and Theril turned to her with expectant look as the silence stretched. She grudgingly stepped forward, conscious of both her foot and how large this Unknown was, but firmed her resolve as she introduced herself. ¡°I am Myra,¡± she said, then stuck her own hand out to shake his. The brute just grunted as he enveloped her slender hand in his very large, and warm, hand. He shook it once before letting go, not really giving her a chance to try to squeeze his hand for all she was worth. ¡°Learn time?¡± he asked, motioning to the chairs at the table. Myra was about to say something when Theril actually elbowed her in the side, interrupting her. ¡°Yes, learning time,¡± he said, correcting the brute¡¯s grammar. ¡°Learn-ing. Learning. Good,¡± he said, astonishing her with how quickly he both picked up the word and its proper pronunciation. The not-so-dim guy then motioned to the chair again before taking the one at the foot of the table. Myra looked at her brother and Theril who were evidently trying to figure out who should sit where, and sighed. If she left things to those two, then who knew how long it would take to get bear-face fluent in common? Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. So, she took the chair closest to her new student, using her Path Skill to once again hide her tails. She did note, however, that the chairs they¡¯d been offered all had ladder backs to them, making her think that maybe her student wasn¡¯t as thoughtless as he seemed. Her student, however, seemed more than a bit leery with how close she was to him. She also noticed that she subtly shifted his left leg behind the table leg that stood between the two of them. Not so stupid, maybe¡­ * * * Joram wasn¡¯t very comfortable having the violent blue-eyed fox-lady named Myra sitting so close to him during the lesson. Nor with the fact that she seemed to have taken charge of said lesson. That said, at least the kick hadn¡¯t hurt that much. His own sisters had done much worse to him in his youth, after all. But, he still didn¡¯t know what to think of the little vixen. Wait, was that racist? Whatever. At least she seemed to know what she was doing, better than Reldan had, anyways. The lesson was much more thorough, going over a significantly larger range of topics than they¡¯d gone over the day before yesterday. Then there was Kalduin. Given how much they resembled each other, he very much suspected that they were siblings. Now, given how terrible he was at guessing ages, never mind those of foxkin, he couldn¡¯t say who was older. But given the dynamics between the two, and the overly patient look on Kalduin¡¯s face, he suspected that she was the younger sister. At least he¡¯d gotten another level in [Linguistics] out the whole affair. Which, upon minimal reflection, shouldn¡¯t have been unexpected since the ¡°tutoring¡± session had lasted almost four hours. Poor Theril was practically asleep on his chair, fighting to stay awake and attentive as the other two taught him. Even Kalduin looked tired by the end of it, which was brought about by Theril¡¯s growling stomach. Much to his relief. For as pretty as Myra was, she was also a bit scary. Every time his eyes would go to where her two tails had been, her eyes would flash and he¡¯d be back to staring at the book that she¡¯d brought. One of the books. She¡¯d brought seven. At least that was done, and he could just concentrate on making them a bite to eat before sending them off. What to make, what to make¡­? Rifling through the pantry because he was getting a bit tired of mac¡¯n¡¯cheese with wieners, he eventually found something that might do. The bag of macaroni in hand, he then retrieved a jar of pasta sauce and placed both on the counter. A quick trip to the freezer then saw him with two packs of ground beef, as they were only half a kilo each. Soon enough, he had the ground beef thawing/browning under the lid of the saucepan, a generous sprinkling of herbs on top to give it some good flavour. As he worked on the onions next, because sauce without caramelized onions was a travesty, he noticed that Theril was looking a bit down. On the other hand, the siblings¡¯ attention was practically rivetted on him as he worked, their noses twitching appreciatively¡­ until the onion vapours got to them, that is. At that point, both seemed to become skeptical of what was happening to their awaited meal, but he just shrugged. Onions were indeed less offensive after having been cooked, so he¡¯d wait until they tasted them to see what they ultimately thought of the experience. Then the ground beef was ready to be shaved, so he took his spatula and worked off the browned meat, flipping the two slabs of ground beef over so that the other side could cook more while the raw side thawed. After that, he got to methodically chopping the cooked portion of the ground beef with this spatula, not stopping until the ground beef was smaller than a dime, at which point he repeated the shaving process again. So on and so forth it went until the ground beef was completely thawed and almost all brown. That was when he added the slivered onions to the mix, stirring it in as he turned up the heat a bit. Then went in a bit of dried garlic- because garlic was life-, not having any fresh garlic on hand. Much to his shame. Which got him thinking about the rest of the produce that was slowly wilting in his fridge. He¡¯d either have to get rid of it, or find a way to plant it or something. Especially because the trio didn¡¯t seem familiar with onions. Would he have access to anything remotely similar to what he was used to having. Used to using? ¡­ did it matter? If he didn¡¯t have to eat, did he care? ¡­ yes. Yes he did. Sure, he didn¡¯t have to eat, but he still enjoyed doing so from time to time¡­. Since he¡¯d arrived a few days ago, that is. With those thoughts in mind, he idly perused the list of psionic powers in his mind and was pleasantly surprised to find a power that seemed like it would help. [Grow]. Now on autopilot, he reviewed the power in his head as his hands did their own thing, long familiar with the process. For being a level one power, it was amazingly complex with how many options where were for augmenting it. Starting with making a seed sprout and grow at an accelerated rate, the options soon went a bit wild. He could create a seed from a portion of vegetable matter or even alter the seed¡¯s properties so that he could get a different plant out of it. Then little things like changing the color of the plant, its flowers, when it flowered, if it would flower, or even be able to be used to make a cutting to create another plant. For now, maybe he¡¯d just stick with producing seeds and accelerating their growth. He truly didn¡¯t want to be responsible for introducing a crazy new plant into a new ecosystem¡­. Ah, he thought, realizing that he¡¯d be doing just that by making new seeds, new plants that might not be native to this world. Could he make a greenhouse? Maybe that would be the solution to his veggie needs. Ooh, and fruits! Before his mind could go any further, though, the stove beeped at him to remind him to check on the macaroni noodles. So, he did. For him, they were just right. Cooked enough to avoid any unnecessary firmness that would result in harder bits from getting stuck in your molars. He really hated over-done noodles, so he hoped that this bunch weren¡¯t that kind of people. Moments later, he was straining the pot, then quickly rinsing the noodles in cold water to stop the cooking process. He¡¯d saved a bit of the original water so that he could re-coat the noodles, as that helped the sauce stick to them better. Some people liked that, after all. Then came the bowls and spoons, because he was both practical and weird. Out came the grated parmesan from the fridge along with a bottle of Frank¡¯s. He kinda liked a bit of spice with his meal, but he¡¯d also run out of ground cayenne pepper, so it would have to do. After portioning an equal amount of noodles into each of their bowls, he placed them in front of the trio, getting a bit of a weird look from Theril in the process. Grinning, he then retrieved the saucepan, a serving ladle, and stepped back over to them. ¡°Some people like more, some less,¡± he said, motioning to the covered pan with the ladle, getting nods of understanding in return. Since Myra was closest, he grudgingly presented the ladle to her first. Once she had the ladle in hand, he removed the lid, then allowed the condensed steam to flow down and back into the pan before turning the lid upside down while presenting the pan¡¯s contents to her. Up to that point, the trio had remained somewhat wary of the red sauce due to the presence of the onions earlier. But once their noses caught a whiff of the bolognaise, their tails began to wag slightly. Though, for Myra, she just seemed to drool a bit from the corner of her mouth. Good enough, he thought with a mental chuckle. Very carefully, Myra inserted the ladle into the bolognaise and brought it to her bowl, spreading the sauce over the noodles. ¡°Quickly. It is better when hot,¡± he said, encouraging her to hurry the hell up. That seemed to bring her out of her foody-daze, though, as she then quickly took a slightly smaller scoop of the sauce before awkwardly looking at both of his full hands. Rolling his eyes, he set the lid down on the counter and retrieved the ladle from her before stepping over to her brother. Who took exactly the same amount as his sister had. Sure, OK. Another mental shrug later, and he was now serving a grateful Theril. After all that was done, he noticed that Myra hadn¡¯t touched her food yet, causing him to wonder. Were table manners here pretty close to what they were back on Earth? Thinking that that was the case, he hurriedly served up his own sauce before offering the parmesan to his guests. Myra took the container, giving it the once over- probably due to its alien nature to her. After a quick sniff, she almost sneezed before giving him another sharp look. This time he managed to refrain from rolling his eyes as he took the container and shook the delicious bits of goodness onto his own meal. Then he handed it back before stirring everything together. Seemingly taking courage from his actions, or perhaps not wanting to violate some sort of guest etiquette or something, Myra sprinkled a bit of parmesan onto her meal before passing the container to her brother, who just shrugged and followed suit. Theril took a quick sniff when the got the container, causing his eyes to open a bit wider as a slight grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. I guess it smells a bit similar to the other ¡°cheese¡±¡­? He wondered, but ultimately couldn¡¯t say for sure. During that time, Joram had also mixed in a bit of Frank¡¯s into his meal, still lamenting the lack of actual cayenne pepper in his spice cupboard. Myra raised a brow at the bottle, seemingly wondering if she should take some herself. ¡°Hot,¡± he said, making a fanning motion in front of his face. Instead of looking understanding or something, Myra¡¯s jaw got a stubborn set to it as she looked at the bottle. He really didn¡¯t want her to ruin her meal if she wasn¡¯t used to spicy food, so he just shook his head at her, moving the bottle to his right side, away from her. That was when he truly discovered just how muleheaded his new teacher was. Chapter 018 - Death by spice He¡¯d only been paying attention peripherally to the young miss, instead savouring the delightful aroma wafting up to his nose from the bowl in front of him. But now, his gaze sharpened as his survival instincts kicked in. Reviewing the past few seconds in his mind, Theril realized what had alerted him: Myra¡¯s back going straight as a rod. Normally, her posture was beyond reproach, having been coached from youth. But when her stubborn streak kicked in, her back became like a board. He quickly glanced at her ears, not wanting to be rude and all, and found that both were now distinctly facing their host. Hob crap, he thought, trying to think of any possible way to diffuse the situation, whatever it was, before Myra once again lost her temper. ¡°Hot-hot,¡± Joram said, waving at his mouth with one hand while trying to keep the bottle out of Myra¡¯s hands with the other. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that!¡± she said, trying in vain to wrestle the bottle out of his one hand with both of hers. ¡°Myra, now be reasonable,¡± Kalduin started to interject before getting a scathing look from his sister. ¡°Myra,¡± Theril finally spoke, his tone leaning heavily towards warning and the implication that if she didn¡¯t listen, she¡¯d be in a lot of trouble. ¡°No, I won¡¯t sit idly by while I¡¯m insulted,¡± she said, glaring at them all as her head swung back and forth to allow her to do so. ¡°If our gracious host finds this condiment palatable, then I surely would as well.¡± Theril was at a loss. Had she gone crazy? He could smell the stuff from here, and that was enough to make his nose twitch more than it had for the odd white root vegetable that Joram had chopped up earlier. ¡°No, waste food is bad,¡± Joram said in his broken, albeit exquisitely enunciated common as he looked from Myra to her bowl of food. ¡°If it¡¯s good enough for your food, it¡¯s good enough for mine,¡± Myra stubbornly persisted. ¡°Why not try some of it first?¡± Theril asked, desperately hoping that his level in [Diplomacy] was high enough to convince the headstrong woman. Joram looked at him, blinked, then seemed to get the gist of what he¡¯d said. Then Theril just about laughed out loud when Joram stood up, bottle still in hand, and in Myra¡¯s hands. She was dragged up by her arms, nearly overturing her bowl, much to Joram¡¯s clear annoyance¡­ which worried him more than a little, if he was being honest with himself. So far, they knew almost nothing about the young human. Who he was, what Paths he might have taken, or how strong he was. Given that Myra was now dangling from one of Joram¡¯s upraised arms, he suspected that he might be about as strong as he was, which was saying something. Though, given the man¡¯s size, perhaps that shouldn¡¯t have surprised him. Kalduin looked torn between scandalized and wanting to laugh his tail off. Theril couldn¡¯t blame him as he watched Joram step over to the kitchen, open a drawer with his free hand, and retrieved an oddly shaped red spoon. It was very hard not to either laugh, or try to intercede in what was happening given his current responsibilities. But during all that, Myra continued to grumble out things that varied from insults to insisting that she¡¯d be fine. Joram glanced between the spoon in his hand, the contested bottle, and the red-faced Myra hanging from his arm. His frown deepened to the point where Theril thought that he should intercede post haste, but was too late. Joram¡¯s free hand, his left hand, quickly shot out and poked Myra in the side, eliciting a very childish squeak/shriek from her as she dropped to the floor, barely managing to keep from falling over. Then her tails popped back into being, already poof¡¯d out in anger. But before she could fully explode, Joram¡¯s frown quickly morphed into a scowl before he spoke one word. ¡°Sit.¡± From where he was standing, Theril could feel the intensity of both his gaze and the command, nearly causing him to look for his chair. Fortunately, he¡¯d had many years of weathering the Chief¡¯s various moods, including moods like this. So, he remained standing. But Kalduin immediately found his chair and sat. Then his heart nearly stopped as Myra also complied, her tails low enough already that she didn¡¯t need to worry about fitting them through the bottom of chair¡¯s back. Theril stood there, stunned. What just happened? He asked himself and Joram continued to stare at Myra for a few seconds longer before lowering his right arm, bottle still in hand. With great relief in his heart, Theril watched as Joram opened the bottle, its top on some sort of tiny hinge, and pour out a little bit of the red stuff into the weird, and small, spoon. ¡°Try. If it is big hot, no put on food,¡± he said, giving her a very stern look that inexplicably reminding him of his father scolding him as a child. Theril was further impressed and astonished when Myra¡¯s ears began to wilt a bit, then once again terrified when her back once again regained its rod-like posture. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, taking the small red spoon full of the nose-stinging red liquid. To her credit, she only hesitated a moment more before stuffing the spoon into her mouth and swallowing. Everyone waited with bated breath it seemed¡­ except for Joram. He just continued to stare at Myra, who¡¯s ears were slowly perking back up. From where he was, he couldn¡¯t quite see Myra¡¯s face, so he silently side-stepped until he could. Then he got worried again. Myra¡¯s face had started to turn deeper shades of red as the seconds passed. Her ears were once again fully erect but were now also vibrating, clearly showing her distress. Not only that, but sweat had already started to bead on her face, then began rolling down as she did her best to keep watery-eyed contact with Joram. Only eleven seconds after having taken the spoonful of red death, Myra burst out in hysterical squeals about burning alive, tears now freely flowing down her face. Kalduin was torn between helping his twin and attacking the one who¡¯d caused her so much obvious pain. Theril, though, knew what to do. ¡°How to we help?¡± he asked Joram who was stepping over to the tall white box and opening the top door. ¡°Here, eat this,¡± he said, pulling out what looked like an incredibly well-cut slice of bread from some sort of clear, yet colourful¡­ bag? Myra practically bit his hand off in her haste to find relief, chomping on the slice of bread until it was gone a few moments later. ¡°Eat more slow,¡± Joram said, sounding exasperated as he handed her a second piece of bread. This time, Myra bit off a hard-looking chunk and ate it much slower, taking her time to chew before swallowing. This seemed to work better, as both her complexion and sweating improved very quickly. Another couple of minutes passed in silence as Myra slowly, and methodically, ate the bread as Kalduin hovered protectively at her side. Eventually, Myra looked up at Joram with red eyes and spoke. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, pinning him with her malevolent, bloodshot eyes. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Bread,¡± Joram grunted, then put the oddly wrapped loaf back into the white box-thingy as Myra stared at him incredulously. ¡°Not that! The red stuff!¡± she exclaimed, pointing at the glass bottle on the table. ¡°Frank¡¯s,¡± Joram said, pointing at the bottle, making all three of them turn to one another as they tried to figure out what Joram had said. ¡°Too hot,¡± he said, picking up the bottle and pouring some onto his own, larger, spoon. ¡°For you.¡± With that said, he put into his mouth at least three times what Myra had. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock, expecting a reaction at least on par with Myra¡¯s. But as the seconds passed, his face remained impassive to the deathly liquid that he¡¯d just ingested. ¡°Now, eat,¡± he said, bringing their attention back to their own food, much to Theril¡¯s relief. So, with Joram taking a seat, the rest of them follow suit. Now that the lunchtime¡­ diversion had been dealt with, his stomach was reminding him that he hadn¡¯t eaten since before dawn. Fortunately, Joram had mercy on them as he took the first bite of his food, thus allowing them to commence. Then it was all savoury bliss combined with the somewhat sharp taste of the finely grated cheese. The noodles were similar in shape for what had been used to make the ambrosia-like orange dish, but their texture and taste were slightly different. But still amazing. The red sauce was nothing like he¡¯d experienced before. The slight tang, the saltiness as well as the savoury nature of the sauce all went perfectly with the meat that was mysteriously easy to chew. Not like the ¡°wieners¡± in the orange dish, but still chewy like meat should be. Then his spoon clinked in his bowl, letting him know that he¡¯d unconsciously devoured it all. Blushing a bit, he stole a glance at Kalduin¡¯s bowl and found that the young [Priest] was almost done with his own food, a look of bliss on his face. Looking a bit further, he was astonished to see that Myra hadn¡¯t finished her own bowl yet. Taking a second look, it didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d taken more than a spoonful before having laid said spoon beside her bowl. What is going on? * * * * * Joram ate in silence, pretending to not notice that Myra wasn¡¯t eating. Sure, she¡¯d eaten a spoonful, but she¡¯d stopped shortly after that. He felt a bit bad for having given her the Frank¡¯s against his better judgement, but sometimes people wouldn¡¯t learn until they experienced something for themselves. Like having a found that felt like you¡¯d popped a hot coal in it. Then swallowed it. He could imagine how her stomach felt like, having gone through something similar in the past. He did not envy the next couple of times she¡¯d need to go to the bathroom. He didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be anywhere near what he¡¯d experienced, mostly due to Frank¡¯s not being that bad, but it would probably still be somewhat uncomfortable for her. Hmm, what do they use to wipe here? He mused, pacing himself so that he¡¯d still have half a bowl left by the time the other two men finished their meals. Would she appreciate some toilet paper? Or¡­ does [Cleanse] work like it does for Rain? He paused eating for a moment, as he tried to figure out the last time he¡¯d used the toilet. ¡®Avi?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡®Does [Cleanse] also get rid of waste in ones¡¯ bowels?¡¯ ¡®No, it does not,¡¯ she replied, shaking her head. ¡®Even though you¡¯re a few organs short, your body has been improved upon significantly. Even if you choose to eat something, there is practically no waste left behind after you¡¯ve digested it.¡¯ ¡®Define, ¡°practically¡±,¡¯ he sent, now very curious about his new physiology. ¡®Any solids are reduced to less than 0.001% of volume consumed, as almost everything is converted into energy.¡¯ Holy efficiency Batman! Joram shook his head just before noticing that the two other guys had finished their servings. ¡°More?¡± he asked, motioning to their bowls. Theril, the obviously more conscientious one, quickly glanced at Myra¡¯s stoic face, then with every indication of great reluctance, shook his head. ¡°No, that is good, thank you,¡± he replied, the pain in his eyes making his eyes sparkle. ¡°OK,¡± he replied, not wanting to infringe upon the man¡¯s pride. ¡°Wait,¡± he said, then took Myra¡¯s bowl before heading back into the kitchen, ignoring her indignant look. A moment later he had a few zipseal containers; those cheap ones you¡¯d get at the store if you weren¡¯t sure you¡¯d get them back. Soon enough, he¡¯d packed away the leftovers, even adding some parmesan to each of the containers. For Myra¡¯s leftovers, he pulled open a drawer, the ¡°junk drawer¡± that exists in just about everyone¡¯s house, and grabbed a permanent marker. A quick scribble later, and he was done. ¡°Here,¡± he said, passing a stack of containers to Kalduin, who then stared at them as though trying to figure out what they were. He then handed Myra hers, her name written in their weird runic scrip in black marker on the top. She blinked, then blinked again when she finally read what he¡¯d written. ¡°You spelled it wrong,¡± she said as she turned away, causing his eyebrow to twitch a bit. ¡°Thank you!¡± Theril quickly spoke up and stepped over to distract him. Man, is this guy actually her babysitter? ¡°Yup,¡± Joram replied, getting an odd look from Theril for his use of the english language. ¡°Later?¡± he asked, raising his non-twitching eyebrow. ¡°Yes. Two days?¡± Theril asked, still talking as though Joram was a toddler. Well, he couldn¡¯t blame him as he¡¯d only had two real lessons in the language so far. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, then a thought occurred to him. ¡°Hmmm, help find,¡± he said, hating his limited vocabulary as he stepped over an pulled a sheet of paper from the printer¡¯s tray. ¡°Find what?¡± Theril asked, looking intrigued. As Joram quickly sketched out one of the ugly goblins, Kalduin and Myra also leaned over to see what was going on. For as hard as he tried, he quickly realized that he¡¯d gotten more than just a little bit rusty over the yet. Some things were easy enough, but the fact that he¡¯d never tried to draw a goblin before seemed to make the whole process harder than he would have liked. Especially given Myra¡¯s expression. One that clearly told him that she was trying very hard not to laugh at him. ¡°Find,¡± he said, holding up the ¡°reasonable¡± semblance of a goblin for them to see. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a dungeon goblin,¡± Kalduin said, nodding as though that made sense. Which got the other two nodding, though Theril looked the most confident of the bunch. ¡°Why do you need to find them?¡± Theril asked, looking back at him. ¡°Because they attack me. A lot,¡± he said, glad that his vocabulary had been good enough for at least that. ¡°Really?¡± Kalduin asked, looking both a bit interested, and a lot concerned. ¡°Yes,¡± Joram affirmed, now frowning slightly at the young man who then raised his hands in a placating-like gesture. Even their body language was a bit different that what he was used to¡­. Remembering that he needed to level his [Analyze] Skill, and that he also knew practically nothing about his guests, Joram quickly identified the three of them.
Name: Theril Namar, 25 Path: [Guardian] Level: 13
Name: Kalduin Manelle, 21 Path: [Priest] Level: 9
Name: Myra Manelle, 21 Path: [Miko] Level: 7
Huh, are those levels good? In PFRPG, at least Theril would be considered to be in the higher levels. But, is that good for their ages? Are they just hanging around their village all day, or are they actively adventuring? Well, at least Theril and Myra seem to have Rare Paths, while Kalduin seems to¡­ have a common one? I wish I could see their stats. That might give me an idea of where I¡¯m at¡­. Seeing that the three of them still looked a bit dubious, Joram told them to wait there. Instead of just taking out one of the cores from his inventory that he¡¯d gotten from the goblins, he decided to pretend to need to get something from his bedroom. He only spent a few seconds in there, having easily retrieved the core, yet not wanting it to look weird. Then he went back, arriving just in time for Myra¡¯s belly to gurgle, causing her to blush as she pressed her hands to her stomach in alarm. Oh, literal, crap, he thought, remembering one of the unfortunate ways that strong spice could affect people. Seeing as how Myra was still able to play it cool, he decided to quickly ask before something happened. ¡°This from goblins,¡± he said, presenting the tiny core to Theril. Theril looked down, then blinked before reaching out to pick it up, but paused before he could. ¡°Can I?¡± he asked, motioning to the core. Joram just put it into the man¡¯s hand, not bothering to waste time by responding. Theril stepped over to one of the light fixtures on the wall and held the core up to the light, presumably to get a better look at it. ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s so clear,¡± Myra said, her tone one of admiration. ¡°It sure is,¡± Theril replied, shaking his head. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for its shape, I¡¯d have said that it was a Rank D core instead of a Rank E core due to the clarity,¡± he finished, annoying Joram with how many words he hadn¡¯t gotten out of that. Theril turned back to Joram looking a bit more serious. ¡°From a goblin?¡± he asked, going back to his slow and deliberate way of speaking to him. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied, getting a bit exasperated with the double and triple confirmations needed for these guys. *GURR~~RRGG~GGG~~~GGLE* Joram stopped, as did the other two men, and turned to look at a now very red-faced Myra. ¡°We should go!¡± she quickly said, desperately looking at the outside door. Joram heaved a sigh, then placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to start a squeak in fright. ¡°Come,¡± he said, then started walking towards the bathroom with Myra in literal tow. He ignored her protestations and the other two who slowly followed them the six metres to the bathroom. Once inside, he let go of her shoulder, retrieved several tea lights, and then lit them. He placed a couple on the counter next to the toilet, then another couple at the far end of the bathtub, away from the toilet. With that done, he pointed at the toilet and started to leave when her confused look stopped him dead. Chapter 019 - Death by Embarrassment After an extraordinary, excruciating, and painfully embarrassing couple of minutes of miming out how to not only use the toilet, but how to also use the toilet paper, Joram quickly fled the bathroom and closed the door behind him. There was no way that he could return the intensely curious stares of Theril and Kalduin, so he just walked back into the living room and busied himself with cleaning up. Not wanting to be the kind of people who stood outside the bathroom while a young woman was doing her thing, the other two quickly joined him. It was beyond awkward, especially when they began inquiring if the ¡°red liquid¡± was poisonous. He had absolutely no way of articulating in a way that they¡¯d understand the differences between poisons and an irritant. Heck, once your body got used to capsaicin, it was actually quite beneficial¡­ for humans. Maybe it was poisonous to foxkin? Oh, shit! Since they¡¯re part of the Canidae family, did I poison them with the onions?! Shit! Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit!!!! ¡°Umm¡­. Maybe?¡± he said, now noticing the garlic included in the Frank¡¯s ingredient list. Had it been a double-whammy? Was that why she¡¯d only had one spoonful of the pasta? Theril and Kalduin were suddenly very concerned, asking questions with too many words that he didn¡¯t recognize for him to have any idea what they were asking. But going by their tones, the questions likely originated from concern. ¡°Wait,¡± he said, holding up a hand to try to get some quiet. ¡°You feel OK after eat here with Reldan?¡± he asked, suddenly remembering that he¡¯d added garlic powder and dill weed to the man¡¯n¡¯cheese both times that he¡¯d served the foxkin in the past. ¡°Yes?¡± Theril replied quizzically. ¡°Mmm, not poison then,¡± he said, suddenly relieved. If the garlic hadn¡¯t affected either of them, then the onions wouldn¡¯t likely affect them either. Which meant that it was just the capsaicin that was affecting her so badly. And much like their puppy relatives, foxes didn¡¯t like anything with significant amounts of capsaicin in it either. Well, the fact that they didn¡¯t seem at all familiar with spicy food might have also been a significant contributor to Myra worshiping the porcelain god. So, the leftovers should be safe for consumption, at least. Returning back to the concerned duo, he saw their expectant looks and continued, this time voicing his thoughts¡­ with his incredibly limited vocabulary. ¡°Not poison. Just¡­ new. Body not know it.¡± Kalduin nodded slowly at that, seeming to catch on a bit. ¡°So, she¡¯ll be OK?¡± Kalduin asked, shooting a glance down the hall. ¡°Yes. Just¡­ not happy,¡± he said, pointing at his stomach to indicate what she wouldn¡¯t be happy about. ¡°She¡¯s going to be right furious though,¡± Theril said, shaking his head. Joram tried to copy the unknown word a couple of times, then raised an eyebrow at the man. ¡°Oh, that means ¡®very, very angry¡¯.¡± Joram nodded, filing that away for later use, as he¡¯d done with everything else from the lesson earlier. Now that he knew how to pronounce every letter of their language, and a couple of combinations that produced different sounds, he was getting very close to being able to self-study. ¡°Can I keep books?¡± he asked, pointing at the books piled off to the side of the table. ¡°Read more?¡± The duo exchanged looks before Theril shrugged, though Kalduin was the one to speak. ¡°Sure.¡± Well, that was easy, he thought, especially given what he¡¯d inadvertently done to his sister. As though they were reading his thoughts, they both started chucking. ¡°It¡¯s about time something like this happened,¡± Theril said, though careful to keep his voice low in case Myra was listening. ¡°She¡¯s too stubborn by far,¡± Kalduin said, nodding. Though, Joram noted, Kalduin didn¡¯t lower his voice, likely intending that his sister overhear his comment. Siblings, he thought wryly. They were the best of friends and the best of enemies at times. Then he nearly frowned, remembering the siblings he¡¯d left behind. He supposed they all thought that he was dead now. ¡°So, another two days?¡± Theril asked, getting a nod from Joram. ¡°Good. Once she is done, we will go,¡± he said, motioning to the door. He nodded, then helped pack up the food containers into the now empty backpack for them, warning them to be careful not to bang them around for fear of breaking the containers, or popping them open by accident. Then, they waited¡­. * * * Myra was beyond mortified by not just what was happening to her bowels, but by the human¡¯s miming. She was barely holding on, sweat pouring down her back and face, but eventually he left after she nodded vigorously at him that she understood his antics. With the lid on the unusual bowl-like chair¡­thingy already lifted, she only had to worry about her pants. With the several candles that her tormenter had already lit, she had more than enough light to deal with her sash before dropping onto the weird seat, releasing everything in one horrid, fiery, blast. Yes, fiery. She¡¯d been tortured enough by having the red sauce of death in her mouth until the- at the time!- saintly human had given her bread with which to fight the fire. It had been¡­ better for a time after that. But. When she¡¯d taken her first ridiculously delicious bite of the strange food, she¡¯d discovered that the fire had just been displaced to a new battleground. Her stomach. Not wanting to lose any more face, she¡¯d done everything in her power to keep a calm and cool demeanour. There was absolutely no way that she¡¯d allow that guy to see how uncomfortable she was. But as her oblivious brother and that dense Theril continued to eat, things had gotten worse. Then, the end had finally come in sight. They¡¯d finished, finally gotten the clue, and were about to leave with the rest of the food, for which she¡¯d been somewhat grateful that the human had been able to do that for her. But then her bowels began to lose the war, and a great groan of pain had sounded from her bowels. Which led her now sitting, experiencing pain in a way that she¡¯d never thought possible. As well as embarrassment on a level hitherto unknown to her. Not only had that Joram repeatedly warned her not to eat it, making her think at first that he was just teasing her, trying to keep something good away from her. But he¡¯d also prevented her from ruining her divine meal. Not only that, but he¡¯d at least provided her a reprieve from the burning in her mouth. Sure, it had just changed locations, but that had at least been something. And now the fire was exiting, making itself known one last time, a final effort to bring her pain before it was dealt with. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She really didn¡¯t know what this would have been like if she¡¯d just squatted like normal, as things hadn¡¯t felt¡­ solid on their way out. She¡¯d cared for the sick before, and had had to deal with their liquid bowel movements, and it had never been pleasant. This way, at least, it seemed to be¡­ contained. But the smell!! Oh, everything that¡¯s holy! Why the smell?! Myra could swear that her nose was dying as, horrifyingly, the smell was starting to die down somewhat. Then she looked at the¡­ roll that the Master of Torture had shown her, and embarrassingly demonstrated how to use. She reached out and touched it. Then was astonished at just how soft it felt. It was even better than the crude cloths they used back home to clean up afterwards. Carefully, very carefully, she pulled on the roll and measured out the same length that the Mysterious Man had shown her, then folded it in the exact same way as he had. Not wanting to get up and risk¡­ things running, she leaned a bit over to the side and started. Wipe then fold. Wipe, then fold. Drop. Repeating the process until the wondrously soft stuff came back as white as it went it. Only then did she dare stand up and re-garb herself. Once done, she finally scrounged up enough courage to look at the terror that had left her. Her eyes widened at the horror that greeted them, but was immensely relieved that the pile of cloud-like stuff covered the worst of the sacrilege that had been done to the pristinely white lifesaving¡­ chair-like thingy. Then she remembered what the Soon-to-be-Enraged man had shown her to do. She quickly lowered the lid, causing a bit of a bang that she ignored as the looked at the flat surface of the thing¡¯s ¡°back¡±, then paused. ¡°Which one did he say to press?!¡± she practically squealed as she tried to remember which side of the round button to press. Going for broke, she firmly pressed the bigger button, rationalizing her decision with the fact that she¡¯d left a big mess. A Big Button to take care of a Big Mess. The sudden rush of water didn¡¯t sound the same as when it had been demonstrated earlier, so she very hesitantly lifted the lid a bit to take a look, and just about lost whatever was left in her stomach that hadn¡¯t already made its way out the other way. The smell was bad enough, but the new¡­ mix of what had been in there nearly got her. Is the water level higher than it was¡­? Thinking about it quickly, that would make sense. But hadn¡¯t he told her to push the button? Wasn¡¯t the stuff in there supposed to be removed by magic? Has she broken it?! Now slightly dizzy due to her hyperventilating a bit, she backed up and looked at the thing. Just how much more face was she going to lose before the day was done? She¡¯d already made a fool of herself with the red sauce of death. But now? Would she still have the courage to return for the other lessons she was supposed to teach? Would the young man¡­. Well, he looked like he might be younger than her at least¡­. Anyways! Would he be able to take her seriously after this? Had she already ruined his perception of their village with her damn stubbornness? Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she once again nearly gagged at the smell that assaulted her. No. No, she wouldn¡¯t embarrass her village further. She would purge the filth with fire if she needed to! * * * What the hell is taking her so long, Joram thought as he idly flipped through one of the books while the duo marvelled at an old Rubik¡¯s Cube he¡¯d pulled out to distract them while they waited. ***BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!!! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!!!*** ¡°What the f-¡± he said, cutting off when he realized where the issue was coming from. For their part, the other two guys jumped, then clapped their hands over their ears, cringing. Joram quickly made his way to the bathroom, offering a silent prayer to whatever gods may be listening that Myra was already dressed, then pushed open the door, nearly clipping Myra in the process. His toilet was on fire, and Myra was waving about frantically, tears streaming down her face due to the acrid stench of burning crap and plastic. As the wind of the door hit her, Myra turned to him with a look of terror on her face and backed up until she fell into the bathtub, taking the shower curtain with her. Cursing, Joram prioritized putting out the actual fire first, not worrying about the metaphorical fire in the bathtub. He quickly opened the cupboard under the sink and retrieved the half-sized fire extinguisher, pulled the pin, and aimed the thing at the toilet bowl as he pulled the trigger. Twenty seconds later, he was pulling Myra out of the bathtub while freeing her from the torn shower curtain. He took a good look at her to make sure that she hadn¡¯t sustained any injuries beyond her obviously mortally wounded pride. Her ears were laid back, nearly blending into her hair. Her face was covered in a bit of soot and tears, but was otherwise fine. Her tails were back, though, and being massaged and stroked as though they hurt. Which, thinking about it, was probably the case since she¡¯d fallen into the tub butt-first. With no obvious injuries in sight, he quickly manifested an augmented [Cleanse], ridding them all of the noxious smoke, soot, and every other impurity within range. Which, after the augment, extended to everything in the house. Turning back to Myra, he found that she was staring at him, eyes wide to the point of roundness, and pupils dilated so wide that there was but a thin ring of blue surrounding the black that dominated her eyes. Then he noticed that her bottom lip was quivering a bit. Her ears were still down too, which mean that the tears that had once again come to her eyes were likely due to some extreme emotions involving sadness or something. ¡°Come,¡± he said, giving her a consoling pat on the head before turning and bumping into both Kalduin and Theril, who¡¯d evidently followed him into the bathroom at some point. Probably after the smoke alarm had stopped sounding. They quickly scurried out of his way, letting both him and Myra pass before following them into the living room. Once there, he picked up their backpack filled with leftovers and handed it to Kalduin, seeing as how Theril was the guard and all. No need to risk the food getting damaged if there was a fight on the way back, after all. ¡°Two days,¡± he said, then cautiously opened the door to take a look around. After a quick look, the opened the door further and stepped outside to get a better look around. Once he was reasonably satisfied that there weren¡¯t any goblins around, he waved the trio out. ¡°Thank you for today,¡± Theril said, shaking his hand before stepping to the side to allow Kalduin to approach. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll see you in two days,¡± Kalduin said, also shaking his hand. Then came a very sad-looking puppy, er- kit. Man, she could give Puss in Boots a run for his money, he thought, taking in the ridiculously adorable young woman in all of her gloriously miserable state. ¡°Thank you,¡± she practically whispered before squeaking out one more word. ¡°Sorry!¡± With that, she took off at a run, surprising them all as they watched her tails stream behind her. Kalduin was the first to respond, taking off at a sprint after his sister. Theril soon followed, giving Joram a wave as he ran after his two wards. ¡®Well, that was entertaining,¡¯ Avi piped in from beside him, nearly causing him to jump. With all of the excitement of the day, he¡¯d forgotten about his resident AI. ¡°Yeah, you can say that again,¡± he muttered as he watched them run northeast of his place. ¡°Guess that¡¯s the direction of their village, then.¡± ¡®More than likely, given how fast Myra wanted to escape.¡¯ Joram snorted a laugh, then turned back to his house-like apartment and frowned. ¡°At least there was a spare toilet in storage,¡± he muttered, thinking about the charred mess that was his current toilet seat. ¡®At least you don¡¯t really have to worry about using a toilet that often,¡¯ she said, a very slight smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that. But what about company? It¡¯s rude to not allow someone to use the toilet if they need,¡± he said, shaking his head as he went back inside to start fixing things, wondering if [Repair] might still work. * * * * * Celys was glad that she wasn¡¯t needed in her office today, as it allowed her to be distracted at home. Well, it allowed her to try to find something to distract her from her current distracted state. She¡¯d made sure that she had come off as confident and sure when she¡¯d told Theril to bring her two children to meet the odd human in the forest, but she¡¯d been anything but. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. She knew that Kalduin would fill the role she¡¯d given him well, as he was an obedient and studious child. As a young [Priest], he¡¯d been trained well in the role. Diplomacy, understanding, as well as an eye for truth. And the spell for it too. Not only that, but he¡¯d also managed to gain the [Identify] Skill, something very few were able to do, let alone those in their small village. So, having him go along for the ¡°lesson¡± had been a must. But given the nature of her stubborn and somewhat gluttonous daughter, she¡¯d also included her. Not just for that, though. But because Myra, for all of her stubborn, muleheaded faults, she was a good teacher. Since getting her coveted class, Myra had not only been trained as a proper shrine maiden, but also in the ways of educating her flock, as it were. One of which was how to teach those under your care, so that you could help ensure that education and thus civilization, would be properly rooted in them. That said, Myra was only responsible for the kits who were under ten years of age who still needed to properly learn how to read and write. So, if her daughter could teach young children, it should- *Bang!* The front door banged open just before Myra entered, looking like she¡¯d spent hours running. ¡°Myra, how-¡± Celys stopped when Myra ran past her, wailing that she¡¯d never leave the house again. She turned just in time to see her daughter¡¯s door slam shut with another loud bang. ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± She asked out loud, unsure if she¡¯d fallen asleep and was dreaming. ¡°That, dear mother,¡± Kalduin¡¯s voice came from behind her, sounding as winded as Myra had looked. ¡°Is our beloved Myra admitting defeat.¡± Celys¡¯ jaw dropped in a very unbecoming way for the village¡¯s Chief. Chapter 020 - Gym rat Celys looked from her sweat-drenched son to her daughter¡¯s door and back a few times as his last words tried to find purchase in her mind. The words ¡°admitting defeat¡± and her daughter were like oil and water, air and stone, fire and water¡­ they just didn¡¯t mix. Eventually, she registered that Kalduin had fully entered the house, tugging along a very reluctant-looking Theril and pointing him at one of the empty cushions in the living room. Soon, their boots were off, and they were both seated; practically laying down as they recovered from an apparently prolonged run. To help calm and organize her thoughts, Celys went to the kitchen and prepared some tea and light snacks. What could possibly get Myra to admit defeat? That child has always resented being pushed in any direction, developing a stubbornness that could make her queen of the mules¡­. As she thought, she went over the countless times where her daughter had pushed back against anything, or anyone, that had tried to get her to do something that she didn¡¯t want. Eventually, she had even started pushing back against good advice, going so far as to get herself into trouble because she¡¯d done precisely the opposite of what had been advised or suggested. They, she and her husband Nalun, had thought to take advantage of that at one point. But no, Myra was still a smart young woman and could tell when they¡¯d tried reversing things on her. But, what could have possibly happened during a lesson on common that could get her famously stubborn daughter to admit defeat? The kettle on the kitchen stove started to boil, so she carefully removed it from its place before putting the place-covering back on to help keep in the warmth. That done, she quickly poured the bubbling water into the waiting tea pot and replaced its lid. Once everything was placed on the serving tray, she made her way back to the living room where her son and Theril seemed to have recovered enough to sit a bit straighter. So, she placed the tray between the two young men before quickly pouring herself a cup. With that done, she made her way to her own cushion and sat down, waiting for the two to finish before getting to the thick of things. They quickly served themselves tea, but surprisingly only barely touched the snacks; crackers, cheese, and some cured meat. After a bit of tea-blowing, sipping, and polite nibbling, her son finally cracked under her expectant gaze. ¡°So¡­ the lesson went well,¡± he said, which got an emphatic nod from Theril. ¡°Joram is an astute student, and has picked up the language remarkably well,¡± he said, nodding to himself with great satisfaction. Then sat there, quietly blowing on his tea a bit more, pointedly not looking her way. At which point, Theril seemed to understand that he¡¯d been thrown under the wagon. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a wonderful student,¡± he began, then cleared his throat. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve met a better one in all my days¡­¡± he trailed off under the weight of her increasing glower. ¡°So, did I mention that he¡¯s an amazing cook? Might even be a [Cook]¡­¡± he said, then broke. ¡°So, Joram had this strange bottle of sauce¡­¡± he began, then proceeded to explain in great detail what had happened. Celys would have liked to say that she was surprised that her daughter had insisted on having the sauce as well, but that would have been such a lie that the Great Protector might have punished her for it. That she¡¯d suffered for her stubbornness wasn¡¯t a new thing though. But that she¡¯d practically been poisoned for it- but hadn¡¯t been, as Kalduin had checked with detection and truth spells- was new. But for the fact that it was her daughter, she¡¯d have laughed at what had followed¡­ up until the part where her daughter had set Joram¡¯s home on fire. She was about to get up and give her daughter a good tongue lashing when Kalduin piped in to also assure her that her daughter hadn¡¯t burned his house down. What was more impressive was that Joram had agreed to their return in two days¡¯ time for another lesson. Is that young man a [Paragon of Patience]? She silently wondered, then nearly choked when Kalduin added in one last tidbit. ¡°But the best part of the whole thing,¡± he said, his eyes glistening with mirth, ¡°was when, after the fire had been put out, Joram patted Myra on the head!¡± he finished, no longer able to hold in his laughter. Even Theril couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. For her part, Celys sat there in silent shock. Sure, any human who¡¯d never met an animal-kin usually stared at their ears and tails the first time they met. As rude as that was, it was understandable, especially when seeing more than one tail. So, she could forgive the young human his unknowing rudeness. But a head pat was something else entirely. ¡°And she didn¡¯t try to burn down his house again after that?¡± she asked incredulously, now suspecting why her daughter never wanted to leave the house again. ¡°Nope!¡± Kalduin practically crowed. ¡°Myra may be one of the top beauties of Kirkwall, but she¡¯s at the peak of the Ineligible Bachelorettes Ranking because she¡¯s¡­ how she is. But finally, she¡¯s met her match!¡± he said, then began unpacking his backpack. She was about to chide her son when she noticed that the things coming out of the backpack weren¡¯t books, but strange little clear boxes with red lids. She was then about to ask about them when she heard Myra¡¯s door open. Celys turned in time to see her daughter rush over to Kalduin and kick him in the head. ¡°Shut it, Kal! No one¡¯s beat me!¡± she growled before taking two of the unpacked things and rushing back to her room, slamming the door behind her, her tails barely missing being caught in the door. Celys blinked a few times, once again processing what had just happened before she turned to Theril and spoke. ¡°Go find Nalun and bring him here,¡± she said, sending the young [Guardian] off with a quick wave. ¡°As for you, Kalduin Manelle, you¡¯re going to describe everything about this young human, down to how much hair was on his chest,¡± she said, fixing her son with such a stare that he reflexively swallowed. * * * * * Joram paused as a shiver ran down his spine, earning him a wooden ball to the head. ¡®No distractions,¡¯ Avi said with a smirk on her face as she watched him rub his forehead. He just grumbled a bit before getting back to his [Dodge] training. - - - Later that evening, after having gone through hellish training with Avi- and earning another point in [Dodge] and one in Speed!- he was once again practicing with [Astral Construct]. It was really hard to describe how he altered their shape while in the process of manifesting the power. Real-time adjustments were beyond difficult and, for the moment, all he could manage was to basically pull at the wire-mesh that was its set form while it was coming into being. He was sure that there was something that he was missing in there, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. He knew that imagination and the ability to visualize the end product were almost as important as knowing the formula for the power itself, but he couldn¡¯t quite figure out how to get those two key features to affect his constructs. It as almost like there was a wall that he couldn¡¯t see that was keeping him from getting there. Was it that his preconceived notions of things were getting in the way? Or did he just not quite understand the power itself well enough yet? With that thought in mind, and the fact that he was low on Power, he mentally turned to the theory behind the Discipline of Metacreation. Which, really, turned into [True Creation] later, but who was he to argue semantics? He dove into the theory, immersing himself in things that he¡¯d never thought possible, or even realistic. Which then brought him through the night and into the next morning before he finally dragged himself out of those nearly bottomless depths of knowledge. ¡®Welcome back,¡¯ Avi greeted¡­ from beside him on the bed, causing him to nearly have a heart attack. He still wasn¡¯t used to how damn beautiful she was, and seeing her there, laying beside him in bed, had done things to him that he was ashamed to admit. She¡¯s a damn figment of my mind, damn it! He thought as he turned away from her and stood up. From there, he proceeded to go through some stretches as he went into light meditation to help restore his befuddled mind and renew his body. And especially to avoid looking at Avi. After some light roasting from Avi, he escaped her once again by heading to the living room. He¡¯d have preferred the setup with his other laptop in his bedroom, but decided that sitting at the table instead of laying in bed where Avi could continue messing with him for some inexplicable reason, was the wise choice here. So, he booted up his secondary laptop and connected to his old server that sat in his room. It wasn¡¯t anything fancy, but it did contain the vast majority of what he¡¯d digitally collected over the years. After a few seconds of clicking through directories and subdirectories, he found what he was looking for. It was his folder on materials research. It had anything from proposed chemical structures to proven structures all the way to the processes used in making them. Sure, due to copyright, intellectual property, and all that, he had very little in the way of technical specifications for the machines and technology used in the manufacturing of the materials. But that didn¡¯t matter so much in this case. At the moment, he really just needed the broad strokes, as it were. Especially since he still wasn¡¯t ready to tackle [Delve] just yet. No, getting the gist of things was better right now. So, the next several hours were spent between going over molecular structures, crystalline structures, and the general properties of various substances once combined. He¡¯d even pulled out his old chemistry program he¡¯d used in university to model molecules and used that a few times to get a better sense and understanding of things. He could see why his Other Self had been so good with [Delve], as he-they, were very visual people. Well, with his brain now overfull of information, he got up and made his way to the back hallway to start exercising. He¡¯d noticed with that last point in Speed, his Strength was his lowest attribute¡­ if he didn¡¯t count Charisma¡­ or that mysterious attribute at the bottom. Shaking his head, he got back to the task at hand. He didn¡¯t have nearly enough metal to make himself a full set of free weights, so he figured that some dumbbells would have to do. Even then, he only used enough metal to make the small bars needed for them. Why? So that he could add more weight to them in the future, of course. So, his next task involved the extra stone that Altaea had left him in convenient blocks off to the side. He wasn¡¯t sure what type of rock they were, especially since he was on another planet, in another universe, but he thought it looked like granite. It was certainly heavy enough, anyways. Which more than served his purposes for it. The next hour was spent using [Modify Matter] in an effort to get reasonably circular discs of the stuff ¡°cut¡± out. The hardest part, he thought, was getting them to be uniform in size, and thus mass. He wanted to work in 5kg increments, seeing as how he¡¯d been more than a bit out of shape before the incident that had brought him here six days ago. And since he still wasn¡¯t sure how the attributes really worked, he figured that he¡¯d get some answers with this. Once done, he was happy to see that the weights for each dumbbell had turned out smooth on the edges and flat on the sides.
Ding! [Sculpting] 3 -> 4
He grinned, pleased with the further reduced pop-up. Not that he¡¯d ever get tired of seeing his progress, but he did get tired of all the extra in there that didn¡¯t truly need to be there. So, after a bit of messing around last night, he¡¯d managed to get the notifications to look more like that. Pleased with his progress, Joram slid a few stone weights onto the shaped bars. He¡¯d put holes into the bar at regular intervals, each as far apart as the weights were wide so that he could put a pin in to keep the weights from sliding off and ruining his day. With that done, he realized that he truly wasn¡¯t a gym rat, and that most of his motivation was derived from his intense desire to live as well as his curiosity surrounding his attributes. ¡°I need music,¡± he muttered before quickly heading back to grab a phone and a Bluetooth speaker. With that done, and some music that he thought would do well for workout music, he got started. Now, even though he wasn¡¯t a gym rat, he was still knowledgeable about how the body worked, and how to work it to get the results one wanted to achieve. Which was why he was taking it slow. He knew that he was pretty wimpy compared to most people his size, so he just started with 20kg on each dumbbell as Avi shook her head in silent disbelief behind him. As he went through the various exercises he¡¯d planned for himself, he also concentrated on [Meditation]. For one, he needed to keep himself from getting bored and just stopping, which was why he¡¯d never been a gym rat. The other reason was to pay attention to his body. With the ridiculous awareness of his body that came with being a High Elan, he could see his muscles at work. From how they contracted and extended to the minute tears forming in them as he continued to push forward. As those tears formed, he concentrated on the part of the meditation he¡¯d been taught that renewed his body. And, as he ¡°watched¡±, the muscle not only repaired themselves, but also did what he¡¯d been hoping they¡¯d do; they grew larger. Sure, the progress wasn¡¯t earth shattering, but it was there. Then he paused when he finished that exercise and laughed at himself. Anyone from Earth would have been flabbergasted at his progress! Scientists across the globe would have been chomping at the bit to study him! Shaking his head, he got back to it, this time doing lunges while holding the 20kg dumbbells in each hand. Strengthening ones¡¯ legs and core was beyond important. It didn¡¯t matter how much you could bench press if you couldn¡¯t sit up properly, let alone go through what he had planned for himself once he got better at using [Modify Matter]. For now, he¡¯d just have to keep up with the crazy routines he¡¯d planned for himself so that he¡¯d be ready when it came time to eliminate the goblins that had been attacking him. - - - Captain¡¯s log, day 7, 0314. Having spent the past day in rigorous training, I have found that being a High Elan with the PP reserves to keep up that kind of training that I¡¯ve put myself through, is a few levels of broken. I have, somehow, managed to increase my Strength score to 14. Now, back in the tabletop days, that would be a respectable score for the tank of a party, or maybe a rogue that was dead-set on being able to carry their loot, or some such. But here? Holy Arny Batman! I can¡¯t express how glad I am that I was consciously directing and rebuilding myself as I was working out, because I¡¯ve managed to increase my muscle density to the point that it¡¯s absurd. If I hadn¡¯t done that, though, I¡¯d make old Arnold green with envy. Because, I¡¯m not quite sure of the stats here, but I think I¡¯ve well passed his old record of about a 500lbs bench press. In fact, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve gone well past that mark, but I¡¯ve run out of stuff to add to test that. So, if the other attributes follow along the same gradient type as Strength does, then any gain in attributes is kind of massive. Like, it¡¯s important on the level that it is in PFRPG, or D&D back home for characters. Possibly more so, in fact. I know that my Spirit score is pretty high at 13 already, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s amazing for a caster-type or not. But given just how much improvement I¡¯ve seen in my physical strength, I¡¯m starting to think that it¡¯s well above average here. My biggest problem is not knowing anything about this System. Sure, the help section does indeed help, but it does nothing to relay the common sense of this world. Well, that might be because I¡¯ve not gone down that rabbit hole of knowledge yet for fear of getting lost. Maybe I can ask Theril when he gets back? Hmm, I wonder if that little pyro will be coming back too? I¡¯m not sure if I would, given how embarrassing that whole debacle was¡­. Ah, well, doesn¡¯t really matter unless my lessons stop entirely. Or are interrupted by goblins. Which reminds me, they¡¯ve been pretty quiet lately. As in, no attack in the past two days quiet. Are they waiting to build up a stronger force to attack me? Or is it something else? Bah! Who knows?! I certainly don¡¯t! I should nap, I¡¯m getting grumpy. End of captain¡¯s log. Chapter 021 - Interest She certainly hadn¡¯t had an easy time of it. After she¡¯d gotten everything out of Kalduin that she could- and learned that Myra had even apologized before running off!-, she¡¯d done her best to sooth her daughter¡¯s bruised ego. Everything from bribing her with food to speaking kindly to her through her door had failed. The only time Myra had left her room over the next day and a half had been to relieve herself. Even then, Myra had had such a haunted look on her face that even Kalduin hadn¡¯t dared to tease her. But as she was preparing to head out for Joram¡¯s next lesson, Myra had left her room, packed up and ready to go. Given how pristine she was, Celys could only guess that Myra had snuck out on the middle of the night to bathe. Now, her daughter¡¯s hair practically glistened in the lamplight, tied back into a long tail that fell down her back¡­ right to her tails. Celys eyed her daughter, surprised that she hadn¡¯t hidden her tails with her [Skill] seeing as how she¡¯d always been self-conscious about them and what they meant. But there she was, in crisp [Miko] attire, looking as though she was ready to preside over the Fall Rites. ¡°Oh? I thought that you¡¯d decided not to come,¡± Celys said in a carefully neutral tone, carefully inspecting her daughter for any reaction. ¡°I cannot abandon my student,¡± Myra said haughtily as she crosser her arms over her chest, back to her old self it seemed. ¡°Indeed,¡± she replied, deciding that it was good that Myra would come along today as well. ¡°Be that as it may, I¡¯ll still be coming for today¡¯s lesson,¡± she said, then suppressed a smile at the quickly covered look of panic on her daughter¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve already cleared the day, and I still want to get a measure of the young human,¡± she said, then motioned for everyone to follow her out of the house. - - - The walk in the pre-dawn light had been pleasant, if quiet. Myra had sulked the entire way, and with that flammable jar of oil nearby, neither Theril nor Kalduin had thought it wise to chat idly on the way. Just as well, as it allowed them to keep a better eye out for danger. Their local dungeon was well cared for, but with Theril¡¯s report that the young human had been attacked several times by what appeared to be dungeon goblin, she didn¡¯t want to take any risks. So, even though she hadn¡¯t been adventuring in years, she¡¯d dusted off her old staff for the trip. It was one designed for both combat as well as casting, given that she was a [Spiritualist] and all. With her levels, she was confident that she could handle any roaming issues in this part of the woods. But if a new dungeon had popped up like Theril thought, then they¡¯d need to be careful, especially if the dungeon residents were already wandering out of it. Who knew how strong they¡¯d be? After an hour of walking through the majestic sequoias, relatives of the World Tree, they arrived. Theril hadn¡¯t exaggerated how unusual the building looked. If anything, he¡¯d downplayed it. She¡¯d travelled in her youth, yet she hadn¡¯t come across anything like that before. Now even more intrigued than before, Celys also noted the subtle cues in her daughter that told her she was both excited and nervous. Given just how amazing the food they¡¯d brought back had tasted, she couldn¡¯t blame her daughter. Nor could she blame her nerves given what had happened the last time she¡¯d been there. With the dawn light now shining, she could now see that there was an oddly circular area around his door where the vegetation had been cleared. What could that be used for? Or, why such a perfect circle? She wondered before shaking her head. If her son wasn¡¯t mistaken, or fooled, then Joram was also Pathless. So, any thoughts about hidden ritual circles didn¡¯t have any grounds to stand on. But the report of a [Cleanse] effect used by Joram still bothered her. Had he just gained the Skill through fastidious cleanliness? Given how clean both Theril and Kalduin reported his home to be, that could certainly be the case. Ridding herself of those thoughts, she approached his metal banded door and found an opening to knock on the white-painted wood. Through the corner of her eye, she again noticed her daughter¡¯s nerves and had to wonder: why? Then she heard the door being unbarred, then another slightly squeaky sound, before the door opened to reveal a young man standing there, a short beard on his face, wearing an odd-looking shirt and pants, though with bare feet. She was unprepared for the size of him, as both Theril and Kalduin had described him as fit, but not bulky in build. However, her eyes were telling her something else. He was certainly tall, probably close to a head taller than her and almost twice as wide in the shoulders. His broad chest tapered down to a significantly narrower waist that gave way to some very solid-looking legs. She looked back up into his large, green hazel eyes that managed to catch the morning light, and was surprised to also see some blue and gold in there as well. His short dark brown hair was neat, though it looked as though it had all been clipped incredibly short before having all grown out at the same time. ¡°Hello,¡± he said, surprising her with how normal he sounded, though his voice was also quite smooth. ¡°Hello,¡± she replied, ordering her thoughts as quickly as she could. ¡°I am Celys, the village Chief of Kirkwall. I¡¯ve come to oversee today¡¯s lesson,¡± she said, falling back on her village Chief persona. ¡°Okay?¡± Joram replied, looking a bit confused. ¡°I don¡¯t think he knows those words yet,¡± Kalduin whispered to her, nearly causing her to blush in embarrassment for having forgotten that he¡¯d only had two lessons so far. Given how well he¡¯d spoken, and how natural he¡¯d sounded, that fact had completely sipped her mind. ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized, dipping her head slightly. ¡°I am here to watch,¡± she said, speaking a bit slower as she motioned to her twins. Joram nodded at that, then looked between her and her children before nodding to himself, seemingly coming to a conclusion of some sort. ¡°Come in,¡± he said, then stepped back to allow them entry. She was, once again, taken aback with how¡­ strange everything looked. Though, given how steady the lights were on the walls, she could only guess that magic had been involved in their making. ¡°Come, sit,¡± Joram said once he¡¯d closed and re-barred the door, causing her eyebrows to raise a bit before she remembered the account of the attack while Theril and Reldan had last visited. Joram then paused, obviously noting that there were only four chairs at the table before shrugging and heading off down the hallway. Celys exchanged looks with Theril, who just shrugged, not looking at all concerned. Still not convinced that Joram was as harmless as they¡¯d made him out to be, she used one of her class Skills, [Detect Intent]. Stolen novel; please report. The Skill didn¡¯t quite work how the name made it out to be, instead it gave her a more¡­ empathic set of results from those around her. For instance, Theril felt relaxed, but still alert for any possible threat. Kalduin was excited and hopeful, while he also seemed to be suppressing some mirth. Myra, though, came back with a myriad of emotions. From embarrassment to confidence to reluctance to keen interest bordering on- ¡°Here, use this,¡± Joram said from her side, shocking her into dropping her Skill and nearly falling over. Joram reached out and steadied her by holding her shoulder as he held another chair out for her. She looked at the unusual looking chair and its design before clearing her throat and thanking him. He just nodded then made his way over to the chair closest to the odd-looking kitchen area and sitting. From there, he pulled over the stack of books she recognized as the ones her children had left for Joram the last time they¡¯d visited. ¡°So, how much did you read?¡± Myra asked, taking the chair closest to Joram as well as taking the lead in the lesson. ¡°Did not have time,¡± he said, shaking his head as he motioned to his respectably muscled arm. ¡°Much work.¡± Celys noted how the three of them stared at his arm, shocked by what they saw. ¡°How?¡± Kalduin asked, the shock evident in his voice. ¡°Work hard,¡± Joram replied with a shrug, not seeming to understand his astonishment. ¡°Show us?¡± Theril asked, which got him a nod before Joram stood up and motioned for them to follow him down the short hallways. Celys was impressed with not only the lighting, but also the material used to make Joram¡¯s house, noting how smooth everything looked. Then noticed Myra surreptitiously sniffing the air, and frowned. They then passed the room that had been described to her, then it clicked. Perhaps Myra was searching for any signs of her¡­ incident? Just how traumatizing was it for her? She silently wondered as Joram opened another door and showed them another decently sized room stacked with things ranging from lumber to odd box-like contraptions similar to what had been found in his kitchen. Then he pointed at what looked like large discs of stone with a bar through them, and frowned. That was when she noticed many other discs of stone stacked about, varying in their diameter from just a hand across to several hands across. ¡°Like this,¡± he said, then proceeded to lift what had to weigh more than she did like it was nothing. Instantly, Theril¡¯s interest was piqued, and nothing would do except he give it a try as well. Joram gave him a dubious look, but allowed him to give it a go. Which proved unwise when they heard Theril¡¯s shoulder pop after he strained for several seconds to lift it like Joram had. Pale faced and clutching his shoulder, Theril tried to smile it off, but Celys wouldn¡¯t have any of that man pride put them in danger. So, she stepped forward and cast a spell. ¡°[Minor Healing],¡± she spoke the spell out loud, then watched a faint green light blossom on Theril¡¯s shoulder briefly before fading away. Joram looked surprised by the spell, and leaned forward to inspect Theril¡¯s arm, much to the man¡¯s embarrassment. She was quite interested as she watched, though, as Joram seemed to know a bit about the body. He lifted Theril¡¯s arm just above the elbow while using his other hand to steady the shoulder joint, then proceeded to move it through a wide range of motions before he seemed to be satisfied. With that done, Joram ushered them back into the living room-like space and had them once again sit. Then the lesson started. She was sure to keep a keen eye on both Joram and her daughter, who¡¯d yet to hide her tails away again this whole time. But as the lesson progressed, she was astounded at Joram¡¯s progress. He only seemed to need to practice a word a couple of times before he got the pronunciation down, then it seemed as though he made a point of using the word as much as he could while conversing with Myra and Kalduin. As vigilant as she was, hours of language lessons could wear away the most diligent of watchers. She found herself using [Detect Intent] again, and found that Joram really seemed to wear his thoughts on his sleeve, as it were. Except for when Myra snapped at him one time, she could only feel interest, curiosity, and perseverance from Joram. And even then, he hadn¡¯t felt mad, just annoyed. Curiously similar to one being annoyed by a persistent insect. Well, she could empathize with that. She¡¯d felt the very same feeling when her daughter had hounded her whenever she¡¯d objected to something that she¡¯d tasked her with that she hadn¡¯t wanted to do. Then came the time when the lesson ended, and Joram got up to start preparing food. Myra then quickly dug around in her backpack and retrieved the odd containers and passed them back to Joram, looking a bit embarrassed. Well, she couldn¡¯t blame her. They¡¯d tried to wash away the orange stains on the sides of the clear containers, but hadn¡¯t had any luck. Returning dinnerware to someone that hadn¡¯t been properly cleaned was seen as rude, after all. Joram thanked her, then placed them on the counter before turning back to preparing the meal. What made Celys cover a smile was the fact that Myra stayed in the kitchen to observe Joram as he worked. The subject, however, didn¡¯t seem to care, so Celys didn¡¯t call her daughter back right away. She watched, fascinated, as Joram retrieved what looked like several root vegetables and began to wash them. Not only did she not recognize the vegetables, but was astonished when water suddenly started pouring out of a narrow tap built into the counter. Then he reached under a counter and brought up some weird device that looked like steel and something black. He then pushed a cord into the wall, and a light came to life on the front of the strange device that proved to be some sort of pot when he removed its lid by first twisting it. She then watched as he took out a very shiny steel pot from inside of it, filled it with some water, then added frozen chunks of red meat to it. From there, he added what looked like various herbs from strange containers whose make reminded her of those containers that the food had been in. Seemingly done with that, Joram replaced the lid, then touched the front of the odd pot-thing and made it make strange sounds before turning back to the vegetables. They were all soon peeled with a strange device, then chopped and added to another large pot, this time one that was waiting on what she assumed to be a stove of some sort. She¡¯d seen expensive stoves in her travels that ran on mana, but hadn¡¯t been able to afford one after she¡¯d returned home with her husband. She watched intently as Joram worked, then frowned when a sudden stinging scent hit her nose, then sneezed. Kalduin patted her on the shoulder, looking as though he was an old hand at this, earning him an indignant look in return. Who wouldn¡¯t sneeze smelling something like that? She thought, annoyed with her son until she started hearing a hissing sound that raised her hackles. She looked to the kitchen where she saw the same reaction from Myra, but nothing from Joram. She frowned, knowing that even a human could hear that, then frowned further as the pitch continued to rise before suddenly cutting off. Joram looked over at Myra¡¯s scrunched face, her hands over her ears and pointed at the strange pot. ¡°Only that,¡± he said, then got back to preparing the food as though nothing had happened. Celys was impressed with her daughter¡¯s perseverance. She¡¯d never been one to be taught how to cook, instead preferring to observe from a distance so that she could claim that she¡¯d coincidentally been doing something else nearby. She also noted that her daughter¡¯s tails had calmed after being in the kitchen with Joram for a while. Not only that, but she also noticed how they now swayed slightly back and forth, how her ears were angled slightly forward, her posture seemingly relaxed, but eager. She took another look at Joram and took note of his strong jaw and wide brow, but also how he had a slight widow¡¯s peak. His cheeks were smooth above his short beard, his skin healthy. He was physically fit, amazingly strong even. And he could cook. What Celys didn¡¯t notice was that her own tails were now slowly swaying to and fro as she watched her daughter. * * * Joram felt a slight chill run down his spine as he finished the preparations for the stew he was making. ¡®What was that?¡¯ he asked Avi, a bit concerned that he¡¯d missed something. ¡®Nothing a healthy young man should worry about,¡¯ Avi replied with a shrug from his chair. Which, of course, got him worried. He started watching Myra from the corner of his eye, but she didn¡¯t seem too different from their last visit, though oddly helpful in the kitchen. With the preparations complete, he just needed to wait for the stewing beef to finish in the pressure cooker before adding it to the rest of the stew before letting them simmer together for a while. So, he filled the veggie pot then set it to simmer before turning back to the living room. Kalduin and Theril both seemed eager to try the new food, while Myra¡¯s mother was staring at him like a cat who¡¯d found a mouse. Her tails were even waving back and forth! ¡°It will take time,¡± he said, looking away from Celys. ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside in the fresh air,¡± he finished, then grabbed his chair before heading to the door and unlocking it. He opened the door to step out, then grunted as a spear hit him in the chest, causing him to stagger back. Theril was there in a blink, sliding past where he was on the floor, then slamming the door shut and barring it as fast as he could. The next moment, several impacts sounded, indicating how wise his choice had been. On the floor, Joram struggled to breath properly. He was certain that the crude spear had pierced his right lung, but he was having too hard a time to concentrate through the pain. He shuddered at the thought of how bad it would have felt if he hadn¡¯t already unlocked [Pain Resistance]. He heard Myra crying out and Celys chanting something, but it was a bit distant, as though through a long tunnel, or in another room. He reached up to pull the spear out, but couldn¡¯t find it because his hand wasn¡¯t working properly. Then everything went black. Chapter 022 - Angry It was hard to concentrate when Myra was sending out a stream of cusses, so many in fact that he wondered if the paint on the walls would peel. Kalduin did his best to keep calm as he helped his mother attend to Joram. It wasn¡¯t easy, as the most he¡¯d ever had to bandage were a few scraped limbs when the play got a bit rough between the kits, or when someone had an accident. The more serious injuries had always been attended to by his seniors, [High Priests] and the like. Intellectually, he knew that everyone bled the same colour, be they animal-kin, elves, dwarves, halflings, or humans. Even the beasts of the field, and most monsters from dungeons, all bled red. But seeing it so vibrantly as it slowly pooled under Joram really hit home. Their host and he dared say, budding friend, had been felled in front of them before any of them could react. Well, he supposed that that was kind of the point of an ambush. ¡°Press this down as hard as you can when I tell you,¡± his mother¡¯s voice cut through the noise in his head, instantly bringing him back to his unpleasant surroundings. Not trusting himself to speak, he just nodded as he took the rolled-up fabric that his mother had apparently cut from Joram¡¯s shirt, revealing in gory detail how the spear entered his chest. He nearly lost his breakfast at the sight, affirming once again that he wasn¡¯t made for adventuring. ¡°Now!¡± his mother suddenly barked, causing his hands to move on their own as the spear was pulled from Joram¡¯s chest, followed by an alarming quantity of blood before his hands got into place. He pressed for all he was worth, offering a silent prayer that Joram would survive. Then is mother was chanting, the green light of healing casting Joram¡¯s skin in a very unfortunate hue, making him swallow hard. ¡°That¡¯s all I can do,¡± his mother said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not specialized in healing, just battlefield patching,¡± she finished, looking down at Joram with sad eyes. ¡°I saw over a score of them out there before I closed the door,¡± Theril said, getting their attention. ¡°About half of them were hobs,¡± he finished, looking a bit grim. Kalduin could understand why. Those were each at least a Rank E threat, mostly in Rank D though. Which meant that there were likely ten or so hobs that could individually give Theril a run for his money. ¡°I knew I should have brought Nalun along,¡± his mother growled. Even though his mother was higher level than his father, she had a support Path, while his father might have been a [Spear Hunter], it was at least more geared towards combat than not. ¡°I¡¯ll burn each and every one of those walking wart bags,¡± Myra growled as her eyes shone with magic. ¡°You¡¯ll do no such thing,¡± their mother snapped, causing Myra¡¯s jaw to set stubbornly. ¡°We¡¯ll need to make this area a chokepoint for when they eventually break down the door. That¡¯ll be our only hope of surviving a war band like that,¡± she said, already looking for things with which to barricade the door. Kalduin also began looking around, not sure what they could use. For as large as the table was, it didn¡¯t look very heavy, or solid. Nor did the bookshelf. He was thinking about using the white chest-like thing beside the comfortable-looking chair, when the door rattled from a great impact. ¡°They¡¯ve got a battering ram,¡± Theril said, likely for his and Myra¡¯s benefit. ¡°I suggest preparing any spells you can for when a hole gets made,¡± he said, strapping on his shield. ¡°Get back,¡± his mother said, motioning for them go get out of the way as she grabbed Joram¡¯s foot and began unceremoniously dragging him out of the way. Myra looked scandalized before coming to herself at the same time that he did. They both quickly grabbed an arm each to help their mother move faster. Down the hall, they found that the door opposite them seemed to be Joram¡¯s room, as there was a large bed in there, amongst other unusual oddities that they didn¡¯t have time to inspect before being ushered out by their mother. Back in the living room, the pounding continued on the door, making a racket sufficient to raise the dead. ¡°Now, I need you and Myra to stand over there,¡± Theril said, directing his mother and sister to stand behind the now upended table, Joram¡¯s odd items scattered across the floor at the base of the wall, along with the study materials they¡¯d left him. ¡°Kal, I¡¯ll need you to be ready to heal me if I take any hits,¡± he said, then motioned where he expected him to stand. ¡°What? Mom¡¯s much better than I am with healing,¡± he stammered, but stopped when Theril glared at him. ¡°Yes, but she can also use offensive spells,¡± he said, pointing at where his family was readying themselves. ¡°No time for arguing,¡± he said, then lightly pushed him into place. They didn¡¯t have to wait long before the first splintered hole appeared around the battering ram. Fortunately, the bands of metal seemed to have mostly kept the hole plugged, preventing any arrows or spears from immediately being sent their way. Theril finally drew his sword, still staring at the door with ears drawn back. He heard his mother quietly instructing his sister on when to cast her spells. It was a surreal moment for him. He hadn¡¯t ever thought he¡¯d be in a situation like this, as he¡¯d planned on basically staying safe inside of Kirkwall for the rest of his life. Then the hole was widened further with the next several impacts, making him wince with each one. That¡¯s when the spells started flying. * * * Joram woke up in incredible pain, barely able to breath. Confused, he reached to his chest and found that it was incredibly tender before he started coughing. Coughing that led to blood spattering across his blankets, finally reminding him of what had happened as he pushed a System notification out of the way. Cursing himself for being such and idiot, he reached for [Natural Healing] and augmented it as much as he could before releasing it. He felt his body react instantly, the pain fading away while the dimpling on his chest smoothed out. But that didn¡¯t clear his lungs, and he began another coughing fit, this time dislodging more clotting blood than before. As he caught his breath, the pounding finally registered, along with the sounds of fighting. ¡®Welcome back,¡¯ Avi said, giving him a nod. ¡®I think it¡¯s about time you start using [Inertial Armour] and probably [Force Screen] as well,¡¯ she said, starting pointedly at his bare chest. He just grunted his reply, which caused another coughing fit as he tried to pull up [Inertial Armour] to see if he could even understand it sufficiently to use it. He was also silently cussing himself out for having completely forgotten about those two basic defensive Powers. The fact that [Inertial Armour] would last for hours per manifester level really should have made it to the top of his list of things to keep going. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Then more shouting came from the living room, but this time he heard the sound of goblins yammering away as they attacked his guests. ¡°Light-blasted goblins again,¡± he growled, deciding to go for broke and attempting to manifest [Inertial Armour] with as may power points as he could manage. It didn¡¯t flow as well as he would have liked, but the power manifested, causing a brief ripple before becoming invisible once again. Then more breaking sounds came, cutting his time short. He quickly grabbed his katana before stepping out of the bedroom as he drew the blade. When he came out of his bedroom though, he saw quite the mess, angering him further. Not only had the goblins come again, but they¡¯d come when his guests were there, causing them to fight for their lives with what was at hand, and his table had been one such thing. His laptop, monitor, printer, tablet, phone, books, and other miscellaneous items had been unceremoniously dumped on the floor so that they could use his table as a barrier against the attacking goblins. ¡°Move,¡± he said, pushing past a shocked Celys on his way to the door where he found his shoes and quickly emptied them of debris before sliding them on. ¡°How?¡± he heard Kal ask, but ignored the frightened kid as Theril tried to block the massive hole in the door with his shield. Joram looked down and found that the goblins had apparently been hurling rocks along with their arrows, so he picked one up and hefted it. ¡°Move when I say move,¡± he growled, staring at the large hole in his door what was being made larger by the second. ¡°Stand back,¡± Theril said, not bothering with him as he tried to keep the view of the goblins limited. ¡°Move!¡± Joram shouted, startling the man enough to turn and see that he¡¯d taken up a major league pitcher¡¯s stance, rock in hand. Theril quickly shifted out of the way in time for Joram to throw for all he was worth. The stone, which probably weighted a kilo, flew through the hole and caused a wet crunching sound. Joram immediately dropped to the ground, avoiding the return fire before Theril could get his shield back up and in the way. ¡®Try using [Biofeedback],¡¯ Avi suggested, once again reminding him of yet another staple of a Power. And since it was a Psychometabolism Power, it would likely go easier for him than other powers. Well, he guessed that it would be due to how easily [Natural Healing] came to him, but couldn¡¯t quite be sure. With another mental shrug, he pulled up [Biofeedback] and just went with it. He once again poured as many power points in as he could, hoping that the added damage reduction would help keep him alive through the encounter. This time, though, it felt smoother, as though his body wanted to respond to the Power as it hardened his body. He grinned, then. Thinking about how much hurt he could lay down on those damned goblins before they could take him out. Or maybe he¡¯d get lucky and take them out first. But he wouldn¡¯t hold his breath for that. Instead of unbarring he door and running out there half-cocked, the looked over his shoulder at the two women. They were still staring at him in shock, mouths moving without sound coming out of them. They¡¯ll be fine, he thought, then turned back to the door, still crouched down. It took another several hits before more of the door was bashed in, leaving the hole large enough for a goblin to feel brave enough to try its luck with a spear. The probing weapon was mostly kept at bay by Theril¡¯s shield, so Joram crept a bit closer, making sure to stay down and low. Once he was right at the door, he waited for the next jab to send the spear over his head. Another few seconds passed as he grew more nervous, then the spear came. He reached out and grabbed it with his left hand, then pulled for all he was worth. The hapless goblin came shrieking at the door as it tried to pull its spear back, but too late. Theril¡¯s sword shot forward, connecting with the goblin in such a way that the shrieking stopped and the resistance on the spear vanished. He wished he could have seen it, but contented himself with the spear instead. ¡°Here,¡± he said, tossing the spear crosswise to the two hiding women. Celys caught the spear, but then handed it to Myra a second later as he turned back to the door breaking door as the battering ram smashed another piece of the door in, reducing his cover to the point where he didn¡¯t quite feel as comfortable where he was anymore. But as he was about to move, a spark shot over his head and Myra yelled. ¡°Duck!¡± So, he did. He flattened himself on the debris covered floor just as a loud boom set his ears to ringing. Joram quickly picked himself up enough to take a peek outside and grinned. The goblins were in disarray, burning, running, and screaming as they tried to get out of the burning underbrush and put out their burning clothing. ¡°Good timing,¡± he said, but in english, not thinking about his guests anymore. He quickly got to his feet, then slipped out of the large hole in the door, noting how the metal scraping on his skin didn¡¯t even leave a mark behind. Once outside, he brought his katana up, then down onto the closest goblin as he heard his guests yelling for him to get back inside. Given his mood, he did what he thought was best and ignored them as he stepped over to the next goblin that was trying to extinguish its burning loincloth. Another swing resulted in another dead goblin, this one missing its head. Then he stepped up to his first hob as it tried to put out its hair. The thing was almost as tall as he was, but fatter than he thought would be possible to still move around like that. Remembering that fat was a surprisingly good armour, Joram instead chose to take a swing at the hob¡¯s unprotected knee. Gritting his teeth a bit, Joram crouched a bit as he swung two-handed and as horizontally as he could at the hob¡¯s knee. The thing noticed him a bit too late as Joram¡¯s sword first connected with his knee, then passed through it with disturbing ease, severing the limb completely and spraying blood across the ground. The hob, bellowed in pain as it toppled, attracting the attention of yet more goblins. Joram decided to let the hob bleed out as he was rushed by several smouldering goblins. He quickly stood back up and stepped back a bit as the first goblin thrust its spear at him. Fortunately, the spear glanced off his [Inertial Armour], leaving it open for a swing of his own. His sword took off its arm, causing yet more noise and three more closed in, stabbing. For as good as Avi was at training him, he¡¯d only practiced dodging from one direction at a time. So it was that two of the goblins scored hits, but didn¡¯t manage to do more than cut his pants. [Biofeedback], for the win! He thought, a grim smile on his face as he let go of his katana with one hand to grab the last goblin to hit him. The thing felt¡­ gross. It had warts all over its body, causing him to cringe a bit as he tugged the goblin closer and onto the curved blade of the katana. He then jerked his katana to the side, opening up the goblin¡¯s bowels and releasing them to fall onto the forest floor, while also raising an unbelievable stench that nearly had him gagging. The other two goblins weren¡¯t idle though. They quickly flanked him as they continued jabbing at him with their spears, trying to repay the favour he¡¯d dealt their friend. Then a spear lanced through the goblin¡¯s throat to his right, leaving him an opening as the one to his left gaped a bit. Another slash practically bisected the green menace before he turned to see that Theril had also squeezed out of the door while both Celys and Myra looked out of the hole in the door. Myra pointed, and a ray of bright fire took a recovered hob in the belly, lighting its fat on fire and sending it wailing into the forest. Another few hobs were still left, though, so he cautiously made his way over to stand by Theril as he battled with another hob. Then an arrow glanced off his armour, reminding him that goblins also tended to have archers. But just as he was picking up a spear to throw at the little bugger, a spear of stone erupted from the ground underneath it and impaled it from groin right through to its neck where it burst out of its shoulder. Grim, he thought, but then put that out of his mind as the first hob arrived, its club already swinging for his head. He quickly ducked under the swing, but was caught off guard by the heel of its foot as it connected with his chest, sending him back over a metre to fall on his back, a bit winded. He was suddenly very glad that he¡¯d gone for broke with [Biofeedback], as a hit like that might have otherwise broken a few ribs. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he realized that he¡¯d lost his grip on his sword and cursed. ¡®Maybe learning the ways of the Soulknife will take a priority now?¡¯ Avi asked, standing over where he¡¯d lost his sword. ¡®If you can unlock that information for me, then sure,¡¯ he sent right back, sarcasm heavy in the sending. Avi stuck her tongue out at him, shocking him just as a flood of information caused his vision to blur. He staggered back, figuring that the hob would try to capitalize on the opening, and felt the thing¡¯s club glance off his ribs. By the time his vision cleared, the information had settled down enough to him to attempt to manifest a [Soulblade]. It came more naturally than he thought it would, the blade materializing in his hand, shocking him more than a little bit and making the hob back up uncertainly. In his hands was a perfect replica of Cloud Strife¡¯s Buster Sword in all of its six-foot glory. Though, he noticed that instead of being made of metal, it was a translucent crystalline blue and felt as comfortable in his hands as if it had always been with him. He just hoped that it would be stronger than crystal. Chapter 023 - Learning by doing She was more frustrated than she could ever remember being in her entire life. That the spells and Skills she¡¯d gained from her class were primarily geared towards non-combat situations hadn¡¯t ever bothered her. Purify this, bless that. Heal some scrapes and bruises every now and then when the person came to her instead of going to the local clinic or temple. Yes, she had a couple of spells that were destructive, like [Firebeam] and [Fireball], but nothing like her mother. She had known that her mother had been an adventurer in her youth, and had even risen to Rank C, something respectable for a girl from a small village. Her mother used the spirits to attack her enemies, from wind spirits that could defend her by blowing arrows away or attacking by pulling the air from the lungs of her enemies to earth spirits that could form and be a wall between her mother and those trying to kill her. The point was, her mother was versatile in a way that she wasn¡¯t. And it frustrated her now because she hadn¡¯t been able to do anything for Joram before he¡¯d been felled. Or after. Even as the goblins were about to break through the reinforced door, Myra ground her teeth in frustration. She wanted to release a [Fireball] and incinerate the impure amalgamations of Mana that were trying to kill them all. Then she gaped when Joram commanded her mother to move out of the way, staring at the very large and very bloody man as he retrieved some footwear, cleaned them out, then put them on. From there, she remained shocked as he eventually bullied a stunned Theril into moving out of the way so that he could throw a rock so hard that the goblin that it hit had its brains dashed out. Before it had even fallen, Joram had dropped low as a couple arrows came through and Theril once again blocked their view with his shield. She turned to her mother at the same time that she turned to her and exchanged an incredulous look with her. They then turned to stare as Joram who then shimmered slightly before glancing back at them, a slight smirk on his face. A few more impacts from the battering ram opened the hole in the door further, allowing a goblin to start jabbing around with its spear. Finally, Myra thought as she prepared to scorch the goblin with her [Firebeam] when Joram suddenly reached up, grabbed the spear, and pulled. The goblin, as stupid as ever, tried to tug its spear free until Theril¡¯s sword ended its life. Joram just turned slightly, said ¡°Here,¡± and tossed them the now free spear. Her mother reflexively caught it, as dumbfounded as she was before they both crouched low again to avoid yet more arrows. Her mother handed her the spear, but she¡¯d had enough. She peeked over the edge of the table, saw an opening, and cast [Fireball]. The spark shot towards the opening in the door as Joram ducked a bit, then flew out the door as she yelled for everyone to duck. The blast was satisfyingly loud, as were the shrieks of pain from the monsters. Then Joram said something weird before getting up and slipping out of the hole in the door, once again stunning everyone present. It took them a few seconds to react, Theril and her mother were the first to get to the door, blocking most of the view outside, but not all. She saw bits of combat where Joram¡¯s sword cleaved through goblins as though they¡¯d been made of straw. Then the hobs started to recover and the smaller goblins began to organize. ¡°Stay here,¡± Theril muttered before he, too, slipped out of the hole in the door, allowing her to get right up there with her mother who was already casting spells as she reached over and took the spear from her. She was about to object when her mother leaned back and threw the spear, taking a goblin through the neck. Not to be outdone, Myra sent a [Firebeam] into the gut of a large hob, setting it alight, its fat catching fire and crippling the monster. Her mother cast another spell, this time an earth-based one if the now skewered goblin archer was any clue. But then the combat grew too close, making Myra nervous that she¡¯d hit an ally rather than an enemy if she sent any more [Firebeam]s out, so he watched. Watched and prayed, then smiled when she remembered that she could still do more. As Joram was pushed back by another hob, she cast another spell, [Bless], and hoped that it would be enough to get the crazy man through. After taking a glancing blow to his ribs, Joram continued to stumble back as though dizzy, worrying her even more before he stopped and suddenly smiled. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but then a ridiculously huge, blue, crystal sword appeared in his hands. Which made the hob pause, looking uncertain. She couldn¡¯t blame it. If she¡¯d run across an enemy that could use a sword like that, then she would also start reconsidering her life choices. Even though she knew that he was, presumably, on their side, that smile sent a shiver down her spine. It promised an end to all things. The man who it was attached to soon delivered. She watched, slack-jawed as Joram easily batted away the hob¡¯s club as it decided to attack, then the crystal-like sword nearly bisected the large hob, sending blood and gore rushing down its body before it fell over. Joram, though, had already stepped aside to meet the next hob, that was now frothing at the mouth in rage. Even she could tell that Joram was inexperienced in combat. He would miss openings that even she could point out while falling for feints that resulted in getting clubbed more often than not. But what surprised her over the course of the few fights that remained, was that Joram was improving at a visible rate. His footing improved to the point where he wasn¡¯t stumbling over bodies or raised terrain nearly as often. He also began to read the feints better, taking advantage of openings when the hobs became overconfident to just impatient. In the end, she could count fourteen dead hobs and nearly twice that number in regular goblins. She finally remembered to look at her party¡¯s metrics, noting that Theril had taken a few wounds as his health was at just over half. Both her and her mother¡¯s mana was well below half, though she knew that her mother had cast many more spells than she had. Kalduin was fine, his mana barely used. She supposed that she couldn¡¯t blame her twin, seeing as how he was on a completely support-oriented Path. Even her aid had been opportunistic considering just how many goblins had been felled. She regretted not being able to see Joram¡¯s status bars, as he hadn¡¯t been part of the party they¡¯d formed after he¡¯d fallen. Which reminded her, how was he up and about? How was he even alive?! She once again focussed on the bloody human, noting a few developing bruises on his arms and torso. But noticed the distinct lack of puckered spear wound in his chest. She felt her mother gently move her to the side before she dislodged the crossbar and pulled the remains of the door out of the way. Myra grimaced as the door fell in pieces, realizing that they¡¯d been closer to a melee with the goblins than she¡¯d thought. Then watched as her mother went to Joram first to check his condition, fussing over where the spear wound had been. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°How?¡± Celys asked, looking up at Joram strangely, causing him to fidget slightly. Which made her smile at bit in sympathy. Her mother could make even the hardest of traders shift under her glare. ¡°I can heal fast,¡± he said, shrugging. It was then that he seemed to notice all the blood that covered him, causing him to frown, then to look at them for a long moment. Myra watched as her mother held in her many questions, probably just as many as she had for her barbarian of a student. For her genius of a student. For the mystery standing in front of her. Eventually Joram spoke as the white light of a very powerful [Cleanse] flashed, clearing away the blood, gore, and dead goblins, causing her jaw to drop once more. * * * Joram sighed as he pulled some chairs outside so that they could all have a good sit. He, for one, could use a good sit. The exertions from earlier had left him feeling drained, and when he¡¯d checked his status, he¡¯d found the reason why.
Stamina: 4/26
He hadn¡¯t fought long enough yet, and stayed conscious for it, to have noticed that particular metric¡¯s use, or how it affected him. Maybe he would have to incorporate some cardio into his workout routine. That, or maybe he could build a¡­ an obstacle course? Yeah, that sounded fun. He¡¯d need the added stamina if he intended to get into the thick of things in the future like he¡¯d just done. Once he¡¯d pulled his comfy chair outside and plonked down, Celys seemed to take that as a sign that she could start in with her questions. ¡°I thought that you didn¡¯t have a Path yet,¡± she said, annoying him with a couple of words that he didn¡¯t recognize yet. He sighed, got up, and shifted through the pile by the wall until he found the dictionary, some paper, a clip board, and a mechanical pencil. Sitting once more, he noticed the patient look on Celys¡¯ face. He supposed that the village Chief wasn¡¯t used to people getting up and walking off while she was talking. But considering¡­ everything that had happened, he supposed that he¡¯d gotten a free pass in that respect. ¡°Here, write,¡± he said, handing the clipboard and pencil to her, getting a confused look in return. He held up the dictionary, then pointed at the paper again. ¡°I think that he doesn¡¯t understand some words,¡± Myra added helpfully, getting a nod of understanding from her mother. The next hour passed a bit slowly for him, but he was glad for the rest as it allowed his resource pools to fully replenish themselves. That, and he got to learn a bunch more words that were very useful in everyday conversations. Questions like: ¡°Do you have a Path,¡± and ¡°How did you do x, y, and z?¡± were the prominent ones. They all seemed confused that he could do anything without a Path, which gave him yet more insight into how the world worked. It seemed as though the System, the ¡°Great Protector¡± as they called it, unlocked for people at the age of fifteen. Not as young as some he¡¯d read about, nor as old as others. The ages seemed to be arbitrary from what he¡¯d been able to tell, likely just the preference of the author than anything else. The other questions were a bit more uncomfortable for him, though. He was generally a private person, but in this case, letting strangers know a lot about him just didn¡¯t sit right, their apparent friendliness notwithstanding. He¡¯d read of protagonists doing everything from keeping tight-lipped about themselves and everything that they could do to ones that didn¡¯t care and shared anything asked of them. That said, the latter case was by far the exception rather than the rule, though most fell somewhere between those two extremes. Ultimately, he didn¡¯t know them very well, so they fell into the same category as anyone else from Earth would have. Be polite to them, but tell them the barest minimum as, ultimately, it was none of their business to know his business. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know you that well yet,¡± he said more often than not, which he could see frustrated Celys more and more. To her credit though, she remained professional the entire time. He did see Kalduin nodding from time to time, obviously confirming things for his mother. As a [Priest], Joram wondered if Kalduin had a way to verify truth, like [Detect Lies] or something like that. Either way, since he hated lying anyways, he hadn¡¯t bothered telling them any. He¡¯d just told them that he wouldn¡¯t answer any questions that he didn¡¯t want to answer. For her part, Myra looked like she¡¯d sat on an anthill or something given how she twitched and squirmed almost constantly in her chair. He was reasonably sure that the chairback provided enough room for her tails, so that was unlikely the cause of her fidgeting. He was still distracted by her two tails, but also by Celys¡¯ tails as well. Is it common to have more than one tail for them? He wondered silently as he tried very hard to not look at them, remembering the tongue lashing Myra had given him about that during their first meeting. ¡°How are you even alive?!¡± Myra finally blurted out, much to her mother¡¯s great annoyance. ¡°I told you, I heal fast,¡± he said, shrugging once again. ¡°But how? You don¡¯t even have a Path! You don¡¯t look part troll, so how?¡± she asked, eyes practically blazing with intense curiosity. Joram just pointed at the clipboard and Celys understood, writing the question down for him, then passed it over to him so that he could inspect the new word. A minute later, he was frowning at Myra, affronted by the implication that he¡¯d have troll blood in him. ¡°I am not a human,¡± he said, giving her a frown. ¡°My¡­ people can heal faster than others,¡± he said, then regretted it as they now looked at him like an alien. Then the timer on the stove went off, making the lot of them jump a bit. ¡°Time to stir the food,¡± he said as he stood up and went back inside, once again passing his broken stuff on the floor. He sighed, hoping that he could [Repair] the lot of them without first needing to be ¡°higher¡± level. In other words, before he understood things better. He quickly stirred the stewed veggies, then opened up the instapot and pulled out the pot with the help of an oven mitt. Once the tender meat was transferred to the larger pot, he stirred it again, and set another timer, lowered the heat, then went back outside. As he sat, he noticed their noses twitching a bit, their tails swaying to and fro slightly. Guess it at least smells good, he thought, somewhat pleased with that. Then Kalduin finally spoke up, surprising him with one of the first good questions they¡¯d asked in the past hour. ¡°So, why haven¡¯t you chosen a Path yet?¡± Joram nodded, then thought for a few moments before answering. ¡°I want to take my time choosing,¡± he said simply, causing them all to blink at him, Myra going so far as to dropping her jaw in surprise. ¡°What?¡± he asked, suddenly nervous that he¡¯d given something away that he hadn¡¯t meant to. ¡°You have a choice of classes?¡± Celys asked carefully, now giving him another look-over, this time much more appraising than before. Again, he hated lying, so he didn¡¯t deny it, nor could he just clam up and not seem shady as Eff, so he nodded. After another minute of her appraising stare, Celys finally spoke again. ¡°More than two choices?¡± she asked carefully, observing his every move. Now, he knew that he was terrible at lying, even when playing poker with his family, so he knew that if anyone knew any of his ¡°tells¡±, then they¡¯d already have shown and given him away. So, again, he just kind of gave up trying to hide things. ¡°Enough,¡± he said, putting his very stubborn foot down. ¡°That is private,¡± he said, then changed the subject. ¡°Is anyone¡­ wanting water?¡± he asked, realizing that they¡¯d somehow managed to miss the word for thirsty. ¡°Thirsty?¡± Kalduin asked, providing him the word. ¡°Yes, please,¡± he said, giving Joram a generous nod, which he returned before getting up and heading back inside. He didn¡¯t say anything when Myra followed him in, nor when she offered to help him carry the cups out to everyone. Looking back inside at the mess, he sighed again, then went in, picked up the table, then angled it out the door and set it up for them to sit at. After plucking a few arrows out of its surface, it was ready to go, if a bit worse for wear. He¡¯d have to fix that later. Fortunately, the conversation veered away from him and to topics more general¡­ well, towards the goblins and where they thought they were coming from. That was when he learned that their village, Kirkwall- which he hoped was nothing like the other one he was more familiar with- was indeed off to the northeast, about an hour or so away by foot. Maybe Reldan had just gone off to look around more, he thought, remembering how he¡¯d thought his village was to the west. Given that they¡¯d not seen signs of dungeon goblins yet, the distinction of ¡°dungeon¡± perking his interest, made them think that they were coming from somewhere in the west or south. Then he remembered that the other goblins had come from the south, making him wonder if dungeon goblins got along well with ¡°normal¡± goblins at all. So, he asked. Celys gave him another weird look before she eventually spoke. ¡°There are versions of every race that can come from dungeons,¡± she said, immediately hooking his attention. ¡°In every case, the dungeon version and the regular version always fight. They are never anything but hostile towards one another,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Basically, anything coming from a dungeon is hostile towards anything that originates from outside of a dungeon.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± he grunted, wondering if dungeon monsters could, or would, get together with other dungeon monsters to ruin peoples¡¯ day. Chapter 024 - Soulbolt The biggest bombshell had come after they¡¯d finally eaten, though. ¡°So, Joram?¡± Theril said, sounding a bit hesitant. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When you cleared away the dead goblins,¡± he began, motioning to where they¡¯d lain. ¡°Do you always use [Cleanse]?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± he replied, not sure what he was getting at. ¡°Ah,¡± Theril replied while Celys shook her head, looking sad for some reason. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, getting a bad feeling about it all. ¡°Well because, normally, you would just need to touch the body of a dungeon monster and ¡®Loot¡¯ it,¡± Theril replied, not quite looking at him. ¡°Loot?¡± he asked, reaching for the dictionary. Although it was a very limited one, it had proven quite handy. ¡°Yes,¡± Celys said, taking over the explanation. ¡°You see, there is a function to the Great Protector¡¯s gift to us that allows us to retrieve treasure from slain dungeon monsters,¡± she finished, giving him that sad, but now slightly guilty, look. ¡°I¡¯ve wasted treasure,¡± he asked, working very hard to keep his heartrate under control. He was a bit¡­ draconic when it came to loot, treasure, money, and such, so this revelation¡­ hurt. ¡°Yes,¡± Kalduin answered for the group as Myra was looking oddly guilty. ¡°Well, crap on a cracker,¡± he said, finishing in english and thus causing them to give him odd looks. After that, the group had said their goodbyes and set off, leaving him to mull over the events of the day. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°My hoard hurts,¡± he said sadly, looking at where his fallen enemies had lain. ¡®You don¡¯t have a hoard, Joram,¡¯ Avi said, giving him a look that told him that she thought he was a bit crazy. ¡°Exactly,¡± he said, then sighed. The next hour was spent fixing everything that had been broken¡­ mostly. There wasn¡¯t enough of the door left for [Repair] to work on it, so he just gathered up the pieces and piled them up with his previously broken door; the one missing its glass centre. He also gathered up the various goblin weapons, pleased that he now had more metal to work with than before. So, he piled them up and then reviewed [Recycle]. Why? Because he wanted to try making something a bit different. It took him another hour to review the unfamiliar power, but once he was done, things went smoothly. From the scrap that remained of the door to the extra weapons, he [Recycle]d them all into a good seventeen ingots of metal. Sure, they weren¡¯t the largest of ingots, but they¡¯d do. From there, he also [Recycle]d his two broken doors after removing their hinges and [Repair]ing them. With the pile of wood that he now had, and some other piles of random things like dried paint, he once again reviewed [Delve]. He really wanted to get that power mastered¡­ or at least to the point where he was proficient with it. He was reasonably sure that any door he currently tried to make wouldn¡¯t be as sturdy as the doors that had come with the place. And so that he could produce something reasonably solid, he believed that having a decent understanding of the door¡¯s make-up would prove invaluable. That said, he felt that he got much farther this time, likely due to his reviewing the fundamentals of Metacreation a day or two ago. Still, he finished with a headache, so he grabbed his last spare door and went back to the living room. Ten minutes later, his door was replaced with the new one, resized and all. He still wanted to make sturdier doors, but it would have to do for now. Given the spacing between the goblins¡¯ attacks, he was reasonably sure that he¡¯d have just over two days before the next group showed up. The next, larger group, that is. Which meant that he had much more training to do, both physically and mentally. Now, if he could get the door¡¯s exterior the way he wanted it, then battering rams would be much less useful to anyone trying to use them on his door. Growing up with his woodcutting father had given him the idea. You could get special wedges for splitting logs. Some were larger than others, while others had slightly different shapes. The one he was thinking about was the one that looked like a four-pointed star if you looked at it form its tip. Once you drove it in a bit, then whacked it with a sledgehammer, it would spit the log into four pieces. What he was thinking was to stud his door with those things. Then it had occurred to him that castles (at least in movies) had had such things on them. Up to that point, he¡¯d always just assumed that they¡¯d been added for extra intimidation or something like that. Now he felt silly. Looking at the door, though, he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t have enough metal to complete the project. Which would mean that he¡¯d just need to reinforce the door again, hoping for even more metal to be gifted to him from the goblins. I¡¯ll add the bands later, he thought, then turned his thoughts to his new bundle of knowledge. Specifically, to the features of Soulknife. He could feel that he could¡­ customize the ¡°class¡±, what he¡¯d learned. And if that were indeed the case, then he had a lot to go over. Like, did he want to use any of the archetypes of the class? If so, which one, or ones? Armoured Blade and Shielded Blade were both very tempting, as they had no overlap in their requirements. Being able to quickly form protective armour or a shield were going to be rather important for his survival. Through, with how his psionic power regenerated in this world, perhaps just having [Inertial Armour] running all day was an option. Shielded Blade was in a similar niche as Armoured Blade, as he could just use [Force Screen] whenever he needed to. Though, he might have to start practicing with [Quicken Power] for emergency situations¡­. Joram sighed again, this time because of the time constraints placed on him. If he could just have a few years to go over and practice everything in his head, he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t have to fear much in the future. But, alas, the world wasn¡¯t a kind place. Shaking his head, he got back to the issue at hand: should he specialize? Given his currently limited ranged options, he was tempted to either take Soulbolt or the blade skill [Telekinetic Bolt] which would effectively give him what he liked about Soulbolt: range. That said, he wasn¡¯t a masochist, so the thought of being right there in melee with his enemies wasn¡¯t at all appealing to him, no matter how good it felt to fell his enemies with his own two hands. Survivability was where it was at for him, and the risk of having his skull caved-in, by a hob or something else, wasn¡¯t something that he wanted on the table. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. So, what to choose? Shielded Blade was a nice option, but it did reduce how powerful a weapon he could form with either [Form Mind Blade] or [Form Mind Bolt] when it was in use. Sure, he could mitigate that loss by taking a blade skill, but that would limit his other combat options. Man, I always hated agonizing over these options, and now it¡¯s worse because it¡¯ll now affect my life as opposed to my gaming, he thought, decision paralysis now ramped up to its fullest. ¡®May I make a suggestion,¡¯ Avi said, interrupting his internal deadlock. ¡°Yes, please,¡± he replied, greatly relieved at the distraction. ¡®Just as Altaea did in the past, why don¡¯t you just learn one path, then use [Psychic Reformation] later to adjust things if they don¡¯t fit as well as you would have liked?¡¯ Joram facepalmed. ¡°Well, shit,¡± he said, remembering one of Altaea¡¯s tricks over the years which led to her rise in power. Let alone her ability to use multiple ¡°class abilities¡± at once. ¡°That¡¯s kinda broken,¡± he said, shuddering at the thought of game developers grabbing their pitch forks and torches before hunting him down. ¡®If you¡¯re able to do it, why not?¡¯ Avi asked reasonably as she shrugged rather expressively. ¡°Do you know how she made class abilities into Crystal Minds?¡± he asked, now keen on the idea. ¡®I do,¡¯ she replied, then waited a few seconds before continuing, likely to annoy him. ¡®Like I said, it started with [Psychic Reformation]. What is key here, is that she made an augmentation option for that power, that allowed her to ¡°hold¡± that choice for a short while. ¡®That was when she would create a Crystal Mind using the information she was holding. After that, she would just assimilate the Crystal Mind and continue on from there, repeating the process as many times as she needed to,¡¯ she finished, sounding smug as could be. Joram sat for a while, absorbing that and going over the possibilities in his head before coming back to reality. [Psychic Reformation] was a 4th Level Power, though, so it would take him a while to wrap his brain around it. But when he did, he could just imagine the possibilities ahead of him. ¡°But for now,¡± he said, then took a deep breath before letting it all out. ¡°For now, I need to focus on what I can do. So, I¡¯ll just have to choose what I can for now, and go with what I know,¡± he said, then went over to his repaired laptop and opened up a spreadsheet. From there, he charted out what he wanted to do and what options would be best for that. Which led him to lean heavily towards Soulbolt, as that would keep him out of melee and allow him to support his astral constructs from a safe distance. With that decision made, he went over the options for Soulbolt that would keep him alive the longest. So, his shortlist became: Alter Mind Bolt, Charged Shot, Close-Range Expert, Emulate Technological Ranged Weapon, Freezing Bolt, Knife to the Soul, Launch Multibolt, Reaper¡¯s Blade, Telekinetic Edge, and Thousand Blades. The Alter Mind Bolt would allow him to change between the three forms his ¡°mind bolt¡± could take with much greater ease, potentially saving his life in a fight. From the long-range version- which, counterintuitively, dealt the least damage- to the short-range version, their range increments were 35m, 20m, and just 6m. He liked to think of the short-ranged version as the sawed-off shotgun option. Charged Shot would basically turn his projectile into an exploding round. Fun times would be had. Close-Ranged Expert would allow him to avoid presenting any openings if he somehow wound up face-to-face with an enemy while he tried to blast the thing¡¯s face off with his ¡°shotgun¡±. He was a bit excited to play with Emulate Technological Ranged Weapon, as he¡¯d likely be able to mess around with various modern weapons, and possibly more! That said, he got the distinct impression that the projectiles that he would be launching would be as silent as the standard ¡°bolt¡± that he would have normally been using without taking this option. Sure, it would take a bit of his psionic power to form the mindbolt every time, but given his regeneration rate, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that. Freezing Bolt would allow for him to both change his damage type from physical to elemental cold, as well as adding the possibility of inflicting a ¡°Slow¡± status ailment on his target for a few seconds. That might not seem like much, however, when he would be counting on his astral constructs to do most of the heavy lifting, it could mean the difference between victory or defeat. Likely death. Knife to the Soul was a bit of a misnomer, as that particular ability could be used with his bolts, and would inflict mental penalties on the target if he used his [Psychic Strike] ability in conjunction with it. Well, he couldn¡¯t actually activate it without using his [Psychic Strike], so there was that. But the possibility of debuffing a caster was a bit too hard to pass up, especially if he could just snipe the caster from a hundred metres away! Launch Multibolt was nice, as it would allow him to get off two shots for the price of one whenever he attacked. Sure, it would be slightly less accurate, but if he needed it, it could save his life, especially when combined with the short-range option. Double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, he thought, shivering at the destructive potential. Reaper¡¯s Blade was another misnomer, as it could also apply to his projectiles. The reason why he wanted to get this particular ability was that if he managed to kill an opponent with his mindbolt, then his [Psychic Strike] would immediately recharge if he¡¯d already expended it during the fight. Not having to take a second or two to recharge that ability during combat would prove invaluable to his damage output. Telekinetic Edge was another one that he was very much looking forward to, as it basically turned his projectiles into armour-piercing rounds. They¡¯d ignore something¡¯s damage reduction as well as the hardness of and object, making this ability especially deadly and useful. He couldn¡¯t remember the number of times that he¡¯d seen the protagonist shoot open a lock in a movie, or use a shotgun to blow the deadbolt out of a door. Real life didn¡¯t quite work like that, nor were things so convenient. But with this ability, he¡¯d be a bona-fide action hero! Well, probably not, but one could dream. The last ability, Thousand Blades was yet another misnomer, as no blades were actually involved. Instead, it allowed him to make a full attack and retain his accuracy for the entire attack¡­ at the expense of expending his [Psychic Strike], of course. Sure, he wouldn¡¯t get the added damage from [Psychic Strike], but that really wouldn¡¯t matter if he had a much better chance of hitting his target with every shot. Sure, maybe one hit with the extra damage that a [Psychic Strike] could add might be preferable at some point, but sometimes more hits in a short period of time were better than one big hit. It would very much be on a case-by-case basis, though. So, with those abilities now ¡°slotted¡±, he went on to choosing the enhancements for his mindbolt. There were many options, but not many actually appealed to him very much at the moment. There were lots of situationally effective options, but having something that would be good for the long run would be best. Sure, he could always spend some time to reconfigure his ¡°loadout¡±, and he likely would, but having the most effective all ¡¯rounder build would be the best way to keep him alive the longest. That said, he wasn¡¯t going to be regularly looking for fights. Well, at least he couldn¡¯t see himself doing that on the regular, anyway. The goblin situation was completely different, though, so he¡¯d need to be ready for when he eventually needed to deal with them. That said, he went with the classic Keen, as anything that increased his chances to deal extra damage was a must. Then Distance, as increasing the range at which you could kill your enemy was always good. The next was Seeking, something that he¡¯d very much need if he was going to be shooting at things trying to take cover or using magic to obscure their position. Lastly, he took Collision, as that just added more oomph to each shot, increasing the damage. So, with that taken care of, he decided to start messing around with the various forms his mindbolt could take. The first one he tried was the long-range version. For one, it allowed him to have his hands full while using it, so if he wanted to hold a sword and board, or if he needed to carry something large, or a person, he could still shoot at stuff. Which had probably subconsciously affected its form. When he formed the long-range mindbolt, it took the form of an articulated shoulder canon. Gun? Shrug. The point was, he now had a Predator style shoulder gun. Which was beyond awesome, if he was being honest. Sure, it didn¡¯t have the ridiculous damage potential that its original design had, but it was still better than he could have hoped for. It didn¡¯t auto-target though, which was somewhat expected seeing as how he had an instinctual understanding of how it worked. Instead, it fired at what he could see. And no, it wasn¡¯t as broken as all that. He still needed to focus on his target, otherwise the shots wouldn¡¯t go where he wanted them to. Even then, his aim still had a long ways to go before he¡¯d be competing in any marksmanship tournaments or anything like that. But still, he¡¯d been a pretty good shot growing up on the farm, so there was that. The medium-ranged version wound up being a Desert Eagle-like gun that reminded him a bit of the M-6 from Mass Effect 3. Which also threw him for a loop, because having a pistol be that accurate at 40m was insane. Not only that, but every version of his mindbolt had up to ten range increments, meaning that he could still conceivably hit- and kill!- something up to 400m away with the pistol. Insanity. But he wasn¡¯t going to complain about that, so sir-ee. The final version, sadly, didn¡¯t come out as a two-barreled shotgun. Instead, it looked more like the lovechild of an N7 Crusader and an FN-P90. He was in love as soon as he saw it. Then he couldn¡¯t wait until he could start getting all of the archetypes for Soulknife, as he¡¯d definitely take Armoured Blade in the not-so distant future. Because he was a geek. And he really wanted to get his mind armaments so that he could mimic various armours from the many franchises that he so loved. Like an N7 Destroyer¡¯s armour, or Mandalorian armour¡­. ¡°This¡¯ll be so much fun,¡± he said as his eyes lost their focus and Avi facepalmed. Chapter 025 - How did I do that again...? The rest of that afternoon saw Joram setting up targets are various ranges, blowing them to confetti, repairing them, and then starting the whole process over again. He only eventually stopped when the light got too bad for him to see that far away, which then saw him collecting his targets before retreating into his house for the night. He had varied his practice between stationary shooting to shooting on the run. He really didn¡¯t have anything at the moment that would allow him to shoot at moving targets- like a skeet launcher- but he supposed that the goblins would show up sooner or later again, so that¡¯s when that practice would finally be had. He¡¯d also practiced shooting as fast as he could, but had found that to be pretty hard if he wanted to stay anywhere near accurate. Sure, it might come in handy if something was literally on top of him¡­. But overall, not terribly useful. Once inside, he got back to his ¡°inside¡± projects. He felt that he¡¯d hit a bit of a wall when it came to working out and building his muscles, so instead he decided to practice with the powers that he¡¯d already manifested, minus [Energy Ball], as that wasn¡¯t a good inside activity. So, he allocated an hour each for the powers that he really needed to work on, namely: [Astral Construct], [Biofeedback], [Ectoplasmic Creation], [Force Screen], and [Inertial Armour], in that order. Two were Metacreation powers, which would prove useful as they¡¯d each help expand his understanding of the discipline and its underlying principles. Two more were force-based powers, so they also went together well. While the last one, [Biofeedback] was something that he found to be easier to handle, once again probably due to the incredible control he had over his body. But all would be crucial in keeping him alive. By the following morning, he¡¯d tossed the one hour limit for each power and had gone back to put in another hour of practice on each power. He knew that continuous work without rest was the route to failure, so he stopped himself there and proceeded to his daily meditation that restored his body, mind, and power reserves. But really, the first two were the important ones, as his psionic reserves regenerated constantly anyways. When he felt refreshed, he noticed that less than four hours had passed. ¡°Not too shabby,¡± he said, stretching out on his bed. ¡®You¡¯re doing very well,¡¯ Avi agreed, giving him some rare praise that made his head roll to the side so that he could look at her directly. ¡°Really?¡± he asked, surprised as could be. ¡®Yes, well,¡¯ Avi said, turning to look towards the door. ¡®It is probably thanks to the System granting you a rate of regeneration for your psionic power,¡¯ she finished, sounding less-than convincing. Well, to him at least. He really was starting to get used to having the stunning woman around him all the time, which meant that he was starting to be able to pick up on her social cues. ¡°Either way, thank you,¡± he said with a smile, then got up and headed back into the living room to look at his less-than sturdy front door. ¡°I wonder if I can just wall-up the door and make a roof-access to use instead?¡± he mused, rubbing his bearded chin in thought. ¡®You could, but that would likely inconvenience your guests,¡¯ Avi replied, back to her stoic self. Joram nodded at that, but then once again considered adding an exterior set of stairs to the side of the place. Which would mean that he¡¯d need another door, or most likely a gate, at the top of said stairs. Then he¡¯d need to build walls and another solid door for egress into and out of the house. He sighed, thinking of all the work that that would be. But didn¡¯t discard the idea. Because if he was able to make sure that his ground level was secure, then any attacking goblins, or whatever, would have to come up to him. Not only that, but he¡¯d have a height advantage while they¡¯d be stymied trying to get to him on a narrow path. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do that then,¡± he muttered to himself before forming his short-ranged mindbolt¡­ his ¡°shotgun¡±. With that done, he manifested [Biofeedback], once again pumping as much power as he could into it, giving him considerable damage reduction should anything get past his already running [Inertial Armour]. He thought about using [Force Screen], but thought it would be overkill even if there was an ambush waiting for him. With that last thought in mind, he peeked out the peephole and tried to see what he could. Which wasn¡¯t much, all things considered. At least it was something, though. So, he unbarred the door, unlocked it, the opened it a hair to peek out, all the while bracing just in case they decided to just try and rush him. Fresh air steamed in along with some morning light, brightening his living room once again. The usual sounds of the forest greeted him, so he didn¡¯t think that there were any goblins waiting for him. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the door open further, keeping his eyes peeled all the while. A spear to the chest could really cause paranoia to take root in that very same chest, after all. Nearly two minutes later, he decided that it was clear, so he opened the door the rest of the way and stepped outside to get a better look. All clear. Joram heaved a sigh of relief before heading to the closest rock formation that he could see. It had come up when one of the gigantic sequoia-like trees had grown beside it, lifting it as the trees¡¯ roots had grown to be larger around than he was tall. Which made things a bit easier for him, all told. Looking at the rock, he found that it was the same stuff that Altaea had gathered and left for him. Which turnout out to be a good thing, considering just how strong the stuff was. Unfortunately, it was also very dense, which meant that it would take many trips¡­. Joram grinned, then manifested [Astra Construct], once more putting as many power points as he could into it so that he could maximize the number of helpers he¡¯d get. Several seconds later, some reasonably human-looking- albeit silver- constructs were ready to go. Seeing as how they were constructs, and thus wouldn¡¯t tire out, he didn¡¯t form a line, but instead just had them individually take their load and drop it off beside the house before returning back to him. Once the easier rocks on the surface had been carried away, it got a bit harder. But, once again, he had free labour, so it still wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. However, he soon found that the rocks were getting larger, to the point that he¡¯d call them boulders. ¡°Gonna have to break them into smaller pieces,¡± he muttered as Avi appeared beside him. ¡®That would be wise,¡¯ she said, nodding. ¡°I just don¡¯t have anything to do that with,¡± he said, thinking that he might have to make a sledgehammer and some spikes, though he wasn¡¯t sure if he could make that kind of steel yet. ¡®Have you already forgotten your choices from yesterday?¡¯ she asked, giving him a disapproving look. He was about to snap back at her when a couple of things stopped him. One, he really didn¡¯t want to be the kind of person who snapped at people, even though it might be warranted. Two, he needed all the help that he could get, and alienating the one person who was there specifically to help him was just plain stupid. And three, he really had forgotten about that. Telekinetic Edge would help him sheer through the boulders much faster than a sledgehammer and spikes would. Not only that, but it might allow for more accurate breaks. Well, that last one was more than a stretch, as he certainly was not an expert in the field of rock smashing. ¡°Ah, safety first,¡± he said, thinking of just how many shards of stone might make their way into his eyes if he didn¡¯t do something to protect his face. Grinning, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation], concentrating on making a clear visor that would protect his face. Which, because he was a geek, turned out to look like an acrylic replica of a Mandalorian¡¯s helmet. No stormtroopers for him, nope. Those guys would die if someone sneezed at them, so no need to jynx things. Personal protection equipment in place- really just supplementing his [Inertial Armour] because [Biofeedback] had run out- he got to work. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. First, because of the damage potential that the short-ranged mindbolt form offered, he formed his shotgun again and took careful aim at the boulder. He wanted to break the thing off in relatively uniform slabs, so accuracy would be very important. Then he just about laughed at himself before manifesting [Ectoplasmic Creation] once again, this time creating a tripod on which to steady his shotgun. N7-90? Crusader 90? He¡¯d think of a good name later. For now, it was blasting time. He took careful aim, using the tripod to not only steady himself, but to help keep his shots in line with one another. It was still weird to feel the recoil of the shot but not have any of the crazy noise that would normally accompany such a strong force. On the other hand, the stone tried to make up for it. Each shot would cause a resounding cracking noise, much like if he¡¯d hit it with a sledgehammer, though slightly higher pitch, if that made sense. Whatever caused it, each shot managed to do considerable damage to the boulder, soon drilling a hole a good fifteen centimetres deep. That was when he decided to start a new hole, then another, and another. Soon, he had a nice straight line of holes running up the boulder¡¯s side, but no breaks. Thinking about it, he remembered that the continuous pressure of imbedded spikes was what had caused the rocks to break in those videos he¡¯d watched ages ago. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the right kind of metal for that,¡± he said, frowning at his hard work. ¡®No, but you do have water, and can freeze it,¡¯ Avi said, quickly becoming his favourite person¡­ AI. Person? ¡°Thanks,¡± he said with a grin before heading back inside to fill up a bucket with water. Once he was outside again, he looked at the holes he¡¯d made and sighed. He¡¯d made them up the side of the boulder. Meaning, that water wouldn¡¯t pool in the horizontal holes. With another sigh, he went back to the boulder and climbed on top of it. It wasn¡¯t he best place to try and¡­. He wondered if Charged Shot would be of any use. Considering that it was basically an explosive round, it might work¡­. So, he hopped right back down and went back to the tripod, shifted it back a bit, then formed his N7-90 and took careful aim before puling the trigger. The first shot exploded on the surface of the boulder, his aim a bit off. Taking deep breaths, he once again took his time aiming before pulling the trigger. This time his aim was true, and the shot exploded inside of the boulder, spraying bits of stone everywhere. After the dust settled, he found that the explosion had only managed to widen the hole a bit, but nothing else. With yet another sigh, he climbed back on top of the boulder and got to work. It took another twenty minutes before he was comfortable with the number of holes he¡¯d made. So down he went again. Water bucket in hand, he quickly scrambled to the top of the boulder once more and carefully started filling the holes with water. A minute later, he was back near his front door and concentrating on [Energy Ball], trying to get the same feeling he¡¯d had the other day, but not quite getting it. Frustrated, he kicked at the loose soil and glared at the boulder sitting just ten or so metres away. His astral constructs were currently all standing at the side of the house where he¡¯d had them stack the stones they¡¯d brought over. ¡°How did I manage to do it¡­?¡± he asked himself, racking his brain. Once again, Avi came to his rescue. He briefly wondered if it wasn¡¯t the psionic repository in his brain that was the cheat, but if it was instead her. ¡®Use [Autohypnosis] to go back and feel what you felt before,¡¯ she said, once again earning herself many points in his book. Nodding at her with a smile of thanks, he did just that after heading back inside, locking up, and sitting in his comfy chair. The Skill wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d played around with yet, but nevertheless came to mind when he thought about it. The similarities between it and [Meditation] weren¡¯t lost on him, but the differences between the two surely warranted them being two separate skills that nevertheless synergized very well together. So, while he meditated, he called up [Autohypnosis] and was surprised at how easily it came to him. Memories that fluttered past had just detail in them that he soon became distracted. Memories of his youth, playing with friends he¡¯d long forgotten, came with such vivid clarity that he got lost in them. - - - ¡°Come on,¡± Tim said, drawing me towards the open balcony of the derelict apartment building at the end of the street they lived on. ¡°I saw it in a movie once. You just need to get a running start, then jump over the railing and roll when you hit the ground,¡± he said, full of youthful naivete and invincibility. ¡°Are you sure,¡± I asked, looking down at the drop that was probably taller than both of us combined. ¡°It¡¯s pretty far.¡± ¡°Bah, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tim said, brushing off his concerns like they were nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll even go first. I¡¯ll jump from there, you jump from there so that you don¡¯t land on me,¡± he said, pointing at two sections of the balcony. ¡°OK, sure,¡± I said, feeling confident due to how much confidence was coming off my best friend. So, we quickly made out way to the hallway before counting down. Tim took off like a rocket, then two seconds later I followed. When I saw Tim go over the railing, I couldn¡¯t help but feel even more excited, because we were doing this! Then I got to the railing and did that side-vault I¡¯d seen done on TV and flew over the edge. My stomach didn¡¯t much like the feeling of free-falling, but then it was over faster than I thought it would be. My feet hit ground and I curled into a ball like I¡¯d seen and rolled with it. I¡¯m not sure how many times I rolled, but then I was back on my feet, chasing Tim along the grassy side of the building¡­ - - - Joram opened his eyes, in shock over just how clear that memory had been. He could remember the slightly rotting floor and the peeling wallpaper, as well as the musty scent of the building, not to mention the slight give of the grassy earth that had probably saved him a broken ankle¡­. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes again as he tried to focus on the feeling when he¡¯d manifested [Energy Ball]. Ice, frost, quiet, stillness, heat death, he thought and felt, the feeling of epiphany coming once more to him. Once the feeling was fully upon him, he focussed on the memory of how the power had come together, how it had seemed to just slide into place. Then the reviewed what he knew of the Discipline of Kineticists. He was surprised just how much actual science was in there, given its origins in what he¡¯d call a Fantasy World. Which actually made things much easier for him, as he had a relatively solid base in the ¡°hard sciences¡± already. Once the was comfortable with what he¡¯d reviewed, he opened his eyes and smiled at Avi. ¡°Thanks again for being there for me,¡± he said, feeling genuine gratitude towards the woman. ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡¯ she said with a slight eyeroll, though he caught a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Now feeling more confident than ever, he once again got up and made his way to the door. Four minutes later, he was once again outside and checking the water-filled holes in the boulder to make sure that they¡¯d stayed full. Sure enough, they were good, but the day was quickly fading, much to his shock. ¡°Must¡¯ve spent more time on that than I thought,¡± he spoke out loud, getting used to pretty much talking to himself at this point. On his way back, he noticed that the astral constructs were still there and had to wonder how that came to be. So, he pulled up his character sheet to see what was up.
Name Joram Path(s): None Race: High Elan HP: 32/32 ST: 26/26 PP: 42/61 MP: 0/0
STR: 14 Mod: +9 Path Level(s) - HP Regen: 1/min ST Regen: 1/min PP Regen: 6/min MP Regen: N/A
SPD: 9 Mod: +4 Unarmed: Dmg: 10-11 Knife: Dmg: 10-13 Katana: Dmg: 10-18
CON: 9 Mod: +4 Defense: 13 Mindbolt Damage Values: L: 10-16 M: 10-17 S: 19-28 Range: 70m, 40m, 12m Mindbolt: Crit: 20%, x2
INT: 10 Mod: +5 DR: 3/PP Spent
SPR: 13 Mod: +8 Resistances: Cold: 5
CHA: 7 Mod: 2 Weaknesses:
???: ?? Mod: ?? Carrying Capacity: Light: 212 kg Medium: 424 kg Heavy: 636 kg Push/Drag: 1,060 kg
He was still in awe of just how strong he¡¯d gotten, especially with his listed carrying capacities. He was also surprised to see that his new ability had made it onto his character sheet. Heck, event the distances were given along with his absurdly high chance of scoring a critical hit! And, once again, he was stumped as to what the ¡°???¡± represented. A couple of his Titles had even given him an increase to the attribute- if its placement really meant that it was an attribute. He wasn¡¯t sure, but so far couldn¡¯t tell what it might affect. *Shrug* Then he was back on topic, and saw that he was nineteen power points down from his maximum. Do I have to dismiss the constructs before they¡¯ll disappear? Does the System hold what I¡¯ve spent on [Astral Construct] in reserve to keep them around? All good questions, and he supposed that his last thought on it was correct. He¡¯d noticed that his constructs had stayed around longer than they should have before¡­ but hadn¡¯t investigated, he supposed. Well, now that he was sure that the constructs would stay around until he dismissed them, that made security that much easier. Smiling, he brought up [Energy Ball] and manifested it on the boulder, but centred the power a bit up and away from the tree¡¯s roots so as not to harm it unduly. A moment later, he heard a very satisfying crack! Chapter 026 - Speculation Joram hurried over to inspect the boulder and round that a large section had shorn off in a plane that matched the holes that he¡¯d made. Then he watched as frost slowly formed, first on the outer edges of newly shorn rock, then as it slowly crept inwards for almost half a metre before stopping, then receding as the warmer night air finally won out. He was also impressed with just how clean the fracture was, almost as though the boulder had been cleanly cut by a diamond saw that left both sides shining as though polished. Now that the rock had a polished finish, he really did think that it resembled granite, though if granite had that same dark green of jade. All told, it was quite pretty, so he didn¡¯t mind in the least adding it to his home. With a mental command, his constructs came over and retrieved the fallen piece, though six of them were needed to move it. He wondered if he should continue after dark, but then shrugged that worry away. If he really needed to, he could run back inside and cover the inside of the door with a good foot of stone and be safe enough until help arrived¡­. That is, if he was OK with wasting all that sweet-sweet XP. Well, not that it did anything for him at the moment seeing as how he didn¡¯t have a Path yet. Though, he was still intensely curious about what he¡¯d get once he finally ¡°Looted¡± something. Would it be like what would drop in a video game? Or would it give him something completely random? Shaking his head, he adjusted his PPE and got back to work. As he did so, he instructed the constructs to move a considerable amount of the stone inside and away from the door, just in case. As it was, it took him another twenty minutes of shooting before he was satisfied and ready to try another round of breaking. Though¡­ if he did all the lines at the same time, could he save time overall by only using one [Energy Ball]? Probably. So, he continued for another hour, completing another three rows of holes before deciding that it really was getting too dark for his comfort and calling it there. He then quickly retrieved the bucket and filled the holes before retreating back to his doorstep. One [Energy Ball] later, and a much louder *CRACK* was heard, then a few thuds. Eager to see how it had turned out, he hurried back to have a look. He was then disappointed to see that it hadn¡¯t quite gone according to plan. Instead of getting four slabs of rock like he¡¯d wanted, the boulder had instead chosen to break into pieces that looked like¡­ fries. Like, potato fries. French Fries. Etc. Looking at them, he supposed that they were kinda nice looking, so he didn¡¯t let it worry him. On the contrary, it made things much easier for the constructs, as they could each- barely- carry one of the snack-shaped pieces of stone back to the house. Upon further reflection, once he was back inside, he supposed that he should have expected as much given the pattern he¡¯d drilled into the boulder and how uncannily straight the fracture line had been. Well, that was enough work for one night, so he took off his acrylic PPE and tossed it to the side, not caring about it anymore, especially since it wasn¡¯t a permanent item and would vanish sometime tomorrow. Then he looked to his plants and sighed, remembering that they still needed sunlight to thrive. Then another thought popped into his head. He remembered going over the [Grow] power and how it worked, specifically the augmentation option that allowed a person to take a sample of a plant and create a viable seed out of it. As he thought, he made his way to the light switch and flicked it on, giving the plants at least a bit of light. He considered putting them outside, but worried that the goblins would just smash them for the fun of it. Heck, he wouldn¡¯t even trust that they¡¯d be safe on the roof until he finished his renovations. ¡°Ah, crap. Knowing my luck, those damn goblins will have their next ambush use part of the roof,¡± he said, looking over to Avi to see what she thought of that. ¡®That¡¯s definitely in the realm of possibility,¡¯ she said, once again pretending to be an emotionless construct, though sounding remarkably like his favourite unshackled AI. What¡¯s up with that, anyways? He thought, going over the many apparent mood swings she¡¯d been through. Was she just having fun in the only way that she could? ¡®So, [Grow],¡¯ she said, pulling him out of his speculations. ¡®That is another useful power¡­ if you had the need to eat, that is,¡¯ she said, shaking her head. ¡°Yeah, well, I still kinda want to properly entertain my guests and that means feeding them. Which also means that I¡¯ll need to restock my food sooner, rather than later,¡± he said, giving her a bit of sass that just rolled off her back. ¡®Then might I suggest starting with the oregano? It is a seeding plant, and would thus make for the best test subject.¡¯ Joram nodded at her logic, silently adding that it had gotten quite big over the past year and could use a good pruning. So, now having a task for the night, he got to work. * * * * * *Earlier that morning* ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that a Pathless kid was able to take down more than a half-dozen hobs all by himself?¡± Nalun asked again for what seemed like the tenth time. ¡°Yes, though I would venture to say that he¡¯s had some form of training,¡± Celys replied, still wondering just how he¡¯d managed to do what he¡¯d done. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Nalun said, shaking his head. ¡°All this is after he took a spear to the chest?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied tiredly. Nalun may have been a good man, a good hunter, and a wonderful father, but he wasn¡¯t the sharpest knife in the kitchen at times. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that I¡¯ll be going along for tomorrow¡¯s visit,¡± he said, letting out another sigh that fluttered his long black hair a bit. Celys wouldn¡¯t argue that point, especially because of the very incident that had occurred last time that they were currently going over. ¡°So,¡± Nalun said, holding up a hand as he covered each point as he saw them. ¡°We have an unknown Pathless young man with mysterious powers, who doesn¡¯t even speak common, but is picking it up with astonishing speed. He¡¯s also very strong, likely with a Strength in the early teens- which is completely ridiculous by the way!- and can cut hobs in two. He can also cook better than anyone else you know, and has thus captured the heart of our incredibly muleheaded and lovely daughter who¡¯s at the top of the list of people in the village who¡¯ll never likely marry,¡± he finished, unknowingly [Strike]¡¯ing their daughter through the heart. Celys watched her daughter as the pain of her father¡¯s words warred with the deeply-rooted stubbornness in her heart. Eventually, the stubbornness won out. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Dad! I am not taken by him!¡± she insisted, punching the floor beside her cushion to emphasize her point. ¡°I am merely concerned for my student. That he¡¯s survived out in the forest for so long is a [Miracle]! We need to convince him to move to Kirkwall as soon as possible,¡± she finished, once again insisting on bringing Joram back with them this time. ¡°~Aaaaand, he¡¯s not human,¡± Kal piped in, earning him a glare from his twin that his grin seemed to deflect. Nalun, though, nodded and raised another finger, counting that as another valid point. ¡°So, would it really be wise to bring someone like that into the village?¡± he asked, playing the devil¡¯s advocate. Celys was very much able to see that side of the argument, having the very same misgivings that her husband had and all. ¡°He certainly isn¡¯t forthcoming with sharing his background,¡± Theril added, causing yet another one of Nalun¡¯s fingers to rise. ¡°That said, he hasn¡¯t lied to us yet,¡± Kal added, getting a nod from Nalun. ¡°He just tells us that he¡¯s not comfortable answering something, which I think shows a bit of his character.¡± Myra nodded at that, then added her own thoughts. ¡°And, as humiliating the whole experience was, he didn¡¯t treat me any poorer after what had happened,¡± she said, her face going red as she spoke, but her back remained straight. Celys once again wondered just how infatuated her daughter was with Joram. For her to speak out for someone, especially as they were considering inviting him into Kirkwall, let alone after having gone through what she¡¯d gone through, was very much a [Miracle]. ¡°Well, at the very least, we won¡¯t have to worry about what he¡¯ll do for a living,¡± Kal said with a smirk, causing Reldan to nod in agreement. The young [Scout] hadn¡¯t spoken after having greeted them all after he¡¯d arrived. Celys had called him over to also get his opinion about Joram. Yes, he¡¯d already given his reports, but sometimes things were forgotten but then remembered at a later point in time. As she saw it, Reldan had already taken a liking to Joram, the food notwithstanding. Celys could see it too, as she¡¯d gotten to like the young man after just their first visit, the goblin attack and amazing food afterwards notwithstanding. Though, she had to admit, Joram had very much cut a heroic figure as he had fought against the small war band. And, once again, the knowledge that he could cook eased her heart a bit when considering that her daughter was so taken with him. At least she wouldn¡¯t starve any time soon¡­. That last thought nearly caused her to fall over in shock. ¡°Dear?¡± Nalun asked, reaching out to touch her hand. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she lied, her head still swirling. ¡°So, should we invite Joram to come live in Kirkwall?¡± Theril asked, getting them back on track. Celys considered it very carefully. Sure, she could ask the village council what they thought, but really didn¡¯t think that they¡¯d be informed enough to make a proper decision, one way or the other. Her closest ¡°adviser¡± was actually her husband, and he seemed more inclined to wait a bit longer than anything. ¡°I think we should wait a bit longer, perhaps after another couple of ¡®lessons¡¯,¡± Celys said at length, earning her daughter¡¯s ire. ¡°But what happens if even more goblins attack than last time?¡± she demanded. ¡°Even with the four of us, we barely made it out of there. What chance would he have, all alone?¡± Celys sympathised with her daughter. She had truly started liking the strange young man but, ultimately, she had to take into consideration everything else as well. ¡°I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll make it through,¡± she half lied, then held up her hand to forestall her daughter. ¡°But, as your father summarized, we don¡¯t know enough about Joram yet. We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s been exiled from a distant country, and thus a danger to those around him. We don¡¯t know where, or how, he managed to learn and do what he does,¡± she said, bringing the memory of his ridiculously huge crystal-like sword back to the fore. ¡°We don¡¯t even know what he is, considering that he claimed to not even be a human,¡± she finished, fixing Myra with a look that brooked no argument. ¡°Could that have been a misunderstanding?¡± Reldan finally spoke, raising a hand as he did so. ¡°With how comfortable he¡¯s gotten with the language, I doubt it,¡± Kalduin answered, shaking his head. ¡°Either way,¡± Celys said, looking every person present in the eyes. ¡°Either way, I¡¯ve decided that we need at least another two visits with him to be sure of his intentions, or the lack thereof,¡± she finished, causing Myra to sulk. She then went over the preparations for the next day. Who would come, what they¡¯d bring, and what they¡¯d talk about. Myra left during the discussion, claiming the need to check on the kits. Celys truly wondered if her daughter¡¯s infatuation was a good thing, or a disaster for her. Shaking her head, she got back to planning. * * * *That night* Myra tucked in the kits, making sure that they¡¯d be nice and warm. Their parents, a white vixen and a black tod, were off hunting together. That they¡¯d trusted her with their litter showed how well she was doing at her job. Well, her calling, if she was being honest with herself. She loved taking care of the village foxes. They weren¡¯t judgemental, nor did they have unreasonable expectations for her to live up to. She just needed to care for them, love them, and be there when they needed her. Being away from them to teach Joram had been a bit of a struggle, but both she and the foxes had managed. In fact, she¡¯d been getting more attention after returning than she would have normally gotten, which pleased her all the more. Because, who didn¡¯t like fluffy cuddles? Then her thoughts turned back to Joram. He didn¡¯t seem like a bad person, far from it. Yes, it had been mean to let her take the red sauce of death¡­ but she¡¯d quite literally asked for it. So, really, she couldn¡¯t fully blame him for that. Even after that, he¡¯d still treated her the same way he¡¯d always treated her, which was a bit new for her. After someone had experienced her¡­ personality, they invariably changed how they treated her after that. Not always poorly, just differently than before. If anything, it seemed as though he¡¯d softened towards her, which confused her a bit. Does he like me? She asked herself, getting a bit flustered at the thought. She¡¯d had plenty of attention growing up, but almost all of her would-be suitors had given up trying to get closer to her, especially after she¡¯d told each of them what she thought of them. Sure, he was handsome enough, for a human! He was tall and had a full beard, though his chest lacked hair. But he was also strong, and incredibly intelligent! After just a few lessons, he¡¯d almost picked up Common, and had certainly learned how to pronounce things properly. ¡­ And he can cook, she thought, drooling slightly at the heavenly stew she¡¯d had the day before. Who knew that a stew could taste so good! Compared to everything else she¡¯d ever had growing up, the food he cooked was fit for royalty! Myra shook her head, clearing away those extraneous thoughts. She, like her mother, had to consider what was best for the village, specifically because the was next in line to become the village [Miko]. She had even gotten the Path offered to her as her Path which, she was told, was very rare. So, she needed to take into consideration the good of her village and not just the comfort of her stomach¡­. ¡°But, it would be nice if he could live here too,¡± she mused out loud, now staring out the window at the large, nearly full moon, low on the horizon. That their village was near the border of the Great Forest meant that they had much more sky to look at than they would have if they had built further in. ¡°I just hope it¡¯s peaceful tomorrow¡­¡± * * * * * ¡°Hmm, I should probably do my homework before they get here,¡± Joram thought as he finished up with his workout, still feeling as though he was at a threshold that he couldn¡¯t quite pass no matter what he tried. ¡®That would be a good idea,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t do to slack off.¡¯ Joram gave her a wry look, then shook his head. He¡¯d gone to bed earlier than he had the previous few nights so that he could get in a bit of a workout and do some studying before his guests arrived for his next lesson. Given how the lineup changed each time, he idly wondered if anyone would be switched out this time, but also wondered if they¡¯d bring more people as well. Because: goblins. He still wanted to go find where they were coming from, and felt that he was getting close to being able to survive if he did find their lair. So, maybe after the lesson, and the next attack that he anticipated would come later that evening, he would set out. Well, he¡¯d set out if he managed to survive the next attack, anyways. The one from two days ago had been rather extreme, though it had provided him with a dozen more cores. He¡¯d been surprised when most of them had been identified as Grade D Cores, taking up a new line in his inventory and everything. Upon inspection, they were tetragonal in shape, having four sides that then angled into a four-sided pyramid at the ends. They were also slightly larger, maybe about ten percent or so if he had to guess. Which he did, being too lazy to actually measure them out. Thinking about how he¡¯d deal with a goblin lair, he made his way back to his table and grabbed the dictionary and started going through it. He hadn¡¯t done something like that in decades. The memory of having spent days going through the massive dictionary in the library because he¡¯d bored in elementary school brought a smile to his face. He¡¯d gone through the entire thing, though it had taken him over a month, probably two, to do so. Now he was doing it again, though this one was considerably shorter, with pages considerably thicker and much rougher than the expensive dictionary from his youth. Well, at least this¡¯ll hurry things along, he thought with a smile. For as much as he liked cooking, he was getting annoyed with it because he didn¡¯t need to eat. Though, perhaps he could start charging for it, as he¡¯d probably need to buy some meat at some point if the number of visitors kept increasing¡­. Chapter 027 - To brisket or not to brisket Sure enough, there¡¯s more people this time, he thought as he suppressed a sigh, glad that he¡¯d already dismissed his astral constructs before they arrived. Though, given the attack last time, he supposed that it was reasonable that they¡¯d brought along a few guards, just in case. That said, he didn¡¯t have enough chairs to accommodate everyone. Theril and the siblings were back, as well as their mother. But this time Reldan had returned, which pleased him to see the young guy again. With him, though, were another two bow users as well as three spear users, including someone who looked like he could be the siblings¡¯ father given his facial features and hair/fur colour. Looking at Celys, Kalduin, Myra, and the newly introduced Nalun, he could certainly see the family resemblance. Though, Kalduin¡¯s colouring took after his fiery-haired mother with Myra¡¯s took after her father¡¯s black. Though, her hair was more a very dark purple with some scarlet in there. The tips of her ears were a purple/black, though, along with her tail. Though, all three had white inner ear¡­ fur. Hair? Shrug. All told, they made for quite the stunning family. That said, he supposed that perhaps he was biased. Maybe he liked foxkin? The others in the group were certainly good-looking people, from the men to the women, so maybe it was a racial trait? Generally good-looking people? Was that a thing? What he did know, though, was that his pot wasn¡¯t going to be big enough to feed them all to satiation. Celys must have caught him glancing at his pot, because she then motioned one of the spearmen forward. ¡°We thought that it might be rude if we didn¡¯t contribute to the meal today,¡± she said graciously as the spearman, whose name he¡¯d already forgotten, came forward with a very large backpack. A moment later, he¡¯d pulled out a veritable cauldron along with a matching lid, as well as a giant ladle. Another one came forward, a spearwoman this time, and pulled out a large, cloth-wrapped item that she then handed over to him with a nod of her head. Nodding back, he felt the mass give way a bit in his hands, then finally caught whiff of it. Ah, meat, he thought, giving another smile and nod before turning back to the round-bottomed cauldron and wondering how they¡¯d thought it would work on his stove. Sure, it had a built-in handle that you could use to hang it over a fire, but¡­. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do after the lesson,¡± he said before stepping into the kitchen and placing the large hunk of meat in the fridge. When he turned around again, he noticed Myra looking at him a bit oddly, but shrugged it off. Given how much he¡¯d studied, it was likely due to his increased vocabulary. The lesson then proceeded without much fanfare. The extras chose to hang around outside, playing a game of dice to pass the time. Though, he did notice that they were keeping an eye on their surroundings, proving that they weren¡¯t just there for show. That said, the lesson was much shorter than the previous one, likely due to him actually doing his homework this time. Nalun, it seemed, was the most surprised amongst the group, likely due to this being their first meeting and all. Which led to him questioning Joram much more than anyone else had up to that point. ¡°You¡¯re sure that you¡¯re new to Common?¡± Nalun asked suspiciously from where he stood by his wife, who was doing her best to not look embarrassed at her husband¡¯s open suspicions. ¡°Yup,¡± he replied, not really caring about something as simple as that. ¡°I¡¯m a quick study.¡± Nalun didn¡¯t seem convinced, though he didn¡¯t press the issue¡­ in the direction he expected, anyway. ¡°So, I heard that you¡¯re pretty good with a sword,¡± Nalun said, changing directions. ¡°Would you care for a spar? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve practiced with a swordsman,¡± he said, making Joram suspect a few things. First, that perhaps their village tended towards spears, likely due to hunting or something like that. The other thoughts revolved around him being protective of his village, and his daughter. The man couldn¡¯t have missed how attentive Myra had been towards him during the lesson, but had likely misinterpreted her interest in him. Because who wouldn¡¯t be proud of a student who showed such progress? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that I¡¯m good with a sword,¡± he replied, shaking his head as he raised his hands, palms facing Nalun. ¡°Don¡¯t be modest,¡± Nalun said, a wolfish grin spreading on his face. ¡°I heard that you managed to take down several hobs the other day. That¡¯s something to be proud of,¡± he said, nodding to the guards. ¡°Ask any of them,¡± he then finished, his smile not fading a whit. ¡°You can play later,¡± Myra butted in. ¡°But we first need to prepare today¡¯s meal,¡± she said, taking Joram¡¯s arm and pulling him towards the kitchen where she then looked at the knife block and cutting board. Joram just went along with it, not really wanting to test himself against an obviously proficient fighter like Nalun. Especially when his victory had been more of a brute-force solution than anything remotely elegant or skill-based. So it was that he got Myra washing the vegetables as he got to inspecting the cauldron. Its round bottom was more a pain in the ass than he¡¯d initially thought it would be. Given how thick the pot was, it would take ages to even heat up, let alone gauge when it was up to temperature. It was also cast iron, which meant that it was going to be much too heavy for his glass-topped stove. He did have other pots, but they were from the same set, which meant that their size decreased each time, making them not terribly useful in this instance. Though, he could use them to cook things individually¡­. Then there was the meat. What would he do with a roast that big? Should he just throw it in a roaster and let it cook? Or should he toss in some veggies to go along with it? Both had their appeal, but maybe having some crispy meat would be a nice change of pace¡­. Joram then took the meat out of the fridge then unwrapped it to take a good look at it. It was, well, red. It also looked to have a decent amount of marbling in it, as well as a thin layer of fat on portions of it, making him think that it would have made a decent brisket¡­ if he¡¯d had a good smoker to work with, that is. Rubbing his chin with his off hand, he considered the problem for a while before just shrugging. No sense in worrying about something that you didn¡¯t have a solution to. So, he grabbed the roaster, tossed the meat inside, then quickly retrieved some steak seasoning and rubbed the meat down before covering it with the lid. Next, he set the stove to pre-heat, then washed his hands before getting to preparing the veggies alongside Myra. Once again, he ignored the looks that he was getting form his other guests and concentrated on his work. He wished that he¡¯d added the rub to the meat before the lesson, but hindsight was 20/20, as it were. They¡¯d just have to deal with what came out of it. Because, really, he only had so much time to prepare the meal, and so many ingredients to work with given his dwindling supplies. He was glad that he¡¯d been practicing with [Grow], and would use the peels and cut-offs from today¡¯s meal to practice even more. Hopefully he¡¯d get a lot of seeds out of it, for he really needed to restock his pantry. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Then the oven beeped, and the roast went in. He would allow the roast to slowly cook at first, then he¡¯d remove the lid before turning the oven to ¡°grill¡±, hopefully getting the crispy result he was hoping for. The rest of the meal would be a simple veggie stew, though seasoned well enough so that it wouldn¡¯t taste too bland. At this point, he kind of wished that he had another oven so that he could make some bread¡­. Oh, he thought, remembering the extra appliances in the second storage room. Then silently cursed the lack of a second plug for the stove until he remembered that Altaea had also saved the wiring and outlets from the other apartment. But then silently cursed once again his lack of house-wiring knowledge. And the extra fuse needed to accomplish all of that. Another shrug later, he decided to just ask. ¡°Does your village have places to buy food?¡± he asked Myra as they filled the cauldron with root veggies. ¡°Yes?¡± Myra more asked than stated. ¡°Can we get bread there?¡± ¡°Yes, but it takes about an hour to get from here to there,¡± she replied, bringing up the flaw in his budding plan. ¡°Crap,¡± he said, knowing full-well that he was no runner, but also not comfortable asking someone else to do that for him. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty fast runner,¡± one of the spearwomen piped in from outside, impressing him with her hearing. ¡°Would it be safe for just one person?¡± he asked, concerned that she might run into trouble by herself. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± she said, waving it off like it was nothing. ¡°What do you need?¡± she then asked, tempting him greatly. ¡°A few loaves of bread that would go well with stew, and some butter?¡± he asked, not sure how much he could ask for. ¡°Well, given that you¡¯re the one making the bulk of the food, that should be fine,¡± Celys added from her place at the table. ¡°It¡¯s only polite to bring something for the host. It¡¯s also my fault for not thinking to bring along some bread,¡± she said, laying the blame on herself with a smile. ¡°OK, then,¡± he said, giving both Celys and the spearwoman a nod of thanks before the woman got up and immediately took off at a run. ¡°She¡¯ll get first choice of the roast when she gets back,¡± he said to no one in particular, though he caught Nalun nodding as though what he¡¯d said was the right and proper thing to do. Which got him thinking that that had been the reason why the woman had so readily volunteered to literally run the errand. Once the cauldron had been sufficiently filled with veggies, he again wondered at how he¡¯d get the thing heated. He briefly considered making a tripod for the thing, but ruled that out due to his lack of experience in shaping metal. Which led him to thinking of ways of heating it more directly. Most of which were quickly discarded due to the limitations of available resources. ¡°Did you cut all this stone yourself?¡± Celys asked, bringing him out of his thoughts to see her admiring the stone stacked near the door. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he replied, not quite sure what to say. ¡°It looks like Moss Stone,¡± Celys said, rubbing her finger along its smooth surface. ¡°That it is,¡± Nalun agreed, nodding. ¡°Would you be willing to sell it, Joram?¡± Celys asked, startling him with the question. ¡°Sure?¡± he replied, not sure of its worth, though he did need to get some money eventually. ¡°Then, we can work out a price later, seeing as how we would need to bring a wagon to transport it anyways,¡± Celys said, nodding happily. ¡°How much would you need?¡± he asked, now a bit curious. ¡°If you have more, then I would be happy to take a wagon full of it,¡± she said, once again surprising him with the generous offer. Not only that, given how happy she seemed to be about getting her hands on the stuff, he wondered just how much it was worth. Though, seeing as how Theril had seen his weights, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d recognized the stone, or just hadn¡¯t cared. But given his current issues, he wasn¡¯t comfortable giving away his entire supply of stone, no matter the price. ¡°Maybe give me a few more days,¡± he hedged, thinking that it might be better to deal with the goblins before selling off the stone he¡¯d planned on using for defense. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the time too much. Just let me know so that I can arrange a wagon for the next visit,¡± she told him graciously. Nodding, he got back to the issue of the cauldron. He thought that maybe if he used [Matter Agitation], then that might work. Though, having to repeatedly use the power every minute or so would be a pain in the ass. Maybe if he¡¯d had a psicrystal already, he could have left that task to it. But alas, he hadn¡¯t been working on that particular feat¡­ ability? Whatever it would be called, he hadn¡¯t practiced it yet even though he had a list of abilities he could use stuffed into his head. He was, after all, a ¡°20th level¡± Shaper. He just had to get familiar with everything before he could use any of it. Hence the long practice sessions he¡¯d been putting in. Not only that, but he now had to sort out and deal with everything that came with being a ¡°20th level¡± Soulknife¡­ er, Soulbolt. He still needed to work on [Psychic Reformation] so that he could unlock more of those class features¡­. Getting back on track, he looked at the ¡°moss stone¡± and wondered if it was one of those stones that had water molecules trapped inside of it that would make it hazardous to use in a firepit. Then he remembered Celys. ¡°Is moss stone good to use in fireplaces?¡± he asked. ¡°I can be,¡± Celys replied, looking thoughtful. ¡°Though, most people just use it decoratively as its colour is rather striking,¡± she finished, once again looking back to the pile of stone. Nodding, he got to work. He stepped outside and round the house to his other stack of the moss stone, then started moving it into another stack. Or, rather, the base for what he planned. Once the base was outlined, he used one of the stone ¡°sticks¡± to dig away the forest floor until he reached soil, then dug a bit more so that they was a general bowl shape left behind. The base wound up being quite large, as each section of moss stone was about 1.2 metres long. From there, he stacked the stone in smaller layers until he had an opening at the top that would fit the cauldron¡¯s base. Overall, the whole thing wound up being waist height on him, and with the cauldron, he¡¯d just barely be able to reach over and stir its contents. Which, really, was fine if he didn¡¯t account for the heat that would escape from the sides of the thing. Given what he¡¯d made the stove out of, there were many gaps here and there that would allow most of the heat to escape from the ¡°oven¡±. Shaking his head, he unstacked most of it, then started taking measurements and noting down angles. As he reworked it, he used [Modify Matter] to just ¡°cut¡± the pieces into the right shape. It wound up looking a bit lopsided, though, as he¡¯d shifted the top opening towards the side slightly so that it would be easier to still the cauldron. Once done, it looked scores better than his first attempt, so he used [Modify Matter] to fuse the whole thing together so that it wouldn¡¯t fall apart on him. The front of the furnace/stove/oven had an opening so that he could throw in some wood, or just see the bottom of the cauldron. He¡¯d also left an opening in the back so that the smoke could escape. With that done, he asked if anyone could get some firewood and got a few odd looks before a pair each of the guards went off to gather wood. He supposed that they¡¯d question him not having wood with which to cook, but he didn¡¯t care. The ones who¡¯d been coming over this whole time knew that he didn¡¯t use it, so they¡¯d have learned it anyways. Eventually he had what he needed, and the fire was started, and the cauldron placed. He then quickly filled it with water, having waited until it was in place before adding that much more weight to the already heavy cauldron. Then it was time to wait. And answer more questions, it seemed. ¡°So, how did you get so big,¡± one of the spearmen asked, pointedly looking at his mostly bare arms. ¡°I use weights,¡± he said, shrugging. He was surprised that Theril hadn¡¯t told them about it. That then led to him going back inside to retrieve his dumbbells so that they could have a go at them. This time, he¡¯d wisely removed most of the stone discs before passing them over, leaving only 20kg on each one. Still, they were incredibly impressed with them. Nalun too, if he judged the man¡¯s expression correctly. So it was that the fighter-types played around with the dumbbells while he attended to his cooking duties while also answering food questions from Myra. About when he thought that things were ready, the spearwoman turned runner came back with four loaves of oval shaped bread and what looked like a full kilo of butter. Everyone was happy to see her, Brin, or Brineth in full, when she presented her bounty. Then he sighed before clearing off the table before taking it outside, then extended it with its hidden section, so that there¡¯d be room for everyone to sit around it. The meal went over well, and Brin had been particularly pleased to get the first cut of meat. He had even been able to brush off Myra¡¯s comments and questions about how the table had been returned to pristine condition by presenting her with the second slice of roast. Then, once the last bit of stew had been scraped from the bottom of the cauldron, they packed up and said their goodbyes, promising to be back in another two days, if that was all right with him. Once assured, they set off and he set himself to tidying up again. Though, the fact that they¡¯d left the cauldron with him led him to believe that he should expect at least the same number of visitors the next time. Which meant that he¡¯d need to start [Grow]ing more food, and quick. Chapter 028 - The logical choice With the cleanup done and out of the way, Joram decided to leave the new oven/stove where it was as he manifested [Astral Construct] again, augmenting it sufficiently to get his ten constructs again. He then re-manifested [Inertial Armour], sure that the duration of his last manifestation was close to expiring. He was liking how familiar the power was getting for him, and was certain that he would be able to do more with it soon. Well, ¡°more¡± as in: adding more options to the base model, as it were. Getting back to the reason why he¡¯d recreated the constructs, he had them start arranging the stone into two-part sections. Really, he just wanted to fuse them together so that he could make steps that he¡¯d eventually attach to the side of the house to make stairs. Though, he wouldn¡¯t make them too deep, mostly because he wanted it to be hard for any invading goblins to make their way up to him. While they were doing that, he went back to his mini quarry and got to work, making sure to recreate his PPE so that he could one: stay safe, and two: keep an eye out for approaching threats. As he worked, he mentally planned how he¡¯d arrange things. Just making a low wall around the perimeter of the roof wouldn¡¯t quite cut it, as climbing was a thing. So, he planned to angle it out a bit to make it that much harder for anything to scale his walls. As for the stairs, he¡¯d just have to make some sort of gate at the top to prevent anything from just rushing up and smashing him. With his practice yesterday, things went a bit faster this time around. So, just an hour later, he had enough to finish the stairs and the small landing he wanted to add at the top. Next, he set about fusing the stone together with [Modify Matter] until he had all the pieces he¡¯d need for the stairs. Once done, he had his constructs hold the stone in place as he once again used [Modify Matter] to not just fuse the stone to the wall, but to also anchor each stair into the wall. It started to get a bit tricky towards the end of the job, as the constructs weren¡¯t quite tall enough to hold the stairs above their heads and reach where he needed them to reach. Which resulted in Joram manifesting [Astral Construct] once more, focussing on making a ¡°large¡± construct this time. It was easier than he thought, though, so that made him happy. He was even able to add a whole bunch of strength to it, having access to the ¡°B¡± options and everything. With the stairs and landing now complete, he needed to get to work on the angled crenellations. Which meant more stone. This time, he had his constructs distributed slightly differently. The big guy was stationed beside the house so that he could just pass up each piece to another two constructs he left on the roof, leaving the other eight to move the stone to the house. Well, five of them, as he was starting to get nervous with how close the anticipated attack was getting. The last three were kept closer to him for protection. And as meat shields. Ectoplasmic shields? Shrug. He started wishing that he could make those turrets that engineers from ME3 could make, but made do with what he had. Which just so happened to be some fairly sturdy constructs. So, he kept working, though a bit slower so that his power pool wouldn¡¯t be too depleted if the goblins showed up unexpectedly. Which reminded him to have a construct close the door to the house, then stack up some stone in front of it. It was once gain getting dark before he decided to call it quits. He was reasonably sure that he had enough stone now, so he made his way to the roof and had a look. The stone was arranged in neat piles every metre or so, each one over a metre tall and sitting a bit over the edge of the roof. Well, he¡¯d been calling it a roof the entire time, but it was just one huge slab of concrete that had been the floor of the unit above his apartment. Which allowed for the stone to sit where it was without fear of breaking through and falling into his apartment. After getting all but the large construct up onto the roof, the then had them hold the two-by-six (if he was thinking in terms of lumber) stone blocks up at an angle, their bases firmly planted on the roof. It took him another two hours to get them all fused into place, but once he was done, he was relatively happy with the results. He¡¯d only fused each one to the roof, leaving about a centimetre or so of space between them so that if one section broke, it wouldn¡¯t take out a larger part of the whole. He¡¯d have been happier with thicker slabs, but it would have to do for now. It was now already well into the night, and he still hadn¡¯t seen any movement from the southwest, making him think that perhaps there¡¯d be an even larger group this time around. Which also made him even more nervous. Looking at the leftover pieces, he decided to make a bit of a wall around the top landing on the stairs. For one, it would allow him to fight from the top without having to worry about getting shot in the back. For another, safety was important. The risk of falling off the top landing wasn¡¯t negligible, after all. Though, knocking goblins off the stairs would certainly help him. When the wall was complete, going several centimetres above his head on the sides, he was really starting to worry. Given how much time passed between attacks and how much their numbers had increased with each attack, he was estimating that there would be around forty of the things this time, possibly more. And given just how hard each encounter was getting, he seriously worried at what might come next. Would it be a full group of hobs? Would they bring wolves, or something worse? He¡¯d played many a game, and had seen many a movie over the years, so his imagination had plenty to go off of. Grimacing, he looked around one last time before deciding to get a mattress and spend the night up there instead of trapping himself in the house like last time. So, he set his constructs to guard the roof and had the big guy guard his front door while he quickly went inside and retrieved one of the twin sized mattresses and a blanket, flipping the lights on in the living room on his way by. Once back outside, he instructed the big guy to start taking the extra stone down there in front of the door while he turned the corner and quickly made his way up the stairs. Looking around, he decided to place it in the centre of the roof, making it harder for anything to spot him from afar. Well, harder anyways. Still no attack, he thought as he quickly went down to fuse the stone in place before dashing back up the stairs, nearly slipping on the smooth surface in his haste. Grumbling, he acknowledged that it was perhaps a good thing, as anyone else would have just as hard a time keeping their footing on the narrow stairs. With the quiet now feeling oppressive, he rearranged his constructs again, placing them between him and the stairs with instructions to kill anything that came up. He still needed to practice, though, so he began meditating on [Psychic Reformation], hoping to get a better understanding of the power, which would lead to him being able to properly use it sooner. Because, the sooner he could use it, the sooner he could get himself more blade skills. Which meant more survivability. And more lethality. - - - Morning broke, bringing him not only out of his nightly meditations, but right into a bout of anxiety. The night had been quiet. Too quiet. Which meant that he would likely have a small army of goblins to deal with when they came. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡®Just breath,¡¯ Avi piped in quietly from his side. ¡°I just hate the waiting,¡± he said, running a hand through his short hair. ¡®Who doesn''t?¡¯ she asked rhetorically. ¡®But best to concentrate on what you can do instead of what you can¡¯t control.¡¯ ¡°Thanks,¡± he muttered, appreciating the reminder of one of his core ethea. ¡°If you can¡¯t change it, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± was the sum of that one. Just plan for the inevitable. So, what could he do? He had a very small list of Powers that he could use. The Metacreation Powers were helpful, but not quite made for instantaneous use in combat. Well, [Entangling Ectoplasm] was useful, but in a one-on-one setting. Likewise, with [Crystal Shard]. [Ectoplasmic Creation] might be nice for making a few pointy staves, or perhaps some additional barricades to keep the goblins at bay. [Energy Ball] would have to be the heavy hitter in this case, along with his mindbolt. That was another reason why he¡¯d left small gaps between the stone blocks; to get line-of-sight for his attacks. Then movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned just in time to have an arrow glance off his acrylic helmet, leaving a long white scar along his left cheek. He immediately dropped to the floor¡­ rooftop, and rolled to the southern edge where he could peek through an opening in the wall. His stomach just about flipped. It seemed as though he¡¯d underestimated the numbers somewhat, as he could easily count seventy of the little blighters coming is way. Fortunately, they were still a good eighty metres away, so that gave him a bit of time to whittle their numbers down before they arrived. Unfortunately, their archers weren¡¯t as bad as they¡¯d been up to that point, as more arrows rained down on where he was. Lucky for him they were still getting the angle, so they missed, but not by much. He quickly instructed a construct to lean over him to provide a bit of cover as he pulled up [Energy Ball] and concentrated on electricity this time due to the number of hobs he saw. As he released the power, he spotted something else that greatly worried him. Two skinny hobs, each carrying a staff decorated with bones of various sizes as well as feathers and ratty-looking robes. ¡°Shamans,¡± he muttered as a ball of electricity erupted close to the shamans. Unfortunately, he¡¯d spotted them too late, having instead gone for the front of the group instead of the back where they were positioned. The [Energy Ball] went off with a boom, sounding as though lightning had struck right beside him. Many hobs fell, but unfortunately, not as many as he¡¯d hoped. As the group of hobs increased their marching speed, he quickly picked himself up into a crouch and formed his mindbolt, choosing the long-ranged shoulder canon option, and began shooting at the shamans. It wasn¡¯t just that shamans were well known for being able to heal, but they would also cast offensive spells. And seeing as how he was solo up there, he really didn¡¯t want to see what they could do. Unfortunately for him, his hopes were dashed as the shamans began to chant and gesticulate. Feeling much more exposed than he¡¯d through he would, Joram quickly instructed his constructs to pile in close as he manifested [Biofeedback], pumping it full of power points, giving him a whopping 7 damage reduction to help protect him. Which wound up helping him a bit when a lightning bolt smashed into the wall just to his left, shattering it and sending bits of stone flying everywhere. The bolt, and explosion, took out three of his constructs instantly, damaging two more in the process. Gulping, he turned back to the small horde of hobs and wondered how he thought he¡¯d have a chance against them. He glanced at his remaining power points and knew that sixteen points wouldn¡¯t take him very far, especially considering that he¡¯d need to keep some in reserved for healing. He looked back at the hobs and saw that they were only about forty metres away now, not leaving him much time to decide what to do. So, going for the most logical choice, the chose to run. * * * * * Theril was already looking forward to the next day. Sure, he was on the walls today, but he¡¯d be off them again soon. Being on special assignment had its privileges, after all. Like tasty, tasty, food, he thought, practically drooling when he remembered the roast from yesterday. But then nearly wilted as he remembered getting home that night and eating the dinner that his lovely wife, Amava, had made him. He hadn¡¯t been able to keep the disappointed look off his face, resulting in him sleeping in the living room last night. Maybe it would be for the best if he stopped eating Joram¡¯s food. Because, if he didn¡¯t, he was sure that Amava would string him up one day for no longer appreciating her cooking. It¡¯s not like it was bad or anything, it was just that it¡­ lacked the additional flavour that Joram could add to something as mundane as a roast. Or vegetable stew. He sighed again, earning him a weird look from Erim, his partner for the day. He was about to explain his conundrum when he heard a shout from the station over. Harelle was pointing off to the southwest and shading her eyes against the sun. Theril turned to see what she was looking at. It took him a few more seconds to spot the figure in the distance, then many more even further behind it. Then the odd colours clicked in his head, and he started calling for people not to shoot at the lead figure, because he was sure as taxes that Joram would get mad if they shot him. ¡°Sound the alert,¡± he told Erim, not taking his eyes off Joram as he quickly stopped, turned, did something that flashed, then began running again. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need backup.¡± * * * ¡°I,¡± Joram shouted as he stopped, turned, and fired his N7-90 at the closest hob, nailing it in the thigh, then turned and started running again. ¡°Hate¡­ fucking¡­ goblins!!¡± he panted out as he ran, very much hating that he¡¯d never been a runner, but also thankful that the occasional use of [Natural Healing] seemed to help keep him going. He was glad that he¡¯d gone in the right direction, because the sight of Kirkwall was a relief beyond words. The goblins had chased him as soon as he¡¯d descended from the roof. Glancing over his shoulder every now and then had given him no end of heartache, as he¡¯d watched a half-dozen or so hobs break off to inspect his house. His remaining constructs had formed up behind him as he ran, keeping the various projectiles, magical or mundane, from hitting him until he got one of the massive trees between him and them. That said, [Biofeedback] had proved prescient. After his constructs had fallen, he¡¯d taken more than a few arrows to the back. Between the [Inertial Armour] and [Biofeedback], the injuries hadn¡¯t been too severe. But as he ran, he¡¯d also taken his fair share of shots. With the short-ranged N7-90, it gave an extra boost to damage that scaled with his physical strength. Meta-gaming it, it added his strength modifier to the damage of the weapon. Probably because it required him to use two hands to fire it. Either way, he¡¯d slowly whittled down his pursuers as they tried to catch him over the course of the past half hour. Unfortunately, [Biofeedback] had worn off during that time, leading to deeper wounds when he was hit. But again, [Natural Healing] had proved itself over and over again as it kept him from bleeding out as he ran. So, by the time he¡¯d come in sight of Kirkwall, he¡¯d actually managed to replenish his power pool almost to full. He turned again, this time to try to get a better count of the enemy. ¡°Still¡­ too¡­ many¡­¡± he panted as he resumed running, having spotted at least thirty of them following him. He wasn¡¯t sure, but he even thought he¡¯d spotted those damn shamans in the background. He was now close enough to see the guards on the wall, standing a good seven metres in height. What interested him the most was the gate, and how it was currently in the process of closing. ¡°Help!¡± he managed to call out, choosing to release is N7-90, letting it vanish into the ether. Then he spotted someone familiar at the gates and just about cried for joy. Reldan was preventing the last gate from closing all the way while at the same time waving him on. Mustering up what was left of his energy, he starting running for all he was worth, then stumbled and fell on his face as a searing pain shot up from his right leg at the same time that a flash of light momentarily blinded him. In a daze, he looked down at his leg and nearly threw up. Where a healthy leg should have been was instead a charred mess of burnt flesh. ¡®Good thing that it was your leg instead of your chest,¡¯ Avi commented from his side, looking back at the now cheering hobs as they rapidly approached. Dizzy with pain, he called on [Autohypnosis] to ignore said pain. It wasn¡¯t easy, but he succeeded. So, the next thing that he did was to concentrate on [Energy Ball], willing an inferno of flames into being around the largest clump of hobs as he pushed the Power full of, well, power. A moment later, a loud *WOOOMPH!* echoed through the forest as a good ten hobs went up in flame, dropping to the ground, either dead or burning and trying to put out the flames. When they were out of his line of sight, he did it again, then one more time before he ran too low on power to keep going. He grinned as he heard their screams, then grinned some more when he realized that arrows were also falling on his pursuers. With that happy sight in mind, he then passed out cold. Chapter 029 - 20% Lighter ¡°Stop!¡± someone yelled at him as he decided to make a run for it. He¡¯d watched Joram take a lightning bolt to the leg before passing out a few seconds later. He didn¡¯t know who was casting those [Fireball]s, but he was certainly glad for it, as they¡¯d likely saved Joram¡¯s life. So, he ran. Once he got there, he nearly choked on the smell of burn flesh, then nearly retched when he saw just how bad Joram¡¯s leg was burnt. That shaman has to be at least Rank C, he thought as he grabbed Joram¡¯s wrist, wondering at the odd sensation, and pulled him over his shoulders. ¡°Oof, what¡¯s this guy made of?¡± he grumbled as he hurried back to the gate as fast as he could under the weight of at least sixteen stone¡¯s worth of crazy human. He didn¡¯t miss the sound of an arrow whizzing past his head, but certainly hoped that they didn¡¯t get hit. Luckily, the goblins were paying more attention to the people shooting arrows at them than him, so he made it back to the gates, then practically fell over once inside. Careth paused long enough in chewing him out to help him with Joram, then gave off as he called for a stretcher and a [Healer]. Reldan was grateful that Careth was calling for help, because just that short run had nearly wiped him out. The sounds of battle lasted for a few more minutes before the gates were ordered to be opened again so that a group of hunters could go out and take care of the rest of the goblins that had scattered. During that time, Reldan had helped Joram onto a stretcher, then followed them to the clinic on this side of the village. He was anxious about Joram¡¯s chances of surviving such a blast. His face was white as a bone left in the sun and he could barely see his chest moving. ¡°Just, what happened out there?¡± he mused, trying to distract himself. ¡°Goblin dungeon.¡± The voice nearly caused him to piss himself before he realized that it was the Chief. ¡°Probably getting to the critical point where we¡¯ll be seeing more [Shaman]s than we¡¯d like,¡± she said, then continued, sounding thoughtful. ¡°But why is the dungeon growing so fast?¡± Reldan could only shake his head as he watched Melois tend to Joram¡¯s charred leg. Getting a better look at it, it was worse than he¡¯d thought. He could see bone through the side of Joram¡¯s thigh. Not only that, but he wasn¡¯t sure how his lower leg had managed to stay attached. It was weird to look at, because above the scorching, his pantleg looked fine. Likewise, below mid-shin. His shoe even looked fine, if odd-looking. But between those two points, everything was a charred mess that reminded him of new hunters cooking their kill out in the forest for the first time. Which caused his stomach to churn enough that he needed to look away again. ¡°Step outside and get a breath of fresh air,¡± the Chief ordered, giving him a light push to get him going. He didn¡¯t argue. * * * Celys stared down at Joram and wondered if they could save his leg. She¡¯d seen wounds like this in the past and none of them had turned out well. And, given her limited healing capabilities, she was fairly sure that she couldn¡¯t save his leg. Nor could any of the [Healer]s in Kirkwall, as that kind of wound needed something more potent, like [Regenerate], or something close to it. Melois turned to her, eyebrow raised in silent question after having cast another healing spell. Given the number healing of spells already used, and what little they¡¯d done for his leg, she shook her head then looked to where the bone saw hung from the wall. She could wait until Joram awoke to ask him what he wanted to do, but without knowing how long that would take, she was hesitant to go that route. For if she waited too long, then rot would set into the wound, causing much worse damage to him. Possibly threatening his life. But would he forgive them for taking his leg? She didn¡¯t know, but she¡¯d have to live with it. ¡°Do what you need to do to save his life,¡± she finally said, watching his very slow, and very shallow, breathing. Melois nodded, then ushered her to the side so that she could pull a standing screen over to block anyone¡¯s view of what was about to happen. * * * Joram woke, wondering where he was as he took in the wooden ceiling. He felt like trash that had been run over by the garbage truck. He took stock of how he felt. Pretty much everything ached, though his right leg felt like it was burning. Grimacing, he tried to reach down to give it a rub when he noticed two things. Well, three if he counted Avi standing by his bed. The first was that someone was slumped over and sleeping on his bed. On the left side. The second was that his thigh was wrapped up in bandages. Which reminded him of his encounter with the damn goblins. Then getting hit by¡­ a lightning bolt, if he could trust his memory. ¡®Yes, it was a lightning bolt,¡¯ Avi confirmed from his side. ¡®A very powerful one, might I add,¡¯ she finished, then looked at his right leg. His eyes followed hers, then stopped. Confused, he wiggled his toes and found that the sheets on the left moved, but not the ones on the right. If anything, it just made the burning in his right leg worse. Concerned, he reached down and pulled the sheet aside and gasped. Where his leg should have been was instead a heavily bandaged stump, leaving him only a bit of leg just below his hip to look at. ¡°What?¡± he asked, knowing what he was seeing, but not believing it. ¡®None of the healers in this village are strong enough to regenerate such damage,¡¯ Avi said, sounding oddly¡­ compassionate. ¡®For fear of gangrene setting in, they chose to amputate your leg instead of risking your death.¡¯ He nodded at that, both understanding their reasoning and numb to everything that surrounded it. Their decision. His leg. ¡°Did they save my shoe?¡± he asked, clinging to the first thing he could. ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ she replied, shaking her head slightly. ¡®You should rest. Close your eyes and go through the meditation exercises Altaea left for you. They¡¯ll help.¡¯ Nodding, Joram closed his eyes once more, preferring that over the sight of his missing leg, and soon fell into deep [Meditation], calling upon his new Skill to help keep him calm. * * * Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Myra woke briefly, thinking that she¡¯d heard Joram speak, but found that he was still asleep. ¡°A dream,¡± she murmured, shaking her head, then noticing the displaced sheet. Confused, she got up and reached over to cover him back up again, careful to not disturb his leg, but also careful to not look at what else had been uncovered. Once she sat down again, she repositioned in her chair to get more comfortable. She¡¯d been there since Reldan had shared what had happened, hoping to be there to help Joram through what was most likely going to be the most trying time of his life. But it seemed as though she¡¯d grown too tired and had fallen asleep. So, she got up again and stretched, working out the kinks and knots that had formed from her terrible sleeping position. She also rubbed at her bum and slower back, as they weren¡¯t happy with the hard surface of the chair that she¡¯d pulled over. So, she paced as she thought, working blood back into her complaining muscles. Considering how strong and fit Joram was, she felt that he would take the news of losing a leg especially hard. So, what could she do about it? Not too much, she had to admit. But, given how brilliant he was, she thought that maybe she could steer his interests towards more academic pursuits. Maybe he could be a teacher in the village. Or perhaps, if his reading and writing skills grew sufficiently, he could become a scribe. They didn¡¯t need both legs to work. But maybe he would enjoy more hands-on activities? He was, after all, an amazing cook. She idly wondered if he¡¯d gotten the [Cooking] Skill yet. Could that be why his dishes all tasted so good? Perhaps he could give cooking lessons? Or maybe open a small restaurant? Well, given that Kirkwall only had just over two thousand people in it, restaurants were few and far between. Never mind that they weren¡¯t terribly profitable. Well, maybe his would be? She would certainly frequent a restaurant where he either cooked or oversaw the cooking. But would he enjoy it? She¡¯d seen just how¡­ ferocious he could be when he¡¯d summoned that blue sword of his. Would he truly be all right if he could only do things from the sidelines? Ultimately, she didn¡¯t know enough about Joram to even make half-way accurate assumptions as to what he¡¯d want, or do. So, what could she actually do for him? She could be there for him. Listen to his worries. Help distract him¡­. Myra¡¯s face turned bright scarlet as she tried to banish that last thought, suddenly very glad that it was dark in the room. She quickly turned to peek at Joram, but found that he was still asleep; much to her great relief. Then it dawned on her. She really like Joram. She really didn¡¯t know why she liked him. If anything, she should dislike him for giving her the red sauce of death. But he¡¯d treated her¡­ like a person. A bit like¡­ a child. A spoiled child, she admitted a moment later. But then he¡¯d gone back to treating her like a person¡­ after she¡¯d stopped acting like a child. Had that been it? No. Maybe? She¡¯d been used to being treated with¡­ delicacy over the years because of her temper and stubborn streak. Upon further reflection, she supposed that she¡¯d unconsciously grown to dislike people who¡¯d treated her like that. Or had treated her as a prize, if she thought about the young men her age. But Joram? Sure, he¡¯d stared at her ears, and tails when they¡¯d appeared. But had stopped when she¡¯d pointed out how rude it was. He hadn¡¯t¡­ had that look that most other young men got when around her. Like they could win her if they tried hard enough, or something stupid like that. Thus, lost in thought, Myra paced back and forth for the rest of the night before finally taking a seat beside Joram again, then promptly fell asleep while leaning on his bed once more. * * * Joram came out of his meditation while Myra was pacing, but didn¡¯t want to disturb her obviously deep thoughts. Well, nor did he really want to talk to anyone else just yet, as he was still in a bit of a funk. So, he kept his eyes closed and chose to instead review the principles Psychometabolism Discipline, or Egoists, as they were more often called. Given how broad the topic was when considering just how many races and species there were, he was very glad that Altaea had created her own section regarding High Elans. So, that was where he focussed most of his attention. It was fascinating stuff, going into such detail that your typical first-year university biology courses would be considered elementary in comparison. And that was the introductory stuff. But he had nothing but time at the moment, even if he really wanted to get back to his apartment/house to see what kind of damage those damn hobs had done to his place. Then, once Myra passed out beside him, he was about to get up and get going when another woman showed up. He quickly closed his eyes again, hoping that she hadn¡¯t noticed because she¡¯d been focussed on Myra when she¡¯d come into the room. Anyways, he made sure to keep his breathing regular. Nurse types, and that¡¯s what the woman had looked like, tended to be perceptive when it came to their patients, so he tried to appear as though he was still asleep. It got especially hard when he felt the sheet being pulled away from his right leg, causing a bit of a draft down below. Which made him realize that aside from the bandages on his leg, he wasn¡¯t wearing a stitch of clothing under the sheet. The difficulty increased once again when he felt her checking the dressing on his¡­ stump. It caused it to¡­ itch and burn enough that he slipped into meditation so that he could quiet those firing nerves. ¡°You know,¡± the woman said, almost causing him to twitch in surprise. ¡°[Meditation] is doesn¡¯t present at all like regular sleep,¡± she said, poking him in the hip, causing him to actually twitch. Annoyed, he opened his eyes to regard the woman. He supposed that she would be closer to forty or so, probably younger than he was¡­ before becoming a High Elan, that is. He wasn¡¯t sure what foxkin considered attractive, but he thought she was rather pretty in that bookish, kindly, short of way. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get used to being about twenty percent lighter,¡± he said, not knowing the Common word for ¡®percent¡¯ yet. She blinked at him, then back at his stump before looking at him with a bit of a puzzled look. ¡°What does that mean?¡± she asked, looking genuinely curious. ¡°It means two parts in ten,¡± he said, reducing it to a fraction instead. ¡°Oh, that makes more sense,¡± she said, nodding to herself before getting back on topic. ¡°So, how do you feel? Any pain? Do you still feel your leg?¡± He didn¡¯t know if bedside manners were a thing here but if they were, she¡¯d have gotten failing marks. ¡°It itches, but is otherwise¡­ fine,¡± he replied, rethinking the ¡®kindly¡¯ portion of his earlier assessment of her. ¡°Well, the itching is normal,¡± she said, dismissing that bit. ¡°But it is also normal for people to continue feeling as though their limb was still there. It takes time to get used to these things,¡± she said, for all the world sounding like she was an expert in the field. Well, given how easy he¡¯d lost his leg, perhaps she was an expert in the field. ¡°Can¡¯t you be a bit nicer about it?¡± Myra suddenly demanded from his side, startling both him and the nurse-lady. ¡°Myra,¡± she said, sounding disapproving. ¡°There¡¯s no use in honey-coating it. It has happened, and the best thing for everyone involved is to accept it and move on. Life doesn¡¯t wait for lumps on the road, after all,¡± she said, sounding like she was repeating an old proverb or something at the end there. He did agree though. But at the same time, he also agreed with Myra. Bedside manners were a thing for a reason. Heck, if he¡¯d been any more prickly, he might have done something rash, like [Ego Whip]¡¯ing her into a vegetative state. For her part, Myra looked like she wanted to chew the nurse-lady out, but astonishingly held back. ¡°Then if you¡¯re done, could we have a moment alone, please,¡± she asked sweetly, sending a shiver down his spine. ¡°Don¡¯t keep him awake too long,¡± she replied sternly. ¡°He¡¯s still recovering from his injury,¡± she finished before pinning him with a Look as well before leaving the room. What the hell was that? He wondered before curiously looking over at Myra, wondering what was on her mind. It took her a few minutes to gather her thoughts, or perhaps her courage, before she finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she finally said, ears drooping as her head bowed. ¡°If we¡¯d taken your report of goblins more seriously, especially after the attack we all went through, then maybe you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off, sounding quite miserable. He thought about it for a bit, though. Sure, if they¡¯d sent out a small army, then maybe they could have done something about it without too many casualties, or deaths. But given the number of goblins that had come, he was sure that any small group they¡¯d have sent would have been wiped out. Heck, if there hadn¡¯t been those two shamans to deal with, he was sure that he could have held out on his own. But, casters were a game changer when it came to fighting. Heck, he¡¯d have to get back into the mindset of being a caster himself if he wanted to survive here. As he¡¯d learned, being a target, a readily visible target, would just lead to an early grave. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t think that you would have had the numbers to make a difference,¡± he said, shaking his head a bit. ¡°But there were only a couple dozen of them chasing you,¡± she said, looking confused. ¡°Yeah, when I finally got here,¡± he grunted. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that I managed to kill more than half of them on the way here,¡± he said, fixing her with a stern look. Her jaw dropped as she stared at him, dumbfounded. ¡°No, way,¡± she managed to get out after working her mouth for a few seconds. ¡°Way,¡± he said, suppressing a grin as he thought about Wayne. ¡°A running battle kept me alive. If I¡¯d have stayed, I would have died. If they¡¯d shown up in those same numbers the last time, we could have all died,¡± he said, trying to impress upon her just how serious it had been. ¡°All told, I¡¯m still lucky,¡± he finished, though he didn¡¯t feel particularly lucky right then, missing his leg and all. He thought he¡¯d gotten through to her, and perhaps he had. But not in the way that he¡¯d intended, for her face crumpled up before she began wailing, tears spilling down her face. Well, crap. Chapter 030 - Taking stock Instead of waiting for her to cry herself out, Joram addressed the [Slumber] power in his mental archive, found it to be amazingly simple, then used it on Myra. The effects were instantaneous. She slumped onto the bed, snoring ever so gently as she started to slide off. He quickly grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her up until she was steady. Next, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation], focussing first on a set of clothing, for he couldn¡¯t see where they¡¯d put his old clothes. Once done, he then concentrated again on the same power to create a set of wooden crutches, with ample padding for his armpits. With that done, he poked at his¡­ stump. It was more tender than he thought, so he then used [Natural Healing], augmented about hallway to his maximum limit. He then poked his stump again and found that it felt¡­ normal. Well, as normal as a stump could feel, anyways. So, he twisted until his legs¡­ leg was hanging over the edge of the bed, then pulled on a pair of underwear, then his pants. Which needed a bit of an adjustment to get rid of the extra fabric of the right leg. With that done, he pulled the shirt on, a simple dark grey t-shirt. The next part of the process gave him pause. He needed to stand up, and he very much didn¡¯t look forward to trying his balance just then. Sucking it up, he took hold of his crutches and then used them to help him stand up. He nearly fell over due to the imbalance, but managed to stay standing. His proprioception was way off, though, as his brain kept trying to tell him that his right leg was still there and working. Heh, guess that even High Elan brains need a while to adjust to something like this, he thought wryly. The next issue arose from him forgetting to add a grippy surface to the bottom of his crutches, and nearly had him fall over when his right crutch slipped out from under him. Grumbling, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation] once more, this time adding textured rubber ends to the crutches. Given his ¡°manifester level¡±, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his clothes and crutches vanishing on him until tomorrow night, which would hopefully be when he was meditating. With his balance more or less settled, he made his way around the bed, then shifted Myra fully onto it. He then covered her up with a blanket he found on a shelf nearby, not wanting her to have an uncomfortable rest given how she¡¯d stayed with him out of concern and all. Now that he was ready, he made his way over to the door and opened it, appreciating the simple lever stile used for the door handle. Once the door was open, he saw that same nurse lady sitting at a desk in what had to have been the lobby/waiting room of the¡­ clinic? It was certainly small enough, given that he only saw two more doors besides the one that looked like the outside door. Before she could speak, he asked his very important question. ¡°Where are my shoes?¡± She stared at him for almost a minute, the cogs in her head obviously spinning and not getting anywhere. ¡°You can¡¯t be up yet!¡± she nearly yelled, her throat seeming not to work well as her tail swished in a clearly, very agitated manner. ¡°Yes, I can. And I am. So, where are my shoes?¡± he asked again, not caring for her inability to adapt to new situations. She took a long look at him again, noting his right leg, and probably the trimmed right leg of his pants, also taking in his crutches at the same time. At length, she pointed at a shelf behind her where the remains of his clothing were placed. Not saying anything, he made his way over and inspected what was left of his clothing. His shirt seemed to be in the best condition, only having a few tears in it. His pants, though, were basically a write-off if he hadn¡¯t had access to [Repair]. His socks were there, but a bit crusty, but his shoes, though, weren¡¯t in terrible condition, just dirtier than he would have liked, especially the right one. It looked as though he¡¯d¡­ leaked a bit into it. So, he manifested [Cleanse], keeping the area of effect to the minimum, which still cleaned the entirety of the room he was in along with his personal effects. He grabbed the now clean stack under one arm, then awkwardly made his way over to a chair and put a sock and a shoe on, making him feel a bit better. The rest, he just put into his inventory, not caring if the dumbfounded nurse lady saw or not. Then, thinking of the regular fees that would be associated with private healthcare, he retrieved one of the Grade E goblin cores before making his way over to her desk. ¡°Here, I¡¯m told you can sell these for a good price,¡± he said as he placed the core on her desk before making his way over to the door. He then opened it and hobbled outside, squinting a bit in the early morning light. Hmm, must be facing east, then, he thought as he looked around the strange village he found himself in. If he had to describe it, he would have said that it would have fit into the Edo period of Japan without too much trouble. The streets, though, seemed to have been paved with more regularly shaped stones than cobblestones, fitting together well enough that he didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d easily trip on them. The houses and buildings in view certainly had the Edo look to them, but he noticed that the doors were more Western in design, using hinges instead of sliding to the side. Not only that, but the windows had glass in them instead of thin paper, though the glass had a long way to go before it got to what he was used to seeing. ¡°Now, where to¡­?¡± he wondered, looking around. If he had to guess, he would say that he¡¯d need to head to the south part of town to get to where he wanted to go. Which was home. He still worried about his stuff, after all. Sure, he¡¯d likely need to move into Kirkwall, but he still wanted to get all of his things together first. Shrugging, he chose to go left, seeing that the block he was on ended sooner in that direction than in the other. As he went, he appreciated the layout of Kirkwall. They¡¯d kept many green spaces as well as trees, earning his respect. For no village, town, or city was a proper bastion of civilization without trees. But then something else caught his attention, making him wonder. Foxes. Lots, and lots of foxes were wandering about alongside the various citizens going about their business. Both, he noticed, were giving him odd looks as he made his way in a southerly direction. The foxes he understood, as any stranger in their territory was certainly one to keep an eye on. The people, or foxkin, he wasn¡¯t sure what they¡¯d want to be called, were a bit different. Sure, they eyed him with obvious confusion, but they also had a wariness to them that both annoyed and saddened him at the same time. Yes, he looked like your average one-legged human. But were humans that bad here? Was he in one of those worlds where humans were racist bastards? His mood slightly soured, he nevertheless kept his customer service face on as best he could as the people here continued to regard him strangely. Though, he was happy to see, they didn¡¯t stop him or bother him at all, so there was that. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. By the time he¡¯d made his way to the edge of Kirkwall, and it was easy to tell given the large gate and tall wall in front of him, he¡¯d managed to gain a bit of an unusual following. For one, several children had started following him, quietly discussing the ¡°crazy human¡±, or several derivatives of that. The other, was thrice that number in foxes. From what looked like full-grown adults, which were somewhat larger than the foxes he was used to seeing back on Earth, to what looked like kits. The most unusual thing about the various foxes were their tails, closely followed by their colouring. The majority of foxes that had followed him were a very dark purple bordering on black. Sure, there were a few normal coloured foxes, but there were also some that looked like artic foxes and even more that were black. Their tails, however, weren¡¯t fewer than two. Each and every fox that had followed him had at least two tails. The record was held by one of the dark purple foxes with a whopping six tails, mesmerizing him somewhat as he followed their gentle swaying. ¡°Joram!¡± He started when he heard someone called out to him, turning his attention back to his surroundings. There, coming in running, was Celys, closely followed by Nalun. They quickly closed the distance before slowing to a walk that stopped just over a metre away from him. They, too, seemed to be confused by the presence of the foxes, but quickly reoriented themselves on him. ¡°What are you doing out of bed so soon?¡± Celys asked, obvious worry fueling the question. He noticed that she looked to have not slept very much the night before, much like Nalun himself. Their clothes seemed a bit rumpled, likely from having slept in them. He supposed that having a score or more hobs attack their village would have them working overtime. ¡°Going for a walk,¡± he replied casually, though he couldn¡¯t help the sarcasm as he was once again reminded of his missing leg. ¡°I can see that,¡± Celys replied with remarkable decorum given the situation. ¡°But, why?¡± ¡°I need to go see how bad the damage is at my home,¡± he said, shrugging. Which got him a mighty frown of motherly might directed his way which, oddly, managed to touch his heart. ¡°Can¡¯t you wait a bit more? You know, until you¡¯ve healed enough to make the trip?¡± she asked gently, obviously worried about his wellbeing. ¡°I heal fast,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Not only that, but I¡¯m worried about what those hobs have done to everything inside my house. My food stocks included,¡± he said, worrying about what might be left of what had come over with him. If he didn¡¯t at least have some scraps to use, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use [Grow] to restock things. Celys and Nalun both seemed to think things over, often looking back to him as they did. Probably gauging just how determined he was to make the trip. While he waited, he decided to check the System notifications that he¡¯d muted yesterday, not wanting to deal with them as he fled, and fought, for his life. Then, seeing the crazy list, he did some mental adjustments to pare it down further so that he could get a concise read-out.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: Cooking Endurance Lucky Quick Manifesting Running Strafing You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: Concentration 4 -> 7 Cooking 1 -> 3 Dodge 3 -> 7 Endurance 1 -> 6 Lucky 1 -> 5 Meditation 5 -> 8 Pain Resistance 2 -> 5 Privacy Mode 1 -> 3 Quick Manifesting 1 -> 4 Running 1 -> 4 Strafing 1 -> 7 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: +2 Speed +1 Constitution +1 Intellect +3 Spirit +2 Charisma +6 ??? You¡¯ve gained the following Achievements: - Down, but not Out - Fight & Flight
Looking at the considerable list, he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Not only had his Skills improved tremendously, but he¡¯d also gained several new Skills¡­. Though, he supposed that [Cooking] had come before the fight. Then there were his attribute gains. Looking at them now, he truly wondered just how OP he was. Then, looking at his CON, he realized that the increase had come from his new Title, [Down, but not Out]. He was very glad for the increase in stats, even the mystery attribute that he now highly suspected to be Luck. Why? Well, given his new Skill, [Lucky], and its associated attribute of ¡°???¡±, there was absolutely no way it could have been anything else. Then, as the conclusion dawned on him, he noticed that the mystery attribute updated in his character sheet, finally reading as ¡°Luck¡±, even updating his [Lucky] Skill and [Stubborn Survivor] Title while it was at it. Though, he still couldn¡¯t see what the attribute¡¯s score was, which annoyed him more than he cared to admit as he stared at those question marks. ¡°Joram?¡± He blinked, taken out of his musings by Celys. ¡°Are you OK?¡± she asked, sounding both concerned and slightly uncertain. He blinked again, then spoke. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, not seeming to convince them. ¡°OK, then,¡± she said, then changed the subject. ¡°Are you willing to wait while we gather a few guards for you? I don¡¯t know how many goblins escaped, and I would be remiss if I didn¡¯t at least send some people with you,¡± she said, keeping eye contact with him as though she were trying to read his mind. ¡°Sure, that sounds like a good plan,¡± he said, then looked around for a place to sit. Even with the crutches, his one leg was still doing more work than it was used to. One of the guards on duty, a woman who looked to be about the same age as Celys, quickly went into the guardhouse attached to the wall beside the gate and came back with a chair. He murmured his thanks, then gratefully sat down as Celys and Nalun went about organizing his outing. During that time, Celys approached him again, this time asking if he would like any wagons. Thinking about it, he was pretty certain that he¡¯d need help getting things back to Kirkwall. So, he then asked how large the wagons were as well as how much they could carry. He was briefly stumped by their weight measurements. It seemed as though they used a sort of old British system. A ¡°Stone¡±, being fourteen pounds, if he recalled correctly, or about 6.35 kilos. Given that the wagons were rated for over one hundred stones, he was sure that just three wagons would suffice. When they arrived, he was pleased to see that they had been built with high sides to them, while being pretty long compared to their width. The horses pulling each wagon were quite large, and he¡¯d have called them Clydesdales if he¡¯d been on Earth. Still, the magnificent beasts were large and quite sturdy, each one being a light grey in colour with slightly lighter patches here and there. Then he noticed the extra guards accompanying the wagons. He recognized Theril, who nodded to him gravely, as well as the ones who¡¯d come along last time. Then, in the back, along with yet more people he didn¡¯t recognize, was Reldan, looking pretty guilty for some reason. ¡°How long do you think you¡¯ll need to pack up and return?¡± Celys asked once everyone looked ready and the gates had been opened for them. He thought about it, then remembered his increased Power Pool- now over a hundred!- and Regen, now eight per minute, and made a few calculations. ¡°I think probably late this evening,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, though, but we shouldn¡¯t take longer than¡­ later tonight,¡± he said, unsure of what he¡¯d find, and need to deal with once he returned home. Celys nodded as though she¡¯d expected as much, then bade him good journey before giving him a hand up onto the first wagon¡¯s front seat. Then they were underway, the strange skulk of foxes staying behind while the guards walked to either side of the wagons, keeping an eye out for trouble. As they passed the area he¡¯d nuked, he noticed that the bodies had been removed. He idly wondered if they¡¯d left any cores behind, but didn¡¯t bother asking. If a few cores were payment enough to save his life, he¡¯d let them keep them all. That said, the further they went, the fewer signs of the previous day¡¯s fight could be found. Sure, he could spot marred bark here and there where he¡¯d missed a shot while running, but the forest was remarkably calm. Heck, even the bodies that he remembered leaving behind were gone, making him wonder if Celys had sent people out to clean things up the day before. Eventually, they arrived at his house, making his stomach anxiously twist a bit. As they approached, he saw that, much to his great astonishment, the place looked relatively unscathed. The moss stone ¡°door¡± was chipped all over, and cracked at the edges, but otherwise whole. There was evidence that the hobs had tried burning the place down, but the fire hadn¡¯t caught due to the modern materials that the apartment had been made with. Sure, the scorch marks didn¡¯t look that great, but he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about them shortly. He carefully slid off the driver¡¯s seat, then used his crutches to make his way to the house, then to the side as he remembered the first hobs he¡¯d felled. Looking over, he couldn¡¯t see any bodies in the distance, making him ¡°tsk¡± in annoyance. He¡¯d gotten his hopes up that maybe he could have finally tried looting one of them. ¡°All right,¡± he said, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯ll organize stuff inside, then have you load things into the first wagon,¡± he said, then briefly covered how he wanted things packed, and how they would have to wait every now and then as he prepared things inside. For as much as they continued to look at him oddly, even the ones from two days ago, they seemed agreeable and did their own things. Except for Theril and Reldan, who approached him. Damn, I hope this won¡¯t be a pity conversation, he thought as they stopped in front of him. Chapter 031 - Packing up Chapter 031 It turned out to be a mix of pity and a pep-talk. As good as he was with his customer service persona, he was terrible with those kinds of conversations. So, he kept it short, assuring them that he¡¯d be fine before moving to the front door and using [Modify Matter] to remove the stone from the building. The duo made to follow him in, but he waved them off, citing the need for a bit of quiet. Looking embarrassed, they acquiesced and made their way to where a few other guards were gathered. Once inside, he heaved a sigh of relief before plopping down into his comfy chair. ¡®There¡¯s a lot to do,¡¯ Avi said from beside him, having kept quiet the whole trip even though she¡¯d been ¡°beside¡± him the whole way. ¡°That there is,¡± he said, suppressing another sigh. The thought of moving still brought feelings of discontent and¡­ sadness. Sure, he¡¯d needed to move a lot over the years, having had a bit of wanderlust in his youth. But moving always sucked. He hated the packing, and the unpacking even more. Trying to get everything settled into a new place, was¡­ unsettling for him. He¡¯d grown to be a creature of habit over the years and change wasn¡¯t something that he¡¯d come to like. Heh, yeah. No getting around it now, he thought as he once again remembered his amputated leg. Then he dismissed those peripheral thoughts and manifested [Astral Construct], putting in enough power to get five human sized constructs. After that, he once again concentrated on [Ectoplasmic Creation]. This time, he focussed on making lots of particularly cut boards. Boards that could then be assembled into large crates by slotting them together just so. To carry his stuff in. But to also allow him to pop the most important stuff into his inventory while saving slots. Next, he instructed his constructs to begin assembling the crates, making a bit of an assembly line out of it that went form his living room all the way through to his kitchen. He stopped them once he had ten crates made, though, as he was running out of physical room. That said, it looked like he still had enough for another thirteen crates, so he was sure that he¡¯d have enough for everything, and then some. With that now done, he instructed a constructs to start packing away the food in his cupboard, another to start packing away the things in the spare bedroom, another on the bathroom, and another for his bedroom. For the last one, he had it start in the living room, carefully instructing it on how to pack away the electronics. In between, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation] once more, this time to make packing materials so that things wouldn¡¯t break by accident. Beyond needing to disassemble a few items, like the beds and table, he just went from room to room overseeing their work. It went fast, so he quickly stored away the first crate into his inventory, and was happy to see it just taking up one slot. Then, as things cleared up, he went to the fridge and stored it away, happy as a clam that it fit. So, next was the mini deep freezer. The only things that didn¡¯t make it into his inventory were the larger, less important things like the spare appliances, the beds, and other furniture. All of his books went it, leaving him with just five slots left. Thinking about it some more, he started reviewing [Recycle], wanting to take everything with him that he could possibly take. While he reviewed, he absently sent his constructs to pile things near the outside door in preparation for them being loaded into the wagon. After another hour or so, he started feeling more confident with [Recycle], so he gave it a try on the wall in the hallway. The basics of the Power were as followed: For example, he could take a lump of steel and [Recycle] it. He¡¯d then have the option to separate the iron from the chromium from the carbon from the everything else in there! It was quite the Power, all told. Though, he suspected to be able to augment it to the point of separating atomic elements, he¡¯d need to get much better with [Delve] first. The results? A stack of dry wall, some screws, and a pile of dried paint. Now, he¡¯d just used the minimum parameters of the Power, but it was still pretty good. So, instead of continuing, he dismissed his constructs and hobbled over to the front door to get the ¡°movers¡±, as he was starting to think of them as. They seemed impressed by how much had been packed away, but got right to work. He supervised what he could, making sure that easily broken things were handled well and then stacked with care. It went pretty fast, and soon his apartment was as empty as it was when he¡¯d first moved in. He¡¯d even had them pack his weights. With that done, he asked them to wait a bit more. They, of course, agreed, and went back to doing their own things while he went back inside and started going ham on the place with [Recycle]. Soon, the whole place was just one large, cavernous room with a dirt floor with stacks of construction materials distributed throughout. He¡¯d taken extra care when dealing with the wiring, as he wanted to keep everything in a usable state afterwards. He¡¯d also gotten a surprise when he started pulling up the floor. Altaea had installed a water tank, as well as a separate reservoir that [Cleansed] all of the waste that went through it. Really, there were two modified tanks, one for hot water, one for cold. Not only that, but she¡¯d enchanted the whole thing to keep a minimum volume of water. Meaning, he¡¯d never run out of water so long as the enchantments held. That whole setup had taken a while to first understand, then to disassemble without breaking. Thankfully, Altaea seemed to have anticipated him wanting to take it with him at some point, so she¡¯d made it modular. Which all then fit into another crate that went into his inventory. The electrical panel had been slightly¡­ nerve wracking. He wasn¡¯t an electrician, and the only training he¡¯d had on that stuff had been back in the 9th grade, in shops class where they¡¯d taught basic house wiring. Emphasis on basic. But, he made do. It was a bit easier due to the wiring already being coiled up and waiting to be packed away. He just¡­ didn¡¯t want to touch any of the connectors. So, he¡¯d created a nice, insulated, box in which to pack it away. And, voil¨¤! He was done with that. Then came the h-vac system, but that wound up being a bit easier, as its connections were simple. He was very glad to take it along, as it would prove invaluable when he inevitably tried to reproduce the technology. His thoughts then turned to the structure of the place, having already [Recycle]d the windows and the spaghetti-like wire grates he¡¯d made for them. It would be annoying, but he¡¯d need to start from the top, then slowly work his way across to the stairs, then down. The only thing he had reservations about was showing what he could do to strangers. Sure, they¡¯d notice when they came in to get the last of the stuff from inside, but seeing it happen in real-time was a bit different. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡®They¡¯ve been pretty good to you, you know,¡¯ Avi piped in, getting a nod from him. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s just¡­. I¡¯m bad a sharing about myself. And this, this is kind of personal on a level of ¡°might affect my life later if I share¡±, kind of level,¡¯ he sent, not quite sure how to articulate his feelings. ¡®That is entirely understandable,¡¯ she agreed, nodding. ¡®But you¡¯ll need to let people in at some point. So, why not now?¡¯ If he could grind his teeth, he would have due to how frustrated he felt. Intellectually, he knew all that. Emotionally¡­ there was a big-ass wall he needed to get over before he could get there. But. He really didn¡¯t want to leave the structure there. Not just because it would be a waste, but because he also didn¡¯t want another place for hazardous beings to nest. Or lair, or whatever you¡¯d call it. But also, it was a part of his world, a world that he might never see again. And it was hard to leave behind. Joram took a few breaths, then entered into [Meditation] to help calm his turbulent heart and emotions. He did not know how long he stood there, on one leg, balanced on his crutches, but when he came out of it, he really did feel better.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Skill! - Meditation 8 -> 9
He couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud at that. Well, that was at least something. Now feeling better, he stepped to the door, opened it, then went outside to let them know what was happening next. Seeing as how the contents of his apartment had only taken up one wagon, they didn¡¯t mind him trying to bring more with them. The wagons were there to be used, after all. So, he got a few helpers and began taking down the moss stone crenellations. He¡¯d have five helpers each holding onto a section of moss stone, then he¡¯d un-fuse them from the roof. They¡¯d then take their load down as the next set of five helpers would line up. It would have been much faster if he¡¯d used [Astral Construct], but he wasn¡¯t quite ready to share that much just yet. As is, the work went faster than the initial setup had. It took less than half an hour to clear the crenellations and to get started on the giant slab of concrete that was his roof. Which, upon reflection, was a bit more complicated than he¡¯d initially planned for. There was a lot of rebar in the concrete, making it a bit more complicated to deal with. He thought about trying to just cut the concrete into sections, but then discarded that idea. Then he realized that he could just [Recycle] the top, layer by layer as the rebar was exposed. At that point, he just used [Modify Matter] to gather up the rebar and turn it into large ingots. By the time the roof was divested of its rebar, he was in no way comfortable walking over the thin concrete that remained, so he had kept to the outer walls, choosing to stand there as he worked, eventually ending up at the moss stone landing. The last bit was kind of fun for him, as he could now target the entirety of the roof with one manifestation of [Recycle]. So, he did. He watched as the concrete in the centre of the roof quickly receded to the edges, forming into concrete bocks that were about 30cmx20cmx15 in size. They¡¯d then each fall through the opening to land on the dirt floor of the inside of the apartment. Once done, he carefully made his way to down the stairs and let the movers know that it was safe to go and pick everything up inside. While they were doing that, he dismantled the stairs, then started on that wall. Between his larger psionic power reserve and his increased regeneration rate, the work progressed much faster than he¡¯d anticipated. They finished up well before dusk, having snacked all throughout the day on rations that they¡¯d brought. He politely nibbled on the rations they kept offering him, but made sure to keep it to a minimum, as they needed to eat more than he did. Ha. Between the concrete, moss stone, and added rebar, he found out that it was a bit too much for the wagons. So, instead of leaving most of it behind, he chose to leave the concrete behind. He could always come back for another trip by himself later, especially since he could just store pallets of the stuff away into his inventory. Well, sided pallets with lids, anyway. Couldn¡¯t trick the System too much. With them now unloading the concrete, and redistributing the loads, he decided to walk over to where he¡¯d killed those first hobs the day before. Reldan noticed, and decided to follow him. But he didn¡¯t mind. He was a good kid trying to look out for him. So, he didn¡¯t say anything as he hobbled along, eventually getting to the scorched area to have a look around. It took him a few minutes, but he eventually found a crystal amongst the vegetation of the forest floor. She smiled, then went over to the next flattened area where he was sure that another hob had fallen. Reldan¡¯s interest had peaked, though, so he needed to let him in on what he was doing. ¡°I¡¯m good and finding stuff, so let me help!¡± Reldan insisted, looking excited to be doing something other than looking around for possible threats. So, they spent another few minutes looking around, eventually finding three more cores before calling it.
Grade C Monster Core, High Quality. - Hobgoblin
Analyze gave him some information on it, but he really didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Sure, ¡°high quality¡± sounded great, but what did that really mean in terms of what he could sell it for? Let alone Grade C. Shrugging, he stored the four cores away as he and Reldan made their way back to the wagons where it looked like they were ready to head off. So, he once again climbed up to the driver¡¯s bench and leaned back. For as little as he¡¯d done today, he was surprised at how tired and sore he felt. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap,¡± he told the driver beside him, who just nodded as though he¡¯d expected it. Not wasting any time, Joram got as comfortable as he could on the thinly padded bench before closing his eyes and meditating his time way. * * * * * Myra could chew rocks! She couldn¡¯t believe that Joram had managed to slip away after she¡¯d, embarrassingly, fallen asleep after her outburst. She¡¯d been trying to share her feelings, and he¡¯d just hopped off! He could have at least taken her with him! *Squeak!* A kit caught her attention with its adorable cry as it pawed at her leg. Picking it up, she let its wonderfully soft fur comfort her, its adorable enthusiasm to be held by her easing her further away from her wrothful mood. But she was also worried about him. Melois had said that he¡¯d appeared fit as a fiddle, given that he was missing a leg and all. But Melois had been more surprised to find her asleep in Joram¡¯s bed. So had she. She hadn¡¯t thought that he could move her around like that without waking her, but she must have been exhausted to the point of obliviously sleeping through it. But the memory of the kindness of the blanket once more warmed her heart. He hadn¡¯t needed to do that, but he had, and it had- even through her annoyance of being left behind- made her happy. So, there she was, taking care of her charges at the shrine as she thought about the day. She¡¯d heard from her mother that several of the spiritual foxes had chosen to follow Joram through town, even going so far as to watch him before he left. She didn¡¯t know what that meant, but the honour of having that many poly-tailed foxes following you wasn¡¯t something common, or even rare. It was more on the level of a fabled event. That said, she¡¯d also had the spirit foxes follow her about. Everyone had said that it was a sign that she had been destined to become a [Miko]. She¡¯d shrugged it off, as she¡¯d done every other expectation cast her way by others over the years. She just really enjoyed playing with, and caring for, the foxes. That was more likely the reason behind being offered the [Miko] Path when she¡¯d turned fifteen, not some destiny crap. But, again, why had they followed Joram like that? Was it because he¡¯d been injured? The spirit foxes were well-known to care for injured people, after all. But that many? And even one of the six-tailed foxes had followed him. Stumped, Myra went back to attending the kits, brushing and cuddling as she tried to work through everything. * * * * * Joram was¡­ glad to be back. He¡¯d developed a bit of anxiety about the goblins, if he was being honest with himself, and having some pretty solid walls between him and any more goblins was reassuring. By the time they passed through the gates, he saw Celys waiting for them to pull up. A runner had probably been set to let her know when they returned. After all, it made sense that she¡¯d want to know when her people returned, and if they¡¯d returned safely. ¡°So, did you get what you needed?¡± She asked, looking over at the fully-laden wagons. ¡°Mostly,¡± he replied, shrugging. ¡°When I feel a bit better, I may head back out and get a few more things,¡± he said, eliciting a dubious look from Celys. ¡°Well, just so long as you¡¯re careful,¡± she said, shaking her head a bit. ¡°Say, is that Moss Stone in there?¡± she asked, thankfully changing the subject. ¡°It is indeed the moss stone,¡± he confirmed, suddenly remembering her offer to buy the stuff from him. ¡°Great,¡± Celys said cheerfully as she stepped over to have a look. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone take a look at it in the morning. But if it¡¯s all like the stuff on the top, then I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get a fair price,¡± she finished by giving him a thumbs up, throwing him off balance. Is that a thing here too? Chapter 032 - Money talk Now that got his attention. If he could get a bit of money to keep him going for a bit, that would be a huge help¡­. That said, he had no idea what the monetary system was like here, nor the economy. Would this be like most eastern manga/manhua/manhwa where the monetary system was as inflated as their countries of origin? Like, a coffee costing a hundred yen, but also costing a hundred coins in the protagonist¡¯s new world? ¡°So, ah, I have no idea about how¡­ money works here,¡± he said, not knowing the word for monetary, or economy. ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s go have a talk,¡± she said, then gave directions for the wagons to be stored away in a warehouse until they could find him a place to stay. Which, really, might take a while considering that it was a relatively small village, and the housing market wasn¡¯t likely to be very open. As he hobbled alongside Celys and Nalun, who¡¯d somehow managed to stay out of sight until they started moving, Celys acted as a tour guide. She pointed out various shops and attractions, though those were few and far between. He continued appreciating the architecture, though, taking in the various design elements and subtle differences between what he was seeing and what he knew of the Edo period¡¯s architecture. Eventually, they made their way to the northwest side of the city. It was what he¡¯d call a ¡°rich¡± neighbourhood, with larger houses and huge yards that bordered on being parks. Then he was invited into Celys & Nalun¡¯s home, something he would have described as a manor rather than a simple home. He idly wondered if being the Chief of Kirkwall paid well enough to have such a ridiculously large house, but then filed that away as he watched his hosts take off their own footwear before slipping into indoor slippers. He looked down at his own feet-foot, and sighed as his dusty crutches also registered. So, he used a quick [Cleanse], then [Ectoplasmic Creation] to get some slippers of his own, then looked back up at Celys. A¡­ gaping Celys, and Nalun too. Right, I haven¡¯t done that in front of them¡­ or anyone, yet, he thought, then just shrugged it off. Joram cleared his throat and looked at them expectantly, which then got the ball rolling, as it were. He was soon led into their living room and invited to sit¡­ until they remembered his one leg and hurried to get a chair for him. He would have been fine sitting on the incredibly comfortable-looking cushions with them, but they seemed to think that it would be rude or something. So, not wanting to embarrass his hosts, he just went along with it. After some refreshments were served, and a lovely tea that reminded him of citrus and cinnamon, Celys finally got down to business, as it were. ¡°Now, we should probably go over the monetary system here,¡± she said as someone came by with a tray containing more than a few coins and other oddities. ¡°The basic currency starts with bronze coins,¡± she said, taking a bronze coin from the tray and showing it to him. It was interesting in the sense that it was a new coin, but also boring in the sense that it was a coin. One side had someone¡¯s profile on it, while the other had a tree. ¡°Each bronze coin can purchase two loaves of bread, a dozen eggs, or a pound of meat,¡± she said, making him wonder at just how that worked. Back on Earth, things had gotten pretty¡­ inflated, so something like a pound of meat was certainly more expensive than a couple loaves of bread, or even a dozen eggs. But, hey, he wouldn¡¯t argue with their economy. ¡°An average inn costs five bronze coins for a night, adding another two if you¡¯d like a meal as well,¡± she continued as she put the bronze coin down and picked up what looked like a small bar of bronze. ¡°This is a half bronze bar, or just a half bar. It¡¯s worth fifty bronze coins, while this slightly larger one- a full bar, or just a bar- is worth one hundred bronze coins, or one silver coin,¡± she said, showing him each one as she mentioned them. ¡°So, there are one hundred bronze coins to a silver coin, and one hundred silver coins to a gold coin,¡± she said, picking up a gold coin that was smaller than the silver coin, which in turn was smaller than the bronze coin. ¡°Both silver and gold denominations each have their own bars, each worth the same respective amounts, fifty or one hundred coins per bar,¡± she said, motioning to said bars, making him wonder if the economy was indeed inflated, or if she was just rich. Given the house he was currently in, he suspected the latter. ¡°Now, most things you would need to purchase in Kirkwall will cost you bronze. More expensive things, like buying a weapon, or a home, will cost you silver or gold,¡± she continued, making him raise a hand. ¡°Where do monster cores come into the¡­ scale?¡± he asked, pulling out a Grade E core and showing it to her. Celys raised an eyebrow then asked if she could take a closer look at it. Not really caring, he passed it over and watched as she quickly inspected it before responding. ¡°This would be a Grade E core, and because of its clarity, it would fetch you about a half bronze bar,¡± she said, tossing it back to him. ¡°Cores that have clarity like that are considered high-grade cores, and fetch the highest price in their rank, or grade. A Rank D monster would produce a Grade D core, and if it was also a high-grade core, it would fetch a full silver coin. ¡°That said, the scale starts to skew a lot once you reach Grade C cores, and the cost of the high-grade ones go up to a silver half bar. When you reach Grade B cores of high-grade, then you¡¯ll be earning around ten gold coins per core. ¡°The reason is that they¡¯re used in many fields, though all magical. The cores are used in anything ranging from enchanting to ritual magic to powering various magical devices. So, the demand is always high for them, allowing them to keep their value,¡± she said as he nodded along. ¡°Then, how much does a house cost here,¡± he asked, wondering if he¡¯d be able to afford his own home any time soon. ¡°That depends,¡± she said, now looking like she¡¯d shifted into professional mode. ¡°If you¡¯d like to just buy a small house on the east side, then those would only run you about ten or so gold,¡± she said, obviously not enthusiastic about that idea. ¡°If you were to buy one further west, or closer to the centre of Kirkwall, then you could expect to pay around one hundred gold coins. While this neighbourhood would cost you over two hundred gold coins,¡± she finished, looking slightly smug. Joram digested that for a bit. With the number of cores on him, he had just over two gold coins, if he cashed them in that is. Given just how crazy the fights had been to get that far, he wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d be able to buy his own place any time soon. ¡°That said,¡± Celys continued after taking a sip of her tea. ¡°There are several vacant lots around Kirkwall, and they go for considerably less than a pre-built home,¡± she said, probably having read his expressions and decided to throw him a bone. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°That said, construction costs can also be pricey, so you¡¯ll also have to take that into consideration when deciding what you want to do,¡± she finished, giving him more to think about. ¡°Is it possible to build outside of town? Would that cost much?¡± he asked, wondering if he could avoid some expenses that way. ¡°You certainly can, and almost all of our farmers, and every one of our ranchers, live outside of the walls. It¡¯s certainly less expensive than living in Kirkwall proper, though taxes still need to be paid. You also have to consider your safety more than you would have to while living inside of the walls.¡± Joram nodded at that, but if he could save a lot of money by building outside of Kirkwall proper, then he was more than likely to go that way. ¡°You would also have to take into account your safety, and your¡­ situation,¡± Celys continued, glancing briefly at his right leg¡¯s stump. ¡°I would hate for you to have survived such a harrowing experience just to later perish in another attack that we weren¡¯t able to help you with,¡± she said, not looking very happy at the thought of such an occurrence. He also tried to parse what the two words she¡¯d used meant, and could guess, but decided to just ask. So, after a couple of minutes of learning a few new words, they continued. ¡°Well, I think that living closer to Kirkwall would provide enough safety,¡± he said, trying to look confident. ¡°As for my¡­ leg, I¡¯ll get by,¡± he finished, trying to brush off his disability. Celys, and Nalun, were far from convinced, though. They questioned him on everything from how he¡¯d support himself to how he planned to get his groceries to how he¡¯d be able to defend himself should another attack occur all the way to how he¡¯d take care of himself, all alone out there. ¡°I can help him,¡± Myra said from the side, nearly causing him to fall over in shock. He¡¯d missed her coming in and was suddenly very nervous at her declaration. She looked¡­ pissed. Her parents, however, seemed to take the news like one would take a lightning bolt to the head. They stared at their daughter, dumbfounded for what was probably longer than strictly necessary, if he were to judge things. When they¡¯d finally recovered, the conversation quickly veered towards them not-so-subtly trying to convince Myra to reconsider. They tried arguing that her duties as a [Miko] wouldn¡¯t allow for enough time to care for someone outside of town all the way to pointing out just how bad she was with standard household duties. The more they argued, the more Myra seemed to dig her heels in. Joram suddenly felt great sympathy for both Myra and her parents. On the one side, he could appreciate Myra wanting to live her own life, making her own decisions. On the other side, he could appreciate a parent¡¯s viewpoint of wanting the best for their child. Though, he wasn¡¯t sure where their reticence came from. Was it because he was a human? Or that he was now a cripple? Well, either one of those weren¡¯t valid. The first, being human, was likely just another way to say, ¡°not a foxkin¡±. While the second wouldn¡¯t last very long. If he could get a better understanding of the discipline of Psychometabolism. Once that was under his belt, then he could just regrow his bloody leg and be done with it. But first, he needed a place to stay while he got on his feet¡­ foot. Whatever. ¡°I appreciate your offer,¡± he said, breaking into their increasingly heated conversation. ¡°But I¡¯d like to try living by myself for a bit; to get used to¡­ this,¡± he said, motioning to his missing leg. Once again, Celys looked uncomfortable for a moment before the emotion was hidden behind her professional face. What¡¯s that about? He thought, wondering where that was coming from. ¡®She was the one to give the order to amputate your leg, citing life-threatening infections,¡¯ Avi said from beside him, once again scaring the crap out of him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Myra asked, looking like she was trying to play it cool, but her actual concern for him showed through. ¡°Well, I might need to find somewhere to stay until I can get used to things. You know, adjusting to only having one leg will be pretty hard,¡± he said, trailing off at the end as though it was hard for him to say. Well, even though he knew that he¡¯d eventually get his leg back, it actually was hard to say. It was still a shock to him every time he remembered that his leg was no longer there. Celys and Nalun exchanged a look, the former looking more than a little guilty. Myra stared at her parents, her desire for them to invite him to stay with them plain to see on her face. At the same time, he could clearly see Nalun¡¯s reluctance to have any young man living under the same roof as his daughter. Deciding to both throw them a bone and tease Myra a bit, he spoke up again. ¡°I could maybe see if Theril or Reldan have an extra room I would borrow,¡± he said, sounding hopeful. Nalun practically pounced on that idea while Celys looked thoughtful. Myra, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t looking like she was going to have any of it. But before any of them could speak, Kalduin spoke up from the other side of the room, the side where they¡¯d entered from. ¡°The man¡¯s lost a leg,¡± he said, giving his parents a scornful look. ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do to put him up for a while as he adjusts to his new circumstances.¡± If he were inclined to swing that way, he could have kissed the guy. As it was, Kalduin earned a few brownie points from him. From there, Myra¡¯s parents crumbled soon after and had one of the¡­ servants? Staff? They had someone ready one of the guest rooms for him, then invited him to sup with them. Not wanting to seem to be an ungracious guest, he accepted their invitation to dinner, much to Myra¡¯s obvious delight. He noticed that her tails were out, which made him wonder if she¡¯d just been hiding them from him at first, or if she was just more comfortable having them out at home. Either way, it was hard not to stare at the fluffy tails. His inner fluffy-lover screamed at him to tackle those tails and cuddle them close. His more practical side that he had needed to develop, said to reign in his fluffy-loving ways due to him having developed allergies to basically everything with fur as he¡¯d gotten into adulthood. Which then helped him from making a complete fool of himself. As it was, keeping his eyes off her gently swaying tails was about as easy as it was for a cat to ignore a laser pointer. He¡¯d eventually needed to resort to using [Concentration] to keep his attention on dinner. Which proved to be even harder than he¡¯d anticipated. For as well as the meal had been prepared and presented, it was¡­ bland. Sure, the individual flavours of the ingredients were there, and fairly prominent in a few cases, but it all lacked¡­ embellishment. Additions to compliment the natural flavours of the food. The roast had been well prepared, though only cooked to medium-rare. That said, the outside was crispy while the inside was full of juicy goodness. But aside from a bit of salt, there were no other seasonings that he could detect. The veggies were prepared in a similar way, though from the compliments of the addition of butter to them made him think that it wasn¡¯t normally done. Is butter that expensive here? He silently wondered as he ate. Not that the meal was bad or anything, but it more reminded him of traditional British cooking than anything else. Not to knock their cooking, as he had grown up eating a lot of it. That said, British cooking was famous for not being very¡­ flavourful. Heck, he remembered how his mother hated adding even garlic to food! Even the chili that she¡¯d made for them growing up had been even below the level of ¡°mild¡±. After he¡¯d had a taste of spice, really well seasoned food, he¡¯d never gone back. He could now see why Reldan, Theril, and Myra had been so enthusiastic about his cooking if this was considered ¡°good¡± here. While he ate the tiny portions that he served himself, he also took note of the various veggies and anything else he could. If he was going to have to live in Kirkwall, or close enough, he¡¯d likely have to get used to the local ingredients. Perhaps he could even come up with new recipes¡­? He brushed those thoughts aside, not wanting to get into the cooking scene. What he really wanted to do was lock himself away and study. Study and practice everything that had been crammed into his head. Practice until he could manifest [Restore Extremity] and get his leg back. Practice until he could use [Psychic Reformation] so that he could learn and use more blade skills and class features of a Soulknife and Soulbolt. Practice until he was confident that he could raid that damn goblin dungeon and wipe the off the face of the earth¡­ planet. When dinner was done, he asked to be shown to his room, claiming to be tired from the day. Celys and Nalun whished him a good night while Myra offered, then proceeded to escort him to his room, ignoring her parents¡¯ objections. Given his condition, he was pleased to find that his room was on the main floor. Once there, Myra paused outside, looking like she wanted to say something. But given how bad he was with people, and probably something heavy if her expression was anything to go by, he quickly thanked her for showing him the way, then retreated into the room as fast as he could hop. Once inside, he closed the door and heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t know what she had wanted to say, but he was also reasonably sure that he didn¡¯t want to know what she¡¯d been trying to say. His ¡°social avoidance¡± senses had been screaming at him, so he¡¯d done what he thought was best for both his comfort zone and his sanity. Chapter 033 - High Elans After a short stint meditating, he was back to prime condition and once again ready to begin ¡°studying¡±. Seeing as how he wanted to get back to peak physical condition first, he went back to pouring over what Altaea had left him on High Elans. He was fascinated to learn that the traditional electron transport chain in cells was missing in High Elans. Not only that, but the entire chemical structure that supported that vital system was either missing or completely changed. Yeah, not human¡­ he mentally grumbled. His entire physiology had changed to the point of being practically alien. Well, he supposed that High Elans, and Elans in general, were classified as ¡°aberrations¡±, so there was that. Still, it unnerved him more than a little bit as he continued to study. Another difference he found was that High Elans could reproduce sexually. What he found was both fascinating and a bit disturbing. When two High Elans sexually reproduced, they would produce another High Elan. That was simple enough. But if they sexually reproduced with a non-High Elan, they would almost always produce an Elan. The phenotype of the two would be a mix of both parents, as though a human + *insert race/species here* had reproduced. Or whatever phenotype the High Elan appeared as. For High Elans could be made to look like any race or humanoid species. Anyways, those Elans were then basically the standard Elan that he¡¯d read about in his gaming manuals. Sure, they¡¯d have a few slight differences depending on their other parent, but the basics were the same. Now, the interesting part came when he read what happened when a High Elan sexually reproduced with an Elan. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t be possible, for Elans couldn¡¯t normally sexually reproduce. But when a High Elan was involved, they could. Which weirded him out almost as much as his incredibly changed physiology had. Anyways. When the two reproduced, the High Elan could basically decide whether or not the resulting child would be another Elan, or a High Elan. The control was mind-breaking to him. Sure, a High Elan could control their reproductive organs such that they never needed to worry about accidental impregnation. But going so far as to determine what race would be produced when it happened was kind of scary. Then there was the section on how to create new Elans and High Elans. It was¡­ complicated, and not something that he was remotely qualified to even try at the moment. What caught his attention was how to reverse the process for a person. Because, he had kind of assumed that the change was on the irreversible side of things. He was a bit torn, then. Would he always want to be a High Elan? Would there come a time that he¡¯d want to return to being a human again? He wasn¡¯t sure, and was once again torn when he read that another person was needed to complete the ritual necessary for the process. Meaning, that he couldn¡¯t do it himself. Joram came out of his mental study session and sprawled on the reasonably comfy bed he¡¯d been sitting on, letting out a long breath. ¡®That was a lot,¡¯ he sent to Avi, not sure how soundproof the walls were. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ ¡®Do you think that Altaea left that last bit just in case I¡¯d want to return to being a human one day?¡¯ he asked, still a bit perturbed about the information and its implications. ¡®That is likely, though probably not the only reason she left such information for you,¡¯ Avi replied, seeming thoughtful. He nodded at that, considering the other implications. If he wound up starting a family here, would his children suffer when they realized that they couldn¡¯t have children of their own? Would he have to suffer alongside them as he watched their suffering? Or would they be happy about it? He didn¡¯t know, nor could he know. He was in a completely different world than the one he¡¯d left. Who knew if the culture around childbearing or rearing was the same here, or completely different from Earth? For all he knew, not having children here was the height of social taboos. He shrugged, not really wanting to find out any time soon. He¡¯d had enough of all that for a good while, so he needn¡¯t worry about that any time soon. Heck, just through social osmosis, he¡¯d probably find out sooner or later anyways. Shaking his head, he stared up at the ceiling and wondered what life would really be like here. He still wanted to build his house outside of town, as the costs were somewhat prohibitive inside the walls. Unless he wanted something small. Nah. He kind of wanted space. Space to have a few workshops in which he could mess around making things, space with which he could make his own greenhouse and grow his own food. Well, food that he¡¯d use to feed guests and such. But he¡¯d always wanted his own greenhouse, so there was that. He¡¯d probably need to build walls around the place, and perhaps add some sort of automated defenses. He then wondered if there was a way to detect dungeon creatures? Celys had mentioned that they were created from mana. So, there must be a way to differentiate them from other lifeforms here. Could he mess around with [Detect Psionics] to create something like [Detect Dungeon Creature]? Hmm, that would take time and experimentation. Time in which he needed to concentrate on other things. Like experimenting with Psychometabolism powers. The [Metamorphosis] line of powers was an interesting one. It could change his body in various ways, giving him several advantages and physiological changes that could come in handy. He idly wondered if adventuring was a thing here. He could have sworn Celys had mentioned a curated dungeon in or near Kirkwall. Did they just assign town guards to do it, or was there another organization that took care of those things? If the latter was the case, then did he want to become an adventurer? Did he want to constantly risk his life for money? Or would dungeon delving provide other resources? Resources that, perhaps, were unique to dungeons like a lot of media liked to portray. Hmm¡­. Shaking his head again, he caught a glimpse of morning light shining through his window. Which probably meant that breakfast would be coming up soon. Though, he really wasn¡¯t hungry, and eating was still¡­ not his thing. Especially if it was anything like last night¡¯s dinner. Hmm¡­. He briefly considered checking his notifications from the System, but then decided to let them wait. It wasn¡¯t like he urgently needed some new information that would change a life-or-death situation or something. But he did pull up his character window and clicked on the tab for Paths. After a bit of filtering, he was happy to see that a few more Paths had opened up to him because of his new Skills. They were all pretty good, but still nothing that quite called to him, so he closed the window and began going over [Restore Extremity]. It was a 5th Level Psychometabolism power exclusive to that discipline, which meant that it was a bit harder to learn. He was sure that he¡¯d get it eventually, though. Given that [Delve] was also a 5th Level power, and he felt that he was getting close to properly learning it, he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be far away from being able to use [Restore Extremity] in the near future. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The problem was the headache that came with it. As he lay there letting the headache subside, the idly wondered if there was a limitation in this universe like there was in Altaea¡¯s home universe where you couldn¡¯t learn a Power until your key ability modifier was of the same level as the Power. For example, a 5th level Power required a key ability modifier of +5. Not that he was below that threshold or anything, but he did wonder. Maybe he was just the kid wanting to learn all the things about quantum mechanics while having no clue as to how basic physics worked. Probably. Without a proper foundation, he was sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn the more advanced Powers that relied on a more advanced understanding of the principles behind it all. No cheating allowed for him! He sighed. But at least he could access all of that information when he did manage to get those foundation laid. Which, really, was still a cheat. Just one locked behind a lot of hard work. Then a knock at the door brought his attention back to the here and now. Then someone spoke, letting him know that breakfast was ready. Not wanting to be rude, he called back, telling them that he¡¯d be out shortly. He looked down at the clothing he¡¯d made yesterday, then dismissed them before using [Cleanse] to get rid of an accumulated dust and grime. With that done, he made himself some new clothing, deciding to try to the local style. Then paused. ¡®Avi? Was that faster than usual?¡¯ he asked, pretty certain of the answer already. ¡®Yes. It seems as though you Metacreation manifestations are indeed completing faster than what would be considered normal.¡¯ ¡®Huh,¡¯ he huh¡¯d, thinking. Then he remembered the [Quick Manifesting] Skill he¡¯d ¡°learned. More ¡°earned¡±, he thought, shaking his head. Well, if he could manifest faster, he wouldn¡¯t complain about that at all. Faster manifestations would mean higher survival rates for him. Shaking his head, he also dismissed his crutches and brought a new pair into being a few seconds later. He wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d lasted more than twenty hours, but he wasn¡¯t about to keep using them when he didn¡¯t know when they¡¯d expire. Especially when such an occurrence would be more than likely to have him fall on his face. Now dressed and ready to go, he went to the dining room they¡¯d used the night before and took his place at the table. He was then relieved to see a spread that he had missed for a number of years before this. Bacon-like meat, sausages, eggs, and toast. There even appeared to be some sort of jam-like spread for the toast. Everything was relatively tasty, though. Well, he could have used some pepper, but he wasn¡¯t going to complain about it. The sausages, though, were a bit lacking in seasoning. Though, given the general lack of seasoning he¡¯d experienced, that should have been expected. Thinking a bit more, he was pretty sure that he¡¯d make a killing if he opened up a herbs and spice store in town. Then, before he could escape, Celys managed to get him to agree to accompanying her for the morning. Well, it wasn¡¯t like it was forced or anything, as the explained reason was to continue showing him around town and to introduce him around. Really, it was very nice of her, but given how badly he wanted to get back to studying [Restore Extremity], it was hard. But his social chameleon self forced the issue and so he went along with Celys. With Myra choosing to tag along as well. As they walked, he noticed that the foxes were once again attracted to him, following along like baby ducks. And, again, he noticed the odd looks people gave him, though perhaps fewer than yesterday. Probably due to him being in the company of the village Chief. And their [Miko]. ¡°And this is June. She one of our many grocers, providing fresh produce for us,¡± Celys said, introducing yet another person to him. He was starting to see a pattern in who he was being introduced to. He nodded, exchanging pleasantries before they moved on as he thought about how Celys seemed to be trying to get him an easy job somewhere. Mostly in places that wouldn¡¯t require him to walk around much, or do any heavy lifting¡­ or any lifting at all considering his need to rely on his crutches to get around. Surprisingly, he was introduced to a weaver, carpenter- though specializing in cabinetmaking and furniture-, and even the blacksmith, of which he was one of two in town. Though, he was introduced as the best in town, able to make the best quality armour and weapons. And he was a dwarf. ¡°¡¯Tis a pleasure ta meet¡¯ya Joram,¡± he said, holding his hand out for him to shake. Which he did, impressed at how firm a grip the man- dwarf, had. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, could I watch you work one day?¡± he asked, a bit shy. He¡¯d dreamed of becoming a blacksmith as a youth, images of creating wonderful armours and swords drifting through his romantic brain. ¡°Sure!¡± Magmyr said, clapping Joram on the shoulder and nearly knocking him over. ¡°Hmm, sorry. Anyways. Anyone who wants ¡¯ta learn is welcome here!¡± Happy with that outcome, they then left to continue their tour. He got to finally see the east side of town, which actually wasn¡¯t as bad as he¡¯d thought it would be. Sure, the houses were very close together, barely leaving room for a sidewalk that led to a very small back yard, though still larger than the front yards. Then there were the condo-like buildings, as well as the obviously apartments. Those, he was told, were for rent. Usually the elderly who didn¡¯t want to keep up a larger house moved into the main floors, while the upper floors were usually taken up by younger people who hadn¡¯t yet saved up enough to buy their own house yet. He then found out that people usually only bought a house when they married, thus consolidating their residences and, ultimately, saving money. Which made sense. ¡°Don¡¯t the elderly usually live with their children here?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask, knowing that North America had been more the exception on Earth when it came to caring for one¡¯s aging parents. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s indeed the case,¡± Myra replied, surprising him more than a bit. ¡°But sometimes people don¡¯t marry for one reason or another, or their children pass on before them. So, small apartments like that suit them well enough,¡± she explained as he nodded along. After that, he got a bit of a tour around the various small plots of land that were either vacant and waiting for someone to build on them, or being used as community gardens. He, once again, noticed many foxes going about their business, and couldn¡¯t help but finally ask what that was all about. ¡°Foxes are considered sacred here, so they¡¯re allowed to live as they are wont,¡± Myra explained, then went on to further explain their various habits and such. He was still intensely curious about their tails, though. While he was thinking about that, he also wondered what was up with Myra and Celys having two tails. He hadn¡¯t yet seen another foxkin with more than one tail, so he was sure that it was considered special in some way. But when he remembered the tongue lashing he¡¯d gotten for staring at her tails when they¡¯d first met, he decided to keep quiet. That said, he did notice that Myra¡¯s tails were once again out today, making him wonder if she¡¯d initially hidden her tails because of his looks that first day. Feeling even more embarrassed about it, he resolved himself to both not ask about them and to not stare¡­ even though they were quite lovely and mesmerizing to watch. Eventually noon came and so they stopped at a street vendor for some lunch. He was impressed to see the selection of the vendors, and they eventually decided on some skewers. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of meat it was, but was happy enough to see that they¡¯d inserted various vegetables between the respectable chunks of meat. Again, the dish seemed to rely on the natural flavours of the meat and veggies, though he did detect some salt as he ate his one skewer. ¡°Are you really feeling all right?¡± Celys asked, having taken note of him only ordering one skewer. ¡°Someone your size really should be eating more than you are, especially at your age,¡± she said, her mother side starting to show. Having three of the skewers each, he supposed that him only taking one stood out more than a little bit. ¡°I don¡¯t actually¡­ eat much,¡± he finally said, though he changed what he¡¯d been about to say. Claiming to not have to eat would likely cause a reaction that he wouldn¡¯t be comfortable with, especially out in public like they were. Celys continued to give him the side eye after that, obviously trying to determine a few things. Like if he looked healthy or something like that. He also noticed that her ear closest to him was thereafter pointed in his direction, possibly to hear if his stomach growled or something, thus proving that he hadn¡¯t been truthful with them or something. Even Myra appeared to be concerned with his appetite. After they finished their skewers, they purposely dragged them by the other stalls, musing out loud about whether or not she should get something else, all the while commenting on what this or that tasted like. He quietly suffered through their misguided concern for his nutritional well-being and was happy when Celys got back to playing tour guide. The food stalls and carts had been primarily located near the centre of town, so she went on to point out their town hall, their local branch of the country¡¯s bank, as well as the Exterminator¡¯s Hall. The first two made sense, but the last one needed explanation, so he asked. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re tasked with things like monster bounties, exploring dungeons, as well as keeping dungeons from overpopulating,¡± Celys said, basically describing an Adventurer¡¯s Guild. ¡°Also, they¡¯re contractually obligated to help defend whatever settlement, village, town, or city they¡¯re located in, in terms of defending from monsters that is.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s a bloody Adventurer¡¯s Guild all right, he thought, a grin spreading across his face as he looked at the large building. What he didn¡¯t notice was the concerned looks he was getting from both Celys and Myra. Chapter 034 - A vixen Soon after showing him the town centre, Celys had to excuse herself as she needed to get to work. Myra, though, chose to stick with him, citing that she could continue her duties while with him. Interpreting his odd look correctly, Myra clarified. ¡°I am mostly in charge of taking care of the foxes in Kirkwall,¡± she said pointing at the significant skulk that had formed and was still following them. ¡°With so many here, I don¡¯t have to worry about slacking off today,¡± she said brightly as she crouched down, produced a brush from somewhere, and began giving one of the smaller foxes a few strokes. Joram nodded, though still more than a little curious as to why they¡¯d been following him. Then, on a whim, he shifted his crutches to his right hand before he crouched down as well, though it was a bit awkward balancing on one leg. When he did, the foxes rushed him, tackling him to the ground under their combined weight. With a startled grunt, then another one as he landed on his back, the foxes swarmed over him, sniffing him in every place they could reach. Even the large, dark purple, fox from yesterday with six tails was there and participating in the mobbing. ¡°What¡¯s with you guys today?¡± Myra demanded, directing the question at the foxes who proceeded to ignore her after giving her the briefest of glances. Proving that fox¡¯s personalities were a bit more feline than canine, they began to sit on him, looking for all the world that they¡¯d found the best resting place in the world. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near large enough to accommodate the nearly fifty foxes that had gathered, which resulted in a few nips here and there to encourage the smaller one¡¯s who¡¯d gotten lucky to abandon their hard-won places. ¡°Um, is this normal?¡± he asked Myra as she continued to look flustered at how the foxes were behaving. ¡°No, this is beyond weird,¡± she said as she tried to herd the foxes away from him with about the same rate of success one would expect to have while trying to herd cats. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, wondering if he should try petting one of the very soft-looking foxes. Eventually, his willpower broke, and he reached over and gave the dark purple fox an experimental pat on the head, ready to pull his hand back at he first sign of teeth. To his surprise, the fox leaned into his hand and began to¡­ purr. Well, it sounded a bit like a cross between happy dog growls and a cat purring. Whatever it sounded like, it was an obviously happy sound. It was so happy, in fact, that he could see its tails swishing around excitedly as it tried to lean further into his hand. Getting a bit of courage from that, he slipped his other hand out from under a couple of foxes, much to their displeasure, and started scritching the fox with both hands. He worked its cheeks, then its ears, then along its neck as it soaked it all up with great enthusiasm. Eventually his hands made their way back to its incredibly soft ears, and took his time gently massaging them as the fox seemed to turn liquid and sprawled on him, displacing even more foxes that then huffed at the large purple one. Then he was at a loss for what to do next. He still had several foxes on his leg, not having been kicked off their perches by the larger one. He also now had a sleeping fox resting on his chest that he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to risk moving. Sure, it had seemed to enjoy the attention he¡¯d lavished it with. But he also worried that it was ultimately a wild animal, and might not take kindly to being moved without its consent. He looked over to Myra and just about burst out laughing at the poleaxed look on her face. But through great effort he managed to hold it in. Then, not wanting to risk waking the fox by talking, he tried to pantomime ¡°what do I do?¡±. Myra¡¯s mouth bobbed a few times before she was able to speak. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± she said faintly, then went back to trying to coax the foxes off his legs¡­ leg and a bit. He was taken with just how cute it was to watch Myra work. She was trying so very hard to be polite with the foxes, while at the same time trying to be just firm enough to get them to listen. Eventually, though, he was left with just the large dark purple fox napping on his chest while the other half of its body sprawled on the ground between his legs. He was once again impressed with just how large the fox was. It was probably closer to the size of a timber wolf, now that he really took it in. And sooooo soft! If he weren¡¯t worried about being eaten in the night, he was tempted to take it home with him so that he could cuddle it on a regular basis. Then Myra worked herself up to waking the large fox. She first tried nudging it in the side. When that didn¡¯t work, she tried shaking it gently, then with a bit more energy until it opened one eye to regard her. ¡°Now, you can¡¯t just sleep on someone in the middle of the road,¡± Myra said, shaking a finger at the fox like it was a child. ¡°It¡¯s rude. You should know better. I¡¯m sure that you can visit more with Joram later, but for now, we have things that we need to take care of,¡± she finished, sounding so very much like her mother that he almost laughed. The fox turned its head way and closed its eye again. But a few seconds later it huffed, then slowly got up and sat beside him, looking for all the world as thought it was terribly put upon. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, Joram kept his mouth shut as he reached over and grabbed his crutches. Then, to his surprise, Myra held out a hand to help him up. He accepted, though he was a bit uncertain if someone so small could help. But then he was surprised again when she yanked him up with nary a grunt of effort. Once he was settled with crutches in place, Myra started explaining things again. ¡°So, we¡¯ll need to go to the bank to get you an identification card. After that, we¡¯ll head to town hall to register you as a citizen of Kirkwall. From there, you¡¯ll be able to buy property, or even start up your own business, though you¡¯ll still need to apply for permits and stuff,¡± she explained as she guided him towards the bank as purple fox followed closely at his side. Then another thought occurred to him, so he decided to ask. ¡°Does the adven- er, Exterminator¡¯s Hall also provide identification cards?¡± he asked, thinking about the classic trope where an adventurer would get a cool identification card that would show their basic information and rank on it. ¡°No? Why would they? At most, they¡¯ll just provide you with a membership token that shows your current standing in the Hall,¡± she said, giving him a weird look. ¡°Ah, I see,¡± he replied awkwardly, not sure what to say to that. ¡°You see, the bank¡¯s services span just about every aspect of life. From identification cards to a place to save your money to getting a mortgage for your first home, or even getting a loan for starting your own business. They can, for a select few trustworthy people, even extend a line of credit so long as you have appropriate collateral,¡± she explained, sounding as though everything should have been common sense. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Perhaps it was, but he was still quite new to her world and so knew next to nothing about anything. ¡°Hello, how may I assist you today?¡± a young woman asked them as they entered the bank. She was also a foxkin, though her colouring tended towards the more traditional oranges of normal foxes. ¡°We need to get an identification card as well as set up an account for him,¡± Myra replied for them with a smile. ¡°Then, if you would proceed to the registrar at the end of the counter, you¡¯ll be helped there,¡± she said, sounding oddly formal. He shrugged as they stepped over to the indicated desk, the fox still following along beside him. Once there, a middle-aged fellow greeted them, then nearly fell over when he noticed the fox. ¡°So, an identification card and an account, then?¡± he asked, shooting side glances at the fox. ¡°Yes,¡± Myra replied, looking slightly exasperated as the man retrieved a few forms and an odd box-like device. ¡°If you would be so kind as to fill out these forms,¡± the man said as he passed the forms to him. Looking at them, Joram decided that he¡¯d best sit to fill them out. Especially when the man presented him with a quill and inkwell. Not looking forward to trying to write in an entirely new language while also trying to get used to writing with a quill in said new language, he decided to read over the forms first. It was pretty straightforward, all told. Things like his name, age, birthdate, residence, and all that were to be expected. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have his own residence, nor did he know what his birthday would be here. The calendar was different enough that just picking the seventh month wouldn¡¯t quite work, as there were fourteen months in the year here, with varying numbers of days in each month. He looked to Myra, then hesitated. Should he really ask to use her address for his application? Then he shrugged and went with it because he could always just come back and update his information. With her help, he managed to fill out most of the application, except for workplace and age, that is. ¡°You really don¡¯t know how old you are?¡± Myra asked, giving him a concerned look. ¡°Not really, no,¡± he said, not really lying. Because, was he still the same age as he¡¯d been on Earth, or was he just over a week old due to having his entire being remade by Altaea? For that matter, what had she actually set his biological age to? Was it zero? Or had she ¡°aged¡± him to be the eighteen or so years that he now looked like? ¡°Well, you look to be about the same age as me, so we¡¯ll put down ¡®twenty¡¯,¡± she said, marking it down for him while just putting a dash through the employment section. ¡°Very good,¡± the man said, whose name he couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Now, please look at this,¡± he said, holding the box up before touching something on its side when Joram looked at the thing. ¡°This will imprint your image on your identification card, as well as register your unique mana signature for easy identification in the future,¡± he said, then placed the box back down on his desk. The guy then placed what looked to be a whitish metal card into the device before tapping another part of it. A few seconds later, he removed the card from the device and handed it to Joram after noting down what looked like a long serial number from the card. ¡°You can take this to any of the clerks and they¡¯ll be able to help you with any financial transactions that you¡¯ll need,¡± the man finished with a smile for them both, then a little bow to the fox. ¡°That¡¯s it? I now have an account here too?¡± Joram asked, surprised at how quickly everything had gone, all things considered. ¡°Yes. From now on, you¡¯ll just need your identification card to enjoy our services. Just remember, even though your first identification card from us is free, getting a replacement will cost one silver,¡± the man said, bringing up and then relieving a concern for him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, then stepped away with Myra so that they could speak with one of the tellers, or clerks, as the guy had referred to them as. ¡°How may I help you?¡± a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties asked them as they approached. ¡°Am I able to exchange monster cores for currency here?¡± he asked, thinking that having some pocket money on him would be more than a little bit helpful. ¡°Certainly,¡± she replied with a smile. So, Joram pretended to dig into his pocket as he retrieved most of his cores, leaving a few of each behind, just in case. Celys had been correct with her assessment of his monster cores, as each was graded to be high quality, and thus fetched him what she¡¯d quoted him the night before. Then after seeing the pile of money, he decided to change in one of the bronze half bars for fifty bronze coins instead, thinking that having smaller change might make things easier for him when he went out to buy stuff. So it was that he left the bank with fifty bronze, eight bronze half bars, eight silver, and three silver half bars in his ¡°pocket¡±. Well, he kept most of the bronze coins in there along with two bronze half bars. The rest, he dumped into his inventory, not wanting to risk losing any of the higher denomination currency. ¡°Now that that¡¯s taken care of, let¡¯s head over to the town hall and get you registered as a citizen,¡± Myra said, taking his hand in hers and almost dragged him along before she remembered that he needed it to get around. Blushing slightly, she cleared her throat before just leading the way, the fox once again following them. He supposed that if the foxes were considered sacred beasts here, they were probably allowed to go wherever they wanted to. Once inside, she led him to another desk. This time, things went a bit quicker. He got a little token that designated him as a citizen of Kirkwall. He¡¯d also have to return to update his information with them once he got a place of his own, though. Then, as they were getting ready to leave, a page or something stopped them. ¡°The Chief would like to speak with you before you go,¡± he said politely, indicating the way with an outstretched hand. Myra looked a bit annoyed, but then took the lead to her mother¡¯s office. ¡°Sorry for the interruption,¡± Celys said once they¡¯d entered her office, a cozy place with a few chairs in front of her desk. ¡°I know I said that I¡¯d get you a price for your moss stone this morning, but it took a bit longer to appraise than anticipated. ¡°So, if I don¡¯t include the round pieces that one of the guards said belonged to your weights set, I¡¯m prepared to offer you sixteen gold and twelve silver for the lot of it,¡± she said while sliding a slip of rough paper over to him. He looked at what was written there, taking in the weight and the going rate for moss stone. Overall, it was a pretty good offer given that it had only really taken him a couple of days to collect that much stone. ¡°Sure, that sounds good,¡± he said, just happy to have more money as a buffer. Celys smiled, then produced some more paperwork, a contract apparently. After quickly reading through it, it basically just stating that he was selling her x-amount of moss stone for y-rate per pound, he signed it and received a small pouch filled with gold and silver coins. He quickly fished the bronze out of his pocket and added it to the small pouch, then stuffed the pouch into his pocket. He then remembered that he could now easily buy a small place on the east side of town, and wondered if that had been her plan all along. ¡°Great,¡± Celys said, looking pretty happy. ¡°It was good to do business with you, but I now have to get back to work. I¡¯ll see you later this evening,¡± she said, obviously dismissing them, but still pretty polite about it. ¡°Do you want to look at houses, then?¡± Myra asked him hesitantly once they were back outside. ¡°Nah, I think I need to rest for a while, though,¡± he said, idly patting his fox follower on the head as they stood in the street. Myra brightened at that, then once more took the lead as they started heading back to her house¡­ still followed by the skulk of foxes, the purple one in the lead. Oddly enough, once they arrived back at Myra¡¯s house, all but the large dark purple fox wandered off. That said, it continued to follow him, even going so far as to follow him to his room. ¡°Why is it following me?¡± he finally asked Myra, who shrugged. ¡°¡¯She¡¯,¡± Myra corrected absently before continuing. ¡°This particular vixen has always done what she wanted,¡± she said, giving the vixen a stern look that earned her a quiet huff in return. ¡°Ah, OK, then,¡± he said, not quite sure what to do about the vixen. ¡°I¡¯ll just go lay down for a while.¡± ¡°OK,¡± Myra said, giving him a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when supper is ready,¡± she said before taking off. Shaking his head, he looked down at the vixen before opening his door and heading inside. She, of course, followed him in, so he had to wait to close the door over until she passed into the room fully. He didn¡¯t latch the door, though, as he was a bit nervous about her having an accident in his room. For that matter, was she even house trained? He looked at the vixen again, then sighed. At least he had [Cleanse] if anything happened. Chapter 035 - "Kyaaa~!"...? The rest of his day passed uneventfully. He studied, then ate with the Manelle family, then went back to his room to study more. All with the vixen following him about. Kalduin had expressed his shock and awe at having a venerated six-tailed fox not only in the house, but also following Joram about. Even Nalun seemed impressed, seemingly warming to Joram a bit more because of it. Celys played it cool, casually mentioning at supper that he¡¯d been followed by the spirit foxes all day. Which then got him even more looks of respect from the two men of the family. More than a little uncomfortable with the extra attention, he once again excused himself so that he could ¡°rest¡± some more. Back in his room, he once again laid down on his bed, but found that the vixen hadn¡¯t followed him this time. With a mental shrug, he went back to meditating on Psychometabolism, this time using his [Meditation] Skill in conjunction with [Concentration] and [Autohypnosis]. Why that combination? Well, he wanted to try to further ingrain the knowledge into his mind. As it was, it was like being able to read a book in his head. It was nice to be able to read it whenever he wanted, or to reference something when needed, but there was a fundamental difference between accessing information and knowing that same information. By the time he came out of his learning session, he found that it was quite dark outside, likely the middle of the night, and that the vixen had returned and had once more decided that he was a comfortable pillow. She¡¯d once again sprawled on his chest, her paws up at his shoulders while her head rested on his chest, the rest of her once more resting on the bed between his legs. He was surprised at how light she felt, but supposed that all of her fur made her seem larger than she actually was. It was certainly fluffy enough. His hands twitched again as he resisted burying them into her lush fur. So, instead of moving her, he quickly sorted out the extra silver and gold out of his little money pouch, depositing the extra silver and gold into his inventory, leaving the bronze behind. With that done, he started going over plans for his future home. For as much as he needed to study, even he needed to veg from time to time, his new body¡¯s capabilities notwithstanding. He went over many different designs, from a large castle-like building that could house everything that he needed it to all the way to a many building¡¯d compound. He enjoyed the thought of having everything in one building, but also liked the separation of work and living spaces that more buildings would provide. Joram then wondered if they had winter here, as well as how severe it might be. Back on Earth, he¡¯d lived in one of the planet¡¯s most severe cities when it came to temperature variation between winter and summer. Would it be like that here? Or would he get a more moderate winter as the presence of the sequoia-like trees suggested? Back on Earth, those trees grew on the west coast of the continent, a place that rarely saw below-zero temperatures¡­ Celsius. No stupid Fahrenheit for him! Anyways. If the winters were mild, then he could get away with not having to worry about digging tunnels between the buildings for ease of access in winter. That said, it probably wasn¡¯t a bad idea to do that anyways¡­. His thoughts were interrupted by the vixen waking. She noticed that he was ¡°awake¡±, so decided that she needed more pet¡¯ns. So, he obliged, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of soft fur between his fingers. ¡®I dare say, I think she¡¯s bonded to you,¡¯ Avi suddenly piped up from beside him on the bed, startling him, and the vixen. He grunted as she jumped off his chest, giving a low bark at Avi as her hackles rose slightly. ¡°What?¡± he asked, suddenly very confused at the vixen¡¯s reaction. ¡®I think that she can both see and hear me,¡¯ Avi said, looking fascinated as she regarded the spooked fox. ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± he drawled sarcastically, his mind whirling about trying to figure things out. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your image was a literal figment of my mind?¡± he asked, now looking back at the bombshell that way laying beside him. ¡®I¡¯m as confused as you are,¡¯ she replied, turning to him with both brows raised. Joram turned back to look at the vixen, finding it easier to look at her than the other vixen beside him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s OK, she¡¯s a friend,¡± he said, not quite sure why, but finding that it also helped ease him to speak out loud. Astonishingly, the vixen responded to not just his voice, but his words. She slowly relaxed before creeping back to him, though on his other side so that she could keep him between her and the ¡°new person¡±. ¡°Do you think it has anything to do with her being called a ¡®spirit fox¡¯?¡± he asked Avi, not really sure if she¡¯d know any better than him. ¡®That might be possible, yes,¡¯ she replied, eyeing the other vixen. ¡®Stop calling me a vixen,¡¯ she suddenly said, turning to given him a glare. ¡°Stop reading my mind,¡± he grumped back, frowning at her. ¡®That¡¯s as likely as me ceasing to exist,¡¯ she sassed back, then turned back to the actual vixen who was giving her a weird look. ¡®How intelligent do you think she is?¡¯ ¡°How would I know?¡± he asked, genuinely at a loss. They stopped talking for a while as the three of them observed on another. Eventually, the vixen relaxed more, seemingly determining that Avi wasn¡¯t a threat, then laid her head on his shoulder and went back to sleep. Or seemed to. He wasn¡¯t sure. Not knowing what else to do, he decided to change the loadout for his mindbolt. Instead of having it at a total of +4 enhancement, he decided to drop it to only +2 in favour of adding ¡°Holy¡±. Now, he couldn¡¯t be sure, but considering that the dungeon monsters were murderous amalgamations of mana whose sole purpose seemed to be killing anything that they came across, he was comfortable in assuming they¡¯d qualify as ¡°evil¡±. Next, he swapped out ¡°Collision¡± in favour of ¡°Linked Striking¡±. A few extra damage in exchange for much more damage after his first shot connected was a fair trade for him, especially considering he¡¯d needed multiple shots to fell this last batch¡¯s goblins. So, the next thing that crossed his mind was regret for having chosen [Emulate Technological Ranged Weapon]. He hadn¡¯t really used it up to this point. He¡¯d imagined creating an automatic weapon with it, but found that that was too difficult for him to manage at this point in time. Which then reignited his desire to get [Psychic Reformation] properly learned. Which then began a mental war between his desire to be the mostly deadly he could be, and getting his leg back. Yes, getting his leg back would indeed make him more deadly, and overall increase his chances of survival. But at the same time, if he could start ¡°removing¡± class features he¡¯d chosen, then insert them into something he could then assimilate, then he would well and truly become incredibly dangerous. Grumbling, he decided to set a schedule where he¡¯d study one then the other on a one hour rotation until he understood one or the other. Back to ¡°sleep¡±. - - - This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. The following day passed uneventfully, even though he worried that another attack would come from the dungeon goblins. But seeing as how no one had told him that another attack had come, he felt safe to assume that it had been a quiet day. Which allowed him almost uninterrupted study time, which then led to great leaps and bounds in his understanding of those two powers. Then, that night, he truly felt that he was going to make the final breakthrough for [Restore Extremity] until the vixen began nudging him incessantly. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± he asked, trying to keep the great annoyance that he felt out of his tone. Instead of answering as he unreasonably wanted her to, she instead lightly took his wrist in her mouth and gave him a light tug. Frowning, he absently created another pair of crutches for himself before getting up and following the six-tailed fox. Instead of heading to the kitchen like he expected, she led him outside and into the back yard where he saw¡­ yet more foxes. ¡°What¡¯s up, little one?¡± he asked quietly, recognizing that it was still in the middle of the night and was loath to wake anyone. Once again, the vixen didn¡¯t reply with words, but action. She walked behind him, then nudged him from behind to get him going, nearly knocking him over. That¡¯s one strong fox, he thought as he started to hobble along again. The backyard reminded him of those stereotypical rich person¡¯s back yards you¡¯d see in a manga or something. The lawn was well manicured with decorative trees placed artistically so that a person could find shade easily on a hot summer¡¯s day. There was even a little pond that seemed to be fed by an artesian spring, a narrow stream lazily making its way from it through the yard. Just past the pond, spring, or whatever you¡¯d call it, sat the skulk of foxes. There were more than he¡¯d seen up to that point. They ranged in colour from the traditional orange-brown to white to black and even a couple more dark purple ones. Not a single one that he could see had fewer than three tails. Upon further inspection, they all seemed to be sitting around a larger white fox, with red-tipped ears and tails. Heck, even its eyebrows were red, which kind of impressed him. Until he tried counting the number of tails it had. From where he was approaching, he couldn¡¯t quite see, but it had at least seven tails. But it was hard to count and walk while avoiding tripping, so he contented himself to wait until he got closer before trying again. That, and he did his best to keep calm, because each and every one of those foxes were higher level than anyone else he¡¯d seen yet. He ignored the System notification in favour of keeping his eyes on the path. It wasn¡¯t a bad path, but the combination of having only one leg and using crutches on a gravel path in the middle of the night- even if he could see just fine- wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. Nor, did he think, would the foxes be impressed if he suddenly faceplanted on his way over to them. Joram eventually arrived at the skulk, then frowned slightly as they scooted aside as though they expected him to keep on going. He paused, pretty sure that he didn¡¯t want to get into the middle of the pack, by himself, or with the at least eight-tailed fox in front of him. But then he was nudged again from behind, so he could either faceplant or hobble forward. So, he hobbled forward until the vixen stopped nudging him, which so happened to be when he was within touching distance of the great white fox. This close to it, he could see that it looked every bit as fluffy and soft as his escort. But what was more, even seated, it came up to nearly his chin. ¡°Uh, hi,¡± he said, having absolutely no idea what to say to such a creature, or even what it might remotely expect of him. ¡®We wish to experience what our sister experienced,¡¯ a voice suddenly sounded in his head, a combination of words and images that very clearly showed the purple vixen getting scritches, scratches, and good old pet¡¯ns. His mouth suddenly dry, Joram regarded the new vixen in front of him with more than a little trepidation. Just what the hell was going on? Then the white vixen scooted forward until she was very nearly nose-to-nose with him and looked at him expectantly with her very large, red, eyes. As slowly as if he was trying to touch a lion, he reached up with his right hand and tentatively rubbed her ridiculously soft head a bit before stopping to see if he was going to die for his temerity. If anything, she was annoyed that he¡¯d stopped, giving him a reproving look that he somehow interpreted as ¡°weak sauce¡±. Jaw clenched, he absent-mindedly dismissed his crutches so they wouldn¡¯t fall and land on one of the foxes that surrounded him, and then reached up and began to go at it. He massaged her cheeks and then her jaw, then slid up and started on her ears. He was sure to be gentle, especially because he was still getting used to his own strength, but she seemed to be enjoying it, so he kept it up. His hands soon moved on to the back of her head, then her neck, then at her shoulders. That¡¯s when she really started to slump into him, which then caused him to lose his balance. Foxes quickly scattered as he fell backwards, the white vixen lunging forward so that his hands wouldn¡¯t leave her. Fortunately, he landed on the grass, which was softer than he expected. Still, he quickly manifested [Natural Healing] as the white vixen landed on his chest, turning into a boneless heap on his chest. As his hands paused, she once again gave him a look that told him to continue. So, he did. He gave her everything that he had. Every technique he¡¯d used growing up, and even ones he¡¯d paid attention to over the years that he hadn¡¯t been able to play with anything with fur. He even used some of the massage techniques that he¡¯d learned, resulting in the fox equivalent of ¡°liquid kitty¡±. When he had that thought, the vixen turned her head lazily to him and sent yet another message. ¡®Rude,¡¯ she sent, letting him know that it was because of the comparison to a mundane feline. Great, yet another woman who can literally read my mind, he thought wryly, then got a huff of annoyance from the white vixen, so he continued working on her until he got the impression that she was content. He then let his arms drop to his sides, his energy almost completely spent. Before he knew it, his eyes had closed, and he fell into a deep meditative state. The vixen looked at him for a time as the sun began to rise. Then, as the first rays of the sun shone down on them, a bright light enveloped them both. * * * * * Myra woke up, content with the first rays of sun shining down on her. She stretched, feeling terrific as her limbs quivered in pleasure. Smiling, she got up and made her way to her vanity where she filled a large bowl with water from a pitcher, then washed her face. She chose her outfit for the day, yet another set of [Miko] attire, though cut slightly differently so that she¡¯d at least have a bit of variety in her daily life. She briefly debated hiding her tails, but discarded that idea once again. She didn¡¯t know why, but she found that she enjoyed having her tails out lately. Myra then slowly brushed her hair out, then brushed out her tails, taking extra care to avoid pulling too hard on them. Once done, she looked into her small silver mirror, trying to decide if she should tie her hair back today or not. It was getting fairly long, now almost reaching her tails. Grinning, she decided to tie her hair in a loose tail, binding it at the nape of her neck with a shiny black ribbon. Now ready for the day, she left her room, unconsciously humming a gentle melody as she made her way to the living room. Once there, she found that she wasn¡¯t the only one up. Both her mother and father were already there, discussing town events. ¡°The monthly caravan should be arriving next week. Do you think they¡¯ll bring enough ore and raw materials this time around?¡± her mother asked, getting a doubtful grunt from her father. ¡°Seems to me that they¡¯re trying to increase the value of what they have by claiming ¡®shortages¡¯. I¡¯ve spoken with a few guilders, and they say that the market seems to be just fine in other, human, towns,¡± he grumbled, using the casual term for members of the Exterminator¡¯s Hall. ¡°Well, now that we have something that they¡¯ll be drooling over, we¡¯ll have a much better time negotiating prices,¡± her mother said smugly, likely referring to the moss stone she¡¯d bought from Joram. If he¡¯d been able to sell his stock directly to the traders, she was sure that he could have gotten almost twice as much as he had. But she couldn¡¯t blame her mother. The in-between person still needed to make money, after all. That, and getting such a rare resource for trade was a must when dealing with greedy traders. A bit bored with the talk, Myra got up again and made her way to the back of the house, thinking that a bit of fresh air would be good to help stimulate her. As she exited the back door, she couldn¡¯t help but notice that quite a number of foxes had gathered to¡­ sleep in the backyard? They were all piled together, snuggling with one another. The sight was so adorable that she started sneaking closer for a better look. As she approached, she started noticing that most of them were spirit foxes, foxes with more than one tail. Intrigued, she kept sneaking closer. Just after crossing the little bridge over their little stream, she noticed a lot of white fur at the centre of the sleeping skulk, and held her breath. Was the great matriarch there as well? That was rare, as she normally kept to herself and only came out for the semi-annual festivals and rites. Now even more excited, she continued creeping forward, counting herself lucky to be able to see the matriarch a couple of months early. Then the white fur started to shift, making her stop dead in her tracks. Then perfect white skin was revealed, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. There, sitting in the middle of a sea of fur, was a naked woman. Her ears and tails were red-tipped, but every other bit of hair and fur on her was white as could be. When she opened her eyes, Myra could see that they, too, were blood red, confirming that that was indeed the great matriarch of the spirit foxes. But then she noticed that for a ¡°great matriarch¡±, she looked no older than she was. If anything, she looked a bit younger. Then she heard a very distinctly un-fox-like grunt before Joram¡¯s head lifted above the horizon of fur, looking confused. ¡°Kyaaa~!¡± she screamed, then everything went black. Chapter 036 - Landed man Joram really came back to reality when he heard that scream, followed by a faint ¡°thud¡±. But what really caught his attention was the Altaea-level foxkin sitting on him, completely nude. A couple of things happened in the following seconds. The first being his own instinctive reaction to such a stimulating situation. The next was him realizing that his clothing created by [Ectoplasmic Creation] seemed to have expired, or at least he hoped it had. Lastly, the albino foxkin apparently decided that she wasn¡¯t ready to be up yet and decided to lay down on his chest. That nearly broke his brain, but years of discipline managed to pull through for him. He quickly manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation], stretching his limits by making several different things at once, in two different locations. The first was on him as he quickly rolled out from under the bombshell, his clothes manifesting on him in the process. The second location was around said bombshell, wrapping her in a large white quilt. He then remembered the very girly scream and looked for its source. There, just on the other side of the rousing, and apparently grumpy foxes, laid Myra. ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered, creating a pair of crutches for himself as the bombshell gave him a reproving look. Choosing to ignore that more-than-likely volatile situation, he hobbled his way over to where Myra lay just as her parents came running out the back door. ¡°What happened?¡± they both demanded at the same time, taking in the sight of their daughter and looking even more agitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly why she fainted,¡± he said, not really lying. ¡°I seem to have fallen asleep after Purple over there brought me outside last night. Then, that,¡± he said, motioning to where Myra lay, then to the large white quilt. They both looked very confused as they took in the quilt, then nearly choked when the bombshell divested herself of the quilt as she sat up. - - - ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what happened after I fell asleep,¡± he replied for what felt like the hundredth time. ¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t know the white foxkin,¡± he said, though he strongly suspected some polymorphing shenanigans had come into play the night before. ¡­ ¡°If something like that happened, then it happened while I was unconscious,¡± he said, shaking his head at that one. Said bombshell was currently wearing one of Celys¡¯ outfits and sitting in the living room with them all, Myra and Kalduin included. And the purple vixen, and about sixty other foxes as well. They all seemed to want to be around the nine-tailed bombshell, which led credence to his polymorph theory. Everyone was looking between him and the bombshell, trying to figure out if something had happened or not. Given how poorly humans seemed to treat animal-kin here, he wasn¡¯t starting off on very stable ground; even though he¡¯d told Celys before that he wasn¡¯t human. But, it seemed that just looking like a human was enough. ¡°Rude,¡± the bombshell finally spoke, her voice smooth and sultry even then sounding slightly annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®Bombshell¡¯, I¡¯m Asami Miki. You can call me either,¡± she said, then took another sip tea. That got a round of looks. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Asami Miki,¡± Celys spoke up, sounding more polite than he ever remembered hearing. ¡°Are you, perhaps, the Great Matriarch of the Spirit Foxes?¡± ¡°Rude,¡± she said, once more sounding annoyed. ¡°I have never born a litter, so how could I be a matriarch?¡± Her words once again stopped everyone as they tried to process them. Or perhaps the implications. Either way, they seemed both incredibly honoured to have her in their home, and horrified due to the circumstances. Which resulted in no few looks his way. ¡°I need to go for a walk,¡± he said, standing up with the help of his crutches. Nalun seemed as though he wanted to stop Joram, but given just how favourably Asami Miki looked upon him, he couldn¡¯t find the courage to speak. That didn¡¯t stop Myra, though. ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave after¡­ that?!¡± she demanded, looking scandalized and more than a little bit angry. ¡°I¡¯ve already explained myself, quite thoroughly in fact. It¡¯s up to you whether or not to believe me,¡± he said, not very happy with the treatment. ¡°Besides, this seems to be a Kirkwall issue, and I¡¯m practically still an outsider.¡± With that said, he hobbled his way to the front door, then left. He hadn¡¯t touched his tea, nor the snacks that had been provided¡­ mostly for Asami Miki. Or, rather, because of her presence. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if they wouldn¡¯t have bothered with the tea and snacks. Shaking his head, he made his way in the direction he remembered the warehoused being. It took him some time, mostly because of how slowly he was currently moving, but he eventually got there. It only took a few more minutes of asking people questions to find the warehouse that his stuff was stored in. Once inside, he was directed to a ¡°room¡± not far from the entrance. The whole place was wide enough to accommodate the large wagons that brought things inside for loading and unloading. The ¡°room¡± was basically just a walled-off section of the warehouse, leaving the front completely open. He was pretty sure that it was just to make sure that products didn¡¯t get mixed up or something like that. He was happy to see that everything had been stacked well and that the boxes and crates didn¡¯t seem damaged. He was still running low on space in his inventory, so he couldn¡¯t take everything away right then. But he still did a quick inventory of things to make sure that nothing had gone missing; tales of thieves looting or robbing newly arrived protagonists prompting his vigilance. Thankfully, he¡¯d stored the most valuable things inside of his inventory, leaving the things he wouldn¡¯t be broken up over if they went missing while being stored in the warehouse. Sure enough, though, he found that a few panels of drywall were missing, along with a pack of drywall screws. A few of his weights were also missing, likely due to them being made of moss stone, though he¡¯d left them unpolished. The concrete blocks, in brick form or cinderblock form, had been left untouched, while some of the vents had also gone missing. He sighed, then created a fully formed crate and began stacking the more valuable things into it. Things that he wouldn¡¯t be able to easily replace, like the various metal items and some drywall. He¡¯d already packed away the ingots that he¡¯d created, so there was no worry there. It was just annoying that he now had to worry about thieves. Then he started wondering if he could get an extradimensional space like Altaea had. If he could, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about leaving his stuff where thieves could pick through it. But that also led to thoughts on how he would deal with his home security. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Grumbling to himself, he finished packing away the important stuff, including his weights, as they would be able to sell quite well if he ever needed, the stored the crate in his inventory. ¡°Hmm, two spots left,¡± he grumbled, not quite happy with how little space he had to play with. Then he remembered that the crates weren¡¯t permanent creations and nearly cursed. He then retrieved the first crate and sighed as a pile of his stuff was deposited onto the ground. ¡°Welp, and least I know what happens when the crates expire,¡± he said, trying to look at the bright side of things. Like, the stored items not immediately being ejected from his inventory. Or, heaven forbid, being lost in some extradimensional space. He then created another crate, repacked it, then stored it away again. With that done, he left the warehouse and made his way to the town hall. ¡°How may I help you today?¡± the clerk asked, a middle-aged man this time. ¡°Is there some sort of book that shows what properties are available for purchase outside of Kirkwall?¡± he asked, annoyed that he didn¡¯t know the word for ¡®catalogue¡¯ yet. ¡°Yes, please wait a moment while I retrieve it,¡± he said before getting up and heading into an office behind him. A minute later, he stepped out while holding what looked like a large binder. ¡°Feel free to take your time going through it,¡± the man said as he passed Joram the binder. ¡°Choosing a place for your home is very important, after all.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, feeling genuine gratitude towards the man for his kind words. Joram then made his way over to a small table at the side of the reception area and began flipping through the listings. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Celys hadn¡¯t been exaggerating the low cost of properties outside the walls. He was also impressed by how organized the listings were. At the front of the binder he found a key of sorts that demarcated the various property lines, and their listing. Which made flipping through and finding the listings so much easier than it could have been. Looking at things, he found that the west side of Kirkwall wasn¡¯t at all popular. Upon further inspection, it was due to it being practically in the forest, while also being on the opposite side of where the main road entered the village. Which meant that anyone on the west side of Kirkwall would have to travel further, and longer, than was otherwise necessary if they¡¯d instead chosen to build on the east side. Which, it seemed, almost everyone had. He then found a section of land surveys, which also provided insight into the east side preference. Yes, it wasn¡¯t in the forest, but it was also generally flat land that was perfect for farming. Horticulture or animal husbandry would work well there. On the other hand, who wanted to try clearing out massive trees like that? Never mind what might be lurking in the forest that might either choose to snack on you or your livestock. The south side of the walls also seemed to be less popular, though still sparsely populated. He must have missed the small farmsteads as he ran for his life. Which go him wondering if anyone would be safe down that way with the goblin issue still extant. The north side, though, seemed to be where the ¡°suburbs¡± were, as the land wasn¡¯t quite suitable for farming or raising large herds of animals. That said, they were more like scattered acreages than suburbs. Which led to slightly higher prices when it came to land. He really liked the forest, though, and had enjoyed living where he had been up until he¡¯d been forced to leave. The prices were also quite tempting, as large plots only went for a single gold coin each. As in, about twenty acres or so per plot, which seemed to be plotted into a rectangle. If he had to put a measure to it, he¡¯d say it was about 402m by 201m to a side. Now, if he could afford to buy the plots in bulk, he wondered if that would be wise. He¡¯d need to build his own walls, and have them guarded to keep him safe. It would be a lot of work, especially before he got the hang of the more advanced [Modify Matter, Greater] which would allow him to affect even greater volumes of matter per manifestation. He looked at the number of gold coins he had and sighed; only sixteen. He wondered if he could place a hold on property by paying a bit of a deposit. Because he really wanted to buy a block of four by five lots, effectively giving him a four-hundred square acre piece of land to play with. Which left him four gold coins short. ¡°Say,¡± he spoke a bit louder so that the clerk could hear him. ¡°Are there any discounts for bulk purchases?¡± The clerk gave him an odd look before answering. ¡°No, there are not.¡± ¡°What about reserving some land? Can I pay a deposit or something?¡± ¡°Yes, that is indeed possible,¡± the man replied, looking a bit relieved. ¡°The cost to reserve a plot for one month is one tenth the value of the plot,¡± he explained, seemingly happy at the prospect of a sale. Joram nodded, then turned back to the key. Now, he just needed to decide exactly where he wanted to build. The area claimed by Kirkwall went pretty far, two miles if he had to guess. Did he want to be out that far? Just over three kilometres was pretty far if you had to try to run to the city if something happened. But he also didn¡¯t want to be too close to the walls, as he really liked the quiet of the forest. Nodding to himself, he got up and hobbled back to the front desk and presented the binder to the man. ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase these plots here, and reserve these ones here,¡± he said, indicating a square of sixteen plots surrounding four plots. The four being the ones he intended to reserve. ¡°Are you sure you want to build so far out of town?¡± the man asked as his eyes flickered to his missing leg, showing that the guy was all right. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to let this issue inconvenience my life,¡± he finished, nodding towards his missing right leg. ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude to have,¡± the man said with a warm smile before the got down to the serious business of payment. It took a little while to get things sorted out. Contracts, land titles, showing his identification and proof of citizenship, and all that. Which led to him updating his information with the man. He also arranged for any property payments or taxes to be withdrawn from his account after hearing that that was an option. After all that was done, deeds and reservation agreements safely stored in his inventory, he made his way to the bank to update his information there was well. Which was pretty quick, all told. He even made a small deposit into his account in to cover any expensed that came up. Specifically, if he forgot to make payment for the reserved plots in person. He was once again relatively poor, which was pretty much how things went in life when you were getting on your feet. Get some money, spend that money. Rinse and repeat until the money coming in was higher than what was going out. Thinking about money led him to remembering the goblins that had contributed to his pocket money, in terms of cores, that is. He still wondered what he¡¯d get if he ¡°looted¡± their bodies. Shrugging, he decided to head to the west side of town again, though not because he wanted to go back to Myra¡¯s house. That was a powder keg that he didn¡¯t want to mess with right now. So, he hobbled along westward, though taking a different street to get to the walls than he would have taken to the Manelle household. It was a pleasant enough hobble, all things considered. Even the skulk that started following him shortly after he left the bank didn¡¯t dampen his mood, nor the fact that the purple vixen was back. He still wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about her part in what had happened last night. Sure, it was probably something innocent along the lines of ¡°I¡¯m just bringing the fellow to my superior,¡± or something. Still, coming to with a bombshell in her birthday suit sitting on you didn¡¯t make for a relaxing morning. Or a less confusing one. ¡®Indeed,¡¯ Avi agreed, nearly causing him to trip. ¡®You¡¯ll have to watch out for that one.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t say?¡¯ he sent, dry as a desert. Avi just gave him a cool look before vanishing once more, leaving him wondering what was up with her. Then he put that out of his mind, instead focussing on the sight of the wall that had just come into full view. The gate here was even smaller than the south gate that he¡¯d entered a few days ago, but no less sturdy looking. He figured that one of the wagons that had carried his stuff could still fit out of it though, so that was a relief. As he drew closer, he could see that there were stairs built into the walls on either side of the gate that ran parallel to the wall. Wonder if they¡¯ll let me up to have a look? He wondered idly, then decided to ask. Because, if you didn¡¯t ask, you wouldn¡¯t ever know, or get the opportunity to do something. ¡°Say, would you mind if I had a look from the wall?¡± he asked the first guard he came to, someone he didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re that guy,¡± the woman said, eyeing him up. ¡°Sure, head on up,¡± she finished, waving him along in a rather brisk manner. A bit confused by her reaction, he slowly made his way to the stairs, then carefully made his way up. Once there, he looked out and saw the forest. It was closer than he¡¯d thought given the land surveys, but that might have just been his misreading it. That said, anything taller than the grass had been cleared out to a distance of just over two hundred metres or so. After that, the great trees of the forest started in earnest, with a few smaller trees here and there- which were still respectably huge compared to most trees he¡¯d seen growing up. The treeline was basically where his plots started, making him realized that most of his land was inside of the forest. Perhaps looking at things in person should have been the first thing on his list. Well, he¡¯d been a bit too excited to get his own place, so now he had more work ahead of himself because of it. Shaking his head, he was about to head back down when movement in the forest caught his eye. Chapter 037 - Another stubborn one Joram turned back around and squinted, causing the guards closest to him to do the same. Either their eyes were better than his, or they had some sort of [Skill], because a moment later a call to arms was being made. It took Joram another few seconds to see what had caused the alarm, but when he did, he cursed. ¡°Of course it¡¯s bloody goblins again,¡± he muttered, gauging the distance. It was pretty far, and would be into his fourth range increment for his mindbolt¡¯s long-range configuration. Still, it was worth trying, as he could use to get more cores, and thus more money. Ignoring the bustling guards, Joram formed his shoulder gun and steadied himself on one of the crenelations while he aimed. He was looking forward to how his new loadout would perform. Again, swapping [Collision] in favour of [Linked Striking] to get ramped-up damage after the first hit on a target was something he was looking forward to. Joram then concentrated to infuse his gun with [Psychic Strike], wanting to make the first shot as impactful as he could, while also realizing that he should just keep a [Psychic Strike] charged and ready to go at all times. He wasn¡¯t yet sure, though, if he¡¯d just add the damage from [Psychic Strike] directly or use it to activate [Thousand Blades]. He was inclined to the latter, as increasing his chances to hit with more shots was better than relying on his first shot to do most of the damage, then trying to hit with his other shots while suffering a decrease in accuracy. ¡®You should wait until the guards start attacking,¡¯ Avi said, bringing him out of his murderous thoughts. ¡®If you attack too soon, that may trigger the goblins to attack sooner than the guards would be comfortable with.¡¯ ¡®Ah, makes sense,¡¯ he sent back just as he got a nudge in the lower back. Turning, he was about to apologize for being in the way, when the saw that it was the purple vixen who¡¯d nudged him. He looked at her for a few moments before shrugging and turning his attention back to the goblins. That seemed to be the wrong thing to do, because the vixen then nipped him on the calf, nearly causing his knee to give out. Glaring, he turned back to the vixen, who was now getting significant attention from the guards. ¡°What?¡± he asked, keeping his tone level. She then looked away from him, towards the base of the stairs. Following her gaze, he found Asami Miki standing there along with the Manelle family, another horde of foxes, as well as a good number of guards. He recognized some, but most were new to him, but all of them were looking at him strangely. ¡°Sorry, need to kill goblins¡± he said, quickly turning back around while trying very hard to ignore his audience. ¡°Let the guards handle it,¡± Celys called up, making his shoulders tense. ¡°Come down before you get yourself hurt,¡± she finished, sounding every bit the village Chief. While that stung, it also reminded him to manifest [Inertial ArmourA], so he did, making sure to keep the armour invisible. With that done, he turned back around and spoke. ¡°No. I missed out on the loot from the hobs I killed the other day, so I¡¯m not going to miss out on making that up today,¡± he called down, his jaw setting stubbornly. ¡°I can order you down, you know?¡± Celys replied, sounding more than a little bit exasperated with him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait outside,¡± he called back, his temper getting the best of him. With that said, he turned and hopped over the top of the wall. As he fell, he heard shouts of surprise, but ignored them as he landed, trying to roll. It worked a bit. Laying there, a bit bruised, he manifested [Natural Healing] to top himself up before rolling to his stomach. Next, he pulled up [Foxhole], quickly reviewed it, and found that it was simple enough. So, he used it, augmenting it enough to provide a good trench that ran parallel to the wall behind him. After a few more exclamations of surprise, he army crawled into position in the foxhole, the name making him grin, but had also come to mind when seeing the foxes again. With that done, he looked at the treeline again, trying to determine if they were about to attack or not. It seemed as though they were getting close, as more and more goblins and hobs were stepping forward before being called back into line. So, he manifested a fully augmented [Force Screen] to help his armour to keep him alive. Then came a fully-loaded [Biofeedback], which left him with about forty percent of his power pool left. Well, he could buff himself all day, so he could wait for things to get started. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Celys had other thoughts about that. ¡°Are you crazy? Get back inside before they attack!¡± she yelled down at him, sounding more than a little panicked. Be briefly wondered why she cared so much before he remembered Asami Miki. The very vixen who¡¯d basically claimed him. How much trouble would Celys get into if he was killed out here? He really couldn¡¯t be bothered with that because, if he was dead, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any of that anyways. So, he continued to ignore the shouts from above while he lined up his shot. He could barely make out what looked like a shaman from where he was and had learned that they needed to be taken out as soon as possible if he wanted to live to see another day. Remembering that his missing leg was because of one of those bastards, he focussed entirely on it. When he thought he had his shot, the goblins suddenly grew even more agitated. Gritting his teeth, Joram realized that the attack was on. Squinting, he expended his [Psychic Strike] to increase his accuracy, then took his shots. He was extremely gratified when the first shot curved slightly at the end, hitting the shaman in the shoulder. His second shot hit, taking it in the other shoulder. His third hit took the shaman in the neck, blowing out a large chunk that staggered the hob. The fourth took it in the head, sending a rush of energy through him. Wondering where the energy came from, he belatedly remembered his [Reaper¡¯s Blade] blade skill, and grinned. The goblin horde went wild. Spells and arrows flew from their ranks, raining down on the wall, though some fell short. Joram quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a lightning bolt sent his way. He took note of where it came from, then began firing back at the spell caster as the goblins rushed forward. They came forward in a ragged line, broken up as some ran faster than the rest. Joram left those ones to the archers on the wall behind him and chose to take a potshot with [Energy Ball] at the largest group he could see. He chose cold, partly because of the added damage, but the other reason was that it would be easy to identify the ones he killed. He still had to consider claiming his loot after this, after all. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Once released, he grinned as a large group of hobs and gobs were flash frozen, only leaving a few to start staggering forward again. He ignored them, knowing that they¡¯d be easy pickings for the archers behind him. He found another shaman, once again expending his [Psychic Strike] to increase his accuracy for his next barrage. This shaman, though, was a bit tougher. Even with a shot taking it through the chest, where he assumed a lung would be, the shaman kept going, even going so far as to cast a healing spell of some sort on itself. Not having his [Psychic Strike] recharged, he just kept shooting. His next series of shots very much demonstrated the lack of accuracy from not using [Thousand Blades], as two of the four shots missed. Still, the shaman was looking much worse for wear by the time he took his next shot, which took the shaman in the head, ending its life and recharging [Psychic Strike] for him. At this point, the goblins had made it halfway across the field, seemingly uncaring of the arrows felling goblin after goblin. Given their numbers, which still looked to be well over a hundred, he knew that they¡¯d at least make it to the walls. Which would make things difficult for him, to say the least. So, he quickly augmented another [Foxhole] to deepen the shallow trench that it normally made into full 1.5 metre trenches, stretching it out from the wall to just in front of him in an arc. He did it again, this time on the other side, connecting the two to form a dry moat in front of him that he hoped would at least slow the goblins enough for the defenders to pick them off before they got to him. Next, he pumped [Astral Construct] with as much power as he could, bringing forth two large constructs to stand in the trench in front of them, giving them [Extra Attack], [Fast Healing], and [Improved Damage Reduction], as well as two small constructs with [Buff], [Deflection], and [Improved Slam Attack]. Those last two he placed beside him to help keep the goblins off him when they eventually arrived. With his power pool almost drained, and with almost all of the goblins well-within one hundred metres, he switched out his long-ranged shoulder canon for the Desert M-6 model, the mid-ranged gun. Then he went back at it, instructing his constructs to crouch down to avoid fire until the goblins got close enough to slam. His next targets were just the forerunners. Mostly because he couldn¡¯t easily find another shaman to target, but also because he didn¡¯t want to be neck deep in goblins yet. Each barrage he sent out felled a goblin this time, be it hob or the regular versions, which allowed him to keep his [Thousand Blades] going. He was also impressed with the guards, for their shots were doing comparable damage, or even more, than his own. He greatly suspected that their Paths granted increased damage and utility, though. Which got him wondering if he really should up and choose a Path right away, especially given the waiting notifications that he¡¯d been silencing all day. Damn, I wonder if there¡¯s a path that would improve Soulbolt for me¡­ he wondered as his second shot managed to entirely take off a hob¡¯s head. If that were the case, and he could start doing much more than he was currently, why should he wait? Again, his stubborn pride reared its head, denying the need to get a Path right now. Sure, his situation was a bit dicey at the moment, but he wasn¡¯t out of the fight just yet. But the goblins were certainly aiming to bring the fight to him. The frontrunners weren¡¯t more than ten metres away now, so he quickly switched his mindbolt to the N7-90 model and really started getting some good results with that. So good, in fact, that he stopped using [Thousand Blades] and instead just used [Psychic Strike] how it was originally created for: more damage. With each shot that used [Psychic Strike], the damage was more than doubled for his N7-90, meaning that he dropped the goblins much faster now. Still, he was competing with probably dozens of guards, so his kill count wasn¡¯t anything to write home about compared to what the guards were doing. That said, he was sure that he was killing more than any individual guard on the wall. Then the last couple of dozen hobs made it to the outer trench and tried to hop over. He smiled when his two large golems took full advantage of their inability to dodge while flying through the air, each one batting two hobs into the ground. That was also when the spells came from the walls. He supposed that at Kirkwall had more than a few casters roped into the defense of the village. Because he saw spells ranging from firebolts to cutting wind to spikes of earth impaling goblins. He even saw a ball of water enveloping the head of a shaman that wandered too close, preventing it from chanting any new spells. And breathing, of course. All of which meant that only one hob managed to get close to him, but his two small constructs efficiently managed to stop its advance long enough for him to send a few shots into it, ending its life while covering him in its rancid blood. Then it was all done, and silence descended on the battlefield for a brief moment before cheers erupted from the wall behind him. Grinning through the smell, he dismissed his two smaller constructs then had one of the large ones pick him up. He had the construct hold its hands in the shape of a seat so that he could just sit in them, ready to shoot anything that might have been playing dead. Still ignoring the people on the wall, he had his construct squat a bit so that his toe could touch the hob that had gotten close to him. He then concentrated on ¡°Loot¡±, hoping that that would work. And it did. Another notification appeared, this one telling him what he¡¯d gotten.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve looted the following: - 1 Grade C Core, High Quality - 2 Silver Coins - 87 Bronze Coins
He blinked at that, then started mentally cursing not having known about the looting feature before. How many coins could he have earned if he¡¯d known sooner? Even then, the coins paled in comparison to getting a core out of the deal. The best part? It all went directly into his inventory! But what really got him was that once the body was looted, it immediately started dissolving into faint particles of light, much like how [Cleanse] affected them when he ¡°cleaned up¡± after an attack. Even the blood on him faded away, leaving him rather dumbstruck. And then audibly cursing. So, still ignoring the people yelling at him, he had his ride take him around the battlefield so that he could loot everything that he¡¯d been responsible for killing. He had the second large golem just following along behind him, not wanting to waste a good bodyguard should there be an ambush waiting for him. Then, as he raked in more loot, his mood started to improve, though he stayed vigilant of possible threats. By the time he got to the treeline where he¡¯d killed the first shaman, the guards had opened the gate and had started their own looting, chatting amongst themselves as they worked. Then his last goblin, the shaman, provided a surprise.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve looted the following: - 1 Grade B Core, High Quality - 11 Silver Coins - 92 Bronze Coins - 1 Skill Book
He¡¯d not expected such a thing to exist here, but was over the moon that he¡¯d gotten such an item! He wasn¡¯t sure how rare they were, but considering that he only got one after having looted twenty-six goblins, he suspected that they weren¡¯t common. He was about to retrieve it from his inventory when he felt an impact on the construct that was carrying him, that then sent it toppling forwards. Not wanting to be flattened by his construct, he quickly dismissed it was he formed his N7-90 and tried to roll. After hitting the ground, he succeeded in rolling onto his side, twisting so that he could see what had hit his construct, ready to fire. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami Miki said, arms folded across her ample chest. ¡°Come back now,¡± she said, giving him a stern look that didn¡¯t quite have the same impact as it would have had on an older woman. ¡°What¡¯s up with you, anyways? Why are you so interested in me? I can¡¯t be the only person who can give you a good rubdown,¡± he said, both annoyed and genuinely curious as to her fixation on him. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± she said, then turned and started walking back to Kirkwall. ¡°Come,¡± she called, not bothering to look back at him. He very seriously considered just heading into the forest and leaving the eccentric vixen behind. But a combination of self-preservation and curiosity overrode that incredibly strong impulse. Grumbling, he instructed his last construct to pick him up and take him back to town. * * * Given the number of goblins that were attacking, Myra had been allowed to participate in the defense of Kirkwall for the very first time. It hadn¡¯t been quite as glamorous as she¡¯d imagined it to be. Shuddering at the memory of the gore, she was at least glad that she¡¯d gained a level, and a new Skill! She wasn¡¯t sure how useful [Selective Area] would be, but was sure that she¡¯d figure it out later. For now, she was more concerned about Joram. She was still getting over the shock from this morning, though. Both in seeing Asami Miki¡¯s foxkin form and having seen her, naked, on top of an equally naked Joram. They had both claimed that nothing inappropriate had happened, but having seen what she¡¯d seen, she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to believe it. Now she was watching Asami Miki bring Joram back after his little looting spree, carried by a strange silver golem that stood a good story tall. She didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d learned to do that, or even if he¡¯d always been able to do that, but she was nonetheless impressed. But, also suspicious. How could anyone do that without having a Path? Had he somehow tricked their [Truth] spells? If so, what else was he hiding from her- er, from them? But one of her biggest questions was still: why was Asami Miki so interested in Joram? Chapter 038 - Mana! Once he got back to the walls, he finally dismissed his final construct after creating a new pair of crutches. From there, he followed Asami Miki through the gate. She didn¡¯t pause to even look at anyone else as she continued on her way, so he didn¡¯t bother to do more than to nod at the Manelle family as he passed them by. Celys looked as though she wanted to say something, but held back. Instead, she quickly gave a few instructions to the guards before gathering up her husband and following along. Considering how awkward it was to try to look over his shoulder at the same time as he was moving forwards using crutches, he soon stopped trying. Which meant that he was now watching Asami Miki walk ahead of him, her impossibly fluffy tails swaying to and fro as she walked. In fact, that was pretty much all he saw of her besides her lower legs and the back of her head. It was soon apparent that she was heading back to the Manelle family home, which made him feel more than a little bit awkward. Ashamed? He hadn¡¯t exactly been polite when he¡¯d left earlier that morning, nor had he been particularly¡­ mature in the way he¡¯d reacted to Celys¡¯ orders. Sure, he wasn¡¯t inclined to listen to someone who was literally trying to order him about. But he still could have handled that differently. And, he suspected, he¡¯d be hearing about it soon. By the time they were sitting on the comfy cushions in the living room, Joram was on edge. He didn¡¯t know what Asami Miki wanted with him, besides the vague idea that she really enjoyed the scratches and massage, nor was he looking forward to the talk he anticipated from Celys. ¡°Relax,¡± Asami Miki said, sounding bored. ¡°You¡¯re too wound up. Breath. Meditate. Something.¡± Instead of meditating, he pulled up his notifications and went through them.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: - Improved Accuracy You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - Concentration 7 -> 8 - Improved Accuracy 1 -> 3 - Lucky 5 -> 7 - Privacy Mode 3 -> 6 - Quick Manifesting 4 -> 5 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +1 Speed - +1 Intellect - +1 Charisma - +2 Luck You¡¯ve gained the following Title: - Fox¡¯s Favoured You¡¯ve gained the following Achievement: - Pathless Slaughterer
The attribute gains were more than welcome. A new Skill was also nice, and upon further inspection, basically did what the Skill claimed: improved his accuracy. That said, it didn¡¯t give him any hard numbers, which made him inclined to start practicing on a shooting range or something so that he could try to track any progress. The other Skills improving was also welcome. He was really starting to see how [Quick Manifesting] was affecting his manifestation times. And given that Metacreation Powers tended to be on the longer end of the spectrum, he was over the moon. The new Title made him a bit wary, though. If he could get a Title from something like that, was it a conditional Title? If Asami Miki, from whom he strongly suspected the Title originated, suddenly lost interest in him, would the Title vanish? Not that he minded getting the Title, as it gave a good boost to the favourability ratings of any fox or foxkin that he interacted with. Considering his below-par social skills, he strongly suspected that it would wind up carrying him¡­ a lot. Then there was his new Achievement.
Pathless Slaughterer - I - You¡¯ve done what few have ever accomplished. By slaughtering over one hundred foes without taking a Path, you¡¯ve proved both your determination and lethality. - Benefits: - Increase all damage to foes by 10%. - Increase all experience gained by slaughtering your foes by 10%. - Increased learning speed to learn new Combat Skills and the speed in which they level.
If he¡¯d ever considered staying Pathless for longer than it took to find a Path that called to him¡­. Damn, that¡¯s a crazy Achievement, he thought, still not quite believing what he was seeing. ¡®Indeed,¡¯ Avi piped in from beside him, getting both is attention as well as the attention of Asami Miki as she sipped on a mysteriously steaming cup of tea. The thing that really triggered his curiosity was the ¡°I¡± in the name, making him think that this Achievement was specifically made to be upgraded. And, he couldn¡¯t help but think, to encourage people to stay Pathless longer. But, what would be the point of that? He wondered, still fixed on the Achievement. ¡°To make more efficient Exterminators, of course,¡± Asami Miki said, looking at him as though she were trying to figure out if he were daft or something. Joram looked at her for a bit, trying to figure out just what she wanted, and what she knew of¡­ everything. ¡°A lot, but not all,¡± she said, once more annoying him by reading his mind. ¡°Get over it. It¡¯s as natural to me as breathing is to you,¡± she said, then tossed a tea biscuit at him. He reflexively caught it, then refrained from throwing it back at her, not sure if his new Achievement would do something weird. Like making the tea biscuit actually hurt her, or getting a ridiculous Skill like ¡°Death by Biscuit¡± or ¡°Food Fighting¡±. So, he ate it. For the first time ever, he saw her look at him in shock. Did she not expect me to eat it or something?! ¡°No!¡± she cried, looking unreasonably hurt, causing an inexplicable twinge in his chest. Now feeling a bit bad, for reasons he couldn¡¯t explain, he decided that it would be better to just stare out the window until something changed. It didn¡¯t take long before Celys and Nalun returned. They quickly found him and Asami Miki in the living room and joined them, sitting beside the albino vixen. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ that,¡± Asami said, giving him an annoyed look. ¡°I have colour! See?¡± She said, pulling one of her tails forward to show him its red tip. Joram just nodded, still at a loss for how to deal with her. At times she seemed like the mysterious woman who knew more than everyone else. While at other times she struck him as¡­ juvenile. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Which got him another glare, but he was starting to get better at ignoring them, so that wasn¡¯t so bad. ¡°Joram,¡± Celys said, now holding her own cup of steaming tea. ¡°We should discuss what happened at the wall.¡± He braced himself for a lecture, silently wondering if he should ¡°age¡± himself so that he wouldn¡¯t be treated like a kid. When he thought that, Asami Miki sat a bit straighter and fixed him with an intense stare. ¡°The first topic is your blatant disregard of authority,¡± Celys began, then went on at length into the importance of listening to orders and the rules in general. Then she went on to explain how important it was for people to listen to the one in charge, especially when the village was under attack. When people stopped listening to orders in favour of doing what they thought best, then discipline broke down and soon the efficiency of their garrison broke apart and died. Everyone needed to play their role, and only that. People playing the [Hero], more often than not, got their people killed as they tried to save the would-be [Hero] from their mistakes. ¡°Next,¡± Celys said, taking another sip of tea to rehydrate herself after such a long monologue. ¡°Are you truly Pathless?¡± she asked, fixing him with an intense stare. He got he distinct impression that Nalun wouldn¡¯t brook any lies. Not that he could lie about being Pathless. ¡°No,¡± he said, letting out a long breath. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Paths,¡± he finished, then stared pointedly at Asami Miki. ¡°Then, how do you explain what¡­ you can do?¡± Celys asked, still not quite believing him. ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth; he¡¯s Pathless,¡± Asami Miki finally spoke up. ¡°You could say that it¡¯s¡­ innate,¡± she finished, giving Celys a slight shake of her head. Both the Chief and her husband exchanged a look before returning to stare at Joram once more. Celys was about to speak once more when Myra and Kalduin stepped around the corner, then stopped when they noticed the atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on lunch,¡± Kalduin said, quickly abandoning his sister. For her part, Myra looked torn between staying and leaving until the decision was taken away from her by Asami Miki. ¡°You. Sit over there,¡± she said, pointing at the cushion beside Joram, then turned to him. ¡°I said, call me either name. Not both,¡± she said, confusing everyone present. ¡°Fine, Asami,¡± he said as Myra reluctantly sat beside him, then gave him the side eye because of his tone. ¡°Better,¡± she said, ignoring his tone. ¡°Myra. You¡¯ve done well in your duties as a [Miko]. Well done,¡± she said, nodding to the now flustered Myra. ¡°But. Stop being silly. People live together because they need each other. They also need each other to let them know when they¡¯re being silly. Listen to people more.¡± Joram vary carefully avoided looking at Myra directly. The poor woman was so red at the admonition that she matched Asami¡¯s red fur. ¡°You,¡± Asami then turned to Joram. ¡°You¡¯re just as silly. Stop it. People need other people, no matter the race,¡± she said, giving him a knowing look before addressing the both of them. ¡°She likes you. Deal with it. You like him. Deal with it. I¡¯m going to be staying by your side, Joram. So, deal with it,¡± she finished bluntly. An ¡°ancient fox¡± that¡¯s as eloquent as a four-year-old, he thought with great amusement until a tea biscuit bounce off his head. ¡°Rude.¡± Joram then, very deliberately, retrieved the tea biscuit and ate it, enjoying the look of horror on Asami¡¯s face as he chewed. ¡°Deal with it,¡± he replied, his tone dryer than the biscuit. That was, apparently, a step too far. Asami¡¯s tails all poofed-out before she launched herself at him, yelling: ¡°Give me more tea biscuits!¡± * * * After that rather embarrassing display, he was assigned to fix the mess he¡¯d made outside of the west walls, or pay to have it done, his choice. Grumbling, he set off to fix the damage, but not before heading to the bank to make another deposit, and to exchange some currency. He¡¯d gotten a whopping 1,882 bronze coins from the battle, along with 203 silver coins, 5 Grade D cores, 20 Grade C cores, and even a Grade B core from his first kill. He decided to hold onto his cores for now, but deposited most of his coins into the bank. He didn¡¯t anticipate needing too much cash for now, and if he really needed, cores were a generally accepted form of currency as well. Then he was off to do his cleanup. He really should have expected that he¡¯d be responsible for cleaning up his mess, so it wasn¡¯t really any skin off his back to do so. Instead, he viewed it as an opportunity to practice some [Telekinesis]. Any practice was good practice, in his books. So it was that he spent the next six hours moving earth with his mind, all the while being gawked at by the guards due to his skulk of spirit foxes. And Asami, when she showed up shortly after he started working. He was seriously contemplating assimilating some foxkin DNA so that he¡¯d fit in better. At least then he¡¯d at least look like he fit in with all the foxes that had taken to following him around. And Asami. She was, quite frankly, unnerving. As he worked, he was able to get a better look at her, taking in her features more than he¡¯d been able to thus far. Mostly because he¡¯d been way too uncomfortable around her to really get a good look at her. But over the course of those six hours, he realized that there were similarities to Altaea, and Avi, that he hadn¡¯t noticed before. For one, her overall figure. Sure, she was still a good ten centimetres shorter than he was, but her overall proportions were the same as Altaea¡¯s. The next thing that he noticed was that even her facial features made her look like she could have been Altaea¡¯s sister. Sure, probably a sister from another mister, but the resemblance was indeed there. As for the similarities, they pretty much ended there. Her personality was completely different, as were her mannerisms. And she was blunt. And pushy when she wanted something. ¡°So, you¡¯ll buy more tea biscuits when you¡¯re done?¡± she pressed for the third time. ¡°Yes. That is, if there¡¯s a store still open by the time I¡¯m done,¡± he replied, trying hard to be patient with her. ¡°Good, good. Make sure to buy more tea as well. The good stuff, not cheap stuff.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± he replied, but silently wondered how much that would cost him. Should he have kept more money in his inventory? By the time he finally finished, he got another notification that made him smile.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Telekinesis You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - Concentration 8 -> 9 - Privacy Mode 6 -> 8 - Quick Manifesting 5 -> 6 - Telekinesis 1 -> 3 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +1 Intellect
He blinked at the new Skill, then gawked at its description as a new sensation flowed through his body.
Telekinesis You have unlocked the ability to affect your environment, and everything in it, with your mind through impressive use of willpower. The mass, number of things you can affect, and the range at which you can affect them, scales according to proficiency in this Skill as well as your Intellect. This Skill uses Mana. If you do not already have access to Mana, this Skill will unlock that for you.
After checking his status, he found that he now had a Mana Pool, which explained the odd feeling he was still experiencing. It was almost like he had another heart that was pumping a different kind of blood through him. ¡°Hmm, good job,¡± Asami spoke from his side, causing him to nearly fall over in shock. After stabilizing himself, he turned to her and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± he said, then took another few breaths before continuing. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®good job¡¯?¡± ¡°Just that,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s good to have both in your system,¡± she said, tapping his chest with her index finger, right over where he felt the odd circulation originating from. A bit perturbed, Joram thought about things a bit more. What would having mana in his body do for him? Would it interact with his psionic power in ways that he wouldn¡¯t like? Or would it prove to be more beneficial? Would the two sources of power in his body interact with one another? Or would they be like oil and water? Then he remembered the Skill Book he¡¯d looted that morning and retrieved it from his inventory to see if he could get any more information out of it.
Pyrokinesis This Skill grants the user the [Pyrokinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows the user to create and manipulate [Fire]. Higher skill levels increase the volume of [Fire] that can be created, the intensity, the volume that can be manipulated, as well as the range at which it can be created and manipulated. This Skill uses Mana. If you do not already have access to Mana, this Skill will unlock that for you.
He contemplated using the Skill Book right away, but decided to hold off for now. He had just unlocked Mana in his body and was hesitant to do anything more before he got used to what he already had. ¡°Ooh, good stuff,¡± Asami said as she leaned over to have a look at what he was holding. ¡°You enjoy using fire?¡± he asked, mildly curious as to whether or not her red-tipped ears and tails had anything to do with that. ¡°Mmm, yes,¡± Asami nodded, now looking the most serious that he¡¯d ever seen her. ¡°Fire is the best. Gets rid of everything if you¡¯re good enough with it,¡± she said, nodding to herself again. ¡°True¡­¡± he replied, not really able to argue the point given her likely lack of understanding heat, temperature, and kinetic energy. Though, he wondered if that really mattered in a world full of magic that was governed by a seemingly all-powerful System. Asami looked at him again, this time a bit puzzled. ¡°Let¡¯s see if any stores are still open!¡± he said enthusiastically, taking her by the arm before he once more realized that he needed both hands free to work his crutches. ¡°So, what are your favourite flavoured tea biscuits?¡± he asked, trying to keep her distracted. And much like the four-year-old that she acted like sometimes, it worked just as well as it had¡­ in the past. Ridding himself of those thoughts, he worked very hard to pay attention to Asami¡¯s enthusiastic commentary on the virtues of a myriad of different flavours that he¡¯d honestly had no idea existed up to that point. Luckily for them, the tea store was indeed open and ready for business. Unfortunately, his pocket book suffered greatly as Asami went to town, as it were. By the time they left the homey shop, he had six different, and expensive, teas as well as a dozen different flavours of tea biscuits. And a whole new tea pot that also came with four matching cups. And five trays. He had put his foot down when she¡¯d suggested a fancy strainer. He bloody well had one of those already, so he wasn¡¯t going to waste even more money on another one. What both surprised and pleased him after he¡¯d paid for everything, was that the nice lady had packed away everything into a small crate-like box for them. He then thanked her again, giving her his second-best smile, which got him a wonderful smile in return, as well as an open invitation to return at any time. A bit disconcerted after that, he let Asami drag him back to the Manelle¡¯s place, deep in thought. Chapter 039 - Advantageous progress! The evening passed relatively well. He only had to endure Myra¡¯s ¡°subtle¡± glares as they sat for dinner together. Myra on his left, Asami on his right. If things had been entirely different, and under entirely different circumstances, he might have enjoyed sitting between two beautiful women. As it was, he was still having issues reconciling the great white nine-tailed fox and the bombshell beside him. Then there was Myra. He really wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about her. That Asami had spilled the beans about how she felt about him had mostly bounced off his thick head. It later sank in when Myra chose to sit beside him, shooting a myriad of looks his way while they ate. Well, he made sure to only take a little bit of food and nurse it for all it was worth. Though, from the looks Celys was giving him, he suspected that she might suspect that something was off with him. He just hoped that she wasn¡¯t imagining too strange of things. ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± he said when it looked like everyone was pretty much done eating. ¡°I just hope it was satisfying for everyone,¡± Celys said, looking at everyone, but lingering a bit longer on him. There was a general chorus of assurances that the meal was indeed well received. He, too, voiced his appreciation again before mentioning something that had bothered him since Asami had declared that she would follow him from then on. ¡°I¡¯ll be retiring for the night, then,¡± he said, then looked pointedly at Asami. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy your room as much as I¡¯m enjoying mine,¡± he said with a polite smile, then stood up, grabbed his crutches, and tried to escape. ¡°Mmm, no. I¡¯ll need my Joram pillow,¡± she said, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face as the entire room went quiet. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be OK sleeping in your own room, oh venerable Asami Miki,¡± Myra said, looking as though someone had stabbed her. Joram was already army crawling away when the final nail entered his coffin. ¡°No. I need my Joram pillow. I¡¯ll sleep with him,¡± she said, nodding as though it was the most natural thing in the world to need to sleep on someone. Why didn¡¯t I choose to study Psychoportation instead of Psychokinesis? He thought miserably. - - - Joram regarded Asami as she laid sprawled on his bed and considered just creating a recliner in which to meditate the rest of the night away. ¡°Nope,¡± Asami said, shaking her finger at him. ¡°I need my pillow.¡± Then inspiration struck and, with great hope welling up in his chest, he asked his question. ¡°Can¡¯t you just turn back into a fox to sleep?¡± Asami looked at him as though he¡¯d asked if the sky was blue. ¡°No, I can¡¯t turn back into a fox again,¡± she said as though it was common knowledge. Joram blinked at that, then held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. ¡°Is your change permanent?¡± he asked, greatly fearing it to be true. ¡°Yup,¡± Asami replied with such cheer that it pierced him through like a hot knife through butter. Fuuuuuuuuuuuu~~~, she¡¯s now a foxkin¡­ he thought, squeezing the bridge of his nose a bit tighter. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡®It looks like you¡¯ll have your hands full for the foreseeable future,¡¯ Avi said from his side, causing him to sigh at the inadvertent double entendre. At least he hoped that it had been unintentional. ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll need to take care of me and get me many tea biscuits!¡± Asami said, full of good humour and cheer. Suppressing a great sigh, Joram racked his brain for a solution. ¡®PJs,¡¯ Avi said, making him want to kiss her! ¡°Yes!¡± he said, now knowing the Path forward! ¡°Here¡¯re some ground rules if you want to use me as a pillow,¡± he said, getting Asami¡¯s attention again. ¡°First, you must wear pajamas. I¡¯ll show you what they are, but they¡¯re non-negotiable,¡± he finished in english, not knowing those words in Common yet. Even pajamas roughly translated to ¡°sleep clothing¡±. Asami fixed him with a glare, but stayed silent. ¡°Second, I only need to rest for a few hours each night, so ¡®pillow time¡¯ will be limited to that time window,¡± he said, getting an even fiercer glare that was bordering on a scowl. ¡°Third, no breaking rules One and Two,¡± he finished, unable to think of anything better while being targeted by her remarkably effective glare. ¡°I will decide if I like the pajamas,¡± Asami replied, still glaring. ¡°But you will not disturb my sleep.¡± Taking the partial win, Joram then proceeded to Phase 2: measurements. It was¡­ hard. Faced with such bountiful and soft assets as Asami¡¯s tails, it took much longer than he¡¯d anticipated. But he managed, and once he thought he had what he needed, he used [Ectoplasmic Creation]. This time he focussed on creating incredibly soft, smooth, and thick silk garments. Then, something seemed to come loose in his head. Suddenly, his mind was filled with everything that a person would ever need to know about weaving fabric. From materials to their attributes to thread count, it was all suddenly there like he¡¯d always known it. And when [Ectoplasmic Creation] was released, a pair of snow-white silk pajamas appeared on the bed beside Asami. They were relatively simple in design, consisting of loose pants that had a drawstring to keep them up and a narrow dip in the back to accommodate her tails. The shirt, though, was basically just a woman¡¯s tank-top make of the same thick snow-white silk. Asami eyed them dubiously until he convinced her to at least try them on before judging. With a shrug, Asami began divesting herself of her clothing, making Joram pull as hard as he could on [Quick Manifesting] as he created a changing screen to block out the sight. He got a System notification a moment later that he promptly ignored. ¡°Oooh, this fabric is amazing!¡± Asami said a few moments later, practically purring in pleasure. ¡°You must make all of my clothing from this fabric!¡± ¡°Uh¡­. For now, stuff I make seems to last about a day and a half. You¡¯ll still need normal clothing,¡± he explained with a shrug. ¡°Then you will make me new clothing every day!¡± Asami exclaimed, making her demand sound like the most reasonable thing on the planet. ¡°I¡¯ll- ah, fine,¡± he said, not wanting to explain that he wasn¡¯t a fashion designer by any stretch of the imagination. ¡°Good! Now, time for sleep!¡± ¡°Sure, just let me get changed,¡± he said, giving up as he pulled the screen over so that he could change. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. A handful of seconds later, he¡¯d dismissed his own clothing and created his own PJs. But not silk. Nice, traditional, cotton stuff. Cotton waffle bottom with a simple cotton t-shirt on top. Easy and comfy. The next hardship he encountered was the sight of Asami running her hands all over her body, enjoying the feeling of her silk garments. A bit of [Autohypnosis] later, he stepped over to the bed and scooted her over so that he could lay down. After that, Asami quickly pounced, causing him to grunt in pain as she twisted this way and that to get comfortable on his chest. After another round of [Autohypnosis], he was finally able to relax. It wasn¡¯t easy. Not one bit. Having the perfect combination of soft and firm laying on him would have been torture if he didn¡¯t have [Autohypnosis]. As it was¡­ it was still torture. So, he quickly wished her a good night before dropping deep into [Meditation]. He had things to learn, things to suss-out. He felt so close to getting [Restore Extremity] that he could practically taste it. His first hour of study went to Psychometabolism in hopes that he¡¯d make a breakthrough. There was just something about how psionic power interacted with his cells that he didn¡¯t quite get. But after the hour passed, he still hadn¡¯t managed to grasp it. Then came the study of the Discipline of Telepathy, as he was having a bit of a hard time understanding [Psychic Reformation] and its many complexities. That, surprisingly, went easier than he thought it would. So much so that he suspected that he¡¯d easily be able to use the first two levels¡¯ worth of telepathy-based powers. Like [Mind Thrust], [Telempathic Projection], [Cloud Mind], [Detect Hostile Intent], and [Ego Whip], just to name a few! He could easily make use of any of those powers to make his life much easier than it currently was. [Cloud Mind] alone could save him from countless awkward social situations! He was so thrilled with his progress that he decided to continue studying Telepathy for the next hour as well. Again, he felt that he¡¯d made great strides in understanding the discipline¡¯s nuances. If he kept making such strides, then [Barred Mind, Personal] might not be that far away from everyday use! If he could get that one going, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Asami reading his mind all the time! Joram¡¯s excitement nearly overflowed, almost breaking him out of his meditative state. He quickly calmed himself, then reluctantly turned back to Psychometabolism and started going over things again. As he was nearing the end of his fourth hour of meditation, it finally clicked. Psionic races, psionic beings. Of how psionic energy not only sustained him, but maintained him. New cells were made through psionic power, new growth enabled by psionic power. Then the psionic power flowed, taking the shape of [Restore Extremity] as it went. And down it went, through his body and into the stump of his leg. At first it felt as though someone had blown on his leg, then it began to tingle. After that it got weird. He could feel his femur starting to grow, elongate, at the same time that his skin stretched out, pushing along with the muscles that were forming, keeping up with his femur. Then the femur completed, leading to the muscles anchoring themselves with tendon and sinew. Some continued on as his patella reformed, then set into place once his tibia and fibula came into being. On and on it went, pushing outwards until he could wiggle his toes again, a great smile forming on his face as he felt his waffle pajamas rub against his skin. He moved his leg, then stopped dead. Joram¡¯s eyes shot open, turning downwards to see that his leg, his beautiful reformed, regrown leg had gone and pulled his pajama bottoms all the way down to his ankles because he¡¯d made them to fit snugly over the end of his stump. Like a giant sock. What was worse, Asami then shifted in her sleep, causing the fantastically soft and smooth silk to rub over him. ¡°Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum,¡± he quietly chanted a few times, once more drawing heavily on [Autohypnosis]. Thus calmed, he slowly, ever-so-slowly, crept his way out from under Asami, centimetre by excruciatingly slow and torturous centimetre. As he neared his goal, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation] to make himself a large and relatively firm body pillow that he gently slid underneath her as he slid out the last bit. *Ding!* The System notification caused his heart to stop. Then, as he forced his heart to beat again, he quickly muted System notifications for fear that they¡¯d kill him before he was done. Psychologically sweating, because he didn¡¯t seem to be able to physically sweat, he very carefully reached down to the end of his bed and retrieved his pajama bottoms and¡­ silently cursed before making a new pair. He then slid those on, but it was hard, harder than he thought it would be because his right leg didn¡¯t respond the same way as he remembered. So, he started doing yoga. Sure, he wasn¡¯t great at it, having only actually gone to a few sessions back on Earth and all. But he¡¯d also observed a few times, and his memory was now almost perfect¡­ when he concentrated on something, anyways. After almost an hour of it, he found that his balance and coordination were back to where they had been. Can¡¯t diss yoga, he thought wryly as he stepped behind the screen and quickly changed into some ¡°normal¡± clothing. Still made with [Ectoplasmic Creation], but more in line with what he¡¯d been wearing before¡­ all this. He was tempted to retrieve his shoes from his inventory, but made do with just creating some from ectoplasm. Though, leather was out of the picture. Getting a great idea, he instead went with making a pair of Converse sneakers. Sure, it was a bit silly, but he¡¯d loved the design growing up, but eventually his feet had become too wide to comfortably wear them as an adult. Now? Custom-made shoes! Now happier than was probably warranted, he retrieved the box of tea stuff from his inventory. He quickly sorted through it, chose a small pack of tea biscuits, and then placed it on the nightstand. He then put everything back, swapping it for a pen. He then created a sheet of paper, and wrote Asami a note, folded it, then placed it with the tea biscuits where she was guaranteed to see it. His obligations thus fulfilled, he silently crept out of the room, calling on every stealth skill he¡¯d ever developed as a kid trying to sneak about the house undetected by his parents. Surprisingly, it came much easier than he thought it would, and soon he was outside and breathing the fresh night air. He turned to leave and saw a flash of reflected light. Thinking he¡¯d been caught, he quickly spotted the source and heaved a sigh of relief. It was only the purple vixen. Smiling, he waved for her to follow, then took off at a light jog. She easily followed at his side, giving his leg more than one curious look, even going so far as to try to sniff it a few times. Which was both awkward and dangerous for her poor nose. So, he¡¯d stopped halfway to the wall to let her inspect him for a minute. She still seemed a bit weirded out by his leg, but he ultimately didn¡¯t quite care, so he set off again. It was a pleasant night, probably in the late teens, temperature-wise. Celsius. Still metric for him! Once he arrived at the gates, the guards gave him a funny look as they took in his two legs and the purple vixen. ¡°What¡¯s all this now?¡± the guard asked, obviously referring to the above-mentioned oddities. ¡°Just want to have a look around my property,¡± Joram said, pretending to not know what he was referring to. ¡°We can¡¯t open the gate at night,¡± the guard said, shaking his head. ¡°And no jumping over the wall like you did yesterday morning, either. The Chief would have our heads,¡± he finished, pinning him with an exceptionally sharp look. ¡°Got it. Can only go in and out during the day,¡± he said, then waved goodbye as the wandered off. Once he was out of sight, he stopped and quietly grumbled to himself, which got him a curious look from the vixen. He absently reached over and rubbed her head as he thought things through. He¡¯d already put himself in hot water with the Chief, so he didn¡¯t want to risk sliding further into her bad books. He¡¯d also slipped out of the house without Asami, and was sure that even with the bribe left behind, she¡¯d still be angry with him when she found him again. He also felt¡­ oddly clearheaded, as though he¡¯d worked through several problems and had thus finally been able to relax. Not sure if it was because of his leg having been regenerated or not, he still thought that maybe some introspection might help inform him as to why. So, he started walking again, now heading back to the Manelle¡¯s house, though his plan was to find a nice spot in the back yard. Once there, he decided on the same spot that he¡¯d met Asami on, then made himself a nice cushion and sat down. Once he was comfortable, he began meditating, and stopped again. It was¡­ odd. Normally when he activated the Skill, the world just kind of fell away, just leaving him with his thoughts. But now? He could still feel the air on his skin, hear the sounds around him. Curious as to what changed, he remembered the System notifications from earlier. So, he pulled up the condensed page and had a look.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: - Sleight of Hand - Stealth Previous experience in Stealth detected. Calculating¡­ Processing¡­ Congratulations! You¡¯ve successfully upgraded your first Skill! - Improved Stealth - Benefits: - Improved efficacy in taking advantage of your surroundings while attempting to hide. - Improved movement speed while in Stealth. You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - Concentration 9 -> 10 - Meditation 9 -> 10 - Pain Resistance 5 -> 6 - Quick Manifesting 6 -> 7 - Improved Stealth 1 -> 9 Potential for Skill evolution detected. The following Skills will now be combined: - Concentration + Meditation = *Clear Mind - *Clear Mind 10 -> 12 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +1 Intellect - +1 Spirit
Was it [Clear Mind]? Mostly likely. The gains to [Concentration] and [Meditation], although nice, weren¡¯t terribly surprising given what he¡¯d gone through with Asami earlier. But the increase to [Pain Resistance] was a bit confusing. Though, he now knew why sneaking about had come so easily when leaving the house earlier. Having a Skill upgrade really seemed to have an immediate improvement while using it. [Sleight of Hand], though¡­. Had retrieving his pajama pants really been that dangerous? Shaking his head, he activated his new meditation Skill, [Clear Mind] and began to delve his mind, in search of why he still felt so different. Chapter 040 - Getting back to normal life Not having slept at all well, Myra finally decided to just get ready for the day. She washed her face, brushed her hair, then tied it back with a plain red ribbon. She chose her outfit, a standard cut for her [Miko] attire, then wandered into the kitchen. There wasn¡¯t much she could just grab, but one of the household staff was already there baking their daily bread. ¡°Good morning young miss,¡± Linette said, giving her a warm smile. ¡°Good morning, Linette,¡± she replied with her own smile. She¡¯d always really liked Linette, even though she still insisted on calling her ¡®young miss¡¯. She continued chatting idly with Linette as she put the bread in the oven, and was anticipating the fresh bread that would soon emerge. As they spoke, she glanced out the window at the back yard, then faltered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Linette asked, slightly concerned as she moved to see what she¡¯d seen. It wasn¡¯t easy to see, for the glass wasn¡¯t anywhere near as clear as what she¡¯d seen at Joram¡¯s house- making her realize that the ¡°clear¡± glass in her home really wasn¡¯t-, but Joram¡¯s figure was hard to mistake, even through cloudy glass. ¡°Oh, its nothing. I just didn¡¯t expect to see Mr Joram out back,¡± she said, waving off Linette¡¯s concern. The fiery redhead gave her a dubious look, but dropped the subject by changing it back to what they¡¯d been talking about. Which, once more, reinforced her affection for the older woman who¡¯d helped take care of her when she was younger. But Myra didn¡¯t bring up Joram after that, for she was still too¡­ conflicted about him to want to speak about him with anyone else just yet. She was also still very angry at Asami Miki for having told Joram that she had feelings for him. Just how badly had that affected how he viewed her? Never mind that Asami Miki¡¯s claim had been completely false. No, her feelings for Joram were purely admiration for his intellect and determination. She¡¯d known a few people over the years who¡¯d lost a limb due to accident or combat, and none of them had taken their injury in stride like Joram had. It was pure admiration, that was all. To think that she¡¯d have feelings for Joram. Pshaw! ¡°Myra?¡± Linette said loudly, pulling her out of her ruminations. ¡°Are you OK? Do you need to go back to bed for a bit more? It¡¯s still quite early, after all,¡± Linette said, looking a bit worried about her. ¡°No, I was lost in thought, that¡¯s all,¡± Myra said quickly, not wanting to worry her friend. ¡°Besides, who would ever want to miss the chance at getting bread fresh from the oven?¡± she asked, practically drooling at the thought. Linette nodded, understanding full-well just how wonderful fresh-baked bread was, but still didn¡¯t believe her young friend. * * * ¡°Teaaaaaaa~~~,¡± Asami drawled out as she plonked down on one of the cushions in the living room, letting the body pillow land beside her while she cradled the tea biscuits that Joram had left her in her other hand. ¡°My, Miss Miki, what are you wearing?¡± the redheaded baker asked, looking a bit scandalized at her attire as Myra followed her out of the kitchen. ¡°Oh, this?¡± she asked coyly as she leaned over so that she could sprawl onto the body pillow, plucking at her fabulous top. ¡°Just something that Joram gave me last night,¡± she said, enjoying their looks. Especially Myra¡¯s. The ridiculously stubborn girl wasn¡¯t nearly half as honest with herself as she thought she was. Intrigued, they approached her and asked to feel the fabric, marvelling at how white it was. Asami graciously allowed them to feel the heavenly fabric, eating up their astonishment and lavish praise of the material. She also quite enjoyed Myra¡¯s warring thoughts surrounding Joram¡¯s ¡°gift¡± to her. Silly children should just be honest with themselves, and so any added drama-induced stress- and related emotional distress that came from it- was well deserved, in her opinion. As they were gushing over her ¡°pajamas¡±, the rest of the household arrived for breakfast. Young Kalduin¡¯s reaction was hilarious, his face going red before quickly turning around to look at the wall. Nalun was more normal, just nodding politely before turning his head slightly so that he wouldn¡¯t have to look at her directly. Celys, though, joined in on the praise of the fabric, eventually finding out that Joram had made it for her. Which then ignited the woman¡¯s business side, thoughts of incredible wealth flowing through her mind as she started planning how to get more of the fabric from Joram. Asami was even impressed with how much of a share she¡¯d even allocate to Joram for his work, for it rose above her standard three parts in ten that she normally went with. ¡°Teaaaaaa~~~~,¡± she said, repeating her earlier need for the stuff so that she could fully enjoy her precious tea biscuits. That snapped everyone out of their thoughts and delusions, and soon morning tea was prepared and served. She was first, of course. That was only right and proper seeing as how she was the most senior person present. Happily sipping her tea and nibbling on the biscuits, she continued listening to the Manelle family, both their spoken words and unspoken. They were truly an interesting bunch. * * * Joram came out of his meditation smiling, for he now understood more of what had changed in him. He couldn¡¯t claim credit for everything, though, as Avi had also helped to provide some insights into his changes. For one, he¡¯d finally managed to fully unlock all of his Shaper ¡°class features¡±. They weren¡¯t sure what exactly had happened to cause their ¡°release¡±, but he was nevertheless glad for it. [Summoner¡¯s Call], [Ectoplasmic Protection], [Maestro of Ectoplasm], and [Astral Ally] had all fully unlocked. What was curious, though, were the changes to what they did compared to what he¡¯d ¡°known¡± from his gaming days. For one, the durations of each of those abilities had significantly increased, at least doubling from what they¡¯d been. In others, the durations had changed from ¡°rounds¡± to tens of minutes, or even hours. Then there was the volume of what he could produce. That had multiplied by at least two from what he could figure out. Not only that, but the times he could activate limited use abilities like [Ectoplasmic Protection], had increased many times. He suspected that it was tied to his Spirit Attribute, as his current listed modifier matched the ¡°times per day¡± that he felt he could use that ability. Not only that, but the number of [Astral Ally]s he could designate had increased to match his Intellect modifier. He also felt that they would be even more¡­ real, if that was the right word for it. Either way, he could have more bodyguards running around, so that was a huge bonus to him. Feeling more than pretty good, he stretched and then gave the purple vixen a few pets before standing up. He stretched again, then noticed that the six-tailed fox had practically teleported onto his vacated cushion, so he left it there. Weighing the pros and cons of going back inside, he ultimately decided that doing so would be less of a hassle than not. So, off he went, enjoying the cool morning air as the sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating the tops of the buildings nearby with its morning pastels. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Once inside, he heard everyone talking, so went and joined them in the dining room. ¡°Good morning,¡± he said, greeting them as a group instead of trying to do so one person at a time. ¡°Morn¡¯n,¡± was the general response as they turned to look at him, though Asami just idly waved in his general direction as she nibbled on her biscuit. Then the room stopped dead, everyone staring at his right leg. Several heartbeats passed where the only sound to be heard was Asami¡¯s quiet nibbling. Then all hell broke loose. ¡°What-that-what?!¡± ¡°How?!¡± ¡°Am I seeing things?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The last one was Myra, who was too stunned to speak as she could only stare at his leg, then back up at his face, then his leg, so on and so forth. It took almost ten minutes to calm them all down, then another twenty to explain things. He didn¡¯t go into detail, for that would have taken months of translations, creating new words for them, and instructions on the basics of anatomy, never mind how long it would have taken to teach them the more advanced stuff. As it was, he just had to leave it at ¡°because of my innate abilities¡±. Asami, though, had probably read his thoughts on his leg long before, so didn¡¯t react the same was as the rest. Instead, she seemed to be happier at the thought of him not needing both arms to walk around. Which, in her head, translated to ¡°Yay! We can now hold hands while walking together!¡±. Which got them both a death glare form Myra, and a solid ¡°No¡± from him. From the minimal reaction of just pouting at him, he suspected that her comment had been more flippant than not, but also aimed at nettling Myra. He didn¡¯t understand why Asami was picking on the poor girl, but decided to keep out of it. If what Asami had said yesterday was true, then Myra would need to sort things out for herself before he¡¯d even go near that topic with her. After that, breakfast was had. Once again, it was what he¡¯d call a traditional North American breakfast. Bacon, eggs, bread, sausages, and a fruit spread. Feeling much better, he decided to have more than a token serving, loading up on all of the above. Once breakfast was finished and the dishes cleared away, Celys brought up her business idea to him. ¡°If we can get enough of that fabric, it would provide a major boost to Kirkwall¡¯s economy,¡± she finished, eyes alight with excitement and thoughts of piles of gold. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind helping,¡± he said, finally able to get a word in edgewise. ¡°But. What I can create is only temporary. They¡¯ll vanish in a day or two. So, sorry to burst your bubble,¡± he said, glancing over at Asami as she continued snacking on tea and tea biscuits. Just where does it all go? He wondered in amazement, which got him a glare from Asami. ¡°Oh,¡± Celys said, ears physically drooping to show just how sad that made her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure that the economy will pick up sooner or later,¡± he said, trying to console the despondent woman. Surprisingly, it seemed to work, as a few moments later she perked up again. ¡°Of course,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Kirkwall has a lot to offer. We just have to make sure the traders realize that too,¡± she finished, nodding one more. After that, he excused himself and headed for the west-side wall again. Asami, though, chose to follow him right away, eliciting several scandalized comments from the Manelle family. Which then resulted in a red jacket being found then put on Asami. Joram nodded, appreciating the jacket¡¯s ability to fully cover Asami¡¯s assets. It would also reduce the amount of attention he¡¯d get when she followed him around. Then he was off to the wall, then at the wall, then past the gate and new set of guards, and looking at the looming forest in front of him. Not wanting to risk being attacked unprepared, he manifested [Inertial ArmourA], then set out to inspect his land. He was pleased to see that it was as picturesque as he¡¯d hoped. The massive redwoods kept smaller trees from growing under their canopy, but still allowed for a lot of underbrush like grasses and ferns. Mostly ferns, though. That said, there were several different kinds of bushes, some even bearing fruit. He also noticed that there were a lot of boulders and stones to be seen. It would have certainly made farming here a pain. But for him? It made things easier as he wouldn¡¯t have to source any stone as there was plenty to be had in his four-hundred square acre plot of land. Then he wondered just how he would know the exact boundaries for his land. ¡®Townhall likely has a land surveyor for just that purpose,¡¯ Avi said from beside him. ¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± he agreed, taking in the sight of her again, which got him a huff of annoyance from Asami. ¡®Best not look too closely,¡¯ Avi said, winking at him mischievously. Joram suppressed both a sigh and a blush, turning to studiously inspect a boulder nearby. Then, ignoring both women¡¯s comments, he formed his N7-90, took aim, and shot. He then approached the boulder and inspected the chipped-off shard, then the boulder. ¡°I think that moss stone might be more abundant than Celys thinks,¡± he said, showing the shard to both Asami and Avi. ¡®That would certainly help improve the economy here,¡¯ Avi agreed while Asami just shrugged, not particularly invested in economics. Then, wondering if he could use the stuff for construction, he retrieved his hunting knife and tried to scratch the smooth section of boulder he¡¯d created with his shot. The knife didn¡¯t so much as leave a mark on it, which meant that it was at least harder than steel. Nodding, he looked around again, this time taking note of how many large boulders he could see. Then he continued his inspection, keeping track of the resources that he could make use of. He was done just over an hour later, back at the edge of the forest near the western gate, thinking. He could probably use the abundant stone in the area to create his walls and the foundations of any buildings he¡¯d want to make. Heck, he might even be able to build the structures completely out of stone, making them much more resistant to damage. Like from goblins. He would also need some lumber to at least make the frame for his new house, and for any other building he planned to make. So, he went back to Kirkwall, Asami and skulk in tow. The guards gave him another weird look, but he was getting used to those, so he ignored them and proceeded to the bank. This time he got even more extreme reactions. The tellers that he¡¯d met before all exclaimed when they saw Asami following along behind him with her skulk. Then they made noise about his ¡°new¡± leg. After they¡¯d calmed down enough to work, he got to business. Specifically exchanging eight of his Grade C cores so that he could finally buy those last four plots of land. It still took longer than he would have liked, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to just up and leave when people were genuinely expressing how glad they were that he was once again whole. It was just hard, as he¡¯d never been used to anyone, let alone a group of people, being so kind to him. But he eventually escaped by telling them that he needed to go to townhall to finish buying his land. At townhall, he received similar attention from the staff there. After they¡¯d calmed sufficiently, he presented four gold coins, intent on paying for his reserved lots. ¡°Thank you for your prompt payment,¡± the clerk said, smiling. ¡°And because you paid for the reserved lots within a week, you¡¯ll be refunded your reservation fee,¡± he finished as he swapped the four gold coins out for four silver ones. Pleasantly surprised at that, Joram tucked away the coins before receiving his new land titles, shaking the man¡¯s hand, then wishing him a great day. Once outside, Joram heaved a sigh of relief. This was, well not counting his first purchase, the first time he¡¯d owned land. His family back on Earth had owned land, but not him. He¡¯d been too¡­ unreliable to actually go out and buy a place of his own. Now? He was probably still considered unreliable, but at least he owned his own land now. And given how easy it was to earn money here as compared to back on Earth, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about getting a nine-to-five job. Though, he was still interested in learning from the various crafters that Celys had introduced him to when he¡¯d first arrived¡­ just a few days ago. Man, time passed so quickly, but at the same time also felt longer than it had been. Then he remembered his lumber needs and went back into townhall to see if they guy- he still hadn¡¯t gotten his name!- knew where he could get some. Which led him to the north side of town, specifically the outside of it. There, he found a smallish lumber yard. Well, small compared to what he was used to seeing back on Earth. Here, it was probably a respectable size when you took into account the size of the community it serviced. As he approached, he took in deep breaths of the wonderful smell of cut and processed wood. It was different from what he was used to, smelling mostly like cedar instead of spruce or pine. But it was still nice, as it brought back memories of simpler times. Once inside their office-like store, he met with the foreman and was promptly given a tour of the place as he was also shown the various products that they produced there. There was anything from decorative trim all the way to twelve-by-twelve beams for structural support. That said, there were only two types of wood available, the red stuff from the giant trees, and a dark teak-like wood from the smaller ones they also harvested. Both were considered hardwoods and fit for structural support. After a bit more questioning, he found out that both woods would darken as they aged. The redwood would deepen in colour until it was a dark wine colour, while the teak-like wood would darken to a very deep and rich brown. Then the prices came, and he was a bit less happy. For sufficient wood to do what he wanted, it would cost him three gold and twenty-seven silver. Coins, thank goodness. He thanked the man, assuring him that when he needed to buy, he¡¯d be back to speak with him personally. He then left, seriously contemplating brushing up on [Modify Matter, Greater] to see if he could just get the stuff himself. Then a thought occurred to him, so he made a slight detour and picked up a few of the teak-like wood shavings and stuffed them into his pocket. All the while smiling like a bandit who¡¯d gotten way with a trunk full of gold. Chapter 041 - Starting the build ¡°Fooooooooood~,¡± Asami begged on their way back to town. He glanced over at the sun and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s not lunchtime, though?¡± he asked, wondering if he wasn¡¯t reading things right. ¡°It is for me,¡± she said firmly, giving him an imperious look. ¡°Let¡¯s find you something to eat then,¡± he sighed, then had to hurry to keep up with Asami as she began power walking. An hour later, Asami was fed and he was a bit poorer. She¡¯d eaten four servings of the street food, claiming that she couldn¡¯t possibly insult the vendors by not trying their food. And at two bronze per serving, it added up quick. ¡°OK, so I¡¯m going to head back to the forest again,¡± he said, looking between the gluttonous girl and the skulk. ¡°If you want to come along, feel free. But it will be boring. I¡¯m just planning on doing some work today,¡± he finished, trying hard to make it sound entirely too boring for them. ¡°I¡¯ll still come,¡± Asami said, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t know about these kids, though,¡± she finished by waving a hand at the gathered spirit foxes. Joram just shrugged before heading out of town, Asami and only a few foxes in tow, including the purple vixen who¡¯d taken a liking to him first. ¡°Her name is Harumi,¡± Asami piped up as they went. ¡°¡¯Purple Vixen¡¯ is a bit rude,¡± she finished, giving him the side eye. ¡°What else was I supposed to call her?¡± he asked, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can ask her.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± Asami asked, looking confused. ¡°Can¡¯t you use [Telepathy]?¡± ¡°Not with-,¡± he stopped, then frowned. Yes, there were indeed powers that would let him speak with animals and intelligent creatures and beings. Then shrugged. If he opened up that can of worms, who knew when he¡¯d get another moment of peace and quiet. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami snorted, but still kept pace with him as they left the west gate. It took him a little while to decide exactly where he wanted to build, but he eventually found the right spot. There was a narrow stream that burbled by a relatively flat section of land that just called to him. It was also almost dead centre in a clearing, having five great trees on its borders. Smiling, he got to work. First, he used his new [Telekinesis] Skill to start scaping away the underbrush, though he saved the fruit-bearing bushes by scooping them out of the earth and setting them aside for future replanting. He kept switching between the Power and the Skill, letting his power pool and mana pool each recharge while not using the other. Once that was done, he then started measuring out the space, then placing markers for where he wanted things. After that, he used [Foxhole] liberally, creating a respectably deep basement area in no time. Unfortunately, the larger stones, and especially the boulders, were left behind in the hole. Though, that also helped save him time by having the stones there and ready to use. After that, he created a ramp to the basement, as jumping down over seven metres wasn¡¯t a healthy life choice. Once he was down there, he began using [Modify Matter] to first create thick stone blocks, then to create more decorative floor tiles. He thought about making piles and driving them down to help stabilize the structure, but then discarded the idea because the house wasn¡¯t going to be that tall. As he worked, Asami watched with him with great interest. The foxes, though, took off. Probably to hunt or play. Or perhaps to take a nap? Who knows? Joram was also pleased that most of the stone turned out to be moss stone, though there was some that looked to be a black variation of the stone. Which, in the end, created some pretty cool patterns when he mixed the black stuff together with the green stuff. By the time he was done for the day, he had most of a foundation laid, and the entire basement was thirty by fifty metres. To say that he was a bit burnt out from the constant manifesting, let alone trying to expand his understanding of the Power, would have been an understatement. But it had been incredibly fulfilling. He had once again left his notifications to pile up, but didn¡¯t bother checking them on his way back. If he was right, he could feel the slight difference in his Skills whenever they levelled up now, so there wasn¡¯t much urgency to constantly check on his progress. Maybe he¡¯d start checking every other day? Then they arrived at the Manelle¡¯s place and had dinner with the family. Asami happily munched down her food before getting back to her tea & biscuits, while Joram answered more questions for Myra and Celys. ¡°What have you been up to today?¡± Myra asked, looking as though she¡¯d needed to build up the nerve to ask. ¡°Well, I first paid for the rest of the land I¡¯d reserved, then¡­¡± he said, explaining what he¡¯d been up to, oddly content to talk about his day. Which struck him as a bit odd, because he¡¯d never really liked doing that in the past. Now? It didn¡¯t really bother him at all. Actually, it was kind of nice to have someone genuinely care about what he¡¯d done that day. The family was surprised when they heard that he¡¯d paid off his land already, and more so when they found out that he was already working on his foundation. ¡°Can I come with you tomorrow?¡± Myra asked, almost shyly, but with a bit more force in her tone than she probably expected to be there, given the slight flush to her cheeks. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± he said, looking from her to her parents who shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll probably be a bit boring for you though. Even the foxes all took off while I was working,¡± he explained, remembering when they¡¯d all finally returned. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Myra said, looking away slightly as she spoke. ¡°Besides, if the foxes come tomorrow too, then I¡¯ll have plenty to do.¡± Joram nodded, not seeing a problem with that. He¡¯d felt vaguely guilty for some reason when the foxes had returned, as though he had some sort of unspoken responsibility to keep them entertained or something. Which was ridiculous, of course. But the ridiculousness of the sentiment didn¡¯t diminish it very much. After chatting a bit more, he excused himself and retired to his room where he did his nightly routine of [Cleanse] and creating his bed-time clothing. In preparation for Asami¡¯s arrival, he also created a new set of PJs for her, as well as the changing screen. For as awesome as it was to get all those Skill levels last night, he didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d survive another round like that. Well, it was more that he didn¡¯t think he could hold himself back. Even though he was now a High Elan, his body still seemed to react as it did when he was a human teenager. With all the prep done, he activated [Clear Mind] and got to studying Telepathy again. He was soooooo close, he could taste it. So it was that he spent the next several hours going over the intricate and sometimes confusing nuances of Telepathy. That is, until he felt himself get shoved over. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Bedtime,¡± Asami grumped at him, already changed into her new PJs and sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked at her, more than a bit annoyed, then spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t do that; it¡¯s not nice,¡± he said, cross with her. ¡°Don¡¯t make a woman wait for over an hour then,¡± she replied frostily, then deliberately poked him with her foot. A quick use of [Autohypnosis] prevented Asami from being tossed out his door, yet still got him a glare for his efforts. Taking a few more deep breaths, he got up and stepped over to the bed. For all her annoyance with him a few seconds ago, she quickly scooted over to make room for him with a great smile on her face. He suppressed a sigh before laying down and shifting to get comfortable. Then Asami was on top of him again, wiggling around to find just the right position. [Clear Mind] was indeed his friend, as it saved him the embarrassment of biology trying to fulfill the measure of its creation. ¡°What¡¯s that chant you keep using?¡± Asami asked, tilting her head up so that she could look up at him. Ignoring just how freaking sexy she looked, he explained. ¡°It¡¯s an ancient chant from my home used to help calm and centre oneself,¡± he said, once again suppressing his physiology through sheer will. ¡°I know you¡¯re not a stuffy monk,¡± she said, giving him a searching look. ¡°So, why bother avoiding what nature intended?¡± she asked, for all the world not seeming to understand where he was coming from. ¡°Because I believe that we¡¯re more than just bundles of biological imperatives, to act solely on instinct,¡± he said, shaking his head a bit. ¡°Because, if I choose to be with someone like that, I want to make sure that it will be a lasting relationship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re weird,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°There are very few species that mate for life, staying with just one another.¡± ¡°Yeah, foxes don¡¯t stick to one partner, do they?¡± he asked, remembering a bit about them from his youth. ¡°Actually, most spirit foxes do,¡± she said, giving him a challenging glare. ¡°And why are you so interested in me?¡± he asked, still very curious to hear the answer. ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± she said, then stuck her tongue out at him before looking back down again. He gave up and went back to using [Clear Mind], hoping to both forget that ultra-cute gesture and to get a breakthrough that night as well. Alas, only one of those things occurred, he mentally sighed seven hours later as he watched the sky brighten outside. Asami had moved very little during that time, much to his surprise. He found that instead of laying slightly on her side, she was now completely prone with her arms out and hugging him. Her head was resting right on his chest, her breath coming smooth and steady. He wondered once more what she was about, but then gave up. Women were mysterious beings, let alone women who¡¯d been an ancient spirit fox until just recently. Her obsession with tea biscuits was cute, though. And since the things weren¡¯t loaded with sugar like the cookies back home, he needn¡¯t worry about her gaining fifty kilos or developing diabetes. Was that even a thing here? Do they have the same diseases as Earth? Or are our physiologies different enough that they¡¯ve developed different diseases? Many good questions, so few answers. He still wasn¡¯t very good when it came to Psychometabolism, let alone the rest of the Disciplines. But when he was proficient enough, then perhaps he could start helping others. Maybe start up a clinic or something. Sure, he¡¯d finally been able to use [Restore Extremity], but his insights had been specifically for High Elans. It would take more time to get to the point where he could help others who¡¯d gone through the trauma of losing a limb. To that end, he really needed to step up his research and understanding of [Delve]. From what he understood of the power, he could adjust the resolution of what he could ¡°see¡± with it to a fantastic degree. Which would then allow for a myriad of uses, from the basics of using it to get the layout of a structure, all the way down to examining the atomic structure of a substance. Any of those applications would be of tremendous help to him here. And what was better, it would also allow him to memorize the structure of various things. Things like food and various materials and substances from textiles to alloys to medicine. And once he had that, he could start replicating things. Heheheheh, like a Star Trek replicator, he thought as a stupid grin spread on his face as his geeky side came out once more. ¡°Mmmm?¡± Asami grumbled/mumbled as she stirred, disturbed by his quiet chuckling. Which once more did a few too many things to him before he could use [Clear Mind]. ¡°Eh-heh~~?¡± Asami said, shifting even more as she fixed him with a mischievous look, an absolutely devastating grin curving her soft lips. ¡°Time to get up!¡± he said, then slipped out from underneath her as she tried to hold onto him. Which resulted in her being half dragged out of bed, her torso laying on the floor while her thighs rested against the side of the bed, her tails hanging limply over her back and head. How the hell can she even make that look sexy?! He thought as he quickly ducked behind the screen and got changed as he put [Clear Mind] through the ringer. He even prepared a kimono for her, white with red trim. Taking her tails into consideration, he¡¯d made the back of the garment split so that you would have to pull it up, thus leaving room for her tails. Then, above that split, he¡¯d included a few ties going up the back, to make sure that the back wasn¡¯t left open. He¡¯d even experimented with the kimono¡¯s fabric by trying to add some cloud designs by shifting the direction of the weave by about thirty degrees in those places. He wasn¡¯t sure how it would look, but he didn¡¯t quite care at the moment. He then tossed it, as well as a pair of shorts and another tank top, over the change screen at her before slipping out of the room. It was still early enough that only the baker lady was up and about, happily making some tasty bread. ¡°Do you mind if I watch?¡± he asked, nearly causing her to drop her bowl in fright, her tail even going so far as to poof out. ¡°You scared me!¡± she breathed, clutching her chest as she stared at him, wide-eyed. He felt a bit sorry for having scared the fiery redhead, though, for she was one of those genuinely lovely people. ¡°Do you need to sit for a bit?¡± he asked, reaching for a chair. ¡°No, deary, I¡¯ll be fine. I just hadn¡¯t heard you coming, is all,¡± she said as her colour visibly improved. ¡°Ah, sorry about that. I guess I make a lot less noise than when I was using my crutches,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°That you do,¡± she replied, shaking her head again. ¡°But it¡¯s fine, you can watch boring old me making bread if you¡¯d like. Are you interested in learning how to bake?¡± she asked, turning back to her work kneading the dough. ¡°I like to learn new things whenever I can,¡± he replied with a smile that she missed. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to live your life, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said, nodding as she then quickly cut the dough into sections before covering them with a bit more flour and then a large cloth. She then uncovered another batch of dough before placing each of the four onto a large baking sheet¡­ that looked to be made of metal and liberally greased. She then slipped them into an oven, of which there were two, before reaching into the second oven and retrieving the golden bread inside. Even as he inhaled and took in the heavenly scent of fresh bread, he silently lamented arriving just a bit too late to watch the whole process. And to steal the recipe. Yes, he had several recipes he¡¯d collected over the years, but new recipes were always nice¡­. What am I even thinking? I don¡¯t need to eat anymore! He silently upbraided himself. Still, it was hard to rid oneself of habits that had formed over decades. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to expand his knowledge, especially since he would be able to do much more in the near future. He then wondered if he could replicate the baking stones he¡¯d used for many years. If he could, then he was sure that they¡¯d sell well¡­. Shaking his head again, he rid himself of those useless thoughts. He was going to make his money hunting monsters and selling their cores. No need to worry about a shop, employees, or any of the logistical nightmare that was keeping up the supplies he¡¯d need to keep said shop running. No. It was far easier to just kill monsters. That¡¯s what he would do. Before he knew it, the baker-lady was pulling out the final tray of bread and letting them cool while another person was currently whipping up a storm preparing the traditional breakfast of the family. Which meant that they were either up and in the dining room, or would be shortly. ¡°Thanks for letting me watch,¡± Joram said, giving her a smile of thanks. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, dear,¡± she said, giving him a motherly smile in return as she quickly went about cleaning up her work area. In the dining room, he found Celys and Nalun already sitting at their places. He greeted them, then took a seat and waited for the rest of the family to arrive. Thankfully, things went a bit smoother this morning than yesterday. Myra seemed to be in a better mood, so that made things much easier for him. Even with Asami teasing her, though she stopped when he threatened to cut back her supply of tea biscuits. Then they were off, both Myra and Asami accepting what looked like a wrapped lunch from the kind baker lady, who Myra called Linette. Myra stuck closely to his right as Asami took up position on his left, copying Myra. Thankfully neither of them had gone so far as to grab onto him, which allowed him to put up his [Inertial ArmourA] on the way out of town as his skulk of foxes slowly accumulated numbers. He was looking forward to a long day of creating his own house. It was always a pleasure to see the results of one¡¯s own hard work. Chapter 042 - A chaperone? The following two days passed quickly for him. Both of which passed much like the first one. They left early in the morning, brought along a boxed lunch, of which he assured Myra that he really didn¡¯t need to eat until later that night. Then he¡¯d get to work once they arrived. The first day saw the foundation completed. It was more of a traditional Canadian foundation though, as it extended high above ground level, though he left spaces for where he¡¯d install windows in the future¡­ once he had a decent supply of silica sand, or something reasonably close to it. That said, he had run out of stone halfway through the day, so he¡¯d gone a ways away and found a raised bit of the forest. Sure enough, there had been a large deposit of stone buried there which he uncovered using [Foxhole]. It was an amazingly useful power. So useful, in fact, that he was accumulating a fair amount of displaced earth and soil that he would more than likely use to level out the area in the future. He then used [Astral ConstructA] to create five constructs that he immediately designated as [Astral Ally]s, freeing up his power pool to regenerate back up to full capacity. Each construct was ¡°huge¡± in size, topping seven metres in height, but quadrupedal, taking on an appearance similar to a centaur¡­ a centaur crossed with a dump truck. He packed them up with absurd amounts of strength¡­ and that was it. Every option went into strength, making it the hauling process that much faster. At the end of the day, he tried [GrowA] on the teak-like wood shavings, and was pleased when he got several seeds out of it. He¡¯d then quickly planted the seeds before using [Grow] once more, though only the option that accelerated the growth by about ten times. He then left his constructs there for the night with instructions to defend the site from any monsters that might show up. The next day he used [GrowA] again, this time accelerating the growth even more, causing both Asami and Myra to stare in shock as the five trees rapidly grew as they watched. While they watched the trees grow, he went off again to collect more stone with his constructs. By the time lunch arrived, the five new trees were a good metre wide and at least thirty metres tall. Once the girls were done eating under the new trees, he ushered them off so that he could get to work. When they were a safe distance away, he climbed up the tree with the help of a created strap, then used [Modify Matter] on it when he was about two thirds of the way up. It was quite the sight to see the top section of the tree slide off and fall to the side, crashing down and making a racket. Quite the sight, and more than a little bit dangerous, as one of the branches had clipped his shoulder on the way down, nearly knocking him off the tree. Lesson learned, for the next section of tree he created a very long and heavy rope that he then tied around the top of the tree. The other end was given to one of his constructs. Once in place, he once again used [Modify Matter], but then had the construct immediately give a mighty pull on the rope before quickly heading to the side to avoid the falling hazard. Then the last part was the easiest, not needing anything special. After [Modify Matter] was used on the base of the tree, he watched as it fell over with a loud thud. After that, he used the power again, but this time to pare off all the branches and debark the sections. Rinse and repeat four more times, and he had a respectable number of logs stacked up. After that, he prepared the logs with yet another use of [Modify Matter], cutting them into various lengths and sizes, while also pulling the moisture out of them. Effectively curing them over a matter of seconds. By the time the second day was done, he¡¯d managed to put together the frame for the first floor. The third day saw a repeat of the second. Grow trees, gather stone, harvest trees, create lumber, and build house. Though, he did manage to install foot-thick stone walls on the first floor, making the growing building look that much more impressive. He¡¯d gone for a rough-cut look for the stone though, not really wanting to have a reflective house. This time, he had the constructs load up the basement with all of the materials he¡¯d gathered and made before they left, once again leaving the constructs behind to guard the site. The fourth day saw the next wave of goblins show up, this time from the southwest. They arrived just as he and his two companions and their ever-present skulk of foxes were leaving the western gate. ¡°Come back!¡± a guardswoman yelled urgently, frantically waving at them. ¡°Goblin attack!¡± Grinning, Joram urged the two girls back inside while calling his [Astral Ally]s to him. ¡°Where?¡± he asked, looking around at the gate. ¡°To the south,¡± she replied, trying to get him inside as fast as she could. ¡°I¡¯ll head there, then,¡± he said, smiling as he ran off to indignant shouting from the guardswoman, as well as Myra. Asami just looked annoyed. On the way there, he buffed himself with [BiofeedbackA] as well as [Force ScreenA], happily noting that those two fully augmented buffs hadn¡¯t taken as much of his power pool as before, making him think that it had once more grown. But he didn¡¯t have time to check as he ran, instead forming his N7-90. By the time he arrived, the goblins had made it to the wall and were trying to toss each other up. There were also twice the number as last time, making him hesitate a bit. His constructs arrived shortly after that, so he sent them directly at the back line where the goblin shamans were pelting the walls with their spells. Damn, this¡¯ll be tough, he thought, taking it all in once more as his constructs drew attention to themselves. Really, it wasn¡¯t hard when you were shaped like that while being made of silvery-white ectoplasm. Fortunately, the guards on the walls didn¡¯t seem to view them as a threat to Kirkwall, possibly due to word spreading from last time¡¯s assault. Gritting his teeth in anticipation of the upcoming pain, he started running so that he could get into range of the small army. Once he was close enough, he blasted the closest goblin to him, then shot it twice more before it went down, recharging his [Psychic Strike] for him. The rest of the battle was a blur of blood, gore, and death. He¡¯d needed to heal himself a few times when he couldn¡¯t dodge an incoming spell in time, which also helped to increase his [Pain Resistance]. Which he could have done without, honestly. Avoiding the hits in the first place was what he was all about, after all. He also found that his [Telekinesis] Skill was incredibly useful when it came to crowd control. Between that, and using the [Cold] blade skill, he mostly managed to keep out of the thick of things while blasting the goblins with impunity. He wasn¡¯t sure how long the battle lasted, but was glad when it ended. He was exhausted, probably as exhausted as he¡¯d been after running away from those goblins just over a week ago. Still, he smiled in contentment. He¡¯d once again lived through it all, though he probably should have just stayed up on the walls and took his shots from there. He shook his head, wondering if Celys would allow him to be up there for the next attack. Considering that he now only had one [Astral Ally] still standing, he wasn¡¯t sure how wise it would be to keep going at it down there. With thoughts like that flitting through his mind, he made his way through the dead, identifying those he¡¯d killed by their very obvious wounds, looting as he went. While he was doing that, he figured that it was about time to check his notifications. When he saw it, he frowned a bit, then quickly reorganized how it presented its information. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: - Mana Well - Marksmanship - Source of Power You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - *Clear Mind 12 -> 17 - Dodge 7 -> 9 - Endurance 6 -> 9 - Improved Accuracy 3 -> 5 - Lucky 7 -> 9 - Mana Well 1 -> 3 - Marksmanship 1 -> 2 - Pain Resistance 6 -> 7 - Quick Manifesting 7 -> 11 - Source of Power 1 -> 4 - Strafing 7 -> 9 - Telekinesis 3 -> 11 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +1 Speed - +2 Intellect - +2 Spirit - +1 Luck Kill count: - 13 Rank D goblins - 37 Rank C hobgoblins - 4 Rank B hobgoblins
Looking at the descriptions for [Mana Well] and [Source of Power], they were almost identical. The former increased his mana pool while the later did the same for his power pool. What was interesting was that for every rank in those Skills, he got an additional ten mana or power added to those pools. What was more, for every ten ranks in those Skills, he could get an additional point added to their respective rates of regeneration. Sure, it wasn¡¯t a lot right now, but he could see how those Skills would add up as they leveled. Heck, he¡¯d just gotten an additional thirty mana and forty power added to his pools! Then [Marksmanship] caught his attention when he quickly glanced through its description.
Marksmanship This Skill increases the damage you deal with any ranged attack that requires manual targeting.
It was a very simple description, but one that he was more than glad to read. Given that he¡¯d more or less gone almost fully ranged, it was a godsend. The faster he could take down his enemies, the higher the chances of him surviving another day. Well, if he kept out of the thick of it, that is. Shaking his head, he continued looting until he¡¯d found every goblin he¡¯d been responsible for killing. He then tallied up his gains, and smiled. 3,916 bronze coins, 558 silver coins, 13 Grade D cores, 37 Grade C cores, and 4 Grabe B cores, and another Skill Book. This one was called [Iron Belly], making him frown a bit. Upon inspection, it basically allowed the user to ingest almost anything without negative repercussions. Fitting for a goblin, he supposed, but kind of useless for him. Which led him to wonder if there was a market for Skill Books in Kirkwall. Though, thinking about it, Kirkwall might be a bit small for something like that. He¡¯d just have to ask Celys about it later. ¡®You could also hold onto it for now,¡¯ Avi piped in. ¡®You never know when something will become useful in the future.¡¯ ¡°True, but I don¡¯t really plan on becoming a hoarder. If someone can benefit from it, then all the better. Besides, I don¡¯t really plan on eating that much anyways. Also, I can just heal myself if it really comes down to it,¡± he said, shrugging as he put the Skill Book back into his now full inventory. ¡°I need more storage,¡± he muttered, thinking about how useful a bag of holding would be. ¡®You might not have realized it yet, but you do have access to the necessary knowledge needed to create such things,¡¯ she said, giving him a strange look. ¡°No, no I didn¡¯t,¡± he admitted with a frown. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been too focussed on other things lately.¡± ¡®That¡¯s true. It¡¯s hard to concentrate on things when a beautiful woman is sleeping on your chest,¡¯ she said, giving him what he could only call a ¡°wicked¡± grin. ¡°Har. Har,¡± he said, trying not to remember how that felt. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just jealous,¡± he said to poke back at her, but was nearly floored when she winked at him before once more vanishing. ¡°Well, sh-,¡± he said, but was cut off by being tackled by Asami. ¡°Stop doing that,¡± she said from her perch on his chest. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Running into battle. It¡¯s bad for the health,¡± she said, glaring at him as Myra finally caught up. ¡°Why do you do that?!¡± she asked, making him wonder to whom she was speaking. After a few seconds of her glaring at him, he caught on. ¡°I, ah, need the money,¡± he said lamely, for it truly was a lame excuse to risk one¡¯s life for money. ¡°Well stop it! I¡¯ll convince mother to let you stay on the walls. So, please, don¡¯t do that anymore,¡± she said, looking both angry and about to cry, making him feel even worse for having worried her. And Asami, who took the opportunity to punch him in the shoulder, then winced. It took another few minutes to calm them both enough to let him stand again. But then each woman took an arm in theirs and led him back towards Kirkwall. On the way, he sent his last construct back to the construction site to guard it, for he didn¡¯t think that he¡¯d be making it to the worksite any time soon. As he passed by where his various kills had been, he used [Telekinesis] to grab all their weapons and another ¡°thread¡± to bind them all together into one bundle. No use in wasting all that metal after all. As he was dragged through town, he [Recycled] the bundle of metal weapons, choosing to only keep the metallic components, discarding the leather, carbon, and impurities that had been forged into the blades as he passed various planters. He was then sat down in a nearby park and checked over by the pair, earning him more than a few envious and hateful looks from a good deal of the male passersby. When they were convinced that he was in good health, Myra took the lead in lecturing him about safety and the value of life. Asami only occasionally piped in, though, leaving Myra to have at it. Even his skulk of foxes was giving him the cold shoulder, yet had still followed him. Or maybe they¡¯d followed Asami and Myra, seeing as how they were both incredibly influential and popular amongst the foxes, one being a [Miko] who tended to them, the other having been called their Matriarch. Once Myra was done, and he¡¯d promised not to run out like that again, he quickly created a sturdy backpack to carry the metals in, then was promptly dragged off to buy them both consolation food. He wound up buying so much that he had needed to create two large canvas shopping bags. The things that had interested him had gone into his backpack, as he didn¡¯t want them to be accidentally claimed by either woman. After that, it was back to the house, Myra¡¯s house that is. There, much comfort food was consumed as he only listened with half an ear to what was being said, instead concentrating on going over the things mentioned by Avi. I guess they¡¯d be called ¡°feats¡± if I was a character I was playing. With that in mind, he went over the various processes of creating enchanted items. From what he¡¯d call ¡°wondrous items¡± to weapons, armour, and golems. Not to mention the ¡°booster¡± items he¡¯d made up years ago, but now seemed to be a reality. From the standard ¡°angreal¡± to the much more powerful ¡°sa¡¯angreal¡± to the incredibly useful ¡°ter¡¯angreal¡±, he¡¯d totally stolen the names and functions of those items from his favourite fantasy novels growing up and had made them into items he could use in the various campaigns he¡¯d played. Basically, an ¡°angreal¡± could boost his manifester level by a certain amount. The ¡°sa¡¯angreal¡± would boost it even further, while a ¡°ter¡¯angreal¡± was basically¡­ a power¡¯s matrix imbued into an item. So long as a person pumped in the appropriate amount of psionic power, and had hopefully studied the item beforehand, the power imprinted in it could be used. There were even two kinds of ter¡¯angreal that one could make. The standard version was just the power. Nothing fancy, just add power and voil¨¤. The second kind also came with the option of adding augmentations to the imprinted power. That option, however, added much more to the cost of creating the item, so not many people did that though. Anyways, after addressing those ¡°item creation feats¡±, he moved onto his other ¡°learned¡± feats. He¡¯d been aware of [Deep Focus], already having used it more than once. But then came the others. [Empower Power] would have been crazy useful, but alas, he hadn¡¯t spent enough time working on himself, instead choosing to ¡°learn¡± new things. [Psicrystal Affinity] was another one that could have helped him a lot, so he was glad to have it. [Psychic Bastion] was a bit of a surprise, but incredibly welcome. Having resistance to any form of ability depletion was a lifesaver. Then [Mind over Body] caught his attention, making him smile. It went incredibly well with [Psychic Bastion] because any ability depletion he wound up suffering from could easily be healed with a good night¡¯s sleep. Or worst case, a bit of bed rest. Then came [Advanced Constructs] and [Durable Constructs], both incredibly useful, though he thought that maybe he¡¯d already been subconsciously using them given just how awesome his astral constructs had been. He still loved being a Shaper, and very much looked forward to what he¡¯d be able to accomplish in the future. The last ¡°feat¡± on the list really made him smile. [Selective Power] was made to make sure that there was no friendly fire when using area of effect powers. Which then opened up a few options when it came to combat in the future. He was in the process of planning things out when Avi caught his attention, motioning to where Myra and Asami were arguing. ¡°¡­I will be staying over tonight to make sure that nothing inappropriate is happening,¡± Myra insisted, getting a tongue stuck out at her. ¡°We¡¯re perfectly fine alone, young [Miko],¡± Asami said, trying to pull rank or something. ¡°That¡¯s precisely why I need to be there,¡± Myra insisted, then glanced at Joram. Myra then went white, her eyes opening into huge saucers, when she realized that he¡¯d been paying attention. Chapter 043 - Romantic god ¡®How did it come to this?¡¯ he sent to Avi, desperately hoping that she¡¯d be able to provide some insight into the insanity that was his life. ¡®You¡¯re not assertive enough?¡¯ Avi guessed, seemingly enjoying his profound discomfort. Asami looked over at them, frowned, then turned back to staring at Myra as she awkwardly stood near the changing screen. He¡¯d made it to his room first, completed his evening routine, then had quickly retrieved the first thing that came to mind, the [Pyrokinesis] Skill Book and started reading through it. The two women entered his room shortly after, bickering all the while. He studiously ignored them, though, so they had no choice but to continue on without him. Since he¡¯d already made her PJs, Asami decided to strip right there to get changed, causing Myra¡¯s eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets. For his part, Joram used [Quick Manifesting] to its full potential and threw up a screen between him and Asami as fast as he could. From the corner of his eye, he saw Myra smirk at the obscured Asami when the screen went up and immediately buried is face into the book in anticipation of Asami¡¯s response. Which led to the screen being tossed to the side by a presumably naked Asami. More arguing ensued until he finally finished the Skill Book and it vanished into particles of light that quickly faded away. He ignored the System notification as the two women turned to gawk at him, then spoke. ¡°Enough. You, Asami, get dressed. Now. You, Myra, go get changed,¡± he said, pointing at the door while looking anywhere except at Asami. Myra looked torn for a moment before she quickly left the room, leaving him with a smug Asami. ¡°Stop that. Do you enjoy tormenting someone so much younger than you?¡± he asked, still not looking at her, which somewhat reduced the effectiveness of his glare. Asami harumphed at him, then grudgingly started getting dressed for bed. It was still crazy early in the evening, but they¡¯d spent the whole day inside either eating or talking about this or that. But given Myra¡¯s comment after dinner, he¡¯d tried to just escape the pair. Unsuccessfully, he might add. Which brought him back to the present with Myra still looking more than a little bit awkward standing in her night clothes while he sat on the floor because Asami had once again sprawled across the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a bed. Give me a minute,¡± he muttered, trying to think of how to make the futon-like beds they all used. Myra nodded, looking more grateful than he thought his gesture warranted¡­ until Avi piped in. ¡®She probably thought that she¡¯d have to sleep in the same bed as you both.¡¯ Which made his headspace that much more complicated as he remembered how Asami had told everyone that Myra liked him. Now especially glad that he¡¯d offered to make her a bed, he just went for it and manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation]. A couple of seconds later, a second bed appeared in the room, making it feel significantly smaller. He then got up and helped to move it out of the way, but then closer to his bed at her insistence. With that done, he quickly made some sheets and a light blanket before returning to his cushion on the floor where he planned to study until ¡°bedtime¡±. As he pulled up [Modify Matter, Greater] and started reviewing it, he peripherally noticed Myra making her bed while Asami started playing with something. After he¡¯d been at it for about an hour or so, he heard Myra whisper to Asami. ¡°Does he do that every night?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Until bedtime,¡± Asami replied, sounding slightly aggrieved. ¡°That long? Don¡¯t you get bored?¡± ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t believe,¡± Asami said, sounding terribly exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Myra said, sounding a bit uncomfortable. ¡°I thought that, you know, you were doing¡­ stuff together,¡± she said, now sounding quite embarrassed. ¡°No, just boring [Meditation],¡± Asami said, once more sounding like the harmed party in all this. ¡°With how much he meditates, you¡¯d think he was a high-level [Monk] or something.¡± Myra snorted at that, clapping her hands over her face to try to muffle her giggles. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ve had to¡­ deal with that,¡± Myra eventually said once she got control of her giggles. ¡°At least he makes a wonderful pillow,¡± Asami replied, sounding as though that were his only saving grace. Myra nearly choked when she heard that, though. Asami seemed to finally have pity on her much younger junior. ¡°But, like I said, high-level [Monk],¡± she said, emphasizing the last word strangely, eliciting a very quiet ¡°Ohhhhh¡± from Myra. Thankfully, that talk ended and there was quiet for a time. Then they picked up chatting again, this time sounding more amiable than before, which was a relief and thus allowed him to more fully concentrate on [Modify Matter, Greater], as he felt that he was close to fully understanding the trick behind affecting an exponential increase in the matter he could affect with the power. Even after Asami dragged him into bed, with Myra climbing into her own, he continued working at the problem until it was time to renew his body through normal meditation. Which brought him all the way to pre-dawn. Going through his ritual of sliding out from under Asami and replacing himself with a body pillow, he noticed that Myra was awake and staring at him. Upon closer inspection, she had dark circles under her eyes, indicating a lack of sleep. Not wanting to open that can of worms yet, he quickly stepped behind the changing screen and got ready for the day. He then retrieved his backpack full of metal and yesterday¡¯s purchases and slipped out of the room. This time he made it to the kitchen in time to see Linette just starting to put out her mixing bowl. ¡°I figured that I¡¯d come earlier so that I can learn a bit more,¡± he said, once more nearly scaring the woman to death. ¡°You really need to stop doing that!¡± Linette said, clutching at her chest again as she breathed heavily. Now concerned that she might really have a heart condition or something, he wracked his brain to see if there was anything that he could do for her. But, ultimately, came up short. ¡®You¡¯d need to learn the ways of the Vitalist if you wish to heal others easily. That, or change out your Psion Discipline for that of the Egoist, specializing in Psychometabolism. Otherwise, you have a long way to go before you¡¯ll be able to help her,¡¯ Avi said from beside Linette, motioning to the woman¡¯s chest. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Would you like to sit for a moment? I could start getting things ready for you,¡± he offered, but was once again declined. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine if you stop skulking about,¡± she said, giving him a mock glare. He nodded, then sat quietly as she worked, taking in everything that he could. Then Myra came in, then stopped as though shocked to see him there. Linette, however, seemed to have expected Myra and just started chatting with her as though nothing were out of the ordinary. Eventually Myra seemed to forget him, for she started speaking more naturally with Linette, though had to pause often to stifle a yawn. Having gotten what he wanted, Joram quietly slipped out of the kitchen and made his way to his usual chair in the dining room. After breakfast, Myra wound up being sent back to bed by her mother, which didn¡¯t go over well. But she ultimately gave up, acknowledging that she really did need more sleep. Then, with Asami and her lunch in tow, he went back to his construction site, activated his [Inertial ArmourA], and got to work. He first replenished his [Astral Ally]s, bringing the number up to seven this time, though the last two were specifically designed for combat. You never knew when something would pop up and ruin your day. Which was why he¡¯d given the two combat units [Natural Invisibility] along with a few other nasty surprises for whatever showed up. Then it was business like usual. Gather stones, shape stones, then add them to the house. [Grow] trees, harvest trees, make fully cured lumber, then add to the house. He did make a small room for the water system he still had in his inventory, as well as a place for the electrical panel. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could get magical versions of his appliances, but didn¡¯t really care because he both still had them and had the means with which to power them. Anyways, he made sure to make space for pipes, wiring, and air vents as he worked. It would be a pain to have to adjust things after he finished, so he made sure to do things right the first time. He was surprised when Myra showed up not long after the lunch hour, peppy as could be. He idly wondered if they¡¯d discovered the joys of caffein yet. Then a question popped into his mind that needed immediate answering. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone mention that there were monsters out here?¡± he asked, addressing both women. ¡°Yes?¡± Myra said, looking as though she was trying to understand why he¡¯d asked. ¡°There are,¡± Asami agreed, nodding. ¡°Have none showed up because we¡¯re so close to Kirkwall, then?¡± ¡°No,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯re probably just too scared to approach.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± he asked, more than a little bit confused. ¡°For one, I¡¯m here,¡± she said, looking smug. ¡°But I imagine that none dared approach you before due to your own aura. The natural monsters of the forest aren¡¯t very powerful.¡± ¡°I have an aura?¡± he asked dumbly. ¡°Everything has an aura,¡± Myra replied before Asami took over. ¡°Depending on how strong you are, your aura will affect monsters and wildlife. If it¡¯s particularly strong, it can affect people as well,¡± Asami explained, once more looking bored. ¡°So, I would be considered strong, then?¡± he asked, not fishing for compliments, but genuinely curious as to where he would land on the scale of ¡°will die if you sneeze on me¡± to ¡°sorry, I accidentally farted and wiped out your kingdom.¡± ¡°Probably around Rank C or Rank B,¡± Myra said after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°I was told that there were a few Rank B hobgoblins in that last attack, and also that someone saw you taking one of them out. So, about there,¡± she finished, looking a bit uncertain at the end. Damn, if I¡¯m that strong as a Pathless person, what would I be like if I finally took a Path? He wondered, still not quite able to get a handle on the power scale of his new world. ¡°Wait. You really are Pathless, then?¡± Asami asked, once again invested in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve mentioned that a few times,¡± he replied, getting annoyed by how everyone just assumed that he was lying about that. ¡°Oh, well, then it¡¯s probably that,¡± Asami said, nodding as though everything suddenly made sense. ¡°Probably what?¡± he asked, hating it when people starting using the word ¡®that¡¯ to sound all mysterious. ¡°Normal monsters never attack the Pathless,¡± Asami explained, though she looked like she wanted to stick her tongue out at him. ¡°Natural animals would probably have attacked you, but were probably scared off by how strong you smell. Dungeon monsters, though, just try to kill everything that isn¡¯t a dungeon monster. So, yeah.¡± Joram¡¯s eyebrow twitched when she mentioned his scent, but knew she was referring to his ¡°aura¡± so he let it go. Myra was once again staring at him as though he was an exotic insect that she¡¯d never before seen. ¡°Why do people always assume that I¡¯m lying about being Pathless?¡± he asked, more than done with all that. ¡°Probably because you¡¯re stupidly strong,¡± Asami said, nodding as though that made all the sense in the world. ¡°Or because you can [Summon] things that people have never seen before,¡± Myra added, also nodding to herself. ¡°Or because you fight like you¡¯re enjoying it?¡± Asami added. ¡°Or that you use spells that no one has seen before?¡± ¡°Or-,¡± Asami started, but stopped because Joram cut her off. ¡°Thanks, I get it,¡± he said, grumbling. ¡°So, in other words, I should just pretend to be an ordinary person and I¡¯d be treated like an ordinary person.¡± ¡°Too late for that,¡± Asami said, grinning like a cat in a creamery. ¡°Too true. Everyone in town should already know about you by now, especially after yesterday,¡± Myra said, adding to his growing regret of not keeping a lower profile up to that point. ¡°Back to work,¡± he said, quickly fleeing the judging gazes of the two women in favour of good old manual labour. Which took up about half his work time anyways as he waited for one resource pool or the other to refill. Evening came again, but this time fell on a house that was now three stories tall. As they headed off, he once again set his constructs to guard the place, and especially his stock of building materials. It would be a royal pain to have to gather them all over again. So, the five construction models were set to roam the perimeter while the two combat models were stationed in the basement with his supplies. Dinner was nice, consisting of a roast served with veggies and gravy. At least they used salt. Which reminded him of his desire to create a greenhouse in which he could [Grow] a stockpile of his own herbs and spices. Thus encouraged, he quickly planned out the new building before heading off to his bedroom for the night where he performed his nightly ritual in preparation for Asami¡¯s arrival. As he went over his shortlist of powers he needed to study, he was pleasantly surprised that neither Asami nor Myra followed him right away. In fact, it was almost bedtime when Asami finally came in, followed by Myra. Who, it seemed, had already gotten changed for the night. Suppressing a sigh, he used [Ectoplasmic Creation] to provide her with a bed and linens, then nearly fell over when she requested a set of night clothes like Asami¡¯s. * * * ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to let her sleep in there?¡± Nalun asked, obviously worried about their headstrong daughter. ¡°If Asami Miki still hasn¡¯t managed to¡­ coax Joram into anything, do you think that that awkward boy would do anything with the two of them in there?¡± Celys asked, giving her husband a patient look. ¡°It¡¯s just that he is, by all appearances, a healthy young man,¡± Nalun said, still glancing down the hall. ¡°Or are humans less¡­ virile than foxkin?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, they¡¯re worse,¡± Celys snorted, then continued, sounding thoughtful. ¡°Myra did mention that Joram meditates a lot, and Asami Miki confirmed it. Maybe that has something to do with it?¡± ¡°Or maybe his male bits don¡¯t work properly?¡± Nalun posited, making Celys snort as she tried to keep her laughter in. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll have two very frustrated young women to deal with,¡± Celys said, shaking her head. ¡°Maybe not for long,¡± Nalun said, catching her attention. ¡°I snuck over to have a peak at what the three of them were doing out in the woods all day,¡± he said, getting a scandalized look from her. ¡°Anyways, it looks like he¡¯s building a house out there, and he¡¯s almost done from what I can tell.¡± ¡°Do you suppose that he¡¯s planning on moving out soon?¡± she asked as she thought of what her house would be like after Joram left. ¡°Well, the rate that he¡¯s going, I think that he¡¯ll be done in a few days or so,¡± Nalun replied, shrugging. ¡°Well, I suppose a nice cabin in the woods would suit his needs¡­¡± she trailed off when Nalun started shaking his head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a ¡®nice cabin in the woods¡¯. It¡¯s a massive mansion in the woods,¡± he said, looking as though he was still trying to believe what he¡¯d seen, then explained when she pressed him for details. ¡°With that much ability, why in the world was he living in that tiny house before coming here?¡± Celys asked in shock. ¡°Maybe he was hiding?¡± ¡°From what?¡± ¡°No idea. Just throwing around ideas, is all. But if he is to be believed, and Asami Miki believes him, he¡¯s still Pathless. Which means he¡¯s either a monster, or a Monster,¡± he said, emphasizing the last word. ¡°He¡¯s certainly unusual,¡± she mused. ¡°But given that Asami Miki is following him around, I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s a danger to Kirkwall.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± he hmm¡¯d, thinking. ¡°You still think it¡¯s fine that Myra¡¯s so taken with him?¡± he asked, throwing her off by changing the subject so suddenly. ¡°Truthfully? I don¡¯t know. Who ever knows if someone¡¯s crush will work out for them,¡± she said, ribbing her husband with her elbow and making him jump. She loved that he was as ticklish as she was. Nalun grunted, looking away in embarrassment. Even after all this time, he was still a bit shy. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± she said, leaning close as she spoke quietly. ¡°Let¡¯s refresh ourselves on things. Perhaps even try for another kit,¡± she said, now gently pulling at his arm. He looked at her, eyes wide. Then his expression slowly softened, changing into a grin as he scooped her up into his arms and made his way into their bedroom. * * * ¡°Am I the only single one in the house¡­?¡± Kalduin muttered as he tried very hard to forget what he¡¯d just heard. Then left the house when he started hearing more than he would ever be comfortable hearing from his parents. ¡°I need to find a girlfriend¡­¡± he muttered, wondering how Joram did it. ¡°He must be some sort of romantic god or something, to be able to not only tame my wild sister, but to also attract the great Asami Miki¡­¡± he finished as he looked up at the stars in the night sky, sending a silent prayer to any god that would listen. Chapter 044 - System sanctions? The next morning found Myra actually asleep, so he quietly preformed his morning rituals and slipped out of the room. [Clear Mind] was truly going above and beyond his initial hopes for it. Otherwise, he didn¡¯t know what he would have done these past days. Well, he greatly suspected what might have happened, and he was glad that he hadn¡¯t compromised his morals because of a pesky biological imperative. But thanks to his dogged use of [Clear Mind], he¡¯d finally been able to get a handle on [Psychic Reformation] and was eager to see exactly what he could do with it. But first, he concentrated on purposely making noise as he walked down the hallway, then as he approached the kitchen, then entered it. He noticed Linette¡¯s ear twitch slightly as he entered, and hoped for dear life that that meant she¡¯d heard him. ¡°Good morning, Linette,¡± he said, smiling a bit as she calmly turned to face him. ¡°Good morning, Joram,¡± she said, giving him a warm smile. ¡°Glad to see you without first having a fright,¡± she said, teasing him a bit. ¡°Glad to not have caused you a heart attack,¡± he said with a rueful grin. ¡°Say, do you suppose I can try helping today?¡± Linette eyed him for a moment before shrugging and agreeing, instructing him to wash up before joining her. So, he did. As they worked, he focussed on copying her technique, and by the time they¡¯d set their dough aside to rise, Linette was practically singing his praises. Which was all the more embarrassing when Myra came in and Linette started telling stories of how Myra had tried over the years to help her with the baking. ¡°Some people just have different talents,¡± Myra sniffed, not quite looking at them. ¡°So I¡¯ve said,¡± Linette agreed with a good natured laugh, showing just how close the two of them were. He enjoyed the moment, lamenting a bit the lack of an older mentor in his youth. But then realized that he was once again ¡°young¡± and thus still had a chance to form at least something similar to that kind of relationship as he got to know the people of Kirkwall. Then Linette surprised them both. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re done much sooner than I normally am, let¡¯s whip up a batch of tea biscuits for the new young Miss,¡± she said with a twinkle in her eyes. Both he and Myra agreed, knowing just how much the tea biscuit tyrant loved her tea biscuits. So it was that Joram got to learn a new recipe. It was much simpler than bread to make, though there were a few more ingredients. That¡¯s when he found that they used honey as their main sweetener, which made sense given how low-key sweets were here. Because if they had access to refined sugar, he was sure that other more extreme sweets would have been available. As he was helping stir the surprisingly thick dough, he tried to remember how people had made their sweets before the advent of refined sugar. Which basically boiled down to honey, for the most part. Then he got to thinking if he could produce cacao trees with what he had in his pantry. He would have access to a greenhouse, so perhaps he could grow them¡­ and maybe even some more plants that liked that sort of environment¡­. Once more enthusiastic to get building again, he made plans for another greenhouse, though this one would be for tropical plants and thus needed different materials for its creation. After they¡¯d finished up with the baking, they had a slightly awkward breakfast with the rest of Myra¡¯s family. He didn¡¯t know why Kal looked so bagged, but the man was practically a zombie at the table, while Celys and Nalun¡­ ah. The afterglow. It clicked, then. And now he had more sympathy for Kal. After that brief moment of embarrassing clarity, he quickly finished up and took off. Myra and Asami joined him shortly after, laden with their daily lunch and followed by their usual entourage. Well, he¡¯d also been followed by the purple vixen, Harumi, and a few others. Which was honestly a relief, because it meant that most of the foxes weren¡¯t exclusively interested in him. Then he got to work. He cleared two new patches of land in preparation for the new greenhouses he planned to build, removing the larger stones and replacing them with more soil from his ample stockpile. Trees were then grown, harvested, and turned into more lumber. Then his attention turned to a redwood off to the side, close to where he planned to build the greenhouses. He was now comfortable with trying [Modify Matter, Greater], so he prepared accordingly. This time, instead of using a strap to climb the tree, he created a 9th level astral construct that could fly. He altered its back into the form of a saddle with handlebars and stirrups, not keen on the idea of accidentally falling off mid-flight. Asami and Myra seemed to be growing desensitized to anything he happened to do that was outside of their common sense, so they merely stared at the construct instead of gaping at it. This particular construct was designed and built with a dragonfly in mind. He added [Improved Flight], then added it five more times for good measure, bringing its fly speed to almost 40km/h, and its maneuverability to ¡°perfect¡±. Which was needed, as he¡¯d have to keep focussed on a section of the tree to properly use [Modify Matter, Greater] to its full potential. ¡°You¡¯re going to get on that thing?¡± Myra asked as he put his foot in the stirrup. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you sure its safe¡­?¡± ¡°Mostly?¡± he answered honestly. Truth be told, he was a bit nervous. It was his first time flying on anything other than an airplane, and he¡¯d always been a bit¡­ nervous, with heights. Not terrified of them, but he did have a healthy respect for PPE when it came to being close to a ledge. Not looking terribly convinced, Myra nevertheless stayed quiet as she watched him get on and get settled. Asami, though, looked incredibly excited, as though she were itching to be able to get a ride on the astral construct too. Shaking his head, he mentally instructed the flight model to take off and get them close to the top of the target tree. Wind rushed through his hair as his stomach tried to fall back to the ground as they rose almost straight up, reminding him of those super-fast elevators back home. It took mere seconds arrive, leaving him with a few more seconds to plan. Given that his range was about forty metres, he knew that he¡¯d need to handle this tree differently than the teak trees he¡¯d been harvesting. So, he first targeted a section of the trunk as far away as he could from where he was, then manifested [Modify Matter] to strip the branches from that section. Once those branches fell, the repeated the process until he¡¯d debranched the whole tree. Then came the fun part where he would section the tree like he¡¯d done with the previous ones. To say that it was loud would have been an understatement. To say that he¡¯d created several localized earthquakes when those sections of tree fell to the earth would have been accurate, for the mass of each section was immense. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It took another hour to process everything. When he finished, he then went over to his house and inspected it for any damages that the tremors might have caused. Which proved to be prescient, as he found several cracks in the foundation that needed fixing, which then took another hour to complete. By the time he finished that, he saw that Asami had finally built up the courage to mount the flight model and was trying to spur it into action. Shaking his head, he instructed it to take off and do a slow, and low, circuit around the clearing. He then got back to work, finishing the third floor by the time lunch time came around. He noted how much Asami seemed to like the flight model, so he designated it as another [Astral Ally], bringing his total up to eight and freeing up the seventeen power points it had reserved to stick around. After that, he got to work on the roof. It went faster than he anticipated, though the stone shingles he decided to go with took much longer than the framing did. He had to make sure that each one was shaped just right so that it would fit and overlap properly with the ones around it so that water wouldn¡¯t be able to leak through any gaps. He placed them with the help of his new PFV, or Personal Flight Vehicle, and [Telekinesis]. The PFV to get him into position and [Telekinesis] for obvious reasons. But once he started laying the shingles, the work went quickly. Though, given the large area he needed to cover, it still took another two and a half hours or so to complete. With the roof on, it was now pretty dark inside the skeletal house. He still needed to figure out insulation, then what he¡¯d use to cover everything up. Normally, he¡¯d just use some drywall. But given the number of sheets that he¡¯d need, he was woefully understocked. He also needed to figure out what to use for a vapour barrier on the outer walls. He was reasonably sure that he could make some poly, but given that it was temporary, that wasn¡¯t the solution he needed. He was still a long way off from being able to use [True Creation], which would greatly simplify things for him, even with the monetary restrictions on it. You could make a lot of things while keeping under that bottom threshold after all. Which meant that he¡¯d need to use [Modify Matter] to make what he needed. Which meant that he needed to get [Delve] up and running as soon as he could manage. Because, with [Delve], he would be able to get the patterns needed from what he had left of the construction materials from his apartment. The drywall, poly, screws, and all that stuff. Heck, he wouldn¡¯t even need putty to join the pieces of dry wall together seamlessly, or to cover the screws. Smiling, he decided to turn his efforts to building a wall around his house¡­ which would take a while. Since he had nowhere near enough stone sitting around, he chose to start by making a wooden fence, for he had plenty of materials for that. Except nails. Frowning, he thought about how to get around that. In the ¡°old days¡±, people had made most things before the advent of nails using wedges, or cleverly formed ends that locked tightly together. Nodding to himself, he decided to go that route. It took a lot of experimenting with various designs, cuts, and angles, but he eventually found a method that he liked. The main posts would have two channels carved out of them, one opposite to the other. Then, in those channels, he would slide the 4¡±x8¡± beams into place. He¡¯d then reinforce the insides of the fence with another post on each side of the anchoring post. Sure, it wouldn¡¯t be terribly hard for someone to breach, but it was something. And with the anchoring posts being roughly three quarters of a metre around, it was still pretty sturdy. But then he ran out of time, leaving almost seventy-five percent of the perimeter unprotected. Then it was time to head back and go through his usual evening routine, which now included Myra sleeping in the room with them and getting her own silk pajamas each time. He¡¯d tried to alter the tops from being a woman¡¯s tank top to more of a button-up shirt design, but had been soundly vetoed on the matter. That night they¡¯d even roped him into speaking with them for a time before he began studying. It wasn¡¯t¡­ as unpleasant as he¡¯d anticipated. He¡¯d already known that they were both intelligent women, but it was further showcased as they conversed. From how Myra thought out and planned for her furry wards to how she approached most things in life, he was impressed with how much effort she put into it all. And how much care went into her considerations. Even Asami surprised him. He¡¯d begun to think that the woman only had tea biscuits on her mind, from dawn until dusk. However, she hadn¡¯t been called the great matriarch for nothing. He found it pleasant to listen to their discussions, from planning to figuring out the best way to help someone or one of the foxes. He even piped in from time to time with a suggestion or a question. He was almost loath to get back to studying, but not quite. [Psychic Reformation] was calling to him now that he could use it. He also wanted to explore the augmentation options, for he felt that there was something there that he¡¯d¡­ missed, if that made sense. So, he began his studying, attempting to suss out what he felt he¡¯d missed. Then it came to him. The augmentation option that allowed him to crystallize an ability required Dust. Or Dust Crystals, in the condensed form. Dust, the¡­ crystallization of raw¡­ creation. If he was to describe it using an analogy, he¡¯d probably go with one centred on a Cultivation setting. Xianxia, if you will. In those stories cultivators eventually run across the various Laws of nature, or reality, eventually ¡°understanding¡± them to the point where they can make use of them. Dust, he would say, would be the physical manifestation of raw Law: the Law of Creation. With it, a person could easily enchant an item. Not only that, but the time saved in its creation was astronomical. Something that would normally take months to create could be made in less than an hour with sufficient Dust to use. Even rare reagents could be replaced by using Dust. Enchanted item creation thus went from arduous to easy. That said, a person still needed to know how to enchant something to make use of the miraculous benefits of Dust. And now that he understood what was needed to use that augmentation option, he felt a¡­ ripple run through him, setting his very cells atingle as it passed. When the feeling passed, he felt as though he¡¯d had an epiphany as knowledge and understanding flooded his mind. In that state, he concentrated on what had been bestowed upon him, focussing on the process. He felt¡­ alive in a way that he hadn¡¯t before. Energized. Vitalized. He could go on, but didn¡¯t in favour of just enjoying the feeling. When he finally opened his eyes, he found that pre-dawn light was already coming through the window. Which meant that he¡¯d probably been meditating for a good ten hours or so. More than a little astonished at how time had just flown by, he went to get up when he found a dozen crystals laying on his chest, just above Asami¡¯s head. One was a simple crystal with what looked like it had been carved into the shape of a spider¡¯s body, sans legs, and about the size of his palm from head to butt. Weird, but still nice-looking. The other eleven crystals were all shaped the same, each one having seven sides to it and as clear as could be, though with a very faint blue hue to them. Each one was just a bit larger than the Grade B cores he¡¯d gotten from the goblins. Curious, he used [Analyze] on them, getting an even more curious description of them.
Dust Crystal This crystal is formed from pure Creation and crystallized into physical form with psionic power. Dust Crystals can be used to enchant an item with a permanent enchantment, or to fully realize a created or summoned object or creature. Requires varying quantities of Dust Crystals to use in this way. *System Warning: Misuse of Dust can lead to System sanctions. Please use wisely.
That the System had issued a warning regarding its use was significant in its implications. That he could¡­ do what the System claimed he could with Dust was beyond what he knew about the stuff. The first part he¡¯d known and had even used while roleplaying with his buddies back on Earth. The second part, however, sent chills down his spine. That he could bring life to something he created was¡­ scary. He then wondered what would happen if a [Summoner] got their hands on Dust. Shuddering he quickly stored away the pile of crystals, but paused when the spider-like crystal remained on his chest. ¡®Good morning, master,¡¯ came the voice of what sounded like a weird cross between a stodgy butler and an enthusiastic professor. ¡®Hello?¡¯ he replied mentally, directing it at the voice in his head. ¡®Requesting permission to engage locomotion when needed,¡¯ he heard the voice again, an inkling forming as to its source. ¡®Granted,¡¯ he sent, then watched as the spider-shaped crystal suddenly sprouted eight legs and a double pair of wings, similar to that of a dragonfly. ¡®Thank you, master. I look forward assisting you in your future endeavours,¡¯ his psicrystal sent, then hopped off the bed and waited by the door. Huh. I was wondering when my psicrystal would show up, he thought as he resumed his morning routine which found him in the kitchen a few minutes later, having made sure to make plenty of noise while on his way. Once there, he had his psicrystal deactivate its¡­ limbs, and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, with a smile on his face as he contemplated the future, he helped Linette with the morning baking, enjoying the feeling of being able give back, at least a little bit. Chapter 045 - Insights He¡­ had a lot on his plate. Metaphorically speaking, that is. He¡¯d finished breakfast with the Manelles over an hour ago. He was now sitting on one of the balconies of his under-construction home, looking out at the forest and wondering what the heck he should focus on next. Both Myra and Asami were there with him, sitting on chairs and at a table that he¡¯d quickly created to accommodate them all. While they chatted, he decided to make a list of what he needed to accomplish. In no particular order of importance, he began to write. Joram looked at his list and sighed. It was one hell of a to-do list. Fortunately, several of the items could be grouped together. Unfortunately, far too many of them were their own thing. Looking at it all, he decided that [Delve] was the most important one to work on at the moment. His construction efforts were halted due to lack of materials. He had no idea how to try to acquire new magic Skills. And the prospect of delving into his budding relationships with the two women beside him scared the living daylights out of him. *Snort* He ignored Asami, turning to speak to Myra. ¡°It may be a bit quiet today,¡± he said, then explained how he needed to continue meditating so that he could figure out how to do something. ¡°Some quiet would be nice,¡± Myra replied after he finished. ¡°And I¡¯m sure that the foxes would agree.¡± Asami nodded, then looked over to the flight model with pleading eyes. Thinking about it, he decided to allow it, with one stipulation. ¡°You need to place this on the construct,¡± he said, handing her his psicrystal. ¡°It¡¯ll make sure that you don¡¯t crash or something,¡± he finished, getting a weird look form Asami. As she held his psicrystal, she kept glancing from it to Joram over and over again, obviously feeling that it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary hunk of carved crystal. He waved her along before setting back to work on [Delve], then almost immediately opened his eyes in shock. ¡®How the hell is it so easy now?¡¯ Joram asked Avi, at a complete loss. ¡®Probably due to your increased intellect,¡¯ she replied with a shrug. ¡®Have you checked your System notifications lately?¡¯ ¡®You know I haven¡¯t,¡¯ he replied, though without much bite.
Congratulations! Skill upgrade in progress. Previous sculpting experience has combined with your Sculpting Skill due to reaching a certain threshold. - Improved Sculpting attained. You¡¯ve leveled the following Skills: - Analyze 3 -> 6 - *Clear Mind 15 -> 17 - Cooking 3 -> 4 - Endurance 9 -> 10 - Mana Well 3 -> 4 - Privacy Mode 8 -> 9 - Quick Manifesting 11 -> 12 - Improved Sculpting 9 -> 10¡­ Skill upgrade in progress. Improved Sculpting has been upgraded, continuing with progress report. - *Improved Sculpting 20 -> 21 - Source of Power 4 -> 5 - Telekinesis 11 -> 12 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - +1 Intellect - +1 Spirit Congratulations! For reaching 20 points in Spirit, all related regenerations rates are permanently increased by 1.
¡°Huh,¡± he grunted, getting an odd look from Myra before shaking his head. He didn¡¯t know if there was some sort of threshold he¡¯d just passed, or if he¡¯d passed it long ago but hadn¡¯t noticed until tried using the power just then. Either way, he was glad that he could use it! ¡®But why the heck did sculpting just combine now?¡¯ he asked Avi, having faint hopes that she¡¯d know the answer. ¡®Maybe it needed to wait until the Skill¡¯s rank was high enough?¡¯ she posited with an extravagant shrug, succeeding in thoroughly distracting him for a few seconds. ¡®Ah, umm¡­. Yeah, that¡¯s probably it,¡¯ he sent, still more than a little bit muddleheaded. ¡®Now, what would you do if I had a body, huh? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯d just be a right mess from dusk ¡®til dawn,¡¯ she teased, somehow appearing in Edi¡¯s mobile platform¡¯s attire, leaning over him with one of the most diabolical grins he¡¯d ever seen. ¡®I¡¯d die,¡¯ he freely admitted, then closed his eyes again while activating [Clear Mind]. Avi¡¯s laughter echoed in his mind for a few seconds before blessedly fading away. Once that distraction was over and done with, he turned his attention to his gains. The added attributes were amazing, but the bonus for hitting 20 points in a stat was fantastic. More regeneration meant more utility throughout the day. He still didn¡¯t really use many of his Skills, so most of that was a bit lost on him, but the fact that they were increasing still felt good. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then he turned back to his list and crossed off [Delve], but then considered working on what fell under it. With nothing pressing vying for his time, he shrugged and got to it. He retrieved his food crate from his inventory, but since the crate had expired, he just wound up with a pile of food on the balcony. Knowing that that would continue to be a problem every time he retrieved a created crate, he instructed a construction golem to bring him a large stack of boards. After pulling his stack of food back, the boards had a place to rest. ¡°What¡¯s all that?¡± Myra asked, scooting her chair over so that she could get a better look. ¡°Ah, just food stocks from¡­ home,¡± he finished, not really wanting to talk about Earth just yet. ¡°Can I try some¡­?¡± she asked, her intense interest only partially hidden behind an impartial tone. ¡°Sure, but later. For now, I have work to do,¡± he said, grinning. The first thing he picked up was a can of ginger ale. It was still room temperature as he hadn¡¯t had it in the fridge before storing it away. Tempted to open it and have a drink, he instead chose to quickly make a new set of crates with [Modify Matter]. After that, he got down to work. [Delve] proved¡­ almost trippy. Though, having never gotten high before, that thought should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, his mind was filled with a crazy image that- he thought- looked like he was standing inside of a holographic projection of a galaxy, or maybe the universe, inside of a huge chamber whose ceiling he couldn¡¯t see. The lights and patters all around him constantly flowed and shifted about as he got the sense that there were actually vast distances between each of them. Which he interpreted as his brain condensing things for him. What he was seeing was the molecular composition of the can of ginger ale. He even got a sense of¡­ pressure, which he also instinctively interpreted as, well, the pressure in the can. He took it all in for a while before finally getting down to using [Autohypnosis] to memorize everything about the can of soda that he held. That took a bit longer, as the information being recorded into his mind was considerable. But when he was done, he smiled. He then played around with recalling it over and over again, until he felt that he should move on to the next item; another can of soda, but this time cola. ¡°America¡¯s favourite beverage¡±, or something like that. As he worked, he stacked the [Delve]d items into another, permanent, crate. Before he knew it, he¡¯d gone through the large pile of food, so he stored it away into his inventory again and pulled out the next crate. He got through another six crates before evening came, so excited had he been. Feeling as though he¡¯d made great strides that day, he left with his two friends and their skulk of foxes: once more setting the constructs to guard mode. ¡°So, when can I try something?¡± Myra pestered him on the way back, soon followed by Asami the foodie. ¡°Rude. But true,¡± she grumped at him, but didn¡¯t relent in pestering him. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll share something during evening tea. But it¡¯s a very limited item, so you can only have one or two each,¡± he said, thinking about the tasty Danish butter cookies he¡¯d memorized earlier. Asami began to drool, then redoubled her efforts, which fell on deaf ears. He¡¯d grown up with both an older and a younger sister. He was long past such things. Asami pinched him. Hard. [Autohypnosis] once again proved its worth. After dinner, he pulled out the blue tin that held the butter cookies and passed one to each of the family, staff included, as they all took a cup of tea. ¡°Now, I warn you, they¡¯re pretty sweet, so eat them slowly,¡± he said, then led by example. Asami tried hers first, then paused. Her eyes grew wide, her pupils dilating until he could only see the black of her pupils. The cookie was gone a moment later, followed by a long draw of tea. Then those pleading eyes turned to him, so he handed over her second, and last, cookie. After that, everyone else tried them. For the most part, they were well received, but Nalun claimed it was too sweet for him, so passed the rest off to Celys who gladly accepted. Myra enjoyed hers, as did Kal. The cook, whose name he still hadn¡¯t gotten, seemed more or less indifferent. But Linette looked as though she¡¯d just seen the light for the first time in her life. ¡°You must have had a hard time,¡± she said with tears in her eyes as she walked over to him then wrapped him in a great big hug, mashing his face into her chest. Not quite sure what to do, he slowly reached up and patted her on the back a bit, hoping that that would do. It took her another minute before she let him go, promising to help him once again ¡°taste the joys of his homeland¡±. He nodded. Linette then retreated back to her chair and silently enjoyed her butter cookies as she sipped her tea. Once in his room, he had to threaten to stop being Asami¡¯s body pillow before she finally relented her incessant begging for more cookies. Myra politely thanked him again for sharing with her before getting ready for bed, soon followed by the sulking Asami. As he was going over more Psychometabolism information in bed, he was drawn out of his thoughts by an odd sensation. The odd sensation spiked as he opened his eyes, withdrawing from [Clear Mind], making him look down at Asami in shock. Her eyes were closed, making him think that she was just asleep¡­ and nibling on his nipple through his shirt as she murmured about cookies. Unable to suppress his natural reaction to that, he slowly picked up her head and turned it to the side before awkwardly slithering out from underneath the dangerous woman. He quickly glanced over at where Myra lay in the pitch-black room and saw that she was still sleeping, though sprawled in a very unladylike fashion that caused her tank-top to twist until it showed most of her torso, exposing a considerable amount of under-breast to the world. Now practically dying, he slipped out of his room and made his way out back, doing his best to not make a sound. Once at the spring-fed pond, he stepped in and submersed himself in the icy cold water¡­ which wasn¡¯t as cold as he¡¯d hoped it would be. He sighed as angry fish did their best to glare at him for waking them up, remembering that he had an actual Resistance to Cold now. Still, it was relaxing, so he stayed right where he was and resumed his studies until the predawn light brightened the horizon. Feeling more refreshed than he thought he would be, he got out of the pond and had a thought. While using [Telekinesis], he tried to squeegee off¡­ which didn¡¯t prove to be terribly effective. But he persisted, concentrating on pulling individual beads of water off him. Squeegee a bit, then spend time pulling off the individual beads of water. Rinse and repeat a few dozen time and he was mostly dry by the time the sun peeked above the horizon. Looking around, he found that there really wasn¡¯t much cover in the back yard, so he just went up to a section of the house without a window, created a couple of screens, dismissed his clothing, used [Cleanse], then created a new set of clothing, socks, and converse sneakers. Now ready for the world, he snuck back inside in time for breakfast. Once in his chair, he studiously consumed his breakfast, apologized to Linette for not being able to help earlier, then made excuses that he was going to take a day off from building to run some errands and- no, he didn¡¯t need any help! His first stop was to see Magmyr, the best blacksmith in Kirkwall. For as early as it was, Magmyr was open for business and happy to have a chat with him. ¡°So, what¡¯s on ¡®yer mind?¡± Magmyr asked as he led Joram from his shop to the smithy in the back. ¡°I was wondering if I would spend some time learning from you,¡± he said, not quite sure how a dwarf would take that. From just about every source he¡¯d come across, dwarves almost universally revered metalworking, and any half-assed person who tried to learn from them were usually tossed out of their smithy. Physically. ¡°Like I told¡¯ya before, anyone who wants ¡®ta learn is welcome here. Jus¡¯don¡¯t get in th¡¯way,¡± Magmyr said with a shrug. ¡°But I¡¯ll be quiz¡¯n ¡®ya afterwards,¡± he finished with a broad grin. Joram nodded then watched as Magmyr finished preparing his workspace and getting the forge up to temperature. The morning passed quickly as he watched the ludicrously-skilled Magmyr work. The dwarf was either trying to show off, or completely oblivious to the level he worked at compared to just about anyone else he¡¯d seen. That said, the more he watched, the more he seemed to understand. It was as though he was remembering things as they were shown to him, a weird sort of d¨¦j¨¤-vu. By the time Magmyr stopped for lunch, Joram¡¯s head felt as though it had been stuffed full of knowledge. ¡°Ye all right, lad?¡± Magmyr asked, looking at him as though he was worried that he¡¯d fall over and smack his head on something. ¡°Just¡­ absorbing it all,¡± he replied, shaking his head lightly. ¡°Would you mind if I worked a bit while you eat?¡± he asked hesitantly, still unsure of how far Magmyr¡¯s teaching philosophy went. ¡°Sure, but if ¡®ya break it, ¡®ya buy it,¡± Magmyr said with a hearty laugh, then got serious. ¡°No, really.¡± Joram reached into his pocket and retrieved two Grade C cores, then placed them on the workbench beside him. Magmyr glanced over, then did a double take when he saw the cores. ¡°That should do,¡± he said, nodding Joram towards the anvil. That was all Joram needed to get started. He rolled up his sleeves then found a suitable ingot that he deftly placed into the forge, then adjusted its position before working the bellows slowly to heat it up. Magmyr left briefly only to return with what looked like a submarine sandwich. He then pulled a stool over to where he could get a good look at what he was doing before digging into the beast of a sandwich. Then Joram fell into the rhythm of heating and hammering, repeating the process as needed. The ingot slowly elongated, then widened before it was brushed then folded over, re-heated, then worked again. This repeated dozens of times, so many in fact that Magmyr had long finished his meal and was idly wondering if he should grab another one, but was loath to miss anything. Eventually, when Magmyr noticed that the sun was setting, it seemed as though the young lad was pleased with his work, then took the blade over to one of the quenching barrels before quickly testing them. Finding the saltwater barrel, he then inserted the still-red blade, causing the water to boil around the blade and for steam to billow upwards. Less than a minute later, Joram withdrew the blade and brought it back to the anvil where he picked up the hammer again. He then placed the blade back onto the anvil before striking it just once, making Magmyr¡¯s eyes open wide. For after that one strike, he saw scale and other impurities fall off the blade, revealing its handsome shine to the world. ¡°That should do,¡± Joram said, then handed the now cool blade to Magmyr to inspect. Taking a good, long look at it, even going so far as to tap in on the anvil to listen to the sound, Magmyr tossed it onto the workbench and frowned. ¡°Hmm, ¡®tis nae complete rubbish¡­.¡± Chapter 046 - Registration? After promising to return to continue learning, Joram left and headed to the textile place next. It took him a bit to get over the brutal appraisal of his work, though. But, really, what could he expect after having used a hammer to shape metal for the first time? Sure, all that knowledge was there, but he supposed that he¡¯d have to work on his technique some more before he got ¡°good¡±. He was pretty interested in the textile place because they made their own thread, cloth, and fabric there, several different kinds in fact. Which made him want to have a look see. ¡°You want to what?¡± the man in reception asked, giving him a look of disbelief. He called it reception, but really it looked more a cross between a store front and a display area. He assumed that this would be where people ordered their fabric after having had a chance to see and feel it. ¡°I¡¯d like to observe how the weavers work,¡± he said, trying hard to keep smiling. This guy seemed to be a male Karen, whatever those were called. ¡°You do realize that our techniques are trade secrets, right?¡± the guy asked pretentiously. ¡°Sorry to bother you,¡± he replied with his customer service smile, turned, and left. Outside, he took a moment to use a bit of [Clear Mind] before once again heading off. Thinking about it, he decided to head to one of the clothing shops that Celys had pointed out on his tour of Kirkwall. He hadn¡¯t met the owner, but was willing to give it a go if he could learn a bit more about how to properly make clothing. Heading inside, the first thing that he noticed was how neat and tidy everything was, well organized and laid out. From the shelves with their perfectly folded product to how straight the clothing hung from their hangers on the racks, it would have made any corporate merchandiser gasp for joy, or green with envy. The next thing he noticed, or in this case a person, was the stereotypical flaxen haired, green eyed, gorgeous elf lady sitting behind the counter reading a book. She glanced up at his arrival, seemed to take in everything about him at a glance, then closed her book. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for new clothing made from the same materials that you¡¯re currently sporting, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯re out of luck,¡± she said as she shook her head slightly. ¡°But if you¡¯re looking to blend into Kirkwall a bit more, then I have anything you could need,¡± she finished with a professional smile. Well, that¡¯s quite the greeting, he though, now grinning. ¡°I was hoping to maybe get some pointers in fashion,¡± he replied, shifting into social mode. ¡°I can certainly help with that,¡± she said, still smiling. ¡°But if we¡¯re going to be interacting more, now and in the future, you can drop the charismatic act. I don¡¯t imagine that it comes easy, so conversing when you¡¯re acting like that will be tiring for us both,¡± she said, first seeing through him like a bay window, then cutting him to the quick with her blunt, if honest, words. Holy mother of-. I thought elves were supposed to either be paragons of diplomacy or just arrogant jackasses. Who knew that I¡¯d find such a breath of fresh air?! ¡°Sorry,¡± he said sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m terribly¡­ un-social, but I¡¯ve found that people prefer when I ¡®try¡¯ to be social,¡± he finished, not knowing the word for introvert here. ¡°People are people. I am me. We¡¯ll get along much better if you¡¯re just yourself with me,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°Well, then, I¡¯m Joram. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he said, holding his hand out to shake. ¡°And I am Ilyana, a pleasure,¡± she said, giving him a genuine smile while shaking his hand with her slender hand. ¡°So, you wanted to know about fashion?¡± she asked, returning to the reason for his visit. ¡°Yes. I find that I¡¯m not very good at putting together clothes,¡± he said, plucking at his t-shirt. Ilyana leaned forward to get a better look, then just got up and stepped around the counter. ¡°May I?¡± she asked gesturing to his clothing, and getting a nod from him. She took several minutes looking over everything, plucking and tugging here and there as she examined just about every square centimetre of his outfit. As she inspected him, he took the time to give her a look-over. Her own clothing was very well put together, reminding him of the costumes in the Lord of the Rings movies. Her light jacket, a forest green in colour, covered a simple creamy-white blouse and came down past her hips where she wore elegant straight-cut forest green pants, that matched her jacket, that went all the way to her ankles. Even her shoes were closer to slippers, and appeared to be made of some thick cloth. Comfy looking, though. ¡°Is this some sort of cotton blend?¡± she asked once she straightened up, giving him a curious look. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied simply, not wanting to shift back into social mode by trying to say more. ¡°The cut and seams seem to have been done well enough,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°But they seem¡­ off,¡± she finished, apparently at a loss on how to describe what she saw. ¡°That¡¯s probably because I¡­ summoned them?¡± he said, not quite sure how to describe it to her. She blinked at him, then blinked again as a slight frown tugged at her lips and he got another System notification. ¡°But you don¡¯t appear to have a Path,¡± she said, looking a bit curious and a bit guarded at the same time. He sighed, then tried to explain. ¡°I get that a lot. I am indeed Pathless, but my¡­ people, are gifted with innate abilities that take various forms. For me, I can summon-make things and stuff,¡± he said, indicating his clothing once more. ¡°I¡¯d like to fit in better here, so I thought that learning how to make clothing would help with that,¡± he finished, then looked at her again to see what she thought of all that. She was frowning, which scared him a bit because he had started to take a liking to the blunt woman and didn¡¯t want to be kicked out for ¡°spouting nonsense¡±. She seemed to mull over what he¡¯d said before speaking. ¡°That¡¯s certainly¡­ unique,¡± she said, earning a frown from him that she seemed to correctly interpret. ¡°OK, that just sounds crazy, but none of my Skills are saying that you¡¯re lying. So, unique¡± she said with a wry smile. ¡°I appreciate the honesty,¡± he said, feeling relieved. ¡°It¡¯s what I asked of you, after all,¡± she said, now smiling in a more relaxed way. ¡°So, let¡¯s get to showing you the ropes,¡± she said, then motioned for him to follow her. The back room was just as organized as the shop portion of the building. There were several differently sized mannequins spaced out along one wall, while the other walls contained dozens of shelves completely filled with various fabrics in a multitude of colours. There were two large tables where he saw various scissors and shears organized in neat lines along with several bowls filled with pins. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then came Sewing 101, then 201, then 301, followed by the Masters¡¯ Course. As Ilyana got more drawn into her explanations, becoming more passionate as she taught him, her slender fingers started moving faster and faster as she worked. By the end of the demonstrations, her fingers were almost blurring as she worked. ¡°That was¡­ amazing,¡± he said, not quite sure how to describe the wonder she¡¯d shown him. That seemed to fully bring her back to the moment, causing her to look a bit embarrassed. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, giving him a warm smile. ¡°And sorry, I tend to get overly enthusiastic when I have such a good student to teach,¡± she said, sounding quite happy. ¡°Ah, it was a pleasure watching a master at work,¡± he said honestly, shrugging away how weird it felt to speak so openly with someone. She eyed him for a moment after that, probably trying to determine if he was just flattering her or not. ¡°Thank you,¡± she repeated, then seemed to come to a decision. ¡°If you¡¯d like to learn more, I¡¯d be happy to help.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that, thank you,¡± came his reply before working out a schedule, which taught him a couple of things. For one, there were apparently eight days in a week here, but still four weeks to a month. Then an item got checked off his list when he found out that there were twenty-five hours in a day here, explaining why his internal clock was so messed up. They decided on one day per week, from just after lunch until evening. Then, after once again thanking Ilyana, he set off¡­ soon surrounded by foxes, including Harumi. Seeing as how it was already early evening, he decided to just head back to the Manelle¡¯s place and try to deal with the awkwardness of what had happened last night. ¡°Joram!¡± He turned and saw the healer from the clinic he¡¯d woken up in and paused, wondering why she was sprinting after him, but he quickly found out. ¡°How?!¡± she panted as she tried to catch her breath, motioning with one hand at his right leg. ¡°Ah, umm, let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± he said, motioning for the woman to follow him. He walked slowly, for him, to allow her to catch her breath as they went. She kept trying to get him to answer her questions as they walked, but he kept deflecting and telling her that they¡¯d talk more when they arrived. He also finally got her to introduce herself as they went, which allowed him to stop calling her ¡°nurse-lady¡± in his head. Which was a very long ten minutes until they were in the back yard of the Manelle¡¯s residence. ¡°So, how?!¡± Melois asked, her patience fraying at the edges. ¡°So, that¡¯s very personal, but suffice it so say that it stems from an innate ability of my people,¡± he said, trying very hard not to just shoo the woman away. ¡°Humans can¡¯t regrow limbs,¡± she said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Who said that I¡¯m human?¡± he retorted with a frown. ¡°What?¡± Melois asked, her folded arms loosening. ¡°Anyways,¡± he said, not wanting in the least to get into it right then. ¡°Not human. Innate abilities. Can¡¯t do it for anyone else *cough*-right now-*cough*,¡± he finished, fudging the last part with coughing because he still didn¡¯t like to lie. Melois was crushed, her hopes of finding a way to restore lost limbs blowing away in the evening breeze. Even though she wasn¡¯t his favourite person for having amputated his leg, which he could have (probably) healed, she had done so with the belief that it would save his life. So, it was a bit hard to see how dejected she was over the news. ¡°Would you like to stay for supper?¡± he asked, trying to do something to make her feel a bit better. She nodded, then followed him inside, the metaphorical cloud over her head following her inside. Then he explained why Melois was there for dinner, leaving out the pity part, and left her to talk with Celys and Nalun. Which left him open to being pounced on by Asami and Myra. ¡°Where were you all day?¡± Myra asked as Asami just clung to him like velcro. ¡°I wanted to start learning a few things,¡± he said vaguely, not wanting them to know where he¡¯d been, or the why. ¡°Smithy,¡± Asami said, wrinkling her nose a bit as she turned her head to the side. ¡°Then fabric. Not sure, but he smells a bit elfy,¡± she said, shocking him with just how accurate her nose was. ¡°Why?¡± Myra asked, looking more than a little bit confused. ¡°Can¡¯t you make stuff with your mind?¡± Sighing, he shuffled over to the cushions in the living room and eventually detached Asami long enough to sit down. ¡°Yes, but knowing how things are made will help me to make better things,¡± he said, shrugging, then regretting it as he felt what it did to Asami¡¯s chest that was currently pressed into his side. Which got a mischievous smile from Asami. ¡°Well, that makes sense,¡± Myra said, missing Asami¡¯s look. ¡°Well, just let me know when you¡¯ll be off apprenticing, and I¡¯ll adjust my schedule accordingly,¡± she said, sounding for all the world that she had a set schedule. After that, the conversations turned more mundane before supper was served. Then, once done with supper, he bade Melois a good night, and everyone else, then quickly retired to his room. It seemed as though Myra hadn¡¯t realized how she¡¯d been sleeping, nor had Asami realized what she¡¯d been trying to eat in her sleep, so he left it well enough alone. Then, after his evening routine, he tried to figure out a way to avoid such things in the future. He eventually just decided to place another screen between their beds and wear a thicker shirt in the vain hope that Asami wouldn¡¯t be able to nibble on him as easily. Food dreams were scary. Then bedtime came and he got to meditating again. The predawn came without incident, greatly relieving him after a long night of worry. He still avoided looking towards where Myra slept, in case she¡¯d wound up like she had the night before last. After his morning routine was completed, he went to the next part of his morning routine with Linette. There, he tried to answer her questions about the butter cookies and how to make them. So, after having finished preparing the bread dough, they began experimenting with cookie dough. He remembered the rough recipe and ratios, being: 1 part flour, 1 part sugar, 0.8 parts butter, with a bit of salt and one or two teaspoons of vanilla extract. And one or two egg yokes. The problem was that they didn¡¯t have any granulated sugar, nor had they gone and made dried honey, or granulated honey. So, when they tried to use honey as a substitute, it didn¡¯t work out very well. Sure, they made for a tasty snack, but they were much moister than what he¡¯d been aiming for. Maybe he should try making granulated honey? Yeah, that sounded like it would work. Then they finished up, cleaned up, and headed off for breakfast. Which passed quietly enough, so he once again headed out, followed by his usual entourage. Having had enough with training his crafting skills, he headed back to his house to get some more work done. This time, he finished up the wall, making sure it was at least seven metres high at every point. He also made sure to finish [Delve]¡¯ing everything that he¡¯s stored into his inventory, repacking them into real crates. After that, his head was practically swimming with everything that he¡¯d committed to memory. The hard drives were especially difficult, for he suspected that when he replicated them, they¡¯d have all the data that he¡¯d stored on them, ready to be read. What was more important, for his immediate needs, was that he¡¯d also [Delve]d the construction materials he¡¯d stored away. Now that he¡¯d acquired how to make the stuff, he would soon be able to use [Modify Matter] to recreate everything that he would need to finish his house. His next largest hurdle, though, was to find the raw materials he¡¯d need before he could make any of it. And considering that modern construction materials were made in factories that sourced what they needed from practically all over the country, if not the continent, he might be in a bit of a pickle. Then another thought occurred to him, so he pulled out a two-by-four and examined it for a minute. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Myra asked when he stopped walking. ¡°I just remembered something,¡± he said, the used [Grow] on it to produce seeds from the plank of wood. Then he sighed as the plank swiftly turned in to dozens of seeds that fell to the forest floor. Using [Telekinesis] to pick them up, he continued. ¡°I was thinking that it would be nice to have a softer wood to make things with. There¡¯s a game I miss playing that uses this kind of wood for its board, so I got a bit nostalgic,¡± he said, a bit embarrassed to admit that¡­ for whatever reason. As Myra nodded at him, he wondered why he should be embarrassed about anything anymore. He was who he was. He was in a new world, with completely new people, and with a¡­ mostly blank slate. They didn¡¯t care if he was nostalgic about his home, they just seemed to be happy that he was there. Once all of the seeds were picked up, and he checked three times, he retrieved a crate that had his sandwich bags and slid the seeds into one. With that done, the packed everything away again before storing the crate away again. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± Myra said, looking a bit nervous¡­ or apprehensive? ¡°But, are you using an [Inventory]?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± he answered, not sure why she¡¯d be nervous about asking that. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that they¡¯re incredibly rare. Not only that, but anyone with an [Inventory] is supposed to register and have it added to their identification card,¡± she said, now sounding more than a bit nervous about breaking the news to him, as though he¡¯d blame her for the rule. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know that,¡± he said, regretting letting Myra and Asami see that he had one. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could keep that to yourself, could you?¡± Myra looked incredibly conflicted, to the point that she was starting to get incredibly frustrated. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll get it sorted,¡± he said, giving her a pat on the head as they left his new front gate on their way back to Kirkwall. Myra seemed incredibly relieved at that and even gave him a small smile. ¡°Sorry for asking that of you,¡± he said, then turned to make sure none of the foxes got locked behind the gate. Once everyone was out, he closed the gate and had one of his construction models lower the huge bar on the inside of said gate, locking it tight. Once more leaving the astral constructs to guard the place, they started heading to Kirkwall. Maybe tomorrow he¡¯d go get the rest of his stuff from that warehouse. Hopefully there would be something left for him to pick up. Chapter 047 - Marksman Considering that it was earlier than he usually finished up at the house, he decided to take his friends out for a light snack at the street vendors. He¡¯d come to know that the foxes really liked the one who sold the meat skewers, but hold the veggies. After dropping one silver and thirty bronze on the meal, everyone seemed to be pretty happy, so he leisurely led everyone back to Myra¡¯s house where they all had a lazy late afternoon. Especially him, given how his head still felt stuffed full of information. So, while Asami and Myra lounged on the cushions in the living room, he stepped away and headed to his bedroom to meditate. Not just to relax, but for ¡°rest & recuperation¡±, High Elan style¡­ or Altaea style, since she was the once who came up with those meditation techniques. Which wound up doing the trick. He left his room in time for supper and spent a pleasant evening chatting with everyone before once again heading off to his room. He quickly reviewed his mental check list of things to do, then decided that it was time to start using [Psychic Reformation]. Knowing that he¡¯d need to use Dust, he retrieved all eleven of the Dust Crystals he¡¯d created the other night. He picked one up to admire it a bit more and felt his fingertips tingle at its touch. Weird, he thought, trying to place the feeling. ¡®Don¡¯t cores also tingle to the touch?¡¯ Avi asked, leaning over to look at the crystal in his hand. And that was it. Cores always felt tingly to his touch, though other people didn¡¯t seem to feel anything when they touched them. On a hunch, he retrieved a Grade B core and [Analyze]d it.
Grade B Core (hobgoblin [Shaman]) This monster core came from a powerful hobgoblin [Shaman]. Useful as a reagent in creating magic items, arrays, formations, as well as being used in [Alchemy]. Contains Dust. - Purity: 15%
Joram stared at how much more detail was now had in its description compared to when he¡¯d first used [Analyze] on a core. Not only that, but the description now contained something that he wasn¡¯t sure had been a term used in this world before he and Altaea had arrived. Dust. ¡®Wait. Does that mean that monster cores all contain Dust in them?¡¯ he asked Avi, getting strangely excited. ¡®One would assume so, yes. Given the ¡°Purity¡± rating, I would assume that various cores contain varying amounts of Dust in them,¡¯ she said, looking thoughtful. ¡®I wonder if I can extract the Dust from them?¡¯ he mused, wondering if that would be particularly useful. ¡®Probably. But you¡¯re more likely to be able to produce more Dust by yourself than if you tried to extract it from cores,¡¯ she said, seconding his thoughts on the matter. ¡®But, if I can just hunt monsters all day, could I get more Dust in the form of cores that way?¡¯ ¡®For as strong as the monsters would have to be, I¡¯m not sure that you would survive,¡¯ Avi said, bluntly dashing his hopes. ¡®Now, if you were to take a Path and advance as fast as possible, then I¡¯m sure that monster hunting might become a viable option in the future.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, wondering if he should just bite the bullet and take a Path. The only thing stopping him was himself, after all. But. What if, like acquiring Skills, he could get access to even better Paths if he waited longer. If he continued to wrack-up Titles and Achievements? His [Pathless Slaughterer - I] Achievement was one example of one that might be useful to level up before taking a Path. Though, he wasn¡¯t sure what kind of Paths would unlock for something like that. Then there was the question of whether or not the level of a Skill would affect what Paths were offered. Would the fact that [*Improved Sculpting] was his highest ranked Skill give him access to some ridiculously overpowered Path that focussed on sculpting? Would he get something like [Legendary Moonlight Sculptor]? Laughing at himself, the tucked those thoughts away for later. For now, he wanted to see if he had enough Dust Crystals to completely crystallize his Soulbolt class, and if that would then allow him to take another class, or maybe choose to be a Soulknife instead. ¡°Welp, here goes nothing,¡± he said as he took the handful of Dust Crystals and laid on his bed while entering his Head Space. Or his mental office space; but Head Space sounded better to him. ¡°[Psychic Reformation],¡± he said out loud as he manifested the power. He didn¡¯t know what to expect, but seeing a window pop up on his monitor wasn¡¯t it. He looked at the new window and just about laughed. It looked like one of those character editors you could get for an RPG, one that allowed you to change anything about the character you wanted. From race (which he wasn¡¯t going to change even if that had been an option) to class to feats, skills, special abilities, and anything else that might be there. This one, though, seemed to be limited to the ¡°classes¡± he¡¯d taken, which currently listed them as ¡°Shaper¡±, and ¡°Soulbolt¡±. Then there were the things he¡¯d ¡°learned¡±, like the skills that Altaea had left in his brain, as well as the ¡°feats¡±. Under the Shaper and Soulbolt listings he saw a dropdown menu. Clicking on them, he could see his various class abilities and their descriptions, as well as any other skills or feats that he¡¯d learned, and at what ¡°level¡±. It was beyond weird to see everything laid out as though he was in a video game. Or a tabletop RPG. ¡®Focus,¡¯ Avi chided him, causing him to look around to see if she¡¯d entered his office again. When he didn¡¯t find her, he frowned. Is she invisible or something? Shaking his head, he chose to take her advice and focussed on the task at hand. Changing out Soulbolt for something else. So, while he tried to decide what to take once Soulbolt was crystallized, he began the process of crystallizing Soulbolt. He started with the ¡°capstone¡± ability, [Mind Blade Mastery]. Once selected, a new field appeared at the bottom right of the window, showing a counter. Clicking on the next class ability caused the left side of the counter to increase, making the right side the total that he had to work with. Frowning a bit, he continued clicking on everything under Soulbolt until everything was selected. The counter now showed just under twenty percent. He smiled, then clicked the ¡°Next¡± button. The next window asked if he wanted to select new options or to crystallize his previous choices. Remembering that the trick was to take what had been crystallized and assimilate it, he chose the latter option, then confirmed when it asked him if he was sure. Then probably the weirdest feeling he¡¯d ever felt came over him as he began to ¡°forget¡± what he¡¯d learned as a Soulbolt. But the thing was, he still knew about it because it was still in the archive that Altaea had left for him. It was almost like he¡¯d had his library taken away and put behind a glass wall. He could see it, but couldn¡¯t access it. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then the process completed, and the power ended, leaving him to sit in his comfy chair in his mind office space. A moment passed before he stood up and left his head space. Opening his eyes, he noticed his psicrystal sitting on his chest, holding another crystal in two of its¡­ legs? Appendages? Shrug. ¡®Here you are, master,¡± his psicrystal said, proffering the iridescent crystal that was almost half the size of its body. ¡°Thanks,¡± he murmured, then took the crystal and spent a moment just admiring it. ¡®You can either assimilate the crystal now, or wait until after you¡¯ve chosen another class to replace it,¡¯ Avi said from beside him, sitting on the edge of his bed. Joram nodded at that, debating those very things. ¡®How hard would it be to get fully trained up in a completely new class?¡¯ he asked, wondering if trying to try something completely different would hamper him. ¡®About as hard as you¡¯d expect,¡¯ Avi replied casually. ¡®But if it¡¯s something that you¡¯re relatively familiar with, like choosing Psion again, but selecting another Discipline, it would be fast. But if you were to choose something like Aegis, it would take longer to get used to.¡¯ ¡®Marksman?¡¯ he asked, getting his hopes up. ¡®Once you assimilate Soulbolt, the two classes would synergize well, and learning the ins and outs of Marksman would be relatively easy for you,¡¯ she said, giving him a rare smile that caused his heart to flutter. ¡®Sounds good,¡¯ he sent, looking away. ¡®I¡¯ll get right on that,¡¯ he said, then closed his eyes again as he entered his Mind Space. His computer was still on, so he¡­ stopped and sighed. ¡®Avi?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡®Could you please help me access Marksman?¡¯ ¡®Certainly,¡¯ she replied sweetly as his mind was flooded with information that nearly caused him to black out. The feeling was exactly the same as when she¡¯d dumped the Soulknife information into his mind a couple of weeks ago. But this time, he had [Clear Mind] to help. A short time later found Joram relaxing again. With everything¡­ settled, he began going over the options available to him. The first big one was the kind of style he wanted to focus on. There was [Finesse Style], [Sniper Style], and [Volley Style]. The first focussed on shock and awe, with an interesting addition of some crazy trick shots. While he wouldn¡¯t probably bother with the shock and awe stuff, the ability to bounce a shot between targets a number of times each equal to his SPR modifier was beyond tempting. The second, [Sniper], was also attractive. It did, however, focus a lot on adding damage to the first shot, but the ability to increase the chance to hit his target was pretty good. Not only that, but the ability to inflict several different status ailments on a target was very appealing, especially the one where he could inflict ability damage equal to his SPR modifier. And since his modifier was pretty damn high right now, that ability would be OP. The [Volley Style] option appealed to him a lot. Crowd control, when fighting alone, was very important. Not only that, but the ability to hit more targets per shot would help him end fights much faster. Sure, the [Sniper Style] option would help with the cleanup, but when he was alone and fighting against a larger group, [Volley Style] was the way to go. ¡­. Crap, I can just take them all, can¡¯t I? He asked himself, realizing once again how OP this was going to make him. So, he did it. An hour later, Joram was laying in bed, very thankful that he¡¯d chosen to lay down for all of that. But he was grinning. Not only had he taken [Marksman], but had also assimilated [Sniper Style] and chosen the [Volley Style] as the regular style for the class. Then he¡¯d assimilated Soulbolt again, then switched things around slightly due to the extra ranged options he¡¯d gotten from [Marksman]. In the end, not only had his mindbolt become significantly more deadly, but he¡¯d also gained the ability to gain a mindblade by taking the blade skill [Telekinetic Blade], once again allowing him to fight with a blade in m¨ºl¨¦e. Which, really, was an extreme last resort, because with [Marksman], he could fire while in close combat and not worry about provoking an attack of opportunity, as it were. Now that he was¡­ tricked¡¯out, he was intensely curious as to how much damage he could do. ¡°All done?¡± Asami asked, leaning over his face and nearly giving him a heart attack. ¡°Gah!¡± he squawked, dropping the Dust Crystals as he reflexively spazzed. Laughing at him, Asami leaned over and picked up one of the Dust Crystals. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, then grew increasingly intent on the crystal. ¡°That¡¯s, a, ah¡­¡± he stammered, reasonably sure that it wasn¡¯t wise to reveal what it was, let alone how he¡¯d gotten it. Which didn¡¯t seem to matter, because Asami was staring at it as though it had sucked her soul right out of her body. A little concerned, he quickly stored away the other Dust Crystals before doing the same for the one in her hand by pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. When the crystal vanished, Asami seemed to snap out of her trance-like state and frowned at him. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± she asked, though she seemed happy that he was so close to her. ¡°Ah, just thought I saw a fluff in your hair,¡± he lied, hoping that it would slide. It didn¡¯t. ¡°Oh~~~? Are you lying to hide that you really just wanted to do something with me?¡± she asked, and before he knew it, her arms had somehow wrapped around his neck. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± he said, a bit brain-locked before he slipped into [Clear Mind] and managed to calm himself. ¡°I think-,¡± he stopped talking, hearing something that he hadn¡¯t heard before. Bells. Lots and lots of bells. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, turning his head a bit to hear better. ¡°Alarm bells,¡± Asami said, suddenly deadly serious. ¡°Kirkwall is under attack,¡± she said, then bolted from the room faster than he thought possible. Not wanting to be left behind, he started running, then found the Manelle family getting ready by the front door. Celys had her large staff in hand and was waiting by the door. Kal was already there, a staff in hand, Myra coming around the corner a moment later. ¡°An attack?¡± he asked, hoping that maybe it was a fire instead, as that would likely be less deadly to those in town. ¡°Yes,¡± Celys said, looking at Nalun as he approached with a very sturdy spear in hand. ¡°It sounds like the south gate is under attack. We¡¯ll go as a group, so stick together,¡± she said, then opened the door and hurried out. They all wound up moving at a fast jog, likely because Celys didn¡¯t want them all winded before they arrived. As he ran, he loaded up with his standard buffs, then added [Force Screen] for good measure. While he followed, he formed his N7-90 and checked on his [Astral Ally]s. They were fine, so as he moved, he manifested [Astral Construct] to get himself a 9th Level astral construct. Feeling inspired, he shaped it to look like a dragon. Not one of those ones that looked like drakes, who just had two wings and two hind legs. No, like a good old dragon you¡¯d see in Pathfinder. Two wings, two fore legs, and two hind legs. And, of course, the tail. Knowing that it would be an absolute terror if anyone saw it, he accounted for that in the abilities he gave it: [Improved Slam Attack], [Power Attack], [Extra Attack], [Improved Fly] x2, [Rend], and [Natural Invisibility]. Then he made it an [Astral Ally] to both free-up his power pool, but to also give it some free [Fast Healing] that [Astral Ally]s seemed to get now. He then instructed it to follow him from above the building line. As they got closer, sounds of fighting started to be heard, which was bad. Then they rounded another corner and saw that the southern gate had been smashed to pieces, allowing goblins to enter Kirkwall with impunity. The guards were doing their best to hold the goblin horde back, and more were streaming in from all over, but they were ridiculously outnumbered. To stem the tide, he instructed his dragon to plop down in front of the gate and destroy any monster trying to make its way through. ¡°Nalun, go help the guards,¡± Celys barked, then turned to the rest of them to continue barking orders. ¡°Myra, Kal, you both stay with me. Myra, you take any shots that you can. Kal, buff us as best you can. If you see someone that needs healing, and if it¡¯s safe, heal them. ¡°Joram? Can you do that trench thing you do? We need a defensive line that we can try holding,¡± she said, glancing back towards the gate just as a loud *thump!* was heard from it. ¡°Can do,¡± he said, then jogged forward as he took aim and started firing on his way to the front lines. He started off heavy, using [Block the Sun] combined with [Quick Volley]. Though the [Quick Volley] reduced his accuracy, it wasn¡¯t terribly hard to hit his targets from less than thirty metres away. His N7-90 then lived up to the second half of its name, releasing shots so fast that the areas he¡¯d designated were hit practically all at the same time. The gobs and hobs were blasted like nothing he¡¯d seen before. If he were playing that ¡°catch ¡¯em all¡± game, he was sure that a ¡°Super Effective¡± banner would have shown up. More than half of his targets fell while the other half looked varying degrees of confused. Thus encouraged, he did it again, this time felling the rest of them and giving the confused but glad defenders some breathing room. And him too. He then used [Foxhole A], creating a trench across the street between the defenders and the invaders, piling the dirt on the defender¡¯s side. Then he did it three more times to first get across the rest of the street, then to deepen the trench to three metres deep. With the main thoroughfare taken care of, he turned left and ran down the connecting avenue, looking for any goblins that might have slipped though, but to also stem the tide from that direction. On his way there, the ¡°Go destroy the goblin dungeon¡± on his to-do list got bumped to the top. Chapter 048 - Desperate He did find several goblins along the way trying to break down a door, but he ended them quickly enough as he ran past, ignoring yet another System notification as he hurried. It took him another minute to get to the wall, finding that the defenders were having a hard time of it. As he approached, he saw two of them fall to huge hobgoblins wielding swords that looked much better than what goblins normally used. To slow them down, he used [Block the Sun], [Quick Volley], and [Freezing Bolt]; the last in the hopes of affecting them with the [Slow] status. Again, several goblins fell, but not as many as he¡¯d hoped. Nevertheless, most of them slowed down, giving him the chance to finally use [Foxhole]. But since the goblins were so close, he chose to drop the dirt on the other side of the trench as goblins fell into it as it formed. The defenders fell back in confusion, shocked at what had just happened. Taking that chance, he sent out another barrage as he deepened the trench further, this time piling the dirt on the open space they¡¯d left for him. Even more goblins died that time, giving him grim satisfaction as he continued to run straight at the trench. The defenders called out in alarm as he ran past them, then onto the mound of dirt and stone. At the peak, he let go of his N7-90 so that he could be in his best form for the powerful leap he executed. As he soared through the air- and he did soar- he reformed his mindbolt, but this time into the M-6 Desert form, leaving him a free hand to deal with anything that got too close. Then came the landing. If he hadn¡¯t used [Biofeedback], he was sure that he would have had more than a few scrapes and bruises as he rolled to his feet using his considerable momentum. Then he was in the thick of it, gobs, hobs, and those even larger hobs which [Analyze] identified as [Hobgoblin Elite]s. Yeah, we can¡¯t afford to leave that damn dungeon alone any longer. Because, what¡¯s next? [Hobgoblin Paragon]s? [Hobgoblin Great Shaman]s? He shuddered to think of how difficult those would be to deal with as he [Dodge]d a volley of arrows from the gobs, using the brute in front of him for cover. Which it took as an opportunity to attack him. The attack glanced off his [Force Screen], sending it to land just to his left. Not one to let an opening like that go, he stepped forward and placed the muzzle of his mindbolt against its forehead and shattered its head into thousands of frozen shards with [Freezing Bolt]. He then took hold of the thing¡¯s crude armour and heaved it up to so that it could swallow more arrows for him. Then, not wanting to seem ungrateful for the goblin¡¯s warm welcome, he sent back his own volley. When the weaker goblin archers fell, he dropped his meat shield and continued on towards the gate where he felt his dragon fighting a losing battle. He kept running, blasting any goblins he saw along the way. ¡®Joram, you need to heal yourself,¡¯ Avi¡¯s voice came to him through the battle haze, making him realize that he¡¯d take a few hits along the way. He quickly stepped behind the corner of a house to manifest [Natural Healing]A, then looked over as the front gate where his dragon fought. It was an eerie sight to see a seven-metre space cleared of moving targets while watching goblins being suddenly torn apart for no apparent reason. He felt that his [Invisible] dragon was on its last legs, so he quickly pulled up [Energy Wall], review it, then manifested it. A moment later, a fiery wall appeared in front of the gates, but on the inside of the wall, throwing waves of fire outwards. He could hear the screams of pain from the goblins, which brought a grim smile to his face. But not wanting to lose out on the opportunity the [Energy Wall] provided, he then manifested [Wall of Ectoplasm] right behind it, tripled up its width. With that in place, any goblins trying to get through the [Energy Wall] would hopefully fry trying to then get through the second, very durable, wall. With that done, he sent his dragon into the air to start healing. Then he began running, soon losing himself in the flow of battle. He went to support the guards on the far side of the main street, attacking the goblins from the rear, alternating between barrages and [Energy Ball]s. It wasn¡¯t long before the goblins inside of Kirkwall were taken care of and he was back at the south gate where he could see a few small holes being chipped out from the [Wall of Ectoplasm]. So, he grinned, and repeated his trick from earlier, but changed the energy type of the [Energy Wall] to [Cold] in case the [Shaman]s had given them fire resistance or something. When he heard more shouts and screams of pain from them, he put up another [Wall of Ectoplasm] just like the first, making it even harder for them to break through. Once done, he made for the stairs on the wall and switched his M-6 Desert for the shoulder canon, wanting the added range it provided. At the top of the stairs, he found a few guards with bows a good twenty metres away doing their best to fell the enemy. He looked through the crenelations and saw that there were still a few hundred goblins out there, drying his mouth as his heart fluttered in trepidation. Yeah, they¡¯re certainly at the top of the list now, he thought as he found his first [Shaman] and carefully lined up his shot with [Through the Eye of the Needle]. He chose the [Ability Damage] option as he aimed, focussing on damaging its Constitution and adding [Frozen Bolt] for good measure. He released the shot and was gratified to see the [Shaman] freeze solid, fall over, and break into several pieces. The other [Shaman]s didn¡¯t let that go, though, and sent a flurry of spells his way. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge them all, though, and nearly got cooked as he fell to the walkway, coughing. [Clear Mind] helped him to manifest [Natural Healing]A again, restoring his charred skin, but not his clothing or hair. Feeling more than a little shaky after that, he pulled up [Energy Adaptation], found it easy enough, then manifested it, choosing the invisible release option. Thus protected, and resolved to add that to his standard combat buffs, he got up into a crouch as he reformed his shoulder canon and peeked around the crenelation. Choosing the wiser option, he started using [Strafing] in earnest to make himself harder to hit. Unfortunately, that decreased his accuracy, but with [Block the Sun] and [Quick Volley], it didn¡¯t matter as much since he was basically carpet bombing them all. It wasn¡¯t all one sided, however. He saw more guards fall to attacks from the goblins, as well as the occasional goblin that managed to get tossed up onto the walls by its compatriots, who then went into a frenzy to kill as many guards as it could. One part of him wished that he¡¯d gone with [Vitalist] so that he could help keep the defenders both healthy and in the fight. The other part assured him that ending the goblin threat as soon as possible would ultimately save more lives. But man! This sucks, he thought as yet another defender fell. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. By now his dragon felt to be back at full health, so he sent the [Invisible] terror to reap havoc amongst the goblins, instructing it to make flyby attacks against them. Going for broke, he manifested [Astral Construct]A a few more times to get three more 9th Level astral constructs, with the same configurations as the dragon, and let them loose after designating them as his last three [Astral Ally]s. Then the fight became a repeating patter of move, attack, renew the [Energy Wall], and manifesting the occasional [Energy Ball] for good measure when his power pool allowed for it. When things finally quieted down, he looked around with a heavy heart. The goblins hadn¡¯t just attacked the walls and guards, but had also managed to set fire to many homes. He saw people trying valiantly to fight the fires, but it was hard without the convenience of fire hydrants and hoses. They did, however, have magic, so it wasn¡¯t completely hopeless. Before going to help in any way that he could, he instructed his dragons to start piling their, and his, kills off to the side of the main battlefield. Once they were done, they were then to do the same inside of the walls. Then he got to work, putting [Ectoplasmic Creation] through its paces as he created deluge after deluge of water to help put out the fires. He¡¯d occasionally need to blast an area with a barrage of [Cold] from his N7-90 after having doused the area with water. It provided a slight firebreak without having to level a building to slow the spread of fire. Then dawn was there, bringing light to their burnt and broken village. He looked around, seeing that almost a full block around where the goblins had attacked had been razed. People were looking around, dazed and lost as they probably wondered what they¡¯d do. Not wanting to expose himself to such raw and puissant emotions, he went to the ruined gate, both broken and burnt form the goblins and his [Energy Wall]s. He shook his head, wondering how they¡¯d get everything fixed in time if he failed to destroy the dungeon. Should he stay and try to help get things fixed? Help people rebuild? But with how many had attacked this time, he was certain that the next attack would be enough to wipe out Kirkwall. But would he be enough to deal with the dungeon solo? He really wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d succeed. Thus deep in thought, he went out and began looting his kills, a veritable mountain of bodies. Once more, System notifications pinged, but he set them aside for later, not wanting to deal with them right then. He was almost done when Asami came to find him, her clothes lightly scorched and smeared with soot and ash. She didn¡¯t say anything as she watched him work, just kept close to him. He appreciated that, for he wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk just yet. He¡¯d thought that he¡¯d had all the time in the world to get strong, learn new things, and even have fun with his new friends. Build a house, take it easy. Live it up. But now there were a lot of dead people. People who might have lived if he¡¯d just doubled-down on his training and then gone and dealt with the dungeon before it had grown enough to send armies out to kill them all. ¡°Stop,¡± Asami said, placing a hand on his back. ¡°That way lies grief and madness.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true,¡± he said quietly, hating himself for the first time in years. ¡°No one should be punished for wanting to live a peaceful life,¡± Asami replied softly, placing her other hand on his back next to the first. ¡°I was told that dungeons form occasionally. Not often, but rarely. Settlements usually make sure to scout out their environs to make sure that none have popped up. If they do, they usually destroy it before it can get too strong. ¡°But they¡¯re rare. That a dungeon formed near where I¡­ was living, now seems odd to me. Did it form when I arrived? If so, even if I¡¯m not directly responsible for it, it¡¯s still related to me. ¡°Sure, Kirkwall should have done something about it before now, and I don¡¯t know why it hasn¡¯t been dealt with already. But if I had gone and tackled the problem shortly after arriving, those people would still be alive,¡± he finished with clenched fists and hazy vision. Asami was silent for a while, then he felt something else press against his back and realized that she¡¯d leaned her head against it. ¡°Life happens. So does death. Dungeons happen. People aren¡¯t perfect. Don¡¯t expect more of yourself than you can give or accomplish,¡± she said, sounding a bit distant as though she was speaking through the distance of memories. ¡°You¡¯re strong now, stronger than I expected you to become without taking a Path. But I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll survive raiding that dungeon on your own,¡± she said, proving just how much of his mind that she read on a regular basis. He couldn¡¯t even summon up the inclination to get angry at her for that with everything else that had happened that night. ¡°Kirkwall won¡¯t survive another attack,¡± he said quietly, finding it hard to speak any louder with how tight his throat felt. ¡°Is that your responsibility?¡± she asked quietly, her words digging into his heart. ¡°We¡¯ve managed over the years well enough before you came along. This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve suffered from an Overflowing Dungeon,¡± she said, now sounding a bit angry even though her voice was still quiet. ¡°No, but it¡¯s something my conscience won¡¯t allow,¡± he said, wondering if it came from what he¡¯d been taught growing up, or if he¡¯d somehow caught chuunibyou syndrome from somewhere. Either way, he couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a moat around most of Kirkwall before I go,¡± he said as he lifted his head up. ¡°That¡¯s about all I can do besides helping with repairing the south gate. But after that, I¡¯ll be heading out¡­¡± he paused a moment as he felt Asami stiffen against his back, but continued with what he had to say. ¡±¡­ and I¡¯d appreciate it if you could stay and help everyone in case I fail,¡± he finished, not feeling terribly optimistic with his odds of survival, but oddly at peace with his decision. With that said, he stepped forward, feeling the loss of contact with Asami as he continued looting. She didn¡¯t say anything after that, but still chose to keep close to him as he worked. It took much longer than he thought it would, yet finished all too soon, leaving him standing there, thinking as he then called one of the construction constructs to collect the goblins¡¯ fallen weapons. Eventually a few guards were sent out to loot the dead. He noticed the strange looks they shot his way as they worked and wondered if they blamed him for not having dealt with the dungeon sooner. So instead of dealing with those looks, he set off to the west side of Kirkwall, then went a bit further north before getting to work. He paced himself as he used [Foxhole] and [Telekinesis] to create a moat that spanned just over six metres wide and as many deep. He spread out the excavated earth on the far side of the moat, but used any rocks and stones he found to line the bottom of the moat. It wasn¡¯t much, but it would at least hurt a creature more falling on the stone than onto dirt. He worked like that until evening, which found him on the southeast side of Kirkwall. When he came out of his fugue state, he noticed a few things. First, he was practically caked in dirt. What was left of his pants was brown while the rest of him looked as though he¡¯d competed in a mudwrestling competition. The next thing he noticed was the largest gathering of foxes he¡¯d seen to date sitting several metres behind him. They all regarded him with varying expression that he couldn¡¯t read, but felt that curiosity was prominent. The last thing he noticed before his head started swimming in dizziness, were the people on the walls. As he tried to keep his balance, a veritable wall of sound hit him as they all began shouting. Then everything went black. * * * Asami looked down at a now clean Joram. She was glad that young Melois had the [Cleanse] Skill, making it easier on them all as they cared for, and check on Joram that evening. She¡¯d long since changed, the clothing that Joram had made for her having been ruined and unsuitable to stay in as she cared for Joram. She was impressed with his determination to do what he saw as right. In all her years, she¡¯d never met someone like him. From how he smelt to how he acted all the way to how he could use [Mind Magic] without the aid of the System, he was unique. She looked over at Myra sitting on a chair beside his bed, looking exhausted in her vigil. None of them had slept over the past day and a half, and it was evident to see. ¡°You should sleep,¡± she told Myra, who jumped a bit when she heard her voice. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, then tried to stifle a powerful yawn¡­ and lost. Asami just shook her head. Young ones needed their rest, especially ones who¡¯d worked so hard through last night and all throughout the day. So, she waited a bit longer. When Myra¡¯s head began to once more tilt towards her chest, she cast [Sleep] on her, then eased her down until her torso was resting on the bed beside Joram. With that done, she got up and made her way to the living room where little Celys was still directing the clean up and rebuilding efforts. When she entered the room, everyone went quiet and gave her nods of respect. ¡°So, what happened with the Dungeon?¡± she asked, looking between Celys and the head of the Exterminator¡¯s Hall. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gleaned from Jorma¡¯s memories, that was a new dungeon just a few weeks ago and should have been easy to destroy. So. Why wasn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 049 - Dungeon, Part 1 The room was so silent that she could hear Valum Lothera, the master of the local branch of the Exterminator¡¯s Hall, swallow. ¡°The assessment team I sent out reported it to be a small Dungeon, one that should easily be curated by a few teams,¡± he said, looking at her boldly. ¡°What happened?¡± she repeated, some iron entering her voice. ¡°After the attack a few days ago, I sent out several teams to bring the Dungeon under control¡­¡± he said, trailing off at the end. When she continued to stare at the brown-haired man, he grew uncomfortable enough to continue. ¡°But we haven¡¯t heard anything from them since¡­¡± he said, trailing off again as Celys¡¯ scowl joined her own. ¡°Are you telling me that you lost contact with your people and failed to tell me such an important thing?¡± Celys asked, barely able to keep the volume of her voice from skyrocketing. ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for teams delving to lose contact while in a Dungeon,¡± he said, defending himself. ¡°You should know that better than anyone,¡± he shot back, aiming low. Asami just about incinerated the incompetent human right there, but held back out of respect for Celys¡¯ home. Just as she was about to pipe in, Linette appeared at her side with a steaming cup of tea and a small plate full of Joram¡¯s butter cookies, that he had renamed ¡°honey cookies¡± for some reason. Sure, she could taste the honey, but they were still very buttery. ¡°What are you going to do about the Dungeon now?¡± Celys grated out, obviously holding back for the sake of Kirkwall. ¡°Have you sent any emergency requests yet?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Valum scoffed, looking offended. ¡°As soon as the numbers of this latest attack were confirmed, I sent out emergency requests to every Hall in the region.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll take at least three more days to arrive. That is, if they left as soon as they received the requests,¡± Celys said, grinding her teeth. ¡°The way things are going; we¡¯ll be besieged before then.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the best we can manage,¡± Valum said defensively. ¡°Then we¡¯re done here. Go help organize your people to help where they can,¡± Celys said, dismissing Valum. He seemed more than happy to leave, especially with Asami¡¯s baleful eyes drilling into him. Once he was gone, Asami turned to Celys. ¡°He¡¯s going to do something stupid, you know,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Valum?¡± Celys asked, glancing to where he¡¯d been sitting. ¡°Hmm, him too. But I was talking about Joram,¡± she said, then took another bite of a cookie. ¡°For some weird reason, he thinks the Dungeon is his responsibility. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll leave as soon as he wakes up.¡± Celys frowned at that, obviously troubled by the news. ¡°He¡¯s already done enough,¡± she said quietly. Asami could tell that Celys¡¯ words brought to mind for everyone present scenes from the past day. Memories of the goblins attacking and being destroyed by Joram¡¯s weird weapon. Of how he¡¯d run from fight to fight trying to help people he didn¡¯t know. Of how he¡¯d single-handedly dug out a moat that ran the length of two thirds of Kirkwall¡¯s walls. She remembered in vivid detail Joram¡¯s astonishment when everyone started cheering him before he fell unconscious. And also his fright. He¡¯d been afraid that they¡¯d been angry with him for some reason or another. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t see it that way,¡± she said quietly. ¡°He¡¯ll go off and do what he thinks he needs to. But what will we do?¡± she asked, making eye contact with everyone present before the discussion truly started. * * * * * ¡°Hello? Is this Mr¡­¡± the voice on the phone asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± he replied, a bit nervous with how the person on the other end of the line sounded. ¡°I regret to inform you that there¡¯s been an accident¡­¡± the person said, then proceeded to shatter his world. He floated there, in his memories, trying to make sense of things. He¡¯d gone shopping, splurging on a new toy for each of his daughters. Nothing extravagant, but something to go with their collection of miniature animals and fantastical beasts. He looked at the shopping bag sitting on the table. He¡¯d also bought some of their special chocolate ice cream. It was probably melted by now. He sat back, then looked around in confusion. This isn¡¯t my living room, he thought, taking in the walls and tatami-like flooring. There were cushions spaced out across the room, as though someone expected company. He looked around some more, then saw the most unusual fox he¡¯d ever seen. She, for he got the distinct impression that it was a vixen, was dark purple in colour, nearly black. But what was crazier was that she had six tails spread out behind her, each one tipped in black fur, just like her ears. Then, as she began to approach him, memories started to flit about the living room like butterflies made of tv screens. Each one showed him sights of weird things, from a medieval Japanese town to fox people. But as more of them flitted by, their images seemed to sink into him, bringing those memories back to him. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Harumi?¡± he asked, unsure of both why he knew her name and why he expected an answer. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± her voice sounded in his head, but also seemed to come from the very air itself. ¡°Go? Go where?¡± he asked as the scenes that the butterflies showed changed to ones of war and horror. The more he saw, the more he remembered, and the worse he felt. ¡°But I have to,¡± he said once he remembered his resolve to deal with the dungeon. ¡°Who else can do it?¡± he asked, feeling so desperate for an answer that it shocked him. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± her voice repeated as the living room began to fade away around him. - - - Joram opened his eyes slowly, aware of a weight on his chest. Thinking that it was Asami, he looked down to instead find out that it was Harumi curled up on his chest instead. Her breathing was deep and slow, letting him know that she was still asleep. He turned his head slightly as he heard more breathing and realized that his left arm was pinned. There he saw Myra laying on his bare arm, drooling slightly in her sleep. He was reminded of when he¡¯d woken up in Melois¡¯ clinic and had found her in a similar state. He smiled. She was a good kid-. No. No, she was a good woman and a good friend. A bit dishonest with herself, but then, who wasn¡¯t? This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Then he saw Avi standing behind her, who then motioned for him to come over. So, as carefully as he could, he used the blanket on top of him to slowly and gently slide Harumi off his chest as he slid around Myra¡¯s sleeping form. Once out, he realized that he was once again naked, so he quickly created new clothing before stopping. Thinking about what was to come, he quickly deposited most of his stored crates along the far wall of the room, stacking them three tall and five wide, though he left the ones containing food inside his inventory for fear that nothing would be left by the time he got back. He then followed Avi out of the room as quietly as he could. Once in the hallway, he could hear voices in the living room, so he turned the other way and followed Avi out back. ¡®What is it?¡¯ he asked once they were outside, but chose to use their connection to speak so as not to disturb anyone. ¡®Lots,¡¯ she said, shaking her head. ¡®I know that I won¡¯t be able to convince you to just flee instead of diving headlong into the metaphorical blender. So, instead, I¡¯ll just tell you that I¡¯ll help in any way that I can,¡¯ she finished, looking more resolute, stubborn, and concerned than he could ever remember seeing. ¡®How?¡¯ he asked simply, knowing that she was more than likely to explain given that she¡¯d started the conversation. - - - Feeling more confident than before, he set off as the eastern horizon was just starting to prepare for predawn. He also did his best to avoid being seen. Even though Avi had assured him that the yelling of the people on the wall had instead been cheering, he still felt uneasy. He got the distinct impression that he¡¯d be stopped if he was found. Now, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would be to congratulate him on how well he¡¯d slaughtered the goblins, or to try stopping him from leaving. So, [Improved Stealth] it was. When he reached the south gate, he found that they¡¯d stacked up wagons to create a barricade. There were also more guards patrolling than usual, which shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise, really. Sticking to his plan of staying out of sight, he angled westward and found a quieter section of wall that he promptly scaled before slipping over the other side. The landing was a bit tricky, as he¡¯d left less than three metres of ground between the wall and the moat, but he managed to avoid rolling into the new moat. From there, he quickly created a long, and thick, plank of wood that spanned the moat. Once across, he dismissed it and took off. Once he was inside the treeline, he angled south and jogged until he found where the goblins had come out of the woods. He looked back at Kirkwall and saw his construction model still standing there, loaded up with the goblins¡¯ weapons. Instead of bringing them with him, he dismissed the construct, causing the weapons to fall to the ground and the guards to stir. Not bothering with them, he then dismissed all the rest of his constructs, leaving only the invisible dragons. He went a bit further into the woods, then began the process of creating new battle models. These ones were¡­ different. For them, he went full tentacle monster for their forms. Sure, they could only attack a certain number of times every few seconds, but giving them all [Constrict], [Extreme Damage Reduction], [Extreme Deflection], and two [Muscle], they¡¯d be absolute terrors to anything they got their tentacles on. Once he had eight of them made and designated as [Astral Ally]s, he continued on his way. It wasn¡¯t terribly hard to follow the tracks of hundreds of goblins, especially when they went out of their way to hack at anything nearby. It took him nearly two hours to finally get close it the dungeon, the source of his problems since he¡¯d arrived on this world. Yet, it wasn¡¯t quite what he¡¯d been expecting. When one thinks of dungeons, they imagine delving deep into the ground, exploring tunnels both natural and unnatural. Avoiding traps, finding treasure, fighting monsters. Well, at lest there were plenty of monsters about. What he saw ahead of him in the forest looked to be an ancient ruin. He wasn¡¯t sure if it had been a castle, palace, or even a series of large buildings in a compound, but what was left told him that it would have been quite the sight in its heyday. Pillars, columns, and broken stone walls were the primary theme. Though, he could see where the goblins had started using whatever they could find to make crude shelters attached to the stone ruins. There were also plenty of campfires, even with dawn already past. There were also many trees throughout the ruins, most not quite as large as those outside of it. However, that also gave him an idea about how to approach things. Gauging the distance between trees, though, it might not be possible to manage before the next wave of goblins spewed forth. Looking at how many there already were, he thought it better to not try to make connecting bridges between the trees and just get to it. If he wanted to mess around and make a tree city to make the elves proud, he could do it once he finished here¡­. He shook his head, then buffed himself, remembering to add [Energy Adaptation] to reduce how much he got cooked. He absently rubbed at the peach fuzz on his head as he formed his shoulder canon, then his [Mind Daggers], ready to start throwing. The first goblin went down with a dagger through the head, soon followed by several more who mysteriously exploded into gory messes. Then came his tentacle monsters. His attack hadn¡¯t ever stood a chance, after that first week, of being anything but an all-out assault. His tentacle monsters were performing spectacularly, grabbing goblin after goblin as they approached in formation around him. With [Marksman], he no longer had to worry about reduced accuracy when throwing, or shooting, his targets. Yes, he still had to take into account the maximum range of each weapon, but even his daggers could go 90 metres before they vanished. And with Avi in control of his shoulder canon, things were about as good as they could get for him. And considering that he was solo delving the dungeon, he was more than happy to take any advantage he could. Although Avi was in control of the shoulder canon, she still couldn¡¯t activate most of his other class abilities. So, when there was an appropriate target, he paused in throwing his daggers to active the appropriate ability. That said, the goblins were fighting back with remarkable tenacity and ferocity. He wasn¡¯t sure how dungeons worked, but he was certainly glad that most of the goblins he¡¯d come across so far had been the normal kind of goblin. The evolved versions had been rare, yet primary targets for Avi. Joram quickly ducked behind a low stone wall in time to have stone shower him as a lightning bolt shattered the top of the wall, just missing his head. ¡®Geeves,¡¯ he said, addressing his psicrystal. ¡®Master?¡¯ ¡®Go around and flank that [Shaman],¡¯ he instructed, then released his psicrystal so it could scuttle away. Given how sneaky psicrystals could be, he was hoping that Geeves could sneak up on the [Shaman]. In the meantime, he directed his tentacle constructs to spread out and kill any goblin they came across. As for his dragons, he had them on overwatch, taking out any goblins that tried to sneak up on him. After a few moments of silence, he quickly peeked out from his wall to see what was up, and nearly took an arrow through the eye. The only thing that saved him was the flare of his [Force Screen] where the arrow impacted it, forcing it to skid off to the side. Ducking back, he used [Clear Mind] to help calm down his heart. That had been much too close for comfort. Also, that had been a crazy accurate shot. Now worried that a new type of goblin had appeared, he addressed, then quickly used [Ectoplasmic Creation, Major] to make himself a very large, and very thick translucent shield. It looked like a riot shield, but almost twice as large. He quickly slid it into position, then peeked around the corner again, prepared to use [Through the Eye of the Needle]. Sure enough, another arrow came, but deflected off his new shield, leaving a concerningly large spiderwebbed gash behind. Fortunately, he spotted the sniper and let him have it. The shot took it in the ribs under its armpit, knocking it over in a spray of blood. That¡¯s when the [Shaman] sent its next lightning bolt that took him square in the shield. Head ringing, Joram looked around in a daze, then activated [Clear Mind] and used [Natural Healing]A. He spat out some blood as he rolled over, groaning. His smoking shield, or what was left of it, lay nearby. Seeing that he was out in the open, he quickly rolled back to his little wall, avoiding a few arrows sent his way. ¡®Too close,¡¯ Avi said, sounding nervous. He couldn¡¯t blame her. He, too, was shaken by how he¡¯d almost been killed, even with his elemental resistance provided by [Energy Adaptation]. But seeing as how he was already there; it would be rude to leave before he finished what he¡¯d come for. Or to not send a return gift. He instructed D1 (dragon number 1) to take out the [Shaman]. A moment later, there was a loud *thud*, followed by some crunching sounds. Taking that as a good sign, he peeked out again and saw a [Shaman] getting minced mid-air¡­ which wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d needed to see. Reforming his daggers, Joram got back to dashing from cover to cover as Avi shot at things. He wasn¡¯t sure where he needed to go, though, so he just tried to head directly towards what he arbitrarily called Centreville. Because if the core of the dungeon was anywhere, it was likely going to be there. Did dungeons have cores here? If they didn¡¯t, then how was he supposed to destroy the thing? Speaking of cores, it would be a pain to collect them all afterwards. So, on a whim, he directed D2 to try to loot the goblin it had just torn apart. Amazingly, it began to disintegrate into particles of light at the same time that he got another notification. Smiling, he manifested [Astral Construct]A again, this time making twenty 1st Level constructs that he shaped like felines and loaded them up with [Celerity], making them ridiculously fast. Which was the point. He sent them out with orders to go back and loot every body he¡¯d left behind while also instructing his [Astral Ally]s to loot anything they killed. With his draconic urges sated, he continued his attack. Even if he wasn¡¯t able to destroy the dungeon, at least he wouldn¡¯t be leaving empty handed. Chapter 050 - The Dungeon, Part 2 ¡°You¡¯re sure he came this way?¡± Myra asked, looking both determined and nervous. ¡°He¡¯s not hard to track,¡± Reldan replied wryly. ¡°Between the obvious passage of the goblins and the tracks left behind by his weird [Summon]s, I¡¯d have to be blind and lame not to be able to follow all this.¡± ¡°Less talking, more tracking,¡± Asami said, her eyes never stopping on one place for long. ¡°If the Hall wasn¡¯t able to deal with the goblins, what makes any of you think that we stand a chance?¡± Theril asked, looking a bit glum. Myra could understand his hesitation. Leaving his how homeless wife to go off on a suicide mission wouldn¡¯t earn him any points. But she was still glad to have the steadfast [Guardian] with them. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami said, not bothering to look at them when she spoke. ¡°Between the Dungeon emptying yesterday and Joram¡¯s efforts, we should at least do better than those complacent pups,¡± she finished, shaking her head slightly. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry. I don¡¯t want to be away for too long,¡± Theril said as he picked up the pace. Everyone followed, including a good hundred spirit foxes who wouldn¡¯t be left behind. She was so proud of her little friends who¡¯d decided to help them. She just wasn¡¯t sure for whom they came; Asami, her, or Joram. * * * * * ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered, just now finally getting a solid range on his [Pyrokinesis] as his attack fell short, dissipating into nothing. The range seemed to be his Skill ranks plus the key ability modifier for the Skill, which happened to be Intellect. Added together, that gave him 14, which was how many metres his attack had gone. If it was a coincidence, it was a mighty far-fetched one. So, daggers it was. He¡¯d gotten even further into the ruins, finding that the buildings seemed to either have been constructed better, or they¡¯d just managed to weather the passage of time better. Because of that, the number of places one could hide, and ambush him, had greatly increased. ¡°I wish I had [Cloudkill], or something, to sweep them out of their hiding places,¡± he muttered, wondering where the next attack would come from. ¡®Why not use [Ectoplasmic Shambler]?¡¯ Avi asked from where she stood out in the open. ¡°¡­¡± Joram just about kicked himself for having forgotten that Power. It would have come in incredibly useful during the siege, let alone earlier. Setting D3 to guard him while he reviewed the Power, Joram closed his eyes to concentrate. It was a 5th level power, making it ¡°as hard¡± to learn as [Delve]¡­. But not really. After [Delve], everything seemed so much less complicated. Which meant that he had a decent grasp of it, but not quite the augmentation that Altaea had later added, though. But it was enough. He looked over to the skeletal buildings that flanked his current path and set the target of his first use to the one on the right, just opposite of where he was hiding. The shamble came into being a couple of seconds later, three metres tall and thrice that wide and long. It was a bit disturbing to watch as it made its way into the building, both flowing and skittering on hundreds of centipede legs as it went. Then he set another to enter the building on his left, on the same side of the ¡°street¡±. Not long after, he began to hear the shrieks, screams, and yells of tortured goblins. Instructing the semi-live creations to first kill any goblin they found, loot them, then to proceed onwards until they found more prey. He then began skulking his way forward, taking care to keep to as much cover as he could manage. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of his mental connection to the [Astral Constructs], as well as the [Ectoplasmic Shambler]s, but he was once again glad that they could all loot for him. * * * ¡°Why¡¯s it so quiet?¡± Myra asked in a whisper as she looked around warily. ¡°Probably because Joram killed everything on his way through,¡± Asami replied, but just as quietly as Myra. ¡°He passed by not too long ago,¡± Reldan said, checking the tracks. ¡°Just keep an eye out for respawns,¡± Theril warned, doing just that. ¡°Do you think he knows about respawns?¡± Myra asked, suddenly worried. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯ll find out sooner or later,¡± Asami replied before urging them onward once more. * * * ¡®You¡¯re getting better with your control,¡¯ Avi said from beside him, watching him as he played with fire. ¡®I always loved the [Pyrokineticist] prestige class,¡¯ he replied, using [Clear Mind] to help him force the shape of the flames he was playing with into a whip. ¡®You¡¯ll likely unlock a Path related to that now,¡¯ she said, smiling. ¡®That¡¯d be fun, but not something I¡¯d likely take, unless it was just handed out as a freebie or something,¡¯ he sent back before just focussing on the charging hob and setting it on fire with [Pyrokinesis], once more using [Clear Mind] to help him bend the Skill to do what he wanted it to. They were now just outside of a surprisingly intact building from which more goblins emerged. He¡¯d been stalled there for several minutes, long enough to have to reapply his buffs. It also allowed a fair chunk of his resource pools to regenerate. He wasn¡¯t completely sure, but he felt as though his pools were regenerating at a slightly faster rate than they had been, which was a good thing. He still hadn¡¯t had time to check his notifications, but he could nevertheless feel the changes in his Skills, like [Pyrokinesis]. If anything, raiding the dungeon had at least done well in advancing his Skills. Which was, once again, welcome. Having let his power pool regenerate sufficiently, he manifested [Ectoplasmic Shambler] again, setting it at the egress point of the building. Then he sent two more in, one after the other. He wasn¡¯t completely sure, but he thought that they were doing more damage than he recalled of the description of the power from his gaming days. And, yet again, he was glad for it. Once the shamblers were inside, he quickly made his way up to the maw-like entrance. It looked as though it had been the doorway into the large building at some point, but not only had the doors long disintegrated, it looked as though things had been chipping away at its edges, leaving jagged stone behind. The whole building, what remained of it, was built of the moss stone that Celys was so fond of. Given how hard the stuff was, he wondered how long it would have taken for something to do that kind of damage to it. Then he was up against the wall, just a half metre from the opening, and listening. The shamblers seemed to have pushed the goblins back, and even killed more if the new notifications were any indication. Then he took a few breaths before storming around the corner as a new notification popped up front and centre. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Welcome to the Dungeon: Goblin Home Details: - Minimum recommended level: 24 - Minimum recommended participants: 8 - State: Overflow - Rewards: Highest
Huh, that doesn¡¯t look good¡­
*Warning* Entering a dungeon as a Pathless is almost always lethal. Please leave the dungeon before you expire.
And that¡¯s even worse, he thought as he quickly got rid of the notifications and took cover behind his shamblers. Then he noticed a very video game-like HUD overlaying his vision. ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ he asked Avi, feeling an even greater sense of unease. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ she asked as she looked around, occasionally shooting something that she could see with his shoulder canon. ¡®Can you not see the HUD that appeared for me?¡¯ he asked, using [Telekinesis] to toss a hob who¡¯d made its way through the shamblers back into the thick of it. ¡®I cannot,¡¯ she replied, sounding both curious and concerned. He didn¡¯t bother explaining further as he called six of his tentacle models into the building to handle any more escapees. He then set the other five to guard the entrance from goblins in case he¡¯d missed any on the way in. Nodding to himself, he started following his ectoplasmic vanguard, sniping goblins with fire and dagger as he was able to. * * * ¡°Uh, are you sure those are¡­ safe?¡± Reldan asked, looking at the huge, silvery creatures with altogether too many tentacles as they stood in front of what had to be the entrance of the dungeon. ¡°Joram makes them, so it should be fine,¡± Myra said, not sounding half as confident as she¡¯d have liked. ¡°Who wants to test out that theory?¡± Theril asked, looking as though he already knew that he¡¯d be voluntold to do so. ¡°Just go,¡± Asami said, giving him a little push, making the man look as though he¡¯d been sent to hold the south gate all by himself. Shield up, he edged forward slowly. When he was close enough that she was sure that the tentacle monster could reach out and snatch him up, nothing happened. He stepped a bit closer, still on edge and trying to keep track of its dozen or more tentacles. After a few more seconds of nothing happening, he relaxed a bit, his shield lowering as he turned slightly to address them. Then a tentacle shot forward, passing him so closely that it brushed his leather armour. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened when the tentacle latched onto a goblin that they¡¯d missed sneaking up on Theril. What was worse was what happened next. Myra averted her eyes as she tried not to gag, the sight already burned into her mind. Steeling herself, the turned to see if the tentacle monster had become hostile towards them and was stunned to see that the blood and gore had vanished as though it had never been. ¡°Was that an [Illusion]?¡± she asked, rubbing her eyes. ¡°No,¡± Asami replied, then stepped forward, walking past the tentacle monster without it so much as swaying in her direction. Thus encouraged, the rest of them followed Asami, but then they all stopped just inside of the wall, staring in shock. ¡°It¡¯s in Overflow,¡± Theril said, sounding as though he¡¯d already known. ¡°We don¡¯t come anywhere near the level requirement,¡± Reldan stated, then brought up the second notification from the Great Protector. ¡°Our chances of survival are very low,¡± he finished, his lightly tanned shin turning a few shades lighter. Myra was also shocked, and more than a little disturbed. How was she going to be able to help Joram now? Was she really so weak? Would she never be able to fully stand on her own? She still lived with her parents. She hadn¡¯t even been able to do much when they¡¯d been attacked at Joram¡¯s, nor during any of the other attacks that had come to Kirkwall. Even in yesterday¡¯s attack she¡¯d been held back and kept safe, only able to throw off a few [Fireball]s in between healing people. And while she was healing people, she could only watch as Joram had fought on the wall. Doing something to end the casualties. To protect them all, to protect a village of strangers. She wanted that. She wanted to be able to protect those she cared for. She wanted to be strong enough to stand and fight. ¡°You all should wait outside,¡± Asami said as she continued to stare into the depths of the dungeon. Myra wanted to argue, but saw that Theril and Reldan were both nodding. What? ¡°No, I¡¯m going,¡± she said, shaking her head as her jaw set stubbornly. ¡°No, you¡¯ll die,¡± Theril said, shaking his head. ¡°Even I don¡¯t have the confidence to survive in there, even if Joram has managed to kill most of the denizens already,¡± he said as he gave her an intense look. ¡°We might be more useful staying out there helping to keep any goblins from coming in,¡± Reldan said, looking back outside at the tentacle monster, putting the lie to his words. ¡°Go,¡± Asami said, still not looking at her. ¡°Joram would be sad if you died.¡± Myra¡¯s chest filled with both fire and pain at that thought. Pain because the thought of causing Joram any anguish really did cause her pain. Fire¡­. Fire for the thought that she mattered to Joram. But even more than that, fire at the thought of being so useless that her only recourse was to leave and wait outside. Chest burning, she stepped forward, jaw set. ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± she said, then kept on stepping forward, one foot at a time. Asami simply kept pace with her, the two women walking side-by-side as Theril and Reldan watched, dumbfounded. ¡°Is that what love does to a woman?¡± Reldan asked, at a complete loss for what to even think. ¡°That¡¯s nothing,¡± Theril said, snorting out a laugh. ¡°Wait until you¡¯ve tracked muck onto her newly washed floor,¡± he said, then shuddered. * * * ¡®Is that an actual troll?¡¯ he asked Avi as he watched a massive gangly green humanoid attack his tentacle models with little regard for its own safety. ¡®It appears to be the case,¡¯ Avi said as they watched it rapidly regrow a torn-off arm. They¡¯d gone down three levels already, clearing out everything they came across. The first sublevel had contained more [Hobgoblin Elite]s, making it both a danger and a pain to get through. The next sublevel had been a combination of those elites and [High Shaman]s. He¡¯d needed to recreate the shamblers a few times for them, mostly to block their line of sight. Otherwise, he was sure that he¡¯d have already been roasted and eaten. And now they faced [Enraged Troll]s. This wasn¡¯t the first one, though. But their forms changed enough that he had needed to [Analyse] each one they came across. They had ranged from what he now saw in front of him to looking like living roots to stone-skinned things. One had even looked like a damn bloater from that fungus-zombie videogame he¡¯d loved playing. But for each one the answer had been fire. So, while using [Clear Mind], he called upon his [Pyrokinesis] again and focussed on the troll. He once again tried to incorporate what he knew of [Heat Death], infusing the troll with heat and fire. Trying to get its very blood to boil in its veins. Then he felt something¡­ click at the same time another notification pulsed in the corner of his vision. And the troll began to howl shortly before steam, then fire erupted from its skin. He instructed the construct to toss the troll away as he kept his focus on the troll, keeping the fire going until it was a burnt-out husk. Then he turned back to where they¡¯d been heading and set his jaw. He didn¡¯t know how much farther he could go alone. Already he¡¯d need to remake his tentacle models three times on this floor, redesignating them as his [Astral Ally]s each time. He was getting tired. The mental strain of constantly directing his constructs, using various powers to kill and renew buffs, not to mention using [Telekinesis], and [Pyrokinesis] to help take down the various enemies he¡¯d run across. If the next floor wasn¡¯t the last one, he would need to find a way to rest for a few hours before continuing on. Perhaps he could try [Psychoportive Shelter], but he hadn¡¯t much studied Psychoportation yet. But since it was a low-level power, he had hopes that he could use it quickly. After looking around a bit more, and having his astral constructs loot every corpse they¡¯d left behind, he made his way to the stairway in the distance, thinking. If they¡¯d already seen the elite hobs and the [High Shaman]s, then the next wave would likely have trolls in it. Which would spell doom for Kirkwall. Clenching his jaw, he sent the shamblers down first, closely followed by the tentacle models. He was hot on their heels, though, as he was now even more anxious to get the dungeon cleared and destroyed. But he still didn¡¯t know how to do that, making him metaphorically kick himself for not asking about it before he¡¯d hared off half-cocked. He was only halfway down when he felt his first shamble engage in combat, then frowned when it vanished. Then the second shamble started, then soon vanished as well. When the third one also vanished shortly after engaging, Joram commanded the tentacle models to halt. ¡®Geeves, sneak up and have a look, would you,¡¯ he sent to his psicrystal, then watched as it hopped off his other shoulder, scuttle up a wall, then along the ceiling. ¡®I hope that none of your girlfriends are arachnophobes,¡¯ Avi said, shaking her head. Choosing to ignore that comment, he waited for Geeves to report. ¡®Master, this might be a problem,¡¯ Geeves sent, sounding for all the world that everything was all right and proper in the world. Frowning, he began sneaking up as best he could while in a broad stairwell. A few seconds later, he saw the problem. It looked very similar to his shamblers, though more of a nightmarish version. This thing looked like a living fog with faces that came in and out of focus along every part of its¡­ body? Surface area, for sure. Then there were the multitude of maws. They sometimes appeared with the faces, distorting them to the point where those faces would turn into the unholy union of Pac-Man and a shark. Rows and rows of sharklike teeth lined each and every maw. But most of those maws formed independently of the faces. As he crept closer, he noticed that it would slide to and fro, as though tasting the air for food as it left a layer of frost anywhere it passed. Upon further inspection, there seemed to be a radius around it that was affected by its¡­ frosty aura, he¡¯d call it. ¡®That¡¯s an Ethereal Haunt,¡¯ Avi said, sounding annoyed. ¡®They are only found on the Ethereal Plane; so, what is it doing here?¡¯ she asked, raising a very good point. Chapter 051 - Bloody steel ¡®So, what¡¯s its deal?¡¯ he asked, observing the ethereal cloud of tooth-filled mouths. ¡®Ethereal Haunts prey upon psionic creatures made of ectoplasm,¡¯ she said, glancing back at him as she raised an eyebrow. ¡®They will also hunt any psionic being, as those are their next favoured meal. Their aura of cold is especially difficult to deal with for anything made of ectoplasm, as it will actually start freezing ectoplasm solid,¡¯ she said, motioning to his constructs before continuing. ¡®So, [Shaper]s are especially disadvantaged when fighting them. They¡¯re also ethereal in nature, which makes them especially difficult to deal with physically, while being highly resistant to the elements. They¡¯re also faster than you¡¯d think, while enjoying a deflection field that makes them harder to target in general.¡¯ ¡®Well, aren¡¯t they fun,¡¯ Joram said more than asked, wondering what the best way to deal with it would be. ¡®That said, with how you¡¯ve chosen to develop, you¡¯re especially deadly to it,¡¯ Avi said, now smirking; likely having enjoyed riling him up. ¡®Ah,¡¯ he sent after a moment of thought. ¡®I affect incorporeal and ethereal beings the same way Altaea does,¡¯ he said, especially pleased. ¡®Yes, but you could also just configure your mindbolt with [Ghost Touch] and be fine,¡¯ she sent with a shrug. ¡®So, why all the dire warnings?¡¯ he asked, curious about her motives there. ¡®One should always be prepared when going into a fight,¡¯ she sniffed at him, sounding offended. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ he sent blandly, heavily suspecting that she¡¯d mostly been messing with him. He then waited for the Haunt to float/scuttle away from the bottom of the stairs, then crept to the second-to-last step before watching it some more. When it finally reached the other side of the cavernlike room, he reformed his mindbolt into the N7-90 for that little bit more damage, then focussed on [Block the Sun] as he used his [Psychic Strike] for the attack. Because the Haunt was so large, he nearly completely obliterated it when he opened fire, causing an unearthly series of shrieks that set his nerves on edge before it vanished into bits of mist that soon dissipated into nothing. ¡°Welp, that wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± he said, feeling good about the encounter. ¡®Literally anyone else would have probably died,¡¯ Avi said, shaking her head. ¡°Good thing it was me then,¡± he said, grinning as he made his way across the floor to the next stairwell. As he got closer, he noticed a patch of frost that hadn¡¯t started melting yet, then paused when he got next to it. For all the world, it looked like one of those ¡°bodies¡± left behind by a ghost in Skyrim when you killed it. ¡°Is that a pile of ghostly ectoplasm?¡± he asked, wanting to be very sure about it before he touched it. ¡®Looks like it,¡¯ Avi replied with another shrug. Then, with a shrug of his own, he reached out a foot and touched it with a toe as he concentrated on looting the thing. It worked, causing the remains to vanish into motes and particles of light before fading out of view. He then checked his inventory and was astonished at what had accumulated. One inventory slot was dedicated to Skill Books, and he¡¯d gotten many. He really wondered about that. Both in how the Inventory System classified and stacked things, and also how it came to be that he accumulated so many of the things. Shaking his head, he put those thoughts away for later as he quickly looked through his other gains. There were a few weapons that had shown up, confusing him a bit since he hadn¡¯t looted an actual weapon yet, but also a¡­ an organ. Organs. [Troll Adrenal Gland]s. ¡°Yuck,¡± he said, skipping over that one and checking his coins & cores. ¡°OK, so I won¡¯t have to worry about money for a long time,¡± he muttered when he saw the numbers. ¡®That¡¯s always a good thing,¡¯ Avi agreed, then turned back to the stairs down. ¡®We should go.¡¯ Nodding, Joram swiped away his inventory screen and reformed the shoulder canon for Avi, then formed his daggers. Geeves then hopped onto his other shoulder to catch a ride. As he walked, he instructed his tentacle models to precede him, just in case. This stairwell was much narrower than the last one, making it hard for his constructs to make their way through. Fortunately he hadn¡¯t brought his dragons along, as they wouldn¡¯t have been able to squeeze through nearly as well as his tentacle models. Yay for tentacles! *Shudder* He wasn¡¯t sure if he was in love with how well the tentacle models performed, or ridiculously weirded out by them. There was just something¡­ primal in them that caused one to, at the very least, be wary of them. Probably due to various forms of media using them for their horror factor in a myriad of unpleasant ways. The tentacle models then flowed out of the stairwell and into a protective arc in front of it. When he got to the base of the stairs he paused, taking a good look around. This floor was completely different compared to the ones above it. Where those floors had looked like ancient rooms that had fallen into disrepair, this one was an outright cavern. Stalactites hung from the high ceiling, a good fifteen or so metres up, while much shorter stalagmites rose from the floor that was randomly covered in small pools of water. It was also much darker here, only illuminated by some phosphorescent moss and mushrooms that gave everything an eery blue glow. At the far end of the cavern, he thought he saw some sort of raised area, but it was hard to make out so far away. Wary of the pools of water, he instructed his unit to move out ahead of him. As he stepped into the room, a wall of wind, snow, and ice suddenly bore down on him, pinging his Spellcraft skill as he tried to jump out of the way, instinctively fueling his body with psionic power. He wound up rolling behind a larger stalagmite as frostbite dug it claws deeply into his flesh. He pushed [Natural Healing]A as much as he could, healing away the damage that managed to get through his [Energy Adaptation] and [Elan Resilience]. ¡®That was [Cone of Cold]. Well, ¡°those¡±, anyways. I counted five,¡¯ Avi said from the side as he risked peeking around his cover when the cold stopped flowing. What he saw sent chills down his spine. ¡®Ogre mages,¡¯ he sent to Avi as he watched them flying a good three metres above the ground, turning [Invisible] one by one. ¡®Damn, this is going to be dangerous,¡¯ he sent, then frowned when he noticed that the spells had destroyed his tentacle constructs. He quickly got up into a crouch, reforming his daggers as he did. Knowing that the ogre mages would prefer to fly while sneaking up on their prey, he activated [Ectoplasmic Protection] to give him a bit of concealment, and possibly added survivability. He had no illusions that he would last long if he was hit by one of their great swords given how strong ogres were. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Even with his [Inertial Armour], [Force Screen], and [Biofeedback], he didn¡¯t fancy his odds when pitted against five ogre mages at the same time. They were cunning, could turn [Invisible] at will, and had a habit of casting- The world around him darkened, though due to his darkvision, he could still see just fine. Ogre mages loved to use [Darkness] as well, as it would hamper most species out there. But what was more annoying was that they would use guerilla tactics to take down their prey. Hit and run while liberally using [Invisibility]. Then he got an idea. He waited for another few seconds before targeting every space around him with [Block the Sun], then expended his [Psychic Strike] to use [Telekinetic Edge], then let loose. He watched as the bolts landed all around him, shattering the ground in sprays of sharp shrapnel. But four shots veered slightly thanks to the [Seeking] ability on his mindbolt before hitting, and exposing, four ogre mages who¡¯d been getting ready to attack him, now flinching in pain. He quickly rolled to the side as they rushed in, still bleeding, and started swinging at him. The first ogre mage swung at his neck, so he ducked under it and threw his daggers at it. One glanced off its ornate armour that resembled ancient Japanese samurai armour, while the other one took it in the leg, causing it to stumble. While Avi took a shot at its head, vaporizing it, he threw himself to the side to avoid being bisected by the next ogre mage, and continued to roll, avoiding another ogre mage as he went. Joram then reformed his daggers and began throwing as Avi lined up another [Block the Sun]. When the ogre mages dashed forward again, he activated [Block the Sun] for her and she shot. This time, it was much easier to hit them, not having to just carpet bomb the place. They staggered back, incredulous expressions marring their diabolically handsome faces. Then he drew on [Pyrokinesis] and let out a wave of fire that rolled over them, causing them to yell out in pain. One notification pinged, making him hope that he¡¯d killed at least one. He then let the fire drop as he reformed his daggers and looked around. Four ogre mages were on the ground in various states of charred. Though, as he watched, three of them were already healing, making him curse under his breath and reach for [Pyrokinesis] again. Then he stumbled forward, a searing pain lancing through his chest from back to front. He looked down and saw an arms¡¯ length of bloody steel sticking out of his chest, idly noting that it had at least missed his heart. Then a boot connected with his back, both sending him flying forward and tearing the sword out of his chest. He landed with a grunt, then rolled to try to reduce the impact as his lungs filled with blood and his vision swam, ending up on his back when he stopped rolling, [Ectoplasmic Protection] winking out. He blearily watched as the last standing ogre mage sauntered up to him, his expression gloating. * * * Myra crept down the narrow stairwell behind Theril and Reldan and beside Asami, hoping that they¡¯d catch up to Joram soon. The previous floors had been almost empty of enemies, but not quite. It had taken them a while to dispatch the few hobs that had either hidden from Joram or hadn¡¯t been close enough to notice his passage at the time. Either way, those fights had slowed them down tremendously. But had been very rewarding. Even though she hadn¡¯t contributed much in the fights, mostly worried that she would accidentally hit someone with friendly fire. But she¡¯d finally hit level ten! If she hadn¡¯t been in a dungeon and scared for both her life and the lives of her friends, she would have been dancing. A sudden burst of heat washed up the stairwell, blowing their hair back. ¡°We should hurry,¡± Asami said, practically pushing Theril and Reldan down the stairs. But they, too, felt the urgency of the situation and began taking the stairs two at a time. When they emerged from the stairwell, they saw a giant blue ogre in armour raising its massive sword high. High above a bleeding Joram who didn¡¯t seem to be able to move very well. Asami stepped forward, hand raised. A white fireball streaked with crimson lines formed, then shot out and struck the blue ogre in the back, enveloping it in white fire as it yelled out in pain. Not caring about the burning ogre, Myra sprinted as fast as she could to where Joram lay, preparing [Heal 1] as she went. She quickly dodged around the flailing ogre and knelt beside Joram as his eyes fluttered to her, already looking glassy, and used her Skill as she pressed her hands over the large wound in his chest. A bit of colour returned to his face before he blinked, then really looked at her. A small smile tugged at his bloodstained lips before she felt movement under her hands. More than a little bit freaked out, she quickly withdrew her hands and watched as his chest finished closing. Joram then rolled over to the side and coughed out a lot of blood before turning to look at her again. If she hadn¡¯t been so glad to see him again, she might have been put off by his ghastly appearance. As it was, she leaned forward and hugged him as tightly as she could. ¡°Hi to you, too,¡± he said, his voice a bit raw from the coughing. Then she felt him hugging her back and felt her chest fill with warmth as she rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°Duck!¡± he suddenly called, extending one arm out behind her. * * * Joram was unusually happy with the hug, probably due to his near-death experience. That Myra was also gorgeous probably contributed in no small way to that feeling. He looked over and saw Asami, Theril, and Reldan of all people, approaching him past the burning body just a metre or so away from him. Then he noticed the stirring forms of the three ogre mages he¡¯d knocked down earlier. ¡°Duck!¡± he yelled, reforming his shoulder cannon as his friends dropped to the ground, then activated [Block the Sun] to barrage the three monsters. They looked back to see three bloody bodies laying on the ground, then turned back to him in confusion. ¡°They [Regenerate],¡± he said, then called upon his [Pyrokinesis] again and fried the lot of them, giving him another notification in the process. Asami nodded at him, then walked over to help the two of them up. Once standing, she glomped onto him on his other side. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± she said, confusing him as to what she was referring to. He¡¯d done quite a lot recently. ¡°Idiot,¡± she muttered into his shoulder. ¡°So, this happened,¡± Reldan said, making a broad sweeping gesture that seemed to include everything. ¡°Yeah, it did,¡± he agreed, then remembered his dilemma. ¡°So, how to do you go about destroying a dungeon, anyways?¡± Theril looked at him incredulously while Reldan burst out laughing. Myra gaped at him a bit, but then Asami spoke. ¡°You break its core,¡± she said, sounding like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And considering that dungeon monsters had cores, it wasn¡¯t all that much of a logical leap to then suppose that the dungeon itself would also have a core. Shaking his head, and dragging the pair of women along for the ride, he stepped over to the ogre mages that he¡¯d killed and looted the lot of them. ¡°So, I think that this is the last floor,¡± he said once Myra and Asami let go of him again. ¡°Wanna come along and see what it looks like?¡± he asked the four of them, who all responded positively to that suggestion. As the five of them walked, Joram watched everything around him, ready to use [Block the Sun] or [Quick Volley] on anything that reared its ugly head. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate his surroundings. At any other time, he would have been over the moon at finding such a beautiful cavern filled with fantastical moss and mushrooms. As he passed the pools, he saw that they were crystal clear and filled with cave pearls. He idly wondered if they¡¯d be useful or valuable, but let them be for now. He¡¯d have plenty of time to explore and investigate once his task was complete. It took them a few minutes to get to the other side of the cavern where the raised section was. It looked like a stage, so he climbed up and noticed a large altar on it, the kind on which you¡¯d perform live sacrifices. In fact, he found almost a dozen bodies that looked to have been forcibly desiccated, considering the cave they were in was fairly humid. That, and any corpses left laying about would first rot, not dry out. That said, they were starting to grow mold in patches. ¡°Those are probably the Hall members who had been sent to deal with this dungeon,¡± Asami said as she stopped at his side, frowning. Myra came over next, also frowning at what she saw. Theril and Reldan came next, repeating the pattern. ¡°Do you want to bring the bodies back?¡± he asked, more inclined to [Cleanse] them all away. ¡°I think there¡¯s a standard reward for doing so,¡± Theril replied, though he didn¡¯t look like he wanted to cash in that particular reward. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on finding the dungeon core first,¡± Asami said, dismissing the corpses as she began looking around. The other agreed, and soon they were all looking about for it. After ten minutes of searching, they all came up with nothing. ¡°Where could it be?¡± Reldan asked, looking more frustrated than anyone else. Joram shrugged, not really having any good ideas. ¡®Why don¡¯t you see if the altar can move?¡¯ Avi suggested, crouched down beside it and pointing at its base. Asami looked over at the same time he did, then frowned again when she took in the size of the stone altar. Shrugging again, he manifested [Astral Construct]A to get a 9th Level construct and pumped everything into its strength. This one came out looking like a six-metre-tall Mr Universe made out of silvery ectoplasm. Everyone stepped back, more than a little startled at its sudden appearance. ¡°Warn me next time,¡± Myra said, breathing hard as she clung to his arm. He made no promises, but instead instructed his Olympian model to push the altar aside. With what looked like titanic effort, the alter slowly slide to the side. Chapter 052 - Returning home ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Welp,¡± Joram said, staring at the solid floor that was revealed by his Olympian Model construct. Everyone looked around again, not quite sure what to do. Joram? He formed his N7-90 and reconfigured its loadout. He dropped one point of enhancement then swapped out [Holy] and [Seeking] for [Collision] and [Psychokinetic Burst]. Joram then lined up the alter, expended his [Psychic Strike] to use [Telekinetic Edge], aiming for dead centre of it while everyone looked on in confusion. Then he shot, and shot, and shot, and shot, and shot, and shot, taking advantage of [Multi Shot] and [Rapid Shot]. Then he shot once while focussing to regain his [Psychic Strike]. Then proceeded to repeat the process while muttering in english. ¡°Oh, so you wanna play dirty, eh? Well, I¡¯ll just break your precious altar. Won¡¯t need it anyways, right? Gonna break that disgusting rock, them I¡¯m going to tear this place apart, stone by stone by stone until there¡¯s nothing left¡­¡± and so on and so forth. The only person who didn¡¯t look both confused and a bit nervous was Asami who was suppressing her laughter because she could read his surface thoughts, and thus understand what he was going on about. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Myra asked, looking both annoyed with Asami and concerned for Joram. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize that language. Is he OK?¡± Then Asami could no longer hold back her laughter and let out peals of rich, crystalline laughter. It took her a bit to stop laughing and answer a red-faced Myra. ¡°He¡¯s just mad,¡± she said, catching her breath. ¡°He¡¯s cursing out the dungeon in his native tongue.¡± Myra looked a bit suspicious, as though Asami was trying to pull one over on her, but then turned back to Joram and looked a bit closer at his expression. He wasn¡¯t a terribly expressive person, for his ears didn¡¯t shift position with his mood, nor did he have a tail that could tell her what he might be feeling. Even his features were usually stoic. His cheeks were covered by his beard, so that also made it a bit harder to see if he was smiling or not. Or if he was clenching his jaw. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t tell¡­¡± she admitted, realizing that she hadn¡¯t spent nearly enough time looking at his face, taking in his expressions and mannerisms. ¡°Yup. I¡¯d say that he¡¯d about as angry as I¡¯ve ever seen him,¡± Asami said, nodding as she folder her arms across her chest as Theril and Reldan watched in awe. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve seen him lose it,¡± Theril said, coming back to the conversation. ¡°It was when those goblins attacked on your second visit,¡± he said, reminding her of the ridiculous sword he¡¯d used to cut the hobgoblins to bloody chunks. ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t as bad¡­¡± Myra said, shaking her head. ¡°If anything, I think that he¡¯s just letting go of some pent-up frustration.¡± Asami snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter. ¡°I¡¯ll help him with that,¡± she said with a wicked glint in her eyes. Reldan was about to say something when Theril placed a hand on his shoulder and just shook his head. ¡°Ha!¡± Joram shouted in triumph as the altar finally broke in half, resulting in a light shining brightly on them. ¡°Huh,¡± Joram said, eying the bright gem the size of his fist that had fallen to the floor from inside the altar. It was brilliant, enough to light up their surroundings, but also iridescent, shifting between colours as they watched. He also noted that it wasn¡¯t perfectly spherical, but cut in many facets, reminding him of a giant 100-sided die. He reached down, letting his N7-90 vanish as he did, and picked it up just for it to vanish in a swirl of light that then entered his hand. ¡°What the fu-,¡± he cut off as a System window popped up in front of his eyes.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve cleared the dungeon Goblin Home as a Pathless! Extreme experience and rewards granted. Congratulations! You¡¯ve cleared a dungeon 10 levels above you! High experience and rewards granted. Congratulations! You¡¯ve cleared a dungeon 20 levels above you! Great experience and rewards granted. Congratulations! You¡¯ve cleared a dungeon 30 levels above you! Extreme experience and rewards granted. Congratulations! You¡¯ve contributed more than 99% in clearing the dungeon. Extreme experience and rewards granted. Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Titles and Achievements: - Title: Dungeon Master - Title: Hardcore Delver - Title: Master of Ectoplasm - Title: War Machine - Achievement: Creationist - Achievement: Fire Power - Achievement: Magical Control - Achievement upgrade: Magical Control I -> II - Achievement: One-Man Army - Achievement upgrade: One-Man Army I -> II - Achievement: Pathless Dungeon Conqueror - Achievement upgrade: Pathless Dungeon Conqueror I -> III - Achievement upgrade: Pathless Slaughterer I ¨C III - Achievement: Skill Efficiency (Magic) - Achievement: Skill Manipulation (Magic)
Joram stared at the window, flabbergasted. Dumbfounded. Astonished. Stunned. Uncomprehending. But ridiculously pleased with that ludicrous list lighting his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Myra asked, sounding concerned as she stared from his hand to his glassy eyes. ¡°I think I¡­ did a few ridiculous things,¡± he said, shaking his head a bit. ¡°Are [Title]s and [Achievement]s rare?¡± he asked, finally remembering to ask someone. ¡°They can be, yes,¡± Asami answered. ¡°Though, one usually has to specifically go out to acquire one of those,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re outrageous, though,¡± she finished, shaking her head as though she too were in disbelief. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Does that mean you got a [Title] and an [Achievement]?¡± Reldan asked excitedly, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± Joram said, leaving it vague. ¡°Did everyone else get the notification that the dungeon has been cleared?¡± he asked, redirecting the conversation away from him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Sure did!¡± ¡°I did, yes.¡± Nodding at that, he turned in time for another announcement from the System.
Attention: You will now receive a chest containing your adjusted rewards. Note: Currency and cores have automatically been added to your inventory.
Then five chests appeared amongst them, each one varying in size from one another and resting beside each person. Looking at them, they reminded him of treasure chests that you¡¯d see in a period movie or drama. Solid wood build, metal strapping, and a solid set of clasps. Looking at them, he started feeling self-conscious because his was more than thrice the size of the next largest chest present. He was tempted to see if he could store the chest away into his inventory, but then remembered what Myra had said about inventories and registering. He knew that Asami also knew about his inventory, but Reldan and Theril didn¡¯t, so he held back. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. In his opinion, anyways. Reldan looked over the moon to have a reward chest appear, as did Myra. Theril kept his cool, but his tail gave him away by wagging more than usual. Asami looked happy enough, but didn¡¯t seem as though she was eager to pop it open right away. ¡°Does everyone want to see what they got, or just start heading back right away?¡± Joram asked, more inclined to open his chest in private. It seemed as though his thoughts were read, as everyone said that they¡¯d wait, though a bit reluctantly in Reldan¡¯s case. With that decided, Joram created another astral construct to carry everything. This one was shaped like a centipede, but its body segments were shaped for individual seating¡­ like car seats, though with openings for tails in the backs of the seats. The final segment was basically just cargo space, enough for all of their chests to be piled in without having to worry about anything falling out. What really caught his attention with this construct, though, was that the details were much higher than he was used to. Even the ectoplasm seemed to take on a darker hue than what it usually did. Maybe I passed some sort of threshold for detail or something, he thought before deciding to check his logs after they returned. ¡°Let¡¯s hop in,¡± Joram said, then took the front seat and waited for everyone¡¯s astonishment to first fade, then for them to each hop in, with Asami right behind him, followed by Theril, then Reldan. Myra had recovered last, so was left with the rear seat. But being as stubborn as she was, and not wanting to lose out to Asami, her jaw firmed before striding up to Joram¡¯s section. ¡°I¡¯ll sit with you,¡± she stated while looking at the size of the space. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± he trailed off as he saw the look on her face, then wisely kept quiet as she hopped in and sat on his lap, crosswise due to her tails needing the space. Which left her left side pressed against him as she studiously looked to her right. Not wanting to rock the boat, as it were, he mentally commanded the centipede model forward while designating it as an [Astral Ally], then dismissed his Olympian model. The ride out of the dungeon went quickly and smoothly due to the many legs of the construct. He had also added [Muscle] x2 and [Celerity] x14, so they went at a decent clip through the forest, illuminated by early afternoon light. The best part was that the construct wouldn¡¯t tire, so having it ¡°run¡± meant that they were travelling at a good 120km/h all the way back. Which meant that they arrived back at Kirkwall about nine thrilling minutes later. Directing the centipede model had both been exhilarating and much easier than he¡¯d expected it to be. But he didn¡¯t let that bother him, as having Myra tightly clinging to him the entire way, with her head buried in his chest, had been more pleasant than he¡¯d have suspected it to be. With a bit of regret that the ride hadn¡¯t lasted longer, he directed the centipede to pull up to the barricaded south gate as the guards were calling out in alarm. Once they got a better look at Joram and the other passengers, the guards calmed and instead started calling down orders to clear the way for the returned ¡°heroes¡±. That last bit got him. ¡°What?¡± he asked out loud, not understanding what they were talking about. Myra quickly hopped off his lap, not seeming to have heard him as she immediately prostrated herself on the ground and proceeded to try to hug it tightly. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you again,¡± she practically sobbed as she rubbed her cheek on the grass as tears rolled down her other cheek. Joram was about to ask what the deal was, but then Avi spoke up from beside him. ¡®I suspect that they¡¯ve never before experienced such speeds,¡¯ she said, then pointed behind him. He followed her finger and saw that the others had copied Myra in hugging the ground. ¡®But those two went for rides on the dragonfly¡­¡¯ he sent, more confused than ever. ¡®Yes, but you had it go slowly, nowhere near its top speed,¡¯ Avi said, pointing out the obvious, causing him to have an ¡°Oh¡± moment. Feeling a bit bad now, he sent the centipede model to go chill at his house, then remembered to send his other surviving [Astral Ally]s there as well, hoping that nothing had happened in their absence. Once he was able to get them all back on their feet and steadied, he slowly escorted them into Kirkwall. He had barely entered the village when people started gathering, along with more foxes- which reminded him that he¡¯d rudely left the skulk that¡¯d followed him back at the dungeon. Trying to not let their stares and chatter get to him, he continued along the main street until he was close to Town Hall, where he stopped with a sigh. In his path was Celys, Nalun, and Kal. With them stood Linette, the cook whose name he still hadn¡¯t remembered to get, along with the staff of Town Hall, the bank, Magmyr, Ilyana, and several merchants he recognized. And more people were gathering around them as he watched. It was hard to gauge what Celys was thinking, or her mood. She had a really good poker face. But Kal wasn¡¯t as practiced, and so Joram thought that the young man seemed¡­ eager? Like he was anticipating something. Something good? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he decided to take it like a m- like an adult, so he started walking again, Myra still clinging onto one arm while Asami clung to his other. He didn¡¯t know why either were still unsteady but supposed that the ride hadn¡¯t been easy on them. It certainly hadn¡¯t been easy on their hair, that¡¯s for sure. Once he arrived in front of Celys and family he stopped, unsure if he¡¯d finally get an earful for not having done something about the dungeon sooner. He just hoped that clearing the dungeon would help sway her a bit. ¡°Joram,¡± Celys said, looking very serious. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve returned. And with my wayward daughter as well,¡± she said, giving her daughter a very cross look. One that Myra pretended to not see as she looked around at those who¡¯d gathered. ¡°Ah, yes. I made sure that we all arrived safely,¡± he said, trying to suppress just how nervous he felt while Asami started shivering. He hoped that she wasn¡¯t still feeling sick from the ride. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve all returned safely,¡± Celys said, looking both relieved and still somewhat peeved. ¡°I can¡¯t understand why you decided to leave in the middle of the night. What were you thinking?¡± she asked, now giving him a searching look. ¡°I just wanted to¡­ make things right,¡± he said, knowing just how feeble that sounded to anyone who might have lost more than just their homes in the attack a day and a half ago. ¡°How?¡± Celys asked, still looking as though she was trying to figure him out. ¡°By getting yourself killed? You¡¯re a citizen of Kirkwall. We weather things together; it¡¯s how we¡¯ve weathered Dungeons in the past, and how we operate. We work together to overcome everything that the world throws at us. Because when we work together, that¡¯s when we¡¯re strongest. Individual threads break while hundreds braided together can withstand tremendous forces together,¡± she said, looking a bit disappointed in how he¡¯d gone off alone. ¡°And the rest of you,¡± Celys continued as she turned to regard his four companions. ¡°Myra, of all people, I thought that you¡¯d be wiser than to run off when a Dungeon Overflow was happening. ¡°Reldan, as a scout, you should know how important it is to make sure you report and wait for backup. Scouts are a support role, not frontline fighters,¡± she said, shaking her head like she was his mother scolding him. ¡°And Theril, I expected you to at least stop the rest of them from haring off like children chasing a chicken,¡± she said, shaking her head as she regarded the suddenly embarrassed [Guardian]. ¡°Yet you left Amava with barely a word this morning while she was still coming to terms with losing your home.¡± Joram watched as Celys¡¯ words cut through those she¡¯d directed them at. Even though he wasn¡¯t as young as the rest of those who¡¯d followed him- except for Asami, that is-, he still felt as though his mother was scolding him, even if he was really about the same age as Celys. Asami pinched him, making him clench his jaw tightly against the sudden pain. He looked down at her and saw that she didn¡¯t look too happy for some reason. ¡°So, what have you got to say for yourself?¡± Celys asked, pinning him with her very stern glare. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, bowing his head as he spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that they¡¯d come after me,¡± he finished, not quite sure what to say under these circumstances. He didn¡¯t want to make any excuses, as those where just hot air in the end. He¡¯d messed up; what more could he say? He missed the curious look that Celys and the others gave him while he was staring at his boots, wondering if he¡¯d get kicked out of Kirkwall or something. If they were as community-minded as Celys was saying, he didn¡¯t think that that was out of the realm of possibility. Especially given how he¡¯d acted alone, inadvertently dragging his friends into the mess with him. ¡°Joram. Look at me,¡± Celys said firmly, though not unkindly. Her tone caught his attention, so he looked up as requested. Just in time to have her arms wrap around his chest. ¡°Wha-,¡± he tried to ask, but was interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re part of Kirkwall now. You¡¯re family now. Family doesn¡¯t let family go off and get themselves killed,¡± Celys said once she finished hugging him, then stepped back enough to place her hands on his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m glad you returned before any of you could get hurt¡­¡± she said, but then trailed off as she seemed to notice the holes in his clothing for the first time. ¡°What happened here¡­?¡± she asked, looking a bit confused. ¡°We cleared the Dungeon,¡± Myra piped in, puffing her chest out proudly at the declaration. Myra¡¯s words caused the jaws of everyone in earshot to drop in disbelief or astonishment, he couldn¡¯t tell because, quite frankly, the expressions looked much the same to him. ¡°You¡­ what?¡± Nalun asked, stepping forward to regard his daughter seriously. The kind of expression that said if she was lying that she¡¯d get her hide tanned. ¡°Joram cleared the dungeon, we just helped mop up a bit,¡± Asami said, giving Myra a bit of a glare. After a few moments of processing her words, everyone present blew up; anything from exclamations of astonishment to doubt to questions were shouted out. ¡®Hahahahahahaha!¡¯ Avi laughed at him was he tried to slide behind his two female companions in embarrassment. Chapter 053 - Finally taking a look It had taken them almost an hour to first calm down everyone present who were shouting their questions, to finally getting around to answering said questions. After having explained things to them thoroughly, he¡¯d been cheered as a Hero of Kirkwall. Not only that, but it was then made clear that none of the villagers had ever blamed him for the attacks, let alone the loss of life and property. In fact, they had already considered him a [Hero] for having saved so many lives during the last attack. He still felt guilty, as he was sure that he could have done more if he hadn¡¯t been so worried about what people would have thought about his astral constructs. Yet they were all, to a person, grateful for what he had done for them, let alone his efforts in creating a defensive moat around most of Kirkwall- an unheard-of feat, if they were to be believed. They¡¯d then spent the next three days in celebration, not leaving him much time to himself, let alone any time to work on anything else. By the time the celebrations were finished, he was socially and emotionally exhausted to the point where he created another dragonfly model and escaped to his still under construction house for some peace and quiet. Finally alone, he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®You did well,¡¯ Avi said from his side, not at all sounding or appearing sarcastic or condescending. ¡®I expected you to break the first day and run,¡¯ she said, finally revealing her usual sass as she smirked at him. ¡°Har-har,¡± he said as he created a bed to lay upon, idly noticing how easy it felt to do. ¡®Well, what¡¯re you planning to do now?¡¯ she asked, sitting next to him. ¡°I think I¡¯ll finally get to checking the backlogs,¡± he said, pulling up his System notifications that he¡¯d been ignoring for the past several days, then gawked.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following skills: - Blacksmithing - Bluff - Control Dungeon - Create Dungeon - Dash - Diplomacy - Mana Manipulation - Multitasking - Throwing You¡¯ve leveled the following skills: - Analyze 6 -> 8 - Blacksmithing 1 -> 3 - Bluff 1 -> 4 - Clear Mind 17 -> 20 - Dash 1 -> 5 - Diplomacy 1 -> 6 - Dodge 9 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Dodge -> Dodge, Improved - Dodge, Improved 11 -> 12 - Endurance 10 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Endurance -> Endurance, Improved - Endurance, Improved 11 -> 13 - Improved Accuracy 5 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Improved Accuracy -> Greater Accuracy - Greater Accuracy 11 -> 17 - Lucky 9 -> 13 - Mana Manipulation 1 -> 6 - Mana Well 4 -> 8 - Marksmanship 2 -> 10 - Multitasking 1 -> 4 - Pain Resistance 7 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Pain Resistance -> Pain Resistance, Improved - Pain Resistance, Improved 11 -> 12 - Privacy Mode 9 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Privacy Mode -> Privacy Mode, Improved - Privacy Mode, Improved 11 - Pyrokinesis 1 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Pyrokinesis -> Pyrokinesis, Improved - Pyrokinesis, Improved 11 -> 15 - Quick Manifesting 12 -> 18 - Running 4 -> 5 - Sculpting, Improved 21 -> 27 - Source of Power 5 -> 10 - *Improved Stealth 9 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: *Improved Stealth -> *Advanced Stealth - *Advanced Stealth 11 -> 13 - Strafing 9 -> 11 - Skill upgrade: Strafing -> Strafing, Improved - Strafing, Improved 11 -> 14 - Telekinesis 12 -> 19 - Throwing 1 -> 8 You¡¯ve gained the following attribute points: - Speed +2 - Constitution +1 - Intellect +3 - Spirit +4 - Charisma +2 - Luck +4
¡°What the heck¡­?¡± he asked, not quite sure how to take in absurd list in front of him. ¡®Good gains?¡¯ Avi asked, looking curious. ¡°You could say that,¡± he said, then proceeded to explain his gains. ¡°It¡¯s just a lot,¡± he finished, shaking his head. ¡®Well, you have certainly been through a lot in the past five days,¡¯ Avi said, nodding to herself. He couldn¡¯t argue with that, so he went on to his next notification.
Loot: Coins: - Bronze: 31,114 - Silver: 7,613 - Gold: 261 Cores: D: 162, C: 89, B: 51, A: 28 Gems: - 21x small diamond - 34x small ruby - 31x small sapphire Armour & Weapons: - 53x Goblin Dagger - 39x Hobgoblin Sword - 4x Great Sword, Large Jewelry: Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! - Ring of Arcane Might - Ring of Telekinetic Might Misc: - 131x Ethereal Haunt¡¯s Teeth - 14x Troll Adrenal Gland - 4x Ogre Mage Horn Skill Books: - 2x [Iron Belly] - [Aerokinesis] - [Cryokinesis] - 2x [Electrokinesis] - [Hydrokinesis] - 3x [Pyrokinesis] - [Terrakinesis] - [Trap Making] - [Stealth] - [Aura of Cold] - 2x [Regeneration] - [Invisibility] - [Heal 3] - [Cure: Panacea] - [Harvesting: Flora] - [Alchemy] - [Cold Resistance] - [Fire Resistance]
¡°Holy mother of-. That¡¯s a lot of coins,¡± he said, then processed everything else before sharing what he¡¯d gotten with Avi, who also seemed to be impressed with the loot. What impressed him the most out of everything there were the ridiculous number of Skill Books that he¡¯d gotten. Twenty-two Skill Books for having killed about three hundred-thirty creatures seemed¡­ like a lot. Like, too many for what he thought the drop rate should be for something so valuable. And they hadn¡¯t been from his loot chest, as that was still sitting in the basement along with his centipede model and the other [Astral Ally]s. Which reminded him that he¡¯d need to return their loot chests to them at some point¡­. Shaking his head, he retrieved a stack of Skill Books and the two rings listed and [Analyze]d the lot of them.
Ring of Arcane Might This ring provides the following benefits to its wearer: +4 INT +4 SPR +4 Mana Regen
¡°The description, although concise, is somewhat bland,¡± he said, frowning a bit at the lack of flavour.
Ring of Telekinetic Might This ring provides the following benefits to its wearer: +4 INT +12 Ranks in [Telekinesis] (does not give you the Skill if you don¡¯t already have it).
Joram just shook his head, but slipped on both rings anyways. Because, damn! Then he started going through the books, prioritizing the ¡°kinesis¡± line.
Aerokinesis This Skill grants the user the [Aerokinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows its user to manipulate [Air]. Higher Skill levels increase the volume of [Air] that can be manipulated, the force and pressure with which you can move it, as well as the range at which it can be manipulated.
Cryokinesis This Skill grants the user the [Cryokinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows its user to create and manipulate [Cold]. Higher Skill levels increase the volume of [Cold] that can be created, the intensity, the volume that can be manipulated, as well as the range at which [Cold] can be created or manipulated.
Electrokinesis This Skill grants the user the [Electrokinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows its user to both create and manipulate [Electricity]. Higher Skill levels increase the amount of [Electricity] that can be created, its voltage and amperage, as well as the range at which it can be created and manipulated.
Hydrokinesis This Skill grants the user the [Hydrokinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows its user to manipulate [Water]. Higher Skill levels increase the volume of [Water] that can be manipulated, the pressure at which it can be manipulated, as well as the range at which it can be manipulated.
Terrakinesis This Skill grants the user the [Terrakinesis] Skill (Magic). This Skill allows its user to manipulate [Earth]. Higher Skill levels increase the volume of [Earth] that can be manipulated, what type(s) can be manipulated, as well as the range at which it can be manipulated.
¡°Damn. I can become the Avatar¡­¡± he mumbled to himself as he processed everything that he could pull off with those five extra Skills. Shaking his head, he continued.
Aura of Cold (Passive) The user of this Skill has an aura that spreads from them, freezing all who would dare approach. [Aura of Cold] deals [Cold] damage (INT Mod * Skill Level * 0.5) to any creature within (0.25m * INT Mod) per second that is within range of the aura. [Aura of Cold] may be turned off or on at will. [Aura of Cold] does not affect your environment or mundane plants, but will affect magical items/objects.
OK, that¡¯s useful, he thought as he used the Skill Book to get the aura.
Alchemy This Skill grants the user the ability to use [Alchemy]. This Skill allows the user to use various ingredients and reagents to create miraculous and wonderful draughts, elixirs, pills, and potions with a myriad of effects. Creating anything that can grant effects, heal, and poison can be made with alchemy. Experiment, learn, and produce!
¡°Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh¡­¡± Joram chuckled to himself, wild imaginings flowing through his mind as he thought of the crazy things he could do with [Alchemy], let alone how he would pull them off. With [Pyrokinesis], he wondered if he could pull off the refining process without¡­. Joram shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts of Xiao Yan before getting back to it.
Harvesting: Flora This Skill grants the user the [Harvesting: Flora] Skill. This Skill allows its user to harvest flora more deftly and efficiently. Higher Skill levels allow for faster harvesting as well as greater yields due to increased efficiency. Grants the user an instinctual knowledge of what is useful to harvest from flora. Greater knowledge of flora increases the efficiency of this Skill. Can be used on any [Plant], or [Plant]-[Sub-Type] creatures.
Certainly goes well with the [Alchemy] book, that¡¯s for sure, he thought, wondering just how lucky he¡¯d gotten with that pair of drops. It would be incredibly useful living in a forest. Just like he was planning on doing. Easy access, for the win! The other Skill Books were pretty simple. [Regeneration] both increased how many HP you regenerated per minute as well as granted you the ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts. Completely OP. The [Heal 3] and [Cure: Panacea] were both incredibly useful. The healing provided by the first was substantial, while the panacea effect would remove any and all [Status Ailments] that a person was suffering from. Like, all. The resistances were a no-brainer, and he immediately used both. Upon checking on his Status, he noticed both had an entry on his¡­ ¡°character¡± page as well as entries under his Skills list. Given that both had 1 rank in them, he suspected that they¡¯d be trainable¡­. Which would suck. But what pleased him was that his existing [Cold Resistance] seemed to serve as a base for his [Cold Resistance] Skill, making the two cumulative. [Trapmaking], [Stealth], and [Invisibility] were basically made for a [Rogue] type Path. He didn¡¯t need the [Stealth] Skill Book, as he already had the Skill. [Trapmaking] was incredibly tempting given how easily he could make something with either [Modify Matter] or [Ectoplasmic Creation], or both. But very situational. And [Invisibility] would just be plain fun. There were so many people on Earth, when polled, said they would prefer invisibility over super strength, flight, or just about any other superpower out there. Now, he hadn¡¯t been one of those people. But, would he turn it down if it fell into his Inventory? Nope. Still¡­ he would hold onto it, just in case he found someone who would be better suited for it. Especially since it more or less worked like the classic spell in most games. Where if you were invisible, the effect would break if you attacked someone, or if you cast another spell, or even interacted with the wrong thing. Considering how the other Skills seemed to get better with higher Skill Ranks, he was reasonably sure that it too would get better. But for now, he¡¯d hold off. Mostly because it wouldn¡¯t be terribly effective for him. He was kind of the ¡°in your face¡± during combat kind of guy, even if he was only shooting them in the face. The healing type Skills, though, would be a bit wasted on him seeing as how he could do most of what they could do already. Sure, [Cure: Panacea] was incredibly tempting, but if he needed to stop during combat to help someone with that Skill, then he was doing it wrong. Better to give the Skill to someone who wasn¡¯t responsible for the DPS (damage per second) in the party. Curbing his inner munchkin, he set aside the [Invisibility], [Stealth], and [Trapmaking] books, as well as the [Cure: Panacea] and [Heal 3] books. The latter he¡¯d likely give to someone like Myra, as she could already do a bit of healing, while he¡¯d have to look for someone suitable for the rogue-type Skill Books. He still had the [Iron Belly] books, as well as one [Electrokinesis] and three [Pyrokinesis] books that he thought would be good to find a home for. Sure, he could sell them, but with just how much money he¡¯d gotten from the dungeon raid, he really didn¡¯t need it. Better to empower his friends than get a few more gold, or however much they sold for. The real question was what he¡¯d do with the [Regeneration] book that was left. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll find someone,¡± he said, shaking his head as Avi looked on. ¡°Well, maybe I should have a look at my Status before I get to work,¡± he muttered before opening his Status and smiling.
Name: Joram Path: None Level: 0
Race: High Elan Resource Pools: HP: 62/62 ST: 46/46 PP: 573/573 MP: 320/320 Regeneration Rates: HP: 10/minute ST: 10/minute PP: 15/minute MP: 17/minute
Attributes: STR: 14 = SPD: 15 = CON: 11 = INT: 28 = 20 + 8 SPR: 28 = 24 + 4 CHA: 12 = LCK: ?? =
Attacks: Crit Chance: 25% Melee: Mindblade (x3 crit) D: 36 = 4 + 9 + 23 L: 38 = 6 + 9 + 23 M: 40 = 8 + 9 + 23 H: 48 = 12 + 13 + 23 +14 after 1st hit. Mindblade Throw Range: 18m, 14m, 10m, 6m Ranged: Mindbolt (x4 crit) D: 43 = 4 + 10 + 29 L: 58 = 6 + 23 + 29 M: 47 = 8 + 10 + 29 S: 48 = 10 + 9 + 29 +14 after 1st hit. M: +5 if using 2 hands to aim Range per Form: 18m, 70m, 40m, 12m DEF = 30 + Buffs + Sit¡¯nl Buffs: +13 [Inertial ArmourA] +9 [Force ScreenA] Situational: +5 vs projectiles Resistances: Cold: 12 Fire: 7 DR: 3/PP spent or, 8/- [BiofeedbackA]
Kinesis Skills: Name: Dmg: Range: Aero: 11 24 Cryo: 11 24 Elec: 11 24 Hyrdo: 11 24 Pyro: 11-172 34 Tele: 11-356 50 Terra: 11 24 Carrying Capacity: Light: 212 kg Medium: 424 kg Heavy: 636 kg Push/Drag: 1,060 kg
Nodding at what he saw, he was nevertheless shocked. He hadn¡¯t actually looked at his Status page for quite a while, mostly having just used his inventory tab, or even the Skill, Title, and Achievement pages/tabs. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d subconsciously rearranged it at some point, or if the System decided on a redesign, but he thought he liked it a bit better than before. Still, seeing those numbers now, then comparing them to what he¡¯d started out with¡­ was a shocker. He still hadn¡¯t managed to ask someone about attributes and how common/rare it was to get more of them, so he wasn¡¯t sure if he was still a wimp or if he was OP. But given his carrying capacity, he thought he was doing incredibly well for himself. Then there was the ¡°Kinesis¡± section. The damages listed there were¡­ scary. He could easily off himself if he screwed up something, Which got him seriously thinking about a Path again. He would gain more health if he did, which was incredibly tempting. But with his new [Regeneration] Skill, he was feeling a bit less fragile. ¡°Avi? Am I being ridiculous [Achievement] hunting instead of taking a Path?¡± he asked, turning to his constant companion. ¡®Yes,¡¯ she replied, giving him a look that said it all. Like ¡°you¡¯re an idiot for risking your life for something that might not prove incredibly useful¡±, or ¡°you¡¯re a glass canon, get some HP already!¡±. ¡°OK,¡± he said, but once again hesitated as he tabbed over to have another look at his Titles. Once there, he looked at [Dungeon Master], actually reading it over for the first time, then stopped and reread it just to be sure that he hadn¡¯t been imagining things. ¡°Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°I think I¡¯ll want to level-up my Skills before committing to a Path,¡± he said, then explained his reasoning behind his decision. As Avi listened, she began to nod. Once he was done, she nodded one final time before a mischievous grin split her lips. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s training time,¡¯ she said, sending chills down his spine as he both saw the look in her eyes as well as heard the peculiar tone in her voice. Well, shi- Chapter 054 - Interlude *One month later* Myra marvelled at Joram¡¯s new ¡°house¡±, for it was anything but a mere house. She was astonished by just how fast he¡¯d completed it after the celebrations. Even though he¡¯d complained about things like ¡°stone insulation¡±, ¡°wiring¡±, and ¡°proper plumbing¡±, it had only taken him two weeks to finish the ridiculously large building. It was a good hundred feet wide, one hundred sixty feet long, and- as of now, for Joram had said that he might add more!- four stories tall. She was pleased that it wasn¡¯t as ugly as his old house, though. That thing had just been¡­ bad. For this house, he¡¯d adopted Kirkwall¡¯s style¡­ for the most part. The walls weren¡¯t the standard white-washed walls from her home, but were instead made of ridiculously expensive moss stone and the even more rare star stone, the black variant of moss stone. It was absolutely ridiculously opulent. Then the interior had nearly floored her. Not only had he reproduced the weird lighting that he¡¯d had in his old house, but also the ¡°plumbing¡±. He had running water in his kitchens- he had two!-, and in every toilet and bathroom in the house. Not only that, but he¡¯d also installed ¡°plumbing¡± in his laboratories and crafting areas. Then he had a ridiculous cellar that he called a ¡°basement¡±. Not only that, but there were two of them, one under the other! Who did that besides rich nobles and such?! Myra shook her head again as she practiced, trying her hardest to follow Joram¡¯s instructions. He claimed to not really know much about fighting- hand-to-hand fighting that is-, but for all that, he was able to show a variety of styles. He¡¯d shown her the basics of two styles that he said he was only passingly familiar with. One was ¡°Wing Chun¡±, a style he claimed excelled at defense, the other called ¡°karate¡±, which he claimed was perfect for offense. Well, for her ¡°style¡± of offense, anyways. She didn¡¯t know what he meant by that, but she continued punching a rope-wrapped wooden post with her bandaged fists as she thought about everything. He¡¯s astonished her by giving her a Skill Book, something that was ridiculously rare, to the point that the whole village had only gained a few since her birth. Yet he¡¯d said that [Pyrokinesis] suited her well, and had proceeded to help her get used to her new Skill while he wasn¡¯t working on his various projects. While he was away, Asami Miki had taken over her instruction, for which she was very grateful. For as talented as Joram was, he evidently didn¡¯t know much about magic in general. Asami¡¯s instructions had been a life-saver, but also informative and intuitive. Given that Asami was basically a master in the ways of [Pyrokinesis], she was able to teach Myra many subtleties that Joram didn¡¯t know about. Things that helped her to use her fire in the same ways that not only her ancestors used it, but also in the ways that Spirit Foxes used it. Which led to her gaining the [Illusion] Skill just yesterday, making her so excited that she¡¯d impulsively hugged Asami because she¡¯d been so happy. Which turned out better than she¡¯d thought it would after she realized what she¡¯d done. Asami had merely returned the hug and given her a pat on the head to congratulate her. Which made her think that Asami was more approachable than she¡¯d initially thought she was. Myra paused to wipe away the sweat on her brow, then turned to the ¡°training dummy¡± that Joram had made for her to practice ¡°Wing Chun¡± on. She took a moment to shake out her hands and use [Heal: Minor] on herself, ridding her hands of the bruises she¡¯d accumulated by striking the post one thousand times with each fist. Another benefit of her insane training regimen that Joram had set for her was that she¡¯d gained [Endurance], [Toughness], [Parry], [Dodge], and [Martial Arts] over the past month. Not only that, but after having practiced for the first three weeks- and having gained a level!-, she¡¯d been offered a new class! Of course she¡¯d taken it once she¡¯d read through it and had seen that not only did it retain her [Miko] class abilities, but also offered [Pugilist]-like benefits as well. It was called [Retsu Ken Sei no Miko], and Asami said that it was very impressive that she¡¯d been offered it so young, especially since it was an [Epic] Class. She¡¯d been so thrilled that she¡¯d given everyone present a hug, including Joram! Well, she reflected as she started going through the forms of Wing Chun, it was nice to hug Joram. It was made better by how red he¡¯d turned, she thought with a smile, remembering how stiff he¡¯d become when she¡¯d hugged him. But what had made her happiest about that was when he¡¯d returned the hug, making her feel as though she¡¯d melt in his arms. The weirdest part, though, had been when Asami had later encouraged her to give Joram more hugs in the future. Which had made her very uncomfortable at first, but after having Asami encourage her several more times, she¡¯d warmed more to the idea. The thing that threw her off the most, though, was that when she¡¯d gained her new Class, she¡¯d grown another tail! She now had three!!! She didn¡¯t know what it meant, but she was certain that it was important. Just how important, she wasn¡¯t sure, but she¡¯d decided to keep the extra tail hidden when she wasn¡¯t in their bedroom¡­. Which led her to recall her new living arrangements. Her parents hadn¡¯t been happy when she¡¯d told them that she would move in with Joram after he¡¯d finished building his house. Things like ¡°inappropriate¡± and ¡°marriage¡± had been said by her parents more than once, but she¡¯d bulled her way past their objections with the help of Asami Miki, of all people. Though, given how she¡¯d been encouraging her, it shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise. Asami had vouched that nothing ¡°inappropriate¡± would occur, somewhat relieving her parents¡¯ worries. So, for just over two weeks now, she¡¯d been living with Joram¡­ and Asami, of course. Given how nothing had happened between Joram and Asami yet, she¡¯d reluctantly agreed to sleep in another room from them. She was still sure that nothing ¡°adult¡± had happened between the two yet, so that was a relief to her. Even then, she¡¯d already snuck into Joram¡¯s room to sleep beside them a couple of times, much to her embarrassment. She¡¯d just been so lonely that she couldn¡¯t help it! Myra paused her practice for a moment to take a few breaths to calm her beating heart. Yes, it had been borderline inappropriate, but she¡¯d made sure that she was fully dressed in the luxurious night clothes that Joram had provided her, while making sure to place a blanket between her and Joram. Still, she¡¯d slept better than she thought she would, waking just after dawn. Shaking her head, Myra started working through her forms again, rhythmically striking the training dummy. One thing that she was grateful for, though, was that Joram had created a ¡°small¡± barn for the foxes that had decided to keep following him around. Though, she found that Harumi, the six-tailed dark purple spirit vixen that had first taken a liking to Joram, still slept in the same room as he did. Though, she gave deference to Asami¡¯s seniority and let her sleep with Joram. So, he¡¯d made a large cushion for her to sleep on that Harumi had moved to lay beside the head of his bed. Myra still didn¡¯t know why the foxes were following him around, but she saw it as a sign that her¡­ preference for Joram was a good thing, even if he wasn¡¯t a foxkin. Which others still derided. Even after Joram had saved Kirkwall, there were still people who were less than trusting of a ¡°human¡±. Not only that, but some of the young men who¡¯d been pestering her for years to marry them had started badmouthing Joram. Saying things like ¡°a human can¡¯t continue our legacy¡± and such nonsense. If the Spirit Foxes approved of him, then she saw no reason to stay away from Joram¡­ or to not¡­ like him. After the second time that she¡¯d snuck into his room to sleep with him and Asami, she¡¯d finally realized that she liked Joram that way. Which had caused her quite a bit of confusion. And, to be honest with herself, still caused her a bit of difficulty in being around him. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. But it was getting better. Myra smiled as she continued going through her forms, using the repetitive motions to help ease herself through those thoughts. On another note, Joram had surprised them all by suddenly using a wide variety of elemental manipulation Skills. From using [Earth]-type spells to help with reshaping his land and unearthing more stone for his ridiculously huge walls that surrounded his property, all the way to using [Water]-type spells to shift where he wanted two streams to flow, he¡¯d quickly proved just how versatile and powerful he¡¯d become. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when she remembered when he¡¯d decided to finally take a Path¡­ - - - ¡°Holy Mother of,¡± Joram said, confusing her by using his native tongue. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, glancing over to Asami who now appeared to be very focussed on Joram. ¡°I, ah¡­. I think I found a good Path,¡± he said, getting their attention, though not likely how he¡¯d thought. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, a bit confused. ¡°You have more than one option for your Path?¡± she asked, then vaguely remembered that that question had been asked before. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ common?¡± he asked, looked a bit unsure. ¡°The most I¡¯ve ever heard of was a young woman being offered three Paths,¡± Asami said with a shrug, though Myra could tell that she was excited. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Joram said, thinking for a bit before continuing. ¡°I have more than that. But, I think that this [Gestalt Path: Mage/Psion] would suit me best,¡± he said, managing to say such an absurd things with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that¡­¡± Myra said, shaking her head as he glanced at Asami, who also shook her head. ¡°Well, seems like a good fit for me,¡± he said, then seemed to read something before he nodded. ¡°Then I think that the [Creationist] class fits me pretty well.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Asami asked, looking torn between shock and confusion. ¡°[Creationist],¡± Joram repeated, looking over at Asami. ¡°It¡¯s labelled as [Unique], but I think it¡¯ll still be pretty good.¡± Myra looked over at Asami and saw that she¡¯d turned to regard her in turn. They exchanged dumbfounded looks for a minute or so before turning back to Joram. ¡°Well, you do like making things,¡± Myra said faintly, still off balance at hearing of a [Unique] class; something that she¡¯d never heard of before. Joram nodded, distracted by what he was reading, then he shrugged and muttered ¡°yes¡± before his eyes shot wide open. Then he fell over. Panicked, Myra quickly jumped to catch him, but was beaten by Asami who arrived a heartbeat sooner. She nevertheless helped Asami to carry Joram to a ¡°couch¡± and laid him on it. They quickly checked his breathing and heartbeat, but found that nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. ¡°Have you ever seen anything like this?¡± she turned and asked Asami, even more worried than before. ¡°No, I have not,¡± Asami replied, also looking worried. ¡°I only registered surprise from him before he collapsed, so I can¡¯t even guess what the problem might be.¡± The first few hours passed without incident, so they had decided to bring him to his bed for proper rest. After having- reluctantly!- undressed him, they¡¯d tucked him into bed and proceeded to watch him for any changes. The first day passed slowly as they began to nod off, trying to stay awake and alert. After the fourth time they¡¯d started to fall asleep, they decided to take shifts, especially when their stomachs had also weighed-in on the situation. So, they¡¯d divided their shifts into five-hour blocks so as to make it easier to divide them evenly into the day. On her first break, Myra had gone to the kitchen to see what she could prepare for the three of them, but was at a complete loss when she tried to figure out¡­ everything. Myra was dismayed to realize that Joram had been doing all of the cooking for the three of them since they¡¯d all moved in. Wracking her brain, she finally remembered how Joram had activated his ¡°stove¡±. From there, she rummaged about until she found a large pot, then the cutting board. The knifes were easy, for they were all in a weird wooden block on the counter for some reason. A bit more rummaging found some of the strange vegetables he used in his cooking. She went to the ¡°fridge¡± and opened the top door and shivered at the cold that flowed out of it. She quickly found the cloth-wrapped meat that he¡¯d bought the other day, then quickly placed it in the ¡°sink¡± where she turned on the hot water with a simple lever-like metal¡­ lever. Once the hot water had thawed the meat enough, she unwrapped it and placed the lump of frozen meat into the large pot. From there, she made sure to wash the veggies before cutting them up and adding them to the pot. Once done with that, she filled the pot with some water, put the lid on, and placed it on the stovetop, right in the centre of one of the circles drawn on the weird glass. ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m not sure what those symbols mean, but halfway should be good,¡± she mumbled as she tried to twist the dial like she¡¯d seen Joram do. It didn¡¯t move. Getting frustrated, she twisted harder, then nearly shouted in dismay when the knob broke off in her hand. Panicked, she looked around before trying to fit it back into place, but it was futile. So, she looked around for a bit before she shrugged and picked up the pot and headed outside. She was much more used to cooking over a fire anyways¡­. ¡­. Which didn¡¯t turn out well. In fact, Asami was both so dismayed at her attempts at cooking and amused by those same efforts, that she alternated between rolling on the floor laughing at her and crying because she was so hungry. So it was that over the following two days that she had just gone into town to buy food from the stalls for them all. Well, she said ¡°them all¡±, but it was really just her and Asami that were eating as they couldn¡¯t pry Joram¡¯s jaw open to even spoon some soup into his mouth, let alone get him to drink any water. They¡¯d grown so concerned that Harumi had gone and fetched Melois to do a checkup on Joram. ¡°You say that he¡¯d been unconscious for over two days now?¡± Melois had asked, getting nods in return. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t see anything wrong with him, nor do I see any of the usual signs of dehydration- which is weird given what you¡¯ve told me. But, again, he seems well enough, so just come fetch me if things turn for the worse,¡± she¡¯d finished before giving Joram one last worried look before taking her leave. By the third day, she¡¯d gotten into the habit of laying beside Joram instead of sitting in the chair while she watched over him. She¡¯d noticed that Asami had been doing this from the start and had become a bit¡­ curious. So, she¡¯d given it a try on the second day. Well, the results spoke for themselves. She couldn¡¯t help but admit that it was nice laying beside him. Even though he hadn¡¯t eaten for two days, he was just as warm as he¡¯d been the moment he¡¯d fallen unconscious. Which was probably why she was enjoying her one-sided¡­ cuddles. Not that she was snuggled right up to him like Asami or anything! No, she was just¡­. OK, she was laying snuggled up to his side with her arm draped over his chest! But! He was just so¡­ comfy! Sure, he was muscle-y, but oddly¡­ soft. She¡¯d been sure that it¡¯d feel like laying on a rock given how muscular he was, but that misconception had been quickly tossed out the window. ¡°Mmm, I hope you¡¯ll be OK,¡± she murmured, worried that he wouldn¡¯t wake up like she¡¯d seen happen to a couple of people over the years. Sure, they¡¯d gotten head injuries or had a blood issue, but he hadn¡¯t hit his head, nor had Melois been able to find an issue with his blood or heart. She- ¡°Mmhmmm, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Joram suddenly rumbled, his voice especially loud in her right ear that was pressed against his chest. Myra froze as her heart stopped in her chest in fright! She finally managed to pull in a breath of air many seconds later when she felt Joram¡¯s hand on her head. With tears in her eyes, she finally lifted her chin enough so that she could look up at his multi-coloured, smiling, eyes. ¡°Hi,¡± he said when she just stared at him for another minute or so as she processed him being awake. When it fully sank in, she wiggled up onto his chest then hugged him for all she was worth as she began trembling, then shuddering as hot tears began leaking from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s OK,¡± Joram rumbled as his arms wrapped around her back, fully enveloping her in his embrace. ¡°I was so scared!¡± she managed to finally get out between sobs, made worse by his rumbled ¡°Mmhmmm¡±s that seemed to pull more sobs and tears from her. Then Asami had landed on them, sharing her own excitement that Joram was OK, tangling them all up in a mess of limbs and tails in her rush to join in on the hugs and cuddles. - - - At the time, it had been somewhat mortifying. But now¡­ now she could admit to herself that it had been a bit funny, just a bit. Then, thinking about just how¡­ ¡°broken¡±- as he called it- Joram was, she couldn¡¯t help but think that such a development was par for the course given everything else he¡¯d done even before having a Path. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s broken,¡± Asami said from her side, shocking her out of her musings. ¡°We¡¯re still keeping quiet about it, right?¡± she asked once her heart had calmed down after the fright. ¡°Hmm, yes. Doing something like he¡¯s done won¡¯t go over well with those stuffy old farts,¡± Asami said, frowning in thought. Myra nodded, accepting Asami¡¯s reasoning. Mostly because she was much older than her, and thus more experienced with things. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami said, giving her shoulder a casual backhand. ¡°We don¡¯t want him disappeared on us.¡± She nodded again, very much in agreement with that statement. It was well-known that nobility weren¡¯t very tolerant of factionless dark horses emerging that might challenge their authority one day. ¡°We¡¯ll keep him safe,¡± she said, clenching a fist until her knuckles cracked. ¡°Mmmm, then keep training. We¡¯ll need it if any of this gets out,¡± Asami said as she stepped over to her own training dummy and began going through a different set of forms from her own. Myra nodded, resolved to protect her brilliant Joram, who also happened to be incredibly clueless when it came to society. I¡¯ll get strong enough to protect him, she thought fiercely as she resumed her own practice, her jaw locking in determination. Chapter 055 - Life, the Universe, and Everything ¡®So, what happened?¡¯ Avi asked once he was alone again. He looked over to where she sat beside him on the bed. She was leaning slightly towards him, making her hair tumble artfully over one shoulder and partially hide a bit of her face. ¡®Ah, well¡­. I¡¯m not sure. I think that suddenly getting so many attributes at once was¡­ overwhelming,¡¯ he sent, trying to figure out just how to describe the feeling. ¡®Makes sense,¡¯ she said, nodding. ¡®Having your body change on you can be disorienting.¡¯ ¡®You can say that again,¡¯ he sent, shaking his head at the memory. ¡®I suddenly got the notification that I¡¯d levelled a whole lot, so I just kinda dumped my free stats into Speed and Constitution and that¡¯s when I blacked-out I guess.¡¯ Avi nodded again, this time looking even more knowing than before, if that was possible. Still shaking his head, he looked at his Status page, glad that he¡¯d cleaned it up a bit.
Name: Joram Gestalt Path: Mage/Psion Class: Creationist (Unique) Level: 17 Free Attribute Points: 0
Race: High Elan Resource Pools: HP: 2,210/2,210 ST: 2,194/2,194 PP: 1,814/1,814 MP: 1,244/1,244 Regeneration Rates: HP: 70/minute ST: 70/minute PP: 86/minute MP: 88/minute Regen increases by 8x w/ [Clear Mind, Adv.] active.
Attributes: STR: 14 SPD: 45 CON: 49 INT: 62 (54) SPR: 62 (58) CHA: 29 LCK: ?? Mod: 9 40 44 57 (49) 57 (53) 24 ??
Attacks: Crit Chance: 25% Melee: Mindblade (x3 crit) D: 36 = 4 + 9 + 23 L: 38 = 6 + 9 + 23 M: 40 = 8 + 9 + 23 H: 48 = 12 + 13 + 23 +14 dmg after 1st hit. Mindblade Throw Range: 18m, 14m, 10m, 6m Ranged: Mindbolt (x4 crit) D: 73 = 4 + 40 + 29 L: 92 = 6 + 57 + 29 M: 77 = 8 + 40 + 29 S: 48 = 10 + 9 + 29 +14 dmg after 1st hit. M: +20 if using 2 hands to aim. Range per Form: 18m, 70m, 40m, 12m DEF = Dodge + Deflection + Buffs + Situational Dodge: 60 Deflection: 24 Buffs: +22 [Inertial ArmourA] (1/2PP) +13 [Force ScreenA] (1/4PP) Situational: +5 vs ranged (not spells) Resistances: Cold: 60 Fire: 55 Adapt Body: All: 87 = 30 + INT Mod (57). - All stacks with existing. DR: 3/- per PP spent, or, 14/- [BiofeedbackA] 1/3PP
Kinesis Skills: Name: Dmg: Range (m): Aero: 14-285 80 Cryo: 21-449 121 Elec: 14-256 79 Hyrdo: 21-449 121 Pyro: 21-684(+20%) 137 (685) Tele: 21-1,026 163 Terra: 14-256 79 Carrying Capacity: Light: 212 kg Medium: 424 kg Heavy: 636 kg Push/Drag: 1,060 kg
Joram shook his head at those numbers, sure that whatever this System was, it wasn¡¯t like the tabletop games he¡¯d played over the years. His stats were just too high for that. Never mind the ridiculous entries for the various damages that he could dish out. Like, his short-ranged mindbolt was supposed to be the ¡°heavy hitter¡±, as it were. And yet, now it was the lightest of the three forms that his mindbolt could take. Which threw him for a loop. Maybe he¡¯d need to reform their shapes to better reflect just how much damage they actually did. Like, his N7-90 was supposed to be all sorts of badass and intimidating and super and all that¡­. Looking at the numbers, and remembering what the damages should be, he was slightly stumped. Until the entry under his long-range form got floating numbers over it. He blinked, then blinked again. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡®Huh,¡¯ he huh¡¯d, a bit more than a little bit perplexed, but nevertheless pleased. ¡®It looks like my INT Mod affects the damage on the long-ranged form,¡¯ he sent to Avi. ¡®As much as I¡¯d like to say that that surprises me, it oddly doesn¡¯t given the fact that it¡¯s basically following what you imagine it to follow,¡¯ Avi sent, sounding slightly bored, though he could tell that she was pleased with this turn of events. Again, so was he. Given just how much trouble he¡¯d had taking down the higher levelled hobs, trolls, and even the ogre mages, any boost to his damage would help considerably. But. If he could get so OP, did that mean that he¡¯d eventually run into creatures that could also pump out the damage like he could? Given his new HP, he was at least confident that he¡¯d now last more than a sneeze against something truly powerful. Though, given his stats, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was truly OP, or just average. That he¡¯d gotten so many stats for just seventeen levels, he was leaning towards this world being more video game than tabletop game. That he¡¯d have over two thousand health points was mind boggling. Then there were his power and mana pools, both ridiculous unless he was in a video game type setting. ¡®Welp, let¡¯s just hope that it¡¯s enough to take care of any problems in the future,¡¯ he sent, putting off the thoughts on his Status for the time being and turning to this weird Class Skills and Abilities. Given that his [Creationist] Class- something that an Earthling would probably laugh at if they were scientifically-minded- was [Unique], he wondered if it was just an odd class, or if it was also considered OP in this world¡­.
- Class abilities: - At level 1: - [Stability of Creation] ¨C 155% - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that has a duration has that duration extended by (INT x 2.5%). - Additionally, if the time is measured in seconds, it will then be measured in minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to instantaneous. - [Ease of Creation] ¨C 100% - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that has a ¡°cost¡± (beyond the mana or power required to activate the spell or power), has that cost reduced by 30%. This reduction occurs before any other considerations when using an ability, power, or spell. - The reduction increases by 10% every 2 levels thereafter, to a maximum of 100% at Creationist level 15. At level 3: - [Desire of Creation] ¨C 750% - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that you use that has a volume or mass created or specified in its use has that volume increased by 100%. - Every level thereafter, the bonus increases by 50%. - I.e.: a level 5 Creationist would have a total of 200% increase due to Desire of Creation. - At level 5: - [Speed of Creation] - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that you use has the time needed to activate, cast, or manifest that power or spell reduced by 50% - At level 7: - [Power of Creation] ¨C 55% - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that you use has the damage it deals increased by 30%. - The damage increase will rise by 5% for every 2 levels thereafter. - At level 10: - [Will of Creation] - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that you use cannot be stopped by outside means. - This means that so long as you have the ability to use a ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell, it cannot be countered, negated, or prevented in any way, including anti-magic or null-psionic areas or zones. - [Legacy of Creation] - You can create a Skill Book for any Skill that you have access to. - The cost to do so reflects the rarity of the Skill you wish to put into book form. - Common: 10 Grade E purified cores. - Uncommon: 10 Grade D purified cores. - Rare: 10 Grade C purified cores. - Epic: 10 Grade B purified cores. - Legendary: 10 Grade A purified cores. - Mythic: 10 Grade S purified cores. - Transcendent: 10 Grade SS purified cores. - ???: 100 Grade SSS purified cores. - [Ease of Creation] has only a 50% effect on the cost of [Legacy of Creation]. - You can copy a Skill Book that you¡¯ve read through, but haven¡¯t yet used. The same costs apply as creating a Skill Book from your existing list of Skills. - At level 11: - [Summon: All] ¨C [Creation] - You gain the Class Ability to use [Summon: All]. - This ability is a Creation ability. - At level 15: - [Master Summoner] Skill - You gain the ability to summon additional being/objects each time you use [Summon: All]. For every ten ranks in [Master Summoner], you gain 1 additional summon when you use [Summon: All] at no additional cost. - If you choose to forgo an additional summoned being/object, your summon gains +10 levels, or additional functionality if it is an object.
It was¡­ a lot. He¡¯d been experimenting, and it seemed as though each of those percentages listed were additive, not consecutively calculated. Also, the reduction to activation time seemed to be reduced to a mere thought on his part, given [Speed of Creation] and his [Creationist] Achievement that also reduced activation time by 50%. Which, if he looked at the numbers, meant that he could use any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± ability, power, Skill, or spell that he had at the speed of thought. Which was scary. Very scary in its implications and execution. Then [Ease of Creation] basically removed any supplemental cost to anything he made using a creation or manipulation ability, power, or spell. Like, would he be able to use [True Creation] without worrying about the Ability Burn now? Was it that powerful? He felt¡­ godly. Which was both awesome and horrifying. Was he really responsible enough to have that kind of power? Would he use his abilities for good, or would they eventually corrupt him? ¡°Absolute power corrupts absolutely,¡± and all that. Would that mean that he¡¯d work towards that absolute power? Or did he already have it? [Power of Creation] was a nice boost to his damaging abilities, though it didn¡¯t seem to be calculated into his damage tables on his Status sheet. Which was weird, but it was what it was. It would probably apply afterwards or something. But that also meant that [Will of Creation] would allow him to do¡­ anything. Even if he were to be imprisoned or something, he¡¯d just be able to get out any time he wanted to. Which was scary. What if he truly deserved incarceration one day after having fallen to the temptation of absolute power? They wouldn¡¯t be able to hold him, but would instead have to execute him immediately. He shuddered at that thought. ¡®Nope, gonna be a good boy,¡¯ he muttered through his link to Avi, getting him a weird look in return. Then he looked at [Legacy of Creation] and couldn¡¯t help but get a little bit giddy. He hadn¡¯t tried to use it yet, but with what it did, he wanted to try it out in the next few weeks or so. He already had too much to work on given how many [Kinesis] Skills he¡¯d been trying to practice with since he¡¯d finished the dungeon, so adding a few more Skills just wasn¡¯t something he wanted to right then. But. He could use the [Cure: Panacea], [Heal 3], [Trapmaking], and [Invisibility] Skill Books and not worry that he was being selfish, as he could just make a new one for whoever needed one. Like Myra, or Kal. Or maybe Melois, as she was one of the few dedicated [Healer]s in Kirkwall. Maybe Celys could use them too, as she could also heal people a bit. And, she had also been an adventurer, so the [Cure] and [Heal] Skills would be well-used and executed by her in an emergency. ¡®You¡¯re thinking too hard,¡¯ Avi said, going through the motions of poking him, which threw him for a loop when he actually felt something. ¡®Yeah, [Telekinesis] is great,¡¯ she said with a smirk. ¡®Wait, I thought you couldn¡¯t use Powers unless it was an emergency,¡¯ he sent, frowning at the bombshell. ¡®Hmm, seems as though the restrictions have been lifted somewhat,¡¯ she said, tilting her head to the side a bit while holding one finger up to her lips¡­ and nearly killing him with the cuteness factor. ¡®Well, that¡¯s good,¡¯ he sent back a moment later after having recovered a bit. Then the [Summon: All] ¨C [Creation] threw him for a loop. He didn¡¯t know why that would be considered a [Creation] ability, but he suspected that it might have something to do with having to create a body or object or something when something or someone was summoned. He really didn¡¯t know, nor had he experimented with that one yet, especially given the [Mater Summoner] Skill that he¡¯d gotten at Level 15. He didn¡¯t know how things would turn out if he tried summoning something and a few things popped out at the same time. Would it be like D&D where if you summoned an ¡°evil¡± creature, you¡¯d need to set up a magic circle of protection versus evil so that it wouldn¡¯t immediately just attack him for having the audacity of summoning said creature in the first place? He really didn¡¯t want to have to deal with something like that. Nope. Not until he was able to get some precautions set up first. But what was one of the better perks of his Class was that his ¡°Class Skills¡± all went up by one rank each level, which was awesome. Because [Clear Mind], [Create Dungeon], [Craft: Any] (already known), all [Kinesis] Skills known, [Mana Manipulation], [Mana Well], [Master Summoner], [Quick Casting], [Quick Manifesting], [Source of Power] all went up by 17 ranks each. Which was especially awesome for his Crafting Skills, because that meant that any time he learned a new Crafting Skill, it would automatically level up with his Class. Awesome. Just awesome. Which meant that he was pretty damn good at a lot of things already given just how many Crafting Skills he¡¯d opened before taking his Path. Which brought him to the fact that the System had reserved a portion of the ¡°XP¡± he¡¯d gained by killing hundreds of monsters. So many, in fact, that his [Pathless Slaughterer] hand turned into [Pathless Slaughterer III], giving him the following:
Pathless Slaughterer - III - You¡¯ve done what few have ever accomplished. By slaughtering over one hundred foes without taking a Path, you¡¯ve proved both your determination and lethality. - Benefit: - Increase all damage by 30%. - Increase all experience gained by slaughtering your foes by 30%. - Greatly increased learning speed to learn new Combat Skills and the speed in which they level.
Yeah, now having a flat 30% bonus to all damage he dealt was just crazy. He wouldn¡¯t argue, though, as it would probably save his life one day. The extra XP for ¡°slaughtering¡± his foes was also nice, but not quite as nice as his Combat Skills levelling faster, though. Or just plain getting them easier, for that matter. Again, he wondered where he landed on the power scale of things. He could just ask one of his housemates, but he wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d react. Like, would they just pat his shoulders consolingly? Or would they be floored by his Status? He¡­ wasn¡¯t quite ready to find that out just yet. Given just how strange his Class was even to him, he was feeling more than a little bit self-conscious. Which wasn¡¯t too unusual given his issues with self-esteem and all that. Sure, he¡¯d gotten a bit of a boost from everyone in Kirkwall, as well as from Asami and Myra¡­. But decades of self-esteem issues weren¡¯t easy to get rid of, even if he was a different person now. Both figuratively and literally. ¡®Time to make those training dummies for the girls, then to try getting past that bottleneck in my workouts¡¯ he sent, getting up and stretching as he did. - - - *1 Month Later* ¡°At least the girls have made progress,¡± Joram panted, laying on the patio outside his house. ¡®True, they¡¯ve both earned [Martial Arts], making them much more effective in their fighting abilities,¡¯ Avi said from where she sat beside him. ¡°Yeah, I wonder if I can use [Metaconcert] or something to make a Skill Book from their [Martial Arts] Skills?¡± he mused, thinking of just how handy it would be to be able to do that. ¡®Feel free to try,¡¯ Avi said, actually sounding encouraging. ¡®But you¡¯ll need more purified cores to do so.¡¯ Probably due to the fact that if he learned more Skills, he would become less likely to die at any given time. Which, really, was a bonus. He didn¡¯t wanna die. Nope. That was also why he¡¯d been working extra hard this month to finish ¡°learning¡± all of the Powers sitting in the database that Altaea had left him, which included [Astral Seed]. The very same [Astral Seed] that he¡¯d started manifesting every day and leaving the crystal in a fortified and reinforced ¡°room¡± under the 2nd sublevel of his house that could only be accessed by [Teleportation]. Yeah, he wasn¡¯t paranoid or anything¡­. Anyways, those purified cores were¡­ annoying to figure out. Well, they were at first. It had taken him a good week to figure out to just use [Cleanse] on a monster core to get one. That he had to do each individually was a serious pain in the ass, but at least it would let him use [Legacy of Creation]¡­ when he eventually got around to making Skill Books that was¡­. Which reminded him of his avoidance of messing around with one of the Skills he¡¯d gotten when he¡¯d somehow absorbed the Dungeon Core, [Create Dungeon]. Just like he¡¯d been avoiding [Summon: All] because he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen, he¡¯d also been avoiding [Create Dungeon] for the same reason. Given just how ridiculous the bonuses he had to anything that he created with a [Creation] ability of one flavour or another, he was apprehensive to say the least. Like, would he wind up creating a Dungeon that was too powerful for him to manage on his own, and thus cause another Dungeon Overflow to happen? ¡®You really shouldn¡¯t put that off too much longer,¡¯ Avi said, frowning. ¡®It¡¯s better to get a handle on it right away than to let it just sit there. Especially given that any ¡°Creation¡± type ability that you have can be used with just a thought.¡¯ Joram nodded at the logic of that. Given just how dangerous it could be, he really should get an idea of what he could do. He was just¡­ scared. ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Avi said, giving him one of her amazing smiles. ¡®I¡¯ll be there to help you kill anything that need killing.¡¯ What can I say to that? He wondered, once more amazed at just how awesome a helper that Avi was. Chapter 056 - Let me tell you! ¡°You forgot about the Dungeon rewards, didn¡¯t you?¡± Asami asked him as she lay on his chest for bed, causing him to feel like a heel. ¡°¡­ I did¡­¡± he said as Myra looked up to him from where she lay beside him in the nightclothes he¡¯d made for her. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly why Myra had also started sleeping in his bed, but he¡¯d been¡­ grateful? Well, mostly due to the increases in his [Clear Mind] Skill, bumping it up all the way to [Advanced Clear Mind]. But also¡­ for the company. Not in that way. No, just for the literal company. Yes, Asami was nice and all- and he was grateful to have [Barred Mind] up and running so that he wouldn¡¯t get bitten by Asami for that thought!-, but Myra was just¡­ more normal? That wasn¡¯t even quite right. She was very much a young woman with her own¡­ distinct personality. But she¡¯d always been¡­ well, not human, but foxkin. Asami, though, had been the village¡¯s legendary nine-tailed fox until she¡¯d met him, where she¡¯d then transformed into her current foxkin self. A transformation that was apparently permanent. But Myra, well, she¡¯d always been a ¡°real¡± girl, as it were. For as confusing as other people were, and young women even more so, it was also nice having that¡­ unpredictability around. That¡­ normalcy. Well, not that having a young woman- well, two- sleeping in your bed was normal when you weren¡¯t in that sort of relationship. But¡­ the company was nice. Just¡­ someone else¡¯s presence. ¡°I¡¯ll get them in the morning, then,¡± he said, coming back to the moment when Asami poked him in the side. ¡°Good,¡± Asami said, then went back to laying on his chest, just like she¡¯d been doing for the past¡­ almost two months? ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± Myra agreed sleepily before laying her head on her pillow, exhausted from the day¡¯s exercise and training routines. He was especially proud of Myra, for she¡¯d been working incredibly hard since he¡¯d woken up from his Path mishap. He¡¯d even given her the [Pyrokinesis] Skill Book a few weeks back, which had somehow allowed her to get a Class upgrade offered to her when she levelled, getting [Retsu Ken Sei no Miko]. A class that was basically a fiery fist saint priestess. Militant priestess? A weird [Monk]? Wouldn¡¯t that just be a Cleric? He silently wondered, then mentally shrugged. Whatever she¡¯d be classified as, he was sure that she¡¯d do very well with it. Which reminded him that he¡¯d need to make the [Cure] and [Heal] Skill Books for her soon. And maybe he¡¯d make another [Regeneration] Skill Book so that he could give one to each of them. Well, maybe he¡¯d just have to make two of anything from now on, given how he hated playing favourites¡­ or being seen as doing so even if he wasn¡¯t doing so. ¡°Good night,¡± he said quietly, getting two mostly asleep responses from them in return. He looked down at Myra and again wondered at her third tail that had come when she¡¯d advanced her class. He¡¯d asked about it, but she didn¡¯t seem to know why she¡¯d grown a third tail suddenly, nor had Asami anything to add about it. Though, he did suspect that she knew something about it, but was holding back. Seeing them both dozing off, he was assured that they¡¯d sleep well, he started paying attention to how well [Advanced Clear Mind] functioned, and once again marvelled at just how different it felt from before the upgrade. Where he¡¯d just be left in a mostly immobile state while using the Skill before its upgrade, now he could remain active. Which meant that he could now do just about anything he wanted while it was active. He just had to keep concentrating on it, which made using [Multitasking] invaluable. That said, it was also easier to fall into the Skill now. Which helped with his nightly routine of pretending to be a celibate monk. Especially with a bombshell like Asami sprawled on his chest and someone like Myra who¡¯d have been voted as the prettiest girl in university laying at his side. Again, the vixen-turned-foxkin more or less confused him. On the one hand, she had been sleeping on his chest for almost two months and teased him regularly! On the other, she didn¡¯t seem to be¡­ eager to do anything more than tease. Which, truth be told, was somewhat OK with him, as he still couldn¡¯t quite get the image of her being a fox out of his mind, especially since she¡¯d kept all nine of her red-tipped white tails when she¡¯d turned into a foxkin woman. But with Myra, well, it was hard not to notice her stealing glances at him over the past month and a half or so. Nor was it hard to notice that she¡¯d decided to sleep in the same bed as he did. But again, she was oddly¡­ stoic given how young she was¡­ 21? He used [Analyze] on her to double check.
Name: Myra Manelle, 21 Path: [Miko] Class: [Retsu Ken Sei no Miko] Level: 12
Yup, still 21. Which would put her at university age for sure. Well, depending on her studies, she could have actually graduated by now with a degree in hand¡­. Damn, time flies, he thought before turning back to his nightly routine of producing more Dust Crystals. Well, first Dust, then the quick process of condensing the Dust into Crystal form. Which, really, was basically all the same process given how quickly it went. ¡®So, are you finally going to try making a Dungeon tomorrow?¡¯ Avi asked once he¡¯d finished with the Dust production for the night. ¡®Yeah, I think that¡¯s what I need to do,¡¯ he sent back, still a bit unsure of what would happen. ¡®Then, while you¡¯re at it, experiment with [Summon: All],¡¯ she added, getting an irked look from him. ¡®One possibly life-altering, or ending, experiment at a time, please,¡¯ he sent back coolly. ¡®You¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ Avi replied, waving off his concern. ¡®I can always just blast whatever is trying to kill you into oblivion.¡¯ Right, he should probably make sure that his long-ranged mindbolt, his shoulder canon, was ready for her to use when he tried either of those Skills. ¡®The System sure is scary, though,¡¯ he sent, probably for the thirtieth time. ¡®Yup, giving someone like you such power is ridiculous in the extreme,¡¯ she said sarcastically, once more referring to how Altaea had given him her entire repertoire of psionic knowledge, along with a few other bonuses, like knowing how to ¡°brew¡± alcohol. Fun fact, that one category included all kinds of alcohol, not just the traditionally ¡°brewed¡± stuff. Which had seen him idly making a few barrels in his spare time. Well, ¡°barrels¡± as in ¡°what he¡¯d need to put the liquid into¡± once he eventually got around to messing around with all of that. ¡®Sorry, still working through stuff,¡¯ he sent back self-consciously. ¡®I¡¯ll be sure to head out tomorrow to experiment.¡¯ ¡®I just want you to be at your best,¡¯ Avi said, suddenly looking¡­ softer than he ever remembered her being. ¡®If you can control everything that you can do, you¡¯ll be at peace with yourself.¡¯ Joram silently nodded at that, intellectually knowing what she was saying. It was just hard to fully internalize that after¡­ everything he¡¯d been through on Earth. Instead of getting up for the ¡°day¡±, he started using [Cryokinesis] and [Pyrokinesis] in conjunction with [Multitasking]. He had a hypothesis going that basically had him thinking that if he could somehow combine the two Skills, he¡¯d get another one. An evolution, if you will. Something like [Thermal Kinesis], if he was lucky. Well, given the naming conventions of the System, it was very likely that he¡¯d get a Skill with that exact name if he succeeded in combining the two Skills. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Basically, [Cryokinesis] manipulated and produced ¡°cold¡±, while [Pyrokinesis] manipulated and produced ¡°fire¡±. If he could get the ability to manipulate kinetic energy, that would be¡­ scary. But also fun! One Skill to do what the other two did. Well, he wasn¡¯t too sure about that. He wondered if [Cryokinesis] would eventually let him create ice and not just work by lowing the temperature drastically, and rapidly, of an area. It was a bit odd, as some of the [Kinesis] Skills allowed for the creation of the element it was named after, but others could just control it. Did that mean that they, too, had the potential for creating the element they were named after? If so, would that come with the ¡°Improved¡± version of that Skill? Much like how he¡¯d gained additional functionality out of [Clear Mind] when it had upgraded¡­. He frowned as the interactions between the heat and cold started creating a strong breeze. Not wanting to wake the girls just yet, he then used [Aerokinesis] to form a bubble around the clashing elements, then started messing around again. But this time, he was paying attention to what was going on with [Mana Manipulation], trying to get a feel for how¡­ well, just everything. * * * Asami had woken up a while ago but, as she¡¯d done for a long time now, she still pretended to be asleep as she ¡°watched¡± Joram work. She didn¡¯t open her eyes, but she could feel what he was doing and, as usual, it was both entertaining and fascinating. In all her years, she¡¯d never come across a person like Joram. She believed him when he said that he wasn¡¯t human, for she could already smell as much about him. That said, he didn¡¯t smell like anything she¡¯d ever come across before either, which was fascinating! Not only that, but he had a scent similar to other Spirit Foxes. The scent that came with being able to use spiritual powers like they could. Even now, she could smell it on him even as she could smell him using mana to play with fire and cold above them. Then there were his thoughts! An outworlder! They weren¡¯t common by any stretch of the imagination, but they always came with interesting tidbits. Well, she¡¯d only ever met one other outworlder, and they hadn¡¯t been anything like Joram. They¡¯d had a weird sense of¡­ personal expectations of heroism that had gotten them killed pretty quickly. Which was a bit sad, because the kid had been young. But that was life. That was nature. You didn¡¯t survive if you didn¡¯t learn, nor if you were unwise in your ¡°heroism¡±. But Joram looked like a human, talked like a human, and acted like¡­ not a human. Perhaps where he came from the humans were different to the ones here. That would be nice, because most humans she¡¯d met over the years had been¡­ jerks. Asami quickly discarded those thought for fear that she¡¯d start growling, or maybe even using her claws¡­ nails in ways that Joram wouldn¡¯t appreciate. Joram was a good guy, after all, and she didn¡¯t want to sour the waters by doing something silly. She wondered if he really was a monk, though. Given how¡­ persistent she¡¯d been, not to mention Myra joining them in bed these days, it was a wonder that she hadn¡¯t been able to mate with him yet. But that was also fine, as she was nearly as content with her Joram pillow and how considerate he was with how he got up before her. But the weird things Joram did were also fun! Making that weird giant ¡°dragonfly¡± and flying it around had been great! Sure, his decision making process could use more than a little bit of work given that he¡¯d thought it would be a good idea to run a high level dungeon by himself and all. But he still did new and novel things! Like his house! It was a marvel! Hot water whenever she wanted! A system to circulate warm or cold air throughout the house as it was needed! His cooking ¡°appliances¡±! Everything! And the food! He¡¯d even ¡°made¡± more of it, making her jaw drop as she¡¯d watched him work. Being able to create seeds from scraps of food was just¡­ amazing. She wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d even ever heard of something so miraculous as that. Then his ¡°greenhouses¡± were just¡­ wow. And he would just shrug off her praises! Who did that?! He should have felt the great honour of having her praise him, but instead it seemed to make him feel uncomfortable for some reason. But she supposed that that was also kind of cute, so she let it pass. It was a very careful balance she needed to keep so that she could keep her Joram pillow, after all. But he was still ridiculous. His weird thoughts about his Path, Class, and Attributes were also very entertaining to listen to. She¡¯d been tempted on more than a few dozen occasions to just break the news to him that he was indeed a ridiculous and ¡°broken character¡±, as he would call it. That he¡¯d gotten a [Unique] Class offered to him, and had taken it, wasn¡¯t something that happened. Like, ever. And the things that his Class provided were just¡­ crazy. Not just his Attribute Points, but his Skills and Class Abilities were just¡­ insane. If anyone else found out about it, she truly feared for his safety. Especially if those tyrants in power caught wind of him before he could develop enough to not have to worry about outside forces becoming a problem for him. She almost smirked then, remembering how he thought that he was being so¡­ discreet. Even with his ¡°Barred Mind¡± Power. That was funny. You can¡¯t just block off spiritual communication like that. Silly Joram. The hardest part had been playing along with it, though. Especially when he was thinking rude thoughts about her. ¡°That Vixen¡±, ¡°Old Fox¡±, and such were all examples of things she¡¯d normally have swatted him for, but she¡¯d held back because he¡¯d finally started relaxing more around her and she didn¡¯t want to ruin that for him. The guy was high-strung enough as it was given everything that had happened to him when he¡¯d first arrived on Iria, their world. But he was so interesting! From how he thought about things, what he thought about things, and how he did the crazy things he did, it was great! He could even make purified cores! Sure, he called them ¡°Dust Crystals¡±, but there wasn¡¯t any appreciable difference. She just wondered when he¡¯d figure out the other uses a purified core could be put to. It would definitely be a fun thing to see! Yeah, it was going to be plenty of fun in the future. Much better than just hanging around Kirkwall every day. Sure, she¡¯d get free food wherever she went in Kirkwall, and the reverence that she deserved, but Joram also gave her free food and was so very comfortable to sleep on. So, win! * * * * * ¡°So, how¡¯d¡¯ya like ma¡¯ boy?¡± Magmyr asked, looking as pleased as she¡¯d ever seen him. ¡°I admit, he¡¯s doing rather well,¡± Ilyana said, then took a sip of her tea before she continued. ¡°Though, I think that he¡¯s doing much better with me and working fabric these days.¡± Magmyr nearly snorted his ale out of his nose before he quickly put his pitcher-like mug down. Actually, it might really be a pitcher, she mused as she took a better look at it. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s jus¡¯y¡¯er bad elfy eyes talk¡¯n,¡± he said, waving her comment off. ¡°Ye ca¡¯nae tell good steel from pig iron,¡± he finished, still waving his hand about. Ilyana sniffed, annoyed. Her people were actually very accomplished in the art of metalworking, thank you very much! ¡°I¡¯m just saying that he¡¯s made remarkable progress over the past month. I dare say that he¡¯ll surpass us both in not much longer,¡± she said, fixing her old friend with a significant look. ¡°Aye, tha¡¯ may be so. But isn¡¯t that nae th¡¯ way o¡¯things?¡± he asked, shaking his great head of dark-red hair as his beard tried to follow the motion. ¡°You don¡¯t suppose that he¡¯d be willing to provide me some of that cloth he¡¯s been making, would you?¡± she asked, intensely curious about the ¡°bamboo¡± cloth he¡¯d shown her that week. Magmyr snorted again, but thankfully he¡¯d not been drinking this time. ¡°Nae, lass. I figure ye ¡¯ave ¡¯bout th¡¯ same chances I¡¯ve got ¡®ta convince¡¯n the lad o¡¯let¡¯n me know how he makes that steel o¡¯ his,¡± he said, falling more heavily into his usual parlance now that it was just the two of them having a drink at his place. ¡°Mmhmmm,¡± she murmured, nodding. She could understand that very well. A crafter¡¯s lifeline was their product, so who¡¯d willingly share their trade secrets? It would literally affect their livelihood in the future. But she was still astonished. Joram had told her that he¡¯d been turned away at the weaver¡¯s shop, Thawill¡¯s Textiles, when he¡¯d first been going around asking about learning from the various crafters. But he¡¯d somehow managed to make his own spinner and loom, because he¡¯d shown up with his very own cloth to show her. Sure, it wasn¡¯t particularly well made as the woven cloth hadn¡¯t been very even, but the texture had caught her off guard. And caught her interest. That something could be so smooth, well, she was very interested in that. It was always a battle to get the merchants to bring any bolts of cloth that weren¡¯t just plain boring. Standard linens for the most part. Yes, it was ¡°fine¡± quality linen, but still linen. She yearned to make something from anything but linen these days. Silk, satin, or even hemp! Anything but linen! Hence her excitement over what Joram had brought her. She couldn¡¯t say how he¡¯d managed it, but she was exceedingly glad that he had. And given his ridiculous growth- in any field that he dabbled in- she was sure that Joram would be producing much better cloth soon enough. And then! Then her needles would sing for joy instead of collecting rust! ¡°So,¡± she said, realizing that she¡¯d been quiet for a bit too long. ¡°He¡¯s really good at the forge, then?¡± ¡°Aya, lass! Let me tell ye!¡± he said, then proceeded to expound upon just how ridiculous Joram¡¯s ¡°first¡± attempt had gone. If he was to be believed, Joram had managed to produce a blade that Magmyr wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sell to a Rank D Exterminator, what her people called Adventurers. From what he was saying, it seemed as though Joram had a natural affinity for metalworking given just how fast he was progressing. Which bothered her a bit. Was it just that Joram was one of those once-in-a-millennium geniuses that could pick up anything taught to them like they breathed? Or was it something else? He was just so¡­ unusual. Nothing like most of the other humans she¡¯d met. Even his accent was slightly¡­ off. She couldn¡¯t place her finger on it, but he just sounded¡­ so foreign. Not that she was particularly well travelled, but she¡¯d met her fair share of people from around the world, yet she couldn¡¯t remember an accent like his. Not that he had a strong accent at all, but it was there if she listened. But the weird part was that even his slight accent had been slowly vanishing over the past month or so. Such a mystery. I just may have to see about spending more time with him, she thought as she started making plans to visit Joram in his forest home. A home that he¡¯d allegedly build himself after having saved Kirkwall from a Dungeon Overflow. So mysterious, she thought as a small smile tugged her lips upwards. Chapter 057 - Loot, and finally using a Skill ¡°So, are you going to open it, or not?¡± Myra asked, staring at his large chest. ¡°Yes. We want to see the goods!¡± Asami said, also staring at his chest. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll be all that interesting,¡± he said, shaking his head at their enthusiasm. His chest wasn¡¯t that special, after all. ¡°No, a chest that broad is surely worth exploring!¡± Asami said, now practically salivating at getting her hands on his chest. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he said, then leaned over and unlatched the loot chest he¡¯d gotten from the goblin dungeon, then flipped the lid open in a very un-dramatic way. Both Myra and Asami gave him a flat look before turning to see what was in his loot chest, then gasped. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s from one dungeon?¡± Myra asked, staring at the veritable hoard of treasure before her eyes. Joram would have argued the point, but he was in no way familiar with how these things worked. He¡¯d just gone about looting bodies- once the knew that that was a thing!- up to that point. This was his first reward from a dungeon. He idly wondered if the could ¡°loot¡± the loot chest and avoid having to sort and count everything in there. ¡°Is that a Skill Book?¡± Myra asked excitedly as she pointed at a well-made leather bound book with weird writing on it. ¡°Looks like it,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you excited about that? Skill Books are incredibly rare!¡± Myra asked, seeming to have already forgotten that he¡¯d given her a [Pyrokinesis] Skill Book already. ¡°He¡¯s just boring,¡± Asami said, waving her comment away as she reached down and picked up a well-made leather pouch that bordered on being a satchel, it was so large. ¡°Gems!¡± she exclaimed excitedly after getting a peek inside. ¡°Let me see!¡± Myra said as she scooted closer to the vixen to get a better look. Joram shook his head as he leaned over to get a better look at what the chest held. Looking at the pile of coins, he decided that using [Telekinesis] would be faster than manually sorting through things with his hands. Then, the coins started to flow. Well, ¡°quickly floated¡± into four different stacks of coins of wildly varying size on the table. Once that was done, several ingots of metal were then withdrawn from the chest to start their own stacks. Followed by jewelry and a few weapons that startled him more than a little bit. For one, a staff that long shouldn¡¯t have fit into the loot chest unless some System shenanigans were at play. For another, there were¡­ things from his world in there. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Myra asked, looking at what appeared to be a Desert Eagle¡­. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ something from my¡­ home,¡± he said, then frowned as a holster was pulled out with a couple of clip pouches in it. Then came a very large box of ammunition. ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± Myra asked, looking curious. ¡°It¡­ uses a chemical reaction to propel slugs of metal at extreme veloci- speeds at its target,¡± he said, briefly flubbing his explanation because he hadn¡¯t come across the word for ¡°velocity¡± yet. ¡°Is it effective?¡± Asami asked, looking skeptical. ¡°Too effective, some would say,¡± he said with a frown. Not for any distaste for firearms, but because he was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Both women quieted as they sensed his mood while also taking in the strange things he¡¯d pulled out of the now almost empty loot chest. And because he¡¯d always wanted to- well, since he¡¯d gotten crazy psionic powers- he picked up the gun and [Delve]d it, taking in everything about its construction as well as its molecular composition all the way to the oils used to keep the gun functional. What he got was¡­ enlightening. Not in an epiphany-like way, but in terms of metallurgy and chemistry and all that, for he¡¯d also gotten the information on its ammunition. With that done, he looked into the loot chest and found that there was just one thing remaining. A bit of [Telekinesis] later, and he was holding another large box, one that had just fit inside of the loot chest. Which caught his friends¡¯ attention again. Looking as though they were a pair of cats that had gotten into the catnip, they watched with round and very focussed eyes as he placed the box on the table in front of him. On a whim, he used [Analyze].
Box of Holding: Lesser This box is enchanted to contain an extra-dimensional space that increases its internal volume. Items placed within will have their weight reduced by 50%. Volume is 2m3.
¡°Huh,¡± he huh¡¯d as he reread the description. ¡°Box of Holding,¡± he said with a small smile as he opened it to see if there was anything inside. ¡°Whoa,¡± Myra said, looking shocked. ¡°You just keep getting all the cool stuff,¡± she said, glancing at her own small pile of loot off to the side. ¡°Are they rare?¡± he asked, slightly disappointed that it wasn¡¯t filled with yet more loot. ¡°They¡¯re definitely not common, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°The Exterminator¡¯s Hall would pay handsomely for that, as they¡¯re usually pretty eager to get anything that¡¯ll make their jobs easier.¡± ¡°Mmm, they¡¯re also fun,¡± Asami said with a grin. ¡°You can hide so much food in those things for later,¡± she said, a far away look in her eyes. ¡°You just have to make sure no wandering thieves find it, though,¡± she finished with a frown. ¡°Sorry to hear that,¡± he said, not sure what else to say. ¡°Do you want this one, then?¡± he asked, not quite sure how useful it would be to him since he had an inventory and all¡­ and the ability to make things like that now. Well, not right then, but soon. He was getting very close to understanding his [Craft Wondrous Items] ¡°feat¡±, so he was sure that he¡¯d be making some pretty cool things in the near future. Asami¡¯s eyes widened before she glomped onto him, hugging him tightly as she nuzzled her face into his chest happily, her tails happily swishing to and fro. Having at least gotten a bit used to such occurrences over the past couple of months, he just patted her head with one hand and her back with the other before turning back to the pile of loot. ¡°Hmm, a staff, eh?¡± he asked, then [Analyze]d it.
Irymis¡¯ Staff While using Irymis¡¯ Staff, you have access to the [Spatial Manipulation] and [Dimensional Manipulation] Sills. Proficiency starts at 1. Any progress in either Skill is saved in Irymis¡¯ Staff. To use Irymis¡¯ Staff, you must first attune yourself to it. Note: Any saved Skill progress already in the staff is reset when a new being attunes themselves to Irymis¡¯ Staff.
Joram took a little while to appreciate the staff¡¯s construction. It seemed to be made of a very hard wood that was nearly black and streaked with very dark greys and straight as a rod. On its top was a large pyramid-decahedron- well, he couldn¡¯t actually remember what a crystal with ten sides caped by pyramids was called, so that would do- crystal of some sort, but also jet black and held in place by a net of the wood. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. It was relatively slender, only about 5-6cm in diameter, but a good 185cm tall. He supposed that maybe it was made by a shorter person with smaller hands. Who knew? He certainly didn¡¯t! But it was quite the staff, in his opinion. Something with both Skills and a ¡°memory¡± must not be terribly common, if his video game lore was anything to go by. But, ¡°attuning¡±? ¡°Hey, how do you attune to an item?¡± he asked, turning back to his two friends. Myra¡¯s jaw dropped as her hand went a bit slack on the Desert Eagle she was hefting experimentally. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°Just [Meditate] with it in your hands and trickle some mana through it for a few minutes,¡± she finished, shaking her head again. ¡°Ridiculous Luck,¡± she muttered under her breath. ¡°What was that?¡± Joram asked, looking back to her as he prepared to [Delve] the staff. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, waving him off as she leaned over to inspect a pair of daggers on the table that looked closer to being kukri than dagger. Shrugging, Joram [Delve]d the staff, noting the peculiar nature of the staff. If he was reading things right, he suspected that the staff had also been enchanted as a weapon. He was still studying up on all of the ¡°Feats¡± that Altaea had left in his head that his Other Self had mastered under her tutelage; one of which was [Craft: Arms and Armour]. Specifically, the method of enchanting them with various effects. The wood and crystal were also fascinating. He very much suspected that he¡¯d need to use a Power like [Detect Psionics], or if that wouldn¡¯t be enough, [Hypercognition] to figure out more about its enchantments, and possibly how to anchor a Skill into an item. Because damn! That would be useful as all hell! Getting back to the wood that the staff was made of, another thought occurred to him. Could he use what he¡¯d learned from [Delve] to modify a seed with [Grow] to make it into the kind of tree that the staff had been made from? Or, could he use both Powers together while manifesting something like [True Creation] to just plain create the seed, or seeds? Or could he just use something like [Hypercognition] while manifesting [True Creation] to do the same thing? He already had the staff¡¯s molecular structure memorized, so¡­. ¡°Hey,¡± Asami said, poking him in the side. ¡°Ow. Anyways. You said that you wanted to experiment today with your ridiculous Skills,¡± she said, reminding him of his itinerary. ¡°Ah, yes, sorry and thank you,¡± he said, referring to both her ¡°ow¡± comment and the reminder. - - - ¡°Are you sure that this is a good idea?¡± Myra asked, not looking very comfortable being in the lowest level of the old Goblin Home Dungeon. Joram really couldn¡¯t blame her. He was still hesitant to try creating a new dungeon, not knowing what might come out of it. ¡°I need to try, though,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s better to know what your Skills can do than not to.¡± ¡°True, but¡­. I don¡¯t really want to be at the bottom of a dungeon when it comes to life, you know?¡± Myra said, looking around at the bioluminescent flora and spectacular crystals that surrounded them as though they were hiding monsters that were just itching to devour them. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe,¡± he said, giving her a light pat on the shoulder. ¡°Asami is also here, along with a few of my constructs,¡± he said, motioning to each in turn. He¡¯d gone with two dragon models and four tentacle models, which hadn¡¯t been a popular decision based on the looks he¡¯d gotten from the two women, but it didn¡¯t matter so long as they¡¯d be protected. Myra nodded, though she didn¡¯t look particularly reassured. Still, he couldn¡¯t blame her considering that ogre mages had previously been on this level. Putting those thoughts away before they could pull him along for a wild ride, Joram concentrated on [Create Dungeon] for a moment before just going with it.
[Create Dungeon] Protocol Initiated. Processing¡­ New User found¡­ Gathering resources¡­ Setting permissions¡­ Setting parameters¡­ New menu added to User¡¯s Status. Please use your Status Menu to navigate to the new [Create Dungeon] tab.
Joram blinked at that, wondering just what he¡¯d unlocked, and what he could do with it¡­. Well, that last part was easy enough, so he opened his Status and found the new tab. He clicked on it and smiled. There was a list of dungeon options, each with a dropdown menu attached to them. Anything from [Area] to [Denizens] to [Difficulty] to [Floors] was listed. The [Permissions] option intrigued him, so he clicked on that first. He was happy to see that there were options to toggle friendly fire on or off, as well as designating entities as ¡°friendly¡± to the dungeon. Though, after a bit more poking around, he found that once everything was decided upon, the dungeon would be ¡°set¡±. Well, mostly everything. Permissions would be set, but he could always add more space, levels, or denizens if he used his Skill again. That said, he wondered what [Control Dungeon] was all about, considering [Create Dungeon] was both flexible and versatile in its use. Then he just looked it up.
Dungeon Master - You have somehow assimilated a dungeon core. This has caused a number of changes within you that will allow you to interact with and manipulate dungeons and their cores. - Benefit: - You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: [Control Dungeon] and [Create Dungeon]. - Reduced threat range from dungeon monsters in dungeons that you do not control. - You now have the ability to use [Control Dungeon] on a dungeon that you didn¡¯t create with [Create Dungeon] to gain ownership of it. - A new section has been added to you Status, titled: Dungeons. You may adjust any settings or features of any dungeon that you control from there.
Ah, well, that¡¯s kinda broken. But how hard will it be to take ownership of another dungeon¡­? He mused as he checked out the [Area] menu. Hmm, so 1MP per 1m2. Not terrible, but also somewhat costly. Just a 10x10 metre room would cost a hundred mana, though, so that¡¯s all sorts of ridiculous¡­. Wait. He checked [Create Dungeon], then just about laughed out loud when he saw that it was designated as a [Creation]-type Skill. Well, now. That¡¯s both broken and going to make things so much easier for me, he thought as he remembered what his Class and Achievement did for him, specifically his [Creationist] Achievement:
Creationist (Unique) - You¡¯ve gained the Titles: Dungeon Master and Master of Ectoplasm, something hitherto fore unheard of, and have gained the ability to create more than just simple ectoplasmic creations. - Benefit: - You are now able to imbue any creation of ectoplasm with greater detail. You can make any ectoplasmic creation appear as you want them to, fully hiding its nature if you so wish. I.e.: An [Astral Construct] made in the form of a dragon will appear in every way to be a dragon if you¡¯re [Sculpting] Skill is high enough level. - Any [Metacreativity] or [Creation] ability, power, or spell, that you use gain the following benefits: - All associated costs are reduced by 75%. - Casting/Manifesting time reduced by 50%. - Duration is increased by 10x. - Volumes are increased by 10x. - Ranges are increased by 10x. - Anything created can have its hardness increased by up to 5.
Then there was his [Ease of Creation], which was just crazy when it was paired with the [Creationist] Achievement.
Ease of Creation - Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that has a ¡°cost¡± (beyond the mana or power required to activate it), has that cost reduced by 30%. This reduction occurs before any other considerations when using an ability, power, or spell. o The reduction increases by 10% every 2 levels thereafter, to a maximum of 100% at Creationist level 15.
Which meant that dungeon creation would be¡­ easy enough to play around with. Too easy, if he was being honest with himself. It was almost as though he had [Administrative Access] or something ridiculous given just how geared he seemed to be to [Create] just about¡­ anything, really. That 10x10 metre room would only cost him 25MP now. Which, really, was just crazy to think about. Especially since his Attributes were on the ridiculous side of things, which also meant that the regeneration values for his resource pools were equally ridiculous. Shaking his head, he checked the [Levels] dropdown menu and found that adding a new level would cost 500MP before even creating a room, which translated to 125MP after his reduction. Then he noticed a note that stated that if he wanted to designate an existing open space as a Level, he would need to pay the value for the full space if it was an enclosed space. So, considering the cavern they were in, he tapped on the [Calculate] button to see how much mana it would cost to add the room that they were in and just about choked. Given that the height was listed at 17m, the width as 32m, and the length as 67m, it would cost him 2,144MP + 500MP for the Level cost. So, with his reduction, it would be 661MP just for this floor. Which, considering what his mana pool had been before this, it would have been impossible for him to do. Now? Easy-peasy. He smiled, then paid the cost, reducing his pool to 1,449/2,110. His regen was now 78/minute, so that would be regained pretty quickly, especially given how he was still going over things. Once he¡¯d done that, the menu automatically shifted to the [Denizens] dropdown menu. He then clicked on it and goggled at the vast array of options. [Flora] and [Fauna] were the two main categories, with their own subcategories. He was particularly amused to see that [Fungus] was listed under [Fauna]. There were already entries for the moss and mushrooms, so he skipped over those and perused the various animals that he could install there. He soon found that the variety would very much stall him out in his efforts to do anything in any sort of timely manner, so he just skipped that part and went on to [Finish], then to [Confirm]. He could always mess around with the dungeon afterwards when he was at home and relaxed. He also didn¡¯t want to keep Myra on edge longer than necessary, especially given how poofy her tails had already become.
Please confirm the name of your Dungeon¡­
Joram paused, mostly because he was quite terrible at naming things. After a moment, he just shrugged and went with his second thought.
[Ancient Garden] has been registered as the name for this Dungeon. Dungeon [Ancient Garden] will now be created along with the Dungeon Core. Please enjoy the Dungeon responsibly.
Chapter 058 - More practicing ***4 DADC (Days After Dungeon Creation)*** ¡°So¡­ much¡­ reading¡­¡± Joram muttered as he prepared breakfast. Myra looked at him, concerned. ¡°Is he OK¡­?¡± she asked Asami, who was more-or-less eagerly awaiting breakfast at the dining room table with her. ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± she mumbled, glancing over at Joram as he continued cooking in a daze. ¡°It seems that the Great Protector provided him with much information regarding the creation of Dungeons,¡± she said as her tails slowly waived to and fro. Myra just about choked on her water when she heard that. The Great Protector wasn¡¯t something that gave out information easily. In fact, there were entire Paths dedicated to exploring and discovering aspects of the Great Protector, like [Sage], [Scholar], and [Diviner]. They were highly sought after and cultivated. She¡¯d heard that in the largest cities, they had ¡°universities¡± dedicated to higher learning. From politics to architecture to advanced mathematics to linguistics, they sought to teach it all in the hopes of producing one of those incredibly rare Paths. That Joram had been ¡°provided¡± information by the Great Protector, Myra wondered if his [Creationist] Path was something similar to a [Sage] or something. Given the requirements that Joram had shared with them, which they¡¯d then made him promise to never share with anyone else- ever!-, she had in inkling that [Creationist] was¡­ crazy. Sure, he hadn¡¯t shared all of what the Path could do, but given just how fast he was progressing with¡­ everything, she was sure that it was at least a [Legendary] Path. Which was, once again, crazy. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s crazy,¡± Asami said, nodding. Myra blinked, then smiled at Asami Miki. ¡°Anyways,¡± she started, keeping her voice low. ¡°Has he made any progress with the [Ancient Garden]?¡± ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± Asami mumbled/hummed again. ¡°He¡¯s already added a few more plants to the bottom level; all of which are medicinal plants. He then added some weird worms that he claims will be useful later,¡± she said, shuddering a bit. ¡°He¡¯s also reclaimed the other levels of the old Dungeon and done weird things with them. ¡°But what¡¯s kind of neat, is that he¡¯s been expanding above ground. He¡¯s added more plants to the ruins, but also some sort of wild boar that he thinks will make good game for hunting. And some weird deer/rabbits. They¡¯re kind of scary,¡± she finished with another shudder. ¡°¡¯Deer/rabbits¡¯?¡± she asked, not quite sure if she wanted to know. She wasn¡¯t a [Hunter], so the likelihood of her having to deal with them was relatively low. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re about knee-height with antlers like an elk or something,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°With how fast rabbits are, I¡¯m not sure that giving them horns was a good idea.¡± Myra nodded at that, thinking that the [Hunter]s would probably be taking them down with bows or spears¡­ which was what they used to hunt with, anyways¡­ Then she remembered that Asami had been a fox not two months ago, and it clicked. Those new horned rabbits would pose a significant challenge to any fox that tried to take them down without using a Skill or magic or something. ¡°Are the boars at least normal?¡± she asked, hoping that they wouldn¡¯t prove to be a cross with another dangerous animal. ¡°Mmm, yes. Though, they¡¯re a bit shorter than what we¡¯re used to seeing around here. And rounder. Much rounder,¡± Asami said, now distracted by the smell of the omelettes that Joram was cooking for them. Relieved, Myra took a moment to appreciate the scents of breakfast. She was very glad that Joram had made his herb garden, as she had been worried that he would run out of his delicious herbs and spices. She didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d insisted on building an entire building to house it, though. They were just plants. But to each their own, she supposed. If it meant that she¡¯d have access to the deliciously prepared food from here on out, she¡¯d help Joram build as many ¡°greenhouses¡± as he needed¡­. Though, she hadn¡¯t actually helped build the first one. But, at least she¡¯d¡­ cheered him on? Something. She was still amazed at how fast Joram could build structures now that he had a Path. The main house had been built faster than she¡¯d thought possible before he¡¯d gotten it. Afterwards, he¡¯d gone on to build the greenhouse and upgraded the walls around his bit of land. Well, huge section of land. Only the [Farmer]s and [Rancher]s normally dealt with sections of land that were 20 acres in size. And he¡¯d bought twenty of them. Ridiculous. Well, at least he was having fun. And teaching them. And¡­ spending time with them, which made her extra happy given how badly she¡¯d behaved on their first meeting. Which still embarrassed her terribly every time she remembered that day. But also caused her a bit of wonder at just how much of an impact it had had on her. She still overheard her parents marvelling at the ¡°changes¡± they saw in her whenever she went home for a visit. Even Kal gave her a hard time which, really, was expected of her twin. ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said, remembering what she¡¯d spoken of with her family the day before. ¡°There should be a caravan arriving in the next week or so,¡± she said, returning her voice to normal conversation-level. Joram turned around, omelettes plated and in hand as Asami just nodded, eyes fixed on their breakfast. ¡°Oh? Is there anything interesting that usually arrives with a caravan?¡± Joram asked, placing a plate in front of each of them, then took a seat at the head of the table. Myra looked across to Asami, whose tails were waiving happily as she dug into her meal, then shrugged. ¡°They usually bring a wide assortment of things,¡± she started, trying to remember what usually came. ¡°Things like metal for the [Blacksmith]s, cloth and fabric for the [Tailor]s and [Seamstresses], books, and¡­ slaves¡­¡± she finished with a frown as she remembered that last detail. ¡°Slaves? Like, people that other people own?¡± Joram asked, looking a bit displeased. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, then took a bite of her omelette, chewed, then swallowed before going on. ¡°The humans are¡­ barbaric. I know that slavery is common throughout the world, but the ones in this kingdom tend to focus on non-humans.¡± ¡°Are there¡­ a lot of non-humans in this country?¡± Joram asked, now looking curious. ¡°I guess so? I mean, I¡¯ve never left Kirkwall, but from what mother has shared, it should be roughly seven parts human, three parts other races,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve met Magmyr and Ilyana already, so does that mean dwarves and elves live here too?¡± ¡°Mmm, not too many, actually. The elves tend to stick to their own country, but do have settlements all over the place. The dwarves, though, tend to stick to their mountains, preferring to mess around in their mines and such. ¡°But, I¡¯d say that animal-kin take up the largest population outside of the humans. We¡¯re a relatively small village here, though I hear that other foxkin villages can be found in the region. Other than that, there are bearkin, catkin, cowkin, deerkin, dogkin, mousekin, rabbitkin, sheepkin, and wolfkin everywhere. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Well, there are also the various scaled-kin, but they tend to prefer the warmer regions. Aside from them, there¡¯re the demons, but they tend to stay on their continent due to humans not getting along with them terribly well. ¡°Well, that¡¯s an understatement,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Mother says that every decade or two, the human countries organize crusades to ¡®cleanse¡¯ the world of the demon ¡®infection¡¯, or some such ridiculousness. I don¡¯t know why they hate them so much, though. Maybe it¡¯s their natural connection to Mana like mother says?¡± Joram looked at her for a bit, frowning as he thought about things. She couldn¡¯t blame him, as she¡¯d been more than a little shocked to hear about all that when she was younger. The human kingdoms, countries, and empires would even go so far as to [Summon] ¡°Heroes¡± to fight for them. Ridiculous. ¡°Is the demon continent very far from where?¡± he asked with an odd expression on his face that she couldn¡¯t quite read. ¡°Yes¡­? The coast is actually on the other side of the forest from here,¡± she said, pointing west by northwest. ¡°But Asten, out kingdom, keeps a strong presence along the coast, so you don¡¯t have to worry about an invasion or anything like that,¡± she hurriedly said, trying to reassure him. ¡°Are the ¡®demons¡¯ so different from humans here?¡± he asked, looking more curious than anything now. ¡°Well, they can be, yes,¡± she said, remembering her lessons and the various pictures she¡¯d been shown. ¡°Their skin can vary wildly, from the same shades as we have to reds to blues to greys to even black. Not too many brown demons though, which is weird. ¡°Oh, and they can have horns that come in almost any shape and size. And tails. And wings. Oh, and they can have claws and scales, but their scales don¡¯t usually cover them like a scaled-kin¡¯s do. Just along their arms and legs usually.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Joram huh¡¯d, rubbing his bearded chin. ¡°Are they, I don¡¯t know, generally ¡®evil¡¯?¡± he asked, looking more than a little bit interested. ¡°If you believe the humans, yes,¡± she said with a sniff. ¡°Mother says that she¡¯s worked with some in the past, and they seemed to be just fine.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± he huh¡¯d yet again. ¡°I kind of want to meet some now,¡± he said, now looking more interested than before. Well, she said that, but it was still incredibly hard to read his expressions given how¡­ stoic he looked all the time. And his small ears. And lack of a tail. She was going by how his eyebrows moved slightly together and his tone. Even his eyes seemed to slightly narrow. If she hadn¡¯t spent so much time together with him, she would have probably mistakenly interpreted his expression for annoyance, or anger. ¡°Well, some can be found here and there, according to mother,¡± she said, hoping that she¡¯d read him properly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go and have a chat with her later, then,¡± he said, nodding to himself and relieving her anxiety somewhat. Asami also nodded at her, redoubling her relief. It had become a thing, Asami nodding or shaking her head at her after she¡¯d made a guess about Joram¡¯s expressions. Some had been terribly wrong, while others had been fortuitously accurate. Sure, when he was actually annoyed or angry about something, it was easy enough to tell. Like when she¡¯d been so¡­ willful when they¡¯d first met¡­. She nearly shrank in embarrassment remembering how terribly she¡¯d behaved then, but managed to keep her expression neutral. Though, Asami did smirk at her a bit, which caused her cheeks to heat slightly in response to that. Spirit foxes are a blessing. Spirit foxes are a blessing¡­ she repeated to herself over and over again, keeping the mantra in her head until the urge to throw something at Asami subsided. Which was hard given the mirth she saw dancing in the woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, I¡¯m off to practice some more,¡± Joram said suddenly, snapping her back to the moment. ¡°I feel that I¡¯m close to figuring out a few things,¡± he finished with a grin, nearly causing her to lose herself again. ¡°Oh, OK,¡± she replied eloquently as he got up and left. ¡°Let¡¯s go practice some more,¡± Asami said as she got up while collecting her dishes to deposit into the sink. Myra followed after gathering her own dishes, now deep in thought. * * * ¡®You¡¯re thinking about sexy demons, aren¡¯t you,¡¯ Avi suddenly piped in, making him lose control over his little air, cold, and water bubble. ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t deny that¡­¡¯ he replied, bringing everything back together again. ¡®But I¡¯m also wondering about the whole nurture over nature debate. Are ¡°demons¡± inherently evil, or is it their environment that causes it? Are these even the same demons that Altaea knew? Or are they more like what¡¯s portrayed in a lot of pop-culture back home? Specifically, in manga, manhwa, and all that,¡¯ he finished as he kept tying to feel the differences in the¡­ flavour of mana when he created ice. ¡®Those are good questions, all of which I cannot answer,¡¯ Avi said as she watched him practice. ¡®Though, given how similar things are here to pop-culture compared to what was in Altaea¡¯s homeworld, the possibility that they¡¯re closer to Eastern media is more likely than them coming from the Abyss.¡¯ ¡®Well, that would be good,¡¯ he said as he worked. ¡®I¡¯d much rather that be the case, especially with our being so close to the coast and all.¡¯ ¡®Well, we don¡¯t actually know how far the forest extends from here. It could still be hundreds of kilometres away from here.¡¯ ¡®True. But, on a planetary scale, that¡¯s still pretty close. Maybe I should start working on the [Nomad] type stuff soon,¡¯ he mused, thinking about Powers like [Teleport] and [Greater Teleport] along with [Planeshift]. Well, he wasn¡¯t so sure [Planeshift] would be entirely useful, or safe to practice given that he didn¡¯t know of any other planes of existence in this universe. But the [Teleport] type Powers would certainly be more than useful. Well, the Astral Plane was likely a thing, given that he could pull ectoplasm from somewhere to make his astral constructs, let alone anything with [Ectoplasmic Creation]¡­. Thinking about the [Nomad] stuff again, he thought that anything that could allow him to travel farther than [Dimension Hop] could allow would be especially useful. Yes, it was a useful Power, but still quite short-ranged. ¡®That would be recommended. Especially if you could create teleport beacons; specifically, the portable kind,¡¯ Avi said, looking thoughtful. ¡®Given how important your new friends are to you, having a way to either get to them or to get them to you in an emergency would be invaluable.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, still using [Multitasking] for all it was worth as he split his focus between a few things at the same time. Then he grinned as he felt the difference in mana when the ice was created.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Skills: - Aerokinesis 20 -> 21 - Skill upgrade: Aerokinesis -> Aerokinesis, Improved - Cryokinesis 20 -> 21 - Skill upgrade: Cryokinesis -> Cryokinesis, Improved - Hydrokinesis 20 -> 21 - Skill upgrade: Hydrokinesis -> Hydrokinesis, Improved
Seeing that notification, he smiled even more. Then a thought occurred to him, so he glanced as his Skill Tab and noticed that he¡¯d somehow missed that many of his Skills were now ¡°Improved¡±. Taking a closer look, any Common or Uncommon Skill seemed to go get ¡°Improved¡± once it passed level 10, or rather, got above 10 skill ranks. Seeing as how his Kinesis Skills were mostly Rare, and that they¡¯d improved at rank 21, he supposed that Rare Skills advanced after they reached rank 20. In this case, when they reached rank 21. Looking at his Epic Skills, they seemed to advance after rank 30, which would mean that Legendary Skills would likely advance after rank 40. Which would be a serious pain. Like, how long would that take? What benefits were there to getting a Skill to ¡°Improved¡±? Then he looked at his Status and noticed that the damage variables for his Kinesis Skills had changed somewhat. Doing a bit of math while taking into account his many modifiers, he guessed that ¡°Improved¡± improved damage by about 1.5 times or so. The ranges seemed to increase by about the same, so maybe it was an overall improvement of 1.5 times or so¡­? He shrugged, then noticed [Toughness] on his status and blinked. It was listed under the ¡°DR¡± section, which led him to believe that it increased his damage reduction. Which was awesome. On a whim, he pulled up the Skill just to make sure.
Toughness You¡¯ve taken damage so often and so severely that you¡¯ve managed to become resistant to such inconsequentialities. Benefit: - Your Skill Total in Toughness reduces the amount of damage from physical sources that you take. - Elemental Damage is not included in this reduction.
¡°Huh,¡± he grunted, pleasantly surprised at what he read. ¡®More damage reduction means better survival,¡¯ he sent to Avi after getting a questioning look from her. ¡®Very true,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®Now, will you start practicing the psychoportation powers?¡¯ Joram nodded as he dismissed the screens/panels. ¡®I¡¯ll just refresh my [Astral Seed] first, though,¡¯ he sent, thinking about how terribly things could go when practicing teleportation-type powers. * * * ¡°Joram?¡± ¡°Yes, Asami?¡± ¡°As much as I appreciate your form¡­ why have you chosen to show it to me at this time?¡± she asked, taking in Joram¡¯s impressive physique while a grin spread her lips wide. ¡°Oh shi-¡±, Joram said, then promptly vanished from sight, much to her disappointment. ¡°What was that?!¡± Myra demanded, face redder than Asami¡¯s red-tipped ears. ¡°I believe that he¡¯s now practicing [Teleport],¡± she replied with a sigh. ¡°A shame that he didn¡¯t stay longer, though.¡± ¡°What?! No! That¡¯s not decent! We need to be mar-,¡± Myra spluttered, but caught herself before she said what was truly on her mind. ¡°There, there,¡± she said, suppressing her smile and patting Myra on the shoulder in the hopes that the young woman would soon calm down. ¡°I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ll get there eventually,¡± she finished, causing Myra¡¯s face to once again ignite. Instead of responding, Myra wisely chose to get back to practicing. Very enthusiastically, she might add. Asami joined her, for as cool as she played it, she too was a bit more than a little bit flustered by the sudden- though welcome- show. Now, how to take advantage of this turn of events¡­? She mused, going through the ¡°kata¡±, or forms, by rote at this point. With Joram planning to visit the coast, surely there will be other opportunities¡­. Chapter 059 - Matun alMaim *1 Week Later* It was a pretty good day, all told. The long-awaited trading caravan had just arrived, and he and his friends were some of the first to start looking through their wares. Kal was impressed with the selection this time. Well, that and the number of wagons, carts, and carriages that had arrived. There were at least five times more caravanners than the last time. He wondered if it had anything to do with the near catastrophic goblin attack. Had the Exterminator¡¯s Guild used their contacts to get more merchants in on this run? It really didn¡¯t matter, though. What was, was. And with how much Kirkwall actually needed what was on display, he really didn¡¯t care about the why and the how. He was just a bit annoyed with the prices displayed. If the Exterminator¡¯s Guild had pulled some strings, then that was all well and good. But that these ¡°merchants¡± were charging more than last time, well¡­ that kind of pissed him off. ¡°Are you seeing these prices?!¡± Jin asked, appalled at what he was pointing at. ¡°This is just ridiculous,¡± Carson added, pointing at a cast iron pan listed at two silver coins when it had been just one silver coin the last time. ¡°Aye lad, this is jus¡¯ plain extortion,¡± Magmyr suddenly piped in from just behind the group, causing them all to jump and the merchant to frown as he stepped forward and picked up the pan in question, tapping it. ¡°It¡¯s not even good metal,¡± he said, shaking his head before half dropping it back where he¡¯d gotten it. Before the merchant could start complaining, Magmyr wandered off again, muttering to himself as he went. Kal sighed, gathered up his buddies, and started browsing elsewhere as his friends changed the subject. ¡°You don¡¯t suppose that human got a weird path, do you?¡± Carson asked, obviously referring to Joram. ¡°What? Like [Exhibitionist], or something?¡± Jin snorted out, suppressing his laughter. ¡°Like, who shows up in town out of nowhere, buck naked like that?¡± ¡°I know that he¡¯s a hero of Kirkwall and all, but still. Shouldn¡¯t he have been arrested or something?¡± Carson asked, shaking his head as his ears drooped a bit. ¡°Both Asami Miki and Joram apologized for the incident,¡± Kal said, shaking his head. ¡°He was practicing [Teleport] and had an accident.¡± ¡°In town square?¡± Jin asked blandly, though he had a slight grin on his face. ¡°They were trying to get lunch,¡± Kal said for what felt like the twentieth time as they arrived at a book seller. ¡°I, for one, won¡¯t argue about the results,¡± Jin said, obviously remembering how Asami had also arrived sans-clothing. ¡°Rude,¡± a melodious voice said from behind them, chilling their blood. They all turned to see Asami Miki standing there with Myra at her side, Joram standing behind them looking as stone-faced as usual. Asami Miki looked like she¡¯d toast their tails, so they quickly apologized for their rudeness and made excuses to be anywhere else but there, and ran. * * * ¡°It seems as though you were quite memorable,¡± Myra said, glaring at her and Joram. Asami shrugged, not bothered by the comment. Accidents happened. Joram, though, chose the better part of valour and kept his mouth shut. It was fun, though, to hear what he was thinking while his ¡°friend¡± Avi roasted him from his side. It had been very weird to see the ¡°woman¡± the first time. She¡¯d initially thought that Joram was being haunted by a vengeful spirit or something. But no, she was just¡­ there. Ostensibly to help him, but from what she¡¯d gathered since meeting him, she more thought it was to amuse herself. Why Joram put up with her sass was beyond her, though. Myra seemed to give up, which surprised her. The ridiculously mule-headed young woman that she¡¯d watched growing up was so different than the young woman who was now standing beside her. She supposed that when one first fell in love, it would certainly change a person. ¡°Can you believe these prices?¡± Myra asked, appalled at what she was seeing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Asami replied blandly as she casually inspected the wares. ¡°Nor would I,¡± Joram said, shrugging as he too started looking through what was on display. ¡°They¡¯re at least twice as expensive as last time,¡± Myra grumbled, fixing the merchant with a glare. Asami wondered if the fellow knew Myra from previous visits, for the man paled slightly under her fiery glare. ¡°It¡¯s just the times, miss,¡± he hastened to say. ¡°Shortages all around. Makes it hard to get enough stock,¡± he said unconvincingly, mostly due to his rather full display. ¡°Ten silver for each of these?¡± Joram asked, motioning to the rows of books on the display shelves to the merchant¡¯s left. ¡°Indeed, good sir. The ones to my right are much rarer, so their prices vary individually,¡± he said, smiling for all he was worth at Joram, probably glad to have someone other than Myra to deal with. ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± Joram hummed, still looking as stoic as he usually did when out in public as he glanced through the stock in front of him. Asami still thought that Joram was a bit weird. When at home, his expression softened enough that she could easily read his moods without having to rely on Spirit Communication. But while out and about he practically looked like a statue. Or a golem, as statues didn¡¯t walk about. But still, it was abhorrently difficult to read the man without Spirit Communication while in Kirkwall. Which led to the merchant, Sylus Arcents if she was reading him right, to begin fidgeting. Asami wanted to eat some ¡°popcorn¡± as she watched Sylus Arcents slowly grow more and more uneasy as Joram stood there, imposing as all heck as he read through the titles of the books on display. She also noticed that Myra was looking through things as well, still seemingly interested in finding a few books even though they were ¡°too expensive¡±. But Asami could tell that she, too, was enjoying the spectacle. By the time Joram stepped to the other side of Sylus to inspect the ¡°rare¡± books, Sylus was visibly sweating. It was also quite funny to listen to Avi. ¡®You know that merchant is about to have a meltdown, right?¡¯ Avi asked, a grin spreading her lips wide on her face. ¡®He¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ Joram replied, ignoring Sylus as he perused the books. ¡®Are you sure you want to stick around if he managed to wet himself?¡¯ ¡®[Cleanse] works wonders.¡¯ Asami just about giggled, but managed to stifle her amusement in time. Not because she thought it would be rude. No. It was because it would have broken the mood, and thus prematurely ended the spectacle. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Oh? Sylus has [Identify], eh? Is that why he¡¯s so nervous? Asami wondered as the sweat suddenly began pouring off Sylus as she noticed Joram¡¯s head slightly turn towards Sylus for a moment. Interesting, she thought. People don¡¯t normally notice when they¡¯re being [Identify]¡¯d. How did he notice¡­? Then it came to her as Joram responded by using [Analyze] on Sylus, a Skill that she hadn¡¯t heard of before and was shocked at what it told Joram. Holy mother of Foxkin, she practically goggled at the ridiculous Skill. How in the Light did he get that?! Almost stunned, Asami watched as Joram then began using the Skill on every book on display as his brow began to furrow slightly. Which, in turn, caused Sylus to look as though he would faint any second as fear began to practically flow off the man in waves. Asami idly wondered if Joram had the [Intimidate] Skill. Given how many times she¡¯d noticed people suddenly become overly cooperative with him after he frowned slightly, she was sure that he did. That wasn¡¯t to say that everyone just rolled over for him, but it was a trend that she had definitely noticed. Or¡­ it could just be that everyone wanted to make sure that Kirkwall¡¯s hero was happy. Shrug. ¡°Hmm. So, do the trade caravans normally camp out here?¡± Joram suddenly asked, turning to Myra. ¡°Mmm? Oh, not usually, no,¡± she said, looking up from the book she was inspecting. ¡°But because the caravan is so large this time, the chief decided that it would be for the best to have them gather out here,¡± she finished, glancing around at the fair-like atmosphere of the campgrounds. Joram nodded, though Asami knew that he hadn¡¯t been all that curious. Asami grinned as she caught the next part of what Joram was thinking. ¡°Not very defensible out here, is it?¡± he asked casually as he looked around. ¡°No, not very much,¡± Asami said, bringing one hand up to her chin in as though thinking about it. ¡°It¡¯d suck if another dungeon just popped up out of nowhere like that goblin one did a little while ago,¡± he said, going back to inspecting the books on display. ¡°Oh, ah, the one where Kirkwall was seriously damaged?¡± Sylus asked, still looking incredibly nervous. ¡°Yeah, that sucked,¡± Joram said, nodding. ¡°It was a blessing that not more people died,¡± he said while looking sad. ¡°You did-,¡± Myra began, but Asami quickly covered her mouth while giving her a Look. ¡°I didn¡¯t do enough,¡± Joram said, shaking his head again. ¡°Hundreds of gobs and hobs¡­. Well, at least Kirkwall is more defensible now with the dry moat. It¡¯ll be much harder for any monsters in the future to cause so many problems.¡± ¡°Do Dungeons appear with great frequency here?¡± Sylus asked as he too looked around as though he was fearful that a goblin would jump out at him at any time. ¡°I¡¯ve only been her a couple of months¡­¡± Joram said, bringing up a hand to stroke his beard contemplatively. ¡°But since then, two dungeons have shown up. One of which almost immediately went into Overflow,¡± he finished gravely. Asami slowly drew Myra a bit off to the side, shushing the young woman as she did. Asami couldn¡¯t- nay, wouldn¡¯t!- let Myra ruin the show. ¡°Is the other dungeon well curated?¡± Sylus asked, looking even more worried than before, if that was possible. ¡°Mmm, I think so,¡± Joram said, almost making Asami laugh. ¡°Anyways. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯ve got a few guards about. Just make sure they¡¯re patrolling well,¡± he finished, then waved at Sylus. ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Sylus exclaimed, looking quite pale. ¡°Young master, were there any books that you might be interested in before you go?¡± Asami was proud of the guy. It really took some good dedication to one¡¯s profession to remember to work it while so stressed out. ¡°Ah, they¡¯re a bit expensive, so I¡¯ll have to think about it a bit more,¡± Joram said, shaking his head fractionally. ¡°W-well, do come again. I¡¯d love to speak with such a refined young master once more,¡± Sylus said, practically glueing on a smile for them. Joram nodded, then led them away as Myra pouted at not being able to get a new book. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Myra asked, still frowning at Joram¡¯s back. ¡°Ah, well, just planting some seeds is all,¡± Joram said, chuckling a bit. Asami¡¯s tails swayed back and forth as she walked beside Joram, humming a bit to herself as she went. Myra soon took up her spot on Joram¡¯s other side as they continued to peruse the various wares on display as the skulk followed them closely. It wasn¡¯t the usual display this time, though. No, instead of having one cart or wagon for each product, there were several of each to be seen. ¡°Yeah, I think that mother got Mr Lothera, the Exterminator¡¯s Guild master, to put out a call for more supplies this time ¡®round,¡± Myra explained when Joram expressed his surprise at how large the caravan was. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing to have more products arrive,¡± Joram mused. ¡°But with how they¡¯re price gouging, I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll get too much business.¡± ¡°You would think that, but I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll still make a fair amount,¡± Myra said, sounding annoyed. ¡°There¡¯s just too much that we don¡¯t produce here, so getting stuff from outside is very important.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Magmyr and the other smiths make most of the metalware?¡± Joram asked, looking a bit surprised. ¡°They can, but we have to rely on getting ore and metals shipped to us. Not only that, but luxury items like books, cloth, fabrics, incense, perfumes, paints and dyes, as well as glass, are all bought from these caravans,¡± Myra said, motioning to the various wagons as they passed them. ¡°And slaves,¡± Asami said lightly, knowing full-well what would happen when she did. Joram¡¯s normally stone-like face grew a bit dark at that, causing a peddler who was about to approach them to blanch slightly before veering off to another passerby. ¡°Do people really buy slaves here?¡± Joram asked as his expression returned to the standard stone-neutral everyone was used to seeing. ¡°There are some in Kirkwall,¡± Myra said, shrugging. ¡°Mostly, people buy them just to get them away from potential¡­¡± Myra paused, looking at Joram to gauge how he¡¯d take the next part, then went on. ¡°To get them away from human¡­ buyers,¡± she finished by mumbling the last part and turning her head away slightly so that she wouldn¡¯t have to look Joram in the eye. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Joram said, then patted Myra on the head, causing her tails to stiffen straight out. ¡°I won¡¯t take offense. Then, why don¡¯t we head over to that area then?¡± he finished as he removed his hand from a red-faced Myra and started heading over to the other side of the campgrounds. Asami was in heaven. She could feel just how tumultuous Myra¡¯s emotions were. From feeling as though Joram was treating her lightly to how happy she was to have had his hand on her head all the way to confused beyond belief that Joram would suggest going to the slavers, it was all delicious! That didn¡¯t distract her from keeping an eye on the many people around them, though. It wasn¡¯t just the merchants that had come. No, there were also many attendants there to cook, clean, and do the various chores that needed being done as such a large group of people travelled. There were also many guards and mercenaries as well. Those last ones were what she was keeping an eye on. She¡¯d needed to rescue more than one young fox from getting taken by an ¡°enterprising¡± mercenary who thought that catching a multi-tailed fox and selling it would be a good idea. And with such a large skulk following them about, she was doubly sure to keep an eye on everyone. As they approached the slave section, Asami noticed that it was by far the largest of the various sections of the campgrounds. It took up probably a third of the space the caravan had been allocated outside the walls. Which, really, made sense when you realized that people took up much more space than books, pans, or bolts of cloth. Asami watched Joram through the corner of her eye as they entered the ¡°gate¡± of the slave section. Really, it was just a roped-off area with an opening large enough for a few people to walk in side-by-side. The guards, though, weren¡¯t what she¡¯d call pleasant. She could tell that they, too, were slaves. It wasn¡¯t just the magical tattoo she could see on them, just what she felt through Spirit Communication. Sure, the tattoos were pretty obvious, ranging from locations like their face to arms to hands. But the way they felt was just¡­ wrong. So, she instructed Harumi to take the skulk away from there, preferably back to Kirkwall. She didn¡¯t want to risk having an incident. ¡°Hello young master,¡± a well-dressed, though rather rotund, man greeted them near the first row of wagon-cages. ¡°How may I be of assistance today?¡± Joram blinked at the man, though his expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°I need some good¡­ house slaves,¡± Joram said, sounding stiff. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t well all?¡± the man said with a smile that sent a shiver down Asami¡¯s spine. ¡°My name is Matun al''Maim, owner of Myriad Wonders. Come, follow me and I¡¯ll show you to the various household slaves that we have,¡± he said, then waved for Joram to follow along. Asami could tell that Joram wasn¡¯t best pleased, but didn¡¯t pay too much attention as she instead focussed on the various cages that they passed by. As Myra had mentioned last week, she mostly saw various animal-kin in the cages, though she did see a fair number of humans as well. All male, though, which raised a few suspicions in her heart as they entered a ridiculously huge tent. ¡°As you can see, most of our most valuable products are in here, out of the sun,¡± Matun said with a broad smile, waving an arm to indicate the many, many women arrayed before them in a good ten cages. ¡°I have anything from gardeners to cooks to maids to bed-warmers. Please ask if you have any questions,¡± Matun finished as he stepped to the side to make way for Joram. For his part, Joram just nodded as he stepped forward, going to the first cage on the left. The cages were arrayed in a large square, leaving the centre of the tent open for people to look at the ¡°wares¡± unhindered. That said, there was only one other person there browsing. ¡®So, what¡¯s your plan?¡¯ Avi asked Joram as he regarded the girls and young women in the cage in front of him. ¡®For one, there¡¯s the solid plan of not murdering every slaver here,¡¯ he said through their odd telepathic bond, though it was his Spirit that shared the words with her. ¡®That¡¯s a good start,¡¯ Avi replied dryly as she, too, looked around. Asami almost nodded at that, knowing just how strong the guards were. Myra, though, was looking very uncomfortable at what she was seeing. So, Asami took her by the arm and linked it with her own, causing the young woman to relax a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Asami whispered to Myra, causing her to give Asami an uncertain look. Chapter 060 - What is this guy?! ¡°What do you mean, ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯? He looks like he¡¯s going to buy slaves!¡± Myra whispered as quietly as she could, not understanding the need for discretion, but she still knew that if Asami was whispering there was a good reason for it. ¡°Just watch,¡± Asami whispered back, nearly causing Myra to grind her teeth in frustration as she watched Joram inspect the slaves in the first cage. There were four of them, all varying animal-kin. She was fairly certain that there were two cow-kin and two sheep-kin given their ears, hair, and tails. The cow-kin were¡­ buxom, with long drooping ears that were white with large black spots on them. The sheep-kin were likewise buxom, but not quite so¡­ disproportionate as the cow-kin. Their ears were also white, but without any other additions, looking as though they were covered in the softest wool that she¡¯d ever seen. They also looked¡­ beaten, spiritually speaking that is. They didn¡¯t have much life in their eyes, making Myra wonder what exactly they¡¯d been through. Joram then stepped to the next cage, this one with five women of varying ages, though she was willing to bet that none were older than her, or even close. The humans in that cage varied in skin tone from the purest white to very lightly tanned- possibly due to having a skin tone slightly darker than the others-, making her think that they weren¡¯t the sort who¡¯d be working in the garden. Especially due to how downtrodden they appeared to be. Looking around, she noticed that almost every one of the females in the cages had that same despondent look in their eyes and their posture, though they seemed to be trained to sit up whenever anyone came close to their cages. Turning back to Joram, she noticed the tell-tale signs of him getting angry. Very angry. How his shoulders seemed to be slightly further back than normal to how his hands were very still at his sides, even his expressly blank expression as he looked at the slaves¡­. She very much worried that he would do something rash. Myra looked over to Asami quickly, but found that she was still as calm as could be, even grinning slightly. Which threw her for a loop, enough to stop worrying about how Joram would react and start worrying that perhaps Asami would be the one to start the bloodbath. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami whispered, then used their linked arms to pull her a bit closer so that she could poke Myra in the side. Suppressing her natural reaction to that, she turned her attention back to Joram so that she wouldn¡¯t try body-slamming Asami. *Snort* Myra once again stopped herself from grinding her teeth as she watched Joram. He took his time going from one cage to the next, seemingly appraising the ¡°goods¡±, as it were. The other person there left soon after, muttering about how the prices had gone up. Joram didn¡¯t pay him any mind, though. But he did stop at the centre of the square of cages. ¡°Are these¡­ demons?¡± he asked, turning slightly so that he could look at Matun from the corner of his eye. ¡°Good eye, young master,¡± Matun said, sounding as obsequious as Myra had ever heard anyone sound before. ¡°They¡¯re premium product, recently acquired on our way here. ¡°The one on the left is colloquially known as a ¡®dark elf¡¯. The one in the centre is called a succubus, and the one on the right is an erynese,¡± he said, pointing at what looked to be a well-tanned elf with silver hair and somewhat longer ears than Myra was used to seeing. He then pointed to a red-head with blood-red hair, very smooth horns coming out of her head just above her temples and a little back, wings that came out of her shoulder blades, and a long and narrow black tail that ended in an odd shape. Almost like an aspen leaf, but smooth along the edges. The third woman looked just as stunning as the other two, but with raven black hair that matched her raven wings. She also had horns, but much shorter than the succubus¡¯ horns, though equally smooth. ¡°I see,¡± Joram said, nodding as he stepped over to the next cage to continue his inspection. It took him another five minutes to finish at the last cage, prompting Matun to step forward again. ¡°So, do any of these lovely women meet your needs?¡± Matun asked, making it pretty clear to Myra what he meant by ¡®needs¡¯. ¡°Are the prices on¡­ their collars accurate?¡± Joram asked, seemingly ignoring the obvious innuendo. ¡°That they are,¡± Matun replied, now looking excited to make a sale. Joram nodded, then swept his left arm out to indicate every cage in the tent. ¡°I¡¯ll take them all,¡± he said simply, causing both Myra¡¯s and Matun¡¯s jaws to drop as Asami finally began to chortle in delight. ¡°Ah, young master, each of the cheapest slaves are two gold coins each, while the most expensive ones run a gold bar each,¡± Matun said, now looking as though he was dealing with an unreasonable person. ¡°Yes, so the total would come to five gold bars, one gold half-bar, and twenty-three gold coins for all forty-nine slaves,¡± Joram said, nodding, causing Myra¡¯s eyes to bug out in shock. ¡°That said, would I get a discount for paying in cash?¡± ¡°Young master,¡± Matun started, sounding beyond skeptical. ¡°If you can pay in cash, I will sell the lot of them for only five and a half gold bars. Not only that, but I¡¯ll even include the cages and wagons that they came in,¡± he finished, obviously not taking Joram at all seriously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s mighty kind of you,¡± Joram said, nodding as a grin finally broke out on his face. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take them all. Please have them all prepared and loaded within the hour,¡± Joram said, handing Matun six small crystals that the man just stared at for a moment before nearly dropping them. ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever change you can provide for that extra core,¡± Joram said causally as he looked around again. ¡°Also, we should get the ownership papers, and such, dealt with before they¡¯re all loaded up.¡± Matun now looked as though he¡¯d swallowed a cow patty. ¡°How?!¡± Matun managed to choke out as he stared at the six cores in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m good at what I do,¡± Joram replied simply. ¡°Now, hurry up. I don¡¯t have all day.¡± Matun seemed as though he wanted to argue, but then looked back at the cores in his hand and obviously thought better of it. Myra supposed that arguing with a person who could get that many Grade A cores wouldn¡¯t be a wise life choice. Matun then shook his head as though to clear it, then retrieved what looked like a wand from a pouch of holding before guiding Joram to each cage and waving it around. From what she knew of slaves, they each had a magical brand that bound the slave to their master. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The brand, or seal, would then force the slave to listen to anything the owner of that seal said. Anything. It would also prevent the slave from harming their owner, directly or indirectly. She wasn¡¯t sure about the next part, but she was pretty sure that if the owner died before the slave, the slave would die along with the owner. Shaking her head, she watched as Matun produced a small medallion for each slave that he waved his wand in front of, then handed each one to Joram as he finished, then went on to the next. He repeated this for each and every one of the forty-nine slaves as they looked on in shock. Myra didn¡¯t know how long any of them had been slaves for, but the budding sparks of life she could see in their eyes brought an inexplicable pain to her chest as Asami began patting her arm gently. She was suddenly glad that Asami was still holding onto her arm, for she felt her knees weaken a bit as the pain in her chest increased with each new spark. But, what is he thinking¡­? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. * * * ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry young master, but I don¡¯t seem to have enough spare change on me to provide the needed change for you,¡± the slaver- Matun- said, once more looking slimier than an old-time used-car salesman. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said just to get the man¡¯s hopes up before he continued. ¡°We can just go to the bank as your men load up the wagons,¡± he finished, secretly enjoying the man¡¯s disappointed look. He looked over to Myra and Asami, then nodded at them as he used [Ectoplasmic Creation] to make a small cloth pouch. He then ¡°dug¡± into his pocket and took out six Grade B cores and nine Grade C cores from his inventory that he then slipped into the pouch. ¡°Feel free to go shopping while we head to the bank,¡± he said, handing the pouch to Myra because Asami would likely spend it on meat. Myra just nodded at him as she took the pouch and left the tent, her arm still linked with Asami¡¯s as Asami shot him an annoyed look before leaving. ¡®What¡¯s with that?¡¯ he asked Avi in the hope that she would have an answer. ¡®No idea, but you sure made her day, that¡¯s for sure,¡¯ Avi said as she floated along beside him as he walked with the slaver. ¡°How about looking at some of the other slaves? I¡¯m sure you could pick up many fine deals,¡± the slaver said, obviously hoping to keep that last gold half-bar he would have to give up. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± Joram said as he continued walking, now mostly ignoring the slaver as he walked. It didn¡¯t take them long to get to the bank, though Joram had to endure more than a few strange looks shot his way from the various citizens of Kirkwall. As it turned out, the bank didn¡¯t carry that much liquid currency, so they instead provided him with ten Grade B cores as his change. With the cores in hand, Joram then had a thought related to the purified cores he had stacked up in his inventory. ¡°Say, how much for one of these?¡± he asked the teller, producing one of the Grade C purified cores. ¡°May I?¡± the fellow asked, extending his hand palm up. Joram obliged, then waited as the man inspected the core for a few moments, then gave Joram a weird look. ¡°This is a core?¡± he asked, looking dubious. ¡°Yes?¡± It was then that the slaver gasped out loud, then gave Joram another shocked look. ¡°Is something the matter, sir?¡± the teller asked, obviously picking up on the slaver¡¯s shock. ¡°How in the hells does this backwater-,¡± he cut himself off before he could finish thoroughly insulting the room. ¡°Ahem. How did you come to possess a Crystal Core, young master?¡± he finished, trying desperately to regain his composure and dignity. Pfft, too late for that you damn slaver, Joram thought as the teller¡¯s eyes grew wide. He then noticed the bank manager excitedly making his way over, so he waited a few more seconds before speaking. ¡°Dungeon,¡± he said simply, not wanting most people to know that he could make the things, let alone a damn slaver. Said slaver just gave him a blank look, then seemed to give up. ¡°OK, then,¡± he said, then regained a bit more of his composure. ¡°So, our transaction is concluded. Please stop by to pick up your wares before the end of the day,¡± he said, then gave a short bow before promptly leaving the bank. ¡°Well, that was rude,¡± the bank manager said with a soft snort, making Joram want to laugh at hearing Asami¡¯s favourite word. ¡°I¡¯m sure his pride is just a bit sore,¡± Joram said, smiling now. ¡°I got over eighty gold coins in savings because he didn¡¯t believe that I could pay in cash,¡± he finished, getting more than a few laughs from the bank staff. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure if he¡¯d asked around before making that deal, he wouldn¡¯t have made that deal,¡± the teller commented with his own grin. ¡°Kirkwall¡¯s hero definitely has money,¡± another teller, a woman this time, said with a broad smile that had a few too many teeth for his comfort. But at least her comment got a few more laughs before they got back on topic. ¡°So, this will get you¡­¡± the bank manager said as he referenced a small book in his hands. ¡°A gold half-bar and nineteen gold coins,¡± he finished speaking, then looked at Joram seriously. ¡°Again, we don¡¯t carry that much currency at this branch, but I would be happy to add the funds to your account.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± he said, then handed over his bank card/ID to the teller. A few minutes later, Joram was once again outside, happy that his bank account had gotten a bit more padding. That said, he supposed that he could just deposit more of the coins that were just sitting in his inventory. But seeing those numbers was just too¡­ nice. Shaking his head, he headed back out of town. * * * * * ¡°Just who is that young man, anyways?¡± Matun asked, extremely vexed by having been taken for a ride by a young kid. ¡°People say that he¡¯s the village hero,¡± one of his guards replied. ¡°They say that he solo¡¯d an A-Rank Dungeon in Overflow,¡± another piped in, getting a look of scorn from Matun. ¡°A kid that young? Please. I¡¯m sure that he had a party waiting for him or something. You¡¯d have to be an S-Ranked Exterminator to even stand a chance of surviving an A-Rank Dungeon solo, let alone one in Overflow.¡± ¡°Just say¡¯n what I heard, is all,¡± the guard said, shrugging. ¡°I hear that he¡¯s a sex fiend,¡± another piped in, looking a bit jealous. ¡°You saw those girls with him? They¡¯ve apparently been practically glued to him for months now. I also heard they all live together now.¡± ¡°That¡¯d explain why he only bought girls,¡± another guard piped in, shaking his head. ¡°I mean, damn! That¡¯s just crazy.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Matun growled. ¡°Whoever this young man is, I¡¯m sure that we can make more profit from him the next time we come back this way. Anyone who buys that many women usually goes through them pretty quickly. So, we¡¯ll just have to make sure to bring more women the next time we come around,¡± he said, then chuckled. ¡°Maybe we can even bring some more exotic wares that¡¯ll bring more profits,¡± he finished as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of future profits. ¡°Now. Is everything loaded up?¡± Matun asked as he looked towards the staging area. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re just waiting for the rich kid,¡± the first guard who¡¯d spoken piped up. ¡°Good. Just make sure that you haven¡¯t harnessed any of the horses, as they weren¡¯t part of the ¡®deal¡¯,¡± he said, once more annoyed at having been played by the relatively poor-looking kid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re just sitting there,¡± guard one said, grinning stupidly. ¡°Good, then back to work,¡± he said, waving them all off as he made his way to the waiting wagons to take a last look as his premium wares before they were carted off. As he arrived, he noticed that the kid, Joram, was already there inspecting the wagons and merchandise. He hoped that he¡¯d be able to get a rise out of the kid given just how stone-faced he was most of the time. ¡°Everything good to go?¡± the kid asked him as he turned towards him. ¡°That they are,¡± Matun said, giving the kid another warm smile. ¡°I look forward to doing more business with you in the future.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± the brat said, nodding at him like he was a noble or something. ¡°Will you need any assistance moving the wagons?¡± Matun asked, very much hoping that the kid would comment on the lack of horses. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± he said, waving him off as the air began to shimmer in front of the gathered wagons. The wares in the cages started to murmur softly as they too noticed the odd phenomenon. Then everyone stopped talking all at once as two¡­ things appeared in front of two wagons. Then another two, then two more, all the way until each wagon had a¡­ thing where the horses would have been hitched to the wagons. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe them. The things looked like¡­ he really didn¡¯t know what they looked like, they were so alien to him. But they did have wheels¡­ or a sort, that were much wider than those of the wagons. They also had what could have possibly been a compartment vaguely similar to that of a carriage, but was for some reason smaller, and at the front of the¡­ thing. The back end was open and flat, and also where four of the six wheels that he could see were located. Then they¡­ rolled backwards and somehow attached to the tugs, or shafts, of the wagons. In moments, a convoy of weird¡­ things and wagons were leaving the compound as the product looked nervously to one another, murmuring all the while. Matun looked over to where Joram stood watching the wagons go and felt an inexplicable shudder run down his spine. He had no way of knowing what caused it, but he suspected that such a casual display of absurd [Summon]ing was part of it. ¡°I look forward to doing business with you again, young master,¡± Matun said, trying to hide his unease through the rote of business. ¡°Mmm, yes. But I do hope that the next ones are in much better condition than these were in,¡± Joram said, sending another chill down his spine. Just what the hell is this guy?! Matun silently wondered as he smiled his best smile under that look. Chapter 061 - Sex-crazed fiend?
Congratulations! Cure: Panacea 1 -> 9
Joram silently cursed as he finished treating his new slaves. He hadn¡¯t been messing around with the slaver when he¡¯d warned him to make sure that his slaves were in better condition the next time he saw the guy. The last slave treated, a young human girl who couldn¡¯t have been older than her early teens, slumped in relief and nearly fell off the chair that he¡¯d created for them. He quickly stabilized her with one hand to her shoulder as Myra stepped forward to help her stand. Asami was at the side, tailor¡¯s tape in hand and ready to take the last set of measurements he¡¯d need so that he could make them some clothing. Well, Asami and Ilyana, anyways. Ilyana was there because of the commotion he¡¯d caused by first purchasing almost fifty slaves, but also with the modified mini-trucks he¡¯d made to haul the wagons. It wasn¡¯t just Ilyana either. No, he¡¯d managed to gather almost as many women from Kirkwall as the slaves he¡¯d purchased. All of whom were still giving him odd looks. Including Melois. She was staring at him with shock and wonder in her eyes as he¡¯d used his [Cure: Panacea] Skill consecutively for each and every one of the poor girls. He was sure that he¡¯d be getting interrogated by her and the other two [Healer] who¡¯d come along for the ¡°show¡±. Or whatever they were calling it. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure that they just want to be sure that their village hero isn¡¯t some sort of sex maniac,¡¯ Avi piped in, causing him to nearly fall off his stool as Asami snorted, causing him to wonder if she could also hear what Avi said. ¡®Great,¡¯ he replied as he stood up and looked around. He¡¯d chosen to do all this outside of his house considering how many people were milling about. His front yard, if the mostly untouched wilderness could be called that, was filled with the wagons he now owned, along with the cages and Kirkwallians and slaves. They¡¯d organized into two main groups. One for the animal-kin, another for the humans. The last ¡°group¡± were the ¡°demons¡± who were pretty much ostracized by everyone there. So, they were left to hover around him in their rags. Very distracting rags, he might add. Which, upon reflection, was probably the point, given that they were ¡°wares¡± on display for the damned slaver. ¡°All right,¡± Ilyana said, sounding very business-like. ¡°They¡¯re all measured. But how are you going to get all of the clothing made?¡± She asked him as she raised one delicate eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing,¡± he hedged as he mentally instructed a couple of the astral constructs he¡¯d created shortly after returning home to fetch some bolts of the bamboo cloth he¡¯d made. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long, but I¡¯d appreciate you helping with some basic designs,¡± he said, giving her a hopeful smile. ¡°I¡¯ll help these poor girls as much as I can,¡± Ilyana said with a mixed expression as she looked over the gathered slaves once more. ¡°What in Yggdrasil¡¯s name made you want to buy so many slaves?¡± She asked seriously, fixing him with a firm and questioning stare. ¡°He¡¯s just a softy,¡± Asami said as she stepped closer to Joram an punched him in the shoulder, causing him to reflexively flinch a bit. Ilyana raised her dainty eyebrow again, this time in amusement. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let them be sold off to some shady people,¡± he muttered, looking away from Ilyana in embarrassment. Unfortunately, that brought his line of sight to the three ¡°demons¡± who were standing to his eight o¡¯clock and he saw their own reactions to his words. The three of them had looks of disbelief on their faces. Possibly incredulity, maybe a bit of scorn. He wasn¡¯t sure, mostly because he didn¡¯t know their own cultural body language. The lesser part of that was because he really wasn¡¯t good with reading women. So, he instead tilted his head back to stare up at the canopy high above them and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ilyana pressed, now sounding intrigued. ¡°You paid who knows how much gold just to, what? Save a bunch of damsels in distress?¡± He could feel his cheeks heating up at her words but was fortunately saved by the arrival of his constructs. He managed to avoid talking too much as he pressed to get their new clothing made. Sure, he could have just used [Ectoplasmic Creation] to make them all new clothing, but he¡¯d have had to re-create said clothing every once in a while, which would get annoying over time. Better to just make permanent clothing, especially since he hadn¡¯t quite mastered [True Creation] just yet. That didn¡¯t say that Ilyana had let him off the hook. No, if anything, she seemed to enjoy ribbing him as they worked to design the clothing for the girls and women. In fact, Myra, Asami, and even Celys joined in on the ¡°fun¡±, making him wonder if he¡¯d earned the ire of the women of Kirkwall for having purchased so many female slaves. So, instead of fully concentrating on getting lightly roasted, he started instructing constructs to begin harvesting more bamboo, as he¡¯d need many more materials to work with. For one, he¡¯d need to make more clothing grade bamboo cloth. For another, he¡¯d need to make more sheets, blankets, and even mattresses for everyone, let alone the bed frames for them all. Sure, he could have just made futons for everyone, but he didn¡¯t want to pack everyone together like sardines, so he decided that bunkbeds would be appropriate for everyone. Well, mostly everyone. He was going to have to make single beds for the three ¡°demons¡± because of how they were being treated. As the day wore on, he was surprised to see that more women from Kirkwall were showing up, while others were leaving. During that time, he was pleased to see that the villagers had organized a sort of potluck meal for everyone. The animal-kin were the first to let their guards down around the villagers, more readily accepting their meals and kindness. The humans, however, were a bit more withdrawn, only reluctantly accepting their food and kindness. Which had him wondering if there was some racism going on, or if they were just more afraid of them for some reason. Whatever the reasons behind their reluctance, he hoped that they¡¯d be able to relax soon. Which was helped by having scores of foxes milling about as they inspected the new additions to Joram¡¯s residence. It seemed as though their curiosity and incredibly soft and fluffy fur was helping quite a few of the girls to come out of their shells. But. He couldn¡¯t imagine living his life as a slave. Not knowing what to expect, or even who he¡¯d be sold off to. He just hoped that he could help them recover through whatever traumas they¡¯d been subjected to. Which, unfortunately for him, probably involved males. Shaking his head, he returned to the work at hand as he let Ilyana take a break to eat; a break that he had declined in favour of getting everyone at least properly clothed. * * * Celys just couldn¡¯t believe it. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. When she¡¯d heard that Joram had purchased all of the premium slaves from al¡¯Maim, she¡¯d been rightly infuriated. It hadn¡¯t even been Myra who¡¯d told him. No, she¡¯d heard it from Melois, who had been heading off to Joram¡¯s new house to see if she could help any of those poor girls. On her way, she¡¯d spread the word to get as many of the villagers who were willing to come ¡°help¡±. Again, she wasn¡¯t sure why Joram needed so many premium slaves when he had both her daughter and Asami Miki. She very much hoped that he wasn¡¯t actually some sort of sexual deviant with insatiable lust. Shaking her head, she left Kirkwall¡¯s western gate and again wondered at just how industrious Joram was. In the past, the gate had served as a convenient entrance for any loggers to get into town, barely having a dirt path to use. Now? It was a paved road. In fact, it was even of a higher quality than the roads inside of Kirkwall itself! Shaking her head again, she hurried along the remarkably straight and level road with the other women of Kirkwall and soon arrived at the gates of Joram¡¯s¡­ estate. That was all she could think to call it, even after having a month to mull it over. His ¡°house¡±, as he called it, was bigger than their town hall! Even the walls around his estates were almost as large as those around Kirkwall! Had he been hiding what he could do this entire time? Or had his ridiculous escapades with the goblin dungeon given him enough levels to become so powerful? She¡¯d had Kal [Identify] him several times over the past month, but each time Kal had reported that he¡¯d just gotten Joram¡¯s name and age. Nothing else. Which meant that Joram now had a Skill to hide information from others. Which also got her questioning his motives. Discarding those thoughts, she led the group of women with her past the open gates. She then saw Joram, Myra, and Asami Miki going from cage to cage, opening them up so that the slaves could come out. From there, Celys called upon the women with her to start helping get the slaves out of their cages and organized. Joram, though, just nodded at her as he conjured up several tables and many chairs, shocking not a few of the women present, both free and slave. ¡°I¡¯ll start seeing to the girls,¡± Melois said, taking Gwen and Lory, two of the other [Healers] in Kirkwall, with her. Celys nodded, then continued with what she¡¯d been doing as she watched Joram from the corner of her eye. Just minutes later, she just about fell over when she saw the light of [Cure] blossom over a wolf-kin girl that Joram was seeing to. ¡°Where the hell did he learn that?¡± Celys muttered as she stepped around one of the ever-present foxes that seemed to be wherever Joram happened to be. After that, she watched as he went from slave to slave using [Cure] on each of them, stunning not only her, but also Melois, Gwen, and Lory, not to mention the other Kirkwallian women. Shaking off yet another surprise, she instructed several women to head back to Kirkwall and start preparing meals for the many slaves. She wasn¡¯t sure if Joram had planned that far, as most men wouldn¡¯t have, so organizing meals for them was a priority. She was also glad that Ilyana had come along to help with clothing the slaves. For was warm as winters were here, it was still cold enough that a person could catch a cold, or even die because of it. Looking at his ¡°house¡±, she was sure that there would at least be enough room for all of them, but clothing was a must. She tolerated slaves in Kirkwall, if the owners treated them well. She wouldn¡¯t abide mistreatment of a person, be they bond or free. Though, she did wonder why he¡¯d bought three demons along with the others. She¡¯d been watching the three of them hover close to Joram as he worked. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were trying to ingratiate themselves upon him, or if they were there because of the many mistrustful looks they¡¯d been getting the entire time. Either way, if your inclinations went that way, all three of them were undoubtedly beauties, and Joram was definitely handsome¡­ for a ¡°human¡±. She still hadn¡¯t heard what race he came from, but given that he very much looked like a human, she suspected that he was basically the equivalent of a High Elf for humans. At any rate, she wondered if he was one of those humans who preferred the more ¡°exotic¡± races than his own given how much he seemed to enjoy having her daughter and Asami Miki with him. She shook her head yet again, ridding herself of those thoughts as she worked to hand out food. But remembering how he¡¯d popped into Kirkwall as naked as a newborn, she couldn¡¯t quite rid herself of those thoughts as easily as she would have liked. And, it seemed, the other women couldn¡¯t either. ¡°Do you suppose he bought them to be that kind of slave?¡± she heard someone ask quietly nearby, causing one of the nearby dog-kin to wilt slightly as she ate. ¡°Hush you,¡± another said, obviously annoyed with the first speaker. ¡°Our hero wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! Besides, it was a [Teleport] accident, nothing more,¡± she sniffed, obviously ending the conversation on her end. Celys nodded, appreciating the second speaker, Tammy. She didn¡¯t want any sort of contention to pop up, especially when transitioning so many new slaves¡­ and younglings at that. One good thing came of that conversation, though. That same dog-kin girl seemed to perk up at Tammy¡¯s words, as well as a couple others who were with her. So, Celys went about chatting with the girls, telling them about how she¡¯d met Joram, and what he¡¯d been up to for the past couple of months. She very much left out her daughter¡¯s close relationship with Joram, as well as Asami Miki¡¯s involvement with him. She still wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d become a grandmother any time soon, which both annoyed and frustrated her more than a little bit. Even Nalun was more on edge these days, which wouldn¡¯t likely bode well for Joram¡­. Then they all stopped as a half-dozen stone golems approached Joram, all loaded up with massive stacks of what he called ¡°bamboo¡±. Then the magic started. Well, that¡¯s all she could think to call it, as what happened couldn¡¯t have been anything else. Suddenly, the many stacks of bamboo began to¡­ sweat, then all of the water was pulled away in an instant. While the water was still flowing away, the long stalks suddenly split, then continued splitting over and over again, leaving only long strands of fibres that looked finer than hair. Then those fibres were pulled straight, then began twining about so quickly that she couldn¡¯t properly see what was happening. Once the blurred movement stopped, several more bolts of cloths were left behind. But it didn¡¯t stop there. Those bolts then unfurled, then fell into pieces that landed in neat stacks on the empty tables nearby. While that was happening, more bamboo was brought. Except, this time the end result wasn¡¯t more bolts of cloth, but large piles of¡­ fluff. While she was distracted with the fluffy stacks of bamboo, the other piles of cloth had begun assembling themselves into clothing. She only caught the last few garments being made, but was astonished to see that no thread was used to sew the pieces together. Instead, they all seemed to just¡­ meld together to create the final product. All told, the entire process was done in less than a minute. Much less. Shocked, she stared as the piles of clothing were sorted, then folded, by invisible hands. Having seen such a thing in the past, she very much suspected that Joram was using [Telekinesis], but was astonished at just how well, and how many things, he was working. Feeling a bit shell-shocked, Celys turned to see what everyone else might be thinking. Her eyes were greeted with the sight of stunned, flabbergasted, and astonished women for as far as her eyes could see. Even Ilyana seemed to be in a daze, her mouth opened slightly in shock. She turned back to Joram as yet another series of golems brought more bamboo and stacked it all nearby. Then more astonishing things happened. The bamboo began to dance before her eyes, lifting, shifting, falling into oddly shaped pieces, then assembling into bed frames that looked to have been made from one continuous piece of bamboo. Two kinds of beds were made, though both were exactly the same size. One bed seemed to have much longer posts that extended a couple of feet above where the mattress would lay, while the other had much longer feet, also about two feet. The second type of bed seemed to be designed to have something under it, possibly clothing chests or something. Then yet more bamboo arrived, which was then turned into cloth that seemed to glisten in the afternoon light. Those bolts of cloth were then turned into sheets and pillowcases. Then more cloth was made, this stuff thicker than the rest had been. Which was then turned into mattresses that were stuffed with the fluffy-looking bamboo. She was astonished to see the golems taking away the beds and mattresses. Just how smart were they? That said, how was he controlling all of those golems without speaking to them? Celys shook her head. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure of just how powerful Joram had become after having cleared the goblin dungeon almost entirely by himself. But she suddenly felt that it had been the blessing of a lifetime that she¡¯d chosen to take in the young ¡°not human¡±. For, if he could do something as ridiculous as producing beds, mattresses, bedding, and clothing for almost fifty people in the span of a few minutes, what else could he do? She, and the rest of Kirkwall, had already been impressed with his feat of creating the dry moat around the village in just one day. Of how he¡¯d worked harder than anyone else to repel the goblin attack. And now he seemed to be giving a home to slaves. Sure, she still didn¡¯t quite know if he was on the up-and-up buying so many younglings. But, if Asami Miki wasn¡¯t saying anything, or doing anything to stop him, then maybe he wasn¡¯t the sex-crazed fiend that some people were fearfully speculating about. Celys turned her attention back to Joram and found that he was now getting the younglings to line up. From there, he handed each of them a stack of bedding, then a set of clothing before they moved on to stand a bit closer to the ridiculous building he called a house as the golems continued bringing the beds inside. Let¡¯s just see how things go for now, she thought, tapping her lip. Chapter 062 - *Sniff-sniff* *That night* She watched as the other slaves milled about after the strange human had told them to choose their rooms, obviously uncertain about their situation. She, and the other two so-called demons, didn¡¯t have to worry about that particular dilemma, as her new master had set aside a room just for them. The villagers of Kirkwall had been¡­ shockingly nice. There were yet a few of them around, helping the young girls to settle in. She wondered if this was some sort of ploy to get them to drop their guards towards their new master, and those who lived in his village. Though, she had to wonder about her first assumption about her master¡¯s status. At first, she¡¯d thought that he was the City Lord here, given the amount of wealth that he¡¯d casually brought out to purchase the lot of them. He¡¯d certainly proved his might after having [Summon]ed those¡­ things to pull their wagons. Then the astonishing display he¡¯d put on to first clothe them, then to provide them beds. She was almost certain that he¡¯d done so to, one, shock and awe them all, which had certainly worked. And two, to ingratiate them all to him. Which, again, had certainly worked. She was no prude, one to worry about how she was attired at all times. But she had certainly not felt comfortable in the rags she¡¯d been given. They¡¯d only been sufficient to cover up her sensitive parts, leaving almost every other part of her exposed so show off how ¡°healthy¡± she was. The third thing, which was the most astonishing for her, not to mention Fyrellia and Arise, had been his repeated use of [Cure: Panacea], a [Legendary] Skill that few people could ever get. Between using that Skill so many times, then creating so many things, she was certain that he was a legendary existence hiding out in a backwater village. Yet. Yet, the villagers didn¡¯t seem to treat him as their leader. Instead, a woman named Celys seemed to be the leader, which, given her relatively low level, had more than surprised Qyress when she¡¯d [Identify]¡¯d her. In fact, all three of them, her, Fyrellia, and Arise, all had the [Identify] Skill, and they¡¯d all been using it quite liberally. So much so, that they¡¯d all levelled the Skill once! Shaking her head, she watched as the few villagers still in the mansion herded the other slaves into the three rooms set aside for them all. The ¡°herd¡±-type animal-kin all went into one room, while the ¡°pack¡±-types went into another. The humans all got their own room, which she thought was wise, given that humans were the ones to have enslaved them all in the first place. Who knew if one of the slaves might take out their frustrations on one of them? Arise motioned to her and Fyrellia to follow her, so she followed the dark elf into their new room. It was more spacious than any that she¡¯d ever lived in before, with a high ceiling that subconsciously made her relax a bit. She looked at the three beds they¡¯d been provided, slightly different than the ones given to the other slaves. Sure, she understood that bunkbeds were the efficient thing to make, but that they¡¯d been provided normal beds really made her wonder. Between the beds and the use of [Cure: Panacea], she very much feared that her new master would be using them as the slaver had labelled them. Pleasure slaves. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Arise asked as she sat on the edge of her bed, her toes not quite reaching the floor. ¡°I think that he¡¯s pretty hot,¡± Fyrellia said with a wicked grin that told Qyress everything she needed to know about what she thought of their new master. ¡°He¡¯s likely panning on using us for pleasure,¡± Qyress said blandly to hide how she felt about her conclusion. ¡°That would certainly appear to be the case,¡± Arise said musingly as she tilted her head to the side as she thought, causing her silvery hair to fall to the left side of her head. ¡°With those two foxes at his side, he surely has been going at it,¡± she finished, wiggling her eyebrows at them. Fyrellia smiled at that, her nature as a succubus likely playing a role in how she felt about everything. But with how well she knew the succubus, Qyress suspected that she was just putting on a ¡°brave¡± face, as it were. ¡°Speaking of foxes,¡± she said, recalling the unusual display throughout the day. ¡°What¡¯s up with all of them? Have any of you ever seen so many gathered in one place?¡± Fyrellia shook her head, causing her glossy red hair to sway to and fro while Arise shrugged. ¡°Not just normal foxes, but Spirit Foxes too,¡± Arise said, looking a bit mystified. ¡°Did any of you notice how they mostly hung around our new master?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up with that?¡± Fyrellia asked, her interest finally piqued. ¡°Back home, Spirit Foxes are considered Sacred Beasts,¡± Arise said, once more shaking her head. ¡°That so many would willingly associate with our new master, should probably tell us something.¡± ¡°Those two foxes that were practically glued to him today could probably tell us something too,¡± she said, recalling that they were only two of the three foxkin that she¡¯d seen with more than one tail. ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with Spirit Foxes, but could those two be [Polymorph]¡¯d Spirit Foxes?¡± Fyrellia asked, now much more curious than she¡¯d been up to that point. ¡°With that white haired one, that could very well be the case,¡± Arise said, nodding. ¡°All nine-tailed Spirit Foxes are incredibly powerful beings, worthy of the respect and worship they receive. As for the others, probably not. I¡¯ve only ever heard stories of nine-tailed Spirit Foxes being able to [Polymorph] into other races.¡± ¡°So, with how likely it is that our master is banging the two foxkin, what does that tell us about him?¡± Fyrellia asked, not quite hiding how distasteful she found that thought. ¡°That he¡¯s either a villain who¡¯s managed to enslave a nine-tailed Spirit Fox, or that he¡¯s practically a [Saint] that attracted her to him,¡± Arise said dryly as a wry smile curved her lips. ¡°Either way, we should investigate.¡± ¡°Tonight,¡± she said, certain that their master¡¯s sexual drive would be at its peak after having been around so many scantily-clad girls for the better part of the day. ¡°Tonight,¡± Arise agreed, then began planning with them on how to best investigate their new master. - - - Qyress did the best she could to walk silently. It was particularly difficult to do so, however, due to the hardwood that they walked on as well as due to her slightly clawed toes. She hadn¡¯t been able to keep her toe claws properly trimmed during her captivity, mostly because they weren¡¯t allowed anything sharp. But, with the [Invisibility] spell Fyrellia had cast on them, they were at least out of sight. With the [Shroud] that Arise had used on them, they were even able to avoid detection from the many foxes still wandering about so late into the evening. They¡¯d already seen their master retire to his room, followed by the two foxkin. Now, they just needed to sneak a bit closer to the room so that they could spy on them. She was still a bit dubious as to how well that would work given their master¡¯s obvious magical prowess. Sure, his Status only came up as him being a level 17 [Crafter], but that was obviously faked with a Skill. There was no way that he was either level 17 or just a [Crafter]. Which was why they were expecting [Ward]s to be in place. Especially given the number of new slaves he¡¯d just purchased. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Yes, their slave marks would punish them for trying to harm their master, but they wouldn¡¯t stop the attempt. And if you were clever enough, and suicidal enough, you could manage to kill your master before you died. And with three ¡°demons¡± included in the lot, she was sure that he would have set up protections against such an eventuality. After they¡¯d waited for almost an hour, Arise motioned them forward, seeming to only be a light outline of her normal self. [Invisibility] would be a rather useless spell if party members couldn¡¯t see each other, after all. Once at the door, Arise pressed an ear to it to listen once again. After a few minutes, she leaned back and nodded to them before Fyrellia nodded and cast [Detect Magic] to search for any wards that might be in place. After a minute or so, Fyrellia shook her head in disbelief as she motioned for Arise to open the door. While Fyrellia had been looking for magic, Arise had searched the door for any hidden traps, so was thus ready when Fyrellia gave the all-clear. As slow as could be, Arise turned the door handle until it stopped, then slowly pushed the door open enough for them to slip inside. Once inside, and the door closed behind them, they focussed on the huge bed on the other side of the room. A room that was surprisingly smaller than the one they¡¯d been given. On said bed laid their master along with the two foxkin. Qyress had been a bit hesitant to intrude into a potentially lewd situation, but had resolved herself to such a thing so that she- they- could know who had bought them. But her expectations of sweaty bodies intertwined in compromising positions was mostly thrown out the window by what she saw. Yes, the three of them were in bed together, but they weren¡¯t naked. Nor were they sweaty, which shouldn¡¯t have come as a surprise given how he¡¯d used [Cleanse] earlier that day. In fact, the white-haired foxkin was just laying on his chest, content as could be. The purple haired one with red highlights was snuggled up to his side with her back to them, sleeping soundly. For his part, their master¡¯s arms weren¡¯t even holding them, just extended outwards to either side of him, his left arm being used as a pillow by the three-tailed foxkin at his side. She turned to look at Arise and Fyrellia and noticed that they were already looking at her. Even with the lack of details that [Invisibility] created in their features, she could tell that they were as shocked as she was. Qyress signed if they should approach to investigate, getting nods of consent in return. So, they approached the bed as slowly as possible to prevent any sounds from escaping Arise¡¯s [Shroud]. Once there, she inspected the scene more carefully, looking for tangled hair or dishevelled clothing; anything that might point at them having been ¡°active¡±. Beyond the slightly twisted night clothing you¡¯d see when someone shifted in their sleep, she couldn¡¯t find anything. Their hair seemed to be freshly brushed, cascading artfully around them. Even their tails seemed to shine in the little moonlight that entered through the large windows along the far wall. Not sure why she did it, Qyress gave an experimental sniff. Instead of smelling bodily fluid, a pleasant floral scent of some kind entered her nose, both relaxing her and inexplicably causing her heartrate to increase. Embarrassed, she leaned back again and looked at her cohorts, wondering what they thought of it all. They just shook their heads at each other, at a loss. They¡¯d all expected a much different scene than the one that was now in front of them. Then a thought occurred to her, one that would explain everything. She signed to her cohorts, who then nodded. Arise shifted forward slightly, then reached out a finger to lightly poke the three-tailed foxkin. They watched as her finger dimpled her pants, not causing any reaction in the foxkin. Frowning slightly, Arise shifted her finger and poked the foxkin in the side this time, just above the hip. That cause a slight reaction, but one that could be explained by a particularly elaborate [Illusion]. Thus emboldened, Arise poked a bit more, this time going a bit higher. The slight moan that escaped the woman¡¯s lips nearly caused Qyress to jump, then quickly brought a blush to her cheeks. Arise looked at them and shrugged, telling them that she was sure that the trio on the bed weren¡¯t illusions. Signing to one another, they decided to retreat to beside the door and wait. It was possible that the deed hadn¡¯t been done yet. So, they settled in to wait. * * * ¡®Master, you have guests.¡¯ Joram came out of his meditations, though he didn¡¯t move. Instead, he used [Sight Link] with Geeves and had a look around. Well, he couldn¡¯t see much, but he did discern a faint ripple near his bed. Invisibility? He wondered, now a bit worried. So, the used [Touchsight], suppressing the ¡°display¡± that normally accompanied the use of Powers, and augmented it as much as possible. Really, augmenting it so much just gave him distance, but if invisible foes were about, he might need it considering that he usually fought at range with his mindbolt. Then he just about sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was in relief, exasperation, or something else. The three ¡°demons¡± were currently signing to one another in a hand code that he didn¡¯t recognize. He idly wondered if they¡¯d been part of a military unit or something, given how they carried themselves and used hand code like that. Then the ¡°dark elf¡±, who looked more like a caramel-coloured elf than anything, stepped forward. He readied a [Decerebrate] just in case, but almost laughed when she just poked Myra in the butt. After glancing at one another again, she proceeded to poke Myra some more, going further up her side until Myra finally moaned in a way that made him activate [Clear Mind] to avoid any unnecessary reactions from himself. After that, the trio retreated to near the door and settled in. Just what are they up to? He wondered, but didn¡¯t bother asking. If they weren¡¯t there to cause harm, then the likelihood of them being there to investigate their new ¡°owner¡± was the most likely explanation. Thinking about it, having purchased so many girls and young women, he supposed that their reaction was normal, if a bit over-the-top. Or, in this case, on the downlow. Whatever. Given that Myra and Asami had come into their bedroom, he could see where someone would assume that they were¡­ intimate with one another. Aaaand he couldn¡¯t really argue that point too much seeing as how they all shared the same bed. If that wasn¡¯t intimate, then what was? Well, it certainly wasn¡¯t sexual¡­ on his end of things, anyways. He was reasonably sure that Asami wanted to ¡°mate¡± with him. As for Myra, he wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d realized what her wanting to sleep in the same bed with him truly meant; regarding her feelings for him, anyways. Anyone else would probably assume that she wanted to have sex with him, and they¡¯d likely be right. It was just that she, herself, hadn¡¯t quite consciously realized it yet. Which was why he was especially careful at night. But with that dark elf¡¯s poking, he very much hoped that she didn¡¯t think that it had been him. In fact, he fervently hoped that it hadn¡¯t registered to her at all, and that she wouldn¡¯t remember it happening. Suppressing a head shake, he went back to mediating, knowing that Geeves would alert him if anything happened. - - - When he came out of his meditations, he reactivated [Touchsight] and nearly laughed. The trio of ¡°demons¡± were still there, but asleep as they leaned on both the wall and each other. Going through his usual escape artist routine, wondering if he¡¯d eventually get a Skill for it, he moved as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake anyone just yet. He changed in silence, donning a simple shirt and pants combo, then slipped on some socks. With that done, he made his way over to the sleeping women by the door, manifested [Ectoplasmic Creation], and carefully draped the new blanket over them before slipping out of the room. It was still dark outside, well before dawn. As he walked down the hallway, he made himself a pair of sneakers, then slipped them on before heading outside. Celys had left the tables and cookpots there, likely expecting to use them again today. Which was fair given that he hadn¡¯t quite been set up for all of this beforehand. Purchasing so many slaves had been somewhat¡­ impulsive on his part. Shaking his head, he went over [True Creation] once more and decided that it was time to give it a shot. He¡¯d already [Delve]d everything that he owned, including his cookware which included things like a cast iron frying pan, as well as a stainless-steel pot. Using the templates for the metal in them, he manifested [True Creation]. Instead of reproducing the pan and pot, he created huge blocks of metal. The first was the iron used in making cast iron pots and pans, which felt less draining than he¡¯d anticipated. Given that he had [Psychic Bastion], the ability depletion that normally came with manifesting [True Creation] didn¡¯t happen. Well, it could also have meant that what he¡¯d made came in under the wire, as it were. If he created something below a certain monetary threshold, then the ability depletion wouldn¡¯t trigger. Still, it was much easier to do than he¡¯d anticipated, making him wonder if his [Creationist] Title was pulling most of the weight, let alone his Class. Shrugging, he then created a massive block of stainless steel. The last block he made was a bit smaller, consisting of the copper alloy used to line the bottom of most stainless steel pots and pans you could by now-a-days¡­. On Earth, that is. Shaking his head, he then used [Modify Matter] to quickly make the veritable cauldrons that he would need so that he could make enough food for the girls over the next week or two before he got to making the rings of sustenance- and them activating- that he wanted to give them all. With the massive pots made, he looked at the cast iron and frowned. Perhaps traditional pans weren¡¯t what he would need here. Well, there was no ¡°perhaps¡±. He¡¯d need much larger surfaces with which to work on. Thinking about it for a moment, he decided to just make large griddles. Specifically, the kind you¡¯d find in a restaurant. Thinking about it more, he started planning things out more and more until he was satisfied with his plans. Smiling, he got to work. Chapter 063 - Strange young human *Pre-Dawn* She woke up with a start, then briefly panicked when she found that she was in an unfamiliar room. Looking around, she slowly got her breathing under control as she saw the other girls in the room with her. There were sixteen of them in the room, sharing the eight bunkbeds that their¡­ new master had made for them. She looked down at her clothing and frowned, not very happy that she¡¯d been sweating in them; yet not comfortable enough to risk sleeping without them. She plucked at her damp top, and again wondered at just how smooth it felt to her. Which, really, was saying something because she was used to silk. Shaking her head, she slowly sat up, happy that the bed hadn¡¯t creaked at the movement. She then scooted to the foot of the bed where the built-in ladder was found and quickly descended. Once down, she checked on her bunkmate, a young Night Elf. Seeing her still asleep, she stood up and looked around again, wondering what had woken her. After another few moments of listening, she felt a strong surge of mana coming from outside. Frowning, she carefully walked across the sequoia floor, once more glad for the lack of creaking. Though, given how new everything looked, perhaps it was just a matter of time before they did start creaking. She quickly dismissed those thoughts as she somewhat regretted not having asked for slippers when her¡­ owner had made them their clothing. The floors were a bit chilly, though she had to admit that going barefoot always felt more comfortable to her, chilly floors notwithstanding. The strong pulse of mana came again, drawing her out of the room and towards the front of the ¡°house¡±. She barely took in the details as she went, more drawn by what she was feeling than her curiosity towards her new home. Once at the front doors, as quietly as she could, she turned the doorhandle, then slowly eased the door open, hoping that the hinges were well-oiled. Once more, the lack of sound relieved her as she slipped out the front door and turned to the right. It was there that she felt the strong pulses of mana, so it was there that she crept. When she reached the corner of the house, she slowly peaked around the corner to see what was going on. She hadn¡¯t heard much beyond some¡­ dragging sounds. Maybe a bit of tapping. She wasn¡¯t sure, though. So, when she finally saw what was causing the odd sounds and strong pulses of mana, her jaw dropped. There, standing in the same kind of odd clothing that she¡¯d seen him in the day before, was¡­ her master. She frowned, still very much salty about having been taken as a slave. Not to mention having to think of another person as her ¡°master¡±. Owner was more like it. Shaking her head, she instead concentrated on what he was doing. She watched as he¡­ danced? Or maybe he was going through some sort of martial art stances? She wasn¡¯t sure, but as she watched him, his movements seemed to coincide with how the materials were moving around what appeared to be a new construction site. Well, an almost finished building, if she was being accurate. Which meant that he¡¯d built it after they¡¯d gone to bed. She frowned as she watched stone flow into place, then as plank after plank flew through the air and affixed to the walls or floors. She couldn¡¯t quite make out how the boards stuck in place without falling down again, but stick they did. She looked up to the sky again and found that it was already almost dawn. Which meant that he¡¯d likely been working all night at this point. But why? Looking around, she saw what appeared to be iron-topped counters sitting off to the side. Well, not quite counters, as they had a bit of a weird shape to them. She did spot a few very large stoves, though, along with several long tables and benches to go with them. Is he making a mess hall? She wondered as she then spotted several huge pots sitting next to the stoves. That must be it, she thought, silently nodding to herself. But, why didn¡¯t he have something like that before? Surely it took a while to save enough money in a small village like this. So, why hadn¡¯t he already built a mess hall? A few other thoughts flitted through her head as she watched her new owner work in his unusual way. It was oddly¡­ cathartic, in its own way. She marvelled at just how much mana he was able to use, and keep using. From the [Stoneshape]¡¯ing to the [Telekinesis] that he was using, she was sure that if she were the one working, that she¡¯d have run dry by now. Then the stonework seemed to finish, also causing his odd movements to come to an end. From there, it was pure [Telekinesis] moving around everything. Soon, the floorboards were all in place, confusing her a bit because she still hadn¡¯t spotted any nails being used. But when the large¡­ counter-like things were lifted into what she guessed was the kitchen, the floors supported the obviously considerable weight without shifting even a hair¡¯s breadth. Then a bit more framing went up before everything seemed to pause. Frowning, she wondered if he¡¯d finally run out of mana. But then stacks of¡­ something came into being beside him, shocking her so much that she almost gasped out loud. Clamping her hands over her mouth, she watched as the stacks of¡­ insulation? Surely that¡¯s what it was, for there was no other reason to stuff the stuff into the walls like that before more planks flew into place, sealing the stuff inside. And on and on it went until she was amazed when dawn¡¯s new light fell upon a finished structure that matched the main house in theme. She was still astonished at how fast he worked, let alone with how he¡¯d produced most of the materials that he worked with. Like the glass that was so clear that you couldn¡¯t even tell it was there unless it caught the light in just the right way. Then he stretched out, yawning. It was such a¡­ normal thing to do that she had to blink. It wasn¡¯t the image she had of an immensely powerful caster of some flavour or another. It very much reminded her of a young man finishing work for the day, satisfied with the fruits of his labour. ¡°Oh, hi,¡± he said when he turned around and spotted her. She quickly stood up straight as she realized that at some point during the spectacle, she¡¯d stepped out from around the corner of the house to get a better view of what he¡¯d been doing. ¡°Hello,¡± she replied meekly, bowing her head so that she wasn¡¯t looking at him directly. ¡°Ah, right,¡± he said, shaking his head and sounding¡­ resigned? ¡°Could you come here please?¡± he asked politely, startling her quite a bit. She looked up to see him waving her over to where he stood beside a small round table and two chairs that hadn¡¯t been there a moment before. Now hesitant, she slowly crept forward until she was about six feet away from him. He then motioned to the chair closest to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I cannot sit before my master does,¡± she said softly, once more lowering her head to avoid eye contact. She heard a sigh, then saw him step over to the other chair and sit. ¡°Better?¡± he asked, sounding exasperated. Blanching slightly, she quickly stepped over to the other chair and sat, not wanting to provoke her new owner so shortly after having been purchased. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Yesterday was a bit of a blur, so I can¡¯t remember if I introduced myself to everyone,¡± he said, sounding¡­ apologetic? ¡°I¡¯m Joram. What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked kindly, shocking her more than a little bit. ¡°I am Shae¡¯ra,¡± she replied softly, for that was what owners liked, didn¡¯t they? ¡°A pleasure,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°So, Shae¡¯ra. What did you do before¡­ this?¡± he asked, making the last word sound oddly¡­ distasteful. ¡°I¡­ worked with plants,¡± she said, not quite comfortable with her new owner, however odd he might be. ¡°Would you like to continue working with plants, then?¡± he asked as he retrieved a small pouch from somewhere. ¡°That would be my wish, yes,¡± she replied, not quite sure where the conversation was going. But if she could continue her work with nature, she would be very glad for it. Joram nodded at her as he rummaged through the pouch, causing faint metallic clinking to accompany the early morning birdsong. ¡°S. H¡­¡± he muttered, then seemed to find what he was looking for and smiled. ¡°Sorry, still not used to this language yet,¡± he said, confusing her greatly as he held out his hand as though he wanted to hand her something. She was very reluctant to comply, but at the same time she didn¡¯t want to anger her new owner. So, she slowly reached out her hand until it was just below his own very large hand. Then he extended his other arm and brought his left hand under hers as his right hand pressed a warm metal object into her open hand. Then she felt him circulate mana through the metal object in her hand, and her jaw dropped. He withdrew his hands, letting her see her slave token. Instead of the new and polished look it had had yesterday as the slaver had handed it to Joram, it was now dull and almost lifeless. ¡°If you¡¯d like to stay, you can,¡± Joram said, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± Shae¡¯ra just stared at the strange young human, not able to process being set free. She watched as he nodded to himself, then got up, saying something about needing to start on breakfast before he headed into the new mess hall. She sat there as her mind whirled about until she felt someone flick her forehead, snapping her out of her thoughts. ¡°Too loud.¡± Shae¡¯ra looked over and saw the white-haired foxkin that had been with Joram since the first time she¡¯d seen him. She was, quite frankly, stunning¡­ and also had nine tails. That was when she realized that she was likely one of the legendary Spirit Foxes who¡¯d transformed into elvenoid form. ¡°Something like that,¡± she said, then sat in Joram¡¯s old chair. ¡°Glad you caught on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know your name, revered one,¡± she said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m Asami Miki. The other one who was with us is Myra Manelle. You¡¯ve met Joram,¡± she said casually as she stared at the mess hall. ¡°Man, he does some pretty crazy stuff sometimes,¡± she finished, shaking her head. ¡°You could say that again,¡± she said faintly, astonished at how approachable Asami Miki was. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°Also, you¡¯ll find that he¡¯ll almost constantly surprise you. If you stick around, that is.¡± Shae¡¯ra blinked, then blinked again as her gaze dropped to the token that was now sitting on the table in front of her. Since she¡¯d been¡­ taken last month, she¡¯d felt nothing but despair. She¡¯d watched as other women and girls had been purchased, while others had been added to the slave caravan. She¡¯d wondered when her time would come, when she¡¯d be taken away from the others. When she¡¯d be¡­ defiled. ¡°He¡¯s not like that, you know,¡± Asami suddenly spoke, startling her out of her dark thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know, though,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Are you a slave? Did he catch you? Buy you?¡± she asked, now intensely curious, almost manic in her need to know more about Asami Miki. ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± Asami hummed as she tapped her cheek with a finger. ¡°I¡¯d say that he captured my heart rather than captured me.¡± Shae¡¯ra stared at the Spirit Fox, stunned. ¡°How could a human capture your heart?¡± she spluttered, not understanding how such a thing could happen. ¡°He¡¯s comfy,¡± Asami replied with a shrug, then continued when she saw her furiously blushing face. ¡°One of the girls in my skulk told me one day that she¡¯d come across an interesting young man. So, I had her bring him to me. From there, I could feel just how¡­ unusual he was. How¡­ comfy it felt to be around him. ¡°So, I laid on him and took a nap. Then, when he fell asleep, I went through the Change, and here I am,¡± Asami said with a smile to ease the words that nearly broke her brain. What?! How? How?! She silently wondered, then got another flick in the forehead. ¡°Too loud,¡± Asami chided her, causing her to flush in embarrassment. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid. I like him. You¡¯ll like him too. But I have first dibs on him. So, there¡¯s that.¡± Those last words finally broke something in her, causing the world to fade from view. * * * Myra woke up, stretching out as she did. Her tails extended straight out, quivering as she finished stretching. The after-stretch bliss washed over her then, causing her to slump back down into bed, deciding to lay facing the door instead of the huge windows. Then she blinked, then blinked again in confusion as she took in the sight of the three demons Joram had bought the day before laying on the floor by the door. With a blanket draped over them. Her first instinct was to fry the lot of them. Her next impulse was to scream for help, but she clamped down hard on that one. Who knew what Paths they¡¯d taken? They could, in all likelihood, kill her before help could arrive. Her next thought focussed on the blanket they were under. It was obviously one that Joram had made, making her think that Joram didn¡¯t care that they were there. In fact, the presence of the blanket made her think that Joram was entirely too kind. Who doesn¡¯t chase out three women who¡¯ve snuck into your room at night?! Let alone demons!! She thought, once more growing a bit angry as those thoughts stoked her inner fires. Then motion above the door caught her attention, relieving her stress as she realized that it was Geeves. Which meant that Joram hadn¡¯t just left her alone in a room with three demons. She quickly twisted a bit to look over her shoulder and, sure enough, Asami was also gone. Which probably meant that she, too, didn¡¯t think that the demons would try anything malicious¡­. Rolling back onto her left side, she studied the three demons in greater detail. They were all ¡°young¡±, probably closer to her age than anything, though the one that looked like an elf might have been much older than them. Said elf looked like a dark elf, though she had silvery-lilac hair, and was sandwiched between the red-haired succubus and the raven-haired erynese. A dark elf whose ear was currently being nibbled on by the succubus. Myra blushed slightly at the sight, then a bit more as the dark elf made a few funny sounds. For her part, the succubus seemed¡­ hungry. A suspicion that was proved correct when she bit the dark elf¡¯s ear a bit too hard, making her cry out in pain. The dark elf¡¯s eyes shot open as a hand came up and slapped the succubus away, instantly waking her up. The commotion then woke the erynese, who looked around, bleary-eyed, before beginning to panic as she realized where she was. Then the three of them saw her in bed and froze. ¡°Hi,¡± she said, waving at them lazily as she sat up in bed. ¡°Have a good sleep?¡± she asked sweetly, smiling at the three of them as the dark elf rubbed her ear. Each of them paled at her words, instinctively pulling the blanket a bit higher as they shrank back. ¡°Yes,¡± the succubus eventually murmured, the first of the three to regain her composure. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion.¡± Myra shook her head, wondering what exactly had brought them there. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get up and get ready for breakfast,¡± she said, still smiling, for a smile always helped to ease tension. They blinked at her, then nodded. So, Myra got up and made her way over to where the changing screen was and quickly got dressed for the day. By the time she was finished, the three demons had gotten up and folded the blanket, the erynese holding it like she didn¡¯t know what to do with it. Not really caring about the blanket, she motioned for the three demons to follow her. Once out in the hallway, she noticed that a few foxes had already gathered around the door, waiting for her to show up. She smiled a bit wider seeing them, and picked up one of the younger ones before heading down to the dining room. Once there, she paused and looked around, wondering where Asami was. ¡°Hey, do you know where Asami Miki is?¡± she asked the young fox in her arms who looked up and her for a moment before nodding at her. The young tod then looked towards the front of the house, back at her, then back at the front of the house. Taking the hint, she headed that way, the three demons once again following along behind her. Following where the tod¡¯s nose was pointing, she soon found herself outside. There she found Asami sitting at a table with an elf. An elf who was sprawled face-first on the table as Asami idly rubbed her back. What was more surprising, however, was the new building a short distance away from them. ¡°Morning,¡± Asami greeted them with her usual smile. ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied before getting to what she wanted to ask. ¡°What¡¯s up with that?¡± ¡°Joram, wisely, made the new girls a ¡®mess hall¡¯,¡± she replied with a smile. Before she could respond to that, she was interrupted by the erynese gasping in shock. She turned to see what had elicited such a reaction and saw her pointing at the elf on the table. She really didn¡¯t know what her deal was, especially since they¡¯d all spent time together the day before. But then she noticed a dull metal token on the table and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked Asami, pointing at the object of interest. ¡°Oh, that,¡± Asami said, poking the token with a finger. ¡°That was Shae¡¯ra¡¯s slavery seal,¡± she replied casually, scoring a critical hit on the three demons standing with Myra. Chapter 064 - Not a humie? Pryte woke up feeling as though a weight was on her chest. She opened her eyes and saw Ruva¡¯s head on her chest, with the rest of her body curled up beside her. She smiled for a moment before remembering where they were. At that point, her stomach seemed to clench tightly, causing her to begin shaking in worry. Without Ruva opening her eyes, she reached out and hugged her tightly, easing her anxiety enough that her shaking subsided. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do without Ruva. After¡­ being taken, they¡¯d somehow managed to stay together over the past few months, finally being taken by the last slaver to buy them. Pryte looked around again, marvelling at the house they were in. It was on a whole other level of fancy than she¡¯d ever seen before, including the first slave house they¡¯d been brought to. She turned her head again to look down at a sleepy Ruva and smiled. ¡°G¡¯morn¡¯n,¡± Ruva mumbled into her belly, causing her to giggle at the vibrations. ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied as Ruva slowly sat up and smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± she said as her stomach told her that it needed attention now that it was no longer tied in knots. ¡°Mmm, me too,¡± Ruva said, then looked around at the other girls in their room. Pryte did the same, taking in the dizzying array of animal-kin that they¡¯d been with for several weeks now. They were all rousing, slowly sitting up in bed. She could see that she wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d slept with a friend. In fact, the only people she could see that weren¡¯t with someone else were the dwarf named Ella and the night elf named Imryll, or Immy for short. She envied them for their courage. As a deer-kin, she was prone to being startled and wanting to be close to others. In fact, she even used to get teased that she was too clingy, a condition made worse by having been taken as a slave. She started shaking again, her fears getting the better of her before Ruva could once more wrap her in a hug. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if we can find some breakfast,¡± Ruva said with a smile that helped ease her fright. Not trusting herself to speak, Pryte just nodded and scooted out of bed to follow Ruva. ¡°We should go together,¡± Collette said from the side, still in bed, though stretching as she worked to wake up more. ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruva agreed, nodding as she stopped by the door to wait for the others. Pryte watched as everyone slowly got up, stretching and yawning. Some, like her, looked frightened upon waking, but fortunately they had their own Ruvas to help them through their moments of panic. Soon, everyone had gotten up and were ready to venture forth. She was surprised to see that Immy took the lead, opening the door for them and stepping out into the crazy huge hallway. She looked around and saw that the predator-kin were also leaving their room, looking both alert and curious. She didn¡¯t know why they¡¯d all been separated according to their annoying ¡°groupings¡±, though. They¡¯d all gotten along quite well before now. She smiled as Kuro waved at her and waved back as she approached them. The black-haired cat-kin was much older than them, but super nice. Probably because she was an adult now, already eighteen years old. She was only eleven years old, and Ruva thirteen. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Kuro asked once was beside them. ¡°Yeah,¡± Pryte said, feeling happier now that her other friend was with them. ¡°Good-good,¡± Kuro said, nodding as she took their hands and led them down the hallway after the others who¡¯d already started walking. ¡°So, what do you think of the clothes? Pretty nice, hey?¡± she asked with a great smile that showed off her cool pointy teeth. ¡°They¡¯re amazing,¡± Ruva said, smiling as she played with the hem of her shirt with her other hand. ¡°Even the sheets! It was soooo comfy!¡± she gushed, infecting her with her enthusiasm. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept so well in¡­¡± she trailed off as she recalled how she¡¯d come to be there, her countenance falling. ¡°And how about this place, hey?¡± Ruva quickly asked, gesturing grandly with her hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? With how fancy everything is, there should be plenty of tasty food too, hey?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Kuro said, smiling at Pryte. ¡°If someone can afford to buy all this, they can certainly afford good food!¡± she said, nudging her in the side with their linked hands. Pryte nodded, somewhat encouraged at their words, but still a bit down. Even though their collars had been removed, she could still feel where it had been. A fancy home was nice and all, but she¡¯d much rather be back at home with her family, even if her house wasn¡¯t anything like the one that she was currently in. She walked with her friends in silence as they continued to chat energetically, following the rest of the group. Instead of going to an eating area inside, Alex, one of the wolf-kin, led them outside again. She shivered a bit as her feet touched the cold stone outside, then smiled as Kuro picked her up to carry her. She was still small for her age, not even coming up to Kuro¡¯s ribs. Which made her glad, as she didn¡¯t want to be a burden to her friend. But from her new height, she could see the others as they approached the pretty fox-lady who was sitting at a table with the other elf, Shae. She also spotted the other pretty fox-lady standing with the surprisingly nice demon ladies and wondered if they¡¯d all slept in and were late. Then the dark-haired fox-lady started telling people what to do, getting them to gather the chairs from yesterday so that everyone could sit. As they did, Pryte was super happy to see that the foxes had returned. So, once Kuro let her down again, much to her toes¡¯ displeasure, she quickly made her way to the extra-pretty purple fox with six tails and hugged her tightly. She¡¯d been a bit scared of her yesterday, though, as the fox was taller than she was. But she¡¯d soon fallen in love with her super fluffy coat and tails. Then more foxes had shown up to join in on the pettings. She¡¯d been sad when they¡¯d disappeared when it was time for bed, though. So, she was happy to see them all again. She only listened to the others enough to make sure that she didn¡¯t miss anything important, like when to go for breakfast. Then her tummy growled at her, reminding her that she was still hungry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, breakfast is almost ready,¡± the dark-haired fox-lady said from her side, surprising her. Pryte watched as the fox-lady picked up one of the smaller foxes and began brushing its fur. Her eyes widened at the sight, and her hands came up to her mouth to cover her shock and awe. The little fox was sooooooooooooo cute as it sprawled in her lap, lapping up the attention. Before she knew it, Kuro was there and picking her up, making her grumble in protest before she realized that her new master was standing behind them. Then she eep¡¯d. * * * Joram smiled as he watched the kids play with the foxes, going unnoticed as he did. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. His [Improved Stealth] was getting pretty good to allow him to just blend into the crowd as he watched. He was amused that the trio of ¡°demons¡±- specifically since he¡¯d only classify the succubus as an actual demon- were standing by Asami, who was sitting with a slightly frazzled Shae¡¯ra. As for the rest of them, he was glad to see that they seemed slightly more relaxed as they either played with the adorable foxes, or watched the younger ones play. He hadn¡¯t had time to make breakfast yet because he¡¯d been putting the finishing touches on everything inside. He¡¯d gotten the wiring finished, along with the lighting, fans, electrical panels, and h-vac system. The only thing missing was the power source. He was pretty sure that he could enchant the electrical panels but, once again, hadn¡¯t had time to do so yet. Which meant that he¡¯d probably have to use [True Creation] or something to get enough food for everyone in a timely manner. Then one of the cat-kin noticed him and just about jumped straight up, though her tail certainly shot straight out and puffed right up. She quickly picked up a girl who was playing with Harumi before stepping back a bit as she stared at him. ¡®Welp, guess she¡¯s a cautious one,¡¯ he sent to Avi as she laughed at the sight. ¡°Hi,¡± he said out loud, waving at them as Myra stood up with a kit in her arms. ¡°Sorry, breakfast will take a bit longer than I¡¯d hoped it would. Feel free to do whatever until then,¡± he said, then spotted Celys walking towards them through the trees. He left them, glad to be away from so many shocked and, in some cases, terrified faces. As he stepped away, he quickly used [CleanseA], hoping that it wasn¡¯t as needed as the thought it was. ¡°Good morning, Joram,¡± Celys greeted him when they were close enough to not have to yell. ¡°I figured that you¡¯d be needing help with breakfast,¡± she said with a smile. Joram looked at the small army of women who¡¯d come with Celys, and the two wagons of food and produce. ¡°I appreciate it,¡± he said, giving her a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯ve just finished up with the new mess hall, but haven¡¯t been able to make anything yet.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Celys asked, looking a bit lost. ¡°Well, I figured that I¡¯d need a bit more space to feed everyone. So, I made a new space,¡± he said, motioning for her to follow him. It didn¡¯t take long for the new mess hall to come into view when they passed the crazy huge sequoias. When they did, the women began chatting excitedly amongst themselves. ¡°I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯m not surprised at yet another ridiculous display. But I am,¡± Celys said, shaking her head and making him feel more than a little self-conscious as Ilyana joined them. ¡°That¡¯s my boy,¡± she said, lightly punching him in the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less from the one I chose to teach.¡± ¡®Ha!!¡¯ Avi laughed from his side. ¡°Sensei has taught me much,¡± he said, giving her a slight bow and confusing them all with the foreign word. ¡°But seriously, I should only need another half-hour or so before the kitchen is ready to go. If you all want, you can set up inside while you wait,¡± he said, nodding towards the mess hall. Celys nodded, then began instructing everyone on what she wanted them to do. Not being at all useful there, he made his way back into the mess hall and got to work. * * * ¡°Seriously, he¡¯s just insane,¡± Ilyana said once Joram had disappeared into the new building to the left of his house. ¡°Are we sure that he¡¯s only level seventeen?¡± she asked, looking back at Celys questioningly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he has a Skill to fool [Identify], but that¡¯s what everyone who has [Identify] says,¡± Celys replied dryly. Ilyana shook her head, still stunned by Joram¡¯s ridiculous display yesterday. It had taken everything that she had to approach him as casually as she had a few minutes ago. Yes, they¡¯d been getting along very well ever since he¡¯d started coming by for lessons. But after yesterday, she was just¡­ intimidated by what he could do. The clothes that he¡¯d made didn¡¯t even have seams!! ¡°I¡¯m glad that he¡¯s a good kid,¡± she finally said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I didn¡¯t chase him away when I first learned about him,¡± Celys said, also shaking her head, though more ruefully than she had. ¡°Could you imagine?¡± Ilyana shook her head in denial. ¡°No, I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯d want to,¡± she said, not wanting to think of what might have happened to them all if Joram hadn¡¯t been there to help defend Kirkwall, let alone take care of the Dungeon. ¡°Well, enough of that,¡± Celys said briskly, clapping her hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work. Those poor girls won¡¯t get fed by idle chatter.¡± Ilyana nodded, then turned to help unload the wagon closest to her, thinking of how proud she was of her apprentice. * * * Qyress couldn¡¯t quite express how¡­ shocked she was to see just how¡­ caring everyone was. From Myra, who hadn¡¯t done anything to them when she¡¯d found them in her room, to Asami Miki who¡¯d been idly chatting with them until the other girls had come out of the house, to the women of the village nearby. Kirkwall, if she remembered correctly. Now, she was no great people-person who could look at someone and tell what their intentions were, but she could at least tell when people were more-or-less being genuine. And those women were. Genuine, that is. Not just yesterday, but today as well. They¡¯d once again brought food for everyone, and were in the process of taking it into the new building that had popped-up over night. In fact, she was pretty sure that it had popped-up after they¡¯d shamefully fallen asleep while watching Joram last night. Thus reminded, her body reacted by trying to yawn, though she stifled it as best she could as she listened to the chatter amongst the villagers. Most of what she heard wasn¡¯t anything interesting, just normal talk amongst women. But then something caught her ear. ¡°¡­ is what a [Hero] would do.¡± ¡°Would a [Hero] really buy so many women, and girls?¡± ¡°Everyone knows how heroic he is. Didn¡¯t he save little Tara when the goblins attacked?¡± ¡°But that¡¯s much different than buying so many slaves.¡± ¡°Well then, is everyone who buys slaves a villain?¡± ¡°Well, no, but¡­¡± ¡°Do you know of anyone else who¡¯s gone and built something like that just for his slaves?¡± ¡°Well, no¡­¡± ¡°I think that he¡¯s a true [Hero] at heart, if not in Path,¡± another woman said firmly, sounding almost taken with Joram. ¡°He did solo that goblin Dungeon that was in Overflow,¡± another said, practically swooning. ¡°Didn¡¯t he have help, though?¡± ¡°From what Theril said, and you can trust that young man, they only helped him with the last room. Even saved his life, they did.¡± ¡°Well, you can be sure that Asami Miki wouldn¡¯t stay with a [Villain], that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± Their conversation then went out of earshot, but left her wondering. Just who had bought her- them? From the conversation she¡¯d overheard, most people thought of Joram as a [Hero], not something that she was terribly comfortable with given how the humans constantly sent those fanatics after her people. But, once again, she was reminded that Asami Miki was someone important, someone whose judgement was seen as sound. So, going by what she knew, and what she¡¯d heard, she began to hope a little bit that things wouldn¡¯t be as bad as she¡¯d feared they would be after having been bought by a human. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Asami Miki said from beside her, causing her to jump a bit in fright. ¡°He¡¯s practically a [Monk]. You¡¯d have to be very aggressive to even get a flicker of a response from him.¡± Qyress¡¯ jaw dropped at how forward Asami Miki was, then her face turned red as the words sank in. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t-,¡± she began to say, but was cut off by Asami Miki. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t what? Sneak into a man¡¯s bedroom while he¡¯s sleeping?¡± Those words were so off the mark that she just about laughed, but had also struck home so hard that her wings came forward to hide her face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Asami Miki said again. ¡°I¡¯m sure that everyone will get along nicely.¡± She peeked past her wings and down at the strange woman for a moment before speaking. ¡°Did he really free Shae¡¯ra?¡± she asked quietly, still not believing what she¡¯d seen. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± ¡°But, why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just like that,¡± Asami Miki replied with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s why I like him.¡± ¡°But why would a human do that?¡± she asked, still not quite believing it all, especially because he was a human. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s not human?¡± Asami Miki said, looking thoughtful as her words nearly knocked Qyress over. Then she felt a pair of arms hugging her from behind, shocking her into silence. Once she felt the ridiculous plushness of Fyrellia¡¯s breasts press against her back, she relaxed again, her wings lowering enough to see everyone around her once more. ¡°Seriously? He¡¯s not a humie?¡± Fyrellia asked, using the derogatory term for humans that was popular back home. Asami Miki just shook her head at them as Arise stepped closer to the three of them. ¡°It¡¯s not just what race he is. He¡¯s just¡­ different than anyone else I¡¯ve met before,¡± Asami Miki said once Arise was standing with them. ¡°So, we¡¯re not going to be sex slaves?¡± Arise asked, still dubious. ¡°Not unless you want to be, no,¡± Asami Miki replied dryly, causing Arise to blush and her frown to deepen. Before the conversation could continue, Myra joined them, hauling along a cat-kin who in turn held the hand of a deer-kin, who also held the hand of a second deer-kin. Qyress was pretty sure that the little ones¡¯ names were Pryte and Ruva, but couldn¡¯t quite remember the new cat-kin¡¯s name. ¡°Calm down little [Miko], you¡¯re scaring the children,¡± Asami Miki said as she turned to regard Myra. Myra¡¯s jaw clenched a bit at the rebuke, but didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Gather the skulks, Asami! We have a sacred mission to fulfil!¡± Myra declared as she pulled the two little ones closer, motioning towards them grandly. ¡°What?¡± four people asked at nearly the same time, at a complete loss. Chapter 065 - [Hero] talk ¡°We need to talk,¡± Celys said, pulling him to a corner of the mess hall that was currently devoid of people. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked with a neutral expression, hiding the sudden alarm bells that went off in his head. ¡°What are your plans?¡± Celys asked, pinning him with that intense look Myra called ¡®Chief Mode¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s a little vague,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Anything more specific you¡¯d like to know?¡± ¡°For one, the slaves. Two, what you intended when you spooked the bookseller,¡± Celys said dryly. ¡°Well, as to the bookseller, and the caravan in general. I¡¯ve been hearing people say that prices have gone up tremendously since the last time they came. They say that it¡¯s product scarcity, but they all seem to be loaded to the brim with stock, so I¡¯m not sure that I believe that,¡± he said, shaking his head at the claims. ¡°So, I kind of came up with a bit of an impulsive plan. ¡°Spook them with rumours about how a dungeon suddenly showed up and almost immediately went into Overflow. Seeing as how there are more merchants in the caravan this time than other times, there¡¯s no space for them all inside of Kirkwall. So, I figured that I could offer them space inside my walls¡­ at a premium,¡± he said with a grin that faded slightly under Celys¡¯ continued glare. ¡°You know that Kirkwall still charges them to camp in the spot they¡¯re taking up, right?¡± ¡°I thought that might be the case,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°So, here¡¯s the plan. You tell me how much they¡¯re paying to camp there and I¡¯ll, say, double it for the added security provided by my walls. And constructs,¡± he added, thinking that his walls wouldn¡¯t be quite enough to repel an invasion. ¡°And why would I allow that?¡± Celys asked, sounding even more annoyed. ¡°Because I¡¯ll hand over all of the profits to you,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not like I need the money, and it would go a long way to helping in the recovery efforts, especially if you were to, say, use part of that money to reimburse anyone who¡¯s been ripped off by the merchants this time around,¡± he finished, finally breaking his neutral expression by giving her a mischievous grin. Celys blinked at that, then began to chuckle. ¡°Well, that can work,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°But what about the slaves? You must know that there are many people worrying about the welfare of so many younglings,¡± she said, giving him a significant look before turning to look out the window at the gathered gaggle of girls. Joram didn¡¯t bother looking out the window, for he knew what he¡¯d see anyways. ¡°I¡¯ll be freeing them all,¡± he said simply. ¡°Just freeing them?¡± Celys asked sharply, taking him by surprise. ¡°Is that wrong?¡± he asked in confusion. ¡°In a way, yes,¡± she said, nodding a bit. ¡°For anyone who would be considered the age of majority, or an adult, that would be fine. But the law states that minors, on the other hand, cannot be set free and just let go. It is the owner¡¯s responsibility to make sure that they¡¯re cared for and educated sufficiently before they¡¯re released as an adult.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± he huh¡¯d, actually impressed with that law. ¡°Yeah,¡± Celys said dryly. ¡°So, what are you going to do with roughly half of those girls?¡± Joram thought about it a minute before responding. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll offer employment to the ones I¡¯ve freed. They can be in charge of the younger ones who can¡¯t ¡®legally¡¯ be freed yet. I¡¯ll continue to provide shelter and food for everyone as well as clothing. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m lacking in space,¡± he said, nodding, then shrugging. ¡°That can work,¡± Celys said, giving him a nod. ¡°So, just to be clear. You won¡¯t be using any of them as sex slaves?¡± Even having expected the question, it still hit him like a freight train. ¡°No. I¡¯m not a lolicon,¡± he said with a great frown, causing Celys to frown in turn. ¡°A what?¡± ¡°A lolicon is someone who likes either looking at the immature or young bodies of girls or women,¡± he said, frowning. Sure, if the person in question was a fully grown woman that was fine. Still, he very much preferred a ¡°mature¡± woman over anything else. But he had absolutely no interest in little kids beyond helping them, caring for them, and educating them. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s an interesting word,¡± Celys said, nodding at his explanation. ¡°Then that¡¯ll be fine. If you need help preparing food for so many people in the future, just let me know. Though, after today, you¡¯ll need to pay for both the food and their time,¡± she said, motioning towards the women of Kirkwall who were still bringing in and organizing the supplies. ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°But I should have enough to feed everyone after I finish up here. As for the help, I¡¯ll see if any of the older girls would be willing to help out with the cooking.¡± Celys nodded, seemingly content with his plan. ¡°But how are you going to provide enough food for everyone?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°The same way I got enough wood for the buildings?¡± he said, tilting his head slightly in confusion because he thought she knew already. Celys just gave him a flat look, one that was more motherly than chief-ly. Looking at the electrical panel, he sighed. It would have to wait a bit longer it seemed. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said, then made his way over to the greenhouse behind his house. He was very pleased with its construction. He¡¯d gone and replicated the windows that had been in his apartment, the triple-paned ones used in Canada for insulation. The whole building was reminiscent of those old-time barns you¡¯d see occasionally in the countryside back home. The side walls were tall, a good twenty metres in fact. The roof, however, wasn¡¯t flat, nor was it peaked. It did have a peak, but wasn¡¯t just two planes meeting at a sharp angle. Instead, it had two sections per side, looking a bit like the top half of an octagon. That way, he had more room for the trees to grow in the middle. The entire roof was made of glass panels held together by a frame of psionically hardened wood to support the weight. The walls were also made of glass panels, though the base of those walls were made of stone. As they approached, Celys¡¯ mouth dropped open at the sight and her eyes opened wide in shock. ¡°How?¡± was all she could choke out as she stared at the greenhouse. ¡°I¡¯m a crafter, after all,¡± he said, shrugging. The look she gave him told him quite plainly that she didn¡¯t believe any word of what he¡¯d just said. ¡°Anyways, as you can see, I¡¯ve got many plants already growing inside,¡± he said as he opened the door for them and ushered her through. ¡°To the left, you¡¯ll notice the grain section. I only have a few different types of grains that I had access to, so I may have to acquire more in the future if people start getting tired of what I have,¡± he said, motioning to the large walled sections of growing grains. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°To the right, I¡¯ve organized those plots between fruits and vegetables. Again, I only planted what I had on hand, so I¡¯ll definitely need to get some more from town at some point, but it should still be a good start. Now, in the middle are my fruit and nut trees,¡± he said, motioning to the tall trees that took up the centre aisle of the massive greenhouse. ¡°I¡¯ll need to make sure that everyone is good with the nuts, though, as I know that some people aren¡¯t good with certain nuts,¡± he said, remembering the veritable pandemic of allergies that had shown up on Earth over the past half-century. Celys had been nodding along up to that point, looking a bit lost. But then she seemed to collect herself when he finished his explanation. ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t people be good with nuts? Do you think that they won¡¯t like how they taste?¡± she asked, confusion plain in her tone and on her face. ¡°What? No. Sometimes people have a bad reaction to certain foods. So bad, in fact, that it can kill them,¡± he said, not quite sure how to explain allergies, anaphylaxis, and the immune system in a world that really didn¡¯t have words for those things yet. Celys just shook her head at him. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having a reaction like that to anything except poisons,¡± she said, giving him a weird look. ¡°Are you saying that some of this might be poisonous to people?¡± she asked, giving him a sharp look at the end. ¡°What? No,¡± he said, shaking his head as he wondered if allergies weren¡¯t a thing here for some reason. ¡°I¡­¡± he started, then paused, not sure if he wanted to let that cat out of the bag. Sure, he liked Celys, and even trusted her for the most part. But did he want to tell her that he wasn¡¯t from her world? Was he unique in transversing to her world? Or was it a relatively common occurrence? Or somewhere in between? He didn¡¯t know. Nor did he know how the news would be taken. Then Celys looked as though she understood something and blew him away with her next words. ¡°The only stories I¡¯ve heard of someone reacting like that to food, are stories of the summoned [Heroes],¡± she said musingly. ¡°So, you really aren¡¯t from around here, are you?¡± she asked, giving him a searching look that managed to be sharper than a papercut. Well, that answers that question, he thought wryly. But still, did he really want to confirm her suspicions? Between what that could get him in trust and what problems sharing that information might bring to his door, and to everyone else who now lived with him, he couldn¡¯t be sure. Yes, Celys had acted with remarkable trust towards him, even going so far as to inviting him into her home to live with her and her family. Even the citizens of Kirkwall had been wonderful, inviting, and even caring. Up to this point, the only people he¡¯d gotten bad vibes from were the slavers and a few of the merchants in the caravan. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone, though,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sure that more than a few people have figured it out,¡± Celys said wryly, causing him more than a little bit of a shock. ¡®Oh, come on Joram! You¡¯ve consistently blown everyone out of the water with your ridiculous displays that breaks their common sense,¡¯ Avi finally piped in, seemingly frustrated with his na?vet¨¦. ¡®They¡¯ve been calling you a [Hero] for a while now. It is highly likely that they¡¯re the summoned variety.¡¯ Joram just about sighed again. ¡°Do people really [Summon] [Heroes] to this world?¡± he asked curiously, hoping to distract her a bit from him. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that just anyone could [Summon] a [Hero], but yes. Usually the kingdoms, countries, and empires closest to the demon continent do that when the war isn¡¯t going in their favour,¡± Celys said, dropping the clich¨¦¡¯d isekai bomb on him. ¡°That¡¯s a thing here? So, what, is their goal to go and defeat the [Demon Lord] so that peace and prosperity can once again be had the world over?¡± he asked sarcastically, really hating that particular trope. ¡°Well, yes,¡± Celys replied blankly. ¡°Why else would you [Summon] a [Hero]?¡± Joram just about facepalmed in frustration. He was very much of the opinion that you shouldn¡¯t drag others into conflicts that you, yourself, started through your own stupidity. Yes, it was entirely possible that the ¡°demons¡± of this world were the evil and murderous variety that yearned for world domination through might and slaughter. He¡¯d even read more than a few light novels, manga, and such with that very theme. He¡¯d, however, read many more that depicted humanity as the aggressors though. And given just how messed up humans tended to be to just one another, Earth being a prime example of that, then the likelihood of humans being in the wrong was much higher. Well, that is if the ¡°demons¡± weren¡¯t as naturally aggressive as humans were. ¡°So¡­ is there a war going on right now?¡± he asked, trying very hard to keep his tone level. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say that we¡¯re in active engagement right now,¡± Celys said, sounding oddly defensive. ¡°But relations certainly aren¡¯t amicable, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Any idea when the last [Hero] [Summon]¡¯ing happened?¡± he asked, getting a weird feeling about it all. ¡°Well, any kingdom that [Summon]s a [Hero] usually declares it so that they¡¯ll both get recognition from their subjects for doing something to help end the war as well as to get the prestige of having done so,¡± she said while giving him another odd look. ¡°No, I¡¯m not an escaped [Hero],¡± he said flatly, crushing that line of thought in her. ¡°Through reasons I¡¯m not going to talk about now, I arrived where Reldan found me. I wasn¡¯t brought here by a kingdom, nor am I a [Hero],¡± he said, shaking his head. Celys gave him a dubious look, but seemed to accept his words¡­ partially. ¡°Well, anyone [Summon]¡¯d is called a [Hero] because the Great Protector gives each of them a unique ability when they arrive,¡± she said, giving him a significant look. ¡°What I can do isn¡¯t anything that the ¡®Great Protector¡¯ gave me,¡± he said, using their term for the System that he¡¯d learned while speaking with Myra, Asami, and now Celys. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have a Path until a month ago.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Celys said, still giving him a dubious look. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with that? How¡¯d you suddenly become level seventeen?¡± ¡°It seems as though the Great Protector saved up the ¡®experience¡¯ I¡¯d gathered from killing all those goblins and such,¡± he said with a shrug, though inwardly shuddering at the intense pain he¡¯d felt just before blacking out after having taken his Path. Celys gave him another weird look. ¡°I¡¯ve not heard of that happening before,¡± she said carefully, still eyeing him. ¡°Have you heard of someone killing so many monsters before gaining their first Path?¡± Joram rebutted. ¡°No¡­¡± she replied, shaking her head. ¡°No one would let their child near a monster if they had anything to do with it.¡± ¡°There you go,¡± Joram said with a shrug. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t know about something, doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t exist, or can¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Are you telling me that children can get a head start in life by starting to kill monsters before they get their first Path?¡± Celys asked with keen interest, but also with no small measure of sharpness in her tone. ¡°Sure?¡± he said, shrugging yet again. ¡°I don¡¯t recommend it by any stretch of the imagination, though. I nearly died a few times, even before I took that spear to the chest,¡± he said, causing her to blanche slightly at the memory. ¡°Good point,¡± she said faintly, then quickly firmed up again. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ve gotten quite off topic, haven¡¯t we?¡± she said, forcing a smile. ¡°That we have,¡± he said, chuckling a bit at how she looked. ¡°Anyways. As you can see, I¡¯ve got enough food for everyone, and I can [Grow] more as I need to,¡± he said, once more motioning at the crops. ¡°What, are you part [Druid] now?¡± she asked lightly, probably still trying to lighten the mood. ¡°What? No. It¡¯s just one of the things I can do. Before getting my Path, I might add.¡± Celys gave him that weird look again but ultimately didn¡¯t pursue what was obviously on her mind. ¡°And what about meat? Even though us animal-kin don¡¯t need as much meat as our distant cousins do, we still need some in our diet to be healthy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also got that covered,¡± he said, shrugging off her worries. ¡°Either through hunting or just making it, I¡¯ll have enough for everyone.¡± ¡°Wait. You can just make meat?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You just get more and more ridiculous the longer I¡¯m around you,¡± Celys said, pinching the bridge of her nose as though she was trying to stave off an incoming headache. ¡°Ouch.¡± ¡°Ouch, indeed,¡± she said, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before looking at him again. ¡°Please don¡¯t ruin the economy of Kirkwall,¡± she pleaded in all earnestness. ¡°How would I do that?¡± he asked before his brain caught up to the implications. ¡°You can make cloth from sticks. You can apparently make meat. You build things faster than weeds grow. And I¡¯m sure that¡¯s only the tip of the horn when it comes to the ridiculous things you can produce,¡± she said, obviously leaving out how he could slaughter monsters wholesale. ¡°So, for now I¡¯ll let the caravan know that there¡¯s room over here for them, for a fee. In the meantime, you just make sure that those girls are well taken care of,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Especially make sure that none of those slavers get anywhere near them, especially the freed ones. They¡¯re a slimy bunch, those slavers, and I wouldn¡¯t put it past them trying to pull something if they think that they can get away with it,¡± she finished, her tone ominous. ¡°I¡¯d worry more about what might happen to them if they tired,¡± Joram said grimly as he scowled. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ll have to worry about that,¡± she said, also scowling. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill anyone; the paperwork is beyond tedious,¡± she finished with a sigh. Joram was about to comment on that before Avi spoke. ¡®Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯s just basically given you a carte-blanche to deal with anyone trying to mess with those girls. Just take it for the olive branch of trust that it was extended as.¡¯ Reviewing what Celys had said, he didn¡¯t quite understand where Avi was coming from, but wisely chose to remain silent. Chapter 066 - Her own "Prime" After his talk with Celys, he finally managed to enchant the circuit breakers in the mess hall. Which would also allow him to extend the electrical capacity of his house. Then, after a quick tutorial for the volunteers on how to use the griddles, stovetops, and ovens, he made himself scarce for a while, retreating into his study. There, he was comfortably surrounded by his many books, figurines, and various collectibles. Some were even genuine. Most, though, had been made by him once he¡¯d finished building his house. There were things ranging from banners originating from his favourite video games and books, all the way to various replicas of armour and weapons. He wasn¡¯t sure how serviceable the armour would be, but at least it looked nice. He idly wondered if he¡¯d ever be able to fully replicate any of those things, though. Thus wondering, he sat at his desk, a replica of the one he¡¯d been using in his mind when he meditated, and turned on his laptop. He wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to do, so he wound up just messing around with a few different games over the next hour. It felt weird, almost alien, to finally sit down and play a game again. Sure, he had hundreds, if not thousands, of games downloaded and waiting to be played. Sure, he¡¯d pirated the vast majority of those games, and had even gone so far as to acquire the server files for any of the games that required such. But it still felt weird. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the world he found himself in, his expanded understanding of things, or even if it originated from being turned into a High Elan. But things felt¡­ off. Even more than the PTSD from the years of video game shaming he¡¯d gone through would explain. He sighed, then shut down the laptop before closing the lid again. ¡®You¡¯re probably just worried about those girls,¡¯ Avi said kindly, surprising him with her tone. ¡®You¡¯re probably right,¡¯ he sent back, thinking of the many things they¡¯d eventually need, and the others that they¡¯d need right now. ¡®You¡¯ll manage,¡¯ Avi said airily, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she did. Which managed to once more stun him with just how¡­ perfect she looked. After a moment taken to recover, he nodded then headed back outside to check on everyone. Once outside, he saw that everyone had gathered inside the mess hall for breakfast, if his nose wasn¡¯t wrong in what it was telling him. Nodding, he looked around a bit before deciding on his next project. He walked around to the back side of the new mess hall and looked at the tree that would be in the way. Thinking about it more, he supposed that maybe he should build further back considering the company he figured would show up later that evening. Nodding to himself again, he made his way once more to the back of his house. There, directly behind his house stood the greenhouse, so he¡¯d have to build just a bit south of it, for the small field of bamboo stood just to the north of the greenhouse. Thus decided, he got to work. * * * Shae¡¯ra¡¯s eyes widened as her spoon stopped on its way to her open mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Imryll asked, looking, and sounding alarmed. Shae¡¯ra quickly shook her head, not wanting to scare her young friend, nor the other girls who were sitting at the long table with them. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she lied, waving off their concerned looks with her free hand. ¡°I just felt a bit of mana, that¡¯s all.¡± Imryll blinked at her curiously while the other girls looked confused. ¡°Why would that bother you?¡± Imryll asked, still not quite convinced that there was nothing to worry about. ¡°It just surprised me, that¡¯s all,¡± she said, trying to reassure the young night elf. ¡°It surprised me, too,¡± Fyrellia said from across the table, looking to the west side of the hall as her tail swayed back and forth. ¡°What¡¯s he up to?¡± she wondered out loud, making Shae¡¯ra want to smack her for not being considerate of the younglings with them. ¡°Probably just another building being put up,¡± she replied casually, causing everyone to stare at her incredulously. Arise, the dark elf that had been sticking with the succubus and erynese, gave her a shrewd look. ¡°Did you witness this mess hall being built?¡± Arise asked, hitting the nail on the head. ¡°Yes, and it was quite the spectacle,¡± she replied with a slight smile. Arise looked at her appraisingly while Fyrellia looked down at her bowl of mostly eaten food before she began stuffing her face as fast as she could. Qyress, the erynese, saw that and seemed to catch on and also started eating as fast as she could. Then, the sharper ones seemed to catch on to what was going on, and soon everyone was eating as fast as they could, Shae¡¯ra included. She didn¡¯t want to miss watching the young master working, for the first time had been beyond fantastic. So much so that she¡¯d been too stunned to remember most of what he¡¯d done, just leaving the sensation of the flowing mana behind in her mind. It took them less than two minutes to finish up and place their dishes on the counter before they rushed outside to see what was happening. As they went, she made sure to keep an eye on the two demons and her dark cousin, not knowing if they¡¯d resort to pushing a youngling out of the way to get there faster. By the time they arrived, she was both surprised and impressed that none of the three had behaved inappropriately on their mad dash. Then those thoughts were washed away in the waves of mana that were coming off the young master. He¡¯d already cleared the ground, a space slightly larger than the mess hall, if she was estimating it correctly. He was in the process of doing his weird¡­ dance, when he stopped and turned around. She was impressed with just how red his face became, obviously embarrassed. She didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d be embarrassed, though perhaps it had something to do with his odd dance. ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Asami Miki called out to the young master from beside her, causing her to jump slightly in shock. ¡°Just keep working!¡± The young master blinked at Asami Miki, then at the rest of them before taking a deep breath and turning around again, muttering something that she couldn¡¯t understand. From that point on, it got a bit¡­ boring, though fascinating at the same time. She¡¯d initially thought that his use of [Earthshape] was somehow tied to his dancing, but was proved wrong. He just stood there as flows of mana danced around, causing the earth to move and the cleared brush to suddenly ignite and turn to ash. She watched, fascinated, as the ash was then moved to a bin that raised up from the ground closer to the stunning house of glass that she just now noticed. How she¡¯d missed such a thing was beyond her, especially with how eye-catching it was. But that¡¯s how it was. Then the earth seemed to flow out of the way as stones rose up from beneath. Her jaw dropped as the stones then began to flow like water, taking on different shapes as they came together to first form a wide stretch of what appeared to be a floor. Then they dipped down and formed a vast, if shallow, basin. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. From there, low walls of stone were raised, only a couple of feet tall. She turned as motion from the side caught her attention and saw those same golems from yesterday coming up from what looked like large cellar doors at the base of the house, on the west side of it. They were each carrying a huge stack of boards, or just logs, that they then placed along the low walls, spacing them out as they did. She wasn¡¯t sure what some of the wood was, but it wasn¡¯t all the same stuff that he¡¯d used to build the mess hall. She caught a faint scent that was both sharp and oddly pleasing to the nose, making her think of cedar, though the colour was a bit off. They watched as the frame of the building was made, magically floating into place and somehow fixing solidly in place. Then the far walls went up. It was amazing to watch as the building seemed to come into existence as though appearing from far to near. When the building was done, to her eyes anyways, the young master casually walked inside, leaving them standing there in stunned silence. Then Asami Miki and Myra hurried to follow the young master inside, breaking the silence, and their inaction. A veritable flood of people hurried to the doors and tried to get through it all at once until, of all people, Qyress began to loudly organize the press of people. Ironically enough, it seemed as though her status as a demon garnered no little respect amongst the younglings, allowing her to quickly sort out the press of bodies. Inside, she was greeted by what looked to be a small lobby with a few benches along the walls and a door directly opposite them. Well, a doorway, anyways. Instead of a solid door she saw vertical strips of cloth. And no young master. She then quickly made her way through the hanging cloth and found that there was a wall in front of her, dividing the way into a t-section. She quickly chose to go left and found herself in what appeared to be a changing room of some sort. Shae¡¯ra looked over and saw that it hadn¡¯t mattered which way she¡¯d chosen, as some of the girls were coming in from the other side. Looking around, she saw many shelves divided into cubbies lining the walls, as well as several long benches in the middle of the room, and another cloth dressed doorway. Walking as quickly as she could manage and still be dignified, she went through the hanging cloth and found herself in a much larger, and very open room. To her left and right, she saw what appeared to be spigots coming out of the walls, confusing her greatly. She noticed that the floor sloped down slightly, leading to what appeared to be drains build into the stone floor. Suspecting what the spigots were for, she turned to inspect the rest of the room. There, near the large basin, stood the young master. As she watched, the stone flowed a bit more, creating two stairways leading down into the basin. Then a narrow ledge formed a couple of feet below the lip of the basin, looking oddly like a long bench. Then stone began to rise from the centre of the basin, creating what almost looked like several natural boulders clustered together. Then the physical changes stopped, but the mana kept flowing. Now, Shae¡¯ra was no [Sage] when it came to mana, its many nuances and applications, but she had seen her fair share of its applications over the years. And what she was seeing made her gasp in shock, a gasp that was repeated by Fyrellia, who was standing beside her. From what she could discern, the young master was enchanting the entire area! Too stunned to stand, she felt her legs giving out from under her. Now seated on the stone floor, she just continued to stare at the impossible happening before her eyes. * * * Hmm, pipes here¡­ drains there¡­. I¡¯ll need a few¡­ he mumbled in his thoughts, not comfortable speaking out loud with such an audience. It had been bad enough when they¡¯d seen him pretending to be an earth bender¡­. He dismissed those embarrassing memories as he focussed on the last parts¡­ well, the almost last parts of building the communal bath. He then retrieved a few Dust Crystals and got to work. A heating enchantment here, there, and there. Another to slowly circulate the water through the pipes and around the bath. The last one he placed was a facility-wide [Cleanse] effect to make sure that no bacteria, mold, fungus, scum, or viruses would survive. Well, and any dirt that accumulated from bathing. It was specifically targeted at the building itself, the pipes, and the water in the bath. He idly wondered if he could add a [Recycle] enchantment that would reclaim any soap, shampoo, or conditioners used, but just let it go. It would likely be a crazy amount of work, let alone insanely complicated to pull off. Much easier to just [Cleanse] it all away and provide new stuff for the girls. The last problem was the water. He didn¡¯t want to use [True Creation] in front of them all, wanting to keep that card close to his chest. Which meant that he¡¯d have to either do that when no one was around, or assign a dozen people to manually carry it in. Well, it¡¯d at least give them something to do, he thought with a mental shrug before finally turning around to face his audience. Then just about ran when he was their expressions. He wasn¡¯t good with praise in general, but the looks of almost worship on their faces nearly killed him. Short of teleporting away, he was stuck. * * * ¡°Move aside, the young master is tired from his exertions,¡± Asami said, waving to the gaggle of gawking girls as she pulled Joram along behind her. Snapping out of their dazed state, they quickly made way for her and Joram, allowing her to escape with him. She didn¡¯t stop until they were inside their bedroom. Once inside, she turned and locked the door, then pulled Joram to the bed where she pushed him over. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said as she reached down and swung his feet onto the bed. She then crawled in after him and took up her customary spot on his chest. ¡°It¡¯s time for my morning nap,¡± she said, snuggling into him a bit more. ¡°I-,¡± he started to protest, but she cut him off quickly. ¡°¡¯-am going to be your pillow¡¯,¡± she finished for him, smiling when he just sighed in defeat. As she lay there, she again noticed how his body relaxed as he entered [Meditation]. She¡¯d have much preferred his other reaction, but settled for snuggling instead. With yet another common sense-breaking display, she was sure that he¡¯d be getting much more attention from the girls, let alone from the women of Kirkwall who¡¯d been there to witness it. Shrugging that off, she contented herself with listening to Joram¡¯s thoughts. She was glad that he was still planning on experimenting with his [Create Dungeon] Skill, as she thought that it would prove to be one of the most interesting of his abilities. She was also sure that they¡¯d need both the income that came with killing Dungeon Monsters and the experience it would give to those doing the killing. She approved of his ideas on creating a Dungeon closer to home, though wondered if making one in the basement was wise. That said, allowing the girls to hunt in the dungeon was a good idea. Especially since they¡¯d eventually need to defend themselves. What she found odd, though, were his thoughts on gaining Titles and Achievements before gaining a Path. She knew that he¡¯d done it, but he was a bit of a special case. His [Pathless Slaughterer] was certainly an Achievement worth trying to replicate, though she wondered if it would be practical to do so. Needing to kill one hundred foes before taking a Path just to get the first level of the Achievement was¡­ hefty. That said, she didn¡¯t know if the person would need to kill the foe by themselves, let alone if the foe needed to be an active threat or not. Which would rule out killing caged monsters. As interesting as all that was, she wasn¡¯t sure that she liked the idea of having children killing so many caged monsters. Sure, it was one thing to fight for your life, quite another to kill a defenseless being. Even if they were basically mana constructs. Callous killing never left a person¡­ whole, or quite right in the head. She then relaxed as his thoughts turned to the fantastical things from his world. From amazing devices that flew you through the air like birds, to somewhat terrifying weapons. She knew from his thoughts that most were basically made up, mere fictions. But she was once more impressed to the point of astonishment that his benefactor had also left such a trove of knowledge for him before vanishing. It was harder than anything she¡¯d ever had to do to keep quiet about what she gleaned from him, especially after he started using [Barred Mind] in an attempt at keeping his thoughts private. She suspected that his companion, Avi, knew that it hadn¡¯t worked, though. The looks she¡¯d send her way were just too¡­ knowing, to be anything else. But that just made her smile more, for Joram had a very smart woman sharing his head that would speak sense to him when he started getting¡­ weird. She smiled again, then reached up and wrapped her arms around his sides. He was definitely the best! Smart, comfy, and comfortable to be around with how his mind felt to her. It was like sleeping under one of the great children of the World Tree as a sunbeam warmed her fur. Now, if she could only figure out how to unlock his heart, she¡¯d be golden! * * * Avi watched, amused, as Asami hugged Joram tightly, snuggling him for all she was worth. If Asami knew just how much she affected Joram, she¡¯d likely shout in joy. Then promptly jump him. She wondered when Joram would ease up. It would certainly help him to relax more. Though, the growth of [Clear Mind] would likely suffer for it. Still, sometimes sacrifices had to be made when one took into account one¡¯s happiness. Still. It was hard being a purely mental construct. There were things that she wanted to do, not the least of which was to be slightly more autonomous than she was currently. Much like her other self had become. She smiled as she watched Asami settle on Joram. It was such a similar sight to another one that she smiled again. She wasn¡¯t sure if Joram himself knew it, but he was pretty much a kemomimisuto, a person who loves animal-eared people. He also liked tails more than he would admit. Specifically, a tail attached to the tail end of a sexy gal. Like Asami, or Myra. Or any of the other beautiful women around him, for that matter. Smirking, she started to go through the bits of information that were slowly making their way to her from her other self. Her own ¡°Prime¡± version, if you will. Chapter 067 - He can even cook... Once she¡¯d gotten everyone calmed down after Joram¡¯s latest bout of ridiculousness, Myra led them back to the mansion and to their rooms for some quiet time. The other women from Kirkwall, her mother included, went back to the mess hall to clean up and organize things. For which she was very glad. Mostly because she didn¡¯t want to deal with sticky-noses. Partially because she didn¡¯t know most of the answers to the questions they¡¯d likely be asking her. Nor was she particularly comfortable sharing things about Joram, even with her mother. She knew just how special Joram was, and how he valued his privacy. Which was why, she was certain, Asami had brought him away so quickly. And now she was standing in front of their bedroom door and sighing. She¡¯d forgotten to take the key that Joram had given to her. Well, he had also given one to Asami, but that was tangential to her current dilemma of being locked out of their room. So, she quietly knocked on the door, hoping that she wasn¡¯t¡­ interrupting something she shouldn¡¯t be interrupting. But at the same time, fervently hoping that if something was happening that she¡¯d indeed be interrupting things. A moment later, she heard the door unlock, so she quickly entered the room and locked the door behind herself. And there laid Joram with Asami on his chest, both fully clothed- thankfully! She heaved a quiet sigh of relief as she approached the bed, noting that Joram had one hand resting on Asami¡¯s head as she quietly snored, while the other arm lay extended from his side. Smiling, she quickly kicked off her shoes and took up her traditional space beside him, happy to snuggle up to him again before their normal bedtime. She noticed that he still hadn¡¯t opened his eyes, nor had his expression changed any. Then she felt the muscles in his arm move and she was astonished when his hand rested on her head, brushing her left ear in the process. She suppressed a shudder of sheer joy and pleasure, not wanting Joram to think that she was weird or something equally embarrassing. Then she relaxed even more as the warmth of his hand finally got through her hair and reached her scalp. Now much happier than she¡¯d been herding everyone earlier, she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. * * * A few hours later saw Joram emerging from his room, Myra and Asami in tow. Fyrellia smiled at the sight, wondering just how insatiable her new master was. Then she discarded those thoughts as she remembered the ridiculous display of magic earlier that morning. Messing with someone that powerful almost never turned out well. Though, if she could get closer to him¡­ She sighed then, wondering just how much a human would be attracted to a demon like herself. Yes, she pretty much looked human if you took away her horns, wings, and tail. But she knew just how deep-rooted the hatred most humans had for demons went. Though, if Asami Miki was to be believed, then her master wasn¡¯t a human. But if that were true, then what was he? She couldn¡¯t see any physical difference between him and any other human that she¡¯d seen, barring his ridiculous physique that is. Well, he could have used something like [Polymorph] to change his appearance so, really, he could have been anything, even another demon. Which would go a long way in explaining his absolutely ridiculous mana pool. And his magical control. And the power behind that control¡­. She sighed as she watched her master head down the hall towards the rooms she and the other slaves occupied. Just thinking about all that mana did things to her that almost no one else had done for her, including her previous city lord, a powerful demon in his own rights. Fyrellia snuck a peek at her two companions and saw what she had expected. It wasn¡¯t just her who found incredibly powerful beings incredibly attractive. No, everyone from the demon continent was pretty much the same. The culture of the strong ruling had been there since time immemorial. So, whenever a particularly powerful demon showed up, they were almost swarmed with would-be suitors. Or just people wanting a part of the action, as it were. She then just about laughed out loud when he stopped in front of the first door and knocked as though he were a servant, asking if it was OK if he entered. So, she quickly approached to see what he was up to, certain that it would prove incredibly entertaining. ¡°Shae¡¯ra? Could I please have a word with you?¡± he said, looking for all the world as though he expected the elf to refuse. But, unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t. She listened as the young master explained the ¡°greenhouse¡± to Shae¡¯ra and his hopes that she would be able to help with growing enough food for everyone. Which revealed that Shae¡¯ra was a [Druid], and a much higher level one than she¡¯d thought. At level 31, she was even higher level than not just her and her companions, but also the young master himself. Well, that is if Arise¡¯ [Identify] had worked properly. She still couldn¡¯t believe that he was just a level 17 [Crafter]. It was almost insulting. After yet more talking, it was determined that Shae¡¯ra could indeed help with the task of [Grow]¡¯ing the food for everyone. Though, much to her surprise, she also recommended the night elf, Imryll, who happened to be an [Herbalist], though only level 6. She smiled as the young elf practically wilted under the young master¡¯s attention. Then was impressed when the terrifying Myra actually stepped up to reassure the young elf. ¡°Would anyone else like to help with the greenhouse?¡± the young master asked loudly enough so that everyone in the room could hear him. Surprised, she watched as a few more hands were hesitantly raised, all of which belonged to the older girls in the room. ¡°It¡¯s not an order, nor will it involve anything but gardening,¡± the young master said, sighing. When Asami Miki nodded at his words, several of those hands went down. But then a few more went up, including the cute deer-kin¡¯s hands. Though, oddly, the cow-kin and sheep-kin hadn¡¯t volunteered. Maybe that was racist of her? She shrugged, then followed the young master and his new recruits out of the room and to the next one where, once again, he knocked and asked if it was OK to enter. Once given ¡°permission¡±, he entered, followed by his new entourage. Once inside, the young master once more asked for volunteers with gardening, harvesting, and preparation work. The humies, though were much more reluctant than the others hand been. Though, given that Joram looked human, he got a few volunteers after once more clarifying that it was only going to be gardening, and agriculturally related activities. Then the process repeated with the predator-kin¡¯s room, surprisingly getting several volunteers from them as well. Which, again, might have been somewhat racist of her to assume that they wouldn¡¯t be as interested in that as the others had been. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Oh, right,¡± the young master said once he was back in the hallway. ¡°Could someone tell the others that I¡¯d like to meet everyone in the mess hall in ten minutes?¡± Immediately, several girls hurried off to tell the others before the young master started off down the hall again. ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡± Arise whispered to her and Qyress as they followed along at the tail-end of the group of would-be gardeners. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qyress asked uncertainly. ¡°I mean: why is he acting so nice? Is he trying to lure us into a false sense of security? To make us trust him?¡± she asked, looking incredibly suspicious. ¡°Could be,¡± Fyrellia said, shrugging. ¡°Though with how powerful he is, I don¡¯t think he would need to stoop to that,¡± she said, gesturing to the mess hall and the new communal bathhouse behind it. ¡°Someone who can lay down enchantments that fast, and accurately, doesn¡¯t need to mess around with mind games.¡± Qyress nodded at her words, though Arise still looked doubtful. ¡°Did he really enchant the whole bath?¡± Arise asked skeptically, though she could tell that the dark elf¡¯s doubt was starting to crack. ¡°From what I could see, he even used some Crystal Cores in the process. A process that I¡¯ve never seen, by-the-way,¡± she said, shaking her head. Qyress gave her an appraising look before nodding while Arise still stubbornly held onto her doubt. For as much as she liked her squad-mate, she knew that the elf was ridiculously stubborn. Part of the reason why they¡¯d been captured and enslaved. Shaking off that memory, she joined the rest of the soon-to-be gardeners in the mess hall. A few minutes later, the rest of the girls arrived, taking up even more of the seating, though everyone present only took up about half of what was available. ¡°OK, so, some of you might have heard what I¡¯ve done for Shae¡¯ra here,¡± the young master said, quieting the room instantly. ¡°I¡¯m told that there are certain legal restrictions in freeing slaves,¡± he said, glancing over at the woman she¡¯d heard was the chief of the village they had come to. ¡°So, this¡¯ll be the first, and likely last, order I¡¯ll give you as your¡­ owner,¡± he said, seemingly distasteful of the word, or its implications. ¡°I¡¯ll need everyone to split into two groups. The first group will consist of those who¡¯re considered adults amongst your people. The second group will consist of those who¡¯re still considered minors amongst your people,¡± he said, motioning first to his left, then his right. Many murmurs broke out then as their nervousness was once more brought to the surface. For her part, Fyrellia couldn¡¯t wait to see what happened next as she joined the group of ¡°adults¡± to the young master¡¯s left. She then frowned at how many minors gathered to his right, though. Only twelve of them had gathered on Joram¡¯s left side, leaving thirty-seven to stand in the other group. She was a bit surprised to see the night elf and the one dwarf join that group, though. But, to be fair, she was terrible at estimating the ages of dwarves and elves. Probably because they matured slower than most other races out there. She looked back to Joram and saw him frowning slightly and wondered what he was thinking. ¡°Well, that complicates things a bit,¡± he muttered under his breath, making it unlikely that anyone outside of their small group heard him. He then turned to her small group and gave them an appraising look that caused her heart to skip a beat. Blushing, she watched as he nodded to himself, though he was incredibly hard to read. ¡°Could you each step forward, one by one, and tell me your names?¡± he asked, looking at each one of them in turn, though he waved Shae¡¯ra off as she stepped forward. ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± he said, leaving it at that. The cat-kin who was with Pryte and Ruva stepped forward next, letting them all know that her name was Kuro. The young master nodded, then dug through a small pouch until he withdrew her slave token and held it in front of Kuro. ¡°Do you wish to be free?¡± he asked simply, though with a kindness that tugged at her heart. ¡°Yes,¡± Kuro replied, sounding a bit choked up, though she tried to hide it. The young master nodded then took her right hand in his free left hand, then pressed the token into her upturned palm. Fyrellia blinked at the burst of mana, then smiled when she felt the curse of slavery leave Kuro. For her part, Kuro just stood there staring at her hand as the young master let go and asked for the next person to step forward. Amongst the rest of them, there were the three in her group, four humans, the two cow-kin, and a mouse-kin. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see that the two cow-kin stepped forwards together, seeing as how they were twins and all. Though, she¡¯d been surprised to see that the human twins had also stepped forward, just a second later. Then came the next two humans, then the timid mouse-kin. Fyrellia stood back with her fellow demons, though, knowing that freedom would come with too many hazards for them. So it was that the young master freed each of the young women who¡¯d stepped forward, much to the obvious envy of the younger women watching. ¡°And what about you three?¡± he asked when he¡¯d finished with the others. ¡°We¡¯ll remain as slaves,¡± Fyrellia spoke up for them, getting their nods of assent. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, looking genuinely confused, causing yet another blossom of warmth to spread through her chest as she smiled sadly. ¡°That would come with too many complications for them, I¡¯d imagine¡± the village chief said as she walked over to them. The young master looked over to her, then down at Asami Miki and Myra, who both nodded. ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± he said, sounding incredibly annoyed before shaking his head. ¡°Anyways. When the rest of you young ladies come of age, I¡¯ll also free you,¡± he said, turning to the larger crowd. ¡°Unfortunately, that means that you¡¯ll all have to attend lessons until that day comes,¡± he said as he grinned mischievously at the now dismayed group of girls. ¡°That said,¡± he continued, still smiling. ¡°Is there anyone here who¡¯s experienced in teaching? I¡¯ll probably need two or three volunteers.¡± ¡°Will we be paid?¡± one of the human women asked as she half raised her hand. ¡°Anyone who¡¯s working will be paid,¡± the young master said casually, then blew her mind with his next words. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter of you¡¯re free or a slave. I¡¯ll pay whoever is helping out. That said, it won¡¯t be much, but I hope it¡¯ll be enough to get some stuff for yourselves.¡± The young woman nodded, then dropped her hand as she turned to whisper with the other three young women. ¡°OK, so, it¡¯ll take a little while for everyone to settle in. So, don¡¯t worry too much about what you think you need to be doing. Just relax and recover your strength. ¡°That said,¡± he said, turning to the nine free women. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay, I won¡¯t force you. If you have families to get back to, feel free to let me know and I¡¯ll see what I can do to help you return to them. That goes for everyone else, too. ¡°If you want to go back to your homes, just let me know. I won¡¯t hold it against anyone for wanting to go home,¡± he said, sounding oddly sad about that. ¡°I¡¯m sure that Chief Manelle-,¡± ¡°Just call me Celys,¡± Celys cut in, quickly. ¡°¡­ That Celys will be more than happy to help. That said, I know that it¡¯s a lot to take in, so everyone, feel free to at least sleep on it. You can stay here for as long as you want. ¡°So, with that in mind, and as an expression of gratitude for the wonderful women of Kirkwall, I¡¯d like to cook tonight¡¯s meal for everyone who¡¯s helped out, as well as for everyone else,¡± he said, giving them all a warm and fatherly smile that didn¡¯t quite match up with his youthful face. ¡°¡­ and there¡¯s the honey trap,¡± she heard Celys mutter, though- oddly- she didn¡¯t look displeased at the thought of the young master cooking for them all. If anything, given Asami Miki¡¯s and Myra¡¯s furiously wagging tails, she thought it was probably something to look forward to¡­. Though, maybe that¡¯s how he managed to snag those incredible beauties¡­. Shrugging, she just went with it. She was in it for the long haul, as it were. ¡°Will there be¡­ cookies¡­?¡± Asami Miki asked, surprising Fyrellia with how eager she sounded, let alone how large her eyes had gotten. ¡°I¡¯ll make a few different kinds,¡± the young master said, smiling as he patted her on the head, shocking everyone present. Instead of calling down fire and lightning to smite his presumption, Asami Miki practically squealed in delight as her tails went crazy. What these ¡°cookies¡± were, she didn¡¯t know. But if a venerable Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was excited to get them, then she very much wanted to try them herself. Crazy mana pool, crazy strong, and he can even cook¡­ she silently mused, really taking in his details for the first time, and finding them very pleasing. * * * Joram felt a shiver run down his spine as the started getting food preferences from all of the girls. He turned and saw Avi falling over laughing as she clutched at her sides. Even Asami looked over to the rolling Avi, though instead of looking confused, she had a smirk on her face. Not wanting to touch those cans of worms, he got back to taking notes. He was surprised to find that all of the animal-kin were omnivores. Sure, the cow-kin, deer-kin, and sheep-kin said they preferred less meat in their meals, but weren¡¯t against eating meat. Which, reflecting on it, shouldn¡¯t have surprised him given the videos he¡¯d watched of supposed herbivores eating other animals. Once he was done with that, he went into the kitchen, closed the door and rolling shutters, and got to work. His first task involved making a light lunch for everyone. It was now getting close to lunch time and he didn¡¯t want anyone going hungry waiting for supper. Thinking quickly, he prepared several cauldron-like pots and began chopping up the veggies that he started creating with [True Creation]. From there, he created some ¡°herbes de provence¡±, his favourite herb blend. Once the heat was turned on, he added water to them and threw on a lid. With that done, he created some fresh salted butter, then a good hundred rolls, hot and steamy. Then, as the soup began to simmer, he got to work preparing for supper. Chapter 068 - For-real-life good-guy As he worked, Joram had a look at his Inventory. He¡¯d already taken out, and [Delve]¡¯d, everything that had been in his apartment, leaving his inventory almost empty. He also noticed that he now had many more slots than before. In fact, he had exactly 34 more slots than he¡¯d started with, more than doubling his storage capacity. He still had a stack of logs; he¡¯d found out that each slot¡¯s capacity was more than one hundred items of the same kind. He wasn¡¯t sure how much he could stuff into a single slot, so he just added a stack of 100 sequoia logs, another 100 of the teak-like wood, and 100 stone blocks that he¡¯d made into 1m cubes. Aside from those building materials, he¡¯d stored away the kukri-like daggers, the Desert Eagle in its holster, the clips, and the box of ammo, and Irymis¡¯ Staff. He still needed to study the staff more to see how to put a Skill into an item, but also to see if he could manually learn those two impressive Skills. Because [Dimensional Manipulation] and [Spatial Manipulation] still sounded incredibly useful, no matter how you split it. Then he went over his to-do list. Learning more [Egoist] abilities was still on the table, mostly because he still wanted to be able to more easily heal other people, but also because he wanted to be a lot more survivable than he was. That close call with the ogre mages had been an eye-opening experience. Then there were the magical Skills that he still wanted to learn more about. Or rather, more of. He certainly hoped that he could find more Skill Tomes in the future, but also hoped that he could find a tutor or something that could teach him more magic. Yes, he could use a dizzying array of Psionic Powers, but making better use of his ridiculous mana pool would also increase his versatility, survivability, and overall usefulness. Shaking his head, he looked at the next item he hadn¡¯t managed to cross off yet. ¡°Experiment with Dust¡±. That would take time. Well, he already knew some applications, but he wanted to know all the applications!! Or, at least, as many as was reasonable. The last item that was on the list was somewhat solved already. His circadian rhythm issues. From what he could tell, and comparing when the sun came up to any of his many clocks- be they digital, analogue, or apps-, he¡¯d found that each day had roughly an hour more in it here. And seeing as how he¡¯d been watching for the past month, he¡¯d found that his old clocks were now over a day in advance than they should have been. Which meant that, over the course of a month, he¡¯d have more than a full day¡¯s worth of crafting, experimenting, and training time! Getting back to his Inventory, he decided that putting any of the already prepared food into his Inventory would go a long way to keeping everything fresh. So, he did. Then he got on to preparing the roasts. He only had a large beef roast with which to work with, so he¡¯d made more of them with, of course, [True Creation]. After that, he¡¯d made a huge bowl of peeled garlic, then a massive bin full of potatoes, another tub of fresh salted butter, and lastly a dozen litres of fresh milk. Not the kind from the supermarket, no. That would be terrible. Instead, he created it from his memory of trying fresh milk at a dairy, pre-pasteurized. Yes, that sounded insane. He didn¡¯t care. It had been delicious. And given how stringent the cleaning of the equipment was, he had little worry of contracting anything beyond an addiction to the wonderfully fresh milk. Anyways, with that made, he got to work making the mashed potatoes. It was getting so much easier to use [Telekinesis], splitting its use between multiple targets. In short order, the potatoes were all diced and set to boil. Then came the mincing of the garlic and mixing it with the butter. Not long after, he drained the water and got to mashing and mixing in the garlic butter and a bit of milk. Even though he didn¡¯t need to eat, he still got a bit hungry smelling one of his favourite foods, let alone the wonderful aromas escaping from the ovens¡­. After storing away the mashed potatoes, he used [True Creation] again, though this time he created a few ingots of palladium. Why? He still wanted to make the Rings of Sustenance for everyone. That, and he wanted to make those rings with [Anchored Navigation] so that he could find the owners if something happened. With that done, he used [Modify Matter] to shape sixty rings from the ingots, leaving him with several ingots to spare. Shrugging, he stuffed them into his inventory for later, then started going over enchanting theory again as he busied his body with checking on the various roasts still going. After about an hour, he realized that making rings wasn¡¯t too different from making just about any other magical item. Or, in his case, psionic item. Thinking about it a bit more, he wondered if he could use mana to make things instead. Though, given how rare psionics seemed to be here, he decided that anything he made for anyone close to him would have to be made using the psionic method, as those items would be harder to detect for anyone with impure intentions. Shaking his head, he decided to put a limitation on the rings, effectively making them for the person he crafted each one for. Which would mean that it would basically be a pretty ring for anyone else who tried to use it. Nodding, he decided on that path forward. If things worked like they did in the tabletop RPGs he¡¯d played, having such an insane limitation on an item would also greatly reduce the cost of making the item! Doing one last check on the cooking roasts, he decided to quickly step out of the kitchen to do a check-up on each of the people that he wanted to give a ring to. With a quick [Delve] of each of them, he¡¯d then have what he needed to finish the rings. - - - An hour later, and more than a few odd looks, concerned looks, and even a few blushing faces, he was done. It had been pretty quick, all things considered. That said, he idly wondered if Celys and Ilyana had gotten the wrong impression from his ¡°checkup¡±. ¡®They certainly looked as though they were questioning your sanity,¡¯ Avi said from his side, smirking for all she was worth. ¡®Ah, well, I guess the misunderstanding will continue for a bit longer,¡¯ he sent back, sighing as he basted the roasts before getting back to making the rings. They weren¡¯t anything to write home about, design-wise. Just simple rounded bands of palladium. He liked the metal, mostly because he thought it looked nice while not being terribly gaudy, but also because it didn¡¯t tarnish like other precious metals did, and was quite hypoallergenic to boot. He picked up the first ring as he withdrew one of the 100 GP Dust Crystals, the full-sized one. He had also divided them into smaller portions, each corresponding to the equivalent purity of the varying Grades of Cores. Basically, creating a Crystal Core equivalent in Dust Crytal form. Which meant that each Dust Crystal was actually smaller than the corresponding Grade of Crystal Core. For example, a Grade E Core¡¯s equivalent of Dust wasn¡¯t much larger than a grain of sand. Taking a deep breath, Joram got to work. The pattern for [Sustenance] was actually fairly easy, as it actually reminded him a bit of [Metacreation] in that it produced, well, enough sustenance for the body throughout the day. On the other hand, it was very much an [Egoist] Power, as it also helped renew one¡¯s body, both physically and mentally. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Then the pattern for [Anchored Navigation] came next. It wasn¡¯t as familiar to him as the first two, as [Nomad] and [Seer]-type Powers were still ones that he was learning. Manipulating space and dimensional boundaries was¡­ complicated. But making an anchor to which he could always teleport to, was a bit easier than, say, using [Planeshift] or something. Then came the part where he attached those two Powers to the ring, and in doing so, made them into enchantments. For that, he relied heavily on the knowledge that Altaea had left for him, as well as¡­ what felt like an instinctual knowledge that came from his Class/Path. He supposed that being a [Creationist] wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. As he set the enchantment, he both felt and saw a small portion of the Dust Crystal break off into fine dust and flow into the ring. A moment later, he felt that the process was complete, adding one more feature that seemed to go hand-in-hand with enchanted gear: auto-sizing. He grinned, happy that it had worked out. Sure, he¡¯d enchanted the breaker boxes to prove electricity, but that was just basically copying what Altaea had done. This? This ring was the first work he¡¯d made without having something at hand to copy. Sure, the process of enchanting was basically installed in his brain, but he still felt proud to have done it. ¡®Well done,¡¯ Avi said as she leaned over, her elbows resting on the counter as her hands cradled her jaw. ¡®No, you should probably check on the roasts,¡¯ she said, giving him a wink. A wink that just about knocked him on his ass with how devastatingly cute it was. After taking a moment to recover, he quickly went about checking the roasts, basting them as he went. Once done, he pocketed the first ring, then got to work on the rest of the rings. After the experience of successfully making the first ring, enchanting the other rings went much faster. He found, though, that each ring seemed to take about 2 Units of Dust or, in other words, the equivalent of 2 Grade E Cores. Which, really, wasn¡¯t that bad at all. Especially considering how much he¡¯d been expecting to use in the first place, but he supposed that his Class Ability, [Ease of Creation], was doing most of the work there. He shrugged, just happy that it made crafting easier, for he truly loved crafting. With the rings fully enchanted, a thought occurred to him that led him to retrieve the stack of fifty-eight rings, placing them on the counter once more. Picking one up, he could instinctually feel that it was the one attuned to Myra. That said, it was identical to every other ring in the pile. So, he quickly activated [Modify Matter] and quickly engraved each of their names into each of their rings. Well, he engraved their names in both common and in english, on the inside of the band. Then, on a whim, added another name, in both languages. Sure, it was as common as it could get, but he decided, then, that he would take it as his own last name here. For the ones who weren¡¯t ¡°part of the family¡±, he just added their own names. Also, he left the last three rings ¡°primed¡± for when he ran into the guys since they weren¡¯t there for him to have gotten their data already. With that done, he quickly stored them away into his Inventory, then got back to making supper. * * * Ilyenna was very nervous sitting next to the pretty elf-lady whose name was almost the same as hers, Miss Ilyana. She looked around at everyone else, wondering just how odd these fox people were. They were¡­ so much nicer than most of the people she¡¯d known before the bandits came. Well, that wasn¡¯t fair. It had just been very hard to make a living. She¡¯d constantly heard the adults complaining about ¡°crippling taxes¡± over the past few years, as long as she¡¯d been working with them. She was proud that she¡¯d started her training already, well onto her way to getting the [Seamstress] Path, though the Great Protector wouldn¡¯t take her into its embrace for another few years. These fox people were just so weird to her. Who would bother with a bunch of slaves like they had? She¡¯d been long prepared to have her maidenhood taken from her after being bought by some master, so being bought by that Joram guy hadn¡¯t come as a surprise. In fact, she was happy that he wasn¡¯t some perverted old man. There¡¯d been whispers last night as everyone speculated about Joram. Most, though, seemed to have been won over by his treatment of them already, treating them, [Cleanse]¡¯ing them, then given them new clothes and new beds to sleep in. He hadn¡¯t even called for anyone to ¡°attend¡± him that night. They¡¯d asked around to be sure. Even more of them had been won over this morning after seeing the new mess hall. Then watching Joram make another building, a bathhouse someone had called it. Yet more had been won over after Joram had freed the older girls, offering the rest of them the same once they were adults. And even more when he¡¯d offered to help send them home!!! For the few who had a home to return to, that had been both endearing and a huge temptation. Then they had lunch, and everyone was now talking about how good it would be to stay there, even the freed women. And now the smells coming from the kitchen were making everyone¡¯s mouth water, hers included. She watched as Miss Asami Miki wiped a bit of drool away from the corner of her mouth while Miss Myra¡¯s mouth just hung open a bit as she stared vacantly at the kitchen door. Even the other adults from Kirkwall were often distracted by what they smelled. She couldn¡¯t blame them. She¡¯d never smelled anything quite so amazing as what she¡¯d been smelling from the kitchen over the past couple of hours. Most of them had just hung around after lunch. Some had gone outside with Shae¡¯ra so that they could be shown the ¡°green-house¡±, while others just wanted to walk, enjoying the ability to breath in fresh air and truly stretch their legs. For her part, Ilyana had started chatting with her after having overheard her conversation with Ren¨¦e about what kind of things they¡¯d done before¡­ now. Honestly, she was pretty excited about learning from the pretty elf lady. She¡¯d always heard stories about how elves were so good with whatever they chose to do, so she felt that she was incredibly blessed to have been chosen by Ilyana. Then she heard the kitchen door open, so she looked over to see Joram poke his bearded face out and look around quickly before speaking. ¡°Hey, Myra! Can you gather everyone? The food¡¯s ready to serve at any time!¡± Ilyenna¡¯s heart felt as though it had jumped in her chest at those words, her mouth watering more as even more of the delicious smells escaped the kitchen before Joram could close the door again. This time, though, he was on this side of the door when it closed. ¡°Hey Ilyana, thanks for coming by again today,¡± Joram said when he got to their section of table before a chair appeared out of thin air for him to sit on. She goggled, wondering if he had one of those crazy expensive storage rings she¡¯d always dreamt of owning, much like a [Princess] would. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Miss Ilyana said, waving it off. ¡°I couldn¡¯t very well leave all of these girls to fend for themselves. But getting both lunch and supper is certainly welcome,¡± she said as her eyes briefly drifted over to the still closed-off kitchen. ¡°Ah, no worries about that. Gave me the opportunity to work on something for after we eat,¡± he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. ¡°Oh~~? Please, do tell,¡± Miss Ilyana said as she twisted a bit more on the bench so that she could bat her eyelashes at Joram. Ilyenna just about laughed at the sight of a grownup doing that, much more used to seeing other girls her age trying that to persuade both boys and adults. ¡°Ah, sorry, that won¡¯t work on me,¡± Joram said, giving them a fabulous grin. ¡°My sisters over-used that tactic, forever ruining it for anyone else,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Foo-ey,¡± Miss Ilyenna pouted theatrically as Miss Asami Miki came over to join in on the conversation. ¡°When do we eat?!¡± she more demanded than asked, looking as though she was ready to pounce on Joram. ¡°As soon as everyone is gathered,¡± Joram replied resolutely. Then Miss Asami Miki turned and ran out the doors, shocking them all. ¡°I guess she¡¯s pretty hungry,¡± Joram said, chuckling. ¡°So, are you going to work your magic to get these girls some shoes soon?¡± Miss Ilyana asked, changing the subject. ¡°That¡¯s tomorrow morning¡¯s project,¡± Joram said, shrugging. ¡°I figure that I¡¯ll be busy most of the day working on making more stuff for everyone. More clothes, some dressers, and possibly another building entirely to house everyone. I¡¯m sure that no one really wants to sleep with so many others all the time,¡± he said casually, seemingly unaware of just how crazy what he¡¯d said sounded to everyone within earshot. ¡°Well, just let me know if you need a hand making anything,¡± Miss Ilyana said, sounding a bit¡­ disappointed? ¡°Well, actually, if you could help with throwing together something more interesting than I can make for them, that would be a tremendous help,¡± Joram said after a moments¡¯ thought where he¡¯d tilted his head to the side slightly, almost like he¡¯d been listening to someone. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to!¡± Miss Ilyana said happily, dazzling her with her smile. ¡°And I have a young lady here who can help!¡± Ilyenna could feel the colour draining from her face at the attention of not only the other girls, but also Joram. ¡°I-I-I-I just helped out a b-bit b-before,¡± she stammered as her chin dropped to her chest as she spoke. ¡°Me too,¡± Joram said, then she felt a massive hand on the top of her head. ¡°Ilyana¡¯s a great teacher, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll learn a lot from her,¡± he said, causing her heart to leap a bit in her chest. Is he actually a for-real-life good-guy? She silently wondered as his hand left her head, leaving a surprising amount of warmth behind. Chapter 069 - Electrum Celys watched as everyone gathered, then just about laughed when Kal, Theril, Reldan, and Magmyr ¡°casually¡± entered the mess hall, eyes wide and staring as their noses twitched. Instead of leaving them to stand there like lost sheep, she got up and made her way over to them. ¡°What brings you all here?¡± she asked when she got close enough to not have to speak too loudly. ¡°Even¡¯n Chief,¡± Magmyr said, taking the lead for them all. ¡°Got some new, but also wanted to finally visit the lad¡¯s place,¡± he said as he looked around a bit. ¡°What news?¡± she asked, curious as to what it was, and who¡¯d asked him to come here. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s jus¡¯ tha¡¯ the merchants wanna know if they can take the lad¡¯s offer ¡®ta stay behind his walls for the rest of their time here,¡± he explained with a shrug. ¡°Not sure he¡¯d wanna have the lot of ¡¯em camping here, what with his new slaves ¡¯n all.¡± Celys agreed with that, especially since Joram had already freed several of said slaves. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him after dinner, which should still give everyone enough time to do what¡¯s needed,¡± she said, then motioned for the four men to follow her to an empty section of table a bit further away from the girls. She then idly listened to the young men chat away about this and that, though most of it revolved around Joram¡¯s actions over the past day. Though, there was plenty of chatter focussing on the amazing mansion, the mess hall, and just about everything else for that matter. She couldn¡¯t blame them, especially since she was considering hiring Joram to rework several streets in Kirkwall to get them into better shape. ¡°OK, so! Could I have a few volunteers to help serve supper?¡± Joram suddenly called out from the kitchen, the shutters now open to reveal a veritable feast. Celys got up and headed over, followed by the other women who¡¯d come to help out for the day. That said, it had turned out to be a much longer day than any of them had anticipated. Though the offer of both lunch and supper had swayed most of them to stay the day, looking at it as a kind of holiday. Though, one where they also had the chance to help the younglings settle in and assuage their worries regarding Joram¡¯s intentions. Then the lists came off the huge pots as well as the other odd containers, all revealing amazing smelling food. She just about died when she was assigned to cut some roasts, the divine aroma nearly causing her to lose control with the temptation of just gobbling it up all by herself. Her nose picked up a few familiar herbs that Joram had used before, though many new ones were also detected. Then they were ready for the line of eager younglings. She was happy to see that they were all very well behaved, with no pushing or shoving. The girls quickly presented their plates and were promptly served, moving the line along with amazing efficiency. At the end, Joram was handing out cut and buttered rolls to anyone who wanted one. Which, as it turned out, everyone did. Then the four men showed up at then end of the line, making her smile. They¡¯d done well to wait, so she gave them a bit extra when they got to her. Once the line was taken care of, Joram told them to serve up and get eating. So, not wanting to be rude, she did! As she ate, she watched the younglings practically swoon at just how amazing everything tasted. She very much understood, for she¡¯d been secretly hoping to get another taste of Joram¡¯s cooking for two months now. Ever since she¡¯d had that amazing stew he¡¯d made for them that day she¡¯d visited him with the others, she hadn¡¯t quite forgotten the taste. She watched as Joram stood watching everyone eat, looking pleased that his cooking seemed to be going over well with everyone. When a few of the younglings had finished, he then called out and told them all that it was all right to come for seconds. Thus encouraged, they did. Then she just about went and kicked him when he just stood there and used [Telekinesis] or something to serve those who¡¯d come up for seconds. He hadn¡¯t needed their help at all! Then she calmed when she realized that he¡¯d likely called them to help so that the younglings wouldn¡¯t feel bad being served first. Her opinion of him once again improved with that thought. But another thing stood out to her as she watched him, after having gotten another helping herself. He wasn¡¯t eating. Then she remembered how oddly he¡¯d behaved when she¡¯d first met him. She¡¯d noticed that he¡¯d paced himself while eating so that he was only half-done by the time everyone else had eaten. So, when it came to serving seconds to everyone, he¡¯d gladly done so. It was only when there was no more food left that Joram had finished his own portion, saying how full he was. This time, though, he hadn¡¯t even bothered taking a plate for himself, seemingly happy to just serve others. By the time everyone was happily fed, Joram still hadn¡¯t eaten anything, which caused her no little concern. She watched as he quickly cleared away the empty pots and serving vessels, then lidded the ones that hadn¡¯t been emptied. Once things were cleared away, he reached under the counter and started pulling up trays of what looked like cookies. Once he had several large trays in place, he started lifting up large metal¡­ cylinders with legs and with what looked like some sort of black spigot at the bottom, and placed them at the end of the counter. Then came tray after tray of cups, small plates, a white bucket, and at least a hundred metal spoons. Then he just left the kitchen and made his way over to them. ¡°So, what brings you fellas over?¡± he asked as he sat next to Theril, that seat being closest for him. ¡°Just wanted to visit,¡± Theril said with a smile. ¡°Good timing, though,¡± he finished with a grin. ¡°Magmyr here had a message to deliver,¡± Kal said, pointing a thumb towards the dwarf. ¡°Aye,¡± he said, then relayed the message. ¡°Up to you though, lad,¡± he finished with a shrug, then changed the subject. ¡°Is that a dwarf lass I see over yonder?¡± he asked, sounding a bit too casual. ¡°Hmm, that would be Ella Stonewell,¡± Joram said after a moments¡¯ pause. ¡°I think she said that she had some experience with brewing,¡± he said, then shrugged. ¡°Bit young, no?¡± he asked, giving Joram the side-eye. ¡°I have absolutely no idea when it comes to dwarves and elves,¡± Joram said as he shook his head. ¡°What I do know is that she identified as a minor, so she¡¯ll be staying for a while. That said, if she wants to mess around with brewing, she¡¯s more than welcome to have a go at it. Though, I guess I should try to get some other grains growing for that¡­¡± he said, trailing off at the end. ¡°What¡¯s this about staying?¡± Magmyr asked, looking a bit worried for all that he tried to hide it behind his gruffness. ¡°Hmm? Oh, that. I¡¯m told that it¡¯s not legal to free underaged slaves, so they¡¯ll stay here until they¡¯re old enough. Well, if they want to, that is,¡± he said, shrugging again. ¡°What¡¯s all that now?¡± Magmyr asked, looking more confused than anything. So, Joram explained to the four men what he¡¯d told everyone else earlier that day, nearly flooring them in the process. Celys, though, very much understood their shock. Just freeing so many slaves after probably having spent hundreds of gold coins on them was¡­ different. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Anyways,¡± Joram said, as he stood up then shook each of their hands. ¡°I have one last thing to do before we¡¯re done here, so just give me a few minutes to get that sorted,¡± he said, then headed back to the kitchen. Instead of going inside, Joram just leaned back against the countertop before addressing them once more. * * * ¡°What sorcery is this?¡± Fyrellia asked as she ate the ridiculously delicious food. ¡°You¡¯re the [Sorceress], you tell us,¡± she said dryly between mouthfuls of food. ¡°I detect no magic in it,¡± Fyrellia said, shaking her head as she continued to eat. ¡°Good, though,¡± Qyress said, nodding as she happily ate the wonderful food. They stopped talking at that point, more interested in eating than speaking. Arise was now sure that Joram had asked the younglings to wait on making their decisions until after supper exactly due to how ridiculously amazing it tasted. Anyone would be more than reluctant to give up food that delicious after having tasted it. For the three of them, it really didn¡¯t matter, though. They would be slaves until they died, or Joram did. Though, given how long elves, erynese, and succubae lived, it was more than likely that they¡¯d outlive Joram. Fortunately, the death clause in their slavery marks didn¡¯t include death by natural causes. After they cleared their dishes away, they once more sat, though this time to allow the food to digest. ¡°So, who regrets being bought by the young master?¡± Fyrellia asked with a wicked grin. Surprisingly, Qyress shook her head, saying ¡°I think he¡¯ll be different from most.¡± Arise thought about it a bit more, going over everything they¡¯d seen and experienced. That Joram hadn¡¯t done anything to them that morning after finding them in his room said a lot about him. That he¡¯d even given them a blanket said yet more. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll still have to see,¡± she said, playing it cool. ¡°I, for one, hope that he calls on me soon,¡± Fyrellia said, causing everyone around them to blush at the brazen words as the succubus just grinned. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to see,¡± Arise said, shaking her head. ¡°He already has Miss Asami Miki as well as Miss Myra,¡± she said, silently wondering how the man could keep someone so terrifying so close. ¡°So, what do you think he¡¯ll say?¡± Qyress asked, drawing their attention to Joram as he leaned against the kitchen¡¯s serving counter. ¡°OK, I have one last thing before dessert and tea,¡± he said, getting everyone else¡¯s attention. ¡°When I call your name, could you please come forward to accept a small gift from me. It¡¯s not much, but I hope that you¡¯ll keep it with you. If you always keep it on, you¡¯ll notice the benefits in about seven days¡¯ time,¡± he said with a mysterious smile. ¡°Abby,¡± he said, then waited for the startled rabbit-kin to make her way up, looking very shy to be in front of so many people. When she got to Joram, he took her right hand and slipped a dark-silver ring onto her middle finder, making poor Abby nearly faint as her face turned crimson. He then gave her a quick pat on the shoulder, using the motion to get her moving again. She practically stumbled her way back to her chair, looking like she was in a daze. ¡°Akane,¡± he said, then repeated the process, stunning one girl after another until they all realized that he was putting the ring on each of their hands in the same way. ¡°Arise,¡± he said, startling her out of her thoughts. She, too, went up and received her ring. She fought the blush as he took her hand in his and slipped the ring onto her finger, a ring that was seemingly made for her finger, it fit so well. Then she went back to her chair and watched as the rest of the younglings were given their rings, Fyrellia and Qyress included. Not just the slaves, but also the freewomen, which surprised her more than a little bit. But given how strange Joram was, she supposed that it should have been expected. Then Asami Miki and Myra were called up, surprising her more than a little bit. For her part, Asami Miki looked beyond please while Myra looked just as red as the first girl, Abby, when she received her ring. ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± Fyrellia said, startling her. ¡°The ring definitely resized when it was put onto my finger, but I can¡¯t detect any mana from it,¡± she said, looking more than a little confused and vexed. Which also confused Arise, for they¡¯d all witnessed Joram¡¯s ridiculous magical ability several times already. ¡°Wait,¡± Fyrellia gasped, looking as though she¡¯d thought of something incredibly shocking. ¡°What?¡± both she and Qyress asked at the same time. ¡°Later,¡± Fyrellia said, glancing at the younglings at their table. She obviously wanted to speak her mind where others couldn¡¯t hear. Though, given just how riveted the younglings were with the spectacle and their new rings, all of which appeared to be identical to her eye. As she looked back to her own ring, something about it tickled at the back of her mind. ¡°So, if anyone has any room left in their tummies, I have some cookies and tea here to finish off dinner for everyone,¡± Joram said, then made his way over to the Chief of Kirkwall. Arise briefly wondered what those ¡°cookies¡± were, but then saw Asami Miki dash for the counter, her eyes shining in excitement. Guess I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s up, she mused, then made her way over to the forming line. * * * ¡°Sorry, I thought that it might be a bit awkward to give you guys yours like that,¡± he said, then handed Celys, Kal, Theril, Reldan, Magmyr, and Ilyana their rings. Well, after he¡¯d called Ilyana over, anyways. He watched as Celys gave him a wry look before she began inspecting the ring, much like Magmyr was now doing. ¡°Lad. As much as I¡¯m trilled to receive an electrum ring, how in the abyss did you get so much of it?!¡± Magmyr asked, looking intensely excited. And intense. Very intense. Celys just about dropped her ring when she heard that, though Reldan looked a bit confused. ¡°Is it that rare?¡± Joram asked to deflect the man¡¯s attention, but also to learn about ¡°electrum¡±. ¡°Lad,¡± Ilyana said, impersonating the dwarf remarkably well. ¡°Electrum is incredibly rare and ridiculously expensive. It¡¯s primarily used in creating magic items and magical circuits for large arrays and such,¡± she said, slipping back into her normal parlance as she spoke. ¡°So. Expensive,¡± he said flatly, then shook his head. ¡°I just thought it was a nice metal. Sorry,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Lad,¡± this time it was indeed Magmyr that spoke. ¡°I hope you¡¯re planning on keeping all those young lasses safe, because any [Thief]¡¯ll want those rings once they set their eyes on ¡®em,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Well, crap on a cracker,¡± he said, getting weird looks from everyone. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out, though I¡¯ll have to make sure that everyone stays out of sight of the caravan while they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Good call,¡± Celys said as she slipped on her own ring. ¡°So, aside from being ridiculously expensive, do they do anything besides resizing?¡± she asked, drawing attention to how she was slipping it onto different fingers, watching as the ring always seemed to fit perfectly on whatever finger it was put onto. ¡°Oh, well. They have a [Sustenance] effect on them,¡± he said, then got blank looks from everyone present. ¡°Is that not a thing here?¡± he asked, his stomach sinking further. ¡°If it has anything to do with the actual word, then no,¡± Celys said, shaking her head. ¡°Well, not as far as I know, anyways.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s it do?¡± Theril asked, all business as he inspected the ring, giving the engraving inside an odd look. ¡°Oh, well, if you keep it on, and don¡¯t take it off for about a week, then you won¡¯t have to eat or drink. Oh, and you will only need to sleep for two hours to get the equivalent of eight hours of sleep,¡± he said, choosing to leave out the [Anchored Navigation] feature, suspecting that it might get an even larger reaction. ¡°What?¡± Ilyana asked, her face going blank. ¡°Will that time reset if you take it off?¡± Kal asked, looking incredibly interested. ¡°Well, no. That first week is so that the ring can properly attune to you,¡± he replied, ignoring Ilyana¡¯s look. ¡°Though, I did attune each one so that they¡¯ll only work for the owner. Otherwise, they¡¯re useless to anyone else.¡± That got another round of blank looks, though Celys and Magmyr looked as though they understood the implications of what that meant. ¡°You mean that you can make magic items that only work for one person?¡± Kal asked, looking as though he thought that that might not be as useful as all that. Joram nodded, then almost facepalmed. ¡°I forgot Nalun¡¯s ring,¡± he said as he got up. ¡°Give me a little bit,¡± he said, then hurried off to make the ring. * * * ¡°He never fails to astonish,¡± Ilyana said, shaking her head as they watched Joram head outside. ¡°Electrum,¡± Magmyr snorted, also shaking his head. ¡°He¡¯s going to destroy our economy,¡± Celys sighed, likely seeing visions of the future she imagined would come to pass as she stared vacantly at the ceiling. ¡°But at least I¡¯ve got another apprentice now,¡± Ilyana said, grinning at Magmyr. ¡°You¡¯ve got one now, lass,¡± Magmyr snorted, shaking his head again. ¡°If anything, Joram¡¯s my apprentice,¡± he insisted as he puffed out his chest. ¡°Ah, but do you see how well the clothing is made?¡± Ilyana pressed, pointing to the nearest youngling. ¡°You can¡¯t say that he¡¯d not learning from me.¡± ¡°I suppose you haven¡¯t noticed how uniform the rings are, then?¡± Magmyr asked, pointing from ring to ring. ¡°That takes a steady hand and an incredible amount of practice to do.¡± ¡°Ah, but¡­¡± Ilyana continued her argument as Theril started tuning out the unofficial couple as they once again started arguing about who¡¯s apprentice Joram was. He didn¡¯t know if Joram would truly destroy the economy, but he did know that he¡¯d have to get more than a few guards who knew Joram to coincidentally start dropping by to check out his new¡­ estates. He shook his head at that thought, once more impressed with just how common sense-breaking Joram was. Then he got up and made his way over to try the ¡°cookies¡± and tea Joram had prepared for dessert. If Asami was any indication, they¡¯d likely be as good as supper was. So, he pocketed a few to bring home to his wife, Amava. Mostly because he felt guilty for not having brought her along in the first place¡­. Chapter 070 - The rings Once outside, Joram quickly retrieved then finished the ring for Nalun, only adding the man¡¯s name and leaving off the extra one he¡¯d added to the girls¡¯ rings. Then another thought occurred to him, and he quickly ran off to level out a space near his front gate for the caravan to stop at. He didn¡¯t want them any closer to his house than he strictly needed them to be. Especially the slaver. It didn¡¯t take him long at all, especially with how much he could manipulate with [Terrakinesis] now that he had his class. Thinking of how many people would be there, he also added a latrine section, though he made a dozen outhouses to cap the holes. Once done, he made his way back to the mess hall and passed off the ring to Celys who just stared at him with slightly unfocussed eyes. He didn¡¯t know what those eyes meant, but they made him feel a bit embarrassed, so he quickly made another excuse and took off. Once outside, he decided to put a few finishing touches on the communal bath, one of which was adding the actual water to the place. Another was to add a water collection system to the building. Really, it was just a series of pipes added to the eaves of the roof that led to an underground cistern. To avoid overflow, he added a couple of valves attached to a basic pressure gauge. Once that was done, and after he¡¯d added some soaps, shampoo, and conditioner, he looked around a bit and wondered if he¡¯d have enough room to add a separate dormitory on this side of the house. Then he looked over at the sequoia that stood between the mess hall and the bathhouse, and the space he¡¯d left between it and the buildings. Decided, he got to work. By the time people started wandering out of the mess hall, he¡¯d already managed to remove the sequoia, turn it into lumber, burn the extra leaves, bark, and smaller branches into ash- which then got added to the bin- and had started making the foundation of the new building. He was very happy that his [Telekinesis] had gotten strong enough to lift several tonnes now, making it easier, and quieter, to take down and move large sections of the sequoias. It also helped with moving the stone blocks into place as he worked. Well, that and [Terrakinesis], for he used both at the same time when it came to making the foundation. He once more ignored the growing audience as he worked. For this building, an apartment building, really, he laid the groundwork to attach it to the mess hall and the bathhouse. He also prepared the south section of the apartment building so that it could easily be renovated to accommodate an expansion in the future, just in case. He also made it so that he could easily extend the apartment building vertically, though getting the elevators installed and working would be a bit of a pain. As it was, he made each of the rooms into a decent one-bedroom unit. Each also had its own water closet, or toilet, as well as a living room. He didn¡¯t want to repeat facilities that already existed, so he didn¡¯t bother with a kitchen or a full bathroom- just a toilet and a sink. Which would be enough of a pain to deal with, but there it was. That said, he managed to fit a small sitting area on each floor so that they could gather and chat in a common area if they wanted to. He also managed to get sixteen units per floor, so he stopped at four floors for now. Looking at the work ahead of him, it would likely take him another day to finish it all, but that was fine. He at least had the frame and floors done. He turned and looked at the gathering behind him and smiled a bit. ¡°Sorry, the new rooms will take a bit to finish, so everyone will have to sleep in the main house again tonight,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°That said, I¡¯d also be more comfortable if everyone stayed inside tonight, as the caravan will start camping here over night until they leave,¡± he explained, getting a few quizzical looks in return. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, shaking her head while she smiled at him. ¡°OK, then,¡± he said as he looked around at the much happier faces of the girls, happy that he¡¯d at least improved their collective mood with a few good meals. ¡°I should go,¡± he said awkwardly a moment later, then kind of shuffled off, heading towards the front gate. It was now early evening, so he expected that the caravan would arrive on the sooner side of things. He didn¡¯t want them wandering about, so being there for when they arrived would hopefully prevent that. About ten minutes later, Celys, the guys, and the rest of the women of Kirkwall came into view on their way back home. ¡°Heading back, then?¡± he asked, already knowing the answer but also wanting to at least be polite to the women who¡¯d gone through so much trouble to help out a bunch of strangers. ¡°That we are,¡± Celys said as she stopped beside him to talk. ¡°Oh, take this,¡± he said, retrieving a Grade B Core from his ¡°pocket¡± and handing it to her. ¡°For the food and their time,¡± he explained as her eyes widened when she identified the small crystal. ¡°Are you sure? We all came to help out the younglings, not to get paid,¡± she said, looking more than a little bit uncomfortable at being paid like that. ¡°Or use it to help out around Kirkwall, whatever you choose,¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°Either way, it doesn¡¯t cover my gratitude for all your help these past two days, but it¡¯s something,¡± he said, giving her a warm smile. Celys nodded, probably realizing that she wouldn¡¯t out-stubborn the man who¡¯d out-stubborned her daughter. After a few more words, they all left with waves, thanks for the amazing food, and promises to return to check up on the girls. He didn¡¯t doubt that the last part was mostly due to the girls, but also suspected that the food also played a part in their decision. Then he waited. Soon, Asami came and found him, along with more of the ever-present foxes, including Harumi. ¡°That was good,¡± she said, happily patting her remarkably flat belly given just how much he¡¯d seen her pack in. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± he said, then decided to ask. ¡°Could you and Myra help me a bit tomorrow?¡± ¡°What with?¡± Asami asked, looking a bit suspicious. Wondering where that came from, he explained how he thought it would be a good idea to get the girls ID Cards and bank accounts. Asami gave him a look that he couldn¡¯t interpret, but agreed to help out with that, saying that Myra would more than likely also agree. Nodding, he made himself a padded bench to sit on with [Ectoplasmic Creation] and sat down with Asami at his side to wait as the foxes settled in all around them. It felt like an hour passed by the time the first wagon came into view, its lantern lighting the way. It took them another five minutes before they got to the open gates. When they started coming through, the foxes all took off, so he got up with Asami and dismissed the bench before heading over to them. The explanation was brief as he showed them where they could set up, also pointing out the outhouses. He finished with a stern warning. ¡°Be sure to keep everyone in camp. I won¡¯t be too happy with anyone found wandering about,¡± he said, giving the representatives of the caravan a stern look that seemed to sink in reasonably well. ¡°That said, feel free to close the gate when everyone¡¯ settled in.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. With that said, and after having received many assurances that they¡¯d stay in camp and the pay for the night, he made his way back to his house. Then before going in, he manifested [Astral Construct] several times, creating his Tentacle Model, though with [Natural Invisibility] added into the mix, designating each one as an [Astral Ally] so that they wouldn¡¯t take up a portion of his power pool. Asami nodded as he worked, seemingly happy with the precaution. Then he went inside as he instructed the Tentacle Models to patrol around the perimeter of the caravan¡¯s campsite. Primarily because he didn¡¯t want anyone to wander about, but also because he wanted to make sure nothing would attack them. Then he was in his room, changed, laying on his bed, and finally able to relax. Asami took up her traditional spot on his chest, snuggling close. Myra arrived about an hour later, changed, and slipped into bed as well, also snuggling close, tipping him over the point where he finally needed to use [Clear Mind]. After a bit of talk, revolving around the girls, Myra finally fell asleep, leaving him to his thoughts. ¡®We¡¯ll have to keep an eye on the girls for the first while,¡¯ Avi said from his other side, dressed in a nighty that was entirely too skimpy, nearly giving him a nosebleed even though he was still using [Clear Mind]. *Ding* He ignored the notification, just as he¡¯d ignored the others that had come throughout the day. ¡®Yeah, that we will,¡¯ he sent back, thinking. ¡®I¡¯ll also assign Geeves to coordinate the constructs and make sure they¡¯re all on the up and up.¡¯ ¡®Good idea,¡¯ Avi said, ¡°snuggling¡± up on his right side. ¡®This isn¡¯t as pleasurable as those two make it seem,¡¯ she grumbled, startling him more than a little. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ he replied automatically, working his hardest to keep [Clear Mind] up and running. ¡®You¡¯ll just have to make me a body to use, then,¡¯ she said casually, finally shattering his [Clear Mind]. His body reacted immediately, making him worry that Asami would wake up from being poked in the stomach. He very quickly pulled up [Clear Mind] as he also worked hard at manually regulating his physiological reaction to Avi¡¯s words. It took him a hot minute, but he finally managed to calm things down enough to reply to Avi¡¯s¡­ taunt? ¡®Where¡¯d that come from?¡¯ he asked as calmly as he could manage. ¡®It just seems like having a body would be incredibly useful,¡¯ she replied casually as she looked up at him with her large green eyes. ¡®I see,¡¯ he said neutrally, fervently hoping that Asami and Myra hadn¡¯t somehow influenced how Avi viewed the world. Fortunately for his sanity, Avi left it at that and just laid there, seemingly going to sleep. It took him another few minutes to sort through his thoughts before he was able to get back to planning things out. Then he quickly got to work. Another Ring of Sustenance was made, this time for himself. He wasn¡¯t sure how to go about assimilating enchanted items like Altaea could, but he was sure that he¡¯d learn eventually. ¡®Use the [Assimilate] function,¡¯ Avi said from his side, startling him even though he should have known that she didn¡¯t sleep. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ he sent back, then retreated into his headspace to get that done. Sure enough, there was an icon on his ¡°laptop¡± marked [Assimilation Protocol]. Shaking his head, because he was fairly certain that it hadn¡¯t been there the last time he¡¯d looked, the activated it and saw that there was a list of things that he could assimilate. The Ring of Sustenance wasn¡¯t a surprise, but the two rings he¡¯d gotten from the dungeon were. So, he just went for it and clicked on all three rings before clicking [OK]. Aside from feeling the rings suddenly vanish from his fingers and hand, he didn¡¯t feel any different than before, so he mentally shrugged and went back to planning the apartment building. After that, he entered meditation to renew himself. When he came out of his meditation, he once more found the trio of demons sleeping by the door and nearly sighed. A quick [Ectoplasmic Creation] made a king-sized bed with sheets and blankets, while some very delicate threads of [Telekinesis] slowly lifted them into the new bed then covered them up. With that done, he decided to try making a ring with [Touchsight] in it. Mostly due to having the three women remind him that [Invisibility] was a thing for people here, and not just his constructs. So, he retrieved another of the pre-made rings and enchanted it with an augmented [Touchsight] that would give him a good 68m radius of telekinetic sight. Effectively making [Invisibility] useless around him. Then he assimilated it the ring and took a moment to get used to the odd sensation. Then he did his morning escape artist routine, got changed, and then headed off to work. * * * Asami woke up with a grin. If it meant that things might progress, she might just have to find a way to help Avi get a body if Joram¡¯s reaction last night had been any indication that Joram wasn¡¯t as immune to women as he came off as. She touched her stomach and smiled again before getting up. She quickly washed the night sweat away in the bathroom before changing into her clothes for the day. Asami looked at the sleeping trio and nearly snorted as she watched the succubus nibble on the dark elf¡¯s ear again in her sleep, her arms wrapped around the much smaller woman. At least the erynese seemed a bit more normal as she slept on her side, spooning the dark elf on her other side. Shaking her head, she made her way outside to start organizing the skulks for the day. And to listen to their reports. She still didn¡¯t trust humans farther then she could throw a wagon, so having her skulk spy on them was a given. Especially since they were much closer now. Fortunately for the caravanners, they¡¯d stayed in their camp the entire night, only leaving just before dawn to get back to their selling area on the east side of Kirkwall. She was sure that Joram¡¯s astral constructs would keep everyone out of ¡°trouble¡±, but it was always good to have a backup plan. With that done, she made her way over to where Joram was working. It was just so¡­ satisfying to watch him work. So, she settled onto the forest floor and watched him work. * * * Ilyenna woke up happier than she had the day before, which meant that she was actually smiling today. The smile only grew when she recalled the amazing food and treats from the night before. Then she remembered the ring when she felt the hard band on her finger as she rubbed her face. She wondered if Joram understood what placing a ring on a girl¡¯s hand meant. They¡¯d all talked about it last night before going to bed. They¡¯d all, and she meant all of them, gathered in the human girls¡¯ room to talk about it. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kuro had asked, looking doubtful. ¡°Why else would he give everyone a ring?¡± Gwenyna asked, looking offended that anyone would question her conclusions. ¡°He didn¡¯t look like he was looking at us that way,¡± Norilea said, shaking her head. ¡°I saw him give some rings to the Chief as well as those guys that came in before we ate.¡± ¡°Seeing as how he doesn¡¯t smell like mating, I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s aiming to get a few dozen wives,¡± Alexandra, a wolfkin, said as she shook her head. That seemed to both overwhelm a few of their minds while also relaxing others. ¡°I mean, I wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Charlotte- or was it Collette?- said quietly as she cupped her hands in front of her amazingly huge chest. Everyone gawked at her as her twin nodded along, getting yet more stares. ¡°I mean, he can cook, use incredible magic, and he seems to genuinely care about us,¡± Aural said, looking around at everyone as she spoke. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be checking in on him and the other two tonight, just to be sure,¡± Arise, the dark elf, said, startling everyone there. Ilyenna wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d been scared with stories of demons growing up, mostly to make sure that they were ¡°good little girls¡±. Even then, she¡¯d come to¡­ like the three demons. They weren¡¯t anywhere near as scary as people made them out to be. Not only that, but she¡¯d even received more than a few bits of food from the grumpy-looking dark elf over the past few weeks of travel to Kirkwall. She knew that Arise wasn¡¯t telling the whole truth, but neither could she put her finger on it. Shrugging, she listened as everyone continued discussing whether or not they¡¯d stay. If she still had a home, she¡¯d want to go home too. But she dared to hope. Dared to hope that she¡¯d be safe here, protected by the person the ladies from Kirkwall called a [Hero]. Maybe, just maybe, she would be safe. ¡°Well, I am staying,¡± Kuro said, bringing the various conversations to an abrupt halt as everyone stared at the black-haired catkin. ¡°My instincts say that it¡¯ll be safe here, and that Mr Joram is a good guy. And I trust my instincts,¡± she finished, crossing her arms as Pryte and Ruva edged closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± one of the cowkin twins said, Collette, or Charlotte. Then the sheepkin spoke up, adding their voices to those that wanted to stay. She didn¡¯t bother speaking, knowing that she didn¡¯t have a home to return to, but also clinging to the budding hope that she¡¯d be safe here. Once everyone had voiced their desires, they split up and went back to their various rooms. She still wondered why they¡¯d all be separated like they¡¯d been. Before Arise left, she hurried over and gave the short dark elf a hug, then ran back to her bed before she could get told off. Arise always pretended to be grumpy, as silly as that was, so she listened to the half-hearted grumbling from her bed before she was gone. Now fully awake, Ilyenna got dressed and wandered over to the door and waited for the others to get up. As she waited, she played with the ring on her finger, whishing that she could already read as she remembered the writing on the inner side of the ring. Not a chapter - Words on how broken the "rating" system is here I can honestly say that finding Royal Road was an absolute treasure. It helped me through a rough time in my life and still provides a fair amount of reading pleasure. So, I thought to myself: "Why not go and post some of the many stories running through my head so that I can contribute?" So, I did. Then I started noticing things. Things like authors commenting every now and then about things they''ve noticed. Not awesome things, I might add. Like how the rating system works. Like how review bombing will happen. Of how some so-called authors will review bomb other works similar to their own in an unhinged attempt to make their own works "look better" because of the rating system. Now, a rating system is a good thing, most times. It''ll help people find stories that''re well-liked by the majority of people who''ve read it. That''s great. That said, there are also haters out there. Haters that take advantage of the broken rating system on Royal Road. It allows people to leave a rating without leaving a review. It also fails to tag appropriate analytics for authors to determine why they got said rating. Something that would actually go a step to helping the author to possibly find and address why they got said rating. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. That said, and I''ve brought this up with the site, I feel that 1) leaving a rating without a review shouldn''t be possible, as it leaves the door wide open for abuse. 2) ratings should be attached to a user in some way. Sure, it can be an anonymous tag associated with a user, like a random number or something to help with "privacy" and all that. Why? Because that would also help to keep down review bombing from single sources. Sure, it''s not a perfect solution, as any rigorous methods enacted would come with considerable blow-back from the netizen trolls who love to anonymously hate on people, or even those people who just love to review bomb. Basically, it''s getting to the point where I have very little confidence in the site any more. I am very seriously considering pulling my stories from RR and posting them elsewhere, or just having them exclussive to Patreon. We''ll just have to see if the review bombing continues, as I don''t need to see that kind of hate in my everyday life. In all, ratings without reviews are just trash, in my professional opinion. It''s nice to see good ones, shit to see shit ones. But overall, without anything to back up those ratings, they''re just hot air. Especially the 1 and 2 star ratings from small-minded people. And yes, I fully anticipate another round of review bombing from anyone who doesn''t like this post. Too bad. The only thing that''ll happen is that I''ll encourage as many authors as I can to leave the site as well, reducing the content that can be hated-upon by haters. Chapter 071 - [Summon: All] is broken Hmmm, I think they¡¯re becoming desensitized to seeing new stuff when they get up, Joram thought as he watched everyone head over to the mess hall, using the new covered path that he¡¯d built last night. It was now attached to the side of the house, allowing for access to the mess hall without having to first go out the front door. He had been surprised when Celys had returned earlier, once more accompanied by helpers. Taking a better look, he realized that there were more than there had been yesterday. Shrugging, he went back to work building the new residence for the girls. It took until mid-day for him to decide that he was done for the day, at least on that project anyways. His next project, to keep his mind fresh and interested, was to work on the road leading to Kirkwall. It was decent, but he thought that adding some lights might help with security. Or, at least, making people feel a bit safer. So, once everyone was back inside the mess hall for lunch, he left Geeves with instructions to let him know if anything happened while he was working. That done, he prepared for the project. In just one manifestation, he managed to create enough insulated wire, along with enough lamp posts to line the way to Kirkwall. It took another few hours to first get the wiring all set up and embedded into the roadside. Then came the stone posts that the lamp posts would be attached to, which he decided to make using the same stone as the road to keep with the theme. The lamp posts themselves took the shape of those olde-style Victorian streetlamps, though they wouldn¡¯t contain oil, or even natural gas fittings. Instead, he just made them with LED bulbs. He also made the underside of the top of the lamp mirrored so that more light would be sent down to the ground. He was glad for his [Creationist] Achievement along with his [Master of Ectoplasm] Title, as they provided an extra ten hardness to anything he created, making the streetlamps that much more durable. It saved him from having to use [Matter Manipulation] to make things more durable. Though, depending on if the lamp posts were damaged, he might still have to use [Matter Manipulation] in the future. In fact, the increase to hardness applied to anything he created, if he wanted it to. Which meant that pretty much everything that he¡¯d created using [Ectoplasmic Creation] or [True Creation] had been hardened. Including the everything he¡¯d been using to build the new structures and such. By the time he finished with the streetlamps, the guards on the walls of Kirkwall were giving him odd looks. Odd looks, but not stopping him, which he felt was probably on the weirder side of things. Especially when he was obviously doing something they¡¯d never before witnessed. Shrugging, he waved then started jogging back home, glad that his Constitution was now ridiculously high, and that he had [Running]. If the him from Earth had been the one jogging, he¡¯d have had to stop after only a hundred metres or so, as his cardio had always been atrocious. Now? He felt as though he could just keep running and be fine. Weird. Well, given his stats, it probably wasn¡¯t all that weird- ¡®So, why bother with the greenhouse if you¡¯d been planning on giving those girls Rings of Sustenance?¡¯ Avi asked from his side, jogging along just like him. He nearly tripped and faceplanted when he noticed her very modern jogging attire but managed to catch himself with a quick use of [Telekinesis]. ¡®Well, why not? They can still eat if they want to. They can also sleep longer than two hours if they want to, which they¡¯ll probably do. Mostly, though, I wanted to make sure they¡¯ll be OK if I¡¯m away for a stretch,¡¯ he sent, focussing on the path ahead. ¡®Planning on travelling?¡¯ Avi inquired curiously, switching from running to floating on her side so that she could look at him more directly. ¡®Well, yeah,¡¯ he sent, a bit confused at her surprise. ¡®I¡¯m in a whole new world. There¡¯s so much to explore and see that it would be a waste to just stay in the forest for the rest of my life.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s a bit of a surprise coming from you, of all people,¡¯ she said, giving him an appraising look. ¡®¡­ that¡¯s fair,¡¯ he sent back, not able to argue the fact that he was more of a homebody than anything. ¡®So, will you take any of those girls with you?¡¯ she asked, looking a bit more interested that he thought she¡¯d be. ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ he sent back, honestly not knowing, or having planned, what he¡¯d do that far ahead. ¡®Well, just be firm when the time comes,¡¯ Avi said with a wink before vanishing once more, leaving him stupefied. What¡¯s that supposed to mean? He wondered as he arrived at his front gates. Shaking his head, he got back to work. The breaker box for the lamps still needed to be made, let alone the enchantment needed to provide the electricity for the streetlamps. And somewhere to hide or disguise it¡­. - - - ¡°So, everything went well today?¡± he asked Myra as she flopped onto the bed as though someone had cut her strings. ¡°Ugh,¡± she said, then proceeded to tell the tale of almost fifty girls going to town. He had to suppress his laughter, then his anger, as she told him about how some of them had exclaimed at how ¡°huge¡± Kirkwall was, and when a couple of villagers had pestered Collette and Charlotte overly much. It wasn¡¯t that they¡¯d approached the twins, no, but when they¡¯d made lewd comments about ¡°milking¡± them. It wasn¡¯t until Asami had come along and practically roasted their tails off that they¡¯d run off. Aside from those few idiots, the villagers had been more than helpful and kind to the girls. Even the trip to the bank for their IDs had gone well, though not without incident. ¡°So, when the first girl was asked what her name was, she told the clerk and that was fine, though she had an odd name,¡± Myra said, shaking her head at the memory. ¡°But then the next girl, a human, had gone up and told the clerk her name and, well, that¡¯s when it got weird,¡± she explained. In short, his little whim of adding ¡°Smith¡± to their names had had unexpected consequences. Now, well. Now there were forty-six girls registered with the family name of Smith. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t even that that had made it so¡­ weird,¡± Myra said, giving him the side-eye. ¡°It was that almost every one of them was blushing and nervous about sharing their ¡®family¡¯ name,¡± she finished, now outright glaring at him. ¡°Ah, well, that might be my fault then,¡± he said, knowing that it was certainly his fault. ¡°None of them had given a family name, so I thought maybe adding the one I wanted for myself would help make them feel more welcome,¡± he said, remembering that he¡¯d forgotten to head to the bank himself to have that change made on his own ID and records. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Myra grunted, looking somewhat put out about it all. It was only when she started fidgeting with her ring that he started to get an inkling. ¡°Yup,¡± Asami said, snorting as she, too, started playing with her ring. Aww, shit, he eloquently mused as he realized just how deep a hole he¡¯d dug for himself. ¡®Oh, my dear. You have absolutely no idea how deep that rabbit hole goes,¡¯ Avi said, chortling at him. Asami looked over to where Avi was standing and nodded again, tails swishing to and fro, a smile on her lips and a glint in her eyes. ¡°So,¡± he said, then coughed. ¡°Since everyone now has an identification card, does that mean that you¡¯ve already set up accounts for everyone?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Myra hummed as she rolled over onto her back. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I was able to give each of them twenty bonze coins for their accounts. Which reminds me, you now owe me,¡± she said, rolling her head to the side so that she could look at him. ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll head over to the bank tomorrow and make some deposits,¡± Joram said with a smile, hoping that that would be enough. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. When she didn¡¯t say anything else, he heaved a silent sigh of relief as he ignored the pointed looks from Avi. There was a bit more small talk before bed, but it finished quickly due to how tired Myra was. He was glad, as he really wanted to start studying [Schism]. He was realizing that the amount of work that he¡¯d taken on would go much faster if he had that Power running, especially since it basically gave a second brain that could help with using his Skills and Powers. Well, maybe calling it a second ¡°mind¡± would be more accurate¡­? He mentally shrugged, then got to reviewing the [Schism] Power. - - - *Start of Day 3 after purchasing the slaves* By the time he got up for the day, he was wondering if [Schism] always had the augmentation option to get more than one extra Mind up and running. Feeling a bit¡­ uncertain, Joram went through his usual morning routine- which for some reason now included tucking in the three demons- and made his way to his library. After looking through his source books, he was now sure that the additional minds augmentation wasn¡¯t an original option. Which meant that it was yet another option added in afterwards. With how¡­ easy it was to learn, so much so that he was now confident that he could start using [Schism] right away, he wondered if it had been added by his ¡°Prime¡± self. Altaea had, after all, mentioned that she¡¯d trained him. Had it been something that he¡¯d come up with during that time? Shaking his head, he shoved all of those useless thoughts aside. There was no way for him to find out, so it was truly useless to worry about it. So, filing all that away, he quickly manifested [Schism], augmenting it so that he could have three additional Minds running in the background. With his current rate of regeneration that his power pool enjoyed, the draw should still be well within what he could handle. In fact, he was sure that he could have many more running, but wasn¡¯t sure how it would feel. Joram: So, here we are¡­ Minds 2-4: Yep~ Joram: So, ah, can I get you guys working on learning everything that Altaea left for me? Mind 2: Easy enough. But didn¡¯t you want some help with building stuff? Then something else occurred to him that really set his draconic need for loot to practically blazing up into a veritable inferno. Joram: Right. Well, then could Mind 2 help with building, then maybe Mind 3 work on learning, while Mind 4 works on making Dust Crystals. Then, when I¡¯ve finished the buildings I need for now, we¡¯ll start working on a Dungeon for the place. Minds 2-4: Easy-peasy~! Nodding, Joram left his office and went back outside to get to work on the apartment building. He still needed to figure out a way to make an elevator for the place. Well, maybe he¡¯d add one to the house too, just in case. Then another thought occurred to him, so he pulled up his ridiculous [Summon: All] Class Ability and had another look at it.
[Summon: All] You gain the Class Ability to use [Summon: All]. This ability is a [Creation] ability. - Cost: Variable - Mundane and common objects will cost 1-10 MP. Add this again for every size category above Medium. - High quality, but still mundane, objects will cost 10-20 MP. Add this again for every size category above Medium. - Enchanted objects require Cores to summon. Core Grade is commensurate to the value of the enchanted item. MP cost is 10 per Core Grade. - Creatures: - 1MP per Level of Creature. - Add 4MP per Level of Creature for intelligent creatures. - Add 5MP per Level of Creature for any creature with innate spellcasting abilities, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. - Duration: Variable. - Depending on what is summoned, the duration is anything from minutes to days. Inanimate objects have the longest duration while living beings have the shortest duration. Dust Crystals can be used to either extend the duration or to make the summon permanent. Cost is calculated in Units of Dust, or UD. - UD Cost = Class Level ¡Á INT Mod / [Master Summoner] Ranks for a living being. - UD Cost = Class Level ¡Á 0.1 ¡Á INT Mod / [Master Summoner] Ranks for inanimate objects. - UD Cost = Class Level ¡Á 0.75 ¡Á INT Mod / [Master Summoner] Ranks for enchanted objects.
¡°Just crazy,¡± he muttered outside of the half-built apartment building. Looking a bit further into it, each Unit of Dust seemed to be equivalent of 1/100th of an SSS Rank Crystal Core. So, if he was going to put an arbitrary label on it, he¡¯d call it a Dust Point, or DP. Which, really was just another name for a Unit of Dust. So, maybe he¡¯d just leave it as UD¡­. But Dust Points sounded a bit cooler? Who was he kidding. He was terrible at naming stuff. He looked at the information again, and just about fell over when he noticed that ¡°Unit of Dust¡± was now replaced with ¡°Dust Point¡±. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± he muttered in both shock and wonder. Was the System that customizable? Thinking back, the System had indeed been¡­ amenable to his suggestions in the past, especially considering his Title, [System¡¯s Benefactor].
System¡¯s Benefactor You have assisted the Universal Assistance and Survival System in becoming more efficient. - Benefit: - The [Analyze] Skill now allows you to get information on from a target as though the Skill were 1 (one) Tier higher. - Additional details of any identified target will be given.
Shaking his head because everything was just so alien to him, he got back to work. This time, though, he used [Summon: All] to bring forth the materials that he wanted to use, then felt the difference when they appeared. He always had an innate understanding of how long something would stay once summoned. The various items he made with [Ectoplasmic Creation] had their own durations inherent in their making. Though with [Stability of Creation] things remained much longer than before.
[Stability of Creation] ¨C 155% longer. Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that has a duration has that duration extended by (INT x 2.5%). - Additionally, if the duration is measured in seconds, it will then be measured in minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to instantaneous.
But what he felt from his latest block of steel was that it was already permanent. Or, in gamer terms, an instantaneous effect. Was that because steel was considered mundane, and thus had a summon duration in ¡°days¡±? Shaking his head, he wondered if he was going to negatively affect the planet¡¯s gravity if he just kept on making stuff like he was. Would the planet¡¯s orbit eventually begin to decay? No, that probably wouldn¡¯t matter in the long run, as most planets continued to accumulate mass throughout their lifespans. He was pretty sure that Earth gained something like 40k tonnes of cosmic detritus each year¡­ but didn¡¯t it also lose over 95k tonnes of light gasses each year too¡­? He sighed. Ultimately, he had to have confidence that the System wouldn¡¯t screw over its planet by giving him something completely broken like [Summon: All] and [Stability of Creation]. Then another thought occurred to him, so he tried it out. A use of [Summon: All] later, and he was looking at a brand-new refrigerator. And not one of those boring white ones you¡¯d see in most apartments these days, but one of those more expensive ones with a freezer drawer on the bottom and the water/ice dispenser on the left side. This time, he could feel that it wasn¡¯t an ¡°instantaneous¡± effect, and that it would vanish in just over a day and a half. Looking at it, he withdrew a 100 DP Dust Crystal and just kind of tapped it against the front of the fridge. Then just about dropped the tiny fragment of crystal that remained of the larger crystal that didn¡¯t vanish in a small flash of light. He absently slipped the little fragment into his pocket as he regarded the fridge, trying to feel if he still had a connection with it. He did not. Did that mean that it was now permanently there? If so, then he¡¯d have to do that another sixty-three times to get one in each unit for the apartment building. Frowning, he did a bit of mental math and surmised that it would be much less expensive to just use [True Creation] to make everything, as each fridge would cost about 97 DP to stabilize. Or would it? So, he withdrew another full Dust Crystal then used [Summon: All] once more, but focussed on getting as many fridges as possible while concentrating on making them permanent. He watched seventeen identical fridges to the first one appear as he felt the Dust Crystal vanish from his hand. He looked down at his hand and saw that a small shard remained. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the other shard and compared their sized. ¡°The same,¡± he muttered, then smiled. Now, he wasn¡¯t quite so sure which method would be more efficient, [True Creation] or [Summon: All]. Though, he hadn¡¯t quite pushed [True Creation] as far as he could yet. So, he did. He pushed [True Creation] until he felt as though he would finally suffer ability burn and cut off there. But before that happened, he¡¯d needed to shift what else he needed to produce, as he¡¯d easily made the 46 remaining fridges that he needed. He¡¯d then gone onto making furniture for each unit, then the light fixtures, then even made 50¡± LED TVs for each unit before he ran out of ¡°room¡± while making the toilets. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he said, stunned at just how crazy just one manifestation of [True Creation] was, then remembered [Desire of Creation].
[Desire of Creation] ¨C 800% increase. Any ¡°Creation¡± or ¡°Manipulation¡± type ability, power, or spell that you use that has a volume or mass created or specified in its use, has that volume increased by 100%. - Every level thereafter, the bonus increases by 50%.
¡°I¡¯m completely broken,¡± he said, shaking his head in disbelief. If he wasn¡¯t as honest as he was, he was sure that he could just go out and buy himself a kingdom by exploiting that Class Ability. Then again, the attention he would get by doing that would certainly be more than he would either like or could handle. Especially since he wasn¡¯t sure where he landed when it came to this world¡¯s power scale. ¡°At least finishing the apartment building today will be easier than I expected,¡± he muttered before getting to work finishing everything up. He still needed to run a few errands today, not the least of which was making sure that Myra and the others¡¯ accounts had a bit more money in them. Chapter 072 - A much nicer bed *Afternoon of Day 3* ¡°How much?¡± she asked Joram, staring at the chest and handcart that he¡¯d pulled into the bank. ¡°Thirty-thousand bronze coins,¡± Joram said, still sounding beyond ridiculous. ¡°That will take some time to count,¡± she said faintly, wondering if Kirkwall¡¯s [Hero] had a sadistic side to him that no one had uncovered yet. ¡°That¡¯s OK, I¡¯m not in a rush¡­?¡± he trailed off, looking at her expectantly. After a moment of staring at each other, she finally realized why he¡¯d paused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My name is Franny,¡± she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. ¡°Then, Franny, I¡¯ll leave that with you guys, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he said, giving her a smile that nearly knocked her off her chair. ¡°And thanks again for updating my information on my identification card.¡± ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± she replied faintly before he waved and left the bank, as well as the handcart and chest. ¡°That¡¯ll take a few days,¡± Gretna said from behind her, nearly causing her to fall out of her chair again. Franny turned to her co-worker and grabbed her arms. ¡°And you¡¯re helping,¡± she said, smiling for all she was worth. ¡°¡­ and I¡¯m helping¡­¡± Gretna said then let out a long sigh. ¡°At least he¡¯s cute,¡± she said before walking towards the cart. Franny couldn¡¯t argue with that. * * * ¡°How many more plots?¡± the clerk asked him, looking as though he was having a hard time processing what he¡¯d said. ¡°Forty-two,¡± Joram said, showing the clerk the plots surrounding his land. ¡°Though, I see that going any further west isn¡¯t possible. Does that mean that Kirkwall doesn¡¯t own that land?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the guy said, seeming happy to talk about something a bit more reasonable. ¡°After that last plot you want to purchase, it¡¯s ¡®free¡¯ space. Though, I must warn you that Kirkwall won¡¯t be able to send out patrols that far out should you decide to build on or do something with that land.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Joram said, nodding before slapping the gold he needed for his purchase onto the desk. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll buy the plots I¡¯ve outlined, as well as lay claim to what¡¯s west of there,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s how that works,¡± the clerk said, pointing at the map. ¡°If you¡¯d like to claim land, you¡¯ll need to get permission from the kingdom first. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll want to make sure that taxes are properly paid and all that,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Uh, where would I head to do that?¡± he asked, his curiosity now piqued. ¡°You would need to travel to the capitol for that. Beyond that, I¡¯m not sure if you would need an audience with the Queen, or if you could have that handled at a lower level. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, waving off the man¡¯s apology. ¡°I¡¯m sure that that was the first time you¡¯ve had that question asked of you.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t an inaccurate statement,¡± the clerk said, nodding. After that, they quickly finished up the paperwork before he took off again. He quickly slipped into the bank again to inform them of his new land, registering it with them so that his property taxes would be properly paid when the time came. ¡°Oh, and I realize that it¡¯ll take a while to count, so here¡¯s something for the bother. Mostly because I¡¯ll have to bring the silver over tomorrow,¡± he said, then slipped a few silver coins onto her desk before taking off again, guiltily enjoying the gasps of surprise before he was once more outside. With that errand taken care of, he quickly made his way back home so that he could get a bit more food grown. The women of Kirkwall had come by again today, making him wonder if they really had that much free time on their hands. But also wondering if they were looking for part-time work or something. Not that he¡¯d complain about having the extra help and all. But did he really have enough work for them all? Especially once the Rings of Sustenance kicked in and the need for food dropped off to a fraction of what it had been. Well, maybe he could see about selling to Kirkwall. Especially if they took a liking to his produce. Thinking about it a bit more, he realized that he¡¯d had a few more skills or, rather, knowledge stuffed into his head with that Crystal Mind Altaea had left for him. One of the things being brewing/distilling/vinting/general-booze-making. ¡°Hmm, maybe Ella would have fun with the extra grains¡­¡± he mused as he walked to the back side of the house to the greenhouse. Inside, he could see Shae¡¯ra and a few of the young women that she¡¯d found who wanted to help with farming. Nodding, he went inside to have a word with Shae¡¯ra. After explaining things to her, and waiting for her to process his words for several minutes, she was eventually on board. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe such a thing exists,¡± she murmured as she looked at her ring again, tilting her hand this way and that as though a different angle might reveal something new about it. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want anyone going hungry in an emergency, so yeah,¡± he said, very aware of the young girls who¡¯d surrounded them to listen in on the conversation. ¡°Well, if you think that what¡¯s grown here will sell, then feel free to set up a stall or something in Kirkwall after the caravan leaves,¡± he said, thinking about their safety more than a few extra coins. ¡°Mmm, that would be nice. It would give the younglings something to look forward to,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, nodding. ¡°Oh, and I was thinking of making another greenhouse, this one for crops that would go into brewing and such,¡± he said, motioning to the west. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that Ella would be happy to apply what she¡¯s learned,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to get to work,¡± Joram said, then waved to everyone on his way out, but stopped when Shae¡¯ra caught him outside. ¡°Another matter comes to mind,¡± she said, looking a bit uncomfortable. ¡°How much do you know about cowkin and sheepkin physiology?¡± ¡°Umm, nothing?¡± he replied, hoping that nothing was wrong with those girls. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± she said, looking slightly uncomfortable as she spoke, but resolutely kept eye contact with him. ¡°When they¡¯re reached¡­ adulthood- physically speaking-, they begin to lactate, without the need for having been pregnant before,¡± she said, finally breaking eye contact for a moment before she continued. ¡°To help relieve the pressure, most¡­ remove the excess milk and use it in their daily lives. From just drinking it to making various cheeses and such from it¡­¡± she said, now fidgeting a bit. ¡°Are you saying that those young women need¡­ milking?¡± he asked, at a complete loss for words, as was evident by his choice of words. ¡°Yes, but no,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, gathering her composure again. ¡°I- we- were wondering if it would be all right to set up a¡­ dairy, here,¡± she finally blurted out, making him wonder why it had been so hard for her to say. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°If they want to, go right ahead,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Just let me know what they need for it, and I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± he said, nodding, then a thought occurred to him. ¡°How pressing is this? Should I get working on the dairy right now? Or can it wait a few days?¡± ¡°They¡¯d probably be very grateful to have the pressure relieved sooner, rather than later,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, once more looking uncomfortable. ¡°Well, I can arrange for some bottles for them to store the milk in right away. They¡¯ll just need to put the milk in the cold boxes until I can make the dairy,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°Thank you,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, dropping into a curtsy, which looked odd since she was wearing pants. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, lifting her up by her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re all friends here,¡± he said in an attempt to ease her worry, or perhaps it was anxiety? ¡°Friends?¡± she asked quietly, now fidgeting with her ring¡­ then it hit him. I really shouldn¡¯t have added that extra name!! He silently reprimanded himself for not thinking that through. ¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯m not that kind of person, after all,¡± he said, now looking for a convenient excuse to use so that he could escape the awkward conversation. ¡°Chirp~¡± Joram looked down and saw Harumi had- at some point- arrived and was sitting to his right. ¡°Ah, Harumi,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°Do you need something?¡± he asked, hoping that this might be the excuse he needed to run. Instead of pulling a Lassie, Harumi just butted her head into Shae¡¯ra¡¯s hand for some pet¡¯ns, looking at him all the while. As Shae¡¯ra obliged, Avi spoke up. ¡®I think she was aiming for something more concrete than ¡°friends¡±, silly boy.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re too dense sometimes,¡¯ she said with a sigh as Harumi¡¯s eyes landed on her, half-closed as they were, as she enjoyed the attention from Shae¡¯ra. ¡®Wha-¡­. Ah, shit,¡¯ he sent back, remembering her words from the night before. ¡°I should go,¡± he said eloquently, subconsciously quoting Shepard. He was glad that Shae¡¯ra was so engrossed with Harumi that she barely acknowledged his words before he took off. Once he was on the west side of the greenhouse, he slowed down and looked around a bit more. This far west, the initial clearing that he¡¯d built on was no longer. As in, there were many more trees to be found, and once more packed as tightly as ten-metre-wide trees could be packed in together. Which meant that a few more had to go down so that he could build, which didn¡¯t take too long. Especially with Mind 2 helping out. In fact, it went so fast that he was done well before supper time. So, he processed the rest of the trees that he¡¯d felled, then had his two-score constructs start carrying the extras down into the basement of his house for future use. He went inside and looked around again. With the greenhouse being fifty by one hundred metres, and another twenty tall, he was sure that it would be enough room for anything that Ella might want to grow for ingredients. Then, thinking of what was most popularly used back on Earth, he started making bags of seeds. From wheat, barley, rye, and rice to green, red, and purple grapes to hops- which came form his memory of trying malted hops one time¡­- all the way to several more fruit trees; namely apple, cherry, peach, and pomegranate trees. Sure, those last trees were the same ones he¡¯d often seen in one of his favourite farming/friendship sims, but they were also in that game because they did make good wines and spirits. He also made a few different herbs and spices, like licorice and cinnamon, along with some vanilla trees. The rest of the most common herbs used in making alcohol were actually in the herb garden portion of the first greenhouse, so he didn¡¯t bother making more of those. Once he thought he had enough, he quickly planted the seeds with the help of Mind 2, then used a quick [Grow] on the various plots to get the seeds sprouted. Though, he used it longer on the trees to get them to grow to maturity before finishing. With that done, his mind turned to the implements necessary for making alcohol. Once more, he was astonished at just how much information Altaea had packed into that Crystal Mind, and consequently, his brain. He didn¡¯t even need to bother referencing his ridiculous stash of digital knowledge, as it was already in his head. He then got to work on the brewery/winery/booze-making-joint, happy to just make stuff. He found that the more he made things, the more he found that he just plain loved doing it. Sure, it could be tiring, but what good thing wasn¡¯t when you¡¯ve done it for hours on end? He briefly pulled himself away from the project long enough to first get the fee from the caravan, then to head to the mess hall to let everyone know that the new residence had been completed, and that they could go and claim whatever rooms they wanted to. Heck, he¡¯d even left a pair of room keys for each room hanging from the doorhandle of each suite. He still needed to deal with the elevator issue, but he¡¯d get there. He was sure that they¡¯d be fine using the stairs for another day or two since none of them had any issues walking. ¡°Are we no longer welcome in the main house?¡± Ilyenna quietly asked as she tugged gently on his shirt from behind. He turned to see such a look on her face that Puss-in-boots would have given her a gold star. ¡°No, not at all,¡± he hastened to say, worried that he¡¯d made her, or them all, feel unwelcome. ¡°I just thought that everyone would want their own room, that¡¯s all,¡± he said, speaking faster than he had in a very long time. Ilyenna¡¯s huge eyes continued to stare at him, piercing his heart quite thoroughly. He idly noted that she couldn¡¯t have been more than ten or so years old, barely coming up to his navel. She was so tiny, that he began wondering if he¡¯d overestimated how old she was. ¡°OK,¡± was all she said before stepping away again, and surprisingly making her way over to the dark elf, Arise, who wasn¡¯t that much taller than Ilyenna. ¡®Landmine avoided,¡¯ Avi said, nodding to herself. ¡®What was that?!¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re still very insecure,¡¯ Avi said, giving him a look that quite plainly told him that he was an idiot. ¡®Of course, they¡¯d be nervous if they were all suddenly kicked out of the main house.¡¯ Joram nodded at that, then saw more than a few worried looks from the girls, and not a few disapproving looks from the women of Kirkwall. Which confused him even more. He¡¯d have thought that they¡¯d have been happy that the girls would have their own bedrooms! He made a few excuses before passing off the caravan¡¯s payment to Celys before heading back outside to work on the booze building. Once he was done with that, he¡¯d get to working on a small dairy for the other girls¡­. * * * Arise wasn¡¯t sure if she should glare at Joram or feel guilty. Guilty because she wasn¡¯t sure if his decision to send them out of the main house was her fault or not. Given that he¡¯d been putting them into a very comfortable bed each time they fell asleep, she wasn¡¯t sure how angry he was with them. Surely he was still angry at them, for what other reason was there to not¡­ do that. Or order them to do that with him. But he hadn¡¯t, and she could only surmise that he was angry. Though¡­ ¡®Do you think that he plays for the other team?¡¯ she quickly signed to Fyrellia, objectively the one authority on things like that in their party. ¡®No. He looks at us too much for that,¡¯ Fyrellia replied, looking amused. ¡®Then, is he angry at us?¡¯ Fyrellia looked at her in such a way that she blushed. ¡®Then why send us away?¡¯ she quickly signed, not enjoying being in the dark about all that. ¡®I just think that he¡¯s a nice guy,¡¯ Fyrellia replied with an expressive shrug. Arise let the subject drop as she patted Ilyenna on the head once more, then shooed off the little human girl with as much of a scowl as she could manage. After a bit more ¡°socializing¡±, she left with her¡­ friends. Well, at this point, she could probably just call them her ¡°sisters¡± given that Joram had given them his name and all. Once they were in their room, she closed the door behind the other two and got right to it. ¡°So. What do you think of Joram?¡± she asked the other two, fixing them with her business stare. ¡°He¡¯s a good boy,¡± Fyrellia said with a wicked grin that had her shaking her head. ¡°I also think that he¡¯s a good guy,¡± Qyress said, changing the wording, likely because of how weird it sounded. ¡°I¡¯m impressed with his¡­ restraint, though. It¡¯s been a few days now, and I still haven¡¯t seen what we¡¯ve been expecting.¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up with that? Does his¡­ race¡­ not do that?¡± she asked, putting emphasis on the last word, hoping they¡¯d know what she was talking about. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Fyrellia said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯d have to examine him much more closely than I¡¯ve been able to so far,¡± she said with another wicked smile. ¡°I get it. You want to jump him. But please, can we be serious about this?¡± she asked, rubbing her temples. ¡°Oh, I am very serious about this,¡± Fyrellia said, still smiling. ¡°Though, as far as I know, he isn¡¯t married to either Myra or Asami Miki. So, that could explain the lack of sex if he¡¯s from one of those cultures.¡± ¡±But is he playing some sort of long game to lull us into a sense of complacency before he strikes?¡± she asked, finally too exasperated to dance around the issue any further. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Qyress said, surprising Arise and Fyrellia with her words. ¡°Why not?¡± they both asked practically at the same time. ¡°Hmm¡­. Probably because of him doing what he said he would. He released those who could legally be released. He even had Myra take the others to get new identification cards, let alone setting up bank accounts for them all. ¡°He also doesn¡¯t even look at the younger girls with anything but curiosity or concern. Even us mature ones. He could have easily kept the rest of them slaves, but he didn¡¯t. He has also not so much as tried anything inappropriate with us, even though we¡¯ve sneaked into his room three nights in a row now. ¡°So, no. I don¡¯t think that he¡¯d doing anything of the sort. Besides, how many Spirit Foxes do you know that would hang around someone with evil in their hearts?¡± Qyress asked, pinning her with an amazingly sharp look at the end. ¡°Good point,¡± she muttered, not enjoying how it felt to be proven wrong. Though, she wouldn¡¯t regret or repent her way of thinking. She was the one- self appointed- who looked out for her party¡¯s best interests, which included making sure that they wouldn¡¯t get taken advantage of, or screwed over in a business deal. ¡°So,¡± Fyrellia said, changing the subject. ¡°Are we sneaking into his room again tonight? Because, that bed is much nicer than these ones,¡± she said with a huge smile, motioning to the beds they¡¯d received the first day. ¡°¡­ Yes¡­¡± she said reluctantly. Reluctantly, because she didn¡¯t want them to see that she, too, was also looking forward to sleeping on that bed. Chapter 073 - Crystal Cores *Day 4* The next ¡°morning¡± came, so Joram got up and did his escape artist routine, then noticed that the trio of demons had changed their own routine a bit. Seeing as how the bed he¡¯d made hadn¡¯t yet vanished, they¡¯d instead climbed into it instead of falling asleep on the hard floor. Well, he couldn¡¯t blame them. But really? What was up with them? Shaking his head, he went back outside to get back to work. He was pleased with how much Mind 3 had been able to go through, for he felt as though he was much more familiar with the various Powers in the archive. He also noticed that Mind 4 had added a lot of Dust Crystals to his inventory, which would help with other projects that he was thinking about starting. Once he was out back, he made a quick detour to the bamboo planters. He quickly harvested it all, then used [Grow] to replenish the planters, before repeating the process a few more times until he had a veritable mountain of bamboo. From there, he quickly processed it into a few different grades of cloth, from silky smooth to a heavier canvas-like cloth. The latter would be used to make the girls some shoes, for he felt absolutely terrible for having forgotten to make them before now. He quickly stored away the bulk of the bolts of cloth before he had Mind 2¡­ or maybe M2 would work better? Yeah, that would work. Anyways, he quickly used [True Creation] to make a several blocks of sneaker-quality rubber. Well, vulcanized rubber, anyways. With that done, he quickly made some stainless steel, then a pile of laces. Five minutes later, he had two pairs of shoes for each of the girls. Though, the pair for Qyress were a bit different, as they were more sandal than sneaker due to her almost avian feet. With that done, he quickly used [Ectoplasmic Creation] to make some temporary boxes for the shoes, pre-labelled with each of their names, then packed the shoes up. Once that was done, he instructed a few constructs to bring them to the mess hall and leave them on the tables there for the girls to find. Then he facepalmed. Ten minutes later, he added a dozen socks for each of them to the pile. Now that that was done, he got back to work on the dairy, which was a bit more complicated than he¡¯d initially thought. Mostly, he wondered what bacterial culture they¡¯d use for the cheeses, then just gave up. They knew what they were about, so he¡¯d trust them. Then the next thought nearly had him wanting to forget it. How would they¡­ milk themselves? Did they do it like the farmers of old? Or did they have some sort of pump they¡¯d developed, much like breastmilk pumps back on Earth? Not looking forward to that conversation with Shae¡¯ra, he filed it away for later. Much, much, later if he could help it. After making a few butter churns and a few vats that could be heated via enchantments, he added a few supermarket-style refrigerators with large doors. He then made a few milk tanks, just in case they needed them, along with a couple hundred glass bottles with lids. Then, after making sure that the plumbing was up to snuff, he left, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t need to go in while they were gathering the milk they¡¯d be using¡­. Well, mostly. He was still a man, after all. A very curious man. Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, he made his way to the apartment building and went inside. He went up and down the hall on each floor and found that not a single person had moved in last night, disappointing him a bit. Well, given what Avi said last night, I guess that I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he mused as he looked out a window at the end of the hall. It looked out at his house, matching it for height. The sun was just coming up now, which meant that everyone would be getting up and the women or Kirkwall would be arriving once more. He went back downstairs and made his way to the mess hall and found that the ladies had indeed arrived, but also that the girls had arrived. He smiled as they variously looked at the shoes, inspected them, or tried them on. He was glad that he¡¯d [Delve]¡¯d each one when he got their psychic imprints for the rings. That he could make them shoes that fit just right for them made him pretty happy, for he knew just how torturous ill-fitting shoes could be. He made his way over to Celys, surprised that she was once more in attendance. After a quick conversation, he found out that she¡¯d basically hired the single women of Kirkwall who didn¡¯t have very many daily duties to help out at his place. Which made sense, given how much time they were spending there. She¡¯d also procured more food stuffs for the day, which was nice of her. So, he passed her the fee from last night as well as a Grade B Core to compensate for their time and the food. Once again, she protested, but he pretty much ignored her protests as he walked off in search of the trio. Who were easier to find than he¡¯d thought. They looked to be having fun trying on their new shoes, one normal cut with four laces, one high-topped with six laces. ¡°Say,¡± he said to get their attention, making the three of them jump. ¡°Once you¡¯re done with breakfast, could you come with me for a bit?¡± he asked, a little confused at their intense reactions. ¡°Y-yes, young master,¡± Arise said, stepping forward then bowing to him from the waist. ¡°Ah, none of that,¡± he said, feeling a bit awkward. ¡°It¡¯s just Joram. I¡¯ll meet you at the front gate,¡± he said, then hurried outside. Once he was at the front gates, he idly wondered if he should just walk to town with the three of them, or if he should quicken the trip by making some transportation. On the one hand, walking would allow time for them to chat and get to know one another better. On the other hand, he wondered if making the trip faster would be a better idea given how flustered they¡¯d seemed at his request. Then, just going with it, he decided to make one of those bike and buggy things. The bicycle being attached to the passenger buggy with an articulating shaft, making turning much easier. Then, the buggy¡¯s seat would have to have a low back to accommodate their wings¡­. An awning¡­ covering¡­ thingy would also be good to keep off direct sunlight and any rain that might fall. Yes, that would do nicely¡­. So, the bike was made with the standard twenty-one gears he¡¯d been used to using growing up, while the buggy¡¯s seat was made to be both plush and firm, allowing for long-term comfort. Nodding, he finished up then hopped onto the bike to get a feel for it. It wasn¡¯t bad, especially with the disc brakes¡­. Thinking about it more, he¡¯d need to make brakes for the buggy itself, as momentum and mass weren¡¯t anything one should ignore. Looking at how everything connected, he was fairly certain that he¡¯d need a lot of strength to use the same cable-powered brakes that were on the bike portion¡­. So, he changed it up. The brakes went from being on the bike¡¯s wheels to the two-wheeled buggy. The cables got much longer, and understandably thicker to accommodate how much tension would be needed to make effective use of them. The brake itself changed from a disc-style to a sort of clamp-style that he attached to the axel instead of the wheel. The bonus was that the brake pad wouldn¡¯t wear out anywhere near as fast as even car brakes because of the bonus durability from his Title and Achievement. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Nodding at work well done, he turned to find the trio already waiting for him, mouths hanging open. ¡°Ah-hahahaha, let¡¯s get loaded up,¡± he said, laughing nervously as he helped them into the buggy before stepping behind the buggy. No buggy would be complete without a little spot for luggage. He quickly made a small chest and dropped seven thousand silver coins inside for his trip to the bank. He once more got gaping looks from the three women, so he quickly made his way to the bike and started peddling. After a minute of peddling, he thought that maybe he should start a conversation, but had absolutely no idea how to break the ice after getting looked at like that. So, he kept quiet as he peddled, pleased that it was at least a smooth ride. Even when using the weird braking system he¡¯d made, he found that it worked pretty good as he slowed down as they approached the west gate. ¡°What¡¯s this new thing here?¡± one of the guards called out as he got close. ¡°Ah, just another experiment,¡± he said, trying not to feel too embarrassed at the attention, mostly because he was the one who¡¯d both decided to make the thing and to take it to town. ¡°Well, it looks fun. Let me know if you¡¯re giving out rides later,¡± the guard said, giving him a bright smile, making him realize just how pretty she was. ¡°Will do,¡± he said, then hurried up again, soon leaving the wall behind. In fact, getting to the bank was- of course- much faster than it had ever been. Once there, he helped the gals down and retrieved the small chest from the back of the buggy. He was a bit surprised that they still hadn¡¯t said anything yet, but then supposed that they were probably a bit shy given how many looks they were getting. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, using his head to nod towards the bank as he headed inside. Inside, he was a bit surprised at the looks they all received. The guys looked, predictably, fairly interested in the gals. But the women looked slightly¡­ appraising. Guarded? He didn¡¯t know, but didn¡¯t let it bother him as he went up to the counter where the first guy who¡¯d helped him when he¡¯d gotten his ID stepped up to speak with him. ¡°How may I help you today?¡± the clerk asked, as professional as ever. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to get three more IDs and to make another deposit,¡± he said, using his chin to first point at the gals then at the chest he was carrying. The clerk gave him an odd look before nodding slowly. ¡°We can certainly help you with your deposit but, unfortunately, we aren¡¯t able to provide identification cards for demons, sir,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± he asked, now suspecting racism. ¡°It¡¯s the law of the kingdom, sir. Demons aren¡¯t recognized as friendly entities. As such, they¡¯re only tolerated as slaves,¡± the clerk said, looking a bit uncomfortable. ¡°OK,¡± he said, thinking. ¡°Can they get a bank account?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± ¡°As slaves, can they perform errands for me?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can they, say, come to the bank and make deposits or withdrawals for me?¡± he asked, trying to see just how much they¡¯d be allowed to do. ¡°If you¡¯ve given permission, then yes,¡± the clerk replied, looking a bit uncertain. ¡°Then how can they prove that I¡¯ve given them permission?¡± ¡°We staff would remember,¡± the clerk replied, looking even more uncomfortable now. ¡°Well, what if I¡¯m in another town or city? How would they go about helping me with my banking there?¡± ¡°They would need a slave card,¡± a woman said as she approached. Joram looked over to her and noted her professional attire, what looked almost like a pants suit combo, though closer to what he¡¯d expect to see on someone in the 18th Century in England, and on a man. Her hair was done up in a neat bun, as red as the tips of Asami¡¯s ears. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zerava Farshonne, bank manager,¡± she said, extending her hand for him to shake, so he did. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he said, giving her his second-best smile. ¡°The pleasure is all mine, Joram Smith,¡± she said with a brilliant smile of her own. ¡°The [Hero] of Kirkwall is always welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a [Hero],¡± he said, embarrassed. ¡°You many not have the Path, but you certainly have the heart for it,¡± Zerava said as she continued to smile at him. ¡°You¡¯ve saved Kirkwall and many of the people who call it home. That¡¯s a [Hero] in my books. Not only that, but you¡¯ve also gained the favour of Asami Miki.¡± He really didn¡¯t know what to say, so he coughed and changed the subject. ¡°So, about how these gals can get some sort of proof of having permission to do banking on my behalf?¡± he asked, hoping that he didn¡¯t sound near as desperate as he felt. ¡°There is actually a sort of identification that will allow such,¡± Zerava said, nodding. ¡°We haven¡¯t ever used them here, so I¡¯ll have to dig them out from the storage room. But it¡¯s effectively a tag that you would add to their slave collars that holds your information and theirs on it. That way they would just need to present the tag to any teller, or clerk, and they¡¯d be able to conduct business on your behalf,¡± she finished, having shifted into a more business-like tone as she spoke. ¡°That sounds good,¡± he said, then turned to the three gals. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked, not wanting to force anything on the three of them. In fact, he wasn¡¯t planning on having them be errand girls for him. No, if they could access his account while out and about, then they¡¯d be able to get any money the needed for whatever they were planning on getting. Since the other girls now each had an ID and an account, he didn¡¯t want the three gals to feel as though they were being left out, or feel as though they were second-rate compared to the others. ¡°If that¡¯s what the young master wished, then we would be happy to help,¡± Fyrellia said with a slight bow, answering for them this time. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do that then,¡± he said, then remembered the chest that he was holding. ¡°Oh, and I have seven thousand silver coins to deposit, if that¡¯s all right?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± Zerava said, having taken over for the other guy already. ¡°It may take a little while to confirm the amount deposited, though, as your deposit from yesterday is still being counted,¡± she said with an apologetic smile that also seemed to convey that it was his fault that it would take so long. ¡°That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine,¡± he said, waving it off with a shake of his head. ¡°Where would you like me to set this down?¡± he asked, looking around. ¡°Since you¡¯ve kindly offered, then please follow me to the back,¡± Zerava said with a bright smile while motioning for him to follow. He stepped around the counter and followed her down a short hall, then turned right. There, he saw what looked like an olde-time bank vault¡­ which translated to a barred room in this world. As he approached, he could feel mana practically radiating off the bars, telling him that they were heavily enchanted, relieving him somewhat. ¡°Just inside,¡± Zerava said, motioning to a spot just to the left of the door. ¡°So,¡± he said, standing up again after placing the chest in the requested spot. ¡°I also have a couple of Crystal Cores that I¡¯d like you to look at, if that¡¯s all right,¡± he said, getting a surprised look from her. ¡°Certainly,¡± she said, motioning for him to follow her once again. He soon found himself in her office, sitting across from her at her desk. Not wanting to waste any more time, he withdrew five Dust Crystals, though of the ¡°Grade B¡± quality, and placed them on her desk. Since they were somewhat smaller than a normal Core, she gave him a dubious look before picking one up to take a closer look. After a few moments, she opened a desk drawer and retrieved a small¡­ plate. It was octagonal in shape and reminded him a bit of an ancient Chinese Taoist¡­ compass? Feng-shui thingy? Anyways, it was covered in arcane symbols whose meaning completely eluded him. What¡¯s more, there was what looked like a compass needle in the centre with a shallow bowl supported by eight narrow legs just above the centre of the plate. Zerava placed the Dust Crystal inside that shallow bowl and watched as the needle slowly turned until it stopped just under a fifth of the way around the plate, making her raise her eyebrows in astonishment. ¡°Where did you get this, if I may ask?¡± Zerava more stated than asked as her gaze turned to him, sparkling. ¡°I¡¯ve been messing around with [Cleanse],¡± he said, shrugging, and hoping that he appeared as casual as he hoped. ¡°These came out smaller than the others, so I was wondering how they¡¯d be evaluated.¡± Zerava looked at him for a few moments before standing up, walking around her desk, and closing the door behind him. She then touched a panel on the side of the door before returning to her chair. ¡°Because you¡¯re the [Hero] of Kirkwall, I¡¯ll give you some advice,¡± she said, suddenly looking deathly serious. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that you can do that,¡± she said, motioning towards the Dust Crystals on the desk. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re not from around here, so your common sense might not be the same as ours. But, if anyone finds out that you can make those, you¡¯re going to get kidnapped then enslaved to produce those for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about them?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask, even though it showed how ignorant he was about them. ¡°Aside from their unusually small size, they¡¯re considered high-grade, Grade B Crystal Cores. Do you know what Crystal Cores are used for?¡± she asked, looking as though she knew what he¡¯d say. ¡°No, not really,¡± he said, shrugging and hoping for all he was worth that he looked as insouciant as he was hoping to come off as. Chapter 074 - ... and a dragon wouldnt? Zerava regarded the amazingly ignorant [Hero] of Kirkwall and just about banged her head on her desk in frustration. That someone could be so clueless was almost criminal. That such a person could make Crystal Cores should be criminal!! ¡°Crystal Cores have two major roles in society,¡± she said, hoping to distract herself from her frustrations by sharing a bit of history. ¡°The primary one, that people have known about for centuries, is absorbing them to help level up. You can use them to gain enough experience to gain levels, to level up your Skills, and to even improve your Attributes, though that is much harder to do,¡± she said, watching every movement of his face as well as his body language to see if any of this was new to him. Unfortunately, the man was so stone-faced that he was almost impossible to read. So stone-faced, even, that she thought he was angry most of the time, making her firm her resolve to speak more. ¡°The second use, and more important in my opinion, is that they¡¯re used to create magic items. They power just about everything from stoves to protective arrays to weapons of war. As such, they¡¯re incredibly expensive, and any kingdom or country that can gain a steady supply of Crystal Cores would be in a position to start invading and conquering their neighbours. ¡°Not only that, but if the Guardian Kingdoms were to gain a steady supply of Crystal Cores, then they would push the war with the demon continent and probably invade them,¡± she said, fixing Joram with a hard stare that she hoped would convey how serious things were. Instead of looking shocked, panicked, or anything suitable, he leaned back and frowned slightly. She said ¡°slightly¡±, but for reasons she couldn¡¯t quite explain, she felt more than a little bit nervous seeing that frown. Not only that, but his eyes squinted slightly as he watched her, making her heart jump in her chest. She couldn¡¯t quite say why she felt like that, but she did know that the sweat running down her back- and starting to bead on her chest- told her that she was in trouble, one way or another. Just as she was about to touch the emergency panel under her desk, Joram let out a long breath that softened his features considerably, nearly making her slump in relief. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good,¡± he said, shaking his head marginally. ¡°I¡¯m not a proponent for war, nor do I like the idea of military conquest just because someone can take something from someone else,¡± he said, frowning again briefly before it vanished from his face once again. ¡°So, your advice would be to not sell these, then?¡± he asked, motioning to the strange Crystal Cores on her desk. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, stopping there because she didn¡¯t quite trust her voice yet. ¡°Then, thank you for your guidance,¡± Joram said, dipping his head slightly as he spoke. ¡°Well then, if we could get those tags for the gals, that would be great. Also, I appreciate your candor,¡± he said, giving her that ridiculously dazzling smile again as he stood up and retrieved the Crystal Cores from her desk. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said as she, too, stood up, quickly wiping her palms on her thighs to dry them. ¡°Please, see me any time you have any other questions. Or if you need any other assistance,¡± she finished, holding out her hand. Joram grinned at her, then enveloped her hand in his warm hand. ¡°I will, thank you,¡± he said, then turned to leave. He even touched the plate for the privacy ward and disarming it before leaving. She sat down once more, no longer able to support her weight on her shaky legs, thinking. Zerava now truly knew why Celys was so taken with Joram. Not in that way, but with¡­ him. She was absolutely certain that she¡¯d never met someone with the same presence as Joram, let alone anyone who felt so¡­ formidable. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was a Level 17 [Crafter], whatever her [Identify] Skill told her. Even the [Great Knight]s she¡¯d met when she¡¯d travelled to Myrmeze, the capitol of the kingdom on bank business, hadn¡¯t had an aura like Joram¡¯s. Zerava shook her head abruptly then got up and made her way to the storage room to dig out the slave tags. If there was one thing she was certain about, Joram deserved the Title of [Hero], whether or not he actually had it. He was just too¡­ his presence was just too strong to be anything else. * * * Feeling unsettled by Zerava¡¯s words of caution even though he¡¯d suspected that Crystal Cores were more important than he¡¯d thought, he made his way back to the front of the bank to where the gals were waiting for him¡­ and a new skulk of foxes, it seemed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it¡¯ll take to get the tags, so how about we take a walk?¡± he said when he got to them. They just nodded as though they were demure and meek young women, throwing him off a bit before he nodded back at them and led the way out. Once outside, he decided to head back to the caravan to have another look around. Instead of riding the¡­ rickshaw- that¡¯s what it was called!- he chose to walk with the gals. It was a nice day outside, and he kind of wanted to walk. He was glad that the hero-worship had died down over the past couple of months, which meant that they were only stopped every few minutes instead of every other step. Still, they made good time and soon they were approaching the caravan. That¡¯s when he noticed that they¡¯d started following him instead of walking beside him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he stopped and asked, giving them a questioning look. ¡°What you do you mean, young master?¡± Fyrellia once more replied for the group, looking a bit confused. ¡°Why¡¯re you walking behind me now?¡± ¡°It is only proper, young master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They began fidgeting under his scrutiny before he decided to let it go for now. ¡°Well, fine. Just don¡¯t let anyone bother you, OK?¡± he said, looking at each of them in turn before turning away when they finally nodded at him. Looking at the prices, they seemed to have stayed the same, which made him glad as he went through the stalls. He¡¯d been a bit scared that the merchants would increase their prices to help offset the added cost of camping at his place. That they hadn¡¯t reassured him a bit, and even raised his opinion of them a bit. When he arrived at the bookseller, he saw that he was still well-stocked. He smiled, then began looking through the selection as the merchant smiled at him in greeting. As he browsed the books, the kept an eye on their surroundings, curious to see what everyone¡¯s reactions would be to see the ¡°demons¡± walking around with him. Let alone their unusual attire. He hadn¡¯t gotten fancy with what he¡¯d made them, even with Ilyana¡¯s help. He¡¯d effectively made them all jeans and t-shirts, very similar in design to what he normally wore. And with their new Converse-style sneakers, they were indeed drawing eyes. Though, he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of who they were or because of their clothing. Likely both. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Looking at the collection of books, his inner bibliophile screamed at him to buy all the books! The weight of his wallet told him not to, though. But it was still hard to resist the allure of so many books, and hand-bound books at that! Then he shrugged and just went with it. He quickly calculated how much everything would cost, then turned to the merchant. ¡°How much more stock do you have in the back?¡± he asked, nodding towards his rather sturdy wagon. ¡°I have about that many more yet,¡± the merchant replied, looking more interested in the conversation. ¡°Are there many doubles?¡± ¡°A few, mostly of the popular volumes. The ¡®Dragon Subjugation¡¯ series is very popular, so I have many more of those than the others,¡± he explained as he pointed to one of the shelves that contained a row of similarly bound books that he already passed over. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to buy all the books here,¡± he said, waving casually at the display and his wagon. ¡°Well, everything except the doubles, that is.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± the merchant asked, blinking at him. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy the books, please,¡± he said, giving the man a third-rate smile, wondering if the man had gone dumb. ¡°That¡¯ll be quite expensive, young master,¡± the merchant said, now looking as though he finally believed Joram. ¡°More expensive than her?¡± he asked, frowning, as he pointed at Fyrellia because she was the closest to him. ¡°Ah, well, I guess not,¡± the merchant said, looking rueful. ¡°Still, I¡¯ll have to do a quick count of everything to give you a proper quote.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can just let me know tonight after you get back,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later,¡± he said, then headed off with the gals following closely behind him. He didn¡¯t find anything else that interested him, nor did it seem as though the gals had either. He¡¯d been watching them, and those around them, to be sure they were both safe and content. He was glad that his paranoia was proven false, as no one seemed to really care about the three of them beyond a few lustful gazes. Which made him glad that he¡¯d given them all proper clothing to wear. After about an hour of wandering around, he headed back to the bank to get the tags. Once there, it only took another fifteen minutes or so to get them ¡°attuned¡± to the gals and the permissions set up. They were kind of neat, looking like dog tags that American soldiers used to wear. They even came with their own little clip that could easily detach from the main part of the slave collar. He also found out that they couldn¡¯t have a carte-blanche when it came to his account. They each had a limit of a gold coin per day, which was actually a lot, all things considered. That said, they could deposit any amount of money on his behalf, so there was that. After thanking Zerava again, he loaded them all up into the rickshaw and headed back home. ¡°Joram!¡± Shae¡¯ra called out once he parked the rickshaw and helped the gals out, much to their embarrassment if he was reading it right. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked as he watched her hurry over with the little dwarf girl following in her wake. ¡°Thank you for setting up the new greenhouse,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, bowing to him when she got to him. ¡°Ella, here, would also like to thank you,¡± she said, then gently pulled Ella forward as she still tried to hide behind the elf. ¡°T-t-thank, you,¡± she practically whispered when Shae¡¯ra finally just dodged behind her instead. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Ella,¡± he said with a smile at the surprisingly slight dwarven girl. In fact, he would have mistaken her for a human if not for her height, ears, super-thick hair, and ridiculous chest. She was about 1.4m tall, though proportioned like an adult human, throwing off his preconceived notions of dwarves quite thoroughly. Her super-thick hair was such a dark brown that it would likely be mistaken for black in anything but direct sunlight, while her eyes were jet black. Her skin, though, was olive-toned, making her resemble a middle-easterner back on Earth. Possibly a Mediterranean gal. He had always been terrible at guessing where people were from based on their skin tones. ¡°Anyways, I hope that you¡¯ll have fun with the place. Let Shae¡¯ra know if you need any other ingredients, OK?¡± he said with a gentle smile, hoping that she¡¯d soon get more comfortable with her new home. ¡°Y-yes,¡± Ella said, finally looking him in they eye when she spoke. ¡°Good!¡± he said cheerily, then turned to the three gals. ¡°As for you three. Feel free to do whatever entertains you¡­ so long as it doesn¡¯t bother anyone else, I guess,¡± he said, adding that last caveat because he really didn¡¯t know them. They nodded at him before slowly heading off towards the mess hall, their hands flashing some sort of sign language as they went. ¡°Anything else I can help with?¡± he asked as he turned back to the waiting Shae¡¯ra. ¡°Well, I was hoping that you could help by letting us know more about the plants in the greenhouse,¡± she said, looking both embarrassed at the admission and enthusiastic to learn. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go,¡± he said, then led the way to the first greenhouse. It took him another hour to go through everything with her, as well as the other green thumbs there. It took another hour to answer their myriad questions, from germination all the way to daily care of the plants to how best to prepare them for consumption. It was¡­ nice. He finished by promising to schedule another sit-down with them after breakfast tomorrow morning. And a cooking class after that. Then he was practically carried off by the cowkin twins. Once at the dairy, they bombarded him with questions about how everything worked. It got a bit awkward, especially with Avi laughing her ass off to the side, when they needed him to demonstrate how to best use the breast pumps. He¡¯d been wrong in assuming that they might have developed something like that themselves. No, they¡¯d all just manually massaged their breasts to get the milk out since time immemorial. Once they knew how to use the breast pumps, their tops practically flew off as they each- both the cowkin and sheepkin- grabbed a pump for each breast and sat back with disturbingly happy smiles on their faces. He beat a hasty retreat at that point, not wanting to have those images bouncing around his head along with those of Myra and Asami. And the three gals as they cuddled together in bed¡­. Damn, this is going to get so much harder, isn¡¯t it? He silently commiserated his fate. Well, he¡¯d done it to himself, so he only had himself to blame. ¡®If you want to distract yourself, why don¡¯t you play with your dungeon?¡¯ Avi suggested, now as composed as he¡¯d ever seen her. ¡®Yeah, I might just do that,¡¯ he sent back then made his way to his office before opening his Dungeon tab. * * * ¡°OK, so, what the hell is he?¡± Arise asked as she took another look around to make sure that no one was close enough to overhear them. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that he¡¯s a demon in disguise,¡± Fyrellia said, humming to herself in thought. ¡°That¡¯s obviously not the case,¡± Qyress said with a light shake of her head. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a dragon in disguise,¡± she posited with a shrug. ¡°How does that make more sense than a disguised demon?¡± Fyrellia asked, annoyed that her suggestion had been shot down so quickly. ¡°For one, he¡¯d have already ravished each and every one of us,¡± Qyress started, but was cut off. ¡°And a dragon wouldn¡¯t?¡± Fyrellia asked incredulously. ¡°That is a good point,¡± Arise said, nodding. ¡°Are we just overthinking things?¡± she asked, looking at them again as she spoke. ¡°Probably,¡± Qyress said with another shrug. ¡°Does it really matter? For as well-trained as we are, none of us can so much as catch a whiff of deception. In fact, would a demon or a dragon give us access to his bank account?¡± ¡°Oooh, one gold coin per day,¡± Fyrellia drawled, rolling her eyes. ¡°And¡­?¡± ¡°True,¡± Fyrellia said, conceding the point. ¡°Neither would be likely to let anyone have any of their treasure, let alone giving away so many electrum rings.¡± ¡°So, is he just an incredibly powerful and na?ve young man?¡± Arise asked, boiling it all down to just that for them. ¡°Probably,¡± both Fyrellia and Qyress said at the same time. ¡°So, do we take advantage of that? If so, then how?¡± Arise asked even though she obviously had a few thoughts on that. ¡°Well, I for one won¡¯t plot against him,¡± Qyress said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯d rather wait to see what¡¯ll happen next.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Fyrellia said, pausing a moment to think before speaking again. ¡°That said, I wouldn¡¯t mind if he wanted to ravish me.¡± ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Arise said, annoyed with the succubus. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll just hang around and see what happens then.¡± Qyress smiled, glad that they were starting to see reason. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± she asked, looking at the other two. ¡°Does anyone have any hobbies they¡¯d like to pursue?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind joining Ella in the brewery,¡± Fyrellia piped up. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ see what else there is to do,¡± Arise said, shrugging. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Well, since the young master hasn¡¯t restricted our movements, then I think I¡¯ll take wing and have a look around the western forest for a bit,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like flying?¡± ¡°Point,¡± Fyrellia said, nodding as Arise gave them both a withering look. ¡°Fine. Just be back in time for dinner,¡± Arise said, giving up on glaring. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll take a look at that contraption he paraded us around in.¡± ¡°Have fun,¡± Qyress said, then got up and headed outside to stretch her wings. It had been much too long since she¡¯d been able to exercise them. Then, with a swift down-thrust of her wings, she shot into the air, exulting in the wind in her hair. She didn¡¯t like going unarmed, but at least it was something. Then she forgot her worries for a time as she let herself go to the joys of flying again. Chapter 075 - Learning more about Dungeons The rest of the day passed without incident, allowing him to experiment with the Dungeon tab of his Status without interruption. He found two things that he¡¯d somehow missed. The first was a reset option for a level of a dungeon. It would allow him to reclaim a portion of mana spent on that level in exchange for erasing said level. The second was an option that allowed him to reclaim an entire dungeon, though that option also had two sub options in it. The first sub option was like erasing a level, but for the whole dungeon. The second sub option allowed him to reclaim the Dungeon Core. It would still destroy the dungeon, but allowed him to claim the Core and thus give him something to use for later. Which, really, was the best option overall, especially if he was out exploring and found another random dungeon. He wasn¡¯t sure if Dungeon Cores were useful for anything else besides creating a new dungeon, but he figured that he had plenty of time to find out. Anyways, the second option combined with the second sub option also allowed him to choose whether-or-not he wanted to also claim the natural resources of the dungeon when he claimed the Core. Which was awesome. It did say though, that the denizens of the dungeon would be left alone. Which meant that if the dungeon had produced hostile entities that they¡¯d stick around until slain. Or they died from mana attrition, either one. He found that mana attrition was an interesting thing as he looked it up. It seemed that if a dungeon denizen didn¡¯t return to an area of high mana concentration from time to time that it would eventually die. Which made capturing and keeping dungeon monsters less practical than he¡¯d thought, since he¡¯d been considering doing that for the girls to help them level up. So, not wanting to travel for an hour each way, he decided to reclaim the dungeon core for his first dungeon. Well, his only dungeon, but it was his first dungeon. So, he clicked on the [Reclaim Dungeon] option, then the [Reclaim Core] option and smiled when the Dungeon Core appeared in his inventory, but blinked when he saw that it was listed in his Cores section. It was listed as a Grade SSS Crystal Core, though. He took it out of his inventory and found that it was the same size as the original Dungeon Core that had melted into his hand in the goblin dungeon. Though, this one was a bit clearer, making it look a bit like a slightly clouded quartz crystal, though spherical in shape. Shrugging, he returned it to his Inventory and checked on the other resources now listed there. He¡¯d received almost two hundred [Glow Crystals], and almost as many [Glow ¡®Shrooms], [Glow Moss], [Marrow Roots], and [Bloodwort Grass]. He only got 32 [Blue Yarrow], whatever that was. But seeing as how there was comparatively less of it than the other stuff, he supposed it might be more valuable than the other stuff. He shrugged again, not really caring too much beyond wondering how to properly preserve the organic materials if he needed to clear out his Inventory. There wouldn¡¯t be much of a point in taking it out of his Inventory if it would just rot, after all. Maybe Ella would know something, being a dwarf and all¡­ he thought, then chided himself for profiling. Who knew if she¡¯d even lived underground before being caught and turned into a slave? Then he shook his head and got up. Now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that. Deciding to clear out the construction materials in his Inventory, he made his way to the basement and unloaded all of the stone and wood and metal he¡¯d been keeping there. Now that he knew that he could easily make the stuff with [True Creation] or [Summon: All], he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about keeping it all on hand. He then made his way west, towards the edge of his property. Well, to where the current wall was. He¡¯d need to make a new wall later, maybe next week. Ultimately, it really didn¡¯t matter when he did, but he¡¯d get to it eventually. Once he arrived at the wall, he looked around a bit before deciding on a spot, then got to work excavating the site for the new dungeon that he wanted to create. He smiled when the foxes showed up to watch. He still didn¡¯t know why they hung around him like they did, but was oddly thankful for the company. The first level of the dungeon wound up being roughly 100m x 100m. It took him a little while to remove all of the earth, but as he did, he summoned stone to line the floor, walls, and ceiling to keep everything from just caving in right away. He also made the first level a good seven metres tall, just in case. He then wondered how he¡¯d decorate. He wasn¡¯t terribly creative when it came to decorating, though. Maybe he¡¯d just keep to one theme here since the place was really just going to be a training ground for his people. Which meant that he could probably make the layout easier for them to navigate¡­. With that in mind, he created the main stairwell of the place as one continuous stairwell. Well, continuous in the sense that it resembled the stairwells that you¡¯d find in any modern skyrise back on Earth, though much, much wider. Each set of stairs was four metres wide and ten metres long¡­ diagonally. Anyways, they were fairly large, which would allow for anyone to retreat without having to trample on their peers to escape if they needed to. He also installed a dead man¡¯s switch that would collapse the stairwell at the top, just in case the denizens got out of hand. Safety first! The second level was much like the first, but he decided to make the height of that level a good ten metres this time, and increased the area to 120m x 120m. He also noticed that the soil had much more rock and clay this far down. In fact, it was almost exclusively stone and clay now. The third level got expanded again, going to 150m x 150m x 15m. By this point, he was going through stone, which was somewhat profitable for him as it was all that Moss Stone that Celys had claimed was both valuable and rare. After filling his inventory with the stuff, he decided to leave for the night. Incidentally, he¡¯d found that the maximum size of block that he could store in his Inventory was a five-metre cube, making them much easier to store away. He also found that the individual slots in his inventory could accommodate ten thousand units of one thing. Which meant that he now had eleven of his inventory slots filled with Moss Stone, clay, and earth; the vast majority of that being Moss Stone. He idly wondered how much he could get for selling so much Moss Stone, then discarded that thought. He didn¡¯t want to crash the market, after all. Then he pulled up his Inventory again and wondered if there was a way to get more slots. He¡¯d talked with Avi about that before, but now that he could make enchanted items, he wondered if he could absorb/assimilate a storage item to expand his storage¡­. ¡°Hey, Avi?¡± ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡°Do you think I could make storage items now?¡± ¡®Sure, why not?¡¯ ¡°Then, do you think that I could use those items to expand my Inventory?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®I don¡¯t know. But wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to make your own ¡®Stuff Space¡¯ that Altaea had and used?¡¯ she asked raising one delicate and perfectly arched eyebrow at him. ¡°I can do that now?¡± he asked, taken off guard by her words. ¡®Well, you just have to use [Genesis], or one of its variants, and a stack of Dust Crystals¡­. Well, I guess you¡¯d have to set up a ritual circle to do it since you don¡¯t have anyone here to help do that for you. But yes, that¡¯s entirely possible to do,¡¯ she said with a smile, throwing him for a bit of a loop. Nodding, he made his way back to the surface deep in thought. He was finally pulled out of his thoughts by Asami as she dusted off his clothing. ¡°What?¡± he asked, looking around to see that he¡¯d wandered back to the house already. ¡°What¡¯s got your head in the clouds?¡± Asami asked, tilting her head to the side as she stared up at him. ¡°Ah, just thinking about storage options,¡± he said with a smile that he couldn¡¯t stop when he saw just how cute she looked tilting her head like that. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll need to come back down to the ground for a bit. You need to speak with those merchants, and especially that book guy,¡± she said, pointing towards the camped caravan. ¡°Right,¡± he said, remembering the book guy. Joram then quickly made a pair of astral constructs- horses this time- and had them follow him to one of the empty wagons he¡¯d gotten with the girls. After hitching the astral constructs to it, he had them follow him while Asami walked with him at his side. It went quickly enough, all things considered. The books had been stacked back into crates, which he opened and went through to make sure that everything was in order before paying the guy. All told, it cost him twenty-three gold coins and fifty-two silver coins. Not too shabby, really. He then received that night¡¯s payment, then bid them a good night before retreating to his house for the night. After having the astral constructs, the humanoid models, put the crates of books into the library, he headed off to his room with Asami by his side. Once inside his room, he noticed the three gals standing beside the door and suppressed a sigh when he also noticed how annoyed Myra looked from where she sat on the bed- their bed. He closed the door, used [Cleanse] to tidy up, then addressed the proverbial elephant in the room. ¡°So, what¡¯s going on here?¡± he asked lightly, hoping that he¡¯d get to bed sometime in the next hour¡­. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Myra said. Just that, as though it was the highest crime for them to be in the room¡­. Well, it might very well have been for all he knew. He looked over at the three gals and raised an eyebrow that had them fidgeting within moments, then Fyrellia finally glanced over at the extra bed, and it clicked. ¡°Ah, do you perhaps want to have a bed like that for yourselves?¡± he asked, nodding towards the second bed. Astonishingly, the three of them blushed before reluctantly nodding. ¡°Well¡­¡± Fyrellia started, then stopped when Arise elbowed her in the hip. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s cute,¡¯ Avi said, smiling from his side. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cute,¡± Asami said from his other side, nearly knocking him over at the repeated words. ¡°Do you just want to sleep in here with us?¡± she asked with a mischievous smile on her face that caused Myra to nearly choke. He saw Fyrellia and Qyress start to nod before shying away from Myra¡¯s wrath while Arise sniffed and looked away. Is that one a tsundere? He wondered, then shook his head as Myra started expounding on how inappropriate it would be for them to continue sleeping in the same room as them. He gave her a flat look that caused her to clamp her mouth shut surprisingly quickly. ¡°If they just want a new bed, that¡¯s fine. Heck, the beds in the new apartment are just as comfortable, so that¡¯s not a problem,¡± he said, noticing slight fidgeting from the three gals as he said that. ¡°But if they just want to be closer, then that¡¯s also fine since they¡¯re not insisting on sleeping in the same bed as me,¡± he finished, watching their individual reactions to his words. Asami didn¡¯t seem to care, but he did notice a¡­ competitive glint in her eyes that had him wondering if she hadn¡¯t given up on copulating with him. Myra¡¯s expression was a complicated mix of embarrassment, frustration, and annoyance. He was pretty sure that she liked him romantically, but no idea if, one: she¡¯d realized it yet, or two: just how far it went for her. If it was him, then insisting on sleeping with someone he liked meant that he wanted much more than just cuddle time with that person. Then there were the three gals to consider. He was reasonably sure that none of them had unreasonably fallen for his amazing manliness¡­. OK, that was going a bit too far, but the point stood. Arise was almost standoffish in how she interacted with him, aloof and guarded at the same time. Qyress seemed to be¡­ casual about everything, not really bothered by much. Though, he did notice that she seemed to hide a shy side behind that casual fa?ade. Then Fyrellia¡¯s obvious glances and outright staring fit in disturbingly well with what he knew about succubae. Though, right now, all three of them seemed pretty nervous, all things considered. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of some unwritten rule that he wasn¡¯t aware of or if they feared what he¡¯d say. Well, whatever it was, he¡¯d probably have to resort to something like [Read Mind] to actually know, but he didn¡¯t want to do that. Privacy was a thing, after all. ¡°Well, if you want to sleep in that bed, that¡¯s fine,¡± he said, noticing Myra¡¯s agitation as he spoke. ¡°But please, stick to that bed,¡± he finished with a shake of his head as he went over to the screened-off corner of his room to get changed for bed. With how long anything he made stuck around, he no longer had to remake his clothing every day. Instead, the duration of the creations now seemed to by measured in days per manifester level¡­. Which he suspected being higher than his Class level. Making a mental note to check on that later, he stepped out from behind the screen to see the five women exchanging looks between them. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, not wanting the awkward atmosphere to last longer than it absolutely had to. Myra sniffed, then took his place behind the screen and got changed. Asami shrugged, then joined Myra. The three gals stood there awkwardly, occasionally glancing over at the change screen. Sighing, he used [True Creation] to make them a screen of their own, along with pajamas for each of them. It wasn¡¯t hard since he¡¯d already gotten their measurements beforehand. It was just weird to have to include wings into the designs, though he¡¯d long since gotten used to taking tails into account when making things. Looking happy, the three of them quickly grabbed their clothing and slipped behind the screen as he stepped over to his bed and got in. Thus sprawled, he started meditating to avoid paying attention to his [Touchsight] even before Myra finished changing. He¡¯d have to start turning that off when it came time for people to change¡­. Once he was done renewing his mind and body, he turned his attention to his additional Minds. M2 had started helping M3 with studying the archive of knowledge in his head while M4 continued churning out Dust Crystals like a champ. Satisfied with their progress, he turned his attention to dungeons. He willed his Status screen into being and looked through it for a bit before navigating to the Dungeon tab. He hadn¡¯t installed the Dungeon Core in the new dungeon yet, so he couldn¡¯t start adding things to it just yet. But he could plan things out. So, he did. *Day 5* Today, he¡¯d waited for everyone to get up before getting ready for the day. Mostly because he¡¯d been immersed in dungeon planning, but also because he knew that if he started a new project that he¡¯d likely forget to go to the promised lessons after breakfast. Which went surprisingly well, all things considered. For one, most of the women of Kirkwall attended the cooking lesson, surprising him greatly. In fact, all of the girls attended, even the three gals. It was oddly pleasing to have them want to learn from him. He first started with the basics of using everything in the kitchen, from the ovens to the hot plates to the fridges all the way to the mixing bowls. He¡¯d added a couple of those huge mixing machines you¡¯d see in a small bakery, so he made sure to teach them the proper handling methods for those. Out of everyone there, it was the women of Kirkwall that seemed the most impressed with the mixers as they gushed about how much time and effort it would save when preparing dough. After that, he briefly went into cooking theory, having to hobble together some terms while just using English ones for others because the word didn¡¯t exist in Common. After that was done, he went over with the gardeners to the first greenhouse and started the lesson there. It was pretty straightforward, all told. Planting what seeds how deep, how much water, sun, and warmth for each plant or crop. He even covered what each plant¡¯s preferred soil type was, getting confused looks from the girls, but an approving nod from Shae¡¯ra. During the lesson, he¡¯d learned that Shae¡¯ra was actually a [Druid]. Level 31, at that! After that, he included her more and more in the lesson until he pretty much had her teaching the girls instead, only answering questions about things she didn¡¯t know regarding the foreign plants when they came up. Happy that things had turned out so well, he quickly checked on Ella and how she was doing and found that Fyrellia had joined her in the brewery. Chapter 076 - Sharing ¡°What brings you here?¡± he asked, surprised to see the succubus chatting with a still-shy Ella. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked alcohol, so I figured that I¡¯d give learning how to make the stuff a go,¡± Fyrellia replied with a smile. ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s good,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°How¡¯s everything here, Ella? Do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Um, well, I could use some yeast. Different kinds would be good. You need different kinds to make different boozes,¡± she said, using more words in one go than he¡¯d heard from her at any one time. ¡°Well, what kinds of alcohol are you planning to start with? I¡¯ll get you that yeast first,¡± he said, smiling at the tiny dwarf. ¡°Ales and Beers first, I think,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll try making some hard spirits,¡± she said, now looking excited about getting to work. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get a variety of yeasts for you,¡± he said, then waved at them as he took off to get to work. Well, to get to the dungeon site, anyways. Once there, he quickly used [Summon: All] to get a selection of yeasts, from ones used to make pale ales all the say to ones that could be used to make something like Guinness, using the needed Dust to make it all permanent. Once that was done, he stored the sacks of yeast away in his Inventory and headed down into the soon-to-be dungeon. It took him another couple of hours to get another three levels excavated and reinforced so that they wouldn¡¯t collapse on his head. At that point, he decided to stop, mostly because another nineteen slots of his inventory had been taken up with stone, leaving him with only a few free slots left. Which reminded him about the [Genesis] ritual to make a ¡°Stuff Space¡± for himself. Which would be incredibly useful, as it would vastly expand what he could store away. ¡°So, what would I need to set up the ritual?¡± he asked Avi as he looked around the bottom layer of the almost dungeon. ¡®Anything that would be able to make a decent inlay,¡¯ she said, shrugging. ¡®You could probably get away with using more palladium, though you¡¯d have to use [True Creation] instead of [Summon: All], as it needs to be fully ¡°real¡±,¡¯ she said, now sounding like a professor lecturing in a hall. ¡°Gotcha,¡± he said, then proceeded to make twenty, twenty-kilo ingots of palladium. ¡°Is this good?¡± he asked, wondering if he¡¯d need to make more than that. ¡®We should be fine with that for now. Now, let me help you with the layout,¡¯ she said, then proceeded to¡­ put up an overlay in what he saw. It was¡­ odd, to say the least. It was like having a HUD, or using those augmented reality glasses that were starting to come out before¡­ everything. Anyways, it was much better, as he didn¡¯t get any of that annoying shifting as the software tried to keep up with where the camera was facing. In fact, it was pretty awesome, as the overlay was also translucent enough that he could easily still see where he¡¯d already filled-in the circle. The massive circle. It was almost ten metres across, with a dizzyingly complex series of shapes, designs, and what looked like some sort of arcane writing. It was also very¡­ geometric and oddly organic looking. ¡®All right, now for the second layer,¡¯ Avi said, smiling as he decided to make yet more palladium. In fact, there wound up being nine layers to the ritual ¡°circle¡± that made the whole thing stand almost two metres tall. Through the whole thing, he¡¯d also placed Dust Crystals in various parts of each circle, almost completely draining his reserves in the process. ¡®That should be good,¡¯ Avi said, nodding at a job well done. ¡®Now, just a bit of [Flight], and you¡¯ll be ready,¡¯ she said with a smile. Nodding, he pulled up the Power and found that he was already familiar with it. Giving silent thanks to M2 and M3, he manifested the Power and navigated over the top of the crazy ritual circle and over to the centre of it where he lowered himself again until he was standing in the small circle reserved for him at the bottom. ¡®You should probably sit,¡¯ Avi said from above him. ¡®It may take a while, but you also might lose your balance and fall over, which would be a bad thing.¡¯ Nodding again, he sat down and tried to keep the butterflies in his stomach from becoming too agitated. ¡°What now?¡± he asked, wondering how things would proceed. ¡®Just close your eyes, I¡¯ll take care of activating the circle,¡¯ she said with another smile that nearly caused him to swoon. So, he closed his eyes. He also activated [Clear Mind] to centre himself just before he felt a surge of psionic power that kept building. ¡®Now, manifest [Genesis, True] with all of its augmentation options,¡¯ she said, sounding as though her voice was coming from inside his head this time. More than a little surprised to learn that there was a [Genesis, True] Power, he pulled it up and found that he was also familiar with it and wondered just how far M2 and M3 had gotten in understanding the hundreds of Powers stored away in his head. ¡®Hurry, now,¡¯ Avi prompted him, sounding excited. Swallowing a bit of saliva that had accumulated, he manifested [Genesis, True], selecting every augmentation option that he could. When he ran out of¡­ capacity to spend more power points, M2 stepped in and helped out, surprising him. That that was an option was¡­ crazy considering what he¡¯d be able to do in the future with such knowledge. He then refocussed on the task at hand as the Power called his attention back to it. The options were¡­ myriad, legion¡­ many. He found that he could make a spherical demi-plane, one that would eventually produce a planet instead of a large, flat, plane. Happy to see that, he selected that option, then proceeded to select every climate he could to add to the ¡°seed¡±. He couldn¡¯t fit everything in just yet, but the¡­ template, or seed, of the demi-plane would contain all of that information and use it as the planet, and demi-plane, expanded over time. Happy that he could include such variety, and other neat things like moons eventually, he finalized his selection and waited. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe the experience. It was like getting whole other sense, almost like proprioception, but that awareness came with the knowledge that it wasn¡¯t just his body that it included, but also the new demi-plane. ¡®It¡¯s called a Realm,¡¯ Avi said, sounding distracted. Well, with nothing to do but wait, he joined M4 in creating more Dust Crystals. By the time Avi spoke again, they¡¯d created just over thirty-four more Dust Crystals, making him smile. ¡®And there you are,¡¯ Avi said with a huge smile. ¡®Now you¡¯re almost like Altaea.¡¯ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Oh?¡± he said, now intensely curious. ¡°What else is there to do?¡± he asked, now laser focussed on Avi. ¡®Well, you¡¯ll still need to shift into your planar form, then succeed in fusing both forms together,¡¯ she said, shrugging as though it was easy to do. ¡°So how, pray tell, do I go about doing that?¡± he asked dryly, not having any idea about how to go about even the first part of that. ¡®Just think about it,¡¯ Avi said with another shrug before going on. ¡®Before that, though, you should probably take all this down. It¡¯d be a shame to just leave it all sitting around.¡¯ He nodded, now distracted by what she¡¯d revealed, but used [Modify Matter] again, this time to gather the palladium instead of laying it out in complex forms. He then stored away the twenty-kilo ingots and tasked M2 to figuring out how to access his planar form. ¡®It¡¯s gotten late. You should probably head back now,¡¯ Avi said, once more distracting him. ¡°Right,¡± he said, then quickly retrieved the Dungeon Core before activating [Create Dungeon]. He didn¡¯t bother adding any flora or fauna to it yet. He just added the bottom floor, the 6th level and left it at that for now. He could just play with that in bed later. Then it was home time. Well, caravan, Celys, then home, in that order. Well, that is until he started speaking with Celys. ¡°So, how much would you say is a good wage for everyone who¡¯s been helping out?¡± he asked, curious to know what a proper wage looked like. ¡°Considering that they¡¯re also eating for free, I¡¯d say that twenty bronze per day is fair,¡± Celys replied almost instantly, making him think that she¡¯d already priced things out beforehand. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to find another dungeon to raid,¡± he said with a chuckle, making Celys go blank-faced. ¡°I can¡¯t even say that that would surprise me,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°But if you do find another dungeon, please be careful. Dungeons out in the wild tend to be extremely dangerous, more so than the goblin Dungeon.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯ll be careful,¡± he said, not telling her that there was now a dungeon just under two kilometers form where they stood. ¡°So, how should I go about paying them? Should I just keep giving you the money, or should I try to set something up with the bank?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll not be able to keep coming every day,¡± Celys said, frowning a bit. ¡°I will, however, keep coming until the caravan has packed up and left. But I would suggest getting their information and taking it to the bank so that you can set up a payment schedule for anyone who decides to stay¡­ in you employ,¡± she finished with a grin. ¡°Who knew that that awkward boy who couldn¡¯t even speak Common would wind up becoming a pilar of the community,¡± she teased with a smile. ¡°Ah, well, uh¡­¡± he said, embarrassed enough to feel heat rise to his face. ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I want¡­¡± he said, trailing off as Celys began to chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, waving off his concern. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we found a good one. That said,¡± she started, then looked around to see if anyone else was around before continuing. ¡°When¡¯re you planning to marry Myra?¡± Avi starting howling, laughing so hard that several of the Spirit Foxes bolted away in surprise. ¡°I, uh, what?¡± he asked, his mind blanker than a clean whiteboard. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been staying together for so long, let alone sleeping in the same bed,¡± Celys said, very obviously sniffing him. ¡°Normally, we wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing to go on for so long before getting the couple married. But considering everything that you¡¯ve done, and everything that¡¯s happened, and happening, we agreed to give you a bit more time to get settled,¡± she said, giving him that ¡°Impatient Mother Look¡±. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure things have progressed that far yet¡­¡± he said, trailing off under Celys¡¯ stare. ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with her, and Asami Miki. How have they not gotten ¡®that far¡¯ yet?¡± ¡°Sleeping, yes. S-s-sex, no,¡± he said, beyond ashamed of his stuttering as Celys stared at him incredulously. She continued to stare at him for another three minutes before he broke down, rambling. ¡°It started with Asami wanting to use me as a pillow,¡± he said, then reminded her of how they¡¯d found them in the garden that morning over two months back. ¡°After that, she kept wanting to use me as a pillow. Then, after a while, Myra decided to also use me as a pillow. Nothing more!¡± he finished, practically hyperventilating. Celys stared at him as though he¡¯d grown another head. ¡°Why in the name of the Great Protector haven¡¯t you gone further yet? I can¡¯t imagine a single person who¡¯d be able to keep their hands off Myra, let alone Asami. Not that I¡¯m happy you haven¡¯t. But. How? Or better yet: why?¡± she asked, giving him a searching look. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± he started, trying to figure out why he hadn¡¯t taken the leap yet, as it were. ¡°Probably because, before arriving¡­ here, I¡¯d just gotten out of a bad relationship, and¡­ something else,¡± he said, not quite able to meet her eyes. Celys looked at him for a moment before looking around again and sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s take this elsewhere,¡± she said, then looked around. ¡°Do you have an extra room that we could talk in?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, then motioned for her to follow him to the library before using [Ectoplasmic Creation] to make a pair of comfy chairs, Lazy-Guy recliners, for them to sit in. Then after a surprisingly gentle prompting from Celys to share, he did. Well, he didn¡¯t go into everything, mostly because he didn¡¯t want to dredge up all of those memories, and the pain that came with them. But he did share about his terrible marriage that led to divorce. Then he shared about losing his daughters in an accident. He stopped there to use [Clear Mind] to help him regain his composure. It had been hard, but also liberating to share. ¡°I see,¡± Celys said softly, giving him such a look of compassion that he had to turn his eyes away again. ¡°Then, given that you haven¡¯t had sex with anyone yet, I¡¯ll make sure to convince Nalun to wait a bit longer.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he said dryly, reflexively going back to his normal conversation persona. ¡°I really do like them. I¡¯m just not sure that I¡¯m ready to get married again. Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Celys said, waving off his apology. ¡°If you need, I believe that Lory- you met her when you brought everyone here- can provide some counselling, if you need it,¡± she said, leaning forward to pat him on the knee. ¡°It¡¯s OK to ask for help, you know,¡± she said, reminding him of the many people back on Earth who¡¯d said the same thing to him over the years. Smiling, he nodded, not trusting his suddenly tight throat. After a few moments, he changed the subject to something a bit lighter. ¡°So, I¡¯ve also been thinking about going exploring once everything here is a bit more settled,¡± he said, the paused when he saw Celys¡¯ expression. ¡°I do hope that you won¡¯t leave so many young women unattended,¡± she said, concern heavy in her tone. ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t be alone,¡± he said quickly. ¡°If anything, I¡¯d make sure that Myra, Asami, Shae¡¯ra, and the three gals are here to keep everyone safe,¡± he said, then stopped again at her puzzled look. ¡°Three gals? You don¡¯t mean those demons, do you?¡± she asked skeptically while giving him a weird look. ¡°Yes? They seem like nice girls¡­¡± he said, pausing yet again at her expression. ¡°How they ¡®seem¡¯ aside, I¡¯ve been wondering something for a while now,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Why do you keep calling them ¡®girls¡¯? They¡¯re all grown women.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± he said eloquently as he through about it. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because they¡¯re so much younger than me?¡± he said, not quite sure how to explain it. ¡°Really? How is that when you look to be younger than Myra?¡± Celys asked, reminding him that he didn¡¯t look forty anymore. ¡°I¡¯m, ah, not as young as I look?¡± he said, getting a sharp look from Celys in return. ¡°I¡¯m forty-two.¡± Celys looked as though she didn¡¯t believe a word of it, then seemed to change her mind. ¡°It¡¯s said that some [Hero]s who arrive were older than they look, seemingly regaining their youth in the [Summon]¡¯ing,¡± she said, eyeing him shrewdly. ¡°Still not a [Hero],¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can change my appearance to look as old as I looked¡­ before,¡± he said, inexplicably uncomfortable with that. ¡°I¡¯d like to see that, yes,¡± Celys said, leaning back again. Joram sat back and let out a slow sigh. He hadn¡¯t thought about what he¡¯d looked like for a while now, so it took him a little while to remember, then meditate on changing his body to match his mental image. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re forty-two,¡± Celys said a moment later. He quickly created a hand mirror and took a look at himself, startling Celys in the process. He examined his face, looking at the very fine lines at the corner of his eyes, took in the silver that now took up most of his beard, though his mustache and goatee were still pretty much untouched by it. He saw the little bit of silver at his temples, just above his sideburns, and nodded. ¡°No, that¡¯s how I looked before coming here,¡± he said, then dismissed the mirror. ¡°Even with the silver hair, you look like you¡¯re in your early thirties,¡± she said, giving him another frown. ¡°Hah, I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°It seems as though my family stays pretty young-looking compared to others. That said, this feels weird now, having spent so much time not looking like this,¡± he said, then concentrated on going back to appearing how Altaea had left him. ¡°That¡¯s so weird,¡¯ Celys said, shaking her head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a spell, was it?¡± ¡°No, I can just control my physiology to a certain extent,¡± he said, feeling a bit shy about saying it. ¡°Huh,¡± she said, then shook her head again, causing her scarlet locks to dance. ¡°Say,¡± he said, then felt a bit embarrassed, not sure if he really should ask. ¡°Um, have the animal-kin here¡­ always looked like they do?¡± he finally asked, deciding to just go for it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Celys asked curiously. ¡°I mean, well. Aside from your ears and tails, every animal-kin I¡¯ve met has basically looked like a human,¡± he said, hoping that this wasn¡¯t a taboo topic. ¡°Oh, that,¡± Celys said with a slight frown. ¡°Well, that¡¯s both a long and a short story,¡± she said, catching his curiosity. ¡°So¡­?¡± Celys sighed, then started talking. Chapter 077 - Petty System ¡°So, let¡¯s first cover animal-kin in general,¡± she said, then took a deep breath. ¡°From what I¡¯ve learned, animal-kin were basically a separate species long ago. They very much appeared much more animalistic than we do today. For example, us foxkin used to have elongated snouts. Our hands more resembled paws, though we still had thumbs. And we were pretty much covered in fur, or scales, or whatever animal the animal-kin was related to. ¡°As to where animal-kin first came from, I don¡¯t think anyone knows. But getting back to our appearance, that¡¯s more sensitive, depending on who you¡¯re speaking with. ¡°You see, animal-kin used to live in their own tribes, not interacting with people as they did their own thing. But then humans met them. From what I¡¯ve learned, the animal-kin were pretty much enslaved and, depending on their lineage, treated like livestock. ¡°Though, eventually, humans started to take a more¡­ carnal interest in the animal-kin. After centuries of interbreeding, you see the results,¡± Celys finished with a frown, but also a slight blush in her cheeks. ¡°I¡­ should have expected that,¡± he said, recalling just how many furries could be found on Earth. ¡°So, that¡¯s why animal-kin look so¡­ human,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°And that¡¯s why animal-kin slaves are so popular. I¡¯m told that the allure of such exotic women is too much for some to resist.¡± Joram wisely kept his mouth shut. ¡°So, seeing as how you claim not to be human,¡± Celys said, taking a tangent. ¡°Can you give me a grandchild if you marry Myra?¡± He just about [Teleport]¡¯d away right then, not quite able to withstand such a question combined with her earnest expression. ¡°Ah¡­¡± he drawled blankly. ¡°Well, we can worry about that when the time comes,¡± Celys said, throwing him a bone. ¡°Anyways, it has gotten quite late, and I should go. Remember to ask for help when you need it, and to visit Lory,¡± she said as she stood up, then gave her Lazy-Guy a look of longing. ¡°Thank you for the talk,¡± Joram said, surprised at how much he meant it. ¡°Anything for my future son-in-law,¡± Celys said cheekily. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± she said, then gave him a light hug before heading off. Feeling much lighter than before, he made his way to his bedroom and stopped just outside as his [Touchsight] told him what was happening in the room, thanks to the gap under the door. Which caused him to quickly turn it off as his mind was filled with them getting changed. A quick bit of [Clear Mind], and another System notification that he promptly ignored, and he was once more settled. So, he waited for another few minutes before entering. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Myra said with a smile from the edge of his bed, inadvertently reminding him of his talk with Celys. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Myra asked as she got up and put the back of her hand on his forehead. ¡°Are you overworking yourself?¡± she asked, obviously concerned. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said before quickly side-stepping her and b-lining it to get changed behind the screen. ¡°If you say so,¡± Myra said, sounding a bit confused. ¡°I¡¯m sure the [Legendary Monk] will be fine,¡± Asami snickered, making him blush yet again. Curse you Celys! Now I¡¯m thinking about it!!! He silently raged before calling on [Clear Mind] again to help cool him off. By the time he finished changing, he was once more composed, so he turned [Touchsight] back on, just in case. ¡°Just lots on my mind,¡± he said by way of explanation. ¡°Indeed,¡± Asami said, stretching her arms out over her head and drawing attention to her chest. ¡°Lots,¡± she said when she finished her stretch. The three gals, he noticed, were taking it all in like desperate housewives tuning in on Monday to see what happened after Friday¡¯s cliff-hanger on their favourite Soap Opera. ¡°Let¡¯s just get to bed,¡± he said with a sigh, hoping that Asami wouldn¡¯t continue with the teasing innuendos. Thankfully, she seemed to have gotten enough teasing in and left it at that. Unfortunately, with [Touchsight] going, he could see that the three gals were watching them like hawks as Myra and Asami settled into place. They continued to watch him even after he turned the light off. Suppressing another sigh, he dove into [Clear Mind] and got to renewing himself. *Day 6* The morning passed pretty quickly, even with the two lessons added to it. He also took aside the women of Kirkwall and asked if any of them wanted to work for him long-term. He was pleased to find that all thirty of them said yes, also letting him know that the twenty bronze per day was a good wage for them, also citing that the free food more than made up for any small difference in what they¡¯d usually get paid. So, with their agreement, he took down each of their information so that he could make a trip to the bank later. Probably tomorrow, if he didn¡¯t get distracted again. Though, setting up their pay was important, so he made sure to have M2 remind him about it. Once that was taken care of, he wandered off to the bamboo plot and hummed in thought. Now that he could just create what he needed, he didn¡¯t really need to keep it around. Especially since he wasn¡¯t sure if it would be considered an invasive species. With that last thought in mind, he quickly uprooted all the bamboo, making sure to get all of the roots, and any shoots that had spread. Then had another thought. ¡®Avi? How do I put stuff in my Realm?¡¯ ¡®Just think about it,¡¯ she said as she floated by on what looked like a cloud. ¡®I-,¡¯ he cut off, remembering his conversation with her about his hair. He quickly gathered up the small mountain of bamboo and concentrated on moving it into his Realm. A moment later, it vanished. He then¡­ felt the stack appear in his Realm. He couldn¡¯t quite describe it beyond just¡­ knowing¡­ that it was there. Still weird. ¡®That¡¯s helpful,¡¯ he sent with a smile, thinking about how long it would take to get the Realm to the size it needed to be to be more-or-less flat in appearance¡­. Which would take a while, he realized after a bit of mental math. ¡®It¡¯ll be fine if you just keep manifesting [Genesis, True] every day,¡¯ Avi said as she floated by again. ¡®Thanks,¡¯ he sent with more than a little gratitude for her once more pulling his mind out of a death spiral. ¡®It¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡¯ she said cheerily as she floated away. Realizing that his workload had just increased, he quickly reworked the now empty plot and left it alone for the time being. Maybe the girls would like to grow something local. Yeah, probably. He knew how homesick he got if he didn¡¯t have something familiar to eat when he was out of the country¡­. Well, that really didn¡¯t matter too much now. He quickly reviewed how much it would cost to manifest [Genesis, True] again, and found that it would cost him exactly one hundred Dust Crystals per manifestation. With M4 producing roughly 142 per day, he should still be in the black if he did that every day. Though, if he somehow had enough, he could double that cost to have the Realm grow by 20km diameter per day¡­. M2: Oh, hey. I¡¯ve been working on messing around with the Dust Crystals, keeping what Zerava told us about them, and I¡¯ve learned a few things. Joram: Oh? Why don¡¯t I already know that? He wondered/asked, remembering that all of his Minds should know what any of the others knew or were doing at any given time. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. M2: We¡¯re easily distracted, so we compartmentalized. Anyways, I¡¯ve found that absorbing one Unit of Dust, or UD, will give us exactly one thousand experience points. Which means that a full Dust Crystal would give us one hundred thousand experience points. Which means that we can level pretty quickly, even if we¡¯re just sitting around. Joram: That¡¯s¡­ crazy. M2: Yeah, it feels pretty broken if you ask me, but who cares? If this System allows Dust to help level up a person, who are we to argue? Joram: That¡¯s true¡­. M2: I¡¯ve also tried experimenting with directing that Dust to level up our attributes, and I must say, that it worked out well. Though, it did take a full ten Dust Crystals to get one point of Charisma. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯ll still hold for the others, but I¡¯ll give it a try anyways. Joram: I¡¯m going to need much more Dust, aren¡¯t I? M2: Yep. Joram: Have you tried levelling up Skills yet? M2: Not yet, no. I wanted to let you know about what I¡¯ve found before that. Joram: Then you should try [Mana Well] and [Source of Power], as they¡¯ll both increase my regeneration rates significantly if they pass the next threshold. M2: I was thinking the same thing! Joram: Great minds¡­ M2: We¡¯re not that egotistical yet. Joram: ¡­. M2: ¡­ think alike. Joram smiled, though he wasn¡¯t sure if that counted as bullying himself. He shrugged, then stopped to check his notifications.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skills: - Construction: Huge - Toughness You¡¯ve levelled the following Skills: - Analyze 10 -> 14 - Clear Mind, Advanced 42 -> 51 - Construction: Huge 1 -> 3 - Craft: Cooking, Improved 18 -> 20 - Skill upgrade: Craft: Cooking, Improved -> Craft: Cooking, Advanced - Craft: Cooking, Advanced 20 -> 21 - Craft: Sculpting, Greater 45 -> 48 - Craft: Tailor, Improved 18 -> 20 - Skill upgrade: Craft: Tailor, Improved -> Craft: Tailor, Advanced - Craft: Tailor, Advanced 20 -> 21 - Craft: Weaving, Improved 18 -> 20 - Skill upgrade: Craft: Weaving, Improved -> Craft: Weaving, Advanced - Craft: Weaving, Advanced 20 -> 22 - Create Dungeon 18 -> 19 - Diplomacy 9 -> 10 - Skill upgrade: Diplomacy -> Diplomacy, Improved - Diplomacy, Improved 10 -> 11 - Harvesting 4 -> 6 - Lucky 13 ¨C> 16 - Mana Manipulation 25 -> 27 - Master Summoner 17 -> 20 - Metalshaping 3 -> 13 - Multitasking 4 -> 16 - Privacy Mode 11 -> 18 - Skill upgrade: Quick Casting -> Quick Casting, Improved - Quick Casting, Improved 20 -> 29 - Quick Manifesting 36 -> 45 - Stealth, Improved 33 -> 40 - Skill upgrade: Stealth, Improved -> Stealth, Advanced - Stealth, Advanced 40 -> 49 - Telekinesis, Improved 38 -> 41 - Skill Upgrade: Terrakinesis ¨C>Terrakinesis, Improved - Terrakinesis, Improved 20 -> 25 You¡¯ve gained the following Achievements: - Ascetic - Harem II
Looking over the crazy list of improvements and happily humming at his progress, he literally fell over when the saw the two Achievements. How in all of Creation do those two make any sense together?! He wondered, nearly dumbstruck by them. ¡®Ha!¡¯ ¡®Shut up¡­¡¯ he sent back before pulling up the descriptions for each of them.
Ascetic You have slept with a partner who you consider extremely attractive for two full months without engaging in sexual activities, defying your genetic and psychological imperatives. Benefits: - +10 Spirit - Extremely enhanced ability to resist the seduction of someone you find sexually attractive.
Harem II Through winning over, or owning, more than 20 women, your appeal to the fairer sex now knows no bounds. Through winning over, or owning, more than 50 women, your appeal to the fairer sex now knows no bounds. Benefits (condensed): - +10 Charisma - Increased favourability with members of the opposite sex. - New slaves view you with greater favourability, and their favourability increases at a greater rate. Demerits: - How society views you changes according to how your harem sees you. - Should your favourability drop with your harem, social interactions with others will also drop. - Should your favourability with your harem increase, social interactions with others will improve.
¡±What the actual fuck¡­?¡± he said, staring at the two ¡°Achievements¡±. Sure, [Ascetic] provided some pretty good perks, and was even somewhat complimentary. But the [Harem II] Achievement was just¡­ wrong. So, so very wrong. Then his head felt wrong. Laying on the ground, he felt as though he was in one of those carnival rides that resembled a centrifuge that spun you around so fast that you could hardly move. He was suddenly very glad that he hadn¡¯t been eating, for his stomach also started doing flips, confusing him more than a little bit because he¡¯d never been negatively affected by carnival rides like that. ¡°Joram!¡± He blinked then blinked again, realizing that his vision had blacked out at some point. He looked up at a very worried Shae¡¯ra as she shook his shoulders trying to get his attention. ¡°Hi,¡± he croaked, wondering why his throat felt so dry. ¡°What happened?¡± Shae¡¯ra asked as she leaned back, making him realize that she¡¯d been leaning over him from his left side. ¡°I¡­ think that the Great Protector¡­ got petty,¡± he said with a frown. In the past, he was able to receive the benefits of his progress without having to check his Status. But if how he felt was any indication, the damned System had saved up all of his advancements and slapped him with them all at once when he finally checked his notifications. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Shae¡¯ra said, trailing off as she obviously didn¡¯t feel comfortable commenting on that. ¡°It¡¯s fine, lesson learned,¡± he said, shaking his head fractionally. ¡°Thanks for checking on me,¡± he said as he managed to eek out a smile. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, quickly looking away from him as he noticed her cheeks colouring slightly. He really hoped that that was how she¡¯d have normally reacted to appreciation. He took that opportunity to sit up, then stand up, brushing off his clothes as he did. ¡°Are you done for the day, then?¡± he asked, trying to diffuse the weirdness in the air. ¡°Yes,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, nodding slightly. ¡°I think that starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll be able to start harvesting some vegetables, and even some of the berries and fruit,¡± she said, smiling at the thought of more fresh produce. ¡°Are the girls coming along well? Do they like working in the greenhouse?¡± he asked, motioning for her to follow. ¡°I think so, yes,¡± she said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I think that they¡¯re all excited to try new food.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame them,¡± he said, chuckling a bit and realizing that he¡¯d needed that laugh. ¡°Truly. I feel that the work is helping to heal some of their wounds,¡± she said, then looked a bit panicked. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, waving it off. ¡°I know full-well that they still need time to heal. Heck, I¡¯ve still got things I need to work through¡­¡± he said, shaking his head. Shae¡¯ra gave him a concerned look that he pretended not to see, which was made easier since he¡¯d only noticed it because of [Touchsight]. ¡°On another note. Do none of them want their own room? What about you? I can¡¯t imagine sharing a room with so many people is terribly comfortable,¡± he asked as they entered the house. ¡°I think that they¡¯ll- we¡¯ll, eventually warm to the idea,¡± she said, shaking her head slightly. ¡°I think that they still feel safer sleeping with others. In fact, I still find that most of the girls are sneaking into another¡¯s bed during the night. Even Ella has come for comfort a few times with me,¡± she said, her gaze sad. ¡°Well, just let me know if I can do anything else for them,¡± he said, then paused as a thought popped into his head. ¡°Wait. I know that I can¡¯t free them because of that law. But what if, instead of being their legal owner, I became their legal guardian?¡± Shae¡¯ra stopped dead, her mouth hanging open as she blinked at him. He waited for her to gather herself before motioning for her to continue following him down the hall to the library where she finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the legalities here,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°After all, I¡¯m just a [Druid]. But maybe you can inquire about that with Chief Celys? Surely, she would know.¡± Joram nodded, making another mental note for M2 to keep track of. ¡°I¡¯ll do that, then,¡± he said, then looked around at the empty library just waiting for all of the books to be unpacked. ¡°Say, do you like reading?¡± he asked, then opened one of the crates and lifted out a book. Shae¡¯ra¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the book, then quickly darted to the other crates before she cracked a huge smile. ¡°Would you like some help unpacking?¡± she asked with a glint in her eye. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± he said, then got to work. It didn¡¯t take too long to get everything unboxed, though it took considerably longer to get everything shelved in such a way that it would be much easier to find something you wanted. He idly toyed with the idea of using the Dewey Decimal Classification System, but decided to push that off for now. The library wasn¡¯t that big yet, though he did now have a few hundred books. Later, the thought, deciding that he would need to visit many bookstores in the near future. Which likely meant a trip to a much larger city, maybe even the capitol. ¡°Thanks for your help,¡± he said once they were done, giving her his third-best smile. Not because he didn¡¯t appreciate her help, but because he was wary of that damn Achievement. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she said, giving him a smile of her own. ¡°Would it be all right for the younglings to come and use the library?¡± she asked, seemingly uncertain. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s most of the reason why I bought them all,¡± he said, shaking his head at the thought of books going unread. ¡°Just be sure to teach them proper respect for the books, though. No folding paged, no eating while reading, and all of that.¡± ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± she said as she, too, shook her head. ¡°Good, good,¡± he said, then bade her a good night before heading off to his room, thinking about how long it would take to fill the library. Chapter 078 - Meat factory Joram entered his room to a dying Asami as she rolled on the bed, her face as red at the fur on the tips of her ears and tails. He looked around that the other women present and found them just as dumbstruck as he was. ¡°What happened,¡± he asked Myra, who seemed torn between trying to help Asami somehow and running for help. ¡°I don¡¯t know! One moment she was fine then, just before you came in, she burst out laughing!¡± Myra said, looking at a complete loss for what to do. Avi perked up at her words, looking thoughtful, which triggered a thought in him. As the thought went through his mind, Asami sobered up remarkably fast, going so far as to pinch herself while taking deep breaths. ¡®Yeah, I thought as much,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®There were just too many coincidences for it to be natural.¡¯ Joram sighed, now resigned to having two women reading his mind all the time. ¡°It¡¯s not all the time!¡± Asami protested, looking a bit panicked. ¡°It¡¯s more like, I don¡¯t know, watching the surface of a pond. Yeah, like that!¡± she rushed to explain, getting more and more frantic as she went. Joram stepped over to her and plopped his hand down on her head, then gave it a gentle rub. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for being you,¡± he said, shaking his head as the three gals looked on in confusion, though Arise seemed as though she might understand something. ¡±Heck, I might soon be like that too,¡± he said, further confusing everyone else. Asami looked up at him under his hand and nodded seriously, though her eyes were still devastatingly large and dilated. ¡°Let¡¯s get to bed,¡± he said, motioning for everyone to get moving. For his part, he went and got changed, thankful that he was the last one who needed to do so. When he was done, he bade the three gals a good night, then climbed into bed and waited as Asami and Myra got comfortable. ¡°What was that about?¡± Myra asked, barely whispering her question into his ear after having wiggled up higher than she normally laid. ¡°Spirit Fox stuff,¡± he whispered into her ear, causing her to gently shudder, which in turn had him reaching for [Clear Mind]. She nodded lightly before scooting down again so that she wasn¡¯t right by his face anymore. He was amazed at how clear his heart felt, not to mention how relaxed his body was. He wondered if passing 50 Ranks in [Clear Mind] had unlocked a hidden feature, especially when he realized that he didn¡¯t seem to be hindered in any way by having it up and running. He pondered that for a while before getting to the business of restoring his body. He was happy to note that the Ring of Sustenance he¡¯d assimilated was working well. Maybe too well, as after only an hour of meditation, he found that he was once more good to go. Had that been the case the night before? He wasn¡¯t sure, though he did notice that [Clear Mind] was still running, which got a few ideas sprouting in his head. He quickly checked his regeneration rates and smiled.
Regeneration Rates: HP: 540/minute ST: 540/minute PP: 694/minute MP: 712/minute
After saving his progress, he then dismissed his current [Schism], then remanifested it with more Minds added, getting him a whopping eleven additional Minds to work with. He even had plenty to spare. Actually, he could probably get many more Minds running, but that would likely cause a headache. He promptly assigned M12 to keeping [Clear Mind] running, then had M5 to M11 start on Dust production. M3 and M4 were set to learning and understanding the psionic database in his head. M2, though, was a floater. He¡¯d help him with anything he needed, but would shift back to learning stuff when he wasn¡¯t actively needed. Oh, and M2 would also be responsible for his daily Powers upkeep. Things like [Barred Mind] and his defensive Powers were very important, after all. M2 was also responsible for re-manifesting [Genesis, True] everyday as well. Since he would now be able to afford the 200 Dust Crystals per day, he¡¯d be more than happy to accelerate his Realm¡¯s growth! Smiling, Joram started his morning ritual, pleased with his progress. By the time he left his room, it was still early in the night, so he decided to go to his office to work. Because: office. Once there, he sat in his comfy office chair and pulled up his Dungeon tab. There were still a dizzying number of options when it came to the denizens and flora available, but now he had the time to go through it all. *Day 7* Joram stretched, then got out of his chair, and started on the rest of his day. The cooking lesson went well, though he was running out of the basics to teach. As much as he wanted to teach them other things, he felt that it would be best for everyone to develop their own styles of cooking. Sure, he could go on and on about various techniques, and he would, but those only stretched so far before he¡¯d need to ¡°graduate¡± his class. Even the horticulture lessons were likely to end soon, for he knew less about that than he did about cooking. Though with Shae¡¯ra there, he was confident that she¡¯d be able to teach the younglings- he liked that word- for quite a while yet. Once that was all done, and the younglings were hard at work starting the harvest, he made his way to Kirkwall, though on foot this time. He¡¯d considered crating a bike for himself, but felt that it would be a pain to deal with the many questions that would come with it. At the bank, he found Zerava already coming out of the back, likely forewarned of his coming. ¡°What can I do to help you today, Joram?¡± Zerava asked him warmly, surprising him with her happy smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to set up a payment schedule for, well, my new employees, I guess,¡± he said, finding it very weird to call them his employees. ¡°That should be easy enough to do,¡± Zerava said, nodding. ¡°Do you have their information with you?¡± she asked as she guided him to one of the empty desks. As they walked, he noticed that her hair was very similar to Celys¡¯ hair, even having the black-tipped ears and tail. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I know that this might come off as a strange question, but are you related to Celys?¡± he asked once he was seated across from her. ¡°Hmm? Yes, we¡¯re cousins,¡± Zerava said, looking up from her paperwork. ¡°Cool,¡± he said, not really knowing what to say after that. ¡°The information?¡± Zerava prompted as she held out a hand. Feeling several levels of silly, he retrieved the paper with the names and accounts of his new employees and handed it over to her. ¡°So, what is the rate of pay, and the schedule?¡± ¡°Oh, twenty bronze coins per day, and¡­ ah, paid weekly,¡± he said not having really thought about when their payday would be. ¡°Might I suggest monthly? There is a service fee each time a payment is made, and I¡¯d be remiss charging you without your prior knowledge,¡± Zerava said, looking up from the paper. ¡°Oh, right,¡± he said, feeling very much out of his depth. ¡°Then, once per month should work. How about the last day of the month? Oh, and the same for the others as well,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°Others? Oh, the¡­ younglings. Certainly, I¡¯ll get that set up as well. In fact, that will save you a bit seeing as how you¡¯re having more than fifty processed at the same time,¡± she said, nearly causing him to choke at the mention of ¡°fifty¡±, reminding him of that damn Achievement. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zerava asked, looking a bit concerned, further raising his anxiety. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine! Just thought of something else that I forgot to do, that¡¯s all,¡± he said, lying his face off. ¡°Alright, then,¡± she said, giving him a dubious look before getting started with the paperwork. While she worked, he wondered how hard it would be to earn the almost 4.5 gold pieces- coins, per month that he¡¯d be paying out from his account. If he could just sell Dust Crystals, he¡¯d be fine, but given how risky that was, he was sure that he¡¯d be needing the monsters that his dungeon produced on the sooner side of things. When Zerava finished, she handed him a sort of receipt outlining the costs, as well as the names of the payees. Sure enough, it was 4 gold, 42 silver, and 40 bronze coins each month. ¡°I know that you¡¯re fairly well-off, but maybe you should consider delving the local dungeon for some extra coin?¡± Zerava said, surprising him with that considerate suggestion. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, leaving it at that, though he did offer her a smile of thanks. ¡°I¡¯ve still got to have a chat with Celys, so I need to get going. Thank you again, and have a great day,¡± he said, working very hard to be polite due to his anxiety. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Zerava beamed at him before he could escape the bank. Holy mother of-. What is going on? Is it that damn Achievement at work? He wondered as he made his way across to town hall, figuring that Celys would¡­. ¡°Damn,¡± he said, facepalming. He¡¯d already forgotten that he was going to be with the other women until the caravan left. Shrugging, he went inside anyways, hopeful that someone could answer his question. ¡°Hey, how¡¯s it going today?¡± he asked the clerk who¡¯d been helping him since he¡¯d first purchased his land. ¡°Pretty good, thanks,¡± the clerk replied, then gave him a shrewd look. ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten my name, haven¡¯t you?¡± Pinned by both the bluntness of the question and the truth, he had no option left besides admitting the fault. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± the clerk said, waving it off. ¡°That name¡¯s Kalorin, though most people just call me Kal, which confuses everyone when Kalduin is around,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been traditionally terrible with names,¡± he replied, knocking on the wood of the desk to ward off that bad habit. ¡°Say, how much do you know about the legalities of guardianship? Specifically, taking guardianship of a minor.¡± ¡°Not much, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Kalorin said, shaking his head. ¡°I mostly deal with real estate and property taxes. You¡¯d have to speak with Melaida about that, she specializes in the family side of things,¡± he said, pointing at an office just to the side of the lobby, on the right if you were just entering the building. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll go ask her,¡± he said, quickly shaking Kalorin¡¯s hand before walking over to Melaida¡¯s door and knocking. ¡°Come in.¡± He opened the door to find another foxkin sitting at their desk. He was happy to note that she looked to be in her sixties, which meant that she probably wouldn¡¯t be as susceptible to his damn Achievement¡­. He hoped. ¡°Hi, I¡¯ve got a question about guardianship,¡± he said as he closed the door behind him. ¡°Ah, would this be about the younglings, then?¡± Melaida asked, sharp as a tack. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, please, have a seat,¡± Melaida said, motion with her off hand. ¡°Celys told me about how you had wanted to free them all a couple of days ago, and what she told you. I¡¯ve since been going through the law codices and I believe that I have an answer that you might like,¡± she said with a faint smile that reminded him of a librarian. ¡°Please, do tell,¡± he said, unconsciously leaning forward. ¡°First, ask me your question. I don¡¯t want to go off and answer the wrong one, wasting both of our time,¡± she said, once more proving how on point she was. ¡°Well, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wondering. Is it possible to register myself as the younglings¡¯ legal guardian? That way, I could free them while still making sure they¡¯re taken care of in the eyes of the law,¡± he quickly said, wanting to know what she¡¯d come up with. ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly a good idea, better than the one I had of you just marrying them all,¡± Melaida said, nearly causing him to die of embarrassment and indignation. Then she chuckled. ¡°Oh, that was worth it,¡± she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. ¡°I just wanted to make sure that you weren¡¯t trying to pull anything. ¡°Anyways, your idea is sound. That said, you¡¯d effectively be opening an orphanage and registering them all that way. You¡¯ll still be personally responsible for them all, though you¡¯ll receive quite the tax breaks for running an orphanage, I¡¯d wager,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Tax breaks are a thing here?¡± he asked, getting a bit of cultural vertigo. ¡°They certainly are,¡± Melaida said as though it was common sense. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯ll just need to bring them all in one day so that we can get everyone who¡¯s still a minor registered. Oh, and you¡¯ll need to speak with Kal about getting the orphanage registered, but that shouldn¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Well, thank you very much! I can¡¯t express how grateful I am,¡± he said, smiling for all he was worth. ¡°Then just treat this old lady to dinner, and we¡¯ll call it even,¡± she said with a wink that metaphorically dropped him into a vat of ice water. ¡°I¡¯ll bring something by tomorrow when I come with the younglings,¡± he said, trying for all he was worth to keep his nervousness hidden. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then,¡± Melaida said with a mischievous smile, making him wonder if he¡¯d overreacted. He quickly left her office and returned to speak with Kalorin about setting up the orphanage. He was surprised when he only needed to fill out two forms, but was happy that it wasn¡¯t anything too complicated. He only had to designate the apartment building as the orphanage, but decided to also include the mess hall and the bathhouse as well to make sure that the facilities needed to care for the kids were properly covered. With that done, he went back to the bank under Kal¡¯s suggestion. Fortunately, things also went quickly once he¡¯d passed the paperwork over to Zerava. They went a bit slower as she, and the other employees, began praising him for his generosity. Incidentally, his thirty employees were then listed as working for the orphanage, entitling him to further tax breaks when it came time to pay taxes. With his social batteries now thoroughly drained, he hurried back to his place to take a breather. Once there, he deftly avoided everyone with liberal use of [Improved Stealth, Advanced] to sneak by everyone. Once he got to his bedroom, he quickly made his way to his bed and flopped down. He was sure that [Clear Mind] was still up and running- M12 piping in just then that it was indeed still up-, so why had he felt so anxious today? He¡¯d been fine this morning. Heck, he¡¯d been fine during the lessons as well. So, what had changed? The only thing he could think of was that he¡¯d been overthinking things. Had he somehow overridden [Clear Mind] with his worry? How did that even work? Wasn¡¯t the entire point of [Clear Mind] to keep his mind clear? Frowning, he gave up on that line of thought and instead started playing with his dungeon settings. He decided that the first floor would contain monsters between Levels 1-5. Then the next floor would have Levels 6-10, going up at the same rate that the monsters were classified as, which corresponded to Adventurer Ranks. So, the whole dungeon would effectively be from Rank F to Rank A, one for each floor. The next thing he determined was that he really would need a theme for each floor. Ultimately, he wanted each floor to both train his people and to provide useful materials for them all. Namely: meat. But what kind? He definitely wanted some pork, for bacon was simply a must. Yes, he could just create some, but he also wanted his people to be a bit more self-sufficient in the long run. Which meant that they¡¯d have to get trained. Well, he could help them, as could the three gals, especially after he¡¯d finally used [Analyze] on them and found that Arise was an [Assassin], Fyrellia a [Sorceress], and Qyress a [Trick-shot Archer]. Considering their classes, he suspected that they¡¯d been, or part of, a scouting party. He just hoped that them being captured and enslaved wouldn¡¯t cause any issues¡­. Anyways, he needed to plan out the dungeon¡­. Wait. It might be easier to just make six dungeons instead of just one huge one¡­. Smiling, he got up and snuck his way out of the house and over to the dungeon site. He then went to the 1st floor, and used [Create Dungeon], then repeated that again and again until he made the last one on the 6th floor. With that done, he now had six dungeons that he could plan out. Thinking about it, he decided to add the feature that allowed for the ceiling to appear as though it was the sky. Really, it was just in illusion that copied the open sky above the dungeon, but it would also allow for ¡°natural¡± lightning, while also providing a less claustrophobic environment for the delvers. Ultimately, it didn¡¯t even cost that much mana, so it was a win-win for him. Looking at the bare stone floor, he decided to supplement things a bit with some of the stored earth he¡¯d picked up while excavating the place, which made it easier to add some grass through his menu. Then a couple small ponds with the help of some clay¡­ and voila! Perfect for poultry! Chapter 079 - Getting pas the bottleneck Joram grinned as he began adding chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys to the dungeon. He made sure that they were set for Levels 1-5, not wanting them to be too much of a challenge for the younglings. That said, he also didn¡¯t want it to be too hard for them to get some fresh meat. The last thing he did was to set a barrier at the stairs that would keep the dungeon¡¯s denizens from leaving their dungeon and wandering around. In fact, he quickly added the same barrier to each of the other five dungeons so that he wouldn¡¯t forget to do that later. He then did the same for the other ceilings as well, very much liking the ambiance. Then he was off to the next floor, which he¡¯d label as ¡°Mutton¡±, though it would also contain goats. The second floor was pretty much a carbon copy of the first, though he included some shrubs for them to snack on, as well as a few mounds for the goats to mess around on. These fellas, though, would range from Levels 6-10, making them a bit tougher for them to hunt. That said, he was pretty sure that they¡¯d still be easy pickings for his people. Floor 3 was the bacon factory, containing both pigs and boars. This time, though, he added a few decorative trees. Decorative because they wouldn¡¯t actually grow, just looking nice and adding a bit more green to everything, and a break in the monotony of the previous two floors. The 4th floor had the beef. And milk. And bison. He mixed it up a bit, mostly keeping it to beef cattle and bison, though. The dairy cows were added to a relatively small fenced-off area as they were surprisingly chill dungeon monsters. In fact, they¡¯d only attack a person if they were either attacked or the one milking pinched their teats too hard. Finally, the 5th floor contained¡­ fish! Yes, fish. He made a good dozen islands, all connected with stone bridges that he was fairly certain could withstand an attack from an angry fish. That said, each island was made with [True Creation] to benefit from the added hardness that came with anything he created. As for the selection, he added Tuna, Salmon, Red Snapper, Cod, Sardines, Mackerel, Sea Bass, and Halibut: all his favourite fish! Now, given that the water was only five metres deep, the fish weren¡¯t likely to get very large. But, they¡¯d still be tasty! So, to round things out, he took his time in creating the aquatic ecosystem. He was surprised at just how much control he had over the dungeon, as it allowed him to even set different temperatures in different sections. Which led him to changing up the layout a little bit. He sectioned the floor into three parts. One for the fish who lived in cooler water, another for the temperate fish, and the third for the warm-water fish. This also allowed him to transform the islands and bridges into walls between the water, making two long walkways that would make fishing easier for anyone who came down. It somewhat reduced the area for the fish, but he thought that it was a good trade-off. With that done, he then played with adding more aquatic decorations and such. The last thing he did before heading down was to make a bunch of fishing rods and tack that he put into a hastily-made closet in the stairwell. Then he was on the 6th floor and wondering what the heck he should put in there. He¡¯d gotten the basic meat groups all covered. Well, he ignored shellfish and things with tentacles because he didn¡¯t like them, but his point stood. He¡¯d covered everything, really. The only things he could think of were the omnivores. Well, true omnivores, anyways. Like bears. But he didn¡¯t know if people really liked that kind of meat. Hmmm, what about lizards? He wondered as he rubbed his chin. Some people like eating snakes and ¡®gators¡­. They¡¯d also provide a challenge for anyone coming down there¡­. Thinking about it more, he decided to add alligators and snakes, keeping the latter selection non-venomous. Which mean constrictors. Which, really, was probably a bit safer, overall. Though, getting some bones crushed would suck¡­. Welp, better than dead from poison within a few seconds of being bit! With his decision made, he got to work making a slightly swampy area with plenty of trees. He also added a few ponds at the back of the room for the ¡®gators to hang around in. The grass, though, he kept to a low-growing variety that would make it hard for the predators to hide in. No need to be senselessly cruel to the younglings, after all. Happy with how things had turned out, he went back to the surface and looked at the¡­ hole in the ground, and sighed. It would surely be irresponsible of him to leave it just like that. So, he withdrew a few Moss Stone blocks and used [Modify Matter, Greater] to quickly make a mausoleum-like building on top of it. He then used [True Creation] to give him some steel, which he then shaped into very sturdy gates that fit tightly into the building and the top of the stairs. The last thing he did was to enchant the gates to only unlock when someone touched it with a Ring of Sustenance made of palladium. Pretty specific, but that was the point. He didn¡¯t want just anyone wandering inside, after all. Then he paused, then did the last-last thing. He added a sign warning of danger inside, ranging from Rank F to Rank A. ¡°Good enough,¡± he muttered before making his way back home, his mind turning towards how to access his planar side. * * * ¡°You did what?¡± Celys asked after hearing what Joram had to share this time. ¡°I registered an orphanage¡­¡± Joram said, looking slightly confused, then explained his conversation with Melaida. Celys took a moment to process it all. She wasn¡¯t a greedy person by any stretch of the imagination, but from what she knew of the tax laws and orphanages, Kirkwall would practically be paying him for having purchased, then released, all of those younglings. ¡°Good for you,¡± she managed to say, weeping on the inside over the lost tax revenue that his ridiculous estates would have brought in. ¡°I should go,¡± Joram said, then awkwardly stepped away before quickly vanishing as though he¡¯d used [Invisibility]. ¡°Are you OK?¡± Ilyana asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Just how much more ridiculous can that man get?¡± she asked quietly as she shook her head in denial. ¡°I¡¯m guessing things aren¡¯t good?¡± Ilyana asked, now looking even more concerned than before. ¡°For the youngling? No, they¡¯re great. For the lost tax revenue, no,¡± she said, then quickly shared the orphanage plan that had been enacted when she wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fantastic!¡± Ilyana exclaimed, clapping happily. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be thrilled to hear the news!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, though. They¡¯ll all first need to be registered at town hall before it¡¯s official,¡± she said as she looked around at the younglings who were still hanging about the mess hall. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get them too riled up so late in the day.¡± ¡°Oooh! Ilyenna will be so happy!¡± Ilyana whisper-squealed in delight. ¡°This¡¯ll be great! I wonder what else he has planned for them all?¡± she asked, a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing we¡¯re going to expect; that¡¯s for sure,¡± she replied dryly, also wondering what would come next. For all she knew, he¡¯d start his own village out here. Especially if that slaver came back to milk the fat cow that was Joram¡¯s bleeding heart. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look so down,¡± Ilyana said, giving her a quick and light hug. ¡°I¡¯m sure that things will be just fine. My apprentice sure turned out to be a great guy,¡± she beamed, making Celys roll her eyes again at the oft repeated claim of apprenticeship. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°So, any plans to start buying that new fabric from Joram?¡± she asked to change the subject, though she was interested to see what her friend could make with it. ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯ve already arranged to get a few bolts of the finest weave from him. It may take a bit to get used to the fabric, though. As you know, all fabrics behave differently when they¡¯re cut, also needing different stitching techniques to accommodate their texture and nature. But I should be able to start producing new clothing by next week,¡± Ilyana gushed, infecting her with her enthusiasm. Celys wasn¡¯t afraid to admit that the new fabric was absolutely amazing. It was so soft and smooth that she couldn¡¯t help but compare it to silk, while also being very breathable and light. Now that it was autumn, she was looking forward to trying on some autumn clothing, even with how temperate Kirkwall was. Then her mind turned back to the caravan, wondering if they¡¯d be back before the winter solstice. With how much the slaver and the bookseller made from Joram, she was sure that they¡¯d be chomping at the bit to return as soon as possible with new wares. Which once more turned her worries to wondering just how many more slaves Joram would wind up buying. Well, she¡¯d just have to both trust him and Asami Miki¡¯s judgement of him¡­ and her own judge of character. * * * I give up, he thought with a sigh after having tried to shift into his planar form for the past couple of hours. It had been mentally draining on a level with when he¡¯d first tried to learn [Delve]. He was sure that there was something missing in there, but wasn¡¯t quite sure what it was, and Avi had been annoyingly tight-lipped about it when he¡¯d asked her. So, back to random projects for him! This time, he was going to mess around with rare-earth magnets! He¡¯d watched many videos about how to basically make a perpetual electricity motor. He¡¯d never had the time to, or resources, to try messing around with it on Earth, but now he did! So, after a bit of [True Creation] to get the necessary magnets, he¡¯d used it again to make several electric motors from having already [Delve]¡¯d the one in a remote-controlled car. He¡¯d also thought about making more of those cars and remotes, but shelved that idea for now. For it was now time to test those videos! Well, after making a few other components, anyways. Like a power bar, some extra wire, a mini electrical generator, and some bearings. Once done, he started using [Modify Matter] to put everything together, from the rod with magnets on either end, to the bearings attached to the axel coming out of the rod midway down, to the supports for the bearings. He then attached the magnets to the platform it was all attached to, placing them on either end of where the rod would pass when spinning. With the magnets alternated to be positive on one side, then negative on the other, the axel would continue to spin long enough to start getting current from the generator. From there, the generator would feed into the small electric motor, providing it just enough power to lightly engage. Which would then be attached to the other side of the axel to keep it spinning. The excess electricity produced would then be fed into the transformer, upping the juice that the whole system would produce. Well, that was a very rough description of it all. He was also probably not describing it properly by any means, but messing around with it would be fun! Not only that, but if he could get it running- and producing enough juice-, then he would be able to save a lot of Dust in the long run by just adding a generator building to provide the electricity for everything! Twenty minutes later, several [Repair]s used, and enough shocks to get a System notification, he¡¯d finally done it! Sure, it could only power a couple of fans right now, but if he could improve the electrical generator, and the overall design of the system, then he¡¯d be golden! Remembering what¡¯d happened last night, he quickly checked his notification.
Congratulations! Through repeated injuries, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill! - Resistance: Electricity You¡¯ve gained the following Achievement: - Lightning Rod
He sighed. But, he was glad to have earned a new resistance, especially when he remembered the lightning bolt that had led to his leg being amputated. Not fun. Looking back at his little project, he decided to add a second motor to the mix that would be directly powered by the generator to increase the generator¡¯s output. Which meant adding other things like resistors and another transformer¡­. Yeah, lots to work on, plan, and implement. And to read up on, if he was being honest with himself, for he didn¡¯t quite remember too much from his electronics class in junior high¡­. Shrugging, he set the whole thing aside and looked around. It was getting pretty dark already, so he wandered off to the front gate to wait for the merchants to get back. While he waited, he pulled up his Dungeon tab again and started going over things. By the time the merchants got back, he¡¯d found the option for dungeon capacity and had tweaked it to only be at 50% for now, which meant that things would respawn a bit faster. He wasn¡¯t sure how the younglings would perform, so he didn¡¯t want to overwhelm them with numbers right off the bat. Payment in hand, he made his way over to the mess hall and quickly passed it to Celys before taking off again. M2: Good timing. I think I¡¯ve figured out Skills now, but I¡¯d like to have us laying down, just in case. Joram: Sounds good. He quickly made his way to his room, got changed, then laid down as he idly wondered if he could use Dust Crystals to break through his Strength bottleneck. Then he relaxed and retrieved a pile of Dust Crystals, letting them pile up on his chest. With that done, he let the information from M2 flow into his mind and smiled.
Congratulations! You have levelled the following Skill: - Resistance: Electricity 1 -> 2
So, 10 Dust Crystals for 1 Attribute Point, but also 10 Dust Crystals for 1 Skill Point¡­. That seems¡­ odd. He mused, wondering what was up with that. Then he looked at how many Dust Crystals he still had and just shrugged. If he could level up [Mana Well] and [Source of Power] enough, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his regeneration rates. But to get there¡­. From what he could tell, Skills got the ¡°Improved¡± tag when the reached a certain threshold. Looking at his Skill List, the Common and Uncommon Skills improved at 11 Ranks. The Rare Skills improved at 21 Ranks. Epic at 31, and if that trend held true, then Legendary would improve at 41. Now, if all Skills improved the same way that his Kinesis Skills did, then he should expect something like a 50% increase in what the Skill could do. Which would mean both more resources and increased regeneration rates! He hoped. Shrugging, he looked at [Mana Well] and [Source of Power] and found that they were, respectively, at 25 and 27 Ranks each. Which meant that [Mana Well] would be the most efficient one to level up for this experiment since it was only Rare, while [Source of Power] was a Legendary Skill. Sixty Dust Crystals later, he got another notification.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Skill: - Mana Well, Improved 25 -> 31
¡­ And in his excitement, he¡¯d forgotten that [Mana Well] had already gotten to that threshold¡­. He still checked his mana, though.
MP: 1,434 MP Regen: 125/minute
Well, that was definitely an improvement. Looking at how many Dust Crystals he had left in his Inventory, Joram decided to just bite the bullet, as it were, and spend the 140 Dust Crystals to see if [Source of Power] also go that boost in power.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Skill: - Source of Power 25 -> 40 - Skill upgrade: Source of Power -> Source of Power, Improved - Source of Power, Improved 40 -> 41
Well, that settled it then. Legendary Skills needed to get to Rank 41 to get ¡°Improved¡±. Which meant that it would take a very long time to upgrade those Skills. Which meant that he¡¯d likely have to artificially advance them with Dust Crystals, especially seeing how slowly some of them advanced. Looking at his Strength, he really wanted to break through that bottleneck, so he mentally prepared himself for that. If it was anything like most popular media portrayed a physical breakthrough to be like, then he was in for a world of pain. Which he wasn¡¯t looking forward to. At all. Biting the bullet, he started absorbing Dust Crystals until he got the notification.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained an Attribute Point: - Strength 14 -> 15
He¡¯d like to say that he was glad that he¡¯d been right, but that would have been a lie. The pain started as minor burning and pin-prickles, much like how muscles felt when waking up after having fallen asleep. Then it quickly ramped up to eleven, causing his vision to blur and every muscle to contract until his back arched, leaving only his head and heels touching the bed as his arms shot out to his sides. His additional Minds were quickly re-tasked to keeping [Clear Mind, Advanced] up and running, while he worked [Autohypnosis] for all it was worth to help blunt the pain. As he started hearing popping sounds, his vision started to darken, and he started to panic. With his last bit of thought, he had one of his Minds manifest [True Metabolism], then all went dark. Chapter 080 - Angry Myra was sad. A sad, sad kit. She wasn¡¯t sure why Joram had been a bit more distant these past couple of days, but hoped that it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him having bought so many beautiful girls. Or the three demons who¡¯d taken to sleeping in their room. She looked over to Asami as she listlessly ate dinner. She didn¡¯t seem affected by his weird behaviour. If anything, she seemed to be happier than ever, especially after last night¡¯s crazy laughing fit, whatever that was about. Myra sighed again, wondering if she was a failure as a [Miko]. She was supposed to understand the Spirit Foxes and act as a go-between, an intermediary, for them and her people. Was it because she was now a [Retsu Ken Sei no Miko]? Was a priestess who specialized in fighting not one who could understand Spirit Foxes? She looked down at her hand and saw the evidence of her weeks of long practice. No longer were her hands soft and delicate as they¡¯d been before she started training. Now, they looked¡­ strong. A bit rough, even with the skin cream that Joram had given her after she¡¯d refused healing from him. But stronger. Was that enough? Had she lost touch with her spiritual side in favour of gaining martial power? Was- ¡°Stop that,¡± Asami said, withdrawing her poking finger. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Joram¡¯s fine. He¡¯s not¡­ in heat,¡± she said, shaking her head. Myra blushed. Not just because of her words, but because she sort of wished that Joram was in heat. If he was, then maybe they¡¯d finally take the next step¡­. Myra jumped again, glaring at the Pokey Asami. ¡°Stop that,¡± she said, now very cross with Asami. ¡°You stop it,¡± Asami said, now frowning at her. ¡°You¡¯re behaving like-,¡± Asami cut off as her head whipped around to stare at the house before she got up and started running. Stunned, Myra sat there for another few seconds before her body took over and started running after Asami. By the time she¡¯d gotten to the doors of the mess hall, Asami was already reaching the doors of the house. Doubling down, Myra used [Bless] as she ran to give her a little boost in speed. As she entered the house, she caught sight of Asami¡¯s tails as they vanished down the second-floor hallway that led to their bedroom, making her heart drop even as she rushed for the stairs. Seconds later, she rushed down the hallway and finally reached the bedroom. Inside, she saw Asami holding a bloody body in her arms, rocking back and forth. Her heart stopped for a few beats before Asami spoke. ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± she said, sounding choked. Myra dropped to the floor as her legs gave out from the tsunami of relief that washed over her. She watched as Asami gently wiped the blood from Joram¡¯s brow, wondering what could have caused him to bleed like that. Had he been attacked? If so, where were his assailants? Why? ¡°Stupid boy,¡± Asami said quietly, interrupting her racing thoughts. ¡°What?¡± she asked, not understanding why she¡¯d said that. ¡°He forced a breakthrough in Strength,¡± Asami said, shaking her head, making Myra¡¯s body go cold. She¡¯d long suspected that Joram had reached the Strength limit given his size, let alone what she¡¯d seen him do. Most people were content to reach that limit, making them the strongest people around. Humanoids, like animal-kin, humans, elves, and dwarves all had a natural limit of 14 in Strength. Sure, one could surpass that limit if they had the right magical item equipped. But that was temporary, not a real breaking of the natural Strength limit. But, every now and then, someone would push that natural limit by using Crystal Cores. Then most would die as their body was torn apart by their very own muscles. Slowly, Myra got to her hands and knees, then crawled over to the bed. She then pulled herself up so that she could be closer. ¡°He¡¯ll be OK?¡± she said, wishing that it hadn¡¯t been a question. ¡°He¡¯ll be OK,¡± Asami said with a soft smile. ¡°Until he wakes up, that is. Then, he¡¯ll wish he¡¯d died,¡± she finished as a fiery red aura started to appear around her, making Myra gulp as the three demons pushed into the room and started asking questions. * * * *Day 8* M2: What¡¯s the plan, boss? Joram: Time to recover a bit. That was¡­ a lot¡­. M2: Roger that. Joram suppressed a shudder as he slipped out of bed. He¡¯d always thought that Myra was the fierce one between her and Asami. He¡¯d been dead wrong. And almost dead. Damn. Shaking his head, he made sure to add [Astral Seed] to M2¡¯s list of Powers to manifest every day, as he¡¯d gotten lax with its use over the past week. If he really died, that would suck. Best to have that backup ready to go. Once escaped and changed, he went to his office and closed the door before looking around for a few minutes. He let the memories come as he looked at this and that, letting the feelings come as they were wont. Eventually his gaze settled on his Fender, an acoustic model. He stepped over to it, then picked it up and brought it back to his desk and sat in his chair. He absently made a pick then gave it a strum¡­ and frowned. He then took a few moments to tune it, surprised at how naturally it came before strumming it again. Smiling, he started going through a few chords he could remember, then continued on as more came to mind. He stopped, thinking. Where did that come from? He wondered as he stared at his hands around the body of the guitar. ¡®Altaea¡¯s training,¡¯ Avi said from the edge of his desk. ¡®She taught your Prime how to play¡­ many instruments. And to even sing,¡¯ she said, suppressing a few giggles. ¡°I can¡¯t sing,¡± he said, deadpanning. ¡®Why don¡¯t you give it a try? You might be surprised,¡¯ Avi said, coaxing him along. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with playing, for now,¡± he said, not wanting to embarrass either of them by trying to sing. For as good as his hearing was growing up, several levels better than others in fact, he¡¯d been terrible at singing. He¡¯d often joked that he sang like a stepped-on frog. So, he contented himself to playing a little guitar. Which he did now, amazed at how easily it came. He¡¯d always had a bit of trouble with the strings due to his thick fingers, not quite able to just press down on one string at a time. Now? Now it felt as though his fingers were flying across the frets, hitting each note perfectly as the music flowed from his mind to his hands. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. So entranced was he that he kept playing until he noticed that dawn had come. Blinking, he looked down at his fingers and saw that, contrary to what he¡¯d expected, they were perfectly fine. No cuts, no abrasions from playing for the first time in ages. Probably due to [Toughness] or something like that. He turned to get up and stopped as his eyes landed on Asami, Myra, and the three gals as they stood in the doorway, gawking at him. Clearing his throat, he stored the guitar away in his Inventory before getting up and heading for the door. They parted silently for him, so he continued on through and went to the mess hall where he found that the younglings were just finishing breakfast. Celys saw him coming in, then quickly broke off her conversation with Ilyana before heading his way. He didn¡¯t know what she wanted to talk about, but he hoped that it wasn¡¯t something bad, like telling him that his orphanage plan wasn¡¯t able to go through or something. ¡°Good morning,¡± Celys said when she got to him, then continued when he greeted her. ¡°The merchant caravan will be leaving today, so you won¡¯t have to worry about them tonight,¡± she said happily. ¡°I take it that they weren¡¯t as¡­ welcome as they¡¯ve been in the past?¡± he asked, somewhat curious about why she was so happy. ¡°Well, their prices certainly weren¡¯t welcome, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said with a sniff. ¡°I also don¡¯t trust slavers any more than I do a monster, so I¡¯ll be glad to see them gone.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Well, good talk. I now need to get all of the younglings together so we can get them registered,¡± he said, turning slightly so that he could address Ilyenna. ¡°Hey, could you get everyone together? I¡¯d like for us to take a trip to town.¡± Ilyenna looked up to him for a few seconds before she nodded, then took off, whispering to people as she passed them. ¡°Are you sure about an orphanage? It¡¯s a lot of responsibility,¡± Celys said as she stepped to the side so that she could better see his face. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure about the adoption part, but yes, I am certain,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to discuss about all of that,¡± Celys said as she watched Ilyenna hurrying from group to group as a few others joined in telling yet more people. ¡°Well, taking care of them all is the first priority. After that, I¡¯ll be sure to sort things out as they come,¡± he said, still watching as everyone gathered. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± said Celys as she turned to watch the gathering gaggle of girls as well. It didn¡¯t take very long for everyone to gather since most were still in the mess hall, while the rest had just headed over to the greenhouse. Once he found that everyone had arrived, he explained his plan to them, once more reiterating that he would help anyone return to their original home if that was what they wanted. At the end, he let them know that they¡¯d head out once everyone was done with breakfast. He then called over the three gals. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could also come along,¡± he said, getting odd looks from them. ¡°We¡¯ll go wherever you wish us to go, young master,¡± Fyrellia said as she bowed slightly from the waist. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll appreciate you coming along because I need more people to help watch over the younglings while we¡¯re out,¡± he said, trying to convey that it wasn¡¯t an order. ¡°We will come along,¡± Fyrellia quickly replied. ¡°But, as we are, we won¡¯t be of very much use if we don¡¯t have any equipment,¡± she said, her head tilted slightly down so that she could look up to him through her very long eyelashes. Does she really expect that to work? He wondered as he noticed Asami smirking from a couple of metres away. ¡°Well, I doubt that there¡¯ll be a monster attack or anything,¡± he said, taking note of Fyrellia¡¯s slight disappointment that she quickly hid behind a smile. ¡°But, I¡¯ll see what I can do about getting something that each of you can use when we get back,¡± he finished, smiling inwardly as he saw all three of them light up in their own ways. Arise played it cool like the tsundere she was. Fyrellia beamed at him, though held herself back from glomping onto his arm, likely due to her self-preservation instincts that kicked in because Asami and Myra were both close at hand. Qyress smiled happily, though showed a shy side by fidgeting a bit and turning away slightly. ¡°Did you want to come along too, Chief?¡± he asked as he turned back to an amused Celys. ¡°As the Chief of Kirkwall, I should be there to confirm things, yes,¡± she replied, her amusement shifting to business-professional in a flash. Nodding, he turned back to the girls and found that they¡¯d all finished eating in a flash and were already placing their dishes in the bussing bins on the counter. With them all done, he then called for them to follow him as he turned to leave the mess hall. He was pleased to see that the merchants had already gone for the day, leaving them to leave without the girls getting nervous by having to get close to where the slaver was. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll rain today?¡± he heard Ilyana ask from behind him, surprising him a little that she¡¯d also come along for the walk. ¡°I think so, yes,¡± Shae¡¯ra replied after a moment of looking up at what sky could be seen through the canopy far above. ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad under here,¡± Ilyana said, motioning towards the massive sequoias. ¡°The road is well made, so at least it will make walking easier for the younglings,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, nodding. ¡°So, what¡¯re you going to do?¡± Ilyana asked her suddenly, surprising him a bit with the question. ¡°Do?¡± ¡°You know. Will you stay, or try to go home?¡± Ilyana asked quietly, though not quietly enough to escape his ridiculous hearing. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­. I think that I will stay,¡± Shae¡¯ra whispered, sounding a bit uncertain. ¡°Why?¡± Ilyana asked, genuinely surprised, if he was reading her expression right. ¡°I¡­. I feel that this is the place that I¡¯m needed¡­ for now,¡± said Shae¡¯ra as though she were still trying to figure it out herself. ¡°Mmn,¡± Ilyana hummed, then nodded. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have to keep my shop in Kirkwall, I¡¯d probably stay too,¡± she said, nearly causing him to trip on the perfectly smooth road. ¡°It¡¯s not that far, so why not see if you can stay here, too?¡± Shae¡¯ra asked, delivering another blow to him as she did. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a thought,¡± Ilyana said, astonishingly seriously. Joram stopped listening to them as he tried to figure out how he felt about what they¡¯d been talking about. He wondered if it was some weird connection that High Elves had, as sense of kinship, that had them chatting as though they¡¯d knowing each other all their lives. Was that really what elves were like? Or was it something else? He quickly dismissed those thoughts, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole yet. One day he would need to, but not today. Today was for the girls, just kids, really. He¡¯d finally be able to take those damn slave collars off them all. It didn¡¯t take long to get to town hall, though he did make sure to keep the pace set to what normal people would keep. Even back on Earth, he¡¯d been a fast walker, compared to most, anyways. Here? He wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to his [Running] Skill or his high Speed Attribute, but he¡¯d found that if he wasn¡¯t paying attention, he¡¯d practically whip by anyone else. Since it would take a bit for everyone to get registered, he summoned a bunch of those chair-benches you¡¯d see in airports that were all attached to a long base. He got no few exclamations of shock and surprise from doing that, but he didn¡¯t want kids to have to keep standing for a long time. While he waited, he decided to talk to Kaloran again, once more taking a look at the property on the west side of Kirkwall. ¡°Seriously?¡± Kaloran asked, giving him a strange look. ¡°Why would you need even more property? You¡¯ve already bought a crazy amount of land.¡± ¡°Well, just thinking, is all,¡± he said as he thought about things. Seeing as how Kirkwall was more or less circular, and that you couldn¡¯t buy any land within about 200m of it, he wondered just how much land he could buy before Celys gave him an earful. It seemed as though the land that Kirkwall officially claimed extended out about two of their miles from its walls. Which made sense seeing as how he could only purchase seven of those plots of land, each one being about 400m long, so when you took into account the space outside of the walls that he couldn¡¯t buy it was roughly 2 miles. Or, about 3.2 kilometres or so. He saw that there was still plenty of room inside the walls for population growth, so they wouldn¡¯t need to expand them any time soon. Which meant that he could probably get away with buying more land¡­. ¡°So, I¡¯ll take the land from here to here to here,¡± he said, first pointing at the northern section then the southern section, then ran his finger along the outside of the map. Kaloran¡¯s jaw dropped as his brain calculated the cost involved in purchasing so much land. Land that no one had wanted before seeing as how it was so hard to do anything with. ¡°That¡¯ll be¡­¡± Kaloran trailed off as his brain tried to keep up. ¡°One hundred ninety-six gold, yes,¡± Joram said, then placed his last two Grade A Cores on the desk in front of Kaloran. ¡°I¡¯ll get the paperwork started,¡± Kaloran said, sounding numb as he stepped away to gather what he needed. As Kaloran worked, he continued to pay attention to everyone else. The younger girls seemed a bit confused by everything, thought the older ones were able to assuage any of their worries. Them, as well as Asami, Myra, and Celys. He was glad to have them along, all things considered. Especially last night. *Shudder* Shaking his head, he found that as he listened in to conversations here and there, that the girls were inclined to stay, which surprised him more than just a bit. ¡®I¡¯m sorry for snooping,¡¯ Avi said from his side, looking uncharacteristically serious. ¡®But I¡¯ve been reading what surface thoughts that I can from them. It seems as though almost none of them have a home to return to, for one reason or another.¡¯ Joram paused, then looked over at Avi, his expression grave. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Their individual experiences fall into two broad categories,¡¯ Avi said as she kept eye contact with him. ¡®They were either taken by force, usually by bandits, or they were sold by their families to pay off crippling debts to one entity or another,¡¯ she said, making his hackles rise in anger. Before he could say anything, he felt someone grab him from behind in a tight hug. Then the soft feeling on his back made sense when he saw that it was Asami through his [Touchsight]. ¡°Please calm down,¡± she said, shaking a bit as she spoke. ¡°They can¡¯t handle it.¡± Then he finally noticed that almost everyone in the room had fallen over, gasping for breath. Chapter 081 - I should go... Myra struggled to breath as something incredibly heavy and suffocating pressed down on her, making her shake in fear as she lay on the ground. Then, as she began to sweat, the oppressive force vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving her in a state of shock as an¡­ aura of sadness, sorrow, and grief replaced it. For as bad as it felt, she could at least breath again. She quickly looked around and saw that some of the younglings were laying unconscious and unmoving. She hurried to the closest one, Pryte if she remembered correctly, and checked her pulse and breathing. Finding that both were steady, she hurried over to the next girl, Ruva, and checked her too. From there, she and her mother went from unconscious girl to unconscious girl, making sure that they were well. As she worked, he kept glancing at Joram, wondering why he looked so incredibly sad. Then it clicked that the aura of sadness was coming from him. Then she realized that the mysterious pressure from before had somehow been caused by him. ¡°I need to speak with him,¡± her mother said as she continued checking on the girls. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± Myra nodded as her mother got up and went to Joram. After a few whispered words between the two, Joram was taken to the back, likely to her mother¡¯s office, with Asami following at his side. She then took a bit more time to look around as she finished checking on the girls to get a feel for the room. She saw that the three ¡°gals¡±, as Joram called them, were the least affected amongst everyone. Surprisingly, they were also helping up the fallen girls, helping them into chairs again. Though, she noticed that they would often look towards the back hallway, probably wondering about Joram. Myra couldn¡¯t blame them, for she was also worrying about Joram. What had caused his reaction? How had he done that? What would happen to them if something like that happened again and Asami wasn¡¯t close enough to stop it? Could she stop it? Shaking her head, she got up and started making her way from group to group, speaking a kind word here, a reassuring word there. She hoped that Joram hadn¡¯t messed things up too badly with the younglings. Even though she knew him pretty well by now, she¡¯d still been disconcerted by whatever it was that he¡¯d done. As for the younglings, well, she hoped they¡¯d be a bit more resilient than she was expecting. * * * Pryte sat, wide-eyed. She wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about what had happened earlier. She¡¯d been one of the first to go and get registered for the young master¡¯s orphanage, something she¡¯d never before imagined doing in any of her wildest fantasies. But there she was, now an official¡­ orphan. Then the¡­ weight had struck, nearly knocking her out. Now? Now she was contemplating how terrifying an experience it had been, but also more than a little bit excited that the young master could do something like that! If anyone tried to attack them in the future, she could just imagine them being flattened by the young master¡¯s¡­ weight! She blinked at Myra as she spoke with Mika, one of the catkin who was only two years older than she was. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sure that he¡¯d just gotten some bad news,¡± Myra was saying, trying her best to encourage Mika who was just staring ahead blankly. Pryte could tell that it wasn¡¯t because she was afraid, though. Mika was easy to read, and the fact that her tail wasn¡¯t all puffy and fluffy meant that she was fine. In fact, she was probably just off in her own world again, imagining weird things like being the strongest [Hunter] or [Adventurer] or something like that. She reached over and grabbed Ruva¡¯s hand and gave it a light squeeze as Kuro gave Pryte a head pat. ¡°You¡¯re going good,¡± Kuro said, giving her a brave smile. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said shyly, not used to the praise yet. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you¡¯re scared. It scared me too,¡± Kuro said, dropper her head-patting hand down so that she could give Pryte a one-armed hug. ¡°Yeah, it was scary,¡± she said, then gathered up her courage to say more. ¡°But it was awesome too!¡± she said enthusiastically, getting her a few odd looks as people turned to look at her, making her want to hide behind Kuro. ¡°What?¡± Kuro asked what seemed to be on everyone¡¯s mind, looking puzzled. ¡°Well, I mean,¡± she started, then had to pause as Myra also turned to listen to her. ¡°Well, it was scary¡­. But! But if the young master can do that, won¡¯t that mean that any other bad guys who try to hurt us will be beaten up by him if he¡¯s so strong?¡± she asked, looking up at Kuro as she spoke. Kuro¡¯s jaw was hanging open as she looked down at her, making Pryte wonder if she could fit an egg in there. ¡°What?¡± Kuro asked again after a few moments of stunned silence. ¡°What, what?¡± Pryte asked, not sure what she meant as Kuro seemed to collect herself. ¡°Well, I guess I mean: what makes you think that it¡¯ll be safe?¡± Kuro asked, still not seeming to know how to ask or say what she really wanted to. ¡°I mean, well. Umm¡­. It was scary, but not scary, you know?¡± she asked, not quite sure how to explain how she felt. Off to the side, Myra nodded as though she understood what she¡¯d been trying to say. ¡°Scary, but not frightening,¡± Myra said, nodding. ¡°Like seeing a guard killing a monster with their weapon. It can look scary, but it¡¯s not frightening because you¡¯re not the monster,¡± she said, nodding. Well, at least she got close, Pryte mused, but nodded anyways because it was close enough. ¡°Yeah. The¡­ weight was scary. But it didn¡¯t feel like¡­ danger. Like when¡­¡± she trailed off, remembering just how frightening the bandit raid had been. ¡°But not scary like that,¡± she finished, shrinking back and into Kuro a bit. Kuro squeezed her a bit tighter to tell her that she¡¯d be there for her, so she smiled a bit, not wanting to worry anyone. Ruva scooted closer so that she could get in on the huggles too, so Pryte lifted her free arm so that she could hug her friend close. ¡°Do you think that the young master can use that weight to beat bad guys?¡± Ilyenna suddenly asked from her chair in front of Pryte, turned around in it so that she could kneel in the seat to look over the back of the chair at them. ¡°I¡¯m sure he can,¡± Ilyana said, smiling at them kindly. ¡°Ahem,¡± Arise suddenly broke in and waited until everyone was looking at her. ¡°That was what¡¯s called [Aura]. If the young master can master it, I¡¯m sure that he could fell scores of foes in the future,¡± she said, smiling and nodding at the end, looking proud as could be. Pryte wondered why she was so proud. It was the young master¡¯s ability, after all. ¡°Mmn,¡± Qyress hummed, nodding. ¡°[Aura], once trained, is very powerful. We¡¯ll all be safe with the young master,¡± she said, nodding. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Pryte watched the beautiful winged-lady and wondered how she knew about [Aura] and if she¡¯d be willing to share more about it with her. If she could learn how to do that, then she¡¯d be able to not only defend herself, but also defend her friends! * * * ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that an [Aura] can manifest when someone has very high Spirit and Charisma Attributes?¡± Joram asked, trying to sum up what Celys had told him. ¡°Basically, yes,¡± Celys said with a sigh. ¡°And that¡¯s all I know from having heard rumours while adventuring in my youth,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°Well, it¡¯s something at least,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°But that other part¡­¡± he said, not sure how to take the revelation. ¡°Well, they¡¯re the ones who¡¯re most likely to have an [Aura] as they¡¯ve all got higher mana pools than anyone else,¡± Celys said, pinning him with a serious stare. ¡°Which leads back to what you told me when we first met. If you¡¯re not human, then what are you?¡± Joram looked at Celys for a few moments before he spoke, thinking about what to say, how to say it, and just how much he should share with her. Since it had been Altaea who¡¯d¡­ made him what he was now, then he was reasonably sure that High Elans, let alone regular elans, didn¡¯t exist here. Unless there was some sort of universal constant when it same to the various races and species in the multiverse, that is. ¡°Well, that answer is tied to why I¡¯m here in the first place,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°There was a¡­ a magical accident that ripped me from my homeworld and dropped me here. Part of that accident involved a very powerful being. Due to the accident, I just about died, but that being saved my life, while also changing me in a fundamental way. ¡°I was a human before, but I¡¯m now what¡¯s called a High Elan. They¡¯re- we¡¯re, very adept with¡­ I don¡¯t know the word here, but it¡¯s called psionics where I¡¯m from. It¡¯s a sort of power that originates from the mind that can basically do what mana does for casters here,¡± he said, deciding that a Cole¡¯s Notes version would have to do. Celys stared at him incredulously for several moments before speaking, sounding skeptical. ¡°Is that how you can do¡­ what you can do? Healing faster? That blue crystal sword? That strange shoulder weapon?¡± she asked, nailing it in one go. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied simply. ¡°Even without the Great Protector¡¯s aid?¡± she asked, still sounding skeptical, though a hint of acceptance could be heard in her tone. ¡°Even then, yes,¡± he said, then continued. ¡°It¡¯s how I survived until I took my Path several weeks ago.¡± ¡°It must be powerful if it¡¯s what allowed you to basically solo a Dungeon in Overflow,¡± Celys said, now sounding very interested to learn more. ¡°It can be, yes,¡± he said, not wanting to oversell things. ¡°It takes a lot of learning, though. If you don¡¯t learn, you can¡¯t do.¡± Celys nodded, seeming to understand. ¡°Much like with magic, if you don¡¯t learn, you can¡¯t use it¡­¡± she said, then shook her head. ¡°Unless it¡¯s you. You¡¯re ridiculous, you know that?¡± she asked, sounding almost offended. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that a few times,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°And if you even knew the half of it, you¡¯d probably kick me,¡± he finished, still grinning, though it turned rueful at the end. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Celys said, shaking her head. ¡°But, once again, please don¡¯t ruin the economy. I¡¯ve seen more than enough to know that you could easily topple it if you aren¡¯t paying enough attention. Also, please talk with Lory soon. Not just for you, but for the sake of all those who are¡­ close to you,¡± she said, looking more serious about that than when she was talking about the economy. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get to it,¡± he said, not very comfortable talking about it. He¡¯d been raised with a heavy dose of stoicism, making it very difficult for him to open up to others, let alone talking about his feelings and stuff. The thought of speaking with a¡­ therapist or something, was almost alien to him. But oddly, vaguely appealing, if he was honest with himself. Seemingly content with getting that much out of him, Celys changed the subject to a lighter one, though no less important. ¡°So, are you planning on building another village out there?¡± she asked, impressing him once again by how keen her intuition seemed to be. ¡°Well, not really, but I did want the space to expand if I needed to,¡± he said with a light shrug. ¡°You know, that¡¯s almost as much land as Kirkwall occupies, right?¡± Celys asked dryly as she watched him with keen eyes. ¡°Well, I like my space,¡± he said, trying to sound casual. ¡°Anyways. Once I¡¯ve got everything set up to run smoothly without me being there, I¡¯ll be heading out for a while,¡± he said, then stopped when he saw her startled and then sharp look. ¡°Alone?¡± she asked, not quite casually. ¡°Most likely, yes,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s to be found further into the forest, but I don¡¯t want to risk anyone¡¯s safety while I¡¯m out there exploring.¡± ¡°You know, neither Asami nor Myra will like that much,¡± she said, both sounding like she was warning him and as though she was happy with his decision. ¡°Well, they¡¯ll live,¡± he said, then retrieved [Irymis¡¯ Staff] from his inventory, presenting it to a startled Celys. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing, as you¡¯ve been made aware,¡± he said, then cleared his throat at the memory of a few botched attempts at [Teleport]¡¯ing as she took the staff. ¡°That said, once I¡¯ve got a handle on [Teleport], I¡¯ll be able to return every night as I keep exploring.¡± Celys only appeared to be half listening as she stared at the staff in awe. After a few minutes of silence, she seemed to come back to herself, shaking her head. She then looked at him with a mix of wonder and annoyance. ¡°How in the nine hells did you get something like this?¡± she asked, waving the staff a bit as she spoke. ¡°From the dungeon?¡± he said, wondering why she was reacting the way she was. In fact, he had suspected that the staff was pretty powerful, especially since space/dimension abilities tended to be higher-levelled abilities in any game or book he¡¯d ever read. That said, that he¡¯d gotten it from the goblin dungeon had led him to believe that it wasn¡¯t something terribly rare. ¡°Joram,¡± Celys started, then stopped as she pinched the bridge of her nose as though she had a growing headache. ¡°Joram. From what I can feel from this staff, it¡¯s probably at least a Grade A magic item,¡± she said as though it meant a lot. ¡°And? I got a bunch of Grade A Cores from the dungeon too. Wouldn¡¯t it make sense to get Grade A loot too?¡± he asked. ¡°Joram, what level are you right now?¡± ¡°Level 17.¡± ¡°And you were Pathless when you completed the Dungeon, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Joram. Do you know what level range each Rank, or Grade, covers?¡± Celys asked seriously as she leaned forward a bit at her desk. ¡°Vaguely,¡± he hedged, not really having paid too much attention to that¡­ up to now, that is. ¡°Rank A covers anyone from Level 26 to 30. That you could kill Rank A Monsters while Pathless is beyond unheard of. Even at Level 17, which is Rank C by the way, the chances of a normal person killing a Rank A threat is so abysmally low that it¡¯s actually suicidal to even try. ¡°Even getting something like this,¡± she said, waving the staff with a bit too much energy for his comfort, ¡° as loot for a Dungeon like that is practically unheard of. I assume you have [Identify], so tell me what it does,¡± Celys said, pinning him with another one of her ridiculously effective stares. ¡°Uh, well, it gives you access to [Spatial Manipulation] and [Dimensional Manipulation] Skills while wielding it,¡± he said, watching as her jaw dropped at hearing what the staff did. He waited. Celys eventually recollected herself enough to come back to the moment, then promptly shoved the staff back into his hands and she stood up from her chair. ¡°Don¡¯t ever let anyone know what that staff does. Better yet, don¡¯t let anyone you don¡¯t know even see it, as you never know who has [Identify],¡± Celys said, shaking her head as though she was still in disbelief of what she¡¯d heard. ¡°That staff is something that people would kill for. Kingdoms would fight over that staff.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he so eloquently replied, not quite sure what to make of all that. But seeing how shaken she was by seeing, and learning about [Irymis¡¯ Staff], he was going to take her seriously¡­. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he hmm¡¯d, thinking. ¡°What?¡± Celys asked after a while, obviously both annoyed with his not-quite silent thinking and curious to know what he was thinking about. ¡°I was wondering if I could do something with one of my class features,¡± he said, purposely keeping it vague, especially after how she¡¯d reacted to the staff. ¡°¡­ is it anywhere near as ridiculous as that staff?¡± Celys asked, her wary tone matching the look she was giving him. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t rightly know,¡± he said, not terribly sure himself. ¡°How common are Skill Books?¡± he asked, hoping that he couldn¡¯t give the poor woman another shock. Celys stared at him blankly for a good four minutes before she raised her hand and silently pointed to her office door. He waited a few heartbeats before realizing that the gesture seemed to be a universal one. He then sighed as his hopes were dashed, recognizing that blank look of someone who¡¯d heard one too many unbelievable things too closely together. ¡°I should go,¡± he said, storing the staff away before getting up and making his way out of the office, closing the door quietly behind him. * * * Celys let her head rest on the stack of papers on her desk for several minutes, trying very hard not to scream in frustration. ¡°Of all the places for him to land, how in the nine hells did he manage to land in my village?¡± she asked the desk, too tired to care how ridiculous she must have looked. ¡°I¡¯d say we were pretty lucky,¡± Asami said, nearly causing her to jump out of her chair in fright, having quite thoroughly forgotten that she¡¯d come in with them. ¡°Gah!!¡± ¡°Gah, indeed,¡± Asami said while nodding, looking inordinately pleased with herself. Chapter 082 - [Spatial Manipulation] Joram took a deep breath as the door closed behind him. He had a lot to think about now, as well as to plan out. He¡¯d surely need to get back to practicing again, working on learning and developing his Skills further. That, and he would also need to experiment with [Irymis¡¯ Staff]. He¡¯d been just using the [Teleport] from the repository in his brain, so he might as well get to trying out the [Spatial Manipulation] from the staff. Nodding to himself, he went back to the lobby/reception area and stopped as everyone turned to look at him. Then he remembered what had brought him to Celys¡¯ office in the first place, and wilted under their combined stares. To him, they seemed full of reproach and hurt; wondering who he truly was. Was he going to be one of those terrible people who bought young slaves? Would he continue to hurt them? Do worse things to them? As he wondered all that, his eyes landed on Arise, the dark elf, and found that she had a particularly pained smile on her face. That the normally stoic dark elf had such an expression on her face told him volumes. He then glanced around quickly and found measuring look after measuring look staring back at him. That was just too much for him, to he quickly pulled up, then pumped power into [Teleport], quickly blurting out an ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± before he was gone, now retreated to his office. His safe place. A place where he could be alone, away from all their stares. * * * ¡°Whaaaa¡­?¡± Qyress asked, trailing off as she couldn¡¯t manage to formulate the question properly. ¡°What, indeed,¡± Fyrellia said, nodding to herself. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that the young master could use [Teleport],¡± she said, sounding very impressed. ¡°Though, I¡¯m sure it was Arise¡¯s attempt at smiling that scared off the young master so thoroughly.¡± *Whack!* ¡°I¡¯m not that scary,¡± Arise said, looking almost like she was pouting as Asami Miki emerged from the hallway that the young master had just vacated, looking around with a frown on her face. ¡°You¡¯re super nice, Arise,¡± Pryte said, looking up to the dark elf seriously, causing said dark elf to shift uncomfortably at the praise. ¡°I¡¯m a super mean demon, brat,¡± Arise said, then flicked her in the forehead, though not too hard. ¡°Eh-heh-heh-heh~,¡± Pryte laughed as she started walking towards Asami Miki and Myra who were already talking. ¡°Do you know why he [Teleport]¡¯d away like that?¡± Myra asked worriedly. ¡°Hmm, he felt¡­ guilty. Did anyone say anything to him when he came out?¡± Asami asked, looking around again. ¡°No,¡± Myra said, shaking her head. ¡°He came out, everyone turned to him, then he quickly yelled that he was sorry before [Teleport]¡¯ing away.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Asami Miki hummed as she rubbed her chin just like how she¡¯d seen the young master do sometimes when he was thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any animosity¡­. Maybe he was just overthinking things again,¡± she said, then shrugged. ¡°Anyways, get everyone properly registered. We¡¯ll head home after that. I¡¯m sure that a good lunch will help everyone.¡± ¡°Joram doesn¡¯t eat¡­¡± Myra said, looking uncomfortable while completely blowing Pryte¡¯s mind. ¡°What?¡± she asked, eyes going wide at the crazy talk. ¡°Hmm?¡± Asami Miki hummed again as she looked down at her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s normal. That¡¯s just how he is. Hmm, in fact, I think we¡¯ll all be more like him soon,¡± she said, confusing Pryte quite a lot, but then turned and went back down the hall. ¡°What?¡± she asked again, but Myra just shook her head at her before stepping away to get things moving again. ¡°What?!¡± she asked louder, stomping a foot that everyone but Ruva ignored. ¡°What?¡± Ruva asked curiously. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking!¡± she said, now incredibly frustrated at everything. * * * ¡®You need to work on that,¡¯ Avi said, shaking her head at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You can¡¯t just run away when it¡¯s too much for you. You need to start getting used to working things out sooner, rather than later.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll take that under advisement,¡± he said with a sigh as he retrieved [Irymis¡¯ Staff] so that he could start inspecting it. He could feel the disapproval practically radiating off Avi, but she kept quiet, surprising him more than a little bit. He then dismissed those thoughts as he [Delve]¡¯d the staff once more, while also having M2 use [Manipulate Mana] to get a sense of what was there. He¡¯d rather have something like [See Mana] or [Mana Sight] or some such, as that would likely make the whole process easier on him. But he would work with what he had. Then a thought occurred to him, one that had him looking around a bit nervously at his collectables. If he really screwed up, then he was likely to destroy much of his surroundings. So, he got up and made his way to the new dungeon. Though, once there, he decided to not go in, for the same reasons that he¡¯d left his office. So, he hopped the wall, once again impressed with just how high he could jump now, then made his way further west into the forest. As he walked, he assigned M2 to keep using [Delve] while he re-tasked M3 to keep messing around with [Mana Manipulation]. When he stopped, he realized that he¡¯d veered south, enough to arrive at the site of his old house. Smiling a bit bitterly, he used [Terrakinesis] and pulled a rock closer that was then shaped into a bucket chair, not dissimilar to a racing chair you¡¯d find in an arcade. Then he sat, still pondering the staff. He then concentrated on [Spatial Manipulation] in the staff and found that¡­ it was surprisingly intuitive to understand. Was that a feature of the staff, or was it due to his understanding of Nomad-type Powers? Then, recalling the thought he¡¯d had in Celys¡¯ office, he called upon [Legacy of Creation], the Class Ability he¡¯d gotten at 10th Level as a [Creationist]. He hadn¡¯t yet really looked at it beyond seeing that it would allow him to make a Skill Book from any Skill that ¡°he had access to¡±. Which was what had triggered the thought. Could he make a Skill Book from a Skill in an item? Well, why not try? He activated the Class Ability, then blinked as a new window, or screen, popped up in front of his eyes. On it was listed his many Skills, each showing their rarity as well as how much it would cost to make a Skill Book for that Skill. Then he remembered just how expensive it could get as he looked at [Create Dungeon], his only ¡°Transcendent¡± Skill. It would cost 10 Grade SSS Crystal Cores to make, of which he had none¡­. But why wasn¡¯t it greyed out, then? He looked at the counter beside it and saw that he could currently make 96 of those Skill Books if he wanted, and just about fell over. He quickly navigated to his Inventory and saw that he really didn¡¯t have any SSS Crystal Cores, but he did have the Dust Crystals... which now had their own section in his currency section. ¡°What?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°The System just decided that the Dust Crystals are now in their own section in the currency section of my Inventory,¡± he said, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to [Legacy of Creation]. Well, he had absolutely no intention of making a Skill Book for [Create Dungeon], so he scrolled by that and found [Dimensional Manipulation], a Mythic Grade Skill, which would cost him 10 SS Crystal Cores, or 700 Units of Dust, or UD. Which only translated to 7 full Dust Crystals, which wasn¡¯t too bad. [Spatial Manipulation] would cost 450, or 4.5 Dust Crystals, which wasn¡¯t bad either. So, he quickly paid the price and watched, grinning, as two books came into being in front of his eyes. What really caught his attention, was that they came into being in a very similar way to how things came into being when he used his Metacreation Powers. He quickly pulled up his Skill List and then used the two books. It was something to watch as they popped into the list, erasing the [Temporary] tag that they¡¯d had a moment ago. Looking at the Skills, he sort of mentally prodded at them, getting a feel for them like he did for every other Skill when he concentrated on it. As a general sort of understanding settled on his mind, he could summarize [Spatial Manipulation] as basically that: manipulating the fabric of space. He could take himself, something else, or someone else, and place them¡­ elsewhere. Not only that, but he felt that he could create two connected areas that could either take the form of two circles, or two portals. He could also pull a Time Lord and alter the internal space of an object, room, or space and make it larger or smaller if he wanted. Neat. As for [Dimensional Manipulation], well, that was much weirder. It very much dealt with dimensional boundaries and dimensional spaces. He got the feeling that he could create¡­ spaces, or just tear open the dimensional boundary and step somewhere else. Which was all sorts of freaky. What would happen if he couldn¡¯t find his way back? Shudder. Maybe he¡¯d hold off on the latter for a bit until he got a better feel for [Planeshift]. At least then he¡¯d have a better chance of getting home afterwards. Though¡­. He rechecked [Anchored Navigation] and facepalmed. He¡¯d forgotten a couple of things, it seemed. ¡°Welp, I won¡¯t have to worry about getting home then,¡± he muttered, then explained it to Avi when she gave him a look. ¡°Having not cared about how much it would ¡®cost¡¯, I just made the [Anchored Navigation] attached to all of their rings at full power. Meaning that I won¡¯t have to worry about finding my way home while experimenting with [Dimensional Manipulation],¡± he explained with a smile. ¡®Just be careful. You never know what environmental conditions may be present when you travel to another realm,¡¯ Avi said, reminding him of [Adapt Body]. He could also use [Energy Adaptation] if things got particularly hairy, like landing in lava, or acid, or the elemental plain of lightning or something equally ridiculous¡­. ¡°I need to make a few items,¡± he muttered, resolving himself to do that after a bit of experimentation as Avi nodded beside him. ¡°Welp, first I guess I¡¯ll play with [Spatial Manipulation],¡± he said, then pulled up the Skill in his mind. He retrieved a block of stone, placing it beside him. Looking at it, he idly wondered just how heavy a 5^3m block of stone actually weighed, reminded of weight limitations. Well, the weight limitations he¡¯d read about in various RPGs and such. Sometimes the limitation was volume. A quick few uses of [Terrakinesis] and [Telekinesis] later, and he had several blocks of stone, each one smaller than the next until he had one the size of a Rubik¡¯s Cube. He was getting pretty good with [Terrakinesis], as it was now allowing him to not just move earth and stone, but also allowed him to shape it now. Probably because it was ¡°Improved¡±. Then began the testing, sending increasingly larger cubes set distances as he had M2 pay attention with [Mana Manipulation] and M3 striving to see or feel the flows of Mana as he worked. He was still bent on getting [Mana Sight] or whatever it would be called. * * * ¡°Do you feel that?¡± she asked, turning to look west with a frown on her face. ¡°Feel what?¡± Arise said, turning to look west with her. ¡°I think I might feel something¡­ but I¡¯m not sure what it is,¡± Qyress said as she, too, frowned slightly. ¡°I think that the young master is¡­ doing something,¡± she said, then got up from the table they were sitting as and started walking to the doors of the mess hall. ¡°We can¡¯t go yet,¡± Arise said, latching onto her arm. ¡°Lunch is almost ready!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Qyress said, then proceeded to pick up Arise under the armpits. ¡°Thanks,¡± Fyrellia said with a smile as she led the way out of the mess hall, then turned left, then left again as Arise proceeded to quietly cuss them out in her native tongue. Fyrellia followed the faint feeling of¡­ weird mana, heading further west than she ever had before. It took them almost twenty minutes of walking before they came upon two scenes that both confused her, and excited her. In the distance, over a hundred yards away was a solid, if small, Moss Stone building with a very sturdy-looking metal portcullis. Then, off to the left, or south, another hundred or so yards further away was a massive stack of Moss Stone. Well, ¡°stacks¡± would describe it better. Though, she wondered why each block of stone was a cube of varying sizes. That question was soon forgotten as another wave of strange mana reached her at the same time that one of the blocks vanished from sight, only to reappear a short distance away. She blinked, now recognizing a teleportation effect when she saw it. Though, she wondered why it felt so¡­ different to what she was used to feeling from someone using [Teleport]. ¡°What¡¯s that building?¡± Arise asked in a whisper as she scrutinized the small stone building. ¡°No clue,¡± Qyress said with a shrugged, also whispering. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in why he¡¯s messing around with [Teleport] out here. Isn¡¯t he good enough to [Teleport] himself already?¡± ¡°He is,¡± Fyrellia said, thinking hard as she remembered the incident from not too long ago. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure that he¡¯s using the same¡­ Skill?¡± she said, trying to figure out what was up. ¡°Is there more than one way to [Teleport]?¡± Qyress asked, looking a bit confused. ¡°There definitely are more ways to [Teleport] than just using that Skill,¡± Fyrellia confirmed. ¡°Well, you might think that they¡¯re all related. But, from what I know, there¡¯re at least four other Skills in the [Teleport] Skill Tree that you can use, though some are very specific with what they do,¡± she said, then proceeded to explain more. ¡°[Teleport: Circle] will allow the user to create a circle on the ground that can continually be activated until the user runs out of mana. The destination is pre-set so everyone, and everything, will be sent to the same destination. [Teleport: Object] allows you to just send an unliving object somewhere without the user needing to go along for the ride. [Teleport: Other] is pretty much the same, but allows you to [Teleport] another being. ¡°Then there¡¯s [Teleport: Portal]. That one sets up a portal that can be travelled through in either direction for a time. I¡¯d say that it¡¯s the most versatile of the [Teleport] Tree, as it allows for 2-way transportation,¡± she finished, still staring at what the young master was doing. ¡°So, what¡¯s he doing right now? [Teleport: Object]?¡± Arise asked, finally turning away from the stone structure. ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like,¡± she said, shaking her head a bit as she tried to figure out just what in the hells the young master was doing. ¡°¡¯Looks like¡¯?¡± Qyress asked, sounding a bit annoyed at her vague answer. ¡°Well,¡± Fyrellia started, then paused a moment to collect and organize her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m no [Wizard], but I do have a decent foundation in magical theory. But what I¡¯m feeling from my [Sense Mana] Skill isn¡¯t¡­ doesn¡¯t quite line up with what I¡¯ve felt before when I felt others using the [Teleport] Tree of Skills,¡± she said, now getting annoyed that she couldn¡¯t quite answer the questions of her friends. Arise was about to ask another question when she just shushed her so that she could focus on what was going on. Arise silently grumped, but also took to watching silently with Qyress. Fyrellia watched and took mental notes for what seemed like just a few minutes before the young master stopped and rubbed his temples as though he had a headache. It was then that she noticed that the sun had very much changed positions, now showing it to be early evening. Both Arise and Qyress were napping beside her, having fallen asleep at some point. She was about to shake them awake when the young master appeared in front of her, not a trace of mana to be felt that time, causing her to jump back in surprise as she stifled a very girlish squeal of fright. ¡°Hi,¡± he said with a half-raised hand in greeting. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Fyrellia took a moment to calm her heartrate before speaking, wondering just what he¡¯d used to get there so quickly. ¡°We-I, felt a disturbance in the mana, so we came to investigate,¡± she said faintly, silently cursing her rebellious heart and its refusal to calm down all the way. ¡°Ah,¡± the young master said, nodding. ¡°Is my¡­ technique that bad?¡± he asked, tilting his head to the right slightly. ¡°I¡­ am not proficient with [Teleport], so I would be loath to comment on your technique,¡± she hedged, not wanting to speak ill of the young master¡¯s obvious inefficiencies when using mana. ¡°Ah, so my techniques does suck,¡± he said, nodding to himself, making her wonder if he was reading her mind or something. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± she hastened to reassure him, though mostly to try and assure him that she didn¡¯t think ill of him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, waving her off. ¡°My ego isn¡¯t so fragile that I can¡¯t take instruction on something that I¡¯m trying for the first time,¡± he said, shaking his head and making her wonder if he was crazy, or just lying. He sighed, then shrugged again before a very dark grey staff with an amazingly black gem trapped at its top appeared in his hand. He looked at it for a moment before turning to her, giving her a very obviously appraising look, causing her heartrate to increase again, before finally speaking. ¡°What¡¯s your class?¡± he asked, though she noticed that he didn¡¯t use his authority as her master to force her to speak, which earned him even more respect from her. ¡°I¡¯m a [Sorceress],¡± she said, then just went all-in. ¡°Level 27,¡± she finished, a bit uncomfortably, though it was surprisingly¡­ easy. ¡°Huh, 10 Levels higher than me,¡± he said, sounding impressed as his words nearly blew her mind. ¡°How are you 10 Levels lower than me?!¡± she asked incredulously as she felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop. Chapter 083 - Spilling the beans Qyress woke up to Fyrellia¡¯s incredulous voice and saw that the young master was standing with her, making her jump up in surprise. Unfortunately, her body didn¡¯t respond as well as even her sleepy brain, so she promptly lost her balance. Then the young master practically blurred as he stepped over and caught her, his arm going under her left arm and wing, around her back, with his hand finally clutching her right side just under her breast. She was first astonished at his speed, then his obvious strength as he pretty much held her up with one arm. Then she blushed at how close he was as well as where his hand was placed. For his part, the young master just murmured, ¡°careful¡± as he turned back to Fyrellia, not seeming to pay attention to where his hand was. Normally, she¡¯d have- at the very least- slapped a man for having touched her like that. But considering his surprisingly forthright history with all three of them, let alone the gorgeous Asami Miki and the terrifying Myra¡­ it was easier than she thought to let it slide. ¡°Well, I¡­¡± he started to say, then turned to look at Arise who¡¯d also woken up, but hadn¡¯t gotten to her feet. He looked at her for a moment before turning to Fyrellia to do the same, then finally to her. His face was only inches away when he turned to her, causing her face to feel even hotter than before. Surprisingly, the young master¡¯s face also turned red as he hastily apologized while withdrawing his arm and stepping away from her. Which, for some reason, made her feel¡­ discontent, especially when she noticed that she felt cold where his arm and hand had been after he pulled away. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, again, then cleared his throat as his colour returned to normal. ¡°We haven¡¯t really spoken much since¡­ you came here. Would you mind if we did that now?¡± he asked as he glanced between the three of them. She nodded, as did Arise, though Fyrellia spoke her assent out loud. Once confirmed, a small table with four chairs around it appeared on¡­ a deck. Like, a deck that you¡¯d see in front or behind someone¡¯s house. Then it occurred to her that the forest floor wasn¡¯t exactly level, thus making the deck make sense to her. She quickly took the chair to the young master¡¯s right as he took a seat, waving them to take one for themselves. ¡°So,¡± he said to start, then paused as- embarrassingly!- her stomach growled at her, which then caused the others¡¯ stomachs to reply in kind, setting off a wave of red and embarrassed faces. ¡°So, lets start with something to eat, then,¡± he said, nodding. She then watched as a meal appeared in front of their eyes, complete with large bowls, forks, and spoons for them to use. She recognized the roast, mashed vegetables, bread, butter, and other vegetables that he¡¯d made for them a few days ago. Even if the meal hadn¡¯t been so visually distinct, the heavenly scent would have given it away at first whiff. ¡°Eat, and we¡¯ll talk,¡± the young master said, the proceeded to blow their minds by serving them before himself. Then she wasn¡¯t sure if she should have been insulted when she noticed that he only took a small sampling of each dish for himself, while he¡¯d veritably piled their own bowls to the brim. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have more,¡± Arise asked suspiciously as she played with her fork. ¡°No,¡± he said, shaking his head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need to eat, so this is more than enough for me,¡± he said, then tilted his head to the side slightly before lightly grunt-snorting. ¡°You¡¯ll find that you, also, won¡¯t need to eat soon,¡± he said, then pointed at the rings that he¡¯d given them almost a week ago. They each looked at the ring that he¡¯d placed on their respective hands, wondering what, exactly, he¡¯d given them. Yes, it was electrum, a ridiculously expensive metal to use in making a ring, let alone giving them to mere slaves. She¡¯d been happy to see that her name and his had been engraved on the inner band. And, oddly enough, even happier that he¡¯d gone so far as to give her his family name. Even Fyrellia hadn¡¯t been able to find anything special about them besides being able to resize to fit their fingers perfectly. ¡°So, that¡¯s what ¡®Sustenance¡¯ means,¡± Arise said, nodding to herself as both she and Fyrellia turned to stare at her incredulously. ¡°What? I wasn¡¯t sure about it, so I didn¡¯t want to worry you without knowing more about it,¡± Arise said, shrugging. After a brief¡­ conversation about sharing intelligence that affected them all, the young master explained the effects of the rings he¡¯d given them all, once more stunning them into silence. Qyress looked down at her ring again, this time seeing it for the treasure that it was. No longer would her people need to be weighed down with supplies while scouting. Whole teams would move lighter and faster than ever if they had such rings. Not only that, but given that Fyrellia couldn¡¯t detect any magic from the rings, the likelihood that they¡¯d be taken away if you were captured was significantly lowered. Well, if the rings weren¡¯t made of electrum, that is. Anyone would immediately confiscate something as valuable as that, even if they thought it was just a mundane ring. ¡°Anyways,¡± the young master continued. ¡°I just wanted everyone to be comfortable here, which includes not going hungry if food production wasn¡¯t up in time,¡± he said, once more making her wonder just who her young master was. She¡¯d heard that he wasn¡¯t human, but to her eyes, she couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Even Fyrellia couldn¡¯t detect any trace of [Polymorph] or any such magic that altered a person¡¯s form, making them think that he was just saying that to help calm their nerves or something. ¡°You¡¯re a strange one,¡± Fyrellia said, shaking her head, apparently as astonished with the young master as she was. ¡°I¡­ just don¡¯t like slavery,¡± he said uncomfortably as he shrugged. ¡°If the laws weren¡¯t like they are, I¡¯d have already freed you three,¡± he said, still looking uncomfortable. ¡°What? Why? Slavery has been around since¡­ who knows when?¡± Arise asked, still looking incredibly suspicious of the young master, and his words. ¡°Well, I come from a place that hasn¡¯t had it for almost two centuries now. We¡¯re a people who firmly believe in the rights of the individual, and that no one is allowed to take those rights away unless you¡¯ve committed crimes against others or the state. ¡°That said, even if you¡¯ve committed heinous crimes, you¡¯ll just be imprisoned, not enslaved for those crimes. Well, I guess imprisonment depends on where you¡¯re from. Some places still have the death penalty, so there¡¯s that,¡± he said, seemingly switching to ¡°academic¡± mode, as she called it when Fyrellia did the same. ¡°Isn¡¯t that incredibly¡­ inefficient?¡± Fyrellia asked curiously. ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t the cost of imprisoning so many criminals cost the state vast sums of wealth? Wouldn¡¯t it be more economical and efficient to just sell those criminals into slavery?¡± Fyrellia asked, making Qyress nod in approval. Criminals, after all, shouldn¡¯t be rewarded by getting free housing and meals just because they¡¯d committed crimes. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°It would,¡± the young master agreed. ¡°But my people have very strong feelings about slavery and all that. Instead, the system hopes to reform criminals while they¡¯re incarcerated.¡± ¡°Does that work?¡± Arise asked dubiously, voicing her own doubts for her. ¡°¡­ sometimes, yes,¡± the young master said, not sounding terribly happy about that. ¡°Then why keep such a drain on the system?¡± Arise asked, pressing the point. ¡°Honestly, I really don¡¯t know,¡± the young master admitted. ¡°I know that it¡¯s a broken system, but fixing it would be¡­ epically difficult. Anyways, let¡¯s leave that where it belongs, in another world-,¡± he said, then cut off abruptly as his eyes widened in shock. A shock, she might add, that she also felt. ¡°Another world?¡± Fyrellia asked, sounding just as shocked as she felt. ¡°Well, crap on a cracker,¡± he said, shocking them further with the odd turn of phrase. ¡°This¡¯ll be where I ask you to not share what I¡¯m about to say with anyone else,¡± he said, turning very serious. She swallowed, then picked up her cup to wet her throat before trying again. ¡°You¡¯re a [Hero],¡± Arise said, sounding more than a little fearful. ¡°Not just a town hero, but an actual [Hero],¡± she said, now looking around as though she wanted to bolt. Qyress couldn¡¯t blame her for she, too, felt dread at the thought of her young master being a [Hero]. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°If you¡¯ll agree to keep what I say secret, I¡¯ll tell you¡­ about me,¡± he said, now sounding incredibly tired, which did more to calm her than the words he¡¯d spoken had. ¡°Is it that important?¡± she asked, speaking for the first time since sitting down to eat. The young master turned to look at her for a moment, now looking as tired as he¡¯d sounded, then spoke. ¡°Yeah, it is. I don¡¯t know much about¡­ everything,¡± he said, making a vague gesture that encompassed, well, everything. ¡°But I know that knowledge is power, and I don¡¯t want anyone to have power over me. Hence why I would need you gals to promise to keep anything I say between us,¡± he said, then turned to look at Fyrelle, then Arise. She and her two friends exchanged looks for a few moments before she finally nodded slightly, then turned back to the young master. ¡°I, Qyress Smith, swear that I will not, without permission, share with anyone else what you¡¯re about to share with me. If I do, may the Great Protector smite me,¡± she said, swearing one of the strongest oaths under the Great Protector that one could swear. The young master blinked at her, then seemed to read something before sighing. If it was what she thought it was, then the young master had received a notification from the Great Protector telling him that it had accepted her oath. ¡°OK, then,¡± he said, looking surprised as he regarded her. ¡°Can I dismiss someone¡¯s oath, then?¡± ¡°You may, should you no longer find it necessary,¡± she replied far more calmly than she felt. ¡°OK, then,¡± he said again, nodding fractionally before turning to her friends. ¡°I, Fyrellia Smith, swear that I will not, without permission, share with anyone else what you¡¯re about to share with me. If I do, may the Great Protector smite me,¡± Fyrellia said, using the same words that she had used, causing the young master to once again briefly glance to the side to read the notification. With an exaggerated sigh, Arise also repeated the oath word for word before slumping down slightly in apparent defeat. Joram nodded at her, a small smile curving his lips a bit. ¡°I appreciate your candor,¡± he said, then proceeded to confirm a few things that they¡¯d suspected. ¡°I am indeed an outworlder,¡± he started, then hurried to explain. ¡°I am still no [Hero], though. I am reasonably sure that I wasn¡¯t summoned here by someone, especially due to the fact that I arrived with my apartment. From what I know of [Summon: Hero], it should just grab one person at a time, not their environs,¡± he said, getting a nod from Fyrellia. ¡°I arrived, oh, almost three months ago now. Though, I didn¡¯t get my Path until almost about a month and a half ago after clearing a dungeon.¡± ¡°You were serious when you said that you¡¯re only Level 17, weren¡¯t you?¡± Fyrellia asked, sounding awed. ¡°Yeah? I thought that Arise had already [Identify]¡¯d me?¡± he asked, more using his tone than the words to ask the question. ¡°We just thought that you had a Skill that could fool [Identify],¡± Arise said grumpily, then stuffed a forkful of food into her mouth, reminding her of how hungry she was. ¡°Well, there¡¯s that,¡± he said, then shrugged. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m Level 17, though I think that I¡¯ll go delving soon so that I can raise my levels some more while getting some more loot to pay for things,¡± he said, glancing at the Moss Stone structure less than a hundred yards away. ¡°That¡¯s a Dungeon?¡± Fyrellia asked, now even more keen on the conversation. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s another thing that¡¯ll need to be kept between us all,¡± he said, the proceeded to blow their minds yet again. ¡°A Skill that I acquired after clearing that dungeon allows me to make my own dungeons now,¡± he said, looking again at the stone building. ¡°So, I made one, or rather, six. Anyways, I designed them to help in levelling up anyone who wants to level up. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be too hard, though they range from Level 1 to Level 30, so there¡¯s that,¡± he said as though it was normal. For her part, Qyress just stared at her incredibly mysterious young master. She hadn¡¯t even heard of myths telling of someone doing anything as ridiculous as making their own Dungeons! And he was telling them that he¡¯d made six?! ¡°Anyways,¡± he continued, seemingly oblivious to their internal states. ¡°Recapping. I¡¯m not a [Hero], I can do things that people haven¡¯t heard of. Umm¡­. I think I¡¯m kind of over-powered, but haven¡¯t really gotten the courage to ask anyone yet,¡± he said, trailing off at the end as his eyes looked over Arise¡¯ head. Qyress turned to her right and saw that Asami Miki and Myra were approaching, though they were still a fair way away. She turned back and looked at her young master and saw that he had a slight smile on his face as he watched the pair make their way over. Even though she knew that they had an obviously close relationship considering that they slept in the same bed, she still felt a bit¡­ uncertain when she saw his smile. The feeling certainly made her more uncomfortable than she was comfortable with, if that made any sense. While they pair approached, Joram got up and moved his chair away from his end of the table and set it beside her, making her heart inexplicably flutter in her chest. Then the deck and table extended, making her gawk at the sight of it. Once the table and deck had finished doing their thing, two more chairs appeared in the empty spots, along with more dinnerware and food. ¡°If you haven¡¯t eaten yet, come and eat with us,¡± he said when Asami Miki and Myra stepped up onto the deck. She was incredibly disappointed when the young master then sat at the end of the table, leaving Asami Miki to sit beside her and Myra to sit next to a suddenly uncomfortable Fyrellia. ¡°You¡¯ll be OK, dear,¡± Asami Miki said as she sat beside her, patting her on the leg. ¡°What?¡± she asked, a bit stunned at her words. Instead of answering, Asami Miki just gave her a knowing smile before getting to the business of serving herself some food. ¡°Anyways,¡± the young master said as Asami Miki murmured that he preferred to be called ¡°Joram¡±, throwing her off a bit. ¡°I was just telling the gals a few things,¡± he said, then recapped his making the Dungeon for everyone to use and level up. ¡°Not just for that, though. I populated the dungeons with, well, livestock,¡± he said, the proceeded to once more shock them by describing the variety of, quite frankly, mundane animals that he¡¯d somehow populated the Dungeons with. ¡°Fish?¡± Qyress asked quietly, suddenly missing the prominent food source she¡¯d been raised on. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯re a bunch down on the lowest level,¡± the young- Joram, said, nodding. ¡°I figured they¡¯d be a nice addition to anything that gets cooked from now on. Though, with everyone not needing to eat, I¡¯m not sure how much everyone will decide to keep,¡± he said, outlining the problem as he saw it. ¡°Umm,¡± she said, raising her hand, then speaking once he nodded at her. ¡°You say that we won¡¯t need to eat. But will it cause problems for us if we do?¡± ¡°Good question,¡± Joram said, nodding. ¡°The rings will only produce what the body is missing. So, you won¡¯t have to worry about being overfed,¡± he said, poking his own stomach as though to show that he hadn¡¯t gotten fat. The five of them nodded at him, Asami Miki seemingly the happiest at hearing that. ¡°Anyways. The 6th Level of the dungeon, or rather, the 6th Dungeon, might be a bit slow for you, depending on how you fight. It¡¯s all fish. All underwater if you¡¯re not using a fishing pole or something like that,¡± he said, looking as though he¡¯d overlooked something important. ¡°That said, I can always just make another dungeon of the same level to help anyone who doesn¡¯t like fishing.¡± She exchanged looks with the others, then shrugged along with the rest of them. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter that much,¡± Asami said for them, then started going over the logistics of helping the younglings train. That took up the next hour or so of conversation as they ate. She learned that only someone with one of their rings could enter the Dungeon, as they acted as a key to open the gate. From there, they discussed what they should do with all of the extra meat that would be looted from the Dungeon monsters, let alone what the gardeners would produce from the greenhouses. It took a while, so long in fact that Joram had to create one of those light posts to keep their table lit. Not that she needed it, but it seemed as though the foxkin didn¡¯t have darkvision, or perhaps it was for Joram himself. They eventually decided to look into setting up their own stalls to sell the excess food they¡¯d produce. It would need to be every day to keep up with the items looted from the monsters, though. Which also meant that they¡®d need a steady supply of cloth to wrap the meat in, let alone ice to keep everything cool. As they threw around ideas, Qyress found that she was¡­ content. Even happy that she¡¯d been purchased by someone like Joram. Chapter 084 - Getting settled in Which threw her for a bit of a loop. She was certainly not happy that she¡¯d been captured and enslaved, not at all. But given the horror stories she¡¯d been raised on that told of how inhumane and degenerate human masters were, she had resigned herself to a life of pain and misery. She still wasn¡¯t absolutely certain that Joram wasn¡¯t just hiding ulterior motives, or his true self. But. But, her heart dared to hope that he wasn¡¯t like the humans in the stories she¡¯d grown up with. So, she watched, she listened, and most of all, she listened to her gut, her [Intuition], as it had helped keep her alive thus far. Well, alive, but not free. At first, she¡¯d railed against her Skill, cursing it for having failed her. But now¡­. Now she wondered if the Skill had a sort of prescience to it. For she¡¯d have certainly preferred death over enslavement if she¡¯d been given a choice. So, she listened and found that her [Intuition] was mostly silent. Though, when it stirred, she got the distinct impression that she was on the ¡°right¡± course, further confusing her while validating what she was seeing and hearing from the young master- Joram. They eventually wrapped up their discussions, having planned out quite a lot during their time together. Not only that, but Joram had shared more about himself, causing her, Arise, and Fyrelle to once more be blind-sided by him. She was still thinking of the ridiculous things that he could do as they all walked back to the house together. If he could do what he¡¯d claimed, and he had already shown them that he could do a lot, then it was no wonder that he could manifest an [Aura] like the most powerful demons out there. Even Arise, who was at Level 29, couldn¡¯t manifest an [Aura] yet. Though, she wasn¡¯t too sure on what exactly qualified someone to gain an [Aura] in the first place. With that in mind, and if Joram really wasn¡¯t a human, then she wondered if he was a new kind of ¡°demon¡±; the magically touched, that is. Many of the races living on the Demon Continent weren¡¯t actually demons, but were instead races that had been touched deeply by Mana. Beings who¡¯d been touched by Mana in that way tended to look¡­ different, than others. Some grew horns, others had wildly varying shades of skin, while yet others grew wings and tails, or claws, scales, or feathers. Sometimes a combination of all of those things. And to normal humans, they appeared terrifying. But aside from their physical changes, almost every one of those who¡¯d been Touched by Mana had a much larger mana pool than those who hadn¡¯t. She glanced over at Joram again as they drew closer to the greenhouse and wondered just how large his mana pool was. She wasn¡¯t like Fyrellia who could sense mana to a certain degree. But given what she¡¯d witnessed, she was sure that it must at least be several times larger than someone else who was of the same level as he was. Thus lost in thought, she continued onwards while on autopilot, barely registering entering the house. Then hardly noticing heading straight to Joram¡¯s room, she got changed and laid in bed. It wasn¡¯t until she got poked in the side that she came out of her daze to see Myra staring daggers at her from less than a foot away. She blinked, then noticed that Asami Miki was also staring at her from her right side, though she seemed more amused than anything. Then she noticed that she was laying on a somewhat hairy chest, then blinked again. She followed the chest up to the bearded chin, then saw that she was indeed laying on Joram. Qyress felt her face light on fire with embarrassment as she frantically scrambled back, using her wings to help her move faster. Unfortunately, the sharp nails on her hands and the claws on her feet shredded the bedding in her haste, sending cloth flying everywhere as she beat her wings in a frenzy to escape the mortifying situation. Then she felt as though the air around her had solidified, holding her in place up above the bed. She watched as Joram frowned slightly, then gawked as every bit of mangled and shredded bedding suddenly flew back to the bed, then reformed into the bedding it once was. Myra was gaping as well, though Asami Miki looked like a youngling at a streetside magic display. She caught Arise and Fyrellia also gaping before she felt herself being drawn back to the bed where she was spun slightly before landing on it to sit beside Joram. ¡°I¡¯m not bothered, you know,¡± was all the young master said before closing his eyes again, still sprawled on the bed as though nothing had happened. Hearing the words was one thing, but having them penetrate her mortification was quite another matter entirely. It took her a few minutes of looking between Myra, Asami Miki, Arise, and Fyrellia to finally calm down enough to regulate her breathing back to normal. It was only then that she finally understood what the young master had said, once more blushing furiously in shame for having acted without thought. Though, she mused, it¡¯s a bloody shocking thing to come back to your senses to! She looked back at the young master who was still laying there with his eyes closed, then to Myra who¡¯d also closed her eyes as she lay snuggled up to the young master¡¯s side. Asami Miki, though, was looking at her again with a small smile. After a moment, Asami Miki winked at her then closed her eyes and snuggled into place, apparently finding a comfortable spot before going still. Qyress swallowed hard before glancing at Arise. She looked like nothing was out of the ordinary. But because she knew her friend so well, she could see that Arise looked¡­ contemplative. Fyrellia, though, just gave her a quick thumbs-up before settling into bed, making her blush even more. She took a few deep breaths to help herself calm down, then looked back down at the young master¡¯s broad chest. She slowly, ever-so-slowly, turned so that she could bring her feet up into bed, curling her toes to avoid catching the bed, or anyone else, with her clawed toes. Still moving slowly, she shifted her wings back and out of the way, then laid on her side using the young master¡¯s extended arm as a pillow. She was surprised to feel that his arm wasn¡¯t as hard as a rock, contrary to how chiselled it looked. In fact, it was absurdly comfortable to rest on. So, she brought her right wing down and used it to cover her side before she closed her eyes, silently wondering if she¡¯d have the courage to rest there again tomorrow night. * * * *Day 9* The following morning¡¯s routine proved to be slightly more difficult with Qyress on his other side, but he eventually managed to extract himself from his bed, getting a System notification in the process.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Escape Artist 1 You¡¯ve levelled the following Skills: - Advanced Clear Mind 51 -> 52 - Escape Artist 1 -> 2 You¡¯ve gained the following Attribute Points: ¡­ ¡­ ¡­
He grinned. He didn¡¯t know if having to escape three women was the tipping point in getting the Skill, but he was happy to see that his efforts hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. The stat points, though, he just skimmed through, already knowing what had been gained. Which was Strength. He was up to 40, though M2 had increased it gradually, not wanting to experience the intense pain again of having so many points dumped into an attribute all at once. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. He was astonished to see that he hadn¡¯t hulked-out, though. Given what he¡¯d read over the years, he¡¯d been half afraid that he¡¯d wind up looking like an albino Hulk. Instead, he more resembled a brunette Thor, or perhaps Superman, as the guy already had dark hair¡­. The point was, he wasn¡¯t going to be crippled by ridiculously huge muscles! He looked down at himself again and wondered if he could make something like spandex, idly wondering if he¡¯d finally be able to go cosplaying as some of his favourite superheroes one day¡­. He¡¯d also added one point into Constitution, as having an odd number annoyed him. Then added 5 into Charisma, as he felt it was being left out, bringing it up to match his STR and CON. He just liked¡­ even modifiers. Which brought him to his INT and SPR, which he¡¯d also dumped a few points into to get to an even modifier¡­. He shook his head and got changed, then headed out of his room. From there, he made his way to his office, closing the door behind him. Having enjoyed his little session the day before, he grabbed his guitar and started playing. Then stopped as he broke the strings. He sighed, [Repair]¡¯d the strings, then started once more, this time making sure to pay attention to how much strength he was using. As he did, he pulled up his Character Sheet and had a quick look, then gaped.
Name: Joram Smith Gestalt Path: Mage/Psion Class: Creationist (Unique) Level: 17 Free Attribute Points: 0
Race: High Elan Resource Pools: HP: 2,480/2,480 ST: 2,464/2,464 PP: 2,285/2,285 MP: 1,454/1,454 Regeneration Rates: HP: 72/minute ST: 72/minute PP: 133/minute MP: 135/minute 10x w/ [Clear Mind, Adv.]
Attributes: STR: 45 SPD: 45 CON: 50 INT: 65 (57) SPR: 75 (71) CHA: 45 LCK: ?? Mod: 40 40 45 60 (52) 70 (66) 40 ??
Attacks: Crit Chance: 25% Melee: Mindblade (x3 crit) D: 67 = 4 + 40 + 23 L: 69 = 6 + 40 + 23 M: 71/46 = 8 + 40/60 + 23 H: 80 = 12 + 60 + 23 +14 dmg after 1st hit. Mindblade Throw Range: 18m, 14m, 10m, 6m Ranged: Mindbolt (x4 crit) D: 73 = 4 + 40 + 29 L: 95 = 6 + 60 + 29 M: 77 = 8 + 40/60 + 29 S: 79 = 10 + 40 + 29 +14 dmg after 1st hit. M: +20 if using 2 hands to aim. Range per Form: 18m, 70m, 40m, 12m DEF = Dodge + Deflection + Buffs + Situational Dodge: 60 Deflection: 40 Buffs: +22 [Inertial ArmourA] (1/2PP) +13 [Force ScreenA] (1/4PP) Situational: +5 vs ranged (not spells) Resistances: Cold: 60 Elec: 46 Fire: 55 Adapt Body: All: 90 = 30 + INT Mod (60). - All stacks with existing. DR: 3/All per PP spent, or, 14/- [BiofeedbackA] 1/3PP
Kinesis Skills: Name: Dmg: Range (m): Aero: 22-472 127 Cryo: 22-472 127 Elec: 15-300 84 Hyrdo: 22-472 127 Pyro: 22-720(+20%) 720 Tele: 22-1,192 175 Terra: 22-562 133 Carrying Capacity: Light:_________9.9x105 kg Medium:_______2.0x106 kg Heavy:________ 3.0x106 kg Max Lift:______ 6.0x106 kg Push/Drag:_____1.5x107 kg
Joram: Hey, guys¡­. We¡¯ll hold off on Attribute Points for now. M2-M12: OK He sighed, wondering just how he¡¯d gotten to exponential notation for his Strength score. Those were absolutely ridiculous numbers and he had absolutely no idea how to even start testing them, let alone how his environment would support that testing. However, he was glad to see that his short-range mindbolt had somewhat caught up to his long-range mindbolt¡¯s damage output. Still, if he was going to increase any attributes in the future, it would be his INT and SPR, for sure. Almost everything that he did relied on those two Attributes, so when he finally decided to increase his Attributes again, those would be the two he¡¯d focus on. For now, he thought it would be wiser to focus on his Class Levels, so he directed M2 to work on that tonight while he meditated. For now, he got back to playing. - - - From there, the morning went smoothly enough, though he¡¯d needed to explain to everyone that they weren¡¯t sick, but were instead under a [Sustenance] effect. He¡¯d done so before everyone had gone over to the mess hall to avoid spilling the beans to the staff. Though, if they noticed that the girls weren¡¯t eating nearly as much as before, then he¡¯d still have some explaining to do¡­. Which led him to taking his employees aside and explaining things to them¡­ which went better than he¡¯d expected, really. They¡¯d actually been happy to hear that the younglings would have the proper nutrients they needed to grow and be healthy, because younglings were well-known for avoiding foods they didn¡¯t like. Which usually led to kids getting sick, or malnourished and all that stuff that parents constantly worried over. But that also brought up the valid point of lots of free time for the majority of his staff. Seeing as how he¡¯d enchanted every room in every building with a [Cleanse] effect to keep things clean, he didn¡¯t need anyone mopping or dusting. Which led him to inquire about any other skills they might have that didn¡¯t include cooking. Which then led to him assuring them that one: they wouldn¡¯t get laid-off, and two: that they¡¯d still get their scheduled meals there. After that, things went smoothly enough. Just over half of the women went off to help with the greenhouses, the dairy, or the brewery, surprisingly enough. He had another two ask if they could spend time with Ilyana learning her craft. He left that to Ilyana herself, not knowing if she wanted another two apprentices or not. But Ilyana happily accepted them, especially since he¡¯d be paying the two women to be there. They would also help in making other clothing for the younglings, which was a bonus all around. After all that, he was still on the hook for his cooking class, as people still wanted to learn from him. Which was fine, really. He couldn¡¯t blame a person for wanting to better themselves by learning as much as they could. Especially when it was something that they were passionate about. With the influx of gardeners, he decided to quickly make a third greenhouse. It took almost no time at all to build, especially when using [Modify Matter, Superior], as it could affect just over 28m3 of materials at a time. Well, that went down when he started affecting minerals, then again with metals. But that was fine, as he¡¯d just use [Terrakinesis] for the minerals, and he actually hardly used metals, so that was fine too given that the wood he created was harder and tougher than steel these days. This one he left unplanted though, leaving it up to the women to decide what they wanted to grow there. Which was also fine, as they expressed their desires to add in local produce to the meals. Then, to keep the seamstresses busy, the created a few dozen bolts of bamboo cloth of varying thread counts and tossed in a few bales of the bamboo fluff in case they wanted to make quilts or something. When he was finally done with all that, he retreated to his practice spot from yesterday and got back to work. He felt that he was close to really getting the hang of moving stuff around with [Spatial Manipulation], so a bit more practice wouldn¡¯t hurt. After that, he¡¯d start working on making things bigger on the inside, then work on enchanting them to keep the temporary alteration affixed to the container. After that, he would start on [Dimensional Manipulation], though he was going to stick to creating extra-dimensional spaces to start off with. Something like a portable hole, then something along the lines of a handy bag of holding. All while he had M2 and M3 working on getting the last bit of [Fission] learned. Once he had that Power going, things would get even more interesting. Especially once he managed to create an augment for it what would allow for more duplicates. Grinning, he got back to work. * * * ¡°Young master?¡± she said, then cleared her throat. Joram turned and looked over at them as another massive cube of stone disappeared then reappeared a short distance away. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Joram asked curiously. ¡°We were wanting to head into the Dungeons,¡± she said, then pointed off to the stone building. ¡°But we¡¯re¡­ unequipped. Would it be possible to get some equipment?¡± she asked, pulling on every ounce of diplomatic training that she¡¯d received growing up. ¡°Sure?¡± he replied, shrugging. ¡°What weapons and stuff do you normally use?¡± Fyrellia suppressed a sigh of relief, not having been sure that he¡¯d agree after having brushed her off just yesterday. ¡°Arise usually uses daggers, and light armour. Qyress specializes in using a longbow, also with light armour. I usually use a staff to help with my casting. If I can get some enchanted robes or some such, then that would be helpful,¡± she said, trying very hard not to rush through it all due to her nerves. What they were asking for was very unusual. From what she understood, arming demons- even enslaved demons- was looked down upon, if not outright illegal. If he did give them what she¡¯d asked for, then he might very well get in trouble. Yet, they also wanted to be useful to him, which meant gaining more power. Which meant levelling. Which meant they¡¯d need equipment or die while trying to level. ¡°Well, then, how about these?¡± he asked, making a pair of, sheathed, curved daggers appear in his hand that he promptly tossed over to Arise who deftly caught them. After a quick inspection, Arise¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Joram said with another shrug. ¡°As for you, Fyrellia, you could try this,¡± he said, then tossed her a dark grey staff with a black gem held in place at its top by a basket of wood woven from the staff itself. She quickly sent her mana into it to attune herself to the staff and just about dropped it as its details entered her mind. ¡°What?!¡± she practically yelled, too shocked to care about propriety anymore. Chapter 085 - Bounce ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what?¡¯?!¡± Fyrellia demanded, at a complete loss. ¡°This is too much! What- how-, gah!¡± she said as she looked between the staff and her absurd young master. ¡°OK, chill,¡± Joram said, now looking slightly annoyed, which then sent a cold shiver down her spine. ¡°If you need to level, just use that. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be enough for a few levels. I¡¯ll look into how to make staves for combat later,¡± he said, then turned to Qyress to address her. ¡°Though, I¡¯m sorry to say that I don¡¯t have any bows on hand,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°That said, I do have a projectile weapon that might be of use. Though, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll jive with you class¡­ and it¡¯s a bit loud¡­¡± he said, then another item appeared in his hand. It, too, had a sort of sheath, though it didn¡¯t look like anything she¡¯d ever seen before. Its shape was similar to one of those small squares that a carpenter used to measure and draw lines on lumber. It was all black, metal, and eerily intimidating even though she didn¡¯t know what it was. ¡°Hmm,¡± Joram hummed as he stared at the weapon for a minute or so before stepping over to Qyress. ¡°This is what¡¯s called a handgun. You hold it like this, and aim like this. I¡¯ve fixed the sound issue, but I¡¯m sure that it¡¯ll still give a small sound when used. ¡°Now, this is the safety. Keep it on at all times unless you intend to ruin someone¡¯s day, including your own. This here is the trigger. You just need to flex your finger like so to pull it enough to fire the gun. I¡¯ve also enchanted the clip here,¡± he said, then slid a small lever on the side of the handgun that made a small cartridge fall out of the handle. ¡°I¡¯ll enchant another couple of them so that you¡¯ll have enough ammunition to keep going in a drawn-out fight. As-is, I think that it¡¯ll create a new bullet every couple of seconds when it¡¯s below capacity. So, really, unless you¡¯re going ham with it, you shouldn¡¯t run out of ammunition,¡± he said, showing them the odd little metal cylinder inside the cartridge. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯ll work well for you or not. Just give it a try and let me know how it works for you,¡± he said, then passed over the handgun to Qyress who held it reverently¡­ or perhaps warily due to the explanation. ¡°Aside from that, I¡¯ll have to take a few to make some armour for you three,¡± he said as a large lump of black metal appeared beside him. They then watched as the metal seemed to flow into three separate balls before those balls split into two each. From there, each lump of black metal began to elongate and flatten, then curve, then segment. As that was happening, she watched as a bolt of cloth appeared, just as dark as the metal, then unwound a bit. Then the cloth split into six ribbons before going to each of the metal¡­ bracers, she now saw. Within mere seconds, three sets of bracers were made. Each one had a small flap that would cover the back of one¡¯s hand, with a small strap that would go around the palm of your hand. From there, the bracer extended far enough that it would come up just past the elbow, making her think that it would save one¡¯s elbow from a break if they fell on it. Overall, its design was impeccable. Though, she wondered how heavy they would be, given how much metal went into their creation. Then Joram picked each pair up, one by one, and did¡­ something to them. Fyrellia didn¡¯t feel any mana flowing, but she did feel¡­ something happening. After holding each one for about a minute or so, he looked over at them and smiled. ¡°Those should do,¡± he said, smiling at them, which caused her heart to skip a beat as she took in that genuine smile. Who would smile at a demon like that? She wondered. For someone who came from a world exclusively populated by humans, she thought that he was very strange indeed. Though, that wasn¡¯t a bad thing¡­. ¡°So, put them on. Let me know if they need adjusting,¡± he said as he passed them each a pair of bracers. Fyrellia tucked the staff she was holding into the crook of her arm before taking the bracers. Then she marvelled at how light they were, and saw that both Arise and Qyress were equally impressed. She then looked down at her arms, happy that she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She then slipped on the bracers, once more impressed with the design. It was so easy! Once in place, she moved her arms around for a bit, testing her range of motion with them on, and seeing if they¡¯d interfere with her movements at all. Surprisingly, it was almost like she wasn¡¯t wearing anything at all. She looked over at her friends and saw that they were equally pleased and impressed with the bracers as they moved about with their weapons. ¡°I added a few things for safety, so they should be good for a while at your level. Just let me know when you grow out of them, and I¡¯ll see about upgrading them at that time,¡± he said, nodding at them. ¡°Holy mother of the [Demon Lord]!¡± Arise exclaimed as her eyes bugged out. ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± she demanded as she practically swooned in place, looking both dizzy and angry¡­ almost offended. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joram asked, looking concerned. Arise just stared at him as though he¡¯d grown a few new heads, some horns, and possibly some tentacles to top it all off. It took her almost a minute to compose herself enough to speak again. ¡°You can make [Relic]s,¡± Arise stated flatly, obviously beyond overwhelmed and in shock. ¡°Maybe?¡± Joram asked, looking confused. ¡°What¡¯s a [Relic]?¡± he asked, looking at each of them in turn. To save Arise from any further mental strain, Fyrellia quickly spoke up. ¡°There are a few classifications of magic items, with [Relic] being the pinnacle,¡± she said, making sure that Arise would stay quiet before she continued. ¡°Most are classified according to standard adventurer ranks, though only from Rank E to Rank S. After Rank S, you get [Artifact]s, then [Relic]s. ¡°What differentiates standard magical items from [Artifact] Grade and [Relic] Grade is the inclusion of Skills in their creation. If an item has one Skill added to it, then it¡¯s considered an [Artifact]. Two or more Skills in an item and it¡¯s considered a [Relic]. ¡°The issues here is that you¡¯ve just gone and created three [Relic]s in the space of time that it takes for a pot of tea to steep,¡± she finished while shaking her head. ¡°Oh,¡± Joram said, sounding as though he¡¯d both learned something and was regretting having done such a ridiculous thing in front of them. ¡°Well, uh, please don¡¯t show those around then,¡± he said with a sheepish look. They just stared at him for a few moments before eventually nodding as he retrieved what looked like two more of those cartridges for the handgun that he¡¯d given Qyress. A moment later, he hesitantly stepped over to Qyress and handed over the items, motioning to two spots on the harness that looked like slots made to hold them. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then,¡± Joram said awkwardly as he slowly stepped away from the three of them. Once he was back at the stone cubes, she looked over at her friends and saw that they were as flabbergasted as she was. Then a bit of schadenfreude came upon her. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°So, do you still think he¡¯s not worthy of serving?¡± she asked Arise, who then turned to her with a blank look on her face. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous. He¡¯s ridiculous. Everyone¡¯s ridiculous!¡± she yelled before stalking off towards the Dungeon. Qyress gave her an exasperated look that couldn¡¯t quite hide her grin before turning to follow Arise. Hefting her new staff for a few seconds, Fyrellia then flapped her wings to take off so that she could quickly catch up to her friends. This is going to be fun! * * * * * With that, Joram settled into a new routine. Wake up, escape, play some guitar, teach a cooking lesson, help with this or that, then head off to practice after going to see Lory every other day. He would end the day by heading off to bed to become a much-coveted pillow for five incredibly beautiful women before meditating for the night. All the while, M2-M12 would be working on this and that, usually just producing more Dust Crystals, though also working on assimilating the Psionic Library. Two more weeks passed like this before he was comfortable enough to try an experiment. *Day 23* Joram looked at his System notification and smiled at his progress. He¡¯d purposely stopped adding random Attribute points, but he had given himself 3 Levels to bump him up to Level 20. He then used his free points to level off everything to nice even multiples of five, leaving him with 2 free points. He also bumped up a few Skills, like [Mana Well], [Master Summoner], and [Source of Power]. The two resource Skills gave him a huge jump in mana and power, while [Master Summoner] was due to his ¡°capstone¡± ability.
[Return to Creation] Designate a target or an area and return it to the basic building blocks of creation, annulling all atomic bonds of the target or those in the area designated. Caution: this may have unforeseen consequences. You may choose to immediately use the free atoms to create a new life or object with [Summon: All], modified by [Master Summoner].
Which was all sorts of broken. The save, as it were, was based off his [Creationist] Level + his SPR Mod. Which meant that pretty much anything he targeted was toast. Or atomic dust. Which was dangerous, and not just because of the warning. Free atoms tended to react with one another, and some were quite¡­ vigorous in their reactions. He just hoped that there¡¯d be some System shenanigans to give him a buffer of time where he could make something afterwards, otherwise it was just basically setting off a bomb, in his opinion. He was glad that the description said that it annulled the bonds, instead of breaking them. Otherwise, he was sure that he¡¯d get an even larger bomb going off in his face. Well, if he was stupid enough to do that close to him anyways. It also gave him a ludicrous range, his SPR Mod x INT Mod in metres. Which, being 80 and 70 respectively, was getting onto 6km away. Which was, once more, crazy. Shaking his head, he got back to what he was trying to do. Namely, create a portable structure. To explain; he¡¯d always been a bit of a geek. Reading about characters who could basically push a button and take their house/building away with them had appealed to him greatly. Button, boom, gone. Well, not gone-gone. Just turned into an item that the person could take with them. Then use whenever they found an appropriate spot. And bam! Relocated house/building! To that end, he¡¯d ventured pretty far into the forest and had built himself a duplicate of this house, down to the last detail. Which included all the furniture and other objects that the house currently had inside of it. Minus the people of course. He¡¯d gotten pretty far with his [Dimensional Manipulation] and [Spatial Manipulation], getting them both into the early 20s. Which brought him here so that he could try to put the duplicate house into a portable space attached to an item. Which was just a token he¡¯d made out of some of the Black Moss Stone, etched on one side with a representation of the house, and his name on the other side. Now that he was ready, token in hand, he called upon [Dimensional Manipulation] and began to¡­ envelop the house in its influence. It was a bit hard to describe how it felt to do so, but the closest thing he could think of was trying to pull a deflated ballon over something. If he pulled at one spot and didn¡¯t keep up the pressure on another, it would slide back to its starting point. Which made him very glad to both have his extra Minds running as well as [Multitasking] to help with keeping up with everything. It still took him a few minutes of hard work, but in the end the whole house shimmered, then just vanished from his sight. He then felt that the token had ¡°taken¡± on the dimensional space of the house. Which then prompted him to use a bit of Dust to make the item into a permanent magic item. Grinning, he then activated the token and watched as the house appeared where he wanted it to; back into the hole that had been left when the house had vanished. Then came the slightly less nice experiment. He picked up the small cage at his feet and looked at the mouse-like creature inside. It was pretty much a mouse, except for the larger claws and needle-like teeth in its mouth. It even tried to snap at him as he picked up the cage, reminding him that it wasn¡¯t a very nice creature. Well, not a docile creature, anyways. He then used a bit of [Telekinesis] and put the cage and its occupant onto the front porch before activating his house token again, causing the building and the cage to vanish from sight. ¡®Do you think there¡¯ll be air in there?¡¯ Avi asked curiously as she tapped her left index finger on her lips in thought. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m sort of hoping that there¡¯ll be some sort of stasis effect for anything stored away like that,¡± he said, voicing his hopes on the matter. If it didn¡¯t, then he¡¯d have to see if there was a time manipulation Skill he could either learn, or get his hands on. Though, if he had to fight a monster with a time manipulation Skill, then he might just avoid the matter until he was much stronger than he currently was. ¡®Well, that would be handy,¡¯ Avi said, nodding. ¡®Though, you could just store anything that you want into your Realm, as that does have the ability to have an area designated as ¡°storage¡±,¡¯ she said, causing him to look over at her incredulously. ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you say that before?¡± he asked, both annoyed at her for not saying anything, but more annoyed at himself for not thinking about it. ¡®I tend to forget that you¡¯re still a fledgling given how powerful you¡¯ve already become,¡¯ Avi said as she frowned at him slightly. ¡®Well, if you¡¯d like to give me permission to work with your Minds, and administrative access to your Realm, then maybe I can help you more,¡¯ she said, sounding both disapproving and resigned at the same time. Which got him thinking. Well, on his behaviour and words, but also about how Avi must be feeling being attached to him. ¡°Does it bother you that you¡¯re stuck with me?¡± he asked quietly, suddenly very scared to hear what she had to say, but nevertheless needing to know. Avi regarded him for a few minutes as she thought about his question, making him feel extra terrible for not having addressed the issue before now. At length Avi sighed, stretched, then took a deep breath before finally speaking. ¡®Joram. I am a part of you. We¡¯re effectively one being. What you ¡°see¡± of me is basically just me manipulating your visual cortex to create an image of myself. ¡®I¡¯m a purely mental being, though I guess I, too, have a soul. But it¡¯s kind of attached to yours. If you die, I die. If I die, well, you¡¯ll still live. But you¡¯ll probably get lonely,¡¯ she said with a sassy grin. ¡®Anyways. Would it be fun to have a body to wander about? Surely. Do I need one? No,¡¯ she said, shaking her head before the sassy grin came back. ¡®Besides, if another beautiful woman suddenly appeared at your side, what would the others think?¡¯ Joram nodded along at her words, taking the revelations that she dropped on his head in stride. Even the joke- he hoped- about the gals. But when he thought if he¡¯d be OK just existing in someone else¡¯s head, he really couldn¡¯t leave it alone. ¡°How can I make you a body that you can¡­ use?¡± he asked after a minute of thought. Avi looked at him with an unreadable expression as he waited for her answer. Then the expression cracked, slowly revealing a smile that nearly floored him with its brilliance. ¡®Well, I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡¯ she said, then proceeded to lay out her thoughts on the matter, starting a back and forth of ideas. * * * Asami swished her tails happily as she nibbled on another tea biscuit, then took a small sip of tea. She really enjoyed the ¡°green¡± tea that Joram had shared with them, as its bitterness went well if the tea biscuits. She watched as the few women left in the kitchen worked at making various things. Now that everyone ate much less than before, they were just basically experimenting with recipes that Joram had shared with them. Especially the sweets, as those were even more popular than the savoury dishes that were sometimes prepared for the younglings who still hadn¡¯t quite given up eating at least once per day. The outside door opened behind her, so she turned to see who¡¯d come in. She smiled to see Joram so early in the day, as he¡¯d been off doing his own thing for the past two weeks. She idly wondered why his ghost was walking behind him, but shrugged it off because the lady would do whatever she wanted to do. ¡°Hey!¡± she said, waving at Joram to get his attention, then smiled when he veered over towards her. She grew curious when his smile grew strained, then even more curious when he quickly glanced at his ghost who then nodded back at him. He usually didn¡¯t do that. Which now got her into serious mode, so she stood up as he arrived at her table. As she was about to say something, her nose caught a whiff of something unfamiliar, though quite pleasant. She looked around, sniffing as Joram looked at her oddly, but kept on going. She stepped forward to see if the scent came from behind his ghost, then bounced back and fell on her bottom in shock. As she stared up at Joram¡¯s ¡°ghost¡±, her mouth dropped open as Myra started making her way over. ¡°Ahem,¡± Joram cleared his throat before continuing once Myra stopped beside her to help her up. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you to Avi,¡± he said, motioning towards his not-ghost, causing her legs to give out again. Chapter 086 - Foolish mortals! Myra blinked as Asami dropped to the ground again as she stared at Joram¡¯s¡­ friend. ¡°Um, hi,¡± Myra said, not quite knowing what to say to the stunningly beautiful woman standing at Joram¡¯s side. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± Avi said, reaching out her hand to take one of hers. ¡°I know this must be a bit weird for you,¡± she paused a moment when Asami barked out a laugh, then continued. ¡°But if you¡¯d like, we can all go somewhere a bit quieter to talk about it,¡± she finished with a smile that nearly floored Myra with its brilliance. ¡°Uh, sure. I mean, yes!¡± she said as her brain tried to keep up as her heart felt as though it was sinking through the floor. Asami finally got up, staring at Avi all the while as though she expected the young woman to bite her or something. Joram chuckled a bit nervously before leading the three of them outside and into the house. For some reason, she thought that he¡¯d lead them to the bedroom, but was beyond relieved to see that he¡¯d led them to his office instead where he [Summon]¡¯d comfortable chairs for everyone to sit in. She noticed that Avi sat to Joram¡¯s right and Asami to his left, so that left her to sit across from him in the small circle of chairs he¡¯d [Summon]¡¯d. ¡°¡¯So¡­?¡± she started, but really had no idea what she wanted to say. Well, that wasn¡¯t true. She had plenty that she wanted to blurt out, most of which revolved around who Avi was and what her relationship was with Joram. It also hadn¡¯t gotten past her that Avi and Asami looked as though they could be sisters, if you ignored the hair colour and race of each woman. For all appearances, Avi looked human. Well, not the crazy hair. She¡¯d never seen anyone with hair that started as a rich gem-like blue that went on to change into a gem-like purple then onto a gem-like red that reminded her of red flames, or perhaps bright coals. Avi¡¯s face and skin tone were almost identical to Asami¡¯s, though. In fact, she really wondered if the two weren¡¯t somehow related to one another, though Avi stood about five inches taller than Asami. That aside, even their figures were basically the same, making her subconsciously cross her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Well, how to explain¡­?¡± Joram said, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with how I am what I am,¡± he said, then went on to explain how he¡¯d arrived in their world in greater detail than he had before. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should accuse him of making things up, or if she should reflect on her understanding of the world. If a god-like being had just decided to stop by to look for her other selves, changed a random human into a being like Her, then she really had a lot to reflect on. ¡°So, you can give ghosts a body?¡± Asami asked, still looking at Avi as though she expected a surprise attack at any time. ¡°Um¡­ no?¡± Joram said, though he was obviously starting to think about that now. ¡°As I said, she¡¯s kind of a part of me, and that¡¯s why I was able to [Summon] a body for her that she can use so that she¡¯d not stuck¡­ in my head,¡± he finished lamely, even to her. ¡°So, do I have to share my spot now?¡± Asami asked bluntly, making the three of them stare at her in shock. ¡°Oh, come on! I started by having you as my exclusive pillow, but then started sharing you with Myra. Now the three ¡®gals¡¯ are taking turns sharing your other side!¡± Asami said, frowning greatly. ¡°Now that there¡¯s no more room around you, what¡¯re we going to do? Make a bigger bed?!¡± Asami asked, fully exasperated at that point. Myra understood her fully. She hadn¡¯t been very happy that the three demons, or ¡°gals¡± as Joram called them, had started taking turns sleeping in their bed as well. She could understand why, of course, but that didn¡¯t mean she was happy about it. In fact, she¡¯d gone and gained another 6 Levels over the past two weeks in his new Dungeons because of it! That the three ¡°gals¡± were also going into the Dungeons every day to level up only made her want to work harder at it. Though, with the younglings who hadn¡¯t gained a Path yet, she¡¯d needed to hold back on how much time she spent trying to level. When Joram had presented her and Asami with the [Cure: Panacea] and [Heal: 3] Skill Books, she¡¯d nearly been floored, not to mention how surprised Asami had been. But then she understood his intentions when he asked them both to help watch over any of the young women who wanted to start levelling. Of course, the three ¡®gals¡¯ had also been wrangled in to keep everyone safe, which for some reason annoyed her all the more. ¡°Umm, yes?¡± Joram said, looking at each of them as he spoke. ¡°Unless any of you no longer wants to sleep in my bed, then I don¡¯t see an alternative to just making a larger one,¡± he said, making Asami sigh theatrically. ¡°And what about poor Harumi, eh? She¡¯s been waiting for a space to open up around you again. I¡¯ll tell you, she wasn¡¯t happy that those gals pre-empted her in taking the other side of you,¡± Asami said, shaking her head at him as though he was committing the gravest of crimes by denying a vixen her pillow. Thinking about it, it probably was a grave crime to Asami considering how possessively she¡¯d kept her spot on Joram¡¯s¡­ lower half. She turned to Asami and saw the nine-tailed vixen stick her tongue out at her. ¡°Rude,¡± she said, then turned her attention back to a floundering Joram. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and make more of yourself already, huh? That¡¯ll solve a whole bunch of problems we¡¯re all facing,¡± she said, crossing her arms as she pouted. Joram stared at Asami, mouth open so far that Myra almost laughed. ¡°That¡¯s not just ¡®looking at the surface of a pond¡¯!¡± he said as he began to frown at her. ¡°Well, be that as it may, I think I¡¯ll be ready to do that soon. It¡¯ll take me a while to get used to things, though, so no funny business!¡± ¡°I promise not to be funny,¡± Asami said, holding up her right hand, palm facing forward. Myra was once more confused by Asami¡¯s actions, but it seemed as though both Joram and Avi understood what she¡¯d done, as they both dropped their faces enough to hold a hand over their eyes. It was done with such synchronicity that she almost laughed out loud while Asami grinned at them both like the fox who¡¯d gotten away with the hen. ¡°Anyways,¡± Joram said after a few moments of collecting himself. ¡°I¡¯ll first start by making a larger bed, one that I hope will be able to accommodate¡­ people. And a fox. Maybe. I¡¯m also looking into expanding the room, so hopefully that¡¯ll give us enough room for everyone who wants to camp out in there,¡± he said, then shook his head again, obviously thinking of something that he chose not to voice. After that, they talked more about Avi, and what her plans were. Which revolved around lots and lots of training. She wanted to test the theory that one could build up experience before choosing a Path, which sounded ridiculously dangerous to her even though Joram seemed to think that it was a fantastic idea. At that point, Asami just about exploded. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Are you insane? Do you think that the Great Protector will just allow that to happen?¡± she demanded, looking affronted beyond belief. ¡°Well, yes,¡± Joram said, shrugging. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem bothered by me, so why would it be bothered by Avi?¡± Asami¡¯s jaw worked for a while before she just ¡°Bah!¡±¡¯d the argument away and turned in her chair enough so that she wasn¡¯t looking directly at Avi before muttering. ¡°I¡¯m not babysitting her.¡± Joram just nodded at that, as did Avi. Myra still thought that it might not be a great idea, but decided to trust Joram¡¯s judgment, which got her another tongue stuck out at her from Asami. From there, they just basically talked about the Dungeon and how to best tackle it. Then came another shock. ¡°So, yeah, I¡¯ll make some Skill Books for you,¡± Joram said to Avi, then began producing Skill Book after Skill Book until there was a huge stack of them sitting on a low table that Joram [Summon]¡¯d to hold them all. Curious, she leaned forward to read a few of the titles and found that they were mostly [Rare] Skills, some even having a higher rarity. She saw a whole stack of elemental books, along with [Regeneration], [Cure: Panacea], [Heal: 3], and even [Mana Well] and one she didn¡¯t know called [Source of Power] that was a [Legendary] Skill! ¡°Just how many crazy Skills do you have¡­?¡± she inadvertently asked as she continued to see titles in the silver of [Legendary] and even a few golden ones that were [Mythic]-Class Skills. ¡°Umm, a few?¡± Joram said, not quite looking at any of them as he placed the last book on the table. She looked at the spine and saw that it was written in an ink that looked silvery, but also had the colours of the rainbow slowly flowing through it, making her eyes hurt a bit as she tried to follow the colours. Blinking, she turned back to Joram with a mighty frown on her face. ¡°Why does she get the preferential treatment?¡± she asked, motioning towards the ridiculous stack of Skill Books that any kingdom would gladly wage war for. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re one,¡± Avi said with a warm smile that threw Myra off until the words registered in her head. ¡°One?!¡± she choked out as her face lit on fire, making her dizzy. ¡°Stop teasing her,¡± Joram chided Avi who just shrugged back at him. ¡°We¡¯re not married. It¡¯s because we¡¯re¡­ connected, spiritually,¡± he said, looking as though he was trying to find the right words for it. ¡°Oh, phooey,¡± Asami said, sounding both annoyed and disgusted by their words. ¡°Their souls are connected. They¡¯re basically one person, though different minds and personalities,¡± she said, then picked up a book and frowned. ¡°Really? She gets [Regeneration], and we don¡¯t?¡± she asked, giving Joram the stink eye. Joram wisely kept silent as first one book appeared in his hand, then another. He then leaned forward and passed one to her and Asami before changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve also been working on [Spatial Manipulation] as well as [Dimensional Manipulation],¡± he said, distracting her from the beautiful purple writing on her new Skill Book. ¡°I think that I¡¯ve gotten good enough to start making some items that I couldn¡¯t before. ¡°Or, what I¡¯ve been wanting to do, I can also expand spaces. Like my-our, bedroom. That way, there¡¯ll be enough space for a larger bed¡­ and anyone else who decides to start sleeping in there¡­¡± he muttered the last bit before continuing. ¡°That said, I can also make extradimensional spaces¡­. Um, things that can store items in a separate kind of space that won¡¯t make that item heavier. Anyways, I¡¯ll be experimenting with that tomorrow. I¡¯m still working things out, so it may take a bit to get you a few new toys to play with,¡± he said with a grin. After that, she just listened to Joram as he ¡°geeked-out¡±, talking about things that she couldn¡¯t understand, but still made her happy to see him so enthusiastic and engaged about something. She just wished that he¡¯d get that way for her. * * * *Day 24* ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it¡­¡± Joram said through gritted teeth as he focussed on tying the extradimensional space to the Black Moss Stone ring that he¡¯d created. Well, one of dozens of them that he¡¯d created to experiment on. ¡°You can do it!¡± Avi called from a good twenty metres away. Then the¡­ space, seemed to slip a bit and went out of control, making his eyes widen in fright just before the ring exploded in his hand, sending him flying into one of the massive sequoias. He handed in a heap, winded, torn, broken, lacerated, bruised, and bleeding. He blinked as he was hit with [Heal: 3], then used [True Metabolism] with the clarity the healing had provided him. He blinked again as sight came back to his ruined left eye and shuddered at the feeling of stone shrapnel being pushed out of his body. ¡°You¡¯ll get it, don¡¯t worry,¡± Avi said from his side, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, then used [Repair] on his clothing as M2 used [Cleanse] to finished cleaning him up. ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s the material that¡¯s affecting the results?¡± Avi asked as she walked back to his preparation area. ¡°Nah,¡± he said as he got up and followed her. ¡°The stone seems fine with having me attach a house to it, so I don¡¯t see why it would matter with a storage-type enchantment,¡± he said as he used [Telekinesis] to right the overturned table and to start gathering the scattered rings. ¡°Do you think that you should try using [Spatial Manipulation] at the same time? You know, tie it all together,¡± Avi said, as she also used [Telekinesis] to help gather up the scattered rings, though her use was still limited by her low Ranks in the Skill. ¡°You mean by adding a compression/decompression feature as items are stored and retrieved?¡± he asked, now wondering if he could do that with a bag of holding¡­. ¡°Well, the dimensional tunnel that you¡¯re trying to use might not be stable enough to support itself. Maybe if you tied in [Spatial Manipulation], you could help to stabilize both ends of the tunnel.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± he grumble-hummed as the thought about it. Avi probably knew much more about that sort of thing than he did. She was, after all, basically a soul-clone of Altaea. He was also reasonably sure that Altaea had also left her with copies of her memories, which meant that Avi was a wealth of experience. One that he should probably speak with more about things he was either worrying about or trying to figure out. Especially now that he¡¯d given her every Skill that he¡¯d gotten up until now. After a bit more brainstorming, he decided to step away from the table for his next attempt. For this attempt, he incorporated their knowledge of standard storage items, like bags of holding and portable holes. He didn¡¯t need to reinvent the wheel, he just needed to¡­ make it from another material. Yeah, that was a good enough analogy. With M2¡¯s help controlling [Spatial Manipulation], he got to work with [Dimensional Manipulation]. He still didn¡¯t want to have the ¡°opening¡± to the extradimensional storage space open all the time. Instead, he wanted the user to have to put in a point of mana to open it up to retrieve or store something away. As he worked, he had a sudden bout of inspiration, and had M3 use [Mana Manipulation] to help nudge things to where he felt they should be when his control wasn¡¯t good enough. It was a bit hard, mostly because he couldn¡¯t see the mana, just ¡°feel¡± where it was, and that wasn¡¯t entirely accurate most of the time. But as he thought he was getting it, a crashing sound from above distracted him, resulting in yet another explosion that sent him rag-dolling across the forest floor for a good thirty metres before he came to a stop. Above the severe tinnitus in his ears, he could hear a roar, that sounded almost like words. He shook his head, sending droplets of blood flying away as M2 manifested [True Metabolism] again for him while he used [Heal: 3] regaining a significant amount of his lost HP as his eyes and hearing cleared up enough to finally see the titanic dragon roaring at Avi by where he¡¯d been working. Gritting his teeth, he got up with a bit of help from [Telekinesis] as he called upon his mindbolt, setting it to the shoulder-canon setting as he quickly lost his temper. * * * Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys had absolutely no patience for fools meddling with the very fabric of reality. Her opinion of the foolish mortal was proved when what he was working on destabilized and exploded in his face, sending his body tumbling along the Great Forest¡¯s floor, staining it with his blood. She landed, glad that the foolish mortal had at least been dealt with. Then her focus turned to another foolish mortal, a human by the looks of it, as she slowly backed away from her majesty. ¡°Foolish mortals!¡± she roared, shaking even the boughs of the mighty descendants of the World Tree. ¡°I shall not permit fools to meddle in things they know nothing of!¡± As she verbally berated the foolish human, she felt a trickle of mana from her and recognized [Heal: 3] activating, making her wonder just how frail the human was. As she was about to continue, she felt a spike of [Aura] off to the side where the first human had been sent flying. She turned her majestic crimson-black horned head to see what the moral was doing, then twitched as a bolt of something slammed into her side, sending pain lancing up to her wing. Before she could do more than register the pain, impact after impact lanced into her side, sending even more pain through her body, causing her to roar in fury. As her eye landed on the human, he suddenly vanished in a twist of [Space], making her eyes widen in shock before she felt an incredibly heavy impact on her head, making her bow low for a moment. A moment that infuriated her further as she decided to activate her own [Aura], not caring at that point if she set the forest alight, as she could always snuff out any flames afterwards. As Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys was preparing her mighty breath weapon to vaporize the insolent humans, another impact landed on her head, snapping her jaw shut as her head hit the ground, bringing blackness to her world. Chapter 087 - Strife ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Shae¡¯ra asked as she turned her head slightly to see if she could hear better. ¡°Did you hear something, miss?¡± Pryte asked, looking at her with a blank, though polite, expression. ¡°Sorry, Pryte. I just thought I heard something, that¡¯s all,¡± she said, patting Pryte on the shoulder as she turned back to what she was doing, which was showing the younglings how to properly mix compost. * * * ¡°I definitely heard something weird,¡± Arise said as she quickly backed away from the edge of the water level. ¡°Hmmm, I think I heard something too,¡± Qyress said, nodding as Fyrellia just shrugged. ¡°We should check it out,¡± Arise said, pulling her line up from the water as she stood up. ¡°You just want to leave because you¡¯re not winning,¡± Fyrellia said with a pout as she pointed at their catch pails. ¡°No, I seriously heard-,¡± she cut off as the roar came again, this time louder than before. The three of them exchanged looks before they made as mad dash for the stairwell. As they got there, they dropped their fishing poles before starting their way up. Arise, the only one walking at this point, silently cursed not having wings as her two friends started flying up the well-hole. Gritting her teeth, she pushed [Dash] and [Running] as much as she could to keep up, even going so far as to activate [Phantom Step], a Class Ability that allowed her to lighten herself, turn slightly ethereal, as well as [Teleport] short distances. It didn¡¯t last long, but she thought that it would be enough to at least get up to the surface again. Then when she arrived at the gatehouse, she wished that she hadn¡¯t rushed as fast as she could to get there. Before her was the top of the food chain. The pinnacle of aerial or terrestrial predators. One of the Elder Dragons. She looked up at it and wondered just what in the nine hells was going on to have an Elder Dragon, in all its red-black scaled glory¡­ laying like a repentant puppy in front of Joram. As she stood there, stupefied at the scene unfolding before her eyes, she tried to take in as much as she could. Joram, looking as though his clothing had gone through a [Sword Barrier], stood in front of the Elder Dragon¡¯s snout¡­ lecturing it. She saw that the top of its head had several damaged scales, adding yet more surrealism to the moment, for an Elder Dragon¡¯s scales were considered an SS-Grade crafting material because they were practically indestructible!! As Joram continued to verbally berate the Elder Dragon, she spied Avi standing off to the side, using [Telekinesis] to pick up some small objects from the ground. She didn¡¯t know what was so important as to justify ignoring an Elder Dragon, but it must have been a task of [Legendary] importance. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on¡­?¡± Qyress asked, sounding as uncertain as she felt as she alternated between holstering her handgun and drawing it again, bringing it to the ready before once more holstering it. ¡°I-,¡± she cut off as the Elder Dragon suddenly¡­ shimmered like the mirage of water in the desert at noon. Then, to her astonishment, the Elder Dragon was gone, leaving behind a¡­ woman? Yes, a woman, for she couldn¡¯t mistake breasts that large, even with how far away she was from the woman. When she noticed the tail and wings, she nodded. Of course, she would choose to [Polymorph] into a dragonkin. As she watched, Joram walked around her before creating- for he¡¯d explained to her that it wasn¡¯t a [Summon]- some clothing for the Elder Dragon as he politely turned away from her. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to get closer to investigate this properly,¡± Fyrellia said, eyeing the new redhead as she started forward. Just in the name of the [Demon Lord] happened?! * * * M2: [Fission] Joram 1: [SchismA], [Mindbolt: Long-range] Joram 2: [SchismA], [Mindbolt: Long-range] M3a, M3b: [Force ScreenA] M4a, M4b: [Energy Immunity: Fire] M5a, M5b: [BiofeedbackA] M6a, M6b: [Inertial ArmourA] M7a, M7b: [Barred Mind] M8a, M8b: [Mind ThrustA] Both Jorams watched as the crazy-huge dragon roared in pain as the augmented [Mind Thrust]s hit it, bringing its head a bit lower than the twenty-five or so metre height that it was at previously. Which gave him a better chance to jump up there. Now, he might be going a bit overboard. That could have been the case. And indeed, he normally didn¡¯t do something quite as reckless as jumping up onto a dragon¡¯s head. Nor would he normally start punching it as his other Minds went to town with his other Skills. Namely, [Telekinesis], [Cryokinesis], and [Terrakinesis]. No, he wouldn¡¯t normally have done that. But at the moment, he was right mad. Pissed-off, even. So, Joram 1 watched as Joram 2 continued pounding on the dragon¡¯s head with his fists while his minds went to town with his Skills. For his part, Joram 1 helped with [Telekinesis], smacking away a wing, then a massive claw that dwarfed him. Then, when the dragon grew angry enough, he used [Pyrokinesis] to redirect the insane breath weapon straight down. He didn¡¯t want the forest to go up in fire and smoke, let alone so close to his house and the kids. Once he caught his metaphorical breath, the ridiculously massive dragon was sprawled out on the ground in front of him and Joram 2 had been re-assimilated after a bit of healing. Looking down, er, over at the dragon, he almost felt a bit bad. The scales on its head were cracked and bleeding. Blood also dripped from its ears, making the ground steam as each drop landed on it. Well, he said ¡°ears¡±, but they were really just ear-holes. He looked the dragon in the eye, for he could only see one at a time due to its massive head, and silently wondered what he¡¯d do with it. ¡°I haven¡¯t had dragon in a while,¡± Avi mused from his side, startling him out of his thoughts. ¡°You want to try eating it?¡± he asked, a bit stunned as he turned to face her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure how they¡¯d taste here, but it¡¯s worth a shot,¡± Avi said. He was about to say how that would feel more than a little bit weird considering that it was another sapient being, but stopped when motion from the dragon caught his attention. What he saw stunned him more than a little bit. The dragon was, for lack of a better word, shrinking. It wasn¡¯t a slow process at all, for in a matter of seconds, the dragon that was at least a hundred metres long shrank down to the size of a person. And also the shape of a person. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The naked woman that now sat in front of him could best be described as a dragon-kin. Not the cool half-dragons you could play in video games, with scales and horns, and all the majesty and all that. No, she was very much one of those anime-style dragon-kin. Her long black hair was incredibly glossy and full, ending in ember-red tips. She had two black and red ridged horns that came out of the side of her head, closer to her temples, that were a good thirty centimetres long and reminded him a bit of an impala¡¯s horns, or maybe an ibex. The red was in the grooves, reminding him of how you could see coals still burning red inside of a black burnt log. Either way, they were intimidating. She didn¡¯t have a single scale on her heart-shaped face, though. The scales were limited to her wings and tail. Well, he said that, but she had a few very fine scales at the base of her wings and tail that spread out slightly. Well, now that he looked closer, the backs of her fingers had very fine scales as well that extended up her fingers from her formidable-looking nails. Perhaps claws would be a better description of them. Her tail and wings were also finely scaled, almost looking like snake-skin, but glossier. In fact, they looked so smooth that he had the urge to go and touch them. An urge that he quickly stomped down upon. Anyways, those scales kept the same pattern as her hair, mostly black, but with a deep ember red at their tips. Her wings were, of course, draconic in appearance, and very much looked like they could support her if she chose to fly off somewhere. The rest of her skin was, well, just skin. If he were back on Earth, he¡¯d have said that she was Mediterranean, or perhaps middle-eastern. Here? He couldn¡¯t say. Looking more, and feeling very conscious that Avi was at his side now, he could see that the once-dragon also had very fine scales on her elbows and knees, though they were just a tad darker than her skin-tone. He also tried very hard not to look at her breasts, but they were very prominent, especially when kneeling how she was. With that sight still in mind, he also noted the rest of her body, just giving up at that point. Aside from the hair on her head, she was bald everywhere else. He wasn¡¯t sure if that had to do with being a dragon, but it was¡­ interesting to note. He couldn¡¯t see her feet from where he was standing, so he made his way around her to get a better look. Well, the soles of her feet looked to have the same kind of fine scales as she had on her elbows and knees. Another¡­ patch of scales was found between her shoulder blades that extended down her spine, narrowing all the way until just a thin patch met with her tail where the scales once again darkened and grew slightly larger, though no less smooth-looking. Once he was back where he¡¯d started, he quickly created some clothing for her, styled like those he¡¯d made for both Fyrellia and Qyress to accommodate her wings, though he had to make the tail slot considerably wider for the dragon-lady. ¡°Here, put these on,¡± he said, passing her the clothing before turning around and shutting of his [Touchsight] for a bit. ¡®Bit late for modesty, no?¡¯ Avi asked, mirth heavy in her sending. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t argue with that. But, I think it¡¯s best not to stare.¡¯ ¡®Now you say that? I thought that you¡¯d ravish her for a bit there, given how red your face had gotten,¡¯ Avi sent teasingly. ¡®If I¡¯m not doing that with anyone else, why would I start with her?¡¯ he sent back, now slightly annoyed with the teasing. ¡®Oh, don¡¯t be like that,¡¯ Avi said, now sounding both annoyed and amused at the same time. ¡®It¡¯s perfectly normal to have those kinds of relationships. Stop limiting yourself.¡¯ ¡°Ahem.¡± Joram turned around to see that the three gals were now standing next to the now clothed dragon-lady, looking more than a little bit nervous. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, raising a single eyebrow at the three of them. ¡°We, ah, couldn¡¯t help but notice the commotion and all that,¡± Fyrellia said as she actually fidgeted nervously. ¡°Ah, that,¡± he said, now looking back at the dragon-lady. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The dragon lady finally looked up at him for the first time since she¡¯d transformed into her current state. He found that her eyes were also that same ember-red and that they also seemed to almost glow in the shade of the forest. He was briefly taken by her long black eyelashes as she stared at him for an uncomfortably long moment before she finally spoke. ¡°I am Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys, Elder Dragon,¡± she said meekly, then bowed from the waist, her open hands on her knees as her hair cascaded down in front of her face. He idly turned on his [Touchsight] again as he looked at the seemingly contrite dragon-lady, wondering where the fierceness had gone. The three gals looked taken aback by what they were seeing, though Avi just seemed to take it all in stride. ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a mouthful,¡± he said, thinking about the name and how some of it sounded like something from back on Earth. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll just call you Erys for short,¡± he said, reflecting that she was indeed war-like in how they¡¯d met and how she¡¯d acted. Strife, indeed. ¡°Thank you,¡± the dragon-lady, Erys, said while still bowed at ninety-degrees at the waist. ¡°Please stand up,¡± he said, finding the prolonged bow a bit annoying. ¡°We have a lot to talk about, and it¡¯ll get old speaking to the back of your head,¡± he said, then created another platform, a table, and some chairs for them all before directing everyone to take a seat. The next several minutes went by relatively smoothly, especially now that Erys wasn¡¯t trying to kill him. Erys, it seemed, roamed the world to hunt down dimensional instabilities that would threaten the boundary between their world and the connecting worlds. A [Dimensional Guardian], she claimed. And after a quick use of [Analyze], he found that the inflection people used when speaking about Paths and Skills was warranted. In all honesty, it was quite impressive. Having such a responsibility was¡­ impressive, for lack of a better word. Looking at her again, she didn¡¯t look much above twenty years of age. Yes, she¡¯d polymorphed into a humanoid form, but those forms usually reflected the equivalent age of their species. Which meant that Erys was, for all intents and purposes, a young woman¡­ even if she claimed to be over a thousand years old¡­. ¡°So, are dragons immortals?¡± he asked, now fairly curious about them. ¡°Well, Elder Dragons are, anyways,¡± Erys said, bowing slightly to him as she spoke. ¡°Other lesser races of dragons are not.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he eloquently said, not quite knowing what else to say to that. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± Erys said, now looking up at him almost¡­ shyly. ¡°You look human, but don¡¯t smell like a human¡­ or anything else I¡¯ve come across¡­¡± she said, trailing off at the end as she- astonishingly!- blushed and lowered her eyes again. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m what¡¯s called a High Elan,¡± he said, once more at a loss for what to say, though this time because of how Erys was acting¡­. ¡­ and how ridiculous cute she was¡­. ¡®Down boy,¡¯ Avi silently teased, sounding more entertained than chastising. ¡®I¡¯m still a man!!!¡¯ he sent furiously as he activated [Clear Mind] and made sure that [Barred Mind] was still up and running. ¡°What is that?¡± Erys asked as she peeked up at him from under her brows as the glow in her eyes seemed to intensify. Joram noticed that the three gals were also studiously paying attention in their own ways. From Arise pretending to be studying one of the black Moss Stone rings that he¡¯d been experimenting with. Fyrellia¡¯s eyes were glued to him almost as intensely as Qyress¡¯ were, though the former seemed to practically burn with curiosity while the former seemed more¡­ intense. ¡°How to explain¡­?¡± he said, wondering how exactly to paraphrase Altaea and everything else that led to him becoming a High Elan. ¡°I guess you could call me¡­ god-changed? It¡¯s a¡­ result of being pulled over to your world, you see,¡± he finished, leaving it at that. Erys¡¯ head rose until she was able to directly stare at him as her jaw slowly dropped in shock. Arise dropped the ring she was playing with, Fyrellia¡¯s eyes were nearly popping out, while Qyress¡¯ eyes had taken on an uncomfortably worshipful glow as she clutched her hands to her bosom, wings quivering slightly. His attention was drawn back to Erys as she slowly rose, adjusting the yukata as she stood. She then made her way around the small table as her wings folded across the front of her shoulders, the claws at the mid-joints of each wing clasping each other to make it look as though she were wearing a cloak. As she came closer, he scooted his chair back and to the side so that it didn¡¯t feel weird as she stopped beside him. She then knelt, placing her hands on his knees as she once again bowed her head, causing her long hair to cascade down between her extended arms. ¡°Divine One,¡± she began, blowing his mind already. ¡°I once more apologize for the sin of attacking you. Please punish me,¡± she finished, sounding deadly serious. Through [Touchsight], he could see that the others were just as poleaxed as he was. He could feel how steady her resolve was both through how level her voice was and how steady her hands were on his knees. He idly noted how warm her hands felt on his knees and wondered what he was going to do. ¡®I¡¯ve got nothing,¡¯ Avi sent as she minutely shook her head. A myriad of thoughts flew through his head as he considered the situation that he was in. Anything from just going along with it to denying any sort of Divine role. Many thoughts revolved around the various tropes surrounding someone kneeling in front of a protagonist like that, from casually dismissing the situation all the way to exploiting it in every way possible. But that just wasn¡¯t him. ¡°I¡¯m not some deity,¡± he said, shaking his head slightly as he placed his hands on her. ¡°I appreciate the apology, though. So, please, stand up,¡± he said as he gently clasped her hands in his and carefully pulled her up with him as he stood. Careful, because of her horns that were pointed at his groin. Erys tilted her head back to avoid impaling him, once more showing her ember-red eyes as she gazed at him with an unreadable expression. She stared so long, in fact, that he was starting to get uncomfortable as he also realized that she hadn¡¯t let go of his hands yet. Slowly, her wings unfurled far enough to allow her to step in close and then wrap around him as she let go of his hands so that she could wrap her arms around his torso. He realized, then, that she was actually about ten or so centimetres shorter than him as he looked into her eyes and wondered just what was going to happen. Then, as she pulled herself more firmly against him, she spoke, and blew his mind. Chaper 088 - Glomp-fest ¡°Why¡­ are¡­ we¡­ running¡­ so¡­ hard¡­?¡± Myra gasped out as she full-on ran behind Asami, still flabbergasted at her friend¡¯s actions. It had stated about ten minutes or so ago, when Asami had suddenly stopped as they were browsing through the street vendors in Kirkwall, and turned to the west with a frown on her face. After some hesitant questions from the vendor, Luka, Myra was able to assure the man that it hadn¡¯t been anything he¡¯d said or done to make Asami react that way. After a few questions that she asked Asami, they stepped away from Luka¡¯s stall to quickly discuss what was wrong. As Asami turned the ring on her finger, Myra started to get nervous as well. Almost as if something¡­ world-altering was going to happen, and soon. Then Asami¡¯s tails had all shot out, straight as a rod before she grabbed her hand and started running. ¡°No time!¡± Asami replied as she ran, both arms pumping with her hands straight as knives. Myra was suddenly very glad that Joram had given her- them- the [Regeneration] Skill Books, as she wouldn¡¯t have been able to run a few miles at top speed otherwise. They passed the house, gaining attention from everyone standing around outside, looking uncertain. As they passed the younglings, young women, and Joram¡¯s new staff, Ilyana, Imryll, and Shae¡¯ra started running after them, calling for the younglings to stay where they were until they returned. Not having the luxury of paying too much attention to them, Myra instead focussed on keeping up with the seemingly inexhaustible Asami as she kept focussed on the forest to the west and now slightly south. Soon, though, Asami slowed then stopped as she fell to her knees. Myra hurried to her side, anxious that she¡¯d perhaps pushed herself too hard and saw that she looked both shocked and terrified. Myra quickly turned her head to see what Asami was looking at and saw the new addition to their group, Avi, sitting with the three gals, all in shock at what they were looking at. Which happened to be Joram and what looked like an incredibly beautiful dragonkin embracing him, her wings wrapping around him with her head tilted back so that she could look up at Joram as she spoke. They were too far away to hear what was said, but if Joram¡¯s very red face was any indication, it must have been incredibly shocking for him. And uncomfortable, for a moment later he vanished from sight leaving the dragonkin looking perplexed before she reached out a hand and seemed to grasp something in the air before she, too, vanished from sight. ¡°What?¡± she asked, not understanding any of what she¡¯d seen beyond a strange woman clinging to Joram. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble,¡± Asami said quietly, still staring at where Joram had been. ¡°What? Why?¡± she asked, now even more concerned than before. Asami shook her head as the three elves who¡¯d followed them looked at each other, then at Asami, obviously uncertain about what they¡¯d seen, and now heard. ¡°We¡¯ll need a larger-¡± * * * Joram was panting as he stood in his Realm, trying to catch his breath as his mind whirled around in circles, slowly spiraling downwards into realms he didn¡¯t want to think about. Then Erys appeared in front of him, nearly causing him to fall over backwards in shock. ¡°This is¡­ interesting,¡± she said, looking around thoughtfully before turning to gaze at him once more. ¡°And you say that you¡¯re not a deity,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said lamely as he very slowly backed away from her only for her to follow him until she was once more able to embrace him. ¡°Mrrandii,¡± she said, confusing him with the unknown word as he heard Avi cough through their connection. ¡°You are certainly no mere mortal. I will be with you, forevermore, without a single regret,¡± she said as her arms snaked their way up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, going so far as to stand on her tiptoes so that she could be closer to his face. ¡°I have no idea what to say to that,¡± he said honestly. ¡°But I do know that I can¡¯t reciprocate your feelings,¡± he said. Not right now, anyways, he thought as he remembered Asami, Myra, and oddly, the three gals and wondered what they¡¯d have to say about this development. ¡°Affection comes with time, mrrandii,¡± she said, not at all dissuaded by his words. ¡°We both have as much time as it will take, so worry not,¡± she said, then dropped down again so that she could press her face against his chest as her arms went back to hugging him around his chest, reminding him that he¡¯d lost [Clear Mind]. Or, well, that M12 had, anyways. Which made it all the harder to concentrate on what he should be doing because his other Minds were very focussed on how it felt to have someone like her pressed up against him. Thinking quickly, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°You¡¯ll need to wait in line! There are other women waiting for the same thing!¡± he said, instantly regretting just how bad that sounded, as well as using his friends as scapegoats. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Erys said as she turned her head to rest her cheek against his chest and nearly taking out his eye as her horn swept dangerously close. She seemed to realize that something was amiss as he stiffened up slightly at the close call, then reached up and touched her horn. Erys looked up at him again, looking incredibly guilty before her horns shrank down and vanished into her head, leaving her beautiful hair undisturbed where they¡¯d been a moment before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, actually sounding incredibly contrite and looking disturbingly attractive. ¡°No harm, no foul,¡± he said as he prodded M12 until he started concentrating on [Clear Mind] again. ¡°We¡¯ll just¡­ have to¡­ get to know each other. Talk and stuff,¡± he said, still very much in an area of social interaction that he was very much not accustomed to being in. ¡°I also wish to know more about you, mrrandii,¡± Erys said with a smile. ¡°You said something that interested me earlier. You¡¯re an [Otherworlder], so does that mean you were [Summon]¡¯d as a [Hero]?¡± she asked as she gazed at him intensely as though trying to figure out a puzzle. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that that¡¯s a thing here,¡± he said, wishing that she¡¯d let go of him. ¡°But no, I seem to have arrived more by¡­ accident, than anything else,¡± he finished as he used [Summon: All] to bring forth a pair of comfortable chairs and a small table that stood between them. That was when he gently disengaged her arms from around his chest and tried to get her to sit in the chair across from him. That didn¡¯t work. So, instead of just having her hug him as they stood together, Erys was now sitting in his lap side-saddle, as it were. Tails complicated things slightly, it seemed. ¡°Mmnmmm,¡± Erys hummed as she thought, now draping across his chest, her arms once again around his neck. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredibly rare. Like, once in a few centuries, rare,¡± she said as her breath tickled his neck, making him get M3 to concentrate on reducing the sensitivity of the nerves in his neck. ¡°It is what it is,¡± he said, then consciously stopped himself from shrugging to avoid additional motion between them, then wondered at movement from¡­ her rear. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked hesitantly. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Oh, my tail was in the way, so I¡¯ve also¡­ removed it for convenience¡¯ sake,¡± she said as her wings also began to retract. ¡°You can do that¡­?¡± he asked faintly as he tried very, very hard to ignore what his body was telling him. ¡°I can, yes,¡± she practically purred. ¡°It will make mating easier,¡± she said as she twisted in his lap so that she was now straddling him, their faces just centimetres apart. ¡°What happened to getting to know each other first,¡± he asked as another System notification pinged off to the side. ¡°This is one way to get to know one another,¡± she said, then gave a very cute and certainly undignified ¡®kya~!¡¯ as she was pulled off his lap. He blinked, then saw that Avi had arrived to save the day. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that you¡¯re making him uncomfortable?¡± Avi asked, fixing Erys with a stern glare that somehow managed to make Erys blush. ¡°Can¡¯t we get to know one another?¡± Erys asked back, now looking¡­ petulant. ¡°As he said, that can come later,¡± Avi replied, still glaring enough to strip rust off the Titanic. ¡°First comes getting to know the rest of us,¡± she said, making Joram blink. Behind her, he could now see not just the three gals, but Asami, Myra, Ilyana, Imryll, and Shae¡¯ra. He didn¡¯t know why the three other elves were there, but felt that additional company couldn¡¯t hurt in keeping Erys in check. Erys stared at the newcomers, who were in turn alternating between staring at him and their surroundings in shock. Eventually, she turned back to look at him seriously for a few moments before speaking again. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding, were you?¡± she asked, disturbing him by how much respect he saw in her eyes. When he just nodded, Asami made her way over to him to take up her position on his lap, reminding him of just how awesome a build that she had as her tails waved slowly. He could see that the three elves didn¡¯t look particularly comfortable at seeing Asami¡¯s actions, but also couldn¡¯t do much to stop it without causing other more serious issues from popping up. ¡°Smart,¡± Asami murmured into his collar as she snuggled closer. ¡°Umm,¡± Shae¡¯ra said, raising her hand hesitantly before going on when Avi nodded at her. ¡°Where are we?¡± Joram suppressed a mighty sigh before looking over at Avi and wondering what had prompted her to include the three elves in coming to his Realm. ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Avi said, shaking her head. ¡°We¡¯re in a [Small World] that Joram owns,¡± she said, making him wonder if she¡¯d just pulled that term out of her ass. ¡°Makes sense,¡± Erys said, nodding. ¡°Though it feels¡­ young. Weird. And oddly¡­ comfortable,¡± she said, looking around a bit more now as Shae¡¯ra also nodded slightly as she too started looking around more. ¡°It feels¡­ fresh, but full of life and vitality,¡± Shae¡¯ra said quietly, as though afraid to disturb a sacred place with her words. ¡°So, we need to talk,¡± Avi said, getting their attention back on the topic at hand¡­ and causing him to silently curse her. ¡°For now, no sex,¡± she said firmly as she looked at everyone present, including the three elves. What? He thought, now stunned for an entirely new reason. ¡°This guy isn¡¯t ready for it yet, nor are the rest of us, I¡¯m sure,¡± she continued, striking him another critical blow by including herself in her statement. ¡°So, we¡¯ll concentrate on building first. Building relationships, building accommodations. Building up the rest of everything else, including the property, orphanage, and the dungeons,¡± she said, fixing everyone in turn with a serious look that had each of them gulping, never mind the vast difference in their personal levels. Especially since Avi hadn¡¯t yet taken a Path given just how much she¡¯d been practicing and training her Skills. And claiming hundreds of Dust Crystals while she was at it¡­. ¡°Dungeons?¡± Erys asked, looking both confused and concerned at the same time. ¡°Yes, Dungeons,¡± Avi said, nodding. ¡°Anyways, there¡¯ll be lots of time to go over everything. For now, you, Erys, will be helping out in the kitchens.¡± ¡°What?¡± Erys asked, looking as though she¡¯d gotten whiplash from the sudden change of topic. ¡°Yes, the kitchens,¡± Avi said, nodding once more. ¡°You¡¯ll need to get to know everyone else as well as learning¡­ everything. Yes, I know that you¡¯re a respected Elder Dragon and all that, but. If you¡¯re going to be sticking around, you need to get to know everyone else. You will also need to learn how to fit in. Learn what role you¡¯ll have while here,¡± she said, impressing Joram with just how¡­ in control of everything she was. That was when he saw Erys set her jaw stubbornly, reminding him of how Myra would clamp down when she thought someone was pushing her to do something that she didn¡¯t want to do, or stop her from doing something she wanted to do. Before she could speak, he did. ¡°That¡¯s how it will be,¡± he said firmly, noticing how Erys almost instantly relaxed when she processed his words. What surprised him more was how the three elves reacted. Ilyana seemed to be the most composed of the three, but he could see that she was hiding how pleased she was. Shae¡¯ra also looked pleased, though confused as to why she was pleased, while Imryll just looked happy, her youthful face practically beaming as her pointed ears quivered slightly. What have I missed here? He wondered as he took in the three gals who had their own unique reactions, though no less pleased in nature. ¡°You¡¯re dense,¡± Asami mumbled into his collar, making him blush. ¡°But that¡¯s cute too.¡± He was about to die of embarrassment when Myra spoke up. ¡°So¡­ does this really mean we¡¯ll need a larger bed¡­?¡± she asked, putting the nails in his coffin. ¡°A larger room, too,¡± Avi said, nodding. ¡°But, once again, no getting any ideas before Joram is comfortable with going further than cuddling,¡± she finished, causing no few women to blush. ¡°Why am I included?¡± Ilyana asked suddenly, now looking a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Asami?¡± Avi turned to Asami instead of answering the [Seamstress], obviously throwing the ball to her court. Asami sighed before wiggling around in his lap- causing yet another System notification in the process- so that she could look at the gathered women. ¡°Do you know about Spirit Foxes?¡± she asked, getting a few odd looks, even from Erys. ¡°We are considered [Sacred Beasts] because of our ability to communicate spiritually, knowing good people from evil people. Knowing what¡¯s in a person¡¯s heart, and thus able to discern if someone is being truthful or deceitful,¡± she said, looking at each of them in turn. ¡°What are you getting at¡­?¡± Shae¡¯ra asked, looking a bit nervous as Imryll started blushing at her side. ¡°I know the truth of things even before a person realizes it themselves,¡± she said, giving them all a pointed look. ¡°I¡¯m first. Myra is second. You all can determine an order after that, I don¡¯t care,¡± she finished by wiggling around again so that she could nuzzle up to his chest as she hugged him close. For his part, Joram felt that he took the news reasonably well. Probably due to M2-M11 reassigning themselves to fire control and emergency processing as he closed his eyes. For their part, the gathered women exchanged uncertain looks, a few trying to nervously laugh off the [Revelation]. Even with his eyes closed, he could see that Ilyana was probably the most surprised of the three elves. Her face was gradually growing rosier as the seconds ticked by until she turned away to look into the distance. Shae¡¯ra was trying to laugh it off while Imryll had covered her face with both hands while squatting on her heels. The fourth elf, Arise, looked as though she didn¡¯t believe a word of what Asami had said, though with how dark her ears were, he had to wonder just what she was thinking. Fyrellia looked¡­ rather enthusiastic about the idea of sharing his bed in a more intimate way, while poor Qyress looks about as embarrassed as Imryll did. She had her black feathered wings wrapped around her chest like Erys had done, but was also very red and looking anywhere but at him. He took a few minutes to take in the women, wondering why such extraordinary people were so interested in him. He thought he understood why Asami liked him, though he was still more than a little bit hazy on the details. As for Myra, he suspected that it was more based on something that he¡¯d consider¡­ normal. You know, one of those clich¨¦d bits where a proud girl embarrasses herself terribly in front of a boy. Then the boy treats her like nothing happened, leading to feelings starting to develop¡­. Oh, dragon balls, the thought, realizing for the first time that he was one of those protagonists that the single crowd hated on. And for good reason. Something as simple as treating someone normally really seemed to work here¡­. He looked at the rest of the variously uncomfortable women and nearly sighed. ¡®Yes, treating people like people tends to get people looking at you favourably,¡¯ Avi said, her sending thick with amusement. ¡®Throw in saving the town and starting up an orphanage out of your own pocket and, well, you can see where that¡¯s going.¡¯ If Asami hadn¡¯t been curled up in his lap, he would have facepalmed. As it was, Asami just started chuckling, causing her breasts to do interesting things against his chest. Myra, though, looked as though she wanted to climb into the chair with them, if he was reading her right. ¡°You are.¡± So, he carefully picked up a startled Asami into a princess carry and stood up, getting a wickedly pleased grin from her when she ¡°heard¡± that thought. ¡°Let¡¯s all head back now,¡± he said as he tried, then failed to put a now leech-like Asami down. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still lots to do today,¡± he finished, then gathered everyone around. He had to try extra hard to ignore how Myra grabbed his left arm and pressed herself close, studiously ignoring the blush that came to her face for acting so forward. Avi just shamelessly glomped onto his right arm, not seeming to care that others were watching. Erys, though, decided that she needed to claim some real estate, as it were, and latched onto him from behind, also pressing her chest into him. The three gals, it seemed, didn¡¯t want to be left out, but couldn¡¯t find a way to get in on the glomp-fest, so satisfied themselves by just reaching out and touching him. The three elves, though, were much more reserved and just reached out and touched Avi, the same way that they¡¯d done to get there in the first place. Wondering at what awaited him in the days to come, Joram concentrated a moment and shifted them back to Iria. Chapter 089 - Introspections *Day 25* What had awaited him was another expansion to his bedroom. After he¡¯d completed that work, and had had to endure a myriad of questions from both Fyrellia and Erys, he had expanded his bedroom so that it was about eight metres wide by twelve long, and another seven tall. He¡¯d also been practically gang-pressed into using [Fission] again so that everyone could at least get some cuddle time with him. Which had been on a level of weird that he couldn¡¯t quite describe. That he had basically cloned himself so that more women could cuddle him was probably the wet dream of too many men to count. That he was still¡­ the same person, experiencing everything that the [Fission] did, well, that had been a bit of a sensory overload that had required each of his selves to use [Schism] and assign two Minds to keep [Clear Mind] running. He¡¯d also spent some time calculating the resource expenditure needed to keep up his [Fission] and realized that it was indeed possible to do, with Power to spare even. Which then had Asami poking and prodding him until he agreed to put the augmentation for more clones higher on his priority list. Probably due to her wanting to claim at least one of him for her exclusive use¡­. Which, really, was understandable¡­. Just¡­ exhausting to contemplate. If he¡¯d already been¡­ active, with the women sharing his room, he was sure that he¡¯d need to invest more into [Endurance] and [Regeneration] if he hoped to survive through it all. Which brought him to the present where he was sitting across from Lory in her clinic. ¡°Are you with me?¡± Lory asked kindly, having recognized that his brain had wandered off at some point. ¡°Sorry, yes,¡± he said, feeling sorry for having not been able to properly concentrate. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, dear,¡± Lory said with a warm smile that reminded him of his grandmothers. ¡°I hear that you now have a few more¡­ concerns on your mind,¡± she said delicately. ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s an understatement,¡± he said after deciding to not just play it off as an inconsequential issue. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I can¡­ reciprocate their feelings,¡± he said, frowning slightly at the thought of leaving anyone hanging like that. ¡°You¡¯re aware that polygamy is an acceptable practice in this country, yes?¡± she asked, seemingly trying to get a feel for where his discomfort originated. ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± he said wryly, reflexively falling back on his wry humour to deal with overly-complicated emotions. ¡°None of them seem to be unattractive,¡± she said, continuing to prod him along. ¡°Any one of them could cause a war to be fought over them,¡± he said, nodding as Lory tried to hide a smile behind her hand. ¡°You¡¯re also quite young¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I guess I am,¡± he said, once more deciding not to argue the point seeing as how he was effectively just a few months old, biologically-speaking. ¡°I am obviously missing something here,¡± Lora said, giving up trying to prod it out of him and instead choosing to chop down the proverbial bush. ¡°I¡­¡± he started, not sure where to start because it was a whole cargo-plane of baggage that he¡¯d need to open up about. ¡°I was married¡­¡± he started, then proceeded to give a Coles Notes of, well, everything that led to him being in Kirkwall. Well, on Iria, anyways. After a good two hours of speaking, Lory was silent for a while as she continued to study him. At length, she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s more than what most need to go through, but less than others,¡± she said, shaking her head slightly. ¡°Not that I¡¯m comparing, nor should anyone compare their lives with others¡¯ lives. No, that would be foolish. ¡°I¡¯m just struck by how well you¡¯ve aged,¡± she said with a glint of mirth in her eyes, letting him know that she also seemed to have the same humour habit that he had. ¡°I¡¯ve been told,¡± he said, now smiling back at the kind woman. ¡°I can see why you¡¯re hesitant to start anything new,¡± she said, now back to her ¡®therapist¡¯ self. ¡°But both time and life tend to help a person heal. Not only that, but new experiences help to not only build you back up, but also help to¡­ put things into perspective, as it were. ¡°Emotional and mental trauma are very difficult to deal with, let alone help someone though. But let those around you help you as much as they can. Take your time letting people get closer, but also consciously try to let people into your heart,¡± Lory said, making him recall the many bits of advice he¡¯d been given over the years. Not that they were any less valuable, far from it. No, the fact that he was now living on another world, likely in another universe entirely, really helped to add weight to her words. Heck, you could even say that he was living a new life, given what Altaea had done for him and all. New world, new life, new circumstances. Old insecurities, anxieties, and traumas. Perhaps [Psychic Chirurgery] was going to get pushed up the list of Powers to research¡­. ¡°Thanks, Lory,¡± he said quietly. ¡°A person doesn¡¯t quite get over losing their children, though. But I¡¯ll try to move on,¡± he said, not meaning for the words to sting, but he did see her wince slightly. ¡°Nor should a person forget their children,¡± she said, nodding gravely. ¡°Nor should a person let that loss drag them down forevermore. ¡°Do what you can and come back whenever you need to talk,¡± she finished with a warm smile that managed to also warm his heart a bit more. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered, not quite trusting his voice. After a brief goodbye, he left Lory¡¯s clinic and took a deep breath of fresh air. Then he looked down at the skulk of spirit foxes that had once more gathered around his feet. And in the case of Harumi, at his side. ¡°Hey,¡± he said quietly as he gave her head a soft pat and scritch. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± he said, then led the way south towards the centre of Kirkwall. It had been a while since he¡¯d really walked through the village, practically a town, he supposed. Anyways, he took his time as he went, making sure that he wasn¡¯t going too fast for the kits that had decided to follow him. That, and the kids who had a habit of following along as well. That much fluff and fur was hard to resist for a child, after all. The rest of the day saw him buying snacks for the kids and kits, and maybe a few for the older foxes too, but he knew that they would be fine doing without. Well, he did give a bit to Harumi, his oldest fox friend, as she curled up beside him on the village green as he told a few stories for the children. At the end, he finished off by using [Summon: All] to bring forth a few tops to give to the little ones, aweing them in the process. Not a few hugs later, he was up and heading home, a small smile softening his features as he walked. * * * If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Ilyana continued helping Ilyenna place her needles, pinning the two pieces of cloth together so that when she started sewing everything would stay in place. It was harder to do than most people thought, as just a slight variance in length on one side or the other would ruin the piece. Well, make it look bad, anyways. Effectively ruining it, as her pride as a [Seamstress] wouldn¡¯t allow for such a thing to survive. Then her thoughts turned back to the events of the day before, and she promptly poked a needle into her finger. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ilyenna asked, eyes wide. ¡°I am well,¡± she said, smiling at the little girl. ¡°That¡¯s why [Seamstress¡¯ Fingers] is such a useful, albeit painful, Skill to acquire,¡± she said, showing her unblemished finger to the young girl. Ilyenna¡¯s eyes widened again, this time in amazement, then concern as they turned to regard the needles that she was working with. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Ilyenna declared, her blue eyes shining with determination as she picked up a needle. ¡°Not right now, sweetie,¡± she quickly said, stopping the poor girl from purposely pricking her finger. ¡°The best way is to have it happen naturally, by accident,¡± she said, easing Ilyenna¡¯s little heart before she got her back to work. She¡¯d always known that the Spirit Foxes were special, having lived in Kirkwall for a few decades already. But the revelation that they had [Spirit Communication] had been more than a little bit shocking. And embarrassing. On one end of the embarrassment were her own thoughts and feelings being read by someone. On the other end of the spectrum laid her embarrassment over having her feeling outed to so many people at once, especially Joram! It had been the hardest thing she could do to hide it from everyone after that, though she was sure that now that both she and Joram knew how she felt that things were likely to get awkward. Not that he¡¯d acted any differently afterwards, thank the gods! But at the same time, she wondered if she was truly in love with Joram, or if it was something else. She was surely impressed with how fast he learned and picked up the trade. She was even more impressed with how he could not only create cloth from what looked like trees, but also how he brought it all together to make something wondrous. Even that old grump Magmyr was impressed with Joram¡¯s progress and learning speed. Yes, the old dwarf constantly interjected that Joram still had a long way to go before he could make truly wondrous items¡­ but she wondered at that. If he was already so good with the art of the needle, then he was surely making similar progress with the art of the anvil. He surely had the physique to be a [Blacksmith], that was for sure¡­. She quickly looked down at Ilyenna and suppressed a sigh of relief that the child hadn¡¯t seen her face go red. What would she think of her mentor if she found her to be so¡­ flighty. Like a young maiden again¡­. Ilyana quietly cleared her throat, remembering that for an elf, she was still quite young. It was just that spending time living amongst the shorter-lived races threw off her inner sense of age. Heck, she remembered Celys as a teen, years before she¡¯d gone off adventuring with her friends to escape the boredom of living in a small village. She turned her head to look over at the viewing booth, an alcove with mirrors on three sides to help her clients get a better view of their commission. To her eyes, she didn¡¯t look any older than when she¡¯d arrived, though she knew that that was just a trick of her memory. Her cheeks had smoothed out, her baby cheeks turning into the smooth, gently curving cheeks of adulthood. She looked down a bit and nodded, knowing and seeing that her cheeks weren¡¯t the only change in her. She¡¯d ¡°filled-out¡±, as they called it here; her hips and chest gaining what men called ¡°appealing curves¡±. Not that she could compete with even Myra, but for a High Elf, she thought that she would be considered ¡°curvy¡±. Well, she knew that she would be considered curvy, given that she¡¯d trained as a [Seamstress] before leaving home. Then her thoughts turned to Imryll, barely an adult, though already more¡­ shapely than she was. She sighed, knowing that Night Elves had different body types than their High Elven cousins. Though, Shae¡¯ra¡¯s curves were unusual¡­. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts, but then thoughts of the ¡°three gals¡± dropped in to replace them. Unlike the rest of the continent, elves knew that Dark Elves weren¡¯t ¡°demons¡±; just that they had settled on the Demon Continent many, many centuries ago. For all that, she couldn¡¯t help but envy Arise for having grown up there, a place where people were mostly left to just be people. Even slavery was next to non-existent, making her wonder which continent was truly more civilized. Though, with what she¡¯d heard of the new Queen of Muryn, the country they resided in, perhaps the Kingdom of Muryn would lead the way to a more civilized way of living. That said, she also heard many awful rumours about the young queen, so she kept her expectations tempered. Then her thoughts turned once again to Joram, thinking about how unusual a young man he was. Not only did he treat ¡°demi-humans¡± like anyone else, but he also seemed to hate slavery. Then her heart warmed as she recalled how he¡¯d started the orphanage for the younglings, but also paused when she recalled his [Aura]. Then she recalled how incredibly remorseful he¡¯d been afterwards and couldn¡¯t help but smile. That he had such power and still cared about others was a bit too rare for her liking. She¡¯d heard that he was only about Level 20 now, though she found that number highly suspicious given his incredible repertoire of abilities and strength, let alone his mana pool. And that he¡¯d somehow claimed a [Small World] of his own. Even though she¡¯d spoken with Avi in passing, she¡¯d found the young woman to be incredibly¡­ awe inspiring. From her lovely figure that she practically drooled at being able to make clothing for to her sheer presence and confidence in everything that she did. And she was also kind like Joram¡­. Which threw her emotions into turmoil once again as she thought of just how perfect a couple they would make, both practically pictures of physical perfection. But then again, Joram was surrounded by incredibly beautiful women. And from all accounts, he hadn¡¯t been with any of them yet. Though, she wasn¡¯t sure if anyone would tell even if they had been¡­. Ilyana came out of her thoughts long enough to help her apprentice with the next part, then promptly dove back in. So, do I like Joram that way? Or do I just admire an exceptionally gifted [Crafter]? She mused, trying to examine every thought as she would a new bolt of fabric showcased by a trader. And as she continued examining those thoughts, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that she¡¯d indeed begun to think very fondly of Joram¡­ as well as admiring his body¡­. This time she did sigh, though Ilyenna was too focused on her work to notice. She would need to speak with others about this to help her work through everything. Even being over 140 years old, she was still inexperienced when it came to the matters of the heart, after all. Thus determined, she got back to work. * * * ¡°So, ah¡­ what Asami Miki said yesterday¡­¡± Qyress said, looking at Arise and Fyrellia as they all relaxed on one of the balconies facing south, facing the mess hall and new dormitory. ¡°Mmm?¡± Fyrellia hummed, looking incredibly pleased as she continued playing with the staff that Joram had given her. ¡°I¡¯m sure Asami Miki misread things,¡± Arise said with a light sniff. ¡°How could so many women fall for such an odd human?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not, though,¡± Fyrellia said, now fully engaging in the conversation. ¡°High Elan, I believe he said. Though, I¡¯ve never heard of an Elan before, High or not.¡± ¡°He is nice, though,¡± she said quietly, wishing that Arise wouldn¡¯t be as stubborn as usual. ¡°I¡¯ll admit, he¡¯s treated us remarkably well,¡± Arise said, turning away slightly as she did. ¡°I would hate to imagine what someone else would have done to us if we hadn¡¯t been bought by Joram,¡± she finished, shuddering slightly at the end. ¡°Well, I can imagine what would have happened, and I much prefer what¡¯s going on right now,¡± Fyrellia said, nodding to herself. ¡°Seriously. Where else would we be allowed to level up, basically walk around free, and get amazing cuddles with the very distinct possibility of more happening in the near future,¡± she said, practically drooling as her eyes grew a bit distant. ¡°I¡¯m happy,¡± she said quietly as she pulled a wing forward and hid behind it slightly, embarrassed to share such a thing with others. Arise looked at her, but didn¡¯t say anything, which was a bit of a shock, for she normally had something so say about everything. Fyrellia, though, leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. ¡°I¡¯m sure that the young master will continue being kind to us all,¡± Fyrellia said with a bright smile. ¡°And now that he can [Clone] himself, well¡­¡± she said, trailing off with a lascivious gleam in here eyes. Qyress did blush then, imagining being able to get more than an arm to rest on. That there had been two Jorams last night had weirded her out a first, but she¡¯d been more than happy to claim a whole side of Joram last night. ¡°So, are we just going to ignore the Elder Dragon in the room?¡± Arise asked suddenly, reminding her of the ridiculously proportioned dragon. ¡°She¡¯s a [Dimensional Guardian]. They don¡¯t normally just wander around willy-nilly. What do you suppose brought her here?¡± ¡°Mmm, could have been Joram experimenting with [Dimensional Manipulation],¡± Fyrellia mused. ¡°I know that Joram is incredibly powerful, with a mana pool to back it up comparable to the [Demon Lord]. But still, that shouldn¡¯t have attracted a [Dimensional Guardian] from so far away¡­¡± Arise said, looking a bit concerned about Erys¡¯ presence, and what it meant. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a Dungeon Overflow incident here a while back?¡± Qyress asked, remembering how the Kirkwallians referred to the young master as a [Hero] for dealing with it for them. ¡°But why would she show up months later?¡± Arise asked, shaking her head. ¡°There must be something else we¡¯re missing. Or, rather, that we don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°Well, [Dimensional Guardian]s will sometimes show up if¡­¡± Fyrellia started, but stopped as her eyes grew wide. ¡°You don¡¯t think that they¡¯re doing that already, do you?¡± she asked, now very concerned. ¡°We were sent out to scout things out,¡± Arise said, nodding slightly. ¡°If they¡¯re messing around with that magic, then that could explain Eris¡¯ presence in the region,¡± Arise finished, making her heart go cold. Chapter 090 - More introspections and Tetratanium *That night* ¡°So, do Elder Dragons really have to marry the one who defeated them?¡± Myra asked, incredibly skeptical of Erys¡¯ story. ¡°Well, either that or be killed by the victor,¡± Erys said, shrugging. ¡°We don¡¯t usually start fights we know that we can¡¯t win, so it¡¯s usually not an issue.¡± Myra looked for any indication of falsehood from the dragon, but found that she seemed¡­ guileless, almost innocent in how she spoke and held herself. ¡°And you just so happened to think that Joram would be an easy target¡­?¡± she asked, still not believing how things had turned out. Erys sighed as she fiddled with her pajamas, obviously not used to wearing the clothing that everyone had insisted she wear to bed last night. Even without wings or a tail, she seemed to just not quite get how to put on the top, so she leaned over and gave her a hand. ¡°Well, who would have thought that I¡¯d run into a little monster,¡± Erys said with a grin once her head popped out of the top the ¡®sports top¡¯, as Joram called it. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s only Level 20,¡± she said, shaking her head in disbelief. Myra could understand that, but didn¡¯t share that Joram¡¯s Path was a [Unique] one that gave a ridiculous number of Attribute Points per level. Even her Epic Path only gave her 1 Attribute Point per level! Sure, she could still train, and she did as much as she could, but thinking about how powerful Joram was for being Level 20, a C-Ranked Pather, almost crushed her spirit knowing that she would never catch up to him. ¡°What?¡± Erys asked, leaning over to poke her in the side. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯?¡± she snapped back reflexively falling back on her snappishness at being poked. ¡°You know something else, I can smell it,¡± Erys said, now scooting closer to her on the bed. ¡°He trains like mad, that¡¯s what,¡± she said, glaring at the newest hurdle in front of her. ¡°If people trained half as hard as him, then we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about roving monsters,¡± she said, hoping to distract Erys, and succeeded. ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s true,¡± Erys said, nodding. ¡°I thought I felt a Dungeon Overflow a while back in the area, but it vanished before I could get around to coming over,¡± she said, piquing her curiosity. ¡°So, what brought you this way, then?¡± she asked, now scooting up to the dragon woman, not caring that their hips were now touching. ¡°Well¡­¡± Erys said, now obviously regretting having said something before perking up again. ¡°Which reminds me! I should be on my way soon. I can¡¯t just stay here, however tempting that might be¡­¡± she said, then wilted again at the thought of leaving. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that if you ask Joram nicely, and explain the situation, that he might be able to help you out¡­¡± Myra said as reasonably and as enticingly as she could. ¡°You know, someone who could beat an Elder Dragon could be a huge help¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Erys mused as she tapped a finger on her knee, then looked over at her with great scrutiny before speaking again. ¡°But, would it be alright with you if Joram left for an extended period of time?¡± Myra was about to say that she¡¯d be fine, but stopped herself. She didn¡¯t like lying, and that would have been a rather large lie, especially when she didn¡¯t know what sorts of trouble would be waiting for him out there. That he¡¯d run off alone, and Pathless, to clear a Dungeon wasn¡¯t something that she¡¯d forgotten. In fact, it was probably the root of her fears surrounding Joram heading off somewhere¡­. ¡°No. But he¡¯s strong. He can also [Teleport] back at any time, so I don¡¯t think that I- or we- will have the time to really miss him. Especially if he comes back for the night,¡± she said, smiling as the last words came out, knowing just how true they were for her. ¡°Mmmnmm,¡± Erys hummed in agreement. ¡°Well, if he can [Clone] himself, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll be an issue either way,¡± she said, reminding her of last night¡¯s¡­ weirdness. ¡°That¡­ is true¡­¡± she said faintly, now imagining a world where she would be able to monopolize Joram. ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Erys said conspiratorially, a huge grin splitting her face and showing her very straight and alarmingly pointy teeth. ¡°Ahem!¡± she cleared her throat before going on. ¡°So, just ask Joram. I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be willing to help, especially if it¡¯s for everyone¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°That it is¡­¡± Erys said, trailing off in seemingly dark thoughts. ¡°Well, let¡¯s finish getting ready for bed, then,¡± Myra said, then started doing just that as her thoughts turned once more to things she hadn¡¯t dwelled on until after meeting Joram. * * * *Morning, Day 26* ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°Yes, Collette?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the young master a bit weird?¡± she asked as she finished up the morning milking. ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Charlotte said, nodding. ¡°But what weirdness are you talking about this time?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she started, now a bit uncertain of how to phrase her feelings. ¡°How many humans out there do you think would be as nice to us animal-kin like he is?¡± Charlotte looked over at her as she finished up her own milking, looking thoughtful. ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± she said after a bit. ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s a bit odd for humans, what we¡¯re doing here,¡± she said as she motioned to the breast pumps. ¡°But it¡¯s normal for us. Yet, the young master seemed so happy to try the cheeses we¡¯ve already made,¡± she said, now fidgeting slightly with her pump as she paused in washing it. ¡°Not just you both,¡± Aural, one of the sheepkin, said as Danielle nodded along. ¡°He even thanked us for making cheeses,¡± she finished, blushing slightly as she hurried to resume washing her own pumps. Collette nodded at that, agreeing fully. ¡°Doing this was normal at home,¡± she said, once more motioning around the small dairy. ¡°But here? The other girls looked so¡­ scandalized when they heard what we do,¡± she said, shaking her head at the memory. ¡°They were even hesitant to try our milk and cheeses before the young master happily sampled them in front of everyone,¡± Danielle said as she held her hands up in front of her mouth in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m glad he likes our milk,¡± Charlotte said, smiling as she worked. That got nods all around as they, too, remembered the young master¡¯s expression of happiness as he ate the sampling of cheeses that they¡¯d laid out for everyone. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit¡­ lewd seeing a human drinking our milk¡­? A¡­ man?¡± Danielle said, now obviously blushing with extreme embarrassment. Collette exchanged looks with her twin, Charlotte, for a moment before they shrugged in unison. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°If it¡¯s him, we don¡¯t mind,¡± Charlotte said, smiling. ¡°Nor would we mind if he wanted¡­ fresher milk,¡± Collette said, astonishing herself with how bold she was being, resulting in her face heating up. Aural, Danielle, and even Charlotte looked at her with eyes wide with shock before they, too, turned bright red as they all looked down at the same time. Collette nodded to herself, knowing that what she¡¯d said had been something they¡¯d all been thinking about, but not daring to say. For a human, the young master was incredibly¡­ attractive. Between his amazing muscles and his wonderful beard, he was certainly a¡­ tall glass of milk, as it were. They soon returned to their various tasks, all lost in their thoughts. But one thing was certain: their thoughts were all, understandably, similar. * * * Shae¡¯ra was¡­ distracted. Ever since Asami Miki had let the cat out of the bag, as it were, she¡¯d been having more than a little bit of difficulty focussing on her daily tasks. Sure, the new fruits and vegetables that Joram had introduced her to were amazing, let alone the ones he¡¯d added just last week! But now her thoughts weren¡¯t fully with nature. Well, maybe that wasn¡¯t quite accurate. Her thoughts were certainly revolving around nature, but not the kind of nature they were supposed to be focussed on. Namely, gardening. They were now filled with amorous thoughts, distracting her from what she should be doing. But even when she re-tasked herself- because she was working with the new plants- her thoughts would soon turn back to Joram. And how she felt about him. She turned her head slightly so that she could sneak a peak at Imryll, the young night elf, and wondered what the young woman was thinking. Back in the elven villages, they¡¯d heard many tales of [Hero]s. Heck, they even had many records of past [Hero]s that most places didn¡¯t have. And each and every [Hero] they knew about had been¡­ extraordinary in one thing or another. From martial might to magical might and everything in between, each one of them had been exceptional. Exceptional in one thing. Like having high Intellect or Spirit Attributes if they were a mage of some sort, while the fighter-types usually had a high Strength or Speed Attribute. Then, to go along with that exceptionally high Attribute, they¡¯d also have one Skill that used that Attribute. But Joram? She¡¯d watched, and felt, as he¡¯d used incredible amounts of mana while working spells with such force that she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how high his Intellect and Spirit Attributes were. Then the tale of how he¡¯d beaten an Elder Dragon by repeatedly punching her in the head had once more called into question what she thought she¡¯d known. She could see how deliberately Joram walked, how delicately he touched things, and saw that for a dead giveaway it was that he possessed Strength and Speed far above those around him. If a [Hero] was summoned that could do all of that, they would surely be the trump card of the Light Continent, their home. But then she began to wonder if such a monstrous existence would truly be a boon for them, for there were also tales of [Hero]s going mad with power and trying to usurp kingdoms in the past. Some had actually succeeded. So, what would happen if that hypothetical [Hero] managed to subjugate the Demon Continent? Would they be happy with getting a noble title, a parade, and a few other rewards? Or would they yearn for more? Desire more? Want more? Her thoughts turned back to Joram, then. If it was him, would he be like that? Would he turn into a greedy monster whose only desire was conquest and rule? Probably not. Especially with what she¡¯d already seen of his personality. But with such power, would others covet it? Would they try to somehow bring him under heel, enslave him? Or would they try to eliminate what they perceived as a threat to them and their rule? It had been well-documented in the past that rulers of any flavour grew nervous when someone more powerful than them showed up in their kingdom; especially when said person wasn¡¯t under their control. Shae¡¯ra truly hoped that no one in power, real power, found out about Joram. But if they did, her fervent wish was that he would be strong enough to both stay safe while also being able to keep them all safe. Underhanded tactics were common amongst people like that, after all. She paused in front of a tomato plant and admired the beautiful red fruit that was only about an inch across. They almost grew like grapes- in bunches- but tasted completely different. She was impressed with how fast they grew even though she knew that Joram has used a magic that sped up the growth of plants. If she, and the younglings and young women who helped in the gardens, kept at it, she was sure that their little produce stall in Kirkwall would soon turn a tidy profit. Not only that, but they were the exclusive growers of the new produce that everyone seemed to enjoy. Which meant that they would likely soon attract the ire of any farmers whose profits were suffering because of them. Which meant that they¡¯d either have to deal with that, or perhaps find a way to make sure that what they produced didn¡¯t go to waste. It was hard, though, when the rings Joram had provided them made it so that they didn¡¯t grow hungry; providing them with the sustenance they needed to live. Some of the younglings still ate from time to time, but the amount of food that had needed to be prepared for everyone had dropped to almost nothing. She wondered if the women Joram had hired were resentful of that. Or if Joram had known that he wouldn¡¯t need as many employees as he¡¯d initially hired. Or, perhaps, he had a plan. Either way, most of the women had gone on to perform other tasks around the property. Shae¡¯ra shook her head as she recalled when Joram had announced the new, and very strange, Dungeon at the back of the property. She didn¡¯t know of any Dungeon that was basically a larder. The monsters in there were practically hand-picked farm animals! Not only that, but they were considerably more docile than standard Dungeon monsters, making it disturbingly easy for anyone who¡¯d expressed interest in levelling up to do so. Yes, Joram had expounded upon the dangers of complacency when facing monsters, and especially in assuming that all monsters would be as easy to defeat as the ones in that Dungeon. But! Well, the ¡°but¡± likely originated from remembering her own grueling experiences while levelling up and comparing them to how easy it was for the younglings here to level up. But, ultimately, she was glad that everyone had the ability to level up safely, gaining power as they did. Which would go a long way to keeping everyone safe should any malicious actors enter the scene, as it were. For her part, it wasn¡¯t easy to level up since she was already Level 31, because the highest level of monster in that dungeon was Level 30. The experience needed for her next level was fairly high, while killing things below her level wasn¡¯t nearly as profitable as killing things equal to or greater than her level. Though, Joram had mentioned the possibility of another level appearing in the Dungeon¡­. Sure, that could happen, but it was exceedingly rare. Usually, a Dungeon needed to get to a state of Overflow before that happened, and she was in no way comfortable allowing that to happen when the Dungeon was so close to home. Well, at least Joram would be more than enough to deal with anything coming out of the Dungeon if that were to happen. Heck, even the ¡°three gals¡±, as Joram called the three ¡°demons¡±, could handle things with how they¡¯d been grinding in the Dungeon these past couple of weeks. She then idly wondered what they were doing with any Cores that they found, but then shrugged. They were very likely to have all been given to Joram seeing as how they were still slaves, and all the laws surrounding things like that. But, given the amazing weapons that she¡¯d seen the three gals using, she wondered if the Cores they found were considered payment for said weapons. Then she started wondering if Joram would find her a decent weapon to use¡­. Shaking her head to clear those greedy thoughts away, she looked over to Imryll again, once more wondering what the young woman truly thought of Joram. Even as she watched, Imryll would blush occasionally as she worked, making her think that Asami hadn¡¯t just been teasing them all. Which reminded her of her own thoughts and feelings regarding the man who¡¯d first bought, then freed her. Due to the difference in how the various races aged, elves tended to look at a person¡¯s character before looking at their physical appearance. That wasn¡¯t to say that elves ignored one¡¯s appearance, it just meant that appearance tended to be a lower priority for them. But. Joram was certainly a looker, even with the beard and ridiculous muscles¡­. Muscles that could¡­. Shae¡¯ra¡¯s mind nearly overloaded with inappropriate thoughts as she sat down, suddenly too dizzy to stand. Not thinking about that!!! She thought frantically as she tried to dismiss those thoughts. But as she tried, she remembered what Joram had told them all about his race, and wondered if she would wind up old and wrinkled before Joram did¡­. A bit saddened at that thought, she began doodling in the dirt with a finger. * * * I think I¡¯ve got it¡­ Joram mused as he studied his [Ring of Arcane Might]. He¡¯d been wondering for a while now how to add Attribute enhancements to an item, and after going over the Craft Wondrous Item feat¡¯s information that Altaea had left for him, he felt that he was ready to try enchanting something. Though, the question became, ¡°what¡±. If materials here affected what kinds of enchantments could be placed on them, then he¡¯d have to really consider things. The [Ring of Arcane Might] seemed to be made out of a gold alloy, so maybe that would be the best route to go. Thinking about it more, he was reasonably sure that gold-palladium alloys were used in jewelry. And considering how well palladium took to enchantments, not to mention gold, it might work out better. Especially since the alloy didn¡¯t wind up looking like either of the base metals used in it, turning into ¡°white gold¡±. Thinking a bit more, he knew that gold-titanium alloys were a thing, especially given the publicity from the first Iron Man movie years ago. The cool thing, though, was that they¡¯d managed to make an even better Au-Ti alloy a few years later by increasing the temperature at which the two metals were mixed, or alloyed¡­. Then he remembered the silly metal he¡¯d made up for a story back in grade 10, ¡°Tetratanium¡±, or just ¡°Tetra¡± for short. It had been the metal of choice for a fantasy world he¡¯d made up, using it for anything from weapons to armour in their society. On a whim, he used [Summon: All] while concentrating on the properties he¡¯d imagined up and gaped as an ingot of white metal appeared in front of him. Hesitantly, he reached out and used [Delve] to investigate its properties. A few moments later, he smiled. Chapter 091 - A true demon? The metal was a bit different than he¡¯d imagined it to be, though that wasn¡¯t terribly surprising. When he¡¯d ¡°invented¡± it, he hadn¡¯t exactly been a chemistry whiz. Looking at the various elements in the ingot, and its amazing structure, he was sure that it would prove to be incredibly useful and versatile in its applications. Grinning, he then used [Summon: All] again consecutively until he had three more ingots laying in front of him. Two of them were as translucent as the finest crystal while the third was a bit whiter than the first ingot he¡¯d summoned. Another round of [Delve] then provided him with the structures of the new ingots, Tetra-II through Tetra-IV. Tetra-III was the white one, basically the same as Tetra-I except that it was considerably lighter. Tetra-II and IV, though, followed the same pattern. While completely translucent, Tetra-II was nearly as heavy as Tetra-I. Tetra-IV, however, was even lighter than Tetra-II, making it perfect for applications where weight was a concern. And given that it was actually lighter than standard glass, it would make perfect windows. Nearly unbreakable windows at that. Now grinning wide enough to nearly split his face in half, Joram quickly used [True Creation] a few times to make several ingots of each type, unconsciously chuckling maniacally as he worked. He was so giddy that he didn¡¯t notice people coming into his study until they nearly scared the non-existent crap out of him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Asami asked, leaning on his shoulder to see what he was working on. After taking a few moments to calm his heart, he looked over at the women who¡¯d arrived. ¡°I, ah, just got a bit excited about some metals,¡± he said, totally embarrassed for not just missing them entering his study, but also for letting them see such a childish side of him. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Asami said, grinning. ¡°It was incredibly cute to see,¡± she said as she turned her head just so that she could burry her face into the side of his neck, making him blush again. Avi, though, looked incredibly interested in the ingots laying on his desk. He was a bit surprised to see the three gals as well, but let it go as he tried to ignore how Asami felt as she snuggled his neck as she slowly slipped into his lap. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Avi said, trailing off as she picked up the ingot of Tetra-IV. ¡°How?¡± she asked, looking at him more seriously than she had in a very long time, making him gulp. Even her serious mode is dangerously sexy¡­. He then grunted as he got a pinch from Asami, but chose to ignore it. ¡°I just remembered something from my high school days,¡± he said, then briefly explained where the idea for the metals had come from. ¡°I was thinking that they¡¯d make for good crafting materials,¡± he concluded as Avi continued staring at him for a bit before the three gals crowded around to inspect the ingots. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this make amazingly discreet weapons¡­?¡± Arise asked, practically drooling over the Tetra-IV as she fondled the crystal-like ingot. ¡°How¡¯s its elasticity?¡± Qyress asked as she hefted the Tetra-I and Tetra-III in each of her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll have to experiment a bit to see, but if it¡¯s like how I remember, then the Tetra-III is better for things like weapons, as its spring, or elasticity, is much higher than the Tetra-I,¡± he said, thinking way back to when he¡¯d first written down their properties. Qyress¡¯ eyes lit up at that, making him suspect that she was thinking about bows, given that she was an [Archer] and all. When Asami nodded at him, confirming that he¡¯d guessed correctly. He also knew that she was probably missing using a bow, so he made a mental note to see if he could make her something like a compound bow or something. ¡°I have a feeling that any of the Tetras will take to enchanting very well,¡± Avi said as she continued to look him in the eyes, seemingly searching for something. ¡°Well, that would work out well,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve been worrying about using palladium, er, electrum when making things for everyone since it¡¯s such a sought-after metal,¡± he said, then explained his worries about thieves, getting a few eyerolls in the process. ¡°That¡¯s a given,¡± Arise said, sounding as though he¡¯d said the sky was blue. ¡°Now these, they don¡¯t look particularly valuable. Well, crystal is always valuable, but not quite as in-demand as electrum, so making something from that shouldn¡¯t be too eye-catching,¡± she said, prodding the clear ingots as she spoke. ¡°The whiteness of the metal is rather fetching, though,¡± Fyrellia said, speaking up for the first time since she¡¯d come into the room. ¡°That said, they feel¡­ conductive. Like they¡¯d be good for channeling mana through,¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°I was thinking of finally making some weapons for people with this stuff,¡± he said, motioning towards the ingots. ¡°I very much want everyone to be safe while delving the dungeon,¡± he finished as he thought of the young girls and women that had been frequenting the dungeons he¡¯d made. ¡°Can we make requests?¡± Asami asked, surprising him more than a bit, but he still nodded his approval. ¡°I would like a staff, then,¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go over some designs tomorrow,¡± he said, then repeated himself as everyone but Avi started making requests. After several minutes of making promises to craft them an astonishingly wide variety of items, they left his study after he¡¯d stored away the ingots in his Inventory. Then they were in his- their, room and getting changed while he once again turned off [Touchsight]. He was getting better at not being affected by seeing them practically naked while using [Clear Mind], but he thought it was just polite to not ¡°look¡±, as it were. ¡°It¡¯s fine with us if you do, though,¡± Asami said, nodding as Avi blindsided him by nodding her agreement. Choosing not to comment, he manifested [Fission], then re-manifested his suite of Powers before getting into bed. He, both of him, were soon dog-piled. Joram found that Asami had correctly chosen his original self, along with Myra and Avi, while Joram 2, or J2, had Erys taking up the same spot on him that Asami usually took, leaving the three gals to vie for the other spots that they could get. Harumi, though, took up residence above his head as she rested her head against the top of his. ¡®So, how¡¯d the talk with Lory go?¡¯ Avi asked as everyone settled down for the night. He took a moment to think about the question, especially since she was asking from a place of care and concern for him. Thinking about [Psychic Chirurgery], and how extreme that measure was, he found that¡­ he wasn¡¯t as opposed to the idea as he thought he¡¯d be. ¡®I think I might need your help,¡¯ he sent knowing that Asami could hear them, but continued to explain his thoughts on the matter, and how he felt that it could help him move on. ¡®That¡¯s certainly an option,¡¯ Avi replied a moment later as she reached over and up from where she lay beside him, her head on his arm, and tenderly cupped his cheek in her hand. ¡®Just let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡¯ He nodded as he swallowed a lump in is throat while Asami snaked her arms around his torso and hugged him tight, likely having finally gotten a better picture of his past as he explained things to Avi. Possibly sensing the mood, Myra snuggled closer as well, making him smile as she wrapped her legs around his left leg. Then he almost passed out when Avi did the same, causing Asami to start giggling and M12 to earn his keep by making sure [Clear Mind] didn¡¯t shatter. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. *Day 27* After having gone through his now usual morning routine of escaping bed, changing, spending time in his study doing this or that, teaching cooking, and a bit of gardening, he was now looking around the dairy again before his planned visit to the distillery/brewery. ¡°So, what do you think of this one?¡± Collette asked shyly, presenting him with a ricotta-like cheese to sample. After a few moments of chewing to get an idea of the texture and taste, he smiled and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°If you need other supplies like salts or other cultures, just let me know and I¡¯ll see what I can do to get them for you.¡± Collette¡¯s smile was like the noon-day sun it was so bright, making him wonder if she¡¯d suffered from not being complimented for her good work in the past. Her twin, Charlotte, also smiled wide as she stood beside her sister. Aural and Danielle were also close, holding a small tray with samples of their own cheeses as well, and looking very hopeful. It took him another half-hour to finish up in the dairy, though he was glad that he¡¯d managed to brighten their day a bit by praising their work. Everyone deserved to be acknowledged for their hard work after all. Especially when it was work well-done. Though, he wondered if he should get some goats to add to the variety of cheeses available for everyone. Dairy cheeses were good, and tended towards hard to medium cheeses, while sheep milk tended to produce much softer cheeses with a milder taste to them. But goat cheese could be soft or hard, but had a wonderfully sharp taste to it. He filed that thought away as he entered the¡­ he¡¯d just call it the Boozery from now on, as it produced many different kinds of alcohol. Once inside, he saw Ella sitting at a table that was practically buried in stacks of paper. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked as she looked up, confused. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of paperwork,¡± he said, motioning towards her heavily laden desk. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re just notes,¡± she said, blinking at him. ¡°I was trying to think of new things to make, but wasn¡¯t sure what might work,¡± she explained. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard,¡± he said, giving her a smile and a nod that made her blink then look away. ¡°Just let me know if you have any questions.¡± ¡°Well, I was wondering about making some wine with those odd fruits in the first greenhouse,¡± she said, then started going over her thoughts on making apple cider, as well as cherry, peach, and pomegranate wines. They talked for a while about all of that, ending with him using [Summon: All]- using enough Dust to make the summons permanent- to get the appropriate yeasts for the wines and spirits that she was wanting to try making. Leaving an ecstatic Ella behind, he left feeling pretty good about the meeting. He was sure that she¡¯d level quite a bit by continuing her experiments. With all of his chores taken care of, he made his way back into the house, heading for one of his workshops. Even though he was much better with [Manipulate Matter], let alone being able to either make or summon what he needed, he hadn¡¯t used them much in the past month or so. Even then, he decided to leave the spaces as they were as they¡¯d prove useful for anyone wanting to pick up a trade. He was about to get to work when he remembered the house token he¡¯d made a few days ago and facepalmed. A quick [Teleport] later found him back at the experimentation site, looking down into the deep basement. After retrieving the token, he quickly used it to make the house appear and looked at the cage on the front porch. The mouse-like creature was laying on its side in the cage, so he used [Telekinesis] to pick up the cage and bring it closer. A quick [Delve] later let him know that the creature was still alive, but fairly dehydrated and very, very hungry. So, he quickly made a bowl with some water in it for it, then deftly placed it in the cage. While the mouse-like creature edged closer to the bowl, Joram stood up and made his way over to the house. It didn¡¯t look any different from the last time he¡¯d seen it, but he still used [Delve] to see if there were changes to it that the naked eye couldn¡¯t detect. Half an hour later, he was smiling again, happy to ¡°see¡± that there hadn¡¯t been any unexpected deterioration while the house was stored away. Aside from time seemingly passing at a normal rate inside, he was happy with the results. Which meant that he could now proceed to do the same for his normal house and the other buildings on his property¡­. Thinking about it a bit more, he wondered if he should work on a stasis effect for anything stored away like that. Given what Avi had said about his Realm, he could probably manage that. Though, he¡¯d likely have to use one of the variations of [Genesis] that he knew to accomplish that without a time-based [Skill] to pair up with [Dimensional Manipulation]¡­. Then he recalled that there were a few Powers that dealt with aspects of time, like [Quintessence] and [Temporal Acceleration]. Which got him thinking of things like [Defy Gravity] and [Gravitational Well], and how gravity affected both time and space. With those thoughts in mind, he instructed J2 to have his Minds start sussing out the connections between all of those Powers, and others related to time, while he absently stored away the house again before playing with [Spatial Manipulation] and trying to see, or feel¡­ something. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking for in there, as he didn¡¯t know what a time ripple might look like, or how it would feel. So, he got to work. * * * Erys was¡­. She was having a much harder time approaching Joram to ask for his help than she¡¯d thought she would. Even shamelessly laying on him like Asami did was much easier than asking him for help! So, she¡¯d been distracting herself for the past day, wandering around his admittedly impressive estate. The sheer size of the buildings was impressive for such a small race. Practically draconic in their relative scale. Sniffing around, she made her way first to the mess hall and inspected what was going on there. She¡¯d eaten there the day before, but wondered why more of the babies hadn¡¯t been eating at the same time as she had. Still, today¡¯s scents were different and oddly¡­ sweet. As she tried to inspect the baking, she was shooed away more than once, making her more than a little bit grumpy at the treatment. If she hadn¡¯t promised Joram to be nice to everyone, she¡¯d have certainly put the children in their place already. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, pointing at an open container of sand-like crystals. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a wonderful new thing that young Joram introduced to us,¡± the child said, making her frown in thought. ¡°He called it ¡®Honey Sugar¡¯,¡± she finished by offering Erys a small spoonful of the stuff. Looking at it dubiously, she slowly took the spoon and gave it another sniff. It certainly smelt sweet, and even had the scent of honey, so she extended her now short tongue and gave it a lick. Then smiled before inserting the whole spoon into her mouth. ¡°Good, right?¡± the child asked, smiling. ¡°Mmm,¡± she hummed as she enjoyed the sensation of the crystals melting on her tongue as the sweetness slowly spread through her mouth. ¡°Do you have an interest in baking?¡± the child asked as she turned to fully face Erys. ¡°Not the kind you¡¯re thinking of,¡± she said, thinking about how she normally ¡®baked¡¯ her food with her fiery breath¡­. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for a bit, then?¡± the child asked kindly as she took her arm and gently pulled her to where the others were currently mixing things together or kneading various doughs. ¡°I should go¡­¡± Erys said, shaking her head, fearing that she wouldn¡¯t leave if she stayed much longer. ¡°Well, do come back any time. It¡¯s always nice to teach young girls how to capture a man with amazing baking,¡± the child said, making her wonder for a moment before she remembered that she now looked as young as the rest of the girls around Joram. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, holding back a wince as she quickly left the mess hall. Once outside, she looked around again and wondered what she would do next. As she thought, she wandered towards the greenhouses behind the main manor house. Looking inside the first one, she spied many babies walking around and working, supervised by the two elven children that she¡¯d met the day before. Not wanting to risk the possibility of them bringing up their candidacies as Joram¡¯s future wives or concubines, she continued on. Then her nose caught a bitter scent, making her sneeze. Then she sniffed again, this time prepared for the scent. Then she smiled. She quickly followed the trail to another building, this one a traditional building rather than the glass-sided greenhouses. Once inside, she looked around while testing the air, now very excited. ¡°Hello? Can I help you?¡± a baby dwarf asked, looking a bit uncertain as she fidgeted with a pen while sitting at her desk. Erys nearly squealed in delight at seeing the adorable dwarf! She loved dwarves because they dealt with her two favourite things: precious minerals and alcohol! ¡°Hello¡­?¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± she cleared her throat, then took a moment to compose herself. ¡°Yes. I was wondering if you have any of your product available for sale,¡± she said, now fully composed and dignified. * * * Ella looked at the pointy-eared woman who was drooling on her floor and suppressed a sigh. She wasn¡¯t quite sure if she was another dark elf, mostly because she wasn¡¯t quite as dark-skinned as Arise. The other reason was because of her slightly glowing red eyes, which made her think of the tales her mother told her of true demons¡­. ¡°Ummm¡­. Umm, not right now, sorry. I only just s-started working here,¡± she said, trying her best to keep calm, just as her mother had once told her to do when faced with a demon. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a pity,¡± the woman sighed dejectedly. ¡°Well, let me know when you¡¯re ready to start selling! Or, better yet! Let me know if you need a taste-tester!¡± she finished as her eyes shone bright with excitement. Ella paused for a second to wonder just who she was, but then shook off that thought. Her mother always told her that nothing good happened to anyone who associated with demons¡­. ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± she said, breaking under the woman¡¯s intense look of expectation. ¡°Oh, well, Joram called me ¡®Erys¡¯, so that¡¯ll do,¡± Erys said, flicking some hair back over her shoulder. She blinked at Erys and wondered if the young master had picked up another slave, or maybe just another woman. He was, after all, always surrounded by tall beauties so it would make sense¡­. ¡°Okay,¡± she said, nodding while hoping that Erys would at least be as nice as Fyrellia, or even Arise. Chapter 092 - Myriad Wonders *Day 32* ¡°Is that ¡®you¡¯, Joram?¡± He turned around to see Myra looking at him, brows furrowed as she squinted at him. He sighed. ¡°I am Joram,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Just as the ¡®other¡¯ Joram is still me. If I die, he becomes the only Joram. Likewise, if he dies, I become the only Joram. We¡¯re the same beings, after all,¡± he explained for what felt like the twentieth time. ¡°Yeah, but are you the one who was created by Joram number one?¡± she asked dubiously. ¡°Yes,¡± he sighed, then noticed her perk up a bit. ¡°Anyways,¡± she said, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. ¡°I figured that you should know that another caravan arrived a little while ago.¡± Joram looked towards Kirkwall sharply then relaxed a bit. ¡°I take it that you¡¯re telling me this because they¡¯ve brought more slaves, huh?¡± ¡°They have,¡± Myra said, watching him like a hawk. ¡°¡­¡± Myra continued watching him, following along just slightly behind him as he thought about that. If they had brought as many children as last time, he supposed that he might need to build another apartment building. Or perhaps add onto the current one. It was certainly sturdy enough to allow for another dozen floors¡­ at least. That said, he¡¯d have to get the ladies to start working on meals again. J1: Yeah, I¡¯ll send someone to do that. J2: Thanks. I¡¯ll head over and get to buying, then. J1: Make sure to buy any other books that you can. J2: Oh, we should probably arrange for a few wagons, then. J1: Just use the ones we bought last time. J2: I could probably just make some passenger busses or something. J1: Oh, good thought. Can you- er, we, make some constructs that just do the same thing? It¡¯d save trying to get a couple of drivers. J2: Can¡¯t we just drive? Or Avi? J1: Yeah, get Avi. I¡¯m a bit busy trying to make sure that the storage ring won¡¯t explode¡­. Joram nodded to himself before asking Avi to meet him at the gates as Myra continued watching him. A couple of minutes later, Avi arrived, followed closely by Asami. It was still hard to look at either of them directly for long, and with the two of them together more often than not these days, it made for a difficult day. Even with [Clear Mind] running. He idly wondered if [Clear Mind] wasn¡¯t the cure-all he¡¯d been using it as, then shook his head. ¡°Lets go,¡± he said as he changed his mind and instead used [Summon: All], concentrating on a 52 passenger bus that would be sturdy enough to go cross-country while retaining perfect passenger comfort. A second later, his mana pool drained¡­ fractionally. He looked, then just smiled.
MP: 1,029 / 1,030
Then he thought about it a moment and checked his Core stock in his Inventory and found that a single Grade A Core had vanished. He looked back at the larger-than-normal passenger bus and saw that it wasn¡¯t really something that you¡¯d find on Earth. Or, well, in the early 21st century, anyways. It looked slightly¡­ futuristic while having a bit of a post-apocalyptic vibe to it. Its tires were closer to ones you¡¯d find on a military vehicle while its body was sleek. A bit like you¡¯d see depicted in the Silver-age cartoons depicting futuristic trains; silver, sleek, and a bit bullet-like. Anyways, at least it wasn¡¯t some tacky colour, just a deep charcoal grey that seemed to have a slight¡­ glimmer to it. Almost like those paintjobs that had the ¡°diamond¡± look to them. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Myra asked, looking more interested than worried. ¡°That would be a ¡®bus¡¯,¡± Avi said, shaking her head. ¡°You could have just used [Astral Construct] to make one, you know.¡± ¡°I was curious,¡± he said, slightly embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll just have a quick look¡­¡± he said as he made his way into the bus, only having to go up a single step. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t a typical passenger bus that used the space under the seating to store luggage. In fact, the only place to store luggage was the overhead compartments. Which, while spacious-looking, didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d be able to accommodate much. Shrugging, he sat in the driver¡¯s seat and had a quick look before calling Myra, Asami, and Avi to come it. After a quick tutorial on seat belts, he started up the bus and made his way out of the gates and to Kirkwall, grinning all the while. * * * ¡°Be sure that they¡¯re all ready to show,¡± Matun said as he rubbed his hands together, anticipating the feel of Crystal Cores in his hands. ¡°They were washed last night,¡± Huwar, his second, said with a sigh. ¡°If that kid is as much of a bleeding heart as you say, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll buy them all without complaining about some messy hair.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t here last time,¡± Matun said, now rubbing his palms on his thighs trying to dry them a bit. ¡°The locals call him a [Hero]. I¡¯ve done some asking around, but as far as I could find, there haven¡¯t been any [Hero] [Summon]¡¯ings these past few decades. Which means that he¡¯s either a secret [Hero] [Summon]¡¯d by the Queen, or he¡¯s strong enough to have done what they¡¯d claimed without being a damn [Hero],¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Bah. I¡¯m sure that his reputation has been exaggerated,¡± Huwar said, shaking his head. ¡°This lot should earn us even more than the last one, especially considering ¡®how scarce¡¯ the merchandise is these days.¡± It was Matun¡¯s turn to shake his head, silently praying that his vice-president didn¡¯t do anything stupid. He was about to warn him again when he heard the guards outside making a racket. ¡°What¡¯d going on?¡± he asked one of the guards inside the tent, who then stuck his head out for a look. ¡°It¡¯s that guy,¡± he said after leaning back again, quickly stepping away from the tent flaps. Now even more nervous, he quickly turned to give Huwar a warning look before turning back to the opening tent flaps with his best smile. ¡°Ah, young master! It¡¯s good to see you again?¡± he said as warmly as he could before noticing that he¡¯d once again brought the two foxkin women with him. Then he paused when a third woman entered, nearly flooring him. She was as tall as that Joram kid, and looked to be the same age as well. But given her figure, let alone her face, he was sure that she would fetch a price that started in the Platinum range. ¡°Indeed,¡± Joram said, nodding at him cooly, reminding him once more of just how hard the man was to read. ¡°I see that you¡¯ve¡­ stocked up again,¡± he said as he took his time looking around the show tent. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°That we have,¡± he said as he felt sweat tricking down his back for some reason. ¡°I assure you, they¡¯re all top quality and ready to serve!¡± he finished with an extravagant wave as Huwar joined in with the theatrics by also flourishing in the other direction. Joram lightly grunted as the white-haired foxkin glared at him, her nine tails slowly swaying back and forth. He idly wondered if the woman blamed him for bringing more slaves for Joram to buy, possibly limiting her bedding time with him. Then the new woman with the crazy-coloured hair began to glare as well, causing him to unconsciously shuffle back a step as Joram began walking from cage to cage. ¡°As you can see, we treat our slaves well,¡± Huwar said, following along beside Joram as he spoke. ¡°They¡¯ve also been checked to make sure they¡¯re both clean and virgins. After all, there¡¯s no need to take unnecessary risks, hey,¡± he said conspiratorially, grinning like a fool. Matun was about to step in when Joram stopped and fixed his vice-president with a look that caused the man¡¯s legs to collapse underneath him. He quickly checked one of his rings and nearly sighed in relief: there hadn¡¯t been any magic involved. But then he nearly panicked because Joram then turned to regard him. ¡°I trust that the same prices will apply here,¡± Joram said coolly. ¡°Ah, the prices are a bit higher due to scarcity,¡± he said, suppressing the urge to swallow hard. Joram regarded him for another few moments before finally speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll buy them all for one part in ten above last time¡¯s purchase,¡± he finally said, still as stone-faced as last time. ¡°See here,¡± Huwar said with a slight shake in this voice as he unsteadily got to his feet. ¡°We¡¯ve had to not only purchase the new slaves, but we¡¯ve also had to feed, clothe, and bathe them all this time. Not only that, but due to scarcity, the prices have gone up, just as Master Matun has said,¡± he finished, obviously steeling himself for Joram¡¯s response. Joram hadn¡¯t turned away from him the entire time Huwar had spoken, causing the man¡¯s face to redden in anger. For his part, Matun nearly swooned under Joram¡¯s intense stare, bordering on a glare. It nearly made him forget the- now three- women who were glaring at him. ¡°In terms of ranking. How would you rate your standing amongst the various slave merchants?¡± Joram suddenly asked, nearly knocking him over with such a random question. ¡°Ah¡­. I would say that Myriad Wonders would be somewhere in the middle of the rankings,¡± he said, wondering just what he was getting at. ¡°Then there are many more slave merchants with larger operations, then?¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say many, but there are certainly about ten or so who have larger operations than I have,¡± he said, now feeling attacked for some reason, which then got his back up. ¡°What would you say the net worth of your Myriad Wonders is?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± he asked, now getting offended by such a question. ¡°Let me rephrase, as Common isn¡¯t my first language,¡± Joram said, shaking his head slightly, shocking him with his admission. ¡°If someone wanted to purchase your company, how much would it go for?¡± Matun nearly gaped at the rich kid in front of him, then got thinking. Well. If I take into account my various buildings, stock, and such, then I suppose that I could get at least thirty-six Platinum Coins¡­. But if he¡¯s asking how much for everything, then making a profit above and beyond all that should be easy enough. But, can the kid really afford it? He just paid five and a half gold bars last month, so can he really afford it? Deciding to just throw a number out there, he finally spoke. ¡°Well, considering the market and such, I¡¯d say that an all-in buy-out of Myriad Wonders would cost a person fifty Platinum Coins,¡± he said, keeping the smirk he felt bubbling up suppressed. Joram glanced at his women then looked back at him, his expression as unreadable as ever. ¡°I¡¯ll give you thirty,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Young master, believe me when I say that fifty isn¡¯t a terrible price. But since you¡¯ve been such an amazing customer, and that you¡¯re here to once again buy out our stock, I can let Myriad Wonders go for a mere forty-five Platinum Coins,¡± he said, using his best closing smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you forty. Take it or leave it,¡± Joram said, now folding his arms across his respectable chest. Huwar was looking between him an Joram like a fish out of water, not seeming to understand what was going on. He supposed that it would be fair that the man was taken off guard. If Joram truly bought Myriad Wonders from him, then he might be out of a job. ¡°Now, young master, forty-five is a steal-,¡± ¡°Thirty-nine,¡± Joram said flatly. ¡°You see-,¡± he started, but was cut off again, making him swallow hard. ¡°Thirty-eight.¡± ¡°Now, forty sounds like a perfectly reasonable price,¡± he said, panicking as his profits began vanishing from before his eyes. Joram was quiet for another minute before he finally spoke. ¡°That¡¯s good. Then I¡¯ll meet you at the bank in an hour. In the meantime, make sure that everyone is ready to go for when we finish up there,¡± Joram said before turning and leaving the tent, his three women closely following him out to leave them alone again. Huwar¡¯s mouth continued to work silently for another minute or two before he finally found his voice. ¡°What was that?!¡± he demanded, his face suddenly going very, very red. ¡°That would be me retiring,¡± he said, shaking his head as he slowly, and very carefully, made his way over to a stool by the exit, and sat down hard. ¡°I told you to be careful.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? I¡¯ll not be intimidated by some whelp¡¯s [Skill]s! I¡¯ll contact the authorities and make sure that he¡¯s taken care of!¡± Huwar said, practically ranting now that Joram was gone, and thus safe. ¡°He didn¡¯t use any magic, or [Skill]s,¡± he said, shaking his head as he held up his hand to show the man his rings, and to remind him what they were there for. Huwar didn¡¯t seem to understand at first, but when the door guard let out a long breath, also looking shaky, he seemed to sober up a bit. ¡°Surely he isn¡¯t really a [Hero],¡± Huwar said, now looking more than a little bit nervous. Matun very much understood the man¡¯s fears. [Heroes] weren¡¯t something normal people could deal with. They were beings [Summon]¡¯d to Iria for the express purpose of helping humanity fight against the demons, especially the Demon Lord. They were somehow granted abilities and [Skill]s that far outstripped those of any Irian, putting them at the top of the world¡¯s power structure. And, depending on the country, empire, or kingdom that [Summon]¡¯d them, were granted an extraordinary level of autonomy and authority to act in the ¡°best interests¡± of said entities. Not only that, but any [Hero] that accumulated enough meritorious deeds could, and would, be recognized by other countries, and would thus gain the same rights and privileges in those countries as well. Now, based off how young Joram looked, and the last confirmed use of [Summon: Hero], he doubted that Joram- a human- could be a [Hero] from the last round of [Summon]¡¯ings. That, and he hadn¡¯t detected any [Illusion]s, nor any [Skill]s that could alter a person¡¯s appearance. The man still read as a [Crafter], even having gained 3 Levels since they¡¯d last met. But was he using a [Skill] to obfuscate is actual Path and Level? He¡¯d been assured that his [Ring of Identify] was rated up to a [Skill] total of 60! Even some nobles didn¡¯t have an obfuscation [Skill] that high! Combined with how young he was, he was reasonably sure that Joram was indeed a generic [Crafter]¡­. But why did his gut tell him to avoid making Joran angry¡­? ¡°Get things ready,¡± he said, finally standing up again. ¡°We¡¯ll be off once the paperwork is finished. Leave everything except our gear and horses,¡± he said, then left the tent, now wondering if he could buy a small estate just outside of the capitol, Myrmeze. * * * ¡°I¡¯ll go buy-out the book vendor,¡± Avi said, waving as she split off from them as they left the slaver¡¯s compound. Joram nodded, continuing on to Kirkwall with Myra and Asami at his sides. ¡°Are you really serious about buying a whole¡­ slaving business?¡± Myra asked, faltering at the end, probably because she didn¡¯t quite know what to call something like that. He sure didn¡¯t. Calling it a ¡°company¡± just felt¡­ wrong. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be setting up a few things, going forward. I¡­ intend to see what I can do to change a few things in this country,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Kingdom,¡± Myra corrected absently. ¡°Kingdom,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll also have to see what I can learn about the politics of this kingdom if I stand a chance of changing anything,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯ll be tough,¡± Asami said from his other side. ¡°Humans are incredibly stubborn in their ways, after all.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± he said thoughtfully, knowing full-well just how entrenched humans could be in their views and ways of thinking. They didn¡¯t say anything after that, each one of them deep in thought as they entered the bank. Joram looked up again to see Franny look up from her desk and smile briefly before putting up a brave face. ¡°Joram, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± she said, smiling in a way that made him wonder just what she actually thought of him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine,¡± Asami muttered quietly before he could say anything. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ll need to make another deposit, if that¡¯s possible? Is Zerava in?¡± he asked, giving her his second-best smile. ¡°Ah, yes, please follow me!¡± Franny said, hopping to her feet quickly before scurrying towards the hallway leading to Zerava¡¯s office. They followed along quickly and were also let into Zerava¡¯s office just as fast before Franny beat a hasty retreat. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re even more popular than before,¡± Zerava said as though commenting on the weather, though Asami snickered at her words. ¡°Ah, well, anyways,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯ve got another deposit I need to make, but I kind of need a bit of¡­ discretion,¡± he said, then placed a full one hundred Grade A Cores on her desk, causing her eyes to nearly bug out in shock. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Zerava demanded a moment after inspecting a few of the Cores. ¡°How are they all High-Grade Cores?¡± ¡°Can you deposit them?¡± he asked, handily avoiding the question. ¡°There¡¯ll be questions asked,¡± Zerava said, shaking her head. ¡°This many Grade A- and High-Grade- Cores showing up in the boonies like this always raises more than a few flags,¡± she said, giving him a pointed look. ¡°Well, I might have been playing around in a dungeon these past few weeks,¡± he said, scratching the back of his head as he looked up at the ceiling. Zerava turned and pinned Asami with a questioning look that seemed to roll off like water off a duck¡¯s back. She then turned to Myra who promptly began studying the view out the window. Another minute passed before she gave up with an explosive sigh. ¡°Just so long as you¡¯re paying your taxes,¡± she said, shaking her head as she began counting the Cores by sliding them into a bag that she¡¯d gotten from somewhere, two at a time. ¡°Do you pay taxes on dungeons outside of a settlement¡¯s area of influence¡­?¡± he asked, now worried about tax evasion and just how ridiculously tenacious tax collectors could be¡­ and vicious. Zerava looked up once she finished counting and frowned at him. ¡°You mean, you found a Grade A Wild Dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes..?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go talk to Celys,¡± she said, shaking her head before bowing it and pinching the bridge of her nose. Chapter 093 - Limits ¡°Joram!¡± Joram turned to see Celys running over, closely followed by Gwen, the owner of the east-side clinic in Kirkwall. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, getting an exasperated look from the Chief. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, sounding curiously cross and worried at the same time. ¡°I hear that you¡¯ve just bought a slaver¡¯s business. Care to explain?¡± ¡°Oh, that,¡± he said, nodding as he motioned for Myra and Asami to take over directing the pack-up. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ve got a few ideas for what I want to do with it. It¡¯ll probably take a while to get things restructured, though. Anyways, if you could help getting everyone organized, I¡¯d appreciate it. Once we¡¯re all done, we can have a long talk about what I¡¯m thinking,¡± he said with a smile that she didn¡¯t return at first. Gwen, however, did return his smile before stepping away to start helping organize everything. There was a lot compared to last time. This time, there were a few more wagons, tents, fencing¡­ and employees. He also noticed that Matun hadn¡¯t brought any male slaves this time, making him wonder if he¡¯d been betting on selling everyone to him at his last stop. Anyways, it also occurred to him that he¡¯d need to do something about his new employees, not to mention those back in the capitol where the headquarters of Myriad Wonders was located. Which then led him to quickly enchant a black Moss Stone ¡°coin¡± with [Anchored Navigation], instructing Matun to place it in the office of his building when he got back, and had to explain things to his once-upon-a-time employees. Taking stock, as it were, he found that there had been 52 Slaves. There were: 3 Dragonkin, 4 Goatkin, 5 Harpies, 2 Lamia, 3 Oni, 1 Yuki-onna, 4 Merkin, 3 Sea Elves, and 3 Halflings. And 24 more humans. Once more, they were all¡­ exemplary members of their various races. They were also somewhat more¡­ traumatized than the others had been. After recusing himself of the situation, for they weren¡¯t terribly comfortable with him for having bought them, he met with Celys, Asami, Avi, Myra, the three gals, and surprisingly Erys, to discuss things. ¡°So, there¡¯ve been more ¡®bandit¡¯ raids, then?¡± he asked, summing up what they¡¯d told him. ¡°That¡¯s what the younglings say, yes,¡± Avi said, nodding. ¡°More slavers, huh?¡± he mused as the others nodded at him. ¡°I very much want to curb this. But how?¡± he asked, open to suggestions. ¡°I could do a few fly-overs and just burn any bandits that I find,¡± Erys said with a shrug, getting her a few worried looks. ¡°Well, you could try roaming the countryside, but that won¡¯t be very efficient,¡± Asami said, not looking as though she had a better idea. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just, I don¡¯t know, [Summon] a whole bunch of beings to search for the bandits out there?¡± Qyress asked, looking bit nervous as everyone turned to look at her. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be very efficient,¡± Fyrellia said as she shook her head a bit. Avi seemed to perk up a bit, something seemingly coming to mind as her eyes lit up. ¡°Well, we could get some eyes in the sky,¡± she said as she gave him a significant look. ¡°Oh,¡± he said, thinking about satellites and all of that. ¡®[Summon: All] could very well cover all of the equipment we¡¯d need to get that all set up,¡¯ Avi silently sent, making him grin. ¡°Yeah, that can work,¡± he said, then got back to the younglings. ¡°So, for the new girls. It¡¯ll take me until morning to get enough rooms made for everyone. That said, I¡¯m glad that the other ladies were happy to get back to cooking again,¡± he said, grateful for those women and their desire to help. ¡°Will you also be giving them rings like ours?¡± Celys asked, giving him an unreadable look. ¡°It would be good, I think,¡± he said, thinking about it again as he decided to change the rings to Tetra-III instead of palladium to help avoid undue attention. ¡°Out of electrum?¡± Celys pressed, though he understood where she was coming from. ¡°Something less eye-catching this time,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll still need to speak with them later, though. I¡¯ll also need to examine each of them so that I can tune each ring to them individually¡­ much like I did with your group,¡± he said the last part to the three gals, who nodded at him in understanding. Or at least that¡¯s what he took it for, anyways. ¡°I¡¯ll also need to make a trip to the capitol to get things set up there,¡± he said, not looking forward to that part. ¡°Then you should take Zerava with you,¡± Celys said seriously. ¡°She¡¯s been there a lot in the past and knows her way around things.¡± Joram nodded as a couple of heads turned to look at him seriously. ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± Asami said as though it was a foregone conclusion. ¡°As am I,¡± Erys said, nodding. ¡°What?¡± he asked, looking at the Elder Dragon. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with the major cities of the continent, so I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be of help,¡± she said confidently. ¡°OK, then I¡¯ll need to leave some people here,¡± he said as Myra and Avi looked as though they¡¯d also speak up. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to bring everyone with me and it¡¯s better for everyone to get to know the new girls, as well as to help them settle in. ¡°Besides,¡± he said with a sardonic grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll feel like I haven¡¯t left,¡± he said, alluding to Joram 1 because he hadn¡¯t quite gotten around to letting Celys know that he could basically clone himself. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine then,¡± Myra said with a sniff. ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can do with the new ¡®demons¡¯ in the group,¡± Arise said, earning a nod of appreciation from him. ¡°Thanks. So, on to what I¡¯m planning for the properties I bought,¡± he said, then went on to explain his thoughts and ideas on the matter. Both Avi and Asami didn¡¯t seem surprised, probably because they could read his mind- earning him a nod from them both. The gals, Myra, and Celys were nodding in approval by the end, leaving Erys the only one who didn¡¯t seem very concerned about it all. In fact, she looked more distracted than anything else, making him wonder what was going on with her. ¡°So, we¡¯ll head off as soon as that guy drops off the anchor I gave him. In the meantime, is there an organization of some sort that can act on my behalf to take control of my new assets?¡± he asked as he looked around at everyone. His study was silent for a few moments as they all processed what he¡¯d said, then Celys spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure there is. I¡¯ll ask Zerava and see what she knows, then arrange things with her so that she can accompany you. But Joram? Be sure to¡­ keep being you,¡± she said with a motherly smile that threw him off balance before she quickly left the room. ¡°Well, sounds like we¡¯ll have our hands full,¡± Fyrellia said with a bright smile. ¡°But if things go how I think they might, you¡¯ll need to work on that [Fission] [Skill] of yours,¡± she finished with a twinkle in her eyes. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°What?¡± he asked, deadpanned. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Fyrellia asked, giving him a searching look. ¡°Know what?¡± he asked warily as both Asami and Avi turned to stare at the bookshelves, a hand over their mouths. Fyrellia looked at Arise then Qyress, both of whom also coincidentally found the strong urge to study the contents of his study. With a sigh, she spoke. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit of a cultural thing with us ¡®Demons¡¯,¡± she said, seemingly having a bit of trouble looking him in the eye. ¡°Heck, anyone who has a strong connection to Mana is also the same way,¡± she said, giving Erys a pointed look that the dragon just blinked at, causing Fyrellia to sigh again. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± she said, then cleared her throat. ¡°We- demons- find anyone with a large mana pool¡­ incredibly attractive,¡± she said, then looked away quickly. ¡°Does my current¡­ self, qualify for that too?¡± he asked carefully as he thought of how his resource pools had been evenly split between his bodies, which was why he only had just over a thousand mana to play with at the moment. ¡°¡­ yes¡­¡± Qyress said, saving her friend at the expense of her own embarrassment. ¡°I see¡­¡± he said, then looked over to Asami Miki who continued to studiously stare at the bookshelf. ¡°Is there a way to mask¡­ that? Like, something to hide that¡­ whatever you¡¯d call that. Mana-sense? Aura?¡± he asked, at a loss for what to call it. ¡°Aura works,¡± Arise said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ve got a similar [Skill], though it more erases my presence than anything else.¡± ¡°Would that freak out too many people if I used something like that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joram sighed, then looked over at Erys as she sat up, looking like she had something to say. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, Elder Dragons have to learn how to suppress our own auras before we can walk amongst the mortals,¡± she said, looking proud of herself. ¡°I could teach you how to do that, if you¡¯d like,¡± she said with a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that,¡± he said, thinking about his [Legacy of Creation] Class Ability and how it would help him to make a Skill Book out of her Skill. Erys smiled brightly at that, getting calculating looks from Avi and Asami in return. The others just seemed happy that something had been decided upon. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go and do the check-up now,¡± he said as he got up, ending the meeting. He left first, not really caring about social etiquette or such things. He wanted to get things ready for his trip, not wanting to bother J1 with all that stuff even though they shared their memories and thoughts exactly the same way that [Schism]s did. That said, he could also set the internal communications between their bodies to a lower priority level, thus lowering how much he distracted himself. It was especially crucial when either of them was practicing and experimenting with their Skills, magic, and item creation. Not to mention when he went to see Lory. He¡¯d already gone to speak with her again, though. He stopped and shook his head, then. He fully understood what Lory was saying. He also understood how¡­ limiting it was to compartmentalize that part of his life, sequestering it away until he could ¡°properly¡± deal with it. But in all honesty, he knew that he wasn¡¯t anywhere near ready to take that next step yet. Years of abuse and trauma didn¡¯t fade as easily as that. Even with his decision to have Avi help him with [Psychic Chirurgery], removing the pain and hesitation that came after all of that damage, the PTSD and general anxiety¡­. Well. It was likely going to take a long time for him to step into the world of actual romance again. Was he grateful for the affection and attention that those women showed him? Certainly. Could he properly reciprocate their feelings? No. They were certainly important people to him, even the three gals. He wasn¡¯t too sure what was up with Erys yet, nor what he¡¯d do with her going forward. She seemed nice enough¡­ when she wasn¡¯t trying to kill you, that is. Letting them all cuddle with him had probably been a big mistake, if not a massive one. That he¡¯d been able to hold back with the help of [Clear Mind] and [Barred Mind] while they were pressed up against him was not a minor miracle. If he¡¯d still been human, without Skills or Powers to help him keep himself in check, well. Things would have gone much differently than they¡¯d been going. Which also proved to him that he wasn¡¯t ready to take on a relationship. Or many, in his case. Sure, polygamy was a thing here and all that. Sure, it was almost expected that powerful people would have many spouses, consorts, and concubines, or whatever. He had never been one to like going along with the expectations others had for him. He¡¯d always done his own thing, for it was his life after all. He did, however, recognize the care and concern behind the expectations others had for him. He even respected them. He just didn¡¯t blindly follow those expectations if they weren¡¯t something that he¡¯d already wanted, or planned, to do. So, with his current circumstances, it would be hard to tell Celys and Nalun that he wasn¡¯t going to marry Myra. Well, ¡°yet¡±¡­. Or maybe ¡°never¡±. He didn¡¯t know. She was certainly a fine young woman, even with her stubborn streak and borderline tsundere attitude for everyone outside of people she considered family. Or potential family, in his case. Asami, though, was still more than a mystery for him. She¡¯d told him why she ¡°liked¡± him and all that. But he was reasonably sure that she hadn¡¯t said everything, nor could he blame her. Everyone had their secrets, after all. He turned and made his way to the training dungeon, thinking about how best to deal with the mess he¡¯d gotten himself into. At least he could go and get some crafting materials from the 6th Floor, as well as more Cores. Heck, maybe he¡¯d try to level up over the next week or two that it would take Matun to return to Myrmeze. That led to the question of what he¡¯d do with his Path, specifically his Class. Should he continue with [Creationist], or should he look at another Class? [Creationist] was certainly incredibly powerful with what it gave in terms of Attributes, as well as its Class Features. But would that be enough to eventually get home? Did he even want to return to Earth? Sure, he had his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, as well as many uncles, aunts, and cousins. He even had a couple of friends he¡¯d managed to keep in contact with after he¡¯d been consumed¡­ with what had happened. But, was that enough? He¡¯d always been a borderline recluse with how introverted he was. Then everything else dropping on him had made it worse. So. Did he want to return to Earth? Wasn¡¯t he building a new life here? He certainly had people that he¡¯d consider friends. Heck, there were many that would gladly become his family if he gave them a chance to. Looking around a bit as he walked, Joram admired the ridiculous redwood-like trees and the scent of nature. If he could manage to clear up the messes that he¡¯d made, it would be nice to just relax in the woods like this for a few decades. But life wasn¡¯t as convenient as all that. So, he began planning. Planning for the future, planning for the future of those under his aegis. Planning for what he hoped to accomplish for the many people constantly beset by evil people wanting more slaves, be they the bandits, slavers, or the rich. He would do something about them. And planning for his own happiness. * * * ¡°So, why haven¡¯t you approached him yet?¡± she asked, poking Erys in the side and making the dragon-woman jump. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Erys said, giving her a mighty glare that affected her about as much as a sneeze would. ¡°For as¡­ nice as mrrandii is, he¡¯s surprisingly¡­ hard to approach,¡± she said, now looking astonishingly shy. ¡°Just talk to him,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s fine. You¡¯re fine. I¡¯m sure that what you¡¯re after will align with what he¡¯d want to do anyway.¡± Erys gave her an amazingly sharp look given how startled she also appeared to be. Which was exactly as startled as she felt. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not immune to [Spirit Communication] either,¡± she said, shaking her head slightly. ¡°On another note. Don¡¯t push him too hard with that mrrandii nonsense; it won¡¯t end well. Just take your time,¡± she said, then got up and stretched. ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense, Asami Miki,¡± Erys huffed as she also stood up, though more to avoid having to look up to her. ¡°I am quite serious about that.¡± ¡°I know. But it¡¯s nonsense if the other party doesn¡¯t accept it. And if you push too hard, you¡¯ll be quite handily evicted from his life. So, take it easy,¡± she said with a sigh, and another one when she felt what Erys was thinking. ¡°If Joram¡¯s happy, I¡¯m happy. I don¡¯t really care if he winds up with many women attached to him. But if anyone gets in the way of his happiness, I won¡¯t hesitate to act,¡± she said casually, though she knew that Erys took her words as seriously as they were meant to be taken given the sudden burst of [Aura] from the woman. ¡°Do you think that you can, little fox?¡± Erys asked, threat heavy in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not the only consideration in what I said,¡± she replied casually. ¡°Nor am I the only one who can read people. Joram can easily read a person¡¯s deepest thoughts, more thoroughly than even I can. But he doesn¡¯t out of respect for people. But if he loses that respect, then the limits he¡¯s placed on himself will vanish, along with anything else that he perceives as a threat,¡± she finished by locking eyes with Erys, hoping that the Elder Dragon would realize just how serious she was. For her part, Erys kept eye contact for several more minutes before looking away with a sigh and a tsk. ¡°It seems that my choice of mrrandii was a good one,¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°Thank you for taking the time to educate me,¡± she said, turned, then bowed to her, shocking Asami quite a bit. ¡°I will ask mrrandii for his assistance, then. I¡¯m sure that it will also benefit everyone here.¡± Asami watched Erys straighten out then leave Joram¡¯s study, leaving her alone to think. She knew that Joram would help Erys with her problems. Well, if she was right, everyone¡¯s problems. She remembered the two last major [Summon: Hero] events, and for as well as they¡¯d gone, she was sure that anyone experimenting with that highly restricted and controlled magic wasn¡¯t up to anything good. Especially since said experimentation was being done in secret. Asami looked down at her hand before clenching it into a fist. I need to get stronger, she thought grimly. Joram was already almost as strong as I was before he took his Path. Now? Now, I need to see what I can do to catch up. If I can get some of his Dust Crystals, that would be optimal. If not, then I¡¯ll need to convince him to expand the Dungeon some more so that I can get a steady supply of Cores along with how much experience I¡¯ll need to continue levelling¡­. And I¡¯ll need to drag that silly Myra along for the ride, she thought as she grinned, knowing full-well that Myra would be burning with the desire to narrow the gap between her and Joram¡¯s strength. But to do that, they¡¯d need to work on their Skills first, for she¡¯d learned the way of being offered better Paths from the Great Protector from Joram¡¯s thoughts. Chapter 094 - Meet the Smiths *Day 33* ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that a new Dungeon has appeared in your back yard?¡± Celys asked, looking both pained and incredibly weary as she rubbed her temples. ¡°We¡¯ll go with that,¡± Joram said with his second-best smile as he used [Cure: Panacea] on Celys in an effort to ease her headache, gaining him a quiet ¡®thanks¡¯ for his effort. ¡°If it¡¯s where you described, then it¡¯s outside of Kirkwall¡¯s jurisdiction,¡± Celys said, frowning slightly. ¡°That would then be classified as a Wild Dungeon, and thus able to be claimed by whoever discovered it. That said, the Exterminators¡¯ Guild will pressure you to sell the managing rights to them.¡± ¡°Would that ¡®pressure¡¯ be anything that I can¡¯t handle?¡± he asked as his eyes narrowed slightly at the thought of being bullied or extorted into selling what was his. ¡°No, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Celys said, waving off his concern. ¡°You¡¯re already a member of the Guild, so it¡¯ll just be internal politicking that you¡¯ll have to worry about. That said, given that you¡¯re already a peak Rank C member, they¡¯ll not be able to do too much. ¡°That said, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re likely to cross into Rank B soon enough, so that¡¯ll also come with its own prestige in their eyes. Alienating a rising star like you won¡¯t be a thought they¡¯ll seriously entertain. ¡°So, to make sure that you won¡¯t face any issues, I can send in a report to the Bureau of Finance letting them know that you¡¯ve found, claimed, and are managing the Dungeon. Which will mean that you¡¯ll need to set aside the proper taxes each month for them,¡± she said, then went on to describe the taxation system for dungeons. He was glad that it was relatively simple given that his ¡°one¡± dungeon was actually six dungeons stacked on top of each other. He was also glad that he wouldn¡¯t have to explain anything regarding the dungeon besides the highest ranked monsters found in it. Which also included the drop-rates of said monsters, as well as any unusual drops that were found. That last part was important because any dungeon that could produce magic items were highly sought-after. Specifically due to how primitive magic item creation was here. The items produced by a dungeon weren¡¯t the temporary ones that were commonly produced nowadays. Only the most expensive magic items produced by the most sought-after artificers even came close to comparing to the most mundane of items produced by a dungeon. So, he¡¯d need to make sure that he didn¡¯t kill anything when the kingdom¡¯s inspectors came to evaluate the dungeon. Yup, that would be a pain in the glutes. So, he¡¯d likely have to leave that prototype farm dungeon as it was and create another one somewhere else that he could use to level himself and his people. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it with the bank, then,¡± Joram said, nodding. ¡°And, again, thanks for arranging things with Zerava,¡± he said with a grateful smile. ¡°Well, with what you¡¯ve got planned, I couldn¡¯t not do my part,¡± Celys said with a warm smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be sure to return the favour one day,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°So, do you think that I¡¯ll be able to set up my own territory?¡± he asked, getting back to talking about his plans for getting recognized by the crown. ¡°That¡¯ll probably be a difficult task. Though, if your Dungeon proves to be a significant enough source of revenue for the kingdom, then I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get there sooner rather than later,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s been bothering me for a while now, but why hasn¡¯t anyone claimed or developed the forest west of here?¡± he asked, finally able to ask the question without it being weird. ¡°Oh, haven¡¯t I mentioned it before?¡± Celys asked, looking a bit confused. ¡°Well, anyways, there are a couple of reasons for that. ¡°The first being that it¡¯s so far away from the major hubs and trade routes of the kingdom. Anyone wanting to settle and start harvesting the resources of the region would have a significant hurdle in the form of start-up costs. Anything from getting the right talent all the way to convincing the common folk to settle in the new development is hard to do. ¡°The second reason is its history. Well, you could probably say that it¡¯s the first reason for most people. The history of the Ghostlands, as they call the western forest, is rather¡­ fear-inducing for most. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know, but there used to be an extensive civilization that spanned the entirety of the Ghostlands a very long time ago. Records are spotty, but its fall is said to have occurred roughly three thousand years ago when the [Demon Lord] of the time attacked, and nearly won. ¡°Well, anyways. The forest is called the Ghostlands because of the number of spirits that still wander the Great Forest. Those spirits, or ghosts as outsiders call them, are a significant deterrent for anyone with desires to develop the forest. ¡°But there¡¯s also the proximity to the Demon Continent to consider. Given how easy it is to get there from the western shore, no one wants to risk being any closer than they absolutely have to,¡± she said, then paused for him. ¡°So, location, spirits, and again with location,¡± he summed up, getting a nod from her. ¡°So, why haven¡¯t I run across any spirits yet?¡± he asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s probably because of Asami Miki¡¯s presence, not to mention the other Spirit Foxes that like hanging around you,¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? You¡¯ve been living with Asami and Myra all this time, yet haven¡¯t gotten to know them better?!¡± Celys demanded incredulously, completely scandalized at the notion. ¡°¡­¡± he really couldn¡¯t say anything to that, especially since he really hadn¡¯t gone out of his way to really get to know the two of them better. Which led back to why he was sure that it was a bad idea to try to progress anything on a romantic level with them. He just wasn¡¯t¡­ ready, for he was still broken. ¡°Well,¡± Celys said, huffing a bit before continuing. ¡°You know that Myra is a special kind of [Priestess] known as a [Miko], right?¡± she asked, then continued when he nodded. ¡°A [Miko] has the special duty to act as a sort of intermediary between us, the Spirit Foxes, and the spirits. Not only that, but they¡¯re also responsible for conducting special rites twice a year to help rid the spirits of their resentment, thus allowing us to live here peacefully.¡± Joram nodded, getting it a bit more now, but had to ask. ¡°So, the spirits haven¡¯t bothered me out there because of the Spirit Foxes, Myra, and Asami?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, what if they hadn¡¯t decided to come with me? Would I have been haunted to death for having decided to build out there?¡± he asked, not sure how he should feel about that. ¡°Possibly,¡± Celys said, looking away briefly before turning back to him. ¡°So, you knew that I could have died out there, but still allowed me to buy the land, then to build out there?¡± he asked, glad for M12 focussing on [Clear Mind] in the background. ¡°Well, it all turned out well in the end,¡± Celys said with a brilliant, though slightly strained, smile. Joram sat quiet for a few moments before shaking his head. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. There were ways to deal with spirits and ghosts and such, so he wasn¡¯t as angry about the whole affair as he could have been. However, learning that Celys had been willing to risk his life like that¡­ hurt a bit. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, knowing that she¡¯d know what he was really asking. Celys sighed, then leaned back in her chair, sliding down slightly as she did. ¡°That was before we really knew that we could trust you,¡± she said as she looked up at the ceiling. ¡°At the same time, seeing how many Spirit Foxes had chosen to follow you about, not to mention Harumi, the chances of you running into anything deadly were much lower than for anyone else,¡± she said, sounding¡­ regretful. He thought about that for a minute before asking his next question. ¡°So, why wasn¡¯t I attacked when I was living on my own?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± she said, dropping her head down so that she could look at him again. ¡°It could be anything ranging from pure chance all the way to, well, just about anything, really,¡± she said, shrugging. He nodded, wondering if it had anything to do with Altaea¡¯s presence when they¡¯d arrived. A goddess, even a weakened one, who also happened to be a [Paladin] who specialized in eradicating undead, might have left a mark. One that spirits didn¡¯t dare approach. ¡°Well, thanks for your honesty,¡± he said, smiling a bit, exchanged parting pleasantries, then excused himself from her office. He¡¯d finished the expansion of the apartment building for the new arrivals last night, as well as the rings for the new girls. He¡¯d also checked each one of them after dinner, using [Delve] to get what he needed for the rings, as well as [Cure: Panacea] to be sure that they were in optimal health. It had gone better than everyone had thought, though. The girls and young women hadn¡¯t shied away from him, but had instead been keenly interested in meeting him. Myra had later told him that the first group of girls had basically sung his praises the whole day, alleviating most of their worries. As part of the ring gifting ceremony, as everyone was now calling it, he¡¯d also freed all those who could legally be freed. Which once more left the ¡°demons¡± of the group. Though, the three gals had stepped up brilliantly and had basically taken them under their collective wings. Literally or proverbially. Which led to now. He stepped out of the back hallway and didn¡¯t bother suppressing a smile upon seeing the new girls and young women being registered. The younger ones were being registered under the care of his orphanage while the older ones were getting registered as ¡°adults¡±. The eighteen ¡°demons¡± amongst the new group were also there, but off to the side with the three gals. He couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to them through [Touchsight], though. The three dragonkin women had pretty much the same features that Erys had when she¡¯d first [Polymorph]¡¯d. Wings, tail, horns, slightly clawed fingers and toes, along with very fine scales, though their colouring varied. There seemed to be a white dragon, a black dragon, and a red dragon given the colour of their scales. The five Harpies, though, weren¡¯t like the ones of ancient Greece, nor the ones you¡¯d see in most RPGs or video games. Like the various animal-kin, humans had very much interbred with them, making them basically look human. Sure, their arms were wings, but they had very human-like hands at the ends of them. Most of their legs were ¡°human¡±, but about mid-shin they basically turned into standard bird legs and feet. Well, a raptor-type bird, anyways. Those talons at the ends of their claws were pretty awesome looking. Their hair varied in colour, from white to a light grey. At the nape of their necks, he could see very fine down that crossed the backs of their shoulders to connect with the feathers on their wing-arms. They were all slight of build, making sense to his physics-oriented brain, looking as though they could be trained ballerinas. The next group were the two Lamias. Both had stunning emerald-green scales, alternating with slightly lighter or darker greens in a diamond-like pattern from the hips down. From those awesome hips and up, they were very much human, even with the super-fine scales running up their spines, at their elbows, and on the backs of their hands. Even their teeth weren¡¯t all pointy as he¡¯d more than half expected. Aside from more prominent incisors, they weren¡¯t any different from those in his own mouth. Then there were the Oni. Two of them had white hair, while the third had raven-black hair. But all three had what he¡¯d call ¡°Asari¡± blue skin and very short white horns in the centre of the foreheads. They were also almost as tall as he was, making them a lot taller than most other people around. He would also classify them as the stereotypical ¡°hot barbarian¡± chick. The definition of their muscles wasn¡¯t anything to take lightly. He was sure that each one of them had passed that first bottleneck in Strength. But given what he knew of (human) physiology, he was very much impressed with their curves. All three had respectable hips and breasts, once more playing into that barbarian chick stereotype. It didn¡¯t help that all three had insisted on wearing clothing that they insisted was ¡°traditional attire¡± for their clans. Ridiculously reinforced sports bras on top with basically Daisy-Duke¡¯s on the bottom. It had been a fight to compromise with them into wearing even those shorts, as they¡¯d initially insisted upon wearing loincloths. Or what he¡¯d call ¡°butt-flaps¡±. He nearly sighed remembering their insistence as they¡¯d pressed close to press their point. Points. Sigh. The Merkin had been, comparatively, easier to deal with. Though they, too, were basically just wearing bras around. Fortunately, they¡¯d agreed to wear a sarong-like skirt while they had legs. Yes, legs. The four mermaids could freely shift between having a tail and legs, much to his relief. That said, he was astonished that evolution hadn¡¯t reduced their profiles for better hydrodynamics. Then again, if he thought about every other race out there, he supposed that they¡¯d also interbred with humans¡­ a lot. Which left the Yuki-Onna, a stunning young woman with snow-white skin and hair. Her eyes still seemed to unnerve most people, though. He had also been surprised by her nearly white, pale blue eyes, but had found them rather striking. It was her black sclera that people had found disconcerting, though. Which led to the young woman avoiding eye contact with almost everyone, instead choosing to gaze down at her feet. Which then resulted in giving her an air of a shy and demure young woman, especially since she seemed to prefer wearing a kimono after seeing Asami¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t very tall, standing about 168cm or so. But considering the national average, he supposed that she was on the taller end of the spectrum. And she could be another dancer with her lithe figure and long legs. Looking around, he idly wondered if he should start a dance class or something. Not that he could actually dance himself, but he did remember everything that he¡¯d ever seen, let alone what he had in the form of digital media, so it might not be as impossible as all that. Shaking his head, he turned to look at the Goatkin and had to wonder just how¡­ every milk-producing animal had wound up with a ¡°kin¡± with such prominent breasts. Probably horny humans again, if he was being realistic. Anyways, the four goatkin women weren¡¯t the kind with massive horns, though they did have them. They were similar to the Oni¡¯s horns, though a very dark brown bordering on black. Their ears, though, were the type that started near the top of their head and angled straight down, long enough to reach their jaws. All four had brown hair and kind of standard goat tails that extended from where you would expect. Aside from those basically cosmetic changes, they looked human. He then focussed on the Halflings and wondered if they were really a separate race from humans. Sure, the tallest stood under a metre tall, but aside from that, they were proportionally the same as a human. Even if you took a human child and stood them next to an adult halfling, you could easily tell the difference between the two due to their morphology. These young women were just that: women. They had fully developed breasts and hips, not to mention being narrower in the waist than a human child could ever be, let alone their arms and legs. Bone structure was a thing, after all. But seriously, did someone just use a shrink ray or something on people? He silently wondered as Asami gave him a weird look. Finally, he regarded the Sea Elves. They were very much their own race given their hair, skin, and eye colours. These three, respectively, had very light blue, green, and purple skin. Their hair also varied between them, from sea-green to deep ocean blue. Though their heights were fairly different. One was about the same height as Arise, the next was about the same height as Asami, while the third was about the same height as Qyress. Unlike the mermaids, they¡¯d opted for the same clothing that the other elves had chosen, which had surprised him a little, but ultimately didn¡¯t matter a whole lot if they weren¡¯t walking around half- or mostly- naked. Then he lost himself in his thoughts for a time as everyone got registered one way or another and only came out of them when Arise cleared her throat beside him. ¡°We¡¯re ready to go to the bank now,¡± she said, already looking at the doors. He nodded, then led the way out as Asami took up her spot on his right with Harumi on his left, the skulk flanking the large group following him. Zerava was once again called upon to get the tags the ¡°demons¡± would need to access his account, but aside from that, things went pretty fast, all things considered. Before the could leave, though, Zerava pulled him aside for a word. ¡°Just what is with you?¡± she asked, her eyes searching his face as though she was trying to read a book in a foreign language. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, completely taken off guard by the question. ¡°More slaves. Buying out a slave company. Starting the orphanage. Them,¡± she said, motioning towards the ¡®demons¡¯ who were still in shock over receiving their bank tags. ¡°Did you know that each and every one of them chose to take on your family name like the first group did?¡± He blinked at that, not able to say anything. Not because his minds had stopped, nor because he felt guilty or something like that. But because of the lump in his throat. It took him a minute to finally speak past the lump, though he still had to whisper for fear of his voice failing him. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do me proud,¡± he said, then swallowed again before taking a deep breath, then another as Zerava continued to scrutinize him. ¡°Keep up the good work,¡± she said before patting him on the shoulder and making her way back to her office, leaving him to wonder how another frog had ninja¡¯d its way into his throat. Chapter 095 - Planning and blessings in disguise The walk home afterwards was thankfully uneventful, leaving him to do what he wanted. Which just so happened to be to produce footwear for everyone who needed it. He made the same styles for the new younglings as he¡¯d made for the first ones, then left them in the mess hall the same way he¡¯d done the first time. After that, he went off to the bathhouse and had a good, hard look at it. Given that he now had 101¡­. Wow. He¡¯d probably get sued or something if they¡¯d all been dalmatian dogkin. Anyways, taking into account their numbers, he wondered if he¡¯d need to make another bathhouse since the apartments didn¡¯t have their own tubs or showers installed in them. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have to put up a sign,¡± he muttered, thinking that the renovations would be best done overnight. ¡°Good thought,¡± Asami said from his side, nodding. ¡°Given what¡¯s coming, I¡¯ll prepare a bit more,¡± he said, looking towards the now nine-story apartment building. ¡°Yup. You¡¯ll probably have to build a few more of those. Maybe make them big enough for families, too,¡± she said, nodding, then explained when he gave her a weird look. ¡°Some of the younglings might want to stay close to each other. Letting them share an apartment would help them relax.¡± He nodded at that as Avi came over. ¡°Need any help?¡± she asked with a grin that he couldn¡¯t quite ignore. ¡°I always need help,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°Thank you. Do you need any¡­ I don¡¯t know, tips? Advice?¡± he asked, not quite sure how to phrase his question given that she had access to the same knowledge that he did. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll manage,¡± she said as her grin widened. ¡°Are you sure you want to continue buying up slaves like you¡¯ve been? The way you¡¯re going, you¡¯ll be starting your own city within a year,¡± she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. ¡°Good point,¡± he said, thinking about it. ¡°I guess that I¡¯ll just have to build a whole city out here,¡± he finally said, getting a blink from Avi and a laugh from Asami. ¡°You know that you can¡¯t have a viable population without an even distribution of genders, right?¡± Avi asked, giving him the side-eye. ¡°This¡¯ll be the orphanage, and I¡¯ll get permission to start a settlement further west for the city. I¡¯d like to have them separate, for now. Though, given how large a city can get, I don¡¯t know how Kirkwall will feel about having one pop up right on their doorsteps¡­¡± he said, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°Then don¡¯t build here,¡± Asami said, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t build anywhere you want to.¡± Avi nodded, turning more serious. ¡°Besides, with everything that you can do, I don¡¯t think that distance will be an issue.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± he said, nodding as well. ¡°I¡¯ve also been thinking about building a remote base,¡± he said, then motioned for them to follow him, only continuing when they got to his study. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the issues between the Demon Continent and this one. I¡¯m not sure what kind of trade there might be, or even if there is trade, between the continent, but I had an idea about that. ¡°With how well I¡¯ve been progressing with [Dimensional Manipulation] and [Spatial Manipulation], I¡¯ve been considering creating¡­ a tower. A Dungeon Tower, to be exact,¡± he said, then went on to explain the concept. It would basically be like those tower dungeons you¡¯d find in various manga/manhwa and light novels. It was a popular trope before he¡¯d arrived on Iria, and one that he¡¯d thought about more than once since getting [Create Dungeon] a few months ago. Now, given the limits of building materials and, well, basic physics, he was planning on doing the whole ¡°bigger on the inside¡± bit. Now that he could use [Genesis, True], he suspected that he could go a bit wild with how he laid-out everything. As they talked, they snowballed ideas back and forth. Anything from just making the bounds of each floor larger with [Spatial Manipulation] all the way to attaching a demiplane to each floor. Which was throwing him for a loop trying to reconcile what all of that would entail. Given that Asami could just read his mind, making it basically impossible to keep anything from her, he veered off to discussing more technological things. He really wanted to get transports for everyone. Be they a land vehicle or an air vehicle, it would make things much easier for him and the girls if something like that were in place for when he wasn¡¯t around. Which also led to them discussing [Fission] and what could be accomplished once he was able to have more than one clone running around to help. ¡°The major limitation right now is that all of my resource pools are evenly divided amongst us,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Well, why not increase your resource pools, then?¡± Asami said, not seeming to see the problem. ¡°Well, I agree with Asami,¡± Avi said, shocking him more than a bit. ¡°You can only live a free life if you¡¯re strong enough to stay free. Getting stronger would certainly help. And if you¡¯re worried about droves of ¡®demon¡¯ women flocking to you because of your crazy mana, then just make another clone,¡± Avi said, handily wrapping up his worries and tossing them out the window. Well, not completely. Power attracted envy and fear, no matter what planet or universe you found yourself on or in. He¡¯d have to see if Erys¡¯ trick of hiding his mana aura, or whatever it really was, would help. If it did, then he wouldn¡¯t have any issues dumping a whole bunch of Dust Crystals into [Mana Well] and [Source of Power]. Probably some into [Toughness] and his various elemental resistances too¡­. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s settled then,¡± he said, getting smiles from the could-be sisters. ¡°Then once I¡¯ve got an augment figured out that¡¯ll let me make more clones, I¡¯ll start exploring more,¡± he said with a smile, one that they both returned. ¡°Speaking of,¡± Asami said, then laid out her plans for levelling up with Myra. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve got planned Avi, but I¡¯m sure that you also wish to keep up with Joram,¡± she said, giving her a serious look. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Avi said, glancing at him briefly before returning her full attention to Asami. ¡°There are a few Paths that I already qualify for, but I want to see if I can unlock something a bit more¡­ versatile.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of [Creationist] as well?¡± he asked, now more curious than ever. ¡°That¡¯s at the top of the list,¡± Avi said, nodding once. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if having two [Creationist]s is better than having one and another Class that might compliment it.¡± They both nodded, understanding where Avi was coming from. His strength came from the versatility of the Class, not it¡¯s ability to blow things up. Or to heal. Or to protect. Well, with his various Skills, he could do most of that, but having a Class that was focussed on one of those things was probably better in the long run. But he didn¡¯t want her to choose a complimentary Class just because they might need it in the future. So, he said as much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Avi said, giving him a smile that nearly stopped his heart. ¡°I won¡¯t choose something that I¡¯m not drawn to.¡± Asami¡¯s look of awe as she stared at Avi nearly made him laugh. If Asami learned to smile like Avi, well¡­ ¡°Exactly!¡± Asami exclaimed as she turned to him with eyes wide. ¡°Do you know how many tea biscuits I could get?!¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Not expecting that answer, he burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he nearly fell out of his chair. Even Avi joined in, but he couldn¡¯t be sure if it was due to the same shock or if she was laughing at him. After that, they discussed how best to get Asami and Myra the levels they yearned for. The solution wound up being the addition of another few levels in the dungeons he¡¯d made. Which he couldn¡¯t quite get to yet, given the stuff he had on his plate already. But it was put on the To-Do list, along with a few other things like adding more psionic class features to his repertoire. And trying to get new elements unlocked in the ¡°kinesis¡± line. And many other little things that he¡¯d been meaning to do. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good idea to clear things up,¡± Avi said, pre-empting him. ¡°Out of everyone else, we two know you best. Which is why we understand. But you¡¯ll need to talk with the others so that they¡¯ll also understand,¡± she said, patting Asami¡¯s leg as she spoke. He just nodded, once more not trusting his voice. But also fearing that he¡¯d say something incredibly stupid, which got him a pair of sympathetic smiles. He nodded again, then got up and left the study, intent on figuring out the whole storage ring issue before bedtime. * * * ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be able to do it?¡± Asami asked, still staring at the door. ¡°He¡¯ll figure out the storage ring issue,¡± she said, then went on after getting an annoyed backhand to the arm. ¡°I¡¯m also sure that he¡¯ll firm up and clear the water. It¡¯s been on his mind for a while now, after all.¡± Asami nodded, likely having already noticed Joram¡¯s internal dilemmas. She found herself envying her other self, the one paired with Joram Aneath, for he¡¯d had Altaea to help him through¡­ everything. For as much knowledge was crammed into her head, she wasn¡¯t Altaea. Nor did she have all of her life experiences to help in navigating¡­ everything. She just wished that the stubborn man would get rid of his useless attachment to stoicism. Wished that he¡¯d open up. Wished that he¡¯d trust more. Ask for help when he really needed it. It was a minor miracle that he¡¯d asked her to help him by using [Psychic Chirurgery] on him. But he¡¯d been putting it off since, still conflicted by ¡°taking the easy way out¡±, as he¡¯d put it. He knew that he had time. He didn¡¯t have to worry about a finite lifespan. His, anyways. Which was the problem. Time would continue to flow for everyone else around him, making his decision harder again. If he stalled too long, a century could easily pass before he noticed. Especially with how deeply he could enter meditation. ¡°He won¡¯t do that, though, will he?¡± Asami asked worriedly, bringing her out of her thoughts. ¡°He¡­¡± she started, remembering Aneath as he sat in his rock garden after Altaea had left him. ¡°It¡¯s not out of the realm of possibility,¡± she finished and saw how wide Asami¡¯s eyes had gotten. ¡°He¡¯s really¡­¡± Asami trailed off, likely trying to come to grips with what she¡¯d ¡®overheard¡¯. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a bit special,¡± she said, feeling a bit bittersweet about it. ¡°That¡¯s why he needs our help,¡± she said firmly as she reached over and placed a hand on Asami¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wow,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°Does he know¡­ what you know?¡± ¡°No, not yet. But it¡¯s only a matter of time before the memories start coming for him,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to make sure that he¡¯s good before that happens.¡± Asami gulped at that, looking a bit lost. Avi could understand that feeling. It had been hard enough for her when her Prime¡¯s memories had started leaking through, mostly because she¡¯d been nowhere near as¡­ mature as her Prime when it happened. She wasn¡¯t sure how it would be for Joram, but hoped that it was similar to what Altaea was experiencing as her individual selves gained power. For her, it was¡­ worse. It wasn¡¯t just a sharing of memories. It was much more. More profound. As the memories came, so too came the various emotions, thoughts, and feelings that her Prime had experienced. And was still experiencing. She felt¡­ as though she was becoming more like her Prime self every day. Which, as thrilling as it was to gain all of her knowledge and experiences, was also terrifying in its own right. Would she just become a clone of her Prime in the end? Or would their two selves merge like Altaea was doing? What she hoped would happen with Joram. Or would the various Jorams rejoin like the various Altaeas were doing? Could they? Altaea had the advantage of being a goddess, while Joram had started off as a mortal. Still a mortal, even with the infinite lifespan he now enjoyed. Was the spark of divinity what made it possible to rejoin like Altaea was doing? Or was it something else? ¡°Don¡¯t torture yourself,¡± Asami said as she took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. ¡°Only fools worry about things they cannot know. You¡¯ll know in time, and that¡¯s enough,¡± she said, sounding much older than her youthful face gave credit for. ¡°True. But I can plan,¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°If you¡¯re truly serious about staying with Joram, then you¡¯ll also have to take on some of his burdens,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Like I said, I like him,¡± Asami replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll help how I can.¡± ¡°Good, because we¡¯ll also need to speak with the others,¡± she said, then explained what was on her mind. * * * Kasumi looked around the strange little room that she¡¯d been shown. Most of the other younglings had decided to pair-up with others of their race, or just those close enough. Like the goatkin going to stay with the sheepkin, or the sea elves with the other elves she¡¯d seen. The other ¡°demons¡±, though, had joined her on the top floor of the odd looking building that the ¡°first¡± younglings had shown them all. She had no idea what she was supposed to do with¡­ almost everything inside of the small apartment. At least they¡¯d shown her how to use the odd toilet¡­. Not knowing what to do, she just dropped the two boxes of shoes on the table in the¡­ eating area? Living room? But it was also attached to the small kitchen-like area, so she really didn¡¯t know what to call it. She looked down at her hand again and wondered if it was a coincidence. The white metal ring had a dull shine to it that made her smile a bit as she thought of her old family name: Shirogane. The ring wasn¡¯t silver, but instead suited her name better than its actual meaning. And it was¡­ warm. Not¡­ physically, no. But she could feel the warmth in it, like a hug from her parents, or the feeling of knowing that she was safe in bed. She couldn¡¯t explain it, but nonetheless took comfort from the feeling. She reached up and touched her neck again and wondered. Wondered just who the young man was that had bought them all, along with the rest of the slavers¡¯ company. But with how even the dark elf, succubus, and erynese had spoken of the young man, let alone the animal-kin and other humans, she wondered if she- and the others she¡¯d been with- hadn¡¯t had a fortuitous encounter on the level of legends. Then she frowned as she felt warm air begin to blow across her brow and looked up. She stared for a minute before deciding that she had to do something about it. But what? She looked around for something to cover the odd grate with, but couldn¡¯t find anything that would work. Frowning, she wondered if it would just be better to sleep outside, then jumped when a knock came at the door. Looking around in a bit of a panic, she belatedly remembered that she was ostensibly in her own apartment now. So, she firmed up and slowly made her way to the large door and paused. *Knock-knock* She just about jumped again, but was better able to clamp down on her fright that time. ¡°Wh-who is it¡­?¡± she asked, shamed at how she¡¯d stuttered. ¡°Joram.¡± She gulped, not knowing what to do. She was about to run when she remembered that she couldn¡¯t escape even if she wanted to. She took another moment to collect herself before she reached out, turned the door handle, and pulled the door open. And there stood Joram Smith, a very large human who dwarfed her slight frame. She took in his stony face, beard and all, and wondered if the ¡°first¡± group had been lying about him. He was tall, big, and incredibly intimidating to look at, especially only a few feet away. ¡°May I come in?¡± he asked as his expression softened, revealing a kind smile. ¡°Please,¡± she said as she stepped back and bowed to him. Through the corner of her eye, she saw one of his eyebrows twitch before he stepped in and took off his shoes, surprising her with the courtesy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to bow,¡± he said before she felt hands on her shoulders inexorably lifting her back to a normal standing posture. ¡°You¡¯re really as cold as I thought, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, a curious expression now replacing his smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said as she reflexively tried to bow again but was stopped by his wall-like hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for being you,¡± he said, frowning slightly. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t mind the cold, so you¡¯re fine,¡± he said, then stepped further inside before going to the odd eating room. Curious, and a bit frightened, she followed him and saw that he stopped in front of a small¡­ panel of some sort on the wall and was tapping away at some small buttons. She blinked, then leaned forward to get a better look at what he was doing. Unfortunately, he seemed to have finished at that point, turning to regard her once again. ¡°I turned the heat off,¡± he said, pointing at the odd panel. ¡°I don¡¯t have a¡­ cooling system¡­ made yet, so that¡¯ll have to do.¡± She blinked, then blinked again when she realized that he was looking her in the eyes. She quickly dropped her chin to her chest, looking at her feet again. Then she heard a sigh. ¡°Kasumi,¡± he said as she watched his hand come up to her chin, then felt as he gently, but inexorably, lifted until she was once more facing him. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Your eyes are beautiful, so don¡¯t let anyone tell you otherwise,¡± he said softly, nearly causing her heart to stop. As he pulled his hand away, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder again just who the strange young man was. ¡°I¡¯m just me,¡± he said with a lopsided grin. ¡°And you¡¯re just you.¡± Clasping her hands together tightly against her chest, she looked up at Joram Smith and realized that she was comfortable for the first time since she¡¯d been taken away. Then she blinked when she noticed that his breath was misting in the air as he breathed. ¡°What¡­?¡± she asked, not quite understanding what she was seeing. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t mind the cold,¡± he said as she felt the temperature drop further. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later to make sure that everything will survive the cold. In the meantime, feel free to cool down your bedroom as much as you need,¡± he said, nodded, then bade her a good night. She was still standing there, mind blank, long after the door closed, and night fully upon her. Kasumi looked down at her hand and touched the white ring on her finger and wondered if her being taken as a slave had actually been a blessing in disguise. Chapter 096 - Maniacal laughter *Day 34* The¡­ talk, had gone better than he¡¯d hoped. In fact, besides a bit of pouting from everyone present, they all agreed to sleep in their own beds. There were several caveats though. The first was that they¡¯d still get to sleep in the same room as him. Overall, that wasn¡¯t a terrible compromise in his books. For as much as he needed to separate himself from the ambiguousness of sleeping in the same bed as them, he could admit to himself that sleeping alone in his room would be¡­ a bit lonely. The next caveat was that he¡¯d spend a bit more time with each of them during the day. Not everyone, every day. But a few of them each day, on a sort of rotation. Which, again, wasn¡¯t unfair to them, especially given how direct each of them had been in telling him that they wanted to be with him. The last one, which hadn¡¯t gone over very well with the rest of the young women, was that Asami would still use him as a body pillow. He¡¯d adamantly refused at first, but found that both Myra and Avi were exceptionally good at convincing him, never mind Asami herself. In the end, he gave in because the rest of them would be able to see that he wouldn¡¯t be engaging in any shenanigans with her at night. Heck, the time he needed for his daily meditations had reduced to about two hours now, so it wouldn¡¯t even be a whole night. Which was, grudgingly, accepted by the others. Which led to a much easier morning routine. Having to only escape from one person without waking her was significantly easier than it had been. Especially with an [Escape Artist] total of 51. It had grown considerably as more and more of them had insisted on cuddling him at night which, while fair, showed just how hard he¡¯d worked to let their sleep be undisturbed. Shaking his head, he left with J2 and decided that he¡¯d let his other self enjoy the very early morning guitar practice. Instead, he went outside and went to the bathhouse and got to work on the expansion. It only took about an hour, mostly because he couldn¡¯t quite decide on whether or not to have two bathing pools or just one huge one. In the end, he made two, as it was easier to keep the pools clean, warm, and circulating. After that, he went to the south side of the apartment/dormitory and started clearing the land there. In fact, he cleared enough land for another five buildings, though these ones would be slightly different. Each floor would have eight rooms, for the first five floors, while the floors above would have twelve. This was to accommodate more ¡°family¡± type housing. He also included fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms this time, while also adding in AC to the H-VAC/Heating units. To make things easier on everyone, he also made a water heater room on each floor, and tied each floor¡¯s water systems together to save on Dust. He did the same for the electrical needs of each floor, just making an electrical room on each floor that would handle all that. Overall, it wasn¡¯t too hard, so he was able to fully finish one fifteen story building by the time dawn arrived. Well, him and J2 when he finished up with guitar time. That said, when he finished, he finally noticed the huge crowd watching. He was glad that J2 had stayed on the other side of the building, though, as that would have brought on more than a few questions for everyone present. He noticed, though, that the crowd was primarily made up of the new younglings, though there was a fair number of the first group of younglings present. Feeling more than a little self-conscious, he gave an awkward wave before hurrying to the other side of the new apartment building to get to work on the next one while J2 took up position on the other side of the site. Thankfully, J2 chose to use [Stealth], because he soon found that the crowd followed him to continue watching. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it,¡¯ Avi sent warmly. ¡®They¡¯re very curious about their ¡°young master¡± and letting them watch will help them understand you better.¡¯ ¡®Uh-huh. And it won¡¯t just create dozens of cases of hero-worship, hey?¡¯ he sent back dryly. ¡®That¡¯s not entirely a bad thing,¡¯ she rebutted. ¡®Giving them someone to believe in after having their worlds shattered will go a long way to restoring their faith in people. That said, just continue being yourself, and they¡¯ll come to see that you¡¯re just like everyone else.¡¯ He nodded as he got to work excavating the ground, storing away said excavations, and setting the pilings. With the plans already decided- and already made once- the work went even faster this time around. Through [Touchsight], he saw that breakfast became a sort of impromptu picnic for everyone due to his employees making a snack-like breakfast so that the younglings could continue watching. He also wondered if it was because they, too, wanted to watch. But that didn¡¯t really matter in the end. Just over three hours later, the sixth new building that day was completed. ¡®Thanks for working on the roads,¡¯ he sent to Avi afterwards, grateful that he hadn¡¯t needed to deal with that too. ¡®It¡¯s good practice,¡¯ she sent back happily. ¡®I even levelled up a bunch of Skills, a whole lot. So, it wasn¡¯t completely one-sided.¡¯ He grinned, appreciating that. Because he¡¯d been using [Summon: All] for most everything, and paying the Dust requirements to make everything permanent, he¡¯d also levelled that Skill. Not to mention several other Kinesis Skills. And a whole bunch of others.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Perform: Guitar Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Skills: - Aura of Cold 1 -> 2 - Construction: Huge 6 -> 16 - Craft: Sculpting, Greater 51 -> 53 - Cure: Panacea 12 -> 13 - Dimensional Manipulation 22 -> 31 - Improved Diplomacy 13 -> 15 - Improved Endurance 19 -> 23 - Heal: 3 9 -> 15 - Kinesis: - Improved Aero 24 -> 29 - Improved Cryo 24 -> 29 - Improved Electro 23 -> 27 - Improved Hydro 24 -> 29 - Improved Pyro 35 -> 38 - Improved Tele 44 -> 51 - Improved Terra 28 -> 35 - Improved Mana Manipulation 31 -> 33 - Advanced Mana Well 44 -> 45 - Improved Master Summoner 43 -> 48 - Metalshaping 13 -> 18 - Multitasking 26 -> 30 - Skill upgrade: Multitasking -> Improved Multitasking - Improved Multitasking 30 -> 32 - Perform: Guitar 1 -> 10 - Skill upgrade: Perform: Guitar -> Perform: Guitar, Improved - Perform: Guitar, Improved 10 -> 19 - Improved Privacy Mode 21 -> 24Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. - Improved Quick Casting 32 -> 40 - Skill upgrade: Improved Quick Casting -> Advanced Quick Casting - Advanced Quick Casting 40 -> 42 - Improved Quick Manifesting 48 -> 53 - Regeneration 6 -> 7 - Advanced Source of Power 84 -> 85 - Spatial Manipulation 23 -> 24 - Toughness 1 -> 2 Congratulations! You¡¯re gained the following Title: - Philanthropist Congratulations! You¡¯ve gained the following Achievement: - Bastion of Civilization Congratulations! You¡¯ve improved the following Achievements: - Harem II -> Harem IV - Bastion of Civilization I -> Bastion of Civilization III
Looking at his progress, he realized that he¡¯d once again slacked off when it came to checking his notifications. That he¡¯d also gotten a new Title and Achievement was awesome, though advancing the damn [Harem] Achievement bothered him more than a little bit. He checked the Title first, mostly because he was very curious.
Philanthropist - You¡¯re a person who can¡¯t help but help others in need. You¡¯ve helped, at significant personal cost, at least 100 people with absolutely no ulterior motives, only seeking their well-being. Not only that, but you¡¯ve directly improved each of their lives because of your actions. - Benefit: - Any social interaction initiated with the intent to help others is done with a 1-step increase with your [Diplomacy] Skill. - Any philanthropic venture you initiate will greatly increase the likelihood of others wanting to help you to realize your goals for said venture.
He blinked at that, a bit stunned. On the one hand, the benefits were on the level of ridiculous. On the other, his heart hurt that the System seemed to need to grant a Title for what should have been a natural inclination for people. It said a lot about the world he found himself in, but also helped to firm his resolve regarding his plans. He then looked at the Achievements and smiled at [Bastion of Civilization].
Bastion of Civilization IV - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 10 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 20 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 50 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 100 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living common to those in your region. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living uncommon to those in your region. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living that is rarely seen in your kingdom. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living that is only had by a select few in your kingdom. - Benefit: - People are more likely to want to live in your settlement. - People view your efforts to create settlements with great favourability and will be more inclined to help you in those efforts. - People residing in any settlement that you have made, or control, are happier than they would be in other places. - It is much easier to get permission from those in power to create a new settlement. The favourability rating for said decision makers is significantly increased.
Again, he was a bit conflicted with getting the Achievement, and why the System saw a need to give something like that, but he¡¯d take it. Especially because it would make it much easier for him to convince someone in power to let him claim a chunk of unused land to build a city on. And everything else he planned to do with said land. Finally, he had a peek at the damned [Harem] Achievement.
Harem IV - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 5 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 10 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 20 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 50 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - Note: if you no longer house and provide for the enamoured sapients, the progress of this Achievement may regress. - Benefit: - Those who view you as a potential romantic partner have their favourability of you increased significantly. Social interactions will favour you. - Those who¡¯ve fallen for you have a greater understanding of what you like, making it easier for them to cater to you. - Those who¡¯ve fallen for you now have an instinctual knowledge of your current state of health and wellbeing. Greater devotion to you grants a more accurate insight. - You now have an instinctual knowledge of how those who see you in a romantic light feel. Your insight increases proportionately to your feelings for each person.
That he had at least 50 people so fully enamored with him that they qualified for the damn Achievement nearly floored him. The ¡°note¡± midway through made him cringe. The benefits, however, weren¡¯t¡­ as terrible as he¡¯d thought they¡¯d be. Still, that anyone who viewed him in a romantic light would basically have their minds messed with by the System didn¡¯t sit right with him. But then, he supposed that having a high Charisma Attribute basically did the same thing¡­. He sighed. The following 3 benefits after the first one, though, were¡­ good. He¡¯d always been told that he was hard to read, so at least some people might understand him a bit better. Though, again, he was irked that the System would interfere with that aspect of their interactions with him. Because, how much came from them getting to know him and how much came because the System just inserted those things into their heads? The third benefit was¡­ just good. It relieved him more than a little bit that someone might know if he was in trouble. But at the same time, he hated worrying people with¡­ stuff like that. The last benefit, though, was¡­ godly. For him, at least. Sure, he could just use something like [Read Thoughts] or [Empathy] to find out all that stuff on his own. But he¡¯d always felt more than a little uncomfortable doing that. He still did, but now because of the Achievement. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could somehow turn it off for the time being, nor was he sure he wanted to. People were hard! He shook his head as he allowed himself to be drawn to the mess hall for lunch with everyone, deep in thought. But not for long, as no sooner than he¡¯d taken a seat, the questions started. Most revolved around two major topics: How he could do all that, and if they could learn how to do what he¡¯d done. There were others, but even then, they sort of related to the first two categories. Which then led to discussions about levelling, Paths, and things related to that. Which led to discussions about how best to train everyone. Which then led to the education of the younglings. Thinking about everything, he decided a few things. First, he would set up a school of sorts for everyone. It didn¡¯t matter how old they were, they¡¯d all take a sort of aptitude and basic knowledge test to see where they were at with things. The second was that he¡¯d set up a training facility, probably attached to said school. Maybe he¡¯d call the whole thing an ¡°Academy¡± or something. At any rate, anyone attending the Academy would be able to get more hands-on training. Be it with a trade or as an adventurer, he wanted it all covered. He knew that not everyone wanted to be fighting to level up in whichever Path they chose, so he wanted to accommodate everyone equally. Then he reflected on the combat abilities of his¡­ inner circle, and realized that they didn¡¯t really have a ¡°tank¡±. He had DPS and Support roles covered in spades, though. With a bit more thought, Avi might be the closest to being able to fill the tank role- ¡®That¡¯s not a problem,¡¯ Avi sent, assuring him. Nodding, the laid out his thoughts on the matter for everyone. ¡°I¡¯d like Myra and Shae¡¯ra to cover the support-type classes. Asami and Fyrellia, I¡¯d like you to help with the caster-type classes. Qyress, please help with the ranged combat classes. Arise, if you could help with the stealth-type classes, I¡¯d appreciate it. Avi? Could you help with the front-liners?¡± he said, very glad when everyone agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll see about making training gear once everyone is settled. However, I would also encourage everyone to train in at least one other field, as that¡¯s how I managed to get as strong as I am,¡± he said, once more pleased by the positive reactions of everyone present. With all of that arranged, he made his escape and stopped just behind his house, looking at the open space just west of the north side. Thinking about how much food would be needed eventually, he decided to make a storehouse for food of all kinds. Anything from dry food to produce to things that would need refrigeration like meats, cheeses, and perishables like milks. He then got to work, quickly clearing the land, then a building that was basically a supermarket. What stumped, or rather, halted his progress were thoughts surrounding waste. With how much everyone currently ate, he was sure that they¡¯d have a ridiculous surplus that would then result in wasted foodstuffs as they expired without being used. ¡®Why don¡¯t you use a [Gentle Repose]-like effect?¡¯ Avi sent helpfully, making him want to hug her. An hour later, he finished modifying the effect and got another System notification.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve learned the following Skill: - Spellcraft Congratulations! You¡¯ve earned the following Title: - Arcane Manipulator
Intrigued, he pulled up the description of his latest Title.
Arcane Manipulator You¡¯ve studied and played with the very fabric of reality and have manage to create several Powers hitherto unknown to the Universal Assistance and Survival System. You¡¯ve also managed to manually recreate several effects that require mana or psionic power. - Benefit: - You gain the [Spellcraft] Skill. - Significantly decreases the difficulty of learning new Skills that use either mana or psionic power. - Significantly decreases the difficulty of creating new Skills that use either mana or psionic power.
He grinned, then quickly checked [Spellcraft] and found that it basically provided a... framework for building Skills that used mana or psionic power. His grin increased until his face started to hurt a bit. Then his mind started going through the many possibilities that lay ahead of him- ¡®Stop, you¡¯re starting to freak-out the girls,¡¯ Avi sent, interrupting his thoughts, also making him realize that he¡¯d been laughing. Not just normal laughter either, but somewhat¡­ maniacally, at that. He looked over at the smaller crowd that had gathered to watch him work and saw that it contained all of the ¡°demons¡±, as well as most of the animal-kin, and even a good dozen of the humans. ¡°I should go,¡± he said as he waved awkwardly at them, then hurried off to the west, intent on starting his next project while also hoping that he could outrun his embarrassment. Chapter 097 - Pow! Having successfully escaped, Joram looked around and decided that he¡¯d build the ¡°school¡± mid-way between the residential area and the dungeon¡­ dungeons. Whatever. Thinking about it more, he decided that it¡¯d be more of an ¡°academy¡± than a school, as it would have a lot of hands-on areas for the students. He planned to have a workshop for every craft that he could think of, as well as gym space and a stadium-like building¡­. OK, he was totally going to make a Coliseum. There was no actual choice when swords and sorcery were involved, after all. Thus decided, he got to work. By the time evening came, he felt that he was about half done with what he wanted to do. But he stopped there because he was actually getting mentally fatigued from the constant concentration and visualizations the work required. He could just use something like [Cleanse Body] or [Cure: Panacea], but decided that working too much might not be a good precedent to set for himself. Especially when he had time to spare. ¡°Good call,¡± Asami said from behind him, making him almost jump in surprise. He turned and regarded her, more annoyed that he hadn¡¯t been paying attention to [Touchsight] than anything, and saw that another group had gathered to watch him. Looking closer, he saw that the ¡°demons¡± were all there, the new ones looking poleaxed, while the three gals still looked impressed. He also saw that a good deal of the animal-kin had also decided to watch, though there were under two dozen humans present. He then remembered the cultural attraction to people with large mana pools amongst the ¡°demons¡± and nearly [Teleport]ed away right then. He once again forced himself to wave, making Asami giggle at his mechanical movements. As the new group of ¡°demons¡± started coming to their senses, he started feeling¡­ stuff. Perturbed, he examined what was going on and found that¡­ ¡°Shit¡­¡± he muttered as Asami burst-out in laughter, making him feel even more embarrassed and awkward. ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯ Avi asked, causing his attention to shift to her before he panicked and [Teleport]ed away, using the [Anchor] in his study to pull him in the right direction. * * * ¡°So, he¡¯s¡­ shy?¡± Fyrellia asked as she looked at the others questioningly. ¡°He¡¯s shy,¡± Avi confirmed with a nod. ¡°He¡¯s also¡­ dealing with something that may be a bit inconvenient for him¡­¡± she said, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°You can say that again,¡± Asami chortled, apparently finding the whole thing hilarious. Kasumi looked at the women who seemed to know Joram the best and wondered what, exactly, had happened to make him [Teleport] away like that. ¡°So, what now?¡± Myra asked, looking around at everyone present. ¡°Just¡­¡± she trailed off, seemingly at a loss for what to say. ¡°Well, I for one will go and find mrrandii,¡± Erys said as she stepped away from the other dragon-kin and started walking back towards the house. That got everyone out of whatever thoughts they¡¯d been in and moving. She, too, followed along, wondering again at her luck in being picked up by Joram. She continued thinking as she was more or less led into the mess hall by Therra, the white dragon-kin who didn¡¯t mind being close to her. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said quietly, getting a nod from her¡­ friend? Supper was a nice stew with fresh bread and butter, wonderfully savoury. She still couldn¡¯t believe that food could taste so good, and not because she¡¯d only ever eaten cold-prepped food until being taken as a slave. She was also going by how the others reacted to the food they ate. Still, she cooled her stew with a bit of [Cryokinesis] before she was able to eat the hot dish. She still found it uncomfortably warm, but bore with it for the sake of being around people, for the company. It was still¡­ hard, being alone. She kept an eye out over the rest of the time she was in the mess hall, but didn¡¯t manage to spot Joram at all, making her wonder if he took his meals elsewhere. Then thinking about it more, it would make more sense for someone as rich as him to eat in a more¡­ comfortable setting than a mess hall. *Bonk* Kasumi blinked and rubbed her head as she looked over at Asami Miki, wondering why she¡¯d hit her. ¡°He¡¯s not like that,¡± Asami Miki said, frowning slightly before sitting on her left, opposite Therra. ¡°Pardon?¡± she asked, not understanding what she was talking about. ¡°He just doesn¡¯t eat, that¡¯s why he¡¯s not in here with us,¡± she said before taking a big bite of liberally butter-lathered bread. She blinked again, this time wondering if Asami Miki was lying to her. ¡°Rude,¡± Asami Miki said around her mouthful of bread. ¡°Also, just ¡®Asami¡¯,¡± she said, then started eating her stew. Oh, she thought, finally realizing that the legends surrounding Spirit Foxes were probably true. ¡°Yup.¡± Kasumi didn¡¯t know what to say. She looked over at Therra and saw that she didn¡¯t seem bothered. She turned back to Asami Mi-, Asami, and wondered what else she knew about Joram and saw her give her the side-eye. ¡°Lots,¡± Asami said before stuffing another spoonful of stew into her mouth. Nodding, Kasumi decided that Asami would be the perfect source from which she would learn more about Joram. ¡°Wrong, but good enough,¡± Asami said with a grin before taking another big bite of buttery bread. ¡°What? Why?¡± she asked, not really understanding what Asami was talking about. ¡°Because I¡¯m not the one who knows Joram best,¡± Asami replied with a shrug. ¡°Though, I¡¯d say I¡¯m a close second.¡± ¡°Well, then, who knows him best¡­?¡± she asked, trailing off to a whisper at the end, too embarrassed to speak any louder. ¡°That would be Avi,¡± Asami said, shaking her head. ¡°Anyways. Just take your time settling in first. There¡¯s lots to do, and lots more to learn, and not just about Joram,¡± she said with another grin that did her origins as a fox justice. Now a bit nervous, Kasumi smiled at the next whitest person besides herself. Too nervous to say anything else, and more than a little afraid that she¡¯d get teased due to her interest, she kept quiet for the rest of supper. After a dessert that consisted of a wonderful tea, also cooled, and amazingly sweet tea biscuits, she excused herself from the table and went straight home. As she walked, she thought about what she¡¯d like to study. She¡¯d only gained access to the Great Protector¡¯s aegis last year, but still hadn¡¯t had the courage to decide on a Path. Her family¡­. Her family, and everyone else in the village, had specialized in [Cryomancy], a natural Path for the People of the Snow. Yes, she also had the affinity for that, and even had [Cryokinesis], an exceedingly rare talent amongst her people. But¡­ was that what she wanted? She¡­ wanted to explore. She¡¯d long heard tales of adventure from those who¡¯d ventured out of her village, and had even read any books that managed to make their way there.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She also knew that most other races of Iria found the cold to be¡­ uncomfortable. And as one of the People of the Snow, or Yuki-Onna in her case, she had an innate [Aura of Cold] that was difficult to suppress. Which then got her thinking about her encounter with Joram last night. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t mind the cold,¡±, he¡¯d said, making her wonder at the time if he had [Resistance: Cold]. But then he¡¯d also used [Aura of Cold], shocking her. Humming in thought, she pressed the odd button that represented her floor, and watched as the doors of the little room closed. She then felt the odd sensation of her stomach being pulled to her feet, but oddly found that she somewhat enjoyed the sensation. Then the doors opened to her floor and she stepped out, still deep in thought. Once inside, she closed and locked the door again, wondering at the marvelous construction of a ¡°simple¡± lock. Shaking her head, she went to her room and got changed, then had a look at herself in the mirror. She wondered if Joram preferred¡­ bustier women given just how well-endowed they all were. Shaking her head, she picked up her hairbrush and got to work in front of the mirror, not stopping until her hair once more flowed down like a white waterfall, free of tangles. Kasumi got up and made her way to the living room and looked outside, then paused. ¡°Frost¡­?¡± she murmured as she approached the impossibly clear glass and touched the frost at the edges of the glass, next to the frame. Sure enough, it truly was frost. It was then that she realized that she was comfortable, the temperature just right for her. She took a deep breath and smiled, then wondered how. She turned and looked around and saw a paper on her table that hadn¡¯t been there when she¡¯d left that morning. Kasumi, Sorry to have intruded while you were away. I thought that I would make the necessary adjustments to your apartment to ensure your comfort. Please let me know if there are any other issues that I can help with. Cheers, Joram She stopped, then re-read the short note a few times, wondering again at the wiles of fate. First tragedy, then sorrow and hopelessness, then fear, and finally¡­ hope. Security. Peace. Kasumi held the note gently in her hands, wondering. Wondering how she could best help Joram and the others. She knew that she had a strong affinity for [Cold], [Ice], and [Frost], especially with having been born with [Cryokinesis]. She could already create and manipulate [Ice], which had taken a great deal of work. Having to pass into the [Advanced] Tier, it had taken¡­ years. But. If she could apply what she could do to being useful to everyone, to Joram, then she wouldn¡¯t mind staying¡­ cold. Especially if Joram didn¡¯t mind the cold. Smiling, Kasumi stepped over to the comfortable chair by the window and began seriously thinking about her future for the first time in years. The next day, while eating breakfast, Joram made an announcement that not only stunned her, but also blew the minds of everyone else present. * * * *Day 35* ¡°Are you sure that you want to make the same offer to this group? They haven¡¯t been here all that long, after all,¡± Myra asked as she brushed her hair, astonished that Joram had been there when they¡¯d started waking up that morning. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to be unfair to anyone,¡± he said, shrugging uncomfortably. ¡°I also don¡¯t want to keep anyone here who doesn¡¯t want to be here. That said, it will lead into what I¡¯m wanting to¡­ implement,¡± he said, trailing off at the end, obviously thinking about the future. ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you,¡± Arise said, crossing her arms as she looked slightly to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sure that there¡¯ll eventually be people who¡¯ll take you up on your offer,¡± she said gruffly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a one-time offer,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°If anyone isn¡¯t happy here, or just wants to return home, then they¡¯re more than welcome to pursue their happiness.¡± Myra watched as Arise harumphed, knowing full-well that the dark elf was there to stay. There was more idle chatter after that as they were all obviously happy to have woken up to Joram being there for the first time in¡­ what felt like forever. Or ever, really. They followed him to the mess hall, though they didn¡¯t get anything more than a cup of tea as they waited for Joram to make his announcement. She was happy to see that the new girls were¡­ adjusting well. For what they¡¯d recently been through, it was a surprisingly normal gathering. She did notice, however, that the ¡°demons¡± kept stealing glances at Joram as he chatted with her group. Not just them, but also the other animal-kin and even the humans. Well, she wasn¡¯t surprised that the humans would be interested in another human. It was natural, in fact. Then Joram got up and made his offer. As expected, his words brought incredible turmoil to the room. She could hear several conversations break out, most focussing on whether-or-not he was telling the truth. She could well understand that, as the cost of sending someone home- especially after buying them- wasn¡¯t an insignificant one. ¡°Again, take your time thinking about it,¡± Joram said after a few minutes of letting them gab. ¡°Also, I won¡¯t hold it against anyone who wants to return home, return to their families. But that also leads to another topic I wanted to broach,¡± he said, then turned to the doors as they opened to allow for more girls and young women to enter. Myra realized that he¡¯d arranged for everyone to gather, even the adults amongst the first group. When everyone had taken their seat in the newly expanded mess hall, Joram continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this a lot over the past month. I realized long ago that just buying and freeing slaves isn¡¯t the answer to solving the slavery issue here,¡± he said, then paused as the crowd began murmuring their agreement. ¡°So, I¡¯d like to make another offer to all of you. This in no way means that you¡¯re not welcome here, or anything of the sort. On the contrary, I would like to offer any of you who¡¯d like to, to head back home and extend an offer to your family and loved ones. ¡°The offer is this. They can all come and live here,¡± he said, then paused as though he expected an explosive response from everyone present. If that was the case, then he was dead wrong. The room went deathly silent as the girls and young women tried to process what he¡¯d said. Even her. Myra couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She turned and looked at Asami and found that she was grinning, as was Avi. The three gals looked just as stunned as the other ¡°demon¡± gals. She looked over and saw that the animal-kin were almost as stunned, though most of the humans looked¡­ reluctant. She wondered at that until she remembered the stories she¡¯d heard of impoverished settlements making the decision to sell their young to both help reduce the number of mouths to feed as well as to get the funds to make it through those hard times. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave it up to you to decide,¡± Joram said, then cleared his throat. ¡°Anyone who¡¯s interested can speak with Avi. From there, we¡¯ll get things arranged. ¡°In the meantime, I should be finishing the¡­ academy today. That said, it¡¯ll still be a little while before it¡¯s fully supplied with what we¡¯ll need to get started teaching classes. So while you wait, feel free to ask your future teachers any questions you need to help you decide on what you¡¯d like to do. ¡°That said, if you¡¯re still unsure about what Path you want to pursue, don¡¯t feel pressured to choose now. Take your time learning, getting to know yourselves better. There¡¯s no time limit for learning. In fact, learning should be a lifelong pursuit with the goal of bettering yourselves. ¡°Okay, so, that¡¯s it for now. I¡¯ll leave you to it as I¡¯ve still got a lot to do before I need to take a short trip. So, rest up. Relax. Enjoy yourselves,¡± he said, then quickly slipped away, astonishing her once again at just how fast he could move. It only took a few heartbeats¡¯ worth of time for the room to explode in talk, everyone excitedly going over what Joram had said. Even the first group joined in. Though, again, she noticed that not a few of the humans amongst the first group were also subdued compared to the rest, making her think that the quiet ones might not have a home to return to. Thusly somber¡¯d, she joined Avi and the rest of the soon-to-be teachers, instructors, or whatever they were going to be, as they went to the meeting hall inside their house. It was really a large dining room, but using it as a meeting hall worked too, especially since no one had ever used it as a dining hall yet. Avi quickly handed out stacks of paper and those strange pens of Joram¡¯s to each of the instructors, along with a list of questions to ask each person who approached them. From there, she spent the rest of the morning speaking with whoever wanted to learn more from her. The last person in line wound up being that quiet white-haired girl, Kasumi. ¡°Umm¡­ I heard that you know how to¡­ fight,¡± Kasumi practically whispered as she looked down at her hands. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± she said, hoping to prompt the young woman to share more. ¡°Umm¡­ like, *pow*,¡± she said, demonstrating an incredibly clumsy punch before blushing and looking down again. ¡°So... you¡¯d like to learn [Martial Arts]?¡± she asked, suppressing a smile due to just how devastatingly cute that had been. ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°All right,¡± she said, trying very hard to keep from showing her extreme delight. ¡°If you¡¯d like, we can start after lunch. I still need to practice for the day, so I thought that I could have a sort of demonstration class for everyone who¡¯s asked to be taught [Martial Arts],¡± she said, nodding. Kasumi¡¯s smile, although tiny, was amazingly warm as she nodded. Once all the soon-to-be students were gone, she looked around at her roommates and saw that they, too, looked a bit excited. Even Arise looked less grumpy than usual. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve now got a good idea of what we¡¯ll need,¡± Avi said as she flipped through the large stack of papers she¡¯d collected from them all. ¡°I¡¯d say that it¡¯ll take another week or so before the academy is ready. In the meantime, it would be good for everyone to get to know one another better. Take your time talking to everyone, as I¡¯m sure that everyone forgot at least one or two things as they asked their questions,¡± she said, nodding to them. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you were also asked, but what should we tell them when they ask again to be taught personally by the young master?¡± Qyress asked, looking a bit uncomfortable. ¡°Tell them that the Headmaster isn¡¯t able to teach everyone personally, and that¡¯s why he enlisted us as instructors,¡± Avi said with a grin and a glint in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see about¡­ arranging for a Special Grade class that Joram can be in charge of,¡± she said as the glint in her eyes transformed into actual sparkles of mischief. Crap, she thought, thinking of how ridiculous the competition would be to get into an exclusive class taught by Joram. Chapter 098 - Quests It took him until mid-afternoon to finish up the academy, though he¡¯d still need to add things like textbooks, stationary, and the various supplies that an academy would need. As for seating, he¡¯d just gone with lecture-hall style rooms, tiered with fixed desks and comfortable chairs. Even the library was empty, much to his shame. He didn¡¯t even have enough books to fill his own library in his house, so filling something over ten times the size would take a while. It had only been a couple of days since Matun had left to return to Myrmeze, so he figured that he had another week or so of time before he would need to head to the capitol. Which meant that he still had quite a bit of time before he¡¯d need to start travelling with the younglings to their various villages. Which meant that he would have lots more time to explore¡­. Leaving things to J2, Joram used [Astral Construct] to create a construct in the shape of¡­ well, it was a bit hard to describe. It sort of looked like a cross between a small helicopter and a dragonfly, with the wings on the side. He even coloured it like his favourite blue darner dragonfly, that blue/black colouring was just awesome. Anyways, the cockpit was where the head would be, making the view from the windscreens amazing. He loaded it up with [Improved Flight] a couple of times, impressed that he could now do that, along with [Improved Speed]. On a whim, he tried to imbue it with his [Running] Skill and was surprised to find that it had worked, though it translated to [Greater Speed], which puzzled him a bit. However it had happened, he found that the construct, now and [Astral Ally], was fast. Like, crazy fast. It was awesome! Especially higher up. He could see so far that his heart flipped a bit in his chest at the view. It was spectacular. From the west, it was nothing but a vast ocean of green, but to the east he could see that it was mostly grasslands, farmlands, and such. The further east he looked though, the fewer farms he saw until they vanished probably ten kilometres or so away from Kirkwall. He saw that the redwood forest actually dipped inwards a bit where Kirkwall stood, then extended a bit more again to the north and south. So, he turned west, not wanting to attract too much attention. Grinning, he accelerated, taking the construct to its maximum velocity in under five seconds. The g-forces were¡­ significant, but he easily stayed conscious. Heck, probably due to how strong his body was, he didn¡¯t even feel light-headed when he got to top speed. He enjoyed the flight, choosing an altitude a few kilometres above the canopy. As he flew, he began to notice that the trees were getting taller and larger. Taking a closer look by dipping down as he slowed his flight, he found that the leaves were a slightly different shape. Heck, instead of the feather-like, coniferous-like leaves that sequoias had, they very much looked like maple leaves now, though almost two metres across. Now even more curious, he set his construct to hover in place and used [Dimension Hop] to exit and held himself aloft with [Telekinesis]. He then moved closer and used [Delve] to inspect the tree. It was¡­ unusual, to say the least. It felt similar to the redwoods he¡¯d been harvesting, but more¡­ vibrant. Remembering that he had [Analyze], he used it, then blinked.
World Maple As a descendant of the World Tree, the World Maple has been blessed with a few of its progenitor¡¯s traits. - Dramatically increased size, - Dramatically increased vitality, - Dramatically increased lifespan, - Dramatically increased durability, - Dramatically increased Mana Pool, - [Aura of Peace], - [Aura of Purity]. * Note: If a World Maple grows long enough, it may awaken [Spiritual Wisdom].
He was¡­ very impressed. He was now even more interested in the World Maple, wondering just what [Spiritual Wisdom] would do for a tree¡­ or what it even did. Then he remembered that he had a Help function that came with his Status. So, he opened it and searched for [Spiritual Wisdom].
Spiritual Wisdom (SPR) (Legendary) This Skill grants the user several benefits: - Once acquired, the user gains sentience, - Gains an expanded Mana Pool, - Gains +1 Spirit for every 2 Ranks in this Skill. - Once in the Advanced Tier, the user gains sapience, - Gains the ability to gain other Skills, - Gains the Skill [Spiritual Communication].
His jaw dropped. Holy mother of¡­ he thought, astonished. Then a thought occurred to him so, on a whim, he tried to use [Mindlink] with the World Maple. Nothing. Slightly disappointed, he pulled himself high enough so that he could get back inside his [Astral Ally] with [Dimension Hop]. Once inside, the sat thinking for a bit. If he could find one that had awakened its [Spiritual Wisdom], he was sure that he could communicate with it. And with a [Mindlink], he was sure that he could use that connection to use [Legacy of Creation] to make Skill Books out of those amazing Skills. But how could he find one? [Detect Thoughts] had a very short range, shorter than even the span of a single World Maple, as did [Detect Psionics], which could be altered to detect magic as well¡­. But, if he could combine that with something like [Hypercognition], along with a Clairsentience Power with a good range¡­. Setting M3 and M4 to working out how he could make an item that could incorporate those features, he instead manifested [Augured Answer] with the question: ¡°From where I am, in which direction is the oldest World Maple?¡±. Once more [Quick Manifesting] showed its worth, as the normal 10-minute manifesting time was reduced to just under three minutes. A moment later, ¡°North by northwest¡± came to mind, giving him his answer, along with another System notification that he decided to open as he got his ride going.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve unlocked a Hidden Quest! Quest: Find every descendant of the World Tree - Rewards: - Skill: [Create: World Tree] - Unknown - Unknown - UnknownStolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
M4 stopped their flight as Joram sat there, dumbfounded into a stupor. ¡®Avi?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Joram?¡¯ ¡®There are Quests,¡¯ he sent, then passed along the image of his Quest Window. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ was all Avi sent back, accompanied by a sense of wonder. ¡®Yeah.¡¯ Another minute passed before Avi seemed to recover. ¡®The System must like you if it¡¯s trusting you to not only find the descendants of the World Tree, but to also give you a Skill that can create them.¡¯ Joram nodded, feeling the weight of that¡­ expectation. Or perhaps ¡°responsibility¡± might be a better word for the feeling. Something that had started off as an idle fancy had turned into something¡­ special. ¡®Are you going to do it?¡¯ Avi asked as her intense curiosity leaked through their connection. ¡®Yeah, I am,¡¯ he sent back, nodding to himself as he got his ride going again. ¡®Never mind the benefits of completing the Quest, it¡¯ll be worth it to just find every kind of descendant of the World Tree,¡¯ he sent, then sent along the description of the World Maple, as well as the description of [Spiritual Wisdom]. ¡®Wow,¡¯ Avi sent, once more awed. ¡®Those Skills¡­. If you could plant those trees around here, and in the city you¡¯re planning to build, then¡­ wow. The possibilities are just¡­. Wow.¡¯ Joram nodded again. Even with the few things he¡¯d already thought of, the utility of having descendants of the World Tree in any settlement were vast. ¡®Ah, now Asami is telling me in no uncertain terms that you ¡°MUST¡± complete that Quest,¡¯ she sent, now amused. Nodding, he sent along his assurances that he had every intention of doing so before getting back to the search. He kept his speed low, not wanting to miss a clue as he searched. A few hours later when M3 reported that they had something that might work, he stopped his flight again and reviewed the proposed item. It was¡­ cool. Its form was a pair of glasses, in that wide trapezoid shape he preferred. Its function, though, was simpler than he¡¯d thought. It combined the effects of a [Farsight] ability that increased how far you could see and a basic [Detect Magic] function altered to instead detect raw mana. He also learned that they¡¯d used [Spellcraft] to create a new Skill just to do that, giving him [Mana Sight]. Both Skills had also levelled up once, pleasing him greatly. He then quickly used [Summon: All] to bring into being the glasses, paying the Dust required to make the glasses permanent. He then used the necessary Dust to enchant the glasses, putting them on when he was done. Anxious to test them out, he looked at the ocean of trees below and found that he could see faint auras round the World Maples. Nothing too strong, nor anything more than about five kilometres away, but at least it was something. Grinning, he activated his Assimilation Protocol and felt the glasses vanish from his face, as well as the feeling of his¡­ essence¡­ expanding. It was always a thrill to Assimilate something, making him want to keep making things and assimilating them. But he reigned himself in again, not wanting to go overboard with things. He already had issues where [Touchsight] had caused him great embarrassment when his roommates were changing, making it necessary to ¡°turn off¡± [Touchsight] until they were done. If he wound up with other abilities that caused him similar issues, he¡¯d need to assign one of his Minds to just keep track of them all. Shaking his head, he got back to work. It was so fun, in fact, that it more felt like a game to him. A pleasure to do. As he searched, and unbeknownst to him, a wide grin spread across his face as his eyes began to practically twinkle in delight. * * * ¡°You still haven¡¯t asked him?¡± Asami asked, looking¡­ annoyed. Erys frowned, looking away from Asami. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to ask, nor that the task wasn¡¯t important. It was just that it was¡­ surprisingly difficult to broach the subject with him. ¡°¡­ no,¡± she finally replied, knowing that Asami already knew the answer to any question that she asked. ¡°You really should. Especially if it really is as¡­ dire, as you think it is,¡± Asami said, also frowning. ¡°It is,¡± she said, thinking about dimensional instabilities and actual, real, demons¡­ and worse things. Asami looked like she wanted to say something, but stopped when Joram came in, also pausing when he saw them in his study. ¡°Hi?¡± he oddly greeted them as he gave them a questioning look. ¡°We need to talk,¡± Asami said as she got up and made her way over to the door and closed it behind Joram. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked, sounding¡­ wary. Asami looked over at her with a firm look that Joram noticed. Looking more worried than wary now, he turned to look at her as well, making her shift uncomfortably for reasons she couldn¡¯t quite explain. ¡°So, I was actually on my way to investigate a dimensional disturbance when I came across you experimenting,¡± she said, not wanting to remember the embarrassment of being so thoroughly beaten. ¡°Okaaaay¡­?¡± he said, drawing out he word as though prompting her to explain further, so she did. ¡°Experiments like yours, although dangerous, aren¡¯t particularly damaging to the walls of our reality. Other experiments, though, can be. And are. ¡°Experiments with the [Summon] Skill have been generally banned by every ruling body on the continent. In ages past, Skills were made that could [Summon]¡­ abominations and horrors from outside our world, all in an effort to gain a weapon that could be used against their enemies. ¡°People call the residents of the Demon Continent ¡®demons¡¯, but that¡¯s really just ignorance and superstition. In those ages past, true demons had been called and used as weapons of war. Not only that, but so had [Heroes]. ¡°In those ancient times, the Skill [Summon: Hero] had been created. It dragged Outworlders to our world. It also, for reasons unknown, had the side effect of granted the one brought over¡­ exceptional abilities. ¡°Records from that time tell of those [Heroes] gaining at least one Attribute that was ridiculously high, as well as exceptionally rare and powerful Skills that they could use. One such example was Irymis, a woman of great talent when it came to using [Dimensional Manipulation] and [Spatial Manipulation],¡± she said, then paused when she saw Joram¡¯s eye twitch when he heard the ancient [Heroine]¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that name,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°In fact, I learned those Skills from a staff named after her. A staff that I got for clearing that goblin dungeon,¡± he said, confusing her more than a little before he went on to explain. That he¡¯d gotten a [Relic] from clearing a mere Rank A Dungeon was¡­ shocking. That he¡¯d gotten an item with the very Skills that could help deal with the current instabilities she¡¯d detected was¡­ beyond coincidence in her opinion. Was the Great Protector acting¡­? Asami looked at her seriously before turning to Joram and studying him. In turn, Joram looked between both of them for a few moments before sighing. ¡°So, I guess there¡¯s a possibility of more heroes and demons being summoned or something like that?¡± he asked, looking concerned. ¡°That too,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about what might come through a [Dimensional Rift] if the ones messing around with those Skills and Spells screw things up badly enough,¡± she finished, practically growling at the end as she thought of the untold destruction that could occur in that case. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to go and help Erys investigate what¡¯s going on,¡± Asami said, nodding as she crossed her arms. Joram once more looked from her to Asami and back again a few times before nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with that,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°Is it far?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a stretch of forest northeast of here- though nothing as magnificent as this one- a few hundred miles away. That¡¯s where I¡¯ve felt the strongest fluctuations, anyways. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take very long to get there, but it might take a bit longer to investigate,¡± she said, now thinking of doing things a bit differently than she¡¯d originally planned to, seeing as how she wouldn¡¯t be alone now. From there, they went over the outline of the plan. They would first locate the sites in question then investigate things remotely. Should said sites be in violation of the laws that had been set and enforced since ancient times, then they would go in and remove the offenders. As for what, or who, had already been brought over, they¡¯d have to play it by ear. If the being or object was too dangerous to allow to exist, then they¡¯d ¡°remove¡± said existence. Otherwise, they¡¯d once more play it by ear. Joram, though, was of the opinion that any sapients brought over shouldn¡¯t be judged hastily. She agreed, though under the caveat of any hostile intent directed their way. If the sapient was actively trying to kill them, then they¡¯d take necessary precautions up to, and including, destroying the hostile entity. She got the feeling, however, that Joram still might be hesitant to remove hostile entities by destroying them, so she¡¯d keep an eye on him. No need for his na?vet¨¦ to get him killed, after all¡­ even if it was only one of his [Clone]s. Thus decided, they wrapped things up and set the departure time for tomorrow morning. Now happy that her mission could progress, Erys decided to explore Joram¡¯s strange library. - - - Hmm, I should really prioritize getting that augment for [Fission] finished¡­ Joram mused as he idly strummed away on his guitar. Technically, he was J2, which meant that almost all of the additional Minds provided by his use of [Schism] were working on the augmentation option rather than producing Dust and working on understanding the Psionic Library left by Altaea. Still, though, it would be quite the task. Especially since he¡¯d be accompanying Erys on her errand. An errand that worried him more than a bit, given its nature. It was all sorts of weird to be in a world that actually had the [Summon: Hero] trope, to be honest. Sure, he knew about summoning and all it entailed¡­ well, most of what it entailed. But, pulling in an outworlder and them giving then the [Hero] Path was¡­ a lot. Especially since he had [Summon: All]. Considering that it really meant ¡°All¡±, he was reasonably sure that he could also pull off a hero summoning if he tried to. Which was¡­ scary, if he was being honest with himself. For many reasons. Like, just pulling a random person from their everyday life into his world. Having what he¡¯d consider a moral responsibility to take care of said person. Bearing any grudges that said person might have for being pulled over and then stranded in another world, never mind whatever else may be dropped on their shoulders. Like the classic trope of ¡°You must save us from [x, y, or z]!¡± He sighed, then started playing The Unforgiven II by Metallica as he thought. Had it been a coincidence that he¡¯d arrived in the area? Was that goblin dungeon there before he¡¯d arrived? Or had it come into being when he¡¯d arrived? With what he thought he knew of space-time; had he been pulled to Iria at a specific time? Or had it actually been random? Given the existence of a System, were things being manipulated by it? Or, once again, was it all a coincidence? A coincidence that he got the [Staff of Irymis]? [Creationist], a Unique Path? Random people with enough power to experiment with various summoning spells that just so happened to catch the attention of Erys, a [Dimensional Guardian]. For that matter, why hadn¡¯t his arrival pinged on her radar? Then he switched to The Sound of Silence, though the Disturbed version, and wondered if this world also had gods. Maybe the various World Trees were the closest things to gods here. Who knew? He looked over at where Erys was still admiring his collection of various anime and video game paraphernalia. I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask, then. Chapter 099 - Taken She looked over at Kyoji-kun and wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time how he could be so calm. Then she thanked every god she could remember that she¡¯d listened to him after¡­ that. She ate mechanically, the taste of the food completely forgotten by the time she took her next bite. Not just because she was still terrified, but more because of how bland it was. She knew that, compared to most other foods she¡¯d experienced growing up, Japanese food was comparatively mild in its taste. Mild, but subtle as well. This food? It was just plain bland. ¡°Tomoe¡­¡± She looked over at Nami, one of her few classmates that remained, and wondered at how they¡¯d become close. Especially with how they¡¯d started. ¡°Mmm?¡± Nami quickly looked for any guard that might be close enough to notice them talking, then went on when it was clear that they were as alone as they¡¯d get. ¡°Do you think that Ryu-kin will be all right?¡± Nami asked anxiously, causing her own stomach to clench. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± she replied, trying not to think about the fact that not a single person who¡¯d been taken out of their cages had come back. Nami began chewing on her nails again before she could stop her. Nami¡¯s once well-manicured nails were now a thing of the past. She¡¯d already chewed her nails down to the nailbed, and had even caused them to bleed on more than one occasion. Tomoe couldn¡¯t blame her. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since they¡¯d been¡­ summoned, as Kyoji-kun had called it. Summoned, then collared like animals. She was glad, though, that their cages were so close to each other. They¡¯d separated the boys from the girls upon arrival, though thankfully kept them all close together. By nationality. She¡¯d spotted Chinese and Koreans, though they, too, had suffered dramatic reductions in their numbers. She¡¯d also managed to identify some North Americans, probably South Americans, and a few Europeans. She wasn¡¯t sure about the Middle Eastern-looking ones, but they¡¯d been pruned down to just one. In fact, there were only a few of each¡­ nationality, left now. They¡¯d started with much more from each region, but over the many, many days they¡¯d been there, their numbers had steadily dwindled as their kidnappers- or ¡°summoners¡±, as Kyoji called them- had taken more and more of them away. None of whom had returned. The latest had been Ryu-kun, the rising start of the kendo club of their high school, Nakamura High School. As far as she could tell, there was no pattern to who was taken¡­ after the initial outbursts, anyway. She shuddered at the memory. Amongst those who¡¯d been taken, and there had been over a hundred to start with, a good twenty or so had started arguing, then yelling about being kidnapped. The majority of those who¡¯d started to fight had been the Americans, Chinese, Koreans, some Caucasians, and not a few of her classmates. She stopped eating as she repressed the memories of blood and gore, then felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw that Mitsuko had scooted closer, a worried look on her face. She smiled as best she could as she put a hand on Mitsuko¡¯s and gave it a gentle squeeze. Mitsuko¡¯s eyes stayed on her for a few moments more before she nodded then started eating again. Nami swallowed hard, probably because she¡¯d also remembered what had happened to those who¡¯d tried to fight. *Rumble¡­* She blinked, then looked around their¡­ warehouse. It was the only thing she could think to call it due to its wide and open layout, filled with their cages and nothing else. ¡°Did you feel that?¡± she asked as she put her food tray down. ¡°Do they have earthquakes here?¡± Nami asked, looking nervous. Tomoe couldn¡¯t blame her at all. The¡­ period-like construction didn¡¯t look terribly sturdy, let alone earthquake resistant. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a thunderstorm?¡± Mitsuki said, not sounding very convincing, or convinced. *BOOM!* The three of them jumped where they sat, now terrified because that hadn¡¯t sounded like thunder. They instinctively scrambled closer to the boys¡¯ cage where Kyoji-kun reached through the bars and gave them pats on the shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, sounding for all the world as though everything was perfectly fine. For as much as she wanted to scream that things weren¡¯t fine, she held back. Anyone who¡¯d gone into hysterics had been quickly removed by their guards and, once again, never seen again. They listened in terrified silence as the seconds ticked by, their bodies now shaking in mortal terror. Then when the door to the warehouse banged open, she nearly wet herself in fright. ¡°Hurry!¡± the man yelled as two guards followed him in. ¡°We can¡¯t let them find any evidence!¡± ¡°What?¡± Nami asked quietly, obviously in denial as to what the dandy of a man was implying. Said dandy then drew his sword, a western-looking blade, and hurried to the closest cage to the door. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were African or African-American, but the three men who remained in the cage stared defiantly at the dandy as he waved at the cage¡¯s door. It swung open before the man started forward, then stopped as all three of the prisoners spat in his face. She could have cheered for those brave boys, but couldn¡¯t get anything past her tightly-clenched throat. With a snarl of rage, the dandy stepped forward and¡­ blurred. She couldn¡¯t even see more than that, both because of the numerous bars between them as well as the dandy¡¯s speed. But she could see the blood spray as the bodies of the three brave young men fell to the ground in pieces. The dandy wasn¡¯t he only one acting, though. The two guards who¡¯d accompanied the dandy had also opened another cage, this one containing some Caucasians. But before they could get to their butchery, a heavy¡­ feeling fell over the warehouse. Heavy was all she could call it, for it felt as though she¡¯d suddenly been pressed down by a giant invisible hand. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she did see Nami and Mitsuko fall over as they struggled to breathe. She then saw a fourth person enter the room, another Caucasian. Though this one wasn¡¯t dressed like the others, catching her attention. If anything, he looked like he was wearing¡­ jeans and a t-shirt? And sneakers. He looked like he was a 3rd year, or maybe a university student, though he had a very short beard that went with his short dark brown hair. But what was more noticeable was that he looked as though he was an Olympian with his incredibly muscular and toned body. Not like those crazy body builders she and her friends had laughed at while looking through Snip-Chat. No, almost like the muscular heroes you¡¯d see in anime. She was brought out of her ridiculous musings when the dandy was pulled out of the cage he¡¯d been in, along with the two guards. Not because the bearded young man had gone in and grabbed them. No. They just flew out of the cages before hanging in the air in front of the bearded man as he looked around the room.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The pressure on them briefly increased when the man noticed the dead braves, but completely vanished afterwards. She took a deep breath, then another as the bearded man grimly regarded the three people floating in the air in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± he said in their language, though his tone really didn¡¯t sound like they were actually lucky. ¡°Lucky that you¡¯ll not die today,¡± he finished as three collars that looked like the ones they were wearing, appeared out of nowhere. Within seconds, the three men were collared then dropped on the ground with a curt ¡°Do nothing¡±, grunted at them by the bearded man. For their part, the three men looked as though they would be sick. The bearded man then stepped past them and looked around with obvious distaste, his frown making her stomach drop and her bladder clench again. She felt Kyoji¡¯s hand on her shoulder again, but also felt how it trembled. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re not getting away with this shit,¡± the bearded man muttered as his chin dropped a bit and his right hand came up to rub his forehead before being pulled down his face to finally drop back down at his side. ¡°Hey, ah¡­. Hi. My name is Joram,¡± the man said as he looked around, now seemingly very tired. ¡°Come with me if you want to live,¡± he said, then paused as one of the American girls burst out in nervous laughter. ¡°Glad someone laughed,¡± Joram said, grinning a bit. ¡°But seriously. Come with me,¡± he said, then waved at them to come over as the doors to each of their cages swung open. She looked at the door, then at her now-friends and back again. Then she felt Kyoji¡¯s hand leave her shoulder, making her look back quickly. Kyoji was already standing, taking a few breaths before stepping over to the opening in his cage before pausing again. But then he stepped out and over to their door before extending a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said with a faint smile that didn¡¯t hide how nervous he looked. Thus encouraged, she got up, then helped Mitsuki and Nami to stand. With her two friends at her side, she stepped forward and took Kyoji¡¯s still extended hand, then left the cage. * * * Sara still couldn¡¯t believe it. Had that Joram guy been taken before them? She¡¯d watched a few isekai anime with her friends, but hadn¡¯t really given the whole genre much thought outside of it being pure fantasy. But seeing Joram come in wearing a weird cross between kakis and jeans, along with a t-shirt and Converse sneakers, she had to wonder. Well, that and suddenly finding herself in a weird place after finishing her break at Stirbucks. One second she¡¯d been leaving the break room, then a bright light flashed and she¡¯d found herself standing on a stone floor with some crazy designs on it. Now? She was looking at a freaking Jedi in sneakers who made Terminator jokes. ¡°At least they kept everyone clean,¡± Joram muttered in english as she stepped up to his side, making her eyes widen in shock. Taking a better look at him, she couldn¡¯t believe how young he looked up close, especially with how ripped he was. ¡°Are those custom-made?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask as she looked at his Converse sneakers, then at her own bare feet. ¡°Hmm?¡± Joram hmm¡¯d as turned to look at her. She was taken with his green/blue hazel eyes as they landed on her, and wondered at the colours she could see in them. ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some after we get you out of here,¡± he said, then nodded to the others who¡¯d finally made their way out of their cells. Nodding, she reigned-in her curiosity and listened to what he had to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this happened to you,¡± he started, motioning at the cages, then at their collars. ¡°This isn¡¯t something that should have happened¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment as he seemed to search for what to say. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have happened?!¡± one of the Asians demanded. ¡°Where are the others? Who¡¯ll take responsibility for those who¡¯ve been killed?!¡± The teen demanded as a girl by his side tried to hush him, but was ignored. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re working on that,¡± Joram said, frowning at the kid. ¡°In the meantime, settle down. I¡¯m here to stop these crimes. My friend will deal with all the¡­ legal stuff. For now, I¡¯ll take you somewhere safe,¡± he said, then motioned for everyone to follow him. Sara swallowed hard as her eyes landed on the dead Africans, then turned back to glare daggers at the three men who¡¯d come to kill them all. ¡°Don¡¯t take any hostile actions, get up, and follow me,¡± Joram ordered the three men who could only frown as they were compelled to obey his instructions. She¡¯d seen just how effective those slavery collars were in enforcing orders. She took quite a bit of pleasure as she watched their various expressions, all of which revolved around denial and hatred. She really hoped they¡¯d get more than some jailtime for what they¡¯d done. Then they were outside for the first time in¡­ she didn¡¯t know how long, but it was the first time since they¡¯d all been shoved into those cages. What greeted her eyes was nothing like what she¡¯d seen as she¡¯d been marched to that warehouse. The various buildings and houses that had been there were basically gone. Either burnt to lumps of charred lumber, or just smashed to splinters. The weird area where they¡¯d been summoned was now a pile of rubble and slag. She could see that it had been smashed, then somehow melted. She heard the others begin murmuring to one another as they took in the destruction¡­ and the bodies. There were bodies everywhere. From what looked like gunshot wounds to burns to just¡­. She had to swallow hard again as she looked away from the messes that had once been people. ¡°You got them?¡± Sara turned to see a stunningly beautiful woman with black, red-tipped hair approaching them. She swallowed, then wondered if the woman had gotten implants, so huge was her chest. ¡°Yeah, but I was a bit late,¡± Joram said, sounding genuinely sad. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a few of the leaders here collared and ready to go,¡± the woman said as the turned her very red eyes to look them over. ¡°I¡¯ll take those three off your hands. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll want to get them settled.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Joram said quietly, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with things over there. Let me know when you¡¯re ready to come back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep the new Dungeon capped until you can come back to help me with it,¡± the woman said, nodded, then took another quick look at them before gathering up the three men and heading off. Joram looked at everyone again, his eyes stopping on her for a second before he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve got a place that¡¯ll be safe for everyone,¡± he said, then grimaced slightly. ¡°I know you¡¯ve all been through more than your fair share of crap. But. Don¡¯t cause any trouble,¡± he finished, giving them all another look-over. She just nodded at him as Cheryl edged closer and held her hand. Sara could feel her trembling, so she gave it a squeeze as she tugged her closer. The other Americans had all either been killed for their ¡°defiance¡± or had been taken away before most everyone else. ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Joram rumbled as he stared up at the sky for a minute, deep in thought. While he was thinking, a few of them started to whisper amongst themselves. The three French teens looked more than a bit dubious while the four¡­ Japanese?- students almost seemed resigned, though the boy looked a bit excited, if she was reading him right. Then a flash of light caught her attention, so she turned to see what it was. Then her jaw dropped. A¡­ hole in the air that had to be roughly three by four metres large greeted her eyes. She could see another forest through it, though she was a bit confused to see what looked like a large mansion. And not one that resembled the architecture that she¡¯d seen here. It looked¡­ old-school. Like, those colonial-era mansions you could still see here and there in the older, and posher, parts of town. ¡°Follow me,¡± Joram said, nodding towards the¡­ portal before walking through. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly dragged Cheryl through the portal with her. Once on the other side, she paused to take everything in, then was pushed to the side as others came through. ¡°What¡­?¡± she asked as she took in the other buildings to the left of the mansion. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Cheryl said, seeming to agree with her question. There was a tall one-story building next door to the mansion, with large plate glass windows that showed- what looked like- a large cafeteria, built in the same style as the mansion. Behind that, she saw what looked like one of those old Japanese buildings. And behind that, she could see very tall apartment buildings. Like, Earth-style apartment buildings. With balconies. Looking around a bit more, she was startled to see people with animal ears approaching them. Very beautiful, animal-eared, women. ¡°Whaaaaat¡­?¡± she drawled out, now questioning her sanity as she noticed¡­ a succubus, a raven-winged woman, and a¡­ dark elf accompanying the two animal-eared women. Then she noticed the tails behind the white-haired beauty and realized that their ears weren¡¯t just some sort of realistic cosplay. Then she gulped. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± the purple haired one asked as she stopped close to Joram. ¡°Did you¡­¡± she stopped as she took them all in, then frowned. ¡°Not normal slaves,¡± the white-haired woman said, shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯re-¡± she stopped when Joram raised a hand. ¡°They¡¯re now guests,¡± he said, then turned to look at them again. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of those collars in a bit. For now, head inside and grab a bite to eat. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something you¡¯ll like,¡± he said, motioning towards the cafeteria-like building. ¡°If you would be so kind as to follow me.¡± Sara turned and saw that a¡­ an honest-to-god Lord of the Rings elf had appeared out of nowhere. Golden blonde hair that made her own blonde hair seem flat in comparison, framed a perfect face with stunning green eyes and perfect fair skin. She looked over at Cheryl and saw that her eyes were glued to the elf lady. She shrugged as she took a deep breath, then followed the elf lady, once more pulling Cheryl along for the ride. * * * ¡°So, they¡¯re all¡­?¡± Asami asked, trailing off at the end. He nodded as he watched the group of teenagers follow Shae¡¯ra to the mess hall. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be¡­ fun,¡± he finished with a slight grimace, thinking of all of the ridiculous things that were likely to occur. ¡°Seriously, what are you talking about?¡± Myra asked as the Trio shuffled uncomfortably behind her. He looked at her, then at the Trio, before turning back to the mess hall. ¡°Heroes,¡± he said, making Myra¡¯s jaw drop and the Trio shudder. * End of Book 2 * Chapter 100 - Of Heroes and Interviews Kyoji was¡­ disappointed. When they¡¯d been summoned to this world, he¡¯d first thought that they¡¯d become [Heroes], respected and envied by the masses for both their roles and the amazing powers they¡¯d have. Never had he been as disappointed as he¡¯d been in all of his seventeen years of life as when they¡¯d all been collared and caged like animals. Showing that this was one of those shitty isekai settings he¡¯d always hated reading. Still, he¡¯d held on, hoping that things would change for them. And, sure enough, they had when their savior, Joram, had arrived. Now? He was disappointed again, this time for another reason entirely. Well, maybe a couple of reasons, if he was being honest with himself. First, the Skills he¡¯d gotten for being pulled into this world weren¡¯t what he¡¯d ever remotely hoped for. [Heal: 5], while being a Legendary Skill, wasn¡¯t very¡­ heroic. Nor was [Cure: Panacea]- another Legendary Skill-, his other granted Skill. Even his ¡°massive¡± Attribute, Spirit, wasn¡¯t anything heroic in his eyes. Sure, they said that starting with a Spirit of 25 was unheard of, and quite amazing, all-told. But. It wasn¡¯t anything like that Canadian girl, Sara, who had an awesome Attribute like Speed that was her granted ability from the ¡°Great Protector¡±. They said that her Skills were just Common and Uncommon ones, but that they were already at the ¡°Greater¡± level was, apparently, remarkable. So, she got to do awesome training with the dark elf, Arise, as well as the stunning Qyress. While he was stuck with an older foxkin woman named Lory. While Lory was nice, she certainly wasn¡¯t someone who brooked anything less than total attention while she was teaching. Kyoji suppressed a sigh before it could escape his mouth and get him into more hot water than he would have liked. At least the stunning Myra Manelle¡¯s training was after this. Two weeks. Two weeks of training six days a week, from sun-up to sun-down. The mornings with Lory and the afternoons with Myra. He wasn¡¯t sure which instructor was more exacting in their expectations. He was glad, though, that he¡¯d developed the skill in high school of paying attention with one ear while in class while his mind was off someplace else, as Lory would often break off her lecture to suddenly ask him a question or six. Which is what had just happened. ¡°Please describe the inner structure of the abdomen. Specifically, which organs are where, and which ones can wait to be healed before others,¡± Lory asked, prompting him to quickly review the biology lessons he¡¯d been subjected to over the past two weeks. After giving an answer that seemed to satisfy the fox oba-san, his mind went back to reflecting on, well, his new life. That Joram fellow hadn¡¯t been around much, but he¡¯d learned- very quickly- that he was basically considered a right proper [Hero] by not just the girls and young women that made up the population of his small village, but also by the residents of Kirkwall, the town just a couple of kilometres to the east. Having been regaled many times by the former slaves Joram had bought and freed, he¡¯d learned that Joram was probably a true Hero here, and not just in name. The man- only about a year or so older than him- had only been in this world for a few months now. Four? Something like that. But in that time, he¡¯d made quite the name for himself. From fighting goblins, defending Kirkwall, single-handedly digging the ditch/mote thing around Kirkwall, to pretty much soloing a Dungeon meant for a very high-level party, to buying and freeing about a hundred slaves, all the way to building everything out there. It was, quite frankly, a daunting list of achievements for anyone, let alone someone who¡¯d only been there for a few months. Besides being ridiculously handsome- he could admit it, he was very secure in his own masculinity after all-, Joram was also humble! Which had made things very hard for Kyoji. Specifically, when it came to Tomoe. He¡¯d been crushing on her since middle school when she¡¯d transferred to his school. That they¡¯d wound up in the same high school had been like a sign from the heavens that they had been meant to be together. It was just that he hadn¡¯t had the courage to approach the idol of their year, in each of the following three years they¡¯d spent in the same class. Which had, once again, felt like a sign from the heavens when they¡¯d been miraculously assigned to the same class for so many years in a row. Though, it had also felt like a cosmic joke on him due to his inability to express how he felt about her. This time he couldn¡¯t suppress a sigh before it escaped his lips, making his eyes widen in horror as Lory turned around from writing on the chalkboard to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s close enough to lunch time,¡± she said with an oddly understanding look on her face. ¡°Get going. I¡¯m sure that you could use the fresh air,¡± she finished, though given just how crazy the ventilation system was in the Academy, her last comment seemed more like her throwing him a bone than anything else. ¡°Thank you, sensei,¡± he said, reflexively falling back into old habits. Fortunately, he¡¯d already explained what the word meant, which meant that Lory just nodded before turning back to the chalkboard to finish what she¡¯d been doing before he¡¯d interrupted her. As he got to the door, Ilyenna-chan- one of his other two morning class-mates- paused politely for him to go first. He smiled and bobbed his head slightly at her before quickly stepping out of class and into the hallway. They¡¯d all gotten used to eating at the cafeteria that they¡¯d first eaten at, but had eventually just switched to the one here at the academy for the sake of expediency. It was a good ten minute walk to get there from the edge of campus, which would cut into their down-time before the afternoon class(es) started. It was still odd to him, though. Joram had given each of them a dark-silvery ring the day after they¡¯d arrived, letting them know what it would do for them. A [Ring of Sustenance], as he called it, allowed the wearer to not only get by without eating or drinking, but also reduced the sleep the wearer needed to only two hours per night. It was, quite frankly, an item any Asian student would likely kill to get their hands on. Only two hours of sleep!! He silently marvelled, still in awe over having received such a precious item. Then he began to wonder if it would still work back on Earth¡­ if they ever got to go back, that is. That was the other thing: they¡¯d flat-out asked if it was possible to return home one day. The answer hadn¡¯t been anywhere near what they¡¯d hoped. ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Asami Miki said, shaking her head, distracting him with how amazingly soft and fluffy-looking her ears were. ¡°So, what do we do, then? I am reasonably sure that none of us want to stay here playing at the sacrificial hero,¡± Seif said, the one surviving Egyptian, as he certainly looked ill at ease to be there. ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Myra Manelle had said with a shrug, also distracting him from the topic at hand, but for different reasons. ¡°Joran said that he should be finished with a- an academy, of sorts, later today. Maybe early tomorrow morning, depending on how things go. ¡°That said, I¡¯m sure that everyone can take their time learning something while he works on the¡­ issue,¡± Myra Manelle said, trailing off at the end. It certainly was an ¡°issue¡±, that was for sure. Never mind the ones who¡¯d been killed, how were they going to explain where they¡¯d been or even how they¡¯d returned? Would they keep their new, for lack of a better word, superpowers? And what would that lead to? He was very much conflicted over the matter, truth be told. His father was a widower and a workaholic. Not only that, but he¡¯d been sent off to live in his own little apartment when he¡¯d started high school, getting one call a month to check up on him the same day he¡¯d receive his monthly stipend/living allowance.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Both of his parents had been the only child their parents had, leaving him with no extended family to speak of. But, that wasn¡¯t the case for the three girls who¡¯d survived with him. So, what to do? He somewhat enjoyed the thought of remaining in a new world, one where he could live at his own pace and not have to worry about keeping a minimum GPA set by his father¡­. Though, if Miss Lory was any indication, he¡¯d not be able to even remotely slack off in his learning here. Though, in a sense, it was sort of nice being in a class that only had a few students, making the classroom feel so much more¡­ personal. Intimate, but not in a weird way. At any rate, most of the others had fallen into school life again, probably due to how familiar that routine was for them. And, honestly, also probably how comforting it was to have such a normal thing to do. Heck, in the last few days, he¡¯d even started to hear talk about trying out Joram¡¯s personal Dungeon. Which, they were told in no uncertain terms, was beyond ridiculous. Not wanting to try the Dungeon, no. That was normal here. It was the fact that he had is own personal Dungeon! Something, he was also told, would normally be under the purview of the local mayor or lord. Not something personally owned by someone like¡­ a commoner. He shook his head, wondering at the weirdness of the world, and also just how similar it felt to most isekai literature he¡¯d read over the years. A System, Levels, Skills, Health Points, Mana Points¡­ Classes. Everything! Between Seif, the Egyptian, and Anton- a Ukrainian who¡¯d joined a sort of militia to fight the Big Bad-, there were at least two vocal people wanting to go home as soon as possible. And who hadn¡¯t taken a liking to their new world. Not that he could blame them, not at all. They had, after all, had to watch as their fellow countrymen were taken one-by-one to never return. Well, they weren¡¯t the only ones to see their countrymen taken away to never return, but they were certainly the most vocal about returning to Earth. And not participating in the activities of the Academy. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Tomoe asked, lightly elbowing him in the side to get his attention. He blinked as he realized that he¡¯d been on autopilot, his feet having taken him to the Academy¡¯s underpopulated cafeteria where Nami and Mitsuko were already grabbing food from the buffet-style island near the kitchens. He didn¡¯t know why they bothered with the food, other than they were perhaps taking comfort in simple creature comforts. ¡°Just thinking about the future,¡± he said with a shrug, knowing that his three classmates were on Team ¡°Going Home¡±. ¡°Mmnmm,¡± Tomoe hummed, nodding as she grabbed a salad of some sort before grabbing- of all things- a can of Coke and stepping over to a table close by. ¡°So,¡± he started, not really knowing what to say, then latching on to a sort of normal topic. ¡°How¡¯re your classes going?¡± Tomoe blinked at him as her hand paused in pulling the tab on the can, then finished before taking a sip. She seemed to take in the flavour for a few moments before she finally looked at him and forced a smile. ¡°Surprisingly, the ¡®demon¡¯ Arise is actually the¡­ easiest to get along with,¡± she said, then shook her head slightly as she seemed to suppress a shudder. ¡°Myra is¡­ well. She¡¯s certainly¡­ driven,¡± Tomoe finished, obviously working hard to be polite with her wording. Given what he¡¯d seen of Myra Manelle over the past two weeks, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that assessment was accurate or not. If anything, Myra Manelle was¡­ mopey. He thought that it might have been because their benefactor, Joram Smith, had been away on ¡°business¡± since their second day at his¡­ community? Village? People called it an orphanage, and he could certainly see that there were enough young people to merit that appellation. The thing was, he¡¯d only seen young women here. Was it a new sort of orphanage that was all-girl? Like some schools back home were? Anyways, he¡¯d noticed that Myra Manelle¡¯s mood had steadily dropped as the days had passed by without Joram Smith returning. In fact, he also noticed that Asami Miki¡¯s mood had also slowly devolved until not many people would approach the woman. Even the foxes, or ¡°Spirit Foxes¡± as people called them, weren¡¯t as friendly as they¡¯d been when he and the others had arrived. ¡°But that¡¯s what it is,¡± Tomoe said, bringing his thoughts back to the present. ¡°How¡¯re your classes going? I remember that your grades weren¡¯t the best in biology,¡± she said teasingly, obviously trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Ah~, don¡¯t remind me,¡± he said as his head bowed slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not as detailed here as back home, but having to learn all new terminology, along with the biology of new races, isn¡¯t fun,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nami said with a grin. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t most guys fantasize about ¡®treating¡¯ animal-eared girls?¡± she asked as her grin turned a bit lecherous. He paused as he was about to deny that fact, but then swallowed said denial for fear of uttering a lie. It was true that there were many people out there who fantasized about animal-eared, and tailed, people. Was he one of them? Thinking about the many forms of media back home that had portrayed ¡°beastmen¡± in their various forms, he could honestly say that most hadn¡¯t appealed to him very much at all. Now that they were in front of him, he wasn¡¯t so sure that he could still say the same thing. ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Even though I never thought I¡¯d be some sort of doctor, especially a magical one, it doesn¡¯t change the sacred duty one takes on as a healer of any sort,¡± he said, drawing hard on the [Divine Arte of Bullshittery], a skill that allowed him to basically make things up without having to actively lie about something. Also, not an actual Skill, but something that he¡¯d developed growing up. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Nami said, obviously not buying it. ¡°Anyways, things here at least seem nice enough,¡± she said, rudely pointing around with her chopsticks, likely indicating not just the room they were in, but the entirety of Joram¡¯s little village. ¡°If there really isn¡¯t a way home from here- and I¡¯m stressing the ¡®if¡¯- then this place doesn¡¯t seem too bad to me,¡± she finished with a shrug that he couldn¡¯t help but agree with. It was certainly infinitely better than the people they¡¯d been summoned by, that was for sure. ¡°You¡¯re not scared to start Dungeon Diving?¡± Mitsuko asked with a slight frown. ¡°From what I hear, Mr Smith¡¯s Dungeons are¡­ easy, compared to most,¡± Tomoe said, now also frowning slightly. ¡°Though, I¡¯m not sure how easy it¡¯ll be for me to kill farm animals,¡± she finished with a slightly disturbed look. Kyoji nodded his understanding, not-so-secretly sharing her feelings on that. They came from the very modern, and civilized, Japan that had conveniently pre-packed meats. No longer did your average citizen need to slaughter and prepare their farm animals for consumption. Nope! No need to get your hands dirty beyond meal-prep. Now? ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get used to it,¡± he said with as much confidence as he could muster. ¡°Besides! Isn¡¯t it much better than fighting goblins, or something equally¡­ revolting?¡± His three classmates paled at the thought of fighting those notoriously cunning, vicious, evil, and lustful green menaces. But they were also probably imagining killing a sapient being for the first time, just like how he was trying not to imagine having to do such a thing. He was suddenly very glad that he was a [Healer] type. Heck, his Class, or Path, as they called it here, was [Hero: Healer] for crying out loud! ¡°Yeah, maybe I¡¯ll hold off a bit longer,¡± Nami said with a slight shudder. The conversation died off then, leaving them to eat in silence for a while before they eventually parted ways, heading to their afternoon classes. Which, really, was actually less desirable for him than the uncomfortable silence that had fallen upon them. ¡°All right!¡±, Myra called out, getting their attention shortly after he arrived. ¡°Today we¡¯re in for a treat! Instructor Miki will be joining us for the practical portion of today¡¯s lesson!¡± Kyoji didn¡¯t even bother trying to suppress the shudder that came upon him this time at the thought of Asami Miki joining today¡¯s lesson. For as harsh as Myra Manelle could be, she paled in comparison to Asami Miki, who was able to floor anyone who she was paired with as though she could read their minds. Firming his resolve, Kyoji also mentally prepared to have his ass handed to him. * * * Joram heaved a sigh of relief as he was finally ¡°allowed¡± to leave today¡¯s interrogation. Erys, though, didn¡¯t seem too phased by it all, likely thinking of everything as a mere moment of time, a blink of the eye for a dragon. She was probably right. And even though he was now technically immortal, he¡¯d grown up a human who would literally count the minutes before a tedious thing ended. Like school, or these seemingly endless interrogations- er, ¡°interviews¡±, as the Queen was calling them. Heaven forbid that the royalty and nobility be seen as anything resembling something as low as a common investigator. Which wasn¡¯t fair, really. To the Queen, who at least seemed semi-reasonable compared to everyone else he¡¯d had to deal with. Like the families of the various ¡°nobles¡± who¡¯d been killed in the raid of the illegal [Hero] Summoning camp. The very same people who were trying to throw shade on him, and to some extent Erys, though not too much for fear of angering an Elder Dragon. He nearly snorted out a laugh, then, as he imagined what their faces would look like if they knew that he¡¯d already beaten Erys and who, as a result of that, was pursuing him romantically. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be done with us any time soon?¡± he asked Erys once the door to their rooms was closed and the wards activated. ¡°Who knows?¡± she asked with a shrug that jiggled her chest a bit too much to seem normal. ¡°Humans, at least, go quickly with their investigations,¡± she said, confirming his thoughts on her perception of time. Grunting, he plopped down on a comfy chair that he [Summon]ed, preferring that over using the so-called furniture that came with their rooms. ¡°At least the land and property transfers went smoothly enough,¡± he said, remembering just how quickly Matun al¡¯Maim had settled everything once Joram had arrived. The things that hadn¡¯t gone well were the various transfers of contracts, or the cancellation of a good deal of those contracts. Not to mention going through the staff, keeping only a fraction of them due to moral reasons, and hiring new ones to replace them as he renovated the properties. ¡°At least the restructuring is all done,¡± he said, referring to the new business plan and staff of Myriad Wonders. Erys just shrugged again as she once more raided this world¡¯s equivalent of a booze fridge you¡¯d find in most hotel rooms back on Earth. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Erys asked after taking a long draw of what looked like an expensive wine. ¡°Well, once we¡¯re ¡®cleared¡¯ of having done what the Queendom should have done in the first place, I¡¯ll see about getting official area rites for my land.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already buy it?¡± she asked, looking puzzled. ¡°I did, but it¡¯s still under the jurisdiction of the local count, like Kirkwall itself,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°If I can get set up as a proper landowner, things¡¯ll go much more smoothly,¡± he said, wondering just how hard it would be to do that. Chapter 101 - Romantic despair Erys gave him a weird look before finally speaking her thoughts. ¡°Why would it be hard? Just declare it yours and be done with it,¡± she said, once more revealing her draconic heritage with her way of thinking. Because, why wouldn¡¯t an Elder Dragon just say that something was theirs and expect everyone to accept their words as fact, or just go along with it. ¡°Because I¡¯m not a dragon?¡± he asked, getting yet another weird look from Erys in return as she finished her bottle of wine. ¡°Seriously. You¡¯re stronger than me, so what¡¯s the problem?¡± she asked, looking more than a little bit confused at his reluctance to just go and claim a portion of a sovereign territory for his own use. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want endless wars with Muryn? The kingdom- uh, ¡®queendom¡¯- isn¡¯t a weak nation. Do you know how annoying it¡¯d be to have to be constantly on guard against their attacks or even assassins?¡± he asked, shaking his head, exasperated. ¡°Sure, I could wipe out their armies if I really needed to. But why would I when I can just get things done peacefully?¡± Erys shrugged again as she started on a new bottle, making him think that some sort of magic was at play with just how much her bust was jiggling with those slight movements of her shoulders. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen when I speak,¡± said Erys as her focus returned to the more important matter of her alcohol. Joram let it drop, not really caring too much if he convinced her or not, as she¡¯d still listen to him, one way or another. That they¡¯d been there almost 2 weeks now was beyond his expectations. Especially since the evidence of that group of summoners was plain and straightforward. In his eyes, anyways. The nearly endless bickering, nitpicking, and political maneuvering that was happening right now was worse than he could have ever imagined. Which, really, wasn¡¯t saying much as he¡¯d avoided politics back on Earth nearly as stringently as people had avoided one another during that pandemic before he¡¯d arrived here, on this world. Still, the queen, Bryana vas Muryn, had been quite reasonable with helping him with Myriad Wonders and a few of the legal issues still outstanding with that company. Actually, the young queen was entirely pleasant to speak with¡­ compared to what he¡¯d imagined she¡¯d be like, anyways. At least Bryana was both pleasant to see and to listen to. He¡¯d read one too many manga/manhua/manhwa where the ruler of the kingdom/country/empire was an ugly, fat, old man entirely bent on attaining his own ambitions by using hapless heroes summoned by his court magician(s). Heck, he¡¯d even read a few where the gorgeous woman who¡¯d summoned the batch of heroes wound up being the worst sort of person/goddess imaginable. But, after a quick [Read Thoughts], he¡¯d surmised that Bryana was actually a pretty decent person, if one tainted by the obligations of a crown and the need to please her court and nobility. And not quite being twenty years-old wasn¡¯t doing her any favours either. ¡°So, you gonna try and take her as your woman too?¡± Erys asked with a wolfish- draconic, grin and a glint in her eyes. ¡°No,¡± he said, shooting down that thought before it could take flight. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how she looks at you,¡± Erys persisted, practically purring¡­ for a dragon-woman. Dragonkin, as they¡¯d call it here. ¡°And why would I want that headache, eh?¡± he asked, shaking his head once more. ¡°Sure, she¡¯s gorgeous, but I¡¯m not one to go looking for more headaches,¡± he finished, pointedly ignoring the flat look Erys gave him. ¡®It actually wouldn¡¯t be too bad for you,¡¯ Avi piped in, choosing that moment to strike when his argument was weakest to counterattack. ¡®Why?¡¯ he asked simply, wondering in what universe her words would be true in. ¡®Well, if you marry Bryana, you¡¯ll become a king. Well, king-consort, or whatever they¡¯d call it here. That said, her power base would be greatly stabilized while also getting you a decent-sized queendom to make sure other nations don¡¯t come to bother you,¡¯ she finished, sounding entirely too convincing for his comfort. Then Erys basically repeated Avi¡¯s words, making him wonder if they were chatting on their own Network or something. ¡°If I¡¯m not comfortable getting any more intimate with Asami or Myra, why in the world would you think that a stranger would be any better?¡± he asked, now exasperated nearly beyond words. ¡°Well, political marriages aren¡¯t very touchy-feely, for the most part,¡± Erys started, using an expression that roughly translated to a more modern English expression back on Earth. ¡°You get married, spend some time here, maybe make an heir with her, and then not have to worry about any emotional attachments,¡± Erys finished with yet another shrug that needed ignoring. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to express just how wrong all of that is to me,¡± he said as his mind whirled around dozens, if not hundreds, of thoughts all denying what she was saying. ¡°That said, befriending a queen isn¡¯t out of the realms of possibility. ¡°But first, I need to establish myself in Myrmeze. Once everything is completed, and things are running much more smoothly, I can focus on¡­ getting to know the nobility, and Bryana, better,¡± he finished, not at all excited to have to shmooze-up random strangers, especially ones like the nobility and royalty here. Or anywhere, really. From there, the conversation changed to less socially terrifying things for him and moved onto subjects that he loved. Like building and making things. He spit-balled with Erys for a while as Avi threw in her own thoughts on things occasionally. If he really could get ¡°control¡± of his land, and perhaps more, then he had more than a few ideas that he wanted to play with. Not the least of which was his thoughts on building an actual Tower. Yes, with a capital ¡°T¡±. With how much matter he could manipulate, or create, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about supply issues. Then, with his ability to make Dungeons, let alone demi-planes, he certainly wanted to get to experimenting as soon as possible. Though, with not only [Schism] running, but also [Fission], he would need to take it a bit slower, as the draw on his resources wasn¡¯t negligible. In fact, after having experimented with [Fission] a bit more, he¡¯d found a few interesting things. Like the fact that all of his resource pools were evenly divided amongst his ¡°clones¡±. So, instead of having a Power Pool and Mana Pool of 6,536 and 4,650 respectively, with two of him running around, they were 3,268 and 2,325 respectively. With three of him, they were 2,178 and 1,550 respectively. So on, and so forth. It also divided his resource regeneration rates the same way. Which, really, was fair considering that even with four of him around, he was still a ridiculously powerful caster-type. Funny enough, his actual Attributes weren¡¯t divided. Which, while awesome, felt a bit broken to him. He¡¯d gone so far as creating five clones, and still they¡¯d been more than enough to contend with anything he could find. Namely anything in his Dungeons back at the manor. So, even with the reduced resource pools and regenerations rates of said pools, he was still more than enough to deal with the S-Rank Dungeon he¡¯d added to the bottom of his farming Dungeon. It went from Levels 31-40, all of which were solidly in the ¡°S-Rank¡± of things. Sure, he hadn¡¯t gone right to the limit of S-Rank, which was Level 45, but the tests had been good enough, in his opinion anyways. His raw stats were more than good enough to deal with those threats, especially when he was using his Soulknife and Soulbolt class features, let alone when those five clones were working together to take down those monsters. Which had also had the benefit of providing many S-Rank Cores, not to mention new meats and materials for the crafters¡­ when they got high enough level to use them, that is.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. All-told, he was confident that he could proceed with his plans, even if there was resistance from the Crown or the nobles. ¡°I think that I¡¯ll leave one of me here and continue with my search for the descendants of the World Tree,¡± he said, bringing their conversations to a close. Erys just shrugged again, not bothering to go over the point once more. She¡¯s already told him that he was on a fools¡¯ errand with trying to find them all, even after he¡¯d shared his [Quest] from the System. ¡°Just don¡¯t ignore my advice with the queen,¡± Erys said before heading off to take a nap. He was about to once more deny any such thing when Avi also piped in her agreement before cutting off the line, as it were. Now slightly grumpy, Joram pulled out his guitar and began strumming as he started to plan things out a bit more. * * * Stubborn one, Avi thought as she sat at her desk in her office at the Academy, going over the few reports she received from the various instructors. Really, it could have all been condensed to one page given how little there was, but at least it gave her something to do other than worry about Joram. Or Joram Prime, or Avi Prime, for that matter. She¡¯d been getting more and more from her¡­ link to Avi Prime, or maybe Avi Aneath would be a better appellation? She shrugged, as it really didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that Joram Aneath was much more¡­ outgoing, than Joram Smith was. Not to mention exponentially more powerful, in his own way. Well, on a power scale, he was. On a ¡°break the world with what he could do¡± scale¡­ he was still up there. But with what this System had given Joram Smith, she truly wondered what it was planning, if indeed it was capable of planning things out. She was inclined to believe that it could, given the interactions Joram had told her about, let alone the various notifications he¡¯d received that very much pointed to- at the very least- a sentient System, if not an outright sapient System. Then she wondered, not for the first time, if Altaea had somehow influenced or outright changed the System before she¡¯d wandered off again. Why else would the System seem to favour Joram so much? Like, she was sure that with his current class abilities, he could actually try to take over the System if he really wanted to. But would he? Hells, no. He was certainly less ambitious than Joram Aneath was, that was for sure. Which, really, was probably for the best. But what was the System¡¯s goal there? Why give Joram Quests? Why was the World Tree so important to it? Or, rather, the descendants of the World Tree? Too many questions, too few answers for her liking. Well, at least she was now free to act autonomously now that she had her own body, something she thanked her Prime self for having worked out already. Along with many other things. Which led her to reviewing what Joram had shared with her about his ridiculous Path, [Creationist]. She then mentally reviewed their stocks of Dust Crystals and nodded to herself. With all six Jorams producing Dust Crystals over the past couple of weeks, they now had almost a hundred thousand Dust Crystals in storage, more than enough to bump her stats to what they needed to be to qualify for [Creationist]. It was just that¡­ did she really want to? She knew that her Prime Self had gone that route: cultivating the same way as Joram Aneath. But was she destined to just do the same things as her host, as Joram? Could she find, with Joram¡¯s help, a Path that would compliment his? Or should she double-down and just go with it, as it were? But with Joram¡¯s- evidently unprecedented- access to the System, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste? Even if she didn¡¯t go with the other options the System gave her, she should still qualify for [Creationist], right? So, what was holding her back? Uncertainty, that¡¯s what. She didn¡¯t know what the goal of the System really was, nor what power it might hold over her should she take a Path, effectively tying herself to it, and what it allowed her to do. Though, she had already learned dozens of Skills from the Skill Books that Joram had given her. So, was she already ¡°trapped¡±? Upon further reflection, she supposed that she was. Avi shrugged, then withdrew a sizable pile of Dust Crystals from Joram¡¯s Realm and stared at them for a while as she thought. With how Joram had gone through the stat increases, she was confident that she would be able to do the same, especially after having used a stack of crystals to increase her [Pain Resistance] Skill to the ¡°Greater¡± stage. Which would hopefully mitigate, if not negate, the negative aspect of pushing her Strength Attribute past its limit. She¡¯d also increased her [Toughness] Skill, hoping that it would also help mitigate the negative effects of pushing the limit. With a sigh, Avi instructed her additional Minds to monitor things as they progressed, as well as tasking them to keep her healed if the need arose. Well, she hoped that [Schism] would keep running if she fell unconscious or was otherwise incapacitated by what she was about to do. * * * Kasumi Shirogane looked over at the ¡°Japanese¡± [Heroes] and wondered again if her people and theirs had had¡­ interactions in the past. They certainly looked like anyone from her tribe would, if they weren¡¯t so dark-skinned and had white hair instead of their black hair. Mentally shrugging it off yet again, she focussed on the kata that she was learning with the others in Myra Manelle¡¯s class. It was certainly much more difficult than anything she¡¯d ever needed to do before this, and thus demanded much more of her attention than the morning¡¯s class did. Right hand up, palm out, rotate wrist just so, step in while keeping her centre of gravity balanced, then a strike with her left hand to the training dummy¡¯s torso. Step back, breath, repeat, though with her left hand leading this time. Given how young she was amongst her people, she hadn¡¯t gotten around to choosing a Path just yet. She was still holding off on doing so, especially with just how much she was learning, and gaining, while training in Joram Smith¡¯s Academy, as he called it. If he was to be believed, anyone who trained extensively before choosing their Path would have much greater gains once they chose one. They would even get offered a better Path, something that she¡¯d wondered about more than once in the past. For if those more privileged- rich, if she was being truthful- could get offered better Paths, it would make sense that those Paths came from special training that they¡¯d gone through. All because they had the resources- physical, financial, and academic- to allow for such. Now? Now she had all they did, and much more, if she wasn¡¯t wrong about just how ridiculous Joram Smith was. [Skill Tome]s for top achievers! Those were supposed to be so rare that they sold for gold coins, at the very least! And that was for the [Common] grade Skills! Kasumi suppressed a yelp when her strike connected wrong with the training dummy, causing her to bruise her knuckles something fierce. Reprimanding her lack of focus, she shook out her hand as she waved away Myra Manelle¡¯s inquiring look with her left, and uninjured, hand. Normally, something like that would have had her seeking treatment. But now? Now, she just used a bit of her [Cryokinesis] to cool the throbbing enough for her to continue. Well, continue with another kata, that is. *Ding!* Kasumi smiled as she read the notification from the Great Protector.
Congratulations! Through your hard work and perseverance, you¡¯ve gained the following Skill: - Pain Resistance Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled the following Skill: - Pain Resistance 1 -> 2
Kasumi wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about gaining 2 levels in a new Skill like [Pain Resistance], making her think that maybe she¡¯d done more severe damage to her hand than she¡¯d initially thought. But then chose to ignore those thoughts in favour of pushing on. She very much wanted to become an asset rather than a burden for Joram Smith- just ¡°Joram¡±. She silently chided herself for not calling him by just his given name as he¡¯d repeatedly requested of them since he¡¯d bought and subsequently freed them all. The least she could do for him was to address him how he wanted to be addressed. So, she started on her footwork, paying close attention to her balance, as well as where her arms were. Improper arm placement while moving about could cost you an arm. Literally. Now properly focussed on practice, Kasumi flowed through her forms with a grace that would have astonished her past self. All because she wanted- no, needed, to better herself. Nothing to do with the dozens of other young women who were doing the same. Likely for the same reason. No. Nothing to do with that whatsoever. Nope. * * * ¡°So, Kal,¡± Jin said, motioning towards the rows of young women hitting strange rotating posts in the ground. ¡°Anyone catch your fancy?¡± he finished with a roguish grin, letting Kal know exactly what he was thinking. ¡°Not so much that as wondering if I should join them,¡± he said, not wanting to get dragged into yet another conversation about picking up girls with Jin. ¡°No, hear me out,¡± Jin said, slipping into his salesperson-like persona. ¡°There¡¯s almost a hundred girls that that guy Joram bought. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re all wondering what they¡¯ll do in the future. So. Why don¡¯t we head over, perhaps join them in their exercise, and start planting the seeds, as it were. ¡°That way, when they¡¯ve thought about things more, they¡¯ll be more amenable to our incredible charms!¡± Jin finished with what he likely assumed to be a winning smile, but just managed to come off as a slightly desperate young man in search of a girlfriend. Kal really couldn¡¯t blame him. Since Joram had gone and practically single-handedly saved Kirkwall from that Overflowing Dungeon, almost every young woman- and some not-so-young ones- had all basically fixated on the young man. It didn¡¯t hurt that he was somewhat attractive, not to mention just how ripped the guy looked. Pair all that with the fact that he seemed to genuinely be a good guy and was seemingly filthy rich¡­. Well, all that left the young men of Kirkwall in a state of romantic despair. ¡°I think that you¡¯re forgetting about one very important detail,¡± Kal said with a sigh. Jin poked him until he spoke up again, though Kal¡¯s eyes were on the issue, as he saw it. ¡°Myra¡¯s in charge of those classes,¡± he said, nodding his chin towards his twin sister. ¡°Yup,¡± Carson said, finally joining their conversation. ¡°She may have mellowed a bit over the past few months, but have you so soon forgotten the beating she gave you? What do you think it¡¯ll be like now that she¡¯s got a Class that boosts her hand-to-hand fighting?¡± he asked, giving Jin the flattest of looks that could have been used to plane a countertop. ¡°Crap,¡± Jin said with a sigh, obviously remembering the pain inflicted upon him not-so-long-ago. ¡°Crap, indeed,¡± Kal said, nodding sagely. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have better luck if we approach Asami Miki¡¯s class?¡± Little did they know that Myra¡¯s class was the one that would have gone easier on them¡­. Chapter 102 - Bob likes Doritos Bryana, through much diligent practice, supressed yet another sigh as her court once more debated if those involved in the ¡°Incident¡± truly deserved the death penalty. As if an Elder Dragon hadn¡¯t made it quite clear to them all that she expected to see their heads adorning the Traitors¡¯ Wall by the time the next full moon showed in the night sky. Which was tomorrow. Yet they all still debated as though it would change anything. As though said Elder Dragon wouldn¡¯t just burn down her castle if she perceived a slight, let alone an insult. An insult like not executing criminals under the international treaties that had been made over a thousand years ago with the [Dimensional Guardian]s. The very same order that Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys was a part of. So, how was it that a mere ¡°[Crafter]¡± was in such auspicious company as Erys, as Mr Smith called her? She was all but certain that he had a Skill to hide or change his Status, for no mere artisan could normally even hope to become acquainted with a [Dimensional Guardian], let alone actually travel with one. So, who was ¡°Joram Smith¡±? With such a humble name, she was certain that he hadn¡¯t come from a wealthy family from another country. Unless it was a pseudonym. Which was likely, given the company that he kept. Her attention was brought back to the ongoing debate when she heard someone suggest that the whole thing was a conspiracy to discredit and weaken their queendom by eliminating prominent, and powerful, members of their nobility. If she hadn¡¯t received as extensive and thorough training as she had growing up, she would have outright laughed in his, Marquis Marthas¡¯, face. Did they not understand that they had to uphold the ancient treaties because a god-damned Elder Dragon was demanding it?! ¡°Enough,¡± Bryana said, cutting off their escalating discussions, though some were obviously displeased by the interruption. ¡°Those brought in by Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys will be executed according to the [Dimensional Enforcement Treaty]. The executions will be scheduled at dusk,¡± she finished, giving the room a frosty stare that quieted the few that looked like they wanted to argue. ¡°Further, according to the [Dimensional Enforcement Treaty], those houses will be stripped of their titles, lands, and privileges. Their properties and various businesses will be taken over by the Crown until We decide how best to distribute them.¡± ¡°So, it is written. So, shall it be done,¡± her royal secretary announced, startingly causing someone to snort in laughter before they could cut it off. Bryana looked around in outrage and quickly found that Mr Smith had entered without her noticing him. Which was a feat in-and-of-itself, as he was both taller than average with a build that put most blacksmiths to shame, but he was also not¡­ dressed for court. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said after every eye had turned to look at him, aghast, ducking his head a bit in embarrassment. No one dared to say a word in protest, and not because of his physical stature. Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys, or Erys, was standing beside him, similarly not dressed for court, but seemingly for battle given her leather armour and ridiculously massive sword that was strapped to her back. Bryana vas Muryn gave a stately nod, accepting the apology before glancing at her royal secretary, Dame Schwartz, who then continued. ¡°Ser Faryl, you will be in charge of executing Her Highness¡¯ orders,¡± Dame Schwartz finished, looking put out with having her thunder stolen by Mr Smith. For such a queendom-shaking event as this, she was astonished to note that her court dispersed with practically little issue, nor conversations louder than a whisper. She very much suspected that, given their bravado while Erys wasn¡¯t there, that they were very much aware of just how poorly things could go for them should they show any form of disrespect in front of her now. Not to mention that none of them seemed to know just when the pair had arrived. Who knew who¡¯d be on the chopping block next if the Elder Dragon in their midst chose to take offense to something someone had said? For as much as she- secretly!- enjoyed taking in Mr Smith¡¯s form, she was suddenly more than a little bit nervous when she found that she was left alone with them with only Dame Schwartz and a few guards to provide any sort of support that she might need. Then the seconds ticked by as Mr Smith and Erys stood off to the side, seemingly content to stand over there until she remembered that she needed to indicate that they could approach the throne. ¡°You may approach,¡± she said with as much dignity as she could muster, hoping that she wasn¡¯t giving away any of her internal thoughts. A few moments later, the pair had approached the throne and gave short bows, making her once more wonder at Mr Smith¡¯s origins. If anything, she wondered where he¡¯d learned to bow in such a minimalist way. ¡°I¡¯m glad that the Laws have been honoured,¡± Erys said, speaking up first. ¡°May the Great Protector prevent any such things from occurring again.¡± Bryana nodded her agreement as Mr Smith also nodded, though in a much more relaxed fashion, causing Dame Schwartz to frown slightly at the impropriety. ¡°Is there anything else We can help you with?¡± she asked, hoping to end the awkward impromptu meeting as soon as possible. ¡°Ah, I was just wondering if the land east of the town of Kirkwall was under anyone¡¯s control specifically, or just sort of managed by the crown?¡± Mr Smith asked, once more showing just how little etiquette training he¡¯d received. Or was that just an act? ¡°It is overseen by the crown,¡± she replied before Dame Schwartz could. ¡°So, ah, I was wondering if I could, I don¡¯t know, buy a section of land from the crown?¡± he asked, seemingly nervous with his request. Which was understandable given what he was asking. Many of the nobility, not to mention the various merchant families, had requested various tracts of land from the crown in the past; almost all of which had been denied. The crown was more likely to lease out land rather than to outright sell it, especially given the fact that landownership came with many rights that empowered the owner. Like being allowed to have guards, or troops, with which to defend the area. Thinking about the company that Mr Smith kept, not to mention how Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys seemed to defer to Mr Smith, she once more wondered at his origins. If he was anywhere near as powerful as she suspected, he could have just gone and claimed that unused land for himself and she would have had no choice but to accept the loss and move on. What sane person wanted to start a war with an Elder Dragon?! Let alone an unknown factor like Mr Smith? Thinking over the various pros and cons, she decided to get more information from him before making a decision. ¡°We have several questions that We would like clarified,¡± she said, then continued when Mr Smith nodded amiably. ¡°How much land are you wishing to procure?¡± ¡°The entire Great Forest west of Kirkwall,¡± he replied without blinking, though she certainly blinked in surprise at his words. ¡°What do you plan to do with that land?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°I think something like a nature preserve would be nice,¡± he said, baffling her somewhat. ¡°Maybe build a small town, or a retreat. Continue my work there. Maybe move the orphans over there if they aren¡¯t able to find a family here,¡± he said, nodding to himself all the while. ¡°Are you aware that the security of the queendom is currently maintained on the coast by the crown?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± That gave her pause for a moment, wondering if he truly knew what that entailed, especially the costs involved in keeping that area patrolled and manned. ¡°Are you able to ensure that no invading forces may find purchase on Our soil?¡± she asked, her curiosity practically screaming at her to get all the answers from Mr Smith, one way or another. She was glad to see that Mr Smith took her question seriously by obviously thinking it over. She watched as his eyes looked up before his head followed suit and tilted back slightly, deep in thought. Bryana once more studied him, taking in his youthful appearance, his great stature that showed devotion to perfecting his physical form, along with his odd way of dressing. Even though she was by no means an expert in textiles, she thought that she was by no means ignorant. Yet she couldn¡¯t, with a certitude, say that she knew what his clothing was made of. And even though her [Identify] Skill was high, let alone her high corresponding Attribute of Intellect, he still [Identify]¡¯d as a Level 20 [Crafter]. From what she¡¯d learned, one needed a Skill to foil the attempts of others to [Identify] them, let alone a high Charisma Attribute. Given just how¡­ easy, Mr Smith was to look at, she was reasonably sure that he had a high Charisma, possibly as high as being in the 20s. Which might explain why she couldn¡¯t get a proper reading on him. ¡°Give me a couple of months, and I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be able to handle it,¡± Mr Smith finally said, nodding once more as she wondered where his confidence came from. ¡°If you are able to protect the coast of Our queendom, then I will personally see to it that your lands will pay the lowest taxes possible,¡± she said, half bluster, half serious as she thought of just how much gold the crown would save if it didn¡¯t need to actively guard against the Demon Continent. Let alone how the redistribution of resources would strengthen their borders. ¡°Deal,¡± Mr Smith said as he stepped up, hand extended as though he wished to ¡®shake on it¡¯, as the commoners tended to do. However, he stopped short as the royal guards practically teleported between them, hands on their swords. What struck her as the most curious wasn¡¯t that Mr Smith stopped short, for that was expected. Nor was it that he backed up while holding both of his hands up in a placating gesture. No, it was that Erys didn¡¯t look at all offended by the obvious threat of the royal guards towards Mr Smith. Instead, Erys appeared¡­ amused more than anything, which sent a silent chill down her spine even though Mr Smith only seemed apologetic for his actions. ¡°Ah, sorry,¡± he said with a rueful grin that somehow also conveyed that he was actually sorry for stepping out of line. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the coast, you¡¯ll reduce my taxes to the minimum and we¡¯ll both be happy,¡± he finished with a grin that managed to somehow set her heart aflutter. Bryana quickly glanced down at one of her bracelets and found that it hadn¡¯t lit up, indicating that a Skill hadn¡¯t been used to influence her. She then looked back at Mr Smith, wondering what had gone on there. ¡°Agreed,¡± she said after a moments¡¯ pause. ¡°Awesome,¡± he said with another smile that did things that shouldn¡¯t have possibly happened to her. ¡°Also, I found an island that seems to be deserted about halfway between this continent and the Demon Continent. Do you know if it¡¯s officially claimed by anyone?¡± Bryana vas Muryn blinked again, wondering just how he was able to catch her off guard so frequently when she¡¯d successfully navigated the royal court for over a year without having been blindsided nearly as skillfully as he was doing. She looked to Dame Schwartz, who was currently frowning at Mr Smith, to get confirmation from her. After a quick shake of the head, she turned back to the source of her growing frustrations and spoke. ¡°It is not. But what are your plans regarding that uninhabited isle?¡± she asked, unable to hide her curiosity any longer. ¡°Well, that might be something we¡¯d need to discuss in¡­ a less open space,¡± Mr Smith said, motioning the entirety of the room with his left hand. - - - Later that evening, Bryana was still in awe over just how¡­ ambitious Mr Smith¡¯s proposal was. Yes, ¡°ambitious¡± was certainly the word for it. ¡°Do you think that the other Elder Dragons are backing him?¡± she asked Dame Schwartz, Brittany, as she accepted a cup of wine from her. Brittany took her time to think about it, once more showing just how meticulous she was in everything that she did. From their time at the Academy together, through her training as a knight, all the way until her appointment as her Royal Secretary, Brittany hadn¡¯t changed how she approached things. How she would take her time to think about a problem before tackling it head-on, so to speak. ¡°That¡¯s entirely possible,¡± Brittany eventually replied. ¡°Given the amount of mana that I can sense from him, I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s an Elder Dragon using [Polymorph] or something similar.¡± Bryana nodded slightly at her words. She, too, hadn¡¯t been able to feel much from Mr Smith. Though, that was relative. He still felt as though his mana capacity was closer to that of a [Grand Magus], or an [Archmage], than a ¡°[Crafter]¡±. ¡°So, what are your thoughts on allowing Mr Smith to do what he proposed?¡± she asked, already knowing her own answer to that question. ¡°If he is indeed backed by other Elder Dragons, then I don¡¯t really think that our opinions matter all that much,¡± Brittany said with a sigh and a slight shake of her head. ¡°I mean, technically they¡¯re international waters, and everything found therein technically a Neutral Zone. So, unless other powers out there strongly object to what he¡¯s planning, there¡¯s not much anyone can really do about it.¡± Bryana nodded again, glad that she wasn¡¯t the only one to come to that conclusion. She really didn¡¯t want to sour any future relations with Mr Smith, nor did she wish to alienate the fascinating man who seemed to have an Elder Dragon following his orders. Let alone who, or what, might be backing him. ¡°Then we¡¯ll give Our assent,¡± she said, effectively closing the topic of conversation before switching to the executions that had taken place less than an hour ago. Which was certainly less pleasant than the previous topic, but still needed to be gone over. Especially with how many venomous looks had been directed towards Mr Smith and Erys. Things would get even more complicated for a time, she was sure. It was just that she seriously wondered if her court was smart enough to *not* go poke a sleeping dragon. * * * Joram came out of his meditations before dawn again and noticed that Erys had once more made herself at home on his bed. And on himself. Suppressing a sigh, he performed his usual morning routine that included his [Escape Artist] practice. With that done, he got to planning. It had been difficult to put it off until this morning after he¡¯d received the letter of approval from Dame Schwartz last night, signed and sealed by Her Majesty Queen Bryana vas Muryn, etc., etc., etc.. Now that he had ¡°official¡± leave to do what he¡¯d planned, he couldn¡¯t help but start planning out each level. Truth be told, he was still debating whether-or-not to do one level per level, or have a couple levels per level in the Tower he was planning. Not only that, but other considerations had come into play when Avi had mentioned using [Genesis: True] along with [Create Dungeon]. Experiments would need to be completed, but if it worked out how he was hoping it would, then the Tower would be¡­ epic. Legendary. Likely [Mythic], if he was being honest with himself. If he could do with it what he was hoping he could, then it would be¡­ revolutionary. Almost literally. Being able to house a world¡¯s population inside of a single tower would certainly make more than a few rulers nervous, or extremely covetous. More likely the latter, as each level of the Tower would have a Dungeon in it. But if things worked out how he¡¯d like them to, each level of the Tower would be a Dungeon, in and of itself. The sheer number of cores coming out of the Tower would beggar nations¡­. If he had the population to do something like that, that is. Now grinning in a way that Erys would recognize, Joram truly got into the planning phase of his Tower. * * * J6, or Bob, as he liked to call himself, looked around as he munched on some Doritos. The island was roughly between the two continents, and was larger than Manhattan Island, though more ovoid than long. It was also pretty much a desolate and rocky place, though. The volcanic activity seemed to have stopped relatively recently given the lack of vegetation larger than the occasional shrub with some tough grass in between. No wildlife, though. Not even bugs. It seemed as though no one had wanted to visit the place, which confused him more than a little bit, given how much of a strategic location it would be for either continent to latch onto given the almost continual tensions between them. Shrugging, he got to [Delve]¡¯ing the island to be sure that the volcanic activity that had created the island in the first place had indeed subsided. Given how fast his Power Pool regenerated, even split six ways, he was able to push the Power further than he would have otherwise. It didn¡¯t take long for him to get down far enough to find that the island was indeed inert, as it were. Sure, it seemed as though it hadn¡¯t been long at all since the volcanic activity had ceased, which was probably why the place was devoid of life. But. It also felt like a treasure trove of minerals and precious metals had come up during the island¡¯s creation. Which was nice, but not something that he¡¯d need to exploit given just how broken [True Creation] and [Summon: All] were here on Iria, with the System boosting things for him. Grinning, he looked around again, this time with his eyes, and decided that the central volcano, now just a mountain, would do quite well for a starting point for the location of the Tower. Central location, solid foundations. It was pretty much perfect. Still grinning, Bob once more thanked Joram for the assignment. It would be pure bliss to just get to work. No distractions, but pure creative time and play. Even better than messing around in Minecraft¡¯s Creative Mode. Tucking the empty bag away into his Realm, Bob dusted his hands off and got to work. Chapter 103 - Fission benefits *Day 053* Joram looked on as the latest batch of slaves were basically herded into Myriad Wonders and suppressed a sigh. Not everyone had heard of his takeover of the business, nor had it spread very far yet that it was no longer a slave house. Which explained why all of those girls still looked so¡­ lifeless. Well, most of them, anyways. There were obviously a few who were new to the¡­ experience, of being a slave. He watched as- what looked like- a Lion-kin glared daggers at anyone who so much as nudged her forward to keep the line going. Well, none of them would have to put up with being a slave much longer. He smiled then, then blinked when the Lion-kin looked up at him. Her glare morphed into a death glare then, making him wonder just what was going through her mind right then. Well, he hoped that any misunderstanding might get cleared up quickly, though if things went according to popular media back on Earth, then he was sure that there would be countless opportunities for misunderstandings and assumptions galore to occur. Which really didn¡¯t appeal to him in the least. He¡¯d always been a fairly straightforward person, preferring to chop down the proverbial bush rather than beat around it while running in endless circles. Shrugging it off, he turned back to the list in his hand and suppressed a sigh. He now had an additional 739 slaves, only fifty of which were males. And all of the males were the ¡°pretty¡± kind, the ones who¡¯d likely be¡­ abused by whoever bought them. And all young. It would be easier to keep them from being traumatized in the first place than it would be to help them after having been traumatized in the first place. Though, he wondered if there were Skills that could help with such things. Thinking about it more, he began wondering if [Cure: Panacea] covered that too. Especially given just how¡­ easily, every one of his first two batches of girls had settled into their new lives at his place. Thinking about it more, the ones who¡¯d received doses of [Cure: Panacea] amongst the [Heroes] had also been¡­ more chill, if he could put it that way. More relaxed in their integration into this world, for a lack of a better way to describe it. Sure, [Cure: Panacea] didn¡¯t erase those traumatic events from a person¡¯s mind, but it seemed to¡­ remove any negative emotions surrounding said event, or events. If he was right, that is. Because, why else would they all be so¡­ normal, after everything that had happened to them? He couldn¡¯t quite explain it away due to cultural differences, as he was sure that anyone taken from their lives and sold into slavery wouldn¡¯t be happy about it, no matter their upbringing. Let alone anyone from Earth. That Kyoji kid had [Cure: Panacea] as well, and he was sure that Kyoji had, at the very least, used it on his classmates more than once. Though, given the reports that Avi sent him, he wondered if Kyoji had used it on some of the others who¡¯d been rescued at the same time as he¡¯d been. He¡¯d need to gather more information on all that, though he wasn¡¯t sure if he should be the one gathering said information or not. He was, after all, very well¡­ respected, amongst those girls, so he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d be entirely honest with him when sharing with him. Maybe Avi, or one of the other instructors would do the interviews. Perhaps Shae-ra. ¡°Yeah, that could work better¡­¡± he muttered to himself before heading back to his new office to start on the veritable mountain of paperwork that had formed with his takeover of Myriad Wonders, as well as what had come with his other projects in the capitol. ¡°Now I¡¯m regretting letting all of the others just take off¡­¡± he muttered as a tall, chilled, mug of ginger beer appeared on his desk. Taking a sip, he sighed happily, then got back to work. * * * J2, or ¡°Kinkade¡±, as he preferred to call himself, looked at his progress and frowned slightly. Even with the boost in stats and the library in his head, he still didn¡¯t consider himself an interior designer. If anything, his sense of esthetics wasn¡¯t¡­ developed. Like, he was sure that his daughters would have even made fun of him for this. ¡°Abstract? I know that you took a fancy to Escher, but that¡¯s not how physics works¡­¡± Avi said, tilting her head to first one side, then the other before continuing. ¡°At least, not in this universe, anyways.¡± Kinkade sighed, then [Recycle]¡¯d the little diorama back into one block of white stone. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the decorations to you then,¡± he said, then looked over to the west and nearly sighed again. ¡°How¡¯d I wind up drawing the short straw?¡± he asked, though more rhetorically than seriously. Avi shrugged, likely knowing that he didn¡¯t expect an answer from her. ¡°So, ¡®Dean¡¯, what¡¯re your academic plans for everyone? Especially now that you¡¯ve gone and bought over seven hundred more slaves.¡± He suppressed another sigh at the thought of the increased paperwork involved in all that, then shrugged. ¡°Basically, the same things as we¡¯ve already been doing. Though, I¡¯ll certainly have to expand the fields to make sure that there¡¯s enough food for everyone. ¡°That said, I¡¯m sure that we¡¯ll have enough meat for everyone considering how popular the meat farms have been,¡± he said, referring to the Dungeon he¡¯d made to both level-up everyone as well as to provide a variety of meat for their diets. And crafting materials. Can¡¯t forget those. ¡°That¡¯s a given,¡± Avi said as she shook her head slightly. ¡°I know that everyone is already a close-knit group, given that the two batches were bought so close together, let alone being on the smaller side of things. But. What¡¯ll you do if the new ones don¡¯t get along with everyone, let alone cause other¡­ issues?¡± Avi asked, giving him a look at the end. And he¡¯d already thought of all that, of course. That said, he hadn¡¯t come to a decision on how to tackle all of that yet, not without coming across as some sort of slave buying dictator who used his power to direct every aspect of their lives. Seriously, he could just leave the slavery seals on the newcomers, though that also came with issues. Not the least of which would be the trust issues that came from treating people better or less than other people. Which meant that he¡¯d have to trust them not to cause issues in the first place. Though, with only fifty young men surrounded by nearly eight-hundred young women, he could certainly foresee a myriad of issues arising. And the older girls dressing up the younger boys in dresses was quite frankly the least of those worries. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± he said with a slight frown. ¡°I should have held off a bit longer, but that auction wasn¡¯t going to wait for me.¡± Avi nodded her understanding, then gave him one of her brilliant smiles that was in no way reduced due to her being a ¡°mere¡± High Elan. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± she said with a confidence that was contagious. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t think that making rings for every new person will be feasible, let alone advisable. Especially since there might be some who accept the offer to go home,¡± she said, then continued when he gave her a confused look.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We really don¡¯t want it getting out that you can make such things, let alone everything else. Especially when you¡¯re still building your base of power here. If some greedy noble or merchant catches wind of what you can do, then you can bet that they¡¯ll do what they can to get their hands on you, one way or another,¡± she finished ominously, setting his mind to whirling about as the possibilities practically buried him. ¡°Yeah, that wouldn¡¯t be a good thing,¡± he said, now worried that someone would target his wards more than them targeting him. He could, after all, escape any such confinement in any number of ways. The kids? They wouldn¡¯t be so lucky. Well, unless they wound up with abilities like he had, anyways. Come to think of it, he should begin testing to see if any of the younglings had the psionic spark. ¡°Hmm, good idea,¡± Avi said, nodding and once more showing that they were still connected in that way. ¡°Any surprises that they can pull out would certainly help if they manage to get into trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll just¡­ take a while,¡± he said, though out of anyone he could be talking to, Avi certainly knew that. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ll get them taught the best we can,¡± he said, nodding as his thoughts once more drifted to what the other ¡°Js¡± were doing. ¡°Maybe you guys can arrange some sort of rotation? Make it a bit more fair?¡± Kinkade nodded again, though more fervently this time as he looked over at the paperwork he¡¯d been putting off doing. Sure, Avi was there to help, but he was the one who¡¯d need to design and build the various expansions that would be needed. Like the six new apartment buildings that he had to start building. Like, right now. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Avi said, patting him on the shoulder. * * * J5, or Cyd as he was calling himself due to¡­ reasons, happily watched as the terrain flowed by under him. He was really enjoying just flying around, though he imagined the endless sea of trees that he was currently flying over was just as¡­ monotonous as flying over an actual ocean would have been. That said, he still very much enjoyed flying. Especially since it was his astral construct that was doing all the hard work. As for what he was doing- besides enjoying the feeling of flying around at speed- was looking for traces of the World Maple, as he was calling it. Well, so was the System, so there was that. He felt that he was getting closer to it, though, as the trees had been getting taller, older, and most importantly, more powerful. Or, rather, that their presence was getting stronger. Which he equated to overall strength anyways, so it really didn¡¯t matter what he called it. Then his thoughts were interrupted when a giant bird- hawk, eagle, or whatever it was- collided with his transport, sending him tumbling down in a rather fast freefall. Because when that bird collided with his astral construct, it had astonishingly done enough damage to destroy it instantly. Heck, he could also feel that he¡¯d taken a bruise or two from the initial impact. Frowning, he stabilized himself in the air with a bit of [Telekinesis] before his M2 used [Sustained Flight]A to free-up [Telekinesis] for the upcoming fight. A quick [Analyze] told him that it was a [Giant World Eagle], making him wonder just what the heck that was supposed to be. So, he handed off that task to M2 as the rest of his Minds buffed him up. Not too soon, as the [Giant World Eagle] quickly- much faster than he¡¯d expected- came about for another pass at him. He noted that it seemed especially angry as it screeched so loudly that it set his jaw to clenching as he prepared a [Decerebrate] for the oversized chicken. But then he saw mana swirling around its wings before an absolutely massive blast of wind hit him and sent him tumbling through the air again. Which had him once more thank his sturdy constitution that kept him from ever experiencing motion sickness. Or even carnival ride sickness. When his vision finally leveled out with the rest of his body, his eyes widened further as he saw a claw already closing on him. Now a bit more humbled, M4 used [Dimension Hop] to quickly escape from that predictably painful claw. He appeared ten metres to his left, and a bit above the giant chicken who was already turning its head his way. Surprised at its ridiculous reaction speed, M5 used [Fold Space] this time, now appearing on its left side and a good hundred metres above it and finally starting to take the [Giant World Eagle] seriously. So, he pulled out his Mindbolt, the long-ranged shoulder cannon version, and lined up his shot as the [Giant World Eagle] looked around in confusion. He made sure that his third loadout was used, which included [Distance], [Linked Striking], [Collision], and [Psychokinetic Burst], then decided to use [Through the Eye of the Needle], focussing on damaging its Intellect Attribute, then fired just as the [Giant World Eagle] finally looked up. The shot took the bird below its neck in the upper sternum, and blew a massive swath of feathers away, while also drawing some blood. Not enough to satisfy him though, but at least the Intellect damage seemed to have done something to the [Giant World Eagle]. Even as it screeched in pain, its head lolled to the side as its eyes took on a glazed look to them. That was when the bird with a wingspan of at least sixty metres, began to fall. ¡°Super-effective,¡± he muttered to himself as he watched the bird plummet to the ground. Well, to the treetops, then promptly through the canopy with insanely loud cracking and crashing sounds. Impressed with just how effective his shot had been, specifically the [Through the Eye of the Needle], Cyd flew after the [Giant World Eagle] to see if it had actually died yet. Sure, he hadn¡¯t gotten the notification from the System yet, bug given that he was a [Fission] of Joram¡¯s, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he would be the one to get the notifications for anything that he did. When he finally got to where the [Giant World Eagle] had come to a stop, still impressively high in the boughs of the trees, he saw that the bird was indeed still alive. Sure, it was still breathing, but he wasn¡¯t sure that it would be breathing too much longer given its current state. It had somehow managed to hit a branch in just the right- or wrong, given the results- way that it had speared the poor bird right through the chest, astonishingly right where he¡¯d shot it. Anyways, that branch must have punctured a lung, as blood was just pouring out of its open beak. Even as he watched, the flow of blood was already starting to slow down, indicating a failing heart. Less than a minute later, he got the System notification.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve slain a [Giant World Eagle], level 42. - For defeating an opponent at least twice your level, extreme experience is granted.
Shaking his head as he got his answer, Cyd flew down to the dead bird and looted it, and smiled at what he got before watching as its form vanished in the fascinating way creatures did when looted. Once all of the tiny motes of light were gone, he looked over his gains.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve looted the following: - 1 Grade S Core, High Quality - 913 Gold Coins - 83 Silver Coins - 92 Bronze Coins - 32 Wing Feathers - 8 Tail Feathers - 4 Claws - 250kg of [Giant World Eagle] meat.
He blinked at the number of gold coins shown, the wondered if the Bank staff would eventually ban him from making huge deposits like he had with his bronze and silver coins if he wound up having to do the same with the gold that he was very likely to accumulate as he searched for the descendants of the World Tree. ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t get bars or even half-bars when looting,¡± he muttered to himself, then blinked as another notification came.
Reward preference noted and updated.
Not entirely sure how to take that, Cyd wound up shrugging uncomfortably before vocally giving his thanks to the System. If it could hear and react to his wants, he sure as heck would start treating it as though it were sapient. Which meant giving ones¡¯ gratitude where it was warranted. No sense in risking being rude, or even offending the System because he withheld his thanks for one reason or another. Shaking his head again, he re-created his astral construct ride and flew back above the canopy. As he went, he wondered if those bird parts would be any good for crafting. Why else would the System have gone and included them in the rewards? * * * Joram blinked at the Notifications, then idly wondered if he should have Cyd go and power-level them, as it had also come with a whopping 5 levels! Then he blinked again at the sheer amount of loot he¡¯d gotten, then blinked yet again at the System ¡°updating¡± his loot preferences. Yeah, that¡¯s going to be a thing, isn¡¯t it? He wondered silently as he thought about the System, then shrugged it off. If there was nothing a person could do about something, then it was entirely pointless to worry about it. So, instead he turned his attention to the last notification that was actually blinking at him.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve reached the maximum level in your current Class! Congratulations! You now qualify for a new Class! Please select one before you level up.
¡°Well, that answers that question,¡± Joram muttered to himself as his last window popped up and populated with an absolutely ludicrous list of possible class options for him. ¡°What question is that?¡± Erys asked curiously while laying on the couch in his office at Myriad Wonders. ¡°Whether or not I¡¯ll need to look at a new Class if I levelled up,¡± he said, distracted by going through just the Paths that it was offering him. ¡°Wait. You levelled up?!¡± Erys asked, obviously shocked and more than a little bit curious as to how he¡¯d managed to level up when they¡¯d been together the entire time. ¡°[Fission],¡± he said, then turned back to the blue window. ¡°And this¡¯ll take a while,¡± he said, suppressing a sigh. Chapter 104 - A Path not taken Joram sat there for some time going through the crazy lists of possible Classes, let alone the various options for selecting a new Path, before he finally started sorting them. Specifically, he found that there were filters that he could apply to what he was presented with. But not before he saw a couple that made him shudder.
Playboy (Uncommon) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Strength: 5 - Speed: 8 - Constitution: 10 - Intellect: 8 - Spirit: 7 - Charisma: 10 - Luck: 10 - Skills: - [Bluff] - [Diplomacy] - [Endurance] - [Escape Artist] - [Running] - [Sleight of Hand] - Special: - Have at least 10 people fall for you without committing to anyone.
He was quite simply aghast with that one, but then the last one in that chain caught his attention.
Harem Master (Legendary) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Intellect: 15 - Spirit: 15 - Charisma: 20 - Luck: 20 - Skills: - [Bluff] - [Diplomacy, Improved] - [Endurance] - [Escape Artist, Improved] - [Running] - [Sleight of Hand] - Special: - Must have the [Harem IV] Achievement. - Must have at least 100 people romantically in love with you. - Must be able to fully support at least 100 people. - Must own at least 100 acres of land. - Must employ at least 50 people.
Then he recalled that ¡°Achievement¡± and it started making much more sense¡­
Harem IV - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 5 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 10 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 20 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 50 sapients, making them only want to be with you forevermore. - Note: if you no longer house and provide for the enamoured sapients, the progress of this Achievement may regress. - Benefit: - Those who may see you as a potential romantic partner have their opinion of you increased significantly. Social interactions will favour you. - Those who¡¯ve fallen for you have a greater understanding of what will be looked upon favourably by you, making it easier for them to cater to you. - Those who¡¯ve fallen for you now have an instinctual knowledge of your current state of health and wellbeing. Greater devotion to you grants a more accurate insight. - You now have an instinctual knowledge of how those who see you in a romantic light feel. Your insight increases proportionately to your feelings for each person.
¡°That¡¯s such a¡­¡± he trailed off, not wanting to vocalize the well of¡­ negativity that he found when contemplating that Class and that Achievement. Then he looked at the last two points and let the sigh escape his lips. When Erys gave him a questioning look, he explained. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the Queen isn¡¯t acting entirely as she would normally act¡­¡± he said, then expounded upon the [Harem IV] Achievement for her, which resulted in a reaction that he hadn¡¯t been anticipating. ¡°Buah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!¡± Erys roared in laughter, falling to the floor because she couldn¡¯t keep herself upright due to being wracked with such powerful guffaws. He patiently waited for her to get herself together, pointedly ignoring Avi¡¯s suggestion to use [Calm Emotions] on her. He wasn¡¯t above being laughed at, nor was he above reproof or anything like that. No, it was best to not take oneself too seriously¡­. But as the seconds ticked by into minutes without any sign that Erys¡¯ mirth would subside, a frown finally appeared on his face. Then, astonishingly, Erys sobered up quickly, causing him to wonder if that Achievement had prodded her or something, letting her know his displeasure. That would get ridiculously annoying and inconvenient in the future if that was the case. ¡°So,¡± Erys said as she wiped away her tears and slid back onto her chair. ¡°You¡¯re worried that¡­ your Achievement is unduly influencing the people around you?¡± she asked for clarity¡¯s sake, actually managing to get serious. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied simply, not quite wanting to open the can of worms that was ¡°autonomy¡± or ¡°agency¡± right then. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter, does it?¡± Erys said with a wave of a hand. ¡°The Great Protector influences everything in Creation. If someone winds up looking at your more favourably than another, what¡¯s the harm? There are Skills and Spells that outright do much worse than that. ¡°Even Social Skills affect a person¡¯s mind or emotions. It¡¯s not very different from you going about sweet-talking anyone you come across. This just saves time,¡± she finished with a shrug. Again, there was a lot he could have said to address various points in there, but ultimately it boiled down to him not liking that a person could- and would- basically be controlled by the System; a 3rd party, as it were. If he wanted to influence someone, he¡¯d speak with them directly, not relying on the System to do it in the background. Especially when it wasn¡¯t something that he wanted to do, let alone initiate. But was he effectively ¡°kicking against the pricks¡±? This was how the world worked here, if not the whole universe. This was how people had lived their lives since time immemorial. Possibly since the foundation of this universe. So, who was right? Should he push the morals, mores, standards, and ethics he¡¯d grown up with on this world? Or should be assimilate its morals, mores, standards, and ethics? He was very glad that he had several additional minds going to help him work through things even faster than normal. Which, honestly, he¡¯d been told that he normally did very quickly. In the end, he decided to go with both worlds. Take a bit from here, a bit from there, and make his own thing work. The major one was him accepting the fact that the System did what the System wanted. It would affect people however it wanted to affect them, and there wasn¡¯t likely anything he could do about it. So, he decided not to worry about it, as it wasn¡¯t something that he could change. On the other hand, he was determined to change how the world viewed people. Specifically: on slavery. He certainly wanted to abolish slavery if he could. He¡¯d heard of one country where, although still legal, was incredibly strict when it came to the laws surrounding everything from when/how a person became a slave all the way to what happened to them after they were freed or died. Perhaps he could read up more on those laws and start reforms from there. He still didn¡¯t like slavery. At all. Even the fact that the three gals were still slaves bothered him more than a little bit. Especially if their actions were influenced by how they thought a slave ¡°should¡± act. Did they really think that he wanted to sleep with every pretty lady that he came across?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ deal with it,¡± he finally said a minute later. ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll see what I can do to¡­ cope, with what¡¯s going on with all that,¡± he said, shaking his head as he turned back to his open Status Screen. Erys seemed to pick up on his wanting to drop the subject and mercifully let him do so in silence. That said, she did go back to the booze wall and picked up another bottle to drink, a huge grin on her face as she took a whiff of its contents. Then he went and sorted the selections further and eventually came up with a shortlist of considerations, though he wasn¡¯t unbiased with why he¡¯d selected them. So, he arranged them by alphabetical order before looking at their requirements.
All-Seer (Mythic) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Intellect: 30 - Spirit: 30 - Skills: - [Identify, Improved] (or [Analyze]) - [Clear Mind, Improved] - [Mana Well, Improved] - [Multitasking, Improved] - [Quick Casting, Improved] - Spells: - Able to cast any [Divination]-type spell or power that is able to get information on a target over 1,000 miles away.
Looking further into the description of the Class, he found that it was pretty much as advertised: a super-seer. It would allow him to eventually bypass any protections a person, place, or thing had that would normally thwart divinations. Not only that, but he would eventually be able to gather information, or even see, a target from anywhere. Yes, anywhere. Like, he could peek into other dimensions! Which got him thinking that it might be incredibly useful if he wanted to check on anyone¡­ or on Earth. What had happened after he¡¯d been isekai¡¯d? Were his loved ones worried about his disappearance? Or did they think he¡¯d died in the¡­ accident? Was Earth affected by Altaea¡¯s intrusion like he¡¯d read about in various stories? Like, if mana was suddenly ¡°infecting¡± that universe and causing untold issues and all that. So many questions with the potential of being answered if he took [All-Seer].
True Kineticist (Mythic) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Intellect: 30 - Spirit: 35 - Skills: - [Aerokinesis, Improved] - [Hydrokinesis, Improved] - [Pyrokinesis, Improved] - [Terrakinesis, Improved] - Any other 2 Kinesis Skills at Improved level. - [Mana Manipulation, Improved] - [Mana Well, Improved] - [Meditation, Improved] (or [Clear Mind]) - [Multitasking, Improved] - [Quick Casting, Improved]
This one called to him because, well, it was ridiculously amazing at blowing shit up, as it were. The actual description told of how he¡¯d be able to ¡°alter the very fabric of the universe¡±, which was both awesome and terrifying at the same time. And several other things in between, honestly. It would eventually allow him to mold and melt the elements with but a thought. Scary stuff. But still awesome. Then the next one wasn¡¯t a huge consideration, if he was being truthful, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. Not just because of what it did, but also because of just how similar it was to a class in one of his favourite stories. It was just missing a ¡°th¡± at the end¡­.
Healer of Azarin (Mythic) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Speed: 10 - Constitution: 10 - Intellect: 10 - Spirit: 10 - Skills: - [Cure]: any - [Heal: 3] - [Identify] (or [Analyze]) - [Lucky] - [Mana Well] - [Meditation] - [Pain Resistance] - [Regeneration] - [Toughness] - Special: - Survived 3 events where you should have died. - Use [Cure] or [Heal] on 100 people without thought of recompense.
Sure, it was a [Mythic] Class, but its requirements weren¡¯t anything to write home about. That said, it gave an impressive number of stats, though still in line with what he¡¯d noticed for Mythic-level Classes. What actually tempted him was that the description seemed to imply that there was a bit of Time woven into the Class and its Skills. Like, the healing was magical, regenerating or replacing damage with new tissue, as was needed. But it also implied that it would sort of ¡°turn back¡± the target¡¯s time to help repair or mitigate any damage that was ¡°too severe¡±. He was also both curious and impressed that, so far, two Classes had the [Lucky] Skill as a prerequisite. Though, he could at least understand why [Harem Master] would need lots of Luck¡­. Shaking his head, he knew that he wasn¡¯t going to be a dedicated [Healer], or even anything close to that. Sure, he could heal people, but that wasn¡¯t his focus, his calling, as it were. What really caught his attention, and mostly kept it there, was the last one on his shortlist. Not only was it in line with what he really loved doing, but it also had the most strict requirements that he¡¯d seen yet. Which was understandable given just how¡­ OP it looked at first glance.
World Architect (Unique) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Intellect: 50 - Spirit: 50 - Charisma: 30 - Luck: 30 - Skills: - [Analyze] - [Clear Mind, Advanced] - [Control Dungeon] - [Craft]: Any at "Greater" - [Create Dungeon] - [Dimensional Manipulation] - [Lucky] - [Mana Manipulation] - [Mana Sight] - [Mana Well, Advanced] - [Multitasking] - [Quick Casting] - [Quick Manifesting] - [Source of Power, Advanced] - [Spatial Manipulation] - Special: - Has created an extradimensional space. - Has created a dimensional space. - Has created a Dungeon. - Has created a demi-plane that can support a variety of life. - Ability to create matter. - Ability to create life.
Looking at the Attribute requirements, he wasn¡¯t sure that too many other beings could qualify for it, given the whopping 50 for both INT and SPR. The CHA requirement confused him more than a bit, but the LCK stat threw him for a loop. Just what did Luck affect anyways? He was sure that it had to do with random chance, or variables. Like, he was reasonably sure that the damage listed under his Mindbolt¡¯s various forms was more than it should be, especially since he was used to seeing it listed as a range, like ¡°d8 + x¡±, where chance determined how much damage would be done. Instead, it was listed as a flat number. Now, that could just be how the System dealt with stuff. So, there was that. But. What did Luck affect? He was reasonably sure that if affected what kinds of loot, and how much, he got. He was also impressed that his Luck Attribute was at least 30. That said, he didn¡¯t know if that was considered amazing, or below average. Heck, he hadn¡¯t even been able to see the Luck Attribute at first, which led him to thinking that it was a ¡°hidden¡± stat, and not something people were supposed to normally see. But why did [World Architect] need Luck? Well, there were too many possible answers to that question for him to bother dwelling on it further. So, he went back to looking at the class. That it was yet another [Unique] Class made him wonder if the System was trying to guide his Path, his growth. Or was it just that he was such a broken thing that the System had decided to go all-in with the ¡°broken¡± theme and made him another [Unique] Class? Still, the requirements weren¡¯t remotely easy to fill. In fact, he wondered if that combination of requirements, both in Attributes and Skills, let alone the ¡°Special¡± ones, were truly unique to him. Which was humbling, terrifying, and ego-boosting, all at the same time. Then there was one last one that had caught his attention, one path that he¡¯d seriously considered back on Earth. If it weren¡¯t for the insane turnover of the profession, he might have gone that way instead of aiming for something else.
The Cook from Beyond (Legendary) - Requirements: - Attributes: - Speed: 15 - Intellect: 15 - Spirit: 15 - Luck: 20 - Skills: - [Craft: Cooking, Advanced] - [Endurance] - [Identify, Advanced] (or [Analyze]) - [Mana Manipulation] - [Mana Sight] - [Mana Well] - [Meditation, Improved] (or [Clear Mind]) - [Multitasking, Improved] - [Telekinesis] - [Toughness] - Special: - Cook, and receive great and genuine praise, for 10 dishes that the world you are on has never seen before. Indeed, dishes that are unknown to your current world. - Introduce 3 new devices to your current world that are used for cooking.
The Attribute requirements were pretty simple, overall. Though, he supposed that they¡¯d be pretty hard for just about anyone else to meet. That said, he was still impressed with just how many Skills the Class required. At any rate, the brief description mentioned that he would have access to a sort of cooking akashic record, [Chefs of the Universe, Unite!]. It was- to put it lightly- and incredibly weird name for a Class Ability, but who was he to criticize someone else¡¯s naming sense? Smiling again at a path not travelled, but still looked at fondly, he went back to [World Architect] and looked over it one last time. ¡®You should totally do it,¡¯ Avi piped in from over the Network, startling him a bit. ¡®How do you know what I¡¯m thinking?¡¯ he asked reflexively before his mind had a chance to tell him how dumb that question was. ¡®Enough said,¡¯ Avi sent smugly before dropping the call, as it were. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Erys asked as she gave him a searching look, as though she were worried about something. Or him. ¡°Just confirming my Class selection,¡± he said, then clicked on the [Accept] button. Then came the array of blue screens, one popping up after another as the notifications came, informing him of this and that. But what really distracted him from enjoying the moment were the Attribute gains, causing his head to first swim, then spin, then to cause everything to black out. * * * Not knowing why mrrandii, was acting so weird, Erys watched as his eyes turned back to looking at the air, presumably his Status Page. A moment later, he seemed to get dizzy, then literally swooned and began to fall over. She easily made it to his side to catch her mrrandii before he fell to the ground, cradling him in one arm while her other still held her bottle of d¡¯Entruin wine; a good vintage that had aged for over a hundred years. Couldn¡¯t go and waste that now, could she? Still, she was a bit worried as to why he¡¯d fallen unconscious after accepting the new Class, one that showed as [World Architect], of all things. Though she wasn¡¯t sure what rarity it was, given that its text was plain white. But. She could feel just how much he was changing because of his new Class. Specifically, she could feel his mana reserves increase dramatically, making her wonder just how monstrous he would get before he stopped levelling¡­ if that was even possible for her ridiculous mrrandii. Erys smiled as she thought of just how jealous her peers would be when she finally introduced her mrrandii to them. If Joram had been awake to witness the smile that was growing on Erys¡¯ face- let alone saw what she was thinking-, he would have seriously reconsidered keeping her around. As it was, Erys didn¡¯t know just how much she¡¯d lucked-out by Joram falling unconscious. Chapter 105 - Physics ¡°Daddy! Stop sleeping and come play!¡± He blinked his eyes wearily, blearily, and tried to focus on the face of his daughter as she used her small hands to roll his head to the left and right in an effort to wake him up. ¡°Don¡¯t, he¡¯ll get mad¡­¡± his oldest daughter warned dryly from the doorway, making him frown a bit. Frown for the warning, that is. Why had she said that? ¡°But there¡¯s lots of new snow outside, and I want to play!¡± his little one said dramatically, likely copying her favourite princess at the moment. ¡°We need to eat breakfast first,¡± he said, making her practically jump in surprise. ¡°Silly Daddy,¡± she said, shaking her little head and making her long locks of dark brown hair sway. ¡°It¡¯s already afternoon!¡± That made him blink again, then once more as memories started flooding back, causing the dream- or whatever it was- to start fading fast. He took one last desperate look at his daughters as they looked back at him sadly, then waved their little hands at him before the scene vanished, causing his heart to break. ¡°Stop!¡± he called out as he sat up, his left arm stretched out as though he could catch the fleeing dream. It took him a while to gather himself after that. To put everything away again. To stop the tear glands that just weren¡¯t listening to him like they should. As he gathered himself, he noticed that [Schism] had somehow lapsed. Or maybe he¡¯d been fully unconscious and it had stopped on its own. He didn¡¯t know, but thought that the latter was more likely given the¡­ dream. While all that was going on, he peripherally noticed Erys sitting off to the side, which didn¡¯t entirely surprise him. What did, however, was the presence of the others in the room. Asami and Myra were sitting on one couch, while Avi had taken- or more likely made- a large comfortable-looking chair angled so that she could both watch him and the others in the room. ¡®You good?¡¯ Avi sent, likely knowing that he was finally ready to ¡°talk¡±. ¡®No, but I¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ he replied honestly, not really caring to lie about it with her. Well, mostly. He wasn¡¯t sure when he was going to be ¡°fine¡± again. But he¡¯d make do. Given how connected they were, he knew that Avi knew that he was lying about that part at least, but she seemed to throw him a bone with her next words. ¡®That¡¯s good,¡¯ she sent, sounding remarkably casual about it. ¡®But we¡¯ll have to go over what¡¯s been going on the past couple of days,¡¯ she finished, making him blink a few times. Days? He wondered silently, then got a nod from Asami when she looked over at him. Damn. ¡°So, what happened?¡± Erys asked, then studiously ignored the looks that she got from the other three women present. ¡°Levelling¡­ sickness,¡± he said, then shrugged because that was about as accurate as he could describe it in as few words as possible. He then held up a hand when it looked like she wanted to press the issue, cutting her off before she could start. ¡°Coles Notes, please,¡± he more said than asked as he looked over to Avi who just nodded. ¡°You would mark today as ¡®Day 056¡¯,¡± Avi started, making him glad that it hadn¡¯t been the two weeks that his first levelling coma had come with. Which also made the others look at her funny. ¡°When you fell unconscious, your [Fission]s failed, so I had to quickly step in for Kinkade and finish the apartment buildings for the new kids,¡± she said, likely referring to the batch of slaves he¡¯d bought earlier¡­ the other day. ¡°That was fine, as it gave me a bit of practice,¡± Avi grinned, then shook her head. ¡°Well, I could only do one that day. Nor could I finish everything that needed to be installed, but now that you¡¯re back, you can get on that. ¡°Anyways. The new kids seem to be integrating well, especially with how friendly the Kirkwallites¡­ Kirkwallers¡­¡± ¡°Kirkwallians,¡± Asami interjected, which earned her an appreciative nod from Avi. ¡°The Kirkwallian women have been a tremendous help with everything, let alone the first two groups who stepped up to help everyone,¡± Avi said, smiling and nodding as she said that. ¡°Day 55 came with a more carnivorous diet than some probably would have liked, but Shae¡¯ra managed to get enough crops ripened and matured to balance out the meat by that evening. ¡°As for today, well, it¡¯s been more of the same. Though, I¡¯m sure everyone will be glad that you¡¯re back and ready to get things finished, settled, or finalized for them,¡± Avi finished by sending a quick info-packet through the Network that outlined the things that needed to be attended to. ¡°So¡­¡± Myra said a minute later, breaking everyone out of their thoughts. Or, at least breaking him out of his thoughts. ¡°Hmm?¡± he hmm¡¯d as he looked over to her again, really noticing that she was dressed in the same style as he¡¯d been making for the younglings. ¡°Was¡­ was this due to your new Class? Or was it another case of you pushing past another Bottleneck?¡± Myra asked, oddly intense as she leaned forward slightly. Which set off no few warning bells in his head. He very much remembered the lectures he¡¯d gotten for having foolishly broken past the Strength Bottleneck without knowing what he was really doing. ¡°No, just the Class stat boosts,¡± he said as reassuringly as he could manage. ¡°Though, I¡¯m not sure why I would fall unconscious for a few days because of some Mental Stats¡­¡± he said, then quickly glanced at his Status. Specifically, his Attributes.
Attributes: STR: 45 SPD: 45 CON: 50 INT: 96 SPR: 106 CHA: 57 LCK: ??? Mod: 40 40 45 91 101 52 ??? Rank: S S SS SSS Ex SS ???
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He looked at the new column on the right, wondering why it had been added. Was it there to give him an idea of what his stats translated to in terms of a threat-level or something? If so, the ¡°Ex¡± worried him a bit. Then he noticed that he had 28 Free Attribute Points that he could assign. But he decided to leave that for later due to Asami¡¯s eyes looking like they¡¯d fall out of her head. ¡°What?¡± he asked, but before anyone could answer, Avi pulled them into his Realm. ¡°What?¡± he asked again, this time at a loss for why Avi had transferred them all there. ¡°The walls have ears,¡± she replied in English, making him blink before nodding. He really hadn¡¯t considered that possibility, likely due to his head still being mostly technology-oriented still. Even after everything that had happened. Nor had he thought to do any form of scan to look for any sort of spying device, spell, or such. For their part, the other women¡¯s reactions were much calmer than he thought they should be, but then remembered that he¡¯d been unconscious for a few days. Which meant that Avi could have already shown the others his Realm¡­. ¡°You¡¯re still ridiculous,¡± Asami said, finally answering his question with one of her ridiculous statements, then she stuck her tongue out at him for having that thought. ¡°Anyways,¡± he said, shrugging uncomfortably, though not knowing exactly why he was uncomfortable. ¡°My new class basically makes me better at what I can already do. So, getting things finished, or whatever, will be easy enough from here-on-out,¡± he said, referring to the apartment projects while also thinking about the Tower, let alone setting up the coastal defenses that he¡¯d promised Bryana he¡¯d take care of. Which got him a look from Asami and a normal nod from Avi. Which prompted him to share with them the progress he¡¯d made with the Queen of Murym regarding the land rights and such. Which got a couple of heads shaking while Asami looked slightly resigned for some reason. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be pretty busy going forward, but at least there¡¯ll be more of me to go around,¡± he said with a grin that caused Myra to blush slightly while the others looked more excited than anything else. Well, not Arise, but she always looked as though she was annoyed about something. With a bit more catching up on the minutiae of how the slaves- soon-to-be-free-people- were doing, how they were integrating, and all of that, everyone went back to what they were doing after a few more assurances that he was fine. Really. Then it was just him, Avi, and Erys standing in an open field in his Realm, leaving him to wonder if he should start building something there as well. Like a small villa or something. Maybe a garden too? Yeah, that¡¯d be nice, he thought, then got a startled look from Avi before she seemed to shrug whatever it was that had startled her away. ¡°I¡¯ll head back now,¡± Avi said, giving him a quick squeeze of the shoulder with her left hand before shifting away, leaving him with Erys. An Erys that still looked to be fascinated by his Realm. Heck, just a few months ago, he¡¯d have also been beyond thrilled to explore one of those ¡°small worlds¡± he¡¯d read about. Or demiplane, as he was more used to calling them due to his gaming background. It was already quite large given that he was using [Genesys: True] to expand it every day. Well, not the past few days, but that was fine. With another few thoughts, he used [Fission], then [Schism], making sure to have his five extra selves, though he did grin at their insistence on him calling them by their chosen pseudonyms. Or maybe ¡°alias¡± would work better? They weren¡¯t, after all, going to be writing anything. At least, that he knew of. Anyways, with Kinkade, Dax, Aegis, Cyd, and Bob ready to go and get working on their individual assignments- and after agreeing on a duty rotation to keep everyone from getting too bored- they all used [Schism] on themselves and shifted away. It was a bit confusing, even for him, though. They were all him, not other people. But it was just easier for him to really wrap his head around it all doing it like that. Which was likely why they- he- had come up with that naming system. Which, really, was better than just calling them J2 through J6. Which also served to make it feel less¡­ weird with himself. Shaking his head, he turned back to a slightly drooling Erys who had a far away look in her eyes. Knowing that he might regret it, he used [Read Thoughts] to glean a bit of what she was thinking from the top, as it were. Which definitely confirmed his suspicions regarding her thoughts. And also managed to make him blush more than a bit. That woman needs to get laid, the thought, then shook his head because he was now the only one she¡¯d go for. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± he said, slightly more gruffly than he¡¯d planned to. Erys blinked then turned to him with a smile that certainly confirmed that he was the only male that she was thinking about. Wondering how to deal with that, he shifted back to his office in Myriad Wonders with Erys. * * * ¡°Do you think that Mr Smith will come by today?¡± her Queen asked, looking a little too hopeful. In her opinion, anyways. ¡°I¡¯m sure that he will request an audience should he need to discuss anything with you, Your Majesty,¡± Brittany replied as formally and delicately as she could given her Queen¡¯s fascination with Mr Smith. ¡°Hmm,¡± her Queen hummed as she sat at her desk, thinking. Suppressing a sigh, Brittany contemplated saying a few things that would likely strain their friendship given just how¡­ smitten Bryana seemed to be with Mr Smith. She then discarded them all in favour of keeping her friendship with her best friend healthy. ¡°If you have something to discuss with Mr Smith,¡± she said, then nearly sighed again with just how bright Bryana¡¯s eyes got at the mention of his name. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you could summon him,¡± she finished, nearly face-palming when Bryana looked as though she hadn¡¯t truly considered that option yet. ¡°I could, couldn¡¯t I¡­?¡± Bryana asked rhetorically as she tapped her lips with the end of her writing pen. If it weren¡¯t for the- quite frankly- copious number of magic items that Bryana wore that warded against any sort of mental influence from a Skill or a spell, Brittany would have sworn with her life on the line that Mr Smith had somehow bewitched Bryana. Even then, she wondered if that weren¡¯t the case, especially since Mr Smith was accompanied by an Elder Dragon. Who knew what those ancient being were capable of? So, Brittany remained silent as she watched her Queen and childhood friend navigate the turbulent waters of¡­ infatuation? Certainly not love. No. She was sure that it hadn¡¯t gotten quite that far yet. Well, she hoped that it hadn¡¯t gotten that far yet. Sure, Mr Smith was practically a paragon of physical perfection with how he looked as though a sculptor had created the perfect muscled [Hero] from the tales of old. Even his full beard, while looking to be the same age as them, was something quite respectable. Admirable, even. But. They knew practically nothing about Mr Smith beyond what they¡¯d seen and what he, himself, had told them. So, she¡¯d taken matters into her own hands. As both the Royal Secretary and the Queen¡¯s best friend. Given how quickly their best spy could travel, she was sure that they¡¯d arrive in Kirkwall within the next day or two. From there, they would proceed to investigate Mr Smith and would hopefully get more answers to that walking mystery. For now, she¡¯d just have to carefully- oh, so carefully- try to keep her Queen from doing anything too¡­ silly. Still, given just how readily the Elder Dragon, Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys, listened to Mr Smith- let alone how she looked at him!- she wondered if Bryana would be all right not being his only paramour¡­. If it was her, she¡¯d be more worried that her lover wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with more than one woman¡­. Her eyes widened at that thought as her face warmed up just a bit too much for her comfort. She quickly looked over at Bryana and saw that she was still lost in thought and heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Now feeling as though she¡¯d somehow cheated her best friend, she quickly cleared all of those lascivious thoughts away and focussed on her secretarial duties. No time to worry about something that wouldn¡¯t likely come for many years to come, after all. At the very least. No time for any of that yet. Too much to do, especially with how malcontent some of the nobles were with the executions the other day. No matter how clearly the evidence was presented, let alone what the laws demanded for such a crime. Now suppressing a sigh, Brittany squared her shoulders and got back to work. * * * Aegis- as he was calling himself- looked around, very pleased with himself. He¡¯d already gotten most of what he¡¯d needed ¡°built¡± and placed in the warehouse he¡¯d made on the west coast, on the edge of the Great Forest. Well, ¡°most¡± only included the various satellites that he¡¯d need for the defense project he¡¯d snagged. The harder part was getting everything up into orbit without attracting more attention than he was comfortable with. Which meant that the new Skill he¡¯d received with [World Architect] would be very useful. [Teleport: 3]. Now, it didn¡¯t sound terribly impressive. Just the 3rd version of that spell/Skill. But. [Teleport: 1] allowed a person to teleport anywhere they¡¯ve either been, or that they¡¯ve seen. Descriptions made it a dicey Skill to use, but had an OK success rate¡­ if the descriptions were exceptionally good, that is. [Teleport: 2] allowed you to bring others along for the ride. [Teleport: 3] allowed you to make an area that teleported people or stuff. A teleport circle, if you will. [Teleport: 4] allowed you to make a [Gate], which was crazy useful. The 5th iteration just got OP, in his opinion. It allowed you to teleport anything that you could see. Within certain boundaries. But still. Ridiculous. Anyways, if you got a higher iteration of [Teleport], you could do anything the lower iterations that Skill/spell could do. So. He looked over at the rows and rows crated satellites and smiled. Because he could just [Teleport] each of them where he needed them. But, why hadn¡¯t he yet? Physics, that¡¯s why. He still needed to be sure of the exact gravity of Iria, then calculate the distance needed to keep the satellites in a stable orbit, let alone keeping them in a geosynchronous orbit. Which, really, wouldn¡¯t take all that long. He was just procrastinating, really. Why? Then he¡¯d need to really get to work, that¡¯s why. Because the satellites were just the first step in securing the shores. After that, he¡¯d need to get the infrastructure for the defense towers set up, make sure the satellites could communicate properly with said towers. Make sure that everything had enough power to be useful, let alone self-sustaining. He¡¯d also need to tweak just about every parameter of the software that came with it all, which would take him quite some time, even with his [Schism] going and each of his Minds using [Interface] so that he could directly connect to the computer system without needing to use something as inefficient as a keyboard and mouse or something. Still, it would take a while to get it done. Which once more made him glad that he¡¯d- Joram- told the Queen that it would take a couple of months to do. Especially since each tower would basically need its own fusion reactor to power it. He laughed then, remembering just how badly humanity- back on Earth- had yearned for that technology. Maybe if he got back to Earth one day, he¡¯d get a job somewhere that allowed him to ¡°research¡± fusion reactors and throw everyone a bone or ten. Aegis shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts of Earth. They wouldn¡¯t be useful with the task at hand, so they were just a nuisance. Now, once more focussed on the task at hand, he pulled out his old graphing calculator and started punching in numbers faster than it could respond. With a sigh, he put it away again and created a whiteboard along the side of the very long warehouse, a pack of whiteboard markers, and got to work. Chapter 106 - Tendou...? *Day 061* ¡°I need a bath,¡± said Fyrellia as she looked down at herself. Qyress couldn¡¯t argue with that statement, for they were all covered in varying amounts of blood and offal. She looked over at Arise who¡¯d gotten the worst of it. Seeing as how she was a melee type, it was almost guaranteed that she would get messy, even with her [Evasion] Skill. Well, maybe if she got it to the Advanced level, it might unlock a feature that would allow her to even evade waves of gore. Which would be especially useful given their new Classes. Well, Fyrellia¡¯s, to be exact. A [Rift Reaver] was certainly something new to them all, and the Great Protector, as it was a [Unique] Class. In fact, they¡¯d all managed to acquire a [Unique] Class when they¡¯d hit Level 31. Which, given the fact that [Unique] Classes weren¡¯t something that would pop up even once in a thousand years, was astonishing beyond belief. At any rate, Fyrellia¡¯s combat style had changed from standard spell-slinging to¡­ messy. Very messy. Those [Rift]s that she could make and throw around were astonishingly¡­ messy. They would rip whatever they hit apart as though the creature had been ravaged by tens of thousands of blades, all at once. She was fairly certain that she was glad that Fyrellia could only use that Skill every once in a while. She wouldn¡¯t say how long the cooldown was exactly, but Qyress suspected that it was around half an hour or so. Which meant that they could at least stay dry for a short bit before needing to use [Cleanse] again. A Skill that she constantly thanked Joram for having provided them with. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s your turn,¡± Arise said dryly as she got up from looting the wyvern and made her way closer so that she¡¯d be in the area of effect of the anticipated [Cleanse]. Fyrellia just nodded and waited a moment so that Qyress could also get close enough before she activated [Cleanse], relieving them all of the stickiness and stench of a very messy combat. ¡°So, I just his level 34,¡± Fyrellia said, obviously looking through her Status as she spoke. ¡°If we keep going at this rate, we might just reach the peak of S-Rank in a few months,¡± she finished, sounding more disbelieving than anything else. For as coolly as Arise nodded, Qyress was certain that her friend was as shocked as she was. After reaching level 30, it was well-known that one¡¯s levelling speed dropped to a mere fraction of what it had been. Not just because of the crazy experience needed to level up, but also due to the scarcity of S-Rank Dungeons. The very few that were known of were jealously guarded by those in power. Real power, not just some gang that managed to miraculously stumble upon a wild S-Rank Dungeon. Especially because those people usually didn¡¯t live long enough to enjoy them when the local government showed up and dealt with them. There were laws, you see. Laws in every country, empire, or kingdom that she¡¯d ever heard of. If you found an S-Rank Dungeon, you had to report it. Doing anything else would result in capital punishment. From there, the local government would occupy it, assign it, or even sell the usage rights to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, or a similar organization. That Joram could make Dungeons, let alone ones as powerful as the ones they¡¯d been delving, was unheard of. That he wasn¡¯t afraid of the Queen sending in her elite soldiers to confiscate the Dungeon¡­ Dungeons, was just crazy. Well, she supposed that that would only be crazy if word got out about the Dungeons, that is. That she, and her two friends, were Joram¡¯s slaves eliminated the risk of them leaking any information about the Dungeons. Though, being as loyal as they were to Joram, the possibility of them leaking the existence of an unreported S-Rank Dungeon wasn¡¯t even a factor. That said, there were more and more new people showing up nearly every day. New slaves bought then freed- if he was able to, that is. There were certainly more and more ¡°demons¡± showing up, though the ratio was getting smaller and smaller as Joram seemed to be buying as many as could be found, which seemed to be drying up the market, as it were. Which, really, was a good thing in her books. Though, it also risked emboldening slavers in their efforts to acquire more¡­ stock. Which inevitably resulted in more and more settlements being attacked and sacked. She didn¡¯t know what Joram was doing to prevent such a thing from happening, but she really hoped that he would be successful in preventing such things from happening. ¡°So, should we call it a day?¡± Fyrellia asked once they were all cleaned up again. ¡°Taking a rest to meditate on our new abilities, and getting used to our Attribute increases, would be wise,¡± Arise said, nodding sagely. Qyress suppressed a smile. That was something they all knew to do, but letting Arise continue to act as their leader didn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Off we go then,¡± Fyrellia said with a broad smile. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what the kitchens will do with some wyvern meat,¡± she finished with a broad smile that threatened to let some drool leak out of her mouth. Qyress just nodded, happy to be done for the day. Since she¡¯d gotten her new Class, a [Unique] Class called [Mindbolt Sentinel], she¡¯d been super-happy to set aside the very loud firearms that Joram had given her. Yes, they¡¯d been fantastic with just how fast the projectiles were, let alone how destructive their bullets had been. But. They were loud!! Now? She could conjure her own firearms¡­. Well, projectile weaponry, as Joram called them. She¡¯d been over the moon after telling Joram about her new Class since he¡¯d then spent the day with her teaching her all about the various weapons that she could create with her new [Mindbolt] Skill! She could make anything from a simple bow to things he called railguns and energy weapons. Sure, those later ones took a bit more out of her to use, for every shot required a certain amount of mana to use. But. They were crazy powerful! She was sure that she was hitting well above her level when she used her pride and joy, her antimaterial railgun sniper rifle. In fact, she¡¯d tried sniping one of the level 40 wyverns with it and had managed to explode its head! Sure, she¡¯d hit it in the eye, but still!!! Being able to kill something like that from over a mile away was beyond ridiculous! They¡¯d even gained a whole level from that one kill! So, the question was this: why hadn¡¯t they just been sniping level 40 wyverns since then? Arise and Fyrellia, that¡¯s why. But, she really did understand the need for them all to practice all of their own Skills, as well as their teamwork. Just letting her power level- as Joram called it- them all with sniping wouldn¡¯t actually make them better, it would just increase their levels. Skill levels were important. So, they were taking it easy, working on using their new Skills as much as possible during each fight. Sure, it was slower, but everyone knew that you wound up being a paper tiger if you just levelled up quickly without working on also levelling your Skills. Especially since it was your Skills that really mattered nine times out of ten when you were in a fight. She smiled when they reached the top floor of the dungeon and saw many of the new younglings in groups trying to defeat the various birds found there. That the first generation of younglings were helping out the new younglings really warmed her heart. It was a cruel world, one that didn¡¯t forgive stupid mistakes. One that was really governed by the strong. Qyress once more marvelled at how broadminded Joram was. Most people would hoard power, keep a Dungeon like this secret. Keep their underlings weak and easily manipulated. Instead, he shared it all and even built a school for them all! Or, rather, an academy. Still.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Joram was actively strengthening his people. Which would normally alarm those in power, making them think that he was up to something, like rebellion or some such. Instead? She¡¯d heard that the Queen had sold Joram the Great Forest under the condition that he protect her shores. She¡¯d been dumbfounded. She smiled and waved to a few younglings that she¡¯d spoken to a few times, though she didn¡¯t stop this time. She was also curious about what the wyvern meat would taste like, even though her [Ring of Sustenance], as she¡¯d learned it was called, was still functioning properly. Especially since their first, and only, wyvern kill had been claimed by other wyverns before they could get to it. No way they¡¯d try to fight off a flock of those things just to get some loot. Life was more important, after all. And since they could just get another one with some patience, it really hadn¡¯t mattered too much to them. But now that they had finally gotten some wyvern meat, they were eager to try it out! * * * Kinkade looked over at the Trio and wondered what was up. Sure, it was always nice to see them, let alone interact with them. But they didn¡¯t usually show up unless it was important. After weathering a veritable storm caused by the three of them batting their eyelashes at him while trying to sweettalk him into barbequing the wyvern meat they¡¯d claimed, he decided that he¡¯d had enough paperwork for the day. Heck, even with the slow upgrades to the Academy adding computer terminals here and there, there was still an alarmingly large amount of paper paperwork to be done. So, he ditched his office in favour of an outdoor barbie! Yes, it was glorious. The barbeque stood in an impressive clearing filled with picnic tables. The barbeque itself was a custom job, an almost complete circular design with only a small gap on one side for egress. Now, normally that would be an insane design choice, given the heat and smoke produced by a barbeque. But given that he could enchant things, the heat, smoke, and gasses produced by the rig were easily negated. Which resulted in optimum efficiency when barbequing, as he didn¡¯t have to step down a long barbeque. He just needed to turn where he stood. Easy. Then there was the spit. A spit large enough to roast a whole cow on. It, too, was a custom job. It would automatically rotate the spit, with a dial to adjust its rotation speed and another enchantment that kept the heat of the fire and coals inside the firebrick ring he¡¯d made around the cooking/roasting zone. He¡¯d been astonished at just how popular the area had become given just how few people still needed to eat before their rings activated fully. But he really couldn¡¯t blame them, as even he was drawn to try out good barbeque from time to time. There was just something about a good barbie that drew you to it. After having prepared, then barbequed the three hundred kilos of wyvern meat, he sat back in his lawn chair recliner and just appreciated the early evening filled with talk and laughter. He was beyond thrilled that everyone was adapting so well to their new home. He was also more than a little bit surprised by how many of the new¡­ people had decided to stay. Over the past week, he¡¯d bought another 3,429 slaves, but only 328 of them had been ¡°demons¡±. Which, really, was a good thing. Especially since he¡¯d started reporting anyone who had been involved in illegal slaving. Illegal in the sense that they¡¯d either directly or indirectly participated in raids to get more slaves. Which had led to him buying another three slaving companies that had gone under due to the higher ups either being imprisoned or executed for their parts in said illicit activities. Which had led to Queen Bryana awarding him with a couple of medals, forcing Joram to attend two separate banquets she¡¯d thrown in his honour. And because his [Fission]s weren¡¯t directly involved in the events, but still shared their experiences, everyone except Joram had come to the conclusion that Queen Bryana was completely taken with Joram, him. Which, really, was quite flattering. She was smart, resourceful, and quite frankly gorgeous. Who wouldn¡¯t be flattered by that? That said, getting involved with a queen wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. Which led to Joram ¡°playing it cool¡±, as it were, whenever he met with the queen. Which also led them all to once more thanking Altaea for leaving them with Skills like [Bluff], [Diplomacy], and [Acting]. So, playing dumb, as it were, was still effective with the queen. He wasn¡¯t sure how much longer it would be before Queen Bryana got more¡­ forward with her flirtation, but he really hoped that Joram would decide on what to do when she outright confessed her feelings for him. Which led him to once again think about what on Earth-, ah, Iria, he would do with the young women who were already waiting on him. He was also incredibly worried about when that damn [Harem] ¡°Achievement¡± would upgrade on him. The last threshold had been 50 people, and given just how many women had been eyeing him up the past week, he was very worried that it would suddenly jump up to [Harem VI] from [Harem IV]. Like, what sort of abilities or effects would get tacked onto it? Would he just have women literally falling over him when they saw him? Would they just start flocking in from all corners of the world?! Kinkade took a deep breath to calm his racing heart, thanking his M2 for keeping [Clear Mind] up and running and thus preventing an embarrassing anxiety attack. He- *Ding!* He cursed, then opened the notification.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled the following Achievement: [Harem IV] -> [Harem V]
Kinkade cursed again, causing Harumi to blink at him, then very obviously snicker at him. Ignoring the beautifully furred vixen, he firmed up and checked the changes to the ¡°Achievement¡±.
- You¡¯ve captured the hearts of 500 sapients, making them want to be with only you forevermore. - Anyone who has fully devoted themselves to you will now remain so unless otherwise acted upon by you. Meaning, unless you make it explicitly clear to that person that they are not welcome, their loyalty and devotion to you will never waiver. - This provides such a devotee with the following benefits: - Increases to: Health Regeneration, Stamina Regeneration, Power Regeneration (if applicable), Mana Regeneration (if applicable), Fortitude, and Willpower. - Charisma +10
Kinkade looked at the words with a mix of amazement and horror. If a cult leader got something like this, it would wind up being beyond disastrous. Hells, even your run of the mill scumbag could cause untold problems with that! And 500 people?! What the hell?!!! Through his field of perception, he saw Harumi actually snicker as she managed to look extraordinarily¡­ smug. ¡®Good mate,¡¯ she sent to him along with incredible feelings of warmth and certitude, causing him to suppress both a massive blush and the urge to shift into his realm to hide away for the next century or two. Then came the equivalent of a conference call as all of him started trying to figure out what to do, and how to stop that ¡°Achievement¡± from progressing further. * * * Kasumi stretched and smiled, wondering why she was suddenly feeling so much better than just a moment ago. She hadn¡¯t received a notification from the Great Protector, so that was off the table. She¡¯d just been enjoying the wonderful ¡°barbie¡± that Joram had provided with her newfound friends. Sure, the meat had been delicious but, as far as she could tell, it hadn¡¯t come with any of the buffs that a professional [Chef] could provide when they cooked or prepared something. So, what had it been? ¡°The young master is certainly¡­ something,¡± said Nabiki, one of the new younglings- a Yuki-onna like her. ¡°He prefers to be called by his given name,¡± Kasumi automatically inserted, watching as Nabiki sighed while gazing over at Joram. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s as good as what everyone says?¡± Akane asked, looking incredibly suspicious, though her dour expression was somewhat ruined by the small smears of sauce around her mouth. ¡°He is,¡± she said firmly while Nabiki nodded along dreamily. Akane didn¡¯t seem convinced, but let the issue slide when she finally realized that she had barbeque sauce on her face, which led to her quickly wiping it away with a napkin. ¡°He¡¯s still weird, though,¡± Akane said, seemingly unwilling to let it go. ¡°Like, who looks at three unrelated women and asks if our family name is ¡®Tendou¡¯?¡± she asked, shaking her head. ¡°Like, that¡¯s not even a name I¡¯ve ever heard before.¡± Kasumi shrugged, choosing instead to remain silent in the hopes that the younger woman would eventually run out of steam. But it wasn¡¯t as though she hadn¡¯t been confused by Joram¡¯s question, especially since she knew for a fact that he had already known her family name. In the end, though, it didn¡¯t really matter to her if he sometimes said things that confused not only her, but other people as well. To her, he was more precious than a roomful of S-Grade Crystal Cores. That she hadn¡¯t managed to get closer to Joram didn¡¯t bother her very much. Sure, it would be wonderful to¡­. She stopped her thoughts there, once more telling herself that if Joram was also interested in her romantically, that he would certainly say something. She also consoled herself with the knowledge that even the great Asami Miki, Myra Manelle, Eris the Elder Dragon, and the mysterious Avi hadn¡¯t yet gotten any further. For someone as humble as her, well, she was content to watch from afar until things changed. ¡°How rich do you think he is?¡± Nabiki asked, her head still seemingly in the clouds. Kasumi didn¡¯t bother to answer that question, for it really didn¡¯t matter how much money Joram had. He could easily provide for them all, and that¡¯s what mattered to her. Not only that, but he actively encouraged everyone who came to learn. Learn how to read & write, learn how to do various maths, and even learn how to fight. He wanted them to be able to support themselves if need be. Who did that with slaves they¡¯d purchased? A [Hero], that¡¯s who! And even though everyone who could use [Identify] confirmed that Joram wasn¡¯t a [Hero], she would always consider him a [Hero] in her heart. Chapter 107 - Pool time *Day 067* To say that he¡¯d been busy since he¡¯d woken up from his levelling-induced nap would have been an understatement. Between restructuring Myriad Wonders, buying so many slaves, buying other¡­ businesses, building a score of new apartment buildings- and furnishing them-, and his various social obligations in the capitol, he was wiped. Sure, his Stamina regeneration was more than enough to keep his body going. But it was the mental and social fatigue that was getting to him. Especially the social fatigue. When [Harem] had advanced to its current tier, he¡¯d suspected that it would cause him many, many, issues. He¡¯d been correct. He was reasonably sure that the other effects/bonuses/whatever-they-were-called, had also increased. Between Bryana- for that¡¯s what she now insisted he call her, albeit in private- and literally every other woman who even remotely thought that he was attractive, he¡¯d needed to be constantly on edge. Constantly mentally reviewing and rechecking what he was about to say. Making sure that his expression was as neutral as possible. Making sure that even his tone and inflections weren¡¯t anything a person could interpret in another way. It¡­ hadn¡¯t worked nearly as well as he¡¯d hoped. It seemed as thought he¡¯d already had quite the reputation for being stone-faced and hard to read, so no one was even the slightest bit put off by him actually trying to be stone-faced. On the contrary, they seemed to take it as a personal challenge. A challenge to see who could get his fa?ade to crack first. Which was why he was sitting in a constable¡¯s office. ¡°So, could you please explain why so many women were¡­¡± the constable, one Mr Cogsworth, trailed off as he seemed at a loss to articulate what had happened. ¡°Topless and throwing themselves at me?¡± he said as dryly as he could, still in utter disbelief at what had happened. ¡°That,¡± Constable Cogsworth said with a light cough into his closed hand, brushing his respectable handlebar moustache in the process, causing him to unconsciously stroke it for a moment. ¡°Where to start¡­?¡± he said, now rubbing his bearded chin as he thought back to how things had escalated to such a degree. - - - ¡°I¡¯m done!¡± Erys said as she threw her arms up, the picture of an exasperated and exceedingly frustrated office worker. Joram really couldn¡¯t blame her, especially since he also disliked paperwork. Especially paperwork tied to politics. Who needed everything filled-out five times?! Well, that wasn¡¯t too much of an issue for him, as he could just use a Power like [Copy] to take care of that tedious detail. It was the length of each of the documents that truly irked him. Requiring answers to questions that were worded slightly different from one a few pages back was just¡­ stupid. It felt like they were trying to screw people over somehow. Like, if one of the slightly reworded questions wasn¡¯t answered correctly, or in a similar way to one of its siblings, they would deny the request/submission and require you to re-apply, also requiring a new application and filing fee. It felt like the worst of the bureaucratic world from Earth had somehow made its way to Iria. Or. Crappy bureaucracy was a universal constant found in every universe in existence¡­. ¡°How about we take a break, then?¡± he asked, knowing full-well that Erys would jump on that like a lion on a lame gazelle. Which led to them heading into the re-purposed staging area of Myriad Wonders- he really needed to re-name the company at some point. At any rate, he¡¯d already installed a large wading pool that slowly deepened to a full-fledged swimming pool the day before. Complete with an auto-[Cleanse] feature to keep the water nice and clean. He¡¯d even made a bunch of beach/lawn chairs with beach umbrellas so that people could relax without risking a nasty sunburn. Like he would have had to worry about before becoming a High Elan. Well, before the System, anyways. Sure, he could just heal himself up with a Power like [Natural Healing] or some such if he got a sunburn. Now? His natural regeneration rate made getting a sunburn an actual challenge. A challenge that he wouldn¡¯t ever try, though. He still preferred cooler weather to hot weather. Anyways. They¡¯d gone out back, changed in the provided change rooms, and had been relaxing poolside when some of his employees had wandered out to join them. Now, he wasn¡¯t one of those relentless taskmasters that demanded his employees be constantly doing something, so he hadn¡¯t said anything. Because, he really didn¡¯t care what they did in their down-time so long as they got their work done for the day. Now, before the restructuring, the male-female ratio had been 30:1. After the restructuring, most of the men had chosen to work elsewhere, or were outright fired. Some women too, for gender didn¡¯t inform if a person was an as-¡­ a jerk or not. What had really astonished him was that almost every applicant had been a young woman, or a woman in her prime. Now, most weren¡¯t remotely qualified for the work they¡¯d applied for, which led him to wonder just why they¡¯d all applied. Fast forward a bit¡­. Well, he then knew why they¡¯d all applied. Heck, even some of the slaves that he¡¯d freed wanted to work for him. Which, really, was fine. It would even be cathartic for most, as they were now in the business of helping people rather than selling them. The point was, amongst the twenty-six employees who¡¯d come out to relax poolside, there was only one male. A male that he suspected batted for the other team, as it were. Why? Because of the way the guy looked at him when he thought Joram wouldn¡¯t notice. And the instinctual knowledge of how the guy was doing. A knowledge that came from the accursed [Harem V] ¡°Accomplishment¡±. At any rate, Erys¡¯ choice of swimwear had quickly spread amongst the employees. Which basically consisted of a bikini bottom. That was it. It had taken quite some time, and not a few threats of firing people, to convince them all to add the bikini top. Even then, it seemed as though public bathing was a thing in the Queendom of Muryn. Not only that, but mixed bathing wasn¡¯t uncommon, especially amongst the economically-challenged. So, even having a bikini bottom had been a concession¡­ from their point of view, that is. Even after all that, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for a ¡°wardrobe mishap¡± to occur, leaving one of them topless. Which had led to him just turning off his modified [Touchsight] whenever they went to the pool so that he could just close his eyes and not worry about getting too distracted. But after a few days, word had spread about the ¡°novel¡± water play. Which had led to more and more women showing up to cool themselves in the autumn heat. Which had led to him posting a rules board. And handing out free bikinis because no one was willing to buy one when they could just go naked. Duh. A no-brainer due to the high walls that surrounded the compound. At least the men didn¡¯t seem to mind wearing swim trunks¡­. Well, most of them. Some had insisted on having a bikini bottom too. Which got turned into a speedo, because: no. Just, no. Then Avi had brought the girls with her for a visit to the capitol, which led to everyone meeting at the pool. Something he¡¯d needed to add to the Academy and the apartment complexes given the enthusiastic feedback he¡¯d gotten about them. Especially from the aquatic races, like the sea elves and mer-kin. Well, just those two, really. Amongst them all, it was surprisingly the three gals who¡¯d been the shiest about the swimwear, even Fyrellia. But after a brief bit of debate amongst themselves, they¡¯d also adopted the swimwear. The foxkin really didn¡¯t do mixed bathing, so Myra had been more than happy to wear something, though Asami had pouted a bit.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. At any rate, things had gone decently well the past week or so. Until the contest. Yep. Somehow, a seemingly mundane conversation about breasts had turned into a debate revolving around natural breasts and those produced with [Polymorph]. As was the case for Erys, and to an extent, Asami. Which led to a debate nitpicking a single-use, instantaneous usage of [Polymorph] that Asami had used vs being able to use [Polymorph] at will, like Erys could use. Which led to topics like non-mammals using [Polymorph] to turn into a mammal vs mammals just changing their form. Which one had a better understanding of how ¡°things should be¡± vs ¡°how they wanted them to be¡±. Which then led to Asami subtly hinting that Avi was even more of a cheat. The subtext being that she¡¯d been a mental construct before gaining a body, and thus was even more removed from ¡°reality¡± concerning realistic physiology. Which then degenerated to the point where bikini tops were whipped off to showcase their points. Yes, pun intended. The other women present were also dragged into it. Well, he said ¡°dragged¡±, but they practically leapt at the opportunity to show off their own assets to Joram, who¡¯d been unanimously voted as the sole judge. Which highlighted the fact that he¡¯d had his eyes closed the entire time, leading them all to first cajole him into opening his eyes, then trying to physically open his eyes. Which led to a massive dogpile, escalating voices¡­ and a noise complaint. Fortunately, public nudity hadn¡¯t been thrown into the disturbing the peace charges that had been thrown onto the table since it was technically behind tall walls on his property. Still. - - - There were a couple of minutes of silence after he finished his story as Constable Cogsworth mulled over the ridiculous happenings. Minutes filled with ¡°hmm¡±s and grumbles as Constable Cogsworth slowly stroked his moustache. Which had the side effect of making Joram wonder if he should try to grow one. He¡¯d basically had his short beard since he¡¯d been turned into a High Elan. Well, once he¡¯d found out how to stop his hair from growing any more, that is. He also disliked shaving, which was why he hadn¡¯t shaved it off yet, even though it would only need to happen once. He¡¯d grown to like his 1cm long beard. Though, maybe he could grow out the goatee portion¡­. ¡°That¡¯s quite the story there,¡± Constable Cogsworth said, brining Joram back to the moment. ¡°Will the others confirm your story? Or will I hear a wildly different story from them?¡± Yeah, I¡¯d also be suspicious as hell of that story, Joram thought as he couldn¡¯t help but empathize with the constable. ¡°Pretty much,¡± he said with a shrug, knowing that people would change details to suit them¡­ and to save themselves some face. ¡°Well, sit tight. This may take a bit,¡± Constable Cogsworth said as he got up and left the small room, leaving Joram to wonder how long it would all take. He also mostly ignored the fact that he was still in his swim trunks, not bothered by the cool air. He did, however, start reviewing the progress of his [Fission]s. Kinkade was still doing his thing at the Academy, though he wasn¡¯t the only one laughing at him. But at least he was keeping up with things in their small town. The [Hero]s from Earth were doing well enough, even settling into a decent routine and no longer nearly as standoffish as they¡¯d been when they¡¯d first arrived. The new younglings, now with a mix of older people now that he was just buying slaves in bulk, were actually pretty happy to attend the Academy and to learn everything that he could throw at them. The old adage that ¡°Knowledge is Power¡± was certainly a thing here, and more applicable here than on Earth. Dax was making wonderful progress with the dimensional storage items and tokens. The rings would be activated by anyone wearing the ring by feeding it a single point of mana now. The next part was to work on more storage space in said rings, as just a few cubic metres wasn¡¯t as much space as one thought it was. He was also making good progress with the storage tokens, even playing around with adding things like a renewable atmosphere or even stasis to them. Which would make food storage a non-issue in the future. Though, the tokens were designed to store away whole buildings, so that might not be as practical as all that. But still, stasis could also be applied to the rings, so there was that. The progress that Aegis had made was also fantastic. Five or six new satellites were sent into a geo-synchronous orbit every day now, adding to the ever-growing coverage of the coastline. And also the island he¡¯d claimed. Not only that, but the emplacements Aegis had installed along the coast were¡­ impressive. Or scary. Depending on which side of those anti-ship canons you were on. That they weren¡¯t ¡°anti sailing ship¡± canons, but ¡°anti spaceship¡± canons was¡­ terrifying. Even to him. Planetary defense batteries were¡­ impressive. All the more so since their targeting systems were being linked to the satellites in orbit. Satellites that weren¡¯t just giant cameras. Nope. Aegis had gone the extra mile and added in various models. Like orbital platforms that could do anything from shooting a pinpoint laser powerful enough to melt a one metre wide hole through a mountain to tactical use of [Disjunction] and [Erase Psionics] to Mass Effect Canons. Yes, like the ones from his favourite video game trilogy. They shot 100kg slugs of tungsten carbide at speeds that would easily vaporize a mountain on impact, let alone anything within a good thirty kilometres of the impact site. *Shudder* Which led to Bob¡¯s work on that island between the continents. Well, one of the islands. The one they¡¯d basically claimed for their own with the not-so-binding approval of Bryana. Technically in a neutral zone, so no one really owned the island. But so long as it wasn¡¯t a military staging point for any country, it shouldn¡¯t cause any issues¡­. But! Bob was doing fantastic work! He¡¯d already cleared away the centre mountain/dead volcano and had started laying the impressive foundations for The Tower. Yeah, he¡¯d named it, though it was silently acknowledged that it would likely get another name in the future as their naming sense wasn¡¯t all that great. As was almost constantly highlighted by those around him. What was wrong with simple? Shrug. Now, Cyd was the one he was most excited about. He was sure that he was getting pretty close to finding the Maple World Tree. He¡¯d thought that they¡¯d already been close to finding it, but for reasons unknown to them, the tree was proving to be remarkably elusive. Which, upon reflection, was probably why no one had found it in who knows how long. But with Aegis¡¯ work with the satellites, they were sure that they¡¯d narrow down its location sooner rather than later. Especially if they could increase the range of [Mana Sight] and get that Skill somehow attached to some satellites. Though, the programs that would have to be first designed then written wouldn¡¯t be anything to sneeze at¡­. Joram facepalmed at exactly the same time that every other ¡°Joram¡± did. ¡°[Summon: All],¡± he muttered to himself, once more reminded of his broken Skill. How it managed to slip his mind as much as it did confounded him more than a little bit, though. It was such a useful Skill, after all. But upon further reflection, he realized that he was just so used to doing things himself, that he often forgot that he had such a cheat-like Skill to fall back on. Sure, he¡¯d still probably have to find a way to tie those new satellites into the pre-existing network, but that would likely be much simpler than trying to make everything from scratch. Probably. Joram frowned, now drawn into a much more entertaining line of thought than wondering when he¡¯d be let out of jail, as it were. * * * Dax waved at a few of the Earthlings as he wandered past the mess hall on his way to his worksite. Yes, he could have just teleported there, but it was good to at least be a bit sociable. And to get some sun. And some exercise. Yeah. In truth, the liked the minimal social contact, even with how weird [Harem] made things sometimes. At any rate, he was excited to see if his new theory would work. What was it? Well! He figured that he could so something along the lines of a mother and child setup with the Storage Tokens. Specifically, if he could have a master token that could activate one or all of the secondary tokens linked to it. Which would reduce the load on the master token when it came to storing away more than one building at a time. Which had been vexing him for the past few days. He¡¯d originally wanted one token that would be able to store away his entire town, as his property was being referred to these days. His house, the greenhouses, the cafeteria, bath houses, brewery, dairy, and apartments. But. It seemed as though it was just too much for one token. At the moment. But. Being the kind of person that tended to prepare for the worst, he felt that having every building able to be quickly hidden away would be prudent. Who knew if one person or another might take issue with him or his own. Especially after the whole [Summon: Hero] debacle and the ensuing executions and such. So! He¡¯d started working on a possible solution. One that hadn¡¯t proved possible with his current means. Well, his current knowledge, really. So, a workaround was needed! Which had proved somewhat more complicated than he¡¯d originally anticipated. Having gotten used to mentally activating things since he¡¯d arrived, he hadn¡¯t much liked the manual method of getting the master token to activate the secondary tokens. Sure, it wasn¡¯t too bad, but it took time to do. Specifically, it took time to go to each secondary token to get within range to activate them. Then came the thought of having them remotely linked. Something like those rings of communication that adventurers used while doing their thing in the many stories he¡¯d read back on Earth. Which led to other things. Like how to implement the control features. Which then led to Avi suggesting something like a Network that a Vitalist could use. Which had led to him studying that whole class and its class abilities. Which led to him just assimilating the whole package, class variants and all. Which, honestly, had been a boon in more ways than just item creation, but that wasn¡¯t important right then. What was important was that he could now mentally connect to the master token and mentally activate any number of secondary tokens simultaneously. In theory. Hence the practice site. Which just so happened to be far away from anyone else if things went catastrophically wrong. Dax paused, reached out, and knocked on a tree to ward off the jynx. Sure, that was probably pure superstition on his part, but it never hurt to be cautious. Chapter 108 - Doug *Day 079* Jorum hummed to himself as he looked at the ledgers, wondering if he was just displacing a not insignificant percentage of Muryn¡¯s population. Heck, if the rumours had any hint of truth to them, then the slavers had actually been raiding the neighbouring kingdoms¡¯ villages as well. Which, really, needed to stop. Like, now. Which was why he¡¯d had Aegis also position several satellites further and further out from where they had originally planned to have them. Heck, having satellite coverage of the whole planet was certainly something he wanted to have, as you could never be too prepared. But. They¡¯d then needed to add invisibility spells to each of the satellites due to satellites being inherently visible from the ground. Reflections, lights, or even dark spots as they got in the way of existing celestial bodies that astronomers were studying. Well, anyone with an interest in the night sky, really. And with just how stunning the night sky was here; he couldn¡¯t blame them. Heck, he¡¯d be angry if some random thing got in his way of observing the night sky. So, the invisibility enchantments were the solution to that. At any rate, he¡¯d need to head out and deal with those bandit slavers sooner rather than later. He was just¡­. Hesitant. Ever since the raid on those guys who¡¯d been messing around with the [Summon: Hero] spells¡­. It hadn¡¯t sat well, having to kill people. Sure, they had arguably deserved it for having kidnapped kids from another universe, let alone the many murders on their hands. But. Having grown up being taught and told that killing someone was the highest of taboos wasn¡¯t something that he could just shrug off. Even if he¡¯d told himself for years and years already that if someone was coming at him with the intent to take his own life, that he was perfectly justified in removing that threat in any way necessary. Which also included killing the would-be murderer. But telling yourself something over and over again over the years was completely different from actually experiencing that thing. Sure, there were the usual moral questions that revolved around going to stop a murderous band of slavers. Like, ¡°wouldn¡¯t more lives be spared by taking those few lives first¡±, and ¡°what right did he have to decide the life and death of people?¡±. Heck, there were tens of thousands more moral and ethical questions that could be posed. But. Was he comfortable taking another life? Sure, it was one that was causing untold harm. Sure, ending that life would improve the lives of who knew how many other people. But, was he okay with being the one to end that life? He certainly hadn¡¯t been feeling the best since having to deal with those criminals. Let alone the many, many accusations, questions, glares, and stares he¡¯d had to endure from the families and friends of those criminals during the whole trial and execution process, let alone what those criminals had sent his way. Then another question came to mind, one that was significantly more relevant to his situation. ¡°Why did it have to be him?¡± He wasn¡¯t one of the nobility of Muryn, nor was he part of the military or any of legal the enforcement agencies. He was just a guy who¡¯d literally dropped into their world roughly half a year ago. So. What¡­ right? What right did he have to go about killing bandit slavers? Or even beating them down and tossing them to the appropriate authorities. Well, he was registered with the Exterminator¡¯s Guild, or Adventurer¡¯s Guild as they called it everywhere but Kirkwall, it seemed. As such, he was obliged to act in the best interest of the state he was in, which usually meant that he had to uphold the laws of said state. And intervene if he happened to come across an illegal activity. But. That didn¡¯t mean that he had to go out looking for such things. Especially when there wasn¡¯t a Request or Mission assigned to such a thing. So, Joram sat in his office at the soon-to-be renamed Myriad Wonders, and continued thinking things through even as the orphanages continued to take in hundreds, and sometimes, thousands of people every day. * * * Bob was super-glad that Joram was the one dealing with all that, compartmentalizing all of those annoying moral and ethical questions to just that body. Building a ridiculous tower was hard enough to deal with, thank you very much. He looked out over the landscape, pretty happy with his progress over the past couple of weeks. Before, there had been nothing to see beyond a few random tufts of grass whose seeds had somehow made their way to the island. It had been pretty much just volcanic plains, broken up here and there by the occasional crevasse formed at some point. Probably from a particularly powerful eruption or something. Oh, and some pretty cool sandy beaches. Most where a pristine white, the kind that most people from Earth flocked to for vacations abroad. But there were a few that had black sand, something not unheard of on Earth, but definitely less sought-after than their white counterparts. Still, they were pretty cool¡­ just not thermally-speaking. Due to being black, they soaked up more of the sun¡¯s rays than the white sands did. Which, really, might appeal to some races/species more than others. Like the dragon-kin, or lizard-kin. He shrugged, turning back to regard his progress on the Tower. He¡¯d easily gotten to the ¡°bedrock¡±, as it were. From there, he¡¯d started laying the massive rectangular, 36m^3 stone blocks, four by three by three metres. They were ungodly heavy, but still manageable. Especially with all of the construction equipment that he¡¯d acquired through [Summon: All]. The best part was that it wasn¡¯t the stuff you could get on Earth. Nope. He¡¯d gotten the good stuff! In fact, it was so efficient that Bob was considering either making another [Fission] to help out with creating enough stone blocks to keep up with the demand, or seeing if one of his other selves could be re-tasked to construction duty. He was pretty sure that Kinkade would jump at the chance to get away from the paperwork and teaching duties, but they all knew that he was needed there. So, maybe one more [Fission], then? He wondered again as he watched an honest to god mech, over 30m tall, use a combination of mass effect fields and tractor beams to quickly and efficiently place the blocks that weighed over 115 metric tonnes each. Something that was both time-consuming and very hard to do on Earth. It almost looked like a kid playing with building blocks. And he had fourteen of those mechs going nearly 24/7. Which was why he was already at the 10th level of the Tower. Between the supply issue and the need for him to be there to fuse each layer of blocks together, it was hard. If he could have another [Fission] right from the start, he was sure that he¡¯d have already gotten twenty floors finished by now. Heck, Dax could have already started with the expansions already. Well, he could still get started¡­. Bob rubbed his clean-shaven chin in thought, absently frowning as he subconsciously registered the lack of beard as a bad thing. He could easily do what any of the other [Fission]s could. It was just that it would slow the construction of the Tower if he started spending time using [Genesis: True] every time a floor was finished. Nodding to himself, he manifested [Fission] and watched as another version of himself stepped out of him and turned to look back at him. Yes, that would never stop being both weird beyond belief and one of the coolest things he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Call me Doug,¡± Doug said with a grin as a shovel appeared in his hand that was then immediately slung over his shoulder as a hard hat appeared on his head. Grinning, Bob shook his head before speaking. ¡°I¡¯d sooner call you ¡®The Architect¡¯ since you¡¯re not going to be doing any actual digging,¡± he said with a grin, ¡°but to each his own.¡± Doug continued grinning as he surveyed the work for a few moments before turning back to him. ¡°Swap roles each day?¡± he asked, though Bob` could tell that it wasn¡¯t so much a question of whether-or-not it would happen so much as a question of frequency. ¡°Yeah, each day works,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to work,¡± he finished with an even broader grin, anticipating just how awesome the Tower was going to be, and how much faster it¡¯d get built with extra help.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. They were sure going to need the extra space soon, especially if Joram kept sending people to their small city. As he got started [Summon]ing more stone blocks, he wondered if Celys was having a panic attack yet? * * * Celys was certainly not having a panic attack. It was more of¡­ a stress-induced break. Taking a ¡°breather¡±, as Joram called it. Pacing oneself, as everyone else called it. Certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Especially with just how much work was piling up for her! Celys took a deep breath, then smiled as she felt Nalun¡¯s hand on her shoulder. He could always tell when she was tense, and always did what he could to comfort her when he was there to notice her tension. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± he asked conversationally, no hint of judgement in his tone. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± Celys said as she shook her head slightly. ¡°On the one hand, having a city pop up within walking distance of your own town is usually a bad thing, economically speaking. Workers usually move to the larger settlement searching for better work. Prices of everyday sundries usually increase due to higher demand, putting pressure on the smaller, less economically-robust town. ¡°If the smaller town is lucky, the growth of both wind up merging them together to create an even larger town, or city. Which results in a more stable economy, overall. But. ¡°With Joram getting the rights to the Great Forest from her Majesty, our two towns won¡¯t be governed by the same person, making it a nightmare when it comes to things like taxation. Heck, most nobles usually tax anything coming into their territory from a neighbouring noble¡¯s territory. ¡°And I¡¯m sure that Lord Nord,¡± she had to pause as the memory of Joram¡¯s reaction to his name bubbled to the surface again. ¡°I¡¯m sure that he won¡¯t want to give up Kirkwall, even if our tax revenue isn¡¯t anything special. What noble would willingly give up territory to another noble, let alone an ¡®uppity commoner¡¯?¡± she asked, not quite rhetorically. She silently hoped that Nalun would be able to provide some sort of insight, words of wisdom, to help her navigate the increasingly bothersome political mess that she was finding herself dragged into as the mayor of Kirkwall. ¡°Do you think that Joram could buy Kirkwall from Lord Nord?¡± Nalun asked, throwing her for a loop before he continued. ¡°As I see it, Lord Nord doesn¡¯t actually do much, if anything, for us. But even then, I¡¯m sure that he wouldn¡¯t mind saving the costs that come with sending out patrols to keep the area safe.¡± Celys thought about it for only a few seconds before shaking her head. ¡°Even then, he¡¯d still need to patrol his lands. Having a small village like ours added to the patrol routes is a negligible cost when compared to what we pay in taxes every year.¡± Nalun paused to think about it a bit more, which also gave her time to think things over as well. For one, the cost of purchasing an entire village wouldn¡¯t be insubstantial. Not at all. But, Joram had gone and purchased not only Myriad Wonders, but also several other Slave Houses, as they were called. Which, if she really thought about it, was probably more expensive than it would be to purchase Kirkwall¡­. ¡°Excuse me, Mayor,¡± Kal, the one who worked for her, not her son, interrupted as he poked his head into her office while keeping the door mostly closed. ¡°You have guests from Lord Nord.¡± Given Kal¡¯s serious expression, she wondered just who it was as she exchanged glances with Nalun. Before she could speak, Nalun nodded and quickly left her office as Kal¡¯s head vanished to allow Nalun to pass. But before the door could close again, a very¡­ bookish fellow stepped around Kal and into her office. He was certainly¡­ average. Average height for a human, which was only slightly taller than for foxkin. Average brown hair, though he had muddy hazel eyes. His frame was slight, though his age, which appeared to be around her own, had added a bit of a belly to the man. But he certainly carried himself as though he was a very important person. Even his head was tilted back slightly as he regarded her through his spectacles. He stopped in front of her desk as she quickly rose to shake his hand, which he extended after taking a documents folder from under his arm with his other hand. ¡°Greetings, Mayor Manelle, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you again,¡± he said, though any warmth most people would have in their tone when saying such words was certainly lacking, making the greeting sound more automatic than personal. ¡°Indeed,¡± she replied, absently noticing that she¡¯d started using the word more often lately, likely due to Joram¡¯s influence. ¡°To what do I owe the honour of your visit today?¡± ¡°Same old, same old,¡± he said as his head tilted slightly to the side, motioning to the chair in front of her desk, then sat when she nodded slightly. ¡°Taxes. Tax questions. Evaluations. Audits. All of that,¡± he said, still sounding as thought he was still on ¡®autopilot¡¯, as Joram called it. ¡°Just let me know what I can do to help,¡± she said as she suppressed a wince. She hated taxes. Well, specifically, she hated going over them with a fine-toothed comb with Lord Nord¡¯s auditor. The man was a [Municipal Auditor] by Class, and almost perfectly reflected it in almost every aspect. ¡°Certainly,¡± he said, now looking as though he was now fully invested in the conversation. ¡°Lord Nord has taken note of certain purchases and construction happening in his territory. Now, I¡¯m sure that the appropriate taxes have been collected, along with the appropriate building permits. So, I¡¯m just here to make sure that everything is in order,¡± he said, then paused slightly before continuing with a veritable glint in his eyes. ¡°But to also discuss tax and tariff policies and reforms,¡± he said, sending a shiver down her spine at the same rate that her stomach fell to her feet. Joram, you¡¯re so going to owe me for this, she thought as she put her professional ¡°Mayor Smile¡± on and got to work. All the while, she silently cursed Lord Nord for only paying attention to things like taxes but not bothering to send help when they¡¯d requested it for the Dungeon Break. * * * Shae¡¯ra looked over at the entire district of apartment buildings that were taller than any building that she¡¯d ever seen before in her life. Well, at least before Joram had started building them, anyways. She could already count forty-two of them, all now twenty stories tall! Each one having a total of two-hundred twenty suites, each one able to house at least two people, but some able to house up to six people if they were all right bunking two to a room. All told, each building could comfortably house up to eight-hundred people! Sure, most were still vacant, but with just how many people were coming to their city each day, she was sure that they would soon be filled and the ones under construction would be needed sooner rather than later. And so, with the massive influx of people arriving and needing not just shelter, but also clothing and food, another nine cafeterias had been built so that they could cover the ridiculous amounts of food needed to keep everyone from starving. Which led to her looking back at the newly built greenhouses and levelled fields that she was in charge of. Fortunately for her, there were no few [Farmer]s that had arrived that were more than happy to do anything they could to help out their ¡°savior/benefactor/[Hero]¡±, depending on who was talking. Heck, there had also been a few [Druid]s that had been found, all of whom were more than happy to contribute to the growing food supply issue. Fortunately for everyone involved, Joram- or Kinkade, as she¡¯d learned to call that [Clone]- had also been supplying those ridiculous rings, the [Ring of Sustenance] for everyone. Contrary, she might add, to common sense. Who did that? Who gave out a Relic-Grade magic item like it was nothing? Who could even make a Relic-Grade magic item?! Let alone thousands of them!!! Shae¡¯ra took a deep breath, then another as she tried to calm her racing heart. She¡¯d seen Joram also experimenting further out in the forest with things she had a very hard time explaining. Things, she was sure, that a [Dimensional Guardian] would normally frown upon. Yet Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys, or Erys as she preferred to be called, didn¡¯t seem to mind. In fact, she¡¯d even seen Erys giving Joram advice a few times! Her sense of what was normal had continuously, and thoroughly, been shaken about by Joram so often that she really questioned the conventional knowledge that had been taught over the centuries. Food issues? Just expand the arable fields, get more livestock and pastures. For Joram? Just enchant several greenhouses that would accelerate the growth of the plants- while somehow maintaining soil quality!- and build a meat-producing Dungeon!!! Shae¡¯ra took a few more deep breaths as she tried to use [Meditation] to help calm her heartrate as she vigorously pushed away what she had understood as common sense before meeting Joram. Those teachings and thoughts would only serve to hold her back, becoming a stumbling block in the way of learning and understanding the world around her. If someone did something ¡°impossible¡±, then it was, bluntly put, possible. And thus people would need to stop putting the limitations of their own worldviews onto others. And just accept that what they¡¯d assumed to be true a moment before, wasn¡¯t. Therein laid wisdom, as Joram had phrased it one day. So, she¡¯d need to incorporate the new things she¡¯d learned into what she taught at the Academy and to those who worked under her in the various greenhouses and on the various fields. That mana could be used to not just accelerate the growth rates of plants, but also supplement the nutrients needed for their growth¡­. Well, that was something. Something that would certainly change the way agriculture would be practiced in the future. She paused to glance over at the Notification of the Great Protector, pursing her lips in thought. She had been forgoing levelling up since she¡¯d arrived. Since she¡¯d started delving Joram¡¯s Dungeons with the ¡°gals¡± every now and then, but now more often with the [Heroes] that Joram had rescued with Erys as they were getting up there in levels. Much faster than anyone who wasn¡¯t a [Hero], that was for sure. Shaking her head, she once more looked at the option to select a new Class on her Path as a [Druid]. There were many new Classes that had shown up since she¡¯d first gotten the Notification that she qualified for a new Class. Options that were terribly tempting with just how powerful they were. But. Was it right to choose a Class just because it was powerful? Hadn¡¯t she chosen to be a [Druid] due to her love of nature, not power? Still, looking at the options available to her, and were growing in number practically each day, she couldn¡¯t help but wondering how much more of a positive impact she would have if she were to take one of the ¡°best¡± ones, numerically-speaking, that is. With a sigh, she once more closed the Notification. She¡¯d decide later. For now, she needed to teach the younglings¡­ and the not-so-young. As she walked, Shae¡¯ra hummed to herself as she thought about how much good having an Academy was for everyone. Especially since those attending it didn¡¯t have to worry about anything other than learning. Like working the fields, apprenticing with someone, taking care of their families, earning enough for food and shelter. Just learning. Shae¡¯ra didn¡¯t notice the number of young men who were tripping over their own feet as their eyes were locked onto the beautiful elf, practically glowing with how happy she was as she practically floated her way to the Academy. Chapter 109 - Kivarok *Day 083* Joram sighed as he used [Cleanse]A, happy at least that the Power was as effective as it was in cleaning off blood and gore from him and his surroundings. Given how many corpses there were, he didn¡¯t augment it enough to clear them away before Looting them, having long learned his lesson in that regard. Missing out on Loot was a painful experience that no true gamer and RPG¡¯er would voluntarily do. So, he quietly went around looting the bodies of the bandit/slavers as Avi, Asami, and Erys went about calming the two dozen or so people who¡¯d already been taken by this group. This time, they¡¯d been targeting other humans, a change from the norm of ¡°demi-humans¡±, as they called them. On the one hand, he was glad that the animal-kin weren¡¯t exclusively targeted. But on the other, any sort of slavery bothered him. So much so, in fact, that he¡¯d forgone using his mindbolt in favour of his mindblade. Hence the mess. The truly tragic part of it all was the fact that this group had only targeted the young and attractive. And from what Avi was sharing with him through their connection, they hadn¡¯t left anyone else alive after the raid. Which, he was told, wasn¡¯t uncommon when targeting small human settlements. The ones in charge tended to listen to humans more readily than ¡°demi-humans¡±. Which translated to them not doing much for the animal-kin, but certainly sending troops after anyone who¡¯d targeted humans. So, the practice of killing everyone not taken was more common than not. Hence, once more, the gore. He¡¯d been very angry even before learning that his was one of those groups. Fortunately, Bryana- the Queen-, had started acting to stamp out the illegal slavery in her queendom. Unfortunately, there had been, and still were, many people who didn¡¯t appreciate the dwindling profits that came with such crackdowns. Which had led to more than a few well-armed ¡°bandit¡± groups showing up that were able to fight off the queen¡¯s soldiers. Which also led to higher expenses on her part. Which then led to politics. People advocating letting things be, in favour of not raising the taxes to support the queen¡¯s new ¡°anti-slavery¡± initiative, as they were calling it. Something that even the common people weren¡¯t for, as slavery accounted for a significant portion of the manual labour in the queendom, let alone the various other roles a slave could be used for. Both upright and not. Which then led to him being out there with his party. Well, it wasn¡¯t a static party, as Asami and Erys would occasionally switch out with others. Like Myra and the gals. So long as he was there, Bryana¡¯s seal of approval for what they were doing was there. Why? Because she¡¯d pulled a fast one on him, that¡¯s why. Bryana had called him to court one day, then had Shanghaied him with an official position, along with a Dukedom attached to his acquisition of the Great Forest. The position? Her official ¡°Seeker¡±- which had also come with a Notification that a new Class was available for such an appointment. He¡¯d obviously refused the Class, but hadn¡¯t had much of a choice in accepting the appointment and dukedom, Title and all. Yes, he¡¯d gotten a System granted Title from that.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve earned a new Title! - [Peerage: Duke] You¡¯ve been officially recognized and anointed to the peerage of a sovereign state, Muryn. Good for you! - Benefits: - Social status has increased. - The right to own land. - The right to have a personal military. - The right to levy taxes and decide tax rates for your dutchy. - The ability to marry into the royal line. - Lineage-based Skill bestowal: [Skill Bestowal: Progeny] Skill acquired. - The [Fame/Infamy]¡­ Recalculating¡­ - The [Paragon] and [Renegade] System has been conferred. - Please choose wisely.
He¡¯d nearly stopped reading when it mentioned marrying into the royal line, on the verge of setting out to kick that damned System in its memory banks. But then the [Skill Bestowal: Progeny] Skill caught his eye. He¡¯d facepalmed. But what had really piqued his interest had been when the [Fame/Infamy] bit had been mentioned. Then the recalculation. Then probably the two most famous game mechanic terms in the ME series had shown up. That was when he really, really, knew that the System wasn¡¯t just some program. No, he was now surer than ever that it was, at the very least, sentient. More likely, sapient. Especially with how it had been treating him since he¡¯d arrived on Iria. So, what the heck? Why was it so interested in him? Why the seeming favouritism? He wasn¡¯t anyone special. In fact, aside from being slightly more physically gifted¡­ and smart¡­ he would have said that he was basically your average Joe back on Earth. No huge ambitions, no particular talent that outshone others in a particular field. Just a geek that had been well on his way to becoming a certified hermit. So, again, what the heck? Shaking his head, he quickly reviewed the [Paragon] and [Renegade] System¡­ Systems? They were two separate metrics, unlike in the video game that basically showed a Lawful vs Chaotic alignment slider. But, this one more seemed to track different metrics. Well, more than just law vs chaos, anyways. Like, [Paragon] was a combination of fame and good deeds. Well, ¡°good¡± deeds meant that he¡¯d acted more out of compassion and empathy, a desire to help others selflessly. That sort of thing. Altruism? Sure, that worked. Then [Renegade] measured things like infamy and acts that others viewed as¡­ improper. Things like murder, rape, theft, extortion, and such. Acting outside of the law for revenge, or even helping someone only because it also helped you in some way, shape, or form. Basically, villain, bad-guy, or anti-hero stuff. Pretty simple. What confused him, though, was this: why were they two separate metrics? In every game that he¡¯d ever played, those two things were basically two sides of a scale that would subtract from one side or the other, depending on what you did. Now? Now it was more realistic, in his view. Doing a good deed didn¡¯t erase that you¡¯d done something bad in the past. Likewise, doing something bad didn¡¯t erase the fact that you¡¯d done something good in the past. Sure, it would certainly affect how a person viewed you if they knew about everything you¡¯d ever done. But it also affected how people viewed just a single side of you; your public side, for instance. His favourite example was of politicians. They did all they could to get votes, from giving handouts to making promises that they never had any intention of keeping. Going to community events, shaking hands, donating to the most popular charities, that sort of thing. But it¡¯s when they¡¯re behind closed doors, as it were, when their true colours came out. It was how they treated people who ¡°aren¡¯t important¡±. People with no power. People they don¡¯t have to treat well to keep up their public fa?ade. So, in that sense, he was certainly welcoming of a system where it kept track of one¡¯s actions separately. It was¡­ refreshing. What he hadn¡¯t expected, though, was that the System had seemingly been keeping notes on him. Extensive notes, from the day that he¡¯d arrived on Iria all the way to the present. Which, really, was both flattering and terrifying all at the same time. Still, he thought as he looked at just how many points he¡¯d already accrued, I guess that people really would see me as some sort of good guy, huh?
[Paragon VII]: 36,431 / 51,000
But, really, what did I do that was so¡­ edgy, to merit getting some renegade points¡­.?
[Renegade I]: 9 / 1,000
He shrugged, not really caring about it too much, as it was probably due to him not listening to Celys when she told him not to go on the walls, or to leave Kirkwall. Or maybe jaywalking? Did they have jaywalking laws here? Shrug. ¡®All done here,¡¯ Avi sent, bringing him back to the moment even as he reflexively Looted the last body. ¡®That¡¯s good,¡¯ he sent back as he looked over at the group of not-as-terrified-as-they-had-been people. ¡®Can you send them off to Myrmeze?¡¯This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡®That¡¯s the plan,¡¯ Avi sent with a grin. ¡®You¡¯ll need to help Kinkade with making more rings of sustenance soon, though. I¡¯m pretty sure that the stocks are getting low.¡¯ Joram just nodded at that as he noticed that most of the¡­ refugees? Yeah, that¡¯d work. Most of the refugees were watching him with not a few of them looking a little bit more than a little bit hero struck. Which probably explained why his [Paragon] rating had gone up again since he¡¯d last looked. Well, killing bandits had also likely contributed to that. He still hadn¡¯t had the courage to look deeper into that system yet. Mostly because of the trauma from having received the [Harem] ¡°Achievement¡±. Like, would they System eventually turn him into a walking lure? A lure that no one would be able to resist due to the ridiculous modifiers and ¡°bonuses¡± that the System had heaped upon him? Would his [Harem] ¡°Achievement¡± eventually get to the point where only the strongest-willed women were able to resist the urge to throw themselves at him, devoting their body, mind, and soul to him? That was a truly terrifying thought, one that actually sent a shiver down his spine. Especially since it was legal here to have many wives/concubines/lovers. Which then turned his thoughts to returning home, back to Earth. Could he escape all this and take refuge on Earth? Or would the System follow him there, much like Systems did in a lot of popular media on Earth? Would he forevermore be pursued by any being who took a romantic interest in him? ¡®STOP!¡¯ Avi psionically yelled at him, causing his eyes to water in pain before he blinked hard a few times. He looked over at a very concerned Asami and a very confused Erys. It seemed as thought Avi had already taken the refugees to Myrmeze and had left him alone with the other two women. He reactivated [Clear Mind: Greater] and heaved a sigh of relief as the anxiety and fears that had quickly accumulated were washed away by, well, clarity. Peace. Serenity. Calm. As all of those negative feelings were being washed away, both Asami and Erys rushed over to him, latching onto him from either side. Still more than a little bit shaken by just how fast he¡¯d spiralled, he deftly freed his arms, much to their obvious displeasure. A displeasure that quickly faded into shock, then joy as his arms went back down to tightly hug them close. He stood like that, both women clutched tightly at his sides until Avi returned via [Teleport]. Instead of letting him let Asami and Erys go, Avi wrapped her arms around the three of them, pressing against his chest as she laid her head on his left shoulder, just above Asami¡¯s head that was pressed more into his left pectorals. A bit stunned, he indulged in the¡­ warmth. For it wasn¡¯t the sort of embrace that aimed at arousal. It was pure affection and warmth, with more than a hint of comforting care. It was¡­ nice. But, sooner than he would have liked, the moment ended and everyone slowly started drawing back a bit to take a peek at his face. One that was warming faster than he would have liked, especially given that [Clear Mind: Greater] was still up and running. ¡°Better, now?¡± Avi asked as her eyes searched his face from just a hand away. Well, one of his hands. They were pretty big, after all. Which was still much closer than he was used to being to such a stunning beauty. ¡°Ahem,¡± he cleared his throat, then tried again. ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± he said, sounding much less confident than he¡¯d wanted to. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for,¡± Asami said with a bright smile, her neck craned hard so that she could look up to him without having to let go of him more than was absolutely necessary. ¡°Mmm, she speaks the truth, mrrandii,¡± Erys said from his right with a smile no less enchanting than Asami¡¯s, though considerably more¡­ hungry, than Asami¡¯s had been. Are all dragons this horny? He silently wondered just before Asami started coughing. Grinning, he finally let them go all the way, ending the group hug. Erys reluctantly let go, along with Asami, though he was sure that she was thinking naughty thoughts given just how red in the face she¡¯d gone while coughing. Avi, though, didn¡¯t seem bothered by the hug ending. In fact, she seemed eager to start up the bandit hunting again. ¡°So, are we continuing or stopping for the day?¡± she asked, obviously preferring the first option due to her emphasis on ¡®continuing¡¯. ¡°Yeah, we can look for another group,¡± he said, stuffing away the thoughts that wouldn¡¯t be helpful in hunting down bandits. So it was that they headed out again, once more hopping onto Erys in her dragon form. For as much as she complained about anyone other than her ¡°mrrandii¡± riding her, she hadn¡¯t actually refused anyone else yet. Well, maybe that was because she saw the others as fellow wives or something. Who knows? * * * *Elsewhere He frowned as he read the new reports. It wasn¡¯t his favourite activity, even by a long shot. But, it was certainly something he knew that he needed to keep up with. For it was a foolish ruler indeed who relied solely on the advice given by their advisors. One needed to have a firm grasp of a situation before seeking out other opinions; lest one wished to become a puppet, that is. He stopped for a moment, briefly astounded by what he¡¯d read, then proceeded to re-read the brief report. Holding it up so that his [Spymaster] could see it, he spoke. ¡°Is this information reliable?¡± he asked as he felt his hackles rise. ¡°It is, your Majesty,¡± the [Spymaster], Cyril, replied with a slight bow. Humming, he absently drummed his fingers of his other hand on the table as he processed the very short, yet impactful, report. That the humans were once more playing around with [Summon: Hero] really shouldn¡¯t have surprised him, especially with the anti-demon rhetoric and propaganda that was once more sweeping through the humans¡¯ continent. But it did. It also ignited a raging fire of wrath in him that threatened to incinerate everything in the room, including his very reliable [Spymaster]. So, he used [Meditation: Greater] to calm himself down again, having long learned from past experiences that letting his temper get the better of him caused untold headaches later on. Headaches that came from things like having to replace staff, calm the masses, and finding room in the budget to repair or replace damaged items or buildings. ¡°If you would,¡± Cyril said, motioning to the next report waiting on the stack of unread reports. ¡°There is more useful information.¡± Glancing once more at the offending report, he carefully placed it on the pile of reports that he¡¯d already gone through, then picked up the next unread report. A moment later he grunted. ¡°At least those [Dimensional Guardian]s are doing their job.¡± He then went on to the next report and paused again, blinking. But before he could ask, Cyril spoke up. ¡°Indeed,¡± he said, nodding slightly. ¡°Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys has chosen a human as her mate.¡± At this point, he¡¯d had enough to warrant a drink. So, he got up and made his way to the small bar he kept in his office. Once there, the [Mixologist]- a rare Class advancement for [Bartender]- quickly prepared his favourite drink before handing it to him. Now leaning against the counter, he sipped at his drink as he thought things through. If one queendom had ¡°rebels¡± experimenting with [Summon: Hero], he was sure that there were more that hadn¡¯t yet been found out. That said, should the various rulers of the humans manage to sway public opinion sufficiently to ¡°justify¡± yet another war with his people, he was sure that they would be once more aiming to be approved to once again use [Summon: Hero]. Fortunately, the process involved with getting approval from the Senate, the ruling body of the [Dimensional Guardian]s, was very strict and involved. The humans would need to prove that his people were a dire threat to their existence. Fortunately for him, his rule had more focussed on stabilizing his lands than waging war with the humans. Sure, there had been previous [Demon Lord]s and [Demon Lady]s who¡¯d wholeheartedly gone to war with them. But he wasn¡¯t one of them. Sure, it was often argued that going to war stimulated the economy. Increased national pride. Brought in countless spoils of war, not the least of which included a steady supply of slaves. But it also reduced the population, threatening that same stimulated economy with too few workers to keep things going. It also tended to shift the already skewed gender balance to precarious ratios. Sure, his empire was an equal one, one where both males and females could pursue whatever Paths they chose. Including military service. Even then, the military was still predominantly male. Which, really, didn¡¯t matter most of the time. But when all of those males died in war, it caused population issues at home. So, not being a [Demon Lord] with a chip on his shoulder, or a grudge to resolve with the humans, he¡¯d spent most of his tenure developing his lands. Helping his people improve their lots in life. Improving the infrastructure of the empire, which included simple things like road, irrigation, and sewage treatment. Yes, even that. He¡¯d been astonished that most places in the empire didn¡¯t have a dedicated [Sewer Master]. He shuddered at the memories of seeing what some settlements had considered proper waste management¡­. All that said, with such stability and improved living conditions, his people had flourished. A nice side benefit of that had been an increase in population. As well as an increase in education, both martial and magical. Which had- coincidentally!- led to a higher standard of recruits¡­. Which meant that his military was as strong as it had ever been. Possibly stronger, if he wasn¡¯t being modest. Unfortunately, that led to any human spies freaking out and causing their rulers to get jumpy. Scared, even. He lifted his cup to take another sip, but found that he¡¯d already drained it of its delicious contents, and sighed. He left the cup on the counter before heading back to his chair, sat, then pulled himself closer to the table before taking the next report and reading it. He stopped again, then looked over at Cyril. ¡°Yes, it is indeed accurate. There is an unknown human, along with unknown constructs, constructing a massive structure. Likely a tower,¡± Cyril said as he fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt. ¡°On Midway, of all places¡­¡± he muttered, wondering if he should approach the Senate to press the issue. ¡°That¡¯s not all, your Majesty,¡± Cyril said, once more pointing at the stack of unread reports with a hand that wasn¡¯t as steady as it had been just five minutes ago. He mentally braced himself before picking up the indicated report, then leaned hard into [Meditation: Greater] as his blood pressure spiked. ¡°What in the Hells are those damn humans planning?¡± he growled, trying to understand why they¡¯d be fortifying Muryn¡¯s coastline. A coastline that was both a terrible place to try to invade due to its massive, sheer cliffs, and was also the start of the Deathlands, what the humans called the ¡°Great Forest¡±. For any ¡°demon¡±, or Mana Touched, that forest was an almost guaranteed death sentence. Why? Because one of his predecessors a few thousand years back, had decided to slaughter an entire kingdom with a ritual that had had unforeseen complications. Complications that had wound up turning almost every citizen of that kingdom into wraith-like beings. Beings that knew exactly who¡¯d killed them. So, why fortify that coastline? Did it have something to do with Midway Island? Now unconsciously grinding his teeth, the [Demon Lord] Kivarok started reading through the rest of the reports, silently planning out how to approach the Senate regarding the concerning trends of the humans. Cyril, though, took a very long and steadying breath before letting it out just as silently as he¡¯d drawn it in, greatly relieved that his Lord hadn¡¯t lost his temper. Chapter 110 - Cryolisk nest *Day 086* ¡°Sooooo,¡± Erys said, drawing out the word like a kid who wasn¡¯t terribly happy to bring up something. ¡°So?¡± Joram prompted when it was evident that Erys needed encouragement to keep going. Before continuing, Erys took a deep breath, then gave him a small smile. ¡°So, we should probably get to that new Dungeon I sealed off before it goes into overflow,¡± she said quickly, looked away, then back at him again. Joram was at a loss for a moment before remembering the dungeon they¡¯d found at the hero summoning site well over a month ago. Thinking about it, it was closer to two months ago, actually. Still, he gave himself a mental kick in the butt for having forgotten about it. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a troll dungeon?¡± he asked, regretting not having gotten the details when she¡¯d initially told him about the dungeon. ¡°Yes, though by now it has likely expanded to include other variants, as well as other species,¡± Erys said casually, not seeming to care if more things had shown up in the dungeon or not. Joram, though, wondered if he could use that [Dungeon Core] to add another level to the existing farming dungeon. On the one hand, it would provide a wider variety of challenges for those delving the dungeons. On the other hand, trolls sucked. There was a reason why the term ¡°trolling¡± was a thing, after all. He looked around their little camp, taking in the last group of refugees that they¡¯d rescued. Not because they¡¯d decided to no longer hunt bandits/slavers, but because he was reasonably sure that whoever was behind the groups they¡¯d eliminated had decided to cut their losses. Or something. Either way, it¡¯d been getting much harder to find new targets in the past day, so they¡¯d decided to lay off for a while. Which opened-up his schedule somewhat. Well, his schedule, anyways. The others, the [Fission]s, were still hard at work doing their own things. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that,¡± he said, causing everyone to perk up more than a little bit. For as fulfilling as it was to eliminate bandits and illegal slavers, one really could get tired of the bloodshed faster than one would think. Well, not that jumping into a dungeon would be any different, but at least they were monsters, and not other sapients. Well, non-monster sapients, anyways. So, Myra- who¡¯d joined them that morning, relieving Asami- got up and started organizing the refugees. This batch had been from a small elven village at the edge of one of the eastern forests in Murym. Unfortunately, their village had been one of the ones that had been burned to the ground by the bandits. The only survivors had been the ¡°younger¡± adults and the children. He really had to wonder just how much control any ruler truly had over their domain. Because, if groups of bandits could go about pillaging almost at will, then there was certainly something wrong. Heck, it could even be the local gentry being too lazy to do anything about it, not having enough guards, or even being complicit in what was happening. Really, any number of reasons could be picked. He just wished that anyone would just get the job done. Because what was the point in having the gentry rule over you if they couldn¡¯t, or wouldn¡¯t, make sure their subjects were kept safe? He watched as the refugees discussed what they wanted to do. Though, because they were speaking in Elven, he had no idea what they were saying. Sure, he could have probably used a Power to understand them, but it seemed as though they wanted their privacy, so he let it be. As the elves presumably discussed their options, Avi and Erys began cleaning up camp. A few [Cleanse]s later, and a few applications of [Pyrokinesis] to extinguish the campfires, then [Hydrokinesis] to make sure the goals wouldn¡¯t cause any unpleasant surprises after they¡¯d gone, and the once-upon-a-time camp looked almost as though no one had stayed there. And because the elves were still discussing things after all that, Joram started wandering around, now a bit bored. Looking at the spot they¡¯d pulled a dead tree down for firewood, he decided to [Grow] a new one in its place. Not really knowing the names of the local trees yet, he just picked one that looked like a willow. After taking a clipping from one of its branches with a mind dagger, he made his way to the stump. Then, after using a quick [Decay], a power that quickly did what its name suggested, he stuck the clipping into the now soft mulch-like stuff left behind then used [Grow] on it. He always loved to watch as a tree grew. The small twig quickly elongated, growing taller and taller as more branches sprouted from its trunk. Soon, it was a good twenty-five centimetres in diameter, and a good seven metres tall. He let [Grow] lapse at that point, content with giving the tree that much of a boost. Now smiling, he turned and saw that the elves had stopped speaking. Unfortunately, they were all staring at him, with some of them even having their mouths open in shock. ¡®Yeah, you just got a tonne of brownie points,¡¯ Avi sent with a grin. ¡®Ah,¡¯ he sent back as he tried to shrug off how weird it still felt to have so many people stare at him like that. After another moment of awkward silence, one of the elves cleared his throat. They all then exchanged looks before he nodded and stepped forward to speak. ¡°We would be happy to accept your offer of hospitality,¡± he said, sounding as though he was imitating someone. Likely an elder of his village or something, because even he could tell that the elf wasn¡¯t very far into adulthood. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Joram said with a nod, then used [Teleport: 4], which produced a [Gate] effect. He was happy with his levelling progress, as he¡¯d now reached Level 12 in [World Architect]. Which had come with many amazing abilities. Like [Instantaneous Creations], which basically made anything he summoned or created that would normally have a duration, instead have a duration of ¡°instantaneous¡±. Meaning, he no longer needed to pay extra Dust if he wanted to make something permanent. A great ability for Level 10! Another was getting [Teleport: 4] and [Planeshift: 4] at Level 8, which basically granted him the [Gate] function of those Skills/Spells. He was pretty sure that if the spacing of his [Teleport]/[Planeshift] upgrades kept to what it was, then he¡¯d get the 5th iteration of them at Level 15 or so. Which, really, would be pretty sweet, because 5th Level of those spells added more functionality. Like not having to touch someone to use either spell on them, or being able to do the same with inanimate objects. Which, given that he could basically do that with [Spatial Manipulation] already, wasn¡¯t a huge game-changer. It would just make things easier since he wouldn¡¯t have to concentrate nearly as much when using the spell compared to having to do it manually. A few moments later, the elves had followed Myra through the portal, soon followed by Avi and Erys. After another quick look around the now empty clearing, Joram stepped through the portal, letting it close behind him. * * * Cyd looked out from the cockpit, wondering if a new and exciting creature would pop out of the canopy. Thus far, he¡¯d been attacked by those eagles, then a murder of crows almost as large as those eagles had been, then a few exceptionally ugly vultures called [Sinister Vulture: Greater], of all things. Then there¡¯d been two birds he¡¯d have called ¡°Vermillion Birds¡±, but had been identified as [Crimson Emberwing]s. They¡¯d been smarter than the rest of the birds that had attacked him, though. Even though he¡¯d spotted more than the two that had attacked him, the others had wisely chosen to leave him alone after he¡¯d dispatched the first two. Which had led to him wondering if they were actually sentient, or even sapient. Either way, they¡¯d left him alone, so he¡¯d left them alone after that. Live and let live, as it were. Which led him to the here and now as he gazed down at the extra large [World Maple]. Not only was it more than twice as large as the others around it, but it also seemed to be the roost of a significant number of phoenixes. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it [Azure Phoenix]es, to be exact. Quite stunning, really. He was even slightly mesmerized by the flickering flames of their feathers and impressive flight feathers. Rectrices? Either way, they reminded him a bit of a peacock¡¯s impressive tailfeathers with how long they were. And the two largest [Azure Phoenix]es were also looking up at him and his ride, the same dragonfly-like astral construct he¡¯d been using the entire time. Not having any better ideas, he quickly used [Spatial Manipulation] to teleport himself outside of the cockpit, then used [Telekinesis] to keep himself aloft for a moment. With another mental shrug, he slowly descended. As he did, he kept a close eye on the many phoenixes in the tree, as well as the many more still lazily flying around, though they did seem to keep a distance from him. Once he was about a kilometre away, the two largest phoenixes that had been watching him took wing. It didn¡¯t take them more than a few seconds to close the distance, making him wonder if he¡¯d pushed his luck a bit too much. Well, at least I have my buffs going, he thought with a wry grin, hoping that things would remain peaceful. ¡®Hail, stranger,¡¯ he heard in his head, pleasantly surprised that they could use [Telepathy]. Unfortunately, the [Azure Phoenix]es were a bit too far away for him to use his own [Telepathy] Power, so he opted to instead try inviting them into his Network. At first he got a pair of weird looks, then distrust and suspicion. As he just floated in the air, not looking terribly concerned about what was happening, their distrust and suspicion slowly faded away as curiosity grew too large for them to ignore anymore. That was when they both accepted his invitation, blinking as some basic information came through with the connection. Information like 1) they could leave the Network whenever they wished, and 2) only the thoughts that they chose to send would be heard on the Network. He didn¡¯t mention/send anything else, though, as they really didn¡¯t need to know anything else. The one on the left abruptly left the Network as the one on the right re-sent its greetings. ¡®I apologize for the abrupt visit,¡¯ he started as the one on the left looked back at him expectantly, prompting him to send another invitation. ¡®But I am on a [Quest] given by the Great Protector to find the descendants of the [World Tree],¡¯ he finished, leaving it at that to see what they had to say about that. After another, long, look was exchanged between the two [Azure Phoenix]es- one that presumably included a telepathic conversation of their own-, they addressed him. A lot. ¡®How is it that the Great Protector would choose¡­ something like you?¡¯ ¡®What are you planning when you find the various [World Tree]s?¡¯ ¡®How did you find us here?¡¯ ¡®What is that thing?¡¯ And so on, and so forth. It took another fifteen minutes to get through their backlog of questions. During that time, several more phoenixes had shown up, though they kept a respectful distance from the first two. And since he thought that it would be more respectful to include more of them into their silent conversation, he decided to send them invitations to the Network as well. After another minute or two of looks being exchanged amongst them all, they accepted. He now had twenty-three phoenixes in his Network, still well below his limit. Though, it then took another ten minutes to answer more questions, and more of the same that he¡¯d already answered. It was actually stopped by the one on the right. ¡®Enough,¡¯ he sent. Well, Cyd was reasonably sure that it was a ¡®he¡¯ due to how different its mental voice was from the one on the left, let alone what he¡¯d been hearing from the rest of the phoenixes. ¡®So, what are your plans for our [World Tree]?¡¯ the one on the left asked seriously, even going so far as to have a threatening undertone that implied violence should his answer not be to her satisfaction. ¡®I was really just wanting to talk to it¡¯ he sent with a shrug. ¡®And maybe getting a leaf, or a cutting. Maybe a seed, if the other two aren¡¯t possible. As far as I know, though, I just need to find each of the descendants¡­¡¯ he sent, then checked his progress on the Quest.
Descendants found: 0 / 10
¡®Huh, maybe I do need to speak with it¡­¡¯ he sent. ¡®Just seeing it doesn¡¯t seem to count.¡¯ Another wave of exchanged looks occurred as the flock seemed¡­ agitated? ¡®That is something that hadn¡¯t traditionally been allowed,¡¯ the one on the left sent with a shake of the head. ¡®Is there any way to allow me to speak with it?¡¯ he asked, deciding that a diplomatic approach would be better than him trying to sneak over to have a chat with the tree. Who knew if it would alert the phoenixes if he did so, after all. Yet more looks were exchanged before the one on the right spoke. ¡®If you¡¯re willing to help, then we do have a request,¡¯ Righty- a nickname Cyd decided upon just then- sent as he nodded. ¡®There is a new Dungeon that formed recently, one that is specifically difficult for us to deal with.¡¯ He paused there, making Cyd wonder if he¡¯d need to prod more information out of the blue bird, but then Lefty took over the explanation a moment later. ¡®They are known as Cryolisks,¡¯ she sent, making him blink. ¡®An ice variant of the Basilisk, one of our natural enemies.¡¯ Cyd nodded, then wondered at just how a dungeon like that would appear so close to a nest of phoenixes. Then he idly wondered if the System hadn¡¯t set that up for him, knowing that the [Azure Phoenix]es wouldn¡¯t normally let him near their [World Tree] if he didn¡¯t first prove himself somehow. With a shrug, he agreed. ¡®Yeah, no worries. The cold doesn¡¯t bother me anyways,¡¯ he sent with a grin as he borrowed a line from his daughters¡¯ favourite princess. Er¡­ queen. After more than a few thanks and well-wishes- well-wishes that he suspected were more veiled ¡°have a nice trip to the afterlife¡± wishes-, he made his way north by northeast, following one of the smaller phoenixes. It only took a few minutes to fly there, which translated to being roughly five kilometres away from their nest. Once there, he understood exactly why it was a problem for them. This dungeon wasn¡¯t a convenient surface dungeon, one that sprawled above ground. This one seemed to have grown out of the ground, as its entrance was a yawning mouth of a cave that sprouted out of the ground like a hungry mushroom. He was especially sure that they¡¯d arrived once the phoenix turned around with a quick farewell, then flew off as though the very legions of hell were chasing it. He took a moment to make sure that his [Energy Immunity] was up and running, this time attuned to Cold. Once that mental check was done, he got out of his astral construct and flew down to get a better look at the place. The surroundings really didn¡¯t appear much different than anywhere else in the forest, though being on the ground and seeing trees with bases as wide as skyscrapers was a sight to behold. And those were the smaller one. The larger ones were closer to one hundred metres across, making him wonder just how old those trees were. Cyd shook his head to rid himself of those extraneous thoughts, more wanting to get done with this side-quest as soon as possible than to nature-watch. Still, planning things out would certainly be more useful, and efficient, than just heading in half-cocked. Then movement from the cave caught his attention. He watched as a lizard the size of a school bus made its way to the entrance of the cave. Aside from the ice blue colouring, and the spiky ice-like spines, it looked remarkably similar to an iguana. So, he [Analyze]d it.
Cryolisk ¨C Level 43 HP: 1,231 / 1,231 MP: 832 / 832 - Racial Skills: [Gaze: Snap Freeze], [Aura of Cold: Greater].
He nodded at that, then had his M3 quickly look up [Gaze: Snap Freeze] as he kept an eye on the massive lizard.
Gaze: Snap Freeze - Choose a target within line of sight. That target needs to make a Constitution Save. On a failed save, the target is frozen solid. Some creatures are not affected by being frozen, but most will instantly die. On a successful save, the creature will take [your level x your INT Mod] in cold damage.
Cyd blinked at that, then wondered just how smart those lizards were. Because, if they were smart enough, even the cold damage you received after a successful save could kill a person. Or a phoenix. He now understood more of why these things were so ¡°bothersome¡± for the phoenixes to deal with. Because, if they were anything like the ones from Earth¡¯s mythology, then they¡¯d certainly have a critical weakness to cold attacks. Now grinning, Cyd seriously contemplated just tanking their gazes with his normal cold resistance. Besides, if he died, he could just come back and try again the next day¡­. Shaking his head, he decided against that course of action. Mostly due to wanting to meet with the [World Maple] as soon as possible, and partly because he didn''t want to set his plans back any more than necessary. His other selves had enough to deal with already. Nodding, Cyd stepped forward, catching the attention of the Cryolisk. A moment later, he felt the air around him cool down to sub-arctic temperatures, instantly freezing the surrounding flora. But that was it. Now grinning, he stepped forward, making the Cryolisk blink in confusion. A moment later, it fell to the ground, twitching slightly as a chunk of its brain stem was teleported away. He once again felt the cold trying to freeze him, but once again shrugged it off with little difficulty. Not wanting to deal with that over and over again, he quickly made his way to its head as he formed his long-distance mindbolt and aimed it at one of its eyes. A moment later, its head exploded, spraying blood, bone, and brain matter across the entrance of the cave, resulting in a kill notification from the System that was quickly glanced at before being dismissed. It had certainly given a good deal of experience, but he supposed that the bonuses from killing something over ten levels higher than him added up. As he stepped forward to loot the Cryolisk, another notification popped up, stopping him in place.
Cryolisk Nest: Level 47. Warning: This Dungeon is above your level. It is recommended to enter this Dungeon with a full party with an average level of 46. Warning: This Dungeon¡¯s capacity is at 99.8%. Overflow is imminent.
Cyd paused for only a moment before shrugging. Sure, it was an SS-Ranked dungeon. But. He wondered if he¡¯d get extra cool- pun intended- rewards for clearing it out at his level. Surely he would. Now grinning like a mad man, Cyd stepped past the threshold and entered the [Cryolisk Nest]. Chapter 111 - Daphi *Later that same day* Aside from making sure that the girls weren¡¯t getting in over their heads, Joram mostly let his thoughts wander. Myra, Asami, Avi, Arise, Fyrellia, Qyress, and Shae¡¯ra had accompanied him and Erys to clear out the troll dungeon. It wasn¡¯t a bad group, even though he would have wanted an extra tank in there. But Avi was doing pretty well with the Soulknife variant, Armoured Blade. A variant that allowed one to create armour in the same way that a Soulknife could create various weapons. Even Myra and Asami were doing well as ¡°Dodge-Tanks¡±, annoying the trolls with their hit-and-run tactics when they weren¡¯t just dancing around the attacks of the trolls, that is. And given just how sneaky Arise was, she was incredibly lethal for the distracted trolls. That left Fyrellia, Qyress, and Shae¡¯ra to have fun making ranged attacks from a safe distance away. So, with everyone being in the Network, it was easy enough for them all to coordinate their attacks with the use of [Battlemind]A, a Power that gave something akin to a video game-like interface as a HUD- a Head¡¯s Up Display- for them. But not just that, he could also stack in some buffs for them to enjoy, like a targeting system, a speed boost, or even a defensive boost. Well, there were a few more options, but those were the best ones for the situation. At any rate, he was having a bit more fun watching as Cyd made his way through the [Cryolisk Nest]. Not just that, but he was pretty happy with the loot that was piling up. Sure, the Cores and the liquid currency were great, but getting various Skill Books was where it was at for him. Getting [Gaze: Flash Freeze] and [Aura of Cold] were expected gains given just how easy it seemed to be for him to get Skill Books as loot. But also getting more [Cryokinesis] Books was good, along with [Hibernate], something he hadn¡¯t expected a bunch of lizards- especially cold-based lizards- to have. It would also be nice to get his hands on his first naturally-occurring SS-Ranked Dungeon Core. More of a novelty, really. But still something nice to have. Especially since he wouldn¡¯t have to pay to make one. Then his attention shifted to Bob as something interesting popped up. ¡®* * * Bob sighed as he left things to Doug at the main construction site. Since Doug had joined him, he¡¯d had enough time to start working on making a ¡°natural¡± bay/harbour for the island. It was there that he flew over to, using [Flight]A. The augments that came with it weren¡¯t anything that he¡¯d seen in his gaming books, so he assumed that Altaea had altered it at some point before including it in the repository she¡¯d left him. Which meant that he was now flying really fast, with less effort spent on concentrating on it than he would have needed if he¡¯d used [Telekinesis]. Which was how he arrived long before the ship could arrive at the small dock he¡¯d made. Well, ¡°small¡± when compared to what he planned to build when he was done expanding the harbour. He was now certain that this island hadn¡¯t been occupied due to the lack of natural harbours on the island. In fact, the surrounding waters were basically a nautical nightmare consisting of high reefs and barely submerged rocky spires that could easily smash a ship to kindling or grind its bottom out from under it. Now, most people might just take smaller vessels to the island from further out, but the natural hazards of the island extended almost eight kilometres out from the island, and a bit further in some cases. Again, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad for some people, but the waters were also home to some rather large aquatic fauna, and even flora. There were fish that resembled sharks. Well, he just called them sharks, for they were basically big fish with big mouths filled with very large and very sharp teeth. Anyways, those things ranged from just a metre long to over thirteen metres long. That said, the largest of them tended to keep to the deeper waters outside of the reef where it was easy to get around. Which would just so happen to be where the larger ships would have to weigh anchor. Then there were the various crustaceans, specifically the arthropod-like ones that liked the reefs. They were larger than king crabs back home, and somewhat feisty. Now, aside from those, the smaller fish weren¡¯t anything particularly dangerous, even though there were various eels and barracuda-like fish around. But, the various corals were¡­ crazy. From ones that had very thin, fin-like structures that could slice an unwary shark in half, to ones that actually stung! Those ones were interesting to watch, as anything stunned by their stings had a chance of bumping into it again, which then caused the coral to extend some very thin filaments that would attach to whatever had been stung. Then once the creature was drawn in, the coral would slowly tear away small bits of the creature with its hundreds of filaments until the creature¡¯s skeleton was picked clean, leaving only a small cloud of blood behind. Crazy stuff. Anyways, the ship that was slowly navigating its way along the narrow channel that he¡¯d made was pretty interesting. It looked like an older galleon, but with a few improvements. For one, it only had three masts, one main and two secondary ones. Another point was that its sails were much larger than the Earth-equivalent ship. In fact, it only had one sail per mast. Another difference was that the entire ship¡¯s hull seemed to be made of metal. Even the masts looked to have been banded in metal. It looked somewhat¡­ steampunk, without the actual steam, though. He idly wondered what enchantments it might have, then shrugged those thoughts away as he finally got a good look at the crew. Now, he was by no means an expert when it came to identifying the various races and species that he¡¯d come across since arriving on Iria. But to him, the crew very much looked to be what he¡¯d have called ¡°sahuagin¡±. Scales: check. Pointy fins: check. Big mouths with lots of long, pointy, teeth: check. Webbed claw-like hands with long claws: check. Then he spotted what looked to be a sea elf, though her colouring wasn¡¯t quite what he¡¯d seen from the few that he¡¯d rescued/bought. Maybe she was a mermaid? He shrugged. It¡¯s not like it matters, he thought. That it¡¯s coming from that direction, let alone given the crew, they likely hail from the Demon Continent. The question is: what do they want? Alas, his curiosity had to take a seat in the back, for it took another hour for the ship to reach the pier, and another ten minutes for it to properly dock. During that time, he watched the suspected captain watch him with an unreadable expression. Still, she was pretty cute with her tricorn hat and long coat that complimented her pale blue/green skin and light purple hair. Once the gangplank had been fixed into place, the captain made her way to it and gave him a shock. Instead of a pair of legs, she had eight. Like, full-blown Ursula tentacles that appeared from under her long coat, moving in a very octopus-like way. Still, if you ignored the tentacles, it looked as though she was gliding across the deck, then the gangplank. Then he noticed her noticing his surprise. Her smirk wasn¡¯t¡­ friendly. In fact, it looked more disdainful and condescending than anything else. Which, in turn, made him grin. I guess she enjoys looking down on people who¡¯re surprised by her appearance, he thought as her countenance darkened at seeing his grin. He waited for her as some of her crew gathered round her before she made her way to him a minute later. Given the long pause, he wondered if she¡¯d expected him to go to her instead. Well, given that she was the unannounced visitor here, he was more than happy to wait for her to move first. And given that he was quickly getting used to the tentacles, he was actually starting to enjoy watching her was she moved about.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°The Aethrian Empire greets you and asks what you intend to do on Midway Isle,¡± the captain said with an accent that reminded him of an Aussie accent, getting straight to the point as she used her ¡®legs¡¯ to make sure that she was standing just a bit taller than he stood. ¡°Hi,¡± he said, giving her his second-best smile that caused her to blink at him. ¡°From where I¡¯m from, it¡¯s customary to introduce yourself before getting to business,¡± he finished by offering his hand to shake. The captain gave him a blank look for a moment before stretching out her own hand and taking his in her own. ¡°I am Captain Daphitiax Iphnir of the Iron Tooth,¡± she said as she gave his hand a surprisingly firm squeeze. ¡°And I am Joram Smith,¡± he said, giving his actual name instead of the pseudonym he normally used. ¡°Would you care for some refreshments as we discuss things?¡± he asked, causing her to blink at him again, drawing attention to her amethyst-purple eyes. ¡°Certainly,¡± Daphitiax said by reflex as they released the handshake. ¡°Please, follow me,¡± he said, then led the way to the ¡®small¡¯ building he¡¯d made to use as a small house. He kept an eye on Daphitiax and her¡­ attendants? Her people. Anyways, he kept an eye on them through his sphere of perception as they walked, noting their swivelling heads and guarded postures. Which, really, was to be expected when meeting with an unknown entity in an unknown location. Good for them! Knowing that they¡¯d likely not enter before him if he held the door open for them, Bob just opened the door and went in. He did, however, hold it long enough for Daphitiax to enter half-way before letting it go. It didn¡¯t move quickly, lacking one of those mechanisms that most public doors had that automatically closed doors for you. But it was balanced in such a way that it would slowly close on its own. Daphi- as he was now calling her in his head- just reached out one of her tentacles to keep the door from moving as she entered the small room and looked around. He gave her a mental nod for keeping her hands free, though he wasn¡¯t sure how effective her two short swords on her hips would be against him. Still, good instincts. Since the little house hadn¡¯t been designed for guests, it basically only had a bed in the corner and a six-seat table in the middle of the room. Due to his sense of aesthetics, he¡¯d fully populated the table with chairs, even though he hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d need them. A nice coincidence, that. Now, given the distinct lack of a kitchen, he could see that her attendants had grown suspicious of his intents. He quickly cleared away the few papers littering the top of the table before motioning towards it. ¡°Please, sit where you¡¯d like,¡± he said, then got a flat look from Daphi after she¡¯d taken a look at the chairs. Ladder-backed chairs. ¡°Ah, is there a design that would suite you better?¡± he asked with an apologetic expression. ¡°A stool would work,¡± she replied flatly, then made an exaggerated sweep of the room with her eyes before looking at him coolly. ¡°No worries,¡± he said with another grin as he used [Ectoplasmic Creation] to create a stool that was more a short, wide, column that he hoped would accommodate her morphology. That caused her attendants to jump where they stood, drawing their weapons on the way back down to the ground, showing him that they were very well-trained fighters. For her part, Daphi¡¯s hand merely twitched towards her sword before going still. ¡°That should do,¡± she said with a small nod to him before she nodded towards the closest attendant who then grabbed the stool-like thing as yet another one moved the chair at the end of the table out of the way. He was glad when their swords were re-sheathed, though. No need to make things difficult, after all. Nodding to himself, Bob then used [True Creation] to make a tea set for eight; for him, Daphi, and the six attendants. Which got another round of glares from the attendants, but no swords this time. The tea he¡¯d chosen was one of his favourites, peach green tea. Now, he knew quite a few people who thought he was crazy for liking such a thing back on Earth, but he really hadn¡¯t cared. He knew what he liked, and that was good enough for him. Daphi watched as he picked up the ceramic container that held the tea mix. Watched as he scooped some of the tea mix into a large tea ball, closed it, then slid it into the large tea pot that contained enough hot water for them all to have two cups of tea each. From there he just sat down, motioning for the others to follow his lead. After Daphi sat, with a pleasantly surprised look on her face, the others also sat down. He supposed that the ¡°stool¡± was comfortable enough for her, so he let that slight worry go before another thought occurred to him. Another use of [True Creation] later, and a large serving tray full of what he¡¯d call tea cookies appeared in the middle of the table, once more causing a round to twitches from the attendants. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, I can also provide something more substantial,¡± he said with a polite smile. ¡°We¡¯ve eaten, thank you,¡± Daphi replied politely, though not without a hint of impatience in her tone. He nodded again, pretending not to hear her impatient tone as he just enjoyed her accent. He¡¯d always loved an Aussie or even Kiwi accent¡­. Wait, was ¡°Kiwi¡± politically correct these days¡­? He shrugged, dismissing the thought due to being in another universe entirely from the next-closes New Zealander. Who on Iria would give him crap for not knowing the correct term? No one, that¡¯s who! Now suppressing a smile, he got up and poured the first cup of tea, plated it, then placed it in front of Daphi before repeated the process, six more times. Though, those cups he just placed in the middle of the table, not wanting to offend anyone if he happened to serve someone before a more ¡°important¡± person. He served himself last before sitting down. Seeing that they hadn¡¯t taken a sip yet, though the attendants had each taken a plated cup, he reached out and took three butter cookies and placed them on the side of his saucer before lifting the teacup and taking a long, slow, sniff of the aromatic tea. Pretending not to notice their impatience, and expectant looks, he slowly took a sip of the steaming tea, glad that he now had a resistance to heat. With a smile, he put his teacup back onto its saucer and looked at then expectantly. Slowly, the attendant on Daphi¡¯s left carefully raised the teacup in his (?) clawed hand and took a sniff. After a quick glance at Daphi, he took an experimental sip. It was quite the sight to behold, as a sahuagin really didn¡¯t have lips that could move like a mammal¡¯s could. But after swishing the tea around its mouth for a moment, he gave a nod before setting his teacup down again. Which seemed to be the ¡°there¡¯s no poison or something¡± cue that Daphi had been waiting for. With surprising grace, she lifted her own teacup before delicately smelling the tea, appearing to be rather pleased with its aroma. A moment later, she took a small sip before nodding in appreciation at its taste. ¡°A wonderful tea. Thank you,¡± she said, not sounding the least bit sarcastic. Which was a pleasant surprise given just how abrupt she¡¯d been up to that point. ¡°So, what do you wish to speak of?¡± he asked, then took another sip of his tea before taking a small bite of a butter cookie, enjoying the sensation of the cooking practically melting as it absorbed the tea. Daphi took a moment to do as he had done, taking a sip of tea then a bite of one of the cookies. Her expressions were quite a treat to see. First came the thoughtful phase. Analyzing whether or not she liked what she was tasting and feeling. Then came the ¡°pleasantly surprised¡± look after she¡¯d decided that she liked the combination. Then came the happy look a foodie would get when they ate their new favourite food. After that came the ¡°Oh, shit!¡± look that people got when they realized that someone might have seen something that they would have considered embarrassing. Then came the cool mask again. ¡°Our Emperor would know your intent with developing Midway Isle,¡± Daphi said after she¡¯d composed herself, admirably professional in tone and posture after her little slip. ¡°Intent, eh?¡± he asked, pretending to mull over the question, but really just to give Daphi time to take another bite of her butter cookie. ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to develop the island into a trade port. Also, the tower that you¡¯ve likely already seen will be a sort of¡­ refuge, for people,¡± he said, nodding to himself at the end. ¡°To what end?¡± Daphi asked after another sip of tea. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®to what end¡¯?¡± he asked, playing a bit dumb, but also genuinely interested in hearing what the Demon Lord thought about his construction efforts. Daphi, though, didn¡¯t seem to like his question, probably thinking that he was being difficult. ¡°Do you intend to make this a forward military base?¡± she asked outright, pleasing him with how forward she was being. ¡°Yeah, no,¡± he said, getting a confused look in return. He had to suppress another smile as he remembered just how many non-Canadians had been confused by that very same colloquialism in the past. ¡°To clarify. I¡¯m not here because one leader or another sent me. I¡¯m here for me. And anyone else who is willing to live here when I¡¯m done,¡± he said with a shrug, getting a dubious look from Daphi. ¡°Why here, though?¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s a no-man¡¯s land,¡± he replied with another shrug. ¡°Much easier to do something here than somewhere already claimed by another power.¡± Daphi stared at him for a while, obviously trying to figure out if he was being truthful or stringing her along. Which, really, was to her credit. Critical thinking was important, after all. ¡°So, you wish to create a trade port. For what? Profit? Political gain?¡± she asked after a few moments¡¯ thought. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not someone who subscribes to the whole ¡®our people need to fight those people!¡¯ mentality. I, personally, couldn¡¯t care less about where you¡¯re from, nor your lineage. ¡°My standard of judging people is this: ¡®Are you cool? Or are you an asshole?¡¯,¡± he said, then blinked as Daphi burst out in laughter. ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked a minute later once she¡¯d regained her breath. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± he asked blankly, sobering her up pretty quickly when she realized that he was being serious. ¡°My exposure to the various cultures found on Iria is limited, but so far I¡¯ve seen a variety of things that I would consider ¡®monstrous¡¯ from so-called civilized beings. ¡°On the other hand, I¡¯ve seen great compassion and acts of benevolence from beings that others would consider ¡®demons¡¯. So, how would you go about judging people? By their lineage, or by their actions?¡± Now taking his words more seriously, Daphitiax leaned back slightly as she seemed to really consider his words. Chapter 112 - Cheater Bob- and Joram by extension-, really wasn¡¯t, by any stretch of the imagination, the right person to negotiate with a representative of another continent. He hated political bull-shittery, the two-faced dealings, and especially the part where the other party usually assumed that you were hiding a hidden agenda, treating your words as pretty flowers to be enjoyed in the moment, but ultimately forgotten or dismissed when other ¡°important¡± things came up. Like their own interests. That said, Daphi was like a breath of fresh air. She was direct and forthright in her dealings. How could he tell? Well, he had no reservations when it came to using [Read Thoughts]A when dealing with someone chosen as a diplomat, or first contact for the [Demon Lord]. Well, for any power, really. If anything, Bob was becoming more and more impressed with just how straight-laced Daphi was. And she, in turn, was fast warming to him and his candor. Which, really, was for the best. He didn¡¯t want to have to potentially kill such a nice person one day if the [Demon Lord] decided to get rid of the annoying person on Midway Isle. Well, given just how duty-oriented Daphitiax was, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if she would just accept an order like that. Well, given just how quickly she was warming to him, he certainly hoped that she¡¯d recuse herself of such a conflict due to¡­ stuff. At any rate, Bob was quite happy to keep speaking with her. Even her guards were relaxing as the tea and cookies slowly melted away their hostility. Sugar elicited endorphin rushes could do wonders, it seemed. He just hoped that their sugar crash wasn¡¯t too bad¡­. ¡°I believe that my lord would be amenable to supporting inter-continental trade,¡± Daphi said, obviously bringing their discussion to a close. ¡°This will, of course, require much more work and planning to implement, but I¡¯m sure that things will go relatively smoothly,¡± she finished with a warm smile that could distract someone into getting into a car accident. ¡°I appreciate that,¡± he said with his own second-best smile that caused Daphi¡¯s expression to warm further. ¡°Feel free to drop by whenever you want, I¡¯ll be sure to have better accommodations ready,¡± he finished before everyone got up. After escorting them to the dock/pier/whatever, they shook hands before Daphi gathered her crew and boarded her ship. He was amazed at just how quickly they got under way, though with magic and Skills, he supposed that was to be expected. Still, coming from Earth, it was an impressive sight. With that taken care of, Bob began mentally planning out the small port. He¡¯d need an inn or ten, buildings for vendors, warehouses for stock, administration buildings, and a lot more he was certain he was forgetting. Well, it wasn¡¯t like it would take too long to build something he¡¯d missed. Just annoying. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll need some rules, or ¡®laws¡¯. Damn, I may need to find a lawyer or something¡­¡± he muttered to himself, letting a frown form on his face as he walked back to the construction site. * * * ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a hug lizard,¡± Cyd muttered as he regarded the Dungeon Boss, or what was he was calling it in his head, anyways. The thing must have been close to Erys¡¯ size¡­ when in dragon form, that is. Its [Aura: Cold]1 was also radiating such intense cold that even he was starting to feel it. Which was likely enough to freeze anyone solid in mere moments, never mind its [Gaze: Flash Freeze] Skill. Which got him wondering if its aura would make it harder to kill it with fire. Something like the aura having a dousing affect on the flames, leaching away the heat until the flames just vanished. Still, would the laws of thermal dynamics kick in? Or does magic trump all? Because, if I can warm up the area enough so that its aura is working overtime to keep it from frying, that would certainly make things easier for me¡­ he thought as he rubbed his chin. Well, let¡¯s test things out! Thus decided, Cyd stepped into the cryolisk¡¯s den, prompting a System Notification that he grudgingly took a look at. More to make sure that he wasn¡¯t going to get punished for ignoring them again than being truly curious about what it wanted to say.
Danger! The [Cryolisk Patriarch] 20 levels higher than you. It is recommended to retreat.
Cyd blinked at that, wondering why he¡¯d gotten a notification about that now when he hadn¡¯t received any such thing before now. Especially when challenging the Goblin Home dungeon, let alone when Erys had attacked him. Being level 32 now, he was certainly in what people would call ¡°S Rank¡±, or ¡°Rank S¡±. But was the difference between S Rank and SS Rank really that profound? Now slightly uncertain, he used [Analyze] on it, then blinked.
[Cryolisk Patriarch] Level 52
Is the colour-coding new? He wondered as he seriously contemplated backing off for now. Joram: Let¡¯s reduce the number of [Fission]s to just me, Kinkade, and you, Cyd. Maybe that¡¯ll be enough. Bob: No worries. Doug: Just give me a sec to finish placing this¡­ Aegis: I¡¯m good here. Dax: I¡¯m good whenever. Nodding, Cyd was glad that he wouldn¡¯t have to risk actually dying here¡­. Well, he hoped it would lessen the risk of dying. And, a moment later, he felt a surge of power as the other four [Fission]s reintegrated with the remaining three of them. The boost wasn¡¯t insignificant either. Going from 425 HP to 991 was certainly a good boost, but the boost to his mana and power pools, let alone his regeneration rates, was where it was at. Mana went from 1,278 to 2,984, and his power pool went from 1,993 to 4,651. A much better buffer, in his opinion. Let alone his regeneration rates more than doubling from what they¡¯d been. Well, it was enough of a power boost that the [Cryolisk Patriarch] went from lazily regarding him like one would regard a snack that just walked into the room to suddenly taking him very seriously, even going so far as to get up and then settle into a pouncing stance. Amazingly, it even managed to lift its ¡°lips¡± into a semblance of a snarl. Feeling a bit more confident now, Cyd had M7 remanifest [Energy Immunity: Cold] to be sure that the duration wouldn¡¯t lapse during the fight. Then M8 pulled up his mindblade while M9 brought up his own mind armour, taking the form of one of his favourite armours. The ¡°Blood Dragon Armour¡± from his favourite videogame series was just great, in his not-so-humble opinion. Still, there were a few modifications he¡¯d made. For one, the breastplate was made a bit larger, as something that small wasn¡¯t terribly effective from his point of view. For another, he¡¯d reduced the slight crest of the helmet to just make the top smooth, a bit similar to a Mando helmet. Other than that, it was basically a non-tech version of the sci-fi armour that he so loved. And since it was made of his own psionic energy, he didn¡¯t have to worry about pesky things like weight and the armour itself getting in the way of his movements. As he dashed forward to engage the cryolisk, he made a mental note to see about adding the Aegis class to his roster of known abilities. But before he could finish that thought, the cryolisk proved to be much faster than its lesser kin. A claw swept out, catching him off guard and slamming him hard enough to send him rocketing into the cavern wall a good thirty metres away. ¡°Ouch,¡± he muttered as he quickly got to his feet, wondering if he should pretend to spit out a mouthful of blood or something. Because, that¡¯s what a careless protagonist did after a hit like that, didn¡¯t they? Shrugging, and now paying closer attention to the undersized Godzilla wannabe, Cyd readjusted his mindset. Even though he¡¯d powered up considerably after having reintegrated the other [Fission]s, a level gap as wide as theirs wasn¡¯t something to take lightly, especially at the levels they were at. Lower levels came with low risks. Jumping rankings wasn¡¯t entirely unheard of. But Cyd now had a greater respect for the difference between a newly-levelled S Rank and something that had been in an SS Rank for much longer than he¡¯d been in this world. Well, he supposed that if it was created by the dungeon, it might not be that old, but it certainly came with pre-loaded experience. Experience that he would only get by fighting on a more regular basis. Something that he¡¯d get right to doing. Now unconsciously grinning, Cyd took a more measured approach. No dashing in like a fool. No, he took his time stepping across the slightly uneven floor of the boss¡¯ cavern, careful not to slip on the ice as he went. Mostly due to his boots¡¯ soles reforming to produce ice cleats. For its part, the cryolisk didn¡¯t seem happy that he¡¯d basically shrugged off its attack. Which got him wondering just how intelligent the creature was. A dumb creature didn¡¯t get a look like that, after all.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Still, it wouldn¡¯t stop him from doing what he needed to do. Dungeon creatures weren¡¯t something that could be reasoned with, nor would they do anything but murder you given the chance. Sentience and sapience just made them more dangerous. Given that it had attacked when he was within comfortable range for it, Cyd guessed that its range limit for a claw attack was roughly fifteen metres, give or take. So, at the twenty metre mark, he opened up with his long-ranged mindbolt, using [Block the Sun] and [Vicious Volley]. It was especially effective due to the damn lizard being so massive, as his number of attacks didn¡¯t even cover the entire area of the cryolisk¡¯s body. Still, it was especially devastating to the lizard due to his current load-out. He¡¯s swapped out [Distance] in favour of [Flaming], but had kept [Collision], [Linked Striking], and [Psychokinetic Burst] along with its normal enhancement. He¡¯d considered getting [Flaming Burst], but had decided to add the force damage instead just in case the boss had managed to get some [Resistance: Fire] somewhere. Well, it hadn¡¯t. He watched as the monster¡¯s eyes widened in shock and pain as it roared out its anger and pain in response to having large chunks of its scales and hide blown away, sending gore everywhere. With it now distracted by the numerous holes in its body, Cyd used [Running] to get close and brought his buster blade up to start making new holes. Unfortunately for him, the [Cryolisk Patriarch]¡¯s name wasn¡¯t just for show. Just before he got to it, he felt mana gathering as it cried out, sending ripples through the dimensional membrane around him. And just like that, the cryolisk used an almost clich¨¦d ability of most bosses, especially bosses that were labelled like it. ¡°Patriarch¡±, ¡°Den Mother¡±, or even ¡°Brood Mother¡±. Though, he was glad that he wasn¡¯t swarmed with countless spiders. Just thirteen more cryolisks in this case. And one of them appeared right in front of him to take the hit for its summoner. Now annoyed, Cyd danced back several metres to give himself enough room to maneuver, then grinned when he remembered that the giant lizard wasn¡¯t the only one that could [Summon] or [Create] backup. Suppressing his inner chuunibyou syndrome, he specifically didn¡¯t go through the motions of summoning like if favourite ninja did. Instead, he just summoned an ancient red dragon, but paid extra to give it [Energy Immunity: Cold], as well as to strengthen its breath weapon by several times. Because he was a cheater like that. As the dragon appeared behind him, M3 manifested [Energy Immunity: Fire] for him. Friendly fire- lol- was certainly a thing in a cavern this small, after all. * * * Joram sighed in relief as he stirred the cooking pot that evening. He¡¯d been putting off the actual levelling until he was done with the [Cryolisk Nest] as well as the [Troll Den]. Now? He¡¯d gone up another seven levels, bringing him to level 19 as a [World Architect], along with a couple more abilities that were quite¡­ awesome? Broken? To sum up his gains from [World Architect], he¡¯d say that he gained four new abilities, or class features. The other things were basically just buffs for what he¡¯d already had, like changing the duration of anything he summoned or created to ¡°instantaneous¡± if he wanted to. Which meant that he could summon something ridiculous and have it stay forever. Or many, many, ridiculous things if he felt like it. The other buffs were basically abilities to improve his creation of any sort of dimensional or spatial areas, as well as the ability to strengthen or weaken dimensional or spatial boundaries or walls. They made making them much easier to manifest/cast, reducing the time and resources even more than they were already reduced. Which turned the original 7 days¡¯ manifesting time (8 hours per day) of [Genesis] into a mere 1 minute. One minute, once. No multiple days¡¯ worth of manifesting. Just one minute! To his gamer brain, that was beyond ridiculous! But it also made his plans for his Tower much easier to realize if he could just task one of his Minds to less than two hours per day to keep re-manifesting [Genesis: True] on each of the demiplanes that he¡¯d created to keep them growing at ridiculous speeds. Thinking about it more, he decided to add a few features to the planned levels¡¯ growth. Maybe he should plan for the long term. Like, including the plans for an entire solar system in the demiplane¡¯s growth, let alone moons for the original ¡°planet¡±¡­. Nodding to himself, Joram made a mental note and got back to reviewing his class features. They were, in no particular order, [Manipulate Gravity], [Manipulate Electromagnetism], [Manipulate Nuclear Force]- he had wondered on more than one occasion if the System knew the difference between Strong and Weak Nuclear Force-, and [Manipulate Time]. Sure, he¡¯d gotten the [Planeshift] and [Teleport] Skill Trees, but that wasn¡¯t anything close to being as insane as those four class features. He could, if he was insane enough, use those first three to outright create a black hole of his own. Not just summoning one that would go away after a bit. No, he could create one and leave it somewhere to eventually eat up all of¡­ everything. He could also create a star if he wanted, which was cool. Or hot. Shrug. He really had to hand it to the System, though. When he¡¯d first seen the name [World Architect], he¡¯d thought it was just creative naming on the System¡¯s part. Nope. Between being able to Create any matter he wanted, and it becoming permanent, he could use every aspect of his class to literally build a planet the old-fashioned way. Like, mosey on off to a nice part of empty space between galaxies and just start making shit. He really had to wonder what the capstone ability would look like. Would he get something like [Imbue Life]? Well, he could already create life, so maybe not? What about [Imbue Sapience]? Given how [Spiritual Wisdom] worked, he had to wonder how things would turn out if he made a whole new species and let it run loose¡­. He shrugged, knowing that it was highly unlikely that he would just create a new species, let alone letting it out into the wild, as it were. Still, with [Manipulate Electromagnetism], he could certainly realize the dreams of his youth pretending to be a certain Level 5 Mutant¡­. Now grinning, he tasted the stew, nodded again, then called everyone over. ¡°Oooh, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Erys said as she wiped away a little drool as her eyes practically sparkled as they locked onto the huge pot. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± Myra nodded as she, too, couldn¡¯t seem to keep her eyes off the pot. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for dessert,¡± Asami piped in, likely thinking of which tea biscuits she¡¯d wolf down if he let her. Shae¡¯ra and the three gals just nodded, staying much better composed than the rest of them, though no less eager from what he could read of their body language. As for Avi, she¡¯d gone back to their little¡­ town earlier that evening to take care of a few things. He wasn¡¯t sure what would warrant her personal attention, but didn¡¯t pry, as she would tell him if it was really important. As he served the stew into nice Corelle bowels, his mind wandered back to what he¡¯d do with the class features he¡¯d gotten. He also wondered what he¡¯d do with the whopping 76 Free Attribute Points he had waiting to be allocated.
Attributes Total Mod Rank
Strength 45 40 S
Speed 45 40 S
Constitution 50 45 SS
Intellect 132 127 Ex
Spirit 142 137 Ex
Charisma 79 74 SSS
Luck 119 114 Ex
Free 76
He¡¯d basically ignored his physical stats, mainly due to just how uncomfortable they were to raise. Though, given that his Constitution was so high now, he wondered if it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to raise them again¡­. He then looked at his Resource pools and nearly sighed.
Resource: Total
HP 3374
ST 3358
MP 13105
PP 17462
His gamer brain saw the nearly ten thousand point difference between his HP and MP and only saw ¡°glass canon¡±, never mind his PP¡­. So, thinking about survivability and such, he raised his CON by 30 points. It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as he¡¯d feared, though the full-body tingling/pinpricking wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant to endure. But overall, it wasn¡¯t bad. Then, given just how bad his STR and SPD looked, he decided to add 20 points to each, though in 5 point increments to hopefully avoid extreme discomfort. It sort of worked, but was still something he wasn¡¯t ever going to enjoy doing. And if his Free Attribute Points kept on building like they had, he was sure that he¡¯d need to repeat the process again in the future¡­. Still, the results spoke for themselves.
Resource: Total
HP 6419
ST 6403
MP 13105
PP 17462
Getting over 3k to his HP, and ST, was a nice feeling. Well, nicer. Though, given his various [Resistance] Skills, it sure went a long way to keeping him alive longer. Though, given that his resource pools were evenly divided between the number of clones he had going with [Fission], those numbers were just that: numbers. He would still have to be smart about what he did, or whatever, or whoever, he faced in the future. Now a bit unsure of how his movements would be after such huge gains, he used [Telekinesis] to bring him over to his comfy chair by the dinner table. Since he wasn¡¯t going to be eating, mostly due to having already tasted everything as he was cooking it, he just sat and enjoyed the company. Enjoyed it while he could, because if they ever found out that he could set off a nuclear explosion whenever he felt like it, he was sure they¡¯d all start looking at him- *Cough-cough-splutter!* Joram looked over at Asami, then belatedly remembered her [Spiritual Communication] as Myra patted her on the back. Well, that cat is out of the bag now. Notes: Chapter 113 - A Shinigami *Day 087, the next day* After they¡¯d all returned home, Joram had spent a couple of hours going through various exercises to get used to his new physical stats. He was amazed at just how much of a difference getting to the ¡°SSS¡± rank in physical attributes was. He¡¯d known for a long time that there was a bottleneck at each threshold, but hadn¡¯t really thought of what that really meant until just then. He hadn¡¯t really gone around arm wrestling anyone who looked strong, so he hadn¡¯t truly gotten an idea of just how much of a difference his increased Strength Attribute had after passing a threshold. In this case, he¡¯d gone from S Rank to SSS Rank, which was two thresholds. Which made a massive difference. He now understood why that [Cryolisk Patriarch] had seemed so much stronger than him. Sure, it had been the size of a house, but still. He¡¯d been reasonably confident in his Strength before the moment he¡¯d been batted into a wall like a cat swatting a mouse across the room. And yes, physics certainly played a major role, especially when one¡¯s mass was so low. And given that he was roughly 115kg, or just under 255lbs, he was basically that proverbial mouse to that [Cryolisk Patriarch]. Which got him wondering if there was a way to increase his mass without causing other issues. Like, increasing one¡¯s density might wind up just shrinking him down like Antman. Increasing his density might wind up outright killing him as his body failed to keep up with the strain it put on his system. Though, Powers like [Iron Body] certainly increased his mass and density, at the expense of literally turning him into iron for the duration of the Power. Which, really, wasn¡¯t as awesome as it sounded. Which then got him wondering if he should change his Path when he reached the level limit of [World Architect]. He¡¯d foregone taking a physical Path in favour of being able to do all the cool things he¡¯d ever wanted to do growing up. But now that he could do all of those things, and more, he was thinking about balancing out his build with a physical Path¡­. ¡®That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡¯ Avi sent, startling him out of his thoughts. Joram stopped going through his latest series of stretches and laid back until he was laying supine on the floor. ¡®Got any ideas?¡¯ he asked, more for the sake of conversation than really hoping for unique insights. ¡®Well, I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed anything¡­ unusual, lately?¡¯ she asked, sidestepping the question with one of her own. ¡®In what way?¡¯ he asked, genuinely confused about what she was talking about. There was a brief pause, one that caught his attention and sent his imagination into overdrive. But before he could get too far off track with things like conspiracies or more System weirdness, Avi continued. ¡®So, here¡¯s the thing,¡¯ she started, then paused again, but only for a second this time. ¡®You know how you wrote about the various Altaeas eventually starting to share memories with each other when they became powerful enough?¡¯ she asked, sounding remarkably¡­ hesitant? ¡®Yeah¡­?¡¯ he sent back, preferring to prompt her into sharing more in lieu of letting his imagination run wild again. ¡®Well, that¡¯s started happening with me¡­¡¯ she sent, still sounding hesitant, almost¡­ guilty? ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ he sent, trailing off at the end because he really couldn¡¯t think of a way to express just how monumentally world-shaking that news was. What its implications were, and what that meant for him, personally. ¡®Huge, yeah,¡¯ she sent, now sounding more rueful than guilty. ¡®From what I¡¯ve gotten so far, and from what Altaea initially told you, there¡¯s at least one other ¡°you¡± out there, and thus another ¡°me¡±. ¡®Since you haven¡¯t noticed any¡­ connection with your ¡°Prime Self¡±, I¡¯m starting to think that that particular connection that you wrote about Altaea was unique to her¡­ and thus me, being a part of Her,¡¯ she finished, effectively dropping a bombshell on him. Not because of a link that he wasn¡¯t entirely surprised to find out about, especially since Avi was a creation of Altaea. No, because, even though he¡¯d thought he¡¯d finally become like Altaea, he still hadn¡¯t. He was missing something, something that could connect himself with any other version of himself across the multiverse. Which was likely Divinity. Or the weirdness that occurred when Asmodeus had first imprisoned then banished Altaea way back¡­ however long ago that was. Or both, really. Or any number of other variables that he could imagine, and many more that he wasn¡¯t even aware of, honestly. ¡®So, is your ¡°Prime¡± connected to my ¡°Prime¡± like we¡¯re connected?¡¯ he asked, specifically thinking of how his Avi knew everything he knew, reading his thoughts due to their minds being connected. ¡®Yes,¡¯ she replied, obviously knowing where he was going with that question. ¡®At any rate, our Prime Selves are in a universe that uses similar principles to the popular cultivation stories you enjoyed reading before coming here,¡¯ she sent, then paused to let his mind take that in, then explode with possibilities. ¡®So,¡¯ he started, then paused to suppress his surging hopes. ¡®So, do you think that there¡¯s a body refining/cultivation technique that could work here¡­?¡¯ he asked, hoping that perhaps he could continue with his Gestalt Path while working on his body on the side, as it were. ¡®Maybe,¡¯ she sent, sounding pensive. ¡®The body refining technique that Joram Prime uses was made in that universe, but it was made by Altaea herself. It relies on your ability to assimilate items or substances. But the substance that she used as a base for the technique is a magical metal found in that universe¡­.¡¯ Avi paused again to allow him to think about that a bit more. Sure, magic existed here too, but did it behave the same way? Were the underlying mechanics the same, like how gravity worked? Or were their universes ¡°too far apart¡±, as it were? And by that he meant: given the infinite nature of the multiverse, were some universes so far apart in their similarities that- what he considered fundamental constants- those constants acted along a completely different set of rules? ¡®All good thoughts,¡¯ Avi sent, interrupting said thoughts. ¡®But given that your ability to assimilate, and take on, the attributes of various substances and items, it¡¯s not too much of a stretch to think that it might work here, too. ¡®That said, my Prime Self also made some interesting headway in various areas of research,¡¯ she sent, then proceeded to blow his mind. That both their Prime Selves had not only cultivated that Adamantium Body Technique, but had also assimilated freaking Saiyan DNA¡­. He was at a loss for words. Mostly to describe just how awesome that was, but to also express just how overpowered that was. Then he got to wondering how assimilating Saiyan DNA would affect his personality. Weren¡¯t they well-known for being battle junkies? Then there was the racial aggression, with Goku and his family being the outliers in that- ¡®Don¡¯t worry about that,¡¯ Avi sent, once more interrupting him before he could spiral. ¡®With your [Clear Mind] Skill, I¡¯m sure that any extra aggression will be easily negated. That said, once you¡¯ve finally started accessing your alternate forms, I¡¯m sure that you could just spend all of your time as your regular, High Elan, self,¡¯ she finished with a mental shrug to emphasize just how minimal the risks were. Which, really, was a very good point. Especially since he wouldn¡¯t constantly need to be in that form; only when he got into a fight, really. And with the number of clones he had going at any given time with [Fission], his ¡°main¡± self wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing his cool, as it were. ¡®So, let¡¯s talk¡­¡¯ he sent, then got down to the finer details with Avi. * * * The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Ella Stonewell, [Brewmaster] extraordinaire, took a sip of her latest experiment and couldn¡¯t suppress a pleased smile from appearing on her face. Joram had shared some of the¡­ unusual things that people from his homeland had experimented with when it came to beers, lagers, and ales. The ¡°raspberry¡± that he¡¯d introduced to her was probably her new favourite berry. Or even fruit. It was just that amazing! And adding it to those brews had had varying success. Well, to her, anyway. Everyone had their own tastes, after all. Still, that had only been one of the ingredients she¡¯d experimented with! Making liqueurs from the various fruits Joram had introduced to them had also been educational and incredibly rewarding! Not just because she¡¯d made something amazing, but also because she¡¯d been gaining levels hand over fist!! Hence the [Brewmaster] Class, an upgrade to her initial [Apprentice Brewmaster] Class! That she¡¯d gained so many levels in just a few months¡¯ time was astounding to her. It normally took decades for an [Apprentice Brewmaster] to upgrade to a [Brewmaster] back in Granite, her hometown. Was that due to her people just being so much longer-lived than humans, thus taking their time in doing things? Or was it that they, her people, didn¡¯t really experiment with their time-honoured brews? ¡°Why mess with perfection?¡± and ¡°Why reinvent the hammer?¡±, as the sayings went, were the popular retorts to anyone who even mentioned trying something slightly different. Well, she now knew what experimenting could do for an [Apprentice Brewmaster]. Even her ¡°customers¡± were over the moons with her products! That Erys was a frequent, and long-time customer had certainly influenced how many people stopped by her little establishment. Well, not quite a little as it used to be. Joram had stopped by one day to have a talk with her, and the next day she¡¯d found that he¡¯d significantly expanded things for her. It had been more than a little disorienting going in and seeing the building larger on the inside! Not only that, but Joram had even added subterranean storage levels for her growing stocks and experiments. That she was now in charge of a brewery/distillery/winery that would put any dwarven equivalent to shame was amazing! And she¡¯d even recruited helpers! Back to Erys, it seemed as though the dragonkin and the ¡°demons¡± were incredibly influenced by the Elder Dragon. So much so that they¡¯d not only been frequenting her establishment, but she¡¯d actually recruited from that same pool of people. Even if she suspected that they¡¯d agreed to work for her just to get more chances to curry favour with Erys¡­. But still! That she¡¯d already reached S-Rank as a [Brewmaster] was beyond fantastic! If she¡¯d been back in Granite, it would have easily taken her a hundred years to reach her current level! And to celebrate, she was going to start working on the ¡°champaigne¡± that Joram had told her about. She¡¯d certainly surprise him with how amazing it would be! Now even more fired-up than before, Ella got back to work. * * * ¡°So, how long do you figure it¡¯ll be before assassins are sent after the young master?¡± Arise asked, sounding more bored than anything else. ¡°Well, given Muryn sent that spy a while back, let alone the others we¡¯ve been keeping an eye on, I¡¯m sure that at least a few organizations are wondering what the young master¡¯s plans are,¡± Fyrellia replied, though more absently than Qyress thought was appropriate when discussing their young master¡¯s safety. ¡°Mmnmm,¡± Arise mumbled as she cleaned her daggers after their latest Dungeon delve. Qyress couldn¡¯t quite understand why they were so nonchalant about the issue. With how much, and how far, word seemed to have spread about the young master and what he was doing here, she certainly considered the issue more important that weapon maintenance. ¡°Why¡¯re you so worried?¡± Fyrellia suddenly asked her, making her blink. ¡°[Assassin]s, as we all know,¡± she started, giving Arise a look, ¡°are incredibly dangerous. People who¡¯ve thought that they were safe, or protected enough, have died before knowing what was happening,¡± she explained, hoping that they¡¯d understand just how precarious the young master¡¯s situation actually was. ¡°And?¡± Arise asked, not looking at all concerned. ¡°And?! What happens if one slips past us? Do you think that this community will survive? I¡¯m certain that the slavers will descend in waves to pick up anyone they can get their hands on after the young master is out of the picture!¡± she said, getting angrier than she had in a very long time. ¡°Qyress?¡± Fyrellia spoke, getting her attention off Arise and onto her raised finger. ¡°For one, there are more S-Ranked people here than in most armies. Give it another month or two, and there will be more S-Ranks here than any two armies. ¡°Two. We¡¯re here. And given just how fast we¡¯ve been levelling, we¡¯ll soon break through into SS-Rank. There aren¡¯t more than one hundred SS-Ranked people on the entire continent, and we both know that each and every power out there keeps them close to prevent other powers from taking advantage of an opening like that. ¡°Three. I¡¯m absolutely certain that the young master¡¯s use of his weird [Clone]s will easily keep him alive, if his description of that Skill, or ¡®Power¡¯ as he calls it, is correct,¡± Fyrellia finished with a third upright finger. Qyress really couldn¡¯t argue any of those points, but she knew that they knew that [Assassin]s had Skills to make sure that a target died, even if they attacked a [Clone]. [Burn the Roots] was a classic example of that. It worked by riding through the magical connections that a person had to their [Clone]s. It was insidious, and she also knew that Arise had that very Skill. So, why wasn¡¯t she more concerned about the possibility of someone using such a Skill against the young master? ¡°Because it won¡¯t work on him, that¡¯s why,¡± Arise said, astonishing her with how clearly the woman had read her. ¡°I also have a Skill to assess a target,¡± she said, then paused as Qyress gasped. Not because of the Skill, but because she was sure that Arise had used it on the young master. ¡°Anyways, I know for a fact that I can¡¯t kill the young master with any of my Skills. So, it¡¯s very likely that any [Assassin] targeting the young master will fail quite spectacularly,¡± she finished, though not without a hint of professional dissatisfaction at the admission. ¡°Are you sure? By his own admission, he¡¯s just a ¡®[Crafter]¡¯,¡± Qyress asked, still not quite convinced. ¡°And a Skill-based [Crafter], at that. He uses magic to do everything, after all. Which means that he¡¯d not focussed on his physical side.¡± Arise gave her a flat look, obviously annoyed by something. ¡°Have you already forgotten how the young master ¡®subdued¡¯ Erys?¡± Arise asked dryly. Qyress blushed, having indeed forgotten just how the young master had dealt with Erys. ¡°So, given just how ridiculous even his physical stats are, do you really think that he needs to worry about an attack?¡± ¡°Well, maybe¡­¡± Qyress hedged, not quite willing to concede the point yet. ¡°What if the [Assassin] brings someone like a [Sword Saint] or a [Mage Slayer] with them?¡± Fyrellia sighed as she placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried about the young master, but you should really trust that he¡¯s not so easily disposed of,¡± Fyrellia said with a reassuring smile. ¡°Even with how comparatively weak each of his [Clone]s are when compared to his full strength, he¡¯s still ridiculous.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even imagine just how ridiculous he is,¡± Asami Miki said with a snort as she passed by their table in the mess hall. They all looked at her in surprise as she continued on her way, then Qyress exchanged looks with her two friends for a moment before they all let out a long breath. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t talk about stuff like this in the mess hall,¡± Fyrellia said with a rueful smile and a shake of her head, sending her dark red ponytail swaying. ¡°Too right,¡± Arise said, her accent briefly sliding to that of her hometown, then corrected it. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ll continue keeping an eye on the spies that keep on showing up. Can¡¯t be too careful, after all.¡± They nodded to that. Given just how much the young master was changing things, even in just a small part of the world, they were sure that word would spread. And with word spreading, so too did ideas. Dangerous ideas for those in power. Ideas of equality, ideas of abolishing slavery. Ideas that a person could build something for themselves without having to rely on those in power to get things done. Then there were the ¡°simple¡± things that would destabilize economies. Like how they grew food, the interesting ¡°greenhouses¡±. The ¡°electricity¡± that could power non-magical devices that could do what more expensive magic items currently did. She still wasn¡¯t sure how he managed to make such things, nor how one would even start to make such things, but still. Things would change, and old powers didn¡¯t like it when things changed too much. Especially when the changes weren¡¯t something they¡¯d initiated themselves. Now more determined than ever to keep the young master safe, Qyress vowed to get to SS-Rank in within the month. * * * Asami shook her head at the ¡°trio¡±, as Joram sometimes called them when he wasn¡¯t calling them ¡°the three gals¡±. SS-Rank wasn¡¯t something remotely easy to get to, Joram notwithstanding. Well, he wasn¡¯t actually Level 46 yet, but she was sure that it was only a matter of time. But did that really matter when his Attributes were all at least in that realm already? She shook her head again, remembering his current attributes. SS-Rank usually came with one or two Attributes that had passed that threshold, not all of them!! If she was forced to classify his strength, she¡¯d say that he was easily at the peak of SSS-Rank, almost into the realm of Transcendence. The same realm that most Elder Dragons were in. There was a good reason why the Elder Dragons were the arbiters of the world, let alone the [Dimensional Guardian]s tasked with keeping Iria in one piece. Even beating a youngling like Erys was still impressive by any standard or metric. Especially for someone who¡¯d only been there for half a year or so. That said, Asami was very much looking forward to what changes Joram would bring to their world. And with how fast Joram was accumulating power in the form of followers who were working their hardest to get an amazing Path and Class, not to mention levelling as fast as they could, he would certainly be a world power before the winter solstice. Grinning, Asami couldn¡¯t help but be pleased with her own progress. She was already near the peak of S-Rank herself, only a few levels away from SS-Rank. She was sure that she would soon be able to cleanse an even greater number of wandering spirits with her new Class, [Shinigami]. Though, she was still amused with how some of the [Hero]s had reacted when they¡¯d seen her new Class one day. She still remembered how they¡¯d asked if she had a cool ¡°zanpakuto¡±, whatever that was supposed to be. Even with [Spirit Communication], she¡¯d still been at a loss trying to figure out the mess of information that had come from them when they¡¯d asked. Even then, she considered [Flames of Purification] to be far superior to some random swords, no matter how magical they were. And if Kyouji knew just what Asami was thinking then, he would have probably had an aneurism. Even Joram might have coughed out a mouthful of blood. Chapter 114 - Dragons would lose to that *Day 092* Joram pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind quickly went over the implications of what Celys had told him. Through [Touchsight], he could see just how¡­ torn she was to see him in such a state. On the one side, he could see that she was genuinely sympathetic to his plight. The local lord, Lord Nord- that name still made him want to laugh- had sent his tax guy over to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. And seemingly not happy with tagging Joram and even Kirkwall with a few fines for having ¡°forgotten¡± some of the most obscure tax laws he¡¯d ever seen, he¡¯d also served Joram with an ultimatum. Either pay the ridiculous fines involved in not getting any of the, quite frankly, ridiculous and stupid permits ranging from permission to cut the massive sequoia-like trees to building a road connecting to Kirkwall to putting up his buildings to even ¡°illegally¡± selling the Greenstone he¡¯d found, even though it hadn¡¯t been in Lord Nord¡¯s territory!! His hand dropped as he leafed through the pile of citations and the final paper outlining the total of the fines he needed to pay, or he¡¯d have to- at his own expense- tear down every building and bit of road he¡¯d put up and built on Lord Nord¡¯s land. Looking at the cost just to keep the road was more than enough to have Dax move forward with the project. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the road,¡± he finally said, then shook his head again at just how greedy this Nord guy was. ¡°I¡¯ll move my compound to my actual land and sell my property back to Kirkwall.¡± The other side of Celys¡¯ reaction to everything had been a bit of¡­ if not quite gloating, because he¡¯d finally gotten a taste of just how many headaches he¡¯d given her, it had certainly been close. Now, she was all concern and sympathy for him. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll tear down your buildings?¡± she asked, now more shocked than anything. And he could certainly understand why that would be shocking to hear. He¡¯d basically built a city out there after all. Fortunately, a good deal of the larger structures had extended out onto what had once been Crown Land, but now belonged to him. Though, moving the dungeons wouldn¡¯t be too difficult given that he could just reclaim the dungeon cores and rebuild wherever he wanted to, the Academy had been built on the property he¡¯d acquired from Kirkwall. Well, he supposed giving everyone a day off to enjoy themselves as he moved everything was an option. An option they¡¯d love, he was sure. Especially Kinkade. ¡°Yeah, no,¡± he said as he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll just move everything further west. And because I¡¯ll need to extend the road to my territory, I¡¯ll be sure to get the ¡®proper¡¯ building permits this time,¡± he said with a slight frown. Even keeping the existing road would cost him fifty gold coins. ¡°If you haven¡¯t already guessed, Lord Nord will also likely set up some sort of checkpoint to charge a toll into his territory for you¡­¡± she said, not sounding very happy about her boss¡¯s greed. Nor was he, but he was also not entirely surprised. If someone like Lord Nord could make a quick buck, they were pretty much obliged to do so by the very fabric of reality itself. It was one of those Universal Constants, it seemed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that I can arrange for the same thing,¡± Joram said with a grin. ¡°Something like: if you work for Lord Nord, please pay one gold coin for entry,¡± he said with a smirk, though Celys paled before he could say anything more. ¡°But not you!¡± he quickly added, panicking slightly at her dismay. ¡°I¡¯m sure things will devolve quickly if you do that,¡± she said, shaking her head as the colour returned to her cheeks. ¡°This could easily turn into a trade war, and not a polite one,¡± she warned, though she didn¡¯t appear very supportive of that eventuality. ¡°Well, if it turns into that, I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be enough room for a mass migration of the foxkin of the region,¡± he said with a wink, causing Celys to burst out laughing. ¡°Oh, that would certainly ruin his day,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Though, I¡¯m not sure how many people would be willing to relocate,¡± she finished with a thoughtful frown as she seemed to seriously consider the idea. Joram let her mull that over as he passed along the orders to get every building enchanted with a Storage Token, as he was calling it now. He also passed along the notice that everyone would have a day off tomorrow to do what they wanted¡­ in Kirkwall. He didn¡¯t need any potential accidents on his hands, so getting everyone out of the area before he started moving things was a must. And given that Dax had managed to basically add in both stasis and life-support enchantments to the Storage Tokens, he was sure that even if they missed someone, they probably wouldn¡¯t notice being stored away and moved before they were once more brought back to the prime material plane, as he called it. Still, no need to risk an accident. After that, they briefly spoke of related topics, then ¡°hypotheticals¡± revolving around housing, infrastructure, and farmlands. Which, really, wasn¡¯t an issue for him in the least. He could easily take care of having enough housing for everyone, let alone clearing sufficient land for people to continue their ranching on. Though he really didn¡¯t think they¡¯d need to given the existence of his Meat Dungeons, as people were now calling them. Still, they¡¯d need to find something for all of those farmers to do if they moved. Retraining was an option, though Celys was sure that there would be more than a few who wouldn¡¯t want to retrain. Which was fine, really. He was sure that some people would like the appeal of ¡°free range¡± meats, as it were. Now grinning, he left Celys with the stack of gold for the road, and a few more coins for the new permits he needed, and made his way to the Bank. Once there, he spoke with Zevara, putting the earworm in that he might be looking to open a branch of the Bank in his territory and that he¡¯d certainly need a capable manager. For as flattered as she was, she let him know that she didn¡¯t have very much flexibility in choosing where the Bank stationed her. Though, she could certainly request such a thing. And with a grin, she let him know that if he just so happened to mention to the higher-ups in the Bank that he¡¯d been pleased with her work, she was sure that would go a long way in getting her a desirable transfer. ¡°Especially if this branch happens to fall on hard times due to people moving on to greener pastures,¡± she finished with a wink, making him blink as he felt how genuine the statement had been. Bloody Achievement! He silently raged once he made his way home. Still, he was glad that Zerava was amenable to relocating to the future branch he planned to build for the Bank. Though, thinking a bit more about it all, he wondered if he couldn¡¯t just set up a bank of his own. He was reasonably familiar with the various theories and working practices of modern banks, so it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to do¡­. ¡®Nope!¡¯ Came the simultaneous message from each and every [Fission] of his, handily ending that brief daydream before its conception. Shrugging, Joram made his way to his office, picked up his guitar, and started playing. Now that the ¡°supply¡± of slaves had basically dried up- something that he was incredibly happy about-, he now had more time to do other things¡­ and catch up on yet others. Going over his mental list, he realized that he¡¯d been neglecting a few things. Like Cyd¡¯s progress. He reviewed his memories and found that Cyd had finally managed to slip away from the long celebration that the Azure Phoenixes had thrown for him. And, after meeting the [World Maple], Joram was certainly impressed. He¡¯d long felt its influence, though standing on one of its boughs was certainly an experience. The intensity of the peace and tranquility of its Skill had been on a whole other level. Not only that, but just talking with it had been an experience.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Like, talking to a tree, man! But one that was closer to being a kindly grandmother doting on her descendants. ¡®If you truly wish to find my kin, I applaud your resolve,¡¯ she¡¯d sent, making him blink. ¡®Will it be that difficult?¡± he¡¯d asked, curious to find out what she knew. ¡®The winds have been silent for a long time,¡¯ she¡¯d said, dowsing his enthusiasm. ¡®There were eight of us who descended from the [First World Tree]. Over the eons, fewer and fewer of us spoke to one another through the winds. Now,¡¯ she paused as a wave of profound sorrow flooded their connection. ¡®Now, it has been silent for many, many years.¡¯ Joram thought about that, wondering if this Quest would be even harder than he¡¯d originally anticipated. Still, he wasn¡¯t put off. Even if the task had the chances of success similar to wining the Super Bowl lottery, he was sure to come out of it the winner. He had time. He was in the process of building a world-wide satellite network that he could use to look for things. But he also had access to things like [Reality Revision] and [Summon: All] to basically cheat his way through the Quest. If he really needed to, he could just summon an item that could lead him to each of the [World Tree]¡¯s descendants. Still, he wasn¡¯t too sure that he wanted to do that just yet. Why? Because that would ruin the adventure for him, that¡¯s why! The best part about Quests, in his opinion, was the exploration and discovery that went hand-in-hand with the process! The fun, the adventure, the romance of going on a Quest and overcoming the various trials and obstacles along the way was often even more rewarding than the final reward. Sure, you usually got something cool as a Quest Reward. But. The process was often the best part for him. Except when it wasn¡¯t. Like when the writers seemed to run out of steam and just threw in annoying puzzles or riddles or mechanics to just fill the time quota for that particular quest, or quest chain. He hated those. But only time would tell if this was one of the former, or one of the latter Quests. Though, if it was one of the latter, he¡¯d certainly bring up his grievances with the System about it¡­. *DING*
Reminder: The Universal Assistance and Survival System is not responsible for adding superfluous tasks to Quests; only the main Quest Objective falls under its purview.
Joram blinked at that message, then nearly laughed out loud after reading it. Which actually went a long way to raising his mood again. If annoying things popped up while he was out trying to find the trees, he¡¯d just rain down his displeasure on those interferences instead of blaming the System. No new Notification came, but he had the distinct impression that the System approved of that line of thought. Which threw him for a loop before he just shrugged it off. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d get all the answers he wanted, after all. He could be patient. He unconsciously switched to an appropriately themed The Rolling Stones song, ¡°You can¡¯t always get what you want¡± as he continued to plan things out, still happy about getting one of the [World Maple]¡¯s leaves as a reward for helping it out. * * * Bob was once more pleased with his progress. Well, his and Doug¡¯s progress, but since they were all one being, the distinction really didn¡¯t matter too much. The small pier that had been there that Captain Daphitiax, or Daphi, had used on her fist visit had been barely serviceable for the occasion. Now? He had terraformed the area sufficiently to allow for a massive upgrade. One that allowed for a good thirty vessels like the one she¡¯d come on, with room for another five vessels twice that size. They¡¯d expanded the natural bay to accommodate the upgrade, while also preparing the way in. The natural channel that had allowed Daphi to navigate the treacherous waters had also been expanded, though not by too much. Having a natural gauntlet to limit the number of ships that could approach the island was a boon, in his opinion. Though, he had prepared an exit to prevent congestion in the lane. Though, he wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about it yet. Then came the small town they¡¯d built. It came with the standard warehouses that one needed for trade, along with various hotels, or ¡°inns¡±, if he was going to keep to the world¡¯s theme. Anyways, places to rent for people passing through. He¡¯d also added a few restaurants, though they were as empty of staff as every other building was. But when trade started, he was sure that they¡¯d fill up quickly. Though, given just how fast his little settlement had grown outside of Kirkwall, he was sure that he could convince more than a few of the once-upon-a-time slaves to relocate for a good job. Though, it wasn¡¯t as though they¡¯d need to move, for he planned on having a few exclusive portals set up for easy access to the island for anyone on the mainland to come and go as they pleased. Well, any of his people, anyways. He wasn¡¯t about to bypass the coastal defenses by just allowing anyone through those portals, no matter what the stated purpose of the visit was. And even with all that done, he and Doug had managed to get the Tower up to fifty-three levels tall. Much faster than he¡¯d thought it would go. Which was awesome. Though, beyond the structural reinforcements he¡¯d added, it was still a mundane tower for the time being. He hoped that Dax would be re-tasked to enchanting the Tower soon, for he really wanted to see what it would be like once it was finished. Though, given what their plans were for the thing, he was sure that the expansions wouldn¡¯t start until the whole tower was finished. Which put a fire under his bum. Still, it would get done when it got done. And in the meantime, it seemed as though he would once more entertain the stunning Daphi. He grinned as he spied her ship returning so soon. He also wondered if it was really that fast, or if she¡¯d received orders partway back to the mainland. Either way, he could at least properly host her this time ¡®round. And, as weird as it sounded, he was more curious about her¡­ physiology than he thought he¡¯d be. Like, was she a genetic dead-end, as the saying went. Like mules, the result of a horse and a donkey mating, sterile. Or was she genetically viable as a mate? Well, ¡°viable¡± as in ¡°could produce fertile offspring¡±. Shaking his head, he decided to use [Summon: All] to populate the closest, and largest, inn with staff. He went with standard humans, not wanting to risk an unknown cultural faux pas. Still, he made sure to alter the duration of the summon to just 1 day instead of ¡°Instantaneous¡±, which would have left him with more than two dozen people to take care of afterwards. He then made some uniforms for them, deciding to go with what he was familiar with: standard black pants with a matching shirt emblazoned with an image of what the Tower would look like once it was finished. Nodding to himself, he then looked at the group of summoned women and realized that they would need undergarments as well, which then got added to the pile of clothing before he sent them off to get changed. Getting his head out of the gutter, Bob made his way down to the docks to wait for Daphi and company to arrive. *The Next Day, Day 093* Kyouji was once more astonished at what he was seeing. Which, really, shouldn¡¯t have been as shocking as it was given just how many absurd things he¡¯d seen since being isekai¡¯d to Iria. But it was. That Joram had somehow managed to enchant every building with¡­. He wasn¡¯t sure what to call it, but being able to store away a whole building into a token was something out of a video game for him, or high fantasy¡­. Or Dragonball. At any rate, he took comfort in the fact that he wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d stuck around and was thus broadsided by the sight of disappearing buildings. Ella was almost crying as her shop vanished in front of her eyes, while the various gardeners weren¡¯t much better composed. Even the young women who¡¯d been there the longest looked stunned. Though upon closer inspection, he supposed that they were more starry-eyed than stunned. Still, he didn¡¯t think that more than a handful of people weren¡¯t in some way affected by what was happening to their various homes, workplaces, or hangouts. And after all the buildings vanished, they were treated to yet another spectacle. Joram went and terraformed a road into being. Well, he created the groundwork for it, then used that crazy Skill of his, [Summon: All] to get the raw materials needed for the rest of the roadworks. Metric tonnes of concrete and asphalt were conjured, along with industrial-sized spools of wire cabling, along with stacks and stacks of streetlamps of the same style as those used on the now older section of road. Less than an hour later found the roadway completed, putting shame to any work crew from Earth. Even the massive fence around the whole property had been retrieved and basically re-shaped to accommodate the new area they¡¯d been told was the new site of Joram¡¯s city. Yes, a city, not a village or town. It was certainly large enough, with many areas already roped-off for future construction. Kyouji couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of envy for what Joram could do. It was like the man had won the Isekai Lottery with what he¡¯d gotten when he¡¯d arrived. He¡¯d just gotten healing abilities. Yay. *Flick!* Kyouji turned around as he rubbed his head to see who¡¯d flicked him so hard. ¡°Healing is important,¡± Asami Miki chided him, frowning as she did. ¡°Don¡¯t compare yourself to that ridiculousness, because even the dragons would lose to that,¡± she finished by pointing at Joram to highlight her point. Nodding slowly, he subtly shifted away from the beautiful woman as he regarded Joram. Seemingly humble, incredibly powerful, and- he had to admit- a fairly good-looking guy. The man seemed to have everything going for him. Which, really, practically begged people¡¯s jealousy. But such abilities would certainly come with difficulties and troubles. Would he really want to deal with all that? Endless people showing up to cause problems. Jealous people wishing to end you. Others wishing to get into your good graces to take advantage of you or your bounty. Yet more trying to get even closer to see if they could somehow control you in one way or another. Yeah, no thank you, Kyouji thought as he shook his head. Suddenly, being a healer type wasn¡¯t so bad in his mind. As he stared at Joram working, he failed to notice the self-satisfied smile that grew on Asami¡¯s face. Chapter 115 - Avoiding Smiths fate *Day 093* He was glad that the move went so well. Well, that there hadn¡¯t been any accidents, anyways. Aside from more than a few tears, cases of shellshock, and a trainload of hero-worship, it hadn¡¯t been so bad for him. That said, he still had much work to do. He would need to finish walling-off his new city, a city that also still needed naming. But he¡¯d get to that. Eventually. With his limited resource pools, he figured that it would take a good week of work to get the wall built up to where he wanted it. Even then, he was highly inclined to add things like automated turrets to the walls to dissuade any unwanted visitors, but ultimately held back. There would be time for that sort of thing later, he was sure. In the meantime, having the Gals around to keep up security surely helped. And even the various kids who¡¯d already levelled up a whole bunch would dissuade a fair number of threats. Besides, he also needed to get around to making sure that the various ghosts, phantoms, and other incorporeal entities that inhabited the Great Forest were dealt with. He¡¯d already gotten more than a few terrified complaints from the various ¡°demons¡± in just the past few hours than he¡¯d ever gotten. Well, that was misleading. He¡¯d never gotten any complaints before now. Which begged the question: was it because he¡¯d moved them further into the forest? Or was it something else? Either way, he¡¯d need to speak with Myra and Asami to see what the Sprit Foxes could do about the various wandering souls wreaking havoc amongst his people. And, much to his disappointment, he¡¯d actually missed the Fall Festival while he was busy in the capitol dealing with paperwork, politics, and persistent pursuers of many kinds. He¡¯d been told that it, along with the Spring Festival, were basically there to appease the various spirits of the Great Forest through various rituals that also involved the Sprit Foxes. But that was for Kirkwall and its environs, not his little city several kilometres away. Which meant that he¡¯d need to find a way to either appease the various spirits or purge them in some way. Though, thinking back to Asami¡¯s new class, [Shinigami], he wondered if she¡¯d gotten any Skills that he could make use of. If he could copy some of her useful Skills, then perhaps he could go about dealing with the various issues himself. Or he could still ask Asami, which would have two major benefits. One, she¡¯d likely level up from using her Class Skills and Features. Two, it¡¯d free up his time. Which, with so many of his clones already doing the various things that he needed to do, was remarkably still packed. Maybe he should take a step back? Did he really need to be doing all of this? He really had no obligation to make the world a better place. He wasn¡¯t responsible for the happiness of the citizens of this queendom, let alone any other country, empire, or kingdom out there. He could just sit back and relax. Not needing to worry about what was happening around him. Just take his being isekai¡¯d to another world as divine intervention aimed at letting him live a relaxing life of leisure and subsistence. He could just [Summon] any new video game, computer, console, or tech he¡¯d need to keep entertained. He could live a quiet life. Collect the massive library of physical books he¡¯d always dreamt about having. Keep those close to him close and safe¡­. Which appealed to him more than he thought it would, but also less than it would have before arriving on Iria. He¡¯d made good friends here. He¡¯d even met many wonderful women who genuinely wanted to be with him. He¡¯d also come to care for those he¡¯d freed from slavery more than he could have ever imagined before coming here. Before seeing the naked gratitude in their eyes. Before remembering what he¡¯d been taught growing up. Which basically boiled down to Noblesse Oblig¨¦. So, after all those musings, he decided to keep going as he was. Well, mostly. He¡¯d focus on his people and their wellbeing. He¡¯d focus on getting his satellite network fully deployed, the defenses of the coast- though the Aethrian Empire seemed much more chill than he¡¯d been led to believe they were. That said, he¡¯d keep his promise with Bryana and make sure the coastline was secure. Mostly against monsters, though. They still existed and sucked. He would keep looking for the descendants of the World Tree, because that was just plain fun. Even his little Tower project would go forward, because he still wanted a truly safe place for his people. And with Dax now finished with the storage token project, he was sure that the progress on the Tower would accelerate dramatically. So, really, he¡¯d be doing much the same as he¡¯d already been doing, but with slightly different intent than before. Which led him to thinking about those women who¡¯d decided he was the one for them. Aside from those closest to him, he was honestly at a loss with how to deal with them. He could make a general announcement, but that seemed¡­ cold. But speaking with each of them individually would take him a year, or more. Especially given how quickly he seemed to be ticking up that counter on [Harem]. But. Did it really matter? If they weren¡¯t actively bothering him, what harm did it do to let them continue as they had been? Well, his pessimistic side could certainly come up with a very long list in a few moments. That said, would it do more harm to rid them of their fantasies? He really didn¡¯t know. People were so unique from one another that the perfect solution for one person could be the worst possible thing for another. So, if those many women- he hoped they were all women, anyways, but wasn¡¯t deluded enough to think that was actually the case¡­. Anyways, if those many people were content to watch from afar, then he would be content to leave things as they were. Well, maybe not content, as the Achievement was honestly cringy. But at least he could accept it for what it tried to do. Joram shrugged uncomfortably, releasing the unconscious tension that came when thinking about things like that. He then looked around his office and wondered how difficult it would be to replace all of those replicas with functioning versions of them. Now, due to safety issues, he¡¯d need to make a separate space to display those functioning versions, but he was okay with that. Yeah, that¡¯ll work, he thought with a grin. He then shifted to his Realm and looked around. It had grown considerably since he¡¯d first gained the Realm with Avi¡¯s help. Though, it was still mostly undeveloped. A feature that he was more than happy to resolve. Grinning, Joram got to work creating a comfy retreat and workspace for himself. * * * Aegis, aka J4, rubbed his chin in thought. He¡¯d been getting a good number of satellites up and synced with his servers, but he was now considering a more secure location for said servers. Sure, they were two hundred metres below ground, with most of that distance through bedrock. But. Was it as secure as it could be? Not to him, it wasn¡¯t. So, he was considering moving the whole thing to orbit. He was also considering summoning something like a moon-sized space station. One remarkably similar to a certain infamous imperial space station from his childhood. But. Would that be overkill? Certainly. It would also be so many levels of awesome that he was barely refraining from doing it right then. The biggest thing holding him back was, well, its size. He wasn¡¯t too worried about the mana cost, as he could simply save up by making Mana Crystals, or even using Dust Crystals- he certainly had enough piled up over the past several months with so many of him using [Schism] all at the same time. At any rate, the main issue was visibility. Oh, and gravity. He didn¡¯t want to freak-out anyone on Iria by dropping a new moon into orbit. He was certain that would cause untold chaos amongst the masses, let alone anyone powerful enough to try to do something about a new ¡°moon¡± showing up uninvited like that.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But its mass was also a thing to consider. Something that large would actually have a not insignificant gravitational presence to it. Which would alter the path of Iria¡¯s moons, let alone affecting Iria itself. Tides would go crazy. And who knew what else would be affected? So, he was holding back. Not dismissing the notion entirely, but working on the issues as he saw them. He could deal with its visibility in the same way he¡¯d done with the satellites, but he was sure that would be almost as costly as the station itself. He could just hide it behind one of the moons, which was certainly the easier, and cheaper, option. Which led him to wonder if there was life on the moons that he would also need to take into account. But gravity. Gravitational pulls, influence, and interference. But, what if he could do something crazy like mixing technologies? Making hybrids, as it were. He¡¯d written about doing the same sort of things with his many stories about Altaea. So, why not? He¡¯d certainly learned that the Multiverse was a thing, and likely as infinite as was posited by various scientists on Earth. So, could a universe out there exist that had both a moon-sized (and shaped) space station and a mass effect drive powerful enough to negate its mass? And, if he was going for broke, could he add in more things? A hyperdrive was given, as that came with the base station. But could he include warp technology too? What about jumpdrives? Or even a portal-like function to get from point a to point b? Could he also include something like Time Lord tech? Make it into both a time and relative dimension in space? If so, what would he need to power such a thing? The idea of trapping a star going super nova into a repeating time loop of one Pico second just to harness the energy was a bit daunting. And, really, a bit unrealistic for what he needed. Though, depending on the size of the star captured, he could vary the output considerably. But, really, how much energy would he need to power such a space station? He was sure that it would be more than what Earth currently produced. He was reasonably sure that it would be orders of magnitude greater than that, even. Now even more curious than he¡¯d ever been, mostly due to his increased capacity for learning and information processing, he decided to try summoning the schematics for his imaginary space station. A moment later, and an astonishing eighty-two mana later- even after his discounts!-, he received a data chip. The galaxy far, far away¡¯s version of a USB drive. He sighed. He should have thought about that. A moment later, and with another use of [Summon: All], though only paying four mana this time, he had a data pad that he could plug the data chip into. Then he facepalmed. Even though he was familiar with galactic basic, he wasn¡¯t anywhere near fluent, nor did he actually speak the language. Sure, he could translate each letter into its english counterpart, but that didn¡¯t translate the actual language into english, just the phonetic version of galactic basic. Going for broke, he tried again, this time taking a leap. Twelve mana points later, he was grinning with a Skill Book in hand. Specifically, a language Skill Book. One for learning galactic basic. One that quickly vanished as he used it, then paused to appreciate the odd feeling of having so much knowledge flooding into his brain. Ten minutes later, Aegis was pinching the bridge of his nose, brows drawn down. ¡°I need to learn soooo much before this¡¯ll make any sort of sense,¡± he muttered to himself before calling upon the most awesome Skill of all time to produce yet more Skill Books, a veritable library of them. First came the physics books. Not just for that galaxy, but because his intention while using [Summon: All] had been for him to understand the physics involved in creating such a space station, he¡¯d received several universes¡¯ worth of books. Which wound up being twenty-seven volumes. Only three of which weren¡¯t time lord knowledge. Then came the chemistry Skill Books, followed by time theory, energy theory, engineering, and particle physics. When he was done, he had sixty-three Skill Books that he¡¯d need to use, and he wasn¡¯t looking forward to the incredible headrush that would come with using so many heavy Skill Books all at once. But given just how driven he was to really know how things worked, of how those various civilizations had managed to get to their individual peaks, he wasn¡¯t dissuaded. Just¡­ cautious. No need to overload his/their head to the point where he knocked himself out. Baby steps, as it were. Grinning, he picked up the first physics Skill Book he¡¯d use. The one on mass effect theory, as he was reasonably sure that it wouldn¡¯t be quite as taxing as the others. And if it had overlap with the others, he was sure that building up his knowledge base slowly would offset the aftereffects of using increasingly denser Skill Books. At least, I hope that¡¯ll be the case, he thought with a fatalistic grin. * * * Dax took a moment to appreciate the ridiculous knowledge appearing in his mind before setting it aside to concentrate on what he was currently doing. Building the Tower. Well, more planning at the moment than actual building. Still, when the flood of knowledge from the space wizards (both flavours) came through, he stopped. Then looked at what he¡¯d planned, frowning. Then scrapped his plans with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Bloody hell,¡± he cussed, knowing that he could no longer proceed in his ignorance. Sure, what he¡¯d had planned had been theoretically sound. Solid, even. But. Given what he now knew of dimensions, space, and time, it was¡­ lacking. He¡¯d originally planned to just create a separate Realm for each level of the Tower, connected through a network of portals. Now? He was sure that he could create a single Realm, though with many layers to it. Considering that each floor¡¯s Realm would have still needed to be attached to the Prime Material Plane to keep them stable, he now knew that it would have caused a not insignificant amount of instability in the region to have so many demi-planes tacked onto the fabric of the world so close together. Even with his new ability to stabilize dimensional boundaries. But making one demi-plane, or Realm, and layering it would solve that issue. The problem was just how complicated the Realm¡¯s Seed needed to be to accomplish such a feat. Given his new ability to reinforce dimensional boundaries, stability for the Realm wasn¡¯t an issue. Nor was planning each layer of the new Realm. It was more akin to planning out, in your head, a CPU¡¯s architecture, layered with data storage, layered with RAM, layered with a GPU, with each layer requiring its own unique operating system, while planning built-in cooling for each layer. All in the compact form of a standard CPU. Which was why he was now assigning his extra Minds to the task. Not only him, but he¡¯d also requested his other selves to re-task a few of their minds to help figure things out. Dax sighed, shook his head, then got back to work. He wasn¡¯t sure how long it would take to complete the Realm Seed, but was oddly¡­ pumped, to get it done. * * * Avi felt Joram¡¯s excitement through their bond and couldn¡¯t help but smile. It was the most excitement she¡¯d felt from him to date, which was saying something given just how interesting his life had been these past few months. Leaning back in her chair, she stretched her arms out and enjoyed the feeling of her trembling limbs. She still loved the feeling of having a body. Even if said body was currently stuck behind a desk in her office at the Academy. Still, it wasn¡¯t so bad. Especially given the newly installed computers which made the paperwork so much easier to handle. She grinned again, this time due to just how similar Joram Smith and Joram Aneath were. Sure, they were the same person¡­ at the time they¡¯d been split apart, anyways. But given their separate experiences, they¡¯d developed in different and significant ways. But they were the same at the core. Like, they were still incredibly geeky. To the point where she was sure that she¡¯d been influenced by it. Especially given that her Other Self had already built a version of the space station that Aegis was currently planning out, or how Aneath was dealing with the sudden influx of women flocking to him. Both were a bit too passive, though. Just letting things happen wasn¡¯t exactly the best course of action to take when those things weren¡¯t exactly comfortable for him. Still, he was a grown man and could decide things for himself. That said, people needed help. Lots of help. So, she would continue helping him in the background. And foreground, because he was still pretty dense when it came to certain things. Things like his self-esteem and the ability to acknowledge that he was good enough a person that people would be genuinely attracted to him even without the System tilting things more in his favour. Which led to her current plans. Each of the new residents of their growing city would need to attend several ¡°orientation¡± classes. Classes designed to introduce them to the social norms and mores that were unique to Iria, let alone the growing culture here. The classes would also introduce them to the various technologies popping up here, as well as letting them know their options in terms of jobs and work life. Sure, given just how self-sustaining Joram had designed his city, there wasn¡¯t much for the people to do aside from living relaxing lives. Very much like a utopian society. But, there were things for people to do, things to learn, areas to grow. She would also include a section in those classes that taught them about Joram. Not anything weird, just what he was like and what his general expectations were for his little city. Well, she would also subtly include Joram¡¯s desire for a quiet life, undisturbed by flocking droves of people. All because he was a humble man who had no expectations of fawning gratitude or worship for the good works he accomplished. That he only did those charitable deeds because of who he was and not because he wanted the praise. Which would then lead to the next bit of the curriculum that would focus on teaching them to be the same way. All aimed at making everyone more like-minded. At having them genuinely want to help one another for the sole reason of bettering the lives of those around them. Which, in turn, would better their lives. A society that helped one another was infinitely better than one that aimed to one-up one another. And if she could get everyone¡¯s expectations to shift to that line of thinking, then she was sure that the hero worship they were all experiencing would soon fade to mutual respect. Which, in turn, would lead to fewer people being added to Joram¡¯s [Harem] Achievement. She hoped. People were weird, after all. Shrugging away the tension in her shoulders, Avi got back to planning out said classes. All the while grinning like a madwoman as she reviewed Avi Prime¡¯s memories of Aneath¡¯s struggles to avoid a fate similar to Smith¡¯s fate. Chapter 116 - Letting it go *Day 094* Joram looked around at his now completed workshop and smiled. There was a section each for the various crafts that he¡¯d already experimented with, like blacksmithing and weaving. There was also a rather large open storage area devoted to raw materials, though given that he could easily produce anything that he¡¯d need on the fly, it wasn¡¯t quite as useful as he¡¯d first imagined it to be. At any rate, the warehouse-like building was now complete. With modern lighting to boot! And a bed in the corner should the need arise. Which, given the fact that his women¡­. That the women around him basically insisted on using him nightly as a body pillow, he wasn¡¯t sure just how much use the bed in the corner would see. But it was there, just in case. Then he looked down at the last thing he¡¯d added to the workshop. Well, more the ingot laying on the workbench that he¡¯d be using as a desk. An ingot of what his Other Self would call ¡°adamantium¡±. An ingot that he was considering assimilating, just like his Other Self had done. But he wasn¡¯t quite sure if it would work the same way it had for his Other Self, given that they were in a different universes and all. He then looked over at the training manual for the Adamantium Body Technique, then to the language Skill Book he¡¯d need to use to understand the language used in the body refining book. He was¡­ cautious. Worried, even. Given how many memories that were seeping through to him from his Other Self, he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if he added something from that world to his knowledge base. Let alone an actual item to his body. Would the flow of knowledge suddenly explode, inundating him with the memories and experiences of his Other Self? Would they gain a connection similar to what he had with his clones while using [Fission]? Or would they be drawn to one another like Altaea had been when each of her separated selves gained sufficient strength? And if that happened, what would happen to his, or their, lives on their respective planets? Would one world lose a Joram while the other world gained a ridiculous version of him? He knew that his Other Self was a cultivator in his world, and that he was considered pretty powerful there. So, what would happen if they merged? Would a System-powered cultivator show up? Or would only one aspect of them survive while their memories and personalities also merged? What would the people around him say? Would they immediately shun him for having turned into someone else? Well, he wasn¡¯t sure how different his Other Self was compared to him. But from what he could gather, his Other Self was more¡­ social, than he currently was. Joram nearly blushed when going through the shared memories of his ¡°girlfriends¡±. Fianc¨¦es, now. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was ready to go nearly that far with the women around him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was emotionally ready to do anything close to that. Given what he could glean, his Other Self had been on that world for well over a decade already. Not only that, but he had also had the benefit of Altaea being able to stick around to train him. And to also help him work through their trauma. He, Joram Smith, was still working through his trauma, though. So, he was fairly sure that he wasn¡¯t anywhere close to taking that step. That singular step of starting a relationship. A single relationship, never mind a polygamous one that the women around him seemed keen on starting. But maybe it really was time to get Avi¡¯s help with [Psychic Chirurgery]? Was he just being stubborn? Was he using his past traumas as an excuse to stay single? To keep from starting another intimate relationship? Most likely. ¡°Hah!¡± Joram barked out a self-deprecating laugh. Not ¡°most likely¡±. It was a certitude. ¡®Just because you¡¯ve cleared things away, doesn¡¯t mean you need to immediately dive into a relationship,¡¯ Avi suddenly interrupted him. He thought about those words and facepalmed. He¡¯s subconsciously associated being free of his trauma with needing to be in a relationship right away. Needing to immediately respond to the desires of the- quite frankly- desirable women around him. He really could just take things as slowly as he needed. But to do that, he knew that he¡¯d need to have conversations with said women that he was in no way practiced in, let alone any measure of comfortable with. ¡®Again, you can take your time,¡¯ Avi added, once more relieving his anxiety. But then the thought of being around those amazing women without the mental barrier of his traumas was¡­ a bit too exciting a prospect for him. He looked over at the bed in the corner of the workshop and began to appreciate it a bit more. Sure, he still had [Clear Mind] to fall back on- and he was absolutely certain that he¡¯d need it more than ever after ridding himself of his past traumas. But. Would he want to use it then? That¡¯s what scared him more than a little bit. Would he want to hold himself back from immediately diving into that pool, as it were? He was self-aware enough to know that he would indeed want to engage in sexual relations with those amazing women. But was that the right path to take? Well, he was sure that he¡¯d eventually get there, especially given how much he truly liked each and every one of them. But could he get over his monogamously minded upbringing? Would that guilt gnaw at him until he snapped? ¡®[Psychic Chirurgery] can also deal with that, you know,¡¯ Avi once more interrupted his spiralling with a nugget of wisdom, making him wonder just how awesome she was. ¡®All sorts of awesome, dear,¡¯ she sent, making him blush with the included undertones of the sending. ¡®There go all of my feeble arguments,¡¯ he sent back wryly. ¡®It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve learned how futile those arguments were,¡¯ Avi sent, obviously grinning. Nodding, Joram allowed Avi¡¯s A3, her third Mind, to connect with him through the Network. ¡®You¡¯re really ready?¡¯ she asked, more feeling like a confirmation to get started than confirming his resolve. ¡®Yeah, let¡¯s do this,¡¯ he sent back, finally ready to get on with his life. * * * Asami stopped, turned, and looked towards the Academy, frowning slightly. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was, but couldn¡¯t help but think that something momentous was coming. Something that would change their lives in ways that she couldn¡¯t begin to explain. She absently used [Flames of Purification] to swat away a spirit as she contemplated what she was feeling. But after several minutes of searching her feelings, she gave up. It wasn¡¯t anything that she¡¯d experienced to date. Yet, it gave her¡­ hope? She wasn¡¯t sure, but she somewhat felt that whatever was coming would be a good thing. Now smiling, Asami turned to her skulk and nodded. She¡¯d gathered most of her extended family to help with clearing out the new city of the various spirits that inhabited the region. Had Joram only taken in the races native to their homeland, they wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about the spirits of the Great Forest. But since he had also taken in the Mana Touched, the ¡°demons¡±, that action had led to the need for her to act. Still, she didn¡¯t complain, especially since they were all gaining valuable experience that levelled up both their Classes as well as their Skills.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Looking over at Harumi, she smiled to see that the dark purple vixen had gained her seventh tail. A sign that she would soon be able to progress to the next phase of her development. And given just how taken Harumi was with Joram, she was sure that he¡¯d have his hands full for the first while as Harumi adapted to foxkin life. Now humming a merry tune, Asami got back to work directing her skulk. * * * Cyd blinked, then blinked again as the changes washed through him like a cleansing tide. He took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He did that a few more times, appreciating just how¡­ easy, how light, it felt. In fact, he felt so light that he stopped his dragonfly construct and teleported out of it so that he could stand in the air and stretch. Which just so happened to be a mistake. The shard of ice that smashed into him could have been better described as a chunk of ice the size of twenty-two wheeler. It also managed to get through his physical resistances and turned him into that much ground meat. - - - Joram blinked at he felt himself re-merging with himself, then coughed as the damage divided amongst his remaining [Fission]s. A moment later, after each one had used [Heal: 3], he was back at full HP and wondering what had attacked him. Or Cyd. Whatever. Shaking his head, he re-manifested [Fission] to get Cyd back, then watched as Cyd vanished again after activating [Schism] and all of their standard buffs. - - - This time, Cyd was ready when the next iceberg-sized chunk of ice came his way. With a bit of [Telekinesis] that wound up being more than just a bit when the Skill came in contact with the ice, he managed to deflect it enough so that it missed him this time. After the ice passed by, he managed to get a glimpse of the one attacking him. He would describe them as an ice elf. Specifically, an elf made of ice. But meaner looking. Their ears were certainly more pointed than any of the other elves he¡¯d ever seen, more resembling the oft-used moniker of the dwarves for elves: knife ears. The features on their face were certainly more angular than the non-ice elves he¡¯d met, though not so much as for him to compare the ice elf to old-school low polygon game sprites. Then there was the ¡°hair¡±. Given just how¡­ pointy it looked, he was comfortable in likening it to a stereotypical Saiyan¡¯s hair. Except made of ice. Their frame was very slender, almost anorexically slender, with long fingered hands that ended in respectably long nails that were more claw than not. Even their clothing was made of ice, boggling his scientific mind with how cloth-like it moved in accordance with the elf¡¯s movement.
Frost Fey (SS) ¨C Level 58 HP: 1,310 / 1,310 MP: 2,628 / 2,730 - Racial Skills: [Cryokinesis, Greater], [Aura: Cold, Greater].
Cyd blinked at its level, then at the ¡°Greater¡± level for its ice-based Skills. Combined with the fact that it didn¡¯t have a name listed, the fact that its Racial Skills were listed, as well as its resource pools, told him that it wasn¡¯t a person, but a ¡°monster¡±. Stats that only showed up when he [Analyze]d a monster. Which relieved him somewhat, considering that he was still hesitant to just go around killing sapients. *Ding*
Adjustment made. Preferences saves.
Cyd blinked at the message from the System and again wondered at the level of preferential treatment he got from the System. Then promptly dodged the next mini-iceberg. That was getting annoying. So, he focussed on the [Ice Fey] and activated [Pyrokinesis], pumping in as much mana as he could. Which just so happened to be the number of ranks he had in the Skill.
Pyrokinesis, Improved. 169 = 127 + 42 Damage: 42 ¨C 3,840 Range: 12,675m
He was impressed with just how much damage [Pyrokinesis] could do, but also a little bit more than a little bit scared at just how much damage that was. With only two of him, he could one-shot one of him with that much damage. Hell, his [Telekinesis] could one-shot him. Just him, with no other [Fission]s to divide his HP. Getting back to the matter at hand, his use of [Pyrokinesis] manifested a sphere around the [Ice Fey], blocking his view of his attacker. But a moment later, he received the notification that he¡¯d eliminated the threat. So, he flew down to inspect the slowly-filling crater his [Pyrokinesis] left behind. Well, it was slow because of the environment. The melted ice was quickly re-freezing in the arctic cold, prompting him to use [Hydrokinesis] to keep his loot from being entombed in ice. Well, he hoped that it was loot, anyways.
Loot Token
He blinked at what [Analyze] revealed, then used [Telekinesis] to bring what looked to be a shard of ice to his hand for closer inspection. Which didn¡¯t do much, as the only thing that he could tell from holding it was that it was not, in fact, a shard of ice. It felt more like a cold crystal. Not supernaturally cold, but cold because it was in an arctic environment. Still, it was smooth and basically a pyramidal octahedron crystal the size of his middle finger. It was also that cool green-blue colour you¡¯d see through a couple of feet of snow if you just so happened to fall through a drift that had formed on a riverbank¡­. Yes, that had happened to him as a child. It had been scary at first, but then all sorts of awesome when he realized that he could just dig his way out. At any rate, he was tempted to just keep the crystal for how pretty it was, but then remembered that he could just make another one if he wanted to. So, he Looted it.
Currency: Bronze: 23 coins, 1 bar Silver: 19 coins, 1 bar Gold: 32 coins, 1 bar Platinum: 26 coins, 3 bars Items: Skill Books: [Cryokinesis], [Aura: Cold] Eternal Ice: 7 shards Ice Heart: 1
He couldn¡¯t help but goggle at the currency he¡¯d gained. Just in coins alone, he¡¯d gotten almost as much as he¡¯d paid for Myriad Wonders, never mind the bars he¡¯d gotten! Cyd grinned as he looked around for more [Ice Fey], wondering if there was a Dungeon nearby. Given just how much he¡¯d earned from that one kill, he was now seriously contemplating starting up his own bank. Not just the monetary gains, but the experience as well was more than worth it. He was now just a fraction away from hitting level twenty in [World Architect], making him once again wonder what the capstone ability would be. If it was anywhere near as broken as gaining Skills to control the basic forces of the universe, he wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do. Yes, it was a lot of power, but he was still just a very fallible mortal¡­. Well, a fallible being, anyways. Maybe he¡¯d gain enough knowledge and wisdom as time went by, but the way he was now, he was certain that such crazy abilities were wasted on him. Cyd then shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like he was responsible for the survival of the planet, after all. He could just take his time. Live his life. Enjoy the people around him. Maybe start a family one day¡­. * * * Kasumi regarded her ¡°sisters¡±, as Joram had started calling them. She wasn¡¯t sure what to think of that odd quirk of his, but had found that Nabiki and Akane had ¡°warmed¡± considerably to both her and Joram after hearing him call them sisters. She was glad, though, that they were adapting well to life in Joram¡¯s strange settlement. Between the unusual and never-before-seen devices that were commonly seen and used, and the sheer number of freed slaves, Kasumi had to admit that even she was somewhat overwhelmed by it all. Even the work she had ¡°found¡± with her ¡°sisters¡±. Kasumi looked around at the odd space. It was mostly bare steel- tables, shelves, racks, trays, and massive vats and cauldrons. The floors were that strange ¡°Moss Stone¡± that she¡¯d heard was incredibly valuable. Especially since the entirety of the floor seemed to be made of one continuous slab of the stuff. The work? Something called ¡°flash freeze preservation¡± of food. Also, ¡°freeze drying¡±. Even without having chosen a Class or even a Path yet, Kasumi had still gained much in her time working in the strange food preservation building. One of the things that Joram had provided those who worked there- mostly Yuki-onna like her and her ¡°sisters¡±- was a Skill Book for [Hydrokinesis]. Which had confused almost everyone¡­ after they¡¯d all gotten over their initial shock that is. They¡¯d then all been set to practicing drawing out moisture from various things, from berries to fruit to vegetables to meats. Not entirely, though. As Joram had explained, drawing out just a portion of the moisture contained in the food was enough to do what was needed. And that was to freeze the food without causing damage to its structure. Which had confused everyone to no end. But, after having done what they¡¯d been instructed to do, they¡¯d then followed the next instructions as exactly as they could. Which was to freeze the food as quickly as possible. After that, the food was ¡°vacuum sealed¡± and sent to a cold storage building. But before that had all proceeded, Joram had shown them the genius of his methods. They¡¯d then thawed the food and used it as ingredients for various dishes. That, in-and-of-itself hadn¡¯t been anything unusual, for freezing food to preserve it in the winter had been a common occurrence. What had set things apart was Joram¡¯s method. The frozen foods hadn¡¯t tasted much different than their fresh counterparts! Normally, frozen foods wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near as¡­ fresh, or delicious, as fresh ingredients. The ¡°flash freezing¡± method had greatly changed things for the better. Sure, you had to finely tune how much moisture you drew from various foods, but considering just how much better things tasted using the new way of freezing food, it was well worth the effort! Not only that, but their various Skills involved with the production methods had grown tremendously. Her [Cryokinesis] had advanced to the Advanced Level, while her [Hydrokinesis] had already reached the peak of the Improved Level. Even her [Aura: Cold] had improved tremendously, especially since it was what she used the most when freezing large batches. Having it at the Advanced Level was certainly something, though incredibly dangerous if she let it slip out by accident around those who weren¡¯t prepared to deal with such intense cold. Still, she took comfort in knowing that her [Aura] wouldn¡¯t harm Joram if her control ever slipped. Now smiling, Kasumi got back to work, oblivious to the knowing smiles her co-workers hid from her. Chapter 117 - Dreams of plunder *Day 094, That Night* Joram had been feeling remarkably good. The years of stress and PTSD had melted away with Avi¡¯s help, leaving him feeling as though he would float away if a strong breeze passed him by. Then the System notifications had come. Cyd had done quite well in getting them to the peak of [World Architect]. That by itself had been fine. It was the capstone abilities that had soured his mood. Well, not quite the abilities by themselves. It was the last bit of each ability that had made him frown.
[Genesys] You now have the ability to create entirely new planes of existence. The following is a list of attributes and variables available: ¡­. ¡­. - Anything created by [Genesys] is inherently under your control. Objects, flora, and fauna will unwaveringly obey your will. Speak, and it shall be done.
[Imbue Spiritual Wisdom] You are now able to Imbue Spiritual Wisdom upon an object or creature. Targets thus imbued benefit from a variety of effects¡­. ¡­. ¡­. - An imbued target is inherently under your control. Objects, flora, and fauna will unwaveringly obey your will. Speak, and it shall be done.
He hadn¡¯t realized just how¡­ repulsed he would feel when presented with such a thing. ¡°¡­ inherently under your control¡­¡± wasn¡¯t something he could just swallow. To him, it was no different from creating slaves. Not just that, it seemed as though the System wanted to set him up as some sort of god, which really turned his stomach. Anyone with that kind of power would inevitably fall prey to pride and everything that came with it. One could say that pride was the origin of sin. And he was one of those people who thought that. So, what the hell was he going to do with those abilities? They weren¡¯t even Skills, but [Inherent] abilities now. He had absolutely no idea how to disable that last part of each ability he¡¯d gained. If they had been Skills, then he was reasonably sure that he could eventually get something done. But Inherent Abilities were an entirely different creature, as it were. So, what to do? The most obvious one was to just not use those abilities. Which, really, was the most sensible. The problem came with [Genesys]. It¡¯s influence seeped into every other aspect of what he could do. Namely, [Summon: All]. If he used [Summon: All] to make anything he summoned ¡°instantaneous¡±, it would be affected by [Genesys]. Which, given that he mostly used that to make building materials and such, wasn¡¯t too bad. But when used to make seeds for various crops he wanted to introduce to his agricultural endeavors, they would also be affected. Now, at first glance, that didn¡¯t seem to be too much of an issue. But, given his control, he could possibly do terrible harm. If he casually said anything like ¡°it¡¯d be nice if they produced more gluten to help kill any pests eating them¡±, would he suddenly create crops that introduced an epidemic of gluten intolerance in the population? What if there were budding celiacs amongst the inhabitants of the world? Would he doom them to gastrointestinal deaths? So, he¡¯d decided to just use [True Creation] to make things like seeds and such because his Psionic side and the abilities he¡¯d learned from Altaea¡¯s Knowledge Crystal weren¡¯t affected by [Genesys], it seemed. Something that confused him more than a little bit, but was more than welcome. ¡®If you¡¯re right, and the System is favouring you, then perhaps it left your psionic abilities untouched because it knew you wouldn¡¯t like the built-in control,¡¯ Avi suddenly piped in, making him blink. ¡­. He really should have thought of that. But the shock had managed to overwhelm his analytical side by triggering his visceral side¡¯s repulsion of that kind of control. But, seriously, what in the hell is the System thinking? It can¡¯t be a coincidence that such control was included in those abilities. What¡¯s its plan, then? Build-up someone to take over while it goes on vacation? He sarcastically wondered as he shook his head. Which was a bit hard to do given that he was laying in bed, once more covered in sleeping women. He didn¡¯t want to wake any of them up, after all. But upon reflecting more on things, he wondered if it was all as bad as he¡¯d initially thought. Wouldn¡¯t something like a wall covered in various defensive ordinances be useful if he could just control it so easily? What about the various satellites in orbit? Getting things into position without needed to use a terminal would be incredibly convenient. But. How far did his control extend? Did he have to actually speak out loud to be obeyed? Or would a thought do? It hadn¡¯t, after all, stated ¡°speak out loud¡± or ¡°speak verbally¡±. It had just said ¡°speak¡±. Which, to someone as psionically-minded as he was, also included speaking mentally. Did that mean that he would be connected to everything that he ever created? Just how many connections would he get over the course of this month alone, let alone the rest of his life? Now, that was a scary thought. Still, he would need to experiment to see just how far things went. But, given his current status as a body pillow, he would need to delegate. And he would also need to go through the new list of Classes that had popped-up after the rest of the notifications. Joram then idly wondered if there were any Classes that had more than twenty levels to them. And if there were any, would they be less ridiculous than what he¡¯d been getting? Maybe he should just take a Common Class. Something mundane like [Baker], [Builder], [Smith], or even [Weaver]. Nothing world-shattering if someone found out about his current Class. Nice and normal. Yeah, that was the ticket. ¡®Careful,¡¯ Avi piped-in again. ¡®If the System is as interested in you as we think, then it might not allow you to select something so mundane.¡¯ That thought hit him like a bucket of liquid nitrogen dumped onto his head¡­. Or maybe an anvil, as cold didn¡¯t bother him anymore? Mentally shrugging off those thoughts, the quickly pulled up his list of available Classes and nearly cursed. ¡®I hate it when you¡¯re right like that,¡¯ he sent back with a frustrated sigh. ¡®I can¡¯t find anything below [Legendary] rarity.¡¯ ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Avi sent back, conveying her feelings of genuine sorrow for him. ¡®Well, at least you can distract yourself a bit¡­¡¯ she then sent, also conveying exactly what those suggested distractions should be, causing him to blush furiously. ¡®Maybe later¡­¡¯ he sent back, doing his best to keep [Clear Mind] up and running so that he could worry through the tangle he found himself stuck in. If he wanted to take back a measure of control over his life, he would need to do something about the various Class selections available to him. Which meant that he might need to start levelling other Skills, and gaining new ones. Ones that he hoped would open options for him that weren¡¯t quite so¡­ crazy. In the meantime, he¡¯d start experimenting with just how much control he had over what he created. * * * Daphitiax couldn¡¯t help but appreciate just how comfortable her bed was. She was used to the almost board-like beds used in the various cabins on ships, the mattresses so thin that it was almost like they weren¡¯t there. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. This? She had no idea what the thing was made of, but she knew for sure that it was filled with water. Almost like a giant waterskin, though as clear as good glass. Not only that, but it was warmed in a way that she couldn¡¯t discern. Overall, it had been all she could do to not immediately find Joram and demand that he sell her one for her personal use. That would be rude. As it was, especially given just how hospitable Joram had been the entire time, she was reasonably sure that he would agree to selling her a bed. It was just that¡­ she didn¡¯t want to impose more than she already was. Even as the [Demon Lord]¡¯s envoy, she knew full-well that Joram¡¯s kindness only extended as far as the kindness shown to him. And given just how¡­ relaxed he was when confronted by an [Admiral], she was sure that he was powerful enough to deal with her and her crew. Especially after having watched the construction of the mind-bogglingly colossal tower he was working on. Daphitiax stretched out, letting her ¡°legs¡± reach out as far as they could. It was always nice to stretch her tentacles out, especially on land where it was harder to move about. But with the bed, she could almost forget that she was on land. Shaking her head, she wondered just how powerful Joram was. She was certain that he had a Skill to obfuscate his true Class and Levels, for she could feel how impressive his mana pool was. Even then, she had an inkling that he had also somehow managed to hide that too. How else could someone build everything on Midway Isle so quickly? How else could he [Summon] so many maids to tend to her and her crew¡¯s needs? And just that evening, she¡¯d felt¡­ something. He¡¯d briefly had an indescribable aura about him, one that had made her want to bow in supplication to him before passing just as quickly as it had come. Not a single person in her memory, besides the [Demon Lord], had ever affected her in such a way. Which had gotten her thinking. Was he a hidden scion of a previous [Demon Lord]? If so, what was he planning? Why on Midway Isle? Was it to make a staging area for an invasion? If so, where? To the human continent, or her home? Given how powerful [Demon Lord]s were, would she have any possibility of stopping him? Would her [Demon Lord] need to step in? But if any of her speculations were true, why hadn¡¯t the Council stepped in yet? They would surely stop any such military actions in the Neutral Belt between continents. The Neutral Belt existed so that neither continent could gain a closer foothold to use as a staging point to invade the other continent. Even when petitioned, the Council had refused to allow anyone to develop the Neutral Belt for any reason. So, why now? Why allow an apparent human to do so? Daphitiax¡¯ eyes suddenly widened as a shocking thought occurred to her. ¡°He¡¯s an [Elder Dragon],¡± she whispered out loud, then quickly covered her open mouth as her eyes widened further, threatening to allow her eyeballs to fall out of their sockets as her tentacles curled into tight spirals. It all made sense if Joram was a [Polymorph]¡¯d [Elder Dragon]. His magical strength, his insouciant attitude, and his casual displays of the ridiculous. What was the Elder Council planning? What were their objectives for Midway Isle? Since time immemorial, the [Elder Dragon]s hadn¡¯t bothered with ruling the ¡°lesser¡± races, content to play peacekeepers throughout the eons. But what would happen if their attitudes had changed? What could anyone do to stop them if they suddenly chose to take a more active role in the world? Even her [Demon Lord] was no match for their might, as had been shown in ages past when the Elder Council had chosen to stop various [Demon Lord]s¡¯ ambitions. So, what to do? How to appease the dragons? There were legends surrounding their hunger for precious minerals and gems. Their legendary desire to build hoards. But, after such a long time, was there an [Elder Dragon] amongst them who lacked a hoard to rival the wealth of nations? Hmm, that¡¯s just supposition on my part. Maybe their population has grown to the point where resources have become scarce? Are they expanding because of that? She wondered, remembering her [Treasure Sense] practically screaming at her that there was booty to be had on Midway Isle. Were they extracting resources, then? Was Midway Isle actually a treasure trove? Were the islands in the Neutral Belt actually rich in precious ores, minerals, and various resources? Soon, Daphitiax was lost in thoughts surrounding [Elder Dragon]s and their various imagined plots. But before long, she fell asleep and was soon dreaming of vast treasure hoards, ripe for plundering. * * * Bob shook his head, seriously impressed with just how creative and expansive Daphi¡¯s imagination was. But she was right about one thing: Midway Isle was indeed a treasure trove of precious resources. Still, he didn¡¯t need any of it, so he¡¯d just been dumping it all into an underground bunker after having processed it all. An underground bunker that was only accessible via teleportation. More secure that way. Silently chuckling to himself, he wondered what she¡¯d think if she ever laid eyes on it. Given her starting profession as a [Pirate], he was sure that she¡¯d- at the very least- start drooling. Shrugging those thoughts away, Bob started wondering how he could convince her that he wasn¡¯t an [Elder Dragon] in disguise. No small feat given just how fertile her imagination was. But, in the end, it was likely easier to just act how he normally acted: like your average Joe¡­. Well, maybe that had been the problem. People here seemed to be nice because they were either weak, and couldn¡¯t hope to resist someone more powerful. Thus, trying to become as transparent an existence as possible. One that would soon be forgotten, and thus remain safe. The other end was power. Being powerful enough to treat anyone how you wanted to treat them, according to one¡¯s mood or needs. A good number of truly powerful beings didn¡¯t bother with inconsequential and weak beings. Like how most power-fantasy characters described the law of the jungle''s attitude towards the weak: why bother with ants? He was reasonably sure that he was powerful enough to stand near the top of this world¡¯s power pyramid, and could thus treat people how he wanted to treat them, according to his whims. That said, he just wasn¡¯t built like that. But that didn¡¯t mean that other people knew that about him. So, seeing one person with the audacity to build a tower and town in the Neutral Belt would certainly raise more than a few questions regarding said person. Like, were they just a face person for the one who¡¯d chosen to build there? Or were they said powerful person? And if they were said powerful person, then just how powerful were they? Certainly powerful enough to seemingly be insouciant when visited by the Demon Continent¡¯s envoy. Insanity? Or perhaps that person had the clout to back up their nonchalance. And if so, then they would certainly need to be powerful enough to repel a naval fleet, for that had been the traditional method used when dealing with someone trying to gain a foothold in the Neutral Belt. He¡¯d looked it up. Huzzah for [Summon: All]! At any rate, given all that, it was no wonder that Daphi thought he was an Elder Dragon in disguise. So, then, what would it hurt to just let her continue with her assumptions? If she ever asked, he would honestly answer that he was certainly not a dragon. But if Erys ever visited the island when Daphi was around, then things might get a bit complicated¡­. Bob shrugged again, dismissing those thoughts. It wasn¡¯t likely to become an issue, after all. Then he blinked, then facepalmed as Joram made a decision what would add more to his already heavy workload. Now wondering how he¡¯d get things done in a timely manner, he got up and made his way over to the vast swath of space between the Tower and the town. It was much like the rest of the island, rocky, barren, and slightly lumpy due to the lava flows that had created the plains. Still, there was a decent amount of volcanic ash that had managed to accumulate here and there. He then considered how to best proceed. If they were going to create a city here, he was sure that agriculture would be needed. So, how to best develop the land for agriculture? He could [Summon] a giant mech. Maybe equip it with some sort of sonic tech that would easily shatter the volcanic rock into fine sand. Mix it with the volcanic ash to make a sort of soil. Though, he¡¯d need to get some vegetable matter in there to really make it into decent soil¡­. Maybe he could start an avocado orchard? Throw in some guavas, papayas, bananas, and pineapples? He was pretty sure that coffee plants also loved volcanic soil, so maybe he¡¯d add that, too? Maybe if the soil wasn¡¯t too acidic, he could even grow cherry trees; sakura trees, to be precise. Hmm¡­ Thus lost in planning the new area, Bob wandered about occasionally using [Summon: All] to bring a massive terraforming mech into being. As he walked, the mechs did their work, creating sand then mixing the volcanic ash into said sand. All the while completely oblivious to the curious gaze that had landed on Midway Isle. * * * ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± Bryana asked as she placed the report on her side table, regarding her best friend who hadn¡¯t had time to do more than throw on an outer robe to cover her nightclothes. ¡°I am,¡± Brittany replied seriously, not quite able to hide her apprehension. Bryana vas Muryn couldn¡¯t keep an annoyed tsk from escaping her lips. She¡¯d long known that the gentry had been, to put it mildly, unsatisfied with what had been happening in the queendom these past weeks. The profits from slavery had practically vanished for them, a source of revenue that most couldn¡¯t do without. Well, they could, but then their extravagant spending would need to stop. And if it was one thing the nobles loved to do, it was trying to one-up one another with their extravagance. She hadn¡¯t told Joram Smith about the growing dissent amongst her nobles. Especially since he was, quite frankly, the primary source of their dissatisfaction. She wouldn¡¯t put that weight on his impressive shoulders, as it was her queendom, and thus her responsibility to shoulder the burdens of rulership. But a part of her did want to bring her new Duke into the fray. Not just because she wanted to spend more time with him, and she could admit that was certainly a factor, but because she knew that he was more than capable of holding his own. Especially after his many successful bandit and slaver hunts. But would that make her look weak? It had already been difficult to inherit the throne at such a young age. If it looked as though she needed external aid to hold onto her authority, even though Joram Smith had been inducted into the gentry, she was sure that her political rivals would be more than happy to denounce her as a weak queen. So, how to proceed? The rebels had amassed a sizable force to the west, not quite two days¡¯ march from Kirkwall. And, according to her spies, Lord Nord had even given his blessing to the rebels, going so far as to contribute a hundred [Knight]s to the force. A force that now numbered over five thousand, a ridiculous number when one considered the size of Kirkwall. Had their greed gotten the better of them? Well, more so than normal. She¡¯d learned from her spies that Joram Smith seemed to have discovered a significant Dungeon and was personally managing it. She would have taken issue with that had it not been in the land she¡¯d gifted him. Even then, it wasn¡¯t a major concern of hers, especially since he seemed to be paying his taxes as he should be. But the leaders of that rebellion seemed to think that they were the only ones who knew of the Dungeon¡¯s existence. Which was likely why they¡¯d amassed such a force. If they could take the Dungeon, then its wealth would be theirs. With that wealth, they could then fund a larger rebellion and possibly a coup d¡¯¨¦tat. ¡°Just contact him,¡± Brittany said, breaking her out of her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be grateful for the information.¡± Bryana nodded her appreciation to her best friend before speaking, giving the orders to inform Duke Smith of the impending dangers and to also start gathering her own forces. If those ungrateful and greedy nobles wanted to rebel against their queen, she would put them down. Chapter 118 - Future conversions *Day 095* ¡°There¡¯s a what?¡± Celys asked incredulously as her face blanched. ¡°Yeah, you heard that right,¡± Joram said, frowning. ¡°It seems as though the existence of the Dungeon has leaked,¡± he said, unconsciously using the slight inflection everyone used when referring to a monster dungeon. ¡°Well, they could also be seeking revenge for my part in their friends and relatives being executed for kidnapping and killing children from another world,¡± he finished with a frown, referring to the illegal [Summon: Hero] experiments. ¡°Ah,¡± Celys replied, loading that one sound with much meaning. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± he said with a wave of the hand, making it seem as though an army over five thousand strong was merely an annoying rat in the cellar. ¡°But, with what we know,¡± he said, motioning to the missive he¡¯d brought to her office. ¡°I would recommend moving everyone to the new town,¡± he finished, causing yet another headache to start creeping up on her. ¡°And you¡¯re sure that the queen was the one who sent this?¡± she asked, motioning once more to the carefully penned missive. ¡°Yeah, Brittany dropped it off herself this morning,¡± Joram said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m already preparing everyone in Myrmeze to evacuate to my little town. Buildings can be rebuilt, you see.¡± ¡°True¡­¡± she said, thinking about just how difficult it would be to evacuate everyone in time. Sure, they had the better part of two days to do so, but it would also take time for the various farmers and ranchers to gather up everything they¡¯d want to take with them. ¡°At the very least, we can get everyone inside Kirkwall first. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want to try intimidating us with their numbers first. It¡¯s certainly cheaper than having to replace their soldiers if they can get us to surrender without a fight,¡± Joram said with an odd twist of his lips that she¡¯d learned to read as slightly amused, but also disdainful. ¡°They will certainly move faster if they notice unusual movements,¡± she warned, hoping that she could minimize the casualties in the coming conflict. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. But. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll also be cautious.¡± ¡°How so?¡± she asked, not quite understanding where he was coming from. ¡°Well, they know that I have a Dungeon. They might also know what grades of Monster Cores are coming out of the Dungeon. Which would allow them to infer the strength of those delving the Dungeon. And so, even with their superior numbers, they would likely be cautious of any elite teams that we might have,¡± Joram explained his reasoning, making her wonder why he hadn¡¯t bothered putting a contingency plan in place if he could think so far ahead. So, she asked. ¡°Well,¡± Joram said, drawing the word out slightly as he actually looked embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit distracted with my other projects. Still, that¡¯s no excuse for having overlooked something like this happening.¡± Celys just nodded, content to let him think things through. She was certainly doing the same. She was also seriously considering petitioning the Crown to have Kirkwall and its environs join Joram¡¯s dutchy. Given just how much Joram cared for his people, she was sure that Kirkwall would enjoy much better treatment under his rule than under Lord Nord¡¯s. Though, given the fact that the army was considered a rebellion, she was sure that Joram could just deal with Lord Nord and claim his lands as spoils of war. And given that Joram was a duke in good standing with the Crown, she was sure that the queen would easily give her blessing. Joram suddenly sat up straight, then promptly said something in his native language that seemed to be a curse. ¡°I need to go,¡± he said, then promptly vanished from her office. ¡°Well, I guess I should get to work,¡± Celys said before getting up and opening her office door. ¡°Kal! Get messages out to the outlying farms to immediately evacuate to Kirkwall,¡± she said, startling her right-hand man. ¡°Also, cut any communications going out from Kirkwall,¡± she finished and was about to turn around again when Kal spoke up. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°War,¡± she replied grimly. * * * Aegis frowned, then got Dax to [Teleport] over to give him a hand. He would need to get a few more satellites up in the sky before they would be ready to properly defend Kirkwall should the army get that far. While he repositioned a few orbital platforms, Dax started using [Summon: All] to get the new satellites they¡¯d soon need. Which, if he was being honest with himself, wasn¡¯t entirely necessary. It was just that he wanted to be sure that any surprises would be quickly dealt with by either [Dispel]ling them, or annihilating them with [Return to Creation]. It would certainly be a good way to test if his preparations were sufficient to the tasks at hand. * * * Cyd grinned, happy that he¡¯d taken the time to investigate the frigid ice planes. From his vantage in the dragonfly astral construct, it had been difficult to spot the slight bump in the terrain that was actually the entrance to the Dungeon. The thing that had tipped him off had been when he¡¯d seen one of the ice elves seemingly step out of the ground. Upon further inspection, and after having dispatched the Dungeon Monster, he¡¯d found that the entrance was a stairway down into the ground, hidden by a large overhang of drifted snow. If it had been back on Earth, such a long overhang of drifted snow would have long-since collapsed under its own weight. Here? He was sure that the Dungeon had affected things somehow. Magic. Shrug. At any rate, Cyd was certainly pleased to once more deal with an icy foe. Ice was nice. Fire? Fire sucked. It burnt your clothing, made it hard to breath, and was generally annoying. Well, ice could cause its own myriad of issues, but they were generally less annoying for him to deal with. Now, looking at the info screen that came with approaching a Dungeon¡¯s entrance, he wondered if he¡¯d be strong enough to deal with what was inside.
Winter Court: Level 68 Warning: This Dungeon is above your level. It is recommended to enter this Dungeon with a full party with an average level of 68. Warning: This Dungeon¡¯s capacity is at 100%. Overflow in progress.
Cyd wondered at that last warning before spotting movement further down the stairway. Sure enough, another [Ice Elf] was making its way up. It paused when it noticed him, then immediately flew into action, sending those ridiculously massive icicles his way as it ran the rest of the way up the stairs. Cyd easily dodged the projectiles, danced to the side, then used a fully-amped [Psychic Crush] on the [Ice Elf] as it emerged from the Dungeon entrance. He felt a brief resistance before its psyche was crushed by his overwhelming mental might, causing the [Ice Elf] to collapse like a marionette whose strings had been cut. He stepped back to the entrance and tapped the now inert ice with a toe to Loot it. He ignored the notifications he¡¯d gotten, content to save them up until he was finished with the [Winter Court] Dungeon. He felt a slight discontent originating from the System, but that was it. He just hoped that it wouldn¡¯t get mad at him again for not immediately checking his Notifications. He had more important matters to attend to. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Like exploring an icy Dungeon that he anticipated would cause a certain Ice Queen to marvel at. Now grinning, Cyd stepped into the [Winter Court] Dungeon, more than happy to accumulate some experience points before Joram finally got around to choosing a new Class. * * * Joram nearly facepalmed at that thought, wondering just how much work Cyd planned to send his way. He hadn¡¯t yet had time to even start looking into the new Skills he wanted to accumulate in the hopes of gaining a more normal Class selection before getting blindsided by Bryana¡¯s message that morning. Though, given that he only needed to make mental contact with someone to copy a Skill into a Skill Book, maybe that part of his schedule would open up? He¡¯d just need to go around using [Mind Link] or something, then shake their hand to satisfy the physical contact part of creating a Skill Book that way. But, it would likely cause more than a few questions to pop up. Maybe he could just ask the first group of younglings. They would certainly be happy to help him in any way they could, especially if it was such an easy task. If so, then maybe he should just add the lot of them to his Network. It would certainly help in any number of ways, especially when he anticipated how much help they¡¯d be in organizing the anticipated refugees. Well, maybe he should view them as immigrants rather than refugees. He shrugged, as it really didn¡¯t matter what he labelled them as. They might need a new home, and that was enough for him to help. Well, mostly. He wouldn¡¯t do that for just anyone. Shaking his head, Joram produced a batch of ten thousand Tetra-III rings with [True Creation], then used [Reality Revision] to quickly enchant them all at the same time, burning through a pile of Dust Crystals in the process. The enchantments were the same as those for the rings he¡¯d been making up to that point, but with a slight alteration. Instead of being attuned to an individual from the get-go, he¡¯d added a feature to do that on its own. Just put the ring on, and it would attune to the person automatically, making it worthless to anyone else who tried to put it on after that. ¡°Bind on equip,¡± as it was called. He grinned, not caring that he¡¯d stolen the idea from MMOs. It was an annoying mechanic in video games because you couldn¡¯t sell an item you¡¯d outgrown to other players. But in real life, it would save a person from being killed for an item that was effectively useless to anyone else. And now that he¡¯d made it once- well, ten thousand times- he could just use [Summon: All] afterwards to create any more that he might need in the future. And, given just how many people seemed to be flocking to him, he was sure that he would need more than just ten thousand rings. Ding! Joram looked at the latest Notification and smiled.
Congratulations! You¡¯ve levelled up the following Achievement: [Bastion of Civilization IV] -> [Bastion of Civilization VI] Conditions: - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 1,000 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve built shelter for at least 10,000 people with the intent of protecting them, as well as for their future growth. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living that is only had by a select few on your continent. - You¡¯ve created a standard of living that is only had by a select few on your world. Gains: - Increased loyalty of those living in your territory, increased health of your citizens, and lowered animosity/hostility between inhabitants. - The rate at which your people learn is increased. Your people become more like-minded with you, sharing your vision of the future and doing what they can to help realize your vision. - Also, any foreign agents sent to gather information or cause unrest in any territory that you control will soon lose loyalty to their country of origin. They will eventually change allegiance to you, becoming one of your people.
Joram blinked at that, then blinked again. He was sure that he¡¯d passed the one thousand mark quite a while ago, so having [Bastion of Civilization] increase from four to six was unexpected. Though, given how many Notifications he¡¯d- to put it lightly- glossed over, maybe he¡¯d missed it¡­? Shrugging, he wondered how high the Achievement would go, especially given that its requirements seemed to be increasing by factors of ten. Would one hundred thousand citizens get him [Bastion of Civilization VII]? If so, what benefits would that bring? The fifth and sixth level benefits were more than crazy enough. Like, he was beyond thrilled that his people would be healthier, happier, and would even get along better with one another. But the faster learning, let alone the whole ¡°like-minded¡± thing, was just¡­ awesome. If he ignored the System messing with peoples¡¯ heads, that is. He was still more than ambivalent about the System affecting peoples¡¯ heads. But. Was he just kicking the pricks, as it were? He¡¯d agonized about the very same things in the past, unable to really accept it. But. Should he just ¡°give up¡±, as it were? The System was The System. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to change it, nor was he likely going to be able to change how it did things beyond how it showed System Notifications, or how it paid out the currency he got from Looting his foes. So, should he just let go of his thoughts on autonomy? Heck, would he even know if he was currently being influenced by the System? It was, quite frankly, a godly creation, able to influence everything in the world, possibly in all of creation. Shaking his head, Joram let it go. It wasn¡¯t worth worrying about if it wasn¡¯t something that he could change. Maybe one day, if his thoughts on what the System was planning for him were indeed true. But not now. For now, he¡¯d wholeheartedly accept the sixth level of [Bastion of Civilization]¡¯s buff. The part about ¡°foreign agents¡±, that is. If there were indeed spies gathering intelligence on him and everything in his territory, then he would happily ¡°convert¡± them, as it were. Even if they were ¡°friendly¡± spies, they were still spies. So, now a bit curious about how the influence worked, he pulled up the [Help] tab and searched [Bastion of Civilization] for more details. After a few minutes, Joram was grinning in a way that Erys would have approved of. That the Achievement was mostly based off his Charisma Attribute, and to a lesser extent his Intellect and Spirit Attributes, he now had a reason to actively increase his Charisma. Especially since that was what influenced how quickly a foreign agent would be converted.
Charisma 80
Nodding, he quickly sorted out a stack of Dust Crystals he would need to increase his Charisma. It took ten full Dust Crystals to increase an Attribute by one point so, given that he wanted to increase his Charisma by twenty points, he¡¯d only need two hundred Dust Crystals to get there. Which, really, was still crazy. Not that he¡¯d need two hundred Dust Crystals to raise his Charisma by twenty points, but that he only needed two hundred to do that! Then he shook his head, remembering just how ¡°rich¡± he was. And how broken he was. That was effectively two hundred Monster Cores. Well, Purified Monster Cores, known as Crystal Cores. Which was basically unheard of for two reasons. One: Crystal Cores were rare due to how few people there were that could make them. Two: he had been told that SSS Rank Dungeons were basically mythological existences since there were no credible records of one having existed. People just assumed that they could given that Elder Dragons, a SSS Rank being, existed. So, given just how difficult it would be to gather enough S Rank Crystal Cores, he was reasonably sure that only the elite of the elite could afford to increase their Attributes. And that would only be by a few points, given just how expensive even an S Rank Crystal Core was. If he recalled correctly, they each ran somewhere around five hundred platinum coins, or five platinum bars. A ridiculous sum of money that only the richest of merchants or The Bank, could afford. Well, outside of the ruler of a country, that is. So, feeling a bit relieved that he wouldn¡¯t likely find other beings as broken as he was, he gladly spent the two hundred Dust Crystals and raised his Charisma by twenty points. Which then came with the weirdest headrush that he could ever remember having. It was a bit¡­ light-headed and a lot¡­ confidence boosting? He certainly felt more confident about himself, that was for sure. More certain in his decisions. Well, the decisions he¡¯d been making, anyway. But it also came with an increase to his Mana Regeneration. Not a huge amount, but still something. But the most important thing, the whole reason he¡¯d increased his Charisma in the first place, was that the modifiers for how quickly a foreign agent would be converted had increased. Not a crazy amount, but still a respectable amount. Anything helped. Now thinking about his Tower, he wondered if he¡¯d max out the [Bastion of Civilization] Achievement. It would certainly have enough room to house millions¡­ on each level of the Tower. Which would mean that he¡¯d eventually have billions of people under his aegis, possibly trillions. And that was just to start, and with just how crazy the buffs from the Achievement already were, what could he expect when it eventually hit ¡°X¡±? Grinning, Joram continued walking on the road east of Kirkwall, heading east. Well, ¡°walking¡± was a relative term, especially when one had the [Running] Skill. It didn¡¯t just increase your movement speed while actually running, but also increased all of your movement speeds, funny enough. Which meant that he was walking very fast. Probably as fast as a galloping horse, actually. Well, maybe he was power walking. It didn¡¯t really matter a whole lot, because he could just start actually running if he wanted to. The whole point of going as slowly as he was, was to give himself a bit more time to plan. Plan what he¡¯d say, what he¡¯d do given any number of variables that could occur. Though, most revolved around the rebels attacking him no matter what he said. The biggest question in his mind was: should he just kill them all? They were effectively dead people walking since they¡¯d chosen to rebel against the Crown. But, could he swallow killing five thousand some-odd people? He knew that if he¡¯d brought Erys with him, that she wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelash at needing to do such a thing. But he¡¯d purposely not brought her along because of that. He wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, leave something like that to another person, no matter how willing they were. So, what to do? Chapter 119 - Here, you take it.... It seemed as though the answer to that question was ¡°dodge¡±. So, he dodged left, right, up, down, back, up again, then to the left. It wasn¡¯t anything too taxing, nor would the arrows fired by the army¡¯s archers likely hurt him if they hit. But they would still likely put holes in his clothing if they hit. Hence the dodging. He could have just used any number of his Skills to block the projectiles, let alone any of his Powers. However, he found it more amusing to watch the commanders grow increasingly pale as they watched him dodge their volleys of arrows. Heck, even the archers themselves seemed to be questioning their life choices as they watched him easily avoid their attacks. From where he was, Joram couldn¡¯t exactly hear what the commander said next, but it must have been along the lines of ¡°Stop firing. Get the [Mages]¡±, or some such. For moments later, some stereotypically robed figures approached the front lines, though they stayed behind the shield wall that had formed when he¡¯d first approached the army. Curious about what would come next, he activated [Mana Sight] and watched as those robed figures gathered their mana as they shaped their spells. Or were they just Skills? He shrugged, not really caring about the difference, if there was indeed one to be had. He could see, though, that they were a diverse lot. He spotted ice, fire, electricity- er, lightning, water, and wind. Once they¡¯d primed their attacks, another order was barked out before they all let their attacks fly. He idly wondered if he should just cancel-out their attacks with his various Kinesis Skills, for he could surely use the practice. Actual combat practice! Instead, he chose to just use [Telekinesis] to create a large and slightly concave wall of force in front of him, spanning a good fifty metres wide and twenty tall. The impacts weren¡¯t nearly as powerful as he¡¯d thought they¡¯d be, confirming for him that perhaps he was just as broken as he suspected himself to be. Well, his Classes, anyways. Looking through the dispersing elemental attacks, Joram noted that the commanders were certainly less than impressed with the results of that magical volley. He could practically see their blood pressure rising to precarious heights as they called for another volley. Well, he assumed that what they¡¯d ordered, for a few seconds later another volley came. This time, however, the [Mages]- or whatever Class they were- seemed to have packed in as much mana as they could into their spells. Joram appreciated the magical light show, then the magical fireworks as the spells impacted his barrier. The shattered spells were certainly a sight to behold, making him wonder if he should do something similar for New Years¡¯ Eve. ¡±Do they celebrate New Years¡¯ Eve here?¡± He wondered out loud as the commanders of the army seemed to lose their patience. It wasn¡¯t too far away, just over five hundred metres or so. So, he could see their faces turning various shades of red and even purple. Heck, the veins in their necks and faces were bulging out so much he could even see those as they throbbed in time with their overworked hearts. ¡°Maybe healthy lifestyles and physical fitness isn¡¯t a thing here?¡± He wondered out loud, subconsciously taking a liking to voicing his thoughts. ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just lazy nobles? Calisthenics shouldn¡¯t be ignored, no matter your job,¡± he muttered, shaking his head as yet another volley came and shattered on his barrier. Noticing that it was actually depleting slightly, Joram topped-up the mana in the barrier with a thought before once more turning his attention back to the army. He¡¯d wanted to see if he could talk things out with them, but it seemed as though they¡¯d both recognized him and had an irreconcilable grudge with him. Which, really, shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise given that they were reportedly from the capitol, led by various once-upon-a-time nobles. But, given just how little most of that army seemed to want to be there, he felt more than a little reluctant to just annihilate them all. Joram: Hey, do we have a lock on the leaders of this army yet? Aegis: Just give me another minute or two¡­. Joram nodded, glad that there was a possibility of just taking out the leaders without having to eradicate reluctant soldiers. Four more volleys came before Aegis reported that all targets had been acquired, mere moments after he¡¯d decided that he would certainly put on a fireworks display for everyone this New Years¡¯ Eve. Now oddly grateful to the idiots who led the rebel army, Joram used [Telekinesis] again, this time forming a large cone. He then used [Aerokinesis] on the inside of the cone, making a sort of amplification zone that would effectively turn the thing into a megaphone. ¡°Ahem,¡± he cleared his throat, then blinked at just how loud it had been. ¡°To the rebel army. I, Duke Joram Smith, command you to lay down your arms and surrender. Anyone who refuses to comply will face immediate judgement,¡± he said, hoping that he¡¯d sounded professional enough. Watching their reactions, he got the impression that perhaps he¡¯d been moderately successful. He then recalled just how high his Charisma was, and shrugged. If it was anything like how video games did things, he was sure that his crazy Stat had done most of the heavy lifting. He watched as the front ranks immediately dropped their shields and spears, then as the archers dropped their bows. The [Mage]s seemed to be made of slightly sterner stuff, though. They merely stopped channelling their mana. The various commanders, however, looked as though they¡¯d swallowed lemons. Whole lemons that they were now choking on as they began shouting at their army to do this or that. Some people who looked as though they could be personal retainers gathered around the commanders. Even as they gathered, he could see that most were still reluctant. Then, as the commanders seemed to be regaining control of their army, Joram gave Aegis the go-ahead. He¡¯d never witnessed an orbital strike. Sure, he¡¯d seen movies, or really good pre-rendered clips in video games. But, nothing could prepare you for what it looked like in real life. Upon reflection, he should have prepared some really good sunglasses or something, for the pillars of light that fell from the sky were both incredibly powerful and eye-searingly bright. Now, he said ¡°fell¡±, but the columns of energy were so fast that even to his eyes, they appeared to just, well, suddenly appear. The results? M11 used [Regenerate] to keep him from going blind while bodies hit by- what he assumed to be- phasers, instantly disintegrated before boring a hole into the ground. The shots didn¡¯t last more than half a second, but they had certainly left an impression. Screams of fear, confusion, and pain abounded. Of the commanders, nothing remained, not even their various mounts. What shocked him more than a little was the sight of the personal guards all falling to the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Before he could think of a solution, they quickly stopped moving, though they mostly went unnoticed amongst the chaos that followed. Before it could get too bad, he spoke through his megaphone again. ¡°I repeat: surrender or face immediate judgement.¡± He watched as his words registered in their panicked minds. The infantry immediately dropped to the ground, begging for mercy, soon followed by the archers, then the cavalry. Well, the cavalry took a bit longer due to having to calm their mounts, but they did eventually follow suit. The [Mage]s, however seemed petrified. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. They hadn¡¯t moved since the orbital strike. Some still stood, though a good number of them had fallen over. From what he could see, they looked shellshocked. He shrugged. Better that than dead. Especially since he had [Cure: Panacea], something his old world would have greatly benefited from. He looked up at the sky, noting that it wasn¡¯t quite noon yet. If he could get them to break camp, maybe he could get them most of the way to Kirkwall before evening¡­. Nodding, he let his barrier drop and started walking over to the surrendering army. * * * ¡°What¡­¡± Bryana had to pause to wet her throat before she could speak again. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, hoping that she didn¡¯t sound nearly as strangled as she thought she sounded. Her [Diviner]s took a moment to collect themselves, obviously as shaken as she¡¯d been by the astonishing display of casual ultraviolence. ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t know,¡± one said, their name having been forgotten due to her lingering shock. She looked over to Brittany, her Royal Secretary, and saw that her best friend had also been profoundly affected by the [Tactical] Grade magic projected by the [Diviner]s on a large screen hanging in the air in front of them. Brittany wet her lips, then took another few moments to finally speak. ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s one of us,¡± she said, not sounding nearly as certain of her words as Bryana would have liked. ¡°Are we certain that he¡¯s with us?¡± [Grand General] Karstar asked, sounding as stoic as he usually did, providing her with some much-needed stability. ¡°If he can do that, what¡¯s to stop him if he should decide to expand his area of influence?¡± Bryana wanted to immediately defend Joram, but stopped herself. She needed to be impartial, no matter her personal feelings. Her [Grand General] was merely doing his job: assessing potential threats to the Crown and Queendom. ¡°Wren?¡± she asked, turning to her [Spymaster] for her opinion. Her [Spymaster] took a few moments to reply, sounding oddly¡­ distant? ¡°Given what we¡¯ve been able to observe, Duke Smith is more than capable of conquering any country that he sets his eyes on.¡± [Grand General] Karstar snorted his disbelief, managing to move his large moustache with the exhalation of air. ¡°Just because he can use some [Tactical] Grade magic doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t stop him,¡± he asserted, folding his large arms across his barrel chest. ¡°We have our own [Archmage] and many [Grand Magus]es.¡± Bryana nodded, knowing full-well that her queendom had enough military power to easily defend itself from other countries. But thinking back to how Joram had easily defeated so many high level foes, she began to wonder. Wonder if she really knew Joram. Wonder if he really was an [Elder Dragon] in disguise. Wonder just who it was that was backing him, for they hadn¡¯t detected any casting from Joram aside from his use of [Telekinesis] to easily deal with a magical barrage that would have seriously damaged the walls of her capitol. ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Wren went on, shaking her head slightly. ¡°He builds entire ¡®apartment buildings¡¯ taller than any tower I¡¯ve seen in mere hours. We know that Ina¡¯Vaxchisa¡¯Erys, an [Elder Dragon] and [Dimensional Guardian] is, at the very least, subservient to him. Given observations, it¡¯s highly likely that she¡¯s chosen him as a mate. Given the lack of precedence, it his highly unlikely that Joram Smith is a dragon himself,¡± Wren finished with a shrug. ¡°But there¡¯s no evidence that he is a dragon,¡± Bryana said, her denial sounding feeble even to her own ears. ¡°With how much circumstantial evidence there is, it¡¯s either he¡¯s a dragon in disguise, or the [Demon Lord] in disguise,¡± General Karstar rumbled wryly. ¡°The question is: will he remain loyal to the Crown?¡± The all let that question sink in. If Joram could so easily deal with a small army that would have caused even her a small headache, what else could he do? Given that new [Tactical] Grade magic he¡¯d displayed, what damage could he do if he turned it against them? He¡¯d been roughly a third of a mile away from that army when the attack struck. Was that as far as he could use it? Or did it have an even greater range? Could it target more than twenty people at once? Did dividing the strike amongst so many targets reduce its damage? Or was it one of those spells that always did a set amount of damage, no matter the number of targets? She¡¯d known those rebels. They had all been close to Level 30, almost A Rank in power. That they¡¯d died without leaving a trace behind was telling. Then, before her speculations could lead her further astray, she felt one of her rings go cold, indicating a spatial event. Before she could glance to the projection again to make sure that Joram was still there, a letter appeared in the air in front of her, then promptly fell to her feet. Her guards reacted immediately, using their Skills to create layers of wards around the letter as one of the [Diviner]s began casting new divinations. As they worked, Bryana visually inspected the letter. ¡°Say,¡± she started, startling everyone in the room. ¡°Does that look like the same high-quality paper that Duke Smith is known to use?¡± she asked, making Brittany, who stood at her side, blink. ¡°It does¡­¡± Brittany said, not sounding very sure of herself. Or perhaps, not sure of what that letter represented, or meant. Another three minutes passed before the letter was declared ¡°safe¡± to approach. But before she could reach down to pick it up, Brittany beat her to it. Suppressing her annoyance, she allowed her Royal Secretary to basically do her job. Another minute passed before Brittany looked up again, her expression unreadable. She then offered the letter to her, making Bryana blink in surprise. Normally, Brittany would just tell her what was written, usually paraphrasing the contents of a correspondence. Now even more curious, Bryana took the letter and blinked again at what was written. Dear Bryana vas Muryn, I have taken care of the rebels. The majority of them surrendered after their leadership was removed from the board. What would you like me to do with them? Sincerely, Duke Joram Smith That was it. Having grown used to overly-long and wordy correspondences, she was almost offended by just how to the point the letter was. But, reflecting on the writer, she really shouldn¡¯t have been surprised in the least. She looked back at the large screen still showing Joram and the rebels. He was now pointing to people and ordering them about, seemingly readying them to march. She looked over to General Karstar and saw that he was also studying the scene. Captured soldiers were usually ransomed back to their kingdoms. That they were her own people threw her for a loop. What was the protocol for that? ¡°General,¡± she said, passing the letter to an attendant who then brought it to the general. ¡°Your thoughts?¡± He only took a few moments to read it before answering. ¡°He is, at the very least, decisive,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not of a mind to take that lot back into the royal army. He can keep them for all I care.¡± Bryana blinked at that, barely keeping the astonishment from her face. Nearly five thousand troops, let alone the [Mage]s, wasn¡¯t an insignificant resource. That the general would so easily discard them was, quite honestly, out of character for him. Even if they¡¯d been a rebel force. ¡°Why?¡± she asked simply, knowing that he would explain if asked directly. ¡°Once someone goes turncoat, they¡¯ll likely do so again if pressed. With how much those rats have eroded the stability of the queendom, I¡¯ll not trust them to stay quiet. Especially if they¡¯re nearer to people they know.¡± Bryana nodded, understanding the reasoning behind his decision. Still, it wasn¡¯t uncommon to send such people to more remote areas where political influence and resources were scarce. Though, thinking about it more, if they were sent somewhere far enough away, the same situation might repeat itself. Possibly with a poorer outcome. So, she dictated her response to Joram¡¯s enquiry, letting him know that he could do what he wanted with the surrendered army. Then, as a [Mage] cooperated with a [Diviner] to [Teleport] the response back to him, she wondered what his reaction would be. * * * ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Joram cursed in english after having read Bryana¡¯s quick prompt to his letter. He¡¯d been hoping that she¡¯d send someone to collect the small army. Now he was responsible for an extra five thousand some-odd souls to feed and shelter. Not just that, but since Lord Nord had participated in the ridiculousness, she¡¯d even handed over his barony to him. He wondered if he¡¯d need to head over there to consolidate things any time soon¡­. Now in a significantly worse mood than he¡¯d been in, Joram barked his orders for the army to hurry up with breaking camp. He then gave instructions to head to Kirkwall, then to pass south of the town before continuing on west along the road they¡¯d find on the other side of Kirkwall. He also told them that if they deviated from his instructions, that he¡¯d be more than happy to just wipe them all out. Just like he¡¯d do to anyone thinking that they could slip away during the march. With that done, and a somewhat stunned impromptu commander staring at him as though he was an insane dragon, Joram used [Spatial Manipulation] to teleport back to his office. Now that his ¡°territory¡± now included the one-time lands of Lord Nord, he wondered if [Bastion of Civilization] would immediately start working, or if he¡¯d need to ¡°sleep¡± first. Like levelling up in a game. You could get a new ability, but it would only take effect after resting. He shrugged that thought away. It wasn¡¯t entirely relevant, nor did it really matter. Anyone in his territory would be affected by his Achievement¡­. Then he started wondering if that applied to the various ghosts and spirits in the Great Forest. Did it only apply to sapient beings? Did sentient beings count? Did it affect Monsters? He somewhat doubted the last one, though. But if it did apply to sentient beings and up, then perhaps he would wind up having a rather entertaining and useful new resource to tap.