《Bladedancer (Ravos Rebirth vol:1)》


 Chapter 1

    There was music, something the likes of which I had never heard before. It sounded like a methodical ring caused by raindrops pattering on glass. Did my phone update and change my alarm? I thought as I groggily, absently, patted at the¡­ nothing beside me. Why was there nothing? Wasn¡¯t I in bed? Where was my blanket?


    I opened my eyes slowly, blinking away the exhaustion of my abrupt awakening. My sleepiness faded quickly, as I gazed upon the unending white permeating around me. The calm, unrecognizable music filled my ears, seemingly sourceless. I wondered if this was a strange dream. After a lifetime of nightmares and vivid dreaming, it seemed plausible. But, I could feel myself even if nothing around me felt like¡­ anything.


    It felt like I was untethered by gravity. The world around me was just¡­ blank, white, stark brightness. And¡­ I was naked.


    ¡°Aha! You¡¯re awake! Finally.¡± A voice, as ambiguous as my surroundings, echoed around me. I tried to reply but found my voice¡­ unable to escape my throat. ¡°Right, before you ask any of those burning questions you pesky mortals always have, allow me to explain the situation.¡±


    I nodded, unable to do anything else. Immediately after, I saw the individual who was speaking to me start to seamlessly materialize before me. They were¡­ for lack of better words, formless. Like, they were clearly humanoid but with no distinguishable features. Almost like a mannequin. Their body was constantly shifting between someone lithe and small to someone bulky and strong, from male to female, child to adult. It took seeing this to understand why their voice was featureless. Non gendered, not unique aside from the fact that it was indistinguishable, just like their body. The voice changed and shifted with each other word, but it didn¡¯t seem so abrupt, as seamless as their apparition.


    ¡°Okay, first things first, my name is Miamora. I am among a number of other gods who have been given the duty to find the appropriate afterlife for your kin, the humans of your Earth. I suppose that leads to the next thing, you have died. You are no more. I know I know, so sad, so tragic, whatever.¡± The god spoke callous cold words, waiting a moment as they washed over me. Letting them sink in before continuing.


    I''m dead, huh? I guess that makes sense. I thought to myself, making my naked body sit up so I wasn¡¯t just laying and watching the god.


    ¡°You had lived a relatively mundane, innocuous life. Peaceful, no grand achievements, balancing out good and bad actions. You were not particularly evil, nor were you particularly good. At least, up until your death. This was a memory I was forced to remove for you and no, I cannot tell you how you died. For some reason, the memory of it is capable of driving you mortals insane so us gods of the afterlife have agreed to erase them entirely such that your soul does not become corrupted. But, thanks to this forsaken memory and the implications of your death, you are eligible to choose your next step. I will list all of your options, give you a few moments to decide, then let you experience your afterlife.


    ¡°Option number one ¨C oh and these will be in order of my preference ¨C you can volunteer to serve penance in hell for a number of years then reevaluate your options. Mind you, you weren¡¯t quite evil enough to be sent there directly so the number of years you spend there is entirely up to you. Option two, you stick around purgatory for a while. Until your soul is naturally reborn rather than magically. You will eventually reincarnate but you¡¯ll be stuck here, in the endless white with nothing but your own thoughts. For some, this is a worse punishment than hell itself. Option three, you are reincarnated with no memories back to your old world. And last option, you are reincarnated into a different world with different rules, most of your memories intact. You may not choose this world, though I can take some requests into consideration. The memories you¡¯ll lose are things that could otherwise harm the world you¡¯ll arrive in. You¡¯ll keep all personal memories; you¡¯ll still understand most of what you had learned in math and reading and such. You¡¯ll remember the stories from your last life. But taken from you will be how cars work, planes, bombs, guns. How physics works on a larger scale, your understanding of chemistry. You get the idea. Now, any questions, Isaac Duran?¡±


    The god stopped speaking, angling their face towards me in anticipation. I was both overwhelmed and overwhelmingly shocked by the deluge of information. ¡°May I have a few moments to think about what you¡¯ve said?¡± I looked up at the god, my fingers tapping my leg with nervous energy.


    The god simply nodded but kept staring at me.


    Okay¡­ lets think about this. Firstly, gods are real¡­ they exist. While not an atheist, I had always been agnostic, and fairly vocal about the harm that religion was continuously bringing to the world.


    I can think about that later. For now¡­ there are more pertinent things to cover. I¡¯m dead. I died. I felt a pang of sadness, my unbeating heart impaled with emotion. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I was wondering about my brothers, parents, friends, and my girlfriend. How did they all fair? Had they already found out that I died? Were they planning my funeral, preparing to spread my ashes as I had always wished? Who was taking care of my dogs? Either way¡­ I supposed pondering it didn¡¯t change anything. They would either be okay or they wouldn¡¯t.


    Right. Let''s think on the matter at hand. Back to earth, or some mystery world. Already the first two options were¡­ not truly options, not the sort of things that I could ever see myself wanting. If I were to go back to earth would I even be me? Probably not. I want to stay as myself, perhaps that¡¯s the humanity in me. Only one real option then.


    ¡°Uhm, I''m sorry, Miamora, could I make two requests?¡± I asked the god, fairly timidly. My voice was shaking. I didn¡¯t necessarily feel anything from the strange figure, no aura cascading down on me or malice in its actions, but there was something deeply unsettling about them.


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose if it is within my power to grant.¡± Miamora taps their chin, their lips twisting into a grin on their featureless face.


    ¡°Can you make me human, or at least humanoid again? And for the second, uhm, could you send me to a world that contains magic?¡± I felt a bit greedy with my second request.


    The grin, toothy and strange, reshapes slightly, growing wider, literally reaching their ears. Or where their ears should be. It reminded me of the symbiotes from Marvel comic books. What were initially human-like teeth fell out, vanishing as they were replaced with jagged sharp knifelike teeth, their mouth twisting to accept the new shape. ¡°So, you would like to be reincarnated with some memories intact? Both requests are doable, now if you don¡¯t mind, I must get going. Enjoy your new life. I do hope I don¡¯t see you here again for quite some time.¡± They snapped their fingers as they cackled slightly, the once jovial and callous voice turning into something crueller. Slightly nightmarish. As the resonance of the snap fades the world around me shifted from endless white to a limitless black. ¡°Good luck, and remember, all choices have their consequence.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the least bit ominous.


    There wasn¡¯t much to do in this darkness. In fact I couldn¡¯t even really move, all I could do was think. Imagine. Sleep. Occasionally, after the first eternity, I could hear some warbled sounds. Warped voices, maybe? Oftentimes I could feel myself shifting, bouncing, shaking. After much too long I came to the realization that I was a fetus, stuck in a womb. It made sense, though I was shocked that I was coherent during the process. It was a strange realization, to know that I was inside of some woman''s womb. That I was going to be born again, and have to live through my childhood again. Perhaps this time I wouldn¡¯t make so many mistakes, maybe I''d have more confidence in myself. More friends.


    Despite the strangeness, it was a good time to think. To plan out what I want to do. In my past life I was a blue collar worker turned into an engineer, I had died in my twenties. I knew that even after I was able to speak I should probably keep my reincarnation a secret even from those close to me. I also knew that so long as the god had been honest, I would want to learn magic. Maybe become an adventurer of some kind if that were a possibility. I would definitely be interested in dabbling with swordplay, blacksmithing, and other professions whenever possible but my focus would likely fall on magic and enchanting. I mean, why would I not focus on launching lightning bolts and turning mundane gear into magical mythical artifacts? Maybe I could find a way to fly, not like in a plane but under my own strength. I could conjure beasts, increase the growth of plants, create a space of my own. So many possibilities. So many fantasies.


    I could finally do something meaningful, if only I had the power. I knew it would take effort, but I also realized that with my youthful brain I''d be able to form better habits right away. Hopefully.


    Before too long, a few months I¡¯d guess, I felt my body being pushed and squeezed. Pushed and pulled, it hurt. The worst pain I¡¯d felt even in my past life. I whimpered as finally I saw light. Blaring light. It blinded me, and the sound of screaming ravaged my ears. I started crying¡­ wait I had already been crying. Screaming. The sound was me. I felt someone wiping me down with a cloth, somewhat rough. I was turned towards a smiling face as the person holding me wrapped me in a towel, handing me to a beaming woman. She held me up, looking elated and exhausted. Behind me a bright yellow light shone and I heard the woman holding me sigh in relief. I looked back toward the light, seeing only bloody sheets and a woman dressed in bloody white beginning to clean up. It took a moment for me to realize she was likely the nurse or doctor who helped my mother give birth. I guess that made the woman holding me my mother.


    I turned my focus back to her, I tried to speak but it came out as a garbled mess. Made sense. She turned to talk to a man who was standing, looking terrified and excited, to the side of the bed. My mother was beautiful, even sweaty and covered in just a sheet. Even bloody and exhausted. She had piercing green eyes and dark red hair. Her smile was radiant. She was speaking to the man as she pulled me close, cuddling me, cradling me. The words they were saying sounded akin to gibberish to me. Must be a different language to English, I supposed that made sense. I turned my head to observe my dad.


    He was tall. Perhaps because I was tiny, but he looked larger than average. He was well built too, muscular. Dressed in a simple tunic. He was handsome, blue eyes and brown hair. He had a huge smile plastered on his face as my mother held me up to him, he looked scared as he held me but elated also. He was saying something to me. His lip quivered as tears streaked down his face. My mother was giggling at him, as she laid back down and closed her eyes. My father sat back down, cradling me in his arms.


    I watched them both steadily, noticing the doctors or healers or whatever were all gone now. I forced myself to stop crying. To stop screaming. Instead I pushed out some happy babbling and gave out a giggle, rousing my dozing mother as she exclaimed excitedly. My father looked so happy, like he was melting. I suppose I must''ve been their first child, it would probably be easy to get what I wanted in the future if I had to.


    My life went by quickly. The years seemed both long and short, only long due to the lack of entertainment. This world did not have any sort of technology, and plays in my smallish town were rather scarce. Even still, despite the lack of entertainment, I was able to make my own. I made a few friends although I found it slightly exhausting to deal with them, given the difference in our maturity levels. Granted, I still had the mind of a six year old despite the over twenty years I had lived before.


    My time thus far was primarily spent learning, playing, doing chores, and sleeping. I started helping with minor chores a couple years ago, after I turned four. My parents still didn¡¯t let me do too much but even so, I tried to help where I could. I''d help with the dishes, and help my mother with the laundry, primarily just folding dried clothes after she had washed them on the washboard by the river. Sometimes, she''d have me sweep the inside of the house or make the beds. Nothing overly difficult.


    ¡°Lios, come help me with supper.¡± I heard my mother Elaine call out to me from inside of our quaint house. It consisted of one dedicated bedroom, a small living space, a kitchen, and a space for a dining table. Outside, behind the house, we had an outhouse to do our business in. My bed, after I turned five, was in the lounge room. Previously I had stayed in the bedroom with my parents but evidently, the insomnia from my previous life carried over to this one. My parents had grown tired of waking to my restlessness a few times a week. I think that was only part of the reason. My parents were actively practicing for another child, they probably didn¡¯t think I knew what those sounds were but, unfortunately, I did.


    My full name was Alexilios. As we were peasants and non-nobles we were not granted a surname, only a first. My mother was a seamstress, a tailor. My father was a guard, prior to meeting my mother he was an adventurer.


    I rushed toward the door from the front of our house. I had been playing with a stick, treating it like a sword. Some things seemed to transcend worlds, and kids playing hero was one of them. I hastily scraped the dirt from the bottom of my boots on a post set up just outside of the door. My mother had previously protested allowing me to help in the kitchen, for a few reasons. One, knives were dangerous. Two, it was not a place for men. But truthfully, despite the misogyny at work I had been insistent, claiming it would be necessary for me to learn to cook so I could take care of myself should I go on adventures like my father. She had pursed her lips at that statement before relenting, allowing me to help. That reason was true enough, but the other was that I wanted to move away from the bland food I was constantly eating. It had some flavor, but in my past life seasonings were available in abundance, whereas here most of them were treated as a luxury. My mother would still not allow me to use the herbs in the garden or seasonings as I wished, saying the herbs she kept were reserved for medicine. It was one of the ways my mother made money, as tailors were not uncommon even in our small town. After all, everyone needed clothes. She sold the herbs to a local alchemist semi regularly, whenever they were ready.


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    I burst into the kitchen excitedly. As it was my birthday, mother was making a hearty stew using extra ingredients. We weren¡¯t particularly poor, but we were not wealthy either. My father made around 15 silvers a month, and my mother made maybe 5. 20 silver may not sound like much, but it was roughly the equivalent of $2500 dollars from my past life. Not a huge amount, but for people living simply without extraneous bills and expenses such as tv, phone bills, car bills and so on, it was quite enough to live comfortably but not necessarily enough for spices and other ingredients to be frequently used. Most of our meals were similar to todays, but with less meat.


    I stood on a step stool, grinning as my mother had already prepped my work station. She had a small knife and a stack of vegetables on the counter ready for me. She would occasionally let me cut veggies and it seemed today was one such occasion. Before me were some carrots, two onions, and some potatoes. My mother was seasoning the beef roast she had acquired earlier. I started cutting them, a bit clumsily but still making fairly even cubes of the vegetables. I listened contentedly to my mothers humming, ignoring the tears flowing down my cheeks while cutting the onions. I was still a bit miffed that she wouldn¡¯t let me try cooking with her herbs, but I suppose I could try that later in life when I became an adventurer.


    It didn''t take long for me to finish cutting the vegetables. As soon as I was done, my mother threw them into the dutch oven as she gingerly placed the seared beef in as well, along with a few other ingredients I didn¡¯t recognize. I looked up at my mother with puppy dog eyes, pleading with her. ¡°Can I go and play with Bri?¡±


    Bri was a fox that I had found around a year ago. It was injured, just a baby. I had convinced my parents to help me to help her. To take care of her. It wound up with me begging them and them reluctantly agreeing. Her name, Bri, was really Brioche. A type of bread from my original world. She was not domesticated or tamed by any means, but she still let me play with and pet her. Even in all of our times playing, she hadn¡¯t hurt me despite having razor sharp teeth and claws.


    ¡°Fine, but I swear to the gods above, if you are late for supper I will make you do all of the chores in this house on your own. For a whole month, understood mister?¡± She had on her face a slight smirk, but her tone was deadly serious.


    ¡°Yes mother I understand!¡± I called out as I swiftly departed our dwelling. I remembered to grab some of the meat scraps my mother had trimmed from the roast. I sprinted towards Brioche¡¯s den, ducking under tree branches and leaping over fallen sticks as fast as I could. I knew supper would be in only a few hours, four or so. Before long I made my way to where I knew the red foxes den would be. I sat with my back against a log as I called out, ¡°Bri-Bri.¡± And whistling softly, not trying to garner the attention of the stronger beasts that also called this forest a home.


    While I waited for her I pondered how to approach the topic on my mind with my parents. I wanted to ask them for some additional teachings, to help me realize my dream of being an adventurer or at least some kind of wandering mage. I wanted my dad to teach me swordplay, and mother to teach me to read and write. Normally, I''d be going to school at this age, but this world was different. Schools weren¡¯t commonplace, and there were no schools sponsored entirely by the government. Each kingdom had an academy of sorts, but students could only attend after the age of ten, after they gained access to the system, and it required a hefty lump sum to even attend. Not the sort of thing we could afford. Not that I wanted to attend school anyway, in my past life I had been an awful student.


    My thinking was disrupted as I heard the rustling of bushes as Brioche wandered out towards me. She yipped and bounded in my direction, quickly curling in my lap. She sniffed my hand as I pulled the scraps out and held it out to her. I pet her with my other hand as the wild animal fed from my palm, giggling a little bit. It never got old. I had always loved animals, and it was nice to have one I could play with. She scarfed down the meat, before gently licking my hand clean of the juices. After she was done, she gave my hand a small nip before backing away, indicating she wanted to play. My father always warned me to be careful of her, she was a wild animal after all, and animals were granted access to the system far earlier than human children were.


    The system was what allowed people to grow so far. It was some sort of interface that people could use to enhance themselves. People were granted access to the system when they reached their tenth birthday. Until then, children were just children. Even once they received access they started at level one, gaining some experience for their actions and achievements prior to that age, and didn¡¯t gain a class until they reached level ten. But monsters always had access to the system, though it worked differently for them, they could evolve and gain wonderous abilities but only if they met the appropriate qualifications. So I had to take extra care when playing with Brioche. More than I would take otherwise.


    Even still, I got on all fours and playfully growled at the small red fox. She let out a small laughing growl before pouncing towards me, her tail flicking through the air. I caught her gently pushing her to the ground and tickled her, as she nipped at my hands. Her piercing teeth did not penetrate my skin but still hurt. I backed off and batted at her as she started dancing around me, yipping and barking.


    We played like this, on the ground, until both of us were out of breath. By this time I looked up toward the sun, and scolded myself. The sun had passed the horizon of treetops, so I knew it was nearly time for supper. I stood up, looking down as my furry friend yelped for more attention, but all I could do was give her a farewell pat on the head and a few extra scritches.


    ¡°I know I know, I''ll come back as soon as I can, okay?¡± I wished I could take her as a regular pet but that wouldn¡¯t be possible with my parents.


    I sprinted through the woods, leaving her behind. As I ran, I thought again about my future, it was unfortunate that many of my traits carried over between lives and one of them was my indecisiveness. I still had lofty goals, but it flickered from being an enchanter, a beast tamer, and a magic warrior. As far as I knew there wasn¡¯t an individual class that did all these things, least of all at such an early level, so I''d likely have to wait until my second class at level 50. I would have to take things a step at a time, I knew I had to wait until level 10. I also knew, from what my parents had taught me so far about general skills, that there was a skill for beast taming. It wasn¡¯t quite as strong as a class skill devoted to the same thing, but it wouldn¡¯t impede my first class, which I wanted to be devoted to combat. There were also at least a few general skills that were helpful for enchanting, so I didn¡¯t have to devote myself to an enchanting class right away. Between the [sigaldry], [runesmithing], [runic etching], and other skills, I would have options. On top of a second class, there was also the possibility of hitting a third although it was extremely rare and confirmation on it was varied. Each class would come with 10 unique skills. I would at least need one skill that allowed me to manipulate mana in order to use magic.


    I broke free of the forest, dirty and panting and sweaty. Looking up I saw the sun behind some clouds, a few hours from setting. Around six pm if I was in the old world. I rushed to the well behind our home, pulling the bucket and splashing some water over myself with a somewhat dirty cloth, cleaning off most of the dirt. Then, not slowing down I rushed toward the front door and slammed it open just as mother was plating the stew and bread.


    ¡°Cutting it rather close, aye boy?¡± My father laughs as I step inside, not forgetting to scrape my boots free of dirt first.


    ¡°So he made it after all.¡± My mother sighed and passed a couple of pieces of copper to my father. They often would place bets about rather mundane things.


    I stuck my tongue out at her knowing she was hoping she could stick me with more chores for the next month. ¡°What, disappointed I listened?¡±


    She shrugged and plated us each some food, a healthy helping of stew, some chopped apples-they were in season-, and a thick slice of fresh baked fluffy bread.


    ¡°Wooow it looks so good!¡± I practically salivated as she placed the plate before me, and I plopped down in my chair eagerly. The food really did look delicious, not quite up to par with some meals from my old life but that was okay.


    ¡°Did anything exciting happen today at work Father?¡± I ask before blowing on a forkful of stew and chomping it down. ¡°Hashhyshashyshahs.¡± I blew through my mouth trying to cool down the scalding meat as it burned my tongue.


    My father, being a guard, had far more responsibilities in our small town than a guard in a larger city might have. We had no adventurer¡¯s guild in town so the guards were often in charge of pushing back or slaying any monsters or ravenous beasts in the area, on top of dealing with the criminals in town as well. Of course, they could only handle so much and if there was a threat outside of their purview they could outsource to one of the guilds in the cities. Most days were, thankfully, boring for him, but he had his fair share of tales to weave.


    ¡°Lios, it just got pulled from the pot, it''s hot!¡± My mother scolded me with a hint of amusement. Fortunately, my father made the same mistake, taking a large hot bite of potato as he tried to still consume it instead of spitting it out. My mother smacks his arm lightly, endearingly.


    ¡°No, today was slow. Although, remember that boy Regulus?¡± Father slowly blew on the next bite, not wanting to burn himself again.


    ¡°Vaguely,¡± Came my reply through a mouthful of bread.


    ¡°He was apparently accepted as a squire for a knight of Lord Barrinston.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice. I''m sure his papa is thrilled.¡±


    ¡°He sure is, Lios! Wouldn¡¯t stop talking about it.¡± My father spoke through a full mouth, beaming.


    I sat quietly for a few minutes, eating slowly, careful not to scald my tongue further. I was a bit nervous, there was something I''d been wanting to request from my parents, but I was unsure if they''d even take it seriously considering I was only six years old. I struggled to work up the nerve to ask, my mom and dad making idle talk, my mother talking about how she just finished fixing a cute dress for one of the girls my age across town, my father still talking about Regulus the squire.


    Finally, as my plate dwindled and my tummy filled, I spoke up. ¡°Uhm¡­ ma, pa? there was something I wanted to ask you¡­ well request of you both.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but stammer a bit, orating was never something I was good at. I waited as they both turned their attention to me, squirming under their gaze.


    My father nodded and slowly spoke, ¡°Go ahead son.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if, father, you could teach me how to fight with a sword¡­ possibly other weapons as well.¡± I looked him in the eyes, hoping he¡¯d see my conviction. I saw him working his jaw wondering what to say but before he could respond I looked at my mother, certain that even if father refused his request she would not. ¡°And if maybe you could teach me to read and to write soon. Oh, and one more thing, though this one is probably less immediate,¡± While I had learned to read and write in my past life, the language here was vastly different. Even so I was keenly aware of how much more maturely I spoke than the others my age. This was part of why I had few friends, though I wasn¡¯t really picked on either, just drifting as an outlier. If this was my old world I''d be attending school at this age, but unfortunately schools weren¡¯t a big thing here. ¡°But if after you teach me to read you could get me a book on uhm runes. Or a couple as I know there are a few different runic languages, right? But I can find a way to pay for it! I''ll do extra chores or even sweep the guards barracks for coin if needed.¡± I looked between them both hesitantly, the thin confidence that developed during my request fading, leading to me trailing off.


    I sat in a trepidatious silence, watching as my parents exchanged a look, both thinking of what they should say. My father started first, slowly speaking but not with any condescension. He was speaking to me like I was an adult, rather than his young, not even adolescent son. ¡°Why do you wish for me to teach you to wield a sword and other weapons?¡±


    I looked him in the eyes, steeling myself. The real reason was not something I felt I could share just yet. The fact that in my past life I had not amounted to much. I had been a disappointing son, a half assed engineer, and an overweight gamer with lofty ideals and without the means to accomplish them. I had thought a lot about what I''d like to do in this life, and I had a plan. I was uncertain if it was even possible but I''d be damned if I wasted another life, another chance. The first few steps to my first goal were at least achievable before I gained levels and the system; I would learn to fight, and I could learn at least the fundamentals of enchanting. From what my parents had told me thus far, an individual could do almost anything the system would allow should they have the requisite knowledge to do so. This meant that even without a skill I could read runes, write them, infuse them with mana and enchant things, but having skills related to this would only help. There were of course certain skills that would only be possible with the systems help, but a majority of things were possible without.


    ¡°I want to be an adventurer. Like the ones in your stories, who save people and fight monsters. Who helps when they¡¯re needed and are able to protect the ones they love.¡± I say sincerely.


    My parents looked at me, blinked, then burst into laughter. My father in particular looked extremely amused. While I felt self-conscious, their laughing helped to break the awkward tension I was feeling. ¡°Well, Elaine, I think the boy is quite serious about this. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ he certainly does seem to be sure about this.¡± She twirled her red hair with her fingers, something she often did while thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there''s any real harm in you training Lios. Just don¡¯t go too hard on him, he is just a boy.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. If I train you it''ll be very difficult. It will put a strain on you, you will feel it from day one. And if you want to quit you may do so at any time, but you won''t have another opportunity to have me teach you. Understood, Lios?¡± My fathers tone went from jovial to serious rather quickly. He looked me in the eyes, holding my gaze as he warned me how difficult my training could be. He had a very dedicated mindset, firmly believing that people should give their all to whatever they wanted to do. There was no fifty percent effort, only one hundred.


    ¡°Yes father, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. About the book on runes, that may be difficult to find here. Our town isn¡¯t the largest, nor do we have a market for magical texts. But it should be possible if we wait long enough. The books won''t be overly expensive but I''m sure your mother wouldn¡¯t mind you picking up additional chores either way.¡±


    I nod my affirmation. ¡°So, then, you''ll train me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Now I must go prepare a few things, but I will wake you early tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell you your schedule then.¡± My father passed his plate to me and stood up, having cleaned it of everything including the gravy by soaking it with the bread.


    My mother stood up and did the same. ¡°I¡¯ll see about finding a book or two and some paper and ink. Since it''s so late you may have to use charcoal instead of a quill tomorrow but that shouldn¡¯t last overlong.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!!¡± I said exuberantly as I rushed to wrap them both in a hug, truthfully only reaching their bellies. I may have been more mature than the average six-year-old but I still had the mind of a child. Despite having lived an extra twenty-six years I could not escape the fact that my brain, my hormones, my body all belonged to a six-year-old. This meant I had more energy and was much less disciplined in handling my emotions. Or at least thats what I told myself whenever I acted like a kid.


    They both hugged me back before departing to do their shopping, my father chuckling and tussling my hair. ¡°You may not be thanking me tomorrow, ya know.¡±


    I spent the next few minutes gathering and cleaning all the dishes used for dinner. I then cleaned up and tidied the house. In my past life I was a bit of a slob, and that was a trait I definitely didn¡¯t want  to carry over to this one. Afterward, knowing it was to be a long and early day tomorrow, I made my way to bed. I was already fast asleep before my parents returned.

 Chapter 2

    The next morning came quickly, with my father abruptly interrupting a dream about cooking delicious food. I groggily sat up, not protesting, before eagerly donning a simple sleeveless shirt and brown pants that tied in the front. The fabric was a bit rough, but they were sturdy, breathable, and flexible.


    ¡°Good morning. Come outside with me, no need to wake your mother.¡± My father said in a hushed tone.


    I nodded and followed him, taking my boots outside with me but not donning them. He led me to a clearing behind our house and garden, a stretch of land free of trees and buildings about a hundred feet between our home and the forest.


    ¡°Before I can teach you I¡¯ll need you to come at me with everything you¡¯ve got.¡± He grinned as he tossed me a dull, battered training sword. It was a shortsword but felt much more like a bastard sword to me, considering my size. I blinked, looking down at the floor as it hit the grass, and back up at my callous cocky father. I picked up the sword, feeling its weight. I gave it a few practice swings, slicing through the air. I could tell already my technique is sloppy, I wasn¡¯t delusional. It also felt heavier than I had expected. I knew that swords typically ranged from one to five pounds in my last world, but I was unsure if with levels that would still be the case. However, feeling the weight of the blade in my hands I understood it was likely still the case, for amateur swords at least.


    After my practice swings, I turned towards my father, holding the sword with both hands. I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe that my having a weapon while he was unarmed was to my advantage. The man had decades more experience than I did, alongside the benefits of skills and levels. I steeled myself, ready to give this quick spar everything I could.


    I swung the sword at him, a soft whistle following the tip of the straight sword. It was similar to the medieval straight swords I had seen knights use in movies, just much more ragged and beat. I did my best to only swing the blade as much as I had to, to not let its weight pull me. I was slightly successful but even still, my inexperience and my age showed through. My father simply stepped outside of my range as I slashed at him once again, each time taking a few leisurely movements to dodge my strenuous ones. It frustrated me, the difference that levels could make. The cockiness on his face as he observed me. I growled, irate at the nonchalance he was showing me, and lunged at him, thrusting the sword towards his belly.


    Then I had a thought. It was crazy but even though he was training me I wanted to land at least one hit on him. So I did something I had seen plenty of in media, I swung at him but as I reached the apex of the swing I released the blade having known he would dodge it again. I used the momentum to twist my body and lash out with a kick, letting the tip of the blade penetrate the ground. As I kicked at my father, I felt it connect with his arm, his eyes a little wider than before. I spun, grabbing the sword again as I did so, twisting to slash at him diagonally. I kicked off of the ground and stabbed at him again, as he sidestepped, I changed my thrust into a horizontal slash, desperate to hit him. He just caught the blade and smiled at me.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen enough.¡± He grinned, tapping his chin as he considered how I fought. ¡°You have decent battle instincts, or at least decent ideas when fighting, but your sword work is sloppy. The first thing we¡¯ll do is ingrain the eight basic sword techniques into you. After I show them to you, I¡¯ll have to head to work, and aside from some sparring in the mornings these will be your exercises until you can complete a hundred of each within two hours. That¡¯s roughly 6 practice swings a minute. It''s intense but doable, though it may take you a month or more to be capable of it. Understood?¡±


    I nodded at him, panting a bit. The brief spar winded me, my heart was pounding in my chest, and sweat dripped down my face. ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    He took the training sword from me, the weapon looking small next to him. ¡°Watch carefully. I will show you each of the basic techniques, afterward we should have enough time for me to watch you do a couple of each. Also, pay close attention to my stance.¡± He took a wide stance, both feet shoulder length apart. Knees slightly bent, he raised the sword. ¡°First, vertical downward cleave.¡± He swung it down, the wind whistling and screaming. ¡°Second, upward vertical cleave.¡± He swung it back up, having to twist his arms a bit to do so effectively. ¡°Diagonal downward slash, both left to right and right to left.¡± He demonstrated both, using only one hand instead of two. ¡°Aaand back up.¡± He swung the sword back up, from left hip to right shoulder then from right hip to left shoulder. ¡°And finally horizontal.¡± Left to right, right to left. ¡°Those are the eight most basic sword swings. Of course, there¡¯s much more to swordplay, but you¡¯re not ready for that yet. So, for now you will do these eight techniques in repetition until you can complete one hundred of each within two hours. On top of those I''ll have you do a basic calisthenics workout; pushups, sit-ups, squats, and a twenty kell jog. Once you can do that, you¡¯ll be ready for me to teach you some footwork. We will spar every morning and I will give you tips each time.¡±


    He handed me back the sword. ¡°Now, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    I took the sword and took up the same stance that he did, one foot slightly behind me and straight with another in front, knee bent, about two and a half feet apart. He stepped behind me, using his feet to adjust mine, holding my shoulders and guiding me into a proper stance. ¡°Good, back straight. Bend your knees a little. Now, vertical downward cleave.¡± I did as he said, adhering to his guidance. I slashed downwards, stopping before the tip of the sword tore into the earth.


    ¡°Okay now upward slash.¡± I did that as well, and we rinsed and repeated with each technique. He gave me some advice at each stage before having me repeat the cycle.


    I followed his instructions, staring straight ahead as he had me repeat the cycle a few times. After a bit he looked up to the sky, noting the sun cresting over the trees. ¡°I should probably make my way to the guardhouse. You did good, although you were fairly stiff. You''ll get it eventually. You''ll need to take breaks. Start with 25 of each thing, including the pushups, situps and all. This is your first day training, no need to burn yourself out before you even get started.¡± He put a hand on my head, not minding the sweat wetting my hair. ¡°Oh and make sure you stop for lunch and drink plenty of water. Its important.¡± With that he walked back towards the house, leaving me to my training.


    I already knew it was going to be too hot to keep my thick shirt on so I took it off, also taking off my heavy boots so I was barefoot in the grass. I swung my sword, standing still. I swung it again and again. It was exhausting, the three pound sword now feeling like it was thirty. I committed to doing 25 of each technique. After an hour I had completed half, my progress slowing as I felt the burning of every muscle in my arms, shoulder, back and chest. At first, despite moving somewhat slowly I was able to do upwards of around ten swings a minute. But my endurance quickly proved to be unable to handle that, so I slowed down even further to six a minute, as my father had recommended. Unfortunately I had to take a few breaks between repetitions to ensure I didn¡¯t overwork myself.


    As soon as I completed my final swing, twenty-five of each type, I sauntered to the well and pulled up a bucket of water. I drank straight from a ladle and poured the cold water on my back and chest and head uncaring that it was wetting my pants as well. Then I collapsed, falling to the ground with the sun beating down on my chest, my back growing dirty as the soil combined with my sweat. My entire body screamed in relief as I lay there closing my eyes. After what seemed like mere moments I heard my mother call out to me from the front door.


    ¡°Lios come in for lunch!¡± Grumbling, I stood up, feeling my body cry to me. But it was a good ache, an ache that proved I was making some progress at least. That said I did something, that the exercises weren¡¯t for nothing. I slowly walked through the garden. While my legs were not under as much strain and duress as the rest of my body, they were still aching from holding my stance for so long.


    As I stepped closer to the door, seeing my mother watch for me, I saw her glance up and down my body, pursing her lips. She noted the dirt, the sweat, the exhaustion in my eyes despite my only practicing for a few hours total. ¡°Perhaps you should eat outside today, enjoy the fresh air.¡± She suggested in a tone that made it clear it was not just a suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll be back out with some food and juice.¡±


    ¡°Yes mother, thank you.¡± I replied quietly before sitting down and leaning against the house, feeling the rough stone of our foundation at my back.


    It didn''t take long for her to return. She set a plate with bread, smoked beef, cheese, and a glass of juice next to me. I quickly got to work turning it into a sandwich of bread, cheese and beef and took three quick large gulps of the juice feeling refreshed.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard kiddo, you have a few years yet before you need to think about being strong.¡± She voiced her concern as she looked down at me, hands on her hips.


    ¡°No need to worry Ma, I¡¯ll be okay I promise.¡± I said between bites of my sandwich. ¡°You¡¯ll still be teaching me later, yes?¡±


    She sighed wearily. ¡°If you''re even able to stay awake. I swear what is your ol¡¯ man making you do?¡± Without waiting for a reply, she went back inside for a few moments before coming back out and refilling my glass of juice. ¡°Drink your fill, and remember to hydrate as you train. And don¡¯t stay out in the sun too long you''re already starting to burn and¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, I promise I''m okay. I¡¯ll take plenty of breaks. I''m taking it as easy as I can but I still want to push myself a little bit.¡± I smiled at her before taking a long drink of the juice. It wasn¡¯t quite orange or grapefruit but something in between. Our town wasn¡¯t too far from the ocean and was located pretty far south so we had access to many tropical fruits and vegetables. We even grew a few fruit trees within the tree line of the forest behind the house.


    ¡°I just worry about you son, you''re too young to be worried about this kind of thing¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°But I ¡®spose nothing I say will stop you huh?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nothing. Besides, I¡¯ll probably be a ladies man once I get strong, isn¡¯t that a consolation?¡±


    ¡°You''re just like your father. Okay fine. Just make sure you wash up before supper or I''ll make your father be stricter on your exercises.¡± She shook her head but looked at me endearingly.


    ¡°Yes mother. I guess I should get back to it, no time like the present.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like that saying¡­ where did you hear it?¡± I froze a little, I didn¡¯t realize I was using idioms from my past life.


    ¡°Oh just¡­ heard another kid say it, maybe he picked it up from his parents? Anyway, I''ll be off.¡± I stood and stretched a bit before taking off slowly toward the clearing where I had left the training sword.


    ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t forget to take breaks, and I¡¯ll have clean clothes waiting for you when you get back.¡± She waved me off.


    I nodded and waved back before I started working on doing my pushups and sit-ups and squats. They were agonizing. My body was already in such pain that each push up made me tremble. I could only do a few at a time before needing to rest and settled for doing twenty-five of everything this time as well. After around two hours I finished the last of my exercises for the day, my small body covered in sweat and dust. I went to collect the soap and towel and clothes my mother had set out for me before trekking through the woods towards a small, isolated creek my father would take me to to wash up every so often. On the way I ran past my fox friend''s burrow and stopped for a few moments. It didn¡¯t take long for the ball of affection to run up to me.


    ¡°Hi Bri-Bri I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have any snacks, but we can play for a few moments!¡± I sat on the ground, my back against a fallen log as she came and cuddled in my lap for a bit, letting me pet her as she gave occasional affectionate licks and nips to my hand. The wild fox snuggled against me lovingly, adoring having her fur stroked.


    It felt like the next hour and a half went by in a flash, sitting near the fox¡¯s burrow and just relaxing for a bit. Before too long I had to leave, to go take my bath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Brioche but I have to go wash up before dinner okay?¡±


    Almost as though the animal understood me, she rolled around and presented me her belly to pet, as if to try to convince me to stay. I laughed and scratched her belly for a few moments before standing up, and walking the rest of the way to the creek. Before I got too far I realized Brioche was following me but I didn¡¯t mind.


    There was a thin footpath leading to our spot, and once there I set all my clean clothes on a rock where Brioche decided to sunbathe a bit. Afterwards I stripped down, completely naked, and stepped into the creek until I found a rock that I liked to sit on while bathing, once I sat the water reached up to my chin. The water was cold and brisk, but after the day¡¯s events the cold felt heavenly.


    After a moment of basking in the coolwater I started to use a piece of cloth to wipe away the dirt and sweat, nearly jumping out of my skin when I heard someone clear their throat. I jumped and started to turn around. ¡°Nono hun, don¡¯t turn. Keep facing the way you''re facing.¡± The feminine voice twinkled lightly but firmly, stopping me in my tracks.


    ¡°Apologies ma''am I didn¡¯t realize there was someone else bathing in this creek.¡± I said relaxing and sinking back into the water. I started to wash off the dirt and sweat from my back, now also accompanied by leaves and twigs from playing with Brioche.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t turn around okay, kiddo? I don¡¯t need you asking your parents about lady parts.¡± She giggled this time, the sound following the cadence of the running river.


    ¡°I know about¡­ Nevermind, but don¡¯t worry I wont take a peak.¡± I continued to scrub the places I could reach, hoping the water would help wash away the rest.


    After a few moments of watching me struggle to clean my back she giggled again. ¡°Let me help with that.¡± Her voice appeared far away but without making another sound she seemed to teleport behind me. I stiffened up as she took the cloth from my hand, reaching over my shoulder, and started to wash me. I glanced at the water and noticed no ripples or movement from it.


    ¡°H. how did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what? Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Her voice was definitely closer than before, which I supposed was a given. ¡°Now tell me, how in the world did you get so dirty?¡±


    ¡°I was training, is all¡­¡± I replied, unsure if there was any merit in saying more.


    ¡°Oh I see. Interesting. And what is one so young training so hard for? You can''t have even gained the system yet.¡± She laughed in a motherly way, her voice sounding like the river itself.


    ¡°I wanted to get a headstart. It¡¯s never too early to start on one¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°Ooh I understand. How tenacious you are, aren¡¯t you? Here I thought that you humans would instead opt for playing rather than reaching for growth.¡±


    You humans?


    ¡°I suppose I''m likely an outlier¡­ But what do you mean by you humans? Are you not one?¡±


    ¡°Hehe no I am not. But that isn¡¯t so important as you may think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I considered what she said. I knew the world housed other species, but I had yet to pay witness to any others. Our small town of Arborton was home to only humans. ¡°Might I have your name, miss?¡± I requested quietly, sure she would hear me. My theories already running wild.


    ¡°Hmm there¡¯s no harm in that. My name is Brook.¡± She said with much less of the twinkle and natural cadence I''d already come to expect from her, her voice was instead rumbly, like the rapids of the river. It was interesting how natural the sudden shift felt. ¡°Your back is clean now. And it''s starting to get rather late, I¡¯m sure your parents are beginning to woe over your absence.¡±


    I sighed as I felt her drift away from me. I turned towards the shore, noticing that Brioche had left again, but not worrying too much about it. The fox could take care of herself and often did. ¡°Thank you, Miss Brook. My name is Lios.¡± I didn¡¯t receive a reply. After I made my way to shore and retrieved my towel I turned to look at the stream not seeing any sign of Brook. After looking around for several minutes I finally dressed and went back home, barely making it before dinner was served.


    ¡°Always cutting it rather close, aint ya boy?¡± My father calls me out as I step into the house smelling fresh roasted fish and potatoes.


    ¡°Papa, is there a woman named Brook in town?¡± I asked as I sat down and mother placed our plates on the table.


    He stroked his hairless chin. ¡°Not as far as I know, why?¡±


    ¡°I met her down at the river while bathing.¡±


    ¡°Well, what did she look like?¡± my father asked and my mom watched me carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, she told me not to turn around lest I see her nude.¡±


    My parents exchanged a brief, perplexed look while chuckling softly.


    ¡°Also¡­ sorry dad I was only able to do about a quarter of the exercises, like you said. I was hoping to do a bit more but my body isn¡¯t capable of doing them all yet, as much as I wish it were.¡± I hung my head a bit, changing the subject from the mysterious woman.


    ¡°It''s okay kiddo. You did better than I expected though your mother gave me an earful when I got home anyway. Said I was too harsh on ya.¡± He laughed and took a scalding bite of the fish, impatient for it to cool off.


    ¡°Mommm I told you I was okay. And I¡¯m not too tired for your lessons either.¡± I smiled at her and flex a little to show I¡¯m okay but resulting in me wincing a bit. ¡°You¡¯re still gonna teach me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, just as soon as we clean up from dinner.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for us to finish eating, clean up, and reconvene at the table.


    My mother was a much softer instructor than my father was. Gentle, kind and patient with me. She taught me slowly even though I was quickly starting to pick up the language.


    ¡°So let us start with the letters okay? You''ll read them, write them, then once you can write each of them legibly we will move on to the spelling of different words, okay kiddo?¡± My mothers soft voice made me feel a bit warm. I may have had other parents before, and schools full of teachers for most of my last life, but the caring gentle teachings of someone who loved you could never be a bad thing.


    After a few hours of teaching me she sent me away to sleep, I had an early morning again of course.

 Chapter 3

    It was a few weeks before I was able to complete one hundred of each of my exercises. It wasn''t so much a time issue, as it was an issue of physicality. I was only 6 years old afterall, and the stick I was wielding as a sword was only around one pound, but it was more than enough to make me ache and cause my muscles to scream at me. It was just under a month.


    Every day, after my body had taken all of the abuse it could, I¡¯d visit the stream to bathe. In part because I needed to clean myself and also in part because I wished to see (or hear) Brook again. In order to get there I purposefully passed by Brioches den. Some days she would join me by the river and instead of bathing the first half hour would devolve into splashing the wry fox as she laughed at me from shore.


    Today, there was not enough luck to be joined by my furry friend so I carried on to the stream alone. I wasted no time stripping out of my trousers, my tunic already doffed as I didn¡¯t wear one while training. I worked up far too much sweat for that. I sighed contentedly as the tepid water surprised him. It usually wasn''t so warm for at least another couple of months, in mid summer. Given that it was mid spring, the water should still be rather cold, well cold for a fairly tropical climate.


    It never quite got cold enough for snow in Arborton, we were far to the south of the continent, though not quite the furthest south with the country of Arwin to the south.


    I smiled, knowing that the warmth could mean only one thing, Brook was here.


    ¡°Are you there, Miss Brook?¡± I already knew the answer, there was no other way the water would be this temperature unless someone with a very large bladder emptied it upstream, or there was an ungodly large fire nearby, and I didn¡¯t smell any smoke.


    I still wasn''t quite sure what she was, but, after doing some pondering during my meager downtimes, I pieced a bit of it together. My mother had started to read stories to me, while teaching me to write and read, and I knew there was a wide variety of friendly water spirits out there, my bet was that Brook was one.


    ¡°I''m here young Lios, so don''t you dare turn.¡± Her voice was soothing. It sounded like the river itself. ¡°Have you kept up with your training?¡±


    ¡°I have! I actually completed my exercises today! My body is so sore, but it feels sooo good.¡± I flexed a little, the ripple of my muscles shifting the baby fat that still covered much of my body, though it was shed more and more each day.


    ¡°How wonderful, young man! Still adamant on growing without the dastardly system I take it?¡± There was a hint of a smirk in her voice.


    ¡°Something like that! The way I see it, this is the only time my body belongs only to me. I¡¯m sure the system will benefit me but there is merit to starting strong habits before relying on aids.¡± I relaxed in the water, stretching a little to soothe my inflamed muscles.


    ¡°Ooh, you speak wisely for your age.¡± Her hands started to give me a slow massage on my back, gently kneading away the aches.


    ¡°Is that so? My parents say the same. I doubt that it''s wisdom though, it''s more likely that I was dropped as a child and ever since haven''t been quite right,¡± I laughed, mocking myself. I felt her laugh behind me.


    ¡°Well, at the very least I am certain that you are no ordinary child, Mr. Lios.¡±


    ¡°Haha thank you Miss Brook. Truthfully though, I¡¯m nothing special. Just a kid with some lofty, half formed goals.¡± I ducked my head under the water to wet my shoulder length hair, it was nearly time for it to get cut. Or perhaps I could put it up in a ponytail.


    ¡°What sort of lofty goals are you chasing then, if I may ask?¡± She didn''t push, and she began to untangle and brush my hair. Where she had gotten a brush from I wasn''t sure.


    ¡°Typical kid stuff. Become an adventurer, see the world, collect a museum''s worth of treasures. That sort of thing.¡± I relaxed, groaning as she pampered me a bit. ¡°And what of you Miss Brook? Any goals? Aspirations?¡±


    ¡°Oh me? No, nothing so specific. I am content so long as I can live peacefully. Maybe help out some lost souls here and there.¡± There was a small tinge of sorrow in her voice. I didn''t ask about it, something told me I wasn''t prepared for the conversation that would follow.


    ¡°I see. I think that''s plenty to be honest. Helping people, living a good solid life, is admirable.¡± I reassured her, not sure what I, as a 6 year old, could really say.


    ¡°Aside from training, what have you done? Make any new friends?¡± She changed the subject politely, saving us both from some awkward silence.


    ¡°Hmm. My mother has been teaching me an awful lot. I learned to read and write so now I spend a lot more time reading than anything else. The library really only has historical accounts and some tales of heroes from all over. I learned my mother once belonged to a noble family, but she and father wouldn''t tell me which one. I don''t know why she was disowned, but I''m sure they''ll tell me someday.¡±


    ¡°You know, a young man like you may not think friends are very important, but you should at least make some effort to interact with others your own age,¡± She admonished as I avoided that portion of the question.


    ¡°Alas, Miss Brook, that is far easier said than done. I don''t fit well with other kids my age. I¡¯m sure you''ve noticed as well, despite this being only our second meeting.¡± Her hands left my hair.


    ¡°Tis likely true, but perhaps that will only make the friends you do make that much more important. Apologies young Lios, for I must go. Please wait a moment before turning around.¡± After that the only sounds I heard were that of the trees dancing with the wind, birds singing to each other, and buzzing of dragonflies as they fluttered all around me.


    The sound of water breaking, of movement in the creek, was absent.


    By the time I returned home, the sun was barely beginning to tilt over the top of the treeline. The air was warmer, if only just, than when I''d started my training. I was not looking forward to the coming months, when I¡¯d be practicing under the beating sun.


    I stepped over the threshold into my home, the smell of garlic and meat and some fruit bulldozing my senses. Garlic was a fairly common spice here as well, but wasn''t always affordable. I looked at the spread on the table, confused. There was more than our usual meal scattered across the table. There was a whole fish, roasted and topped with a citrusy sauce, like a chimichurri. There were mashed potatoes, likely the source of the garlic smell, and a boat of gravy made with the juices of what looked like a half log of tenderloin that rested on the table on a platter. There were a few different vegetables - we normally only had one or two but I saw five in total - all plated separately. There was steamed broccoli, green beans, corn on the cob, squash, and brussel sprouts. Past the table, on the counter in the kitchen, I saw a cake and a platter with fruits.


    ¡°Whats going on? Not that I''m complaining but what''s the occasion?¡± I said taking my usual seat next to my father. Our table only sat four and it looked positively cramped with all of the food. I smelled some alcohol on my fathers breath, and my mother was all smiles.


    ¡°Go on, Zeek! Tell him, tell our son.¡± She practically squealed as she encouraged him. I¡¯d forgotten my mother could get like this when she was excited. She couldn''t hold a secret, I remembered for her and my fathers anniversary she had struggled to hold in the plans for dinner and had wound up spilling them about a week in advance.


    ¡°Lios! Great news! I¡¯ve received a promotion!¡± My father announced before taking a sip of what looked like a dark ale from his drinking cup. It was similar to a viking drinking horn, save that the bottom was inserted into a fitted wooden block that would allow it to stand on its own on the table. For transportation purposes, the block and the horn both had a clasp that when used would either lock or unlock the two from each other, and the horn had a strap that could be attached though it was currently not being used.  I only ever saw my father using this when drinking mead or ale, even though all of the other cups in the house worked fine for it. I suppose I could understand a little bit, having always made a point to use nice whiskey glasses when enjoying a fine bourbon or scotch in my past. Thinking about it made me stare off into space for a split second, reminiscing and wishing for some whiskey and a cigar, what was once a weekly tradition for myself and my brother.


    ¡°That''s excellent, father!¡± I smiled, holding up my glass of orange juice to toast with him.


    He grinned, tapping the side of my cup with his horn. ¡°Aye! You''re looking at the new vice-captain of the guards of Arborton!¡±


    ¡°Did it come with a pay raise?¡± I asked idly, as my mother poked her fork into a brussel sprout and plopped it into her mouth.


    ¡°It did!¡± My father exclaimed before taking a forkful of the fish and shoveling it down his gullet.


    ¡°I have an announcement too! A bit less exciting but I finished the base workout you assigned to me. All of it!¡± I looked at my parents triumphantly.


    ¡°Lios, it''s been barely a month, you needn¡¯t lie,¡± my father said through a mouthful of potatoes.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, I did a hundred of everything in two hours!¡±


    ¡°Reeeaally? In that case I will teach you some footwork techniques tomorrow. And we can start workin on the basics of spearmanship since you wanted to know more than the sword.¡± He smiled this time, seeing I was sincere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not believing you but for some of the men in my crew, they took over two months to get to that point.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. but consider that they don''t usually get as much time in the day to train. That''s all I have spent my time on.¡±


    We talked for a while, slowly but surely making our way through the shmorgusborge in front of us. The fish was seasoned only with salt, pepper, and lemon but was delicious, its skin flaky and crispy but the meat itself was soft, melting in my mouth. The tenderloin was seared before being cooked over the fire in a cast iron pan, again seasoned with salt and pepper and garlic. I ate to my heart''s content. There was no need for leftovers as we had no cold storage, I wasn''t sure if refrigeration was yet uninvented or if we just couldn''t afford the enchantments. I was startled a little bit, realizing that my knowledge of food safety hadn''t been stolen by the god. Most likely that wasn''t a detriment or a large enough contribution to humanity that it didn''t matter like some of the other memories did.


    I went to sleep, my belly full. Ready to learn even more in the morning. Life wasn''t so bad here, even if I did wish for more spices and refrigeration. And air conditioning.


    There was much to miss in this magical world.


    But, already there would be much to miss if I went back.


    My next month took a familiar shape- training with my dad just before dawn, working out and training by myself between sunrise and lunch, playing with Brioche a bit, and learning from my mother whatever she deemed appropriate, or whatever I requested. This normally entailed things like reading a history text she got from the library, learning to cook something in particular, manners fit for a noble, and tailoring practice. She still ran her own business from our house so she wasn''t quite hands on aside from giving me pointers here and there.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    My body held a consistent ache, the proof of all of my hard work. I lived for my baths in the creek. I kept my days the same, truly enjoying the practice and training. One day, however, made me reconsider some things as I overheard my parents one night.


    ¡°I just worry about him Ezekial.¡± I could hear my mothers muffled voice through the door. ¡°All he does is train and learn. He doesn''t play with anyone his own age and doesn''t take the time to have fun. To be a kid.¡±


    Part of me wanted to push open the door and say that the training, the reading, the learning was my idea of fun. Or to confess about my previous life now, but I felt that was unwise. Instead I stayed still, waiting for my father to respond. I could imagine him tugging at his hairless chin as he pondered his reply.


    ¡°I am too... worried I mean.¡± My fathers voice finally wafted through the air, surprising me. ¡°But also... I want to see how far the kids¡¯ willing to go. Ya know?¡± He let out a soft laugh. ¡°He¡¯s so different from the other kids, so driven by... something.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. It just makes me wonder what has got him trying so hard. I mean, what could a six year old possibly be trying so hard for? Especially when he¡¯ll have the system to help him in a few years?¡± My mother then let out a soft laugh, expelling some of her worries. ¡°Have you talked to him about it?¡±


    ¡°Once. I asked him a couple weeks ago why he was putting himself through all this. Ya know what he said?¡± I felt my father pause for dramatic effect. ¡°He wanted to achieve his own growth, something that would be entirely his to own instead of aided by the system. He said he wanted to grow on his own for a bit before he couldn''t anymore. I found it quite humorous, such a young child trying to act like a sage.¡±


    ¡°That does not alleviate my concerns. But, how is he doing with his training? He absorbs everything I teach him like a sponge. I find myself returning to the library every day, I thought it¡¯d take him over a week to study each book but noooo. Kid just had to be a bookworm.¡± She laughed again, showing she hadn¡¯t actually been complaining.


    ¡°Yeah? He¡¯s picking up fighting pretty quick too. Even faster than some of the guys on my team did even with their systems already being present. By the time he¡¯s ten he won''t have anything else to learn from us!¡±


    I stopped myself from listening as they kept chattering. I resolved to spend half of my self study practicing in the clearing with Brioche, maybe if it seemed I was spending more time being a regular kid they wouldn''t worry so much.


    Around three months later, I asked my father to teach me a bit more about different weapons. I knew I wasn''t quite proficient with the sword, however I also knew that there was a skill for overall weapon mastery, as well as specific sub categories of weapons such as simple, martial, blunt, heavy, etcetera. Truthfully, I had my eyes and heart set on [Martial Weapon Mastery], or if that wasn''t available to me due to a lack of diversification, [Bladed Weapon Mastery].


    We stood in a circle made of various weapons, a self imposed ring that was around twenty feet in diameter. Not really a lot of room for sparring but a great space for practicing footwork and martial skills. My father tossed me the spear, having just shown me the basic techniques like he had with the sword.


    ¡°I have to head into work now, but you can do 100 of each of those exercises then resume your sword training. Don¡¯t want you to slack off too much.¡± He ruffled my hair, before heading to the house to don his uniform.


    I spent the next several hours training with the spear before heading to Brioche¡¯s clearing to practice with the sword. The fox yipped at my feet, creating obstacles for me. It was as though she was helping me to prepare for unexpected circumstances, or maybe she was just growing more and more impatient for attention.  This was pretty typical behavior, but it seemed the more I trained with her, the more actively she danced around me.


    I chuckled as I felt her nip at my feet and legs, opting to train barefoot most of the time gave her significantly more opportunities to attack. She had been doing this ever since I started training here a few months ago. The clearing once had high grass, reaching nearly my mid calf. After spending so long training here, however, the grass was trampled and any twigs or debris had been moved to the edges.


    After around three hours of dancing around the smallish clearing I sat down, my back against a log, and let the sly fox cuddle into me. I pet her as she yelled, and laughed, as foxes do. She and I rolled around in the dirt for a while until I noticed the sun''s position in the sky. Summer was nearly upon us, and the sun beat down on us more viscously, making me glad for the tree cover in the clearing. Typically, I stopped my training right as the sun was no longer visible through the trees.


    I stood up, trying to placate the foxes whining. ¡°Brioche, I have to take a bath now,¡± I said in a calm voice. She whimpered as though she understood and tucked her tail between her legs. The animals in this world seemed a bit smarter than in my previous one, but I had grown used to her seemingly understanding my simpler words without too much training.


    I¡¯d brought my toiletries with me, as I was wont to do. I trudged through the forest towards the brook, noting that Brioche still followed me, albeit sneakily, though the forest. I smiled.


    It took less than ten minutes for me to arrive at the brook, and when I did I set my things down on the usual rock and quickly stepped into the warming stream. Thankfully it was no longer as chilly as the winter tended to keep it, but it being in the shade didnt let it get too warm either. As I bathed I looked over my body. It was still the body of someone between the ages of six and seven, but I could see my muscles were becoming more clearly defined beneath my ever fading baby fat. I was no longer pudgy or plump. In my past life I had been perpetually pale, or red, but after nearly half a year of training in the sun I was becoming quite tanned.


    Sadly, Brook didn''t show herself, it had been quite a long time since I had seen her and I always enjoyed our chats, brief as they were. I sighed as, after nearly an hour, I climbed out of the creek and dried and dressed. I took a leisurely stroll back to the house, arriving in time for lunch. After lunch I was preparing to learn from my mother. She had said the day before that she had bought a few books about the flora and fauna of Jorial, the country that we lived in. I was positively buzzing with excitement at the prospect.


    I stepped into the kitchen after scraping the dirt from my boots, I put them on before heading home but still wasn''t wearing a shirt. I set my things down next to my bed, throwing my clothes into a relatively large basket I used for my dirty clothes. My mother still insisted on doing my laundry down by the river with the other women of the village but I was growing close to making her let me do it. I wasn''t a huge fan of some of the inequality I was beginning to become aware of.


    In a lot of the historical documents and even stories we read, women were not placed very highly in society and often had some amount of rights lessened. For instance, they couldn''t own property, start their own business, or open bank accounts on their own without a husband present. There were certain ¡°Traditional¡± roles that women were meant to take on including cooking, cleaning, and doing the laundry. It reminded me of America in the 1800s.


    I frowned to myself as I thought about it, but the smell of the food my mother was making drew my attention into the kitchen. I rapidly appeared by her side, salivating as my tummy grumbled. ¡°Whatcha makin?¡± I asked nonchalantly as I saw she was clearly toasting a sandwich in the cast iron over the wood stove.


    ¡°Lunch. Don¡¯t be so impatient. Wait at the table, afterwards you and I are going for a walk through the woods. And yes you will put on a shirt.¡±


    My mother had seemed a bit happier now that it seemed like I was at least not spending the entire morning working out, even if I was. I smiled and looked casually to the counter where the scraps of the goat meat she had sliced for the sandwiches was piled up. ¡°Okay! Why don''t we bring father a fresh sandwich? I know it''s a little out of the way but I''m sure he¡¯d love to have us visit even for a minute.¡± I smiled at her sweetly. It was a little bit disgusting how in love the two were. She rarely had time to visit him at work or bring him lunches. If we already had some time to spare to wander the woods, I could wingman a little bit for the old married couple.


    ¡°Ooh that''s a great idea Lios!¡± My mothers stern attitude shifted to something more excited. She flitted over to me, sandwich on a plate that she set before me. ¡°I already ate so I¡¯ll just make another one for him. And yes we can also stop by Bri and feed her some of the scraps here. I¡¯ve got little use for them otherwise.¡±


    I smiled and dug into the hot sandwich, it was delicious. The meat was only seasoned with the same usual spices, we couldn''t afford too much variance even with fathers raise, but even still garlic, salt, and pepper were all one really needed. After I finished eating, somehow before mother had finished the sandwich for dad. I set out a piece of brown paper to wrap the sandwich in, and gathered a small pouch of various fruits. After, while mother was carefully wrapping the steaming goat and cheese sandwich, I looked over some of the veggies we had from the last garden harvest. It looked like some of the garlic and onion would be going bad soon. I chewed my cheek not noticing my mother watching me as I considered whether she¡¯d let me make onion and garlic powder.


    ¡°Whatcha thinking over there kiddo? Contemplating your existence? Staving off an irrational decision to chomp right into a raw onion?¡± She giggled slightly and I turned to her, still thinking.


    ¡°Nothing like that but... we can''t use all these  onions and garlic before it goes bad, probably. Tomorrow can I try something with them?¡± I looked at her hopefully, she still didn''t often let me cook. She was adamant that boys should worry about boy things and not cooking. This time she slowly nodded.


    ¡°You are relentless when you want something, Lios. Sure, but make sure you dont ruin my pans.¡± She sighed and hefted the package of food as I wrapped the scrap meat into a small bundle with brown paper.


    I followed her out of the house, and she quickly started towards the barracks. While my father could realistically be anywhere in town, that would be the best starting point. They were on the other side of the town, but Arborton was not large enough to make that a concern. With a population of just over 5000, a decent amount for a town but not enough for a city, the town took only around 20 minutes to traverse from one side to the other at a decent walking speed. We made it in around fifteen minutes and opened the door, to see my father and three others playing cards lazily in the middle of the barracks.


    When the door opened the four of them turned towards it and a smile quickly lit up my fathers face before he hid it. He stood up and walked towards us.


    ¡°Zeek! You didn''t tell us Elaine and Lios were visiting today! I¡¯d have cleaned up better,¡± the man across from my father, Gerald, said. I remembered him vaguely, I hadn''t visited dad at work since I started training and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to him before. He was Regulus¡¯s father, the boy who was picked up by Lord Barriston.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know myself! If you''ll excuse me, boys, I think I''d better see what brought them here. Feel free to carry on without me!¡± my father said jovially and invited us in, standing to kiss his wife. ¡°Thank goodness you showed up right then, I was about to lose some chips to those cardsharks.¡±


    My mother rolled her eyes but a small smile played at the corners of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sure you were, you always do. We don''t have long to stay but we thought to bring you lunch in the event you haven''t eaten yet.¡± My mother, even with us, tended to speak a bit formally. She didn¡¯t try to, but old habits tended to die hard.


    My father sat back at the table, almost slapping the packed sandwich and fruit down. The other three men struggled not to eye the food or look jealous. He grinned at the others, and took a large bite of the slightly less warm grilled goat meat and cheese sandwich. He let out a braggadocious moan as the sandwich made its way down his gullet, a glare forming on the other men''s faces. My mother laughed and kissed him before she pulled me towards the door.


    ¡°See you later, sweetheart. Bye Gentlemen.¡± My mother said as we made our exit. I had half expected her to try to elongate our visit, to chat with father and his coworkers, but it turned out she was more excited to teach me a thing or two. ¡°Now then, Lios, let us go into the woods. I¡¯m going to teach you how to forage and which plants are edible or poisonous in that forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes Mother, sounds amazing.¡± I wasn''t being facetious either, it truly sounded amazing. And useful.


    We walked through town, back towards our house and then past it into the Deepbloom Forest. As we walked we quickly reached Brioche¡¯s den, and saw her there. I grinned as she came up to us, sniffing my moms legs before excitedly sprinting around us. Unfortunately we weren''t there to play but I still was able to hand feed her a bit of scraps.


    The fox followed us a bit as my mother began to show me a bit of the various flora, referencing a book with all kinds of different plants. She showed me which berries to look out for and which types of plants were poisonous. She showed me how to harvest the meat of an acorn, and what it could be used for. She had me harvest some wild medicinal herbs, and on my own, after being taught about them, I harvested a fair amount of herbs that she knew but didn''t go out of her way to find or procure- things like basil, and thyme, and rosemary. She gave me a strange look as I placed them in our herb basket.


    ¡°I wanna try to cook with them, I think it¡¯d be yummy.¡± I replied upon seeing the confused look.


    ¡°Well... It should be fine at least.¡± My mother purses her lips.


    ¡°Trust me Ma! If you let me cook dinner tomorrow you won''t regret it! I mean, an adventurer should be able to cook for himself right?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine you win ,you can cook for us once. Gods, what would a bloody six year old even know about cooking?¡± My mother gave an exasperated sigh, looking up towards the heavens, before walking up to a tree and inspecting the leaves. After she gets a good investigatory look, she flipped the book open to the appropriate pages and examined them until she found the right tree.


    ¡°Look here Lios, it says this one is a Licton Oak, a less common oak tree whose sap can be used to easily start fires... Maybe you don''t need to know that? Oh! But also the roots are used in some minor stamina potion recipes!¡± She showed me the book, and I confirmed the similarities.


    Our time went like this until only a few hours before sunset, the bright light of the day turning more orange by the time we got back home. My mind was a bit overstuffed after most of the afternoon was spent looking at plants, but I didn''t mind. After dinner, we looked over a bit more of the book, familiarizing ourselves even more with our local flora, before eventually heading to bed.

 Chapter 4

    And just like that, I was 8 years old. My father had continued to give me general lessons on several different weapons, indulging me while also letting me know that it probably wasn¡¯t wise to spread myself so thin. Of course I knew this, but I also knew what my goals were and he didn¡¯t, even as said goals were constantly shifting. He had taught me how to use a spear, a glaive, a quarterstaff,a number of different types of swords, and a bow. Gods was I awful with bows. Right, there were gods here. The main pantheon consisted of ten, as most things in this world seemed to gravitate towards that number. I found it odd, earth focused on multiples of three whereas here everything was in multiples of five. Cultural differences, I supposed.


    In the meantime my mother had taught me a bevy of other, probably more important topics. She had shown me how to read and write, which I picked up quickly in an effort to be able to learn more about this world. She taught me to forage, all sorts of things about growing herbs and medicines, and how to fix my own quickly worn out training clothes. She did this after I tore another pair of pants just a week after the previous one. It was nice learning from Mom, and she seemed to know a lot more than she let on. What I mean is, she often was able to point out and recognize most plants without referencing her guides, even those that had remarkably similar features. She knew far more about the nation''s politics than father did.


    ¡°Lios, come at me,¡± My father interrupted my thoughts and waved me over, tauntingly. One hand stretched out, otherwise standing in a casual stance, my father extended two fingers before curling them back towards himself, physically saying ¡°Come on, come at me.¡±


    Our training sessions hadn¡¯t changed overmuch. He was still forced to hold himself back, and significantly at that. I¡¯d finally figured out how strong my parents actually were. Most people around town were around level thirty, which frankly felt a bit low to me, especially considering a person could unlock a second class at level fifty, and could get a class upgrade at level one hundred. In cities like Port Airos, the capital of Jorial, the average level rose quite a bit. The median would be something like level seventy-five, rather than our thirty. Warriors and adventurers were more likely to reach higher levels than craftsmen and tradespeople. My father was around level seventy-five, one of the three strongest in our town right after the guard commander and our resident blacksmith Darren. It was truly impressive when a craftsman was at a high level. From my understanding levels came from experience gained or essence absorbed. In the case of craftsmen, they would typically only gain experience through strengthening their understanding of their craft, for warriors they could gain experience in their skills as well as absorb essence from the creatures they slew. My mother, given that she was mainly a tradeswomen and crafter, was around level 40, which was fairly impressive for her age.


    Heeding my fathers challenge, I rushed him with a longsword in my hand. I sometimes switched from a single hand or dual hand grip when using this sword, this time aiming for quickness over strength. Strength, when fighting my father, was almost useless considering my win would only be determined by if I could land a blow on him. Speed was mostly useless too, unless it was coupled with my ingenuity. He stood in the center of our makeshift training grounds, the perimeter marked by six other weapons: the glaive, three types of swords, a spear and a staff with flowing red ribbons on either side.


    I lunged at him, growling my intent as he simply weaved around my strike and smacked my arm in retaliation to let me know where I¡¯d opened myself up for counterattack. I responded by leaping to the side, rolling, then upon bouncing back up grabbing the spear that I¡¯d conveniently placed myself beside with my off hand. I threw it at him as I jumped in the direction I expected him to dodge. The spear went wide over his head as he ducked and sidestepped in the direction I expected, and I responded in kind, my blade swinging at him with both hands on the grip. The blade sang with the wind as it neared him, closing in on his belly.


    ¡°Woop! Nice attempt Lios! If you were a bit faster you''d have got me!¡± My father sang praises as he did the limbo under the dull metal, dodging it cleanly. But I wasn¡¯t finished.


    I used the momentum of the swing to twist my body in an attempt to kick downward at him, catching him in the gut with my shin. He let out a gruff grunt and gracefully stood back up, likely not fully feeling my kick despite me putting my all into it. Stats were truly unfair.


    ¡°Wow wow! Is that what, the third time in two years you¡¯ve managed to hit me?¡± He laughed proudly, watching me pant from the burst of effort. ¡°Ya know, you might think I¡¯m making fun of you but... That''s really impressive for someone with their base stats. I¡¯m proud of you kiddo.¡± He ruffled my slightly sweaty hair. ¡°Okay, one more time. Put the spear back where it was, afterwards we should get some breakfast.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile that grew on my face as he praised me. My heart grew warm, my face flushed a little bit, thankfully hidden by the exertion. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Whenever we trained I took to calling him ¡®sir¡¯ rather than dad, or father. He was waking himself up earlier just to train me, the least I could do was being a little respectful.


    The next spar was much less successful. He continued dodging me but this time was able to easily predict my tactics. He paid closer attention to me, trying not to let me land another blow. And, of course, predictably, I didn''t. He wasn¡¯t joking about how I¡¯ve only managed to land three strikes on him in the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of spars we¡¯ve had.


    After another fifteen minutes or so we saw my mother in the doorway, watching us. I wasn¡¯t sure how long she¡¯d been there but I knew it meant breakfast was ready.


    ¡°Lios. Lets stop for now, before your mother grows impatient.¡± One time, we had been so engrossed in our training that we didn''t notice she was ready for us. By the time we had come inside the food was cold and she had refused to eat her portion. In order to teach us a bit of a lesson she served us cold porridge the rest of the week while she had meat, potatoes and eggs and fruits. My mom could be a little petty sometimes, so we tried our best not to anger her.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± I chuckle to myself at the memory.


    As we sat at the table my mother brought us our plates, steaming and warm and delicious. ¡°Done sparring?¡± she asked. ¡°Lios, you seem to have improved a lot. Don¡¯t let your dad give you too hard a time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can feel myself getting stronger day by day!¡± I exclaim before filling my mouth with a forkful of potato, meat and sausage.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe it Elaine! He landed a blow on me. And I didn¡¯t let him.¡± My fathers excitement was palpable as my mother fixed her gaze on me, impressed.


    ¡°Reaally? And how did you manage to let an eight year old touch you during a fight?¡± My mothers eyes twinkled, pride touching upon her smirk.


    My father, through a mouthful of food, described what I¡¯d done. Near the end of his embellishment I felt a bit self conscious, especially since all I¡¯d managed was to kick him ineffectively.


    ¡°I take it that you haven''t been discouraged from being an adventurer then?¡± Mother asked me after father finished the short, but exaggerated tale. Her tone was soft, she had told me once that only around thirty percent of adventurers are successful. A majority either die or are injured to an extent at which they can¡¯t recover, either mentally or physically. And the rest quit, the turnover rate was truly impressive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I keep telling you I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I said after swallowing my latest bite. My plate was nearly empty. ¡°Also, I think my second class is going to be a crafting one. Do you think Derren would take me as an apprentice when I turn ten?¡±


    Darren made everything in our town, from tools to nails to swords and armor. And much more. He usually had a group of teenagers to help him run his forge, and now one true assistant. He had come to Arborton from another country, Marthis, around five years ago.


    ¡°What, you want to be a smith now too? What''s next, fishing? Lumberjack?¡± My father started to laugh boisterously, cackling at the newest addition to my hobby suite.


    My mother just shook her head and smirked at us.


    ¡°It''s all part of the plan!¡± I said with confidence, puffing out my chest. Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t sure if I''d stick with it, but I did know I at least wanted to try.


    ¡°You sure you can handle that on top of everything else? I mean you already train for at least 4 hours every day, and then there¡¯s your studying.¡± My mother commented, the grin still splayed over her face.


    ¡°Hmmm... In that case I¡¯ll just have to finish my studying before I turn ten.¡± There was a mischievous glint in my eyes. ¡°Besides, if I can make my own gear I can be a fully autonomous adventurer.¡± I smiled wide at the thought, looking between my parents amused expressions. They had gotten used to my asking them to teach me different things, but this was the first time I¡¯d sought help from someone else. Even still they didn''t seem so shocked.


    ¡°Ya know, sometimes it''s hard to remember that you¡¯re just a kid. I dont think I¡¯ve ever seen such an ambitious kid. I¡¯m sure Derren would be willing to at least hear you out.¡± My mother laughed again, probably expecting me to come up with a different hobby or crafting skill by the time I grew up.


    ¡°I hope so, that would be soooo cool. Can you imagine? I''d be able to use all the materials I gathered myself to make my own gear. I could hunt a dragon and use its scales!¡± I exaggerated my excitement, trying to play up the fact that I was, in fact, still a child. Sometimes I definitely forgot to keep up the act, but my parents didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything. Her comment did send a pulse of guilt through me. I had already resolved to tell them everything when I turned ten, but part of me wanted to spill the beans now, to be honest. I just didn¡¯t know how they¡¯d react.


    ¡°Well, enough about that. I¡¯ll ask him but you have plenty of other things to do until then.¡± My father had practically licked his plate clean while we were talking. ¡°Have you noticed there are a couple kids who keep watching you practice?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I looked at him and cocked my head. ¡°I have. They weren¡¯t very sneaky. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, one of their parents asked if you¡¯d be willing to help train her, since you''re training all day anyway.¡± With that said his face widened into a grin, and a bratty expression took over his eyes. ¡°Looks like she has eyes for you boyo!¡±


    I rolled my eyes and scoffed. ¡°I doubt it''s anything like that, dad.¡± I though back on the kids that had been watching me lately. It had started off sporadically, around six months ago, but the past few weeks three kids had been consistently watching me. Some of the kids had asked, at first, if I wanted to come and play but I always found some excuse not to. I thought about the three that had been watching daily, a young girl and two older boys. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind helping them though.¡±


    ¡°Of course you don''t mind. You did say you¡¯d be a ladies man when you grew stronger.¡± My mom joined my dad in teasing me, laughing at my expense.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even strong yet!¡± I protested much to their chagrin. I didn¡¯t mind. My heart was full with these two in my life.


    ¡°The other two, the boys, wanted to take some training too.¡± My father admitted after they finished teasing me. He was donning his greaves, I reached over to help a little bit, mostly just prepping the next one.


    ¡°The more the merrier!¡± I said, thankful that at least a few colloquialisms were common between the two worlds, or at least close enough to it.


    ¡°As a side note...¡± My mother began slowly, before walking into their room and coming back out holding a package wrapped in simple brown butcher paper. It was what we had most of, at least for wrapping things. ¡°Your father and I got you something. For your birthday.¡± They didn¡¯t get me gifts for most birthdays, but I was okay with that. Usually we just had a slightly better than average meal and called it good.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to!¡± My eyes were wide, and my grubby hands were already reaching for the package.


    ¡°We know that, but it¡¯s something you really wanted, right?¡± My mother laughed again as I eagerly grabbed it despite my meager protests. To be honest, I loved the sounds of her and fathers laughs.


    I opened it gingerly, already having a general idea of what it could be based on the weight and shape. My suspicions proved correct as I unveiled two books. Large books. One seemed new, or at least lightly used, and the other was fairly beat up. I didn¡¯t mind, especially as I read the titles.The beat up one had a green cover with faded gold lettering. The title was ¡®Runecrafting, Using Lexico Runes¡¯, with no discernable author. The newer book, which was a bit heavier, had a black cover with silver letters. Its title was ¡®Introduction to Lexico Runewrit¡¯ by one Alizard M. Riche.


    I gingerly ran my hands across both of the covers, my eyes wide as saucers. Tears of joy were welling up. I set the books down gingerly before leaping at my mother and wrapping her in a hug. ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you guys!¡±


    My father got up and put a hand on my head, playfully asking, ¡°How come you only say that when we get you stuff?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry the one is a bit beat up...¡± My mother intoned, perhaps thinking I was tearing up from disappointment.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay I promise! A book is a book!¡± I turned from her and hugged my father tightly.


    My parents started making some idle conversation as we finished our breakfast. I kept glancing at the books but refrained from opening them just yet. If I started looking them over I¡¯d probably be lost in them all day. I just smiled as they chatted, trying to think instead about the other kids that I would soon find watching me practice.


    ¡°Lios, I¡¯m off to work now. I¡¯ll talk to Derren when I do my rounds, but keep in mind you won''t even start that for another couple years.¡± My fathers voice broke me away from my thoughts. I smile and wave at him as he steps out the door, calling over his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to introduce yourself to those kids. And finish your practice before you lose yourself in the books.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir! I¡¯ll go out after I help with the dishes!¡± I said as I started to clean up, it was the least I could do.


    ¡°Thank you, son, you''re such a good kid!¡± My mother exclaimed as I finished up the dishes.


    I began to walk towards the door, biting my bottom lip as I thought about my next few steps. ¡°Mom, do you know how to dance? Could you teach me some time?¡±


    I glanced back at her sheepishly as she bent over, clutching her sides and stomach, laughing louder than I ever had heard her laugh before. ¡°D dancing? You want to learn to dance now?¡±


    ¡°Y. yeah I want to learn to dance. Come on, it''s not that funny!¡± I protested as she continued to cackle for the next minute or so.


    Finally she stood up, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°Of all the things... You¡¯ve asked your father and I to teach you so many things but dancing is the most confounding. Your father is going to love this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that weird mom!¡± I exclaimed, shuffling my feet, feeling self conscious.


    ¡°Uhhuh. Not that weird for an eight year old boy to ask his mom to teach him to dance? You do know most boys your age would scoff at the idea of dancing. Is this part of your grand plan? A new step to attract all of the ladies?¡± My mom laughs again, teasing me lightheartedly. Despite my blush, I really didn¡¯t mind. I could feel the warmth in her laughter.


    ¡°Exactly, so you understand Mother!¡± I nodded emphatically, though that isn¡¯t the reason I want to learn. ¡±You told me how women like to dance and think it''s attractive when men can.¡±


    ¡°Yes yes I did, though now I wonder if I should have kept quiet. My darling, sweet son is going to be a lecher when he grows up.¡±


    ¡°So will you teach me?¡± I looked up at her with the puppy dog eyes, knowing she couldn''t say no to me.


    ¡°Of course I will. But not today, you gotta go make some friends now. I mean it, you best invite them over to train.¡± She shooed me out of the house.


    ¡°Okay okay I will.¡± I waved bye to her, and walked back to the center of my weapon circle. The sun had risen quite a bit, so my clearing was teeming with light. I began to work my way through the different forms and stances and techniques, beginning with the shortsword.


    My plans had shifted a bit since I was first born. The overall concept was still the same, but the means to get there had changed quite a bit. The more I learned about how classes and skills worked, the more it shifted until I reached my current set of goals. There was a book of classes available at the library but it didn¡¯t have anything remotely similar to the type of class I was shooting for.


    My understanding of the system was that once I gained the system I¡¯d be able to choose ten general skills. These were skills that anyone could get with enough effort and practice, or by meeting the right criteria. Any practice prior to acquiring the skill would not add to the skills experience, and would not change the skills level, but if I exhibited a certain degree of skill above my skills level I¡¯d level up faster, until it reached equilibrium with my natural skill level. Once I reached level ten I¡¯d be able to select my first class. The options for which class I could pick up would be determined by a number of factors: my skills, my achievements, my personality, actions, etc. Nobody was quite sure what all of the criteria were, just that there were a bunch of them. Unlike in video games, stats were a hidden factor. This meant that an individual could not allocate free points or anything of that sort to gain instant improvements in a given field, but would rather be automatically assigned stats based on what the system felt you had earned. One¡¯s class would have a heavy influence, but there would be a number of ¡°Floating¡± stat points that were distributed based on the activities between level ups. People could check their stats by going to a guild hall or acquiring an obscenely expensive tablet that could quantify a person''s strengths.


    My goal, since the beginning really, was to curate and create a class based on a number of interests that I¡¯d had in my past life. I wanted a class that would allow me to be both a combatant and a crafter, but recently decided to separate the two classes and hopefully have some shared skills between them, after I found out that people gained a second class at level fifty. My ideal combat class would combine swordsmanship with enchanting and dancing, allowing me to cast spells with a certain series of movements and hopefully, once I gained a crafting class, allowing me to enchant the gear I created. Most spells were either cast via runes and inscriptions, or through verbal and physical components. Of course, these took some time to set up unlike the system guided spells and abilities we could gain. The benefit of such spells was that one was only limited by their creativity and intelligence. Wizards were a true force to be reckoned with even though many of their spells took plenty of time to set up. Some ¡°true¡± spells, as they were called by wizards, were influenced by a number of skills the caster had. For example, a wizard with an elemental affinity would be able to cast a stronger spell in that element than a sorcerer -an individual who relied solely on the system to cast spells- would be able to.


    I pondered this as I waited for the other kids to show up. It wasn¡¯t a very long time, just enough time for me to break a sweat and finish my first cycle of exercises with each weapon. After he started training me in a half dozen different weapons, we created a routine that would allow me to cycle through them all and practice them pretty much nonstop for an hour with each cycle.. I sauntered over to the well, glancing at the edge of my house where the three stood, watching me. The girl looked away when I caught them staring, the boys seemed like they wanted to call out but were acting shy. After I finished my drink, and dumped a little water down my warm, tanned back, I walked towards them. I forgot I had my shortsword in hand until one of the boys backed up and raised his hands.


    I frowned and stabbed the sword into the dirt, wiping the sweat off my hand before holding it out. ¡°Sorry, uhm.. I¡¯m Lios, would you guys like to join me?¡± I put on a somewhat shy and sheepish smile, feeling awkward. I glanced over my shoulder as I heard faint rustling in the treeline, seeing my happy fox friend at the edge of the woods. As I was distracted one of the boys, the taller of the two, grasped my hand and shook it. He had a pretty firm grip for his age.


    ¡°Ento, you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡± He introduced himself, some redness coloring his cheeks.


    I shook my head and kept up my smile. Once he released my hand I quickly jogged into the middle of my circle. ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t mind at all. Though, I''m not sure how much I can help you. Also, sorry for taking so long to introduce myself.¡± I scratched my neck sheepishly.


    They all exchanged a look before following me, standing on the outside of the circle for now. I watched them look over the small arsenal of training weapons surrounding me.


    ¡°So, we have Ento, who might you two be?¡± I asked the others as Brioche approached us cautiously, curious about the new people I was suddenly surrounded by. The girls eyes widened and her mouth split into an ear to ear grin seeing the fox.


    ¡°Maya. Is this your fox?¡± She crouched and extended a hand towards the silver furred animal.


    ¡°Just a friend of mine, her name is Brioche.¡± I noticed my mother standing in the doorway watching us, grinning.


    ¡°Ralphy. It would be amazing to join you, Lios.¡± The other boy, around my height despite being around a year older, introduced himself.


    Brioche, ever curious, approached Maya and sniffed her hand. After glancing at me for approval, watching me nod in assent, she nuzzled her head into the girl''s hand eliciting a squeal of delight. I watched quietly for a number of minutes trying to clear my thoughts.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Sorry, y¡¯all, I¡¯ve never trained anyone before so bear with me. How much experience do you guys have?¡± I was a bit nervous but I attempted to cover it with a small sense of bravado. I mean, I probably wasn¡¯t really qualified to teach other people just yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever played sword fighting before, never a real fight or spar,¡± Ento admitted shyly. The other two mouthed affirmations, confirming that they, too, had never wielded an actual sword or practiced.


    ¡°Wonderful! That will make things a touch easier I think. I can build your foundations from the ground up. Okay, uhm next question. Do you know what weapons you wanted to use?¡± I waved my hand towards the circle of training weapons.


    Ento, again, answered first. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to use a greatsword but otherwise a longsword would be fine until I can master the basics.¡±


    ¡°Great! Feel free to grab the longsword and try a couple of practice swings,¡± I said as I turned to the other two. ¡°And what of you?¡±


    ¡°I want something I can be fast with.¡± Ralphy uttered somewhat excitedly, clearly eying the rapier.


    ¡°Good, I see you already have an idea what specifically you want to try out. Go for it.¡± I nodded to the rapier, before turning back to Maya. ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I I don''t really know... Not a sword though, I don''t think.¡± Her voice was quiet, timid. I was already hoping she¡¯d have more confidence after a bit of training. I eyed the remaining weapons, the only ones I had that weren¡¯t swords were a spear, a quarterstaff, and a glaive. I tapped my chin, considering the three before I pulled the spear from the ground and handed it to her.


    ¡°Give the spear a try. There¡¯s a lot of easy to master basic techniques, and some more complicated maneuvers you can take with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Her eyes were gleaming a little bit as she took the weapon.


    ¡°Okay, this may seem silly but before you can take up your weapon and begin practicing we will want to stretch.¡± I smiled at them all, having already been working out for some time this morning, my body was a touch sore, and ready to be stretched out. ¡°Follow what I¡¯m doing, okay?¡±


    I took us through a fifteen or so minute stretching routine, letting my new trainees limber up so they wouldn¡¯t pull a muscle.


    ¡°Okay, so, second thing I want to do is have you guys practice some basic techniques. I¡¯ll have to show you one at a time so what I¡¯ll do is I¡¯ll show you a couple, then you can practice while I help the others. Does this work for you guys?¡± I waited a few moments as they confirmed. Afterwards I approached Ento and began to instruct him.


    ¡°Okay, let''s get you into a proper stance. Once you get used to stances we will eventually move on to footwork techniques, after all combat isn¡¯t motionless. But first we need to set a solid foundation.¡± I settled into a stance, one foot before me with the knee slightly bent, the other behind me, leg extended a touch, with the foot perpendicular to the other. I took up my shortsword and held it as though it were a longsword, in front of me in both hands. My grip was firm but loose, allowing me to twist my blade as needed.


    ¡°Okay, see if you can''t emulate this stance, Ento.¡± I held it as he attempted to take the same stance. He was close, but his rear foot was too far extended so I stepped behind him, using a foot to guide his to the correct placement. I rotated his shoulders a bit to square him up before looking at the grip on his sword. ¡°It''s good to keep a firm grip, however the hand near the pommel should be a little loose. It will help you more easily guide the blade, as you may need to rotate it in the moment, twist to counter a strike, or any number of other scenarios. Okay, now I¡¯ll show you the first set of basic techniques.¡±


    I spent around fifteen minutes showing Ento how to swing his sword while maintaining his stance. I had him step forward, to the sides, and backwards while rotating through an eight technique cycle that kept him in a relatively small area. Smiling, I instructed him to follow the pattern until he couldn¡¯t anymore, which may have seemed brutal in my past life but that''s essentially what I did when I first started training. The others watched us, Maya emulated the stance and some of the movements, trying to make them work for the spear, while Ralphy just observed.


    ¡°Ralphy! You ready?¡± I called out to him and he straightened up quickly. ¡°Okay, first off, the way you would fight with a longsword and a rapier are different. With a longsword you might have longer reach, be capable of more powerful strikes, and be more easily able to unbalance your opponents if you know the proper techniques.¡± I gave a short pause and noticed Ento was listening in. Good. ¡°However, with a rapier you need to have sharper techniques, more finesse. You need to be able to slip under and into an opponent''s guard, and get out quickly. You can parry of course, but your greatest strength needs to be your agility, and ability to not get hit.¡±


    ¡°You will, however, take a similar stance, only the way you hold a sword will vary for now.¡± I took the stance, and rather than facing forward I twisted a bit so my body made a thinner profile, holding the sword out with one hand. I demonstrated a few flourishes, showing off some of the more complex techniques, ones I had built from the basics.


    ¡°The movements I just performed were all based on basic techniques. Fighting, like most skills, builds upon itself. It¡¯s important to be proficient with the fundamentals before you move onto more complex maneuvers. Now, I¡¯ll show you a few techniques to start practicing.¡± I showed him a basic lunge, a few slashing techniques, and a basic stab, correcting his form for the first few attempts until he was close enough.


    ¡°When do we spar?¡± Ento asked gruffly as he kept up with the tedious exercises.


    ¡°Later, once you have a general understanding of how to move and can last longer than two minutes in a fight. Maybe in two or three days, I know what I''m having you do seems monotonous but it''s important.¡± I smiled at the boy. ¡°I promise once you guys get used to it you''ll understand. And you¡¯ll thank me.¡±


    Ralphy, wielding his rapier, chuckled a little bit. ¡°I¡¯ve only just started and my legs are already on fire... How do you do this all day?¡±


    ¡°Years of practice, that''s the only real secret. Now, Maya, let''s get you started.¡± I said as I stabbed the sword I had been demonstrating with into the ground and tugging the quarterstaff out. I held it as though the ribbon at the end were a spearpoint. ¡°You''ll want to take a wider stance with the spear. In the future you''ll have to decide if you want to focus more on a dexterous or strength based fighting technique, but for now I¡¯ll show you something more balanced.¡±


    She followed along as I showed her how to stab, how to parry and use the reach of the spear to counterattack. All basic spearmanship techniques. I showed her how to grip it, how to move with it. There were far fewer basic attacking techniques than with the longsword or the rapier, but that just allowed me to focus more on the few striking techniques I could teach her.


    ¡°The advantages of the spear are the following: reach, leverage meaning you can strike much harder than the typical sword, assuming you''re able to generate enough inertia-¡±


    ¡°What is inertia?¡± Maya interjected, sweat was beading on her forehead by now. I had been showing her new techniques as Ento and Ralphy practiced, for around fifteen minutes. Those two were already shaking, Ento more so, his arms trembling and sweat soaking his jerkin.


    ¡°Inertia is like... Its the force of movement, to put it simply. If you were on a carriage for example and it was going full speed while you were standing but suddenly stopped, you¡¯d keep going full speed if that makes sense. In terms of spearwork, when you generate enough momentum or inertia there will be a higher impact than if you started from here to strike someone.¡± I punctuated the instruction by demonstrating a close strike, with little room between me and my opponent. Then I followed with one where I lunged a full step.


    ¡°You can still have a powerful strike in a short span of space, but by stepping back and then lunging forward you¡¯ll be able to produce a much stronger thrust. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°I... I think so...¡± Maya didn¡¯t sound confident.


    ¡°Hmmph.¡± I turn to see Ento panting while kneeling on one knee.


    ¡°Alright my friends let us take a break by the well before we continue. I¡¯ll have you guys continue to practice your techniques until lunch but you can feel free to take it slow. Your bodies aren''t used to this kind of exercise, its very different from running and playing.¡± At my words both Ento and Ralphy sigh with relief.


    As we walked over to the well everyone was quiet, it wasn''t a far walk but still. I pulled the bucket, and dipped a ladle into the water, pouring it over my back before handing it over to the others. ¡°Drink a bit of water, dehydration is horrible. I suggest you don''t let yourselves experience it. I¡¯m going to go practice my sword dances, feel free to resume your training hen you¡¯re ready!¡±


    ¡°W wait, Lios!¡± Ralphy said as he sat down.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, for teaching us I mean. I mean you¡¯re like the same age as us but you''re really good with all these weapons, its crazy.¡± He looked a little shy but the other two were nodding along in agreement.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯m glad to be able to help you all.¡± I sighed and turned back towards the circle of weapons. ¡°Besides, I won''t lie, it gets a little lonely playing with swords by myself.¡±


    With that I left them to their own devices. I started practicing the various techniques I¡¯d learned and came up with for the quarterstaff. I cycled through the exercises while my new friends took their break. Brioche returned just as they came back over, Ento not allowing his sore legs to stop him from practicing.


    I observed them as they practiced with me, a smile growing on my face as they chattered occasionally, taking a break together every fifteen or so minutes. After a couple of hours, with me interrupting them from time to time to teach them something or correct their forms, I glanced towards the door and noticed my mother waiting beside it. I looked up to the sky, seeing that the sun had risen a substantial amount.


    ¡°Alright, lunch time! Probably safe to be finished for the day as well.Come come, lets see if my mom made enough for everyone.¡±


    As I mentioned food, Maya and Entos tummies gurgled, eliciting a sheepish grin from both of them. We headed over to the house and my mother waved us all in. ¡°I hope my boy hasn¡¯t been too harsh on you all, his father doesn¡¯t know the word restraint and I fear he has taken lessons in the matter.¡± She laughed as there were four plates already on the table. As I sat down I let Brioche up on my lap.


    ¡°He¡¯s been great Miss...¡± Ento started but realized he didn¡¯t know my mothers name. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault my body can''t take it.


    Ralphy was already halfway through the plate of meat bread and fruit. His mouth was full as he chuckled a little bit. ¡°Yeah, he''s a really good teacher I think.¡±


    My heart warmed as I picked up my fork. I started with a piece of meat ignoring Brioches begging. I dipped my bread in the gravy of the beef roast, raised the bread to my mouth, then watched as Brioche, from her position on my lap, lurched forward and yoinked my beef straight from the plate. I attempted to react, to stop her from taking my lunch, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough. She cackled a bit, as foxes are wont to do, as she leapt from my lap and to the other side of the room. By the time I got to her my food was swallowed and gone, and my mother was stifling a laugh. The three kiddos were not stifling any laughter.


    I glared at the fox as she attempted to climb back into my lap after finishing her food, which I let her after a minute or so of whining, and after pushing my plate further towards the center of the table. We talked for a bit, before my mother went out to deliver some clothes that the mayor''s wife had ordered from her.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Alright my friends I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve got some studying to do. You¡¯re more than welcome to join me but, it¡¯ll be boring I''m sure,¡± I said as I pulled the books on enchanting from under my pillow in the other room.


    ¡°Tomorrow then? You''ll train us some more?¡± Ralphy asked, unsure of himself.


    The other two looked at me expectantly. ¡°As long as you guys want my help I¡¯ll help. I promise, just come back before lunch. Oh! I do suggest a bath though before you return home, it''ll help soothe your muscles and make waking up tomorrow easier. Oh and juice, drink juice if you can.¡± I was about to go on a tangent about the necessity of staying hydrated and ensuring you had a healthy amount of sugar when training, among other nutritional advice but stopped myself. Given what I knew about this world and their healthcare, I thought my knowledge on medicine and anatomy would go over their heads. Plus they were kids.


    They left a few moments later, leaving me to read my new books and make notes. I set a sheaf of paper next to me, gathered my quill and ink, and got to work. I started with ¡®Introduction to Lexico Runwrit¡¯, as the other seemed to put a more practical application to actually using the runes.


    Runecrafting is a varied and respected field of magic and wizardry. To use Runes is to rewrite the laws of the world to suit one''s needs, to bring the full potential out of the materials we craft with, and to utilize the mana of the world for our unique purposes.


    A majority of wizards take to learning Runecraft in some way or another, be it to inscribe spellbooks, enchant objects, or form a spell ritual, most wizards tend to use runes in their day to day lives. One of the most rudimentary Rune languages, for there are several dozen, is Lexico. Due to the lack of complexity in Lexico Runes, many scholars posit that it is weak, inept, and insufficient for the purpose of enchanting or spellcraft. I, however, find that they lack creativity.


    Know this, fledgling scholar, while it is true that Lexico Runes may only maintain a runecircle of a maximum of five Runes, the runecircle will follow the will of the creator. What this means is that while the circle may hold only five Runes, the same circle with the same five Runes will react differently with the world dependant on the creator''s intentions, mana signature, environment, and other factors, when activated by a different creator. That being said, a runecircle will behave in a determinate way based on the specific runes that are used within them. One does not always have to focus on the intended effects if the basic effect of the spell or enchantment is what they are after, and they cannot will the circle to behave in a way opposing to the Runes within the circle.


    The author went on to explain how, while an individual rune circle using only Lexico runes could only hold five runes, a circle containing other languages could oftentimes house a subcircle for Lexico runes. I spent a number of hours hunched over the table reading and taking notes. I didn¡¯t get into the runes themselves just yet, the first chapter was about safety precautions because, despite being one of the safer languages, accidents could and would happen. Some folk would pour too much mana into a circuit and overload it, demolishing their limbs or worse.


    One particularly gruesome accident that I witnessed was when one of my students, a boy named Gerome, accidently drew the separate rune instead of the stretch rune. For some reason the two were eerily similar, though their effects were vast in differences. The students arms, the subject of the enchantment, were both severed at the elbow. The boy screamed for several minutes as his arms were just torn away from him. The spell he was casting was simply meant to elongate his limbs temporarily, but a lack of double checking his work resulted in him finding it nearly impossible to continue as a wizard. Healers who can reattach limbs are rare, and even rarer are those who can replace limbs.


    The first steps in caution are of the utmost import, but so too are the later steps. Test your enchantments and spells rigorously, find every flaw before you attempt to cast it on yourself. Understanding and perfecting your craft prior to creating the enchanted item or spell will save you pain, heartache, woes and ire.


    As the sun fell, I read. I learned much about enchanting, spellcraft, and of course runes. I took notes furiously. I was so engrossed in my studying that I hardly noticed my mother had returned and started making supper. I had three pages full of writing and a fourth about halfway finished when my Father pulled the book away from me. As it left my field of view I let out a slight exasperated whine, much to my parents'' chagrin.


    ¡°Lios, love, it¡¯s supper time. Plus if you keep reading I won''t be able to teach you that thing,¡± My mother said in a conspiring tone, my father glancing between the two of us.


    I looked outside, seeing that the sun was low. I looked around and sheepishly put my papers back under my pillow, noticing the lovely smell of fresh bread, a common scent in this house, and seasoned chicken. There was also a salad on my plate but it looked like mother and father had already eaten half of their food.


    ¡°Sorry, I guess I was distracted.¡±


    ¡°¡±Distracted? I don''t think that covers it honestly. The book isn¡¯t going anywhere, you can read more tomorrow. But what''s the secret thing your mother is going to teach you?¡±My father tilted his head, his drinking horn was out and beside it was a bottle of mead.


    ¡°Oh nothing to concern yourself with Father, just something that will help me best you in a fight when comes the time.¡± I started digging into the food, I hadn¡¯t realized just how hungry I had become while studying.


    ¡°Come now, you know you won''t best me even if you''re a hundred levels higher than me.¡± Father laughed with the gusto of the northern dwarves, a deep heavy guffaw.


    We bantered like that for a while, with food melting into my mouth before I begged father to regale me tales of his adventuring days. He hadn¡¯t been an adventurer for too long before meeting my mother, but even still he had faced perils that I had never imagined in my previous life. I sat with my hands folded under my chin, eyes wide with childlike wonder, and mouth hanging open at certain points of his story.


    ¡°... And then the queen of the fae folk descended to our realm to speak with the giant turtle we were trying to relocate, or kill, and asked if he¡¯d like a spot in her court. Before we knew it she absconded with the massive tortoise. The village folk thought we did something and threw us a feast with our choice of women and booze, but really we didn¡¯t do much. We hadn¡¯t even summoned the fae queen, but we did enjoy the party.¡± At the mention of women I threw a glance at my mother, watching as she glared at him. I chuckled.


    A week or so later, after keeping up with my newish routine, I fulfilled my promise to the trainees. We had a spar. During the week, however, my days were very similar. I would train before breakfast by myself, sometimes dad would spar with me, then I¡¯d train the kids, go get a bath and return to my runestudies until dinner. I was starting to copy down the runes, but the warnings of the author had me making sure to perfect each rune by copying them down over and over and making flashcards so I could recognize them individually.


    ¡°Alright guys, are you all ready for this? Your goal will be to hit me. If any of you three hit me you''ll win the spar.¡± I smiled a bit arrogantly as it took them a few moments to process.


    ¡°You want all three of us to attack you?¡± Ento asked while chewing his cheek.


    ¡°Lios, isn''t that dangerous? What if we hurt you?¡± Maya''s eyes widened as she understood the implication.


    I picked up the quarterstaff, my weapon of choice this time. I''d likely do better with a sword or the glaive, though that particular weapon was heavy and hard for me to wield after a while, but I wanted to challenge myself. I stood in a combat stance, shirtless with brown trousers and my long carmine hair billowing over my shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me waiting. It would take another three of you to make this a fair fight.¡±


    I was hoping by being cocky I¡¯d ignite the competitive spark in the three and I was rewarded pretty quickly. Both Ento and Ralphy charged at me, working separately as they charged head on. Ento swung his longsword towards my legs, but I dodged by stepping back twice. Ralphy had attempted to stab me which I quickly parried. ¡°Come on, is that all you¡¯ve got? Maya, see, I won''t get hurt. You guys simply aren¡¯t capable.¡± I sneered at them, dodging another series of strikes as Maya rushed around the others and towards my back, effectively flanking me. I snarled as she thrust her spear at me, sweat starting to bead on Ento and Ralphys foreheads.


    My staff knocked her spear to the side causing her to stumble a bit. I flashed the butt of it in her face, but stopped before impact so all she was struck by was the red ribbon tied to the end. Ducking low to dodge another longsword swing I swept Ralphy off his feet with a hook kick.


    ¡°Ento, the sword is leading you, you need better control. Its a lot harder to swing while moving, move with it dont let it drag you.¡± Ralphy stood back up panting, stepping back to reevaluate as Mayas spear shot past my shoulder, missing by a few inches. ¡°Maya, for now aim for my center of mass, it¡¯ll make it harder for me to dodge even if I¡¯m a bit faster than you.¡±


    I knocked the rapier away as Ralphy made his move, using my new dance techniques to sidle my way away from each of my friends'' attacks. ¡°Ralphy, youre thinking too much. You need to just do.¡± My staff met the side of Entos thigh, eliciting a soft yelp.


    ¡°How can you keep talking with all of us coming at you?¡± The boy clutched his leg and glared at me.


    ¡°See how y¡¯all are sweating? Well, you aren''t enough of a challenge to make me sweat.¡± I smiled at them as they came at me again. They had endured training for a full week already, and their bodies were sore. Even still they kept getting up, kept coming at me.


    We sparred only for around fifteen minutes, but afterwards I started teaching them about footwork techniques as Brioche came out to visit us. She nipped at ankles for attention causing the kids to giggle. I had them run through some drills to learn the techniques for some hours, until lunch was ready after which they left, and I was left to my rune studies.


    Well, that is, after my bath. I jogged through the forest with my furry friend, listening to the rustle of the leaves and the chattering of birds contentedly. When I stepped into the water I felt a familiar presence behind me. I settled on my rock, noting that the water no longer reached my neck. I had been growing taller, and my muscles more defined. Though, no amount of exercise would completely eliminate my baby fat until I hit puberty, most likely.


    ¡°Lios! I was hoping to see you again soon and here you are!¡± The woman''s voice called enthusiastically behind me. I couldn¡¯t help but get excited, at this point I was fairly certain she was some sort of water spirit but I wasn¡¯t sure what kind. A naiad, nymph, selkie, there were so many that populated this world. I did know she was a friend, but likely powerful enough to eviscerate me should I piss her off.


    ¡°Brook, where have you been?¡± I asked as Brioche yipped from her spot on the shore, sunbathing on a warm rock.


    ¡°That, I cannot yet say young man.¡± Her hands started gently pulling and detangling my hair. ¡°Your hair has gotten quite long, is it not around now that your kin would cut it down?¡±


    ¡°It is, but I like it long. Reminds me of some of the stories I used to read, with heroes and legends.¡± I started to soap up my body a bit. ¡°What¡¯s new at the river, Miss Brook?¡±


    ¡°Not much, though one of the streams to the west seems to have taken a small amount of corruption from the Dread Wastes. At least that''s the current theory. Nothing to concern yourself with.¡±


    I frowned a bit. I had heard of the Dread Wastes, a nation sized bit of chaotic dry and miserable land filled with monsters, natural disasters, and few civilizations. There were a few nomadic tribes that populated the expanse, but otherwise it was devoid of people. The stories I had read spoke of treasures long lost, it was a place ripe for the picking for any adventurer or treasure hunter who was brave enough, and smart enough, to explore it.


    ¡°I thought there was a collaborative barrier around the wastes to prevent its spell from spreading?¡± A number of nations, and wizards from ¡®round the world had gotten together to stop the spell that had turned the Dread Wastes into the Dread Wastes from spreading. The spell was said to have been a mistake made by a cabal of wizards who lived in the wastes while it was still a civilization.


    ¡°Aye, there is meant to be. But alas, the runes must be waning. I don¡¯t quite know if there are any in our time who can replicate that barrier.¡± Her voice sounded concerned. I thought about it for a few moments. ¡°Well, no matter, unless you gain immortality it won''t become a true issue during your lifetime, so no need to concern yourself with it.¡±


    ¡°Just because it doesn''t hurt me directly doesn''t mean I shouldn¡¯t care about it. But not much I can do at this juncture.¡± I sighed in resignation. ¡°I made some friends, my age too!¡± I bounced a bit, full of energy. In the end they hadn¡¯t been fast enough to hit me.


    ¡°Oh? Tell me all about them!¡±


    And so I did, well all I knew anyway. We sat there chatting until my hands and toes had long become prunes, ever the better for gripping things underwater. We were there for longer than usual, it seemed she usually had to put out a fire somewhere whenever we met but this time we were able to chat until we had our fill. Eventually, though, I had to return home.


    When I got close I heard the sounds of the kids training with each other. Grinning, I stepped from the woods to see them, sparring with each other though with less vigor than this morning.


    Bounding up I asked, ¡°Was this morning''s training not hard enough, you needed more?¡±


    ¡°We just wanted to keep practicing. I feel like my movements are already getting smoother!¡± Ento exclaimed and demonstrated a couple of moves.


    I clapped a hand on his shoulder. ¡°They are, they really are. You''re all doing great, but don''t let that get to your head.¡±


    ¡°Like our fearless teacher?¡± Maya giggled from behind me.


    ¡°Exactly! Unfortunately I have some studying to do, so I don''t think I can keep training y¡¯all for this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay, we already knew that.¡± Ralphy sat down on the ground, petting Brioche.


    ¡°Actually, Lios, I had a question. It might be pretty personal but I''d appreciate it if you could answer it.¡± Maya looked up at me, her head tilted.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll answer any question you guys have.¡±


    The other two watched curiously as Maya asked her question. ¡°Why do you train so hard even though you don''t have the system? My father said it gets waaay easier to improve when you have the system''s help.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That''s a tough one. I have three reasons, though I think I¡¯ll only tell you guys two of them.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, that''s not fair.¡± Ralphy mumbled.


    ¡°Perhaps someday I can tell you the last reason. The first is because... Well, I want the skills I use to be my own. Once I get the system I think it will be helpful, but still I want to develop my own skills without it. I don¡¯t want to become a slave to the numbers and values the system gives us. Plus if my opponents in the future are only skilled because of the system''s influence, I¡¯ll have an upper hand as my skills are developed by me and then improved on by the system. Does that make sense?¡± I paused to see if they understood what I was trying to say. ¡°The second reason is that, honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m talented enough to get anywhere without constant rigorous training. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. I intend to make perfect.¡±


    The others nodded a bit, as they processed what I said.


    ¡°Ah, but my book calls upon me. I''ll see you guys tomorrow.¡± And I left quickly before they could ask about the last reason, about my regrets in the past life.

 Chapter 6

    Today was the day! I could barely sleep the night before. Stretching, without even the morning light peeking through the windows, I slid out of bed. I donned my ¡°exercise trousers¡± that I''d made with my mothers help after she had spent some time teaching me to tailor clothes. I''d gotten fairly adept, considering I''d been practicing for around four years already. Most of the clothes I wore I had made myself. My mother was elated that she no longer had to fix the clothes I trained in.


    I made my way outside, ready to begin my training. It was almost meditative at this point, when it was so early in the morning. With four swords in my arms, dulled and dented and used solely for training, I stepped into my familiar clearing readily. There was a pair of rune-dances that I''d been practicing, intending to master them before trying my other ideas. I stabbed three of the blades into the dirt, similar abrasions impacting the ground around me from the past few years of doing the same.


    I wasn''t yet able to control the flow of my mana to the extent I would need in order to activate one of my runesets, but I could definitely feel the trail, the wisp of mana pushing its way through the bottom of my feet, through my hands, and even extending along my sword. It wasn''t anything like the sword aura that was spoken of in legends, that came from a power not quite like mana, but rather a simple application of mana manipulation. As I practiced step by step, slowly, I breathed deeply, feeling my mana etch itself into the ground and air, and used my control to place the rune lines on top of one another to create one cohesive formation.


    I attempted to use this training, as I had for the past few weeks, to alleviate the worries from my mind. To steel myself for what I had to do. I kept telling myself that today would be a good day. It was system day after all, but unfortunately that meant today I would have to tell my parents everything. At least, unless I decided to postpone it? But they deserved to know the truth about me.


    I mean, I¡¯m not a different person just because I lived a different life before this one. They wouldn''t, like, kick me out or kill me right? They wouldn''t think that I was a fae trick or something? At least I hoped not. I knew there would be some feelings, but I was hoping to avoid anger and ire. Sadness, disappointment, worry, I knew these would be present in some capacity, but anger, ire, rage I didn''t know if I could handle.


    Frustrated by my persistent thoughts pushing their way into my head I growled, throwing the haggard training blade into the ground. I grasped my head, covering my eyes for a moment as the soft rumble emanated from my throat, letting out my worries a bit. Come on, Lios, get your shit together. They''re your parents, they¡¯ll hear you out at least. Calm your nerves. I told myself to try to calm down. My heartrate was accelerating but I decided to take some deep breaths again, clearing my mind.


    Stepping towards the curved saber that I¡¯d tossed into the soft dirt, I gripped the handle and ripped it from the earth. After having briefly trained in a dozen or so different weapons I¡¯d decided to, at least for now, focus my attention on a few different types of swords. Later I could always resume studying other weapons, and with the training I¡¯d already done I was fairly decent with a variety of them.


    I had specifically learned techniques for shortswords, longswords, curved swords, and greatswords. Despite leaning towards a dexterity focus, I knew that with smithing I¡¯d gain quite a bit of strength that would allow me to comfortably wield most greatswords on top of the agility based swords. I¡¯d taken to training with the large blades with Ento, who was receiving some input from the system through his [Greatsword Mastery] skill.


    I completed a few of my sword dances with the saber, my current curved blade shape of choice as the local smith, Derren, didn¡¯t know how to make many others. Our kingdom''s army focused on straight edge blades, aside from sabers for the cavalry units, so that''s what most of the smiths tended to learn to produce.


    The runedances were a bit theoretical as of yet, without access to the system I couldn¡¯t truly grow my magic or magic control except for through my own efforts. For physical things this was okay, but once I leveled up I''d increase my mana capacity past the point where I was currently only able to leak a bit of mana. When I gained full access I¡¯d learn to actually activate the runes and test them so I could hopefully use them in combat. The dances themselves weren''t necessarily structured. When I was practicing I attempted to use many different variations of footwork techniques to achieve the desired results, coming to the realization that in combat my opponents wouldn''t sit there and wait for me to write the runes so I¡¯d have to have some flexibility to cast my spells.


    When I first started to create the dances I had to stay within a three foot diameter circle, essentially making it impossible for me to move around the battlefield. This was because in order to use my ¡°fire wave¡± spell I had to write many different runes over top of each other. Unlike when writing the runes on paper, I had to stack the individual runes while using this method. About six months ago I had discovered that I could attach individual lines of mana to one another by making a connection with another strand of ¡°sticky¡± mana, which, when activated with an effort of will, would pull the lines together. This let me step outside of my small circle into a larger one, giving me a fifteen foot diameter circle to work within. If I moved too far away the connection would strain and it would take far more willpower to maintain, resulting in the runes and mana dissipating. I had learned to manipulate and sense mana through effort, like with my other talents. I first felt it while doing a dance nearly a year ago, and attempted to focus on it and manipulate it. It took several tries to latch onto the energy I was casually leaking, but once I did I could easily grasp it whenever I attempted to again.


    As I lost myself in my training with the four blades, I became aware of someone watching me. I glanced over to the edge of my house, where Maya leaned against the wall. Through the training, she, Ento, and Ralphy had become my friends. The other two were busy with apprenticeships but would sometimes have time to train with me. Maya, being a year younger than me, had seen less noticeable growth than the two boys, only by the fact that she was unable to access her system for another year. I waved her over, normally she didn''t arrive until just after sunrise and it was still a bit early so I shot her a questioning look.


    ¡°Todays the day, aye Lios?¡± She bounded up to me, a slight flush on her face from having been noticed. She always seemed a bit flustered when I noticed her, despite me knowing about her watching me every day thus far.


    ¡°Aye, it is,¡± I muttered a bit as I settled into a stance my father had taught me, and resume my briefly halted practice. There was a thin sheen of sweat covering my body and damping my hair. Despite being only ten my body rippled a fair bit with my muscles as I moved. I was lean, but clearly strong for my age. This time I was simply moving through the motions slowly, giving myself micro corrections as I noticed mistakes in my form. I noticed Maya''s eyes following my movements.


    ¡°How exciting!¡± She exclaimed though something in her voice gave me pause. It sounded as if there was something weighing on her. Perhaps I was just paranoid. Even still, I finished my current dance and turned to face her.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Maya?¡± I gently asked. She wasn¡¯t just someone I was teaching anymore, she was more like a sister and a friend at this point.


    ¡°Well, um... Not really.¡± She trailed off. I watched as she looked away from me and chewed the inside of her cheek. Thinking she walked around me until she reached where I had stabbed her spear into the ground. It was a bit rusty, as I often left it out for her to practice whenever she felt like it I let her think in peace as she fell into a stance and started moving like I had been. ¡°What are you planning to do after you get your system?¡± She finally asked, I could hear a hint of worry in her timid voice. She had greatly grown in confidence the past couple of years, but still had her moments. As do we all.


    With her voice shaking she turned toward the woods, away from me. ¡°What am I going to do? Hmm... I¡¯ll keep training. And hopefully get an apprenticeship at the smithy. Maybe in four or five years I¡¯ll leave, and start to adventure.¡± I replied, hoping to alleviate her worries.


    I stabbed my sword into the ground, no need to worry about damaging the steel, and walked behind Maya. I wrapped my arms around her, a little self conscious about my sweatiness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''m not going anywhere anytime soon.¡±


    She reached up, and held my arms for a few moments before speaking. ¡°Okay... But why the smith? Aren''t you trying to be a swordsman?¡± I laughed a little at the question, a chuckle escaping my lips.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but I have other plans too. One of them requires me to have a good amount of smithing experience, if I can actually pull it off.¡± I pulled away from the hug. It was nearly time to talk to my parents. It had to be today, maybe supper?


    I stepped back, shaking my head and whipping my clammy hands off on my trousers. My heart was thumping in my chest. I sighed and clapped my hands on my cheeks, reddening them and causing Maya to look back at me with concern. I should probably just get it over with before father had to go to work, that way I couldn''t chicken out.


    Maya took my hand, concern clear in her eyes. ¡°Is something the matter, Lios?¡± the younger girl asked quietly, looking up at me.


    I nodded, before closing my eyes and taking a deep, exaggerated breath. I inhaled to a count of five, held it for a few moments, then exhaled to another count of five. Her eyes were on me the entire time, even with mine closed I could tell. I squeezed her hand, smiled, and reached out to ruffle her golden hair. ¡°Yeah... There¡¯s something but I can''t talk about it. Thank you for worrying about me, Maya. There¡¯s just something I have to do, that I''m not sure I''ll ever be ready for,¡± I said, shaking my head. I looked over to the treeline, noting the colors rising over them. It was time to decide, now or later. Swallowing I looked over to the door, weighing the options


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    On the one hand, if I spoke to them now I wouldn''t have system access. If I waited until I had system access I would stand a better chance if they kicked me out. I¡¯d have a better opportunity to convince people to hire me for work. But if they kicked me out now, I¡¯d still have the same opportunities to work after just waiting a few hours. Alternatively, if they were going to kill me, waiting wouldn''t help, and neither would going now. It was a risk no matter what I did.


    I took another deep breath, turning towards my friend, and said, ¡°Sorry, Maya, Just a lot on my mind. I don''t think I can train you today, but you¡¯re more than welcome to practice with the spear on your own.¡± I started towards the door, when I was nearly halfway there I looked over my shoulder and shot her a genuine smile. ¡°And thank you for looking out for me.¡±


    She gave me a concerned smile, trying to think of something to say but before she had the chance I was already inside of the house. Inside, my parents were chatting idly and having breakfast. My father drank transparent tea in a wooden mug, and my mother was peeling a suncitra fruit and slicing it. The smell of sizzling sausage wafted throughout the small abode. Already plated were some over easy eggs and crispy home fries with onions. My father put down his mug in order to equip his guard uniform, a set of well maintained, hardly damaged armor. He was in the midst of putting on his greaves, always starting there as it was hard to lean over with the leather and maille cuirass.


    Upon entering I took my seat, fidgeting nervously. I was sure my parents wrote it off as being nervous for the system integration. ¡°Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you both about something extremely important.¡± I said, my voice shaking but my conviction clear in my unwavering eyes. The dark blue, nearly purple, irises were steely.


    My parents exchanged a look, and stopped what they were doing for a moment. ¡°Let me set the rest of breakfast, Lios,¡± my mother requested, distributing the suncitra slices between mine and fathers plate, she didn''t enjoy the flavor. She quickly forked a couple of sausages for each of us before sitting down across from my father, with me in the middle.


    ¡°What do you need to talk about? Are you telling us you like boys?¡± My father attempted to break the growing tension, making myself and mother chuckle a little bit.


    My heart rate slowed down at the small laugh I let out. ¡°No, well, I mean I don''t not like boys. Prefer girls though,¡± I replied candidly, I didn''t think it was necessary to hide my attractions.


    ¡°Wait really? I mean I don''t think we care but I was just kidding.¡± My father blushed a little, probably expecting the question to be ignored.


    My mother, playing with her food, interjected, ¡°Is it about what class you should select at level ten? You don''t have to decide yet, ya know.¡±


    I took a deep breath, swallowing my anxiety. I tentatively took a few bites of food, feeling the tension rising. Thankfully, neither of my parents pushed as I contemplated how to approach this. I¡¯d had ten years of prep but still wasn''t sure how to broach this subject. In the end I decided to be blunt, straightforward. ¡°I... I¡¯m not from Ravos. Please give me a second to explain before you ask too many questions,¡± I requested as father looked like he was about to interrupt. Both of my parents put their forks down and leaned back, expectantly. I saw my fathers hand clutch the handle of his sword, which was leaning against the table as he was getting ready. He didn''t draw it, but I could tell he was considering every possibility.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m not a changeling if that is your concern. The whole story is a bit long, so I¡¯ll skip to the most important details. I was born in another world, possibly another dimension. When I was twenty seven I... I died. I¡¯m not sure how, or why. But I died. The story really starts with the next event. I woke up, floating, in this white void. There was nothing, nothing except some music I didn''t recognize and a... god... Their name was Miamora, probably an alias.¡± At this my parents exchanged a look, the expression of concern on their faces deepening.


    They motioned for me to continue. ¡°This god offered me a few different options. They aren''t really important, only one is. They offered to allow me to reincarnate with an amount of my memories intact. Anything that could be perceived as too advanced or dangerous to this world was purged. And then, I was in a different void. I was... I was in you, mom. In your womb. Next thing I knew you were um... Birthing me.¡± I felt a bit awkward with that last point, still clearly remembering my birth, not a memory I wanted to retain. I had spoken quickly, but clearly, worried that the longer I took to relay this information the more likely it was that they¡¯d react adversely. Or that I¡¯d lose the ability to talk.


    My father removed his hand from the handle of his sword and opened up his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. He rubbed his face with his hand, and looked to my mother and back at me. ¡°This wasn¡¯t a... a dream?¡± My fathers voice shook.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s always the possibility but I don''t think so. I remember a lot from my life before, more than a dream would provide I feel.¡±


    ¡°And this god, this Miamora, you said?¡± My father was rubbing his chin, on which were few hairs. My mother often complained about them stabbing her but it didn¡¯t stop them from kissing. ¡°Elaine, have you heard of a Miamora? In the greater or lesser pantheons?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t...¡± I was relieved, they were taking this far better than I expected.


    ¡°A are you not... not upset with me?¡± My voice was shaky, I had expected a bigger reaction. I still did. What I hadn¡¯t expected was for them to simply accept it.


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m confused more than anything. Are you certain you remember an entire other life, that this isn¡¯t a strange story you concocted?¡± My dad resumed donning his armor, getting prepared for the day as a vice captain of this towns guard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± I looked toward the ground, trembling slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to say something about it for so long, but I decided to wait till today.¡±


    My mother, seeing me tremble, got up and wrapped me in a hug. ¡°Oh I can only imagine what was going through your mind... I guess your behavior makes a little more sense, don¡¯t you think Zeke?¡±


    My father laughed, breaking me out of my wallowing stupor, and nodded. ¡°It really does. It really does. Listen, Lips, this is huge news. Your mother and I still have to get to work, and I think process this a little. Why don¡¯t you go out and train or play or something and we can pick up the conversation around dinner?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine. Are you really not upset?¡± Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes as my mom pulled away from the hug.


    ¡°We¡¯re not upset, Lios, just need to process. Okay?¡± She looked me in the eyes before pressing her lips against my forehead. ¡°Now, go out and enjoy your day. We¡¯ll talk more at supper.¡±


    I nodded and quickly left, taking my plate and a couple extra sausages with me. Unlike my fears, my parents seemed very calm about the bomb I had just dropped. I quickly made my way to the training circle and snatched up the curved saber, leaving before Maya could see the tears falling down my cheeks.


    She called to me as I neared the forest edge, but with tears in my eyes I ignored her and rushed through the woods. I hopped over felled logs, ducked under low branches that I¡¯d considered chopping many many times, and found my way into the clearing with my furry friend and her children. The moment I broke into the clearing I heard her warning growl until she realized who had approached her. Then, with all of the energy a recovering momma fox could muster, she leapt at my chest excitedly. She was chittering, laughing the way foxes do.


    She had been pregnant the last few times I saw her, but it seemed by now she had given birth. My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing the cute babies for the first time. For a moment, my worries and concerns were abandoned.


    As I caught her she jumped out of my arms and rushed to her covered den, a hole she had dug that now contained the mewling puffballs that she recently gave birth to. I let a smile twist my lips as I watched her. Sitting down, my back against a log, I let her bring me the kits one by one. Like her, they were a gray, silver, and black mixture of fur. The small critters barely filled the palm of my hand. She brought me another one, then another. And finally a fourth kit was dropped before me. I pulled the sausages from my pocket, absently feeding her one as I gently pet the unbelievably soft kits.


    My attention was split between the momma fox, the mewling adorable kits, and the timer in my vision. I attempted to play with brioche to distract me from the conversation this morning. I was unsuccessful. I wondered what my parents were thinking, if they thought I was crazy and were trying to make me feel better earlier. I no longer worried about them kicking me out, but now considered they may contact the local priest to verify my sanity.


    After a while of feeding Bri and playing with her, she took her kits back to the den so they could nap. I stood, and began performing the first sword dance I''d designed using the runes from the Kota language- a beginner friendly rune language. Due to it being a beginner language, the rune sequences could only be so complex, but anyone who truly understood it would be able to make them work for most applications. I wasn''t sure if the sequence I¡¯d designed would actually work, given that I couldn¡¯t activate it just yet, but it still felt good to practice. This particular sword dance only contained a few runes, and I could complete the runes with around 12 steps. The runes I used were meant to gather surrounding mana, convert that mana into a wave of fire, then push the wave of fire into the area surrounding me.


    I could only focus on training for around two hours before I sat back against the tree. I couldn''t stop myself from crying as my negative thoughts overwhelmed me. I was panicking a little bit, my anxieties bombarding me. It didn¡¯t help that, despite actually being close to forty years old, I still had the emotional control of a ten year old. I was scared that my parents wouldn¡¯t recognize me as their son, once they started to consider the implications of my confession. That they''d disown me or worse. I wasn¡¯t sure if reincarnation was a common thing in this world. By their reactions, I''d assume not. What if they told someone? What if it was something that placed fear into the hearts of the church of the Divines, the primary religion on Ravos. What if they kicked me out? Could I survive? I still didn''t know much about this world save for what I''ve read.


    In spite of the memories that I had from my past life, my parents were still my parents, as far as I was concerned. They had raised me, they were there with me from the start. They taught me everything I knew. Heck, aside from a few kids my age they were the only people I really interacted with. I had spent the last ten years of my life pushing my past down, trying to forget about it. It would do me no good to dwell on it, not when the people from my memories were gone. Not when different rules applied here. But now I felt lonely, helpless, and alone.


    I don''t know when it happened, but eventually I fell asleep. It was probably a combination of emotional exhaustion, the cool subtle breeze, the sounds of the Deepbloom forest echoing off of the trees, and the tepid, soft sunlight bearing down on me. I didn¡¯t have much by way of dreams, rather all I had were snippets of nightmares. I couldn¡¯t figure out which of them were worse.


    I dreamed of how my parents might react when I finally returned home. How my father might come to the conclusion that I was in fact fae, that I was a threat to the town. How he¡¯d kill me without warning, tears in his eyes, or worse, devoid of emotion. I dreamt of being forced to find my own way in this world as a ten year old, even with the system people wouldn''t take me seriously, especially the adventurers guild. Not to mention the nearest guild office was in the closest major city, Port Airos, the capital of Jorial. My mind took advantage of my old memories, highlighting the deaths of my family and friends. I even had a snapshot of how I imagined everyone reacted to my dying.

 Chapter 7

    After I''m not sure how long I awoke to the sound of excited mewling to my left. My eyes slowly blinked open until I heard the sound of a growl. A loud growl, deep, terrifying. Coupled with the sound of whimpers. My eyes snapped open, and I straightened. I looked around, my chest throbbing as I saw a wolf, skinny and a bit malnourished despite the abundance of fauna this time of year, and Brioche, the much smaller animal, stood shaking in front of her den. To the side of the clearing I saw two of the fox cubs laying motionless, bloody, dead. I felt my chest tighten, tears springing to my eyes in both rage and loss. I choked down the feeling, trying to focus on the situation at hand. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done. What felt like mere moments ago I had been playing with the critters. I shook my head and slapped my cheek to regain focus.


    I stood and glanced at the timer in the corner, I probably wouldn''t be able to help much without the system.


    [System Timer]


    Time to integration:


    2:01


    Damnit! Two hours, one minute remained. I lifted the training sword regardless, two of the kits were still safe in the den, behind Bri. As I prepared myself, I watched helplessly as the wolf lunged towards Brioche, biting into her neck and whipping its head back and forth. Blood fell in droplets all across the clearing, I heard Brioche whimpering in pain. My eyes widened in terror, adrenaline rushing through me. I couldn''t stop myself as I leapt into action, perhaps foolishly, with my dull training sword. I didn¡¯t know if it would help but I pushed as much of my raw mana into the sword as I could. Before I reached them, despite only being a few steps away, the wolf let go of her mid shake, launching her into a nearby tree with a sickening crunch. I cried out in rage and swung the sword down on the wolf''s neck, a resounding crack echoing through the clearing. Seething, I lifted the sword again as the wolf wheeled on me and slashed down again, my training paying off as this time I killed it, caving in its skull. But I didn''t stop, I swung again and again, crying.


    After around ten seconds of mindless rage, I stumbled back, shocked and terrified. I had just killed something. I started to hyperventilate and fell to my knees, keeling over. I couldn''t stop it, my stomach lurched as I caught sight of the wolf I had just dealt with. I threw up, it wasn¡¯t much, it had been a good many hours since breakfast and I hadn¡¯t had lunch. It took longer than I¡¯d like to admit to come to my senses. Really, it took the soft mewling of the remaining baby foxes to break my stupor.


    Panting desperately for air, I removed my shirt quickly and went over to Brioche, kneeling. She was breathing faintly, so faintly. She was weezing. It was painful to listen to. I wrapped her in the shirt, watching as it quickly soaked with blood. I snatched up the defenseless kits, knowing that if I left they could die just as easily to the elements as to another creature. Sobbing, I sprinted from the clearing and made my way towards the house. I choked on half of my breaths, my chest heaving with every other step. I couldn''t seem to regain control, normally breathing wasn''t such an issue even while working out or running.


    Normally it took around fifteen minutes of walking to find my way to Bri¡¯s den, but this time it took maybe eight. I was breathless as I approached the well. I collapsed and listened for Brioche¡¯s breathing over my labored gasps, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. I rested her on the ground and held the back of my hand to her nose. I didn¡¯t notice as Maya, who was still practicing with her spear, rushed towards my house and called for my parents..


    1:51


    It had only been ten minutes. Fuck. Fuck Fuck Fuck. Shit. I didn¡¯t know what to do. My first friend wasn''t breathing. If my timer was down maybe I could... but wait it wasn''t done, I didn¡¯t have the system, maybe it wouldn''t help. I let her squirming babies down as I placed my hands to her still chest praying to whatever gods existed that they not take her yet. Please, please if you help her I will be your devout follower. I swear please, anyone Elandrus, Luma, Ferune, Helion, anyone please.


    I prayed to all of the gods I knew. I didn¡¯t realize my parents were behind me. I didn¡¯t feel them grasp at my shoulder to try to pull me away. As a last desperate thought, so focused on the fox I was willing to attempt the improbable, I tried to force a companion connection. When an animal monster or beast made a companion pact with a person both would change to an extent, taking traits from each other, but also, for the animal, they would enter a transformative chrysalis state. In the past there were instances of companions being saved from mortal wounds due to this state.


    I sent my mana through my hands and towards the still fox, towards my friend. I felt the mana slowly begin to leave my hands butit was too slow, much to slow for a connection to form. I screamed out, angry that it wasn¡¯t working and forced my intent into the mana as I had read about in the rune books. I gasped as I felt the mana leave my body, rip itself from me, and pushed towards Brioche''s motionless body. I trembled for a moment as my vision faded to black, and I collapsed.


    When my eyes finally opened again I saw that I was laying on my back, a half dozen faces were looking down on me. I groggily sat up before remembering Brioche and I frantically looked to see if I could see a cocoon or whatever came about with animal chrysalis. Instead I numbly saw a motionless body. A soft mewling broke me out of my stupor and I shook my head, hearing my parents talk.


    ¡°Lios, Lios are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± My mother was frantically checking me over. I glanced up at her and saw there were streaks on her face. I looked at the other faces around me, two guards, Ento and his current mentor, Calimax, Max for short. Maya, my parents, and one of the local healers. I didn¡¯t know the priest''s name, given that I tended to avoid the church. I cursed myself a moment wondering if I had been devout if Brioche would have been saved by my hapless prayers.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m not hurt¡± I answered my mother after a few moments. I had a killer headache, my eyes hurt a bit. My mouth was dry. How long had I been out?


    [System Timer]


    0:48


    I had been unconscious for over an hour. No wonder my parents were so worried. I guess that was a good sign given this morning''s conversation. I shakily stood up. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The blood is Brioches.¡±


    My father helped me up,then wrapped me in a tight hug, not saying anything for a few moments. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the dried blood on my shirt or arms as I hugged him back. Then finally he spoke, and as his voice cracked I broke down again. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you''re okay.... I¡¯m - I''m sorry about Brioche...¡±


    ¡°Can... Can you help me bury her?¡± I stumbled over to her. I was confused at how weak I felt, all I''d done was cry.


    ¡°Careful Lios, you must be exhausted. How does someone your age figure out how to expel all of your mana anyway?¡± Calimax held me up on the left side as my father held me by the right. ¡°We dug a hole already, Ento ¡®n I.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like conversing, they seemed to understand. I heard his other question, of how I expelled my mana, but ignored it. I wasn''t too sure myself, I wasn''t sure if it was abnormal or not. I¡¯d been able to manipulate mana to a small extent for a few months now.


    I scooped up the fox, my arms trembling from the weight. Ento walked us to the edge of the woods where a hole was dug and an earth crafted headstone was already waiting. I gently placed her into the hole, still wrapped in my bloodstained shirt. ¡°I hope in your afterlife they let you chase all of the rabbits, hunt every snake, and deliver you sweetened cream and meat every day. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to protect you. I swear I will protect your kittens until the day I die.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t find more words, not right now. My chest was tight. My stomach was revolting against me, my body was begging for recovery. I looked back towards my parents, then at the onlookers. ¡°Mom, dad, I think I need a bath. After, can we talk?¡±


    My parents exchanged a long look before my mother nodded. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take you to the creek.¡±


    The others took the que to leave, Maya and Ento stayed for a few moments before waving, sad expressions adorned. ¡°Dad, can you go to Brioche¡¯s clearing? The uhm. The wolf... I want to use its pelt. And the training sword is there... And her children deserve a burial too.¡± I barely stopped myself from crying again, damned ten year old body and hormones. My father nodded.


    I started walking through the woods, with my mothers support, to the creek. I had her turn, despite being my mother, as I washed the blood and dirt off. We were silent the entire time, and after around fifteen minutes we were back on our way to the house. Our walk was quiet too. I could tell that she wanted to say something, but I didn¡¯t want to talk much yet. It wasn¡¯t until we got back that I realized I had forgotten to make sure the kits were safe. I mentally noted two more mounds next to Bri¡¯s.


    As we got into the house I saw my father sitting on my bed casually playing with the two baby foxes. His eyes snapped toward us as we entered. The air was filled with the smell of a curry, the source being the three cold plates of curry, rice and vegetables on the table. My stomach gurgled and I made a beeline to my seat. I took a bite without waiting, the spices washing over me. I was surprised, normally we weren''t able to get many seasonings here, at least save for those we could make ourselves, but this dish had a decent bite to it. I groaned as the chicken and rice and sauce melted in my mouth.


    My parents joined me at the table and looked between each other and at me, unsure what to say.


    ¡°Lios-¡±


    ¡°Son-¡±


    They interrupted each other. My father gestured to my mother to let her go first.


    ¡°Sweetheart, after you eat you should get some rest. Then tomorrow we can talk about everything... It¡¯s been a long day for you.¡± her voice cracked a bit and I saw she was wiping away a tear.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait. I¡¯d prefer it if we didn''t,¡± I said through a mouthful of food. My chest hurt, honestly my whole body hurt. My headache was starting to fade with the food though. ¡°I¡¯ll start with what happened in the clearing, if that''s okay.¡±


    My parents nodded, indicating that I could continue


    ¡°Well, I went there after our talk this morning. I played with the four... the four babies for a bit, and BriBri - ¡° It was tough to talk about, but I held back my tears this time. ¡°And after maybe an hour, maybe a few, I started practicing my sword techniques. After a while I couldn''t focus any longer and I rested in the shade against a tree where I guess I fell asleep. When I woke up the wolf was fighting with Brioche, and two of the kits were already... Anyway, I got up just as the wolf bit into her and started shaking her. I used the training sword and bashed its head in, then ran all the way back here.¡±


    I stopped talking, opting to fill my mouth with food as they processed the events. There was a long silence, long enough for me to eat the rest of my food. ¡°Am I... am I still welcome here?¡± It felt like a stupid, but necessary question. I mean, they had made a plate for me...


    ¡°Of course you are! You''re our son, you''ll always be welcome. Regardless of what you said this morning.¡± My mother came over to hug me. She squeezed me tight enough that my back cracked. It was nice. My father was wiping away tears as he came to join us.


    ¡°I thought... I thought you were hurt. You didn¡¯t respond to anyone calling your name, and then you just... Keeled over. I thought... I don¡¯t know what I''d have done if...¡± My strong, stoic father couldn¡¯t finish the thought, as though just saying the word ¡®died¡¯ would bring it to reality. Hearing my parents sniffle I felt a bit of warmth seep back into me. I was still loved.


    ¡°Dad, I''m okay. I promise I''m okay.¡± I patted his back, feeling how tense he was. ¡°Um... can you take the day off tomorrow? I think you¡¯ll probably have a lot of questions, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I already did. Your mom and I spent some time writing some down, but I''m sure there will be more. For now though, how long do you have left on your system timer?¡±


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t much want to look at it. But I did. Sometime between the bath and now the timer had ticked down, there were only around three minutes left.


    ¡°Not much. Woo system day.¡± I exclaimed less than halfheartedly.


    ¡°Less than five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, before we get into your, uhm, past, let¡¯s try to figure out which skills you should take. I¡¯m sure you have an idea of what you want but...¡± My mother said, it seemed she was struggling a bit with my revelation.


    ¡°Sure. We can do that. I do have some ideas. I want [Bladed Weapon Mastery], or something similar. [Running] might be good to pick up. I have a few skills I want for my secondary class, that¡¯ll hopefully link up pretty well with my main. [Smithing], [Tailoring], and [Runewriting] or [Inscribing]. In one of my books it said that these skills can be merged later into the [Runsmithing] and [Runeweaving] skills. I also want [Dodging] and [Dancing], but I''m not sure what else appeals to me.¡± I purposefully left a couple of slots open as it was tradition for parents to help their kids or to choose skills for them. It was easy to talk about my skills, even in spite of everything that had happened. I had been planning for this moment for the better part of the last four years, and pondering this moment since coming to Ravos.


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    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve given this a lot of thought. It seems like a lot of those skills are geared towards two different classes, why not focus on the first and then once you are able to choose a second class we can get the others?¡± my mother asked as she sat back down.


    ¡°I thought about that, but I don''t know when I¡¯ll get the chance to learn to blacksmith again and as long as I¡¯m doing that I think I should also work on my tailoring, that way they are both ready when I hit level fifty and take my second class.¡±


    ¡°I think those skills seem pretty good, I guess you still want to be an adventurer? Specifically a swordsman? You probably will need an [Intuition] skill, it will alert you if someone is being dishonest, depending on the level, or warn you of danger among other uses.¡± My father was stroking his chin, he had only the wisps of facial hair despite rarely shaving. It seemed in this life, too, my face would be devoid of hair. I sighed internally.


    ¡°And I think your last skill should be something along the lines of [Critter Wrangling] or [Fox Raising] if you intend to raise Bri¡¯s kits.¡± My mother looked at my bed where the two palm sized pups were resting.


    ¡°I think you''re right¡± As I said that I received a number of notifications. I ignored most of them, but felt an intense energy rushing through me. ¡°I guess I should set my skills now, huh?¡±


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Initial Designation]


    Child of Discordance: lvl10


    That was strange. I had read, and been told, that when kids were initialized, or given the system, they would receive a designation, usually something like [Child of Ravos] or instead of Ravos the name of the country. Sometimes they would be given a designation with a specific base element, or even a type of object. There were kids who were named a [Child of the Hammer] but I had never heard of something like this. I chalked it up to not knowing everything and moved on to see what skills I actually had available to me. Still, discordance didn¡¯t seem like an overly positive designation. I also noted that I was starting at level ten, meaning I had somehow done enough to warrant that level. It was likely due to me killing the wolf while without the system.


    [Class]


    Unavailable


    [Class Skills]


    10x unavailable


    [General Skills]


    10x available


    It didn''t take long to find eight of the ten skills that my parents and I had talked about. The missing two were [Smithing] and some sort of animal handling skill. That would come pretty quick.


    I was a bit disappointed by the lack of a visual stats page, despite having already known about it. Some items and skills allowed individuals to quantify their abilities, but otherwise the system kept them hidden. It would have been nice to see how I compared to others my age or even older. Additionally, I could tell the rush of energy in me was the result of immediately jumping to level ten at the time of receiving the system. The system would take into consideration what I¡¯d done to earn said levels and auto assign my stats for me which could result in changing my body and physiology. According to my parents the system wouldn¡¯t affect my personality through stats but skills could. This meant that just by increasing my intelligence, wisdom, or charisma I wouldn''t become overly different, my way of thinking wouldn¡¯t change, but it would heighten what I was already capable of.


    ¡°Skills all assigned?¡± My dad had been watching me as my eyes flicked from side to side. I had asked a few generic questions about the system like how to select a skill, or how to read additional information on them, but otherwise hadn¡¯t said much. So focused was I that I hadn¡¯t noticed my mother had gone to my bed to bottle feed the foxes some goat milk.


    ¡°Yeah I got them all set. Well all but two but those I¡¯ll have to pick up tomorrow.¡± I stifled a yawn. My eyes were droopy. I stood up and made my way to my bed, scooting up against the wall as I layed facing the kitchen so I could still talk to my parents. ¡°Can we talk more tomorrow? I am suddenly very tired.¡±


    ¡°We can, yes. You''re gonna need to come up with a name for these fellas.¡± My mother gently petted the foxes as they crawled towards me, sniffing me curiously. I pet them softly as my eyes closed.


    ¡°I will. I will.¡± I said just before falling asleep.


    I dreamed of nothing, I only felt. I used to think growing pains were pretty bad, but they were nothing compared to going from level one to level ten in one fell swoop, apparently. I could feel the muted pain of my muscles reforming to fit my new strength stat and dexterity. I had the worst headache, it felt like I''d been hit by a bus. When I woke up, for the first time in years, the sun was already up. I stretched, the pain had only lasted as I was asleep. It had probably been worse, considering it was morning, but I had only felt a bit of it upon waking. Thankfully. I saw both of my parents chatting at the table. My mother was trying to teach one of the kits to sit while holding a scrap of bacon in her hand.


    One fox swished her tail looking up at mother, she was already sitting. Her fur was silver and gray with black streaking through it, while her brother was much the opposite. He was spinning, generally ignoring my mothers command and the bacon. Chasing his tail. I laughed seeing him, but it reminded me of what had happened the day before. His fur was mostly black, a stark contrast from the other fox, with some silver streaking throughout his pelt.


    ¡°Lios you''re awake! How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Like dad after a poker night...¡± I mumbled but they both heard me. They pretty much always heard, damned enhanced senses. A lot of the time they let my snide remarks go thankfully.


    ¡°Oh? I guess I can see that. Yesterday was full of changes.¡± My mother came and sat on my bed as I sat up and leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Okay. So, you guys have questions. But wait, I kinda ignored everything other than skills. I saw some other notifications though.¡±


    ¡°You should check those first, we have all day.¡± My dad crunched on a piece of toasted bread.


    Most of the notifications were pretty unnecessary, one talked about how I reached ten years of age. Another was about me gaining experience killing the wolf. Most were just tips about navigating the system, which was all stuff I already knew or had been told by my parents last night. There were a couple of achievements though, that I read fully.


    [You Lived!]


    Oooh woooow you made it. You''re ten now, so now you get me as your forever sidekick. It¡¯s not really impressive, so all you get is this little textbox. Toodles.


    I¡¯m the reward Bitch!


    [Foolish Bravery]


    Without even access to the magic and skills of this world you challenged a beast that was significantly stronger than you. Somehow you survived this encounter, be it by your skill, your luck, or the wolf''s own damned incompetence. Rejoice, for foolishness is sometimes rewarded. Typically the reward would be the retention of your life but since you''re new you can have a little bonus treat. Don''t get used to it.


    You gain +3 randomly distributed stats per level


    I hadn¡¯t expected that much snark from the system, but it had me wondering what exactly the system was. It didn¡¯t matter right now. I wasn''t sure how much those bonus stats would actually help, especially since I couldn''t even reference what my stats were already sitting at, but it seemed like a pretty good deal. I read it out to my parents.


    ¡°Wait seriously? Three per level? That''s a really good achievement, especially at level one. It affects each class you gain levels in, not just your main one.¡± My fathers eyes had gone wide when I mentioned the reward. My mother had gone from playing with the darker pup to staring wide mouthed for a moment. I carried on to the second achievement.


    [Twice Baked]


    Per the whim of a capricious god you have been reincarnated. Your soul, also known as you, has been returned to life through space and time with your memories mostly intact. Whoopdydoo. Sure this happens very rarely but you aren''t special, get over yourself. If that god guy hadn¡¯t been there you''d still be dead. But you aren''t so I guess you get a reward. Next time the reward is your life, so don''t die again dumbdumb. I¡¯ll help with that so say Thanks System. Go on, do it.


    You gain +1 to your con per level.


    ¡°Is the system always so damned snarky?¡± I asked before reading it off.


    ¡°First, I don¡¯t care if you are really a space wizard as long as you live in this house you will not curse, understood young man?¡± My mother whipped to face me as I swore. ¡°And second, it''s not usually this bad. It talks to everyone differently, though it''s typically cordial. You might actually want to tell it thank you.¡±


    I groaned a bit. ¡°Thank you system for keeping me from dying. Or something¡± I watched my parents both smirk and burst out laughing. ¡°What? Do I not have to actually thank it?¡±


    ¡°No, no you should. We don''t really know if it will hear you. It¡¯s just funny when you do so out loud.¡± My father snickered.


    ¡°So, now that those are out of the way, uhm... Do you guys want to talk about it? Oh wait! Before that, Derren will still train me right? You talked to him dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes he will. And I¡¯m not sure where to begin. You said you¡¯re from another world... How sure are you?¡± My dad leaned back.


    ¡°Pretty certain. I have almost thirty years of memories from another life, so I''m either crazy or lucky in a way. Or unlucky depending how you think about it.¡±


    ¡°Tell us about your old world.¡± My mother was still sitting next to me, her voice trembled a little bit. I wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking but I did know that even in this world the topic of other worlds and other dimensions was rarely broached except by wizards, or space wielders. Even with magic there was little information on other planes, save for those belonging to individual gods.


    ¡°My world was... well, it was different from this one in a lot of insane ways. We didn¡¯t have magic, nor the system, we didn¡¯t even have gods that regularly visited us. At least, not from what I¡¯d seen. There were a massive amount of different religions though, so maybe some of them are true. Instead of magic we had what''s called electricity and it basically...¡± I paused for a moment, frustrated as I couldn¡¯t articulate what electricity was. Fundamentally I knew what it was but not how to harness it, how to use it, outside of the fact that metal and water interacted with it. I knew it came from lightning and some other sources but not what those sources were. ¡°Well, it''s not overly important. It let us do all sorts of things, make things. I think that Miamora took most of the memories though.¡±


    As I spoke I received a skill notification, letting me know I qualified for [Distant Recollections], which I ignored for the time being. I¡¯d likely have more space for skills after I took my first class. I wasn¡¯t positive if I''d take a swordsman class or a crafting class first, but it only mattered for a bit.


    I watched as my fathers and mothers faces turned from expressions of mild concern to curiosity, and I could tell that they hadn¡¯t been very convinced yesterday at my confession but now they were beginning to believe me.


    ¡°I was an Electrical engineer... Are there engineers here?¡± I asked. The boy fox waddled toward the bed, towards my voice as I spoke. I picked him up and he immediately curled up and laid down in my lap, his black fur shimmering under the light that was peaking through the window. I pet him, wondering how I was going to take care of them.


    ¡°Engineer? I know the word, but haven''t paid much attention to it. What was it in your world?¡± My fathers eyes were positively glimmering, though there was still a sense of weariness in his eyes. I understood, there were so many things in this world that took the place of children or mimicked them.


    ¡°So, an engineer is someone who designs and creates machines or other products. Usually stuff like... um we had these things called cars, like carriages but they moved under their own power. The type of engineering I did was basically figuring out how to connect the electrical components of things to make it work. The electrical part was basically what told the thing how to react or do things. Ugh, it''s hard to explain without all my memories, but I guess it¡¯s not that important. Anyway,¡± I watched as my mother picked up the other fox, who promptly yawned squeakily, and curled up in her lap. ¡°My last world was pretty similar to here too. Humans don¡¯t seem to change a lot from place to place. War, greed, kindness and generosity all ran rampant, those in power did everything they could to stay there. Though in my world the only means to power were wealth, influence, or a combination of the two.¡±


    ¡°I can''t imagine a world without magic and the system. It¡¯s such an integral part of our society.¡± My mother shook her head, chewing her cheek a little bit. ¡°What about your family? Were you close?¡± She looked a little bit scared of this question. Maybe fear wasn''t the right word, but she was definitely hesitant.


    I felt my heart race a bit, it had been a while since I had really thought about them. Most of the time I tried to only think about what I could do in this world. It was part of the reason I tended to be so active, why I practiced for so many hours each day. ¡°We were close. I had a mom, a dad, two brothers and a younger sister. I had a girlfriend, we were going to be married soon.¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize I was crying until the tears dripped down onto my hands. My parents were quiet, letting me take my time as my chest tightened. ¡°Her name was Jessica. Mine was Isaac Duran, everyone in my world had a last name not just nobility, though I don''t think that was always the case. I think... I think I have names for the kits now that I think of it. My parents'' names were Luke, or Lucas, and Skylar. What do you guys think of Luka and Sky?¡±


    My mom gently smiled as she mouthed the names and looked down at the sleeping fuzzballs. ¡°I like them. I think they''ll suit them.¡±


    My father came to give me a hug, sitting beside me. ¡°Those are perfect names. Regardless of your past, your mother and I still view you as our son...¡±


    ¡°I still see you both as my parents... Wait, can I stop trying to act my age though?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever acted your age, Lios?¡± My mother asked before they both busted out laughing. ¡°Seriously? That was you acting like you were young? You should not be an actor.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought I was pretty convincing...¡± They laughed again, the fox curled up in my lap stirred, Luka, and rolled onto his back. I absently rubbed his soft little tummy.


    ¡°You were not. We thought that you could be possessed or something...¡± My fathers voice took a jovial tone but I felt an edge in it, letting me know they had seriously been concerned. ¡°I guess your behavior makes a lot more sense. Is that why you never hung out with the kids your age or played with them?


    ¡°I hangout and play with Maya, Ento and Ralphy all the time!¡± I announced indignantly.


    ¡°Training is not playing, Lios!¡±  My mother playfully chided.


    ¡°It''s close enough!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any stories you can tell us? Or any games you can show us? I bet the guys at the barracks would kill for some games!¡± Where my mother was excited to talk about my actual past, my father seemed to only hold interest in the entertainment options of Earth.


    ¡°I have a lot of stories. There is one game I miss, too, called chess. I should be able to make a basic board with some wood carving tools, or maybe when I start helping Derren out he¡¯ll let me use some scrap metal to make pieces. For now, though, I can tell you some stories from my world... Hmmm.¡± I tapped my chin trying to think of a story I remembered well enough to tell them.


    ¡°A long time before I was born there was a... nation? Or a series of city-states I think, called Greece. The country still existed in my times, but was much more unified. The people who lived there worshiped a pantheon of different gods, but they aren''t so important. The story I wish to tell doesnt belong to the gods aside from the fact that a few of the figures were said to be the children of a few of them. Our story starts in Sparta, a city of warriors and might. There was a woman named Helen who was said to be the daughter of a human and the king of the gods, Zeus. She was regarded as the most beautiful woman of her time, and was the queen of Sparta...¡±


    I spent a while telling my parents of the story of Helen of Troy, of Achilles and afterwards of Odysseus. The stories weren''t as in depth as I wish I could have portrayed them, but even still my parents were enamored. They asked a bevy of questions throughout my rendition, some of which I was able to answer, others I had to ponder a moment before saying I had no idea. I nearly forgot about my anxiety from the day before, and my chest felt much less tight by the end of the stories. I weaved tales until after lunch, when my father took me to see Derren the blacksmith.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Ah, Zeek, I were wondrin when ya¡¯d pop up!¡± The stocky human smith called out as we approached him. Derren was covered in soot, small pockmark scars caused by burning embers, and sweat. He was shirtless, allowing me to see that on top of the pockmark scars there were some other, more gruesome scars as well. The man was well muscled but with a firm beer belly, he had long since lost his eyebrows and his hair was generally frizzy and all over the place. He grinned as we stepped up to him, 6 of his teeth clearly missing and even more replaced with gold or even one emerald.


    ¡°Derren! My friend, I''ve brought my son, assuming you''ll still teach ¡®im?¡± My father reached out and grabbed the smith''s forearm in greeting. The two were a similar age.


    ¡°Fer ya Zeek, o¡¯ course! Boyo, don¡¯ be shy now. If¡¯n we gone work togetha you cannat hide behind yer pa!¡± He waved me over as they let go of each other''s arms. Between his strange speech patterns and the missing teeth it took me a moment to figure out what he was saying.


    ¡°Thank you for taking me under your wing, sir,¡± I said respectfully as I reached a hand out for a shake. ¡°I¡¯m Lios.¡±


    Despite having lived here for ten years I didn¡¯t know many of the citizens very well, given my reclusive tendencies. I had met a few of them, including Derren, over the years but I figured that since I¡¯d be working with him I should introduce myself properly. He gave me a half toothed grin and clasped my forearm.


    ¡°Dere, das betta ain it? Zeek ye can skedaddle.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I leave my boy to you. You best not tell him about that time, else I''ll have your drunk ass placed in a cell for a week. Nobody will bat an eye, you know it.¡± My fathers tone was teasy, Derren just laughed. His chuckle was like the rumble of an avalanche, low and raucous, louder than a tree falling. My father turned without ceremony and started walking back home. ¡°See ya for dinner son. Don¡¯t mind Derren much, the old codger is wily but he knows what he''s doing.¡±


    ¡°Aight step un, get you the smithin skill. Afta I¡¯ll show ye how ta make a dagga. Fer da most part y¡¯ell be jess helpin me out but afta a few wecks y¡¯ell be makin yer own product. Yer pa say you study inscription too?¡± Derren spoke quickly as he led me into the forge area. The air was, as expected, sweltering. I was already starting to sweat despite the cool spring air outside.


    ¡°Yessir, although I haven¡¯t tried to enchant anything yet.¡± I smiled at the man, then removed my shirt to salvage it from the errant sparks and the rivulets of sweat that were pouring from me.


    ¡°Ye may wanna keep yer shirt on, da sparks hurt lie a bitch once dey touch ya.¡±


    The forge sat within a wooden pavilion, although most of the structure was held up by beams of iron. The forge itself was in the center of the room, and was around eight feet wide. On each of four sides of it, like a compass, were bellows and anvils as well as a tube-like quenching tank. For anything larger than that tank there was a trough filled with water that one could use. Over the top of the forge was a four sided structure like a pizza oven, a brick facade that allowed the heat of the forge to bake the contents inside. I saw a small number of tools inside, presumably being heat treated. Around the edges of the pavilion were a number of tables. A few of them were clearly workstations, with tools scattered and surfaces ready for cutting or carving either leather or wood as well as a drafting table for designing equipment. The others were piled with unfinished gear or various metal ingots. A bin was filled with wood, what looked like scrap pieces just big enough to use for handles or other relatively small projects. It looked cluttered at a glance but as I observed the covered smithy I realized it was well organized.


    I ignored the warning, perhaps foolishly. He started by having me slam a three pound hammer down on a piece of scorching steel a few times until the ding of the system made me jump halfway out of my boots. The sparks indeed hurt like a bitch, but I endured them. I was glad I didn¡¯t yet have body hair to burn. I immediately set the [Smithing] skill as one of my general skills. Afterwards he just spoke through what he was doing, showing me the full process of heating an ingot, shaping it, repeating, quenching. It was hard to understand him normally, but even harder with the echoing clang of the hammer on metal. Even still I followed along, pounding into my own bar of steel. He had to wait about twice as long as it took him to finish a step for me to complete the same steps, aside from heating the metal itself. I wasn''t able to completely finish the blade before it was near time for supper, but the stout man was grinning by the time we were done. In just the afternoon my [Smithing] skill had already risen to level 7.


    My days were fairly well structured. In the morning I resumed my training, first a spar with my dad followed by breakfast. A bit of training with Maya, then onto training my ¡°sword dances¡± as I was calling them. I had spent the evenings in the past few weeks, since gaining the system, practicing my runes, and the last week or so I had been trying to translate it to my dances. It was difficult, much harder than I thought, to layer runes with footsteps and [Mana Manipulation]. Today I finally felt ready to commit to it. Usually I wrote the runes and simply let the mana dissipate rather than activate the spell, but today was different. My mother was watching the foxes inside, and I was in Brioches clearing.


    I had taken to training here more often, enjoying my alone time and embracing the serenity of the forest. It felt clearer now, the mana around me. I danced around the clearing, writing runes into the air beneath my feet as I moved. I panted at the end of my dance. There were only five individual symbols in my dance but it took a ton of focus just to write them. I had no idea if this was even viable in an actual combat scenario. I bit my lip as I timidly activated the spell, letting my stands of mana pull the runes together and feeling my mana drain towards the inscription.


    I felt the rush of the mana around me, the mana of the world, pull towards my runes like a cyclone before it suddenly stopped. I smiled, at least the first part of my circle was written correctly, I¡¯d realized while writing my spells on paper that the mana cost for the spells I wanted to cast grew with each rune added, so to supplement that I added two runes to my circle that would gather the ambient mana, and three to execute the spell. This way, the only runes I needed to personally power were the two that gathered mana.


    The only reason I felt the mana swirl around me was because rather than getting a [Fox Raising]  or similar skill, I had picked up [Mana Sense]. This was at the recommendation of Derren after realizing that while I could write runes and etch steel with them, if it was purely a mana construct with no visual indicators, I was struggling to perceive my own magic. While working with him I had described my runedancing and after articulating the issue we came to the conclusion that I couldn¡¯t gain [Runesmithing] or any similar skills until I was able to see or sense my enchantments.


    I held my breath for a moment as the runes finally activated, around ten feet from me as I was stood at the edge of the circle. A blast of heat met me as flames swirled from the center of the rune circle setting half of the grass in the clearing on fire. The flames rushed around the glade and licked my legs causing me to jump back, panicked. The epicenter, where I had started the runes, had an empty circle around 3 feet wide. The flames vanished quickly but left in their place were burning shrubs and grass, and my charred pant leg. I batted at it as I felt the heat crawling up my leg, biting back a scream as I put the flame out. Thankfully it was just one of my calves but as I assessed the damage I saw that I was pretty badly burnt, though it wasn''t third degree.


    I started to stomp out the flames before they could spread. I was overjoyed aside from the frequent cursing and wincing at the pain in my leg. The spell had worked, It really worked. As soon as the flames were extinguished I started to attempt to cast it again but this time, as I reached the end of the casting I snapped the runes towards me instead of towards the starting point. This time, the flames spread out from around me and I was safe. I still felt the heat but I wasn''t burned, a small circle surrounded me, around three feet in diameter, that kept me just outside of the infantile inferno I had just manifested.


    I stole a glance at my skill levels. Tonight I would choose my class, it was a huge decision. Almost all of my skills were level 10, the early levels didn¡¯t take much to earn. My intuition skill was the only one falling behind but I was okay with that, it was usually one that was difficult to level and train. Part of me wished for something closer to an [Identify] skill but those and other appraisal skills typically only affected items, or in special circumstances people. Different classes could get different versions, but they were all limited, there was no catchall or skill that was capable of checking an individual''s identity, or that would provide information about various types of items and materials.


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Initial Designation]


    Child of Discordance: lvl10


    [Class]


    Unavailable


    [Class Skills]


    10x unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:10


    [Running] LVL:10


    [Dodging] LVL:10


    [Intuition] LVL:7


    [Dancing] LVL:10


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:10


    [Tailoring] LVL:10


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:10


    [Smithing] LVL:10


    [Mana Sense] LVL:10


    I limped my way back home, thankfully today my mother was bringing lunch to my father so when I got home she wasn''t there to see my burnt pants and leg. I quickly ate and stowed the burnt pants under my bed before heading to the forge. The heat there was horrid on my leg but I suffered through it. While working I spent the majority of the afternoon as Derrens assistant until he reached a stopping point on the project, a massive warhammer that would be shipped off to the capitol with the next merchant caravan. After working on the hammer I continued to practice my smithing. I was in the process of making a runesmithed dagger. The difference between enchanting and runecrafting was small. Basically, while forging the item one would pour their mana into the metal and etch runes with only mana into the item between each heating. This was a much more tedious process than simply using an enchanter''s stylo and etching the runes into the steel, but for me it made more sense considering I was already learning to smith and to inscribe. Most craftsmen were unwilling to branch out into multiple fields of crafting, specializing oft came with more wealth. It was also much harder to level four or five skills dedicated to different crafts than it was to level five to eight skills dedicated to the same craft. Plus, the more skills one had dedicated to their primary class or specialization the more they were able to do for each item. The end results were similar but a runecrafted item typically held their magic for much much longer than an enchanted item might. It also made it significantly harder to craft the item itself, as you had to focus on multiple separate processes at a time. Derren himself was just a smith, he had no desire to enchant or learn to runecraft, and often told me that I was ambitious to attempt to learn it on my own. To him, the word ambitious was synonymous with foolish.


    In this case, since I had successfully crafted a regular dagger, I was making an enchanted billet of steel that I was hoping would resemble damascus from earth. I was attempting to imbue it with runes to improve the hardness and sharpness perpetually. The steel was nearly ready to actually craft into an item but I had wanted one extra day''s worth of mana and inscribing to truly set the enchantment. I was a simple enchantment, but that was what I was able to do with the Lexico rune language.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Me lad, ye still enchantin¡¯ that hunk o¡¯ steel? Ye coulda finished a ¡®ole dagga by now,'''' Derren called out as he was wrapping the handle of the hammer. On the same table, there was only one dedicated to leathercraft, was the wolf''s pelt that my father had harvested for me. I was still unsure what to do with it. It would likely be just big enough to make a short cloak or cape but that didn''t appeal to me. Instead I was contemplating adding it as liners for a future set of armor but I was a long way away from making something that complex.


    ¡°Hey, I gotta get that skill somehow, don''t I? Plus, if I get it I can pre enchant the metal for you.¡± I knew that idea appealed to the codger, he was always thirsty for extra coin and enchantments often brought coin.


    ¡°I told yer once and I tells yas again, if ya wanna learn runesmithin go to tha dwarves,¡± he called out.


    ¡°You know they wouldn''t trade those secrets with a human, lest I do something crazy.¡± I turned my focus to the freshly reheated metal. I was close to finishing the billet, I could tell, but it wouldn''t matter if I couldn''t make the knife itself.


    ¡°Aye yer right bout dat, buh I still fink ye shoul¡¯ quit wastin yer time. Oh well, tis yer life kiddo.¡± He shook his head then turned his attention back to his own work, noticing I was going to be distracted for a few minutes at least while slamming my hammer into the sweltry metal. Under his breath I could hear him muttering, ¡°¡®Derren can I be your apprentice? I promise ta take yer advice.¡¯ Pretty shoddy feckin apprentice if ya ask me.¡±


    I grinned knowing he didn''t mean any of that.


    I was sweaty and sore and exhausted before I made my way back home. I went in quickly to grab some clean clothes, a towel and some soap. My mother wasn''t quite done with supper yet, so I had time for a bath. ¡°Ma, I¡¯ll be right back just gotta take to the stream!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better, I can smell the smoke on ya from here. What is that old goat making you do? Bathe in the forge?¡± She scrunched her face as my smell filled the room. Not replying, I rushed to the stream and quickly jumped in, eager to rid myself of smoke sweat and  to hopefully soothe my burnt legs, and the pockmarks from the sparks that were starting to cover my chest and arms.


    Pretty quickly I realized the water temperature rose to a more comfortable temperature for the sweltering  climate, going from seemingly freezing to tepid. We were in between spring and summer now, though our environment was less prone to the shifting seasons considering our climate was similar to that of southern california, but the summers and springs could grow extremely hot. I smiled, knowing better than to turn around.


    ¡°Brook! My favorite water spirit, it has been a while.¡± I called out, guessing at what she really was.


    ¡°So, you figured it out?¡± Her voice twinkled like raindrops on glass,a pleasant sound. I nodded and tilted my head.


    ¡°Though I am unsure on which specific type of spirit you are.¡±


    ¡°But you have a guess? Oh my what has happened to your arms?¡± I felt her close in on me, she touched my arm from behind. It was a motherly gesture, or at least how I perceived it.


    ¡°Oh, right, I''m an apprentice smith now. Just caught a few sparks.¡± I smiled, tempted to turn towards her. ¡°Are you a Naiad?¡±


    ¡°OOh clever boy. I am. The forge does not explain the burn on your calf either. I can heal it a little if you like.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.. this may sound strange, Miss Brook, but I''d rather prefer to let it heal naturally. I likely won''t always have access to the convenience of healing magic, and should learn to manage the pain of my mistakes on my own.¡± I knew in this world of magic that my insistence on committing to my own power and abilities, over that of the system and wizards, would likely seem odd to most, but it was necessary. For most of my adventures, lest I find a companion that I wished to travel with in particular, I would be secluded, on my own in the wilderness. I needed to know that I could take care of myself when it became necessary.


    ¡°Very well, strange boy. I suppose now that you know what I am and have gained the system you may look upon me. Though, your parents might dislike if you do so while I''m nude so I will create some clothes.¡± The water rushed about, flowing upstream for a moment while she ¡®dressed¡¯. ¡°You may turn if you like.¡±


    I did not hesitate, I was curious if the drawings in my copy of ¡°Mystical Creatures of Jorial¡± were at all accurate. When I turned I couldn''t stop myself from gasping. She was gorgeous. Her skin was made of flowing scales, blue and green and shimmering and shining. Some looked murky, some clean, all gorgeous. She took the visage of someone in their twenties, an indigo smile playing at her lips as she gauged my reaction. I was silent, only observing.


    Her dress, that she had presumably just created, frothed where it touched the river, like a waterfall. When I listened I could faintly hear the rumble of rapids coming from it, but the sound was subdued. Her hair was green like the plant life beneath the running river, like the algae and weeds. It was beautiful, incomprehensible. It moved as though it were underwater, shifting fluidly. I found her face, she was smirking. It had undoubtedly been a few seconds, likely overlong, that I had stared with my mouth agape. I closed it, feeling myself flush.


    ¡°Miss Brook, you are more beautiful than the art in my books would ever be able to depict,¡± I said, shocked that I didn''t find myself stammering.


    ¡°Why thank you young Lios, but you are certainly far too young to attempt flirting with me. Try again in a few hundred years and I may just be more receptive.¡± She teased playfully, letting out a giggle that sounded reminded me of the twinkling of water splashing amongst water, rain falling onto an otherwise still pond.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me see you.¡± I nodded amicably, unsure what to say.


    ¡°Of course, my little friend, I feel I can trust you to keep this secret. My kind are often... pursued for unsavory reasons.¡± her face turned to an expression of discomfort, of disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I read most will seek naiads for alchemical substances, and some for their scales. I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± I smiled at her, trying to reassure her. ¡°Am I allowed to tell my parents? It¡¯s okay if not.¡±


    ¡°You may. By the way, I haven''t seen that fox in quite some time. Did something happen to her?¡± She tilted her head, and I felt a pang of pain in my chest. It had been a few weeks since she passed, and it still hurt to think about her. I had thought of her as both a friend and a pet, and losing her reminded me that this world was not like my last. This world, for those who sought it, was filled with violence and loss. Bandits, wild animals, and monsters peppered the landscape. Her loss had reminded me of the others I lost when being brought to this world.


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Unfortunately, she was attacked by a starving wolf. I was able to wake up in time to save her kits, two of them anyway, but she... She succumbed to the wolf''s ire.¡± I looked down, I had replayed that moment, that day in its entirety, many times. My parents kept telling me that chances were none of them would have lived if I hadn''t been there, but I wondered about the veracity of that sentiment. If I wasn''t there with those sausages, or my own scent would the wolf have found them?


    Seeing my expression Brook wrapped me in a sudden, unexpected hug. ¡°Whatever happened, it wasn''t your fault. If anything it is the fault of those who caused the forest to sicken.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you know of the Dread Wastes?¡± She pulled away from the hug and went to sit upon a stone nearby. ¡°The barrier is beginning to fail. ¡®Tis too much for you to worry on, perhaps when you are stronger I can go into deeper detail. Anyway, with the barrier failing there is some magical energy seeping into the Deepbloom and other areas of interest, it is reshaping some of the environment and likely is what is causing some animals to relocate from their usual hunting grounds. I suspect the wolf was one.¡±


    I was quiet for a bit. I knew that the barrier was centuries if not millennia old, but not that it could deteriorate. Either way, she was correct. I was not enough to stop it as I was now. I sighed, wishing I could carry this conversation on for longer but I knew I needed to return home soon. ¡°Sorry Brook. I have to go or I¡¯ll be late for supper.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, then see you next time. Feel free to tell your parents but only if they swear to secrecy please.¡±


    ¡°Of course, thank you miss Brook.¡± I smiled and she turned away as I stepped out from the river. I quickly dried myself before donning my comfortable, slightly flowy pants and jogged to my home.


    When I entered I saw that the burnt pants had been moved from under the bed and were now draped over my chair. My mother glowered at me as she paced and my father was simply sipping at his steaming bowl of tato soup.


    ¡°Lios, explain.¡± My mother sternly pointed towards the pants. I gulped.


    ¡°I um... well I was practicing and... caught myself on fire a little.¡± my cheeks flared with pink and I avoided her gaze. Part of me was ashamed that I wasn''t looking her in the eyes but most of me was embarrassed by what had happened. ¡°But, I successfully cast it the second time!¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt? No more training if you''re just going to get hurt.¡± My mother chided me.


    ¡°I burned my leg a little bit but I promise I''m okay!¡± I pulled up my pant leg to show her the cloth wrapped around my leg. I had soaked it in clean boiled water before leaving for the forge, and left it wrapped when I took my bath. It was probably a good time to let it breathe, but I would definitely soak some more rags on the morrow before heading to the smithy. I unwrapped it, wincing slightly as the wet cloth pulled at my sensitive red skin. ¡°See, it''s just like a sunburn that''s all.¡± It was definitely worse than the average sunburn but it didn''t look that bad.


    ¡°Hmmph. Next time tell me and I¡¯ll take you to  a healer.¡± She sat down, and blew on her steaming soup. I grinned as I sat down and did the same before taking a hasty bite. ¡°Careful it''s... hot¡± My mothers warning was late.


    ¡°Hashwahsshush,¡± I was forced to incoherently gasp and babble to cool the food in my mouth as it burned the roof of my mouth and tongue. My dad laughed.


    ¡°So, kiddo, you''re gonna take a class today?¡± My dad asked after he finished laughing at my pain.


    ¡°Yes! I don''t know if it''ll be a fighting or crafting one yet though... I¡¯m excited though. You said it¡¯ll make me sleep right? So should I wait till I¡¯m going to bed or just do it after dinner?¡± Luka started to climb up my leg as we spoke. When I¡¯d first brought them home they were the size of my palm but were growing fast. I dipped my bread into the soup and let him take a bite as Sky perked up from the other side of the room, rushing over for a treat. I dipped again for her, they definitely weren''t spoiled.


    ¡°Yeah, you should probably do it after supper. Otherwise you¡¯ll be groggy in the morning,¡± My mom said. She was smiling and watching the foxes in my lap. ¡°Classing up can take a lot out of you, like when you gained the system. Depending on the power of your class it may be harder on your body than others, it also depends on if you have excess experience that''s gonna level you up further.¡±


    ¡°Okay, is there anything I should know before I class up?¡± I asked through a mouthful of food.


    ¡°Lios, you are not a damn child do not speak with your mouth full.¡± Ever since my announcement of my past my parents had been trying to break me of some of the childish habits I had picked up while acting as, well, a child. Things had been a bit awkward, with my parents not knowing how to treat me since my revelation. They had just decided to treat me a bit more maturely, but still parent me a bit, I mean I was still ten. I didn¡¯t mind honestly, it was nice having people, good people, looking out for me.


    ¡°Sorry ma, bad habits die hard.¡± I swallowed my food before replying.


    After that we all sunk into our food for a bit before my father looked over at me, at this point Luka was by his feet instead of on my lap, having discovered he wouldn''t be able to coerce me to give him more snacks. My father was much less restrained when it came to giving the foxes treats. The little beggar. ¡°Aside from the people, what do you miss most from Earth? It''s still weird calling a place what we call the dirt we walk on.¡±


    At first they¡¯d tried to spare my feelings by only asking questions about general things, or my world''s history, but this past week I had told them I wouldn''t be upset at any question even if it made me remember something uncomfortable. ¡°Hmm... it''s a tossup between the music and the food. We don¡¯t have much music here, and we cant conveniently listen to it unless a bard is nearby playing for us. The wealthy, I''m sure, can afford some sort of enchanted device to play it whenever they want, but I miss being able to listen to music anytime I please. And the food from my home was sooo diverse and yummy. I miss a few meals.¡±


    I closed my eyes for a few moments and started humming the chorus to ¡°American Pie¡± contentedly. I opened my eyes to see both parents staring at me.


    ¡°You should sing something for us, or perhaps we can find you an instrument?¡± My mother asked after I was finished humming.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a musician, maybe someday, but I think I should focus on my other training for now. Someday maybe I¡¯ll take a singing or storytelling skill, when I have free general skill slots.¡± I gave the idea a little consideration, after all if I couldn''t hear music normally I could at least try to make some. Or perhaps bring songs from my world to this one.


    ¡°Well you''re about to free up quite a few general skill slots so, maybe you can get a musical one soon?¡± My dad seemed at least a little excited at the thought, to be honest he was the one who mostly asked about stories from my world. I had a feeling he was trying to relive his adventurer days through tales of earth.


    ¡°I''ll think about it. I guess I should probably get to it though, the system isn''t gonna wait for me too long.¡± I knew that was a lie, it would wait for as long as I wanted, but I also knew I wanted to get this over with.


    I placed my bowl of finished soup on the ground and smiled as Luka and Sky fought over it. Sky was a bit smaller but much much faster than Luka and had her head buried in the bowl nearly immediately after I placed it down. Luka physically dragged the bowl away before lapping at the remaining tato soup. As they went back and forth I went and laid in my bed, closing my eyes. I activated the prompt that had been waiting for me since acquiring the system.

 Chapter 9

    [Upgrade Class]


    y/n


    I mentally selected ¡®Yes¡¯.


    As soon as I did so my vision, blackened from having my eyes closed, shifted and I felt as though I were floating. It was similar to the feeling of waking up in that white void of Miamoras. Music started to play around me, I recognized the song even if the lyrics were absent - fly me to the moon. I hummed the song as I looked about in wonder. While it was still dark, I could see in the distances around me a number of concentric circles with small lecterns holding books, orbs, and what looked like screens displaying different stories. Different paths. I was alone here, but I didn''t feel lonely. Scattered within each circle were lit podiums, different shades and colors of lights. The ground seemed to reflect all, especially those podiums I was near. The sky was a dark blue, as though it had just become twilight. Stars scattered amongst the sky, but did not reflect in the floor.


    I took a glance to my right, seeing that I was on the edge of one of these circles and near one of these podiums containing stories. The lights from the podiums filled the horizon, seemingly going forever. I looked at the book before me, [Apprentice Chef]. I leafed through the pages, curious what it would say. It was a story of possibility, talking about what a chef can do, what they could cook. It highlighted a few potential skills like [Ameteur knife work] and [Searious Cook], which seemed to be all about how to sear different types of meat. I set the book back down, a bit disappointed. I felt no draw to it.


    I started to wander about, checking different classes out but none piqued my interest until I found a circle with seven or eight books. Until now I had received an offering for [Tailor''s Apprentice], [Novice Dancer], [Librarian''s Assistant] and a few others that I seemed to qualify for based on my hobbies. There were plenty of books, but occasionally I''d come across an orb like a scrying ball that when I peered in deeply would show me a fate. For the dancer class there was an audience watching me perform. For the tailor class it showed me measuring fancily clad patrons and chatting amorously with them, laughing and gently flirting inside of a fancy storefront. Each podium I stopped by highlighted a different aspect of myself. But it wasn''t until I reached this specific circle that I felt close to any of the options.


    While there were plenty of lit up podiums, there were even more that weren''t. I instinctively felt that these were possible paths but that I had yet to realize the qualifications for them. In this smaller circle only four were lit up, all four glowing distinctly with a blue light where most of the ones before this had either been gray white lights. I likened it to a rarity, even though the books I¡¯d read said there was no indication until after the class was selected for which rarity it would be.


    I lifted an item off the first podium, a flat black rock. When I did, I instinctively knew the title [WorldWalker] and it lit up, showing me images. It was like I was watching an anime, I was enraptured by it. I watched myself open portals, step through them and explore different parts of the world, of other worlds. I saw myself seeking audiences with kings and even lowly gods, even stepping foot in the different layers of hell. I saw myself speaking to a faerie, her disagreeing and attacking me and me sending her through the planes. The class looked epic, powerful, terrifying. I felt a draw to it. I was unsure, however, how feasible it would be. From the looks of things the spells I cast would be massive, powerful, and mana intensive. As of now, without a display to tell me so, I could tell I didn''t have the kind of mana this class would need. Yet. A worldwaker was adventurous, tenacious, and defiant. They made their own laws, escaped oppression and fought for whatever they felt like. Some were thieves and some were heroes bouncing from plane to plane and saving folks. Some were selfish and greedy, hunting only for materials and disregarding those in need unless it benefited them. But all were free, never able to be held down except by the most cunning of foes.


    Sighing, I shelved it. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of a descriptor outside of the story in these classes. It would make things so much easier if I knew what skills I''d get, how much they would cost, or any other information. But instead, as my parents had told me, these classes were as much a leap of faith as they were to be carefully selected.


    I stepped to the next lit lectern, I had tried earlier to read from one that wasn''t lit but my hand had passed through it as though it were a ghost. I lifted the book examining the cover [Vulpes Amicum]. Fox friend in latin, I wasn''t sure how I knew that but I felt it was just the magic of this place that told me. It made me wonder more about the system, about where it came from. How did it know latin, and how did I understand it? What was the truth behind this magical entity? I shook my head to clear the thoughts. As much as I wished to know more about the system, I wasn''t going to find anything out today. Instead of worrying, I gently opened the cover and it showed me and the two foxes dancing through meadows or hunting in the woods. It showed Sky sitting on my shoulder as we traveled, and Luka weaving through the trees seeking prey. I saw myself healing them, them fighting on my behalf, I saw one of them getting hurt over and over protecting me and the other swooping in to save them. It made my heart heavy, to watch my precious friends get hurt like that as I was forced to stay back and deliver buffs to them. I knew this wasn''t me. A [Vulpes Amicum] was often found in the trees, in nature, away from people.They were loyal, fierce, but not a physical combatant. They were friends of nature, looked favorably on by the trees and rivers and rocks and leaves. They were friends to all nature, not just to the small canines they were named after. They were protectors of the forest, and their responsibilities were vast. They were not me.


    The third book was glowing a different, darker shade from the rest when I turned to it. It seemed like it was begging me to choose it. I picked it up and frowned at the title, [Apostle of Chaos]. I started to read it and realized it was referring to the god that brought me to Ravos, Miamora. I scoffed a bit as I read what duties the apostle could have; convincing others to worship the gods of Chaos, praying for storms and disasters and pandemonium. An [Apostle of Chaos] was a worshiper of dissonance, and a bringer of turmoil. They were those that sought to shake up the world, to bring tumultuous events into fruition. They garnered fear from their foes and wariness from their allies, and they were looked upon with distaste. It seemed a lonely, solitary existence. There was no chance of me choosing this one. I placed it back on its lectern.


    I glanced into the distance, hoping that there would be more for myself amongst the fields of classes, but I knew in my heart that these four that were lit in this circle were those I was most likely to connect with. I sighed, turning my attention to the last of them. It was in the form of a manga. I smiled a little bit reading the title [Bladedancer] and I knew that what I had worked towards, and speculated, was here and was worth it. I was a touch surprised to not see even a mention of a smithing class but I had also only looked at about a dozen stories so far.


    When I opened the manga I could tell that this was what I was after. I watched as I weaved gracefully through enemies activating spells that I was etching into the ground and air around me. Instead of just my feet casting runes, the tip of my sword and blunt end of my spear acted as focal points as well. I could see the intense focus on my face as I danced for children at an orphanage, regaling them with tales through my movements. I saw movements that were fluid like water and jagged, forceful like an explosion. I saw myself learning new techniques throughout the country if not even further beyond. A bladedancer was one who would stave off entire armies for their allies, entertain those who had lost all, seek glory and knowledge and adventure. A bladedancer was a warrior, a fighter, but more than that they were a source of light for those they saved, for those they interacted with. They were seekers of martial knowledge, purveyors of spellcraft, and they were rare. Exceedingly so. It appeared to be a difficult class, among the positive fantasies it showed frequent failures - lessons. A bladedancer was tenacious, brave, foolish, and creative. They were capable of more than just putting a sword to a throat, more than stylo and paper and enchanting. They were the essence of both a swordsman and an entertainer, of a wizard and a cultivator, all at once. A contradictory but complementary existence.


    I looked about, at the hazy sky and distant lights surrounding me. There were an endless amount of possibilities that the system had laid out for me. There were thousands, millions, billions of unread stories, unrealized scenarios. But my choice was made, I instinctively knew that this was the class. This was all that I had worked towards all of these years, all that I had imagined. I was hoping that by being a seemingly rarely sought after class it would come with additional bonuses, but I wasn¡¯t overly sure. Despite having only checked a few of the possibilities it felt as though I¡¯d been here for hours. Sighing, I mentally prompted the system.


    You have selected the class [Bladedancer]


    Caution, this choice cannot easily be undone. This choice will likely affect the rest of your life. Are you sure that you would like to become a [Bladedancer]?


    Y/N


    I mentally said yes. The manga in my hands floated before me and opened up before slowly disintegrating into light and particles. It rushed towards me, into my chest. I felt a burn, a rush, and then darkness as this mental plane faded away. My body was suddenly racked with pain, my muscles and bones twisting and contracting and expanding. I swallowed my screams, writhing in this darkness for what felt like hours, days. It was horrible, I couldn''t liken it to anything else. It felt like my bones were being pulled and compressed, my muscles torn and rebuilt, my skin itched and tingled. And I couldn''t move. Before long the darkness, the pain, and the silence started to fade away. Something wet flashed along my cheek. Then the other cheek. Something tickled me, making me giggle slightly as I opened my eyes to see two small foxes hovering over me, whimpering, licking and sniffing at me.


    I was readying to comfort them when I was inundated with a copious amount of notifications. My eyes went wide and my heart raced a bit as I prepped to read them, hoping that my class came with some solid benefits. I reached up and pulled the obnoxious, needy foxes to my chest, giving them pets. They squealed perhaps with delight as I pulled them into a cuddle.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been worrying ever since you fell asleep. We listened to their whining all night. I know you¡¯ve been worrying about a companion skill but I''m pretty sure you''ll have gotten something by now.¡± My dad said from the kitchen table. I glanced outside to see that the sun hadn¡¯t yet risen. ¡°So what class did ya get? What skills?¡±


    ¡°Bladedancer. Not sure of the skills yet, give me a few moments.¡± I replied and shook my head as I gave the foxes a few more scratches and pulled myself up so I was leaning against the wall. I took a deep breath, gently petting the two attention seekers as they wriggled in my lap. Willing the notifications to appear, I trembled with excitement.


    Congratulations! You have received the rare class [Bladedancer]


    [Bladedancer]


    Be it by circumstance, luck, intuition, or fate you have discovered a lost combat art. Faded away in centuries past, a tribe of nomads invented the Runedance, a series of movements that when completed allowed swordsmen, warriors, and entertainers alike to cast spells of unforeseen magnitude.


    Following the tempo, the rhythm of battle, a [Bladedancer] will call to the world and the world will answer. They will altar battlefields, rend the landscape, and slaughter their foes. With their magic and martial technique a [Bladedancer] is often considered a menace, a threat beyond that of either wizard or martial artist.


    They are unpredictable and ingenious, dangerous and powerful. Be wary of those whom you tell the truth to, for kings and gods do not always look kindly on those who have the potential to topple nations.


    [Bladedancer]¡¯s seek to further their technique, to understand the flow of the world''s mana, and to witness the vastness of the world and its people.


    Your general skill [Bladed Weapon Mastery] has been moved to your class


    Your skill [Dancing] has become [Runedancing]


    [Runedancing]: a lost skill recently found, little is known about those who can follow the flow of combat well enough to write runes in the midst of battle, except that they are oft exceptional ever growing warriors. To communicate with the will of the world, to bend the world in your favor, to combine wizardry with martial arts is to Runedance. A hidden art, lost to time, [Rundancing] is the supplementation of magic and technique. Become one with the art of Runes and the rhythm of the world, and the world will always respond to the call of your mana.


    Your general skill [Dodging] has been moved to your class


    Your general skill [Intuition] has been moved to your class


    Your general skill [Mana Manipulation] has been moved to your class


    Your general skill [Mana sense] has been moved to your class


    The skill [Rune Compendium] Is available for your class [Bladedancer]


    The skill [He Who Wanders] is available for your class [Bladedancer]


    [Rune Compendium]: through trial and error you have learned runes, created your own spells, and developed a unique technique for which to write them. The compendium will hold all spells and individual runes you learn, will file away the knowledge you grow and will allow you to access these things with but a thought. You must properly learn these runes and successfully cast the spells for them to be stored within your compendium.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    [He Who Wanders]: A [Bladedancer] is one who adventures, one who seeks new knowledge, one who wanders. This skill will pull the user to points of interest, reward them for their adventures, and guide them towards their goals over time. This skill levels only by discovering new places or peoples. Discover, learn, absorb new techniques. Wander and adventure and be one with the world you inhabit. Perceive that which makes the world unique, meet its people, see its sights and you shall further your connection to it.


    After reading my class notifications I went through to add new general skills to make up for the six that had been transferred to my class. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that I had a skill available for raising Luka and Sky.


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 22


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:17


    [Runedancing] LVL: 13


    [Dodging] LVL:14


    [Intuition] LVL:7


    [Mana Sense] LVL:12


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:12


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:1


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:1


    2x Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:21


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:16


    [Tailoring] LVL:10


    [Smithing] LVL:19


    [Meditation] LVL:1


    [Fox Raising] LVL:1


    [Distant Recollections] LVl:1


    [Cooking] LVL:1


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:1


    [Training] LVL:1


    I wound up taking a cooking skill and training for the time being. For one, I liked having good food to eat and training would help to increase the rate at which my other skills improved so long as I was intentionally doing something like sparring, learning, or well, training. I smiled as I looked at my status. I was a bit surprised that I jumped from level ten to twenty two, maybe I had gained extra when I killed the wolf?


    ¡°Lios? Lios, have you selected all of your skills?¡± My fathers voice snapped me back to reality. I glanced down to see that Luka was gently nomming on my hand and Sky was laid on her back in front of my dad begging for bellyrubs as she laughed and barked.


    I scratched Luka behind the ear and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I have.¡±


    ¡°Well, are ya gonna tell me? Quit being so secretive.¡±


    I smirked and gave him the rundown, giving him the descriptions of the new class skills. His eyes widened when I read out my class description.


    ¡°A rare class? A lost technique? Just what have you been doing, Lios?¡±


    ¡°Just training, and practicing. Why? Is it so unbelievable?¡± I cocked my head to the side.


    ¡°Rare classes are... Well, I have only seen a few who acquired one before the level one hundred class upgrade. Those that have... well they¡¯ve typically had to do something extraordinary... What is this technique you discovered? Is it that [Runedancing] skill you have?¡± His voice trembled a bit, but I was unsure why. Be it from fear or pride, all I knew was that he was nervous in some capacity.


    ¡°It is. That was why I wanted mom to teach me to dance.¡±


    ¡°That''s... that''s incredible. Really. Come let us spar, you need to get used to your new skills and stats. Your body was changed a bit too, you did gain twelve levels so we need to make sure you know your limits before I let you spar with the guards.¡± I had been asking since gaining the system to spar with his coworkers on occasion, it would be helpful to see how people other than my father fought.


    I followed him outside, the light of the sun starting to shimmer over the horizon, pink and red and orange shining over the emerald leaves of the Deepbloom.


    It wasn¡¯t until fall that I was able to spar with the guards. Between getting my system and now I had kept to my same old routine but had taken to bringing the foxes with me everywhere. My father and I had trained my [Runedancing] and [Bladed Weapon Mastery] skills up to my level, twenty two. I had shown him my sword dances, and he had started to spar with me while I was practicing them, allowing me to train them in actual combat. I had three in total, two of which I had finished creating over the past several months.


    I was already starting to feel the constraints of Lexico runewrit. I was able to quickly cast my runedances now, even during a battle, but the spells being constrained to five runes per circle made it difficult to add variety to my spells. Of the three that I was able to cast now, there was my fire wave that had burned me, a wind slash technique I could use to attack from a short distance, and an earth spike spell that let me surround myself with spikes of stone and rock. I was thrilled to be able to try them against the guards today, but I was ever on the lookout for a new runic language book so I could take my dances to the next level.


    I was following my father to the training grounds on the other side of town. On my hip was hanging my training falchion, a type of curved single hand sword with a flared and heavy tip designed for slashing. I had been tempted to bring a couple different swords but had decided to bring only one, this was my current favorite style to train with and in reality I would likely not be carrying a half dozen weapons with me when I went out on my own.


    My mouth salivated as we passed a nearby bakery, the scent of fresh bread wafting through the air. It was still early, the sky a red and orange amalgamation while the sun rose slowly. There weren''t many people out and about just yet, but the sounds of a waking city radiated around me. Quiet chatter rolled between the streets as people were making their way to work, and businesses were opening up. In the distance I heard the clang of a hammer, Derren always got started at dawn. When he had first moved to Arborton the townsfolk had complained, but that had never stopped him from getting started so early. Now it was such an integral sound in the morning most of the citizens were more concerned when he didn¡¯t start this early.


    I vowed to come back to the bakery before heading to the forge later. Luka walked just next to me but kept turning his nose towards the food stands that were starting to populate, while Sky sat on my shoulder, soon she¡¯d be too big to do so. She was looking around hyperactively. Ever since classing up I had brought them everywhere, but everywhere only meant where I''d gone. I had yet to go to the barracks and training grounds as I rarely deviated from my routine.


    ¡°Lios! Are ya finally ready to spar me again? I swear I''ll win this time." As soon as I crossed into the training grounds, a large flat field surrounded by the walls and buildings of the town''s guard, I heard Ento call to me. I glanced at my dad before jogging deeper into the field. Guards were already sparring or training by themselves.


    ¡°Vice captain! You brought your kid?¡± A voice called out. I saw many of the guards stop what they were doing for a few moments as we entered.


    Ento was in the middle of being trained by his mentor as I approached. It looked like he had been knocked down by Calimax while distracted by my appearance.


    ¡°How are you gonna beat me when you get laid out on your ass for the smallest distractions?¡± I laughed at the older lad, a smile adorning my face.


    ¡°He got ya there Ento, you really think you can take on Zeeks boy?¡± Max chuckled alongside me as he helped his student up.


    ¡°Of course I can. I¡¯m a higher level than him and stronger.¡± Ento taunted me, but I could tell he was uncertain. I was the first to train him after all, and while we had sparred when I was teaching him and the others we had not fought since.


    ¡°How about we test that theory, Ento. Give these ol¡¯ fogeys a show.¡±


    ¡°Lios, who ya callin old?¡± My father reached us as he continued to casually stroll. ¡°You know that¡¯ll just get these guys excited to kick your ass right?¡±


    While I was here, my father said I could swear all I wanted since mom wasn¡¯t here. I grinned at him. ¡°Let em, I''ll fight em all. Only way to get better is to keep practicing right?¡±


    ¡°Alright alright settle your heckles boyo, you wanna fight my ¡®prentice? You got it.¡± Calimax ruffled mine and Entos hair. The older boy was a bit taller than me, and much more muscular than when I had last seen him, right after Brioche had died. Since then I have further thrown myself in my training and smithing. ¡°Here¡¯s the terms, you can use any skills ya want but if yer dad or I call for the end of the fight the fight ends. Neither of you will take lethal actions against the other. You¡¯ll fight in the center of the field. I will draw a circle in the dirt and should either of you step out of the circle before the fight is declared over you will lose. You may concede the fight at any time. Understood kids?¡±


    I nodded, letting Sky off of my shoulder. She promptly hopped up on my fathers, while Luka stood near his feet. Ento affirmed his agreement as well and led me to the center. We waited a few moments while Max drew a circle with a thirty foot diameter around us. I grinned to myself, that was the total range of one of my runecircles, I could only step about fifteen feet away before I lost control over the runes and mana lines I wrote.


    Ento bowed to me, drawing his training sword. They had gotten him his desired greatsword, the massive blade was taller than the boy but he wielded it with ease. He took a stance with the sword pointed behind him, he was leaning forward. I drew my falchion, not missing the raised eyebrows from a few of the guards. Curved swords were not especially common, most preferred a standard longsword or shortsword.


    I took a stance, holding the sword in front of me while taking what was called a horse stance, named so as it looked like I was sitting in an invisible saddle. ¡°Alright, remember Zeek ¡®n I are here to moderate. Go crazy kids.¡± Calimax called out, announcing the start of the fight.


    Ento made the first move, swinging his sword up at me and spraying dirt my way. I leapt over it, twisting over the blade before rolling to my feet and lunging toward him, mana flowing from my feet as I started to write a runecircle of wind blades. He took a quarter second longer than I did to recover from his swing, allowing me to approach him and force him to block my slash with the flat of his blade. I leaped backwards before he could retaliate.


    He slashed at me again, the superior reach of his sword meaning he hardly has to waste energy on moving. I grunted as I had to block, unable to dodge this one. I checked the progress of my spell, nearly halfway done with it already so I only needed a few more seconds to complete it. I attempted to sneak under his guard, resulting in him letting his blade stab the ground and going handson. He batted my sword arm away, making me twist to pressure him with a sweeping kick, which he easily stepped back and away from. He had strategically stabbed his sword behind him, allowing him to grab it as he pranced away from me to the other side of the circle. I grinned, standing in the center as I finally activated my spell, this one was fairly new and was quite sharp.


    Wind seemed to swirl around my blade as mana rushed around me, spiraling over to the falchion. I swung it in the direction of Ento, who was now around twelve feet away. A blade of wind launched from my sword causing him, and the spectating guards, to widen their eyes. Ento gasped as he blocked it, the wind dissipating upon meeting his sword. I swung three more times, all the while preparing the runes for my next spell as I twisted and twirled and danced around the small ring. My wind blade spell ran out just as I recentered myself, holding a challenging blade towards Ento.


    ¡°My friend, I suggest you step out of the ring of your own volition, else the healers may have cause to be here.¡± My words were no idle threat, I myself was aware of how hot the flames in my spell would burn, and standing in the center there was nowhere, aside from a three foot circle around me, that would be safe from my fire.


    My friend was panting from the relentless assault of five wind blades, sweat dripped off his chin into the dirt below. He grinned, though, despite the strain. ¡°Fuck off Lios, You dont intimidate me.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself!¡± The boy rushed towards me, ready to show me he wasn¡¯t bluffing. But I wasn¡¯t bluffing either. I activated my circle, the spell started by drawing mana for a full second. This was enough time for him to approach me and attack, but he was still just out of the safe circle. I parried his large sword, deflecting it and attacking as the world mana flowed towards me for a moment, unless one was looking for it or sensing it they wouldn''t notice. He didn¡¯t notice either, until flames burst from around me. They spun like a small inferno, setting the meager grass in the area alight.


    Ento screamed out as the flames licked his legs and the bottom of his torso. My father leapt into action, pulling him from the circle as it was engulfed with fire. The flames died out quickly, though anything they had set on fire was still lit. The watching guards were quiet for a few moments, glancing between me and the smoking twelve year old. Max¡¯s mouth was hanging open.


    As soon as the flames dissipated I rushed through the small circle of embers until I was kneeling next to Ento, who was panting with watery eyes. A healer rushed over, making it just after I had.


    ¡°Fuck was that Lios?¡± Ento gasped out as the healing magic started to take hold. I was told that healing magic could be painful, it didn¡¯t mitigate pain every time and the process of healing instantly was not comfortable. Probably still better than nursing a burn for a few weeks, but not the most pleasant. Ento winced before his expression turned to one of relief.


    ¡°What does that feel like? I¡¯ve never been healed before.¡± I asked him, deigning not to tell him about my technique.


    ¡°At first it''s kinda like... it''s like the bad flesh is being ripped off quickly and then it''s super itchy for a few seconds as the new skin rebuilds. Then it feels nice as the itch and pain goes away. Not my favorite feeling, I''m not looking forward to having something worse healed up.¡± Ento reached up, and I gratefully pulled him up to his feet, rising to my own. ¡°Seriously though, what was that fire? Is that one of your sorcery techniques? I didn¡¯t take any magic skills, and definitely didn¡¯t expect you to.¡±


    I noticed a few of the other guards lingering, making sure Ento was okay. Calimax stood directly behind me and my dad had a concerning look on his face. ¡°It was a sword dance, a wizardry technique. I made it myself, what did ya think?¡±


    Before he could answer Max interjected, ¡°Lios, what level are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? Level twenty two.¡± I felt like it was a mistake to answer as several of the guards gasped, and a few started to chatter somewhat excitedly amongst themselves. ¡°Is that... Is there something wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Lios, Ento is level thirty eight. Nearly twice your level. It¡¯s not... it''s not unheard of for someone to fight above their level but this early? It¡¯s not common, Lios. What rarity is your class?¡± Calimax turned me to face him. The look on his face gave me some anxiety, he looked hungry.


    ¡°Max, Imma have to stop you there. Lios, don¡¯t answer.¡± My father stepped up, placing a hand on my shoulder. Sky rushed down his arm onto my shoulder and started sniffing and licking my head, apparently checking to see if I was hurt anywhere. I laughed as Luka started doing the same from my feet.


    ¡°Zeek, why is your kid a smiths apprentice? He should be a damn guard. Hell, if he joined us he could go on hunts in the Bloom with us. Think of how strong he¡¯d be with some real experience!¡± some of the others nodded along with Max¡¯s words, a glint of greed in his eyes.


    ¡°Max-¡±


    ¡°With all respect Max, I don¡¯t want to be a guard. Nor a knight or anything of the sort. As for why smithing, cuz I want to. It¡¯s the path I chose for myself.¡± I interrupted my father before he could advocate for me. I felt this was a battle for me, I may as well fight.


    ¡°Still you would be a true asset to-¡±


    ¡°I am a person, not an asset, Calimax. And I can¡¯t grow stronger if I''m held here with you all, no offense. I¡¯ll be an adventurer, and for that I need to practice what I am.¡± I glowered at him. He scoffed, shaking his head, before nodding.


    ¡°Sure kid, just saying you¡¯d make a pretty solid guard.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it Max.¡± I grinned at him, grateful for the sentiment. ¡°Now, anyone else wanna spar?¡±


    And a few did. I spent the morning training with my fathers subordinates. I watched as he bragged about me from the sidelines. As his eyes glimmered while talking to the captain, his boss, during a spar against a level forty one spearman. I parried him, on the backfoot as he had learned not to give me a chance to set up my spells. They had yet to realize how exactly I was doing it, mana sense was not very common at this low level for non mages, and there were rarely mage types who joined the guard in towns like Arborton.


    I lost more often than I won, but when I did win it was all the more impressive, I was a ten year old competing with trained adults who were higher level than me. My father resolved, at both my request and that of my sparring partners, for me to train with the crew every Varitas, or the equivalent of Friday.

 Chapter 10

    It was a few months later that I was able to finally use the steel that I had been steadily enchanting. Realistically, Derren only gave me ¡°free forge time¡± about ten percent of the time, or when I had no other tasks. Even still I had been determined to at least make the hunk of folded over steel into a usable item, to do that I needed to be certain it would retain the enchantments I had forged into the metal. It had taken many failures to get to the point I was at now.


    After months and months of working it I felt the mana, I felt the connection to it. I still didn''t have the [Runesmithing] skill, but that was okay. I needed to finish the product in the next few days, then I could start my next project - learning the [Runeweaving] skill. After that I just needed to make myself some gear, and help Derren make some weapons and armors. My wage was just enough for me to save up, and to occasionally purchase materials or treats for my foxes. The two were curled up near one of the work tables, they liked to come with me to the forge but it was too hot for them to hover next to me.


    I bounced impatiently as the billet was being heated so I could finally forge the damascus-like steel into the gift I wanted it to be. Maya would be turning ten soon, in only a few days.


    ¡°Aye, yer steel finally ready, kid?¡± Derren peaked over as he quenched the sword he had been working on for a guardsman. The man''s last one had worn down to the point of irreparability. I had expected Derren to whinge about him not taking care of his equipment but the smith was rather elated. He had said ¡°Can¡¯ make no money if¡¯n they take cur of dey weapons. Bad etiquette is good fer business.¡±


    ¡°Yessir, I told ya it¡¯d work!¡± I called back, eyeing it to ensure it didn¡¯t get too hot. I had no skills for heat management, unlike Derren, but I had gotten pretty good at judging when to pull it from the forge.


    ¡°I believe it when I sees it, kid.¡± He was grinning though, I could tell he was just as excited by my success as I was.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, focus on your own project old man, let this young buck show you how it''s done!¡± I confidently pulled the billet out and placed it on the anvil. My hammer rained down, sparks showering me. This would still take a while, but I had an hour yet before supper so I would use this time to its fullest. The cool winter air felt amazing whenever a breeze billowed through the open pavilion.


    It took four days to forge the spearhead, but the moment I finished heat treating it I received a notification.


    Your skill [Smithing] is eligible to upgrade to [Runesmithing], Would you like to upgrade?


    [Smithing] is now officially [Runesmithing]


    [Runesmithing]: an artform hidden and hoarded by the dwarves. Others outside of the dwarves have attempted for millenia to learn the craft on their own but few succeed. The process is difficult, tedious, and meticulous. A mishap can be catastrophic, resulting in the release of all of the mana that was pressed into the metal, but those who take their time and exercise patience and a love for their craft are able to create something magnificent. Imbue magic, runes, and intent into the material to create enchantments far more powerful than the norm.


    ¡°Oi, Lios, what¡¯r ya spacin out fer?¡± Derren broke me from my stupor. I hadn¡¯t realized it but I had stood there rereading the notification over and over, as though in disbelief. I had tried for over six months to earn this skill and I finally got it.


    ¡°I did it... Derren I got the skill.¡± I grinned at him, tears running up to my eyes a bit. I forced them back before inspecting the steel spearhead.


    ¡°Lemme see ¡®er boy!¡± The older man rushed towards me, excited as I was. I saw his eyes flare, using his blacksmith¡¯s appraisal skill. It let him see a description, value, and name of the craftsman for any blacksmith related item. Basically anything that might be created at a forge, he could appraise.


    I handed him the spearhead as he looked at it. His eyes widened as he read the notice from his skill. I tapped my foot impatiently, eager to see what enchantments had actually held. I was intending to imbue it with sharpness, durability, and a lightning enchantment. This was the most difficult part, especially with the use of the Lexico language. Due to the constraints of only five runes per circle I had been forced to use three seperate cuts of metal when I had started. They all came from the same ingot but I had to separate them and begin the enchanting process on each of them separately before forge welding them together again and starting the runesmithing process. The weld was the step that had given me the most issues, followed by inserting runes and mana into the construct during the making of the damascus.


    Derren whistled in appreciation. ¡°Mighty fine work der Lios. Mighty fine. Sharpness, durability, and an elemental affinity to boot? Ya sure ya wanna give dis away? I¡¯ll cut ya inta the profits if we c¡¯n sell it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, I still gotta attach it to a pole anyway. Besides, tis a gift for a friend.¡± I took it back from him, admiring my own work. The pattern built by the folding of the metal made it look as though the speartip was constantly moving, like snakes wriggling in a pit. It was trippy, but epic looking.


    ¡°Bah, ye c¡¯n use dat walnut stave ova der,¡± He scowled as he pointed towards it. It was near the rest of the wood, and had sat there for a long while before I even showed up to start working at his forge. ¡°Tomorra I have ya star¡¯ runecrafting a few billets. We c¡¯n try a mix metal, and mayhaps I¡¯ll trust ya¡¯s with orichalcrum or somethin fancy next weck. Good job kiddo.¡± He ruffled my hair, sometimes I forgot I was still a kid. Though, my budding hormones sometimes made it difficult to forget. My voice wasn¡¯t quite cracking yet but I knew it was only a matter of time.


    Two days later, my friend showed up for some training. I grinned, I had wrapped the spear up and had it laying near the well when she arrived. I had scribed a durability enchantment to the shaft of the spear.


    ¡°Maya! I have something for you!¡± I called out as she rounded the corner of my house. Sky rushed towards her, she loved Maya. The fox yipped joyously as though they had been apart for a decade, when it had only been a day. Somehow Maya gave Sky the best bellyrubs, or something. I couldn¡¯t tell what the fox thought just yet.


    ¡°For me? Lios you know you didn¡¯t have to get me anything.¡± The girl beamed at me, her eyes gleaming. She was halfway to the well. I jogged to beat her there before picking up the long package.


    ¡°Of course I did, as your teacher, why shouldn''t I get you a gift on this most momentous day?¡± I tried to say it stoically, attempting to exude the energy of a tenured professor.


    She laughed at me. ¡°Oh why thank you Mr. Lios, how great a mentor you are to buy me a gift for my birthday!¡± She reached out towards it and I happily handed it over. Luka ran towards us from the house, he often played in the garden. I scooped him up as Sky continued to harass Maya for belly rubs, flopping in front of her and rolling onto her back. I groaned, noticing her white and silver fur filling with dirt. Luka was no better, the boy loooved to burrow. It was a requirement for me to wash them both before letting them inside.


    I watched as Maya gingerly unwrapped the spear, starting from the base of the handle. She wound up sitting, her back against the well, as she did. She gasped at seeing the polished dark walnut stave that made up the shaft. Her careful unwrapping went to the wayside, and she ripped the rest of the cloth off with gusto. The speartip was covered with a leather sheath, to prevent it from cutting the cloth I had wrapped it with. I trembled with anticipation as she pulled the sheath off. She was silent, staring at the spear with her mouth open. She closed it, looked like she wanted to say something, then closed it again.


    Finally she seemed to gather her thoughts. ¡°Lios... this is too much. Way too much. How could you afford this?¡± She put the sheath back on, looking like she was on the verge of tears.


    The spear was, truly, artistic. I had no doubts that in the dwarven lands something like this would be commonplace, but here in arborton, in the middle of human territory, weapons like this were pretty rare. It was still nothing compared to what a duo of smiths and enchanters could create, at least if they were experts in their fields, but for it to have been created by an apprentice was impressive in itself. My smile widened, I felt a hint of pride at her reaction to it.


    My mother came out, walking towards us. I hadn¡¯t let her or father look at the spear after I finished it, insisting that Maya would be the first.


    ¡°It cost me a total of three silvers, I made it. I will not take it back.¡± I glared at her playfully.


    ¡°Happy birthday Maya! Did you already open your gift from Lios?¡± My mom stopped near the well, looking down at Maya who was still trying to wrap her head around the spear.


    ¡°T thank you, Miss Elaine. I did... Can you tell him it''s too much? I can''t accept this Lios.¡± She was tearing up, I could see her frowning. ¡°I really cant accept it. You know it¡¯s worth more than the silver...¡±


    ¡°Well, let me see it, then I¡¯ll decide if it''s too much.¡± My mom was staring at the spear.


    Maya stood up and unsheathed it, gazing at the patterned blade with wonder. My mother couldn''t hold back her surprise and inspected it.


    ¡°Lios, you made this?¡± She asked me, a sternness in her voice.


    I rolled my eyes, knowing she was looking at the spear. ¡°Yes mother, Derren can attest.¡±


    ¡°You''re not... propositioning little Maya are you?¡± She turned to face me, blushing a little bit, but not near as much as Maya, whose face lit up like a fireplace.


    ¡°What no, this is just a gift between friends!¡± I looked between the two of them, my own blush rising to my face. I hadn¡¯t even thought about that, traditionally it was rare to give gifts to those of the opposite gender -especially fancy or expensive ones- unless you were proposing to them.


    ¡°Well then... I''d hate to see what your proposal gift would look like. Maya, this is yours. It would be impolite to return it.¡± Her tone was soft when talking to the girl.


    My mother walked away, leaving Maya and I in silence. I was halfway wishing that she¡¯d stay to save us from the awkwardness but she did not. Maya¡¯s face was still scarlett, and mine I was sure wasn''t much better. Damn youthful hormones.


    From there the years passed pretty quickly. I was able to gain the [Runeweaving] skill just before my twelfth birthday, after successfully making  a pair of self cleaning and repairing pants that gradually absorbed mana from the world. They were simple, flowy pants. Flexible and light. Not long after I made a similarly enchanted tunic, it was around this time I was wishing I could learn different runes, I was losing versatility. Complexity was needed for some better enchantments, these would do for now but when I went to the larger cities my enchantments would seem quaint.


    It was my thirteenth birthday when my parents got me a new runecraft book titled ¡°Promens Guide to the Frith Runewrit¡±. This new language was much more complex, geared towards enchantments but could be used for spells as well. I was unable to create a new runedance with them for a while, as it took some time to study and master each of the over five hundred runes in the tome. This book only contained about a fifth of the runes of Frith, but each took its own page with a description on their uses and what happens when specific runes crack or malfunction.


    Even after a year and a half I was incapable of making a new runedance with Frith runes, I was still in the process of making a useful spell with the runes. I was close, very close, and was using the Lexico runes to create a beginning rune to gather mana. The goal was to supplement my lack of knowledge with something I was more familiar with. It didn¡¯t help that I was attempting to write a more complex spell, one that would give me a burst of speed and power as well as blowing people away from me. I intended it as a way to close a gap or run away.


    I was stood at the forge, working on my latest personal project. While I hadn¡¯t mastered the runes enough to cast during combat I had figured out a series of enchantments that could all be added to the same weapon. I was in the process of adding the final runes to the billet, next would be the actual crafting portion. Over the years I had gone out on a few hunts with my father and the foxes, who had grown to their full size a few years past.


    I was now level forty-one, though during that time I had only gained one new skill, [Runesight]. This skill was similar to my [Mana Sense], though rather than letting me simply feel the mana around me, it gave all runes a peculiar glow depending on what they did. A single enchantment would glow one color, but individual runes varied. Otherwise, my [Fox Raising] skill had become [Fox Friend]. I found it interesting that it wasn''t in Latin like the class had been.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I finished hammering down on the alloyed metal, a combination of three ingots that I wanted to make up my weapon. It was nearing the time when I would depart on my journey, I wanted to leave by my fifteenth birthday and that was only in around six months or so. I had already finished my armor, after much deliberation, and after being lectured by Derren about the inefficiency and lack of protection leather armor would provide, I designed something closer to what a roman footsoldier would wear. My version of the ¡®Lorica Segmantata was crafted using the extra bits of mana steel that I bought from Derren at wholesale. Unfortunately, unlike with my sword, I couldn¡¯t afford the extra metals to create an alloy so I instead settled for a set of armor using the highly enchantable steel. It cost a pretty penny, at least two months of wages, but in the end it was well worth it. The layered steel bands and plates kept the armor flexible enough and the rough tunic I typically wore underneath kept it from chaffing. I wound up using the wolf pelt to give it a trim at the collar, arms, and around the waist. That, alongside some grieves and bracers kept me able to move freely while maintaining some solid defense. It took a fair amount of manipulating but I was able to enchant the armor to self repair from minor dings and dents, and to clean itself. On top of that went my standard durability enchantment. This was relatively simple, if not tedious, to do considering my familiarity with the runes.


    ¡°Oy, Lios, did ya ¡®ear? Der¡¯s a group o¡¯ adventu¡¯re¡¯s stay¡¯n at da tavern. Werent ye waitin for some?¡± Derren called out from his side of the forge.


    Two other hammers were clanging against anvils, one helping him and the other a new apprentice who was practicing making knives. I gingerly placed my billet back into the forge so I could start shaping the metal. It was combination of Mana Steel -made from iron from a mine near a mana spring so it was able to absorb extra magic, and would make enchantments hold longer and stronger-, Orichalcrum -a blueish green ore that was both durable and held onto magic nearly as long as mithril-, and quicksilver. The quicksilver had the lowest melting point but was able to imbue items with the ability to shift and change at the whim of the owner, assuming the correct runes were crafted into it. The alloy was tough to work with, I had to be careful not to overheat it else the quicksilver could be lost and I would be forced to restart, which I had already done thrice.


    ¡°Really? Do ya know ¡®ow long they¡¯re stayin?¡± I had started to speak like Derren a bit, I supposed being near someone for that long might influence your speech like that.


    ¡°Eh, not ye¡¯. They only jus came inta town. Oy ya bloody twit, hold it steady now, no no¡¯ like dat,'''' Derren started to berate his apprentice. I did not miss those days, the last two or so years I had worked basically by myself. When the two new guys came in, a pair of twins who wanted to be smiths, I had helped Derren train them on occasion but mostly he had them help him.


    I spent the last hour and a half or so of my shift shaping out the blade to my sword. With the runesmithing out of the way the rest would only take a few days to finish, given I typically could only work on my own projects for about two hours a day. As the sun began to set I gingerly placed my unfinished weapon on a rack, cleaned up my work area, and pulled Luka and Sky from their nap on the pile of leather sitting on a table. Sky took her place as my scarf, she had gotten big but still enjoyed the perch. Luka made me carry him, he loved to be held despite acting aloof with people more often than not. I snuggled him affectionately as I walked towards the tavern rather than my home.


    Adventurers were rare in Arborton, though we got more of them than other towns our size as there was a road from Arborton to the capital and one to Arwin, the country on the other side of the Deepbloom forest. The main reason was that small towns and villages couldn''t afford to take on adventurers or even bounty hunter guilds. We were still able to post quest requests but more often than not the folk in our town had to band together to take care of them. There were a few groups of adventurers who took to wandering and took on quests in the guards stead.


    I listened to the sound of the townsfolk wandering through the streets near us. Luka was starting to grow restless so I let him down but Sky stayed on my shoulders. I smiled as a small child pointed in wonder at the foxes, and waved to her and her mother. The Tavern was only a few minutes from Derrens, so I made it there quickly. I sighed nervously as I stood before the door, this was a huge moment. They could say no to my request, and if they did I¡¯d likely be forced to depart on my own for Port Airos after my birthday. I didn¡¯t mind that option either, but I was a touch directionally challenged and I don''t think my [He Who Wanders] skill would help my case. The skill had only leveled up twice since I got it, once when I was out hunting a boar with my father and stumbled on a giant spider nest, which we quickly killed thanks to my sword dance of spreading flames, and the other when he had taken me deeper into the woods during one of his missions to clear a threat in the forest. We had camped out overnight, gotten slightly lost, and it was only when we returned home while we thought we were aimlessly wandering that my skill leveled. I think it was because it had directed me towards my goal, despite not guiding me to anything resembling a path.


    I cringed as the door squeaked, for some reason in my mind I imagined the tavern growing silent and everyone turning to glare at me. That didn¡¯t happen. I saw the place was at around sixty percent capacity, many people often came here after work especially the arborists. The lumberjacks and those that worked at the sawmill I knew came here at least three nights a week. I stepped into the hazy tavern, a number of patrons had no qualms about smoking inside. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of smoke. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was similar to marijuana or tobacco, the smell was different, but I didn¡¯t think I was inclined to find out. I started walking into the room, glancing about to see if I could find the adventurers.


    I gulped as I spotted them, instead of approaching them I stepped up to the bar and as I did, distracted by my thoughts, a hand clasped over my shoulder. I glanced over it to see Calimax behind me.


    ¡°Lios, yer pa lettin you drink already? Me thinks you''re too young.¡± The older man grinned at me. ¡°I''ll keep it a secret for ya if ya buy me a pint.¡±


    I rolled my eyes, no way was this grown man attempting to swindle a fourteen year old for a few copper. Ignoring him, I leaned over the bartop. ¡°Aye, could I get something non-alcoholic? And whatever this glout wants.¡± I pointed a finger at my fathers coworker who gleefully accepted a mug.


    ¡°What ya here for anyway kid?¡± Calimax asked after receiving his pint of ale and taking a sip.


    ¡°I came to talk to them,¡± I said, pointing to the table in the corner. I sighed again and looked at Max, having to crane my neck a bit. ¡°Think they¡¯d let me join em?¡±


    ¡°What, when they leave? Maybe if you paid em... I dunno, adventurers are weird. Cant be normal in that profession.¡±


    ¡°Well, wish me luck, and quit extorting kids for ale.¡± I teased the man as I stood from my stool, the bartender had given me a mug of juice that I suspected was nearing its expiration date. I timidly walked over to the adventurers, analyzing each of them.


    The first I saw was facing away from me, towards the table. She looked small, young, at least from this angle. The one to her right, however, was huge. Taller than my father and more muscular than Derren, the man was a mountain and a monster. He was wearing a tight chain shirt, it glittered and I was sure it was made from an irregular metal to give it the flexibility of fabric. At his side was a greatsword, leaning against the table. It was hard to tell, but I felt a small power coming from it. I activated my runesight, and was immediately inundated with the glow of magic and runes. The glow was present on all of them, on most of their gear. They were decked out in enchantments, which made me even more nervous. That meant they were strong. Upon activating it the woman facing away from me turned, and my heart stopped for a moment.


    Her eyes were bright, vivid red. Her skin was pale, and her hair dark and black. And by god she was beautiful. She smiled at me, her ruby lips twisting up gently. She was wearing a pale pink tunic that must have cost a fortune, dyes were expensive, and a black skirt. I stopped for a moment, my face flushing with embarrassment as I felt the warmth of teenage hormones flow through me. I continued my slow walk towards them. The last two stopped their conversation as the woman turned.


    The one at the far end of the table, the one I could see the least, was another woman. She was dressed in what looked like classic mage robes, flowing fabric cascading around her. She was blonde I could see, but her eyes were shielded to me by her hood. She tilted her head as I approached and I could tell she was staring at Sky, Luka was just out of her sight being on the ground. I smiled a little bit, my friends were great conversation starters.


    The last of the group leaned back in his chair, his muscles rippling. He was in a tan sleeveless jerkin, with plain trousers. His clothes were the only ones without runes etched into them, but instead his hands were covered with them, rings and bracelets adorning his fingers and wrist. He had a sword resting beside him too,  a gorgeous weapon with silver hilt and an ivory handle. The pommel gleamed with a small gem, I recognized it as a lumina stone, a type of magical gem that could store mana for emergencies. This man was covered in tattoos, each seeming to depict a different monster. Scars adorned both his and the large man''s bodies.


    I stopped in front of them but before I could say anything the pale girl with red eyes spoke up. ¡°Can I pet them? Oh my gods, by the divines or whatever they are sooooo cute.¡± She giggled and held a hand out for Luka, who looked at me for a moment as I nodded. He went up to sniff her hand.


    The other woman pulled down her hood, her blonde hair shimmering in the candlelight of the tavern, and I saw she had green eyes. ¡°I wouldn''t mind petting them either,¡± she stated matter of factly, a  touch of pink on her cheeks.


    I smiled a bit, and coerced Sky to come down from my shoulder as I passed her to the large man to pass to the woman ¡°Her name is Sky, you can hold her if you want.¡± The man grinned wide as he took the fox and rather than handing her over he flipped Sky on her back and started giving her belly rubs. The woman pouted, but apparently they were great scritches as Sky playfully wiggled around, nomming lightly on the man''s hand.


    ¡°I apologize for disturbing your time off... I have a request.¡± I glanced around at each of them.


    The sleeveless man cocked his head. ¡°A request? We¡¯re all ears. M¡¯name is Adrien. You?¡± His eyes flicked between me and Sky, luka was under the table getting pets from the scary girl.


    ¡°My name is Alexilios-¡±


    ¡°Ye should pull up a chair, kid.¡± The big guy interjected and looked behind me at the empty table. I glanced back and stole a chair, sliding between him and the girl playing with Luka.


    ¡°My name is Lios and uhm. I was hoping to uhm-¡±


    ¡°For the sake of the divines spit it out.¡± His voice was like gravel, deep and intimidating.


    ¡°Elric, give the boy his time. And give me that damn fox.¡± The blond woman slapped his arm.


    ¡°No way, Liana. This lil fucker is waay too cute to go to you pigheads.¡± Elric beamed as Sky started wriggling in his lap and nibbling at his fingers, chattering a little bit. It was now playtime. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a light chortle at their banter.


    ¡°Liana, Elric, shh. Let the kid talk. Now Lios, what were you saying?¡± Adrien stopped the bickering from going too far but I still heard Liana say ¡°He started it,¡± under her breath.


    I couldn''t help it, I laughed a little bit. My nerves were vanishing due to their antics, I think in my head I had set expectations for them to be terrifying powerful people, but they were, after all, still people.


    I took a deep breath, steeling myself so I wouldn''t stammer this time. ¡°I would like to request to join you all at least until you next reach a city with an adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±


    My pronouncement paused the two playing with my pets. Adrien looked me over carefully. The unnamed woman beside me straightened up and stared at me, it seemed like she was looking for something. Liana blinked a couple times, and Elric opened his mouth to say something then stopped himself.


    ¡°You want to... join us? You want us to escort you?¡± Adrien asked and I saw his eyes flash. ¡°So you''re a swordsman? Where is your sword?¡±


    ¡°Wait... how did you know?¡± I was shocked that he could tell, it must be a type of appraisal skill. It wasn¡¯t often one had a skill that allowed them to see a description of other people.


    ¡°Do you have the coin to hire us?¡± Elric resumed petting and playing with Sky just before Liana, taking advantage of his distraction, stole her from his grasp. He whipped to face her his question forgotten.


    ¡°I well... I don''t have much coin but I can earn it on the way. I¡¯ll repay you before we get to the city, I swear.¡± I felt my heart drop a little bit, my purse only held the equivalent of two gold pieces, and a few extra silver. ¡°But I¡¯m a smith and enchanter too, so I can keep your gear in tiptop shape.¡± I tried to grin charismatically at them.


    ¡°Let me get this straight, you want to join us but cant pay? You''ll ,what, be our errand boy until we reach the city?¡± This time it was the girl who¡¯s name I still didn''t know. Her voice was soft, light. I wasn''t sure what it was but something about her made me tremble. I couldn''t tell if it was hormones or something magical.


    ¡°That and as Adrien said I¡¯m a swordsman, I can help with the requests you take. Or at least take on smaller requests while you guys deal with larger ones.¡± I looked at each of them in turn, though Liana was snuggling Sky and paying no attention to me. I felt she was squeezing her too hard but I knew if that were the case Sky would bite her. Maya often got too excited and squeezed the foxes.


    ¡°That begs the question, where¡¯s ya sword?¡± Elric asked, his voice commanding attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s at the forge, I need at least two more days to finish it... assuming you¡¯re all in town long enough for that.¡±


    ¡°Did you bring the foxes to convince us?¡± Liana spoke up as she released an exasperated Sky to the floor.


    ¡°Not necessarily, they would be coming with me though.¡±


    ¡°Oy, can we get another round o¡¯er here?¡± Adrien suddenly called the barmaid who was delivering some drinks to another table. ¡°Listen, kid, without coin it''s a long shot. Even with the prospect o¡¯ treatin our gear. The way I see it, ye aint even level fifty yet are you? Though you feel pretty powerful for your level. Come by tomorrow. Bring a sword. Even if it''s not your preferred. We have to discuss this one as a group.¡±


    ¡°Sure, thank you guys for hearing me out.¡± I turned towards the one whose name I didn''t yet know. ¡°May I ask for your name? I heard all the others.¡±


    ¡°Just my name?¡± there was a knowing twinkle in her eyes and I couldn''t help chuckling a bit nervously. She was a little predatory, and I most certainly did not have issues or a type. ¡°It''s Amelia. A pleasure, I''m sure.¡±


    ¡°It is. Luka, Sky it''s time to go home!¡± I stood up and bowed towards them. ¡°If you need weapons or armor please come visit the smithy in the middle of town, Derrens the smith there and I work in the afternoons.¡± I started towards the door before turning around for a moment. ¡°Adrien, Liana, Elric, and Amelia, I look forward to our meeting tomorrow.¡±


    I didn''t wait for a reply, instead walking out quickly. I noticed Calimax followed me out as well, he walked just behind me for a few moments before speaking up. ¡°Lios, do your parents know you plan to leave?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... though I told them I''d leave after I turned fifteen. I¡¯ve just grown impatient, think they¡¯d forgive me?¡± I turned to look at him over my shoulder. He was swaying a bit. I waited for him to catch up before helping him walk, one of his arms taking Skys spot over my shoulders. He wasn''t as heavy as I expected him to be.


    ¡°I c¡¯n wal fine kid.¡± His words slurred a bit, he wasn''t trashed by any means, but that didn''t mean I couldn''t escort him to his house.


    ¡°Yeah, I know but let me do this anyway.¡± I smiled at him and walked with him for a bit, until we reached his door. We chatted mostly idly, it seemed he had something he wanted to say. When he stepped into his house he looked back at me.


    ¡°Thanks, Lios, you''re a good kid. You should tell yer parents tonight.¡± Then he closed the door. I caught a sad look in his eyes.


    ¡°See ya, Max, get some rest.¡± I called out before rushing back home. At this point I was around an hour and a half past supper and I knew my mother would likely be furious. It wasn¡¯t often that I was late.

 Chapter 11

    I opened the door trepidatiously, painfully aware of how late I was and that I had forgone a bath, instead opting for a flash wash from the wells bucket. As soon as I entered I winced. I saw my mother sitting with her leg crossed over the other and arms held against her chest at the table, eyes towards me glowering, and my father standing and leaning against a wall.


    ¡°Alexilios. Explain.¡± My mother glared in my direction as Sky and Luka hopped into my bed, it had been a long day of naps and treats and attention for the little traitors. They could sense the tension in the room.


    ¡°Well... I have something to tell -,¡±


    ¡°Your mother told you to explain, not go off on a tangent.¡± My father tapped his foot against the floor, his voice stern. I may have had memories of adulthood, but I couldn''t help but shudder at his tone, or my mothers.


    ¡°Okay okay, I went to the tavern after work to talk with the adventurers and then escorted a tipsy Calimax home.¡± I raised my hands defensively, blushing deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I should have let you know that I would be late, I just didn''t want to lose my chance to talk to them.¡±


    My mother kept glaring at me. ¡°And what did you want to talk to them about?¡±


    I shuffled nervously, this was the important part. The terrifying part. Part of me didn¡¯t want to leave the comfort of the life I had developed these nearly fifteen years. The other part yearned for something new, for adventure, to realize all that I had strived for. I took a deep breath. ¡°I asked them to let me come with them when they leave.¡±


    My father started at that, my mother frowned.


    ¡°I thought you were leaving after you turned fifteen...¡± My mother stated, disappointment  lacing her voice.


    ¡°Why do you need to go so soon?¡± My father asked at the same time.


    ¡°I know it''s sudden, but I''d rather be with experienced and strong allies than on my own,¡± I replied. I sat down at the table, where a plate of cold food had been laid out for me presumably at dinner time. It was nice that my parents were both a little upset at the prospect of me leaving, in my past life my parents had wanted me gone when I turned eighteen and were relieved that I had decided to go to college out of state for a few years. ¡°Either way, there¡¯s a chance they won''t take me anyway... I think they''ll decide tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Even... even still are you sure? Don''t you still have some weapons to make and some training to do?¡± My mothers ire was replaced with sadness. I could see it, she was on the verge of tears. I got up and wrapped her in a hug.


    ¡°Even if I go away I''ll write, I''ll keep a journal. Someday I''ll send you books of all the stories from my old world. Don¡¯t worry mom, I''ll still be around a bit.¡± I smiled at her but I felt tears rise to my eyes and my cheeks warm as well. I turned to see my dad still leaning against the wall. ¡°But enough of that until I actually leave, I''m sorry for not consulting you guys first but... I couldn''t let this chance pass me by.¡±


    My father stared at me for a moment before he came and wrapped me in his arms, squeezing me. ¡°Just make sure if they''re shifty you leave before they do anything... untoward. Adventurers are a rowdy bunch, they don''t always have the best of intents.¡±


    ¡°I know dad, I know.¡±


    ¡°And don''t stop training. Complacency kills more than preparedness, ya know?¡± I could feel him tremble.


    ¡°I know that too. Please, I''m not leaving just yet...¡±


    ¡°But you are leaving in a few days,¡± my father said with certainty.


    ¡°Likely so, yes.¡± I pulled away from his crushing hug. ¡°I love you both, and again... I''m sorry for the suddenness, but I really think it''s my best chance.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± My mothers voice was firm, I turned to look at her and saw her crying but smiling. ¡°Lios, youre always welcome you know? Anytime. You will come visit,¡± It wasn''t a question but an inevitability, a demand.


    ¡°Yeah. I know ma, I know. I¡¯ll visit any time I have the chance.¡± I felt warm tears drip down my cheeks, down my chin. We weren''t even saying goodbye yet.


    ¡°Your mother and I have something to announce too. We found out yesterday and were going to tell you over dinner...¡± My father took a seat, glancing at my untouched plate.


    ¡°We¡¯re having another baby,¡± my mother announced, smiling wide.


    ¡°Wait, really? I¡¯m gonna be a big brother?¡± I felt my heart skip and lips twist into a smile. ¡°Im going to be a big brother...¡±


    I started to think about it. Did this change things? Did I have to stay to take care of them? My heart raced, this was incredible. I was going to be a brother again, but what about my adventures? My traveling. When would I have the chance to teach my sibling and protect them?


    ¡°Lios, Lios. Ravos to Lios!¡± My father snapped in front of me to catch my attention. I started, shocked. ¡°There ya are, you zoned out. Did ya hear what we said?¡±


    I shook my head, pursing my lips.


    ¡°I didn''t think so. Don''t let it bug ya, we weren''t planning to stop you from going off on your own even if we are having another kid. We¡¯d, of course, love to have you around but... I mean, maybe it''s for the best? Now we¡¯ll be able to raise them with stories of their heroic older brother. They¡¯ll grow up knowing you''re famous and powerful.¡± My dad smiled at me. His eyes were a little swollen and cheeks flushed.


    ¡°I see... Plus they''ll be able to take my bed when they grow up, this house hardly has enough room for the four of us and the kits too.¡± I reasoned, pulling myself out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Or you can stay and snuggle with your sibling in the same bed, it would be soooo caayuuute,¡±  mother exclaimed, she still looked sad but the statement made me burst out laughing.


    ¡°All the more reason to go, but it would be cute,¡± I chortled. ¡°I will visit though, but I am taking the foxes.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will miss them though. Miss Sky constantly running about begging for attention and luka begging for treats.¡±


    After that our conversation devolved. I pitched a few name ideas and ate my cold food. My mother told me she would have reheated it over the woodstove but decided I needed to be punished for worrying them. Not long after I ate I devoted myself to an hour or two of studying runes by candlelight. I wanted to make a temporary enchantment to silence or muffle sounds in case I needed to work on my sword overnight. I finished it near the end of the night, just before going to sleep.


    The next day was much the same as every other until I left the forge, heading to the tavern. My companions followed me, at my heels. I had on my hip a sword that I borrowed from Derren, one that had sat on the rack for a number of years already unsold. It was a longsword, and plainlooking. There was no magic in it and there was nothing particularly special about it, but it was still a sword and a sword was what I had been told to bring. The crossguard and pommel were simple, the handle wrapped in thin leather and the blade was just a standard issue for the guards. The reason it hadn''t been sold was because of a chip near the base of the blade. Derren was convinced some other would be adventurer would buy it on the cheap.


    I saw all four of them standing at the entrance to the tavern, it was called The Drunkard''s Hovel. We usually just called it the Hovel. Now that they were standing I could see how huge Elric was. He was built like a tank, a being reinforced with muscle and strength. His muscles bulged and his greatsword was slung over his back. Adrien didn''t look any less imposing, his m monster tattoos seemed to squirm over his arms when he flexed. He wore his fancy sword at his hip. Liana was smiling, this time I noticed something I had missed before in my nervousness, she was an elf. A pair of pointed ears poked out beneath her hair. Amelia crouched upon seeing me, inviting Luka or Sky to approach her.


    ¡°Yer later than last time kid, we don''t like waiting.¡± Elric frowned at me, pushing himself off the wall.


    ¡°I had to finish a forging step on my sword, apologies.¡± I bowed my head a little in greeting. Sky went up and sniffed the crouching Amelia while Luka stayed under me, threatening to trip me as we walked.


    Adrien looked dubiously at the sword on my hip. ¡°That one?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I''m borrowing this from my mentor until I can finish my own weapon.¡± I glanced down at my sword, it was plain but it would do for now. At the very least it was sharp and durable.


    ¡°Alrigh¡¯ kiddo follow me.¡± Elric didn¡¯t wait for me, he simply turned and started walking east towards the forest. Well I suppose, any direction but north was towards the forest but that was beside the point. The rest followed him as well.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked as I had to half jog to keep up, they weren''t slowing down to my pace but I was okay with that.


    ¡°You ever killed anything, Alexilios?¡± Elric ignored my question and proffered his own.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    I grunted in frustration but bit back the feisty remark that played at the tip of my tongue. ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°Goblins?¡±


    The rest of the group was silent except for Amelia who had scooped up Sky and was currently squeezing the fox and giving her scratches. She let out a few little squeaks of excitement as she pet the fox. Liana, I noticed, was glancing at her jealously. I smirked.


    ¡°No, not goblins. Only beasts so far, hunting for food primarily though I tried to ensure they felt like they were close to my level,¡± I answered the large gruff man.


    ¡°Okay. Let''s see if you can keep pace.¡± He took off on a jog, which I had to sprint to keep up with. The power of levels was really frustrating at times.


    I panted behind him and noticed the other three were leisurely chatting behind us as we left. ¡°Luka, stay with them for now.¡± I called out to my fox, and he reluctantly backed off and stayed close to the three as Elric and I ran.


    I followed Elric out of town, he was silent and pensive. We rushed past the houses and kept going into the woods. Trees and undergrowth sprang up around us. The run grew more challenging once we met the trees, he sped up and now I had to dodge branches and leaves and holes and roots. Even still, as my heart thumped in my chest from the exertion of attempting to keep up with someone much faster than me, I smirked. This was fun, racing through the forest. I reveled, not for the first time since coming to this world, at the freshness of the air, the scent of the trees and flowers around me. At the vibrancy of the greenery and the intense growth of the flora around me. Earth had pretty growth too but Ravos, Ravos was clean and pure still. Uncorrupted by humanity, at least in most places.


    We ran for a while, I lost track of time. He kept speeding up, not saying a word. And then, finally we stopped. I looked up, the sun had been starting to set when we started and now the moon was high in the sky. Sweat drenched my shirt as I panted, keeled over and bracing myself on my knees for a moment. Then I looked around, and saw Elric staring at me. I straightened.


    ¡°Ready, kid?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, you haven''t told me what we''re doing,¡± I replied snarkily, a hint of friendly venom in my voice.


    ¡°Oh? I see I must have forgotten. You''re going to take care of a small little goblin infestation. They''re at the bottom of this hill we¡¯re on, so don''t talk too loud or they¡¯ll hear you.¡± He grinned at me, as though he were doing me a favor by taking me here to kill goblins.


    ¡°I see. Do you know how many?¡± I stepped past him, looking down the hill where I saw a small clearing and a dozen or so tents with torches scattered throughout the camp. There were a couple of goblins up and keeping watch, but I saw that there was one on the western edge of the camp that was nodding off. The goblins I could see were wearing rags and animal furs. They had spears and knives on them, one even had a spiked club with nails poking out all around it. I frowned, a dozen or so tents meant at least a full twelve goblins.


    ¡°Not sure, we jus saw the place while fulfilling yer mayor''s request today.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha, am I on my own?¡± I glanced at him, eyeing his greatsword. ¡°If so, can I borrow your sword? Are the others gonna catch up to us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, no yes,¡± Elric answered in order. I scoffed at being denied.


    ¡°Alright. Do I have to wait for them?¡±


    ¡°No. I''m growing impatient, kid. They''re only goblins.¡±


    I ignored the impatience, focusing on my intuition skill and activating my mana sense. I didn''t see anything that looked like wards around the camp, and started to sneakily approach the camp. I received a ding and a flash of blue light as the system offered me a stealth skill, but I ignored it and asked that the system only provide kill notifications until I asked for the rest.


    Instead of going straight down I stalked down the hill, going at an angle so I could approach the napping Goblin first. As I neared, but before I was within earshot of the critter, I drew my sword, a soft shwiinnngg slipping into the silent air. Well, mostly silent. The crickets chirped and the rustling of trees emanated through the forest. I stopped just at the edge of the trees, observing the creature before me. Just like in my world''s fantasies the goblin was green. It was short, scrawny. I could see its ribs a bit but contrasting that was its bulbous belly. It looked like it had a hunched back too, though it could just have been its sleeping position. I glanced up the hill where I had left Elric.


    Nothin to it but to do it. I thought to myself and stalked towards the goblin. I stabbed it promptly through the throat, covering its mouth before it could scream out. To Elric, what I was about to do next would likely look foolish at first. One thing I had noticed was that most of the tents, if I was in the center of the camp near the camp fire, were within range of my sword dance of spreading flames, as I had named it. What I also observed was that most of the guards were keeping their eyes to the outside of the camp, not looking inward. After all, what threat would come from within. This also would give me a chance to test something I had been practicing. I quietly pulled my sword free from the goblin I had casually killed, a bit shocked at how easily I had taken its life. I had gone hunting with the foxes and my father, but that was mostly beasts and not humanoid creatures, and for the purpose of feeding my family. Even so I did not hesitate as I strolled into the center of the camp.


    I noted that I wasn''t wearing armor as I quietly stepped up. I kept my focus on [Intuition], while the skill, like most of my others, was passive, focusing on it pushed it to its limits. I wasn''t fully in tune with the skill yet, outside of my spars and just generally evaluating people there weren''t many opportunities for the skill to warn me of danger which was the skills primary use. Of course it also let me judge the veracity of people''s words and actions, but as an introvert I often didn¡¯t have those opportunities either.


    As I reached the center of the camp, I quickly beheaded the two goblins that were warming their hands over the fire. I began a rune dance, acknowledging that the guards on the outer edges of the camp would likely hear the thud of the heads hitting the ground. Rather than start with my sword dance of spreading flames, I began with a dance I had recently created as a primarily defensive spell. It was similar to the spreading flames but fire was replaced by wind, so I called it the sword dance of the tornado. This was another that was created using Lexico runewrit, so it was constrained to five runes. I had discovered with the other runic language, Frith, that each language required a certain number of runes to be successful. Frith, unlike Lexico, given its added complexity and power required twentyfive total runes, though five could be substituted by a lower ranking language like Lexico. Given the number of required runes to add Frith to my dances, I was still working out an effective pattern and circle. I was close, but not confident enough to attempt it during this apparent test.


    Each of my first circle, as I was calling my starter dances using Lexico, took between four and six seconds to complete during combat, outside of it, like now, they took three seconds each. I heard the sound of a goblin yelling as I finished the second dance, two runecircles now overlapping each other. I grinned, hearing the goblins stir as I activated first the flames then the wind and after they both gathered their requisite mana released them. Fire burst out from around me, setting the tents in flames. The quick burst would normally die out quickly but it was immediately powered by swirling wind and an inferno lit the camp. I heard the screams of the goblins as I stood in my small circle, safe from my fire as it quickly spread throughout the camp. The explosive flames only lasted a few moments, but after they died and under the crackling of the remaining flames, I heard no movement or whimpers from the goblins of this camp. The guards had stepped just within range, it seemed, once they had noticed me. It helped that with the power of wind my range was significantly enhanced. This was my first time using full powered dances against a foe, usually during spars I would restrict the amount of mana they could gather with my willpower.


    I looked about, keeping my attention on my [Intuition] for a few moments before I whipped my sword to the side to splatter the blood from it. The camp was smoldering, what little grass had existed in the clearing was burning away. The flames did not spread far enough to set ablaze the forest, but they were close. I took a handkerchief from my back pocket. As I wiped the blood from my sword I glanced at my kill notifications and blinked in surprise, I had successfully killed fifteen goblins that were level thirty at the low end and the highest was level forty eight, seven levels above me. I felt a ping from my skill come from behind me and turned around, seeing not just Elric but the rest of the group as well.


    ¡°Kid, what was any of that?¡± Elric growled at me and strode forward until we were nearly touching. I looked up at him and tilted my head.


    ¡°You told me to kill the goblins, I did so. Besides, you mentioned you were growing impatient so I thought I¡¯d take care of it quickly.¡±


    ¡°No, actually, what was that skill? And strategy?¡± Liana stepped forward too, her eyes less aggressive. She had Luka in her arms, and he was unsuccessfully struggling to get out. She simply blinked as he nibbled relentlessly at her hand and arm through the robes and white gloves she was wearing.


    ¡°I assessed that it would take less time to use my sworddance than it would for them to wake up and react even if the guards noticed me.¡± I looked up at Elric, and smiled.


    ¡°You said you''re a swordsman. Was that a skill? It takes a while to activate.¡± Elric glowered down at me. I glanced behind him at the rest of his party. ¡°That was reckless. If they had noticed you-¡±


    ¡°With all respect, that wasn''t reckless. While I wasn''t positive I could take them all out with that one spell I did know that I wasn''t in any danger at least prior to casting it. The guards were looking away and I was quiet, at least enough so that the others wouldn''t wake until it was too late.¡±


    ¡°You could have set the forest on fire.¡± Elric mentioned, scoffing at my cavalier attitude.


    ¡°But I didn''t. I typically have a range of fifteen feet around me when I activate my spell, with the addition of a second one my range increased but I had no expectations of the range increasing enough to reach the trees.¡±


    ¡°Elric, enough. The rest of us saw it too. The kid is correct, he wasn''t in danger. Still, I¡¯d have preferred to see how you actually fight.¡± Adrien stroked the stubble on his chin.


    ¡°Do you have another test for me?¡± I asked the group broadly. ¡°Otherwise, it may be best we go back to town so I can rest and have the energy to complete the forging of my sword.¡±


    Elric stepped back. He looked down at me then burst out laughing. ¡°Kid, you''re brazen. I like ya. I agree with Adrien though, I¡¯d like to witness your actual skills.¡±


    ¡°Come to my house before dawn and I''ll spar with you... or after breakfast, tomorrow I spar with the guards.¡± I sheathed the blade, convinced I had wiped away all of the blood. I watched as Liana finally sighed and let go of Luka who ran right up to me, sniffing me frantically to make sure I wasn''t hurt. Amelia let go of Sky as well who immediately ran to me chattering and jumped up onto my shoulder, making me hunch a little bit.


    ¡°Fine, at the training field then. Now, brace yerself Lios.¡± Elric did not give me any time to brace myself before pulling me over his shoulder and sprinting through the woods, he was much faster than when I had been chasing him. It took everything I had to grab Sky and hold Luka to make sure they didn''t fall. After our run that felt like it had lasted hours, this one felt extraordinarily short. I realized with a start that he had just made me run for a while for the sake of it, and that the goblin camp hadn¡¯t been too far from town. Elric set me down as soon as the town became visible.


    ¡°Not  a fan of that...¡± I complained as I wobbled a bit, the ride was not overly stable, instead each time he dodged a branch or avoided a tree he would simply jerk and jump. It was like he was enjoying tormenting me. Not to mention the times where I felt he purposefully whacked me against low branches.


    ¡°Whatever kid, get over it. See ya tomorrow.¡± Elric just ran off after that, with me staring at him. I sighed before returning home. This time my parents knew I was going to be out for a while, but I was still nervous as I opened the door. From outside I could see that a light was still on and I knew I had been later than they had expected. My mother sat on my bed, her eyes on the door.


    ¡°Lios... what happened? Are you hurt?¡± she jumped up and eyed the goblin blood that was splattered on my clothes. I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, they couldn¡¯t touch me.¡± I tried to reassure her only to gasp as she swallowed me with a hug.


    ¡°I don''t know how I¡¯ll do this when you''re a full fledged adventurer.¡± She muttered in my ear, and I felt something wet against my cheek. I was nearly as tall as she was now. I wrapped my arms around her quietly, deigning not to say anything for a while.


    We stood like that for a few minutes, with me unsure what to say and her not letting me go. After she did she stepped back, avoiding my eyes. ¡°Well, it is late so you should get some rest. I¡¯m sure you have the usual early morning. Good night, my son.¡±


    She backed up to her room, but before she could close the door behind her I said ¡°I love you mom. Thanks for worrying about me... it makes me feel... It makes me feel so loved and wanted. Thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to reassure her, but I didn¡¯t think she needed to be embarrassed for worrying about her child. She smiled and said ¡°I love you too Alexilios. And don''t you forget it.¡±


    ¡°I won''t mom, I won''t."

 Chapter 12

    I was stretching in the training grounds when they showed up, all four of them. Part of me had only expected the two swordsmen to come, but I wasn¡¯t upset at seeing Liana and Amelia either. I figured they were only there for the foxes anyway, but that was okay.


    ¡°Hey, are those the adventurers?¡± Ento asked conspiratorially. ¡°The one in the robes is pretty cute...¡±


    I glanced between him and Liana, after having noticed she was an elf I realized even without enhanced senses she could probably hear Ento despite being far away. I assumed all of them could. I waved at them as they approached, wearing a strained smile as I was loosening up my muscles. I couldn''t help it when my eyes flashed to Amelia, she was looking gorgeous as always, as if I''d known her longer than three days now. Her black hair shimmered in the budding sunlight, and her eyes gleamed as she sat in the sand, unworried about dirtying her skirt. I blushed when I caught her gaze and looked away.


    ¡°Yeah, they''re pretty high level so they can probably hear ya ya know.¡± I mentioned casually, now bending over to touch my toes as I continued to limber up.


    ¡°Over the sound of the swords clashing? Doubt it.¡± Ento finished up his stretches and stepped a few yards away, giving his greatsword a few practice swings. ¡°Are we sparring? That''s why they''re here right? To watch you spar?¡±


    I nodded and lifted my training falchion, stepping back a bit to give us a decent circle to work with.


    ¡°No spells, Lios,¡± Calimax called out as he approached the adventurers. ¡°You here to watch him? Or did ya want to spar too?¡±


    I tuned out the conversation, taking a few deep breaths as I took a stance with my sword held in front of me. Ento had gotten much, much better and won one in four matches with me now. It didn''t help that I put myself at a bit of a disadvantage by using a shorter sword against a greatsword, when I decided to use a glaive or a spear, something with longer reach, I typically had him beat. I nodded at him and we both began to circle each other to find an opening. Ento was holding his sword behind him pointed at the ground so that when I approached he could quickly react and swipe up at me using his full body to gather the momentum instantaneously.


    It was a few moments before he moved, but the second he did I moved to intercept him so he couldn''t build up more momentum. I was forced to deflect his sword rather than catch it as he rushed at me and slashed upwards towards my torso. I pushed the flying slab of steel upward as I ducked beneath the blade. I heard it whisper in the wind, the whistle shwooshing above me. My sword flashed towards him, at his unguarded side forcing him to leap back. No longer under his guard, I slashed again, this time grinning as he expertly caught the blade with his own. Sparks flew, despite these being training blades we still had enough force to shear the thick rounded edges enough to cause the flashes of steel to heat up and splinter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten really good Ento! But don''t think just cause you''re a higher level than me you¡¯ll be able to beat me!¡± I taunted before slipping into a sword dance, moving with a certain rhythm that made me a touch more unpredictable. I weaved under his blade as he slashed horizontally, lunging forward to slash again at his unguarded side. He used his knee to push the flat of my blade, redirecting  it before slipping under my strike.


    ¡°Come off it Lios, I cant even be that much higher level. Prick.¡± Ento rebutted, panting from the exertion swinging the heavy sword. He cleaved downward this time, which I parried and side stepped.


    I had some sweat beading up but was breathing fine. I glanced to the sidelines seeing the adventurers watching us while casually chatting with my father and Calimax. Liana was sat cross legged in the sand teaching Luka a trick with a scrap of meat in her hand while Amelia was chasing the ever energetic Sky. I laughed and weaved my way around another of Entos strikes, the sword wooshing past me, almost too close for comfort.


    ¡°Am I such an easy opponent you can afford to get distracted?¡± The older boy yelled out, starting to use a skill that would increase his momentum by having him move in a circular spiraling pattern.


    ¡°Oh shit, taking it seriously?¡± I yelped as the blade fell near me. My dad didn''t mind when I swore amongst the guards despite my mothers insistence that I keep myself proper. I knew from experience that once it got going I¡¯d be hard pressed to block it, and he would only grow faster. I brace myself, my hand on the ridge of my sword as I took his second strike against my blade. My arm trembled from the effort of stopping it, I heard my elbow crack though as painful as it was it felt almost nice. I felt myself being pushed back, two gouges forming in the sand and I bit back my growing smile, attempting to focus. I breathed in deep, activating [Meditation] to keep my focus on what was important and prevent my mind from wandering,  and felt myself calm. I slipped from under the oppressive weight of my friend''s skill, his sword, and most importantly his overwhelming strength. The sudden release of resistance as I slipped back caused Ento to pull forward, in the direction of his force. Taking a deep calming breath I started to take it more seriously.


    He resumed his spinning, forcing me to dodge the spiraling blade. I weaved past it, under it, even leaping over it as needed as he sped up. I kept my [Meditation] going, difficult as it was to do so during a fight, occasionally being forced to parry and block his strikes. My arms were growing tired from the constant impacts, even if they were deflected. I steeled myself as I finally saw the opening I was looking for. My opponent wasn''t able to keep his skill active forever, the longer it was up the more fatigued he would become. As soon as he faltered, slowed down the slightest amount, I slipped beneath his guard and raised my sword to his neck. He stopped instantly, a frown breaking out over his features.


    ¡°Damn. I thought I had ya this time.¡± Ento muttered as he lowered his blade, panting.


    ¡°You were damn close a few times. Your whirlwind skill is spooky once it gets going.¡± I patted him on the shoulder, turning my attention to my potential future party. ¡°Hell, Elric looks like he might just recruit you instead of me.¡±


    ¡°You''re not wrong kid!¡± Elric called out and stepped towards us. ¡°Ye almost have your second class other kid?¡±


    ¡°One level away, sir.¡± Ento straightened up when Elric directed his attention to him.


    ¡°Wondrous. You got some potential. If ya want I can show you a couple techniques or you can watch Adrien test your buddy. Up to you, if you need the breather.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Adrien wants to test me?¡± I interjected, glancing at the tattooed man. His arms were crossed as he looked over at me. After a second of staring he said something to my father and walked in my direction.


    ¡°I-I would be glad to receive some tips.¡± Ento was staring at the huge black bladed greatsword on Elrics back.


    ¡°Great, let''s step over there. These two will need some room.¡± Elric dragged away my friend without answering my question. I was beginning to notice a pattern with the man.


    Adrien walked forward until he was about fifteen feet away from me. Before he could say anything the Captain of the Guard called out, ¡°Listen up folks, our guests wanna have a full spar with Lios, if you dun wanna get caught up in the crossfire make sure to step back. Or if ya wanna watch it.¡± Then he gave me a thumbs up and giant toothy grin. ¡°Show em who''s boss Lios!¡±


    ¡°You can use your magic. Come at me with everything you''ve got. We need to know what you can do before we take you with us.¡± Adrien drew his sword but left it in its sheath. ¡°Remember, don''t hold back. I can hold my own, Lios.¡±


    I grinned at him as I took up a stance and began circling him. I had developed a few more sword dances over the years but my favorites were the two they had seen already. Aside from them I had come up with one that acted as a shockwave and another that created stone spikes around me. These could be adjusted to make a more direct attack as well, but most of them were created as defensive spells initially and expanded on from there. It was a single rune difference, so it wasn''t hard to make the adjustment on the fly. I started to subtly trace the first few lines as I stepped around the elder warrior.


    Gulping and finally steeling myself to strike, I leapt forward, twirling while I was out of range to build momentum and draw another rune, and slashed low at Adrien. He responded in kind, his blade thrusting forward forcing me to side step. We exchanged a few blows before I jumped backwards, back to where I had started to trace my runes. I panted a bit. It was clear the man was holding back but it wasn¡¯t enough for me to not have to exert energy in the fight. For one, he didn¡¯t strike out at me all that much unless I left a clear opening.


    I started another spell as lightning formed over the blade of my falchion, the first spell having been activated. I twisted and launched a blade of lightning at Adrien, whose eyes widened in surprise as he leapt over it. As he was still in the air I launched another, the spell providing enough energy for three blades. As soon as the third entered the air, Adrien having blocked the second, I released my next spell feeling some of my meager mana supply flow into it. This time I waited a few moments, holding the flames on my blade and rushing him. On my approach I began a third runedance. These dances consisting of only five runes made them quick but weak when facing opponents stronger than me, but that didn''t make them worthless. I clashed blades with him, mine engulfed in flames.


    I waited, holding the third spell and starting a fourth. I was intending to use the same combo from the goblin camp except as a slashing attack. I had no illusions that Adrien couldn''t just jump into the air to avoid the wave version, plus the direct attacks were a bit more powerful and had a much higher chance of reaching my opponent as long as I was smart with them. The fire on my blade dissipated as Adrien only blocked my strikes, pursing his lips.


    He grunted as I attempted to slip behind him. ¡°That won''t work on me kid.¡±


    As he spoke I finished the fourth spell and activated them both, the mental energy of holding them both together as wind and flame blazed over my blade was significant. I had only ever tried this as a wave and instant activation spell, but I was excited to see what my ranged attacks would look like using inferno. I stepped back and slashed vertically at Adrien, who promptly sidestepped but I noticed his pants had caught some cinders and were lighting up. The fire was close to burning me, my own hand was starting to redden from the proximity, and I was sweating quite a bit. I¡¯d need to launch the last two quickly.


    I spun to the side and launched a second then a third in quick succession, the sizzle in the air proof of the heat being exerted by the inferno slash. I grinned even as Adrien parried the first, the other was just behind it and he didn''t have time to parry it as well. He reached out a hand and caught the inferno, closing his hand he dissipated the spell. I frowned in disappointment.


    Just as I was about to begin a fifth dance he raised a hand up. ¡°That''s enough.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Looking closer I saw that there were blisters on his palm. ¡°So, did I pass?¡±


    He ignored my question and turned to his companions. Elric was still on the other side of the clearing with Ento, but the other two were staring at us intently. They each nodded at him. ¡°You can travel with us. We will discuss terms on the road. How do you cast your magic, that wasn''t sorcery was it?¡±


    There was a gleam in his eyes as he asked. Sorcery was what we called system based magic, whereas wizards used runes, incantations, or other means outside of the system to cast spells. I wondered how much I should tell him before Liana stepped up, Luka trailing behind her,


    ¡°It was wizardry but I couldn¡¯t tell how you did it...¡± She gave me an approving nod. ¡°Quite impressive to be able to even lay a mark on someone nearly four times your level though.¡±


    Four? Was Adrien that strong? I thought to myself. ¡°Thank you, and you Adrien. I trust you saw enough?¡±


    ¡°I did. You''re quite capable for your age. I saw some areas of improvement but we can discuss that later, too.¡±  The tattooed man walked close to my father, Max and the captain. ¡°Whoever trained him did a great job.¡±


    I walked towards them as my father sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°He mostly trained himself, I just set him on the right path.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, I feel like I should probably head to the forge, is the plan still to leave tomorrow at dawn Adrien?¡± I interrupted the conversation.


    ¡°It is, see you then,¡± The tanned man replied.


    I picked up some bread and a skewer of meat on the way over. I wasn''t sure what the meat was exactly but I was guessing it was rabbit. I took a large bite, my stomach growling after using so much mana to throw so many sword dances at Adrien. Grease trailed down my cheek and I split a second skewer between Luka and Sky. The girls had offered to watch over them but quickly acquiesced after Adrien informed them they had a job for this afternoon that they needed to complete if they were to stay on schedule. I knew there was a lot of work left on my sword, although I had shaped out the blade already. I gave the two apprentices a nod as Derren was speaking to a customer. From the snippet I heard before tuning it out it seemed he was taking an order for a metric ton of nails, the customer was a carpenter who I recognized but couldn''t recall the name of.


    I verified that there were no orders for me to work on and immediately set out to work on my sword. Despite having the shape there was still a ton more work to be done: designing and installing a handle, pommel and hilt, heat treating, polishing the blade, sharpening it, and making a sheath. Normally I¡¯d have a few hours over a couple days to accomplish this series of tasks, and even with the systems help it took a while which is why I''d come to the forge early.


    I got to work heat treating the blade. I heated it in the forge, pumping the bellows for a few moments to ensure the forge was hot enough, until it was glowing. Then, I quickly but carefully dunked the sword into a tube filled with oil, lighting the surface layer as the oil quickly boiled before settling down. When I pulled it from the oil I checked to make sure the blade was still straight, making sure it hadn¡¯t warped from the treatment. Next I set it in one of the regulated ovens over top of the forge to bring it up to temperature to temper. While I waited for it to heat back up, slower this time and more controlled, I selected a scrapped piece of a hard dark wood to use as the handle.


    I started hollowing out the handle with a hand drill, prepping it to wrap over the tang of the sword. It didn¡¯t take long for the blade to reach my desired temperature and once it did I held it over open flames carefully tempering it, heating it until the steel glowed like wheat and the center of the longsword shone blue. The quicksilver and orichalcrum mixed throughout gave the sword an interesting gleam, the dull blue-gray of steel clashed with the bright quicksilver and greenish orichalcrum. It wasn''t overly visible just yet, but I knew once it was polished and given an acid treatment the damascus would be gorgeous and the metals would contrast all the more.


    I worked patiently, falling into a trancelike state as I fitted the handle. It took a ton of precision, I would be using this sword for the foreseeable future and wanted to ensure it would be comfortable and would fit over the tang without any wiggle room. Once I got it fitted I removed it, there was still more work to be done. I carved the exterior of the handle, shaping it to fit perfectly in my hands. Given that the sword would be amorphous, or shapechanging, I wanted to be sure that the handle was comfortable for a variety of different sword shapes. Once I was happy with the handle I took a bit of the scrap, a chunk, of damascus that I¡¯d used to craft the blade and began to forge a hilt. I made something simple, just a flat crossguard that I twisted near the ends to add a little bit of flair.


    I barely noticed as Derren stopped by to check my progress, though I did stop long enough to tell him I¡¯d be leaving the next day. He looked a touch sad about it, but didn¡¯t press the issue. He knew this would always be the case, that I would leave eventually.


    It wasn¡¯t until dark that I was happy with the handle and hilt and that I could start working on the pommel. At this point I was happy with the hardness for the blade as well and I decided to give it the acid treatment. I dipped a piece of scrap damascus first, I wanted to make sure the ratio of acid to water was correct before accidentally ruining my sword. I pulled it out after around ten minutes and rinsed it, gasping at the pattern. The ratio was exactly what I¡¯d wanted. The orichalcrum positively glowed and the steel shone with a blueish tint. I was still nervous as I tentatively dipped the blade into the tube, if something went wrong now there was no time to fix it.


    ¡°Lios, dear, I brought you supper.¡± I turned, startled, to see my mother and father standing next to Derren who was stroking his beard as my father and him spoke.


    ¡°Is it already supper time?¡± My stomach made itself heard as I asked. Luka and Sky were already beside my parents, definitely not begging.


    ¡°It is. Will you be able to make it home tonight? Or should we plan to see you at the gate in the morning.¡± She handed me a box that was warm to the touch. I opened it to see some stew, and felt myself tear up a little bit. This very well could be the last time I''d enjoy my mothers cooking, at least for a long time. Despite my complaints in my earlier years I knew I''d definitely miss it. Something about a parents cooking, and especially since I¡¯d be on the road a while I wasn¡¯t sure how much I¡¯d be able to enjoy fresh meals every night.  I set the box down and wrapped her in a hug.


    ¡°I''ll be home... I love you. Thank you for supper.¡± I sniffled a bit. I withdrew and immediately started chowing down, I hadn''t realized just how hungry I was.


    As I was eating my dad stood by me. ¡°How¡¯s the sword coming? Will you have it done?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will, was there any doubt?¡± I replied with a mouth full of potato, keeping track of how long the blade had been sitting in the acid. Just before I could pull it out myself Derren did so.


    ¡°Lios, boy, le¡¯ me take cur o¡¯ da rest. Go home, get some sleep. It¡¯s practly done as is aint it?¡± my teacher said, keeping the sword from my view as he wiped it off. He let out a low whistle.


    ¡°Derren, I can''t ask you to stay up to finish-¡±


    ¡°Damn ya, Lios, let yer teacha do one lass thing for ye.¡± He growled at me and I smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya at da gate, dont ya worry it¡¯ll be a beauty.¡±


    ¡°You just want to take credit for my masterpiece!¡± I protested jokingly. I let out a chuckle as my parents started to drag me away. ¡°What was the point of bringing me supper if you''re just gonna take me back home anyway..?¡±


    ¡°You need rest before tomorrow, you¡¯ll be starting a long journey you know.¡± My mother didn¡¯t stop as she forced me to follow, pulling on my arm. ¡°You''ll want a bath before you depart too, divines know when you¡¯ll get a chance at one.


    I let them drag me away. They were right. I''d need the rest and time to pack a bag. I went to bed as soon as we got home, intending to wake up earlier than normal. In the morning I stuffed a couple changes of clothes, my light coin purse, and my journals filled with my spell ideas and practice. I also shoved in the book of flora that my mother had gotten me a while back. I had only seen maybe a quarter of the items in it in person, as the rest was in different parts of Jorial. I wanted to take the rune books with me too but they were heavy and my [Rune Compendium] skill gave me perfect recollection of any runes that the system deemed I had learned, which was all of them in the two books. I glanced at the moon falling over the trees and knew I only had about two more hours till I was to meet the others. I grabbed one of my sets of self cleaning, self repairing clothes and rushed to the stream.


    I was without my companions this time. I slipped into the frigid fall water, colder still due to the dark, shivering. Recent rains had raised the water level and it rushed past me excitedly. I hadn¡¯t had a great chance to check my notifications since meeting the adventurers and decided to see what I had earned.


    You have slain Goblin Warrior LVL:31


    You have slain Goblin Matron LVL:36


    ...


    You have slain Goblin Warrior LVL:46


    You have slain Goblin Chief LVL:48


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    ...


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    I had killed a total of fifteen goblins and leveled seven times up to forty eight, but that wasn''t all of my gains. I had a spattering of skill increases as well, mostly just skills that I had reached a cap in. A skill couldn¡¯t rise to a level higher than my highest class level. On top of all of that I¡¯d received two achievements as well.


    [Assassin!]


    You have stalked, watched, and executed your target to perfection! Not much else is as satisfying as coldly, callously slaughtering an unsuspecting foe. Be they an innocent or a sinner who you were hired to kill, they have perished to your blade hidden in the shadows(which is pretty shocking because you are not the most sneaky). The poor goblin you stabbed through the neck was dreaming about tearing asunder the countryside with its kin and raiding the small towns, so perhaps you did the world a favor.


    +3 to Dex


    I stared at the comment about my sneakiness for a moment but figured this message was significantly more tame than the previous ones. I turned my attention to the second achievement.


    [Merciless Executioner]


    You successfully slew ten or more enemies who weren''t even aware of you within a fifteen second period. You could do better, next time try for twenty of those icky goblin fucks. They were hardly even aware they were being so heartlessly murdered, you monster.


    Deal increased damage against those who are unaware of your presence.


    I didn¡¯t particularly care for the second achievement. I wasn¡¯t pushing to be an assassin or anything of the sort, nor would any of my future skills facilitate that, so I wasn¡¯t sure if I''d even get use out of the benefit. Even so, I wasn¡¯t upset with it. I was a little put off by how easily I had killed the goblins, creatures with fairly humanoid features, considering I had never killed anything in my previous life. I didn¡¯t hold any guilt, which I wondered about. Am I a monster? Or will I feel something different when I kill another human?


    I knew it wasn''t a question of if this world was violent even without my added influence. The life of adventure was rife with cutthroats and bandits, of dangers from the world as well as from its people. They were only human after all. Well, and dwarves, beastfolk, elves, gnomes and... I don''t know how many others.


    I shook my head of the thought as I pulled myself out of the stream, I had been hoping to see Brook before I left but I hadn¡¯t seen her for a number of years. I suspected it had something to do with the Dread Wastes, but I couldn''t be too sure. As I walked through the woods I opened my status, to check my levels for the first time in a long time. Unless I was trying to train a specific skill I often didn¡¯t check my levels else I¡¯d do so impulsively and often.


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 48


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:48


    [Runedancing] LVL: 48


    [Dodging] LVL:45


    [Intuition] LVL:29


    [Mana Sense] LVL:35


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:46


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:48


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3


    [Runesight] LVL:39


    1x Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:41


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:33


    [Runeweaving] LVL:30


    [Runesmithing] LVL:45


    [Meditation] LVL:23


    [Fox Friend] LVL:48


    [Distant Recollections] LVl:12


    [Cooking] LVL:22


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:7


    [Training] LVL:41


    I was closing in on level fifty, which would allow me to select my second class. I was hoping it would also allow my [Fox Friend] skill to evolve into a companion pact with Luka and Sky, though there was a chance that I''d need to wait until the skill itself leveled up.


    I neared the house, noting the lights were on. I had about an hour left before I left with the adventurers, and I intended to spend it with my parents before I went on my way.

 Chapter 13

    The smell and sizzle of bacon struck my senses as I entered our small abode. My mother was standing before the woodstove, and my father in his chair. He wouldn''t need to get ready for work for a few more hours yet, at least an hour after I departed.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I called out as they both turned to face me. I tried to smile but I knew in just a while I would be saying goodbye to them.


    ¡°Good morning, my boy!¡± My father pulled me into a hug as the foxes yipped and protested, jealous that someone else was getting cuddles.


    ¡°Dad let go, I still gotta get my armor on.¡± I squirmed under his tight grasp, but hugged him back despite my protests.


    ¡°No way, not gonna happen.¡± His arms constricted tighter, my back cracked with a satisfying pop.


    ¡°Mom, save me!¡±


    She only laughed and started to put the cooked breakfast on some plates. Bacon, sausage, eggs, bread, milk, and some slices of a fruit that tasted a lot like grapefruit but was called ¡®suncitra¡¯ fruit here. They were nearly identical fruits save for the fact that the suncitra was the size of a cantaloupe.


    ¡°Ezekial let him go.¡± She chided, but the second I was able to stand up and step towards my seat she pulled me into a more inescapable hug, my back cracking under the weight of their love and leveled bodies. Again I hugged back, as she just held me there for a few moments.


    ¡°What, she can hug you but I can¡¯t?¡± My father wasted no time taking a bite of sausage.


    Sticking my tongue out at him I finally pulled away from my mother and sat. I didn''t know what to say to them as we fell into a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, just eating. After my plate was empty, now placed on the floor for the foxes to lick clean, I retrieved my segmented armor. It wasn¡¯t an exact replica of the roman equivalent, but it was fairly close.


    The armor was a gray blue with some carved designs embossing it. The carvings were reminiscent of nordic knot designs from Earth. The fur of the wolf that had killed Brioche lined the shoulders, collar, and bracers to provide some warmth and prevent chafing. The white and black fur was warm, maybe overly so, but I didn¡¯t mind. I liked the reminder of why I wanted to grow stronger, and the extra reminder that if I had been strong then maybe she wouldn¡¯t have died before being able to raise her children.


    ¡°Let me help you with that.¡± My father started to help me buckle each of the straps as my mother went to her room to grab something. I rolled my eyes playfully when she emerged with a cloth wrapped item and another item in a box.


    ¡°Really? You didn''t need to get me anything.¡± I glared at the items but I knew they could tell I wanted nothing more than to rip them open immediately. My father chuckled as he tightened the last strap.


    ¡°Alright go open em. The cloth wrapped item first.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you shoulda just saved the money for the baby...¡± I sat back down and hesitantly opened the package to reveal a small metal device that resembled a loom. It was a loom. The small, unassuming device, was riddled with runes and quality craftsmanship. ¡°A portable loom?¡±


    ¡°A portable loom.¡± My mother smiled as I picked it up. ¡°It¡¯ll grow or shrink when you add mana to the runes. For your [Runeweaving].¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is incredible. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out a way to keep practicing on the road...¡± I looked up at her and smiled wide. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Now for the other one!¡± The ring of my fathers hands clapping together crashed in my ears. I winced slightly and glanced back at him as he gestured to the package still on the table.


    Rolling my eyes at his impatience, but knowing it¡¯s only due to the fact that soon I would have to depart, I pulled the box towards me. I pulled open the top, smiling as I saw what was within. The smell of old paper wafted into my nose, smelling of a combination of fading vanilla, aging wood, and dust mites. It was a smell almost as welcome as that of a new book, though they no doubt smelled more potent here than in my last life.


    ¡°Advanced Frith Runes for the Budding Enchanter,¡± I read aloud and pressed my fingers over the textured cover. Ripples of leather glided under my wandering fingers before my father coughed and waved to the box once more.


    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡±


    Tearing my eyes away from the book of runes, the first Frith book they had gotten me had contained a total of five hundred individual runes, and this book was thicker by a wide margin, I set aside my excitement and looked into the box. At the bottom of the box were a journal and a quill made from a beautiful black feather, when the light hit it as I pulled it out the black shimmered incandescently, a rainbow flickering into existence.


    ¡°It requires no ink, it¡¯s been enchanted. And the journal too, so it appears to contain thrice the number of pages.¡± My mother intoned, her voice soft and wistful. Her smile didn''t reach her eyes, but was sincere all the same.


    ¡°This must have cost a fortune...¡± I protested looking between the two of them. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this.¡±


    ¡°Lios, take them. It wasn''t too much, else we may not have gotten them for ya. Put em in your pack and lets get going, you may find a few more people waiting to say goodbye to you at the gate.¡± My fathers gruff voice rumbled as his calloused hand squeezed my shoulder.


    My mouth opened and closed as I considered what to say. Instead I nodded and pushed the books and the loom into my knapsack. I had added my own supports to turn the leather bag into more of a hiking backpack, and was hopeful that with them I wouldn¡¯t feel the added weight of the books. Once it was tied closed again I donned it, surprised at how light it felt. I knew for a while it would be comfortable, after all I¡¯d made it specifically for my body. While I wasn¡¯t a leather craftsman, nor had I any skills related to it, it wasn''t a skill that required system aid. My knapsack wasn¡¯t perfect, but it would certainly suit my needs.


    ¡°Do you have everything? Waterskin?¡± I gestured to the skin hanging off of my belt that I had filled with well water. ¡°Bedroll? Check,¡± The roll was strapped at the bottom of my pack. ¡°Extra undies?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I have clothes, I promise. Even three extra pairs of socks and two pants and shirts. One halfway decent tunic for my time in town.¡± I tried to assuage my mother, unsuccessfully.


    ¡°What about a sharpening stone and oil for your sword and armor? And a handkerchief? Did you pack a handkerchief? Cooking supplies?¡± She prattled off a number of other items and even shoved a few in my arms from the things we had on hand. Before long my light pack started to grow heavier as she gave me a handful of vials, two knives for cooking, a small cutting board, and even a frying pan that she hung on the side of my pack.


    ¡°Mom, mom, I have enough I promise! Besides it''s almost dawn I¡¯ve got to go.¡± My father, from the sidelines, chuckled at my exasperation.


    ¡°You can never be too prepared, Alexilios.¡± My mother glowered as I interrupted her overbearing concerns.


    I waved it off playfully, ignoring her pursing lips and clear frustration. ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t want to leave them waiting.¡±


    She relented and followed myself and my father out of the house, but not before grabbing a package that had been on the counter of butcher paper wrapped around cooked sausages. ¡°For your companions and pets.¡±


    She winced as Luka pawed at her leg, eyes directed at the package.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    We walked relatively leisurely through the empty streets of Arborton. The muffled ringing of steel was absent this morning, but the smell of bread wafted through the air. The sound of birds chirping and rustling of the leaves wherever trees were present was a welcome din, much more welcome than the din of the city that I had gotten used to in my past. I basked in the freshness of the air, despite the linger of the occasional road apple delivered by horses or other mounts such as the common delogia, a large boar-like critter that was often used to pull carts. I had been shocked when I first discovered them, the tusked beasts were loud and scary while I was fresh to the world but the terror ended there. Once I got used to them I almost forgot they existed.


    It wasn¡¯t long before we approached the gate and saw a small ensemble waiting for us there. It was a touch before dawn so I was unsurprised to see that the adventurers had yet to arrive. Maya bounced up and waved as we approached, the others also started to move towards us. My chest tightened and I felt a lump rise to my throat as I saw who all had come. Even Ralphy who was oft busy training as a knights squire was present.


    ¡°Lios, why didn''t ya tell me you were leavin?¡± the boy, once scrawny and smaller than me despite being older, grinned wide. He knew this had been the end goal for me for a while.


    I approached and wrapped the older lad in a hug, feeling his strength beneath his tunic. ¡±It''s good to see you before my departure, my friend.¡± I smiled wide and regarded them all. Ralphy was wearing a green tunic and brown trousers, a rapier at his hip and satchel at his side.


    Ento, impatient, pulled up next to us and pulled me into a hug of his own. He was wearing his guards uniform, a simple half plate of armor with a chain shirt underneath. The spurs of metal in the breastplate pressed against my arm as he half hugged me before I could hug him back. Maya coughed behind him and he pulled away.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with,¡± She glared at me as if challenging me. I laughed at her serious expression.


    ¡°Oh? But then who would look after your brother?¡± I tilted my head, playfully. Sky leapt from my shoulder to her, tackling her as she licked the girl''s face. Luka hadn¡¯t left my mothers side, his eyes never leaving the package of sausages in her hands.


    ¡°My grandparents will. It''s not up for debate, Lios.¡± Ento and Ralphy looked between the two of us and a mischievous glint lit in Ralphy¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh? Lios you never told us you were courting young Maya here.¡± He spoke loudly, far too loudly. I winced and blushed, and Maya grew quiet, squirming under his and Ento''s gaze.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t courting me, dummy.¡± Her voice was soft, and her face bright red.


    ¡°Not yet, right?¡± Ento chuckled glancing between us.


    I ignored their teasing as I stepped forward and wrapped my friend in a hug. ¡°You can¡¯t come with me, you have your own goals and I wouldn¡¯t have you abandon them to go on an aimless journey with me.¡±


    ¡°But I want... I want to make sure you¡¯re safe...¡± Water fell from her eyes as she looked up at me. I smiled sadly.


    ¡°I know, but you want to keep your brother safe too and teach him to take care of himself. And weren¡¯t you going to help my mom with her tailoring? I¡¯ll be safe, and I promise I¡¯ll write to you.¡± I wasn¡¯t so oblivious as I often seemed. I knew she had a crush on me, had had one for most of the time I had known her, but I could only see her as a sister. It was difficult, I couldn¡¯t see anyone below a certain age in a remotely romantic way and she was no exception. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, all the time. When I come back, if you still wanna come with, we can talk about it then. After your brother is all settled.¡±


    I pulled away as she nodded and I smiled wide again. ¡°Thank you all for coming to see me off. Truly, and what I said to Maya applies to you all as well. I¡¯ll write, so don¡¯t you forget to do the same. My parents will have the details of my location but I¡¯m sure I won''t stay in place very long.¡±


    My parents were standing a few feet behind me, just observing my conversations with my friends as Derren approached. The man looked tired, covered in soot and ember. That wasn''t too different from his usual appearance but the wide toothless grin on his face was. He didn¡¯t smile like that often. Lines around his eyes crinkled, and in his hands was a long, wrapped package. My sword.


    ¡°A¡¯right den kiddos, if ye got gif¡¯s for da boy bring em out now.¡± He shuffled impatiently, dancing with anticipation.


    I glanced over the four of them. ¡°There¡¯s no need for gifts...¡± My pack was already close to overfull, and I didn¡¯t want my departure to burden my friends.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t bring anything.¡± Ento sheepishly scratched the back of his head.


    ¡°Me either, though I didn¡¯t even know you were leaving till Ento told me yesterday.¡± Ralphy teasingly punched my armored shoulder.


    ¡°I... I have something.¡± Maya pulled a small box from her satchel. She handed it to me and I nodded as I took it gratefully.


    I opened it slowly, and looked within. The chaIn sparkled as I withdrew it, and a shimmering gold pendant lay at its end. It was a necklace. The pendant was intricate, with a ruby in the center. No, not a ruby. I could feel a small amount of mana inside of it, it was a lumina stone. I eyed the sigaldry, the inscriptions, adorning the pendant and tilted my head. It was not a language I was familiar with. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It, it can hold some mana and uhm. It wont let me communicate with you but... as long as you wear it I can see that you''re still alive at least. No more than that.¡± Her face was scarlett as she stared down at her shuffling feet. I pulled her into another hug and kissed the top of her head, her soft blond hair tickling my nose.


    ¡°Thank you Maya, wanna help me put it on?¡± I bent down as I asked, holding out the pendant.


    She nodded, a sniffle escaping her nose. Quickly she had the pendant settled around my neck, the thin chain tucked beneath the wolf fur of my armor. I glanced behind me as I heard some muted conversation, Elric, Adrien, Liana and Amelia were talking with my parents. I quickly glanced at them each in turn, my eyes lingering slightly on Amelia before I pulled it away and turned back to Derren.


    The adventurers were dressed much like they had been when first I saw them. Adrien in a tattered sleeveless jerkin and some dirtied trousers. Liana in her blue and gold trimmed robes, covering her from head to ankle. Elric in his chain armor with his massive sword slung over his back. Amelia was the only one wearing something different, a low cut pink blouse with a tight white corset and black leather pants. I wasn¡¯t immune to the influence of puberty as I glanced at her but I was able to quickly remove the thoughts from my mind.


    ¡°Here, boy. Common a¡¯ready, unwrap it!¡± Derrens grin hadn¡¯t faded. He shoved the sword into my hands and I couldn''t help but grin, fully grin, at his excitement.


    ¡°Alright alright give me a second you impatient cobbler.¡± Derren consistently ranted about the local cobbler so I¡¯d taken to calling him one in jest. I started from the handle''s end and began unwrapping the sword. I hesitated as I noticed another lumina stone in the pommel. Closer to a sapphire than Maya¡¯s ruby-like one. My brow furrowed and I glanced back up at him but he only waved at me to continue.


    The ebonwood handle was polished and smooth. As I unveiled it I grew impatient and pulled the remainder of the sword out, revealing the hilt I had made from the alloy of manasteel, quicksilver, and orichalcum. It glimmered as the sun started to finally peak over the trees. I felt Elric and Adrien both close in on me as I removed the finely fitting leather sheath, it was simple but would do the trick. The blade was polished and colorful. An iridescent blue and green and silver amalgamation, the thin patterns from the damascus made it a bit trippy to look at. I gave it a couple of practice swings after taking a step away from everyone. The blade whistled and sang.


    ¡°She¡¯s a beaut.¡± Elric whistled as he clapped a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Aye, she is. Wanna trade?¡± Adrien chuckled softly on my other side. ¡°Alas, I believe tis time for us to get goin. You ready kid? You can always stay ¡®ere.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m ready.¡± I sheathed the sword and affixed it to my belt. I turned to face my parents only to have both crush me with their hugs.


    ¡°Safe travels son, be sure to write. If you don''t, I''ll track you down, understand?¡± There was fire in my mothers eyes.


    ¡°I will, I will.¡± I pulled away from them slowly and turned to my friends. ¡°And to you guys too. ¡®Sides, you¡¯ll all hear of my conquests before too long. I¡¯m gonna be a legend.¡±


    ¡°Still as cocky as ever, aye son?¡± My father pulled away reluctantly. Both he and my mother had tears in their eyes.


    ¡°Of course, I am your son after all.¡± My father tussled my hair and softly punched my shoulder.


    ¡°When you come back we shall drink till our bellies are full and sing songs of your glory, then!¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± I quickly hugged the rest of them, one last hug for my friends before I went on my way. ¡°Thanks for finishin the blade Derren, did you name it?¡±


    ¡°Did ye wan me to?¡± My teacher raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, if you could.¡± It was a tradition that not all smiths kept, but I felt it was necessary to take with me a part of my mentor, even if it was only a name.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± He clutched at his chin, ponderously. I waited for a fair amount of time, hoping the delay wasn¡¯t overlong for the adventurers. ¡°Mayhap the ¡®Saber of the Mercurial Promenade¡¯?¡±


    I smiled at him and glanced down at my blade. ¡°I like it. The Saber of the Mercurial Promenade. Well, I must be on my way. Thank you for everything, everyone!¡±


    The adventurers hadn¡¯t stopped as they walked through the gates onto the road beyond. I turned and jogged to catch up, noting that the package of meat was now in Elric''s hands and that Luka had begun to trail him.

 Chapter 14

    Silence reigned for a good while. I tried to start conversations but I was met by only amused glances and grunts to affirm they had heard me. I took to silence well. Luka, Sky, and I darted into and out of the woods but did not stray too far from the group. We were practicing our prowling for a few minutes at a time before we would rush to catch back up with the group. I wasn¡¯t sure why they weren¡¯t talking, but given the smirks on their faces I assumed they were just messing with me.


    After about an hour of flitting through the woods with the foxes, I realized this was the first time in eight and a half years that I wasn¡¯t constantly working, studying, or training. I was starting to struggle with the lack of activity, growing antsy and bored. I glanced ahead of me where the group had started to chatter among themselves. I whistled to call back Luka and Sky, Luka came back covered in dirt with a bunny wriggling in his mouth.


    ¡°Luka did you catch that all by yourself?¡± I asked the self satisfied animal.


    He just waggled over to the others, stumbling on his find. Sky, on the other hand, hopped up on my shoulders from a nearby tree branch.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know foxes could climb trees...¡± I mumbled and glanced at her. The branch was fairly low but I hadn¡¯t seen her climb much before.I jogged to catch up with the others and caught the middle of the conversation.


    ¡°... missing baths already!¡± Amelia groaned and shuddered. She carried a small pack on her back, tiny really when compared to my hulking and packed bag.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll get one in the next town.¡± Elric turned to her and his eyes lit up upon seeing Luka waddling behind everyone. ¡°Whatcha got there Luka? Is that a bunny?¡±


    ¡°Eeew Lios you cant let them kill cute bunnies!¡± Liana spun around and gave me a pouty lip.


    Elric picked Luka up and helped hold the rabbit in his hand as the fox started to gnaw on it. There was a squelching and quickly followed by a crunching noise as the food fiend voraciously tore into his kill. I could feel his satisfaction from even here, a few feet away.


    ¡°Sky Sky com¡¯ere girly!¡± Amelia held out her arms, reaching towards my shoulder. I laughed and pulled Sky off of me and into Amelia¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if the foxes are the only reasons you all let me come with you.¡± A soft chuckle escaped my lips. A breeze rustled my clothes and long red hair, it was down to my shoulders and I was starting to consider putting it into a ponytail. It was just too much hassle to cut so frequently.


    ¡°Wha, that''s just crazy. Adrien wouldn¡¯t let that be the only reason.¡± Amelia giggled as she squished Sky. Sky yipped in consternation, looking at me with pleading eyes.


    ¡°Somehow I believe it even less now.¡±


    ¡°Lios, can you come here?¡± Adrien called over his shoulder at me.


    I left Sky and Luka with their captors, ignoring the whimpery wines escaping their toothy maws. Trotting up to the older man I slowed when I was just behind him


    ¡°Good, now, what are your skills?¡± His tone made it known that he would not accept me skirting the question. I would try anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not say. With all respect I¡¯ve only just met you all,¡± I said from his side. My eyes flickered to him, his expression was hidden however. My chest tightened, thinking the worst, that they wouldn¡¯t let me travel with them.


    ¡°Hmm... True, you¡¯ve only just met us but if you¡¯re gonna take on small jobs we need to know what you can actually handle. For instance, can you communicate with the foxes? What does your bond with them allow? If you can communicate with them even a little we can trust you to track down monsters, if they can fight we would know you can handle more than if you''re on your own.¡± He walked with a casual grace. His gait was slowed to accommodate me, though I could tell he wasn¡¯t upset by the leisure he was being forced to move.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you what I''m comfortable with.¡± Despite them being behind me I knew the others were raptly listening. Liana and Elric had stopped their quiet bickering over Elric helping Luka devour an innocent cute little bunny. ¡°First, my pact skill hasn''t evolved just yet, I only have [Fox Friend]. I¡¯m level forty eight in my class which is a variant of a swordsman class.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only level forty eight? Where did you get the skills to make that sword?¡±Mild disbelief laced Adriens words, [Intuition] elucidated.


    ¡°Yessir, and as for my smithing skills, those are all general skills. Well, evolved general skills, but general skills all the same.¡± A sense of pride flitted through me, my cheeks roseying and chin lifting.


    ¡°Wait, you don''t have a pact skill? What about these guys?¡± Amelia shoved Sky in my direction who took the moment to kick off of her captor and land upon the ground in a puff of dust. She glanced back at Amelia as though she were taunting the woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just had them since they were kits, I do have a fox raising skill but that''s it.¡± Sky stayed by my side as we continued to walk, though I was walking backwards to talk with Amelia.


    ¡°And yer other skills? Lios, I assure you we won''t bring harm to you if that''s yer concern. I know there¡¯s plenty o¡¯ bad folks in this business but we aren''t, we just wan¡¯ to make sure yer safe. And us by proxy.¡± Adrien seemed genuine but I had been told by my father not to trust people easily with the information. Especially after I had gotten a seemingly rare or even lost class.


    I chewed my lip in silence for a bit, tuning them out as they started to chit chat. I listened to snippets but after a few minutes I activated my [Meditation] so I could think without interruption. On one hand, I''ll probably be with them for at least half a year, probably more if they''re not going directly to a major city... But on the other, the more they know about my class the more they¡¯ll be able to counter me should I need to fight them. I pondered for a bit before realizing that they were so much higher level than me that it was unlikely that knowing my skills would give them even more advantage. But I won''t always be level fifty... Maybe I can get them to share some info too?


    ¡°... Kinnesville seems to have a hefty number, any that suit our young friend?¡± Elric''s voice struck me as I pulled away from my thoughts.


    ¡°Aye, there¡¯s two he coul¡¯ probly handle. Dependin on his skills o¡¯ course.¡± I caught a sideways glance from Adrien. ¡°When he and I sparred I coulda sworn he were at leas¡¯ level fifty five but ye said yer, what, forty eight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Level forty eight. My class is [Bladedancer]. It''s a combination of swordsman and wizardry. That''s the most I feel comfortable saying right now.¡± Luka and Sky were both absent. I was about to call them but saw the shrubbery move not too far ahead and figured they were both hunting. ¡°I plan to take a smithing class for my second, with a focus on runeforging.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you really made that sword your teacher gave you?¡± Liana stepped up glancing down at my hip where the sword was secured.


    ¡°Sure did, but he made me step back so I could get some rest near the end.¡± I paused in my steps for a moment to draw the blade, gingerly holding the sharp sword. ¡°He finished the handle but I made the blade and the hilt.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t runeforging a dwarvish technique? How¡¯d you learn it?¡± Elric piped up and stepped to my side to look at the sword more closely.


    ¡°Self taught. It took a long while though.¡± I held the sword out to him, pommel first.


    He took it and looked closely, then glanced back at me. ¡°Pretty good quality. What is the pattern? I don¡¯t see any runes or sigils anywhere, but I can feel its magic.¡±


    ¡°Trade secrets, I''m afraid. So, what were the two jobs you mentioned?¡± I took the sword back as it was offered then fed it my mana. The longsword shifted into a falchion then a rapier, the excess metal forming a crossguard over my hand.


    ¡°Ooh, fancy fancy. And can¡¯t tell ya till we get to town. No point worryin over it ¡®til we can make sure you c¡¯n handle it, right Lios?¡± Adrien grinned at me. It was disconcerting how white his teeth were in this place without toothpaste. Another thing to add to things I missed, hygienic products. There wasn¡¯t even deodorant.


    ¡°Hmmph, fine then keep your secrets bossman!¡± I spouted teasingly, knowing I was keeping a fair amount from them.


    We walked like that for a while, idly conversing. It was easy to get along with them, and they already seemed pretty tight knit. When we settled for dark I felt much more comfortable than when we had left, though I still wasn¡¯t ready to divulge anything too deeply. I was setting up my tent when Ameliastarted to hover behind me, hers and Liana¡¯s already put up.


    ¡°So, who was that cutiepie that gave you the necklace? Your betrothed?¡± Her voice was sweet and teasy. She stood uncomfortably close as I secured the last stake.


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    Blood rushed to my face, it wasn¡¯t the first time we had been accused of being together but I only saw Maya as a sister. Perhaps when we were both older that could change but I couldn¡¯t even see her romantically even with my being in my teens. Some things, thankfully, never changed. ¡°No, nothing like that. She¡¯s just a friend.¡±


    ¡°Does she know that?¡± Now that the tent was set she stepped in front of me, a playful smirk on her crimson lips and eyes twinkling with mischief. Her crossed arms did not help whatever attraction I had for her as her chest was squeezed and pushed up a bit.


    A bit of me had to force my eyes to stay on her face, the blush warming up. She definitely noticed as her smirk shifted knowingly. ¡°No, I don''t think she does... Think I shoulda been clearer?¡±


    ¡°A woman''s heart is a fickle thing. If you were hoping she¡¯d stop pursuing you just cuz you went off on an adventure I bet you''ll be wrong. The second stories of you reach your lil town she¡¯ll be jumpin for any chance to lock you down.¡± She uncrossed her arms and jumped in time for when she said it, amusement flashing over her face.


    ¡°Amelia, stop teasing the damn boy, I can see his blush from here!¡± Liana called out from the freshly lit fire.


    ¡°Thanks, Liana, appreciate you calling me out.¡± I laughed and turned towards her. I tossed my pack into my tent and laid out my bed roll, after which I came back out and saw Amelia was still standing there.


    ¡°I¡¯m being so for real though, you should have probably been more direct instead of having her put that necklace on you or kissing her forehead. She wont stop thinking about you for years at least.¡± Amelia turned around and walked towards the fire and I trailed behind her. Luka and Sky were both already laying near it.


    ¡°Lios, sorry to divert the conversation, but how did you cast your spells? I didn¡¯t see any verbal components. Incantations are the most common way for battlemages to cast, inscriptions an sigils take too long for combat. So, how¡¯d you do it?¡± Liana seemingly forgot she just called me out, but I was petty.


    ¡°Hmm. I tell you what if you guess it I¡¯ll tell ya, but only one guess a day.¡± My head tilted as I waited for an agreement.


    ¡°Hmm... fine. For today then, do you have prewritten spell circles?¡± I could tell she was thinking about it so I waited a moment before answering. ¡°That¡¯s wrong isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°It is, sorry but guess you gotta wait for tomorrow.¡±


    Adrien and Elric had gone out as soon as their tent was erected to find something to hunt and eat. I didn¡¯t expect them back for a bit and wondered if I should get my foxes to hunt for supper too. I looked at them sleepily curled up by the fire and thought it best not to bother them, they didn''t often move as much as they did today.


    Instead, I stepped to the outside of the camp and pulled out my notebook with the rune circle for my latest experiment. I had several pages filled with different attempts or ideas for the same spell, where some runes were incompatible with others and resulted in the spell misfiring. This time, the spell worked on paper; it was only a matter of translating that to a sword dance, a kata. I set the series of runes to memory before drawing my sword. I thought about the name and shifted the blade to that of a saber, pulling it from its default longsword shape. I shifted it into the shape of a jian style chinese sword. I started my dance slowly, beginning with the first circle of Lexico runes, which took less than a few seconds. As I grew more confident and capable the time reduced significantly per dance.


    I moved on quickly, to the much much more difficult circle. Because five runes were from the Lexico language, I still had twenty to go in order to finish the spell circle. Runes were mathematical, growing in size rapidly. The first, or inner circle, consisted of five runes, always. The next was twenty, the following would be one hundred. The size of each spell was always an exponent of five. I didn¡¯t foresee myself ever using anything larger than a third circle, it didn''t seem feasible to attempt a six hundred or larger rune circle during a combat scenario.


    Eyes were on me as I twirled and slashed out, practicing both my sword technique and my runedance. I slowed significantly as I reached the portion of Frith runes, as they were less familiar to me individually than the bevvy of runes I typically used for my basic dances. The much more complex runes sang around me, tickling my [mana sense] even as I neglected to activate my [RuneSight]. I sighed, satisfied as I approached the end of the dance after around forty seconds, hesitating to activate the runes. I deactivated it, dispelling the runes and lamenting the waste of mana. Then I tried it again.


    And again.


    I repeated the dance for a while, halfway through I began to meditate as I practiced, slowing my movements quite a bit but allowing me to regenerate mana quicker.


    After a while I nervously sighed. I was ready to try it out, confident that the runes were perfect. It worked on paper, but there was no telling how badly it could hurt me if I failed it. Before activating it I glanced at the camp, seeing four sets of eyes on me.


    ¡°Anyone have any healing magic? And if I do something super loud, is that okay?¡± I called out before I noticed the massive boar roasting over the fire. Adrien had a piece in his mouth as he walked towards me frowning.


    ¡°Healin magic, what fer?¡±


    ¡°This is a new spell... not sure how it¡¯ll go.¡±


    Liana¡¯s eyes lit up, I don¡¯t think she had realized I was practicing my spells. ¡°I have a basic healing spell, it''s a ritual though so don''t do anything that will kill you before I can cast it. Takes around a minute for me to chant it.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Adrien, you may wish to step back.¡± He had gotten close to me, seemingly curious as he looked about for a sign of my spell. I noticed he glanced at the ground, at my feet, and frowned. The runes were still scattered, but my mana faintly shimmered to those who were looking for it.


    He stepped back a few paces then stood with arms crossed. He waved as if telling me to do it. So I did. I pulled the runes together at my feet, oriented myself towards the direction with the widest gaps between trees so that I would hopefully not run into any, and poured the remaining mana necessary into the runes. Instantly I felt the hair on my arms raise, my hair on my head poofing out like I¡¯d just been shocked. Then I took a step forward, once I felt the mana take hold and the runes finish activating, and I shot ahead. As soon as I stopped, just before a tree, a lightning bolt came down at me. Well, at my conductive sword. It was far too fast for me to dodge as it struck, my arm immediately going numb before I let out a shocked cry. My legs convulsed, heart felt as though it were being crushed. I felt a litany of tears roll down my cheeks and almost fell to the ground, the smell of seared flesh wafting into the air.


    I fell to my knee, using a hand to brace myself as I finally took a deep pained breath. It wheezed out of me and I coughed before standing again, panting. The world around me was deafened but as I turned I could see everyone talking emphatically, Liana rushing towards me. She was saying something, her hands outstretched, and I realized she was casting a healing spell. I waited a few moments before a shimmer of golden light swarmed me, covering me.


    Being healed was a strange, itchy feeling. My torn muscles and burnt flesh started to stitch itself back together. There was a loud POP in my ears before I could hear everyone. They had stopped chatting and only looked at me with concern. I reached back and itched the back of my head sheepishly. ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t meant to happen...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± Liana patted my arm as if to make sure I was okay, there was a sheen of sweat on her face.


    ¡°Thanks for healing me Liana, would have really sucked if that was the end of my great adventure.¡±


    She slapped me upside the head. ¡°Here I thought you might get, like, a scratch or two. You just got struck by lightning, what was supposed to happen?¡± Her frown made me take a half step back out of guilt.


    ¡°Oh uhm...¡± I pulled out my notebook to see where I went wrong, referencing my compendium. ¡°I was supposed to summon a thunder wave behind me... Ah here it is... I used the ¡®bolt¡¯ rune by accident. Oops.¡±


    The runes weren¡¯t extremely similar but it seemed that when I was writing the spell initially my mind had associated ¡®thunder¡¯ with ¡®bolt¡¯ and had naturally made such a mistake. I was generally fairly meticulous so I was quite disappointed with the mistake, especially because if I were on my own I could very well have died.


    ¡°Oops? Kid, ya know how close you were ta dying?¡± Adrien glowered at me. He stepped up and grabbed at my collar. ¡°I can see how much damage my allies take and you were very very close to the edge.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Truly, I wasn¡¯t expecting that either. I was trying to make a new spell, mixed up some runes.¡± I couldn¡¯t look him in the eyes. The taller man scoffed and pulled away. I knew i had fucked up, but I also know he was exaggerating the damage. I wasn¡¯t strong enough to deal that much damage in a single spell. My spells had their strengths, of course, but at worst I would have been unconscious for a day or so.


    ¡°Make sure to do better next time. We can¡¯t have you exhausting our wizard every night, that spell took a lot out of her.¡± He walked back to the fire, I could tell he was furious so I didn¡¯t speak up again. I glanced over to where Liana was standing as Amelia stepped up to me, both foxes in her arms struggling.


    ¡°Sorry for the strain I put on you, Miss Liana.¡± I bowed to her as Amelia let the foxes down who immediately began to frantically sniff all around me, checking that I was fine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Adrien, it wasn¡¯t overly difficult, just tiring. He was right, you did much damage to yourself.¡± She gave me a calming smile. ¡°Though he may have exaggerated a touch. You weren¡¯t that close to dying, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    I offered her a shoulder to lean on as we made our way back to the camp. Luka and Sky, seemingly satisfied that I was safe, returned to their spots by the fire. I could feel someone looking at me heavily, I turned expecting Adrien but instead found Elric watching me impassively. Adrien cut off a large slab of greasy roasted boar and slapped it in my hands as soon as I sat on the ground.


    ¡°Eat, your body needs sustenance to heal from a lightning strike.¡± He was still glowering but seemed in a decent enough mood that he could still care for me.


    I didn¡¯t complain, I hadn¡¯t realized how hungry I had gotten. I glanced down at my clothes, making sure they weren¡¯t too damaged as the self repair enchantments started to take effect. The clothes still looked burned in places but I could see it stitching itself back together.


    ¡°Did your mother make your clothes? They look meager but the enchantments are very nice.¡± Liana said from my side. She had procured a stump, or perhaps one of the others had.


    ¡°I made them, actually. If we can come across something I can make fabric from I¡¯d be happy to make some for you all as well.My parents gave me a portable loom before I left.¡± Grease dripped down my chin and Luka attempted to assault me and lick it off. Falling to my back I held the hunk of meat aloft while he smothered my face with gluttonous and worried licks. Sky jumped to steal my food but I waved it away from her, laughing a touch. Despite the tension from my near death experience, the others aside from Adrien were starting to light up again at our antics.


    ¡°How many days travel is it to the next town?¡± I asked after finally getting back up, I tore a piece of meat off for each fox.


    ¡°Nine more to Kinnesville. We¡¯ll stay there fer a few days. Do a couple quests fer the town.¡± Adrien glanced back at me, then sighed heavily. ¡°Sorry, I overreacted. But seriously, that was scary. Don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the nature of spellcraft, I¡¯m afraid. You¡¯ve seen me blow my throat out chanting before, what Lios did wasn¡¯t much different.¡± Liana sprang to my defense.


    ¡°But ye had a much higher level when ye went the wizardry route, Lios is fifteen and doesn¡¯t have the vitality or endurance to survive some catastrophic spell failure like you do.¡± Adrien looked me over. ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯re gonna help ¡®im get to level fifty. Mayhap if he ¡®as an extra class he won¡¯t hurt so bad when he messes up again.¡±


    I got up and cut another piece from the boar, not holding back for any politeness as I fed a bit to my companions before devouring it. Everyone fell into a mildly tense silence, even Amelia wasn¡¯t teasing me. After a bit I asked about keeping watch and was told not to worry about it so I went to bed. I meditated for a fair while and used candlelight to rewrite my spell, I¡¯d give it another go on the morrow.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Lios, what ¡®ave ye fought before?¡± Adrien asked as we resumed our arduous walk towards Kinnesvile. We had enjoyed the remnants of the boar for breakfast, alongside some elvish tea that Liana made. I could tell the tea was caffeinated and it tasted better than any tea I¡¯d had, even back on earth. I was somewhat shocked that between the five of us we were able to consume a full sized adult board in two meals, even with the foxes taking the occasional nibbles, it was a lot of food for this small group. I chalked it up to needing extra sustenance at higher levels.


    ¡°Oh uhm... Well those goblins and before I had the system a wolf. Otherwise it''s just been hunting trips with pa, and sparring on occasion.¡± I felt a bit shy about it, when I had asked to join I felt I had talked up my abilities and was afraid to disappoint them.


    ¡°Gotcha. Hmm. Liana, can ya sense anythin¡¯ out there?¡± I turned to the elf as she nodded and began chanting. After she finished she shook her head.


    ¡°Nothing of interest Adrien.¡± She shrugged, before lighting up a little. ¡°Aside from a small caravan far far down the road. About two miles.¡±


    ¡°So at the edge of yer spell? Good ta know.¡± Adrien glanced back at me. ¡°When we sense something it¡¯ll be on you to take it out. Get your new class ¡®n all dat.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s not a problem. I had planned on trying to find something anyway.¡± Out of the corner of my eye Luka flitted through the brush, this time with a small field mouse in his mouth.


    He pranced proudly and walked in front of his sister, yipping in challenge. She immediately glared at him before rushing through the woods herself to find her own snack for the road.


    ¡°They are smart. Much smarter than the average fox. I think they are waiting for you to level.¡± Amelia intoned from behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and had to activate [Meditation] to stop myself from ogling her. There is just something about her... I thought as the skill leveled up. It was a tough one to level up, to some extent I could brute force it by meditating all the time but growth occurred more frequently when I discovered something or pushed to use a skill in an unusual way. I frowned slightly asI faced forward.


    ¡°Amelia, why don¡¯t you tell Lios, surely you''re not still playing with him are you?¡± Liana called out, a playful light in her eyes.


    ¡°Ugh But that''s no fun. How bout this, same deal he gave you. Lios, I''ll let you guess once a day.¡± Amelias laugh tittered closer and she hugged my arm, stepping up to my side. She wasn¡¯t much shorter than me but she still looked up at me in a way that made my heart flutter. I noticed her lips twitch at that, and at my persistence in not staring at her.


    ¡°Guess at what?¡± I muttered, knowing she could hear me.


    ¡°That, young man, is for you to discover.¡± She teased me, though I had expected it.


    I kept my skill active, feeling it strain a bit while so close to her. I turned my thoughts inward, but couldn¡¯t quite put all the pieces together so I let out a joking guess. ¡°You secretly fell in love with me because of the foxes and Liana is acting as your wingman?¡±


    Adrien and Elric both barked out a laugh, and Liana couldnt stifle the giggle at her lips.


    ¡°Really, you would waste your daily guess in such a manner?¡± Amelia acted as though she were offended, glowering at me and releasing my arm. She put her hands on her hips and harrumphed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a denial!¡± I found myself chuckling, putting her on the backfoot for once was hilarious to me.


    ¡°Whatever. That wasn¡¯t the answer, better luck on the morrow.¡± She half pouted but I could see a smile underneath it.


    ¡°Eh, perhaps tomorrow you¡¯ll be brave enough to confess the truth.¡± I shot back, and watched her eyes roll back in derision. I snickered, wishing she was embarrassed enough to blush like she had made me so many times.


    ¡°Speaking of guesses, Lios, I have one of my own.¡± Liana interrupted before Amelia could. ¡°Does your magic come from the way you swing your weapons?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, Miss Liana. You¡¯ll have to try harder than that.¡±


    After that, we all walked in a peaceful quiet for a bit, occasionally Liana would chant her spell or someone would make a comment but it was all fairly idle. I quickly resumed my practice by jogging about a half mile in front of everyone and following it with practicing a dance for a few minutes or doing a calisthenics workout to keep in shape. By the time the sun reached its peak I was starving and asked the foxes, wondering if they¡¯d understand me, to fetch me something yummy to eat. The two darted off and fled into the woods, the rustling of leaves the only evidence they had been there.


    It wasn¡¯t long before both rushed me, with squirrels dangling from their mouths. They proudly dropped their treats, and sat, looking up at me excitedly.


    ¡°Wow, amazing! That was so fast!¡± I patted them both on the head before reaching for and beginning to skin them. As I did, Adrien called for us to break for lunch as he and the rest pulled jerky and bread from their bags. I started a small fire and roasted the two squirrels over it, cooking them quickly. They came out a touch burned but with the seasonings I added they tasted just fine. I fed the foxes a bit too, both wagging their tails excitedly as I did.


    We left our impromptu camp after a short while and continued on our trek. It was nearing evening, the sun hiding behind the clouds didn¡¯t let me gauge an exact time, when I smelled smoke. I furrowed my brow, noticing Luka and Sky rush back towards us down the road, having run off ahead for a bit in the woods. Luka frantically tugged at my leg and Sky did the same for Amelia.


    ¡°Guys, I think there¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Fire ahead. Smell of blood too.¡± Amelia sniffed the air as Sky pranced around her. Without warning the group surged forward, not waiting for me, dropping their packs near the side of the road for better maneuverability..


    ¡°Lios, catch up when you can, we¡¯re gonna go see what''s up.¡± Elric waved at me.


    Not acknowledging him I raced off behind them after dropping my pack in the pile as well. These were much higher leveled adventurers and while there was no chance of me keeping up, but I didn''t want to keep them waiting. Luka and Sky trailed at my heels, chattering a bit. Luka looked a touch jittery but Sky was fine. As we got closer I heard the sound of metal on metal, and started to feel the heat of fire. I halted to catch my breath when the conflict was in sight. Elric, Adrien, Amelia, and Liana were each off fighting a different person, and a total of twelve more were in the process of attacking the merchants guards around the three carts we could see. One was tipped over, and all had loosed their beasts of burden so they were stationary.


    I gulped, this was my first battle with other humans. I turned to the foxes but before I could tell them to stay back Sky burst forward and leapt towards the kerfuffle. I cursed inwardly as Luka followed, knowing they wouldn¡¯t hear much over the sound of clanging swords and screams. I darted after them towards a burly man holding a mace. The man turned towards me, offering a toothless grin and raised his mace as I drew my sword shifting it into a scimitar. Despite my training in combat, I froze. I was raising a sword against another human. I gasped as I came out of my head for a second just before the mace swung down at me. Unlike me, this man had no qualms for killing me. I grunted as my sword lifted, almost on its own, to block the strike and I shifted out of the way. I took two steps back, he followed.


    ¡°Tha¡¯ rioight kiddo, run ¡®way ¡®fore I gatcha!¡± Toothless growled gleefully. His mace swung at me again, horizontally. I had to duck under it and was met by his boot to my cheek. Tumbling back I whimpered slightly. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had been hit, of course, but it still was a shock.


    I shot to my feet, not bothering to reply. I noticedLuka under him, nipping at and tugging at the man¡¯s boots. He kicked my fox and I growled. Red cascaded around me and I lunged forward, ducking under his singing mace and sliding across the gravely earth road. My sword met his gut, slicing into the beer belly and flinging viscera after it. I grimaced as he winced but steeled myself again. He wouldn¡¯t stop just because I had my inhibitions. A distance away I heard someone shriek out but brushed it from my mind. Nearby I noticed the body of one of the uniformed guards with his chest caved in, no doubt killed by this man.


    A deep breath, to steel myself. I swung myself around, expending a small amount of mana to shift my sword. Each shift took around three percent of my mana. The sword changed from its wide, front heavy scimitar shape to that of a thin needle. A rapier that gleamed green and bluish gray and silver in the weakening sunlight. I let out a savage roar, and plunged the blade into the large man''s back. I pierced his heart from behind. I glanced about for Luka and noted him limping behind the felled carriage. He was out of danger for now, and now I needed to end this combat. I needed to disable as many as I could before they got the upper hand. I could tell that the bandits were stronger, on average, than the mercantile guards.


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    Panting I turned and saw Sky harrying around the feet of a swordsman who was fighting near a carriage. The guard he fought against was struggling, blood caked the side of his head and he was missing a hand. Not waiting to give the renegade a chance to kill, I leapt in as I started finally forming a dance, it was a lightning wave spell that would hopefully paralyze a significant number of enemies if I could position correctly.


    I stabbed the bandit from the back as I finished the rune dance, then backed up until I was centered on the conflict with as few allies as I could fit in the range of my spell. I noticed he turned, panting but it was too late, the man behind him thrusted his shortsword into the man''s gut. I winced internally, remembering the previous night, as I activated the runes. A burst of electricity sprang out from around me, striking anyone that was in range. Only two of the guards were hit, the conflict was relatively widespread, but I heard the yelp of more than a few individuals as they were electrocuted. I rushed towards the two allies first, quickly killing their foes. I breathed heavy, not from exertion but adrenaline and nerves. I had just killed people. Three people. Sure, they were bandits but... Ugh I need to focus.


    I stepped to the side and waited for the short, weak paralysis to wear off in the next six seconds. Noticing that only Adrien and Elric were still in combat, with Liana and Amelia rushing to help. It seemed my spell had given the guards enough extra time to take out the remaining bandits, by allowing them to gang up on the ones that weren''t hit by it. I took a moment to make sure I hadn¡¯t been injured and looked for my foxes. I ignored the notifications on the outskirts of my vision, even with them turned off there was an indicator that they were there. Both Luka and Sky were fine, I discovered as the last of the fighting was wrapped up. I was convinced the only reason I was able to kill the first two was because the first underestimated me, and the second was facing the other way.


    As Luka and Sky waddled up to me, Luka limping a little and blood splashed across Skys fur, I saw that I had hit six with my thunder wave, one who seemed to have resisted but the sudden attack staggered him and he was chopped down by his foe who was only a foot out of range. The two guards I had hit snapped to their feet the moment the spell wore off and my shoulders sagged with relief. My eyes fell on the three I had killed.


    Blood rushed to my ears. I couldn¡¯t hear anything but the waterfall cascading around me. My eyes flicked from one to the next to the next and I sank to my knees. My hand mindlessly pet Luka after he waddled up to me, but still I could not tear my eyes from the bodies. Only one of them was facing straight up, so I could only see the one face, gods be blessed.. Something warm and wet traced down my dirty cheek. Warbled voices rang out around me, but I didn¡¯t pay them any mind.


    And then, a hand clapped on my shoulder. A stern face stooped before me, Elric. His hand left my shoulder as he knelt in front of me and unexpectedly pulled me into a hug. ¡°Lios, they were gonna kill everyone here. There¡¯s no need to waste your tears on them.¡± His voice was soft in my ears. His words broke me from my stupor, and I swallowed down my tears for a moment. I hugged back for a second. He wasn¡¯t one I expected to offer comfort, to be so kind. If anyone I had expected Liana to comfort me before any of the others.  ¡°You saved lives today, even if you took others.


    ¡°Thank you, Elric. But even so I cry for myself not for them.¡± I tried to convince myself before turning my bleary eyes to my companions. Sky was at my side and Luka in my lap.


    He pulled away and gave me a tight smile. He nodded towards the bodies. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to a share of the loot. I¡¯d like to say it gets easier but, for the kind, it never will.¡± He walked back towards the others who were gathered before the remaining guards. A rotund man in opulent garb spoke to them, probably the merchant in charge of this caravan. I noticed a man coming down the road with two delogia, the boar-like creatures that people used to pull carts, in tow.


    I spent a few moments checking over the foxes and, aside from Luka having been stepped on and bruising his leg, they were both fine. After I approached the body of the first bandit I had killed, the one with the mace. I started riffling around the folds of his clothes and found a pouch with a few coins rather quickly. There was a ring on his finger and an anklet on his left foot that I took as well, but otherwise his pockets were empty of anything worthwhile. It made sense, why go on a raid with your favorite possessions?


    I dumped the coins in my own pouch as I approached the main group, sliding in between Amelia and Elric who patted me on the back. Luka and Sky were curled up where I had my mini panic attack, before Elric had broken me from it. They needed some rest, especially after dodging and tripping folks up.


    I caught the tail end of the conversation, Adrien¡¯s voice ringing out. ¡°- we c¡¯n join ye¡¯s till Kinnesville, but it will be a bit ¡®fore we head to Ironfell. We tend to spend a number of days in each town.¡±


    The rotund man glowered a touch before righting his expression into something more amicable. ¡°Surely, esteemed adventurers like you would be well compensated for escorting us...¡±


    ¡°With all due respect sire, tis not ¡®bout the money. But we¡¯d be glad to join ya till Kinnesville. First though we should find some¡¯ere ta make camp, aye?¡± Adirens amicable smile never left his face despite the merchant attempting to bribe him.


    I left them to their negotiations, I wasn''t in the mood to deal with a pompous man of wealth. Amelia stepped away with me watching me carefully. I knelt by the second body, the one who fought a guard who had lost his arm. I had stabbed him through the back. I took a deep, laborious breath to steel myself as I started to pick through his belongings. I unhooked the sheath from his hip and slipped it onto my belt. It took a moment to remove the sword itself from his hand. It was a basic steel blade but I could still find uses for it.


    ¡°You okay kid?¡± Amelia asked as I took a second heavy breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Never... never killed anyone before.¡± I nodded at the corpse. My wandering hands quickly found a second meager coin pouch, Inside this one however was a gem the size of the one on my necklace. It wasn¡¯t a lumina stone but I was certain it was valuable. The blue stone gleamed as I pulled it out and quickly placed it in my own pouch.


    ¡°I know... I¡¯m here if you need someone to talk to.¡± She frowned a little, as though wanting to say something else.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll likely take you up on that. Really, thanks Miss Amelia.¡± I moved to the last corpse, the one who had been struck by my thunder wave and who I killed just after. I picked through his pockets but found no coin, only a small knife which I tucked into my belt.


    ¡°Were you hurt at all?¡±


    ¡°No, not even a little. Was that supposed to be so easy?¡± I tilted my head towards her then looked up the road, in the direction we came. ¡°Should we go gather everyone''s packs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we can do that.¡± She rubbed my arm reassuringly, not knowing how to answer my other question. ¡°So, did ya level up at least?¡±


    Not answering, I checked the notifications that were waiting for me. I was inundated with pinging and blue light but kept walking. I wasn¡¯t sure how far we had run and was hoping no other travelers had seen our pile of stuff. I waved through the kill notifications first.


    You have slain a Human Warrior LVL: 51


    You have slain a Human Fighter LVL: 48


    You have slain a Human Thief LVL: 53


    You have aided in the slaying of 5 humans between the levels of 46 and 54, extra experience distributed.


    Internally, I sighed in relief. I half expected the system to tell me their names, and wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d do if they had. I decided to keep my level ups for last and instead turned my attention to the two achievements I had gained. I sighed in anticipation for whatever lunacy it would offer this time.


    [Savior]


    You saved five or more people from their impending death. Not too difficult, so don''t whine about your meager rewards. I mean all you did was stab a bloke, and fart thunder on everyone, why should you get a reward? Unfortunately, I am mandated to give one so you¡¯ll get the minimum prize for being a decent-ish human. Say thank you, bitchfuck.


    Gain a small amount of extra experience whenever you save someone from certain death.


    I sighed in exasperation as I read it. Amelia cocked an eyebrow, aware that the reason I wasn¡¯t talking was because I was reading the ethereal notifications. I waved a hand and showed her the notification, making it visible for her with a thought. As she started reading it I checked the next.


    [Murderer]


    You did it, finally went off the deep end. I bet you were expecting something like [Backstabber] but no. You killed a defenseless man, who couldn¡¯t even move to fight back. Could have captured the ugly dude but instead, you killed him. Good job, killer. Do it again, make Papi proud and commit more crimes.


    +1 to STR


    I showed Amelia that one too, as she came off of a giggle fit from the last. After reading it she looked at me with brows furrowed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t murder. They are bad people who want to hurt others. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    I shrugged. We were getting closer to our items and I saw that they were still there. Though, a wolf was sniffing near Adriens pack, but as we approached it fled off. Animals had a decent intuition and could smell danger, my guess is that it was lower leveled than us.


    ¡°By the way, does the system always talk to you like that? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± She asked after a few moments of my brooding. That made me smile a little at her.


    ¡°My parents said it''s different for everyone. But yeah, it''s always like that. By the way, how hard is it usually to get an achievement?¡± I shouldered my bag and hefted Elrics and Adriens as well as she got hers and Lianas.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too hard to get a bunch of them, but the only ones that are worth it are hard as hell to get. So don¡¯t worry. But I really haven''t seen anything like this from the system. Normally it isn¡¯t so aggressive and rude.¡± We started back, and I thought it over, thinking of all of my messages from the system. ¡°What about levels? Did you get any?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to check. I¡¯ll look when we get to camp. I may need everyone''s advice before I choose my second class, though I have a pretty clear path forward.¡±


    ¡°But... Why is that stopping you from checking now?¡± Amelia seemed genuinely confused, her face was scrunched adorably.


    ¡°Hmm I guess I just don¡¯t see a reason to do it now. It doesn¡¯t do me much good yet, especially because skill evolutions are only available when you acknowledge the notification but otherwise won''t expire. I don¡¯t want to choose yet in case I get the companion pact upgrade.¡± We closed back in on the others quickly, the conversation dying at that.


    The caravans were already picked up and the bodies of the dead guards were stowed in one of them. Everyone else, our friends included, had started to make their way down the road to break for camp, leaving the bandits corpses on the side of the road. Once we caught up we gave everyone their bags back and I found both Elric and Liana holding a sleepy fox.

 Chapter 16

    We walked until just before dark. I spent most of that time meditating, while I had only taken a boot to the face - a miracle really for my first true skirmish- I needed to work through my killing of others. Three lives, snuffed out just like that. In my last life I had never been in a position to hurt anyone, let alone end them. In my arms was Luka, while Sky sat on my shoulder. Both were dozing, and I wasn¡¯t sure how she stayed in place. My gait was not the smoothest, although I had become quite graceful while learning to dance and fight. A small part of me couldn¡¯t help but think about how clumsy I always used to be.


    As Adrien called for us to break and make camp alongside the merchant group, I pulled myself out of my stupor and set up my tent. Elric came over to help me with it but didn¡¯t say anything. I got the feeling that he wasn¡¯t used to helping people through personal crises and I was okay with that. They were, after all, still strangers. What was normal for them in this world, wasn¡¯t quite normal to me. The time I had spent in Ravos so far had been pretty isolated. It had been primarily infused with training, learning, or working. I had grown a touch comfortable with killing beasts for food, and goblins for leveling and protection, but humans were a different matter.


    What would Jess think of me now? The thought startled me, it had been a while since I let myself think about her. Just thinking about her brought an image I had forgotten to my mind. It was her smiling face, enclosed by wavy red hair. Her green eyes were sparkling, ever sparkling. She was light and kindness and compassion. Her smile was toothy, pearlescent with lips adorned by a deep red lipstick. My chest tightened as I thought about her. I shook my head trying to clear the thought before I spiraled. I took a deep breath and finished pounding in the last stake for my tent.


    ¡°Thanks, Elric. Appreciate it.¡± Even to me I sounded like I was hurting.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem kid. Adrien¡¯s out getting something to eat. Or you can break bread with the caravan folk.¡± he pointed over his shoulder at them. Despite agreeing to travel with them we still made two separate camps.


    I only nodded before I threw my pack into the tent and unrolled my bedding. I left the foxes in there to rest for a bit with the flap open before finding a spot near the fire. Liana and Amelia were chit chatting, and they seemed to glance at me with concern as I sat down. I ignored them, instead looking into the fire.


    Would my mother still see me as her son? What about my brothers? I just killed... I tried to pull myself away from these thoughts but couldn''t, my morals were deeply in question. I felt a notification go off, seeing incomplete images of everyone as I thought about them. My memory skill was helping me remember them. I tried to shrug away the notification.


    I gulped. My heart was heavy, doubly so as I finally stopped trying to reject the memories of my past. I don¡¯t think they¡¯d reject me. Zoe, though... She was pretty opinionated. Years of rejecting the memories of my first family was hard to negate. I felt a longing to speak to them all. To tell them all everything. Mom, Dad, Zach, Zoe, Aaron, and Jess... Someday I''d like to see them again... Tell them about this world of magic and myth and adventure. They¡¯d never believe me. I felt something wet tickling my cheeks and chin.


    It took a second or two to realize I was crying. I blinked, and blinked and blinked again until I could focus again. I noticed right away that there was a deer rotating above the flames on a makeshift spit, and the smell was immaculate. I glanced to my left and saw that Liana and Amelia were still sitting by each other. They looked away as if they had been caught doing something wrong. A sigh escaped my throat and I stood up. I started to stretch, noticing they were all trying not to stare. They seemed concerned.


    ¡°You can say whatever you want to you know, I know I seem like a kid but...¡± I shrugged and wiped away the tears on my face. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°That was the first time, aye?¡± Elric was the first to speak. Everyone else turned to me and I sat back down.


    ¡°It was. That''s not... that''s not the only reason I¡¯m upset but it¡¯s the main one.¡±


    ¡°And what of your level?¡± Adrien asked, his usual accent missing.


    ¡°Fifty one. Actually. Do I evolve skills first or take the second class first?¡± I tried to deviate the conversation. I didn¡¯t actually want to tell them about my past life, or the memories I had just been subjected to.


    ¡°Depends, any of those skills going to be pertinent to your new class?¡± Elric jumped in, no doubt as eager as me to move away from morose topics.


    ¡°Well, how long after I check them do I have before I am forced to evolve or lose it?¡± Not many in Arborton grew enough to evolve skills or even gain their second class, and it hadn¡¯t come up much in my readings. I tended to focus on a dozen topics at once, so unless it was extremely interesting topics would be neglected.


    ¡°You''ll have until the next sundown.¡± Liana¡¯s soft voice piped up, joining the conversation.


    ¡°I see... And when I upgrade to a pact I need to make sure I¡¯m ready to sleep right?¡± Pact magic would influence my physiology and system a little bit. Companion pacts essentially shared a portion of the companions souls with each other, and could physically, psychologically, or magically change both parties.


    ¡°Correct, as with your class change. Both happening at once may leave you very sore though.¡± Liana tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check which ones have leveled up? You don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Adrien grumbled a few feet away, turning the deer over the flames. Occasionally a bit of grease would drip down and cause them to sputter excitedly. I glanced at them each in turn, reflecting again on how much I could trust them with. I chewed my lip and turned my attention to my notifications. Aside from the [Fox Friend] skill, none were ready to evolve. There had been some leveling gains, but I suspected I didn¡¯t meet the qualifications for an upgrade. I did, however, gain a new skill in my main class.


    Congratulations, you have gained a new skill!


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:1


    [Compendium Actualization]: Through trial and error you have created a number of rune circles. Through trial and error you have decreased the casting speed to the best of your abilities, suffering injuries and nearly losing your life in the process on more than one occasion. This trial and error has gifted you a natural affinity towards runedance. Now, should you begin a dance you may begin said dance with a portion of the runes already complete, based on your most complete memory of the rune. Warning: This effect only applies to dances you have successfully cast in the past. The amount of the circle that can be preempted is dependent on the level of [Compendium Actualization].


    I refocused for a moment as Elric passed me a deer leg, perfectly roasted with a little bit of salt and herbs. Greedily, I bit into it. It looked far too large for a single meal but I was ravenous. The others were all eating as well. The meat vanished swiftly. My chin and cheeks were covered in grease and venison scraps as I tore into it. I could feel my stomach bulging with the weight of the meat. After I finished it I stood up and cut a couple fox sized pieces. Walking towards my tent I glanced over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get my class and make a pact, see you guys on the morrow.¡±


    They said their goodnights and I snuck into the tent. The foxes were awake, no doubt roused by the smell of food. I let them eat for a few moments, inspecting Luka¡¯s body as he had been kicked before. I was satisfied that he was only a touch bruised. Plus, if he accepted the pact he would likely be healed through the process. Mana would flood his and mine and Sky¡¯s bodies and bring all of us closer. It would affect us physically, change our muscles and features. Not drastically of course, but to a minor degree.


    I simply sat and pet them both as they ate. It didn''t take long for them to devour the food and by the time they were finished both looked at me knowingly. ¡°Are you guys ready? I¡¯m so nervous...¡± Sky replied by nudging my hand with her head and Luka curled up at my side. Then yipped adorably. I sighed in preparation before selecting the notification.


    Would you like to evolve the skill [Fox Friend] to [Twin Pact]?


    I mentally selected yes and felt a rush of mana begin to swirl around us. I felt my muscles begin to tingle and then a sudden burst of energy rushed at me as Luka agreed to be my bonded companion. A second wave wrapped around me like a cyclone as Sky did the same. My eyes started to close and I forced myself awake long enough to start my class selection. The rest would happen while I was unconscious.


    __________________________________________


    In the blink of an eye I was standing over tranquility. The surface below me was water and reflective, but it did not wet my feet. Ripples spread out from me, the reflections of the star filled sky shaking and moving like shooting stars in conjunction with the ripples. Podiums lit around me, similar to the first time I chose a class. Circles with a variety of classes surrounded me.


    I took a deep breath, it was time. A part of me was worried that I hadn¡¯t done enough to gain the class that I wanted, that I should have given myself more time and capped my skills prior to choosing a class. Another part recognized that my weaving and smithing skills weren¡¯t able to be practiced in the middle of the woods, or on the road. I hesitantly picked up the first book that I reached. It looked like a cookbook.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    [Apprentice Chef]. It sat upon a small countertop, something like an island in the kitchen of a wealthy family, the sort of wealth I had never perceived. The cookbook showed me recipes and images of me cooking in a professional kitchen. It showed me following the directives of the chef, as they yelled at or praised me for succeeding and failing. It showed me living a mundane, inconsequential life and likely not exceeding level one hundred in my lifetime. Granted, I could always change the class once I hit level twenty five, but it looked like a stretch to even make it that far in a reasonable time frame. I sighed after only a short time and set the book back down.


    I started to peruse the individual podiums, gleaning little from each before scoffing and discarding them. There was a book titled [Pedantic Sycophant] that just described me as being an agreeable yes man who would lecture those who offended the one I was close to. I rolled my eyes. The book showed me going on rants about a variety of topics that I truly didn¡¯t care about, simply because someone else who I was following cared about them. It was one thing to support others who you care about, it was another to grovel and worship the words they said as though they could do no wrong. While I was one who was willing to share my opinion, this version of me was... Gross... I couldn¡¯t imagine someone holding the door open for a lady I liked and going off on a rant that the lady was capable of opening her own damn door. That was one of the examples in the book, and very much did not represent me. I wondered what had qualified me for it.


    Another book was [Courier] which was interesting as the only skill I had that was even remotely similar or in line was [Running]. I put that one down right away, I didn''t enjoy running. I ran every day to stay in shape, because even with the system I didn¡¯t trust my body not to revert to the shape I had had in my past life. Call me obsessive, but even skipping a day had started to make me a touch anxious. THe class book showed me running from town to town, city to city, to deliver messages from citizens and lords and lay people. It was a decent living, a comfortable one aside from the roadside dangers that were so prevalent all across Ravos.


    I spent some time skimming the various titles. [Hunter] was a generic class that revolved around seeking, hunting, skinning and eventually eating the prey they decided to target. I had done a fair amount of hunting and dressing our kills with my father over the years, but as I had never taken a skill related to it I also had no interest in a class revolving around it. Killing, for me, was a means to an end and not the lifestyle I wished to pursue. I accepted that in my line of work I would kill when necessary, but I would not seek out pointless death.


    One book that I had anticipated was surrounded by red light on what looked like an altar. [Assassin] was a manga that showed me stalking and lashing out at humans, elves, goblins, beasts, dwarves, dragonkin and more. Skulking through the shadows and cloaking my blade in poisons. Stabbing backs and slitting throats. The manga was good, and I walked with it as I stepped towards other podiums. I read through it. I wasn¡¯t interested in the class whatsoever, but it was a touch entertaining.


    I wandered and read and watched productions for what felt like hours. As soon as I¡¯d finish one I¡¯d find another and keep walking. I was trying to find the smithing classes but had a hard time in doing so, for a while. Eventually, similarly to the last time, there was a smaller circle of podiums with blue lights illuminating all but one of the stories. The last was lit with golden light. I naturally gravitated towards it first.


    [Emissary of the God of Pandemonium], I frowned at the title. It was odd that it didn¡¯t name the god in question, but I felt it must be none other than Miamora, the god who brought my soul to this body. I flipped through the pages. They were thin and many like a bible, and the story read like it too. I set it down quickly but thought about it a bit. My parents had never heard of Miamora, and the few books I could find did not name them... I wonder what their true identity is on Ravos.


    After my revelation to my parents, they had gone to ask a priest to close out our home from the eyes of gods or demons. That was one of the reasons they had sent me away, in this world of magic they feared that my naming what could be a devil would cause it to appear. Such things were not unheard of, depending on the connection between the superior being and the mortal. The other was that they had to decide to believe me or to consider that their son had been possessed or turned insane. At the time, all I had been able to think was that they were going to kick me out, but they had felt it necessary to send me off on my own while they discussed things and even go to the local church involved. They hadn¡¯t heard the name Miamora either.


    I shifted my attention from the lectern holding the golden book, and towards something new. This time there was a loom and the fabric folded in front of it held the details for a class that I intuitively knew was called [Traveling Tailor]. The class seemed fairly basic. It showed me making clothes and cloth for the denizens of Ravos, stopping from town to town and staying for a short while. It showed me as a merchant, leaning further into the business and sales side of things while maintaining a specialization in tailoring. I saw myself adorned in fabrics and clothing that I had never imagined, flamboyantly showboating to those I was attempting to sell to. I set down the roll of fabric and shook my head.


    It wasn¡¯t so much that I didn¡¯t want to be a tailor, more so that it wasn¡¯t a craft I was passionate about. I moved on, pondering the last two classes as I stepped up. One of them was a pedestal with a purple crystal sat on top. The pedestal looked like an arm rising through the earth and the orb shimmered teasingly. It wanted me to look into it and I obliged. [WorldWalker] had appeared again. I didn¡¯t understand why it had changed from a flat black rock to a crystal growing from a hand, nor why the story was a bit different. It seemed to show more of my [Bladedancer] class¡¯s skills than it did of its own. I would hop through a rift in space and come out to battlefields. I could train everywhere, wander the universe. I could save the weak and slaughter the strong and be hailed as a hero in worlds across galaxies. It was highly synergistic with my current class but it felt like pieces were missing. I stepped away after it showed me hunting for materials on another world, a world of fire and lava and heat and death.


    The last lit podium in the circle was an anvil with a hammer sat on it. I lifted the hammer and was inundated with the story of a craftsman. The [Wayfaring Smith] was one who journeyed and self-sustained. Similar to the [Traveling Tailor] they went from place to place and gathered much of their own materials. They made new unique weapons and arms, but were not limited to a solitary craft. Despite being represented with a smith''s tools, the class could work with near any trade. I saw the image of a dwarf digging through mountains for the perfect iron, enriched by mana and the elements. An elf sneaking into the den of a spider queen to procure her silk. A hunter slaying a massive lizard to make leather armor with its hide. The representation of the anvil was because that was what I associated with the most, but any of these paths were plausible. The class would change based on which craft was a focal point, but could include non focal skills as well.


    I took the hammer with me, knowing in my heart that this was the best class for me. I kept wandering around and found a few more anvils, looms and miniature kitchens. I found more sword classes and even a wizards class called [Runescriber] that seemed interesting. Despite that, I found no other classes labeled with the blue light. I found no others that truly resonated with me, not like the [Wandering Smith] did. After what felt like days of aimless wandering and reading and watching, I willed myself to accept the class.


    At first I felt nothing and slipped from the endless tranquil sea to the darkness of sleep. Then, from tranquility I slipped into agony. Pain wracked through my body, and my muscles sundered. My bones cracked, and twisted and broke and shattered. I felt blood run from my eyes and my ears. Iron laced the inside of my mouth. My first class up was nothing like this. Is it because of the beast bond? No... nobody told me it could be like this... I thought to myself as I pushed through the pain, the agony that raced throughout me. I barely recognized the system notification as it appeared


    Caution, a seed has sprouted within your core.


    Integrating Seedling of Pandemonium.


    I let out a defiant roar as the pain redoubled, not that it had stopped but it felt like the agony before was a tickle in comparison. I forced closed my bleeding eyes and when I opened them again, still pained and quivering, the room was no longer black. I was back in the endless white, a familiar face grinning down at me. Featureless and alien, the god Miamora¡¯s face twisted and shifted from a normal human grin to that of a monster and then to that of a clown. I panted away the pain, readying to say something before they held up a hand.


    ¡°Ah! I had wondered how long you might keep me waiting, young Lios, or should I call you Isaac Duran? Don''t answer that, I don''t actually care. Congratulations, you have lived long enough to sprout my seed! I know that doesn¡¯t mean anything to you but, well, it is quite exciting for me.¡± The god flamboyantly flipped their hand up and shrugged. ¡°But you probably wonder what is happening to you, aye? A seed is like... An impression given by a greater being. Given by something beyond your comprehension as a mortal.¡±


    As they rambled I squirmed and let out another yell, my leg felt like it was being ripped off at my hip.


    ¡°Even we deities are unsure how they will grow. What I can say is that a seed is either a great gift, or a great curse. They will change and lock your class and are unable to be removed. So, long story short. I gifted you a piece of power, worry not though. It will not allow me to control you. I wish it would but that has never been the case before. While each sprouted seed will yield different fruits, they are largely reigned in by the type of seed they are. Yours... Well I could tell you how it¡¯s likely to evolve but... Where is the fun in that?¡±


    I writhed, barely taking in their words. I felt the air escape my lungs for a few terrifying moments until they repaired themselves and I was able to breathe again. I screamed a soundless scream, my chest compressing as all air fled again. My back twisted and creaked. My spine snapped and immediately repaired itself. It felt like there was a sentient creature searching my body for anything it could latch onto, for anything inadequate enough to warrant being fixed. My body wasn¡¯t in my control and all I could perceive were some lunatic''s speech and the agony flowing through me.


    ¡°Ooh this is always so amusing. Normally, a seed is given for an individual''s last class and cannot be given for their first. But I didn¡¯t want to wait so long.¡± The god leaned against nothing and an apple appeared out of nowhere. They took a large bite, nearly half of the apple, before tossing it over their shoulder into nothingness. ¡°So the moment I found your soul I planted it. I wonder, how will your backwater new world fare with your interference. ¡®Tis a shame you didn¡¯t take my class. Imagine, wielding pandemonium all on your own and aided by the seed sprouting. Imagine the way folks would scream before you and quake as they were forced to their knees. Instead you wanted to be a stupid smith. Bah, well, no matter.¡±


    The god paused for a few moments and tapped their chin, giving me respite from their monologue.


    ¡°But, I will gift you one more thing before you wake. Should you be coherent enough to speak during your first tribulation I shall grant you a single question. There are off limits questions, but I doubt you¡¯ll touch upon those.¡± The sharp toothed, bestial grin returned. The god was predatory, hungry.


    It took everything I had to endure, but I soaked in their words. I used them to focus on something other than the feeling of being crushed, squeezed, pulled apart and sewn back together. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took for me to say something, only that during that entire time the god never once stopped talking. Their words were meaningless, talking about how bored they were. I finally, after hours or days or months of suffering, asked the question that had been in the back of my mind ever since arriving in Ravos.


    ¡°Is it possible for me to return to my old life, to return to the time period I died in?¡± I felt I already knew the answer. Miamoras laugh -I was convinced now that the god had no presence on Ravos, but somehow had a connection to the system- echoed in the endless field of white.


    ¡°I am quite disappointed in you Alexilios. That is such a surface level question, But I suppose it is on me for having higher expectations for a mortal. No, no you cannot return. Even with the [Worldwalker] class you can only visit worlds that hold magic in their atmosphere, else you would cause an implosion with you as the focal point. I will not clarify why.¡± The god turned and acted as though they were checking an invisible watch on their wrist. ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s been swell. Good luck with your sprouting seed, should you survive this tribulation I foresee much growth in you. Toodles.¡±


    And without so much as a puff of smoke, Miamora vanished and I was left to contemplate my pain.

 Chapter 17

    Amelia was bored. She hated keeping watch, but was best suited for it. Her senses were on par with or better than even the beastkin who were around her level, and she only needed a meager amount of rest every few days. She was perfectly suited to staying awake at night and perceiving any danger. In fact, this was her role each night. She would be awake anyway so why not keep watch, right? Wrong! It was too boring. She needed someone else to keep watch sometimes too.


    She hung upside down from a branch just outside of the camp. Her eyes fell on the tent she was allegedly sharing with Liana. Adrien had insisted on it, on hiding her true identity from the boy until she could determine he was trustworthy. So she had to help set up a tent she never used and act like she was going to go to sleep at night. Act tired around the fire. It had only been a couple of days and she could already see herself growing impatient with the restrictions.


    Across the camp, in the boys tent, Elric turned over. She could hear his and


    Adrien''s soft snoring even from this distance. She had grown so used to the sound that it no longer annoyed her, thankfully. Else she may have gone off the deep end and slaughtered the boys in their sleep. She sighed, she would never do something so gruesome, but the humanfolk didn¡¯t need to know that. She rather enjoyed the preconceptions of her kind, it made her life easier. Less people tended to bother her after they found out what she was.


    Her ruby eyes flashed as she glanced through the murky dark toward the merchants. She chose this branch because from it she could see the entirety of her camp and theirs. She was always suspicious of strangers, no matter how on the up and up they seemed. Even the boy she was worried about, but he slept deep through the nights thus far and had an earnest quality to him that made her want to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    To her right, hanging over another branch, was her latest prey. A stag that was ready to be turned into road rations for her compatriots. She often went hunting after everyone went to sleep, in order to sate her budding boredom. It helped to break up the monotony of snores and crickets in the dark. Glancing up she saw the hue of the twin moons, the silver and the yellow. It was nearing dawn, and she was ecstatic. She could tease and torment the boy some more. Humans were fun to toy with, and he grew flustered far quicker than the other humans in their party. Not only that but they could finally start moving again, maybe find something worth fighting.


    They had held back significantly with those ruffians, she was the lowest level of the four and had still breached level 160. She could have obliterated each of them on her own, and her friends were even stronger. Still, she was impressed that Lios had been able to take three out and singularly turn the tide of the battle. She felt a little bad, testing him like that, but they needed to know what he was capable of before they were put in a position where they had to go all out.


    She swung off of her branch and started to stoke the fire, tossing a couple of pieces of dry wood over it. She didn¡¯t need to warm it for herself, but she knew Liana and Elric always loved getting up early and watching the fire or cooking something warm. Especially as they headed further north, and the winter winds started to take over. Thankfully only a relatively small portion of Jorial was subject to heavy snow, but other areas got flurries as well. Not likely anywhere near where they were going, but the cold winds still blew on occasion. Night time was a prime example of this.


    She cut a few pieces of meat off the deer and rubbed some saved tallow, whenever they got the chance they salvaged a jar of tallow so they could at least partially rehydrate the steaks they cooked over the fire. Nobody wanted to only eat jerky after all. She lathered them with it, even going so far as to use a fork to stab into the meat and ensure that some got inside of it. Then she added some salt and pepper, cheap enough ingredients in the major cities but a touch harder to come by when they were inland. Pepper was never super difficult to find, but salt away from the ocean could get pricey. It cost a lot to move product after all.


    As she set the steaks, skewered, next to the fire she felt an odd sensation waft over her. It was a strange pressure. It felt like wind was buffeting her from all sides and even above. Like she was being pushed down. It was minor but noticeable enough. Immediately she started scanning their surroundings. Her eyes darted from place to place as she thumbed the strap that held her knife in its sheath. She couldn¡¯t place where the pressure was emanating from, or what its purpose was. Biting her lip she started to make for Adriens tent, as the highest level among them he might be able to pinpoint it. She was sure it wasn¡¯t an aura skill or something so basic, but couldn''t be sure.


    Just as she reached the tent the pressure built up, and burst outward. She yelped loudly as an opaque energy stabbed into Lios¡¯s tent from above, like a beam of light shooting from the moons themselves. Her eyes widened seeing Luka and Sky, still trying to sleep, being blown away from the boy as the tent itself lifted up, a massive hole in the top. Then the wave of energy hit her and, to her utter consternation, she was pushed back a few steps. She panted as she rushed to catch one of the falling foxes and noticed the others were snapping awake as well.


    ¡°Wha¡¯ goin on? Amelia, report!¡± Adrien shouted out behind her as she caught Luka. The sleeping fox looked a bit different but she had no time to analyze him.


    ¡°Make sure Sky is safe first!¡± She called out then noticed that Liana was awake and had rushed to the side of the fox. She had bashed up against a tree, and Amelia cringed, that could not have felt good for the small lass. ¡°I dont know whats going on its-¡±


    She was interrupted by another pillar of light striking Lios in the chest, a purple and blue sliver of magic shooting down at him. The boy''s body twisted painfully, as though he were convulsing. Elric rushed to his side but as he got close a burst of energy left the boys body. Wind picked up around them, and flames burst out like at the end of his dances.


    ¡°Is he... Is he going through an Ordeal?¡± Elric was slack jawed. It was unheard of for someone to undergo such a thing at such a low level. Ordeals, tribulations, and trials were sometimes also called ¡°Punishment¡± or ¡°Heavens punishment¡±, and were typically experienced by those of higher power. They were said to be caused by the drawing in of too much mana and energy and that the world mana responded to the theft with its ire.


    Some said the heavens rained down punishment for those who encroached on the realms of divinity. Others yet believed the world was testing the individual in order to give them something... more. To make them more, to inundate them with superior power so that they may learn to grasp it and become superior themselves. Amelia had seen a tribulation only twice before, and both times were when her siblings reached their level two hundred and fifty upgrades.


    ¡°That''s not possible right? This is for a level one class...¡± Liana cradled Sky. She glanced at Elric. ¡°You haven¡¯t had one yet either, right?¡±


    Elric shook his head and Adrien took his own chance at approaching. He braved through the burst of wind and fire but was pushed back by a pulse of that same purple blue energy. A lightning bolt tore at the boy before anyone could react. His body lifted up off the ground from the impact before slamming back down. Gravity shifted and he was pulled deeper into the indent he had just made. Amelia could smell the blood seeping from his orifices. She could hear each time his bones broke and reshaped.


    ¡°Adrien, what do we do?¡± She called out, a tremble shaking her voice. ¡°If you can''t even...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t it¡¯s... that wave of fire alone nearly put me on my ass and those lightning bolts are that much worse. The kid has to deal with it...¡± Their leader looked lost. He had clearly never seen something like this before either. Luka stirred in her arms. He growled when she didn''t let him down and as soon as she did he leapt to the ground and rushed his bondmate. He yipped as the wave burst out and another thunderous bolt rained down, this one silver and red and white. That they were changing elemental attributes was a concern in itself. Luka hovered at the edge of the range of Lios¡¯s apparent self defense system and whimpered and whined.


    ______________________________________________


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    Luka¡¯s body was hurty. He grumbled at being shaken awake so violently. Bemoaned the sounds of the battle around them. Wait, battle? Papa needs me? I can¡¯t sleep if he needs me. The fox hesitantly opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep next to his papa, but couldn¡¯t see him. Then the sound of thunder.


    Luka¡¯s ears tilted back as he saw where the bolt landed, it was nearly blinding. The amount of mana shooting out from it was insane, more than Luka felt there were trees back home. His eyes widened as he noticed Lios, his papa being struck by the bolt. Squirming he forced his way from Amelia''s arms. She was nice, but right now she needed to let him go so he could save papa.


    He burst towards him, trying to pull him from the crater that was slowly forming after bolts fell on him one after another. Luka was scared, he was always a little scared. It was why he chased bunnies into their burrows, the holes always felt cozy and safe. He wanted to rush in and save papa but as soon as he got close fire -icky nasty hot fire- assailed him. He growled, furrowing his furry face. He glanced around for Sky, but couldn¡¯t see her from where he sat. His sister would be fine, right? He was, so it stands to reason. She was braver than him. He wondered if she was trying to help papa too.


    He gulped, swallowing his drying spit, and rushed forward once the bolt struck. He didn¡¯t know if it would stop the fire but at least he could try. The fire rushed him anyway, but he powered through it. It was hot, hot, hot. His fur singed and burned a little bit as he tiredly rushed his papa. He reached Lios, and tried to drag him but as soon as he touched him he was pushed down by the pressure of mana. More mana than he had ever felt or smelled. He shrieked and saw the boy with drawings all over him try to rush forward but was pushed back by a bolt. A bolt that rocketed off papa and flowed into Luka. Luka couldn¡¯t think through the pain, and despite having just woken up he fell into black.


    His last thoughts were about how cozy a hole in the ground would be, about how unreachable he¡¯d be if he were underground.


    ______________________________________________


    Sky winced as she stirred, her body hurt. Her back was on fire and she didn¡¯t know why. She slowly opened her eyes as her other senses returned to her. Something was burning. Meat? No, sadly no meat. A loud crash brought her from her dazed state to awareness. Her eyes flashed towards the burst of flame mana. The burst of wind mana that was with it caught her attention.


    Groggily she looked about for Big Brother Lios. Luka called him papa but she didn¡¯t see him that way. Big Brother was much more fitting. That way his parents were her parents too and then she could have two.


    She didn¡¯t find him, but she saw the Tall Woman next to her. She wasn¡¯t holding her down but had a hand on Sky to make sure she didn¡¯t get pushed away. Another of those lightning bolts fell, this one red and silver and white. It contrasted the last, the purple and blue one, nicely. She thought it was pretty. She looked at it and, after a moment, yipped in recognition. It was Big Brother, he must have been the one summoning them.


    He was always the strongest, she could feel it. He was definitely strong enough to control weird lightning. Much stronger than the silly others even if he couldn¡¯t beat Mr. Weird Animal Stripes. He was on the other side of the lightning bolt. She saw him lunge forward only to be pushed back by the bolt. For a moment she felt pride at her brother for controlling them but then realized he was being attacked by them.


    Aghast, quick as she could, she rushed forward. She would protect him. She, in that moment, envied the birds she hunted. Envied their speed and maneuverability. And especially envied the height at which they could move. She loved moving fast. When the Cold Lady had run with her in the woods, she had the best time. Cold Lady squeezed a little too tight but she was nice and fast. Sky tried to move like her, but was nearly caught by Tall Woman. She growled as she escaped her grasp and rushed to her Brother''s side.


    Fire mana, nasty, hot, burst at her. Wind mana followed. She knew this made the fire even hotter but persevered. Brother needed her, it would be okay to burn a little fur for him. Plus Tall Woman could definitely fix them, like she did the other moon sun cycle. She reached her Brother¡¯s side and was tempted to pull on him, to drag him out. But at that same moment a new bolt, white and light blue, like the sky, and a touch yellow slammed into him. She was close to him, she didn¡¯t want him to keep getting hurt. She tried to pull at the bolt, it hovered for a second or two. She snapped her teeth around it against her better judgment and felt pain. Agony. She was afflicted with the breaking of bones and the tearing of all her fur. She bit again. It must be working. Brother shook less now, trembled less. It was just before she bit again that she noticed Luka curled next to Brother, and with her teeth firmly around the bolt, went to do the same. Maybe her baby brother knew something she didn''t.


    She barely had time to get cozy before another bolt struck Brother and splintered pieces of it assailed her and Luka. unable to take the pain any longer she blacked out, the last thing she thought was that perhaps if she was faster at taking the bolts she could have saved Brother and Luka.


    ______________________________________________


    Adrien furrowed his brow at the tribulations. It just didn¡¯t make sense. He kept trying to get close, to approach but was pushed back by the bolts and by the fire and wind. But those two little pups got right up next to the boy, they grabbed the bolts. How? How was a level one class getting tribulations.


    The trials had been going for around two hours now, which was already an absurdly long time to undergo such an assault from the world mana. He had had to convince the merchants that everything was fine, but was concerned over whatever rumors might spread about Lios as they reached the next few towns. The boy was all they could talk about. Elric Liana and Amelia too.


    This just never happened. His father had undergone one of the earliest ordeals at the level one hundred mark, but most people wouldn''t get one until level two hundred and fifty. Not only that but some never got one at all.


    He watched the boys body intently. The lightning had stopped raining down half an hour ago or so, but the boy was still asleep. He could hear him breathing ever so faintly from here. The foxes were still curled by Lios, Luka¡¯s fur had changed. What was once silver and gray and black was now silver and brown and darker brown. His tail was a little longer and so were his ears. He had grown quite a bit as well.


    It was a relief to Adrien, this meant that at least the companion pact had worked. Sky was similarly changed. She had always been a brighter shade to her brother, but now the difference was much more noticeable. Her fur had taken more of the silver and the gray had turned white. The black had a light blue tint when under the rising sun. She looked a touch smaller, but that didn¡¯t seem to diminish the aura she gave off. It wasn¡¯t a true aura but there was a perceived confidence and bravery that the small fox always gave off.


    His thoughts were stolen as the guard captain for the caravan approached. ¡°Sir, we have to continue on our way. Catch up with us down the road?¡± The captain was sure people of their level would be able to keep up. The boy, who he had assumed was the weakest, had to have just undergone a high level class change. If he were that strong the rest would be monsters.


    ¡°Aye, we¡¯ll meet ye when we can. Sorry ta keep ye waitin.¡± Adrien slipped into his northern drawl. He hated the accent but kept at it anyway. What better way to play the part of a pauper adventurer who had made a name for himself?


    He waved off the man, and knew that they would be going slow today. They had lost four of their guards yesterday in the attack before Adrien and his group could arrive on the scene. Another six had semi serious injuries, injuries that could be sealed over but never fully healed. One man had taken an arrow to the kneecap and would be unable to walk until they met a powerful healer, another man lost an arm. Even healers struggled to replace lost limbs. He had seen a woman who had lost an eye, she was wearing a makeshift eye patch now.


    The caravan left quickly. He chatted idly with the others as Lios stopped convulsing and slipped into what he hoped was a more restful sleep. He tried, not for the first time, to use his [Conquerors Eye] to glean details over Lios¡¯s second class. All he could see was that the boy was labeled as a [Smith] at a low level. Even his eye couldn¡¯t discern the level of another person, it only gave him a ballpark. It sometimes, depending on the person he was looking at, gave him additional information or even gave him the name of the class rather than a vague name like [Smith]. Typically he could get better results any time he analyzed someone weaker than him, which was part of what made Lios so interesting. From the first meeting Adrien had been unable to glean much from the boy, and he was unsure why. He knew the boys level was low, clearly, but even still he couldn¡¯t peer too deeply. If he tried he sometimes suffered a mild headache without any results.


    He was broken from his thoughts after a few more hours when Lios, and both foxes began to stir. The boy looked horrid. He had blood caked over his face, had likely pissed himself, possibly soiled himself going by the smell. It was nearly mid day when the boy finally opened his eyes, and when he did there were four sets of very curious, minorly hostile and concerned eyes on him.

 Chapter 18

    I let out a groan as, after what felt like several days, the torment finally ended. There was light pressing against my eyes and heat emanating from either side of me, in small clusters. Groggily I opened my eyes, silently wishing for a few more minutes of sleep. I winced as the bright sun battered my eyes and turned my head to the side. Squinting I saw four familiar figures standing in a semicircle around me. It took a few blinks of watery eyes to be able to see clearly. As I sat up my body, which I had expected to feel sore and exhausted, felt fine. I automatically pet the foxes at my side, not looking down at them as I ran my fingers through their fur.


    My immediate concern was of the smell that surrounded me. I smelled of iron and ammonia, sewage too. I couldn¡¯t blame myself too much for it, the night or nights had been intense. It took my disoriented mind quite a bit longer than I¡¯m proud of before I said, in a raspy dehydrated voice, ¡°Where the fuck is my tent?¡±


    Liana, who was looking at me with concern, stifled a giggle. The others¡¯ expressions were hard to pin down. Amelia gave me the same half grin she always did, but her eyes were narrowed and I intuited that she was keeping me at arms length. Adrien was harder still to read. The only feeling that I got from him was that he was pissed. Elric was a blank slate, unreadable. I had always known the goofy man was likely more stoic at times, but had yet to witness it. The man had, so far, smiled and laughed about most of everything, aside from my goblin camp test. He had, in afterthought, been upset then but I still felt it was in part an act. The foxes were still curled up and asleep.


    ¡°So uh... Actually though, where is my tent?¡± I asked again after a minute long silence. ¡°And is there somewhere nearby to take a bath?¡±


    Adrien shared a glance with Liana who, after he nodded, raised a hand at me. I waited for a moment as she muttered something and was suddenly lifted by and assaulted by water. As it passed over my mouth I discovered it was fresh water. It pulled away anything... less than pleasant that had coated my body. As the water turned a deep brownish red, the shade of dried blood, the blood emulsified in the water and so did everything else, until it was disposed of a few yards beyond the treeline. I needed to learn a self cleaning spell. My enchanted clothes did quite a bit of work but could only clean themselves. Plus it was still repairing itself, from something.


    ¡°Thanks, Liana!¡± I shot her a big smile trying to hide the nerves I was feeling. Clearly something had happened, big enough for them to mostly just stare at me. I was getting ready to speak again when I felt the bundles of fur stir next to me. Evidently Liana had washed them as well. I could feel Lukas'' discontentment from being soaked.


    I was set on my feet, shocked that my legs weren''t shaking. My companions, for they truly were now, sent me thoughts of confusion and a touch of irritation at being woken with water. Neither was a fan of swimming, and always argued with me when I tried giving them baths. They would eventually relent but it was always a battle.


    I was shocked at the ability to feel their emotions through their connection, but elected to explore that further after figuring out why Adrien was glaring at them next to a seemingly impassive but imposing Elric. I looked at the leader of their merry band and frowned. ¡°So whats going on, you all, save for Liana, look like you¡¯re about ready to fight me. Elric I would expect to look at me like that but the rest of you... Can you just tell me whats going on?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Adrien finally spoke. It was the second time I noticed him speaking without an accent. I filed that away but didn¡¯t comment on it. I started a silent mental checklist over my body, flexing various muscles under the loose and flowy fabric.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. So, are you going to explain or just keep staring at me?¡± I was starting to grow frustrated. To keep myself reigned in I looked for my armor, and for the first time noticed that where my tent had once been, where I was standing, was a small scorched crater. My eyes widened and I turned in a half circle, noticing the tent was wrapped up in tree branches, frayed and with a massive hole in the top. I groaned. It took another second of searching to find my armor, which was mostly intact aside from a few singes. Those would heal over time once I fed mana into the repair runes. Satisfied I turned back to the group who looked like they were deciding what to say.


    ¡°Lets start with a question -how were you able to invoke an Ordeal?¡± Elric, growing impatient it seemed, started the conversation.


    ¡°Ordeal? No clue what youre talking about.¡± I had an inkling that the pain I felt wasn¡¯t normal. It definitely had something to do with whatever the seed was that Miamora had injected him with. I wasn¡¯t sure how proprietary the information of a seed could be and I hesitated. Part of me wanted to use this group of clearly experienced adventurer¡¯s as a backboard to bounce thoughts off of. I wasn¡¯t sure yet whether I could trust them with the various unusual circumstances I kept finding myself in. I had a feeling if I mentioned the seed I¡¯d only open them up to more questions.


    ¡°Yes, Ordeal. Or Tribulation, Trial, Heaven''s Judgment, there are many names for it. How did you trigger it? What did your system say?¡± Elric stepped forward and sighed a touch, seeing the confusion in my eyes. ¡°I can see you know something. Please, we are here to help.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately I don¡¯t know about these things youre talking about. I haven¡¯t had time to check my notifications yet either. Why don¡¯t we walk and talk?¡± I tried to distract them, if we were moving maybe they¡¯d stop interrogating me. Or explain whatever Elric was bringing up.


    ¡°Alexilios, I apologize but we can¡¯t do that until you explain yourself.¡± Adriens¡¯ frown only deepened. I glanced to both Liana and Amelia for some support, then to Elric, but all three just gave a short nod as if they were agreeing with Adrien.


    ¡°Why? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± My frustration grew and I glowered at them. ¡°I went to bed after enacting both my bond with Luka and Sky and entering my mindscape to choose a class. When I selected a class I blacked out then experienced a lot of pain for... well for a very long time. Other than that, nothing happened.¡±


    Liana¡¯s eyes flashed and her concerned motherly expression shifted to something... else. Perhaps she was good cop in this scenario. She shook her head when Adrien glanced in her direction. The man let out a heavy sigh and drew his sword.


    ¡°Lios, listen to me carefully. My job is to ensure the safety of my people. What happened last night was a very, and I emphasize, VERY odd occurrence. So odd, in fact, I briefly considered silencing the merchants we were traveling with so they couldn¡¯t spread any rumors. This next part is important, Liana has a skill that allows her to glean enough information from someone else to pick up when they are lying or not entirely truthful with us. I suggest you answer our questions honestly and completely, else I be forced to protect my team.¡± The man took three steps towards me and raised his sword at me. His tattoos rippled and for the first time I had the feeling they were, at least somewhat, alive. I couldn¡¯t help but gulp as a pressure surrounded me.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll kill me if I don''t tell you everything?¡± I stood my ground, glancing down at the foxes for the first time noticing the change in their furs. I growled at Adrien then the rest, perhaps my beast bond was making me give in more to my instincts. Waving away the passing thought I narrowed my eyes at them and drew my own sword. I knew it was a useless effort, that I couldn¡¯t take a single one of them in combat. ¡°I would ask you to put away your weapon unless you intend to use it, Adrien. I don¡¯t know that I can answer everything... not unless you are able to make an oath with me.¡±


    I resigned myself, if they could take an oath of secrecy I would tell them my story, if not I¡¯d attempt to convince them to let me go off on my own at the next town so they weren¡¯t put in danger. Truthfully, I would still try to avoid telling them as much as possible. I didn¡¯t want too many people to know my origins, even if it didn¡¯t elicit any sort of negative emotions from them. I watched as three of them turned to Liana who tilted her head at them. They whispered something to each other as a group before nodding. Adrien sheathed his sword.


    ¡°Aye, that we c¡¯n do.¡± He slipped back into the accent but I could tell it was a bit forced after hearing him speak in the accent that was more natural to him. ¡°Like Elric said we¡¯re ¡®ere ta ¡®elp.¡± I simply nodded and sheathed my own sword.


    ¡°Okay, tell us the terms of this oath, Lios. I¡¯ll cast a binding once you do so and we can get to the bottom of whatever happened last night.¡± Liana stepped forward, the kind concerned motherly look reappearing on her elven face.


    ¡°Fine. First, you can tell no one any of what I''m about to say. The only people you can speak to about this are the five of us. Second, there¡¯s an amount that I am unwilling to share, none of you will press deeper once I tell you what I am comfortable parsing. Third, should any of you break your oaths you will be forced to sunder and restart your highest level class.¡± I challenged them each in turn, staring them down until they nodded.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯d have us sunder a class? This info must be pretty personal.¡± Amelia was the first to say anything. Her expression had shifted from one of minor hostility to amusement. There was a twinge of wariness in her as she nodded at Liana.


    Sundering a skill was an already painful process. In short, a person''s system given gifts such as classes and skills became woven into an individual''s biology and soul. Sundering referred to the forced removal of a skill, or in this case a class. Any bonuses that came with it, any physical modifications, mental modifications were all forced out of the soul and body. I had only ever heard of classes being sundered by someone incredibly high leveled, or someone who had committed a crime. There were few skills that could forcibly do so, but an individual with enough will could do it themselves as well. Sundering their highest level class would be the most painful thing any of them could experience save for death. Well, maybe second most painful if they ever got a seed. Whatever a seed actually is.


    Adrien took a few seconds to consider. Realistically the oath was incredibly simple. It only limited them to not spread any of what I was going to say. ¡°The second clause. If I deem that not enough has been shared to satisfy my concerns you will need to share more. Also, no half truths or lies, you can only speak the truth.¡± He was back to speaking without his accent, instead of his words slurring minorly he was unusually articulate. Liana nudged him slightly.


    This time, however, I let my curiosity win this time. ¡°Why do you keep switching your accent? And, fine. If my initial explanation does not yield positive results I¡¯ll share the rest. Else, I¡¯ll share it when I¡¯m comfortable doing so. Is that amenable?¡±


    Adrien looked for a second like he wanted to say something but simply nodded, ignoring my question on his accent. Oh well, we all had our secrets, it wasn¡¯t so surprising that he did as well. Liana waited for Elrics approval before casting the oath binding spell. I felt a bit of weight press against my chest until I willed it in, allowing it to take shape. The weight vanished once I accepted the oath. I resigned myself to ask Liana how to cast it, or to try to figure out an oath binding rune set. I felt a twinge of self doubt, that they would not accept my answers and at best force me to travel alone, at worst Adrien and Elric would defend their team against the newest threat that was evidently growing inside of me.


    I winced slightly as some memories poured into my head without prompting, of moments of self doubt throughout my previous life. I had been depressed and anxious a lot in my early adult years, and despite living a very different life in Ravos I wasn¡¯t able to completely shake the insecurities. I let some of the memories pass, knowing that by forcing them down they¡¯d only return later in force, and pushed them aside.


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    As my mind settled I saw the four of them staring at me as I still stood in the crater. I moved to the firepit where a few logs had been laid out the night before. Even these were moved a bit, making me wonder what exactly had happened while I was sleeping to have done so much damage. Now that I was looking, I noted that there was a redness on one of Elrics arms, and some hairs missing from Adriens forearms and eyebrows. Nothing more than that, from what I could see. Neither of the others looked similarly marred.


    As they each took a seat and Adrien restarted the fire, Luka hopped up onto the log next to me. He was giving the evil eye to Adrien. Sky curled up on the ground at my feet, hastily falling back asleep. I pet Luka, thinking I was preventing him from hunting Adrien at least a little bit. It was odd, the differences in their fur. On top of the color change, Sky had become a touch smaller, lighter. Luka had the opposite change, he was larger, and felt a bit heavier though I couldn¡¯t tell as he was still light. The size difference wasn¡¯t drastic by any means, but noticeable to those who know to look for it.


    ¡°Any reason for me not to check my notifications before we go into storytime?¡± I asked them lackadaisically, even though my heart was racing. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d harm me but those damn thoughts still flitted across my mind.


    ¡°Check em after.¡± Adrien waved a hand at me.


    I didn''t want to tell them everything, and intended to keep my story fairly short. ¡°Fine. So, as mentioned before I entered my dreamscape to choose a class. I looked over the options and chose one, once I did though I blacked out and when I came to, likely only moments later, I was in a white room with another individual. I believe they are a god, but not of this world''s pantheon. At that time I was barely able to maintain consciousness, I started to experience some incredible pain. I¡¯d describe it but I dont think I''d be able to articulate it.¡± I paused for a moment, knowing that the thing about a god was not small. I tried to gauge their reactions but couldn¡¯t tell what any of them were thinking.


    Adrien had gone from barely restrained hostility to a blank, if not concerned, countenance. Amelia looked shocked and was not trying to hide it. Liana, well she hadn¡¯t changed. She looked at me as though trying to make sure there was nothing wrong with me. If she was concerned by what I said, I couldn¡¯t tell past her generally concerned demeanor. Elric was the one that shocked me the most. He had been stoic and unreadable throughout the conversations up until now, but after I mentioned a god outside of the pantheon he opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again before keeping it closed and steeling his mien. He took on his stoic and unreadable visage once again.


    ¡°The god named themselves Miamora, and told me they had implanted a Seed into my class. I don¡¯t really know what it means, only that it would influence my class in some way.¡± I shrugged as I said it. I truly didn¡¯t know but I didn¡¯t mention the rest of what had happened. How the god had given me a single question, how they had laughed as I writhed. I didn¡¯t want to bring into question my origin.


    ¡°How do you know that this god was from a different pantheon?¡± Liana finally asked when it became clear I was done telling my short story.


    ¡°I had never heard their name before. I know the names of all the gods of Ravos.¡± I tilted my head, trying to play it off like it should be common knowledge.


    ¡°Oh? And why do you know all of the gods? You don¡¯t seem particularly devout nor does Arborton seem to have a religious presence.¡± Elric piped up this time, eyes narrowed a bit.


    ¡°There was only so much reading material in-¡± I let out a shriek as my chest tightened, the oath firing. The others looked at me with indignation, immediately catching on. After a few breaths I willed out a few words and the pain lessened and stopped. ¡°Didn¡¯t think that''d count... I can¡¯t say why I read so deeply into the gods.¡±


    Everyone was silent for a few minutes following that. Adrien spoke up after chewing on his cheek. ¡°Why would a god, and especially a god from outside of our pantheon if such a thing exists, give you a seed?¡± He didn¡¯t try to maintain the false accent now that I had called him out. I was glad for it, it had taken me a few extra seconds to translate him even though I had grown used to the northern accent by working closely with Derren.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can only speculate. Miamora wants to be entertained and finds... experimenting with mortals amusing. That¡¯s my guess at this time.¡± I felt I was skirting the line of the truth. I truly had no clue why they had taken an interest in me specifically, but knew that they had left the seed when my soul was initially brought to this world. This time there was no pain from the oath.


    ¡°How did it change your class? What kind of seed was it? Your notifications will tell you.¡± The man''s voice was gruff but he didn¡¯t sound quite so frantic nor aggressive. I didn¡¯t quite know which bit had placated him but I could tell that while he was no longer hostile, his mind was racing.


    ¡°Let me check them...¡± I said before I finally allowed them through.


    Seed of Pandemonium fully integrated!


    Your class [Wayfaring Smith] has been affected by the Seed of Pandemonium.


    Your class [Wayfaring Smith] has evolved to [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]


    Congratulations! You have received the rare class [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]


    [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]


    This class has been altered by a Seed of Pandemonium. thou hast wandered through worlds and seek adventure still. The world has many wonders and you intend to witness them all, insatiable and unyielding you wander and trade. You craft artifacts by way of the fade. Splinters of the maelstrom have penetrated your mind, ensuring each craft is one of a kind. Intended or not thine enchantments shant rot, but vary they will, for from within chaos spills. Muddy thine intent, and thine craft will face augment. Lost and solitary, a creator of weapons, condensing magic arbitrary, call upon the infinite maelstroms. Create, break, renew and make, shake the world with spear or sword.


    The Wayfaring crafter is one who sees that which the world offers and makes from it wondrous crafts, the crafter of the maelstrom, similarly, crafts and creates but welcomes change and the worlds will in their .


    Before looking into my new skills I looked at the group who were watching me curiously. ¡°It was a seed of Pandemonium. It changed my class from [Wayfaring Smith] to [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]. I don''t know yet what is different.¡±


    ¡°Well... Not trying to spook ya kid but that doesn''t seem great...¡± Elric looked into the distance briefly. ¡°Tumultuous is the part that screws a wrench into it. Go check your skills though. Perhaps we can figure something out from there.¡±


    Liana walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll help you through this. Can you show us the class description while you read your new skills?¡±


    I glanced for a moment between her and the rest. I didn¡¯t want to, this was my class that I had worked so hard to develop. Perhaps that was a childish notion but, the way I saw it these four strangers had just threatened me, cornered me even though I had done nothing wrong. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry but even with the oath, at this point I don''t feel comfortable sharing more. The only reason I''ve even said this much is because Adrien pressured me with his sword.¡± I crossed my arms with perhaps what would look like a moody harumph. As much as I wanted to trust these folks, I had only known them a few days and they weren¡¯t exactly forthcoming with their own secrets either.


    Liana pursed her lips and turned away. She seemed offended but I didn¡¯t really care. Adrien blinked a few times before slowly nodding. ¡°I s¡¯pose that''s fair...¡± He seemed like he had forgotten about it in the minutes we had been sitting.


    ¡°Now, how¡¯s about we get going. And while we''re at it you can tell me why you were freaked out enough to pull a sword on someone a quarter your level, maybe explain what a seed is?¡± I stood up and made to gather my things that had been scattered in the initial shockwave. ¡°Also, why is my stuff all over the place? I still don¡¯t know what the fuck even happened.¡±


    Luka grumbled as I moved, he had been leaning against my leg. He and Sky followed after me as I started gathering my things. It took about fifteen minutes, during which the others were emphatically discussing something. Liana looked minorly furious while Elric and Amelia looked mildly frustrated but overall not involved. Adrien looked like he was getting scolded out, which judging from Liana''s arms waving around, was likely what was happening. Without waiting for them I started walking following the cart path that the caravan had taken. I started looking at my skill notifications as I did.


    Your general skill [Runesmithing] has been moved to your secondary class


    Your general skill [Runeweaving] has been moved to your secondary class


    Your general skill [Runic Inscribing] has been moved to your secondary class


    The skill [Ephemeral Forge] is available for your class [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]


    The skill [Maelstrom Modification] is available for your class...


    The skill [Arcane Analysis] is available for your class...


    [Ephemeral Forge]: A wandering forgemaster must have a wandering forge. This is a spacial storage skill in which you may store crafting materials, workstations, and tools related to forging and smithing. The amount you may store depends on the level of the skill. You may, rather than withdrawing the workstation, also summon a fully functioning apparition of the tools, workstations, and materials of your forge into the world when you desire to work on a project.


    [Maelstrom Modification]: The tumult of the Maelstrom, the energy of the elements between all worlds, the vivacity of essence and mana lives within your core. The mana of the world heeds your call and beck. As you forge or craft a new item the Maelstrom within you will influence it. Each item you bring into the universe shall forever more be bestowed a boon by the Tumultuous Maelstrom. The maelstrom is chaos and bedlam, turbulence and turmoil. The weapons and armors created within it are either cursed or blessed, but all are powerful beyond their means. Good luck, and happy crafting. Perhaps you will be the one to tame the Maelstrom.


    [Arcane Analysis]: With [Runesight] and [Mana sense] you have gleaned the nature of magic. With the addition of the maelstrom you are able to learn more. With an expense of mana you are able to read the magic around you and identify it. The higher the skill level the more you will learn upon use. Conversely the higher the level the skill is, the higher level the item you identify can be.


    I nearly stopped in my tracks as I read the three skills. The descriptions weren¡¯t as fanciful as some of the others had been but the skills themselves were impressive. Useful in a bevy of ways. I whistled to myself and reread them. The only one I could properly test was [Arcane Analysis] which allowed me to identify magical items and their effects. I drew my sword and looked at it, feeling a small drain as I did so.


    Saber of the Mercurial Promenade.


    This ever changing blade was crafted by Alexilios with added aid from Master Smith Derren Longshadow.


    Effects:


    Mercurial: Shape Changing. When mana is fed into the blade by its owner, the blade will change into a desired shape.


    Sharpness: This sword needs not to be resharpened or honed, its edge will self repair any dulling or nicks to maintain a sharp, cutting edge.


    Durability: This sword is much harder to break than a sword without this enchantment. The blade will not shatter under anything but the most extreme duress.


    I had also attempted to add an enchantment to the handle to prevent it from being knocked out of my hand, but evidently it either didn''t exist, or wasn¡¯t a core enough part of the sword that it was listed. As I came out of my musings for a moment I pulled up my full character sheet and grinned at it.


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 51


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:51


    [Runedancing] LVL: 51


    [Dodging] LVL:48


    [Intuition] LVL:31


    [Mana Sense] LVL:35


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:47


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:49


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3


    [Runesight] LVL:39


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:1


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 1


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:1


    [Runeweaving] LVL:1


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:1


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:1


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:1


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:1


    X4 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:45


    [Meditation] LVL:23


    [Twin Pact] LVL:51


    [Distant Recollections] LVl:18


    [Cooking] LVL:22


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:14


    [Training] LVL:41


    X3 Unavailable


    Evidently I had gained a few levels here and there, the most notable being [Pain Resistance] which had previously been at level seven. I glanced behind me, the others were following while Luka and Sky looked up at me curiously. I felt a minor mental prodding from Sky asking if I was okay, along with a small desire from Luka to rush into the woods. I wasn¡¯t overly sure what we were able to do with our pact skill, but I thought in his direction that he could go hunting. He seemed eager as he bolted off, and Sky chased after him faster than ever.

 Chapter 19

    A large part of me wanted to ignore the others as I mused during our walk. The other, more logical, knew that I needed to get whatever information I could about the terrible potential power up I had received last night. I needed to know if every time I upgraded the class I¡¯d go through that agonizing ¡®Ordeal¡¯. There was simply too much to process from this morning, Adrien¡¯s accent slipping multiple times, the Seed, the unnatural aggression that came with it. Being forced to expose even some of my secrets was at the forefront of my mind. I half wanted to separate from the group as soon as Kinnesville, but I wasn¡¯t sure where I¡¯d go.


    My pondering was interrupted by feelings of reverie and exhilaration from the two foxes. I could tell that Luka was chasing some rabbits through the woods and even more interestingly, chasing them into the ground. Sky was zipping through the woods enjoying the wind whipping past her and the birds scattering above her. She was moving fast, faster than I had seen before. I couldn¡¯t quite feel why, nor why Luka felt so much more sturdy, but I didn¡¯t let it occupy my mind too much. There were other pressing matters to attend to.


    With bated breath I turned around, using my [Intuition] to prevent me from stumbling, devoting a quarter of my focus to the passive skill. It was interesting, passives would always be working unless intentionally disabled, but could have increased effect if a bit of focus was devoted to them. I glanced in turn to each of the adventurers who had followed me out of the destroyed camp. ¡°So, who¡¯s gonna tell me what the deal with these Ordeals is?¡± I saw Liana roll her eyes at my shitty play on words, the rest didn¡¯t give much reaction.


    ¡°Well, they are...¡± Amelia started to explain but stopped, thinking about how best to phrase it. She continued before the others could interject. ¡°The way I understand them it¡¯s like, think of a whirlpool. Sometimes they¡¯re caused by something sinking that has an open space, like a boat, and they pull aaaalll of the water into the vessel. When you classed up the seed inside of you just started soaking in world mana and essence to make the necessary changes to your body and your class. Typically a Trial does not occur until you are much higher level, and without a seed, never on the first class upgrade of a class. Most people have to sunder their second class in order to grow a seed, as it can only grow in the second and third classes and only at level one. I¡¯ve never heard of a seed initiating a tribulation on it¡¯s own though.¡±


    ¡°So, to paraphrase, I was the focal point for a whirlpool of mana and essence and caused this mini mana storm to actualize? But what is the point of an Ordeal?¡±


    This time Elric answered. ¡°There¡¯s only speculation, but it¡¯s believed it has to do with a number of factors. The main one is the power of the class, in your case it¡¯s likely the power of the seed. When a seed sprouts it requires copious amounts of energy. Typically, and Liana correct me if I¡¯m wrong, the user or owner of the seed has the necessary mana and essence required to sprout the seed. In your case, I think, you needed to draw in mana to sprout it.¡±


    Liana jumped in as Elric finished. ¡°I believe, also, that you had to be uhm... Inundated by the Maelstrom in order to sprout your seed, which is why your Tribulation contained a vast array of different chaotic elements. Tribulations are different for everyone, the only two I¡¯ve seen were vastly different to yours and were caused by people evolving to their two hundred fifty level classes. One had the user encased in stone that twisted and broke their body until it was suitable for the power he was gaining. The second was wrapped in thorny vines, their poison was used to strengthen both their spirit and their body. They are a nature spirit now, by choice of evolution. I think it¡¯s because you are so young and have yet to realize your affinity, on top of your use of multiple elements in your dances, that caused a multitude of mana bolts to strike you and fill you with the strange variety of elemental mana that changed you. You were, quite literally, assailed by the Maelstrom.¡±


    I thought for a few minutes. It didn¡¯t make sense for the strange god to have gifted me a seed without some ulterior motive. ¡°What exactly is the Maelstrom?¡±


    Liana answered, she was practically vibrating. I could tell the others didn¡¯t often talk to her about magic and wizardry. ¡°The Maelstrom is a mana storm that exists on another plane. It is an inhospitable plane, the only creatures that can live there are elementals. Wizards have tried to conquer it before but have all failed and perished simply by arriving there. What you experienced was only a taste of the chaotic nature of the Maelstrom. It is mana in its purest form with each element fighting for supremacy. Some say it was caused by an archwizard battling a god of nature, but nobody truly knows.¡±


    ¡°So why was Adrien so freaked out about me undergoing this Ordeal? I mean I understand it isn¡¯t typical to go through it so early in levels but was it such a big deal?¡± I shrugged and glanced at him, trying to belay any frustration I still held.


    ¡°¡®Tis cuz anyun who goes trou the trib¡¯lation gains incredible po¡¯er.¡± The man in question glanced away after meeting my eyes, having the courtesy to look at least a bit sheepish. ¡°An¡¯ it¡¯s been said some da people ¡®ooh go trou it come oot insane an¡¯ attack all in sight.¡±


    I glanced at the others who all nodded. I turned back around and continued to walk, using [Meditation] to focus my thoughts. So, I was given a mysterious upgrade? Or curse from a weird deity that doesn¡¯t officially exist here... So far it only seems to give a random effect to any equipment I craft. I hope I wont go through that everytime I upgrade my class though.


    As I mused Amelia stepped up to me, but I wasn¡¯t nearly as infatuated with her as I normally was. I heard the ping of a notification, [Meditation] leveling up to twenty five. I frowned, I didn¡¯t think that using it while walking was that beneficial. I ignored it and turned toward the higher leveled adventurer. ¡°I still have a guess yeah?¡±


    She smiled and nodded, holding her arms behind her back as she walked at the same pace as me. ¡°Sure do, still think I¡¯m secretly in love with you?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve moved on. Hmmm. Are you actually a fae creature that uses a charm ability to make people infatuated with her?¡± I glanced at her as she stopped. Then at the others as they all tilted their heads. ¡°Wait really, is that it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a fae creature, no.¡± Amelia glared at me.


    ¡°Sooo, the charm ability is real?¡± I thought back to my recent skill gain. ¡°I spose that makes sense, huh?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t an active skill. You still have more to guess though so you get no rewards yet.¡±


    ¡°Was there a reward on the table miss Amelia? Wait is the reward you falling for me?¡± I laughed loudly, most of the tension from this morning fading away. It still sat in the back of my head, but the combination of acting normally around them and knowing why Adrien had overreacted helped to sate my ire.


    ¡°You¡¯re far far too young for my pursuits, Lios. Perhaps after another hundred years I¡¯ll see you, but for now you are much too young.¡± She sniffed derisively and raised her head as though she were looking down on me.


    ¡°My turn! Hmm,¡± Liana started, trotting up so she could look me up and down, walking backward as she pondered her guess. ¡°Do you chant reeeaally quiet while you fight?¡±


    ¡°No, no I do not.¡± She threw her hands up playfully, a little stiff but her face was lit up with a jovial frown.


    ¡°Drat. What in Luma¡¯s name could it be?¡± It was my first time hearing someone use the name of a god in their swearing. My parents, aside from when they had been teaching me, rarely mentioned any gods, and Derren just swore.


    After our daily guesses were done we continued in silence. During the walk Luka and Sky rejoined us separately, Luka with two rabbits dragging behind him for his own supper and Sky with her fur every which way like she¡¯d just been standing behind a jet turbine. I could feel their emotions through our connection, and got the impression that Sky had just been running through the trees as fast as she could, the rawness of her paws validated my impression. Luka, on the other hand, seemed frustrated at only catching two of the quick bunnies.


    ¡°Why is it always cute fluffy bunnies, Amelia?¡± Liana asked the younger woman.


    ¡°Dunno, but I bet they''re yummy.¡± Amelia giggled as Liana seemed to want to say something but glanced at me before simply scoffing.


    ¡°But they''re so cute why are they always Luka¡¯s favorite? Lios, I demand you train Luka better to only catch squirrels.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how much of it he actually understood, but Lukas heckles rose and fur bristled. He yipped at the elf and turned his head the other way, dragging his bunnies. They were getting dirty so I reached down and grabbed them from him. ¡°Do you guys have like a way to store these so they don''t rot during our walk? Or like anything that can store more than it should?¡±


    ¡°I have a bag that keeps things preserved, but you''ll have to wrap those things up in something first.¡± Amelia stopped and pulled her bag off her back reaching in and removing a relatively small sack, just big enough for both bunnies. ¡°What do you mean by a device that can store more than it should?¡±


    ¡°Something with like... an expanded space. Bigger on the inside, ya know?¡± I replied while wrapping the bunnies in one of my rough self cleaning tunics. I mentally noted I should find a more comfortable fabric next time I made something like this. ¡°Does that not exist?¡±


    She took the wrapped bunnies and we started walking again. ¡°No, not that I know of. Do the elves have anything like that?¡±


    ¡°Last I heard, Prometitus, my third cousin twice removed, was researching something like that. But I haven''t heard anything in terms of progress in... a hundred years or so?¡± Liana tilted her head as she thought. I nearly stopped in my tracks after hearing how old Liana was, but remembered that while not common, immortality and long lifespans were normal in Ravos.


    ¡°I see, thanks. Maybe I''ll be able to work it out, gotta learn more runes first though.¡± I fell back into a silence as Sky slept on my shoulders, her smaller size making it much more manageable. Luka was hovering around Amelia but anytime she went to pick him up he skirted away. He just wanted his snacks and was making sure she didn¡¯t steal them. Through our bond I got the faint instinct that Amelia was a predator but I didn¡¯t get any similar feeling from the others. Luka was both intimidated by and in awe of her, which I felt was concerning.


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    We walked for most of the day, stopping every so often so Liana could scour the woods around us for helpful herbs whenever her passive skill [Herbalists Acumen] alerted her to something in the area. She explained that the skill didn¡¯t tell her necessarily when something was nearby, but used her sense of smell and sight to identify if something was nearby. She was able to, with her second class, identify most flora in Jorial by scent alone, aside from rare herbs. Aside from the occasional stops, and idle conversation, not much happened until we caught back up with the caravan, who had stopped for the evening.


    People looked at me, then the foxes, a bit warily. At least for a few minutes until one of the traders approached me. ¡°Young man, congratulations on achieving a high level class! Might I have your name? And could you tell me what level it was?¡±


    ¡°Ah, my name is Lios, and I¡¯m not entirely comfortable sharing my level at the moment.¡± I smiled at the man and shook his hand. After he stepped back, nodding understandably, some others came up to offer reluctant congratulations.


    One in particular stood out, a man dressed in flamboyant colors. He reminded me of a parrot, covered in bright flashy garb. I didn''t remember seeing him the day prior, but he may have been in one of the wagons or simply hiding. He was wearing a kurta with a lavender trim and bright blue main color, with a scarf around his neck made with orange silk. ¡°Young man, young man. How wondrous to see you¡¯ve made it from your tribulations in one piece. I once witnessed a man who lost three fingers from his ascent into divinity! And yet here you are, perhaps not even a tenth of his age hale and healthy!¡±


    ¡°Thank you sir, I¡¯m sure that man¡¯s ordeal was simply that much more strenuous than my own.¡± I smiled politely at the bombastic man. His skin, now that I was able to see it in the setting sun, was tanned. He had a slight accent that I was unfamiliar with but he was extremely articulate even with the excited nature with which he spoke.


    ¡°And humble as well, the makings of a true legend I dare say!¡± He laughed before taking my hand and shaking it. ¡°I go by Haraldo Decampa, and for taking part in rescuing us from those filthy brigands I was hoping to offer you something for your troubles during our journey. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me.¡± His smile was all teeth and glittering white. I knew that toothpaste wasn¡¯t prevalent here but it was disconcerting to know that and see people with pearly whites. The continence of levels and how they preserved the bodies was somewhat difficult to wrap my head around, even after nearly fifteen years.


    ¡°I will be sure to do that Mr. Haraldo! I like your attire by the way, where did you come across it?¡± I did really like the kurta, it looked like it would be comfortable. Though I wasn''t sure I¡¯d be able to pull it off, I figured it would just take finding the right one.


    ¡°Oh, well, I made it back in my homeland across the Myrad sea. Terraan.¡± He stared off in the distance wistfully.


    ¡°Are you a tailor then? I made my own clothes as well, though they are nowhere near as extravagant as yours. Perhaps over the coming days would you be willing to show me a few tips and tricks?¡± I walked up to the man serving stew and got myself a bowl. Haraldo followed me after acquiring his own and sat down. His talking to me dissuaded a small amount of the others from approaching, but a few still did. He and I began to talk about tailoring, though he used language that was far outside of my skill level and had to slowly dumb it down for me as I had spent so long focusing in my smithing skills instead. Even still, we chatted for a while before I went back towards my own camp with the adventurers.


    Instead of testing my new crafting class, I started my dances as I hadn''t been able to this morning. I activated [Meditation] while going through the motions. I was walking through my, hopefully fixed, spell but I didn¡¯t activate it just yet. I didn¡¯t feel like putting everyone on edge again. After I felt comfortable with the dance I moved on to another dance that held two layers of rune circles. This one, unlike the one I was planning to name ¡°Flashstep Thunderwave¡±, contained an element I had yet to work with. Ideally, I¡¯d be able to use both of them in conjunction. I had written a mostly functional spell for it, though it was several steps away from being ready to cast.


    I ignored, or tried to, the eyes that were watching me from both the merchant group and my companions. When the sun finally fully set, I started testing my newest [Bladedancer] skill, [Compendium Actualization] and watched excitedly as portions of spells I knew were automatically written beneath my feet. It was a small amount, only half a rune at first, but my mind was already whirring with possibilities. Before acquiring this skill I thought it was extremely unlikely to cast spells with more than three layers during combat, but if I could master it and gain a half rune with each level I¡¯d be able to create a four layer rune eventually. Considering it was six hundred and twenty five runes, I had a long way to go.


    By the time I stopped practicing, despite not launching or activating any of the spells, my skill leveled up three times up to level four. Two full runes would now create themselves when I started my dances, for a small cost of three percent of my current mana. I wasn¡¯t quite tired yet so I went and sat beside the fire for a bit, listening as the others chatted. At some point people had stopped watching me, not everyone but a lot of them. I turned toward Amelia.


    ¡°Are you taking watch again? Mind if I join you?¡± I asked after she nodded.


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind a little company. It¡¯s not necessary though, you know.¡± She shrugged and turned toward the fire. ¡°Try not to hold this morning against Adrien, okay? He¡¯s just trying to protect... well everyone, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s got a lot of weight on his shoulders. Why is it his responsibility to protect everyone?¡± I sat with my back to the fire, pulling out the notebook filled with half complete spells. Liana, Adrien and Elric were still out and about but it sounded like they were soon to go to sleep.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to him to divulge that information. All I¡¯m willing to say is that he probably feels terrible for this morning but also that he feels justified. You¡¯ll understand if he ever explains himself.¡± Amelia walked away and towards her other friends. Then she sped through the woods, vanishing from my sight.


    The foxes curled up around the fire, enjoying the heat of it. Luka and Sky had eaten the caught rabbits for dinner and I could feel how weary they were after expending mana and running all day. I was surprised at the feeling of them being low on mana, I didn¡¯t even realize they had anything to use mana for. Perhaps it was due to them reportedly curling up next to me during my Ordeal.


    I was fairly engrossed in my self study, working on my latest spell that would hopefully be much less volatile than the last one. I still needed to confirm if the thunder wave would work properly before attempting it in combat. Until then I was stuck using first layer rune circles during combat. At least forty percent of those would be created instantly from now on.


    When I finally set down my notebook, Liana was heading to her tent. I figured if I was keeping watch I should probably not have my nose buried in a journal. Amelia came out of the woods and dragged a skinned, bloodless beast behind her. I frowned slightly. In the mornings there was always some fresh meat and I wondered if this was how. On top of that, I realized I hadn¡¯t actually seen her eat before. After tying it up in a branch and sprinkling it with something she came and sat across from me, her ruby eyes glinting in the firelight.


    We sat in silence for a while before she tilted her head at me cutely, making my chest throb a bit. I averted my gaze before I could be accused of staring, and focused my breathing. I didn¡¯t understand, I had seen plenty of pretty women since arriving in Ravos - well not that many but still, more than just Amelia - but my body and hormones never reacted the way they did around her. I started [Meditation] and immediately was able to focus again. I recalled earlier she hadn¡¯t denounced my claim of a charm spell.


    ¡°So uhm. If it isn¡¯t too intrusive, Lios, how is your new class?¡± She smiled at me, I could see why Luka considered her a predator as she looked at me.


    ¡°On paper, it looks really good. I¡¯m eager to experiment with it but I¡¯m unsure if I¡¯ll be able to unless we stop in town for a week or more. Or until I¡¯m able to expand one of the skills in it.¡± I pulled up my status sheet, looking at the various skills.


    Ding!!! The sound of a notification rang in my ears. Your skill [Meditation] has leveled up to level 26. I frowned at that. Normally I had the notifications turned off but I sometimes turned them on while training in order to verify when I did something unique or correct with my skills. My eyes flicked to Amelia who was still smiling gently.


    ¡°Why do you take watch every night?¡± I asked idly, still unsure what she could be. Her answer during our walk hadn¡¯t said that she was necessarily human. I was starting to get some ideas. Red eyes, does not sleep, brings back animal corpses void of blood? There weren¡¯t many things in mythos that that could be.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t sleep a lot.¡± She shrugged, hardly put off by the question. ¡°What was the one skill you can expand to make it so you can practice your class on the road? Thats what you meant right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what I¡¯m missing at the moment is a place to work. One of my new skills is called [Ephemeral Forge] and allows me to store items needed for a workshop and to create a manaform of it while its stored so I can use it anywhere. I think I can maybe fit a small anvil at the moment, but the amount of space I can store will increase as the level rises.¡± I reread the description of the skill as I told her. This was one they¡¯d likely see as soon as Kinnesville, so I didn''t mind divulging the information.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of skills like that before... what about your loom? Is that storable?¡± I felt a mental pull when she met my gaze, and vanished as she faced the fire.


    ¡°Hmm, good question. Let me check.¡± I went to my tent where my pack was and retrieved the loom, I hadn¡¯t thought of adding it to the forge as it wasn¡¯t related to smithing, but tried it anyway. I was disappointed as mana was sucked out of me but rejected the loom. ¡°I guess not. What a shame. I think, for the time being, it needs to have some justification for being in a forge. I could probably push a tanning rack and leatherwork station in there but a loom doesn''t have much added value to a smithy.¡±


    ¡°Worth a try though. How are you feeling since... I mean a lot of mana assailed you. Are you okay?¡± Amelia looked genuinely concerned, though I wondered if that was her charm ability at work.


    ¡°I feel... I mean I¡¯m a bit sore, not going to lie, but otherwise better than ever. Bursting with new energy I suppose. My mana doesn''t feel any different but my body feels... more secure, more in my control. I hadn¡¯t really noticed until you asked bit it feels more... me.¡± I replied after stretching a little bit to verify. My body before hadn''t felt wrong per say but it definitely felt more complete now. My movements felt a bit smoother, faster, and more accurate. I wondered what kind of hidden stats were increased during my Ordeal.


    ¡°Good! Now, how exactly do you cast spells?¡± She moved for the first time in a while and came to sit next to me, staring intently at my face. My [Meditation] gained another level at the same time making me blink in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait till Liana gets it. I bet she just needs to see me fight a bit longer and she¡¯ll get it.¡± It was a little fun holding this over their heads. They were clearly smart, but I enjoyed having this one unique spellcasting method to myself if only for a while.


    ¡°Hmmph fine. Keep your secrets, brat.¡± She flicked my nose and sauntered away. I got the feeling she was growing restless.


    ¡°You seem bored Miss Amelia, somethin on your mind?¡± I tilted my head curiously.


    ¡°Not particularly, it¡¯s always so boring when everyone goes to sleep.¡± She shook her head adorably. ¡°Tell me a story from your youth? Entertain meeee.¡± Her voice was playfully whiney. I thought for a few moments, but couldn¡¯t come up with much of an exciting story from my childhood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Amelia, I lived a pretty boring life before you guys met me. I think the most exciting thing that happened was meeting a high level river spirit when I was six.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she had been doing, it had been over a year since I last saw Brook. I figured she was at least okay, based on the condition of her river, but I wasn¡¯t certain.


    ¡°Ooh? Tell me more!¡± She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. I forced myself to focus and started to tell her about my times meeting the Naiad, and followed up with some stories about Brioche the fox, my companions mother. I went to sleep before explaining what happened to her, telling her I wanted to leave it for another day. A few hours of sleep later and we were back on the road.

 Chapter 20

    The days passed fairly quickly. I fell into step with the bombastic tailor and discussed the art of cloth with him, enjoying his insight. Even just listening to the man for nearly a week allowed my [Runeweaving] to gain several levels. The man was a wealth of knowledge. After the fourth level gain it stagnated, I think theory can only go so far in understanding the skill. I would soon have to put all of that theory into action.


    In the evenings I had started to gather a small crowd while training in my sword. Adrien had started to call out some tips here and there, likely out of boredom. During this time I¡¯d dance out the full rune circles for my two higher leveled spells. When I moved my fastest I was able to make the circle in around twenty five seconds, my unfamiliarity with the individual runes delaying me. I needed it down to maybe ten before I could effectively use them in combat, and even then ten seconds was an eternity in combat.


    I didn¡¯t talk much with the others on our journey, aside from Haraldo. The man had a different brightly colored outfit every day. He didn¡¯t always wear a kurta, sometimes donning garish robes that seemed brighter than they were due to his dark skin. Some days, when it was especially hot, he wore baggy breathable silk pants and an open vest, baring his chest for the world. I didn¡¯t disparage him, though I was jealous as I continued to walk in my sweltering armor.


    On the sixth day after joining the merchant group Liana guessed how


    I was casting my spells.


    ¡°Is it... Are you writing them with your feet? The runes I mean?¡± She tilted her head, her eyes flashing a faint green, as she activated her [Manasight]. ¡°You are! Wow that is pretty impressive.¡±


    The woman clapped as she figured it out and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Why not use [Manasight] from the start, Miss Liana?¡± I asked pausing my current sword dance and dismissing the runes.


    ¡°Do you perceive me as a cheater Lios?¡± She smirked at me as I came over to sit by the fire, joining the rest of the group. The guards who had been watching dispersed back to the merchants camp. We weren¡¯t fully separated, but were a dozen or so feet apart.


    ¡°Not at all, Miss Liana, was simply curious.¡± I shrugged and pet my foxes as I took a seat with the others around the fire. Despite Liana guessing every day I hadn¡¯t offered one for Amelia since our time on watch together. I hadn¡¯t taken watch again since, but was planning to going forward. I wouldn¡¯t always be surrounded by much much stronger allies.


    ¡°Lios, c¡¯n I talk ta ya fer a momen¡¯, in priva¡¯e?¡± Adrien called over from the other side of the fire, he was shuffling a bit nervously. I sighed, having just sat down. I nodded reluctantly, while my relationships with the others had rebuilt a bit over the past few days, Adrien and I still had a bit of tension around us.


    I stood and walked with him into the woods, curious what he wanted to say. We walked in silence for a few moments, he was taking time to curate his words, I could tell. After we were fairly far from the group he led me to a log that had fallen and I sat. He started pacing for a few moments before I grew impatient. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Its... ah. Ah don¡¯ know how¡¯ ta do this...¡± His accent was back in full force and I wanted to call him out on it but he resumed speaking before I could. ¡°It weren¡¯ a¡¯right fer me ta force ye ta spill yer secrets. Ah¡¯m sorry.¡± He looked me in the eyes and nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Is... Is that why you dragged me out here?¡± I waited until he nodded. He was fidgeting slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t fair. I was more than pissed that you held a sword to my chest instead of accepting my ignorance of the situation. Anything else?¡±


    Truthfully, I was still angry at him. Them, actually. They were all a part of it but I could tell that Liana and Amelia felt truly bad for their complicity. Elric, well he didn¡¯t seem to care one way or the other if I forgave them. Honestly, his reaction was most refreshing. The gruff man didn¡¯t feel the need to apologize as he felt right in what he was doing. He might have felt bad for making me feel ostracized but he wasn¡¯t the type to apologize for his actions, if they were worth apologizing for he simply wouldn''t do it.


    ¡°Aah wanna make it up ta ya. If tha¡¯s a¡¯right wit ya?¡± I felt he was trying to make up for slipping on his accent a few times by pushing it deeper.


    ¡°Hmmm. Look. I¡¯m still frustrated but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t understand why you were concerned. How about if you teach me?¡± I thumbed the pommel of my sword, the indigo Lumite gem emitting a soft glow. It was a different color to the one in my pendant, given to me by Maya. Even though it had only been a few days, I found myself missing the folks from home. In my last life I had frequently traveled for work in my twenties, and had grown used to being away from the people I cared about. In contrast, the last five years especially had kept me close to everyone. Thinking of the gems brought flashes of them into my mind and I smiled softly.


    ¡°I tell you what, lets forget about it. I don''t know that I would have reacted any differently than you if I saw some young guy assailed by world mana for a first level class.¡± In my head I assured myself I would have, but I didn¡¯t want there to be so much tension in the group I was traveling with.


    ¡°Ye¡¯d do that? An¡¯ yeah, Ah c¡¯n train ya!¡± Adrien''s eyes lit up. He glanced down at my sword and tapped his chin as he thought. ¡°Ya wan¡¯ sword trainin? Good, ya aren¡¯t as good as ya think.¡±


    There was a teasing tone in his voice, relief was clear on his face at my forgiveness. I smiled myself and walked with him back to the camp. ¡°I need it, I¡¯m afraid. The only people I trained with only know the basics if we¡¯re honest.¡±


    ¡°Tis true, ya lack perspective an¡¯ skills. Ev¡¯n so, tha basics are tha foundation of any ¡®spirin swordsman.¡± It was interesting, listening to Adrien speak while trying to force an accent. I wondered if he had a skill for it, or if it was simply practice. ¡°Yer father, from wha¡¯ I coul¡¯ tell, were a decent fighter bu¡¯ lacked in technique. I c¡¯n help ya build up yer foundation inta sometin more respect¡¯ble. More... Well juust more.¡±


    I nodded along, glancing at the fire as we arrived. I looked over to where Elric was play wrestling with Luka, who seemed to launch dirt onto the older man. Wait. Luka actually did launch dirt at him. Since when could he... Perhaps he can use magic now? Is that what happened when the seed pushed me into tribulations? They absorbed a portion of the world energy and were able to evolve? I started to ponder it, getting lost in thought as I sat cross legged in the dirt. After a few moments of thinking about it, considering what Sky may have gained from the experience, I looked back towards Adrien.


    ¡°So, tomorrow evening wanna spar?¡± That instantly perked Elric up and even Amelia and Liana seemed shocked.


    ¡°Spar? Wait kid are you asking the boss man to train you?¡± Elric read between the lines, pushing Luka away. The playful scamp yipped with glee and lightly nipped at his hands. Elric was laying on his side, leisurely ¡°Wrestling¡± with the fox.


    ¡°Tha¡¯ Ah am. Gonna train ¡®im Ah mean.¡± Adrien blushed, turning away from his friends reactions. ¡°Yer welcome ta join us so long as Lios is ¡®kay with it.¡±


    ¡°I am, definitely. Actually I was going to ask anyway. And Miss Liana, I was wondering if you could help further my understanding of magic if it isn¡¯t too much of a hassle. I know you''re more of a verbal-¡±


    ¡°Yes yes absolutely. Though I don¡¯t know much about runes.¡± She excitedly interrupted me as I was going to say the same thing. ¡°We can go over theory while we walk, possibly enhance your understanding of mana. Do you have [Mana sense] or [Mana Manipulation]?¡± She waited only long enough for me to nod before muttering to herself about lesson plans. ¡°Hmm good good. Okay first step improve his ability to manipulate mana. Then we need him to...¡±


    ¡°What about me? Don¡¯t want my tutelage?¡± Amelia¡¯s arms were crossed over top of Sky, who was sleeping in her lap.


    ¡°Actually I had a few ideas I wanted to ask you about but... I wasn¡¯t sure how accurate my latest guess was.¡± I smirked at her, I hadn''t guessed in several days but I felt pretty certain. After she had all but acknowledged that she was using a passive charm ability I observed her, and whatever feelings arose, with and without [Meditation] active. While it wasnt active I felt strangely drawn to her, and unable to take my mind off her. When it was active she felt more like a predator. ¡°Are you a, uhm I don''t actually know if they exist here but, a vampire?¡±


    She was quiet for a few minutes before glaring at me. ¡°Yes, but, why wouldn¡¯t we exist and what do you mean here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, just read a story from Arwin and wasn''t sure if vampires were present in Jorial or if they went by a different name.¡± I beamed at her innocently, beating myself up for the minor blunder. ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ve been inadvertently using you to train my [Meditation] but have some ideas for other things. I just wasn¡¯t sure if it would be... offensive or rude to ask.¡±


    She waved at me to continue.


    ¡°Well. I was wondering if you would uh...¡± I felt extremely awkward at what I was asking but took a deep, deep breath to steel myself. ¡°If you could take some of my blood during some of the sparring sessions so I could get used to the feeling of fighting with less blood?¡±


    Everyone stared at me for a few moments before she giggled. ¡°I thought for sure you were going to ask me to take your virginity! Thank the pantheon it wasn¡¯t that, you are faaaar tooo young for me.¡±


    The others started to chuckle. Elric cackled slightly like a demented warlock. ¡°You were so nervous I coulda sworn...¡± Even Adrien laughed for a few seconds as Liana resumed coming up with a lesson plan for me.


    My face was hot, warm. I shook my head aa I realized how it sounded. I laughed with them for a moment before Amelia turned towards me again. ¡°So you want me to, what, feed on you so you''re used to fighting at low blood levels? Hmm. I could probably do that. I must warn you though, two things. First, if you perish within forty eight hours of receiving my venom you''ll be turned into a vampire, so long as the death isn''t related to my feeding on you. Second, my venom is a painful paralytic. Its going to hurt a lot. I mean a lot a lot.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good, so I¡¯ll be able to build up a natural resistance to paralytics and increase my pain resistance skill? Deal.¡± I shuddered at the thought, I wasn¡¯t a masochist by any means and despite my casual attitude I knew this would suck. But I also knew it was better to learn to fight in rough conditions in a controlled environment than outside of it. ¡°So, uhm, how much of my combat class do you guys need to know in order to train me?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Elric was the first to speak up. ¡°Truthfully, the more we know the better, but we wont force you to share any more. We understand having secrets, especially as a class and the skills that it encapsulates can outline the weaknesses of a combatant and highlight ways to more efficiently kill them. If you like I¡¯m willing to take another oath regarding your class information.¡±


    Adrien nodded along, and I was quiet for a few moments before I nodded. I mentally showed the four of them the details for [Bladedancer] a touch nervously. The fact that it was considered a ¡°lost class¡± had always made me wary of sharing it with others. Despite the previous interactions with them, I felt that if I was able to grow it was worth taking this minor risk. Besides, despite my reluctance I knew that all four of them were so much more powerful than I was that this information would only be relevant in several years, if I was ever able to catch up. It had taken the past several days of thinking to rationalize this choice.


    [Bladedancer]


    Be it by circumstance, luck, intuition, or fate you have discovered a lost combat art. Faded away in centuries past, a tribe of nomads invented the Runedance, a series of movements that, when completed, allowed swordsmen, warriors, and entertainers alike to cast spells of unforeseen magnitude.


    Following the tempo, the rhythm of battle, a [Bladedancer] will call to the world and the world will answer. They will altar battlefields, rend the landscape, and slaughter their foes. With their magic and martial technique a [Bladedancer] is often considered a menace, a threat beyond that of either wizard or martial artist.


    They are unpredictable and ingenious, dangerous and powerful. Be wary of those whom you tell the truth to, for kings and gods do not always look kindly on those who have the potential to topple nations.


    [Bladedancer]¡¯s seek to further their technique, to understand the flow of the world''s mana, and to witness the vastness of the world and its people.


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 51


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:51


    [Runedancing] LVL: 51


    [Dodging] LVL:48


    [Intuition] LVL:31


    [Mana Sense] LVL:35


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:47


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:49


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3


    [Runesight] LVL:39


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:1


    I watched Elric''s face especially, he was typically more stoic than the others. I felt he hadn''t read the classes description until the end, instead focusing on the skills. ¡°Hells, kid, how¡¯d you get a mastery skill like that so young? Also, a blasted lost class? Makes me wonder what the stat distribution looks like. You ever get evaluated?¡± I shook my head, a small smirk playing at my lips as I turned to the others.


    ¡°The potential to... topple nations, huh?¡± Liana looked from the invisible screen and regarded me. Then seemed to think about my skills as a whole. ¡°I can see now why you cast your spells as you do. This is a very interesting class, there are other spellblade type classes out there but I can think of none that have such a stringent casting method. How long does it take to cast your spells on average? How many of these runes does each spell take?¡±


    ¡°Right, so, the lowest level takes five runes, and each level above it is an exponent of five. The spell that backfired on me was the second level. From my understanding first level spells can only have a single purpose, and they effect both enemies and allies alike. As you noticed, even I am not exempt from the effects. It takes a bit more than half a second per rune at the moment, but with [Compendium Actualization] I will eventually, and relatively quickly, be able to complete a low level spell instantly. So, around three seconds currently, without the use of that skill, to create a low level spell, and around sixteen seconds to create the next level if I¡¯m proficient in that particular spell.¡± I smiled wide as she nodded along. Up until now I had been practicing on my own, for the most part, and I was looking forward to the growth I could foresee with having four high level individuals helping me out. I didn¡¯t fully know what skills they had either, during the bandit attack they didn¡¯t use any skills until the end when Liana cast a healing spell that drained her as it had the day I bolted myself.


    ¡°Kid, ye di¡¯nt make us swerr an oath?¡± Adrien piped up after a few moments of consideration. ¡°This class is... well Ah c¡¯n see why ye¡¯d wanna keep i¡¯ a secret. How¡¯d ye even fin¡¯ it?¡±


    I observed him for a moment as he finally looked up and seemingly closed the screen. ¡°I uhm. Well truthfully I made it. I started with swordplay at six and convinced my parents to get me a tome on runes when I was eight. From there I studied for about a year and worked on creating a working model for a rune circle, and tried to integrate it into my footwork techniques. The first few weeks of trying to figure it out without [Mana Manipulation] and [Mana sense] were extremely difficult but before I turned ten I started to notice mana and could even feel it in my body. Once I turned ten, before selecting my class, I cast a couple spells and unfortunately the first was a catastrophic failure, but once it was fixed I guess I had enough qualifications for this class. Not sure which specific actions I took that led to it but... I think it was a combination of my blade mastery and ability to dance a spell into the world that led to it.¡± I shrugged a little, I wanted to make it seem a bit accidental even though I had very intentionally learned the skills with the intent of creating a spellsword class.


    ¡°Lios, I¡¯d like to be able to read through some of your rune circles even though I¡¯m a specialist in chants, if that¡¯d be okay?¡± Liana asked and smiled at me. I could tell she was thrilled to be able to talk wizardry with someone else. ¡°Do you have one of those rune tomes with you? Or is it all in your compendium?¡±


    ¡°Ah, all of them are in my compendium but I can write down the ones I know if you have spare paper. As for the actual spells I have made, I have a total of six first circle spells and two higher level ones that I have designed but not cast yet.¡± I held up a hand to belay any further questions as I went to my tent to pull out my journal with the rune circles written in it. It also contained some rune notes, but did not encapsulate all of the Lexico or Frith runes in it. I had left the front half for notes on first circle spells and runic languages and the back half for the next level. I remembered then the book my parents had gotten me as a going away present. I decided to leave it for now as they wouldn¡¯t be relevant to my current spells, but after studying it I¡¯d hand it to Liana for her own study. After retrieving the journal I handed it over to Liana. ¡°Actually, I have a book on ¡®advanced frith runes¡¯ but I haven''t been able to read it yet as well.¡±


    ¡°Lios, this class is very interesting. I¡¯ve lived a long time but never have I heard of this class. Have you considered the magic academy in the capital?¡± Amelia spoke for the first time since seeing the class. I could practically see her mind spinning like the rest of them. ¡°They¡¯d be your best bet at learning runes and enchanting at the very least.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known there was a magic academy, but I already knew unless I absolutely had to, I¡¯d avoid it like a plague. In my last life I had been a terrible student, and while I was significantly more diligent here I wasn¡¯t interested in repeating that experience. I shook my head. ¡°No, I¡¯d rather have my self study than be constrained to a single place for any amount of time.¡±


    ¡°I guess it makes sense, especially with your wandering skill. Can you show us the description of it?¡± Elric responded instead of Amelia. I nodded and quickly showed it to them. The description made a small smirk shine through the mans stoic demeanor.


    [He Who Wanders]: A [Bladedancer] is one who adventures, one who seeks new knowledge, one who wanders. This skill will pull the user to points of interest, reward them for their adventures, and guide them towards their goals over time. This skill levels only by discovering new places or peoples. Discover, learn, absorb new techniques. Wander and adventure and be one with the world you inhabit. Perceive that which makes the world unique, meet its people, see its sights and you shall further your connection to it.


    ¡°You haven''t had much chance to use this one? We should figure out this skill, it seems like something a treasure hunter would have.¡± Elric read the description and checked the level from when I shared my class.


    ¡°It¡¯s only leveled a couple times, the first when I was hunting and found myself in a clearing with several bucks. The second, I was looking for some herbs for my mom and found them really quickly. I hadn¡¯t known where to get them, but somehow ended up in the right place after only a short while. The skill doesn¡¯t tell me where to go, and if I¡¯m actively thinking about where I need to go it doesn''t seem to help. It¡¯s more like... from those two instances, I feel like it gently guides me to whatever I¡¯m looking for. I¡¯m willing to bet that in order for it to guide me to treasure or artifacts, I¡¯d have to raise the level. Mundane things, theres no issues. Unsure what happens if I don¡¯t have a set goal.¡±


    ¡°We should definitely test this one when we¡¯re on a quest sometime. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s got a fair amount of restrictions. Do you have any open general skill slots?¡± Luka rushed the large man and took a nip at his pinky before being pushed away again, and bowled over. He yipped defiantly and sprang back up, panting as sand shot towards Elric from his front paw.


    Well that confirms Luka can use earth magic. Nobody seems surprised, I guess its pretty normal? I thought to myself, eyes flickering over to where Sky was laying beside the fire. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like to test the limits of my skills. As it stands, there¡¯s a bunch I¡¯m not fully understanding between my combat class and my new crafting one. And I have three open general skill slots.¡±


    ¡°Did yer pa e¡¯er talk te ye abou¡¯ mergin skills?¡± Adrien asked, rubbing his scruffy chin.


    ¡°Merging skills? A little bit. Although most of my skill changes have been upgrades.¡± I shrugged, I knew that merging skills was a thing we could do, but I wasn¡¯t sure what skills would merge or even be beneficial so I hadn¡¯t worked on it too much.


    ¡°Do you have any perception skills?¡± Elric finally sat up and brushed himself off, much to the playful fox¡¯s consternation.


    ¡°No, unfortunately I don''t.¡± I did not like the terrifying grin that spread on the greatsword wielders face. In the firelight he looked like a devil.


    ¡°Okay, three slots open. We can probably get you a perception skill, a blind fighting skill, and-¡±


    ¡°Elric, I need the last slot open for my own training with him.¡± Liana interjected. ¡°You can have the other two but I want to help the boy with his magic.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Fine. I was hoping to get him some sort of lucid dreaming skill so he could merge it with [Meditation] but I suppose that would have to wait. A perception skill, [Blind Fighting], [Intuition],  and [Dodging] may be able to merge into a singular skill. It depends on the perception skill you¡¯re able to use.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡¯ll help ya¡¯s with developin yer mastery skil. Why¡¯d ya go with [Bladed Weapon Mastery] over [Sword Mastery]?¡± Adrien had pulled out a sheet of paper and was making some notes, similar to Liana who was muttering to herself and going over my journal with my current spells.


    ¡°I wanted to be able to use spears and glaives on occasion, the limitation is that the blade itself has to be at least a foot long. So it¡¯s still mostly limited to swords, but I wanted a little bit of extra reach. Unfortunately my sword isn¡¯t capable of changing to a polearm at the moment but, it¡¯s okay for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Are you adamant at wanting polearm skills? [Sword Mastery] would level significantly faster that [Bladed Weapon Mastery].¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m not opposed to forgoing the polearms. But keep in mind my class is, at least from what I can tell, based on versatility. That¡¯s part of the reason I chose to learn the basics for several different types of swords, and made on that can change shape.¡±


    ¡°Plus, ye got yer runes that can do wha¡¯ever ye deign to create. Def¡¯nitely a class based o¡¯ vers¡¯tilly.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so if possible, even though it¡¯ll be more difficult, I¡¯d like to keep the harder skill. Besides, who ever heard of a powerful someone who didn¡¯t have to struggle a bit?¡± The groups eyes flashed towards Adrien before refocusing.


    ¡°Fair enough. Okay Lios, I got a pretty good idea worked out, what say we hit the pillows and get up bright and early to get started? Sorry to say, but the trip from Kinnesville to


    Edderton is likely not gonna be pleasant for ya. You know, cuz strong folks gotta do tough things like you said.¡± Elric shot me a sadistic, toothy grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s not ominous at all. Okay, lets do it.¡± As I got up both foxes, even the sleepy Sky, followed me to the tent. Thankfully it sounded like Elric wouldn¡¯t torment me until after we left Kinnesville, but I didn¡¯t expect tomorrow to be easy either.


    My head hit the pillow and I had to push away the images of the men who I had directly killed. I sighed, trying to push past thinking about them, what had lead to them living a life of brigands? Had they been soldiers abandoned by their lords after a war? Were they orphans who found no other way out? Stop it Lios, stop it. It matters not who they were, only that they were attacking innocents. Only that they preyed on the weak. After an hour or more of this back and forth I finally fell asleep, Luka laying on my chest and snoring loudly.

 chapter 21

    Aside from flashes of nightmares that I had to forcefully push away, the night passed swiftly. Before I knew it, and before the sun itself rose, I found myself being shaken awake. Groggily I glanced at Elric, taking a moment to process that he had said we would start this morning. I slowly got up and donned my clothes, ever thankful for the self repair and self cleaning of my paupers clothing. I doubted any self respecting tailor would be willing to sell these, but I still felt proud at having made them myself.


    To the dismay of the foxes, I pulled myself from the tent and packed it up, laying them near the embers of last nights fire. Amelia''s eyes glimmered in the dark and gloom, the ruby red a terrifying sight if I were to get up in the middle of the night to pee. I nodded to her before I rolled my tent, really it was just two canvas tarps, one for the floor and another for the walls. I had been given it by the merchants after my original one had been destroyed. They were down a few guards from the conflict with the bandits so they had an extra anyway. Once it was packed and everything was tied up in my rucksack I turned to Elric. I nodded at him that I was ready, trying to be careful not to wake the others who would still be sleeping.


    He nodded back, then took off on a slow jog - slow for him, I had to enter a half run to keep up - down the road we had been following. Once we were a fair bit down the road he stopped and turned towards me with a goofy grin. ¡°Great, now we can be loud. We¡¯re gonna work on getting you [Blind Fighting] until the caravan catches up. They still have a few hours till they move so, we have a good while. Amelia will save you some brekky.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir. How do we get that skill?¡± I set down my pack, leaning it against the nearest tree.


    ¡°Put this on.¡± He held out a thin black cloth for me. I quickly put it on over my eyes then lifted it up so I could see Elric. ¡°Now, draw your sword. I¡¯m going to hit you until you learn to block while blindfolded. Try to figure out where I¡¯m going to strike based on anything other than your sight. This could also get you a perception skill called [Spatial Awareness] that would combine well with the other skills were looking at. So if you see it, take it.¡±


    He picked up a long stick as I covered my eyes again. I closed my eyes as well, breathing deeply before a soft whistle pierced the air and a thwack resounded. I stumbled, feeling the stick strike my side and swinging out to hit Elric. My blade, unsurprisingly, found nothing. Another whistle, this one behind me, and I was struck in my stomach. Wait, that didn¡¯t make sense.


    I doubled over, stars shining in the dark as I panted. I fixed my breathing just before I was soundlessly struck in the ribs. Then the thigh. Then the back. The arm. A wisp of a strike on my cheek. I heard Elric stifling a chuckle each time I lashed out.


    After around the thirtieth strike I fell into [Meditation] and attempted to be proactive rather than reactive. My body was already stinging all over and I was sure I¡¯d be covered in bruises by this evening. I focused my breathing, using [Mana Sense] to try to feel out the shifting of the ambient movements with Elrics assaults. The skill didn¡¯t allow one to perfectly perceive mana, but it did give a vague feeling of it. Most of the time, ambient mana moved about like jellyfish. Slow, mostly just floating there, undisturbed and undulating at its natural pace.When something moved through it it would shimmer, appearing staticy to my senses. I waited until a thread of mana, waving through the air, suddenly shimmered before reforming and moved to block it. The stick still struck me, Elric was moving faster than I could react for now.


    I took a deep breath, letting the sting of the most recent strike fade as I focused again. I felt a ping at the  edges of my mind, letting me know something leveled up. I held my sword in both hands, my left hand loosely wrapped around the pommel as the handle wasn¡¯t made to be used two handed. A whir of activity prickled at me from behind and I spun attempting to block but I had reacted a step too slowly. The stick collided with my left leg and sent me to the ground.


    ¡°Again!¡± I growled as I stood back up, a twinge of iron on my tongue as I had bit my lip when I fell.


    We continued, and I started to react quicker and quicker. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to block the higher leveled warrior. After what felt like no time at all I heard sounds coming from where I assumed we had come. I panted, sweat was dripping down my back and chest, my rough tunic slick and clinging to my body. A hand grasped my blindfold, and with my adrenaline still pumping I failed to realize the exercise was over. I lashed out in the correct direction and for the first time I felt something solid against my blade as I heard a soft thud.


    ¡°Oy Oy trainings over!¡± The hand yanked the blindfold off my face. I blinked away the motes of light that attacked my eyes, tears welling up at the sudden change from dark to morning light.


    ¡°I feel like you just wanted an excuse to beat up on me.¡± I grumbled as I turned towards the oncoming caravan. I barely noticed her before she assaulted me, Sky had leaped out of Lianas arms and straight at my chest, carrying herself several feet further than I¡¯d thought she¡¯d be able. Through our connection, I felt vague worry at my injured state. She sniffed my face and chest as I cradled her, frantically checking that I was okay. I felt some sense of satisfaction coming from Luka at verifying my safety.


    ¡°Perhaps, but did you get any skills offered to you?¡± Elric clapped a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face the direction we were heading. I pulled my notifications up as we started to walk.


    Your skill [Mana Sense] is now level 48


    Your skill [Intuition] is now level 44


    Your skill [Pain Resistance] is now level 21


    Your skill [Training] is now level 44


    Right off the bat I noticed a bunch of increased levels for my skills. [Mana Sense] alone increased by thirteen, as did [Intuition]. I hadn¡¯t noticed [Pain resistance] leveling but it made sense, and thinking back I realized that I had quickly been able to overcome the aches and bruises that had accumulated. I was a touch disappointed that [Training] only leveled up a little bit, three levels. The skill was helpful, it helped to increase the rate of leveling during training sessions and could eventually double or triple the efficacy of training, as it stood right now it was nearly a quarter more effective than not having the skill. Each level increased the skills potency by half a percent, and that added up quickly.


    I turned my attention to the rest of my notifications, seeing two left. Excited, I allowed them to fill my vision. My excitement turned to disappointment as soon as I read the two skills I was offered.


    Congratulations! You have earned the general skill [Counterstrike]


    [Counterstrike]: Immediately after you are struck by an enemy you may retaliate, activating this skill will increase the likelihood of your counter striking your opponent


    Congratulations! You have earned the general skill [Pacifists Toughness]


    [Pacifists Resolve]: You have withstood a bevvy of attacks without once retaliating, despite any attempts to do so. With this passive skill, for each strike landed against you without you defending yourself or retaliating, this skill will provide an additional three damage resistance. Damage resistance grows per level.


    Disappointed I shook my head. I dismissed both of them. There wasn¡¯t much point in an armor skill that didn¡¯t allow me to fight back, especially considering I¡¯d likely, after leaving this group, travel alone for a time. I glanced over at Elric, who was still guiding me as we walked ahead of the group. ¡°No such luck. Was offered two skills but they weren''t particularly good.¡±


    I described the two for him and he shook his head. ¡°Yeah, better to wait till you get the ones you want. Thats okay, usually takes a few sessions to get [Blind Fighting] and probably longer to get a perception skill.¡±


    ¡°You sure it wasn¡¯t just an excuse to beat someone up?¡± I chuckled slightly as we kept walking. Despite the skills being disappointing, I was quite satisfied by my gains in skill levels. It couldn¡¯t have been more than three hours since we started and my skills had leveled relatively quickly. Thirteen levels in one sitting, for a single skill, was practically unheard of in Arborton. I was guessing it had to do with being ¡°Trained¡± by someone much higher level, as though the experience and growth under his tutelage was worth more than if I had attempted it myself.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Alright Elric! You¡¯ve had your fun now its my turn.¡± Liana¡¯s soft voice echoed from my side and I felt her pull me away from Elric. ¡°Now we get to try to push for a different skill. I wont tell you which one just yet, just what we have to do. I had to bribe a merchant to let you sit on a wagon.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do all that, if it requires sitting we could have waited until we reached town tonight.¡± Kinnesville was likely only a short jaunt away, we would hopefully arrive just before lunch time, so in a few hours. I had no idea what to expect. Where Arborton had around five thousand people, a relatively paltry amount compared to the kingdoms cities, Kinnesville had around half that. Arborton ran the benefit of being near the Deepbloom Forest and having access to an old trade route from Port Airos, the capital of Jorial, and Arwin. This also meant that should war break out between the two countries, Arborton would become either a fortress city or would be one of the first assailed.


    There was a flick to my forehead as I pondered about Kinnesville. ¡°Lios, were you listening? You were tooootally zoned out weren''t you?¡± Liana puffed as I focused again. I held an embarrassed grin on my face and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Liana, I was thinking about Kinnesville. I¡¯ll focus now.¡±


    ¡°You had better! Now come with me.¡± She quickly led me to a wagon with a small amount of room at the edge for me to sit on, just large enough to site cross legged. I attempted to board the moving carriage but slipped and fell on my butt, eliciting some chuckles at my expense. Even Liana had a smirk playing at her lips. Without waiting for the oncoming jeering, I got up and stepped up onto the carriage before sitting down. I didn¡¯t worry about clearing the dirt from my clothes as I did, they would clean themselves anyway.


    ¡°Good! For a moment I was worried your first trial would be to simply board a carriage!¡± Liana laughed at me. I made an unsightly jester which only seemed to encourage her. ¡°Worry not Lios, from here on you only need to meditate and prevent yourself from falling again. Well, meditate and attempt to find your mana core. I¡¯m guessing you haven''t introspected to the point of visualization?¡±


    I shook my head as affirmation.


    ¡°Okay good. So, here¡¯s what you''ll do. Normally I¡¯d guide you by using my mana to seek your core, but I think with your seed we wont be able to do that. Seeds tend to make it difficult to aid another person, as they tend to have a mind of their own. So, for you I suggest you close your eyes and follow my advice to the best of your abilities. Don¡¯t be upset if you don''t find it right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes Miss Liana.¡± I said before closing my eyes and taking deep, meditative breaths. Instinctively I started to look deep within myself.


    ¡°Good, now imagine your inner self, it will look different for everyone so I cant help you much there, but let yourself sink deep into yourself until you locate your inner world. As you are low leveled it won¡¯t be all that much, but as you grow so too will it. It is the world of your soul and as such grows as your soul does.¡±


    I nodded to show I had heard her. I started to deepen my breaths and tried to imagine what my inner world could look like. I wandered in the dark for a little while, floating seamlessly as I attempted to delve deeper within myself. This activity, unlike the training with Elric, seemed to come easily. Perhaps it was with the help of [Distant Recollections] but I found myself surrounded by massive trees, redwoods. The smell of pine and whisper of wind flowed around me. The bubbling of a creek and water splashing on stones crested my ears. Chittering squirrels, singing birds, the buzz of bees close but not in arms reach surrounded me. It was a memory. A place my family had always visited, a place my soul called home even planes away.


    I willed myself forward, through the massive pines. The crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot made this figment of imagination ever so realistic. I walked until I found myself on a beach, a beach with a tree my family would gather around once each year. The tree was old, ancient even. A monumental oak. I walked towards the side facing the brook not far from me. Stones littered the sandy ground, stones and roots from this oak. I sighed seeing the cairn my family had discovered on one of our visits. I sifted through the stones, most of the names I ignored until I found the name of my grandfather.


    We had spread his ashes here when I was young, on what we called the ¡°Kings Rock¡±, a boulder that overlooked a cheerful basin of water upstream. A place we, as kids, would swim and holler and dive into from another rocky outcropping. I started to pull away from the gargantuan oak, it seemed larger than it had in my lifetime. Perhaps the magic of memory returned it to the size I¡¯d perceived as a child. As I turned to make my way to the basin, colloquially called the ¡°wash tub¡± a stone in the cairn caught my attention. The majority of them were blank, with only a few names that I could recognize. This one in particular had written on it one word, beside an image. Seeing it caused my heart to clench. ¡°Brioche¡±. And the image of a fox.


    I held it or a few moments before setting it down. I was certain now, this place was the world of my soul. Somewhere in here I¡¯d find my core. I turned towards the wash tub. I started on my way, absently wiping away tears, and as I made it to the King Rock I saw it. Floating above the pool of raging water, runoff from the mountains, a sphere of bright light sat before me. The sphere, unlike what I imagined, was a kaleidoscope of warring colors. Lightning arced away from it, tufts of flame burst out of it. Wind blasted its surroundings and the water below it became a whirlpool. Debris from the river lifted up and was crushed, before being thrown further downstream. My core, it seemed, had become the Maelstrom itself. I gulped and pulled away from my inner self. I had an idea, from reading a deluge of books and watching a large amount of fantasy shows, that I was meant to condense this sphere but I wanted to confirm with Liana before I did so.


    And so I opened my eyes to realize we had come to a stop. The smell of cooked meat and reheated bread struck my nose. Was it lunch time already? As I glanced around I noticed that Liana was sitting beside me, a frown on her face. Her hand was on my shoulder as she was shaking me.


    ¡°Lios, wake up, its time for lunch. Dear me how did you sink so deep you couldn¡¯t even... Are you up?¡± She tilted her head as I turned toward her.


    ¡°I am. I am.¡± I noticed then that there were tears running down my face. The memories of my grandfather and of Brioche had been so close, more powerful than they usually were. In the corner of my eyes I saw some notifications but I ignored them as I wiped the tears from my face. ¡°How long was I?¡± I waved my hand.


    ¡°Several hours. We just wrapped up lunch. Here, this is for you.¡± She pulled up a bowl of stewed meat. The merchants were believers in perpetual stew, and one of their entourage kept a pot cooking even while they traveled. It was a hearty, flavorful meal with whatever ingredients they could find. This time the newest meat was rabbit. I only realized then how hungry id become. I hadn¡¯t had breakfast, despite Elric saying they¡¯d keep some for me, and training had taken a lot out of me. I started to scarf down the bowl of stew and bread.


    ¡°Are you okay? Were you able to locate your internal world? If you were I may be able to join you for the next part.¡± Liana started to barrage me with questions. I simply nodded to both of them, ready to answer more but we were interrupted by Amelia.


    ¡°Liana, let him rest. Besides, after we get to town he¡¯ll be busy enough. Another small job popped up, he¡¯s prolly gonna want to take it.¡± Amelia looked down at me from the top of the carriage, laying on the roof and poking her head down.


    ¡°How close are we?¡± I asked with my mouth still full.


    ¡°About twenty minutes away, we stopped so we could eat the rest of what was cooked before entering. That and LiLi here was worried you weren¡¯t waking up. I told her not to worry but, I mean it has been like five whole hours since you closed your eyes, sooo.¡± Amelia rolled off the top of the wagon and landed on her feet.


    ¡°That long? It felt like maybe two hours at most. Good to know.¡± I finished my bowl of stew, mopping up the remnants with my bread. Standing, I stretched, my bruised muscles feeling better despite doing nothing to help them, perhaps my natural regeneration was aided by [Meditation]? I had assumed it would only aid with mental fatigue and mana regeneration, it seemed likely that it helped physical regeneration as well.


    ¡°We can continue this in the morning, for now lets get into town and see about starting some quests. You''ll have to accept quests through us, so when we get to Ironfell and get you registered take one of us with you so we can confirm the quests you were involved in.¡± Liana jumped off the back of the carriage and started walking, giving the driver the all clear so the caravan could resume and finish its journey. The merchants would likely stay here for a few days, while we¡¯d stay a touch longer to finish more quests.


    ¡°Sure thing. Lets go.¡± I got up and fell in step beside Amelia, keeping [Meditation] active so I didn¡¯t drool or ogle her.


    ¡°So, wanna talk about it?¡± Amelia asked, tossing me a sideways glance.


    ¡°Talk about what?¡± I tilted my head. I really wasn¡¯t sure what she was referring to.


    ¡°You were crying. Humans tend to do that when they¡¯re upset, right?¡± Amelia looked off towards the town, I could see the billows of smoke from the chimneys and the houses only a short distance away.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I was just remembering some people I haven¡¯t thought about in some time.¡± I smiled as the images of my first family flashed through my head, clearer now than they had been since arriving here. Curious, I checked for skill level notifications and was not disappointed.


    Congratulations! Your skill [Meditation] is now level 28


    Congratulations! Your skill [Distant Recollections] is now level 29


    [Meditation] had leveled five times in that short period, and [Distant Recollections] had increased by eleven. I whistled at seeing the notifications.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here if you want to talk about it. Its only been ten days since we left your home, who else could you be thinking of?¡± Amelia clearly wasn¡¯t expecting an answer, but it seemed she wanted to voice her suspicions either way.


    ¡°Someday, well someday maybe I¡¯ll feel comfortable to talk about it. About them. But right now, it hurts enough to think about them, and I feel you¡¯ll only have more questions when I do open up.¡±


    After that we walked in silence. I hadn¡¯t been offered any skills just yet, but I wasn¡¯t overly disappointed. It didn¡¯t take much longer for us to arrive at the town, passing through the rudimentary mud and wood walls that defended it against brigands. Once we were in the town proper, Adrien and Elric went towards the town hall while the rest of us went to find an inn.


    As we approached one of my skills finally leveled up.


    Congratulations! Your skill [He Who Wanders] is now level 4

 Chapter 22

    There were a few glaring differences between Arborton and Kinnesville. Where arborton had walls of both stone and wood, well put together and strong, Kinnesville had walls of sundried clay and wood. They were only around half as high, and had some small gaps between the planks. They would still do in a pinch, but I felt a strong wind roiling across the plains would topple them. From the southwest, where we came from, forest surrounded the roads. About three hundred yards from the walls was the deforestation line. To the north and north east were plains roiling with sparse trees and plentiful hills from Kinnesville to Edderton. The closer we got to the Dread Wastes the less vegetation would be present. The wastes themselves were a desert containing little life.


    I hope I¡¯m strong enough to hunt there... The errant thought crossed my mind, not for the first time. Typically, it was recommended that only people from level one hundred twenty to one hundred eighty delve the Wastes. Given I was only level fifty one I felt it was unlikely that I¡¯d grow so much stronger in the time it took to arrive at Ironfell. Even still, I seemed pretty capable of punching above my weight class due to my relatively powerful classes.


    The houses shared some of the same differences here from Arborton. They were simple wooden homes, with most buildings sharing the same pallet. The only differences were a smithy, the government buildings, and the barracks for the guards which all had some amount of stone for a foundation. On our way in we had passed a couple of small farms that I had paid little attention to. I was sure there would be more on the northern end of the town.


    As we walked through the small town I noted the location of the smithy, especially. I needed to figure out exactly what my new skill would allow me to store, and how much I could hold for the time being. I knew instinctively that it wouldn¡¯t hold much yet, but still wanted to test it.


    We made our way to the inn, there was only one in this small of a town. I mentally groaned, realizing that with the merchant group joining us we would likely need to share rooms. It was okay, but I still would have preferred to have my own. As we entered I glanced around. It was only a bit after midday, so not too many people were here drinking yet. I did see a farmer, two guards, and a woman whose job I couldn¡¯t easily discern. She and the farmer were sitting alone at different ends of the bar, the woman staring deep into her cup and the farmer chatting with the barkeep. Before I could ask for my own room, Liana stepped forward and returned with two keys. She handed one to me.


    ¡°For you, Elric, and Adrien. You¡¯ll owe me a silver. Rooms ain''t cheap with those merchants joining us for a week or so.¡±


    I quickly fished a silver from my coin purse, wincing internally. That was essentially half my weekly wage while working for Derren. ¡°How long are we staying in town?¡±


    ¡°However long it takes to complete all of the quests they need done.¡± Amelia smiled as we walked towards the stairs. ¡°Come on, lets drop off our things and check this little place out.¡±


    I nodded and unlocked the door to the boys room, there were only two beds so I claimed a spot on the floor, dropped off my things excluding my sword, a skinning knife on my hip, and my coin purse. I left my single full piece of gold with my bag though, only taking a sack of silvers that nearly made up a gold piece. Satisfied, I left the room to see both ladies waiting for me. Liana picked up Luka, Sky went to Amelia who let her act like a parrot. A feeling of smug satisfaction was emitted from both foxes. They both knew they were the true leaders of this group, and that everyone was already wrapped around their adorable little paws.


    ¡°I would like to visit the smithy, and then maybe take a bath if theres a decent stream for it around here.¡± I told them, I didn¡¯t take a change of clothes with me this time, but if we found a good spot I would have to later.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading around, I¡¯m going to go speak with the guards about the quests we have available. I know the boys are speaking to the town officials but it doesn''t hurt to cover our bases.¡± Liana, ever practical, intoned.


    ¡°I have nowhere better to be, can I come with you Lios?¡± Amelia reached up to scritch Sky on her shoulders. The fox practically purred as Amelia¡¯s long, pointed nails scratched all the right spots.


    ¡°I have no problem with that. Well, what are we waiting for? Daylights wasting.¡± I chuckled as I stepped back into the bright sunlight.


    It took less than five minutes to find our way to the smithy. Once we got there I idly perused the various weapons and armor that they had on display. Even with my fairly amateurish eyes I could tell they weren¡¯t of the same quality that Derren had produced, more like the works of his highest level apprentice. I looked over the various arms with my [Mana Sense] active and when I finally found an item with magic imbued I activated [Arcane Analysis], lifting up the small twisted dagger.


    Gloomy Twisted Dirk


    This twisted blade was crafted by Smith Prisma


    Effects:


    Doom and Gloom: When a living being is struck by this blade they are poisoned with a sense of foreboding. For the next twenty four hours the victim will be subject to abject negativity and thoughts of insecurity and depression. This effect doubles each time the victim is struck by the Twisted Dirk


    ¡°Good eye. Although that ones a failure if I might say so.¡± A voice visited me from the forge area. I turned to look at the smith. She was a burly woman, well muscled and with deep callouses on her hands. Her brown hair was lightened from time in the sun, and her tanned skin, provided by beating a hammer under the beating sun, glistened with sweat. She had likely been working all day. ¡°You passed over most of the rest, so I take it you either have an appraisal skill or a way to sense magic?¡±


    ¡°Smart. Both. Plus I¡¯m a smith, though still low leveled in that regard. Prisma?¡± I set the dirk back into its place. I had no need for a blade like that.


    ¡°Indeed, did someone guide you here? You with the merchant group that just came to town?¡± She tilted her headband wiped her hands clean on a dirty apron. Stepping forward she held out a hand.


    ¡°We came in with them. And no we weren¡¯t guided, I just saw the name when I analyzed your dagger.¡± I smiled and took her hand in mine, giving it a firm shake. ¡°Lios, and this is my friend Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Well, Lios, it seems you already have a blade and armor, so what can I do for you?¡± She ignored Amelia, likely realizing she was just tagging along given that I was the one responding.


    ¡°Well... I¡¯m unsure exactly. Hmm... Do you have an anvil I could try a skill on? If it works I¡¯d like to purchase it, if not I¡¯ll likely have to settle for some tools.¡± I took a peak over her shoulder at her forge.


    ¡°Hmm. I do have a spare anvil. But you would trust another smith to make your tools? How long are you in town, if its long enough you may as well rent a space and make your own tools don''t you think?¡± She waved me into the forge area before pointing to one of the anvils that was sitting not far from the bellows, it looked as though it hadn¡¯t been used in a while. It was beat up, dents and marks from use adorned its surface. ¡°We just replaced this one but she still works for aspiring smiths. Try your skill out.¡±


    I nodded a thank you before attempting to activate [Ephemeral Forge]. I felt some mana leave me as I activated the level one spell but realized the anvil was far too heavy still for the skill. Sighing I shook my head. ¡°Looks like it''ll just be tools for the time being. How much per day to rent a spot in the forge? And how much for a few ingots of steel or svertim?¡±


    Svertim was a metal on par with steel. It was similar in appearance to brass but much much sturdier. It was supposedly a bit more responsive to enchantment than regular steel was, but mana steel beat it out. Granted, mana steel was significantly more expensive as well. A single ingot cost anywhere from thirty to fifty silver. That was nothing next to the cost of the quicksilver and orichalcrum I had bought for my sword, only the fact I was given an employee discount and made three full billets of my damascus alloy for Derren had saved my coin purse from being emptied.


    ¡°Hmm. I can do a silver for three days, two silver for a full week. Thats eight hours a day during those days, but I won¡¯t chase you to make sure you get full utilization. As for the ingots... We have several of each, steel will cost you...¡± She looked like she was doing some calculations. ¡°I say about two silver per ingot Three per five ingot for the svertim.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯m not sure what my schedule is like yet or how long we¡¯re staying, but I¡¯ll likely stop by when I find out.¡± I shook her hand again before walking away with Amelia following behind, mildly shocked that Prisma hadn¡¯t mentioned Sky.


    ¡°You should have plenty of time to do some smithing, there¡¯s two total jobs you are high enough level for and I think you¡¯ll be able to take care of them rather quickly, if I¡¯m honest.¡± She shrugged and gave me a wan smile. ¡°I really cannot wait until we can figure out how rare your classes are. Do you know the difference in rarer classes versus their more common counterparts?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. well, common classes are much easier to level up, give the user a lower stat distribution, and provide weaker skills overall, right?¡± While we couldn¡¯t actively pull up our stats, there were tests and devices that could measure a person¡¯s quantitative power level. It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to make a habit of, but I did want to get them checked once we reached Ironfell.


    ¡°Well at least youre not totally ignorant. All of that was correct but there¡¯s also more. The higher the rank of the class itself, the less likely you are to advance to a higher rarity. Some think that it¡¯s the opposite, but the reason high rarity classes evolve into more powerful variations is mostly because those with high rarity classes tend to achieve more. They tend to delve deeper into danger and fight higher class enemies. High rarity classes allow people to punch above their level but if you, for instance, were to decide to level up your skills the slow way, through training rather than actual combat, you¡¯d likely stagnate at the rank you are now. Your classes, your skills, wouldn''t evolve nearly as easily.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. By the way, I¡¯m going to see about finding the baths. You wanna join?¡± I started walking towards a produce vendor, one that wasn¡¯t in the group we had just arrived with.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they''ll be coed, but I¡¯ll go to the ladies section.¡± She smirked. I was used to her teasing me but that didn¡¯t save me from a blush spreading on my cheeks or a brief imagining of bathing with her. Even with meditating constantly around her, human nature was difficult to tamp down.


    ¡°Alas, I suppose I¡¯ll have to wait until you confess your love for me then.¡± I approached the produce vendor, Amelia standing a few feet back. ¡°Hello, sir, I¡¯m new to town and was curious if there were any bathhouses?¡±


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    He looked me over for a few moments before greedily holding out his hand. I scoffed, and turned to walk away, unwilling to pay for information that I could find myself by wandering for a bit. Amelia laughed at what I could only imagine was a smug or miffed expression that fell upon the merchants face.


    ¡°What, couldn¡¯t spare a few coppers?¡± She chuckled beside me as I started to aimlessly walk.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d have left a few for the information but he was too greedy about it.¡± I shot her a fake glare, only now noticing that she had some smoked meat she was feeding Sky.


    I felt at my connection with Luka, trying to see how he was doing. All I got were feelings of boredom and frustration. All I could imagine was him in Elrics arms, biting the mans hands and arms and asking to be let down. I imagined that Liana had met up with the others by now, otherwise I had no clue what Liana would be doing to frustrate the little fox so.


    We walked for a few minutes, the town wasn¡¯t large so It was easy to find ourselves in front of the run down bathhouse. I stepped in and took a glance around, a bell ringing as we opened the door. We had to wait a moment for the attendant to come from the back, and fall in behind the counter.


    ¡°Well those are surely some new-¡± She stared at Sky with wide eyes. ¡°Is that a freaking fox?¡±


    The girl was young, this was likely her parents business that she was going to attend. If i had to guess I¡¯d say she was around thirteen. I suppose that wasn¡¯t too young, considering I wasn¡¯t even fifteen yet, but still she was a child. She was dressed in decent clothes, practical and nice looking. Her eyes had small bags under them and she didn¡¯t take on the cheerful appearance I expected from someone her age. Maybe she was having nightmares lately?


    ¡°She is! Would you like to pet her? Shes very friendly.¡± I picked the fox off of Amelias shoulders and held her in my arms, cradling her. I held her out for the girl to pet.


    ¡°Oh my gods oh my gods oh my goooodddds shes soooo sooooft.¡± The girl started petting her immediately, no hint of fear at the pet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but pets aren¡¯t allowed in the baths. And they¡¯re separated by gender,¡± She said after a few moments of scratching behind Skys ear.


    ¡°Thats okay. Can you believe it? Lios has been practically begging me for a date and the first place he takes me when I finally agree is a bathhouse!¡± I turned my eyes towards Amelia, shocked and embarrassed for a moment. The girl was nodding along as though this were a normal occurrence.


    ¡°What a scoundrel! He does have that look about him, I¡¯ll be sure to warn the other ladies here!¡± She turned to me. ¡°I assume you¡¯ll be paying then? And I can watch your fox, if you like. I won¡¯t even charge for it!¡±


    ¡°That is not... Whatever. Yes please, two baths and if you could watch her that¡¯d be great. Amelia, can you give the girl some meat in case Sky gets hungry?¡± I sent a mental check to Sky to make sure she was okay with waiting. I was still getting used to this stronger connection, and hadn¡¯t figured out how to communicate beyond feelings yet. She gave an affirmative yip so I handed her over to the girl.


    ¡°Okay that¡¯ll be twenty coppers total! And you mister, if I hear about you peeping I¡¯ll call the guards, understood?¡± I handed over the coppers, not dignifying a response before I walked into the bathhouse proper.


    Within moments I was finally out of my stinking armor and sitting to my chin in warm, steamy waters. It had been a long time since I had taken a bath in warm water. In Arborton I had grown used to bathing in the cold stream where I met Brook, so I hadn¡¯t taken a warm bath since I died. I soaked until my body was made of prunes, listening to the idle chatter of other customers but not hearing much of interest.


    Mostly they spoke about their day to days, though a few of them spoke about the merchant group and adventurers that had just rolled into town. One guy talked about a predator at his friends farm, but it seemed like that was one that the rest of the group would handle. One mans wife had just given birth to twins, and he stopped in before going back home to take care of them. In Ravos the traditional family was fairly present; the dad provides the money, and the mother takes care of the children and teaches them. Women, typically, couldn¡¯t even own property which astounded me.


    I wasn¡¯t fully aware how long I stayed in to soak, but at least two duos had come and gone before I got out and patted myself dry. Sighing with my displeasure at leaving, I dressed in my self cleaning clothes and collected Sky from the girl at the counter. Once I was outside I noticed red in the sky, we were near sunset.


    ¡°Somna¡¯s tits I thought I took forever to bathe.¡± Amelia was leaning against the wall of the bathhouse.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wait for me, you know. I¡¯m perfectly capable on my own.¡± I started in the direction of the inn, ¡®The Sleepin Drinker¡¯. She only huffed as we quickly found our way there, noticing that the other three had secured a booth in the corner. Unlike this afternoon, the place was much more crowded. Many of the merchants had also booked rooms here, while others had had to pay townsfolk to stay in their homes for a lack of beds.


    ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± Elric asked as we approached. His cheeks were flush, and there was a bit of ale foam on his upper lip.


    ¡°Princess here needed a three hour bath.¡± Amelia pointed at me. I ignored them as I sat, Luka climbing into my lap.


    ¡°So, Adrien, still wanna spar?¡± I asked before someone else could comment on our time at the baths.


    ¡°Aye, Ah¡¯m ready a¡¯soon as Ah finish me drink.¡± He wasted no time, chugging the mead. ¡°Ready!¡±


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± We quickly found a spot, a small clearing behind the inn. Nobody else joined us, Luka and Sky had also stayed behind due to the prospect of food.


    Don¡¯ hol¡¯ back nah, Ah wan¡¯ ta see exactly how ye figh¡¯,¡± Adrien commanded before raising a broomstick.


    I nodded, not saying anything but drawing my blade from its sheath. I knew there was little chance of harming him with my drawn sword, and the shape changing nature was integral to my fighting style so far. I willed its shape to change slightly, to the horror of the blade, so that it would be dulled. Rounded edges were extremely difficult to maintain with an active sharpness enchantment, but I powered through, deciding it was just more training.


    Adrien didn¡¯t wait for me to fall into a proper stance or anything like that, he just lunged at me. In my shock I barely parried his thrust, and didn¡¯t have any time to develop a counterattack. He pressed me, his sword slashing horizontally. I blocked again, this time side stepping to give myself a bit more room. As soon as he disengaged I rushed toward him, turning my sword from a longsword to a scimitar. My feet started to draw out the runes for my lightning blade spell, after I actualized the first half of a rune. I stepped towards him, finishing that first rune and connecting with his blade.


    There was a smirk on the mans face as he slashed towards my feet, mana running along his sword disrupting my spell when I dodged instead of blocked. I focused a little on [Mana Sense]. Frowning I began casting again, but couldn''t actualize as the skill had a mild cooldown. It wasn¡¯t something I could spam to constantly cast low level spells. He made another move towards my feet but this time, rather than dodging I blocked him, sidestepped and attempted a counter thrust, shifting the blade to a rapier. He easily blocked it and I stumbled slightly. Growling my sword shifted yet again into a longsword again, and I kept on the offensive, attempting to pressure him enough that he couldn¡¯t disrupt my sword dance.


    After three seconds the spell was ready and lightning mana wreathed my sword as pseudo blade aura. I grinned to myself as I thrusted at the man and he sidestepped, allowing me to swing slightly in his direction and launch a, albeit slow, line of lightning at his side. He frowned as it hit him and I grumbled about the level difference. It hadn¡¯t event left a marr on his clothes and he didn¡¯t even wince.


    I held the other two launches of lightning as he started moving faster, stabbing at me, slashing, attempting to disarm me. He became the aggressor quickly and made me stumble a bit. The longer I held the raucous mana the more difficult it became. In a haphazard counter I launched a blade of electricity at Adriens foot, but he was easily able to step over it. He did miss the other blade that came towards his stomach a half second later, a resounding crack echoing in the dark city street we were sparring in. He growled again and slashed down at me, his broomstick stopping at my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯s only been a few day bu¡¯ ye¡¯v gotten stronger, faster. Much better. Nah, Ah¡¯ll show ye some more advanced techniks.¡± He didn¡¯t comment on me landing a couple of blows. True to his words he started pointing out areas where I was lacking. I overthought in combat still, wasn¡¯t able to act fully on impulse and instinct. He corrected my form here and there as he had me try out a couple of different longsword techniques.


    After nearly three hours, the sun had long since fallen and we reentered the tavern to see a drunken Amelia clinging to a drunken Liana. Elric was throwing Sky as high as he could within the building and catching her. Luka had three plates next to him all spotless and clean. I felt my curiosity flag as I watched this scene. Adrien stared with me.


    Patrons were surrounding Elric and encouraging him to toss the fox, and she wasn¡¯t helping with her incessant cackling. I took in the sight to the best of my ability, feeling at our connections to make sure they were okay. Luka was sleeping, but I gathered he had been given the groups empty plates to clean along with a bevvy of snacks by the patrons. His belly was bulging and a touch of drool dripped out of his furry mouth. Sky only emitted feelings of glee and elation, adoring the attention and the shenanigans.


    ¡°Toss the fox! Toss the fox!¡± Some of the patrons called out to Elric as we took in this sight.


    Adrien and I approached our booth, Liana and Amelia swaying in front of it. ¡°So, uhm, how did that start? Why are a bunch of drunkards watching my fox get tossed up?¡±


    ¡°Liiiiooooossss yer baack!¡± Liana¡¯s excitement was palpable. ¡°Sky there ish jush a cutiepie huh? Evry-one looovves her.¡±


    Amelia wasn¡¯t much help either, just giggling as she stared at me. She licked her lips before sliding up next to me. ¡°Lios Lios Lios! Don¡¯t tell me youre done training! I was just about to come out and help you practice with low blood! I¡¯m sooo thirsty please can I have a little nibble?¡±


    Okay perhaps she wasn¡¯t drunk, but she was terrifying when she got that predatory look in her eyes. If I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d think she was a succubus instead of a vampire. Batting her eyelashes at me I sighed and nodded slightly.


    ¡°Well I was going to go to sleep, but you can have a drink before I go I guess.¡± I turned back towards Adrien. ¡°By the way, whats the plan for the next couple of days?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Next tree days Ah wan to train ye¡¯s a bit more, then after tha¡¯ ye¡¯ll start on yer two quests while we do ours. Otterwise, ta days will be yers.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll likely be at the smithy the next few days though. I want to check out the new class.¡±


    Amelia could wait no longer. She took me by that arm and began dragging me upstairs. Aggressively she shoved me into a room, the one she shared with Liana, and pushed me onto the bed. ¡°Okay. let go of meditation. Try not to resist my... allure, please. It¡¯ll make you taste muuuch better.¡±


    I let go of the skill, and instantly felt the draw of her power. My heart began to race slightly, cheeks growing flush. As soon as I stopped meditating, which had become a near constant activity the past few days, I first felt an instant decrease in pressure in my head as I stopped straining against Amelia''s passive charm, and next lost any questions that may have been asked. My mind was suddenly hyper focused on Amelia. My instinct was to pull away, to resist the strange draw, but I followed her instructions.


    ¡°Good. Good. Now, a number of things are going to happen. One, I am going to bite your wrist. When I do my venom will fill your veins and you will be paralyzed for a short time depending on how long I drink. Two. This is going to hurt, a lot. Maybe not the most painful things you¡¯ve experienced but certainly an amount. Three, I¡¯ll bring you some juice. You are to stay awake long enough to drink this juice. The paralytic in my venom also tends to put people to sleep. You¡¯ll have to resist. Four, you¡¯ll go to sleep. While we are in town we will work on building your resistance so you can start to train with it in your system, it¡¯ll be good practice. Any questions.¡±


    My eyes must have been saucers. I took in every word. I gulped, thinking of how amazing it would be to be bitten by her. I shook my head when she asked about questions, mental images flooding my mind unbidden. I briefly fantasized about her, her teeth her lips her everything. My eyes were locked onto her face even as I daydreamed. She rolled her eyes and gave me a half smile.


    ¡°Right. Probably should have gone over everything while you weren¡¯t charmed... Oh well. Ready?¡± She waited for my immediate nod. Without any further ceremony she made me lay on my back and grasped my arm, taking a large bite into my wrist.


    I gasped as her teeth pierced my vein, feeling an odd suction as she pulled the blood into her mouth. Her venom, true to her words, sent cold icy pain through my arm. Black spread like ink in my veins, visible from my wrist to my biceps but the inky dark didn¡¯t extend any further. The paralytic caused me to shake as I attempted to move, finding myself sluggish and unable to. Stars began to shimmer in my vision and my arm became even colder. I gasped for air and attempted to pull away, stilled by the powerful venom. Her eyes were closed and she groaned at the taste. She held me there for a while, slowly draining my body of blood. I felt my breath quicken as I started to panic and finally she pulled away. I panted still unable to move as she started to tuck me in.


    I struggled against the venom as she walked out, trying to cycle my mana to make my blood flow faster, focusing mana where I thought my liver and kidneys should be to help them better remove the poison in my veins. It didn¡¯t help. When Amelia came back I was still stuck but after dropping off the juice I was able to move a little again. My every movement felt sluggish and painful. The venom made my body feel like ice as the pain faded away. The venom was nowhere near the pain I experienced with my Tribulations. I doubted that anything would be quite that bad.


    I sipped on the juice, until it was gone, then lay my head back down and promptly fell asleep. This time, I was too tired, possibly an influence of the venom, to have a nightmare.

 Chapter 23

    I woke up groggily, a mild headache playing behind my eyes. Blinking away the morning light coming in through our open window I glanced to the side, where I heard snoring. Liana was sprawled out on her bed, Sky laying near her head. Luka was beside me, snuggled under my armpit. He let out a soft whine as I started moving, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.


    Since I was already dressed, I quickly made my way down to the tavern proper for breakfast. I saw a couple of others up, likely getting ready to set up shop and find a space in the center of town before they were taken by the other dozen merchants from the caravan. During their journey, they hadn¡¯t lost any of the merchants only a few guards. The loss of the guards still weighed heavy on my mind, even though I hadn¡¯t even met them. I still wasn¡¯t used to such frequent loss of life.


    I sat at a table and quickly ordered from the barmaid, a pretty girl around my age. I suspected, as was common in this world, that her parents or another relative owned this inn and had given her the job. Possibly with the intent for her to take over in time. It didn¡¯t take her long to bring me a large, filled plate. On it were scrambled eggs, a couple links of sausage, a large piece of buttered bread fresh from the baker, and some fried potatoes. A bowl appeared on the table as I was halfway through the meal filled with fruit. Grateful for the food, I finished and paid, leaving a tip of a few copper. The meal itself cost around five copper, it wasn¡¯t overly expensive.


    Curious about whether the rest of my friends were still sleeping, I looked around for a bit before I left for the smithy. As I approached it, I stopped at a fruit vendor to secure a jug of juice so I could stay hydrated throughout the day, not wanting to find a well to fill my waterskin, and deciding to enjoy the convenience of being in town. I waited near the entry to the forge as Prisma hammered away at some nails, it looked like. A small crate was next to her which she was tossing the nails in as she finished. She noticed me and held up a hand for me to wait as she finished the last couple, they took maybe a total of ten minutes.


    ¡°So, come back to see me or did ya decide to rent some forge time?¡± A towel had appeared in her hand as she came to the front of the forge. She wiped away some of the sweat and grease and slag from smithing.


    ¡°Could be both, but I would like to rent some time at the forge for the next three days at the minimum. And some tools until I can get my own set sorted out. I¡¯ll also purchase three five pound ingots of svertim if you have them.¡± An ingot could range in size. Most smiths would carry smaller versions as they were significantly easier to work with than their twenty or fifty pound equivalents that were often used during transport or sale.


    ¡°Total, that¡¯ll be ten silver for the lot. Including the forge time. I¡¯ll get you some tools, just make sure ye don¡¯t break em.¡± The woman winked at me playfully. I fished the coins out of my purse and stepped up to the anvil I would be using. It took less than two minutes for her to return with an apron, some gloves, and the appropriate tools for me to make some of my own.


    ¡°Thank you miss Prisma. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll take care of the tools.¡± After that she went on to work on her own orders, which mostly seemed to consist of horseshoes, nails, and other items for the common folk to use.


    Before I began forging I took the first bar of svertim and activated my [Ephemeral Forge] skill, feeling the mana leave my body and surround the metal. The mana took on an orangish tint, akin to the coals of the forge. It wrapped around the dull, bronze colored metal and pulled it into a different plane. The metal became translucent, shimmering with the color of the ephemeral forge. Tentatively I placed the metal into the forge to heat and saw the mana changing color, from orange to a dark red. The red was slowly changing color as the metal heated but I wasn¡¯t sure yet what the color could mean in terms of how hot the metal was. I hadn¡¯t worked with svertim overmuch, Derren had preferred the use of mana steel in his arms and armors, but even still I knew enough to work with it.


    As I waited for it to warm up, I attempted to place another ingot into my forge skill but it seemed like slightly too much. Intuiting the capacity, I instead pushed the hammer I would be using through and it was accepted. It felt the same in my hand as it had before being stored by my skill, but it took on the same orange translucence. The ingot in the forge was still slowly warming itself up so I turned to my journal to start writing out the enchantments I wanted on my hammer, the first tool I¡¯d be making. My intent was to forge multiple tools from each bar of svertim, as five pounds was far too much for a single tool. A three and a half pound hammer and a set of tongs could easily come from a single ingot.


    The enchantment that I was hoping to create was another durability one, as well as something that could emit heat whenever the hammer struck the metal to keep it workable for longer. I started to lay out the runes for this second one in my journal, and quickly came up with a working model. They were both simple enchantments, and in the future I¡¯d need to make something more comprehensive but for my first real set of tools I¡¯d be fine with this.


    Soon the metal was ready for me to flatten, fold, etch runes into and repeat. I kept my notifications on so that as soon as I leveled [Ephemeral Forge] I could have another ingot enter it. It was strange to work with metal that was both there and not, and it took a minor amount of mana and concentration to keep the ingot corporeal. If I lost my focus it would simply sink back into the ephemeral realm and I wouldn¡¯t be able to work it. I spent a majority of the morning [Runesmithing] and enchanting the metal. The process was simple, if not tedious. Id manipulate my mana to rest at the end of my hammer in the shape of the line I wished to etch into the metal. It didn¡¯t physically etch the metal, but instead the runes, once made, would temporarily enchant the metal. When I folded the metal, the enchantment would break or weaken and I had to insert it again. I did this until the metal retained the enchantment without requiring a physical etching. I was sure that the dwarves had a much more elegant method, but I was forced to brute force the enchantments with repetition and focus. The way I understood it, each time I created the enchantment and each time it broke, a fragment of the magic and intent would be imparted on the metal itself. Once it was fully integrated, even splitting the ingot into multiple pieces wouldn''t break the enchantment, though they would still need to be reinforced.


    By the time I had finished with that, [Ephemeral Forge] had leveled four times and allowed me to store a second ingot. It seemed that the first level had allowed eight pounds to be storable, and each level after that increased it by two pounds. I was a long ways away from being able to travel with a full forge but that was okay.


    As I worked on the metal I found that while heating, it started as a dark red and when it was ready to forge it would be a bright yellow. I wasn¡¯t sure if this would be the case for all metals or only svertim, but I¡¯d find out eventually through experimentation.


    Around lunch time Liana stopped by to drop off my foxes, the group was going to investigate some of the jobs they had taken. At that time I decided to take a break, storing the two worked ingots, one was ready to be forged into a hammer and likely a set of tongs, the other needed a bit more love. The second only had the durability enchantment, there was no need for a heating enchantment on most of the tools and it was an experiment anyway.


    After a quick lunch of bread, fruit, and a couple pieces of mystery meat on a stick, I made my way back to the forge. I started working on the hammer, cutting away a large portion of the billet and leaving the rest for the tongs. I spent the rest of the afternoon with my attention split between the hammer, a set of tongs, and finishing the enchantments on the last billet I was making for additional tools. I¡¯d need a set of sledges, chisels and more before I had a full tool kit.


    By the end of the afternoon, both the tongs and the hammer were nearly finished but not quite there. The entire time I worked I tried to focus my thoughts on the intended enchantments, hoping that [Maelstrom Modification] wouldn¡¯t ruin all of this work. For all I knew, the modification could create ice on whatever I was working on, or shatter it. Honestly, my imagination was running wild with possibilities and it took a lot out of me just to tamp down those thoughts and focus on the task at hand.


    After spending most of the day at the forge I returned to the tavern to see if my companions had come back. They weren''t back just yet, and it was too early for dinner, so I took another bath. I felt I was spending coin rather frivolously but I couldn¡¯t resist the lovely warm bath. This time I only stayed around for a half an hour before returning to the tavern once again and securing a booth to relax in while waiting for my friends.


    With dim lighting I began to read and take notes from my second book on Frith runes. These runes weren¡¯t necessarily more powerful than those in the first edition, but had different functions. Some of them added specificity that the first edition lacked, and I quickly took note of a few runes that I could use later. There were several that I could foresee using when I constructed buff spells, rather than the usual attack spells I had been using.


    I pulled aside all those that could give me temporary buffs and made a few notes on them, filling several pages in my journal with ideas and thoughts. I was specifically trying to design a spell that would make me quicker and working through what would be necessary to make it happen. For instance, if I made myself faster but my muscles weren¡¯t enhanced I could strain them, or if my perception wasn¡¯t at the same level I could become clumsy. I wanted one single spell that could enhance my senses, my musculature, and my speed at one time.


    I was still working on the spell, having skimmed the rest of the runes that were highlighted in the book, when Adrien grabbed my shoulder, startling me out of my focus. ¡°Lios, are ye ready for Elric and I ta train ye?¡±


    It was just the two of them standing forebodingly at the edge of the table. I nodded and stored my journal and book into my bag. ¡°Sure, let me put away my bag then I¡¯ll be ready. Blind fighting training or swordsmanship?¡±


    ¡°Swordsmanship at first, followed by blind fighting. Gotta get you those skills, aye?¡± Elric was grinning predatorily.


    With goosebumps filling my arms I quickly stowed my items and returned to the back of the tavern. Liana and Amelia were waiting along with the two swordsmen.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to just walk you through a number of techniques. Then you will practice them, we will get dinner and bring you something, then we will spar with you to see about consolidating the techniques you just learned. After that will be blind fighting, and attempting to get you some additional skills.¡± Elric went through the lesson plan and I internally groaned. From the sounds of it I¡¯d have to block attacks from both of them while blindfolded.


    ¡°An¡¯ no spells till we leave Kinnesville, even when yer on yer own missions.¡± Adrien clarified.


    ¡°Yes sir, no spells till we¡¯re on the road.¡± I was close to asking why but I figured it out quickly. They wanted me to be a proficient swordsman before I came to rely too heavily on spells.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Quickly they drew out their swords, not using any broomsticks this time. Adrien had me follow along several techniques, showing me how to better parry and deflect strikes, how better to counter. Each technique fit the same longsword style he used, and were easy to slot into my shifting fighting style. After showing me a dozen or so individual techniques they left me alone to practice them. Even after they returned I continued to practice until Liana forced me to stop and take a break to eat.


    After I ate Elric stepped up with his greatsword drawn. ¡°Okay, now we will see if you can actually use them against a real opponent. I¡¯ll do my best to set myself to your level but if I¡¯m a bit overzealous, I apologize. I¡¯m not used to doing things at less than my full strength.¡±


    I gulped and nodded. He was exaggerating, I was sure, considering the blind fighting training had been... well I suppose he didn¡¯t need to hold back much then... Even still I readied my blade, keeping it in the shape of a longsword. I could experiment with different blade shapes later, now was the time to become proficient with the techniques I was just taught.


    He came at me quickly, his massive sword a whir. I barely saw it before it stopped just short of my neck. My eyes were wide and I took a step back. He pulled away and said ¡°Try again,¡± in a calm, steady, voice.


    ¡°Yes sir...¡± My voice was not quite as sure as his. When sparring with Adrien, he always made sure to fight at my level. It seemed I¡¯d get no quarter from Elric in that regard. As he readied his blade once more I focused on my breathing. I closed my eyes, if he was too quick for me to see, maybe I could feel him move with [Mana Sense].


    I felt the strands of mana shift quickly, and raised my blade to deflect his. To my surprise I felt resistance and heard a raucous ¡®clang¡¯. My eyes opened and I saw that I had successfully blocked him but that didn¡¯t mean the spar was over, he raised his sword again and cleaved downwards. I raised my sword quickly, but he shifted and was suddenly attacking my side. In panic I did a minor summersault over the incoming sword, rolling on my shoulder as I landed back on the ground. Quickly I made my way to my feet. Feeling the mana shift to my right I barely raised my sword in time to parry a crushing blow. I attempted to counter him but even with him supposedly holding back he was too quick for me to touch.


    He assailed me for around an hour. I was able to successfully use each of the dozen techniques they taught me a few times, but still came away with scrapes and bruises from being pushed to the ground over and over. There was a small amount of blood on my tunic from my elbow scraping against gravel when the downward strike proved too heavy and knocked me down despite my attempt to block it.


    Elric had said, ¡°Part of being an adept warrior is knowing which strikes you can and cant block.¡±


    It made sense, especially in a world where nearly everyone had the capacity to become super human. As it stood right now I felt I was stronger than most people on earth could ever hope to be, except maybe strongmen. While working at the smithy I had been able to move some of the anvils with little struggle even as a fourteen year old, anvils which could weigh a few hundred pounds at the high end - at least if they were made strictly of iron and steel. I, and I feel others, had gotten overconfident in my strength believing that I could muscle out anything, but everyone else in this world had similar strength.


    I was able to parry, deflect, and counter a fair amount though. My blade clashed with his more often than he ¡®killed¡¯ me. At first I felt that Elric was holding back more and more but after a while I realized I had simply gotten used to his speed. At the end of the hour Liana handed me a waterskin, and she and Amelia went inside. My body was aching from the constant exertion.


    It was a touch freeing, though, not having to think through my rune dancing while in combat. Focusing on advancing my swordsmanship and seeing a noticeable difference in mere hours. Next would be blind fighting training, in an attempt to develop another skill.


    ¡°A¡¯right, Lios, ye ready ta get a new skill?¡± Adrien held up a broomstick and a blindfold. Why he and Elric had switched roles, I wasn''t sure. Not that I minded, if they kept switching I could get more tutelage with more variance.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I stood and took the blindfold tiredly. As soon as my eyes were covered I lifted my blade to indicate readiness, keeping the edges dull with a force of will. Adrien attacked me in a similar way as Elric. I attempted, at first, to use my hearing again but quickly switched back to using [Mana Sense]. I was able to block a few of the strikes that came at me, catching up to the speed at which these monsters attacked me. I would grunt and yelp as the broomstick slapped against the same spots that I had scraped before. Or when it would strike a vulnerable or vital area, my kidneys, back, gut, thighs. I took Adriens abuse for far too long, focusing purely on my senses, both physical and magical.


    At some point I heard a ding, then another as I parried a blow that had far too much weight behind it. I ignored them for the time being, focused only on training as the elder warrior continued to assail me. Growling I would attempt to lash out at him but the man was too fast to be struck by me when he didn¡¯t want to be. During our spars he must have let me land a few blows, regardless of him lowering his stat and skill levels to my own. I must have fought blind for two or three hours by the time Adrien called out to me to stop.


    As soon as he did I pulled the blind fold off my face and was grateful for the dim lighting in the small clearing we fought in. I was mildly surprised that there were no onlookers as I sheathed my blade, letting it become sharp once more. I wordlessly followed the man into the tavern and plopped down next to Liana, who was deep in her cups again. She scooted away a little bit as I was sticky with sweat.


    ¡°Sooo, did ya get any new skills?¡± Elric asked from across from me. Luka was in his lap, being spoiled with attention and the fat trimmed off of whatever meat Elric had eaten.


    ¡°Let me look.¡± I shrugged a little, glancing around for Sky who was curled up on the floor near Lianas feet.


    I opened up my notifications, ignoring the several levels in [Pain Resistance], [Mana Sense], [Dodging], and [Intuition]. There were two other notifications that took precedence.


    Congratulations! you have earned the general skill [Blind Fighting]


    [Blind fighting]: With or without senses you are capable of holding your own against unseen foes. You can block, counter, combat and retaliate against those you cannot perceive based on instinct and your other senses alone.


    Congratulations! you have gained the general skill [Portent of the Thaumaturge]


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge]: You have seen the unseen, sensed the movement of the forces of this world and listened to their warnings. Through observation you have been able to intuit incoming attacks and respond accordingly. Mana, the vitality of Ravos, speaks to the open world and now knows to speak to you. Should you listen you will be granted access to the instincts of energy. Listen well and the world will guide you, their friend, towards survival.


    I was silent for a few moments, ignoring the adventurer¡¯s stares as I reread the second skill. I gulped then looked up at Adrien, Elric and Liana, unsure where Amelia was. ¡°So uh... I got two skills, but I¡¯m unsure if I need [Blind Fighting] anymore. It could still be useful but uhm. Can you take a look at this one and tell me what you think?¡±


    I showed them the two notifications, my [Intuition] was telling me that [Portent of the Thaumaturge] was capable of all that [Blind Fighting] was and that it would be better, at least for the time being, to keep it as its own skill rather than merge them. Adrien seemed to agree, his mouth opened to say something but closed again as his brow furrowed. Elric glanced up at me then back at the invisible screen. Liana sobered quickly, perhaps due to elven vitality?


    ¡°Aye, thats a pretty strong skill Lios...¡± Adrien intoned thoughtfully. ¡°Ye should def¡¯nitly take ¡®er.¡±


    ¡°No need for the other one with this, I agree. Were you using [Mana Sense] to detect Adrien and I? Thats a fairly advanced technique isn¡¯t it Liana?¡± Elric itched at the stubble that was growing on his chin.


    ¡°It is. Typically its a technique gained through extreme circumstances. My guess here though, is that your second class as well as your first has brought you closer to mana than would otherwise be possible. As such, you were able to use [Mana Sense] to actually perceive the flow of the worlds mana. Impressive, young Lios.¡± Liana buzzed with excitement. I felt she was even more eager to explore my inner world and see my core than she was before. ¡°Alternatively, perhaps our friend here is simply a prodigy. Either it is luck, or talent. Thats my impression. Many mages take this skill eventually, but from what I¡¯ve heard they typically have to work very hard for it. For you to gain it in a few spars... Well, perhaps you have an uncanny relationship with mana. Your class descriptions also speak to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I can see that. I think it helps that we are higher level and training him, but it looks like you¡¯ll have two general skill slots available. Typically, you¡¯d want both a perception skill and [Blind Fighting] but between this one and [Intuition] I think you¡¯ll be fine. I haven¡¯t heard of someone gaining this skill without a focus on wizardry... Though I guess you do have a focus on spells and their craft, eh?¡± Elric looked it over again as I took the skill and dismissed [Blind Fighting].


    As I accepted the skill I began to hear small noises from immediately around me. Greetings from the mana itself. It was an immediate revelation, it wasn¡¯t just energy but a living entity. Mana, each different kind, each mote, was a separate being. They were similar to plants, not sentient but alive and feeling. The world around me brightened a bit, and I could feel each strand of mana around my person. It extended to about a three foot circle around me from edge to edge. I assumed that it would only expand over time. It was a passive skill but it seemed to have a constant draw on my mana. It was just enough that I couldn¡¯t regenerate enough mana to keep up with the drain. I reluctantly disabled the skill, giving myself a mental reminder that I should activate it before any combat. Hopefully over time I¡¯d be able to keep it active always.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go getting a big head just because you got a decent skill, if you cant keep up with it or come to rely on it you¡¯ll find yourself faltering when it matters.¡± Elric reminded me.


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m a little surprised it wasn¡¯t added to my class, maybe when it evolves?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It sems sim¡¯lar to otter skills in yer class, but Me thinks is cuz yer class ain¡¯t strictleh a weezard class. Anywho, les get ye a drink. Ale? Mead? Which do ye prefer?¡±


    ¡°Mead please.¡± I smiled at the tattooed man, someday I¡¯d have to ask about them but for the time being I was more concerned with growing. ¡°I should only have the one though, gotta be up early.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow you should take the kits, we¡¯re off on a monster hunt early. Amelia¡¯s scouting the den as we speak.¡± Elric waved towards the busy barmaid, the tavern was loud and raucous. The merchants and their guards were drinking up a storm. This week and the next would be a windfall of wealth on this small town, especially for the tavern and farmers as the merchants would be restocking for the next leg of their journey to Ironfell. We would be trailing behind them for a bit, though taking as many detours as were planned we would lag behind by quite a bit.


    ¡°What kind of monster?¡± My curiosity was piqued. I knew there was a hefty variety from the common types found in fantasy stories back home, such as goblins, wolves, bugbears, even wendigos. But then there were some that I had never heard of, the shrubgeist, brudwig - types of insectile monster that was similar to a giant poisonous centipede - and many others.


    ¡°Tis ¡®parrently a weirgan, a type o¡¯ water lizard that spews acid or water. ¡®Twas seen in the Deepbloom near a smoll lake.¡± the fearless leader handed a few copper over to the barmaid in exchange for a few mugs of mead.


    I gratefully took mine and raised it up in toast, clanking against Adriens and Elrics, Liana back to sipping on some white wine. ¡°Thank you all for training me. To growth and our continued prosperity!¡± I called out before taking a long drink of the honeyed alcohol. It felt a little cheesy to toast like that, but whatever. I could cringe about my first drink at a later time.


    I drank the mead quickly, and left before Adrien and Elric could get me drunk. I wanted to be up early after all. I carried the two foxes up the stairs, plopped onto my bedroll, and closed my eyes. Before sleeping I revisited the inner world that I explored two days prior. I attempted to will the chaotic orb above the water basin to condense, but began to have a rather troublesome headache so I stopped and went to sleep.

 Chapter 24

    I woke early the following day and performed my sword dances slowly, maintaining my routine. After I went to the forge and shaped some more tools, but waited until the third day to finish them. In the evening I sparred again with Adrien and Elric, then promptly went to sleep, tired from the combination of training and smithing.


    The third day I woke early and after a quick, hearty breakfast made my way behind the tavern to begin integrating some of the techniques Adrien and Elric showed me into my sword dances. At this point, the dances calmed me. They were better for my head than [Meditation] seemed to be, aside from when Amelia¡¯s charm was influencing me. I walked through each of my single circle dances, considering making one for a water wave spell as that would only require the changing of one rune.


    I had the circle written out already, but hadn''t actually attempted to do the dance yet.  I started working through it, repeating it until I felt comfortable with it. I wouldn¡¯t activate the spell in town, of course, so I simply let the mana I exerted dissipate to rejoin its brethren in the world. I was interested in the ambient mana. It felt significantly clearer whenever I toggled my new passive, and even felt like it greeted me as I walked past it. The mana was formless, and everywhere. The very air we were breathing was dense with mana.


    After practicing, I made my way back to the forge and worked on the last ingot. I wanted to complete all the tools at a similar time so I could more easily observe the impact of [Maelstrom Modification], granted the last ingot would just be a base durability enchantment so it took much less time that the ingot I used for the hammer. I was pumping the bellows to regulate the heat when Sky, who I had taken with me, yipped at me. I stopped what I was doing after the third yip, she wasn''t usually so noisy.


    ¡°What is it, girl?¡± I knelt and patted her head. I wondered if she was hungry but before I could ask she sent me the feeling of wind. I cocked my head, but before I could ask about it she leapt onto the edge of the forge and layed down on her belly. Her mouth was parted slightly as she blew on the forge.


    I observed for a moment as the coals flared up, heating quickly. Much quicker than when I pumped the bellows. Wind seemed to assail the coals. I felt the air mana in the air responding to her call, gently blowing on the coals and maintaining a consistent temperature.


    ¡°Wow! Is that you? Thats amazing Sky!¡± As I spoke I sent the same affirmations to her. I was genuinely impressed. I glanced at Luka who was feigning disinterest but I felt a pang of envy from him. And a smugness from Sky. I scratched Skys head and observed for a moment longer. ¡°Can you blow the air a little bit harder? How long does it last?¡±


    Without saying anything, or pushing feelings at me, she increased the rate of the wind until I told her that was fine. Prisma, at a grindstone near the forge, looked up from the sword she was repairing for one of the guards. ¡°Is your fox blowing air now? How? Ain¡¯t never heard o¡¯ a fox that could use magic.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just special!¡± I shrugged elation filling me as I pulled the ingot from where I was heating it and began to shape it into a set of chisels.


    I was able to finish all of the tools just before Prisma closed up shop. I was nervous, I hadn¡¯t checked either my notifications or my tools descriptions just yet and was hesitant to do so. What if [Maelstrom Modification] totally ruined all of the work I had just put in? I waited a few moments before laying all of the different tools and chisels on a table. I would save the hammer for last, the others I could largely do without but the hammer and tongs were necessary. After checking the tools with my [Arcane Analysis] I found that most of them, including the tongs, held the durability enchantment that I forced onto the ingots of svertim. The bronzelike tools also each contained another elemental affinity, two of the chisels would heat up as mana was pushed through them, allowing them to carve other metals that much easier. A few of them would grow colder, randomly gaining an affinity for ice mana. The last couple were able to channel mana to create a tiny wind blade, it wasn¡¯t very powerful but it could carve a little bit of wood.


    Licking my lips with nerves, my hand shaking, I finally held the hammer before me and expended some mana to analyze it. I felt the mana rush from what felt like my belly and rise towards my eyes. It was a strange feeling, like a soft warmth filling the space behind my eyes as they strained to read the mana surrounding the tool.


    Flame Forger


    A hammer forged within the edges of the Maelstrom, crafted by Alexilios


    Imbue Flame: Each strike imbues a modicum of heat, keeping the metal its working hot and malleable.


    Durable: This hammer is sturdier than others of its ilk. It is able to shape metals stronger than it to a certain extent and will not shatter under the duress of a forgemasters passion.


    ¡°A fine hammer, Lios!¡± Prisma had stepped next to me as I stared at my newest tool. She clicked her tongue as her own eyes flashed and she read the system notification. ¡°I could tell she were enchanted just from her aura but thats pretty impressive for yer level.¡±


    I smiled at the praise, stowing the majority of the tools in my [Ephemeral Forge]. I felt the mana escape me, turning a translucent orange as it wrapped around the tools and pulled them to another realm. ¡°Thank you miss Prisma, and thank you for allowing me the use of your forge.¡±


    ¡°I take it you haveta move on then?¡± She cocked her head at me, she had moved from behind me to start  picking up all of the tools she had used throughout the day, stowing them in their spots. I moved to help, storing all of the tools I had borrowed.


    ¡°Aye, I have to turn my focus to some other tasks while I¡¯m in town.¡±


    ¡°I wish you luck on yer future endeavors then! Should ye have need of metals or tools ¡®fore you go ye know where to find me!¡± She held out a hand, presenting her wrist. I gripped her forearm and she grabbed mine.


    ¡°Thank you Miss Prisma, once again! I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll pass through Kinnesville again, if only to show off some wonders I crafted. A long way from that day though.¡± I laughed at my forced cockiness.


    ¡°That ye are, that ye are. I will look forward to hearing news of the great adventurer, Lios!¡± She laughed with me. Over the last few days, while we mostly worked in silence we had chatted a bit and I told her of my dreams of becoming a great adventurer and smith. Such grandiose dreams were common in Ravos it seemed, the inclusion of mana and spells and the System providing such opportunities for those plucky enough to chase their dreams.


    I left soon after, helping her sweep one last time as a final thanks. I made my way back to the inn and secured a table in the corner, our usual spot. I withdrew my journal and the book on runes my mother had given me before leaving but decided to check my notifications prior to studying.


    [Name]


    Alexilios


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 51


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:51


    [Runedancing] LVL: 51


    [Dodging] LVL:51


    [Intuition] LVL:38


    [Mana Sense] LVL:51


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:47


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:49


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3


    [Runesight] LVL:39


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:4


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 9


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:9


    [Runeweaving] LVL:9


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:9


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:9


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:2


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:4


    X4 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:45


    [Meditation] LVL:26


    [Twin Pact] LVL:51


    [Distant Recollections] LVl:18


    [Cooking] LVL:22


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:23


    [Training] LVL:46


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge]: LVL:1


    X2 Unavailable


    The most notable change was in my class level. Because of a few skills being added to the class, they had been reset to level one. Now that the class leveled I regained some of their levels. I was relieved to know that even though I lost some levels in those skills, at least temporarily, I was still able to work metal with precision due to my actual experience. I was a touch surprised that [Ephemeral Forge] had made it to level nine, and that Arcane Analysis] had leveled a couple of times while observing my companions gear, and my new hammer. I had hoped that I¡¯d gain more levels in the class for creating some enchanted tools, but it seemed my luck wasn¡¯t quite that high. I was still satisfied overall.


    I pulled Luka into my lap and started scritching his stomach as a waitress approached. I fished out a few copper to buy a meal and a mug of ale, woeing at my diminishing supply of coin. I was hopeful that the two jobs Adrien and crew were reserving for me would bring in a fair amount of coin. I had gained a bit from the bandits coin purses, but they hadn¡¯t had much. Soon the food came and I ate, wondering where my friends had gone off to. I buried myself in some studying, practicing each rune on loose sheets of paper until I felt comfortable with them. Making pages similar to flashcards to help me memorize what each rune did. I figured, especially without a proper mentor, it was wise to exercise caution when magic was involved. I didn¡¯t want to strike myself with another bolt of lightning, after all.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The sun had set by the time Amelia, Adrien, Liana and Elric waddled into the tavern. Liana was leaning against Elric, limping. Adrien was covered in blood and crapes, and Amelia was the only one who was completely free of injury.


    ¡°Lords, what happened to ya¡¯s!¡± I called out, standing worriedly to help Liana sit down. They quickly sat down and waved the barmaid over to order some stew and brews. This tavern had no menu, just a few options.


    ¡°A damned rottfang pack.¡± Elric growled and glanced worriedly at Liana who had a thin sheen of sweat on her face. ¡°Bit Liana¡¯s calf.¡±


    ¡°Still got em all tho, aye?¡± Adrien wearily attempted to be positive. ¡°Gods knoo Ah coul¡¯ use a nap though. Won¡¯ be abo ta train ya¡¯s tonight Lios.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you one bit. Don¡¯t worry about it. But, could you tell me about the quests you said I could handle?¡± I took a gulp of my ale, feeling guilty even as I saw the young barmaid approach with a tray full of mugs. Part of me wished I had been able to be there with them, the other recognized I¡¯d have been in the way. More reasons to get stronger, to avoid fomo? I chuckled underbreath.


    ¡°Foods a few minahs back,¡± she announced after setting them down at the table.


    ¡°Aye, we c¡¯n do that.¡± Adrien took a huge chug of the ale after saying that.


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell you about the first. There¡¯s a small pack of wolves in the woods, been terrorizing some of the farms. May want to get some meat to lay out as bait.¡± Elric pulled out a local map, one that showed a mile or so into the woods. He pointed at what looked like a clearing near a spring. ¡°This seems ta be one of their hunting grounds. The guards say they tried to deal with em but wound up losing a man and decided to call for outside help. That¡¯s you, kid.¡±


    ¡°Aye, an also. Ye ain¡¯t allowed ta use yer spells. Only yer sword. If there¡¯s an ¡®mergency ye can call for an exception. Otterwise? Sword only.¡± Adrien was already waving the poor woman back for another round.


    ¡°Understood.¡± I nodded succinctly and looked over the map attempting to commit it to memory. Elric passed it over to me.


    ¡°Keep it, we grabbed two. Figured you might need one. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take the expense out of your earnings.¡± The last bit was said with a toothy grin. I took the map and rolled it up, since I had it now I could study it in the morning. ¡°So go to this clearing, try to track a pack of wolves, kill them, and collect the reward? Are these normal wolves?¡±


    ¡°Aye ¡®n aye!¡± Adrien lifted his mug again and drank, finishing his ale. When his mug hit the table, there was a frothy mustache on the burly mans face. Almost as though she read his mind, in swooped the plucky barmaid with five new mugs of ale. The rest of the group cheered, although somewhat lazily, and finished their current drinks. I should ask her name, can¡¯t keep referring to the lass as ¡®barmaid¡¯.


    ¡°Ta fin¡¯shin them damn beasts an¡¯ makin¡¯ a safe return!¡± Adrien raises his fresh drink.


    ¡°To fighting and surviving with friends!¡± Elric grinned and raised his own. I smiled, eager to join the toasting but needing to figure out mine as I didn¡¯t fight with them.


    ¡°To our lusty and terrifying healer!¡± Liana spared Amelia a glance and it took me a moment to process. At this point I had not seen any of their skills. I knew that both the boys were warriors of a sort, that Liana was a mage. I never really knew what Amelia''s role was, thinking she was more of a mage or a rogue type. I never expected she was their healer.


    ¡°To ridding this world of those vile beasts!¡± Amelia laughed, lifted her mug and simply passed it over to Adrien. She pulled out a flask and popped its top, grinning. The group turned towards me, making sure I knew I wouldn¡¯t be left out.


    ¡°To good drink, healthy friends and hearty laughter!¡± We clanked our drinks together and took long, healthy gulps of them. As I set my own mug down, half full, four plates of food had seemingly materialized in front of my companions. The perpetrator was already on her way to helping more guests as the tavern filled up evermore. It was early evening, and many townsfolk seemed to be filtering into the tavern for drinks and meals.


    I looked around briefly before seeing a small stage in a corner of the tavern, on the side of the building opposite our booth. A woman was preparing a stringed instrument that looked a bit too large to be a guitar. Possibly a lute? I had never seen one before. I watched her for a few moments as she was preparing. She was pretty. She was dressed such that I would expect to see her at the renaissance faire back on earth. A green skirt and brown leather corset over a poofy white shirt. Her cheeks were tinted with rose and red hair, brighter than my own, cascaded down her shoulders.


    I must have been staring for a few moments because Amelia was grinning at me when I finally tuned back in to the conversation. ¡°Ooh? Does our Lios have a crush?¡± She poked my side and giggled, drawing the other three from their conversation to spare a glance at the bard.


    I rolled my eyes but shot another glance at the woman as she started tuning her instrument, the twang of the steel strings reaching us even through the noisy tavern. Deciding that anything I said would only egg on the vampire I opted to take another heavy drink. My head buzzed softly from the two ales so far, my mug empty as I set it down.


    ¡°Oh he¡¯s totally into her too.¡± Liana joined in on the teasing, her pinkish lips upturned into a mischievous smirk. ¡°What¡¯d¡¯ya think Adrien, the lad¡¯s got decent taste?¡±


    ¡°Aye, he do. Though she¡¯s a tad young fer me and Elric, she looks ta be aroun¡¯ Lios¡¯s age aye? Mayhap we shoul¡¯ go talk to ¡®er for ¡®im?¡± The man made to stand up, grinning and glancing at me.


    I groaned and shook my head. ¡°Yeah she¡¯s cute but I¡¯m not looking for anything like that yet.¡±


    That set off another round of teasing from everyone. Soon more ale found its way to our table, though Liana switched to a bottle of wine. Amelia took tiny sips from her flask but seemingly ran out of whatever it was before the bard started singing. Her voice was magic. I was nearly enthralled, having to force my drunken mind to focus on our conversations to avoid additional teasing but I didn¡¯t escape from my fate so easily. Every so often I¡¯d pay attention to the words she sang, listening to songs of heroes and adventure, a song of a fallen king, a tale of two lovers stuck behind thick city walls. An ode to a prisoner who became a justicar, a symbol of peace and kindness and strength. I listened for hours, swallowing an unknown amount of ale and acquiring a second meal that I shared with my pets. The foxes seemed similarly entranced by the music, listening raptly while in my friends laps. Luka, the little shit, barely even bit at Elrics giant hands.


    After a while I decided to head up to bed. I glanced at Amelia''s flask and tilted my head at her. ¡°Cur fer a dreenk?¡± I slurred at her and she grinned. She followed me to my spot on the floor where I clumsily raised my wrist for her to bite. There wasn¡¯t any teasing from her this time, no ceremony. She did make me chug a bit of citrus-y juice and then bit my wrist sucking my alcohol infused blood. After a few moments she left and my haziness grew worse. I didn¡¯t fight it when sleep came, and didn¡¯t mind the lack of nightmares.


    When I woke in the morning my stomach turned against me. My head was fine, but the hoppy ale made my stomach rumble. The snoring of the other two seemed to vibrate the room, so powerfully loud they were. Chancing a glance through the open window I noted that it was still dark. Eager to get started on my mission I hastily made my way to the tavern proper, after quietly donning my armor and strapping my sword to my hip. I scooped the protesting foxes up in my arms and made my way to a table, ordering a greasy breakfast to hopefully help cure my mild hangover. I hadn¡¯t drank like that in this world before, and was never a heavy drinker before.


    By the time we finished our breakfast the sun poked over the horizon, bathing the town with a soft light. Stepping into the dawns light I took the foxes on a wending path through the ramshackle buildings and into the woods beyond. I used the little bit of light to check the map prior to entering the shade of the trees.


    ¡°Okay Luka, Sky, we need some fresh meat can you find something for me?¡± I knelt down to talk to them, sending images of a pile of raw fresh meat. The two, after sending their own impressions fo affirmation, bolted into the forest before me. I swallowed deeply, knowing that wolves prowled I worried about my companions but decided to trust them. They sent back thoughts of jubilation and excitement at the chance to hunt after several days surrounded by strange people.


    I took up a jog as I wound my way through the forest in the general direction of the clearing. I wanted to get there early to set up a watch outside of it. I wasn¡¯t overly worried about the wolves smelling me - hopefully the smell of the meat would encourage them regardless of my presence. After all, why would apex predators worry over a single man?


    Within the hour I found the clearing and waited for Luka and Sky, paying half attention as I stayed at the edge of it. I walked through some of my dances while waiting, making sure to keep my [Portent of the Thaumaturge] active and ears open. My mana drained slowly with [Portent] active, but as I meditated and danced I felt myself reach an equilibrium. I wasn¡¯t gaining any lost mana but I was breaking even on the cost. It was difficult to meditate at the same time as dance, I had to move significantly slower in order to maintain my focus. It wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d be willing to try in actual combat but I didn¡¯t mind it in practice, slowing down let me perfect my form so that when I did fight I¡¯d be ever more efficient. With my pool nearly a third full I kept it up as I danced. Soon, sweat was dripping down my face and I had worked through each dance twice. Part of me wanted to fire off my two larger spells but I knew I should wait until someone was with me in case they went wrong again. Besides, Adrien and Elric had told me to only use my sword skills and I didn¡¯t intend to betray that, even in training.


    I sent a pulse of thought to the foxes, wondering where they are. Within seconds Luka sent back a thought of rabbits and squirrels. There was a weight to his thoughts and it took a few moments to realize he was trying to say he caught too much and was struggling to drag it all through the forest. I grimaced at the thought of a trail of animal innards leading to this clearing.


    Sky sent back images of birds, the sensation of her butt wiggling and a thought of flying. I kew she was fine, leaping after birds. Where Luka¡¯s thoughts were filled with frustration, Sky¡¯s were to the brim with pride and excitement at jumping after birds.  I got the impression that both were on their way back and settled in to train the sword forms Adrien and Elric had taught me.


    Another hour and they were there, Luka had two bunnies and a squirrel, and Sky a rather large bird. I was unfamiliar with its species, but it was around twice the size of a seagull. I set a fire, still at the edge of the clearing, and skinned a bunny for me. I left the other for the foxes before gutting the others and laying the innards and draining the blood in the center of the clearing. Under the sun I feared it would spoil, but figured this way it could catch the wind and be carried to the wolves. The bird and the squirrel I started to smoke, and the rabbit I skewered and roasted over the fire.


    With my skill still active, I started to study my rune book once again. It was a bit tougher to do while focusing on the [Portent], the mana around me shifting with the wind and at its own discretion. I was only able to keep the skill active for a while, after which I asked Luka and Sky to watch the clearing and warn me if our quarries neared. After what felt like no time at all, night fell and we were digging into the cooked bird and squirrel. After which I climbed into a tree with a branch large enough for me to sleep on, and spent a few hours thinking on my new life. Briefly, very briefly, I considered telling my friends where I originally came from. It was lonely to be unable to openly reminisce about my past. I missed the occasional question and answer games with my parents, and telling them stories when we weren''t too tired from work or training. But I knew, even without my parents warning me against it, that this was a secret I should keep close to my chest. It was only for a select few, and I wasn¡¯t sure if Adrien, Liana, Elric, or Amelia, close as we had gotten, were part of that few.


    Finally, tired from the physical and mental training for the day, I let my eyes slip closed and sank into dreams. For a brief moment I dreamt I was at a concert back on earth. I was listening to a band called ¡®The Oh Hellos¡¯ as they sang ¡®Soldier, Poet, King¡¯. It reminded me of the songs sang the night before, though I could hardly remember the words to them. Glancing to my side I noticed my girlfriend and smiled - how I had missed that face. The way she smirked at me, seemingly knowing exactly what I was thinking as she danced in her low cut shirt. Blushing, I turned and the stage was gone. The music faded and I was in a white plane, nothing corporeal around me.


    I turned my head and spun in a circle, seeing nothing until I completely turned around and saw three bodies. The men I had ended, blood pooling around them. I glanced down, my hands were soaked in their blood and I trembled, not for the first time. I wondered at their names, and at my honor. At my bravery. Was it bravery or honor that lead to their deaths? Was it justice? What right did I have to slay them? I was but a peon, a simple node in this spinning world. I was no hero, no savior. I was a killer.


    In the next moment I turned and saw an emancipated wolf trying to survive. It looked smaller now, much smaller than when last I saw it. I cried then, seeing the blood around its mouth. Seeing the hurt in its eyes. The clumps of matted fur that I had struggled to smooth out. I fell to my knees and the small , starving animal approached me. It sniffed at me and I pet its mangy fur. I cried as I remembered Brioche who I was too slow to save. Her two babies too. I pictured their mangled forms and then... and then I was awake and the sun was poking over the trees. A gentle red sunrise reflected off the tears on my cheeks.


    Sighing I got up, rekindled a small fire, and buried the now rotting entrails deep in the woods. After that, the day was a repeat of the one prior. I pushed away my regrets and nightmares and got to work with training. I definitely wasn¡¯t burying the thoughts with a workout, and I was totally healthy.

 Chapter 25

    It was the middle of the third day when I wondered if I should go back, collect my pack, let the team know I was okay. Most of the morning was a repeat of the first and second days, with me practicing my sword techniques. Instead, I kept my sword as a longsword and trained as Adrien had instructed me. Already I was feeling more efficient than before. I couldn¡¯t level up my [Bladed Weapon Mastery] as it was currently capped by my class level. Even still, I felt the improvements in my form and movements.


    I had just wrapped up lunch, put out my fire with the intention of returning to Kinnesville when I heard the rustle of leaves behind me. Turning, I drew my sword and roused the napping foxes. They had hunted for us early this morning and were taking respite. They quickly sprang up and their heckles rose as their noses lifted. In my mind the thought of ¡®Predator¡¯ came from Luka, and a brief image of Amelia. I frowned wondering if he meant she had come to check on me but brushed it aside as a couple of wolves started to circle to pile of entrails we had left as bait.


    I readied my sword and took a deep breath. Seeing the wolves, hale and healthy as they were, reminded me of Brioche. Of Luka and Sky''s mom, my first friend on this world. As pathetic as it might seem I felt myself become emotional. Remembering the nightmare from two nights before I had to steady my breathing, clear my mind. I knew better than to activate [Meditation] but at this moment, with such negative emotions pestering me, I truly wanted to. I knew however, that doing so would leave me slow and distracted and decided to keep the skill away.


    I stepped slowly and quietly from my hiding spot behind a tree as the wind shifted. That was all it took for the duo of wolves to turn to face me, their lips upturned in a snarl and drool dripping from their mouths. I shuddered at the sight of their massive canines, the sharp fangs glistening with spittle and specks of blood from other prey. Gulping, and knowing I had been had, I stepped into the clearing.


    One of the wolves, medium sized for the pack, growled at me. I felt a pang of sadness knowing that I¡¯d be killing her, she was a truly beautiful beast who simply lived as her instincts told her. Another, a touch larger, leaped at me and I lashed out with my sword. The blade slashed in an upward diagonal, slicing through the wolfs neck as I stepped to its side. Blood spewed as the wolfs arteries were severed. There was a quick yip and a choking sound as it crashed to the ground and quickly died. This wolf had been the aggressor and yet my sole purpose for being here was to slaughter them. I steeled my budding emotions to focus on the fight to come, ignoring the crimson liquid spilling out of the wolfs neck. A wolf still hidden by the brush howled and another took its call.


    The wolves howling was eerie, powerful. I heard first the one, then a second third fourth and then I lost count. Some of the howls were deep and others high, and as they trailed to the end some barks and yips filled the air. Birds flew from their nests and the sound of a rustling undergrowth was quickly growing silent save for the sounds of the wolves. Goosebumps flooded the surface of my skin at their mourning song. Another wolf leapt at me from the side and two others joined before I could counter the one heading my way.. Abruptly, I found myself weaving around them, pushing my [Portent of the Thaumaturge] to its limits to keep track of incoming attacks. I dodged one wolf by ducking low and drove my shoulder into the belly of another, stumbling it. I had to turn off my notifications in order to focus, the dinging that typically came with it an unwelcome distraction during this brawl, each one a tug on my feeble focus.


    I ducked beneath a flying wolf and sidestepped another, still crouched over. My heart raced, pumping blood and adrenaline through my body. I growled with the wolves, regretful that I had to slaughter such beautiful creatures but understanding the necessity. I lopped off an incoming paw, my blade catching momentarily before it broke the bone and severed the tendons. I shivered at the yelp of the wolf as I backed up from it. Behind me the plodding of paws and shifting of mana forced me to turn. The wolfs maw was stretched wide, saliva flying through the air. I spun just in time to drive the pommel of my sword into the side of the snarling beasts head. My heart faltered a moment as viscera and the sound of bone cracking splattered in the air. The wolf yelped loudly and crashed to its side before shaking its head and rising up again.


    Surrounded by wolves I attempted to dodge through them towards the middle of the clearing, dancing around the predators claws and maws. I lashed out at a wolf that rushed towards me. My blade, still a longsword, cut along its flank. A steady stream of blood soaked the earth, muddying the dirt. Feeling the mana shift behind me I ducked just in time to have a skinny wolf fly over me.


    Another swiped at me, their paw whistling in the air under the sounds of snarls and growls. I lunged to meet it, realizing I had a brief moment away from the rest, and impaled its chest with my blade. I watched its life fade from its eyes before kicking myself backwards to dodge another beast approaching from the side. My foot met the stomach of the beast impaled on my blade as I rolled backwards, pushing it off of my sword. As I came up from my roll I was forced to launch myself upward to avoid an incoming wolf, and upon landing stabbed into the base of its skull.


    With the several bodies creating obstacles, I started to weave my way around them and behind the rest of the wolves, hoping to gain a brief moment to refocus and identify where all of the animals were, and how many they were. I had no such luck, instead they continued to hunt me as a highly functioning pack. They were enraged that I had slaughtered some of their kin, and their intelligent eyes spoke of the revenge they¡¯d take on me.


    The ground grew sticky and slippery with blood and I found myself backing away, following the circle of the clearing to keep even footing, the center growing too packed and too slick. I lost count after killing the fifth wolf, concentrating on my assault and defense as they kept coming. Vaguely I knew that Luka was hiding at the edges, avoiding the wolves but using his magic to cause them to slip or stumble, staggering the amount of creatures attacking me. Sky seemed to be distracting a small number of the others so I would only have a few wolves to face at a time.


    I watched a small tendril of earth climb up and tangle with a wolfs paw, just as it attempted to leap. Instead it fell flat and I drove my sword into the back of its neck severing the spine. Two wolves were chasing after Sky who was dancing and sprinting around the clearing and through the edges of the trees.


    I kept up my assault, taking the opportunities that the foxes were giving me and slaying the wolves that Luka tripped, ignoring the ones that Sky was leading off. My chest was growing cold as I poured all of my available mana into [Portent], knowing without the skill I¡¯d likely have already been injured. I felt the flow of my mana becoming a trickle as time went on, and knew soon I would have to drop the skill. In an effort to not be caught with my pants down, so to speak, I quickly moved to kill the nearest wolves. I ramped up the combat with rhythmic movements while continuing to dodge and parry the beasts. I was panting when I deactivated the skill. In my earlier years when I was practicing my sword dances I quickly discovered the consequences of running out of mana. A migraine was one of the lesser consequences but could still debilitate someone during combat. The thing I was worried about was fainting due to energy loss.


    My blade was growing heavy by the time the wolves stopped attacking me. There were three left in the clearing, glaring at me and stalking around the circle. A howl broke out behind me and before I could react a weight crashed into me, pushing me to my knee. I felt a sharp flaring pain from my shoulder and heard the snapping of a bone as the creature that bit me whipped its head back and forth. A scream left my lungs before I could stop it, and tears dripped down my cheeks, leaving lines in the dirt that had accumulated with the kicking up of dust in the clearing.. [Pain Resistance] didn''t so much as mitigate pain but only allowed me to push past it to focus on what was important at the moment. Even still, I struggled to stand so instead I reached behind me with my good hand, letting go of my shifting sword, and grasped at the fur of the beast holding me down. Even as I did so the other three wolves, the last of them, fled. It seemed this one was trying to give them a chance at escape.


    Once my hand was closed around the fur of the heavy beast I pulled at it, trying to throw the wolf over my shoulder with a twist of my hips. With a whimper its jaws were ripped free of my shoulder and the pain I had been feeling grew thrice, four times as bad. A shrill cry left my lips and I looked at the large wolf before me, larger than the rest of the pack. Likely the pack leader. I growled with it, and started to face it, but rather than attack me it ran off through the woods after its kin.


    I stood there listening and waiting for several minutes, clutching my shoulder and beating myself up about leaving my pack. About expecting this to take a single day. I removed my armor after a few minutes of silence and took off my shirt as well, tying it around my shoulder to soak up my blood. It was difficult to do with only one hand and took multiple tries, each eliciting whimpers of pain. In the end I had to fight through the pain and use my other hand to help, as difficult as it was. As soon as it was secure I donned my armor again, smiling as the plates that had been pierced by the powerful wolf started to repair themselves, siphoning a small amount of my already depleted mana. I resisted the pull of the mana, knowing I could repair the punctured and dented plates at a later time and that if the rest of the wolves returned I¡¯d want to have some mana to use to fight them off.


    The armor was uncomfortable with the shirt bunching up over my broken and pierced shoulder. I debated briefly taking the easy route and leaving the wolves bodies here but instead decided to harvest what I could from them first. Grimacing and withstanding the pain I started to skin them. I used my left hand to sometimes pinch or pull the skin and my right to skin them, carving them quickly as I could to mitigate the amount of pain I felt in my left arm.


    It took the better part of three hours to skin the wolves, take a few fangs and claws from them, and move them into a pile. Briefly I consider burning them but decide if I felt so inclined I could return. For now, I needed to get to town before I bled out. With levels I knew I would heal quicker than before but I wasn¡¯t sure by what metric, and I didn¡¯t want my shoulder to suffer by not setting it in time. With the twelve wolf pelts slung over my right shoulder I started back towards town, not entirely sure on the route but knowing the general direction. As I walked I started to go over my notifications, grouping them together.


    You have slain a Wolf LVL: 36


    You have slain a Wolf LVL: 41


    You have slain a ...


    You have slain a Wolf LVL: 44


    I confirmed that I had killed twelve total wolves. Most of the fight had been spent blocking, dodging, and deflecting attacks but over the course of it I had made my own counter attacks. I frowned, wondering how quickly I could have finished the fight with my spells. Overall though, despite my injury, I was rather proud of fending off and killing the majority of a pack of wolves even if they were lower level than me. Next I looked at my level gains, frowning when I saw only one level up. It made some sense, the wolves were lower level than me. Aside from the alpha that I fought at the end, the rest were below level forty-four.  Next were skills. All of my capped skills in [Bladedancer] leveled up, remaining capped, but I was surprised to see some other gains.


    Your skill [Portent of the Thaumaturge] is now level 11


    Your skill [Meditation] is now level 33


    Your skill [Intuition] is now level 45


    Your skill [Pain Resistance] is now level 29


    I was pleasantly surprised to see the increase in [Portent]. When I gained the skill I was shocked to see it wasn¡¯t a class skill. When I¡¯d asked Liana about it the next night at dinner she explained it was because [Bladedancer] wasn¡¯t a full wizard class, and it counted as a warrior class. Also, that [Portent] was a skill that anyone who gained [Mana Sense] could gain given enough effort and the ability to grasp it. That [Intuition] increased as it had was what really surprised me. I wasn¡¯t sure which actions in particular had aided its growth. Perhaps it was deciding which attacks I could deflect or figuring out when to attack. After all, aside from the bite to my shoulder I hadn¡¯t taken a single other injury.


    Before long the flimsy walls of the town became visible and I hurried to the gate. The guard looked worriedly at my arm, coated in the blood that had run down it before wrapping my shoulder up. My hand tingled slightly and I knew I would need healing soon, and rest. I smiled at the guard, a dozen pelts slung over my shoulder and trailed by a pair of silver foxes.


    I quickly made my way towards the tavern hoping to find Amelia or Liana there, ignoring the stares of the townsfolk as they wandered the streets. Opening the door to the watering hole I sighed in relief at seeing Liana. I waved at her before heading up the stairs to stow the skins. They needed to be treated yet, but would last a bit longer and I didn¡¯t want to toss them onto the table. I made my way back down and saw her frowning at me.


    ¡°Really? No notes, nothing? Couldn¡¯t have checked in with us... What happened to your arm.¡± She started with her frustration but quickly quelled it when she saw me wince and noticed the blood coating my bicep in the dim lantern light.


    ¡°Wolf, sneak attack. I think the shoulder is broken.¡± I grimace and start to pull off the armor. She helps me, cringing whenever I wince. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not coming back to check in, I thought about that this morning.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Hmmph it¡¯s fine. As long as you still live.¡± She gingerly helped me pull the armor off and unwrapped the shirt, handing it back to me. I was suddenly aware that I¡¯m half naked in the tavern but, aside from the barkeep and barmaid nobody else seems to notice. The barmaid made her way over with some rags and a bucket, her cheeks red as she tries not to stare.


    ¡°Thank you... By the way what¡¯s your name miss?¡± I asked, trying to distract myself as Liana took the bucket and started washing the blood from my arm and side. I had to take some steadying breathes to stop myself from wincing or yelping as she wiped the blood from my shoulder.


    ¡°M My name is Kristen, sir.¡± She was pointedly looking at the floor. ¡°Is there anyfin else I c¡¯n get ye, sir?¡±


    ¡°Two ales and a meal with extra meat?¡± I glanced down at the foxes, they had curled down tiredly under the table. They fought with me and were just as tired as I was, they also deserved a little bit of decent food.


    ¡°Aye sir, comin¡¯ righ¡¯ up!¡± She turns quickly and heads to get my tankards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink ale Lios.¡± Liana glanced at me. I watched her pull a needle and some string from somewhere. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the needle¡¯s clean and the string is specifically made for sutures. It¡¯ll hurt though. We¡¯ll have to wait for Amelia to set your shoulder, my spell doesn¡¯t do that well.¡±


    ¡°The ales are for me.¡± I nodded as she talked about the needle and let out a pained breath as she started to stitch the first of the four punctures. Most of the wolfs fangs hasn''t penetrated the armor, but the two longest on the upper and lower jaws did. ¡°Thank you Miss Liana, for taking care of me. Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°They went to take care of a quest. Some ruffians have decided to tax the locals and Elric found their camp, they¡¯ll be back soon.¡± She spoke succinctly, still concentrating on stitching up my shoulder.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Amelia was a healer... How is it that she can mend bones?¡± I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her tell you. How many of those wolves did you take out? The guard captain said there were at least ten.¡± She finishes another stitch, causing me to let out a soft, totally manly whimper.


    ¡°I killed twelve, I saw four get away.¡± I grumbled internally about not taking them all out, but recognize that they would likely try to find a new hunting ground. They had just been slaughtered, so it would be a number of years before they came back here.


    ¡°Wow! Impressive. How did the kits do?¡± She washed my shoulder again then pointed at my now repaired and clean shirt. I had been idly pouring some mana into the clothing as Liana sutured my shoulder. ¡°Put that back on, stop showing off for Kristen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not showing off...¡± I protested even as I donned the shirt, glad for my enchantments. I felt that without them I would quickly go broke trying to buy new clothes. Thankfully the enchantments were weak enough that the material wasn¡¯t set aflame from holding them. My first attempt had been on a weaker cotton that set ablaze at the amount of power imbuing it.


    ¡°Riiiight. Of course not, you totally had to wait till you were shirtless to ask her name. Next you¡¯ll tell the one about the priest and the cultists aye?¡± She chuckled at me and stuck her tongue out, observing me as I still didn¡¯t move my left arm.


    ¡°What the one abut the priest and the cultist?¡± I had never heard the joke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Give me your room key, I¡¯ll go sell your pelts for you before they stink up your room.¡± She smiled knowingly. It seemed she wanted to force me to think about a stupid joke, take my attention from the pain.


    I fished the key from my pocket and handed it to her. As she left Kristen reappeared with pink cheeks, two ales, and a platter of food. I sat up straight and glanced at the hefty steak before me. The prideful part of me wanted to eat it with my hand like a savage, the flirt in me wanted me to ask Kristen to cut it for me. It wasn¡¯t a great move, nor did I want anything to come of it, but it could be fun anyway.  She set down the platter and before she could go I sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to ask this but... Could you cut the steak up for me? Just slices would do. I cant move my left arm and am afraid I¡¯ll look like a beast should I tear into it with my teeth.¡± She nodded and smiled sweetly.


    ¡°Of course sir, that wont be a problem at all.¡± She started to cut into the steaming meat and I took the first two pieces to give to the beggars beneath me. ¡°How¡¯d you get so hurt, iffen ye don¡¯ mind my askin¡¯ Sir?¡± She put an odd inflection the second time she said sir, as though it were a title rather than a polite honorific.


    ¡°You can call me Lios, and I was hurt by a wolf. You see I took up a quest to slay the wolves harrying the local farms and...¡± It didn¡¯t take long to regale her the story of baiting and fighting the wolves, but it did take me a bit longer than she did to cut my steak. She ooed and awed at my unembellished tale. I wasn¡¯t a proper storyteller, but even so I felt it was a decent story.  After I was done I looked up at her with a lopsided smile. ¡°Ah, apologies, I should let you get back to the other patrons.¡±


    ¡°Aye Lios, I shoul¡¯ get back.¡± She took the coppers I held out, an extra three to thank her for the service on top of the cost of the meal and the ale.


    I sat by myself for a while, watching to other patrons as I waited for everyone to get back. My meal and ales were both well and gone by the time I saw Liana walking through the door followed by the rest, each covered in blood and dirt aside from Amelia. A third tankard of ale sat before me, half empty, when they came and sat down.


    ¡°Wow, I spose I wont be getting a drink from you today Lios? I can smell the iron from your wound quite heavily. Let me see about fixing it up.¡± Amelia sidled up next to me and placed both hands on my shoulder. I felt a warmth pull from my chest and arms towards my shoulder for a few moments then let out a soft shriek as one fo the bones that had started healing was rebroken and set. I was better prepared for the second break and only let out a muffled yelp, sounding like Luka yipping into a pillow. With tears in my eyes the warmth fades a bit, but a small amount remains.


    ¡°How are you able to heal anyway, Amelia?¡± I asked before stopping myself.


    ¡°You¡¯d do well to worry about that lass over there instead of our Amelia.¡± Liana teased me and I glanced up to see Kristen watching Amelia cling onto my arm. She looked away and made herself busy when I caught her watching. ¡°What did you say to her, she¡¯s been staring ever since we got back. Not to mention how close she was when I left.¡±


    ¡°Hey hey! All I did was ask her to cut my food up cuz my arm was broken!¡± I protested with feigned innocence. ¡°Nothing so untoward as you suggest lady Liana.¡± I clutched my chest as though I were aghast, wincing as I jostled my arm.


    ¡°Did I not hear you regale her of your modest heroism? Did she not first see you without a shirt? But sure, tell us all that you are innocent!¡± She rebutted with a bit of dramatic flare. We all laughed, despite the pain it caused my shoulder.


    ¡°Before we get into all that, Liana can you make the boy a sling? Even with my blood magic it¡¯ll take a bit to heal the bones.¡± Amelia, being the good doctor, crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°Now, Lios, I trust you will not strain your arm for a few days. You must give it time to heal. That means no sparring with the brutes.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Ah am not a brute!¡± Adrien growled from his seat.


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ll gladly admit to it.¡± Elric laughed and Liana joined in.


    I frowned slightly. ¡°What am I to do for the next few days?¡±


    ¡°Well, to that end, I can finally teach you more about growing your core and improving your ability to manipulate mana. With your new sensory skill I think we¡¯ll be able to make some profound progress.¡± Liana nodded in my direction as she cut a strip of cloth and tied it to make a sling for me. ¡°That and lets see if we can make a new enchantment. I went through your old journal but your mother gave you a new one yes? Mayhap we can develop some enchantments so you can sell them for profit.¡±


    ¡°I see. That sounds great. Thank you for fixing up my shoulder Amelia.¡± I offered a pained shoulder as she helped me to don the sling that Liana handed over. Wincing, I lifted my arm and shrugged into it. Once it was on, the pressure on my shoulder was largely alleviated and I let out a soft sight of relief.


    ¡°Alrigh¡¯ kid. Tell us wha happened.¡± Adrien intoned after my arm was secured.


    I spent several minutes going over the past few days, then cringed at the last bit. ¡°... as I was facing off against the last few wolves I heard a growl from behind me, a rustling in the woods, and was suddenly tackled by a wolf that was larger than all of the rest. It pushed me to one knee and latched onto my shoulder before I could turn, giving the last few an opportunity to flee. I grabbed it and pulled it over me, I think that its fangs tore my muscles even further when I did but my shoulder had broken right when it clamped down. After that, it fled and I spent a couple hours skinning the wolves before heading back.¡±


    ¡°You should have come back immediately, your shoulder is in tatters,¡± Amelia scolded.


    ¡°Maybe so.¡± I nodded reluctantly, acknowledging the advice. ¡°I was able to perform some minor first aid before it became too much of a detriment though.¡±


    ¡°Aye lad, bu¡¯ wouldya have been able to fight should te need have arisen?¡± Adrien commented, a steeliness to his tone that I recognized from the interrogation after my classup.


    ¡°Fair point...¡± I looked down into my ale. For a brief moment I remembered not drinking much in my past life. Already, at least this week, I drank more than I ever had before. Frowning I stared at the tankard, the image of my uncle clear in my mind. He had been an alcoholic. So thirsty was he that he¡¯d steal our alcohol whenever he was over, filling his own flask or bottles. I sighed heavily before looking up at everyone else, interrupting the unwelcomed memory. ¡°Aye, I could have been attacked while I was injured. The wolves could have returned to finish off their prey. But I felt even with one arm unusable, I could finish off the remaining wolves rather easily.¡±


    ¡°You very well might have, but what if-¡±


    ¡°Sorry Elric, but I don¡¯t like dealing with hypotheticals. I could always be more cautious. I¡¯ll take it into consideration next time I¡¯m injured. I appreciate the advice everyone, but I think I need to get some fresh air.¡± I stand up, leaving the ale on the table and turn towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be smarter going forward.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what it was; frustration, irritation, the memory of my uncle? I didnt know for sure what was on my mind but I made my way to the back of the tavern and did what I¡¯ve learned to do to mitigate my ire. I started a sword dance, careful not to jostle my injured shoulder. With one hand on my sword I moved slowly, taking slow rhythmic movements to practice the techniques I wished to perfect. I danced with slow, agonizing precision, ensuring that each footstep, each swipe of my blade, was as perfect as it could be. I feared moving too quickly.


    As I danced I recalled something I had read about ages ago, hearing a notification ding in my ears. I ignored the notification and focused on the memory. I remembered reading a book on meditation in order to help with my insomnia as a kid. In it, the author spoke of acknowledging and gently brushing aside the thoughts that worried you, rather than burying and pushing aside those thoughts. I wasn¡¯t sure why the thought came to me now. Why I had never remembered it before.


    So, with that in mind, I started with the recent thoughts on alcoholism. I found myself wondering if I was developing a dependency, but found that I wasn''t. Upon introspection, the few ales I had been drinking weren¡¯t enough to develop an addiction. Even still I resolved to slow down. I wasn¡¯t even fifteen yet after all.


    I danced slowly still, not actively activating the [Meditation] skill but pulling from it to focus my attention inward. To anyone watching, I felt they would believe my movements to be agonizingly slow. Difficult to watch. But I didn¡¯t care, I needed to clear my mind.


    I swallowed the guilt of killing so many animals acting exactly as they were designed to. I pictured the wolves in my mind, a brief flare of a memory reminding me of my old dogs. They weren¡¯t particularly wolflike, one was a border collie and the other a corgi. I thought about them for a few moments, taking a deep breath and ensuring my movements remained perfect all the while. I smiled at their memory before letting it pass. They weren¡¯t here, they never would be.


    I thought of my family, wondering what they¡¯d think of me now. If they¡¯d recognize me. I wondered if they¡¯d welcome me back, knowing that I had killed people. That I likely was going to be in a position to kill more. That thought brought the images of the bandits to mind and this time I acknowledged them. I didn¡¯t try to make any excuses for their deaths. It wasn¡¯t truly in self defense, nor would they have had a chance to hurt me if I hadn¡¯t involved myself. But they were folks who relished in the suffering of others, who bound themselves to their desires above morality. It wasn¡¯t so much that I felt they deserved to die, for I was not an arbiter of life and death, but according to my beliefs I was at least justified in ending their lives.


    Finally, I started to picture my family. For once I didn¡¯t shy away from the emotions welling up inside of me. I looked at each of their faces, missing them all dearly. I pondered how they¡¯d see me now. If Jess would still love me. If she¡¯d still want to marry me. If my brother Aaron would still go disc golfing with me. I chuckled at the thought of missing the sport, it was so simple and would be easy to recreate here. Even still, such leisure wasn¡¯t affordable here. Not yet. Mayhap someday, but then I¡¯d only think of my siblings.


    My mind went to Zach and Zoe. My brother and sister. We weren¡¯t as close as I was with Aaron, but I missed them a ton. When I died my sister had been pregnant with her first child, and my brothers wife had just had their second. I hadn¡¯t thought about them in so long I never really processed that I would never know my nieces and nephews. I had never processed that the stress of my death could break them. Not for the first time I wondered how I died. No matter how much I tried I couldn¡¯t remember it. Maybe I died in my sleep. Maybe I killed myself. Maybe I was hit by a truck. It didn¡¯t really matter. All that mattered were the things I could affect. The life I was living now, regardless of the one I lived before, was the only thing that mattered now. I had read a quote once, though I was unsure if any one person was known for it, that said ¡®We cannot control what happens to us, only how we choose to react to it¡¯. Now more than ever I realized the truth in this statement. Why had I grown so frustrated at the advice my friends, mentors were giving me?


    I brushed aside the musings, and stopped my dances. My heart ached. For the first time in a long time I wished I had someone I could talk to about this. When my parents had asked questions about my family and world I didn¡¯t let myself talk about anything that would sadden me, I¡¯d always just told the most jovial stories. Always happy moments. It hurt a little bit but I told the stories as though they didn¡¯t belong to me, even though they were my own.


    My legs gave out and I fell onto my ass. Wrapping my arms around my knees I let myself cry. I pictured everyone again. I wondered how they all were. What they had been up to. I let myself remember them, truly remember them and I let myself miss them for the first time in a while.


    I was outside for far too long. I could tell. The moon was high in the sky by the time I reentered the tavern, my cheeks pink and eyes red. Amelia, unsurprisingly, was at the table still. She waved at me with a smile on her face before it sank. She stood up to come talk to me, seeing the look on my face, but I smiled weakly and waved at her to sit back down. I went up the stairs and opened the door to our room, listening to both of the larger men snore loudly. In fact they were so loud I could hear them before opening the door. Both of the foxes were already curled up on my bedroll and I had to move them to lay down. I laid on my right side, closed my eyes, and felt the two small fuzzy bodies wriggle up against me. I supposed I wasn''t as alone as I was feeling.

 Chapter 26

    I slept through the night without being interrupted by a nightmare. In fact, I slept so well that a small little asshole decided to wake me up by licking my cheeks and nose. Grumbling I pushed the fox away as he yipped, yelling at me to get up. To move. To do something. I felt concern pulse through our connection and sent a thought back that I was okay. Sky, however, was not satisfied with my message to her brother and jumped onto my side, being wary of my arm and shoulder. She yipped loudly, her tummy growling at the same time.


    ¡°All right all right I¡¯m up already.¡± I grumbled loudly and opened my eyes, as soon as I did Luka pounced and excitedly lapped my cheek. I wiped my face off, pushed the foxes off of me, and scratched the goobers from my eyes before rising. It had been a long time since I had to be forced awake, most mornings I was wide awake and ready to start moving far before the sun rose.


    Quickly getting dressed, I made my way downstairs to get some grub. The barmaid - no, Kristen - waved at me from behind the bar. She was pouring a drink for an early drinker. I saw Liana looking bored at the usual table and made my way over, a tired smile on my lips. ¡°Morning Liana!¡±


    ¡°Oh you''re up. Get enough rest?¡± She looked up at me with her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°I did. How long did I sleep in? Did I miss breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Not quite sir!¡± Kristen had just walked up as I took a seat. I smiled up at her and she smiled back.


    ¡°Wonderful, one breakfast portion with - ¡°


    ¡°Extra meat? No worries Mr. Lios. I¡¯ll get that to you right away.¡± She scurried off before I could respond and Liana giggled.


    ¡°Been here a week and she already knows you, aye?¡± She laughed at me as my eyes trailed after the girl. I pulled my focus from her and readjusted my sling. My shoulder was already feeling infinitely better than before. The healing that Amelia did had to do with blood, so she wasn''t entirely able to repair non flesh injuries. That being said, blood still contributed a fair amount to the repair of bones. How much, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure and neither was Amelia. The science wasn¡¯t quite there yet in this world, and it wasn¡¯t anything that I had an interest in previously.


    ¡°I spose so. So, what¡¯s on the docket for today?¡± I looked at her with my head cocked.


    ¡°Well.. How are you feeling? Are you up for some mental training?¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯m okay.¡± Luka yipped below me, begging despite the food having not arrived yet. ¡°Actually, do you know of anything I can do to further strengthen the bond with these rascals?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t. I have a friend in Gilderhall who may be able to offer advice but I¡¯m sure you''re aware of the distance?¡± She posed it like a question rather than a statement. I nodded, pushing aside the thought.


    ¡°I see, then mana training it is. If that¡¯s okay with you still Miss Liana.¡±


    ¡°You know, you can just call me Liana. You don''t go around calling Elric or Adrien Mr. or sir!¡± She huffed a little bit, blowing out her cheeks adorably.


    ¡°Hmm well, they aren''t really sir material ya know? But I¡¯ll try to keep it in mind Miss Liana.¡± I smirk at repeating it but before she can rebut Sky, in my lap, yelps and starts flapping her tail. I glance up to see Kristen approaching with a steaming hot plate of food in one hand and a mug in the other.


    ¡°Um. Mr. Lios, could I pet your foxes?¡± Her voice shook a little. She looked nervous to even ask.


    ¡°Of course, though you may win them over faster if you give them a treat. The boy is especially gluttonous.¡± I laughed as Luka yipped in protest even as he sat up and his tail flopped back and forth in excitement.


    Kristen giggled and took one of the sausages, with my encouragement. She tore it in half and knelt down to give each fox half of the greasy delicious meat. Sky gently took the sausage from her while Luka snapped forward and snatched it from her hand, causing her to squeak in surprise. After she let them lick her fingers free of grease she started to pet them, itching behind their ears much to their pleasure.


    ¡°So what are you going to do today Mr. Lios?¡± She asked, looking up at me from her crouched position, taking another of the extra sausages to feed to the foxes some more.


    I smiled in response, in the middle of a bite of egg and potatoes. I finished chewing then said, ¡°My friend Liana is going to be training me today! I have to take it easy to heal my shoulder but I can still improve my understanding of magic.¡±


    ¡°You''re a mage then, sir?¡± Her eyes flicked to the sword that I had resting against the chair.


    ¡°A bit of a hybrid. I mostly focus on swordsmanship but I would be remiss not to explore magic as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh thats wonderful! You must be very strong!¡± She was blushing slightly.


    ¡°He is! He would say he isn''t but thats only because he¡¯s humble.¡± Liana piped in, her face serious.


    ¡°How long have you been adventuring together, Miss?¡±


    I focused on my food as they started to chat. ¡°Only a few weeks now, but for his age he is quite admirable. With just a little more experience under his belt I fear even I couldn¡¯t fight him.¡±


    ¡°Might I ask your level ma¡¯am?¡± Kristen glanced at me as I ate, but I paid her little mind. Some might consider the question to be rude, but most did not necessarily mind. Knowledge of a persons power was also knowledge of what it would take to kill them.


    ¡°Me? Oh I¡¯m pretty low. Around a hundred.¡± Liana was vague, and blatantly lying. I knew she was somewhere past level one sixty at least, but I understood the necessity to remain secretive. Even level one hundred was high for rural towns like these.


    ¡°Truly ma¡¯am! Thats incredible! My apologies, I fear I may be reprimanded if I don¡¯t make my way back to the counter.¡± She stood up abruptly and scampered back to the counter so she could wash it down and prepare for the eventual lunch. Her father, also behind the bar, nudged her with a smile and glanced over at me as I watched her. They spoke for a few moments, resulting in her cheeks turning rosy and her father cackling with laughter.


    ¡°She¡¯s smitten with you Lios!¡± Liana teased and smirked in my direction.


    ¡°Only because you make me sound so much stronger than I am.¡± I laughed beside her then faced her, quickly devouring my food and handing the foxes some scraps.


    ¡°I would never! That would be rather uncouth don¡¯t you think young man?¡± She laughed for a few moments before settling down. ¡°Now, are you ready to begin training? Who am I kidding, you¡¯ve been ready since you woke up. I¡¯m rather surprised you¡¯ve sat still for so long, even immediately after breaking your shoulder you went back to training outside.¡±


    I laughed again and nodded, placing the plate on the ground for the pets to lick clean, making sure to leave a few small pieces of sausage for them. ¡°Aye, I am ready. I¡¯m not that bad though, Liana! Also, i didn¡¯t train right after breaking my shoulder, I skinned a dozen large wolves.¡±


    ¡°You are! Now, I¡¯m going to need to sit behind you okay? I need to place my hands on your back to be able to see your core when you delve. Do you know what I mean when I say delve?¡±


    ¡°I can infer that you mean diving into my core space? The space in which my mana and core coalesces? I¡¯m not sure that thats the right word.¡±


    ¡°It fits. And yes. We should probably move to the boys room though, you¡¯ll want to be comfortable. Sitting here will only hurt your back.¡± Sighing, she got up, and I followed emphatically.


    ¡°Sure, lets go.¡±


    As soon as we arrived in the room she motioned to my bedroll. ¡°Sit cross legged there, rest the back of your hand against your knees and control your breathing. It will feel like you¡¯re meditating, but try not to use the skill. Try to clear our mind naturally. I¡¯ll sit behind you, in order to enter your core space I need to feed mana through your pathways and connect with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes Miss Liana.¡± I muttered before getting into position. Taking deep, slow breaths I closed my eyes and attempted to clear my mind of all the drivel and anxieties that filled it. I breathed slowly as Liana¡¯s slender hands pressed against my back. I felt a coolness worm its way through my chest, causing me to stiffen for a moment. It wasn¡¯t entirely unpleasant, but it was uncomfortable.


    Ignoring it, I controlled my thoughts, briefly acknowledging the worries that flew to the forefront of my mind. I breathed slow and willed myself into my internal realm. It took several minutes, similar to the last time, but soon I was diving deep. The world around me swiftly fell away and I felt the climate shift around me.


    I opened my eyes before a small, woodland chapel. A place of memories, of joy and wonder. A place I¡¯d oft dreamed of getting married at, of bringing my future family to. I didn¡¯t pay any mind to Liana as I stepped up to the firepit and with a flick of my wrist, lit it. I thought briefly about the time my siblings and I sat in the pews for the weekly ¡®Campfire talks¡¯ where some of the park rangers would come and tell stories. Where they¡¯d invite native americans to share their culture with us. Where I met my first wolf. A zookeeper had come one year with a pair of the beautiful creatures. I heard their howl, recalled them pulling a truck uphill by themselves as a show of their monstrous strength. It reminded me of the beasts I had slain only a day before, but I shockingly didn¡¯t feel much in the way of guilt. Despite feeling a pang of sadness, I acknowledged that this was the way of Ravos. The strong hunted and the weak suffered for it. I would not kill for killings sake, nor simply as a means of strength, but I wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t hesitate when the moment was right and I knew that.


    I pulled my focus from the memories of the long gone past, and yesterday. I refocused on the world around me, taking in all of the nostalgia. The smell of pine and campfire and barbecue filled my nostrils. I looked around, seeing the campground behind me devoid of campers. No tents filled the empty lots, no people laughing and dancing and singing. The sounds and smells were there, but it was only Liana and I. In a way it was eerie on top of being a comfort.


    Liana, to her credit, was silent as we took in the sights of my inner world. The campground my family had a habit of visiting. The creek that was filled with my memories. I started down the path from the chapel to the tree where my family sat while we were here. The rocks and sticks, pine needles and leaves crinkled underfoot. The brook bubbled. Birds sang and squirrels chittered.


    I made my way to the large oak we had gathered around, hiding under its shade from the beating sun. Working my way slowly around it, over the roots we¡¯d sat on, past the boulders we¡¯d suntan on. I found my way to the cairn filled with stones and memories and I understood at that moment that this tree. This creek. These rocks. They were my skill, [Distant Recollections]. It made me realize, with the minor revelation, that the rest of my core, my inner world, would have hidden within it my other skills. I¡¯d have to explore more to find the rest.


    I picked up a few of the stones, the ones not containing the names of my grandfather and Brioche. With a tiny effort of will I etched the names of my family to individual stones and touched them to my forehead for a second, remembering their faces, smiles, laughter. With a heavy sigh, with some longing, I pulled myself away and started up the path to the kings rock. For the first time since we arrived I spoke. ¡°Thank you for giving me a few moments.¡±


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    ¡°Lios... your world is beautiful. Where is this?¡± She was looking around as we crested the hill where the Kings Rock was located. It may not have been an official name but it was the moniker I knew.


    ¡°Tis but a distant memory, Liana. I hope you can keep my inner world a secret.¡± I looked up towards the whirling, raging orb of mana above the washtub. Flames, wind, lightning, stone, water, everything was swirling above the basin of water. mana was bursting out, trying to free itself, craving freedom but it was constrained. It was pulled towards my core.


    ¡°Of course... Wow, your core is. Well, its rather amazing. I cant help but wonder what it would look like without the seed inside of you. How it may have grown.¡± She took a deep steadying breath as I sat on the stone, staring at the ball of chaotic energy, admiring the pandemonium.


    ¡°So, whats the next step Liana?¡±


    ¡°Okay, so you need to condense the mana in your core. To do this you have to exert your will on it, think about compressing it. Pulling it all towards the center of it., manipulate your mana into a denser core. After that we need to discover your mana pathways, stretch them to allow more mana, teach them to absorb more mana as well.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Okay! Imagine squeezing the mana in your core together, imagine it being pulled by a heavy gravitational force in the center. It may be different for you, but thats how I condense my own core.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I took in her words and pictured a dot in the center of the core. It was like a black hole, dense and powerful. I pushed every iota of my will into it, willing it to pull on the mana surrounding it. I felt it crush into itself, watched the mana at the edges struggle ever harder. Sweat crested my forehead as I concentrated. Liana was saying something but I was too focused to respond.


    Vaguely I realized she was telling me the rest was up to me, that it looked like I was doing the right thing. It made me wonder if she had actually needed to see my core or if she was simply curious what it would look like, perhaps wondering what a seed did to a core.


    I pushed aside the thought before refocusing. I imagined threads of mana tugging at and binding the chaotic mana that was attempting to force its way out of my core. The flames, which I started with, fought against the threads and pulled, aching to be free. No! You belong to me, listen to my will. It felt wrong for a moment, the way I was thinking. But I trusted Liana. I forced down my doubts and pulled harder at the mana.


    It raged against me. Struggling and thrashing the mana exploded outward, towards me, towards its captor. The blue mana of my core compressed ever so slightly, but the aspected mana refused to do so. Aspected being the mana that had an affinity.


    I tugged at it, forcing it into the center and finally, it relented. The flames held to the core. They burst out slightly but they stopped fighting to escape. Growling from the exertion I turned my focus to the wind mana next.


    As soon as I shifted my attention the fire mana revolted, straining against and breaking the bindings I had wrapped around it. It raged against my will, exerting its own. Sweat poured down my face as I focused again on restraining it, on forcing it to obey my command. Calm yourself! You will obey! I growled and pushed against its will. It acted on instinct, acted as fire acts. It spread itself, devouring the threads I had tightened around it. It screeched and panicked and fought. I didn¡¯t relent. I learned to create extra threads to hold the mana against the core, I learned to persevere. I crushed the chaotic mana inward, towards the center where I still had a small dot of a gravitational pull.


    Sighing at both the progress I had made and the progress I failed to make I released the hold I had on the fire mana, immediately feeling some relief. As soon as it was free it frolicked around my core and I groaned. This is going to take a while... How long will I have to attempt to tame this element? Still, I smiled at the challenge. This was a wonderful thing to throw myself into while I was injured.


    I attempted to form more rigid constructs with my mana, to cage in the element. It slipped through the cages bars and cackled at me. I felt its ire and rage and I frowned. Scowling, I raised my hands up and attempted to pull it back towards my core once more.


    Immediately the strain was difficult to maintain. The mana, with its own will, continued to fight me and protest. I was growing frustrated. A small part of me felt wrong about tying it down, but I knew I had to do it. I had to gain some control over my core or else perhaps the core would learn to control me. Mana was, after all, an entity with its own will. At least according to the first rune book I had devoured. I needed to show it that I was in charge, that I would not succumb to its ire and will.


    I fought with the fire for hours. Days maybe. The sun didn¡¯t set here, but I knew if I wished it to it would. Idly, whenever I took a break, I wondered where my other skills were located. What positions they had taken in my memory. Where the skills relating to smithing were, where the general skills were. I wondered if they each had a spot.


    Eventually, I decided I needed a longer break and walked back towards the chapel. It seemed fitting that I started from the chapel and that I¡¯d return to it. Before waking myself, I thought about Liana, wondering if she had left immediately or taken the time to explore my memory.


    I closed my eyes as I sat among the pews. I wasn''t ever religious but I had always been spiritual, and this place was the conduit for my spirituality. Feeling at peace despite having fought with the energies inside of me for so long, I took a deep heavy breath and let it go. When I did, I heard voices in the dark.


    ¡°So, Liana, what was it like? His core space?¡± Adrien spoke without an accent. Perhaps because it was just him and the others?


    I maintained my breathing, kept my eyes closed, to see what she said.


    I could almost hear her pursing her lips, scowling at the man. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. Its... well its phenomenal but you understand how the boy is with his secrets. He wouldn¡¯t allow me to guide him any longer if he found out I shared it.¡±


    It took an amount of effort to keep a smile from splaying on my lips. A warmness spread through my chest at the thought of Liana respecting my wish. ¡°Hmmph. Fine. Is he a danger to us, though?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think he is. He is too kindhearted, it would take quite the event to turn that boy against humanity.¡± Amelia was the one who spoke up this time.


    ¡°Lios isn''t even a third of your level yet, Adrien. Also, he hasn¡¯t given any indication that he would harm another person without meeting certain criteria.¡± Elric surprised me by coming to my defense. He was the hardest to read.


    I decided to stop the conversation, having heard enough to feel more comfortable with them. I stretched and blinked my eyes open, my body sore from sitting in a meditative pose for so long. A yawn forced its way out of me, interrupting the conversation.


    ¡°Ah, he wakes!¡± Liana exclaimed. ¡°Soooo. Do tell, did you get the skill?¡±


    I blinked my eyes rapidly, taking in the curious expressions of the four adventurers before me. ¡°Give me a minute, geez.¡± I muttered under breath, though they could all easily hear me with their increased stats. As I stretched, my shoulder ached but not nearly as much as it had the day before. It was healing rapidly.


    I pulled up my notifications, just as curious as Liana. [Distant Recollections] had leveled thrice. [Mana Manipulation] four times. And sitting there, waiting for me to acknowledge it was a new skill.


    Congratulations! You have earned the general skill [Syncopate]


    [Syncopate]: Compress, condense, and increase the density of your mana. Focus your will and realize strength greater than that which you have already found. Increase the effectivity of your mana and witness the genesis of your understanding of mana, watch bloom the forces of nature under your control. Syncopate, and press the mana into itself. Syncopate and will the world to your fingers, to lift or to crush.


    Would you like to accept the skill [Syncopate]?


    Frowning, I looked up at everyone and, building the suspense. I glowered slightly before revealing the notification to Liana. Her eyes lit up and she grinned wildly.


    ¡°Wonderful! It¡¯s different from my mana condensing skill but doesn''t seem overly so. I think this one will fit better than most others though. Otherwise we could try for [Condense Mana], at the very least. Thats the skill I started with.¡±


    I accepted the skill without another thought, knowing it would be getting a ton of exercise over the next few days. I felt a rush as the skill wormed its way into me, filling an empty space in my core.


    ¡°How long was I in my core space?¡± I asked even as I felt my stomach rumble. My face flushed and I looked down.


    ¡°¡®Roun¡¯ twel hoors.¡± Adrien had slipped back into his silly accent. Around twelve hours.


    ¡°That long? I spose I should get some grub, aye?¡± I stood slowly, my legs aching from maintaining the lotus position for so long.


    We made some idle conversation as we went down into the dining room. I ordered an extra large portion, as usual, and devoured it quickly. After I finished my meal, the pretty singer from a few nights before took the stage and started to sing. I was mesmerized. I knew the people I was with were laughing at me as I watched the singer with a dreamy expression on my face.


    She was singing a ballad about a pair of lovers who were separated by the plains when Adrien nudged me. ¡°You know, you should go talk to her when shes done.¡± his accent had returned but I translated it mentally.


    ¡°Yes, yes you should. Nothing comes from staring.¡± Liana teased and pushed my mouth closed, giggling. ¡°Unless your heart is already taken by Kristen!¡±


    ¡°Oh come off it, I can admire beauty from a distance.¡± My voice cracked a little and I clamped a hand over my mouth.


    The group burst out laughing, and I joined them. A flush rose to my cheeks as I did so but I didn''t complain. Even with their teasing, I found myself enjoying the songs and the view for much of the night. She was only there for around two hours, and I soaked in all of it. The songs, the crowds reaction, the dancing, and her radiant smile. So what if I had a crush.


    As she made to leave, a number of the patrons crowded around her. I sighed, wishing I could be the gallant knight that saved her from a group of lecherous men, that I would sweep her off her feet, rescuing her. But that wasn¡¯t me, and these folks surrounding her were likely folk she had grown up around, not lechers. Besides, She was a few years older than me anyway. I doubted she¡¯d take some kid seriously, nor that she¡¯d give me the chance to express my maturity.


    I thought about her briefly before going to bed. The time spent in my core space had exhausted me more than I had expected, and I quickly fell asleep. I didn¡¯t have a nightmare on this night, but a feeling from Sky bled over to me. I shared in her dream, and my worries faded into the night.


    ______________________________________________


    Sky yipped excitedly. ¡°Big Brother!¡± She yelped out, but it came out as a bark. Her fluffy white tail swished back and forth as the form of her companion appeared in her dream.


    Without restraint she leaped at him, tackling his firm chest. Big brother is so strong. The fox thought to herself as he caught her. His arms wrapped around her and his large, calloused hand pet her head.


    ¡°Is this your dream, Sky?¡± Lios asked with wonder.


    The fox yipped in affirmation, licking his cheek to show her affection. He seemed to understand. He slowly spun them in a circle to see the clearing. It was the clearing she had been born in, she often frequented it in her dreams.


    There was a difference, though. The trees bloomed with flowers and shivered with birds. Squirrels and other wildlife chased each other through the brush. There was no danger here, never danger. Lios, her big brother, slowly walked over to a tree with roots lifted from the ground, forming a burrow. A den. Her den. She didn¡¯t remember the day well, but she remembered some of it.


    The look on her brothers face was hard to read, impossible really. He was frowning, likely remembering this place much better than she did. She yipped to take his attention, and leaped out of his arms. ¡°Chase me!¡± She wanted to distract him. She knew this place was difficult for her big brother. She knew it was hard for him to remember her momma. But this, even though in reality it was dangerous, this was her safe space. Her last memories of momma were here.


    Big brother used to take her here, used to talk about momma. He called her Brioche. A pretty name. She shook her head, attempting to focus. She wanted the show Lios the rest of her space. Her dreams. She took off like an arrow, weaving through some trees.


    He wasn¡¯t as graceful as she was, she barely rustled any of the leaves and shrubs and he crushed branches underfoot. He gave chase, and she lead him away. They rushed through the forest, surprisingly not scattering any of the wildlife. The fauna loooved to play here.


    Brother Luka always killed his playthings, but Sky preferred to toy with them. To chase, to follow. She didn¡¯t care to hunt unless she was hungry. She just wanted the satisfaction of catching things. This time, though, she designated herself as the prey, and zipped through the forest.


    Lios followed her, curious where she was leading him. She yipped so he wouldn¡¯t lose her as she leapt up onto branches above his head, flying through the air as she hopped from branch to branch. He laughed and her heart swelled. It was nice when her companion was happy. It made her happy.


    Briefly, she was distracted by a squirrel before her. She chased it as it chittered and ran away playfully. Before she could correct herself a hand scooped her up, out of midair as she had leaped after the fluffy taled friend. She was panting and so was Lios, his face a lopsided grin.


    Sky knew Lios had been sad the night before, she wanted to help him but knew not how. She couldn¡¯t even speak, not in a way he understood, but she could at least comfort her companion. She laughed in the way foxes do and rolled over in his arms, a tongue hanging out of her mouth. He started scritching her belly affectionately.


    After a little while she pushed off of him again and started the game of tag. This time she told him through their connection he had to try not to get caught. She laughed at the competitive glint in her big brothers gaze, he nodded and took off into the woods. She gave him a headstart. He wasn¡¯t slow per se, but he was not one with the wind. He was not speed personified.


    She glowered as she counted down, one bunny two bunny, three bunny... ten bunny GOGOGOGO. She activated the skill [Spurred by the Wind] and took off. Where before she was an arrow loosed from its bow, now she was lightning. A crack sounded behind her and she gave chase, using her nose to find Lios, despite the fact she could easily follow the broken shrubs and find him. She wanted a little challenge after all. Her brother was the strongest, but she. Well, she was the fastest. Even with the head start of ten bunnies, she caught Lios within thirty seconds, launching onto his back and shoulders. She nipped at his ear to let him know she won. After a few moments of cuddling she forced him to chase her again.


    They played for forever. It had been a while since they played like this. He was always trying to grow stronger, move better. It was up to her and Luka to make him take time to play, and now that she realized it she would tell her brother. She wanted to see Lios happy, not stressed.


    They played well into the night, though the sky never changed. Her white fur was pristine, though if this were real life it would have been all over the place. She played with her big brother, and when they woke up she felt his happiness. She stretched, satisfied that she could help her human.

 Chapter 27

    When I woke up in the morning I pulled both of the foxes into my arms, waking them as well. I pulled Sky to my chest and kissed her forehead, sending a thought of thanks to her through our connection. To Luka, I pushed him on his back and sent feelings of appreciation and love, scratching his tummy. Their groaning about being woken early quickly fading. After around thirty seconds of me showing my love for them I got up, stretched, and threw on some clothes. I left my armor behind but took my sword and wended my way to the back of the tavern.


    It was still dark out. I wasn¡¯t sure if I simply was restless or if I needed less sleep due to stats, but I couldn¡¯t seem to stay asleep longer than a few hours, aside from the previous night of course. I took some deep breaths and moved through my dances, completing circular runes through my footsteps. I felt the mana around me as I toggled [Portent of the Thaumaturge] and grinned at seeing the faint lines forming runes beneath my feet. It was a satisfying practice, seeing the crispness and precision I was able to accomplish within the runes I crafted.


    After I completed each of my novice dances I asked Luka and Sky to try to trip me up, to distract me and shake up my ability to complete those same dances. Luka, to my surprise, immediately protested. He didn¡¯t want to hurt me.


    ¡°Its okay buddy, if you help me train now I will get hurt less in a real fight,¡± I explained to the small fox. Still, the fox was scared I¡¯d be injured. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be okay, the scary one will heal me riiight up if I do get hurt.¡±


    Finally he relented but just before we began Amelia stepped out from the shadows. How long she had been there I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Scary one? Is that supposed to be me?¡± She pouted at me and shook her head.


    ¡°Well, you have to admit you''re a little bit intimidating.¡± I grinned at her, shrugging with my one good shoulder. The one that had been broken a few days prior was definitely healing quickly, but sharp pain shot through my body when I attempted to move it.


    She scowled harder at my teasing, though there was a playful light in her eyes. ¡°So, you''re trying to practice dancing under pressure? Why didn¡¯t you invite me?¡±


    I nodded at her and readied my sword, asking the foxes to still try to trip me up. ¡°Would you like to spar? I will admit,I¡¯ve been curious about how you fight since meeting you.¡±


    ¡°Is that the only thing you''re curious about?¡± She tapped her chin as though seriously wondering. ¡°Hmm... No, for now let me observe.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± With that, and ignoring her comment, I resumed my dances.


    As I stepped and weaved my mana into the earth, I felt the earth itself shift under me. Just a little. Luka wasn¡¯t powerful enough to move it more than he did but even so it disrupted my movements. The earth directly beneath my foot slid backwards as I was attempting to lunge, causing me to fall to my knees.


    ¡°Oh wow, you can do that too buddy? Lets keep going.¡± I fell back into the rhythm of the dance, keeping [Portent of the Thaumaturge] active to see when and where Luka would attempt to trip me up. I was halfway through one of my short dances when he simply pushed a stone up through the ground just before I stepped, causing me to stub my toe. I winced and hopped around for a second, glaring at the fox. Luka didn¡¯t even have the grace to look bashful, instead laughing as I cursed and hopped. Amelia simply chuckled from atop the crate in which she sat.


    I sent a thought of playful derision to Luka who responded with what I translated as ¡°Get good¡±. Sighing I raised my sword once more and started a dance, this time hopping over the stone the sly fox produced in front of me. He snorted and wiggled his haunches as though I challenged him by succeeding. Eyes narrowed, when I started my next kata he yipped to distract me and Sky blew some wind at my elbow, causing me to overreach with the sudden push. Luka slid my foot from under me and seemed to focus, trying to pull my other foot as well, but unfortunately his magic control was not quite to that point.


    Still, I slipped. Thankfully, as I fell to one knee, I didn¡¯t fall into the splits. I stood quickly and started again, listening to the titter of Amelia''s chuckle and the chattering of the foxes each time they successfully threw me off of my dances. Each time they succeeded I sent a ¡°Good job¡± or something similar. I grinned as they helped me practice, and felt my control slowly improving with the small obstacles they provided.


    A small sheen of sweat dripped down my forehead as the sun started to poke above the rooftops. I could feel how tired the foxes were becoming and even I was starting to feel it, having my spells disrupted so frequently drained my mana quickly. Finally, after a couple hours of practice, I sheathed my sword and decided to head back into the tavern. Amelia followed me in and we sat at our familiar table. Within minutes, and without asking, a plate and a cup of juice appeared before me, courtesy of Kristen.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in three days.¡± I furrowed my brow, looking up from my eggs and bacon and potatoes and opened my mouth to say something, only for Amelia to continue talking. ¡°The other job we saw for you was completed by someone else. I think it was that bard girl.¡±


    ¡°I see... Where are we headed next? Was it... Edderton?¡± I asked idly, remembering talking about it with Elric and Adrien at one point. More specifically recalling that they said the journey would be rather unpleasant for me.


    ¡°Correct! We won¡¯t be spending much time there though, maybe a couple of days. They don¡¯t have any quests for us.¡± She sighed deeply and dramatically. ¡°Its gonna be soooo boring. Go on adventures they said, it''ll be fun they said. All it is is walking from place to place and culling beasts that are weaker than us.¡± She mimed spitting on the floor.


    ¡°Its not so bad is it? And actually, why are you guys taking such small jobs anyway?¡± I had been idly wondering about it for a while now but hadn¡¯t asked just yet.


    ¡°Something about seeing the whole country we live in instead of just the best places.¡± She shrugged at me then scooped Sky into her lap who immediately rolled onto her back and playfully nipped at Amelia''s hand.


    ¡°Adrien''s idea?¡±


    She nodded an affirmative. ¡°So, tell me Lios. Why are you an adventurer? For all the pretty girls?¡± She tilted her head at Kristen and I sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bonus, sure, but not the real reason.¡± I took a bite of my food, chewing slowly and thinking about how I wanted to answer. On one hand, this wasn¡¯t related in its entirety in my past. My goals were fairly standard for people of this world, so regardless of what I did say I felt it wouldn¡¯t cause suspicion, but at the same time I felt my companions were already aware most of my non answers were related to my secrets. ¡°I suppose I just want freedom and the power to protect it for myself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You seemed pretty free in Arborton. With loving friends, a career in smithing, even a pretty girl on your arm. Why seek danger and violence in the name of freedom?¡± She had a shadowed look on her face. It was as though she were questioning why I, in my privileged years, would assume I didn¡¯t have freedom. She was contemplating something more than what she was asking.


    ¡°In a place like Arborton... hmmm. Thats not right.¡± I resigned to think on my answer for a few moments as I continued to eat. To her credit she didn¡¯t say anything even while she watched me curiously. ¡°I dont think I¡¯m made to stay in one place for a long time. I felt stifled where I was, the strongest person near me was my father and I¡¯ve nearly met his level. I surely could have grown to be a middling blacksmith but, if I¡¯d stayed, that¡¯s the best I would do. And no matter what I¡¯d have been free only under the shackles of the lord of the land. No, It¡¯s much better that I continue on this path regardless of the difficulties and challenges.¡±


    She was quiet for a few moments before she started laughing. ¡°My my Lios, so gallant and serious all the time!¡± Her laugh tittered and she plucked some bacon from my plate to give to my companions. ¡°You''re a curious one, Lios, curious indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And how so?¡± I tilted my head inquisitively.


    ¡°You seem much older than you are. Riddled with secrets. Esoteric classes that I¡¯ve never seen before. Have the attention of a foreign god. Must I go on?¡± Amelia''s eyes glimmered as she listed off what she knew about me. She stroked Sky¡¯s fur as the fox acted like she was napping in her lap. ¡°Oh and a companion pact with not one, but two magical little foxes.¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t continue...¡± I sighed heavily, reminded again of the memories I recently acknowledged. Out of curiosity I checked my status, wondering what my [Distant Recollections] skill was. It seemed the higher its level, the more difficult it was to ignore those memories. Or rather, the easier they were to trigger and bring up to the forefront of my mind. It was at level 25, having gained a few more levels during my delve to my core space.


    ¡°If I swore an oath right now would you tell me your big secret?¡± Amelia asked breaking me from my thinking. I frowned at the question.


    ¡°Hmm... I don¡¯t know. Why do you want to know so badly?¡± I finished off my mug of juice, it seemed to be a citrusy juice that I hadn¡¯t had much in Arborton, not suncitra which was so popular in my hometown. Although it had been barely more than a couple weeks since I left, I already missed the grapefruit like fruit.


    ¡°I think whatever it is will be rather interesting. Maybe enough so to cull my boredom.¡± As she answered Elric and Adrien came down the stairs. Seeing us they made a beeline for the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± I dryly replied and waved at the others. Amelia simply nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.


    ¡°Mooornin kid, always up so early?¡± Adrien tittered in his shoddy northern accent as he approached. Finally I was beginning to decipher it naturally rather than needing to spend several seconds to translate.


    ¡°He¡¯s always up this early to train or something.¡± Amelia sighed and giggled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t grow if I sit on my hands, might as well get an early start and start the day off strong.¡±


    ¡°It is so. Oh, by the way, we have your gold from the wolf pelts and the quest.¡± Elric tossed a pouch of coins in my direction, just out of reach of my right arm. I leaned out of my seat to snatch it from the air, astounded at my ability to catch it. If this were on earth I¡¯d have likely clumsily let it slip past me and smash into the wooden floor.


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    The pouch was heavier than I expected and I let out a shocked yelp when it slammed into my palm. It didn¡¯t hurt but it felt like it should have. I quickly tied it to my belt. ¡°So, we leave in three days?¡± I asked to confirm.


    ¡°Aye. That we will, lad.¡± Adrien clapped a hand on my good shoulder, his grip firm and calloused from years holding a sword. ¡°During our travels ye best be prepared to sweat.¡±


    ¡°When am I not?¡± I laughed with them as Kristen noticed their arrival and quickly scuttled over to take their order. I raised an eyebrow, for me she had just brought out the meal this morning, anticipating my wants. She blushed as we made eye contact on her way over and turned her attention to my tutors. She quickly got their orders and one for Liana who was supposedly on her way down.


    ¡°We will be finishing our final quest today and tomorrow, Liana won¡¯t be able to help you though. You¡¯ll need to find a way to entertain yourself.¡± Elric grinned at me toothily.


    ¡°I think I can manage. Whats your last quest, anyway?¡±


    ¡°We are tracking a beast in them woods. A type of chimera. Unsure what sort o¡¯ monsters its mixed with other than a snake and a wolf, but theres likely some other bits too. Ye ever seen one o¡¯ them? Mighty terrible they are.¡± Adrien shuddered at the thought of facing one. ¡°Mighty high level too, typically.¡±


    ¡°So no Lios tagalong?¡± I noticed Liana coming down the stairs and shifted from my seat to the one next to me so she didn''t have to squeeze behind me. ¡°I¡¯d love to even be able to witness such a conflict. I sure could learn from it.¡±


    ¡°You, Lios, need to focus on recovery. When we start moving again you¡¯ll be pushed to your limits every day and wont have time to focus on your recovery.¡± Amelia glared at me, as though the thought of my reopening the wound she had helped heal was the height of aggrievement toward her.


    ¡°Aye lad, and we¡¯ll be arriving in Ironfell just a few months before the swordsman''s tournament. Have ya heard o¡¯ it? Tis called Rhosha¡¯s Crucible. Do ye know the tale of Rhosha boyo?¡± Adrien looked excited to tell the tale so I simply shook my head. I had heard a minor amount about the warrior, but not much.


    ¡°Hers is a tale wreathed in blood, adventure, and defiance. Listen well lad, for she stepped on a similar path to ye. Rhosha was a young lass, an orphan locked in the midst of a city that did not offer a means of escape for those like her. The impoverished and the damned, the downtrodden and meek. She, however, was determined to find her own path. Legend says she got her start in the forest around her town, the great city Ironfell. Alas, such a place is not fit for children, specially not those without means or instruction. Twas centuries ago, four if memory serves, and while things have improved since, at that time there were no things such as orphanages there. At that time the town was the size of your Arborton.


    ¡°And so, in this quaint town, Rhosha would wander and search for her opportunities. She was not trained in the blade, nor any other combat skills. She hadn¡¯t even a class yet. And yet, desperate for a way away she set off on her own into the plains to the east. These plains, of course, being the Wastes. She wandered along the borders, the barrier still strong, an¡¯ inched her way through them into the wastes proper. I tell you this not lightly lad, do not follow in her footsteps. The wastes are not a place for the young and hopeful. Even now they are ridden with ghastly foes and monsters that, if not for the barrier, would tear down the walls of Ironfell. But yet she went.¡±


    At this time we noticed Kristen was standing at the edge of the table listening raptly, her eyes wide. On the table three plates of food and a new mug waited for me.


    ¡°Ah, lass, Would ye care to listen as well? Pull up a chair. Anyway where was I?¡± Adrien waved at her to sit. The tavern, aside from our table, was empty. Her father, the tavernkeeper, was meticulously washing glasses and mugs and didn¡¯t look like he needed any help. She ran quickly to tell him she was going to listen to Adriens story before returning and dragging a chair from one of the other tables to ours. Liana scooted to the side so Kristen could sit next to me, a playful glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Well, a young girl, she stepped into the wastes and the very air, the heat and dust and wind, nearly did her in. But she was lucky, near her entry were a cave.  A deep cave. She dove in and abandoned the arid surface finding herself face to face with a skeleton of a man. At his hip a rusted blade, and in his pack a series of dilapidated books. Save for one. I know not what the style was, but it were a powerful technique. It was a tome of martial arts, the sort of which would be typically found much much further to the east, near the clans. The martial peaks who devoted themselves, not unlike ye, to martial prowess.


    ¡°Hesitant to desecrate the corpse, she buried it while taking the rusted sword and the tome. She had, when she abandoned the town she grew up in, taken some amount of food that would last some time. Knowing she barely survived the short journey from the border to this cave she decided to stay and dedicate herself to the sword technique she had found. With the rusted blade and the tome of swordplay she stayed, its said, twelve days and eleven nights in that cave. Half starved, and without much water save for the drippage on the caves walls, she taught herself from crumbling pages and with a sword that could hardly pierce flesh. For twelve days she stayed and practiced and by the end of it her flesh was healed enough for her to brave the sands of the wastes once more.


    ¡°And so she returned to the town, to Ironfell. There, she had to beg for scraps and do tiny jobs for meager coin. She told nobody about the sword, which she left as a tombstone for its owner, and she strived to survive for a number of years while secretly practicing her swordplay with a stick. Her hands bruised, broken and calloused, she grew up. She reached ten years, sadly almost unheard of in those times for those without guardians.¡±


    Kristen and I were entranced by the story much to Adriens chagrin. I had heard a small amount of the story before but not much. I wordlessly passed Luka to the other teenager who happily started to pet him as we listened enraptured.


    ¡°But, she gained a class. And with this class she pushed into the plains to the west of the town and she sought the lower level creatures that always seemed to be nearby. She used her stick, not having saved enough for a quality sword. Also knowing that even with her practice, the sword she had her eyes on was much too heavy for her small body to wield. She took on the horned rabbits and the boars, selling their parts for coins and only keeping a small amount of meat for herself. She built herself a hut in the plains, away from the city, so she could stay out and hunt longer. Quickly the townsfolk who had ignored her for much of her years recognized her. Praised her for her strength. She ignored the praise, and continued to hunt by herself. This was before the guild hall for adventurers was developed, there was no system in place to find hunting contracts at this time. Other than, of course, the town board where such jobs were posted at the time.


    ¡°She fought every day. She killed beasts over and over, selling their parts to the butchers and leatherworkers. The bones to the smiths, for even though they were brittle they made for decent armor. She grew quickly in both fame and strength, her level rising faster than most of the townsfolk believed possible. And then, she stopped appearing. She vanished. She went back to the wastes, perhaps a bit too soon, and wouldn¡¯t emerge for years. Not much is known about her journeys. Not much known about how she survived in there but it is said she remained for nearly ten years.


    ¡°She was forgotten about by the town. And then one day. One day after a good many years a horde of monsters broke free from the barrier that protected Ironfell from the wastes. This is something that occurred on occasion, every half century or so. But the town, they were not prepared for the size of the horde. It was led by what seemed to be a sentient undead, a being with a great obsidian blade with cracks and nicks on its surface. For three days the town fought against the horde. The peaceful citizens forced to raise their blades in defense of their homes.


    ¡°And then, after days of begging the lord to send his soldiers, a savior arrived. Rhosha. She came back through the barrier of the wastes, looking haggard. She wore worn and broken pieces of armor stolen from the hordelings. And she challenged the leader of the horde, who was later deemed to be Progenitus, a knight of the kingdom that once ruled the wastes before the cataclysm that destroyed it. She matched him with her blade, strike for strike and parry for parry. And she slaughtered any of the footsoldiers that gathered near. With a roar she summoned flames and lightning. A blast of force pushed the horde to their brittle knees and the townsfolk, those who remained, were struck with a vitalizing rain. The thing with Ironfell is that rain is infrequent. It isn¡¯t quite so bad as the wastes proper, but the climate is warm and rain is rare. But this rain seemed to close their wounds. This rain seemed to bolster their strength. Their speed. And as she fought the leader of the horde the townsfolk hoisted their weapons and rejoined the fray, invigorated. They didn¡¯t know at the time that the warrior that had come to save them was she who they had praised ten years ago for her tenacity, strength, and courage. The one they had written off as dead and gone.


    ¡°But she was there, and she was strong. Stronger than the butcher believed possible. Faster than the leatherworker could imagine. More resilient than the blacksmiths greatest armors. She was strong and she slew the once great, undead form of Progenitus. And as the undead lord fell she focused on the thousand strong horde of undead and slaughtered them in mere moments. This force that the town had struggled against was defeated by one lass, who, ten years ago was a simple orphan hunting horned rabbits and great boars.¡±


    Adrien stopped talking for a moment to sip on his drink. As he did I felt my mind whirling. Everything he described could attribute this Rhosha as having the same class as me. The invigorating rain and the blasts of air fire and lightning seemed reminiscent of sword dances. The toppling of a strong army, and its leader in less than an hour. I felt a tug in my chest that I needed to enter the wastes as did my likely predecessor. Elric caught my eyes as I considered the possibilities and gave me a toothy grin. The brief distracted was put on hold as Adrien continued the story.


    ¡°But that was not the end of her legend. You see, she returned to her little hut in the plains. Word of her spread to the lord who sent for her for an audience. To his ire she refused and he sent his men to drag her to his fortress, where he sat refusing to send troops to save his city of Ironfell. But as they came to take her she overpowered them without killing a single one. Afterwards, with her denial of the lord, warriors came to challenge her. When they were defeated and she was victorious they all seemed to ask her how she became so strong. Then, she pointed to the wastes. She said to them ¡®I grew strong by surviving the wastes. Survive there for a year without rest and mayhap you can offer me a challenge.¡¯. And so, the warriors began to explore the wastes in an effort to climb the mountain she represented.


    ¡°Tired of the constant challenges she set a week where she would accept any challenge thrown her way. She offered up her own techniques for whoever would defeat her. And yet, year after year not one person could best her in swordplay. And the city grew, as more folks came to challenge and then stayed to face the wastes. Over time the reputation of the wastes and the treasures and challenges it held grew, and when the adventurers guild came to being those adventurers sought its challenge. Even still, every year Ironfell hosts Rhoshas Crucible, a challenge for those who battle. It has expanded to a month long ritual of combat that attracts those from around the continent, around the world. Although, Rhosha herself no longer participates in the combat she watches over it. Word is she seeks someone in which to pass her mantle even to this day.¡±


    There was quiet after the leader of our group finished his story. I wondered briefly how much of it was muddied for Kristen with Adriens accent, but it seemed she had heard all of it. Adrien and the others stood up abruptly.


    ¡°Ah. it seems our leader distracted us, we must make way to complete our quest if we wish to make good time in our departure.¡± Elric said as they all walked towards the door.


    My mind was whirling, I barely heard him but lifted a hand in farewell. Kristen, too, stood up passing Luka back into my lap. She bowed slightly before rushing to help her father at the bar.


    I considered the story I had just heard. Ten years in the wastes, from what I knew, was practically unheard of. The fact that Rhosha was even still alive seemed insane to me but I remembered that as one gained levels, as their vitality increased, they gained the longevity. I wondered how high her stats were. I guessed that she had likely gained a seed of some sort, had her own tribulation at some point.


    I tucked the tale deep into my memories and refocused. I wouldn¡¯t get to that level by simply wondering about her. I would need to work just as hard as she did if I had any hope of thriving in the wastes as she had. I stood abruptly, much to Luka¡¯s discontent, and headed up to the room where I sat and started to condense my mana. For now, I could not practice my swordplay as well as I liked but I could delve and I could condense the mana in my core.


    Before I delved I emptied the pouch of coins into my hand and counted four gold. My eyes widened at the amount, I had killed a dozen wolves for this. I wondered how much was coin from the pelts and how much was from the quest itself. I stowed the coins in the bottom of my pack with the rest of my money but kept a few silver in my coin purse, and the remainder of my copper. Around fifty or so. All told, it seemed I had around 5 gold, 80 silver, and 56 copper pieces. A veritable fortune after having lived in Arborton making a total two silver a week for several years. To think, in just a few weeks I¡¯d made more during a single quest than I had in four years at the smithy.

 Chapter 28

    I dived into my soul space with renewed vigor. I was growing stronger. I was getting better at magic, real magic. Sure I wasn¡¯t launching fireballs from my hand or flying or anything so crazy, but I was learning runes and creating spells. I smiled as I fell into my world and quickly settled on top of the Kings Rock to condense my core. For the time being I ignored the wisps of elemental mana, wanting to save them for last.


    I wondered briefly if I could invite Luka and Sky to this place as Sky had brought me to her dreams, but I pushed the thought aside for the time being. I held out my hands, making a motion as though I were crafting a snowball. I felt the mana construct before me squeeze as though it were in my hands. I groaned as I focused on the idea of the mana becoming denser, more powerful. I wondered how dense I could make it, if I could crush this core into a single drop to regrow from. That thought, like my other errant ideas, was pushed away as I focused on doing what I could. With efforts of sheer will I found myself sweating soon.


    I squeezed my hands, and the mana before me, for hours. Working my hands around to compact it further and further, a headache was growing in my mind even though I wasn¡¯t here in reality. I restrained the urge to stop, pushing myself further than I had before. The headache built over the course of the next few hours, but the notifications to the side of my vision told me the adversity I pushed past was helping to gain more skill levels. I pushed and pulled on the mana, forcing it into a perfect sphere and by the time I finally stopped, due to the headache building past the point [Pain Resistance] would allow me to positively ignore, the sphere had shrank a fair amount. I panted and wiped sweat from my ephemeral brow, my bare back drenched.


    Even though this was the world within, I plunged myself into the cold mountain stream somehow avoiding the gravitational pull of the sphere of mana above me. I gasped as the refreshing water chilled me and slowly ebbed the headache. From within the water I looked up at the flames, lightning, earth, wind and water mana still circling the shrunken sphere and raised a hand. I tried to pull the water mana this time as there was less of it than the others but it was just as unwilling as the fire mana had been. Frowning I tried again, and again, the headache building up again. I pulled the flowing water towards the core and yelled out at it to obey me, to no avail. The more I pulled the more it struggled, adamant that it would not become part of my core. Growling I gave it one last tug before I gave up on it. I felt that I was missing something when it came to the aspects of the maelstrom that circled my core.


    Unsure how much time I had already spent here, within myself, I forced myself back to the world of the living and upon opening my eyes saw that it was dark outside. Hadn¡¯t it just been morning? Luka looked up and flapped his tail as I started to stretch. Sky did the same and they both pushed their thoughts toward me. Are you okay Dad/Brother? The images seemed to ask. I smiled at them and nodded, patting both of their fuzzy little heads.


    I went through a series of stretches before leaving the room. Taking the foxes back down to the tavern proper, I saw a few townsfolk there already drinking. I noticed that my friends had not yet returned but paid it no mind as Kristen brought me a tankard of ale and a juicy steak with sweet potatoes. I hadn¡¯t the heart to say I didn¡¯t like the sweet potatoes, grateful that both foxes gobbled them up. Their tails flopping about and whiskers twitching told me how much they enjoyed the sweet potatoes.


    I sat for a bit after eating then went back outside, training once more this time without my foxes aid. My shoulder still ached so I couldn¡¯t move too quickly but the pain was nowhere near what it was before. I danced and trained for several hours, then went back to the room to sleep. My friends had still not returned but I didn¡¯t worry over them overmuch. I knew the quest they were on would take until the next evening at the soonest.


    The next morn was much the same, with me coming out and training. Having the foxes help by creating sudden obstacles. I could feel Luka¡¯s control over the stones steadily growing and Sky¡¯s wind manipulation becoming more precise. Her gusts of wind sometimes, inconsistently, became blades that she cut me with. The papercuts stung but weren¡¯t overly damaging, but even still I was impressed. From dark till dawn I danced and practiced, this time shirtless. When I had begun I realized my hair was rather long so I tied it back in a ponytail. My bangs didn¡¯t quite reach so a few strands still hung over my eyes and face, coming loose every time I tried to tuck them behind my ears.


    When the sun came up I finally rested, halting my movements and stepped towards the door of the tavern. It was then that I noticed Kristen sitting on a crate watching me. I hadn¡¯t used [Portent] for much of the training, opting to rely on [Intuition] instead. I had a theory that if I could get both skills to a higher level and understanding that they could merge into something greater and clear up some skill slots. She blushed furiously as I caught her eyes and smiled at her. I pointed next to her where I had set my waterskin and shirt. ¡°Toss me my shirt?¡±


    ¡°S sure of of course.¡± She stammered nervously and threw it at me. The rolled up roughspun fabric fluttered in the air as it reached me. I caught it and pulled it over my head slowly, noticing that Kristen¡¯s eyes hadn¡¯t left my body.


    I felt a sense of smug satisfaction before a pang of insecurity. I supposed I hadn¡¯t realized how lean and muscular I looked these days, but in my previous life I had been a touch overweight and not the most attractive. While it felt nice to be admired, I couldn¡¯t help recall how I looked previously and felt a weak aversion to this sort of attention. I ignored it and finished pulling the shirt over my torso, frowning at how tight it was becoming. I had made this shirt and my others a year or so ago and I was still growing. It didn¡¯t fit as well as it should and I could tell that my pants were also a bit short. Perhaps it was time to acquire some clothes that fit again, or to make some.


    ¡°Kristen, is there a tailor in this town or someone who sells fabric? I think my shirt is becoming a bit... tight.¡± I glanced down. The other thought that crossed my mind was that I could afford something a bit nicer than the hemp clothes that I currently wore.


    ¡°T there is. S sorry for uhm watching you I came out to get water from the well and was um... I just admired your swordsmanship.¡± She was red in the face as she tried to explain herself. It was cute in a way how nervous she was after being caught watching me.


    ¡°Its okay, I promise I don''t mind.¡± I stepped closer to her and grabbed my waterskin, taking a deep long drink. I was aware of how she fidgeted as I stood half a foot from where she sat. My stomach gurgled quietly but rather than face the door I turned towards where I had seen the well. ¡°May I accompany you to the well, Kristen?¡±


    ¡°Y yes!¡± She yipped like a fox and hopped off the crate, grabbing the bucket and walking quickly in the right direction. I was quiet as I followed, some amusement in my eyes and a smirk on my lips. We walked in silence until we reached the well. I pulled up the bucket and helped her fill hers, hers was larger than the wells and I had to pull it up thrice before the water was just below the edge. I picked it up as she protested, saying she could handle it.


    ¡°Nonsense, what kind of man would I be if I allowed a lady carry such a heavy burden?¡± I flashed her a winning smile, enjoying her frustration and acceptance. As we started our wending journey back to her work place I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow or the day after, I believe. Thank you for taking care of my friends and I while we were here.¡±


    ¡°Of course... Where are you going next?¡± There was a shy sadness in her voice. She had known I¡¯d be leaving soon but that knowledge didn¡¯t help the crush she had developed. Even so, even in her youth, she was mature enough to understand I¡¯d be on my way and hadn¡¯t allowed her crush to perpetuate.


    ¡°I think to Edderton then along the boarder until we reach Ironfell. We will probably stop in most towns and cities on the way.¡± There was a comfortable silence as we carried on towards the inn. The Sleepy Drinker was quiet when we arrived, as it was most mornings. Kristen took the bucket from me before we entered and I made my way to the same table we had claimed since arriving here. Briefly I wondered if my party was safe and okay, but dismissed the thought as the owner of the tavern made his way over with a plate of food.


    ¡°Lios, was it? Kristen informed me your group may be leaving in a few days.¡± He wore a scowl that eased up when I looked up at him. I nodded after a moment of thinking.


    ¡°We are. Thank you for your hospitality during our time in Kinnesville.¡± I withdrew a few copper to pay for the meal but he held up his hand, stopping me.


    ¡°Pay it no mind. My daughter has been quite... taken with you, you know. Of course she knew you were soon to go but... well, thanks for being kind to her. Often travelers come through and are not always well intentioned but you neither pushed for her attention or anything untoward.¡± He set down the plate of food and stood there awkwardly for a moment. ¡°She asked for a few moments away to show you to a tailor, if you don''t mind.¡±


    ¡°That would be excellent, sir. Otherwise I fear I¡¯d find myself wandering for hours.¡± I put the coin back in my pouch and nodded emphatically. He smiled at that and walked back to his spot behind the bar.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I finished my meal and Kristen, wearing a different outfit than before, came up to my table. Where before she was wearing a generic brown skirt that fell below her knees and a white shirt made of breathable cotton, now she wore similar white shirt with green and gold trim and a long green skirt. Overtop of the shirt was a brown corset with gold painted trim and clasps. I knew that this was an outfit that cost a fair amount of coin for folk in these small towns, the cost of dye was often prohibitive for these outskirt towns and usually the lower class citizens who lived here only tended to have one or two outfits with dyed cloth. On top of that, it seemed the entire time I ate my breakfast she had spent doing her hair. Where normally it was straight this time it was curled and springy. It bordered her face prettily, the dark brown curls highlighting her light skin.


    I let my eyes wander for a moment, admiring the outfit before I refocused on her now framed face and smiled. ¡°You look fantastic. Thank you for showing me to the tailor. Though, now I feel underdressed as though I were simply the escort for a noble woman!¡± I laughed at my own joke, and enjoyed the blush that colored her cheeks.


    Even though she was still shy and nervous, she cutsied then put on a false scowl. ¡°Well, come on then servant boy, you must escort me to the tailor!¡± she giggled as she tried to act as a snobby noble and I grinned. Standing, I offered her my arm. Even if it was only a quick jaunt through town I decided to enjoy a partial day off from my incessant training. A part of me felt bad, knowing that this date with Kristen could go nowhere, but the other part resolved to make it enjoyable for the both of us.


    ¡°How long did your father give you to show me about?¡± She took my arm and started walking me toward the door. At that moment I realized I hadn¡¯t bathed since a couple days ago and likely smelled of sweat. I winced internally, but Kristen did not make a face. Of course it wasn¡¯t standard for folks to bathe every day. At most they¡¯d wash with a cloth and take a few days a week to go to the bathhouse or a stream. With that in mind I withdrew my arm and stopped her, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Actually, would you allow me to wash up upstairs before we go? It would be rather rude of my to allow you to adopt my stink.¡±


    She laughed and nodded. ¡°And he gave me the day... so if there¡¯s more you need to see I¡¯ll be able to take you.¡±


    I nodded to show that I had heard her before bolting up the stairs. I left my armor in the corner of the room with my pack but grabbed a set of clean clothes, despite knowing the ones I wore were self cleaning I couldn¡¯t stop myself from going through the motions. I went then to the room at the end of the hall where a washbin stayed and took one of the provided cloths to wipe the sweat and odor from my body. All told it took maybe ten to fifteen minutes to clean up, after which I quickly brushed my lengthening hair and put it back in a ponytail, feeling like a warrior from an asian manga. Lastly, I donned my boots which felt a bit too snug and belted on my sword. I did grab one of my sets of clothes as well in order to potentially sell to the tailor and filled my coin purse with the gold I received from the quest and pelts.


    I looked to the foxes and mentally asked if they would like to go with us or go off on their own. Luka expressed an interest in hunting by showing a vision of him eating a rabbit and Sky yipped in agreement. I told them to remain together and not to go too deep into the woods, there were at least four wolves still somewhat close to the town after all. With that, I made my way back down to Kristen who was watching the stairs intently.


    I once again offered my arm to her, this time less self conscious of the smell, and grinned wide. ¡°Milady, may I escort you?¡±


    She was smiling wide as she took it, looping her arm through my own. ¡°You may, I suppose. To the tailor? She¡¯s really nice you''ll like her!¡±


    She broke free from the noble persona as we headed out the door. I nodded in affirmation. ¡°Mayhap after if you could show me to a cobbler or leatherman so I can get a new pair of boots. These ones are becoming a bit snug. I¡¯ll treat you to some lunch if that is okay?¡±


    ¡°Y you don''t have to! It¡¯s enough to just... go out with you.¡± She lost some of her bravado at that and cracked, her nerves palpable.


    I chuckled before I could stop myself. ¡°I really must insist Lady Kristen.¡±


    She was quiet for a few seconds and dragged me towards the shop in question. Like most buildings within the town, it didn¡¯t take long to reach our destination. As we stepped inside, a bell rang and the smells of different dyes struck my nose, making my eyes water briefly. It seemed they made their own with various flowers as well as ingredients purchased from the merchants that often came through town on their way to Ironfell. Through a door that led to the back of the shop I spotted a few vats sitting over firepits, they weren¡¯t lit at the moment but I knew once the tailor wanted to dye some cloth they would be and the cloth would be boiled with the natural dyes.


    While it was often quicker to travel through the center of Jorial rather than the boarder roads, it held a fair amount more danger. Oftentimes merchants who couldn¡¯t afford to hire high class adventurer¡¯s would take the slower route and trade between the towns they encountered. The mountains and forests in the center region of Jorial had a number of towns and cities themselves, mostly larger and more prosperous than even Arborton which was among the larger towns on the borders, but the paths leading to them were rife with more powerful beasts and monsters. The dangers on the outer edges were more akin to brigands and bandits who would sometimes attempt to rob a caravan, like the group we faced on the way here.


    I saw a figure, a slender woman, working on some fabric, turned away from us. She was likely working on some piece of clothes so I started to peruse the clothes that were already made. They were primarily dull or simple colors, greens browns and blacks. There were a few with different colors, a pink dress and a purple pair of pants seemed the most vibrant. I felt the different materials, trying to decide what I would want to wear in the coming months or years before I grew out of it.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I was rubbing a long sleeve shirt made of silk when a cough came from behind me. I turned and saw the figure was an older woman, likely in her forties, with graying brown hair and bright blue eyes. ¡°Hello, how can I help you young man? I don¡¯t recognize you, are you with that group of ¡®venturer¡¯s I¡¯ve heard so much about?¡± She spoke with a subtle accent, nothing near as bad as Adriens or Prisma¡¯s.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I am. I asked Kristen to show me to a tailor as my clothes are becoming a bit... tight.¡± I pulled at the hem of my shirt as it had been riding up a little bit, revealing my skin. I looked at the woman sheepishly and reached a hand out to shake. ¡°My name is Lios, I was hoping to purchase a set of simple clothes and then a couple of bolts of fabric that I could make my own clothes with during my travels.¡±


    She took my hand and gave me a gentle smile, before looking to the side at the blushing Kristen, who was trying to not look like she was obviously watching me as she perused this womans wares. ¡°I see. I can certainly help you with that. You have experience with tailoring? Impressive skill for a young man. You¡¯d make a worthy husband someday, for some lucky lady.¡± She looked knowingly at Kristen who let out a soft squeak. ¡°My name is Hilda. A pleasure to make your acquaintance Lios. For the clothes, is there a particular style you are looking for?¡±


    As she waved her hand outward towards all of her stock I stepped up to a nice, slightly larger than necessary, white tunic and pulled it off the rack. Then I grabbed a pair of brown pants and glanced back at her. ¡°How much for these and a dozen pairs of socks and uhm. A few pairs of undergarments?¡±


    She laughed at my flash of embarrassment and Kristen giggled a little bit. ¡°I can part with these clothes for a total of...¡± She appeared to be doing some math in her head. ¡°Two silver.¡±


    I nodded amicably and set them on the counter. ¡°And bolts of cloth enough for say, three sets of shirts and pants? I was thinking silk, mayhap this wisteria color and a simple black if you have them?¡± I pointed to the purple pants I had been admiring, the specific shade of purple I was a huge fan of. It was lighter than the royal purples of Rome, from which I drew inspiration for my armor, and I quite liked the shade.


    ¡°That, I¡¯m sure you know, will be a touch more expensive. I have silk available but it isn¡¯t dyed in that wisteria, so you¡¯d be paying for the process of dying the silk as well. I do have some already black dyed silk available though so that¡¯ll be a bit cheaper.¡± She tapped on the counter, her eyes looking into the distance as she mouthed some numbers. ¡°Around one gold, thirty silver for the lot.¡±


    I hesitated, was I really going to spend so much for clothes? That was the equivalent of staying in our inn for four months. Seeing the hesitation in my eyes she shook her head slightly and opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. I have one last question as well.¡±


    I pulled the folded clothes I¡¯d been holding onto the counter and showed them to her. I knew with the fabric being so rough they¡¯d be difficult to sell but the two enchantments may change the price. ¡°These are enchanted to repair themselves and stay clean, would I be able to sell them to you?¡±


    At first she raised her eyebrows at me placing them on the counter. They were of a fabric that was of worse quality than what she had available. But the moment I mentioned the enchantments she opened her mouth then closed it, brow furrowing. While enchanted items weren¡¯t so uncommon among the wealthy or adventurers, they weren¡¯t common to people who lived in towns like this.


    ¡°I could add them to the trade at... hmmm. They¡¯ll take a while to sell so... I¡¯d normally give you about seventy five silver for them, lets call it eighty so you¡¯ll still owe fifty silver?¡± She felt the hemp fabric and considered it.


    ¡°That would be perfect for me. I have two other sets as well, if you¡¯d like to purchase them. The set I¡¯m wearing now and another back at the inn.¡±


    She shot me a look of incredulity. ¡°Who did you rob to acquire so many pieces of enchanted clothes?¡±


    ¡°I made them myself!¡± My pride evident in my eyes as I boasted, standing a touch straighter. ¡°Unfortunately, these were the best materials I could afford at the time and I¡¯ve grown out of them.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s very impressive. So you are a swordsman as well as an enchanter?¡± She gave me a discerning look as though trying to identify if I were being untruthful. I simply nodded, not needing to get into the finer details of my second class. ¡°Interesting. Okay then, change into your new clothes and I¡¯ll take the set you''re wearing off your hands. You¡¯ll probably want to keep the last set until you have made some new clothes.¡±


    She waved towards a door that I could only assume was a dressing room. I entered, changed clothes, and admired the feel of the fabric on my skin. These clothes were both spun from soft cotton and the pants were a bit loose on the legs, allowing my legs to breathe. When I stepped out she had an additional thirty silver for me which I quickly scooped into my pouch, as well as the bolts of silk that I had asked for. ¡°Thank you Hilda!¡± I called out as Kristen and I left. I hadn¡¯t even needed to spend any money! This was great.


    We walked for a few minutes in silence before Kristen spoke. As we walked I observed the people of this town milling about, the guards changing who¡¯s on watch, others patrolling. Several people entering a bakery nearby and coming out with fresh baked bread. We crossed a bridge under which was river where a number of women were washing clothes. They laughed at something one of them said and I smiled, I could see how life would be enjoyable in a town like this even if it weren¡¯t for me.


    Kristen and I chatted idly as she led me to a leatherworker who would be able to help me with some boots. I quickly found a pair that suited me and spent 20 silver for them. They were perhaps a size too large but I didn¡¯t care, I wanted something I could grow into.


    ¡°So, is there anywhere else I can show you to?¡± Kristen asked as we stepped out from the store. She had grown a little less timid in our meandering through this town. I thought for a few moments then shrugged, I may as well see about finding some books while I was in a spending mood. Books were pretty expensive but if I could find some for magic or enchanting, or even one that cataloged the different metals within the world that would be eternally helpful.


    Before answering though, I took a peak at the sky. The sun was not quite high yet, meaning it wasn¡¯t yet time for lunch. ¡°Mayhap a bookstore Milady?¡±


    Even though she had grown a bit more brazen she still squeaked lightly at my teasing. ¡°Of course Milord! Right this way!¡± We passed a few of the townsfolk who knew Kristen, granted most people in this town knew her through the tavern. Most smiled and waved and a few whistled as we passed or called out ¡®arya on a date!¡¯ and ¡®Well, who¡¯s yer boyfriend?¡¯ which embarrassed her to no end.


    Soon though, as she spoke about some of the buildings and who lived at each one, we made our way to a general store. A place as small as Kinnesville couldn¡¯t afford a full store dedicated to books. As we entered, the shopkeep shot a glance at Kristen and I, arm in arm as we were, and a huge grin spread across his face. His voice was booming, the sort that even when he spoke normally would be heard in a crowded room.


    ¡°Kristen! Kristen Kristen Kristen, finally got yourself a boy? Well well well young man I¡¯m Dalton and welcome welcome welcome to Daltons Treasures!¡± He stepped from around the counter and held out a hand for me to shake, forcing me to dislodge from Kristens arm as my left hand was still in the sling. Kristen had carried the fabric for me as we walked.


    ¡°Uncle Dalton h he¡¯s not my my boy!¡± Kristen stammered and huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she pouted at his exclamation.


    His grip was firm as he shook my hand, though bereft of callouses. ¡°Ah a tight grip young man! And what do ya mean kiddo, he¡¯s not yours? But but but you have him in your arm do you not?¡± He furrowed his brow in consternation, as though it were inconceivable that she hadn¡¯t claimed me.


    ¡°Ah, alas, I am not worthy of such a beautiful lass. Kristen was escorting me around town to help with my shopping before I had to leave town.¡± I answer jovially. ¡°She has been a great help, I fear even if she had written down directions I¡¯d have gotten lost.¡±


    ¡°Ah! So you say she didn¡¯t come here simply to see me, her dearest uncle?¡± He put the back of his right hand to his forehead and mimed fainting.¡°Woe is me, woe is me, woe is me, for my sweet niece cannot simply visit without having need of something from her dearest uncle Dalton!¡± He let out a dramatic sigh as his knees buckled and he sank to the ground in his colorful clothes. Now that I took a second to process it, his tunic was far fancier than most I¡¯d seen. It was garish orange with green stripes, and his pants followed the pattern as well. He looked to be in his late thirties and had laugh lines next to his eyes. His teeth were yellowed and he had wrinkles around his mouth that seemed to indicate smoking of something, but I wasn¡¯t sure what.


    ¡°It is so, Uncle, for my friend Lios seeks books, and you are far too much for me to deal with on a normal day.¡± Her voice was playfully stern. Despite her flash of embarrassment at the start of the conversation. ¡°Uncle you embarrass yourself with these theatrics.¡± She tsked a couple of times and set the bolts of fabric on the ground near the door for us to pick up on the way out.


    ¡°Oh so you visit Hilda before your dear uncle? Lios, Lios, Lios, what is this world coming to that my darling niece would become so cold and callous?¡± The man stood up in a flash and clasped my shoulder, gently turning me towards a bookshelf. He was careful not to jostle the arm that was in a sling, clapping my right. His grip was again firm and tight. ¡°Now now boyo, what sorts of books were you seeking? Ol¡¯ Dalton has got you covered no matter your needs!¡±


    ¡°Oh? I was looking for a book on runes, one on different fabric, one on different materials used in smithing. Hmm... is there anything else?¡± I tapped my chin and felt him squeeze my shoulder before letting go and looking at his books. He removed two rather quickly. ¡°Oh! And one on the basics of magic and wizardry.¡±


    ¡°Found yerself a mage, eh Kristen? Impressive impressive!¡±


    ¡°Hmmph! Uncle I told you he isn¡¯t mine! Lios is an adventurer and leaving in a couple days!¡± She stomped her foot and blew hot air through her nose. Dalton cackled at the display and brought the books to the counter before heading through a door to the back of the shop, likely to storage. He returned a few moments later with a dust covered tome.


    ¡°Now this is my only book that has anything to do with magic or runes.¡± He wiped the dust from the binding and revealed golden filigree to show me the title, ¡®Spells and Incantations for the Budding Wizard¡¯. The other two books were a material list for blacksmiths and metalworkers, and the same for tailors.


    Before letting Dalton know that the spellbook wouldn¡¯t be useful to me, I started to flick through the other two. As I had hoped the book on fabrics mentioned what grade of enchantments it could handle before it was destroyed by the mana that flooded it. The book on metals did not have any such additions but even still, I wanted it so I could improve my secondary class.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to purchase these two, unfortunately the spell book doesn¡¯t suit my wizardry.¡± I smiled wanly at the man.


    He quickly stowed the one I didn¡¯t want beneath the counter. ¡°Those two will be five silver a piece.¡±


    The teasing tone had left his voice now that money was part of the discussion. I pulled out the requisite amount and placed it on the counter. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, sir!¡±


    I stepped outside, books under my arm, and started on my way back to the tavern. ¡°How about we drop these things off then I can treat you to that promised lunch?¡±


    ¡°You really don''t have to treat me...¡± Kristen fidgeted timidly but I simply kept walking.


    ¡°I really must insist.¡± She chased after me, having to jog a few steps to catch up then falling in stride beside me. We quickly made our way back to the tavern and dropped off my new items, the most cumbersome of course being the fabric but I simply strapped them to the sides of my pack for the time being. I was grateful for the system in that moment as dying the purple silk would normally have taken a number of days to process, but, with the magic of this great system, only took minutes. That, and, if this were back on earth I¡¯d never have dreamed of backpacking with such encumbrance.


    Before we left the tavern again I checked up on my companions who replied with feelings of exhilaration and pride as they hunted and sped through the forest to the south and west of Kinnesville. Luka seemed especially prideful but wouldn¡¯t tell me what he had done, and Sky seemed to respect his desire to keep it a secret. I met back up with Kristen in short order and had her grab my arm, smiling at her father as we passed.


    Quickly we found ourselves at a bakery, the same one we¡¯d passing this morning, and collected a handheld meat pie that reminded me of pasties. I also made sure to get four different sweet treats, a biscuit with something akin to chocolate inside, a rich sweet dark cream though not overpoweringly sweet. Next was a danish filled with a fruit jam I was unfamiliar with, and two slices of sweet bread that Kristen had been eyeing and nearly salivating over. The six items only set me back around thirty copper.


    We wound our way around town until we found a spot undertree to picnic. We spoke mostly of our childhoods, me about my friends and my dreams of becoming an adventurer. How I had spent most of my days training, rarely taking breaks and only taking them when the people in my life insisted upon it. I told Kristen about a time that Ento and Ralphy had gotten into a tiff about another girl our age who I didn¡¯t really know named Frida. She was a cute lass but, knowing that I was set to wander, I never paid much mind to the girls around me. Of course, that and our ages tended to be the determining factors.


    While I told some brief stories about my meager interactions with other people, she talked about running the tavern when she was older. How her father continuously spoke about retirement but constantly overworked himself insisting that they, as a family, could handle all of the responsibilities of maintaining the tavern. Just the two of them, father and daughter, would ensure that the tavern kept going.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, what about your mother?¡± I knew it was likely a sensitive topic but also felt she wasn¡¯t the type to dwell on such things, that she¡¯d be relatively okay talking about her. I was not disappointed.


    ¡°Well. When I was younger still, eight years ago so before I had a firm grasp on this world, our small town was attacked and pillaged by a group of bandits.¡± At this point she hesitated and I reached out to hold her hand, rubbing a thumb across the back of it.


    ¡°You don''t have to tell me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just difficult. Most of the civilians were rounded up to the center of town and my parents and I weren¡¯t an exception. But my mother, and a few of the other women, were commanded to go with the bandits, as a part of their... spoils.¡± Her eyes were fiery and her tone grew into a growl. She squeezed my hand tightly as she spoke. ¡°My mother, and the other women, knew that if the men fought back the bandits would not hesitate to raze the town to the ground and begged the bandits to spare us should they go with them peacefully. I remember trying to run after her only for my father to hold me close to him, crying just as hard as I was when they left. It wasn¡¯t until years later that I understand what kind of spoils the women of this town were. A few years ago we discovered the bandits had been killed and a few of the women were recovered but they are... understandably, they are shells of their former selves. My mother was not among them, though I thank Sylvine every day that my mother is no longer suffering.¡±


    I let out a heavy sigh. I knew the story would follow this vein, a tale woven of tragedy and a reminder of why I must become strong. I wasn¡¯t as familiar with Sylvine, truly I had hardly paid mind to the pantheon of Ravos, but I knew she was a goddess of hope and justice. A light in the darkness who¡¯s followers preached kindness and selflessness and righteousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for your loss. This is part of why I¡¯ve decided to be an adventurer. Not so much to be a hero but to at least stand up for the meek and the weak where I can.¡± I felt a small amount of the weight of killing those bandits from before lift from my shoulders. I moved to pull my hand away from her, feeling awkward after the morose topic, only for her to tighten her grip and stare at me a bit. She was quiet for a few moments before she let out a soft breath.


    ¡°Thank you for humoring me Lios. With this date I mean. I know this won¡¯t go anywhere but it¡¯s really nice to sit and talk to a boy I like, and a future hero at that. I know its selfish of me to ask but,¡± Her eyes were wide and I could clearly see the specks of gold and green in her hazel irises. With the sun reflecting off of them they were bronze and bright and, despite the tale she had just told me, hopeful and happy. It was easier to move on from such tragedies, I felt, in a world where they were commonplace. Or perhaps she had stronger strength of will than I gave her credit for. Her cheeks darkened with redness as she leaned forward, catching me by surprise. I could have dodged it, we both knew, but instead I closed my eyes as this timid girl brazenly fought her nerves and stole a kiss from me. It was over quickly, and when I opened my eyes she was blushing even more furiously a smile curling from the edges of her pink lips.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t finish your question.¡± I stated after taking a few moments to process what had just happened.


    Her laugh erupted over the small park we were sitting in, twinkling like chimes in the wind. ¡°I suppose I didn¡¯t. Oops.¡±


    I joined her laughter and we continued chatting for a while longer. When it neared dinner time we returned to the inn. It felt nice to take a brief break, to enjoy being a teenager for a few moments. I felt a bit of the weight I had been placing on myself ebb, and resigned to take some time to relax more often. For the rest of the day, as Kristen returned to work chipper and happy, I sat at the familiar table and settled down to work on a new enchantment for the clothes I was soon to make.


    The fabric book told me that the silk I bought could handle a bit stronger of an enchantment so I began to work on one that was twenty five runes rather than two five rune enchantments. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could manage what I wanted but I would at least give it a shot.

 Chapter 29

    The next couple of days passed quickly. The group returned to the tavern that night, exhausted and irked by whatever they had been hunting, but free of injury. The next day they relaxed and I simply worked on my core compression, still unable to tame the mana of different elements.


    The day after that we began our journey anew. There was a slightly awkward goodbye with Kristen, and she and her father even walked with us to the edge of town. She had given me a big hug but didn¡¯t say anything, knowing it wouldn¡¯t help the situation. Of course Liana and the rest teased me about leaving behind another crying girl as I left for another adventure.


    In the mornings I¡¯d wake up with Elric and train my [Portent of the Thaumaturge], [Intuition], [Dodging], [Bladed Weapon Mastery], and [Runedancing]. With [Runedancing] came [Compendium Actualization]. We would jog ahead on the road we intended to travel and fight with my various senses deprived. I was quickly getting the hang of [Portent] and using it to complement my other skills. It interested me that it was a different skill from [Mana Sense] and not just a pure upgrade, which Liana said was due to it being more specialized and combat focused. Typically [Mana Sense] could later merge with [Portent] but they needed to be higher level first.


    After training with Elric, when the rest of the group caught up, I¡¯d run ahead of them and do basic calisthenics workouts or train with my sword while they caught up. They easily could have caught up with me but made no effort to do so, instead enjoying their meandering pace through the plains. Sometimes Adrien would run with me and we¡¯d go even further so he could help me practice for a longer period of uninterrupted training.


    In the evenings, after dinner, Liana helped me with my mana condensing and runes. Even though she hadn¡¯t studied runes before she was quickly finding herself as entranced by them as me and helped to polish my two twenty five rune spells. I¡¯d also worked on creating some new sets of clothes for me with my newly acquired silk. It took about two weeks to craft and enchant the first set once we came up with the runeset for it. This meant for two weeks I wore only my slowly tightening, self cleaning set that I made a year back in Arborton. This time, the sets I was making were a bit baggy and loose with the intention of growing into them, but not so loose I¡¯d trip over my clothes in combat or other stressful situations.


    When I started [Runeweaving] on the third night the group was rather intrigued, especially our resident mage. The process was different from many other techniques in enchanting. Instead of using a stele or a type of magical writing utensil, I made a needle with [Mana Manipulation] along with a thread behind it. The struggle was that I had to essentially embroider the cloth with my mana, drawing and stitching the runes together by repetitively piercing the cloth with my constructed needle and thread. I had to repeat the process a few times and take care to ensure the rune circle was either in a perfect circle, straight line, or a perfect polygon. When I had first started, this was the factor that caused my initial failures, and why it took over two years to create one set of clothes. Now that I knew the trick and had built up the skill a little bit, I felt it went faster.


    In just a week after starting the first set was complete. A purple tunic with long loose sleeves, though they tightened a bit around the wrist so as not to move overmuch, and a pair of silk pants. They both had the same general enchantments. Self repair, self cleaning, and through [Maelstrom Modification] a waterproofing enchant on the shirt, and fire resistance on the pants. I wasn¡¯t exactly eager to test either but I was excited to see even my crafts outside of smithing would be effected by my random dice roll of a skill. It made sense though, even though my second class was definitely geared towards smithing skills [Runeweaving] was integrated into the class as well. This also meant that my [Runeweaving] projects gave experience for my second class albeit not at the same rate as a smithing project would.


    My days took on this schedule, blending together. I didn¡¯t see much growth in my skill levels, as most were already capped with the rest, but I did feel myself improving with each of them. It was around three weeks before we came across anything of interest. By the time we had reached Edderton all of the quests had been taken care of by someone from the merchant group. I didn¡¯t mind too much.


    Ever since Adrien told the story about Rhosha I had only really thought of the tournament. I wanted a chance to speak with her, and I had no doubt that Adrien and the rest had the same thoughts as me. That she likely had some link to my ¡®Lost Class¡¯. And so I had resumed my training with my colleagues with renewed vigor.


    __________________________________________


    After three weeks of our journey, with the days blending and never ending, we were interrupted in our travels. The trek from Edderton to the next town, Fish Town, was nearly a month journey. We were two weeks into this journey when a sand wyrm, a resident of the wastes, broached the barrier and leaked into the plains and thus into our path.


    We were simply walking, with me a fair bit up road when Luka yipped at me. He sent an image of danger, real danger, far more danger than he had felt before even from Amelia who he thought of as a predator. Sky rushed back from where she had been dancing in the tall grass of the plains.


    ¡°What is it Luka, can you tell?¡± I asked as we began to jog back towards the rest of the group. The fox shook his head and simply raced alongside me as we neared the higher leveled adventurers¡¯. Luka yipped suddenly and urged me to dodge towards him, and without thinking I did just that as the earth rumbled and a massive toothy maw emerged from it.


    ¡°Scrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhh,¡± The maw screeched as it burst through the packed path we strode. It writhed as it sought to chase after its prey but smelled many things, or heard many moving beasts. Adrien and the rest immediately sprang into action. They tossed their packs, regardless of anything fragile, to the side and spread out. Elric, before the wyrm could thrash in my direction, leapt forward and cleaved at its side. A red aura I had never before seen shimmered around the large man. I was growing tall but Elric still towered over me, and with the aura seemed to grow even taller. More intimidating. My eyes widened as his blade, large and heavy and sharp as it was, simply sheered upwards upon impacting the wyrms scales.


    ¡°Lios, run! Get a distance away, these things!¡± He was interrupted by the mouth of the tubular, wormlike, face rushing towards him. I still got the hint. I rushed backwards, not taking my eyes from the wyrm, and started to strategize in order to help the group.


    As I fled, an eagle tattoo on Adriens sparsely covered torso, claiming a spot just above his heart, started beating its wings and fading before it vanished and inky black wings sprouted from the older adventurers back. Even from my distance I heard him groan and growl in pain, before letting loose a bellowing yell. He took off into the air and dropped down just above the wyrm, sword pointed down. With his full weight he drove the sword into the skull of the beast, which I started to believe would be enough to finish it, but the blade only drove in about an inch deep, stopped by the creatures heavy and thick skull.


    It screeched out again and crawled the rest of the way up from the earth. It was similar to a salamander but with draconian features, aside from its wormlike head. No wings adorned the sand wyrms body. I tried to rack my brain for any information that I thought would help. As I did I started one of the twentyfive rune dances that Liana had helped me perfect so I didn¡¯t lightning bolt myself. Flashstep Lightning Bolt, as we called it, would allow me to travel a great distance in an instant and leave a lightning bolt to drop down where I last stood. I could manipulate the lightning to land anywhere along my path, at least in theory. We hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to practice this spell considering the risks of it.


    Intuitively, I knew that lightning wasn¡¯t overly damaging to earth based creatures but I wondered if that could still be said if the creature was soaked. If it was wet, then superheated with a lightning bolt, could it be paralyzed long enough for the rest of the party to finish it off? Or perhaps the temperature change could crack its scales?


    As I prepared the first dance I felt Luka wrestling with its earth manipulation, trying to slow it down like he made me stumble during training but the creature was significantly stronger than the fox. Luka yipped in frustration at being bested again and again. Still, the boy fox didn¡¯t relent and struggled against the earth manipulation of the larger creature.


    Sky was attempting to bolster Elrics attacks by pushing a focused wind behind his arms, allowing him to move ever so slightly faster. I wondered if she was developing a haste buff skill because he was moving marginally faster with her help. It was likely not noticed by him, but eventually as she grew more adept with it I was sure it would be a great boon.


    The beast roared, only tiny trickles of blood coming from its meager wounds but it was angry that its prey wasn¡¯t simply allowing it to eat them. Its roar nearly burst my eardrums, causing me to stumble and nearly fall to my knees. It was close to breaking my focus on the dance and I was at least fifty feet away from it. As the rest of the group stumbled, it kept its mouth wide open and exhaled deeply. How it had air left after screaming so loud, I wasn¡¯t sure, but air was not all that fled from its mouth. A torent of acid sprayed towards my friends, sizzling on Elric''s arm as he barely managed to dodge the main spray. Adrien managed to dodge rather easily, flying up and over the thirty foot long salamander. He landed on its back and attempted to stab down once, twice, thrice before cracking the shell of scales.


    I noticed even those relatively small wounds it had taken from Elric and Adrien kept bleeding, and that the blood was slowly siphoning towards Amelia. Elric approached Amelia who washed his arm with some of that same blood, a glowing red emanating from it as she pulled away the acid and started to heal him. While she wasn¡¯t so great at repairing bones with her particular magic, she could easily repair flesh and muscle. Within seconds his arm was no longer sizzling and boiling, and he was ready to resume the fight.


    However, these seconds were precious. Adrien was unable to fully distract the beast and, in an effort to help, I used [Compendium Actualization] to build a water blade spell, a simple single circle spell that allowed me to coat my sword with water that could be launched as sharp waves of energy. I launched all three of them into the beasts face, trying to pull its attention from Liana. The blades splashed relatively harmlessly across its eyes but still gave it pause for a fraction of a second as one of its scaled paws moved to swipe the liquid from its face. It let out another roar, this one of pure irritation but not powered like the previous one. I wondered briefly if that one had used mana.


    In that fraction of a second where it was distracted, Liana cast a spell that created illusions of her and Adrien had another tattoo fade, this one a large beast of which I was unfamiliar. From his arms, though, sprouted massive black paws with claws at the ends. He didn¡¯t use the sharp claws but instead used his added strength, flexing and working the new shadowy muscles, to continue chipping away at the meager wound he had already started. It looked like he was attempting to cut into the beasts spine.


    Elric returned to the fight moments later, backing away then lunging back into the fray to keep its focus on him. I was unable to properly watch them, the sand wyrm¡¯s head and elric¡¯s blade moving faster than my eyes could perceive. Liana cast another spell, causing spectral chains to fly from the earth and wrap around each of its limbs.


    Using the chance, The others struck out with renewed exhalation. I finished my first dance, Flash step Lightning Bolt, but held onto it. It took a portion of my focus to maintain the rune circle and not activate it, to not pour the last bit of mana into it, but I held it. And I danced another dance, another water blade. After attempting to dig deeper into my knowledge of the wyrm, I realized that fire, wind, lightning, water and earth were inefficient against it on their own. I also realized my initial instinct was likely correct, that this was likely the best way for me to aid in this fight especially after seeing how my water blades simply splashed against it. It wasn¡¯t so much immune to magic, but the elements did little to threaten it. Water or ice would typically be the best bet against a sand wyrm, but my magic was still far too weak to really harm it aside from my apprentice level spells, of which only one had the potential to cause damage.


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    And so, I flung water blades at it from a distance keeping careful not to strike anywhere near Adrien or Elric. Liana saw what I was doing and, surprisingly, joined me, hosing it down with a spell. This had the added benefit of making it hard for it to move, the ground growing muddy under its feet.


    Frustrated, it turned towards the mage and started to build up another acid breath. She was behind it to its left so it had to turn a bit to face her. Noticing this, I called out to Elric and Adrien, ¡°Step back from it.¡± Before finally activating my larger spell. At this time, I was nearly unable to hold onto the spell for much longer. I fed the rune circle the final bit of mana. In a burst, I flew beneath the wyrm barely comprehending the speed with which I was moving. I had to reach an arm out and aimed towards the space next to Liana, not trusting myself to be able to change directions if I needed to. I grabbed onto Liana and pulled her out of the way as, a mere half second after reaching her, acid splattered behind me. Some of it still caught onto my armor, melting the metal, and the back of my legs. I screamed out as the brutal acid struck me and only faintly heard the sound of my lightning bolt clashing down onto the soaking sand wyrm. It shrieked, and its scales cracked, but I paid it no mind as I let go of Liana several meters from where I had grabbed her. I collapsed onto my stomach as I felt the acid eating into my back, having already melted the metal of my armor.My legs burned as well and I vaguely heard Amelia rushing towards us.


    I writhed on the crisp grass, the acid slowly burying itself deeper into my body and my muscles already aching from the strain of moving beyond my limits. The muscles in my legs had torn horrendously even before the acid struck me. Not to mention my shoulder being dislocated from catching Liana. Thankfully our group had a healer even if they could do little with broken bones.


    A cooling sensation removed the searing pain, a pain so great my resistance couldn¡¯t keep up with it. My vision went dark with bright stars hiding behind the lids of my eyes as my mouth opened in a silent scream. My back was healing as she used her skills, and then my legs. She had to use my own blood to restitch my skin, to rebuild the parts of my body that had been torn into by the beasts acid. It was a deeply uncomfortable, and painful, experience despite the soothing sensation that came from the blood that covered me, that helped heal me. My back and legs ached and itched profoundly.


    And then I was sitting up as my tattered silk clothes rewove themselves as they siphoned my mana. I quickly ran backwards, taking up a distance once more, as Liana and Amelia refocused on the wyrm. I had done what I could for now, and if I remained near I¡¯d only distract our mage and healer.


    At this time I noticed the gouge that Adrien was creating had expanded and that the wyrms hind legs no longer moved. Elric was slashing relentlessly at its neck, precision guiding his greatsword to the same spot with each swing of the heavy metal weapon. Blood flowed out from the wyrm, hovering in the air and pooling together. Some of it condensed into sharp spikes and launched into the beasts hide, but even that struggled to pierce the scales.


    The wyrm was slowing down, and we could all see it. The loss of blood and loss of its rear half was driving up its fatigue, and it was panicking. It thrashed back and forth, throwing up mud and dry earth. Some of the sand beneath it had evidently turned to glass when the bolt of lightning connected, and as it turned to try to assail Elric I saw a scorch mark on its side along with a deep cut. It seemed to be protecting that side now, knowing it was weakened by my attack.


    Despite knowing it likely wouldn¡¯t accomplish much, I stood and made a rune circle for the lightning blade. I then held it and added a water blade spell, holding both despite a growing headache. I launched first a trio of water blades and one struck the charred scales causing the wyrm to shriek in rage, as it swiveled its head in my direction. The brief distraction allowed Elric to stab deeper into its neck, and that allowed me to launch the three blades of lightning mana at the soaked side. They were much weaker than the bolt that I summoned with the other spell, but when they impacted, the beast jolted and stiffened momentarily, the water helping the energy to spread and stick around a moment instead of immediately dissipating. When it froze Adrien cleaved the same weak spot and Elric finished slashing into its thick wormlike neck and a torrent of blood sprayed from both wounds. The group backed away as the wyrm weakly struggled again, its claws lazily reaching towards Elric before it shuddered and collapsed.


    I heard the ding but didn¡¯t have any visuals pop up, aside from audio cues for kills I had turned off my notifications during training. Otherwise a feeling of euphoria flooded into me. Even with [Mana Sense] I couldn¡¯t see anything but I surely felt it. My fatigued body seemingly woke up briefly before remembering I was supposed to be tired. Panting, I collapsed onto my ass and caught my breath. My headache had grown worse, and I could tell I was nearly out of mana. The rest of the group took a few moments to breathe as well as Amelia walked around and made sure our wounds were fully healed.


    ¡°Lios... I think your armor may be...¡± Liana said from a few feet away from me. I slowly pulled the armor off, wincing as the jagged edges caught on my skin and tunic, and realized it hadn¡¯t been repairing itself. Once it was off I used [Arcane Analysis].


    Martyr¡¯s Lorica Segmentata:


    This armor, crafted by its bearer, was destroyed in an act of martyrdom, in an effort to save its wearers friends.


    I sighed a bit. The armor had saved me, but it seemed I took more acid to my back than I had thought. It was much stronger than me, or my low leveled gear, and as such easily destroyed the armor. I used [Mana Sense] just in case to see if the self repair runes were still active but found them absolutely destroyed.


    ¡°Alas, it is destroyed. But well worth it.¡± I smiled up at Liana and waved a hand nonchalantly.


    ¡°Thank you Lios, I¡¯ve no doubt that had you not pulled me away...¡± Her voice quivered and she trailed off. The others in the group started making their way over. Adrien looked perplexed as he walked towards us, musing on a dozen different thoughts. Elric simply looked relieved as he realized both Liana and I were okay.


    ¡°Have ye checked your notification yet?¡± Adrien asked as he neared us. I shook my head. ¡°Do it. Elric and I will skin this beast, I feel as though you¡¯ll likely have use for the scales? Mayhap you could use one of the fangs as well. We will divide the spoils fairly, so worry not Lios. Liana, can you check if there was a quest for a sand wyrm available?¡±


    With that, he and Elric turned back and indeed began to butcher the monster. As they did Liana opened the notification she got and gasped a bit surprised. ¡°Wow, its been so long since I last leveled up... I guess a level one ninety beast would do that.¡±


    Curious now, I allowed the notifications to appear.


    You have aided in the slaying of a Lesser Sand Wyrm LVL: 191


    Along with that were a number of level up notifications. I smiled wide at the gains in levels, and grimaced at [Pain Resistance] gaining eight in this one fight. Alongside it, [Bladed Weapon Mastery], [Runedancing], and [Mana Manipulation] recapped as the level of my class rose to 57. [Intuition] had also risen by three during the battle, likely due to my insight with wetting the wyrm and superheating it to weaken its scales, and my use of the flash step to save Liana from the wyrms acid breath.


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 57


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:57


    [Runedancing] LVL: 57


    [Dodging] LVL:53


    [Intuition] LVL:48


    [Mana Sense] LVL:54


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:57


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:51


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3


    [Runesight] LVL:39


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:6


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 11


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:11


    [Runeweaving] LVL:11


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:9


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:9


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:4


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:5


    X4 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:45


    [Meditation] LVL:33


    [Twin Pact] LVL:57


    [Distant Recollections] LVL:25


    [Cooking] LVL:22


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:37


    [Training] LVL:57


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge] LVL:23


    [Syncopate] LVL: 26


    X1 Unavailable


    Unfortunately, my other skills had not been used during the conflict and so didn¡¯t level up. That I had gone up five full levels was also surprising, and it made me wonder what my contribution in the fight had been. Ether, as Liana explained during one of our nightly magic lessons, was the energy that we contributed to experience. It was what gave us additional stats and helped us level up. When a party fought together, the system decided how much each party member earned based on what the creature had and how much they contributed or risked during a conflict.


    I whistled slowly as I looked at the gains and smiled back at the party. Amelia came to join Liana and I as Liana flipped through the journal they gathered quests from. It was a magic item that was essential for adventurers who couldn¡¯t check in to the guild regularly. It allowed for groups or individuals to claim a quest while remaining remote.


    ¡°Was that the spell you and Liana worked on?¡± Amelia asked me as she approached us. Luka and Sky were following behind her, both panting but sending me satisfied thoughts. They hadn¡¯t been a direct part of the conflict but even still they earned enough contribution to level up as well.


    ¡°It was. I need to work on my control of it, I barely was able to pick her up. If I hadn¡¯t been able to guess where she was I fear I¡¯d have just tackled her.¡±


    ¡°Aye. It worked this time, and with more practice it¡¯ll work again, but it still seems a dangerous spell. I could barely track you with my enhanced eyesight, I can only imagine what you were able to perceive while moving.¡± The foxes both trudged over to where I sat and promptly curled up on either side of me, hiding their eyes from the light with their bushy tails. ¡°You did good Lios. Truly. That was impeccable timing.¡±


    ¡°There was no quest for this beast, it must have recently broken out. It appears that the average level has risen once more in the Wastes.¡± Liana said loudly enough for the boys to hear. ¡°We should set up a camp down the road, away from the corpse.¡±


    Begrudgingly, I stood and with me the foxes. We followed Lina and Amelia as they silently walked up the path we were walking prior to the wyrms interference. We quickly set up a camp for everyone and started a fire, and within the hour the boys arrived with the hide and some meat from the beast. Adrien wordlessly set a bundle down beside me.


    I didn¡¯t look at it just yet as everyone settled in and Elric hefted a spit of wyrm meat over the fire to slowly rotate. The smell as it started to slowly roast over the fire was divine, especially as Liana started to season it with a few herbs and salt and pepper she had bought in Kinnesville.


    ¡°Kid, ya did well. I was worried when you called out to us but your spell really helped give us a second to pierce that writhing bitches hide and scales. Good work.¡± Adrien said in his damned accent. It took a few moments to process what he said but then I grinned and raised up a fist in victory.


    ¡°Tis what I¡¯m here for, bossman!¡± I laughed, then quieted down. ¡°I would be remiss to let the opportunity for growth pass me by.¡±


    ¡°See! Its always about getting stronger with you! You train all day every day and only have a mind for strength!¡± Liana lamented.


    ¡°If he had half a brain for anything else he¡¯d have stayed with that Kristen lass.¡± Elric laughed.


    The conversation devolved quickly from there, pulling our focus from the beast that had given us so much trouble for a few minutes. After we ate, I took stock of what Adrien had given me from the beast. I had enough scales to make into a full suit of armor but the hide itself was thin and weak. It might make for suitable and soft clothes if properly treated, but I had neither the means or desire to process it. Instead, during the first watch I was keeping with Amelia, I carved the undamaged scales off of the hide and set them aside in a pouch. To my surprise and joy, I was able to store the scales in [Ephemeral Forge] as they were considered a material for smithing. The brown scales needed to be cleaned yet, but were hard and difficult to break so I felt they¡¯d make fantastic armor.


    Along with the scales I had been given a fang and several claws. That, and a vial of the acid it breathed out. I was unsure what to do with the acid, but the fang I already had some ideas for. Namely, either a spear or a dagger.


    After a few more hours I finally went to bed, ready to continue the journey.

 Chapter 30

    ¡°Lios, I feel it is time to discuss improving your mana pathways. You are already quite adept at manipulating mana, and the next step is improving your throughput of mana. In both absorbing and expending the energy, you need to increase the total capacity of your pathways.¡± Liana started to explain one night as we sat around a freshly started fire, a large boar like creature with six eyes and bones jutting from its spine roasting over it. It had already been skinned and prepared and was smelling absolutely divine. It was called a ¡®Spinetusk Boar¡¯ and were native to the plains along with a number of other creatures.


    ¡°Your mana, overall, is much more potent through your practice in compressing it. Each drop is that much more powerful than when you started using [Syncopate].¡± She continued carefully. ¡°Your particular compression skill is different than mine and most others, in that it changes the flow and rhythm your mana seems to rest at and changes how it reacts to certain stimuli. I think this is due to your classes understanding of mana and the constant references to dancing with it and speaking with it. Yours is a skill more in line with musicians than with mages, though both have the capacity of spellcraft and wizardry. Now, we need to use this skill to explore each of your pathways and slowly stretch them to accommodate not only more mana, but more powerful mana as well. At times, from what I¡¯ve felt, your mana ebbs in strength based on your whim.¡±


    I nodded along as I sat in lotus position, though she had called it something else in elvish. I knew a small amount of elvish, enough to greet dignitaries as that was what my mother had absorbed prior to eloping with my father. The same could be said of dwarvish and gnomish, and a bit more with a few other human languages.


    I concurred with her, I could feel the growing strength of my mana which continuously flowed with a specific rhythm, dancing within my core. The elemental mana that stubbornly refused to combine with the rest of my core had grown more powerful as well, despite resisting my skills influence. My intuition told me that despite my being unable to command it or have it form with the core, it drew from my core to generate it¡¯s own strength. With [Syncopate], as Liana stated, I was able to control how much power my mana output by diluting it while drawing on it to better fit the rhythm of my dances and spells. Some of my first rune circles were unable to handle my denser mana so I¡¯d have to control it that much more or risk the circles breaking before the spells were activated.


    ¡°So, first I will direct my mana through your pathways and you will follow along with your own mana. Once we have mapped out your pathways I will show you how to strengthen, stretch, and even contract them in order to further develop your magecraft.¡± With that Liana, moved to sit behind me and placed her hand on the center of my back.


    Immediately I felt the cool and soft pressure of her mana enter my body, slowly worming around the area of my heart. There was no separate organ that allowed mana to flow in ones body, it was simply a part of their essence. But the pathways, as Liana began to describe, came from an origin point near the heart that was more metaphysical than placed in reality. The core being a part of ones soul space did not mean it was unable to be damaged by external forces, but did make it harder to do so than an organ within a humans body.


    Her mana felt oddly comforting despite the coolness of it. It felt like being within the trees and forest. Of bathing near a small trickling waterfall, with birds and squirrels chattering all around. The whisper of the trees and wind as they conversed. It was a comfort that reminded me of my own soul space, of things that I valued. Feeling her mana gave me a much stronger impression of her, and I understood then why she would be so infatuated with the idea of other peoples soul spaces. It was extremely intimate, yes, but also gave me such an incredible point of context regarding Liana. It was like I could feel the basis for all of her actions, her ideals. It wasn¡¯t to the point of reading her mind or thoughts but rather, it felt like I had gained an understanding of her that traveling together for several months couldn¡¯t bring out.


    I felt as her cool, nature affinity mana spread through my body, wending windy paths from my chest, to my fingertips, to my toes, to my head even. A pathway made its way to my eyes and nose and mouth and ears, to my feet and hands, all throughout my body I felt her mana spread and show me the way. My mana, much less calm, trailed after her. Tumult rose in my pathways as the mana from my core was far too dense for this controlled movement, too chaotic. I lessened the stream, allowed it to ebb as it spread itself out and explored the pathways I had only ever felt intuitively.


    ¡°Good, good I can feel your mana mapping out your pathways. Be careful not to send too much through.¡± Liana affirmed as the mana followed her own, tracing the metaphysical veins. ¡°Perfeeecct. Wow amazing. You''re definitely quicker at this than some of my prior students.¡±


    Before I could respond Sky yipped at Liana and Luke plodded forward to place his chin on her lap, we were sitting cross legged on the ground. Sky sent a pulse of intent to me and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°They are requesting that you teach them also.¡±


    A smile graced the womans face behind me, and her mana halted for a moment. ¡°I would be glad to young pups, though it will likely take much longer than with Lios as I¡¯m less familiar with your pathways.¡±


    The foxes yipped and I focused again on directing my mana throughout my body. Shortly after that Liana taught me a breathing exercise as well as some techniques to allow greater throughput of mana, both on the intake and the expulsion of it. It was a touch painful but nothing I couldn¡¯t handle, especially after the conflict with the wyrm weeks prior. Within days I was practicing using increased mana in my spells. I was even able to remove the two runes dedicated to gathering mana in order to further strengthen my five rune circles. Those would still be wanted in higher powered spells, but the expense of mana was negligible and adding two more runes dedicated to damage output or speed could be infinitely more valuable than saving a few points of mana.


    My pact skill even leveled up as I resumed training with Luka and Sky, we even shared a couple of dreams as Sky had taught Luka how to do so. Liana¡¯s training with them definitely took much longer than with me. Several nights, in fact. But soon they learned to better manipulate their mana and could even control their individual elements better than me. Despite my feet being sore, my armor being broken, and the heat bearing down on us as we trekked across the arid plains, life was good. Great even.


    Liana was even still helping me with developing a number of spells. I told her some of my ideas, which were unfortunately improbable at my current level, but we worked on a few new five rune circles and twenty five rune spells as well. Through all of the towns we stopped in, only one had a single quest for me - killing giant rats in a barn or two. It was easy and didn¡¯t really count as practice for either magic or swordsmanship. Thankfully, we encountered a few beasts and monsters that either came from the plains or the Wastes that I could fight to raise my level a bit.


    During our stops at each town I made a point to spend at least a few hours a day crafting, making a few swords that I resold immediately. Even without etching the weapons with runes, [Maelstrom Modification] passively provided at least one enchantment. I was attempting to control the enchantments it gave out but was unable to. Even with crafting so many weapons, and being in the early levels, I only went up to level 21 in my second class. [Ephemeral Forge], thankfully, stayed in line with the class level, allowing me to store fifty pounds of materials or tools within. That allowed me to keep my tools as well as the wyrm scales inside at all times, with a few pounds to spare.


    I still couldn¡¯t even begin to work the scales, but all things in time. For now, I was enjoying traveling without wearing my sweltering armor.


    ¡°Raise your blade Lios, in combat you have no time to be tired.¡± The torturer stated confidently as his own blade then lashed out at me, forcing me to raise my own to block. A loud clang of steel on steel (or my strange alloy, but no matter) rang out in the grove.


    Sweat dripped down my torso and forehead, getting soaked up by the little bit of leftover cloth I used as a headband while training. I grunted out my reply to my tormentor, the reviled man gave me no quarter as he lashed out once more. I was on the backfoot, forced to block and parry each of his strikes. Like a snake coiling to attack, the man stepped back before lunging in my direction, forcing a sidestep.


    Finally, however, despite my exhaustion I stepped in closer to him and countered, the tip of my blade rushing his unprotected side. He twisted but he was too late, the runes beneath my feet activated and I felt a sudden burst of energy flow through my legs and upwards to my arms and my blade accelerated catching the horrible man off guard. He grunted in surprise and attempted to parry in the split second he noticed the change but instead my sword stopped the moment it touched his flesh, a trick of blood dripping from the pinprick I left.


    I sighed heavily and stepped back. ¡°Five minutes?¡± I asked Adrien, who was helping me with two of my shortcomings. The first being my ability to control my flow of mana now that I expanded my pathways, the second being my swordplay. The evil trainer tortured me both in the morning and the evening. We sparred relentlessly as he continuously pushed me to improve, and especially to train with my newer spells.


    The one I had just used was called ¡°Energy Burst¡± by both Liana and I and was only a five rune spell that lasted five seconds. It allowed my body to move significantly faster for the active time, and was short enough that I didn¡¯t risk overexerting my muscles. Unlike my ¡°Flashstep Lightning Bolt¡± as Liana and I called it.


    ¡°Five minutes are up, come at me again!¡± Adrien called out to me. In the mornings, while we sparred, he would give me tips and guidance and I wouldn¡¯t use any magic. At night, however, he wanted me to go all out. The main reason was in case we ran into something during the day that needed me to have mana to fight. Even at night we rarely went past the fifty percent mark of my mana.


    Groaning I wordlessly stood, raising my longsword, and settled into a stance. I ignored the aching in my shoulders and back and legs. The burning in most of my muscles, swordplay was a full body workout and I truly felt it. I swung my sword at the tattooed man, setting aside any thoughts of a break and simply focusing on my assault. My blade and his clashed together, if not for the enchantments that both weapons bore they would have shattered long ago.


    I pushed mana through the pathways in my feet and even my hands, the mana from my hand I manipulated to wrap around the blade of my sword as a pseudo sword aura. A weapon aura was a common skill among higher level warriors, and I initially emulated it with my first few spells by forming a blade of a specified mana that I could launch from my blade. Liana had helped me realize that if I already had some mana there, the spell was even easier to control, and with my higher energy output I could quickly adapt when the spell activated.


    From my feet I built a circle of runes, a spell designed to create a blade of lightning that I could launch once again. The only difference between this one and the first iteration was that the two runes meant to gather mana had been replaced with runes to increase the sharpness of the lightning manifestation, effectively strengthening the spell by forty percent.


    My blade clashed with Adrien¡¯s once, twice, four times. Ten. By the fifteenth clash lightning mana coated my blade and he backed up. Despite him having a higher level, much higher, he still could be injured by my spells. He often complained about being injured by someone less than half his level, even though he never went all out and the injuries were only ever surface level.


    The past few days he seemed to have been taking some frustrations out on me, and today was no different. His blade, wrapped in a protective layer of mana, thwacked against my leg and side, showing where I overextended in a thrust. I grunted, and after falling, rose to my feet. Why was Adrien so frustrated, you may ask? Good question. Totally had nothing to do with Liana and I crafting a stupid five rune spell that acted as a stinkbomb a few days ago and using it when Sky blasted a gust of wind at me with Adrien and Elric behind us. We had the forethought to warn Amelia as vampires had a much stronger sense of smell but even still, the spell was rancid. That definitely was not the reason Adrien was pissed at me. Nor the fact that the smell still subtly lingered on his clothes.


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    We sparred for a while longer. He allowed a few of my strikes to hit as he had lowered his own power to that of someone just stronger than me. This meant I only had to compete with superior technique, rather than stats and skill. He, of course, could move fast enough to parry and utterly dominate me in the melee but had some sense of honor, refusing to bully the weak as he stated.


    Despite the increasingly difficult training, I debated creating another prank spell because the reaction was well worth the following abuse. Plus I was learning a lot as we fought, especially as he had begun also trying to disrupt my footwork or force me out of the range of my spells and I was getting much better at maintaining them despite opposition.


    ¡°I think you should focus on only a few of your elements. You are aware of how affinities work, yes?¡± Liana walked beside me as we traveled down the road.


    It had been a few months since the sand wyrm ambushed us. We had spent the evening after simply relaxing and eating wyrm meat, which was surprisingly delicious. It was a bit earthy like mushrooms, but had a strangely pungent umami flavor that elevated it above the elk or other meats we typically found. Luka and Sky were obsessed with it after it was all gone, determined to get strong enough to take one down by themselves. The mana dense food seemed to reinvigorate us but we still chose to rest rather than continue, we expended a fair amount of energy in fighting it. Especially Adrien and Elric. I had stripped the remaining metal from my armor and now had it in my pack, none the worse for wear despite also the addition of the wyrms scales and some bones that I had gone back for. Thankfully, by now the scales were in my [Ethereal Forge] and did not weigh me down during our travels.


    Now, as we walked, Liana was taking the time to teach me more about magic as, rather than run ahead and train, I decided to stay with the group. They were still training me by throwing things at me unexpectedly, the purpose either to dodge or block the items. Basically, building my reaction speed.


    ¡°Not really, Liana. I read about them a while ago when I first started with magic but didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the ineptitude of youth to forgo studies on the important things!¡± She lamented teasingly. ¡°Well, there are ten basic affinities that an individual may be born with. Typically a person will have one, maybe two affinities in their earlier levels. After level two hundred or so, it can change but a core typically grows unstable if too many elements attempt to find their home there. This is where you are an outlier, because of the the Seed of Pandemonium your core currently houses five elements, from what I could see. The standard affinities are as follows: wind, fire, earth, water. Next are entropy and order, dark and light, and finally holy and cursed.


    ¡°The last two are almost honorary inclusions as, while they don¡¯t have any other affinities associated with them they are typically granted in the service of a greater being or set by heavy belief in something. You¡¯ll notice that lightning, your most prominent affinity, is not on this list. Lightning is considered an evolved affinity and takes influence from both wind and fire. A wind or fire mage may be able to develop a lightning affinity even without the other element, but would find it much harder. What this means for you is that lightning, fire and wind are your strongest affinities, with water and earth being lower tiered for you.¡±


    I thought for a few moments before nodding in agreement. ¡°My only question, then, is why are my spells all relatively similar in power level?¡±


    ¡°Thats... Thats a good question. Well... Are you using the mana from your core or from your affinities when casting your spells?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I just expel mana, are you saying I should be able to isolate specific mana?¡± My mind started to whir as I considered the possibility. Mostly wondering if I had been losing out on quite a bit of added power.


    Up until now I had just instinctively drawn on my mana. The books I read on spellcraft had not mentioned the use of specific mana types for different skills but it certainly made sense. I wanted to slap my forehead in exasperation but elected instead to try to learn to do it, even if it was manual for a while. I had been continually unimpressed by the power of my basic dances, as they were a relatively hefty mana sink and dealt understandably meager amounts of damage. At least from my perspective. I didn¡¯t realize that I was still punching above my level in terms of how much damage I could deal, it simply felt weak to me.


    ¡°Well, yes, you should be able to. When you launched your water blades at the wyrm did you not use water mana to create and activate the runes?¡± The others had started to listen in on our lesson at the mention of the wyrm fight.


    I had been shocked (Pun unintended) after it was over when Adrien didn¡¯t scold me for getting involved, instead saying I did well and that they would have taken much longer without me stunning the beast and cracking some of its scales. That and preventing a more powerful ally from taking a serious injury by tackling Liana, despite the injuries it brought to me.


    ¡°No... I just use mana. I didn¡¯t really know to use specific mana for anything.¡± I muttered, embarrassed.


    ¡°Oh my, tonight we shall practice then! After you delve and condense your core of course.¡± Liana clearly enjoyed having me as her personal magical apprentice. She had even been diving deep into rune studies with me in an effort to better her own understanding of magic, and to help make sure I didn¡¯t destroy myself with some spell or another.


    ¡°So, to summarize, you think I should focus on my three primary affinities for the time being and become more of a specialist?¡± I asked as I felt a pulse along my connection with Luka. He had just succeeded in taking down a beast far larger than his typical bunny. After the wyrm fight he and Sky had returned to hunting with vigor, wishing to become strong enough to not be in the way just as much as I did. Yesterday, the two had taken down a boar and required me to come pick it up and haul it till we reached camp. I decided to ignore the call for now, he was a bit ahead of us so it would take a while to reach him anyway.


    ¡°Basically yes. It doesn¡¯t mean that you cannot be versatile, but I feel if you put say, seventy percent of your focus on spells related to those affinities and thirty percent into others you¡¯d be able to remain versatile while also accepting your strengths. Before we get there though, I feel you must learn to use elemental mana to activate your spells.¡±


    I went silent for a while, acknowledging the idea and musing over it. When I reached the point where I could most easily reach Luka I did so, and returned to the group with an elk hoisted over my shoulders. It was heavy and I had had to gut and drain it prior to picking it up, but I took it as a chance to workout for the remainder of the walk. We weren¡¯t close to any towns, as now that we were near the edge of the Wastes not many towns were present. Oftentimes, the ones that sprang up would quickly be overrun by monsters or even the scoundrels who lived in the wastes.


    Later in the evening while I was nursing the bruises that came with dodging stones and sticks thrown with the might of a level hundred and eighty beast of a man, Liana came to me again. ¡°I think we should try a spell and see if you can draw out only fire mana for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let me try.¡± I stood up immediately, excited to test the theory. We separated from the area with tents and our gear, and found ourselves a fair bit away on the open plains. We didn¡¯t fear any monsters coming to us as only a few types could sneak up on us.


    ¡°Okay, so as you are developing your rune circle I want you to also latch onto the fire mana in your core and draw it through your pathways.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything as I focused on my mana and tugged on the wisp of fire mana that whirled around my core. Even still, I was unable to condense the elemental manas, they still refused me. As I tugged on it I felt a flicker of recognition followed by defiance, the mana refused to be drawn out of me. I closed my eyes as some sweat started forming on my forehead. I pulled on the mana and called out to it. Come on ya little bugger, dance with me! It felt cheesy but my class and multiple of my skills mentioned dancing with mana. Even still, the wisp disobeyed and screeched its defiance.


    I stumbled as its screech blasted in my mind, a bit of blood trickling down my nose. Liana hurried over a concerned look on her face but I held up a hand and closed my eyes again. I gripped the wisp mentally and yanked harder than before, forcing it into the pathways that led to my feet. I, still within my mental world, began the five rune dance for a fire blade. I didn¡¯t want to cast a wave spell for fear of igniting the grass and shrubs that surrounded us.


    The wisp of mana raged within me, revolting against the tyranny of me forcing it to obey. It screeched within me, writhing and I felt it claw at my pathways looking for any purchase so as not to be dragged away. When it was nearly to the opening in my pathway, close to being used in my spell, it relented for a few moments. Long enough for me to write my runes with some difficulty. The mana seemed to finally coalesce, to finally obey but as I sent in the last little bit the spell circle exploded with me standing in the center.


    Flames sprang up around me but rather than condense on my blade it assaulted me. It burst in my direction and I had to leap backwards, through some of the fire, as I used [Compendium Actualization] to cast ¡°Water Wave¡±, another iteration of my cheap wave spells, and directed it to the flames. They were swiftly quenched with me taking no damage aside from a few surface level burns on my legs and arms. My silken clothes were already accepting my mana and repairing themselves.


    ¡°That... That did not go as expected...¡± Liana watched me with wide eyes. ¡°Your elemental mana is defiant. Perhaps it is a lack of control but your ability to manipulate mana is rather high... We will have to practice over time, yes?¡±


    I stared at the scorched grass where the circle had formed and shook my head. From what Liana said, mana of different affinities should be usable instinctively like my pure mana. ¡°I guess we will. Lets wait until I can summon a circle again then try again.¡±


    And so we did, I attempted to control the fire mana for the next couple of hours until the elk was properly roasted with an amount being dried for jerky. Despite making dozen or so attempts, the mana resisted each time. As frustrating as it was, I could feel my control over it gaining some traction. In between attempts we ensured the spell was correct and even worked on other ones, and near the end, for the first time in a long time, I checked my status sheet.


    [Race]


    Human


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 57> 79


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:57>79


    [Runedancing] LVL: 57>79


    [Dodging] LVL:53>74


    [Intuition] LVL:48>77


    [Mana Sense] LVL:54>65


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:57>79


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:51 >63


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:3>4


    [Runesight] LVL:39>49


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:6>16


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 9>21


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:9>21


    [Runeweaving] LVL:9>21


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:9>21


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:9>21


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:4>19


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:5>21


    X4 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:45>61


    [Meditation] LVL:33>35


    [Twin Pact] LVL:52>71


    [Distant Recollections] LVL:25>31


    [Cooking] LVL:22>24


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:37>45


    [Training] LVL:57>79


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge] LVL:23>63


    [Syncopate] LVL: 26>54


    X1 Unavailable


    Over the past several months I had experienced some significant growth. Some skills still didn¡¯t see much increase due to not using them often, such as [Cooking], [Recollections], and [Meditation]. But others grew quite a bit, most notable being [Portent] which I was able to use nearly constantly now with only a few breaks. It was because my passive mana regeneration was only a bit below the cost of mana for [Portent]. So now I used it until I reached 75% of my maximum mana, ensuring I still had most of it in the event of another ambush.

 chapter 31 - confessions

    They pestered me often during our travels. It had already been several months since leaving Kynnesville, and since sharing that dream with Sky. A couple of months since Liana started to teach the foxes about mana as they were developing a higher than average intelligence for beasts, likely through our connection and the mana they absorbed during my second class selection. They often teased me about how I had joined them in their dreams but they had yet to join me in mine.


    When I asked Liana how to invite them into my soul space for a dream she had stared at me for a solid minute, confused and curious. What followed was a lecture on the dangers of inviting others into one¡¯s soul space which had me wondering why she was the exception. She then clarified I should be able to tug on the connection with them when I went to sleep and invite them that way.


    So I did just that. One night, after a relatively long day at the forge while we were stopped in a fairly small town with a population of around eighteen-hundred people, as my head hit the pillow I reached out through our pact. I felt the two foxes curl up beside me, warming my sides as they accepted the invitation. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    After seeing Sky¡¯s soul space as Brioche¡¯s den, and seeing Luka¡¯s as a vast plains filled with groundhogs, bunnies, and flowers, I was maybe a bit worried they¡¯d find my soul space as lacking. There was beauty there but no creatures to play with, not yet at least.


    With My eyes closed, despite my nerves, I quickly fell asleep and dragged them with me. As usual, we opened our eyes at the small chapel. Immediately, Sky bounded around taking in the smell. Hearing the sound of nonexistent birds, the rustle of squirrels fat from being fed by campers. Luka sniffed at the ground, coated in pine needles and cones. A few acorns adorning the forest floor.


    Then Luka surprised me. ¡°Tour?¡±


    I stood there flabbergasted a few moments. They still couldn¡¯t speak normally, so when did he learn to telepathically send a message? Did Liana teach them that? As I stood there wondering about it Sky plodded back over to me and headbutted my calf. She yipped in consternation, ¡°Can you talk to me too?¡±


    ¡°Yip yip.¡± she intoned teasingly before sending a thought to me in a high pitched, girlish voice. ¡°Show around?¡±


    ¡°Since when could you do that?¡± Finally, broken from my stupor, I started walking down the trail towards my core. ¡°Okay okay, tour time.¡±


    ¡°Pointy ears teached us papa.¡± Luka flopped his tail back and forth as he ran a touch ahead of me, Sky following. We walked for a little bit until we reached the tree, where I showed them the river and the cairn that was protected by the oaks roots. They seemed confused as I showed them the rocks with my loved one¡¯s names painted on.


    ¡°This is where I keep my memories of those I have lost.¡± I explained slowly as I held up a stone for each of my family members who I would likely never meet again. ¡°This stone was for my brother, Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡± Sky questioned as she sniffed the stone. She and Luka couldn¡¯t speak overly well, and still refused to explain how long they could, but even with simple words I could get a general idea of what they were saying.


    I sat down on one of the roots and looked at the foxes. ¡°I guess I haven¡¯t told you about my past. Not that I really could have before now but...¡± I proceeded to explain about my other life. About waking up in this new world and the god that had brought me over. The foxes listened well. Sky crawled into my lap as I was speaking to them, and Luka sat at my feet looking up at me. As I finished the story I started to show them more of the stones.


    ¡°This one belongs to my grandfather. I lost him when I was a kid. And this is for my other brother Zack. My sister, Zoe, hers is over here.¡± I was smiling as I remembered them. Often times it was difficult to do so, but it was also nice to think about them. It was difficult as my chest ached when their images flooded my mind, when their smiles and laughs met me. I missed them, so so much. My memory skill was a touch brutal, as it allowed me to remember and feel the emotions people sometimes forget feeling. Love and loss and yearning precipitated inside of me, but I welcomed it this time rather than push it away.


    ¡°This black rock with the pink paint is for my girlfriend Jessica. Yaknow, I was going to propose to her soon. Bought a ring and everything.¡± I knew they pups didn¡¯t know about marriage and proposals, and much else of human culture, but even so I lamented. ¡°Of course, here¡¯s a stone I made for Brioche, for your momma.¡±


    This one they took particular interest in, of course. Luka sniffed it before giving it a respectful lick. Sky whimpered a bit in sorrow before rubbing her head against my leg like a cat wanting scratches. Both sent me an image of thanks and gratitude, as well as comfort. After a few moments of silence and remembrance, Sky sniffed at the two remaining stones.


    ¡°Ah, my parents. Lucas and Skylar, were their names.¡± I smiled as I took them out. It took the foxes a few moments to realize the names were so similar to theirs.


    ¡°Ah, enough sad things! A tour is what ye wanted so let me show you something more.¡± I stood abruptly, the stones that I had taken out moving themselves back into the cairn and other stones covered them up. I lead the way from the shore of this beach and up to the Kings Rock where I often sat to condense the mana of my core. The wisps of elemental mana still refusing to coalesce with the core danced and played with each other.


    ¡°Pretty,¡± Sky sent me looking up at the ball of floating mana.


    After that we slowly made our way through the rest of my soul space, hiking well trod trails and looking at each of the waterfalls that adorned the mountains around us. I took them to the valley, a place I had visited many a time in my prior life. We wended our way on the paved roads towards the mountain trails and streams.


    We didn¡¯t get to see everything as, after a few hours, we were shaken awake by Adrien.


    Groggily, my eyes opened and I felt the foxes stir beside me. I looked up and grumbled softly at seeing Adrien standing above me. ¡°Fine I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up.¡± I grumbled as he ruined the journey.


    Sky yipped up at him in consternation while Luka playfully attempted to nibble on the swordsman''s hand. Being a good sport, he let the fox bite considering Luka could hardly harm Adrien.


    It wasn¡¯t long after we were so rudely awakened by Adrien that we departed the small town. I didn¡¯t even get the name of it nor did I particularly care about it, what I did know was that we were growing near to Ironfell. Weeks away, in fact. There was one other, slightly larger, settlement before we made it to the city of adventurers, and after that we¡¯d be there. We carried on down the well trodden roads, dirt rutts dug by carriages scarring the path.


    For the most part, we walked in a comfortable silence, with me spending most of the time considering why Adrien seemed down. For the last few days on the road, since leaving town, Adrien and even the rest of the group had been acting cagey. It wasn¡¯t so much that they were avoiding me - tough to avoid me when I traveled with them - but that they were nervous about something. While I was concerned I didn¡¯t want to pry so we kept on our merry way, sticking to the usual routine.


    As I walked I attempted to coerce the elemental mana within me to come out, to follow my direction. I did some workouts, mostly just running ahead to do some calisthenics or practice some of the more recent techniques I learned from Adrien and Elric. They had been teaching me during the entire journey and I could feel how much my swordsmanship had improved. Before, I was lucky to land one blow during every hundred spars with either of them. Now It was closer to one in every twenty, and I could tell they had even increased the difficulty over time as I grew more used to their styles and abilities. It also helped that I had been gaining some levels here and there.


    So for the day I ignored the suspicious behavior of Adrien avoiding looking me in the eyes, the entire group skirting around a variety of questions like what they planned to do when we reached the large city of Ironfell, why they were going there in the first place. Several days had passed with me asking these questions as I grew more and more excited for the Festival of Rhosha. When Adrien had told me the story about her back in Kinnesville he had said she was challenged yearly, but the event now only took place once every decade. That we would make it in time was amazing, and I was thrilled at the idea of competing.


    I had been told there was a bracket for each class rank. As in, I would likely be able to compete with others who were level 125 or below, while Elric and Adrien would have to compete with others who were level 250 or below. That there wasn''t a tournament for those higher level than that wasn''t overly surprising, few exceeded the level 250 threshold. Each class upgrade came with their own challenges, the biggest being that one had to reach the level in the first place without dying. As one grew in level, the harder it became to level up further. The more experience was needed, the more insight was needed to upgrade skills, and the more dangerous the foes one would face would be. In the early levels there wasn¡¯t much variance in the monsters and beasts one could hunt for experience, but as mortals grew so too did beasts and monsters. And so too did their capabilities become more varied.


    This was to say, that there were not enough interested swordsman who were over level two hundred and fifty to hold a tournament for just them. Some years a few would express interest and put on an entertaining exhibition match to entertain the masses and prove which of these rivals were more skilled with a blade, but the last time that happened was seven decades ago.


    I focused on thoughts of this tournament as we walked, considering if I should compete. On the one hand, I doubted I¡¯d reach level one twenty five in the next four months, and doubted even more that if I rushed it I¡¯d be able to develop my skills to match my level. A few times I started to ask questions of my companions or even spark up conversation. Okay, fine, the comfortable silence was much more awkward than I would like. Elric still treated me normal but the others kept throwing glances to Adrien so I stopped making conversation and instead went running ahead.


    It wasn¡¯t until two days later that I found out why Adrien was being so awkward. We had made camp, and I had finished all of my nightly trainings. The others were sitting around the fire nursing bowls of stew that I had made with some groundhogs Luka and Sky brought back. Even the foxes had their own bowls of warm, delicious stew. I poured a bowl for myself, having just given everyone theirs. I figured I should probably cook a little as that was my initial promise when I begged them to take me with them.


    I sat down on a log, the wooden bowl in my hands pleasantly warm and the steam washing up to my face, bringing with it an herby, earthy and meaty scent. I groaned internally as I started to eat, not waiting for it too cool down. I used some herbs that my mother had shown me for medicine as well as some veggies we bought at the last town.


    It was crazy to me that it had only been around five months of travel with this group of adventurers. Even crazier to think that aside from my time in Kinnesville and the battle with the wyrm, not much of interest had happened. Growing up, especially after having lived an extremely mundane life before, I had fantasized about my future adventures and the legend I would write into this world. So far, my journey had none of that.


    The most I could claim to have done was help my party of much stronger teammates in distracting a sand wyrm, maybe even saving another team member from that same foe. At least I made an impression on the lass in Kinnesville, Kristen, but even so my quest to forge a legend was beginning rather slowly. The only other claim to fame I could attribute to my story was gaining a seed in my early levels, which would undoubtedly aid me going forward, or could even detriment me if it proved too powerful for me to handle down the road. But, to my frustration, I still had difficulty controlling it. Especially the elemental mana surrounding my core. Each time I attempted to use it, when it did relent, I experienced significant backlash.


    Once, when I attempted to force the lightning mana to work with me, the spell exploded much like the fire blade spell did. The lightning mana wound up exploding upwards and paralyzing me for forty minutes, refusing to allow me to turn it into a blade. Thankfully, when I used the pure mana from my core the spells still worked, though it was growing harder to control it. It was infuriating and confounding. I was doing all that Liana said she and those she was trained with did. Even though I had more affinities, they shouldn''t be rejecting me so severely, according to her.


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    Why cant I use my mana? Is it because of the seed? I asked myself as I enjoyed the hearty stew. I ate slowly, paying no mind to my companions as they were talking to each other. I sent a message to Luka through our pact. ¡°Luka, how do you use your earth mana?¡± I asked him knowing he couldn''t reply very in depth just yet.


    According to my team, bonded animals developed telepathic communication abilities at relatively low levels. It was in part due to the shared traits between beasts and their bonds. I wasn¡¯t sure what traits they had that carried over to me. Maybe something about being a free spirit and wanting to explore, though that was already something I had. Either way, during each class evolution I¡¯d likely take on more of their traits and instincts. Just as they''d take some of mine when their races evolved.


    Beasts didn¡¯t have classes but gained racial evolutions. They could potentially learn a similar amount of skills but for them they were more like instinctual abilities. They did not select anything, except for during their evolutions. It was really interesting, and I couldn''t wait to pick up a couple of books related to the subject. Unfortunately, nobody in my traveling group knew much about companion pacts or beast evolutions and so couldn''t provide much insight.


    Luka just responded with a shrug and sent a message saying he just does it. It comes naturally, in other words. I shook my head in frustration, not receiving the insight I had hoped for.


    ¡°Lios. Lios, Ravos to Lios!¡± I pulled myself out of my stupor and looked up to see Adrien, looking amused, standing over me. The tattooed man looked a bit shy but was still able to laugh at my zoning out.


    ¡°Yes Adrien, what is it?¡± I took another spoonful of stew to my mouth, it had cooled down a bit while I was lost in thought. The flavor was still pretty good, and I was pretty impressed with my cooking. Still, what I wouldn¡¯t give to have some good beef stroganoff.


    ¡°I have to tell you something. Please let me speak till I¡¯m done, then ask any questions you may have.¡± His voice took on a grave tone, and I shifted in my seat to show him he had my full attention. And not just mine, the others were watching intently. They each were shifting in their makeshift seats, seeming somewhat nervous. Even Elric, the typically calm and collected, looked away as I glanced at him and wrung his hands a bit.


    ¡°Okay you''re starting to spook me. What is it?¡±


    ¡°First. I would like to apologize on behalf of my party. We have spent the last several months debating how much to tell you.¡± His accent was entirely missing for once. He inhaled deeply before slowly releasing it. ¡°We are not all that we said we are. Like you we have a few secrets and the main one is our identity, the second it what that means for you.


    ¡°Liana is the third princess of the elvish kingdom, Arwin, to the south. She was sent to the kingdom as a vassal, a representation of the alliance and peace treaties between Jorial and Arwin. Elric is a member of a powerful merchant family from the north, from Marthis. I grew up with him and his father, as a means to establish a connection with my family, asked that we allow him to journey with me. I don''t know if you are aware but Marthis is an oligarchy of sorts, it is primarily run by the dwarves but there are powerful families of other races as well. His father is the representative of the human families within their counsel of elderfolk.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed but I didn¡¯t interrupt. I briefly considered that they could be playing a prank on me, but quickly wrote off the thought. They were each being too serious. This time when I looked at Elric he simply gave me a half smile and nodded at me. I felt a bit of frustration, not quite anger, building up inside of me. My cheeks were flush as I glanced at Liana, realizing I had been traveling with an elvish noblewoman for months. Zach would be sooo jealous if he knew. Unbidden, a thought of my brother and his adoration for playing elves in video games, and Lord of the Rings, came to my mind and I had to stop myself from smiling as I refocused on Adrien.


    ¡°Amelia is the inheritor of the Crimson Keep, although that is a title that doesn''t hold much bearing as the current keeper has been alive for over five centuries. The Crimson Keep is a... holy land, of sorts, for the undead kingdom. It isn¡¯t an official nation but more of a-¡±


    ¡°The Undead Kingdom is more like a guild that monitors the activities of undead citizenry. The Crimson Keep is essentially the Rulers Seat of this guild, and is where those who represent the various undead races meet to ensure that our kind are living fruitful lives without risk of endangering mortals as well as where we gauge the discontent revolving around our peoples. Of course, not everyone accepts vampires, lich¡¯s, ghouls, death knights, or the other ilk of the Nethermaiden, so my progenitor and those of the other races use the Crimson Keep to ensure the mortals have no reason to or plan to eradicate us.¡± Amelia interjected to better explain her lineage and the importance of the keep. I opened my mouth to say something but not before Adrien continued.


    ¡°Just so. Thank you Amelia. Lastly, I am,¡± He paused for several seconds, clearly more nervous than the others were, ¡°The second son of His Majesty, King Trayarch Airos. I am second in line for the throne although I have little interest in ruling Jorial. My elder sister is instead the one slated to take the throne upon my father¡¯s retirement. As for why I believe this information to affect you, Lios of Arborton, well its a bit complicated really.


    ¡°I fear that when I return to the capital, to which we will depart after the tournament of Rhosha, my father and possibly a few others will learn of you. No specifics but they will likely know about your seed and your class to a small extent. It will interest both my elder sister and my father and you will receive an invitation to the capital. When this happens, you will not be able to lie to either of them, my father possesses many great abilities including surface level mind reading and his retainers have lie detection skills among other things.¡±


    He stopped talking and looked at me for a few moments as I thought about it all. I frowned deeply and looked at each of my traveling companions in turn. A lot of thoughts were rushing through my head. That I was being betrayed, that the oath they took upon revealing the seed was obsolete with his fathers ability. That he knew of all of that prior to taking the oath. It made me feel justified at keeping my bigger secret but, his confession also made me want to stop hiding behind it. I was fearful how people would react to it, but I didn¡¯t think these people who had become my friends, would react negatively. Still it made me glad I waited to tell them, considering his father, the king for gods sakes, would know about it as soon as he talked about me. There was one very important question on my mind as these thoughts raced through my head.


    ¡°So... are you going to stop doing that shitty accent now that I know?¡± I tilted my head and smirked a little bit. I wasn¡¯t all that angry even if I should be. The fact that he was so terrified of talking about, to the point of being nervous for days, that they all were, told me how ready they were for me to be upset. How much they all expected it. But, even though I should have been, it felt good to find out their truths. They took a stance of vulnerability by telling me, and the fact they kept their identities secret in the first place gave my rage pause. They were trusting me with their truth, as I had evidently wrongfully trusted them with mine.


    Adrien started to laugh deeply, a bellowing chuckle. ¡°Thats the first thing you say? Unreal.¡± He kept laughing for a few moments as the others also did.


    ¡°Truthfully, there is much I want to ask and say but I feel most isn¡¯t helpful. I¡¯m pissed, of course, but I now understand why you tend to take so much burden on your shoulders. This must have been eating away at you for a bit.¡± I frowned at them each. Glancing in their directions I noticed some of the tension was back from me expressing my ire, albeit politely, vanished from the accent comment. ¡°When I¡¯m called to meet the king, as you said was likely to happen, how deep will the interview go? How likely is it that he will uncover my own secrets?¡±


    ¡°It... if he isn¡¯t aware of the existence of it it¡¯s unlikely he will know to ask for it, but the fact that I know there is one more big thing you are reluctant to share means its fairly likely he will have curiosities about it and will ask questions to learn of it. My father is a king first, he will want to determine if the various assets in the nation, especially those who have the capacity to level a city,¡± He gave me a pointed nod before continuing, ¡°is not a threat to the nation. So, he will probably require you to share it even if it is only with those closest to him such as his advisors and my sister.¡±


    ¡°So, in short, he will learn of it even if I don''t tell you.¡± Adrien nodded with a look of confusion and guilt on his face. ¡°In that case, mayhap I should stop hiding behind it? It does tend to be exhausting keeping things like this to myself. What do you think, Prince?¡±


    I noticed Amelia start to smirk as she leaned forward. Any hesitation when it came to sharing her and her friends secrets gone, replaced by excitement at finally learning mine. Adrien looked shocked for a few moments before he nodded. ¡°I would be honored to know what you have been holding onto for so long, especially at a young age. There is also truth in what you say, keeping up the facade is draining on the best of days. After the wyrm incident I wanted to tell you but had to stop myself. We were tasked with traveling through Jorial and to help the citizens and smaller towns that rarely got attention from adventurers but we had to do so while our identities were hidden for political reasons. If the people knew it was me who was helping them there is a chance they¡¯d advocate I take the throne rather than my sister, who is much more capable in such a position. That, and, we didn¡¯t want to have local lords fawning over us and inhibiting our goals of evaluating the state of the nation.¡±


    I took a few seconds to process this, and tried to quell the impulsive urge to confess everything. Whats the worst that happens? They don''t believe me? I get locked up for being crazy? I guess Adrien or Elric could kill me... that would kinda suck... I mused for a few moments before I stood up abruptly, much to the curled up fox¡¯s consternation.


    I started to nervously pace as everyone silently watched me consider it. ¡°Okay. I trust this will mostly stay within this circle and possibly that of the leadership of this nation?¡± I received solemn nods in return. ¡°Okay here goes. Im from another world. I was born there, lived there for almost thirty years, and evidently I died. I¡¯m not sure how. After I died I met a god, Miamora, whos form shifted and twisted chaotically. I was in a white plane and given a few options. Number one, to go to hell. This was the gods favorite. Two, to remain in the white plane until my soul dissipated. Three was to be reborn back on my old world as a different person and with no memories.¡±


    I took a deep breath even though I had already revealed all that would be necessary to toss me into a looney bin. I was speaking quickly and needed to slow it down a little bit. ¡°And lastly, I would be reborn into a new world with no possibility to return to mine, with all of my memories intact save for those deemed dangerous for this world. This god was also the one that planted the seed within me. I¡¯m not sure why I was allowed to be reincarnated like this, and honestly I don¡¯t truly care, but I feel as though that god wants something from me. No idea what.¡±


    I stopped speaking as the group stared at me for a solid minute. Elric was the one who broke the silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that happening. No wonder you wanted to keep it a secret. All this time you¡¯ve talked about loss as though you experienced it and I didn¡¯t understand.¡± His voice was gruff as he stood up and walked towards me. He held out a hand and smiled a toothy smile that lit up his face. ¡°A pleasure to properly meet you, the name is Elric Proste, heir of the Proste spice empire!¡±


    I took his hand and shook it. ¡°Alexilios, heir to nothing and formerly known as Isaac Duran.¡± The others came towards me, smiling although there was some concern on Liana¡¯s and Amelia''s faces.


    ¡°How old were you when you died? Didn''t you kiss that young girl in Kinnesville?¡± Liana asked and I blanched.


    ¡°Well, yes, but it was nothing more than that. Why do you think I feel so weird with girls my age liking me?¡±


    ¡°Come now, he¡¯s still a boy. Not like older women are gonna help satiate his needs.¡± Adrien teased from the side. ¡°Adrien Airos, second in line to the throne of Jorial.¡±


    ¡°Amelia Silverblood, inheritor of the Crimson Keep, and adventurer extraordinaire.¡± Amelia took my hand next, a glimmer in her eyes. ¡°Soooo, what were the stories about vampires where you''re from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, there¡¯s many of them. I can share a good many stories on the road. I used to be quite the reader, though now it feels like I¡¯m able to live in the books I read.¡± I shook my head, recognizing how absurd everything was. Cant believe I just told them... am I still so impulsive? Oh well, feels good to be honest about who I am.


    ¡°Liana Wyspyn, third to the throne of Arwin. I have so many questions but they can wait. I am sure you have your concerns too.¡± She gave me a hug instead of a handshake and whispered in my ear, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how hard it¡¯s been. Know that you can rely on us.¡±


    It truly felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders as she said that. I smiled as a tear or two or five rolled down my cheek before she released the hug. ¡°It was difficult. Terrifying even. I was pulled away from everything I knew and when I started growing up again I was frustrated, at first, but soon came to realize I had been granted a second chance. One that I refuse to squander.¡±


    I looked over at Amelia, ¡°So, was the secret worth the wait?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm... I dunno.. I mean do you know how many people are reborn with their memories intact?¡± She acted as though it was barely news but I could tell that she had been just as shocked as everyone else.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, how many?¡±


    Adrien was the one who spoke next, to my surprise. ¡°Not one recorded incident that I¡¯ve heard of. But, as a side note, what was your world like?¡±


    I laughed at the curiosity that expressed itself on everyone''s faces. I started to explain about Earth, how it had no mana and levels. How everyone was so much weaker but how we made it work with technology. I again tried to explain things that had been ripped out my head, things I should have known but no longer did in spite of my memory skill. After a bit I was asked about my personal relationships, hobbies, even my pets and as I described different things their curiosity only grew.


    The next few days were spent telling stories while we wound our way towards the last small town before the million strong city of Ironfell, the largest city on the boarder of Jorial. I was in the middle of telling a story from nordic mythos and we had devolved into a discussion about the possibility of how many gods there were, what gods actually were, when Luka came scurrying back from his recent hunt.


    ¡°Well, I mean, it can¡¯t be a coincidence that your world has worshiped how many gods? You said around three thousand?¡± Elric pointed out. ¡°Between all of your worlds pantheons I find it difficult to understand how the world as a whole came to the conclusion there was only one god. Even if they disagree on the details.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I don¡¯t really know. I mean I never held much faith in gods, and even after meeting one can¡¯t bring it to myself to show them any true reverence. But I agree, its hard to imagine they didn¡¯t exist at all after meeting one and learning of this worlds deities.¡± I shrugged as we walked. The landscape was the same and a s boring as it had been for the past few months. Grassy hills rolling over the horizon and sparse trees littered the plains to our left while an arid desert was only a few miles to our right. We hadn¡¯t encountered much that needed to be killed and so, aside from some hunts, barely had any action outside of my training with the boys.


    ¡°I mean, the fact that your world had so many maybe means that the gods were regional? That doesn¡¯t make much sense either. What if-¡± Liana was cut off by a yip as Luka came charging down the road, sending me images of smoke and the scent of blood.

 Chapter 32 - Linden

    It took me a moment to process the burst of information. The smell of blood struck my mind to such an extent that I had to stop walking and hold myself back from upturning lunch. The smell of smoke was mixed in, giving me a faux sensation of burning my eyes and nose. The others noticed my retching and stopped, looking on with concern. Before they could say anything, however, I found my voice.


    ¡°We need to hurry. Linden seems to be aflame. Not sure if there¡¯s a monster or people. Lots of,¡± I gagged as I recalled the smell of viscera and stink of decay. ¡°Lots of dead. Unsure on survivors.¡±


    ¡°Slow down, Lios, whats going on?¡± Adrien raised a hand up just as Sky and Luka burst through the grass of the plains, having clearly rushed back.


    ¡°Blood! The town is on fire. We need to hurry and evaluate. Luka told me.¡± I spoke in short sentences as the smells and visions dissipated. I stood back up, still feeling sickly, and started to jog down the road, not waiting for them to follow. The foxes darted ahead of me, leading us to where they saw it.


    ¡°Lets follow for now but don¡¯t rush into town. Linden is pretty large to be sieged like it sounds like, ten thousand strong.¡± Elric said as he started to jog after me. ¡°We should probably go faster, can you handle it Lios? Its only a few miles away.¡±


    I nodded and sped up, the rest exchanging a glance before they adorned serious expressions and followed. Soon, I saw smoke in the distance. Dark smoke, as though things that were not meant to burn were aflame. The smell of fire soon met our noses.


    ¡°I smell the blood. It must have been a damn massacre... Isn¡¯t Linden filled with level hundred adventurers?¡± Amelia observed then asked. There was worry in her eyes and her usual cavalier attitude had vanished.


    ¡°Aye, there tend to be a bunch of em. Cheaper to live and grow there.¡± Adrien affirmed and furrowed his brow. ¡°Lios, can you have the foxes investigate? They are harder to notice than us and quicker too. Especially Sky.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them, see if they can find anything out.¡± I sent the request through our link and both animals quickly shot off like an arrow. We were pretty quick but getting more information sooner would be integral to evaluating the situation. Our link only allowed us to communicate for a couple of miles, but as we were just behind them it shouldn¡¯t take overlong until we got the information.


    I told them to be careful, to not take any risks. They both sent confirmation that they would do their best. I felt a twinge of fear from the foxes but also a steeliness in their desire to help, in their curiosity over the cities plight. I could tell that Luka wanted nothing more than to protect me and that in his mind, helping us get to the bottom of this would in turn help me stay safe.


    As we jogged, taking four miles quickly and seeing the cities walls rise in the distance beneath the hazy smoke, I felt a sense of trepidation and concern. If there truly were so many level hundred adventurer¡¯s in the city, I found it difficult to imagine such destruction would lay waste to a city of this size. Ten thousand was a large number, and if even one percent were level one hundred or higher I couldn¡¯t imagine what foe they faced to decimate Linden so.


    As we grew closer I felt the connection with the foxes reestablish and Sky, this time, sent over a word ¡°Humans¡± and images of a slew of masked, robed masculine figures. The odd thing was that they were all similar heights, if not the same height. Their stature was much the same as each other as well. Alongside this, she said ¡°Big Building. Moms and Kits. No Dads.¡±


    It took me a few moments to process the bits of information. ¡°Humanoid assailants, lots of them. Unknown on the number. Masked, with black and red robes. People held in a large building, longhouse of some sort? No men, only women and children. Nothing about the bodies.¡±


    ¡°Ask the foxes to take up a spot and inform us of the positions of these figures. Maybe see if Sky can map out the area with her wind, subtly. We don¡¯t want to expose them. Luka can start making some trap spots in the roads, or try to discover what their doing¡± Liana started to strategize. She knew more than me about Luka and Skys abilities at this point, even if they couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Have him prioritize finding what they''re up to. It sounds like they have held the citizens captive and killed everyone else. It¡¯s hard to believe they¡¯d just flee, after all.¡± Elric spoke up, picking up the pace. ¡°We will need to be in tip top shape. Lets leave our packs near the farmhouse over there, I¡¯m not seeing any life and they should be safe.¡±


    Without a word we followed him and quickly doffed the bags. We were waiting on a response from Luka and Sky, and decided it was best to wait until we had some more information. Sky had set up atop a building and was observing the large building that had guards at each entrance. Luka was burrowing underground, using his magic to sense what was above him to an extent. Neither reported anything overly interesting. Until, that is, Sky showed me that the robed figures had entered the building and exited with two women.


    I requested that Luka follow them from beneath, and to stay out of sight. He assented as I described the happenings within Linden.


    ¡°Lios, now may be a good time to attempt to do something. Be warned, typically people don¡¯t try this until their class evolution but... You have a powerful will and higher stats than others at your level...¡± Liana seemed to be trying to convince herself of what she wanted me to do.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s talking about sharing senses with your companions. They currently only ever send an image or sense to you at a time, and usually its even muted through your connection. What Liana is talking about is them allowing you to see, smell, hear, feel, what they do while the connection is established.¡± Amelia said before she turned back towards the town, a frown on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, it feels... culty. Were there any active cults in the area?¡± She asked the last bit to Adrien who shook his head.


    ¡°Not that I know of. Okay. Liana, cast invisibility on myself, Elric, and Amelia. Then recover your mana and meet us in town when available. The rest of us are going to get in a decent position to strike once we see an opening. Lios, connect with Sky if you can and look for an opening to rescue the townsfolk.¡± He sighed heavily, clearly debating something. ¡°The enemy is above your paygrade, they were able to take over a town with a hundred fairly high level people. I¡¯d guess at least one level two hundred. Do not engage unless necessary, do you understand me?¡±


    I nod before closing my eyes, sitting on the porch of the quaint empty farmhouse. There was no blood or anything, and the horses were gone from the stable, making me wonder if they had fled to Ironfell. Though, they¡¯d have to go around the town to get there so perhaps not. I tried to pull on the connection with Sky as I watch everyone but Liana take off through [Portent].


    I was at 85% mana so I dropped the skill for a bit, wanting to top myself up before I ran into town. I meditated, pulling on the telepathic connection I had with Sky and asking her to let me in. She didn¡¯t understand at first. I pulled on it again and this time I felt a twinge of pain behind my eyes.


    I heard a ding of notification but still couldn''t see through her eyes. This time she tried to invite me, pulling on the connection herself and the headache increased. I breathed deeply, still unable to see from her eyes, but hearing sounds that weren¡¯t here with me. I heard both the light sound of wind brushing over the farm and the bustle of boots from her much more sensitive ears.


    I severed the connection, my skull pounding and I let out a groan. Tears dripped down my cheeks as Liana moved towards me in concern. I held open a hand and shook my head, determined even with the pain, to do what I could. If the team thought it was a good Idea for me to see from Skies eyes and scout then thats what I¡¯d do.


    ¡°You may need to move closer, its harder over a distance.¡± Liana said quietly, trying not to disturb me. I nodded in agreement and opened my eyes.


    ¡°Noted, lets get closer then.¡± I smiled wanly, in part glad for the distraction, I had only tried to connect a couple times and each time sent more pain to my head.


    ¡°Sure, but once we get close I¡¯ll have to join everyone else. They¡¯re investigating at this time but... there¡¯s no quest yet in the book so I don¡¯t believe anyone knows whats happening here yet. We have to hurry.¡±


    I stood and ran quickly beside her, she was still faster but went slower beside me. As we got closer to the city I looked for a spot nearby I could hide out in. I settled on a spot beside the walls that had some bushes just beside it, and the wall was low enough I felt I could easily scale it.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t get the connection then fret not, and join Sky. Have Luka joining you two, you''re not strong enough on your own to join the fight but if you work together and select the right opponents you can help. I wouldn¡¯t guess the guards for the citizens are especially powerful, the most powerful will be wherever they''re dragging the people.¡±


    Before I could say anything else she bolted away, casting invisibility on herself as well. There was a faint shimmer where she was, and I could barely tell where it was even as I paid attention. Briefly I considered if I should make an invisibility sword dance but refocused before I pulled myself into the musings. Shaking my head I made my way to the spot near the walls and sat cross legged on the dirt between a couple of bushes. I had to bat away some flies but quickly focused, ignoring the discomfort.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I reached out through my connection again and tried to pull myself towards Sky this time. Immediately the pain came back but it was dulled. A ding in the background for another notification. I ignored it as I took a deep breath and suddenly, despite my eyes being closed, I saw through Skies eyes. The world, as she perceived it, was significantly less vibrant. It was muted, almost pastel, and missed most if not all shades of red and green. She moved her head as she lay on her belly stealthily atop a roof. Below I saw men in those robes standing still at each of the entrances. My [Intuition] flared out at me, and despite the budding headache I knew I could handle the guards. Liana was right, the more powerful foes were elsewhere.


    I watched on for a few moments until some pair of the robed figures entered the longhouse and came back out with two young girls. I frowned at this, ignoring the pain behind my eyes as I urged Luka to follow them from beneath.


    I switched from Sky, enamored by my new connection with them, and focused on Luka. He was underground, and the smell of dirt and worms and dust and roots flooded my olfactory nerves. It nearly overwhelmed me as my physical body sneezed. Above, I could vaguely sense the vibrations as the figures walked towards the city center. I felt the amount of mana in the air increase and, more importantly, smelled the blood that was rotting in the earth, soaked in deep. The iron of the blood, the scent of decay and even human waste - urine, fecal matter, blood - flooded our noses and caused me to gag heavily, breaking the concentration.


    I stood, feeling the need to go where Sky was, to take out the guards and begin leading the citizens away from the long house. Amelia¡¯s intuition seemed correct, some sort of cult had attacked the city and were forming some kind of ritual.


    ¡°Sky, Luka, please direct me. Help me avoid them. We need to save those people while Adrien and the rest fight the big bads¡± I sent through our bonds, ignoring the nosebleed that had come with the headache. I climbed up over the guardless wall and ducked down behind a barrel of water that was upon the wall. I saw bloodstains and viscera but no bodies.


    Growling, not taking much time to observe the surroundings, I turned on [Portent] to avoid ambush. I quickly jumped from the fifteen foot wall, rolling to break the fall, as I received an affirmative from the foxes. Luka was closing in on my location, from beneath, and Sky observed from her perch. Such a weird, birdlike, fox she was.


    Drawing my sword I took a moment to verify there were no foes in my immediate area, [Portent] had increased in range by half a meter per level, giving me a pretty decent range of thirty or so meters to observe. Confident that there was nothing around me I started to make ym way to Sky. Luka sent me messages as he found people to avoid. Part of me wanted to take them out now before they were a problem, but the other part didn¡¯t want to get us noticed so I snuck around instead.


    It took around ten minutes of sneaking and pausing at times to reach the back of the longhouse that held everyone. We weren¡¯t aware if there were guards inside, so I asked Luka to check. Waiting a few more moments, he came back saying there were no masked men in there. Even after feeling the vibrations through his senses, I wasn¡¯t sure how he perceived if there were masked figures or not.


    I took a few steadying breaths, looking out at the two masculine figures standing still beside the door. ¡°Luka, can you send spikes up through their legs when I make my move and Sky, do you have anything to isolate their screams?¡± I ask the foxes.


    Isolate? Sky¡¯s soft, girly voice appeared in my head.


    ¡°Like... make it so no one else can hear them?¡±


    No Big Brother. Came her reply, sounding a bit upset that she didn¡¯t have that ability.


    Rethinking my plan for a moment I decided to rush them, and quickly cast ¡°Energy Burst¡±. The spell, as before, allowed my body to exceed its typical limits while not going so far as to tear my muscles or bones. Still, the strain of it was enough that I was reluctant to use it too many times in succession.


    I cast the spell and felt energy flood my body, external mana electrifying my muscles and I jolted forward, coming from around the house behind which I had hidden. I rushed towards the two figures who took a moment to move to action. Before they could move or dodge away from me, and even draw their weapons, rocky spikes stabbed upwards and through their feet, keeping them pinned. The next second I was upon them and my sword lashed out, severing ones neck before he could call out. The other started to draw the dagger on his hip and let out a soft cry, but I reacted before the sound could go too far by shoving the point of my longsword through his mouth. The sound cut off as I pierced the mans brain and I panted as the spell started to fade, my muscles aching minorly from the stress and quick movements.


    I quickly pulled the bodies to the side and searched them for a key or something to the building. I found nothing, but did pull some pouches of coins from the body. As far as I knew there was still a touch of time before I would be discovered, so I pulled them into an empty building nearby, and tried to kick some dirt over the blood stains that had been left on the cobblestone near the building.


    I glanced up at Sky, telling her to let me know if anyone was approaching, and then sent a pulse to Luka to do the same. It was like having my very own satellite system, and both of them had powerful skills to help with scouting. Not to mention their senses being, on average, better than those of humans. Sky sent me an affirmative and I felt the wind pick up a little bit. I wasn¡¯t positive what the ability was called but it seemed like she was using the wind to find where people, objects, or beasts were. Luka sent his own affirmative but I felt no magic from him, only that he entered the tunnels he had already made beneath the longhouse that housed a solid number of people.


    I reached for the handle to the door, eager to evacuate some folks. Before I did so, though, I considered how I¡¯d get them out as I hadn¡¯t cleared a path. I sighed and turned.


    Luka, can you try to find an escape route for the people in the building? May have to kill some more cultists... The fox immediately replied and I felt him burrow around beneath the roads. Like Sky, he had a better senses than humans, but now with his earth affinity and with Liana¡¯s help, he was able to sense things above the earth as well as within it. He used this ability to hide and then ambush his prey fairly frequently, and I had been privileged to see it happen a few times. Don''t engage, I¡¯ll handle any of that, if you find someone.


    __________________________________________


    Luka burrowed faster than before, expending mana quickly but he knew haste was necessary. Papa had asked him to find a route for the folk in the big cabin, and he couldnt help but wish he was big enough to make a tunnel for them. Someday, someday he¡¯d be able to make people tunnels and not just critter tunnels.


    He wizzed through the series of tunnels he had made that connected to the various sewers. He hated using the sewers too, but knew he would run out of energy far too quickly if he didn¡¯t use the stinky tunnels. He growled softly at some normal rats that inhabited the place as he rushed past, warning them that he was not prey, he was the hunter.


    The rats and mice and other vermin that pervaded the stinky tunnels scattered as he rushed past, warned by the subtle vibrations he sent through the earth to map the surface. Above, he could feel the buildings and found several spaces where people had fled to underground. Smart people, smart smart! Underground is best for hiding. He though to himself, assured they would be fine for a while, as he turned his attention to the many pairs of people walking the streets. Some folk were checking the houses and things but didn¡¯t seem to be looking for anything in particular, they were hardly taking anything just looking.


    Nobody that was on the street was alone, all of them carried weapons and from what he could tell all wore a mask and a robe. Some felt like they had armor beneath it, but he wasn¡¯t sure. They all seemed powerful. Very strong. Stronger than him and Sky, mostly weaker than Papa. Papa would hunt these dummies so fast. Luka felt self assured at the thought, as though his papa winning was an inevitability even against these folk.


    He kept moving until he found a large, circular room in the sewers. It smelled worse than the rest of them and had light coming in from outside. He pushed his way through some debris blocking his way and tried his best not to smell anything as he nosed past the soft mounds in his way. Slowly he made his way to the top of the pile and looked about. He was horrified. Disgusted.


    Luka was not particularly fond of humans in general. Aside from the spooky scary lady, the man with weird stripes, miss Liana, and the guy with the big sword, Luka didn¡¯t care for any aside from Papa and his family. He couldn¡¯t help it. Peoples were nice but they weren¡¯t special. They could be prey too. Such as the man who had tried to step on Luka so long ago.


    But even with his apathy for humans and peoplefolk, Luka was appalled at the site before him. Here, in the towns sewers, within a chamber meant to fill up so the sewer did not flood during a storm, what lay before him sent terror down his spine. His fur stood on end, and tail poofed out, bristling with anger, sorrow, fear, and malice. He felt Papa reach out through the connection, having felt the cursed emotions through their bond.


    ¡°Luka, are you okay, whats happening?¡± Papa¡¯s voice emanated in his mind. He had to resist the urge to howl a lament, such a thing would not be stealthy. Before he could send a reply the light from above was blocked for a moment and he rushed to the side of the chamber, hoping not to be noticed. As he did so an object fell from above and, with a sickening thud, splattered against the bodies surrounding him.


    Bodies that had been drained of their blood, and that had been cut into by countless blades. No teeth from what he could see. Only cuts and gouges and wounds meant to drain blood. The horror before him, thousands of people dumped into this stinky hole, dead. He shuddered and waited a few moments to make sure nothing else would fall, and made his way to where the newest addition had rolled down the pile of dead.


    He sniffed it, found it to still be warm. It was a young woman, maybe Papa¡¯s age. A young womans body that was still warm. Luka couldn¡¯t help it, he let out a soft whimper before stifling himself. She, despite being wrinkly and her skin having sunk, reminded him of the nice girl that Papa talked to a few towns ago. She had the same kind of hair and nice eyes, eyes wide in terror now, but he could see how they should have been.


    Finally, feeling the press of curiosity and concern from Papa, and even Sky, he sent Papa an image of the room.


    He realized aside from the hole above, there was no exit. He attempted to retrace his steps but could not find the way he came in. He started sniffing at the wall to see if there was a way to break through, to tunnel again to the surface or deeper underground, but his search was interrupted by a tremble beneath and around him. Dust rained down and then he heard it. A massive sound, like a rumble of fire or thunder. The sound of a waterfall, perhaps, although brief. It was an explosion or crash, he couldn¡¯t tell which from beneath the earth. He hastened his search for an escape, feeling he would be needed elsewhere.

 Chapter 33 - Explosion

    Adrien


    The hidden prince stalked through the city, invisible and but a shimmer to the most observant eyes. He called upon a skill, [InkShade Covenant], and the panther tattooed to his left calf gently rose from his leg and imbued him with its strengths, its power. He suddenly moved four times quieter, his hulking and muscular body taking on the deftness of the panther.


    The others had spread out upon arriving in town, each taking a different direction and making their way to the center. As agreed they steadily took out foes that they were capable of handling, which at their level was the majority of them, thankfully. Sadly there was no time to spare the enemy for interrogations, it sounded as though there was a blood ritual in the works and the sooner it was stopped the better. The fact it was a blood ritual made Adrien a bit worried about killing their foes, but he didn¡¯t sense any magical energy being drawn from them at the time of their deaths so he supposed all was well.


    He stalked across the rooftops, heading towards the center of the town, where the ritual was most likely to be taking place. The massive longhouse that housed a few thousand of the citizens at this moment was not far from the city center. He sped across the rooftops and only stopped when he heard two sets of footsteps beneath him. He slowly crept to the edge of the roof and looked down at the duo, still wearing masks and robes. He took a deep breath before focusing mana into his eyes, feeling it coalesce behind them, and activating his [Conquerors Eye]. He quickly saw some information on them, ones highest level class was classified as a mage and the other as a warrior. Both were much too low level to face Adrien. Usually, Adrien abhorred slaughtering folks who were weaker than him, but when it came to a case like this he knew he could afford no mercy.


    He took a deep breath, silenced by the aura of the panther that he had taken on, and dropped down as a shimmer behind the two cultists. His hands became claws and he ruthlessly plunged one into the warriors back, pushing through their chest, and killed them. The other didn''t have time to even let out a sound as the other clawed hand reached around and gouged their throat.


    Adrien didn¡¯t feel the need to hide the bodies as he leapt back up to the rooftops, and continued his way toward the center of the city. Before he made it, however, a large explosion resounded from the direction he was heading. Concerned, he made to rush towards it as a plume of smoke rose into the air following a flash of purple flames.


    Elric


    The large swordsman rushed along the city streets, a city he wasn¡¯t overly familiar with. Having spent most of his time among the dwarves or within castle walls, he wasn''t much familiar with human towns or cities. Even still he steadily made his way towards the center. He took down as many people as he could, whenever he encountered them. Aside from the fight with the giant sand wyrm, he hadn¡¯t had a challenge in months but he wasn¡¯t complaining overmuch. A leisurely life was not a bad one.


    Somehow, though, he doubted this would be so easy. The peons he was eliminating were far too weak to have taken the city by themselves, someone or a group of more powerful criminals had to be here as well. He grumbled as he came across another duo of cultists, they of course didn¡¯t see him though. Liana¡¯s spell would last for another half hour or so, or until they were struck and found. Until then, he would act as a specter.


    He rushed forward and lopped off both cultists heads with his greatsword, not deeming it necessary to use a skill or magic. Their heads rolled and he continued sprinting through the large residential area he had found himself in.


    He could vaguely feel the people who were hiding within their homes, and resolved to save them as soon as the threat was taken care of. He could practically smell their fear and worry, and could sense that not many men remained among them. He frowned beneath his cloaking as he sprinted ever faster toward where he presumed the ritual circle to be.


    Quickly, he encountered more foes. A duo that was ransacking an empty house but not taking any valuables, they were seeking people. He growled as he took them out quickly, there was no need for mercy when a cult was attempting to slaughter innocents. After their blood was spilled he continued, rushing. He was nearly at the center of town, where the market and a nice city circle used to be, when he heard voices.


    He hadn¡¯t thought about it, but so far none of those he killed had spoken prior to their deaths. He quickly put aside the thought, there was no time when lives were at stake. He instead focused on what the voices said as the sound carried through and echoed off of the bricks and cobblestone of this part of the city.


    ¡°Ah, so some troublesome pest managed to escape and get word to your father?¡± A high pitched, male voice that resembled a jesters jovial tone called out. For a few moments there was no response, only the telltale shling of a blade being drawn from its sheath.


    ¡°Who are you? What purpose is there for... this?¡± A second voice, filled with rage and sorrow, gravelly and strong, replied after moments. Elric could tell they were seething with rage.


    ¡°Ah ah ah, I shant tell, I shant, I cant! How rude it is to expect an answer with none given.¡± The jesters voice range out, unconcerned.


    Elric rounded the corner of the building he hid behind, a tall, white brick building he took to be a bank of some sort. As he came around he saw the figures. One, a cultist who gave a very different energy reading to the ones he had fought thus far, and the other a tall, broad shouldered and heavily armored man wielding a massive sword, who appeared to be standing in mid air. Larger even than Elrics own greatsword. He had a scar running down from his ear to his chin on the left side of his face, and his armor gleamed with a magical aura. He was no novice. The magical armor was red and gold, adorned with playful filigree designed in the shape of the crest of the Weatherlight family, the matriarch of which was a storm mage and a Duke who had been gifted the title through her service in the military.


    Before he could join the heir of the Weatherlight Dukedom, he noticed movement behind the man. Fortunately, despite the spear flying toward the son of the duke, the man sidestepped in mid air and dodged it. The spear continued flying until it struck a building not far from Elric and imploded, dragging the building down with a resounding crash. Thinking the attack was over, Elric began to move. Unfortunately the attack was still underway. The implosion began to expand, slowly for a moment then quickly. And then rapidly it expanded into a massive burst of purple and black flames, engulfing the debris of the building it had struck and destroyed, and then spreading to the neighboring buildings.


    The sound of it didn¡¯t catch up for several moments, and then a resounding roar of flames and inferno assailed Elrics eardrums. The force of shock that emanate from the explosion was forceful enough to launch the unprepared warrior into the building he was using as cover. With a crack, brick and dust fell atop of him and broke his invisibility, but he didn¡¯t care. He cared about the cultist glancing over his shoulder at him, glowing green eyes shining through the mask. Elric could almost see the smirk through the mask as well.


    ¡°Well well well, another pest survived the assault! A new sacrifice?¡± The cultist called out to him and Elric felt a soft mental tug to approach the altar in the center of the city. He resisted and used his greatsword to pull himself from the debris.


    Amelia


    She whisked through the streets quickly, wasting no time to scout. Silent as a whisper she sped through them, her blood held in her hands as knives. Constructs she was using to kill the foes she could find. She couldn¡¯t smell them through the stench of death and spilled viscera, but she could hear their boots and shoes clacking against the cobbles even from streets away.


    Silently she went and she killed and she slaughtered. She, unlike the others, wasn¡¯t making her way to the center yet. Instead, she killed all those who were patrolling, who were seeking new hostages or riches. She was surprised to find that none of the cultists were robbing the ransacked homes, but she sposed it made sense. Hostages now, thieving later after all were dead. Thats how she would do it.


    She hardly had to pay attention to those she killed, they were seemingly all around sixty levels lower than her. She partially wished for stronger foes, but it was a boon that these idiots were lower level. Low enough she could kill them in a single strike.


    Invisible, and as a specter, she flew between the buildings until she sensed another human. One with blood on their clothes and holding a spear coated in blood. They were alone, which was unusual enough, and they were near the outskirts of the city. She furrowed her brow as she slowed down before encountering them. From the alleyway she peaked around a building to see a masculine figure, still adorned with a mask and a robe, standing over a trio of bodies. His robe was a touch different than the others, they were all a patterned mix of red and black while his also had some purple trim. Different Rank? She thought to herself as she observed him.


    It didn¡¯t matter. The man turned his back on the bloodied bodies beneath him, and started to meander down the street. Amelia smirked. The man was clearly at least a little bit stronger than the rest she had encountered, but she felt she could handle him. The blood of his victims began to rise from its pools, and formed into three spears. She launched them at the cultist with fury, the solidified blood whistling through the air for a short distance before they- Clang! - clashed with his spear.


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    Her smirk fell away, but thankfully he still couldn¡¯t see her. He looked about for a few moments before he sighed. ¡°Whoever is there, if you come quiet I wont torment you. If you resist you shall face the wrath of the Spear God.¡±


    His voice was arrogant and haughty. Amelia knew of no gods known as ¡°Spear God¡± and so she assumed he was referring to himself. She fought the urge to scoff and roll her eyes, barely succeeding as she observed him. He reached down and picked up a blood spear, tapping it with his own spear. His hazel eyes flicked to each of the shadows as he started to walk about in a lazy circle.


    ¡°Vampire? Or blood hunter? Hmmm could be a water mage evolved to use dark magic...¡± He mused idly as he kept fiddling with the spear. Amelia had the other two raise up and shoot towards him but he easily blocked again. ¡°Ooh now I can smell your magic! Another sniff and I think I can find you!¡± the mask turned towards her general direction and she cursed inwardly, sinking further into the shadows cast by the sun.


    Before he could focus too much, however, the ground shook. In the distance a bit of smoke rose into the air, black and gray, and the rumble of an explosion hit the vampire. It wasn¡¯t enough to shake off her invisibility, but she knew that two of the others were heading there. She turned in that direction, unable to see the flames from her position, with concern for her companions.


    Liana


    Liana crept through the streets trepidatiously. Her role was to find and disrupt the various ritual points. Like most spells, there would be a prime number of focal points for the ritual base that would need to be disrupted, and once she was able to do that she may even be able to cause a massive backlash to the casters. Once the spell was disrupted, the magic and sacrifices that had been fed into it so far would need somewhere to go, assuming they weren¡¯t being used to charge something. If that were the case, the item they were feuling would simply be partially created and could be finished at a later time.


    She avoided the foes she came across, knowing that Amelia would be focusing on eliminating them. Instead, she kept [Mana Sight] active as she walked invisibly through the streets. She had already found three different focal points that were scattered near the center of town. From what she could tell, though, the ritual circle extended nearly to the walls of the city. The runes that made it up were scattered throughout the city, etched into the roads or buildings. Whoever was behind this had spent months if not years discreetly setting this ritual in motion.


    Given the proximity of the focal points to each other she theorized that there would be eleven total. She sighed heavily, realizing the size of this ritual was so much more massive than anything she and Lios had worked on together. He dealt in fives, which was a relatively small spell base to work with with the third tier being 125 runes. If this spell, however, was a three tier spell it would have well over a thousand runes. It was possible it was a smaller, or even larger ritual too.


    She kept moving as she thought about it. She could see the magic and the malice mixed into it. Curse energy perforated the surroundings, the ire of those that had been slaughtered to fuel the ritual. It made her skin crawl, the knowledge that already thousands of peoples fears, anger, sorrow and more had already been infused into the ritual, such that the air was now heavy and thick with it. She was grateful to not be an empathetic caster, or one dealing with emotions, like her sister Moira.


    She found a fourth focal point, where the energy was even thicker. It seemed that as long as she kept following the pattern she could find them all. She knelt down and began writing her own rune circle around the rune¡¯s here. She had developed one quickly based on something she and Lios had started to theorize about; a circle that could be activated remotely or due to circumstances. In this case, all of the rune circles she had made thus far could be activated from the rune she had painted onto her palm. They were only twenty five rune circles, but she was not proficient at them yet so it took her a few minutes to finish drawing the runes.


    Once she did, and she felt the connection to the rune on her palm snap into place and continued to seek the rest out. Before long a tremor cracked the ground before her and a plume of smoke burst into action in the sky above the city. The rumbling of an explosion followed quickly. I must hurry, the battle begins.


    I stumbled as the explosion rang out from only a block or two away. The smoke and dust rained down and the purple flames rose above the buildings nearby. I could just see the man standing in the air, and wondered if he was foe or friend. It didn¡¯t matter, all that mattered was stopping them.


    Voices rang out from the front of the longhouse, the other side of it. I sprinted in that direction, making sure to stay within the shadows and hidden as best I could. Wind whisked around me, brushing against my limbs and I sped up. It was smoother than either of my speed giving spells, it didn''t tear at my muscles but simply pushed me along. I sent a thankful though to Sky and checked up on Luka. It seemed he was indisposed for a time, stuck he said.


    I frowned and sent hurry back as soon as you''re able, buddy. Before I rounded the corner. The duo in front of the doors were still standing unbothered, but there were now three others talking in front of them. One of them started to reach toward the handle.


    ¡°Orders are orders, we gotta prevent them from joining the enemy.¡± The man said as he neared the door. I felt no hesitation as I drew my sword and gauged the five enemies before me.


    They each seemed to be higher level than me but I had a feeling I could take them. I kept [Portent] active so I could continue to perceive all around me, mitigating the chances of a foe sneaking up and surprising me. Mana flowed down to my feet and expanded around me. Within the sphere of my senses, I felt the mana forming into runes. Only five, a smaller spell. A quick one, as I didn¡¯t have time to waste.


    The men before me, robed and vile, would give no quarter to the women and children still housed within the large building. If I let them open the doors I had no clue how many would die, nor how fast. But right now, at this moment, as mana whirled around my feet and my hands were wrapped around the handle of my shifting sword, I knew I could stop them. And so I did.


    A burst of energy entered me, not for the first time in the last short while. My muscles began to scream in protest but it wasn¡¯t so bad I couldn¡¯t move. I lunged forward, my sword at head level as I passed the door swiftly. The combination of Sky¡¯s spell and my own allowing me to move almost twice as fast as normal. Coupled with my foes being caught unawares, the man reaching for the door lost his head and the two beside him were too slow to react to my blade lashing at their throats. The two behind me, however, had plenty of time to react as they leapt backwards and drew their own weapons wordlessly.


    I turned on them, still having a few seconds left on my spell. I burst forward in their direction, my [Intuition] telling me that now was the best time to strike before they got their bearings. My sword lashed out, glimmering green and blue and silver as it twisted mid strike, becoming a falsion with a heavier end. It clashed against one of the opponents swords as the other stepped forward to meat me. Beneath my feet I started to draw a new rune circle, one for a lightning blade. Even if I didn¡¯t launch it, the electrical magic had the potential to temporarily inhibit their movements.


    On the last legs of my own haste spell, I dodged the incoming sword, feeling it cut through the cloth of my loose shirt as I stepped back. I felt my spell fade but wasn¡¯t overly worried, the first mans block had felt slow and the second ones retaliation was sloppy, as though they had only picked up a sword in the last year or two and had only fought monsters. Which, to be fair, was likely the case.


    The two, on my retreat, followed me and attempted to flank. I didn¡¯t let them. Instead of following through with my retreat, I lunged forward, my blade straightening and lengthening into a rapier, a thin needle of a blade that my foe clumsily swept to the side. I didn¡¯t mind, it pushed my sword towards the other warrior who was coming in to press their advantage. My sword ate a bit more of my mana, the form thickening into something like a chinese broadsword, a nandao style straight edged sword. I blocked an incoming strike as I stepped to the side, dodging a thrust from the foe to my left.


    I felt the final rune click into place and quickly manipulated the five runes into a circle at my feet, silently cursing my use of a blade spell over a wave type. I attempted to pull lightning mana towards the spell, but it didn¡¯t respond. Not wanting to break my focus I settled for my regular mana, and with a crackle lightning enveloped my sword.


    With its shorter blade, I lashed out with a heavy overhead strike at the man to my right, sidestepping another attack from the other. [Portent] let me know when he was readying for an attack, and I used it to my advantage. As my sword reached the apex of its arc it changed into a heavier blade type, using gravity and momentum to help empower the strike. The blade fell, and the target lifted their own to intercept.


    My blade, encased in lightning mana, slammed into theirs and forced them to their knee. They gasped and their arms went limp. Before their comrade could react and force me to back away, I hacked into the nape of their neck, cutting through their collar bone. I twisted towards the other and slashed before they could retreat. Our swords met and I jumped back a step, ready for their prepared counterattack. They attempted to slash at my poorly defended torso with a hidden dagger, but [Portent] had allowed me to see it before they moved. As I backed up once more I panted, taking deep labored breaths. I wasn''t, by any means, tired or exhausted, but they didn¡¯t need to know that.


    I slowed down and they pursued me rather than fleeing. Their strikes barely failed to hit me, my sword blocking or me dodging them for the next several seconds. I waited until there was an opening. Lightning still wreathed my blade, but I could feel it was dissipating with each blow blocked. No matter, a new spell was unnecessary.


    I backed away, pressing my back against the door to the longhouse and winced, acting as though I was pressed into a corner. I saw their eyes light up as the went for a thrust, believing I wasn¡¯t able to dodge anymore. I sidestepped and stepped into their guard as the steel longsword in their hands thudded against the door, stuck. Their eyes widened but didn¡¯t have much time to react as I moved quicker than I had for the last few seconds, having lulled them into believing my speed had been temporary. Sky¡¯s haste spell still aided me, and like the wind I moved unpredictably. My sword, with a sickening squelch, entered through the gap in their armor, in the armpit, and pierced their heart.


    With a shocked gasp the man crumpled, but in his last moment they attempted to retaliate with the dagger in his left hand. I released my hold on my sword and caught their wrist before the dagger could reach my chest. Panting I watched callously as the light in their eyes faded, and they finally hit the ground. I let go of their wrist and pulled my sword from their chest, wiping it off on their robes. Turning, my hand found the handle to the longhouse. I needed to confirm there were no cultists within slaughtering the townsfolk. Before I could open it, however, the voice of a woman sounded behind me alongside the resounding clack of boots on empty cobblestone roads. In the distance, I could hear fighting from the city center.


    ¡°Well, well. You are he who slaughtered my puppets? Hmmm. No, one of them though.¡± Her voice was menacing and powerful. My [Intuition] screamed at me to flee, to get as far away from her as I could. ¡°No matter, pawns can always be replaced... Saaay, what do you think about being my puppet?¡±


    I turned toward her, grateful I had yet to expend too many resources. To my dismay, however, as I faced her, the bodies around me, the five I had just killed, rose to their feet. Even the first two who had been beheaded or nearly so, stood. Before they could assail me, I jumped to the side and gulped. This was no ordinary opponent.

 Chapter 34 - Puppet Master

    ¡°No, I think I¡¯d quite prefer not becoming a puppet.¡± I responded as mana pushed out of my heels, drawing the first rune in a circle. This time I¡¯d go with a flame wave, and hopefully reduce her ¡®Puppets¡¯ to ashes so she couldn¡¯t use them anymore.


    ¡°No? Hmm I¡¯ll take your preference into consideration. You know, I¡¯m actually quite impressed that you managed to take down, what, seven of my puppets on your own. I mean, they may be inhibited by my spell but... they are still much higher level than you, you know.¡± She walked slowly towards me, the bodies shambling slightly but making no moves to attack yet. Perhaps she was the type of enemy to monologue. That could be a blessing for me.


    I began to pace, making myself look nervous as I glanced down the various streets. I kept pouring mana into the runes and focused a bit of attention on [Portent], noticing thin strands of mana coming from each of the bodies within the skills range. Briefly I wondered if I¡¯d be able to cut through or disrupt them, but I felt I wouldn¡¯t be able to just yet.


    ¡°Aaaw are you scared, kitten? Don¡¯t worry, I take gooood care of all my favorite puppets. I wouldn¡¯t send you to do such menial tasks as these poor adventurers!¡± The masked woman laughed maniacally, and raised her hands up, the strands of mana moving with them. I couldn¡¯t tell what they were going to direct the bodies to do but I hoped all five of them would come at me.


    I felt the final rune snap into place and began writing a second rune circle, a portion of my concentration split to hold the rune without activating it. ¡°Why are you here Miss, why Linden and whats the purpose of this ritual?¡± I asked meekly, my voice quivering as I continued to play into the exhaustion from ¡®Fighting¡¯ a number of higher level opponents. I did keep shuffling my feet in what I hoped looked like random movements, like pacing or like I was trying to amp myself up for the coming clash.


    ¡°Inquisitive lad, are ya? It doesn¡¯t matter either way, either you¡¯ll be lying dead on this street or you''ll be mine.¡± She tittered emphatically, her laugh like a knife on a dinnerplate. It grated at my senses.


    Before I could forma reply, a thought came through from Luka. ¡°Sorry Papa, on way.¡± the thought was short but welcome. I had to stifle a grin, an extra helper would be tantamount to facing this woman at least long enough for one of my party members to find us. ¡°Humor me, then, if it truly matters not.¡± I challenged as I kept my attention on her and the strings of mana controlling her zombies. ¡°Besides, should I not know the name of one who may become my master?¡±


    Without saying a word, one of the shambling flesh lumps began rushing towards me far faster than I had expected. Due to my two spell circles being developed, I couldn¡¯t leave the small area around me. I dodged backward, feeling the connection with the spell waver, before I cut the arm of the corpse off at the elbow. The figure did not react and only continued to pursue me as the others stayed in their space.


    ¡°Oh, honey, I¡¯m quite sure you would prefer if I just kept talking. You must adore the sound of my voice, uhhuh?¡± She spoke in a condescending tone, amusement clear on her voice. ¡°Well, lucky lucky I can talk and my puppets can slaughter you at the same time! Say thank you master!¡±


    I ignored her, focusing on not being struck. As the dead man came after me, the one remaining arm swung at me. I felt the whistle of the wind as I backstepped, and attempted to lop off the head. I was aware that being headless wouldn¡¯t stop the woman from being able to control it, but wanted to try to cut through the sting of mana attached to the body. I coated my blade with my own mana as it flew through the air, and slashed through both the neck of the ghoul and the string. The body crumpled and I let out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°Oh wow. Clever of you. But that wont be enough, oh no no no. Not enough at all.¡± She raised her hand and I saw the new mana string attach itself to the puppet. I let out a heavy groan and glared at the woman. While the zombie rose again, I chopped off both legs and its arm.


    ¡°Oh, now that might be harder for me to fix.¡± She laughed loudly, callously, not caring for the figure I just mutilated. Three of the remaining four bodies lurched forward, chasing after me. I pulled my completed spell to me, maintaining it and another one that was a rune away. I didn¡¯t complete it as the more finished runes there were, the greater the concentration to keep it active.


    The first figure to arrive was the one whose head I removed at the door. Once he was in range, with the other two just behind him, I released the first spell. A wave of fire lit the ground around me, and I was thankful that I was around twenty feet from the building. The wood could have easily been engulfed and if I were closer the chance that I burned the civilians alive was large.


    The three zombies each staggered back from the woosh of flaming energy that projected from my position. The robes they were wearing lit like tinder, and the smell of burning flesh quickly wafted into the air causing me to gag slightly. The one I had dismembered sizzled and quickly burnt to a crisp within the clothes it was wearing. I took a few steps forward as the burst of flame vanished, all that remained being the flames on the clothes of my enemies. As I took the next couple of steps, and made sure to remove the three zombies legs while the puppet master was lacking visibility, I finished the next spell. It was another five rune spell, the haste one. I felt it was likely my only chance to get close to the clearly higher leveled woman.


    ¡°Oh my. So easily removing my toys from the board. You know that only makes me want you more?¡± Her grating giggle struck at my ears and I frowned. ¡°Come now, why wouldn¡¯t you want to join me boy? Is it because you think what we are doing is... vile¡± She spread her arms, now bereft of mana strings from what I could see within my sphere of mana sense. She walked toward me as her last puppet collapsed, its string revoked. ¡°I suppose these weaklings wont be enough to stop you. Can¡¯t believe I have to get serious for some petulant brat who hasn¡¯t even upgraded his class. Oh well, what can you do, eh boy?¡±


    I felt a scream within me as [Intuition] told me this was not a fight I could handle. I gulped and mentally prodded [Compendium Actualization] to see how close it was to another activation. The bodies around me continued to sizzle as the metal armor they had been wearing cooked them, even as the flames dissipated.


    ¡°No need to be so hasty, I¡¯m sure you have other puppets you can use?¡± I said with some false bravado. I felt my meek or nervous act wouldn¡¯t fly anymore. She knew there was more to me than my sword.


    Before I could react, she was before me, a clawed hand reaching for my face. The only reason I had time to react was due to the combination of [Portent] and [Intuition]. With the duo of powerful sense abilities, I jumped back, kicking off the cobbles with great fervor, sending a strand of mana into the rune circle to activate the spell. I felt my tired muscles come alive once more and my second backwards step was that much more powerful, sending me further away faster.


    I felt the wind brush against my nose as her clawed hand whistled passed. I danced to the side a bit, my feet working overtime as I pinged Luka for his location. I kept the woman in my sphere, attempting to ensure she couldn¡¯t surprise me but with her speed I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d be remotely able to keep up. Time seemed to slow down as my mind went on overdrive, pumped full of adrenaline and a touch of fear. I felt more than saw when she twisted and lunged at me again, hand extended and claws reaching out.


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    I leapt back once more, careful to stay within the range of my mana manipulation so I could continue to write another rune. As I moved, a burst of wind lashed out at the robed woman pushing her back. Without it I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be able to dodge her. One thing was certain, there was a twinge of magic at her fingertips and I knew that should I let her touch me in the slightest I¡¯d likely be done for.


    I continued to pour thin mana through my foot, feeling the pathways close to only let out a trickle. I watched the woman turn to face Sky and used the opportunity to move a touch further away, ready to dodge to the left or right when next she assailed me. My sword was in its longsword form, and I wasn¡¯t prepared to waste any mana changing it. This was not a fight I could half ass, and if my [Intuition] told me anything, it wasn¡¯t a fight I could win whatsoever.


    ¡°So, so you have a helper? Curious, I didn¡¯t hear her before but her beating heart cannot deceive me. Smaller than a human, or any of the other humanoid races. A companion perhaps?¡± She laughed again but turned away from the building nearby atop which was Sky. ¡°No matter, once you are my puppet I¡¯ll have you personally slaughter it.¡±


    I frowned at the woman, but didn¡¯t have any chance to retort as she burst into motion. With her hand extended she lashed out at me again and I was forced to step to the right and forward, twisting my blade to knock her arm out of the way. As I moved I felt the magic of my haste spell fade, and I slowed to my normal speed much to the chagrin of my opponent. Each time my foot collided with the ground a new line for a rune was written. I cursed my inability to use my elemental mana, believing that with it I¡¯d stand a much better chance.


    I shook away the thought as I retreated to the other side of my circle, the edge of my range. Panting, I stood and watched her, content for now to dance about if it gave the others time to deal with their foes and come help me. Not once did I think of fleeing, as that would, undoubtedly, lead to my death. She was faster than me, if I diverted my attention from her I doubted I¡¯d be able to keep up.


    As she came at me once more I felt at my mana pool and winced, [Portent] and my spells were draining my core quickly. In my moment of brief distraction, the puppeteer nearly managed to catch me, but only made a few holes in my shirt. I finished another rune circle as I dodged away and focused on myself as the epicenter as a burst of flame swirled around me, the heat of fire evaporating some of the sweat that accrued during the battle thus far. I called on Sky to use wind to exacerbate the flame and turn it into an inferno, and she obliged. I wasn''t positive what her range was but a small tornado whisked its way into the center of the circle, surrounding me and sending the flames further and hotter than just my spell could manage.


    Dust and foliage quickly got caught within the tornado and was lit, sending flames even further even as my spell faded. A nearby building not made of stone caught flame but I didn¡¯t sense anyone inside so I brushed it off. I heard a minor curse as the flames licked at the womans robe, forcing her to tear it off and toss it to the side.


    As the flames and wind died down I finally caught sight of the woman, save for her face. She bore tanned skin and dark hair. On her wrists were a number of bracelets that didn¡¯t seem to move regardless of how she did, and on her hip was a dagger that looked more ornamental than anything. Ritual knife? I thought to myself as she stood back and panted, her eyes, the only thing visible through the gray mask, glowered at me. Her armor was form fitting and made of an unknown leather. It was cracked and beaten, used armor but still functional. It, along with the bracelets and knife at her side, bore a scent of magic.


    ¡°Fire mages are the worst,¡± She lamented and glared at me before straightening up. ¡°No matter, after so much battle you must be striking on your reserves, yes?¡±


    Needless to say I didn''t answer. In the brief respite as the cobble around me sent waves of heat from its surface, I attempted to connect once more to my elemental mana. I needed an extra bit of power in order to keep her at bay, and tugged on the lightning mana. I felt it resist and so I begged it, thankful that only it and the rest of the mana in my core could hear my plea. Please. If you don¡¯t help we could die. I need you, please. Help me fight this foe, we can resume the tantrum later.


    I didn''t have much hope that the mana would follow my command, so for once I asked it to instead of exerting my influence over it. It almost felt eager once my plea was registered, eager to be used. The mana crackled in my veins, numbing me and just sending it through my pathways set my muscles on edge. I groaned as I took a few more steps away from my foe, the mana writing into the world my will. I knew I didn¡¯t have the time for an twentyfive rune spell, but an empowered five rune sword aura spell could help me defend. That, and I felt [Compendium Actualization]  come off of its cooldown. I briefly wondered if the haste spell would work differently with lightning mana, but I pushed aside the musing. I didn¡¯t have the luxury of thinking my actions over.


    As I began yet another runedance, my opponent stood up straight and drew the dagger. Its edges were jagged and used. Chips were taken from it, but still it looked sharp, deadly. She gazed over at me before her eyes flickered towards the rooftop housing Sky. I frowned further, taking a few steps toward her in an effort to intercept her, as well as trace a few more runes. We stood like this for a few moments, watching each other for the next move. And then, she burst into action.


    Luka, Sky, hold her down or trip her up if you can. Luka, rock spikes in her feet if possible! I sent the fox¡¯s through the connection we shared. I received a yip of acknowledgement from both, thankful they understood me. I felt a few notifications go off but ignored them. Now was not the time to get distracted.


    I backed away quickly, the extra reach granted by her dagger nearly undoing me as I finished my rune circle. Briefly I wondered if a wave type would have been better but dismissed it. I didn¡¯t activate the spell as I felt Luka and Sky attempt to disrupt her movements. Without them I feared I¡¯d have already succumbed to the dagger as I dodged once more. Before activating my spell I used my skill to create another haste spell. This one would take an even greater toll on my body, meaning I really only had five seconds left to fight her. Without it, though, I feared I¡¯d meet the blade far sooner.


    As I was midstep, lightning mana poured out of my pathways and formed a second five rune circle. I could technically make eight total but I had no seven rune circles designed and so I simply cast haste with the elemental mana. My body felt as though fire ants were treating it as though it were their home. Energy flooded my fatigued body and in the same moment, lightning crackled on the edges of my sword. I moved to parry the incoming dagger, and to both my and my enemies surprise, moved much faster than when I used haste before. My sword clashed with the small ornamental dagger and knocked it to the side. I felt a bit of the electricity disperse but not as much as if I sent a wave of it her way.


    She cursed under her breath and nearly dropped the knife as her hand and arm momentarily went limp. Her eyes widened within the mask, before her expression tightened. Wordlessly, she came at me again, my magic not enough to paralyze her as I¡¯d hoped. As she came at me, spikes of earth pierced the cobbles and moved to entangle her feet but she easily dodged them all. She raced toward me and I was forced to block, moving much faster than I was used to. My muscles barely needed a command from my brain, instead relying on my instincts to move to my defense.


    Over the course of the next second, my blade and hers clashed a half dozen times. Without [Portent] and what I was now considering calling ¡®Lightning Burst¡¯ instead of ¡®Energy Burst¡¯, I¡¯d have been eviscerated. I felt my muscles pull, and strain themselves. The aching under the movements was enough strain for me to grimace as I moved. But I didn¡¯t relent, and the wind around me helped me move even quicker.


    I realized I¡¯d likely have no chance to escape, but if I could land a solid hit on her and disperse the remnants of my lightning mana there was a chance I¡¯d be able to force her into a retreat. Unfortunately there wasn¡¯t a great opportunity to do so. With seconds left on my spell I struggled to simply parry and dodge her attacks.

 Chapter 35 - Collision

    Adrien


    Adrien had entered the city center to see two powerful individuals facing off, one he recognized as the son of this provinces Duke. The other individual was wearing the mask he had grown accustomed to seeing. Nearby, he heard another fight between Elric and a spear user, but he couldn¡¯t quite see them. Adrien was still invisible, and stalked toward the masked foe. When the robed man was properly distracted by the heir to the Weatherlight dukedom, who wielded a greatsword larger than even Elrics, Adrien lunged toward him.


    His steps were still silent, and his hands formed the claws of the panther he had reached a covenant with. Swiftly, he made the difference of the thirty or so feet between him and his target. Claws extended he frowned as the man before him twisted in midair, despite currently being locked in a foray with the man in gleaming armor. He narrowly dodged the majority of the attack, taking claws to his bicep rather than having his heart or lungs ripped free from his body. In the same moment he dodged, he pulled the swordsman towards Adrien and forced the two to collide. Blood trailed Adriens claws and soaked the sleeve of his enemy.


    The spell obscuring Adrien from view vanished as he was struck by the larger man. He grunted, backstepping as the metal adorning the man crashed into him. A man even larger than Elric and covered in glimmering plate maile, wielding a sword taller than Adrien himself. Grunting, Adrien backed away as the armored man did the same. He cursed, realizing that the panther covenant would be near useless now. Sure, the added agility and claws were nice in combat but its real draw was the ability to move silently and better sniff out enemies. But now, now that he needed to fight rather than assassinate, he needed something new.


    Adrien felt his body shift as the inkblot that was the panther reformed. His claws rescinded and his soft soundless feet were covered again in his greaves and boots. He drew his blade and backed away from the masked figure, also making some distance from the Weatherlight boy.


    ¡°I can handle him! Go help the other one, he¡¯s fighting a spear user a street over!¡± Weatherlight called out. Adrien glanced over at him then shook his head.


    ¡°Elric will be fine, this ones the stronger opponent. We¡¯ll take him out then help my team.¡± Adrien shifted his grip on his sword. He pushed some mana into it and felt it sharpen, felt it grow more ferocious. It was as though the sword woke from a deep slumber and it purred with the energy. The voralien obsidian blade shimmered in the sunlight and glittered as it reflected it. Unlike most obsidians, this type was typically silver or gray until polished.


    Before the armored man could reply, the masked man cackled. He raised his hands and the blood that flooded the streets began to rise up, twisting and solidifying into jagged spikes. The rushed toward the two swordsmen. Adrien couldn¡¯t stop the grin from filling his face, he had practiced with a blood mage for close to two decades. He might not know all of their tricks but he was certainly well equipped to deal with them.


    Adrien dodged the spears of whirling blood, careful not to let it touch him. The armored man simply let the spears of blood shatter against his armor, the magic shimmering as he marched through the air towards their foe. Adrien frowned, realizing that all of the viscera around them turned this into the perfect arena for their enemy, but he would not be disuaded from continuing the fight.


    He weaved through the spears and rushed towards the man in the robes, growing near far quicker than the enemy anticipated. With eyes widened behind the mask, the man leapt back, a wall of coagulated crimson erupted blocking Adriens path. He pulled on the tattoo of a griffin, a beast that is both avian and apex beast, and felt inky black wings spring from his shoulderblades launching him over the wall of blood. Claws and talons sprang to being on his hands and feet, the talons gripping his longsword tightening as he lashed out. The tip of the blade barely reached the masked man, but still it pierced his arm and drew blood.


    ¡°Are there any reinforcements, Weatherlight?¡± Adrien called out to the other interrupter. The Dukes son simply nodded but provided no further details. Satisfied, Adrien continued his assault on the ritualist.


    The Dukes son rejoined the foray and clashed against the blood mage, they seemed fairly evenly matched without Adriens interference. While he didn¡¯t work well with the other warrior, they at least were not getting in each others way as the clash continued.


    Elric


    Elric panted with a bead of sweat dripping down his chin, embedding itself in his five o¡¯clock shadow.  Across from him stood a spearman wielding a dark black and purple spear. The same spear that had nearly taken out the Weatherlight boy a little bit ago. The spear wielder was the first one Elric had seen who did not wear the robes, but he still had a mask. At least Elric assumed they were a he. He wore armor that matched the weapon, made of plates of black metal with shimmering amethyst veins running throughout it.


    He had yet to speak throughout the conflict, and neither Elric or his enemy had managed to land a blow on one another. Still, Elric leapt forth and swung his greatsword down on the man like a meteor. The spear raised swiftly, the heavy metal that composed it not impeding the masked spearman whatsoever. Greatsword clashed with haft of spear, reverberating through the street where they fought.


    Elric growled, twisting and lashing out once more as the man attempted to take a few steps back. Elric wouldn''t let him escape his range and lashed out again and again, each strike blocked or dodged by his enemy. Blade and spear flashed in the daylight. Mana rushed through Elrics arms, empowering his next strike. His classes were each based in physical combat, his skills enhancing his ability to fight with his greatsword.


    GlimmerFang shimmered as a sword aura formed around its edges, going from a white and silver visage to one of erratic red. Heat flooded the surrounding area although Elric felt none of it. He rushed forward once more, his blade gleaming with his rage. A berserker through and through, he used his emotions to fight.


    Not to be outdone, the spearman loosed his own aura, unsurprisingly composed of purple mana with black sparks flinging from it. A wall of pressure clashed with the heatwave and caused Elric to stumble, his eyes widening as the spear rushed towards him. He narrowly parried the weapon and attempted to counter, which the man easily dodged. Their weapons continued to clash, neither gaining ground, until Elric managed to redirect a slash and cut an inch deep in the mans leg, catching a weak spot in the plate armor.


    A muffled curse rang out from the mans mask as he lurched back and stood still, panting, but Elric did not wish to allow him a chance to breathe and so rushed him. The greatsword whispered in the wind, practically screaming its exhilaration, and crashed against the haft of the spear once more. The weapons seemed of equal make, as they struggled against one another. To the enemies surprise, Elric dropped GlimmerFang and swung with a fist, adorned with the red of rage and mana, into the mans mask. A resounding crack reverberated off of the stone walls of the buildings lining the street.


    Elric grasped the handle of GlimmerFang, the leather wrapping it sitting comfortably in his hand, as the spearman rose back to his feet. He wasn¡¯t one to be defeated with a simple punch. Elric fought the urge to grin. He knew how horrendous these enemies were, how absolutely monstrous their actions were, but a part of him was thrilled to be able to fight someone so powerful. He stifled the urge to show his excitement and readied himself for the next clash


    Amelia


    The air was rancid. The smell of blood and bowels and viscera and more wafted through the once peaceful cities streets. Blood and signs of battle were everywhere. She certainly wasn¡¯t helping the situation either.


    She was a bit perturbed as she cut down another duo of cultists. They had been going through a home within which she could smell living people, she eliminated them before the cultists could locate the refugees. Amelia was still invisible, having not taken on a foe that was powerful enough to detect her. She was stuck cleaning up the peons, and healing the surviving citizens whenever she found one that was injured. She hadn¡¯t, yet. Those that were hiding were surprisingly not overly injured, likely having hidden shortly after the cultists had taken the city.


    Linden was a city she remembered passing through on the way to the last Rhoshas Crucible. It had been a pretty town, and they had decorated for the event with flowers and trees. Adventurers and their bestial companions had freely roamed the cities streets, shopping and chatting with merchants and friends alike. It had been boisterous, if not quaint compared to the larger cities deeper in the kingdom. Jorial was far from a powerhouse, but they had some massive cities within the mountains and nearer the coast.


    Now, Linden was desolate. The signs of magic and war marred the streets as she flitted through them. No block was saved from it. A few buildings were free from the damage, but many more bore the evidence of the massacre that had occurred here. Amelia growled internally. Why would they do this. Why do people feel the need... she refocused as she saw movement on the street ahead of her. She slowed and approached the duo of cultists, manipulating the blood in the streets into thin, petal like, blades. Before they knew what hit them the petals flew forth and severed the arteries in their necks. The cutlists felt far too weak for the amount of experience she was gaining, but she wouldn¡¯t complain overmuch. They still needed to be dealt with. As she passed their fallen bodies she formed constructs of blood, weaving a bouquet with their own gore.


    She felt a rumble coming from the center of the city, not an uncommon occurrence. It was likely that the others in her group wouldn¡¯t have noticed it, considering they were locked in far too intense of battles, but she knew they were also the cause. Elric, when he got serious, was not one she liked to fight near. Now that he was able to fight alone, she shuddered at the thought of being the one to face him. She could practically feel his excitement and his rage. It nearly overwhelmed her own, as she thought of the peace that had pervaded this city for decades.


    She continued on, counting up the number she had felled as another duo went down. 72, she thought to herself. Far too many. She stalked the streets, slowly working her way inward, and found more prey. Half of them she fed on whenever her mana was somewhat low, but these trifling idiots were hardly worth the mana she was spending. No matter, reinforcements should arrive sooner than later. By the time they did she intended to be in a position to help either Adrien or Elric. In the meantime, she would continue to massacre the cultists who dared breach the peace in her kingdom. She would show them the wrath of the Crimson Keep.


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    Liana


    So far, Liana had yet to face anyone truly strong. She continued to scour the ritual circle for the last of the eleven foundation runes, although her invisibility had been broken long ago when she ran into a duo of cultists who somehow sensed her. A swift casting of [Reclamation of Arbor] had ended them, although she had had to get her hands a bit bloody by physically shoving an acorn down one of their throats. They were both saplings now, in the midst of an alleyway.


    While Liana tended to focus on wizardry, she was still a druid in her heart of hearts. Thankfully it was her hobby of wizardry, and her time spent with Lios, that allowed her to find a way to shatter the ritual. She rushed around the area around the city center her eyes peeled for the rune she missed. It had to be somewhere near here.


    The sounds of battle rang nearby, and she could hear the roar of Elric as his massive weapon battered against his opponent. She had passed them and took a moment to make sure he needed no help, but what she saw only made her shake her head. He was practically beaming as he and his enemy exchanged blows. Cuts had begun to take shape on his body, but the other one seemed to be far more labored. Blood dripped from their armor and they were primarily on the defensive.


    Liana shook her head as she forced herself to focus on finding the last rune. Her eyes were strained from the overuse of [Mana Sight] but she couldn¡¯t let herself stop just yet. Her feet plodded quietly as she stared near the ground, keeping her senses open to ensure nobody snuck up on her. Finally she spotted what she was looking for, a shimmering series of brush strokes, etched subtly into the cobbles.


    As she knelt down to draw her own seven rune circle, the one connected to her remote activation sigil, she mused once again over how long the cultists must have been preparing. This was not a simple rune circle, and a part of her wondered at what sort of backlash they would experience when she ruined it.


    Hopefully, the caster will suffer immensely. There was no reason for this wholesale slaughter. Normally, she tried to quell these darker thoughts. She was a follower of Ferune, a goddess of nature who often preached kindness and forgiveness. But there was another side of nature. The side that Liana found herself relying on far more often as of late.


    Nature also came with it disaster, ruination, ruthlessness. Nature was a cycle of both life and death and neither. And so, without apologizing to her patron, Liana smiled with smug satisfaction as she imagined the way the casters of this ritual would suffer when it was broken.


    She quickly, even with her distractions, finished the rune circle and spent a few moments verifying that it was all correct. Internally, she worried briefly that these runes would not be enough to undo the ritual, but she didn¡¯t have time to consider the alternative. Either it worked, or it didn''t. And if it didn¡¯t their only true hope would be to defeat the enemies or to wait it out for reinforcements. She only hoped that, aside from the two strong ones she had seen thus far, there were no powerful enemies left in the city.


    With that thought she raised her hand and placed it on her remote rune circle, pouring mana into it. There wasn¡¯t an element to the mana she pushed into it, it did not contain her nature affinity, but it didn¡¯t seem to matter. A huge shockwave emanated out from the rune beside her and she felt a pressure unlike anything she could imagine waft around her. Stumbling, she barely managed to stay standing as it seemed every window in the city shattered at once. Magic flooded the streets and pressed down on her.


    Liana suppressed a smile, the ritual was broken.


    Sky


    Sky swiftly sped over the tops of the roofs to get a better view of Big Brother and the lady he was fighting. She felt a hint of worry that the woman would see her; Sky could tell just how strong the lady was. She smelled... She smelled like power and anger and arrogance. Sky had not yet smelled its like before, but the wind carried her scent to Sky.


    She leapt over the top of one building onto the top of the big building Brother as fighting beside. The wind carried over a second scent, the smell of worry and fear and of determination. A smell she mostly recognized, Brother was always worried and always determined. Never afraid though. Thats why she and Luka knew they had to help him.


    She hurried along, watching as Brother fought the woman. She felt the heat of flames brush against her as he fought, and she smelled the burning flesh of the womans puppets. All she could think to do so far was casting [One with the Wind] on Brother, helping him move swiftly and effortlessly.


    She wiggled a bit on top of the roof as she observed, feeling for Luka. He had gotten stuck somewhere and would return soon, she could tell. Then they could really help Brother.


    As she watched she felt the power of electrical mana pierce through the air. It set her fur to standing, and made her shudder in excitement. The ozone smelled like Brother Lios and she knew in that moment that he had finally called on his true mana. Not the flavorless stuff that often bled off of him. She watched carefully and saw the woman glance up at her as Brother prepared another spell. It was much more powerful than she remembered it being, and she was glad for it.


    ¡®Luka, Sky, hold her down or trip her up if you can. Luka, rock spikes in her feet if possible!¡¯ Brother Lios¡¯s voice echoed in her mind and she steeled herself. The woman in that same moment burst into motion and assailed Brother. Sky felt for her spell, and made Lios [One with the Wind] more than ever before, pushing the spell to its limits as she poured wind mana into it.


    The pull of the mana exiting her made her pant. With heavy breath she attempted to send a fragmented blade of wind down at the lady but it moved too slowly. Sky had to get closer to affect the fight. She jumped down from the building, her fur bristling, and caught herself with a pillow of wind before she was hurt on the stones below.


    Now closer Sky released another blade of wind at the womans torso, knocking her back subtly. The blade wasn¡¯t sharp, she knew she couldn''t hurt this prey, but just the small resistance slowed her down enough to prevent her from harming Brother. She saw stones rise up in time to cause the woman to stumble but even with the interference she couldn¡¯t see them winning. Brother Lios has a plan he can do this. We can do this. She still smelled fear from him, but that didn¡¯t mean he would stop. There was fear against the big lizard too, and he won then.


    She felt the energy in the air shift as Brother Lios finally activated his spell, and lightning shimmered over his shifting sword.The pretty blue and silver and green blade gleamed brightly, the lightning wreathing it. It crackled and sparks of blue, shiny and blinding, flew away from the edge. His blade clashed with the enemy as he simultaneously sped up, faster than she had seen him before. With the aid of her wind and his energy he was swift, not so much as she was but swift all the same.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. Even with her and Luka, Brother would not be strong enough. She could tell that he was struggling, a smell of pain wafted through the air as she watched him dance and clash with the woman. Time was running out, she tried to think but her mind was not swift as the wind. It did not think as fast as she could run. She had to become faster, stronger. Braver. If she physically distracted her...


    As she thought this, a wave of mana crashed though the street. The buildings all around them rumbled and cracks appeared in the road. Windows shattered with a screech and the lady stopped for a moment in surprise. In that moment Lios burst forward, eager to take advantage of her distraction. As he approached Sky¡¯s eyes widened in fear and she burst into motion as well. Despite the distraction, the woman rushed toward him with the dagger in her hands pointed straight at his chest. She sent a burst of wind to nudge the arm out of the way, to force the attack to miss, but it felt far too slow. She wasn''t going to make it.


    Luka


    Luka scurried through the sewers of Linden, trying to race back to Papa Lios. He had gotten stuck in that weird giant tube with the bodies, and had had to use almost half of his magic to return to the surface, find a new entry point, and reenter the sewers proper. Even with the scent of the underbelly of the city, the fox couldn¡¯t shake the smell of that chamber he had been in before.


    He neared his location just as Papa called ¡®Luka, Sky, hold her down or trip her up if you can. Luka, rock spikes in her feet if possible!¡¯. Luka sent his assent and pushed rocks up and beneath the ladies feet. One caught the bottom of her foot as she went to step down, nearing Papa.


    While Luka couldn''t see what was happening, necessarily, he was able to sense where everything was through his [Earth Sense]. He continued to push the rocks up but realized he was using a fair amount more mana sending his magic through the earth than he wanted. As he tried to trip up his Papa¡¯s enemy, he slowly dug upwards, carving a hole in the walls of the stone sewer. He felt mana flood out of him relatively quickly as he cast [Burrow] and headed toward open air. As he pushed upwards he felt the expenditure of mana lessen with each stone he sent upwards with [Earth Manipulation].


    Satisfied he was close enough, he stopped his ascent about a foot from the surface. He could sense much more as well. Papa and his enemy were fast, way faster than he was. Not as fast as Sky but fast still. More than that, he could feel how much energy Papa was outputting, how much mana he was using, and how seriously he was taking this fight. Luka stopped worrying about expending too much mana. He sent rods of stone sharpened into deadly spikes up through the air, up towards the masked woman. She dodged most of them. She kept charging Papa. Luka trembled as he thought to himself that he wasn¡¯t able to help, that Papa was still in danger.


    But then, the energy that Papa had been dumping into the world condensed and then exploded. Papa moved faster, and even a foot into the ground Luka¡¯s fur bristled and stood on end. As Papa moved forward, meeting his foe in a head on clash, Luka peppered her with the foot long spikes. She dodged every one of them but was forced to take a step back. He sensed his sisters wind as it whipped toward the evil woman, but he didn¡¯t smell any blood coming from her. Their attacks were worth little more than a distraction.


    But still Luka would persevere. He sent up more rocks and stones. He attempted to place one directly in front of her to trip her up but she expertly sidestepped it. He tried to shoot a spike up into her downward moving foot. She dodged that one as well. He pushed his mana and tried to send one directly at her back as she was stepping backwards. He couldn¡¯t hit her.


    Frustrated, Luka kept trying. It felt like he had been at it for minutes, even hours, but only a couple of seconds had elapsed. He heard the rush of blood in his ears as he attacked her to the best of his abilities. Each one had been dodged and amounted to little more than a distraction for mere milliseconds. Panting, Luka finally came to another idea. He drew one the earth mana within him, the earth mana that he had somehow stolen from Papa. Papa didn¡¯t mind, he knew this, and Luka still felt that he had helped Papa by taking it.


    He drew on the mana, smelling faintly of mushrooms and nature. It was a lovely earthy smell that Luka associated with some of the other animals he tended to hunt. It clung to his fur most days, from his time spent beneath the soil. He called on it and felt it exit his pathways in the way that the pointy eared girl had shown him and his sister. He still wasn¡¯t that fast at it, Liana wasn¡¯t great at teaching the foxes due to differences in physiology, but he and his sister were figuring out how to manipulate their mana all the same.


    He pulled on it as hard as he could, drawing the earth mana out of himself through his clawed paws and into the ground around him. He softened the earth, and softened the stone of the sewer beneath him. He willed the soil to collapse downward, pulling it into the tunnel of refuse. He tugged at it just as the lady stepped forward, unaware of the sinkhole he was bent on creating.


    Her foot came down and he pulled on the earth, expending most of his remaining mana in a desperate attempt to hold her still. As her foot sank into the ground, the cobbles pulling toward him, a loud Thwoom sound reverberated in the tunnels. Mana of a type Luka was unfamiliar with cascaded outward from the center of the city. Even under ground Luka heard the shattering of windows and collapsing of some of the more damaged and ramshackle buildings. The earth shuddered and dirt rained down on him, forcing him to use his remaining mana to prevent his tunnel from collapsing. The woman stilled for a moment in shock. Papa didn¡¯t slow for a second.

 Chapter 36 - Break

    Adrien


    Adrien''s blade clashed with the ritualists blood constructs. His sword flashed out to block each strike, aided by the additional agility that the griffin provided him. Between him and the heavily armored man, they had managed to wound the blood mage three times in the past few seconds.


    Minor wounds. The sort that wouldn¡¯t influence the battle unless it dragged on. Despite the wounds, the blood mage hadn¡¯t bled much. Being able to last long in a battle was one of their strong suits, and forcibly coagulating their blood near a wound was a simple task that many blood warriors used to increase their longevity in battle.


    The three backed away from their most recent conflict. The two warriors had been forcing the mage into a melee that he shouldn¡¯t have been able to handle. But handle it he did. He has seen war... his experience is... palpable. The prince thought as he took a few steady breaths, wringing his hands on the handle of his sword. The voralien blade crying in its eagerness to spill blood. Or perhaps that was simply Adrien pushing his thoughts into the blade. It wasn''t alive after all.


    Sighing he glanced at his armored comrade and they both burst forth, the strength of a lion spurring Adrien. The cobble cracked behind his leap and he soared, inky, dripping wings extending to allow him to better reach his enemy. They dripped with ink and power, the drops never hitting the ground but dissipating and reforming on the onyx wings. Nearby, Adrien heard the sound of battle. He felt his best friends¡¯ rage in the air. It caused even his hairs to bristle along his arms and back of neck. He was glad to have decided to fight beside the Dukes son.


    Before he reached the masked man, the slim blood mage backing up furiously as both Adrien and the knight approached faster than most could perceive, a ripple of mana unfolded into the space where they stood. From the center of the circle that was the town square, mana burst and pushed on them. Even Adrien almost lost control of himself as he, in midair, was nearly thrown to the side. His wings buffeted the air, stabilizing him and keeping him in line with the stumbling enemy.


    A grin spread across his face. Liana had done it, although the individual backlash seemed minimal. Perhaps the one he faced was not the designer of the ritual. It mattered not. The man before him stumbled in his retreat and Adrien took advantage, his sword dropping towards him like a meteor. He felt flesh give way and bone crack then break under the heavy strike. Due to the shockwave pushing him back, Adrien was unable to cleave the man in half as he had intended, but still a deep gouge was carved from his shoulder and across his chest.


    The Weatherlight knight had also stumbled from the blast of mana, but a moment later his greatsword also cleaved down. Intercepted by a blood spear, it pushed down shattering the crystalline blood, and took one of the enemy¡¯s hands at the wrist. It was a paltry injury at this high level, but would inhibit the foe until they were able to land one more deadly.


    They wouldn¡¯t get the chance. The mans eyes behind the mask widened from the ritual breaking, from taking grievous injuries. Making a hasty retreat he called to them, ¡°Tis been fun, friends. Mayhap I¡¯ll see ye again, aye Prince and Duke¡¯s son? The tournament of Rhosha approaches!¡±


    Neither the prince nor the duke¡¯s son responded. They didn¡¯t feel they needed to. The threat wasn¡¯t so much to give them pause but they knew better than to attempt the chase. Rightly, so, as the bloodmage quickly fled far faster than either warrior would have been able to follow. Panting, Adrien exchanged a glance with Weatherlight as the sounds of conflict through the city halted.


    Elric


    The man cackled as his greatsword slammed into the man in blacks spear. A resounding thunk echoed through the streets, buildings laying in rubble around them. Elric¡¯s red aura encountered the spearman''s purple one with vigor.


    GlimmerFang sang her delight as her tip found a weak spot in the spearman''s armor. The armor had been whole nearly seconds ago, but now was marred by gouges and scars. Elric¡¯s flesh was much the same, although his chain shirt only bore a few wounds. The material was far too strong to be pierced by the enemies spear.


    Elric roared as he swung GlimmerFang, a weapon his father had had crafted specifically for him prior to hs joining the prince on this adventure. The very same weapon that Elric had infused with his emotions, his will, his power and his mana. The very same weapon that he, as a berserker of sorts, bound with blood and rage to himself. The blade was heavy, and if anyone other than Elric attempted to wield it would grow heavier still. It was eternally sharp, and forever thirsty. A weapon made for combat, that lived for combat. It had no will of its own but it did have desires.


    And Elric sought to feed her.


    The spearman stumbled back as he blocked the slash, his hands trembling from the exertion of having to do so several times a second for the last little bit. Even as he blocked, the aura of rage surrounding the blade sped forward, cutting through the armor and into the mans chest. It was, of course, far less damaging than taking the blade itself, but it was damage nonetheless. The aura continued, through the body and into the brick building beyond, carving into it. Rubble cascaded down from the wall as the aura returned to cover the blade once more. There was a reason Elric rarely used his aura skills while fighting alongside friends, he had little control over it.


    The armored man backed away, sidestepping so as to avoid being pinned between the hulking Elric and a building, as a pulse of mana was sent through the street and then to the town. Being so close to the focal point, both men stumbled briefly, and given the multitude of wounds marring the spearman, Elric recovered first. Not one to waste time, he leapt forward. His muscles surged with his mana, using one of his few mana intensive skills, and he felt his legs bulging with power and arms straining as they sped up. It was, naturally, his own version of a haste spell. [Maniacs Alacrity] tugged on his emotions, nearly overwhelming his mind with them as they took over his body allowing him to exceed his current limits for a short time. The skill was limited, he could only activate it alongside his aura and only while ¡°raging¡± as he was now, but despite his rage Elric was still in control, for the most part.


    Taking the advantage that Liana disrupting the ritual had given him, he slashed horizontally before the spearman knew he was upon him. The edge of GlimmerFang crashed into the spearman''s side, just beneath the ribs, and cracked his armor. The man, weighing more than enough that this shouldn¡¯t have happened, was tossed away by the strike into a building across the street. The building had already been damaged by their fight but that did not compare to a fully armored warrior slamming into the already falling brick walls, collapsing the rest of the building on top of him.


    Elric panted, deactivating [Maniacs Alacrity] before it could overcome his mental walls and strode toward the rubble. A grin was on his face as, steps away from the crumbled building, he received a notification alerting him of the enemy¡¯s death. A second followed making his eyes light up further, he had leveled up. Finally. It always took so long to level after the first threshold.


    Amelia


    Chasing down rats had become even more of a bore. Amelia lazily sped down the streets until finally she reached the outer walls. She was surprised that everyone she encountered had been weak, well weaker than anyone on her team. Far too weak to have overtaken a town of this size on their own. Granted there were a ton of them. One hundred and four had fallen to her hands.


    She extended her senses. She felt for any living breathing being, filtering out those too small. Bugs, rodents, vermin of all sorts would be prone to escape her senses but that was fine. The refuse she sought were humanoid. The cultists. She sensed no others. It had only taken her a minute or so to find the last of them and so, feeling confident that there were none left, she started to head back to the center of the city. Even from her current distance in the circular city, she could hear the blood rushing through Elric¡¯s veins. Could feel his rage as though it were her own.


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    Truly, if it were her own this entire city would be leveled. Amelia did not have the self control that her friend had, should she ever become a berserker she knew she¡¯d slaughter. It was just one of many things she respected of her friend. His kindness, strength and generosity were all well and good, but he possessed power many dreamed of and the ability to control it. The ability to keep it from driving him mad.


    As she continued toward the center of the city she felt the wave of mana pulse through the streets. It vibrated then shattered the windows near her, what few there were, but did not much more than that. Evn still, Amelia could tell the ritual being broken is what caused this. That the thing causing so much suffering was destroyed, and hopefully the castor along with it. It was a complex bit of magic. She had no doubt that some day the boy would become capable of casting such a spell on a whim, though he was not there yet. It was a miracle that Liana had taken to studying runes at Lios¡¯s behest, she was far quicker than any other wizard Amelia had met at her level, and so the party had entrusted her with destroying the ritual circle.


    A grin crossed over Amelia''s ruby lips. To an onlooker it might be odd to see a petite, well dressed woman skipping through the bloodied streets while smiling. There were no onlookers. She had killed most of them and the rest were hiding. It wasn¡¯t the slaughter that she was grinning about, but that it seemed they had won. No doubt, the remaining cultists would flee now that their plan had been disrupted. The Inquisitors of Ironfell would likely be able to investigate the runes littering the city and discover exactly what these heathens had planned. None of that mattered to her though, only that if they retreated she, her friends - her family - would be safe.


    Liana


    The world around her exploded with mana. Power overflowing from the broken ritual. Liana extended her senses and sensed no one, much to her chagrin. She stood and turned toward the longhouse, the people inside would likely need help even if Lios had managed to assuage their worries. She started walking toward it hurriedly, not quite running.


    From nearby, she heard the roar of Elric followed by a calm. It seemed the clash had ended. The sounds of battle were fading away. Liana tried not to feel guilty about hardly facing any of the enemies herself, she had fulfilled her role but she still wished to have been part of the group that fought these scum.


    As she was thinking, a woman in the robes of this cult sped past, blood flowing from her chest and some smaller wounds on her arms and sides. Liana quickly fired off a spell, a quick blade of wind seeking the woman. It missed as the woman dodged, twisting and audibly wincing in pain. As she did so, Liana could see Lios¡¯s weapon embedded in her chest. She hadn¡¯t removed it yet, for whatever reason. The woman did not attempt to stay and fight and Liana did not pursue her. She instead headed to where she thought Lios would be. If the woman had his sword...


    __________________________________________


    My mind was on overdrive. Two seconds had already elapsed and I hadn¡¯t managed to finish the fight. Even with both Luka and Sky doing all they could to inhibit my enemies movements, I couldn¡¯t connect with her. Even with my lightning lashing out at her whenever we connected, I couldn¡¯t slow her down enough to hurt her.


    My muscles were on fire. Lightning was coursing through my veins and both hands were glued to the handle of my crackling blade. It felt as though my insides were being melted from within. I gritted my teeth through the pain as, in a microsecond, I saw an incoming attack, a stab with a jagged and nasty looking dagger held by the puppeteer and raised my blue green blade to parry. My muscles acted the second I had the thought and sparks flew at the clash.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how my mind was keeping up, my body was faster than it had ever been before. More reactive, stronger, more explosive. My arms pulsed with foreign energy as lightning mana flooded my pathways and veins. With the wind behind me as well, I felt unstoppable. Yet I was being stopped by the masked woman. Her eyes were filled with derision. Briefly I wondered at her level but I quickly shook myself free of the distraction. All I knew was that she was stronger than me. Faster too. I wasn¡¯t sure why she didn¡¯t try to control me as a puppetmaster, but that thought could wait too. Perhaps it was due to my magic cutting her strings?


    No matter. I moved, spurred by the wind and by lightning. My body responded quicker than it should. I could barely feel it, but feel it I could, as some of the strands of muscle in my arms and legs stretched and snapped. Teeth gritted, my blade lashed forward. For once in this conflict I was fast enough to go on the offensive, to push her on the back foot. And so I did. Dozens of movements in a second, the clang of our weapons piercing the empty street.


    And then, a rumble and a wave of power. Mana flooded my senses, nearly blinding me through [Portent], and nearly caused me to stumble. The sound of glass shattering had yet to hit me as the woman before me halted for an iota of a second. Still, it was enough. With rage boiling in my chest from the hapless slaughter these... these monsters had committed, I lunged, thrusting the Mercurial Promenade toward her chest.


    In that moment, I felt a dozen, hundred, thousands of things at once. My muscles straining from the split second movement that they could not handle just yet. My heart racing faster and thumping loudly in my chest, each beat slow in my ears but I knew that was just my adrenaline. I felt a blade of wind enter my senses, flying toward the woman. A stone shooting upwards from the ground. And then, the feeling of mana pooling in front of me, weakening the earth. The cobbles sinking in deeper, almost imperceptibly. I felt as though my head was going to burst as blood dripped from my nose, and even from the edges of my eyes.


    I felt the push of the explosion of mana, and heard the rumblings of buildings collapsing throughout the city. I saw the moment, the chance, to waylay this enemy forever, to prevent them from committing another atrocity. I felt the rage of the souls left behind in this town pushing me along as my vision swam from the excess physical exertion, stars lingering at the edges of my sight.


    The woman ahead of me shook herself free of the distraction moments before my blade would pierce her heart, and twisted. She was unable to back away as her foot slammed into the soft earth and sank deep, the earth hardening the moment she tried to pull away. Fear and anger and desperation lit her amber eyes. She arched her back to dodge my blade but I could tell she wouldn''t be entirely successful. My only hope was that the tip of my sword would be close enough to her heart that when I sent all of the lightning through it could cause a heart attack, or something similar.


    Her right hand blurred, the dagger held within lashing out towards me. I was moving too fast, my momentum was too much for me to dodge. I raised my left hand, releasing it from the handle of my longsword, in an attempt to bat the dagger away. It was headed directly for my throat. My arm, in that moment, flashed upwards and to the side in an attempt to knock the blade away. I felt the blade connect with my forearm, just a few inches below my elbow, and slice through the flesh before sending a wave of agony through what nerves were not being electrically fried. The crack of the blade as it broke my ulna followed by my radius echoed through the street, or at least it pounded itself into my subconscious as I watched my hand fly and blood splatter.


    Blood sprayed as I felt the promenade pierce her chest, barely feeling an resistance in the face of the razor sharp blade. In that instant, as I pulled the blade down, I sent all of the stored lightning mana into the woman¡¯s body. The dagger, though slowed, was still slashing toward me as I barely managed to duck, saving my neck from it. In the next instant, using what was likely the last of the energy from Lightning Burst, I pushed backward kicking off from the stones below. She reached in an attempt to grab my wrist but instead grasped the hilt of my blade, holding it tightly enough that I was forced to release it as she finally broke free from Lukas spell and backed away herself. Her eyes gleamed with fury and shock as blood trickled out and soaked her robe around the wound I had wrought. My blood trailed after me in my retreat, dripping and splattering on the ground as my body ached and trembled from exertion. I tied to hide my displeasure at losing my sword and attempted to prepare for the next clash but she simply continued to back away.


    ¡°Seems play time is over. Next time I won¡¯t consider making you a puppet, you¡¯ll be dead before you see me. Worthless swordsman.¡± Her movements were jerky and her voice was strained as she continued to back away. Her blood dripped onto the cobble as she fled with my blade in her hands.


    I didn¡¯t bother to reply to her. Instead, I stumbled and with trembling hands grabbed a sword from one of the folks I had killed. As I went to stand back up, my body gave out and I collapsed. My vision was blurring, going dark. My last though was to press my stump against some cloth but I couldn¡¯t move. As the world fell away I heard a muted Ding in the back of my mind. I was too tired to check it.


    If this was the moment I died again, I¡¯d prefer not to do so looking at a blue screen maintained by some sociopathic system.


    I felt the foxes come towards me. Luka licked my hand, the one that was still attached, while Sky came up to lick my face before rushing off. Vaguely I heard her voice in my head and Luka¡¯s before the world finished darkening and I fell to the great black.

 Authors Note and start of book two - "Crucible"

    Hello Hello royalroad fam. I am, as I''m sure you noticed by my posting of a chapter, ending my haitus a bit early. Originally I had wanted to create a backlog of chapters so I wouldn''t be so stressed or worried about missing a week.


    However, I have, in a much shorter time than expected, completed a decent number of chapters and exceeded my goal for my backlog. I''m still working on editing around half of them but that means I have a bunch still to share.


    I''m excited to show you all the next segment of Lios''s life as an adventurer, the aftermath of the battle of Linden and to introduce some new characters to the fold.


    Alongside this note I will post the prologue for book two today and intend to post chapter one on sunday.


    I debated on doing multiple shorter chapters per week as that seems to create the best engagement but I don''t really like splitting up my chapters all that much so, unless I get a ton of feedback requesting it, I have decided to continue one chapter a week for the time being.


    I also wanted to take a moment to gush about some real life stuff, unrelated to the book. When I first started writing Bladedancer I did so as an outletn for a lot of budding stress starting in november of 2023. I had been laid off from my job unexpectedly and was really struggling to stay positive as I fought to pay my bills with unemployment. In high school I tended to write a lot of poetry, and that largely extended into my adult life as well, but Ive always imagined myself as a novelist. Needing a way to occupy my time I started writing without much of a plot in mind aside from an end goal for the character in the first book. Then, in december about a month after I started working on Bladedancer, I got a job offer for the company I currently work at. It was a huge weight off my shoulders.


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    With the added stress gone I almost stopped writing, but didn''t let myself put down the pen. Honestly, it was a very stressful month before I got the offer, and even the month after was a bit rough as I was starting a new step in my career. Once I settled in I started posting. First to wattpad, but I quickly realized they werent the audience I was looking for so I moved the story here.


    I''m still blown away that after nearly a decade of thinking about and wanting to write a novel or fantasy series, I''ve made so much progress in just under eight months. I''ve found such enjoyment out of writing this past year and working on this story, with ideas being tabled or idly worked on for other books, and I truly couldn''t have done so without some of the positive feedback from my audience.


    Alongside a new job, though, I also got engaged in August and my wife and I eloped on halloween this year. This has been, honestly, the most life changing year of my life. I got a new job that I really enjoy and that gives me far more freedom than my previous few. Previously I would be sent out to customer sites on a weekly basis for around six years. I didn''t fully understand just how big of a toll that was taking out on me, my social relationships, or my family and at the time girlfriend. Since being home I feel like I''ve been able to accomplish so much. I got  engaged, and married. And even wrote a full six hundred page book in my frreetime.


    This year has been one of the best in my life, and a heavy part of that has been reconnecting with my love for writing. Thank you to everyone who has helpted to support me all of this year with your words, follows, ratings, etc.

 B2 - Prologue

    Far away, further than any mortal had any right to know, a god with a shifting form stood before a tribunal. Fourteen gods sat in a heptagonal room, two on each wall. One from the hells and one from the divine realms on each edge of the room. Their attendants stood behind them, awaiting any orders their god imposed upon them. In the center of this room stood an unknown entity. Miamora.


    ¡°I must say, I am quite surprised to find you before us.¡± A bearded god with a gruff voice spoke down to the shifting form. His hair was slicked back into a ponytail that ended at mid back and his beard was gray with braids crackling with electricity. The beard ended just past the gods sternum. He wore armor made of a gleaming gold and silver metal, armor that held enough weight in magic to squash most mortals by simply being in its presence. On the front was an etched carving of a raven beside an eagle, back to back perched on the same branch. The symbol of Elandrus the god of might, King of the gods. Sat on his head was a crackling crown, lightning weaving between the tines and the gems that adorned it. Sapphires and rubies and diamonds were embedded into the gold crown, and this too held more magic than a mortal even at the peak could hope to wield. Mortal bodies simply did not have the constitution to handle such power.


    ¡°It would be rude to not introduce myself while I hover around your realm.¡± The shifting god stated matter of factly. ¡°Ah, but before I introduce myself I was under the impression that one of you was especially good with curses?¡±


    Before anyone else could say anything a woman stood. She was tall, unnaturally so, with long limbs. Hands that scraped against the ground as she stood hunched over. Her eyes, owl like, were narrowed in curiosity. She was humanoid but still her nose turned into a beak and her head tilted and twitched as she observed the shifting god. Then she spoke, her voice raspy. It sounded as though she had not had a drink of water for some years and had smoked every day during. It wasn¡¯t quite grating, but her voice was almost painful to the ears. ¡°Why does the rogue god seek cursed knowledge?¡± She stepped towards him, walking down from her raised throne.


    A throne marred with symbols of witchcraft, many ancient and lost to the world. The skull of a bat tied to a stick from an elderbarin tree. The teeth of a lynx strung together with three eyes of a saber cat. A doll of mysterious make that gave off a dark aura, filled to the brim with needles and scars. A candle half burnt, unlit and emanating dark energies. This was just the beginning of the hodgepodge collection covering the chair.


    Miamora approached her cautiously. He was no new god, nor a dumb one. He was in the domain of an entire pantheon. A pantheon that, while each member was individually weak against him, could eviscerate him with the slightest bit of provocation. With his hands up, one of them girly and feminine with nails painted pink the other with only two large strange fingers - for now - , he spoke in a soft, at first, voice. ¡°I myself am cursed. I wished to beg a favor of ye, Kravda of the third and fourth hells. Attempt to undo my curse, to free me from the agony of a shifting visage. Free me from the torment of forever being an abomination.¡±


    A third god, a male who was tall and skinny, spoke next. He wore furs and leathers, and bore a bow on his back and a flute on his hip. He had on a ring with a small miniscule blade on it curving in towards his palm, made to harvest herbs quickly. A necklace with green and gold filigree and gems rested atop the fur tunic. It was shaped into a buck with antlers formed of the gold wires. His hands were dirty, shocking for a god. Soil hid beneath his nails and the fierceness of the hunter hid behind his smile. ¡°Careful Kravda, this one smells crafty. Be sure to pay attention to his riddled words.¡±


    ¡°I can quite well care for myself, Protole. Worry next about your hunts, and not on Kravda.¡± The hag spat in the direction of the hunter. She turned back to observe Miamora before closing her eyes and feeling towards him, sensing the deeply seated curse. It was powerful, more powerful than any curse she had seen before. Her fingers twitched as she opened her golden eyes. She wanted to study the curse, to feed from it. It was powerful and so she knew it would be valuable for her to help with it but she was not about to do a favor for an unknown entity. ¡°Tell me, rogue god, what is it you would offer for this reprieve?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, the crux of the world. A service in exchange for a service, then?¡± the rogue god replied jovially, his voice in that moment sounding cacophonous, the sound of many people attempting to speak at once but somehow in such a way that the other gods heard and understood them. ¡°In exchange for you temporarily removing my curse I shall answer questions three!¡±


    ¡°I hardly believe that''s-¡± The owl like goddess began but was interrupted as Elandrus rose to his feet.


    ¡°Do it, Kravda. Once he has a taste of this freedom he seeks he shall seek it more. And I have a feeling transactions will be the only way to communicate with the rogue.¡± Elandrus¡¯s voice brooked no argument. His tone offered no sanctuary for those who didn¡¯t obey his orders. He wasn¡¯t quite a tyrant, ruling with fist or claw, but he was certainly respected and feared. Even by his fellows.


    There was silence and tension for a few breaths. Kravda, the witch and She Who Feeds on Curses, stared at the king of the pantheon. She glared at him for the duration of three breaths before glancing back towards Miamora, the strange cursed being that stood within their halls. ¡°Fine then, shall ye approach or must I come to ye myself?¡± Her long wiry arms crossed and nails digging in slightly to her biceps.


    The shapeshifter chuckled idly, stepping forward and extending a hand. Before she could say anything more, he reached out and used her own nail to pierce his hand, eeking out a few drops of blood. ¡°I imagine you''ll need this to help with the curse?¡± the voice changed throughout the sentence, moving from a deep masculine voice to that of a female child.


    ¡°Aye. Ye have knowledge of curses then?¡± Kravda, she who consumes curses, withdrew a vial and took the extended hand, poking it once more as she dripped his blood into the container. She then stepped away and began to examine it, her mana flooding the droplets and her face forming a frown. Her feather like hair bristled after a few moments as the frown continued to deepen. After several moments she looked back up, the rest of the gods silent as thy let her work. ¡°I cannot remove it permanently. At least, not yet. And not without a greater fee.¡±


    Miamora nodded, having expected such an answer. He shrugged slightly and simply smiled. Well, half of  his face did the other turned downward. Briefly he looked like the symbol for the theaters, two masks side by side with various expressions.


    Kravda took this nod as affirmation to proceed and began whispering a dark chant. Her long, overgrown fingers wiggled over the top of the vial as more and more of her black mana seeped into it. The blood began to bubble and suddenly it was aflame, but once it was quenched the shapeshifting god no longer shifted shapes. His form was stable at least for a moment and he let out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°You have my thanks Kravda of the cursed realms. I can tell it should only last for a number of hours, but even still my torment has been abated for the first time in a while. Now then. Questions three.¡±


    Elandrus observed the god before him. Once a shifting shape and voice, now the god was featureless. A mannequin if one were to see them in public. A golem depending on the world. Yet the king of the gods of Ravos could sense a deep, thirsting power within the god before him. He could feel the divinity that had been gained not by followers or faith but by merit and dedication. Any who made it to the divine realm had to be the best of their worlds, after all. The king god stood, his mighty form shaking the ground beneath his feet even as he took what he considered a gentle step towards Miamora.


    Before he could speak, however, another god spoke up. He was large, burly. Muscles bulged at the forearms, and ashes and grease coated the ends of his calloused fingers. His eyes were bright and inquisitive, full of curiosity. At his hip sat a hammer of gleaming black, made of a metal that before being enchanted gave off waves of energy, but after the enchantment would have knocked many mortals unconscious simply from the pressure it emitted. Embers singed his beard and pockmark scars marked his arms and bare chest. His head was shaved and frown lines and smile lines adorned his face. By mortal standards he looked to be in his forties, with a slight bulging beer belly contrasting his musculature.


    ¡°What is your purpose for coming to our realm?¡± Ertai spoke in a deep rumbling voice. Within it held power, within it held the strength of a hammer and a forge. Elandrus turned to his compatriot with a twinge of irritation on his face. Ertai simply smiled slightly and tilted his head. ¡°My king, were you not set to ask the same question?¡±


    ¡°I was, but your interruption may give our... guest the wrong impression, Ertai. I ask that you hold your tongue the next time.¡±


    ¡°Oh but we so rarely have visitors, and even rarer do they petition the pantheon as a whole. Coming here on our scheduled assemblage has piqued the interest of more than just you, my liege.¡± There was a hint of sarcasm and levity in the forge gods voice.


    The large king simply sighed heavily. He sent an apologetic glance at Miamora, the strange god who had somehow found himself in the pantheon of Ravos, amongst the fourteen gods of the realm. ¡°Well, he is not incorrect. Answer the question, rogue god.¡±


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    There was a faint hostility to the gods voice, but Miamora had expected it. The mannequin like figure simply smirked, a mouth appearing on the otherwise flat face. ¡°Answer you I shall. Patience, young godking.¡± Now stable, there was a hint of condescension in Miamoras voice. He slowly spun in a circle, taking in each of the gods before him. He didn¡¯t truly pay them much mind, but could feel their curiosity and impatience as he twirled slowly. ¡°I am here in your realm for an experiment. I gifted a young, weak mortal with a seed, you see, and am simply waiting to see how said seed grows.¡±


    There were some soft murmurs emanating from around the rotunda. The act of a god giving a seed was typically deeply considered, not simply done on a whim. For most gods, they would have only a few seed bearers at a given time. Part of the reason was that to form a seed a god must sacrifice a portion of their own power, their own divinity, in the hopes that the individual who bore it would reach great enough heights as to repair the gods power. None of the gods, in their aged wisdom, asked a second question. They were more than aware that doing so, no matter how mundane it was, would use up a portion of their prize.


    Miamora smirked, the smile creepy and unsettling on the otherwise featureless face. He looked at each of the gods with a tilt to the head and a toothy grin. Each one had narrowed eyes as they tried to discern what his motives could be, certainly he was not trying to grow in power simply from a single mortal who was yet untested. Within the archives deep in the hidden plane of Terrasoul were stories of mortals being gifted a seed early. Not one made it past the first threshold, the power that attempted to change them too great for their mortal bodies to handle.


    It took several moments for the king of the gods to speak again, likely considering his next question. He could feel it in his bones, and even deeper in his very divinity, that Miamora was dangerous. The very fact he would appear before them so cavalierly was tantamount to insanity even for most deities. ¡°So you are here for an experiment. What are the goals and purposes of said experiment?¡± Elandrus growled at the man below.


    ¡°The purpose and goals aye? There are plenty. Firstly, amusement. Mortals are ever so entertaining. The second, to grow my power as one does. Granted, that one only works if they are able to survive their evolutions but I am certain this one will. The third goal, to study the seed. To determine if there is a way to define the seed prior to its planting, to manipulate it into taking the form I wish.¡± Miamora stopped for a moment, musing on his next words. ¡°The last is the most selfish, I seek a permanent cure to my curse, and to find it I feel I must study my energies. It is easier to do so on mortals that contain my energy than to dissect myself. I must wait until the mortal grows powerful enough, but I shall have my results.¡±


    ¡°I will be honest, I did not expect you to answer so thoroughly,¡± a goddess commented as her eyes narrowed, wondering what the foreign gods game was. Miamora turned towards her. Her throne was a plain white marble with a few golden specs spread throughout. She, similarly, was adorned with golden jewelry that shimmered with magic. Holy magic, as far as Miamora could tell. Her hair contrasted heavily with her simple white dress and golden eyes, it was black as night and flowing over her shoulders. Her lips were upturned in a kind smile, and no marks of aging graced her face. No frown lines, crows feet, wrinkles or blemishes. At her side was a marble scepter with rings of different metals dangling beneath a radiant gemstone, one that Miamora couldn¡¯t quite place unless the magic within was expelled. It was a dark green stone, perfectly cut, and shimmering with holy magics.


    ¡°Luma, I presume? It hurts my weary heart that you¡¯d think me a liar or manipulator.¡± The gods voice was dramatic as he bowed toward her. Even as he teased, his mouth turned even further upwards. He was enjoying himself, messing with this small pantheon. This young group of gods. ¡°I promised to answer questions three, and three I shall answer. After that, we can always make a new deal if you wish, Goddess of light and knowledge.¡±


    She bristled slightly but her smile never wavered. Her reply came in the form of a swift nod, and she turned her attention back to Elandrus. He cleared his throat, his eyes on the foreign god filled with curiosity, disdain, and wariness. The king of the gods of Ravos was not one to underestimate an opponent and though Miamora had yet to act with hostility, Elandrus was appraising Miamoras strength with great care.


    ¡°Tell me, Miamora of the foreign lands - ¡°


    ¡°That title does not suit me. Miamora of the Shifting Chasm, he who conquered the maelstrom. Or Miamora, It that unstitches. Miamora, the harbinger of change. Any of those would do.¡± The god interrupted the king, not missing the flash of irritation that crossed Elandrus¡¯s face.


    ¡°Tell me, then, what detriment will this experiment bring to our realm?¡± Elandrus¡¯s voice was strained. His dislike for the god standing below was simply growing, and the godking wanted him out of his halls before he lost his temper.


    ¡°Hmm. That is a difficult question to answer. I do not know if it will affect your realm as a whole. The boy I gifted my divinity, he is only now waking from a long - by mortal standards - nap.¡± the conqueror of the maelstroms arms crossed behind his back as he started to walk in a circle around the base of the chamber, not looking at any god in particular as they all listened raptly. ¡°The last time I conducted this same experiment, the mortal perished before their eleventh year and she was unable to influence her world. The boy I delivered to your world just nearly died before their sixteenth birthday. Or was it fifteenth? I am unsure. I will say, that should it be successful, he may shake things up within that tiny country he¡¯s in. what was it called, Jury? Jorlan? Jordan?¡±


    ¡°Jorial?¡± A new voice, a pretty voice that felt as though there were a song hiding behind the single word, suggested after painfully watching Miamora butcher the name for a few moments. Her hair was red and curly, cascading down over her shoulders and down her back. Weaved throughout it were vines with flowers at their ends, crowning her head. Freckles spread across her face contrasting nicely with her pale skin and green eyes. The freckles were intentional, of course, as when one grew to that level of power they could manipulate their form quite easily, at least for minor things such as that. She neither smiled nor scowled, taking a neutral expression. Not even Miamora could tell what she was thinking about his visit, whereas he could feel tension from most of the others. Save for Kravda, who was gleefully breaking down the essence of the curse he had had her consume.


    ¡°Yes! Ferune, I presume?¡± He observed the woman who had just spoken, taking in her leaf dress and the sapling staff beside her. Her chair made of sticks and roots and padded with moss. ¡°Jorial, that was the countries name. The boy is there, and he is still asleep. Although, I feel he will wake soon enough.¡±


    ¡°All of this display for a mortal who may not even live? Very intriguing.¡± Luma intoned and stood up. ¡°I shall go find and observe this lad, Elandrus. Worry not I shall ensure that the foreigner is not fibbing.¡±


    The godking turned to her, ready to attempt to stop her before she left, but she vanished in a flash of light. Before he could call a halt to the exodus, their annual meeting was adjourned with the other gods quickly returning to their realms. Finally the only two who were left were Elandrus and Miamora. The godking sighed heavily. ¡°Luma... how are you to find the boy?¡± He muttered before glaring at the foreign god. ¡°Well then, I suppose our time is had. Leave my halls, boy.¡±


    Miamora gave the godking a taunting, almost theatrical bow and vanished himself, a grin across his lips. His goal accomplished for the time being, he returned to his own divine realm to continue to observe the boy. In the back of his mind he considered inviting the curse drinker to his realm but tabled it for later.


    __________________________________________


    Arabelle panted as she stumbled into the dark, sterile room that her group used for an infirmary. Her colleague, Number Six, had guided her there before bolting off to make a report to the leader. She heard a rustling as the man within the chamber stirred, rising off the crinkly bed  upon which he had been sitting.


    ¡°Come, come, I can smell your injury! It must be quite dire for you to see me miss Number Nine.¡± The mans voice sent a shudder down Arabelles spine. Even still, she stumbled into the dimly lit room and quickly collapsed onto a nearby bed.


    ¡°Hurry, I have lost much blood and can hardly breathe.¡± She wheezed desperately It didn¡¯t help that she had to continue to wear her mask. Her amber eyes were dimming, and she felt faint. She finally allowed herself to release the puppet strings she had been using to carry herself so far. Her body had stopped wanting to respond when that bastard sent a concentrated blast of electricity through her body. To be honest, she was lucky to be alive.


    As she collapsed onto the bed, her breathing labored and pained, the doctor approached. He was one of the few, alongside the leader, who were allowed to reveal their face within their group. Only non combatants were allowed to share their identities, on the caveat that they never left the hideout. Heirick didn¡¯t seem to mind as he raised a toothy smile, his nose scrunched up and eyes lit.


    ¡°Curious. You have indeed lost a lot of blood but you were luckily able to use those strings of yours to suture before you lost too much. Good. ¡° He muttered just loud enough for her to hear. She braced herself for what was to happen next, not looking forward to the next part. He opened an enchanted flask at his hip and a stream of viscous blood streamed out. He then used a long, powerfully sharp nail to poke a hole in her chest next to the wound that he promptly sent the blood through.


    What Arabelle had been expecting though, the tremendous pain that often accompanied his diagnosis, didn¡¯t come to pass. She barely felt anything at all as his blood explored her damaged body despite being fully conscious. She was reluctant to sleep at least until she was partially healed or was told she had to sleep. Instead of being painful the blood flowing into her chest was simply cold, like a wet snake writhing around inside of her. Definitely not a pleasant experience but better than the alternative.


    ¡°Oh my. What happened to you deary? Its like... your lung and one of your kidneys were absolutely destroyed. They are beyond my capabilities to repair I¡¯m afraid. I can heal you to a certain extent, but the two organs I cannot.¡±


    His words took a few moments for her to process. The kid had destroyed not one, but two organs? If his sword had pierced her even a couple of inches up... She shook her head weakly. ¡°I see... thank you Doc...¡± Her voice was weak. She was weak. She couldn¡¯t believe she had nearly died to a boy decades her junior at least, one without even a shred of facial hair.


    ¡°I will do what I can but I see that you need rest. Sleep now, Number Nine. I shall inform the leader of your condition and he will likely wish to see you when you wake, you will need your energy then.¡±


    Arabelle didn¡¯t protest. Her eyes were already so heavy so she let them drop. Quickly sleep - and nightmares - found her.

 B2 - Ch1 - Aftermath

    Darkness, dreams, fear and aches were pervasive. It was all I knew for a long time, not nearly as long as when I was being reborn, so at least I knew, consciously, it wasn''t overlong. The dreams were of my time so far in Ravos, of the forest I grew up near. Brioche, Luka, Sky. Maya, Ento and Ralphy. Leaving for an adventure. Finding a brief trist of romance with a young barmaid. I felt warm at the memory.


    The battle with the bandits, where I first killed a man. After hearing Kristens story I no longer felt bad about their deaths, but I would remember them. Ten, that was how many people I had killed thus far. Eleven if that woman bled out. Gods, as horrible as it sounded I hoped she would bleed to death.


    The next dream was fighting the wyrm, feeling largely useless until a moment rose up in which I could help. The lightning bolt that rained down on it and spread through its scales over the water I had sprayed over it. Intercepting Liana before the acid breath could wash over her, before it could disfigure her. The rush of energy as Adrien and Elric were able to kill it.


    The last big dream was the night when Adrien confessed. And where I confessed back. I still wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right choice, but there was a voice in my head that wanted to trust them. That wanted confidants. A portion of my subconscious that needed that feeling of trust in others. And a logical part telling me that they¡¯d eventually find out when I arrived at the capitol. Still, I worried in my dreams about them betraying me in some capacity. They knew about my seed, provided by that insane god. They knew about my reincarnation, again provided by an unknown insane god. They knew of my powers, skills, my class that the system itself deemed as very dangerous.


    Behind the dreams, positive though they were, fear and anxiety washed over me. Fear that I had returned to the afterlife. Miamora hadn¡¯t said it was always white and neverending, perhaps a portion of it was this blackness. Perhaps these memories were my final death throes and I was allowed to remember them this time. I couldn¡¯t recall seeing anything like this before. Deep within, I anguished over the fact that I hadn¡¯t truly accomplished anything in this life either, that it had been wasted as the previous one had been.


    Before long, however, my lamentation ended as I remembered my final moments. The fight with the woman with the dagger, the puppetmaster as it were. I frowned as I remembered the fight, remembered the final moments of it when she fled and the ritual was disrupted. I remembered her severing my arm, the pain inhibited by the lightning mana coursing through me.


    I remembered the foxes fighting alongside me, helping me. The desperate, fearful attempt to stop her, to slay her before she could slaughter the weak mortals in the longhouse. The agreement of mutual destruction as she was held in place by Lukas magic and I sped forward to impale her heart, her own blade coming towards my throat. We both dodged the would be fatal blows, but not without sustaining serious injury. Injury that should be, as far as I knew, unfixable with magic without broaching prohibitive costs. I could still easily recall the feeling of her dagger shattering the bones in my arm as it tore through the muscles, severing it. I could still feel the pressure of her own ribs cracking under the point of the Promenade.


    And then, she fled. With my damn sword. And I collapsed, without an arm. Unconsciously, I raised my left hand and went to touch my face with it. The strain was unbelievable. It felt like my arm was stuck in honey and I had just spent hours the day before working them out. My muscles pulsed and cramped up, but not before I realized there was no hand. My arm moved as intended but nothing reached my face. At least, for a moment, until something warm and furry beside me moved and a wet tongue lapped at my cheek. Another warm spot on my chest wriggled about, and a second tongue found my chin.


    My foxes were okay... I was alive. I survived.


    ¡°Papa,¡± the sound came from inside my own head, from the connection with Luka. It was cacophonous, reminding me of the worst hangover I¡¯d ever had. The one the morning following my twenty first birthday, when Aaron had made it a point to feed me a half dozen long island ice teas while Zach pushed shots of peppermint schnapps into my hands. By some miracle, likely due to me vomiting a dozen times after, I remembered the night fairly clearly. Or perhaps it was simply due to [Distant Recollections].


    Before I responded to Luka, I felt a connection full of trepidation come from Sky. ¡°Big Brother, Awake? Awake?¡± She asked nervously. Her tongue traveled over my chin in concern and excitement and nerves.


    Between the both of them I could feel a number of emotions. Fear, anxiety, worry. But more than those I felt some that nearly broke my heart. Regret, guilt, anger and even self loathing from both of them followed by a determination. A determination to ensure they can save me the next time, that they would fight beside me. That the enemy would not harm me so.


    I slowly blinked open my eyes, instantly filling me with regret as the light flooding in from the open shudder causes me to wince. I instinctively raise my right arm, almost lazily, causing pain and aches to terrorize my already aching body. With my eyes covered and eyes squinted I look at the two foxes, a soft smile brushing across my lips. ¡°I¡¯m awake... Where are we?¡±


    My voice was strained and hoarse, and my throat was dry and itchy. As my voice rasped out I fell into a coughing fit, each cough hurting more than the last. Quickly tears dribble out from the edges of my eyes and one rolls down my cheek.


    ¡°Papa! You''re awake! Papa is awake!¡± Luka¡¯s high pitched childlike voice wormed its way into my head once more as he excitedly lapped at my face, unable to control the waves of joy and relief that rolled off of him.


    ¡°Big Brother! You''re alive!¡± Sky, at the same time, exclaimed with a furious giggle. She frantically sniffed at my face even as she licked it, confirming the state of my aliveness.


    I chuckled softly as I attempted to push myself into a seated position. I moved to lift off with both hands but stumbled slightly as the left arm fell short. Just as I moved to try again I heard the door open with a soft squeak, and see some crimson eyes and a pale face peer through the crack. The eyes widened excitedly, and Amelia pushed the door the rest of the way open and steps in.


    ¡°He really is awake everyone!¡± Her voice was a sweet explosion to my ears, causing me to wince as I failed to push myself up a second time and gave up, resigning to lie there. The other three quickly staggered into the small room, with Liana taking the seat next to the bed, the only chair in the room. Amelia sat at the foot of the bed as Adrien and Elric stood to the side.


    For the first time I took a brief moment to take in the small room. It reminded me of a nicer room at an inn, with a nightstand beside the bed and some flowers sitting atop it. My bag was near the door, sealed and closed. I tried once more to lift myself up and Adrien reached out to help me sit up. Flashing him a grateful smile I reached over to grab the water but before I could Liana lifted it up and brought it to my mouth, slowly raising it. I took several long, deep gulps. The feeling of the ice cold water hitting my empty stomach made me realize just how hungry I was.


    ¡°Hey Lios, how are you feeling?¡± Amelia asked once Liana set the half full glass back down, her voice soft and shaky. She gave me a half smile as I turned towards her. I attempted to shrug halfheartedly only to wince slightly.


    ¡°I feel like I was hit by a train...¡± I grumbled. Confusion flashed across everyone''s faces and I let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Sorry, a fast moving carriage. I hurt a lot. But I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lios... I didn¡¯t make it in time to fix your arm. I was able to disperse the poison in your arm but by that point the necrotic effect had made it impossible to reattach your hand...¡± Amelia couldn¡¯t seem to stop glancing at my left hand.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I caught Adrien glancing down at my stump worryingly. ¡°Listen Lios, I¡¯m sorry too, I- ¡°


    ¡°What have you to apologize for, Adrien? I¡¯m alive. What happened to the people in town after I passed out?¡± I interrupted then diverted the conversation. I didn¡¯t want to hear about how much they regretted letting me enter this conflict, or that they thought it would''ve been better had I stayed behind. Whats done was done, nothing to do with it now. Besides, who was to say what would have happened to the innocents if I hadn¡¯t intervened.


    It looked like Adrien was going to try to apologize again but thankfully Elric stepped up. ¡°We drove off the cultists, although we have yet to determine the reason for their being there. Overall, around five thousand four hundred people survived. A bit more than seven thousand died, and a few hundred escaped to seek refuge in Ironfell.¡± He said stoically before his lips spread into a shit eating grin. ¡°By the way, a few of the gals in the longhouse watched your fight through the windows and even opened the door. They''re calling you a hero now, guess you got a fan club.¡±


    Liana smacked him lightly, admonishing him. ¡°Elric, thats not important right now - ¡°


    ¡°I wish it were under better circumstances that I could earn that title, but I¡¯m glad so many made it out.¡± I sighed with relief. It broke my heart that so many perished, of course, but in the face of tragedy, I chose to try to look towards the sunrise rather than the sunset. ¡°How long... how long was I unconscious. Did I miss the festival?¡±


    Amelia burst out laughing. I glanced at her confused but Liana, a smirk on her face, answered instead. ¡°Lios its only been two days. You have plenty of time to prepare for the tournament, should you still wish to compete.¡±


    ¡°Actually, before we talk about all dat, we need to tell you our plan. We four are joining the investigatory squad in trying to find these damn villains, we were set to leave tomorrow regardless if you woke up or not, but since you''re awake we will leave shortly. You are going to rest, recover, and learn how to fight with one arm.¡± Adrien intoned in a commandeering voice, leaving no room for disagreement. ¡°Unfortunately... I don¡¯t believe you can survive where we must go just yet, besides you need to prepare for the festival I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Before I had any chance to reply, a burly dwarf with a scraggly unkept brown beard stepped into the room. Contrasting his magnificent beard, his head shone with reflected light. His chainmaille armor jangled and the hammer at his hip clanged against it. He was only about two thirds of Adriens height, making him significantly shorter than Elric, but he looked a mighty warrior.


    ¡°Pardon the interruption, but I heard the boy has woken up?¡± his voice was deep and powerful. It commanded us to listen to it. The adventurers with me all nodded and glanced toward me as he turned in my direction as well. I could faintly smell the remnants of smoke coming from him, not campfire but more akin to tobacco. I noticed a pipe resting at his side, held to his body by the belt that held his hammer.


    ¡°I have, and who might you be?¡± I tilted my head in curiosity. ¡°Also, sorry, what do I gotta do to get a little grub. I feel like I could eat a whole delogia.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I can do that for ye.¡± The dwarf turned and called out of the room in a bellowing voice, ¡°Oy, ye laggards, bring a pint of mead and some grub up fer the boyo!¡±


    His voice rang in my ears, my skull pounded as the pressure built up within it. I closed my eyes for a moment until the pain of the sudden loud noise faded away and when I opened them again I saw the others staring at me. ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a headache. If we could not yell that¡¯d be wondrous.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes flashed towards the dwarf in derision, but he let out a soft chuckle in response. ¡°Aye, sorry about that lad. M¡¯name¡¯s Perry, I¡¯m the guildmaster for this ¡®ere ¡®venturer hall. While we wait fer food I need ta ask you a few questions. Some privacy, please?¡±


    The others moved to stand up and leave, a flash of concern in their eyes as they shared a glance with me. I nodded after a moments hesitation. I waited as they each sauntered out of the small room and Perry came to sit in the chair beside me. He withdrew a small spherical crystal and a stone tablet from a pouch on the opposite hip as his hammer and set them down on the nightstand. After that he pulled out a thick looking pouch that jangled when he moved it, sounding of coin.


    ¡°Right, so, first matter of business. Tell me your part in the play at Linden.¡± He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he stared at me intently.


    I gulped slightly, then reached and took another drink of water with a shaky hand. He made no move to help me lift the glass to my lips and I was grateful for it, I didn¡¯t need a stranger to pity me. ¡°My part? I communicated with my companions to find a clear route to the longhouse. There were two groups of guards, two at the front and two at the rear entrances. It seemed the cultists were taking the hostages somewhere and it was clearly not for anything positive, so I killed the four guards before they could react to me. After that, three more appeared, one who seemed slightly stronger, but I easily dispatched them as well.


    ¡°That was when an eighth enemy appeared. Like the others she wore a mask, and seemed to be a puppetmaster of some kind. I believe she had some sort of beguiling spell or ability as well as one that let her create puppet strings out of mana. She used the strings to try to use the corpses to fight me, but I was able to cut them and then burn the bodies so she could no longer control them. After that she and I entered a melee. When Liana succeeded in disrupting the ritual, she was distracted so I took a moment to try to end her life but she managed to dodge and counter me in that same moment.¡±


    I lifted up my left arm, showing the stump of flesh that was currently wrapped in gauze a few inches below my elbow. Of course, I wasn''t positive that it was Liana that cleared the ritual, but I knew she was the only one in our group beside me with any knowledge of runes and wizardry, so it was a fair guess. As I told the story succinctly, without leaving out any major details, I watched Perry carefully. He may have been the guild leader for this branch, but I was unsure how far the puppetmasters reach may have extended. Based on the fragments of the ritual that I had seen, the cult had to have been in Linden for quite some time. Who was to say some higher ups were not involved in that massacre.


    ¡°I see. If ye could provide any further details on her that would be wondrous. We already suspect someone specific, as her class seems to be fairly rare, but more details never hurt.¡± The guild leaders beard and mustache rustle slightly as his expression changes from something dour to something more pleasant. ¡°Now, let us get into the next thing. Your status as an adventurer. Your friends have already filled me in on your intent to become one and to compete in the upcoming tournament. I assume that losing a silly little hand has not shaken that resolve?¡±


    I was a bit shocked at his forwardness, and after a few moments to recover I found he was staring at me waiting for an answer. I simply nodded at him, a bit frustrated that he was trivializing the loss of my arm. Before he could say anything more the door creaked open and a woman wearing an outfit one might find at a renaissance faire tavern stepped in with a cloche and a tankard of mead. She quickly dropped them both off on the nightstand, bowed, then stepped out and closed the door behind her. I turned my attention to the cloche and frowned, knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to carry it to my lap alone. Rather than ask Perry for his help, I mentally asked Sky if she could move it to my lap on a bed of air or wind. She quickly did so, and I could tell through our connection that she was all too eager to help me in my recovery. To feel useful.


    ¡°Go on, take a few bites, my next few questions can wait till you have something in your gut.¡± Perries gruff voice broke me from my thoughts as I lifted the lid of the cloche, and the smell of a hearty stew like my mother frequently made wafted through the room.


    I wasted no time grabbing the bread and dipping it into the stew, taking a deep breath of the scalding food. I ate in silence for several minutes, each bite giving me a small amount more of strength that had left me over the past few days I was comatose. Before long the food was gone, and I was taking a long satisfying sip of the cold mug of mead. The metal tankard was heavy but just light enough for my strained muscles to lift to my lips. The dwarf watched all of this with amusement, patiently waiting until I finished the drink.


    ¡°Right then, I must harry this along. In order to register you I need your name, to take your stats on this crystal, and any information about your classes that you wish to divulge. You don¡¯t need to divulge much, the only necessary bits are what type they are. We don''t need details, but details and guides to achieve your class are always wanted if they are unknown, we will pay for things like that.¡±


    ¡°My name is Alexilios. My classes are a swordsman and a blacksmith class, with nothing particularly unique about either.¡± At that, Perry lifted an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t push the matter in any way, but he definitely didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°I don¡¯t know if its relevant but I¡¯m only level seventy nine in my main class and twenty one in the other. Well, I suppose the first may have changed during the battles in Linden but I have yet to check.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Oh, you likely have a deluge of notifications! I apologize, please check those now and we can proceed from there.¡± His eyes had widened when I mentioned my levels, likely because he knew I wasn¡¯t lying and as he said before, they suspected at least one of the members who caused this incident. If they had a bead on her, they likely would know she was higher level than me by a long shot.


    Regardless, he was right. I was also impatient to see what sort of notifications I had gotten. I took a deep breath in preparation and mentally prompted my notifications to come forth. A dozen, or more, blue screens appeared before me and I let out a faint gasp at them.

 B2 - Ch2 - Level Up

    The first seven notifications were a bunch of kill notifications. Each one took me from elation to somber rather quickly. Of course, these enemies had needed to go down but after learning one of the enemies was a puppetmaster, I wondered how many of them had been coerced into fighting or how many were there of their own volition. I knew it didn¡¯t matter, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it as I gazed on the alerts.


    You have slain Human Warrior LVL 112


    You have slain Human Archer LVL 120


    You have slain Human Mage LVL 108


    You have slain Human Rogue LVL 111


    You have slain Human Paladin LVL 124


    You have slain human warrior LVL 120


    You have slain Human Warrior LVL 117


    I gulped as I read them, and glanced up at Perry, who was watching me intently. I shook my head slightly, ignoring the look of curiosity on his face for a moment. The next series of notifications were my class level ups and they made my eyes widen with surprise. I knew my foes were all higher level than me but it didn¡¯t register that with each of them being nearly or above thirty levels my senior, that would grant me a great amount of experience.


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    Congratulations you have...


    ...


    Congratulations you have leveled up!


    And level up I did. A lot. Next were skill levels. Of course, my secondary class had received no such love but I wasn¡¯t too worried about it. Now that I¡¯d be in Ironfell for the next few months I should have plenty of time to grow my smithing skills. Rather than look simply at my skill level ups individually, I pulled up my character sheet in its entirety.


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 79-->101


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:79-->101


    [Runedancing] LVL:79-->101


    [Dodging] LVL:74-->101


    [Intuition] LVL:77-->101


    [Mana Sense] LVL:65-->89


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:79-->85


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:63-->94


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:4


    [Runesight] LVL:49-->81


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:16-->38


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 21


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:21


    [Runeweaving] LVL:21


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:21


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:21


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:19


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:21


    X4 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:61-->90


    [Meditation] LVL:55


    [Twin Pact] LVL:71-->101


    [Distant Recollections] LVL:31


    [Cooking] LVL:24


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:45-->89


    [Training] LVL:92


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge] LVL:63-->101


    [Syncopate] LVL:71


    X1 Unavailable


    I stared at the status screen for several moments before remembering someone was waiting on me. I took one last long look, a small smile on my lips, before turning my attention to the next few notifications.


    [As a Mouse to an Elephant]


    You, who have stood their ground and eliminated foes of a far greater level than you, are to an elephant as a mouse. Somehow, you successfully slew six enemies who were thirty levels your senior, and shall now strike wariness on those who would otherwise think lesser of you. Strike fear in the hearts of the strong, but beware; a cornered animal is the most savage foe.


    Grants an aura of strength that cannot be removed, presents the user as a higher level than they are. When facing higher level foes, strikes have a chance to deal additional damage cumulative to the difference in levels.


    I expected some sort of an achievement but I didn¡¯t know what to actually anticipate. Esoteric as some of the description was, it was clear that this aura I was given would effect how higher leveled enemies saw me, as well as my ability to deal damage to them. Now, it would still be unlikely to help with someone a hundred levels my senior but based on how I acquired it I would see bonuses up to level thirty. Probably some bonuses up to level fifty.


    A second blinking screen hid behind this one, telling me of another achievement that I had somehow earned. I opened it warily, and excitedly. Part of me expected something akin to the [Merciless Executioner] achievement I had gained many moons ago, but it wasn¡¯t quite so ominous.


    [Giant Slayer]


    Although you slew no literal giants, you did kill a few metaphorical ones. By killing an enemy twenty five levels higher than you you gain this achievement. Perhaps killing something with a greater difference will give more bonuses, or maybe I¡¯m simply trying to get you killed. It probably doesn¡¯t matter, you silly mortals love to test your own mortality. Anywho, good job or whatever for killing people stronger than you somehow.


    +3 strength per level (not retroactive)


    This one was more in line with my expectations. I looked at it briefly, considering the snark and the fact that the system seemed to be talking about itself and trying to converse a little bit. I wonder if the system is lonely. It can talk to us but does anyone talk to it? I asked myself before shaking my head and looking at the last notification. My mouth hung open as I read through it, causing my dwarven observers¡¯ eyes to gleam with interest.


    Congratulations you have earned your first title!


    [Hero of Linden]The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Your actions were observed by those who you saved. After the heavy and dire conflict between you and your powerful enemy, rumors of you began to spread among the remaining citizens of Linden. Stories of a dancing swordsman who slung magic as easily as he breathed. Stories of his fox companions who ran interference and distracted the more powerful mage.


    Those who bore witness of the battle relayed every moment as best they could, and when some few found your name they began to praise you for arriving on time to prevent more of their ilk from being led to slaughter as cattle for a ritual. Even those uninvolved with Linden have begun to hear of the dancing swordsman, and whispers have begun to be carried into the taverns and inns nearby.


    Beware, for legends are fleeting, but you shall forevermore be known as a Hero of Linden, a savior of thousands. The dancing swordsman who folk whisper about and thank for their very survival. Carry the burden of their expectations, and exceed them. Falter not, young hero, for your legend has just begun


    +2 to all stats per level up. Unlocked luck stat.


    I stared silently after reading the notification until Perry cleared his throat. ¡°Hate ta interrupt but I am a busy man. Are yer notifications all cleared up?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yessir. Sorry. It was a lot to process. I¡¯m now level one hundred one.¡± I mindlessly started petting Sky who was in my lap, Luka had made his way to my left side and was curled up near my lost hand.


    ¡°Tis quite alright. Okay, next I needya to place your hand on this crystal, and push a touch of mana into it. It will read your stats and copy em to this tablet here. After that I¡¯ll be able to make you a guild card, you can use it to enter any adventurer¡¯s guild run by any faction within Jorial, and it will help get you admittance to other nations halls as well.¡±


    Wordlessly, I placed my hand over the crystal and sent in a twinge of mana. That reminded me that I needed to delve into my soulspace and see about using elemental mana once more, using the lightning mana had only reiterated that before I had been doing something wrong. As I thought about it it made sense, I had been ordering the mana to obey me not work with me. Even if it didn¡¯t have thoughts, the mana within me wished to be free just as much as I did. I¡¯d have to figure out a way to use it that worked for both myself and the mana itself.


    The dwarf tapped on his tablet and his eyes lit up as the numbers came through. He eyed it for several seconds before looking up at me. ¡°Kid, do ya know the differences between classes of different rank?¡±


    That brought me out of my thoughts quickly. ¡°Erm, to an extent The rarity of a class can determine how much it helps an individual grow, but it can also be detrimental as one needs a body capable of withstanding the power of their class from the get go. Right? I know that the higher the rarity of the class the more powerful its thought to be, and the more it impacts the users body and mind.¡±


    ¡°Thats to put it simply. In our mindscapes when we select classes, there isn''t a great way to tell the rarity, although it is possible to do so if one is practiced enough. Anyway, that part is irrelevant. Somehow, it seems like you found yourself with a rare and an epic class. Doing the math in my head, that seems the most logical explanation.¡± He stroked his beard for a few moments while looking over the values on his tablet. After a few seconds of silence he flipped the stone tablet over so I could see what he¡¯s talking about.


    STR 607


    Con 586


    DEX 1070


    Wis 481


    INT 722


    CHA 355


    Luck 230


    ¡°I take it that most people at my level have lower stats overall?¡± I tilted my head as I read through the numbers. ¡°Whats the stat distribution like per level based on rarity of the class?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, a common class would give a simple five points per. Uncommon is ten, rare is twenty five, and epic is fifty.¡± The mans eyes flashed with some level of excitement as he starts talking numbers and classes. ¡°Of course, the next couple levels are, in themselves, a realm of their own, with legendary classes granting an even hundred stat points per level, and the mythical classes giving two hundred. I¡¯d say its pretty safe to say your first class was rare and your second class is epic, unless you have a shitton of titles. Even then, it is clear you have a few of those cuz the numbers don''t quite add up.¡±


    I nodded along as he grew in intensity. I stared at the numbers, the representation of the battles I had fought, of my strength and of my weaknesses. I wondered about where I stood compared to the average person. I supposed I was quite a bit more powerful than most at my level, given that the number of people who started with a rare class must be fairly low.


    ¡°Say, Perry, how do you think I stack up compared to others my level? And how many people start with a rare or better class?¡± I lifted the tankard of mead to my lips once again. Before, I hadn¡¯t really processed the flavor but now that I took the time to do so I found it was incredibly sweet. It was honeyed mead with a hint of what tasted like raspberry when it reached the back of my throat. Overall, a very subtle and delightful flavor. I hadn¡¯t processed it before, but the stew had been well seasoned as well.


    ¡°Well, Alexilios, you are within the top percentage of adventurers at your level thats for sure. Its not often I meet someone who has a rare class from the get go. Don¡¯t let that get you yer head though. It¡¯ll take you longer to level up than your peers, and your skills will be harder to upgrade. Basically, rare classes make everything more difficult but with a higher reward rate than common classes.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I nodded along. This tracked with what some of the books I read when I was younger said as well. ¡°Okay, so whats next. I assume theres more otherwise you wouldn''t be waiting for me to figure things out.¡±


    ¡°Good! A sharp young lad! Yes there is more. Next comes the payment you are owed for your work in Linden. The townsfolk pooled together some coin to gift you a reward after witnessing you fighting for them. Yer friends have already taken their cut.¡± The dwarf lifted up the pouch that had clanged with coins earlier and gave it a wiggle. ¡°The guild has taken an amount out already at yer friends insistence. You have a room here, this room in fact, paid for till the end of the Crucible. Also, they insisted you would want to rent forge space until then as well, and the guild refused to charge you for dungeon time so you have access to that as well. With the room you have two meals a day along with a mug of ale or mead per day.¡±


    My eyes widened as he casually mentioned that even after renting a room and forge space for half a year I still had coin left over. He handed over the pouch which I reluctantly took, curious how much was left. I was sure the dwarf would soon tell me.


    ¡°After all yer expenses ye have fifty two gold left and some silver.¡± He chuckled as my eyes bulged at the number. That was more than my father earned in... well, a long long time. I nearly dropped the bag of coins at the realization. My father made just under two gold a year. Two gold a year allowed us to live comfortably in Arborton. The amount I was holding now was the equivalent of... my mind blanked as I thought of the number. Of course, the exchange rate was not exact but, based on mental math, a gold piece was close to twelve thousand USD...


    ¡°This... this is for me? This is too much. Wait... This is after expenses for what six months?¡± I stared at the dwarf my eyes wide and mouth hanging open.


    ¡°Aye lad, tis all for you for your part in the conflict. Now, moving on from that, what do you know about the ranks at the adventurers guild?¡± His fingers tapped at his knees as he leaned back in the chair.


    ¡°Wait... why is the guild leader the one onboarding me, isn¡¯t this... below your station?¡± I narrowed my eyes at the realization, trying to deviate my mind from the gold as I set it back on the nightstand.


    ¡°Well, tis because a daughter of mine was in that longhouse. Her and her kiddos. They''re alive because of what you and your group did, but from what I heard from her... well you went above and beyond. I couldn¡¯t exactly let one of the staffers take care of THE Hero of Linden, now could I?¡± His eyes glittered as I blushed at the title. I gulped slightly and nodded in affirmation. ¡°Now, what do ye know?¡±


    ¡°Next to nothing to be honest. Just that the guild is a way to prevent adventurers from getting scammed by clients and that the guild offers protections against overzealous nobles among other things.¡±


    ¡°Right, well, there are also seven ranks based on ones levels. Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mythril and Astrum. You would be classified as bronze. Thats anyone before their first class evolution. Each rank has five tiers, based on ones capabilities. From levels 1-25, you''d be tier one. Levels 25 to fifty, tier two. Fifty to seventy five is three, seventy five to one hundred is tier four, and when you are capped, you will be at bronze tier five. Once you exceed level one twenty five you''ll be given the rank of iron. In Ironfell, most adventurers fall under this parasol. A person can take a quest of up to two tiers above their own, or if they are able to pass a test through the guild they can take certain quests at higher tiers to themselves.


    ¡°As a bronze rank you will have access to all bronze rank dungeons controlled by the guild, of course there are private dungeons that you''ll have to meet the owners expectations for. The guild also provides some discounts to individuals based on rank. For example, if you were to buy a sword from the guild blacksmiths you could expect to pay five percent less than an unaffiliated smith. Most merchants in town have discounts for adventurers, so keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you. Is there anything else you have for me at this time? I¡¯d hate to keep you away from your duties Perry.¡± This was a lot of information to take in, and I was struggling to get past the idea that I was, by Arbortons standards, rich. Like, rich rich. More money was beside me than I had seen in both of my lives combined.


    ¡°Aye, twas all I had for ye. At least fer now.¡± He stood and gave me a hesitant smile. ¡°Thank ye again, you played a big part in my families survival, from what me daughter says. If yer feeling up for it, the city of Linden is having a memorial service in a few days. Youre welcome to join me in my carriage, and I know the townsfolk would be glad ta put a face ta tha name. Ye should be able to be up and movin on the morrow, if ye decide ye wish ta join me I plan ta leave the following mornin¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I think I¡¯ll likely go.¡± I gave him a wan smile, one that didn''t reach anywhere near my eyes, as he took his leave. Amelia and the others filtered in immediately after, making me suspect that they had stood just outside of the door.


    Before they could say anything I asked, ¡°Could I borrow some paper and ink from one of yas? I think I should probably write to my parents and let them know I made it here safely.¡±


    Adrien''s eyes flickered guiltily toward my missing hand before he slowly nodded. ¡°Aye, I¡¯ve got some paper for you. By the way, we all are leaving to see if we can find those bastards. Probably wont be back for a few weeks at least. You can trust Perry, if you need anything he¡¯s the one you should ask.¡±


    ¡°I see. Be safe please. Next time you see me I¡¯ll be twice as strong.¡± I boasted halfheartedly. I moved to get up so I could hug them, but my legs were yet too weak, too sore.


    ¡°Easy now, you got another day or two before Amelia''s magic finishes fixing you. You did a serious number to your body with your magic, Lios.¡± Liana chastised before leaning in to hug me. ¡°We will be safe, worry not.¡±


    Elric and Adrien simply shook my hand, but Amelia hugged me as well. After they left, I set to writing a letter to my parents. Of course, in an effort to not have them worry, I left out some minor details. In the end I let them know I¡¯d be in Ironfell for the foreseeable future in preparation for the tournaments.

 B2 - Ch3 - the World Within

    After penning a letter, I pondered what to do next. My body was still on fire and my legs too weak to stand on for the time being. When I focused my attention inward, I could faintly feel the remnants of Amelia¡¯s blood magic as it painstakingly worked to reattach muscle fibers that had torn when my body exceeded its natural limits. The fight with the masked cultist had taken much from me, and it seemed my use of multiple haste spells hadn¡¯t helped me either.


    Since I could only sit and wait, I decided to delve into my soul space. I let the foxes know and they simply curled up on my lap with their eyes on the doorway, ready to protect me as needed. I smiled at the thought, my careful defenders overwatching me.


    With a deep, heavy breath, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink back into the forest within me. As always, I appeared on the steps of an outdoor chapel. It was a bit different than the last time, some vines and bushes had grown, giving it an overgrown look and not strictly the appearance it had had in my memories. That was okay, it was still the same place.


    I started by slowly walking toward the campground nearby, and taking in the nature of the place. Part of me was wary to attempt to appease the maelstrom that rested within my core. I was unsure if, now that my hour of desperation had gone its way, the mana would again refuse to cooperate. Either way, I had to try. I had to develop my skills so that such an event as Lindens massacre could be avoided or stopped in the future. So that folk like Perry wouldn¡¯t have to say goodbye to their family due to the whim of monsters.


    For that¡¯s what they were. Monsters shrouded by human flesh. Beasts without a care for others. Those who fed on selfishness and desire, with no regard for others. I steeled myself, my heart hardening as I considered what I¡¯d be up against. The others were seeking these enemies but I didn¡¯t have much faith that they''d find them. If they did, and were able to stop them, all the better. But if not, well, I¡¯d have to get strong enough to stop them myself.


    I was lucky, my loved ones hadn¡¯t been harmed. I had lost an arm and a sword, but there were worse fates. I had fought someone who should have been, by all rights, much more powerful than me. It was simply a matter of luck that I had not been accosted by a pure warrior or combat mage, but instead what seemed to be a high level support mage. She was skilled with her dagger, of course, but she lacked the physical stats to back it up.


    As I thought, I wended my way through the national park. The trees shifted in the breeze, and the oaks whispered to each other. The sound of chittering squirrels and chirping birds made me smile before I remembered there were none. This place within my soul was lifeless yet. I was the only being within it, regardless of what I wished for. But did it have to be that way?


    As I had that thought, I turned and strode confidently to the washtub, to the kings rock that meant so much to me, to my family. I climbed to its peak and sat down, legs dangling beneath me as I gazed up at the whirling raging storm of my core. With an iota of timidness, I reached a hand up, my right hand for even in my soul my left arm was gone, the sleeve of my purple silk shirt tied over it. I mentally called for the Lightning mana, requesting it to form in my palm as I turned my hand and pulled it back toward me.


    ¡°I want to thank you for heeding my call when I needed you. Please allow me to do so.¡± Despite the mana having no coherent thoughts, I could tell it felt something. The mana began to curl up into my palm, crackling and sizzling within. Only a small amount came to me, the rest waiting by my core. It didn¡¯t hurt, it felt warm, and powerful. ¡°I see now that I have probably been going about this the wrong way. I''ve been trying to force you to do as I wished. But thats not what you want, is it?¡±


    It felt a little silly to be talking outloud, to myself. What felt sillier still was that I received feedback from the mana, my mana. It appeared to be nodding as the orb of lightning mana, a small amount of the lightning mana that dwelled within me, pulsated. It seemed to be agreeing with me which I took as a sign to continue as I was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m doing with magic yet. Or really how to use you all properly, but I want to work with you, not force you to work for me.¡± I looked up at the orb of mana with its various storms surrounding it. ¡°I feel like you just want to be free, and what I was doing before was trying to shackle you. So I had a thought, just a few moments ago. Why shouldn¡¯t you be free?¡±


    My hand tingled as the lightning mana in my palm seemed to quiver agreeably. It danced along my arm a bit, still in the shape of a amorphous orb that kept crackling, tendrils of electricity flying off towards me or the air around it.


    ¡°My thought is that, well, theres so much forest here. Mountains and rivers too. So, why don¡¯t you all play in it? Why don¡¯t you make it home? But I don''t know how to let you do that. My next thought was if you could take the form of some animals?¡± As soon as the words left my mouth I felt as though all of the mana, even the fire mana, was listening intently. They watched me, not with the intelligence of man but with instinctual and primal curiosity.


    I closed my eyes and tried to press on the lightning in my palm. I tried to compress it, not forcibly but with great care. I compressed it into a shape I felt befitted lightning, the shape of an insect that I had seen a¡¯ plenty in this forest. I felt it resist at first, hesitant to let me shape it, but,after a moment of feeling my intention, it relented. When I opened my eyes the orb of mana was replaced with an orb and a small monarch butterfly. Yellow and blue lightning made up its wings and it flapped them trepidatiously a few times while still clinging to my palm. Then it took off, sporadically flying into the air.


    I grinned at the display, watching the small flying insect flutter its wings in my forest, in my soul, affirmed my theory was correct. Plus, it was pretty. Darker blue lightning made up the vein membranes in the wings, while a lighter blue shimmered at the edges of the wings and bright lightning bolt yellow permeated the majority of it. But butterflies weren¡¯t all I imagined inhabiting the forest. No, now that I knew my idea would work the ideas flowing through my brain sped up. I tried to think of all creatures native to the mountain range, and what element would be best for them.


    It was shockingly (pardon the pun) easy to transform the mana. I had expected the shaping process to take time and effort, but it really only took the whirring of my skill [Syncopate]. To condense and bring together. To shift the wavelengths to increase or decrease power. The butterflies were a decrease of the rhythm of my mana, a shortening and weakening but that was okay, there was higher strength in freedom. There was strength in shifting the rhythm of static mana, unchanging and mindless, into a symphony of nature. So that¡¯s what I intended to do, as the skill clicked within me and I came to better understand it.


    I quickly turned the rest of the mana in my palm into three more butterflies, which fluttered all around me. Now that I knew what to do, and with the mana itself helping me to shape it, [Syncopate] felt effortless. I knew I¡¯d have to return and continue to press my mana together, but for now it felt seamless. I gestured to the remaining lightning mana near my pool and smiled eagerly. I broke off a large chunk, about a third of what remained, and closed my eyes again as the magic before me trembled with excitement. It took a little while, mostly due to having to revisit my memory of the animal to make sure I got it right, but soon a perfectly molded mountain lion stood before me.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The puma shimmered with golden electricity, a ferocious beast made for hunting and power. Its claws, fangs and eyes glimmered blue, and when it let out its first roar the air became static. The roar itself resounded across the trees like thunder, causing the four butterflies to flutter in fear, moving autonomously. The trees vibrated with intensity before the world settled down again. Even my heartrate had spiked with a primal fear despite this being within my own controlled space.


    ¡°Excellent! Do you like your form?¡± The puma again roared, nearly deafening my ears. I smiled wide, and reached out to scratch it behind the ears. It chuffed at me as it let me do so, and my hand tingled from the lightning in its fur.


    With another third of the lightning in my core I formed a female presenting elemental puma. She too roared before approaching and nuzzling the first. They, together, wandered towards an outcropping of rock that sat within the sun and laid down on it, relaxing beneath the summer sky. My soul space didn¡¯t change seasons, I had only seen this land during summer and so it would stay that way.


    With the final bit of lightning available I called it down to me, tapping my chin as I pondered what would be next. In the end, I decided to form it into a pair of hawks. I hoped in the future this process would be more autonomous when I ¡°Condensed¡± my mana. I hoped they would ¡°breed¡± and create more of their ilk when [Syncopate] was working.


    Soon, the hawks were made. Thunder cracked with each flap of their electric wings. They were beautiful and majestic. Small though they were, I knew if they were real creatures they could hunt most animals from earth with little resistance. They were still larger than a normal hawk, as I didn¡¯t want any of the mana to go to waste. When they screeched, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and goosebumps rippled across my arms. They quickly flew off together, trying to find a place to nest. I watched as they glided into a massive oak across the river.


    I was ready to condense more mana, to form it into more animals, but before I had a chance the water mana decided to take its own form. I felt my energy get drawn into it, pulled from [Syncopate] almost by force. The water fell from the orb of mana that was my core and dropped into the washtub below, the basin of swirling water that was fed by rapids upstream and fed the river downstream, and seemed to shatter into a large school of different fish. Several different species of trout took form and splashed into the water excitedly, swimming about with an eagerness that assuaged my shock. I started to cackle exuberantly as the remaining water mana formed into water snakes that wriggled on the surface of the pool.


    The air mana was next, taking the loose ideas in my mind and becoming birds of various sizes. Small sparrows and a duo of massive eagles took flight. Cardinals and bluejays squawked and chased after them. A small fleet of dragonflies were next, shimmering different colors under the ever bright sun.


    To my surprise, earth mana followed soon after. This one took a bit more molding as I shaped the mana into a variety of small fauna followed by a single bear. I didn¡¯t have enough mana to make a second, so it was a half dozen squirrels, two pacific fishers, and one solitary black bear for the time being. The fake chittering around me stopped and was replaced by the new squirrels that clamored up the trees to pick acorns or pinecones. The bear immediately went to the edge of the river and with a roar, slapped its paw against the surface in an attempt to snag one of the fish. A rainbow trout exploded into the air before changing to pure water, slipping through the bears teeth playfully.


    The squirrels were of three variety. The first, the one I most commonly had seen, were black furred squirrels that often grew fat off of food given by tourists and hikers. Due to the earth mana forming it, they still had brown specks in their fur and hazel eyes. The second type were chickaree squirrels.They had gray backs and reddish stomachs, were a bit smaller than the black squirrels that came before them, and tended to make a lot of adorable squeaks. At least, the ones I made did. The last were golden mantled ground squirrels They looked like a large chipmunk with black stripes down their backs and brown fur near their face.


    Lastly, I stared at the fire mana before me. The most stubborn of the mana. I didn¡¯t know yet what it wanted to become, or what I wanted it to be. Fire was, to me, the most difficult to assign to the creatures that lived here. I tried at first to imagine it as the wolves that prowled the forest, or as a bear. To see it as a variety of bird or snake. I just couldn¡¯t see it as such.


    No, when I thought of fire I thought of foxes, deer, and horses. Perhaps that was the pokemon player in me. Given the size of horses and deer, I elected to only make a pair of one of them. Likely the deer. I didn¡¯t know exactly why I thought of deer when I considered what fire mana would like to be. I knew, for most, a lizard of some sort would make more sense. But there was something about a stag that called to me.


    So, I looked up at the lone type of mana flying around the orb above. I called on it, asking it to come down to me. This was the mana I had spent the most time trying to get it to conform to my whim. It was understandably reluctant to trust me. I called on it, and tried again and again. Each time I felt its resistance falter. I felt it grow less reluctant. I felt it paying attention to the other mana that was now frolicking and playing and finding a home in the massive landscape that made up my soulspace. It watched as ravens and canaries and robins flew above, chasing each other gleefully. As the squirrels fled up and down trees, following each other. As the bear slapped at the water at the fish formed of water mana.


    I felt its jealousy as it slowly relented. How it wished to run through this forest too, to be free. Free as none of them have truly been while contained within the maelstrom. I felt its desire to be allowed to run, to be allowed to do whatever it wanted. It asked me, through feeling alone, what I wanted it to be. And so, I opened my mind to it. It was me, after all, in a way. It gazed on the image of the Sierra Nevada red fox and two strands of energy broke off to become it. The foxes were gorgeous. Their fur flickered with heatless flames and their eyes shimmered as they took form. They chittered a foxes laugh and one of them, the male, bolted toward a tree as a squirrel raced up its trunk. The foxes yowled excitedly, eager to play with their new bodies.


    Still, there was more to be done. More to make. I could feel myself growing more exhausted. Even with the mana cooperating with me, I was still using [Syncopate] this entire time. It still took my energy to create these creatures even if they were a part of me. But I had enough for one last pair. A stag and a doe, with red fur instead of brown, slowly took form in front of me. They were gorgeous, and massive. Bigger than deer on earth typically would be. Flame and veins that looked of magma flickered on the stags magnificent antlers. The pair pranced away, hopping as their hooves clacked against the rocks surrounding us but undeterred. They were promptly chased by the female fox, who laughed in delight at the wind blowing on her.


    A small amount of fire mana was left. I knew what it wanted to become and so I formed them into the shape of a pair of small lizards. Tiny gray things that blended with the rocks despite their flame filled eyes. They went to sunbath on rocks near the pumas, eager to be free from the form of mana.


    It astounded me, the difference in the behaviors of the mana creatures. How vast the range of their personalities was. It made me excited to add even more to this dead forest. With life returned to the forest in my mind, I crossed my legs on the stone and simply closed my eyes to listen to the critters as I began to meditate, thankful that the headache I had outside wasn¡¯t present here. I sat that way for a long while, enjoying the sounds of my personal forest. Enjoying the now much calmer basin of water before me, above which a shimmering blue orb of pure mana, unaltered by the maelstrom, floated. I knew that my core itself wished to remain as it was and so I let it be.


    I thought about inviting my foxes to the forest but I decided to wait for some time. I wanted to see what would happen as I further condensed the mana or grew my mana pool. If new critters would form from the mana I gained. There were a great many things I wanted to see, but for the time being I let go of my meditation and skill, and blinked my eyes open to a kaleidoscope of colors filtering through the open window from the sunset. I didn¡¯t know when I had woke nor spoken to Perry, but I figured it was early considering my party left shortly after. It was unlikely they''d leave near dusk.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to show Liana and the foxes my progress.

 B2 - Ch4 - New Friends

    That night, I first attempted to stand again. On shaky legs, radiating heat and pain, I had made my way to the outhouse attached to the guild with some direction from a patron. Some adventurer who was decked out in armor with a battleax on his hip, drunk off his rocker. It made me chuckle, and brought me back to reality. After doing my business, I had hobbled over to the counter of the bar to request a meal be brought up for the foxes and I, ate then went to sleep.


    The following morning, I woke with newfound energy. My body still hurt, but now it only felt like I had overdone a workout after weeks of stagnation, not like I had been quartered by a half dozen horses for a crime I didn¡¯t commit. Not that I knew what that felt like, but one could imagine. So, when I woke in the morning to the chirping of birds and the light bustle of the city coming in from the window, I bolted up and grabbed a few of my coins.


    Perry wasn¡¯t leaving for Linden until the morrow, and I intended to join him. In the meantime, I had a couple of metals I would need to acquire to make a new sword, and a hankering for the next addition of either Frith or Lexico runes. I made my way down the stairs wearing my purple and black self repairing silk clothes, my rugged leather boots that still had blood and muck caked to them, and about twenty of the gold coins that had been given to me. I had left the rest stored beneath the mattress, not the most secure place for them but it was something.


    This time, as I went into the guild hall proper, I got to take a good look at it. The majority of the room as I walked down the stairs resembled a well maintained, if a little dingy, tavern. Wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room and a bar with a grizzled looking man stood washing a glass as a stereotypical bartender in the movies would. He was at least a foot taller than me, and I wasn¡¯t that short despite my age. I was coming up on five foot nine, and I knew he was closing in on seven foot tall.


    I approached the bar, somewhat surprised at how lively the room already was. Dozens of groups of adventurers were already sat at tables, all decked out in gear.I didn¡¯t see many beasts or companions. One person had a large dog or wolf beside them, and another had a bird sat on a leather pad on their shoulder. Some people were simply laughing and eating with their companions. Others were researching in books and taking notes, likely digging up information about the next quest they were intending to take. I saw a man in glittery blue armor saunter up to a lone woman, an elf with dark skin and leather armor, and attempt to flirt with her. I couldn¡¯t hear what she said over the din of the room, but the mans face lit up bright red, and the smile that had been on his face turned to a scowl.


    As I approached the bar I realized the only open seat was beside the elf. I walked up and pulled the stool out from under the bar, throwing her a glance. ¡°Seat saved?¡± I asked succinctly as she turned to look at me. She gave me a shake of her head and I sat down. Luka and Sky laid down near my feet. The bartender approached before an awkward silence could fill the void.


    ¡°Ain''t seen you ¡®ere before. New?¡± His voice did not match his body. I had been expecting a voice with the ferocity of the bear he resembled, but his was much lighter. Very soft, demure. It didn¡¯t feel quite timid, but it felt like it lacked power.


    ¡°Sort of, been unconscious till yesterday, this is the first day I¡¯m really walking about.¡± As I mentioned being unconscious his eyes flickered to my arm, where I had tied the silk sleeve in a knot to prevent the fabric from flying about annoyingly. Understanding and a twinge of regret flashed across his features before he steeled them again.


    ¡°Ah! I see, yer the newbie that Perry tol¡¯ me about. I¡¯ll go get ye some grub. Mead, ale, any preference?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any citrus juice? I¡¯m not much for drinkin¡¯ till my work is done.¡± I smiled at him, barely noticing as the elf beside me turned her attention toward me. It wasn¡¯t like she had turned her head but I could see she was watching from the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Comin righ¡¯ up! Anything ya need don¡¯ hesitate to ask.¡± The large man scurried off, calling an order into the kitchen before moving to get some orders to other patrons.


    I sat for a few minutes, trying to figure out a plan for the coming days. I didn¡¯t know how long the journey to Linden was, but I could use the time to work on a new enchantment for my sword. I had some ideas now that I could pull on the elemental mana, but wasn¡¯t sure if it would be possible to amplify all elemental effects or if I should focus on one.


    My musing was interrupted as a familiar face stopped next to the elf, giving her shoulder a clap as she stood, waiting to order some food. The elf woman glanced at me then turned toward the rest of the room and said, ¡°Should we find a table? I don¡¯t see an empty one but if we wait a few it looks like a small group is about to head out.¡±


    Her voice was husky and sultry. It didn¡¯t sound like she was flirting, but her voice was naturally doing the work for her for any who listened. I glanced up as she said the words and noticed the woman who had come to join her. I blushed slightly, remembering my companions teasing over the redhead bard. She was the one I had spent several nights listening to in Kinnesville. Now that I was up close I could see she had fair skin with a few freckles spattered across her face, bright green eyes and cute dimples on her cheeks. She was pretty, but I already knew that.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, would you like to sit? I can eat standing up.¡± I started to rise up but the woman shook her head, a small smile on her lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You were here first.¡± Her voice was just as beautiful as when she was singing. It was alluring, light and rich. Naturally sing songy in a way that made red rush to my cheeks when I made eye contact with her.


    ¡°Papa, why warm?¡± Luka asked as I flushed. I ignored the fox for the moment, not willing to be teased by my own companions. Plus, the others couldn¡¯t hear them.


    ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t be too long. By the way, weren¡¯t you in Kinnesville a few months back?¡± I asked, hoping I wasn¡¯t intruding on her and her friends conversation too much. I figured I¡¯d be here a while, I may as well make a few friends. It was at this time that I realized she was dressed much as she was while in Kinnesville: she was wearing a flowy green dress with a brown corset, and a white long sleeve and flowy shirt underneath. It was a cute outfit that I¡¯d expect to see at a faire, not what I¡¯d expect to see at an adventurer¡¯s guild. She carried no weapons save for a dagger tucked into her belt, and no instruments save for a small reed flute on her other hip.


    ¡°Aye, we were. How did you know?¡± She sang back, her elvish friend softening up a bit but still clearly on guard, or perhaps just not social.


    ¡°Oh! I was staying at the tavern just before you left. Heard you sing a few times.¡± I glanced over as a waitress carried over a platter of food for me. At the same time a table for four cleared out and the red haired singer nodded toward it.


    ¡°Join us?¡± She intoned before sauntering off, dragging the other girl with her. I shrugged and took the food along with my tankard of juice to the table, the foxes dutifully following. I noticed the elf¡¯s eyes light up on seeing them, realizing she hadn¡¯t noticed them before.


    ¡°Oh! I remember you now! Kristen kept talking about the foxes, so did the gal at the bathhouse. I never met them myself of course! Oh, where are my manners. I¡¯m Rose, by the way.¡± The bard¡¯s voice was bubbly and excited as we sat down. Sitting with the two attractive adventurers I felt a few people give me the stink eye, but thought nothing of it. They could stew in their jealousy.


    ¡°Ah, yes, they''re friendly if you want to pet them. My name is Lios.¡± I reached a hand out for her to shake as Luka crawled into my lap and Sky launched herself onto my back, causing me to hunch over a little so she wouldn¡¯t fall off, or dig her claws too deeply into my shoulders.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    I barely caught it but the dour looking elf let out a soft giggle as Sky jumped up on me. I didn¡¯t call any attention to it as Rose shook my hand. ¡°Eva.¡± Was all the elf woman said to me before reaching out to grab my hand for a shake.


    ¡°Nice to meet you both! The one on my lap is Luka, and this here,¡± I gestured to Sky, ¡°Is Sky.¡± I smiled at both adventurers as I idly fed them both a thick piece of ham that was part of my breakfast platter. I saw two fried eggs, both larger than a chicken egg, a bowl of fruits, far too much meat which I figured was meant for my companions, and some golden brown seasoned potatoes - home style. There was also a mug of the requested fruit juice.


    ¡°Are you a beast tamer, Lios?¡± Eva asked, reaching out to grab a sausage from my plate to lure Luka over, giving me a questioning look to ask if its okay. I nodded an affirmative at the same time as I sent a mental prod to Luka that he could go take it from her.


    I wasn¡¯t expecting it, but the fox was reluctant to go. It took a moment to realize why but once I did I nearly choked up. My expression turned a bit somber for a moment before I convinced him I was okay, and that he could protect me just as well from her lap. At the same time I noticed Sky was carefully checking out anyone who came near as she perched on my shoulder.


    ¡°Papa, you sure? I protect¡± Luka intoned in my mind as Eva shook the sausage link near the ground.


    ¡°Yeah Luka, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I said aloud when I saw the two women giving me a look, letting me know I¡¯d been staring off in space far too long. ¡°Apologies, I was, unfortunately, injured recently and this one took it upon himself to be my guardian while I recover. Well, I ¡®spose both decided that. Oh! But to your question, no I am not. I¡¯m a swordsman, in fact.¡±


    As I said all of this, Luka reluctantly crawled out of my lap and went over to Eva and allowed her to place him in her lap. Instead of laying down he sat up so he could keep his eyes above the table and greedily ate the meat from her hand. ¡°A swordsman? I don¡¯t see a sword though.¡± She said, smiling gently as she pet Luka a little bit. The smile quickly went away, as though she were trying to protect this facade of stoicness.


    At that same time, the plates for her and Rose were brought to the table along with a couple of mugs of mysterious liquid. Eva¡¯s plate, to my surprise, comprised of no meat. Instead she had an omelet with mushrooms and veggies, fruit and potatoes on the side. Rose¡¯s plate looked much closer to my own, but with much less meat confirming that most of it was for my companions.


    ¡°Ah, well. It was unfortunately taken from me. I was preparing to go and buy some metal to make a new one, although I¡¯m unsure how I¡¯ll manage without...¡± I trailed off, glancing to my arm and suddenly feeling awkward. ¡°Anyway, yes when I have a sword I am a swordsman. Technically, my class can use other bladed weapons as well, but my proficiency is in swordwork.¡±


    Rose was next to speak. ¡°So, you need to go shopping? Lucky. We¡¯re heading into -¡±


    ¡°Rose, he doesn¡¯t need to know exactly where we¡¯re heading does he?¡± Eva cut in curtly. ¡°I mean no offense Lios, But-¡±


    ¡°No, no its okay. I understand. I saw the smurf earlier.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Smurf? What is that?¡± Rose perked up through a mouthful of food, easily brushing off her friends caution. Eva also tilted her head toward me as she continued to feed Luka.


    ¡°Oh, uhm. Just a tiny blue creature like a sprite that I read about as a kid. I don¡¯t think they actually exist though.¡± After that we chatted for a bit and finished our food. I wasn¡¯t in a rush today, and I knew that after we parted ways I would just go shopping for some metal and books and come back to work on the actual enchantment for the blade.


    As we left, I asked for directions to reputable stores which they gladly gave me. When we parted ways I noticed Eva glancing back at the foxes before they rounded a corner down the street. The foxes hovered close to me as we started walking, practically hugging my legs on either side. It made it a bit difficult to walk, but once we reached a rhythm it was seamless.


    I took a deep breath as I entered the city proper, realizing that I was already in the center of town. Despite being fairly early in the morning the city was bustling. Adventurers and merchants were quickly walking through the cobblestone streets, and the smell of bakeries and restaurants flooded my nose. Even though I had just eaten I felt myself salivate over the smell of good bread. The smells alone were almost enough to make me tear up.


    The architecture was very reminiscent of fourteenth century europe. Where I had emerged from the guild, the buildings reminded me of smaller stone cathedrals. Each building was intimidating, powerful. Some buildings looked more like tudor style homes, specifically a tailor and a bakery had that look from what I could see. The guild was located at the edge of the city square, and as soon as I walked down the street toward where Rose told me the smith was I emerged into the bustling city square. Compared to the other towns and small cities I had been too, this massive city was a monolith. It felt endless and massive, and it was, if we were being realistic. Save for a few towers and mansions I could see in the distance, all clustered near each other and before a gigantic fortress, the buildings were short and spread out. It was almost claustrophobic.


    I watched people for a few minutes, admiring the dizzying array of colors that adorned them. The adventurers, perhaps unsurprisingly, drew my attention the most. This was the most diverse place I had ever visited. I could see folk who came all the way from Terran, the continent on the other side of the Myrid Sea. I wasn¡¯t all too familiar with the bevy of nations that inhabited the other continent, most of my research as a child had been for the countries within Prios.


    I watched as elves and humans and dwarves interacted with beastfolk, humanoids who retained characteristics of various animals and beasts. They were fascinating to me, especially a large lion like man with white fur who casually carried a keg from a nearby tavern to a wagon he had set up outside of it. I also saw what I would consider naga, snake folk with glittering scales and arms but no feet, who laughed with a hiss as they chattered with the other denizens. I wasn¡¯t blind to some of the looks of derision that the various species tended to give each other and that made me want to scream. It was amazing to see so many different types of people comingling and living with or near each other, a sight that should have provided these people with pride but was filling a lot of them with hate. They wanted to be special, to be on top, and this diversity challenged that.


    I looked about in wonder, idly making my way toward the other side of the massive city square. In the middle of the square there were town criers spreading news, one called out news about Linden and asked for donations or labor to rebuild the nearby city. It felt wrong to call the town a city after comparing it to Ironfell, but it was still considered as such. Others cried news about the monsters from the Wastes or even dungeons nearby. I wasn¡¯t sure what dungeons were in the context of this world, but from my readings I didn¡¯t think they were naturally made entities. Some adventurers were calling out requests for others to join their parties so they could fill their teams, mostly looking for healers of a sort or support mage. One called for a level one sixty swordsman and I wondered how I¡¯d compare to someone of that level.


    I walked and wandered until I found a smith, the same one that Eva had mentioned, and was astounded by the lack of clanging emanating from it as I approached. I could see four smiths working at individual stations, but it was only when I was about twenty feet away that I could hear them. They were using silencing arrays to hide the sound. I grinned as I stepped through the open doorway of the storefront to see mannequins covered in various beautiful armors and weapons on shelves or the walls. Some crates were scattered about with lesser quality weapons and armor, or even used ones from the looks.


    I waited and wandered about the room as all of the attendants were busy with other customers. I used my appraisal skill on a few dozen arms and armaments, gladly accepting the free levels in the skill. The mana cost for it was negligible. I did the same with my [Runesight] and [Mana Sense], seeing that most of the weapons and armor were unenchanted but quite a few pieces glowed like the sun to my senses. It felt likely that only one or two of the employees here knew how to enchant.


    Soon, I was interrupted from my idle perusal by a male teenager who looked not much older than me. He had on a blacksmiths apron and had spark marks scattered across his forearm from forging. His arms were thick with muscles that were well used, and his hands covered in callouses from wielding a hammer. I matched his smile as he approached me confidently. ¡°Hello, sir, welcome to Sir Orvacks Armory! Is there anything I can help you with? My name is Eric.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hello. Yes I could use some help. While I¡¯m in the city, I was hoping to purchase some metals for my own forging. Oh, but I have no intention to act as a competitor. If I wish to sell, I¡¯d also be interested in selling through this smithy so as not to create bad blood between us.¡± The lads eyes narrowed at the first part of my request but quickly opened again as I clarified my intent. It was difficult to justify supplying a competitor with materials if they were just going to undercut the business. On the other hand, an offer of partnership was much more agreeable.


    ¡°Oh I see, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the authority to make such a decision. Are you okay waiting for a bit while I check with the owner if he has time to meet with you to discuss this?¡± I could practically see the dollar signs in his expression as he was preparing to fetch the owner. I wondered if he was on commission of some sort.


    ¡°Of course, Eric, thank you. I can wait a bit.¡± He thanked me and left through a door behind the counter, where other sales reps were finishing up sales and discussing maintenance with their patrons. They were all well practiced and their instructions were succinct and understandable. It was admirable.

 B2 - CH5 - The Shopping Episode

    I waited for a little over an hour. At first, other sales folks and attendants tried to approach me, but when I told the third that Eric was attempting to set up an impromptu meeting with the owner they stopped pestering me. After about fifteen minutes, I let one of them know I¡¯d wait outside so as to give other patrons more space to look around. The room was large, but with all of the equipment it was pretty full. Then, as the day wore on I knew it¡¯d fill up with more and more adventurers. So, I stepped outside, went to a nearby bakery and got a couple of meat pies before returning and sitting with my back leaned against a post near the forge area.


    Before I sat, I saw Eric speaking with a grizzled man who was hammering away at what looked like a spear tip. It was leaf shaped and very early in the forge process but I could already tell it would be beautiful when finished. Each of the mans hammer strikes were intentional and directed. It was a fair assumption that he was the owner.


    After about forty minutes of being outside, an hour after Eric left me to speak to the owner, that same grizzled man stepped out of his forge and approached me. As his shadow passed over me, I stood up and turned to face him, looking up a bit to gaze into his eyes. I held out a hand.


    ¡°Hello, sir, my name is Alexilios. Lios for short. I assume Eric told you my request?¡± He took my hand, his grip firm and powerful from years on the forge. I didn¡¯t flinch despite the grease and ash covering his hand or his grim glare when he looked down at me.


    ¡°Lios, is it? Eric told me but I¡¯d prefer to hear it from you. Why my smithy, and why should I provide a competitor with the tools to work?¡± His voice was every bit as deep as I expected. He would make a great baritone in an acapella group. It was a touch gravelly, likely from breathing in the ambient heat and soot of his smithy.


    ¡°Right, I have no desire to waste your time so I¡¯ll make it quick. I¡¯m in town for, as you might assume, the tournament. My sword was recently taken from me and I need to level my smithing class. I have rented forge space at the adventurers guild. I have no intention to sell my works, at least not commercially, and I¡¯d prefer to keep my smithing abilities a secret from the populous for the time being. If I do decide to sell, I¡¯d prefer to sell through a reputed retailer such as you on either a commission basis or sell it to you to then sell on a mark up.¡± I took a deep breath after speaking quickly, maintaining eye contact with him to convey the seriousness of my request.


    ¡°So, a business partnership then? Hmm. what level is your class? Do you have any samples of your work?¡± He stroked his frayed graying beard, shaking metal shavings from it.


    ¡°No metalwork samples, sadly, but I did make the clothes I am wearing. Wait!¡± My eyes widened for a moment when I remembered my [Ephemeral Forge] skill and the tools I had within it. I activated the skill, forming a glowing orange hammer in my hand before pulling it from my subspace and into the real world. ¡°Here, I made this. As for my class level. Its still rather low, at twenty one.¡±


    The bear before me took the hammer in his large hands and began inspecting it. He used some sort of appraisal skill, I could tell because his eyes focused on something in front of him that wasn¡¯t there as he read the description of the item. With his eyes flicking back and forth reading the meager information, I watched a tad warily. I hadn¡¯t shown many people my enchanted gear. His expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest.


    ¡°Decent work, for your age. Enchanted too with multiple enchantments but I don¡¯t see any runes on it, how did you do it? Bah. Don¡¯t answer that, trade secrets and all. Fine. You have  a deal. But if I see your work anywhere else the deal is off. No need for a contract until you intend to sell.¡± He handed me back the hammer and crossed his arms. ¡°What metals do you need? I¡¯ll sell it to you at only a minor markup, probably the best price you will see. I¡¯m not trying to boast, and I don¡¯t need your patronage to stay afloat, so keep that in mind. Do you have a specialty?¡±


    ¡°A specialty? I suppose I¡¯m a better weaponsmith than an armorer. And thats perfectly fine, I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting distributor pricing.¡± I reached out to shake his hand again. ¡°Should I come to the store attendants for my orders or you?¡±


    ¡°My attendants. Orvack, by the way.¡± He shook my hand twice before letting go, his hand wrapping around mine completely. ¡°Come with me, I¡¯ll bring you to Eric. He can be your point of contact. When you have something to sell, let him know and we can discuss rates.¡±


    I nodded and followed him into the building where eric, the boisterous teen, was chatting with an adventurer duo, trying to convince them to pay a pretty penny for a set of plate armor. ¡°Is there a price too high when your life is on the line? This set was made personally by THE Orvack, and comes with a protection guarantee of up to level one-sixty-five. Meaning, any average beasts up to that level should be unable to penetrate the armor. They may still dent it though, but it comes with a maintenance contract as well.¡± His eyes flicked up to Orvack as we stepped behind the adventurers. Orvack simply indicated to complete the sale and Eric nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but, what makes this set worth twice as much as Alten¡¯s plate set?¡± The male of the duo, the one who this set would likely be for based on the sword and shield he wore, asked Eric. I assumed that Alten was a competitor and not an associate of the smithy based on the frown that briefly crossed Erics features. His practiced smile quickly returned.


    ¡°Ah, an excellent question. Number one, the materials used are of a much higher quality. Second, Orvack¡¯s has been here twice as long as Alten¡¯s. Lastly, as far as im aware Alten doesn¡¯t offer a maintenance contract for repairs nor do they offer a protection guarantee. Should you still suffer a grievous injury from an enemy within the specified levels, we offer healing services as recompense as well as a partial refund and a full repair of the armor. Should the enchantments fade or be destroyed from frequent wear and tear, we will remake it. Thats why we cost more. We provide extra insurance and reliability.¡±


    I glanced up at Orvack to gauge his reaction at his attendants sales pitch before catching both adventurers slowly nodding. With a large sigh, the swordsman pulled his coin pouch from his hip and opened it up. ¡°Forty Eight gold? Gonna bleed me dry here but... you make a compelling point. Take my damn money.¡± There was humor in his voice, letting me know he wasn¡¯t dissatisfied but complaining to complain. Eric chuckled and led the man to the counter, counting out the money and filling out a work order and maintenance contract.


    As soon as they finished, and the duo left with their goods, Eric came over to speak with us. He looked a little bit prideful over making the sale and was beaming as he sauntered over.


    ¡°Eric. Good work. You¡¯ll be taking point on the selling of materials to Lios here. 25% markup from our purchase price, no higher. We¡¯ll recover the lost profit when he makes enough arms to sell to us. I can vouch for his potential.¡± Orvack spoke loudly, as though his voice had only the one volume. Eric only grinned wider at the declaration.


    ¡°Yes sir, of course. Would you like me to manage his commissions as well?¡± There was a hopeful and ambitious glint in his eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll set those prices myself. But we will be looking at a thirty percent increase on those most likely. Does that seem fair to you, Lios?¡± The man was decisive, I had to give him that. Mere minutes from our conversation and he already had it all figured out. Must come with experience.


    ¡°Yessir.¡± Was all I had to say. He nodded, then dismissed himself and strode back to the forge to continue working on the spearhead. I could imagine him being done with it within a few hours.


    After that, Eric pulled me aside and toward an empty spot at the counter. ¡°So, Lios, what materials do ya need?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Im trying to make weapons with highly mana conductive metals that can, when enchanted properly, amplify my spells. Before I had used orichalcrum and mana steel in an alloy, but I¡¯m open to other suggestions.¡±


    The other man seemed to think for a few minutes, tapping his chin. ¡°If you were higher level I¡¯d suggest mythril and not just so we could get extra coin... High mana conductivity? Any specific type of mana? Theres some metals that conduct, say, fire mana more easily.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to specific mana types for wind, lightning, fire, water, and earth manas. But would need a couple ingots of each, enough for probably three swords of each type so I could get some practice before making the final product. After that, I probably still want some that are just generally good for mana conduction.¡± My heart humped excitedly, I¡¯d finally be able to work on my second class soon. I¡¯d be able to make a new sword, or several. In the back of my mind I imagined walking around with a half a dozen different swords serving different functions. A wry grin turned my cheeks as I thought about how ridiculous that would be.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll get you... hmmm... enough for a total of fifteen weapons? Lets say two five pound ingots of each type, along with two orichalcrum and a dozen mana steel? I assume you¡¯ll want to make it with mana steel for the durability at least. Electrum and the like are powerful but brittle after forging. You wont be getting the starmetal equivalents as, a) you probably cant afford it no offense, and b) you probably couldn¡¯t work it just yet. Again, no offense.¡±


    ¡°None taken. Also, some mana conductive wood for the handle and scabbards. How much for all of the material together? And is there any possibility that I could have the ingots either held here until I¡¯m ready to use them or delivered to my room at the adventurer¡¯s guild?¡± I felt myself jittering with  excitement. I was finally going to make some progress in my smithing! Something that I had fantasized and planned for since I was a kid. Hell, something I¡¯d wanted to do in my other life even.


    ¡°We can probably hold them here and have you purchase them at the time of need. How much would you like to purchase at this time?¡± I could tell he was already thinking about what to buy with the coin he earned today and couldn''t help but chuckle at his eagerness.


    ¡°Lets say six mana steel ingots, and the infernal iron as well as enough wood for three swords. Oh wait. I forgot one thing. Would I also be able to purchase Lumina stones of those various elements when I purchase the metal? Say, nine of each pending the cost? About this size?¡± I showed him with my fingers, it was a bit smaller than a chickens egg but I figured I could imbed them in the pommel or crossguard to store some emergency mana.


    ¡°That¡¯ll ramp your bill up pretty quick but we can do that. We will take a few days to source them. Is it okay if you get three of that size and six half that size per order? If I¡¯m reading your intentions the large one could be for the pommel, the small ones for the scabbard or crossguard.¡±


    ¡°That works. Okay, for the order today, how much would it cost?¡± This was the part I dreaded. Sure, I had a recent windfall of coin but it was still not a comfortable amount now that I was purchasing materials. Things would get expensive quick.


    ¡°Lets see. We get mana steel at twenty eight silver each so it''ll be thirty two for you times six is... one hundred and ninety-two silver. The infernal iron is eighty silver for us, so one gold per at three is three gold. Lumina stones...¡± He pulled out a book with a price guide for the store, taking a few moments to sift through it. ¡°Okay, for three large and six medium stones that¡¯ll run you six gold even. They¡¯re eighty silver for a large from the distributor, and around fifty silver after the roundup for the mediums. And lastly, wood for the handle and scabbard. Let me go back to see what we¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll bring everything up as well if the prices are agreeable.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for an answer before bolting through a door.


    I mentally added everything up and sighed as I waited. Eleven gold already, and the wood wasn''t going to be particularly cheap either. I hoped that some of the dungeons would provide some smithing materials as well, but didn¡¯t hold much hope. I still needed to do some research on them. I knew some metals could be found in the wastes, it was a vast space after all, but I probably wouldn¡¯t be capable of surviving long within it until both of my classes were at their peak.  I grumbled to myself about these limitations as I stood in the bustling shop for a little over fifteen minutes. Then, Eric returned.


    ¡°Ah! Yes I found them all. I got permission to sell you the fire based lumina stones right away, we carry a very limited supply of them but they aren''t particularly rare so we can restock later in the week. As for wood, I found several pieces of cured Entoak and we can order more when you are ready to make more blades. They will be seventy silver each, each should be enough for two scabbards. Pretty big pieces but not particularly expensive for us since Entoak comes from a local dungeon. Total then, would come to thirteen gold if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± He had come out with a hefty looking crate filled with the promised ingots. After making the damascus billets I could see there being enough material for up to five swords with a fire affinity and I grinned at the glittering red metal next to the bluish manasteel.


    I did not feel like grinning over the price but, c¡¯est la vie. I pulled out the coin, counted it out, and handed it to him lamenting the fact that only seven gold and a spattering of silver and copper remained in my purse. At least there was a fair amount left at the guild. Afterwards, I bid him adieu and hoisted the crate with long pieces of wood dangling dangerously out of it onto my shoulder, careful not to drop it. My companions followed me out as we made our way back to the guild and dropped off our prize. Now, for another adventure. I asked the bartender, Garth, where I could find a good bookstore that may have books on magic and he provided some directions to a magic item and component store instead, claiming they¡¯d be the best bet for what I sought.


    I thanked him, of course, still not over how poorly his voice matched his stature. Pretty soon, still before midday, I found myself standing before a stereotypical ramshackle storefront tucked away a street from the city square. The buildings  all around looked a little bit dingier than those in the middle of the city, but they were still leaps and bounds nicer than what I had seen on my journey so far. I entered the dimly lit store, ¡°Krickets Bits and Bobs and Magical Jobs¡±, and took a quick look around. A bell rang to announce my entrance.


    Contrary to the outside, the inside was immaculate and spotless. I activated [Runesight] and saw arrays and runic circles all throughout the building. I easily identified a cleaning array, using Lexico runes in a circle similar to the one I used for my clothes. The lights were made with rune circles as well. I smiled as I glanced all around, not at the items but at the dozen or so enchantments laid throughout the building. There were, of course, many awesome items scattered within the building on the shelves. Tons of spell components locked away in jars behind a locked glass cabinet. A shelf full of books, well, a few of those once I started looking.


    My admiration was interrupted by a clearing of a throat. I turned toward the sound and sheepishly deactivated [Runesight]. My attention fell onto the purveyor of this establishment, who I assumed was Kricket himself. A goblin shaman was standing behind a marble countertop, tapping long slender fingers rapidly and impatiently, glaring up at me from beneath his crooked pointy hat. ¡°My apologies, I was admiring the runework in the building.¡±


    ¡°So, you would steal Krickets arrays?¡± His voice was like a hiss and scratched at my ears. With narrowed eyes he slowly walked out from behind his counter and I saw he was wearing a tattered robe but despite its appearance of being in disarray I could tell, even without skills, it was enchanted to the brim.


    ¡°Not at all, it was simply curiosity. I deal in runes myself although not so much for this sort of application at the moment.¡± I tried to assuage the fierce looking goblin. I was trying hard not to fall back on my predisposition to goblins, given that I¡¯d killed dozens of their kind at this point, and I felt I was doing a good job. If he was feral I had no doubt the guards would have removed him. Actually, him being a goblin was likely the reason there were no other patrons. ¡°I¡¯m looking for books on Lexico and Frith runewrit, I have the first editions of each but need some higher level runes to advance.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. First, you come to Krickets store and attempt to steal Krickets proprietary arrays, then you threaten to put Krickets business out of business?¡± The glare intensified.


    ¡°What, no, I enchant the things I make thats all... Well, and I use spells too, but I don¡¯t have any aspirations as an enchanter for hire.¡± I frantically and nervously started to explain, just before the goblin burst out in a cackle.


    His eyes lit up and his mouth spread into a wide, clean, sharp smile. Three of his teeth were made of gold, and I was certain that they likely somehow had a rune circle on them as well. ¡°Kricket... how do you humans say? Kricket fucks with you, boy! Ha! Kricket got your ass.¡± The sudden switch up of personality threw me for a loop, it was confusing and yet amusing too. I started laughing alongside him.


    ¡°You had me going there, Kricket. Goodness, you sure you aren''t an actor?¡± I laughed a bit more, shaking my head from the inane goblins behavior.


    ¡°I am not, I am not. But Kricket does have what you seek. Krickets Bits and Bobs was the correct store young adventurer. As sure as it must suck to have only a single arm, Kricket will surely have whatever magical bobs or bits you need human!¡± he pointedly glanced at my severed arm and I winced. ¡°I do ask that you leave animals outside, however. There is much within the jars Kricket fears they will attempt to devour.¡±


    I nodded, and opened the door causing the bell to ring a second time, both foxes left without much complaint. They were much less interested in the fact that a goblin ran a magic shop in the largest city I had ever seen. There was a brief moment where they both expressed concern with leaving me alone, but they knew even swordless and without an arm I could probably fight and protect myself.


    ¡°So, books on Lexico and Frith. Why combine?¡± His head tilted as soon as the foxes exited and the door slammed close.


    ¡°Oh, uhm, they were the only rune books I had access to and the Lexico runes I had only went so far as the first circle of the array. Similar for the Frith runes, but they are usable up to the fourth layer of the array.¡±


    The goblins eyes lit up in a familiar way, he was using a visual skill. They narrowed as he did a once over on my tunic and trousers, and pursed his lips. ¡°Where did you get dwarven made clothes? There are few dwarves in the kingdom, and fewer still who Runeweave.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Well, I made them. Using primarily Frith runes...¡± I felt a bit wary sharing that with the goblin, the fact that I could use dwarven techniques, even sloppily, could be dangerous to spread. Many smiths and tailors traveled to Marthis, the kingdom of dwarves, to learn their techniques but few ever returned with the skill.


    ¡°Kricket understands and will ask no further questions. For the books, it is two gold for each set. Each set will provide three books of each language with only runes. If you would like to also purchase a book of enchantments using those languages the price will increase, is this satisfactory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I sighed relief internally, glad the goblin did not press for more information. Unlike my trip to the smithy, this one was quick. After confirming the price was acceptable, the goblin showed me the books to confirm they did not contain runes I already knew, wrapped them up in parchment paper, bagged them up and I left.


    Soon, I found myself in the guild hall once more, unsure how to proceed. I decided to start studying the runes and withdrew my notebooks. There were already a few half complete enchantments that I hadn¡¯t had the appropriate runes to finish, so I hoped to be able to finished them with the new ones. I settled down and started to scribble as Garth sent me a tankard of ale and a plate with some food, the foxes curled at my feet. I was sitting at the bar again, the room much more empty now that breakfast time had past.

 B2 CH 6 In Memorium

    I worked on studying runes for the rest of that day, until Eva and Rose reappeared and I joined them at their table. The guild was filling quickly, but I felt it was an excuse to let them play with the foxes and dissuade any adventurers from flirting with them. It didn¡¯t stop them all, but they said they were propositioned far less with me there than without. At one point I caught the eye of the blue armored adventurer who glowered in my direction over a cup of beer. I didn¡¯t really care.


    After that, we parted ways late in the evening and the following morning I made my way down to the tavern again. I met Perry and joined him in his carriage as promised. It was luxurious. With [Runesight] active I could hardly see the physical details over the magical ones. The thing was absolutely covered in magic. Protection wards, air control enchants, lights, speed adjustment controls. It was incredibly complex, and just sitting inside of it I could feel the ambient mana was far higher than outside.


    Perry had a fair bit of paperwork to do so we mostly sat in silence as the carriage jostled and we made our way back to Linden. The city was about three days away by foot but by carriage we made it there in about a day. During this time I was able to commit a fair amount of new runes to memory and started working on a few new spells, but they were far from complete.


    I did manage to find out that in Ironfell there were no healers who could regrow or replace my lost hand, but I hadn¡¯t expected there to be. Healers were already fairly rare as it was, and those of a high enough level to heal such an injury were rarer still. According to Perry there were a total of three within the kingdom that could heal my arm, two of which lived in the capitol and the last was an adventurer who was very difficult to get ahold of. There was someone who was able to reattach limbs in Ironfell, and she was sitting at the cusp of being able to regrow them, but I resigned myself to living with one hand for the foreseeable future


    The runes in the new books I had acquired were far more complex than the ones I had been using. It was like the difference between the words ¡°Swiftly¡± and ¡°Expediated¡±. They both meant similar things, but one was more eloquent and contained more syllables. Or the similarities between an inferno and a fire. An inferno was just a massive, out of control fire after all.


    At one point Luka felt far too constrained in the small moving box containing us and so I let him out. He managed to barely keep up and after an hour or so of running asked to be let back in, pouting that he couldn¡¯t continue the pace. Sky took that as a challenge and went out for two hours. She had no problem keeping up but had to draw on her mana in order to do so. Something about moving like the wind.


    When we arrived in Linden, I was struck by how much progress had already been made. It was evening, but even in the dark I could see how many buildings had been rebuilt and how much of the gore had been cleaned up. I could also see dozens of people walking around with a haunted look on their face, though that was to be expected. There were members of a church giving out food to anyone who had had their lives halted by the cultists actions.


    The city felt empty. There were so many buildings and yet not nearly enough people to fill them all, it seemed. There were not many men around, the majority were women and children. I saw all of this through the window of the carriage as we were brought to a tavern. Perry paid for our rooms, and we parted ways having only made idle conversation on the way here. The air itself was somber. It reminded me of when I had visited Auschwitz in my early twenties while on a trip to Poland. Everything around us was heavy, weighted. It did not make for a good environment for conversation for fear of disrespecting the people who were hurting.


    And so, in silence, we made our goodnights before I went up to my room with a platter of food and continued my studies. I had an idea for how to enchant a flame attributed magic sword, as well as what sort of blade I wanted it to be. For the enchantment, I wanted it to amplify the magic. I wanted it to also hold spells longer if possible and to have an enchantment that let me coat the blade with that specific type of mana on a whim. Unlike spells, I didn¡¯t need to remake the enchantment every time I wanted to use it so I decided to go with a third tier spell array, a total of one hundred twenty five runes. I could have used a different prime number as the base, but I was used to the five rune base and would continue to use it as needed. Plus, it was a solid amount of runes and could output a significant amount of energy.


    I worked on the runes until well into the night, relying on a single flame from a lantern beside my bed. Truthfully, once I got started I didn¡¯t want to stop until I had finished the puzzle. I redrew the new runes in my notebook over and over again until they felt secure. Until I could recall them perfectly in my [Rune Compendium]. By the time I fell asleep I had completed maybe a third of the enchantment and memorized a few dozen of the runes. The first book alone held over two hundred individual runes. I was currently focusing on the Lexico books, figuring I could always try the Frith books after. Lexico was my foundation, and a strong foundation made for a powerful knowledge base.


    The next morning, the day of the service, I woke up with plenty of time to prepare. The service would be held just before the midday meal, lunch of course, and I woke about two hours prior with the sun still rising to crest its apex. Perry was reading a dossier at a table in the tavern while sipping on a warm liquid. I didn¡¯t recognize it but figured it was likely a cider or mulled wine.


    Upon seeing me, he stood up, finished his drink and gestured toward the door. Sky hopped onto my shoulder, causing me to hunch over slightly but it wasn¡¯t so bad. Luka stayed beside my left foot, eyes peeled on everything around us. I walked with Perry outside, where he immediately brought me over to where a monolith had already been constructed. Mages were still carving names into it with magic, and likely wouldn¡¯t stop until long after the day was over. As it stood, one side was completely full and the other three were just getting started. The monolith itself was made of a bright marble like stone. Instead of blacks and browns and hazels swirling around the pale white stone, green and red and yellow lines did.


    There was already a small crowd gathered and even more people were slowly making their way here. Many were wiping tears from their eyes with handkerchiefs or cut up cloth. A lot of them had brought flowers with them, a final gift for their lost loved ones. Perry and I simply stood to the side and waited. His eyes passed over each individual who walked by, likely looking for his daughter and grandkids. We made some idle conversation, with me asking him a bit about Ironfell and the tournament.


    Evidently it wasn¡¯t only a sword competition, not anymore. There was a competition for dozens of class types, including blacksmithing and beast taming. Cooking, wizardry and others as well. Of course, I was only interested in participating in two of them, swordsmanship and blacksmithing, but the rest may be fun to see. The entire festival was set to take a few months from start to finish. According to Perry, the swords competition was always the finale with the qualifier rounds beginning at the start of the festival and ending only a week prior to the tournament itself. I had a little under four months to prepare, to learn to fight with a single hand.


    After a short while, a young dwarven woman with startling blue eyes approached us. She had a sad smile on her face as she stepped directly in front of Perry and wrapped her arms around him before he could stop her. Not that he wanted to. There were tears in his eyes too. A moment later, a human man walked up sheepishly while holding the hand of a small boy, one who had some dwarvish features as well as human. Namely the wide, cheek heavy facial structure of the dwarves despite being lanky like a human child.


    ¡°Mr. Winkle, its lovely to see you again.¡± The man cringed as he used, apparently, Perry¡¯s last name. I suppressed a chuckle as the dwarf glowered at the man.


    ¡°Edward, I¡¯m your father in law. You can call me Perry, or dad, or father. Just never, ever, ever call me Mr. Winkle again.¡± The dwarf shuddered before pulling the six foot tall human into a hug and muttering, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you''re safe Ed.¡±


    Before anyone else could say anything, a well dressed man around the same age as Adrien and Elric stepped up to the monolith. He wore a dazzling blue and black robe made of expensive fabrics. I could feel the magic through [Portent], which I was attempting to train to the point I could keep it active at all times. My mana regeneration broke even with the skill, so as long as I wasn¡¯t actively casting spells or fighting I could keep the skill active with only the risk of getting a headache. A small price to pay for improving my skill. Stolen novel; please report.


    The man on the podium clapped his hands, sending a loud wave of sound through the growing crowd. We were all huddled in the center of the city, thousands of people crammed into a relatively small space with more being forced to look out windows of buildings. Silence followed the claps, everyone turned to focus on the man.


    ¡°People of Linden, please allow me to introduce myself for those of you who don¡¯t know me. I am the son of Duke Marlon Weatherlight, Derek.¡± The man took a deep breath, shaking visibly with anger and sorrow. ¡°As you all know, very intimately, several days ago this city was assaulted by a group of cultists. Before we get into the memorial service, I wanted to spread some light into the information that we have found out over the past few days of investigating. We believe that we have discovered who the leader of this cult is, as well as the name of two of the perpetrators. We are, however, unsure on how many cretins call the cult their home. There will be a formal announcement in the coming weeks with all information made available to law enforcement, adventurers, and likely the citizens of our dukedom.


    ¡°Now, we are unsure on their motive aside from the fact that they were powering a massive ritual before they were interrupted by a group of adventurers and myself. I understand a lot of you wished to thank these adventurers¡¯ but four of the five are out seeking the refuge of these foul adversaries as we speak. However, one of them is present with us today to share in our sorrow.¡± He took another deep breath before glancing at the few people who were gathered directly beside the monolith. There was a woman adorned in white and gold robes, a follower of Luma if ever I had seen one. She held a scepter before her, one carved with power and magic. Beside her stood a sniffling woman clasping a book in her arms. She held an air of regality, she was no peasant but she didn¡¯t seem to carry herself as much higher than the others here.


    ¡°Now, let us begin the memorial in earnest. Today is a day filled with longing and sorrow and rage. Monsters tore through our fair city with no regard for the peace and love and prosperity that enriched it, with no regard for the lives that lived here. We all, everyone here, lost something on that day, something we cannot get back. But, despite our losses we rebuild, we survive, we thrive. For our lost ones we will continue and we will persevere. We will regain what was lost, reconstruct our sanctuary such that these monsters will face a reckoning should they reappear. We will grow in strength and power, grow in faith and wonder. We will step up together to remember those who fell and those who came to save us.


    ¡°We, of Linden, will not seek refuge nor cower in fear. No, we seek retribution and recourse, and we shall have it. Behind me, a monolith set to remember those we have lost even past the days our own breaths have stopped. A remembrance of those who sacrificed themselves to buy everyone else time to survive, to get help. The names of all those whom we have lost are to be listed, etched for all of time, on this marble pillar. A reminder of why we continue to live, not for revenge but so that we may not face such horror again. Why we continue to grow strong, why we support each other and lift each other up. Together we will overcome this tragedy, together we will grow stronger still. Together we shall prevent this massacre from repeating itself. This I promise you on the name of Marlon Weatherlight, beneath Luma¡¯s grace.


    ¡°We will heal from this. We will remember this. We will work to prevent this from ever occurring again. This is not a call for revenge, but a call for growth. We all must grow in these coming days, all must rise up to rebuild not only the buildings but the security of our homes. And so we shall lift each other up, we will rise about this challenge. We will remember all those we have lost and pray for their bountiful afterlives as we continue to live. As we spread their memories...¡±


    The son of the Duke continued on for a few more minutes. After him, the priestess of Luma spoke a prayer, asking Luma to bless the souls on their way to the afterlife. People throughout the crowd sniffled and wiped their eyes with handkerchiefs but took on a strong expression, resolving themselves to rebuild. It couldn¡¯t be easy, over half of the people who called this place hom were gone. Dead and buried by now. After the priestess, the woman carrying the book stepped forward. She was the wife of the, now deceased, Lord of Linden. He had, of course, died during the assault, trying to defend the keep from the cultists while buying time for his wife and children to escape.


    After she gave a speech recalling his sacrifice, others were invited to step up to tell a story or memory of their lost loved ones. The lords wife opened the book and used magic to scribble down every word that was said. Despite over five thousand people observing, no more than a hundred recounted their own experiences and that of their loved ones. The stories were heartwarming, and many people laughed even in the face of the horrible few days they had just had. I found myself chuckling at several of them. After about two hour of testimonials, Derek called for everyone to disperse so that he and his crew could set up a feast for the evening.


    ¡°Father, Lios was it? Join us for lunch?¡± Perry¡¯s daughter asked as everyone started to break apart.


    I shared a glance with Perry, who nodded, and smiled. ¡°I would love to.¡±


    With that she led us to her home near the edge of the city, an area that still suffered from some damage as the repairs started from the center - from the most important buildings. On our walk I learned that her name was Mary, which made me want to chuckle considering the proximity to Perry. Mary Winkle. It was a good name, I was sure. We wound our way through the city slowly, dodging people as they resumed the bustle of repairs they were enacting on the city.


    Once we were in her home, she and Edward began cooking in a flurry, prepared to provide a feast themselves. They left Perry and I with their child, Edwin. I urged Sky to approach the boy and lick his face. He was around seven years old, and hadn¡¯t spoken to me yet but had been asking Perry about the adventurers guild.


    ¡°Grandpa! When I get big can I be an adventurer too?¡± He asked with a gleam in his eyes that almost hid the trauma he had been exposed to days prior. Despite the toothy grin on his face, I could see the bags under his eyes as Sky sauntered up to him and waited for him to pet her, not wanting to follow my suggestion to lick the slightly dirty boy.


    ¡°O¡¯ course, o¡¯ course Edwin. You''d make a powerful adventurer, aye Lios?¡± Perry was grinning wide, I wondered how often he got to see his grandson.


    ¡°Oh yes I can envision it now! Edwin, hero of Baresthema, titan of Linden!¡± I exclaimed theatrically, naming a large town near the north of the country. ¡°What sort of adventurer would you be Edwin?¡±


    ¡°I want to be like grandpa, a warrior! Strong, fearless, powerful and respected!¡± I smiled softly as he waved his arms wildly, mimicking fighting some enemies with a large ax. He made a few sound effects between his adjectives, denoting the slaying of terrible foes. ¡°Are you an adventurer too Mr. Lios?¡±


    ¡°That I am!¡± I nodded just before Mary and Edward returned from the small kitchen, a separate room unlike many homes I had seen before. It seemed they were at least decently well off to afford a home with so many rooms.


    While setting down a platter with some meat and cheese and jam and fruit, Mary glanced over at me a touch shyly. She looked to her son after and said, ¡°Lios here was the one who fought outside the big building. The one who saved us.¡±


    I blushed furiously at the comment, not feeling as though I was deserving of the title I had gained. Edwin¡¯s eyes widened the size of a gold coin as he turned to face me, absently petting Sky. He opened his mouth then closed it, then opened it again then looked at his mother as though for permission. When she nodded he exploded in a flurry of questions. ¡°Is it true you have defeated a dragon? My friend James said you beat a dragon, otherwise there¡¯s no way you could defeat the people who came after us! Or Or Or, are you secretly an ancient wizard? Belinda said you had to be because she saw you fighting with a sword covered in lightning. Wait! You''re a swordsman? Where¡¯s your sword, can I hold it? Marcus said he saw your pets fighting with you do they really fight too? Oh my gosh oh my gosh.¡±


    I laughed along with his parents who were shaking their head. As he bombarded me with questions I loaded a piece of bread with meat, cheese and jam. After chewing on a bite, and with his parents watching me almost nervously, I started to answer. ¡°Okay, first question. I haven''t beat a dragon yet. I did fight a sand wyrm, but had teammates who dealt the majority of the damage to it. I am a wizard, but still not all that powerful. Strong enough, I¡¯d say but still have room to grow. The woman I was fighting took my sword, and my arm, but I¡¯ll manage. I¡¯m working on making a new sword soon here, actually I plan to start as soon as I return to Ironfell. And my companions do fight with me. They¡¯re probably stronger than me too. They do magic.¡±


    The boy listened intently, but I could tell he was bursting to think of more questions. He shook a little bit as his mom gave me an apologetic look. ¡°Oh wow! A sand wyrm? Was it scary? How strong was it? Was it the strangest thing you¡¯ve fought? And wait wait you make your own weapons? That is soooo coool. You sound like Ranrock, the Brave Blacksmith! My grandpa always told me stories about him. Are you doing the tournament? How will that work with only one arm?¡±


    I held up a hand to get him to take a breath and give me a chance to answer. I spent several minutes replying to his questions, answering any new ones and then telling a few stories. The one with the wyrm, of course, was the boys favorite. When I told him about my lightning bolt paralyzing the wyrm he looked at me like I was a king. I had to admit, it was a great feeling.

 B2 CH7 The Truth of the Puppetmaster

    After a while of telling stories and giving Perry a chance to talk to his family, the time for the feast drew near. Before we left the small abode, however, Mary and Edward stopped me.


    ¡°Lios, we wanted to thank you. I saw the battle using a skill and... I saw how much you struggled, how hard you fought. You could have run at any time, but you stayed and fought nearly to your death. My friend reached you first after that damned woman fled and she said you were severely injured, beyond just your arm. So thank you.¡± She looked like she was about to cry as she remembered the events. I smiled at her reassuringly.


    ¡°It was my pleasure. I have some amount of power, I¡¯d be remiss not to use it for the sake of others. Please, think nothing of it.¡±


    ¡°No. We will not think nothing of it. You directly contributed to us retaining our lives, Lios. Please let us show our gratitude.¡± To my surprise it was Edward who spoke this time, though both Mary and Perry nodded in agreement. ¡°Thank you Lios. You saved a lot of people that day, even if you didn¡¯t do it alone. Your actions are the reason many many people, by count of three thousand, are still alive.¡±


    ¡°I see, in that case feel free to embellish me with thanks but don¡¯t be surprised if I¡¯m awkward about it. I¡¯m glad my actions could mean something to someone.¡±


    Perry clapped me on the shoulder, having to reach up and stretch to do so, and led the way out of the house. As we made our way back to the city square, the smell of roasting meat and vegetables wafted through the city. There were other spots, other clearings where tables had been set up, away from the center of town to better spread the people out. Barrels of ale were spread throughout the cobblestone streets and people were already sipping from tankards they likely brought from home.


    Mary and Edward received a few greetings from people as we walked past, and I and the foxes received awed looks of recognition. I wondered what all everyone had been told about us, how many rumors had spread already. I forced myself to stand with my back straight, with Luka walking beside me and Sky curled over my shoulders like a scarf, warming th back of my neck. Perry nodded in approval.


    It didn¡¯t take overlong for us to arrive in the center of the city. The lords wife, Derek Weatherlight, and several others in lavish robes stood near the monolith watching over everything. People were somber, at least if you didn¡¯t look to far. Others were already deep in their cups, telling stories of their lost friends, husbands, brothers, sisters and so on. Laughter broke out from one corner as a man tripped and spilled his stew over himself. A nearby adventurer waved a wand and chanted his chant, cleaning the scalding food from the mans chest while playfully chastizing him.


    I approached the monolith as Perry and his ilk separated to enjoy the memorial with the people they knew. I felt a touch awkward, but thought nothing of it. Before I could reach the center of the town where the important people seemed to gather, a woman approached me with two tankards in hand. She shoved one into my hand with a glitter in her eyes, eyes that were red from crying bur alight with a smile.


    ¡°Hero! You''re the hero! Have a drink, don¡¯t look so dour. From me and mine, thank you!¡± She clapped her tankard against my own and encouraged me to take a drink. I didn''t protest and raised the ale to my lips taking a deep pull. It astounded me that nobody seemed to question me drinking despite my age, but social and cultural norms were different here. A boy became an adult at sixteen, and I looked close enough. Plus, I had fought for them.


    The ale was strong, hoppy. It had a slightly citrusy flavor and a slight burn when it hit the back of my throat. I took a second sip and thanked her for the mug before she sped off to chat with one of her friends who was crying, sobbing while surrounded by other townsfolk. I was quickly interrupted a second time as I turned back toward the monolith, this time by a teenager around my age holding up a hunk of meat. It looked like the leg of a large bird and, while it had already had a couple bites taken from it, I took it gladly as it was offered. He thanked me profusely, stating he and his pa had been on their way to Ironfell when the cultists attacked and that because of me his sister had lived.


    Finally, with my hand full, holding the handle of the tankard with my fore and middle finger and the leg of the bird with my others, I made my way to Derek, curious about him. As I approached he turned toward me, a smile adorning his face despite the tragedy we were here to memorialize. He had a cup of ale in his hand, though he only took the smallest sips.


    ¡°Alexilios I presume?¡± He called out as I neared.


    ¡°Yes, though I prefer Lios. Derek Weatherlight, it is a pleasure to meet you.¡± I had read briefly of the Weatherlight family while my mother was educating me about nobility and etiquette. His father was a politician and business man that had been known for being fair. He had developed an orphanage with a schoolhouse in each of the major cities within his province, Ironfell, Herlon, and Dratton - colloquially known as Weatherlight Keep as thats where the duke called home. He also made sure to lift up the slums within his cities, to provide local farms with assistance, and even took in more knaves and prospective knights than all of the other noble houses.


    ¡°And I you. The Hero of Linden. I¡¯m sure this event has been a bit of a shock, aye?¡± He took a small sip of his ale. ¡°Unfortunate that we must meet under such dire circumstances. I¡¯d love to hear of your part of the battle from your own words. I was unable to meet you at the time, but from what Adrien and his group told me, you fought against quite the foe. Care to elucidate for me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not much for embellishments, sir, but I suppose I could tell my story a bit.¡± I took a quick sip of my ale before I told the tale. I started with using my companions to help me scout, to help me avoid enemies on the way to the longhouse. As I spoke, a small crowd started to gather around us. I started speaking a touch louder and even more surrounded us. I didn¡¯t go into any details about specific attacks I used, or the fact that I was using spells and not abilities for there was a difference.


    I told them about my short battles with the folks guarding the doors, though I added a bit of flare to make them seem more dangerous. I thought if I told them that the first few fights were over in a handful of movements they might think lesser of me, and they needed someone to look up to for now. Toil often led to a greater story, and so against my own words, I embellished a bit. Then, it came time to talk of the puppetmaster. At this point a few hundred people were listening to the story. It wasn¡¯t a particularly long story, but with my added details and a touch of flare it had taken around ten minutes to get to this point. I added what Luka and Sky had done throughout as well, lifting them and their contributions up to reiterate that it wasn''t only me who intervened, but my companions too.


    And then I recounted the fight with the puppetmaster, my eyes washing over the crowd of people who called this ravaged place home. I talked about how she had used her mana strings to raise the dead bodies of those I had already fought, and how I had been forced to charr the corpses to prevent them from being usable to her again. I told of my regret in doing so, finding out after that they were merely mind controlled by the wench who I fought against. Then, the ending of our battle, where time seemed to slow and I was unable to land a fatal blow against her. How she was equally unable to slay me, but we both left each other to tend to grievous wounds and thoughts of revenge. I lamented her theft of my precious sword, my first weapon.


    As I finished the story, I saw a few faces alight with admiration, a few with sadness, and a few still with anger. Be it at me, or the enemies who had desecrated this place, I knew not. I saw Perry and his family at the edge of the crowd, they had listened to the entire story and Edwin was staring at me in awe. I briefly noticed a notification as I had spoken, but I paid it no mind. There would be time for that later.


    I turned to face Derek once more, who looked at me with an amused smirk, but before we could speak someone grabbed my left arm, just above my stump. I saw the person approach through [Portent] but my intuition told me they were no threat. Even still, as I turned to face them their hand flashed upwards and across my cheek. Standing before me was a middle aged woman with rage in her eyes and tears on her face.


    ¡°You sick bastard! You killed my son! You killed him and burned his corpse and you BRAG about it in front of everyone!¡± she raised her hand to slap me again but Sky growled, giving her pause. The slap had barely stung my face, but I had made no move to stop it even with having ample reaction time. I stood straight at the accusation and looked down at her sympathetically.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I do not brag about his loss.¡± I said softly, but with the quiet that had befallen the city square I had no doubt that most everyone could hear it. Perry started to make his way towards us and Derek went to speak before I had, now he watched and waited. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it seems so, but I do not feel any joy in killing those innocents.¡±


    ¡°You liar! You just told us ALL how you felt. You just spouted of the whole story for all of us to hear. Well, what did you lose? Your arm? I lost my fucking son and you are the one who killed him! Sir Weatherlight I demand retribution!¡±


    ¡°Madam, what retribution would you seek? What recompense would be enough?¡± Derek spoke before I could defend myself. For a moment my heart dropped, and I felt suddenly tired. She wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, I had killed seven people that day. Seven mind controlled enemies who threatened the people in this town, but they were innocents under the mind magic.


    ¡°No, We will not punish Sir Lios for his deeds. He, his companions, they are the reason that you draw breath. Your son, and all those others that wore the mask, were not able to be saved. The woman who controlled them, the very person Lios here fought with his life on the line, had implanted a kill switch the moment the spell was dispelled. We had captured three such people and attempted to heal them, to bring them back, only for them to suffer and perish. So no, there will be no recompense and you would do well to understand that Lios here is not the one who murdered your child, it was the people who came here to sacrifice you all. Nobody else, understand?¡±


    The silence persevered for several moments before the woman broke down crying on the steps leading to the monolith, where I had told my story. A few others approached nervously and started to comfort her, and she refused to look in my direction. Derek looked my way with a sorrowful expression before sighing. He raised his tankard and called out to the crowd, ¡°While we grieve let us raise our glasses in thanks for the heroes who saved this town. Without them many more may have perished, many more would be saying their goodbyes today. Let us raise our glasses with pride and a vow to rebuild! A vow to take Linden back to its former glory! On my name as a Wetherlight, I vow to stay here until the reconstruction is completed and this city glows as it once did, and I am able to do so because young Lios and his party arrived in time to save this city!¡±


    With that a large number of folk raised their glasses and took a hefty drink, myself included. I was still a bit shaken by what the woman had said. Sky, feeling my thoughts, licked the cheek that had just been slapped, having to wriggle a bit to reach it as she turned around on my shoulder. I sighed after my drink and fell into a silence, waiting for more folk to approach and tak their grief out on me as the woman went away with her friends, still angry but mayhap not at me.


    Derek, instead, turned and started walking toward one of the few functioning taverns. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a talk in private, shall we?¡±


    I nodded mutely, wondering how many adventurers my party had killed that day, how many of them were innocent like that womans child. I followed Derek into the combination of stone and wood building, a tudor style construction with white walls held up by wooden braces and a stone foundation. It had glassless window, though I supposed most buildings in linden had those now. I figured glass was likely too expensive to repair in every building.


    We took a seat in the fairly full tavern, having found an unoccupied booth in a corner. I was finally able to set down the avian leg I was given by some thankful teen and hold my ale comfortably. I cracked my fingers against the wood, wondering what Derek wanted to talk to me about. I didn¡¯t have to wait long. For a few moments, though, we simply sat and watched folk get drunk, play games, chitchat and eat. The din of the tavern was welcome after the uncomfortable silence that had fallen outside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay that woman any mind.¡± Derek said after we had nearly finished our drinks. He raised a hand up to get the attention of a barmaid, who nodded and stepped behind the bar to fill two more cups. ¡°The regular folk, they¡¯ll never understand the type of decision you had been forced to make. They¡¯ll never understand the moment of realization after you¡¯ve killed people who are supposed to be evil only to find out they weren¡¯t there by choice. Its a tough life. Its a good life, adventuring, but it is difficult. Less so, I¡¯d say, than being a soldier of some sort but still difficult. We tend to glorify it, and so too do the people, but there are a lot of difficult moments, and a lot of people who need someone to be angry at. You didn¡¯t kill her son, or the others, they died when they started killing their own. When they were taken from their own minds and replaced with puppets. So don¡¯t pay her any mind.¡±


    I listened in silence at his rambling, it seemed this was as much for him as it was for me. He was a bit long winded but over all I agreed with him. ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t my fault that the man died, I still have his blood on my sword. I still burned the body beyond recognition. It was a strategic move, but I can understand that womans and any others reluctance to laud me as a hero. I hardly deserve such a title, I did what anyone would have if they found a city in peril.¡±


    ¡°We both know that isn¡¯t true. How I wish it were, but the world is not filled with brave or good people. It¡¯s filled with people just trying to get by, and people trying to gain power by any means necessary. Filled with hatred and anger and so much more. Anyway, I wouldn¡¯t want to beat a dead delogia so I¡¯ll end that conversation here, aye.¡± He smiled at the barmaid as she approached with some more drinks and a platter of food. It was simple as one would expect from a tavern. As he made a move to pay she shook her head.


    ¡°Mr. Weatherlight, its a time to celebrate not empty the coin purse. Besides, how could Lonnis live with ¡®imself if he charged the heroes of Linden? That goes for you too Mr. Lios!¡± She seemed a bit shy despite her words, her voice trailing off a little bit like she wanted to say more but stopped herself.


    ¡°Noted. Thank you.¡± Derek waved her off, tilting his head somewhat. ¡°I actually knew the woman that you fought, if my guess at her identity is correct. She was to be my betrothed, an arranged marriage. We were both the children of dukes, both nobility. We needed to ¡®Strengthen the bloodline¡¯ or some nonsense. My father, at first was against the idea but he came around over time despite me not getting along well with Arabelle.


    ¡°You see, her family and mine are very different. The Fontaine family believes in power over people. They think that if one has power they should be above the laws held for peasants. If you have power you should use it, even if using it brings harm to the less fortunate of this world. That you should hoard knowledge and wealth such that nobody else can rise to power beside you. My family on the other hand, we think that knowledge should be shared. That those with power should protect those without. We spend frivolously on our peoples, granted we do still hoard a fair amount of wealth, but we try to uplift our communities as much as possible.¡±


    I listened carefully, the moment he mentioned the person I had fought I couldn¡¯t help but pay attention. I felt like Derek didn¡¯t have many confidants here, I didn¡¯t see him with any adventurer¡¯s or family. It was just him putting out the fires caused by the massacre, alone. The lords wife didn¡¯t seem the most helpful sort either, granted I had barely seen her. That could just be my prejudice against those of the upper classes.


    ¡°Arabelle and I, we were like oil and water. We were not a good match, but we both accepted responsibility for our families. We both wanted to do right by them, and to grow them. To bare an heir for them. We had already discussed having separate lovers and bedrooms. We already had our own adventuring parties. We had tried to go to the Wastes together once but we both disagreed so heavily with each other we started a fight that lured a dozen monsters to our location. Then, one day, she didn¡¯t return from the wastes. One person came back and the rest had vanished. The person who returned was broken, his mind twisted. Barely coherent and unable to form a cohesive thought. We tried to dispel the curse that was placed on him, but once we did his mind collapsed on itself. We were left with a blubbering mess.¡±


    The older man trembled slightly at the memory, rubbing a thumb aimlessly on the outside of the tankard before him. ¡°I quickly recognized the spell that had wrapped itself around him. Arabelle and I had talked in length about her secondary class, about how it was unethical to use. She promised me she would find a way to get a different one, to replace it. To sunder her secondary class. When she was a simple puppetmaster it was fine, pulling strings was different from manipulating minds. Her particular class needs some time to become effective. She can sometimes control a mind without so much time but it expends a fair amount of mana. No, she manipulated her entire group and forced them into the wastes. I¡¯m sure of it now but she likely sacrificed them, forced the one who escaped to provide an alibi for her by claiming she was dead, and joined with a cult of murderers.¡±


    He ended the story there and we sat quietly for a few moments while I absorbed this. I looked up at him to see his eyes were a bit misty, he wasn''t ready to cry but he was feeling some emotion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss in this. It sounds like you didn¡¯t like her much but you still cared for her, so I¡¯m sorry you lost someone you care about too. We¡¯ll find this cult, you know, and we will put a stop to them. I don¡¯t know how or when but they won¡¯t get away with what they¡¯ve done.¡±


    After that, we drank and shared a few stories. Well, mostly he shared stories. We soon had a small group surrounding us, asking us questions about our adventures. These were people who grew up and lived around adventurers. They had already heard all of the stories through their years, but they needed distraction. Luka and Sky let dozens of people pet them, adoring the praise and attention. One woman whipped out a brush and started brushing their fur, and Sky sent me an ¡®order¡¯ to purchase a brush when I next had the chance. That was fair, their fur was knotted and it was a struggle at first, but once it was all untangled they loved it.


    Eventually, heartfelt moments and dark conversations past, I found my way back to my own tavern. I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow and dreamed dark dreams. I dreamed of the woman, Arabelle apparently, taunting me. She laughed at me, telling me that I killed them, the people who were mind controlled. She named names, the ones that I had read on the monolith. And not just a few, but most of them. All that I could remember, which was most things that I had seen due to [Distant Recollections]. She showed me the faces of the survivors twisting in rage at my part of killing their brothers and children. In my dream, I was unable to think clearly. My heart hurt, my skull pounded. Tears rolled down my cheeks and guilt filled me, despite me telling myself it wasn''t my fault.

 B2 Ch8 Focused Forging

    The next evening I found myself back at the adventurers guild. Perry and I had left early in the morning, said our goodbyes and went back to Ironfell. During the carriage ride I resumed studying runes, trying to focus only on those that I felt would be useful for the enchantment I had in mind. I also asked Perry a few questions about dungeons.


    I found out dungeons were entirely man made. They were fueled by a combination of the essence in the air - the substance that provides people with experience - mana, and physical materials. When I asked how it was profitable, Perry explained that people charged for admittance and used the majority of the money recovered to sink more resources into it. It was also explained that the monsters and beasts within the dungeon would be consumed by the dungeon itself. Half of the energy that they would normally impart upon a subject would be consumed as well.


    Most dungeons also were set up with a failsafe, should a person get fatally injured within or even die, dungeons would often spit them back out at least partially healed. Because of all these factors, dungeons were considered a safe and easy way to level up and gain experience, but they were a much slower way to level up as well. Danger was, after all, a factor in how quickly a person could level.


    When I returned to the guild hall I went straight to sleep. The trip here, on my shoddy night of sleep, had taken a lot out of me. This night wasn¡¯t much better. The nightmare wasn''t quite as bad as it had been the night prior, but it wasn¡¯t great. I woke in the middle of the night to cold sweats and gasping breaths, Luka and Sky waking as well to check up on me. I spent the rest of the night working on my fire enchantment. I had figured out about eighty percent of the runes while riding earlier, and would likely need another full day to complete what I had intended.


    The weapon needed some amount of self repair function, durability, and some amplification of magics. I also wanted a touch of it to contain a wind based active spell that could further amplify the magic I wanted to use. I also wanted it to maintain some sharpness. I was worried a bit that the metal itself wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to maintain such an enchantment, or that it may degrade over time, but given the nature of both metals I intended to use, especially with their mana conductivity properties, it should be fine. I had enough material for several swords, the first two would of course be practice with the last, or best quality of the three as the one I¡¯d keep. Along with that, I expected I¡¯d have plenty of scrap or spare metal to play with.


    In the morning I sat down with Rose and Eva and ate breakfast. The duo was heading out into the plains in order to find some herbs and hunt some beasts for a couple of guild quests. They didn¡¯t extend an invite but I didn¡¯t disparage them for it. After they left, I sat at the bar and resumed my self study, working out the last few quirks of the enchantment. I drew out the rune circles on a spare piece of paper, having to be incredibly careful while doing so in order to ensure I didn¡¯t mess up any individual runes.


    I performed any tests that I could with it, sending mana through the circle to activate it, weaving my mana through the runes to establish continuity. There was only so much I could do to prepare it, so it was with a small amount of nervousness that the following morning I approached the empty forge. It had been another sleepless night, and after waking from the abating nightmare I stayed up to triple and quadruple check the weapon. I went to the forge with enough material to make a single sword, excluding the wood for the scabbard and handle.


    I was shocked to arrive prior to the guild smith but I wasn''t put off by it. It would be nice to work on my own as I figured out how to smith with a single hand. I had removed the wyrm scales within my [Ephemeral Forge] and replaced them with the metal I would be using. One ingot of mana steel and an ingot of infernal iron sat within the subspace beside the lumina stones I wanted to use for the pommel and cross guard.


    I stood before the unlit forge and sighed slightly. There were some coals still warm from the previous day that I used to light the rest of them as I pumped the bellows. After a few minutes of pumping them, providing air to the forge, I turned to Sky. ¡°Sky, how about we practice some wind magic too? Can you keep the air flowing in the forge to keep the coals warm? Not too much though. And let me know if you start to get tired, I can always manually pumped air in.¡±


    ¡°Yes Big Brother!¡± she readily agreed. At that point, I set the ingots into the forge to warm. The iron would take a bit longer, being of the fire element it had a much higher softening point. As I waited for the metal to become ready to work, I turned to Luka who was staring at me expectantly.


    ¡°Hmm... Luka, do you think it would be possible to create a hand or a way to hold the metal when I need to hammer it? You¡¯ll need to move it as I tell you to.¡± I looked at the fox with a tilted head, wondering if that would even work. But I felt his eagerness to help as well, and knew even if it took a while to get used to he would do it, and he would learn to help on the forge.


    ¡°Yes Papa! I can,¡± His adolescent voice echoed in my mind as though he had yelled.


    ¡°Wonderful. Then lets get started.¡± I removed my shirt, not wanting to ruin it even though it had self repair enchantments, and pulled the red hot bar of mana steel from the forge.


    Luka held it for me with an earthy tendril, and I started to work to flatten it. I needed to create several fairly even sheets of this metal and the iron, embed the runes on each sheet, and combine them into a single billet. It was going to be tedious work, but I enjoyed it. Once the billet was made, I¡¯d need to fold the damascus over itself after flattening it once more and etching it with runes. Only after I could still feel the magic staying strong, not releasing itself, could I forge the blade itself.


    And so we got started. I slammed the hammer into the metal, using its enchantment to keep the metal heated. I expended some mana to do so, but soon we had a flat sheet of metal. I used a chisel, one of the ones I¡¯d made at Prisma¡¯s forge, to cut the sheet into several smaller ones. Once I had four quarter inch thick sheets of steel I began to hammer the runes into them, when I had an idea. I wasn¡¯t positive it would work, but if it did it would expedite the process significantly.


    I had a skill called [Compendium Actualization]. Its description specified that I could start a dance I had already completed before, but nothing about [Runesmithing]. I didn¡¯t expect it to work easily, but I thought there was a chance to etch a slew of runes at once if I could figure out how to make it work with forging. And so, I tried to activate it using flame mana. As my hammer swung down, I envisioned the first circle, five runes, of the enchantment in my mind. My skills worked in tandem to ensure that the runes in my mind were perfect, that they were correctly built.


    As the hammer crashed down, I felt a harsh spur of fire mana escape my mana channels, and I felt [Compendium Actualization] try to activate, to take hold. I gasped for air as it seemed confused, unwilling to do as I wanted. But when I looked down, a single line of the rune had been etched. It was only a tiny sliver of a rune, perhaps as small as one fifth, but that was a significant amount when I had expected none. I was trying to do two things, first I was twisting the skill itself to follow my whim, letting instinct and experience guide it. When I usually used the skill I didn¡¯t have to think much of what I was doing, I simply selected a spell from the compendium and willed my mana to take that shape. The second thing I was attempting was getting the fire mana inside of me to follow my will, and to my surprise it readily headed my call. My mana channels felt warm, but not quite on fire, as the mana pushed out of me.


    This, however was different. The mana wouldn¡¯t surround me, all of the mana that I was imparting on the world had to come from one focal point, the head of my Flame Forger, and had to etch itself upon the impact zone. I felt that the etching was the hard part. Generally, when I created a spell it was me leaving wisps of mana in the seemingly open air or the surface of the soil. Here, instead, I was attempting to force that rune, that mana, to become one with the metal I was working with. I was pressing the magic into it, carving through it.


    I felt for the skill and instantly knew it would be several minutes before I could try again. Sighing, I kept hammering, Flame Forger raining down on the sheets of metal. It had been a while since I last worked in the smithy, and it didn¡¯t help that I needed a second party to hold the metal as instructed, so I was a touch clumsy at first. Still, the dexterity stat helped. I was, at this point, much more dexterous than the average human from earth, and even the greatest athletes. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I could do gymnastics and walk a tightrope but still.


    I thought about these things as I etched one hundred and twenty five runes to each of my four plates, sweat dripping down my face and sparks burning at my bare chest and arm. Every ten minutes or so I activated [Compendium Actualization] and tried to focus on what I was doing. The second and third time I used it yielded the same results as the first. On the fourth I saw a slight improvement, two lines of a rune were etched in a single blow. At this point I had just finished the second of four plates, and the infernal iron I was heating was still not ready to work so I continued. I asked Sky to warm to forge even more, to pour mor gentle but firm air into the coals.


    At some point I registered another person entering the forge, likely the guild smith. I paid them no mind and they minded me none either. Through [Portent] I felt him watching with some amount of amusement as the foxes helped me to forge my blade. Not that I had much of a blade yet, two hours into forging and I hadn¡¯t even made a billet yet to stretch into the shape of a sword. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The fifth through the tenth attempts to speed up the forging process only yielded two lines each. Despite that, each time I used it felt easier. By the time I struck a plate with the eleventh activation, a full half of a rune appeared on the plate and I nearly leapt for joy. I held myself back, instead settling to finish the rest of the runes on the plate and take a step back for a short break. I collected my waterskin and took a hearty gulp before cupping my hand and pouring some in for Sky and Luka. It had been over an hour since the other person had entered my field of vision.


    She was burly, for a woman, but it was expected of a smith. Smithing took a certain amount of strength and practice. Her dark skin had pale white lines etched into it, poorly healed injuries from the looks. She had a pretty face despite a jagged scar running from the corner of her left eye to her upper lip, about a quarter inch from the edge of it. She looked up as I sat down for a moment, petting the foxes and wishing I had had the mind to get a brush for them. Small metal shavings and bits of cooled embers were embedded in their fur.


    ¡°Do ya need a bowl for em? There''s one o¡¯er there with some scrap metal bits in it, you can use that.¡± Her voice was every bit as husky and deep as I expected. I nodded my thanks and got up, my back creaking a little bit.


    After filling the bowl, taking a few extra drinks myself, and refilling my own waterskin I returned to the forge. Thankfully, the woman didn¡¯t take my brief respite as an invitation to spark a long conversation. She understood I was here to work, and that I needed to focus, much as she likely did. I noticed she was spending time repairing equipment that had been left on a shelf near the entry to the forge. It made sense, that was likely how she made the most of her money. It was cheaper for most to repair armor rather than to purchase new pieces.


    When I returned to my work, the iron plate was finally ready for me to start forging. I quickly flattened it, expending a bit of mana through Flame Forger as I did so to impart a bit of extra heat. I heard notifications in the background, but was too focused and too intent to pay them any mind. They were a crutch anyway. I turned them off to save myself from distraction. After telling the foxes to tell me when they needed a rest, I split the bar of infernal iron into four sheets, exactly the same as the steel, and set three of them in the forge to stay heated as I worked on the fourth.


    One the twentieth attempt to use [Actualization] I forged a full rune. I was improving quickly, it was nowhere near the amount I could create if I was dancing, but it was progress. Normally a single full rune would take five strikes, reducing that to one was huge to the process. Sure, I was striking the metal several times a minute, once every second even, but that was still relatively slow. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the work by growing impatient, and so I continued at a set pace.


    Soon after that attempt, both Luka and Sky began to anticipate my needs and I no longer had to ask or tell them what to do. They weren¡¯t smiths by any means, but they made for excellent helpers. I sent feelings of gratitude to them both and promised a trip to a bath and plenty of treats for helping me. Shoot, I¡¯d even walk into the city square and buy them any food they wanted, if they even knew what they wanted.


    A few other people came through the forge and started working. Some of them made comments to each other about me, about the foxes, but I paid them no mind. It was nothing negative, just idle amusement. In total there were three forges with four anvils each, a total of twelve spaces for guild members to rent out and do their work. I wasn¡¯t sure how late in the day it had gotten, but soon enough a bit over half of the spaces were filled. Some of the newcomers chatted amongst each other, talking about their projects as they stretched or waited for their metals to heat up. One person attempted to approach me and ask why my metal and tools were see through, but I ignored them for the time being, I was too focused. They didn¡¯t seem too put off by it.


    Soon, by the thirtieth attempt of using [Actualization] I had etched each of my eight plates with runes. I layered them carefully, then used a high melting point metal to quickly weld them together and welded a scrap piece of mana steel to the side, something to hold onto with the tongs as I worked. I cut the billet in half, using the pair of ingots provided enough metal for two swords, changing my calculations for the amount of material I had purchased. That was okay with me, though. I knew I¡¯d lose a bit of metal as I worked it. The metal would flake especially as I brushed it, keeping it clean of impurities. Instead of three blades I realistically had enough material for five of them, four if I was unlucky. Well, that¡¯s why I had purchased so much material in the first place, to give me plenty of opportunities to craft the sword I wanted.


    I began flattening the billet, breaking the weak enchantment I had previously etched into it. Since there were several instances of the same enchantment, a fair bit of the magic stayed and before it vanished into the aether I worked towards rewriting it. This was a fair bit less tedious than prepping the plates in the first place, but it was still a slog. I had to re etch one hundred and twenty five runes, fold the metal over itself, then flatten it again and restart. Over and over. This happened perhaps ten times before the enchantment stayed when I flattened the billet for the final time. I re-etched the runes a final time, better safe than sorry, and began forging the blade itself.


    I was hours into the project at this point. A few of the adventurers had left, two were sitting and chatting as they observed the rest of us still working. The woman who had first arrived was still there. It seemed she had finished her consignments because now she was barking orders and teaching novice smiths who were trying tot get into the craft. I tried not to chuckle as she worked them, yelling at them whenever they messed up with a small smirk on her lips, until they turned to her and her scowl returned.


    After that, I rebuilt the billet and started working to stretch the metal out. Luka and Sky still hadn¡¯t asked for a break, despite not having breakfast and now likely missing lunch. I carefully worked the blade, giving Sky time to rest as I didn¡¯t need her to keep the coals warm anymore, Flame Forger kept the blade warm enough to work as fire spurt out upon each strike. I felt my mana waning, the draw of [Portent] plus forging and etching runes seemed too much. Still, with headache budding, we worked to finish the blade. Well, finish shaping it anyway.


    Finally, hours from when we started though still with the sun high in the sky, the blade was complete. I panted as I stepped back, letting it cool on the anvil. It was a pretty blade and it had yet to be polished or heat treated, yet to be bathed in oil or acid. As I stepped back for a breath I deactivated [Portent] in order to start gaining some mana.


    ¡°Impressive work, still a bit more to do aye?¡± The woman approached as I poured more water into the bowl for the foxes. ¡°Helga, by the by.¡±


    ¡°Lios, a pleasure.¡± I reached out with my greasy hand and shook hers. Her grip was firm and strong, what one would expect from a smith of her tenure, and covered in callouses. ¡°And yeah, but perhaps that can wait till after lunch.¡±


    She started laughing as she let go of my hand. A long laugh, one that brought tears to her eyes. ¡°Lunch? Tis a bit late for that aint it? Lunch was served two hours ago. Still, you''re too early for dinner now. I¡¯m sure ol¡¯ Garth can whip somethin up for ye.¡± She wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at me.


    ¡°I know I know, I got distracted is all.¡± I laughed with her a bit before turning toward the guild proper. I summoned all of the parts to the [Ephemeral Forge] including the half finished glowing orange blade, and walked toward the dining room. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon enough to finish the thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh I have no doubts. Completing a weapon in a single day is a fair feat.¡± She laughed again before returning to her trainees and calling out to them to get back to work.


    True to my word, I went and had a quick meal, getting plenty of extra meat for the foxes. Then, I went and collected the wood and a scrap piece of svertim and shoved them into my subspace, smiling as it felt like I could hold much more now than when I¡¯d started the project. I stopped myself from pulling up my status sheet and returned to the forge, only half an hour after leaving it. My mana was only partially recovered, but it was enough to continue working.


    I placed the blade into the forge and did the same with the scrap of svertim. I wanted to use it as the cross guard of the blade, give it a pop of bronze coloration. As they heated I started to cut a hole into a small pieces of the entoak for the handle. I etched a five rune circle into the handle to ensure the handle wouldn¡¯t easily slip out of the wielders grasp then finally pulled the blade from the forge, having heated it enough for heat treating, before plunging it into a barrel of oil near the forge. The oil lit up instantly, the surface burning as the blade cooled rapidly. Taking the blade out after several minutes I ran a file over its surface. Seeing that no marks were made by the file, I nodded with satisfaction.


    I finished shaping the cross guard, leaving a couple of open settings for the small lumina stones. I etched it quickly with a five rune enchantment to allow mana to either enter or exit the stones, to power the enchantments of the sword should the wielder run out. Before fitting the cross guard or the handle, however, the blade had to be plunged into a tube of acid for a few moments to bring out the damascus look. Otherwise, it¡¯d still function fine but would lose some of the beauty that damascus brought on with its strange patterns.


    I hadn¡¯t been overly intentional with how I wanted the pattern to look, I¡¯d worry about that the next time. The pattern would still be pretty of course, as I found out after completing the etching. I pulled it from the acid and wiped the blade down with a grease cloth. Once clean I pulled it from [Ephemeral Forge] and gasped excitedly. The blade of the bastard sword was pretty. Swirling red contrasted shimmering blue of the mana steel. The blue was a bit overpowered by the infernal iron, the iron glowing warmly like magma or coals.


    I felt some of the others admiring it as well as I put in the finishing touches, fitting the cross guard and handle carefully. Once they were set, hammered on with some glue to hold them tight, I worked on the pommel, using the last bit of the tang to create a setting for the larger lumina stone. Once it was ready, I pushed the stones into the three settings and grinned as they fit perfectly, using tines of metal to wrap around them. I took a few extra moments to sand then stain and polish the handle, and a few moments more to polish and sharpen the blade on a grindstone, aware of the observers despite not having [Portent] active.


    Once I felt the blade was complete I set to working on the scabbard, taking two half inch planks of wood and using a chisel to carve out the general shape of the longsword then using the sword as a guide to finish the rest. I would enchant the scabbard later, but for the time being I was ready to be done with the project. I sighed in relief as I held the scabbard before me, completed and stained, taking on a beautiful pale stain that matched the handle. I had considered a reddish color, but felt that with the blade shimmering red that it may be too much. Especially with red stones as well.


    I sheathed the blade and let out a tired sigh, glad to complete it as I stretched and cracked my back, sternum, shoulders, elbows and knees. My body ached but it felt good. It had been too long since I was able to just set about on a project and see it to completion. My stretching was interrupted by an impatient Helga.


    ¡°Well, is it done? What does it do? I stopped everyone from appraising it. The smith should always be the first to do so.¡±


    ¡°Fine Fine, Give me a second.¡± I responded playfully and activated my skill, holding the sword before me still sheathed. My eyes widened at the result.

 B2 CH9 Shrouded

    Unnamed Longsword


    A sword crafted within a maelstrom forge by Alexilios, The Hero of Linden


    Infernal Aura: The user may provide mana or use the lumina stones attached to the weapon to creat a flaming aura hot enough to melt infernal iron (will not damage the metal of the blade)


    Magnify Conflagration: This weapon can be used as a focus for flame based magic and skills and will amplify such skills to a veritable degree.


    Infernos embrace: passively grants the wielder protection from the flames conjured by the blade


    I stared at it for a few moments, reading through it and realizing that Infernos Embrace was the addition added by [Maelstrom Modification]. I had worried a bit about what it would do, if it would add something that was antithesis to the weapon but it seemed that using fire mana on infernal iron was enough to manipulate the enchantment to be a beneficial one. And beneficial it was, I hadn¡¯t thought about protecting the wielder from their own flames.


    After taking probably too long considering the weapon I turned to Helga and her students. She looked at me expectantly, almost impatiently. I sighed and tilted my head at her. ¡°What are ya waiting for, check it out?¡± I saw her smirk a little bit as he eyes flashed with mana. A few of the novice¡¯s did the same but the rest didn¡¯t seem to have the skill.


    One muttered ¡°Hero of linden?¡± And started whispering to one of the teens beside him. There was only a single girl in the group, unsurprisingly. The trade was heavily dominated by men, much like adventuring.


    ¡°Three enchantments? What the hells...¡± Another started to say before catching my smirk and glancing away.


    ¡°Impressive for a smith so young! May I ask what your smithing class is at Lios? I understand if you don¡¯t want to share.¡± Helga asked with raised brows as she approached me. She reached out as if asking to hold the blade. I passed it over, sheath and all, and watched as she slowly drew it halfway from its housing taking a look at the swirling pattern of red and blue.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t mind. Level twenty one when I started, unsure if it rose from crafting this though.¡±


    Her eyes flashed from the sword to me in shock. ¡°Level twenty one and you''re making a sword like this? Who trained you? The dwarves? Thats the only way...¡± She trailed off and pulled the scabbard off entirely, grinning as a blast of heat hit her, the passive heat of the metal was enough to char the inside of the scabbard. I¡¯d need to put a heat resistant enchantment on it on the morrow.


    ¡°Oh, no dwarves. I was trained by Derren of Arborton.¡± I shrugged a bit, glad that the blade turned out so well. I was ready for a bath, however. ¡°Apologies, I need to go and get some food and needed rest.¡± She nodded and handed back the weapon which I attempted to store in the [Forge] but was unable to. I sighed and rushed it up to my room, letting it remain there before I went back downstairs, saw Eva and Rose at a table and walked over.


    ¡°No, Lios! You smell of sweat. And where is your shirt. No sitting here till you¡¯re clean!¡± Rose said immediately as I approached, soot covering my sweaty body.


    Eva reacted even worse, glaring at me as she went to pet Sky and pulled metal shavings and shards from her fur. ¡°Lios! What did you do to poor Sky. And Luka. Did you throw them in the forge? They''re covered in soot!¡±


    ¡°Actually, no I didn¡¯t throw them in the forge. They helped me make a sword. But thats what I wanted to talk about. Do you know of any bathhouse that would let me take them with me? Preferably somewhere affordable. And where I could get a brush for them? I realized recently I had been neglecting that the past several months away from Arborton.¡± I blushed at Evas furious gaze and Rose¡¯s judgment. I swallowed a bit, noticing a few adventurers were chuckling at my chastizing.


    ¡°I could use a bath. Wanna come Eva? I know a place that may let us in.¡± Rose announced as she stood up. It was still a bit early for supper but she had a tankard before her that she promptly downed.


    Eva stood up and scooped Sky into her arms, still glaring at me as I followed them out. Luka, jealous, jumped into Rose¡¯s arms despite her protesting about his sooty body. Rose led us to the edge of the city, near the west gate, the one opposite the Dread Wastes. We approached a dingy looking bathhouse, but I could see the steam rising in the back and the smell of soap and shampoo. It would do, especially if they let me bring the foxes. There was no sign with a name above the door, as though they couldn¡¯t be bothered to advertise past word of mouth.


    ¡°Kanna! Heyyy.¡± Rose called out as we entered the shack that acted as a reception area. A young looking tiger beastfolk looked up and grinned at Rose before her eyes fell on the dirty fox in her arms, then at me.


    ¡°Rose! Eva! Welcome back. And you brought... friends?¡± She tilted her head glancing at the pair of foxes then at me again. ¡°Rose you know we don¡¯t have a coed bath yes? The boy will be separated no matter how handsome he is. Rules are rules.¡± She clicked her tongue playfully, taking in my still shirtless self. I hadn¡¯t bothered to don my shirt yet, despite the looks we got on the way here. They may be self cleaning but I still didn¡¯t want to get them dirty.


    Rose rolled her eyes and leaned forward. ¡°My friend here was hoping to find a bath to clean these adorable rascals, and himself. No need for coed, but Eva and I will take the foxes. They don¡¯t need to bathe with those nasty old men in there. The gals will appreciate them more.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why will you take-¡±


    ¡°I will not hear it Lios! We are taking them to make sure they are properly bathed. Knowing boys you¡¯d just dunk them in the water and barely soap em!¡± She whipped toward me and gave me a feisty growl. The tone she took held no room for protest so I simply nodded, ignoring her adorable expression. ¡°Good! Three baths please, is it extra for the foxes? He¡¯s paying!¡±


    She rushed through the door labeled for women before I could protest, Eva following after. I sighed and reached into my coin purse. ¡°How much for the five of us?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be a silver a piece. Thank you for the patronage. The boys bath is through that door. Please rinse off a bit before entering the bath proper, there are buckets and cloths to do so, after that feel free to soak for a bit. Don¡¯t mind the old fellows, they¡¯re here often.¡±


    I nodded, thanked her and went to the bath. After rinsing down I settled on the bench and finally took a look at my skill and class level ups, grinning as I did so. While it wasn''t a rule, classes tended to gain new skills at fairly regular intervals. For secondary classes, a lot of them gained skills every twenty five levels for the first evolution, with a high variance after. I hoped to reach level twenty five in the class, granted that would require me gaining four full levels.


    Because the sword took a number of my skills to create, as well as an exorbitant amount of preparation, I felt that it would provide five or six levels if I was lucky. The fact that I had successfully cast an enchanted weapon also helped to boost my levels further. Even after all of that I worried that It wasn¡¯t enough to raise my level that much. I had only created one item, after all. I took a deep breath and soaked in the pool. The older gents were masked by steam and while they had greeted me, and I them, they minded their own business. I opened my status, ready to see the notifications and a blue screen appeared before me.


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 79-->101


    [Class Skills]


    ...


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:38-->54


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 21-->28


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:21-->28


    [Runeweaving] LVL:21


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:21-->28


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:21-->28


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:19--> 25


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:21--> 22


    X4 Unavailable


    I breathed heavily in relief, seeing that my class had increased further than I had expected. Given that this was likely an epic class, per the adventurers guilds classification, I was a little surprised to see it go up by so much. Perhaps it was a larger feat than I expected to craft a sword, especially one using [Runesmithing] and resulting in having four individual abilities. The weapons description didn¡¯t even include the durability, self repair, or persistent grip enchantments that I had etched it with.


    A blinking in the corner of my vision told me that some of the other notifications I had put off weren¡¯t related to level ups. I was hopeful that it was an offering of a new skill or even an upgrade, though I wasn¡¯t sure what skill would have upgraded. I closed my full status and pulled up the other notifications.


    The skill [Detect Metal] is now available for your class [Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom]


    [Detect Metal]: A wandering smith is likely to find themselves deep beneath the earth or in the mountains. Detect Metal is a passive skill to allow the wandering smith to feel metal around them. It will not inform the user what metals are near them, but will simply reveal the location. Is not more powerful than warding spells or enchantments.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I quickly added it to the class, wondering how useful it would wind up being. I still hadn¡¯t done all that much ¡®wandering¡¯, despite it evidently having some implications within both of my classes. I had traveled, sure, but wandering felt different to me. Even still I could see it being useful as I added it to the list.


    Immediately I was inundated with the knowledge that metal was all around me. The spouts for the bath, the bowl that held coals that heated the water we poured in, the buckets themselves. I sensed a mans golden tooth, and another mans unfortunately placed piercings. I did not need to know old man Jenkins over there had nipple rings, or that his buddy had one that made me wince just thinking about it. Seriously, and piercings didn¡¯t even seem all that common as a fashion accessory.


    The instant overload of information made me clutch my eye, not because my eye itself hurt but the headache sprang up from behind it. I trembled for a moment as I took a deep breath, my [Pain Resistance] helping me out alongside [Meditation]. One of the nearby patrons, an old man with a touch of metal in his knee, turned to look at me in concern but I quickly waved him off.


    I stayed in the bath for a few more minutes, making sure I was sufficiently clean and that my new skill wouldn¡¯t distract me and cause me to trip as I tried to manipulate it. I couldn¡¯t. Unlike other passives, I couldn¡¯t toggle it off or expand its range by thinking about it. I couldn¡¯t filter out different metals, only sense them. I could, however, register a few properties of the metals, which is why I knew the one man had a golden tooth. Mostly, just the density of the material and the softness of it.


    Soon, I left the bath and got clothed, finally putting on my soft silk purple shirt and black silk pants. I stepped out and back into the reception area to see Kanna kneeling down and petting both of the fully dried, poofy furred and pampered foxes. Luka and Sky relished the attention, and clearly had enjoyed their bath. I glanced up at the women and smiled.


    ¡°Thanks for taking care of them. You''re right, you probably pampered them more than I¡¯d have especially cuz I needed to scrub my skin off myself.¡±


    ¡°No problem, they were filthy Lios. Be better!¡± Eva teased much to my shock. Usually it would be Rose, but it felt like Eva wasn¡¯t quite so... bitchy as the aura she gave off. I grinned at the playfulness and started walking toward the door.


    ¡°Thanks, Kanna! We will probably be back on the morrow. More smithing to do, after all.¡±


    We said our goodbye to her before leaving. Rose glanced over at me curiously. ¡°I thought you completed that sword you were working on... Did you lie?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, I just have to make another couple of them. After that, the next few days, I¡¯ll need to enter a dungeon and retrain myself. Haven''t tried fighting with one hand yet. Any dungeons you¡¯d recommend?¡± I shrugged, shocked that Sky was staying with Eva instead of occupying my shoulders. Luka stayed beside me.


    ¡°We planned to do the ¡®Spiders Web¡¯ guild dungeon in two days. If you want we can wait for you for the day after. But only if you buy us drinks for making us wait.¡± Rose said after a few moments of thinking and exchanging a glance with Eva. With [portent] active once more I didn¡¯t miss the nod Eva gave her after a moment of reluctance.


    ¡°Deal. I¡¯d be happy to. Thank you for the invite, I¡¯m eager to see how you both fight.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it, the ¡®Spiders Web¡¯ requires three and companions don¡¯t count for it. It¡¯ll take us all day, most likely, so be prepared to wake before dawn to meet us.¡± Eva said dryly.


    ¡°I see, well thank you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Papa! Smells yummy. Said anything we wanted?¡± Lukas voice rang in my head as we passed by a food vendor. It smelled like roasting meat and I turned toward it.


    ¡°One second, I promised the foxes a treat for all of their hard work. Would you like some?¡± I asked Rose, wondering if there was a vegetarian food vendor nearby. When she nodded after a few moments of deliberating I ordered four orders of sliced meat, shawarma style. Right off the edge of the spit, charred to perfection. I set the foxes on the ground not far from the cart as I looked around and found a vendor selling cups of fruit with some sort of cream, a dessert.


    ¡°Eva, would you like one? It feels rude to buy everyone food when its not something you eat. My treat.¡± I threw a glance at the cart and watched her eyes narrow, before she could protest I sighed. ¡°Come on let me treat you, as a thanks for brushing Sky. She really enjoyed it, she told me so.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t said anything but I knew from the look on her face. Finally, Eva relented and nodded, agreeing to let me buy one for her. I quickly went over, glad that it was just before the dinner rush, and bought a bowl of the dessert for her. When she took a bite her face briefly lit up, but she tried to hide it.


    ¡°Thank you, Lios,¡± She said after the second bite. ¡°Its really yummy. You and Rose should try a bite.¡±


    Rose wasted no time taking the spoon and filling it with both the sweet cream and fruit cubes, taking a large bite and squealing with delight. I took the spoon from her, wishing I¡¯d gotten a second or third one, and took a smaller bite. It was delicious, sugary. It reminded me of sorbet. The flavors exploded in my mouth, complimenting each other. I got a hint of orange and some other citrus fruits that I loved.


    Soon we made our way back to the guild hall and settled down for a meal. We chatted a while, enjoying our cups and food. I had juice rather than ale or mead, wanting to maintain a healthy relationship with the substance. After we parted, I spent a few hours in my room working on an enchantment for a wind attributed weapon. It would be similar to the flame blades enchantments, of course, but not exactly the same.


    It would still have an aura of wind attached to it, as well as an enchantment to send such an aura out toward a foe. But also, I wanted it to help speed up the user itself. Not in the same way as a haste spell but to passively quicken the wielder. It was a complicated enchantment, and difficult to fit within a hundred twenty five runes. But I was confident it could be done. I was able to fit the durability and self repair runes within the first twenty five runes, leaving me with one hundred runes to create a cohesive three part enchantment.


    After putting down the books, I slept. I didn¡¯t have any nightmares this time. Perhaps it was due to me exhausting myself with my focused smithing. I woke up feeling refreshed in a way I hadn¡¯t felt in a while. The foxes protested as I started to move, to get up, wanting to sleep longer. They rose with me anyway. Before I left to work on another weapon I put a heat resistance enchantment on the scabbard, etching it into the entoak. It was only a five rune enchantment but it was fairly simple so it didn¡¯t need much. It drew mana from the atmosphere to work.


    It was still dark out when I began smithing the second sword. I made it exactly the same way as the one the day before, using the same enchantments and everything. I finished it that same day, including the scabbard. The process took an hour less than the first time due to two reasons: one, I was now able to impart two whole runes when I activated my spell, and two I was that much quicker at creating the circles than I had been the day prior.


    The sword was exactly the same, save for two things. The last ability, Inferno¡¯s embrace, was different, confirming that it was provided by [Maelstrom Modification]. The enchantment was still fire related, but in my opinion not quite as useful. It was called ¡°Wildfire¡± and, contrary to the first ability, would cause enemies of the wielder who were struck by the blade to catch fire, but it wasn''t reliable. It didn¡¯t occur on every strike, and it could even spread quicker than one might wish it to. The wielder had no way to control this flame.


    The second difference was on the pattern of the damascus blade. Instead of arbitrarily folding the metal over and over, I did so with intention. What I wound up with was a series of diamonds stretching over the fuller and central ridge of the blade. It was layered with red and blue metals, creating a much cleaner and more symmetrical look over what I had made the day prior. Still, I didn¡¯t like the lack of control from the last enchantment and so I knew I would sell it.


    I completed the last sword quicker than the others as well. It still took most of the day, but an extra hour was cut from the forge process as I became even more accustomed to the routine. My helpers aided in that a lot as well. Each day we returned to the baths, and Rose and Eva even went with when I offered to pay for them. It was only a few silver, which used to seem like a lot to me but now it felt like much less.


    The last sword was different from the others in the same way the second sword had been. This time I went with a pentagon pattern rather than a diamond, it was a bit more difficult to do and I had to practice it with a few bits of scrap, but I felt it would be fitting to set up a signature of sorts. Of course I was still planning to mark the other blades as mine with something more official, but since I was a wielder of maelstrom mana I thought it would be fitting to do something to play to that. I used rune circles starting at five, I wielded five types of mana, and I would soon be seen with five swords of different styles. A pentagon felt right even if it was more difficult and purely aesthetic.


    With this final sword, I decided to design the handle and crossguard a bit more too, hopeful that the last enchantment would make it useable for me for a while. With the entoak, I carved a sort of spiral into it on which I wrote the runes. For the crossguard, I twisted the svertim and had it hold the lumina stones at the end, the tines twirling around it artistically and meeting in a point. The pommel received a similar treatment, giving the final sword a much fancier design than the other two.


    It turned out pretty nice, to be honest. Much better than I had expected. I had become pretty practiced with the crafting of patterns while working for Derren, but still it was nice to see success on a first try. For both this sword and the other, I enchanted the insides of the scabbards rather than etching the outsides, deciding to keep the outside clean and blank. I used the same stain and oil to polish them as well, giving the handle and scabbards a nice contrast from the seemingly - from a distance - purple blades. I even had just enough infernal iron left, already forged into plates, to make another sword and even a dagger. I was simply out of lumina stones for the time being, but I could make something later.


    But the important difference was in the final enchantment. I had yet to look at it with [Arcane Analysis]. I was nervous. I had tried experimenting with [Maelstrom Modification] by trying to add some intention to the final enchantment. I wanted something similar to the first one, inferno¡¯s embrace, but that would also allow the wielder themselves to take on the aura that the blade had. It would likely cost more mana to maintain but would be ever more powerful. With a bated breath I took a look at the sheathed blade, hoping I hadn¡¯t ruined it, and felt mana gather behind my eyes.


    Unnamed Longsword


    A sword crafted within a maelstrom forge by Alexilios, The Hero of Linden


    Infernal Aura: The user may provide mana or use the lumina stones attached to the weapon to create a flaming aura hot enough to melt infernal iron (will not damage the metal of the blade)


    Magnify Conflagration: This weapon can be used as a focus for flame based magic and skills and will amplify such skills to a veritable degree.


    Ignium¡¯s Shroud: A shroud of flame surrounds the user upon the weapon gaining its aura, shielding them from their flames and the flames of others. Those near the user may be burned by the flames of their shroud. The user may grant the aura to anyone in direct contact with them


    I first felt elation at reading the description, before I looked at the name again. Ignium. Who was that? It wasn¡¯t a god amongst the pantheon of Ravos, nor did I recognize it as a historical figure. I gulped a little, nervous. It was a named skill, named after someone or something of such significance that it held despite being enchanted onto my weapon. I wondered who this entity was, and hoped they would not notice that I had likely siphoned a sliver of their power.


    ______________________________________________


    Ignium¡¯s left eye slowly opened. It was slitted like a lizards, with lids coming both from the sides and the top and bottom. Its right eye opened soon after. It had felt a small draw, like a needle pulling blood from its hide. It growled softly, poking at itself with a clawed hand. After finding nothing missing it took a look at its status.


    Its eyes narrowed, flicking back and forth as it scoured the lines of text. The same lines that had been there for millenia. It found that nothing was missing, or added. It frowned and shook its head, ready to give up, before it caught something peculiar.


    [Ignium¡¯s Shroud] LVL 2068-->2067


    Someone, somewhere, had taken a level from it. How, it did not know. It raised its head and let out a roar, shaking the foundation of its cave. It worked hard for its levels, slaying ice elementals and water elementals and all sorts of other things. Its wings unfurled and it crawled to the entrance of its cave, and roared again. Stepping out, it breathed flame on the thing nearest it - a stone elemental. Low level, not even worth the energy Ignium expended to breathe fire. It didn¡¯t know how it would do so, but it wanted to find the one who had stolen from it.


    It flew about in the massive Maelstrom. Not a facsimile of it, but the true Maelstrom. And it slaughtered, it fought against the other elementals in its rage.


    A single entity watched all of this happen, a grin forming on their ever shifting visage.

 B2 Ch 10 I Hate Spiders

    And finally, with sore muscles and a new sword - technically three - I made my way to the tavern area of the guild to grab some breakfast in preparation for my first dungeon run. I made it down before Eva and Rose, and in fact before most of the adventurers. Making my way to a booth along the edge of the room, I waved down Garth curious as to when he ever, if he ever, took a break.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait too long. It was unclear if they awoke naturally or if the nervous bouncing of my leg or the tiptip tapping of my fingers on the table reverberated through the building enough to wake them. Definitely unclear. Unlike her usual attire, Rose wore some armor today. Not much, mind you, but she wore armored robes that I could tell were enchanted. Underneath, I saw hints of metal as well, still unable to toggle the passive. The robes were laced with metal wires that should be able to catch incoming attacks fairly easily. Them being white didn¡¯t appeal to me much, given we were going into a dark dingy dungeon but I didn¡¯t have room to talk. I still had no armor, having not had time to get any.


    Eva was dressed in her usual leathers and even had on some chain maille to cover any areas where skin had been showing, namely her upper arms and lower legs. The legs jangled a touch and I wondered if there was a reason she chose maille over grieves. I was sure she had a reason, so I didn¡¯t ask for the time being.beneath her armor were several weapons, and in her pack were dozens of empty vials with metal stoppers.


    When they arrived at the table, they looked me up and down slowly. I felt Eva¡¯s judgment before she opened her mouth, and Rose¡¯s amusement. ¡°Lios, armor? I knew you lost a sword, but don''t tell me you lost your armor too?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Not quite, it was melted by a sand wyrm before we arrived in town.¡± I scratched the back of my head, my hand brushing against the ponytail I had started wearing recently instead of cutting my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Did you research the dungeon at all? If any of the spiders bite you you could become a liability.¡± Eva¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Rose, I told you he wouldn¡¯t take this seriously.¡±


    ¡°Hey hey Eva, we¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll just have to carry him and make him make it up to us.¡± Rose acted as an intermediary. She sat down across from me and idly pet Luka who approached looking for food. When he found she didn¡¯t have any he came back over to me to shamelessly beg. I was a bit surprised when they begged that they didn¡¯t send telepathic messages. Perhaps because they knew they didn¡¯t need to?


    ¡°Eva, Rose. I understand it seems like I¡¯m being lackadaisical, but I¡¯m not. I just haven¡¯t had time to either do further research or make a new set of armor. I have some materials already but... well, my priority was to make a new weapon.¡±


    As I spoke and tried to assuage their concerns, Garth approached and dropped off their food. It was the same as always, there wasn¡¯t much variance at the guild. We ate for the next little bit, Eva ignoring me but showering Sky with affection because she would approach without needing to hold out a bribe. Just after we finished the food and were getting ready to depart, Eva pointed at the sword on my hip in its pale oak scabbard.


    ¡°Is this where all of your efforts were devoted?¡± Her head tilted as if she were debating between being irate or curious. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you tell us its capabilities. I don¡¯t have an appraisal skill, but I can tell its quite magical, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It is. Here, take a look.¡± I appraised it to bring up its information before sharing it with them both. Neither of them looked particularly shocked but both frowned a bit.


    ¡°The Spiders Web dungeon is within a cavern system. No flames when we are close to each other. Fire is dangerous in caves.¡± Eva glowered at me.


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m aware. If I find a need to use them, I¡¯ll either make sure I¡¯m far from you both or to warn you. It¡¯s not the best weapon for this situation, the next one will be more appropriate. It¡¯s just the first element I was able to work on.¡± I shrugged and pulled down the screen that floated before us. ¡°I haven''t had time to practice with it either, or my swordplay with one arm. I¡¯ll do my best not to inhibit you both, however.¡±


    ¡°Rose, I know we already paid but...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Eva. Besides, I want to see what the Hero of Linden is capable of.¡± Rose turned to me with a sparkle and I groaned at the use of the title. ¡°We can carry him this time. I have a feeling we wont always be able to.¡±


    ¡°So, what level are the spiders, anyway?¡± I asked as we started to walk, following Eva as she shook her head in resignation. My question certainly didn¡¯t earn me any favors. She glared at me for a second before answering.


    ¡°The strongest are around level ninety. Wait, what even is your level? I swear to Ferune AND Protole that if you are not-¡±


    I started laughing at her growing exasperation, much to her displeasure. She wheeled on me in the doorway to the guild. ¡°I¡¯m level one hundred and one in my combat class. Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have laughed you¡¯re right to be concerned. So far I¡¯ve only shown myself as an incompetent ally, but I promise I¡¯ll be of help. The foxes too.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, lets collect Luna and get to the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Luna?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± She replied with a dark smile, meanwhile Rose said nothing simply enjoying the drama.


    A few minutes of walking in an awkward silence later and I met Luna. She was housed in a bestiary to prevent accidents in the city. Luna was, by all accounts, terrifying. As I waited outside and wondered what she could be, I heard loud grunts come from inside of the bestiary. Growls and huffs followed soon after. And then, Eva exited the building holding the door open for a giant bear with white fur. Not a polar bear, but a massive grizzly with white fur.


    Luna was perfectly groomed, which only alleviated about two percent of the terrifying visage she wielded. Her eyes immediately fell onto me with a massive amount of intelligence in them. She sauntered over, every footstep causing the ground to rumble. I raised my hand idly, reaching it up for her to sniff. Luka and Sky stood behind me their fur bristling toward the large beast. I stood my ground and ignored whatever look Eva was shooting my way, more curious about her pet bear than anything else at the moment.


    Luna stopped before me and slowly lowered her head to sniff my hand. When she didn¡¯t attack or anything I moved forward and started to scratch at the side of her face, earning me a chuff of enjoyment. My foxes stopped growling in her direction and moved forward warily to sniff at her paws. Even on all fours Luna was taller than me by two heads, let alone for the tiny foxes.


    ¡°Okay you¡¯ve introduced yourselves. To the dungeon?¡± Eva asked impatiently. She huffed a little making me wonder if she hoped I¡¯d be scared of her companion.


    ¡°To the dungeon!¡± I agreed as Rose spoke in unison. We broke into a fit of giggles that only irritated Eva more before she led us toward a guild controlled building that housed all of their dungeon portals. We approached the portal and gave the attendant our guild cards to verify we were eligible and had indeed reserved the dungeon.


    I watched as everyone else stepped through first, gave the attendant a wry smile, then stepped through unsure what to expect.


    __________________________________________


    The portal felt like walking through an empty doorway. I had expected it to make me nauseous, to give me a feeling of strange movement. A little timey wimey wibbley wobbly or something. But no, much to my consternation, it felt like nothing. I checked my hand to make sure nothing was missing. I thought about checking my jewels too but noticed the gals looking at me in amusement.


    ¡°What? I was expecting.. More, I don''t know.¡± I puffed and they both laughed a little before Eva took on a serious expression, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Okay, Lios, I¡¯ll give you the rundown. We need to be careful. Even the small ones are venomous, and all of them are stealthy. Theres little chance in sneaking up on the spiders due to their powerful senses, which is why its okay for me to wear chain maille. Their webs are sticky and strong, but burn quickly. Be careful with your fire. Rose is our healer, protect her. I will fight with a bow and can fight with a sword, but you are the proper swordsman here.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do my best to protect Rose and keep the spiders attention on me. Luka and Sky can help too. Luka, try to keep an eye on them with your earth sense and Sky, keep a breeze going to sense them, yeah? I¡¯ll keep my own [Portent of the Thaumaturge] active as well. It only has a range of a hundred and fifty or so feet.¡± I drew my sword, the blade glowing faintly even without summoning any flames. ¡°I can still channel other magic through the blade but it¡¯ll be weaker than flames. One question, I know that the bodies of the things we slay get reabsorbed, but what about the webs? Are we able to take them with us?¡±


    ¡°Why, pray tell, would you possibly want the webs?¡± Eva sighed heavily. ¡°Whatever, yes you can take them with. They¡¯ll only be remade by the spiders we leave behind or that the dungeon generates next. This dungeon is a few floors, it¡¯ll take us probably a full day to deal with the boss if we want to do that. There¡¯s bosses on each floor too. Multiple different ones in different chambers that lead to the next floor.¡±


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else lets get into it?¡± I asked, stepping a few feet away and taking in the cave with my sphere of perception. I saw a few tiny spiders scuttling about, less than level one, and at the edge of my perception a few larger ones. I swiped my sword a couple of times to get used to the weight, it was designed for one or two hands and I was used to fighting with both. It would take time to get used to but I¡¯d get there.


    After agreement from both Eva and Rose, we set down the cave. I told them about the half dozen spiders hiding on the ceiling before us and Eva immediately found them with her enhanced eyesight. She fired off a couple of arrows before the spiders knew what hit them but the remaining three dropped down and rushed toward us. I went to take a step but the first of them was impaled by a stone as Luka worked his magic. The next was sliced in half by Sky, and finally the last reached us. Disappointed I stepped forward and slashed at it. It was around one foot in diameter so not that hard to hit. As my blade passed through it I could vaguely feel the chitten surrounding its body break. There was a faint sizzle as my blade cauterize the wound and the spider fell dead.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The bodies of all six spiders melted into the ground, leaving behind a small collection of items. Three fangs, a tiny vial of venom, and a pair of eyes. Eva scooped the eyes and put them in one of her vials, before stowing the rest in her pack. ¡°We¡¯ll divvy up the loot after. I promise we will be fair.¡±


    I only nodded and we continued. The cave was dark, go figure, aside from the glow of my sword. Thankfully all of us had some way to see in the dark. We crept along with heightened awareness that anytime a foe could fall on us. Spiders ambushed their prey, after all. We fought a few more clusters of the insects and had little trouble dispatching them.


    I noticed on the first few swings that I had grown used to using my left arm as a counterbalance while fighting and was now overextending. I knew it would take time to get used to my body now that an integral part was missing, but it was still discouraging to see that the perfect form I had worked on for years had diminished.


    I led the way through the caves, cutting away any webs that barred our pass. The flaming sword, yet unnamed, easily ran through them. The heat on it prevented it from getting stuck to the webs. I started to collect a bunch of them, filling my otherwise empty pack quickly. I had water and food in it but that was all I¡¯d brought beside my weapon. When I revealed this Eva about had an aneurysm, saying I was truly unprepared.


    ¡°Tell me why we¡¯re letting Lios lead us again?¡± Eva asked rose loud enough that I could hear her. My natural instinct was to chastise her for speaking so loudly even though we were doing nothing to be stealthy. It wasn¡¯t like we were clanging pans together or making intentional noise but we weren¡¯t trying to be overly quiet either.


    ¡°Cuz I¡¯ve got a solid perception skill and great instincts.¡± I replied dryly.


    And it was true, I was able to peak a ways down each of the various paths and between [Intuition} and [He who Wanders] I was able to pick the correct, or at least the best, path each time. We still marked the cave walls at each intersection but I had full faith in my ability even if my team didn¡¯t. They¡¯d learn to believe in it, I was sure.


    We didn¡¯t have a clear direction we were heading in as the dungeons layout shifted with each party that came through. [Portent] and the foxes kept us from being ambushed at any time, easily sensing the spiders when they entered our range. Each time we called them out they were quickly dispatched and Rose didn¡¯t need to heal much at all. I kept us moving, leaving markers at every intersection but following my gut as to which direction to head. Some of the caves were tight, enough so that I had to hunch down and even considered crawling to pass through them. In these ones I discovered that one of Eva¡¯s skills was to pull Luna into an enchanted necklace which excited me for a variety of reasons. Namely, that that meant there was some sort of enchantment that could expand a space. I wasn''t able to ask many questions about it but I filed it away for a later conversation.


    Other caves were rather large, filled with dozens of spiders that were ready for us. Egg sacs lined these caverns but we decided to ignore them, they weren''t worth the experience and the they would provide the dungeon with its next denizens practically for free. And so we simply entered them and slaughtered the adult spiders, leaving the babies for the next fools who came through here. Spiders were horrifying, especially when they were massive furry beasts.


    After about two hours of walking we exited a tight cave into one of the massive chambers, this one however was significantly larger. It was massive, at least a half mile wide and even longer still. Filled with glowing mushrooms and gargantuan webs, it was an intimidating sight. Aside from the mushrooms not much else grew here. Egg sacs surrounded the cavern and spiders of all sizes crawled around it. Eva stopped me from entering the cavern.


    ¡°This should be the boss chamber. Its bigger than reports said so it could be a variant. Do you know what that is?¡± She waited for me to shake my head. Once I did she sighed. ¡°Of course. A variant can only occur within a boss monster, and is, as the name suggests, a different type of monster within the same family. For instance, the boss for this level was meant to be a tremendous venomous tarantacula. Basically a giant version of the venomous spiders weve already killed. Its chamber is typically half this size with no eggs, from what the guide said. I don¡¯t know which variant causes this massive of a room to spawn... We will want to exercise caution.¡±


    ¡°Noted. Whats the plan, then? I was thinking I could go in and test things out, reveal the boss so you two could either escape or find a way to fight at range. I¡¯ll take Sky with me and you can keep Luka so he can relay information to me and sense if any spiders are prepared to flank you. Plus, if needed, he can block the cave here should you be swarmed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. It sounds, well, sound, but what if you get trapped in there? We wouldn¡¯t be able to help you. You''re asking us to support at range as you and your companion go alone?¡± Rose asked as Luka whined.


    ¡°Papa, I can go with too...¡± He said in my mind, wishing to be beside me as I fought. I felt his wishes and took a deep breath, considering.


    ¡°To be honest, and perhaps this is selfish, but I also wanted to test out my sword a bit. Theres a huge number of enemies before us, and my sword is suited well to killing them, I feel. Plus I cant use even one of its enchants with you all near me, for fear of engulfing you. I understand that I sound reckless, and maybe I am, but most of my spells deal damage in an area. I have the least chance of being overwhelmed of the three of us, and Eva is strongest at a range. If you can land a powerful shot with your bow while I distract the boss, wouldn¡¯t that be the best case?¡±


    Rose and Eva thought for a moment. Rose looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself and shook her head. After several moments the two of them shared a look then glanced back at the cavern. Eva was the first to speak up, which interested me. It seemed that in the dungeons she spoke quite a bit more than when in town, perhaps due to experience?


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure, but the instant that it seems too dangerous you will leave won¡¯t you?¡± She stared at me intently, ¡°I will not leave you behind so use your best judgment. Keep an eye on your mana reserves too.¡±


    ¡°I will, thank you for trusting me. Now, I¡¯m gonna go kill a couple dozen spiders and see what we are dealing with.¡±


    I took a deep breath and commanded Luka to stay behind with them, and to let them know if anything came close to ambush them. I could feel his anguish at being left behind as a defender, but I reassured him that this was the best place for him strategically and that him being there made it so I could rest easy knowing our friends were safe. With Sky on my shoulder, I ran into the massive cavern and kept my senses open. Instantly I attracted the attention of a dozen spiders, all at the height of my knees.


    I didn¡¯t feel the need to cast a spell at them as they all arrived at different times. As I weaved around them and sliced through the spiders or dodged the webs a couple of them launched my way, I dragged my heel through the rocky ground and drew the first few runes of a circle. It was the simple fire wave spell, but as I made it I poured fire mana into it for the first time. I also activated one of the abilities of the sword, Ignium¡¯s Shroud, and watched as a flaming aura surrounded first the blade then my body and even Sky, who was on my shoulder. She growled briefly before realizing the flames were not burning her.


    I continued walking through the dimly lit room, if one could call it that, keeping an eye out for wherever this boss might be. Then, at the edges of [Portent] I noticed an approaching wave. Not just one or a few spiders were coming at me, but dozens. Hundreds. Smaller than the ones we had previously faced, the largest of these was only around the size of a baseball, but the number made up for it.


    ¡°Sky, try to find a big spider. I can sense the small ones but no Idea where they are coming from.¡± I received a quiet yip in my ear as she agreed. The wind picked up around us as she flooded as much of the cavern as she could.


    The small spiders came from all directions, not just in front of me. I waited until they were fairly close but not close enough to jump to create a wave of fire around us. At the same time, intuiting my spells activation, Sky pushed more wind from us to bolster the small inferno. Notifications exploded as faint popping sounds and screeches filled the echoing chamber. I had cast the spell from my sword, using it to amplify the effects, and watched as the flame rolled out from us burning all of the spiders and their webs in its wake. Backed by Sky the flames grew hotter, engulfing each entity that they came across and consuming them.


    The smell of charring arachne flooded the area. Soon after the flame was sent out the crackling and screeching abated, nothing was left to burn as the fire kept racing along the webs all around us, quickly consuming them. The range on the spell itself had been roughly triple what I was used to, likely doubled by the use of the proper mana and further expanded by the amplification effect on the sword. I didn¡¯t even feel the heat from it because of the shroud. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as I kept walking through the field of charred spiders, remembering the very first time I¡¯d tried this runedance. How I¡¯d burned my legs and stopped my mother from having it healed with magic.


    My laughter likely sounded like that of a lunatic, but it did feel good to use my magic again. To see progress in it, to use the appropriate mana. I thanked the fire mana within me, imagining the deer prancing within the fire that had spread out from me. A few seconds went by with only the crackle of the fire on the webs, but soon those flames were snuffed out. In my area of perception I saw dozens, hundred, more spiders again coming toward me. It wasn¡¯t much of an expense to be rid of them, but still I knew it had something to do with the boss. I flashed a glance toward the entry but didn¡¯t see anything as I continued to stride forward in search of the boss.


    This time, as the spiders neared, I didn¡¯t even cast the fire wave but instead waited for them. Many of the smaller ones, any smaller than an egg, were lit instantly by the shroud of flame broiling the air around me. The ones that were a bit larger were able to still leap at me, or even scuttle in my direction even after being set on fire and I was forced to slash them away. It made me feel like a demigod, either way.


    As fire washed around me, scrubbing the area clean of disgusting spiders, I continued my slow wary journey to the middle of the cavern. My theory, now, was that there was some sort of brood mother creating a stream of spiders to attack. Whatever variant this was, I figured it had to do with swarming the opposition. Web flared up around me anytime I neared. It was a shame, some of that web would have made great silk for clothing. It was a bit weak to flame but once treated it would be as sturdy as steel wire. If a bit burnable.


    It was as I mused the tragedy that was losing all of this silk as I was surrounded by countless tiny enemies that I heard it. The sound of strange feet clacking against stone in the distance. From the other side of the cavern. It was faint, and I barely heard it, but it was there. It rose over the sound of the thousands of spiders that filled the area. Briefly I wondered what had caused the sound, and after considering my options I decided to use a bit of my mana to get a better idea. I activated a flame blade spell enveloping my sword with more flame, ready to be launched. After my blade was further enveloped I swept my sword in the direction of the feet faintly clacking against the stone floor, sending the current aura out as a sweeping blade of inferno. It washed over hundreds of spiders, the ambient heat of it setting some on fire and popping others like grapes underfoot. The blade traveled far, further than my first circle spell blades could normally reach, and lit the surrounding cave showing that what I had thought was the ground was actually a writhing mass of the eight legged creatures. And then, a towering pillar covered in spurs and hairs was revealed. And a second on as the flames passed between them, and a third and a fourth until it cracked into the fifth.


    I would never forget the primal fear that raced through me when the massive spider screeched. The way it nearly caused me to fall to my knees simply from force alone. The flames that had crashed into it quickly lit the webbing around it, causing it to panic and screech as hundreds of spiders that had been on the webs burned to a crisp. It was a screech of pain and anger and violence, that sent shivers down my back and even caused Sky to whimper.


    And in the dying light of the flames that remained I watched as the creature turned all of its eyes toward me, and as a mass of spiders on its back seemed to wake up and come to life. All of them coming toward me. I took a deep breath and readied myself, the aura reapplying on my sword.

 B2 Ch11 Broodmother

    In the last few instants that my fire lit up the other side of the huge cavern, an arrow streaked past me and struck the same leg that my blade of fire had hit. I looked around, primarily with [Portent] as I was again surrounded by spiders. Some of them were larger than the ones before but didn¡¯t feel like they would pose much of a problem. I strode forward, careful not to overextend. As I walked I allowed mana to pour out of the channels on my feet, creating another flame spell. This time I wreathed my blade in even more fire, brightening the area around me.


    I swept my blade horizontally, my aura shielding me from most of the small critters, and my ability to see them allowing me to dodge them. Stepping around dozens of small flaming arachnids I flung a blade of searing fire towards the large spider once more. The monster had to have been at least thirty feet up from the ground where I stood, its legs multiple feet wide. It was still far from me, a few hundred feet, but thankfully with the amplification of my sword the range of the blade extended even further. It struck the spider handily, causing the monster to shriek as more of the spiders on its back writhed and jumped off, coming toward me. The next two flame blades went toward two of its legs, dimly visible due to her flaming carapice.


    I maintained the aura on my sword, loving the extra power that came from using it but noticing a fairly decent draw on my mana. Thankfully, the five rune spells didn¡¯t use too much mana, neither did maintaining the aura on my sword. Still, with [Portant], I was losing mana quicker than I¡¯d like. I needed to fight the spider and exert more power. I grinned, excited. The cave around me was large enough I didn¡¯t feel I¡¯d run out of air anytime soon, and my new sword amplified my fire.


    I wished that I had had time to develop a stronger fire spell, but alas I was not so lucky. Part of me wanted to try to develop a spell in the moment, but remembering the first time I cast ¡°Flash Step Lightning Bolt¡± I decided against it. Getting struck by my own lightning wasn¡¯t fun, I couldn''t imagine getting hit by my own inferno.


    I picked up the pace, jogging as I dodged and weaved around spiders. Every few steps I¡¯d use a spell to burn all of the spiders gaining ground around me as I approached the giant spider. As it came into view with [Portent] I shuddered. The thing was disgusting. I could see the other spiders climbing all around it, and worried about them. My plan had initially been to find a way to climb the terror, but now I made a new plan.


    Just beside one of its legs, I launched the aura from my sword straight at the joint. With a terrible screech the hairs on it engulfed, and the blade passed through the joint spraying me with hot, viscous liquid. I was thankful for having a closed mouth as I backed away, the spiders pained scream nearly sending me to my knees. I stayed up and reactivated the aura, eyeing my mana pool.


    With the light I saw as another arrow came through and struck the spiders giant body, just as likely piercing it as claiming the life of one of the small ones climbing all over it. I slashed at another leg, avoiding some of the smaller spiders as being in my proximity was painful for them. I hacked at it, cleaving into it rapidly as I developed another wave spell. I bit my lip as I decided to try something.


    Pouring my intent into the spell circle, I asked Sky for assistance. Normally I would want the spell to send flames out around me, in a fifteen or so foot diameter. This time I asked Sky to start a bit of a vortex to send the flames upward as I poured my own intent into the circle. She started the vortex around us, whipping my clothes along with dirt and some of the charred corpses all around us. I took a deep breath, nervous to try something new, and activated the spell.


    The spiders belly was around thirty feet above me, it moved pretty slowly especially after having lost one of its legs. I was grateful that it seemed this boss wasn¡¯t a combattant but was meant to swarm adventurers with its brood. It wasn¡¯t moving when the flames erupted from around me, with sky and i in the center. The wind picked them up and, with the dirt and dust and remains of spiders, became a cataclysm. Fire swirled around us and slammed into the roof above us, scorching the underside of the massive boss monster.


    I had thought its cries when I cut off its legs were horrendous, but they were doubly so as the bottom of it caught fire and burned from superheated and amplified flames. I wasn¡¯t sure if even with Sky¡¯s help I¡¯d normally be able to reach so high with my spell, but with the amplification effect as well... There was no question. I was amazing briefly that the flames didn''t feel warm to me, Ignium¡¯s Shroud felt more powerful than I deserved as a random spell but I wouldn¡¯t complain.


    As the flames died down I jumped back a few times, away from the spider to observe its reaction. It turned toward me with hate filling each of its unintelligent eyes. With this dozens of spiders around two feet in diameter jumped from her back and came toward me. One of them was immediately sniped from the air with an arrow. Seriously, we¡¯re far from the cavern entrance, how far was Eva¡¯s range? I asked myself as I slashed through a few of them.


    With a glance at my mana reserves I steeled myself to continue. I was just over half of my capacity and had no clue how much more health the spider had. I growled with some small amount of frustration and sped forward once again, this time the spider mother itself reacted. Her fangs snapped closed over me as I ducked just in time. I felt them grab hold of my tunic for a second before tearing through the material. With a roll, I wound up underneath the beast once again and leapt toward another leg on her left side, the next one down the line.


    I used [Compendium Actualization] to cast a flame wave and wondered briefly if I could summon multiple circles at a time, but thought testing that would have to wait. I created a single overloaded blade over my sword and launched it, backed by the wind enchantment, and cut clean through the leg. I had angled myself such that it also clipped and cut through part of the next leg. Without hesitation, I rolled from beneath the spider and to its other side, largely ignoring the small spiders that surrounded me. I rushed forward and cleaved through the next leg, not quite as high up but it was better than nothing, as I readied the next spell.


    I circled around to the back of it, trying to line up a strike that would go through its rear left leg and possibly either carve into its underside or another leg on the other side. The spider was struggling to turn toward me with it missing two legs and having heavily damaged a third on the same side. Still, it stayed up. Sky was working hard to send wind blades to any spider that was large enough to approach us.


    With a deep sigh, I activated the spell and sent another blade up and through the leg of the monster. Predictably, with the leg removed and only having one damaged one remaining, the boss collapsed in front of me causing the carn to rumble from the weight. I noticed far fewer spiders clamoring on its back, and less still were entering my senses. My flame blade carried on as intended and cracked against her body but I didn¡¯t hear the telltale sizzle of it burning her insides.


    My reserves were even lower now, low enough that I was getting worried. I hadn¡¯t sustained an injury yet, but one bite from some of the spiders would be catastrophic. That was the main reason I needed to keep both the aura and [Portent] active, despite the drain. Looking at just over a quarter of my mana pool, I maneuvered toward the head of the spider. I activated my flame blade spell and felt the inferno wrap around my blade as I stepped directly in front of the queen.


    She tried to push toward me and snap at me with her destructive mandibles, but could barely do more than turn herself with her remaining legs. A hiss escaped her mouth and I grinned, cleaving my blade down vertically, backing it with the power of wind mana. A white hot swirling blade of fire sliced toward the giant monster who let out a shrill cry, enough to make me fall to my knees being right before it.


    As the blade struck her face, hardened by her chitinous exterior, it sizzled and broke through with ease. It burned everything in its path and as it reached her actual body worked to split her in half. Several of the remaining spiders popped as the searing blade of mana passed by or even through them, their insides boiling with nowhere or the pressure to escape. I panted, reactivating the aura with the final bits of my mana, sweat running down my face and back as I was covered in spider viscera.


    As I stood there I received a few notifications, and watched as the various corpses started to dissipate. They were being reabsorbed by the dungeon, as intended, and I was grateful. If I had to walk through more charred spiders I would be upset. When the few remaining spiders scuttled through the tunnels and out of my range, I finally dropped Igniums Shroud. Just what is Ignium? It must be powerful to have a skill like this...


    Before me the corpse of the giant spider disappeared and was replaced by a silvery chest. I didn¡¯t see any other loot dropping, only where the spider queen had died. Isat down and waited for my team to come toward me as I took a few deep breaths and smiled. With a thought, a blue screen with text floated before me. I ignored most of the notifications, not caring about all of the thousands of level 15 or even up to level 50 spiders that I had killed. They barely counted toward my experience anyway.


    I had hoped for a new achievement for slaying a boss almost solo, but I had no such luck. I did level up once, which felt underwhelming, but I had gained plenty of experience with my sword and that would have to be enough. The spider queen was evidently called a ¡°Titanic Broodmother¡± and had been level one hundred and ten, nine levels higher than me. The only other shocking notification was one that gave me two levels in [He Who Wanders], a skill I often forgot about. I guessed it was because I had followed my gut to find this massive chamber. It made me wonder if each floor had multiple bosses, or if just following my instinct triggered the skill to level. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It was lucky that my first entry into adventuring again was against seemingly mindless foes, insects. They were easy to predict and with my ability to ¡®see¡¯ them, very easy to avoid. Easy to fight although I could see this having gone very differently without some sort of aoe skill, like my flame wave. Overall, I was happy and excited about the abilities of my new weapon and was grinning wide as I looked back over the battle and decompressed.


    ¡°So, Sky, what did you think of the fight?¡± I asked as she wriggled on my shoulder then hopped off of me.


    ¡°Those things are icky. Brother got guts on my fur. Bath time?¡± their sentences were still simple but her teasing tone betrayed her. She had enjoyed the fight, despite getting spider blood all over her through the aura.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah they are. Bath time later.¡± I smiled and pet her as she licked at some of the gore.


    At this time I heard the gentle footfalls of Eva and Rose and the thunderous ones of Luna the bear as they came toward me. As they noticed that I was sitting on the ground with a tear in the back of my slowly stitching tunic, Rose¡¯s footsteps rang faster.


    ¡°Lios are you okay? Were you injured? Why is your shirt ripped up?¡± She sounded panicked as I turned to face her and Eva. I smiled at her which eased her worried expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, didn¡¯t even get bitten once! A miracle, honestly.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why I agreed to let you go alone! You know, boss monsters are typically meant to be tackled by a group not an individual! Eva said the thing was level one-ten!¡± Rose pouted at me causing me to chuckle as I slowly stood up and started stretching.


    ¡°I mean, I didn''t take it out on my own. Sky and Eva helped! How were things on your side?¡±


    ¡°They were fine. Luka had a hayday killing a few dozen spiders that wandered over but the rest were focusing on you. How much mana did you use?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of mana, I thought you were a swordsman who was sometimes a smith, how are you flinging spells too? I know it wasn¡¯t just your sword so don''t give us that bullshit!¡± Eva cut in glowering at me. I withered a little bit, none of us had been particularly forthcoming with our individual abilities but that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling bad for downplaying my abilities.


    ¡°First, almost all of my mana. Second, sorry I didn''t mention I¡¯m a wizard too. Of sorts, of course. I¡¯d prefer not to go into too many details but here¡¯s what I will say. Currently, I¡¯m limited to mostly fire spells but I have four other affinities. I¡¯m making a sword similar to this one for each affinity, so I can exercise my full strength at any time depending on the need. If you haven''t figured it out, the foxes are magical too. Sky uses wind and Luka earth magic. Any other concerns?¡±


    The last bit came out a bit snarky which I felt a little bad about but didn¡¯t apologize for. They hadn¡¯t exactly disclosed any of their capabilities to me, it didn¡¯t feel pertinent to do the same with them. Eva gave me a cross look before sighing and turning to the chest.


    ¡°So, loot? As far as I¡¯m concerned its all yours. It''ll all be spider related, which isn¡¯t great, but could have something cool. Platinum chests are fairly rare after all.¡±


    ¡°Before that, we should take a quick rest. Lios, I¡¯m going to cast a spell to help you regenerate mana. You can go through the loot during but make sure you stay around twenty feet of me, okay?¡± With that Rose began to sing. It was a soft song with words I didn¡¯t recognize. It didn¡¯t sound like elvish which I had heard a bit of with Liana, nor dwarvish which Derren had cursed in on occasion. It was pretty and flowed nicely, but it made me wonder at the words.


    I smiled as I felt more mana pull through my pathways, filling my core up quickly. I didn¡¯t know where I sat compared to others my level as far as mana capacity went, but it was likely a bit higher than the average. I made sure to keep close enough to Rose as I walked over to the silvery chest. Eva had mentioned it was a platinum chest which, if the guild ranking was anything to go off of, was pretty good. It was based on the recipients current level, still, so someone at my level wouldn''t gain something meant for those of a much higher level, but the loot would be stellar for the recipients current level.


    Everyone held their breath as I shakily opened the chest. Inside were not many objects, just four, each sat on the pillowy velvet interior. The first was a black ring that looked like it had eight legs. Beside it was a box that seemed simple enough, made of a simple stained wood. Next was a dagger that was both silver and black, the sheath next to the blade and the handle looked like they were made of spiders silk. Lastly were two spools of what looked like thread. It glimmered faintly and I knew it was the biggest prize here, for me at least.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for. What did you get?¡± Rose asked as she finished her song, the effects carrying on.


    ¡°One moment one moment. Geeze, have a little patience aye?¡± I laughed as she smacked my shoulder with playful frustration.


    I took out the item I was least interested in first - the plain looking box. As I opened it we could see six total vials full of a dark green liquid. I attempted to appraise it but as it wasn¡¯t an enchanted item my skill fell short.


    ¡°Any idea what these are?¡± I turned toward Eva and she nodded after examining one for a few moments.


    ¡°Yeah. Its broodmother venom. Very strong paralytic and neurotoxin. A drop or two would paralyze anyone below level seventy-five is my guess, and make anyone below one-twenty-five sluggish and slow. This is... this is a lot of it.¡±


    ¡°Does it sell well? Do you use stuff like this on your arrows?¡± I asked and passed the box of them over to her. I figured she was some sort of beast tamer, or in dnd terms a ranger, and rangers often used poisons to take down stronger enemies.


    Eva shrugged and nodded slowly. ¡°It sells well, its a pretty rare drop for this dungeon and the next nearest place you could get it is in the center of the country. I do use some poisons in fact. How¡¯d you guess?¡± She was completely serious as she asked as though she wasn''t aware she was a cliche.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll leave it up to you if we sell it or you keep it.¡± I turned my attention to the next thing, the dagger. Pulling it out I was able to use [Arcane Analysis] and pull up its details.


    The Spiders Bite


    Sting: When this weapon damages an opponent it exerts a powerful neurotoxin.


    Dynamic Attachment: The user may exert mana and use this weapon as an anchor point to more easily climb surfaces


    The enchantment seemed a touch lackluster compared to my weapon but I noticed Eva looking at it greedily. She definitely would never ask for it but I passed it over to her.


    ¡°Lios, I can¡¯t. Not with the venom and the dagger. This thing is valuable. Rogues all over are going to want it besides you took down that spider practically by yourself.¡± She protested heavily but I ignored her as I went down to grab the ring. I hated the way it looked as even the coffin stone on it was almost shaped like an abstract spider body.


    Spiders Grace


    Grants its user immunity to venoms and poisons.


    As I showed them the ring both girls gasped.


    ¡°Immunity?¡± Rose asked in a shocked voice.


    ¡°I don''t feel so bad about the dagger...¡± Eva spoke in a little voice but still didn¡¯t pick up the weapon.


    I tentatively took the ring. I went to slip it onto my index finger and as I did, the bands that looked like legs unraveled in an unsettling way. To be fair, I don¡¯t know that an inanimate object could start moving in a way that wouldn¡¯t be unsettling to me, but that was beside the point. With Rose and Eva¡¯s encouragement I sighed and placed the ring on my finger. The ¡®legs¡¯ curled around it snuggly, fitting perfectly. When I went to remove the ring the legs undid themselves again. I¡¯d have to figure out the enchantment, it seemed like a fun inclusion for my future wares, should I start making rings.


    Lastly I picked up the thread and smiled. It was exactly what I thought it was, though I couldn¡¯t identify it as it wasn¡¯t enchanted. I tried pulling the string to tear it by holding the spool in the crook of my knee, but even with my enhanced strength I couldn¡¯t rip the silk. Next, I turned to Eva, holding the string before me. ¡°Can you try to cut this with the dagger?¡±


    ¡°Lios I told you I¡¯m not - ¡°


    ¡°Eva, I don''t have a use for the dagger, you do. You use daggers when you fight up close, I don¡¯t. Take it.¡± My tone took on a note of seriousness that was rare to me. Shocked at how I spoke she finally rolled her eyes and picked up the dagger. Unsheathing it she slashed at the string expecting it to pass right through, but it only did so after she increased the amount of pressure she put behind the blade.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to keep going. What was that spell by the way, Rose?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, you said you were pretty empty... and its called Aria of the Reservoir. I didn¡¯t name it, I¡¯d have come up with something way cooler.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m already half full and the reservoir is all around you, yeah? I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡± I turned toward a cave entrance that hadn''t been there before, appearing only after we had defeated the boss. I hadn¡¯t noticed it at first but once I turned it was almost instinctual that I registered it hadn¡¯t been there before.

 B2 Ch 12 Assassins!

    The next floor was about just as easy for me. We passed through it quickly, taking less than three hours to reach the boss chamber as we didn¡¯t get properly lost. Once again, as we reached it with me in the lead, I got a level up in [He Who Wanders] and I grinned. It seemed the skill was meant for dungeoneering at least to a small extent. I wondered if there was nothing of value from anywhere but the boss chambers as we approached the next one. This time, instead of a massive cavern filled with just a few glowing mushrooms, it was a smaller cave maybe thirty feet across. There were webs everywhere. They were filled with objects, what looked like various monster corpses.


    Given the size of the small cavern, as we neared we almost immediately found the spider in the center of the chamber. I went to step in but Rose held up a hand and frowned. ¡°Let me try it first, I¡¯ll sing it a lullaby and go poke it with a sword.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked shocked that she wanted to take it on alone.


    ¡°Well, you got the last one. And I¡¯ve only killed like... twenty spiders. And you guys aren''t getting hurt. Let me do something gods damned it.¡± She huffed in frustration and blew a loose strand of hair from her face only for it to settle back down.


    Maybe I could brush it out of her face? Nahhh definitely weird and flirty. I chuckled and raised my hands in resignation. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be right here to support you. Want my sword?¡±


    She shook her head before pulling out her flute. It was a simple thing made of reeds but it made a beautiful airy melody as she played. We tensed for a few seconds as the spider within stirred. It simply got up, scuttled about for a moment then settled back down. It took her playing for about two minutes to have it fall asleep, at which point she drew her dagger and slowly cut her way to where it was, following mine and Evas directions.


    Rose did get a little stuck twice, but not so bad she needed our help. Finally, she reached a yellow and black spider that was about three feet wide and stabbed it in the eye, then the next eye as it tried to wake up, then finally one last time in the top of its head causing the spider to screech out and writhe. I winced watching it but after a few minutes it died, between rotations of her playing her flute and stabbing it.


    ¡°So, what did you get?¡± I asked gesturing to the golden chest that was materializing as I went around and cut the webs to collect some. I wasn¡¯t weird, okay, spider silk was just a strong material. I was not a hoarder.


    ¡°Do you really need more webs? Why not just keep the ones that were system provided? They are already clean you know.¡± Eva snorted as I started to roll up a web.


    ¡°Well, the spider was called a ¡®Caustic Golden Orb Weaver¡¯ so, we¡¯ll probably get some venom. It was level one-fifteen though. I leveled up even!¡± Rose beamed at us excitedly. ¡°Okay now for the chest I guess. Lets see, its gold so its just a step below yours Lios.¡±


    Rose knelt beside the chest as I watched her, my pack too full for more webs so I stopped gathering them. She stared into the medium size container before pulling out another spool of spider string, sighing heavily. Then she pulled out what looked like a veil, eyeing it curiously. She put it back in to pull out the last item, another dagger though it was a bit different from the first. This was was a golden colored dirk, much smaller than the almost foot long dagger from before. I stepped up and quickly used [Arcane Analysis] on both the dagger and the veil.


    Golden Chelicera


    Taken from the Caustic Golden Orb Weaver this dirk will impart its necrotic venom into any it strikes


    Widow¡¯s Veil


    Silenced: The wearers footsteps will be muffled


    Web of Deceit: Masks the user and hides their identity, altars their voice, and prevents the user from being scried upon.


    I relayed the information to them as Eva took the dagger and Rose the veil. It was a short veil, the sort that one might expect to see on a noble woman at a memorial service that only covered about half of their face. It was weaved from silver thread and shimmered with its magic.


    ¡°Those seem useful, yeah?¡± I tilted my head looking between the other adventurers. Luna huffed from beside Eva, seeming bored from the lack of combat. I thought that my skill was leading us through less populated areas at times in favor for enemies with more valuable drops. It was fine with me, especially as we continued to get vials of venom or even antivenom from a few of the spiders, and some other interesting sellables. The spider eyes had some value among alchemists, so we planned to sell a bunch of them.


    ¡°Yeah, they can be if used right. If I ever need to hide my identity, this will be very important. Time for some clandestine meetings with a suave, handsome man in the middle of the night.¡± Rose giggled as she rose dramatically, donning the veil. ¡°Oh Pietro, our love is forbidden by our clans, we really must stop this. Oh what¡¯s this, you want to run away with me and get married in the countryside? Oh Pietro muuuah.¡±


    She flitted around the small cave in her theatrics. I chuckled heartily as I watched her, noting how if I didn¡¯t know it was her I¡¯d never be able to tell. Her voice was changed by the veil, and despite only covering half of her face it seemed to make her other features less distinguishable. Eva rolled her eyes as a small smile crossed her lips, nodding a little bit. After Rose removed the veil and we rested a little longer we turned toward the entrance of the third, final floor.


    ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining, but aren¡¯t the boss monsters meant to get harder to beat? I feel like this floors monster was pretty... easy...¡± I didn¡¯t want to jinx it but I felt like we were jipped in a way.


    ¡°You''re not wrong, but the first one was a variant boss. Plus, most dungeons including this one actually have a few different bosses, we just happened to find one that¡¯s weaker than the first.¡± Eva replied, scowling a little bit. ¡°Did you really do zero research on dungeons before coming with us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve uhm. I''ve been a bit busy...¡± I sheepishly glanced toward the entrance to the next floor.


    ¡°Plus, its likely that we have just had good matchups against both bosses so far.¡± Rose piped in. ¡°The first one was a few thousand weak enemies and one slow moving large one that Lios was easily able to take down. This time it was a single enemy so I wasn¡¯t swarmed the instant I stopped the lullaby. Even with charming them with my singing, the moment I started attacking the other spiders would have woken if there were any, unfortunately. The next one will probably be a bit more difficult overall but I¡¯d wager a bet it¡¯ll be something Eva will have no trouble against.¡±


    I nodded, satisfied with the answers and led the way, [Portent] at full blast. We made quick work of the smaller spiders that neared us with me not having to use mana skills or spells. The spider dungeon was dangerous specifically because of how stealthy spiders were, and according to Liana most people at my level didn¡¯t have such a broad perception spell. It was something that most mages at a later level would gain, but I was somehow ahead of the curve.


    The last level of the dungeon was much the same as the previous two. The only real difference was that my [Detect Metal] skill let me know there was some raw ore in some of the walls of the dungeon. I didn¡¯t bother with it, it would take longer to figure out what to use as a pickax than it would take to extract the ore. Plus, my pack was filled with webs that I wanted to keep, much to my companions chagrin.


    As we were resting before what felt like the final chamber, Eva turned to me and glanced at my pack. With an exaggerated sigh she intoned, ¡°So, why the webs?¡±


    I smiled a little and shrugged, Sky not riding my shoulder at this moment so I didn¡¯t have to do much maneuvering. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn it into fabric. I probably have enough here for a set of clothes or two, if I had to guess.¡±


    ¡°You know, Lios, It¡¯s probably going to take you way longer to make the clothes than to earn the money to buy them, yeah?¡± Rose chittered at me, amusement in her eyes.


    ¡°Probably time that would be better spent actually reading up on the dungeons we¡¯re going to.¡± Eva said snarkily. I couldn¡¯t tell if she didn¡¯t like me or was simply exasperated with my lack of preparedness. I felt if she really didn¡¯t like me she¡¯d have called an end to this dungeon run already but she hadn¡¯t made a mention of that despite all of her protests.


    ¡°Speaking of, any thoughts on what we might be facing in there?¡± I nodded toward the entrance to the next cavern. We had already scouted it out and at the end we found, unsurprisingly, a chamber filled with webs and egg sacs. Aside from the egg sacs I didn¡¯t see any signs of actual enemies which had me concerned.


    ¡°Well, given that the first boss was a total unknown, and the second was a variant too, I¡¯d wager this one will be some sort variant as well. I¡¯m not sure which one, but based on the chamber I¡¯d guess either a Broodmother or a Broodguard. Maybe several if its the latter. The fact you couldn¡¯t sense them though... that seems a bit odd... Broodguard aren¡¯t typically the most sneaky breed and dungeon monsters don''t often leave their zones. Sometimes they do, but not often.¡± Eva turned to look at the entrance to the cavern, frowning.


    ¡°Sounds like it might be something else entirely. Want to start with me flinging fire in to burn the webs? Eva and Rose, you guys can stay back. The room is small enough that one of my spells would be able to reach each wall from the center, I think. After we burn away the web, we can have the companions join me and you two to play support?¡± I scratched at my hairless chin.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Eva took a couple of moments to think before nodding. ¡°That plan makes sense, the only problem is that we don¡¯t know what kind of spider will be coming at us. You¡¯re probably the quickest among us and your aura can really help to prevent you from getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so thats the-¡± I was interrupted as [Portent] picked up a flare of mana. All things had mana, why I only felt it now when it was just behind Rose I wasn¡¯t sure. My eyes widened and I bolted up, moving to pull her toward me. As I stood I noticed a foot wide spider just behind her with four yellow stripes pointed toward the center of its back, right to the edge of a yellow circle. Without hesitation I activated my quick haste spell, seeing the spider as it arched back as they do before taking a bite.


    The Runes poured out of my pathways, lightning mana flooding them as electricity crackled around my body and eyes. [Compendium Actualization] helped me create the runes instantly and I leapt forward, drawing my sword. Eva started to react as I moved, slow to my vision, and Rose started to rise. I pushed off the ground in an explosion of energy, expending some of the lightning mana to help me move faster.


    With some effort, I grabbed onto Rose¡¯s shoulder and pulled her out of the way as the spider moved to bite down. It hissed and attempted to scuttle backwards but my blade pierced it before it was able to. I felt heavy resistance as the blade poked through its natural armor. The small thing was silent as it writhed then died over the course of a couple of seconds.


    You have slain Armored Yellowback Archaeidae LVL 110


    ¡°Eva, any knowledge on Armored Yellowback Archaeidae?¡± I watch the areas around us carefully, realizing I cant rely solely on [Portent] at this time.


    ¡°Not that full combination but... Archaeidae are typically known as assassin spiders... typically they prey on other spiders but some species are territorial. And we must be in their territory. Keep your eyes open.¡±


    I looked around thoroughly, hoping that they all had those yellow marks as that would help them stand out in the shadows. ¡°Anyone with a light spell? Luka, Sky, keep your senses open. Luka, burrow, Sky on my shoulder. I don¡¯t want you getting ambushed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a spell but I have a few torches. How far does your aura extend, we can have you walk the edges to light it up.¡± Rose started to pull a few torches from her pack. We didn¡¯t think anything of it until she yelped in pain and her skin went white, as she stumbled back I saw a small fist size spider crawling out of the bag.


    ¡°Shit! Eva, do you have those antivenoms?¡± I turned to look at her as she shot an arrow toward a small moving object. These spiders were quick. I moved to intercept as I noticed the arrow bounced off of its chitin. ¡°Help Rose first, I¡¯ll cover you guys. Luka, earth spikes when you detect, Sky wind blades. Act fast, our opponents wont wait for us.¡±


    ¡°Yes Papa.¡± ¡°Yes Big Brother!¡± their voices sounded in my head and I saw a rock spike attempt to impale the spider. Sky took it out a second later with a wind blade. I turned to see Eva administering the antivenom to Rose, the same one we had gotten as loot from other spiders. I worried it wouldn¡¯t be strong enough but Rose was still awake and had started to sing, closing her wound as the neurotoxin made her arm fall limp. Sky sent a wind blade into the spider on her pack.


    I activated the aura on my sword, instantly lighting the area around me but casting some darker shadows in the corners. After a few moments of waiting I felt another ping near the girls, and rushed to intercept. Rose was still singing, her skin pale, as I passed them and saw the culprit. Another foot wide spider with a yellow back was rearing up to attack. As I neared it tried to back away, feeling the heat of my aura. It was fast, but I was a little faster. I moved to it and stabbed it, pinning it to the ground. As it writhed I smirked for a moment before I heard Eva yell.


    ¡°Aah get away!¡± Her voice sounded panicked as she drew her daggers, slashing at one of the nearing monsters. I turned just in time to see as she cut one out of the air and a second on the ground, but three, four no seven more were coming toward them.


    ¡°Luka!¡± I sent Luka an image from above, feeling sure he couldn¡¯t feel the monsters with his senses. At the same time I burst into action, desperate to prevent Rose or Eva from getting swarmed. I tried to quick cast a spell again but [Compendium Actualization] was still on its cooldown and probably wouldn¡¯t work for a little while longer. Instead, I mentally directed Sky to take out some of the closer foes as I launched a blade of fire at one of the ones near the back of the group.


    As soon as I did, and my aura vanished, I felt a ping of mana from [Portent], I wasn¡¯t sure how exactly the spiders were avoiding my senses but part of it seemed like mana suppression. I looked up just in time to see a spider falling toward me and slashed up instinctively. The moment I did another flash lit up from beside me and I lifted my leg just as a spider attempted to bite it. Stepping down I stomped on the spider and reactivated my aura at the same time. That didn¡¯t stop one of them from hopping onto my back and plunging its fangs into my shoulder, Sky having to jump off to avoid being bitten herself.


    I yelled out in pain as I fell to one knee, using my stump to smack the spider from my shoulder. The fist size monster hissed as it hit the ground on fire, allowing me to track it. My sword slashed the one in the air handily, cutting it clean in half, before I turned to the one that I had thrown and stabbed it.


    My left arm started to numb and I glanced over at Evan and Rose in a panic. Luna had just been released and was guarding the two as Eva switched between shooting arrows at the few that were far enough away and visible, and slashing the rest with her new daggers. I stumbled over towards them, the neurotoxin starting to take effect. Rose had risen as well, though it seemed her left arm was still slow as she hadn¡¯t drawn any instruments. She was singing while slashing at the spiders using a long knife. It didn¡¯t give her much reach but did provide the ability to react quickly. I didn¡¯t see any other bites on either of my companions.


    As soon as I stepped close she started a song of healing, and quickly grabbed another vial of the antivenom. It was clearly not fully effective but I¡¯d take a stopgap at this point over being unable to fight. I cut the knot of my sleeve off and shrugged my shoulder out of my tunic as she poured the antivenom into it. It stung, it stung a lot. It felt like fire ants started to crawl down through my veins. I winced but was grateful as that meant feeling was returning, it was working.


    Her song started to mend the wound itself, accelerating my natural healing rate by a significant margin. I turned to face the spiders, glancing up every few seconds as Eva culled the ones near us. There was a lull as the spiders stopped appearing, giving us a few seconds to breathe. Rose continued to sing a song and look around, healing both of our wounds.


    I reactivated my aura the moment that the wound closed up, stepping away from the others. ¡°I get a ping every time they start to attack, it seems to take them about a second from that moment to the actual bite. These things are pretty smart, I want to burn down their nest just in case but I don¡¯t want to leave you guys alone.¡±


    At that moment I got around five pings at one time, all from above. I looked up and yelled ¡°Above us!¡± Causing everyone else to spring into action. It wasn¡¯t only the five of them, but a dozen or more spiders were falling down. I still couldn¡¯t quick cast and only had a moment to react so I swung my sword up and sent a flame blade toward the ceiling. The blade rushed past most of the spiders but the heat from it still caused several to catch flame, and still sliced through a couple more. All told, seven of the spiders died from the strike.


    What happened next, however, would strike the bravest man low. Above them on the ceiling as it was lit up was a crawling mass of the spiders. Dozens of them, the smallest the size of my fist and the largest the size of Luka. My eyes widened as they started to rain down on us and I, as I slashed at them, attempted to form a spell circle of wind magic. A burst of wind to push them all away and mitigate the risk of being bitten. Eva and Rose, Luna and Sky all burst into action. As I relayed the image to Luka he sent spikes of stone into the air piercing many of them as they rained down.


    My sword, in most cases, moved before I could register which threat was near me. I simply saw movement and moved myself, staying several feet away from the other others to avoid them. Quickly the wind spell was ready and I approached the others, sending my aura out as a blade to massacre a few of the spiders. The majority were on the ground now, getting tangled up as they tried to crawl over each other to get to us. Once I was close enough I called out to the group.


    ¡°Get in next to me, you¡¯ll be safe for a moment!¡± I said before pulling Rose toward me, having had to stab my sword into the ground at my feet. Eva glanced over then quickly moved, taking a spot at my back as I fed wind mana into the runes to activate them. A swirling vortex of wind emanated from around me, my friends safe within the eye of the storm as spiders were picked up off the ground and sent into the nearby walls. Sky braced herself with her own wind mana and used the distraction to kill a few more spiders as they were dazed and Luka rose from the ground at my feet so he could better see the monsters when the wind died down.


    The wind had disrupted the mass of spiders enough that we were able to start picking them off. Eva shot arrows at the few we could see on the ceiling, my flame blade still eating away at some of the moss and vines and webs overhead and lighting the way. I went around stabbing or slashing any that grew near, the number of spider bodies around us piling up and makin git difficult to determine where living ones were. Luka and Sky split away to kill and maim a ton of others as well.


    After several minutes of killing the arachnids, they started to glimmer and get pulled back into the dungeon and we each sighed a great sigh of relief. My body ached as I turned to the others with a small smile on my face. ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that a hoot? Think we got any good loot?¡±


    ¡°That was terrible. Why did you make it rhyme?¡± Eva complained as we collectively and slowly made our way toward the webbed mess. Eva spent a few minutes picking up her recoverable arrows.


    ¡°Welp, Imma burn it now.¡± I said before poking the wall of webs with my flaming sword, everyone else standing back a little bit. The webs caught fire easily, the thin strands of silk extremely flammable especially with the sticky material that spiders produced covering them. It took about ten minutes for the webs to be cleared from the room, after which we saw another silvery chest in the middle of it.


    ¡°Just a platinum? For all of that? Honestly, without your senses we would not have made it I don¡¯t know how other teams beat that ¡®Boss¡¯,¡± Eva grumbled and frankly I agreed. That had been the worst fight yet without question.


    ¡°We must¡¯ve been marked down for taking a few bites. Eva, why don¡¯t you open it up?¡± Rose trotted up to it excitedly, not minding the rarity of the chest.


    ¡°Are you sure? I mean I didn''t-¡±


    ¡°Eva, I agree. We got the last two, go ahead and open it.¡± I smiled at the elf.


    ¡°Okay okay fine. Don''t gang up on me.¡± There was a small smile on her lips as she pulled open the lid of the container. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing in here... Lios, identify?¡±


    Eva withdrew a long silvery white cloak. The clasp on the front was a spider, of course, and the cloak itself was brimming with magical power. It was made of thin silk made from the webs of one of the spiders in the dungeon, most likely. I felt mana draw into my eyes as I activated [Arcane Analysis] not for the first time that day.


    Weave of the Archaeidae


    Woven from the threads of the assassin spider, this cloak will silence its user as well as shield their mana signature from all nearby enemies. It will remove all smell from the user.


    Sticky feet: Allows the user to expend mana in order to climb vertical surfaces.


    Venomous: All attacks made by the user against a foe who is unaware of their presence infect the enemy with a powerful neurotoxin.

 B2 Ch13 Conflagration

    We decided to keep the cloak for the time being, but would maybe sell it on auction at a later date. Part of it was that, though none of us could properly make use of it given our classes, it felt too powerful to give to an assassin. Too dangerous. We were aware that it was hardly the only one in existence but still didn¡¯t want an item like it on the market. It would take a bit more deliberating to decide, but for the time being we would keep it. As it was, we had more than enough of the common loot from the normal monsters to make back what they had spent to reserve the dungeon and refill our purses a bit.


    We were back in the guild, the sun setting over the town to my surprise. We had spent around sixteen total hours in the dungeon between breaks, fighting the standard mobs, and taking time to harvest webs. Well, the last bit was all me but that was beside the point. We had just settled down to eat a hot meal after having eaten jerky and bread all day.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your guy¡¯s plans the next few days?¡± I asked, taking a sip of some honeyed mead. The foxes had decided to settle in our room and nap after expending so much energy through the day. I had asked Garth to send a platter of food up for them along with two bowls of milk.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re gonna spend a few days selling everything. Do you want to come with?¡± Rose tilted her head. Rather than mead she had a cheap glass of wine sitting before her though she had hardly touched it.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t as much as I¡¯d like to. I have to finish designing an enchantment for another sword and maybe a spell or two if I can. It should go quicker now, but it¡¯ll still take a while.¡± I shook my head, my ponytail swishing behind my head.


    ¡°Maybe a haircut first? No offense, you look like a bum even with your hair pulled back.¡± Eva chuckled as I turned to her aghast.


    ¡°What, are you volunteering? And no, I don¡¯t look like a bum. I¡¯m totally suave with my hair like this. Dashing even! Right Rose?¡± I turned to the giggling bard to come to my defense.


    ¡°Well I mean... You¡¯re cute enough but Eva is right, your hair is too long. You¡¯d look way cooler with it shorter.¡± She suppressed another giggle, her face pink with amusement.


    ¡°Wow. Just wow. I can¡¯t believe it. Betrayed by my own party.¡± I shook my head, lamenting the treachery. My tankard was quickly emptied in dramatic fashion. It thunked onto the table as my arm fell. At that same time one of the guild workers came forward and dropped off our plates of food, as she turned to leave Rose drew her attention.


    ¡°Excuse me ma''am, I have a question for you if you''re willing to settle a debate?¡± She had a cheeky smile, a devious look in her eyes.


    ¡°Rose you don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Shh Lios, I want a third opinion!¡± Rose chastised, and I decided to sigh and play along, a flare of red encroaching on my cheeks.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°What can I help with, Miss Rose?¡± The barmaid asked with a soft sweet voice. I turned away as she flicked her eyes toward me and back toward my friend.


    ¡°Well, I was just wondering what you think about our Lios¡¯s hair style, Eva and I both think he should get it cut because it''ll make him more handsome, what do you think?¡± Rose giggled softly and shot me a mischievous glance. ¡°If you want, send the other gals here to judge to. You don¡¯t have to. And don¡¯t worry, even if Lios doesn¡¯t like what you say he wont hold it against you.¡±


    ¡°Oh uhm. Lios, look at me?¡± The girl took on a serious tone, placing a hand on her hip. I turned to look at her and smiled with some hair hanging to the sides of my face and the rest pulled into a loose ponytail. My hair wasn¡¯t outrageously long, reaching just past my shoulders when it wasn¡¯t pulled together. The girl looked at me intently for around twenty seconds making me feel a touch awkward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lios, but I have to agree. I think you¡¯d look a little more handsome with your hair cut.¡± She smiled then turned and walked away quickly. ¡°I really must keep working though, I¡®ll return with your mead sir Lios.¡±


    ¡°Fine Fine, I¡¯ll get it cut. Know any barbers or did one of you want to volunteer?¡± I grumbled at them as Rose burst out laughing.


    ¡°I know one, I¡¯ll introduce you tomorrow.¡± Eva laughed at me as well. ¡°I really do think it¡¯ll look better, you know. Besides it¡¯ll only take like ten minutes tops.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I think I¡¯m gonna head up after I eat. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± I grumbled good heartedly, smiling to let them know I wasn''t upset by any means.


    We chatted for a while more and I stayed for two more tankards of mead before going to sleep. Luka and Sky were both asleep already and I wasn¡¯t long after them. That night I dreamed of the assassin spiders at the end of the dungeon run. It wasn''t a horrid dream but it did wake me in cold sweats. Those little buggers were horrifying. I¡¯d still take it over dreaming of people I¡¯ve killed.


    It didn¡¯t take long the next day for Eva and Rose to escort me to the barber. I went with something a bit more military, the sides and back shaved down and the top of my head a couple inches long. We parted ways then and I quickly got my hair cut before heading over to Krickets store.


    As before, the isolated store was fairly empty. This time a single customer was purchasing something from Kricket when I entered. Per his request the last time I left the foxes outside to watch the place.


    I had my pack on as I had brought my notebooks and the books I had purchased from him before. I came to see if he had any insights on a proper haste spell. That one took priority for me at the moment as the five rune one I had was incredibly damaging to my body and only lasted a short while, and I was now at a point I could cast a twenty five rune spell on the fly with [Compendium Actualization]. I knew I didn¡¯t need his help, and that taking a few days here and there to work on it between working on enchantments was a valid path, but I was impatient and also wanted to provide Kricket a touch more patronage.


    I waited about three minutes for him to help his customer before I approached the counter myself. He grinned with his yellowed teeth, pointed and jagged like stalactites. Curiosity spiked in his eyes. ¡°Ah the enchanter who would steal Krickets customers, you have returned. Kricket offer no refunds!¡± He slashed his arms in an x pattern making me chuckle.


    ¡°No worries, I actually came to request your help with a personal project.¡± I said as I glanced at some of the items behind him. A lot of them were ingredients from dungeons that could be used in another form of enchanting, alchemy, and other craft trades. ¡°Specifically, I was hoping to work on a new spell using either Frith or Lexico runes.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Krickets services are not free human boy!¡± his voice was high pitched and not so pleasant to the ears, but his words were clear and carefully enunciated.


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware Kricket. By the way, My name is Lios, or Alexilios if you want to deal with a mouthful everytime you say it.¡±


    ¡°Then, Alexilios, allow Kricket to take you into my study?¡± The goblin glanced behind the counter to a door leading to the back. I nodded and followed him through his shop. It appeared the goblin lived here as well as I saw a few more doors before we reached the study. With [Portent] I was able to see various furniture and even a full looking kitchen before we reached his study. Inside were a number of tables with various research projects and dozens of notebooks with the goblins personal notes in them. He scurried to clear one of the tables then pointed at a chair on the other side as he himself sat down, his chair padded to allow him extra height to see the table proper.


    ¡°Now, Alexilios, what can Kricket help you with. How far along is the spell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a new one I want to make based off of one I made with five Lexico runes. I call it haste, but I want to create something more robust. As it stands this one has a short active time and using it a few times in succession makes me unable to fight properly for days after.¡± as I explained it I pulled out my notebook of completed spells and a separate one for spells in progress. The complete spell book was a bit nicer in both the leather cover and the paper itself being of higher quality.


    ¡°Hmm. Haste? You wish to move faster for brief periods of time?¡± Krickets head tilted as I showed him the current spell. ¡°I see I see. And you wish to work with me not simply have Kricket do it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Like I said, I could likely figure it out in the next few months, but I¡¯d rather have it done and practiced before the tournament. One other factor that may inhibit this spell is I¡¯d like it to be compatible with up to five different elements of mana.¡± I sighed a little knowing that last factor would be difficult to achieve. I wasn¡¯t sure how earth mana would interact with a haste spell, nor water, but I felt either could still work.


    ¡°Hmm... Kricket is very intrigued. What elements? Oh, and no need to worry Alexilios, Kricket would never disclose information on a client unless said information is needed by law.¡± The goblin stroked his hairless chin as he pulled my research and experimentation notebook to him. ¡°Do you mind if Kricket peruses your research to get an idea of your methods?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I suppose that would be fine... and the elements are wind, water, earth, fire and lightning.¡± I watched as the goblin flipped through some of my old experiments, his eyes lingering on the notes for ¡°Flash step lightning bolt¡± for around a minute after I told him the elements.


    ¡°Kricket sees. Instead of haste, how about enhancement? The lightning and wind mana would likely enhance speed. Earth would enhance strength and constitution. Unsure on water or fire. Fire could be a combination of strength and speed or just raw power. Water could influence the fluidity of your movements. Did you want to use all five at once? That would likely require a third circle spell. Or one at a time? Twenty five runes? Kricket can help. Three gold. For two.¡±


    ¡°Three gold? Hmm.¡± I didn''t really have a baseline to go off of for rune services, but that felt steep to me. I thought it over a few moments as Kricket turned his attention back to my notes. ¡°Fine. Three gold.¡±


    He beamed at me and reached out a hand to shake. I shook his hand and passed over the gold up front. Shortly after I withdrew my books on Lexico runes, him saying they would be better than a mixture of Frith and Lexico. Lexico was, per his explanation, better for longer lasting effects and enchantments while Frith runes were better for something that occurred instantly. It came as a bit of a shock to me, as neither book had explained this when I was initially studying them. Typically they would be better for a direct attack spell, and were what allowed flash step to work as well as it did without tearing my muscles to an extreme. It still wasn¡¯t a fun spell to use, hence wanting to create something a bit less volatile.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    We sat down together and perused the available runes, first making a list of those we thought would be compatible with an enhancement spell. We found a few that we would want that dealt with the senses, particularly eyesight and sound. After about two hours of working we decided the enhancement would work better if it were focused on the element and set out to make five different spells instead of just one, with several runes that would be swapped out and the rest that were standard across the spells. The runes that were different dealt with the different senses, the overall intention, and the reliant element. Enhancing vision for a lightning enhancement was different from a flame enhancement, we decided.


    With Lightning mana I would be moving faster than my eyes could keep up so we needed to increase my ability to perceive and analyze the data that came in. With wind I needed to enhance my sense of touch instead, similar to how Sky sensed entities around us by changes in air flow. Fire, because we determined it would be combination of strength and explosive speed, we thought would be best to make a spell that allowed me to register different heat signatures, senses otherwise not needing an upgrade. With water mana we wanted to increase my own physical flexibility, to match the fluidity of water. This one didn¡¯t require any sense changes but we still changed the sense of touch to register movement immediately near me through water vapor or water itself, and provide a moment of recognition even in events that [Portent] wouldn¡¯t pick up on approaching entities. Finally, with earth mana we increased my ability to feel tremors while using the earth mana to strengthen both my physical strength and my durability. Water and earth I felt I¡¯d likely use the least, given they were already the elements that most often went to the wayside.


    Working with Kricket was an informative endeavor. The goblin was truly passionate about runes and magic. It was clear that each book in this study, his own personal copies of books from seven different runic languages, had been perused frequently and heavily studied. The leather covers were frayed in places and worn down by the oils of the goblins hands. The goblin seemed to know each and every rune like the back of his hand, and wasn¡¯t afraid to share some of the knowledge with me. We still resolved to only use the runes from my Lexico books, at least until I learned more, but that would be enough for the spells we were creating.


    ¡°Ah, see, if you place the rune for ¡®increase¡¯ before the rune for ¡®earth mana¡¯ you¡¯ll only increase the amount of power the spell can hold, but if you place it after and follow up with the rune for ¡®Power¡¯ or ¡®Strength¡¯ you¡¯ll be able to increase your own physical capabilities.¡± He would occasionally break into an explanation like this that turned rather long winded. Despite likely being able to produce the spell himself in minutes or hours, he helped to walk me through each choice and each rune placement. He explained much of what the intro to Lexico runewrit lacked. How individual runes interacted based on the order in which they were drawn, how certain runes were incompatible, and how others exacerbated each others effects.


    ¡°Oh yes I think we need some strengthening runes, a hardening rune, and possibly a solidification rune. This will apply to your skin, but you could also further solidify your bones if necessary.¡± Kricket spouted off after I asked about strengthening runes, the hardening and solidify runes to be used for defense and the strengthening to increase power output.


    ¡°And what about using runes to gather mana? I used to have two in my five rune circles but removed them to add more total power to the spells, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you gather ambient mana it can have detrimental effects on the spell itself. Non earth mana, specifically any that are antithesis to it, could cause total spell failure since it is designated as an earth spell.¡± the explanation made sense and had me wondering how I¡¯d gotten so lucky to never have experienced total spell failure before.


    He continued to walk me through some rune choices, though he did let me mostly lead the research and development. I knew more of what I needed than he did.


    By mid afternoon the first of the five spells was complete. As it was the furthest from what I asked for, and therefore likely the most challenging, we had worked on the earth based enhancement. I memorized the individual runes and smiled, bringing the circle up in my compendium. I had yet to transfer it to the book of completed spells, but that was the next step. Overall, it was a good way to decompress after our dungeon venture and a way for me to realign my focus for forging for the next few days.


    ¡°Well, go on, test it out! We must see if it works Alexilios!¡± Kricket croaked as I finished committing it to memory.


    I looked about, frowning at the amount of space in the study. ¡°Perhaps I should test it at the guild. Or do you have somewhere a bit more open in case it goes wrong?¡±


    ¡°Alexilios, do it here. There are many enchantments in place here this, is safest.¡± The goblin looked sure of himself so I started a quick dance. Well, not that quick considering I had to write twenty five runes, but within half a minute the runes were drawn and I was ignoring the incredulous look Kricket was giving me. ¡°Alexilios, that was not the-¡±


    And then I activated the spell, earth mana cascading from my pathways and into the magic circle. Instantly I felt my body shift in weight. It was as though I were heavier, beefier. Harder to hurt. I looked around and realized I was moving a bit slower than normal, maybe fifteen percent slower. In most battles this would be a problem, but in some it would be helpful. I nodded at the goblin.


    ¡°Okay, we probably should have tested this before too but try to hurt me. See if you can cut through my skin. And then we should do some sort of strength test?¡± I asked the last bit unsure how much testing the goblin wanted to commit to.


    ¡°Hmm. Punch this.¡± He pulled out a two inch thick piece of stone that looked rather dense. I furrowed my brow but decided to trust the goblin, he hadn¡¯t done anything to inhibit me thus far and so there was no reason not to have faith in the small man.


    I punched it with about half strength, causing the stone slab to shatter into tiny splinters of rock. With sharp pebbles peppering us I looked at my hand in shock. The knuckles were barely red and I hadn¡¯t felt any pain in the slightest on impact. A toothy grin appeared on my face as Kricket took one of the stone shards and pressed it into my palm afterward. It took nearly all of his strength to pierce my skin and even then it wasn¡¯t much. With a fully powered stab he was able to puncture my abdomen, at my insistence that he try.


    The spell itself only lasted around five minutes, but that was a significant improvement from six seconds. Since it was midday we decided to keep going, hopeful to have the other four done in two more days.


    He performed a short, excited dance after we tested the spell over the next several minutes. He had to reach up to do it but clapped my shoulder as the spell faded and my body began moving like normal. ¡°First try Alexilios! Wonderful wonderful! You are as skilled as I feared Human boy!¡±


    ¡°As if I could have accomplished this without your help Kricket!¡± I guffawed and clapped him on the shoulder as well, excitement coursing through me.


    ¡°Let us continue Alexilios and craft another perfect spell!¡±


    We continued with the next spell, one I would actually be able to use in combat. The earth spell was great for what it did, but my class and fighting style could hardly utilize it with my current weapons and techniques. It would take a massive amount of training to be able to properly adjust to moving so much slower in a fight, even if the spell would protect me against most weapons at my level.


    And so, we began to work on a flame spell. The intention behind this one was to have a spell that could push my muscles to the extreme in such a way to both increase my power and speed. It would be different from the lightning based spell or wind one, both of which would focus on allowing me to move faster. Lightning with more jerky movements by electrically charging my muscles, and wind with more fluid movements, with a flowing motion.


    Because this spell was so different from the stone based version it took a solid two days to complete. With Krickets help I learned much about the runes I had been using, much I didn¡¯t know before. For instance, Lexico runes tended to hold more mana within them than most of the other languages, making them more potent, as he had said, for longer lasting spells and effects. Alternatively, Frith runes absorbed mana more easily before expelling all of it in a flash, causing those instantaneous effects Kricket had mentioned before. Lexico runes were also deemed one of the safest languages to use and Frith were considered one of the more dangerous types due to its volatility. Frith runes also tended to take less intent to influence changes in the literal meaning of the runes, whereas Lexico was easy enough to change from the literal meaning of runes to the intended meaning of them.


    ¡°Alexilios, try a simple spell with only Frith runes. Here here! This one!¡± He thrust a three rune spell into my hands. He had spent the last day or so helping me to better understand the differences between the languages as we continued to work on a new spell. The spell would likely have already been completed if he didn¡¯t take so much time to teach me too, but neither he nor I seemed to mind. Esoteric though he was, he was good company.


    I took a look at it and read the runes - Create Light Orb. Those were the three individual runes, fairly simple ones that I had learned from my first book on Frith runes. I did as he said and, as expected, an orb of light floated up after I drew the runes and fed it with mana.


    ¡°Good! Now attempt to make one without changing the runes that will follow you and last longer than fifteen seconds.¡± Kricket instructed as he seemed excited to teach someone else about his passion. He was hopping from one green grey foot to the other, barefoot since he was not attempting to help customers.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate to rewrite the runes, using my fingertip in the air rather than dancing, focusing on the changes I wanted to make. I fed the circle with generic mana and activated the spell, watching as the same orb of light lit up the disorganized study. I wanted to make it last at least a few more seconds, and follow me as I stepped back, but to my dismay neither effect was changed. As soon as the mana I had fed ran out the spell dissipated, and it certainly did not follow me as I walked about the room.


    ¡°Good! Now attempt the same spell but with runes of Lexico!¡± The eccentric goblin bounced back and forth excitedly. He passed me a sheet of paper with the same runes written on it in the other language. The differences in the languages were somewhat clear visually. Lexico tended to use more round edges and curves while Frith was often more rigid and jagged.


    Without hesitation I drew the runes into the air and activated the spell. I poured zero intent into the spell and watched as the orb of light floated into existence and even lasted longer than the Frith spell. Immediately after the spell dissolved I, following Krickets enthusiastic instructions, focused on drawing it a second time and easily created a light orb that lasted a full minute and hovered near my shoulder. It followed me as I moved, a bit slower than me but it wasn¡¯t bad enough to worry about.


    ¡°See! See Alexilios. Kricket wasn¡¯t fibbing, Kricket knows what he talks about.¡± With self satisfaction the goblin nodded twice, watching me as I smirked at him.


    ¡°Never doubted you Kricket. Thank you for teaching me. I look forward to seeing what else you can help me with in the future.¡±


    After that intermission we continued to work on the flaming spell that I decided to call ¡®Visceral Conflagration¡¯. We worked for hours for the remaining couple of days, with Kricket teaching me more and more about the nuances of Lexico runes. Alongside their idle longevity and ease at which they could be manipulated, they were known for their compatibility with other languages. They tended to be overall weaker than other languages but more than made up for it with their versatility.


    He also informed me that one of the notes in my first book on them was incorrect. The author had claimed that they were inefficient and difficult to use for a spell greater than a single circle, but as we had seen with the earth and now fire spell, that was simply not true. The spells they were a part of just needed greater attention to their structure. Essentially, they were unstable the more runes you used in a spell but were very stable if organized correctly. This was a known fact with the other languages as well, but Lexico runes needed to be ordered more precisely than the other runic languages.


    Frith, given their already volatile nature, tended to still work even with some discrepancies in their structure considering spells made with them were already meant to be instantaneous and powerful. Lexico suffered so much from this requirement because the spells crafted with them were intended to last a fair bit longer.


    Those were only a few of the things that Kricket had taught me about the runic languages while we were finishing up ¡®Visceral Conflagration¡¯. I hadn¡¯t expected the spell to take two and a half total days, but by the time we completed it I couldn¡¯t keep the exhausted grin from my face. I tested it a couple of times with Kricket before leaving, happily paying the goblin a few silver as a tip as I moved toward the guild hall to get some needed rest. It wasn¡¯t physically tiring of course, but mentally so.


    Three gold well spent, I would say. I didn¡¯t see much of Rose or Eva during those days except for breakfast on the second day when I asked them to let Luka and Sky accompany them. The foxes had grown antsy waiting for me to exit the shop.


    Now, I just needed to work on practicing the two spells. That would have to wait a little while, first I needed to meet with Eric over at Orvacks armory to collect some more metal to use and to sell two swords. And so, four days after we left the dungeon, I gathered the two swords, ensured that my sigil was placed on them - the runes for blade and dance in Lexico -, and ensured I had plenty of room in [Ephemeral Forge]¡¯s inventory. There was, it had leveled up a bit and now could hold even more metal. Still not that much, about fifty six pounds, but that was a fair amount.

 B2 CH14 Arrogance of a Name

    With three swords on my left hip I entered the storefront of Orvacks Armory. The smithy was busy in the early morn, with adventurers doing last minute shopping as they prepared for a dungeon or quest in the next day or two. There was a trio speaking with Eric as I entered. I watched without listening as he was trying to sell a gal in white robes a new staff that had two slots to embed crystals. I was a bit shocked they weren¡¯t already embedded but she quickly pulled out her own and set them right then and there. With two plain white crystals, quarts and opal from the look, she looked around and frowned.


    ¡°Excuse me Mr. Eric, do you know if anyone here has any injuries so I could test this staff?¡± Her voice was nasally but not overly unpleasant. She glanced at the other patrons and frowned. ¡°Or if you know of anyone who would be willing to let Bron hurt them a little for a test? I¡¯ll provide healing to them even if this doesn''t work!¡± She clarified in a panicked voice.


    I knew it would happen, but as soon as she asked that Eric turned to look at me and tilted his head. With a sigh I stepped up. ¡°What sort of injury do you want to test? Or do you want to test multiple? I can burn myself, have Bron break a finger, cut me, whatever it is. Well, so long as Eric is willing to compensate me for it.¡± I shot him a grin. We all watched him as he deliberated then nodded slowly.


    ¡°All three would be great but I understand if you don''t want to.¡± The girl seemed timid now that I had volunteered. Without waiting for a response I drew the sword that did not have an enchantment to protect its user from conjured fire about three inches out and pressed my thumb to its blade. It took a few seconds but the heat from the blade was enough to cause a minor burn. I then ran my thumb against the blade itself and drew blood beneath the thumb.


    ¡°Bron, do ya mind?¡± I held my hand out to a beastfolk that looked to be some sort of tiger. He grinned and reached out, grabbing my thumb and quickly yanking it back. I hardly winced, [Pain Tolerance] putting in some work.


    The woman spoke a quick incantation and the magic of the staff lit up in my senses. First the burn healed, leaving behind a bit of a tingly feeling, then the broken bone mended itself and lastly the small cut fused back together seamlessly. She grinned when she opened her eyes again and gauged her mana pool.


    ¡°You said the staff without crystals was eleven gold?¡± She had Bron hold the scepter as she dug into her coin purse. She got out five silver as well that she passed to me sheepishly. The third member of their party was simply looking disinterestedly at the other wares on the walls. He looked to be a sort of rogue and, save for daggers, would be hard pressed to find much here he wanted.


    Eric took another few moments to check them out and have them fill out the warranty paperwork before turning to me and eyeing the three swords on my hip. ¡°Lios, I assume you are here regarding our deal? I¡¯ll go fetch Orvack. While you two converse, did you want to pick up any other materials today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, I¡¯d like to get the Zephyrim and possibly azure sycamore for the scabbard rather than the entoak, if only because its particularly fitting color-wise for a blade with a wind attribute.¡± I smirked at the man. I had, of course, brought with me two dozen gold coins. A solid three quarters of my current wealth.


    ¡°Sure thing. Wait here a few while I go let the boss know you''re here.¡± He was off like a shot, ready to sell more and earn more commissions.


    All told, I only had to wait another ten minutes before he returned with a similar crate of materials. I quickly checked them out, refusing any more mana steel for the time being but this time opting to buy a single ingot of orichalcrum, which I hadn¡¯t used in the previous blade, alongside the two ingots of zephyrim. I also ordered a few spare ingots of svertim, the bronze like material one of my favorites for accenting the weapons. I grinned as I quickly scooped them all up including the azure sycamore into my inventory and paid. It was a touch less than thirteen gold for the lot, once again, and I cried inside at the lightening of my finances. Hopefully the swords at my hip would sell for a decent amount.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait too long for Orvack to come find me. I was stood off to the side as Eric continued to help other customers when the large man stepped into the shopfront proper from one of the back doors. His eyes swept over the growing crowd of customers until he saw me. On catching my eyes he waved to me, indicating I should follow him out. I did so, walking past the attendants counter and straight up to the grizzled smith.


    ¡°Orvack, it¡¯s a pleasure to see ya again. Hows business?¡± I said, making small talk as he led me to another room, an office. The office was fairly plain. On the walls there were a few items displayed. A dagger here, a helm that looked to have been melted, a suit of armor on a stand in the corner. A rug that looked like it hadn¡¯t been cleaned in a few months was under the desk and the chairs, soot from blacksmiths boots caked between the fibers. A decent sized wooden chair with no cushions made of a dark mahogany was behind the plainly decorated mahogany desk. There, he sat behind a desk with hardly anything on it save for a few small tools to check things like gems, the quality of metal, and other identifying items.


    ¡°Lios, was it? Business is good. I see that you have not one but three blades on your hip, are those the products for our partnership?¡± As I took a seat his eyes lingered on the weapons.


    I smiled and took off the two I didn¡¯t have any intention of keeping, setting them on the desk before the large man. The instant I did so I saw his eyes flash, telling me he used an appraisal skill. They widened ever so slightly before he crossed his arms and leaned back. ¡°So, tell me, what were you hoping to sell these for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll level with you, Orvack, I haven''t much experience selling my weapons when they have these sorts of enchantments on them. Previously, when I sold weapons I had enchanted, they had only had a single or maybe two enchantments on them. These swords have three major enchantments, and so I¡¯m unfortunately unsure what they would typically sell for. Plus, the market in Ironfell is much more competitive than Arborton. Most of what I made there had been nails and axeheads, as you might imagine.¡± True to myself I decided to be honest about my expectations, and that I didn¡¯t have much of any. ¡°I¡¯d like to sell them on commission, even though that¡¯ll take a fair bit longer to actually see profits coming in.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I think I could sell them each for a solid platinum coin, if I¡¯m being honest. These two swords are exceptional for your level and the level of adventurers here. They should be fairly close to top of the line for any fire based adventurers up to level one fifty, so I don''t doubt they¡¯ll sell fairly quickly.¡± Orvack slowly drew one of the swords, having not seen the blade just yet and grinned a little bit. ¡°One hundred and twenty gold, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll charge for it. Sound fair?¡±


    ¡°Aye, it does.¡± I watched as he withdrew some paper and used a quill to sign his name. When he passed it over, I skimmed it and found it was a fairly simple commissions contract, allowing me to safely sell with Orvack and retain some anonymity. I signed it as well, surprised that he used mundane contracts when magical ones were a possibility. ¡°Welp, I suppose I ought to go getting to work on the next few swords, aye? I have a design I think will work well for them.¡±


    As I stood, Orvack reached out a hand allowing a grin to breach his lips. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you Lios. I look forward to seeing what you can do with a higher level, what did smithing these get you to?¡±


    Curious myself, as I hadn¡¯t taken too much time to check my status post dungeon, I opened it up. I smiled softly, seeing the steady increase in my skill levels and classes. I had gained another several levels in my [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] class from making the last two swords. Mostly, I was excited to see some growth in [He Who Wanders] and [Compendium Actualization], mostly due to the effects I was hoping it would gain in smithing.


    [Class]


    [Bladedancer] lvl 104


    [Class Skills]


    [Bladed Weapon Mastery] LVL:104


    [Runedancing] LVL:104


    [Dodging] LVL:104


    [Intuition] LVL:104


    [Mana Sense] LVL:93


    [Mana Manipulation] LVL:99


    [Rune Compendium] LVL:104


    [He Who Wanders] LVL:9


    [Runesight] LVL:89


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:62


    [Secondary Class]The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 36


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:36


    [Runeweaving] LVL:21


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:36


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:36


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:34


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:25


    [Detect Metal] LVL:8


    X3 Unavailable


    [General Skills]


    [Running] LVL:90


    [Meditation] LVL:55


    [Twin Pact] LVL: 104


    [Distant Recollections] LVL:31


    [Cooking] LVL:24


    [Pain Resistance] LVL:92


    [Training] LVL:92


    [Portent of the Thaumaturge] LVL:104


    [Syncopate] LVL:72


    X1 Unavailable


    ¡°It went up to level thirty six.¡± I said trying not to let pride fill my voice. I knew I was still but a small fish in a massive pond, and that the man before me was of a significantly higher experience. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feel prideful. Every small bit of growth was an incredible boon. Even my smithing class aided my combat potential and my combat class aided my crafting potential in a myriad of ways.


    ¡°I look forward to seeing what you can do when you evolve your class.¡± Orvack grinned at me and picked the two sheathed swords up. ¡°I suppose now is a good time to see if there are any interested parties for these weapons. You did good work, I¡¯m sure they wont take long to sell. Helps that they are pretty too.¡±


    I grinned back at the older smith, taking his teasing in stride. ¡°I sure hope they do, now I¡¯ve just gotta figure out the enchantments for the next few models and decide how pretty I¡¯ll make em. Figured your shop could do with some more beauty, ya know?¡±


    He laughed and led me back out to the shop floor. He quickly set both swords on racks on the wall behind the counter and informed the staff of the price for them, keeping the price the same for both. I still thought that the one with Inferno¡¯s embrace was better, but both would surely be powerful.


    After that, I returned to the guild and secured myself a booth in the corner of the room. The guild hall was fairly busy, bustling with adventurers preparing to depart for quests as usual. I simply drew out my Lexico books, wanting to work on my wind enchantment. I didn¡¯t know how much I wanted it to do compared to the flame one, but I knew I wanted to try to make something different.


    I started by writing down the effects I wanted it to have. Wind aura of some kind.. Hmm, maybe I can launch a blade of wind? How do I enhance that like the flame blade? I mused and glanced down at my sheet of paper, sighing at the notes I was making. I felt that fire had been the easiest to conceptualize for a sword. Lightning wasn¡¯t too far behind, but it certainly wasn¡¯t easy to come up with a new enchantment. Wind was a fair bit more difficult. Something to increase the speed of my strikes? I tapped at the table as Luka and Sky ate from plates provided by the guild. We had made it just in time, they were stopping breakfast service and had some extra meat that needed eating along with some fruits. The foxes were all too happy to help.


    I spent a good while sitting there, simply conceptualizing the next enchantment, until a shadow fell over my paper. I glanced up to see the blue armored warrior who had a habit of glaring at me standing above the table with three other scruffy looking adventurers.


    ¡°Care if we sit?¡± The man said in a tone that suggested he was going to sit anyway. I shrugged, but pulled my books and notes closed, setting them in the bag I had brought down from my room. As I went to grab my enchanting notes, the last book on the table, blue boy snatched it up and started to look over it.


    ¡°Whats this? Fancy yourself a wizard?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes, flicking them over the other¡¯s faces as I felt Luka and Sky grumble beside me. I sent them a missive to be calm, that there was no point in starting a conflict here. ¡°And if I do? I¡¯d appreciate you returning my book.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± The man started to flip through the pages but he barely looked at the pages, seeming satisfied to antagonize me despite not understanding what he was looking at.


    ¡°Is there something I could help you with, Mr.?¡± I saw the other three had hands on their weapons. One had a hammer, another a shortsword and dagger, and the last a spear that he leaned against the wall within arms reach as he sat, sandwiching me between the four.


    ¡°Yes, Yes there is. You see, I¡¯ve noticed you hanging out with two of my friends and I¡¯m afraid they are too kind to ask you to leave them alone. They¡¯ve asked me to do so.¡± His statement confused me. I looked around confused for a few moments.


    ¡°Oh? And who are your friends?¡±


    ¡°The elf girl and her pretty bard friend.¡± The man grinned at me menacingly, setting the book on the table but keeping his hand on it.


    ¡°What are their names, these friends of yours? I find myself hanging around far too many pretty women for that description to narrow it down.¡± My heart thumped a little bit as I realized he was talking about Eva and Rose. That he was trying to get me to stay away from them, and would likely use force to do so. ¡°On a side note, if you don¡¯t give me back my notes I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to ignore your request. If your greasy fingers damage them in anyway, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be forced to leave similar marks on you.¡±


    ¡°Threatening me? Do you have any idea who I am? I could have you sanctioned just for your words alone!¡± The man did hold himself with an air of superiority, cockiness and arrogance befitting those of the noble class. Still, that idle threat did not dissuade me.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know who you are. Nor do I care. I won¡¯t be leaving my friends simply because you, what, politely requested I did so?¡± I scoffed at the man then waved my fingers toward the book. ¡°Now, follow through with your threat and show you are unable to resolve your own issues without your families name, proving to the world that you''re nothing more than a spoiled manbaby who can only cry to get what they want, or give me my damn book and get out of my face.¡±


    His face reddened, nicely contrasting his azure armor, and he glared at me. ¡°You dare call me a manbaby? You¡¯ll pay for that.¡± His voice was rising causing a few of the other adventurers to turn their attention to our table. ¡°There¡¯s a third option, you country bumpkin. You¡¯ll pay for insulting me.¡±


    He made to take the book in both hands threatening to tear the pages to pieces. I sighed and prompted Luka who had been ready to move from the moment the man sat down. A spike of stone shot from the ground through the armored mans foot, clanging against the metal boots. The man cursed and dropped my book which I promptly scooped into my bag, not rising as the other three looked on confused. The one with the hammer stood and drew his weapon first upon realizing I¡¯d attacked their leader.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Blue man growled as he moved to stand up.


    ¡°Well, it appears inevitable that we are set to fight. Mayhap we can do so outside where we wont break anything?¡± I stood up slowly, pulling my bag to my shoulder.


    ¡°A swell idea, Alexilios.¡± A new voice sounded from amongst some of those who had gathered. ¡°Might I suggest the guilds training hall?¡± Perry stepped out from the crowd and surveyed the situation slowly, noting that blue man had a bit of sweat rolling down his face as he pulled his foot up from the stone that had impaled it.


    ¡°Guildmaster! This boar attacked me without any provocation!¡± The man exclaimed pointing at me.


    ¡°Ethan Penrose, yes? I do believe that when you threaten someone with status, steal their belongings, and attempt to ostracize an individual from their party that can be considered ¡®provocation¡¯, or do you not agree?¡± Perry crossed his thick hairy dwarven arms and took another few steps forward. ¡°Now, if you wish to fight you all will do so in the training hall. I¡¯ll oversee. If you don''t then you may leave but I will not condone violence within my guild without reason. Understood? That goes for young Alexilios as well, worry not he will be punished for harming you but only after this conflict resolves itself.¡±


    The man looked furious for a few moments before he steeled his eyes and nodded. ¡°Then we will fight in the training hall.¡± His compatriots nodded along and all stood, making enough room for me and the foxes to escape the booth.


    I sighed heavily as I passed them, then glanced at the dozens of adventurers who all looked positively elated that they could watch a fight. In the back of the crowd I noticed Eva and Rose as they entered the guild, confused by the commotion. ¡°Lead the way, Perry. Lets get this over with, I have more studying to do.¡± I filled my voice with as much derision and nonchalance as I could.


    I caught a flash of a grin beneath his billowing beard as he nodded and turned to lead the way through the guild to a stairway I hadn¡¯t noticed before. Not that I¡¯d explored the hall extensively. As I followed him Eva and Rose approached me, listening to the whispers of the various adventurers who followed to watch the fight.


    ¡°Whats going on? I feel like it¡¯s not like you to cause trouble.¡± Eva asked in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Ah, no big deal. The smurf over there wanted to try to get me to stay away from you guys for some reason and resorted to threatening to destroy my research. I had Luka poke a stone into his foot. Now we¡¯re gonna have a fight over you guys or something.¡± I gave them a footnotes explanation, ignoring their angry gazes. ¡°Claimed they were your friends and that you''d asked me to stay away a while.¡±


    ¡°Those scumbags, let us help you, I can fight with you!¡± Eva growled, sending a murderous glance at blue man who was hobbling along as we walked down the stairs.


    Before I had much chance to respond, we made it into a relatively large chamber. It was around the size of a basketball court with training dummies on either side and a section carved out to train ranged weapons - essentially a large hallway with targets in the distance. The main attraction was a sand filled ring in the center of the room. On one wall, opposite the stairs, was a door that was labeled ¡°Training Dungeons¡± that piqued my curiosity. I didn¡¯t have any opportunity to explore it though as Adventurers filtered in and took places around the sand pit in the middle of room.


    Sighing, I drew my sword and entered the ring. I looked around and pursed my lips, feeling uneasy that so many people were standing so close to it. I glanced over at Perry. ¡°Say, does this ring have a protective barrier or something? Also, what are the rules to this fight? Eva, Rose, no need to join me I¡¯ve got this.¡±


    I stood at the edge of the ring as they both glared and stayed on the outside. Both of them scooped up a wriggling fox, sensing my desire to do this alone. I was starting to really enjoy fighting. I wanted to see if these four could back up the talk of whoever blue mans papa was. I wasn¡¯t familiar with the Penrose family, though I¡¯d likely read the name during my studies of nobility a number of years ago.

 B2 ch15 Resolve

    ¡°Barrier, yes. Rules, we need to come up with them. Adventurer¡¯s Ethan, Gregory, Thomas, and Leshal, please step into the circle.¡± Perry announced with his booming voice. Everything about the dwarf held power, in my eyes. We waited a moment and my eyes narrowed when I noticed Ethans foot was no longer bleeding. For the first time I allowed myself to get a good look at them, having seen them in the guild around Ethan but not paying them mind.


    Ethan was, of course, the idiot in shining blue armor. On his back was a greatsword with a similar blue handle and crossguard. He was tall, a bit older than me and clearly well muscled. He had bright blonde hair and dark eyes. Tanned skin showed he was often out in the sun but the callouses on his hand did not reveal much other than it seemed he didn¡¯t practice with his sword enough.


    Gregory was wearing steel armor, and looked to be a half elf or something similar. His skin was fair and bright and he was the one with the spear. Stubble peppered his face and his hands, contrasting Ethans, were calloused deeply. Rough, worn. Used to work and training. He would actually know what he was doing on the battlefield.


    Thomas was a human with a pudgy face and black. He had the shortsword and my [Detect Metal] skill identified multiple shapes of throwing knives as well as a few needles, from the looks. He had leather armor on with plenty of pockets. His fingers looked less worn that Gregory¡¯s, much more nimble too. A rogue of sorts.


    The last of the group was Leshal, the most interesting of the group. He looked reluctant to join the fray, but he was the one who had the hammer. It was a single handed warhammer, reminding me much of Thor the mighty warrior. Leshal, however, was a beastfolk. He had a lizard like head with narrow pupils and a forked tongue that flicked out on occasion. His scales were a coppery green, glittering in the torchlight of the training hall. His armor was simple chainmail, the least robust looking of the group, and he had no additionally weapons on his person.


    ¡°Now, adventurer¡¯s, it seems that a conflict was brewing above. I don¡¯t care about why, but my adventurers will not damage MY hall without just cause. Instead, all grievances will be aired out here. This goes for those who are here for the tournament and those who live in Ironfell. Now, Ethan, as you were the instigator we will allow Alexilios to set the terms for battle and you shall set the stakes. Please ensure the stakes are equal.¡±


    ¡°The terms?¡± I asked a bit shocked for a moment before thinking it over. The circle was around twenty feet from center to the edge, giving me plenty of space to fight. ¡°In that case, weapons are allowed. Magic is allowed. Someone of a higher level will pull us out in the event that a killing blow be dealt. And, lastly, I¡¯ll fight all of you at once. I haven¡¯t the time to waste on these ants.¡±


    Was the last bit necessary, maybe not. Was it fun to watch Ethan and his lackeys, save Leshal, bristle with anger at his provocation? Absolutely. Leshal, to his credit, simply tilted his head and grinned with pointed teeth, seemingly excited for the fight.


    ¡°Then for the stakes. This peasant will break off any ties with the ladies Eva and Rose and they will join my party for three months if he shall lose. If we lose I will leave the three of them alone until after the tournament of Rhosha. Fair, yes?¡±


    Before Perry could interrupt I tilted my head and clicked my tongue. ¡° Fair? I think not. If I lose I have to abandon my party and they, two uninvolved individuals, have to join your party without their consent? If you lose you¡¯ll just leave us alone? Nah. Instead I think if you want to exchange party members how about this; when you lose you give us Leshal, then you fuck off and leave us alone?¡±


    Leshals eyes flickered with surprise and he tilted his head. ¡°I agree.¡± His voice was a whisper in the silent room. A smile flicked onto his scaly lips as he nodded emphatically.


    Ethan pulled his group in for a huddle, talking quietly as I ignored the stares I was getting from Eva and Rose. I turned to Perry and saw the man pulling out a flask and taking a silent sip. Seeing me watching him he wryly passed it over. When I took a sip I found it was a sort of whiskey, burning deeply as it came down with heavy hints of cinnamon. I nodded gratefully as Ethan turned back toward us.


    ¡°Fine then. You lose and you leave the girls to our party, I lose and you get Leshal. Is there anything else we must discuss, Guildmaster?¡± The smurf seemed positively infuriated that Leshal had agreed to it so readily.


    ¡°Allow me a moment to ensure we have someone strong and fast enough to catch you before a fatal attack. Any volunteers in the crowd?¡± Perry¡¯s voice rang out, and he looked around the circle eyeing everyone. He was familiar with each of their levels and likely knew who would be a good choice. Before he picked anyone out a voice came through.


    ¡°I can look after the munchkins.¡± The voice was jovial and immediately followed by the crowd parting slightly to allow a man with spiky blonde hair and casual clothes to step through. His eyes were an unnatural shade of purple, crackling with power.


    ¡°Harkan, you''re back? I suppose it is around the right time. Fine, make sure none of the kids dies. Not that I think it¡¯ll be too tough for you.¡± I took a good look at Harkan, just as he turned to look at me with an amused smile on his face. I tried to find any weapons on him but there was no metal on him whatsoever, save for a sliver of something caught in his arm. A wound that healed wrong?


    With that Perry stepped out of the circle and the four others drew their weapons. Ethan grinned sadistically as he brandished his greatsword, swinging it smoothly as the others backed up to stay out of his range. ¡°Well, one armed swordsman, I think it¡¯ll be quite fun to see you try to fight without any arms!¡± He leapt forward the second the barrier was erected with a whumpsh sound.


    I sighed, turning my back to him to look at Eva and Rose, sidestepping as the greatsword slashed down at me. ¡° Don¡¯t worry, have a little faith, I¡¯ve got this. Smurfy boy is gonna get knocked down a peg.¡± I sidestepped a second slash, noting that the other three were simply watching for now. As I moved I started to draw the first rune of twenty five for my new flaming enhancement. I wasn¡¯t able to use it with [Compendium Actualization] just yet due to a lack of proficiency, I hadn¡¯t danced the runes out more than once, but I figured the fight could last a little while while I humiliated the pompous brat.


    ¡°Is that the best you can do, Ethan?¡± I called out, parrying his slow moving sword. I had trained against Elric for months, and Elric was significantly faster with his own heavy weapon. ¡°Are the rest of you planning to sit back and watch? I¡¯m fine with that but our audience came down here expecting a show.¡±


    I saw Gregory brandish his spear, leveling it as he strode forward. Thomas and Leshal shared a glance before shrugging and stepping forward as well, as I led Ethan more toward the center of the circle. I danced around him easily, watching as a vein bulged on his forehead. With more enemies I stopped taunting them, knowing that it would make my spellwork that much more difficult if my focus strayed from the battle.


    Leshal came forward first, swinging his hammer quickly, much quicker than I had expected, but I dodged back. I nearly dodged into Gregory¡¯s spear but danced around it at the last second and kicked off of the greatsword that came toward my legs. I jumped back, using the movement to push Ethan¡¯s sword into the ground and landing beside Thomas the rogue. I was about a third through the spell and grinning wryly when the rogue attempted to poke at me with his shortsword.


    I blocked quickly, knocking his blade to the side, and bashed him in the chest with the pommel of my sword. In my sphere of perception I saw Leshal and Gregory lining up some sort of combo, with Leshal swinging his hammer in my direction seemingly hoping I¡¯d jump back like last time, falling close to Gregory. Instead I hopped to the side of the incoming hammer, feeling the wind of it flash across my chest, and struck the crook of the lizard man¡¯s elbow with my pommel. I grinned as the lizard seemed to lose his grip only for the hammer to swing down on a strap and him grab it again.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Behind me the spearman lunged forward, causing me to dance in a diagonal line toward the rogue who seemed to be trying to stay out of my line of sight. Our blades clashed and new runes formed beneath my feet as sparks flew. I debated activating the aura of my sword, and thus the embrace, but decided to test my pure sword skills for the time being. My blade and his cracking against each other once, twice, five times before I was forced to sidestep Ethans sword. Wind brushed against my skin as he sliced through my silk tunic, the purple fabric tearing easily, and he whooped in celebration at landing a blow. At least, until his face sunk realizing that he had merely grazed me.


    At this point we had been fighting for about fifteen seconds. I was only a couple of runes away from being able to activate my skill but I was wondering about my foes not using any magic. Perhaps they were simply warrior types? I found it unlikely if they were a party. Leshal was the first to activate his skills, it seemed. A crackle resounded behind me as he slammed the hammer into the ground, causing sand and dust to fly into the air. His eyes were narrowed and serious, losing the amused expression from before.


    I jumped up just as the earth tore open below me, a mouth made from the sand clamping shut where I had just been. Wary, I ducked under the spear that followed as soon as I landed, magic exiting my foot as heat struck me from above. Gregory was using fire magic, his spear was engulfed in flames. I batted his weapon away from me before it could so much as singe my freshly cut hair.


    Finally, as I sidestepped a larger hammer wrapped in earth magic, I felt my spell click into place. I took a deep breath and first activated the aura of my sword, heat radiating from me though not enough to turn the ground beneath my feet into glass. Everyone but the spearman stepped back while I caught a grin on Ethans face. I smirked as well, figuring the blue in his armor was likely representative of water or lightning magic.


    With my aura active and everyone backed away as I faced off against the fire user, I finally activated the spell, using my sword to amplify it. The red flames around me grew and turned white, now slowly turning the sand underneath my feet molten. I felt the fire mana coursing through my veins. My muscles bulged and heated up, already aching a bit but still reinforced by my mana. I jumped forward, putting as much energy and force into my movement as I could handle, and forcing a ton of sand to explode behind me, peppering Leshal. In an instant I was in front of the confident spearman and moved to slash at him. As my sword grew close to him he vanished, appearing on the other side of the barrier.


    I paid it no mind as I turned to the other three, who now watched with wide eyes as my speed and power had suddenly changed, suddenly exploded. Pushing off against the sand again, I lunged toward the rogue, Thomas. As I neared he belatedly raised his shortsword, stumbling backward. My sword crashed into his and I watched as his armor darkened, baking under my shroud. I withdrew from the clash first but immediately kicked at his gut, pushing him into the barrier with intense force. I felt a bit bad, but couldn¡¯t hold back my elation as I cackled. He collapsed onto the ground and moved to stand as Leshal approached me from behind, sand coating his body and armor, despite already wearing chainmaille.


    I turned to face the lizardman, considering my options. This was a good opportunity to test my spell, but I didn¡¯t think it was a true match. I faced him, ignoring the man on the ground, as I lashed out with my sword. The flames on it crackled as Leshal attempted to wrap my sword with his sand, to smother the blade. At the same time I felt some sand wrap around my legs and harden, holding me in place as his golden hammer swing toward me. I ducked beneath it to see a knee rising up at my face.


    Finally, I decided to stop playing and used as much force and flame mana as necessary to break the sandstone binding my legs as I pushed off toward the side. Directly into the swinging blade of Ethan, now wrapped in a blue aura and with water mana coating his sword and armor. I had to twist uncomfortably beneath his flying sword, hearing a sizzle as steam rose between us. I landed behind him with a flourish, elation clear on my face.


    ¡°Good! Good. I was worried you were all simply pushovers, plain warriors. I¡¯m glad you''ve proven me wrong.¡± It was now that I realized Thomas had been removed from the arena, and was now sitting beside Gregory, Rose humming to him to heal the wounds I gave him. He looked a little shellshocked from the sudden shift in the battle.


    ¡°Silence, mongrel, it seems you only know how to run your filthy mouth. Don¡¯t you know your kind shouldn¡¯t even look at mine?¡± Ethan growled at me his aura flaring. I laughed at the silly serious face he was making, at the anger on his face.


    Without bothering to reply, I kicked off the sand again pelting the barrier. The battle had not yet required me to do anything extraneous and my new spell would last at least a minute, perhaps longer if I was able to stay focused. I slashed out at him and pushed him back as he blocked with the heavier sword. The blue metal was pristine, different from the mana steel I was used to using. It clearly came as a set with his armor, and likely cost a pretty penny, but he was a bit clumsy with his sword.


    As he moved to retaliate, I ducked a strike from Leshal and twisted to counter. Instead of simply slashing at him I activated the wind enchantment on my sword, flinging a flaming crescent in his direction as he backed out of my range. I barely registered his eyes widening before he was removed from the circle and the barrier took the strike, shuddering beneath the power. The sand beneath it heated into glass, nothing pretty of course but the grains still fused and became translucent.


    I saw a flicker of movement as he was taken away, catching Harkans body just barely. I ignored it, sure the adventurer would talk to me after this as the brief moment I saw him he appeared shocked at the turn of events. Or deeply amused. Probably the second, I doubted an adventurer who was able to avoid even my [Portent] could be surprised by me.


    I turned to the last combatant just as they charged at me. He was screaming something, the vein in his forehead compounding, a second appearing. Despite his blue aura his face and body were turning red with anger. A berserker of a sort? That... actually made a lot sense, given his temperament. It didn¡¯t matter.


    I met his charge head on, digging my feet in as I took back my aura, pouring mana into my sword again. Steam rose as our blades clashed, his a greatsword and mine a longsword held with a single hand. I trembled a bit under the weight as he pushed me back a little bit but he wasn¡¯t able to land a blow or force me to drop my weapon. Focused, I ducked under his sword after a few seconds, twisting my sword and causing him to stumble as the resistance suddenly vanished. My sword lashed upward, slicing through his right hand and cauterizing the wound in an instant.


    He continued to stumble forward and his sword dipped toward the ground now that one of his hands could no longer grip it. With less control the man turned toward me, seething in his rage. He shakily lifted his sword again, trying and failing to grip with his other hand without registering his right hand was even gone. His sword swung awkwardly toward me, easily dodged, and I aimed to thrust at his chest. Just as I heard the sizzle of our auras clash, and felt the crunch of his plated armor beneath the tip of my sword, a blur snatched him away.


    I stood there panting for a few moments, allowing the remaining mana from my spell to dissipate along with my adrenaline. I sheathed my blade releasing me from the infernal aura I had taken on and turned wryly toward the other party who I had just faced in a one versus four. Harkan was holding Ethan down as his berserk ran its course, while Rose sang a song of healing, allowing anyone with injuries to regenerate. Sadly, this did not allow for Ethan¡¯s hand to regrow.


    I shared a glance with Leshal who seemed to grin at me, glancing at the hand in the sand. Perhaps he hadn''t liked Ethans company either. The crowd itself was fairly quiet as they watched Harkan try to handle Ethan before giving up an thwacking the noble in the back of the neck, knocking him out. Then clapping and some cheers broke out. I watched as a few people exchanged coin with one another, many of them grumbling as they had expected the group of four to win.


    ¡°That was incredibly reckless, Alexilios.¡± A stern melodic voice called from behind me as Rose walked into the sand circle.


    ¡°Honestly, you didn¡¯t even ask our thoughts, mayhap we wanted to go with Ethan Penrose.¡± Eva said from her side as I turned, the foxes breaking free from their grasp and rushing me.


    Sky hopped worriedly onto my torso, hanging on by her claws, before climbing up to my shoulder. ¡°Big Brother we could have helped...¡±


    ¡°I know Sky, I know. But I wanted to test myself a bit.¡± I smiled at the girls and nodded toward the entrance of the training room. As I looked that way I saw a giant of a man look at me over the crowd and toss his head back. My smile grew as I realized Adrien and the others had returned to town.


    ¡°Come, lets go get some drinks. Maybe meet our new team member.¡± I led them through the crowd, a few adventurers clapped me on the shoulder as I passed and I nodded at them with my head held as high as Sky would allow. Luka grumbled as he walked beside me so I scooped him up and gave him a kiss on the top of his head as we went back up to the guild proper.

 B2 Ch16 To New Friends and Old

    Upon reaching the guild hall proper I saw that four of my friends were seated at a large round table with another new face, Harkan. Rose and Eva seemed a bit unsure, but not as much as Leshal who I had waved up. The lizardman smiled still as we approached the table, Garth having already set some drinks for us. Before anyone else could speak, Harkan stood with a glimmer in his eyes.


    ¡°Alexilios, was it? Harkan. A pleasure, I¡¯m sure. ''Twas an impressive battle. I wasn¡¯t fully expecting you to trounce those brats so well in a one versus four.¡± He reached his hand out to shake, which I took. His grip was a fair bit more gentle than I had expected but I didn¡¯t say anything of it.


    ¡°Thank you. I take it you were on the investigatory team with Adrien and his group? Did you all only make it back today?¡± Thinking about it, it had been around a week already since they left.


    ¡°Aye. That we have. Come, sit, they¡¯ve told me much about you.¡± Harkan pulled a chair out for both Eva and Rose, causing them to blush slightly.


    ¡°I should think introductions are in order before we celebrate that jarring victory, aye Lios?¡± Adrien called from the other side of the table.


    ¡°Sure, allow me to introduce everyone.¡± I went through and called out everyone''s names, introducing each one as I sat beside Elric with Rose to my left and Eva beside her. Leshal seemed to want to leave but sat between Harkan and Eva. ¡°And the newest member of our group, for the time being, is Leshal.¡±


    ¡°Say, Lios, isn''t Rose the bard from Kinnesville you were -¡± Elric grunted as I tried to kick him under the table when I realized he was trying to embarrass me. ¡°- Drooling over?¡±


    My kick hadn¡¯t stopped him in the slightest. I groaned and shook my head ignoring the very curious gaze Rose was throwing my way. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I was ¡®drooooling¡¯ over her...¡±


    She giggled softly, causing my blush to grow deeper. ¡°Oh but, I certainly remember you staring at her with your mouth dangling open for at least half an hour.¡± Amelia supplied, grinning toothily.


    ¡°I was simply entranced by her music!¡± I exclaimed with exasperation, knowing I wasn¡¯t helping my case.


    ¡°Her music, her lips, her hair, her dress. Aye you were entranced alright.¡± Adrien called out with some foam coating his upper lip, slamming the tankard down. A belly laugh roiled out from him as I playfully sank deeper into my chair and attempted to cover my face.


    ¡°Worry not Miss Rose, as the newest member of this group I¡¯ll ensure your safety from the amorous Alexilios!¡± Leshal piped in, taking the opportunity to rib at me. Laughter erupted from the others at the table as I chuckled as well and straightened back up.


    ¡°I get it I get it, can we move on now? When did you guys get back?¡± I attempted to divert the conversation even as Rose seemed to smirk self satisfactorily beside me.


    ¡°Oh just today. Actually, just in time to watch your match. How¡¯d that come about anyway?¡± Liana saved me though there was a twinkle of mirth about her.


    Leshal responded for me, grimacing slightly. ¡°It seemed my former teammate has grown increasingly jealous of Lios hanging around a woman who had rejected him. He had the party swoop in to intimidate him into leaving them alone, but you saw the final results.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seems he was in over his head by a fair amount. Not that I believe he gave it his all but...¡± Eva piped up. At her voice Sky finally left my shoulder and crawled over Rose¡¯s lap to get to Eva.


    ¡°She gives best scratches.¡± came Sky¡¯s message alongside an image of Eva¡¯s nails which were longer than I realized, long especially for an archer.


    ¡°He did. To be fair, I didn¡¯t believe the dancing swordsman was as capable as rumors would suggest. Not that there are too many but maybe there will be more. Did any of us even scratch you?¡± Leshal leaned over the table to get a good look at me as he said this, his green scales glittering faintly under the lights.


    ¡°No. Well, someone almost did but it was just my shirt that was cut, not me. You were the closest. Had you let go of the handle and grabbed the wrist strap of your hammer while I was dodging backwards you would¡¯ve gotten me for sure.¡± I grinned at our new comrade who didn''t seem too beaten up over losing.


    Before anyone could say anything more, a yell ripped through the halls din from the training grounds, muffled by the stone walls and stairs but still reaching us. A moment later the person who screamed rushed up the stairs followed by the guilds healer and Perry. The other two members of Ethans group climbed up after them one of them holding a bloody cloth that appeared to be wrapped around a loose hand. Ethan immediately zeroed in on our table, seeing me sitting there uninjured seemingly setting him off even more.


    He marched up to our table, clutching his new stump in his other hand, and screamed at my face, ¡°This isn¡¯t over. On the name of Baron Penrose I swear you will lose your head for this!¡±


    ¡°Oy, kid, he won a challenge fairly. More than fairly. Four against one and you still didn¡¯t manage to even injure Lios here.¡± Elric called out then chuckled as he mocked him. ¡°Go tend to your wounds like a good lost puppy, and leave Lios alone!¡±


    ¡°Your life is forfeit peasant!¡± Ethan growled at me as he passed, ignoring Elrics words. I shrugged and turned my attention back to the table.


    ¡°If you come for my life again you should be prepared to lose yours. You threatened to take my hand from me but yours was the only one taken. If you''re quick enough a talented healer could likely heal it all up, or maybe not.¡± I replied carelessly. Currently the boy couldn¡¯t do anything to me without facing some heavy opposition from higher ranked adventurers.


    Seething, Ethan and his cronies walked away, all glaring at me and Leshal. They left the building, likely to try to find a better healer with daddy barons coin. I sighed in frustration, knowing that Ethan was far from done with fucking with me and mine, and resigned myself to dealing with him eventually.


    ¡°Anyway, with that out of the way, you made a new sword Lios?¡± Elric asked glancing down at the table, more accurately toward my hidden hip. ¡°Lets see it. What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes I did. I was actually working out the enchantments for a different sword as well.¡± I removed the sheathed blade from my hip and placed it on the table in front of Elric. The berserkers eyes glimmered eagerly as he took in the sheathed sword. He slowly unsheathed it about halfway, the others turning their attention to it as the ambient temperature went up by a few degrees.


    ¡°She¡¯s a thing of beaut, aye Adrien?¡± Elric asked as he showed everyone the carefully constructed blade. ¡°Flame enchants only? What did you make it from?¡±


    ¡°Infernal iron, mana steel, and entoak primarily. And yeah, I wanted to make a sword for each of the elements I¡¯m able to wield to use them as my spellcasting focus¡¯s.¡± I shrugged nonchalantly.


    ¡°Pass it here Elric, I wanna check out what your prodigious swordsman is really capable of. I get the feeling you were holding back during the fight.¡± Harkan called out. Elric sheathed the blade then, instead of passing it along the table, stood up and brought it to him. The man took a few moments to examine it, a small smirk growing. ¡°Definitely holding back the whole time, right Alexilios?¡±


    ¡°Boys and their swords.¡± I heard Amelia stage whisper to Rose and Eva, causing a small fit of giggles to erupt from our side of the table.


    ¡°Only a little bit. To be fair my opponents weren¡¯t trying their hardest either until Ethan went berserk.¡± From there the conversation went on for a bit. I tried to ask about the investigation but, even though I was involved, they wouldn¡¯t tell me much of anything. Adrien claimed he¡¯d tell me more when we had some time away from prying eyes and ears, but I felt it might just be a while until he did.


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    He did mention that the cultists had spoken about the tournament before they fled, but that was hardly a surprise to me. We had disrupted their ritual. If I had to guess, they required a certain amount of magic power from their sacrifices to power some sort of artifact. The reason they went to Linden was due to the bevvy of level one hundred twenty five adventurers who worked out of the cheaper town rather than staying in Ironfell. In contrast, Ironfell had much more energy concentrated in one space but was a much riskier target. Now that their initial target had resulted in failure, there was no doubt in my mind that they¡¯d work to complete their rite while everyone of power was gathered together. At least, those they would be able to handle.


    It made me wonder if Ironfell was a contingency or was always part of their plan, if it was the latter that was concerning. It could mean that they had been preparing another massive ritual circle for months or even years. If it wasn¡¯t always the plan, there was a high chance that they would have to start making this circe now. It would also mean that the puppetmaster, Arabella, would have had less time to turn the minds of adventurers into her playthings. I spent the night trying to think of what I could do to stop them, what they were planning to do with Ironfell. My only plan thus far was to keep [RuneSight] active whenever I was running across town in hopes of finding and disrupting whatever ritual circle they were preparing. Of course, I was sure I wouldn¡¯t be the only one with my eyes open. There was also a chance they would perform a different sort of ritual.


    By the time I had fallen asleep that night, a dozen or more thoughts and imaginations of what the cult was planning had come and gone through my fickle mind. In the morning, with sunlight drifting in from the open window, I groggily woke and stretched to prepare for another day of developing an enchantment. The day before, despite causing me to think of dangerous events, had filled my heart by seeing my friends again. I hadn¡¯t realized how worried I had been, granted I hardly allowed myself time to think let alone worry, but seeing them had caused relief to emanate from me.


    Feeling a bit refreshed I made my way down to the dining room, books in my bags and sword on my hip. I didn¡¯t expect to need to use the weapon but it never hurt to keep it close, especially when I had just made one to three new enemies the day before. I entered the large tavernlike room I saw my team already eating at a booth, Leshal with them. I waved over to Garth who flashed me a smile and a thumbs up, letting me know he¡¯d bring me some grub in a few minutes.


    Making my way to the group, I slid in next to Eva on the booth. Sky immediately crawled into her lap while Luka curled around Rose¡¯s feet. ¡°Why not climb into her lap?¡± I asked the fox in my head.


    ¡°She drop food sometimes. More careful when on lap.¡± I had to hold back a chuckle at the reply as I watched Rose lean forward to pet the dark furred fox.


    ¡°Morning everyone, whats your plans for the day?¡± I asked out loud as a lull in their conversation fell after I sat down.


    ¡°We were discussing heading into a dungeon for some group training. An easier one.¡± Eva answered curtly. ¡°You know, because we suddenly have another member in our group.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Sounds fun. I don¡¯t know that I can make it into one. I still need to finish the enchantment for my next sword. Speaking of, as I continue to work on my own weapons are there any arms or armor you guys need going forward?¡±


    Leshal, looking surprised at my offer, shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, prior to joining up with you all, I recently purchased all new gear. Won¡¯t need anything new for a little while.¡±


    ¡°If you find the time I wouldn¡¯t be upset with you making me some arrowheads. Unsure if you can do a bow with metal though, so maybe some armor or knives. Again, only if you find the time.¡± Eva tried to reassure me. I was already working on a few ideas for her, but would have to take some time to make them work.


    ¡°And you, Rose?¡± I asked, Garth coming in with plates of hot food and cold drink. I passed both ladies a few of the spare meats and fruits to give to the foxes so they didn¡¯t have to move. I could probably ask Garth or one of his employees to bring the foxes portion separately so they could eat from a dish, but the vulpes enjoyed being pampered and handfed, and I didn¡¯t mind spoiling them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can think of. I don¡¯t think I need anything just yet.¡±


    The conversation devolved from there as Leshal, Eva and Rose went back to discussing the dungeon they were planning to go into. It was one called ¡°Crypt of Krizaam¡± and was evidently filled with the undead. Who would have guessed. The rewards were typically okay at best, with low crafting materials provided and not great experience, but made up for it with a variety of enemies. The bosses rarely dropped loot that was higher than a gold chest, and even that loot was typically only strong against undead and weak against everything else. The church of Luna tended to still pay for the items though, so at least one could make a decent amount of coin from the dungeon.


    It was supposedly a pretty easy dungeon that a lot of groups used to develop teamwork, and upon hearing that I offered to join them only to be rebuffed by them saying I already had plans and that we would do a different dungeon later in the week.


    ¡°So, what dungeon are we doing then? What day?¡± I asked while using my bread to mop up the remaining grease on my plate.


    ¡°Does it matter which one? Just bring your sword and we¡¯ll be fine. You won¡¯t study up on it anyway.¡± Eva teased me with soft chuckle, Leshal glancing between us with an amused look on his face.


    ¡°What, is our fearless leader too good for studying?¡± The lizardman chortled at me tilting his head.


    ¡°Since when am I the leader? Aren¡¯t I the youngest here?¡± I held my hand up in consternation, a fake scowl broaching my lips but my eyes weren¡¯t in on it.


    With mirth and a dramatic sigh Rose leaned forward to look at me past Eva, ¡°What? Are you abandoning us so soon sir Lios? Whatever shall we do without our leader. Why I,¡± She placed her hand over her chest in dramatic fashion, ¡°fear we cannot work together without our leader! I mean, who will come up with the hyper smart strategy of running into a boss chamber alone while surrounded by thousands of spiders? Or who would have the very good idea of fighting four higher leveled warriors all at once and not allowing his team to help him?¡±


    The group began laughing even as Leshal looked a bit concerned. ¡°Wait, did he really enter a full boss chamber alone and not let you guys help?¡±


    ¡°No, No I didn¡¯t. I let them help from a distance. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he let us help from a distance while he fought thousands of spiders alone and confronted a massive broodmother in order to test his weapon.¡± Eva added in, causing Leshal¡¯s concern to grow. ¡°He¡¯s a very responsible leader.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have a dungeon to conquer together? Let me study in peace,¡± I groaned despite not having any of my books on the table.


    ¡°Fine fine, we¡¯ll leave you alone. Don¡¯t worry Leshal, he¡¯s not that bad. Lios, why don¡¯t you check out one of the guilds training dungeons while we¡¯re gone?¡± Rose made to get up, forcing me to stand so they could all exit the booth.


    ¡°Papa, we want to hunt too,¡± Luka¡¯s voice whispered in my head as though afraid of offending me by wanting to go with them.


    ¡°Can we Big Brother, Please? Want to fight,¡± Sky agreed, her voice a bit louder.


    ¡°Hey, would you guys be willing to take Luka and Sky with you? I know you can¡¯t understand them but...¡± I tried to think of a way to convince them.


    ¡°What do you mean, I can talk to them if needed. I did so in the baths. Did they not tell you?¡± Eva asked a little shocked. She glanced down at the foxes who appeared to shrug.


    ¡°What do you mean you can talk to them?¡± I frowned at her trying to think if I¡¯d seen it at all.


    ¡°She has a skill that lets her speak to animals telepathically, but only those that let her. Part of her beast tamer class.¡± Rose answered.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I asked before realizing something. ¡°Wait, have you been chatting with them the whole time? Luka, Sky why didn¡¯t you say something?¡±


    ¡°More fun this way.¡± Sky laughed and Luka laughed in agreement, the chatters causing a few people to turn to look. Including Leshal¡¯s old team, whose eyes were narrowed in a glare.


    ¡°Fine fine, keep your secrets Sky! So you guys are willing to take em with you? I think they get antsy sitting around while I¡¯m doing research.¡± I shrugged and received a few nods from the group. ¡°Awesome. By the way, what did you mean with the training dungeons Rose?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about them? I guess it does make sense for you to not pay attention during onboarding. But there are a dozen or so dungeons that were created using the effigy of a powerful weapon user in order to better train people with different styles. As far as I know there is one for spears, archery, daggers, swords, polearms, hammers, maces, and a few for different magics. None for your style of magic, far as I know. Your old team yesterday mentioned you usually spar or train a few hours a day, but I haven¡¯t seen you doing anything like that. Instead you¡¯ve just been keeping your face in your book.¡± Rose playfully giggled at me. ¡°We had best be off. Our reservation is coming up.¡±


    ¡°Okay, be careful. I guess I¡¯m checking out a training dungeon then.¡± I waved them off, sending a message to the foxes to keep the group safe.

 B2 CH17 Rhosha

    After they left I found myself too curious to study properly and went down to the training room. A few duos were sparring with each other in the open space, while a couple others were practicing on targets. I approached the door leading to the training dungeons that I had seen the day prior, only this time there was someone standing before it that I hadn¡¯t noticed. She was a tall woman dressed in casual clothes, a blouse with some nice looking flowy pants. She held no weapon on her that I could detect with my [Detect Metal] skill. I had mostly learned to deal with the constant influx of knowing where metal was around me. It was similar to how [Portent] took a long time to get used to, having overwhelmed my brain with information. After the past few days being around people in the guild, and even walking into Orvacks and Krickets, I had figured out how to mostly ignore the influx of knowledge.


    Still, I found it shocking that the only metal on her was a necklace, earrings, and a few rings. I approached her a bit shyly as she looked up from picking at her nails.


    ¡°Name?¡± She asked in a bored voice. ¡°And which dungeon do you plan to use? For how long?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Sorry. My name is Alexilios. I wanted to train with swords and how long can I?¡± I tilted my head, not entirely sure how the dungeon worked.


    From seemingly out of nowhere she produced a piece of parchment and appeared to go over it. She looked the list up and down then frowned. ¡°Do you have a reservation?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I needed one. If so, can I set up a reservation for another day?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, the Hero of Linden needs no reservation Tilda!¡± Perry¡¯s voice boomed from behind me. I hadn¡¯t noticed him but when I turned I saw he came from a corner of the dungeon where three warriors were panting and sweating. ¡°I was wondering when ye¡¯d finally start training again!¡±


    ¡°Please stop calling me that, I hardly did anything Perry!¡± I protested the use of my title as a few of the practicing pairs turned my way and Tilda gave me an appraising onceover.


    ¡°Of course guildmaster, I¡¯ll be sure to remember his face for the next time so there¡¯s no confusion. As for how long you can be in there, you can use the dungeon for four hours total each day. Because of the time difference that¡¯ll only be two hours out here but as we can only allow five people in each dungeon at a time, we do need to make time for others to use it as well.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean time difference? Wait, is there an enchantment to change how time is perceived? Is that something I¡¯d be able to gain access to?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself boyo. I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t get you in contact with the one who designed these dungeons so you can ask them all these questions yourself, though he may be unwilling to share his techniques as most craftsmen are wont to do.¡± Perry clapped me on my good shoulder then shoved me toward the door. ¡°Now get training! I think you¡¯ll be impressed with yer trainer!¡±


    With Perry laughing behind me I entered the door, tabling all of my questions. I should start a list. Both for Perry and Miamora when he decides to visit me again. I thought to myself as I passed a few other doors labeled with a different training room. The rooms were all adjacent to each other. The sword dungeon was six doors to the right and when I found the door I was a little disappointed. None of the doors were special in anyway. I had hoped they''d be adorned by carvings or something to signify their significance but they were just simple, plain, wooden doors. With a sigh I pulled it open and entered the glowing, swirling, purple portal behind it.


    Once again I was disappointed by the lack of nausea or feeling that came from passing through it. It was as though I had simply stepped through the door into a different climate, and different it was. The training room had been temperate and controlled, if a bit dry. The area I entered, by contrast, was humid and warm. It wasn¡¯t enough for me to begin sweating right away but it was heavy and noticeable. But not quite as noticeable as the figure sitting across from the portal meditating in the grass. She opened her eyes as I stepped through but did not make to move.


    She was pretty, with fair skin marred with scars that magic hadn¡¯t fully healed. Her hands were covered in callouses. I was a bit shocked by her attire as, save from some people showing a little leg or cleavage, I hadn¡¯t seen anyone show much skin. In contrast the woman before me wore a loose crop top and some form fitting leather shorts that cut off around her knees. She had a shawl over her shoulders made of a glittery orange fabric and I could see bandages acting as a sports bra under her top, but otherwise she was barefoot and wearing next to nothing. Certainly not the armor I had been expecting a sword trainer to wear.


    I walked toward her and offered a slight bow, expecting her to say something as she stared at me blankly. I waited a few more moments before deciding to introduce myself. ¡°Hello ma¡¯am, my name is Alexilios or Lios for short. I came seeking your tutelage in the art of the sword.¡±


    She gave me a once over, her eyes lingering on my lost hand. ¡°You fight with a single hand? Couldn¡¯t afford a healer to fix it? I suppose not. Alexilios, was it? You will refer to me as Master and nothing less. Show me your status so I can see what we are working with.¡±


    Her voice was lighter than I expected but still carried a command of respect on it. She still sat, not bothering to rise up so I decided to sit as well, cross legged and placed my sword in front of me in the grass. I hesitated to show her my status and levels. Mostly, I hesitated to share with her my class unsure if the information would stay here.


    ¡°Worry not, I am oathbound to never share this information with anyone aside from a few... special individuals. Namely, the real me, anyone bearing an order passed from the king, and the guildmaster if you were to need to be hunted for some reason. The guildmaster is only able to access the information if you were to commit a grievous enough crime and if they had proof such a crime had been committed, and I¡¯ve only had the real me look for information once in the past two hundred and eleven years. So don¡¯t be shy, and show me your information.¡±


    With a heavy sigh I finally brought it up, mentally wincing as my classes appeared before her. I watched her carefully as she read the skills, her expression never changing. She finally sighed and stood up, a sword appearing in her hand as she did so. She made a hand motion before drawing the sword from its sheath.


    ¡°Well then, let us start then Bladedancer.¡± Was all she said before lunging at me and forcing me to parry with my sheathed sword. I knocked her blade away and quickly drew the blade, tossing the sheath behind me as it didn¡¯t appear I¡¯d have time to reattach it to my belt.


    Without words she swung her blade just fast enough for me to keep up, to dodge and dance around it. I blocked several strikes in succession, not having any time to counter her. Her movements were fluid, dangerous. She was like a viper, striking faster than most would be able to register and wasting no movement to do so.


    ¡°Well, are you going to dance or will you simply parry and dodge? Show me what you¡¯re made of Bladedancer!¡± She laughed with exuberance. ¡°Fight back, I need to see what you can do!¡±


    Her expressionless face had shifted to a grin the moment she attacked me. Still on the back foot, I started pushing mana out of my heels into the floor beneath me. I started weaving a flame wave spell while she came at me again, her sword - a longsword as was typical within Jorial - clashing into mine with force that nearly made me drop my own. Her eyes flashed and she twisted with my block in an attempt to disarm me. Even with only one hand I was able to hold onto my blade if only just. I blocked the next slash that was aiming for my side as I etched another rune into the ground. An overhead strike followed, forcing me to dodge to the left as I recognized with one hand I¡¯d be unable to stop it. I was given just a moment to lash out at her and I attempted to cut into her hand. Of course she saw the move coming and turned to dodge it with a counterattack of her own. She pressed me with an easy thrust, not even sweating as she assailed me.


    I let loose my aura as she neared again, coating my blade and myself with the flames of Ignium. Immediately after it was ignited, however, it was quenched. Her playful smile shifted into a frown and she glowered at me as our swords slammed against each other. ¡°No, nononono. Only use your own skills and abilities. No enchantment skills.¡± Her voice ended in a slight growl and she backed away.


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    I chased after her, grunting my assent. I attempted to finish the last rune as I sped her way only for her to drive her foot through the circle at my feet and disrupt the spell. I gasped as it was dispelled, my mana connecting to nothing. I took a step back but she pressed the advantage of my distraction with a wide grin once again adorning her pretty face. Still, she showed no sign of exertion even as she caused me to stumble back and fall to my rear, her blade pressed against my chin.


    ¡°Has no one disrupted your spell before? You looked so shocked and it completely disrupted your rhythm during our fight.¡± She sighed heavily then went to sit back down on the grass. The swordswoman''s sword disappeared and she sat fiddling with something that appeared in her hand. ¡°You seem to be fairly talented. How did you learn the Runedance? I haven¡¯t met any who knew the skill to dance with runes aside from myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was self taught. I wanted runes to enchant things, and learned to dance to help my sowrdplay. Then when I was nine or so I had the idea to try to make some quick enchantments by forming runes while I fought. I still only have a few basic spells, nothing crazy, but each one is helpful in its own way.¡± I shrugged trying not to get too excited about meeting another runedancer, especially one who was powerful enough that I didn¡¯t feel even the slightest chance at even touching her during a fight.


    It was different from when I fought with Elric or Adrien. Although it was rare that I could land a hit on either of the higher leveled swordsmen, I still coil. With this woman I felt it was nearly impossible for me as I currently was. Her movements had been far too smooth, too fast for me to react properly and that was with her continuously holding back as we sparred. Her sword moved quicker than my eyes could react and it was only because of [Portent] and [Detect Metal] that I was able to register her attacks.


    ¡°Am I right then, in assuming that you are Rhosha? Or rather an effigy of her?¡± I asked cautiously, watching the woman carefully.


    ¡°Did you not know that prior to arriving in this dungeon?¡± her question came with an expression of confusion.


    ¡°No, I seem to be pretty poor at researching dungeons before I enter them.¡± I chuckled at myself sheepishly.


    ¡°I see. Then yes, I am a copy of Rhosha. You say you developed your spells yourself? I would like to see them. Please perform each of your spells so that I may get a better understanding of your style to help you tomorrow when you return.¡± She nodded and gestured for me to rise, indicating my break was over. She stayed seated as I stood and readied my sword.


    I watched as her eyes glowed a bit before I started the wave attack sword dances that I had grown so accustomed to using. It took a few mere seconds before the spell was ready to use, the same one she had disrupted. ¡°Miss Rhosha, you may wish to protect yourself or move back.¡± I warned before I released the spell using my sword as a focus. White flames roiled around me, spreading through the grass for dozens of feet and leaving a massive patch of scorched earth with me at the center. Rhosha, who hadn¡¯t moved, had a patch of green grass still behind her and her hand raised to form a shield of some kind.


    ¡°Fairly impressive even if it was bolstered by your blade. Next spell.¡± She said calmly, tilting her head slightly.


    I had hoped for more of reaction so I began the next dance, one for a wind blade, and shot the wind blade out into the distance. It only moved about forty feet before dissipating and fizzling out. Receiving a similar prompt I quickly moved through the next few spells, all of my five mana spells including the haste one. Thankfully these didn¡¯t contain much mana overall and so I was hardly sweating by the end of them, having alternated between the blade and wave style spells.


    ¡°Okay, lets try something more powerful now. Surely this isn''t all that the self made runedancer has created for himself.¡± Rhosha taunted as she yawned.


    ¡°Yes master.¡± I used the title she had told me before.


    I moved to start the ¡°Flash Step¡± spell, recognizing that it wasn¡¯t my strongest spell anymore and had turned into one that was only useful in very specific situations. It was still a powerful tool for [Compendium Actualization] to make use of, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as versatile as my haste type spells that Kricket and I had worked on. It took me about fifteen seconds to perform the twentyfive rune dance and once I finished it I rushed past Rhosha in a flash and attempted to land the bolt of lightning on her, to her surprise and consternation. Her sword flashed into her hand as I passed her, barely perceiving my own movement, and deflected the bolt of lightning as an aura sheathed her weapon. The lightning crashed directly in the center of the patch of grass I had stood in when casting my flame wave spell, showing her o-bviously top tier level of control.


    ¡°That was better. You were quick. But it takes far too long to cast it. Do another.¡± She commanded, still sitting but this time she kept her sword in her hand instead of fidgeting with whatever had been in her hand.


    ¡°Yes Master,¡± I agreed while standing in the same spot. I started to move, the motion bringing to light the soreness that ¡°Flash Step¡± as well as the five rune haste spell brought on. My muscles ached from the exertion, and I knew the next spell would be my last for the day. I began to weave the runes for ¡®Conflagration of the Self¡¯ as I¡¯d decided to name it. Trying to make my spells sound extra fancy was half the fun of becoming a wizard, in my mind.


    I danced for a solid fifteen seconds, flame mana pouring out from my feet and into the world, creating a new spell circle. As it all clicked into place I grinned and activated the spell, feeling my muscles bulge and skin redden. Casting it through the sword made the feeling expand, causing the flames that started to surround me to go from red to white. I felt the overflowing power in my flesh, my muscles tensed and ready to explode into motion the moment that I thought to move. I walked toward Rhosha, my sword in hand.


    ¡°This one lasts a few minutes, would be a shame to waste the mana without seeing what its capable of, aye Master?¡± I teased  a little bit, trying to get the powerful sword wielder to combat me once more.


    ¡°I suppose it would. Is this a challenge then?¡± She rose to her feet, brandishing her own simple longsword. ¡°Come at me then Alexilios.¡±


    I needed no other prompting and felt it prudent not to waste time, this spell would stay active for about five minutes and that was plenty of time to show Rhosha more of my skills. I burst into action, my feet digging into the soft soil as I pushed toward her. The instant I moved forward I clashed against her sword, having moved to slash at her side. She reacted just as quickly as I had moved.


    I jumped back before she could counter, dodging the whirling blade, before following up with a counter of my own. I attempted to perform a disarming strike to her wrist, but she deftly avoided my enflamed blade. Still, as she twisted to dodge the attack I continued to press the advantage. I had no doubt she was fighting at the same level as she had earlier, meaning she was still holding back, but I felt it was only because the dungeon matched her to my level in strength.


    Wordlessly, we exchanged blows for several minutes until I felt the heat in my body subside and the ache of my muscles, though reinforced by my spell, rising. I panted with sweat dripping down my face, getting into my eyes and stinging a bit but it wasn¡¯t bad enough to distract me. I sheathed my blade and took a seat across from Rhosha as she herself sat back down.


    ¡°Very good. I liked that spell, its different from what I¡¯ve done. Now. We should discuss your training regimen.¡± She paused and looked me in the eyes, her serious expression back now that she wasn¡¯t fighting. ¡°First, I will not teach you any spells. We use different languages, and also I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve come to understand the potential of your class. I cannot take a risk as a simulacrum that could cause the deaths of thousands or more should you have a bad day. That will not stop me from teaching you swordplay. You will return for a session every day for the next two weeks where we will work on your ability to dodge and deflect.


    ¡°One of the issues I most noticed is that you haven¡¯t fought with a single hand for very long. You held up fine but if you were to attempt to block a strong opponent the way you did with me you¡¯d be overwhelmed instantly. They have the power of a second hand, you don¡¯t. You lost a bit of control by losing the appendage.¡± She glanced pointedly at my missing limb and I nodded gravely, realising she was right. With less support my blocks could become more detrimental than helpful.


    ¡°Understood. Dodging and deflecting.¡±


    ¡°Good. The next thing we will work on is your actual technique. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve mastered the basics for a few different styles but have never learned an actual sword style. I recognized some moves from the Imperial Knights sword style, but they were not fully developed. Were you trained by a knight or did you just observe and replicate?¡±


    ¡°Oh uhm. I spent a fair amount of time training against someone who has trained with a knight, and picked up some of his skills and techniques.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ll teach you a whole sword style to use with that bastard sword. Next, when you were demonstrating spells I noticed you did so with five separate mana affinities. Do you have any more and which ones are most powerful for you?¡±


    ¡°I am most proficient with lightning, then wind and fire, then earth and water magic. Water and earth magic I haven¡¯t made many spells for as of yet but I¡¯m working on it.¡±


    ¡°No. For now you should focus on lightning, flame and wind magic. Once you have say... Four powerful spells for each of these elements and a weapon for each you may make spells and weapons for the others. Until then you should focus on your specialties. I assume you also made that sword in your hand? Are you making one as a focus for each of your magics?¡±


    ¡°I am, yes. And understood. I¡¯ll continue working on some new spells. Would you consider the spell I used last to be a powerful one?¡± I wanted clarification on what she would consider worthy of this assignment.


    ¡°Yes. Twentyfive runes is powerful for your level. Try to develop some more flame based spells over the next few weeks to work with your weapon. Hmm... Something with range, something that can help you to defend, and one that can take out at least a dozen enemies if needed. Needs to be better than your wave spells as those are only going to be capable of defeating weaker enemies. Now, enough talk, lets begin your training in earnest!¡±


    She rose and indicated I should do the same. ¡°This time I won¡¯t hold back so you¡¯d best dodge. I may not be able to be harmed in here but you surely can be.¡± She didn¡¯t give me any time to prepare as she lunged forward, ready to hammer into me the importance of dodging.

 B2 Ch18 - Postcards and Planning

    A mere few hours later and I was back in the guild proper. I sat at my table with bruises and shallow cuts riddled across my body, thankfully covered by my long sleeve silk tunic. The baggy clothes reminded me of Eva¡¯s request to make her some arrowheads to use with her bow, and I thought more about it. I was no fletcher so I didn¡¯t deign to believe I could make the entire arrow, at least not without practice. However, I could make the arrowheads with a simple enchantment. Perhaps I could make an enchanted quiver too with [Runeweaving], using the spider silk spools I had gotten from the spider dungeon.


    But I was getting ahead of myself. Before any of that I needed to create an enchantment for a wind based sword, develop a couple of flame based spells, and make a few arrowheads that she could use while I tried to figure out something more advanced. Even without making an enchantment, each arrowhead would gain something from [Maelstrom Modification]. Part of me wanted to rush to the forge right away to begin the work, the other part wanted to at least finish the wind sword enchantment.


    I wanted a sword that would passively allow me to move faster, allow me to launch blades of wind, and would be able to cut through anything. Realistically, though, getting all of these effects to be as powerful as I wanted in one hundred and twenty five runes  would be difficult, so I¡¯d have to abandon one of the enchantments. I technically had a spell for wind blades but I was still lacking in a spell for haste in wind. Not that that would stay the case forever, of course.


    Of course this didn¡¯t take into effect the need for the weapon to also act as a focus for my wind based casting. Given that that was the main focus for the enchantment, I knew I¡¯d have to cut the sharpness enchant out as well.


    I already had a base set of runes set aside for the first two circles. These runes would focus on allowing the weapon to draw mana from both myself and the sky blue lumina stones I had purchased, as well as giving the weapon a self repair and durability enchantment. I planned to use this as the base for the majority if not all of my weapons, as it seemed to work fairly well and allowed the weapon to endure higher strain during combat. I feared without the durability enchantment or the ability to repair the nicks that cascaded down the edge of the sword after sparring with the effigy of Rhosha, that the blade would have shattered from the exercise.


    With a sigh I pulled open my notebook for works in progress enchantments, the pages were nearly all filled by now and I knew I¡¯d soon have to pay the heavy price of more paper and ink. Dipping my quill in ink, I started to copy down the runes I knew I would definitely need for the enchantment, having already learned a lot of them while developing my new spells with Kricket. The rest I had picked up while designing the enchantment for the flame sword, which I still needed to name even if such things were pedantic. Of course it was necessary that a future legend wield a legendary weapon, even if it would only be replaced in a few years.


    I started with the thirty or so runes I knew would be needed for the enhancement portion of the enchantment. I wrote them the same that I would for the enhancement spell, but added a few extra runes in order to strengthen it and allow it to work with the wielder of the weapon. It took a few attempts to order the runes correctly.


    I couldn¡¯t test them well, considering I needed the full enchantment to be complete to check the effects, but while drawing them there was a... feeling. Perhaps it was my [Intuition] acting up, or maybe it was one of my other skills, but the enchantments felt... clunky. They didn¡¯t want to fit together while my spells all fit like puzzle pieces, made for one another and for nothing else.


    I rewrote the runes over and over, filling out a half dozen sheets of paper and switching out some runes for others as I went. It was tedious and hardly groundbreaking work, but I knew it was necessary. Several times I felt the runes were close to being perfect fits with each other but didn¡¯t seem to fully fit, and I knew the enchantment would work but it wouldn¡¯t be its most powerful iteration. A true perfectionist at heart I didn¡¯t want to settle for almost perfect. I didn¡¯t even want to settle for perfect. I wanted to make something that no one else could.


    Something that others would attempt to replicate but fall short on. I wanted my craft to be lauded above others even if I knew more experienced smiths could make something more powerful overall, I wanted my every creation to be the best it could be for my level and my intentions. And so, after hours and hours toiling at a table with cups of fruit juice or water being sent my way, I felt the runes click into place as though they were meant to be together.


    I nearly jumped for joy, saved only by remembering here I was and noticing the guild hall had grown much more busy. Save from the booth I was working at, only three tables were empty. I caught a glance of several new faces, not that I knew many of the people at the guild or in town, but it caught my attention. New arrivals in preparation for the tournament, I figured.


    I took a glance out the window to gauge the time and was shocked to see it must be close to dinner time. I wondered if Eva, Rose, and Leshal would be returning soon and also pondered over where Adrien and crew could be. I had yet to see them either, granted my entire day had been spent with my nose in a book.


    I set the half complete enchantment in my research book and lamented my fate as a book hoarder. Thankfully successful creations would always be safe and saved in [Runic Compendium] even if I did like making separate notebooks for completed spells and enchantments. My books of completed projects still had many pages to go before they would fill up, so I didn¡¯t worry much about them, but I did have to wonder to myself where I¡¯d keep my old research. I didn¡¯t want to simply throw it out and didn¡¯t know if there were any sort of banks or storage facilities I could keep them in.


    After a short break of watching everyone in the tavern I caught Garth''s eyes and waved to him. He gave me a nod and minutes later approached the table with a frothy ale and a plate of food. It wasn¡¯t the same stew as always, they had decided to change it up with some roasted bird and mashed potatoes and gravy. Still, the food didn¡¯t taste all that different considering most of the ingredients on the plate were the same. I sighed and ate it without complaint but told myself that one of these days I¡¯d volunteer to make something delicious. Maybe I could make some chicken tikka masala if I could get rice and the right spices. At least something with some robust flavors.


    A project for the morrow, another shopping trip perhaps. I had the cooking skill even if I rarely found time to cook, there was no reason I shouldn''t be able to make something delicious for my guildmates. Though, maybe I was setting my sights too high and spicy. I didn¡¯t think the people around me would be able to handle the spice too well given that spice wasn¡¯t part of their typical diet.


    I thought about this while I ate, keeping an eye out for any of my friends. Unfortunately the only familiar faces I saw were those of Ethan¡¯s group who shot angry glares my way when they noticed me watching them. I only smiled and waved before turning my mind back to the enchantment.


    The runes for the amplification enchantment I used on the flame sword totalled around fifty, well, fortynine to be specific. This meant I still had twenty-one runes to work with to either bolster the effects of my two main effects or to add a third effect to the weapon. I decided to make a third effect to try to make the weapon capable of cutting anything. Unlike the flame blade, where I had developed an aura of fire for the weapon, I decided to try to make an enchantment that had constantly moving wind at the edge of the blade. Not only that but I wanted to have, on one side of the sword, a blade of wind riding up the edge and on the other side riding down toward the hilt. This way it would create something similar to a saw, cutting in two separate directions when fed with mana to tear through anything.


    About an hour into experimenting with this enchantment a trio of adventurers, who I recognized, approached the table. It didn¡¯t seem that they recognized me as they caught my attention by rapping on the wooden table.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry, can I help you?¡± I asked as I looked up from my papers. ¡°Oh, Bron! Good to see you again, and the rest of you I never caught your names!¡±


    The large man looked surprised. He wasn¡¯t wearing any armor, neither were the others he was with, nor did he carry his weapon. From my brief interaction with him a few days ago I remembered him having a sword and a shield on his back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we caught your name either Mr...¡± The girl with the nasally voice who had healed me in a demonstration for a beautiful healing staff started to say.


    ¡°Where are my manners? My name is Lios, what can I help you with?¡± I cocked my head as the three of them stood awkwardly at the end of the table.


    ¡°Well, to be honest we were wondering if these seats were saved for someone.¡± Bron spoke up, his voice deep and gruff and his cheeks flaring up with a little bit of embarrassment. He looked to be in his twenties, along with the other two. The last of their party was a tall lanky man who I saw had several daggers as well as what looked like a lockpicking set tucked away beneath his baggy clothes.


    As he asked his question I was immediately aware of how full the guild hall had gotten, with multiple parties taking up some of the larger tables. Mine wasn¡¯t large enough for more than one full group, but I was sitting alone. ¡°Of course, have a seat. Sorry, I was really sucked into my research.¡±


    I started to pack away my notes and books on runes, not missing the girl''s eyes lingering on them with a hungry curiosity. ¡°My name is Carissa, by the way. Thanks for helping me test my staff, I was in desperate need for a new one. I know they already paid you back for it in some way, but if there¡¯s anything I can do let me know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that I need anything at the moment but maybe some healing sometime?¡± I asked as the three slid into the booth and a barmaid came over to drop off some ale.


    ¡°Sure, of course. What were you researching? That looked like rune books. Not a language I use but I recognized some of them.¡± She asked, glancing up at Bron for a moment before she continued. ¡°To be fair though, I¡¯m rather a beginner in runic magic myself. Always been more of a chanter but I figured there¡¯s no harm in dabbling between mediums.¡±


    ¡°I was just working on an enchantment. Trying to get the last details worked out so I can maybe get started on working on my next baby.¡±


    ¡°Baby? Are you an artificer?¡± The one man who¡¯s name I didn¡¯t know spoke up. His voice was reedy, high pitched.


    ¡°Not an artificer, no. Just a smith of sorts.¡± I flashed a smile at the group.


    ¡°A smith? You don¡¯t look like one to be honest. At least not the image I have in my head of smiths. You''re neither bulky nor covered in soot.¡± Bron chuckled.


    We chatted a while as I took a moment to rest my mind and body. I called for more ale for myself, and mostly listened after the conversation moved on from my profession to the next quest they were taking on. They were of a higher level than my party, Bron even being a higher level than Adrien from what I knew. He planned to compete in the higher level bracket of the tournament, and their next quest was bringing them into the wastes.


    After about three ales, a little over an hour, I excused myself and went to my room to continue working on the enchantment. I wanted to be ready to forge in two days but felt I was close enough to start working on the sword on the morrow. It took another several hours of rearranging the runes for me to be happy with the results, by that time the moon was high in the sky and crusties had made their way to the corners of my eyes.


    When my head hit my pillow, my eyes weary from working under the light of moon and candles, I dropped immediately into a restful slumber.


    __________________________________________


    Ezekial grumbled as Donovan moved forward his queen, smirking as he announced ¡°Checkmate!¡±


    ¡°How the hell do you know this game better than me when it was made by my own damn son,¡± Ezekial growled playfully.


    ¡°How are you so bad at it captain?¡± Ento asked from the side where he had been watching while dutifully polishing the boots to his guard uniform.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Ento how could you! I thought you were on my side!¡± Ezekial exclaimed emphatically, harrumphing playfully.


    Donovan started to set up another game even as Ezekial rose up and donned his helm, a simple metal helm just like all of the other guards save for the plum that rose from the back of it to denote him as the captain of Arbortons guard.


    ¡°Captain, you aren¡¯t stayin for another match?¡± Donovan asked with disappointment lacing his voice. Clearly he had wanted another easy win against his superior.


    ¡°Afraid I cant. If I dont get back to my wife in time for dinner she¡¯ll wallop my backside, and not in the fun way boys. Besides, if I get home early I can get her to stop tending her garden by doing it myself. Even with Maya helping her she refuses to take a break.¡± Ezekial went on the same mini rant he had the last few weeks, ever since Elaine''s belly grew he had become an extremely doting husband, worried about her even lifting a finger.


    ¡°Alright we get it already you are soooo ready to have another kid. Get outta here Zeke!¡± Calimax called out from the doorway, wearing Zeke''s old vice captain uniform.


    ¡°Keep em straight Max, see ya for breakfast tomorrow? Bring the ol lady too!¡± Ezekial didn¡¯t wait for an answer as he rushed out of the guards barracks, walking hastily to his home at the edge of town.


    Arborton was quiet, as it tended to be, for the mid afternoon. Most townsfolk were busy working or at home preparing meals. There were a few women still by the river washing some clothes or blankets, and a few men on a bridge in the center of town fishing. The blacksmith, Derren, was hammering away at something steadily, letting everyone within a miles radius know that he was working hard to keep the guard armed and armored. The usual wagons full of chopped and debarked logs lay near the front gate of the forest town, ready to depart on the morrow.


    Zeke whistled a soft tune he had heard in the tavern as he walked quickly, waving to any familiar faces - which for him, they all were. The birds seemed to whistle with him and the squirrels acted as percussion. Gleefully he made his way around his home to find his wife and their child''s friend busy on their hands and knees weeding the herb and vegetable garden.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Ezekial announced his presence by clearing his throat.


    ¡°Ah, sweetheart you''re home!¡± Elaine shot up to her feet quicker than a pregnant woman had any right to.


    Zeke took a moment to take in her figure. She was glowing, practically, and so full of energy despite being seven months into the pregnancy. He immediately moved in to pull her closer to him, not caring that Maya was there to see him give her a big kiss and hug. She had seen this nearly everyday since they had announced they were set to have another child.


    ¡°Do you have much work left, Darling?¡± He asked his wife, his eyes washing over the garden.


    ¡°No, not much. Let me get started on supper. Didn¡¯t I tell you you could stay late at the barracks? You don¡¯t have to rush home! Take some time at the tavern if that''s what you need.¡± Elaine exclaimed and shook her head, her scarlett locks swishing this way and that. ¡°Maya, we¡¯re going in, thank you for all your help.¡±


    ¡°Of course Miss Elaine!¡± The girl rose up to her feet and brushed the dirt from her work dress, not minding the mess she was spreading from her hand.


    ¡°Be sure to wash up before you return home. I don''t need your mother coming about again to make sure I wasn¡¯t making you work too much. We¡¯ll be working on some clothes tomorrow when the cloth gets delivered.¡± Maya had been her helper since their son had departed. She had taken it onto herself to learn from Elaine as much as possible. Between tending the herbs and learning to tailor she had been busy the past few months, but she also still came out to train with Ento and the others just about every morning.


    ¡°Of course Miss Elaine. See you tomorrow!¡± The girl shot off toward the river, the one in town not the creek that Lios used to bathe in.


    Zeke and his wife entered their small abode after Elaine washed her hands with water from their well. Others, of course, used theirs well but it was still theirs. Once inside she began to prepare some food, with Zeke helping where he could. She was still quicker at chopping and dicing with a knife, and a much better cook due to years of practice, but he didn¡¯t like leaving her to do all of it alone.


    Just as they were settling in to eat, however, a knock crashed into their oak door. Perplexed, as they rarely had evening company, the couple exchanged a glance before Zeke rose up and answered it. He spoke briefly to the person at the door before he returned to the table, barely able to contain himself. Still, he waited until her curiosity got the best of her as he simply dipped his bread into some of the thick steamy gravy on his plate.


    ¡°So? What was it? Who was it? One of the guards?¡± Elaine asked through a mouthful of food. They had made something like a chicken pot pie, one of her favorite comfort foods.


    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t them. It was just a courier.¡± Ezekial teased the information before taking a large bite and taking the time to chew it.


    ¡°Courier? Whatever for?¡± It was rare that a courier delivered anything to them. With Zeke''s family having been absent for the majority of his life, and hers disowning her due to their union, they hadn¡¯t many people to write to. Then it dawned on her who might write to them and she glowered at the man. ¡°Is it Lios? Give it here. Comeon stop holding out on me!¡±


    Zeke smirked as she whined cutely, giving her best pout to convince him to stop playing with her. After another bite and her glower growing deeper, nearing the danger zone, he relented and put the letter on the table. He would be glad to admit it, he was nervous about what it would say. What their boy had been up to.


    Zeke knew how difficult the adventuring life could be, even if he had stopped rather early. It was because of those difficulties that he had retired before really starting. The life of an adventurer was not all it was made out to be. It was many long nights of keeping watch in the cold eating only dried food as you hopped from town to town. It was adrenaline and monster filled chaos that one could rarely plan for. But worst of all, it was a life that consisted of constant goodbyes, funerals, and hardship. Each story an adventurer was willing to tell in taverns was a story backed by bloodshed and strife. For each great story there were a half dozen tragic ones. Nobody talked about their quest to save a dozen missing merchants when they found those same merchants disemboweled by goblins or worse. They only talked about slaying dragons or meeting the mythical sphinx. They only told the stories of glory.


    Timidly he opened the letter, popping the wax seal and removing the paper. His son''s somewhat sloppy handwriting greeted him and he smiled before he began to read it out loud for his wife.


    Dear Mother, Father.


    I¡¯m sorry it has taken me so long to write you. I have so many stories to tell you guys. First, though, and probably most importantly, I told Adrien and the others about my past. It was perhaps an impulsive and foolish moment for me, but it felt like the right thing. I mean, we grew pretty close over the last several months. The reason I''m telling you is that there¡¯s a chance a courier will leave a message with you in the future.


    Anyway, back to the fun stuff, what I¡¯ve been up to. It¡¯s been a journey, that''s for sure. Almost immediately after leaving Arborton we came across a merchant caravan that was being accosted by bandits. There were only a few of the brigands but we took care of them pretty quickly. I didn¡¯t realize until after but I think Adrien and his group held back to give me a chance to prove my mettle. I made it out of the fight with only a little bit of a bruise. I even took down a few of the bandits myself! Luka and Sky helped too.


    Ezekial noticed quickly, likely due to his experience of reading notes and investigating a few of the crimes that had been committed in town over the years, that Lios¡¯s penmanship grew shaky during the last couple of lines. As though he were reliving something difficult. Zeke read between the lines a bit and knew there was more to the story, more that Lios didn¡¯t want to say but he wasn¡¯t so sharp he could figure out what that was.


    We travelled with the merchants for a little while and I started talking to this guy named Haraldo who was a tailor from Terraan. He taught me a few things on our way to Kinnesville. I really liked how colorful and different his clothes seemed compared to our own.


    When we reached Kinnesville things slowed down for a little bit. We stayed in a tavern and the first few days were just full of me making some new tools at the forge. It took wayyy too long but I got a new skill that let me make a subspace for forge materials making it far easier to haul the tools from place to place. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d have done without it, my pack is heavy enough as it is.


    Kinnesville was peaceful. To be honest I enjoyed it a lot. After making my tools Adrien and Elric started to train me on fighting, Liana on spellcraft, and Amelia taught me a bit too. I feel like I¡¯d be able to take on anyone in town nowadays. They even let me take on a quest. A pack of wolves had been culling the town folks'' livestock and I went out to take care of them. Why it''s always wolves is beyond me.


    Anyway, the foxes and I went out together and put bait in a clearing for a few days until the pack showed up. I didn¡¯t manage to get all of them but I slew a dozen or so of the critters before I got  bitten by the alpha. Don¡¯t worry, it was nothing serious. Just a little nip on the shoulder.


    After that though, there weren¡¯t any other quests in town for me so I spent all my time studying runes and training. Well, and apparently flirting with the girl at the tavern. It didn¡¯t amount to anything but it was fun to chat with her and tell her my few meager stories of my adventures so far. Before we left I even took her on something of a date. She even kissed me at the end. Don¡¯t tell Maya!


    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be! Our boy is turning to a man!¡± Ezekial cackled and grinned at Elaine.


    ¡°Looks like he took too much of your influence. I¡¯ll have to reprimand him. First he gives the girl a spear now he¡¯s out gallivanting with random women on his adventures?¡± Elaine chastised their far away son.


    Before she could go too deep into her chastising, Zeke resumed reading the letter. There was still a ways to go.


    Anyway, after we left Kinnesville nothing of any particular interest happened. We stopped in a few other towns but half the quests were already cleared, mostly the ones at my level. I was forced to just keep training or go off to fight small goblin tribes instead of taking extra quests. Twas boring.


    After a while though we ran into something called a sand wyrm, a critter from across the barrier of the wastes. It tried to ambush us from underground but Luka sensed it with his earth magic. Of course, I was too weak to be much help against the beast but it gave me the perfect opportunity to test my new spell. Flash Step Thunderbolt is what I called it. The first test hadn¡¯t gone all that well with me dropping the lightning bolt onto myself, but this time it seemed to work pretty well.


    Adrien and Elric were fighting the wyrm but even they were struggling. Liana was casting spells from afar but not many of them really hurt the creature. So I thought if I could do anything I could stop it moving just long enough for the warriors of the group to deal with it. I launched water blade after water blade at it until I saw that it was readying to spray acid at Liana. That''s when I activated my new spell.


    I sped forward and tackled Liana to the ground just as the acid was going to meet her. It ate my armor, but the lightning bolt that crashed into it more than made up for its transgressions. Mixed with the water conducting the lightning the beast was paralyzed and the stronger warriors were even able to break through its scales to hurt it. Once they did that it only took them a few minutes to finish the fight as Amelia healed me. Those guys are strong, way stronger than you dad.


    It was only a few weeks after that that we ran into trouble again. We were nearing Ironfell, Intent on going to Rhoshas festival, when we passed by Linden.


    Ezekial froze, his eyes darting across the page. They had, of course, heard about the massacre at Linden. If his son was there when it happened... Well, if something had happened he wouldn¡¯t have written. Elaine didn¡¯t look any better, her cheerfulness was replaced by a deep worry for their son. Zeke had to take a couple of deep breaths and read ahead before he could continue, his fears evident in his shaky voice.


    It was horrible. I¡¯m sure you have or will hear about what happened there, but if not let me tell you what we experienced.


    First, we saw smoke rising from the city. Liana taught me a trick to see through the foxes eyes and hear from their ears. I decided not to smell what they did, and I¡¯m grateful every day for that choice. We used them to scout the city for us. The biggest city I¡¯ve seen. It was empty of people, everyone who was still alive was being held in this massive longhouse in the center of town. I¡¯m not sure what it was officially used for but that doesnt matter.


    Apparently the town had been taken over by some cultists. They were taking one or two people at a time to an altar in the center of town and sacrificing them. Of course once we knew this we couldn¡¯t sit still. Liana cast an invisibility spell and the four of them went out to find and defeat the stronger cultists. In the meantime I went out to try to evacuate the longhouse.


    I was able to kill the guards, but someone much stronger showed up after a bit. She and I fought. It was the hardest fight of my life. She was a puppet master of sorts. Tried to reanimate the cultists I had killed with puppet strings and I was forced to burn them. She had mind controlled them in the first place to do her bidding. They were innocents...


    Anyway, Luka, Sky and I held our own against her. We were lucky she was a charisma based mage and not a warrior. I don''t think I could have handled a warrior at her level. I don¡¯t know how long we fought overall, to me it felt like hours. It felt like it would never stop. But then Liana found and broke whatever ritual they were making sacrifices to and the women fled. She took my damn sword too. I was injured before she left. She took my hand, but I¡¯ll find a way to work without it.


    Anyway, a few days later I woke up in Ironfell. Adrien and the rest are going to try to find the group that did all of this. I¡¯m going to be spending a lot of time training for the upcoming tournament. That and working on my awesome new smithing class.


    I¡¯d love to hear from you guys. I¡¯ll be in Ironfell at the guild for a while, so please write to me. I know I said a lot of stuff that''s probably worrying you, but I promise I¡¯m fine.


    Can''t wait to see you guys again.


    Love you, Lios.


    Zeke''s voice had grown shaky near the end. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d prefer to have Lios omit all of the dangerous parts of his adventures or if he wanted to hear about them all, but this was a lot to take in.


    ¡°He was at Linden... I heard that thousands died there and a group of adventurers came in and saved the rest. I guess Lios was one of them.¡± Elaine said in a quiet voice. Her eyes glistened worriedly.


    ¡°Yeah, it seems he¡¯s already had his share of adventure, huh? I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d have the strength to keep going after all of that.¡± The boy''s father shook his head. ¡°Seems our boy is all grown up, huh?¡±


    ¡°I guess he is. Well, we¡¯d best get started writing the boy a letter.¡± Elaine sighed and got up to retrieve some paper, a smile containing a mix of mirth and concern lifting up her cheeks.


    ¡°Let me get it honey!¡± Zeke practically shouted as his pregnant wife moved to run the errand. He quickly returned with paper and quill.


    ¡°Let me write it. Your handwriting is... Well, let me do it.¡± Elaine chuckled at Ezekial''s flabbergasted expression. He relented immediately but still gave her a playful stink eye as they settled down to write a letter.

 b2 Ch19 - Every Day is Craft Day

    Training with the effigy of Rhosha went about as well as could be expected the next day. She insisted that I needed to prove my mastery of the basics with my longsword before she would teach me any more martial skills, which basically just resulted in her slapping me with the flat of her blade whenever I acted in bad form. I was covered in red spots, small cuts, and bruises when I finally emerged from the training dungeon but I was ready to go back in.


    The other thing she did was disrupt every spell I attempted to cast by sending her own mana into my ritual circles. The backlash from some of the spells breaking, especially Conflagration, was worse than the punishments for misstepping or moving inefficiently. As soon as the spell would be disrupted all of the mana I had already poured into the spell would reverse course and disperse into the air immediately around me. My calves were covered with red flesh, burned by my own rampant mana.


    It wasn¡¯t bad though. The entire session was, as intended, very informative. I now knew better about my weaknesses and sloppy form. Well, sloppy for her. She admitted once at the end that I was ahead of others my age in terms of my understanding of the basics. However, it was clear I wasn¡¯t up to her standards as she also only used the basics against me and trounced me with every spar.


    All of that being said, when I finally emerged from the training dungeon with the sun barely peeking over the horizon, lighting the world in reds and oranges dull and distant, I immediately made my way to the forge. It was time to work on my second sword. My second class was far too neglected at this point and I aimed to resolve that. I wanted both classes to be maxed out by the time the tournament rolled around, and I intended to make that happen. Nevermind the fact that most adults never even crossed the first threshold of power, I was not most people. Not anymore. And I wouldn¡¯t let myself become complacent, not again.


    And so I stood at the forge having collected Luka and Sky before Eva, Rose, and Leshal departed for another dungeon. I had caught them at breakfast preparing to leave just after first light, and it was truly lucky that I got to them in time. I asked if they wanted me to join them but the conversation, as I remember it, went like this.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to join you?¡± I asked Eva as Sky hopped up onto my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t seen my friends in days and felt a bit neglectful of the relationships, especially with a new member in the group.


    It was Rose who spoke up first, however. ¡°We¡¯re sure. We need to work on our teamwork and, as much as it sucks, your class pushes you to be a solo combatant. We will be stronger if the three of us are able to coordinate but I don¡¯t foresee any specific formations that have you close to us at this time. Even the internal spell you displayed while fighting the rich brat was dangerous to be near, according to Leshal.¡±


    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say something about working on a project? We three can handle ourselves just fine, and will be better for it when you gain more power with a new weapon.¡± Leshal grinned a grin with pointed teeth.


    ¡°I mean I can still work with you-¡±


    ¡°We will work you into some formations later but your combat class is nearly fully leveled right? You need to get your secondary up there too for the tournament. Don¡¯t worry, you''re still in the party but we understand you have to prioritize too. So go and prioritize.¡± Rose interjected firmly. She shook her head with a playful smile on her lips. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t you have to work hard to... How did Adrien phrase it? Woo the pretty, melodious bard you were drooling over?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe those words ever left his mouth but you''ve made your point. For the dames and damsels, then, I shall go and forge a new blade.¡± I exclaimed with a dramatic flourish causing the group to chuckle as I left for the forge.


    And so I found myself standing before a lit forge. Quickly I placed the ingot of mana steel and another ingot of zephyrim into the coals. The zephyrim was the color of the sky, a light blue metal that gleamed when polished. It took much less time than the infernal iron to heat to a working temperature, making me regret adding it at the same time as the mana steel.


    The first hour or so was spent the same way as when I had forged the other sword, now named Ignium¡¯s Fang. It took quite a bit of time to create three plates from each metal that were each about a quarter inch thick, three inches wide and eight long. I took about half of each ingot to make the plates, resulting in enough material for another sword as well if I was lucky. I separated those half ingots into plates as well, getting it ready for the next sword since I knew I¡¯d need it eventually.


    With that done I had to set my notebook up behind me with the finished enchantment displayed on the pages. Pouring wind mana through my channels, and then through the Flame Forger, I slammed my hammer down and started to etch the first of the runes into the first zephyrim plate. With each strike the runes started to take shape. My muscles, already aching from the training in the morning, kept me focused on my task even as I noticed people coming into the forge to repair their armor, unable to afford or unwilling to pay a certified blacksmith.


    I slammed my hammer down again and again, bouncing the three pound tool off the anvil so that I didn¡¯t overwork my muscles despite having the stats to allow me to lift it myself every time. With each strike wind mana etched a new line on the metal and flames erupted from the head of the hammer to keep the metal workable. With each strike I grew closer to being able to use [Compendium Actualization] to streamline the process every ten or so minutes.


    It took me about twenty five minutes to etch the one hundred twenty five runes the first time. I kept having to go back to the notebook to confirm the order of the runes, not wanting to get it wrong and cause myself to restart.


    I then started the next sheet of metal, etching the runes to each one individually. On the second one I was able to start easing my burden with [Compendium]  and sped the process up to eighteen minutes. Seven minutes may not seem like a large amount, but every instance of speeding up the process counted.


    The third plate took only fifteen minutes and the one after thirteen. After that it seemed to stabilize. Then I cut the bars such that I could form the desired pattern in the damascus, trying to make a pentagon form in the swirling metal that would form along the edge of the saber.


    Initially I had considered making the wind based sword into a rapier, but wound up leaning more toward a curved blade made for slashing. A saber would fit my hand better than a weapon made for thrusting. The added weight at the end of the blade would compliment the speed that the enchantment would hopefully provide, allowing me to land heavy strikes at a speed that would be difficult to defend against. At least, that was my logic. That, and I wasn¡¯t as much of a fan of rapiers in general.


    Once the billet was crafted I flattened it back out and reasserted the enchantment, feeling the remnants of magic from the broken one as I quickly etched the runes. As opposed to Ignium¡¯s fang, and the others that came before it, I only needed to etch the enchantment thrice for it to take hold, my intent staying true. It seemed the higher my level in [Runesmithing] grew, the better the enchantments would hold.


    Once the enchantment seemed like it would hold I began to shape the blade, still pouring wind mana into every strike and now focusing on what I wanted from [Maelstrom Modification]. I wanted it to bolster the enhancement enchantment, or at least to amplify each of the effects of the sword.


    Sweat rolled off my brow as I worked, my shirt taking embers and immediately repairing itself as the hammer rained down on the slowly shaping blade. I noticed the foxes attempting to pull me away as I sank deeper into the craft, hammering away at the sword. They took turns leaving to get water for themselves, Helga getting them some food scraps in the edges of my sphere of perception. When it was Luka¡¯s turn Sky held the weapon down with a constant stream of air, taken from the forge such that it didn¡¯t cool the active project before I was ready for it.


    As I sank deeper into my skills, enjoying the music of the hammer and the anvil and the gentle roar in the coals of the forge, the blade took shape. A curved one handed saber, a bit shorter than the longsword I had made before. The pattern was faint on the blade, the two different shades of blue metal glowing under the heat of the Flame Forger.


    It took until mid afternoon for the blade to be finished, for the runes to be placed and to feel the wind magic whirling around it. It took another few hours to craft the handle as I allowed the blade to be heat treated, bringing it up to temperature until [Ephemeral Forge] had it glowing a bright white, letting me know the sword was ready to be quenched. I dunked it into a tube of oil, not positive which type it was. The surface of the oil ignited from the intensity of the heat and nearly singed my eyebrows. As it was, my sleeves lit up slightly causing me to step back in a panic and bat away at it until Sky stole the air from around it, removing the fuel.


    I didn¡¯t teach her that... where did she come up with that idea? I thought to myself as I heard the foxes amusement in my head, the other¡¯s around the forge also chuckling at my panic.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    After recovering from my fear, my heart rate still up despite my calm exterior, I ran a simple file across the edge of the saber, nervous that it wouldn¡¯t be hard enough. When nothing shaved off from it I grinned and set down to polish, buff and scrape away the remaining forge scale - the superheated and brittle metal that adorned the weapon.


    After making sure the weapon was polished to a mirror finish, the blue tinted metals still shimmering despite not being heated even as I pulled it from my skill into the real world. Tying a string around the tang I administered one of the final steps, save for sharpening the edge, by dipping the blade in a tube of acid that was rarely used by the other smiths but held on reserve for dwarven adventurers. Some used it to clean their blades as well, but rare was an adventurer who made damascus. The process took significantly longer even with skills and, far as most smiths knew, there was no added benefit except for a slightly sturdier blade. Considering most adventurers needed new weapons and armor as they moved up in levels to compete with stronger monsters, this was often deemed a waste of time.


    When I withdrew the blade I quickly wiped it down with a cloth, revealing the two different shades of metallic blue that made up the sword. The pattern came out a bit lopsided, one side of the pentagon a bit squished and another part elongated, but it was still a pretty weapon.


    Next, I took a relatively small amount of the dwarvish bronze-like metal, svertim, and heated it. It heated much quicker than the mana steel and once it was ready I forged it into a showy crossguard. I shaped it into a pair of s shaped pieces that would each wrap around a lumina stone, one that would more easily hold wind based mana but could still accept generic mana as well. On the front of the handle I created a guard for the hand that would connect with the pommel to wrap around the larger lumina stone.


    Once I made sure the crossguard fit snuggly, I moved on to finishing the handle and etched the same grip runes onto it that I had with my longsword. The blue wood felt like a bit much to me after seeing the blade glimmering blue, but would function all the same. Lastly, the sheath came into being. A wooden sheath was a little difficult to make for a curved sword, as I was used to making them for straight edged blades.


    I failed on the first one, wasting a bit of the expensive wood before I realized I had messed up. But I wouldn¡¯t give up so easily. The second attempt worked much better, and I was soon left with a beautiful blue sheath polished and clean looking. It was simple looking, especially when compared with the sword itself. Everything on the blade save for the svertim was blue, in various shades. Much like the sky took on different hues depending on cloud cover and time of day.


    Part of me wanted to wait until I finished making all three of the weapons before I checked what it was capable of, but seeing it first would inform me better what changes I needed to make to finish the project. So with some small amount of nerves I cast [Arcane Analysis], hopeful that all of the effects I intended to see would show up.


    Unnamed Saber


    A sword crafted within a Maelstrom Forge by Alexilios, the Hero of Linden


    Gales Genius: With each successful attack, counter, and parry the wind will bolster its wielder evermore. (consumes a small amount of mana with each iteration of the gift of wind)


    Cyclone¡¯s Avidity: The wind follows the user¡¯s mana and enhances it.


    Whirlwind Blade: Feed the sword mana and wind will form on both sides of the blade, eviscerating most things it comes into contact with.


    Each effect that I had wanted had come to fruition. It made me wonder if [Maelstrom Modification] had taken my desires of bolstering the enchantments into consideration and had done so, or if there were some hidden caveat. I wouldn¡¯t truly know unless I made another blade without trying to influence the ability.


    Either way, the blade seemed to turn out as intended but I felt it was a bit lackluster compared to Igniums Fang, if only because the aura skill was so powerful. Frowning to myself I withdrew all the items from my [Ephemeral Forge] allowing them to seep back into their subspace and ignored the folk looking over at my new weapon.


    What I had expected to look cool with all the different shades of blue looked almost monochrome instead. The abilities it wielded were what I had wanted but... It felt like each of the abilities were lackluster compared to the aura and shroud of my flaming longsword. If anything, I wished that Gales Genius would be a more potent enchantment. Perhaps it was and I wasn¡¯t giving it the right attention. It almost felt like adding the third major effect of Whirlwind Blade took too much away from the amplification and enhancement effects.


    With that in mind I entered the guild hall covered in embers and soot, grease on my hands and on the foxes fur. Immediately upon seeing me my companions rose from where they were seated, Rose and Eva did at least while Leshal simply gave me an amused once over.


    ¡°To the baths? Your treat right?¡± Rose called out, causing several adventurers to quiet their conversations as I walked toward them.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably needed but let me drop off this sword first.¡± I called back and headed up the stairs.


    To my surprise, Leshal joined us to the baths. As per usual, Rose and Eva led the way to the bathhouse and took the foxes with them along with the brush I had purchased before. Leshal and I made our way into the male side of the bathhouse and sat in awkward silence for a few minutes before the lizardman spoke up.


    ¡°They speak highly of your skills, you know. Said you somehow knew all the best routes in that first dungeon you went to with them. The spider one.¡± He started slowly, his eyes blinking slowly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure about you. Still am not. I look forward to seeing more than what you showed during our fight.¡±


    I laughed softly, a bit embarrassed. ¡°I see. I look forward to working with you too. But I do have one question.¡± I paused dramatically, taking a few seconds to wash the grease from my body. ¡°What kind of food do you like?¡±


    He stared at me dumbfounded for several moments before answering. ¡°Skewers of Harfilent meat with spicy raspberry sauce. That is not the question I expected.¡±


    ¡°I assumed you wouldn¡¯t. I was considering requisitioning the kitchen to make something different. I grow tired of stew and potatoes at every supper.¡± I sighed lamenting our meal choices.


    Over the next half hour or so our conversation devolved from him telling me he wasn¡¯t convinced about me, to us bonding over various foods. I described some dishes I grew up with as a kid, not as a kid in Ravos but on Earth, and he described some which his tribe tended to make. It turned out he came from a tribe of other Lizardfolk that called themselves the Quazit.


    Feeling refreshed, we returned to the guild with me stopping to buy food for myself and the foxes. We were starving and dinner wasn¡¯t for a while longer, and so we made some stops. I also had Eva show me to some reputable spice salesmen and purchased several jars of spices with the funds she gave me from selling the materials in the spider dungeon. The herbs and spices were fairly expensive, costing me over six gold for a few dozen different ones, but to me it was worth it.


    Once we got back to the guild I sat and chatted with them while remaking the enchantment for my sword. I removed the whirlwind blade portion to instead add more to the Cyclone¡¯s Avidity and Gale¡¯s Genius ones. With them becoming more robust I had high hopes that the next attempt would be much more powerful feeling.


    After our conversation at the baths Leshal didn¡¯t seem so concerned about me, at least we got along. We chatted over the meal even with me distracting myself and I learned that the three of them had gone into the same spider dungeon the day before, but didn¡¯t make it all the way through as they had gotten lost in the various tunnels on the first floor. They hadn¡¯t even found a boss chamber, which led to a conversation in which Eva asked how I led them all the way to the bottom floor without getting turned around a single time.


    I just gave what I thought was a mysterious smile before deflecting the conversation.


    After a while we split ways and I went to my room to finish my newest creation. I stayed up fairly late to complete the new version of the enchantment, worried that it wouldn¡¯t satisfy me. That the creation of Igniums fang had skewed my perception on my next few creations.


    The next day was much the same. I woke up, got breakfast, trained with the effigy of Rhosha and went to the forge. I spent the day there, but this time didn¡¯t get as lost in the flow of creating. This sword wound up worse than the one prior, while retaining the same enchantments. The pattern I etched into it was more squished than before, the crossguard wasn¡¯t nearly as smooth, and the entire blade just seemed... lackluster.


    I was discouraged. It felt as though I had lost my touch in a way. Or maybe that I didn¡¯t have quite the passion I needed anymore. The sword would still function, and it would function well, but it didn¡¯t feel like it fit my hand as well as I had hoped.


    And so a third day came, and a new sword was made. This time, I had been drawn into the crafting. This time the pattern came out as I wanted it to with small pentagons running up and down on the blade, almost perfectly shaped. There were deviations on the pentagons edges, of course, but they were difficult to notice to the average person. The crossguard came out fairly beautifully as well, much in contrast to the weapon prior.


    Another major difference was, due to using up more of the azure sycamore than intended on the first weapon, in the sheath and handle. I had used a mixture of the entoak from before and the azure sycamore for both sheath and handle. I even went so far as to add some scrap pieces of svertim for even more contrast, wanting the weapon to not feel so monochrome.


    With bated breath I pushed mana into my eyes and felt the magic flow through them. An influx of information pushed its way into my mind. A smile started to form on my lips as I read over the details. It was very similar to the first weapon but it felt like it was... more. More powerful, more specific. Just more.


    Eager to show my new instructor, I ate, went up to my room, and promptly fell asleep exhausted. No dreams nor nightmares, sleep took me into her embrace peacefully and the next morn, rested and ready, I entered the training dungeon.

 B2 Ch20 - Tree too Strong?

    With two swords on my hip, a proud grin on my lips, and eagerness to test my newest creation I stepped through the portal, once more lamenting that the travel it caused didn¡¯t feel any different from walking through a doorway. I stepped onto the green again grass, knowing it would be browned and dry by the end of this four hour session. Sat in the grass across from me, a hundred feet away, was Rhosha¡¯s effigy. She sat calmly meditating, though as I approached she opened her eyes and tilted her head.


    ¡°A new sword?¡± At my nod she scoffed. ¡°And what of your assignment? Have you made new spells yet?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, you see -¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care for excuses Alexilios. Let me see the weapon. Share its details with me.¡± Her voice gave no room for argument. Her face was still contorted to a frown.


    I passed the sword over to her, still sheathed. The blue and white sheath was pretty under the perpetual sun of the training facility. It was simply a wide open plain, with little cloud cover. Temperate and calm winds made it that much nicer, despite the warm sun still beating into my shoulders. As the sword master took my weapon from me I shared the details of my final attempt. I still had enough material for a smaller blade, one that I¡¯d likely make for one of my teammates, but I wouldn¡¯t be making something quite like this for a while yet.


    Cyclonic Saber


    Crafted within the turbulence of the Maelstrom Forge by Alexilios, the Hero of Linden


    Mistral Momentum: Gain speed and efficiency of movement with each uninterrupted technique.


    Cyclone¡¯s Charity: Wind mana poured into this weapon grows more powerful for each spell cast through it. Feed the breeze and it will become a Whirlwind


    Torrent¡¯s Fang: Wind mana drags downward along the edge of the blade, carving through anything it touches with eager abandon.


    ¡°I see. A decent weapon. Your forgework could use some work though. The pattern isn¡¯t perfect, though I understand that it is cosmetic.¡± I took some pride in Rhosha even calling my weapon decent. While I felt it deserved more than that, I couldn¡¯t fault her critique. She was used to arms and armors created by experts in their crafts. With my relatively low levels I wasn¡¯t up to the level she wanted to see.


    ¡°Thank you Master Rhosha. I -¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished. You disobeyed me. New instruction. You will complete three new spells before you begin another project. Next, You will not craft a new weapon for yourself until you surpass the level limit. As in, until you are past level one twenty five in both of your classes. You must take time to master the weapons you already possess and a new powerful sword will not aid you in your quest for mastery over bladed weapons. Lastly, find a healer if you can. There are few within the kingdom that are powerful enough to heal your hand, but you will want for it before the tournament. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master Rhosha.¡± I replied solemnly, taking her words to heart.


    ¡°Good. Now, what were your gains in levels from making this sword?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked yet. One moment.¡± I hadn¡¯t really thought to check it yet, being far too tired the night before and too eager to show off the weapon.


    [Compendium Actualization] LVL:62 ->74


    [Secondary Class]


    [Wayfaring Craftsman of the Tumultuous Maelstrom] LVL: 36 ->48


    [Secondary Class Skills]


    [Runesmithing] LVL:36 -> 48


    [Runeweaving] LVL:21


    [Ephemeral Forge] LVL:36 -> 48


    [Runic Inscribing] LVL:36 -> 48


    [Maelstrom Modification] LVL:34 -> 44


    [Arcane Analysis] LVL:25 ->27


    [Detect Metal] LVL:8 -> 16


    X3 Unavailable


    I shared with her my gains, surprised to see that [Detect Metal] had increased despite me mostly tuning out the information it provided. There was a thread of disappointment that my efforts hadn¡¯t been enough to pass fifty levels, but otherwise I was fairly happy with my gains.


    ¡°I see. Yes. You will focus on leveling up your class every other day, the other days will be spent creating new spells. Your class¡¯s greatest benefit is your versatility, yet you are pushing yourself in a single direction. Most of your spells are replicates but with different affinities, but none of them take particular advantage of their elements. A flame blade will never be as potent as a wind blade. A wave of water will never be as powerful as a wave of flame. At least, not by themselves. Find what makes each of your affinities unique and you will increase your capabilities tenfold.¡±


    ¡°Understood Master Rhosha. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and in the evenings work on your meditation. That skill can evolve eventually into one that allows you to visualize past conflicts or other combat styles so you may train while you rest. Figure out how to evolve it, but if you get stuck you may ask me one question about it per training session. Now, We should focus on training.¡± She grinned and rose up, holding my saber in her hand and removing the sheath. ¡°Shall we see what your new toy is capable of?¡±


    She waited not for my reply, and what followed were three hours of getting battered as she grew faster and faster. My blade clashed with hers dozens of times before I was no longer capable of keeping up and then we traded weapons. She began to teach me the formations for a kata - a series of techniques that made up a more traditional style. She did not tell me the name of the style, but that this series of techniques was considered the first dance. Crane dance, she called it.


    It was a calm style derived from staying aware and perceptive on the battlefield, one used to test one''s opponent and create time to craft a strategy against others. It used minimal movements to dodge and parry. The dance was primarily defensive due to these factors, but it was effective as I quickly learned.


    Rhosha, during all of this, kept breaking every spell even as she told me to keep casting. She didn¡¯t so much as explain what she wanted from me but it was clear she was used to teaching through trial and error. Every time a spell would be broken and I suffered backlash she would only give me a half of a breath to recover before showing me where my defenses faltered.


    I still hadn¡¯t managed to fire off a single spell, not even a quick one, as she forbade me using [Compendium Actualization] while we trained. The combat training was harsh, and grew harsher as I left and returned the next day, and then the next. With each day that I trained with her she sped up, she fought me harder, never allowing me to gain an advantage.


    In the time after training I spent every other day smithing, crafting a few hundred arrowheads for Eva. Although I didn¡¯t add any enchantments to them in general, I would experiment with [Maelstrom Modification] and pour my intent into each arrow head individually, each one gaining an enchantment based on the mana I poured into it. Because the arrowheads were not overly complex to make and I wasn¡¯t filling each one with runes, my class only leveled up once, but I could feel that it was getting close to its next level and hopefully a new skill alongside it.


    The rest of my time was spent in the tavern pouring over my notebooks, eager to complete my ideas for a few spells. What she had said about me not embracing the attributes of my spells and instead growing complacent with copying spells for the different elements. I took all of my learning from Kricket, learning more of the Frith runes in order to craft a spell that would adopt the volatility of the language and exacerbate it.


    The first spell I crafted in this fashion was the one of defense. I had been leery of making a spell devoted to defense with flame mana, unsure how I could defend myself with something that held little physical resistance. After a bit of thinking, and two weeks worth of research, I came up with something. A flame wall, one that surrounded me on all sides. I made one from both runic languages in order to have a more powerful variant that worked quickly or to have a separate one that gave me a long moment to recover and reevaluate a battle.


    I had made no progress on the other two spells at this time, but Rhosha reminded me that I had time. The path to power was either fast and rife with danger, or long and winding, filled with patience and learning. I tended to combine the two, taking on challenges above my level and sometimes being forced to sit back and take my time learning new techniques. There would be time to challenge myself soon, now I had to take the path steadily.


    I also took a bit of time to deliver the other two swords to Orvack who had yet to sell the flaming longswords just yet but had received many offers at a lower price. They were pretty pricey for folks at my level, especially for a weapon one would only use until the late one fifties unless they tended to fight weaker enemies. The swords would still be useful for dealing damage to higher level enemies, but would be worse in general than buying a new sword crafted by someone who had evolved their class.


    Five days after she started to show me the crane kata, She began to show me what she called the second dance. The Osprey kata. It was a dance filled with small, fast shallow attacks to slowly weaken an enemy while also taking advantage of larger openings to deal a fatal or near lethal blow to one¡¯s enemy. This dance was a little bit less fluid than the Crane kata, but still used minimal movements when allowed.


    She taught it to me by leaving tiny openings that I could take advantage of, and forced me to relent by stepping back into the Crane kata after a strike. Like an osprey I was forced to swoop in for an attack only when there was such an opening, to take advantage of each and every opportunity to inflict some damage to my enemy. When I wasn¡¯t attacking, I reverted to the crane techniques and defended, dodged, and waited until another opening came up.


    It was only after these couple of weeks of training and crafting that Eva, Rose and Leshal asked me to come along to another dungeon. It was called ¡°Heart of the Wyrmwoods¡± and had me excited for a variety of reasons, much of which were the same as Eva¡¯s reasons for wanting to tackle it. Wyrmwood was a sort of magical wood that could only be gathered from the sentient trees that were made of it. In particular, this dungeon was a hefty source for the lumber and where most adventurers near Ironfell could find it.


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    The wood had a variety of properties that could be exploited; from various alchemical uses to harnessing and channeling mana better than other types of wood. All wyrmwood trees were also sentient, which made them ever more difficult to harvest. But, since we were heading into a dungeon, even if I charged the ents with my flames we would still get the drops from it. This was mostly due to how the dungeon was set up, and the dungeon creator also typically gained far more wyrmwood that was then recycled to keep creating ents through a process I wasn¡¯t privy to. Someday perhaps I¡¯d learn more of dungeon creation, but it wasn¡¯t a priority to me.


    Either way, I found myself excitedly waiting for my companions as I sipped on a warm cup of energizing tea. I had already eaten breakfast and had packed up my notes a while ago, unable to concentrate on spell creation as I waited for my party to arrive. Almost exactly on time, all three of them shuffled down the stairs and found me in my booth. There were a few other parties sitting and chatting as they prepared for their own journeys and quests, and several others who seemed to be drinking off a hangover already.


    ¡°Eva! Give me a rundown on this dungeon again?¡± I called out as she neared, hoping to receive a frustrated grumble. Instead she simply answered.


    ¡°The Heart of the Wyrmwoods is a dungeon created many years ago that has become the primary method to gather wyrmwood, save for delving deep into the Deepbloom forest. Not all trees within the dungeon are ents, but that will be most of the monsters we will fight. Aside from them, there are many poisonous plants, and various herbs that can be used in alchemy that we may wish to collect, as well as shrubgeists. The ents primary weakness is, you guessed it, fire and the dungeon spans hundreds of miles in all directions. There is only a single boss, no variants, and our primary goal is to gather as much of the wyrmwood as we can before killing the boss, as once it is defeated and we receive our reward we will be booted from the dungeon. Any further questions?¡±


    ¡°No. Seems straightforward.¡± I said dejectedly, grumbling under my breath as the group sat and ate their breakfast. Luka and Sky eagerly took any scraps they were fed and then we were off.


    After a short time we collected Luna from companion daycare, as I liked to call it, and found ourselves in front of the purple portal. I checked my back one last time, ensuring I had food, water, and most importantly space for the loot. I also had a bedroll as when I did read about this dungeon a week prior I saw it sometimes took teams several days to find the boss¡¯s grotto.


    ¡°Okay Lios, lead the way. Not sure how but you made the spider dungeon easy, let''s see if you can do so again." Rose patted my shoulder and I shot her a lopsided grin.


    ¡°Aye aye captain! Wait, who is team captain?¡± I asked before backing up through the portal, going from a well regulated building filled with a half dozen portal doors and into a towering and dense forest. The sounds of birds and squirrels chattering reverberated through the massive trees beside the rustling of leaves.


    The temperature was mild, with low humidity contrasting what I had expected. Trees tended to trap heat beneath the leaves even as they blocked the sun, but this forest seemed to be fairly temperate. The others quickly filed into the dungeon after me, looking around with a bit of awe. The shortest tree near us was easily a hundred feet tall and would take a dozen people holding hands to wrap around its trunk. I chewed on my lip a little bit, thinking. Massive. If the ents are this huge I wonder if we will be able to deal damage.


    ¡°To answer your question, Alexilios, I am the team captain.¡± Rose said confidently as she recovered herself fastest from taking in the view.


    ¡°As if. It should be me.¡± Eva scoffed heavily, a teasing glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Ladies ladies, Leshal and I will be happy to take orders from either of you.¡± I grinned as I started off in a random direction. ¡°What''s our formation? I know you three practiced some.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be in the lead several feet ahead of us so you can cast spells if needed or bounce back to defend us. Leshal will stay just ahead of Rose and I. I¡¯ll stay in the back with Luna in my amulet until we need her. When we start to fight, Luka and Luna will defend Rose and I, with Luka calling to you if we need any help.¡± Eva spoke with confidence, having clearly thought through the best formation for our party.


    ¡°Got it. Let''s get to it then.¡± I flared [Portent of the Thaumaturge], showing me that all of the trees in the immediate area were normal. I started to walk through them, weaving between the various trees until one was flowing with mana. I indicated it to the group silently, and drew my sword.


    Like the rest of the trees, this one was massive. Visually there were no real differences between this tree and the rest, save for the fact it was slightly shorter than the others. That didn¡¯t mean much, it still appeared to be around seventy feet tall. It had large spindly branches and thousands of green leaves covering them. From a distance it would look like an oak or maple tree but as I got closer I could see silver behind the bark.


    Wyrmwood came in a variety of shades, each one powerfully magical. From my understanding, silver wyrmwood tended to be weaker physically but could hold more mana than the golden variant which tended to be physically stronger. Platinum wyrmwood was harder still and could hold more mana than both the previous two. There were other forms of wyrmwood as well, often noted by a different name. Entoak, azure sycamore, and others were all wyrmwoods of a sort though they tended to be lower tier and less pure than the ones named after metal.


    ¡°Hey Eva, what was the recommended level for this dungeon again?¡± I asked quietly, feeling a touch nervous as I watched the silent behemoth ahead of us.


    ¡°Level one fifty four. I know we are a fair bit underleveled but we can leave if this fight grows too dangerous.¡± She said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders as the party prepared for the fight.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯m going to attempt to burn this fucker down, stay back. Leshal, got any ranged attacks? Might do you well not to get too close to me.¡± With that I stepped forward and began a runedance as I approached the massive tree. I spelled out the runes for ¡°Visceral Conflagration¡±, eager to see how my spells and swordsmanship might hold up against a larger and higher level enemy.


    As I got within fifty feet of the tree, about five runes away from finishing my spell, I felt the roots begin to lurch and the tree begin to rise from the earth. It pulled itself out from the ground with a creak and a groan of wood, cracking emphatically. I hurried to complete the dance as two glowing yellow eyes blinked open and the trunk split into two halves, forming a mouth. The crackling of the bark as the silver insides of the tree were revealed sounded as though the tree were being felled.


    ¡°Call me a lumberjack cuz you''re going down.¡± I called out lamely, not even getting a snort of amusement from my companions. Mana poured through me and into the sword, activating my false flame aura. Instantly red orange flames surrounded me, and a second later as a tree branch came whipping into my view my aura turned white, conflagration activated.


    I pushed off with a burst of strength and speed, narrowly dodging the tree branch as it collided with the earth and sent dirt flying into the air. In retort, my blade fell like a meteor and slashed through the tree branch, the ambient heat coming off the blade in waves drying and engulfing some of the nearby leaves in fire.


    The ent screeched in pain and lurched backwards, pulling its flaming branch away from me. As it did so, I felt more than saw several roots coming toward me through the earth. As they came close to my feet I stabbed into the ground, piercing one of the roots and causing the ent to screech again, birds fluttering high into the sky past the tree cover. In the distance I heard the creaking of other ents as they woke up, but paid it no mind.


    With the heat vision portion of my enhancement I saw the fire slowly burning through the roots of the ent. Its other roots, poised as they had been to tie me up, retreated as the tree slowly backed up. It could hardly move due to its nature, but its massive appendages could crash into me and that was what it tried to do. A branch that hadn¡¯t been lit swung toward me forcing me to leap backwards and parry the blow, burning my blade deep into the thick branch as it too caught flame.


    Around me, some of the foliage started to ignite as well, and I saw Sky, on my shoulder, redirect the flames toward the ent by fanning them with her wind. It was a pretty minimal influence but the fire quickly spread toward the tree as it continued to wail on me. The sound of slowly moving trees getting slightly nearer, but not so fast that they¡¯d be able to reach us in time to help this one.


    It took around fifty seconds of me dodging the creatures unintelligent, flailing attacks before the fire caught up to the base of the tree, setting the bark aflame. I had thought its creaking and screeching was loud before, but quickly came to realize it could be so much worse. The monster yowled sharply, loudly enough to burst my eardrums. Despite [Pain Resistance] tears crept to the edges of my eyes as I lost all sense of sound. A trickle of warm viscous liquid trailed down from my ears, and I felt Sky shudder in pain.


    Still, she fanned the flames, bolstering them as they enveloped the ent. She twisted the wind, creating a cyclone and rushing the fire up the body of the tree, its bark catching flame easily despite its greenness. As the massive oak was turned to charcoal, it thrashed and roots flew from the earth to strike us, to stop those who would destroy it. Disoriented a sI was, it took more effort than I expected to duck and dodge and weave away from the roots.


    One of them managed to catch me in the gut, flinging me into another tree, this one not burning. As I lay there dazed and dizzy another root flashed toward me to turn me into a kebab. I saw it at the edge of my sphere and tried to rise up, only to find that another root had taken me by the wrist and waist. I hadn¡¯t even noticed them.


    Panicking slightly I tugged at the root and called out to Sky but it was too late. As she cut the root I was able to twist a little bit, but still the root stabbed deep into my gut. It didn¡¯t quite tear through me. I expected my aura to set the root aflame, but belatedly saw my sword had been dropped at some point. With my wrist free I growled, even as the root pulled me back toward the main body, whipping me through the air.


    I drew my saber, untested though it was, and started to hack at the root binding me. It was difficult to connect any blows, moving as I was through the air. The jerking motions disrupting my concentration, that and the likely concussion I suffered when I hit the other tree trunk.


    I was screaming as it slammed me into the ground, dislodging me from its grasp. Hurriedly, despite the likely broken bones throughout my body, I rolled away as it attempted to stab me again. Then I pushed off the ground as roots poked through the earth and attempted to stab me. None made it. The roots were all moving frantically, recklessly attempting to hurt me, to kill the person who hurt it. But they were slowing, they were slowing and they were growing weaker. Panting, attempting to breathe even though I was fairly certain there was a small hole in my lung, I backed away toward Rose and the others.


    As I left the trees range I watched as it tried to lurch in our direction, from barely a hundred feet away I watched as it stumbled and toppled, crashing into the ground. Its trunk was completely ignited at this point. The tree writhed and wriggled in pain as it tried to reach us with its roots, branches, anything.


    Once I was close enough to the group I felt Rose¡¯s healing magic washing over me. I collapsed with my back against another tree and turned my attention to the burning tree. I don¡¯t know how long I sat there before sound gradually started to return, for me to hear the dying screams of the slow tree. Nor do I know how long it was before the monster collapsed with a thud, tilting and growing silent before it crashed into the ground.


    Once it started to quiet down, I glanced up at my team and gave a wry grin. ¡°Might be a touch weak for this one, aye?¡± It hurt to speak, my ribs had yet to repair themselves and my body was bruised all over. My lips were cracked as well, and my muscles were strained from using the enhancement spell. WIthout my aura to protect me I could feel the heat of the flames from where I sat.


    ¡°Perhaps a little...¡± Eva trailed off, looking dejected. From a look at her quiver she had been firing arrows throughout the fight but they likely didn¡¯t do much.


    ¡°At the very least... I can see why the others couldn¡¯t fit you into our formation well...¡± Leshal looked between me and the massive tree we had felled. We chuckled at that, though chuckling still hurt my chest.


    ¡°The real question is, now that we know how they move and how tough they are, do we leave or keep going? I still need more healing, but once I¡¯m all healed up I can probably go for another round.¡±


    ¡°No, we should leave. Lets go collect your sword and the wood and get out of here. Come back when you are stronger, and maybe have armor.¡± Eva said decisively. ¡°It''s not worth the risk. Especially when you''re likely the only one among us who can hurt it.¡±


    ¡°I agree. My hammer is unlikely to do anything about those trees. Plus, I''m only level seventy five in my second class, I¡¯d like to wait until we are all at the level cap before we try this dungeon again. Even then it may be a bit of a struggle.¡± Leshal backed Eva up.


    ¡°Got it. Well, let''s go see what we got for this effort.¡± I started to stand, groaning slightly as my bones were still not fully healed. In fact, many of them were still broken, but I could power through it. It was tough, but doable.


    I hesitantly walked toward the dropped loot from the ent. Part of me expected the other ents to have caught up, to have moved here, but Luka confirmed they were far away yet, being able to sense their roots under the earth. Soon I was standing above the rewards, wishing that we had fought an ent outside of this dungeon so we could get more lumber out of the deal. As it stood, there was enough silver wyrmwood for me to create five sheaths and handles, or for Eva to make dozens of arrow shafts if needed. I swept it away into [Ephemeral Forge] partly wanting to continue to fight the trees despite my injuries.


    ¡°Well then, shall we head home?¡± I asked as I shared the details of what we got. It felt a paltry reward for the fight I had just had.


    ¡°I suppose we should.¡± Leshal caught me as I stumbled, nodding agreeably.

 B2 - CH21 - Stolen Valor

    The next few weeks were a bit of a blur. The days were spent first training with Rhosha, who continued to teach me various techniques from a sword style she wouldn¡¯t tell me the origin of. At first it had been the Crane and the Osprey kata¡¯s, now I was in the midst of learning the Falcon Kata. Why they were all named after birds was beyond me, but perhaps birds held cultural significance to the creator?


    She also helped me to drive [Meditation] up in levels, instructing me on how to properly meditate at the end of each session. We would take the final thirty minutes to unwind as training with her sometimes led to charged reflexes and she had had students who would react to innocuous things in public with violence. Or so she said. As we would meditate she would try to guide me into picturing our training, our fights, to imagine fighting against her even while trying to calm my nerves at times. It seemed counterintuitive to her reasoning.


    Once I finished at the dungeon I¡¯d head to the forge to make some swords, daggers, axes and other implements of war. Per Rhoshas instruction I wouldn¡¯t even enchant them, letting [Maelstrom Modification] do most of the work. She said I needed to get better at actually forging weapons, that there were a few marks on the ones I presented to her despite them feeling and looking perfect to my eyes. Perhaps that was my bias.


    Orvack had managed to sell both the wind blades and the flame ones that I had given him on commission, netting me several platinum for my efforts. Each week I¡¯d drop off new, cheaper weapons and collect profits and materials for new creations. On the third day of this schedule I managed to breach level fifty in my secondary class, netting me another skill.


    Forgemasters authority


    The forgemaster commands the forge. Manipulate the heat and the bellows without moving a muscle, simply will the forge to heed your command and your will will be done.


    It wound up making the time to complete a project about twenty five percent quicker. Despite Sky helping me with keeping the forge hot and to temp, the control from the new skill was simply not replaceable.


    Once I had this new skill I was easily making two to three medium sized weapons a day, but hadn¡¯t started working on any armor yet. My priority was still in creating my own weapons and I found that most armor would slow me down so it didn¡¯t hold my interest near as much.


    For the full week after the dungeon, Amelia came to visit me at the forge to help me heal, fawning over me as I didn¡¯t take a break despite my injuries. Rose came to visit too, singing a song in the morning for me. Within the week my bones and muscles had been fully mended, any traces of a bruise vanished.


    I didn¡¯t understand many of the words that Rose sang, for she sang old songs with heavy accents, but I enjoyed the songs all the same. I was almost willing to give her coin to sing all day while I worked. Almost. But she and the others had to continue training, and wanted to continue to grow so we could tackle another dungeon. I found myself humming songs from Earth after she left, sometimes even softly singing them as people worked on their own projects around the forge, the hammering of metal forming my background music. I felt my voice was quite nice, as opposed to in my last life where I sounded like a dying record player fuzed with Kermit the frog, but I had no frame of reference. Occasionally, I¡¯d notice some of the others stop to listen to me sing. Some days Rose would stop by still, even after I healed, and watch me as I forged. I pretended not to see her, but sang a little bit louder for her to hear. It was only fair after all, since she always sang for me.


    By the end of that week we entered another dungeon, in fact. It was nowhere near as dangerous as the previous one. It had a recommended level of one twenty, which each of us matched in one of our classes or were close enough to. It was a deep forest dungeon filled with goblins, hobgoblins, orcs and eventually the dungeon boss - an ogre shaman. A magic wielding ogre, though they were still dumb as a bag of rocks. Each of us was able to shine to a degree.


    Eva was able to snipe down all of the goblin and hobgoblin shamans and the stronger foes among them before they could reach us. Rose was able to train in her secondary class, one that was called Celestial Sorcerer. I hadn¡¯t seen her use the skills from it before, but they, as one could glean from the name, were all based on stars, the moons, and even the sun. She was able to conjure shields of light that blocked most attacks, blades of light that cut through many things as well. Due to the nature of her class, it was more powerful in the night and under the moon, but it still worked in daylight as well. Typically she reserved her mana for healing and support spells, but that didn¡¯t stop her from having a class she could use to defend herself when needed.


    Leshal proved his worth on our team as a powerful warrior. He expressed excellent spatial awareness, skilled hammer usage, and was keen to protect even if it didn¡¯t serve towards a sense of glory. He may have been an adventurer but he was not so stuck in the idea of making a name for himself so much as growing stronger at a steady rate, thus he didn¡¯t tend to make stupid mistakes. He was as cool headed as he was coldblooded, and I could see why he didn¡¯t mind breaking free from Ethan Penrose¡¯s party. It seemed like the two vastly different personality types would clash often.


    The dungeon didn¡¯t provide much by way of loot. At least, not for me. We made some coin off of what we procured, of course, but aside from some shoddy weapons that I could turn to scrap metal there was little of actual use.


    On the third week from the wyrmwood dungeon Rhosha decided to change things up with our training. At this point I was up to level seventy four in Wayfaring Smith of the Tumultuous Maelstrom and was nearing the level cap for Bladedancer. Not all of my skills were keeping up, and my leveling rate of my secondary class was less than I¡¯d hoped due to not making any new enchantments. But the main reason for this shift in my training was that I¡¯d completed the three spells Rhosha had asked me to make.


    __________________________________________


    ¡°Show me your new spells.¡± She commanded in her domineering voice. She hadn''t allowed me to show her the other spells until all three were finished.


    It had taken over five weeks for me to develop these three spells, to perfect them and allow them to maximize their potential. The first, of course, was my defensive spell. Flame Wall. It would conjure a wall of fire taking the shape that I poured into it with my intent and will. This was the first dance that I showed her. I simply performed the footwork, not making any extraneous movements with my sword. Within twenty seconds or so I was surrounded on all sides by a wall of fire that, thanks to my sword''s enchantment, did nothing to harm me. Rhosha whistled in appreciation at the wall that rose above my head and slashed her sword through it. Though it did little to stop the physical object, she was forced to back away when the flames licked at her hand, scalding even her.


    ¡°Oh wow. That actually tickled a bit. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop me, so it¡¯s a bit limited in its applications, but it is a powerful spell all the same. Let''s test it against magic.¡± Wasting no time she quickly fired off a skill while making sure not to output too much power, given our level difference, and slammed it against the wall. Her skill dissipated against it, unable to make it through. Next she used a spell to fire a spike of stone into the wall, which passed through it with ease. After that I dropped the spell, the drain growing the longer I had it active. This wasn¡¯t a problem with any of my other spells, not so far as I knew, but it made a certain degree of sense. I needed to keep mana pouring into it to keep the fire from going wild, to keep the flames up, and to allow the flames to have even the slightest amount of physical resistance to physical attacks.


    ¡°Good, next spell.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to respond. Instead I just began the next sword dance, the one for a spell I developed based on one of the anime¡¯s I watched growing up. Again, it took about twenty seconds as I wasn¡¯t yet well practiced with these spells, having only used them a few times in training. Once I felt the spell click into place I looked in the distance and poured mana out from my feet into the runic circle, filling it with flame mana. I wasn¡¯t channeling it through my sword just yet, wanting to show Rhosha the power of the spell without a focus.


    Around me, nine plumes of flame came into existence one after the other. They crackled as they hovered around me before launching themselves in the direction I was looking. Each one flew for a good eighty feet and crashed into the dirt, igniting the grass and creating mild explosions that fired dirt into the air. It was as though I had fired nine mini rockets, they weren''t quite as potent as a fireball but they would be quite dangerous if a couple landed on the same target. When the dust from the impacts cleared there were a series of craters a few feet away from each other, the dirt glassy and molten.


    ¡°That one was pretty. Seems effective enough as well. Did it cost a lot of mana?¡± Rhosha asked as dirt stopped raining down. None of it reached us but it did come down fairly close.


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    ¡°Not that much mana. I could probably cast this one eight or nine times without taking a break.¡±


    ¡°I see. Was that the ranged option or the multiple foes one?¡±


    ¡°A mix of both, as is the next one. This one can take down nine foes if I can train my accuracy, the other doesn¡¯t really need to be accurate though.¡± I smiled in excitement. This was why I wanted to do magic. Why, when I was given the choice upon arriving on this world, I chose to be a wizard. Well, I kind of chose to be everything from my fantasies, but a wizard was at the forefront.


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    Without wasting breath for another retort, I pushed mana through my soles and began the last dance. This one was filled with jerky movements, save for the first few, as it was almost entirely crafted with Frith runes. Only the first five runes were Lexico, in order to allow the spell to remain stable until it needed to burst. The frith runes were both meant to increase the spell''s volatility and to make the moment of impact that much more powerful.


    Once I finished the spell I looked to the distance, even beyond the small craters I had left before, and raised my hand forming the image of a pistol. From my pointer finger a small bead of fire formed and slowly grew until it was the size of a softball. While it wasn¡¯t necessary to hold my hand out as a guide for aiming, it felt fun and I was never one to shy away from theatrics. Thus, I pressed down my thumb as though it were a firing pin and the small orb of flame rushed away from me, my own eyes barely keeping up with its speed.


    While creating the spell I had realized it would need to move fast in order to take full advantage of its limited stability, trying to keep the orb together would otherwise be straining especially as it flew further away. So I had included a rune or two to increase its speed. It was evident as it rushed away from me in a blink, blowing past Rhosha as she turned to watch where it landed.


    It flew for a solid one hundred and fifty feet, still not as far as I wanted it to go but perhaps it¡¯d fly further while using my sword as a focus. Then it arced and crashed into the ground. For a split second nothing happened and I worried that it wouldn¡¯t ignite. Just as I saw Rhoshas shoulders start to turn toward me, the fireball expanded rapidly. A swirling mass of fire, thirty feet around, exploded outward from the center of the orb, obliterating everything in its path. Well, all of the grass in its way. Once more, dirt was thrown into the air peppering us even from this distance. The heat brushed against me from even a hundred feet and more away, and Rhsosha stood even closer to it.


    It took several seconds for the smoke and dust to settle. It settled slowly and gradually, just the edges clearing up at first. The grass was brown at the very edges but the grass progressively grew more charred. Then the grass was gone, replaced by a steeply deepening crater filled with blackened soil.


    Rhosha whistled. ¡°Nice work. A powerful blast indeed. I was concerned with the second spell, but I think it will work well at range.¡± She started walking back toward me. ¡°Now show me these spells with your focus. We should determine how much it increases the potency, you need to be aware of every factor in a battle. If you aren¡¯t aware of your capabilities it could easily result in you hurting your allies and not your foes.¡±


    ¡°Yes Master Rhosha.¡± I nodded and drew Ignium¡¯s Fang.


    Quickly I summoned the flaming wall. In order for the test to be useful I summoned the wall of fire in the same configuration as before, a circle of flames around me, though the circle was no larger than before its flames burned hotter. I found myself surrounded by an inferno of white crackling fire. Like before Rhosha slashed through the wall with no magic backing her sword. Like before the sword cleanly passed through but she ended her attack early, cursing on her end as the fire lapped at her hand. It probably didn¡¯t really hurt, and was more of a surprise that she could feel it that made her stop, but I was still proud.


    Next she fired a spell at it, the spell quickly dispersing as soon as the flames touched it. It took a slight drain on my mana to keep the flame wall up. As the spell splashed across the surface of my spell I had to focus briefly to keep it held together, else my flames were wont to dissipate and force me to reestablish them. Next it was time for an object to be fired through it, a stone spike. The spike crashed through the fire and sped toward me forcing me to dodge the attack that would no doubt severely injure me. The stone as it flew by me was beginning to glimmer with the heat that it had passed through for mere moments, but it was not so hot as to be red and glowing.


    ¡°Okay, it''s much stronger. The spell I used against it was - Oh take it down so we can speak face to face.¡± My instructor commanded. ¡°Now, it was stronger. I poured more mana into my spell than the first time, a lot more, with the hopes that it would waver. It hardly did. Your mana control is impressive for your level. Show me the next one. But first let me set some targets.¡±


    She drew into the air with her sword, too fast for my eyes and [Runesight] to keep up. Seconds later nine stone pillars rose from the ground a distance of one hundred feet away. I grinned and waited until she nodded, indicating that I should try my spell. I had no illusions that I¡¯d be able to accurately hit all nine of my targets but if I could hit five at least I would be happy.


    This time as I cast the spell, and as the warm fire mana poured out from my channels, the nine plumes of flame that appeared around me in a sort of half circle were different colors. As I was casting the spell I had thought to be a little bit flashy, and to test another thing in changing the appearance. Instead of each one containing only red and orange flames, they contained a spectrum. Starting at white, the next ones followed the colors of the rainbow ending in a bright purple.


    Flames crackling around me, I theatrically pointed my blade downrange and they launched. The orbs sort of spiralled as they flew, spinning erratically and arcing like a football before they landed amongst the targets. Rhosha, as a contest of skill, had placed these targets roughly ten feet from each other forcing me to spread out the flaming orbs as they flew. As they flew further away it grew harder to aim them, to direct them. I felt my control slipping around the fifty foot mark and hesitantly pointed each of the petals to a target, relinquishing control from that point to conserve my mana.


    Then they landed. I heard stones crack and saw dust fly into the air surrounded by flames of various colors. Smoke rose from the plains in the near distance and I strained to see if they had each hit their target. I waited in anticipation, stopping myself from rushing ahead to see it with [Portent]. Finally, the dust began to settle after a minute or so and I could see. To my disappointment of the nine that Rhosha had created, six still stood. Beside them were small craters, though they were larger than before.


    ¡°You will need to work on your aim but the spell has potential. What did you do to change the colors?¡± Rhosha said after waiting for the dust to settle.


    ¡°I simply willed it as I cast the spell. Wanted to see what would happen.¡± I smiled a little bit at the praise.


    ¡°I see. It may seem miniscule but that does drain excess energy. If ever you are in a fight where you need all the energy you can get, refrain from adding superfluous effects, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master Rhosha.¡±


    ¡°Great. That being said, it made for a fun show. Now show me your fireball again.¡±


    I nodded and began the sword dance, filling the runes with even more flame mana, my reserves beginning to run dry. This would be the last spell I¡¯d cast for a fair while, each of these spells taking more out of me than I could handle with such succession. It took around fifteen seconds for me to cast it, a veritable age on the battlefield.


    Once it was cast I debated on whether to hit the targets or test the range. In the end I decided the range was the important part and we could train accuracy some other time. With that I raised my sword toward the endless horizon and watched as flames trickled along the blade to meet the point, then began to congeal into an orb of condensed heat. This was not a trick I applied to the spell, but how the orb tended to naturally form, be it from the tip of my finger or the point of my sword. I counted three seconds before the condensed orb was ready from the time I activated the spell, then willed it forward as fast and far as it could go.


    The white orb of pure heat and fire, like a miniature sun, shot forward. I could hardly track it with the sun shining down on us. In my periphery I saw as Rhosha tracked it with no issue, all the way from its apex to its end. Soon enough the small star fell back to the plains and rested for a weary second. Then, heat blasted out and earth shot into the air. Rocks, dirt, it all flung into the air and even came back toward us. This time the orb had flown a solid fifty feet further and upon its creation formed a thirty foot diameter sphere of inferno before it died down.


    The ground around it was a crater and scorched. Small fires lit the six inch tall grass and spread slowly from it. I turned toward my teacher proudly before stumbling a bit, catching myself before I fell.


    ¡°Sit down. You¡¯ve used too much mana.¡± Rhosha said in a tone that broached no arguments. ¡°Now, you are almost level seventy five in your smithing class, and have almost reached the cap in your main. What level is [Compendium Actualization] at?¡±


    ¡°It''s at level seventy four, Master.¡± I sat cross legged, having sheathed my sword.


    ¡°I see. You will want to start training it more. Have you ever attempted to cast multiple spells with it at once?¡±


    ¡°No, Master, though I have thought it a possibility.¡±


    ¡°That will be the next thing we train in between sword forms. I¡¯ve taught you three thus far, yes? The Crane, the Osprey, and the Falcon?¡±


    ¡°Yes Master Rhosha.¡±


    ¡°Good. Next I¡¯ll teach you the form for the Griffin. Before that, how is [Meditation]?¡±


    ¡°Level seventy Master. I still haven''t been able to visualize a past fight. It¡¯s difficult to concentrate on such.¡±


    ¡°I see. Now that you have completed your spells for your fire style, I want you to do something similar for wind spells seeing as you have the weapon. Also, when you smith you may resume crafting with enchantments. You have what, two months left to prepare for the tournament? I believe you should be able to make it to level one twenty five by then if you create some powerful artifacts. Lastly, every other day you are to work on [Runeweaving] for a minimum of six hours.¡±


    ¡°So, to clarify, every other day I¡¯ll work on smithing or weaving, along with the two hours [Meditation] practice from before?¡±


    She confirmed and then we were off to teach me the basics of the next kata. The Griffin techniques shifted from more graceful techniques to those you¡¯d expect of the wrathful. They were violent as a lion would be violent, and they were powerful. They also contained several useful footwork techniques that would allow me to evade attacks with wider movements, unlike the Crane techniques that would have me dodge with the least effort or distance.


    We also began working on training [Actualization] whenever I recovered enough mana to do so. I wasn¡¯t able to cast multiple spells at once just yet, but I was building my experience with the skill ever so slightly with each cast. I was confident that I¡¯d be able to cast a few five rune spells together soon, but it would be a strain.

 B2 - CH22 - Bullying the Weak

    Once again time seemed to pass relatively quickly with my new training schedule. I had a little over two months before the start of the festival. That was plenty of time, to be honest. Though, it had me wondering when I¡¯d be able to go on a real adventure. So far my travels had been mostly just walking on a trail and staying in towns with occasional forays into combat. I knew I was young yet, but I wanted to get out to see the world.


    I mean, who wouldn''t dream of seeing the Spine¡¯s - a series of peaks within the titanic dwarvish mountain range called the Hartheim Spires. The spines specifically are rumored to be massive and had once housed dragons. Word said dragons still lived there, hidden behind spellwork from the rest of the world.


    Or the floating islands of Crasadil, a nation far to the east and past the Myrid sea. It was a nation of mages well past the edges of Terraan¡¯s border that few had the privilege to visit if only due to the monsters that ravaged the sea below it.


    All that said, I found myself often growing bored of the monotony despite acknowledging its necessity. In order to break up this monotony, I asked Adrien and his group when next they¡¯d have time for a meal with me and mine. This was a bit over a week ago, around the time I finished designing a few new enchantments as well as the first of my wind spells. Today would be the day to share our meal so I was preparing some things.


    The last two weeks had been quick. I had made three new sets of clothes for myself out of the spider silk, using the same general enchantments that I normally did on the first set. I realized fairly quickly that the spider silk I had gotten from the dungeon was strong enough to handle far far more enchantments, and so I then had to work to create one that would bring out the full potential of the clothes. It wasn¡¯t finished just yet, though.


    It took a solid week of designing the new enchantment. I wanted to make something similar to the concept of my first sword, a shape changing garment. I designed a powerful enchantment that, provided sufficient mana, would allow me to change its appearance. I still had to make the clothes, but that would be a task for a later date.


    Today, well, today was going to be different. I had convinced Perry and Garth to allow me to cook a meal for the adventurer¡¯s today, and I was both nervous and excited. The kitchen staff would still be helping, doing most of the cooking in fact, but I was the one designing the meal. There was no particular reason for this, but for the fact that Adrien¡¯s party was in town having just returned from another bit of investigation, and that my party was in as well.


    And so, I found myself at the market, purchasing some various aromatic spices and other ingredients. There was no chicken here but different poultry that was similar enough. Soon I had a wagon full of white meat, rice, and other ingredients. I figured I¡¯d start with something more tame, two different dishes. Chicken Tikka masala, and saag paneer. I wasn¡¯t Indian in my past life, but whenever I thought of my preferred last meal, Indian food was a part of it.


    Growing up I had been lucky enough to live in a place where I could experience all sorts of different cultures, but the most flavorful, in my opinion, was between Mexican and Indian food. I couldn''t help but feel a touch nervous about this, making food that meant so much to me for my friends, and to a lesser extent the rest of the adventurers.


    Still, soon I was standing in the kitchen and calling out instructions to the folk with the higher level cooking skills. I helped as well, gaining some experience. Both dishes took a bit of time and effort and once they started to come together I couldn¡¯t keep the smile from my face.


    It was as they were both nearly done, the tikka masala simmering gently in a large pot, the rice properly fluffed. Discs of freshly seared naan bread, some covered with garlic or pressed with onions, some plain, filling the air with the smell of fresh bread. And the saag paneer, a vegetarian dish with spinach that looked a little bit sloppy but tasted absolutely divine, that I was forced from the kitchen.


    ¡°Aye, kid, yer part is done! Let me take over, we''ll handle the rest.¡± Garth said in the voice that didn¡¯t belong to his intimidating figure before physically guiding me to the door.


    ¡°Are you sure I can still-¡±


    ¡°Get out of here kiddo!¡± One of the other cooks called out and laughed. He was a bit younger than the others, maybe a year or two older than me. Over the course of the last few hours I had gotten to know many of the cooks a bit, though not by name.


    ¡°Fine fine fine I''ll go, no need to twist my arm there Garth.¡± I said, chuckling as the large man easily pushed me toward the door.


    Then, I was out of the kitchen and into the hall proper. The smell of the cooking dishes wafted through the guild hall, a hall that was already beginning to look packed to the brim. The gentle murmur of conversation crashed into my ears as I looked about for my friends, easily finding them as they gathered ¡®round a couple of tables put together. Rose and Eva had the foxes in their laps, and were chatting with Elric and Amelia while Harkan, still a mystery to me, Liana and Leshal seemed to be playing a game of cards. Adrien was nowhere to be seen.


    I strode toward them excitedly, nervously, and took a seat between Leshal and Rose, one that seemed to be saved for me. ¡°Where¡¯s Adrien?¡± I asked as I pulled myself closer to the table, glancing over at the card table and noticing they were playing for copper coins.


    ¡°He said he had to go collect a surprise for you, unsure what it is though.¡± Elric replied before turning back to my companions. ¡°Did Lios tell you folk about the wyrm we fought yet? It was quite somethin!¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t believe he has.¡± Rose flashed a glance in my direction, letting me know this wasn¡¯t the first story Elric had shared with them. Hopefully there was nothing too embarrassing in those tales as I hadn¡¯t spent too long with the quartet. I noticed Harkan and Leshal were also actively listening even as they played their card game.


    And so, for the next ten minutes Elric told a story that could have taken half that or less, adding embellishments. His boisterous voice drew attention from some of the nearby tables, including the attention of a blue armored asshat who couldn¡¯t keep the scowl from his face. He was turned slightly away from us a few tables over, his hand reattached and no noticeable scars from our fight weeks before, and trying his best to look like he wasn¡¯t listening. At one point while Elric was boasting about piercing the wyrm''s thick scales Liana brought attention to my act of saving her from the acid breath of the creature. She, and all the rest of my group, smirked at me as I grew embarrassed from the attention as dozens of adventurers turned to look at me,


    Just as the story ended Adrien slammed open the door to the guild hall dramatically, holding it as a middle aged woman with long blonde hair and a gorgeous white robe sauntered into a building that frankly looked like it was beneath her. Where she was clean and pure in appearance the guild hall was filled with ruffians who fought for a living, the floors were clean but for the dirt left behind from peoples boots. There were several tables with chips in them, some chairs without backs, and the other standard disarray one could expect when encountering a group of fighters in their natural habitats.


    As the man and his companion stepped into the building and strode confidently towards our table a susurration fell over the crowd that had grown largely silent. Several people watched with somewhat revenant eyes and I heard them whisper.


    ¡°The saintess is here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too soon for her to arrive?¡±


    ¡°Is that really the Saintess of Luma?¡±


    The whispers continued even as she took a seat beside Adrien at our table. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m glad that we did not miss the meal!¡±


    As he said this the hall was again distracted as Garth and those under his purview came out with bowls filled with rice and tikka masala, the flavors gracing the air around us. I smiled wide as they subverted other tables and began to load ours up, also bringing several baskets of naan bread. Eva stared down at her bowl with uncertainty, the appearance of saag paneer wasn¡¯t overly appetizing.


    ¡°Hey! Why are you serving them first? We¡¯ve all waited just as long!¡± One of the guys from Ethan''s crew spoke up loudly, over the whispers and gentle din of the room. He stood and waved about a tankard that sloshed and spilled onto the floor.


    ¡°Wait yer turn you filthy bramblesprout! We¡¯re servin em first because one of thems made the damn food. Now ya impatient louts, your food will be ready momentarily!¡± Garth said loud enough for everyone to hear.


    This didn¡¯t stop the blue beetle from complaining to his posse, nor did it stop his voice from carrying over to us, but we ignored it as the din of the guild hall, though somewhat subdued, returned to its usual luster. I turned toward Adrien and his companion, cocking an eyebrow questioningly. He chuckled a little bit and turned my way to face me.


    ¡°Alexilios! I¡¯d like for you to meet my Aunt Helen, Saintess of Luma.¡± His voice rumbled and though conversation had begun to flow around us it was somewhat stymied by the introduction.


    I smiled and stood up, leaning over the table and being careful not to allow my tunic to drift into my bowl of food. ¡°Aunt Helen, feel free to call me Lios. I hope you enjoy the food!¡± I said as my hand reached out to shake hers, a not uncommon tradition on Jorial though most would take hers and bring it to their mouths for a kiss. I didn¡¯t have the reach to do so.


    ¡°Lios, that is the Saintess, have a little decorum!¡± Rose hissed by my side, stiffer than I¡¯d ever seen her.


    ¡°Yes Lios, decorum! I have an idea. Since you gathered us all for this meal, why don¡¯t you make a toast!¡± Amelia teased quietly and I shot her a glare.


    Still playfully glaring I stood up straight and raised my mead. ¡°Thank you all for joining me for this meal. I haven''t a long speech, or anything prepared, so this is all you¡¯ll get, but I wanted to show my appreciation to my friends with a delicious supper, delightful drinks, and a sharing of stories. As well as to share these things with new friends and those around us. Now, let¡¯s not let the food grow cold and the ale warm, aye? Dig in!¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The folk at my table raised their glasses, even Aunt Helen as she lifted a tankard herself with a bemused smile on her face. Around me, after they had each taken a sip to the toast, they eagerly dug in. I took a piece of naan bread and ripped a piece from it, noticing several of my friends watching what I was doing as I used it to grab a chunk of ¡®chicken¡¯ and rice covered in the sauce and brought it to my mouth. A nostalgic groan escaped my lips as I leaned back and enjoyed the bite, uncaring as I was watched doing so.


    It was at this moment that I noticed Amelia was simply sipping from a tankard and I remembered making her a waterskin from the silk using the loam my mother gifted me before I embarked on my adventure. It was dangling at my side and had only a few enchantments, the standard self cleaning that I favored for convenience, an active enchant that allowed one to change the internal temperature, one that would prevent leaks, and the last was one that allowed its contents to stay good for longer. I could probably make it better and more efficient, but as it was it would be fine.


    I ignored a little bit of teasing around me from my over the top reaction to the food as I pulled the waterskin from my side and passed it over the table to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I didn¡¯t forget ya Amelia. Made this one special for you. If you push your mana into the skin you can change the temperature of the contents.¡±


    ¡°What, the rest of us don¡¯t get gifts?¡± Elric called out from beside her as he eyed the waterskin.


    ¡°The rest of you don¡¯t have special diets that require such a gift!¡± I retorted with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a proper gift when I can craft weapons or armor at your level. Till then, enjoy the food.¡±


    For a little while we were quiet as we ate, Amelia having thanked me after she tasted her beverage. I had bled myself a bit here and there, primarily using the blood that was drawn during my training sessions with Rhosha¡¯s effigy, to make her the drink. She smiled appreciatively at me for it.


    About ten minutes passed before we were interrupted. Ethen Penrose, the forever bully and noble¡¯s brat walked past our table with his food in hand. He walked right behind me before ¡°Tripping¡± and spilling the steaming hot food over my back.


    ¡°Oops, sorry Alexilios! My mistake. I must have confused you for a trash bin as I was delivering this garbage food to it. Seriously, who even eats this nonsense.¡±


    I had expected such a petty, idiotic move from him if we¡¯re being honest. The boy seemed to still be upset with me for lopping off his arm even if he was able to recover it. Still I hadn¡¯t expected the attention of the hall to turn toward us as it happened, nor for my friends to all stand up in my defence as I sat still eating, trying to ignore him.


    ¡°Ethan. If you would like to lose your hand again, you need only say so. Want another spar?¡± I asked before anyone could say anything, the entire guild hall slowly quieting.


    ¡°Oh what was that? You think just because you got lucky once you will again? I know your tricks, swordsman!¡± His crew snickered around him, the newest member who replaced Leshal not quite sharing in their mirth.


    Slowly I stood, tikka masala ripping down my back as it even burned my skin but I didn¡¯t flinch. I didn¡¯t make a noise as my skin heated up. Instead I turned to him, looked him up and down. ¡°You aren¡¯t worth my time, but if you want to lose your arm so badly let us head down toward the training room. Just you and me this time.¡±


    He seemed a little uncertain at the confidence I was displaying and opened his mouth to speak but I interjected. ¡°Oh, but I won¡¯t hold back this time. I also won¡¯t ask Harkan to act as a referee. Your survival would be dependent on your abilities and my mercy.¡± I caught Perry approaching from the side but he was moving slowly. Funnily enough, in his hand was a bowl and spoon as he continued to eat, uncaring of the drippages that started to stain his glorious beard.


    ¡°My survival huh? You think yourself so powerful?¡± Where before he looked uncertain, now he looked furious at the insinuation that he couldn¡¯t fight me. I felt a tickle that perhaps something was wrong but I didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. At least nothing obvious. ¡°Fine. Let''s go then. To the death this time Alexilios? Or are you too much of coward?¡±


    I sighed heavily and simply started making my way to the training center, ignoring his taunt. One the way I passed Perry who turned with me and followed me down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t kill him. He does not deserve the honor of my blade removing his head.¡±


    ¡°Good. See that you don¡¯t. His father would rain hellfire on you.¡± Perry nodded beside me. I noticed my companions were all following along with a number of other adventurers. Some stayed behind scarfing their food down, others brought the food with them. Most followed for the free entertainment.


    Soon I found myself in the familiar sand circle, impatiently tapping my foot as Ethan and his group filed in. He stood on the other edge, opposite me, while others slowly filled the area around the circle where the barrier would be erected. With a deep sigh I drew my sword and faced my opponent.


    ¡°Do you have any words you¡¯d like me to bring to your father? Perhaps ¡®I was felled due to my petty grudge with a better adventurer¡¯ or something of the like?¡± I tilted my head eager to get this done with. Surely, I could have refused his challenge but I was growing sick of the entitled brats behavior. He was impulsive and prideful, to a point he¡¯d challenge someone he had lost to already to a duel to the death. But I would not have his death on my hands, even if it meant I would continue to face him. At the very least he had yet to go to an extreme, hadn¡¯t hired anyone to deal with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m much stronger than the last time we met Alexilios! Worry not, I''ll ensure your body be brought back to your mother before I slaughter them too.¡± The man before me taunted.


    A surge of fire flowed through me and I growled at his words but calmed myself. I will not kill him. I can¡¯t handle his family''s retribution. Don¡¯t kill him, Lios. I repeated to myself in my head as I readied the crane kata. My sword was pointed at the greatsword wielder as he took a pose as well. Perry, prepared as always, activated the barrier surrounding us. He called out for us to begin but neither of us moved just yet.


    I wouldn¡¯t kill him but... I could always cripple him, remove him as a threat overall. With that thought I activated the flaming aura, a shroud of fire engulfing me. The red fire turned my deep purple tunic into a shade closer to lavender beneath it. I saw Ethan smirk as he stepped forward, an aura beginning to coat his own weapon. I sensed water mana from him. Some ice as well, it felt like, though I was not as familiar with the element. There seemed to be another type of mana around him but I couldn¡¯t place it. My eyes narrowed as I attempted to figure out what type it was. It was a strange shade of purple, not quite violet but close.


    Without another word he leapt at me, approaching me haphazardly as his blade cleaved downward. I sidestepped it, getting a feel for his style again. It seemed he had been training, his movements were more sure than they were before, but he was still slow. His weapon was heavy and so was his armor, I was far too agile to allow him to hit me. That''s what I thought before a wave of water shot out of the ground when his blade carved into the sand, the water exploding around the strike point.


    I glowered at him as the water created steam around us, colliding with my aura. As I moved I, of course, began a dance. I was unsure if the barrier would be enough for it, but It felt like the right time to assert some dominance, and so I started to cast my new fireball spell. Phoenix flower would have to wait as that one required range but fireball I could point to the floor and hit anything within the barrier. Hopefully it didn¡¯t kill the brat. If it did, though, I wouldn¡¯t be too heartbroken.


    I dodged a second swipe of his sword, ducking under the blade of water that followed it. Water was beginning to swirl around him, the antithesis to my flames, but it didn¡¯t touch me. I felt my mana take a small hit each time it clashed with my shroud, but otherwise it was inconsequential.


    I continued my dance, ten seconds having passed. I saw a bit of strain in the lads face, or perhaps it was frustration at being unable to harm me. With a yell, mana began to pour from him fusing with his stamina. His skin took on an icy hue, different from the red rage that Elric took on. He was going berserk, making me wonder which class dealt with ice or if it was both. Doubling down on one''s elemental affinity could be a great way to grow more powerful, but limited one''s abilities.


    As soon as he finished his scream he rushed at me twice as fast as before. I was still just fast enough to defend as I dodged or was forced to parry his blade. He came at me furiously, his blade lashing out at every opportunity. One strike even pushed me back, making me imbed my sword in the sand to slow my movement as he pushed me into the center of the circle. It was at this time that I completed my spell, the last rune clicking into place.


    He approached me unknowingly, getting close. I ducked under his flailing greatsword and thrust my pommel into his gut as my mana surged, flowing through my pathways and into my sword. I formed a small bead of flaming mana on my pommel as it jabbed against his armor, then leapt back leaving the bead in front of him. It pushed him back, his eyes widening and water flowing to his front. The fireball, unfortunately, still took a few moments to detonate.


    Then, then it exploded. The fireball went off like a bomb directly against his stomach. The world around me turned white, flames filling every crevice within the barrier. I panted slightly at the brief moments of exertion as I felt in my sphere of perception that the man was still alive, having formed a wall of ice around himself and backing up at the same time as me, but his ice was cracked and broken. I couldn¡¯t see him and [Portent] didn¡¯t necessarily share fine details so I couldn¡¯t tell the level of his injuries but I did see him flailing about as heat covered him. As the sand beneath his feet boiled and began to turn to glass. My own feet were not immune to this either and I had to hop from foot to foot in the seconds while the flame dissipated.


    Finally it faded away, the barrier was still intact and the watchers silent, some mouths agape. Ethan¡¯s group was staring in awe and fear. Ethan himself was writhing on the ground, his cold flesh having been superheated in a moment and his armor charred, the armor near his gut broken to pieces with metal pushing into his stomach. I leveled my blade to his neck as he squirmed and cried out, the blast even breaking his rage.


    ¡°Yield.¡± I growled in a low voice. ¡°Yield and leave this city. Twice you have challenged me and twice you have failed. Do not force me to end your life.¡±


    He glowered at me, having the pride to stop himself from crying out as my foot pressed down on his steaming blue chest. He spat out blood, his face, arms and legs covered in burns as his armor cooked him. ¡°To the death!¡± He retorted through gritted teeth.


    My aura still active, a frown on my lips, I pressed my burning blade into his left shoulder eliciting a scream. I severed the arm, the veins and capillaries searing shut, then proceeded to burn the arm itself. My shroud kept his armor from cooling himself as I sensed his mana begin to circulate again. ¡°Yield!¡±


    ¡°I will never yield to a peasant!¡± He seemed to be losing his will to keep going, his voice cracking. It could have been the heat draining his throat of moisture, but I didn''t think so.


    ¡°Why? Why is this vendetta against me worth your life? What is the point? Because the girl who rejected you joined up with me?¡± I felt my rage begin to bubble over. Today was supposed to be a happy meal with my friends, but this asshole decided to ruin it. I growled as the flames of my aura began to heat even more, my foot pressing him deeper into the sand. ¡°You want to throw your life away? Be my guest, but I will not have the death of a fucking idiot on my conscience.¡±


    I sighed and moved back a step, lazily lopping off his right leg as I moved back. ¡°Then I shall yield. This fight is over. I really should end your life, but I can¡¯t see myself wasting so much energy on a worthless noble brat.¡± I walked toward the barrier, my body not even marred with a scratch, as the boy behind me struggled to move. With two fewer limbs, and those same limbs being burned to the point of being unable to be reattached, I had hopes that he would leave me alone for a time. That or he¡¯d come back again for revenge.


    As I was walking away from him my hold over the third type of mana, the deep purple cloud surrounding him faded, the mana seemed to vanish though I could have been imagining things. I heard the sound of the boy weeping behind me and glanced over my shoulder at him. The temptation to remove him as a threat was high, but my desire to save my conscience was stronger.


    Stepping over the circle as the barrier fell I turned to my friends and Aunt Helen, who was looking at Ethan with pity, I said, ¡°Shall we continue our meal?¡±

 Announcement

    Hey folks, first and foremost I want to thank everyone who has been reading Bladedancer since I started last feb/jan.


    To be honest, when I first started to write this story I was satisfied with just the fact that I''m writing. I was using this semi generic isekai litrpg format to get back into a hobby that I''ve always dreamed of turning into a career. I''ve truly enjoyed writing this story, and honestly just writing something that wasn''t a super crunchy poem for the first time in a long time. However, at the moment I''m not really satisfied with the state of the story. I think that becomes somewhat clear in recent chapters considering I''ve been pretty pushy about getting feedback lately.


    Some of you have been providing a ton of feedback recently. A lot of this feedback correlates to my own thoughts regarding the story. thank you for all of it. Even if the feedback is, at it''s core, negative or a gripe that I disagree with I appreciate it. The only way I know if what I''m writing is decent, or enjoyable, is when you share your thoughts or point out my plot holes.


    onto the main point. I think it is important for me right now to take a step back and take some time to align the story with what I want it to be. I want this story to be so much better than it currently is. Currently, a lot of it feels rushed. I''m pretty dissatisfied with the character development and just characters in general in book 2, for instance. I think that the time Lios spends with them before they start to trust each other is far too short, and I want there to be so much more to their relationship than there currently is.


    Additionally, I don''t want to have an OP MC who faces no real challenges, but that''s what I have been writing up till now. I think he needed to face more challenges in childhood to really establish his "Nonchalant but hardworking" attitude.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    What changes do I want to make?


    A lot.


    I want to add detail in a lot of places I feel are lacking.


    I want to add more struggle and challenge to our MC''s life


    I want to add more to his childhood, the struggles of being a grown ass man in a kids body.


    I really want to work on his relationships with other characters, and to further develop them.


    I don''t think currently my story has even a slight chance to pass a Bechtel test, so we gotta fix that lol.


    I think the timeline that I''ve provided so far doesn''t really make sense. So I want to work on that


    I have a list of minor changes too that I want to work on.


    Basically, its a lot of stuff.


    these are just some examples of changes I want to make. If there''s anything that you feel needs even a little bit of work feel free to drop a comment on this announcement.


    I don''t know how long this will take me to do. I wanted to wait until book two was completely written, but I don''t have any further motivation to write anything new right now while these thoughts are bugging me. I realized recently that if I force myself to continue to write the story, my dissatisfaction with it will continue to bleed through and all you''ll get is a subpar story. I don''t want that.


    What does this mean for you, my readers?


    1) I am going to be taking a hiatus


    2) the chapters I have already written(5) will be published according to the schedule, but after them I won''t be writing anything new until the story is where I want it to be.


    3) there will be a number of new chapters, a ton of edits, and probably some character changes


    4) the story itself/ general plot, will remain the same.


    5) undecided on this one, but once I''m done with the edits I may be posting the story as a new story, depending how much changes.


    Some major edits I''ve been thinking about are


    1) switching to third person,


    2) removing the "system" as an entity (I don''t feel like this story gains anything from being LITRPG at this time.)


    3)if not removing the system entirely, fully embracing the system in a way that makes sense/overhauling it.