《Alteration》 Alteration Chapter 1 [OLD] This is the old version of Alteration, I decided to put it back up because the new rewritten Alteration is past the points it had in common with this old version. It''s a good reminder for me what mistakes to avoid at all costs and some of you might be curious to check it out. There are so very mild semi-spoilers here that haven''t been touched in the new one but that''s just background lore and it was also changed partly. If you do continue, don''t expect much:P, and do check the new Alteration out first! *** Swords. They are tools which need much attention to be made. Every weaponsmith puts a lot of blood, sweat and tears into his work. Their desire is to make a weapon which will be like an extension for the users arm, something with which the user will feel secure and self-confident. In fact, such a tool is in the hands of a young man at this very moment. He has short,straw colored hair which is waving around as he thoroughly examines the sword from every corner. He is quite tall and wears some kind of black leather armor. The armor has a pattern of a dog-like face on both shoulders,other than that it is pure black. The young man makes a few quick stabs in the air. After that small practice he sits down and puts the sword on the ground in front of him. He mutters quietly to himself to sum the analyze of the blade. -''''Solid blade¡­ bad balance¡­ artfully decorated hilt, but very bad grip¡­'''' Again another common butter knife¡­ I don''t understand people who pick looks over efficiency¡­ The man suddenly stands up while holding the sword horizontally with his hands. He then speaks loudly but with a bored tone. -''''Item analyze, on!'''' A white light surrounds the sword, while the man just continues to speak. -''''Material: steel. Type: one-hand sword. Style: common. Blade type: standard. '''' The light vanishes, but nothing except that happens. ¡­Huh? Oh, I forgot to turn it off. -''''Identification, expert mode off.'''' Two windows appear in front of him and he starts to read them. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Identification complete. Success! 67% completion. Expert mode bonus. Identification +6[br][/br][/col][/box] -''''Sigh¡­'''' I missed something again¡­ well it doesn''t matter. He then proceeds to the other window. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Dinner in 15 minutes. ¨C Rose 18:45[br][/br][/col][/box] -''''Local time!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]18:58[br][/br][/col][/box] Just in time. -''''Log out!'''' Everything around him slowly faded and turned into a refreshing green color. Thank God I customised that horribly white end screen. * * * A young man which looks just like the adventurer gets off his chair and takes his AWS(Artificial world simulator) goggles off. His room is rather small. Most of the space is used up by a cupboard,desk and a table. The weird looking chair in which he sat before is placed in front of the table. Judging by the low seat and soft cushions it is made for relaxation. Only the armrests have some technological parts in them. It looks like the parts measure various body conditions like heartbeat and similar things. He left his room, headed down the stairs and finally entered the kitchen. His father Caleb was just taking a pizza out of the oven. He was in his very late thirties and was athletically built. Although he looks quite cheerful his life wasn''t an easy one. Caleb and his wife got married while they were still in college. They had their son a year after the wedding and their daughter two years after that. Despite having kids they both finished college with quite good grades. Later on the childrens'' mother died in a car accident. This accident hit Caleb very hard but he made a promise that his kids won''t wanting for anything . Now he is trying to balance the roles of a successful lawyer and a father. -''''Oh Blake! Finally got up from Alteration,eh ?'''' Blake ignores the remark and heads to the table. His sister Rose is already sitting there and looking at him. -''''So?'''' -''''What?'''' -''''What do you think about the expert mode?'''' -''''Ah that. It is interesting.'''' -''''But?'''' -''''But it isn''t really my thing. I just want to see the stats of items, constant guessing gets boring very quickly.'''' -''''Still,the skill point boost is quite useful. A higher level in Identification makes it much easier to notice secrets¡­'''' -''''That doesn''t change the fact that it is painfully boring after some time. Another problem is that it doesn''t just hide the item windows, it hides all the windows! It was just a coincidence that I stopped and saw your whisper on time.'''' -'''' I''m sure that it will be fixed in one of the next patches,it just came out so it isn''t weird that there are some imperfections.'''' -''''Okay,enough Alteration talk. Pizza time!'''' Caleb put smilingly the sliced up pizza on the table and let Blake and Rose dig in. After the first assault on the pizza ended Caleb faced Blake and started chatting with him. -''''So what are your plans now that summer holidays have finally come?'''' - ''''Well I just bought Alteration yesterday after school, so I plan to play a lot with it. My friends and I are also planning to meet for bowling or watching a film, but we still haven''t decided when.'''' -''''To be honest this game worries me. Don''t you forget about our agreement! You will hit the gym at least twice a week and do a morning jog every second day.'''' -''''Yes, yes. It''s a deal.'''' -''''The same goes for you Rose. This Alteration is said to be a technological revolution but you must stay fit and healthy.'''' -''''Okay.'''' Their chatting continued till late in the night. After they finished, Blake went to sleep and his consciousness slowly drifted away as he thought about Alteration and the countless possibilities that come with it. Morning came with all it''s beauty. Birds flew happily through the air, which was clean and refreshing. It was sunny and the dew shone. The sun came also through Blake''s window in his room. He slowly started waking up just to suddenly spring out of his bed. He then reaches for his clock and sees full of terror that it''s 8:07. Damn it. I''m late! He proceeds to changing his clothes in record time. Soon after that he already stands in the hallway with his bag and puts his shoes on. While he does that his father comes out of his room still half asleep and asks him: -'''' Why on Earth would you wake this early up now that you can compensate for all the sleep that you have lost in the last months?'''' Blake puts a really confused expression on. -''''Huh? What do you mean¡­ damn I did it again!'''' -''''Sigh¡­you sure did. Your brain really doesn''t function properly early in the morning,but do we really need to have this conversation each and every time you have holidays? This time it''s even worse than usual because today is Sunday¡­'''' -'''' ¡­Sorry¡­'''' -''''Now that you have finally actually woken up I can go back to sleep,right?'''' -''''Sure.'''' Caleb was quite cranky and he rushed back into his bedroom. A minute later sounds of snoring came out of his room. Unbelievable,I could have slept for another hour or two if I hadn''t made this dumb mistake.Well there is no use crying over spilt milk¡­ I might as well go play Alteration. He headed into his room and sat in his comfortable chair. Ahh¡­this is the best. ******************** Today was the day where he chooses the race and class of his avatar. Up till now he was in the tutorial stage in which he learnt the most important stuff of Alteration. All his items from the tutorial will be transferred to the actual game after he defines his avatar. He used most of his last day to gather as many items as he could get in the tutorial. This would give him an early gold advantage when he sells the unneeded things, furthermore he will have something useful regardless of the class he picks as he made an effort to have a wide variety of starting armors and trinkets. The latter wasn''t as important because he had a good idea of what he will choose. The game was booting up and Blake just patiently watched the logos. After that, everything around him became black. The artificial world loaded bit by bit. First he could hear the chirping of birds and the soft sounds of trees which the wind rustles. After a few moments he could sense the smell of leaves and the aromatic scent of wet wood. When he started to feel the wind in his face he knew it was finished. Blake opened his eyes and was once again amazed by the simulator. Everything was so¡­realistic. He could still feel a difference between the real thing and this but damn,this is quite close. Next to him stood a bright white being. Blake noticed that it was looking at him so he closed his mouth that was wide open until now and greeted it. -''''H¡­Hi.'''' -''''Greetings adventurer! Your journey awaits,do you wish to define your origin?'''' ¡­My what? I guess this is where i choose my race. -''''I do.'''' -''''Will you use you real body as a base?'''' -''''Yes.'''' -''''Very well. Now choose between these 32 races.'''' 32 avatars appeared in the forest. Blake and the spirit were in the center and the avatars made a circle around them. Each avatar was looking differently as they were different races, but you could see that the base look was still Blake''s¡­in most of them. He didn''t think much about which race he would pick before so he first determined which races he surely won''t pick (fairy,goblin,elf etc¡­). In the end he left 3 races: werewolf,pyron and classical human. His reasoning was pretty simple: werewolves were awesome,pyrons were a race which he never heard about,but they look like bulky humans whose body is made of¡­the best description would be solid fire. He let human be in his final selection because he thought that he couldn''t go wrong with it. Maybe I shouldn''t go with pyron¡­and neither werewolf. They are quite flashy and they don''t really suit the class I want, as they look quite aggressive and combat oriented. I should first check their racial traits out. -Racial traits: werewolf! [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Damage while the moon shines upon you: +25% Starting impression: -10 social points Resistance against silver weapons: -40% Racial ability: Terror howl[br][/br][/col][/box] I don''t really like this. The starting impression reduction is bad because i want to explore this world,not just fight and hunt. -Racial traits: pyron! [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Fire damage taken: -55% Water damage taken: +40% Fire mastery:+10 points Weapon durability: -15%(except high tier material weapons) Armor durability: -15%(except high tier material armor) Starting impression: -5 social points Racial ability:Immolation[br][/br][/col][/box] This is a really flashy race¡­It gives much,but takes just as much in return. It would take qute a lot of gold to constantly repair the armors and weapons. The impression reduction isn''t as bad as the one before though. -Racial traits: human! [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Merchandise price reduction -15% Magic resistance: -3 towards all magic Starting impression: +3(just to humans) Mana:+5% Line of sight: +1 Racial ability: Adaptability[br][/br][/col][/box] Now that''s more like it. It doesn''t give anything special for combat, but it has great utility with the price reduction which is simply awesome and sight enhancer which will be good for exploration. If I go to some human city then that +3 impression will save quite some time and effort in the long run. Yeah,I''ll go with that. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. -''''I pick the human race.'''' -''''Are you sure?'''' -''''Yes.'''' -''''Now lets proceed with the class selection.'''' -''''I know what I will pick.'''' -''''Then say,what''s your choice?'''' -''''Nature seeker.'''' -'''' You may now proceed to the game¡­'''' -''''¡­ake!'''' Suddenly Blake heard a noise that didn''t come from the game. * * * He took his goggles off and asked: -''''What is it?'''' His father told him from the kitchen: -''''Jogging time!'''' -''''Come on,but I just made my avatar!'''' -''''No buts,you can continue after the jog!'''' -''''Aww¡­'''' Blake put his sports shoes on and went grunting out of the house. After the long jog and light exercise with his father, which consisted of 100 push-ups, 200 sit ups and 50 pull ups, he finally dragged himself to his room and collapsed on his chair. Needless to say , after all that Blake was dead tired. He didn''t usually do sports so this morning was quite out of the ordinary for him. The pull ups at the end nearly killed him¡­ He couldn''t even whine because his father also did all these exercises alongside him. You would think that he lacked the time to do regular exercises, but he somehow always found time. When he didn''t, he made sure to exercise twice as hard next time. Blake put his goggles slowly on and relaxed in his chair. He just recently bought the Alteration system so he couldn''t know for sure,but he suspected that his progress was autosaved when he rose from the chair. * * * The scene which awaited Blake when he put his goggles on was familiar. Everything around him was refreshingly green. Huh...What now? -''''Erm¡­Alteration¡­?'''' A window came up in front of him: [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Alteration in sleep mode. Do you wish to continue?[br][/br][/col][/box] Good. Saved by the autosave. -''''Yes.'''' The game started up much quicker this time because it was just in sleep mode. Blake found himself inside the forest a blink after he said the command. A familiar bright spirit stood in front of him. The only thing that is left now is him sending me off to the real game. -''''Hi!'''' -''''¡­Greetings¡­'''' Is it me or does he look a bit different now? He is glaring at me. -''''Umm¡­ everything alright?'''' - ''''Certainly. Disappearing in the middle of a conversation is a normal and polite thing to do¡­'''' Wait,wait¡­What?! -''''Ah¡­ I''m sorry for my behavior earlier. Where did we stop?'''' - ''''You chose your class and I was just asking under which name you want to be known?'''' Could it be¡­? -''''Before we proceed,I''d be glad to hear your opinion on my class.'''' -''''Oh my, I could tell it to you,but there is a certain danger that you will vanish in the middle of my answer.'''' Yep. This is an AI. I have never seen one before¡­ How much money was invested in this game? Are the other NPC-s AI-s too? No they couldn''t be¡­they are probably something between an AI and a VI, that would be ideal. -''''I''m not going anywhere, I promise. It couldn''t be helped back then.'''' -''''Couldn''t be helped you say? Very well. Your choice was a human nature seeker. The race/class compatibility is good enough. The class itself is quite rarely picked. It requires much time in the start and later on it requires a lot of work and luck. I can''t say much about your offensive and defensive strengths and weaknesses because of the nature of the class. Do you understand?'''' -''''I do. Everything will be determined by my hard work.'''' -''''And luck.'''' -''''If you say so.'''' -''''Are you satisfied with your answer? Can we go on?'''' -''''I am. Yes.'''' - ''''Choose your in-game name!'''' -''''Blake.'''' Well that way I won''t need time to get used to it. It would be awkward to be called by another name. -''''Done. Choose now your starting town.'''' A map appeared in front of Blake. He studied it for a few minutes and then asked: -''''What is the name of this town?'''' -''''Borcena.'''' The town was on a hill and surrounded by a thick forest and a volcano that was a bit farther away. This will do. -''''I pick Borcena.'''' The spirit remained silent. -''''¡­I choose Borcena.'''' -''''Oh don''t worry I heard you the first time. I just though that this was a good moment for your little vanishing trick so I didn''t want to bother you.'''' -''''Look¡­I''m sorry, it couldn''t be helped.'''' -''''It''s ok. Now lets get you to Borcena.'''' The spirit snapped his fingers and a white portal opened in front of Blake. -''''Step in the portal. With that your journey will begin.'''' Blake stepped in the portal and waited a few seconds. Nothing happened. He tried stepping out,but he then noticed that he couldn''t move his body anymore. -''''First time portal travels take a minute for the body to adapt. By the way I kind of missed Borcena with the portal. '''' -''''¡­Please repeat the last thing you said. I think I misheard something.'''' -''''I missed Borcena with my portal. I''m sorry. Well it can''t be helped.'''' -''''Are you serious?'''' -''''Quite serious ,this will teach you a thing or two about the value of manners.'''' I don''t like where this is going. The portal around Blake started shining and a strange shiver went through his body. -''''Bastard¡­'''' That was the last thing that Blake said before he vanished with the portal. The spirit remained in the forest and laughed cheerfully. Everything around Blake was black. He only felt the hard floor beneath and the heat all around him. Where did that damn spirit teleport me to? If I ever get a chance to repeat the tutorial I just might show that spirit what actual bad manners look like¡­ Now lets see, something here must suggest where I am¡­ Blake slowly started walking forward. He couldn''t see anything around him so he started to touch and analyze everything he could. After a few minutes he realised that boulders and rocks were nearly everywhere. He concluded that he was in a cave,but that didn''t help him out much. I''ll walk in this direction and stick to it,I will eventually get out that way .I hope¡­ If only there was some light. Blake''s wish was fulfilled after ten minutes of walking. He could see a bright light in front of him. As he walked towards it he saw more and more of his surroundings,there wasn''t anything interesting though. When he finally arrived at the cave turn from which light came he was speechless. The turn was actually an entrance to a huge space in the cave. The only problem was that the entrance was ten meters above the ground¡­and that the ground was covered in lava. Looks like I''m inside of the volcano. The spirit didn''t lie about ''''missing'''' Borcena a bit. That or the game designers have really questionable taste. A very small path connected the entrance with the opposite side,like a bridge. Blake didn''t notice it immediately at first because it is really quite small and the lava distracted him. The path looked quite dangerous and was in a state where Blake wasn''t sure if it could carry his weight. It would be bad if this breaks and I fall in the lava, but I really don''t want to waste more time with turning back. This looks like a great place for me to gather some good items. I wonder how difficult this dungeon is? Blake stated walking forward. What was that? He suddenly stopped and stood completely still while staring at the lava. Something was moving in it. Some beings were moving through the lava like it was nothing. They look like some kind of big fire hedgehogs. I hope they don''t see me. If they have any kind of ranged attack I''ll be instantly killed. Wow,there are so many of them,like a small army¡­ I should proceed very carefully,I need to stay undetected. Blake started to silently crawl towards the end of the path. It led to a small room that was made inside the stone wall. The only things there were a chest and a long forgotten torch on the floor. Huh, dead end? Doesn''t matter,at least I will get some items which will hopefully be rare. Maybe the spirit made me a favor when he teleported me here. Oh! I still don''t know the name of the volcano. Blake wasn''t far from the hedgehogs so he whispered. -''''Location status!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]-Lorasawa. [br][/br][/col][/box] Now back to the chest¡­ He opened it after a few moments of struggling with the rusty lock, which eventually crumbled. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]3xHeat pebble A small stone which has highly compressed fire magic in it. Durability 10/10[br][/br][/col][/box] This looks very good,it will fetch a nice price. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Armband of the scorched Armor: +15 Health:+20 Fire resistance: -5% Although being well made this armband hasn''t brought much luck to its previous user. Material: Cloth[br][/br][/col][/box] This one is great! Too bad it is counterproductive in this dungeon. I mustn''t forget to equip it later. Blake headed back to the huge part oft he cave and was greeted by a spectacular scene. The hedgehogs played with each other! They took lumps of lava, somehow forming orbs, and threw them in the air where they would scatter in all directions. Blake was astonished to see something this great. Awesome¡­ I wonder if I could too¡­ DON*DON* WHAAA...? Oh a window appeared. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Observed play of the baby flame hedgehogs. Ability gained: Lava orb After oberving the beauty of this unique and rare sight you have been inspired and you developed an ability which will let you share this sight with many other adventurers,or simply make it possible to play with the little hedgehogs. [br][/br][/col][/box] Ohhh¡­ It says that I can now play with them. Does that mean they won''t be hostile if they see me? This could let me discover many other items which I otherwise couldn''t reach. Having a bit fun with the hedgehogs is quite appealing too. -''''Lava orb!'''' Blake inspected the orb which didn''t burn him for a bit after he made it and then turned his attention to the hedgehogs. They were still happily throwing their orbs around and still hadn''t noticed him. He then walked a bit nearer to the hedgehogs until he was above them. The orb was the perfect size to fit in his palm and a bit bigger than the ones the hedgehogs make. Blake was a bit scared at first that the orbs will reach and hurt him but luckily they weren''t thrown that strongly. Blake stretched his arm out with the orb in it. He was nervous and just let let the orb fall down towards the hedgehogs. In mid air it lost its form and fell apart. They were shocked when they saw Blake at first,but they immediately started jumping excitedly around when they noticed that he played with them. When Blake saw the reaction he started to generate more orbs and throw them down in different directions. The hedgehogs looked like they were having a great time. After some time Blake noticed that the ground trembled a bit. A second later a gigantic flame hedgehog entered his field of vision. Blake broke out in cold sweat. And that must be the mother¡­ I''m done now. *** Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy Alteration. Alteration Chapter 2 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** What should I do? Run for it and get killed by the alarmed little hedgehogs or wait and still be killed by the mother? Blake was panicking and looking around him to find another way out,but he wasn''t successful. The hedgehog mother came slowly closer to him. There is nothing I can do,I''m trapped on this bridge¡­Wait¡­ Blake took something out of his bag and put it into his right hand. Meanwhile, the mother hedgehog steadily came closer to him. This could work. -''''Lava orb!'''' The Heat pebble that was previously in his hand disappeared and a big Lava orb stood in its place. Now that I charged it up, it should be able to blind them all. I just need to close my eyes at the right time. He threw the orb down while aiming for the hedgehog mother. It should scatter somewhere in front of h¡­wow The huge beast jumped up and swallowed the big orb. Blake saw all this with a horrified expression on his face. He fell on his knees. I''m dead. The whole cave shook when the hedgehog came back on the floor.Cracks started to appear on the bridge Blake was on. Who would have thought that? I won''t get killed by the beast,the lava will do it. Big chunks of the bridge started to fall down in the lava. Blake stood on his knees and watched helplessly. Finally the floor around him cracked too and he slided down to the lava with a big piece of the floor. At the same moment the hedgehog mother closed in on him and used her big pointy nose to balance the rock chunk so it won''t sink. Did she just save me? While holding the chunk and Blake with it, she started to go through the lava. Why would she save me? Where is she taking me? He couldn''t do much as any kind of movement would probably result in him falling in the lava. After a while of awkward silence they came to a part of the cave which wasn''t covered in lava. Blake stepped on the safe rock floor with a relieved expression. In the next moment he was surrounded by jumping hedgehogs which happily squeaked. They were quite excited. Their flame bodies even started to shine brighter. Blake looked worryingly at the hedgehog mother, but she stood calmly next to them. What should I do? He sat down and started to think. Why is she so friendly to me? Is this a quest? He started to cast Lava orb after a while to silence the young hedgehogs.While he did that,he noticed that the mother relaxed and was resting on the floor. Oh,so that''s why. He tried stopping for a bit with the casting,but she immediately started staring at him. Maybe she just enjoys looking at the orbs dispersing in the air,like the little ones. With this thought in mind,he threw an orb in her general direction,but she just huffed and the orb flew to the little hedgehogs. Huh so that''s not it¡­ Wait, she ate the one before,why isn''t she interested in this one? He immediately understood and took one Heat pebble out of his bag. -''''Lava orb!'''' Again a huge orb appeared and he threw it to the mother which eat it nearly instantly. My fire magic alone is too weak for her to care I guess¡­ She was visibly satisfied after the snack and made a happy squeak. Then she stood up and started to push Blake gently back to the rock on which he crossed the lava. -''''You want me to get back on that rock?'''' -''''Squeak.'''' With that she went again in the lava and held the rock while waiting for him patiently. I''m not sure what''s going on,but it doesn''t look like she is hostile. This must be some quest. -''''Sorry guys, playtime is over.'''' He stopped casting Lava orb after that and went to the rock. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Event finished: Playing with the flame hedgehog siblings. You took the risk and entertained a race that is incomparably stronger than you. Added Reputation with Flame hedgehogs 6x Bonus for playing with the little hedgehogs (level difference 130) +6x70 Reputation with Flame hedgehogs +59% bonus 2xBonus for feeding the Big sister hedgehog (level difference 240) +2x400 reputation with Flame hedgehogs +100% bonus Total:2268 Reputation with Flame hedgehogs[br][/br][/col][/box] Blake read the message while the huge hedgehog, which wasn''t a mother, but a sister apparently, carried the rock he was sitting on to somewhere. I never knew there was such a thing as reputation with monsters. I wonder what it does¡­ Maybe they will give me some item or something like that. There was no lava-free land in sight and the rock under him was rapidly heating up. I just hope that I''ll come to the destination soon¡­ This might get nasty if it''s still far away. I should try to think about something else. Oh, wait! I still haven''t looked at my stats. -''''Stats!'''' A window appeared before him.
NameBlake
RaceHumanLevel1
ClassNature Seeker
Title----
ReputationWith Flame hedgehogs: 2,268
Health500Mana210
Strength10Agility10
Stamina10Perseveance0
Wisdom10Intellect10
Fighting Spirit0Endurance10
PhysicalResistance10Charisma0
Notoriety0Honor0
Faith0
[br][/br]A new adventurer who has yet to do something noteworthy. Magic resistance: -3 towards all magic Line of sight:+1 Starting impression:+3(just to humans)[br][/br]
There isn''t much here yet, but that will change soon for sure. The hedgehog sister stopped now that she finally came to her destination and Blake got down of the rock. That rock got infernally hot, good thing it''s over. Now let''s see why she brought me here¡­ Blake stood in a smaller part of the cave. He was a bit wobbly on his feet after the lava ride, but that subsided after a few steps. A hot nose pushed him from behind and he stumbled forward. -''''Okay, okay. I''m going, don''t push me.'''' He and the hedgehog walked for quite a while. During this time Blake took the opportunity to examine the hedgehog sister a bit more thorougly. -''''Analyze!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Flame hedgehog Level: 241 This specimen is a young female. The body of a Flame hedgehog is coated in lava, if it dries the hedgehog will be weaker and have a Cold. This condition is very rare because they have a wide variety of tricks to preserve their lava, or at least their heat. You don''t have enough experience to Analyze better.[br][/br][/col][/box] Aww, I hoped for a bit of flavour text and not just a small portion of boring facts. Well, I''m level one so it''s good enough that I can Analyze her at all. If she was any stronger I probably couldn''t¡­ What''s this? The hedgehog sister stopped before something that looked like some weird combination of bathtub and pool, but neither at the same time. It was around three meters wide and six meters long. Blake didn''t know what this little pool/bathtub was for so he looked confusedly around him. This was a dead end and there was nothing else here. He turned to the hedgehog and looked into its crimson eyes. -''''What now?'''' The hedgehog walked in a energetic manner to the pool and pointed its nose first at Blake and then at it. -'''' Why would I go into the pool?'''' Maybe their masterpiece AI was the tutorial spirit and they didn''t really pay attention to the others¡­ A deep rumbling sound came from the hedgehog and it bared its teeth. Yikes, this most probably means that I''m dead if I don''t do it¡­ Well I got nothing to lose then. He slowly went to the middle of the pool and looked at the hedgehog, which waited at the edge of the pool. Once she saw that he was in the middle, red dust started coming off her body and slowly started to fill the pool. Is this some sort of magic? What is she trying to do? The dust reached Blake''s knees, it moved around constantly in wavelike, chaotic patterns. It''s like I''m standing in a sea of red dust¡­ I have to say, this game is awesome. He reached out with his hand for the dust, but it just went through with a tingling sensation. For a few moments he just stood there and enjoyed the amazing sight. His gazing was interrupted by a rustling sound. The hedgehog rolled up and started to do small circles with increasing speed. Did she go mad or what? With the increasing speed she made the circles smaller and smaller until it looked like she was just spinning around herself. Sparks were flying around her and drips of her lava coat were everywhere. Both the sparks and the lava drops fell into the pool. The lava reacted with the dust, making it shine in a red colour and heating it up to unbearable levels. Sparks continued to fly here and there through the dust making it look like Blake was surrounded by red, infernal thunderclouds. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Entered a Ritual The Ritual fog absorbs your energy until it gathers enough. -15% mana/minute -5% health/minute Little bolts of electricity appear sometimes. They have a chance of stunning you for a short while. Stun time: 0.5 sec[br][/br][/col][/box] ¡­ The whole cave vibrated and increased the sounds of dust waves swirling and crashing against the edges of the pool. Small crackling bolts of electricity flew everywhere around Blake and illuminated the dust . This is the most beautiful and at the same time terrifying sight I have ever seen. He stood dumbfounded on the same spot for a minute before his brain got jump-started by the damage of the Heat. I don''t think that I can do anything at all in this situation. The hedgehog made a clear statement before, I can only wai¡­ -''''WAHHH!'''' The waves grew suddenly stronger and made him lose his balance and fall. Everything around him swirled with black,red and white flashes. The waves threw him around and he couldn''t get back on his feet, either they were too strong or a bolt would hit him, making him stunned and falling down. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]You are covered in Ritual fog. It absorbs more energy from you. Mana loss increase 10% Health loss increase 5% Time until completion: -55%[br][/br][/col][/box] He stopped after seeing the message. I see¡­so this isn''t simply a deathtrap. This is a race to see which will be finished first: the ritual or my health bar. Argh, these bolts are simply annoying, I''ll wait for the ritual to finish, but there is no need to get hit by those. Blake started crawling through the dust waves while trying to adapt to the waves. He slowly stood up and realised that the fog level rose and was now over his head. He kept on following the directions the waves were headed so he wouldn''t get thrown down. And now the bolts¡­ I wonder if they have some pattern? I don''t really have the time to figure it out even if they do¡­ Maybe I can just do some last second dodges. He continued to step with the wave flow, but this time he tried to duck or jump away when he thought something had flashed beside him. Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he didn''t, but at least he didn''t just wait for the ritual to finish. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Skill acquired: Vigilance[br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Vigilance Passive: You are aware of your surroundings with all their benefits and drawbacks. 5% chance of dodging a attack or ability if you had been hit by the ability in the last hour.[br][/br][/col][/box] Oh, so you can create an ability with enough effort? It looks quite useful for level grinding too. Blake continued to evade the bolts as much as he could until a sharp pain in his right arm interrupted and made him fall on his knees. A stinging pain went through his whole body. Blake fought the excruciating pain and invested all his thoughts and energy on not falling down. -''''Ugh¡­'''' After a few minutes of struggling which seemed like an eternity, he stood up and slowly and cautiously started to examine his body. What happened to me? I feel like i swam through a sea of spikes and got then trampled by a herd of cattle¡­ I should really tune the pain generator a bit down¡­ Damn that was insane! The fog started slowly dissolving and no more bolts flew through the air. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Ritual complete Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Gained all main benefits of Ritual of the Straw Side benefits: +10% fire resistance +30 endurance +5 stamina +5 physical resistance[br][/br][/col][/box] Blake read this message a few times to himself confusedly. Main benefits¡­ Straw¡­ I don''t understand any of this. Why can I just see the side benefits? Did this event start because of my influence with the hedgehogs? I don''t understand any of it. After a few wobbly steps he reached the place where the hedgehog sister previously stood and went into a state of shock. The floor that was next to him was torn and scorched in some places which made a symbol in the ground. It was beautiful, but unfamiliar to Blake. He noticed a big bulge in the middle of the symbol. It was big and black with an uneven and rough surface. Shards were sticking out of it here and there. Most were dull and short, but some where quite sharp so he had to be careful when approaching it. A few steps later he stood right next to the bulge and noticed that it emanated heat. Wait a minute¡­ A weird feeling overcame Blake and he put his hand on the bulge. It suddenly started trembling and opened up. How?! Why?! Oh, I''m getting a headache¡­ A badly injured, previously curled up hedgehog laid next to Blake. I guess I wasn''t the only one who had a bad time during the Ritual¡­ I suppose she etched the base spell circle when she rolled previously. Maybe she rolled during the whole Ritual¡­ Oh my, she is a mess¡­ She laid on the earth while breathing shallowly. Most of her spikes were broken off and dull. She wasn''t even near as warm as she was before. Nearly no light came from her except a bit around her face. Her breathing was shallow and strained. She didn''t wake up no matter how much Blake shook her and called out. I could actually get quite good loot if she dies. I would have no obstacle to go back to the surface too¡­ I could even get a huge headstart if I make the finishing blow. Blake grabbed the head of the beast and slowly turned it around. Her eyes were closed and it didn''t look like she was conscious. A simple choke hold would be enough,she hasn''t even the energy to struggle. He put his hands around her huge throat. Come on! This is just a game and she is a monster¡­ which gave me a useful bonus and didn''t eat me even if she could have done so. Nevertheless if I want to get ahead in this game this is the best chance that i will get. But¡­ the little hedgehogs¡­ I wonder how they will do without her. Blake backed off and clenched his fist. I don''t care if this is a game. This feel too real. There is no way that I can kill a sentient being that saved my life even if it had reasons to kill me and be safe. But what can I do? I don''t know any healing ability and possess no herbs... There must be something I can do. I just hope that the other monsters of Alteration are a bit more evil. Blake took out of his bag every piece of meat or other food that he found in the tutorial. He tried feeding her but she was unconscious so that was problematic. How realistic is this? Should I hope that she takes it in reflexively or is there a chance that she will choke? This game was quite real to this point, I shouldn''t take the risk. -''''Come on, wake up! I can''t help you if you are like this.'''' Even if I say that, it''s not like I would have any better cards if she was conscious. There is only one thing that I can do now. After he took out the Heat pebble he shouted: -''''Lava orb!'''' As the previous times a big red orb appeared in Blake''s hand and he quickly brought it closer to her mouth. She automatically started to, seemingly, drink the orb. It became smaller and smaller in Blake''s hand and finally disappeared. She slowly opened her eyes but she didn''t do anything except that. She laid still on the ground and still breathed shallowly. -''''What did you do to yourself? Oh man, what can I do more? This was my last Heat pebble!'''' I''m out of ideas¡­ Maybe Rose has some herbs or potions that she could lend me. I have no time to lose. -''''I will be back, just endure until then.'''' He patted her head and gently put it down. -''''Do not struggle or try to get up, it will only exhaust you.'''' I have no idea if she understood, but it is worth a try. -''''Alteration! Quick stop!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Do you wish to put your character into resting mode?[br][/br][/col][/box] This would waste my time when I reconnect, every second is of importance. -''''No!'''' * * * Blake nearly tore his goggles off his face and sprang up out of his chair. -''''Rose!'''' He ran towards his sister''s room. *THUNK*THUNK*THUNK* -''''Open up! It''s important!'''' Caleb peeked out of the living room. -''''Why so loud? What happened?'''' -''''Oh,dad umm¡­ It is nothing really important, but there is something that I want to do right now and need Rose''s help to do so.'''' -''''What? If it is something that I can help you with,I''m free at the moment so¡­'''' -''''No, thanks but no. It has to be Rose and it has to be soon too!'''' He would laugh at me if I told him that something from Alteration got me this worked up. The door in front of which Blake stood slowly opened and his sister peaked out. -''''What is it?'''' -''''Just a second.'''' Blake turned to his dad. -''''I''ll tell you everything about it during dinner. I promise that it isn''t anything important.'''' Caleb went back to the living room and muttered to himself. -''''If it isn''t so important why are you getting this worked up?'''' Blake thought that he saw his dad running after that. Does he really love that much his dramas? Then he faced his sister. -''''Transfer every healing item you have quickly to my account, crafting items with fire affinity too. Ask questions later, this is an emergency.'''' -''''What?¡­ This is a game, breath¡­'''' -''''No time! Just transfer that and I will share a story with you that will make your jaw drop.'''' -''''Ok.'''' Rose headed towards her chairs and was already putting her goggles on. I''ll wait for the transfer to be complete in the cave. Blake ran towards his room and jumped in his chair. A second later he already put the goggles on. * * * [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Continue adventure?[br][/br][/col][/box] -''''Yes!'''' Blake needed a few seconds for his eyes to grow accustomed to the different light. He stood on the same spot where he left previously but he couldn''t find. He bent over and tried finding any kind of trail but it was in vain¡­ She disappeared¡­ [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Transfer complete You obtained: 8 Fire fangs 3 Holdor sticks 5 Small health potions Sender: Rose[br][/br][/col][/box] She must be here somewhere,there is no way that she could have walked far in that state. A cold chill crawled up Blake''s spine. Maybe something else came and killed her while I was away. She was in no condition to fight back. I couldn''t have done anything more for her¡­ right? Blake walked through the cave looking for some sign of the hedgehog sister but nothing came out of it. -''''BLAKE!'''' * * * Rose shook Blake who slowly took off the goggles and looked at her with a dazed but alarmed look. She responded with a panicked look and shrieking voice. -''''Dad needs your help! '''' -''''I was in the middle of something here.'''' -''''I don''t give a damn. This is more important, trust me!'''' Rose grabbed Blake''s arms and nearly threw him out of his chair. -'''' I''m going, I''m going. No need to rip my arm off. Where is dad?'''' -'''' He is in the front yard. Just go! There is no time for further explanation.'''' Blake understood how serious the situation must be and ran immediately to the front yard. The scene which awaited him was one that he wouldn''t forget easily. His dad was crouched down over a white cloth,probably a sheet, that was stained with red colour. He quickly tore parts of the cloth to strips and put them around bigger parts that were sticking on something. Caleb glanced for a moment back and shouted at Blake. -''''Don''t just stand here, we need to help her. It looks like someone tried to murder her and she got away. She has big wounds and is losing much blood. If we don''t stop the bleeding she won''t be able to wait for the ambulance. You need to hold this cloth with all your power while I tie it up.'''' A woman was in the cloth that Caleb held. Her body was covered in blood and her face was unnaturally pale especially in comparison to her golden looks which were covered in drops of blood. Blake''s mind froze as this was the first time that he saw someone this badly injured, but his body automatically followed the commands of his father. They quickly made a huge and strong bandage which covered her whole upper body to her neck. Blood stains were appearing everywhere but after they put a bit more strength in the knots it slowed down. Her wounds must be horrible for them to appear all over the cloth. He was grateful that his dad did the worst job before he came. -''''Is she conscious dad?'''' -''''She groans every now and then but I don''t think she is aware of what is happening.'''' -''''We did the best we could with the bandage, now we should try to keep her conscious.'''' Blake lightly slapped the woman and she opened her eyes a bit wider. -''''Help is on the way, concentrate on our voices. Do not drift away.'''' Caleb pushed Blake gently away and held the woman upright. -''''The ambulance should be here very soon. Can you talk?'''' -''''¡­unn¡­'''' The woman tried to reply but was in no condition to do so. -''''It''s okay don''t push yourself. Just count in your mind from fifty backwards.'''' The sounds of sirens became louder and louder. A minute later two men carried the heavily injured woman in the ambulance. -''''She is lucky to have found such a pair of capable gentlemen.'''' Police officers were here too and talked to Caleb and Blake. Caleb was answering all the questions in regard of how he found her. Blake was standing awkwardly next to him and was trying to process everything that had happened. -''''Sir, you will come with us so we deal with all the paperwork. If you want we can tell the reporters your name later on too. You and your son would be heroes.'''' -''''This is a sad world if helping someone is looked upon as something extraordinary. I''ll come with you, but could my son go to the hospital to check the condition of the lady?'''' -''''Yes, we will give him a lift. The hospital is on the way to the station.'''' Caleb turned to Blake. -''''If somethings happens call me. I will come over there as soon as I can. I can''t believe something like this happened in our neighbourhood, what a poor woman¡­'''' -''''Ok.'''' Blake got dropped off by the officers at the hospital. He walked quickly through the corridors and came to a reception. -'''' Excuse me. Me and my father found a heavily injured woman who was delivered here moments ago. How is her condition?'''' -''''Oh, yes. The officers told me you would come so I wouldn''t make any problems. I have to say, it is rare to see someone show so much worry for a stranger.'''' -''''We found her and we treated her the best we could. We are involved in it and are worried if we did enough.'''' -''''It is no exaggeration to say that you saved her life or better said, gave her a chance. She is currently in the operating room.'''' -''''Can I wait here?'''' -''''Sure you can.'''' He sat down. Hours flew by before Caleb came and switched with Blake who then headed back. He took the bus home but got off a few stations before his home. He decided to make a walk to clear his thoughts and calm down. After 20 minutes of walking he finally came to his house and entered it. -''''Rose? I''m back! Dad will stay there until the woman regains consciousness.'''' ¡­ No response? Maybe she listens to music or plays Alteration. *knock*knock* -''''Rose? Are you here?'''' He opened the door and stepped in the room. -''''ROSE!'''' She laid on the floor with a deep slash running across her thigh. A small puddle of blood formed beneath her. -''''WHAT HAPPENED? ROSE!'''' Her breathing was barely audible. He quickly tried to stop the bleeding with his shirt but he didn''t have anything near him with which he could tie it up. I need to stop the bleeding and call an ambulance. Is this really happening? CABLES! I have lots of cables in my room. I can make use of them. He ran to his room and quickly took the cables which were in his cupboard. I could use something to wash her wound too. Who knows what caused it. He quickly scanned his room for a bottle of water and found one in his backpack. I can''t remember packing water in the bag today. Well I was sleepy and it is great that I did. Blake took the bottle and cables to his sisters room. -''''Don''t you dare to die!'''' Tears welled up in Blake''s eyes and he suppressed them so he could concentrate on bandaging his sister. He readied the shirt and detangled the cables so it would go swiftly. First I should wash the wound. He poured water slowly on every part of her wound. Now the clo¡­ Rose''s wounds started closing and her bleeding stopped. -''''What on Earth is happening?''''
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Alteration Chapter 3 [OLD] Blake took a phone off the table and slowly dialed a number up. He took a few deep breaths. I must stay calm... -''''Hello, Blake here. Dad, something extremely weird is happening. You need to be as calm as possible for what I am going to say.'''' He talked with an unsure and quiet voice while holding the phone. -'''' A start like that isn''t really calming me down¡­ Just say what you have to say!'''' A hint of panick could be heard in Caleb''s voice. -'''' First I want to say that both me and Rose are well at the moment.'''' That isn''t entirely true but it''s a must for the conversation to flow as I want it. -''''When I came back Rose was injured, but she is fine now!'''' -''''What happened? Maybe it''s the same person who assaulted the lady! How is Rose?'''' Caleb talked rapidly and his voice trembled. Blake felt guilty because he dragged both his father and sister in a mess that wasn''t their fault. -''''Umm¡­ all in all I would say that she had crazy luck¡­I don''t think her life is in danger, but you should come home as fast as you can.'''' It is quite hard to explain that she nearly kicked the bucket in one moment and was fine in the next. -''''Take her to the hospital if there are any kind of wounds! Let me talk to her!'''' Caleb was nearly screaming at Blake who even had to distance the phone a bit from his ear. -''''¡­There are no wounds. She was unconscious when I found her, but it seems like she is just asleep right now.'''' -''''You said that she was injured. What do you mean just unconscious? You make no sense!'''' He was still panicking and now anger got mixed into his voice. He had to be as calm as possible for what he is going to hear next. Damn it! I still haven''t calmed down. I should have planned a bit better what to tell dad¡­ Blake took a deep breath and tried his best to talk in a self certain and assuring manner. -''''Believe me, this isn''t something we should talk about on the phone. Just come as soon as you can home.'''' Caleb was caught off guard with the Blake''s sudden attitude change and got confused. -''''Actually, I was already on my way home. '''' -''''Oh,you were?'''' At least I have great timing. I prepared him for what I need to tell him, but he won''t get nervous because he will be here soon. Blake suddenly remembered why his dad wasn''t home in the first place. So many things happened today that he had problems keeping up. -''''Wait, does that mean that the lady regained consciousness?'''' Caleb replied to him with an absent minded voice as if his thoughts were far away. -''''Yes, it wasn''t for long though. She thanked me and said that you should contact her as soon as possible. I didn''t know that you knew her.'''' He must be worried sick about Rose. Blake sighed after hearing these words. -''''I''m not sure. Say, were the worst wounds on her back?'''' Caleb now got a hold of his voice and started talking normally, but here and there you could still see that he was in a really bad state. -''''I think so. Why do you ask?'''' -''''Out of curiosity. Oh and I think that I do know her. I''ll give the hospital a call a bit later.'''' So my intuition was right¡­ I don''t like where this is all heading. -''''Actually she gave me the number of her hospital room.'''' So she wants to talk with me too,huh? -''''Good, that makes things easier. I''ll call later when she gets some rest. '''' -''''Ok, I''m very close now. You just take care of Rose until I''m there.'''' No doubt that he will do everything he can to make that time period as small as possible. -''''Will do. Bye.'''' -''''Bye.'''' Blake put his phone away, sighted and turned to the sleeping Rose. -''''Now,what will we do with you?'''' She slept on her bed where Blake placed her. Her clothes were still stained with fresh blood so it made a mess out of everything around her,but he couldn''t care less about any of that. He just sat next to her and shook his head. -''''Why won''t you wake up?'''' No matter what he tried from shaking to smelling salts, in case if this is still unconsciousness,but Rose just kept sleeping and breathing peacefully in and out. It really does look like she is just sleeping... Blake sat down in the chair next to Rose''s bed and thought feverishly about what is happening. So lets see... what can I do with the information I have. The woman was actually the hedgehog sister, she must be. I can''t think of anything else so there is just one plausible answer. Blake held his head in his arms and started trembling. I have gone mad. The VR system was too much for my brain to handle and I''m still just in my chair and hallucinating. If I wait long enough Rose will come and shake me out of this Hell.I will continue leading my normal life and dad will torture me with training every now and then. That is how it''s supposed to be!But what if all of that is really in danger right now? What if the inexplicable has happened and I can''t respond to it? Even if this is just a hallucination I have no reason to let this all happen without my intervention. I''m the master of my own hallucination! I still do hope that I''m sane but that does little difference right now...I think that I concluded right regarding the lady... The timing and the same injuries can''t be just coincidence. She really is the hedgehog sister. I still don''t have any idea what caused Rose''s injuries though... But I might know what that weird bottle was. Actually I can test if I''m right. Blake closed his eyes. Something to heal. A liquid which will help my sister... Come on,focus! He hold that thought for a minute and opened his eyes then. He started walking around the room and searched everything through. Oh my...wow,it is really here. A small glass bottle stood on Rose''s table. Looks like I was right. I can somehow transfer things out of Alteration if I concentrate enough, but I don''t know where it lands...This is insane it opens so many possibilities... no time for that,there is pressing business right here! Blake held the bottle next to Rose''s lips. I have to be careful. If she drinks it on her own it''s perfect but if I pour a bit in her mouth and she doesn''t drink it then I need to be ready to flip her and make her spit it out. The cold bottle leaned in on her lips and she took a sip of the crystal clear potion. A subtle smile spread through her face but not much else changed. This is one of the Small health potions that she transferred to me i guess. Looks like it can''t help her more than it already did. But I don''t understand, what is wrong with her? -''''Blake?'''' Caleb finally arrived and was frantically searching where Blake and Rose were. -''''We are in Rose''s room!'''' A moment later a heavy breathing Caleb appeared by the door. He was pale and looked panickingly for his daughter. Once he saw how peacefully she slept he relaxed but tensed up immediately after he noticed that the bed,the floor and she was stained in blood. His voice trembled and he ran to where Rose was to determine her condition. -''''What happened?'''' -''''Sit down, this will take a while.'''' Blake told Caleb everything,in short lines, that happened to him after he started playing Alteration. At first Caleb was annoyed and impatient because he didn''t see how a game could be connected to the room being bloody and an attack on his daughter. As the story progressed he had less and less remarks until he finally just listened to Blake. After Blake finished Caleb sat still for a long time and looked at Rose with a hollow unfocused gaze while thinking very carefully. After a while he snapped out of it and started shaking his head disbelievingly. -''''You do know this sounds ridiculous?'''' Blake laughed once without any happiness behind it and answered his father in a cold voice. -''''I already determined that there is a good chance that I went insane and am hallucinating, but do you have a theory that is more plausible? Please tell me if you have.'''' -''''I don''t. Do you have any proof that any of what you said is true?'''' Blake raised his eyebrows. -''''The blood that is splattered everywhere isn''t enough?'''' Caleb started fidgeting uncomfortably and after a while he looked at Rose. -''''It could be a bad prank,that would explain too how she sleeps through our whole conversation.'''' -''''I''ll explain that later. Let me first give you some proof.'''' I expected him not trust me. Good thing I prepared this. Blake took a Swiss knife out of his pocket. -''''What do you want to do with it? It is quite sharp,you know?'''' -''''Be quiet for a minute and everything will be clear. I even sterilised it with a lighter.'''' Caleb had a very disturbed expression on his face . -''''What will you do? Why did you sterilise it? Ugh, I''d rather not do this... but it''s the easiest way... Blake tried to slash his right calf but Caleb stopped him mid swing. -''''Are you really insane?'''' I have to do this,he won''t believe me otherwise. Sorry dad... Blake twitched his wrist, which was still grabbed by his dad, and let the knife fall with maximum force in the direction of his feet. Caleb quickly pushed him away when he noticed the movement but got hit by the knife himself. -''''Are you out of your mind!'''' Why did you move?! This could have been much easier... -''''I''ll stop the bleeding stay still!'''' The knife was sticking out of the middle part of his father''s thigh. He slowly pulled it out. Uff, this has to hurt badly. Good thing I can make it go away. Blake took the bottle which was next to his hand and slowly and sparingly poured a bit of the health potion on Caleb''s wound. The bleeding slowed down and after a few seconds the wound started to close. -''''Do you believe me now?'''' Caleb answered with a hoarse voice and big eyes while examining his thigh. -''''I-I do. Now tell me why Rose isn''t waking up.'''' Even after all that Rose is the first thing on his mind. I have to be careful now. -''''That''s something I''d like to know too.'''' -''''What!?'''' Caleb screamed out and took the hand of his daughter while looking with disbelief at Blake. I don''t think I succeeded... -''''But I can tell you what I know about her state.'''' -''''Talk!'''' He switched his full attention to Blake who carefully continued. -''''The problem isn''t any kind of injury I think. The potion would have taken care of it. It must be something else. If I take into account that this was probably caused by the game in the first place then I would narrow down the possibilities to magic and poison.'''' Caleb took a few deep breaths so that he can think calmly about all this. -''''You might be right... but what can we do now?'''' -''''The only thing that I came up after thinking about it is ask the hedgehog sister.'''' Caleb looked at Blake with a surprised look on his face but he understanding dawned a second later. -''''Her name is Teruna. And I think you are right again,nothing else comes in mind.'''' Right, he already talked to her. -''''Oh so you had a longer chat when she woke up?'''' -''''I wouldn''t call it long,first we talked about the obvious things her injury, how she feels, name and we drifted a bit off later.'''' That is a quite long conversation after someone just regains consciousness. I guess she has amazing endurance even in her human form. -'''' You said that you had the number of her hospital room, could you give it too me?'''' Caleb took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Blake. -''''Here you go, but I don''t think that she will know much more than you.'''' Blake was already in the middle of tipping the number, but he stopped with a curious look on his face when he heard that. Huh? -''''Why would you think that?'''' -''''She is a victim as much as you. She was in her hedgehog avatar and played with you and then suddenly this happened.'''' Blake stared at Caleb for a few seconds with a disbelieving look. -''''Did you even listen to me?! Was I talking to a wall previously?'''' -''''No! Why would you think that? I heard everything about the ritual,you helping a wounded teammate,the disappearing and Rose''s healing and everything.'''' Blake shook his head and was trying his best to stay calm. After a deep breath he answered Caleb in an annoyed manner. -''''You got it wrong. This ''''Teruna'''' is actually a monster,you understand? Monsters in games aren''t players, they are literally part of the game! They are basically programs! Though it looks like she is a real monster!'''' Caleb turned pale and sunk as much as possible in his chair. He covered his face with his hands and said nothing. -''''Are you ok?'''' -''''No...'''' -''''Umm...'''' I know that this is shocking, but it shouldn''t be that surprising after that trick I showed him earlier, which he took rather well... -''''I am really the total opposite of ok right now!'''' Caleb''s voice was quiet and full of fear and panic. -''''Mind sharing what bothers you?'''' He hesitated for a second but still decided to answer. -''''She asked me on a date.'''' Is this really happening? -''''There is vital information that you are yet to tell...'''' And I''m quite sure that you didn''t tell me this information with good reason. Blake shifted his glance to the floor and braced himself for what will probably come. -''''I said yes... '''' Just when I think that things can''t get more complicated this happens! Caleb noticed Blake''s irritated expression. -''''How could I have known? She said that she wanted to take me to dinner to thank me for saving her. I noticed that something was off because she didn''t mention you, but I didn''t think much about it. I noticed on the way back that it was actually a date, I have never been asked on a date so I didn''t get it immediately... and I even started to look a bit forward to it...'''' Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Now it was Blake''s turn to cover his face with his arms. -''''Oh dad.. Rose and I told you a few years ago that it is fine for you to look for another woman, but this... This isn''t what we meant.'''' Blake wrestled with balancing desperation with a sudden laugh cramp. Caleb watched him with venom in his gaze. -''''Do you think that I don''t know that this isn''t what you meant? This isn''t what I meant either!'''' -''''How was she when you left?'''' Caleb was visibly relieved when Blake changed the subject. -''''She survived the worst. The doctors said that she needed rest now.'''' -'''' We can''t let her rest,but we can give her this.'''' Blake shook the glass bottle lightly with his hand. Caleb nodded. -'''' I understand. So we tell the doctors that we will continue to take care of her from home and let them send their bill to our house?'''' -''''That would be the best I think. There is just one thing that I''m not sure about...'''' -''''Hmm? What?'''' -''''When you and Teruna marry where will all her brothers go?'''' Caleb''s eyes flashed full of maliciousness and he smacked the back of Blake''s head. After that he snarled with a deep and threatening voice. -''''Make the call. I''ll go shower to clear my mind.'''' -''''Y-yes!'''' Blake went out of the room and dialed the number up. Caleb was heading out as well but he returned and took Rose''s arm. -''''We will find a way to save you, just hang in there.'''' Several hours had passed since Blake made a call to the hospital. Caleb went there an hour ago to pick Truna up. Blake was sitting in a chair in the middle of the living room patiently awaiting the return of his father and Teruna. He laid his head on his arm and looked nowhere in particular. Ok. I think I have thought of enough questions to ask Teruna. I wonder if she will cooperate, actually I''m interested in many things about her like her origins, character, her interest about my dad... And that leads me to my next point. Is it safe for me to tease dad in front of her? Is she potentially as dangerous here as she was back there? I should try to keep the teasing to a minimum... Blake''s expression suddenly darkened.. Ugh... I just hope that she will know a way to wake Rose up. She isn''t in mortal danger now that I still have nearly four potions left, but the state she is in is scaring me. Will Teruna even be willing to help Rose? She probably will as we helped her, but there is always a possibility... *Thunk*Thunk* Blake jumped out of his seat and ran to the house door. -''''Coming!'''' He quickly opened the door and let his dad and Teruna in. This was the first time he got a good look at her, last time he was too freaked out and focused on stopping her bleeding. The first thing that he noticed about her was her long fiery red hair. How fitting. Blake was bad with guessing ages so he didn''t even try. She was very tall and quite slender but her eyes were what Blake couldn''t stop looking at. At first glance they were brown, but Blake thought that he saw it as dark crimson from some angles. He found it fascinating, but disturbing. Not only that but her gaze was terrifying. He felt like a cat that was in front of a tiger. He led them quietly to the table where he had already prepared some water, juice and what was most important the potion. -''''Take a seat.'''' Caleb and Teruna sat and Caleb looked at his son. -''''The doctors were quite annoying, you know?'''' Blake smirked. -''''I''m sure you handled them quickly.'''' Caleb continued grumbling. -''''Annoying nonetheless...'''' -''''You are quite rude dad, you have yet to introduce us.'''' Blake glanced at Teruna and Caleb immediately went stiff. She was watching them carefully the entire time and started to laugh after Blake''s comment. It was hearty laughter but Blake still got goosebumps and Caleb tried to look anywhere but in her direction. -''''We already met, there is no need for formalities. Just say what you want to say and I will do the same. '''' -''''Good. It looks like my father isn''t willing to talk at the moment so you and I will have to talk ok?'''' Caleb winced when he heard Blake''s words but didn''t say anything. Teruna looked at him with an amused expression and feinted pouting. -'''' Aww, I enjoyed our last conversation and now you act like this. How cold! Well I''m sure that there will be plenty of time later.'''' Is she serious or is she teasing him? I can''t really tell. Caleb didn''t say a word but Blake felt that he was panicking. Looks like he can''t either. -''''Let him gather his thoughts. He went through a lot today. Though you did too. There are a lot of things that I don''t understand. I''d like you explain them to me.'''' Teruna started staring deep into Blake''s eyes which made him feel uncomfortable. -''''And why would I do that?'''' -''''I think that you intended to do so as you gave dad the number of your hospital room. Not only that but we saved you from death.'''' -''''I could have survived that alone...'''' She looked away for a second away and then continued looking Blake in the eyes. A bit more. Blake spoke up with a strong and serious voice. -'''' I''ll make my father take you to a fancy restaurant on your promised date.'''' Caleb yelped and looked at Blake furiously, who just smiled at him. -''''You''d have to take her somewhere anyway, so why not to a nice place?'''' Caleb was visibly furious but didn''t interrupt Blake''s negotiations. Teruna was meanwhile deep in thought. After a while she spoke up. -Make it three dates and I''ll agree. Blake rose his eyebrows with an amused smile while Caleb suddenly felt the urge for fresh air. -''''Two dates. And only if you really answer my questions truthfully.'''' -''''Two dates plus he mustn''t avoid me.'''' Blake shook hands with her. -''''Deal.'''' I''m sure dad won''t mind if it is for the well-being of Rose. Teruna leaned back in her chair and visibly relaxed. -''''Now that we have agreed on the deal, ask away.'''' Blake was leaning on his hands trying to look as serious as possible. -''''Lets start from the very beginning even if it''s obvious. You are the hedgehog sister?'''' Teruna puffed and put an annoyed expression on. -'''' Obviously.'''' Saying that such an outrageous things is obvious is weird, but it really was obvious... -''''I suppose that there is more to Alteration than meets the eye. A bit of clarifying would be quite helpful.'''' Teruna feigned shock. -''''Oh my from an obvious question to the most complicated one. I wonder how I should answer you...'''' Blake talked slowly with a threatening voice. -'''' The deal was that you will answer truthfully...'''' He couldn''t continue because Teruna''s stare made him flinch. -''''And what makes you think that the truth is so easy to explain?'''' She leaned over a bit. -''''Do you think that this is something that can be explained in a few sentences? I could talk the whole day about this topic and you still wouldn''t grasp it all.'''' We don''t really have a whole day to waste. Actually an hour is iffy too. She clicked her tongue. -''''I''m sure you have other questions which I can answer faster. I am currently not in a state to talk so long about a important thing like Alteration. Although... I can tell you that the name is surprisingly fitting.'''' -''''Just tell me one thing, you and the other monsters existed even before the game,correct?'''' -''''Yes.'''' So that''s how it is. When I clear this mess with Rose I''ll be sure to have a nice,long chat about all this with Teruna. -''''Your true form is the hedgehog one?'''' Teruna frowned. -''''Both this and that are my true forms. I can shift at will.'''' Blake was a bit surprised. -''''Are all the monsters intelligent like you?'''' Teruna smirked. -''''Some are, but if you mean intelligent like me as in being able to walk and think then most of them.'''' I have tons of questions for her, but I think that I understand enough for now. I wasted enough time. -''''I want you to have a look at my sister.'''' Teruna looked genuinely surprised. -''''Why?'''' -''''When I returned from the hospital she was heavily injured but awake. We took care of the injury but she fell asleep and won''t wake up.'''' -''''Take me to her.'''' Blake slowly helped Teruna up and led her to Rose''s room. Teruna inspected Rose carefully and had a confused expression on her face. -''''Where is that heavy injury that you mentioned.'''' -''''Taken care of. I will do the same with your wounds once Rose wakes up.'''' Teruna''s expression darkened. -''''And why not now?'''' Blake answered with a resolved tone. -''''I was prepared to give it to you immediately, but your condition isn''t as bad so it can wait until Rose wakes up. I''m sure dad will help you out as much as needed during that time. You are saving his daughter after all.'''' Teruna''s expression lighted up while Blake had a cunning smile on his lips. -''''But that all depends, can you wake Rose up?'''' -''''No, but I know how to do it. I think she was slashed by something which had poison on it''s edge. She was conscious at first because of the huge pain probably. But this was sloppy, I don''t think it was an organised attack.'''' Blake thought hard about everything she had said. So it was a poison... -''''Why would anyone attack her?'''' Teruna hesitated for a moment. -''''My best guess is that they mistook her for you...'''' -''''How? Why would anyone attack me either?'''' Teruna was visibly uncomfortable. -''''Well...you see... that ritual that I made you do wasn''t something that occurs in the game usually.'''' She fidgeted a lot while Blake''s eyes narrowed. -''''Is it your fault that my sister got in trouble? What was that ritual for?'''' She avoided eye contact. -''''Well yes. I kinda added you to our faction. With all the benefits and drawbacks, they must have mixed you up because you are blood related...'''' Blake''s snarled with an unusually deep voice. -''''Drawbacks?'''' Teruna tried to talk with a nonchalant voice. -''''You see every factions has allies and enemies. A drawback of our faction is that we aren''t really popular with the other races...'''' Blake''s voice was pure made of pure fury that was barely being contained. -''''How unpopular?'''' -''''We sorta waged war...'''' Deep breaths Blake,deep breaths! -''''And?'''' -''''We were on one side and everyone else was on the other side...'''' -''''Of course you were, why wouldn''t you be?'''' Blake started to laugh uncontrollably. -''''That sounds like a reasonable war just go fight everyone ahahah. And you know what would be genious too?'''' Teruna tried to say something but he just continued. -'''' You could take some innocent guy and make him join your self destructing faction WITHOUT GIVING HIM A HEADS UP! '''' Blake turned silent and took deep breaths. Teruna was shocked but she soon regained her composure. -''''I had to do it. It looks bad now, but after I sort out this mess everything will get better, somethings will even go back to normal. There will be many benefits in this deal for you too. This wasn''t how it was supposed to be, trust me. You can get a lot out of this deal,especially entertainment and satisfaction and you can save us.'''' Blake slowly shifted his gaze again on Teruna. -''''You endanger my family and put that at equal terms with a bit of entertainment? Say, how would you like this? I will bring your brothers in a near death state, but you get the promise that you will have a great time afterwards? A tempting offer,huh?'''' Teruna gulped audibly and started talking with a shaky voice. -''''...enough...'''' Blake calmed a bit down but still glared at her with a dangerous light in his eyes. -''''You don''t like the offer? But think about the satisfaction and entertainment that you will obtain after that. Isn''t the price rather minor if you look at what you will gain?'''' Teruna shook her head and yelled. -''''Enough! I understand, it was stupid. I did something terrible to you, but I had to... either that or...or...'''' Teruna''s voice gave out. Blake watched this with a mix of anger,pity and confusion. So she had it tough too? I''ll make her tell me everything about it later. He continued with a calmer tone. -''''We will clear everything out later with a nice cup of tea or anything other you fancy, deal?'''' Teruna looked up to Blake with thankfulness in her eyes. -''''Deal. Now lets go save your sister.'''' She stood up, but Blake didn''t move a finger. -''''You have yet to tell me how to cure her state.'''' Her eyebrows rose. -''''Didn''t I tell you that this the fault of a poison?'''' -''''You did. What about it?'''' She sighed and patiently continued. -''''How do you cure poisoning?'''' Blake became angry again. -''''With an antidote of course, but where do we get one? Do we take her to a hospital?'''' A cunning smile appeared on her face. -'''' You are partly correct, but you are forgetting that the poison isn''t from this world so hospitals can''t help. No, what we need is a real Antidote.''''
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Alteration Chapter 4 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Caleb stood in front of a grinning Teruna. A few minutes passed since Blake started Alteration up to find an Antidote for Rose. Meanwhile Caleb returned from outside and Teruna took the opportunity to tell him what his son and she were talking about. Caleb was listening to her story with abnormal silence until the end. Ohh... This situation is getting weirder with every passing minute. What kind of being is this woman? Could she really be this fantastic creature Blake described? She looks... nothing like that. But he would never lie to me and he even gave me ample proof. Could this be a dream? I rarely have any, so that''s not likely. Let''s just assume everything that happened and everything I was told is true... How will our lives continue? Is everything over once we wake Rose up? No, the people,or whatever they are, are after Blake which doesn''t make me any calmer. Although... she mentioned something about everything going more or less to normal after this. It is quite possible that she said that just to sooth Blake and me... but it is also possible that she didn''t. That is something that time will tell. I''m quite proud for Blake focusing on the goal. He didn''t press Teruna but he went searching for the Antidote as fast as possible. I would be quite proud of him if I didn''t want to kill him at the same moment. -''''WHAT WAS HE THINKING!'''' Caleb shouted and ran to the kitchen to take a glass of water. Teruna followed him seemingly offended. -''''Your son gets you two dates with a beautiful woman who likes you and you react like this? Not only that but the dates will be the indirect cause for stopping your daughter''s slumber. You are quite ungrateful.'''' At the end she couldn''t hold down a smile. He listened to everything while grumbling and sat down at the end. -'''' Don''t misunderstand me, I would do anything for my children. The problem is that I think this was Blake''s intention. His evil side peeks out every now and then. At times like that it is my duty to make him regret it...'''' Caleb crunched his teeth at the end of the sentence. She looked at him with a confused look while sitting down next to him. -''''You shouldn''t be too hard on him. Not many would react the same way he did in the cave! He staid there and tried to do everything he could to help me. Also don''t be so dissatisfied, who knows, you may just like the dates.'''' She giggled a bit during the second part of her statement, but her face didn''t show any sign of dishonesty. Caleb was silent for a few moments. Why is she after me? I don''t understand her motives at all. After a while he sighed and talked with a voice that was drained of energy. -''''Why do you want to go on a date with me? '''' She replied to him with a smile on her face. -''''Does it matter? '''' He blinked a few times unbelievingly. -''''It certainly does. It doesn''t happen everyday that a fairy tale monster asks me out.'''' Teruna puffed her cheeks. -''''Cruel. You shallow guy.'''' Caleb rolled his eyes at her angry response. She is probably just bored. -''''Hey, don''t ignore me.'''' She was about to hit him lightly on the shoulder but nearly fell off the chair in mid swing. He catched her in the last moment and continued with a worried expression. -''''So not even fantastic creatures can bounce back effortlessly after such wounds?'''' She kept a pained smile on her lips. -'''' I''ll live, don''t you worry. Although, I know a way how you can help me.'''' If she tells me to give a her a kiss so the pain goes away I swear I''ll kick her out head first. -''''And what would that be?'''' She stood up from her chair. -''''A certain beverage that you have could help me very much.'''' Beverage..?Oh... -''''You mean that healing potion? '''' She went in the direction of the living room. -''''I certainly do. It is a potion, but it''s effects are even better if it is applied directly to the wounds.'''' Caleb followed her slowly. -''''I understand. How come Blake didn''t give it to you? I think he mentioned something about it before I went to fetch you out of the hospital.'''' He tried hard to remember it, but it was in vain. They came to a stop once they entered the living room and Teruna slowly sat down on the couch, trying not to irritate her wounds. -''''He must have forgotten. That is only understandable after what I made him go through. I just told him the most necessary though. But I think that the most painful part is done.'''' She sighed at the end of her sentence. Part of what? He shook his head and continued with an exhausted voice. -''''Why would you do all this? What is the real meaning of the ritual? What was it''s full name again? Ritual of the Straw? It nearly killed you and it endangers my kids out of some mysterious reason.'''' Her expression turned sad and she replied him quietly. -''''I won''t tell you right now. After we wake Rose up I''ll tell you everything you want know, but not before that. I''ll need you to have an open mind while I talk and you can''t really have one while your daughter can''t wake up. '''' I don''t really know about having an open mind. Even if I could somehow ignore the fact that she endangered Rose and Blake I''m quite sure that Blake won''t. But she is cooperating and helping us find a solution...Ah, this all just seems unreal. A warm feeling on his arm shook him out of his thoughts. Teruna reached out to him. -'''' Could you help me apply this potion? It''s quite hard cover all my injuries alone.'''' Those puppy eyes just aren''t fair. He reached for the glass bottle which was on the table next to him. -''''I suppose I could.'''' Teruna started taking off her shirt. Wha..? -''''Hey! What are you doing?'''' She stopped and started laughing. -''''My wounds are on my whole back, so what would you suggest me to do? Pour the potion on my shirt and hope that it reaches my wounds? Now that would be a waste.'''' Oh, right. But she could have warned me. Has she no sense of shame? -'''' I suggest you to take off your shirt after making me look away and then laying in the couch so that I can pour the potion exactly on your wounds. That way I won''t spill too.'''' She looked a bit disappointed. -''''You are no fun...'''' Caleb went out of the room and in the hallway. -''''Tell me when you are ready and on the couch.'''' -''''Ok...'''' Well if this will help relieve her pain it''s ok. He started shifting his weight from one leg to the other. I wonder how Blake is doing. He explained to me that it probably won''t be easy but time flows faster in Alteration if I''m n ot wrong. I wonder how much we''ll still have to wait. With a lot of luck he''d have been finished already, with no luck it will take a long, long time. I wonder how many ch... Teruna''s voiced came from the living room. -''''Ready!'''' Caleb went back at that signal. Teruna laid on her stomach on the couch without her shirt. Her bandages were neatly folded next to her. The wounds on her back were quite terrifying. Caleb flinched when he saw them. Most were patched up, but it was still red and just imagining the pain made him dizzy. -''''H...How are you still conscious?'''' -''''Well I have a bit better endurance than the average human. The painkillers helped quite a lot too.'''' She talked casually and joked up til now... Unbelievable... -''''Just one question before we continue please.'''' -''''Go ahead.'''' -''''How powerful are you in your current form?'''' She turned her head around a bit. -''''Other than a bit higher endurance and regeneration I''m nearly the same as you. I''m not even sure if this is considered something that special as endurance is something that can be attained through enough training and discipline.'''' -'''' The regeneration is certainly something extraordinary. Huh, so you are human except for these things?'''' A smile appeared on her face. -''''Yes. Huh, are you rethinking your opinion about me and you going on a date.'''' I let my guard down for one measly second and this happens... -''''You being human right now doesn''t change the fact that you and Blake forced me into this. And you are still a hedgehog who can change at will.'''' Her smile grew wider. -''''Actually this world has nearly no power in it so I can''t shapeshift. This is either way my true form so in this world I''m perfectly normal. And to you being forced... after the three dates you will have the chance to ask me on a date on your own so don''t make such a fuss.'''' Caleb''s face reddened and he started to take deep breaths. I just need to stay cal... Wait a minute! -''''Did you just say three dates? The deal was two!'''' Her smile darkened. -'''' You promised me one in the hospital and I get two because of my negotiation with Blake. I''m certain that you won''t go back on your word, right?'''' Oh, right... He took a deep breath. -''''I won''t , don''t worry.'''' Teruna smiled a bit happier after that. -''''I didn''t worry to begin with. You aren''t that petty.'''' He had a dissatisfied face on for a moment but he cheered up. -'''' I have no obligation to entertain you right now. I could just leave if I wanted to.'''' If she wants me to stay she better stop being annoying. Teruna laughed out loudly but stopped when her wounds started to act up again. -''''Actually that would be against the no avoiding part of our deal.'''' Caleb''s head was hanging down, drained of all energy. Once I get my hands on Blake... -''''Achoo! Could we now go on with treating my wounds?'''' Caleb hurriedly took the glass bottle off the table and removed the lid from it. -''''Umm so I just have to pour it over your wounds?'''' She turned her face from him and prepared herself. -''''Yes, I''d appreciate if you hurry because this hurts me quite a lot.'''' -''''Of course.'''' Caleb put a chair next to the couch and sat in it. Then he proceeded to carefully pour the potion over her back. Her wounds immediately started to look better and finally closed up one by one. Incredible... He inspected her whole back. Not even a scratch is left... Teruna noticed that he stared at her. -''''Admiring me, huh?'''' He ignored her teasing and replied honestly. -'''' I still can''t believe what happened. Just look at this potion. Your back was all hacked up not even a minute ago and now it is like the wound never happened. This is too much for me...'''' She lightly rubbed her back with one hand while still laying on the couch. -''''Actually just the visible part is gone. It helped much but I still can''t move as I please. This was just a small health potion so it couldn''t get that deep.'''' She smiled playfully. -''''Maybe if you gave me a good massage with it I could completely recover.'''' She uses each and every opportunity she gets. I need to teach her a lesson. She messes with me too much. -''''Sure. As long as it helps.'''' Teruna froze and a delighted expression spread across her face. He went to the kitchen and returned with something in his hands and an evil spark in his eyes. -''''I''ll start now, ok?'''' She closed her eyes and relaxed. -''''Sure, go ahead.'''' That''s it just relax... Caleb started to slowly massage her . He was careful to be as gentle as possible. -''''Wow you are amazing at giving a massage. It would be wonderful if you could give me a massage like that every now and then.'''' Caleb barely refrained from laughing. -''''Thank you. Now relax. The massage and the effect of the potion will be better if you aren''t even a little bit tense.'''' Her voice turned more and more quiet. -'''' Sure...'''' Now it''s payback time. Caleb slowly stopped massaging with one hand and slowly reached out for the thing that he brought out of the kitchen. It was a bag with a few ice cubes in it. He took two out and quickly put one in each hand. Teruna''s voice was barely audible drowsy. -''''Mhh...continue...'''' Sure will. -'''' This is an awkward position for me. Would you mind if I lean a bit more over you?'''' -''''Not at all...'''' And now that I have prepared everything. Caleb leaned over her and started massaging her with the ice cubes. -''''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'''' Teruna''s whole body jumped up from the shock and Caleb kept her down with some effort. Her shrieking was so loud that it made him fear for his eardrums. -''''STOP! What do you think you are doing?! Idiot! Don''t massage me with iceeeee!'''' Aww there are lessons to be learned, no time for stopping. Caleb feigned ignorance and had an innocent smile on his face. -''''Why would I? This is great for the circulation and I''m quite sure that I still need to continue for it to reach your deep wounds.'''' Teruna struggled desperately but he wouldn''t budge an inch. -''''Don''t! Why are you doing this to me? I''ll stop messing with you now stoooop!'''' Caleb''s expression didn''t change a bit. -''''That''s nice of you. This massage will still continue for some time. How about we chat a bit?'''' Teruna saw where this is going and she did her best to keep her whimpering to a minimum, but she couldn''t stop her shaking. I guess that she has a cold weakness because she is usually in lava. -''''What do you have to say?'''' Caleb continued massaging her with the ice cubes. -''''I just want to talk a bit. But I like your offer to stop teasing me. That makes the conversation start with a nice tone. Now what shall I ask first? '''' -''''I don''t care just ask quickly so that you stop this as soon as possible...'''' She stopped complaining because he pressed the ice cubes a bit stronger so she felt the coldness even more. -''''Now, now it''s rude to hasten someone. Now what was the question that I wanted to ask I just can''t remember...'''' -''''Cruel... You have a much bigger problem with your evil side than Blake does. It must flow in the blood...'''' Caleb ignored her. -''''Ah I remembered. Once we take care of Rose''s problem will really our lives return to normal?'''' Teruna forced herself to answer loud and clear. -''''After I make a call or two no more hits will be made on you. It won''t return exactly to normal but it will be similar and peaceful.'''' That is more than I hoped for. -''''Now lets continue. Do you know who attacked Rose?'''' -''''I already told you. It was probably just some lowly grunt. I can''t tell you from which faction because I was the entire time here and there are too many potential ones.'''' I don''t think that she is lying. He didn''t massage her as strongly as before. -''''Good. Now tell me, why did you do that Ritual.'''' Teruna hesitated for a few seconds but replied to him a moment later. -''''That is one thing that I can''t tell you.'''' Ok, if you want it that way then so be it. He started to massage here again more roughly with the ice. -''''Tell me, I won''t stop until you do.'''' Something clicked, but both of them didn''t pay any attention. -''''I said no so no!'''' She wriggled desperately but Caleb didn''t let her go. -''''Just do it!'''' -''''No!'''' *knock*knock* Both Teruna and Caleb looked up and saw Blake who stood next to the door. He knocked against the door frame to get their attention. -''''Am I interrupting something? What are you trying to do dad?'''' Teruna''s face was as red as a tomato and Caleb backed away from her awkwardly and started stuttering. -''''You..? I did...you see... I trie...I tried to make her talk about the things she didn''t want to say...'''' Blake had a very confused look on his face and a frozen smile. -''''You tried to make her talk with a massage? What is that..? Did you use actual oil for the massage?'''' -''''What are you talking abo..?'''' Caleb noticed that the ice melted away in his numb palms and that Teruna''s whole back was wet and shiny. -''''No, no! I had ice and used that to make her talk. It must have melted.'''' Blake slowly backed away. -''''In the same moment I came in? Quite a coincidence. Look I don''t really care what you were doing as long as you had consent. You had it, right?'''' Does he think that I''m a criminal?! I need to think quickly, how can I prove that I''m no criminal... Caleb''s eyes were wide open and he desperately turned around to Teruna for help. She sat up while covering herself with her shirt. Her face was still red but she managed to get a hold of herself. -''''He had it, don''t worry.'''' Blake was visibly relieved but still had a bit disturbed expression.. -''''Good. I have to admit I was worried for a second about your morals dad.'''' Thank... Wait. Caleb realised what Teruna said and desperately tried to explain it to Blake. -''''No! This isn''t what happened!'''' Blake''s eyebrows rose. -''''So you had no consent!?'''' Caleb stared for a second dumbfoundedly at his son. -''''What?! No! Wait! Let me finish!'''' Teruna held her shirt with one hand on her and took Caleb''s hand with the other. -''''He is a bit embarrassed so let him be.'''' Blake looked at them both suspiciously. -''''Umm... Sure. I got the Antidote after a small eternity of searching. So... if you are finished with whatever you were doing we could wake Rose up.'''' Caleb was in a state of shock so Teruna replied for him. -''''We''ll be there in a few minutes.'''' Blake headed upstairs and she went to the bathroom for a towel with which she dried her back. She sat next to Caleb again. -''''Good luck explaining him what happened.'''' He slowly regained the ability to speak. -''''Why?'''' She smiled with the most evil laugh he ever heard. -''''I would have told you most of the information you wanted to know sooner or later. I understand now that I shouldn''t mess with you that much. But you know what... '''' She came closer to him and whispered in his ear. -''''Messing with me can be fatal.'''' A chill went through his entire body and he just sat there thinking about everything that happened. -''''You are actually lucky that I''m satisfied with just this as my revenge.'''' Blake was sitting next to Rose and slowly poured the Antidote in her mouth. Teruna and Caleb were a bit behind him and both were still a bit red. Caleb had a long talk with Blake prior to them going to Rose''s room and he sorted everything more or less out. Blake made Rose drink the whole content of the bottle and now they were just waiting silently. She really did it this time... I nearly believed that my dad was doing that. Good that he is usually honest with me or else I would really start thinking that something is actually going on between them. Blake sighed. Oh, who am I kidding? If it hadn''t been for that ice bag I would have totally misunderstood. Good thing dad remembered to show it to me. That hedgehog is really good at pranking people. I''m just disappointed that she got dad to heal her wounds. It would have been a good bargaining chip if he hadn''t been so damn compassionate. He leaned back and stared at Rose. This is taking too long. Come on Rose, don''t leave me hanging! Blake took her hand and squeezed it gently. Rose''s eyelids slowly opened and she looked at the people around her with confusion. -''''Wha...? Why are you all here?'''' She looked at Blake and Caleb then her gaze fell on Teruna with a puzzled expression. -''''Who are you? Wait... You are the lady from today which was severely injured! How can you be fine now?!'''' Blake calmed his sister down and gestured her to be quiet. -''''It is quite a long story so just make yourself comfortable in your bed. Listen and don''t interrupt me.'''' Rose nodded and he started to tell her everything that happened today. Her expressions changed frequently from bored, amazed, unbelieving and many other. He described every fantastic event a bit more in detail than the other ones so that she gets a better grasp of the situation. Every now and then she glanced at Teruna with disbelief in her eyes. When Blake finished she sat for a few minutes in silence. He didn''t mention anything about the massaging incident because now wasn''t the time and he was sure that Caleb would rather tell her the rest himself than letting Blake tell what he saw. I''ll check later if he told her. It was his rule that we don''t keep secrets so he should lead with example. -''''This... this is really happening?'''' Well now I have at least a more elegant way to prove that than the last time. -''''Do you remember how Teruna was slashed up and bled heavily?'''' -''''Yes...'''' -''''Well her wounds healed. Nothing is left.'''' Rose''s eyes widened and she looked at Teruna. -''''Really?'''' Teruna sat in her chair with crossed arms. -''''Yes. Ask your father too, he inspected that part quite carefully.'''' -''''Ok...'''' Caleb cleared his throat. -''''*Ahem* I''ll tell you about that later. Just take my word that her back is fully healed.'''' Rose had a confused look on her face but didn''t say anything. Blake continued their conversation. -''''It isn''t anything important, just something stupid that dad did. But the important thing is, do you believe me now?'''' Rose nodded. -''''Good. Do you remember who attacked you? What happened?'''' -''''It''s a bit hazy, but I remember some monster attacking me and it really hurt me. I immediately logged out of the game because it was unbearable. I still felt the pain, but I thought that I was under shock and imagining it, but the wound was really there when I took the goggles off. The wound was big and a lot of blood was flowing out. I was scared and panicked. I wanted to get up from the chair and somehow slow the bleeding down, but I collapsed after two steps and couldn''t continue. My consciousness slowly started to fade and the last thing that I remember was your face. I guess that I can blame the poison for that.'''' Blake noticed that she started shaking so he started to pat her back soothingly. -''''It''s ok now. You are safe. We won''t let this happen a second time.'''' Rose stopped shaking but she was still terrified by everything that had happened. Blake turned and faced Teruna. -''''It''s your turn. Rose woke up so keep your promise.'''' Teruna leaned back in her chair and started talking with a quiet voice. -''''Sure. What do you want to know first?'''' He cleared his throat. -''''Why did you force me to do the ritual?'''' She took a deep breath and started talking. -''''May I suggest another question?'''' Blake looked at her with surprise. Does she hope to evade the question? Well I am a bit curious about what she will suggest... I''ll just ask her again later, but for now lets hear it. -'''' Go on.'''' -''''How about I answer you the question about what you gained with the ritual?'''' -''''Do that.'''' Maybe she wants to sugarcoat something with the benefits from the ritual. -'''' You have seen the side benefits already so I will skip that and start with the main benefits. You are now in the faction of Lava hedgehogs. Do you know what that means?'''' Why doesn''t she just say it? -''''I think that I do. It is the same as if I gained a lot of reputation with a faction and they give me the status of an ally. I am then able to purchase some items at a bit lower price from their merchants and I can sell my stuff for a better price. Also it will give me tons of potential new quests, influence how others see me and generally give me a lot of new options. Not to mention that I will be able to get some faction specific items and maybe gifts.'''' -''''That may be true in regular games, but not in Alteration. You can become an ally of an faction, but you can''t become part of an faction without enormous amounts of work and luck. Also an ally doesn''t have all these benefits that you mentioned. The change in prices is quite small, the way other factions see you changes a bit and you get a solid amount of new quests. No, you are actually now part of my faction.'''' Blake tilted his head. What does she mean? -''''Explain that please.'''' -''''You are now actually a part of the Lava hedgehog faction. You gain a lot of obligations, perks and... options with this.'''' Teruna made a little pause to find the right words. I don''t really like the way she said ''''options''''... -''''We will treat you as our kin. When you are in need of help we will be there for you if it is a reasonable problem. We will share everything we have with you and you will share everything you have with us. We shall give each other advice and share our experiences. We will prosper or fall depending on how our faction does. If the faction blooms and gets stronger, wealthier and more influential we will too prosper. Should the faction get weaker we will feel the effects too, one way or the other. Players won''t recognize that you are in our faction and under certain circumstances they will even see you as part of the game, but there is time for that later. Many intelligent beasts will recognize you based on your true nature, but fear not they won''t react much differently than before if you are in the presence of other players. In the case that you encounter a monster alone anything can happen, but the most common thing will still be a fight. There are some differences in combat too. Every time you do something significant it will give points to our faction. The sort of points can vary and they can be used for many things. There are common points and some which are more rare.'''' Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Blake held his head and spoke up. -''''Wait! Wait... I have troubles keeping up... There are a lot of things that I haven''t expected. Give me a second to sort my thoughts.'''' He massaged his temples. Faction...Kin...Prosper and fall of the faction...Players...Monster... There are so many things that I must remember. Now more than ever I wonder why she made me go through the ritual. I am gaining much more than they do... There must be something wrong. Ugh, I think that I am calm enough now. -''''Ok, continue. But please just tell me the important stuff.'''' Teruna puffed, but was still talking with a quiet voice. -''''I will tell you everything like it or not, but I don''t mind making pauses so you can gather your thoughts. This is rather difficult for me too.'''' Blake thought for a second and then replied. -''''I''m ok with that. Continue.'''' -''''You won''t be able to receive any Reputation from quests that we send you on as you are now truly our kin, but they will give affection points with the person who gave you the quest. Although it sounds like a game the principle is pretty similar to the real world. If you help someone they will like you more because of it, but under certain circumstances you won''t get any affection points. You on the other hand will be able to give others Reputation, but just passively and only if they get a faction quest. These quests can only be handed out after you consult with high ranking kinsmen. Also you will be able to boost our areas of influence with your actions and many other factors, but you can make our areas shrink too under certain circumstances. Sometimes members of your faction will ask for advice even from a distance. You will get the call for aid in form of a message. If you help them solve certain problems like that you will get a cut of the reward. Again you will get points that will aid us in making our faction prosperous. Basically you can, and will, affect the faction greatly which, depending on your actions, can be positive or negative. You can determine yourself where you want to help out, but I will always advise you and if needed force you, if something is urgent. You can also make an impact on our connections with other factions, but that is something quite hard. You will also obtain some faction specific abilities with time. Because of the way I made you join our faction you have several more benefits, but you don''t have the option to leave. Leaving would also be a bad choice as this is not something that is supposed to happen. You would be a fool if you throw away all that which you will gain through this after all you have been through and that what your family has been through. I am still not quite myself after that accident so there is a good possibility that I failed to mention some other perks. If I remember them I will tell you about it immediately. '''' Blake raised his voice. -''''I understand... I won''t comment until you are finished though. Now It''s clear what you gave me, but still I don''t understand why.'''' Teruna laughed bitterly. -''''I am informing you of all the powers and responsibilities that you received, but you have yet to grasp what it all means. There are many aspects of the story that I am telling you right now. This is just one of many. If you don''t think that this is a story but just me answering questions that is because you still think that you lead this conversation. Rest assured that I will tell you all you want to know, but I will do it my way so you understand everything. Now sit back again and listen to my story for it is an interesting one. I''ll continue with a bit of background information of our faction. Before that I would just like to have a glass of water, my throat is dry from all the explaining.'''' -''''Sure. Dad please get Teruna a glass of water.'''' Nothing happened for a few moments so Blake turned to face Caleb. Once he faced him Blake understood immediately what was wrong with him. His eyes were wide open and he stared at Teruna. It is true that she is behaving quite differently than before. Dad spent more time with her so he is probably even more shocked at how she talks quietly and seriously. Something is wrong with Teruna but I''ll leave that for when she finishes talking. But wow... I will need some time to process all this... I shouldn''t think about what this all means and how to proceed before I hear her out. It seems like she has still to say the most important part which will connect all the bits and pieces I know... Teruna looked at both Blake and Caleb with a confused look. -''''Umm, the glass of water?'''' Blake interrupted his raging thoughts and tried to get his dad''s attention. -''''Dad!'''' Caleb looked at him absentmindedly. -''''Go get Teruna a glass of water.'''' He nodded but made no effort to move. -''''Aha.'''' It doesn''t seem like he actually listened to me... Blake raised his voice a little. -''''Dad! Get Teruna a glass of water and this time don''t even try to make any ice cube prank!'''' Caleb''s face reddened immediately and he shot up from his chair. -''''Yes. I''ll get it now!'''' Rose tugged Blake''s sleeve. -''''What ice cube prank?'''' Blake shook his head. -''''Unimportant. Dad will tell you later anyway.'''' He turned back to Teruna. -''''While we wait could you just tell me why you didn''t give me a heads up before making me go through the ceremony?'''' -''''You will see. '''' They waited in silence until Caleb came back carrying a tray with glasses and a jug of water. He then poured some water in a glass and handed it to Teruna. -''''Thanks. '''' She took a few sips and continued. -''''Now for the background information... My faction was a proud and strong one. We were feared by many other factions and nearly all neutral settlements. They called us the underground nightmare, the hellgehogs and many other names but none of them matter now. Even before the split we were one of the mightiest factions. Others may have been more influential or even have stronger individuals in their ranks but no one had our determination and solidarity. Now it''s important for you to fully grasp the nature of Alteration. It isn''t a game made by humans as you have already concluded by now. It is another world, dimension. Call it whatever you want. It existed as long as Earth did and they were quite similar in the beginning. The main difference was that our world was full of magic. It was part of us and everyone accepted and harnessed it as we saw fit. Your world had magic too, but the beings that had it jealously guarded it from the sight of others. They hid in fear, because they didn''t want anyone else to learn the powers they had. The monsters hid, fearing each other and a species that had nearly no magical affinity came to rule the world. As you know, I''m talking about humans. They spread across the whole globe and just a few of them were aware of the existence of monsters. Some even managed to develop magic of their own, but the rumors about monsters just stayed rumors and after many centuries they turned into myths. Your monsters realised their mistake too late when there were too few left of them. They didn''t know what to do so many beings tried different approaches. Some interacted with you, some fought you. The outcome was the same. Humans didn''t recognise the monsters and they hunted them while calling them abominations, invaders and danger for the world. The same world that they were once a part of didn''t have any room for them now. They hid in the deepest corners of the world and consulted themselves on what they should do next. Some wanted to reclaim their land, but they were too few, who haven''t used their full potential for centuries. Others wanted to live peacefully alongside the humans, though they weren''t many. Humans had shown that they had no intention to share. The only option that they had was to develop their powers. Monsters that had similar magic affinities formed groups and researched the arcane arts. But that wasn''t just limited to the arcane arts. Beings that had no special talent for the arcane harnessed their instincts and techniques. Time flew by and humans became aware that something was happening in that corner of their world. They sent their troops which were decimated by the acquired techniques and abilities. The monsters started to hope that they will manage to reclaim their land but the never ending hordes of humans didn''t stop. They circled them and were beating their abilities with pure numbers. The magic they acquired was still too new... they were inexperienced...and few... Though, if all which were left would have gathered and stood their ground they would have won... The sky itself would burn and the humans would be beaten. They didn''t do it. All the weaker races fought as one against their enemy, but the strong creatures ran away. They were suspicious of each other, fearing treachery and backstabbing. Many races vanished that day, full of sorrow,regret and fury. Even more were crippled, left to hope that they will manage to prosper again in some far future. The strong creatures watched this all from afar and they turned their guilt into hate towards the other strong ones. Every race scattered in their own direction and even some weaker species fell because they were corrupted by their emotions. A few years later my world discovered yours and started to research it. We didn''t expect to find a world which was ruled by just one race, especially not such a weak one. We looked through your whole planet hoping to find a bit of magic power. After months of searching we started to discover your monster races one by one. We exchanged knowledge about magic and many other things including our history. They were amazed by our planet and asked us if they could live on it too. We allowed it. After a few decades we transferred nearly every monster to our world and your world lost all it''s arcane power.'''' Blake interrupted Teruna. -''''I''d like another pause if there''s no problem.'''' Teruna smiled weakly and hollowly. -''''On the contrary. I could use a little pause too. It isn''t easy to telling such a big story.'''' She drank the rest of her water up and Blake already had the jug in his hands. -''''More?'''' -''''Yes, please.'''' He refilled her glass and sank again in his thoughts. This is kinda too much for me. Lets just concentrate on the important parts. She is from a real world. I had figured that much even before. So the worlds were similar... both had magic,her''s was just full of magic. The monsters from her side were normal while our were dumb... Humans took the world over while the monsters either stagnated or disappeared. Humans didn''t want to have anything to do with them or even let them exist. They beat them because of their huge numbers and good circling strategy. Although one of the probably biggest factors was that the big monsters didn''t cooperate... Then everyone dispersed and a few years later the other monsters came and brought them to their world. Blake took a deep breath. Ahh... even a short summary is a bit longer than I''d like...So lets see... I understand everything except why they saved the monsters of our world. I know that there were very few after the catastrophic fight but still... why would they do it? It surely wasn''t just because they were kind... -''''Why did your people save our monsters? What was there in for you?'''' -''''First let me make this very clear. The people that saved your monster certainly aren''t ''''my people''''. The only thing that connects us is that we are from the same world. Now for your question. The faction that researched your world and saved the monsters was by far the most advanced one. They decided that your monsters would be transferred. Their motives are not clear to me but it could have been really anything. They were a weird bunch. Some say that they wanted to strengthen the magic in our world by bringing new monsters which had an affinity for magic. Others claim that they wanted to have various races under their control so that they could make an interracial empire.'''' Blake looked at her suspiciously. -''''They ''were'' a weird bunch? Not ''are''?'''' -''''No. Some of the monsters that they transferred turned on them and they fought for many years. The result was the annihilation of that faction. Is that all? Can I continue now?'''' -''''Sure.'''' -''''Ok, so there is one more thing that you need to know. Nobody feared to use magic and altogether the world prospered, but there is a lot of evil in my world. Known and unknown. Many things in my world are still mysteries. For example we can''t even guess the size of our world. Whenever someone tries to travel into the unknown to see what there is still to discover they disappear. Most people just slowly explore our world, no one dares to go deep into the unknown anymore. We make small towns every now and then so that the exploring can continue but you can imagine how slow this method is.'''' Blake nodded. It will take an eternity if they want to do it like that. -''''I think that this will be enough general knowledge about the world. We are coming closer and closer to your original question.'''' Good. -''''But first I''ll tell a few more things about our faction. About our reason to wage war against all the other factions more specifically.'''' Come on...oh well, that sounds interesting enough. -''''We waged war because our faction wanted to take Earth.'''' Her voice was very quiet. Blake looked at her with a shocked expression. -''''How do you mean ''take Earth''?'''' Teruna could barely look him in the eyes now. -''''We decided that a race such as humans doesn''t deserve to rule over a whole world weak as they are. We wanted to make organised actions around the globe and force humans to give up and let monsters come back on Earth. Of course we planned to also lower the number of humans as they had spread everywhere... The other factions were against it. They had plans for sending some monsters back to Earth too, but they weren''t nearly as aggressive as ours. They didn''t let us pass through to Earth and we then declared war. The battles were bloody and numerous. Many factions fell before our might, but we weren''t aware that they had an ace up their sleeve. Some of their best magicians and thinkers were tinkering on unimaginable spells that would help us accustom monsters to Earth and humans. That was at least the official version. I think that something else was behind it... maybe they needed something from Earth or wanted to make the amount of monsters smaller as we need to explore much more to make as many settlements as we need. Who knows? These spells that I mentioned were prepared through many years and some mages who worked on it even lost their lives. The end product was that what you call Alteration. A world of monsters and adventures which is actually a magical world where we succeeded to warp some laws of nature. We made these changes according to your image of VRMMORPG games of course, that way you aren''t even able to tell that you are actually in another world. We, the hedgehogs weren''t affected by the good sides of the spells so it was easy for other factions to hunt us and get rid of us. They only died under certain circumstances, other than that they just kept respawning. We on the other hand died immediately when we received lethal damage. Even after that we still put up a good fight, but of course our numbers dwindled while they didn''t take nearly as much damage as we did. After all our sufferings I got an idea that if I bind some player to our faction and put him on a high position we could be too affected by the spell. And here we are now.'''' Teruna paused and looked fearfully at Blake who sunk in a deep silence. -''''You made me go through the ritual so that a monster race gets under the effect of the rules of Alteration? And that monster race is coincidentally one that wants to come to Earth kill a good portion of us and let monsters rule again our world.'''' He clenched his fist and and forced himself to be as calm as possible. -''''You didn''t have to bother telling me all this. After that last part it''s obvious that you know my answer. You forced me into an irreversible contract which helps the enemy of all mankind. And what is that joke about putting me on a high position? It is obvious that I just have to stay alive to be useful to you. Give me one reason why I should listen to anything else you have to say.'''' Teruna sighed. -''''Actually you get the highest position. That is needed for for the spell to affect the whole faction, but there are more reasons for you to get the highest position.'''' Blake was dumbfounded for a few moments. -''''I can''t make sense of your words...Highest position..? How does that fit in with your attack on Earth?'''' Teruna looked him deep in the eyes. -''''May I suggest another question?'''' Will I be a puppet king that dances when others pull the strings? No, she would probably say that directly. This must be something else. -''''I suggest the question ''How big is my faction?''.'''' Does she want to impress me? Wait... Maybe they want me to cooperate with their attack on Earth. She will boast now with their military size and offer me a part of the conquered Earth. Blake started stuttering. -''''O-ok. Answer it.'''' -''''Fifteen.'''' Blake blinked a few times unbelievingly. -''''Thousand?'''' Teruna''s expression grew darker and sadder. -''''No, just fifteen hedgehogs are in your faction... The war I talked about is long finished. It''s an extermination now. We simply couldn''t do much against enemies that kept respawning while we died. They pushed us back with every passing day and after a while we found ourselves running away. Our last hiding place was many miles south from the volcano. We tried to recover and our plan was to simply hide until they stop hunting us, but it was in vain. They found us and killed everyone they could. Only a warrior managed to flee with the young children of the faction. They ran for a long time and didn''t stop until they reached the volcano near Lorasawa. As you know that warrior was me... and you met a few of the children already. A few years have passed since that battle, but I know that they still hunt for survivors.'''' Her eyes filled with tears and she grabbed Blake''s hand. -''''We are innocent! Hunted since our birth and trained for survival we had nothing to do with the old faction that planned the aggression. So many decades and centuries have passed and we are still being exterminated... No one else is left. It''s just me and the kids! Help us! With you we can evade total annihilation. The rules will protect us and we will be able to make a new hedgehog faction! One that will be better than the last, one that will make it possible for the children to live in peace and prosper, one that will help us stand up to our cruel and heartless enemies...'''' Tears flowed down her cheek and she started sobbing. Blake stood stupefied. She just protects the children...So many years have passed since the war and the other factions are still hunting them... No matter what the faction did in the past,this is unforgivable! Tears started welling up in Blake''s eyes. I am their only chance. Teruna took the risk and nearly sacrificed her life for the little ones to have a chance. They were all trained since their birth to hide and survive. That kind of life isn''t worth living for... Now they are the only ones left. Everyone Teruna once knew is now dead. The little ones were hopefully too young to remember... He clenched his fist. I... I can''t leave them be. I''ll will help them rebuild their faction, though it can hardly be called one now... No! There have to be some other survivors somewhere! If that world has game rules then seemingly impossible things can be possible I just have to do everything I can and some opportunity will show up. He rose from his chair and put his arm on Teruna''s shoulder. -''''I will help you. No one deserves what the other factions are making you go through. I will do everything that is in my power to rebuild your faction.'''' She stopped sobbing and looked up at Blake with disbelief. -''''...really?'''' -''''If everything you have said is true then yes.'''' She nodded hastily, stood up and hugged him. -''''It is! Words can''t describe the gratitude I feel right now!'''' Blake looked surprised, but a smile appeared slowly on his face and he patted her back awkwardly. -''''It''s ok. I understand now the whole situation so lets make our faction strong together. No more fear and hiding!'''' Teruna calmed down and sat down again. She looked at Blake gratefully. -''''Yeah. With you it''s possible.'''' Blake cleared his throat. -''''There are still things that aren''t really clear to me, but you will explain them much easier to me once we go back to Alteration. But one thing is really bugging me. Why do you allow humans to enter your world? How does that help monster grow accustomed to Earth and the humans? Don''t we just play normally and kill the monsters we meet?'''' -''''Well there are many factions and most don''t really have good relations. The more civilised ones are those who are a part of the Alteration starting races. You call them NPCs most are just living their normal lives and using the players, though after time most open up and become friendly. They get used to humans by interacting with them. I''m not sure myself how they will proceed after that. Maybe they just wanted to bring you humans here so that you do our dirty work while you think you''re playing, maybe they will reveal everything to the humans after most of you start playing the game hoping that you will be open minded and let monsters back on some uninhabited places on Earth. I don''t know, your guess is as good as mine.'''' Blake nodded. -''''I understand. So the starting races were the ones who you waged war against?'''' -''''Well yes. Though not everyone hunted us to this day. Some wanted to stop after the war but their allies didn''t let them.'''' This will be some pretty useful information later, though I can''t do much with it at the moment. -''''I don''t really understand the respawn system too. Does everything respawn? You mentioned some conditions.'''' Teruna thought for a second and then replied. -''''I did but I can explain that to you in the game. There is still something more important.'''' Blake''s eyebrows rose. -''''And that would be what?'''' She smiled nervously. -''''I need to make the call. This will confirm that we are really affected by the rules now and that you joined our faction.'''' Oh right. She did mention something like that before... -''''Didn''t you say that I already joined your faction with the ritual? Also, who exactly will you call?'''' She nodded. -''''You did. This is more of a formality. Also it needs a bit of time for the rules to protect us too. Such mighty spells can''t be changed in mere minutes. That is also the cause of the rules failing to protect Rose. You interacted with her right after the ritual and my remaining magic probably disrupted her protection a bit. But I don''t think that it was completely lifted, she would have probably been dead if it had been. I''ll call an organisation made by a few chosen individuals from my world, someone has to make and sell the machines which connect you to Alteration.'''' Blake answered with a pensive voice. -''''Make the call then. With that it will be official.'''' He handed her his phone. -''''Here. Tell me when you are finished, I''ll be in my room.'''' Teruna started dialing up a number while he headed for his room. Rose and Caleb didn''t move and just thought about everything they heard. Blake turned back and walked to his room where he relaxed in his chair. He closed his eyes. So much happened today. A moment of peace like this really feels good right now... He rested for a few minutes like that until he heard Teruna''s happy voice. -''''It''s done! You are officially a part of our faction and we are protected by the rules!'''' Blake smiled. -''''That''s great to hear. Nothing stands now between us and our plans to make a new faction! I''ll now start Alteration up to see all the options I get from being the leader. I know that you already told me all of them, but I just want to really see it and start planning ahead. Join me if you want.'''' -''''You do that. I will join you later, your father and sister might still have some questions.'''' Blake leaned back in his chair and put his goggles on. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Logging into Alteration... [br][/br][/col][/box]
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Alteration Chapter 5 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake was again in a lava chamber with two opened chests. He stood on a stone path that connected the entrances. Everything except that path was a huge lake of lava. The chests were opened but had still some content in them. I took just the Antidote... I think. Lets check the rest out now. Blake''s hand reached out when he got swarmed by many windows. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Joined the Lava hedgehog faction Rank: Leader Inquire about gained content to a faction member. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Reputation with Lava hedgehogs maxed out. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Notoriety + 5000 when in Faction leader mode. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Added Faction points window. Added Faction quest list. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Do you wish to proceed to Faction management window? [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake closed the chest and sat on the floor leaning on them. I can check the items out later, now I''ll see how I can influence the faction. Blake tapped yes and carefully started reading. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Residential options. Continue? [br][/br][/col][/box] Might as well start here. Blake tapped continue. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Scattered faction Your faction will be spread across an area and patrol it. You will be able to have a Rank 15 settlement and have up to 10 items in your factions possession. Your faction members will have an item capacity of 2. This counts as personal possession and doesn''t proc the faction possession limit. When killed, your members will respawn in 20 hours( game hours) at a random location near the place they died. You will receive 1 special statue which will give you bonus stats when near. It can be stolen by players, if that happens it will need to be recrafted again. [br][/br][/col][/box] This sounds like the options goblins and trolls usually use in other games. I guess that the higher the rank the worse the settlement is. This is certainly out of the question. Blake tapped next without a second look on the window. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Guardian faction Your faction will be assigned to a cave or ruins and attack anyone who comes near it. You may build inside your guarded area rank D buildings, but only if it is far enough from the existing structures. When someone loots 5 items from your guarded area you gain 15% more Strength and Fighting spirit. This effect gets a boost of 2% each next time the intruder loots 5 more items. The effect lasts until the intruder leaves and all the fallen faction members respawn. After every in-game month you gain a piece of information from your guarded area which can give you various benefits and information. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake shook his head. This sounds interesting, but it isn''t what I''m looking for. Blake tapped next again. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Neutral faction. Your faction is able to build any kind of cities according to their budget. You may form alliances with other factions and are able to wage war if you want. The size and beauty of your city depends only on you and your budget. You may have everything in it if you can afford it (blacksmith, bakery, marketplaces, banks, courthouses ...). You can decide nearly anything you want in your cities and even put a starting affection that the townsfolk will have when they meet adventurers. Fine tuning is up to you. [br][/br][/col][/box] Neutral faction... This may be it. I can affect anything I want. Well, I''ll check the other options out too. Either way I won''t make a decision without consulting with Teruna. The problem in this option is the townsfolk though...We have just 15 faction members without including me... It would be a really small town so we''d have to quickly gather some people to attract visitors. But if we take just anyone the other factions might notice that the Lava hedgehog faction is trying to recover from the near extermination and even send some spys to infiltrate our city. I know that we are now protected with the game rules, but that just makes it harder for them to harm us, not impossible... Blake was still in his thoughts but pressed next. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Dungeon faction Your faction may acquire an uninhabited territory or conquer already inhabited areas and make them your own. You will then be able to make your own dungeon which can be in many forms like a cave, a fortress, a simple bordered area in the plains, a part of the sea and plenty other ones. Customisation is up to the player and his/her budget. Further information available when selected. [br][/br][/col][/box] He clicked his tongue... This sounds really fun, but I get the feeling like a lot of things are left out. Lik... *FSSSSS* His thoughts were stopped by bright spheres which appeared everywhere around him. He squinted but couldn''t see anything around himself except the spheres. The floor under him started to shake while he futilely tried to stand back up. Every time he got back on his knees the strong shaking would disrupt him and make him fall. The lava lakes that were everywhere around him started to form waves. They got stronger and stronger. Each moving inch by inch closer to him. Blake didn''t notice at first because the spheres were too bright but started panicking the moment he did. He glanced everywhere around him with eyes wide open from shock. What is happening?! Is this an earthquake? What are these spheres? A bit of lava reached his robe and he quickly took it off and got rid of it. Immediately afterwards it caught fire and burned out in a matter of seconds. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Discarded Initial armor. [br][/br][/col][/box] Like I care... I have no idea where I will respawn or if I will be able to return to this volcano. I mustn''t die! The chests caught his gaze. This might work. He climbed in one chest and tried to cover himself with it as much as possible. He couldn''t see in what condition the rest of the path was so he decided to wait in the chest as much as needed. The waves now came all the way to the chest. He covered the lid of the chest as much as he could so that he could just barely see what is happening outside. A moment later the rock floor stopped shacking and the waves receded. Blake still hid in the chest and slowly started to peek out of the chest. He still felt light tremors and the spheres started to gradually lose their brightness. After a minute it got dark enough for him to see normally and he got out of the chest and looked around himself. He soon found the cause of the remaining light tremors. A huge lava hedgehog was on the floor lying and shacking uncontrollably while letting out fast squeaking noises. It started to calm down, looked at him for a second and then continued shacking. Blake glared at the hedgehog and considered throwing a nearby rock at it. Not like it will do much to help.. . He walked with short and quick steps to the hedgehog and inquired with a irritated voice. -''''Entertained?'''' The hedgehog started to shrink and with it the sounds it made got a bit deeper and quite more recognisable. A hearty laugh echoed in the cave and on the spot where the hedgehog stood appeared a tall, read headed woman which rolled on the floor laughing. Her hair got in a mess and the crimson eyes which disturbed him a few hours earlier were now half opened and teary. They weren''t brownish as in his world but shone pure crimson. The armor she was in was the same colour as her hedgehog form. It was made of some leather or cloth because the scraping on the floor was barely audible. The cause of that might have also been the heartbeat that Blake still heard in his ears after the shock. He stood now next to her and waited as her laughter got quieter. She finally managed to get up and looked at him with still tear-filled eyes. -''''Soryy. This was just too perfect of an opportunity to miss. Your reaction was hilarious.'''' Her mouth curled again and she barely contained her laughter. -''''Your reaction was so priceless. First the falling and then you squeezed yourself in... How did you even do that? You are a tall guy! OH! But that face you made when you finally noticed the lava waves! That was what really cracked me up.'''' She swayed from her laughter, but managed to stay on her feet. Her teary eyes cleared and she glanced at Blake. Her face reddened a bit. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -''''Sorry for the armor though. Don''t worry I''ll get you a better one in no time. Give me a few minutes.'''' She started walking away when Blake shouted. -''''Wait! Don''t worry about it. I have a few spares from the tutorial.'''' Blake rummaged through his bag and pulled out the armor he was wearing in the tutorial. It was a pure black leather armor with two dog like patterns on the shoulders. A smile crept on Blake''s face. I nearly forgot about this. It is comfortable and looks good. I totally forgot about the stats though. I should thoroughly examine everything when I get the chance. Blake put the armor on and continued to talk to Teruna. -''''I discovered the Faction management window.'''' Teruna looked at him confusedly. -'''' I can guess what that is but I don''t know exactly what it does. I think that''s also a new feature in this world because of your situation.'''' Blake closed one chest and sat on it. -'''' Then I will tell you what it says. I didn''t decide anything yet but I checked it a bit out. Don''t be careless, these settings can make or break a faction.'''' Teruna turned serious and nodded. -''''Very well. What shall we decide first?'''' Blake opened the Faction management window. -''''We will decide everything now so it doesn''t matter where we start. I already check Residential options out so I''ll just inform you about it now.'''' Blake read the faction types out loud and Teruna listened carefully before commenting. -''''I think that I will let you make the decisions. I am originally a warrior so I''m not that confident in making plans for the future, especially good ones. I''ll give you advice but you will be the one who seals the deal.'''' She took a deep breath. -'''' I cant''t really decide between being a Neutral faction or a Dungeon faction. Both sounds good.'''' She looked him in the eyes and nearly caused him to flinch with her shining eyes. -''''What will you pick leader.'''' Blake closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He tried to think of every possible good and bad sides of the two options and weighted which would be more useful. The Neutral faction seems safer and will help us regain power and influence but we will need to advertise. That way we lose the surprise factor, the enemy of our faction doesn''t know what is happening and it would be best if it stays like that... Also we would need tons of gold to start it up and build the buildings, plus we need specific materials and food if we want to attract people... He shook his head lightly. The Dungeon faction could be concealed a bit better but not much. They could fight in their human form or somehow surprise attack from the lava and lob range attack at enemies. The problem is that we need to win all our fights and be ready to fight all day, every day. It is financially probably better but it doesn''t open all the options that the Neutral faction does... Huh... Blake lifted his head and slowly opened his eyes. His arms were folded and spoke up. -''''Custom faction!'''' A window appeared before him and he laughed out. -''''Good news! We can make our own sort of faction.'''' Teruna looked at him dumbfoundedly. -''''How did you know that this was an option?'''' His smile shone brighter. -''''If this was an actual world then you aren''t just limited to the obvious choices.'''' Now Teruna smiled too. -''''Good thinking. Continue.'''' -''''Combine Dungeon faction features and Neutral faction features.'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Error Cannot combine all the features of two factions. Use the Custom screen to make your own faction from various features. WARNING Some features can''t be combined. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake clicked his tongue. Well, it would have been too easy... He started concentrating and experimented with lots of possibilities. Half an hour passed until he was satisfied with the Custom faction. *Ding* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Saved and activated Custom faction. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake finally relaxed and looked at Teruna. -''''It''s done. I combined them, though I had to do it manually.'''' She was waiting the entire time so she was eager to question him. -''''How did you mix it? What is your plan?'''' Blake smirked. -''''It''s a surprise.'''' She walked up to him and smacked the back of his head. -''''Talk.'''' Blake clutched his hurting head and laughed awkwardly. -''''Ok, ok... No need for violence.'''' He regained his composure and continued. -''''As I said I combined the two options, though not directly. We will be able to have a dungeon and a city. I''ll put very near each other so that I don''t complicate things. We have nearly all the options of the Neutral faction side. We can build nearly anything we can afford, all sorts of shops are available to us. I didn''t take the Auto-management perk because we can''t afford such luxuries. We couldn''t have all the Dungeon faction bonuses and objective boosts though. We can''t have everything obviously.'''' Teruna''s eyes sparkled while she listened to the perks which Blake chose. After hearing that he had to compromise she clicked her tongue but stayed silent. He continued. -''''But because of my great planing skills I smuggled some Neutral faction perks in the Dungeon part. And I''ll tell you this, under the right circumstances it will be absolutely great.'''' Teruna looked at him suspiciously. -''''And under the wrong circumstances?'''' He fidgeted. -''''It will be completely useless... But I''ll make sure that the circumstances will be there!'''' Teruna shook her head. -''''Tell me! What do you have in mind?'''' Blake waved his hand. -''''That I won''t tell. Also I won''t give in no matter how many times you smack me.'''' Teruna''s eyes shone a bit brighter which made him shudder. -''''You tempt me to investigate the truth of your last statement.'''' A second later her eyes reverted to their usual shining and she calmed down. -''''Well you are supposed to be our leader so I will let you off the hook. If you fail us I''ll make sure that you give me written reports of everything that you plan to do one month in advance.'''' Blake gulped. She is smiling, but I doubt that she jokes... He forced himself to calm down and smile again. -''''I won''t fail your trust. Now, the problem with our hybrid is the money making. Neutral factions are like black holes regarding that. Dungeons can generate gold but you need to be very careful and strong because the prize for victorious raiders comes from your own pocket, the items are thankfully generated and not our own. This makes our new faction extremely risky.'''' Blake made a pause to see how Teruna was taking it, but she had a bit confused look on her face. -''''I understand that it is inconvenient, but I wouldn''t call it extremely risky...'''' Blake sighed. -''''Our Neutral faction city mainly focuses on money. Without money we can''t build anything and no one will come to buy something or stay here. Also that means that we will have to invest as much money as possible in our city to make it strong which means that we won''t be able to invest as much in our armor, scrolls, potions and similar things. Not to mention that we will also have to invest in our dungeon to make up our lack of bonuses and objective boosts with the plan that I am keeping to myself. It will obviously need gold. And it gets really risky when we lose a dungeon run. We will lose money which will mean that we won''t be able to invest it in the city or dungeon which will make us again weaker and make losing a dungeon run again more probable. I am talking now just about the faction in general. I didn''t take how much a single person can contribute to the faction with his money, quests or something because I''m still new to the game.'''' Teruna''s face was pale. -''''We don''t have any starting capital... How do you plan pull this off? Why would you do this kind of combination if it has such problems?'''' -''''They just seem huge because you don''t use your imagination. There are a lot of things that we can bypass. Actually one of the things that I had to sacrifice to make this custom mix possible is something that is in our own interest to do.'''' Her eyebrows rose. -''''And that would be what?'''' -''''In the first two months only faction members can work in our city as specialists. That means tailors, cooks, blacksmiths, herbalists and similar professions. Technically speaking they could get assistants but you probably understand that we need to keep as much secrecy as we can get.'''' Teruna''s gaze was rapidly switching between outrage and confusion. -''''There is so much wrong with what you said I don'' even know where to start...'''' He interrupted her. -''''Let me be a gentleman then and make this easier for you. You probably think that it doesn''t make any sense that we are limiting ourselves to faction members for specialists, but you understand that we can''t openly recruit either even if the restriction wasn''t there. Also all our members except you and me are kids. I think that the only answer to that is us learning how to run this town on our own. The kids will soon learn how to do things and I''m sure that you have hidden talents for some jobs, plus I''m sure that if we keep them in line they will learn fast.'''' Teruna swayed her head and nodded finally. -''''Lets accept that, but how do you...'''' He interrupted her again with a cunning smile on his face. -''''How do I plan to found a city which wants to keep as much secrecy as possible? I have some ideas but I admit that it will be the trickiest thing of all. Also there might be a few restrictions that I put upon ourselves that play right into our hands.''''
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Alteration Chapter 6 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake slowly walked across a rough path as he approached a settlement. It was a village which laid in the middle of a valley surrounded by refreshingly green mountains which were packed with lively, clear streams and a vibrant forest that made calming rustling sounds when the wind blew and startled it''s leaves. All the streams flew into one river in the middle of the valley and continued to lands Blake was not acquainted with as he came out of the forest which was in the opposite direction. The village he was heading to laid on the place where the streams joined into one river that separated three parts of it, two which were brimming with life, clatter,shouts and other common sounds and the other which was much quieter giving the impression of peace... which was sometimes interrupted by violent flashes or weird sounds. The falling sun painted the whole scenery into a orange tone and made the place look like a master piece of a fine painter. The impression was further deepened by the general look of the village which was beautiful. A few water mills, each on another stream that flew into the river, slowly spun and diligently turned the cogs and wheels inside. All the buildings where clean and looked after, as none was in a crumbling state. The big fields which were in the north-east were full of growing plants and many farmers could still be seen doing this and that. It looked like the west part of the village was used mostly by merchants and traders which were either making the last deals of the day or already packing their things and leaving the stands. This all was just a part of the beauty but Blake couldn''t see much more from his position near the north-west check point where the guards kept an eye on who enters the village. He was also far too deep in his thoughts to care. He just focused on the path right in front of him and went through his plan again in fear of forgetting something. It wasn''t a complicated plan but he liked to revise something when he was nervous. He took a deep breath and walked to the check point which consisted of two guards that protected the entrance to the village, an opening in a wooden construction which looked like a mixture of a wall and a fence, but couldn''t be called neither. Blake put a strained smile on his face and greeted the guards. -''''Good evening.'''' One guard looked at Blake''s face and after not finding anything suspicious he grunted and gestured Blake to go one. The other which seemingly did nothing loosened the grip on his weapon and also stepped aside while greeting Blake. -'''' Evening traveller and welcome to Jedoron. The tavern is located in the middle part of the city if you wish to get a room. Simply follow the left most stream that flows into the river and I mean left according to the direction you are facing now, just to be clear.'''' After hearing the guard out Blake thanked him sincerely for the information and went into the city. I wonder what they do to suspicious people? They simply don''t let them pass or...? A faint smile appeared on his face. Now that this actually started I''m much calmer and more collected, I even immediately found out where the tavern is. It wouldn''t have been a problem either way but still... He stopped for a few moments and marveled the liveliness in this settlement. He was standing just at the start of the marketplace and he saw people coming and going, buying and selling, smiling and yelling. The river slowly flew to the north checkpoint, where Blake came from, with some fish jumping out of it occasionally and soothing him with it''s deep rumble. This really is another world. Everything around me is real... He shook his head and started to look around himself. I have to stay focused. There will be enough time later for admiring. He found what he was looking for nearly instantly and headed there while he forced a smile on his lips. His destination was a stand with an overabundance of wares. An older well-rounded man stood next to it while polishing his glasses. -'''' Good day sir.'''' Blake stood in front of the older merchant politely smiling. The older man put his glasses on after one final rub smiled widely to Blake and extended his hands to the stand. -''''Good day boy! What can I do for you? Take a look.'''' Better get rid of that increased price, good thing Teruna warned me. Blake inspected the stand with feigned interest and sometimes picked up items which looked like they aren''t as common as the others. -'''' You have an impressive selection of items here. Where did you get the rare items? Also your care of the wares is impressive. You wouldn''t believe some merchants... they just get their hands on as many items as they can but let them rot after it is in their stores. Thankfully I came to this settlement, I nearly gave up and bought items of inferior quality because of the urgency of my quest.'''' This is quite obvious but I''m fairly sure that it will do. The merchant chuckled . -''''It is true that my selection is an impressive one but I''m not as confident to say that I take better care of my wares than others, you must have come across a really terrible merchant.'''' He slowly walked to the back side of the stand where merchants usually stood. A slight smile was on his face and he inquired what Blake''s intentions are. -''''Are you just looking around or do you want to buy something son? Flattering is quite nice but coins are better.'''' Blake glanced at the merchant. He liked it well enough. I guess that it will remove the stranger price increase. The state of this world is quite messed up if merchants sell things at a higher price to travellers and only their acquaintances and people that live in the same settlement get items for a normal price. There must be quite some tension between factions and even separate settlement for this to occur. On the other hand the relations of people that are on the same side are probably better as they feel connected in a way. Good thing that I got rid of this nuisance with the human race perk and a little bonus effort. He cleared his throat and started talking while reaching with one hand into his bag. -''''Well I do want to buy but I''d rather sell something first.'''' The merchant''s brows rose but his smile remained intact. -''''Oh, in whatever sequence you want. Now show what you got for me.'''' The merchant rubbed his hands full of anticipation and carefully looked at the armor which Blake pulled out of his bag, piece by piece. A smirk crept on Blake''s face as he saw the reactions of the merchant in the corner of his eye while he pulled the pieces out. He really doesn''t try to keep a poker face, does he? I guess that means that he is a honest guy who does this because he likes it and not because he wants to get rich quickly and scam people. The expression of the merchant changed quickly from interested to disappointed when he saw what Blake started to pull out, but a few pieces later a satisfied expression appeared on his face. The last item was pulled out with a *thud* and Blake started to organise them in front of the merchant. -''''You probably already noticed but I still want it to be clear. Here are 5 starting armor sets, not even one piece is missing from any set.'''' The merchant shook his head. -''''You fooled me there for a second sonny. I thought you only brought bits and pieces of the low quality junk, but whole sets... now that''s another thing. It is a bother to sell separate pieces but a set can easily be sold to new adventurers who are looking for their first armor and were to lazy to hunt in the tutorial stage. So, do you have a price in mind?'''' Blake froze and quickly tried to cover it up so that the merchant doesn''t notice. Is he offering me to banter? I don''t even have the stat that is needed for it! I guess that he thinks that I have some idea about trading or he is just trying to be nice and give me a chance to get a better price if I know how... or get a worse price because I have no idea. -''''I will leave it to you. I''m sure that you are a fair man who wouldn''t try to cheat me.'''' I hope.. .I got rid of the stranger handicap but there are so many other variables here that could cause me to get a bad prize...Well for selling at least. The elderly merchant tapped his chin. -''''Hmm... I think that two silvers and ten coppers would be a suitable price for the five sets.'''' Now lets see how much I can do with that. He extended his arm to the merchant and they shook hands. -''''Deal. Now lets proceed to the buying part.'''' The merchant just pointed with his arms at some wares and tried to guess what Blake wants, visibly in a good mood. -''''So, what will it be? Potions, ingredients, information about local hunting grounds? Maybe a nice shield so that you can block better the wolves that lurk near Jedoron. Oh, oh maybe a nice Larukan leaf so you get immunity against the poison of the pesky Sporrens?'''' -''''Actually I need paper and ink. Could I see what sorts you have?'''' I should note that thing about the Sporrens. The merchant looked a bit disappointed but quietly walked to a little cupboard which was hidden under the stand. -''''Huh, alright. I didn''t imagine you being a scribe or artist. What quality do you want?'''' He came back with a few pieces of paper and ink vials in his hands. -''''The ink can be cheap and for the paper... it has to be sturdy not thin. It doesn''t matter if it is rougher because of that.'''' The merchant left a vial on the stand while bringing the other back to the cupboard. He then put the pieces of paper on the stand and compared their texture with quick, knowing touches and compared prices. A few moments later he brought nearly all back to their original storing place and left two on the stand. -''''I have two sorts that could suit you. One cost 61 coppers each and the other 25, but it''s really quite rough.'''' Here''s an easy decision. -''''I''ll have that cheaper one then. How much does the ink cost?'''' -''''A vial with four charges costs hundred coppers. The quality of the ink is really bad, consider yourself warned.'''' Blake lightly smiled, this time honestly. Now here''s a kind merchant. -''''That''s kind of you, but don''t worry. I am aware of the quality. Now for the quantity... Give me fourty pieces of paper and ten ink vials.'''' The merchant looked himwith surprise in his eyes. -''''Sure, gimme a second. Mind if I inquire what you''ll do with so much ink and paper?'''' A cat like smile spread on Blake''s face. -''''Oh nothing in particular. Better to have more things that I need than less, right?'''' The merchant chuckled. -''''I like that. Business would go quite better if people had that attitude, but don''t think that I''m dull. If you don''t want to say what you''ll do with that then it''s fine with me. This all will cost two silvers.'''' Blake extended his arm, gave the merchant two silver coins and got the wares in return. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Very rough paper Paper which is quite thick and not suitable for anything with artistic value or any other kind of value. The paper is quite rough so it will endure conditions in which normal paper would tear. It wasn''t stored in optimal conditions. Inscribing has a 15% chance to fail.[br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Questionable ink vial 4x charges The ink was made by mixing various cheap substances and has a chance of ruining paper of 20%. The chance can change depending on the material it is used on. [br][/br][/col][/box] Well the easy part is now done. They shook hands. Might as well get the name of the merchant. -''''Pleasure doing business with you mister...?'''' -''''Just call me Jim. If you find yourself in need of some items again in the future feel free to come back.'''' That''s a bit questionable but there''s one more thing that I need to know before I can continue with my plan. -''''Sure I will. Umm... Is there a library here somewhere?'''' Jim took a map of the city out of the pouch and pointed out where the library was. -''''Thanks, bye!'''' -''''Don''t mention it. Bye!'''' He parted with the merchant after these words and swiftly approached the library. After a few minutes of walking, the rows of stands ended and he noticed a bridge. I have to cross the bridge now I think. The bridge was located not far from the place two bigger streams joined. Little streams were also locate here and there but the two joining streams were by far the biggest. Blake enjoyed the view for a few moments and then headed again to the library. The area he now entered was quite different from the previous one. It was full of houses and workshops, also the sounds that he heard were bubbling, strikes with the hammer and similar work related ones. Even the air wasn''t the same. It smelled of smoke, various dishes and fumes Blake couldn''t recognise. Seems like I found the Craftmen'' area. He started to walk a bit slower as he looked at the blacksmith which just finished with his work and yelled at his apprentices to do some chores. Many weapons could be seen from the outside and Blake looked fascinatedly at them as most weren''t finished. He must have stared longer than he intented because the blacksmith noticed and waved to him. -''''Do you see something you like boy? Don''t be shy, come and try some weapons out! They are cheaper when you buy them directly here than if you get them from merchants. Or are you just interested to see how weapons and armor are made? It''s a true art, you know?'''' People here are quite friendly. I guess that not everyone is sceptical towards strangers. He wanted to answer that he actually was interested but had no time. There was only one problem, no words came out. He tried to say something but no matter how much he tried he remained silent. What is happening with me?! He slowly examined his throat with a hand but as expected everything was fine, but that just made him panic more. After a few moments he remembered that the blacksmith was still there and he pointed to his mouth with his finger. The blacksmith had a confused expression for a few moments but understanding dawned after a second. -''''You can''t talk right? Don''t panic! It''s because of the fumes that come from the herbalist''s brewery. He must work on the Monster bat bane formula that disables the sonic attacks or something like that. Just keep walking and the fume concentration will reduce to a bearable level, as you see I can still talk because I''m further away. Also feel free to come back wether it''s as a customer or apprentice, I have use for both.'''' Wow, that scared me quite a bit. I should get used to all these things and keep in mind that I''m not in my own world. Good that the blacksmith explained what was happening, it would be quite annoying if my plan got held back because of such a small thing. Now, how can I express gratitude without being able to say something? He gave the blacksmith a thumbs up and smile before walking away. It might have looked a bit goofy, but it''s better than being impolite. Blake quickly made some distance between him and the buidling where the weird fumes came out. He also tested his voice every now and then, but it looked like it needed some time to wear off. The other buildings flew by as he wasn''t that concentrated on looking around anymore but he still caught the name signs every now and then. ''''Weaving&Sewing'''', ''''Tivers tinkery'''', ''''Geology ground''''. Silly names... And what is it with the library?! Is it on the other side of the settlement or what? Just as he started to get iritated a big building came into his line of sight and soothed him. Finally! It was literaly the second last bulding in this area...Well better get this over with. He slowly walked into the older looking, gray building. It had a big sculpture of an opened book over the portal and various other decoration which consisted of carvings in the wooden floor of the building. Some were showing past events but Blake couldn''t determine it it was actuall history or legend as everything was possible here. The rest were carvings which couldn''t be described easily, they looked like a mixture of letters and a masterfully done picture. He slowly walked and admired the carvings whose meaning was beyond him when he noticed an arrow which pointed to a big sign on the wall. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Do not send us your complaints If you don''t have the concentration to walk here without tripping over the indentations, then you also don''t have the concentration to read a book properly and you should come back when you do. [br][/br][/col][/box] How amusing, a librarian with attitude. I wonder how many complaints he must have gotten to feel like this sign is needed. He sat down on a nearby chair and put the ink vials and paper on the table. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Library It is silent and offers a lot of knowledge gather throught many years. +5% reading speed +10% inscribing success rate Offers more bonuses to bards, scholars, scribes, researchers and other similar classes. You didn''t recieve any special bonus. [br][/br][/col][/box] Good, I already started to wonder when the effect will kick in. He took a quill which could be usually found in libraries, prepared to let the customers take some notes. Frowning he started to draw something on the paper. It seemed like a symbol or a foreign letter. He needed a lot of time but after half an hour all the papers had the same symbol sketched on them with exception of those which were ruined because of the side effect of the bad quality paper and ink. Well now I have 29 pieces of paper with the rune, this will suffice for some time. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]29x Suspicious mystery paper Cheap looking paper with a magic rune inscribed in it. It''s effects are unknown. [br][/br][/col][/box] NowI''ll have to be carefull. One mistake is enough to ruin the whole plan... He took a vial filled with water and a cloth out his bag. My hand has to be steady now, the cloth just needs to be a bit moist not dripping wet. He poured a bit of water over the cloth and then proceeded to squeeze it out. He quickly glanced around himself, but he was alone in this section so he didn''t have to worry about unwanted witnesses. After wringing out as much water as he could he slowly started to tapp the first paper he wrote the rune on with the cloth. The ink should be dry enough and this is just moist so it won''t tear or wash the ink off hopefully. All of the 29 pieces of Suspicious mystery paper recieved the same treatment after which Blake spread them across the table. He slowly rose out of his seat and again checked his surroundings. Good, I''m alone here. Better do this swiftly. Blake extended his right hand so that it hovers 30 centimeters above the table. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes. Now concentrate. Focus on the hand. Imagine the size and the temperature. Don''t let your thoughts wander. Just as I planned... Blake opened his eyes and whispered. -''''Lava orb'''' He didn''t let the orb grow to it''s usual size and left a safe distance between it and the table. His arm slowly glided above the table from left to right while consantly minding the distance. The moist pieces of paper slowly started to dry and they deformed and wrinkled up as they did. The ink also weakend on some places but it was mostly intact. So far so good. He poured water again over the cloth and repeated the process from before. When every piece was moist again he took a pouch out of his bag and carefully took a bit of the content in his hand. Now I just have to sprinkle this over it. He slowly started to shake the dirt out of his hand and made thin layers of it on the pieces of paper. The small layers also moistened on contact. Better stop now. The layers shouldn''t be too thick. Blake then proceeded to pick each and every piece up snd blow as much dirt off it as he could and then shake it off. That resulted that most of the layers fell off but some traces firmly remained where the dirt really moistened up and stuck to the paper. The runes were still visible, but it was a bit harder to recognise their exact shape because of the dirt. And now for the last time. -''''Lava orb'''' The paper started to dry up again and it deformed much more than the first time, also the thin layer of remaining dirt dried and encrusted the paper making it look brownish but still not overcoating the ink. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]29x Mystery artifacts [FORGED] Very old paper with a magic rune on it. It looks ancient and and it''s effects are unknown. It has endured harsh enviroments throughout the years and that has left traces on it. Intermediate Identification needed to reveal the forgery. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]New stat acquired: Cunningness[br][/br][/col][/box] I''ll have to make sure that my targets don''t have a high level. If this gets revealed it could get quite ugly. He checked again surroundings again and started to take his armor off. And now the main part... He stored his pure black armor in the bag and changed into Traveller robes. Just as he finished putting it on screams were heard in the library. -''''What is happening?!'''' -''''GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF NOW! HELP!'''' -''''WHAT KIND OF DAMN MAGIC IS THIS?!'''' What the... Many people stormed to the exit of the library with books stuck to their bodies. Some people just had a book or two on their hands and were trying to shake them off while other had many more books on places like their knees, belly and one even had a open book on his head making him unable to see. Needless to say the panicking also varied. Only one person seemed to be unaffected and he was probably the librarian because he screamed at the people which were running out. -''''THESE BOOKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE LIBRARY! YOU DON''T HAVE THE PERMISSION TO TAKE THEM OUT! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!'''' Blake stood perfectly still watching all of them go out. ...Just as I start to think that nothing can surprise me anymore... this happens... He needed a few moments to gather his thoughts then he took his papers and also started to head out. He just glanced for a second back to the table. I don''t really have time to clean the dirt off the floor. Well I blew it off so it probably got scattered and isn''t that noticable. He left the library and continued walking in the direction he walked previously. I don''t think that I need to get back. I would have seen it if it was back in that direction. He didn''t have to walk long to see that the building type changed. He wasn''t surrounded by workshops and laboratories. They were replaced by family houses and occasional small shops like bakeries and similar. It should be here somewhere. As he looked for something he came to a big plaza which was filled with people. Everywhere he looked there were musicians, jugglers, show mages and the like. Huge crowds of people formed and watched them in awe. He usually liked such tricks and artists but he was obviously to busy to stop and watch. He just continued walking and wanted to put the plaza behind him. Just as he nearly exited a fountain entered his sight. It was skilfully crafted and very pleasant to see. Well a quick look won''t hurt. The fountain consisted of three levels. The bottom one was where all the water fell. It had carvings of various malicious looking monsters on it. It was wholly covered in carvings, a real monster army, and the water which fell in it made waves making the carvings seemingly alive and moving. The second level consisted of a raised part that had small statues of warriors on the edges. The statues were made incredibly detailed and showed the emotions of the warriors which made a circle facing the monsters as they seemingly marched at them. Their expressions were fierce and full of determination. The last level was made of many unarmed people which were in the middle of the circle made of warriors. Together they held a big artistic bowl high in the air from which the water came. Blake skimmed through the text which was written on a sign next to the fountain. So it''s name is Benefactor fountain.The money people throw in goes to the poor and there are rumors that it brings good luck. Blake smirked bitterly. Typicall, people can''t even be charitable without hoping for something in return. Pah, pathetic. Too bad that I have just 10 coppers left, but it''s better than nothing. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. With that Blake threw the coins in and left the plaza. Just as he entered a nearby street he noticed a big crowd in front of a building. They were all in a superb mood and not few were even drunk. The building had an opened barrel and a full cup of beer as a logo and it''s name was ''''The Drunk Innkeeper''''. Found it. Now, I wonder if this has a back door? He circled the building and soon found a small alley behind the inn where he also noticed the back door. He nearly missed it because of the nightfall, but loud singing could be heard from inside so it made it considerably easier. Perfect. -''''Faction leader mode. On!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Faction leader mode activated Questi giving available Quest rewarding available +5000 Notoriety (can be concleaned through anonimity) Constructing available Faction reputation statistics available Faction point statistics available Go to Full list of added options for more[br][/br][/col][/box] Now I appear to be a NPC. I just have to stick to what we practiced and what we prepared. He slowly opened the back door and entered the inn. The room he found himself in was dark and probably used for storage as many things just laid around. There was no light so Blake slowly sought the door to the main part of the inn while orienting himselft with the loud noises. After a few bumbs in nearby things he finally found the doorknob. He slowly turned it and carefully entered. Blake found himself in a dim lit room with loud noises coming from everywhere. A band played some music while some players and NPCs danced or joined the melody with their, usually drunken, singing. Looks like it''s rush hour here. The whole room was packed full and Blake just barely moved through the crowd. All the players were now relaxing in the inn and had a blast. They danced, sang, some did party tricks and demonstrated the beautiful part of magic,which resulted a few times in small fires that had to be extinguished. As Blake came closer to the bar he even saw a brawl or two in a corner. Music, tricks, merry singing, brawls... I can''t decide if I love it or hate it. A man appeared from another room in the inn with three barrels attached to a metal belt he was wearing. He was yelling with all his power. -''''FREE BEER. The inn made another 15 Gold coins. Come on take it while it''s still here. FREE BEER FOR EVERYONE.'''' The whole inn boomed with yells of happiness and the good mood from a second ago couldn''t even compare. -''''OOOAAHHH.'''' The man was suprisingly agile considering that he was wearing three barrels full of bear. He even made spins effortlessy as he refilled the kegs of nearby peopel that held them up in the air. This is ridiculousy funny even for a simple bystander. Ah the mood here is simply great. I can imagine this being nice when you don''t have the time to go out and still want to have some fun with friends. I wonder how alcholol effects you here. I could try to pickpocket someone now that everyone is distracted and drunk. Even better if they relax now after a difficult dungeon then their inventory will be full of... Blake nearly got overrun by the mob that came running to the bar. The wave of people that came was so big that dodging was out of the question. He simply joined them and found himself a second later pressed against the bar and his ears ringing with the jolly and impatient screams of the mob. -''''GIVE ME A KEG!'''' The people that were just chatting on the tables without a drink wanted to get a keg as quickly as possible so that they take part in the 15 Gold event. The innkeeper waited behind the bar with with a smug smile. -'''' Quiet! Gentlemen, please calm down! Kegs alone cannot be purchased, you will have to order an actual drink. And don''t forget, if you have a room you get a 15% discount on everything!'''' Ohh this is a great marketing strategy if people take the bait. The mob now screamed out many different drinks and the innkeeper did his best to keep up with the piling requests. Hook ,line and sinker... Are they even aware how much money this generates? This is probably more than enough to compensate for the three barrels. Just as he thought that the man with the barrel belt yells out. -''''AAND THE LAST ONE IS EMPTY! SEE YOU SOON!'''' He held the barrel high above his head and tilted it to one side to show that it''s really empty. The mood remained suprisingly intact even after he left. The people still wanted more drinks because everyone else was also doing it and they wanted in on the fun. The crowd on the bar started to disappear and transfer back to the tables and stage. I guess that I can continue now. Blake sat on a chair in front of the bar and ordered two beers. -''''Sigh...'''' Now I''ll have to test my acting abilities. Blake looked sadly at nothing in particular and sighed every now and then. His head was down and he played a bit with the kegs that just came. It will work beter if one keg is already empty I think. Blake downed the keg and continued to looked exhausted and depressed. Wait... How will I pay this? His eyes widened and he started to think about his options. What now? Do I sneak out and hope that I don''t get caught? The keeper isn''t even 2 meters away from me. I''m not sure what happens to thieves here but I can''t imagine that it''s pleasant... Wait... I''m NPCish right now. What happens to thieving NPCs? This isn''t jail worthy but I could get beat up and I would like to avoid that because I''m fairly certainI didn''t change the Pain options... Maybe I can sell some Items that I have left to a player so I can pay the drinks. But I don''t have any interesting item and the people here don''t really look interested in... A man in light leather armor sat next to Blake. -''''What''s the matter? Something troubling you?'''' Blake noticed the young man only when he spoke up. -''''Huh?'''' The man laughed up and continued calmly. -''''You look very upset. I just wondered if you wanted to share the story with good company and a nice drink. I''ll take care of the last two things and only the story part is up to you. You might feel better.'''' Well upset wasn''t what I was aiming for but who am I to nagg about such a fortunate outcome. Blake sighed again. -''''I don''t think that my story is an interesting one. I''m just overwhelmed by my master''s requests. Also there is no need for you to get me a drink I still have a keg left...'''' The man''s smile broadened. Good, he understood. A NPC which is troubled by too many requests,ah I wonder what that means. -''''Then I will pay for your drinks at least. And let me be the judge wether your story interests me or not.'''' Blake had to concentrate hard not to smirk. This is going better than I expected. Now I should better ask the mighty traveller to help the poor me. Ah, it''s such a blast to be a NPC. He took a sip of beer and glanced quickly at the young man. He is around my age I think... maybe a little bit older. Black hair, not really strong looking leather armor, a bow with some sigils on it... He probably started a while ago, but it doesn''t seem like he is a high level user. Perfect. -''''I am a merchant''s apprentice, you see? And my master loaded me with thirteen requests and they all needed to be done in two weeks. I managed to do nine, but I have only three days left.There is no way that I can do all in time... I''m doomed to fail and my master will degrade me to a stable boy...again...'''' Keep a straight face Blake. Do not smile! Think about serious things! This is for the factions benefit... Ah I simply have too much fun. The man nodded as he heard Blake out and glanced a few time in the direction of the tables. -''''I could help you out with these agendas. Could you tell me what is left to do?'''' Blake tried to discreetly take a look in the direction the man glanced. A group of four player sat there. They consisted of mages and heavy armored warriors but he couldn''t determine anything more because the room wasn''t that well lit. Hmm if this is his party and he''s a team player... this just gets better and better. I should do some quick modifications. Blake swiftly opened a window with his right hand and put it on his thigh so that it looks like he nervously taps as he does the modifications. Meanwhile he used the left hand to sipp his beer and buy time. -''''Well the most difficult thing for me is the Vigor Aquanet thing... I can''t do it alone and mercenaries are out of the question because I''m broke.'''' A window appeared in front of the young man. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Retrieve at least 15 L Vigor Aquanet liquid. You met an exhausted merchant''s apprentice who was tasked to do some chores. He mentioned to you that his master needs lots of Vigor Aquanet liquid. Time left: 3 days Rewards: +85 intimacy with the merchant''s apprentice +15 reputation with Merchant caravan + 250 experience + a random item the apprentice finds in a storeroom. [br][/br][/col][/box] The man tapped once on the window. -''''I''ll help you, my friends will too.'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]+1 Influence Faction point[br][/br][/col][/box] Blake saw the quest windows that appeared to the man''s party because he was the quest giver. -''''Thank you very much kind stranger. You will save me if you manage to do it in time, but I''m from a southern family so I would like you and your friends to do something with me.'''' The man looks with a curious look at Blake. -'''' What would that be? Also, my name is Glon.'''' -''''Ah, it''s just a little tradition for bringing luck. Here.'''' Blake took five pieces of paper out of his bag and handed them to Glon. -''''One for everyone who does the quest. You burn it and it brings good luck supposedly tho it didn''t help me much with the asignments. But you take every help you can get, right?'''' Glon patted him on the back. -''''Hey, maybe it was this ritual that influenced me to help, you never know. And you are right it can''t harm. Also where will we be able to find you?'''' Blake smiled and stood up from his seat while gulping the last remains of the beer down. -''''Oh that... I''ll be near the forest so you head in that direction and I''ll be sure pay attention if you approach. Good, lets do the ritual now. There is the hearth.'''' Glon also told his friends to come and after a few moments of explaining everyone took a piece of Blake''s paper and burned it in the hearth. A window appeard in front of each one. Blake glanced at it. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Luck +5 (lasts 24 hours) [br][/br][/col][/box] Good. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]+1 Shadiness Faction point[br][/br][/col][/box] Glon and his companions muttered something among themselves but Blake could only overhear bits and pieces. -''''....Bad rewards... our direction.... Why Vigor Aqua... useless... bad transport... worse effects... lethal... taste..? Don''t care...'''' Well they do seem confused, but according to their faces and mood it doesn''t look like they will decline it after accepting already. The group slowly dispersed and only Glon was left, who invited Blake on another drink. Is he trying to raise Intimacy through drinks? So he wants another quest, huh? Another two kegs of beer landed in front of them. -'''' Well I''m glad that we will be able to help you. Who is your master? He seems like a quite merciless person..'''' Nice thinking. Talking bad about someones enemy brings usually many plus points. -''''He is a man whose name I dare not reveal when bad mouthing him. He has quite some influence but doesn''t like it to be known. Power can be used best when people don''t know you have it.'''' -''''He sounds like a dangerous man... It would be quite bad if you fail his test, wouldn''t it? If you tell me another one of your agendas we could make sure that you manage to do everyting on time.'''' Blake fidgeted uncomfortably. -''''It wouldn''t be fair to shamelessly use such a kind stranger as yourself. No, the task I gave you is more than enough to help me out.'''' I hope that this won''t backfire... Glon waved his hand. -''''No, no. A master giving his apprentice an impossible task isn''t fair, also this is just the right thing to distract me from something. You would be doing me a favour, really.'''' Oh, you have no idea... -''''Well if it really isn''t a big bother... it''s true that help with another task would relieve the pressure. I would have then enough time to do the rest of the tasks alone.'''' Glon smiled and urged Blake to continue. -''''Then by all means, say what I can do!'''' I wonder if you''ll be able to pull it off... -''''One of the tasks that is left is to find a plant which can grow anywhere and change according to it''s enviorment. He didn'' actually say that it has to be a specific one, but I know that he desires Hederam.'''' I didn''t really think that I would be able to get rid of this quest too, so I didn''t actually think of what the reward will be... better make something up now. A window appeared in front of Glon after Blake made a few last second changes on his unfinished request. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Acquire a plant for the troubled apprentice A young apprentice needs a resistant plant which can grow anywhere and change according to it''s enviorment. The reccomended plant is Hederam. Time: 3 days Rewards: +100 Intimacy with the merchant''s apprentice +Mystery reward which depends on what Plant you bring back and in what state it is. [br][/br][/col][/box] Glon read the text in a flash and shook hands with Blake. -''''I will try to get my hands on a plant that has these atributes. Now, excuse me. I need to go.'''' He stood up, paid for them both and left the inn. Blake sat for a few more minutes enjoying the ambient and laughing smugly. This went fairly well if I may say so myself. I wonder if he''ll be able to locate the plant in three days... He stood out of his chair with a smile on his face and headed out of the inn the same way he came in, though the back door. He just got out of the building and in the little alley. Oh, Faction leader mode is still active. -''''Faction leader mode, off!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Faction leader mode disabled. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake then cheerfully headed towards the South check point and looked at everything around himself with great interest, because he wasn''t tense anymore. There were fewer buildings as he continued to go ahead, but he didn''t mind. There were even more people who were walking around here. Most were farmers that were going to the bar and they were all in a good mood, joking and talking with each other. He couldn''t help himself but smile when he saw some players jumping off the bridge in the deep river and then racing to see who''s the fastest. I should try that out next time I''m here.I wonder if Alteration has the similarity to games that the supposed NPcs tell you the latest news. After that thought Blake stopped a few of the farmers and chatted with them. They were mostly normal coversations, but he did get to know the newest information. I don''t have much use for it right now, but it can probably be handy if I return here for one reason or the other. Better note it. He activated the Notebook window and put the most important pieces of information in it. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]-sale at the Smoking leaf -complaints about seeing monsters more often east of the town -farmer Willams is looking for helping hands -rumors about the hard initiation rituals of the Arcane forest (mage area) [br][/br][/col][/box] After a while he didn''t seem to get out more relevant information, but then he noticed that the new people that were coming in his direction were all nervous and fidgety. After inquiring some farmer what happened he found out that there is a guard uproar and that they are looking everywhere for a monster which is supposedly in town, but no one has seen it and the guards don''t even know how it looks like. I have a baad feeling... He hurriedly finished the conversation and quickly headed for the checkpoint. Now that he was nervous he paid better attention to his surroundings and really saw guards every now and then questioning people and patroling the streets. Oh here''s a back alley, maybe I can slip... Just as Blake turned to enter the alley a heavy arm landed on his shoulder. He turned and saw a middle aged guard and a young female mage of a race unknown to him. A window popped up in front of him. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Mondarians A nocturnal race. They have pale skin and, usually, brightly white hair, but blue, light green and some other aren''t that rare either. Their homeland is the south kingdom Logonud. They are very sensitive to the sun, but it isn''t actually dangerous for them. Their Aura Sense is widely renowed because they have inborn talent for it. Go to Race bonuses for more info. [br][/br][/col][/box] The guard was tense and the mondarian looked at Blake with a cold gaze. After a second he mondarian spoke up. -''''Excuse us sir but we would like to ask you a few questions, do you mind?'''' Blike smiled awkwardly to the made. -''''Oh no, not at all. Go ahead.'''' I don''t really have any choice. My only hope is that the monster business has nothing to do with me... -''''Did you notice anything that was out of the ordinary?'''' Like what? -''''Umm, not really.'''' The mage clicked with her tongue. -''''And where did you get that robe?'''' I have a feeling that lying would be quite useful here. Blake looked at them puzzled. -''''I found it today in some alley. It was discarded, but that happens often when higher users don''t need something? They discard it to free the space and they also leave it for a low level user.'''' The mondarian looked at him with interest. -''''It is true, that behaviour isn''t rare but I feel a faint monster aura on it. Where exactly did you find it? The monster probably killed a player and the armor dropped. Quickly, give us your armor so that it doesn''t interfer further investigations!'''' Did she say player? He glanced at the text over her head. Oh looks like she is a user or at least a part of this world which is cloaked as a user. The mondarian extended her hand. Well this went in an unexpected direction... Lets see if I can get some profit out of it. He put a troubled expression on. -''''I found this, why should I have to hand it over? Does this robe really interfere so much with your powers? Also it was some small alley in the middle part, I''m not sure where anymore.'''' The mage was visibly irritated and took a coin out of her pocket. -''''Here, I''ll give you 1 Silver for your armor. That''s a good deal.'''' Blake shook his head. -''''I will go grind in the forest now and travell to another city. Everything is prepared and the vendors have just closed their stalls. I would have to wait an entire day to buy new armor and I really don''t want that.'''' She sighed and started to dig through her bag. -''''This will get rid of that problem.'''' She held a little staff that was the size of a walking stick in the air. It was quite broad and black as coal. The upper part was artistically carved. The top was divided in four quarters that were broader than the rest and they were extended in the upper and lower direction in a wavelike appearance. Just beneath the four broader quarters there were little carved in lines that were the only decoration except the upper part. What is this? Some hybrid of a walking stick, mace and sculpture? The mondarian probably guessed what he was thinking and answered. -''''This is an Epic low level item. I was just going through some artifacts and found this worthless one. Well for me it''s like that, but it could be quite good for you. If you use it properly then you will be able to survive even without armor. Although I said that this is worthless for me I mean it as a weapon. It''s still an artifact so it could be sold at quite a price to the right collector, but I don''t have the patience to seek them out nor do I have the patience to keep persuading you. This is a superb deal so give me that damn armor and let me do my job!'''' My, my... Someone has anger issues. I wonder if she''ll regret this deal when the monsterhunt doesn''t find anything. -''''Ok, deal. I''m sorry for the bother.'''' Blake gave his armor away and the mage gave him the Epic item in return. -''''Yeah, yeah. That''s all, you may go.'''' The guard and mage walked away. A few seconds later the guard tripped loudly and probably painfully on a stone block which was sticking out. These guards are as nimble as a rock. The mondarian pulled the guard back up and gave him a few sharp remarks. Now lets check the item. -''''Identification!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Identification failed. [br][/br][/col][/box] Well she did say it was an Epic item, but also that''s a low level one so I should be able to pull this off. -''''Identification!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Identification failed. [br][/br][/col][/box] After another five tries Identification finally succeeded. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Cinder rain staff A piece of wood which was made with the finest Muring that can be seen around Borcena. It''s projectiles are extremely accurate and have a huge range. The projectile speed is also praiseworthy. Sadly the maker of this staff made a fundamental mistake and used a piece of wood with a miniscule Storing potential. It is said that he went insane after he realised his mistake which costed him a year of his life. Range: 2000m Damage: 15 fire damage Recharge time: 2 seconds +10 Intellect +5 Wisdom Mana cost: 40[br][/br][/col][/box] Why hello there... This is an amazing item, but better hurry out before anything else can happen. He headed to the South check point again and his thoughts were going haywire. Was it a mistake to give them the armor? I mean it''s now obvious that Faction leader mode made me look like a monster aurawise, but I couldn''t simply say no, could I? They would have gotten suspicious after such a magnificent deal... Oh, I hope that the aura traces can''t be used for anything...I''ll have to be more careful in the future. Blake passed the South checkpoint and left Jedoron.
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Alteration Chapter 7 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** An old forest bathed in moonlight stood in complete silence. Only occasionally a rustle,caused by a weak breeze, would interfere with the absolute stillness. Nothing could be heard beneath the trees and nothing could be seen, except some shadows that appeared for a moment and were gone in the next, unclear if they were made up by imagination or reality. The air was fresh and clean, enriched with subtle whiffs of fallen leaves, grass and wood. The trees which were scattered everywhere weren''t tall but very broad and strong with big, thick roots. Some were visible on the surface but even more were hidden deep bellow the surface. Some roots, combined with the uneven dirt, formed small hallows. Such a hallow was used by a certain new adventurer which breathed heavily and peeked every now and then out to checked his surroundings. Ugh I must calm myself. It would be quite bad if my heavy breathing alarmed them... *shudder* Why did I choose this ground just because it was the nearest beginner area?! I should have gathered some information about the place before... maybe about the general terrain, valuable grasses and, most important of all, what kind of abominations lurk in it! Why didn''t I just pick Lorasawa''s forest for level gaining? It would have taken a bit longer to get there, but I would have fought against Wild dogs and not these creatures that look like they emreged out of a really weird, disturbing nightmare... He carefully peeked out again and checked his surroundings. Looks like I''m safe here. How much longer do I have to wait? He whispered as silently as possible. -''''Current status.'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level 2 Health: 56% Mana: 87%[br][/br][/col][/box] Looks like the herbs which I gathered did their job, but I burned through eight Medical herbs way too fast.I thought that it would suffice for the whole night, not four hours... Well I regained a solid amount of health and my mana recovered a lot. I don''t think that it would be good to just wait here for my health to regenerate on its own without the herbs'' effect. I have enough health to take on some of them if they cross my path. I must move and hope to find some restoration item or some beast whose meat I can cook. Blake got out of the hallow and slowly sneaked around with his Cinder rain stuff ready. He always tried to stay in the shadows and look out for the roots so that he doesn''t trip. Slow and steady, that''s right... I hope that I''ll spot them sooner than they spot me, it was a disaster last time... I can''t believe they are even classified as beginner mobs. Their level is low but that certainly doesn''t seem to bother them. Maybe I could ambush them with enough luck this time. I''ll give it another shot before I go to any other area. I still have a lot of time before the quest end, better use it for leveling. I could make another few quests and give them to some players but I''d prefer to start a bit simpler in the beginning and see how it goes. Maybe going back and strategising with Teruna, Rose and dad would be a good idea... but if I wait until tomorrow I''ll also know the results of the quest so we would have a clearer oversight. Ah I''ll just forget everything about that for now and concentrate on hunting. Lets see what I got for now. Blake stopped and leaned against a tree while looking into his bag. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]5x Small Pieces of fur Very soft and durable petite fur. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]1x Thick branch An ordinary sturdy and broad branch. [br][/br][/col][/box] This is worth its weight in gold. Good thing I found it before it was too late... [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]13x Nuts An ordinary nut. [br][/br][/col][/box] I''m not really hungry and this could be quite good as a distraction. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]2x Miniature dagger Common Blade type: needless aesthetic indentations A small iron dagger. [br][/br][/col][/box] Digging daggers out of your thigh and arm isn''t really the way I want to get items... [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]4x Menu coris A plant used in various potions and other things[br][/br][/col][/box] Is this a coincidence or do they also do Herbalism? Maybe they use it in another way like for food. This is also the last thing that I found. Better get moving. Blake started to sneak again and slowly went from tree to tree while nervously looking around himself. I need to be concentrated, they could come out of nowhere at any time. My guard must be up at all times. He readied his staff and kept on looking around himself. The forest around him was silent and he couldn''t hear anything except his own heartbeat. *DING*DING*DING* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]A young hedgehog has requested your help[br][/br][/col][/box] -''''AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!'''' Blake was startled by the obnoxious ringing and yelled out while jumping aside. It surprised him even more because of the fact that the forest was perfectly silent so the ring seemed much louder than it actually was. He ran as quick as he could for a few seconds until he reached a new hallow. Only I can hear the window ringing, but anyone could have noticed my scream... better hide again. There is no telling how many of them heard that. After tightly squeezing himself into the hallow he put the window in front of himself and noticed a blank space where he could put in text. He had a confused expression on his face but started to slowly type. I think I remember hearing Teruna mention something like this, though the message really tells the whole story. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]What happened? [br][/br][/col][/box] A response immediately appeared on the screen. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Hunting three days in a row. Exhausted. Wanted to stop and find shelter. Think I am surrounded. Completely exhausted! Am in trouble. [br][/br][/col][/box] The cogs and wheels in Blake''s mind worked as fast as possible while he thought about the situation. According to Teruna she sent them all separately away so that they do some kind of hedgehog growing ritual. Looks like this one overexerted itself and got in a trap. But what''s with the language? Maybe it''s just trying to give as much information as possible or could it be that their language turned to this during their years of fleeing? Blake started to type fast. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Are you sure that you are completely surrounded? No way out? Yes. Describe your surroundings. Mountain. High trees in front of me. Rock wall behind me. Hear rustling sounds from everywhere and know from before that enemies near. [br][/br][/col][/box] Ugh, he is cornered. This is bad. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Who is the enemy? Beluni warriors. [br][/br][/col][/box] This doesn''t really help... Better be clear, they could attack any second Only fear is making them hesitate. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Weapons? Size? Attacks? Number? Give me anything strategically important. Hand axes, maces. Medium size, up to your waist. Hunting in groups with commanders. No ranged weapons up til now. No special abilities. Light armor, but very agile. [br][/br][/col][/box] So humanoid shaped enemies that hunt in groups and have leaders. Weird that they don''t have any ranged attack but that''s excellent for us. They also have light armor... Maybe they are some kind of savages. Well I see now what I''m dealing with, but what are my options? Blake shook his head and did his best to stay calm. First of all the current situation. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Any changes in the situation? Louder rustling. Maybe starting to prepare themselves? Hurry! What is your status? How weak are you? I''m not well. Exhausted. Three day non stop hunting. No wounds? Could you muster some strength for what''s coming? I can''t do anything without you. Maybe a few seconds of battle. Not more. Fire also weakened. Nearly extinguished. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake took a few deep breaths. I think that he has a slim chance. I can''t really evaluate the situation right with just these information but I will have to do what I can. I the enemies aren''t too smart . After another few seconds of thinking he started to type again. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Get as near to the wall as possible. Hide your weak spots if they surprisingly come up with some ranged weapons. When you see a warrior which looks differently from the other (in a way that he looks stronger or more important) charge at him with all you got and try to take him out. If they don''t have ranged weapons wait with the charge until they get close to you and then do it. Try to save up a bit of energy to make a fireball afterwards. You should fire it after you charged through the stronger looking one and gained a bit of distance. Direct the blast in the direction of the leader if he is still alive or the area with the most warriors if he isn''t. They will probably run to you in a line and that will make them more exposed than when they surrounded you. If you are lucky the blast will blow away most of your enemies or at least scare them enough to make them flee after losing their leader. [br][/br][/col][/box] Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Blake typed with everything he got and sent every sentence separately so that the cornered hedgehog gets the plan as soon as possible and has at least some kind of idea if Blake can''t send him the whole plan before the enemy attacks. And now I wait. A few minutes of Blake staring at the window passed when finally a message appeared. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Somehow made it. Executed the plan as well as I could. Many died in my fire but the rest didn''t flee. Struggled and managed to win somehow. Heavily injured. Looking for shelter. Thanks for the assistance brother. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake exhaled in relief. Good, he made it. I know that they are now protected by the rules but still... I''m kinda glad I pulled him through that one. A window appeared in front of Blake. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Helping request finished You will receive a part of the consequences. You gained 15% experience from some of the kills (3): + 1878 You gained an item which was dropped: Wolf teeth necklace You gain an item the hedgehog found: Red apple You gained an item which was dropped: Medium health potion Received a percentage based Health reduction. 00:05 [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake''s face froze when he read the last sentence. A small timer was bellow the whole message. Uh oh... -''''Ugh!'''' He painfully convulsed and something similar to electricity ran through his body for a few seconds. Some messages appeared but Blake just ignored and minimized them while struggling with the pain. After it finished he needed a minute to get a grip on himself. Damn that was painful. -''''Current status!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level 8 Health: 3% Mana: 100%[br][/br][/col][/box] Blake''s eyes widened and he stared a few moments silently at the window. I just crossed my set goal by 3 levels... in a quarter of a day... I''m nearly dead, but who cares?! I Got 6 levels in no time. Looks like I ignored level up windows before. Ah, should I continue leveling now or try to do some quests? I could think of quests to give out again maybe... oh but I''ll probably do that after I talk with Teruna later on. So many possibilities... Blake''s body suddenly stiffened and his eyes turned cold. I know what I''ll do now... A wicked grin spread across his face. He took the newly acquired Medium health potion and chugged it down in one gulp without even looking at the description. It felt like a strong current washed through his body and washed all the pain and weakness off. -''''Current status!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level 8 Health: 100% Mana: 100%[br][/br][/col][/box] As expected of a high level item. He left the hallow and slowly started to sneak through the forest with an eerie smile on his face. Let the hunt begin.The basic bonus will suffice, status points can wait. He prowled through the forest with his Cinder rain staff tightly gripped . Now lets see if they can snap again such a trap as last time. A few minutes passed and nothing could be heard or seen in the forest but Blake still prowled on with the same mad determination. He jumped every time nearby trees rustled and readied his staff. A squirrel carrying nuts appeared on a tree stump. Blake starred at it for a few seconds and then ducked. I shouldn''t be hasty. He slowly aimed with his staff and took a deep breath. Looks like this is nut your day. The staff shot a fast fire beam out. The place Blake aimed at was black and smoking but there were no traces of a dead squirrel. Did it evade? How did it notice me? He suddenly heard many shrieks and looked full with dread to the tree tops. From nearby trees eight small shadows rapidly approached Blake. It''s a trap! That squirrel was bait! The shadows were all falling from the treetops in Blake''s direction and their yellow eyes, the only thing that could be clearly seen were filled with bloodlust. Small ball like things fell near Blake''s foot and started to let out a big quanity of smoke. Blake watched what was happening with horror in his eyes. How the hell did they get Smoke bombs..? No time to think about it. I can''t dodge. Maybe I can blind them. -''''Lava orb!'''' He held the summoned orb high above his head and tried to disrupt the falling enemies. Now with the Lava orb''s light he could see them again. Squirrels with miniature daggers and swords were coming in his direction and pointing their weapons at him. The light from the orb blinded some of the falling squirrels and caused them to fail their surprise attack but unfortunately half of them managed to stay focused and stabbed Blake. .''''AHHH!'''' Four small swords stuck out of his back, arm and shoulders. The squirrel assassins quickly gained distance and surrounded him. Blake quickly pulled a dagger out of his arm and took the Thick branch out of the bag. His eyes were full of fury and he took a fighting stance. They must have seen me from the treetop... it doesn''t matter they will pay either way now. The squirrels started to suddenly attack him again. They closed the distance in a second and slashed at Blake with their swords. He readily swung with his branch around like a madman but they were very agile and dodged all strikes. Grr... Just like last time... The staff would be useless, they''d just dodge everything. The squirrels started climbing Blake and he flailed around desperately trying to get rid of them. He landed a few hits but the squirrels also made more and more cuts on him. Ugh I have no more options. The new levels just reduce their damage as I have more health. I still barely land hits with their speed. It''s ridiculous. He swung his branch as strong as he could and made all the squirrels jump in one way. His other hand then went in their direction and he yelled. -''''Lava orb!'''' The orb that appeared flashed brightly and bathed the forest again in it''s warm light. The squirrels stood disorientated and Blake used his prior momentum to land another swing on them. Four were defeated with that. The other distanced themselves and looked like they were rethinking their plan which gave Blake enough time to pull the remaining daggers out of his body. This would have been an instant kill if not for my huge level up. The game certainly doesn''t go by the classic rules. The squirrels suddenly started to run away. Blake yelled with anger. -''''Not so tough now, eh?!'''' He was furious about not being able to pay them back for their sneaky ambush. Damn it, I can''t compete with their speed. He threw the Lava orb with all his fury at them. Too bad that it is just a cosmetical ability with no damage. They might as well have named it Firework orb. The orb flew at the squirrels and landed right on top of them with a *thump*. Blake looked very confused. Umm shouldn''t it now scatter? The squirrels which were caught under the orb screeched for a second and the disappeared in flames. Only the orb was left on the ground. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level gained. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake slowly approached the spot and picked the orb up. It looked nearly the same but felt a bit different than before. It was a bit more present somehow... He could feel the shape in his hands like it was formed from some weird solid lava. Suddenly the orb disappeared. Was that really a Lava orb? It looks the same but the one I remember was harmless and child friendly. This one is deadly. Ugh I''ll ask Teruna later. Better check now how bad those devils messed me up. -''''Current status!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level 9 Health: 34% Mana: 0%[br][/br][/col][/box] Those bastards really got me with their aerial assault. Also it looks like that weird Lava orb was channeled by my mana... I should try to figure the ability out, it looks quite useful. Blake laid down in the grass, took out a Red apple and looked at the moon. But for now I''ll just relax and enjoy. I''ll have to go to sleep soon anyway. ***** Thanks for reading:) If you like it rate and comment. I''d be glad to hear your thoughts about what is going on and what I could do better.
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Alteration Chapter 8 [OLD] Sounds of bubbling, scraping and humming filled the air of a cosy kitchen in which a man just finished making his dinner. A smile spread on his face as he tasted the soup he was brewing with a ladle. It''s finished. My favorite champignon creme soup! Caleb filled his plate with the steaming soup and carefully put it on the table to the other dishes. Ahh there is nothing better after a hard day at work than my favorite soup, some meat covered in un poco di pesto genovese as it was straight from a restaurant and and of course a bit of salad. A shadow appeared for a second on his face as he sat down. A bit of company also wouldn''t be too bad... Ah well Rose had already an arrangement so she is hanging out with friends. I''ll just pack away her portion for later, same for Blake. Caleb sighed while stirring his soup with a spoon. I wonder what he''s doing right now... He said that he''ll just go raise his level, but you never know with him. I still think I''m dreaming when I remember what he discovered by pure accident... I''m a bit worried he barely slept last night and I don''t want that his eating habits get any worse... One more day and I''ll have a talk with him about this, but I can''t really say that I don''t understand him... He discovered a whole new world! A voice with mixed playfulness and annoyedness came from behind him. -''''Ah dinner, I must have overheard you notifying me. Now you just need to prepare the second plate and are dinner date can begin.'''' Caleb slowly closed his eyes as he recognised the source of the voice. Oh no, I totally forgot about her! She decided to stay for the time being... My frustration aside I actually didn''t make food for her! Caleb slowly growled and stood up. -''''Stop teasing and sit down while I make you something to eat.'''' Teruna grimaced and sat down. -''''You actually forgot about me? Now that''s just being a bad host.'''' Caleb just waved his hand hastily. -''''I know, be quiet. It was a tough work day cut me some slack.'''' What should I make for her? Up till now we just gave her anything we ate, but what does she like? -''''What would you like to eat? Maybe some pasta with herb sauce and a fruit salad?'''' That is what hedgehogs would like if I''m not wrong... She looked at him and just laughed. -''''I am just a normal human right now so something normal will do. Also normal hedgehogs are omnivores not herbivores silly. And you probably noticed that I''m not a normal hedgehog or one at all right now. I wouldn''t mind some fruit for dessert though if it''s not asking too much.'''' Caleb nodded with a smile. -''''No not at all. Wait for a bit.'''' He turned and quickly started taking various ingredients out of his cupboard and fridge. I''ll just do something that doesn''t need much time and tastes well. He quickly sliced the bread and took few pieces of it. He put them all into the frying pan and slowly let it warm up. After that was done he took a bottle of olive oil and put some on every slice. The bread quickly absorbed it and changed colours. That should be enough, better a bit less than drowning it. The bottle was put aside and he paid attention to the frying bread so that it doesn''t burn and gets an even colour. After some time he took the bread out and put a few slices of cheese on the pan. Not even a few minutes passed before the cheese was melted and ready to be put on the bread. Well it''s done. Now just the finishing touches. He skillfully put a little bit of seasoning on the melted cheese and two tomato slices on each piece. With the full plate he turned around to present it to Teruna who, as he discovered, came closer to see his cooking. -''''Here it''s nothing special, but I''m fairly confident you''ll like it. I had plenty of practice with my kids.'''' She received the plate with big eyes and thanked Caleb. -'''' You are amazing to make something this good looking in such a short time. Do you make this for a living?'''' Caleb looked at her with a really confused expression. She is serious, isn''t she? I guess she didn''t really come in contact with real cooking during the years of running. Also I didn''t really make any real meals since that shock... He smiled gently while seeing Teruna eat greedily. -''''Looks like you enjoy it. Next time I''ll make you something even better. This is just a simple dish.'''' Her life must have been one hardship after the other... She stopped gulping down her food for a second and looked at Caleb with a playful expression. -''''Oh? Are you trying to impress me?'''' He sighed. -''''If you continue like that, I''ll stop treating you nicely. Also this is normal hospitality.'''' She snickered and they both continued to enjoy their meals. They took their time and and finished with satisfied expressions, Teruna even licked her fingers. Caleb puffed amusedly. Manners are also something she didn''t really come in contact with. He offered her a napkin to clean herself and started to chat a bit. -''''So do you have any idea what my son is up to right now?'''' She looked at him confusedly. -''''Didn''t he say that he''ll raise his level?'''' Caleb threw her an amused glance. -''''Yes, he did. But I can''t really relax. He is currently in another world, isn''t he? Teruna nodded. -''''Yes, but he should be safe right now. Even better, the faster he gets stronger the safer he will be.'''' He sighed and drank a bit of water. -''''We need to have another big conversation soon. Too much happened too fast, we need to plan things out. You and Blake just arranged some bits and pieces for the start.'''' Caleb snorted when he saw how her eyebrows rose, but continued with a calm voice. -''''Your plan is to vague and doesn''t take the big picture into account. Also even if you had planned out in the direction you want nothing good would come out of it.'''' Teruna leaned back with her arms crossed and glared at him. -''''Is that so? Lets just ignore for a second the fact that my plan is supposedly not detailed enough. What''s wrong with its direction?'''' Caleb slowly stood up and headed towards a nearby door. -''''Give me a minute. This could be a tricky conversation.'''' Teruna watched him leave with mixed interest and anger. Moments later he came back with a dark bottle in his hands and waved again for her to be patient but she just laughed up with very little humor in it. -''''You are sending very mixed signals. Is this a date, a normal dinner or a lecture? I''d be thrilled if you would choose one and stick to it.'''' Caleb''s voice was heard from the kitchen. -''''A nice talk is part of dinner in my house, also this is the best time to address some topics from adult to semi-adult.'''' Teruna''s eyebrows rose and her voice was soaked with suppressed fury. -''''Semi-adult?'''' A chuckle was quickly silenced and Caleb''s voice was heard again. -''''There is more to being an adult than years, but I''m sure you will acquire these traits soon enough.'''' A killer glare was pointed at him. -''''I assure you that the circumstances I lived in made me grow up quite fast.'''' Clicking sounds came out of the kitchen for a few moments and Caleb spoke up again. -''''I''m sure you went through hardships I can''t even begin to imagine, but I think that exactly that is the problem. You always ran and never had contact with anyone out of your little hedgehog group which was also on the run for presumably centuries. You don''t know how the world works and you certainly don''t know your enemy.'''' Teruna was outraged. -''''You don''t even know the first thing about my world or my enemy and you lecture ME?!'''' Caleb came into the room carrying two glasses filled with wine. -''''I do. Here this is yours.'''' She grabbed the glass furiously out of his hand. -''''Continue! This certainly isn''t all you have to say, right?!'''' He calmly sat down again and took a sip of wine. -''''No, I assure you, it isn''t. I just thought that this might come in handy as a digestive and to ease the conversation.'''' He tilted the glass to one side and the other while looking at it''s colour. -''''You want to restore your faction, build a home for your kin and make sure that the little ones can live without fear in their hearts. The rules protect you now so your aim changed from survival at all cost to prosper. Am I right up till now?'''' She looked at him with a puzzled expression and nodded. -''''Go on.'''' He took a longer sip before continuing. -''''I''m sad to say this, but you are naive. Of course they have other ways of getting rid of you and they probably aren''t even that complicated. I may not know your world or enemies, but you don''t seem quite different from normal people so there is no reason to think that your way of operating vastly differs from ours.'''' Teruna raised her hand and wanted to say something but he signaled her to be silent as he wasn''t finished. -''''You are still being hunted. There is no such possibility as relax and develop your faction. Do you think that they would tolerate their prey suddenly being immune to their conventional hunting method? Oh, I''m sure that will work out especially when the word comes out that the most notorious faction in history tries to make a comeback. And it doesn''t matter what kind of comeback.'''' The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Teruna was in deep thought but remarked with a silent voice. -''''Well the most notorious faction might be a little bit much...'''' Caleb steadily gazed at her. -''''All factions rallied against you, fought, won and are trying to exterminate you for hundreds of years.'''' Teruna looked down and took a few gulps of her wine. Caleb continued. -''''Look I have to make this as clear as possible. You are misunderstanding your position and I know what will happen if you don''t face the facts.'''' She looked at him dejectedly already knowing what his answer will be. -'''' You, your faction and probably even Blake, will die. It is nice that you are protected by the rules because of your new human leader, but you are approaching the situation from a wrong angle. These rules that you got aren''t a shield that will suddenly allow you to coexist with all other factions and protect you from your hunters.'''' A bit of energy and defiance returned to her eyes. -''''We respawn just like they do! All these rules makes us equal to them, they can''t continue exterminating us!'''' Caleb sighed. -''''They can''t? Do you really believe that? They really don''t have a way to kill you?'''' Her gaze which lost the former defiance dropped, but she remained silent. Caleb thought for a few seconds and continued again in a calm manner. -''''There is always a way. Especially for such deeds, no force would cripple itself with rules that could potentially harm them later. A lot of time has passed, but I had also played some online games in the past. If the concept didn''t change fundamentally then I can tell you with absolute confidence that your faction can still be annihilated. Whether by some event or a really quick war it doesn''t matter. One thing must be in your head at all times; Reveal yourself and you die.'''' She gulped visibly disturbed. A small, sad smile appeared on Caleb''s lips. -''''I said that the rules aren''t a shield, didn''t I?'''' Teruna answered with a monotone voice while deeply immersed in her thoughts. -''''You did.'''' -''''I might have failed to mention the reason. The rules are your sword, your fighting chance.'''' She looked up and urged him to continue. -''''Explain yourself.'''' -''''The defense it provides is honestly near to nothing. If you stay in one place and try to make a faction city you are dead as soon as they get to know about it. You would have to continue running as you did in the past and the defense would just be good for one or two times when you get caught. They would figure out that the old way doesn''t work and an event would be made.'''' She looked at him with a confused expression and he started to elaborate. -''''You see if they really did make your world similar to a game then smaller groups or even single players oftenly get chances that help them quite a lot. If I''m correct then we have a shot at fighting for your freedom. It''s a very, very small shot but we will have to make do. Blake is a player which joined a faction that is nearly destroyed. Moreover he is the leader of it. We mustn''t forget that it is still a real world but it was modified to act like a game. There is a good probability that he will get quests and possibilities that can help him out.'''' Teruna looked a bit sceptical and wanted to object but Caleb signaled her to be patient. -''''There is no way to guarantee that but I''m fairly certain that I''m correct. You turned him into something that''s a mix of a player and a resident of your world. I know you mentioned that some residents of your world pretended to be players, but I don''t think that it''s the real thing. We should keep in mind that the world turned into a game like place. I doubt that they have control over the world or they would have tracked you all down in seconds. Now we need to think how that affects things. This world may have altered because of them but it is far out of their grasp because they metaphorically pushed it away from them. '''' She interrupted him. -''''But they made the changes! So everything that is different is known to them.'''' Caleb sighed. -''''Then why did you and you faction survive so long? They pushed the world forcibly in one direction but they played with forces far over their heads so the world balanced itself out with new rules, attributes and secrets. Games are full of unexpected twists and turns. Your people may have started the game but I can tell you that they aren''t in control of it.'''' Teruna slowly nodded. -''''And now it''s on us to explore the possibilities of the world and I think that Blake caught the right scent. Exploit real life weaknesses with the gaming possibilities and vice versa. And for that reason I need you to stay absolutely quiet about this conversation in front of Blake.'''' She narrowed her eyes. -''''Explain that a bit better.'''' Caleb finished his glass in one gulp and continued. -''''The most difficult part here is to start off. He needs an open mind and as much imagination as he can muster. He must mix and exploit both sides of your world as good as he can and we don''t want him to be under stress. His goal right now is quite close to what it has to be so we can remain silent about this in front of him. I assure you though that he will figure it out soon enough, if he didn''t already.'''' He pointed his finger at Teruna. -''''Your task is to change Blake''s goal from being close to the actual one to being the actual one. If I understood correctly you are currently trying to get parts that will strengthen you dungeon and city, right?'''' She nodded. -''''We do need to strengthen our faction but we do not need to work in the economical direction Blake and you planned. If we did that we would need to reveal to people that the Hedgehog faction isn''t dead and no matter how well Blake would act that would be the sure end, with or without the protection from the rules.That means that we need to work on our offensive abilities, if we ever get into the situation where we need to barricade ourselves into some castle you plan on building or something similar then it''s already over.'''' Teruna grumbled while thinking and took a long sip. -''''Offense is our only chance so why not put everything on it, hm? And we need to stay hidden from their radar...'''' Caleb smiled. -''''Good, you are starting to comprehend your situation. You should somehow get Blake to work on that aspect of the faction''s strength, without telling him the true cause. He will figure it out soon enough and I really can''t stress enough that an open mind and calm manner will make him much more useful than him being stiff and forcing ideas to come. '''' She shook her head. -''''I don''t like the idea of not telling him. He might become more motivated and less easily distracted if he knew what we are talking about now.'''' He thought for a few moments. -''''That would be the obvious thing to do, but lets not forget that this is a world that is disguised as a game. He needs to think out of the box to get us some assets and advantages.'''' Teruna nodded with mixed feelings. -''''Both sides have their advantages... Ok, I''ll try to shift his goal to pure offense. I''m not sure how but I''ll figure it out. Also we should remind him that it is vital for our faction to stay in the shadows hidden from the others. Lets talk a bit more about what we should do now. The little ones will soon finish their ritual, so we should plan out what their next task will be. They don''t have Blake''s power that comes from him being a mixed player or whatever you want to call it but we can put them to good use nonetheless.'''' Caleb smirked and spun his empty glass with his fingers. -''''I''m glad that you understand. He who fails to prepare prepares to fail and in our case failing means dying.'''' Teruna looked at Caleb confusedly. -''''Our?'''' He nodded and stood up. -''''You don''t really think that I would let Blake risk his life and sit idly while he does it, right? Now give me your glass so I can go and refill it.'''' He walked with slow footsteps to the kitchen. -''''This will be a long talk there are a lot of things we need to plan out as good as we can. We will let Blake do his own thing but he won''t be the only one that will work on regaining the might of your faction. Our chance is nearly nonexistent, but a chance nevertheless.'''' A sinister smile crept on his face. **** Thanks for reading:) Rate and comment if you like it, that''s the best way to speed me up:P I made a forum thread recently where I will put news and keep you up to date (I''ll post the link in the end of every chapter from now on). If you want to ask/tell me something then do it in that thread or here if it''s something chapter related. Here it is.
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Alteration Chapter 9 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake slowly opened his eyes and stretched, while enjoying the relaxing feeling of soft sheets. -''''Mhh...'''' Moon light came from the window and filled his room with a soft, white glow. He slowly turned his head towards the wall and took a look at the clock. It was two in the morning. He closed his eyes and started to think. I messed my inner clock up... Looks like I slept through the whole day. Well at least I got everything done that I wanted and have a whole day free for anything I want. He didn''t bother to turn the lights on but just dressed up and went in the direction of the kitchen. Hm..? Did Rose forget to turn the lights off? Blake approached the lit kitchen with small and still drowsy steps. He heard voices when he came nearer to it. Weird, who is up at this time? He came to the kitchen door with a curious look. Caleb and Teruna were sitting at the dinning table and talking with very serious expressions. What happened? Why are they still up and what are they talking about? His eyes narrowed. Is that wine? A empty bottle of wine stood between Teruna and Caleb. I''ll just ignore that for the time being... Blake cleared his throat and greeted them while walking into the room. -''''Hi.'''' The two exchanged quickly some last words and looked up to Blake. Caleb was the first to greet him and Teruna followed a second after. -''''Hello. How did you sleep?'''' -''''Hi.'''' Blake ruffled his messy hair. Now here''s a dangerous undertone. -''''I slept well, but don''t worry I won''t let my day night cycle change.'''' Caleb looked satisfied after hearing that. -''''Good. How did the leveling go?'''' -''''Smoothly. I am ahead of our plan. Why are you still up?'''' Teruna looked away and Caleb hesitated for a second. -''''We just talked about this and that. Her world is really fascinating, a true mixture of fairy tales and nightmares.'''' Sure... Blake smirked. -''''Oh really? It must have been a hell of a interesting conversation if it made you stay awake up till now.'''' Teruna mumbled something. -''''Well we just continued the talk from yesterday...'''' Is that so? Blake smiled and patted his father on the shoulder. -''''I''ll just grab a bite and go.'''' Caleb squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. -''''Well she is telling me about a whole new world. It''s normal that it can''t all fit in one talk, don''t misunderstand.'''' Did he just smile for a second..? Oh, well it doesn''t matter. Blake took some food out of the fridge and headed out of the kitchen. -''''Yeah, yeah. I''ll go explore the other world now that I am ahead of schedule.'''' Caleb yawned. -''''It''s really late so I''ll go sleep now, but we need to have a nice, long chat tomorrow. Make sure you don''t do something stupid that could reveal the existence of a hedgehog faction to the enemy.'''' Blake replied after swallowing the food he chewed on. -''''Sure, don''t worry.'''' He walked towards his room. Hmm... I did say that I would explore today, but grinding would make me stronger... He reached out with his arm and touched his shoulders at the spots where the squirrels stabbed him. Blake shuddered. I think that exploring will be just fine for today. Many games reward exploring and plain grinding won''t really help me when I look at the big picture... He reached his room, sat in the comfortable chair and put the goggles on. *** Everything around him was black until the logos started to appear and disappear. After that the world started to load bit by bit. It loads much faster than at the start. Blake quickly found himself in the middle of the big moonlight bathed forest. Eerie as ever. Nothing could be heard except the rustle caused by his steps. I have at least another day until the guys return from the quest I gave them. Now where should I go? He looked at his surroundings but everything looked the same with it''s unnatural stillness. I think I''ll go further south, away from Jedoron. Teruna did mention that the forests away from cities are quite dangerous,but you can''t really profit without taking risks. I should first figure out my Lava orbs though... -''''Lava orb!'''' A red orb appeared in his hand and he inspected it carefully. It looks normal... It didn''t take any mana to cast and it really is just the show ability it was from the start. Blake sat down into the grass and started to think hard while staring at the orb. How did I do that? Maybe it was something about my focus... I really wanted to end those damn sneaky bastards. He closed his eyes. Umm I really don''t know what to do now. Is anger the key? I somehow doubt it. I''ll just try to focus on the orb. He didn''t see the orb now but he felt the familiar warm feeling that it radiated. If it''s magic then imagination and willpower are the key... I think. He took a deep breath. I need to visualise the orb. I have it in my right hand and I need to somehow influence it. Now lets try imagining the change that happened yesterday.I must imagine how I want it to be like. A few moments passes but nothing happened. Maybe I rushed this too much. I''ll go step by step now, imagining very slowly how the orb changes and what I want it to be. He slowly imagined the orb changing in slow motion. Nothing happened. Okay, looks like that won''t work. What now? It can''t be something really complicated if I managed to do it in a few seconds when I wasn''t even aware. He opened his eyes and continued thinking. What did I do exactly? The orb summon was standard of that much I''m sure. I simply threw it with all my strength when the squirrels started to withdraw. It felt really good to get those abominations... But maybe there is more to it then I think. Blake passed the orb from one hand to the other. I did gather my energy for a powerful throw maybe I subconsciously messed with the energy of the Lava orb too. I''ll just try to recreate the throw. He took a deep breath and prepared to throw the orb with all his strength. Something feels off... He threw the orb and it again didn''t disperse but remained and slowly started to drain his mana. I should be able to deactivate this by command. -''''Deactivate Lava orb!'''' The orb disappeared and left black, scorched earth. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]+40% towards gaining knowledge of an ability variation[br][/br][/col][/box] This feeling was really unfamiliar. That must be it! I''ll try again. -''''Lava orb!'''' A familiar red orb appeared and Blake held it between his palms. And now I''ll have to explore where the unfamiliar feeling came from. Blake started to tense his muscles up one by one. Hmm..? Here it is again. He felt something strange that he couldn''t really pinpoint. It was a feeling which he never experience before but he could somehow influence it. If I try to tense up and concentrate on this... The feeling the orb gave off suddenly changed and Blake noticed that it started draining his mana. Hmm so this is it. I wonder if I can deactivate the ability just with my tension. He stopped tensing the unknown part he felt and relaxed it completely. The orb disappeared. Hm? Why can I still feel this part even if there is no orb? Could it be..? He slightly tensed it up and a regular orb appeared in his hand. It''s a part of me... [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Discovered an ability variation You explored one of your abilities and discovered a different aspect of it. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Level gained[br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Through exploring your own abilities you discovered a Lava orb variation. The orb solidifies and unfolds his offensive potential. The orb disappears after being decasted or it drains all your mana. Cost/ second: 40 mana[br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Do you wish to name the new ability variation? [br][/br][/col][/box] -''''No.'''' Lava orb is just fine, no need for more names. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.[box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Natural potential stat unlocked You have discovered a strength or ability that slumbered inside you. Putting points in this stat boost the power of the abilities that you have awoken and rises you strength in the fields where you have most potential. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]+5 Natural potential for awaking an ability[br][/br][/col][/box] Hmm quite a lot of interesting things happened now at once.For one this stat sounds really fascinating. It''s quite obvious that it is caused by my status of a mixed player/faction leader. Now the question is just what hides behind this ''''potential''''... Lava orb is probably the most basic hedgehog skill. I gained it as an ability because I''m a Nature seeker but me being the hedgehog faction leader caused it to actually become a part of me. Blake sighed and laid down into the grass. I think that this potential thing is referring to all the hedgehog skills that will be accessible in time to me. I assume that I will be able to modify them and do much more with them than what I could expect at first glance. The Lava orb is the best example. He stretched and enjoyed the soft, white light of the moon. This also shows how intertwined the usual world rules and the game rules are. Normal player abilities probably just appear like Lava orb originally did, but now that I''m mixed and the ability turned into a part of me. I had to develop it on my own. So I''m probably able to learn most abilities like a normal player but these hedgehog abilities are only gained when I awake the hidden potential in me which means I develop them on my own. The wind softly blew making the leaves above Blake''s head rustle. He observed the moon quietly and relaxed while thinking where he should go next. *DING* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Discovered and appreciated the beauties of a clear night sky Ability gained: Moon tranquility You truly appreciated in silence the beauties of the night sky. In the future you will relax more easily when looking at the moon . [br][/br][/col][/box] Hmm..? Looks like emotions also influence things here. -''''Moon tranquility- info.'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Moon tranquility +20% mana regeneration when gazing at the moon with a peaceful state of mind. [br][/br][/col][/box] It isn''t a spectacular skill, but it will be quite useful for long grinding during the night. This will also make my experimenting quite a lot easier. Blake got up into a sitting position and extended both of his hands. And now lets see what more I can do with Lava orb. He concentrated on the feeling again and tried to affect both of his hands with it. The feeling was very unstable and he had problems with balancing. Two Lava orbs appeared, one in each hand. The problem was that their size changed, one was too small and the other was too big. Ugh it must be difficult to control because I haven''t accustomed to the new part that the game gave me. This is now a part of me after all. He concentrated harder and tried to make the orbs similarly sized. Several minutes have passed before he managed to get the balance right and make the orbs identical. Beads of sweat started to roll of his forehead. Oh this is tricky... The moment you feel that it''s right I''m already too late and it swings out of balance. The moment before that is the right one. He slowly moved his hands and looked at the two orbs which shone in a warm red light. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]+30% towards a new proficiency +1 Natural potential[br][/br][/col][/box] Oh? I only made that much progress? It''s probably just a matter of practice and time until I really develop a feel for it. He slowly started to move his hands and every now and then he tried to do some quick moves. Ugh this is really hard. I can feel that I''m right at the edge where I could lose the balance when I move. I think I''ll continue this some other time though... I could see how long I can hold the lava orbs when I turn them into their offensive mode. He concentrated as hard as he could on the new part of himself and then started to slowly tense it up. Now. The lava orbs started shining in a more violent red and his mana started to drain. Impossible! The orbs started to rapidly change their sizes and Blake tried desperately to balance it up but the he couldn''t being the part under control. The sizes began to change even swifter. Blake closed his eyes and grimaced. I need to focus! This went out of control... Something is wrong, I can''t relax the part! Blake opened his eyes again and took deep breaths. It will drain all my mana if I don''t stop it. I really don''t want to wait for it to restore again. I must relax that part! Blake tried to counter the tension with which he activated the offensive mode but without success. Only when he violently tried to overpower the previous impulse he sent to the part did it respond. ...I shouldn''t have done this. He didn''t feel the usual feeling where the tension slowly disappeared. The tension right wasn''t disappearing but seeping out. His orbs again changed their colour and were now mixed with intensive red parts and bright yellow parts. Both were now growing to a similar size, but they turned more yellow as they did. Blake was frantically trying to get the part under control but he couldn''t influence it now. It was simply too charged up. What is happening? Why did it turn yellow?! Blake gave up on controlling it and threw it as far as he could away from himself. A second later the orbs turned pure yellow and they barely flew away a few meters during that time. The orbs suddenly widened and popped like bubbles and huge explosions followed that came from within the orbs. -''''AHH!'''' Fire rained down everywhere and Blake barely managed to throw himself on the grass and cover his head. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Status ailment: Burn. [br][/br][/col][/box] IT BURNS SO BAD! Everything around Blake was engulffed in fire and he could just stay on the ground. His back was completely covered in fire and his palms were also covered because of his try to protect his head. IT HURTS SO MUCH! The fire around him died down and as soon as he noticed it he started rolling around. My clothes caught fire but the grass is quite moist! This could save me! He rolled around and desperately tried to extinguish the fire. The fire slowly died down and left a badly burned Blake which laid unmovingly on the grass and whose clothes were pertly destroyed and still smoking. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]No longer burning. [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake had no strength in himself to get annoyed by the obvious message and just laid there trying to recover. His breathing was shallow and he started whispering. -''''Note...'''' An empty window appeared, but Blake didn''t bother to lift his head. He just continued whispering. -''''Experiment very carefully and only take one step at the time.'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Noted. Do you wish to note something else? [br][/br][/col][/box] -''''Yes.'''' He quickly glanced at the window to make sure that it noted properly. -''''Adjust pain settings...'''' And with these words his head fell into the grass again and he made no effort to move. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Noted. [br][/br][/col][/box] **** Thanks for reading:) Here''s the forum thread where you can see my progress, ETAs (most of the time) and other updates.
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Alteration Chapter 10 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake slowly strolled through the forest while admiring his surroundings. The first sun rays could be seen and bird chirping could be heard from everywhere. He inspected his surroundings with admiration while walking. This seems like an entirely different place during the day... The mysterious and eerie beauty is completely replaced by this more familiar, lively beauty. He smiled bitterly. It kinda seems unreal when I think that I was a smoking mess just a few hours ago... Well I did fix the pain settings now so it shouldn''t be a problem anymore. I hope that I managed to get it right. 100% pain is way too much when you take into consideration that I will fight very oftenly here, but it wouldn''t be good if I lower it too much... I don''t want to suffer but I need to be aware that this isn''t just a game and that I have to be serious.60% will probably be good. I hope... Blake remembered the pain caused by his failed experiment and shuddered. I won''t ever again be that reckless... The forest turned brighter and brighter with the Sun rising higher. A smile appeared unconsciously on his face when he saw his surroundings again. This is truly a beautiful world. His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a laud crack that came from somewhere nearby. Blake quickly hid behind a tree and checked his surroundings. Is it a monster? A group of three boars stood fifty meters away from him. Hmm looks like the monsters here are stronger. I should be careful that they don''t attack me all at the same time. He whispered while not letting the boars out of sight. -''''Stat distribution.'''' A simplified version of the stat window appeared in front of him. I shouldn''t fight them without spending my Stat points.Now what should I spend my points on? Hmm I still can''t say for sure what path I will take so this is quite tricky? Uff... A few moments passed while he stared at the window and tried to figure something out when his look got stuck at the Natural potential stat. What did it say again? It boosts power of awoken abilities and strengthens me in the fields I have the most potential... This is something that no regular player has but I don''t know if it will be all that useful, also I don''t know in which fields I have the most potential so it would be an even greater risk. Hm but the powerboost of the slumbering skills could be really good. Hedgehogs were a a fierce faction a long time ago their power isn''t something one should look down upon. He pondered for a minute. I''ll just risk it. Blake put all his points into the Natural potential stat. I hope that I won''t regret this decision... He glanced in the direction of the boars. And now lets put it to the test. He readied his Cinder rain staff and the Thick branch and carefully aimed at the boars waiting for the right moment. He released a fire shot from the staff just as they were near to each other so that he can hit more than one. The shot flew towards the boars and hit two which cried out furiously. Hmph I hoped to hit all three... Ah it doesn''t matter.I think that I can do another shot. The boars ran towards Blake who waited for the recharge time to finish. He quickly released another shot that hit the boar that was the fastest and he swiftly put the staff in the bag and readied the Thick branch. When the first boar nearly reached him he swung the branch with all his might and the boar was thrown off to the side. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Critical hit! The target is stunned. [br][/br][/col][/box] He quickly hit the other boar that was right behind the previous one but it was a hastily prepared hit so it wasn''t nearly as strong. The boar came very near to him and attacked taking 11% of his health. Blake proceeded to carefully attack and guard when necessary, but he still got hit a few times when they charged and slashed upwards with their tusks. The other two boars also charged at Blake and he did his best to guard with the branch and keep them in check. He managed to reflect them most of the time but he couldn''t avoid them all and the attacks were quite strong. -''''Lava orb!'''' Now swiftly! Feel the new part of yourself, come on feel it and control it! The lava orb''s colour changed to a violent red and he quickly swung it in the direction of the boars. This drains a lot of mana I should hurry. He held the branch in one hand and the orb in the other. As he swung his arms he hit the nearest boar with the orb as hard as he could and simultaneously smacked another boar with the branch, but he concentrated much more on the orb so the hit wasn''t really effective. The boar stumbled a bit and Blake noticed that the boar which had been hit by the orb wasn''t moving. Two left. The boar which was hit at the start by the branch recovered and quickly charged him together with the other one that was a bit more behind. Cold sweat started to appear on Blake''s forehead. Damn, this is not good I have just somewhere around 40% health left.I need to end this quickly. Blake hit the nearest boar as many times as he could and it finally dropped motionlessly on the floor. Now for the oth... He turned in the direction of the last boar and just barely made it in time to guard himself from the charging boar. He managed to deflect the attack but it was so strong that it still knocked him down. The boar was screeching wildly and was trying to attack Blake but he did his best to defend himself with the big branch. Still his health was slowly decreasing. He suddenly twitched the branch and threw it to the side. The boar did it''s best to close the distance and screeched aggressivelly. An evil smile apeared on Blake''s face. Bon appetit. He swung the arm that had the lava orb in it and pushed the orb in it''s mouth. He slightly adjusted it''s size to fit better. The boar cried out in pain and fell down on the dirt after a second. Blake smirked and relaxed which made his orb disappear. Hm now this was exciting the Natural potential stat really is something else. I feel a lot stronger, but I''ll examine that a bit more closely later. Lets see what the boars dropped. He waited a few seconds for the bodies to vanish and examined the places where they were before. He collected everything and checked the information windows. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]4x Boar tusk Very strong continuously growing canine teeth. They can be used in many ways. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]2x Boar fur Fur that can be used in Crafting. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]4x Raw boar meat Meat that can be further used in Cooking. Can be sold at a very high price. [br][/br][/col][/box] Well I''ll at least get some gold for this. He put the items in his bag and continued walking. I should avoid any beasts from now on, my health is dangerously low. He continued walking for half an hour and his surroundings changed a bit. The trees weren''t as big anymore but much thicker. Hmm I wonder why the forest''s appearance changed so suddenly? I don''t really notice so vastly different conditions here... He turned his head around and still saw the big trees in the distance. I wonder how much the scenery changes when you travell really far... Teruna did mention something about adventurers going missing when they went too far though... The beasts that the players fight against are nothing compared to the ones that are beyond the explored zones. If Teruna is up to date then next to nothing is actually known about the outer beasts to the general public. Why is that so? They do somehow make progress with establishing settlements but do they fight them off then? Maybe they just retreat once they see an organised attack against them. He sighed. It''s quite interesting when you think about it, but I won''t get the answer any time soon. I have more pressing problems and that issue is quite far out of my reach.Hmm but I do wonder how far from a town the danger zone starts. *Ding* [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Good morning. What are you doing? ¨C Rose 08:06[br][/br][/col][/box] Eight hours already? I am walking for quite some time now, I wasn''t aware of that at all... He extended the window, entered chat mode and started typing. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Good morning. I am exploring right now. The forest still surrounds me, but it looks different so I probably covered a decent distance. [br][/br][/col][/box] If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]You are doing it just for fun or do you have some goal? Did anything interesting happen? [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Well I don''t have a clear goal, but exploring is rewarded in all games, also grinding in one zone is simply too boring I can just explore and still kill beasts. Well something interesting did happen but we''ll talk about that later. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]So a vague feeling combined with you wanting to have fun... It is true that exploring is usually rewarding though. Ok, we will talk about that later, but just tell me a general hint about it. [br][/br][/col][/box] She is really impatient. Oh well... [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Lava orb. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Hmm nothing really comes to mind. When will you have breakfast? [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Soon. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Then lets have it together in 20 minutes. Then you will tell me all about it. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Sure. [br][/br][/col][/box] A meal sounds quite good actually. He closed the window and started walking again. A few meters in front of him the trees stopped and a small clearing appeared. Does the forest end here? He glanced left and right from the clearing and saw that the forest continues in both directions, just a bit further away. So it''s just a clear spot I suppose. I''ll get a bit nearer. Blake slowly approached the clearing and suddenly hid behind a tree. Slowly peeking out behind it he examined the clearing. Did something just move? His look wandered over the whole clearing and stopped on a being with humongous horns. Blake tilted his head. A bull? The horns look way too big for that body. He only saw the head and neck of the bull because deep grass covered everything else. He is probably laying there, relaxing... This is a great chance to get more exp and some useful items. I wonder how it feels to eat meat here? I might just try it out with a bit of beef... These horns also look like they could be sold at a very high price. An evil smirk spread on his face. He slowly climbed on a nearby tree and sat on a branch leaning with his back against the tree trunk. No need to risk my life. A charging bull is quite a lot more dangerous than a charging boar. His Cinder rain staff was slowly being directed to the place where the bull laid. This time I will be able to fully make use of this staff. There is a huge distance between me and the bull but I''m still able to precisely attack thanks to it. Once it comes near enough I can also throw a fire orb at it. He breathed in deeply and concentrated on aiming. After a second he released a fire shot and it hit the bull right in the head. He readied the staff so that he can charge it up again after two seconds, but the sight he saw confused him. The bull which was hit slowly seemed to stand up. Blake expected that much obviously but what confused him was that the bull wasn''t really standing up but appearing or coming into view. His head rose out of the grass higher and higher carried by the huge brown body that slowly started to come into view. Blake watched this scene unfold with terror in his eyes an a mind blank from shock. Another question also slowly started to form. ...Is he simultaneously getting bigger as he is standing up? Wait, in the first place there''s no way that he laid in the grass in a way that hid his entire body. The bull was now standing up, but he still continued to grow bigger like before, actually more so. Blake''s mind was in a state of total confusion but he suddenly saw something that quickly replaced all his confusion with true terror. He quickly started to put his Cinder rain staff and Thick branch into the bag while throwing the whole time glances at the growing bull. His arms were shaking so he needed a bit more time than usual. M-M-MI-MINOTAUR! No wonder it had those huge horns. I need to disappear as quickly as I can, it is running towards me! A ridiculously huge and muscular body appeared finally and the minotaur could be seen in his whole height that was probably bigger than any of the trees in this forest. Blake quickly climbed down from the tree and started running. The minotaur is as big as a tree he will surely have trouble coming through. He ran a bit deeper into the forest and than headed to the right part where it continued. The monster is coming from the left so I don''t have many options except this or go back the exact way I came. He glanced for a moment in the direction of the charging minotaur and began to run even faster. Oh damn, he is fast! Now there''s just somewhere around fifteen meters between us. The minotaur reached the first trees but didn''t stop at all. He just lowered his head and charged straight at Blake leaving a trail of splinters and fallen tree trunks. Every time a new tree came in his way a extremely loud crashing and cracking sounds were heard and Bleak felt the ground tremble... Although the minotaur was so close that even his steps made tremors that Blake could feel. *CRASH*crackcrackcrack*CRASH*crackcrackcrack* What can I do? The minotaur is unstoppable! *CRASH*crackcrackcrack*CRASH*crackcrackcrack* Even the new Lava orb is useless against this colossal beast. Wait... The old one could be effective. *CRASH*crackcrackcrack*CRASH*crackcrackcrack* Blake concentrated as much as he could,while running, and started to make normal Lava orbs. *CRASH*crackcrackcrack*CRASH*crackcrackcrack* He glanced again at the minotaur and saw that the distance between them was already halved. Blake threw the lava orb just as the beast rammed another tree. *CRASH*crackcrack* -''''RHAAAAAA!'''' The orb dispersed right in front of his face blinding him with his bright shine moments before his impact with the tree. This just made him angrier, didn''t it? Ah but I think that he got a bit slower. If he finds this to annoying or if he loses his momentum the minotaur might give up. *CRASH*crackcrackcrack*CRASH*crackcrackcrack* Blake quickly formed another Lava orb and threw it when the minotaur approached another tree. *CRASH*crackcrack* -''''RHOAAAAAAAA!'''' He continued doing this for, what seemed to him, a small eternity and the gap between him and the minotaur grew bigger. Finally the minotaur stopped and with a final roar full of anger and irritation turned and went to the clearing where he previously was. When Blake saw that he collapsed onto the ground and caught his breath. He had a huge smile on his face and soon got up. I can''t believe I pulled this off. Now where am I? He scanned his surroundings and saw that he was near the last part of the right forest branch that he saw from the beginning of the clearing. He now also saw the back side of the clearing and understood why the Minotaur seemed to stand up. A small canyon begins in the middle of the clearing... He must have come up the slope and that''s why I only saw his head and neck in the beginning. I need to take a closer look. But this is so weird, it doesn''t feel normal... Not like a simple hole or anything natural, this gives off a really bad feeling, like a scar in the earth. **** Thanks for reading:) Here''s the forum thread where you can see my progress, ETAs (most of the time) and other updates.
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Alteration Chapter 11 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake watched with amazement the scene which unfolded before his eyes. How did I miss this... He stood on the side of the clearing and looked at the canyon. The angle and grass are already good enough to fool most in my opinion, this is just ridiculous. The continuation of the forest that he saw previously wasn''t as normal as it looked before. It was quite far from Blake so he only noticed now that he was at the right angle that the forest was floating . Chunks of earth were in the air above the canyon camouflaging it. There was a lot of them, but no truly massive ones. Most were smaller and distanced from each other. Also there wasn''t just pure earth up there or else it wouldn''t have been much of a camouflage. Trees and other plants were everywhere, growing out of the earth and filling everything with a dense and refreshing green, similar to the rest of the forest. The space between chunks was still there, but it wasn''t really noticeable unless one really inspected it carefully. I bet that this works on a lot of people. The earth under Blake started to shake lightly again. His eyes widened and he immediately threw himself flat on the ground. Surrounded by the deep grass he slowly peeked out of it. His body visibly relaxed when he noticed that the minotaur wasn''t returning, but just walking towards somewhere. Good he is going even further from where I am. But I''ll continue to crouch through the grass just to be on the safe side... If he gets me in the middle of the plains then it''s enough that he sneezes in my general direction and I''m dead. He slowly lifted his head body and started to approach the canyon. The tremors were quite weak, but they could be still felt. They were making Blake very unnerved and he started to consciously concentrate on the sound of grass rustling that followed every step he made. Huh? What is..? His head shook lightly for no reason, but the confused expression went away after a second when he understood. **** Blake took off his goggles and faced his sister that was right next to him with an irritated expression. She wore casual clothes and glared at him. -''''I guess the twenty minutes are up?'''' Rose sat on his bed behind him and responded with an annoyed tone. -''''You crossed the twenty minutes mark quite some time ago. I hope it is at least something worth retelling during breakfast.'''' He smiled wolfishly and rose from his chair, carefully putting the goggles down. -''''It just might be.'''' A knowing smile appeared on Rose''s lips. -''''That good, huh? Then lets hurry downstairs.'''' Before leaving the room she turned around once and ruffled his hair. -''''But you should take a minute to take care of yourself. You are an eyesore right now.'''' He lightly shook her hand off. -''''Well it''s not easy to always look impeccable. Right, miss bed hair?'''' -''''Agreed, but I''m not the one who insists to be always presentable.'''' Blake headed towards the bathroom. -'''' Yeah, yeah. You go ahead, I''ll get down in a minute.'''' They both went out of the small room and split in the hallway. Blake walked towards the bathroom sometimes looking absentmindedly at the paintings and photos that hung on the wall. I wonder what''s up with that canyon... A dungeon maybe? Or a hidden monster village? I won''t really do much with guessing, better stop thinking about it. He entered the bathroom and turned on the light which revealed an orderly, white room with everything that a normal bathroom needed. Blake walked to the sink and let the water run. A big mirror was in front of him and he took a look at it. My chaotic schedule is starting to show on my face... It doesn''t matter, I will soon get it back to normal. Now better wash away the drowsiness. He splashed a few handfuls of water in his face and felt refreshed. There''s no better feeling than this to clear your mind... After drying his face with a towel he took a comb and tried to tame the mess that his hair turned into. I wonder what I should try next with the Lava orb? It seems like it''s the best way to get stronger fast, also I''m quite sure there is more to it than it seems. Even now that I have tinkered around with it a bit I feel like I barely even scratched the surface. With one last look in the mirror he went out and headed towards the kitchen. When he arrived an already prepared table was waiting for him and his sister was just pouring in some tea into her cup. Seeing him she pointed at the tea box that was still on the table. -''''Do you want some tea? Something else?'''' Blake walked to the table and took a look at the box. -''''Green tea, huh? I''ll rather go with black tea.'''' Rose shrugged and started to make herself a sandwich. -''''Suit yourself. So... what happened?'''' Blake took a tea bag out of the shelf and started to make his tea. -''''Hmm... Well I will just start from the beginning. I messed around a bit with Lava orb and found out something fascinating.'''' He took his cup and walked to the table. -''''There''s actually a lot more to it, also I unlocked a very interesting stat named Natural potential.'''' Rose took a sip of tea before replying. -''''Tell me first about the ability. What do you exactly mean when you say it''s fascinating? Wasn''t it just an orb that flashed without doing any damage?'''' Blake sat down and took a croissant that was already prepared on the table. -''''It looks like that was just the most basic side of Lava orb. Also it seems like it partly fused with me because I can somehow feel it as a part of my body.'''' Rose stopped eating and looked at him with a concerned yet interested look. -''''How do you mean that it has fused with you? I don''t understand, it isn''t a part of the game aspect?'''' Blake shook his head while he put jam on his croissant. -''''No, it isn''t part of the original game. It is caused by my condition. What I meant was that I feel it like a part of me that I just discovered. Invisible, yet there. It''s like discovering a whole new limb and not knowing what it can do and how to handle it.'''' Rose listened to him with great interest. -''''This is connected to what you mentioned earlier isn''t it? Something unexpected happened while you hunted those squirrels?'''' He shuddered from the thought of the small monsters for a second and then continued. -''''Yes, that was what made me tinker with the ability. At that time I threw a Lava orb at a running squirrel and instead of exploding it killed it. I asked later on Teruna if she knew anything about it, but she was as clueless as I am to why the orb changed. We came to the conclusion that it was caused by me as a player or because of my unique constitution and that I should see exactly how I caused that the next time I play.'''' Rose interrupted Blake and he used the opportunity to eat the croissant while she was talking. -''''So you discovered an unique ability that''s available only to you... it is probably a hedgehog ability that is turned into a player ability and got all new possibilities. But wait, when you say that it is a part of you how exactly do you mean it? You can move it with your will or..? And how did you manage to change it to an offensive ability?'''' He took a chug from his cup and replied while carefully choosing his words. -''''No, I didn''t mean that I can control it in that sense. I can feel it as a part of my body and I was slowly testing what I can do with it. Originally it changed to an offensive Lava orb because I threw it with all my strength after the squirrel. It seems like my tensing up affected also the new part of me and changed the orb.'''' Rose silently listened and nodded letting Blake continue. -'''' The orb turned into a more solid form. After i discovered this new part of me that let me change the orbs nature I kinda got a bit too playful... Well to cut a long story short I tried to wield condensed Lava orbs in both of my hands and they blew up in my face so to say.'''' Her eyebrows rose amusedly and she waved her hand. -''''No need to cut it so short. Why exactly did they explode? '''' He sighed and continued. -''''I had only minor problems with getting two basic orbs up, but they turned wild when I condensed them. It was impossible to make them similarly sized and I lost control. I guess I bit off more than I could chew because I couldn''t deactivate the orbs... I tried to overpower the previous tensing impulse but it seems like I went too far. My guess is that all the destructive energy within it concentrated around the outer parts of the orb until it couldn''t take it anymore. Afterwards they made a huge explosion and caused me a fair share of pain.'''' This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Rose started to peel an apple and commented while being deeply in thought. -''''So if we go back to your new part of the body metaphor it would mean that you just discovered two movements, right? And very crude ones to boost. It would be optimal to just continue exploring the possibilities, a bit more carefully though... How bad did the explosion hurt you?'''' Blake smiled awkwardly. -''''Well it left me smoking hot... Nearly died there. Now to another topic. After I discovered the other form of Lava orb I gained a new stat called Natural potential.'''' Blake explained in short lines what the Natural potential stat is while Rose carefully listened. When he finished she started commenting. -''''If I see it right it''s a stat that makes you more like a hedgehog and could potentially give you the strength you need. I find the rising of strength in the fields where you have potential particularly interesting. You could understand that like a bridge between your real body and game body where you get bonuses for things you tend to outside of the game, for example toughness or speed... But I think that the whole ability is purely hedgehog bound, here solely to adapt you to the faction. I wonder what will happen if you put points there.'''' He smiled awkwardly again. -''''Umm, you see... I sort of spent all my available stat points on Natural potential.'''' Rose froze and watched him for a moment with an expressionless face. -''''You spent all your points on Natural potential?'''' Blake writhed uncomfortably in his chair. -''''Yes.'''' -''''Without knowing what it actually does?'''' Blake sipped his tea nervously before answering. -''''Well I knew that it had something to do with the hedgehog faction... They were fierce in the past so I just guessed that the stat would be good. Conventional strengthening methods won''t really be of much use to us. We have to take risks.'''' Rose sighed and nodded. -''''I guess it''s true, but it is still too reckless... So, how did you feel after assigning the points?'''' He stopped for a second to think about it. -''''I had just one fight after that but I think that the most notable changes are in my defense and the strength of the orb. My general strength also probably rose. I will have to see it again in another fight, one really isn''t enough to make a picture.'''' -''''I think we should think of how to further explore your Lava orb ability, that would probably be very useful. Do you have anything else to say or can we continue with this?'''' Blake thought for a moment before replying. -''''Actually I do have something else, but that can wait.'''' Rose paused a bit. -''''I think you should explore combat a bit more in depth.'''' He looked at her with a confused look. -''''You mean things like combos or element advantages and disadvantages?'''' Rose shook her head as she stood up to put her empty cup in the sink. -''''No, that''s not what I''m talking about. I was thinking more about the normal aspect of it. Like how hits to different places actually affect the damage.'''' He nodded understandingly. -''''So something along the lines of critical hits.'''' A troubled expression appeared on Rose''s face. -''''Yes and no... I mean attacks that would be deadly. Usually in games a critical hit means that you take double damage or even more, but it might be a bit different here now that you are some kind of hybrid of a monster and a player. Basically what I am wondering is if one hit kills are available to you.'''' Blake thought for a moment before answering. -''''So an example would be slashing with a sword at an unguarded throat? You wonder if it would be a one hit kill or just a critical hit?'''' She nodded, letting him continue. -''''Hmm... Some games actually do have that mortal move system so Alteration as a game might also have it. I should check the net for a bit more knowledge about fighting. Looks like I focused a bit too heavily on faction strategising without covering the basics properly.'''' -''''Good, do that. You have still a lot of time so you should continue exploring or grinding . By the way I think I have a good idea for making your grinding more efficient.'''' Blake''s brows rose. -''''What would that be?'''' A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. -''''First tell me two things. How small can you make the Lava orb and can you change it even when not in contact with it?'''' Blake answered with a confused tone. -''''Umm when it got out of control and started to shrink and grow rapidly the minimum was around the size of a marble i think. Also I can control it even from a distance. I did dispel it once like that, remember?'''' Her smile got wider. -''''A marble you say? Good. What I thought up was that you can make very good traps with Lava orbs. A marble sized standard Lava orb could be hidden inside some meat that you use for bait and once the monster swallows it you simply turn the Orb offensive from a distance. If that isn''t a one hit kill then I don''t know. Fufufu...'''' An extremely forced and awkward smile appeared on Blake''s face. -''''Ah, yes thanks... That sounds very... effective. Also your evil side is starting to show again.'''' Her smile turned into a genuine one. -''''Say what you will but this is a great move for easy kills.'''' A troubled expression lingered on Blake''s face. -''''Well I will try your suggestion out. I just hope you don''t show this side of you too often to other people.'''' She answered playfully smiling. -''''Don''t you worry about me.But enough of that. How do you plan to further explore your Lava orb.'''' Blake stood up and started to put the used dishes in the sink while replying. -''''I have turned the pain settings down so experimenting won''t be that punishing anymore. I will be a lot more careful than that time, but I need to try a lot of different things to grasp all my options. I think that I barely even scratched the surface of that ability.'''' -''''You might want to have some water near you when you do that.'''' Blake laughed up and nodded. -''''That might come in handy, yes.'''' -''''Also how''s the area you are exploring like? Anything interesting?'''' He thought for a moment. -''''Actually, yes there is something interesting. I found a more or less hidden part of an area. It seems like it also has a guard, that or I accidentally into a high level area with crazy strong mobs. Either way I will go proceed deeper and see if there''s something useful.'''' Rose looked at him with curiosity. -''''Message me once you get deeper, I want to know what that exactly is... High level areas are very risky, but also very rewarding. Who knows maybe you can manage to get your hands on some good item or quest.'''' -''''I will message you, but don''t get your hopes up. I might have just found the entrance to a monster village or something similar.'''' Blake started walking towards the stairway, but suddenly turned to Rose again. -''''Oh I forgot to ask, what race did you chose? I totally forgot with all this happening around us.'''' Rose also headed towards the stairs and answered him while walking. -''''You will see when we team up. My starting town isn''t that far from where you are so it will be soon.'''' A smile spread on Blake''s lips. -''''Oh, a surprise worth waiting for? I''m even more interested now.'''' -''''Well we can continue talking later when you check that area out. I will also do some quests in the meantime. And with that both siblings went to their rooms and started Alteration up.
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***** Hello, sorry for not posting at all in the last month or so. I was in a bit of a slump but it''s ok now. This chapter is quite short but the next one will be bigger for sure. It''s something like an icebreaker for me after such a long pause. Here is the link to the thread of Alteration. Feel free to comment or ask anything. During my Alteration slump I wrote a prologue to a new story: Deep, dark night. I''d be very happy if you check it out, but be aware that it isn''t a VR setting. Alteration Chapter 12 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** After turning Alteration on again Blake went to the canyon and entered it carefully after confirming that the minotaur was far away. He then went into it with hurried steps and nervously studied everything around him. There was no vegatation at all in the canyon. The floor was gravel and the sides were made from piled up stone rocks. The light was a bit dimmer but enough was coming from the cracks that one could still see relatively well. I wonder if there are other guards around here? He continue walking and suddenly noticed a chest next to the side of the canyon and a huge woodden club leaned on it. What''s this mark? He saw a mark on it from the side and approached it to see better. A rune was carved into the club, but it looked like a really rough work. Blake decided to ignore it and looked at the chest. Now lets see what we have here. He slowly tried to move the club from the chest but it was far heavier than it looked. He got a part off of it, but it was far too heavy for him to hold even with two hands. Gently.... If this falls down the minotaur will hear for sure. Come on, slowly and carefully. He carefully lowered the club bit by bit with a reddened face. It was so big that he nearly lost balance but he managed to recover. Finally he put it down without it falling out of his hands and he turned to the now free chest. It had no lock so he opened it easily. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Roasted boar meat Delicious boar meat that is well seasoned. Can be sold for a very high price if still fresh. [br][/br][/col][/box] [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Armor of the fallen Armor Locked Required class: Sanguine paladin [br][/br][/col][/box] -''''Tsk...'''' Too bad it looks really strong. And good... It was a leather armor which was made out of crimson and black parts. Its design was very unique and it looked like a quite rare armor. It reminded Blake of demons and fire with its colors and the original design also looked a bit malicious. At least I will get quite a lot of money selling this. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Very sturdy rope A rope that is used by many adventurers. [br][/br][/col][/box] I''m sure this will also come in handy. He stored the items with a satisfied expression in his bag. I might also find some items here that can be used as a reward for those guys if they manage to do it. Nothing too good though... The roasted boar could be a start , maybe also some mediocre armor parts if I find them. As he was thinking in front of the chest he, noticed that the light tremors started again. The minotaur is approaching! I have to go. He hurriedly went deeper into the canyon and kept walking for a few minutes until he stopped feeling the tremors. Once he noticed that they stopped he slowed down and again inspected his environment. Something seems off... The stone walls on the sides were now complete. They weren''t just rock chunks, it looked like someone made them. If the walls are man made then maybe also... He swiped with his foot a bit of gravell from the floor and discovered that it was also made out smooth stone. It looks like the whole canyon was constructed, but why? Some dungeon maybe? Or was I previously right and this is an underground faction? This whole massive stone walls and floor are a bit similar to a palace or a temple. I will have to continue and see. Blake continued walking and found himself in a spot where the canyon started to go deeper into the earth and widened. He couldn''t see where it was going because the light that came from the cracks in the floating forest wasn''t strong enough to illuminate the deeper parts of the canyon. I will be going quite deep down if I continue... even now the wall''s height is around twenty meters I can''t really guess how much it''s down there, but it''s safe to say that I will be quite far from the surface. At least I won''t have any trouble with the light. Blake stretched his hands out in front of him and made two Lava orbs. Wow, it''s really easy even without words now that I''m used to it. The orbs made the canyon light up in red and with that he continued to go further into the canyon. He walked for what seemed like an eternity and the canyon widened considerably. There was now at least a distance of fifty meters between the walls. This is really creepy... Why would someone build such a huge hidden canyon? Or should I call it tunnel because it is partly covered with the floating forest? Ah, it doesn''t matter either way. He nervously looked around himself every so often. After a while he noticed that something was sticking out from the walls a bit farther away. Finally something appeared in this canyon-cave! He hurriedly approached the thing he noticed but stopped once he came a near enough to see. It was a huge stone ball thrice as big as him that seemed to be stuck in some kind of hole in the wall. Looks like just about half of it is sticking out. Whatever is behind it nothing can be seen... Maybe it''s some sort of corridor or entrance? Maybe it doesn''t cover everything. He approached the ball and wanted to inspect it when he noticed the carving that were on the front of the ball. Blake decided to first take a look at that and he approached it with a puzzled look on his face. Is this...a rune? A big complicated symbol was engraved into the ball. It is huge! And all the lines and form... It must be an extremely complicated and powerful rune. Why is it on this ball? Could this be some sort of enchanted tool maybe? I have no idea what it is if that''s correct. I wonder what''s up ahead. Blake walked to the middle of the canyon-tunnel and threw a Lava orb as far as he could. It lightened the canyon up and showed what was further ahead. The walls had all spheres like this one stuck in them. After a few seconds the orb exploded revealing another huge part of the canyon, but it was all the same, filled with tens and hundreds of stone spheres in the walls. So... Blake stood with an expressionless face, still looking ahead. Now I know that these balls are pretty important. Is there anything else here besides them? He walked towards the front part of the nearest ball and starred at the rune. I think I''ll note the shape somewhere maybe Teruna knows something about it. -''''Note. Manual mode.'''' A window appeared in front of him and he started carefully drawing the rune on it. He had to give it a few tries until he found the sketch satisfactory. After finishing he traced the lines with his hand to confirm that he hadn''t done anything wrong or missed something. *thump* Suddenly he heard a sound that made him jump in surprise. He looked in bewilderment at the side of the ball where the sound came from. A shape was hiding in the shadows that the ball was making. Blake was staring intently at the shape hidden by shadows and tried to recognise it. He moved the Lava orb slowly to the side and the shadow in which the creature was hiding got weaker. Blake now recognised a small furry creature with four legs and tail. What the... A puppy? A puppy was hiding in the shadows and looked at him with a confused expression. Blake relaxed and a smile crept on his face. I guess that it''s a neutral animal, but how did it get here? Maybe it''s a baby monster? Or could it be one of the monster races that are used as a pet by some classes? Well I have no idea but it seems like I startled it. Ah the poor thing looks scared. Blake spoke up with a silent and relaxed tone, trying to calm the puppy down. -''''How did you get here little guy? Did you wander into this canyon by accident?'''' The puppy made no move and continued to stare at Blake. Do I have something for him to make him open up a bit easier? The meat would be a good idea, but I wouldn''t be able to approach him while he eats... Something that would serve as a treat would be good I think. Oh! Blake started digging through his bag until he found something. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]16x Nuts An ordinary nut. [br][/br][/col][/box] This will do. He turned to the puppy and slowly extended his hand while talking soothingly. ''''Oh, you poor thing. You must be starving! No need to fear me little one.'''' He stopped his hand with a complicated expression. He might take it as aggressive behaviour if I get too close to him... I''ll try to carefully throw it in front of him. He softly threw the nut and it landed just in front of its paws. At first the falling object surprised the puppy and it jumped up, but it immediately noticed that it was harmless. It slowly approached the nut and started sniffing it. After a few seconds it took it in the mouth and ate it with a crunch. Seeing that a wide smile appeared on Blake''s face. -''''That''s it lil'' guy, no need to be scared. Here, another one.'''' Blake threw another nut before the puppy and he readily ate it this time, but he still didn''t stop looking confusedly at Blake. He still seems very cautious of me. This method won''t really help me much more. I need to change my approach. He took three nuts and put them in his open palm showing them to the puppy. -''''Look! More tasty snacks for you!'''' He extended his arm and stepped in the direction of the puppy. Suddenly an impossibly deep growl came out of the mouth of the puppy and its whole shape turned black. He leapt in Blake''s direction and suddenly started changing its shape in mid-air. Blake was frozen from surprise and soon found himself on the floor, eye to eye with a pair of black eyes. He tried to move with widened eyes and a terrified expression but the paws of the beast were pinning him down and he couldn''t move even a bit. His face was full of terror and he found himself even unable to scream, not that it would do him any good. He slowly looked at the whole beast and what he saw didn''t calm him down in the slightest. It is... a huge dog? No... A wolf. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The wolf''s body was made from stone and black energy like stripes between the stone parts. It seemed like the dark stripes were connecting the stone or it could have been the opposite. The wolf gave out such a blood-freezing feeling of terror that the stone might have actually restricted the darkness and kept it inside. The very being of the wolf seemed unstable and unfathomably dangerous. But it wasn''t the body which made Blake so terrified neither the ferocious face with its huge teeth. No, Blake couldn''t look away anymore from the beasts eyes. They were cold eyes of a predator which was calculating how it should deal with its prey. Its jaws slowly opened and two rows of sharp teeth came into Blake''s vision. He tried to struggle one last time with all his strength, but it was in vain. He couldn''t move at all. The wolf slowly lowered his head to Blake''s and then the latter realised that the wolf wasn''t even leaning hard onto him before this point. Blake''s breath was pressed out of his lungs and he found himself unable to inhale. His bones were also getting gradually more and more weight pushed onto them so cracks were slowly starting to be heard. Blake''s face was distorted from pain and his face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Why... is this happening..? I''m certain... I turned the pain setting down... Finally the wolf lowered his head all the way down to Blake with jaws wide open. The wolf then looked directly into his eyes, chilling him to the core and Blake heard a loud thunder like voice echoing inside his head and giving him goosebumps. -''''What are you?'''' Blake''s mind was growing darker by the moment, but he used all that was left to try saying a word. The unbelievable weight of the monster wolf was keeping his lungs from filling and only whispered and unintelligible sounds came from his mouth. Air... Need... Air... Suddenly the wolf stepped down from his chest and a thunder like voice echoed again in Blake''s mind. -''''Speak!'''' Blake gasped for air and continued to pant, trying to recover, but he never looked away from the wolf. Every breath he took and every move he made was painful. It seemed like quite a lot of his bones were broken. He wasn''t able to stand up and tried to press a word out between his ragged breathing. -''''Human...'''' The wolf was suddenly again standing above him with a pawn leaned on his hand. Its voice shook again through his mind with wrath that made Blake cringe. -''''I will ask you again. What. Are. You?'''' The wolf applied stronger and stronger pressure to his hand until loud cracking noises were heard by the final word. Blake screamed out in agony while trying to speak back to the wolf. -''''STOP! ARGH!'''' The wolf suddenly moved his pawn from the smashed hand to the other. The voice which echoed in Blake''s head was devoid of any mercy. -''''I''ll ask again nicely, what are you?'''' Blake was drenched in sweat and he breathed heavily trying to suppress his pain and talk. -''''Log...out!'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Failed to execute order. Error: Unknown [br][/br][/col][/box] Blake closed his eyes not believing what he saw. Suddenly the wolf lifted his stone pawn and brought it down with such force on Blake''s thumb that the ground beneath it cracked. Only a red mess remained where once the thumb was. Blake screamed out, eyes wide open with terror, experiencing excruciating pain. He let out a whimpering, confused whisper after losing the energy to scream. -''''Impossible...why..? The wolf lifted his pawn again and put it over Blake''s wrist. -''''NO!'''' Blake screamed out with a hoarse voice seeing what the wolf was about to do again... The wolf''s eyes were staring into his eyes, seemingly seeing every thought and emotion. The voice rumbled cold as ever. -''''I recommend you to talk. You will do that anyway sooner or later, that I guarantee.'''' Blake trembled, feeling that every word he heard was true. He quickly started talking as clearly as he could in his pitiful state in hope that the monster will stop. -''''I''ll...tell you...'''' He pressed the words out with great effort, trying to ignore the unbearable pain. Must...make him...stop... Why didn''t I.... faint... from the...pain? Game effect..? -''''I''m human... but not... from th...'''' The voice shook his mind again. -''''I know what players are. Do not repeat to me things I know or I might just decide to motivate you a bit more.'''' The wolf leaned a bit on Blake''s wrist. The bone didn''t break, but it was very close to doing so. Blake suppressed a scream and the wolf lifted his pawn again. Blake continued talking like before, pressing out every word with immense effort. -''''I''m a player which went... through a ritual. It made me a... part of this world... I am now something in between... a resident of this world... and mine.'''' The voice was heard again and the wolf looked him in the face, as if trying to decide if it''s the truth or not. -''''Interesting... Who did this?'''' Blake was heavily panting now, not having enough air or energy to continue giving long answers, but he did his best to evade another pulverised bone. If this went on he might just die from blood loss if his regeneration wasn''t high enough. It was hard to say because the rules were either broken or he was standing right at the edge of dying which would actually save him. -''''L...Hedgehogs...'''' The massive stone paw landed heavily on Blake''s wrist, making him loose the control of his hand and replacing it with horrid pain. -''''Are you mocking me boy? There''s no way that the hedg...'''' The words inside Blake''s voice came to an abrupt stop as he was crying out in pain again. -''''Could it be? No, that''s impossible, but I must still ask you. Do you by any chance mean the volcanic hedgehogs?'''' Blake had no strength left and every breath he took was hurting him so he made the faintest nod while still panting and screaming. Out of the blue the formerly cold voice which echoed through his mind turned into a happy one. -''''They survived! I''m so full of joy I could explode.'''' The wolf lightly hopped on the spot making huge noise with his heavy stone body and making tremors. Blake was still unable to do anything but breathe and occasionally scream up, but he watched this with a complicated expression. Ah... I must have gone mad... from the pain. The wolf turned again to Blake, but his eyes weren''t cold anymore. They now had a cheerful spark which only made Blake''s belief firmer that he lost his mind. -''''Boy, bring me to the hedgehogs! Today is a good day for both them and me. Also what''s your connection with the hedgehogs?'''' Blake managed with much effort to stop screaming and now looked at the wolf with a blank expression, not understanding anything that was going on. -''''I''m... their leader...'''' The eyes of the wolf turned cold again for a second, but he continued cheerfully. -''''Just bring me to them and then we''ll see. '''' A little bit of light returned to Blake, despite his broken body continuously agonising him. -''''I''m dying... because of you...'''' A puffing sound was heard inside his mind and then the wolf''s voice echoed again in a nonchalant way. -''''No, you are not. I was careful.'''' He sounded like everything was resolved with that. Blake continued with a hoarse voice. .''''I''m bleeding... and totally broken... I can''t go anywhere... Not even log out...¡¯¡¯ The voice resounded again. -'''' Don''t worry I stopped now. You are a player right? You should have good regeneration. Also yes, you aren''t able to log out. Just bring me to the hedgehogs.'''' Blake tried to stop thinking about all the things that made the situation wrong and worked on the problem at hand. -''''This isn''t supposed to... happen to a player... I should have died from that much... damage... What did you...do?'''' The wolf just shook lightly his head. -''''Unimportant. Just tell me how I can hasten your recovery!'''' Blake thought what could be done as hard as he could with his mind clouded in excruciating pain. -''''My bag... I think I found a recovery potion a few hours ago... pour it over the wounds.'''' The wolf stuck its head into the bag and dug through it. Finally he rose with a vial in his mouth and inquired. -''''Is this the one?'''' Blake was still lying there, suppressing the pain and he lightly nodded. The wolf now approached Blake and asked again with a confused way. -''''What should I do now? Blake understood immediately where the problem was. Both his hands were broken and the wolf had no thumbs to use for uncorking the potion. Perfect... He talked to the wolf with a strained voice. -''''Bite the upper part... off and then carefully pick it up and... Pour the content over me.'''' The wolf lowered the vial and did as instructed. He bit the upper part off with no problems thanks to his powerful jaw, but put too much force into it so shards flew everywhere and a few dug into Blake''s thigh which made him whimpered at the new source of pain. Nevertheless Blake managed to stay more or less calm and continued to instruct the wolf. -''''Pour it over the worst wounds first...'''' And with that the wolf started to pour the potion on Blake''s broken body. The latter moaned and winced continuously because his bones were regenerating and going ever so slowly into their right place. In the middle of this the wolf''s voice was again heard in Blake''s mind. -''''You really made my day, well both of our days actually.'''' Blake forced himself to talk again because of the outrageous words. -''''How do you... mean that? You tortured and...nearly killed me. '''' The wolf just continued in a tranquil voice. -''''You actually got more out of this than me. We both got an ally, but you will also get a lot of knowledge. Don''t complain about your body it will soon be as good as new again. What is important is the end result. Just bring me to the hedgehogs and everything will be superb.'''' -''''...Yes.'''' Blake pressed the word out with much effort and he fell into a half unconscious state, waiting for his body to fix itself. I will bring you to Teruna don''t you worry. I''ll also recommend you as a snack if you don''t turn out to be very, very useful.
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*** Thanks for reading Here is another chapter. I know that it isn''t quite long, but I wanted to turn Alteration into a story that gets weekly new chapters. I hope you like it. Here is the link where I will sometimes put some info regarding Alteration and when the next chapter will be released. Feel free to comment. Alteration Chapter 13 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** -''''Uuuh...'''' A painful moan esaped from Blake''s lips as he sat on the dirt and leaned on a tree. He previously led the monster wolf out of the canyon, carefully avoiding the minotaur and going around him in a wide arc. They were now waiting in a nearby part of the forest for a response from Teruna after he PMed his sister, briefly explaining the situation and asking her to forward the message to Teruna and tell her to come. He made sure to mention all the weird stuff caused by the wolf and hoped that Teruna could make some sense out of it. The wolf didn''t try to talk much with Blake after they left the canyon. A strange atmosphere surrounded him that made Blake even more uncomfortable if that was even possible. The beast was silent, but a sense of foreboding could be felt coming from it. The cold eyes were racing left and right expecting something and even his body trembled in exceitement, seemingly happy. Blake watched the wolf secretly from the side and couldn''t help but feel sceptical. I am so screwed...Is he maybe some faction hunter beast that is tracking the hedgehogs? But it makes no sense. I hadn¡¯t been in Faction leader mode so I couldn''t have been sensed. He must be something else... *CRACK* A loud noise came from Blake''s body and he convulsed in pain and started to breath heavily as he tried to support himself with his arms and lean on the tree behind him. -''''Huff...huff...huff...'''' After a few moments he again regaind his normal position, but he continued to breath heavily with pearly of sweat visible on his forehead. He massaged his ribs and arms where the most serious bone fractures previously were. Nothing could be seen on the surface, but the pain that Blake felt was still excrutiating as the dislocated bones were gradually going back to their original places. Blake''s natural regeneratiton was slowly healing him, but it seems like the pain adjustment was still broken. He waited for a minute to let his breathing go back to normal and whispered with a barely audible voice. -''''...log out...'''' [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Failed to execute order. Error: Unknown[br][/br][/col][/box] He lightly massaged his sore bones and stared at the window. Just what is wrong with this wolf? This shouldn''t be possible... can he bend the rules as he pleases? That is ridiculous it must be something else! Maybe it''s some other faction that I haven''t heard of and their magic can produce these effects, but that would be..? AHH! *CRACK* Another load noise came from Blake, but this time from his hand. He held it carefully with the other one, trying to strain it as little as possible while the bones were moving. His breathing turned ragged again and he leaned his head back on the tree trunk and waited for the pain to pass. The forest around him was just as it was before probably, but to him it seemed like it lacked the color from before and the relaxing noises of birds and rustling leaves were replaced with his own heartbeat that he heard all too clearly. What should I do now? Can I do anything at all actually? I''m this guys hostage and my only option really is waiting for Teruna. I do wonder if she''s even stronger than the wolf. Blake''s face turned gradually paler. If that wolf managed to manipulate the game settings to that degree could he... kill me... Here and in real life... He started sweating and closed his eyes trying to focus and make the bone-chilling fear go away, but it was in vain. Grim thoughts clouded his mind and he fixed his gaze on the wolf which didn''t seem to care much for Blake at the moment. The wolf disabled the log out function and also messed with the pain settings... My previous condition also shouldn''t have been possible, usually people die when they are crippled to that extent and are unable to continue fighting. Could that beast even... disable the ressurrection function? His hands lightly shook and dark thoughts continued to wander his mind until a sound interrupted it. [box border=1 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=3 width=80% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][col colspan=4 valign=top width=100% bordercolor=#7499c4 bgcolor=#d2e4f2][br][/br]Teruna told you to head north to a small stream. She also said that it''s important that there is some distance between you and the wolf. ¨C Rose 12:32[br][/br][/col][/box] Ah so she will... -''''WHOA!'''' Just as he finished reading the message he noticed the wolf that was not even a step away from him. He jumped up and made created a bit of distance between the wolf and him. However he immediately regretted it as the jump shook his whole boody and some bones painfully creaked up making Blake collapse in pain. The wolf watched the scene that unfolded before him with an expressionless face and he simply took a few steps and was again next to Blake. He didn''t seem to care much about his reaction, but just looked at Blake''s face and a moment later his voice was heard booming through Blake''s mind. -''''What is the response?'''' Blake stood up again and answered with an unsteady voice. -''''How do you know that I got an answer?'''' The eyes of the beast were cold and expressionless, but his voice seemed threatening. -''''Am I wrong?'''' Blake immediatelly shook with fear in his veins and stutteringly asnwered. -''''Y...You aren''t. We... we need to go north from here. Someone will be waiting in the vicinity of a stream that is located there.'''' How did he know that I got a message?! The wolf stood silent for a moment. -''''Why don''t they come here?'''' Blake''s expression froze on his face and he started sweating even harder while trying to maintain a more or less straight face. Because she is either making a trap or suspecting one probably... A weak voice came from his lips. -''''I told them everything you told me to, I swear! They probably just looked for a spot that can be found easily so we don''t miss each other in this big forest.'''' -''''Very well.'''' With these words the wolf turned and started walking. Blake looked after him with a mixture of relief and confusion on his face. Is he an idiot? Or is he just that confident in his abilities? He followed after the wolf, but made sure to keep his distance like Teruna told him to. He nervously looked around while he was walking thinking about what was about to happen. What will she do? A ranged attack maybe? Ughh I don''t even know her abilities so it''s hard to guess... But what is this knowledge the beast spoke off? This situation is simply infuriating... He kept guessing what would happen with a pale face for a few minutes until they finally came to the stream Teruna mentioned. The bubbling of water filled the air, but it did little to relax the terrified Blake who tried to keep an eye on the wolf while looking everywhere around him for signs of Teruna. Come on...where are you? The wolf now arrived right next to the stream and sat down while Blake slowly and relucantly closed the distance. Just as Blake halved the distance he held between him and the wolf did the earth in front of him errupt. It seemed like a big explosion where the earth tore upen with incredible force and the air was filled with flying stones and dirt. In the middle of it appeared a huge red monster which charged with incredible speed at the wolf. Blake threw himself flat on the ground and covered his head and endured the oncoming dirt and stone rain and also the agony of his bones creaking from the fall. Teruna! How did she know that we would come to this exact place?! The wolf immediately got up and tried to evade the charging hedgehog, but he wasn''t fast enough. Teruna slammed right into him and he got stabbed with here flaming spikes. After she hit him she showed no sign of stopping but just rushed in the direction of a tree, slamming herself and the wolf into it, making sure that the spikes really go through him and pin him to the tree. Blake slowly got up from the dirt and awaited with fear the wolves counterattack. Nothing happened for a few seconds and he slowly got closer to Teruna to check the situation. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The wolf was still pinned with many spikes going through him and into the tree, but he didn''t notice before that one spike was going straight through the wolve''s skull. Blake fell on his knees in relief and he felt his exhaustion and pain even more intensly than before, but his mind was finally relaxed. Great! We don''t know what he wanted to do, but it''s better like this. It must have been a trap either way. He lifted his shaky voice and shouted to Teruna with an exhausted smile on his face. -''''When we go back I''ll have dad make you a feast! You won''t believe what the bea...'''' Teruna interrupted Blake with a roar and he noticed that she didn''t move an inch since impaling the monster. Could she be stuck in the tree? Blake moved to Teruna''s side to see what the problem was. The wolf was sttill motionless and didn''t even twitch, but Blake''s heart froze for a second when he noticed its eyes. They were lowered and pointed directly into Teruna''s. Fear spread through Blake''s boody like a wildfire. How is this possible?! The spike is going right through its skull! And all the other injuries! Blake looked with wide opened eyes at the beast trying to grasp the situation when it shifted its gaze from Teruna to him. The cold pair of eyes that looked at him made him unable to move and a voice cold and violent like a blizzard rampaged through his head. -''''What is the meaning of this?'''' Blake''s heart beat like it tried to escape his chest, yet his body wouldn''t move as if rooted down. A voice filled with confusion and terror seeped out of Blake''s mouth. -''''H... How?'''' Teruna roared again shaking Blake out of his trance and her spikes started glowing and released a dangerous energy around them. Blake who was near her was also affected by it and fell to the ground leaning on his arms while he felt a pain spreading inside of him from the pressure Teruna''s spikes gave off. She was trying to push the wolf even harder savagely throwing herself forward making the spikes burry even deeper and the energy that was coming from them seemed to tear the wolf apart with its frightful power. The wolf was now being destroyed before Blake''s eyes but he knew that something was off. The eyes of the wolf were still expressionless and switching from Blake to Teruna continuosly. After his whole body started to crumble he calmy spoke in Blake''s mind. -'''' You disapoint me.'''' The words rang in Blake''s mind and just after they were spoken the wolf started to change. He seemed to be engulfed by Teruna''s flames and his wounds were being torn apart by her powers. Just what is happening?! Aren''t we winning? The wolf seemed to be transforming his body, coating it in fire and his eyes gained new red light. Blake looked at the scene unfolding feeling like it was a terrible nightmare and he was unable to wake up. Teruna also noticed that the wolf wasn''t dying despite the fatal attacks so she backed away, pulling her spikes out of the wolf and tree making him fall on the dirt, but he landed graciously on his feet. His behaviour was as cold as ever despite the new flaming body he made somehow. His eyes were calmly looking at the two and he wasn''t moving. Blake managed to come back to his senses and came to Teruna''s side who also made a considerable distance between her and the monster. -''''What did you do?! Why isn''t it dead?!'''' Teruna roared out in frustration and signaled him to stay behind her as she wasn''t able to speak in this form. Blake got behind her and readied himself to flee. His face was as white as paper from fear. She also doesn''t know what''s happening... Teruna bashed again into the wolf this time making him fly through the air and smashagainst another tree. She immediately ran up to him with earthshaking steps that made some trees creak and bit of his head with a bloodthirsty roar. Blake watched carefully what happened but he couldn''t relax because the body that fell out of Teruna''s mouth landed in one elegant motion and flames swirled out of the wolf''s body forming a new head. Blake''s body started trembling and his whole mind turned blank for a second. The wolf turned his newly formed head to Blake and looked deep into his eyes making his vioce resound in his mind. -''''Enough! I am here to talk.'''' He doesn''t even feel bothered by Teruna''s attacks... and he wants to talk? He spoke up with a trembling voice and turned to Teruna. -''''We don''t really have a choice...'''' Teruna turned and charged at Blake who opened his eyes wide open seeing this. What is she doing?! She came to him and without stopping picked him up with her pointy nose and somehow slowly lowered him on the spikes. He looked with dread at the spikes that he clung on and tried to do his best to avoid getting stabbed every time she shook from her big steps. He tried to say something but he was only silenced by Teruna¡¯s roar and kept silently clinging to her. It was hard to hold on to her but she wasn''t emanating the previous pressure and the heat that was coming from her also seemed controlled. His only problem was that he couldn''t always cushion the swaying so get got quite a few bruises and stab wounds, but not even one was serious. After a few minutes of running he clenched his teeth and tried to look over his shoulder tosee where the wolf was at. To his shock and fright he noticed the wolf right in the middle of that motion. He ran right next to them, and jumped accasionally up to a tree to and then back when he wanted to annul some distance Teruna was desperately trying to make. The wolf was still coated in fire with all of his dark streaks gone and replaced by red and yellow ones from which the intense fire came that coated his body. Every place his paw tucked went up in flames and Blake already noticed some smoke back from the direction they started running from. This is insane! He can catch up to us whenever he wants, why is he letting us run even further? Blake lightly tugged at one of Teruna''s spikes and she lifted her head for a second to show him that she is listening. Blake then started talking as loud as he could with his exhausted body. -''''He is playing with us! Look to your right! He has no problems keeping up with you, but for some reason he hasn''t attacked.'''' He hasn''t attacked at all, now that I think about it. -''''We must stop and see what he wants, there is no alternative!'''' Teruna huffed frustratedly making smoke come out of her mouth and slowed done while turning to the wolf. He noticed the temp change and looked at everything from a branch on a tree that slowly started to catch fire. Teruna was now turned to face the wolf and stomped her feet on the ground making tremors. Blake just wanted to get off of her, but when he moved she growled silently making him stop. She is as unsecure as I am... The wolf was now smoothly approaching them leaving behind patches of scorched and still burning grass and dirt. He gazed at Teruna and Blake with his emotionless infernal eyes and spoke, moving their thoughts to the side. -''''Now that you are done playing around it''s time to talk.''''
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Thanks for reading. First I''d like to thank Sceribna for the amazine picture he made(you can see it on the ToC) I''m sorry this chapter got delayed that much, but I honestly couldn''t help it. I am burried in work and I might again find myself unable to post next weekend. It will turn back into weekly releases as soon as possible. Here''s the forum thread where you can see my progress, ETAs (most of the time) and other updates. Alteration Chapter 14 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** *thunk* Blake carefuly got off of Teruna and landed on the ground next to her. His landing was a bit clumsy because he didn''t dare to lose sight of the monster. He made a few steps away from her which she immediately noticed and reacted by closing the distance. After a second she stood right next to Blake and looked at him an obviously upset expression. She knows exactly how ridiculous this situation is... I don''t really think she can guard me if that is her goal. That being didn''t even seem to be bothered by her all out offense. She turned around again to the wolf and tilted her head. A moment later the wolf suddenly twitched and a voice filled with surprise and outrage filled his head. -''''Who are you calling a flame stealer? I''d never do that!'''' He swung his head abruptly upwards after the roar and waves of fire came from his fur and flew in their direction. Blake tried to back away, but Teruna was faster and threw herself in front of him, splitting the incoming flame waves into two with an earthsaking swing of her pawn. -''''RRRRHHHHAAAAAAAAA!'''' She roared at the wolf with smoke coming from her mouth. Her spikes turned brighter and hotter simultaneously with her roar and forced Blake to take a few steps back to not get hurt. He was at a loss not knowing what he should do. Why did he suddenly attack? What does he want? Did she say something? Just what is happening? He shifted his look from the outraged Teruna to the wolf which seemed unfased by what was happening in front of him. He even sat down a few steps away and looked calmly at them. Ugh... just what is she trying to do with this heat? Did she lose it or what? He looked back at Teruna because the heat turned unbearable again and made him retreat even further. Teruna seemingly lost her temper and let her destructive powers flow freely. The wolf watched indifferently and his calm voice rang again. -''''It wasn''t your flame.'''' Teruna let out a surprised growl after hearing and the heat stopped progressing. Just what is he doing? Wait... could he have attacked just to prove that he didn''t steal the flame? Is he insane? How does that prove anything?! The wolf stared at Teruna. -''''Is this really any way to start a civil conversation? Insulting?'''' ... He is only bothered by the thought of him stealing Teruna''s fire? He sees nothing else wrong here? Teruna sat down but it seemed like she was nowhere near calm, she stared intensly at the wolf. It is more like she managed to cage her emotions for the moment. The wolf was visibly satisfied and his fire was gleefuly dancing on his body. -''''Finally! We can talk. You really like wasting time.'''' Teruna didn''t respond in any way, but it was clear to Blake how she felt. Her spikes were now turning into an agressive red color and the air around her started to lightly flicker. -''''So how is your faction faring? Where are you located?'''' Blake''s complexion turned even paler rivaling one of a ghost. Oh no,no,no. How wil she... -''''AH!'''' Teruna''s spikes were now a rediating mixture of red and yellow light violently exchanging and shining so hard they blinded Blake for a few seconds when he first looked into them. -''''Ugh...'''' Waves of energy came from the spikes hitting Blake and knocking him down first and throwing him around every time he tries to stand up. The heat that came with the violent wind was so considerable that he had to shield his entire head and stop breathing in fear of it. Smoke already started to come from some spots on the armor that the wind hit. A part of Blake''s face also got badly burned in the first hit of wind and made him roll up on the dirt and slowly try to crawl away from Teruna. Uhhhh... She is going berserk after that blatant provocation... She totally forgot about me. He covered the hurt part of his face in pain and tried to see what was happening. Teruna was still painfully bright but he could now look easier in her direction as smoke dimmed her light down. The earth all around here was scorched and only smoking piles of ash were left of the previous vegetation. The earth was all black and cracked up from the dryness and the cracks were growing as it got gradually hotter. Blake had to crawl with all he had to somehow stay alive. The air he breathed in was so warm he nearly chocked on it. Gasping and crawling he gained a little bit of distance turning around every now and then to check the situation. His armor caught fire numerous times and Blake always hurriedly extinguished it as well as he could. If this goes on I am dead... All the trees in his vicinity had already caught fire and were now blooming up with fiery flowers and the flames and sparks mixed up with the infernal wind leaving Blake shocked. He snapped out of it and immediately continued crawling for his life, but his thoughts were all jumbled from the specatacle that was happening behind him. It is... ferocious and beautiful. Unbelieveaable. A deadly dance of fire and wind, enveloping anything, destroying everything and leaving nothing behind... Blake finally gave up crawling and stopped, turning back to the two monsters. It seemed like the heat spread now considerabely slower making it much easier to breathe. The wolf was jumping around evading the waves as well as he could, but most still found their target and sent him flying or knocked him onto the dirt. Teruna was also charging independently from her blazing gales, ripping off part of the wolfs body with her pawns and piercing him with her spikes. This isn''t right... The wolf had an expression of pure confusion and bewliderment. Teruna''s attacks hit him, but he always stood up trying to get away just to be beat down on the floor again. Is she even doing some damage? And why is that damn bastard so confused? His flames were dancing alongside with the wind and were nearly getting swept up from his body every time the blazing wind hit him. -''''Stop! I said sto...GUH!'''' His voice resounded inside Blake''s head, but was quickly interrupted by one of Teruna''s swipes which took out a good part of his lower body. The flaming body quickly reformed, but his expression was now frantic and the voice that now resounded again was one of total missunderstanding. -''''Why?! How dare I?! What do you mean? Are you really ignorant of what I am?'' *KRRHHHH* A gale hit him and sent him crashing into the scorched dirt leaving a crater in it from the impact. His outraged voice was soon again heard as he rose from the crater. -''''Prey?! Have you lost your mind? I am an Elemental!'''' He is making no sense... Teruna charged at the rising wolf through the smoke filled air and hit him with her full mass sending him flying into the air where he was engluffed in the infernal wind that shook him mercilessly and robbed him off his flame, finally sending him crashing back oneto the dirt creating a new crater. Flame once again started appearing all over his body but nothing was left from his once calm behavior. He yelled out in frustration. -''''You have no idea! How do you not know?! We were hunted just like you!'''' What?! Teruna froze on the spot. The wolf used that moment to restore his fire and continue talking. -''''Listen to me! We need to talk. Also you might want to get a hold of yourself . Your supposed leader is quite far away and still getting grilled.'''' Teruna stopped releasing the heat aura and slowly turned around to look at Blake, but she found him to be be at least fifty meters away from her. Her look suddenly shifted and she looked at the whole area around her. There was nothing left in her vicinity and the very dirt she walked on seemed dead, cracked and still smoking on the spots where previously grass and trees were. She didn''t even notice what she was really doing... The whole forest oustide of the scorched circle of ash turned into a boundless sea of fire. Teruna waited until Blake came to her side. -''''Don''t attack again unless you really have to, please.'''' Teruna snorted and turned to the wolf that was once again patiently waiting, but with a troubled expression. As soon as she turned his voice resounded again. -'''' I will just explain this from the beginning. Elementals are as their names suggests beings closely associated with the elements. We are guardians of the elements and hunters of everything and everyone that disrupt them. Do you remember now? How could you even forget about us?! The world is full of us! '''' The wolf cried out in an outraged voice and Teruna just kept shaking her head lightly while looking at him without even trying to hide her scepticism. The wolf suddenly paused and continued with an unsteady voice. -''''Just how many years has passed...'''' He made a weak step forward. -''''Hedgehog. Tell me how many years have passed since the war? I was caged that time around when you started losing.'''' Teruna quietly thought for a few seconds and directed her gaez again at the wolf. The wolf''s head hung low. -''''Hundreds of years... unfathomable. I don''t understand what you mean by you lost track though, explain that.'''' She is speaking telepathically probably... or can he read her mind? They went silent once again and Blake also quietly waited to hear what the wolf will have to say. A few minutes passed. The wolf suddenly laid down on the dirt and a very silent, nearly fretful voice resounded. -'''' I see... and you never heard anything of elementals? Or maybe saw a creature similar to me?'''' Teruna shook her head. The wolf burried his head in his pawns, but his weak voice still rang again. -''''Why? Why did they do it? Did they know what will happen? Impossible... but maybe..? No, it is just improbable... Miss, it seems like my people are either all dead or imprisoned.'''' His voice was weak, but it didn''t sound unconvinced. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. -''''You don''t seem to know of my people, even though I remember that your faction and many of mine share a common taste for habitats. It is very unlikely you would never meet any elemental even if they were mostly captured by the other factions. You were probably far from civilisations, just where my people usually are...'''' Wait... all the stones... That was a prison for elementals! The minotaur was a guard, but how could I slip in so easily? Blake and Teruna looked at the wolf with a mixture of pity and fear. The wolf just laid on the floor with his head unmovingly resting on his pawns. -'''' You probably guessed it already, but I managed to free myself from the stone seal because of your influence. I and my people have been imprisoned there for all this time... It seems like the enemy knew or doubted at least...'''' Blake was still frozen from fear and pain, but curiosity got the better of him and he inquired the wolf with a weak voice. -''''What did they know?'''' The wolfs head lightly sprung up and he looked at Blake. -''''Ah, the supposed leader.'''' He turned back for a second to Teruna and started talking again with a slightly surprised voice to Blake after that. -''''Oho so you really are the leader. So, leader, do you know the backstory of this world?'''' Blake cleared his throat and tried to conceal his fear as much as possible. -''''I have heard most parts from Teruna I think.'''' The wolf nodded. -''''Good, then you know what happened to the world to leave it in such a sick and twisted state.'''' Blake''s eyebrows rose and Teruna grunted approvingly, but the wolf simply continued talking. -''''I don''t really know much because i just got caught a few days after it happened, but I did feel that it was wrong. It simply didn''t feel right, the world seemed to cry out and be forcibly moved and controlled. We were all alarmed and were confused at what happened, but some of us,including me, were suddenly captured and sealed. Now it seems like that was just the first wave and that all were later either caught or killed.'''' Blake trembled lightly from rage at the thought of the opposing factions. I haven''t forgiven this monster for what he has done to me, but what is it with these enemy factions? They seem more monstruos than anyone else... But it doesn''t make sense. -''''Why were they after you in the first place? Also why not kill you all instead of sealing if they wanted to get rid of you? Laughter without a shred of joy shook Blake''s mind. -''''That''s it! They knew it! Those damn cowards knew it! Ahahaha!'''' Is he mad? -''''What did they know?'''' The wolf continued to speak with the same humorless laughter. -''''Nature chose us, ahaha... We, the elementals were designated to be the true protectors of this world against the enemy which forced the world into the path he wanted. And I was capture before we even received the powers! Most of us probably were, hahaha! See! That was their plan they got us before we got our powers! My people probably even fought them if not all got the caught or killed before, but I got captured in the first way and got my powers in the safety of my prison where I was perfectly useless! Hahahaha!'''' Blake looked at him with a troubled expression. Sorrow and the information that you are the only free indiviual of your kind in the world... Also being the first one to get captured... After so many hundreds of years in prison and this I''m not really surprised he would snap. I hope that he will continue talking, this sounds highly useful... -''''What are these powers you awakened?'''' Did he turn immortal and that''s why they chose to cage all the Elementals quickly while they were stil able to? THe wolf looked up and started talking with a faint trace of vigor sneaking its way back into his voice. -''''As I said, nature chose us. We were made into tools to restore and protect the balance of the world that was starting to shake up because of the foolish actions of other factions. You have seen my powers. I can also control the state of some aspects of nature on a smaller scale wether it is in the direction of bringing temporal balance to it or temporary disrupting it if needed. They weren''t enough to free me from my prison though and believe me I have tried, I bashed against it for yeard and maybe even decades without pause, but it wasn''t even scratched,until you came that is. But the bottom line is that I do not have much power so I can only make such small changes for a short time. In the big picture one elemental doesn''t really make a big difference.'''' The wolf''s eyes sparkled. -''''However we need to keep in mind that you managed to create an opening for me... Its probably because of you unique condition... You aren''t from this world but you fit in. The world isn''t rejecting you... But why did only I manage to escape? Did you do anything special while being around my stone?'''' Blake though for a few moments with a troubled expression. I did note the seal pattern... I can''t really remember that well my mind is really a mess right now. -''''I did fumble a bit around your stone, but nothing special really.'''' The wolf came a few steps closer and talked with an excited voice. -''''That''s the beautiful side of it. Imagine what you can do if you try! Help me free all the Elementals and watch as werevert what was never meant to be changed and the people who caused this twisted state of the world.'''' Blake''s mind froze for a moment and it got replaced by a sudden calmness that even surprised him. He clenched his fist and looked the Elemental in the eyes and spoke with a resoslution he didn''t even know existsed a few moments ago. He refused to just continue taking part into this as abaystander or victim. -''''No.'''' The wolf stood on stil for a second and suddenly burst out a furious roar. -''''You heard my story! How could you, are you maybe on the side of the other facti...'''' -''''RRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'''' An even louder roar interrupted the wolf and he turned silent. Blake nodded thankfully to Teruna and continued talking with a tone that gradually got more secure and cold. -'''' Do not lose your temper like that wolf. I am the only chance you have. Also I am not on the other faction''s side otherwise I would have selled out ther Lava hedgehogs wouldn''t I ? Or do you maybe think they suddenly turned into best friends with the other factions after they slaughtered nearlly their whole faction'''' Is he an idiot or what? The wolf remained silent, but briefly nodded. Blake continued talking. -''''We have something you want and you have something we want. The only difference that you are as good as dead if we leave you.'''' Well the same actually goes for us but I hope he is stupid enough to miss that detail... -''''So why don''t we make a deal?'''' The wolf''s voice was very unsteady and it seemed like not even he knew what he should think about the current situation. -''''What do you have in mind?'''' -''''You will join my faction and serve me. After you prove your loyalty and show that you have kept your end of the bargain I will make sure to release as many Elementals as I can and let them do as they please and maybe even ally with them depending on the goals you set, You however will continue serving me and my faction.'''' The wolf looked at Blake with a gaze full of suspicion. -''''This doesn''t seem fair at all. What would keep you from using me indefinitely and never setting my people free?'''' A unsteady smile appeared on Blake''s face for a second. -''''This first period is only here for you to prove that you can be trusted. And don''t forget that we have a common enemy. An Elemental army on our side would be quite nice. We want to set them free just as much as you do, but we need to see that you stand by your word and will maybe even help us ally with your people after they are set free. We will help you and you will help us, but we want to first develop a bit of trust.'''' A silent dissatisfied growl came from the wolf and he answered. -''''Very well I will show you that I stand by my word, however I will not serve you after the rest of us are liberated. At least let me be part of both factions.'''' A smile bloomed on Blake''s face. -''''Agreed.'''' He suddenly looked around them and saw again the flames and smoke that rose in the air all around the scortched eart. -''''We better run now. The sky is clear so the smoke will be visible even from very far away. Gah!'''' Teruna put him again carefully on her spikes and gestured the wolf to follow her. Blake''s face went pale again and he whispered to Teruna with a weak voice. -''''Please keep me in mind while running.'''' Short growls came from here resembling a laugh. The wolf already started runnining and his happy voice filled Blake''s head. -''''Remember this day, this is where we start!'''' A smile appeared again on Blake''s face. Idiot. And with that the two flaming red shadows disappeared into the forest leaving behind them only scortched earth, ashes and a howl lingered in the air. *** Thanks for reading! Please remember to comment and/or review. Feedback really motivates me very much and it''s nice to hear the opinions of the people that are behind the dull numbers I see regardless if they are positive or negative. Here''s the forum thread where you can see my progress, ETAs (most of the time) and other updates.
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Alteration Chapter 15 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Sounds of falling water drops and rhythmic footsteps resounded in a dark cave. The walls were bathed in warm red light, making it just barely possible for Blake to see where he was stepping. The lightsource was Teruna who walked a few meters ahead of Blake and carefully mustered the wolf in front of her with caution every now and then. She dimmed her light down to a bare minimum so that she wouldn''t attract any monsters which would pester them. The three of them all walked silently and it didn''t seem like they were paying too much attention to the path ahead or anything at all that wasn''t in their immediate vicinity. Their gazes were mostly directed at the floor, but their eyes were unfocused. They were all deeply in thought about something and had troubled expressions on their faces. *Ding* A ringing sound broke the silence for Blake and he looked tiredly at the message that popped up.
Faction quest complete: The young hedgehog which was given the task of keeping an eye out for player groups matching your description has sent you word of them approaching. Message: ''''5 players. 15 minutes walking away from the forest. 1 bag and many buckets.'''' Rewards for quest completion being sent to the hedgehog: +150 Faction reputation +800 experience
Blake tilted his head slightly after seeing the numbers. Hmm too bad it is a set amount of experience for such an easy quest. It does give a solid amount of intimacy but I don''t really see how that is useful. -''''Haa...'''' He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. I totally forgot about that quest after all this mess. I have much more pressing things that I need to think about so time is of the essence. Maybe I could ask Rose to pick it up for me if she is near enough... Her town is close supposedly so one Teleportation shouldn''t be that expensive I hope. A whisper came from him. -''''Minion overview.'''' Now lets see if my hard work paid off.
Faction membersMercenaries
List allList all
Mercenaries
GlonMercenary 2Mercenary 3Mercenary 4Mercenary 5
ExpandExpandExpandExpandExpand
These Absolute leader runes are the real thing... I can see all the more important things they did since the moment they burned the forged Mystery artifacts. Now lets see what they have been up to. He expanded all the windows and started reading the actions. Before he managed to continue a pop-up appeared before him.
Provision: 5 Gold 1x Grass-stalker scale
The percentage I get from drops is really low, they must have hunted a lot. It seems like the scale is some ingridient, but I really don''t have the time to check it out. He closed the window and continued reading the mercenaries activities. Hmm... it seems quite normal. Repairing armor at the blacksmith, finishing some quests, doing a raid, auction visits...oh... Red letters were starting to appear and they covered the column of Mercenary 3. Words were starting to form and it seemed like they were slowly dripping as if painted with blood. Blake waited a moment for the letters to finish appearing and read: TREACHERY DETECTED I can''t really see just what that treachery is with the letters covering everything... He minimized the letters that appeared and started reading the activities of Mercenary 3:
Mercenary 3
Finished A chain for every opportunity quest
Bought 10x Health potions and 2x Boulder potions
Mace reparations at Olaf''s Weapon&Pet Salon
Left Jedoron
Jungle entrance raid finished
Returned to Jedoron
Sold various items
Visited an Information merchant
Left Jedoron
Blake tapped that part of the window. This must be it. Another window appeared.
Mercenary 3 visited an Information merchant 10 hours ago for a Vigor aquanet inquiry and received the quest Return information that can only be completed after finishing the quest that was given by you.
Blake clicked with his tongue. Naughty, naughty... Trying to sell the information about why I want the liquid? Now, what shall I do with you? Another pop-up appeared and it showed two options.
Quick stealDeny quest
I don''t want to Quick steal because he''d know that something is wrong with the quest... Denying it shouldn''t reveal anything I think, but I do need to come up with a plausible reason for the denial. I really need to finish this quickly, I have much more important business at the moment... He spoke up with a very tired voice. -''''I will need to go for a minute or two, so please carry me while I''m not here.'''' Teruna slowly turned around and nodded. Blake just took off his goggles in time to avoid the feeling of her spikes. *** He slowly got off his chair and headed towards Rose''s room squinting all the time because of the sudden change of brightness. -''''Rose?'''' The door swung open after a few seconds and his sister appeared with a worried expression on her face. -''''How did the situation resolve? Just what happened exactly? Is Teruna ok?'''' The sudden outburst of questions startled Blake and stunned him for a moment. -''''Hey... hey! Slow down. The situation is under control for the moment, but it is nowhere near ok. I don''t have any time to waste because of some sudden developments. That''s also why I was looking for you. You did say that you were somewhere near Jedoron, right?'''' Rose still had an extremely worried expression on her face while she nodded hurriedly. -''''I''m currently at the Forgotten Temple, there were some nice juicy bits of lore there.'''' A tired smile appeared on Blake''s lips for a moment. -''''Your lore fanaticism is finally coming in handy. You are a lot closer than I even hoped for.'''' Rose frowned. -''''Who are you calling lore fanatic? Also, it is always handy, just because of the abil...'''' Blake weakly lifted his hands in surrender. -''''Ok, ok. It is a great thing, but I really need you to log in and go to the forest near Jedoron now.'''' Rose looked at him with suspicion. -''''Why?'''' -''''Umm... Did I tell you about the quest I gave a group of players?'''' She nodded. -''''You mentioned it. So you want me to pick up the quest items? How should I explain them that a player is picking up quest items for a NPC? What about the quest rewards?'''' He bit his lip and looked desperately at Rose. -''''They would get suspicious at best. My hope was that you have either a sneaky race or a stealth related class so that you can steal the things without them noticing. We wouldn''t even have any problems, I already denied them the quest because of treason.'''' Rose slowly shook her head. -''''No, neither my class nor my race are stealth based.'''' Blake''s face distorted in frustration, but Rose interrupted him just before he said anything. -''''Well there is something that could help me a bit... Tell me, is the meeting spot near the forest or in the forest?'''' He tilted his head. -''''In the forest, why do you ask? Do you want to try stealing it without any game boosts?'''' A slightly unsure smile appeared on Rose''s face. -''''Well, no. I did say that I don''t have any conventional stealing abilities, but lets just say that I have a few more options if it takes place in the forest.'''' He looked at her with unhidden sceptcism and continued with a hurried and tired voice. -''''If you say so, but your main focus is the bag. The liquid in the buckets isn''t as important. Just don''t get caught.'''' Rose glared at him angrily. -''''At least pretend that you believe in me!'''' Blake turned around and waved lightly with his hand while walking away. -''''I wouldn''t have asked you if I didn''t. Now I really have to hurry back and so do you. The meeting is in around ten minutes, try not to make them wait for too long.'''' Rose just wanted to answer something back, but Blake was already gone and she just groaned in frustration and headed towards her computer to log in. *** He better have some damn good reason to push all this onto me... Rose angrily huffed with her goggles on while waiting for Alteration to boot up. After a few seconds the darkness started to slowly fade out and a moss-covered stone wall came into sight and endless forest in all other directions. Ah,now the final change to finish the loading. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Rose stretched out her hands in front of her and watched with an amused and fascinated expression how her arm suddenly started to become green. However the change wasn''t just limited to the hands, her whole body was changing colour and shape. Her skin turned green and seemed to shine dimmly. Her clothes slowly changed and her sleaves turned brown and shifted their form to perfectly fit her arm, but it had a gap both at the shoulders and the elbows. It finally stopped changing and turned into thin wood with artistic carvings on it. Excluding that, she wore a cloak made of dark blue petals and plain, brown leather armor beneath it. I don''t think I''ll ever get used to seeing this. Rose chuckled making a noise like leaves being rustled from a rough wind. Her face also turned green, her eyes changing color into black and green and her hair turning into a mixture of vines and small violet and light red flowers. Rose looked around herself for a moment and her gaze got caught on the rock wall. She deeply sighed making sounds of wood creaking and put a hand over her leather armor. Too bad I didn''t manage to decipher much apart from the beginning, I will have to come back later. Before I head towards the meeting spot I''ll at least make use of what I discovered. -''''Men''rah dan zialhor.'''' The rustling sound of her voice seemed to have no effect at first but after a second she started to glide her palm across her leather uniform making it change it''s form slightly and replacing the leather with organised leafs that stuck to each other like scales and after a few moments the whole armor was changed.
Leaf scale armor An armor changed under the influence of of a spell. +10% light absorption (converts into +2 health regeneration per second while in the sunlight or up to two hours after being in the sunlight) +87 armor +20 mana -15% threat generation against plant monsters -23% fire resistance Race restriction: Verdelarians
Rose mustered her changed armor for a few moments. These side effects are great! Too bad the armor rose only by 2 points... She turned away from the wall and started to run at an incredible speed. Now I need to find those adventurers... I just hope I''ll manage to get this right. I want to help out Teruna and her guys, but it seems like Blake wants to do most of the helping alone, that damn idiot. I will make him tell everything to me when I finish this, he is like a magnet for trouble. Worry started to appear on her face. He said it was under control, but that the situation isn''t looking good... Just what is happening again? I checked the forums and didn''t find any mention of a mob that would fit the wolf''s description. Just what is happening and why was Blake in such a hurry? She ran for some time silently with a grim expression, skilfully avoiding all monsters that would appear. There they are. She noticed a group of people wondering between trees and cutting their way ahead. It seemed like they just finished with some battle because they were surrounded with goblin corpses and they slowly went from goblin to goblin, looting them. Rose''s eyes widened and she hid behind a tree trunk. This is as good as it will get. Now or never. -''''Menar v''edul.'''' She whispered under her breath and ran into a nearby tree trunk,not crashing but seemingly getting swallowed up into it and leaving no trace. Several seconds nothing happened and then she finally appeared again diving soundlessly out of a tree trunk right next to the bag the players left and not that far from the buckets. Rose wore a visibly disturbed expression. I hate this feeling so much... but I did invest a lot of hard work and research to obtain the skill. She picked up the bag that laid on the dirt and turned to the buckets, but she suddenly stopped after hearing the voices of the players that were just a few meters away. -''''There. I think we looted all now. Did everyone get their share?'''' Shouts of affirmation were soon heard and the players were now finishing and starting to turn around. Rose was completely terrified and her gaze changed repeatedly between the forest and the buckets. What now?! I have what''s most important, but should I risk it and go for more? Blake did think that I couldn''t pull it all of. I''ll show him! -''''Leaf storm!'''' Rose used the ability and put her hands in the air. Leaves were starting to fall off the trees and it seemed like some kind of wind was carrying them around violently because they soon filled all the air and were moving one moment here and the other there. The players all noticed that something is wrong and the were confused and panicking. -''''Are we being attacked?!'''' -''''What is this?!'''' -''''What kind of mob does this?'''' -''''Someone check our things!'''' Most were hiding behind trees and bushes, but two fought against the strong storm heading towards their things and, with doing so, Rose. The latter was now standing in front of the four huge buckets and leaned down, hurriedly digging a small hole in the dirt. I won''t make it! She placed something that looked like a pebble in the hole and covered it with dirt. She then placed both her hands over the former hole and whispered panickingly. -''''Sprout.'''' A plant started appearing right beneath her arms. It had very small leaves and its body was very wide, but not tall. It stopped growing after five seconds, forming a big brown spherical plant with only little leaves at the sides and a big hole on top. The players were fighting through the leaf storm and were now nearly there. Rose quickly shouted some last commands while pointing at the buckets and taking the bag into her arms. -''''Quickly drink and follow!'''' With those words she started running again and headed towards the nearest tree trunk. -''''Menar v''edul!'''' And with that she disappeared again into the tree. The plant she left behind was already hastily pouring the liquid into itself, bringing the buckets near with the help of it''s rapidly growing and moving roots. It just managed to empty the third bucket when the players finally noticed it. -''''There! The monster! It must be the cause of this!'''' -''''Wait! It is drinking the liquid! Stop it!'''' They were charging towards the plant with weapons in arms. Suddenly Rose''s voice resounded to the plant,its source being a nearby tree trunk. NOW! The plant stopped pouring buckets into itself and suddenly moved its roots to the dirt underneath it. The roots dug into it and went deeper and deeper at a rapid pace. As that went on the plant seemed to be shrinking. It halved its size for every second the roots dug deeper. The plant was the size of a tennis ball when the players suddenly caught up and one of them swung his sword to destroy it. He halved the little ball making a bit of Vigor aquanet liquid spill but it seemed to be but just a fraction of the plant because the two halves quickly also went under the earth and disappeared out of sight. -''''Dammit, just what was that?!'''' Better leave them alone and contact Blake. I think I can be quite satisfied with what I managed to pull off. Rose dove out of a tree around two hundred meters away from the spot the players were and hid in the bushes. She typed a message to Blake and ran off.
I did it.
Soon muffled yelling could be heard in the distance. *** Blake sat on the rock floor of the cave and typed something on a window while Teruna and the wolf were sitting in front of him silently. Teruna was the one who broke the silence. -''''So, what now?'''' Blake looked for a second up. -''''Give me a moment, I need to finish this quest failure message.'''' He made a few swift movements with his hands and closed the window in front of him. -''''Go on.'''' Teruna continued with a worried voice. -''''Did you make a decision? What should we do?'''' Blake bit his lip and responded in a serious manner. -''''What can we do? We must go into the Trickster''s dungeon.'''' *** Afterword: So, yeah... Alteration isn''t dead. Sorry for making a big pause again. I was just way too busy to continue writing. But now I have more time so I should be able to continue writing. This chapter is a bit small but it was a bit hard writing after such a long pause, but I do thing that it has quite a lot of content considering its size. I really don''t know what size the next ones will be but I''m fairly sure they won''t be any smaller. As always please rate/review/comment to let me know what you think. I''m not sure if my writing style has changed because of the pause so that would be one of the things I''d like you to adress(although most will just ignore this like always). Thank you for reading.
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Alteration Chapter 16 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Rose stood in front of an eerie dark cave which was like an open wound in the beautiful mountain.The sight seemed surreal because of the clear border between the overgrown forest behind her and the seemingly colder bare rock ground that was just outside the cave. Even the trees that were next to the cave looked differently with their dry trunks that seemed like they might fall any moment. She waited seemingly calm, but shivers ran through her whole body and the smallest sound that tore through the weill of silence that was covering the area would make her jump up. Rose took deep breath to calm her still racing heart. The excitement and terror from stealing and fleeing was too much for her. She tightly clenched the bag that she stole from the players and looked at it with curiosity. She started shifting it from hand to hand and trying to guess what is in it. It seemed like it had some light enchantment on that didn''t let it bend past a certain degree so she didn''t actually come in contact with the content. This is probably the plant that he wanted. I wonder how it looks like. Rose placed the bag on the floor and turned her back to the cave. She put her hands together in front of her chest and gazed upon her surroundings with a new light in her black-green eyes that seemed like it saw right through the vibrant forest. A smile flickered up on her lips. If he takes his precious time then I might as well do something a bit more productive. This area is bound to have some kind of story to tell. Rose suddenly clenched her hands in front of her and energy seemed to pour out of her. On the outside only some light wind that seemed to come from nowhere could be felt. From Rose''s perspective however so many things were happening that she had trouble keeping up. Whispers surrounded her carrying her thoughts away like wind that carries dry grass. Every bush and every tree seemed to want to share its story with Rose and the immense building power that was throwing her own thoughts around made her clench her hands even harder. This is starting to hurt... She felt like she stood right next to a raging tornado that threatened to blow her conscience away. Now I have to get the rhythm right. Her hands suddenly extended in front of her and her clenched hands opened suddenly only to close again in a way that looked like she was crushing something in her hands. Her thoughts were rushing and fleeing back from the vicious winds that surrounded it. The air around Rose started to vibrate ever so slightly as the whispering winds were trying to catch up to her. The leaves on her armor loosened a bit like it was losing the energy it used to stay stuck to her armor. She took a deep breath. Just a few more seconds. *krhhh...* Her clenched hands opened and the air around Rose seemed to reverse direction after a particular sound carried through the air. C''mon me, you can do it! Her thoughts changed direction violently and they were now seemingly splitting the coming waves of the collective forest conscience. With every passing second she went in deeper and deeper only to suddenly stop again and change direction of her thoughts. She was now once again fleeing from the oncoming current that threatened to sweep her away. Rose didn''t move from the outside perspective but in one moment her knees went soft and she nearly fell. I nearly lost the momentum. I have to pay more attention to the sub rhythm! She continued moving her arms and continued the two processes so many times that she lost count. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She managed to get consecutively deeper into the collective whispers and thoughts of the forest with every try but that also meant that her escape got more difficult. The real wind also kept changing directions as she did this process. With every repeat it turned stronger and stronger shaking the nearby trees and carrying hundreds of leaves around her that were seemingly dancing as the directions changed. The whole forest started to take Rose into its embrace with the leaves being the hands that were gently caressing her. Hidden whispers that were previously too silent to hear suddenly found their way into Rose''s mind and told her tales of times long past. She did her best to listen to them as well as she could to listen to them but her constant match of catch with nature itself grew into behemoth proportions so one misstep could prove to be fatal. ...y... ...st...ime...nd ...ver...to...e...een Wait I think... The whispers grew into words and she was now hearing the stories clearer as she managed to progress deeper into the oncoming waves. The wind was now also making it harder to concentrate as he gained considerable strength after this many repeats. Small branches were now also occasionally being torn off trees, but just that much wasn''t enough to bother Rose. -''''Umm Rose? What is happening?'''' Her brother¡¯s voice came from behind her and she glanced back seeing him and Teruna at the cave entrance with confused faces. Rose immediately noticed her mistake and tried to keep her rhythm up but it was too late. -''''Oh shi...'''' *GUHH* The winds around her all changed direction and fell down upon her like a hammer, knocking her on the cool dirt and taking more than 95% of her health. She moaned painfully and turned her dirt covered face towards Blake. -''''Uhh... ''''
Lore piece gained Information gained True listening +1
Major hit: -95% health
I will...make him pay for this... *** Afterword Hello once again. Thank you for reading and and please give me another second of your time to explain something. As some old readers (if there are any) know I am very consistent in being inconsistent (in just about every way possible). For some reason Alteration is at the moment in this weird state where it isn¡¯t dead, but you also can¡¯t really call it active. As I have problems writing for prolonged periods of time (and doing it through many days requires me to catch just the right mood in which I left it) I thought of a way to speed things up. Umm I don¡¯t really want to beat around the bush for too long so here it is: Shorter chapters I will do chapters that will be around this size ( less than 1k words but not by much I hope) This will most probably speed things up considerably. My goal is actually a bit unrealistic so I won¡¯t share it here. If I will do it you will notice. Another thing: I will put a [C] next to the name of chapters that will be the end of a part (ones that would be the end of bigger chapters). People who dislike short chapters should only read after a [C] chapter appears so they get a whole part at once. So let me just finish with this: I don¡¯t promise you anything. This is just a plan of mine and not even I know if I will be able to keep it up. If you are confused about anything ask in the comments or wait and see how it will go. Alteration Chapter 17 [OLD] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. *** Blake slowly poured some Minor recovery potion into Rose''s mouth. The latter lost consciousness after her ritual turned on her and Blake immediately ran to help her. Teruna stood guard a few steps away and seemed to be on edge. She looked restlessly around her and clicked her tongue when she saw Rose on the floor. -''''We have no time to spare, can''t you just let her recover alone while we go ahead?'''' Blake threw an angry glare at Teruna and responded with an unrelenting voice. -''''I won''t abandon Rose in the middle of a forest when she is unconscious. She did me a favor and it might have also been our fault that she took that strange wind hit.'''' Suddenly Rose''s hands jumped up and grabbed Blake by his collar. She seemed to have recovered quite a lot because she managed to drag him down and make Blake look her into the eyes. A silent growl came from her mouth. -''''It might have..? You owe me double.'''' Blake knew this look on her face and he gulped audibly. He tried to keep cool, but his voice turned quiet and he bowed his head lightly. -''''Yes, s-sorry.'''' Rose let go of his collar and stood up. She looked around herself while massaging her temples. She noticed that Teruna was looking at her with a strange expression. -''''What is it?!'''' Teruna was unfazed by her sudden outburst and just kept looking at her.'''' Rose continued to grunt annoyedly but then her expression suddenly lightened slightly up. Ah it must be because of my race. I totally forgot after coming to my senses... Rose spun once around herself to show off to Blake and Teruna. A moment later she inquired with a self satisfied tone. -''''So, what do you think?'''' Blake was the first to answer with a light smirk. -''''You look cool. What''s the name of your race?'''' Rose smiled after he complimented her. -''''Verdelarian. It comes with a lot of downsides, but it has some unique options which made me unable to resist picking it.'''' Blake sighed,but his smile grew wider. -''''These options have something to do with lore or exploring, I suppose? Predictable as ever.'''' Rose frowned. -''''I like what I like and that''s all. You call it predictable, I call it consistent.'''' She suddenly turned towards Teruna. -''''You haven''t said anything yet, why is that?'''' Teruna shook her head like she was trying to clear her mind and responded in a tired tone. -''''Don''t mind me, you look very pretty Rose. It''s just that I used to hunt for the little ones and plant monsters were the pray I could get most quickly. It is a curious feeling having a plant ally.'''' Rose shivered lightly at the thought of just how Teruna hunted plant monsters. Just as she wanted to answer Blake spoke up while pointing at the bag on the floor. -''''That''s the plant, isn''t it? Where''s the rest?'''' Rose took a seed out of a pouch that was made of intertwined leaves and hung off her belt. She handed the seed to Blake and started explaining. -''''When you need the liquid just plant the seed and a cauldron like plant will grow out in a couple of minutes. It would only take a few seconds if I do it though. Anyway, the liquid is inside the plant and you can simply take it out with some vials or simply turn the plant upside down. Just a warning though, if you do the latter be prepared that the plant fights back.'''' Blake nodded while looking fascinatedly at the seed. -''''That''s quite a neat trick. So I guess you can make minions grow out from seeds? Is that tied to your race or your profession, which,by the way, you haven''t told me anything about?'''' She smiled mischievously. -''''I wonder... It wouldn''t be fun if I revealed everything at once, would it?'''' He shook his head annoyedly and put the seed in his bag. He also took the bag that was on the ground and looked at it surprisedly. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. -''''Are you sure this is the plant I was looking for? I don''t really feel...'''' Rose interrupted him just as he wanted to open a bag. -''''It is probably a minor protection spell to keep it safe. Once opened it immediately disappears, you should open it only after you come to your destination. You wouldn''t want to damage the plant in transportation.'''' Blake grimaced and put the bag under his arm. -''''It is certainly handy, but how do we know that this is actually it?'''' Rose cocked her head with an irritated look. -''''Do you want me to go back and ask them?'''' Blake chuckled and started walking with the plant under his hand. -''''No, it''s okay. I have more pressing things to do anyway. Thank you for all you have done.'''' Rose walked up to Blake and took him by his shoulders, stopping him. -''''Now wait just a second. You haven''t told me anything at all about what is happening, also where is that wolf?'''' Blake shook her hands off and replied. -''''We split up, he is doing something else. Look, Rose, I will tell you everything later. Not even I am sure what is exactly going on and that''s why I need to go now. I want to clear this up.'''' Rose nodded. -''''If that''s how it is then I want to go with you. I want to help you and see for myself what is happening.'''' Blake looked for a moment surprisedly at her, but then nodded and started massaging his temples. -''''Fine, but you will have to do what I say. And if you want to see for yourself then so be it, but don''t ask me any questions while we are in the dungeon. I already talked so much about this situation that I''m sick of it and I will have to keep a lot of things in mind while we are in there.'''' Teruna nodded with a strained smile when Blake mentioned being fed up with talking. Rose looked highly displeased but also nodded. -''''Okay, but you will still tell me everything that happened until now after we are done with the dungeon, right?'''' He nodded. -''''Right, Teruna?'''' Teruna transformed with smoke and flames covering her into the hedgehog form and signaled the two that they should get on. Rose looked with big eyes as Teruna transformed and inquired with a small voice. -''''We are going to ride on Teruna?'''' Blake was already getting on her, carefully avoiding the spike tips and trying to find a more or less harmless position. -''''Yup, it is quite difficult but it will just be for a short time. Trickster''s dungeon entrance is quite close.'''' Rose reluctantly climbed on Teruna and tried to place herself just between the spike tips. She somehow managed to calm down and signaled Teruna that she was ready. The latter then started running and carried tho two through the forest at an astonishing speed. -''''A dungeon you say? It better be close... Um, do you mind if I check some lore that I acquired earlier?'''' Blake shook his head. -''''No problem, it doesn''t take much time I suppose. Just be careful that you don''t loosen your grip.'''' -''''Ok. Check Lore piece!''''
Initiating Lore piece decryption. Type: Memory
Everything around Rose went dark and the sounds of Teruna''s mighty steps seemed to get more distant. Afterword Thanks for reading This time it is a little bit above 1k words, but that''s just how it turned out. I just want to take the opportunity to remind you that I don''t guarantee anything. Don''t go thinking I will make regular daily releases because I won''t. I will write only as much as my other chores let me. I hope I don''t come off as grumpy but I really hate giving false hopes. Also please remember the [C] thing that I will do before you complain how this isn''t a real chapter (this is a part of a chapter and I addressed that problem last time) Alteration Chapter 18 [LAST OLD CHAPTER] **** Part of the old story, make sure to check out the remade Alteration here. ***
Lore piece data loaded. Projection starting up.
Rose''s surroundings slowly started to load up the stored information and a new place started to appear all around her. Now let''s... *KSHH* -''''WAHHH!'''' Rose threw herself at the ground and barely managed to dodge a bright, violent light that was heading towards her. She looked around herself alarmedly, but it seemed like the loading process hadn''t finished. What was that?! She crawled on what seemed to be moist dirt and wet leaves and tried to figure out what was happening. Is this really loading? It might just be a night without a moon. A few moments passed, but not much changed except for the air. Rose didn''t notice at first but the air turned strange... somehow... heavy. It turned harder and harder to breathe and she just laid on the ground trying to get air, but she barely managed to get enough oxygene in herself. What is this? She slowly crawled trying to make some kind of progress. Every now and then she tried to stand up, but her legs gave in and her consciousness was at every moment a second away from fading. As she fell after the unsuccessful try she stumbled upon some ground that was very different from the rest. It had a huge hole in it and Rose could feel the heat that came from it. Her thoughts were very heavy because of the lack of oxygene but she slowly examined it. Did that beam do this..? I guess it was then some sort of magic missile, but who casted it? She slowly traced with her fingers along the outer line of the crater and tried to guess its size. She couldn''t see anything, but she had no problems because the heat gave her a good idea where she needed to go along. Is this for real..? It has at least a diameter of 1.5 meters! That''s huge! Did the beam release some kind of poison cloud once it landed..? I see no reason why I breathe so hard..! She tried to cough up a few words, but her pained voice was like the faintest echo of a whisper, which was thankfully enough to trigger her ability. -''''...En... Environme...nt... sta...tus...''''
Environment status: Quality: Low Your skill level isn''t high enough to thoroughly analyze the air. Basic info: -Forest -Overcharged air
Rose''s cloudy thoughts tried to make sense of the message that appeared in front of her. Overcharged air?! With what? -''''Haaaaa...'''' Something akin to a kind of sudden wind hit Rose and the air around her cleared in an instant. She took a deep breath and her eyes widened with surprise. What? Why? She breathed very fast trying to pull herself together so she only noticed after a few moments just what accompanied the sudden clear air. She looked around herself and touched first her chest, then the dirt under her. I don''t understand why is the earth trembling... why am I trembling?! Her thoughts came to a sudden halt as she noticed a new sound. What in the world is happening?! Slow and deep humming noises came from everywhere. Their intensity was so high that it seemed like they came from everywhere. As if the earth and air, alongside with the trees started to sing, slowly gaining on volume and power. Ah but the song that nature itself was humming was not a tranquil one, nor a cheerful one. No, what earth and air collaborated for was a symphony to cold, pure wrath. Everything in the path of the humming was affected and started shaking alongside it becoming a part of this arcane wave and everything turned into a new miniature source of the power that was starting to build up and shake the foundations of the forest. Willing or unwilling everything was engulfed and played its part in aiding the buildup of the melody that sounded like it predated any and every civilization. Icy cold fear had Rose in its grasp and she could only lay on the floor terrifiedly as the humm shook the floor she was standing on and even she herself could feel how the tunes shook and built up inside of her. Stop! What? Why?! She said something, but only her lips moved. The words were caught in nature''s arcane ode and taken with it adding to the earthshaking spectacle. After a second from Rose''s words a window appeared in front of her.
Do you wish to stop the Lore piece projection?
Her fingers howerd above the Yes button, but she hesitated. She bit her lip and pressed No . Her thoughts were a mess and it seemed like her mind and body were shaking alike from the humming, but she noticed one thing amidst this breathtaking chaos. It is building up, why?! Curiosity won her over. Even though her body was currently numb and as unresponsive as a rock because of her overwhelmed senses, she felt it. Her body wasn''t just being shaken anymore she also turned into a power source of the wave just as everything else. The tremors and humming were as elusive and mysterious as before, but Rose could feel one thing of the force that made her its unwilling tool. Everything that was happening and everything that she felt was only building up for something bigger, something incomparably more potent. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Thoughts of what could possibly be the exposition after such an introduction of natures wrath symphony filled her mind. Fear gripped her heart tightly... but so did curiosity. And with such conflicting feelings she sat and waited for what the symphony promised to unfold. What is this? Suddenly light tremors joined the previous shaking and added their rhythm to the master piece. Rose looked wildly around herself because she felt that those tremors were not coming from the original source. Maybe trees are starting to fall over? But that would be too many at once... *kshh* *kshhh* *kshhh* Rose threw herself again to the ground and covered as beams and pulses of light suddenly appeared and filled the air. The mighty beams were as terrifying as before, but only a whisper of their former explosive sounds accompanied them, the rest being drowned in the infernal humm. Another thing was different this time though, she wasn''t their goal. Dark silhouettes appeared for a second after each beam exploded and revealed in its interrupted flashes how they were starting to appear from the floor. The beams often crashed into the colossal beings, but Rose couldn''t get any details on how they looked. Their bodies must have also been black and she only knew that what she already saw right at the start. They were huge colossal beings. She had to squint because the flashes were straining her eyes and she had trouble to keep up with scenes that were unfolding before her in a picture per picture style. The colossal beings were now storming in every direction accompanied by a rain of light beams from all directions. Rose looked in horror as the beings were blasted off by the light flashes, but new colossuses just appeared from the darkness that was still covering the forest like a thick fog. For every being that fell three more appeared. They were seemingly dancing and rushing ahead accompanied with the earth trembling arcane humm. They stormed forward just like their predecessor with no regard for their surroundings knocking trees to the side like they are pesky obstacles between them and their still unseeable enemy. The lights suddenly started shifting and small beings were now appearing next to the colossuses and tried to storm past them. They continued to blast their beams around, but most were successfully fought off by the elusive giants of the night. Only a few managed to charge past the giants and it seemed like they were all running to the same direction. The amount of beams also lowered a lot, the giants must have eradicated quite a lot of their attackers. Rose stood up and tried to get a better look at what was happening. She walked slowly in the direction of the flashes, but she only managed to make small progress because it wasn''t easy to walk in the dark. As she was trying to go on, she realised something. The small beings are all going to the same place! She checked, but it turned out that her suspicion was right. The beings were trying to charge through the colossuses from every direction and their goal seemed to be somewhere further ahead. Not many managed to even pierce the rows of the giants and even those which did were soon mowed down by the relentless titanic forces. Only a handful managed to still stay alive and it looked like they were making a circle. Rose noticed that because of the way the beams spread. It looked like they were managing to somehow keep the oncoming forces in check, but she could see that it was only a matter of time when they would fall prey to the onslaught. They are done... Wait what was that? A being from the circle seemed to take some object that radiated brown light in its hand and crushing it, which illuminated the small area more than the previous bolts did. The beings were all covered in weirdly looking robes and just as she wanted to examine them closer Rose noticed that their formation wasn''t a purely defensive one. A colossus was in the middle of their circle. Impossible... A colossus was kneeling on the dirt in the middle of the formation the strange mages formed. He was incomparable to any other illusive titan Rose saw a glimpse of. He made them all look like puny dwarves. She was very far away from him but Rose could feel the power coming off from him. The humming also seemed to get stronger and stronger causing all the titanic attackers to go berserk and rush towards the circle. The biggest colossus remained however perfectly still. He was leaning forward on his knees and his hands were spread wide apart and touched the earth. His eyes were closed. Can it be? The humming was coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Shaking and tearing everything with its primeval, spectacular tune but Rose felt it. Even though she couldn¡¯t hear where it was coming from, she was part of the tune and she sensed what took her and everything else and made them instruments for the arcane symphony. That colossus is the cause of everything... the master conductor of this symphony. The force that caused all this. Suddenly streams of light appeared from every member of the circle and a pattern formed in the air that connected them all. The colossus was right in the middle. Suddenly all lights went out and darkness gushed into forest. No titans could be seen anymore and Rose had no idea what happened to the circle. *-------* And most important of all... Silence reclaimed the forest once more.
Ending projection
Afterword: Thanks for reading! Remember to leave a comment. Alteration Chapter 1 And so it begins ***This is the start of the Alteration remake. *** "Hup!" *Thud* "Hup!" *Thud**Thud* A girl and a man were standing in a garden. Continuous blows struck the man''s outstretched hands. The man was quite a lot taller than the girl. He stood in a fighting position but the atmosphere around him was calm. It didn''t seem like he''d retaliate because of the punches he just received. He just frowned and shouted at the girl. "Quicker! If you keep at it like that I might just redirect your allowance money into a premature pension fund! Hup!" Her body momentarily tensed up and her hands flew in the direction of the man. *Thud* *Thud* "Ha..." The man''s shirt was thoroughly soaked and drops of sweat slowly dripped from his hair tips. Despite all that he just moved dynamically around her with his hands held upwards and a serious expression on his face that never once shifted away from the girl. Her movements did follow his, more or less, but they lacked the same spark. Rose¡¯s face was red, her breathing ragged. Each time the man put his hands into position and gave a signal she threw punches at his gloves as fast as she could. If she was too slow... *Thuk* She''d get a counter smack by the outstretched glove she had hit too late. The smack wasn''t painful due to him wearing focus mitts. Nevertheless the impact disrupted and annoyed her quite much. "Ow! Come on dad, enough!" She frowned but didn''t let her guard fall as she hid behind her readied fists. Her father just scowled while shaking his head. "Your guard should have handled that smack easily! Your hands are too low! Come on, up! Up!" *Thuk**Thuk* Two more mitt smacks flew towards the girl¡¯s head but she was ready this time and guarded well. "Easy for you to say, you health addict. My hands feel like they are made from lead. The training seems to have lasted for a small eternity!" The father suddenly shifted forward and stretched his mitts in the height of his middle torso. "Hup!" *Thud**Thud* His daughter bit her lip and threw two quick jabs at the red, worn-out mitts. The father shook his head slightly. "Okay that will be enough for today. Hit the shower." She let out a deep breath then sat on the grass. It wasn''t particularly cultivated with various weeds growing here and there but she liked it that way. The grass tickled pleasantly while she looked at the clear sky. Her relaxation was suddenly interrupted again by her father who just took off his gloves. "Ah, don''t forget to stretch and never bite your lip during training again! That can be very dangerous for obvious reasons." She frowned. "Sure dad. But tell me, why the self defense lessons? Until now you were always satisfied with me doing some light exercises and running." Her dad looked at her seriously and replied after a moment. "Look, Rose, there is nothing wrong with your previous routine, it''s just that I want to teach you guys how to protect yourselves. Avoiding a conflict should always be prioritised but sometimes it''s inevitable and I want to make sure that you won''t be defenseless when such a time comes." Rose looked at her father dubiously and carefully asked back. "Why isn''t Blake also here if you wanted to teach us both?" He waved her question off. "He already knows plenty. The gym he goes to has a ring so we occasionally go at it when I find some free time during the weekends." Her brow rose. "Oh? I didn''t know about that, I thought he just worked out on the machines with his friends?" A troubled smile appeared on the father¡¯s face. "Well that was true enough at the start... But after a week or two he decided to try out some fighting and joined a group of guys that sparred at the time. One of the guys was quite a veteran and kind enough to show him the ropes. Soon afterwards he sparred more than he exercised on the machines." The two slowly started walking towards their house and continued talking. "What about his friends? He didn''t ditch them, did he?" He shook his head. "Of course not, the opposite would be closer to the truth actually. Most of them had already quit by the time he decided to try something else. He persuaded the remaining one or two to join him." She cocked her head to the side with a puzzled expression. "Why the troubled expression then? I''d have thought that this kind of development would make you happy." They just arrived at the wooden porch and he slowly opened the door while sighing. "I guess I am... He does exercise without me forcing him to." Rose urged him to continue. "But..? He scratched his head. "It doesn''t seem like he likes the physical exertion part... I think he likes more to figure people out and act accordingly in the ring. Sometimes I worry about him..." Rose laughed up as she just passed a row of flower pots in full bloom and opened the door. "Hahaha, figures. I can''t imagine him as a brawler, but this? This sounds exactly like something that weirdo would like." They entered the house and found themselves in a spacious living room. Both walked forward passing the leather couch and went to the kitchen. The father murmured on the way. "I don''t really find that funny. Where did that boy get these questionable traits?" A smirk appeared on Rose''s face. "Is that a rhetorical question mister hotshot lawyer?" He scowled lightly and answered jokingly. "Might I take your talkativeness as a sign that you have enough energy for a bit more training." Rose gulped down a glass of water and hurriedly replied. "No! Sorry, I''ll be quiet!" "Now that would be a first..." A groggy voice was heard and Rose turned towards the staircase. A young man stood there with dark blue pajamas hanging loosely off of him. His blond hair was messy and pointed in every direction. The man slowly walked towards the fridge and rubbed his eyes. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Rose frowned but immediately put up a mocking smile. "Why good morning to you too Blake. It''s regrettable that you hadn''t woken up a bit sooner and didn''t join our training session." Blake eyed her suspiciously for a moment and then stopped his father who was just heading towards the shower. "Dad, how long did you exercise?" The father took a glance at the clock which was hanging on a nearby wall and answered briefly. "About forty minutes, not more. Now If you''ll excuse me I''ll go take a shower." "Sure." And with that Blake turned back to his sister with a big smile on his face. "You are right, it is regrettable. I might just join you next time and make sure you get a nice and thorough training session my dear sister." The mocking smile didn''t disappear from Rose''s face not even for a second and she replied with a sure voice while Blake was taking some things out of the fridge. " Sure, as if you''d give up even a minute sleep just for the sake of messing with me." "Yeah, that would make me reaaally grumpy and much less friendly, so don''t push your luck..." Rose continued smiling but signs of tension appeared on her face. "Okay, whatever. It''s not your fault I have to workout anyway. By the way, want me to show you Alternation now like we agreed?" "Sure, sure. Now let me eat. I''ll come to your room when I''m done." **** An hour later the two were sitting in front of a big screen and Rose was actively talking while Blake leaned back in his chair and listened attentively. "...and that would be the general setting of the world. Did you understand everything? Want me maybe to go into topic more in depth?" She was totally immersed in explaining things and looked seriously at Blake who slowly nodded. "Hmm.. I think I understood everything, but I don''t think I want you to tell me more. Not yet at least. I want to make my own initial impression." Rose nodded but looked a bit disheartened with her downcast eyes. "I see, okay. There really is a lot to explore and discover." He smiled lightly after seeing his disappointed sister and ruffled her hair. "Don''t worry we''ll talk as soon as I find something interesting. Hey, we could sometimes explore together if I also buy the game." She smacked his hand aside and glared at him. "Stop it. Also, sure we could do that once you get familiar with it." Rose said that casually but Blake noticed a glimmer of happiness and continued smiling. "Okay, I think I''m set now. Start booting up the game." She got off her chair and leaned towards a machine that was next to the table and proceeded to set things up. Meanwhile Blake looked around her room. She kept it meticulously clean and everything she had seemed to be in order. Blake smirked lightly while having that thought. He knew very well that his sister was more of the type to hide the mess than to get rid of it. The same knowledge also made him wary of the two big cupboards which could probably bury him instantaneously if he ever opened them. His gaze wandered back to the table in front of him and he noticed a half opened book that stood in one corner. Blake took it in his hands and curiously turned it over while keeping a thumb on the spot Rose left off. He read the title out loud. " ''A journey into the long forgotten'', huh..? It has a nice ring to it." Rose stopped for a second but immediately went back to make the finishing adjustments while answering Blake. "It sounds better than it actually is. The author eased up on the factual part for the sake of entertainment." He looked over the cover with an absent-minded smile and put it down again. "How unfortunate." He noticed that his sister just finished and sat again next to him with some kind of goggles and headset. She handed them to him. "Here." Blake took them and looked slightly nervous. "So... Now I just need to get hypnotised, right? Hah..." Rose sighed and assured him. "Look it is harmless, it just induces a light trance. That stuff is heavily inspected, you do know the test period of this was a little bit under a decade even after the actual game was completely finished?" He put on the goggles and adjusted the headset to his size but he still looked fairly unconvinced. "And do you know how many decades it took to figure out that cigarettes caused lung-cancer?" Rose rolled her eyes but nodded. "Yes. So you are saying that you don''t want to play?" Blake smiled half heartedly and finished putting on the headset. "I never said that. I just disliked your half-assed argument but never mind. So, how will you join me if it''s one person per machine?" She rolled her eyes and lifted another headset from under the table. "Well the guest feature allows me to spectate you. Basically, I can see you and you can see me but I can''t interact with anything. I have this old headset which will come in handy. I need to constantly hold the cable because the contact is weak, but that won''t really be a problem. " Blake nodded but still looked like he had more to ask. "What''s the other part of the guest feature? I figure that I won''t play as your avatar, right?" She shook her head. "No, it''s some kind of unique temporal guest account. There are some restrictions but if it''s just a day or two then you won''t even notice." He nodded again and finally relaxed in his chair. Rose noticed it and inquired: "Ready at last?" Blake took a breath. "Let the games begin." Alteration Chapter 2 Surprise fire Blake took a breath. "Let the games begin." And with that Rose pressed a button. Blake felt as if he was thrown off the chair and was falling down for some time. When he looked around he only saw pure, suffocating darkness. Suddenly lights started appearing and logos quickly moved in front of Blake. The light illumination also revealed Rose who stood next to him, looking bored. Seconds passed and he wanted to speak up. "Ho..?" He was immediately stopped by his sister. "Don''t talk. Just relax and watch for the moment." He tilted his head with a puzzled expression but didn''t manage to say anything because of a sudden change. The darkness around him was rapidly turning into an endless blue expanse with blinding light. The temperature also started to turn cold and Blake took a step backwards only to realise that his foot was failing to reach solid ground. His eyes widened and he desperately tried to lean on his other leg but it also wasn''t standing on anything solid anymore. Cold winds whipped Blake from every direction, tossing and turning him. Terror gripped Blake''s heart tightly and his thoughts were both incredibly fast and immobile while trying to cope with what was going on. He tried looking around himself but the wind was so strong and cold that he barely managed to squint for a second before throwing his arms up and trying to warm his painful eyes. The freezing air made his skin seemingly burn from shock and every breath he took only increased his agony. It was as if it wasn''t air but icy water. A shadow appeared out of nowhere and picked him roughly out of the air. Blake felt light pain go through his body which seemed wrong, but he still couldn''t manage to think straight. (What is happening?!) A bright flash appeared in front of him and a wave of extreme heat enveloped Blake. He quickly covered his face with both arms and waited for it to be over. It stopped after a few seconds which felt like an eternity for Blake and he finally decided to put his arms down. His heart was beating like crazy as he opened his eyes again. He was still in the sky but he was now being held by something. He tried to look up and his heart nearly stopped when he realized his position. The reason why he wasn''t falling anymore was that he was being held by a paw with giant claws. Claws of which every single one was at least thrice his size. The paw was covered in dark green scales which were all half his total size. He looked up and saw the head of the beast that picked him up. Blake just kept looking at it and didn''t even dare to move. (DRAGON! What?!) Blake recognised the monster but it wasn''t as other games and movies illustrated it. The general appearance was nearly the same but this one made most others that he knew look like tame pet lizards in comparison to this intimidating demonic appearance. The dragon¡¯s eyes were devoid of anything humanlike or civilised. Blake¡¯s heart started pounding even harder and he felt like a speck of dust in front of the dragon, powerless, insignificant and paralyzed with fear. Suddenly the jaw of the humongous beast opened and revealed a row of teeth which could probably crunch a skyscraper in half and a stream of fire appeared from it. An infernal cloud formed instantaneously in a line in front of the dragon and Blake covered his face quickly. (Ugh, again!) Just as he did that the dragon dived straight down and the sudden movement caused Blake''s head to crash painfully right against a claw. Dull pain spread inside his head, but he didn''t have any time to wonder about that. The dragon was still diving straight down and Blake''s already numbed mind came to a standstill again. He noticed mountain peaks steadily gaining in size and the green land beneath him quickly coming closer. Hills, forests, pastures and even castles slowly started appearing and parallel to that Blake came closer and closer to a heart-attack while hugging a dragon''s claw for dear life and screaming his lungs out. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" After a few seconds he also started noticing people which were moving here and there like ants. The dragon stopped just seconds before crashing into a small village underneath and made an air U turn. He did it in such a forceful and fast way that not even Blake''s gripp helped and he was sent crashing into another claw. Bloody wounds appeared this time on his body and his head had a pretty deep cut. Dull pain bothered him now in his whole body but it wasn''t excruciating. He tried to take a look again to see what the dragon was doing and he saw just in time how another infernal blast came from the monster''s mouth and engulfed the whole village. It had such force that it turned into a huge explosion the moment it came in contact with the ground. Nothing was left except ash near the spot where the flame directly hit and everything else was bathed in flames and covered in thick smoke. Screams and the sound of falling buildings filled the air. Blake watched everything with a pale face and widely opened eyes. He didn''t scream even once, his fear was far too strong for that. He felt as if he was choking and despite the unbearable heat, he shivered from the cold feeling that froze him to the core. He couldn''t move his body nor did he want to. He was overwhelmed by everything that happened. (No...) He felt that the dragon was now moving his paw and suddenly hurled him into the air in front of it. He helplessly flew through the air and after a second found himself facing the dragon eye to eye. The cold, bestial gaze of the monster had a hypnotising effect on Blake. He desperately tried to look away but no matter what he couldn''t. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The horrifying jaws of the dragon opened again, facing the direction of Blake''s fall. A thunderous roar erupted from the dragon and the very being of Blake shook along to that roar, seemingly stopping his heart and his thoughts. He was still unable to look away. Smoke started coming from the dragon''s mouth. (NO!) A pillar of infernal flames appeared from the dragon and crushed Blake before he could even cover. Dull pain spread through his whole body for a moment and everything around him turned black. Letters slowly started appearing in front of him. -Welcome to Alteration- Rose appeared next to the immobile Blake and smiled lightly at his terrified expression. "Welcome indeed." Blake was lying on a pure black floor, the letters in front of him being the only illumination source. Shadows appeared behind him because of the light but his trembling made them flicker strongly. His heart was still beating with such force that it seemed as if could jump out any second. He slowly looked up to his sister and tried to say something but his ragged breathing made that quite a task. "I f-fell... The dragon!" Rose leaned down and put her hand on his shoulder with a complicated but also amused expression. "I know. I also saw it when I first started, just let it sink in for a minute or two." He was still in shock and didn''t seem to notice his sister¡¯s words because he just continued mumbling with a pale face. "So...real. The environment, village... The attack! All the screams..." She lightly massaged his shoulder and tried to calm him down. "It''s over, take deep breaths. Virtual reality really is something else, your reaction is pretty normal. You expected something a lot more imperfect, but the real thing is..." Blake put himself in a sitting position and rested his head in his arms. He listened to his sister and continued in a dreamlike tone. "... perfect ..." Rose blinked a few times with a stunned expression on her face. She then nearly burst out laughing but managed to suppress it just barely. She patted her brother a few times roughly on the back and spoke up in a joking way. "You must really be emotional to call it that, you usually hate using that word. I think you should first calm down, play a bit on the guest edition and then give a judgement. This was just a foretaste." Blake''s breathing slowed down and his voice was a bit firmer but still not quite back to normal. "...play on the guest edition? And what was that just now then?" Rose helped him get up on his feet and a wolfish smile spread across her face. "That, my dear brother, was just the opening cutscene when you start the game for the first time, an appetizer if you want. Here to hook people and prepare them for the heavy hit of what VR can offer you." Her brow rose a little and her smile turned mischievous. "There was also a slower and more tame opening sequence for more sensitive players but I chose this one. Did I maybe make a mistake? I was sure you could take it." Blake crossed his arms for a second as if thinking and then an awkward smile formed on his pale face. "A mistake? This was the most exciting, scary and mind riddling thing I¡¯ve ever experienced! I wouldn''t do it again, but damn! That was certainly something else." Rose rolled her eyes but giggled lightly. "Talk about mixed emotions, huh? I guess we can then continue now straight to the game and use your adrenaline rush?" He looked a bit confused and shook his head. "What about the ''cutscene'' I just played through? I have a few questions!" Rose puffed and waved her hand as if to dismiss the remark and started talking with an excited voice. "Questions later. Just trust me, the guest edition has a few features that let you make a running start. You will love it!" Blake threw her a slightly sceptical glance but nodded. "I''m a bit scared after what just happened, but yeah, sure. The main point is the excitement and fun I guess. Onward I say!" He exclaimed the last, joking part quite loudly and pointed with his hand forward. Rose rolled her eyes again but smiled loudly and played along. "As you wish!" She then made a motion towards the -Welcome to Alteration- window and it disappeared. Immediately afterwards the darkness that surrounded them started flickering and thousands of different color tones switched with it and moved wildly everywhere, making it look a bit like an explosion in a paint store or a tornado of colorful petals. Blake looked around himself completely fascinated with what he saw. In a few seconds the colors started settling and it seemed like every color went to the right place, leaving him behind in the midst of a beautiful mountain. Pines surrounded him and filled his nose with their aromatic smell which he deeply inhaled a few times. Blake looked ahead and noticed a beautiful scene that stretched in front of him. He could see a big clearing which was beneath the mountain that turned out to be part of a mountain chain. The clearing was surrounded from nearly all sides and a few small streams flowed from the mountain to its bottom where it formed a small lake. He looked at everything with awe and an absent minded smile formed on his lips. "Beautiful..." ******* In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences. Alteration Chapter 3 Appetizer He could see a big clearing which was beneath the mountain that turned out to be part of a mountain chain. The clearing was surrounded from nearly all sides and a few small streams flowed from the mountain to its bottom where it formed a small lake. He looked at everything with awe and an absent minded smile formed on his lips. "Beautiful..." A stream came down from a location that should be close so he decided to head to it. He just started walking but then something black flashed in the corner of his eye. Blake immediately jumped away and carefully watched what it was. It turned out to be Rose who just appeared next to him. Blake breathed out in relief. "Ah good it''s just you. I got too jumpy, even your hair scared me..." Rose titled her head quizzically and responded. "My hair? Well it doesn''t matter, I just blinked after checking something so it is only natural for you to be stratled." She noticed in surprise that he was planning to head somewhere. "Huh, already found something interesting that you wanna see? I thought you''d be in awe for a bit longer." He smiled slightly and scratched the back of his head, glancing at the clearing. "Well it''s true that everything is very beautiful, but the first bombastic cutscene prepared me well. This time I came in expecting something damn close to reality, not just a game." Rose beckoned him to continue. "I see, but where are you heading?" He pointed to the general direction of his goal. "I think a stream is passing somewhere close to here. I want to see it and experience how drinking feels like. I''ll see after that where to go next." Rose shook her head displeasedly. "Experience drinking water? You can do that later on when I leave you alone. Now we''ll continue with the running start that I mentioned earlier." Blake tilted his head. "And just what would that exactly be?" Rose looked around herself while replying. "Hmm, well you will see. Just keep in mind that for the guest edition everything should be more or less intuitive. Do what feels right and do it quickly." She stopped looking around and stared in one direction for a second after which she excitedly spoke up. "Ah! There it is, I started wondering already if the net info was false." Blake turned to the direction she faced, seeing nothing but pines. "What do you..?" He froze after noticing a huge shadow among the trees, swiftly approaching them. Cold sweat started appearing on his back while Rose was very chipper and talked to him. "They really are trying to show the most exciting sides to make players buy the game. Just don''t forget the two things I told you Blake!¡± He looked at her with some confusion. "That everything is intuitive..?" She smiled at him wolfishly. "And that you need to be fast, that part is quite important." And with that Rose vanished in front of Blake''s eyes. He continued watching the spot she disappeared from with a blank look. (...I''ll get her for this...) GROOOOAAAAAAAAA A deep, loud roar came from the direction where he previously saw the huge shadow. He turned again towards it only to see a humongous bear appear which was at least twice or trice the size of normal bears. Its fur was orange and brown with a kind of light armor protecting it on some spots. The armor seemed to be made from cloth and wood. Blake had little time to notice anything else because it was approaching him quite fast and the roars shook him up badly. He then forced himself to calm down. (This is nothing in comparison to the dragon! Uh... intuitive and fast, right? ) He swung his arms desperately and made a sweeping motion with his hand towards to bear as if to smack it away from a distance. Suddenly white light enveloped his hand and the earth he passed in that swift motion turned into solid ice. He just missed the bear despite them being just a few meters apart but the bear''s charge was still interrupted and it crashed into a nearby pine tree. Blake''s heart was beating wildly and he examined his hand which now looked perfectly normal again. GOOOOO The bear recovered meanwhile and charged again towards Blake. It was quite close so it needed just a second or two to get into swiping range. "NO!" Blake panicked and threw his hands tensely up into the air out of reflex. KSHHH Thick pillars of earth appeared in front of the bear and it crashed into them with full force. The pillars immediately crumbled and covered the bear with earth and rocks. Blake watched the pile of earth with big eyes and muttered. "Isn''t this a bit broken?" "Not really." Blake jumped away only to find Rose next to him who warped in again apparently. He looked at her with a puzzled look. "I didn''t do anything yet I have these amazing spells. How do you mean the game isn''t broken?" Rose smiled and replied immediately. "This isn''t the actual game, it''s the guest edition. Its purpose is to make people see the best sides of the game and make them want it." "Ahhh..." Blake seemed to realise, but Rose just continued. "And therefore you get some advanced spells with a more simplified casting way so you can do it intuitively. Also, this area is full of really tough monsters. That way you get to see what you can look forward to in a few weeks, if you buy the game. Strong spells and stronger enemies is a good recipe for exhilaration, don''t you think?" Blake nodded but didn''t look convinced. "Um, I agree, but you said tough enemies, right? This one went down after two spells." Rose looked at him with a deadpan look. "Did it?" A mischievous smile bloomed on her face. "Because from where I am standing it only seems like you immobilized it." Blakes turned with eyes wide open and saw the rubble moving beneath which the bear was buried. It emerged from underneath it in seconds. GROOOOAAAAA "Have fun." Having said these words Rose disappeared again. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Blake immediately started running away from the bear which nearly recovered. His face was pale and fear clouded his mind. (I need to calm down! So, intuitive movements.) He took a breath and turned towards the bear with his hands stretched out. His hands were open but the muscles were all cramped up as if he was trying to crush something invisible in his palms. Blood vessels momentarily started popping up and his face went red from strain. The bear''s charge slowed down parallel to that as if it was being progressively tied to the ground. He then started moving his arms with all the strength he could muster and threw them to his side without relaxing them. The bear''s charge immediately continued but the trajectory changed ever so slightly. Because of Blake''s magic it dashed even faster but it headed straight towards a tree that was next to him. The beast noticed that its legs were no longer responding correctly but it was already too late and it only slowed down slightly because of its struggling. Blake smiled with confidence as he saw his plan succeed and swung with his flat hand in the direction of the tree. White light flashed and a part of the tree trunk was left frozen. KRHHHH The bear flew head on into the frozen tree trunk which shattered from the force and the tree fell on it. Blake rubbed his fingers and breathed out in relief. His facial expression immediately froze as he noticed that the tree that fell on the bear was shaking. (This might take some time...) **** Rose and Blake were back into the void-like space from before the game. This time it wasn''t darkness that surrounded them, but a calming green endless expanse. The two of them were the only ones there and Rose had some sort of big window open next to her and used it as a sort of black board while Blake listened carefully and occasionally nodded. "... and those would be the basics of actual abilities and leveling. Did you understand everything? Want me to go more in depth about some topic?" Blake stood silently for a few seconds and thought about the offer when he finally shook his head. "I do understand everything but I think we shouldn''t go more in depth for now." Rose also nodded but Blake noticed a glimmer of disappointment in her eyes for a second. "I see. Well I agree that we covered all the basics so you can jump in and play immediately without bothering to learn the commands and systems." His expression suddenly changed and pure impatience welled up. "Thanks for everything Rose. So, can I finally play now?" "Time!" A window appeared in front of Rose which she closed after a second. "Yeah, sure. I need to go now either way, I''m going out with friends." Blake''s brow rose slightly. "You are? I missed that, with whom? Rose just casually waved her hand. "Just with the usual girls." He nodded. "Ahh I see. So the ones I saw when we met in the shopping centre last time?" Rose nodded but rolled her eyes at his statement. "Yes, those ones minus Emily''s older sister. She was the one you nearly ate up with your eyes, by the way." Blake put a gravely insulted expression on. "Gentlemen do not ''eat with their eyes''! They merely enjoy the beauty that presents itself in front of them." She sighed. "Nobody else noticed, thankfully... I know you and I know what your intentions are..." Blake tiled his head and asked in the most innocent voice he could muster. "Pure and honorable?" Rose snorted lightly after hearing that. "I can believe you the latter one. And even that one seems iffy..." He smiled wolfishly and ruffled her hair lightly. "Relax, there is more to my taste than just looks. Though it does help a lot to pique my interest... But that''s only useful for as far as the first conversation goes." Rose had a complicated expression on her face, but didn''t get to say anything because Blake seemed to have remembered something. "Ah! Speaking of first conversations, you did mention that Emily and her sister Tori play Alteration too, right?" Rose''s face darkened again. "No, I will not set you up." Blake''s smile wasn''t affected one bit. "Good thing that I didn''t want to ask you that. I just wanted to ask you one little question." Rose''s expression still looked sceptical but she seemed to be interested. "And what would that be?" He continued nonchalantly. "Is your friendlist connected directly to your account or to the game itself?" She rolled with her eyes but a similar smile to Blake''s appeared on her lips after some initial reluctance. "It''s connected to the client so do refrain from contacting her. And another thing." Blake beckoned her to continue which she did with a mischievous tone. "I haven''t put my status to Away so change that later. We sometimes play together so she might contact you, we wouldn''t want that, right?" His smiled widened and he ruffled her hair again. "Of course, I will make sure to do that when I find some time. Now hurry, you''ll be late!" "Sure, sure. Then see you later and have fun!" He smirked back. "Sure will, thanks." And with that Rose disappeared from the endless green expanse. Blake stood still for a moment with a wide smile and took a breath to calm himself. (Finally game time!) "New game!" As soon as he said that another explosion of colors enveloped the whole endless expanse. It was the same as the last time, the colors soon found their right places after a few seconds and Blake found himself in the middle of a rocky mountain clearing. ******* For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences. Alteration Chapter 4 Decisions Blake stood still for a moment with a wide smile and took a breath to calm himself. (Finally game time!) "New game!" As soon as he said that another explosion of colors enveloped the whole endless expanse. It was the same as the last time, the colors soon found their right places after a few seconds and Blake found himself in the middle of a rocky mountain clearing. Refreshingly cool air filled his lungs and gave him goosebumps. (Where am I? What now? ) He scanned through the clearing. There was little to no vegetation there. Only a few thorny weeds were visible on the rough terrain. Blake took a look above and saw numerous mountain tops which were close by and surrounded the clearing. Snow decorated them and made Blake stunned by awe because of the beauty which would beat any postcard scenery he saw with ease. Still dumbfounded he took a few slow steps forward while still marveling in the beauty of everything. Stones and gravel shifted audibly beneath his feet as he walked slowly and caused him to lose balance and nearly fall. Blake managed to regain balance and the surprise made him remember why he was here. He focused and started scanning the clearing again for some point of interest. (The game spawned me here, there must be something to do! This isn''t a MMO tourism game...) After a few seconds of looking Blake noticed something strange. Big rocks laid on the edge of the clearing which wasn¡¯t far from him. He didn''t notice it the first time when he was looking because he was distracted, but something wasn''t right there. On top of the stones was some kind of dimmed gray light. (What is that?) He headed towards the greyish white light and tried to recognise what it was. After a minute or two of walking he started to see the form behind the light, or better said the form made of light. It seemed to be a huge humanoid figure, at least thrice Blake''s size. He continued to go towards it, but as much as he tried he couldn''t see the features of the humanoid. The light that he was made of hid his actual appearance as much as it highlighted it. It was as if he was trying to grab something that was exactly out of his range. The figure was wearing some sort of cloak. It was pitch black and it had a hood which he put on. The grey, white and black on him were all weirdly dynamic. Blake could have sworn that the colours weren''t stationary and had no clear borders but whenever he tried to take a better look everything was fine. Just as he nearly arrived at the rock the humanoid was sitting on a booming voice filled the clearing and made him stop. "WHO ARE YOU?" The ground under him shook from the powerful voice and Blake gulped before continuing. (Name input I guess.) He looked up to the figure and shouted. "Blake!" It nodded. "Very well Blake. Choose your heritage!" The voice was so strong this time around that the stones and gravel literally started to shake and clatter. Parallel to the trembling of the ground dozens of figures started to appear from underneath as if they had been buried and now finally got freed. Blake''s heart was shaking wildly from the horrifying scene. The figures only came out bit by bit and first came in contact with the surface with their hands that reached out from beneath. They all slowly but surely dug themselves out of the ground and after a few seconds they were all done and just stood still. He forced himself to calm down and pacify his racing heart. (This must be the race selection...) All the figures that were now standing scattered across the whole clearing were male but that was also where the similarity stopped. They were all from different races and differed in pretty much everything else. Some stood on their legs, other levitated or even flew. Blake slowly strolled from one figure to the other and watched them in awe, ignoring for the moment the windows next to them. (Amazing... All these different races with different backgrounds, goals and abilities...) He then abruptly stopped and turned towards the huge humanoid figure of light that sat still on a rock. "Use my appearance as a base for every race." The grey being seemed to shimmer for a heartbeat and then answered. "It is so." Blake turned back to the numerous races and found that he could recognise himself in all of them. Their physiognomy and faces had all changed slightly to mimic his looks. He now started walking slowly through his race variations and inspected them carefully. Blake stopped next to one of the figures. (Hmm... slender, smaller stature, weird glossy skin and pointy ears...) He turned again towards the huge grey being. "Remove this one." The being stretched out its hand and swung it down. "As you wish." The ground started to shake again and Blake turned back just in time to see the now moving ground swallow the elf-like racial variation. It settled momentarily and it seemed like nothing happened in the first place. He stared for a second at the ground and then continued walking to the next racial variation. (...This is slightly scary... Huh?) He found himself next to a blue variation of himself. The race seemed to have a broader yet shorter stature than humans. Its hands had only four fingers and the apparel it had was a big brown-green cloak which covered most of the body. What caught Blake''s attention the most was it''s light blue skin colour. It seemed nearly transparent with many blood vessels visibly showing from underneath. He grimaced upon seeing its face. It had very big eyes, no nose and a small mouth with big green lips. Blake waved in the direction of the grey being. "This one too, please." "Done." The ground swallowed the blue figure momentarily. (I wonder how many racial variations are here?) He looked around and saw dozens of variations covering the whole clearing, though with a solid distance between one another. Blake scratched his head. (I guess this also includes all the sub-races then... well better continue with it.) He started walking towards the nearest next variation. **** ''''Hmm...'''' Blake slowly circled around four figures. After a long and thorough inspection only those were left on the clearing. The rest of the variations was gone after they disappeared one by one. The remaining ones were now also considerably closer. Blake felt satisfied by how many he had eliminated and asked the grey being to bring the remaining ones closer which resulted in the current small line where they stood next to each other with one arm length separating them. He indecisively looked between them and scratched his head. (I guess I like all four the same. Let¡¯s see the rest now.) He walked up to a figure that was taller than himself and slightly hunched over. Its whole body was covered by a thick coat of silverish fur. Its torso was wider than Blake''s own and the limbs were vastly different with its easily noticeable paws and big claws. The only thing it was wearing was a loose cloth that was hanging down from its shoulders and some tattered brown pants. Werewolf They refer to themselves as The Night Howl. Many centuries ago they were an enigmatic great power. Not much was known because of their extreme territorial behaviour and quick responses towards breaches. During some eras their isolation and secrecy elevated them to the status of myths and nightmares which stole many hours of sleep from children and adults alike. During all those times there were two statements which were always true. Firstly, no one entered their territory and came back. Secondly, the disappearing people and incidents were strictly confined to the territory of the forests. Or so it had been. Something happened inside the forest and since that time werewolves slowly started to come out. Terror soon spread across all the land that bordered with the great forests. Sightings in the night, attacks and howls soon occupied the hearts and minds of people. Frenzied werewolves now restlessly prowl through the night. What is their goal? Do they have one or are they reduced to being mere animals and if so, what happened? Join The Night Howl and see for yourself. Do you want to restore the werewolves back to their unknown past glory? Or will you join them in their endless bloody hunt? Racial traits: Damage dealt under the moonshine increased by 25% Starting impression with non-werewolf NPCs: - 20 social points Resistance against silver weapons decreased by 40% Specific ability: Moon Hunt Blake carefully read through the text and looked conflicted when he finished. (They certainly do look interesting and quite powerful... Hmm... Some sort of monster faction then, not an actual civilisation? Not anymore... or not yet? A part of the quests will probably be a try to civilise the race and get them back in their own forests and stop raiding... But why did they even leave their forest if they prefered isolation..? He bit his lip and thought hard about everything he had read. (It would certainly be interesting but I don''t want to become part of a mindless race... Their traits also make them nearly exclusively combat oriented, I don''t want that.) He raised his hand and waved toward the figure of light which still sat on the same rock as before. "This one too!" Blake didn''t even turn towards the figure anymore after he did the same thing so many times. After a few seconds the voice of the figure was heard, but it was spoken with some reluctance. "...yes." The ground beneath the werewolf started rumbling and soon swallowed him up. Blake didn''t pay any attention to it and walked towards the next variation of himself. Once he faced the figure a subtle heat enveloped him. In front of Blake stood a variation which seemed to be made of solid fire. It glew in many tones of red, orange and yellow and was about the same height as him but a bit bulkier. Every part of it looked like someone somehow froze fire and carved the figure right out of it with special attention to the colors to make them emulate the actual human body. Most of it was intensely red but places like the joints, eyes, mouth or spots where muscles connected were highlighted with yellow or orange. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Blake titled his head for a moment with fascination. (The color play is quite similar to magma I think. Well, lets see their background story.) Pyron A race of fire elemental-like beings. Their origin is long forgotten but there is a rumor about that actually being one of their best guarded secrets. They reside in the south countries, mainly Gironos and Melanar. Their cities are all mainly underground and only a few have parts that touch the surface. The Pyron boast with an awe inspiring magic culture. They have a natural affinity towards magic and they skillfully developed the arts of using magic to their advantage. That was also what made it much easier for them to build out some of their cities towards the surface. The cities themselves are mostly made of materials which absorb heat well and can handle it for a long time. Usually lava flows around the city and is being circulated through it with a series of canals and distribution devices. Despite their flourishing magic arts some of their cities are suddenly starting to get less lava and therefore colder. It is not yet clear what caused this, but the dwindling heat is causing an uproar in the affected Pyron cities and it¡¯s taking its toll on the mental state and with enough given time also on the physical state of the Pyron. Will you join the exotic and strange Pyron to explore their rich magical culture and make use of it in this dangerous time of turmoil? Or will you use their force to protect them from the unknown danger that is slowly but surely weakening them? Racial traits: Fire damage taken decreased by 70%. Water damage increased by 60%. Fire mastery: +10 Weapon durability decreased by 15% except for higher tier material weapons. Armor durability decreased by 20% except for higher tier material armor. Specific ability: Immolation Blake''s brows rose slightly after reading through the window. His gaze returned to the flaming figure and inspected it carefully. (Now that''s more like it. The civilization seems well developed and exotic. The quests looks interesting enough too... Hmm, the drawbacks/advantages are also quite big. It seems like they are best suited for a mage and the really flashy kind at that...) He sighed after taking another look from head to toe of the racial variation. (The race in general is way too flashy. It would be fun in the beginning but quite annoying when the shine never stops. And not to forget the gold spent on constantly repairing armor...) He waved his hand again in the direction of the gray humanoid on the rock. The latter didn''t even respond this time, but just did as he had many times before. Blake turned from the shaking ground and faced again a new racial variation. What stood in front of him was an exact replica of Blake wearing leather armor. He tilted his head as he had a feeling that he watched a mirror. (Well nothing new as far as looks are concerned. Let¡¯s see what the text says.) Human Humans are a race that appeared only recently in this world. Nobody is exactly sure how they got here but it is rumored that they were brought by magic. They quickly accustomed themselves to the way the world works and now they are present in most civilised states. Despite their individual skill and newfound prosperity there is no human state nor big settlement. Will you join the humans in their fight to accustom to the new world and fight for power and prosperity in these dangerous times? Racial traits: Shop prices reduced by 10% Magic resistance: -3 towards all magic Starting impression of human NPCs: +4 Mana increased by 3% Line of sight increased by 1 Specific ability: Adaptability Blake rubbed his chin as he read the window. (Hmm this isn''t a bad deal. They are quite vulnerable against magic in the start but they have very nice utility bonuses. I would be able to save some gold too... I wonder if the familiarity bonus can help me get further good deals with shop keepers? This will also be a nice help and boost for chain quests, I should get them faster with this. The survivability is also quite good with the slightly enhanced sight and the specific ability.) He looked at the floor for a few seconds before he took another glance at the variation. (I think this could also work well enough with that interesting class. Well better see the last race first and then decide.) He walked away from the human version and found himself in front of the last figure. The racial variation that stood in front of him was different from the other ones. It was smaller than Blake and reached with its head to the bottom of his chest. It had big strong arms that seemed slightly longer than they would be on a human. The legs were of a similar form, strong and wide with big feet that gave the figure a sense of stableness and security. The face on it was similar to Blake''s normal one but not quite. It had rougher lines and its eyes were a bit more closed with ghostly blue eyes that gave the feeling as if a light shine came from within them. The hair on the figure also suited the eyes well. It had pure white hair that went past its shoulders. Blake looked over it in interest. (This one looks quite awesome in a more simpler way. Now lets see what''s behind the looks.) Night dwarf An exiled part of the dwarf species that was once a great and powerful branch which made law itself in Garetan. They now live a nomadic life in shallow tunnels and underground complexes. Many centuries ago a coup happened in Garetan which wiped out most of their kinsmen. Only a handful succeeded to flee from Garetan that was being enveloped in fire and screams of their dying clan''s men. With tears in their eyes and sorrow in their hearts the few remaining dwarfs vowed to restore their clan to former power and take back Garetan from the hands of the traitors which robbed them of everything and tried to crush them entirely. During the centuries the clan adapted a life of constant moving and secrecy which made them quite mysterious to most other races. They no longer walk in the day, only the night now sees their proud figures prowling and growing in power. Will you be part of the strength of the Night dwarfs who are coming back to power through blood, sweat and tears. Will you join and serve the unforgiving Moving Hammer? Racial traits: Magic resistance: +10% against magic of any elemental affinity Critical hit chance +15% in the night and +5% critical hit damage Health: -20% Melee damage received reduced by 5% -30% to damage and defensive capabilities of items that were not adjusted by the smiths of the Night dwarfs. Specific ability: Unstoppable force Blake watched the window closely and bit his lip. (A perfect assassin class with an interesting backstory and seemingly good future quest line...) He rubbed his temples while thinking about which race he should choose. (The avatar also looks great... but it doesn''t fit the interesting job I read about.) Blake started looking back and forth between the human and dwarf avatar with an unsure gaze. (Ah damn it. I''ll just go with the fun option for now and leave the Night dwarfs for when I actually get my own game.) He turned decisively towards the hulking humanoid figure which sat motionlessly on the big stones. "I choose the human race!" The figure waited a few moments after which its voice boomed throughout the whole valley and made everything shake much more violently than before. "AS. YOU. WISH." The stones all over the valley started rumbling and shaking as if they were boiling water. Blake''s feet momentarily started sinking in the ground. He looked at the humanoid with eyes wide open and shouted at him. "STOP! What is this?! GAH!" He yelled in terror, but no answer came. The earth around him continued to rumble violently and he sunk quicker and quicker. After a second he was nearly completely buried and cool stones started touching his face. Blake''s heart shook wildly and soon his vision turned dark as he got completely covered. After a mere heartbeat everything calmed down and went silent. (Huh?) Blake waited a few seconds, but as time passed and nothing happened he slowly started opening his eyes which he had closed on reflex. (Did I respawn?) He found himself in the middle of the same clearing that was now perfectly peaceful as if nothing had happened. Suddenly a voice roared from behind Blake. "Race adaptation complete." Blake jumped aside and looked towards the source of the voice. His breath got caught in his throat as he looked slowly up to see that the hulking humanoid was now right in front of him. His heart stopped for a moment from surprise and he stared fascinatedly into the face of the humanoid. Its features were still concealed but it was clearly male because he saw some kind of a beard outline. Blake snapped out of the daze in a second and thought about what the figure said. (So it was an adaptation process?) He inspected himself and noticed that he now wore the same equipment that the human racial variation wore. A puzzled look lingered on his face. (But why such major adaptation? I just needed the armor. Is it an automatic action? But what..?) His thoughts were interrupted by the booming voice that momentarily froze his mind and shook him to the core. "The Creation process is nearly done. Are you ready to determine your skill set?" Blake''s brow furrowed but he nodded. ****** So... this chapter was a bit longer because it just couldn''t be divided in a solid way, This is also about half of the readied first ''season'', just to mention. For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences Alteration Chapter 5 Drop off "The Creation process is nearly done. Are you ready to determine your skill set?" Blake''s brow furrowed but he nodded. (That should be the Class selection, right?) "VERY WELL." The hulking humanoid stretched out his right hand to the sky and slowly clenched his fist. The ground beneath him started shaking and around twenty figures appeared again which slowly dug themselves out. The process went faster than last time and soon all the figures were out and stood around. All were human and looked nearly identical to Blake. The biggest difference was in the armor and weapons that the figures carried. Blake looked around with an interested look while lightly biting his lip. (So class variations this time? I''ll just stick to my decision and go with the fun option. I picked the race for it and this is just the guest edition so I''ll have to redo everything once I buy my own game either way.) He turned towards the grey light figure and spoke up with a determined tone. "I made my decision." The figure stood still for a moment before answering. "...speak." Blake continued. "I choose Nature Seeker." The humanoids voice boomed again through the clearing. "AS YOU WISH" The ground started shaking again and Blake sunk into it at a quite fast rate again. His heart beat wildly despite knowing it''s harmless. After a second cool stones covered him completely and he was in the dark once more. The trembling died down but then he suddenly felt a jolt in his shoulder area. He was still covered so he couldn''t move and the strange sensation grew stronger. "...ke" He heard a muffled voice and breathed out in relief. *** Blake took off the goggles and put them on the table in front of him. "Lunch time, come on you can continue later." Caleb, his dad, stood next to him and he was the source of the weird sensation ingame. He had been lightly shaking Blake''s shoulder. The latter slowly stood up and stretched. "Sure dad, coming." "I baked some pizza today. I think it turned out quite good." With those words Caleb went out of Blake''s room who also quickly followed with a happy expression. "Oh pizza? Is it still hot?" *** An hour later Blake returned to Alteration with a filled belly. The goggles needed a few seconds to form his surroundings and after that he found himself in the familiar clearing. (Now where is he?) He looked around trying to find the big grey humanoid. (Oh.) He noticed the outlines of the humanoid that now sat cross-legged near the rock he was initially on. He sat there motionlessly and seemingly in deep thought. After a few seconds the figure stood up with no warning and headed towards Blake who waved towards him and spoke up. "Hi. Can we continue?" The humanoid slowly walked towards Blake with heavy steps, but there was something different about him this time. Blake couldn''t quite put his finger on it but the whole general feeling he gave off was much more intimidating and suffocating than last time and it wasn''t even a walk in the park first time around. "Can we? Maybe you could take another hiking trip?" Blake looked flabbergasted at the grey figure which continued to talk with its powerful voice that now rumbled out of its aggravation. "Don''t mind me, I''m here always anyway so might as well. Right?" (What?) Blake''s face perfectly reflected his utter confusion. (The character creation NPC has some kind of consciousness of me logging in and out? I thought it would just pause because I didn''t even enter the world... So this program is also probably something like an AI or AI/VI hybrid? Fascinating, this game''s budget must have been insane. I wonder how good the AI is? Well better first apologise so it calms down.) Blake cleared his throat and answered the hulking humanoid. "I am sorry for my sudden disappearance. It was something I couldn''t postpone. Again, I''m really sorry but it couldn''t be helped." The figure stopped for a moment after hearing the excuse and continued with business, but a cold tone was still very much present and it chilled Blake to the bone with its intensity. "I see, it couldn''t be helped." The figure suddenly raised its hand and a big window with a map appeared right in front of Blake. "Choose a starting settlement." Blake examined the map closely for a few minutes and finally spoke up while pointing at a town which was shown to be surrounded by a thick forest and even a volcano was relatively close by. "What''s the name of this settlement? It looks interesting." The humanoid answered in an indifferent tone. "Borcena. Do you wish to choose it?" Blake nodded. "Yes." "Do you want us to proceed now or might you be interested in another pause of an hour or so? Or maybe you prefer to surprise me with that?" Blake bit his lip and refrained from answering abruptly. "I am sorry for that. It wasn''t my intention to leave you hanging, it''s just that something came up that I had to do." (It''s really persistent with that grudge. Why did they implement the time flow element here already? I understand it in the main realm but here? Come on!) The figure nodded. "You chose Borcena." The ground near Blake started rumbling but in a much more tranquil manner this time. Soon a hole formed and a magical portal could be seen from within it. He tried taking a better look but found himself unable to move. He panicked a bit. "Uh... W-Why can''t I move?" The figure answered calmly. "Body preparations. First time travelling with portals requires some time to get you ready." Blake breathed out in relief. "Ah, I see. Good." The figure continued talking with a tone that was as nonchalant as it could be with its rumbling voice. "There is a slight problem though." Blake''s brows rose. "And that would be?" The figure continued. "I missed Borcena slightly with my portal. Oh well, it can''t be helped." Blake blinked a few times in disbelief. "This is a joke, right?" The figure laughed and made everything around it tremble. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "It might be, I do find it quite amusing. I recommend showing a bit more respect next time you meet someone." Blake''s face turned pale. "Stop this! Where are you sending me?!" The grey figure shrugged. "Somewhere near Borcena, who knows..? Well in a few seconds you will, I guess." And with that the figure swung its arm in Blake''s direction who immediately got hit by an invisible power and got thrown into the pit with the portal. After bumping his head and limbs a few times on the stones during the fall he finally went through the portal. *** *THUD* ¡°GH! Bastard¡­¡± Blake crashed straight onto a hard uneven surface after a few seconds. The crash resounded through the whole space and created an echo. He grimaced from the unpleasant feeling that went through his body and unsteadily got up. He looked around but darkness spread everywhere he turned. (Come on, what kind of start is this? A creation program with an attitude¡­ Which genius thought that was a good idea?) He wobbled carefully forward and looked for some wall or anything he could use for steadiness. Blake flailed his arms around in search for it and soon enough he felt a chilly rough surface. He started walking while continuously leaning on it. (This is stone I suppose? So he dumped me into a cave?) A small smile bloomed on his otherwise angry expression. (This doesn¡¯t seem like the entrance of the cave. I might get some valuable loot here if I¡¯m deep enough. That bastard just might have helped me...) Blake carefully walked parallel to the wall. Gradually a warm light started appearing and it revealed that his guess was correct and that he was walking through a big cave. With his vision restored he let go of the wall and sped up to the opening the light was coming from. As he came closer he noticed that the temperature rose exponentially which confused him. (What¡¯s up with this heat? Why is it getting so hot?) He carefully approached the end of the tunnel and stopped just before it to check what¡¯s wrong. (Wow¡­ I¡¯m way deeper than I expected.) A huge chamber with lava expanded in front of Blake and its heat caused him to squint and shield his face. He slowly stepped out and noticed that small paths went along the elevated sides of the chamber. His gaze followed the nearest one and saw that there were numerous entrances along it. (One of these must be hiding a chest room. I just have to look out for guardians.) He ducked a little bit and followed the path while trying to walk as softly as possible. Beads of sweat rolled down his face caused by the relentless heat as he hurried towards the nearest opening. (Now lets see¡­) He stopped right before the entrance and quickly peeked in, discovering a long corridor stretching on indefinitely. (Yeah... That¡¯s not it.The longer I explore the better the chance I¡¯ll die horribly.) He continued walking to the next entrance while scanning the chamber again. The paths seemed quite solid and the entrances he saw were all big enough for anyone to comfortably pass through. (Where are the usual patrolling monsters? This chamber looks way too important for it to be empty. This could be an entrance to a subterranean town. Maybe AIs misbehaving is a scripted event and this is the actual start? A weird one if I¡¯m right.) He reached the next entrance and again carefully peeked in and saw a short corridor that made a sudden turn after a couple steps. (Now this looks more promising.) He snuck inside and picked up a small stone near his leg. After leaning into the turn slightly he discovered that a room was located there. He tensed his body up, ready to run at any sign of danger and threw the small rock inside. *thunk* Blake¡¯s heart throbbed like crazy and sweat continued rolling down his neck while he remained perfectly still for a few moments. The sound died down and silence returned once again to the cave. Blake breathed out heavily and relaxed his body. (Good, doesn¡¯t seem like there are monsters in the room.) He cautiously entered and scanned the interior. It was relatively small and at first glance contained nothing. Blake looked around with a confused look. (C¡¯mon, this can¡¯t be right.) He examined the room more closely and shifted some rubble that was in one corner. A big grin soon followed. (There we go!) Some wooden object appeared in the midst of the rubble that he was shifting. After a minute of rumbling and lifting a beat up chest finally appeared. Blake¡¯s smile widened as he opened it. (Now lets see what you got for me.) Gained: 3x Heat pebble Armband of the Scorched Myrvar scale (Alright, got some gear, that¡¯s always nice. I¡¯m not sure what to do with the rest though, but I¡¯ll see to it later.) He put the items in the bag and wandered out of the room while contemplating what to do next. (I should probably r¡­) Sounds coming from the lava chamber stopped him right in his tracks. He frustratedly bit his lip and took a look at the chamber. A handful of creatures swam through the lava in a lively manner. Blake couldn¡¯t guess their height but they were at least two meters wide. Thick spikes seemed to protrude from their backs, but he couldn¡¯t clearly tell how it looked like because they were partially covered in lava. The heads seemed to be a mix of black, yellow or red. Blake couldn¡¯t see if it was the lava sticking to them or just their natural colors. (Elemental guardians?) They looked undisturbed by the scorching temperatures and seemingly played with each other. He slowly went back inside the corridor while still keeping a watchful eye on the creatures. ****** I just want to mention that I appreciate the comments. Always a nice feeling to see a new one. For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences Alteration Chapter 6 Unclear intentions He slowly went back inside the corridor while still keeping a watchful eye on the creatures. (Damn it! What to do now? Wait until they are gone or try to sneak to the nearest corridor?) *KSHHhhh* A different kind of sound now came from the chamber and made Blake peek out again. (Great. Now what?) Small, bright explosions now filled the air above the monsters. Blake blinked a few times, not understanding what was happening. After continuing to stare blankly he noticed that they formed small spheres in or near their mouths and flung them in the air where they exploded in quite a beautiful way. Blake¡¯s brow creased. (What are they doing? I don¡¯t see the point.) He laid down on the floor to attract less attention and crawled a bit more forward to get a better view. A minute passed but the beings just continued flinging the orbs in the air, jumping around and watching the bright explosions. (Maybe a ritual? Or a game?) He continued to wonder while marveling in the spectacle that was before him. -Lava orb ability gained- A ring interrupted Blake and he inspected the window that appeared in front of him. (Oh right, my class. The ability is quite beautiful but purely cosmetic, eh?) He stopped and took a look at the beings. (Actually this might just be what I need.) He scanned the nearest corridor entrance and saw that two of the beings were a few steps away from it, also playing with orbs. Blake brushed the sweat off his forehead and slowly started crawling along the path to the corridor entrance. (I don¡¯t think I can come any nearer. Now to the second part.) A whisper came from his lips. ¡®¡¯...lava orb..¡¯¡¯ A beautiful orb of fire appeared in his hand. It¡¯s borders were changing and small flame tongues sometimes appeared but it always returned to the spherical shape. It was nearly weightless and just gave off a warm and relaxing feeling in Blake¡¯s hand as he inspected it. (Fascinating¡­ But I have no time to be dazed right now!) He raised the orb high and flung it across the chamber as hard as he could. (Now!) The orb exploded somewhere in the middle of the chamber, but Blake did not see it. Right after the throw he started running as fast as he could towards the entrance. The beings that were near it looked at the spot where the orb exploded giving Blake the few moments he was desperately hoping for. (Yes!) He was now just a few steps away from the entrance. *KrhKLhKrhklhkgh* The ground abruptly started shaking and caused Blake to lose balance and stumble. (What is this now?!) He looked up from the floor and saw that all of the creatures were looking at him and closing in with big hops. (Their jumping caused this?!) He turned towards the entrance again but saw that the nearby creatures already cut off his path and sprayed the nearby floor with lava while doing it. Now that they were out Blake used the chance to get a better look of them. They were beings that walked around on four sturdy legs and paws that had claws the size of Blake¡¯s hand. Their stature reminded him of bear but their torso was covered by thick black spikes that had streaks of yellow over them and pure red bases. The whole body was just a combination of black and red. It was as if they wore some kind of infernal battle armor. Another thing that was different from bears was their face. It was much pointier in shape and didn¡¯t have the usual wideness. -Gar¡¯rac- Blake slowly got up and desperately looked for a way out. (Damn they are faster than I thought with those massive bodies. What now?!) His heart raced while he tried to go back but the Gar¡¯rac were closing in on him from every direction in big strides. The one nearest to him that was next to the entrance also got closer but it didn¡¯t seem like it was trying to attack. Blake¡¯s thoughts were jumbled but the strange actions caught his attention. (It could have reached me thrice in this time. What¡¯s up with that hopping? ) The unreal situation of hopping fire monsters was both amusing and scary. He felt helpless as he waited for them to do something. (Well I might as well try the only thing I can do¡­) ¡®¡¯Lava orb!¡¯¡¯ The Gar¡¯rac that were now all around him started hopping even more lively left and right causing tremors and spraying lava around themselves and near Blake. The latter was again wobbly on his knees and shot backwards to evade the drops. ¡®¡¯Dammit, just get it over with!¡¯¡¯ He threw the orb out of frustration in the face of the nearest monster, but it just happily flung it into the air with its snout and watched the following explosion. The other Gar¡¯rac got closer to the explosion too and jumped around as the sparks came down. Blake watched blankly at what happened, not comprehending what is going on. (Wait¡­ They still just want to play around? With me, an intruder? What the¡­) ¡®¡¯Lava orb!¡¯¡¯ He conjured another fiery red orb in his hand and flung it towards the Gar¡¯rac. The same happened as last time but some of the other ones also created orbs and flung them in the air so a series of explosions followed. (Huh, they really just want to fool around for some reason. Well that¡¯s better than being killed, I¡¯ll play along for the time being.) Blake started creating lava orb after lava orb and hurling them in the air. As he did that he moved slowly forward on the path and cautiously evaded lava pools that the hopping created. (I just hope the nearby entrance goes to another corridor. I really don¡¯t want to stay until they decide that it¡¯s enough.) He continued hurling lava orb after lava orb and the creatures just continued playing. After a few minutes of this he finally found himself in front of the entrance and turned around ready to run. A pair of big eerily yellow eyes greeted him. A Gar¡¯rac thrice the size of the previous ones stood in front of Blake. Blake remained rooted on the spot and chills spread through his whole body. He summoned another Lava orb. ¡®¡¯Uh,um¡­ want to play?¡¯¡¯ The Gar¡¯rac huffed and let out a wave of hellishly hot air that blew the orb out of Blake¡¯s hand and made him retreat a few steps. Blake¡¯s heart pounded wildly and he ran back, trying to reach another entrance through which he could flee. *KrhKLhKrhklhkgh* The smaller Gar¡¯rac noticed Blake¡¯s running and started going around again and making the floor tremble. They were closing in on Blake and probably thought that he was also playing around with his running. Blake was getting desperate as he saw all of his attempts to flee not working. ¡®¡¯This really isn¡¯t my day¡­¡¯¡¯ The big Gar¡¯rac followed after Blake causing slight tremors with its steps. The latter just turned towards it, past the phase of even caring. ¡®¡¯Sigh... I give up, do what you want to do!¡¯¡¯ (Maybe I should just exit the game and enter again so I get back to my spawn point¡­) GOOOA The huge monster let out a low roar that suddenly made the other Gar¡¯rac stop and go elsewhere. Blake looked at everything with an expression of intrigue. ¡®¡¯What now?¡¯¡¯ The big beast made a few forward motions towards Blake with its snout. ¡®¡¯Um, go ahead? Are you letting me go?¡¯¡¯ He made a few test steps forward but it didn¡¯t seem like his guess was correct. The Gar¡¯rac followed right behind him. ¡®¡¯What then?¡¯¡¯ The monster made again the same kind of motion. Blake cocked his head. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°So going forward is correct I guess?¡± He continued walking, waiting for some kind of roar from behind, but that never happened. The monster followed without a sound and stared at him intently. Intrigue gripped Blake¡¯s heart. (It looks like it is leading me somewhere. What is happening?) After a few minutes of silent marching Blake came to a room that had streams of lava flowing on the sides, but nothing else of note. He looked around but didn¡¯t detect anything so he turned towards the big Gar¡¯rac. ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t go any further. Why did you bring me here?¡± The beast did not stop this time behind him but pushed him forward. Blake stumbled and continued walking while grumbling. ¡®¡¯There is nothing here! What do you¡­ oh.¡¯¡¯ He noticed that the empty room had a round indentation that he missed. It was about two meters deep and with a radius of at least four meters. Blake stood right on the edge and stared at the indentation. ( I have a really bad feeling.) The monster gave Blake another push and he fell inside. ¡°Gah, a please would have gotten just as much done.¡± Blake looked around in the pool shaped hole but it seemed to be completely empty, meanwhile the Gar¡¯rac was just standing in a menacing manner and seemed to do some weird paw movements. Blake turned to the monster and followed the movements with more than a little nervousness. (Normal games would just kill you. Sadistic games would toy with you. Alteration makes you die of old age I guess¡­ And what in the world is this thing doing?!) The monster slowly started circling the hole while carving the stone out with its right paw and making lines that go along the edge. The screeching noise made Blake cringe but it turned into a crushing sound as the Gar¡¯rac started circling it faster and faster, now using its claws interchangeably. As he inspected the lines that were carved and got more and more detailed he noticed that a bright light suddenly flew through the carvings. The whole circle soon started glowing and red dust seeped from the Gar¡¯rac¡¯s spikes into the pool with an increasing speed. (Fascinating¡­) He reached out for the dust but nothing remained when he pulled back except a tingling sensation. It continued to move constantly around in wavelike, chaotic patterns. (What is this? A ritual circle?) His train of thought was interrupted by the noise getting even louder. The monster seemed to go as fast as possible. Flame tongues sometimes shot out from its back and it¡¯s ragged breathing made the heat rise higher than it had been before. The crimson dust that reached Blake¡¯s hips was now much faster, with sparks appearing here and there making it seem like an infernal thunderstorm. Drips of lava flew around from the Gar¡¯rac¡¯s lava coat, contributing to the demonic atmosphere. The sheer force of it was also nothing to scoff at. The swirling dust clouds audibly crashed with the edges of the pool and the crackling of small electricity bolts was heard every so often. It was actually so strong that Blake had to do his best just not to fall and the sudden cramps from random bolts did nothing to help him. (This is the most beautiful and terrifying thing I ever saw¡­ But what is it doing? This is a guest account so no harm can be done anyway I GHH¡­) A particularly strong bolt zapped him square in the right thigh and toppled him right into the dust. The impact and constant hits from random directions kept him pinned to the ground and the increasing number of bolts proceeded to make his whole body cramp and go numb. He continued spasming seemingly for a small eternity. His mind went blank from the pain and he just focused on one second at a time to continue breathing. He stopped feeling the flow of time and just noticed that the pain slowly went away and the red dust settled. ¡°Ughh¡­¡± He unsteadily lifted himself up and started brushing the dust off his face and hair. (The pain setting¡­ what the hell¡­) He wobbled around scanning the room. (Where¡¯s that beast? What was the point of this?) After climbing out of the hole he noticed that the carvings around it were perfectly black and still giving off heat. Blake had trouble comprehending what was happening but he decided that the Gar¡¯rac holds the solutions. His search didn¡¯t last long, the circle cravings were broken off at one point and went across the room to a corner where the beast crashed in. He wobbled off to the corner where the motionless monster laid. He noticed big pools of blood that slowly spread under its paws and upper body. Blake went left and right but he couldn¡¯t decide what to do. (Is it dead? Why? Am I supposed to loot now? Ew, is it done manually? But I need answers¡­) He stood right next to it and shook it lightly. The monster cried out weakly but remained motionless. Blake started rummaging through his pouch with a troubled expression. (I hope the starter edition has some¡­) Moments later a potion appeared in his hands that he quickly opened and poured out partly on the monster¡¯s wounds and in its mouth that he had to yank open. The row of saber teeth did nothing to encourage him but he quickly emptied the bottle out and waited. (Come on, I want some explanations!) The big Gar¡¯rac slightly trembled after a few seconds and the spreading pool of blood looked like it had slowed down but the potion didn¡¯t seem to have a major impact on the wounds. They were still open and the monster returned to its stillness. Blake bit down on his lip and closed his hands behind his head. (This won¡¯t do any good, what now? It¡¯s just dying as is¡­ maybe I can get some clues about the ritual from my status? ) He quickly skimmed through the status window but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, all numbers were the same as if he just entered the game a moment ago. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± (Plainly killing it would just mean that the passed time really was wasted¡­) He threw another glance at the immobile Gar¡¯rac and took his goggles off. *** Blake put the goggles and headset away while taking a mobile phone out of his pocket. He grimaced as he turned it on and quickly swiped through various applications. (Thank God she whined so much about the auctions that even I had to step in and get the app... Now for the password.) He bit his lip as he typed a combination of words and numbers, afterwards staring at the authentication screen. Suddenly the screen flashed green and loaded up an interface. A smile spread on Blake¡¯s lips as he quickly tapped and swiped. (Done, the potions are sent! Now quickly!) He threw the phone on the table and hurriedly put on the goggles and headset. *** As soon the game loaded up Blake started looking around and nearly tripped in his disorientation. He caught himself soon enough and went to the place the monster crashed into. His steps got slower and slower as he approached until he stood right at the spot with wide eyes and a puzzled expression. (Gone?) ****** I forgot to mention, I always post the last 1-2 sentences of the last chapter in the next one as they are really just a continuation. That way, ideally, you can get right back into the story flow. For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences Alteration Chapter 7 Blurring the lines *** As soon the game loaded up Blake started looking around and nearly tripped in his disorientation. He caught himself soon enough and went to the place the monster crashed into. His steps got slower and slower as he approached until he stood right at the spot with wide eyes and a puzzled expression. (Gone?) He ducked and examined the ground. There were no blood traces that went from the crash place so the Gar¡¯rac didn¡¯t walk away. Blake slowly closed his eyes and bit down on his lip in frustration. (Did it die? It died for sure. And with me not present no items were dropped. Splendid¡­) He opened his eyes after a second and once again ducked and examined the nearby ground to make sure. ¡°...ke...ake¡­¡± Confusion spread on Blake¡¯s face, but then he noticed that the sound wasn¡¯t coming from the game and took his headset and goggles off. *** ¡°BLAKE! Get over here!¡± Caleb¡¯s yelling resounded from outside and shocked Blake who momentarily shot up from his chair and yelled back. ¡°COMING!¡± ¡°Get the first aid kit!¡± Blake practically flew down the stairs, got the first aid kid from the cupboard and stormed outside not even daring to think what could have happened. Seconds later he was in the garden and saw Caleb kneeling on the grass and holding the hands of an unmoving woman. Her clothes were dyed deep crimson and blood was dripping from her sleeves, she wasn¡¯t moving. Blake¡¯s heart froze. Stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes widened from terror. ¡°Give me the kit, then freeze if you want!¡± Caleb¡¯s yell helped him snap out of it and he immediately got to him. His father kept the woman in an upright position and tried stopping the bleeding with rough bandages he made from his shirt, but it seemed to be too bad for that. He tried getting the woman¡¯s attention, not letting her completely lose consciousness, but she only reacted in a minimal way and then went motionless again. Caleb grimaced and quickly gave Blake commands. ¡°Get the bandages out and press down when I remove my hand. We¡¯ll start with the right one. Also ready a cloth and tape for binding.¡± Blake hurriedly did as he was told and took care of the wounds as well as he could. He then turned to Caleb who looked at the woman with concern. ¡®¡¯The ambulance?¡± Caleb lifted his gaze. ¡°Called them right away. The police too.¡° Blake nodded but he wasn¡¯t relieved in the slightest. ¡°What happened?¡± Caleb shook his head helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was just here, lying. Maybe a street assault? Or attempted murder at a neighbor¡¯s house? But these wounds are just¡­ barbaric. Blake just caught a glimpse of the woman¡¯s upper arms but shuddered at the thought of the slashed tissue. He suddenly noticed the approaching sound of sirens and ran to the street. ¡°I¡¯ll get them.¡± He waved at the ambulance and soon the woman was transported away. The police also arrived just after the ambulance and brought Blake and Caleb in for the necessary paperwork. Blake was sooner done and Caleb told him to go home. The latter had to get some more done and decided to then go by the hospital and check how the woman was doing. Blake complied and went home while being lost in thought about the incident and the possibilities. Everything that happened weighed heavily on his shoulders and he decided to walk the last two bus stops to catch some fresh air. When he got home the sun had already gone down and a light was burning in Rose¡¯s room. He entered the house and headed to her. (Right, did dad tell her? I¡¯m not sure.) He went up to her room and knocked a few times. Seconds passed and she didn¡¯t answer. He knocked again with a strange queasy feeling from everything that had already happened that day. (Maybe she has her headset on¡­) Blake opened the door, entered and had his blood freeze up right in his veins. Rose laid in the middle of the room, with a cut going from her thigh to her shoulder and blood underneath her. His eyes tore wide open and he screamed while falling next to her. ¡°Rose!¡± He took his t-shirt off and quickly pressed it against her side as hard as he could. His thoughts were racing yet also on a complete stand still, barely managing to keep him functional. (Ah¡­ Um¡­ Stopping the bleeding. Tape! Wires! ) He left one arm pressing on the shirt and turned quickly with the other, plucking a nearby cable and rolling it up. After looking for her pulse he found that it was very weak. (Water? Should I do that? Ah damn I should have taken up first aid¡­) His gaze raced through the room and stopped on a nearby water bottle. He quickly grabbed it and decided to quickly wash the wound before pressing the shirt down hard and securing it with the cable. Blake lifted the shirt abruptly away and poured water over the whole area. He immediately started pressing the shirt down again and got the cable ready but suddenly froze on the spot. Her wounds stopped bleeding and gradually healed. Blake¡¯s hands slowly fell to the ground with the shirt and the cable while he just stared at the spot where the wound previously was. His head started feeling very light and it felt like he lost the ability to process information. Blake reached for Rose¡¯s arm and felt her pulse. (It¡¯s better than a moment ago¡­) He sat in silence with his left hand on her pulse. *SMACK* He swung his other hand heavily, slapped himself and nodded. (It¡¯s no dream¡­ Am I losing my mind?) Blake shook Rose lightly, but she was unresponsive. (What is happening?! I can¡¯t even call an ambulance now with all the blood and no wound!) His head suddenly shot up and his thoughts cleared up. (The water! It must be the water!) He took the bottle into his hand and examined it. It didn¡¯t look like any bottle type he ever saw before. There was no label and the material also didn¡¯t quite seem like plastic. (Where did this come from..? But this is what caused that¡­ healing? It has to be.) He looked at it with a troubled expression and then slowly turned towards a nearby cupboard. (I¡¯ll need to check.) He got up and opened the cupboard, taking a pair of scissors out with still shaking hands. (Now, no need to overdo it.) He opened the scissors and ran the inner side of a blade against a small place on his palm, leaving a thin red line. Blake then brought the bottle to his hands but hesitated a few seconds before pouring a few drops over the cut. As soon as the drops landed the cut faded like a bad dream. His hands started shaking again while he stared at the bottle with eyes wide open from the fact he just confirmed. (Magic¡­ Impossible, a healing potion just randomly laid in Rose¡¯s room after she got slashed open!) Everything around him seemed like a really bad fever dream, making him accept the facts at face value for the moment for Rose¡¯s sake. She still laid unresponsively on the floor despite her wound perfectly closing up. Blake squirmed in worry, trying to figure out what to do. (She lost a lot of blood, but if it everything was healed she should be all right? Ugh, I have no clue what to do. Is the wound even fully healed?) He lightly scrubbed off the remaining blood but it didn¡¯t seem like any trace of the wound remained. (Did it heal from the inside or did it just patch up the outer part?) He poured a bit of the liquid into his hand and applied it over the healed cut but nothing seemed to happen. Blake bit into his lip as tried to determine what to do. (Ah damn it all!) He brought the bottle to his lips and took the smallest sip he could. A refreshing feeling spread inside him, washing the fatigue away and also helping him focus a little bit easier. (Okay, it¡¯s safe to use like this too.) Blake then went on to lightly lift Rose and very carefully made her drink a bit of the potion. (Come on, don¡¯t you choke!) A second passed and some color returned to Rose¡¯s face. Blake heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed the change but his grim face expression remained. (What in the world is happening here? Okay, I¡¯ll take a step back from the problem first. ) He breathed in deeply to gather his thoughts and tried to go through everything that happened today. (So¡­ The weird part of the day started with the appearance of the wounded woman. I¡¯ll just go ahead and say that her incident and Rose¡¯s are connected. So what could have caused them? ) Blake gently carried Rose over to her bed and then went to inspect the window. (There are no signs of breaking in. The entrance was also locked when I came in.) He quickly ran out of the room and peeked from the staircase to the yard entrance and returned to Rose. (There was also nothing wrong there, so let¡¯s say nobody broke in.) He took a look at all the blood on the floor. (What caused this then? The traces in the direction of her table... and her chair is far from its place. Did she play the game before that? Wait¡­) Blake slowed down and went through all the things that happened as if gradually booting his mind up. (The game¡­ The Gar¡¯rac injured its front legs with stone carving and there was also a torso injury from the crash afterwards. The woman had horrifyingly slashed up arms and upper body injuries. So¡­ those two are connected? Somehow? ) This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. His own thoughts started to feel alien and strange as he slowly continued his line of thought and stared at Rose. (Rose played the game and also somehow ended up with a horrible injury. So she might have the same connection with something like the woman had with the Gar¡¯racr? But why? The potion also fits in I guess? I did fiddle with them but why are they in Rose¡¯s room?) His brooding over the problems got interrupted by rattling that came from under stairs. Blake heard the door open and soundlessly crept to the staircase to check who it was. He recognised the silhouette of his father in the dark room and searched for what to say. A few moments passed and he finally managed to press a few words out as his father finished taking his shoes off. ¡°Hi dad.¡± Caleb turned to him with an absent minded expression. ¡°Ah, hi. Come on, get down. I¡¯ll tell you what happened. Tell your sister to come down too.¡± Blake awkwardly paused before replying. ¡°Um¡­ I want you to listen to me as calmly as possible now.¡± Caleb¡¯s face immediately tensed up and he nodded curtly after which Blake continued. ¡°Rose is not in immediate danger, but she was injured. It isn¡¯t as it looks.¡± Caleb held his more or less neutral face expression but Blake knew very well what was boiling beneath. ¡°Is she in her room? Tell me what happened, immediately.¡± Blake started to answer. ¡°She is in her room b¡­¡± And with that Caleb stormed right past Blake and rushed to Rose¡¯s room. Blake caught up immediately but his dad had already opened the door. All color drained from his face and his eyes were wide open as he saw blood on the floor and Rose laying on her bed, motionlessly, smeared with blood and her clothes torn. ¡°Rose! So much blood... What happened?! Can you hear me Rose?¡± He went straight to Rose and checked her pulse when he saw that she was unresponding. Blake tried to get his attention. ¡°The wound is healed, listen to me!¡± Caleb looked up for a split second with an incredulous expression and immediately turned to looking at the big tear in her clothes and searching for a wound. ¡°Are you mad?! Did you call the ambulance? What happened here?! The attacker from before?¡± (How to explain the inexplicable?) ¡°I already did all first aid when I came home, listen to me! I poured this over her wound and it just closed, from this bottle here!¡± He pointed at the bottle after Caleb stopped inspecting Rose for a short while but what he got was a look of pure disbelief. Blake clicked his tongue and got the scissors that were still nearby. ¡°You don¡¯t believe? I¡¯ll show you right now, just watch.¡± Caleb watched for a second as he took the scissors, readying his hand. A moment later Blake was pinned down on the floor, held tightly by his father. Blood was gushing from his palm as Caleb was a second too late and the fall just made the cut go deeper. ¡°You are crazy! What is wrong with you?¡± Blake struggled as Caleb was trying to immobilise him and determine what is happening here. ¡°Pour the water over the wound! Just do it! Water won¡¯t do anything except clean the wound in the worse case. Do it!¡± Caleb reluctantly released Blake¡¯s wounded arm, carefully got the bottle and poured the liquid over the injury. As the two times before, the slash closed up nearly immediately and left just a petrified Caleb. ¡°Now get off of me!¡± Caleb got up, released Blake and was just standing there flabbergasted. He caught himself after a second and spoke up. ¡°What is going on?¡± Blake shook his head in frustration. ¡°I wish I knew. She had a deep slash going from her thigh to her shoulder when I came home. I started doing first aid, getting a bandage, stopping the bleeding and such. I was totally terrified and panicked. I just took the water to quickly clean the wound and wanted to bandage it up but when I started doing it the wound was nearly completely closed already.¡± Caleb was sitting next to Rose, holding her hand and listened in utmost silence to Blake. ¡°So¡­ you also have no idea who did this?¡± Blake hesitated before continuing. ¡°I don¡¯t. The entrances were closed, the windows too. No signs of break in. But¡­ I do have a theory. It¡¯s quite a mad one.¡± Caleb rolled his eyes and raised his voice in exasperation. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can handle a bit crazy right now.¡± Blake cocked his head for a moment and continued. ¡°The woman from earlier today had wounds on the same location a monster from Alteration had too. The time also checks out. There has to be some connection. It seems also like Rose played Alteration before getting into this state so the same thing might have happened to her too.¡± Caleb¡¯s face turned into a stone mask as he listened to Blake and contemplated about his theory. ¡°And the potion? Why was one in the room?¡± Blake shook his head as he answered. ¡°I have no idea about that one. I did transfer a few potions today, but I don¡¯t know if that is also connected. I just suddenly found it here. This whole situation is pure madness!¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°Quite so¡­ Try searching for more.¡± Blake stopped in surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Caleb urged him on. ¡°Look around, if you randomly found one maybe there is also another one, or some clue at least. Meanwhile I¡¯ll call the ambulance and get Rose changed.¡± Blake looked at him with a shocked expression. ¡°What will you tell them? There is no wound nor can you tell them what happened!¡± Caleb grimaced while hurrying Blake on. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell them that she suddenly collapsed. She won¡¯t be in her bloody clothes and I¡¯ll carry her down and put her on the sofa. I certainly won¡¯t put all my trust in that bottled miracle over there, she might need a transfusion. Now go and search while I do that.¡± Blake nodded understandingly and started inspecting the room closely. The ambulance came very soon after Caleb carried the changed Rose down. He told them exactly what he told Blake and after the examination the paramedics left saying that she was fine now and that rest was all she needed, pinning the unconsciousness to anemia and the summer heats. She now seemed just to be sleeping. Caleb showed the paramedics to the door and thanked them for the quick response. He then turned back and called Blake down. ¡°They are gone. Did you find something?¡± Steps came from above and Blake started descending the stairs. ¡°I certainly did. Look at this.¡± He held four full bottles that looked the same as the first one he used to heal Rose. Caleb¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing them and he urged Blake to put them on the table. They were examining all the bottles, but there were no clues nor brands that could help them. Caleb was the first one who broke the silence. ¡°We can¡¯t know for sure if these are the same as the first one.¡± Blake just nodded while still carefully examining a bottle so Caleb continued. ¡°They do look the same but we won¡¯t take any chances. We have no idea where these bottles came from and there is no need to take risks thankfully.¡± He threw a glance in Rose¡¯s direction. ¡°The potion saved her, the paramedics said that she¡¯ll be fine after a good rest... What in the world happened here? Nothing makes any sense!¡± Blake placed the bottle back on the table and spoke up. ¡°The only lead we have is my theory I guess. The woman did have wounds in the exact same position as the monster. With everything that happened I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if it¡¯s connected. We need to speak to her, how is she?¡± Caleb¡¯s brows rose as he remembered again. ¡°Oh, right, I didn¡¯t tell you. She made it through the operation, she¡¯s out of life danger. Blake visibly relaxed and continued. ¡°Good, we need to speak to her as soon as possible. She is the best lead we have.¡± Caleb sighed and nodded. ¡°I agree. We¡¯ll go to the hospital first thing in the morning and check what her status is. It would be best if you go to sleep now. Brooding over this won¡¯t do us any good. We don¡¯t have enough information.¡± Blake didn¡¯t seem happy with his father¡¯s decision. ¡°What about Rose?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay up and be close if anything happens, don¡¯t worry. Now go to sleep, you really look like you need it.¡± Blake obliged and went to his room while grumbling. He tossed and turned for a long time before finally managing to fall asleep. *** He was woken up the next morning by rustling noises that came from downstairs. ****** The next chapter will be the last of the batch (''"season"). I will be gone after it for around two months due to studying and exams. I''ll try to ready another batch first though so I can make regular releases like I did now. I''d be quite interested in hearing some feedback so do feel free to leave some comments on the chapter/reviews. For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences Alteration Chapter 8 Expecting the storm Blake obliged and went to his room while grumbling. He tossed and turned for a long time before finally managing to fall asleep. *** He was woken up the next morning by rustling noises which came from downstairs. After a few seconds of grumbling he finally managed to force his sore body out of the bed. He quickly changed and headed downstairs while raising his voice in a groggy fashion. ¡°Who¡¯s down?¡± His father¡¯s voice responded back. ¡°Me. Just woke up? Anyway, come down. I could use a hand.¡± Blake lightly wobbled down the stairs with a confused expression, but it disappeared once he descended. Caleb was carrying the woman from yesterday carefully into the house and just closed the door behind him. Blake hurried towards them and cleared nearby objects out of the way so that they can get through easier. He used the chance to inspect the injured woman. Guesses about her stature were impossible as she was being carried and had Caleb¡¯s jacket over her, probably because of the hospital gown underneath. Her face was sickly pale which made a strong contrast with her long, dark red hair. What attracted Blake¡¯s attention most were her eyes. They darted around restlessly, stopping at everything around her but just lingered for a few moments before moving on. Caleb noticed what she was doing and sighed while carrying her to the couch and grumbled. ¡°I told you, try to relax. You don¡¯t have much energy to spare.¡± The woman nodded after a moment and answered with a weak voice. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say¡­¡± He then started cautiously helping her on the couch and arranging the cushions under her arms which appeared from the jacket and were covered in thick bandages. Blake used the chance to speak up, still staring a the woman. ¡°How did you get her here dad? Did she tell you anything?¡± She looked slightly surprised by Blake, as if just noticing him and seemed generally quite distraught. Caleb was still in the middle of arranging the nearby objects but started answering. ¡°Turns out she wanted to speak with us too. So with her cooperation and after an awkward talk with the police, here we are. Oh, they will surely come by every so often. And no, she didn¡¯t say anything yet.¡± She stared at Blake while Caleb was talking, finding words to use. ¡°You¡­ were the one I met in the cave? You are this man¡¯s youngling?¡± She stopped and nodded to herself, slowly sorting things out in her head, leaving a very confused Blake who immediately followed up. ¡°So you were connected to the Gar¡¯rac. Is it your in-game avatar?¡± A troubled expression appeared on her face. ¡°I was the Gar¡¯rac, also my name is Teruna. I¡¯m not sure what you mean with the other. Look, it might be best if I first explain what is happening.¡± Blake nodded and sat down with a straight face while his thoughts went haywire. (What?! Ugh, I¡¯ll just let her talk for now... She¡¯s treating her statement like nothing at all.) He shot a quick glance to take a look at Caleb who was now sitting and behaving in a similar way to Blake. Teruna started explaining with a weak and unsteady voice. ¡°Yes, I was the Gar¡¯rac and I made you go through the ritual. Um¡­ to understand my reasons let me just explain a few things from the past, I¡¯m not sure how much you humans know.¡± Blake nodded, signaling to go on with a rising feeling of alarm. ¡°So¡­ About a thousand years passed from the moment I need you to understand... It was just about a century after the Transfer if that helps you determine the date. The changing power balance caused by the Transfer¡¯s consequences just subsided and tensions between the sides were rising rapidly. The Logejan alliance on one side and us, the Gar¡¯rac on the oth¡­¡± Her voice weakly broke in the middle of the sentence. Caleb immediately got up and headed towards the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you a glass of water, one moment.¡± Meanwhile Blake sat in silence and contemplated about Teruna¡¯s statements with a bewildered and confused expression. (What is she even talking about?! I didn¡¯t understand a damn thing! The transfer? She seems to think that we ¡°humans¡± know quite a lot¡­ And that statement is deeply disturbing in more ways than one! This alliance though¡­ Logejan? It sounds familiar. I think Rose mentioned that being a great alliance of all the friendly NPC races? Are the Gar¡¯rac then the leaders of all enemy races?) Caleb just came back with a glass of water and let her have a few sips. (But she said she was the Gar¡¯rac? The way she talks would mean that the game is actually real? What is this nightmare? How is this possible?! But I can¡¯t interrupt her now... If she notices that we have actually no clue what is going on she might try to warp facts. I¡¯ll wait until she finishes.) Blake bit down on his lip to get a grip and turned his attention again to Teruna when she cleared her throat and continued talking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the ritual was way over my head and pulled a number on me¡­ So as I said, the Logejan and we were two opposing forces because of differentiating goals. The Gar¡¯rac, very militaristic in a way, always looking to get stronger, bigger and further from the Farlands. The Logejan¡­ well I¡¯m sure you already have your impression about them, but just listen my story.¡± She took a sip and continued talking, not noticing the discomfort that inadvertedly started surfacing on Blake¡¯s face. ¡°The Gar¡¯rac wanted to transfer to Earth as they had the only remaining way, at the time, to do so. They wanted to take the strategic high ground. Earth had no inhabitants that could stand up against the organised Gar¡¯rac war machine, not anymore.¡± Teruna hesitated for a second and continued with an unsure voice. ¡°I just want to mention that this goal is just mentioned for story purposes, you yourself know how the situation is today¡­ Now for the Logejan goal in the war, it is something that was never explicitly revealed. They rallied against us, but other than getting rid of a rival their reasons remained obscure. What did they tell to your people, how did they explain?¡± Caleb opened his mouth to answer but Blake was faster. ¡°Why should we say anything to the rival of our ally, first finish your story.¡± Teruna cocked her head staring at him, visibly confused, only speaking up after a prolonged uncomfortable silence. ¡°You¡­ You are lying. What do you actually know?¡± Blake sighed deeply and shook his head, realising she saw through his bluff somehow. ¡°Nothing really. Most of the things you assumed we know are completely new to me.¡± He followed up after a short moment of gathering his thoughts. ¡°Actually I do recognize the alliance you are talking about. But it is an alliance of all friendly NPCs in the game, the Gar¡¯rac force I don¡¯t recognize though.¡± Teruna frowned as she heard that. ¡°How do you mean you know nothing? You were exploring a cave and used magic! And what are NPCs?¡± Blake looked at Caleb, seeking help but the latter just slowly leaned back in his chair. ¡°You know more than I do, there¡¯s not much I can say.¡± Blake took a deep breath before replying to Teruna, doing his best to sound calm when he was very far from it. ¡°I thought I was playing a game yesterday. What you are talking about is for me part of a fictional story inside it. The same is true for all the other humans too, probably.¡± She looked more bewildered with each additional sentence. ¡°Game? What do you mean game? You were there!¡± He awkwardly scratched his head. ( I should be the confused one, not her...) ¡°Look, I used a device to play a game. It simulates a world in which I can control my avatar more or less like I can control my body here plus the magic and various abilities. So everything inside is an illusion. That¡¯s at least what all humans believe, but after yesterday¡¯s events I¡¯m more than a little inclined to believe you.¡± Teruna remained silent after hearing Blake¡¯s explanation while he exchanged troubled glances with Caleb. She spoke up again after a few moments with a shaken voice. ¡°So you see my world as a game? And you aren¡¯t actually there, but just control a puppet or avatar made by some supposed device? Humans aren¡¯t aware of the actual nature of my world!? That¡¯s impossible! We may have been isolated but I saw that humans mingled with all other races in huge numbers. How is it possible you didn¡¯t figure it out? Maybe¡­¡± She went silent after her frustrated outburst. Caleb¡¯s brow rose at the sudden change and immediately pushed her with questions. ¡°How come you thought that we knew all about what is happening? What was that with isolation?¡± Teruna awkwardly fidgeted and explained with a gloomy voice. ¡°That¡¯s part of where I was going with the story before... The Alliance annihilated us with a spell that was many times stronger than even any mythical one. Nobody dreamed of anything like that, no being or even group of beings should have been able to pull it off. They used that power to render our might completely useless, making us unable to hurt them at all. Afterwards they crushingly defeated us and hunted the ones that escaped until this day¡­ Now only me and the young ones remain. With their strongest rivals completely destroyed they used the fear of their ¡°allied¡± races to force them into complete submission. It¡¯s not much of an Alliance, that much I can tell you.¡± Blake bit his lip after hearing this. (This sounds worse and worse by the minute¡­) ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­ But what about the ritual you did? Why would you do something like that if you were on the run? ¡± Teruna hesitated before replying. ¡°The magic that weakened us Gar¡¯rac remained in place through the centuries. I had to add a new, by magic unaffected, piece to the formula so that it finally ends. You were the first human that I came across and even for a human you were very reaction neutral, so the magic ritual was as unaggressive as it could have been. That probably means that you were new to the¡­ game?¡± Blake¡¯s head started spinning when he heard Teruna¡¯s words. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°So¡­ you added me to your faction? Just like that? Without my permission?! A faction that is being hunted by the whole rest of the damn world of magic and monsters?!¡± She fidgeted again with a guilty expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it had to be done. If I hadn¡¯t done it then me and the young ones would either have to spend our entire lives in isolation or be killed by the hunters. And you shouldn¡¯t worry too much... We are no longer a threat and their hunters are now ineffective. There is a good chance that they will leave us alone. But you are forgetting what you gained with this! Humanity is unaware of what is happening¡­¡± Caleb rose from his chair and interrupted her. ¡°Yeah! You unveiled the gun that was possibly facing humanities general direction and pointed it directly into Blake¡¯s head. You are a real peach, aren¡¯t you?¡± Blake stopped Caleb while barely managing to control the storm of fear, anger and helplessness inside of him. ¡°Don¡¯t. Something is happening here, something dangerous... The popularity of this game is insane, the consequences of it might be too if what she¡¯s saying is true. ¡± Caleb descended into his chair but his furious expression didn¡¯t move a bit. Blake continued talking with more than a little anger and insecurity in his tone. ¡°You dragged me into this and put my life at stake to save yours, of that I¡¯m aware. But it is also true that all of humanity might be endangered... The other side can¡¯t have good intentions when it purposefully left humanity, or at least the players, in the dark. However I can¡¯t make heads or tails out of your world! How do we respawn? What about all the items and chests? And the magic we learn?¡± She shook her head as he talked about the latter half and quietly responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Those are all things that appeared lately, probably. We were always living far from anyone else and ran whenever someone came near. I felt the change but always sought after remote wilderness so we never saw the consequences. My only guess is that they used the spell or magical force or whatever it was that they used centuries ago on us. Don¡¯t ask me for the reason, I know nothing specific about events newer than the Logejan-Gar¡¯rac war.¡± Blake rubbed his temples as his headache slowly got worse. He struggled to find a line of thought in his jumbled mind, but Caleb thankfully chimed in with a dazed voice. ¡°This is a lot to take in¡­ For all of us it seems. Let¡¯s go back to the start and slowly put the pieces we have together¡­¡± The other two nodded their heads in a tired way and let him continue. ¡°So, start from the very beginning now. How did your world discover ours and what happened afterwards? You mentioned a transfer I believe?¡± Teruna nodded and took a deep breath, readying herself for a long story. ¡°It was like this¡­¡± The story lasted for a long time, slowed down and examined with many questions made by Caleb and Blake. They spent all the energy they had to make sense of this situation and determine what their next step should be. Many hours passed when they finally stopped, exhausted from all the speculating and strategising. Blake and Caleb let Teruna sleep after treating her injuries with the potion, but her main problem was the internal damage caused by the ritual. It helped, but time was what she needed the most. The two of them were now sitting in the kitchen, slowly sipping their drinks with dazed and exhausted expressions. Blake was the one that broke the silence. ¡°This time yesterday was a lot more comfortable¡­ So much happened and everything she told us¡­ We¡¯ll have to write it down for better overview. How was Rose? You checked a bit ago, right?¡± Caleb slowly nodded and replied. ¡°She woke up for a moment, but I let her sleep some more after checking what the last thing she remembered was. Rose just got attacked out of the blue by a random being, she can¡¯t remember how it exactly looked like¡­ Teruna was right probably, the hunters found Rose because the ritual was done with you playing through the same machine as she does.¡± He sighed deeply and played around with his glass, making the ice crackle. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope this is a one time thing because of the fresh trail and not something they can always pin-point to her account. Although, when the aftereffects settle no more physical connection should persist¡­ Just keep in mind, we are in this together. Don¡¯t ever go off alone.¡± Blake laughed out with little humor. ¡°Sure. I pulled you all into this mess, got Rose nearly killed and supposedly even turned into the leader of a faction that reigned supreme in the top 10 world¡¯s most wanted list in the last thousand years.¡± He stopped for a second to take another sip and immediately continued. ¡°Not to mention that I¡¯m the only one here with an actual connection to the whole mess other than the Gar¡¯rac¡­ Oh, there¡¯s also the little thing of humanity being in imminent danger and I¡¯m the guy who holds the few strings we have¡­ Other than that, yeah it¡¯s totally a team thing.¡± Caleb put his arm on Blake¡¯s shoulder and shook him lightly with a tired, but sympathising expression. ¡°You did nothing on purpose, if you want to blame anyone, blame Teruna. Coincidences may have led to you being in the centre of this, but you don¡¯t need to be the only one that carries the weight. Something bigger is at play here that affects us all, we need to act. As I said, don¡¯t go solo. We need you and you need our help. And what we all need is more allies¡­¡± Blake looked up at the last part. ¡°We talked this through, it¡¯s too risky¡­ We just have the benefit of mystery and surprise, if we lose that I may as well walk into the Alliance capital and tell them to just do what they want to do. Their spies are here, human or not, taking care of the ¡°game¡± business and whatnot. The authorities also aren¡¯t secure, even if they are we might cause the Alliance to strike if they notice anything suspicious on the macro scale¡­¡± Caleb nodded tiredly. ¡°It¡¯s true, but we need more power, even if it¡¯s just to figure out what is happening. Both here and there. We already made a general plan for inside the ¡®game¡¯, I¡¯ll take care of the outside part. There are some people I know that could be able to help us. Of course I¡¯ll first double and triple check them one by one and tell them¡­ a more believable story. At least until they prove to be trustworthy.¡° Blake¡¯s brow rose. ¡°Gaining power? Here? What do you want to do with it? And what do you even mean?¡± A little smile appeared on Caleb¡¯s face. ¡°Were you really so preoccupied with the big picture that you forgot to think a little bit more practical? Although maybe the word power isn¡¯t the right one¡­ Options?¡± He pointed his finger at the potions that were laid out in the middle of the table. ¡°Bringing the items from another world into this one opens up endless possibilities, as long as we are careful. Potions may be very limited in their use because they would get too much attention, but how about the in-game currency? It¡¯s probably made of the usual metals and by leveling you¡¯ll soon enough get silver and gold. In the game it¡¯s not that spectacular as the prices also rise the same way, but in our world? If you are careful in selling it then it¡¯s a money generator.¡± Blake¡¯s eyes widened but he grimaced after a moment. ¡°I see, but who do you mean by these ¡®people¡¯? And what could they, or you for that matter, even do?¡± Caleb looked a bit troubled, but he replied. ¡°Some of my present or past clients that I got to know better and are bigger players. If I show that I¡¯m serious and they hire me I could steer them in the way of the owners of Alteration. That way I can see with whom they make business and maybe even get a look from inside.¡° His expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it will go though and if I should go aim for an advisor position to be more low-key and depend more on them or accumulate enough money that I can be some minor partner. If I do that then I really need to be careful about the paperwork and trail behind it¡­¡± He sighed, being visibly uncomfortable just speaking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time with this. This is just an idea that came up while we talked about the problems, I¡¯ll have to think it through. We need to thoroughly gather information and get a grip of what is happening on our side too, this just seemed as an okay way of doing it¡° Blake nodded and went back to staring at the ice in his glass while replying. ¡°Take your time and whatever you do, try not to gather attention. I know you want to help, but it may be better to think smaller and stay safe than go big and get swatted when the Alliance spies notice you snooping around. They are big enough that nearly anything they do ends up in the headlines anyway. Sigh¡­ what a strange world we live in. The past, the present¡­ Nothing is what it seems. And all these big plans¡­¡± Caleb patted him and replied. ¡°We are just throwing ideas here and looking if something sticks. Just take a deep breath and calm yourself. We¡¯ll take one step at a time.¡± Blake took a deep breath, trying to focus. ¡°Yeah, slow but steady¡­ And speaking of that I should check the game. The ritual was done directly to me and not the avatar so there should be a change in the game regardless of it being a trial one. It¡¯d be better if I check that out sooner rather than later.¡± And with that he rose and slowly went upstairs. Caleb also stood up, put the glasses in the sink and reminded Blake. ¡°Just take it slow, if anything important happens, shout. I¡¯ll go ready lunch meanwhile and check on Rose again.¡± ****** This is the last chapter for quite a while. Follow if you want to know when I continue with it, review/comment to tell me what you think of it so far. For info about the releases check out the author''s note in the first chapter. In case you want to ask questions first check the tags and the synopsis. I''m just mentioning this due to past experiences. Alteration Chapter 9 First glance *** "Enough for today,¡¯¡¯ said Blake as he threw the headset on the table and started to stretch. He took a chug from the bottle that was near him and rose from his chair with an exhausted expression. (There are way too many mechanics for this¡­ But how do all of them exist in the first place? Is leading a faction actually part of the game? Or is it self adapting?) He folded a few papers which were in the printer and put them in his pocket, then dragged his body out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. His dad was already there, clearing the table. Blake stopped for a moment and squinted at the window, noticing just now that the sun was setting. ¡°Ah, dammit. I skipped lunch,¡± he sighed, continuing to go towards Caleb. The latter noticed Blake and lightly smiled. ¡°Oh, finished finally?¡± asked Caleb. ¡°I figured you found something important and had to get it done.¡± As he was talking his smile grew tense. ¡°So, was I right?¡± continued Caleb with a slightly worried tone. ¡°Yeah, you were¡­¡± answered Blake whose expression became annoyed. ¡°You¡¯d think that either nothing would happen or I¡¯d get killed right away by the enemies if the change left any trace. However, what expected me was a bunch of faction leader mechanics.¡± Caleb¡¯s brows rose from surprise. ¡°What do you mean by faction leader mechanics? Are they something that¡¯s advertised in the game?¡± he asked with confusion and worry surfacing on his face. ¡°Did you use any of them? We don¡¯t know if those can be tracked.¡± Blake just waved Caleb¡¯s questions off. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s something I¡¯ll have to look up,¡± he said, trying to calm his father down. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually use any of them but I read as much as I could without doing anything about the various options and descriptions.¡± He just headed towards the fridge when Caleb suddenly went past him and took something out. ¡°Nearly forgot, I saved this for you,¡± said Caleb as he handed Blake a plate with a steak and mashed potatoes. ¡°I just put it in a minute ago so it isn¡¯t really cold. I can heat it up if you want.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± said Blake as he took the plate and sat down at the table.¡±So about the mechanics¡­ They are basically tools which could be handy to me as a faction leader. There are quite a few of them and they range from finding a place for settlement and deciding which buildings to build to deciding on the type of faction which gives group abilities, buffs and similar stuff.¡± Caleb sat down opposite to Blake and thought a few moments. ¡°They certainly do sound interesting¡­¡± he said with a wary voice, ¡° but we can¡¯t be sure if they are tracked.¡± ¡°And what can we be sure about?¡± responded Blake between bites, ¡° we have no idea how the system functions nor how closely it is monitored. Rose was probably found out because of the residue ritual effects which were quite strong according to Teruna. Actually, according to her we should now be out of the system altogether.¡± Caleb leaned back in his chair and bit his lip as he was thinking. ¡°Isn¡¯t she just wrong then?¡± asked Caleb. ¡°It is still a game world for you and you can use those mechanics. Above all the system registered your change of status and knowingly gave you the faction leader options. Isn¡¯t that just plain game progression?¡± ¡°The same thought was bothering me too as I was reading through the material, but I don¡¯t think it necessarily needs to be the case.¡± said Blake and took a chug of water.¡± We can¡¯t discount Teruna¡¯s senses totally. At the very least she managed to tell that I was a new player or as she said ¡°reaction neutral¡±. There¡¯s also the thing about the Alliance not managing to pinpoint the Gar¡¯rac¡¯s location through all these years. And they were affected by the system for sure, that¡¯s what caused their weakness in the first place.¡± ¡°True, true¡­¡±Caleb nodded as he listened intently.¡±Maybe the nature of their connection was different. You did gain access to their world only through their product though. Your body is still here, just your avatar or projection is there.¡± ¡°Correct. Actually I had a bit of a talk with Teruna shortly after I went in the game during a pause,¡± said Blake as he was nearly done with his meal. ¡°She thinks it might be possible for me to physically transfer there or at least make an avatar that is really mine and not made by the system.¡± Caleb was taken aback by the statement and struggled for a moment to find the right words. ¡°So basically teleporting between worlds?¡± said Caleb with an incredulous tone. ¡°You would get killed immediately!¡± A bitter smile appeared on Blake¡¯s face as he was chewing the last bit of food. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I hope that the other thing about making an avatar is possible. I do value my life quite a lot.¡± said Blake as he rose from the chair with the plate in his hand. ¡°If I can make my own avatar then I could maybe access the game tools without being a cog in the machine myself. At the very least I could be sure that I have nothing to do with the magical part of the avatar projector, I¡¯d only use the energy needed for the formula.¡± His father remained in his seat while Blake was cleaning up the table and contemplated about the options with hands folded behind his head. ¡°If you can do that then the faction leader mechanics are worth the risk¡­ When you take into account the efficiency and the risk that is connected with building a base yourself or even recruiting locals for it then the mechanics are superior.¡± said Caleb while massaging his temples.¡±Were there some other interesting mechanics?¡± Blake¡¯s eyes widened as he was reminded and he turned towards his father. ¡°Actually yes,¡± he said as he reached to his pocket. ¡°There was a future goal window which had a lot of information that could be useful. There were minor goals which can help strengthen the faction in various ways but there was also a selection of major goals I could choose from. I printed the whole wind¡­¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The doorbell interrupted just as he put the papers on the table. Both Blake and Caleb immediately went silent and tensed up. ¡°You aren¡¯t expecting someone, right?¡± asked Caleb with a cautious tone. Blake nodded in response and Caleb got to the window and leaned out slightly to see who was at the door. ¡°It¡¯s just Emily and her sister,¡± said Caleb as he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Go open the door and see why they are here. If they ask for Rose, she got nauseous from the heat. A slightly panicked expression spread on Blake¡¯s face but he nodded and went to the door. He took a deep breath before proceeding and mustered a slight smile. ¡°Who is it?¡±he asked at the door. ¡°Emily and Tori!¡± Blake opened the door and gave them a friendly greeting. ¡°Hi, what can I do for you?¡± he said with a smile. The two were standing in front of him. Tori was the slightly taller one with long curly blond hair and a curious expression while the other was Emily with her brown ponytail. Both were dressed like they were either headed to or from the city. ¡°Um, is Rose here?¡± said Emily with a slightly worried tone. ¡°We had some plans for today and she didn¡¯t show up. She¡¯s also unavailable over phone so we wanted to check on her.¡± Blake found the concern sweet and his smile turned into a genuine one. ¡°The heat got to her and she was in bed the whole day.¡± he reassured. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, rest is just what she needs.¡± The two girls looked startled, not expecting the answer. ¡°That¡¯s horrible! What happened? She got a fever or?¡± said Tori with genuine worry now showing on her face. ¡°It¡¯s probably a combination. The exhaustion from school and then the sudden heat wave. She fainted from the burden, but rest will cure all of that,¡± said Blake with a reassuring smile. The girls breathed a sigh of relief and visibly eased up after the previous small shock. ¡°That¡¯s good I guess. Tell her to give us a call when she gets better,¡± said Emily with a slightly awkward tone. ¡°This situation feels so strange. Rose always seems¡­ unstoppable.¡± Blake looked at the girl for a second not knowing what to answer and then burst out in laughter. Tori and Emily were a bit surprised but soon joined in. ¡°As strong as a bear and just as scary, sounds like her.¡± said Blake as he was rustling Emily¡¯s hair with a playful grin. Emily lightly slapped his hand and an irritated look appeared on her face. ¡°You know I hate when you do this!¡± she protested. ¡°Now I understand why Rose is always looking for an opportunity to get you back.¡± Blake enjoyed himself thoroughly as Emily got riled up. He shrugged carelessly with a wolfish grin. ¡°It¡¯s a game we both enjoy so why not? She did get me back yesterday when I tried Alteration. Though I might still be in the lead after the prom thing.¡± said Blake and winked at Tori at the last part who started giggling. Emily looked much less amused but Blake noticed that she was also struggling to keep an angry face. ¡°Of course you are still in the lead, that was horrible!¡± nagged Emily. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Blake¡¯s smiled turned dark for a moment. ¡°Oh, believe me, she deserved that one¡­¡± said Blake and his smile suddenly lit up again. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you had a band that was easy to bribe, also they did technically take song requests.¡± Emily wanted to protest again but Tori motioned her while laughing to stop. ¡°Well, there was no real harm done,¡± said Tori with an amused expression, then turning to Blake. ¡°You mentioned Alteration, right? You should join us the next time we go exploring, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fun!¡± ¡°Sure, if you don¡¯t mind a newbie I¡¯d be happy to,¡± said Blake and his eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Ah, do you want to come in? I can get you some cold lemonade if you want.¡± Emily shook her head in response. ¡°Thanks but no, we just came to check on Rose. Do tell her to give us a call when she can,¡± said Emily. ¡°And Tori is right, you should join in on the next exploration, if you can behave, that is.¡± Blake¡¯s half-smile didn¡¯t waver in the least. ¡°Goes without saying,¡± he said and added with a friendly tone, ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± Emily puffed with a wry smile and shook her head. ¡°Yeah, yeah, likewise. See you later then,¡± she said. ¡°See you.¡± said Tori and with that both girls left. Blake replied goodbye and then just stood a few moments with an absent minded smile in the hallway. (A normal conversation¡­ After everything that happened and all the changes¡­ It feels a bit surreal.) He walked back to the kitchen with a complex expression and poured himself a drink. Caleb was still sitting at the table and going through the papers Blake left him with. ¡°The girls were just here to check on Rose,¡± said Blake.¡±Did you read through the papers? Quite a lot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Caleb lifted his gaze from the papers and nodded. ¡°Sure is,¡± he grunted.¡± And it seems quite useful, but I can¡¯t really be objective without the backstory or at least a map¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured. I¡¯ll get on it after a pause,¡± said Blake. ¡°The map is easy, I just need to print out a world map and a few more localised ones. The backstory could be more tricky as everything Gar¡¯rac related was probably hidden from the game. Rose will be a great help when she feels better.¡± He left with that the kitchen with his drink and walked to the living room where he fell onto the couch and took a deep breath. (Well, there goes my normal life.) ****** I''ll start using dialogue tagging from now on. Sooner or later I''ll get to the older chapters and add it there too but that will be later rather than sooner. Alteration Chapter 10 Cold descent ***Three years later*** An icy breeze blew as Blake passed through an impeccably white hall. It resembled a frozen ancient temple with the stylised milky ice pillars and the occasional sculpture and ornament on the walls. Blake continued walking, turning left and right with a neutral face, searching for something. His gaze often stuck to the frozen constructions, not because of the beauty but because something was off. The ice didn¡¯t look right¡­ The arches seemed to share the same design yet they all differed in minor ways. The sculptures, depicting various beings and scenes also looked off to Blake. He made a quick circle around himself with an inquisitive look as he was walking down the hall. What could have caused all this? And here of all places? Most ice constructions were close to perfect but that was exactly what Blake found alarming. Some parts were so good that he could not imagine that the same sculptor who made a part of a sculpture so well would be so sloppy on another. The arches showed it even more clearly. It seemed as if the sculptures gained another part of frost over time. Blake grabbed his brown cloak and threw it to the ground while also unsheathing the short sword which was hidden beneath it. He looked around himself again for a few seconds before shrugging. Suddenly a slow whistle came from his lips, a tune which bounced off the icy walls and floor which soon made it a chorus, filling the halls with an eerie sound. He held the sword in a relaxed manner, with a loose grip and still strolling with no tension in his expression. He just continued whistling and inspecting his surroundings. Dull smashing and scratching noises joined Blake¡¯s tune. The sounds grew continuously louder, however Blake just continued whistling and carelessly walking towards the source of the sounds. There was no reason to run, he was already well accustomed what was going to happen. A basic plan but a plan nevertheless. The only new thing was that some mild interest crept into Blake¡¯s eyes. The noises kept getting louder and soon two silhouettes appeared in a corridor which lead downwards. Blake cocked his head and squinted, trying to see better through the icy shine. The creatures were humanoids as far as he could tell. Their bodies were weirdly asymetrical and had a sickly white-yellow glow to them. Neither the position nor the length of their limbs seemed to be right. Everything about them looked just slightly dislocated which was even more clear from the way they shook left and right as they ran and sometimes even seemed to be close to stumbling. A look of disgust spread on Blake¡¯s face, but it changed again to curiosity as he saw one of the beings stopping and hurling a huge chunk of ice towards him which was ripped from a nearby wall. Maybe these creatures would prove to be a bigger challenge than the previous ones. Blake quickly sidestepped, dodging the ice chunk and taking cover behind a nearby pillar with no particular tension. A shadow momentarily appeared besides him and in the next moment it already got to the monsters. A huge werewolf, double Blake¡¯s size appeared and sent one of the beings crashing into a wall while sinking its frightening teeth into the other. It got the being right between the shoulder and the neck after which it rose on its legs just to fiercely slam down into the floor, making cracks appear around the now motionless monster. It parted with the being with one final stomp to the face, making sure it was done and then leaped on the second monster which was starting to rise again. It was staggered by the previous impact so the werewolf had an easy time biting into its neck and ending it. The werewolf turned to Blake, still in its battle stance and showing off its impressively horrifying set of teeth. The only thing that stood out was the loincloth it was wearing. Blake nodded nonchalantly to the beast, well accustomed to his companion¡¯s appearance and abilities. ¡°Good job Ceglar,¡± said Blake. A rumbling noise was heard as the werewolf chuckled and an intimidating smile spread on his dark brown face. ¡°Of course,¡± said Ceglar as he sniffed the air. ¡° I hope there are more of those here, the last few went down far too quickly.¡± Blake kept the corridor from which the monsters came in his sight. It was leading downwards and wasn¡¯t nearly as well lit as the hall they were in. His planned diplomatic mission turned into something quite different. ¡°That would be a fairly safe guess. They don¡¯t seem really intelligent luckily,¡± muttered Blake. ¡°Do you know what they are?¡± Ceglar trailed with his claws along his jawline as he took a moment to think. ¡°I don¡¯t think I hunted them before... My memory isn¡¯t something I¡¯d bet on though,¡± said Ceglar with a hint of frustration in his voice. ¡°It should still be true,¡± he continued while staring at the icy floor. ¡°If your information is worth anything at all then something big happened here.¡± ¡°Do you want me to also start sneaking then and stop being bait?¡± Blake suggested to the brooding werewolf. ¡°I am quite sure my information is accurate.¡± His voice was firm, Rose never failed or made a mistake while gathering information, he had no reason to doubt her now on something like this. Ceglar¡¯s big head shook and another bloodthirsty smile appeared on it. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s much more fun like this,¡± he said with a shimmer in his eyes. ¡° Those creatures didn¡¯t see me coming at all, we¡¯d just waste time if we proceeded with more caution. Also¡­¡± he pointed at his nose¡± if anything other than those non-threats appears I¡¯ll know in advance.¡± A frown appeared on Blake¡¯s face and he cocked his head in displeasure. Experience taught him that Ceglar had a tendency of getting them into bad situations when he had that grin. ¡°Make sure to give me a shout if you sense something else,¡±said Blake. ¡°You do remember the sand wyrm incident?¡± Ceglar¡¯s deep chuckle resounded again. ¡°Oh come on, we had a blast! It¡¯s easily in my top ten hunts of the year,¡± said Ceglar with a wide grin. Blake rolled his eyes. ¡°I meant¡­¡± ¡°I know what you meant,¡± interrupted Ceglar. ¡°You are no fun. Sooner or later I¡¯ll manage to get you to be more honest.¡± Blake shook his head with a wry smile and started walking towards the corridor leading below. Fun wouldn¡¯t be the first word he¡¯d use to describe the accident but it also wouldn¡¯t be the last, however he didn¡¯t say it, not wanting to encourage Ceglar. ¡°Sure, sure,¡±said Blake. ¡°Let¡¯s just continue going. If the city really is deserted then we need to change our plans to information gathering.¡± Ceglar nodded and started following Blake soundlessly after giving him a head start. *** Blake stood in a pitch black space, nothing could be seen beyond the wall next to him and a bit of the floor which was illuminated by the small lava orb he held in his hand. His other hand glided over the frozen floor as he inspected it carefully. ¡°The ice is more uneven here,¡± he said ¡±give it another go.¡± Ceglar emerged from the shadows with a bored expression. ¡°I hope you are right,¡± said Ceglar. ¡°I¡¯m a hunter, not a carver.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s just wasted potential,¡± replied Blake nonchalantly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ceglar gave him a glare and kneeled over the spot which Blake pointed out. He traced over the surface, feeling the uneven spot and lightly scratched a circle into the ice. ¡°This is about right..?¡± he muttered. He started to go over the circle again but this time his claw dug deep beneath the ice. The sound of cracking resounded and a moment later Ceglar pulled the ice circle out and left a hole in the floor. He flipped the ice piece and carried it to Blake who readily started examining it under the light of the lava orb. ¡°This is it, I can see carvings,¡± said Blake as he inspected the symbols.¡±I¡¯m surprised how cleanly you got it out, I thought you¡¯d force it and I¡¯d have to kneel over the actual thing.¡± Ceglar¡¯s face turned grim and a low growl escaped for a second. ¡°I am aware now that there is a time and a place for everything¡­¡± he said with a bitter tone. ¡± I¡¯m no brute.¡± Blake rolled his eyes. ¡°You are being overly sensitive again,¡± he said as he threw the lava orb to Ceglar. ¡°Hold this while I send the carvings over to Rose.¡± Ceglar caught the orb with surprise and opened his mouth to protest but he hesitated for a moment and started chuckling instead, something unimaginable had it been the Ceglar from a year ago. He played with the lava orb and threw it from his right hand into his left and vice-versa. Ceglar squinted at it as if trying to see into its centre. ¡°Why is it again that this thing doesn¡¯t burn me? It feels lukewarm at best.¡± Blake was rolling up his right sleeve when he looked up for a moment and shrugged. ¡°Well it¡¯s the weakest orb I can make,¡± he said.¡± It¡¯s just right for a light when needed. Even I can keep it up for a long time. Now stop playing around and hold the light in one place, the shadows are making it harder for me.¡± Ceglar stopped tossing the orb, seeing that Blake reached into his pouch and took out a slim metal object with the length of a pencil. It was of a red-orange color and had a few symbols carved into its sides. On one end it had a miniature blade, only a few millimeters long while the other end had some kind of cushion on it. Blake dipped the cushion end in a vial with translucent liquid, then changed ends and brought it to his lower arm. ¡°Wait,¡± said Ceglar. ¡° Won¡¯t all the symbols be flipped if you copy the ones from the ice chunk?¡± Blake already had the metal bar pressed against his skin and a red line appeared. He quickly turned the bar and brushed the cushion over it, making the cut disappear. ¡°I know they will be flipped. I¡¯ll just tell her to use a mirror,¡± said Blake. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead now, don¡¯t talk if it¡¯s not important, I¡¯m trying to make it as accurate as possible. If another one of those walking target dummies comes by just throw the orb next to me and deal with it quickly.¡± ¡°You also got bored of them, eh?¡± asked Ceglar. ¡°Sure, I got your back.¡± Blake turned again towards the symbols on the ice chunk and brought the metal bar to his skin. He stared at them for a moment and then slid the miniature blade over his skin, emulating the symbols as well as he could. At first it went slowly, but after the first few his pace picked up and soon his lower arm was full of symbols and a small note about a mirror beneath it. Despite the chilly air, sweat started dropping from his face as he etched the symbols into his skin. Blake tried to keep a straight expression but it turned tense as he progressed with his work. There was no big bleeding from the cuts due to the small enchantments, but the pain was definitely still there. He breathed out in relief when he was done and pressed strongly against his wrist and afterwards on a spot that was just below the elbow. Dark-red runes appeared which went around his arm and he glided with his right palm from the lower row of runes to the upper one, making sure to go over the whole etched message. A light then passed through the runes and travelled to the cuts, making it seem like fire was coming from Blake¡¯s wounds. This time no pain could be seen on Blake¡¯s face and he just took the vial of healing potion out and tended to the etchings. Seconds later the cuts closed and the runes also started fading. Ceglar shook his head lightly as he watched the process. ¡°Are you sure this is the best you can come up with?¡± asked Ceglar. ¡°The parchment thing wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Blake shook his head. The etched messages may have been a painful solution but they spent the least amount of energy and they couldn¡¯t be stolen easily. ¡°It¡¯s decent in decent situations, but when it matters it¡¯s clunky and overall worse,¡± said Blake.¡±The Persall brotherhood gave us a stellar example, the extraction afterwards was hell.¡± Ceglar shrugged and threw the orb back to Blake. ¡°So¡­ How long will she need?¡± asked Ceglar. Blake responded as he was drying his face. ¡°Depends¡­¡± he said. ¡±If it¡¯s a relatively uninteresting level she¡¯ll respond within a minute. If something is here she¡¯ll first check her lore.¡± Ceglar nodded and looked around himself, scanning through the darkness. As reckless as he sounded he seemed to act more cautious than Blake, then again Blake¡¯s eyesight couldn¡¯t help much in the dark while it was a small inconvenience for Ceglar with his excellent senses. ¡°Any guess what might have done it?¡± asked Ceglar. ¡°I can¡¯t think of something else than an ice beast invasion or whatever those guys are. But that doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡± ¡°With me neither, the pyron would have erased them in an instant,¡± said Blake. ¡°But fact is that they are the only ones here. Also¡­¡± he knocked on an icy wall and continued. ¡°This is in no way what Rose told me about. We can descend one or two more levels, but any more would be unwise with just the two of us.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Ceglar. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to make a run for it if Keggy notices a Newcomer while we are too deep.¡± ¡°Glad we agreed to avoid dea¡­¡± said Blake but Ceglar suddenly raised a huge arm, motioning him to be quiet. The werewolf started sniffing the air and carefully listened. Meanwhile Blake just stood still, waiting to get an response. ¡°I think I caught a wiff of smoke¡­¡± said Ceglar with an uncertain voice. Blake¡¯s brow rose. ¡°You aren¡¯t sure?¡± asked Blake. ¡°How so?¡± Ceglar scratched his head, rustling the brown and grey fur. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­ It was there for a second and then gone. Faint, but there,¡± he said and sniffed again. ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed any air shifts. Interesting¡­¡± ¡°Maybe there are pyron in the distance and they opened the gates for a moment?¡± suggested Blake. ¡°No,¡± Ceglar shook his head and looked restlessly into the darkness. ¡°Everything on the level is eerily silent, I would have heard if something that big disrupted it. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± Blake looked around them with a tense expression and rested his hand on the hilt of his shortsword, just in case. A mere moment later he bit down on his lip and switched the lava orb from his left hand to the right, in time to see the etching stop glowing which now appeared again. He glanced to his arm and nodded in thought seeing the brief message. ¡°Stay alert. Looks like we¡¯ll remain on the level,¡± said Blake. ¡°There¡¯s a lab here. We¡¯ll sweep what we can and go back.¡± Alteration Chapter 11 Breaking the ice ¡°Stay alert. Looks like we¡¯ll remain on the level,¡± said Blake. ¡°There¡¯s a lab here. We¡¯ll sweep what we can and go back.¡± The werewolf nodded and let Blake lead the way who followed the small map on his arm. Only Blake¡¯s footsteps could be heard as they passed through the frozen corridors. Ceglar was constantly just far enough to be out of the orb¡¯s light, expecting something to happen. As they progressed further Blake noticed that the werewolf was slipping into his battle stance every time they approached a crossing. He was on edge. Blake stopped and motioned him to come. ¡°What is it?¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± responded Ceglar. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ Let¡¯s get this over with as soon as possible.¡± Even while speaking he didn¡¯t look at Blake but kept glancing towards various directions. It was rare for Ceglar to show this much worry so he didn¡¯t press the matter and continued walking. Their surroundings were slowly changing. The corridor kept getting wider and various bumps and hills appeared. Blake could only guess what structures they could have been, the ice was too thick to see through. He carefully inspected the etched map on his hand once more now that he was in the wider space and turned, heading to another hall. He kept close to a wall and glided his hand alongside it as he went forward. Blake walked for a while when he felt a bump in the ice. He turned towards the wall and discovered that a big part of the ice wall wasn¡¯t aligned with the rest, as if it was pushed in. Blake stopped and motioned Ceglar to take a look at the spot. ¡°Here it is,¡± said Blake. ¡° Underneath that should be a door.¡± Ceglar knocked softly on the ice, checking the ice width. ¡°I can¡¯t go through this with my claws,¡± said Ceglar displeasedly. ¡°It¡¯s a few times thicker than the symbol¡¯s ice layer. Can you handle this one?¡± Blake nodded and made the lava orb grow slightly bigger in his hand with an increasingly red shine. He hovered the orb above the edges of the bump before pressing it down on the ice and moving it along the edge. Sizzling sounds of evaporating water filled the hall and the resulting water vapor made it more complicated for Blake to follow the trajectory he wanted. Sweat started to form on his face as he was doing it and his breathing also wasn¡¯t as calm as before. Finally he traced the whole edge and took a step back. ¡°This is harder than it should be,¡± said Blake with evident irritation. ¡°I cut through about a third of the ice layer.¡± Ceglar was watching his undertaking in silence and just motioned him to continue. Blake sighed yet listened and turned back to the wall only to see the whole thing collapse, letting a heat wave wash over Blake. He immediately covered his face and jumped away. Ceglar took a few steps back too, waiting to see what happens. Bright light came from the collapsed spot, illuminating the previously pitch black hall and making countless smaller lights dance around as it reflected off the ice. Blake had to squint from all the sudden light and readied his shortsword while simultaneously doing a few careful movements with the orb too. It grew to the size of a melon and the calm pulsating was replaced by violent torrents which raged within. The light and heat which emanated from the room were too much for him to handle so he relied on Ceglar¡¯s eyes and motioned him to tell him what he saw. The werewolf was standing a few meters before the opening, ready to pounce. He seemed disturbed by something but he still gave Blake the signal to come closer. Blake nodded, guessing what it could be and approached the spot again. The wave of heat irritated him again but he just swiped the borders of the collapsed ice and used the water on it to keep his face cool. As he did so a fearful but resolute voice came from the collapsed spot. ¡°Who are you!?¡±asked the voice. ¡±State your name and race!¡± Blake squinted at the light again but he couldn¡¯t manage to see anything besides it. The voice seemed very nervous so he decided to play along. ¡°Blake,¡± he said.¡±Human. The one behind me is Ceglar, a werewolf.¡± A humanoid shadow now appeared at the collapsed spot. Blake could barely see his features but he was covered by various shades of red and yellow, making it probable that he was a native, putting Blake at ease. The voice continued after a surprised pause. ¡°A curious combination,¡± said the voice, clearly relieved. ¡°I have questions but they can wait.¡± He seemed to turn and talk to someone behind himself. Blake just wanted to speak up but the voice beat him to it. ¡°There are some things behind me, carry them out and bring us to the nearest safe point.¡± Blake cocked his head at the Pyron silhouette which waited expectantly at the collapsed wall. He wasn¡¯t especially pleased to be treated like a servant. After sucking his lips in for a moment, Blake ignored his outrage for the time being. ¡°Excuse me?¡± asked Blake, seemingly calmly but a dangerous undertone was mixed in. ¡°You might want to try again¡­¡± The pyron seemed to be caught by surprise and turned back to speak with someone. Meanwhile Ceglar walked to Blake, towering over him with his big body and spoke up, not being sure how to act. ¡°Umm¡­ want me to explain quickly just where things are at?¡± asked Ceglar. ¡°I know you like to talk it out but against this type¡­ A little pow from the side and a kong from above and done, c¡¯mon.¡± Blake shook his head irritatedly and at the same moment the pyron appeared again. ¡°There are things behind my back, packed to go,¡± said the pyron. ¡°Carry them out and escort us to the exit, you will get fifty gold pieces. Some info..¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Enough,¡± said Blake, interrupting the Pyron in the middle of his sentence. The pyron stopped, seemingly stupefied and waited for Blake who massaged his temples with a contorted face that had displeasure written all over it. He was tempted to take Ceglar up on his offer but decided to try again, this time spelling everything out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you think is happening or who you think we are but this won¡¯t go. At all,¡± said Blake. ¡°You demanded an introduction, but responded with orders when I gave you one. If you don¡¯t find your manners very soon I¡¯ll lose mine and so will my friend.¡± Hearing the last words Ceglar revealed his teeth in all their horror and started to let out a rumbling growl to accentuate Blake¡¯s claim. The latter thought that he was overdoing it a bit but just continued to stare down the pyron who looked bewildered and struggled to find words. ¡°N- Don¡¯t do that! Uh¡­ Um, please! I-It¡¯s just¡­ You know..¡± said the pyron, stumbling over its own words. Blake cut the babble and tried get the conversation back on track. Ceglar also stopped growling, trying his best not to laugh at the panic he partially caused. ¡°Start with your name,¡± said Blake with a calm voice.¡± Who are you and what happened here?¡± The figure nodded and started talking, trying to regain his composure. ¡°Zan-adar,¡± said the pyron. ¡°I¡­ We don¡¯t really know.¡± Blake just wanted to push the matter but Zan-adar continued. ¡°Something happened and caused a sickness outbreak, or maybe a contagious curse? Whatever it is it caused an epidemy,¡± he said and continued with a pained tone. ¡± Long story short, it converted our people to mindless animals and had a surprise culmination one day which made the city fall.¡± Blake listened to the story and nodded sympathetically, thinking about it. Many strange occurrences happened in the last year so he wasn¡¯t too sceptical of the story. ¡°The converted people¡­ were they deformed and had a white-yellow shine to them?¡± asked Blake cautiously. Zan-adar flinched at the description and nodded. ¡°You already had the pleasure, I see¡­¡± he said, not hiding his bitterness. ¡°So they still roam around. I hoped that it would die down on it¡¯s own after enough time passed but no luck it seems.¡± ¡°How did you survive then?¡± Blake asked, putting the story together in his mind. ¡°When did this happen even?¡± The pyron turned again towards the light source and exchanged a few words. ¡°We were lucky,¡± he said. ¡° I am a travelling merchant and I was getting materials for the research of the sickness. On the culmination day I was just making the delivery and was with the scientists in the lab behind me. We used everything we could to set up wards when we heard that the upper levels were overrun and bunkered up in here. Luckily we merchants are a paranoid sort so I had a lot of wards ready.¡± Blake nodded but looked at the pyron with suspicion. Motionless next to him stood Ceglar, not revealing what he thought. ¡°And that was enough to keep you safe from both the monsters and the sickness?¡± asked Blake skeptically. ¡°The one you don¡¯t know the cure for?¡± The pyron hurriedly went to explain. ¡°It was just the small group we had to keep safe,¡±said Zan-adar. ¡°Remember that this was the lab for experiments and finding the cure for the sickness. The defenses are state of the art Pyron crafting and inscribing! We isolated this room completely and put ourselves into a stasis to fuel the wards. That¡¯s also why I can¡¯t really tell you how long we have been here.¡± He stopped, contemplating about something and added, ¡°It should have been at least a few months though, that¡¯s the best guess I can give.¡± Blake nodded, accepting the answer for now. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of the city then,¡± said Blake, deciding that he didn¡¯t want to remain in the same place for too long. ¡°There are still deformed Pyron here but we cleared the path behind us so we should be able to go back without big problems. I¡¯d like to hear everything in detail once we get to the surface.¡± The Pyron nodded but still didn¡¯t come any closer. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are willing to help us but there is a problem, we need to keep the wards on. Meeting one of the creatures could doom us, the air itself could also still be cursed if that was the root,¡± said Zan-adar fearfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s a risk I¡¯d rather avoid.¡± Blake rubbed his temples with frustration. Today was supposed to be a diplomatic mission yet it turned out to be so bothersome. ¡°And what would you suggest?¡± asked Blake, keeping his tone neutral. The Pyron didn¡¯t seem to notice Blake¡¯s tension and responded after pondering for a few moments. ¡°If your friend doesn¡¯t mind, he could carry two of the scientists which are still in stasis on his back,¡± he said. ¡°Their temperature is low enough not to burn him and they can continue fueling the wards. And the wards¡­ well the rest of us can take them or make some basic new ones, we just need to get to the surface.¡± Blake didn¡¯t have a better idea as he didn¡¯t really understand how wards functioned so he just looked at Ceglar, motioning him to say something. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Ceglar and added with a tone that left no room for negotiation. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about just what you owe us when we reach the surface.¡± Zan-adar hurriedly accepted and his face grew brighter. ********* Note that both the chapter length and the release scedule aren''t consistent (though the length is consistently between 2k and 4k so there''s that). If you like the story review/comment/follow. Alteration Chapter 12 News for the unknowing ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Ceglar and added with a tone that left no room for negotiation. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about just what you owe us when we reach the surface.¡± Zan-adar hurriedly accepted and his face grew brighter. ¡°Y-Yes, of course!¡± he said nervously. ¡°The guys behind me will get right on it, just give them a few minutes.¡± He hesitated for a moment and continued with a careful tone. ¡°I told you everything now, but just who are you? What¡¯s your business here?¡± ¡°We are scouts for a new settlement,¡± said Blake with no hesitation. ¡°We wanted to check how the Pyron are doing and if you were interested in some strategic cooperation.¡± The pyron cocked his head hearing that. ¡°How did you not know about our catastrophe?¡± Zan-adar asked with confusion all over his face. ¡°This is one of the three big pyron cities, news should have spread everywhere.¡± Blake awkwardly scratched his head. ¡°There is a good reason, but let¡¯s talk about that when we are somewhere safe,¡± said Blake. ¡°How are the wards progressing?¡± Zan-adar turned back for a moment and replied. ¡°They¡¯ll need a bit more,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t have to give us the absolute cloak the lab has provided, but we do need the protection and long range cover-up.¡± He seemed to have more to say but he stopped because Ceglar shook his head at those words. ¡°You can¡¯t call it absolute cloak,¡± said Ceglar displeasedly. ¡°It leaks the smell on occasion, that much I can say at least.¡± Zan-adar immediately turned back again and exchanged quick, loud remarks with someone behind him. ¡°If what you are saying is true then our wards are growing weaker without us noticing,¡± said Zan-adar with a disturbed tone. ¡°I have no idea how much good the portable wards will do for us.¡± He stopped, noticing the panic in his thoughts. ¡°Well, we need to try at least. You did clear the way on your journey down so that¡¯s something.¡± Doubt plagued Blake¡¯s thoughts but he just nodded with an absent mind, wanting to reassure the guy. The deformed pyron were easy enough to take out, but something about this whole city didn¡¯t sit well with Blake. He couldn¡¯t wait to get out and judging by Ceglar¡¯s restless behaviour in the background he felt the same. Blake waited patiently for about fifteen minutes which were necessary for them to get ready. During the time Zan-adar passed Blake a few meters rope which the latter used to tie two unconscious pyron to Ceglar. The werewolf had to approach the collapsed wall and be very close so that the pyron wouldn¡¯t go past the ward boundaries, prompting complaints because of the heat which was emanating from within. After checking the firmness of the ropes Zan-adar took a few engraved black stone slabs from the lab and put them between the ropes, making sure they wouldn¡¯t slip down. Having finished all that, a voice finally came from the lab and the party was set. The remaining five pyron came carefully from within, eyeing Ceglar with suspicion but remained otherwise quiet and were ready to depart. Blake inspected the fiery newcomers for a moment, noting the black slabs each was carrying and some other necklaces and jewelry they were wearing. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be able to give a hand if we need to fight?¡± asked Blake, not really waiting for an answer. He looked at Ceglar who nonchalantly stood next to him with two pyron and a couple black slabs strapped to his shoulders. ¡°My friend here also won¡¯t be able to fight¡­¡± Blake¡¯s tone was mostly neutral, just stating the facts but there was a dose of uncomfort beneath. Zan-adar didn¡¯t notice any of it and made a final check of the few supply bags he decided to bring along. Now that he was out of the light Blake took a better look. He wore a black robe made from a weird matte material. His body was consisting of various tones of yellow, orange and red but reminded otherwise strongly of a human body. His head was the same except for the long shoulder-length hair which seemed to be made partly of ash and a more dark glowing red. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be fine, I remember you humans packing quite a punch,¡± said Zan-adar as he rummaged through the contents of his bag. ¡°You also seem to be the first free speaking one I met so you are probably especially strong.¡± He looked up, nodding and gave the rest of the pyron the signal to go. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m all set.¡± Blake and Ceglar walked along, each covering a side of the little convoy. The hall and all of its details were now much more visible because of the convenient light that came from the pyron but Blake didn¡¯t pay too much attention, being intrigued by the previous remark. ¡°What do you exactly mean free speaking?¡± asked Blake, not understanding. ¡°You know... the thing about all of you... ¡° said Zan-adar, struggling to find the right words. His face grew a bit awkward and the brightness changed a little. ¡°Your sort doesn¡¯t exactly¡­ live in the moment?¡± Blake¡¯s patience was a bit thin with the eerie situation and he urged him to go on. ¡°Are you asking me?¡± he said. ¡°Just tell me some general scenario or something.¡± Zan-adar still acted awkward about the topic but he continued. ¡°Well¡­ Humans went everywhere and just offered their services, not really saying much outside what was going on immediately,¡± he said with an awkward tone. ¡°When I tried having a conversation with someone the guy just didn¡¯t seem to understand when I wanted to talk a bit more, for periods of time I even got ignored. I guessed that you humans just, uhm¡­ thought in a special way. No offense.¡± Blake shook his head with an amused expression and let the pyron continue, suspecting the cause of what he was describing. Zan-adar stopped, trying to remember something. ¡°There really were some weird times with you people. It¡¯s not even that rare to get an answer to something completely unrelated to what you were asking for,¡± he said, now free of the awkwardness and getting more into describing. ¡°Even stranger were the times when humans do talk right after accepting a job, seemingly with more information than they were told. And when I asked about how they knew?! No answer or they simply say it will be done soon. Oh, and the common sense on those guys¡­¡± Blake motioned him to stop, chuckling about the frustration which leaked in the man¡¯s voice. ¡°I understand what you mean now,¡± said Blake and carefully picked his words. ¡°What you saw were apparitions. Fueled puppets in a way. Strong in combat and useful for errands but quite restricted.¡± The group just continued walking through the halls and corridors of the level. Blake didn¡¯t continue immediately, giving Zan-adar and the other surprised pyron a chance to stomach what he said. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had this time of conversation so he just patiently waited for the other side to show some kind of reaction. ¡°If¡­ humans really were conjured¡­ By whom? Why?¡± asked Zan-adar, trying to gauge the implications. ¡°Can you show us some proof?¡± He seemed hesitant to ask for the last part but Blake noticed how all the other pyron looked up, sharing the notion. They were also quite restless from the revelation, but they remained silent, waiting for Blake¡¯s answer. ¡°I can only give guesses to why, the who is also something I just know the general answer of. I¡¯m fairly certain that we were conjured by order of your Alliance, they did organise all human action in the area,¡± said Blake. ¡° I didn¡¯t really have the luxury to investigate, there were assassins after me even in the wilderness.¡± All the pyron shone brightly, alarmed by the Blake¡¯s accusation of the Alliance. Zan-adar continued talking but he was a lot more cautious than before. Blake didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it, he had enough evidence to prove his point once they get out. Even if they decided to strike him down, burdened by the wards and the stasis they wouldn¡¯t pose that much of a threat. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Those are some serious accusations¡­ you are aware that the pyron are one of the eight senior partners of the Alliance?¡± said one of the scientist pyrons. Blake didn¡¯t bother to take a look at him as they just ascended to the next level. He responded calmly as he glanced at the frozen carvings along the stairs which were now nicely visible under the pyron light. ¡°Are you aware that I¡¯m saving you as we speak?¡± said Blake. ¡°Also, I think I¡¯m quite decent as proof even on my own. As Zan-adar said, I¡¯m a free speaking human. There is nothing puppetlike about me, just normal meat, bone and blood. I¡¯m not as strong as what you know as human nor do I learn abilities and magic as easily or at all in some cases.¡± The pyron scientist from before was listening carefully. ¡°You are different, that much is for sure,¡± he said, thinking about the situation. ¡°I will wait for the answers of why and how until we are safe, but tell me, if what we know aren¡¯t humans but puppets controlled by someone then why did that someone use a species unknown to us and what is your origin.¡± Blake scratched his head as he took a moment. He understood the pyron for wanting answers, but this really was the last place he wanted to stop and tell the whole story, ¡°The puppets really did look like humans and they had human pilots,¡± said Blake, avoiding to go into detail. ¡°We have a world of our own, another realm, and some organisation started selling a product which they said¡­ would let us control our dreams.¡± He paused for a moment, trying to translate the situation into something the pyron would understand. ¡°Actually it was something which would let us enter a collective ongoing dream in which we could control our actions so people went and came here as a sort of hobby for adventure, relaxation and similar things¡­¡± A female scientist interrupted Blake with disbelief and confusion. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± said the female, halting Blake and getting him to turn to her.¡±They weren¡¯t aware they were piloting in a real world? And they did manual labor for us while they wanted to relax?¡± Blake held back a chuckle and took a look at the rest of the scientists, they all waited for his answer with confusion and suspicion. He couldn¡¯t blame them, humans really did whatever task in order to gain experience, no matter how much they¡¯d hate it in the real world. Saying they relaxed while doing it really seemed nonsensical. ¡°Well they didn¡¯t feel the fatigue as much but there¡¯s also another side to that,¡± said Blake. ¡°The system your Alliance set up gave us various rewards for tasks. There ¡°quests¡±, as we call them, gave us certain amounts of power which is needed to get stronger and learn new abilities.¡± ¡°You gained power by doing mundane tasks?¡± asked female unbelievingly. ¡°Every task gave you power? And the Alliance made that possible. The pyron were startled and started whispering between themselves. Zan-adar wasn¡¯t as startled as the rest by the revelation and he chimed in. ¡°It would make sense based on everything I saw on my travels¡­¡± he said. ¡°But as much as I¡¯m not a fan of the Alliance myself I can¡¯t really take your word on everything.¡± He cleared his throat and looked at Blake. ¡°You said you were targeted by the Alliance so I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll let me, but I have a few trusty informants in the cities. I could confirm your story with them and I¡¯m sure we could put them to good use for you too.¡± The whispering grew silent as Zan-adar talked. The pyron tensely looked at Blake. The latter squinted slightly and shook his head. What Zan-adar was suggesting was impossible in more ways than one. ¡°I can let you try, disregarding the fact if I trust you or not,¡± said Blake. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m holding you hostage. However, with your small group you wouldn¡¯t survive two days of journey and you are aware that many more are needed to get to the next big city.¡± ¡°I think you are underestimating us¡­¡± said Zan-adar, not sure what Blake meant. ¡°Actually, that was a generous estimation,¡± said Blake, already a little bit tired of getting the pyron up to date. ¡°A year ago pretty catastrophic events started happening everywhere. Monster attacks started to happen more often, amongst other things. New sorts of monsters appeared, ridiculously strong and on the move. They spread everywhere and journeying grew to be impossible, even whole cities were threatened by the monster attacks.¡± Blake paused and shrugged. ¡° And that¡¯s when we had to centralise our territory and strengthen our defenses. I didn¡¯t see any adventurers or merchants from the big cities but the ones I met afterwards said the general communication network collapsed and each city either strengthens their defenses or mass moves, searching for allies.¡± The pyron listened to him with shocked expressions, their light dimming considerably. One of the scientists even started shaking which prompted Zan-adar to put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. The merchant was behaving surprisingly calm considering how riled up he was when he first met the two. ¡°You are giving us quite the news,¡± said Zan-adar with a tired voice, looking at his shocked comrades. ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best if we continue this on the surface, but I can¡¯t help but wonder, what is your settlement? Did you humans come to our side?¡± Blake shook his head lightly while scouting the area, they were near the stairs to the upper level. Two more and they were out. ¡°I¡¯m the only real human in this world as far as I know,¡± said Blake, while he waited for Ceglar to give the go sign for ascending. The latter was still sniffing the air. ¡° It¡¯s a mix of a few races, you¡¯ll see when I get you there. Obviously the werewolves are one of them, but you haven¡¯t really seen much of them before, right?¡± Zan-adar answered with a slightly complicated expression. ¡°Well I heard about the few which came to their senses about two years ago, but I never met them. Regretfully I only had contact with the other kind, quite brief and nearly lethal.¡± Blake glanced at Ceglar but he just ignored the conversation and shifted his head in various directions, twitching his ears. ¡°Actually both are in my faction,¡± said Blake to Zan-adar absentmindedly and turned to Ceglar. ¡°Do you hear something?¡± Ceglar nodded, but remained silent for a few more moments as he listened. ¡°There¡¯s trouble. Massive movement under us and the upper levels are also starting to stir,¡± said Ceglar. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly organised but they are getting closer.¡± ********* Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed review/comment/follow. So, now that enough content of the remade Alteration is released I decided to put the old chapters back up. The part where they had a similar start is long over so if anyone does go through it he/she won''t spoil anything of the future story. There are some minor background spoilers and similar stuff, but for every one thing that is in there and went unmentioned(for now) there are two which I decided to change(and also didn''t mention for now). When you see both major and minor differences in characters do remember that the remade ones are the correct ones and the old ones are in the past. If anyone decides to give it a read keep in mind that the writing is terrible, though it''s a good reminder for me of my past mistakes. If I see that the new readers are getting confused I''ll soft delete them again (though I did make it pretty clear what''s old). Regards, Crow Alteration Chapter 13 Struggle to the top ¡°There¡¯s trouble. Massive movement under us and the upper levels are also starting to stir,¡± said Ceglar. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly organised but they are getting closer.¡± The pyron all panicked and started chattering but Blake ignored them and continued talking with Ceglar. He was well aware that a cool head was necessary. ¡°What do you think? Charge through to the top or hide, waiting for it the disturbance to settle,¡± asked Blake while keeping the stairs in his sight. Ceglar hesitated for a moment. ¡°I think we need to charge through,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no telling what caused the disturbance or when it will stop. In the worst case scenario it¡¯s a Newcomer which is claiming new territory that either bested Kegaut or got past him.¡± Blake nodded but didn¡¯t agree with the assessment completely. He wanted to continue but Zan-adar butted in curiously. ¡°Sorry, but what exactly is a Newcomer?¡± he asked fearfully. ¡°The collective name we use for the new monster species which appeared,¡± answered Blake, then continuing his talk with Ceglar. ¡°I doubt it¡¯s a Newcomer, the major activity is below us and not above,¡± he said. ¡°But yes, charging seems like a good idea. How do we do this?¡± Blake looked at the two unconscious pyron which were tied to Ceglar¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can fight that well with those two.¡± Ceglar snorted at the remark. ¡°It will be enough as long we don¡¯t get caught by a group,¡± he said, moving his muscular arms around, checking their mobility. ¡°You¡¯ll have to blow groups apart from a distance, we don¡¯t really want our companions to get too close to the monsters. Do you have enough juice?¡± Blake cocked his head worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m not at full capacity but I¡¯ll make do,¡± he said, then turning to the Pyron. ¡° Can you also fight from the distance?¡± The female scientist was the first one to answer. ¡°We are all quite drained, but we do have a bit left,¡± she said. Blake nodded, slightly relieved. ¡°Good, let¡¯s hurry then,¡± he said and ran together with the pyron behind Ceglar who lead the way. They stormed up the stairs and through the corridors following the path they came from. Blake readied a low-power lava orb in his hand again. He grimaced as he ran and looked out for the monsters. If it was just him and Ceglar he¡¯d be much more comfortable, the idea that the pyron could get infected and turn while he had his back to them made him nervous. Suddenly light tremors shook the corridor, causing cracks in the ice with increasing speed. ¡°The movement is getting stronger,¡± said Ceglar, still leading them through the icy corridors. ¡°They are all now getting to our position. Give it everything!¡± The whole group was now sprinting as fast as they could. Ceglar was restricting his speed before but he now ran ahead, getting down on all four. A considerable distance was built up in a moment between Ceglar and the rest who struggled to keep up. The werewolf suddenly jumped and slashed at a monster which appeared from around the corner. The monster didn¡¯t stand a chance with all the momentum Ceglar had, it¡¯s torso was torn and the werewolf finished the deed with a strong punch to the head, cracking it open with a nauseating sound. The pyron winced seeing the monster which was supposed to have been one of their kinsmen. Fear spread on their faces but they had no time to stop, they continued with Blake on their front and Ceglar running ahead now that he finished the previous monster. He turned at the corner, followed by more sounds of crashing. Blake soon got to the turn, slowing his sprint. Ceglar was fighting dozens of monsters which were half-running, half-stumbling into his direction. He continued advancing but every step was followed by a swing of his arms, leaving monsters slashed open and quickly punching them to the side, smirching the clean walls and cracking them up. Blake and the pyron followed him, the werewolf¡¯s speed and strength was so immense that they still managed to run forward through the frozen halls, jumping over the motionless monsters. The pyron didn¡¯t stomach the scenes quite well, some shrieking as they watched Ceglar fight through the advancing abominations. The torn bodies they went over also caused terror but Blake and Zan-adar were now in the first row, keeping them all running. Blake saw that his companion couldn¡¯t fight at full potential, he restricted his movements and wasn¡¯t as fast as usual because of the tied pyron. Nevertheless the wolf was a blur of gray and brown which left broken bodies behind it. More and more monsters swarmed from the nearby side corridors and charged Ceglar. A blood freezing snarl was on his face and the werewolf continued his rampage, punching, slashing and slowing their advances by throwing the broken bodies at them but he couldn¡¯t go forward anymore and Blake noticed that the distance he was keeping shrunk gradually. Blake did a few motions while he ran ahead of the group, causing the orb to grow to the size of a football, glowing much brighter and revealing something which resembled a storm within the orb. ¡°Get down Ceglar!¡± Blake shouted and hurled the orb in the air, above Ceglar, illuminating the ceiling as it flew. The werewolf didn¡¯t look back but just grabbed the nearest monster and threw it into the rest, making them halt for a moment. He then kneeled down turning his head back and throwing his arms up to protects himself. The orb landed a couple meters further, in the middle of the approaching monsters. As it fell down the surging storm within seemed to overpower the invisible barrier which restricted it, unleashing an explosion which engulfed the nearby monsters, catapulting them to the side and setting them on fire. Ear piercing shrieks filled the corridor. ¡°Go, charge now!¡± shouted Blake, his voice unsteady from the lost energy. Ceglar immediately got up and punched himself a path through the scattered monsters. Most seemed disorientated from the explosion so he managed to quickly go through the choke point, followed by Blake and the terrified pyron. They were now running again with full speed, Ceglar spearheading and tearing the few approaching monsters which were in front of them. A couple abominations posed no problems now that Ceglar wasn¡¯t being overwhelmed. The werewolf lead them with no bigger problems to a side corridor which wasn¡¯t overrun. ¡°All of them are following us!¡± said Ceglar grimly while still running. ¡° Even the ones ahead of us and on our sides somehow seem to know our position.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over¡­ we can¡¯t..¡± muttered the pyron behind Blake. The latter had no time to wonder how the monsters were tracking them but just waved with his hand swiftly, motioning Ceglar to continue. ¡°That changes nothing, we need to hurry!¡± said Blake and turned to the pyron which were running behind and next to him. The group was a sad sight, terrified and only going forward because everyone else was. Zan-adar¡¯s eyes were also full of fear but the man had still spirit, giving everything, something Blake respected. ¡°The next time it¡¯s you who needs to help and cast something!¡± shouted Blake at the pyron, not caring if the monsters would hear him, everything was going to hell anyway. ¡°Ceglar is fighting with everything he has to protect your life! Do the same you sad excuses for a safety match or I swear I¡¯ll leave you here!¡± The pyron sprung up, some light returning to their eyes. They were still very much terrified but his voice snapped them out the worst. Blake didn¡¯t wait to get an answer, turning his gaze forward and running, suppressing his own fear and anger. More and more monsters were starting to appear in front of Ceglar as he went through the halls and corridors but the werewolf showed no signs of fatigue yet. Each and every one were disposed of and crashed into the wall in an eyeblink, leaving them motionless. ¡°We are nearly at the stairs, the main bulk of them is there,¡± roared Ceglar from the front as he tackled another monster ahead of him. ¡°Ready whatever you have, one orb won¡¯t be enough!¡± as he said that he broke the monster¡¯s neck, jumped up and continued to run. Blake was already breathing unsteadily from all the sprinting but he nodded, following. ¡°Understood,¡± said Blake. Zan-adar, ran next to Blake and spoke up, his voice fearful but resolute. ¡°I¡¯ll also do my part. And so will you!¡± said Zan-adar, turning to his scientist companions. They sprung up, but gave nervous nods to the merchant. The group took a few turns, passing frozen gates and houses before arriving in front of a huge hall entrance. ¡°We are here,¡± said Ceglar as he ran with full speed into the enormous hall. As Blake and the pyron followed, their illumination lit up the beginning of the hall revealing a bone-chilling sight, an endless sea of monsters. The abominations were all looking at them, swarming like ants in their direction with loud roars and gurgling noises. Terror gripped Blake¡¯s heart as he saw Ceglar charging straight at the approaching monsters, being outnumbered by hundreds and thousands. Despite all the shrieking an impact resounded clearly as Ceglar threw himself in the midst of the monsters, sending many flying and tearing up many more, spearheading the path for the rest. Blake grimmaced as he continued running and kept his gaze on the werewolf which was making good use of his claws and fangs. The hall was huge and Ceglar cleared just a thin line, the sea of monsters would regroup in a second. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Beams of light appeared from the pyron¡¯s hands as they ran through the hall. They aimed them in two main directions, doing their best to stop the monsters from flanking them or cutting them off from Ceglar. The beams burned through the monsters, stopping them and slowing the next wave down with the smouldering remains of the previous. Running to their death didn¡¯t seem to bother the monsters as they just continued to advance with their horrible shrieks, using the first row of attackers as shields and trying to decrease the distance. The pyron desperately tried to hold the freed path between them and Ceglar, shifting from offense that kept Ceglar¡¯s back free to defense which kept them safe from the monsters they passed by. ¡°That¡¯s it, continue!¡± yelled Blake back at the following Pyron. Fear was still choking them but going on the offensive let them regain some fighting spirit. ¡°Cover our sides, I¡¯ll take care of any that get through Ceglar.¡± Blake conjured his orb but this time he didn¡¯t grow it big but he just turned it a few times with a concentrated look and pushed it against his knuckle, making the barrier yield and engulfing his hand with the orb as if it was some sort of glove. It changed shape to fit his fist and grew dimmer. He repeated the same process with the other, a bit more awkward now that he couldn¡¯t help himself as much with the other hand. The monsters were weaker than Ceglar but their strength was far superior to Blake¡¯s, however that only mattered if the wobbly abominations managed to hit him. A second later he nodded to the Pyron and they stopped covering the very spot on the front letting a small number of monsters through which were either thrown back by Ceglar¡¯s punch or just missed by him as he advanced. The monster¡¯s weren¡¯t all stuck together so he managed to keep at it with a decent speed. Blake braced himself as the first monsters approached. One of them had horrible injuries, a slash running from its shoulder to it¡¯s stomach, showing more than it should while the other was seemingly uninjured. Blake ignored the ugly sight and closed the distance between them, dodging the uninjured monster and throwing the slashed up one with a front kick to the chest into a nearby beam, killing it in seconds and leaving charred remains. He turned, only to barely dodge the stumbling attack of the other monster. It narrowly missed with its jump attack and lost balance for a moment which Blake used well, throwing a hook at the monster¡¯s head making it shriek in pain as Blake¡¯s fiery ¡°glove¡± burned it¡¯s face with a nauseating sizzle. He threw another punch at the monster and kicked it aside, making it share the same fate as the previous one. Blake looked ahead, worrying about Ceglar but the werewolf showed no signs of slowing down as he continued his bloody marathon. It didn¡¯t seem like he was holding back any longer on behalf of the tied pyron. The monsters were all weaklings for him but their numbers could easily spell out their doom if he was careless. More of the abominations were now left behind Ceglar, most with broken bodies and heavy injuries. The werewolf could no longer be as careful as he spearheaded the way and Blake understood that, keeping his orb gauntlet up, punching and tackling the monsters in front of him, making them stumble into the fiery rays with which the pyron held a line. Blake lost all track of time as they proceeded, sounds of constant shrieking, cracking and sizzling numbing his mind, only interrupted by the occasional bloodthirsty howl Ceglar let out. Beads of sweat started rolling off his face as he struggled to come up with the power needed for every punch. The pyron behind him managed to keep their deadly rays up for the whole time, shifting them back and forth, just barely managing to keep their formation. They were at the end of their strength too, struggling to keep up, some even losing focus and making their beam flicker. Blake was just fighting another wave of monsters left behind by Ceglar. Four monsters broke past the werewolf and three injured ones stumbled in Blake¡¯s direction. He ran with heavy steps and ready hands, greeting the first one with a feint to the side and kicking it into the way of the beams. He immediately turned, seeing that the others were now all steps away from him. He clenched his teeth, suppressing the fatigue and ducked, avoiding the hands of the first monsters. His breathing was growing shallow but he forced himself to continue, jumping up and tackling an injured monster with his shoulder, catapulting it into the rays. Blake tried to catch his fall but failed, landing down. The rest of the monsters all jumped towards him growling and ready to tear him apart. Blake helplessly lifted his arms in an effort to shield himself but thankfully red and yellow lights flashed before his eyes, hitting the monsters and spreading out, making them burn. Zan-adar appeared behind Blake, flinging the blazing projectiles. ¡°Get up, I can¡¯t do this alone!¡± yelled Zan-adar as he threw more projectiles, stopping the monsters next to Blake. Blake jumped up and swung his fist at a nearby monster but the monster didn¡¯t let him regain his foothold. His punch missed and he narrowly avoided the monsters swipe. He just wanted to launch himself forward but something catapulted him to the side and an excruciating pain spread from his hip. He desperately tried to get up but a monster appeared next to him, pinning him to the floor with its leg and swinging down with it¡¯s arm, wanting to crack his skull. A fiery blast interrupted it, setting it on fire. Zan-adar appeared in a second and grabbed the monster¡¯s head from behind, making his hand glow brighter as raging flames danced around the monster¡¯s head, leaving nothing but charcoal in a moment. Blake desperately sat himself up despite the horrible pain in his hip and swung his hands towards the remaining monsters, throwing his flaming gloves towards them and killing them in the following explosion. Zan-adar quickly threw Blake on his back and continue running, followed by the pyron which seemed to have waited while Blake was on the floor, keeping other monster¡¯s away. ¡°I can¡¯t continue, my hip¡­ I think it¡¯s broken,¡± said Blake to Zan-adar who carried him as he ran. ¡°I saw it, what now?¡± said Zan-adar tensely as he directed one of his hands forward, making a flickering beam appear. It didn¡¯t seem like he could carry on for much longer, none of the pyron could. Blake bit his lips, trying to ignore the pain each Zan-adar¡¯s step caused and the heat which burned his skin. ¡°The others need to keep this up as long as possible¡± said Blake with a pained tone. ¡°You need to get me to Ceglar.¡± The pyron sped up without question, closing the distance to the werewolf which was still roaring and howling as he attacked in all directions. ¡°Now throw me on his back and tell the rest that they need to get as close as possible,¡± said Blake. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the line collapses for a moment, just hurry!¡±¡± Zan-adar nodded with a fearful expression and got behind Ceglar, throwing Blake onto his back. Blake nearly fainted from the pain which spread through his hip as he fell onto Ceglar, gritting his teeth, but he held onto a tied pyron and screamed up as a muscular paw was just flying towards his head. ¡°It¡¯s Blake! Don¡¯t!¡± he yelled and the paw missed him by a hair¡¯s breadth and dug into a nearby monster¡¯s neck instead. ¡°Why are you here? What are you doing?!¡± roared the werewolf as he continued tearing through the monster lines. ¡°We can¡¯t cover your back anymore, the pyron are exhausted and I can¡¯t walk!¡± yelled Blake, trying to speak over the shrieks of dying monsters. ¡°They will close the distance now. How far are we from the exit?¡± Ceglar picked up a nearby monster throwing it the opposite side and slowing other monsters down as he continued advancing. ¡°We are nearly there. They have to continue!¡± yelled the werewolf as he fought forward. ¡°We are done if they circle me!¡± ¡°They will get closer and do as much as they can, try to speed things up!¡± yelled Blake while holding on and weaving his legs and an arms beneath the ropes, securing his position. The pain from his hip was terrible but it wasn¡¯t the first time he was wounded. He glanced back, seeing that the pyron caught up and were doing their best with their diminishing powers behind them. Blake checked the ropes again, confirming he was secured. ¡°I can¡¯t fight anymore so I¡¯ll leave the rest to you,¡± yelled Blake at the werewolf and conjured an orb which surpassed the one he previously threw at the choke point. He furrowed his brows as he tried to concentrate on the rampaging Ceglar, the orb grew darker with a vibrant pulsating red centre. The forces inside it violently circled as Blake scanned the area in front of Ceglar with sweat dropping down his face. He lifted his arm and flung the orb with all the strength he had left, afterwards letting it fall lifelessly down on Ceglar. Everything around him was growing black and the last thing he saw was the huge explosion in front of them. ******* Thanks for reading, if you like the story feel free to leave a comment. Alteration Chapter 14 The way back ¡°Gahh¡­¡± groaned Blake as he squirmed. Groggy from recent events, he slowly opened his eyes. His vision swam briefly as he saw only the blur of passing trees. His body shook slightly while wavering left and right. ¡°Wha..?¡± he rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. As he moved his arm, pain shot through his hip, making him wince. ¡°Ah, you are awake finally?¡± said a voice. Blake slowly turned his head towards the source. It was Zan-adar, holding half of the stretcher Blake seemed to be on. ¡°Ugh, I dunno¡­ More or less,¡± said Blake, trying to get his mind working. He slightly lifted his head, taking a look in front of himself. Another pyron was carrying him in the front, it was the female scientist who glanced back at him and gave him a curt nod. Blake responded in kind and let his head fall afterwards. He had no strength left in his body at all. It was a while since the last time he had pushed himself this much. At least it seemed to have paid off. He glanced around as he was lying in the stretcher. Sun got in his eyes as it peaked through the tall tree tops here and there. Blake¡¯s brows furrowed. These trees grew in the general area of his settlement. ¡°How long was I out?¡± asked Blake in a weak voice. ¡°About four days,¡± said Zan-adar softly. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Like a train hit me¡­¡± groaned Blake, carefully bringing his hand to his hip. Pain immediately spread through his body. ¡°Ugh, I think I have a broken hip.¡± Zan-adar nodded. ¡°Probably. We treated it with some potion your other companion gave us,¡± said Zan-adar. ¡°However it doesn¡¯t seem to be strong enough, the surface looks fine but beneath¡­ well I¡¯m sure you noticed.¡± Blake groaned again. ¡°It¡¯d be difficult not to¡­¡± said Blake with a weak voice. ¡°I guess we are already close to the settlement..?¡± Zan-adar nodded and Blake continued. ¡°Did Ceglar tell you the situation?¡± asked Blake, still trying to actually wake up. ¡°Did anything happen while I was out?¡± The female scientist who was also carrying him chimed in. ¡°Ceglar brought us up to date as far as the situation is concerned, otherwise nothing really happened,¡± said the woman in a relaxed tone. ¡° You should rest some more, that last orb of yours nearly killed you.¡± Blake closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. ¡°It got bigger than I wanted, I was a bit distracted,¡± said Blaked. ¡° But it seems to have worked out. How did it go after the explosion?¡± ¡°The monsters parted after it, trying to avoid the blast,¡± said the female, shuddering as she remembered. ¡°We used the opportunity to run through, before the flames settled. A minute later stairs appeared in front of us and then we stormed to the surface. Good thing your other werewolf friend was guarding the entrance, he had to carry one of my companions who fainted.¡± Blake nodded tiredly. ¡°Good, no casualties then,¡± he said. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ah! Leilarra, pleased to meet you,¡± answered the female and bowed her head. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you and your friend did. You saved my life, if you ever need anything tell me.¡± Blake laughed lightly as he saw the woman doing her best at giving him her gratitude. It didn¡¯t seem like she was used to formal speech as an awkward expression appeared on her face. That however didn¡¯t bother him at all, he smiled tiredly back at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ceglar already talked to you about the settlement,¡± said Blake. ¡°We can use capable scientists and mages. Follow our rules and work in the settlement and we can provide you with food and shelter. Give and take.¡± Zan-adar nodded at the words, but Leilarra didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied with the answer and shook her head. ¡°Ceglar mentioned it, but I meant you two in specific,¡± said Leilarra unsatisfied. ¡°I¡¯m in your debt and don¡¯t shrug it off again!¡± Blake¡¯s brows furrowed for a moment. It seemed like Ceglar left a fair bit of the story to him. ¡°Ceglar forgot to mention that I¡¯m the ruler of the settlement, did he?¡± said Blake, determining it¡¯s time to fill them in. ¡°If you stay as my subject then it really is give and take. I give you a place to live safely and you work for me, which means you work in the settlement.¡± He held back a chuckle as Leilarra¡¯s eyes widened and her face brightened. ¡°Oh, that would also cover your debt to Ceglar more or less,¡± continued Blake. ¡°He is the werewolf high priest, their leader.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± said Leilarra with an even brighter face, thinking about Blake¡¯s offer. ¡°Take your time with the offer,¡± said Blake, calming her down. ¡°First you should see the settlement and have a guide tell you the whole story in detail, I¡¯m too tired to do that myself.¡± He stopped for a second and continued with a gentle voice. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have much choice with the situation being as it is, but I promise that I will treat you well if you follow me.¡± Blake lifted his gaze from Leilarra who thought in silence and looked at Zan-adar. ¡°You probably have some remaining questions, Ceglar usually doesn¡¯t talk about my business. Go ahead and ask.¡± Zan-adar didn¡¯t seem to be overly bothered by the previous conversation and he immediately thought of a question. ¡°You mentioned that you are the only human you know of in this world,¡± said Zan-adar with curiosity. ¡°Why are you the only one? Ceglar mentioned that the manipulating system vanished along with the humans a year ago, but he didn¡¯t want to say anything about you.¡± Blake nodded, the werewolf knew which things he could talk about and which not. ¡°That¡¯s connected to a kind of ritual I went through, ¡° said Blake, picking his words with care. ¡° It allowed me to bypass the existing system. This is tied to a topic for which I¡¯ll get you a guide, he¡¯ll go more in depth.¡± Zan-adar looked unsatisfied but he didn¡¯t press the issue. Blake laid calmly in the stretcher, watching the passing treetops. ¡°How about a question about the settlement?¡± suggested Blake, wanting to cover the main things as fast as possible. The pyron nodded and he continued. ¡°I roughly know what Ceglar says and what he doesn¡¯t so I guess he didn¡¯t tell you who exactly was in the settlement except the werewolves and the refugees?¡±asked Blake at which the two pyron shook their heads. ¡°Then let me tell you why it is even possible in the first place that we can defend ourselves against the Newcomers. Golems are part of my settlement.¡± Shocked expressions appeared on the two faces, making the female nearly let go of the stretcher. ¡°The golems? The actual golems?¡± asked the female with wide eyes, her head glowing much brighter than before. ¡°How did that happen? They are the exclusive workforce of the Alliance!¡± Blake smiled tiredly again, mentioning the golems never failed to get some amusing reactions. However they were in no way unjustified, the golems were indispensable to Blake. ¡°They were the Alliance¡¯s slaves,¡± said Blake. ¡°Now they work for me.¡± Leilarra wanted to press Blake about the matter but Zan-adar was quicker. ¡°How do you mean that? How is it possible?¡± asked Zan-adar totally confused. ¡°They are insentient Alliance constructs! Did you steal them?¡± An uneasy expression appeared for a moment on Blake¡¯s face as Zan-adar was talking but vanished quickly. ¡°You could say that, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure anymore,¡± said Blake as he hesitated. ¡° I did use an artifact to get them to obey, but lately... ¡° He cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°The bottom line is that they serve me now, just consider them your guardians.¡± Leilarra looked at Blake with a flabbergasted expression. ¡°Guardians?!¡± she asked with shock. ¡°You use those tools as guardians?! They were made for uncomplicated physical labor! They don¡¯t have the needed ability!¡± Blake carefully shook his head, cautious not to cause himself pain. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that they do,¡± said Blake, not wanting to get swept up in a discussion. ¡° I have no idea if it¡¯s a mechanism for self-preservation or they are a new model, but they are the reason why we managed to survive a year against the Newcomers.¡± Leilarra squinted her eyes but decided to take the statement as it is. ¡°Other than that nothing has changed?¡± she asked nervously. Blake nodded with a complicated expression. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°They don¡¯t even move unless I tell them to¡­¡± Blake saw a shadow appear from the treetops and a moment later Ceglar jumped down, softly landing on all four next to the stretcher. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Oh please, you are just getting nervous because you took them from the Alliance,¡± said Ceglar as he smiled wolfishly. ¡°The rocks were their tools, now they are ours. If something was off I¡¯d have already noticed it.¡± Blake looked at the overconfident werewolf displeasedly. ¡°Well now we have the scientists which can help me understand the principle behind them.¡± He looked at Leilarra who gave him a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly help,¡± she said. ¡°The magic structure must be a lot more advanced than on the old ones.¡± Blake nodded with a pleased expression and turned to Ceglar. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to keep lookout up there?¡± asked Blake. Ceglar shook his head. ¡°The air is clear. I can go up in a few minutes again. The softy is checking our front anyway,¡± said Ceglar, waving his hand. ¡°Why, need me?¡± Blake cocked his head grumbling lightly. ¡°You know Kegaut hates when you act like this,¡± said Blake. ¡°When are you going to consider him your kind.¡± Ceglar waved his hand again carelessly. ¡°When he earns it,¡± said Ceglar simply. Blake sighed, not having the strength to fight the werewolf on this topic. If the hundreds of times before didn¡¯t help then this one won¡¯t either. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to leave a few things to you,¡± said Blake. ¡° I¡¯ll go home today.¡± Ceglar seemed a little surprised but he nodded. ¡°With that hip you wouldn¡¯t manage to get things done even if you stayed,¡± said Ceglar, thinking about what chores he had to do. ¡°Well it¡¯s just a week sooner than planned and most of the things are routine stuff.¡± Blake nodded at Ceglar. ¡°Yeah, if I go rest at home then I can at least give Rose a hand,¡± said Blake. ¡°Just make sure that all of the usual stuff goes smoothly and don¡¯t overestimate yourself on patrols and clearing missions!¡± Blake pointed his finger at the pyron who listened to the conversation silently, continuing to carry the stretcher. ¡°Get them a guide, uhm¡­ Preferably one of my closer faction mates if you understand, ¡°said Blake, tip-toeing around the term Gar¡¯rac. He didn¡¯t know how much the pyron knew about them. ¡°And make sure that they tell them everything, afterwards assign them some fitting job.¡± Blake shifted his look from Ceglar and spoke to the pyron. ¡°Is that okay with you?¡± asked Blake. Zan-adar calmly nodded and Leilarra followed suit, a bit more hesitant. ¡°Good,¡± continued Blake and turned back to Ceglar. ¡° Don¡¯t forget to tell the kobolds that I¡¯ll look into their matter when I get better. As far as diplomatic things go it¡¯s the usual, tell me if anyone outside the normal refugees appears and I¡¯ll come. Ceglar nodded, he had already stepped in for Blake a few times so he knew what was expected. ¡°We are now entering the settlement,¡± said Ceglar. Blake¡¯s brows rose. He expected them to be close but not this much. He lightly lifted his head from the stretcher to get a better sight of what was in front of them, but pain immediately shot through his body. All he gained for his effort and agony was a glimpse of wooden houses and a few stone constructs behind them. Blake clenched his teeth as he waited for the pain to pass, but his thoughts grew more relaxed. He saw golems spread out in an orderly way around the settlement, everything seemed to be alright. ¡°Bring me to the main hall,¡± said Blake tiredly. ¡°I¡¯ll immediately go if there are no problems I need to deal with.¡± Ceglar pointed to one of the wooden buildings. It was wider than most others and gave off a more serious, elegant atmosphere. The pyron nodded and carried Blake in that direction. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send me reports Ceglar,¡± said Blake. ¡°Now go ahead and ask your council if anything needs my attention, otherwise I¡¯d like to go home while I still have some strength.¡± Ceglar nodded and disappeared from Blake¡¯s side. The latter was now just lying, scanning the settlement calmly. It seemed like everything was alright. People from various races were walking here and there, going to their work places, carrying things and doing similar tasks. When the people saw Blake on the stretcher their eyes widened but they just gave him a small bow continued. There was also a small construction site nearby, filling the settlement with sounds of hammering and rocks clashing as some werewolves and one of the Gar¡¯rac worked with two golems on a stone constructions. The foundations seemed to be done as they now slowly stacked stone blocks. When the werewolves noticed Blake they, like the others before bowed briefly and got back to work. The Gar¡¯rac however started jumping lightly in excitement and lifted one of its paws a bit. Human behaviour didn¡¯t really function all that well with the Gar¡¯racs big flaming body but Blake found it charming.He couldn¡¯t help but smile and weakly wave back. Blake glanced carefully at the two pyron but they either didn¡¯t recognised the Gar¡¯rac or they just didn¡¯t see him. Good, they could take it slow later with a guide, preferably a shapeshifted Gar¡¯rac. A shadow appeared next to his stretcher. It was a man in loose linen clothing who seemed to be in his thirties. He had short black hair and a beard of similar length. His expression was calm and serious. ¡°How are you feeling my lord?¡± Blake turned to the man, looking a bit surprised. ¡°Ah Kegaut, I feel tired and injured but nothing a week or two with potions and rest won¡¯t fix,¡± said Blake with a complicated expression. ¡°Why did you shift? Are there some visitors?¡± Kegaut shook his head, seeming a bit bothered. ¡°There was no need for that form anymore, I just did it without thinking¡­¡± said Kegaut with a slightly uncomfortable tone. Blake sighed and motioned the man to calm down. ¡°Look, I have no problem with that,¡± said Blake calmly. ¡°However you are a werewolf, try to get comfortable with your actual form¡­ I¡¯m sure Ceglar would give you a hand if you asked him, he is much nicer than you think.¡± Kegaut shook his head lightly but said nothing. ¡°You know that I¡¯m right,¡± said Blake. ¡°Continue working on it.¡± The man nodded and went away after a small bow. Blake leaned his head back and continued looking at the settlement around himself until the two pyron brought him to the big building. Ceglar waited at the door with a group of werewolves behind him. They were all a bit smaller than him, wearing some light clothes and looking at Blake seriously. They nodded, greeting him. ¡°There were no major incident,¡± said Ceglar as he approached the stretcher. ¡°Good, give me a hand then,¡± said Blake, bracing himself. Ceglar lifted him carefully from the stretcher. Blake¡¯s hip agonised him again but he ignored it, clenching his teeth for the few moments Ceglar needed to carry him into the building and put him in the middle of a circle which was carved in the floor. It seemed like the big building had just one wide, empty room. There were two windows on each wall, illuminating the wooden tiles it was made of and giving the room a very calm atmosphere. Blake forced his breathing to go back to normal after the pain and he slowly went with his hand over the carvings, checking if he was in the right position. ¡°I checked, it¡¯s the right spot,¡± said Ceglar as he kneeled next to Blake. ¡°So¡­ Enjoy your rest, make sure that you are completely healed before you return. I¡¯ll take care of everything on this side.¡± Blake nodded, he had no problems trusting the werewolf when he was serious. He proved himself enough times. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to do my part with lore research,¡± said Blake, trying to remember if he needed to do something more before going. ¡°I¡¯ll hear from you by parchment reports. Make sure to keep things peaceful over here¡­ well as much as possible.¡± He breathed in deeply and calmed his mind. ¡°Mind if you lend me some fuel?¡± asked Blake, already starting to concentrate. Ceglar wordlessly put his big paw over the carvings. A dark blue light spread from the spot he touched and flew across all carvings, making it seem like a small stream appeared around Blake. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Blake and activated the formula. The carvings around him lit up and he disappeared into thin air in the next moment. ****** Thanks for reading, if you like the story review/comment/follow. I just want to give you a heads up, I have uni stuff coming my way so I won''t upload for a few weeks (between 2 and 5, not sure).